Spy Vs. Spy (Part Ten)
Vector and Balkar flipped the heavy conference table on its side for cover. "We hope it will be enough…" Vector said.
"We'll make it work," Nine reassured.
"Even amid the cacophony, your song remains calm. It soothes us." Vector brushed the backs of his fingers against Nine's cheek.
"The feeling is mutual…" Nine cupped his hand with hers and smiled. "Let's get to work."
Quinn stood before the group and cleared his throat. "Jaesa and Kaliyo's teams are securing the ships as we speak. Take your positions…blasters at the ready," he commanded. "When that door comes down…fire at will."
"Don't forget…these…" Balkar looked at them meaningfully and stuffed a pair of makeshift ear plugs deep into his ears and nodded his approval when the others did likewise.
Minutes later, the biting sound of luminous energy against durasteel hissed a warning through the conference room. Two molten spots bored through the door, gradually growing into the blazing red tips of lightsabers. The blades chewed through the durasteel, slowly but surely until the molten edges of the door surrendered and the door flopped forward with a floor shaking thud.
Blaster fire cut over the edge of the table toward the invaders. Balkar shot a glance at the mirror they'd pushed against the opposite wall for a better angle. Balkar swore. "They've got numbers, sure hope this works." His thumb skimmed over the FFA Chrono. The blaster bolts ricocheted off the growling lightsabers as the Sith advanced. A vase exploded behind Balkar and pelted him with dusty shards. He whistled low and glared at the oncoming Sith.
"They're almost on top of us!" Quinn shouted. "Now agent!"
"Here goes nuthin…" Balkar muttered while initiating the kill setting. The watch vibrated between his fingers, the blaring shriek forcing him to drop it and crush his hands against his ears. Even with durafoam earplugs wedged in tight, the sound burrowed into his brain as if it were prising his skull apart.
Black spiny ridges pierced through Lokin's medical robes, the seams strained apart to reveal pale lumpy flesh underneath. Vector reached across the Doctor's shoulders to soothe away the violence of his reaction but it was too late. Lokin charged over the barricade and over the heap of crumbling Sith to tear into the stragglers. Black tears bisected Vector's cheeks against the shrill vibration, and the Dawn Herald cried out. Chanelling the pain tearing through him, he followed Lokin into the fray and pummelled any in his path with his spitcrete electrostaff.
The invading Sith deathsquad fell to their knees, their lightsabers clattering to the floor around them. Acina's forces curled up, convulsing and roaring as they tried in vain to keep their skulls from splitting apart.
Nine peered over the barricade and flinched. A violent spray rained over the conference room, until the walls and floor ran slick with dark inky blood carrying with it the paler wormlike bits of brain tissue. The voice of the shrieking chrono finally faded. Quinn lurched forward, catching the barricade with his left hand. He caught his breath and straightened.
Balkar lifted his head from behind the table like an animal peering out of it's burrow after a long winter and gave a whoop. One by one they stood and stared at the headless torsos doubled over just short of the barricade. The air smelled like decaying copper. Balkar snatched up the device and examined it. "Aw kark."
"What is it?" Quinn snapped.
"It's fried."
"Let me see."
Balkar allowed Quinn to give the device a quick once over before palming it. "Let's just hope we don't need it again."
"We'd best keep moving. Proceed to your assigned vessel and we'll rendezvous on Rishi at the location Agent Balkar provided," Quinn commanded.
"Looks like most of the non-essentials made it out thankfully," Nine said.
Kaliyo stormed in brandishing her pistol. Blood spatters dotted her ashen skin like a tribal tattoo. "C'mon! They've got reinforcements!"
Balkar shook his head. "You go…I gotta get Lana. Better let the droids know where we're headed."
"I'll get on that once we're away," Nine said. "I'll come with you Jonas."
"It's better if I go on my own."
Nine edged away reluctantly. "All right. We'll try to swing around back…clear a path for you."
"It'll be all right. It's me." Balkar tore off, blaster cocked.
Quinn and Nine exchanged uncertain looks. "Let's go," Quinn urged. "Vector and the Doctor may need our assistance.
Lana sensed the deathsquad outside the infirmary door. She swore under her breath and shook Scourge. "Wake up…please…wake up," she hissed. "We need to leave. Now!"
One of the invaders had resorted to hotwiring the door panel, the heavy durasteel shuddering upwards, inches at a time. Lana fought the panic that swelled in her chest as she sought a place to hide them. After a moment's deliberation she tore at the tubes and wires connecting Scourge to the machines adjacent to his bed. "Please wake up…hurry…I'm begging you. Wake up!" She slapped him hard across the cheek, hoping for a response.
Scourge remained stubbornly still and Lana's gaze flew to the door. "Dammit." She darted for the storage canisters, and found an empty kolto barrel to hide in. She lowered herself inside and drew the lid over the top. She closed her eyes and drew upon the Force for camouflage. Her heart pounded hard enough she feared Acina's squad would hear it. The unit filed in, at least twenty in number, Lana guessed by their footfalls, and then she felt a more powerful signature among them and a shiver ran down her spine.
Acina.
The Empress led the raid personally and Lana held her breath. What if she kills Scourge? You might have done that yourself already, she thought.
Acina stalked into the infirmary, robes billowing behind her. Her steps were at once quick and light, yet determined. "I see we have the former Emperor's Wrath…and the Head of the Sphere of Military Strategy…"
"What is your command Empress Acina…" One of her men spoke.
Acina circled Scourge's hospital bed, her hawkish gaze panning over the former executioner's frame.
"He could be of use, take him away," she crowed in her scratchy voice. "Burn the rest. Burn it all. I want all that was Marr's obliterated and forgotten as if he never existed."
"Yes my Lord Empress…" The men mumbled in unison.
Lana's breath caught. At least she didn't kill him…not yet anyway. That buys us time…Would she even be able to? She wondered.
The roar of flames growing and spreading across the med bay reached Lana and sweat dotted her forehead. Acina's death squad was nothing if not thorough. Barrels of kolto toppled around her, knocking her barrel to and fro. Lana struggled to keep it level. The air inside the canister heated to a stifling temperature and she wavered. Smoke somehow filtered inside and she clamped her mouth with both hands to muffle her cough. Lana fought the urge to push off the lid in case any of Acina's forces remained.
The last shouts and footfalls receded. Finally. Her lashes grew heavy with salt and her face sweltered. Gasping, she pushed at the lid of the container but to her horror the heat had fused it in place. Her sight turned bleary and the fog in her mind refused to clear enough to summon the Force.
She exhaled the last of the air and fainted. The barrel teetered as she collapsed heavily against one side.
Balkar tore into the infirmary and leapt back at the sudden rush of flame engulfing the med bays. He glanced around for something he could use and found a thermafoil blanket. Wrapping himself, he pushed forward into the flames and searched. "Lana!" He coughed and dropped to a crouch where the smoke was thinner.
He scurried into the blaze, half crouching, half running, his eyes drawn higher to the flames spreading into the rafters. "Lana!" He paused by the empty med bay and eyed the hastily removed connectors and hoses. His gaze fixed on a lone upright container. He stormed toward it and pushed it over. The lid remained fused in place and the ceiling billowed. He peered into the tiny aperture running the side of the barrel and was met with a clump of soggy blonde hair.
"Aw hell…" He muttered and covered his mouth as he tore through the infirmary for something he could use to pry off the lid, but came up short.
"Kark." He cringed. "I'm sorry…" He rolled the barrel, launching himself against it, until it picked up speed. On and on he shoved, hoping against hope the path would remain clear, and the barrel wouldn't snag. He felt the awkward thumping of Lana's body inside and winced.
The rear wall collapsed and the ceiling hung low like a lean-to tent heavy with rain. Balkar aimed the barrel and shoved it hard enough to roll outside. Covered in sweat and soot he charged after the tumbling barrel. When the barrel stopped, he stopped, hands on his knees as he sucked in greedy mouthfuls of fresh air. The Nightwalker perched no more than five meters in front of him.
"Really agent?" Kaliyo snarked from the waiting ramp of the Nightwalker. "I'm all for stealing anything that isn't nailed down, but this is ridiculous."
"It's Lana…she's sealed inside, I can't get her out." Balkar panted. "I don't think she's breathing, but I can't be sure."
Kaliyo tore up the ramp and re-emerged with a pry bar. "Move!" She wedged the bar against the lid and pushed down with all her weight, popping the lid. Balkar ran his sleeve over his face, blackening the heavy tan material with dirty sweat.
He knelt and drew Lana from the barrel and hefted her into his arms. Lana's head lolled over his elbow and her skin was the pink of cooked shellfish.
"Haven't got all day hero, move it!" Kaliyo snarled and aimed her blaster past Balkar. She shouted up the ramp, "Get us outta here!"
Inside, Kaliyo took up her comlink. "We're clear agent. See you on the beach."
Nine's reply vibrated over the com. "Message received and understood."
Balkar settled Lana onto the med table aboard the Nightwalker. He pumped her chest in a quick even rhythm and then paused to pinch her nostrils and breathe into her mouth.
"C'mon Lana…" He urged as he repeated the process. "You're scaring me…" He mumbled and covered her mouth with his once more.
The Nightwalker lifted, turned and soared into the sky, leaving the flaming remains of Cresh base behind.
Theron shuffled up the boarding ramp of a silver SoroSuub luxury cruiser, the icy tip of One's rifle suppressor nudging between his shoulder blades.
"You see what I had planned, we could have enjoyed ourselves…nothing but the finest for the three of us," One prodded Theron onward. "Pity you ruined it."
Theron remained silent. His mind reeled with possibility and hope for the first time in months. Was One telling the truth? Was his boy really alive? And if he was…could it be Liatrix was alive too? He didn't dare hope.
A pair of heavily armoured guards took control of Theron and muscled him to the rear of the vessel. After securing him in his seat, they took their positions at the back of the cabin. Theron jerked his wrists, testing the restraints and scowled. He glanced about the cabin, searching for anything he could use to his advantage.
"Eyes forward." One of the guards hissed through his helmet. "This is your only warning."
Theron scoffed. "Sure fellas. But let's not kid ourselves, he needs me more than he needs you."
The annoyed guard stepped forward, aiming the butt of his rifle at the back of Theron's head. No sooner had he lifted the weapon to strike, a low feminine voice called out, "Please don't. We need him intact."
Theron dared to focus in the voice's direction and was met with a pair of brown owlish eyes, hair to match and skin the colour of someone who'd never spent time in the sun. His eyes widened.
"Shara…I didn't expect—" he began, his voice barely a whisper. Addressing her was a gamble given their history, but it was a gamble he couldn't resist.
The tall but frail woman settled in next to him, and without looking at the guards, she ordered them to take up their duties outside the cabin. After a moment's hesitation, the men stalked outside and flanked the sliding panel door. The ship vibrated under Theron's feet as it emerged from the shuttle bay and lurched forward into space from within the Apocrypha.
"I'm sorry…for everything," Theron whispered. "I was following orders…I never meant—"
"Save your apology agent. We don't have time for it." She turned to face him squarely and fixed her gaze on him. "Help me."
"Tell me how."
"You have to stop him from accessing the Imperial Intelligence Gadget Warehouse on Nar Shaddaa. I know what he's after. If he gets to the vault, it's all over."
"Shara, listen to me, he needs us."
"No…he doesn't. Please, just listen. I've already given him what he needs…the map, vault number and entry codes. I tried to resist…but I couldn't. You have to find a way to stop him."
"He's planning something much worse…you're the one that has to get out of here," Theron began, wincing.
"I know what he intends for me, but it doesn't matter anymore. When he doesn't find what he wants he'll blame you."
A sudden chill lifted the small hairs on the back of his neck at the implication. "How do you know he won't find what he's looking for? What is it?" Theron cocked his head.
"It's a chrono—the FFA Chrono. My superior took it…if Cipher One learns of this, my friend is as good as dead, as is every single force user One finds. I can't allow that to happen."
"What do you mean? How can a chrono wipe out thousands of force users?"
"It's a weapon…we developed it against the Jedi, but the weapon doesn't discriminate. We pulled it because it affects the Sith as well."
"So…you're telling me, he won't find what he wants, and he's going to blame me…which means he'll kill my son." Theron hissed. "And you want me to protect your Keeper? Kark's sakes…"
"I had a chance to look over your file. If your son is a force user like his mother was, it's only a matter of time. Whether he dies today protecting a secret, or a month from now…One knows where he is. Your son will be among the first to die by the FFA Chrono."
"You went through all of this…to protect your old boss."
"I owe Keeper…he tried to set me free—give me a new life…he couldn't have known the procedure would fail. I'm not the same as I was…I can't function…I can't—think."
"Yes you can. You're fine now…" Theron glanced about nervously. "In fact…I installed a subroutine that would help you break free of his control."
Shara nodded and dropped her gaze to her lap. "I know and I'm grateful. What you did allowed me to do what's necessary."
"What d'you mean by necessary? What did you do Shara? What did you do?" An eerie chill spread through Theron as he studied Watcher Two's expression.
"I killed myself ten minutes ago…"
Theron blanched. "You what?" His voice carried more than he'd intended before he hushed it again. "We have to do something…an antidote...you took a cynox lullaby? Is that it?" Theron had only heard of the deadly but painless poison Imperial agents carried with them in case of capture. He'd never seen it in action.
Shara nodded. "You know as well as I do, there's no antidote. There's nothing to be done for it. My part in this is over. I'm sorry agent. I don't have it in me anymore. I just want it to be over."
Theron's gaze grew bleary. "Damnit." His chest pumped, and his breathing grew ragged. "Try to make yourself sick…maybe it's not too late…"
"I'm sorry…"
"Where did you get it—the pill?"
"From his lab."
"Were there any more?" Theron barked.
Shara shook her head. "No…just the one."
"How long have you got?"
"Not long…" Her eyelids grew heavier and she blinked slowly, as if even that tiny action took great effort. She unbuttoned her sleeve and unfastened a leatheris bracer. "Take this…it's all I could manage to sneak on board. Maybe…you can still save them all. You know how to use this, yes?" She attached the toxicity bracer over his right wrist and tugged his sleeve over it.
"Yeah, of course, it's one of mine."
"Good…then you have a chance," she managed a wan smile.
"Aw kark…Is there anything I can do for you? To make it easier?"
"If you ever meet Keeper…tell him thank you for me…" Her head lolled as if she were dozing off.
"Shara no!"
Her voice turned into a barely audible squeak. "I don't deserve it…but please…hold me…hold me like I matter…I'd like to know…what that feels like…just once."
Theron fought against his restraints, gaining just enough slack to pull her to him. He kissed her forehead and shut his eyes as he pressed another kiss into her hair. For a moment he thought he could smell the poison—the sickening sweetness of sugar coated flowers.
"You matter Shara…you matter," he whispered.
Her body grew limp against his and he understood she was finally free. He kissed the top of her head once more and felt something cool and metallic against his lower lip—a hair pin. An idea struck him.
That sonovabish dies today.
Scorpio approached HK-51 in the pilot's chair and stood behind him. "You will alter your course to this heading…" She entered the new calculations into the nava computer.
"Query: Why are we going to Korriban?"
"It is not your place as a sub-standard appliance to question orders. Continue to Korriban, and when you have landed the vessel further instruction will be given. Is that clear?"
"Acquiescence: I will continue to Korriban as per your orders, but I must insist that I am not a sub-standard appliance. All systems are working as intended within normal parameters."
"Only because I allow it."
"Suggestion: Perhaps it would be wise to inform Cipher Nine of our location, so that a rendezvous can be arranged. The agent will be concerned for our well being."
"That won't be necessary." Scorpio clasped her metallic hands behind her back and watched the stars streak by as they jolted forward into hyperspace toward Korriban.
"Rebuttal: I believe it is necessary. The others must be informed."
"No…they must not."
"Dispute: Cipher Nine must be informed of our location and heading."
Scorpio's eyes flared gold. "Initiate protocol Vev-Esk-Trill-Osk."
"Assertion: Protocol initiated, command codes resetting to default dash One."
((to be continued…))
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