Chapter V – In the Army Now
"Take off your shirt," I urged the soldier as I reached out to pull the cap off his head. He looked at me with shocked eyes. "You won't need it, and the medical droid will be with you shortly." I reached out to start unbuttoning his shirt. It took a moment to work the soldier's shirt off, leaving him in his grey military t-shirt. Then I laid him back on the cot, covering him up with a sheet and patting him a couple times on the shoulder before turning to leave. The female medic I had helped earlier carried a wounded soldier through the door with the help of another medic, and they were followed by two other injured soldiers. Turmoil ensued. I took the shirt and hat and left the med bay.
Unsure what I planned to do, I walked towards the commander's office while twisting my ponytail up onto my head and slipping on the military cap. The bunker rocked with more explosions against the shield. In the office, I picked up my satchel and slung it over my shoulder before pulling on the soldier's shirt. I was not going to leave anything behind, just in case. The shirt was too bulky for me but would have to suffice. Looking down my form, I realized that my black synth-weave skirt was not going to work as part of a military uniform, so I quickly looked through the commander's personal gear for a pair of his pants. When I found a pair of his field fatigues, I hurriedly donned them and slipped my skirt into my satchel. The commander was much bigger, and his pants looked ridiculous on me, but I had no time to worry about looks. I made them work, rolling the hem of the legs up inside so that I could put my boots on and using my equipment belt to cinch the waist tight.
Com chatter was still crackling in my ear as I checked my belt to make sure I had my lightsaber; I left the shirt out so that it hung loose to cover my Sith weapon and satchel underneath. The voices in my ear were strained and the comments did not sound good as I headed out of the bunker and went to retrieve the blaster I dropped earlier. There was a strange quiet near the shield, a lull in the fighting that would not last long. Looking at the shimmering energy wall, I suddenly realized that the medic was not around to create her portal.
Not sure how to get outside the defense field, I began walking along it into a deeper part of the gully. After about thirty paces, I came across a trench cut into the ground and jumped down into it. The trench ran under the shield and looked to be a forward supply cache with crates and cases lining one wall. There was a closed blast door blocking access to the outside. Luckily it was not locked from within.
When the blast door swept aside it revealed another section of trench with a burly officer standing just past the door. He spun and gave me a surprised look. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm your reinforcements," I stated flatly.
"Shit!" he spat. He was going to add something to elaborate on his feelings, but a head popped over the side of the trench to draw his attention away.
"Lieutenant," a rugged female soldier snapped at him, "I need help repairing the sentry guns. At the rate I'm going, they won't be ready for what's coming."
The officer, whom I recognized as Lieutenant Zark by the voice in my earpiece earlier, looked between the two of us. "Well, you heard he sergeant, get busy." He glared at me skeptically as I slipped past him in the trench. "Take her and go down the right side," he barked as he looked up at the sergeant still gazing down from above, "I'll go along the left side with Plender.
"Take these with you," the lieutenant added as he flipped open a gun case and yanked out several heavy blasters and some energy cells. He handed one to me and tossed another up to the sergeant who had to duck her head back as the weapon shot up out of the trench. "Make sure those blasters are on stun, and you got three minutes, Lendy, then get your ass back here. I can't lose anyone else."
"Yes, sir," she barked back as her eyes focused on me. We moved out quickly, and I kept low as I followed her, weaving between rocks and rubble toward the first sentry gun. I watched her do a quick check of the turret, noticing the green status lights below the gun mount, then we moved on. We came upon the next sentry gun, which was heavily damaged.
"I'll get the next," I whispered as I slipped past her, realizing that she was going to take a while.
"Do you know what you are doing?" she complained at my back, but I did not answer.
I managed to check three sentry turrets. The first one was damaged beyond repair. The second one needed an energy cell and to be braced upright because one of its legs had been damaged. The third one was knocked over with its gun destroyed. I could see Republic positions in the distance and realized it would be difficult to get through their lines unnoticed. So much for my plan of slipping away. I had the third turret back up and was working on mounting the new gun when the sergeant came up next to me.
"Give me that," she snapped as she saw me fumbling with the mounting clip. I stepped back to let her mount the gun.
"Who are you?" she shot me a glance, "you're definitely not Delba Company." She went back to finishing the repair and I stood to the side and did not answer. "Did Colonel Hurdenn send you from Toxic Lake Garrison?"
"I think our three minutes are up," I replied mildly. The com chatter in the earpiece was growing frantic as the Republic forces moved forward around the perimeter.
She gave me a curious look and then turned to head back to the trench. "Are you even military? You don't look like it."
"Where are your support droids?" I asked as a way to deflect her questions, "recon drones, equipment mules, combat support platforms?"
"Most of them are broke, and what's operational is out of power cells." Sergeant Lendy seemed a little bitter about stating the facts. "The Repubs cut our supplies last week and power cells have become a rare commodity. The R&M team guards them like gold."
Lieutenant Zark and another soldier who I assumed was Plender were already in the trench when we slipped over the side into cover. He glanced hopefully at the blast door after acknowledging our return, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was counting on more reinforcements than just me. As he turned back to us, I saw unspoken worry pass between him and the sergeant. Suddenly footsteps approached the trench and everyone tensed; Lieutenant Zark even raised his blaster pistol.
"They're coming, sir," a voice drifted over the side of the trench, "They're bringing assault vehicles with them, and reinforcements. We've got less than five minutes before they are on us." Lieutenant Zark's third remaining soldier poked his Chiss head over the side of the trench, his red eyes narrow with concern.
"We're not ready, dammit!" the lieutenant growled.
"What would you do, Lieutenant, if you were ready?" My voice drifted through the trench and drew everyone's attention. The anger inside of me was surging up in response to the hopeless position the Imperial company was in. This did not seem to be any way to conduct an operation.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Lieutenant Zark spat angrily in response to the perceived challenge.
"I'm asking what the best tactical response would be in this situation, sir." This situation isn't his fault, I told myself as I fought to remain in control of my anger.
He glanced at Sergeant Lendy and then focused on me. "We're sitting ducks here. If I had a squad, or hell even a fire team, I would counter-attack; hit them while they are grouped together for the assault."
While he was talking, I had begun looking around at the weapon crates and ammo cases along the wall of the trench, flipping open the largest case as he finished explaining his plan to reveal several blaster guns and backup energy cells.
"What the hell are you doing?" the lieutenant growled at me.
Stepping past the lieutenant and Corporal Plender I bent to open a clasped case. Flipping the lid to reveal blaster pistols. "I will be your fireteam, sir. I'm looking for something with sufficient firepower to do the job." I agreed with the lieutenant's assessment that we were sitting ducks. The Republic assault would roll right over us and breach the bunker defenses if not stopped. I was not trained for military action, but I had the Force skills necessary to stay alive in a conflict.
"You?" he snapped, "I don't even know who the hell you are!"
"We don't have time to argue," I replied in as commanding a voice I could muster, "sir" I added to be respectful. "I am capable of doing the job, let me help you."
He stared at me in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he sneered.
There was nothing of greater firepower than my blaster rifle in the boxes at my feet, and I looked at the locked blast door, remembering the stash in the trench behind it. "Can you open the door?" I pointed.
"Open the door, she says," he copied me incredulously, looking around at the others. The lieutenant then began to realize I was serious. He stepped up to me and tipped his chin down to glare, his frame closing over me. "You can't use any of those weapons, commander's orders."
"Why not?"
"They're lethal. If we use them then the Republic scum will too and it'll be a blood bath."
"Why are they stocked in a forward area then?" I countered.
"Only as a final recourse," he replied.
The rumble of mortar fire echoed into the trench from the grove area. "I think this is about as final as it gets," I replied.
The lieutenant looked back at his sergeant and then reluctantly punched the code into the door lock. "What the hell do you think you can do, private?" He looked at the insignia on my shoulder as he spoke.
I quickly bent to flip a case open to reveal more blaster pistols. "I was thinking of charging out of the trench and creating as much havoc as I could so that you can focus fire the enemy when they react. Do you have any grenades, or a heavier assault blaster, something that can get their attention?"
"We've got grenades," he growled, bending down to unlock a cache I had not opened, "and mines, and mortars; but what we have, they have. "
"What about smoke grenades, flashbangs, EMP, anything less lethal?" I reached down to pull out one of the grenades and determined it was a high-energy explosive.
The lieutenant yanked it out of my hand. "What good are smoke and flashbangs when they know right where we are?"
"They're a distraction, a way we can buy time, maybe slow their assault down. The commander said he was going to send help."
"You're serious about this," Lieutenant Zark narrowed his eyes at me.
"I don't see an alternative." I reached down again to flip open another case similar to the grenade case and found smoke bombs in it; pulling a few out. "Where are the flashbangs?"
The lieutenant opened another case and fished a few grenades out, tucking them into his pockets. He saw me watching him. "I'm going with you," he stated, pulling a few more out and handing them to me.
"No, you're not," I protested.
"There's no bloody chance you'll survive out there yourself!"
I took the grenades from him and turned to head out of the trench. "You're needed here to man the defenses," I replied as I slipped past the soldiers. "Besides, the commander wanted to get rid of me anyway," I muttered under my breath. It might have been madness for a single soldier to charge several companies alone, but I felt confident in my Sith training to keep me out of harm's way, even if I could not use my lightsaber.
"This is madness," he continued to protest.
"Do you have anything that can take out the assault vehicles? Would an EMP do it?" I turned to look back, noticing the shocked faces staring at me. "What about a bigger blaster?"
No one moved for a second as they all began to realize that I was serious. "The EMP could knock it out for a bit," Sergeant Lendy responded, "but it would have to be on its highest setting; lethal to anyone near the blast."
"Give me a few, set them to non-lethal." I waited, hearing the sound of battle growing closer.
With the rumble of battle approaching, the squad moved into action. Lieutenant Zark pulled out a shoulder pack and put the grenades in it, slinging it on his bulky frame like he was coming with me. Sergeant Lendy and the Chiss soldier grabbed their gear and moved out to defensive positions on the right, and Corporal Plender did the same toward the left of the trench.
"Here," the lieutenant said as he pulled out a large assault blaster and walked over to hand it to me. It weighed heavily in my arms. When he turned to get one himself, I left the trench before he could respond, hoping to get away without him. In the distance, I could see motions through the sparse, battle-injured trees and brush. The assault was coming.
"What the hell are you doing!" the lieutenant spat as he jumped out of the ditch and ran toward me.
"I was serious," I replied, "they need you here."
"I'm not letting you go out there alone."
"Stop arguing!" I snapped. He looked at me shocked and angry. "I'll be all right. Stay with your men."
The sound of the assault vehicles crunching tree branches drifted over us and blaster fire began to whiz towards our position. He looked over at the oncoming assault and then back at me. I could see thoughts churning through the lieutenant's mind behind his angry gaze.
"You see that outcrop?" he pointed over my shoulder. I followed his finger to a shallow rise of dirt and broken rubble about three hundred feet distance. "I'd run along the backside of that and use it as cover for your blind side. Lob your grenades over the top. Stay low and shoot what's in front of you." His eyes stared hard at me as he slipped the grenade sack off his shoulder and handed it to me; he did not look happy. "I'll throw smoke and flashbangs from the shield perimeter to try and distract them from you."
I nodded and turned to head out without responding. About halfway to the outcrop, green blaster fire started aiming at me. Without the rush of adrenaline that happened earlier with the medic, I was able to reach into the Force and use my enhanced reflexes to dodge the incoming fire. All my confidence and bravado seemed to dissolve as I glanced back and saw how far from safety I was. The anger inside of me had thrust me out on a dangerous island, and I was suddenly worried that I made a mistake.
It was too late to turn back though, so I broke into a sprint for the outcrop the lieutenant had pointed out. Republic soldiers appeared in front of me from the cover of brush. They were rushing towards me as I was them. We both opened fire at the same time, and the heavy blaster almost spun me around from its kick. Suddenly, a smoke bomb went off to my left near another group of Republic soldiers. The lieutenant must have thrown it to cover my flank.
There were too many soldiers coming at me to take down with the blaster so I kept firing with one hand, bracing the weapon against my hip, while I fished out a grenade from the pack. I was not sure which one I grabbed until it went off in the midst of the onrushing soldiers. Unfortunately, it was an EMP, which crackled outward in a soft flash of light, only taking down the soldier it landed closest to. Static rang in my earpiece as the electrical energy spread out from the blast. Luckily, the EMP grenade seemed to interfere with the Republic weapons firing at me, and some of the men reached up to grab their helmets in pain.
In that brief advantage, I brought the heavy blaster to bear with both hands, directing the red bolts into the distracted and disarmed soldiers. I ran past the prone and writhing bodies and made it to the small outcrop as another wave of soldiers began to emerge from the brush. Kneeling down by a large piece of broken dura-crete, an artifact from another battle centuries ago, I reached into the sack for smoke bombs. I rolled one out in front of me towards the surprised Republic soldiers and heaved another one over the outcrop toward the oncoming assault vehicles. Thick grey smoke burst out violently in the space between me and the enemy and began to billow outward. I shifted positions along the outcrop as random fire came at me. A flashbang went off on the other side of the outcrop from me. The lieutenant was trying to help as best he could.
With the smoke inhibiting everyone's view, the battle favored those with the quickest reactions, and mine were enhanced by the Force. I hurried forward, blasting a soldier who tried to rush at me through the smoke. Return fire became intense, and it drove me to the ground. In response, I flicked the heavy blaster on full auto and opened up. In that perilous moment with red and green blaster bolts flying back and forth in the grey mist, my earpiece flickered back to life and I heard panicked voices asking for help and giving orders.
"We're being pressed hard . . ." I made out Lieutenant Zark's voice, ". . . assault almost on top of us." There was some static and indecipherable words before Commander Pillus responded. "Hang on, I'm coming to you."
I could hear the battle raging on the other side of the outcrop. The heavy guns on the assault vehicles booming in a rat-a-tat percussion, their target being the rag-tag group I just left. Pinned to the ground by enemy fire, I felt my counter-attack was a failure. The chaos of sounds and images made thinking impossible. In the rush of battle, a person simply reacts, some to survive, others for love or duty. I don't know what was motivating me in that moment, but rage at my impotence and expected failure burned through me, and the seething blackness at my core swelled upward, drawing the spirit of the Servant with it.
The dark lord did not speak to me but focused the Force around me so that I could see and react more quickly as if time slowed for my perceptions. Dodging the incoming fire became easier, and aiming my blaster more acute. I used the moment to rise to my feet. It might have been possible for me to escape at that moment, but my anger was focused on the Republic. I wanted to defeat their assault, so I scaled the ridge at my back.
When my eyes rose over the top of the outcrop, the scene before me was pandemonium. The Republic assault was within one hundred yards of the defense shield, and incoming fire had Lieutenant Zark and his team hopelessly pinned to the ground. Sapper droids were approaching the shield to breach it in two places, and nothing was in the way to stop them. Fire started coming at me from behind. Through the Force, I shifted positions to avoid being hit, but time was running out. I reached into the grenade sack and pulled out two flashbangs, tossing one behind me and the second as far as I could into the Republic assault. I ducked and closed my eyes right before the grenades went off, feeling the rush of air wash over me from the detonations.
Then I braced the heavy blaster on the ridge and aimed at the closest sapper droid, sending a fast burst of red bolts towards it. Two bolts struck, and it went down. Fire came at me from in front and back then, and I rolled to shift positions. One bolt grazed my shin as I dodged, causing a sharp pain and some tingling from my foot to the knee. I wanted to take out the second sapper droid, but the incoming fire was withering, so I turned my heavy blaster on the closest assault vehicle and its support team. The Republic troops were momentarily put into disarray, and the assault vehicles turned their guns on me. I ducked down but kept the heavy blaster firing blindly on full auto down into the Republic position. The outcrop shook under me as the heavy guns began pulverizing the earth and debris near me.
Suddenly a Republic soldier appeared behind me, blaster raised; close enough that I could see the color of her eyes. A surge of the Force burst out of me as I raised my hand, and the Servant directed a Force push that sent the soldier flying through the air. Other soldiers were coming behind her, and I quickly jerked the heavy blaster off the hill and aimed it at them. Despite my efforts, there were too many, and their fire made my position untenable. Using the Force, I jumped away, landing painfully with a twist to my ankle, and sprinted despite the pain along the ridge away from the Imperial bunker. My escape brought me right into the midst of two Republic officers overseeing the assault, and I blasted them before they could train their weapons on me.
My shots, however, got the attention of numerous other officers and soldiers, and I was soon pinned down again. Quickly, I grabbed the last smoke bomb and popped it as close to me as I felt safe, and then moved under the cover of the smoke, taking out a soldier that charged blindly towards me. I stayed in the smoke, using the Force to feel the enemies around me and avoid their fire. It would not last long, but for the moment I felt safe enough to catch a breath.
I had not been paying attention to the voices echoing through the earpiece, but in that moment, I heard Commander Pillus clearly. "You have to open fire on our position, if you don't, we will be overrun!"
"Negative," a voice came back, "Toxic Lake has no authorization to fire on the Republic."
"I don't give a shit about your authorization; we are being overrun as I speak. The Republic has got us under a full assault!"
"Hold, Commander," the voice replied.
Soldiers were charging into the smoke to find me and I had to shift positions.
"Dammit!" Commander Pillus cursed through the com. "Everyone fall back into the shield, we'll have to defend against their penetrations from the inside."
"Commander, this is Zark," the lieutenant's voice echoed in my ear.
"I'm sorry Zark, I can't make it to you."
"Sir, I've got people . . ." Lieutenant Zark's voice got cut off by a Toxic Lake Garrison transmission.
"Commander Pillus, this is Colonel Hurdenn . . ."
"Dammit Colonel, I've wasted enough time talking! Use your artillery to clear my defense perimeter or we will be overrun."
"You know I don't have authorization to do that. Rules of engagement prohibit lethal force . . ."
"I don't give a crap about the rules; the Republic has been shelling our position for days! Check the video feeds. The Republic assault is almost up to our defense field."
"I've been monitoring your position, Commander . . ."
"Then do something, Colonel! I'm begging you."
"I . . ." the colonel hesitated, "if this causes an escalation . . ."
I ducked down into a thick area of bushes and brought my hand up to cover my earpiece as I struggled to hear the conversation clearly, suddenly aware that I might be in danger from the Imperial guns as well.
"I'll take full responsibility; you can serve me on a platter to the higher-ups, just don't leave us hanging out here."
"Very well, I'll have the batteries target your position."
"Target the whole perimeter, as close to the shield as possible."
"Affirmative, pull your people back," the colonel replied.
"Already done, sir."
"Everyone fall back behind the shield," Commander Pillus ordered, "we're going to have incoming."
"Commander, I've got people beyond the perimeter!" I heard Zark scream through the com.
"What do you mean?" Commander Pillus responded.
"Some crazy girl showed up at my trench and told me she was going to counter-assault the Republic."
"Shit!" Commander Pillus' voice shot in my ear. "Call her back, dammit!"
"I don't know if I can, she was wearing a private uniform, but she wasn't one of us." Lieutenant Zark responded.
Republic soldiers were moving towards me so I Force ran through the smokescreen, leaving my cover just as I heard the first volley of Imperial artillery screeching towards us. Bright red bolts of energy rained down on the bunker's defense shield and the ground nearby, the impacts sending shockwaves through the air, blowing dust and debris into my face.
"Blasted Sith!" I barely heard Commander Pillus respond through the cacophony. "I told her to stay put!"
It wasn't safe to run towards the command bunker, so I ran deeper into the Republic positions, avoiding people by sensing them in the Force. I found a tight group of trees and dove for cover under their branches.
"Sith!" the lieutenant's voice roared, "she was a bloody Sith?"
The bombardment was intense, and the Republic forces halted their advance under the barrage. More artillery joined the bombardment, and soon the Republic soldiers were retreating all along the perimeter. Several ran close by my position while fleeing the incoming fire, but none of them detected me. All I could do was lay flat on the ground, put my face against the base of a tree, and trust in the accuracy of the Imperial gunners to keep their ordinance close to the shield.
Colonel Hurdenn made a good showing once he agreed to help. The shells rained down around the command bunker's shield for almost five minutes, and two ground support fighters even made some flybys with their screeching blasters blazing. I had to pull the earpiece and cover my ears because of the intense booming of the artillery blasts nearby, and the air bursts shook the trees around me and rained leaves and branches down.
Finally, the thundering impacts lessened and then stopped, and an eerie silence settled over the ruined landscape around me. I rose to my feet quickly and began to hurry toward the now wavering defense field, not wanting to be caught in no man's land if the Republic decided to move forward again. In a disconnected, surreal moment I stumbled past numerous bodies of Republic soldiers, unsure whether they were unconscious from non-lethal fire or dead from the bombardment.
As I neared the shield, I noticed one of the bodies was Imperial, and moved over to check for a pulse. It was Plender, and he was alive but unconscious. I dropped my blaster and shoulder pack to lift him onto my shoulders, using the Force to aid my own strength. I could barely carry his weight, and the ankle I twisted in the midst of battle really started to throb. Time passed slowly as I shuffled along the base of the shield toward the position of the trench.
As I came close, a head popped up over the top of the trench. "Holy crap, you're alive!" Lieutenant Zark's voice echoed through the quiet, sounding muted and strange in my ringing ears. He rushed out of the trench as Sergeant Lendy and the Chiss soldier poked their head up behind him. "Give him to me," he urged.
"He's alive," I replied with a hoarse and winded voice as the lieutenant shifted the weight off my shoulders. Stepping slowly towards the trench, I noticed Sergeant Lendy's look of distress.
"You look like hell," she said.
"I don't feel so good either," I replied, suddenly realizing that it was difficult to hear everyone.
"Where're the damn medics?" the lieutenant groused behind me.
"I'm all right," I lifted a hand to wave them off.
"No, you're not," Sergeant Lendy replied as she stepped out of the trench and grabbed my arm gently. "You've got blood coming out of both ears, you're hit in multiple places, and you're turning pale."
As she spoke, I realized that my body was becoming heavy and my breathing erratic. The rush of adrenaline and endorphins was beginning to fade, and I slumped into Sergeant Lendy's arms.
"Dammit!" Lieutenant Zark cursed. "This is Zark," I heard him speak into the com, "I've got the Sith, but she and Corporal Plender need medical assistance. Where are the medics?"
"They're busy, Zark," Commander Pillus' voice drifted into my ear as muffled crackling. "I'll be right there."
"I'll take her," Sergeant Lendy replied as I felt her pick me up, "she's as light as a feather."
"Hurry up," Lieutenant Zark groused, "I'll bring Plender. Virdu, open the damn blast door."
