Star Wars: Rebels: The Rising Darkness
Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.
A/N: A most sincere thank you to all my readers, most certainly those who reviewed, and everyone else who is currently favoring and/or following this story. It is support like your own that truly and really makes it all worthwhile.
Chapter 2: Desolate
It had been three days since both Imperials and Rebels had received their missions. The afternoon sun shined brightly in the sky over Worlport, the capital city of Ord Mantell. The coastal resort community stood on the edge of the ocean, nothing but rolling seas toward the horizon beyond the sandy beaches and the durasteel promenades elevated over the water. Countless restaurants, shops and boutiques, hotels and casinos, and pretty much every entertainment venue imaginable dotted the cityscape within the shoreline.
During the vacation season, the city was typically packed with tourists from across the galaxy seeking an escape from their daily lives, with countless locals catering to the industry such vacation-seekers provide. Now however, the sky over the city lacked the sounds of bustling city life and holiday merriment, for instead it was shrouded in smoke billowing from the destruction that plagued the streets and buildings below. Whenever night fell, instead of the glow of lights from windows, streetlamps, and holosigns, the glow came from the scattered fires that still burned from the scars of war. Indeed, it was civil war that had descended on Worlport and engulfed the city in a matter of hours less than a week prior, transforming the popular vacation hub into a battlefield.
It was this disheartening and miserable hell that the Ghost flew down towards, making way for the spaceport in the northwestern boroughs. The complex was riddled with carbon scoring from blaster fire, and the main entrance facing the city had been blown open, signifying the uprising had been fought in and around the spaceport as well. The emergency blast doors on several of the hangar bays were sealed, but Hera expertly navigated her starship to a bay that was still open. The charred wreckage of a planetary shuttle was still smoldering on the floor to the left side, so the experienced Twi'lek pilot carefully maneuvered her vessel to the side, touching down without difficulty. The crew wasted little time in disembarking, knowing time would be of the essence, and still uncertain how the locals would take to their sudden appearance in their war-torn city. Ezra was the first to speak as everyone scanned their surroundings.
"I know we're at war with the Empire and everything, but I can't ever imagine something like this happening to Lothal. From above, the entire city looked like it was burning not long ago," the young Padawan lamented, clearly unprepared for the carnage of urban warfare.
The older members of the crew, Sabine included, could only think back to times when they had seen a sight like this before. War had never been far from any of them. Kanan placed his hand on the shoulder of his apprentice in a sympathetic gesture.
"Your first actual battlefield is never an easy experience. Just stay close to us, Ezra. It may not be easy to tell from friend or foe this time around."
"According to the report from Ahsoka, our contact from the resistance should be waiting for us in the main lobby further inside the terminal. The rest of you go on ahead, Chopper and I need to run some diagnostics and keep theGhost secure," Hera informed the others. She exchanged glances with Kanan before nodding to him in affirmation, which he returned.
"All right, but remember we'll contact you as soon as we reach the hideout," the recently-anointed Jedi Knight told his longtime partner.
"I'll await your transmition," the Twi'lek replied professionally, but with a glimmer of assurance in her eyes as well. Kanan's reflected the same.
Once outside the hangar bay in the terminal concourse, Sabine activated the lamp on her helmet to help illuminate the way. If electrical power was still connected to the building, it certainly wasn't being used for any of the lights. Various benches, advertisements, vendor stalls, and fake foliage lay broken and strewn about the place, indicating fighting had been intense indoors. More carbon scoring marked the walls, and deep and thick blast marks on the walls and floor as well signified grenades had gone off.
"This place is too quiet, I don't like this one bit," Sabine commented as she and the others continued cautiously making their way down the concourse.
"No kidding. I'm not getting a good feeling," Zeb added warily.
After another few minutes of uncertainty and careful treading, the four finally arrived at the forward lobby, which was illuminated by the sun pouring in from the blown out entrance and a rather large hole in the roof. To their surprise, they found the expansive room to be empty just like the rest of the premises, save for a lone human male who sat by himself on one of the benches. Noticing their movement out of the corner of his eye, he stood up to greet them.
"I take it you must be the offworld rebels I was told to meet. I sincerely hope for your sake that you are, for my comrades aren't exactly in the mood to play host at the moment."
Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb carefully eyed the stranger as he walked over to them. His modestly tanned face and summer blonde hair were matted with grime, sweat, and a light stubble. White bandages covered wounds on his right cheek and left hand. He wore simple civilian garb under an outdated tactical vest, one of militia quality. His boots were clearly designed for farm work as opposed to the life of a soldier. A modest utility belt complete with a holstered blaster pistol was firmly wrapped around his waist. This was all a clear sign he was an active fighter in the growing resistance movement. Kanan stepped forward first and moved to shake the man's hand, who returned the gesture.
"Well, we are the rebels you're looking for. Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight," at his words, Kanan watched as the stranger's eyes went wide at the revelation, but the latter didn't recoil back or anything of the sort. Eyeing Kanan's lightsaber, he merely smirked. His tone carried a hint of enthusiasm.
"A Jedi Knight you say? Well, well, nobody's seen one of your kind around these parts in quite some time. I've never had the pleasure of meeting one of you either, until today. If you're even half as good as the legends of old say you are, our leader won't need much persuading to help you folks out on your secret mission," as he finished elaborating, the man shifted his focus to Sabine as the teenage Mandalorian moved to interject.
"Wait, this Aygo we're supposed to meet up with hasn't even agreed to provide assistance yet? We thought this was all taken care of," Sabine eyed the grizzled resistance fighter skeptically.
"While it's true Lieutenant Governor Aygo is more than willing to help General Dodonna escape the Imps, his primary focus remains the cause of the people of Ord Mantell. We're all determined to make the Empire listen to us at long last. Our voices won't be denied any longer!" the man stated in an almost rehearsed tone, but one that carried passion and conviction nonetheless. Ezra gave a light smile despite himself. This cause was one that hit close to home for him, in more ways than one. Sabine couldn't help but smirk herself under her helmet, not missing the look of admiration on her younger teammate. Zeb however was beginning to lose his patience.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Are you gonna show us to your hideout or not?"
"Yes, those are my orders after all. Please follow me, we'll take my speeder. It's right outside," the man explained as he turned as gestured for them to follow as he kept his gaze on them from over his shoulder.
"What's your name, by the way?" Kanan asked as he and the other three followed him towards the entrance.
"Kavir Oslan, special operative to the Ord Mantell Freedom Coalition. If you folks are anything like the holonet has been saying, I have a feeling we're gonna get along just fine, offworlders," the agent of the resistance said with a grin as he led his new allies outside.
Distant lightyears away within the beautiful chaos of hyperspace, the entirety of the massive armada that was the Imperial Fourth Fleet was steadily approaching their destination after having just entered the star system. The Grand Inquisitor was absent from the bridge on his flagship, the Furious Vengeance, leaving the equally-respected Vice Admiral Thrawn in charge of the deck officers. The Chiss male was silent as he calmly and elegantly walked back and forth up the central walkway inside the forward room, the twin ducts on both sides occupied by officers on their consoles. Only hyperspace was visible outside the various viewports around them.
Further back in the command tower on the top of the line Star Destroyer, inside a dimly-lit chamber, Grand Inquisitor Dunkel Nachtgeist was on his knees with his head bowed in absolute reverence. His crimson eyes were closed and his gloved hands clutched a set of wooden prayer beads. In front of him was a candlelit shrine decorated in various antiquities and ceremonial tools of his people, the Evocii. This included totems, masks, idols of Evocii past, and even tribal weapons forged out of salvaged materials from the Hutt-trashed swamplands.
"Blessed ancestors, heed my call. I go now on another mission to bring glory on your behalf to all of our people. It is my sincerest wish that this glory will sustain our brothers and sisters back home until the Promised Day arrives at last. Revered and exalted mother and father, I will not fail you. Never again. Blessed ancestors be with me, for I am here for us all."
Rising to his feet, the Grand Inquisitor gently placed the prayer beads upon the shrine in utmost respect, and with a single swat of his hand, he extinguished the candles with the Force. He turned to leave in silence. It didn't take long for him to arrive on the bridge, where his adjutant remained on-duty.
"Grand Inquisitor, sir, welcome back. We are approaching our destination now," Vice Admiral Thrawn replayed to his superior.
"Indeed my friend, indeed. I want this blockade done by the book. As soon as we exit hyperspace, execute Occupation Maneuver Alpha-9," the hooded Evocii relayed his instructions.
"Excellent choice, sir. You heard him, men. Prepare for sublight maneuvers," Thrawn called out to the officers.
"Yes sirs!" the uniformed Imperials all replied in unison as they saluted before returning to their consoles.
Hearing the clang of metal feet on a metal surface, both the Grand Inquisitor and the Vice Admiral turned back to face the control room, and the source of the sudden disturbance. The Grand Inqusitor grinned beneath his half-mask, and the Vice Admiral commented to him.
"A most intriguing addition to your ranks, sir. Imagine the stories this one could tell," the Chiss was fascinated by the acquisition of this more recent asset.
"You speak the truth, Vice Admiral. Droid, are you ready for your new assignment?" the Evocii inquired with his personal assassin.
"Statement: Yes, master. HK-47 is ready to serve," the ancient and lethal mechanized killer replied immediately.
Back on Ord Mantell, Kavir had been expertly piloting his open-top landspeeder through the ravaged city streets, Kanan riding in front beside him with the others in back. Finally as they neared the shoreline, the main hub for the Freedom Coalition came into view, the Ruby Sanctum Worlport Hotel and Casino, a beachside luxury resort and part of a galaxy-wide commercial chain. The rectangular building was marked and divided by three octagonal towers, two at both ends and a larger one in the middle. Not even this glamorous complex was spared from the scars that plagued the rest of the city.
"Lovely building, isn't it? Even prettier when not covered in burned-out holes and blaster marks. That's where you'll find Lieutenant Governor Aygo. Whenever he's not at the government building across the city keeping watch on the prisoners, he's directing our efforts from there."
"The people of Ord Mantell really respect the guy, huh?" Sabine inquired as she leaned in from her seat in the back row.
"Oh for sure! He's been championing our cause for years! He can be a bit rough around the edges, so fair warning and all that, but he has the best interests of us all at heart," Kavir explained readily.
"Anyone willing to fight the Empire for the good of others can't be that bad," Ezra wasn't fazed.
And soon enough, the speeder came to a stop outside the front doors, the group disembarking and heading inside. Two armed guards stood watch in the entrance, a Human and a Twi'lek wearing similar getups to Kavir, but using stolen Imperial blaster rifles instead for armament. They nodded at their comrade and their guests as the group walked on in, silent permission to enter.
The inside of the hotel was a significant improvement from the interior of the spaceport. Furniture gathered from around the building as arranged in a makeshift barricade inside the lobby, intended for frontline defense in the event of an attack. Gold, marble, and deep red was the primary color scheme everywhere around the lobby and elsewhere. A series of turbolifts that stood just before the entryway to the casino were still in service, and Kavir promptly led the Rebels into one that shot straight up to the luxury penthouse at the top of the central tower.
"Remember you guys, Lieutenant Governor Aygo isn't sold on helping your mission just yet. Just present yourselves as you did to me and explain your reasons for your mission, and I'm sure he'll agree to assist you," the blonde operative told the others as the lift ascended.
"We'll be charming," Kanan half-joked, to which Ezra smirked, but Sabine and Zeb both rolled their eyes.
As this was taking place, above the planet everything was about to change, for in an instant the Fourth Fleet dropped out of hyperspace and immediately began moving to wrap around the planet in a full military blockade. Down on the Ghost, Chopper began chirping in binary from his console on the wall in the cockpit, alerting Hera to what he had discovered.
"What?! Oh no, not now!" the Twi'lek pilot sprinted out the door and from her ship, hurrying over to the edge of the open hangar bay, looking up with a pair of rangefinder binoculars. Her suspicions were confirmed as she could clearly see the hundreds of Imperial warships enter Ord Mantell's orbit, taking up blockading positions just outside the atmosphere. "Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, Zeb… I think this just a lot more complicated," Hera muttered to herself, unable to tear her eyes away from the awe and terror-inspiring display going on above the world.
A/N: Once again, a most sincere thank you to all my readers, especially those who favored, followed, and/or reviewed thus far! I honestly do hope to see more from you all. :)