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Time On Cato Neimoidia – 4 Days
Time After Declaration of the Empire – 1 Day
"I'm still not sure I get it." Jorkis said, with an electronic whirring coming from the translation device he needed so that Zanna could understand him. "They didn't vote on it or anything?"
"That's what I heard." Zanna answered.
"But that doesn't make any sense. We're breaking the Separatists back here, and now were going with even more emergency powers?" Jorkis asked.
"I don't think these are emergency powers." Zanna replied. "If we're being reorganized into an Empire, then he would be the one on top."
"I'm not disputing that. But I heard that this was done as some kind of emergency thing." Jorkis elaborated.
"Well when the Jedi try to assassinate you, I guess you gotta take matters into your own hands." Zanna shrugged.
"I suppose. Still, even that's throwing me for a loop." Jorkis said, and then changed his tone almost immediately. "Range, fifty miles."
The two were seated in separate attack craft, BTL-B Y-Wings. The ships were among the many quickly purchased models that the Republic had acquired once the war broke out. They were purchased on a large bulk order, but slowed down in purchase over the course of the war. The two that Zanna and Jorkis flew could almost be considered relics by wartime standards. They had visible battle scarring, and chipped paint. But when one needed a bomber, the amount of ordinance they could drop was not to be disputed.
They soared with a light whirr over the magnificent mountains of Cato Neimoidia. All around them there was virtually nothing. Once in a while you could see birds, or flying lizards racing on the wind in flocks, but nothing other then clouds and green mountains.
By all accounts Cato Neimoida was a fairly beautiful place. But every inhabited inch had been turned into a warzone since the outer rim sieges began. And with the war winding down as a result of the death of Grievous and the ever more aggressive moves made by the former Republic, now turned Empire, it was only a matter of time before the Separatists would have to surrender.
"I don't really care much." Zanna admitted.
"Really? This seems kinda like some serious shavit?" Jorkis had a tone of concern.
"Exactly, Jorkis. It's shavit. It's all a big load of Shavit." Zanna pointed out.
"Ah, right." Jorkis nodded from his Y-Wing which flew on her wing several yards away. "Ever the interested one in the goings on of the galaxy."
"Who cares what it's called. It's all the same thing." Zanna shot back, keeping her hands firmly on the controls as she spoke.
"Maybe so, but Palpatine's saying there are big changes on the way." There was no denying that the Ithorian was far more concerned then his Chiss counterpart, but such banter was normal between them.
"Last time I checked, it still says "G-A-R" on the side of my ship." Zanna pointed towards the starboard side of her craft, where the initials of the Grand Army of the Republic were still clearly painted on. "If they haven't even had time to repaint one of their proud warriors of the sky, enforcing this "New Order", do you really think anything's gonna change?"
Zanna exhaled. "Besides, its not like we can do anything about it anyway."
Jorkis gave a long sigh through the com. "Yeah, isn't that the truth."
As far as Zanna was concerned the Republic could call itself whatever it wanted. At the end of the day, Coruscant was in charge, and the only time she had ever been there was when she and their squadron was deployed on an emergency to defend the Capitol world from Grievous and his fleet. And they'd arrived after the battle was mostly over. Now they were supposedly worrying about big changes, and really there was nothing that could be done. The only thing they had to worry about was the mission at hand, and surviving till the wars end. And how long it could go on was anybody's guess.
"Range, Thirty Miles." Jorkis commented.
Zanna reached down to her com, and expanded the sensor range on her HUD. " Alright, time to call in and see what the grounders need." She then clicked the com range open. "This is Flight 17 Leader, of the 287th, responding to close air support call. Over"
Zanna and Jorkis, the only two people still part of Flight 17 at that exact moment as their latest wingman was stranded on base while his craft was being repaired, were responding to a call to provide close air support. This was their usual job, but the call had been specifically placed for heavy bombers. And as they were the closest ones with full payloads, they got the call.
"Flight 17, this is Colonel Muuzis commanding the 492nd Armored division."
The voice was clearly human, and not a clone. But that made little difference to Zanna, who listened while the Colon continued.
"We are on the city Bridge City, Cajinaan, and we need a target eliminated to proceed with our advance. Your assistance is appreciated. We're sending you the target now."
The transmission cut off, and Zanna replied quickly. "Roger that, ground. Our ETA is two minutes."
Suddenly Jorkis gave a statement of surprise. "Wo… what am I looking at here."
"What is it?" Zanna asked, but she looked down and began to understand exactly what he meant.
The target showed the layout of the city. As with most cities on Cato Neimoida, the city of Cajinaan was suspended in the air between two high mountain peaks. But unlike most it had numerous levels, and several other smaller bridges that were suspended from a massive natural arch that from millions of years of strange tectonic activity.
Their target, was the suspension of one of these smaller bridges. Though it was not nearly as massive as the immense city span bridge below it, it was hanging directly above it, and had hundreds of buildings built upon it. Destroying the suspension on the side would no doubt kill everyone on that bridge, as well as everyone beneath it when it fell.
"That's a little extreme isn't it?" Jorkis expressed his dislike of the idea.
Zanna too was a bit taken aback. "Yeah, I'm not so sure they have the right target, I'm calling in."
She reactivated her com. "Colonel, I'm reading the target as the suspension of one of those bridges. Is that correct, over?"
There was a slight pause, but then a clear response. "That is correct, Flight Leader."
Zanna looked over at Jorkis in the Y-Wing beside her, and saw him looking back. Though they were too far away to read each others expression, it was clear they were both thinking the same thing.
"Sir, I think this might be a bit extreme, and a poor target. Is there anything else you can designate that will be of more direct assistance?" Zanna requested.
"Negative, Flight Leader, this is the most effective target. Now take it out."
"City coming into visual range." Jorkis noted.
Before them on the horizon, the mountains that had previously been far in the distance gradually took the shape of a titanic rocky arch, and long suspended bridge hanging just below it.
"Uh, sir. My scans show no defenses on this bridge. What strategic value is it? Over."
Zanna was not lying. The scans on her ship were reading no anti-air, or defensive emplacements there of any kind. On the city below, there were, but not on the bridge that was above.
"There are insurgents all throughout that region, and I'm ordering you to clear it! Do you understand?" The Colonel was clearly frustrated that he was justifying himself to his air support. "Now in the name our new Empire, destroy that target, or I will have you brought up on charges!"
The transmission cut off, and Zanna had an immediate sinking feeling in her stomach. It wrenched at the thought of what she was being ordered to do.
She had been apart of dozens of missions that had been close air support, and there was no doubt some civilian casualties during them. Such was war. But this was clearly a deliberate attack on civilians. Zanna had known about the Republic using very aggressive tactics before, but this was excessive.
But the part that bothered her the most was the demand in the name of the Empire. She had not really been exposed to anyone referring to them as an Empire yet, and that being the first time was not leaving a good taste in her mouth.
"Range, Fifteen miles." Jorkis said quickly. "What are we doing Zanna?"
Zanna's mind raced. She was not sure she wanted to go through with the attack. But her orders were her orders. If she disobeyed them she could be in a great deal of trouble. On the other hand if she went through with them, she'd likely be killing thousands. The Y-Wing had more then enough ordinance to demolish the suspension on the left side of the bridge, which would level the entire thing.
"Zanna?" Jorkis repeated, but she was still silent. "Zanna, we're not actually gonna do this are we."
Zanna's mouth was agape for a moment, but then she spoke. "We have to."
"What!?" Jorkis spat in disbelief. "That's crazy. There's nothing there, you see it yourself."
"Our orders, are our orders." Zanna said, not cold, but as though they were backed against a wall.
"So we disobey this one. So what? It happens." Jorkis reasoned.
Zanna shook her head. "There's no way out of this one Jorkis. We don't respond and we'll be court marshaled for sure. And judging from how they handled the Jedi, I don't think the Empire likes traitors very much."
"Look I'm no traitor, Zanna, but frell this." The Ithorian swore. "I don't wanna kill all those people. But it's your call… I need to know what we're doing."
Zanna looked ahead, they were approaching visual range. They could easily see plumes of smoke, and within a minute they'd be on their target.
Then she paused for a second. She thought as deeply as she could until she found the answer. They still had to shoot.
"We follow our orders."
Zanna then punched in a new set of targets to Jorkis' HUD, just as he gave out a long sorrowful sigh.
He realized the change in the target and shook his head. "What's this?"
"The new target. Its only a few yards away, they'll never know the difference." Zanna stated.
"Alright! Now we're talking!" Jorkis said with some enthusiasm. "But won't they notice we messed up? And what if it accidentally does blow?"
"Jorkis, we have thirty seconds. There's no time. Arm all proton bombs, and blow that street." Zanna yelled. "We can deal with it later! But right now we need to save those people."
"Alright, alright. Targets selected." Jorkis replied.
The fifteen seconds came at a snails pace. Every tick on the battle clock felt like an hour. And slowly they could see laser blasts from the bridge below, as their target came clearly in view. Hundreds of buildings all packed together in close proximity. Zanna knew some people would die. But she also knew it was better that the few did, then the thousands that would be crushed under the bridge.
She clicked a button on her console, opening up the com to all channels.
"Fire!"
Suddenly proton bombs flew from below her Y-Wing and Jorkis. They flew out with bright white and blue light and collided with the large bridge below them. The fiery explosions they caused leveled several buildings and sent a wave of fire and shrapnel over the side and raining down to the larger city below.
But the bridge remained in tact. Though the light was bright, and the explosions fierce, the bridge remained standing.
Having kept her com open the entire time, knowing the Colonel could hear, Zanna spoke.
"Frell! Negative impact. I repeat, Negative impact!" She swore and put on a very good show. "Sorry, sir, these Y-Wing targeting arrays are absolute shavit. We just pounded nothing!"
The Colonel began to stammer a bit. "What? How could you…" He then growled frustrated. "Grrrrraaaaaaahhhhh. Never mind. RTB."
The communication then shut off one final time. And Zanna and Jorkis flew away.
"Quick thinking Zanna." Jorkis said. "Nice job."
Zanna just shrugged, and smiled. "Just following orders, in the name of the Empire."
Zanna was then suddenly consumed in a wash of dark feelings as she realized that this had been the first order, of what would no doubt be many orders to come, to be justified all as in the name of the Empire.
