Tim Knispel: Glad you noticed that about Jaina. And Rek- he has a few...surprises coming. I hadn't actually hought of that connection between he and Zekk before though. Probably not, but I like the possibility.No Zekk does not havea last name. In many fics authors give him a false one to suit their own purposes but officially no he doesn't. He was orphaned at the age of nine on the planet of Ennth and stowed away on cargo ships until he found Peckhum. If you have an interest in Zekk I could find a few websites for you. Just let me know.
And yes I am in America. But Austraila? Fantastico! I've always wanted to visit Austraila or New Zealand. They're on my wish list. I have a lot of stories on the way. Trust me, I started developing them before I had ever even heard of this site. Then I discovered NJO and even more possibilities entered my mind. I'll probably be pretty busy for a few years. Thanks for reviewing again and again! I appreciate it! Stay tuned!
Chapter 9:
Massacre
The Dark Angel stared out the viewport of the Imperial shuttle with a blank, unseeing expression. The Dark Lady had arrived at Borleias over an hour ago and the shuttle was now carrying her, Rek and a rather large group of elite troopers to the planets surface.
She had only a few seconds more to get a hold of herself...
Sure enough, they touched down a moment later. At least they had gotten past planetary security. When the boarding ramp was lowered four troopers preceded her as more of a customary gesture than a safety precaution, seeing as she could take care of herself well enough. Rek and the rest followed closely behind her, waiting silently for their orders.
Once everyone had their feet on the grass of Borleias the Dark Angel raised her arm, revealing a small, black comlink attached to her wrist.
"Now." She said into it, and on her word, the entire Imperial force went into action. Bombs were instantly dropped from Imperial ships that had been waiting in orbit onto the New Republic base. Meanwhile, the Dark Angel's task force immediately started on their way to the capital.
The capital of Borleias was the home of many New Republic supporters, including Senator Redit.
Brief moments later women, men, and children were running around and screaming as they were dragged from their houses. Mothers clutched at their children, husbands held their wives tight.
Screams of "She's here!" "The Dark Angel!" and more chorused through the afternoon.
As the Dark Angel burst through the door to someone's home along with five troopers, a man was already there, waiting behind the door, a blaster trained on her head.
She merely laughed at him and yanked the blaster aside with the Force. His eyes widened impossibly, fear etched into his face. She walked closer and closer to him until she could see the whites of his eyes. He stared back at her and she raised her scarlet lightsaber, which cast a red glow onto the man's paled face.
The two were interrupted by a woman's screams from the back of the house.
"Marietta!" the man murmured, before turning and running wildly in the direction of the scream. The Dark Angel followed him, already sensing through the Force what was happening.
Though enemies, the two arrived together to find two troopers attempting to drag a woman out of the house. Random chuckles showed their sick pleasure at the woman's expense.
The man instantly threw himself on the nearest trooper, fighting furiously to save his wife with a scream of "I won't let you take her!"
The Dark Angel merely pulled him back with the Force. He continued screaming, trying to reach his wife, but he just couldn't get to her. The Dark Angel's power was too much. A moment later she pulled her own troopers back with the Force, firmly, and a bit angrily saying "Stop. No prisoners."
The woman rose shakily and ran sobbing to her husband. Her troopers glared at her through their masks but the fear she sensed in them proved that they had gotten her point. At a very strong Force suggestion they left the house in search of other targets.
"Thank you, thank you so much...why?" the man asked, holding his wife tightly as she sobbed into his strong embrace.
"Don't think I did you any favors. Next time you won't be so lucky." She said, her dark eyes penetrating him, forcing him to look away from her, though she couldn't take the joy of still having his wife away from him.
Moments later, she was back on the street. In the distance she could see smoke rising from the attack on the New Republic base. Here, the street had grown somewhat quiet. There were people left huddled in their homes and on sidewalks, curled up and watching her and the rest of the Imperials with wide, frightened eyes. Many people had been killed, and the ones who had been spared didn't want to push their luck.
Through the Force, she sensed a rather large group advancing on her. Turning she saw the group of troopers- perhaps twenty, with Senator Redit held firmly between them. Rek, too had arrived watching her with an unkown expression on his face. She had wondered were he had gotten to.
"Ah. Senator Redit. Do you declare allegiance to the New Empire?" she asked him, studying the hilt of her lightsaber almost carelessly.
"I will not allow my people to be slaughtered like pack animals on someone's whim. We will never join your evil Empire!" he bit out at her, his words strong.
The Dark Angel looked straight at him, igniting her crimson saber and holding it close to the Senator's neck. She didn't notice Rek's hazel eyes widen behind her at the movement.
"I don't happen to like that answer, Senator. Can you give me a better one? If you don't more of your people are going to die..." she purred at him, tossing her dark hair behind her back.
The Senator's eyebrows went up, his large eyes widened. "Child, how can you bear the responsibility for so much death?" he asked her, voice full of sadness both for her and his own people. "You are hardly an adult and yet you have so much power and evil slowly consuming you. Whatever evil would corrupt a child is not one that my people will obey!"
She faltered for a moment, and her brandy brown eyes looked into the Senator's large, grey ones. They held no fear, yet were drowned in pity and sadness.
And then, a sudden spark of recognition flashed in them. "I know y-"
And then his life ended, courtesy of a shot from one of her troopers.
She instantly whirled on him and the trooper clutched at his throat. "You idiot!" she snarled, clutching tighter and tighter with the Force, until the trooper fell to the ground with his last desperate gasp for air.
"Back to the ship!" she called to the rest of them. "Time to go home!"
---
Rek sat in his quarters at the end of the battle, head in his hands. The New Republic had been to late. They hadn't arrived in time. And now Borleias had just become one scar among many that the New Empire would inflict upon the New Republic.
