Ch 13

The Mantis dropped out of hyperspace into Nova Garon and Cal and Bd went to the hangar bay. Nova Garon was an Imperial security Bureau base, part of the Empire's secret base. BD said that this base was different.

"Yeah, something tells me this isn't just any Imperial base." Cal said. "If this is an ISB base, what is Bode doing here? Probably working for Imperial Intelligence."

"Eyes over there!" a stormtrooper said. "Unload on him!" a scout trooper said.

"Moving to engage." the flame trooper said

The stormtroopers fired but Cal deflected the bolts into them before striking down the scout trooper and moving on.

Cal then went into a room ontop of the rafters looking down at a heavy trooper, a flame trooper, two ISB officers, and a security droid. Cal jumped down and struck the heavy trooper and flame trooper. The ISB officers fired but Cal deflected the bolts back at them while he cut off the droid's legs and cut it in half with his twin sabers.

BD unlocked the door and Cal entered into a room with a sentry droid and a security droid. BD turned on the two security droids to make them fight on the heroes' side.

Cal struck down the security droid while disarming the sentry droid and cutting it in half.

Cal then struck down the other two security droids before going into a hall with two officers and striking them down.

"A terminal." Cal said. "Maybe Bode's in the database."

BD found him in the officers' quarters.

Then the door opened and two officers, two security droids, a heavy trooper, and two stormtroopers charged in. "Hey, you're not supposed to be here." the officer said before firing.

Cal deflected the bolt back at him before doing the same to the other officer. The droids charged but Cal struck them down before he struck down the two stormtroopers. The heavy trooper fired his laser minigun but Cal deflected the bolts back at him.

BD then unlocked a door into another room with a spinning floor that had two stormtroopers, two stormtrooper commanders, a scout trooper, two scout trooper commanders, and a sentry droid.

The floor stopped spinning and Cal used the Force Stasis ability to freeze everyone before disarming the sentry droid and cutting it in half. Cal then struck down the scout trooper commanders while doing the two stormtrooper commanders and the normal stormtroopers. The normal scout trooper and an ISB officer charged but Cal struck down the officer while blocking a strike from the scout trooper and cutting him down.

Then the door at the other end opened and an electrostaff Purge trooper as well as an electrobaton Purge trooper charged in. Cal Force pushed the electrostaff Purge trooper off the walkway before he parried the electrobaton Purge trooper's strikes and struck him down.

Cal then went into another hallway with two sentry droids as well as a heavy trooper. Cal whacked both of the first droid's electric weapons from its hands before cutting it in half and doing the same to the last droid.

Cal then froze the heavy trooper with the Force and struck him down.

Cal used a terminal to shut off the laser gate blocking the next room before striking down two scout troopers.

Cal then jumped down through the vents and met Lank Denvik.

"Cal Kestis." Lank said. "I'd assumed the first time we met you'd be strapped to an interrogation chair."

"I've heard that before."

"Hmm."

"Still weird. Get on the comms and call off the base alert."

"Or what? You're a Jedi. I know what you're capable of. And what you're not."

Lank grabbed his blaster pistol but Cal threw it aside with the Force.

Cal then pulled out his own blaster pistol.

"On the comms. Now."

Lank got on the comms and said the Jedi was neutralized and told everyone to stand down.

"Satisfied?"

"I'm here for Bode Akuna."

"How did you find this base?"

"A locator beacon on Bode's ship."

"Uncharacteristically careless. His reports indicate you two have grown quite close since Coruscant."

"You're the one who sent him to infiltrate my team."

"Correct! Bode has been my weapon for some time. Quite effective. Unlike those armored abominations in the Inquisitorius."

"So it's true. Cere's dead 'cause of you."

"No. The Jedha operation's still months away."

"You're lying! The Empire burned the Archives! Led by Darth Vader!"

"Lord Vader? Don't you see? Bode lured you here to destroy me! They're coming! I'm a dead man unless -"

Then Cal slammed Lank's head onto the table with the Force and he was knocked out.

Cal then took Lank's uniform and met a Purge trooper who didn't like him.

"Why do you think the Jedi tried to infiltrate this base?"

"Because this organization is pathetic. At best a waste of Imperial resources. None of you are worthy of the Emperor's trust. I don't trust you."

Then the console sparked.

"Ridiculous. This base's security has clearly been compromised. I will report this to Lord Vader."

Then Cal went to talk to an officer but he didn't want to talk to a "new recruit."

Then Cal found the door and went to the officer guarding it.

"State your business."

"I have an appointment."

"And what is the nature of this appointment?"

Cal then used a Jedi mind trick and the officer let him in.

Cal went to the room and saw Bode with a black-haired girl who was Kata.

"How'd you survive the Purge?"

"The council assigned a few of us to intelligence during the Clone Wars. I used the skills that I learned there to disappear. Went into hiding, didn't know who to trust. Familiar story? But then I met the most incredible woman."

Bode looked at Kata.

"Your mama. One day I got a message: Don't come home."

"Inquisitors."

"Looking for me. My wife bought us the time to escape. I knew I couldn't run forever. And so I cut a deal. Denvik keeps us hidden as long as I stay useful."

"You were lying to us from the very start."

"Tanalorr was a way out for both of our families. You were gonna give it to the Hidden Path. A bunch of strangers."

"And you were gonna sacrifice thousands of people to save yourself! You're a monster, Bode."

"No. I'm a father. The first time I held her I saw the entire galaxy in her eyes. You can't understand."

"I understand betrayal. And that you lured me here to take down this base."

"Well, fighting the Empire is what you do best."

Then Bode Force pushed the table at Cal and by the time he got it off him, Bode and Kata left.

Then a dozen scout troopers and three ISB officers surrounded Cal.

A red aura surrounded Cal as he screamed and embraced the darkness within him.

The scout troopers swung their batons but Cal shattered them with his saber while cutting down all the troopers and officers within seconds.

Then Cal and BD went to another area with security droids and Purge troopers surrounding Merrin.

Cal's saber was augmented by the dark side as it shattered all of the Purge troopers' blades while cutting them down as well as the droids.

Then Lank tried to stop them.

Cal almost choked Lank to death with the Force but Merrin stopped Cal at the last moment and calmed him down before they got back onto the Mantis.

I almost lost myself. Cal thought.

The dark side might try and consume him but Cal would always contain it.