Point of No Return
Chapter 1 distress calls
Authors Notes I don't own Star Wars just my OC's and the plot of this fic is loosely based on the plot of the South Korean horror film R-Point.
Imperial outpost in the Outer Rim
Two men sat in the communication room both playing Pazzack as it was the night shift and like most nights, nothing happened. So to pass the time these two men played Pazzack.
Suddenly though the coms came to life as a distress call came in.
A voice said "Command come in."
The two men were shocked and quickly got to work as the person contacting them said "Command this is Echo Squad 43. We're dying like hell here."
One of the men said "Go and report this now, hurry."
As his comrade left, the man said "Echo Squad 43 come in. I say again Echo Squad 43 come in."
Soon the commanding officer of the base, Admiral Kunon was in the room and shocked as he heard Echo Squad 43 calling in for help. Echo Squad 43 went missing over 6 months ago and were presumed dead. Except for the sole survivor that the rescue team found of that accursed planet.
The admiral went to the infirmary to speak to the sole survivor of Echo Squad 43, determined to get answers.
As he sat down next the man lying on the bed with bandages covering his entire face except for his mouth. He said "Echo Squad 43 just reported in from the planet Saiken."
The man said "No it's not possible. All of them are dead."
The Admiral asked "Then how did one of them just send out a distress call to this base less than five minutes ago? If they didn't send this distress call, who did?"
The man replied "I swear they are all dead. I collected their ID tags myself. With these hands!"
The man showed the admiral the stubs he now had for hands as Admiral Kunon asked "Who did this to you? Rebel scum?"
The man shook his head and said with fear in his voice "There are no rebels on that planet. I watched all of those men die!"
The admiral then left the room as he now had to put together a team for a fact finding mission and the admiral had the perfect candidate in mind to lead this mission.
Commander Viper.
Nar Shaddaa the Imperial District
Two imperial officers were walking through the streets as one of them, a young lieutenant said "Say what you will sir, but Nar Shaddaa has a certain quality to it."
The other man didn't respond as they entered a brothel, the commander was looking for company. Anything to help him forget the last battle he was in, If only for one night.
He found a young Twi'lek woman while the lieutenant found a human girl for himself.
The commander was soon smoking a cigarette looking out the window as the Twi'lek was fast asleep next to him and soon heard blaster fire.
Viper had his pistol out and was heading to the room where lieutenant was in and saw a janitor nearby.
Viper yelled "Don't move!"
The young teenager said with fear in her voice "Don't shoot!"
Viper saw a bit of blood on the woman's shirt dripping onto the floor and deciding not to take any chances opened fire.
His suspicions were confirmed when he found the woman had a blaster pistol on her.
Viper then entered the room and saw the lieutenant dead on the bed.
Viper cursed as he contacted the local imperial garrison to report what happened.
Soon the Commander was back at the Imperial base on Nar Shaddaa where he was taken to a private room. As Viper sat down at the desk, a hologram of Admiral Kunon appeared in front of him.
Viper saluted as the Admiral said "At ease my old friend."
The Admiral said "Viper you have a great career in the military so far. 3 commendations, you won the Distinguished Medal of Imperial Honour for your role in the battle of Boz Pity last year. Every time you've gone into battle, blood has been spilt either yours or the enemy. You were also the sole survivor of the ambush on the planet Kailto recently. Viper I need a man of your skill to command a very important mission."
Viper asked "What's the mission sir?"
The Admiral smiled and said "Just so we are clear. The incident in that brothel earlier tonight never happened."
Viper nodded as Kunon continued by saying "6 months ago a squad of soldiers were sent to the planet Saiken which is close to the location of a suspected rebel base. Their mission was to do recon and see if the planet would be good for an imperial base. A rescue team sent to look for them after they failed to report in after a few days, only found 1 man. Now we've gotten word from Echo Squad 43 saying they are dying. I want you to find those men and bring them home. This mission is search and rescue above all else. Understood?"
Viper nodded and the Admiral said "You can recruit men from my outpost for the mission. However Imperial Intelligence want one of their men on the mission as your second in command."
Viper asked "Who'll my second in command be?"
The Admiral replied "An agent named Drillik. I have a transport ship there ready to take to my base immediately. Agent Drillik will be here waiting when you arrive. All that'll be left is assemble a team and go to Saiken. You'll have a week to learn the fate of Echo Squad 43."
Viper nodded and left the room as he went to the hanger bay where the transport ship was waiting for him.
Viper was soon at the Imperial outpost and saw the Admiral as well as a member of Imperial Intelligence were there to greet him.
Agent Drillik said "Commander Viper. It's good to finally meet you. I've heard good things about you from my superiors."
Viper replied "I wish I could say the same about you."
Drillik laughed as the two of them followed Admiral Kunon to a briefing room where over twenty men in stromtrooper armour were waiting for them.
The men saluted as Viper, Drillik and Kunon entered the room.
The Admiral cut to the chase and said "I need volunteers for a mission to Saiken. Echo Squad 43 need assistance and we will find them. If anyone wants to be part of the mission stay in the room. All others please leave immediately."
Most of the men left the room but several stayed as Viper said "We're heading out on a transport in a half hour. Get suited up and be at the hanger bay in twenty five minutes."
All of the troops in front of him and Agent Drillik said loudly "Yes sir!" before they headed to the armoury.
Agent Drillik didn't say a word as he left the room leaving Viper alone with Admiral Kunon.
Viper asked "Any idea why Imperial Intelligence wanted one of their men on this mission?"
Admiral Kunon replied "No idea. There are no records of Imperial Intelligence having any bases or anything on Saiken. Maybe they want answers as to why these men after 6 months missing suddenly send out a distress call. However I did look up on Agent Drillik, he's been on black ops missions all over the outer rim and is a man who gets the job done no matter what. I'd be careful around him Viper."
Viper said "I'll keep an eye on him."
The Admiral said "Good luck out there." With that Viper went to the armoury as well to get suited up for this mission.
Soon Viper was with his team in the hanger bay and lead the team onto the transport ship and after everyone was seated, the transport ship was heading to Saiken.
As Viper was in the cockpit with the pilot one of the soldiers asked "Any of you hear things about that man? I've heard some people who served with Commander Viper requested to be transferred to another squad after one mission due to the amount of action they saw in that fight."
One man said "Blaze. I've heard about this Viper man. Some say he shot one of his own men for being drunk."
Blaze was in shock and said "That's unbelievable."
The tech expert on the squad named Tech said "I heard he and his men once offered some cigarettes to 20 rebel prisoners they captured before killing them."
The sharpshooter of the team, Headshot asked "He and his men shot dead 20 rebels?"
Another man said "I heard it was more like 30."
With that Agent Drillik left the rest of the squad and headed to the cockpit.
As soon he entered Drillik asked "How long until we get to Saiken?"
Viper said ""Not long. I can only assume you've heard the rumours about me."
Agent Drillik nodded and Viper scoffed before he said "You notice. Whenever someone talks about a story like that. They say they heard it from someone who was there, and when you ask that person. They say they heard it from somebody who was there. Nothing new really. I bet a few thousand years ago. Some Republic soldiers were standing around talking about Revan killing several Mandalorian warriors with his bare hands during the Mandalorian Wars."
Agent Drillik said "Maybe they talked about it because Revan never denied it?"
Viper thought for a moment and replied "Maybe that's because Revan knew the value of the men he was going into battle with, thinking he was the meanest and toughest Jedi in the entire galaxy."
Drillik didn't say a word as the pilot said "We've arrived at Saiken now. I'll land near to where Echo Squad 43 was last scene. You can make the rest of the way there on foot."
Viper nodded and said "The walk will do us good and give us a clearer picture of what happened here."
The transport ship soon landed on Saiken as the squad disembarked. When the ship left one of the men had a holocam and said "Since some of us are on our last mission here we should get a picture together to remind of a successful rescue mission."
Some of the men agreed and posed for a picture as Agent Drillik came over and said "Do you think we are on a damn picnic here corporal?"
Before the man could reply Viper walked over and said "Sure let's take one."
All of the men got into positon and posed as the picture was taken all of the men with smiles on their faces.
Saiken- day 1
The squad moved through the forest as they headed to the last known coordinates of Echo Squad 43. As they did some of men complained of the heat on this hot day.
Then blaster fire was heard. As the men got into cover quickly before returning fire.
One of the men, trapped and unable to get behind cover was the rookie of the team nicked named New Blood by some of the men.
Viper yelled at him "Private move!"
New Blood said with fear "I can't!"
Viper said calmly "Listen to me kid. On the count of three, run like the wind to us. We'll cover you. 1, 2, 3!"
New Blood ran as the men covered him and once the rookie was with, Viper called for the grenade launcher to be given to him and be provided cover as he planned to flank these rebels from behind.
Viper soon found the rebels and fired 2 shots at them. As soon as the blaster fire stopped, Viper yelled out "All clear!"
The men assembled with him and looked at the dead rebel bodies, 4 of them, a dead Rodian man, a Twi'lek female, an old human man and a young human woman who looked like she was 20 years old and she was still alive , just barely.
The medic of the squad Doc checked the three dead bodies and said "They've been dead for ages."
Viper said "Search her."
As Doc checked for weapons he noticed a silver bracelet on the woman and looked at it, as Blaze said "If you touch a dead person's things your hands will rot off."
Doc said "I only had a look Blaze, plus she's not dead yet."
Agent Drillik said "I'll put her out of her misery."
Viper took out a cigarette and lit it as he moved on with the rest of the men as a single blaster shot rang out.
The squad kept walking for an hour before it started to get foggy and Viper had the men stop for a quick break.
One of the men saw a pile of stones on top of one another which had writing on it. As he read it the soldier said "This is a memorial."
Some of the squad gathered round as Headshot asked "What else does it say Wise?"
Wise glared at Headshot and said "Don't call me that. Just because I read a lot I'm suddenly known as Wise."
Viper said "Look private tell us what this says. After all we learn something new every day. Nothing wrong with reading."
Wise read the message and said "There was a giant lake here once."
Tech scoffed and said "There is nothing here but trees."
Wise continued "Thousands of years ago, the natives of this planet were killed by the Sith. They put all the dead bodies in the lake and filled it. Before they built a temple on It a few miles away."
Headshot said "That's bull. You're lying."
Blaze said "That's why it's so foggy here."
Wise continued reading and said "Wherever you go I'll be there. If you have blood on your hands you.. I can't read the rest."
Agent Drillik said "You're a great storyteller private."
Viper said "Let's go."
As the squad headed out, headshot muttered to himself "Bloody hands what? I have blood on my hands what's going to happen."
As Headshot went to relieve himself Blaze said "Don't disrespect it Headshot."
Headshot ignored him and said "Don't be a wimp."
After Headshot was done he ran to catch up with the others and the rest of the message was now clear for all to see.
The last sentence said 'If you have blood on your hands you can't go back.'
Authors notes well that's the end of chapter 1 please let me know what you think of it read and review no flames though ok.