Chapter:13
02:00 Hours RST, Outer Rim World of Telos IV, Just outside of the Station RZ-0031, former Ithorian encampment. Taken by the Mandalorians.
It was cloudy, the moon and the stars were thoroughly obscured, it was pitch black, and it was dewy. Slippery, and her standard-issue boots found it difficult to find purchase in the seemingly sodden ground and slick, long grass.
It was early, early morning, but she could not make out the significantly dimmed numbers of her wrist chrono, the battery was dying... or it was just really, really dark. Most likely the second option, she thought wearily, as she attempted to get away from her pursuers.
They sounded closer, much closer than they had sounded only a few seconds ago... or the silence was getting to her. The sound of her own blood pounded in her ears, and she felt the last dregs of adrenaline coursing luke-warm in her veins.
Her breath came to her in labored pants, the burns that covered her left arm and the small bits of shraphnel from a frag grenade that had exploded only ten feet from her were imbedded in her body at random points. She cursed her idiocy, she should have sensed something from the area she and her now captured Jedi fellows had entered. They, being the Mandalorians, had been sitting around, as if they had been waiting....
It had become apparent very quickly to the twelve Jedi that they were terribly outnumbered and, unfortunately caught off-guard by the ever-surprising Mandalorians.
They had been taken care of quickly, She knew, and she fought the urge to think of how many good Jedi had been lost just now, in a moment of carelessness....
She felt drained, and she knew that she was running out of her energy quickly... disgustingly quickly, she felt sluggish... poison, most likely.
But Force, how?
How was it possible for an un-Force trained Mandalorian to get so close to her without being sensed?
She did not have time to mull it over, as she tripped, and rolled headfirst, over and over and over again down a medium sized hilly patch.
She hit small rocks and a few dark green, thistley bushes and landed at the bottom of a small gulley with a muffled thwump.
She found no energy to pull herself up.
Damp, injured, poisoned and exhausted, She lost consiousness.
Space, In Orbit of Telos IV, on board the Inexpugnable tactical command ship, Valiance. 15:20 Hours, RST.
It had been absolute ages since he had possessed a single moment of peace. They were almost always snatched away from him as soon as he had found one... a most annoying thing that kept happening to him, seemingly on the daily basis. Maybe there was a conspiracy... he mused, yes, that must be it, they were obviously plotting to steal his sanity one precious peaceful moment at a time.
Putting a data pad full of semi-pertinent information down on the metal desk in front of him, the man reclined a bit in his chair, wincing in mild pain as he felt his back pop in several places from sitting in one hunched over position for so long. He reached out for the cup of caffa on the desk, next to an overflowing bin of even more data pads and his fingers closed around a cold mug... he could have sworn that he had just gotten that refilled... with too-hot caffa....
How much time had passed since he had gotten that refilled? He looked down at his wrist chrono... it had been four hours. Apparently time flew, not only when someone was having fun, but also when they were bored and up to their eyeballs in overly detailed military information.... He would have to remember to tell that to someone someday... maybe they would appreciate his astounding insight.... He snorted at himself for this ridiculous thougt process.
Running the back of a hand over tired eyes he breathed a worn-out sigh, shifting slightly in his chair. His eyes drifted closed, slowly, and then the buzzer screamed loudly on the comm.….
Letting out a growl, he leaned forward and pushed in the button that was for answering with an unnecessary amount of force.
"Yes?" he said politely, if only they could see the scathing look on his face….
"Vice Admiral, Sir, we are almost in orbit around Telos now." The voice on the other end responded.
"Roger that, I'll be there in a minute." The man replied.
"Yes, sir. Out." The connection severed and the man released the button...
Standing up, the man's hand extended and his utility belt flew to it effortlessly from across the room.
He strapped it on, then, grabbing the black cloak from the back of his chair, he threw it on in one swift motion, fastening the silver-steel clasps at the throat and throwing up the large hood to conceal his features.
He stepped around his data-strewn work space and out the door into the grey-metal hallway lit by copious amounts of pale artificial light, with the exception of a few scant windows on the outside bits of the ship.
With fluid motion he walked the length of the hallway to the turbo-lift and swept in, ignoring the partly awed looks from the lower ranked soldiers and ranked officers around him. With a soft but commanding tone, he requested the young ensign closest to the lift control to hit the button for the hangar.
The young ensign nodded hastily and he punched the button in.
A few moments later the lift was zooming down on its track, and then as soon as it had begun, the ride stopped and the doors opened, the cloaked man exited with eyes watching his back eagerly.
He darted past pilots and directors and supplies-loaders and over to a waiting group next to a shuttle.
He reached them quickly and stopped next to an exceptionally tall man in dark blue and black with modified armor in the Echani style. Much like the shorter man next to him wore… but the shorter man's was much more intimidating. Dark, crimson-red, which was obscured by black leather and pilfered manda-metal arm braces and shin guards, along with a specially painted, protective chest piece.
The tall man nodded quietly as his friend slid into the circle, and the conversation that was going on between Karath, Arren and of all people Master Vrook….
"We mus--!" Vrook was saying, looking rather angry for a Jedi Master.
"We cannot! The forces we would need--!" Karath cut him off quickly, sounding urgent.
"Enough, Revan is here." Arren replied to both, effectively ending the conversation.
The arguers turned around to him, almost looking surprised that he was there.
Revan noted the even more pronounced irate look on Vrook's face and smirked lightly, the aloof Jedi Master annoyed him, and he made no effort to conceal this fact.
"What do you want me to do, Vrook?" Revan inquired from beneath his hooded cloak.
"I want those Jedi back!" Vrook exclaimed.
Revan stayed silent and watched Vrook critically for a few moments, thoughtful. Ten Jedi Padawans and two Jedi knights had all but disappeared on Telos, contact had been lost, and that was eleven days ago….
"You want me to send soldiers of a war you condemn to fight and possibly die for you?" Revan asked in a tone that was almost mocking.
Vrook gave him a hard look but stayed silent.
Revan looked to Arren, and she was already staring at him thoughtfully, and she looked very serious about this matter, as though it were something important….
Revan sighed inwardly, resigned. When she gave him such a serious countenance to mull over, he could hardly refuse to do as she asked... Revan supposed that it was because she was somewhat of a mother figure to him when he was younger, and now still... though he would never admit it to anyone.... Least of all Arren herself.
"Where are they, these Jedi?" he asked Vrook.
Vrook blinked in surprise but recovered quickly, "at the point beneath the equatorial line that has a small reserve for the supplies shipped down to the academy at the southern pole."
Revan nodded, he knew of it, he had re-supplied there several times when he was a "real" Jedi. Revan thought this with a slight pang of bitterness. He was no longer considered one of them, to the Order, he was but an outsider.
"That spot is rumored to be Mandalorian territory." Malak said after a moment, "we can't spare the troops."
Revan noticed a flinch in both Kae and Vrook's faces. There was something else going on.
For now, he would let it slide, but he would get his first master to tell him what it was eventually….
"We can." Revan disagreed quietly, Malak's dark eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline at this, "really, Rev?" he asked incredulously, his tone completely disbelieving.
"Yes, if you and I go in with a couple of commandos and pick them up." Revan told him, calmly, knowing that Malak wouldn't like the idea.
Malak scowled predictably and looked pensieve, crossing his arms over his broad chest. After a few seconds he looked down at
Revan and resignedly agreed, "You'll need me there, I have a bad feeling about this."
Revan nodded in acknowledgement of Malak's wariness and looked over at Karath who had gone strangely silent, the man was watching him expectantly.
"I want the unit I went down with last mission down here in twenty minutes, fully prepared, I want the Hawk prepped, and I want a shuttle on standby for any pickups on the planet after we go down at all times. Make sure there are enough field rations in each pack for a week of schlepping." Revan told him.
Captain Karath saluted him and walked off to get it done.
Malak was giving him a contemplative expression as he stood there. Not quite understanding why they had agreed to go down on the planet on a Force-forsaken errand for the Jedi. Personally, no less. Revan understood the confusion; he himself was mildly befuddled as to why he had agreed, but something about master Kae and Vrook screamed relief at his words of consent.
Their postures were less tense than they were moments prior, still strained but better.
Revan inclined his head to both of them and turned, heading off to locate his own pack. Moving away with a swift purpose.
He found it in the locker, labeled 'Sora' instead of 'Revan' to not draw attention, he usually stashed his stuff in, on the hangar bay level, in the fighter pilot's suit –up area. Snatching up his pack of useful things, like med-packs, freeze dried rations, water purification tablets, a hydro spanner, an alien language quick reference guide he had memorized but decided to give to Malak….
After checking everything meticulously, twice, Revan decided he was ready.
In a matter of moments he was back out in the hangar, this time waiting for his squad in front of the Hawk that was busily being prepped.
Malak came back next; he too was carrying a pack, though slightly larger because he carried more 'necessities'… Revan rolled his eyes at that and Malak scowled a bit in defense of his pack… of necessities, because thats what gummi-gum candies and playing cards were, necessities.
The squad pulled up in the hangar bay together. All of their armor shining brightly in the artificial lighting. Weapons freshly taken care of, wiped down, oiled, blasters and vibroblades and stun sticks and light, portable cannons strapped don to each of them, the sniper was the leader of this group, an interesting tidbit, Revan thought.
They formed a semi-circle around the two ex-Jedi and looked very at ease with themselves, strange… if anyone had not known that these men were on their side they would have believed that they were the enemy and shot at them on sight, and they probably would have caused a stink about the 'enemy' boarding their ship without them knowing and blah, blah, blah….
They were the Mandalorians that had been captured on the Echani home world,Thyrsus, and they had sworn themselves to Revan, who had defeated each of them personally in hand to hand combat, and earned their respect, during the first year he had joined the Republic war effort. Revan sometimes found it hard to believe that it had been four years ago....
The ex-major, Kex, saluted Revan casually and Revan nodded.
"Karath told you of the circumstances?" Revan inquired quietly.
"Yessir." Kex affirmed, his stance shifting a bit as he moved a holster to a better position on his red-armored hip.
"Good. Lets go boys." Revan announced.
Two and a half minutes later, they were gone on the Hawk.
Arren stood in the hangar bay window with Vrook as she watched the Hawk. When the squad departed, she let out a heavy sigh, shifting her weight from foot to foot and glancing up and over at the Jedi Master, his countenance was tightly drawn and worried... not in Revan's skills, she knew, but for his young student on the planet below.
Arren was glad to have made Revan see the importance of taking on this mission, but she also felt deceitful… Revan had no idea why the mission was important.
She did.
The Force had made it clear to her when Vrook had spoken to her earlier.
This day would be one of the most critical points in the war for the Republic.
Surface of Telos IV, 16:10 Hours, RST.
The Hawk touched down with little difficulty, due to the practiced ease Revan and Kex maneuvered it with.
Malak stood behind him and his Mandalorian co-pilot checking out the scanners that covered the walls. The monitors were quiet in the area they had landed in, but they buzzed with activity in an area to the far north-west (left) corner of the screen. He relayed this to Revan and Kex who nodded in consideration.
Telos, Revan thought, was supposedly a temperate to mild planet, and it was a rather clear day outside the Hawk, so they should make good time toward the activity blipping on the screen.
He relayed this thought process to Malak, who nodded and left to tell the other nine Mandalorian of the general plan.
They exited the ship and made sure it was well cloaked.
Malak was checking in with Arren and told her of their status, when Karath's voice came over the link as well.
"I just had an intelligence report in, is Revan there?"
Revan's ears pricked up and he turned away from the holographic map he was showing the squad.
"Here, Saul." He replied.
"Right, Sir, there are reports of more than ten thousand Mandalorian troops in that region. The cities even worse… about twenty klicks north of your position, nearly fifty-thousand are there. The locals are forming a militia…" Karath trailed off, the com crackling quietly as Revan waited for him to continue.
When he didn't Revan prompted him. " Karath?"
"Sir, Carth Onasi wants to know if you could spare the resources to fly by Alta the city-suburb to pick up his family. They comm-ed this morning, there been a bombing…."
Revan stilled a moment, Carth Onasi… a friend and good pilot, asking for his help.
Technically it wasn't supposed to be done, this breach of protocol for a personal mission.
But Revan wasn't feeling very technical today so he gave an affirmative; they would pick up the family.
The comm. Crackled and a new voice came over the signal, "thank you, Sir." Onasi himself.
"Sure Carth." Revan told him. "Sora Out."
"Onasi, Out."
The link went dead with one final crackle and Revan shut it off with one black gloved thumb.
"Well boys, looks like we have more to do than we thought." Revan said a little louder than usual without turning around. "We need to make even better time now. It's from here to that hive of activity in the span of a few hours, and its twelve kilometers. Let's go."
They nodded, each Mandalorian more than prepared for the trip, and Malak ready but grumbling about the "long stroll ahead…" and they were gone.
My Star Wars mojo was gone for a long time... I think I may have a smidgeon of it back. At least I hope so... I'm going to the Grand Canyon at the end of the week, but I'm planning on writing while I'm there... and on the flight there....
I hope to post again soon, sorry about the long wait everyone.
-ScatCat517-