Thanks to outlaw hunter and Swordsman of Shadow for their reviews, always good to know people enjoy reading this story.
Kaelan, Atton, Kreia, T3-M4, and HK-47 stood outside the Ebon Hawk, the bay's controller having requested that all personnel disembark once the ship had landed. It had been three minutes since the controller had issued her command to wait for a Lieutenant Dol Grenn and the outcast was patiently staying in place. He had no doubt that the authority figures wanted to blame him for the destruction of Peragus. And, while that was indirectly true, Kaelan wasn't about to sit around when there was work to be done. Not to mention he had no desire to show up on Republic scopes again.
The former General had already devised a plan, one that hinged on the assassin droid standing to his right. HK's initial delight about being the driving force behind his Master's plan had faded slightly once Kaelan had fully explained it; the veteran wanted to take advantage of the mechanical's identical construction to his HK-50 counterparts. Since the unit on Peragus had admitted to having served on the Harbinger and, because Kaelan was convinced there were more of the droids out there, it stood to reason that they could also be spread among the Republic fleet.
With that in mind, the former Jedi planned to have HK claim to be the protocol droid that had served on the Harbinger. It was his hope that the Telosians would analyze both the droid and the datapad obtained from the facility, containing the logs of the Peragus security and medical officers, giving HK the opportunity to stage a prison break in whatever detention cell they were imprisoned in. Kaelan wasn't unfair, however. He couldn't deny that the planet's destruction had been triggered by his presence, so he told the assassin droid to wait at least twelve hours before proceeding ahead as scheduled. He would be providing the Telosians with enough evidence to clear his name by then. Any longer than that and they were wasting his time.
The sound of the bay's air-lock doors opening made the crew of the Ebon Hawk turn to see the approach of four members of what could only be the local police force. Their uniforms bore a striking resemblance to those of Republic soldiers, except that the red plate coverings had been swapped for gray ones. Though they moved with a relaxed posture, the presence of blaster rifles gave no doubt that they were prepared to defend themselves if pushed.
The one in front, a grizzly looking officer with slicked back brown hair bore his brown eyes into the group at his approach, a blaster pistol in his right hand. "I'm Lieutenant Grenn of the Telos Security Force," He announced as he stopped only a few feet away from the group in front of him. "I'm under orders to take you into custody in regards to the destruction of the Peragus Mining Facility."
"Are we under arrest?" Kaelan posed the question with a light tone, though he was mentally grinning at how his instincts had been right.
"You haven't been formally charged, but you will be placed under house arrest, a situation that is subject to change pending the results of our investigation. And before you ask, I have no specific time table to offer you."
Kaelan withdrew the datapad he'd acquired on Peragus from his armour's belt and tossed it to the officer, "This should help." He gave a slight smile at the speed with which the Lieutenant's armed escort raised their weapons in response to his action.
The TSF officer caught the data storage device with a frown, "What's this?"
"Logs I recovered from the facility before its destruction. They're from the medical and security officers."
Grenn nodded as he skimmed through the entries, "Very well, we will take these into consideration during our investigation." He placed the datapad into a pocket on his own belt then looked back at the exile. "While this case is still open, I'm sure you understand that your ship and droids will need to be in TSF hands for safekeeping."
Kaelan caught HK's glance to him at the officer's words, a silent request to proceed with the plan. A request answered by the veteran's slight nod, an action completely missed by the TSF.
"Request: Master," HK said as he took a couple of steps forward and addressed Grenn, "I may be able to assist in this investigation. I was one of the Republic protocol droids stationed on the Harbinger prior to its appearance at the Peragus Mining Facility."
"You're an HK protocol droid?" A note of surprise coated the officer's voice as he caught his first glimpse of the two metre tall droid.
"Affirmation: Correct, Master."
"In that case, you'll be coming with us." Grenn's statement was made with a motion of his hand toward himself, with HK-47 reluctantly following the command. "As for the rest of you," The TSF officer said as the rusty red framed assassin droid moved beside him, "My men will relieve of you of any personal arms and armour."
"As long as you don't expect us to strip in the docking bay," Atton said dryly.
Kaelan grinned at the comment while he relinquished control over his disruptors and vibroblade, Atton reluctantly following his lead as he forgo control over the lone mining laser still in his possession. The exile glanced to Kreia, half expecting her to hand over her lightsaber. A subtle wave of the old woman's hand made it clear she had no such intention, the dazed officer that searched her informing Grenn that she was clean. The TSF lieutenant led the way out of the docking bays, the three armed officers walking behind the captured travellers as they were escorted to the detention block.
A shuttle ride and minutes of walking later found the freighter's crew in one of the station's detention blocks- minus HK-47 since one of their escorts had moved to a different area halfway into their journey. Two rows of force cages lined what was essentially a short hallway. Orange and gray, a colour common throughout the station, composed the majority of the room's plating, though the block's sole entrance was a durasteel gray. The exile and his companions were placed in the closest force cages, their escort finally seeming to fully relax once the cage's electrical field sprang to life.
Green looked to Kaelan once he was confident the fields were stable, a fact he verified by checking one of consoles next to the door. "You will be held here until living quarters can be arranged, I trust you understand."
"I understand that I feel like we've been officially arrested," Atton said as he glared at the all too familiar containment chamber.
"As I said," The TSF officer said with a terse tone while he switched his gaze to the pilot, "This is only temporary. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to bear with us until then."
With Kaelan's acknowledgement of the situation, and a motion of his hand to the others, Grenn and the TSF moved outside the room. "Take it from one who knows," Aton began as he sat down in his cell. "We're going to be here for awhile, might as well get comfortable."
"The first sensible thing I've heard you say," Kreia said in reply as she lowered herself to a meditative position.
"Yeah," Atton spoke, his tone one of sarcasm, but his eyes told of a barley hidden edge. "Maybe there's hope for me yet."
The old woman cracked one of her eyes open to gaze at the pilot, "I would not put much faith in the prospect."
Atton's lips curled into a brief snarl and Kaelan decided it was time to interrupt the spat. "Atton's right, while the TSF are investigating all we can do is try to relax. At least until HK busts us out."
Atton looked at his companion with a slight frown, "Is that really a good idea? The TSF will be looking to arrest us if we escape."
"I know, but I can tell that the TSF want to pin Peragus' destruction on us. Otherwise, they wouldn't have put us in force cages, it doesn't take as long as they're making it out to for them to designate quarters for us."
"True," Atton said with a sideways nod, "But there's still the problem of avoiding the officers on the station."
"We'll find a way around it," Kaelan stated confidently. Although he knew he had only been inside two of the station's many modules, the lack of TSF in the detention block, and the immediate surroundings, suggested that the local authorities were stretched thin. "At any rate, this investigation is undoubtedly going to involve the Republic and I'd rather stay out of their sights."
Atton nodded his head in understanding at that and the three lapsed into silence.
Kaelan sat down on his cell, the feeling of bare clothing against his skin was not something he was used to. While the former Jedi had been given a set of local attire in exchange for his armour, both Atton and Kreia were still garbed in their original clothing, the TSF having not detected any devices on their person. Being without his armour gave him the feeling of being naked, despite the fact that he was garbed in a dark green tunic. The outcast had been separated from his protective attire far too often lately and it was starting to grate on his nerves.
"I would suggest," Kreia's voice interrupting his thoughts, "That you concentrate on more important matters, exile. You have been given an opportunity to continue strengthening your Force Affinity. Do not waste it."
Kaelan sent his acknowledgements, but not before strengthening his mental shields, oblivious to the small smirk that stretched across the old woman's lips at the action.
()()()
HK-47 stood in the centre of the main establishment of TSF operations on Citadel Station. One of the officers from the docking bay had escorted him to the dispatch section of the outpost. Various pieces of equipment were clustered against the left and centre sides of the small rectangular room. Monitors and consoles were on the left, the monitors showing visual feed of the more crime prone areas on the station, while the consoles made up the station's security network. More electronic interfaces were in the centre of the room, most of them responsible for managing select areas of the stations themselves, everything from power distribution to fuel control.
The droid had been questioned by Lieutenant Grenn for several hours. His Master had given him an abridged version of the HK-50's activities on both the Harbinger and Peragus and it was enough to get through the interrogation. Even so, the queries were repeated so often for clarification that the assassin droid was finding it hard to stay within the bounds of his mission parameters- to not permanently harm any of the TSF personnel or any civilians. His Master had been very stern in the command, despite the mechanical's pleas to the contrary.
Just when the HK unit felt like he had reached his limit, the TSF officer had left to check Republic records and continue inspecting the datapad Kaelan had given him, leaving the droid alone in the TSF security network. HK wasn't surprised, many meatbags had a low regard for droids and a protocol droid was hardly considered a threat. Of course, HK-47 was much more than that.
As soon as he was alone, the mechanical moved toward the terminals in the room, having already decided how to proceed; he had devoted the majority of his processor to the task of breaking his Master out of the detention facility during Grenn's interrogation. The assassin droid had decided to draw the TSF's attention away from their establishments. To that end, he would need to cause a distraction severe enough to keep the authorities efforts fixed in a select area, but not enough so that it put the entire station on high alert.
The answer was to disrupt the power grid in a select section. HK sliced into the Citadel network, easily bypassing the system's encryption while he downloaded a map of the station directly to his processor. He scoured through the data at lightning speed, pinpointing an ideal point of attack in less than thirty seconds. Calling up the power flow for module 064 and 065, the droid keyed for a slow increase of the power flow to the specified area, a process that would overload the conduits in a matter of minutes and leave the module in the dark, something bound to warrant an immediate response by the TSF.
His primary objective about to be accomplished, the droid switched to his secondary agenda and scoured the system for the whereabouts of the Ebon Hawk. He downloaded all relevant data into his processor, only storing it for now, analyzing would come later. The tasks accomplished, HK-47 erased all evidence of his intrusion before moving back to his previous location in the room and settling to wait.
It didn't take long for alarms to start blaring in the room, several TSF officers rushing inside in response. Lieutenant Grenn was one of the first to appear and immediately started barking out orders, "Report!"
"We've got a power destabilization in modules 064 and 065 sir," One of the officers at the controls replied. "The conduits are starting to overload."
"Shut them down, emergency procedures!"
"It's not working," The officer responded in frustration, after several attempts to do as instructed.
Lieutenant Grenn frowned at that information; modules 064 and 065 were two of the many sections in the facility where the TSF's presence wasn't as strong as preferred. He didn't even need to think on the subject to know that a panic would settle in with the citizens and workers in the area. Nestled in module 075, Grenn's TSF outpost was the closest able to respond. He ordered all but six officers to accompany him to the modules in question, hoping that they would be able to get there before a panic started.
HK watched with hidden amusement as the majority of the outpost's police force headed out of the area and to the nearest shuttle. With six of the officers remaining, and with no discernible weaponry at his disposal, the mechanical combatant pondered on how to proceed. Various tactical simulations sprouted through his control cluster, each one more appealing than the last. He reluctantly dismissed them, however, knowing he had to do the difficult task of rendering the officers unconscious without alerting them to the fact that he was responsible. Despite the absence of death involved in the task, HK couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue growing within his behaviour core. He always enjoyed a challenge.
While the assassin had no visible means of weapons at his disposal, a number of modular equipment had been mounted to his frame, underneath his wrist plating. Despite his damaged state, all of the weapon mounts were still functioning. Flamethrowers, plasma emitters, carbonite projectors, neural scramblers, and multi-spectral emitters were all fitted to his frame. The droid selected the neural scramblers within both his wrists and observed the movements of the six remaining TSF personnel, scanning for a pattern.
It didn't take the HK unit long to see exactly what he had been searching for and so he moved in. The main hall of the TSF outpost was wide and rectangular in design, its primary purpose being that of a redirection point to the many sections that branched off of it. From the map HK had downloaded, he knew that the primary armoury for the security forces, as well as the communications hub, barracks, medical bay, and private offices were but a few of those sections.
He designated the six officers in order of attack, having finally identified the pattern in their routes. Three of the officers were stationed by the entrance to the compound itself. They stayed still for the most part but, when the three did move, they did so in a counter-clockwise pattern that presented the assassin droid with multiple opportunities to silently neutralize them. Once they started moving again, he moved in.
HK-47 moved at a pace fast enough to close the distance quickly to target number one, but slow enough for his metallic limbs to barely be heard against the station's floor plating. He timed the strike so that when his servo-powered fist impacted into the side of the meatbag's head, the other two were facing the entrance to the TSF outpost, their eyes not witnessing their comrade falling unconscious to the floor.
Through the countless termination of meatbags across the galaxy, the assassin droid had learned of the various weak points in biologicals, and the best means of exploiting them. While most of these were geared specifically toward annihilation, in the wake of his orders to not cause permanent damage, he was able to extrapolate probable methods of incapacitation. The actions were not a certainty, however, which left the mechanical hopeful that he might overdue it. It went against his primary programming to purposely disobey the orders of his Master, but that didn't mean he couldn't do it accidentally.
To the assassin droid's dismay, however, his prediction for incapacitating the meatbag in front of him was a reasonable one. His fist struck the biological at the point where the body's neurons led to the base of the brain, with a force just hard enough to temporarily disrupt the neural activity, enough to render the meatbag unconscious. With target one neutralized, HK activated the neural scramblers underneath his wrist plating and swiftly moved toward targets two and three. The emitting shocks were set to a frequency designed to disrupt a target's neurons by jamming the electro-chemical signals, essentially making them a more practical way of subduing opponents than the approach the droid took with his first target.
Targets two and three quickly collapsed from the impact, the shocks disrupting their nervous system so fast they didn't even have time to scream. After that it was a simple matter to hunt the remaining three down, HK quickly dispatched them with the neural scrambler, ensuring that none of them saw their attacker. With his means of escape now open, the mechanical combatant utilized the map still imprinted in his processor to quickly make his way to the detention block a few levels below the TSF outpost.
()()()
Atton sat in his cell, feeling the same way he had on Peragus, bored out of his mind. He wasn't one to be confined into one area, it was part of the reason he had supported Kaelan's plan for early release. He had briefly asked why they didn't just use Kreia's lightsaber, or the pair's command of the Force, to disrupt the security field. Kaelan had only raised a brow in response at first. In case you haven't noticed, he had said, those are obvious signs of a Jedi, and the whole point of this is to avoid drawing Republic attention, not encourage it.
Thinking of the exile made the pilot glance at the man in question. He too was sitting his cell, though Atton got the impression that he was asleep and not meditating like he was certain Kreia was. The corners of his lips quirked up in a slight grin, Kaelan wasn't at all what he had expected from a Jedi.
The pilot couldn't help but draw comparisons between Kaelan and himself. The outcast had a guarded past just as he, one he had tried to escape as well. Despite their similarities though, Atton still wanted to ask his companion a lot of questions. The strong reaction he had received from a question as simple as why he didn't carry a lightsaber anymore, deterred Atton from asking Kaelan, however.
Instead, he turned to Kreia. "Explain something to me," He whispered just loud enough for the old woman to hear.
"I have neither the time nor the desire to placate your mind."
"If he served in the war," Atton continued, ignoring Kreia's dismissing response, "Well…Jedi are supposed to be tough, capable."
"Yes," The old woman said, cracking her eyes open as she turned to regard the pilot, "And what are they without the Force? Take the greatest of the Order, strip away the Force, and what remains? Very little. It is something unconsciously relied on, depended upon so strongly that, when it is taken away, it would be like one such as you becoming blind at the snap of one's fingers."
"To lose that much," Atton trailed off, not willing to think about how he would have to struggle to adapt to such a thing- or if he even would.
"Do not be so surprised, in many ways even you are more capable than a Jedi."
Atton knew that all too well. The simple statement threatened to drudge up suppressed memories, and it was only with his sheer will that they were forced back down. He took a moment to calm his mind and was about to ask another question when Kaelan jerked in his cell. The former Jedi didn't wake, but the movement was enough for the pilot to hold his tongue.
"We have spoken enough of this," Kreia said, her eyes on Kaelan as well. "And we do him a disservice by not speaking of this while he is conscious."
Atton had a hard time believing that to be her real reason for ending the conversation, but he only nodded in reply as he sat down to rest once more.
()()()
()
"Standby, drop is in five."
The voice of Captain Rahn, the commanding officer of the Praetorian class frigate Defender, came through the COM system onboard one of the frigate's troop transports. The fluorescent lighting inside had been replaced with dim red, a silent reminder that battle was nearing. While the twenty soldiers occupying the assault craft were seated and strapped down in close quarter seating, their leader took to pacing the small space in-between the seating, brown robes billowing slightly from his slow movements.
Commander Kaelan Nalto was growing impatient. Now that the space above Vanquo had been cleared he was to lead the first wave against the Mandalorians operating on the planet's northern hemisphere. The padawan was well aware of the Mandalorian's true purpose in this attack, the planet's mining operations were essential to Taris. An attack at Vanquo only meant that the crusaders were preparing for an attack on Taris, and were drawing away the Republic's attention to do so.
Revan, of course, was all too aware of this fact as well, but the Republic fleet was stretched thin in the sector and they could only spare enough forces to liberate the planet from the small detachment of Mandalorians. The space battle above Vanquo had been bad enough. Many ships on both sides had burned above the planet, making it look as though Vanquo's skies had been alight with fire. Now the Republic was gearing up for a ground assault that promised to be even more brutal than the ship to ship fighting.
To break the Mandalorian's grip on the planet, Revan had devised an attack against three separate locations. The given areas were the strength behind Mandalorian control. If the Republic broke through those areas then the Mandalorians would be pushed back, whether they wanted to be or not.
"Commander?" Sergeant Arlos called as Kaelan continued to pace the deck, "Wouldn't you rather take a seat sir?"
The padawan turned to face the Sergeant, a grin on his face. "What's the point? We'll get to ground just fine."
The Force Sensitive's confidence was contagious and the non-com found herself smiling despite her doubts, a feeling that was quickly becoming a distant one.
"Are you sure about that sir?" A nervous looking Private asked from near the front of the transport.
"What's your name Private?" Kaelan asked in turn, sensing there was more to the soldier's apprehension than the prospect of dying in the atmosphere; though it was a fear shared by all infantry.
The nervous soldier, a young looking man no more than nineteen, looked at his commanding officer. "Ornil, sir."
"Don't worry Ornil," Kaelan said as he laid a hand on the man's shoulder, "Stay with me and you'll be fine."
Slowly, the fear and apprehension started to fade until the young soldier was left with an expression as stern as those of his comrades. He gave his superior a nod in acknowledgement, one that Kaelan returned with a smile. The Commander considered giving a speech to those in the transport, but dismissed the idea. A quick use of the Force told him that his platoon was already confident and committed.
It was only a fraction of the padawan's task force, however. Two other transports deploying from the Defender were part of Kaelan's strike team, each under the command of the company's more experienced soldiers- Second Lieutenant Threl and Warrant Officer Serth. The other two would be landing five kilometres away from each other, the plan of attack being to spearhead through enemy lines in a reverse trident attack pattern, converge in the middle, and continue fighting as a single unit until all the Mandalorians were dead.
Revan had personally asked him to assist the Republic in this battle, having been impressed with his command ability and tactical prowess. Such skills had been demonstrated after his superior, Jedi Ren, had been killed in one of the many skirmishes at Phindar. Kaelan had stepped in, leading the other Jedi to accomplish their objective with minimal casualties. Revan had taken a strong interest in him after that, testing his tactical and strategic insight with simulated problems. He claimed to be pleasantly surprised by some of Kaelan's proposed solutions- though the padawan couldn't help but doubt that.
The Revanchist himself was not present in this battle, however, having gone to scout out the situation on Onderon and Dxun. Alek and many of the others were on Suurja, another key resource world for Taris. Three other battles had already been fought on the planet, and Revan was determined to keep it from being conquered. Having anticipated a strike against the other resource planets of Jebble, Tarnith, and Vanquo, Revan knew something had to be done. The Revanchists numbers were far too small to protect all three worlds but, after hearing of the Republic's plan to retake Vanquo, Revan had chosen Kaelan, and a few select others, to assist. The Republic had welcomed Kaelan and his group right away, giving them temporary command status once Revan's plan was unveiled.
"Commander, thirty seconds to insertion."
"Thanks for the heads up Crix," Kaelan spoke into his COM-link, knowing the transmission was from the transport's pilot. He had only met the young man in the Defender's hangar but they had instantly taken a liking to one another.
"Anytime Kaelan, but don't thank me yet," The pilot said with a slight chuckle. "I've still got to get you to the surface in one piece."
"Why is everyone but me worried about that?" Kaelan asked with exasperation, though the humour was still in his voice. "We'll get to ground intact."
"I'm not worried Kaelan, just telling you when to start worshipping me."
The padawan laughed at the statement, "So you say." He disengaged the COM-link and placed the device back on his belt.
"Not a good sign when the soldier has to reassure the pilot," Sergeant Arlos muttered.
The non-com's statement made a grin stretch across all the faces around him, having been loud enough to be heard by everyone in the transport.
The red light on the transport pulsed twice, a sight quickly accompanied by the feeling of freefall as the transport emerged from the Defender's starboard hangar, the other two from Kaelan's group right behind his own, as the assault shuttles streaked through the atmosphere of Vanquo. None of the fleet's transports or starfighters made it very far toward ground level before a storm of anti-aircraft cannons opened fire.
The primary ammunition of most anti-aircraft cannons was blaster flak, a type of ammunition that relied on a high power supply to propel it far enough into the air to adequately damage enemy aircraft. Such an energy source, however, was highly unstable. It could only last for a handful of seconds before the energy's core pressure reached critical levels, resulting in an implosion. The implosions were almost as devastating as direct hits, each one slowly draining a target's shields, making the targeted craft more susceptible to destruction.
There was no real practical defence for such an attack. Even the best of pilots were unable to navigate something as bulky as a transport through such crossfire. Fortunately, Kaelan knew of one way to get his team through. "Hound's Eye to all pilots" The padawan spoke into his COM-link, having set the device to the company frequency. "Bring the engines to 120 percent of maximum."
Crix and the others warily acknowledged the command, a jolt in the transport signifying the increase in the assault craft's velocity. "Engines are running hot!" Crix called to his Commander, "E.T.A to insertion marker at this speed is three minutes!"
Despite the pilot's stressed warning, their current time of arrival was now much shorter than was considered safe, even in battlefield conditions, Kaelan only set his jaw. "Understood."
The transport continued to rock from the blaster flak still erupting around them. The jarring force was enough that the soldiers were finding it difficult to stay steady, even while strapped in, leaving many of them to wonder how their Force Sensitive Commander could stay upright with only a grip on a single handhold. The Republic soldiers listened intently to the pilot's chattering that could be heard from their superior's COM-link. Crix was continually listing off the amount of kilometres to ground; every so often he would say the padawan's name, as if to be sure he were still listening to the numbers of their rapidly falling altitude.
"Sixty….fifty…."
"Stay on course."
"Twenty…..ten."
"Land!"
Crix and the other pilots acknowledged the command, cutting power to the engines and pulling their respective transports into tight arcs. The crafts skimmed the planet's surface, each pilot managing to pull their transports up with barely metres to spare. The avian inspired assault craft touched ground, the wide loading ramp slamming down not a moment later, Kaelan being the first one out. "Welcome to the Vanquo Resort," Crix spoke into the COM, his tone bordering on taunting as the pilot's passengers stormed out of the transport.
"I hope you remembered to make a reservation," Kaelan called back dryly.
Crix laughed at that, "Of course, but I put in on your tab. Lucky for you though, extraction is on me."
"You're too gracious."
A final laugh came from the assault craft pilot before he guided his transport a safe distance away from the Mandalorians waiting ahead. Crix had set the strike team near a small hill that was just large enough to provide cover for the transport and its disembarking passengers. Their enemies were waiting beyond and Kaelan didn't wait long before securing his COM-link back on his belt and selecting his lightsaber instead.
The blue blade pulsed to life with a hiss, the padawan already moving toward the Mandalorian lines while he pointed the weapon in the direction of their enemies. "Platoon, forward!"
The soldiers took up the battle cry with roars of approval, moving after their commanding officer in a scattered variation of an inverted V. Red bolts erupted from the enemy encampment as soon as they were visible, forcing Kaelan to move his blade in tight swings to redirect the deadly energy projectiles. Sergeant Arlos shouldered her blaster rifle and squeezed off a burst, while side-stepping to avoid answering fire, the others following her example.
In their short time on the planet, the Mandalorians had erected a series of trenches and barriers; the Republic outnumbered them to the point where it would be foolish to do anything other than dig in and wait. The trenches had only been dug deep enough to conceal the stomach and lower body of the occupants. Still, with the Mandalorians guarding the planet's refineries, located in large mining camps- some of which were as large as cities- a ground assault was the only available option.
Kaelan was cursing that fact as more of the enemy combatants started to open fire on the advancing Republic platoon. Red bolts from both sides discharged toward the other, the warriors able to take the valuable time to aim, while the Republic infantry fired more out of a sense of desperation. It was an attempt to force their foe to seek cover and stop firing long enough for the Republic soldiers to gain a reprieve. It wasn't working, however, and it wasn't long before Kaelan's forces found themselves hard pressed to keep advancing.
Just when the Commander was considering ordering a withdrawl, the blaster fire suddenly ceased. It was so unexpected that the padawan stopped dead in his tracks, Sergeant Arlos and the others following suit. The Mandalorians had never stopped in any engagement, it went against everything they believed in. It was a sight that filled Kaelan with dread; he couldn't help but feel they were planning something.
"Energy rounds incoming!" Arlos screamed out the warning as she pointed toward the sky.
The Commander turned to see that the Sergeant was correct. The green orbs falling from the sky signified why their enemy had stopped firing, to group them together enough for the energy blasts to riddle through the platoon. He knocked himself out of his shocked stupor, "Disperse!"
The command was instantly obeyed as soldiers scattered in every direction, the Mandalorians resuming fire not long after. One of the troopers was unable to run to safety in time, an energy blast striking near enough to his position that he was killed as the energy spreaded outwards. Another three were killed as a multitude of blaster bolts tore through their energy resistant armour, cauterizing the flesh beneath.
A loud curse escaped Kaelan's lips as he pushed himself back to the front, once again becoming the prime target for enemy combatants. Clever, the padawan thought with a mixture of anger and sadness while he continued to deflect enemy fire; he'd just lost nearly a quarter of his platoon from a completely unexpected form of attack.
Energy rounds were a more experimental form of artillery, one not at all as practical as their concussion shell counterparts. Energy rounds required a large amount of power to fire, making each power core a one use thing and the reloading process a lengthy one; replacement power cores had to be installed afterward to recharge the weapons.
Concussion shells, on the other hand, were a more practical type of ammunition. Highly explosive and requiring only a minimal amount of energy to expel, the ammunition was the more common sight on the battlefield. Able to travel at a speed fast enough to punch through solid durasteel, the velocity alone made them deadly weapons. Adding the secondary payload to the equations, explosives that detonated on impact, only furthered its destructive potential.
"Arlos," Kaelan shouted amidst the constant sounds of discharging blasters and the hum of his own weapon s he continually deflected the bolts moving toward him. "Did you get a fix on those artillery positions?"
"I have a rough idea Commander," The woman replied after doing a quick set of evasive rolls.
"Good, tell Two and Three Platoon that its their new objective."
"Yes sir," Arlos responded, reluctantly disengaging from the battle while she moved into a nearby crater, now protected from blaster fire, and relayed the order. She'd seen the artillery fire come from a position over some hills to either side of the Mandalorian encampment and she told as much to Threl and Serth.
With the platoon leaders' acknowledgements, Arlos turned her attention back to the battle. The path in front of her was ablaze with red. Even with Kaelan further ahead to draw enemy fire, enough was still directed at the troops that they were finding if exceedingly difficult to keep moving forward and stay alive.
The sight of another soldier fall, as a storm of energy projectiles riddled through his evasive manoeuvre path, made Kaelan cringe. A lot of ground had already been covered by the platoon, but there was still a remaining distance of a hundred metres left to cover. The initial sprint had declined to a steady jog, a pace that was slowing even further as evasive sequences became preferable to forward action.
That was something the Commander intended to change. "Platoon," The Commander's voice was loud enough to carry to their enemies, "Fire and advance!"
A simple command, fire and advance called for an attacking force to split into its respective fire teams. One trooper would fire their respective weapon and force nearby enemies to take cover while their partner took advantage of the presented opportunity and sprinted to the nearest available cover. The process was repeated until the distance between the combatants was closed enough that each side could openly engage the other. What was left of Kaelan's platoon split into their fire teams, or formed new ones, and started utilizing the aggressive skirmish tactic.
A somewhat shaky voice called from behind Kaelan, "Uh…sir?"
The padawan didn't need to look behind him to know the Private he'd spoken to in the transport was the one talking. Nor did he need to ask to know that his question was about whether he should break off and join one of the fire teams. Kaelan had no way of knowing how many he'd lost, nor did he dare find out. He wasn't about to let the soldiers leave his side, however, he'd effectively made a promise. "We stay together Ornil."
"Yes sir, thank you sir."
Kaelan continued deflecting enemy fire, finding himself hard-pressed to keep it up as more and more Mandalorians started targeting the Force Sensitive in their sights. The padawan's blue blade looked to be nothing but a stream of light in front of him while he continually used the Force to anticipate the trajectory of the incoming blasts. He had to concentrate exclusively on blaster bolt deflection, so much so that he was barely aware of his own feet moving forward.
"Commander, look out!"
The warning was completely ignored by its recipient, or so it seemed to Ornil. The soldier had been in the same position for the majority of the battle, several metres behind- and to the left- of the padawan. Kaelan seemed to be concentrating so hard on what he was doing that he didn't notice another energy round baring down on his position. Making a snap decision, Ornil closed the distance between himself and his superior and tackled him to the right side.
The two rolled on the ground for a few seconds, another energy round impacting into the place the pair had stood only moments before. Kaelan was too shocked by the sudden interruption in his concentration to decipher what happened right away. When he did finally come to, he realized that he had been pushed into one of the many shallow craters on Vanquo's surface. It was just deep enough to shield the Commander from the blaster fire looming overhead. The thought of the energy projectiles made him think of the platoon under his command, Ornil in particular. He quickly moved himself to a crouching position, scanning for the Private.
It only took a cursory glance to find the man's body, unmoving, only a few metres to Kaelan's left. The padawan quickly moved at a crouch to the soldier's side. "Ornil?" The tentative question hung in the air while Kaelan reached out with the Force and assessed him for injury. It only took a split second for him to realize that the Private was grievously injured, a visual check confirming it as the sight of four blaster bolts in the man's left side greeted the padawan's sight, bolts that would normally have been intercepted by his lightsaber.
A weak groan escaped Ornil's lips, blood oozing down both his side and mouth. "Co….Com…mander?"
"Hang on Ornil, I'm getting you out of here."
Even though Kaelan knew there was no way he could heal such an extensive wound, either through conventional methods or with the Force, he still reached for his COM-link and made to contact Crix. His thumb was just pressing on the switch when Ornil weakly extended his left arm, as though wanting to be helped back up to continue the fight. For reasons he couldn't explain, the padawan brought his right hand towards the soldier's extended limb. His fingers were only a split second away from clasping the man's hand in his own when Ornil's arm fell limply back to his side, Kaelan's enclosed fingers now gripping nothing but air. He looked down at the soldier, not needing the Force to know he was dead.
"I'm sorry kid," The softly spoken words falling from his lips as he gazed at the corpse, a feeling of misery flooding his mind for he saw as his own failure to safeguard the very soldier he said he would.
That misery churned to a seething rage as the sounds of battle returned to his senses and, with it, the desire for vengeance. Kaelan sprinted toward the Mandalorian encampment, his blue blade deflecting bolts with a skill he could scarcely imagine he possessed. His cry for a charge echoed across the ravaged landscape, one that was answered by what was left of his platoon.
()()()
()
Kaelan's eyes shot open, his gaze frantically searching for Mandalorians warriors. His mind started to calm once he realized he was still in one of the force cages within a detention block on Citadel Station. The rage he'd felt at the memory slowly began to fade as the veteran became aware of his surroundings. The Battle at Vanquo had been his first time in command and, though he had personally succeeded with his objective, the others had not. In the end, the Mandalorians had claimed victory, though they had lost a significant portion of their own forces. The battle had been the first time the Force Sensitive had entered an extreme bout of rage- none of the skirmishes had ever gotten such a strong reaction from him- but it certainly hadn't been the last.
The exile glanced at the others, his eyes first focusing on Kreia, who looked to be in meditation, and then to Atton, who simply sat within his cell, looking bored. He wanted to ask how long they'd been inside the cells but was cut off by Kreia's declaration of something approaching. The door to the detention block slid open and the familiar sight of HK-47 stepped through.
"Greeting: It is good to see you still intact Master."
A grin touched the former General's lips as the assassin droid moved toward the block's control panel and deactivated the force cages. As soon as the security fields were down, Kaelan and the others stepped out of their cells. "How did it go HK?"
"Egotistical Boast: I have been completely successful in accomplishing my objectives Master. A power shortage in modules 064 and 065 has distracted the Telosian meatbags, all requested data has been downloaded from the station's security network into my central processor, and all traces of my infiltration have been erased."
"And?" Kaelan pressed slightly, knowing the droid was well aware of what he really wanted to know.
"Annoyed Statement: And, as ordered, no meatbags have been…permanently harmed."
HK spoke as though the last two words were poison to his vocabulator and it brought a slight smile to Kaelan's features. "Good. In that case, I take it you know where our equipment has been stored?"
"Answer: Yes Master, follow me."
As Kaelan and the others trailed after the mechanical, Atton regarded the outcast oddly. "Hey, you okay?"
It was at that moment, that the veteran realized his breathing was heavier than normal, the remnants of his last resurfacing memory still managing to affect him. "I'm fine," He said after taking a moment to compose himself, not even bothering to face the pilot as he answered. If he had, he would have noticed Atton's un-convinced expression and Kreia's scowl as she shook her head.
The assassin droid led the trio to a secure storage room, the sight of an unconscious TSF officer around the entryway making it clear that something valuable was inside. That something turned out to be Kaelan's gear, equipment that was quickly reunited with its owner. The exile closed the storage room door long enough to re-don his armour and cloak, as well as retrieving his disruptors and vibroblade; he wasn't surprised that none of the security personnel had recognized his side-arms as the illegal weaponry they truly were, the weapons had to be physically stripped down for such an observation to be made. A spare blaster pistol and additional vibroblade were handed to Atton, who was more than happy to have something other than a mining laser in his arsenal.
Emerging from the armoury, Kaelan looked to the rusty red mechanical. "Did you find out where the Ebon Hawk is? I want to secure the ship before we do anything else."
"Hesitant Answer: I've just analyzed the data I downloaded while in the station network. It appears that the freighter was not moved to its intended destination of impound dock AA-21."
A deep scowl adorned the former Jedi's expression, "Then where is it?"
"Speculation: The relative strength of the Repubic Navy around the station would lead to an unlikelihood of escape from the sector; my calculations only show an eight point three percent chance of success on such a course of action. With no record of the vessel in any other docking bay on the station, the only remaining option is landing on the surface of Telos itself."
"On the surface?" Atton repeated in disbelief, "This day just keeps getting better and better."
"What's the problem?" Kaelan asked with a glance between Atton and HK. "We'll just secure another ship and take it to Telos."
The pilot glanced at his companion, the look of disbelief only more pronounced upon hearing the veteran's words. "What, you think this dead zone of a planet is open to tourists? Only those authorized to work in the Restoration Zones are allowed access to the planet, anybody else would be intercepted by the Republic. And before you get any bright ideas, shuttles bound for the Restoration Zone are locked up tighter than a Hutt's vault. I doubt if HK could even get in."
"Objection: The indignation of such a remark can not be put into words, but suffice it to say that I am willing, and most eager, to prove you wrong meatbag."
"What groups have access to the Restoration Zones?" Kaelan quickly interjected, not wanting Atton and HK-47 to get into a spat.
"Answer: Current Citadel Station records show a local herd of Ithorians and a branch of Czerka Corporation to be the parties responsible for managing the Restoration Project."
"Well then," The former Jedi said as he headed out of the detention block, "We'll just have to find out who's better suited to help us."
I know right, FINALLY the AU has really started.
Another flashback of the Mandalorian Wars. I have to say I was a little disappointed from what I read in wookieepedia about what's considered Expansion canon on the conflict. I expected the Revanchists to get involved sooner than they actually did, so I made the Exile involved with the Battle of Vanquo. Seems like it could have been possible from what I read.