CHAPTER 7 Breaking The Siege

Kira walked up to Azoth's room door and the door slide open. She stepped in and looked to the side to see HK powered down. She then looked over to see Azoth laid out on the small bed without a shirt and the thin blanket across his waist and his armor by his bed.

"Hey wake up." Kira said and didn't get any response. "Hey we have a mission." She said as she took another step toward him and grabbed his shoulder and began to shake him "Hey…" she began but out of nowhere he grabbed her by the throat and swung her around on to the bed and in her shock, she barely caught a glimpse of a blade that was coming at her throat. She used the force to stop his blade but even so it was difficult. "Night Angel snap out of it!" She yelled and then the resistance on the blade ceased and realization came to his eyes.

"Ah sorry." Azoth said as he pulled up off of her and stepped off to the side of the bed and twirled the blade in his hand. "I suggest not to wake me up like that again."

"Then how should I wake you up?" She asked as she swung her legs off the bed.

"Wake up HK first or use the pager." Azoth replied pointing at HK then to the com unit at the door.

"Apologies: sorry master I would have blasted her but you seemed to have things under control." HK replied

"I already told you they are allies and we don't blast them." Azoth said as he started to get "Without my explicit order." He added as he walked into the small shower in his room, and pulled off the small skin tight under shorts, causing Kira to blush as she saw his completely bare back.

"I may be a Zeltron, but it isn't decent to strip in front of the opposite sex." Kira said as she turned her back.

"Sorry where I am from our military is fully integrated so it doesn't really bother me." he says as he steps into the shower and turns it on.

"Thought you were a merc, not part of any army?" Kira asked

"How do you think I became a merc, our war ended and I'm a warrior that needs to fight." Azoth replied

"Surprised you didn't become a Mandalorian." Kira replied.

"Well technically I did become one." Azoth said with a smirk

"Oh right but killing their leader would strip you of that title." Kira asked

"Well from my research, once a stronger opponent comes along it is their obligation to challenge him so I did, then disband the death watch as my first order." Azoth replied "But I am guessing you came here for another reason than to get a history lesson?"

"Right we have orders." Kira replied

"Alright once I wash and gear up I'll meet you on the bridge for full debrief." Azoth said

"Ah right." Kira said as she walked out of the room and ran into a small droid with Azoths under suit.

"Ah Master Yugan I have Commander Night Angel's suit ready from cleaning is he in there?" the small droid asked but she just ignored the droid and walked away.

After a short time Azoth walked on to the command deck fully geared up holding his helmet under his arm.

"What's the mission?" Azoth asked

"We have been asked to reinforce Master Billaba on Kassadun." Kira replied as a planet came on to the holotable. "The enemy orbital forces are pretty much wiped out, but they are being pushed back on the ground due to the massive factory and storage facilities in the capital city. They have been unable to break through the lines for the past two weeks." Kira explained as the city came up on the table.

"So we are here to break the lines." Azoth replied.

"Pretty much." Kira replied

"Alright so I say we come in low and fast with bombers here, here, and here then drop ships follow them in at the bridges once they are secured we can start moving." Azoth pointed out

"Can't they have heavy anti air support as well as a shield generator around the city." Kira explained

"Well that would have been good to know beforehand." Azoth replied "I'm guessing the these shields are developed to just deflect artillery and blaster fire."

"That is what shields are for." Kira replied sarcastically

"So you can just walk in no problem?" Azoth asked

"If you want to be mowed down maybe." Kira replied

"I'm gonna need your best pilot and fastest dropship, and a few troopers that have jump packs and aren't scared of heights." Azoth said with a grin.

"If you are planning what I think your planning you aren't going without me." Kira replied

"Shouldn't we keep the commanders in separate jobs in case it goes south and we both die?" Azoth replied

"If that happens my men know to follow Master Billaba's orders." Kira replied "And I want to see how you are in combat."

"Fine." He said and looked over at the clone ARC trooper "Get me the craziest troopers you got."

"I have a few guys in mind." The trooper replied

After a bit more planning Azoth and Kira walked on to the flight deck and saw a five man team and a drop ship.

"What makes this drop ship different than the others?" Azoth asked as the pilot came off of it.

"Because I'm piloting it." The pilot said in a cocky tone "And I have done a few personal modifications. I can get you where you want sir."

"Good cause there is going to be a lot of heavy fire." Azoth said then turns to the strike team "I haven't fought with you before but know this I only have one rule everyone fights no quits do your job or I'll shoot you myself."

"Yes sir." The troopers replied in unison.

"Good" Azoth said as he stepped on to the drop ship "Load up!" he yelled as they all ran on to the drop ship. Once the doors shut and began to take off. "abandon all hope ye who enter here." Azoth began his prayer, under his breath finishing with "for we are already dead"

once they broke through atmosphere Kira looked over to see Azoth tapping his foot and fidgeting.

"Scared?" Kira asked in a snarky tone.

"Is a race horse scared when he is locked in the starting gate?" Azoth asked

"I don't know?" Kira asked confused

"No he is just ready to run." Azoth replied as they began to feel the concussions from the flak guns and the ship quickly stopped and the doors opened. "And I was born to run." He said as he jumped out of the ship followed the rest of the team. He looked up to see as the drop ship screamed away.

"Good hunting." The pilot said through the radio

The team passed through the shield and were dropping faster. "Hold till we get below the skyline." Azoth called over the radio. "Then use you packs in bursts to slow yourself." He said as he was plummeting head first. He looked back at the clones and Kira who had already started braking with their packs. Then about fifty feet above the ground Azoth rolled and hit his thrusters slowing him enough to hit the ground hard on his feet. He quickly pulled the EE3 blaster off his back and blasted the droids in his landing area after a few seconds the rest of the team landed.

"Thought we were hitting our boosters once we got below the skyline?" Kira asked

"Sorry old habits die hard." Azoth replied

"What plummeting to a planet and only stopping once you hit the ground?" Kira asked

"Something like that." Azoth replied "Now let's move, the shield generator is that way"

"Alright, let's move" Kira said to the rest of the team as they moved out. They slowly and quietly made their way around the streets and alleys toward the center of the city, where the shield generator was located.

"This doesn't seem right." Azoth said as he looked around and saw the shield generator unguarded. "There should be at least some sort of guard here."

"Well they didn't think we were crazy enough to drop through the shield as we did." Kira offered

"He is right something is off, even though they don't expect us to hit them at the heart of their defenses. There should still be some sort of defense here." The sergeant said.

"Right so you three get up in that building up there, and give us over watch." Azoth said pointing at two of the troopers and the sergeant, then up to a nearby building. "watch your step and sectors" he said to the rest of the troopers who with him.

They slowly made their way to the generator. "Watch that alley." Azoth said as he pointed to one and moved up to the generator and began to plant the explosives on the generator. That was when he saw his radar light up with red. "We have company!" he shouted as he turned and they saw an army of droids starting to move in on them.

"We have no cover here!" one of the troopers yelled

"That is what we have over watch for." Azoth replied as the team in the building open fired clearing out a small section of the droids. "Go I'll rig this and you guys get out."

"But sir." The trooper argued

"That is an order get out once this shield goes down. Call the other general to begin their assault." Azoth demanded. "That includes you over watch."

"Yes sir" the clones said and began to move out, and Azoth went back to set up explosives. He worked quickly as he could as blaster bolts hit near him. That is when he heard a loud hum and looked back to see Kira still there deflecting blaster bolts.

"When I said go I meant all of you." Azoth said as he swung up and began firing from behind her.

"Well I out rank you so I give you orders not the other way around." Kira replied "Also I need to cover you while you blow this thing if you got hit before that happens before you set this off this whole operation was for nothing."

"Damn't I can take a hit." He said as a blaster bolt hit his shoulder and his shield flared.

"You have personal shields?" Kira asked

"Yeah and I can lock my armor and survive that." Azoth replied pointing up at a squadron of Y-wing bombers. "You have my location?" he asked into his radio and waited a minute "Right don't worry about me just turn this area to glass it is covered in bots." He said as the pair moved away from the generator and detonated it causing the enemy shields to fail.

"Why are you not calling them off if we are still here?" Kira demanded as she went to talk into her commlink, but he stopped her.

"You really don't think I have a back-up plan." He said tossing up a hand sized oval grenade with yellow lights going up and down from end to end.

"Don't know what that is but doubt it will save us from a bombing like that." Kira replied "never thought I would go down side by side with a merc."

"If it does save us you owe me whatever passes as a good drink around here." Azoth replied as he slammed it down on to the ground and a bubble shield activated and formed around them, as the bombers dropped their pay load destroying everything around them.

"Wow Leprechaun would have loved this." Azoth chuckled as the flames engulfed them, and then died out leaving nothing but scrap and spare parts in the streets.

"What the hell was that?" Kira asked

"Bubble shield a fun little thing from my war." Azoth replied

"Can you get more?" Kira asked

"Sorry was my last one." Azoth replied "I was hoping to save it as some last resort but you forced my hand."

"You don't seem to like me why did you use it then?" Kira asked

"Because I may hate xeno's and highers even more, but there is only one higher I would leave to die and you aren't him." Azoth replied "also I would never leave someone I have fought alongside to die. I've already lost to many I call brother in that war."

"Why would you leave one war just to fight in another that isn't yours?" Kira asked

"Maybe one day I will tell you." Azoth said "even though you are a xeno you're alright. But right now we need to get back to the front."

"Right" Kira said as they ran off toward the sound of blaster fire were the clones had begun their assault.


After a hard fought battle the clone army had retaken the city. Azoth sat down leaning against a wall. That was when a teenage boy walked up to him and stared at him for a minute.

"What you looking at kid?" Azoth asked

"You don't look like any of the other clones." The kid said

"Cause I ain't a clone." Azoth said as he took off his helmet, revealing his scared face.

"Oh I'm sorry." The kid said

"What's your name kid?" Azoth asked

"Padawan Caleb Dune." Caleb replied "and you?"

"Just call me Night Angel." Azoth replied

"Complaint: master I do not take joy in blasting fellow robots I much prefer blasting meat bags." HK said coming up to them.

"Well think of them as the crunchy outer shell before you get to their highers the soft chewy center." Azoth replied.

"Disapproving acceptance: very well master I will think of it in that way, and wait till we get to that soft chewy center." HK replied

"There you go and we can compare scores till then." Azoth said "I got one thirty-two today how about you?"

"One hundred forty-five, master" HK repled

"Guess you won today." Azoth replied with a smirk.

"Caleb stay away from him." Came a female voice as they saw a human female with looped hair braids "don't associate yourself with a merc."

"I would advise against talking down to my second in command Master Billaba." Kira said as she came up to them.

"And of course a Zeltron would ally themselves with a blood thirst merc." Billaba replied

"I feel like I should be offended." Azoth perked up "from what I've read about you jedi is that you wish for peace and calm."

"Yes that is what we strive for." Billaba replied

"Yes and war is nothing but chaos and destruction." Azoth said standing up walking up to her "and that is where I excel. Your job is peace my job… my life is war. War is an atrocity and to win it you need someone who knows how to commit them so when it is over you can pass the guilt off on to them." He said in a pissed off tone, getting up in her face.

"We would nev…" Billaba began but there was an explosion cutting her off.

"Sure whatever you say. Now let me do my job." Azoth spat "It's their counter attack!"

"Sir they had more units stored in underground bunkers and they are coming up in force." One of the clones called out.

"Well HK looks like our little game isn't over today." Azoth said as he ran off toward the front followed by the jedi.

Just then there was an explosion tossing the group around. "Damn't get up move." Azoth yelled grabbing a bundle of robes by the scruff of the neck and pulled him out of the rubble, and kept moving.

Azoth threw himself along with the bundle of brown against a barrier next to some clones. That was when HK walked up to the barrier and fired over it at the battle droids.

"Boasting: three more already master you are falling behind" HK replied

"Oh stow it HK and just keep them back." Azoth said then looked down at the kid he picked up.

"Hey where am I?" Caleb asked looking around

"The real world kid." Azoth said with a grin as his visor re-polarized "Now get up and fight." He said as he picked up a blaster and handed it to Caleb.

"I'm a jedi we don't use blasters." Caleb replied

"Well from my experience you use whatever you have at your disposal." Azoth said as he fired over the barrier again and blaster fire nearly hit him as he came back down. "But if you want to go up there and swing that little plasma blade of yours around be my guest." Caleb looked up and nearly got his head blown off.

"Well I guess I can use a blaster for now." Caleb replied as he also fired from over the barrier.

That was when the radio came through. "Damn't Night Angel where are you?" Kira demanded

"Hey trooper what sector is this?" Azoth asked.

"Sector seven, sir." The clone responded

"Sector seven, and I have the kid with me." Azoth replied

"Alright we are in sector nine somehow just hold them back and we will meet up after the counter attack." Kira replied

"Noooo I thought I would just sit here and get over run." Azoth replied sarcastically.

"Just get it done." Kira spat back through the radio

"And don't teach my padawaan anything unseemly." Billaba came over the radio

"Yeah sure." Azoth replied cutting off the radio then turned to Caleb "Well looks like your master is stuck over in sector nine. So you are stuck with me."

"Well could be worse I guess." Caleb replied as he looked up and fired again. When he looked again he saw a group of droids holding shields in one arm and staffs in the other and began to advance.

"The fuck are those, honor guards?" Azoth asked as they charged up and jumped the barriers and swung their electric staffs around hitting a few clones. Azoth fired and had the bolts deflected by the droids staffs.

"Blasters won't work for these guys." Caleb said as he ignited his blue saber and charged the droids.

"Damn't" Azoth said as he grabbed and activated his black and white sabers, and locked into close combat with the staff wielding droids, along with Caleb. Azoth dodged under the left swing of the droid and swung his own blade around taking out the driods legs and swung up with his other blade cutting it from stem to stern. He looked over to Caleb who was having a bit of more difficulty with the droid. Before he could help a shock staff swung past his head and he deflected the next swing and cut quickly dispatching the droid. "Damn't finish it." Azoth yelled but Caleb lost his balance and fell and was about to be hit with the staff when Azoth activated his flame thrower and hit the back of the droid getting its attention, even though it didn't do much damage. The droid now turned to him and began to twirl it's staff around then get into a fighting stance as it advanced on him. It then lunged forward and was blocked by Azoths blade and he twisted around to a knee cutting the droid in half, letting the final staff wielding droid fall to the ground. Azoth walked over to Caleb and offered a hand helping him up as the clones pushed back the other droids.

"Thank you master." Caleb replied

"I'm no master." Azoth replied "Other than to him." He added nodding toward HK.

"Then why do you have lightsabers?" Caleb asked

"Long story but I'm no jedi." Azoth replied as the Kira and Billaba came running up to them

"Ah Caleb glad to see you are alright." Billaba said with some relief. "I wasn't sure seeing how you had to deal with him."

"Master please go easier on him, he saved my life." Caleb said getting a bit of a shocked look from the jedi.

"Then an apology and thanks are in order." Billaba said with a bow "Thank you for protecting my padawaan."

"It's the job." Azoth replied "We fight together we cover each other it is the essence of fighting shoulder to shoulder, you always fight for the man next to you. No matter who they are."

"Yes I'll keep that in mind from now on." Billaba replied and they turned and defeated the remaining droids.

Once the battle was over Azoth and Kira stepped on their dropship and took off with their troops headed up to the ship.

"So what was that, that Billaba was talking about a Zeltron or something? I heard you mention it before." Azoth asked as she looked at him with a bit of confusion.

"You seem to not like non-humans and you don't know what she meant by me being a Zeltron?" Kira asked a little shocked

"Well I am from the very far outer rim and we are pretty isolationist." Azoth replied "Our real first encounter with non-terrans, they attacked us and it was a bloody war. Since then we don't really know what is going on outside our system."

"Good cover with not letting out any classified intel, for once." Durzo replied in his internal speaker

"Well my race is known for being violent by nature and very few of us are brought into the order." Kira explained "And some believe due to our violent nature we shouldn't be allowed into the order."

"Ah and Billaba is one of them?" Azoth replied

"She is not the only one." Kira sighed

"For being of peace and open mindedness they seem pretty judgmental." Azoth replied

"Doesn't help I was a bit of a trouble maker in the academy." Kira replied with a chuckle.

"Is that a joke?" Azoth replied a bit sarcastically surprised "didn't think you had any of those."

"We may be a bit up tight but we do know what fun is." Kira said as they landed on their command ship and headed out to a new system.

END CHAPTER 7