Sith Academy, Bothawui
"I sense a disturbance in the Force." The meter-tall hologram of an armored Zabrak Sith Lord flickered, casting eerie shadows in the dark cell.
"I have felt it too, my Lord." Cheana Kyt'al, the Zabrak's Bothan apprentice, knelt before the image, not daring to look up at it. "What does it mean?"
"A powerful Force-user has emerged. But this is not your concern. You have heard of the theft of Darth Caries' artifacts by the Republic?"
"I have, my Lord."
The Zabrak crossed her arms. "Our spies have located the artifacts. They will be transported through the Naboo system. A sqaud of assassins and a cruiser have been assigned to you. Go and recover the artifacts. Do not fail me."
"I will not, my Lord."
Cheana bowed her head lower until the hum of the hologram stopped. As the hologram's disappearance returned her cell to a comforting pseudo-darkness, Cheana rose to stand tall before the projector. Closing her eyes and extending her mind, she quickly felt the familiar pulse of the Dark Side whispering promises of strength and power. Her mind still open to the Dark Side, Cheana stripped out of her grey training uniform. The Bothan smoothed her fur before donning the drab-colored armor she had designed upon her apprenticeship. A flick of her mind and a lightsaber jumped from the sleeping mat to her hand.
The hilt was a cold and familiar weight in her hand, the incomplete black-inked characters etched into the hilt pressing into her palm reassuringly. With a harsh snap-hiss a meter-long blade of shining red shot from the emitter, casting a bloody pall over the cell. She began to move slowly, deliberately, beginning the first set of drills to reacquaint herself with the armor, exercises which Cheana executed perfectly until the assassins came to escort her to the ship.
- - - - -
Hammerhead-class cruiser Vethu Toreg-Khana, Ryloth
A shaft of light speared into the darkened room, falling across the sleeping Twi'lek. This shaft was swiftly drowned out as the room's lights came up. The intruding crewman addressed the Twi'lek as she sat up in bed.
"Sorry to wake you at this hour, but your presence is required in the conference room."
"Thank you. I'll be along shortly."
As the crewman exited, Quell yawned, stretched, and rolled out of bed. Slipping into a casual bodywrap over which she fitted her belt and its twin copper-shod lightsabers. Pausing long enough to flip her left lekku forward and around her neck, Quell hurried to the conference room.
The central oval table of the conference room was large enough to comfortably seat two dozen. An embedded holoprojector hummed, displaying two Jedi Masters, a brown and grey wookie and a human male with a flaming red mane of hair.. They were engaged in a hushed conversation as Quell entered.
"Master Hrrorras, Master Syphon, what is the will of the council?" Quell asked, bowing as she came to stand before the projections.
Master Syphon stepped forward and nodded to Quell. "Some very sensitive cargo is being transported to a secure location for study. The council has reason to believe that the Sith will attempt to intercept the cargo at Naboo. You are to proceed to Naboo where you will take custody of the transport, cargo, and flight plan until the cargo has been safely delivered."
Quell nodded, turning the information over in her mind. "What are they transporting?"
"That information is restricted. All you need to know is that the Sith cannot be allowed to capture this cargo. Use any means necessary to ensure that it does not fall into their hands. A strike force currently on patrol in the Bothan Border is being diverted to assist you, but until they arrive you are on your own." The Jedi master paused, glanced over at Master Hrrorras, then back at Quell. "May the Force be with you."
Quell returned the farewell and activated the comm unit as the hologram flickered out. "Commander, our orders have changed. Set course for the Naboo system."
- - - - -
Open space, Naboo orbit
The space around Naboo was empty. Then, abruptly, it was no longer empty, that emptiness replaced by a sleek, twin-hulled Interdictor-class cruiser. As the ship settled in realspace, a swarm of interceptors streamed from the cruiser to take up combat formation around it, screening the Interdictor as it moved towards the planet.
Barely had the fighters assumed their position than another ship appeared above Naboo, streaking in almost perpendicular to the Interdictor. Closing in rapidly, the Vethu Toreg-Khana began to open fire, sending green lances streaming towards the Sith ship as Aurek fighters scrambled to engage the interceptors. Within moments the Interdictor was returning fire, red streaks shooting back towards the Vethu. A field of explosions blossomed between the two ships as the fighters met between them.
On the bridge of the Inquisitor, Cheana stood with arms clasped behind her back, listening to the shouts of the crew and the eddies of the Force. Interesting, there was a Jedi on the other ship. Was this the ship transporting the artifacts?
"Captain, disable that ship, then bring us within tractor beam range." She spoke softly.
The Inquisitor's captain didn't hear her and continued to shout orders to his crew. His orders ceased abruptly as Cheana Force gripped his throat and dragged him across the bridge to hang face-to-face with her. "Captain," she hissed, "I said to disable that ship and bring up within tractor beam range."
Gasping and nodding vigorously as he collapsed, the captain shouted for ion cannons.
Across the battle, Quell stood on the bridge of the Vethu with her arms crossed, leaning against a bank of consoles. She focused on the growing spot of light that was the enemy ship, searching through the Force for any indication of who was aboard. Her concentration was broken by the voice of the Vethu's captain.
"They've started firing ion cannons."
"Shut down essential systems, bring the backups online. Prepare for boarding and inform the troops that Sith will be leading the assault."
The captain nodded and smiled thinly. "Understood. I'll have the cargo hold rigged with explosives as well. If they manage to get past you, we'll at least take some of them with us."
Quell grinned. "Good thinking. If you'll excuse me, I need to prepare for the battle."
"Of course." The captain turned and began barking orders again as Quell left the bridge.
Breaking through the thinning dogfight, the Vethu continued to dive towards the Inquisitor, cannons blazing. Though its shielding was still operational, some of the Inquisitor's fire was getting through, scoring long, dark gashes along the red and white hull. Its own fire splattered across the Inquisitor's shielding, punching through occasionally to leave scorched craters on the silver hull.
The Vethu's shields failed and purple electricity played across the scarred hill as ion cannons did their damage, killing running lights, weapons, and computers. Then the tractor beams caught the Vethu as the Inquisitor rolled. Before long, the two ships were joined by docking tubes.
With a shower of sparks and molten metal the red blade bit deeply into the sealed airlock hatch. On both sides soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons and re sighted at the nearly carved-through hatch. The blade hissed back to its starting point and withdrew, leaving the hatch hanging in space. On the Republic's side there was a moment of confusion that quickly vanished as the hatch suddenly rocketed into the waiting troopers. Bodies went sprawling as the hatch bounced down the corridor accompanied by a hail of fire from the Sith soldiers. Abruptly the hatch stopped as Quell slammed it into the floor. Her blades hummed to life and began to parry blaster bolts.
Smoke began to fill the corridor, adding to the confusion of the blaster shots and the cries of the wounded, obscuring the vision of those within. Cheana and Quell had no such difficulty, their connection to the Force guiding their blades as they parried shots and struck down enemy soldiers. Inexorably the two drew near each others, blades little more than swirls of light in the smoke-filled corridor. With a loud crash the two met, swirls becoming beams for a moment as Jedi and Sith met in battle.