Chapter 19: Prison Station 1137

Republic Captain Filn Jervous sulked in his prison cell onboard the Trade Federation's prison station 1137. Jervous had been a prisoner ever since the Republic's defeat during the Battle of Kile II. The Republic officer spent most of his time in the tiny room, even being served his meals here. Jervous was only allowed out once a week for a shower and he had earned that privilege from good behavior. Behaving was the best he could do, its not like he could run anywhere on a prison that was in space.

Jervous could feel his muscles atrophy, which of course, was the point. Prisoners were easier to control when they could barely function.

The Republic officer had already given away everything he knew to the Separatists. He wondered why they kept him alive. Perhaps as a bargaining chip to be exchanged with a Separatist prisoner at a later date. Whatever was going to happen to him, it didn't seem to be coming soon enough, anything was better than rotting in a prison cell doing nothing. Even death. Sometimes he wished he had given up his escape pod to someone else, anyone else, even a group of Kaminoan worker droids.

The Jedi General Obi-wan Jakoby had been given intelligence regarding the location and population of a Trade Federation prison space station in the outer rim. While hosting the usual lot of pirates and criminals, there were a few Republic officers and clone troopers reported to be held at the facility. Jakoby's mission was to liberate the Republic prisoners.

Jakoby's Venator star destroyer, Droid Collector was the only capital ship that was going to participate in the attack. The captain of the ship was a Kel Dor named Klo Toon. Prison station 1137 was an older facility that shouldn't give Jakoby's Venator much trouble, at least that what Republic intelligence told the Jedi. So the attack force was being sent on the cheap, Jakoby could only hope the Separatists were cheaper.

The Droid Collector exited out of hyperspace some distance away from prison station 1137. The space station was basically a central shaft flanked by two twin pylons that rotated around the shaft. At the end of each pylon were two anti-capital ship turrets. Anti-starfighter laser turrets were based along the length of the pylons. The defenses were not top of the line but were dangerous enough.

"We're approaching the prison station now General," Klo Toon said through his breath mask. The Kel Dor was tasked with overseeing the space battle while the Jedi was going to infiltrate the station with the clone troopers.

"Begin the attack as planned, Captain," Jakoby ordered from the hanger bay.

"Yes sir."

Jakoby switched off the imagecaster and turned to address the squads of clone troopers standing at attention before him. "This is a rescue mission. There is no room for error. Those soldiers have been rotting away in that prison for who knows how long, it's our job to make sure that get out of there alive."

"Yes sir!" the clones shouted in unison.

"Get to your shuttles." Obi-wan Jakoby and his four clone commandos likewise entered a Nu-class attack shuttle.

The Venator star destroyer let loose two squadrons of V-19 Torrent fighters to deal with the group of droid starfighters that the prison station let loose. The station's fighters were the older brown color.

"Hold here," the Venator's captain ordered once the fighters were away. The Trade Federation prison station was armed with incredibly large and powerful capital turrets. The Venator held position in hopes that the massive guns would try to target the smaller Republic starfighters that were fast approaching.

The two opposing starfighter groups broke formations and engaged in a massive dogfight. With the fighters occupied, the Republic shuttles left the Venator and started towards the space station.

A few of the Vulture droids broke off from the main fight and started attacking the Nu shuttles. The droid fighters were precise and orderly with their attack, focusing on a single Nu shuttle until they destroyed it.

Fortunately for Jakoby, it was not the shuttle he was riding in. "We're getting shot to pieces! Where's our cover?" a shuttle's pilot demanded.

"We are sending an additional squadron to assist," Klo Toon answered. "Stay on your assigned course."

Another squadron of V-19 Torrent fighters joined in the battle. The Republic shuttles no longer took heavy fire from the fighters; they instead took fire from the station's capital turrets. Two of the shuttles lost their shields completely, but none were destroyed by the station's defenses as they neared.

As soon as the Torrent starfighters and Nu shuttles got too close to the station, the capital turrets swiveled around and started shooting at the Droid Collector. The station's smaller laser turrets then focused on the Republic starfighters.

"It appears that the Separatists are not as stupid as I had hoped," Toon shook his head. "Advance on the station, but do not engage."

"Not engage? Sir?" a clone officer asked. "What about those heavy turrets?"

"We cannot risk damaging the prison station. This vessel will not engage the station. Do I need to repeat that order again?"

"No sir."

The clone commandos Ace, Jack, Kicker, and Tai were ejected from their Nu shuttle and landed on the outer hull of the station. Not designed for space combat, their armored suits had a limited air supply, and the commandos had to cut their way through a maintenance hatch quickly to avoid suffocation.

A Vulture droid fighter noticed the four clones and shot at them. "Hey, Screwball, we could use some cover out here," Ace complained over the comm to a clone pilot.

"If you could cut as fast as you complain you'd be in already," Screwball blasted the attacking droid fighter.

"Sorry we aren't proficient in the art of the fusioncutter, we're usually the ones blowing stuff up."

Two Scarab starfighters exited out of hyperspace and engaged Screwball. "What's this? Those are some lousy reinforcements. Not even the Trade Federation is that cheap."

"Must be fighters returning from patrol. The station must have recalled them all to help defend," another clone pilot suggested. "We'll probably start seeing more small groups like this."

The four clone commandos cut their way through into the space station and started making their way to the station's aft hanger bay. While waiting, the Nu shuttles helped the Torrent fighters with the Vulture droids.

Two Trade Federation super freighters exited out of hyperspace near the Trade Federation space station.

"I don't think they were returning from patrol," Screwball got out of their way.

"Lock onto those ships and fire!" Klo Toon ordered. The Kel Dor captain was happy to finally have targets his cruiser could freely shoot at.

The Trade Federation super freighters didn't last long when targeted by the Venator's DBY-827 heavy dual turbolaser turrets. Both of the ships were reduced to floating wreckage within a minute but not before they were able to release their complements of Vulture droid fighters.

The four clone commandos had finally fought their way to the hanger bay and sliced the doors open, allowing the Nu attack shuttles to land.

"Took you lazy fools long enough," Jakoby walked onto the deck, his astromech droid R4-77 following behind them. "What do I pay you for?" The floor was littered with battle droids the commandos had defeated before the shuttles landed, but more battle droids were already pouring into the hanger bay.

"You don't pay us anything sir," Tai started shooting into the oncoming attackers.

"And I never will. You'll get paid when I get paid."

"It's a good thing we enjoy our work, or this would really suck," Kicker chucked an EMP grenade which disabled three battle droids.

"R4, plug in and get a schematic of this place," Jakoby ordered his astromech droid. The short, gray astromech droid complied and jacked into the nearest socket.

The rank-and-file clone troopers were armed with DC-15S blasters, but Lieutenant Minecar was equipped with a Z-6 rotary blaster cannon. The clone lieutenant cooked the Z-6 smoking hot taking out wave after wave of droids until they no longer dared to enter the hanger.

R4-77 downloaded the prison's schematics and uploaded it to Obi-wan Jakoby and his clones. "Right, we'll get the prisoners. Minecar, you and your squad guard the hanger."

"Right sir."

"The rest of you, follow me!" They took off down a corridor.

"The turbolift's this way," Ace pointed.

A squad of security battle droids was waiting around the corner.

Jakoby thought he was ready for them. He raised his lightsabers to block blaster fire, but the droids instead threw thermal detonators. With a quick reaction time, the Jedi used the Force to propel the grenades back at the droids.

"I can redirect those too," he remarked to the smoking remains of the security squad.

"Turbolift isn't working. Jack, see if you can't get this to work."

"No good, the systems have been locked up."

Jakoby cut thought the door with his lightsaber. "Then we'll just have to take the maintenance ladder."

Jakoby went up first, followed by the commandos and then the regular troopers.

B1 battle droids marched on the location of the turbolift. "Get going, I'll hold them off," Sergeant Gnasher told the other clones. They went through the hole and up the ladder. Gnasher started firing, and the droids shot back. There were only a few, the clone sergeant was sure he would be fine.

Jakoby could barely see anything in the darkness, but he could hear that another firefight had broken out behind him. He couldn't worry about that now, all he could go was up.

A Neimoidian technician with a SE-14 blaster pistol appeared from a higher door and started shooting as they tried to ascend the ladder.

Jakoby activated his blue shoto lightsaber and started deflecting the fire. Even with the short blade, it was still difficult to swing and deflect blaster fire in the cramped lift shaft.

Finally one of the deflected bolts landed close enough to the Neimoidian's face that he fled.

The Droid Collector was extremely close to the station now, but the capital turrets were still hammering away at it.

"Sir, shields are at seventy percent strength and dropping."

"Send the ship underneath the station," Captain Toon ordered. The Droid Collector dipped to the bottom of the station, but many the turrets still had a clear shot at the cruiser.

Tired of being shot at, several of the V-19 Torrents started attacking the station's anti-starfighter laser cannons with their concussion missile launchers.

Jakoby and his troops exited from the maintenance ladder to the command level. There they were greeted by more security droids and cowering Neimoidian support personnel.

Tai decapitated the station's unarmed command battle droid with his knuckle plate vibro blade. Kicker tossed a thermal detonator into a small group of security droids. A Neimoidian technician pressed a series of buttons at his terminal and unleashed a squad of destroyer droids.

The droidekas rolled into the command center. "Don't be stingy with those droid poppers," Jakoby yelled. The clones weren't. The entire Republic attack group used up all of their EMP grenades against the droidekas, but didn't take any casualties against them as a result.

The Neimoidian crew broke and ran for their lives while the remaining security droids tried to mount a defense.

Jack and Kicker took over the abandoned terminals. "Opening the cell doors," Jack declared.

"Right, you commandos hold the command center. Everybody else, with me. We're going to the detention level."

"I broke the turbolift lock. You don't need to use the ladder this time General."

"Thank you Kicker."

Filn Jervous' cell door opened. The Republic captain figured the prison was under attack, the battle alarms told him as much. Perhaps a Republic rescue team? Jervous doubted he was that lucky. It didn't matter much though, he still wasn't going anywhere. While his door was open, armed battle droids in the hall deterred him from leaving his prison cell.

Only fools and idiots left their newly opened prison cells, and they were all instantly shot.

Jakoby and the standard clone troopers took the turbolift to the detention level, where they, as expected, faced more battle droids. The detention level was a series of long corridors that were protected by ceiling-mounted autoturrets.

The droids were getting much more desperate, and were throwing many more thermal detonators than Jakoby thought was safe.

"These idiots are going to blow the station apart," Jakoby said.

"That may be their goal," a clone responded before being shot.

As a result of the intense fight, several fires broke out onboard the space station. Fire alarms rang and firefighter battle droids appeared from out of storage.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Jakoby shouted, but a clone trooper that didn't hear the order still kept firing.

Jakoby Force pushed the clone. "Do not attack the firefighter droids! All units, do not attack the firefighter droids! Leave them to their tasks. If this station falls apart, we all go with it!"

The Republic soldiers marched onward, leaving the fire battle droids to extinguish the flames.

Jervous and some of his nearby cellmates were finally brave enough to venture out of their holding cells.

"Over here!" Jervous yelled when he saw Jakoby and the clones.

"Come on! Come on!" Jakoby yelled. "Follow him," the Jedi pointed to a clone, who led the group of prisoners back to the turbolift.

The station rocked. Jakoby kept his balance, but some of his clones fell over. The Jedi got on his comlink. "Captain, what is going on out there? This stations getting hit hard."

"Some of our fighters are engaging the station's anti-starfighter cannons."

"Tell them to stop. This place is about ready to crumple into a million little pieces."

"Copy that General Jakoby." Toon relayed the order to the clone pilots fighting in space.

Back at the command center, the clone commandos were beset with a problem. A squad consisting of three droid marines, four security droids, and four B1 droids had engaged them in combat. The battle droids were good, better than the clones expected. The three marines were particularly troublesome.

Their green markings separated them from looking completely like B1 battle droids. The marines kept giving the other droids constant orders, and obeying, the other droids performed well against the clone commandos.

"General, we've got a problem in the command center," Ace told Jakoby over the comm. "You done freeing the prisoners yet?"

"Yes, we're heading back to the hanger bay now. Get out of there."

"Fall back! Fall back!" Ace ordered his squad.

The battle droids retook the command center and manned the various terminals. "Detention block, status report," one of the marine droids demanded.

"The prisoners are out of their cells and are being escorted by the clones," a droid voice came back.

"Kill the prisoners. Don't let them get away," a marine battle droid ordered.

"Our ranks are depleted, we need reinforcements to continue the pursuit."

"Continue the attack, help will be sent when it is available." The droid marine then turned to one of the security droids. "Shut down the life support systems. And tell the Neimoidians to get to the escape pods."

"Roger roger."

All the prisoners and the Republic rescuers met up back at the hanger bay, where Minecar and his squad were still holding off attacking battle droids.

"They have more droids on this station than prisoners," the clone lieutenant stated when he saw the prisoners enter the hanger.

Warning sirens blared. "Everyone on the shuttles now!" Jakoby yelled.

The escaped prisoners went up the shuttles' ramps first, followed by the clones. The more clones that got aboard, the more droids filled the hanger bay to shoot the parked shuttles. Soon the Nu shuttles were taking off and leaving the station, trading battle droid attackers for Scarabs.

The Droid Collector was circling around the space station, but not firing.

"Sir, shields at twenty percent," a crewman warned Klo Toon.

"Toon, if you'd stop moving around we could land the shuttles faster," Jakoby's voice was strained, but polite.

"Cut the engines."

"Shields at ten percent."

The Torrent fighters protected the shuttles as they returned to the Droid Collector. The Scarabs and Vultures were particularly nasty, knowing this was their last chance to stop the prison break. The Torrents provided just enough of a distraction for the Nu shuttles to get away without punishment.

"The shuttles are aboard, Captain."

It was finally the Venator's turn to unleash hell upon the space station. "All batteries open fire on that station!" Captain Klo Toon ordered.

After only a minute the space prison had cracked apart and was nothing more than trash drifting through space.

"Shield status?" Klo Toon asked.

"Three percent, sir."

"Error. Defense of prison station 1137 has failed. All Scarab starfighters retreat to rendezvous point twelve," the lead Scarab pilot droid commanded. The few existing Scarab starfighters that had survived the battle turned and retreated to hyperspace. The Vulture droids, which had no hyperdrive systems, stayed and continued to fight to the bitter end.

"We're picking up numerous escape pods sir," a crewman informed Klo Toon.

"Then its time to collect them. Looks like we'll be taking some prisoners of our own."

In the hanger bay, Obi-wan Jakoby looked through the ranks of prisoners his troops had liberated, Filn Jervous among them. There were fewer Republic prisoners than Jakoby had hoped for.

"Welcome to freedom," the Jedi announced to the group. "Except for those of you who are pirates and legitimate criminals, you just traded one jailer for another."

"Sir, the shuttles are bringing in Separatist escape pods," Minecar informed Jakoby.

"Right, move the current batch of prisoners out of the hanger. We'll have to separate the good from the bad later." The Jedi smiled. "We have to make room for our Separatist guests."

The first Nu shuttle dropped in an escape pod. Two armed clone troopers approached. "Open up in there!" they banged on the pod.

There was no answer or movement. "Maybe its empty," one of the troopers said.

"Or the pod malfunctioned and the occupants are dead," the other said.

A third clone came up with a fusioncutter and started hacking away at the pod's door.

"If they're already dead in there I'm going to be very disappointed," Jakoby said to clone commander Lancer. "I want to see the look on their faces."

"What if they're droids? They're not known for facial expressions sir."

The pod was opened and the clone with the fusioncutter was shot. A marine battle droid and four B1 battle droids came out of the pod shooting. They killed the two armed clones nearest the pod.

"I don't think they're coming quietly," Lancer raised his weapon.

Jakoby threw his lightsaber. The droid marine ducked but the saber sliced the four B1s in half. Lancer blasted the marine battle droid four times in the chest before the droid finally went down.

"We'll have to be more careful when the next pod comes in," Lancer said.

"They can't all be filled with droids," Jakoby complained.

"The ship is called the Droid Collector, sir."

"How ironic that we'd have to make good on that name."