Chapter 38: Fraedrak Saxon
Thellus Asteroid, Dressel System
The two Mandalorian police cruisers were now parked in front of the Grum's Mansion. Compared to New Aroo and the Agkaworza 'Yobod District, Grav'shtarn was calm. The only sign of the chaos happening in the outer districts were the displaced persons camps set up in the grassy parks for the residents of other districts, as well as guests attending the now-cancelled Futures' Symposium. Volunteers were busy organising tents for the growing crowds of refugees.
"All right, wait here," Fraedrak instructed to the Bothans. "We'll check to make sure the house is safe."
"Captain Saxon, I hope you realise this is the most secure building in all of Thellus," Azi'skar growled in annoyance. "Zoc, Sanda, and that human should be home."
"Most secure on Thellus does not reassure me, Grum," Fraedrak sighed, walking down the footpath to the house along with the driver, Sergeant Will Hurk. The two Mandalorians in Azi'skar's speeder stood watch, along with Trigger and Freyir.
"I'm unlocking the door for you," Azi'skar yelled, mashing buttons on his datapad. "No need to break it!"
"Thank you, Grum," Fraedrak yelled back, stepping up the staircase to the balcony. He walked up to the window, looking inside through the transparent curtains. Don't see anyone.
"All right, Hurk, knocking," Fredrak told the other Protector.
Hurk nodded silently. Why are you telling me sir?
Fraedrak knocked three times. No answer.
Hurk shrugged, pulling out his blaster pistol.
Fraedrak pulled out his. Guess we are clearing the house then. "Keep in mind that there may be civilians inside," he whispered.
"Yes sir," Hurk whispered back. "Silent or loud?"
Fraedrak exhaled. Neither option was ideal. If we enter loudly it will alert any civilians to our presence, reduce the risk of accidentally blasting them, but it will tip off any KHGC insurgents as to who exactly we are. On the other hand, if we enter in silently, we run the risk of surprising any civilians but… "Loud," Fraedrak muttered aloud. "I'm entering first."
Hurk nodded, holding his blaster at the low ready, then put his hand on the doorknob.
"Ready when you are," Fraedrak said.
Hurk twisted the doorknob, opening the door.
Fraedrak burst through the doorway, turning right as he checked the corners. "PROTECTORS! IS ANYONE—"
—Fraedrak choked and gagged, dropping his blaster. Tears welled in his eyes. It was the worst pain he had felt in years. A Bothan Boola carbine had been jammed into the rubber neck guard between his helmet and neck, straight into his windpipe. Fraedrak tried yelling, but all that came out was a panicky wheeze.
A snarling figure wearing black RIS armour kicked him in the chest, knocking him back into Sergeant Hurk. Fraedrak coughed as he collapsed to his hands and knees; tears welled in his eyes. In the corner of his helmet, an alarm was going off circling his neck.
"Friendlies!" Hurk yelled.
"STOP!" Azi'skar yelped, running up the footpath. "HOLD YOUR FIRE! They are Protectors from the Consulate!"
"You're lucky you dropped your blaster," an echoey voice muttered.
"Sir!" Hurk urgently removed Fraedrak's helmet. "MEDIC!"
o-o-o
"Ugh," Fraedrak whispered, holding an icepack to his neck.
Morst, Asir, Hurk, and Fraedrak sat on the sofas in the living room, along with Morst's parents Nefosk and Kriska. Azi'skar was frantically sending out aides to find Zoc, Sanda, and Q'afilip.
"It's okay, you don't need to talk," Asir said consolingly. "This happened to me a year ago."
"Morst jabbed your throat with a blaster?!" Hurk asked in alarm.
"No!" Morst snarled.
Everyone in the room was staring at him, including his parents.
"No, okay, not literally the same!" Asir stammered under Morst's glare. "I got shot in the throat by a rubber slug, and no Morst would never do something like that," she growled consolingly, putting an arm around his shoulder.
What a day, Fraedrak thought. He frowned angrily, continuing to hold the icepack to his throat.
o-o-o
Taniar Trav'nel
"Giwask." [Clear,] Taniar echoed in agreement, looking up and down the empty streets of the Gal'skar docks.
Taniar's team, under boarding leader Lieutenant Bithisk Klir'tannen, were the first eight Marines off the Melan. All of them wore a white patch attached to their chest plates. The colour would progressively go redder the higher the exposure to radiation. Standard protocol would be to return to the ship once the patch became yellow.
Neyar scanned the air with a radiation detector. [The radiation levels are normal,] she sighed in relief. [No sign of contamination.]
[Sir?] Taniar asked, turning to Bithisk, [what is the plan for when General Grar Mik'tiv arrives? Who will be in command?]
[Gunny,] Bithisk growled cautiously, [I have had all of two minutes to process this. We just found out, a second ago, that the radiation levels are safe. Now, oh… well here she is.]
Grar Mik'tiv and a human child, a Padawan, exited from one airlock down, just past the next streetlight. Both wore light brown Jedi robes. "Greetings," she yelled. "I suggest we decide—come closer please!"
Bithisk exhaled frustratedly. "Come on," he muttered, walking towards Grar and her Padawan.
"Heads on a swivel," Taniar ordered in Basic as she followed Bithisk. Guess Grar's in charge.
Gurosk cackled madly.
"Sergeant!" Bithisk snarled. "Keep an eye out on the top-level windows. I see some civilians staring down at us."
"I see them too sir," Gurosk sighed.
"Greetings again," Grar said serenely. "I am Jedi General Grar Mik'tiv, this is my Padawan, Tredessa Orbine. Do you have a plan Lieutenant…?"
"Bithisk Klir'tannen," he growled. "Yes, ma'am, we are currently acting as reconnaissance ahead of the more heavily armed elements. After we breach the Mandalorian vessel on this level—"
"—You know where it is?" Grar asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise.
"Yes ma'am," Bithisk growled proudly.
Taniar fought the urge to snort. We just found out its location ten minutes ago and it wasn't Botha'ahir Naval intelligence that found it.
"After we breach the ship on this level," Bithisk added. "Some of our forces will remain here to keep the Gal'skar Docks secure, along with police reinforcements from Tawa. The Melan will then insert circle back around Thellus and insert us into New Aroo."
Behind them, twenty-one more Marines disembarked from the Melan, followed by dozens of Naval security personnel. Last to come out the cargo airlock was a TW-900 armoured personnel carrier with a turret.
"Lieutenant," Grar asked in an oddly sugary voice. "Would you be opposed to Tredessa and I accompanying your team?"
"No General, I would not," Bithisk growled cautiously.
"Good. Come on, let's breach that ship!" Grar ordered.
Taniar snorted, shaking her head in exasperation.
o-o-o
Ten minutes walking up the slope of the Gal'skar Docks, past mechanic garages, repair facilities, hotels, apartments, brothels, they only encountered two civilians outside. A few braver locals were peering out of their windows, making Gurosk nervous.
Grar's fur twirled unhappily. Everyone seemed to be too shy to ask.
"Is everything all right ma'am?" Taniar whispered finally, when no one else did.
"You are?" Grar asked.
"Gunnery Sergeant Taniar Trav'nel."
"Well Sergeant, I sense that people are continuing to die. To be murdered. It is not happening here specifically. We need to secure their ship quickly."
It's 'Gunny' not 'Sergeant.' Taniar scowled under her helmet. Her fur gave one angry twitch. "Ma'am, do you have any sense of where the violence is happening specifically? Anything actionable?"
"Not exactly," Grar sighed.
"I do Master," Tredessa piped up. "Up there somewhere," she pointed to the ceiling.
Taniar fought the urge to say we are at the bottom of the asteroid. Everything else is up!
"That is very good, Tredessa," Grar said proudly.
"Target sighted," Gurosk growled, crouching to prone, aiming his sniper rifle forwards. "Two… wait… a Bothan in a green and white flight-suit, wearing a cast. She's being led forward by a Mandalorian."
All of the Marines crouched down on the street next to Gurosk. The Jedi stood there looking confused.
Taniar pulled out her electrobinoculars and zoomed in. A worried-looking Bothan with jet-black fur and a sole Mandalorian in red and black armour were walking across the street roughly fifty meters away. They seemed to be in a hurry.
"Sergeant, can you take the shot?" Bithisk asked.
"Sir, she's awfully close."
Kriff. They are going to be out of sight in five seconds. "She's a good meter away!" Taniar snarled. "If you won't take the shot I will."
Gurosk exhaled frustratedly, put his hand on the bottom of the barrel, and pumped it.
The Mandalorian's helmet was splattered with black ink. Some of the ink splattered onto the Bothan, who was now yelping in terror.
The Mandalorian knelt down, hands in the air.
"Nokiz!" the Bothan yelped. "She's on our side!"
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!"
o-o-o
"I told you it was too close," Gurosk scowled.
Bithisk grabbed Shidar's snout, examining the ink splattered on her face closely, shining a flashlight into her violet eyes to make sure no ink landed on them.
"I don't feel anythin' in my eye," Shidar growled. Several blobs of ink, even darker than her fur, now gave her a black and ever darker black polka dotted look.
Having verified their identities, Taekidethay and Shidar stood amongst the Marines, in an alleyway between a brothel and a speeder repair shop.
"We are sorry about this," Taniar growled nervously.
"It's all right," Taekidethay chuckled, holding an inked helmet under her arm. "You had no way of knowing I was a Protector. I am just glad you fired ink first!"
"Yeah," Lokesk growled, "your colours are not zhizukul and risokul."
"Zhizukul and risokul?" Taekidethay asked curiously.
"Periwinkle and resolute blue," Grar sighed.
"What… Master, what are those?" Tredessa asked.
"Never mind," Grar said sternly. "Okay. So, Taekidethay and Shidar destroyed the droid and say the ship can be entered safely. Where does this leave us?"
