YGGDRAL
Alanda followed Hoyt to a small house surrounded by a wellkept garden, a couple of children were chasing each other in circles out on the cut grass. A woman sat on the porch in the shade and mended clothes with needle and thread. As the two enforcers walked up to the porch, the woman acknowledged them with a brief look but then continued with her stitching.
"Good evening" the woman on the porch said. "Don't see you too often in Kartarj these days, Hoyt."
"Patrols keep me busy" Hoyt replied. "Sasha, this is Alanda, my newest recruit."
The woman up on the porch didn't seem too impressed. "You want our spare room, I take it?"
Hoyt nodded. "She does need a place to live."
Sasha sighed and placed the needle and thread to the side. "She does, I suppose. Brend is out hunting for a few more hours, but I don't think he will object to another enforcer living with us."
"Excellent" Hoyt smiled wide and then turned to Alanda. "I'll leave you here then, let you get aquainted with the Lansraad's and your new home. And tomorrow, I'll take you out on patrol. How does that sound?"
Alanda eyed the small homestead with some suspicion. "Sounds good enough" she eventually said.
An hour later, Alanda had stashed her gear in the small room that from now on was her own refuge. Sitting out on the porch, Sasha placed a mug of juice next to the enforcer and sat down beside her with a mug of her own.
"I take it I'm not the first enforcer staying with you?" Alanda said.
"No" Sasha admitted. "Derec Staal lived with us for two years. He died six months ago, fighting raiders outside of Fort Redemption."
"I'm sorry" Alanda said and she meant it, after all, this Derec had once been a member of the Jedi Order just like her.
"It's life" Sasha said and sipped her juice, looking over at her children as they played. "You either kill or be killed."
THE JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT
The High Council had joined to listen to the first report from Satele Shan, concerning her search for Grand Master Sifo-Dyas, having gathered around a holo-projector that now was depicting a full-size rendition of the young jedi knight.
"I intend to follow up on the connection with Black Sun and why they want crystals from Korriban. If I don't follow this lead, Black Sun will cut all ties to Sandahar, and we might never find out why they have an interest in the red crystals. Therefor I request that another jedi be sent to investigate the whereabouts of a smuggler, by the name of Arren Fu, and the location of his ship, Cosmos Diva. It is likely that Grand Master Sifo-Dyas hired this captain, and his ship, here on Corellia. Where they went, however, is uncertain."
The hologram faded and the room was lit up as the windows once more allowed the sunlight to enter the room.
"We recieved this transmission an hour ago" Ki-Adi-Mundi told the others. "That Black Sun has found a way to retrieve crystals from Korriban is deeply troubling, and I agree with Jedi Satele's assessment. At this point, another jedi should be given the task of finding Grand Master Sifo-Dyas."
"Agree on this, I do" Yoda nodded. "Arren Fu we now must find."
"I have connections within Coruscants security-forces" Plo Koon said, his breathing-mask moving as he spoke. "I will see if they can not help us finding this corellian captain and his ship."
"And when we do?" Windu wondered, acting as the Watcher disciplins representative on the council in the absence of their grand master; Sifo-Dyas.
Yoda was the one to reply. "Then, a jedi knight, send we will."
"A red crystal of Korriban?" Grand Master Yaddle said, thinking aloud. "A dire prospect."
Everyone on the council turned to Kit Fisto, grand master of the Guardian disciplin.
Kit Fisto looked troubled. "The Korriban Sanctuary apprehends smugglers every year, but we can not rule out that some manage to evade our vigil. Unfortunate as it is."
"True" Yoda nodded. "But not often, enter the caves beneath the ruins, they do. Let alone, walk away with sanity intact. A greater threat, behind this action is." Yoda gave it some thought, just as everyone else on the council. "The crystals, find them we must" Yoda pointed out, "or corruption they will spread."
The grand masters were beginning to understand that something truly sinister and insidious was stirring in the galaxy.
CORELLIA
Five unsavory characters stood in wait, casually hanging around outside of a dockingbay, exchanging harsh jokes and comments between one another. When Sandahar Sing approached, they all turned their attention at him.
"About damn time" the bothan in the outfit said.
A gamorrean squeled in its horrid language and they all laughed at the joke.
"So what's the hurry?" a rodian said in bad Basic. "It seemed urgent."
Sandahar and the two jedi, obscured by robes and hood, walked up to the crew. "Is the ship ready?"
"Always" the pilot said, a charming looking human with tan skin. "Where are we going?"
"Ord Mantell" Sandahar said and at once his crew seemed reluctant to go.
"Really?" Sandahars pilot said sarcastically. "I thought we were done with her."
Sandahar ignored the sarcasm. "We only need to drop off these two clients. That is it."
"That's all?" the bothan asked, not at all convinced as he studied the robed and hooded women.
The gamorrean squeeled and grunted and the pilot nodded in agreement.
"Yeah" the pilot said and folded his arms over his chest, "It sounds awefully familiar."
Sandahar simply ignored them and headed for the ship. "Stay behind if you want. More credits for me, with less to split it with."
His crewmembers reluctantly headed after him while discussing between themselves. The pilot lingered somewhat and the two clients noticed his eyes undressing them.
"Can I help you in any way?" Satele asked, her hood partially covering her features.
"Not at all" the man said and offered a most charming and well rehearsed smile. "Welcome aboard, and I do hope you will enjoy your flight. The name is Grando Calrissian, at your service; pilot on the Millenium Falcon."
BATTLE FOR THEED
Trade Federation shuttles landed directly in the city now that two of the shield-generators had been destroyed. From orbit, long-range bombardment hit anti-air emplacements and fortified positions established by the defenders. Security-droids, supported by turret-droids, advanced along every street with extra back-up from Federation soldiers. The city was burning, buildings had collapsed and covered the streets with rubble. Civilians were fleeing the fighting, but there was no place to run.
Major Ric Olié had been forced to join the fight on the ground, and now armed with a blaster, was in charge of a platoon defending Artisan Square. With thirty-eight men, four shouldermounted blaster-cannons and two Seraphim-class assault-speeders, they were fighting a desperate battle trying to prevent the Federation troops from securing the square and outflanking the citys central shield-generator.
Six turret-droids advanced line abreast up the main avenue, their portable shield-generators protecting them from all incoming fire. In turn, they were each armed with a twinlinked pulse-blaster on either arm, each turret-droid capable of laying down a fiercesome hail of suppresive fire. Behind them followed two massive four-legged walkers, almost ape-like in their appearance with colossal front-legs and smaller hind-legs; but instead of a head there was a tank-turret, equipped with a blaster-cannon that fired its destructive energybolts over the heads of the smaller turret-droids.
The Seraphims managed to gun down one of the turret-droids, and instantly, a guardsman took the shot with his shouldermounted blaster-cannon and blew the front-leg off of one of the walkers. As it was in midstep, it quickly lost its balance and toppled over, ending up in a heap and the three neimoidian soldiers controlling it fell out of the open-top turret like ragdolls.
Ric fired his blaster-rifle at other neimoidian soldiers that he spotted up on a rooftop, hitting one in the chest and another in the arm. Incoming fire from the advancing turret-droids forced him to duck into cover behind what remained of a fountain.
Ric activated his headset. "This is Artisan Square! Enemy troops are pushing on our position along Artificier Avenue. They have reached as far as the Gungan Artefacts Museum. Unsure how long we can hold!"
XXX XXX
Baron Sio was standing on a balcony with a pair of magnoculars, and surveyed the battlefield that the city of Theed had become. Federation troops were closing in on all fronts, along every street and had all but wiped out the nabooans fighter-cover over the city. The old baron cursed and headed back to the holographic maps depicting the defense of the city, having joined the forward command-center located in the famous Theed Historical Museum.
"Baron" an officer of the Amidalan Household Guard said as Baron Sio approached. "Artisan Square is close to falling, and the enemy are making another push down Garden Street."
Baron Sio stopped by the holographic maps and studied the situation. The Federation forces were indeed about to overrun their positions, and if they did, they would be able to destroy the central shield-generator protecting the city. And then the palace itself would be open for both arial and orbital attack.
"Send what reinforcements we have to Artisan Square" Baron Sio decided. "If they take Artisan Square, they can march on the royal hangars and the palace, or cut us off from retreating to our own forces."
"Yes, milord!"
Baron Sio then turned his attention at the images depicting the hard fighting going on along Garden Street. "Inform Captain Panaka that he will recieve support from the Flatlands as soon as possible."
XXX XXX
STAPs raced in over Garden Street, spraying blasterbolts over the naboo positions in devastating straifing-runs. Security-droids advanced over the rubble and engaged the Amidalan Household Guard at point-blank range with both blasters and flame-throwers. Grenades were thrown by both sides, droids strangled their enemies while nabooans smashed the heads of droids using debris and rubble. The ape-like walkers, more known as Armored Assault Walker or AAW-1, climbed the piles of collapsed walls and buildings and opened fire with their heavy blaster-cannons at naboo positions.
A squad of gamorrean warriors threw themselves over a platoon of naboo soldiers, having made their stand behind stacked vehicles and debris. Captain Panaka found himself forced to rely on his skills with his disruptor-sword rather than his blaster, as the battle-crazed gamorreans attacked with axes and glaves and all maner of cutting weapons. The melee was unforgiving, and maimed and gutted both nabooans and gamorreans alike. Within moments, Panaka was covered in blood.
A fierce howl had Panaka turn around, just in time to spot none other than Captain Grievous leaping into combat over the rubble, followed by three squads of mercenaries and more security-droids. The sudden charge into close-combat almost broke the nabooan lines from the sheer impact of the unexpected assault. But the Amidalan Household Guard held their ground, they held the line.
Grievous cut down three nabooan soldiers with as many strikes with his disruptor-sword, before he eventually crossed swords with Captain Panaka. The nabooan captain of the guard was no match for the kaleesh warrior, who forced Panaka to backstep with each attack aimed at him. It was just barely that Panaka managed to parry the skilled attacks directed at him, and Panaka knew he would die if nothing would save him from the mercenary-captain.
A loud battle-cry suddenly echoed over the wartorn streets of Theed, and a full two dozen bipedal walkers came charging down Garden Street, pulse-blasters firing on the move, cutting deep gashes into the Federation lines. One who was caught in the barrage from the naboo AT-PT's was Captain Grievous, who took a hit to his left arm, the limb bursting apart and sending cooked and charred flesh, and the vapor of boiled blood, across the battlefield.
From banner-poles the colours of the barony of Lauros and the Flatlands were dragged behind the charging AT-PT walkers, as they brought their pilots into the melee. Captain Panaka was glad to spot Baron Sio atop one of the machines, trampling one security-droid with his walker and slashing a gamorrean across the face with his disruptor-blade.
Four security-droids were quick to grab hold of the wounded Grievous, and carried him with them back to friendly lines before he was captured or killed due to his horrendous wound.
"Thank you, baron" Panaka said and wiped sweat and blood from his forhead. "I am truly glad to see you. I believe your charge might have forced them to call off this latest push of theirs."
Baron Sio fired his walkers pulse-blaster a couple of times, sending each salvo down the street at the enemy, before allowing himself to adress the Amidalan officer.
"For now, captain" the baron said from his position atop the walker. "But they will come again. Ready your men to defend against another attack. We are not done fighting yet."