Chapter 8

By now Audron and his men, aboard the Star Destroyer, had found a way down to the docking bay floor. Most of the internal cannons overhead, remotely-controlled by operators on the Star destroyer's bridge, had been knocked out, and several more pirate fighter craft had gained access to the docking bay. Audron met up with Salaman, and they drove the Imperial ship's defenders back.

'I'm missing all the action, Asla, help me to my feet!' Drake grunted as the Twi'lek helped him up, supporting him, and helping him over to the others. On the way they recovered the sword of a fallen comrade for Drake to use as a walking stick. The stormtroopers were making a fighting retreat, using what cover they could on the way, through to an adjoining hangar section. Before the pirates could push on after them, however, another great armoured door descended, leaving a few imperial troops- those who had fought the rearguard action- trapped on the hangar floor with the pirates. The stranded troops obviously decided that they had done their bit for the Empire, for they soon dropped their weapons and put up their hands.

'They're not getting away that bloody easily!' Captain Audron looked at the armoured door. He picked up his com. 'R2 E35, where the blazes have you got to?'

The little droid rolled forward. Beep badeebee boop!

'This looks like a job for you, me little shipmate! Get to work on that door!'

The droid moved over to the access panel, but it had hardly made contact with it's inner workings when sparks flew and an explosion blew the droid away from the wall, landing on its back, crackling with electricity and howling.

'Poor R2E35! Looks like the Empire's got wise to that!' Drake said.

'I've got an idea,' said Salaman, sheathing his knives. 'May I, Captain?'

Audron nodded, and the Twi'lek bolted off towards one of the ATST walkers, climbing nimbly up its leg with the aid of his dexterous lekku. A moment later he was inside, and the towering machine jolted into life. It took a thumping step forward.

'Top man!' Drake grinned, then glanced at Asla. 'Where does a Twi'lek like your brother learn to hot-wire an Imperial walker?'

'He's been around the block,' she smiled.

The pirates cleared out of the way as Salaman brought the lumbering metal beast across, and manoeuvred it around to face the door. The powerful blaster canon mounted under the beast's chin (as it was tempting to describe it) took aim at the door, and opened fire. The energy bolts impacted with the armoured surface, the heat scorching the surface and causing a little smoke, but achieving little more.

'It's not working,' Audron muttered, down below, adding a curse.

Asla spoke into his com, 'try shooting the control panel, Sal' She felt the others looking at her, and shrugged with both her shoulders and her head tails. 'It can't hurt!'

The cannon shifted and fired at the control panel, which exploded in flames.

Nothing happened.

'Great idea, Asla!'

'Sorry.' She looked up apologetically. 'Hey, we couldn't get through before! We're no worse off!'

Then, however, the door shot up, revealing behind it another Imperial walker, with two more behind that.

'Oh dear!' Asla said.

The lead ATST instantly opened fire, a moment faster than Salaman's responded. Salaman's walker took a serious hit to its cabin, while the enemy's took only a glancing hit that merely knocked out its right-hand side cannon. One of the other enemy ATSTs fired too; hitting Salaman's walker in it's left leg, causing it to topple sideways, crashing to the floor. The other aimed at its cabin; now lying helplessly on it's side. The cabin exploded in flames. Fortunately for Salaman he had managed to blow the hatch and roll out onto the deck before the flames consumed the crippled vehicle. The pirates scurried for cover behind the wreckage.

Another company of stormtroopers was arrayed behind the three imperial walkers, like an army of white ghosts against the gloom.

Salaman crawled behind the fallen ATST, where the others were crouched, firing intermittently over the collapsed structure of the leg section. 'Whose stupid idea was this anyway?' He said, drawing his guns again. 'Some stupid, hairy-headed human's I'll bet!'

'Um… That would be me. It seemed like a good idea at the time!' Drake said, still shooting. He caught Salaman's eye. 'What?'

'Nothing. I was just wondering… You reckon they might negotiate if I offered them your lekkuless head on a plate?' Salaman smiled grimly, and then turned his guns back on the stormtroopers.

The first ATST was almost on top of the pirates now, and its cannon was poised to rain fire down on them. Salaman growled, and leapt up onto the wreckage of his own ATST. He came under fire from the stormtroopers too, but quickly sprang onto the ATST's leg, grappling his way up, shielded from the enemy. He reached the undercarriage, and hung there from his head-tails, drawing both his blasters and firing at the ATST's cannon from point blank range, where it was connected to the main body of the vehicle. He shielded his face as flames erupted, and then connection gave way and the cannon dropped to the ground. Asla just had time to jump out of its way.

Drake looked up, impressed. 'You brother's a brave bloody sod, Asla. If all Twi'leks were like him, then none of your people would ever have been slaves.'

'That may be very well,' the girl said, feigning peevishness, 'but there's no need for him to drop canons on my head!'

Salaman, meanwhile, had drawn one of his knives and levered off a service hatch, exposing a mass of wiring and circuitry. He drew back aiming to fire, but at that point one of the imperial troops behind spotted him, and took careful aim.

…..

Culdara's shuttle came out of semi-hyper drive as it entered the planetary system in which Colle lay. For some reason she has an uneasy feeling, not at all like she had reached a place of sanctuary.

'Captain, sensors detect a Star Destroyer in the planet's orbit,' the stormtrooper she had named Ben said.

'Take us to it…'

'Ma'am, sensors are also picking up movement round about the ship.'

'That will be the planet's asteroid belt,' Culdara said, remembering how the moon of Colle has exploded, leaving the world encircled in hazardous ring of flying rocks. She thought again.

'Actually, give me the controls, perhaps something is up.' She moved forward, and took the shuttle closer.