General, I'm certain you recall the plans we discussed some time ago, regarding the final stage of the war."
"Regarding Coruscant."
"Regarding Coruscant, yes. We must accelerate those plans. Prepare, General, for what will be your finest hour."
―Darth Sidious and General Grievous, shortly before the Battle of Coruscant.
[1]
ARCA Barracks
1079 days ABG
"Captain Maze."
"Commander Stone. And to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I hear sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?"
"So what do you want?" Maze carefully placed all the data pads he had been working on, in a neat pile; he'd been checking on recent troop movements. Omega and Delta should be on their way back now; there was a big build up of troops. But it was worrying exactly where they came from, these new troops and how effective they would be, then there were the new ships that had suddenly appeared. He had not been able to find out anything about them. He kept hitting a durocrete wall.
"Can we take a walk?" Stone looked around as he said it.
It struck Maze that everyone was looking over their shoulders these days. He pulled on his helmet. "Around the Parade ground?"
"Sounds ideal."
They marched around the perimeter to the far side before Stone stopped looked around and removed his helmet.
Maze took that as a sign and did the same.
"Good. No security cams here." Stone observed looking around the empty ground.
"So what's the problem? It's not Essie is it?"
"No….." Stone frowned, "Why would it be?"
"She works as a Researcher for Skeenah. He's not exactly the bloody flavour of the month with the Chancellor."
"No he isn't! And you know who else isn't?"
Maze raised an eyebrow.
"Skirata!"
"What? Look, I know he's probably played fast and loose with procurement but haven't we all. Just to get the job done but…."
"It's worse than that."
"Worse."
"There's a warrant out for his arrest. Dead or alive. The Chancellor himself has signed it."
"The Chancellor?"
"Huh—Huh!"
Maze stared into space, eyes narrowing.
"Charge?"
"Treason!"
"I could have sworn he was loyal, as much as a mercenary could be…..."
"So you didn't …."
"Didn't what?"
"Advise the Chancellor's office."
"No. Zey had his suspicions but nothing as bad as this. He was exonerated on that one."
"It definitely came from your office, well part of it did. Something to do with Ko Sai and Kaminoan cloning information."
"Delta got her. Produced the head."
"Perhaps Skirata got there first?"
"Yeah. Perhaps." Maze's mind was racing through everything he knew. "Thanks for the heads up. We've not had anything yet."
"Perhaps you won't. And act surprised if it does get to you."
"Thank you brother!"
"No problem."
Stone held out his arm; Maze clasped it hand to forearm. They understood each other, this was what brothers were for. Maze watched as Stone strode away. He had some checking to do and hurried back to his office.
.
Maze sat at the terminal scrolling through the Intel on Ko Sai and anything else that Skirata had his fingers in. Nothing led directly to Skirata and all the information held indicated that Delta had found Ko Sai who was already dead when they found her. He delved into their reports and helmet cam pictures.
"Ah!" There he could see the remnants of Mandalorian armour lying on the floor of the lake. So they were involved. It would take nothing for Skirata to get one of his cronies to get there before Delta and extract some Intel from the Kaminoan. He always threatened to gut any of them.
Then there was his CIS affiliated daughter but there was no indication not until recently that he had had any contact with her. Other than he knew she was missing. Perhaps that prompted it.
Maze felt nothing but contempt for Ko Sai, he just didn't want Zey to be tarnished by association with Skirata. Maze was there when they had been given the orders by the Chancellor.
But who had given information to the Chancellor's Office? That worried him most. They always thought there was a mole in their midst but they had never pinned them down.
He performed a systems check; unless they were very good this would root them out.
He set the program working.
.
EasyRide Stop.
Senate District.
Essie stepped off the carriage and holding Del's hand they walked to the Nursery. She always kept a firm grip on him.
"We've got visitors today." He said, jumping from slab to slab as they crossed the square.
"Who's that?"
"Sergeant Hound. He's bringing his puppies. We can play with them."
"That sounds nice. Are they taking holos."
"Yes."
He jumped to the last slab, planting his feet squarely in the middle. He was itching to get in.
"Bye Mammy!" He was in the door in a flash. No kiss this morning.
"Pups are better." She murmured to herself and turned. Her eyes settled on an older man, at the corner of the square; she was drawn to him but didn't know why. He unsettled her, she shrugged it off; she was easily unsettled at the moment.
She walked towards the stand to get her caf; the area seemed to be flooded with Troopers in their pure white armour. No battalion markings.
"Three caf. One black. Two white with sweetener please."
She turned, while waiting for them to be prepared, the hairs on the back of her neck raised and she shivered. There was that man, older, indeterminate age watching her. She smiled. He turned away. She felt uneasy again, perhaps she embarrassed him but his face looked familiar. She picked up the cafs and paid, thinking about the man she was sure she had seen before today but where?
She was on autopilot and stood in the lift, nodding to people she knew, preoocupied thinking about the man.
The toy shop, when she had bought the toy droids. He was there. Just outside the gym the other night, or was she imagining that one.
She shivered.
Essie reached her floor and entered the office; Rik and Den were talking, low voices.
"You okay?" Rik asked, looking up. She had not shouted hello as normal.
"No. I think someone's following me."
"Middle aged woman, brown hair, greying?"
"No. Tall, older man. Black greying hair. Slim build."
They looked at each other.
"We'll report it. Are you okay?" Rik rested his hand reassuringly on her arm. "We can get one of the guards to escort you home."
"Thanks!" she suddenly remembered the plasti tray in her hands, "I bought your caf."
.
Nat's Gym
Later that night.
Essie wiped the sweat from her face and neck and looked over to the cordoned off children's play area. Del was sitting playing with his clone figures and droids; he played for hours with them.
She smiled before pulling herself up again, chin to bar, chin to bar. She had increased her workouts. It helped her sleep. The stronger she felt, the less anxiety she suffered, although it was still there.
I need to get a training plan set up for Del. I'll talk to Maze about it. He needs to be able to protect himself when he gets older. When I'm not around.
She looked to the door, no Maze as yet. He had said he may not get to see her tonight. She pulled up again. Ten more she promised herself, then she had increased it by ten since her last session.
"You can over train, you know." Nat observed as he stood there, carrying Del. "Don't you think you've done enough today?"
Essie dropped down and wiped yet more sweat from her face and neck.
"I won't ever have done enough. But today—yes."
She needed to get her son home and in bed.
Nat hugged her, he could see she was anxious, lots of people were. It was as if something was in the air. Del giggled as he was sandwiched in between.
"You and Sol okay now?" She asked.
"Yes. We're good. These things happen but I wouldn't leave her, nor she me. We always work through it."
"Just a blip in the road?" Essie asked.
"Just a blip." He confirmed, hoping it relieved her anxiety a little.
.
ARCA Barracks
1080 days ABG
General Zey was striding down the corridor, his cloak in full flow behind him.
"Any sign of Skirata, Captain."
"No sir." Maze was carrying his usual pile of datapads. "He may have done one of his disappearing tricks, sir."
"Yes he may well have. Especially under the circumstances."
"Sir?"
"There's a warrant out for his arrest. He's upset one too many people this time. Let me know if you find out his whereabouts."
"Of course sir!"
"We have an influx of new troopers I hear."
"Yes Sir." As yet the jury was out on them but there was something odd about them. Essie was right, the accent was different. The General paused looking as if he was going to ask something else, then changed his mind.
"Thank you. I'll be in my office."
Maze watched as the General strode back and he headed to his own office. He dumped the datapads on his desk. He needed to sort through them but instead he headed to the Ops room. It was business as usual, there were squads out there in the thick of it.
It hadn't taken long to get the update; the advisors were up to speed; although the com traffic was higher than normal. He was trying to sift through it as he strode along the corridor heading for the fresher, searching for Comm traffic from Omega and Delta; he resolved to drink less caf and was surprised to see Ordo coming towards him.
"How's Skirata?" He asked, as he walked past him.
"I have no idea. He's vanished," Ordo replied.
Maze didn't stop to listen.
"as the General is well aware."
"Of course he has." Maze retorted, as he turned into the fresher it was empty.
He removed his codpiece, as he reached the latrine, sighing with relief and smiling as he hit the middle of the drain.
His aim was spot on.
He was halfway through when the klaxon sounded.
He didn't stop, he was in full flow.
It wasn't being tested for maintenance, he'd know.
An attack alert.
Air assault.
Invasion.
He pulled his armour back and rushed out of the freshers. Intel was coming through thick and fast. Maze ran back down the corridor at full tilt, adjusting his armor, as he ran.
"It's a whole stanging fleet," he snapped at Ordo, who was just standing there, tapping his helmet to indicate he was patched in. "Great timing."
An ARC trooper's role on the ground if Coruscant was compromised was protecting the command center and strategic targets, if the enemy managed to land.
If the enemy got a foothold then his task was sabotage, assassination and eventually organizing the populace to wage local guerrilla war.
Maze sprinted to find Zey, wondering how the hell they didn't know about this.
Yayax were already here. All the other squads would be on their way.
Zey was on the com when Maze reached him.
"Zey to all Special Ops personnel, Inner Rim. Code Five, Code Five. Repeat, Code Five, Code Five. Any way you can, people. Keep comlink overrides open. May the Force be with you."
Every Republic commando, wherever they were, heard the signal. —Code Five —Immediate recall to Coruscant for any squads deployed in the Inner Rim to defend the capital.
It was one of a long list of worst case scenarios.
Their generals, in those few places where Jedi officers accompanied them, would have heard it, too. If the situation deteriorated, the recall net would be cast wider.[2]
.
Senate Administration Building
Essie, Den and Rik watched in disbelief as the Separatist ships came out of hyperspace and entered Coruscant's atmosphere, the Planetary Defence Force was completely overwhelmed. HNE was broadcasting to keep calm— Essie didn't feel calm.
Grievous had attacked and the word was that everyone, Jedi, Commandos, everyone in the inner rim was heading back to the Core to fight him. They were needed here but it still took time. His plan was flawless, to draw as much of the GAR to the Outer Rim then attack the Core.
The sky was full of Separatist warships, the noise was deafening and you felt the vibration of the engines as they entered the atmosphere.
Den and Rik stood behind her terminal watching; Den's com was continually beeping with updates on what was happening and what he needed to do. The last one was an instruction to evacuate the building. It could not be protected.
"You get home while you can!" Den said, it's not going to be safe here. "They're evacuating the Chancellor to his bunker."
She packed up quickly, throwing everything into her bag but putting the blaster into her pocket and then she secured her Terminal.
"Take care." Said Rik, as he hugged her.
"You too! You're not staying are you?" She asked, concerned.
"No. We'll be right behind you. Just need to secure everything."
"Make sure you are. I know you two!"
She gave Den a quick hug, taking one last look at them both before she rushed out to pick up Del.
.
The nursery was calm, almost serene. With the chaos outside, it was unreal.
She was one of the last to leave as the nurses put their coats on.
She picked Del up.
"You need to hold on to me tight. We have to be fast."
"Yes Mammy."
She ran as fast as she could to the EasyRide stop, her heart already pounding and cursing herself for not using the speeder today.
It was dusk. Night was falling earlier due to the sheer number of ships in the atmosphere blocking the light.
She had never thought it would be like this.
She heard explosions in the distance.
Essie jumped on the first EsayRide coach that came, not checking where it was going, and found them both a seat and pulled Del to her chest. He was aware something bad was happening and was quiet. His eyes huge, watching everything and everyone. She stroked his hair.
The coach pulled away, up into the Skylane.
The she heard something she had never heard before, and never wanted to again; the clanking noise of droid feet on durocrete, as they marched towards the Senate building. Just the noise was intimidating, terrifying and yet the people sat here calm, in shock.
The EasyRide stop they had just pulled away from exploded behind them, in a shower of durasteel and plasti, clouds of dust where it had ones stood.
She heard some people gasp.
She was on the last EasyRide coach out of the Senate District as more explosions happened. She ducked, covering Del's ears. He was quiet, subdued.
Suddenly the EasyRide coach pulled over.
"This is as far as we go." The driver announced; he was one of the few organics left that drove. "It's too dangerous. Sorry!"
Essie looked ahead through the sky lanes; debris from downed ships was raining on the city.
They piled out of the coach and she recognised where they were, sticking to the sides of buildings. A couple of miles from the Oola, she thought, nearer there than her apartment. She picked up Del again and started jogging.
.
Tualin Oola
Sol was pacing. "Can't you get hold of her?"
"No, the signal's patchy."
He reread the last message from her—On my way!
"She's on her way."
The building shook with another explosion nearby.
"Perhaps we ought to go to a shelter." She offered.
"Our basement is just as good. It's deeper than some of the shelters. Go check everything and get it ready. I'll look for her. He checked his blaster."
"Nat…" Sol stroked Tchun, "Be careful. I love you. Those females….."
"Nothing happened." He replied gruffly.
"I know, I…."
"I'll never want anyone else you know that. There's only ever been you."
He pulled her into a kiss, then tied a scarf around his face before leaving; he'd been in urban areas being destroyed before, then slid quickly out of the door.
.
Nat could barely see through the billowing dust from damaged buildings, he headed towards the nearest EasyRide stop knowing she was using that to get home. The whistle of falling debris forced him against the side of a building causing more dust. He had to get them home asap, they could choke out here. He stumbled over something. Even though they weren't in the main barage, there were already casualties.
As usual the little people suffer. He thought.
He stepped over the bloodied bodies, not looking too carefully but he could see more than one, a whole family by the looks of it. He pushed on, there were no EasyRide trains running now, he could only hope and in the distance, on this walkway he saw them. He ran to them.
"Nat?" A wheezing voice asked as he reached them.
He grabbed the coat covered Del from her. "Here—use my scarf."
Essie coughed as she wrapped it over her mouth. Nat turned and Essie put her hand on his shoulder, so they could stay together. They trudged as fast as they could to the Oola.
.
By the time they reached the Oola, the city was being bludgeoned by the CIS; the Coruscant Guard, Senate Guard and others, who looked like 501st, were all out fighting. She had seen more clones she didn't recognise, all in white with no battalion or Jedi designations.
Nat pushed them both inside into Sol's arms, then battened the door down again. The lights were low.
Sol had the HNN broadcast on; the bombardment had not eased, fighting had moved to the streets where the droids had landed. She pushed a cup of water in her hand and Del's. It was filthy and dusty out there.
"You both need showers now to get rid of that dust. Kriff knows whats in it." She pushed them towards the stairs.
"Then we get in the basement." Nat ordered, he saw Essie's questioning look.
"It's all set up. Safest place."
She nodded before going upstairs.
.
"Maze is that you?" The missed calls on her Com showed his anonymous number, she had called him back as soon as she could, "please answer."
"Just checking you're all okay." His gravelly voice replied.
"Yes. All safe in the basement."
"Good call."
"Maze, are you okay?..." She listened. There was silence at the other end. "I've missed you." The line was still open.
"Stay safe. I'll see you when I can."
The line went dead.
She bit her lip and tried to stay calm because Del would pick up on it. She heard him shout, he had already picked up on her feelings after all.
"I'm coming."
She gave a little smile to Sol and Nat.
They were battened down but could still hear the fighting and explosions in the distance. Nat and Sol had found their old blasters, cleaned and charged them up.
They had prepared for the worst case scenario. They could stay down here for a couple of weeks.
Del knew what was happening and was hyper, wanting to help all the time. They tried to keep him occupied until he finally succumbed to sleep; luckily they were away from where a lot of the fighting was taking place but the bombardment continued. They could hear the screams of the fighter's engines and other craft as they dropped from the sky in death dives, despite being in the basement. Essie carefully covered him up as she slipped from his bed. She couldn't sleep herself.
After making herself a Caf, she sat down and looked for her datapad, to check up on Den and Rik, see if they knew anything. HNN was still broadcasting. From what she remembered of the emergency procedures it was supposed to.
She looked around the room, unsure where she had put it.
"Have you seen my datapad?" She asked Sol.
"No! Has Del been using it?"
"No! He knows not to touch that one."
She checked in her bag, sure she had put it in there just before she left. She upended it. It wasn't there.
She felt sick as a surge of panic hit her.
"Shit!" She muttered, remembering what she did when she left the office. it was still in her desk drawer.
"Problem?" Asked Nat.
"I left my datapad at work. It's got lots of personal details in it. I need to get it back."
"That's not going to happen yet." Declared Nat. "They're still fighting."
"I need to go as soon as it stops."
"If it stops!" Nat added.
Essie flopped on the settee, mind racing and fervently hoping no one found it.
.
Ops Room
ARCA Barracks
1082 days ABG.
"Omega," Zey said, shimmering into life as a blue figure on Coruscant. "Niner, what's your estimate?"
"Half an hour to Arca Barracks, sir, if we don't run into trouble."
"Divert to these coordinates, Omega."
"We've got mobile anti-air batteries around all the main utility stations around Galactic City, but it's only a matter of time before the Seps get a foothold on the ground. If we lose power over large sectors, then we've got a major civilian safety problem, and we don't need a few billion citizens stranded without pumped water and comms on top of our current woes. Keep that generating station running."
"Copy that, sir." Niner was never mocking Zey when he said that, unlike some. "Mind my asking where our extra assets came from?"
"You tell me," Zey said sourly. "The additions to the fleet have come as something of a surprise to us all, Sergeant. But now is not the time for the Jedi Council to ask the Chancellor why." [2]
He closed the com.
[1]
Labyrinth of Evil - James Luceno..
[2]
Republic Commando- Order 66. Karen Traviss