Chapter 8: The Brutal Assault
Bowdaar was on patrol outside the ship's entrance and had not encountered anything unusual in his wondering of the area. Nar Shaadaa was a crime filled world of gambling addiction and oppression but as long as the crew, the Captain mainly and the cargo was safe he had nothing to worry about. He was also waiting for the return of Corso who had just left the ship for an hour or so to pick up some new parts for Torchy. He hadn't been gone for long so Bowdaar expected his return shortly. The chilled breeze ruffled his thick brown coat and the Wookie admitted to himself it was refreshing to breathe the air, even if it was thick with spice. The ship was docked in a small clearing not far from the main spaceport as Iz'phal had many secret landing accesses and permits that only a being well affiliated with the Republic would have. Hearing a slight rustle in the trees he ignited with electric tip of his vibroblade and issued a small growl meaning…Something not right…Before the wookie could react a stream of blaster fire screamed across the clearing, smoking the front of the ship's boarding ramp and nearly Bowdaar himself had he not had lightning reflexes through years of combat training to flatten himself to the floor.
Hearing Bowdaar's roar of surprise and the sound of blaster shots Iz'phal immediately jolted with a start. She had been scanning over her holotablet and reading Risha's notes on their latest contact on Ziost when she had heard the strange sound. Grabbing torchy and being ever aware of her surroundings, feeling slightly apprehensive Corso was not with her but she was confident she could handle this on her own. Slipping out of the door she made her way to the ship's cockpit to investigate. Just as she was about to slip onto the Republic holofeeds about the strange noise a sound of several feet, armoured clad to her ears started to sneak through the main bulk of the ship to the holoterminal room. There was no sign of Bowdaar and Risha was unusually quiet. She was about to leave the main piloting chair, her trusted weapon in her gloved hand when what she saw made her heart almost die. Four Imperial troopers and a commanding officer were searching the ship but she didn't know for what purpose. Utterly confused and knowing the Empire just didn't have clearance to board people's ships she hid under the control panel, having a horrible thought that they were looking for her. A sudden scream from the engine room and she knew what was happening. It only took her a minute to react as she fired a warning shot as a distraction, possibly knowing she'd blown her own cover instead. Feeling uncontrollable fear wash over her, she clamped a hand over her mouth as she crouched low under the map bridge, tears falling over her face as she saw the legs of two of the troopers enter the piloting room. A click above her caught her breath in her throat as one of the troopers spoke, his voice unit transmitting his words.
"No sign of the target, unless we have failed to search…" One of the troopers began to his comrade, as the officer stormed into the room, glaring at his men, hands on his hips, wearing his customary uniform but this time having adorned his command cap. Iz'phal's heart froze in horror as this was the same officer who she had, had an untidy scrap with on Tatooine. If he found her here he would no doubt do the things she dreaded to her. She wanted more than anything for Corso to come back, to save her and put a blaster bolt through all their heads but she just laid low and held her breath, her heart hammering with panic against her chest, but in all her years of stealth and subterfuge remained hidden.
"Are you two completely incapable?! If you don't want me to lose my standing and yours as well you better make sure you get that girl! For your sake!" he snarled as the officer spun on his heel and strode for the door, Iz'phal releasing a reliving breath as quietly as she could as Bowdaar in all his fury came charging up the boarding ramp but one of the troopers saw him as an immediate threat and open fired at the oncoming Wookie. Immediately Bowdaar collapsed to the floor, Iz'phal's eyes opened wide flooding with tears knowing she'd lost another friend and to the damn Empire all over again! She heard his growls of pain so knew he was not dead but she needed to get to him without them seeing her. As soon as the troopers left the room she took a deep breath and left her hiding place, rushing over to Bowdaar, kneeling down by his side checking his pulse and stroking his forehead, tears pouring from her eyes.
"I'll get them for what they've done to you. They will pay Bowdaar I promise. Just hang on I'll go get Risha" Iz'phal comforted as she got to her feet, her knees almost trembling as one of the troopers rounded the bend in the ship's corridor and spied her but before he could raise the alarm she spun Flashy over in her deadly grip and levelled him in the head, Corso's words ringing true in her head…Both eyes open always Izzy, both eyes open…
Hearing the retaliating shot of a non-imperial rifle the other trooper dashed into the room but Iz'phal also gunned him down. Feeling her confidence ever growing she was about to hunt them all down when a chilling voice crept into her ear and an unwelcoming wave of pain shot through her wrist. His tone was a mocking sound and she longed for nothing more than to transport herself to that heavenly place Corso had mentioned: Just her and him and the rest of the galaxy, no Empire to be heard from again.
"Who knew the little spacer girl from Tatooine would end up being the very thorn in the Empire's side. I should pay you back for Tatooine here and now…" he threatened, twisting one of her lekku cruelly in his grip, then his eyes fell to two of his unit with blaster bolts through their helmets and dismissed the notions they were still alive. "I see you gunned down my men. They were of no use to me anyway, not where we're going. Now put the weapon down!" The imperial officer ordered her cruelly against her neck as even though she wasn't face to face with him she would sooner end her own life than answer to an imperial.
"I don't think so…" She snarled venomously but felt the pain becoming worse as he twisted her wrist in his vice like grip and spun her around to face him, extracting the blaster from her hands with an ease she didn't think possible. When she saw his face she felt nauseous as memories of that day on Tatooine danced circles in her mind until she could stand it no longer.
"Where's your smuggler to save you now Iz'phal?" goaded the officer viciously as she shook her head, glaring at him with all the hatred she could feel in her body, refusing to be bated. He took her chin in his gloved hand before she ripped her face away from him in disgust, glowering daggers his way.
"You might want to take your hands off me Imperial filth. If he finds you here he'll put one between your eyes. If I live to see the fall of your oppressive Empire it shall be a day the galaxy will celebrate long into the night!" Iz'phal's voice escalated into a passionate shout as knowing she defenceless, probably still in in shock and seeing she had insulted his cause was the best excuse he uppercutted her viciously in the face, his knuckles catching the sensitive tissue around her eye as it immediately began to swell from the impact, knocking her to the floor. Stunned and in amounts of pain she could not describe she tried to get to her feet but he kicked her cruelly in the ribs with the heel of his boot, winding her and preventing her from making any kind of defence. Groaning in pain she clutched at her stomach, face down on the floor, trying to push herself up but he put his booted foot on her back crushing her to the floor.
"Men!" he barked fiercely as the two surviving troopers rushed to their superior's side, delivering a sharp blow with the butt of his rifle to her head knocking her unconscious. "The Captain is incapacitated. Take her back to the ship and the job is done. The other members of her crew deserve to live for now. Move out!" The officer commanded striding down the boarding ramp knowing the mission had been a complete success the two trooper carrying Iz'phal between them. Before Iz'phal could compared what was happened she was stowed in the prisoners unit, tight cuffs slapped on her wrists as the shuttle blasted off into the night, her head reeling in circles as she thought the game was up. Why did the Empire even want her? What had she done? There was only one hope for her now, the light of her life, the one person who could get to her in time: Corso Riggs.
Corso had heard the gunfire on the way back from his excursions into Nar Shaada's most secret weapon factory. Dressed in a dark long sleeved shirt and leggings he blended in with the dull surroundings of the industrial sector as he knew the way around the streets of this world like the back of his hand. He was able to purchase all kinds of tech you would never get from a standard planetside vendor. The streetwise ex-soldier had managed to find three different kinds of power cell of his trusted blaster Torchy and had also picked up a little something for his girl. It's not much but I'm sure she'll like it…He thought happily, knowing that at some point he wanted to properly sit down with her and discuss their future together but that conversation was probably a few years away. He was content with her the way things were and as Iz'phal had said saw no need to rush into things. Discomfort reached his senses as he became wary of the stench of the vapour of fresh rifle fire and it was dangerously close to their ship. Starting to break into a run, he knew something was deeply out of place as his brown eyes widened in shock when the saw the boarding ramp and the lower hull of the ship almost smouldering from the hits it had taken. Not wanting to believe what he was seeing he dashed up the boarding ramp and when he saw Bowdaar, the powerful Wookie laying sprawled on the floor, blaster wounds shot into his furry hide he thought this was the worst but his heart would break when he found out what had truly happened. Not a trained medic, Corso knelt down by his side and relieved saw he was still breathing and had an irregular pulse but he could still feel it. Hearing sobbing from the room straight ahead he leapt from Bowdaar's side and ran frantically inside, horrified to see Risha, bound and gagged, a large purple bruise having formed around her left eye, blood dripping from her nose. Freeing her immediately she fell forwards into his arms still shocked from the attack, trembling in terror clinging to him as if he was her only source of life. A look of failure mingled in her deep blue eyes, a realisation that she hadn't saved Iz'phal and it was going to cut a wound in him that was almost unhealable when he found out she'd been taken.
"Risha, thank the stars your alive…What happened here?!" Corso asked urgently, his voice consumed with sympathy at her condition as he wiped some of the blood away from her nose with his fingers as she sobbed bitterly into his chest, her body still weak from the exertions of the assault and her struggling with the Imperials as they had rendered her helpless. "Risha who did this?" He urged her gently as the calmer he treated the situation the more likely she would respond but her breath racked in her lungs and she just sobbed even louder.
"Even I was caught off guard…They came…The Empire…Took her away…They got her Corso…I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…" Risha wept, more angry with herself for not being able to protect her friend as at the mention of someone going missing and the Empire being involved his eyes sprung open wide as his whole body felt as if an electric current had been shot through him. "They captured Iz'phal…I wanted to help her…Drive them off but Imperials…Too strong…" When she said this Corso felt as if his heart had been slammed thousand times over with a hammer of molten lead. His blood ran cold in his veins at the thought of every Imperial on wherever they had gone putting their hands on it and it turned his stomach to know he had not been there to protect her. Risha still shaken from the incident but knowing Corso was just absorbing the worst of it he helped her too her feet before he strode to the corner of the room, placing his head against one of the storage bunkers as for the first time in many years he allowed tears to come to surface of his eyes and run down his cheeks. He bawled both his hands into fists, before slamming one against the wall, devastated that his girl had been ripped from him and by the worst possible people in the galaxy, the regime he hated more than anything: The Sith Empire.
"She's gone…The Empire took my Izzy away…" He could only utter the strained words between shallow breaths as he glowered at Risha, knowing she was tormented from her experience but the most precious person in his life, his girl was at the greatest amount of risk and he would get this ship off the ground despite its condition and free her from the tyrants if it was last thing he achieved. "Risha, why did you let them take her?! Do you have any idea what they'll do to her!" He suddenly shouted, the mental waves of pain bursting through his mind from the recent turn of events, the images of his girl being abused by his worst enemy was almost too much. "Izzy…" he croaked in desperation, a small part of him hoping her name would bring her back but he knew they would have to act now.
"Corso I did everything I could. The Empire made damn sure I couldn't get to her to save her. The incapacitated me as they did poor Bowdaar…Bowdaar!" Risha cried, the medic grabbing her kolto kit and leaping to his side trying to decipher the worst of his wounds as the Wookie gave small grunts of pain. "It's okay big fella everything's gonna be okay" Risha comforted before becoming the brunt of Corso's anger again, feeling the need to jump up and scream back at him.
"You wouldn't care if the Imperials took her in as one of their own. You're only coming along with Izzy because she gives you all your money and it's a job. You don't even care! She's my girl and I'll do anything to get her back even if it means fighting every damn Imperial fleet in the galaxy!" Corso shot back at her as she turned to him, still examining Bowdaar's wounds, tears in her eyes trying to stay strong but her resolve was fading away.
"Don't speak to me like that Corso, that's not true! The Captain is like a sister to me and I would do anything also to get her back. We will find her but for now we need to figure out a strategy. We can't just go charging into the whole Imperial army blind!" Risha huffed defensively as having bound up some of his wounds she guided the big Wookie to his room and bade him to lie down on his bed before closing the door and turning to glare at Corso, arms folded across her chest as Corso paced the room restlessly, swiping the tears away with the back of his hand.
"Not if I have anything to do with it. We're going to rescue Izzy right now whether you like it or not sister!" Corso ordered, Risha making sure Bowdaar was asleep before wheeling on him, whispering in urgency, her eyes brimming with annoyance.
"Are you crazy?!" Risha snapped, Corso glaring at her before turning sharply on his heel and striding towards the cockpit, Risha hurriedly storming after him, her mood soured by his arrogance. "We can't just rush in and fight the whole of Imperial army. You'll get us all killed!" she hissed, Corso not listening as just picturing her loving eyes and beautiful face in his head was enough to make him start plotting the co-ordinates to Dromund Kass, knowing Imperial Intelligence was where they kept prisoners for interrogation, but why would the Empire want her and what he she done to harm them?
"Not if I can help it babycakes now I'm starting to launch sequence so better get buckled up!" Corso warned her as she slammed a hand over the launch pad, switching off the controls, his face a sudden mask of panic as she stared him down with all the fire she could muster in her eyes. "Risha what the hell are you doing?! We need to get going to save Izzy now!" Corso's voice stabbing at her brain as fury was evident on her face.
"Not without a clear cut plan we're not!" Risha retaliated seeing him gaze at her exasperated at her lack of urgency as she paced the room racking her brains then flicked her finger in the air as the light suddenly came on, her expert mechanical side springing into life as she thought of all their possible contacts she could use. "Got it!" Risha hollered as she leapt to the Republic console and hacked into the Imperial feeds. "Let's see what you have for us Imperial holonet…" she muttered to herself as tons of data met her eyes then she stopped when she found what she was looking for. "I believe your girl had a strong friendship with a now Imperial soldier Malavai Quinn did she not…" Risha started but Corso immediately whittled her down with an icy stare, anger flaring up inside him even higher as he went back to starting up the engines again.
"He is not her friend. He treated her like dirt, lied to her when he said he cared for her and you expect me to work with him. He is loyal to the Empire and gets nothing more than he deserves: a blaster bolt through his head!" Corso scoffed at the mention of any Imperial being close to his girl but knew that at one time before the Empire they were the best of friends but whether he could be redeemed in his eyes was a different matter.
"Will you shut up and listen farmboy!" Risha shouted, Corso jumping slightly at the sudden change in her voice as she now spoke with a sense of urgency that he'd wanted from her from the beginning. The Empire could be wounding her with their torturous instruments while they spoke so they needed to be on the move and planning at the same time. Just hang in their Izzy…I'll be there soon enough…After this I'll make sure we get out of Imperial space all together and I'll be damned if another Imperial puts his hands near you again…Corso thought to himself as Risha had an idea but it would need both of them to pull it off.
"That Imperial could be the key to your girl's survival. He still cares about her. I have access to the holonet feeds on Imperial communications. He didn't want to accept the mission in the first place…" Risha spoke a little too loud as Corso heard and his grip tightened on the steering yoke in anger.
"So he was behind it after all. You say he cares for her yet he took her away from me, yeah that makes real sense Risha!" Corso sneered, trying to focus on the piloting as Risha wanted them to get moving as well while she was talking. "Course set for Dromund Kass!" Corso called as Risha knew the Imperial fake ID cards she'd gained back on her convert operation on Korriban would get them into the spaceport with so much as a suspicious glance.
"He could be of some help, he may come to his senses and anyway when we get there how in the hell are we going to get past all those Imperial guards…There is half an Imperial battalion out there and I want to come back with my head!" Risha warned as Corso set the jump to lightspeed and set the autopilot in engage before pulling his sleek combat suit from the hatch below, the Republic symbol emblazoned on the shoulder pads as he began to slip his legs into the lightweight armour.
"This is about Izzy Risha and I don't care if we both loose our heads. I'm going to go in there, gun down those Imperials, get my girl and haul the jets out of there. You coming with?" Corso asked, flexing his gloved hands as Risha gawped at him but admired him for his bravery and loyalty to his girl.
"I got to Corso haven't I?!. You aint going to get past those security terminals without me and better cover up that symbol, may give us away" Risha pointed out as Corso turned the armour plating on his arm to the left to hide the Republic crest from view.
"Well let's hope the Quinn kid can help us otherwise I'm going in on my own!" Corso voiced his intentions, the adrenaline rushing through him at the chance of gunning down as many Imperials as he could like he used to when he was on the battle field made him relish the challenge ahead.
"Not alone you're not!" Risha said confidently, matching his wager as with Corso at the help and the machine and medical expert the rescue party flew off into the sea of stars, Corso only hoping at the end of all this his girl would be alive and then he would never leave her side again. I'm coming for you Iz, just be strong…Corso thought, almost trying to communicate with her through his mind as the pair embarked on their most dangerous mission yet, the saving of a well renowned space captain, the love of his life: Iz'phal Trua.