Chapter 09.
March 29th 2553 08:00 Hours New Hope System Second planet UNSC Alpha Base.
Jedi Master Balfin Qwan strolled through what the UNSC personnel called alpha base. Qwan had arrived at New Hope three weeks ago when padawan Wyn had found his damaged cruiser, and had sent him to meet the UNSC contact that gave his ship the nave data to get here.
Qwan watched as a formation of UNSC solders ran past singing out a cadence as they ran. Qwan had taken command of the Republic forces that were taking refuge in this system when he had arrived. Wyn had tried to bring him up to speed on everything, but something's he just had to see for himself.
Qwan was intrigued by what he saw here at the UNSC base. The Republic hadn't had a full-scale military force since the New Sith War almost a thousand years ago. There hadn't been any need for it the Jedi kept the peace and each planet had their own defense force. Qwan side, a thousand years of relative peace sounded like a good thing, but now the galaxy was paying dearly for it. Because there had been no major conflicts the galaxy had been lulled into a sense of false security. No one saw the need to keep spending credits on troops and ships that weren't needed. That sentiment had nearly been the down fall of the Republic when the CIS went to war with the Republic. Ironically the fact that the Republic was fighting what was essentially a civil war had actually saved it. If the Covenant had attacked sooner the Republic would have been defenseless.
Qwan looked up as a flight of Sparrowhawks flew overhead. The UNSC's vehicles versatility and speed put the Republic to shame. Qwan had watched as the UNSC troops had executed a training exercise a few days ago. He had been impressed at how fast the UNSC could move its forces to engage an enemy. The Republic was hindered by the fact that other than there LAAT's the Republics vehicles were mostly walkers incapable of the speed of weald, tracked, and repulsor driven vehicles.
Master Qwan continued his walk towards where he was told the Spartans barracks was located. Qwan had heard a lot about these Spartans. He had been told that there were six of the super solders here and that they routinely trained in hand to hand combat at about this hour outside their barracks. And after hearing that a lone Spartan had captured a CIS destroyer, he had to see these soldiers for himself.
Qwan arrived at the Spartan barracks just as they were finishing their warm-ups. Qwan found an out of the way place with a good view and got comfortable.
Master Qwan wached the Spartans spar for two hours. During that time he had seen them practice with just their bodies, knives, polls, practice swords, and with a practice weapon that looked like the swords the quad mouths used. He was amazed, the Spartans moved with a speed and precision that Qwan had believed only the oldest and greatest Jedi Masters were capable of.
Qwan got up and began walking towards the UNSC Command and Control building. He had a meeting with Captain Foster in half an hour and it never looked good to military types to be late. Qwan arrived to find Captain Foster and Colonel Main examining something on a holo table.
"Good morning General Qwan." Foster greeted Qwan as he looked up.
"Captain, Colonel." Qwan greeted the two officers. "What was it you wanted to see me about?"
"This." Captain foster said entering a command into the holo table. An image then appeared above the table. The image was of Commander Wyn with it was information on her and her ship were she and her ship were last seen and a reword for her apprehension dead or alive.
Qwan studied the poster for a moment before replying. "It seems Commander Wyn has gained the attention of the Covenant command."
"It would look that way, and that's why we need her to seas her activity's for a while." Foster said. "The Covenant are starting to get wise to what she is doing. If she continues it will put at risk our operations, your people, and the refugees."
"Very well Captain I will tell Commander Wyn to halt her activities for the time being. Was there anything ells?"
"Yes we just got word from our Command. They have decided to send an expeditionary force."
"And what will this expeditionary force consist of if I may ask?" Qwan hoped against hope that the UNSC had decided to send a force that would turn the tide in favor of the Republic.
"Command can only spar one carrier, three cruisers, eight destroyers, twelve frigates, and a number of fleet auxiliaries." Foster told Qwan, he neglected to mention that they were the only ships the UNSC had equipped with the new slipstream drive and thus the only ships that could make it here in any reasonable time.
Qwan couldn't help looking disappointed. "That's not even enough ships to challenge a Covenant raiding party."
"We are aware of that General, but our fleet has taken tremendous loses over the course of this war. Command is being generis in sending three cruisers let alone a carrier." Foster insisted.
"Also coming along for the ride are two marine divisions." Colonel Main added. "Including the marines already stationed on the combat ships, we will have a ground force over fifty thousand strong."
Qwan frowned. "How do you intend to fight the Covenant with such a small force?"
"We don't." Foster said bluntly. "Fleet Admiral Hood himself has gone over our reports to FLEETCOM in great detail. Our orders are to attempt to organize what human forces still exist in the outer rim and form them into an effective fighting force. Then we are to stall the Covenant as long as we can and pray that the Republic and UNSC can peace themselves back together and go on the offensive."
Qwan just stared at Foster as if he was mad. "You intend to hold off the Covenant using essentially the taters of what's left of planetary defense forces?"
"Pretty much." Main confirmed.
"You are ether mad or beyond desperate." Qwan said. He tried to read their emotions through the force, but like every time before he got nothing
"It's probably a bit of both General." Foster replied with a smile.
14:00 Hours New Hope System Third Planet Jedi Enclave.
Aubrie Wyn sat in the Jedi enclave courtyard meditating. The enclave was set up outside the refugee camp, if it could be called a camp. There where now so may refugees that the camp had become a small city.
Jedi Master Balfin Qwan had the enclave built because he believed the Jedi that had found refuge here needed some place to gather and escape from the world for a while. And since a large number of them were padawans it provided a good place for them to continue their training.
Wyn looked up from her meditation as Master Qwan entered the courtyard. "Did everything go well Master?" Wyn inquired. Qwan sat down on the edge of the pool that was in the center of the courtyard and fed by a natural spring.
"They want you to stop going out to rescue refugees." Qwan said with a sigh.
"What!" Wyn exclaimed. "How can they ask me to do that? They better than anyone should know what will happen to those refugees if I don't."
"Wyn the Covenant have a bounty out on you, and then there is that incident a few weeks ago. Captain Foster thinks it's too risky right now and I have to agree. So until further notes you are to remain here."
"Fine." Wyn grumbled. "Was there anything ells?"
"They are sending a fleet here." Qwan said as he looked out towards the mountains that were visible in the distance. Wyn's face brightened with excitement. "Don't get too excited." Qwan said. "They're not sending that many ships. It's pretty much just three cruisers a carrier and their escorts." Qwan then went on to explain the UNSC's plane for the outer rim.
"By the Force their insane!" Wyn said in disbelief after Master Qwan had informed her of what Foster had told him. "The outer rim worlds would be crushed by the Covenant even if they were organized."
"That's what I thought at first, but I had some time to think about it on the way back. If they can get enough ships, repair and refit them, retrain the crews, and keep this basses location a secret they might have a chance."
"Are we going to join them in this mission?" Wyn asked.
"I didn't want to at first. Our mission has been to try and get back to the Republic, but I have begun to think that if Captain Foster can make this work than we might do more good here that back in Republic space." Qwan then looked at Wyn. "Then there are the UNSC personnel themselves. What did they tell us to call them Terrans?" Wyn nodded informing Qwan he was right. "I am sure you have felt it. These Terrans don't exist in the force like the rest of us. They are like rocks in a stream; the Force just seems to flow around them."
"While everyone ells in the galaxy are like sponges some less so and other more so." Wyn concluded.
Qwan smiled. "The Counsel was right about you. If you are not made a knight by the time we return I will be surprised." Qwan then got up and began to walk into the Enclave with Wyn fallowing beside him. "I want to understand why they are different and we need to know if it is natural or a result of something ells."
April 16th 10:45 Hours Geonosis System Modified Longsword.
I sat in the copilot's seat of the longsword with my arms crossed and my chin resting on my chest plate trying to get some sleep. Next to me sat Six in the pilots char keeping an eye on the display, and behind us paced Commander Wyn.
"Would you relax Commander. Your pacing isn't going to get us there any faster." I said to her tiredly. She had been on edge ever since we had entered the system.
"Commander you should try and get some sleep." Six said. "It will be several hours before we arrive." Wyn sat down and tried to relax, but didn't seem to be having much success. Truth be told I was a little on edge myself. Jumping into a heavily occupied enemy system didn't strike me as a good idea. Sure I had done my share of suicide ops, but this was on a completely different level. Captain wanted us to go though, so we went and if Wyns intel was good we couldn't afford not to go. I pulled up the mission data on my HUD and reviewed it one more time.
The Covenant had a prison camp on Geonosis where they were keeping Jedi prisoners, and apparently the Covenant were trying to turn these Jedi to what Wyn called the dark side and get them to fight for them. The Covenant was also keeping the human Jedi alive to test the loyalty of the non-human Jedi they turned by making them kill the human Jedi.
I looked out my viewport toward the scene of the last battle in this system and not far from that sat the massive Covenant station and its defense fleet. Thankfully the fleet was smaller now than when the Republic attacked a good portion of it off chasing the Republic fleet.
I turned my attention back to the mission and began reviewing the Republic files on the area the Jedi were being held. Apparently the Covenant were keeping the Jedi in one of the holding areas of the Petranaki arena, which happened to be the sight of the first battle between the Republic and Separatists. Because of this the Republic had very detailed records of this area. Most of the arenas facility's like holding cells were located underground while the arena its self was above ground and looked like any other sports arena, only it was built into what looked like a termite mound. Getting in would be fairly easy, but getting out with the Jedi prisoners would be difficult. There was a ground side ship docks not far away, but it was still too far to get everyone to in time. So while Commander Wyn and Six tried to free the prisoners Rachel and I were going to try and acquire a ride.
17:38 Hours Geonosis.
"Ghost one this is Ghost two do you read me?"
"Roger Ghost two I read you."
"I have eyes on the objective. Not a lot of options, but I think I have a candidate. Don't move until I have confirmed we have what we need."
"Roger that Ghost two we will sit tight till you're ready."
I continued examining the Docks for a few more minutes' before I began making my way down to them. I activated my active camouflage and deactivated my shields so that I wouldn't have to worry about the cloaks capacitors running out of juice. It was a risk, but stealth was more important than my shields and Rachel could switch my shields back on in an instant.
"I would recommend that we commandeer that Munificent-class frigate." Rachel suggested.
"I was thinking the Providence-class destroyer looks to be a more attractive target. If we get it back in one piece it will greatly add to the fleet's fire power."
"It is also considerably larger and we need to bring it in near the arena so we can pick up the prisoners. The Munificent-class is better suited to that task. "
"Alright the Munificent frigate it is then."
It took me about an hour to get down to the docks and then another half hour to make my way through the docks security to the ship I wanted. Then I had to get in to said ship, that I didn't manage to do without tripping a few alarms.
"Ghost one this is Ghost two I am in." I said over the com as I closed the ships hatch behind me. "You had better hurry and get those prisoners. I should have this crate airborne in twenty, then maybe another five ten minutes to get to your location. Be ready to go when I get there I don't want to be siting too long."
"Roger that Ghost two. We are on the move, sending you location for pickup now. See you there."
19:08 Hours.
"Alright we are moving." Six said as he stud up and made to leave the little side room he and the Commander had been hiding in.
"Did Five fined a ship we can use?" Wyn asked.
"Yes." Six replied. "He wouldn't have called me otherwise." Six added to himself. They made their way deeper into what Six felt was best described as a ants nest. Six had reconned their path a while earlier while they had waited for Five's call. Six was glad he had done that, as Commander Wyn did not have an active camouflage unit. Now he knew where all the sentries were placed and were they would be at what times, allowing them to avoid any unwanted attention. Of course that wasn't going to last. Security around the location where the Jedi were being held was good, Six had to admit that and given that they didn't have a lot of time they had to move fast.
Six poked a fiber optic probe around the wall to get the number and location of the sentry's in the guard room.
"How many?" Wyn whispered. Six held up his fingers to indicate four and before she could ask anything ells he dashed around the corner. Almost instantly after that there was the report of four blaster shots and the sound of four bodies' hitting the ground. Six then appeared round the corner again and motioned for her to fallow. Wyn glanced at the bodies of the Geonosians as she passed and noticed how Six had hit each one perfectly between the eye. Before exiting the room Six walked over to the guard's computer console and set a small device on it there was a small spark and Six picked it up. The device had transmitted a virus into the Geonosians computers. It would scrub any of the security footage that had images of the Spartans in it and replace it with Republic Commandoes.
They traveled down a corridor and then entered another room that only had one guard in it, which Six dispatched with ease. The room appeared to be the guard's armory. Six grabbed a few blasters and then handed several to Wyn. Wyn didn't like Blasters, but she realized what Six was doing. The prisoners were going to need something to defend themselves with. They left that room and came to the entrance to the main holding area. Six again examined the room using his probe. The room had ten guards he could see, but his motion tracker was telling him there were twenty. The Jedi were being held in cells using force fields as doors. The cells lined each wall and were staked in two levels. Six guessed there were ten guards on the ground level and ten on the cat walk.
Six turned to Wyn and was about to give her instructions using hand motions, but then remembered that she wasn't a Spartan or a marine and wouldn't have a clue as to what he wanted her to do. "I am going to go in and engage the hostiles." He said giving her the blasters he had picked up. "You wait thirty seconds and then come in and start releasing your people." Wyn simply nodded in acknowledgment. Just than alarms started sounding throughout the facility. Six hung his head. "Just my luck. Well nothing I can do about it now." Six thought as he raised his two DC-15s blasters and prepared to charge into the room, he had to act fast.
20:30 Hours.
I angrily hit the override on the alarm that was flashing next to the pilot's station that I now occupied, the remains of a droid pilot lying on the deck behind me.
"Rachel I would really appreciate it if you would do something about those guns emplacements." I shouted as another warning popped up on the view screen at the front of the bridge.
"Turbolaser batteries targeted firing now… Targets have been eliminated Lieutenant." Rachel said calmly.
"Thank you Rachel… And it looks like they have scrambled fighters." I huffed in frustration.
"I saw that exactly forty-six seconds ago. I am already bringing point defense guns online now."
"Okay I get it you have things under control." I said as I swung the frigate to starboard to avoid a spire.
"Do you want me to drive?" Rachel asked.
"No!" I exclaimed there was no way I was going to let an AI fly for me in a combat zone while I was quite capable of doing it myself. "Just take care of anything trying to shoot us."
20:31 Hours.
Six ran down a corridor as the far end was ripped apart by C-12 and came crashing down. Six turned to examine his handy work before continuing on his way. He entered the main room of the spite that was designated at the pickup point. Six could see on his motion tracker that Wyn and the liberated Jedi had already started climbing the stars to the top of the spire. Six could also see the hordes of bugs coming from every nook and cranny in the place.
Noble Six took a deep breath and readied his blasters. "Alfred better not be late." He thought to himself. Six took off running to catch-up with the main group blasting anything that got in his way. When he reached the top several of the prisoners with blaster nearly blow him away, but luckily he was fast enough and Wyn was as well that the situation didn't last more than a few seconds.
Six planted C-12 charges on the appropriate wall and had every one stand back as he blow their exit. After the smoke had cleared he approached the hole as saw a ship approaching the spire, and not a moment too soon. Six turned as he heard a shout he ran back to fined swarms of bugs slowly but surely making their way up the stars. Six tossed three frags to slow them down and then approached Commander Wyn.
"Get these prisoners on the ship. I will bring up the flank." Six said.
Wyn didn't reply she just nodded and immediately began giving out instructions to organize the liberated Jedi so that boarding would be as fast as possible. A moment later the Munificent Star Frigate came alongside the tower lining it's airlock up perfectly. The airlock opened and the liberated Jedi poured on. "Ladies and gentlemen" A voice sounded over the intercom. "I am Rachel and I will be your chief flight attendant. On behalf of acting Captain Noble Five and the entire crew, welcome aboard Spartan Spaceways flight one, non-stop service from Geonosis to New Hope.
Our flight time will be of ten hours.
At this time, make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Also make sure your seat belt is correctly fastened. Also, we advise you that as of this moment, any electronic equipment must be turned off. Thank you."
Six slowly walked backwards firing his blaster pistols into the crowd of Geonosians, his DC-15Ss having already run dry. Just as he was about to step onto the ship he was hit by a blast from a Geonosians sonic blaster and sent flying back into the ships airlock, the airlock then slammed shut and the frigate accelerated at full speed for open space.
Wyn's eyes went wide when she saw Noble six get hit. She rushed to his side and tried to assess if he had been hurt or not. She could see sparking around his armor, but she guessed that was from his armors energy shields. Six began to move and Wyn tried to help prop him up against the bulkhead, though considering how much Six wade in his armor Wyn realized it was more of a gesture of help than actual help. Six then reached up and removed his helmet.
"Damn those things pack a punch!" He said as he gasped for air, as he had had the wind knocked out of him.
"Are you alright?" Wyn asked concern evident in her voice.
"Ya I am fine, nothing I can't walk off." Six replied as he looked at her with a smile. "She has pretty eyes." Six thought to himself.