"Ok, I've rigged the catwalk above the door to collapse on any imperials that come through with some of Sabine's presents. How's things going over there?" The gruff voice of Garazeb Orrelios echoed across the hanger bay.
Suffice to say, their situation was dire. All Kallus and Zeb had to do was hold the lone long enough for Hera to get the Ghost to their position, and wait for the rest of the team.
So it was the two of them versus endless legions of imperial troopers.
But at least they had a pack of Wookiees to help.
The lead Wookiee growled something out to the others, clearly ordered her pack members to take cover behind various crates that Kallus had set up as cover for the fight.
"Good work Zeb. We should be ready now." Kallus responded as the Lasat moved back to the ex IBS agent's side, hefting the large clone war era rotary cannon into his hands.
"Should be? I don't like the sound of that." Zeb responded, his green eyes sweeping what was soon to be a battlefield.
Privately, Kallus agreed. The hanger bay there were in was not exactly the most defensible position, but it was better than the endless corridors that the battle station seemed to be made up of.
Analysing the area again, Kallus did a quick double check to ensure he had not missed anything, or anyway the imperials could enter.
As far as both he and Zeb could tell, there were three possible routes.
One was the direction that Ahsoka and her team had gone, and was on the same level as they were. Hopefully Ahsoka and her team would delay any imperials coming down that route, so Kallus had chosen to largely ignore it, placing one pile of crates to act as cover for a pair of Wookies who had volunteered to defend it.
The second door was the route they had used to enter the hanger bay in the first place, and the one they had sealed behind them. Kallus was no fool however. He knew that the imperials would find a way through it eventually, either with force or via decryption. Thus, Kallus had opted to defend that entrance.
Luckily for him, there happened to be a perfectly collapsible catwalk above the door, one that was now rigged with explosives. If he dropped that on the troopers, it would hopefully slow them down.
The third possible route for the imperials had been spotted by Zeb. The catwalk ended up connecting to a level above them, leading to what appeared to be a control room. No doubt that imperial troopers would find a way in through that route, giving them the high ground advantage.
Zeb had offered to watch that possibility, the rotary cannon being a good way of pinning down any troopers that tried to flank them in such a way.
There was a fourth entrance, Kallus had noted. The route that Ahsoka and her team had taken to get here in the first place. However, Kallus highly doubted that any imperial trooper would willingly go the route Ahsoka and her team had to get them that way, and thus had disregarded it completely.
Still, he would keep an eye out, just in case.
Behind him, Kallus heard the heavy footsteps of Custos approaching. The Wookiee growled something to both Zeb and Kallus.
"What she say? I don't speak Wookiee!" Zeb enquired, his tone agitated.
Fortunately, Kallus did, at least a little bit. Enough to understand what Custos had said.
"It's called Shyriiwook, and she said that her pack is ready and in position." Kallus answered, throwing a gracious nod at Custos in the process. The Wookiee nodded back, before moving to take her position, blaster in her pawed hands.
Kallus turned away from Zeb for a moment, reaching down to pick up the Lasat's bow rifle. Since Zeb had the rotary cannon, he had no use for the rifle, and had thus given it to Kallus to use, considering his familiarity with such a weapon.
It was not like his own rifle, which as far as he now knew was most likely in the possession of Thrawn. He missed the weapon in a way.
But now was not the time for nostalgia. He was no longer Agent Kallus of the ISB.
He was Alexsandr Kallus, Fulcrum Agent, Captain of the Rebellion.
A sound echoed through the room, followed by a resounding explosion.
As expected, the imperial troopers had resorted to force to get the door open.
Darting to cover, Kallus barely had time to get out of the way before blaster fire erupted from the doorway below the catwalk.
The smoke from the explosion clearly, and Kallus could make out the black armour of imperial deathtroopers beginning to flood the room.
Taking a deep breath, Kallus sprung round the corner and opened fire.
"FOR THE REBELLION!"
Ezra took point for the rest of the team as they followed the winding corridors towards what he hoped was their goal. If all went well, they would soon arrive at the kyber crystal that powered the central weapon, and then Sabine could get to work.
He would be lying however if he said he was comfortable with what was happening. Ahsoka and Maul heading off the face the Emperor was not unexpected, and if anyone could beat him it was them.
Kenobi wasn't a surprise either, considering the history there.
But Kanan? Why had Kanan gone? He was going to get himself killed!
It wasn't that Ezra didn't trust Kanan to look after himself, he did. But at the same time, he was his master, so he couldn't help be concerned.
Ezra wondered if Ahsoka had gone through something similar with her own master in the past, before his turn to the darkside.
"Hey, you ok kid? You seem to be spacing out a little."
Ezra shifted his gaze upwards, meeting the concerned eyes of Quinlan Vos. Ezra hadn't known Vos long, but he liked his attitude. He seemed like he was one of the more relaxed Jedi of the group. Kenobi was always calm, radiating confidence. Yoda had been the voice of wisdom, despite his age.
But Vos was unique. He was clearly powerful, and knew right from wrong.
But Ezra also got a sense of loss from him, as if he had seen things that no one else should. Whatever it was weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Yeah, I'm fine Master Vos." The young Jedi replied, shaking off any internal conflict he had.
Surprising Ezra, Vos huffed under his breath.
"Sure kid, if you say so."
Then the Kiffar man smiled brightly, returning to his usual demeanour.
Shrugging off Vos' original response, Ezra continued to lead the remainder of the team forward, encountering a three-way junction, and turning the corner in the endless maze of corridors…
Before coming face to face with four tall red armoured figures, armed with pikes.
Imperial Royal Guard.
"Karabast!" Ezra yelled out, evading backwards in time to avoid a swipe from one of the pikes. The four guards began to advance on the Jedi slowly, their weapons glowing menacingly.
Another of the guards made a swing for Ezra, only to be interrupted by a bright green blade clashing with the energy on the pike, and forcing the guard backwards in formation with the others.
Vos appeared by Ezra's side, lightsaber ignited, entering into his preferred stance. By this point Ezra too had ignited his saber, moving to stand beside Vos, prepared for the duel that was evidently about to happen.
Ezra heard the shuffling of feet behind him as the rest of the team rounded the corner, blasters at the ready.
But Vos clearly had other ideas.
"Captain Rex, take the others down the hallway. Our goal is down there, I sense it. Ezra and I will stay and deal with these guards."
How Vos knew where to go was unknown to Ezra, but he wasn't about to argue with the Jedi Master.
And clearly, neither was Rex.
"Copy that General. Let's go team!"
The clone took point, breaking off and heading down a different hallway, rather than the one that Ezra had encountered the guards in.
As the team took off, Ezra glanced at Vos.
"Ready for this padawan?"
Despite the situation, Vos had a confident look on his face, and that inspired Ezra.
After all, it was only a two versus four duel.
What could go wrong?
Stormtroopers were useless.
That was the most commonly stated fact about them. The Imperial Royal Guard often made comments behind the backs of the backbone of the imperial army. They couldn't protect anything.
But Royal Guards, they were powerful. They were skilled.
They were the best of the best, the ones who did not possess the force, but were still charged with protection of their Emperor.
So how the captain of the Royal Guard found himself ordering a squad of Stormtroopers was beyond him. They wouldn't last five seconds against any really threat.
In fact, they would probably lose to a Loth Cat!
Still, the captain did not question his Emperor's orders, especially considering it pertained to his safety.
So here the captain found himself, waiting at the end of a long corridor, protecting the entrance to the so called 'Throne Room' on the Death Star.
Just him, and a squad of troopers.
Sighing to himself, the captain prepared.
If intel from Tarkin was right, the turbolift at the end of the corridor was coming up, containing some dangerous rebels.
So the captain had prepared, ordering the troopers in front of him, their blasters aiming down the hallway.
He had to stop any rebel getting through to the Emperor.
"All troopers, hold the line. Nothing gets through!" The captain called out to the assembled troopers, receiving a series of 'yes sir's in response.
Equipping his own blaster rather than his pike, the Royal Guard waited.
Seconds passed by slowly. The tension in the air was easy to sense.
Then, the familiar sound of the turbolift reaching the top of the shaft echoed down the hallway.
The captain found himself tensing. The door did not open immediately as it would have normally.
What was going on?
So he waited, and waited, his breath coming out slowly. Fear began to set in. It was if someone was trying to scare them.
Then, the door opened.
Beneath his crimson helmet, the Royal Guard's eyes widened in confusion.
A single figure stepped through the threshold of the doorway between the lift and the hallway. There was further movement behind the figure in the lift itself, but right now the captain's focus was on the one that had emerged.
She was a tall, imposing Togrutan woman, with bright orange skin, and white markings on her face that stood out, that made her look fierce.
No one opened fire. They wouldn't until ordered.
Then, the Togruta's hands moved faster than the guard expected.
A pair of white blades emerged from nowhere, and suddenly the Togruta woman was barrelling down upon the troopers, a fierce and deadly look on her face.
The captain was frozen at the approaching sight, his body locking up in terror at the sight before him. The troopers didn't wait for the order either, opening fire. A hail of blaster bolts flew down the hallway towards the charging Togruta, yet none of the shots seemed to hit her. She dodged and weaved around the shots, her white blades moving in pristine arcs, deflecting shots back at the troopers. One by one the Stormtroopers cried out in pain as the deflected shots struck their armour, piercing through and killing the troopers.
Before the Togruta had even reached the squad, three of the troopers were already dead.
And then, the captain watched a nightmare unfold. The Togruta reached the trooper squad, forcing them into close combat, effectively rendering the blasters they carried useless.
With an almost graceful gait, the Togruta swung her blades, eviscerating the troopers, severing limbs, and impaling the poor soldiers. Some tried to make a break for it, attempting to skirt round her deadly arcs, only to be suspended through some means, no doubt the force, and brought towards her to face death.
And all the while, the captain remained frozen. Not because he had never seen such a scene before. The bloodshed was not what unsettled him.
Instead, it was the Togruta's eyes. One minute they were a bright blue, the next, a dark gold. They oscillated between the two colours as she slaughtered more troopers.
The captain witnesses a pair of troopers try to engage in hand to hand, only to be simultaneously decapitated in one swing of the white blades.
Another trooper, clearly terrified, attempted to play dead and avoid the massacre. But it was a fruitless effort, as the Togruta merely brought her boot down on his neck, a resounding snap making the Royal Guard flinch in horror.
And then, it was just him. A single Royal Guard against a monster.
The captain barely managed to bring his pike up in time, energy from one end of it clashing with the Togruta's lightsabers.
Beneath his helmet, he locked eyes with the Togruta's, which were currently golden.
The guard pushed against the Togruta's blade for a few moments, before a sharp pain erupted in his stomach.
Crying out in agony, the guard glanced down to see one of the white blades protruding through his body.
Then, with a speed unmatched, the guard witnessed the Togruta begin to rapidly pull the blade upwards.
Ahsoka pulled her shoto upwards, eviscerating the Royal Guard she had impaled, and allowing his form to collapse.
Stepping back, Ahsoka allowed herself to breath. Reaching into the force, she calmed herself, finding her balance, before turning around.
Bodies of Stormtroopers littered the hallway, various cuts and burns scouring their bodies. Burnt flesh filled her senses, giving off the stench of death.
From down the hallway, Obi-Wan emerged from the lift, a horrified look on his face.
Ahsoka knew that perhaps she had gone a bit too far. But right now all that mattered was getting to the Emperor. And if she had to tap into her innate darkside to do so, then she would.
Obi-Wan's face took on a solemn look as he moved through the various body parts that were strewn around the hallway.
Behind him, Maul and Kanan began to emerge from the lift. The Zabrak assessed the situation immediately, before giving out an impressed huff, and moving on.
Kanan meanwhile, despite not being able to see, was equally as horrified as Obi-Wan was.
"This isn't like you Ahsoka. You need to be careful." Kanan voiced what both he and Kenobi had been thinking. And Ahsoka knew it was true. If she went too deep, it would be easier for Sidious to turn her.
Taking another breath, Ahsoka focused once again on centring herself in the force, before moving to the other end of the hallway, opposite the lift.
The troopers and their royal guard ally had clearly been defending whatever was in this room, and through the force, Ahsoka could feel a menacing dark presence.
The Emperor.
He was waiting for her.
Steeling herself, Ahsoka slowly approached the door that would lead to the Sith Lord. The hallway behind her, full of the dead, was almost a sign of what might be to come.
As she slowly moved, Ahsoka began to speak aloud.
"Yoda. Ryder. Wolffe. Saw. This is for you."
Behind her, her three comrades made sounds of agreement, moving in tandem with her.
As Ahsoka approached the door, she noticed something different in comparison to the others she had encountered on the station.
This one was not locked.
Clearly she had been expected.
Reaching her hand out, Ahsoka pressed the controls by the side of the door to open it.
Glancing forward, Ahsoka watched the door open.
She expected to be immediately greeted with the sight of a large open room, no doubt extravagant in comparison to the rest of the station. That was the sort of place the Emperor would call home.
Instead, she saw a small room, one that resembled a lobby.
And in the centre of the room stood a very familiar grey armoured figure.
"Ahsoka Tano, how 'good' to see you again!"
Author's thoughts
Oh boy, here we go. Everyone is in trouble, and confrontations are about to be had. What will happen next?
So yeah, the next few chapters are still being written, and they are kicking my arse. Seriously I'm struggling a bit here, so I might need a bit of time to get them to a level I like. I know what is going to happen, it's just writing it that is proving difficult.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I enjoyed writing it, even if some of it is clunky in terms of description.
Also, anyone want to guess what the scene from the Royal Guard's POV is a parallel of? :)
Not much else to say really. Hope you are looking forward to the climax of this story.
Next time round, Ahsoka and her team enter the Throne Room.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
ItsJustABook: I'm glad you liked the chapter, as well as the reasoning behind Saw's death. It was hard to write, cause I love the character. But someone had to go down for Ahsoka, and Saw made sense. (The other option could have been Rex, but nobody wants that!)
LukeDude: I'm glad you enjoyed the past few chapters. Saxon would never keep his word. He is the most un-Mandalorian Mandalorian of all time.
I'm glad I was able to surprise you with Saw's demise. Nice to catch people off guard, even if it is a sad moment.
Thrawn better initiate 'Operation Run Away' soon, or his time might be up!
The Dark Presense is... wait and see. :)
And now for your questions:
There are ten royal guards on the station with Palpy. Six have already been seen. You can probably guess where the rest are.
The Death Star is in open space right now. If it was too near a planet, people might see it and get suspicious.
I honestly hadn't thought about putting Tagge anywhere, so for the sake of it... no! That means I can do something else with him.
Purge Troopers... wait and see. (as if Death Troopers weren't enough)
Rae Sloane will be mentioned, but will not appear until the one shots. I have a plan for her. :)
jamese765: Poor Saw indeed. I felt so bad doing it.
Crazy is certainly coming. Brace yourselves.
SLE's fave guest: Saw's death in RO is the only thing I don't like about that movie. I wanted to give him a more heroic sendoff, one that he deserved.
Against the Emperor, the team has a very small chance of success. It's almost as if they will need some sort of wildcard to help them, huh? ;)
FossilQueen1984: Thank you for your high praise, as well as your continued support. I only hope you like the ending I have selected for this story.
Saw is a badass, despite his aggressive outlook. Thus, he died as he lived. Helping people in his own way.
Chiara Polairix Edelstein: Glad you enjoyed the chapter. :)
Cranky Paws: Saw... :'(
Still, I couldn't have him die like some stormtrooper now could I?
Windu out the window... ah my dreams have come true.
Travis Middleton: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Saw's death was sad to write, but felt right at the same time.
Thrawn and Yularen are beginning to plan things out. We can only hope they get away in time.
As for the Death Star no blowing up a planet yet, I understand your upset, however I have already established that the station is not yet complete, and thus the weapon is not operational. From RO, we can assume that the weapon is the last thing that is completed, considering they put the dish on last. Hope that's ok.
Sidious is more than capable of defeating the group. As it stands, there is only one person we have seen legitimately defeat Sidious in combat. (in my mind that is) Ahsoka and the others may have to use that knowledge to help them.
Mysterious Guest number one: I'm glad you liked the chapter. It was fun yet sad to write at the same time. Poor Saw. He's with his sister now.
The big confrontation is coming. What will happen?
And no, I still haven't seen 'The Last Jedi'. Not had the time, and got no-one to go with. (Go by yourself then author!)
Mogor: Saw was awesome, so it was sad to see him go.
We can only hope that Kanan and Obi-Wan will make it out alive.
TerminatorJedi1995: I know I know. Killing Saw has robbed us of a great opportunity, but some sacrifices had to be made.
As for your comment regarding the unoriginality of the deaths, yeah, I get it, and feel it myself. I tired to find another way, but in the end I settled with what happened, and I have a reason for it. Back at the start of this story, Sidious taunts Ahsoka about her friends dying for her, and she doesn;t forget that, frequently having bouts of depression because of it. Thus, when it starts to happen during the mission, it makes the foreshadowing more important. That being said, yeah, I understand where you are coming from. Hopefully my reasoning makes some sembalance of sense.
Operation Cinder will be included in the one shots. That's all I'm saying for now.
Tarkin doens't have the balls to meet Ahsoka face to face, and she has bigger issues to deal with right now. That being said, I do have something rather dastardly planned for the Grand Moff. Muhahahaahaha!
I could right an entire story about people tripping Tarkin down stairs. A one shot though... why not, maybe at some point. The question is... who does it?
Maliwan: I'm glad you liked Saw's death and the significance behind it. Maul was always going to be facing Sidious with Ahsoka. It makes sense, since he has done it before.
Hondo sneaking into the elevator... I doubt even he would want to face Sidious. Hondo may be bombastic, but he knows when to pick his battles.
ahsokaxtano: Yay indeed. Hope you like. :)