A Rough Ascent

"Almega is shaped like a rectangle. The main portion of the base is five kilometers long, one and a half kilometers wide. Engineers have separated the base into three primary sectors and one outside sector. Each section is a little over one point six square kilometers. On one end of the base is the Command Sector (C-sect). It contains the Head Quarters and a wide array of intelligence gathering stations. On the other end is the Station Sector (S-sect) which is where the supply buildings and barracks are situated. In between C-sect and S-sect is M-Sect. Middle Sector holds the training fields and additional storage buildings. The hanger is a separate mini-base located two kilometers from Almega. It's official name is called Beta but most of the clones call it Sector 4" –Major Exx. (Taken from a recording of the Major briefing Captain Grey upon his arrival to Almega.)

Captain Grey

Moments before the attack…

Alarms blaring. Soldiers running this way and that. Everywhere, troopers are rushing to their battle positions. Two AT-RT's, clinking and clanking as they go, gallop towards the base's main gate. Captain Grey runs through the hubbub of it all, completely unfazed. He stays focused as he leads a small cadre of sergeants through C-sect. He's on his way to the HQ to meet with Major Exx in order to formulate a battle-plan. Earlier he had heard that Commander K'Ull was at the HQ too. Good. The only person missing is the colonel himself. That bastard is up in space with the fleet commander. He monitors Almega, his own base, from a Command ship orbiting the planet.

Grey is on his intercom, talking to one of his Lieutenants in Sector 4.

"I don't care that Elicity's transport isn't ready! We're under imminent attack Lieutenant! Get every man you got working to get our gunships in the air–now!"

Lieutenant Karr, the trooper on the other side of the comms, stumbles on his next words.

"Sir, four of the ships are out on rounds to the mining facility and the other five have to be refueled. Our tenth still has damaged cooling chambers…the other ten will need to be brought to the launching decks. It might be a while before we can launch the first ships."

Captain curses. How the hell can all twenty gunship's be out of the action? Sector 4 is always unorganized. Colonel is Viper is too busy playing god-in-space and Major Exx is always worrying about transporting mats to the surrounding outposts. Contrary to popular belief, the Grand Army isn't always as professional as it looks. Grey about to release a barrage of curses aimed at who-knows-what when all of the sudden a collective shout rises up around him.

"Incoming!"

Captain looks up. Oh, no.

A large black shape suddenly streaks out from over the forest. It's barreling towards the Headquarters building. A hiss, a roar and then an explosion...

Summer

The explosion comes shortly after Summer begins her trip up the tunnel. She can feel the vibrations of the blast as the tunnel walls shake and tremor from the aftershock. Rocks and dirt are shaken loose from their homes and tumble down into the dark. For several seconds there's nothing else. Only her rumbling jet pack. But soon, like roaring thunder, come the muffled booms of Anti-Aircraft guns peppering the sky. Instantly Summer knows what's happening. At first, it's hard for her to accept. The CIS haven't posed an immediate threat since…not since she's ever been on Pathar. That's a long time. Obviously the Confederacy is returned hungry for blood. Almega is under attack!

Captain Grey

BOOM! The ground rocking blast throws the sure footed Captain off his feet. He hits the ground hard. He doesn't stay down though. In a flash, he rolls over and scrambles back up. His ears are filled with a distant ringing from the sound of the explosion. The Captain straightens his slightly askew helmet. Fiery debris are raining down around him. "Like brimstone from hell" he thinks. Woosh! A wall of smoke and dust from the blast washes over the Captain. Grey's helmet switches to Night Vision mode, letting him see through the black clouds rolling away from what used to be the HQ building. All around him clone troopers are climbing back to their feet. Some of them are still on the ground. Others are already back on the move. People are shouting and yelling. Total confusion. Captain Grey looks out towards the black mushroom of fire curling into the sky. All he can think is of the officers in the HQ. Major Exx and Commander and Elicity were both in there, right before the missiles hit. It's possible that they're safe…possible but unlikely. Captain switches comlink channels in order to contact his superiors.

"Captain Grey calling Major Exx!"

No reply.

"General K'Ull!"

Even as he calls they're names again he begins to run in the direction of the HQ. He glances behind his shoulder to spot the lieutenants who'd been following him earlier. All four of them are up and standing but one is limping. He's been hit by some of the falling debris. Captain motions for them to follow him towards the HQ. They nod in silent affirmation and break out into a sprint towards ground zero of the explosion. A fiery haze settles around the five clones as they grow closer and closer to the HQ's ruins. Twisted things take shape in the haze. There are fallen and shattered walls, the flaming remains of support structures, and collapsed ceilings. But most of the shapes are other clone troopers. The victims of the explosion. Crumpled and limp bodies are scattered everywhere. At first they're just shadows in the smoke to the Captain but the closer he gets the more distinct the shapes of the fallen become…and some of them are still alive. Plenty of clone troopers have been disfigured with missing limbs and crushed bones, but they still struggle for breath. Captain can only assume that the puddles he's splashing through are his own brothers' blood. Some reach out for help, but Captain passes by. He has his priorities.

"Spread out! Search for General K'Ull!" He orders. "Don't stop until she's found!" The lieutenants don't need to be told twice. They immediately get to work. They labor fiercely, up-heaving the burning debris and digging through the destruction. Captain Grey calls in other clone troopers to join the effort. Soon twenty clones are looking for their commander. Even as they work, more enemy gunships race overhead the search group, firing down missiles and rockets into the base. Explosions billow up around them. Smoke and fire spreading in every direction. The clones continue on. A cry rises up from a duo of troopers near Captain.

"I found her!" "She's over here!" "Quick, we need a medic!" Captain dashes in their direction. An instant later he's with the two troopers. He finds General K'Ull pinned down by a jagged beam of metal digging into her back. Her robes are drenched in blood. She's unconscious; oblivious and blind to the activity around her. Captain drops to his commander's side to check her pulse. It's fluttering, but still there. Thank god.

"We'll get you out of here." Captain says out-loud. He knows Elicity can't hear him but he says it anyway. "The nearest secured medical center is over in M-Sect."

"Her condition is bad" says one of the troopers. Captain gives the trooper a sidelong glance. The clone has a distinct cross painted onto one half of his helmet. "I don't know if we could carry her all the way there Captain."

Captain says nothing. He is thinking. The other troopers from the search group have gathered around, making a cramped circle. Captain waves them away, telling them to spread out, dammit. 'We'll need vehicular transport for the General if she's to survive. Speeder bikes wouldn't be able to hold her.' Captain stands up and points to the trooper with the cross. "Name?"

"Corporal Anglo, sir."

"Get together some troopers and clear the debris around the General. I'll find any nearby assistant units."

"Yes, sir!"

As Anglo goes, Captain switches to another communications channel to call in the nearest repulsar lift units in the vicinity. He gets a response from a medical vehicle and two tanks in M-sect. Good. He'll use all three of them. He gives the trio of vehicles his coordinates and tells them to get there ASAP. It's an emergency. The tank pilots confirm their orders. ETA, five minutes.

Captain is about to join Anglo when a slight gasping sound draws his attention back to Commander K'Ull. She's awake and her eyes are open. She motions slightly for Captain to kneel down, closer. He does.

"Summer." She says it quietly so only Captain can hear. The other clones keep working.

Captain Grey shakes his head. "I haven't seen her Commander…I can only hope for the best."

"After everyone is gone, she'll need your help, Captain…tell me you'll watch over her."

What is she talking about? Captain Grey isn't really sure what to say so he decides to just agree with her. Even if the transportation arrives quick enough and they get Elicity to a medical bay she probably won't live to see nightfall. He nods.

"I'll make sure she's okay."

Satisfactory answer. She nods.

"Thank you."

Grey ducks instinctively as a gunship swoops down firing lasers in all directions. A nearby anti-aircraft gun takes a direct hit and explodes. Bits and pieces of its metal plating shower the ground. "Don't thank me yet" he mutters. All he sees is confusion and chaos. Clones are dying around him. The Commander is dying by his side. Who has time to worry about one girl named Summer? There are more important things to focus on. Like the fact that the entire base is falling apart before his eyes.

Summer

Summer increases the speed of her jet pack. The exit is right over her, growing larger and larger. Whoosh! She rockets out of the tunnel. She force blasts a hole through the forest canopy and shoots up into the air. She hovers.

It's still a clear autumn day with a perfect breeze drifting across the endless forests. Warm sun. Nice wind. A flock of birds burst from the trees as a loud explosion rumbles in the distance. Summer looks out towards the south-east. She can see a black cloud of smoke rising up in thick puffy layers from the base. It must be from the giant explosion. A smaller column of smoke is forming near the first one. With the smoke as a backdrop, dark gunships are flying over Almega, firing missiles and lasers. Bright streaks of AA gunfire from the clone troopers are spraying the sky around the ships. Whoever the attackers are, they're definitely not CIS. Summer knows what droid ships look like, and the black gunships look nothing like them. These look more like they're from a terrorist organization. An extremely well-funded organization.

A distant roar draws Summer's attention away from Almega. She turns around. Far off, flying over the forests, are a trio of more incoming gunships. They've already seen her. One of the ships detaches from the group and accelerates in Summer's direction. 'Oh…' Summer uses her jet-pack to gain altitude and races off into the sky. Hopefully the ships will bypass her and continue on to the battle. Why chase one person when there is an entire base lying up ahead? Summer cruises towards the fight raging around Almega. She doesn't get to fly very far before the fight comes to her.

The gunship catches up—fast. With a loud drone it dives from a higher altitude and swoops over Summer, engulfing her in a cold shadow. The gunship is large, bulky, and bristling with missile racks and Air-to-Land canons. Its fuselage is one long rocket shaped tube patched with armor. Connected to the top of the fuselage are two massive, horizontal wings that run almost the entire gunship's length. It's a fugly machine with no style. Just guns and wings.

The ship drops closer and closer to Summer until its flying almost directly above her. A giant bird of prey closing in on its victim. She gets caught in ship's draft and pulled alongside in its invisible air current.

Prey captured.

A door on the side of the ship flies open and a rotating platform slides out. The platform is covered in a blue particle shield. Inside the hazy blue bubble is a bolted down machine gun. A soldier in black armor and a gas mask is strapped into a chair behind the gun. Two barrels of ammunition have been connected to the platform's sides.

The soldier looks at Summer and rotates the gun until it's pointing directly at her. He flips a switch and blasts away. Orange streaks of semi-crystallized energy blaze over Summer's head. Several more whizz by her ear. The man rotates the gun a little, readjusting his aim, and fires off another long burst of energy. Summer uses her jet pack and escapes up higher, towards the top of the gunship. The soldier tracks her movement, sending a sweeping arc of bullets after her. Summer is too quick and the orange crystals cut through empty air. The gunner looks at his gun then back at Summer. How could he have missed? Despite the mask covering his face, Summer can tell he's frustrated. He holds up a finger to Summer before squeezing down on the gun triggers. Summer is prepared. With a crack and hiss she ignites both of swords at the same time. Orange and light red. It's her turn to fight.

She spins in mid-air while letting her swords twirl around her like a vortex of light. The oncoming energy rounds reflect off her light-sabers and spiral off into the sky. She puts her jet pack on full power and escapes out of the gunship's draft. She rockets away before making a sharp turn and charging back towards the gunner. The gunner scrambles to aim and shoot. Not fast enough. Summer uses the force and crushes the spherical shield around him. The hazy bubble turns from light blue to dark red as the force closes around it like an invisible hand. There's a sharp snap and the shield explodes into a ring of energy. A split second later Summer strikes her target. She slams down onto the platform, making it tilt to the side and screech against the metal arms connecting it to the gunship. Summer drives both of her lightsabers into the gunner's side. He gives a painful gasp then lurches awkwardly in his chair. His muscles go limp and he slides forward against the restraints. He's dead.

Summer deactivates her jet pack. The wind is swirling around her, threatening to throw her off her feet. She has to hold onto the back of the chair just to keep from being blown away. *Whiiirrr!* Suddenly the platform begins to move. The door on the side of the ship has reopened and the gunship is pulling the machine gun back into its gaping maw.

The platform slips inside the ship's cargo bay and the doors reel shut with a decisive bang, closing off the howling wind.

It is dark.

Silence.

Summer's eyes quickly adjust to a glowing line of dim floor lights. She's in the middle of the gunship's holding bay. The bay is a nine meter long tube with two opposite rows of metal chairs connected to the walls. There's a meter wide isle of walking space running down between the chairs. Summer is in the middle of the aisle. To her left and right are large doors that can open up to allow soldiers to disembark or deploy gun turrets. The gun turret at her side still has a dead body leaning over the controls.

*Click, click, click* The final and most important detail. The soldiers. Nineteen of them. Eight in front and seven behind. The bad guys. All of them are in black armor with dark combat boots and helmets with grey visors. They're standing with their rifles aimed at Summer. The soldier nearest to her has a small pistol raised to Summer's forehead. He pulls the trigger.

Summer ducks with lightning speed and knocks the soldier down with a sweeping kick. She leaves him on the ground, stunned. Through the force, she rips an entire row of chairs from the wall and launches them out into the aisle. The chairs bowl into the armored soldiers in front of her. People are slammed into the wall and knocked to the ground. The soldiers behind her open fire. She leaps to the side, allowing the torrent of stun rounds to race by, then whips out her light sabers and launches herself into a fierce battle. In such close quarter combat the enemy have no way to dodge her rapid fire strikes. In quick succession she cuts down soldier after soldier. She stabs and slices her way through the opposition. Seven troopers go down in a matter of seconds.

But Summer still isn't done. The other grey clad fighters are starting to get up after being downed by a row of flying chairs. Summer uses telekinesis to drive them back to the ground. Then, she charges, and with the flash of her swords, finishes them off.

The last soldier crumples to the ground. Except for the humming of the engines the cargo bay has gone quiet. With all the dead soldiers around her, it brings the image of a tomb to Summer's mind. She shakes the image from her head. All the soldiers are gone and it is time to deal with the pilots. Summer goes over to the circular blast door at the end of the cargo bay, plunges her swords into the thick metal and begins to cut the shape of a large circle. Showers of sparks make an audible hiss as they spray into the air. Summer hears faint shouting from the pilots on the other side of the door. She can sense their fear. They're scared of her. Suddenly the ships banks hard to the left. Summer almost loses her footing but manages to stay upright. She continues cutting her way through the door. Just a few more seconds. The pilots can be heard yelling for help through their intercoms. Their shouts are growing louder. Hissss! Suddenly the sparks stop. Summer's swords meet at the bottom of the circle. She kicks in the piece of cut-out metal and dives inside the cockpit. The room is an open space with two chairs for the pilots and extra sitting room for additional passengers. It's a well-lit area with one, giant, segmented window wrapping across the front.

As one, the pilots both turn around in their chairs. Summer wastes no time. She spins once before using her momentum to hurtle both of her swords like discs of light. One pilot ducks, the other loses his head. The surviving pilot pulls out a pistol and fires. Summer side steps the laser and it hits the bulkhead. She draws her swords back into her hands and retaliates with a force push. The pilot is strapped into his seat but his head jerks forward violently. The pilot's neck makes an audible snap. He falls forward, just like the gunman on the platform. Dead. The fight is over.

Summer deactivates her lightsabers and rushes over to take one of the pilot chairs. She hates doing it but she hast to unbuckle and move one of the dead bodies before she can sit down. She drops the pilot with the broken neck to the floor. She would rather not mess with the one missing his head. She looks over the controls. They're simple. They remind her of the controls in her Jedi fighter that she hardly ever uses. She'll have to do her best and recall her piloting lessons. Taking the controls she begins to adjust the ship's course. A few taps here and a few taps there…done. Several moments later she's flying down towards Almega.

If only she knew what she was getting into.