Writer's notes: Updated 07 NOV 06. This is the aftermath of the battle and the jumpoff to Tatooine. I'm introducing several OCs to spice things up and keep the story fresh. Saul begins to waver as he understands that his original ideals have been sullied, but the hold of the Dark Side is strong. Yes, there is a real Aerin Dakar. We get a glimpse of what makes Canderous tick.
The Woman in the Dunes – Part I
Thyferra System – Day Three – 0445Z
The detritus of space warfare drifted lazily through the void; hull parts, engines, and an odd body or two. Against all hope, the Republic Fleet had held against the onslaught of Malak's power.
As a testament to the ferocity of the battle, the Majestic drifted as smaller vessels moored alongside her, trying to hold her in place for repairs. One of her massive ion engines had been sheered away by Sith fire and her thrusters were offline.
Nearby, the Intrepid burned fiercely, her damage control teams fighting valiantly to contain the blaze.
Off in the distance, Republic vessels pursued a handful of Sith warships unable to jump to hyperspace. Turbolaser and ion cannon tore into the Sith vessels until they were unable to flee. Then, Republic marines boarded and seized the ships from the dead hands of the enemy.
Aboard the Majestic, the Communications Officer turned back to see Admiral Dodonna. "Ma'am, incoming communications from the marine boarding party."
Forn nodded and the hologram of a striking young marine appeared. The crest of the Republic was emblazoned on the chest of his body armor and soot covered his face. Smoke could be seen roiling in the background.
"Admiral, this is Captain Durren. We have secured several Sith vessels. I am calling from the bridge of the Sith Battlecruiser Purgatory," the marine said proudly.
"Good work, Captain. We'll need to get those vessels back to Intelligence to exploit their technology. I want to know how they are manufacturing these ships at such an incredible rate."
"We saw nothing that would give us a clear answer to that, Admiral, but much of their databanks are still intact. Admiral…it's good to be on the winning side for once."
Forn managed a brief smile. "It is indeed. I'll be sending over some computer exploitation teams. We need some answers soon. Dodonna out."
After the Republic mopped up the remaining Sith ships, Admiral Dodonna breathed a sigh of relief from her blackened command chair.
This is our first major victory over the Sith… but at what cost? Half my ships are crippled and the Majestic is out of commission.
Quiet cheers reverberated throughout the battered flagship. Forn looked out of the forward viewing port and saw her starfighters being recovered by the carrier, Republic Standard. A tense smile crossed her lips. "You came through for me again, Carth. You always were my right hand man," she whispered.
She looked over to the Ops Officer. "Begin damage control and rescue operations. We have a lot of stranded crews out there."
Near the wreck of the Sith Fleet
Somewhere in space, Canderous Ordo floated along, tethered to his dead bomber. His environmental suit was damaged and his back was seriously burned. Despite this minor discomfort, he had enjoyed watching the destruction of the Sith Fleet. He chuckled to himself, imagining the Sith crews screaming as their ships were burning around them. As he bounced on the end of the tether, he played over in his mind battles long past. "Jagi, if you could see me now, you would laugh. Canderous Ordo, crushing the enemies of the Republic."
He envisioned his closest warrior companions during their prime in their ruinous war against the Republic.
Jagi, stout of heart and body. You were the bravest of the brave, never questioning my orders and always leading the attack. I still morn your death at Althir.
Ergeron, tall and broad of shoulder. Wisest and most savvy of my warriors. I could use your counsel now. I remember our last parting during the last campaign on Malachor. Why did I leave you with the Mandalore? You should have flown by my side and fought with me against General T'Sing in the frozen wastes. Instead, you and Geratt stood by the Mandalore's side while he was slain by Revan's blade.
Kelborn, Bralor, strong and powerful. You were my most reliable wingmen. We tore a great hole in Malak and Saul Karath's fleet, didn't we? Well, I bloodied those two again today for Mandalorian honor.
Xarga, you showed your mettle against General T'Sing. I'll never forget our final charge against her behemoth. We taught her a thing or two that day.
My fellow warriors, where are you now? Are you dead? Then I hope it was an honorable death.
Canderous smiled under his helmet. Then, his face twisted up as he recalled those, who had fallen.
Sherruk, killed by a Jedi whelp on a backwater world. Such a dishonorable death…. What happened to you? You were once a warrior to be feared.
And you too, Bendak Starkiller. No warrior but the Mandalore could stand before you and your handling of the fleets brought you great honor. I watched you die by that hand of that same Jedi, laid low in a cesspit on some ruined world.
What have we become? We, who were once masters of the galaxy.
And what of this Jedi, this Aerin Dakar? She is a woman of contradictions. Smug, though inexperienced and incapable of handling the realities of a harsh world, she can fight like a demon.
An explosion in the distance ripped part of the hull of a Sith ship away and he looked back at the smoldering hulk of the Red Dragon and his heart swelled with pride.
Off in the distance, he noticed an object closing; it was a Republic rescue shuttle. Canderous yawned. "It's about time."
Sith Warship Leviathan - Location Unknown – Day Three – 1030Z
Darth Malak stewed quietly as the remnants of his fleet gathered at the rendezvous point. Battered warships and handfuls of starfighters leapt into real space around the damaged flagship. Admiral Karath had succeeded in saving a few Sith vessels, but their losses were staggering.
In his torn and sooty uniform, Saul warily approached the Dark Lord. "M…M'Lord…the fleet is gathered. W…what are your orders?"
Malak waved offhandedly as if he did not care. "Maintain a defensive posture. We will have replacements in three weeks. Begin training new crews. I'll be returning to the Star Forge for the time being."
Saul bowed as the Dark Jedi strode from the Bridge, bringing silver armored troops to attention. The Admiral sighed in relief.
This damn war will be long and bloody; the fighting will never end. We were supposed to quickly overthrow the weak, corrupt Senate and replace it with vision and strength. All we do now is slaughter and be slaughtered. Revan, where is the vision you showed me? Where is the strength of your mind?
Saul sat in the command chair and exhaled deeply. Revan's guidance was gone, lost in the blood of innocents.
Republic Warship Majestic – After the Battle of Thyferra – Day Three - 1130Z
Having been returned to the crippled Majestic, Canderous chuckled to himself as he walked into the briefing room. He noticed all of his comrades from the Ebon Hawk gathered in front of Admiral Dodonna. A look of relief spread through the crowd and Canderous smirked, amused by their concern for him. "It's going to take more than a Sith carrier to kill this Mandalorian. I've butted heads against bigger, badder enemies, yourselves included." He took a seat next to Aerin and leaned back, crossing his arms smugly.
The Admiral gave the Mandalorian a half smile. "I never hoped to be fighting alongside of a Mandalorian, but you've changed my mind. You're welcome in my fleet any time."
"And you will be welcome in mine, Admiral," Canderous replied seriously.
The Admiral let out a nervous chuckle. "Carth, Bastila, and the crew of the Ebon Hawk, you have done a great service to the Republic. Without you, the battle may have gone against us. According to my agreement with Master Vandar, I now release you from my service to continue your mission. I have consulted with the Jedi, and we wish to provide you with a little extra manpower to assist in your task. I'm going to give you three of my Marines and two of my intelligence officers. They will no doubt prove valuable."
At that, Commander Ergot walked in, leading the four other Republic officers. He nodded respectfully to Admiral Dodonna and approached the group. "I am here to serve and to ensure the completion of the mission." Although he sounded sincere, he shot Aerin a wicked glance, which was not lost on her.
Following him was a petite young woman with short, blonde hair. She wore the rank of an ensign and carried herself with dignity.
The three marines stood at attention before Admiral Dodonna. She motioned them forward. "Carth, this is Captain Kyle Durren of the Republic Marines. He is one of my best."
Durren gave Carth a smart salute and then shook hands with the others.
Belaya rose from her seat and looked haltingly around the room, seemingly unsure of herself. Still feeling out of her element, she struggled to maintain her composure. It was one thing to be among the Jedi, but quite another to interact with the rugged troops of the Republic. "I want to thank the Admiral for her assistance. We should now take our leave. Please remember, that for this quest, we must hide our affiliation with the Order and with the Republic."
"Where is your next destination?" asked the Admiral.
"The Force has guided us to travel to Tatooine," answered Belaya.
"That hunk of rocks and sand? What could possibly be on that world?"
Belaya looked away. "The Force will show us a map to Malak's facility."
Admiral Dodonna nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes, the Star Maps. Well, I wish you luck and good fortune and, as you say, may the Force be with you."
After gathering their belongings and supplies from the fleet, the team returned to the hangar bay and boarded the Ebon Hawk. They received a priority clearance for departure and glided into space. From the Star Map, Bastila input the coordinates for Tatooine and Carth jumped the ship into hyperspace.
The two-day journey to the desert planet went in relative silence. Aerin and Bastila slept most of the time, having been exhausted from the battle. Canderous and Zaalbar took the controls, allowing Carth to snooze. When Carth awoke, he saw a uniformly tan sphere in the forward window. He activated the sensors and made a radio call to Tatooine Center to get landing clearance.
Aerin and Belaya stepped forward onto the flight deck. They took a quick look at Tatooine in the window and Belaya glanced over at Carth. "What's the weather like?" she asked.
Carth laughed. "Currently, it's hot and dry. We expect hot and dry weather for the afternoon and the forecast is hot and dry. Don't forget your moisturizer."
Aerin rolled her eyes. "This is going to suck."