When the Fury dropped out of the hyper-lane into the orbit of Illum it was immediately hailed by another interceptor-class spaceship. Quinn put the caller through and a Kaleesh in robes appeared on the holocomm. Vette assumed that he was Nox' apprentice.
"Greetings, I'm Xalek. Darth Nox is ready to board your ship. Meet us at the coordinates you just received." With that he ended the call. Quinn didn't even have the chance to bow. Vette exchanged glances with him.
"Well, that was a very efficient communication. Quinn, you should approve."
"Indeed," he replied curtly. "I will prepare everything for Darth Nox' arrival. Please notify our Lord."
"Aye!" Vette exclaimed and rushed into Badesh's quarters.
He already wore his battle armour and was meditating. Badesh opened his eyes slowly as Vette entered.
"Darth Nox will join us any moment, boss."
"Did you hear from Kilran?"
"Yes, Quinn is about to activate the hyper-lane beacon – it should enable Kilran's fleet to jump right into position so that they can open fire. You just have to give the word and they will be here in a matter of seconds." Vette tried to sound casually, but the prospect of getting into a huge battle made her uneasy to say the least.
Badesh put on his mask and put his hand on her shoulder. "It will be glorious," he simply said and strode out of the door.
Vette assumed that what Badesh really meant to say was: Don't worry, we will be alright. She went to the crew quarters and saw that Theron and Kalda were checking the cold-weather equipment Quinn had handed out. They looked tense.
"Nox boards the Fury soon," she said in a serious tone. "Remember to show him every honour he thinks he is due even when it is nauseating."
"Strange how suddenly Badesh seems to be a reasonable Sith," retorted Theron dryly.
Vette smiled and returned to Quinn in the cockpit. Just as she sat down on the co-pilot seat the other interceptor-class ship came into sight. Quinn initiated the docking sequence and with a dull noise the two ships interlocked at the airlocks. He straightened his jacket as he rose from his seat and walked briskly towards the airlock in the starboard section of the Fury. Vette followed him and watched as he swiftly disengaged the locks.
As soon as the hatch opened the atmosphere changed. Vette felt how terror started to creep into her thoughts, every warmth suddenly seemed to evaporated. She pulled herself together and bowed as Darth Nox stepped aboard.
"Darth Nox… greetings." Vette saw from the corner of her eye that Badesh stood in the hallway. Seeing him calmed her; Nox was a crazy sadist and… well Badesh too, but he would protect her and Quinn from being driven mad.
"Darth Tenebra," Nox replied in his slightly high voice that was additionally distorted by his golden mask. To Vette's surprise he turned to her and Quinn. "Major… Sergeant… This is my apprentice."
Xalek had followed Nox and was now bowing. Vette had no doubt that this gesture was meant only for her boss.
Badesh led them into the conference room. Theron and Kalda stood next to the entrance and bowed. Vette knew that it was abhorrent to Kalda especially but to her credit her face remained neutral. Theron on the other hand looked sick.
"Ah… the republican agents… how delicious," whispered Nox and drew nearer to them. He simply flicked his hand and both went down on their knees panting heavily. Kalda was positively terrified, but she still had a determined look on her face. Theron on the other hand had his face buried in his hands groaning. Vette remembered too well how she and Quinn had suffered from Nox' hand and shot a pleading look at Badesh.
"Darth Nox… we may still need them," said Badesh calmly.
"Of course," Nox replied nonchalantly and turned on his heel to face him.
Judging from the relieved look on their faces Vette assumed that Nox didn't use his Dread Force on Theron and Kalda anymore.
She stepped to Theron and together with Quinn she helped him to get on his feet. Kalda was able to get up on her own.
"Kilran will be here as soon as we call him," begun Badesh and activated the holodevice to display a map of Illum. "You will be leading a small attack force from the east – I will lead a head-on attack from the south. Major Quinn and Agent Heian will accompany me. Sergeant Ce'na and Agent Biss will support you – may I inquire where you wish to deploy your apprentice?"
"Since you are leading a frontal attack it seems wise to let him accompany you, Darth Tenebra. But pray tell, which of them," he pointed at Kalda and Theron, "is Biss?"
"The Togruta."
"How interesting…"
Vette didn't like the sound of it. She glanced at Kalda, she looked Nox straight in the face. Vette felt that she had to interrupt the tension that begun to build up.
"My Lord, we have determined that the greatest source of danger for you are enemy snipers. As soon as the Revanites recognize that you are the biggest treat they will try to ambush you," she boldly said and stepped in front of Nox. He was approximately the same height as she was. Vette was a little surprised to realise that – he seemed so much taller only moments ago. "Major Quinn and I have devised a diversion: Six imperial soldiers will wear robes and masks to impersonate Sith. This should confuse the opponent."
Nox chuckled quietly. "Oh, a game of hide and seek; how novel! Shall I dress up as imperial soldier?"
Vette was taken aback at the amount of enthusiasm that he showed. "My Lord?" It wasn't safe to take his question seriously; in case he was joking he could get angry if she simply said 'yes'.
Luckily Quinn stepped in. "My Lord, we have considered this option but perhaps it isn't befitting a member of the Dark Council to discard his robes and his mask?"
"What are you talking about, Major? Imagine the fun we will have!" He laughed. "I will let them eat their own limbs and they will never suspect that it is some lowly imperial soldiers who is responsible!"
Hearing Nox laugh creeped Vette even more out than being subjugated to his Dread Force. It was a shrill, cold laugh that cause her to get goose bumps.
"Quinn, please see to it that Darth Nox gets a uniform. We will all transfer down on the planet; as soon as we are in position we will signal to Kilran to jump at our coordinates." Badesh's voice trembled with excitement.
"Yes my Lord."
ooOOoo
The wind wasn't as cold as on Hoth, but it was still biting enough to let her shudder as she cowered behind a snow pile. She looked through her binoculars and checked on the enemy defences. It was a rather lager fortress build into an ice cave. Next to her kneeled Kalda; Nox paced back and forth. He had turned down his powers lest they would be detected.
"I count 12 guards; they don't seem alerted." She put the binoculars away and turned to Nox. "My Lord, I think we are ready."
Nox didn't stop his pacing. "Magnificent! Signal Darth Tenebra, Sergeant."
Vette activated the microphone that was built into her headset. "Team Blue in position."
"Roger; Team Red in position. Commence operation now," replied Badesh.
Vette looked up to the dark-blue night-sky and saw how several star destroyer and dreadnaught appeared and began to deploy troop transports. At the same time a heavy bombardment begun. Red lasershots literally rained from the sky. They didn't reach the fortress however, a barely visible force field was in place.
After a few minutes two troop transporters landed near Vette's position. At the same time she heard over the headset how Quinn stated: "As expected, the shields are too strong. Commence Phase two."
"Bombardment ceases in 120 seconds," Kilran's voice sounded surprisingly clear despite the ongoing battle.
Imperial troops rushed out of the transporters and saluted before Vette. She returned the salute, it was perhaps the first time she was serious about it, and yelled: "Decoys to me! The rest of you take your positions!"
Six 'Sith' came forward, one of them handed Darth Nox a spare uniform. "Sir, might I suggest that you change in the transporter?"
"There is no need, 'my Lord'," he giggled, "I can withstand a little bad weather."
With these words he begun to undress himself; Vette stood next to him – she had only once seen him without his mask and she was indeed curious if he had changed since then. The dark side was after all strong in him. Kalda was checking her blaster rifle; but Vette didn't miss how she also glanced in the direction of Nox. As soon as Nox removed his mask his leaning to the dark side became visible. He was a Mirialan, but his once green skin was now almost yellow and his traditional black tattoos were pale compared to the dark veins visible on his face. He hadn't changed since Vette saw him; perhaps he had a few cybernetics more…
"90 seconds," Kilran sounded more focused that she had ever heard him.
"This is Cipher Nine – Vector and I are in position inside the base. Sending a blue-print now. Revan is in the 3rd floor; his room is marked."
"Received," answered Quinn.
"60 seconds."
Vette checked her blasters and went through the plan once again. Her thoughts were interrupted by Nox' voice: "If you want to keep your eyes, I suggest that you stop staring at me, Biss!" Gone was the cheerful tone from before.
"I apologize, my Lord," Kalda replied.
"30 seconds."
"I should let you feel the anguish of all your fears…" whispered Nox. He was now completely dressed in white imperial cold weather equipment and finally put the hood up. "Yes… I should…"
"My Lord! We will attack soon," interjected Vette. He had to concentrate!
"Ah, you are such a killjoy, Sergeant," groaned Nox in an uncomfortable playful voice.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5… all forces attack!"
The soldiers sprang into action and ran towards the fortress, and when they were about 50 metres enough the bombardment stopped and the guards begun to fire upon the attackers.
Kalda and Vette let themselves fall on the ground and hid behind a small rock. Nox had stayed a little back and was almost undistinguishable from the other soldiers. Vette peeked from behind her cover and saw that the defenders were positioned at the entrance, behind solid walls – but they had no cover above them apart from the force-field that was designed to only withhold orbital bombardment.
"We need grenades to smoke them out," yelled Kalda and shot at the enemy before hiding behind the cover again.
"Not necessary," rung a voice from behind them out. Nox had closed in on them and lightning was already crackling from his fingertips. He begun to levitate and Vette knew that he was about to summon a force storm.
"What the…" Kalda didn't finish the sentence.
Violet-white lighting rained down on the defenders; it was an impressive sight to behold. Right and left from them two as Sith disguised imperials went down, apparently they had been shot by enemy snipers hiding somewhere in the surroundings.
"My Lord! Get down!" Vette yelled.
"These snipers are troublesome, let's go inside, shall we?" Nox asked nonchalantly.
Vette suddenly felt that danger was immanent. She jumped up and grabbed Nox and tore him together with herself on the ground. True enough a blaster bolt barely missed them.
Nox lay next to Vette in the snow, their faces were but centimetres away. "No need to get drastic, sergeant – I could have deflected the shot easily," he giggled.
"By the stars! We rely on you! You can't take such risks just for the fun of it! The whole operation could be in danger if you fall!" Vette shouted before she could stop herself.
"How dare you…" snarled Nox, the playful tone once more gone.
"Do you see these two soldiers lying there dressed up as Sith? They are most likely dead! They knew how dangerous their assignment was and still they pulled through! So that you could led us to victory! So please, please… skip the hard-ass Sith act and make sure that your soldiers get home in one piece!"
Nox frowned at her; Vette could hear how Kalda took a deep breath. Without doubt she expected him to kill Vette right on the spot.
"Do you want me to end the battle?" Nox asked. "Pull back the soldiers as soon as we breach the outer defences and I promise you that everything that lives in that fortress will waste away under my tender care… they will experience horrors no one could imagine. I could do that… just say that you want to kill these men and woman in the most horrid way and your wish is my command." He had spoken with a calm voice but Vette knew that the prospect of putting her into this position was turning him on. There was only one option.
She looked him right in the eye. "My Lord, please kill them."
Nox laughed. "Oh and I will." He turned his head to Kalda. "You heard the Sergeant, didn't you? She wants me to drive them all mad!"
Kalda didn't answer.
"Very well, shall we get to it?" Nox stood up and wiped the snow from his clothes. Then he pulled his lightsaber from his belt. "Witness the power of a Dread Master!"