Kren silently made his way past the first patrol scanning the area. There was nothing but necessary talk on the airways and for troops that should have been lax in their discipline, they were practically perfect examples of Imperial procedure, right out of the manual. Somebody had pressed the garrison to above and beyond standards, meaning he was going to have a bigger fight on his hands than he had first thought. Still no problem - this was his turf. The patrols crisscrossed one another so one would notice if the other was taken out. He'd have to slip through the perimeter. It wouldn't be easy - most of the trees had recently been slashed and burned back from giant walls surrounding the city and garrison. Kren watched as the silent ghost figures of the storm troopers moved in and out of the shadows, within the cover of the trees as well as in the cleared out area. He'd hoped to take out some of the patrols had they been lax, but considering what he was seeing, that wasn't likely going to happen. They were too well organized and obviously alert. He crouched, surveying the area in thought, and a cold smile suddenly pulled back his lips.
What the Empire hopefully hadn't taken into consideration was those giant walls extended into the ground a good twenty feet, meaning the city had to have a deep drainage system so that the water would escape when it rained. Most of the cities had such systems on Cey'lon and he was pretty sure that the Empire had been updated the drainage system, replacing the older one with newer and higher tech sewage system. That would hopefully leave the old tunnels bone dry, not that he wouldn't go if he had to swim through chest deep sewage, but it took forever to get the smell out of his fur.
He moved away deeper into the forest, scanning the vegetation and soon noted an unmistakable difference in how green the foliage was and found the new outlet. Nearby, a metal lid had been welded onto the almost cavernous opening of the old sewer system. The new system had a tight security system on it, and he thanked the stars that he wouldn't have to spend the time hacking into it. The old one, sealed as it was, did not appear to be monitored at all.
Kren took out his cutting equipment and sliced himself a door through the thick durasteel plate covering the old system. Striking a glow rod to illuminate the darkness, Draen snorted as the stale fumes reached his sensitive nostrils. A cold tremor seemed to lay deep in his bones as he peered into the darkness - darkness so deep it was almost touchable. Stepping into the tunnel and moving along the wall, he looked at the writing scribed on the walls. It was old Thalcein script and his heart tightened as he looked at the writing of his childhood. Few of the survivors remembered how to form the fluid script letters anymore - it had almost been swept from their culture, like their beloved people were almost swept from the galaxy, and all because of the whim of a mad man who had dared to call himself Emperor. Kren reached a three-fingered hand out and gently stroked the writing, then turned, sealing away his pain, to get back to the work at hand.
Draven moved quickly, using his electronic navigator to take him under the garrison barracks. The infiltrator reached the outlet and was forced to cut out the normal opening that used to allow for maintenance to the old tunnels as the Empire had everything sealed off tight. Still, it had been done ages ago, most likely when the Empire had first taken the planet a few months after they had released the plague that had almost wiped his people from the universe.
Using small shaped charges, Kren blasted away concrete that had been laid over the hole and carefully pulled himself through the opening to find himself in the middle of a huge maintenance hangar. There were Tie fighters and surveillance skimmers, all in various stages of repair, though it was very quiet. Kren moved along almost soundlessly and headed towards a door that should take him deeper into the sleeping complex.
"HEY YOU STOP! You're in a restricted area!!" Kren froze and slowly lifted his hands as he heard the filtered voice. He heard the sound of Stormtrooper boots on cement and was careful to hide his blaster from view, not an easy task considering its size. The footsteps stopped close behind him...bad move. With lightening speed he kicked, his big spur cleaving nearest trooper's belly and Draven dropped low as blaster fire blistered the air where his head had been. They were sharp, but definitely stormtroopers. He'd disemboweled the one he had hit with his spur and the screaming trooper's partners where running backwards trying to lay down a cover fire as they went. Kren picked them off with a fast, single shots to the head.
He turned quickly and ran around a pair of TIE solar panels and was met by blaster fire. Dashing out, he kicked his feet in the air, forming a twisting somersault as his blaster layed out a steady line of fire dropping the troopers as they poked their heads up from their cover behind a blast shield. He had walked right into a trap, the revelation hit him like an over stuffed pillow. "Figures."
He hit the floor and rolled kicking the solar panel out at them, then dodged behind an Interceptor. Draven caught sight of something flying through the air at him and let out a quiet curse. Kren spun and ran towards the troopers as they all ducked. The explosion from the thermal caught him midair as he jumped the barricade, pushing him farther behind the line of troops. He hit the floor and rolled to face them. His ears were flat and his teeth were bared, but his eyes sparkled. "Hi! How's it going?" They didn't even get a chance to raise their weapons before he mowed then down like practice dummies. Getting his feet, Kren sprinted for the door, letting his power cartridge. It hit the floor smoking and he rammed a new one home as the big Infiltrator inched into the interior of the corridor. It was stark, Imperial white and brightly lit, leaving shadows to hide in – a double edged sword – a he could see the enemy, but they would also have no trouble seeing him.
Kren continued down the hall, expecting to be mobbed by Imperials at any moment, but his progress was unimpeded, making his gut turn cold. The corridor led to the mess hall, of all places, and it was empty. He checked his chrono, there should of been some guards eating after their last shift. The hair stood on the back of his neck. He slipped into the massive room, keeping close to the wall heading towards the door at the opposite side of the room, when he heard the unmistakable sound of a high powered rifle being thumbed off safe. Draven ducked, kicking up a table and settling behind it as the sniper fired. Kren took a look up and saw the sniper settle amongst the storage space above the kitchen, and his quick look almost cost him an eye as the blaster fire took huge chunks out of the thick table.
He moved off of his belly to the other edge of the hole riddled table as silence settled. Most Imp snipers keep shooting hoping to get a lucky shot after they lose the element of surprise, but this one was good, no standard stormtrooper sniper - definitely commando, and that rifle he had was no pea shooter. This one wasn't going to shoot until he had target confirmation. Kren crawled under another table on his stomach, watching as the head of the sniper moved with his rifle scanning the area. Kren holstered his big blaster rifle and pulled his smaller holdout blaster. It was small, not even half the size if his hand, and affectionately named 'Baby Black' due to it's dusky, matte finish. He knew where the sniper was, and just prayed his enemy had lost track of him. Kren rolled from under the table and immediately brought his small blaster up as the sniper swung his weapon to bear. Kren fired first. The sniper was silenced.
Draven stoop up, scanning the area, then fell to his stomach again as the rest of the commando unit fell into the room. The side windows of the serving area, where troops would line up for chow was served, rolled up suddenly. Instead of now instead of the normal steaming plates of hot sludge and gray uniformed Imperial cooks, twelve black clad special operatives stood and the area exploded as the blaster fire rained down on him. Kren did the best he could to turtle up and protect his vitals. A large peace of the table slashed through a chink in his armor and into the meat of his thigh. He bit back a scream of anger, and snorted, royally pissed off. Taking a couple of quick breaths as though he were about to go underwater, Draven pulled his blaster rifle from it's holster and raised both weapons as he rolled up to a knee and shot above their heads. At first nothing happened and the commando kept up their fire… and then the metal curtain fell. Even from behind the thick metal curtain, he could still hear the screams as the commandos' fire was deflected back into their faces. Kren got up, looking at his leg seeing it wasn't that bad.
"My new pants! Sith Spawn!" he mutters, sticking a finger into the tear and wiggling it around. It came back bloody, but as it wasn't gushing arterially, it could wait. The silence was a nice change to the scream of blaster blots, but it did not last. There was a simple sound of heeled boots striking the thick top of a counter.
"You called?" The voice was deep, seductive and definitely female. Draven turned slowly to see the Sith, perched on the top a table. She had a blaster strapped to her arm, and the metal cylinder in her hand was unmistakable as her lightsaber. Her long raven black hair hung in her face and spread over her back in an ebony cascade. She wore a sleeveless back top, black pants, and combat boots with a higher heel than standard issue. She looked at him with a slightly raised well-defined eyebrow, dark red lips almost edging into a smirk, her arms resting on her bent knees, in an almost relaxed position.
Draven's ears flattened. "Rage Vader."
This brought an evil smile to her face. It was almost sadistic in nature. "In the flesh. Where is your little Jedi friend?"
"Who? I'm here for the food." His blue eyes widened in feigned innocence as he shrugged.
Rage chuckled and jumped to the top of a near by table, she moved like a cat on the hunt. Kren remembered bedtime stories of ghostly feline predators that had would steal children from their beds in the dark of night. In his deepest nightmares he would never of conjured up anything close to the feeling he was getting now - of being stalked, sized up and sold by the body part before the last breath had even left his lungs.
"Well I'm afraid you're a little late." Rage gestured with her chin to the collapsed curtain. "Kitchen is closed."
"Ah! All right then, maybe next time. I'll buy." He backed away, his weapons on her and heard the familiar snap hiss of the saber as the blood red blade sprang to life from the hilt in her hand. The blade seemed a mixture of bright red and a darker brown, as though it were slowly drying blood. He wondered how many beings had fallen to it.
"Coffee is still hot. Might I interest you in a cup? We can discuss matters such as, oh I don't know.... Thalcein history perhaps."
He snorted his hand reaffirming the grip on his blasters. "What could possibly interest you in Thalcein history?"
The smile dissolved from her face, a deep concentration replaced it. "What makes you tick of course."
He felt the mental assault and the pain in his head sent him to his knees. His lips pulled back in almost a snarl as a low squeal emitted from his throat, then he felt his mind lock down, closing her presence out completely.
"Impressive, I'm guessing Barryk showed you that or maybe even Seph. Must of taken years. I'm beginning to think you're more than just another rebel grunt."
"So what if I am, witch?" He looked up at her with a shake of his head, seeing that her smile had returned.
"That means Barryk will want to come back for body parts." Kren opened fire with both his blasters. Rage spun in the air, pin wheeling her legs out, and landed on the next table and then flipped grabbing the edge of the table and standing on her hand for a single second before letting gravity have her taught athletic body as she fell. The table was hurled at him by her wrist strength alone. He spun on one foot, and kicked it aside with the other. He fired at her again with a ringing battle cry.
The Sith caught his blaster fire with her saber blade and deflected it into the ceiling and floor, while her eyes diverted from him. Another table took flight as she used the dark energies of the Force to hurl it at his head. He ducked and rolled and she came at him, planted her feet in his chest and knocking him back against the wall. The wall gave and he fell through. He kicked his legs out but she avoided them with simple grace.
Rage slashed down, meaning to cut him in half. Kren tore out a chunk of masonry from the ruined wall and swing it, catching her in the stomach and she fell back. Draven pulled himself backwards into the hall and was getting to his feet as she stepped out of the mess after him. "Impressive. My respect for the Thalcein race is growing with each encounter, despite my opinions on Drakahn."
Kren stood and threw his shoulders back, she was extremely tall for a human female but he still toward over her. "You can count Drakahn among your ranks, the traitor is not welcome in ours, Sith."
She reignited her saber. "No thanks." She swung and he dodged just in time. He closed his eyes tight and turned his head as he let her slice through his little blaster. Instead of exploding like most energy driven weapons would, this one let out a flash strobe then sizzled harmlessly. Both Rage and Kren fell back. Kren opened his eyes but saw only grayish white shadows move against a white background. His mind raced and he got to his feet and dove towards where the window should be. He felt the double pained glass give under his weight and then the fall. He impacted with the ground and struggle to his feet and stumbled, his sight still useless. He reached out with his hearing and what he heard wasn't good. Heavy, determined footsteps were heading his way.
"Today is just not the day for the good guys."
*******
Rage rose up slowly from the floor, bloody tears rolling down her face from the strobe fragments slicing into her tearducts. Sliding her hand from her glove, she touched her eyes to make sure the lids were open, and she felt the wetness of her open eyeballs against the tips of her fingers. A deep panic filled her, and it felt like something was squeezing her heart. The Sith took a deep breath, pulling a red silk bandana from her pocket and wrapped it around her head over her eyes to protect them. Rage pulled in deep with the Force, and the world appeared in her mind as blue, black, greens, and a deep red, everything circulating and pulsing with The Force. She cursed in Sith and slowly her mind interpreted and she could see. He had jumped out of the window.
She got to her feet and headed over looking down and not seeing anything. She turned on her booted heels and sprinted off towards the lower levels, calling her saber easily to her hand.
*******
Kren fell to his back letting the sounds getting closer to him. "Go ahead…Kill me. All I ask is you throw my body to the forest so I might lay with my ancestors."
"Do I have to wait until you're dead?"
Kren sat up in surprise. "Barryk?! I have never been so glad to hear that annoyingly coarse voice of yours. Is Rehn...?"
"She's here. Can't you see?" Barryk looked down at his friend in concern.
"My escape plan kinda blew up in my face, but it got me away from Rage." Barryk was helping Kren to his feet and stopped in mid-motion.
"Rage....Rage Vader is here?"
Rehn groaned in his arms, breathing in quiet, shallow gasps and he readjusted his hold on her as he helped Kren up. Gade handed his wounded sister to the Infiltrator, and he listened with dread to her poor breathing. His vision was getting better with each passing moment, and he could now make out Barryk's dark image, though the detail wasn't quite there yet. "Rage got the brunt of the strobe. She might not even come after us.."
Barryk moved off, his saber suddenly out and ignited. "She doesn't need her eyes to see. Come on, we have to hurry." They moved along the wall heading for the main entrance that Barryk had come in when she seemed to drop from nowhere. She had been trailing then, and until she had seen that Rehn was in no shape to fight, the Sith had considered just sending out a legion of stormtroopers to take them down, but Rage was confident that even without her sight she could take the born-again jedi and a half-blind infiltrator burdened with two hundred plus pounds of wounded Rehn. Rage landed in front of Barryk and crouched in an attack stance, pulling hard on the dark side to quell the pain in her eyes and still see through the Force.
"You must be Barryk....nice to finally meet you." A cold smile crept to her dark lips.
"The pleasure is all your, Sith Spawn." He stopped, the tension easing now that he knew where she was.
She sighed. "You keep calling us 'Sith Spawn' like it's some kind of insult. I hate to tell ya this buddy, but that's what we are. It really isn't all that much of a slanderous remark. Try calling us...hmm…I don't know... 'Alien'? Ugh, yeah that would do it. Or 'shrag'." Her voice pulled at Barryk's mind as she laced each word with the dark side. She was crafty, slipping in her influence in jeers and smart mouthed comments instead of threats and most didn't even notice it until she had them so flustered they couldn't fight. He felt a cold tremor run over his back from her words, but something nudged at his consciousness. It was Rehn.
"What we call you will not change what you are, murderer."
"Now Barryk, be nice. I wasn't the one who killed your parents." There was nasty amusement in her voice as it turned sarcastic.
Barryk ground his teeth and advanced. "Let us pass, Rage."
"Oh, I was! But that wasn't the secrete password." She attacked, her eyes still covered but her movements were controlled and exact. They fought, and she easily pushed him back feeding off his use of the force. This was what she did...she killed Jedi. She spun hard and landed a kick to his injured ribs. Barryk went down hard with a grunt.
Rage addressed Rehn, her apparently unconscious form cradled in Draven's arms "Thanks for killing Drakahn...what a pain in the ass he was." Her head swung towards Barryk and she gave him a sneer. "You do know you were too late don't you?"
"What are you talking about, witch?" He gasped trying to get his wind back. He felt Rehn stir in the Force, despite her lip look.
"Your little sister. She's lost, given to the dark side. You won't realize it right away but once down the dark path forever will it control your destiny. She's lost to you. You might as well let me have her, and considering what you've done to her Barryk, you owe her that much. She'll take Drakahn's place but at least she'll be alive."
"She isn't going to die." He started getting the feel for what Rehn was doing and pulled the force to him as well.
"She will be. You're going to have to kill your own sister, when her anger takes her. It will be your only option. How poetically ironic." She stopped, seeming to consider her words "Of course if I kill you now, it won't matter. Enough with the musing." She kicked him in the jaw, knocking him down again and flipped off her saber, putting the business end of the handle to the middle of his forehead, her finger over the switch. "Bye bye."
Rehn released her attack as did Barryk, and while not blocking most of the Force energy Rage was drawing on, they at least confused it a great deal. Her sight went black as she tried to force away the light that suddenly surrounded her, and Barryk swept out a leg and knocked her to the ground. The Sith rolled to her feet, her still struggling to regain control of the Force flow as Gade charged and hit her in the stomach with his shoulder. Rage still had her cat like agility and rolled away as he struck the wall of the building behind her.
"Oh, Kriff...." She swore in a smooth erotic language that Barryk identified as Sith. It made their ears hurt as if they were being assaulted by hot pokers not spoken words. She backed away from them, her heels striking the edge of one of the new drainage systems. Barryk drew the Force to him and gave the blinded Sith a hard, invisible push. All they heard was a splash before they were out of the gate.
-Kelly Black-