CHAPTER SEVEN

The dying screams of the bugs echo through the tunnel. The dark side of the force surges through Palpatine as he thrusts his red crimson blades into another one of this aggressive species. He feels their rage as more and more of them come straight at them…and he loves it. The Emperor once again heads straight at them without any hesitation.

Olyone sees the widening gap between Palpatine and her and the troopers. She looks up at the ceiling and riddles a couple bugs with her blaster rifle. As they crash to the ground dead, she quickly looks around. The bugs are now attacking them from the rear as well, trying to box them in.

The Sergeant yells out to close the gap and reach the Emperor. "Come on, that pale old man is making us look bad!" Olyone sees that those words have worked: the gap begins to narrow. She quickly contacts Dzukya. "Things good in your neck of the woods?"

"Oh yeah, couldn't be better. Bad news, this room is a dead end. A few of those parasites came out of the eggs, wanted to be really friendly…that wasn't happening. We'll try and meet up with you somehow!" Dzukya ends the communication.

The battle rages on as bugs are felled by stormtroopers and vice versa. The usual motivators of a steady paycheck, plus 'three hots and a cot' have fallen by the wayside right now for an Imperial solider. It's all about staying alive, not dying here on some worthless rock in a section of space no one knows about. The flame, black, and death troopers are playing their part, but it hasn't pushed the momentum towards the Imperials.

Palpatine continues to 'feed' off the dark side of the force as he goes through the bugs like a hot knife through butter. He quickly shuts off his lightsabers, lets the dark side wash over him. As he lets out the lightning once again, every bug is frozen in place, consumed by the destructive power. The Emperor doesn't need to hear their screams to know that they're in pain…he can feel it from every one of them. His smile turns into a laugh that gets louder and louder the more the waves of electricity touches more and more bugs. Without any warning, the Sith lord lets off a massive force push that blows back the bugs the way they came.

As the stormtroopers have closed the gap, they see that nothing stands in front of the Emperor. He continues towards the end of the tunnel while Olyone is helping to clean up what left of the bugs at the rear. As she and a flametrooper waste one of these creatures, another bug is able to get behind her and immediately strikes with its tail. Red liquid covers the blade-tipped tail of the bug. The only issue is – that it's not Olyone's blood.

Olyone feels some splatter on her back and turns around. She quickly sees the bug and what's bleeding at the end of its tail: the lead shadow trooper fading in and out due to the damaged cloaking device. The Sergeant lets off a few bolts into the bug, killing it. The bug's tail comes out the shadow trooper and the trooper crashes onto the ground.

"Dammit," yells Olyone. She quickly kneels down and slowly rolls the Shadow trooper over and sees blood coming out of the gaping midsection wound: nothing can be done. Suddenly there's an explosion further up the tunnel. Dzukya and his troops enter. He sees Olyone and heads over to her and the dying shadow trooper.

"What happened?" asks Dzukya.

"I just saved your comrade. Now that's two you owe me!"

Olyone almost jumps back at what she just heard. 'I know that voice!' She gently pulls the helmet off the shadow trooper and sees person's face underneath. A mix of shock and surprise appears on the Sergeant's face.

"You!" It's the loyalty officer from ISB that beat the snot out of Olyone back on Coruscant.

"Commander…Walbett…is my name."

Olyone can see that Walbett's end is coming near, she doesn't waste any time. "Why are you here, wanted to see your handiwork as some sick joke?" The anger flashes across Olyone's faces as Walbett tries to laugh but coughs up a little bit of blood instead. She shakes her head.

"Only those…(cough) who have potential…Sergeant. I s-saw it on your face during interrogation, when you tried to walk after I…(cough) tuned you up and at…(cough) the firing range."

Those last two words uttered by Walbett rings the bell in Dzukya's mind. Firing range?

"Wait a minute...The cameras…that was you!"

Walbett looks over at Dzukya and clicks her tongue. "Bingo." She feels her heartbeat slow down even more and her strength fading: she's at death's door. The Commander motions for Olyone to lean in, which she does.

"You wanna know how to payback…what you owe? Let them go, they're dead weight for you. You…let…them…go. I…know…I… was…once…you."

Olyone watches as the irises in Walbett's eyes slowly dilate: The Commander is gone. She takes in the Commander's words while looking at the now-lifeless body in front of her, trying to figure out the logic…but time isn't on the Sergeant's side. Olyone quickly places her hand over Walbett's face and closes her eyes, removing the heavy blaster rifle from the deceased.

Dzukya starts to hear a sound coming from the rear of the tunnel. He reaches down and pulls up Olyone by the arm.

"Come on, we gotta go!" He sees her still looking at Walbett's body, and he shakes her. "Jana…the light is gone, what's left is an empty vessel." Hearing that snaps her out of it.

The two of them hear the sound getting closer, louder. They know what it is: more of those bugs. Quickly both sergeants run off down the tunnel where Palpatine and the troopers went.

Dzukya looks over his shoulder and sees the multitude of bugs, hissing, clawing as they get closer inch by inch at the fresh meat. He places the detonators on the walls of tunnel then presses the switch, putting in all of his energy into running like his hair is on fire. The bugs' screams echo down the tunnel with every explosion. It slows them down but doesn't stops them. Both of them see, literally, the light at the end of the tunnel. That gives them even more 'fuel' to keep their tired legs pumping with those ravenous bugs behind them. 'Almost there!' thinks Dzukya.

Olyone is the first one to exit the tunnel then Dzukya. He quickly turns around, pointing is E-11 blaster rifle at the tunnel entrance while quickly backing away. His heart still pumping hard, adrenaline flows throughout his body waiting for the bugs when he backs into something. He quickly looks over his shoulder, Olyone just stands there.

"Olyone, what are…you…doing?" Dzukya finds the answer to his question…all around the two of them. They entered a massive chamber, littered with thousands upon thousands of eggs as far their eyes can see. Olyone has dared not moved a muscle in fear of one of these eggs opening up and unleashing the spider-like parasite inside. Dzukya looks back at the tunnel wondering why the bugs have stopped following them when both of them hear something.

"Pssst! Over here!"

Olyone and Dzukya both see an arm of a stormtrooper, waving them over. As they slowly make their way amongst the eggs, Dzukya scans the chamber.

"Looks like this was some sort of place where whomever lived here came to worship," he whispers. Olyone doesn't say anything, just nods her head.

They eventually reach the company; everyone is relieved to see them. While happy to see people that don't see them as dinner, something doesn't feel right. She looks at the eggs that are everywhere.

"Have any of these hatched?" she asks. Several troopers shake their heads no. "Why haven't they?"

"Don't know, but you may want to ask him, ma'am," says a stormtrooper.

Olyone sees where the stormtrooper is pointing to: Palpatine, standing several feet away. As she heads over there, she sees that Palpatine has his eyes closed, hands out like he's about to play a grand organ. A small curl appears on the side of his mouth as she approaches.

"It's good to see you again Sgt. Olyone. You…survived."

"Thank you, my lord." Olyone quickly looks at her surroundings, "What are we waiting for?"

Unbeknownst to her, Palpatine's body is a buzz with the dark side of the Force. The echo that he first heard in his bed chamber back on Coruscant is loud, and…it's here. Palpatine slowly opens his eyes and lowers his hands to his sides. "For her, Sergeant."

All of a sudden, a loud roar echoes throughout the massive chamber. Every stormtrooper jumps to and looks everywhere, arming their rifles. The Emperor and Olyone turn around, looking at the wall that ends this chamber, more importantly the hole that is high up. Just then, an immense pair of six finger hands come out the hole and press on both sides. Olyone's eyes get big when a crown-like carapace appears. A clear substance drips from the bottom as the head slides out, showing the massive jawline and numerous razor-sharp teeth.

"My God, a queen bug!" hisses Dzukya, as the rest of the creature's body leaves the hole, crawls halfway down the wall then stops. One can easily see that the queen is easily at least twice size than the bugs they've previously encountered. The Queen's physical appearance is mirrored by her drones, with exception to the two sets of spike-like dorsal tubes on its back. It lets out an airy roar. All the stormtroopers can see the smaller bugs slowly start coming out the walls and crawl down as well. Dzukya sees bugs coming out of the tunnel's entrance. "That's why you stopped…because she told you too!" He quickly realizes that their weapons won't even inflict so much as a scratch on the queen.

Olyone looks all over and sees the bad news. She remembers what Palpatine told her previous: using her anger. She charges the heavy blaster rifle, "Folks, it's been an honor," she says. Olyone quickly looks over and sees the Emperor looking straight up and smiling. "Oh no, he's lost it!"

Sometime has passed since the engineers were able to get the Leviathan's locator beacon up in space, thanks to ingenuity from a lowly foot solider. The heavy rain continues to beat down on the crash site as Lanore makes it over to the field hospital. He quickly scans the injured, slight disappointment shows on his face. 'I can't find him…Where is he?'

"Pssst!"

Lanore looks over his shoulder and sees the doctor pointing past him, down at the ground. The engineer looks and sees it: Lenck lying on the ground, sound asleep.

"Thanks Doc." A few seconds pass by when he taps the side of Lenck's boot with his foot. Lanore sees the private's eyes partially open, then fully open wide. Lenck slowly raises the top half of his body off the ground.

"Is there anything wrong, sir? A yawn comes out of the half-awake Lenck as Lanore squats down.

"No, you're fine. Just wanted to say thanks for what you did." Lanore shakes his head in disbelief. "Using the drone to steer the probe, which got the beacon into space. How did we miss that?"

Lenck's mind promptly answers Lanore. 'Maybe if the ship's engineers weren't arguing all day…who knows?' Instead, he gives Lanore a smile. "Don't sweat it, it's been a bad day."

"Well, if you're waiting on Vhel to show any hint of gratitude, don't even—". Lanore is interrupted when he hears a whistle. He looks over and sees a stormtrooper from several yards away motioning for him to get over there immediately. The engineer pops up and darts over there.

Lenck quickly grabs his helmet and flamethrower when he sees everyone else start getting into defensive positions, pointing their weapons. It takes him mere seconds to reach the forming defensive line and Lanore. The private looks out to the valley, aside from the rain casting a thick gray mist, nothing can be seen. "What's going on, sir?"

Lanore, without looking, just hands over a pair of binoculars over to him. Lenck's eyes open wide once he switches the setting to maximum: thousands of eyeless creatures with elongated tube-like skulls, skeletal biomech appearance, on all fours closing in fast. "Range?" asks Lanore.

"They're about five miles out!" someone yells. Everyone slowly starts to see a sea of black in the valley. Lenck ignites the pilot light on his flamethrower and slowly puts his helmet on. He's not worried, nor does he play the odds of survival. He closes his eyes, mentally clears out everything except for the now.

"It was nice you help you two out," says Lenck.

"And I thank you for that," replies Lanore.

Every able-bodied person has their weapons drawn, from a blaster to a flamethrower. Through their training, each person knows they'll give these creatures Hell: that's all that can be done at this point. The bugs get closer and closer when several streaks of green come through the rain clouds and impact on the advancing horde. Everyone looks up and sees three star destroyers descending, along with various TIE's out of the clouds. The morale doesn't hit a fevered pitch until the dropships land, deploying the AT-AT, AT-ST walkers and waves of stormtroopers.

Lenck watches with almost a kid-like glee seeing TIE fighters swoop down performing multiple strafing runs, cutting down rows of bugs. The TIE bombers fly in and drop their photon bombs.

"Death from above," utters a bomber pilot, watching groups of the enemy being blown to bits.

As more and more troops and materiel arrive, one TIE breaks off and heads northeast away from the ongoing battle. It zooms past the colony, heading north. The high-pitched scream of its engines reverberates through the air as it streaks past the mine. A few miles later, the TIE starts to circle over a spot. The pilot calls in.

"Yes, Lord Vader?" says Sabol.

"Mark my position. When I am clear of the area, concentrate the Eclipse and Executor's fire on this position."

"It shall be done, my lord."

A couple minutes later, Vader watches as fire from both dreadnoughts reign down and repeatedly impact the ground, creating a big hole. With every blast, huge chunks of rock and dirt fly into the air as the hole sinks deeper and deeper.

The rumbling from above has ceased for about a minute and neither the queen and her young, nor Palpatine and his troopers have made a move. Olyone's eyes dart all over the chamber, looking at eyeless monsters that repeatedly hiss, waiting for their queen to unleash them. The sergeant hates this ongoing standoff, she quickly turns to Palpatine.

"My Lord, what is…she…waiting…" Olyone hears the squelch-like cracking sound: the eggs are opening up. She looks up at the queen and cocks her head. 'Oh, you little—' The sergeant turns and opens up on the eggs with the heavy blaster rifle. Dzukya and the rest of the stormtroopers immediately follow suit.

The Queen, watching her unborn young getting destroyed, lets out a high-pitched roar, comes down the wall attacking, as well the rest of the bugs.

"Goood!" A creepy smile appears on the Emperor's face. He lets the dark side of the force wash over him. His eyes glow a bright yellow. As soon as the Queen's hind legs hit the ground, Palpatine casually puts his hand out and she doesn't move one inch.

The Queen slowly rises in the air, screaming, struggling to move, whipping her tail around like an insolent child. She is then flung clear across the chamber, tumbling end over end before coming to a stop.

Palpatine, now both hands raised, just lets loose with the lightning. Olyone witness the sheer power of her Emperor as numerous bugs just fall down dead before even hitting the ground.

Dzukya keeps firing, wasting bug after bug. He quickly notices the bugs that were coming out of tunnel are now going back in.

Palpatine's cackling is loud, seeing his handiwork unfold in front of him. He watches as Olyone and the rest of the stormtroopers be the extension of his iron fist, his wrath. The Sith Lord can feel Olyone's anger. It's a searing heat fueling her focus to razor sharpness. "Good, Sergeant! Let these creatures know about the GALACTIC EMPIRE!"

All Olyone does is smile.

The Queen gets up and lets out another roar.

"Boy, is she pissed," quips a stormtrooper.

Just then the sound of bugs screaming in death are coming out of the tunnel. Some of the stormtroopers turn to look. They see a crimson light being moved about, then it stops moving. The light gets closer and closer to the tunnel's exit, then it's revealed: Darth Vader.

He walks out into the chamber, a dead bug dangles on the red blade emitted from his lightsaber.

"Ahhh, my apprentice…you've arrived," says Palpatine. He watches as Vader walks towards him amongst the charred remains of bugs and eggs.

"Yes, I have, my master." Vader flings the dead bug off his blade. Immediately more stormtrooper units of every kind stream out of the tunnel and into the chamber like water running out of an open faucet.

The two Sith Lords look to see the Queen beginning her charge.

"Come, my apprentice. Let us finish what I started."

"Yes, my master."