Once More unto the Breach, Dear Friends

"We're coming up on the Field, Dante," Sekula called out over the com. He flipped a few switches and pulled a lever to watch the stars streak and revert into their normal state. Internally, the Captain sighed, knowing that all they had to do was get this one thing right and then him and Sirry could leave all of this behind. Perhaps Dantooine might be a nice place to settle down. Maybe they might be able to rebuild the Enclave and watch the new Jedi come into being—allowing peace and prosperity to reign once more. He smiled as the thought warmed him. Ugh, I'm getting too old for this. And since when did I want to settle down? I think I'm going to need some Tarisian Ale when we're all finished.

The Thunderbolt flew through the asteroid littered area, dodging and looping around from the ones that got too close. As the vessel continued to evade the asteroids, Sekula couldn't help but look out at the sight, watching the debris of ancient vessels around the system. It seemed this was as far as some of their own predecessors had made it.

The boxy freighter made its way through the asteroid, unaware of a large arrow-head shaped object trailing them. The vessel cleared through the asteroids, passing through the ring of the planet and eager to land in the dense, green shaded planet that was lit up with lightning all throughout its interior.

"Looks like this is one planet we're not going to like," Sekula muttered as he gazed out at the massive object that hung before them.

"Don't worry, Sekula, the faster we are in, the faster we are out." Dante flipped several switches, eager to assist with the landing. Quickly in and quickly out, he thought. That's probably the best advice I could give to myself.

Almost immediately, the ship shuddered, catching both men unaware and shocked. Suddenly several lights and alarms went off, beeping out warnings that implied the vessel's hull had been fractured in several places and they were being towed by something.

"What the blast? What's happening, Sekula?"

"Sithspawn! We're caught in a tractor beam and we've been hit!"

Suddenly it dawned on Dante: Seth would never give up. He'd been playing them all this time, waiting for them to deliver the artifact to him. "No…"

"This isn't over, Dante." Sekula pulled out his blasters and made sure they were fully charged. He looked over at the Jedi and nodded.

"Get on the com and inform everyone to meet at the main hold."

"Aye-aye."

The Jedi pulled himself out of his chair and ran into the main hold as Sekula spoke into the com and did likewise.

As Dante entered the hold, everyone had gathered and they all had dark expressions on their faces. He knew they had already figured it out.

"All right," he started, looking at each and every one of them—including the mysterious Phaete. "Seth's vessel has caught us. This time they've ensnared us in a web we can't seem to get out. We can't push the Thunderbolt to break it—the engines will blow if we give it everything we've got. Any suggestions?"

"We could be boarded and fight our way out," Simon suggested.

"That won't work—there are too many of them," Lon said.

"Actually," Sirry spoke up, catching the attention of everyone—especially Sekula. "Simon might have a point. And so does Lon. We could use the escape pods to get on board the capital ship."

"As Lon said," Sekula said, staring hard at her, "there are too many of them. They'd overwhelm us before we even left the bay."

"No," she said. The ivory skinned enchantress looked at the man she loved. "We can do this, Sekula. It will probably take three of us to do this. Get on board, evade detection and we can detonate the Sith ship."

"As great as that idea may be, that would mean three of us would have to volunteer—I'm not about to order anyone to die," Dante said. He looked at Sekula, knowing his friend didn't want Sirry to get into this. He looked at Rin, knowing that she would be thrust into danger anyway. He and Sekula were on the same page—they didn't want their loved ones dying. Fighting the Sith on board their own ship was suicidal. "Besides," he continued, "that would still mean that the rest of us would be stuck on the freighter."

Phaete stepped up. "I believe that this vessel carries on it, a number of proton torpedoes?"

"That's correct," Sekula said, his voice becoming hard and straining not to show any emotion.

"Perhaps you could direct them to fire at the tractor beam emitters?"

"That would probably be able to give us enough time to get on planet." The Captain began to see the Jedi Master's point.

"And what about when you're trying to get off planet?" Sirry had spoken up.

"We're going to need to disable that vessel somehow. It's on us like a mynock eating the power cables on a ship," Rin added.

"And the Thunderbolt's hull has been compromised. We will have to do something about the Sith, regardless of our situation," Sirry finished.

Dante looked at Sekula. They both didn't like where this was going.

"All right," Dante conceded. "But we need volunteers and we need to do this fast if we're going to escape."

"I'll go," Lon volunteered. "My skills will more than likely be needed."

Dante solemnly nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't want his friends to go. Right now there was just no other available option. Either way, they would have to put the Inferno out of commission.

"I'll go too," Simon volunteered. "Master Vorik, you will need my skills."

"I can't allow that Simon, you're my apprentice and I cannot allow you to sacrifice yourself."

"A Jedi's life is sacrifice for the greater good. There is always the chance I will die, no matter the situation, Master. You will need me if we are to help our friends."

The blind swordsman rested his hands on the shoulders of his apprentice. "I am proud of you, Simon. I will be honoured for you to join me."

"And that would leave one more," Phaete added.

"That will be me," Sirry said.

"What?" Sekula said incredulously.

"They need a commando for this job. A Demolitions Specialist." She stared hard and pleadingly into the eyes of Sekula. "They will need me."

"I can do it," Gors said. The sandy-coloured hair on the man continued to cover his eyes. He seemed determined to do this, if only to make sure that the mission succeeded.

Sirry looked at the medic and flatly stated, "no, you can't Gors. You are a medic. This mission calls for Demolitions and right now, I am the only one qualified for this. Besides," she continued, smiling, "I've got a surprise for them." She winked at Sekula.

"All right," Rin said. "It's agreed then; Sirry, Lon and Simon will take an escape pod and launch into the Sith warship. We'll fire off a few torpedoes after you've been taken in and then we'll make a run for the planet."

Before Dante or Sekula could say anything, everyone else agreed.

As everyone began to leave, Sekula pulled Sirry aside. "Are you going crazy? You're pregnant and I can't afford to lose you, Sirry!"

"You know I am right, Sekula. I am the only one who can pull it off—besides, I'm with two Jedi."

"Damnit, Sirry, you know I can't let you do this. I love you and I can't lose you. I will go instead—"

"No," she said, cutting him off. "You're not going to do this, I have to. I'm experienced and trained for this sort of thing."

"And I'm not? I'm your superior, remember? And on top of that, I'm the father of your child."

"Look, you can penalize me later, Sekula, but they need you on this ship, just as Lon and Simon need me on board the Inferno. We have people counting on us."

He sighed. She had him there; they were needed for separate things. "All right, but promise me this: you'll come back alive."

"I will," she said, looking into his eyes. "But only if you do the same."

"Hey," he grinned, "it's me."

"That's what I am afraid of," she replied sarcastically.

"Har har." He kissed her softly, holding her in his arms one last time before they parted ways, if only for a while. "I'm coming back for you, Sirry. Make no mistake about that."

"And I am coming back too."

Before she could leave, he held her hand and he removed from under his armour a necklace with a small circular pendant, with the shape of a jade cross in the center and a horizontal "S" shape within the center. It was adorned with intricate runes. "Take this," he insisted, "it's brought me luck. Maybe it will bring you luck as well."

She took it and threw it around her neck, smiling at him. "I'll be sure to give this back to you. I love you, Sekula."

"I love you too, Sirry."

As the escape pod left the freighter, the round object was pulled instantly into the hangar bay. Nothing fired on it—lives were detected and Seth had said he wanted the passengers taken alive.

Suddenly, the Thunderbolt fired several proton torpedoes, striking across the emitters on the vessel, tearing and igniting a fuel pod as it detonated in a fury of fire. Simultaneously, the freighter fired its engines to full speed, as the capital ship opened fire on the freighter, unleashing its fury and wrath upon the fleeing vessel.

The boxy, rustic coloured freighter continued to absorb the energy that lanced and poured into it. The shields gave way as energy crashed and tore apart plating after plating of the ship's armour.

"We're hit!" Sekula yelled as the Thunderbolt's klaxons and proximity warnings continued to blare. "Hold on!" He screamed as the computer beeped that the freighter had just lost its port engine and had begun its tailspin into the planet's surface.

Somewhere, behind the battered freighter, Sekula thought he felt the shockwave of the engine exploding as energy rocked the spinning freighter. He knew that the freighter would never fly again.

This was confirmed to him moments before darkness overwhelmed him, as the freighter crashed into the planet's surface and skidded across the rocky and stormy surface, several hundred feet above the caverns that led to the key to saving the Galaxy.