Chapter 21
Buck, Zack and Kisto stood together as they looked on at some of the Cloubits as they set up the log that they would use in their second attempt to climb the wall.
"Why did you call us here?" Zack asked Kisto.
The Twi'Lek looked around to ensure that Rubit was not around. "I wanted to remind you guys of our mission."
"Yeah we know." Zack began. "We break in, free the prisoners and take over."
"No, that's the Cloubits misssin, not ours." Kisto said. "We free the prisoners and at the first sign of things going bad, we leave this planet."
"What? You expect us to leave the Cloubits during battle?" Zack said.
"We can't afford to get too tangled up in their crusade." Kisto said.
"But we caused their crusade!" Zack said which caused both Kisto and Buck to caution him to keep his voice low.
"We can't afford to fail our mission, Zack." Kisto said. "I feel for the Cloubits, really I do. They are no different from the Rebels but in the grand scheme of things, freeing Ru' Bik and the other rebels is more important than their war."
"I can't believe you," Zack said. "Buck, say him he's wrong."
Buck hesitated. "I think he's right." He finally said.
"What?" Zack could not believe what he had just heard.
"The Cloubits don't stand a chance. Even if by some miracle we do take this prison facility, the Empire can simply send reinforcements to annihilate them and take back the facility. And after that, they may be less lenient with them."
Zack clenched his fists angrily and looked out to the small red and black huminoids. He began feeling sorry for them. They were isolated from the rest of the galaxy and suddenly had their homes invaded by foreigners from other worlds. They were outgunned and compared to the Empire, hopelessly outnumbered and there was nothing they could do to help them defeat their enemies.
"Look, we'll help them the best we can. We'll fight with them, advice them and stand by them" Kisto assured him. "But if things start to go too badly, then we'll escape and help them do the same... if it is possible."
/
"Hey you two!" Kisot said getting the attention of the two Cloubits who would go with Zack and Buck. "You'll need more useful weapons than spears if you're going to survive all on your own." Kisto knelt down and produced two blaster hand guns. He looked into the creatures faces and understood that they did not understand what he was saying. He showed the blaster to both of the Cloubits and gestured toward the trigger. He then aimed at a rock and pulled the trigger, causing a shaft of energy to speed out and explode off a chunk of the rock. Kisto then nodded and offered each of the Cloubits a handgun, which they gingerly accepted.
Buck and Zack were looking at the Twi'Lek from afar. Kisto went to them next and shoved his bag into Zack's arms. "There are a few weapons in here. Arm as many rebels as you can." Kisto produced a holo-disk and turned it on. Holograms of the busts of rebels showed from the holo-disk. "These are the rebels known to be in the prison."
Zack nodded and took the holo-disk.
"Good luck guys." Kisto said before they walked towards the log propped against the wall.
They began to climb up, each carrying a smaller log. A Clobit was leading the climb, followed by Buck and then another Cloubit before Zack brought up the rear. The leading Cloubit stopped when it was at the end of the log and allowed Buck to climb over him. Buck grabbed on to the rope that was previously thrown by the dead Cloubit that gotten electrocuted.
Buck gingerly placed a palm against the electrified wall. There were sparks against his suit of Stormtrooper armour but except for a little pinch, he did not feel the electricity. He began climbing up the wall using the side as a foot hold. He took the piece of log that they were carrying with him. At the top of the wall, he wedged the log in between the top of the wall and the electrified wires at the top. He proceeded to the wedged log and cut the wires apart.
"Okay, climb up." Buck whispered to them as he prepared the rope to climb down on the other side.
The Cloubit was the first to grab onto the rope, making sure that he did not touch the wall as Buck pulled him up. Once he was on top, they pulled Zack up and finally the last Cloubit before climbing down the other side, trying not to touch the wall again.
"Good, we all made it." Buck said once they were on the other side. "Now, let's get in." Buck said leading the way.
/
Canoe packed his things away with an uncontrollably wide smile on his face.
"Canoe, your smile is freakish." One of his collegues said. "What' gotten you so happy?"
"Today, we're getting off this stupid rock and our squad is going to be disbanded." Canoe said. "When I get home, I'm going to take a long break and then start hoping for easer duties."
"An easy duty? What like guarding prisoners?" His collegue teased. "You should just stay here then."
"I would," Canoe said. "But Ru'Bik is here and that guy attracts trouble."
/
The intruders snuck across the halls of the prison facilities. They were careful not to be spotted by anyone. "Hey! Who goes there?" A man said, seeing Buck and Zack sneaking around. An energy bolt suddenly entered the man's body, killing him.
Buck saw that it was one of the Cloubits that had killed them. He nodded to them in thanks before they continued on. After getting lost a few times, Buck was able to lead them to the energy control room. Buck opened the door and saw three service men. They were as surpised to see Buck as he was them.
"What are you doing here?" One of them asked. "Is there something worng?"
"Oh, no... nothing's wrong." Buck said. It was all ruined when one of the Cloubits walked past him and looked into the room making clicking sounds.
One of ther service men drew out a handgun and fired it at the Cloubit. Buck pushed the Cloubit behind a big machine for protection.
"That Stormtrooper just helped one of those creatures!" A serviceman said. "He's an imposter, raise the alarm!"
"No!" Buck said shooting out before he too was forced behind a machine to be protected from returning fire. He was joined by Zack and the other Cloubit. Zack activated his lightsaber and joined Buck.
"We need to stop them from raising the prison alarm." Buck said. "We can't allow them to warn the facility."
Zack nodded before he ran through the lines of machines. He became aware that he was chasing down two service men running for a panic button in the giant room with rows of white machines. One of them noted Zack and a Cloubit running parralles to them.
"Go, I'll hold him off." The serviceman said to the other before shooting at Zack who was forced to hide behind a machine.
Zack watched as the Cloubit chased after the other serviceman.
"This skirmish can't go on too long." Buck said to himself before he took out a small spherical ball. He risked peeking out from his hiding place before throwing the ball. The ball exploded into a cloud of smoke. Using the cover of smoke, Buck rushed forward and was surprised to see that the Cloubit had already done the same, taking out a few of the service men with its small spear and newly acquired blaster.
"Dammit!" Zack gritted his teeth as he was being pinned by the continuious gunfire from the service man. He jumped out of his hiding place and was able to deflect a laser bolt before getting to another hiding position, closer to the serviceman.
"You know you're going to die, right?" Zack said before running to the next hdining spot closer to the serviceman.
"Ha! We'll se about that!." The serviceman said as he shot out at the rebel's hiding spot.
Zack took a deep breath before running out from his hiding place straight to the serviceman. In his charge, he deflected two shots by pure luck while more missed him. Zack slashed out desperately and was able to not only destroy the service man's gun but also hurt his hand badly.
The service man screamed in agony beofree turning and running, however Zack was close behind.
The other Cloubit was still chasing down the other serviceman. The serviceman shot out at the Cloubit but thanks to its small size, the shots sailed harmlessly pasted it. It aimed with its blaster and shot the serviceman at the legs, causing him to collapse and drop his gun, which rolled and slid away from him.
The Cloubit raised its spear as it was getting dangerously closer to the fallen service man. However, before the Cloubti could finish the man off, a shot rang out that left a hole through its chest. The Cloubit fell to its knees as the last thing it saw was the other service man with a smoking blaster pointed at him before he fell to his face.
The serviceman had no chance to celebrate as his head was sent off his shoulders by a green lightsaber blade. Zack swore when he saw his fallen Cloubit comrade. The last standing serviceman began crawling to the panic button which was not far fom him now. As he his fingers reached the button, Zack cut his arm off before ending his life witha slash to the face.
He looked at the button and saw it flashing and realised that he had been too late and that the serviceman succeeded in warning the prison of their attack.
/
Saza Ripper was at the space hangar of Ekadi Prison. She was disappointed that she had run out of time and now had to vacate. Did I read The Force wrong? She questioned herself. I know I sensed The Force telling me that the force user and his rebel friends would come. Saza dissapointedly thought to herself.
She saw Canoe, pushing boxes into the ship. He was hiding it well but the happiness that flowed out of him through The Force to her sickened her. She could understand though. He had wanted so badly to be doen wih this whole thing and now he was.
Saza became aware of someone running to her. "Ma'am, the Warden has asked me to tell you that there has been a panic buton pressed in the facility and has asked for your presence as a precautionary measure."
Saza smiled at this. The Force was right and she almost felt stupid for doubting it... almost. "Men, this is not over!" She said getting the attention of all her Stromtroopers. "The ReBels are attacking!"
At those words, Canoe lost all the colour from his face.
/
"Buck, I couldn't stop him." Zack said, carrying the dead body of the Cloubit who had gone with him. The other Cloubit looked at its fallen bretheren and said a few things in its language over the body while Zack and Buck discussed what they were going to do.
"So there'll be guards coming here soon." Buck said. "I was hoping for more time to figure things out."
"Maybe we could destroy everything." Zack said, raising his lightsaber to emphaisais his point.
"No, that might just shut the power off for the whole prison and we need the power on in some parts to free the prisoners."
"Then you better figure it out fast." Zack said.
Buck began running through the engine room desperately reading all the labels there. Zack joined him, looking at the labels and calling them out while the remaining Cloubit stood guard at the entrance.
"Hey Buck! I just found a machine labeled external defences!" Zack called out.
Buck ran to his side. "This could be what we're looking for." He said as he looked at the multitudes of numbers, flashing lights and buttons. Buck pressed a few buttos turning different lights on and off.
"Stop toying with the thing Buck." Zack said when he noticed a few of the lights flash off just to flash on again as Buck fiddled with the machine.
"I'm not toying with it." Buck said pressing another button before flipping a switch.
"You should press here..." Zack said pressing a button.
"Don't touch that," Buck said slapping his hand away.
"Did you just hit me?" Zack asked, holding back anger.
"You're interrupting me," Buck said.
"No, I'm helping you since you..."
"Your definition of help is not helping..."
They argued and tried to speak over each other as they flipped switches, pressed buttons and watched lights go on and off. The sound of a blaster shot made them fall quiet and then work better with each other.
They were finally able to get all the lights to turn off.
"There, that should do it." Buck said.
"Wait Buck," Zack said, his face in thought. "You said that the point was to divert the energy away from the outside wall. Did we successfully divert the energy or did we just open a pathway for the energy to flow out."
"I'm not sure." Buck thought. "The second option is probably likely."
"We should mess with the other machines." Zack said moving on to the next machine. Buck joined him and they began pressing buttons until all the lights were on.
There were more sounds of blaster fire, prompting them to abandon their task, hoping for the best before assisting their Twi'Lek ally.
/
Kisto was sitting on a rock. He looked up when he felt that something was missing. He questioned himself, wandering what was missing. His eyes went wide when he realised what it was: a hum. Before, he had not paid attention to it but there was a slight hum that the wall gave off but now it had stopped. The missing hum made him feel ike a fish suddenly finding itself out of water. Like a man living on Cirrasso and then suddenly finding himself on the moon without gravity. He was unsure if the hum had ever even existed. Maybe he was imaginingt hings.
Kisto looked around and he saw that the Cloubits had also reacted. They seemed surer that something had changed and were looking at the wall and him expectantly. Kisto sighed before walking to the wall. He reached out slowly and carefully until his green palm touched the wall.
He flinched at the pain but then realised that there was no pain. He had flinched at the expectance of pain. He whipped his head around, his two tendrils thrashing in the opposite direction of his head movement. "The electricity... its off!"
Rubit smiled at this as the Cloubits collected their weapons and began setting up more logs. He looked back as if sensing something. "Not a moment too soon." He said.
"What? What is it?" Kisto asked approaching him.
"They're here," Rubit said. "The other inhabitants."
Kisto looked out, expecting to see more Cloubits and he did. But the number of Cloubits was not as terrifying as the number of other things. The other things in question was an army of monster worms that he had seen Zack kill not so long ago. There were so many of them that most of them were not ridden by a Cloubit warrior.
Kisot could only stand still as the monsters went around him and easily scaled up the prison wall.
/
The Clobit inside the prison was shooting at the door where there were a few guards shooting back at it. Buck appeared and also added his gunfire, assisting him. The Cloubti looked at him and Zack with relief.
"We need to finish this quickly before more reinforcements come!" Zack said. "Cover me!"
"What? Zack wait..." Buck did not get a chance as Zack charged with a war cry. Buck sighed and also charged at the men followed by the Cloubit warror.
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