Chapter 4
Lomeir's jaw dropped at the sight of several shuttles approaching the surface of the planet. His jaw even more dropped when he saw stormtroopers walking down the ramp.
iWhat would the Empire want from us?/i He thought.
His train of thoughts was stopped in the beginning by a stormtrooper who carefuly started approaching his hiding place.
So much for shealth. Lomeir shrugged, drawing his crystal blade. His eyes passed over the blade with sympathy, memories of his battle with the Dragon-cat flushed into his mind, but he quickly shutted them out. Past wont help him now. Streaching out with his feelings,he made the nearest stormtrooper think he heard someone hiding where Lomeir was standing.
The non-suspecting stormtrooper slowly approached the bush,and poked at it with his rifle. Suddenly a hand catched his neck, and drawed him into the bush,and stabbing the crystal blade into the stormtrooper's armpit and neck.After he cleaned his blade, Lomeir shealthly but quickly abandoned his hiding place.
"TH-388, where is TH-399?"
"Dont know sir. Last time i saw him he approached that bush over there." said the stormtrooper and pointed towards the bush where his fellow stormtrooper was killed.
"Lets check it out. Set blasters on stun mode and fire!"
The stormtroopers swiched their blaster modes, and opened fire on the bush. After about five direct hits, the leading stormtrooper ordered the other to stop.
"TH-388,cover me." said the leading stormtrooper, and without waiting for an answer started moving towards the bush.
He suspiciously eyed the bush, preparing to enter it,when a particuliar detail caught his attention. Blood. He realized. After closer examination of the bush he discovered TH-399 lying limp on the ground, beneath him a large pool of blood. With a sigh,he turned around,and said: "TH-388,call…", he never finished that sentence,what he saw froze his blood. A horned humanoid clad in black pants and rags slaughtering his companion and then looking at him with rage in his eyes. He barely lifted his blaster,when the humanoid threw his blade. The blade cracked the white armor and pierced his shoulder with agony. Before he passed into blackness, he lifted his rifle in one last pose of defiance and fired once. With a hellish cry the humanoid fell on the ground. iAt least im not going to die alone./i He thought before he slipped into blackness.
"Yes captain?" a cold voice replied.
"Admiral, we have a captive." said Cayel
"Hmm. Any losses?" inquired Thrawn
"Two stormtroopers dead, the stormtrooper commander is wounded, it seems that he stunned the alien before he passed out."
"Intriguing. How is he wounded?" continued Thrawn
"It seems that the alien threw some kind of a crystal blade at him, it apparently pierced the armor. Fortunatly, he was hit in the shoulder."
"Order Intelligence to study the structure of the blade. If it is capable of piercing stormtrooper armor, we might find some use for it."
"Yes admiral."
"What is the commanders name?"
"Hotan, sir."
"Award him with a commendation."
"Yes admiral."
"Anything else captain?"
"Yes admiral, Intelligence has found a convoy with the lowest escort so far."
"What is the escort?"
"An assault frigate, with one wing of A-Wing starfighters."
"Order Navigation to calculate an intercept course with the convoy after we pick up our troops."
"Sir?"
"You dont approve it captain?"
"I strongly urge that you reconsider admiral, this ship is not capable of taking an assault frigate. Not to mention that this one is escorted by starfighters."
"Your request is noted. Order Navigation to calculate the course captain. Silence your fears, we will be victorius."
Cayel swallowed hard "Yes admiral.", he paused, "i will be on the bridge if you need me."
He said, turning towards the door and making way through all the art samples in the room. The door closed behind him with a hiss.
Lomeir's jaw dropped at the sight of several shuttles approaching the surface of the planet. His jaw even more dropped when he saw stormtroopers walking down the ramp.
iWhat would the Empire want from us?/i He thought.
His train of thoughts was stopped in the beginning by a stormtrooper who carefuly started approaching his hiding place.
So much for shealth. Lomeir shrugged, drawing his crystal blade. His eyes passed over the blade with sympathy, memories of his battle with the Dragon-cat flushed into his mind, but he quickly shutted them out. Past wont help him now. Streaching out with his feelings,he made the nearest stormtrooper think he heard someone hiding where Lomeir was standing.
The non-suspecting stormtrooper slowly approached the bush,and poked at it with his rifle. Suddenly a hand catched his neck, and drawed him into the bush,and stabbing the crystal blade into the stormtrooper's armpit and neck.After he cleaned his blade, Lomeir shealthly but quickly abandoned his hiding place.
"TH-388, where is TH-399?"
"Dont know sir. Last time i saw him he approached that bush over there." said the stormtrooper and pointed towards the bush where his fellow stormtrooper was killed.
"Lets check it out. Set blasters on stun mode and fire!"
The stormtroopers swiched their blaster modes, and opened fire on the bush. After about five direct hits, the leading stormtrooper ordered the other to stop.
"TH-388,cover me." said the leading stormtrooper, and without waiting for an answer started moving towards the bush.
He suspiciously eyed the bush, preparing to enter it,when a particuliar detail caught his attention. Blood. He realized. After closer examination of the bush he discovered TH-399 lying limp on the ground, beneath him a large pool of blood. With a sigh,he turned around,and said: "TH-388,call…", he never finished that sentence,what he saw froze his blood. A horned humanoid clad in black pants and rags slaughtering his companion and then looking at him with rage in his eyes. He barely lifted his blaster,when the humanoid threw his blade. The blade cracked the white armor and pierced his shoulder with agony. Before he passed into blackness, he lifted his rifle in one last pose of defiance and fired once. With a hellish cry the humanoid fell on the ground. iAt least im not going to die alone./i He thought before he slipped into blackness.
"Yes captain?" a cold voice replied.
"Admiral, we have a captive." said Cayel
"Hmm. Any losses?" inquired Thrawn
"Two stormtroopers dead, the stormtrooper commander is wounded, it seems that he stunned the alien before he passed out."
"Intriguing. How is he wounded?" continued Thrawn
"It seems that the alien threw some kind of a crystal blade at him, it apparently pierced the armor. Fortunatly, he was hit in the shoulder."
"Order Intelligence to study the structure of the blade. If it is capable of piercing stormtrooper armor, we might find some use for it."
"Yes admiral."
"What is the commanders name?"
"Hotan, sir."
"Award him with a commendation."
"Yes admiral."
"Anything else captain?"
"Yes admiral, Intelligence has found a convoy with the lowest escort so far."
"What is the escort?"
"An assault frigate, with one wing of A-Wing starfighters."
"Order Navigation to calculate an intercept course with the convoy after we pick up our troops."
"Sir?"
"You dont approve it captain?"
"I strongly urge that you reconsider admiral, this ship is not capable of taking an assault frigate. Not to mention that this one is escorted by starfighters."
"Your request is noted. Order Navigation to calculate the course captain. Silence your fears, we will be victorius."
Cayel swallowed hard "Yes admiral.", he paused, "i will be on the bridge if you need me."
He said, turning towards the door and making way through all the art samples in the room. The door closed behind him with a hiss.