Hey guys, I'm back. I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. Here is the next installment of the Forgotten Legacy.
Two ships pulled out of hyperspace far enough from Coruscant to not be picked up except on long-range scanners. Percy knew the Vong had recruited spies across the galaxy, and had let slip that the only way to invade a Vong controlled planet was to pull out of hyperspace right on top of the planet itself. He had paid plenty of people to spread the idea around the galaxy in hopes that the Vong would put more energy on their short range scanners. Checking a few instruments on his ship proved that in this case at least, his misdirection had worked. Well, it was actually based on Ordo's idea, but Percy decided on what information to put out there.
The two ships sat still as possible on the edges of scanner range. Percy had commed Nico and told him the plan. They were going to wait for the former Commandos, who should be arriving within the next few minutes. Percy knew this whole operation was under time constraints. When his window opened, backup or not, they were punching it straight to the planet's surface. Nico had asked if they were going to skim through hyperspace to the planet, but Percy was not going to hear of it. He had seen ships try the fabled skimming, a technique some hot shot spice runner claimed to have attempted and used to escape the Corellian Security Force. Percy shook his head when he heard the tale. He had encountered his own fair share of myths and legends, but this one was the dumbest he had ever heard of.
Firstly, there was math that went into plotting hyperspace routes to ensure that you did not run through an asteroid or end up in the center of some random planet, effectively atomizing the ship and everything that was in it. This made Percy glad the computer handled that, he could never plot the courses or do the math required for the jumps. Secondly, jumping in and out of hyperspace, as skimming suggested doing, would put tremendous strain on the ship. Jumping from a steady speed to light speed and back over and over again would destroy most metals. Percy was not sure a ship like his, reinforced with beskar, would survive something like that.
No, their plan was to wait for the sentry ships to pass far enough from Percy's planned entry point that turning around would be too much of a hindrance. He also could not wait so long that the next group of sentries were rounding the planet and could intercept them. If everything worked out well enough, they should enter in what was a blind spot, so to speak, and not be noticed entering the atmosphere. At least, that was the ideal plan. If they were discovered entering, then they would have to get creative with their flying and try to lose the Vong in the planet wide city, all while not ending up too far away from their target. Should be as easy as getting Zeus to admit he is wrong, Percy thought.
He stared out the view port thinking on that idea. It had been some time since he thought of Earth and where he and the other demigods had come from. More and more, his ship and Mandalore were starting to feel more like home. This galaxy was filled with so many wonders that he had seen, he wondered if he would even want to go back. How could he go back to a single planet, when he had this whole galaxy for him to explore and investigate. No one really knew what else existed in the galaxy Earth was in, they had not even discovered true intergalactic travel. The closet he could think of were some satellites that were launched into space and traveled until they hit something. Maybe he would go back and visit. Give a proper goodbye to his friends and loved ones.
Percy glanced out his peripherie at Jaina, he could show her where he came from. At least, he'd like to, as long as they could work things out. Kal'buir, back on Mandalore, had told him some stories of lost loves and how Mandalorians almost never stayed together with the women they loved. It was something about the wandering lifestyle. He said that those who could work it out, and stay with their loved ones typically lived more happy lives. Percy wanted that. He wanted a happy life, hopefully not fighting war after war. His feelings for Jaina were still strong, so Percy wondered if he would be able to make things work or not.
An alert on his console brought him out of his thoughts. Another ship was about to exit hyperspace near them.
"Percy," Nico's voice came over the comms, "Are these your friends?"
Percy checked his scanners and saw what kind of ship it was. Rolling his eyes he responded, "Yea, that hunk of junk is them. Don't be fooled though, it's packing some serious ordinance. Timing is going to be tougher though."
"Per'ika, don't be so harsh on our ship," Fi's voice came through. Percy had opened the channel to all three ships.
Percy snorted, "I'm pretty sure the only thing holding that thing together is duratape and a lot of gusha."
"You speak Huttese too?" Jaina asked.
Ordo's laughter came through the comm, "Missy, that lad knows several pieces of different languages. We drilled it into him to make him a better bounty hunter. It's good for business if you speak the employers language. Then they can't screw you over."
Percy groaned, "Look, we can all talk about this later, but we have less than a minute before we start losing our window. Prime engines, and get ready to punch it at full speed. I'm sending you the coordinates. The building we are headed to looks like an old barracks of some kind."
Fi's laughter cackled, "Look at that Ordo, somewhere we are well acquainted with. They must have him in one of the old spook interrogation rooms. They kept a small contingent of clones nearby, in case things got nasty."
"On my mark folks. Nico you ready?" Percy called on the comms.
"As good as can be, Perce. I'm not sure if we can handle the speeds you're talking. This is going to be close," Nico responded.
"Oh I know. Everyone hang on to your shebs. Full speed," Percy paused momentarily, "NOW!"
All three ships rocketed forward at their top speeds. Percy watched his monitors for the sentry ships to make sure the blind spot was still there. Coruscant was getting closer and closer. For a moment Percy thought that everything was going according to plan, which truthfully would be a first for him. Even the battles he fought back on Earth had their plans fall through about three minutes into the fight. It was always easier than wing things. This mission required a bit of precision though. As they approached the orbital range of the planet, an uneasy feeling crept up Percy's spine. He knew this was something from the Force his senses were picking up.
"Jaina," Percy called out "I need you up here."
Jaina came to the cockpit from her seat in the back. She had been ready to work the counter measures and turret weapons if need be, plus she did not want to get in Percy's way. She figured that giving him some space still would help with the rebuilding of their relationship.
"What's up Percy?" she asked.
Percy stood from the pilot's chair, keeping one hand on the stick, "Get over here and take over. I have a bad feeling."
Jaina felt herself go light-headed. She was better at flying fighters at these speeds. This small freighter at the speeds they were going was going to be difficult. However, she did not want to let Percy down either.
Taking her seat she took control from Percy, "Where am I heading?"
Percy pointed, "Just follow the laid in course, unless things get hairy. Then just make sure you get to the final destination without a tail."
Jaina glanced at the course that was in the nav computer, "Percy, I know Coruscant. I spent a fair bit of time growing up there and flying around there. This course looks a little out of the way."
Percy was walking back to the weapons and countermeasures station in the hold of his ship. Normally he could patch them through to the cockpit, but with the maneuvers they were probably going to be pulling, he needed to focus all of his attention on defending the ships. He patched the ship's comms through to his helmet with a few blinks on his helmet's HUD, that way he could communicate with everyone at once.
"Think of it this way Jaina. If we use routes that are known by those today, then the Vong are going to know them too. This route is one used by covert ops during the Clone Wars. These are routes that still exist, but are not used anymore due to the simpler routes you are talking about," Percy told her through the comms.
With a few blinks and eye movements, Percy established contact with the other two ships, "This is the Wystoh, calling the Cerberus and the Stormfalcon. You're gonna need to get ready. I've got a bad feeling. Prime your weapons, and Nico, I suggest letting Piper pilot that thing if she's half as good as she and Jaina claim to be. We're gonna need to do some fancy flying."
"Affirmative," Fi and Ordo called back.
Nico however, was a little more verbal, "This is my ship. I know how to fly her better than anyone. Why would I let some hot shot fighter pilot take over? As if she would know how to handle the Cerberus!"
There was a loud thud, some static and Nico crying out in pain. The next thing Percy heard was Piper, "This is Rogue Goddess, Percy, I have the ship and the rest are manning the guns. It's going to be rough, this thing is like flying a brick compared to my X-Wing."
"Don't worry Pipes," Jaina said, "You'll do fine. Stormfalcon, I take it you know this route that we are taking?"
"Affirmative," Ordo responded.
"You know you could be a little friendlier," Fi commented over the comm, "After all that's the girl that Percy wouldn't shut up about back on Mandalore. At least I think she is."
"Let's cut the chatter," Percy interjected, he could feel his face heating up under his helmet, "Ordo, Jaina's going to suggest you take the lead once we get to the surface. I agree completely. Piper, take the Cerberus in behind the Stormfalcon. Jaina."
"I got it Percy," she interrupted him, "I'll keep us in the back. You going to be good with those guns?"
"You worry about the flying, I'll worry about the shooting," Percy said. As he responded, he pressed in a command on a set of keys activating his weapons setup. Usually, he would use the computer in the cockpit to control his weapon system on the Wystoh. However, the computer usually locked onto enemy craft based on a target priority, with this system he could swap between the different guns on his ships and control it himself.
A chair raised up from the floor. It looked like the specially designed gaming chairs some of the demigods used to game for long periods of time. A viewing screen extended over the chair, allowing Percy a connection with a camera mounted on the front of each gun. Percy could switch between the turrets on the top and bottom of his ship, as well as the forward mounted cannons, and rear gun. There were also commands to launch other specialty weapons he had installed on the Wystoh. They included mines, missiles, and even some EMP bombs that had saved his life numerous times. Even though it was based on what he had known on Earth, Percy couldn't help but compare his set up to what he had viewed on the few Mon Cal craft he had snuck aboard for different jobs he had been hired for.
Percy sat down and began checking the views from each camera. That bad feeling was getting worse. As he shifted the top turret towards the starboard, he saw what was causing his trepidation. A small squad of Vongese ships coming around the planet. Nowhere in his research had he come across the Vong using small craft spread between the larger craft as part of the sentry system they had set up. Percy groaned, this was bad luck at its finest.
"Buckle up and if your ships have any more juice in them, use it. We got unfriendlies at 2 o'clock," Percy called over the comms.
"FIRFIEK!" Fi and Ordo said together over the comm.
Percy turned his guns and aimed the turret at the incoming fighters. He was not about to fire, but he wanted to be ready in case they engaged. On the side of his view screen he had a smaller view from each camera.
"Dammit," Jaina called over comms, "Percy, they're trying to hail us and I've gotten multiple locks from missiles."
The gods truly hated him, Percy thought. Percy looked at the comms connection on his HUD in his helmet. He needed to get a message to the fleet. They would have to change up the time tables on the full attack. They would have to launch sooner than planned if they were still going to catch the Vong off guard.
After keying in a message, Percy opened the comms to his team, "Alright guys, they're coming in and trying to communicate with us. I imagine we have another thirty seconds before they fire their long range missiles. Let's take this planet side, and have your weapons at the ready."
Ordo replied back, "Good thing we brought some help on our ship then."
"Wait, what?" Percy replied.
Ordo chuckled, "Yea, I forgot to tell you, we brought some extra help from the settlement and our friends. They'll operate the turrets and if we have to disembark you'll have a squad of some of the best spec ops from the clone wars."
Percy groaned, "You didn't bring the Deltas did you?"
"And that's why we haven't said anything," a new voice said.
"Look Boss, I don't have a real problem with you guys, you're just too by the book sometimes," Percy called back.
"Alright ladies, you're both pretty," Thalia's voice came over the comms, "Can we get down to business. Oh, and Percy."
"Yea?"
He could hear Thalia's smirk through the comm link, "You're going to explain everything when this is all over."
Percy didn't need to keep the comm open to hear Jaina laughing from the cockpit. He enjoyed hearing her laugh. There would definitely need to be some talks when all this was over. Supposing that they would all survive this suicide mission.
Before his thoughts could take him any further, an alarm sounded. Percy looked to his screen and saw that three missiles had been fired. Luckily, the other ships had gotten similar alerts and pushed their thrusters hard heading planetside. Percy spun in his chair, something that helped him focus a little better, and began activating counter measures. The missiles would follow them into the atmosphere most likely, and if the Vong were smart, which they tended to be in their own way, then those missiles would be able to follow through the heat generated by entering the planet's atmosphere. Percy's computer beeped, letting him know that his countermeasures were ready. With only a second to think if there was a better idea or not, Percy fired back at the missiles.
"Percy is an absolute idiot!" Thalia yelled for the fourth time since they entered the planet-wide city that is Coruscant.
The demigods had seen holovids of the planet before, but that was it. They showed a sea of metal and permacrete as far as the eye could see. It had a beauty to it that was comparable to places like New York City back home. Thalia liked the city, but her time with Artemis and the Hunters had given her a love for the wilderness too. Honestly, it was something she would miss when they returned to Earth. Thalia would have to come clean to Artemis and her sisters about her and Nico. At least, that was if they returned to Earth. It was going to be a difficult decision honestly.
"Don't blame Percy!" Hazel shouted back, defending her cousin, "He couldn't expect random ships to be coming in at the same time as we planned this. It's not like you could come up with a better plan, Sparky."
Thalia scoffed, "Nico! Did you hear what your sister just said to me."
"Sorry babe I'm a little busy," Nico called back as he pulled the guns trigger and shot down another Vong fighter. Can you two wait and do this later, and not around me. I hate choosing sides between my family and my girlfriend."
"Who is also your family," Anakin added from his gun station.
"Not helping!" three voices shouted back at him.
Thalia turned her attention back out her turret viewport. Luckily the Alliance and Imperial Remnant had outfitted their craft with more guns to make them more formidable before they came on this crazy mission. She fired her gun at a Vong AA gun placement. She thought of it as a Vong gun emplacement, but in truth it was just an Alliance defense gun that had been taken over by the enemy.
That's what really grabbed Thalia's attention about the planet though. Instead of a sprawling city, the planet looked more like Chernobyl. As if it was populated, but then the entire population had vanished one day and nature started to take over again. It was rather impressive, at least it would be if it had not been put into place by an invasive species.
"All of you shut up and keep those craft off of me," Piper called back from the cockpit.
Thalia couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face. Piper had truly become an amazing pilot in their time in this galaxy. Jaina had taught her well. Thalia knew that Piper was needing to concentrate harder now since her thoughts were probably all over the place. They were trying to save her boyfriend on this mission after all.
The craft in front of them, piloted by some old guys from the Clone Wars, was flying erratically. They would bank in between buildings that the ships could barely fit through. Thalia was also certain that they had flown in several different circles.
"Pipes? Why do we keep flying over areas we've already been over and in directions that are not towards your boy toy?" Thalia called back.
"Look Sparkles, the men piloting that craft have done missions on this planet before and I trust them. They are giving us a chance to take out those ships that are following us, as well as throw them off our trail. In fact, I'm not sure you've noticed since your shooting and not piloting, we have split from them and Percy several times. I know what I'm doing," Piper responded.
"Are you guys always like this during a fight?" Anakin asked the demigods.
Before anyone could answer, Piper came back over the comm link, "And another thing! At least my boy toy is not a super short, greasy-haired, emo kid. No offense Nico."
"Offense taken Piper," Nico called as he blasted another ship.
Hazel shrugged and looked over at Anakin, "Pretty much."
Hazel and Anakin were not seated behind weapons since there were not enough of them. Instead they were seated and holding on for dear life as Piper flew through some tricky maneuvers. Hazel was not too upset about not having a gun in front of her, she preferred to be on the ground, or at least have the ground she was fighting on beneath her feet.
Anakin and her were going to be the first out the door when the Cerberus landed. Their job was to clear the area of any ground troops that might be blocking tier way in. However, the whole plan was changing so they had no idea what they were going to do for sure now.
"How do you guys get anything done?" Anakin asked out loud to Hazel.
"You've heard of organized chaos right?" Hazel asked. Anakin nodded, allowing her to continue, "Well we are very good at the chaos part of that. Things work out for us that way. Besides, this is how things were when we saved you."
"You're never going to let me live that incident down are you," Anakin asked.
Hazel shook her head, "Nope. And if you're smart, you won't put yourself in any more situations where you'll 'cover our escape,' and sacrifice yourself so that we can live."
"Yes ma'am," Anakin mockingly saluted.
Hazel, smacked him on his shoulder. She was growing so close to Anakin and hoped they would be able to find some peace soon, that way they could spend some time not worrying about if they will live or not.
"How many more enemies are on us?" the man named Ordo asked over the internship comms.
"Cerberus is clear," Thalia reported as she shot the last ship out of the sky.
"Hold on," Percy called, "Ok, I just cleared the last two that were on me."
"You wanna try again," Jaina responded, "It was my manuever that caused them to crash. I cleared them."
"Are you nuts?" Percy asked, "If I hadn't clipped their wings like I had, your maneuver would have just spun us around, and they'd still be on us."
"Sounds like Percy is taking your advice with the ladies Ordo," Fi joked over the comms.
Hazel turned to Anakin and whispered, "Is it just me, or do those two sound very similar?"
Anakin shrugged, "Well, Percy said that they are clones didn't he?"
Hazel shrugged, "That's going to be hard to get used to. I wonder how Percy does it."
Ordo's voice echoed through the ship again, interrupting the couple's conversation, "Alright, so change of plans, we need to put down two building over from our target. We will insert there, and blow the walls between. That will allow us a better insertion point, not to mention cover for our craft. If we land where we originally planned, then our ships will be exposed."
"Do we have the supplies needed for that?" Percy asked.
"You see Percy, you keep doubting our abilities," another voice like Ordo and Fi's said, "Omega Squad knows what to do, and we are the best at it. We'll get you to your jetiise."
Piper called back into the ship, "Alright guys grab your gear we're setting down. I've cut the comms to the ship and am listening in case there's any information I need to share. Someone do me a favor and check my blasters, make sure they are loaded, and primed please."
Piper stared at the building where Jacen was being held. As she began the landing sequence for the Cerberus, she sent out her thoughts out towards Jacen, hoping her emotions would give him enough strength to hold on for just a while longer. I'm coming Jacen, she thought, and any of these bug people that get in my way will wish they hadn't even looked at you.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.