Last time: The trio and Kait found the secret base. The Coppers face off against some "old friends".

Now: The trio and Kait found out what the cartel is up to.

Chapter 16- The Warehouse and the Walkers

The warehouse, factory, whatever it was, was, in fact, a maze. The trio of Jedi and Kait split up into pairs to investigate the whole room. However all of them underestimated how much of a labyrinth it would be going through endless aisles of crates while trying to stay out of sight from the various workers and droids. Sasha and Viran took on the left side of the room. As they rounded a corner, a cartel member dressed in overalls and pushing a cart approached them.

Sasha and Viran skidded back into cover, hoping to not be seen. They crouched behind a nearby crate as the man walked by them, not noticing them. As he passed, Sasha moved in a flash and grabbed the man from behind and placed her hand on his neck.

"Wha-" He started to say.

"Sleep," she uttered quietly and quickly while using the Force to influence his mind.

His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to his side.

"Nicely done," Viran said, smirking.

"Let's hide him and then keep going," Sasha advised.

Viran nodded and grabbed the man by his wrists, dragging him out of the way. Sasha walked over to the crates he had been moving. She pried them open and peeked inside. Her face paled as she stared at packets on packets of prepackaged bags of tropa, the drug the cartel produced. There had to be more than a million credits worth in this crate alone based on the research they had done.

"Fierfek," Viran cursed as he appeared at her shoulder.

"That's what I'm thinking," Sasha said, glancing at him. She closed the crate. "Where is he?" She asked as she turned to see the man gone.

"Over there," Viran gestured to a crate that's lid wasn't entirely closed. "Just don't open that crate."

"Did you stuff him in there with the tropa?" Sasha asked incredulously.

"Yeah, but I made it work," Viran said, prideful.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Let's keep going before someone notices he is gone."

Viran nodded.

They continued to sneak around the warehouse trying to find anything useful. Any clue to where Cordova was. The thought crossed their minds that they should ask the cartel members where he was when they would run into them, but they knew they would tell them nothing. It was just easier to take them out. So when they ran into another eight goons at different points, they took them out with quiet ease. And thankfully not sounding the alarm that they were even there.

However, as they made their way around, they found more and more crates filled with tropa. And as they rounded the last corner that brought them right to the packaging area, their jaws slowly dropped as they saw not just tropa being packaged but also shiny armor that looked almost imperial.

"Hey guys." Oppie said in a hushed voice, coming to their side with Kait glancing down the path they had emerged from.

"Did you guys find anything interesting?" Viran asked as Kait and Oppie joined them behind their crate as they stared at the remaining cartel members in the area packing in more armor.

"No, just a couple of toughs we had to avoid." Kait said, settling in behind the crate. "And a lot of tropa."

"We found the same thing," Viran said, nodding.

"And we found something else," Sasha said, gesturing over the crate before placing a finger to her lips to be quiet. "It looks like drugs are not the only thing they are making around here."

Oppie and Kait looked into the crate. "Metal stormtrooper armor?" Kait asked quizzically.

"What would this be for?" Oppie asked. He almost wanted to clang it to see if it would have the same ringing tone that Beskar had.

"I'm not sure.," Sasha said, shaking her head. "But why does a cartel need armor? It's not like they have much for an army. And it's not like they are really the kind of crew to be going to war."

"Maybe it isn't for their members. Maybe they plan to sell it with the drugs too," Viran guessed.

"Or maybe we have it wrong. Maybe this isn't about the cartel. I wonder if Cordova is trying to use the cartel to fund an Imperial resurgence?" Oppie suggested with a chilled tone.

Sasha glanced at Oppie. "It's possible. He is former ISB," She then closed her eyes realizing. "And the speeders and footprint aren't just a coincidence."

"What do you mean?" Viran asked, glancing at her.

"I think the Empire is here. I think Cordova brought a remnant here," Sasha stated, worriedly. "This armor is for his Imperial army."

"And our comlinks don't work down here to warn them." Oppie shook his head. "We need to find Cordova and end this."

"Agreed. How do we want to handle this?" Viran asked, surveying the area. "Maybe we can help them with their packaging. Nice and quiet like." He said, smiling mischievously.

"What?" Sasha asked, confused.

Viran sighed. "I mean go around and take them out stealthy. I was trying to be funny." He pouted.

Oppie smirked. "I got ya Viran." Oppie looked back at the men. "I can't really think of a good way to do this too quietly." He said in a slightly dismayed voice. They could easily cut through them, but they didn't want to cause an alarm, or hurt anyone if they didn't have to.

"Can't you just, like, do something to them?" Kait asked, wiggling her fingers.

"We can, but if we pull them towards us then it might be a little too suspicious," Sasha said, unsure.

"Do we have any other options?" Viran asked, looking at her.

"No," she groaned. "I guess it's worth a shot." Sasha crawled away to another crate that was close to the nearest goon. She came to a stop and raised a hand out. With a snap of her wrist, she jerked the mans feet out from under him and dragged him towards her with the Force. He slid across the floor with a yelp. And when he came to a stop near her, she put him to sleep with the Force before he could make a peep. "Okay that did work then." She said, surprised as she dragged him further into cover.

Or so she thought. The other eleven men did hear the yelp and looked around in a confused panic.

"Here we go." Oppie said, using a hand to leverage himself over the top of the crate and heading into battle.

Kait took that as her cue and started firing at them with her blaster. Viran followed Oppie and leapt over the crate after him. The eleven cartel men produced blasters and started firing back at them. Viran charged forward, dodging the blasts and Force pushed three of them away. Sasha leapt out from cover and Force pulled a cartel man who was on a higher platform down.

Oppie charged forward, blocking several blaster bolts that came his way and reflecting one of them back towards its source. He used his off-hand to Force pull one of the grunts heads into the hilt of the saber in his primary hand, knocking him out, and then swung low and cut the next through the calf and slicing through his blaster on the follow through.

Viran activated his blade and slashed through the next's blaster before Force pushing him back into a control panel that caused the assembly line to screech to a halt. Sasha Force pulled another goon towards her and smacked her hilt, which remained inactive, into his temple.

All the while Kait was staying behind cover trying to pick the goons off with her blaster from a distance, and trying not to hit the others. One of the cartel thugs ducked behind cover and tried to take a potshot at Viran, and she hit him in the chest.

Viran glanced over at the thug before looking at Kait. "Thanks." he called over to her.

Sasha rushed over to the last two who were still trying to hold their own, but their expressions said they were understanding how helpless this all was. She dodged their blasts before leaping up and split kicking them both in the jaws. The last two crumbled to the floor.

"Clear," Sasha sighed as she belted her lightsaber.

"Do you think Cordova knows we are here?" Viran asked as he belted his lightsaber and looked at the mess they had made.

"Oh, no I'm sure he didn't notice at all." Kait said as she joined them.

"Funny," Viran said, dryly as he shot a glance to Oppie with a smirk on his face. "Alright what should we do about these guys?"

"I don't know. It might be best to restrain them so they don't try and come after us," Sasha suggested. "But if the red alert was sounded then we might have company very soon."

"I only brought the one pair of binders." Kait said, "we might want to just move on, they don't look like they're going to wake up soon."

"Not all of them are out," Sasha pointed out as she looked over and noticed the one man lying on the ground clutching his leg where Oppie cut it. She knelt down next to him. "Where's Cordova?" She decided to ask him.

"None of your damn business," the man hissed. "Your crazy friend cut my leg!" He argued. "I hope you all-"

"Sleep then," Sasha cut him off as she placed her hand to his forehead. His eyes rolled back and the cartel thug fell asleep. She sighed and got up. "Now they are all passed out."

"So where to now?" Viran asked.

"We continue to Cordova," Sasha said as she started for the door.

Oppie nodded and followed after her.

Overhead there was a ferocious dogfight going on as Valiant flight tangled with a dozen TIE fighters. Behind them the New Republic ground forces had been dropped off by a flight of U-Wings, and the marines were charging forward to join their battle line. The Imperial forces, there was no way this was just the cartel anymore, were holding their own line, evenly matched with the limited forces the Republic had on the battlefield. Already another wave of transports, and more of them this time, were pouring down from orbit, but wouldn't arrive for another fifteen to twenty minutes. All they could do for the moment was realistically try to hold the landing zone until they built up enough of a presence to be able to start pushing back. The 19th had a strong enough ground contingent to take on a small army, and Kyr was confident they would be able to steamroll over these guys, but they couldn't do that until more marines arrived. Albeit, from the forces the Imps had committed already, he was worried that a small army might be the least of what they were facing.

From the treeline they were using as cover, Troy rushed up to Kyr and Cien. He came to a halt near them. "I surveyed ahead and was able to see that they have at least three more walkers inbound," he informed them.

"They were prepared for war," Scamp grumbled from his covered spot as he swapped charge packs.

"Great." Kyr said, "thanks Eltee. You guys bring any heavy ordinance down?" He asked as he picked off a few more stormtroopers across the field in the tree line.

"No," Troy shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but we didn't bring anything like that down here. The next deployment should have the big guns. We were supposed to be deployed to the city until we got the redirect here and didn't have anything like that packed." He explained.

"I won't hold it against ya." Kyr said. "How far away were those AT-STs?" He asked over the sound of the battle around them.

"They'll be on our position in roughly five minutes," Troy answered. "I have my men preparing to clear an area in case we need to retreat back."

"Good call son," Scamp said as he turned back and fired at the enemy.

"Thanks, but what do you suggest we do?" Troy asked, looking between Kyr, Scamp, and Cien.

"I can crush them." Cien said as she swung her saber, blocking a few bolts that got a little too close to their position.

"I still have some hefty explosives that can take them down if I can just get into position to do so," Nova said as she fired at the cartel members and stormtroopers. "But I'm running low on ammunition. So unless you have a way to get those onto the walkers without me getting blown to smithereens by their laser cannons, I'm all ears."

Troy started thinking of ideas. Scamp just shrugged as he kept shooting back.

"Well I could guide them over." Cien suggested.

Nova looked at her. "That would work," she said thinking about it for a moment. "I just need to get into a good position to throw them."

"We can cover you two," Scamp ordered. "Get moving before those tin cans get here."

Nova nodded and hefted her ammo pack.

Cien dashed over and got down next to Nova behind their meager cover. "I admit the AT-STs are pretty hard to crush so I'm glad you have these." She said quietly.

"Of course. I'm always carrying the heavy stuff," Nova smirked. "But this should make it easier for both of us." She reached into her pack and pulled out the huge charges of explosives that looked to weigh a few kilograms each. "Was going to save these for something a little more extravagant, but taking out these walkers will do." She then moved into place a little further down where they could get a clearer view of the walkers.

"Are those remotely detonated?" Cien asked.

"Yeah. All my large explosives are. Otherwise, I would have blown myself and the Coppers up by now," Nova said, smiling. "Only my smaller stuff isn't, but they are usually only needed for short distance damage."

"Heads up, the three of them are coming straight at us." Kyr said from slightly above them, where he was keeping up a constant stream of fire.

Cien looked, and through her visor she could see the ungainly walkers coming through the forest on the other side. She zoomed in slightly, trying to get a better view. "You ready?" She asked Nova.

"Yep, just make sure it lands," Nova said, moving into a crouch with one of the explosives on her hand. She then stood from cover and launched the device as far as she could. As soon as it left her hand, she ducked back down to avoid getting shot.

Cien came up right as she threw it, and took hold of the package of explosives through the Force. The Imperials didn't seem to pay much attention to the explosive charge as it flew swiftly through the air, and Cien kept it going. "Do you want to get all three placed and blow them at the same time, or one after the other?" Cien asked as she used her enhanced view through the visor to guide the package through the trees.

"Get them placed then I'll blow them from here," Nova said as she readied with the second one. "Has it landed yet?"

"One… second." Cien said as she watched. She brought it in from the side and then planted it squarely on the center of the front face, down below the viewports and above the cannons. She snorted, "ha, it looks like a snowman." She said, laughing at how absurd it was.

Nova smiled. "Well, take a picture. These won't last long when we are done with them."

Cien snorted in laughter again and did so. "I'll show you later. Next one?"

"Already on it," Nova said. She leapt up from her crouch and lobbed the second explosive. It didn't go quite as far as the first one, but it did the trick. Cien caught it and sent it sailing away like the last one. This one she wove through the trees and with a bit of humor she put it on top of the next walker's head, like a hat. She took a picture.

"Okay, next." Cien said.

"They're getting awfully close." Kyr said as the walkers started appearing from the trees and were already laying down fire.

"Last one!" Nova cried as she tossed the last one with a bit of haste. Her shoulder made a painful popping sound when she did it which made her wince, but the final explosive flew the farthest without the Force. She produced her detonator a moment after she launched it.

Cien guided the other, not able to finesse it into position as well as she wanted, but time was of the essence. "Placed, go!" Cien said, ducking her head down.

"Hit the deck!" Nova called out as she thumbed the detonator and covered her head.

The three AT-ST's exploded into a brilliant display of light and fire. The shock wave washed over the area, causing Nova to curl into a ball as the earth shook. Scamp cursed over his comm as he covered himself as best he could.

"Whoa, Nova that's almost as good as that AT-AT you took out of Udravaire!" Kyr exclaimed excitedly.

"That's still my best work, but thanks," Nova said, letting out a breath she had been holding as she straightened up. She looked at CIen. "Thanks for the assist. You okay?"

"Yep." Cien said. "Now can we charge them?" Cien asked annoyedly as she got to her feet, and the Imperials across the way were noticeably stunned by the turn of events.

"Those should be the last of them," Troy answered.

"So to answer your question, yes. Push forward while we have the opening," Scamp ordered.

Wynnie came running up from the right flank to join them. "Are we pushing up or what?" She asked gruffly.

"Yes, Wynnie. Now let's go!" Scamp said as he charged forward, firing along the way.

Troy moved from cover, firing back, as he followed after him. Wynnie charged along at his side, as down the line the New Republic marines and the Copperheads pushed forward in a concentrated charge. Kyr and Cien ran side by side, Cien's Lightsaber flashing to deflect any stray blaster bolts that came their way as they ran across the clearing. They saw the stormtroopers holding the line, firing back at them, but after their four walkers had been destroyed they were obviously in a rout. The tables had turned, now the Imperials were the ones outgunned, outmatched in resources as behind the Republic line a huge fight of U-Wings and other, larger transports from all three cruisers in orbit were dropping off nearly a battalion's worth of troops, over five hundred marines that were being delivered. As the U-Wings dropped their deployment off, most of them turned to go into orbit for another round of troops, but a few stayed overhead, and the door gunners were spraying the Imperial line with fire.

"So this is what it's like to be on the winning side!" Cien said to Kyr next to her.

Kyr glanced at her, she seemed to be having too much fun with this. "I love you." He said as he ran with a grin.

Troy led his marines forward as they fired at the stormtroopers. As they closed the distance to their line, Troy noticed one trooper, who was downed by one of Wynnie's many blasts, was holding a thermal in his limp hand. It's timer was slowly counting down.

"Take cover!" Troy cried to his men as he retreated back.

Wynnie had been running by Troy's side, and she had brought her rifle up to shoot a stormtrooper that was taking aim at them. She sprayed him with fire, completely missing Troy's exclamation as she focused on taking out the trooper that was gunning for them. Troy skidded to a halt as he noticed her continuing towards an actual ticking bomb.

"Wynnie! Get down!" He ordered as he charged back towards her. He grabbed her and pulled her down using his body to cover her as the thermal went off a little too close for anyone's comfort. But they weren't caught in the blast. However, they were caught in the debris splash zone. Flaming bits of tree and trooper were raining down around them. As the scene calmed, he carefully moved off her and looked back towards the explosion mark. He then looked at her. "Are you okay?" He asked, his ears ringing slightly.

She had the wind knocked out of her as she looked up at him and gulped slightly. "Yep." She said.

"That's good," Troy breathed out in relief as he relaxed on the dirt next to her. He needed a minute as that had knocked the wind out of him too. They were in a spot of cover, and the imperials were pulling back so they were out of the direct line of fire as the Republic forces pushed past them.

"You okay?" She asked, looking at him.

Troy looked up and met her gaze. "I'll be alright. I'm not hurt. Just stunned. I'm just glad you're okay," he said, smiling slightly at her.

Wynnie met his gaze for the briefest of moments before she looked away and coughed slightly. "That's good." She stated a little awkwardly as she got to her feet, as around them the rest of the Marines were pushing the stormtroopers back into the forest. "We're being left behind." She observed as she hefted her rifle.

Troy watched her get up then nodded. "Right," he said as he climbed to his feet. His body was a little sore from the whole thing, but he still was in one piece. He hefted his blaster. "After you," he gestured towards the others as he looked around to make sure they were truly in the clear.

Wynnie glanced at him and swallowed, and then ran off to get to the front line that had swept past them. Troy was right behind her.

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