Aggressive Action
"These accommodations are rather sparse," Bao-Dur commented, "but efficient." The Iridonian sat in a chair in the training room of the Secret Academy, whose walls were unadorned white
"Atris didn't believe in ornamentation," Briana said, still standing.
"It shows." Bao-Dur's lips twisted up slightly, a gesture he used to imply he was trying to be humorous. Briana didn't make any indication she had noticed.
"How are your restoration efforts coming?" she asked Bao-Dur.
Bao-Dur sighed, "I've been trying to get back into contact with the Ithorians so we can resume our work on the project but Citadel Station was badly damaged during the last Sith attack and, until Citadel's infrastructure is repaired, I'll have a hard time procuring the resources I need in order to continue my efforts. That's why I've spent most of the past five days helping to repair the station."
"Atris felt that you were the key to restoring this planet."
"Well, I have spent a great deal of time–"
"I think it was more than that," Briana interrupted, "I believe she thought that your understanding was critical to healing this planet."
"That sounds like something of an exaggeration . . ." Bao-Dur's voice trailed off.
"I think she was right. While we traveled together I noticed that you have an extraordinary talent with machines, a kind of understanding that goes beyond knowing. I believe you possess the same affinity of understanding with the planet, and that is what Atris saw."
"Affinity," Bao-Dur mulled over the word for a moment before realizing what Briana was trying to get at, "are you suggesting I'm force-sensitive?"
"Maybe," Briana said, sitting down, "did Evrain ever say anything about it to you?"
"No," Bao-Dur replied, "I don't think so."
"He rarely said anything directly. He didn't offer to train me until I had asked for it. Perhaps he wanted the desire to learn to come from us."
"Then maybe that is why he didn't say anything. Evrain understood how . . . uncomfortable I was with the force."
"What?"
Bao-Dur chuckled, "I am afraid of the force. And, from what I have heard, fear is the first step down the dark path. Perhaps it was wise of Evrain to not teach me." There was a moment of silence after that; then Bao-Dur spoke again, "It was surprising that he left when he did."
Briana paused for a moment, opened her mouth as if she were about to speak then closed it again. Finally she asked "Would you mind giving me a hand in accessing data from the holocrons? Atris had a wealth of them that I haven't been able to access."
"Sure," Bao-Dur said, standing up, "lead the way." She was quick to change the conversation, Bao-Dur observed, she must still feel abandoned.
Briana led Bao-Dur down the silent corridors of the academy.
"Stop," Bao-Dur said abruptly.
"What?" Briana asked, confused, "we aren't there yet."
"Do not move, there is a mine on the floor."
"Where?"
"Be still." Bao-Dur slowly walked across the floor, focusing intensely. Then Briana saw it; a white cylinder, no more than two centimeters high, set against the wall. Bao-Dur looked at the opposite wall and Briana followed his gaze to an identical cylinder set against that wall.
"They're trip mines," Bao-Dur said as he pulled a tool from his belt, "step back a few feet. A simple ion projector will disable the mechanisms."
"Whoever planted these mines is probably still here," Briana said, agitated.
"Do you have your lightsaber with you?" Bao-Dur asked.
"It's on the other side of those trip mines, in my quarters." Bao-Dur shrugged and got back to disabling the mines.
"I suppose you didn't bring a blaster?" Briana asked. Bao-Dur shook his head.
It's a good thing we're both trained to fight with our hands, Briana thought, glancing at Bao-Dur's shield breaker arm.
"It's safe now," Bao-Dur said, "well, at least the mine isn't a threat anymore. So what are we going to do?"
"We'll go to my quarters to get my lightsaber, then we'll go to the security room and access the cameras."
"That sounds like a plan," Bao Dur said.
After passing through a short corridor the two emerged into the nexus of corridors at the center of the academy.
"I don't see any mines," the Iridonian whispered.
Briana nodded, edging along the wall and looking for any adversaries. Then she darted back reflexively before a volley of blaster fire from across the room could strike her. After motioning Bao-Dur to circle around the other side, Briana scrurried across the floor to take cover behind the large column at the center of the room.
The Handmaiden heard the metallic clicks of a droid's footsteps and steeled herself. When she saw a black-plated droid Briana unleashed a pulse of telekinetic energy, hurling the droid against the far wall and smashing it in the process. At first Briana thought the droid was HK-47, but then recognized its model as that of the assassin droids that had shot down Evrain's shuttle.
Briana hurriedly grabbed the HK droid's blaster rifle and continued moving around the column. The other two droids were soon in sight and Briana took cover in a door alcove when they opened fire. As soon as there was a pause in the volley Briana peaked out and fired a quick burst at the nearest assassin droid. The first shot missed but the second struck the assassin droid's chest while the third hit it's head. All of the shots in the second burst hit the HK droid's torso and it collapsed, its motors whining as they failed. Bao-Dur came around the column and struck the final droid's head with his shield-breaker arm but was blown onto his back when the droid's torso exploded.
Dropping her blaster, Briana hurried to Bao-Dur's side. The Iridonian groaned, burns covered his face and arms while shrapnel had left cuts on his exposed skin.
"Hold on," Briana said, "I'll get a medpac." As Briana stood a grenade fell between her and Bao-Dur, the Handmaiden only had time to glance before it exploded. Everything turned blindingly white while a piercing whine resounded in her ears. Briana staggered a few steps before falling to her knees, and then lost all sensation in her limbs as a beam of numbing energy struck her.
"We're coming out of hyperspace now," announced the Sojourn's helmsman.
Admiral Onasi held his breath as the hyperspace conduit resolved into a field of stars and the planet Ralltiir. Lances of green and red turbolaser fire danced across the sky, high over the planet's surface.
"Sensor report," said Carth.
"Reading a dozen Sith battle cruisers and seven republic cruisers. The battle seems to be concentrated over Ralltiir's largest continent."
"Get us there, I want every fighter and bomber squadron deployed before we reach the combat zone. Pull us alongside the nearest Sith vessel so we can use our broadside guns."
The Sojourn maneuvered amongst the debris of civilian transports and freighters, planetary defense craft and a destroyed Republic cruiser as it made its way toward the chaos taking place over Ralltiir's largest continent. Sith fighters and gunships were quick to make certain the Sojourn understood that it was not welcome, but the Republic cruiser's turbolaser batteries cut a swath through the small vessels while her fighters took care of any Sith that evaded the Sojourn's guns.
Republic and Sith warships over Ralltiir were engaging each other at point-blank range. Fighters continued to buzz around the Sojourn as it closed with a Sith battle cruiser. The Sith warship took advantage of its greater range of fire and pummeled the Sojourn with turbolaser fire as it made its approach. When the Sojourn pulled alongside the Sith warship it unleashed a hail of fire from it's numerous broadside cannons and the Sith responded with an even more intense barrage.
"Sith shields are holding," the sensor officer shouted.
"Reinforce the starboard shields and channel power from all nonessential systems to the broadside batteries," said Carth, "order our bombers to concentrate on disabling their shields."
Carth watched out the viewing windows of the bridge as a renewed fusillade of turbolaser fire struck the Sith warship, which answered in kind. Then the bombers began their run, escorted by a vanguard of fighters. Sith defensive turrets opened fire and destroyed most of the fighter escorts but enough of the bombers delivered their payloads to crush the Sith warship's port side shield generator.
The Sith attempted to compensate but the Sojourn's guns ripped through the enemy warship's hull with impunity. Explosions began to rip apart the hull of the ship until the engines erupted in a blinding fireball.
The bridge crew cheered as the light faded to reveal that the entire aft section of the Sith warship's broken hull had shattered while the rest was only a drifting derelict. Carth allowed himself a smile, Only eleven left.
Then Carth saw a Sith battle cruiser facing the Sojourn in time to watch it fire a fusillade of turbolaser fire with all of its batteries.
"Helm, evasive action," Commander Ambar shouted, who had been silent until now.
The helmsman anticipated her order and, by diving the Sojourn under the debris of the destroyed Sith warship, evaded the worst of the volley while emerging underneath the Sith warship that had just fired on them. By twisting the Sojourn on it's side the helmsman allowed the broadside batteries to fire on the Sith warship's vulnerable underbelly, causing a great deal of damage. But the twists the helmsman had taken the Sojourn through had brought Carth's stomach along as well; the admiral felt a sudden need to sit down.
"Sith warship withdrawing," voiced the tactical officer.
"Receiving a distress signal from Republic Cruiser Jenraux, they're under heavy fire," said another officer.
"We can finish that warship later," said Carth, "defend the Jenraux."
The Sojourn continued underneath the retreating Sith warship and the two vessels exchanged turbolaser fire as they passed each other by. The Jenraux was dead in space, being mercilessly pummeled by a Sith warship as fighters and bombers buzzed around it. Carth could tell it wouldn't be able to take many more hits.
"Order our interceptors to destroy the bombers attacking the Jenraux," said Carth, "and bring us between the Jenraux and that Sith warship. Give me the Sith warship's status."
"Their shields are at forty percent, many of their turbolaser batteries are damaged," the sensor officer responded.
"All bombers are to concentrate on their shields, two fighter wings are to escort the bombers."
The Sojourn quickly came between the Sith and Jenraux and easily soaked up the turbolaser fire that may have destroyed the Jenraux. The Sojourn had only begun to exchange fire with the Sith warship when the Sith suddenly stopped firing.
"What are they doing?" Commander Ambar asked.
"They must have diverted power from their turbolasers to their shields. Their shield strength jumped from forty percent to seventy percent," the sensor officer replied.
"Whatever they're doing I don't like it," said Carth.
"Could they be surrendering?" asked Ambar.
"No, this is some kind of trick. Surrender isn't in the Sith's vocabulary, only treachery. Increase power to turbolasers, keep firing."
The Sith warship continued to take the punishment as the Sojourn and it's bombers attacked the Sith as relentlessly as they had been attacking the Jenraux. Then nearly a dozen craft flew from the Sith hanger.
"What are those?" asked Carth.
"Heavy transports," the sensor officer replied.
They're trying to board us, Carth realized. "Order all batteries to fire on those transports. Have our soldiers secure the hanger and all docking umbilicals."
"Admiral, the Sith warship is withdrawing," said Commander Ambar.
"They must be using the transports to cover their escape." Carth examined the tactical officer's console, ascertaining which Republic ship had the best chance of intercepting the wounded Sith warship. "Advise the Almas that a damaged Sith warship is within their range. They are to engage at their discretion. I still want all batteries on those transports."
The Sojourn unleashed its turbolasers on the transports, but the craft were heavily shielded. Carth watched the tactical display as the first wave of transports drew perilously close. Two of them managed to get inside the range of the Sojourn's guns.
"Should we order the fighters to destroy them?" asked the commander.
"No," said Carth, "they're too close, the fighters may do more harm to our ship than to the transports. What docking umbilicals are these transports heading to and what are their ETAs?"
"Deck six forward, and deck 3 mid in roughly three minutes," the sensor officer responded.
"Alert the soldiers on those decks and initiate lockdown sequences in two minutes. Commander Ambar, I'm going to reinforce deck six, you have the conn."
The deck six docking umbilical was almost directly above the bridge and the bulkhead doors were closing just as Carth arrived. Hopefully, closing the bulkheads will prove to be an unnecessary precaution, thought the admiral. A dozen republic troopers were setting up barricades a distance away from the umbilical door.
"Admiral Onasi." Carth turned to see Lietenant Gatara.
"Report, lieutenant."
"Yes sir, I have a dozen men setting up barricades with boxes from the adjacent storage room as well as a medium repeater, and I've placed a concussion mine near the umbilical door. If Captain Ambar's announcement was correct," the lieutenant checked his chronometer, "we have roughly forty-five seconds before the Sith transport is able to dock."
"Carry on then," said Carth, "and make sure that repeater is ready."
"Aye sir."
Carth pulled his blasters from their holsters, the first was the same weapon he had wielded since the Mandalorian wars, the other was the blaster Revan had given him after her duel with Bendak Starkiller on Taris, although she had called herself Seanna at the time. Which was too long ago for me to be worrying about it now, Carth decided.
There was a loud clang of metal on metal, the Sith transport had docked. Carth took cover with the other soldiers behind the barricade of metal boxes. Each man had his sights fixed on the door. Moments later there was an explosion and the door flew off its frame, blaster fire immediately erupted from inside the door and the Republic troopers answered in kind. The repeater fired off a near-constant stream of blaster fire through the door, suppressing any Sith attempts to break through.
Finally the repeater had to stop its barrage, or else risk overheating its power coils. The Sith charged out of the shuttle and triggered Gatara's concussion mine. Stunned and dazed, they were easy targets for the Republic troopers. Then three grenades were thrown from the doorway.
Carth ducked as the grenades exploded in blinding flashes of light. By the time Carth looked up a number of vibroblade-wielding Sith were charging the barricade. Carth fired several shots into the charging Sith, bringing down several of them. The soldier manning the repeater had barely recovered when a Sith leapt on top of the barricade and neatly sliced his neck open. Most of the Republic soldiers did recover in time, and dropped their blaster rifles in order to draw their own vibroblades.
Vibrosword raised high, a Sith warrior lunged at Carth but the admiral caught the warrior in the chest with three blaster shots and the Sith's lunge was cut short. Seeing a Republic soldier about to be run through, Carth snapped off a quick shot that struck the offending Sith in the back of his head. A Republic soldier with his back against the bulkhead managed to take down several Sith troopers with his blaster rifle. Carth turned in time to see a Sith with a double-bladed vibrosword. The Sith attacked with a whirlwind of strikes that seemed like one continuous motion which Carth barely managed to avoid. Although he didn't have the chance to aim, Carth fired off a blaster shot, not certain where it would land. The blaster bolt struck the warrior's leg and, while the Sith was stunned for a moment, Carth fired off a rapid series of shots, bringing down the Sith warrior.
Carth looked back to the doorway to see another wave of Sith emerging. Then the repeater opened fire and leveled the charging Sith with a generous number of blaster bolts. Once the repeater stopped, everything grew silent. Carth turned to see who had manned the repeater. That soldier had let go of the weapon's trigger and was now cradling his wounded arm.
"What's your name, soldier?" Carth asked.
"Sergeant Koralo sir," the trooper replied.
"I'll remember what you've done, soldier," said Carth.
Carth looked at the remaining Republic soldiers, only four of them remained standing, if Koralo hadn't gotten to the repeater in time, the fight would have been over.
Carth activated his wrist-comm, "Bridge, deck six umbilical is secure. Report on ship's integrity."
"Deck two aft has repelled a transport," responded Commander Ambar, "the umbilical on deck three mid was overrun. The Sith have been using mines to breach our bulkheads. I've sent additional security teams but they have not been successful."
"Do you know where they're headed?"
"Their intended destination appears to be deck four aft."
"Sithspit, That's where the magazine is! Send two squads to defend the magazine and a medical team to my location, there are wounded here."
"I'm canceling the lockdown on deck six now, sir," the commander responded.
The bulkhead door opened and Carth turned back to the soldiers, "If any of you are uninjured, get your weapons and come with me."
After charging down the main corridor of deck six, Carth and the three soldiers following him climbed two decks down the elevator shaft, since the elevators had been taken offline. Carth opened the manual access panel beside the elevator doors to deck four and moments later the doors slid open. The admiral was relieved to have his feet on solid ground again.
"Commander, open aft elevator bulkhead on deck four."
"Yes admiral, our intraship sensors are reporting intense blaster fire by the magazine, you'd better hurry."
The bulkhead door opened to reveal a pile of Sith and Republic corpses. Clearly, the fight had already moved past this area. Carth ran past the bodies and around the bend in the corridor, then turned back as a pair of repeating blasters opened fire, but not before he had caught a glimpse of what was happening.
"The Sith are about to breach the magazine door," Carth said to his men, "if they get in there they can detonate the warheads and split this ship in two. Judging from the bodies, there can't be many of them left. Do any of you have grenades?"
"Yes, sir," said one of the soldiers, producing a concussion grenade.
"Lob it down that corridor, as far as you can throw it," Carth faced another soldier carrying a blaster carbine, "provide suppressing fire once the grenade goes off," he ordered.
The first soldier removed the priming pin from the grenade then quickly turned the corner and threw it, barely making it back to cover before a hail of blaster fire could hit her. Seconds later the grenade exploded and the other soldier Carth had spoken to stepped around the bend and fired a volley of shots then motioned the others to advance while holding his position.
Carth led the soldiers as he ran down the corridor. The admiral couldn't help but notice the bodies of Sith troopers littering the corridor, who had likely been shot down during a similar charge.
Then three Sith troopers rose above the barricade and opened fire with their blaster rifles. Lacking any cover in the open corridor, Carth dove into a prone position along with one of the other soldiers, the one who had remained standing fell under Sith blaster fire. Then the same soldier who had provided suppressing fire before fired off another volley, striking one of the Sith in the chest and forcing the other two to duck.
The prone soldier behind Carth leapt to her feet and charged the barricade, then fired down on the two Sith hiding behind it. Carth, who was older than the enthusiastic soldier, took a moment longer to stand up. When he reached the barricade he saw that the door to the magazine had already been breached.
"Dammit," Carth muttered, then read the name tag of the woman who had charged the Sith, "Corporal Sanoh, we need to stop whoever's in there. We can't use our blasters in there though, the equipment is too reactive."
Carth holstered his pistols and turned to face the other soldier, "Make sure no Sith gets out this door," he ordered. When Carth had turned back Corporal Sanoh had already doffed her blaster rifle in favor of a vibroblade taken from a Sith warrior who lay on the ground. Carth followed her example and stepped into the magazine.
The lights in the magazine were dim. Pulsating red emergency lights were the only illumination. The magazine was three stories high but only accessible from deck four, it contained the Sojourn's torpedos and bombs, used by fighters and bombers, along with heavier payloads that could only be delivered by the Sojourn itself. These ordinances were stored in vertical racks encased in duracrete tubes where they could be transported to the hanger bays, in the cases of fighter and bomber munitions, or to the missile tubes for heavy ordinance, via a series of conduits running throughout the ship.
This setup made the magazine a maze of conduits and duracrete ordinance tubes. Carth and Corporal Sanoh carefully made their way among the tubes, knowing that at least one Sith was in there. Then Carth saw an open ordinance tube, revealing a rack of plasma bombs. Carth hurried to the munitions rack, then saw a mine fixed to one of the bombs and stopped short.
Corporal Sanoh stepped up beside Carth and examined the mine, then stepped closer. "It hasn't been armed yet," the corporal said calmly.
"Then–" Carth didn't have time to finish his thought before he was violently seized and hurled against an ordinance tube.
Corporal Sanoh could only watch as the invisible force propelled her admiral against the hard duracrete surface, then she saw a hooded and masked man clad in grey robes holding a vibrosword standing where Admiral Onasi had been only a moment ago. Sanoh had raised her own vibroblade in a defensive stance when the Sith extended his hand. Then an intense bolt of lightning arced from the man's hand and struck an ordinance tube when Sanoh dodged out of the way, taking cover behind another tube.
The Sith's steps echoed off the metal floor as he walked forward. Sanoh side-stepped around the tube, trying to stay opposite of the vibrosword-wielding Sith. I only have to keep away from him until backup arrives. But, they might be occupied on other parts of the ship. Maybe more Sith transports got through.
A shrill cry suddenly cut the air and the Sith lunged around the tube, vibrosword descending. Sanoh barely parried the Sith's attack and was unprepared when her opponent punched her in the face with his free hand. Reeling, Sanoh only just warded off the next strike. While she was still recovering, the corporal suddenly felt as if a leaden weight had been slammed into her chest and was thrown backwards.
Gasping for breath, the soldier defiantly stood as the Sith came for another attack But this time Sanoh didn't have the strength for another parry and lost her grip on her vibroblade to the Sith warrior's powerful swing. The Sith grabbed Sanoh by the neck and pressed her against the ordinance tube behind her.
"You have spirit for one who still serves the Republic. As such, I find you worthy to blood my blade." The Sith warrior was drawing back his vibrosword for the coup de grace when a blaster bolt struck him on the side of his head. The warrior's eyes suddenly went dead and his grip on Sanoh's neck slackened. The Republic soldier pushed the Sith away and he collapsed onto his back, vibrosword falling from his hand and clattering as it struck the ground.
Sanoh turned to see the admiral sitting on the floor, leaning on the same tube he had been hurled against. The admiral was bleeding from the forehead where it had struck the duracrete tube.
"What kind of Sith was that?" Sanoh asked as she walked over to help the admiral.
"I don't know," Admiral Onasi responded, "he was trained in the force, and was no initiate. But he used a vibrosword. I'll have to look into it whenever I get the chance."
"The magazine is secure," Carth said into his wrist-comm, "bring me up to speed."
"The ship is secure as well, admiral. Commodore Vespera's battle group has arrived and the Sith have withdrawn for the moment."
"The moment?"
"Aye sir, they've relocated to the far side of the moon."
"What about the Jenraux?"
"The Jenraux is safe, and the Almas successfully intercepted the retreating Sith warship."
"Good," said Carth, "inform all ship captains that I will be holding a holo-conference in fifteen minutes."
