Okay new chapter time.
Windrral will be appearing in this chapter, as the poll was fairly conclusive on that. Which I am fairly pleased about, as he is just fun to write.
I may be doing this occasionally, but only when there is a planet quest or flashpoint I particularly want to cover. But I won't be putting the same character on a poll the next time that I put one up. So whenever I put the next poll up, Windrral won't be up for choose.
Chapter 19: The Balmorran Arms Factory
It had been two days since Arkunov had invaded the crater outpost and assassinated Ensign Durmat. After that, he had then been debriefed by Quinn and Darth Baras. Arkunov's master had then given him new orders.
"The only threat left to Rylon being exposed is the man himself. It's time to end that threat. Permanently." Baras had said, with a notable edge of sadistic glee in his voice.
However, when Arkunov had replied, he had done so hesitantly. "I would like to master, as soon as possible. However, I fear it will not be so simple. For our actions, and your brilliant network, to remain undetected, I shall require a pretext to attack Rylon's location. I shall have that soon." Emphasis on discretion and more than a little flattery, Arkunov was confident that this would placate his master.
He was correct.
"Very well, apprentice," Baras replied, a low growl in his voice. Clearly he wasn't entirely happy about the arrangement. "Just get it done!"
The Sith Lord had then cut off his transmission rather abruptly.
After that Arkunov had received a briefing about the Balmorran Arms Factory from Quinn. The location of Rylon's base and the main resistance headquarters. The sith apprentice had also been informed that a strike on the arms factory was in the works and would begin soon. Arkunov had been determined to secure a place on that strike team.
To that end, he had thrown himself into assisting the Imperial forces, particularly those assigned to Operation Breaking point. Determined to get the kind of attention that he needed to complete his mission. He didn't have to wait for long.
Arkunov had been summoned to the Sundari Outpost, which was located at the outskirts of the Arms Factory. He was going to meet with the new governor of Balmorra. Darth Lachris.
"I guess your plan worked then," Vette said, as she followed Arkunov.
"That much is obvious," Arkunov replied.
Vette rolled her eyes as she asked, "So what's our plan here? We move up with the Imperials and break off when we're in the factory?"
"Not quite. I'm expecting Lachris to have some sort of task for us. We shall complete that in addition to our own objectives."
Vette nodded her understanding, "I get it. Gives us an excuse to be in the factory."
"Exactly," Arkunov replied. "As a bonus, the Empire shall have an even stronger grasp on Balmorra when this is all said and done."
Vette frowned slightly at this and said, "Yup. Nothing better than instilling fear and oppression across the galaxy."
Arkunov's only reply was to roll his eyes, as the pair entered the outpost's war room. Three figures stood around the table, well two stood, the third was suspended in the air desperately clawing at his throat.
"Do you know the worst part, Governor?" Darth Lachris said, her voice a soft yet deadly purr.
"I didn't... I didn't...," the Governor gasped out, desperately pleading for his life.
"Exactly," Lachris continued, "you didn't even own up to your mistakes. That's why the Dark Council gave this planet to me."
Arkunov didn't react, he simply crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Lachris noticed him at that moment. Turning she smiled sweetly and said, "Watch, and please... enjoy." She then turned back to the governor and slowly squeezed her hand into a fist. As she did, the governor's flailing and desperate gasps for air increased. In perfect sync with the movements of her hand. Soon enough, he let out his final gasp and fell to the floor.
Sighing, Lachris turned back to Arkunov and said, "I am so glad that you are here Arkunov, especially now. More Sith can only bring this wretched world some much-needed dignity."
Arkunov moved closer to the Darth; lowering his voice so he wouldn't be heard, he said, "You haven't changed. Gorgeous. Murderous. We should talk, once this is all over."
"We should." Lachris replied, her voice a low purr. "But business first." She then turned so that she was facing the other figure stood at the table. "Allow me to introduce Cipher Nine. He is here on behalf of Imperial Intelligence."
"My lord, a pleasure to see you again", Windrral said, a cocky smirk on his face.
His eyes widen in surprise at the site of me. Quickly followed by a flash of anger, though it vanishes quickly.
The right hand twitches, reflexively reaching for the weapon fastened at his hip.
The Twi'lek at his side, Vette if I recall correctly, simply frowns in confusion. Seemingly at Darth Lachris' words and at her master's reaction to them.
However, he regains control in an instant. His hands fold, forming a barrier across his chest. At the same time his feet move, planting him to the ground. Implacable. Immoveable. Unstoppable.
"A Cipher Agent?" He says, his voice somewhat guarded. Though still filled with confidence. "I had my suspicions before... I knew that you weren't a soldier."
"I am as I said, my lord." I reply, "I am a loyal servant of the Empire."
His jaw tightens slightly at this. Curious. Though not entirely unexpected. Sith tend to hold... strong feelings for those rare exceptions that aren't entirely under their control. As a Cipher Agent I am one of those. Though if Arkunov was of a higher rank, he could demand much more of me. After all, that is how Darth Lachris was able to bring me here.
I shake my head, so minutely that none are able to see. This is not the time to be thinking of such things. I have matters to attend to. A mission that must be completed.
Darth Lachris cleared her throat. Bringing the focus of the room back to her and back onto the topic at hand.
"Since you clearly know each other, I will get to the point." She said. "You are here because I need the best people on Balmorra. This world has a problem."
As she spoke, Lachris pulled out a holocom and tapped away at it. The moment that she finished speaking, an old man wearing heavy armour appeared on the holocom. A moment later, he began to speak. "My friends in the resistance. I won't take much time. The Empire says it owns Balmorra. The Republic says 'It's yours, we're gone!' But, you and I know Balmorra's won with sweat and tears, and my boys will stand by your side until everyone knows it. Long live the resistance! Long live Balmorra!"
The moment that the man finished his speech, Lachris deactivated the holocom. A scowl marring her face.
"Grand Marshal Cheketta," she explained, "formerly of the Republic army. Officially he and his troops went rouge after the Republic withdrew from this sector. Ever since, they've been holed up under siege, aiding the resistance and fortifying their position. You may have met their scouting parties already."
It was at this moment Windrral spoke up, his voice calm and measured, though it held a somewhat analytical edge to it. "Grand Marshal Cheketta. What's his story?"
"A brute." Lachris scoffed, "He seems barely literate, but he took three whole sectors from us during the war."
Arkunov was unsurprised by Lachris' reaction. She had never held any high regard for non-sensitives. Especially those who made enemies of her. The few interactions she'd had with Dannark over the years, was more than enough evidence for Arkunov.
Though he dismissed these thoughts as Lachris continued, "Cheketta and the remainder of the resistance are based in the Balmorran Arms Factory, which is home to some of the most brilliant engineers in the galaxy. I'm told the factory's generators are inexhaustible, its defences cutting-edge. Its barricades block all of our scans, giving the resistance peace and privacy."
Arkunov scowled and tried to remember everything he had heard about the factory. From Quinn, Lachris and anyone else he had spoken to. As he thought he muttered, "No fortress is invincible. There has to be a structural vulnerability, potential traitors within the ranks..."
Lachris' scowl deepened as she replied, "If the governor had done his job, we'd know. But there's no time anymore. Cheketta may have officially gone rogue, but the Republic still supports him. They fund his revolution from the shadows, make supply drops in secret."
"The Republic wants to use the factory as a beached then. Interesting..." Windrral said, stroking his chin as he thought. A moment later he said, "We can't allow that to happen. It will have to be taken before that becomes an option. Though the Republic itself can't act openly in this case. They would be violating the Treaty of Coruscant. So they'll have to use some other means. Mercenaries perhaps? No... Balmorra was never a member of the Republic during the war, just an ally. If the Republic lets them take all the credit, then technically they won't have violated the treaty."
"Exactly," Lachris said, in terse agreement with the Chiss. "That is why I need the two of you to obliterate the defences. Lower the barricades that block our scans and I'll have an army ready to back you up." She then paused for a moment, considering something. "And if you can... bring me proof of Republic involvement at Balmorra. We'll expose their lies on a galactic stage."
"Throwing the senate into chaos." Windrral murmured, an amused smirk on his face.
Arkunov thought for a moment, before saying, "Once the barricades are down, have some of your soldiers lock down the entrance. Make sure no one makes it out. Have the rest move in behind us and eliminate anyone that we miss." He then turned to leave, Windrral getting up to follow him.
Once they had left the room, the Chiss spoke up. "There is also the matter of War Minister Vol Argen. I've heard that you've been trying to draw him out. It may interest you to know that he is now on Balmorra. Well, you don't need to worry about him anymore. Once the barricades are down, I will split off from you and eliminate him myself. I have my own mission in that part of the factory, so I'll take care of him on my way there."
"Very well." Arkunov replied, making an effort to keep his voice under control. There was something about the spy that unnerved him, like he was being constantly evaluated. In some ways Windrral reminded Arkunov of Darth Baras, the same sense of tension Arkunov felt when speaking with his master, crawled up his spine.
There was silence for a long while, as Arkunov, Windrral and Vette their way out of the outpost. During this time Windrral's Rattataki associate, Kaylio if Arkunov remembered correctly, joined the group. Her arrogant swagger, easily falling into step with the rest of the group. Eventually, they came to an armoured transport, that Windrral explained would take them to the very edge of the factory's perimeter. After that, they would be on their own.
Soon enough, they were in the transport and were rumbling towards the Arms Factory. They sat there in silence for a few minutes. It did not last. Eventually Windrral spoke up, "There was another reason I got myself assigned to this mission. There is something that I wanted to ask you."
Arkunov raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he said, "And why would I do that?"
"I'd owe you a favour. Surely you can see the benefit of me owing you a favour?"
Arkunov grunted, he could indeed. Having a contact in Intelligence, a Cipher Agent no less, was extremely useful.
"Very well," he said, "What do you want to know?"
"Darth Zhorrid." Windrral said, "I've checked some very... unofficial records and have seen that you two are... contemporaries. For lack of a better word. What do you make of her?"
Arkunov frowned as he replied, "I'd hardly say that we're contemporaries. Our fathers had to pool their resources on occasion, that is all. During that time we would spar or study together. I take it she is now heading up the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence, now that Darth Jadus is dead?"
"Yes. I have met her, briefly. She seemed rather... unstable to me."
A grunt of laughter escaped Arkunov's lips at this before he responded, "That is putting it mildly. She is an child given too much power, too quickly. She was promoted far too quickly as well. Jadus pulling strings I expect. Though I suspect he did that in order to teach her some sort of lesson. One that hasn't sunk in at all. I wouldn't be surprised if she reaches too far too quickly and gets herself killed or injured at the very least. In fact, I fully expect her to do something that... irritates the other councilors."
Windrral nodded as he processed the information. After a moment he said, "Yes. That seems... inevitable. She probably won't last long on the council then."
Nodding in agreement, Arkunov replied, "A year. At most. And only if she is incredibly lucky."
It wasn't long till they reached their destination. After that they fought their way into the factory. Arkunov taking the lead, cutting down any resistance member who crossed his path. Kaliyo and Vette followed after, covering the flanks of the group. Finally there was Windrral, whose sniper rifle spoke infrequently. Though when it did, its shots always meant instant death.
Once they were within the walls of the factory, Windrral easily navigated their way towards the barricade controls. The group was barely impaired as they moved, any resistance member who crossed their path, was easily dispatched.
It wasn't long until they reached the barricade room. Upon entering, Windrral made a beeline for the control console. Slicing in quickly and deactivating the barricades.
"We're be able to transmit now." He said to Arkunov, while he contacted Darth Lachris. A moment later, the holographic image of the dark lord flickered into view.
"Darth Lachris," Arkunov said, "can you read me? The barricades to the Balmorran Arms Factory are lowered."
"I hear you perfectly," she replied, "we'll start scanning the interior now." A frown suddenly appeared on her face, at the same time her image began to flicker. "Hold on... someone cut through this interference!"
The moment that the last word left her lips, Lachris vanished. She was then replaced by a new figure. Grand Marshal Cheketta.
"Pardon my interruption," he said, with a confident grin. "I'm Grand Marshal Cheketta, formerly of the Republic army."
Arkunov, unphased by the sudden appearance of the Grand Marshal replied, "So you're the proud leader of these gutless wonders?"
"If they're so gutless, why haven't you beaten them after all these years?" Cheketta replied, his voice even. "I'm not a complete fool. Once I realised you planned to lower our defences, I sent some friends."
The moment that the last word left Cheketta's mouth; several figures leapt down from a platform above them. There was a squad of Republic soldiers, each one spreading out to get a clear shot the moment they landed. However, there was only one figure that got Arkunov's attention, a male Togruta clad in brown robes ignited a lightsaber and pointed it towards Arkunov. The sith apprentice returned the gesture by igniting his own weapon.
A Jedi.
"Jedi Knight Raylon Nis, reporting." The Jedi said with a nod. The Jedi's tone was calm and filled with a measured confidence.
"Tempest Squad, reporting."
"Fresh 'volunteers'," Cheketta said with a smirk, "who've taken a leave of absence to join the Balmorran resistance. And they're just a taste of what's coming."
Arkunov was unphased, he wasn't surprised at this. Something like this had been anticipated, everyone knew that the Republic was supporting the resistance. He then said, with no small amount of menace, "You've sent these people to their deaths."
"If that's true I'll shed a tear." Cheketta replied, his voice resolute. The Grand Marshal's image then vanished. The moment that it did, the battle began.
As Arkunov and the Jedi began to clash, Windrral moved to engage Tempest Squad, alongside Kaliyo and Vette.
He opted to use his pistol for this, the fighting was far too close to make effective use of his sniper rifle. Two soldiers fell a few seconds later, both coolly dispatched by the Cipher Agent. Footsteps echoed from behind him and Winddral turned to see three more soldiers heading for him. The first of these was quickly eliminated by a blaster bolt to the head.
However, before Windrral could aim at the other two, he was forced to twist away as one of the soldiers attempted to slam his rifle into his face. Letting the blaster pistol slip from his grasp, the Chiss' hand surged forward like a knife, into an exposed spot in the soldiers armour, located at the elbow. A moment later, the man's arm was hanging limply at his side, letting the rifle fall from his grip.
Windrral took full advantage of this. Catching the rifle, he flipped it over and fire directly into the soldiers torso. The whole process had only taken three seconds.
His final opponent took a lot less effort to dispatch, as the Cipher Agent simply discharged his companion's rifle into his skull.
Once that was done, he turned to see how the others were doing. They were just about done, Kaliyo and Vette having finished off their opponents already. While Arkunov was in the process of driving his lightsaber through the Jedi's heart.
Windrral then moved over to the controls in two quick steps, a moment later he had reconnected with Darth Lachris.
"Can you hear me?" Her anger was obvious, as it filled her voice and was etched upon her face. "This channel is still open... did Cheketta send a Jedi?"
Windrral nodded, "Along with a Republic Special Forces team. He claimed that they hadn't been sent by the Republic."
Lachris scoffed, "I'm sure he did. My people are performing a full scan of the factory now that the defences are down." She explained, "I'll patch you in to the report."
The projection flickered and the image of Lachris was replaced by that of a military officer. "My lord, we're detecting unusual signals from inside the factory. What appears to be a... hyperspace beacon. It shouldn't be possible... it must've taken them decades."
Lachris stopped the man from veering away from his report. "Don't underestimate their engineers or their resources. What can this device do?"
"In theory, starships could follow the beacon and jump in-system, almost directly overhead."
Lachris reappeared, her scowl even deeper than before. "The Republic must be planning to fly reinforcements straight to the Balmorran Arms Factory, they'll completely bypass our defences."
"You know where to look," Windrral said. The calm within this storm. "Scan for enemy transports approaching the factory."
The officer reappeared as the scan began. A moment later, "There are dozens of ships out there. Silhouette is Republic Special Forces, Triumph-class."
"This is how they did it during the war," Lachris said, "multiple strike teams, strategic objectives, one Jedi per military squad. They took entire planets using this method. They know we see them. They're coming into land now!"
Arkunov finally spoke up, "If they're heading to the factory, we can stop them from the ground. We'll lead the efforts to take out the landing platforms and guidance systems."
Lachris nodded, "Agreed. Meanwhile, I'll have attack squadrons blow those ships out of the sky. Do not fail me. If you do, we lose Balmorra." The signal then cut off and the image of Lachris vanished.
Windrral then turned to face Arkunov, "I'll follow behind you. Once I have taken care of Vol Argen of course." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his holocom, a map of the factory appeared. It then zoomed in and displayed a hangar at the top of the factory. "Rendezvous here, Cheketta is most likely to escape from this hangar."
Arkunov nodded, "We'll see you there."
All done. Hope that you guys enjoyed it, please feel free to review. I hope to cover all of the planet quest in this chapter, but it just didn't pan out that way.
Next chapter we shall cover Commander Rylon and finish off the Balmorran planet quest.