Darth Occlus followed Andronikos and Leg'navak to the meeting room where the captains were reportedly gathering. They passed by a trio of privateers, who gave the Sith Lord a questioning look. Occlus knew better to try his luck while in Port Nowhere. He could fight off the smugglers with his intense power, but he did not come so far just to lose everything. He would remain passive, and work with Andronikos and Leg to ensure his plan's success.
It was a complicated plan but it was starting to pay off. Darth Occlus saw the privateers the Galactic Republic employed, and saw potential. Many of these privateers were once pirates and outlaws once employed by the late Admiral Harridax Kirill to attack the Core Worlds. However, Admiral Kirill was killed by Captain Colroc Jericho, who turned the pirate fleet against the Sith Empire. Still, the pirates were outlaws at heart, willing to change sides at a moment's notice for a profit. Occlus needed to exploit that.
Although some of the Sith may not admit it, the Empire was losing to the Republic. The Empire was losing its grip on the Core Worlds, such as Balmorra and Corellia, and the biggest blow they dealt to the Republic was on Taris, a world that offered little asides from wild rakghouls. It may have been outside his realm of expertise on the Dark Council, but Darth Occlus decided it was time to make a move to turn the privateers against the Republic to open a new front.
It required plotting on his part, dealing with any Republic sympathizers, and a way to meet with the privateer's leadership. Rosu was hired to kidnap privateers loyal to the Republic and bring them to a secret base for questioning. When offered, Leg agreed to serve as his mole, but Darth Occlus quickly realized that the Twi'lek had little sway on his leaders. Occlus needed someone more competent as a leader as well as to deal with Captain Jericho, who would remain loyal to the Republic. He killed two birds with one stone: Rosu assassinated the Voidhound, and Leg was quick to push Andronikos to a position of leadership by revealing his days as a pirate.
Everything worked smoothly enough. The trio took the elevator to the meeting room, where the others were gathered at the table. Carac and Lunatta looked on in awe and a little bit of fear. They were of no concern to the Sith Lord, who counted on their aid and support. It was the remaining two captains that might be a thorn in his endgame. Rogun the Butcher, the famed crime lord himself, crossed his arms. He had a history of working against the Sith Empire and was an early foe of Admiral Kirill. And sitting at the head of the table was Risha, daughter of the legendary Nok Drayen, and a close ally of Captain Jericho.
Darth Occlus didn't need to be Force-sensitive to sense the tension in the air.
"Leg, you didn't tell us your friend was Imperial," Carac said in an accusing tone.
"We're his security detail," Occlus answered. He remained standing while Andronikos and Leg took a seat.
"A security detail is one thing, but having a member of the Dark Council as a bodyguard is something else entirely," Risha pointed out.
"What can I say?" Andronikos grinned. "I'm that good of a pirate."
"And you're really his bodyguard?" Lunatta asked, with Darth Occlus giving a brief nod. She turns to Andronikos. "That is rather impressive."
"I find that the Imps have a lot more to offer than the Republic," Andronikos said, speaking to all the captains, rehearsing what Darth Occlus briefed him on. "You don't realize the position we're in."
"And what position is that?" Risha asked, leaning forward on the table.
"Port Nowhere is in position to strike at a lot of the Core Worlds," Andronikos explained. "And with the backing of the Imperial fleet, we have the chance to make a lot of profit."
"And the Sith would accept this?" Risha asked with doubt in her voice.
"We would," Darth Occlus said.
"This is a very tempting offer," Carac muttered, with Lunatta nodding in agreement. "It's not like the Republic is offering us much."
"And they insist on limiting our measures to battle," Lunatta added.
"Well, uh, how about we take a vote on it?" Leg asked, nervous as always. He glanced towards Occlus, who nodded again.
"Have we forgotten about what happened last time you wanted to fight for the Imps?" Risha asked, unable to hide her anger. "Colroc Jericho managed to defeat the Voidwolf. Have you already forgotten that the Voidhound is the only reason why we're here now?"
"The Voidhound is a dead man," Andronikos grinned.
Rogun quickly raised his hand. "If we're going to vote, we need time to think about our decision. This vote will determine the future of our organization. This shouldn't be something we make now."
Andronikos twisted his head just enough to meet Darth Occlus' gaze. The Sith Lord gave a subtle nod. They had the votes necessary to change the privateer's loyalty, but there were loose ends that needed to be dealt with. Occlus didn't mind waiting until they were handled before moving forward with the vote.
"That's fine with me," Andronikos says with a shrug. "I'll be heading back to my ship."
Andronikos stood up and headed towards the elevator. Darth Occlus stood at his side. Leg casted a final glance at his fellow captains, then followed after the two.
Everything was falling apart for Risha. She worked to unite the privateers under a single group of leadership, and now, a band of Imperials were threatening to ruin everything. And, in the process of turning the privateers against the Galactic Republic, the pirates were probably going to kill her.
She wanted to see Corso and the rest of the crew of the Whirlwind to plan but she found out that they left right before the Imperials arrived. Instead, she was in the cantina with Rogun the Butcher. There were several privateers drinking and relaxing. Rogun assured her that they were all loyal to him, but also mentioned that they were about all he had at Port Nowhere. The Imperial soldiers and disloyal pirates had them outnumbered.
"We need to contact the Republic," Risha whispered to Rogun. "They can help us."
Rogun shook his head. "We're being jammed. I know this because a call I made right as the Imperials arrived was cut off."
"Who were you calling?"
"Corso," Rogun looked at Risha. "Captain Jericho is alive and with him, but I bet you knew that already."
Risha sighed in relief, and nodded. "SIS told me. They knew something like this was coming."
"Colroc can call for help."
"He won't though," Risha shook her head. "He's going to try to save the day himself."
"Of course he will," Rogun closed his eyes. "When we first met, we worked together to fend off two Sith assassins, but I don't think he's any match for a member of the Dark Council."
"We're just going to have to find a way to help him out when he gets here," Risha reached for a cup and took a drink from it. "It's the only way we're going to get out of here alive."
Rogun nodded silently and chugged down his own drink.
"M-my lord," Leg managed to say.
"You may speak, Leg'navak. What is your report?"
Although Darth Occlus meant no ill towards him, Leg could't help but be afraid of the Sith Lord. His power was undeniable, and if he wanted, he could strike the Twi'lek down with a single motion. Even as Occlus meditated in his private chambers of the Harbinger, his personal ship, with his back towards him, Leg wouldn't dare offend his employer.
Yet, it was possible that his report would do just that.
"Well, you see, Lieutenant Drellik has called in, and, uh, nothing has changed back at your base, my lord," Leg rubbed his scalp nervously. "And Captain Revel, well, he's talking with Carac and Lunatta. He's going to bring them to your side."
"This pleases me," Darth Occlus spoke calmly. "What is it you are leaving unsaid?"
Leg gulped. "Uh, Rosu, he called in, and, well, he failed to kill the Voidhound. Jericho escaped Coruscant with his crew."
"It would explain why the Whirlwind isn't here," Darth Occlus noted. "Rosu is still on Coruscant, yes?"
"Yes, my lord," Leg answered quickly, hoping to pin the blame on Rosu so that he might live.
"Tell him that he is to come to Port Nowhere," Darth Occlus instructed.
"Is he to be punished?" Leg asked, then closed his mouth.
Darth Occlus shook his head. "I do not blame him, or you, for failing to kill the Voidhound. Captain Jericho is a clever foe. However, he will find that he is no match for my cunning when he comes here."
Leg, remembering the tales of Skavac and Darmas' deaths, shivered. "He's coming here."
Darth Occlus stood up, and turned to face Leg. "He will. I may have to speed up my plan, but he will not survive."
Today was a rough day for Gavai Aukruram. Today, two fellow knights were killed by a bounty hunter that left him stranded away from protecting Captain Jericho. Corsec picked him up and brought him to the Coruscant Starport several hours later as they promised to return Xekudo's remains to Tython for burial. It was at the starport where Gavai saw the headlines projected on a nearby monitor displaying the news: SIS Agent Killed in Line of Duty. The anchors reported over a profile picture of Agent Gilliam Keasten, who succumbed to four blaster shots on the streets of Coruscant.
Although the Jedi Code encourages detachment from his emotions, the burden of failure and loss weighed heavily on Gavai's mind. He didn't know where Colroc or Finueth was, and after everything, he wasn't sure if he should call them to regroup or to call for reassignment. There wasn't a whole lot that he could hope to get done in his current mental state. Fortunately, he was pulled back into adventure by a call from Finueth on his holocommunicator. Rather than his fellow Jedi, the device projected an image of Colroc.
"Gavai, it's good to see you're still up and kicking," Colroc greeted with a grin.
"I can say the same for you too, Colroc," Gavai slowly smiled. "Where are you?"
"Right now, on my way to Port Nowhere," Colroc's expression turned serious. "The Imps are occupying it."
"We need to contact the nearest fleet so that-"
"-so that they can destroy Port Nowhere," Colroc shook his head. "Sorry, but this is going to have to be an internal affair. I'm calling you because you're cool in my books. And I wouldn't mind having a second Jedi Knight for back-up."
"Are you sure that we can handle the Imperials without help?" Gavai asked, concerned.
"I have my crew back and I know two Jedi Knights who are supposed to be my bodyguards," Colroc grinned again and placed his hands on his hips. "I like my odds."
"Very well. Where do you need me?"
"Port Nowhere," Colroc returned to a normal posture. "I'm going to be landing first, but with Finueth and my crew, we should be fine. You're the calvary."
"I will be on my way then."
"Looking forward to it."
Colroc hung up on Gavai. The Jedi pocketed his holocommunicator and turned towards a nearby hangar. He freezes after seeing an armored man. The armor was white with green trim. Although the style did match Republic military, the blaster he had at his side was not one typical of a soldier.
Gavai was certain that it was the same model that Agent Keasten used.
Determined, Gavai followed after Rosu. The bounty hunter seemed to be unaware of the Jedi behind him as he approached the hangar that housed three starfighters. The crews were hard at work, cargo was being transported up in the air on lifts, and there were security guards. A pilot was getting in one of the starfighters, ready to fly out.
As Gavai neared Rosu, the bounty hunter bursted out into a sprint.
Gavai reached for his lightsaber and yelled out. "Guards! Stop that man!"
Two security guards aim their rifles at Rosu, but the bounty hunter is the quicker shot. He blasted the two guards dead with his blaster and turned to fire on Gavai. The Jedi Knight was quick enough to activate his lightsaber and the blue blade deflected the blasts. Rosu quickly turned his gun up to one of the cargo lifts and blasted it. Gavai gave it a quick enough glance to realize the cargo was falling towards the crew watching the battle. He extended a hand out, catching the crates with the Force before they crushed the bystanders. The crew looked in awe.
"Move!" Gavai yelled
The two crewmates quickly get out of the way. Gavai dropped the crates down to the ground and turned back to Rosu. The bounty hunter covered a lot of ground in the short time span. He threw a pilot out of his starfighter and blasted out of the hangar. Gavai frowned as he deactivated his lightsaber. He wasn't going to let his foe escape so easily. He ran up to an open starfighter and hopped in the cockpit to prepare for flight.
"Hey!" A second pilot called out.
"Jedi business," Gavai quickly shot back."Contact the proper authorities for compensation!"
Gavai piloted the starfighter out of the hangar in hot pursuit of Rosu.
This wasn't the first time Colroc had to save Port Nowhere from an occupation. Rogun the Butcher once struck at it in order to deal with the Imperial infiltrators, but miscommunication and sabotage led to him and the captain coming to blows. The occupation was dealt with swiftly, but this time, Colroc had a feeling that the Imperials knew what they were doing. With limited support for dealing with the second occupation, it was going to be a rough fight.
Still, Colroc had complete faith in his crew to get the job done.
Colroc left the cockpit of the Whirlwind to the lounge, where his crew was gathered. Corso and Akaavi were equipped with their armor and each wielded a blaster rifle in their hand. Bowdaar held onto both his vibroblade and a bowcaster. Guss stayed towards the back of the group, a little nervous with his blaster pistol. Finueth raised her head up to greet the captain.
"Alright, everyone," Colroc called everyone to attention. "We're coming upon Port Nowhere, and in just a few minutes, we'll be landing to free it from the Imps. I have no clue what to expect, but odds are, we're going to hit the ground running. We'll be outgunned and outnumbered."
"Do you think that some of the privateers might be helping the Imps?" Corso asked.
"Oh, for sure," Colroc nodded. "The Imps had inside help. I imagine Risha is trying to get what few allies we have, but I wouldn't expect any help."
"Roger that," Corso replied.
"I won't mind dealing with the criminal scum who think they can betray us," Akaavi muttered.
"Do we really have to go into a fight where we're outnumbered?" Guss raised his hand to ask. "We should really call for help."
"I wouldn't put it past the Republic to shoot Port Nowhere down if we told them about what's going on," Colroc shook his head. "I have another Jedi incoming to aid us, and joining us is Knight Finueth Wuvceo. With two Jedi, that'll make up for how badly outnumbered we are."
"I will do my best to protect you on your mission," Finueth bowed her head. "The Force will guide us to victory."
«We will guide our way to victory!« Bowdaar roared.
"Of course we will!" Colroc said and led a round of applause. "Make any final preparations we need! Our objective is to secure the command deck of Port Nowhere and drive the Imps away!"
Colroc's speech was met with cheers from Corso and Bowdaar with Guss soon joining in. Akaavi and Finueth remained silent but they both nodded in approval. Taking Port Nowhere wasn't going to be easy, but with his crew at his back, they could accomplish anything. Colroc turned around to return to the cockpit so that he could pilot the Whirlwind into Port Nowhere.
The command deck of Port Nowhere was fully under Imperial occupation, with the soldiers replacing the privateers. Darth Occlus stood in front of the main console with Andronikos and Leg at his side. The console beeped loudly with the scans indicating that the Whirlwind left hyperspace and was nearing Port Nowhere. Only one hangar on the station was accessible and the rest were sealed off. In that hangar was a welcoming party for the Voidhound and his crew. Colroc wouldn't risk damaging Port Nowhere, so they would engage in a gunfight.
Yet, something was off. With his senses finely attuned to the Force, Darth Occlus tapped the chin of his helmet in thought.
"Captain Jericho has the help of the Jedi," Darth Occlus noted.
"T-they're still alive?" Leg squeaked. "I mean, m-my lord, well, uh, he had Jedi bodyguards on Coruscant, but, well, Rosu said he was going to kill them!"
"I sense the presence of Force-sensitives on the Whirlwind," Darth Occlus continued. "One… no, two Jedi."
"We weren't expecting that," Andronikos noted. Darth Occlus nodded, then turned to leave.
"My lord!" Leg called out nervously. "Where are you going?"
"To deal with the Jedi," Darth Occlus answered simply. "You and Andronikos will hold this station. Andronikos, you may proceed with the next part of your plan."
"Got it."
Darth Occlus left the command station and sealed the doors shut behind him. He calmly walked down the hallways. Even if he traveled as fast as he could, he wouldn't be able to reach the hangar in time to save the Imperial soldiers stationed there. It was an unfortunate but acceptable loss. He wouldn't try hiding his presence on the station, and lure the Jedi to him. Then, they would fall.
"Attention!" Andronikos voice echoed over Port Nowhere's intercom. "In just a few moments, the Voidhound and the crew of the Whirlwind will be landing in Port Nowhere. Captain Jericho has yet to receive the memo that he is not welcome back. So, the collective captains have decided to post a bounty of ten thousand credits on his head, and five thousand for any of his crew. Happy hunting."
The intercom cuts off in the cantina.
"We need to get to Colroc now," Risha said and stood up from her seat.
Rogun nodded in agreement and whistled to get the attention of his men. "We're leaving to help the Voidhound!"
The privateers under Rogun's command offered no complaints to going up against a bigger threat. They were loyal enough, whether it was to the Republic or Rogun himself. The group walked outside of the cantina, weapons drawn. They were all eager to fight the Imperials and any turncoats to remove their presence from Port Nowhere.
As they left the cantina, Risha looked down the hallway and saw Carac and his crew with their weapons out.
Rogun looked down the opposite direction to see Lunatta and her crew ready for battle.
"Ambush!" Rogun called out.
"Fall back!" Risha ordered.
The privateers fell back to the cantina. A few unfortunate members of Rogun's crew fell in the crossfire. There was a small upside as Carac and Lunatta did not consider each other's position, with friendly fire occurring. It wouldn't be enough to matter for the upcoming fight. Risha quickly took cover behind the bar as Rogun's men flipped over tables for makeshift cover. They were pinned down but had a rather fortified position. They would be able to keep up a good fight against the traitors. Risha just wasn't sure how long they would be able to hold out.
The Whirlwind landed in a spacious hangar that had been cleared out. From his position in the cockpit, Colroc identified around two and half dozen Imperial troops with their blasters rifles aimed at the ship. They were expecting a fight and were going to make each inch of Port Nowhere a fight to claim. Thankfully, Colroc and his crew were fully ready for a fight. He left the cockpit to join the others in the battle.
Finueth was the first to leave the Whirlwind, her lightsaber activated. She deflected several shots back at the soldier's direction while Corso and Bowdaar carried two large crates to create makeshift cover. Colroc and Guss joined Corso behind their cover while Bowdaar ran off to join Finueth and Akaavi to the side. The group of smugglers exchanged blaster fire with the Imperial soldiers, taking down several soldiers. Thanks to Finueth providing cover, the smugglers were well protected and suffered no losses.
Suddenly, a starfighter flew into the hangar, landing away from the Whirlwind. Colroc recognized the design belonging to the Republic but it didn't explain its presence during the firefight at all. Colroc insisted on not bringing in Republic support and the situation on Port Nowhere wasn't public news. The captain gasped when a soldier in white armor with green trims jumped out of the starfighter.
"What's the Republic doing here?!" Corso called out over blaster fire.
"It's Rosu!" Colroc pointed both of his blaster pistols at him. "Blast him!"
Colroc, Corso, and Guss turned their attention towards Rosu, who was running to a hallway off to the side. They landed a few clipping shots but it did little to slow Rosu down as he escaped from sight. Colroc hated that armor he had which made him near impervious to attack. Another starfighter landed in the hangar with Gavai emerging from it. The captain sighed in relief when the Jedi jumped out towards the Imperial soldiers and made quick work of them with his lightsaber. The battle was over.
"I'm sorry for being late," Gavai deactivated his lightsaber and turned to Colroc and his crew. "It looks like you were making progress without me."
"This is the easy part," Colroc chuckled. "We have to reach the command station."
"We need to deal with Rosu," Akaavi corrected and crossed her arms. "He disrespects the Mandalorians by wearing armor stolen from us. He will pay for his crimes."
"We'll get to him eventually," Colroc shrugged.
"We'll get him now."
"There are bigger problems on this station than traitors and bounty hunters," Finueth turned to Gavai. "You sense it too, right?"
Gavai nodded. "I do."
"You sense what?" Guss asked.
"The dark side of the Force, someone powerful in its ways," Gavai answered. "A Sith is here."
"As Jedi, it is our duty to confront the Sith," Finueth told the group. "We will leave you here to do so."
"So much for Jedi support," Colroc sighed, then turned to Akaavi. "Fine. Since we're splitting up, you can go after Rosu. But I'm not letting you go alone. Corso's coming with you."
"If he can keep up, he can join," Akaavi replied.
"I can keep up," Corso grinned. "I've been looking forward to another round with Rosu."
"Bowdaar, Guss, you're with me," Colroc turned his attention to his remaining crew. "We're storming the command station!"
"About that," Guss quickly said. "I was thinking, but I should guard the Whirlwind. You wouldn't want some miscreant to steal it!"
Colroc sighed, but realized Guss had a valid point. "Right. You do that. Bowdaar, you're with me."
«Onward!« Bowdaar exclaimed.
The group broke off in different directions while Guss returned to the Whirlwind. Colroc wasn't sure how his odds were now that his crew was divided, but with how much of Port Nowhere there was to conquer, splitting up may be the best option. At least if worse came to worse, Colroc had a Wookiee to look out for him in case of any threats.
"T-they defeated the landing party!" Leg gulped. Watching the security footage was a terrible idea.
"What were you expecting when we learned they had Jedi?" Andronikos asked, then turned to a squad of Imperial soldiers. "Come with me."
"Where are you going?!" Leg asked.
"I'm going to deal with the Voidhound," Andronikos answered. "You can handle this on your own."
"Well, what if the Jedi make it here?"
"They won't."
And just like that, Andronikos and five Imperial soldiers were gone. Leg pulled out his scatter gun and held it tightly as he stood with two smugglers from the crew he inherited. Truth be told, it wasn't the Jedi he was afraid of, but rather, the Voidhound. There was no hiding from Captain Colroc Jericho when an ally stabbed him in the back. He needed to be ready to fight and pray to whatever's watching that he lives to see the next day.
Gavai and Finueth walked side by side down a hallway. The lights flickered on and off for reasons the Jedi were unaware of. Gavai had fought Sith before while serving on the frontlines of war, but the darkness he felt was something entirely new. He wasn't sure if he could hope to match this power. He pushed those doubts to the back of his mind. He was a Jedi Knight, and he wasn't alone. Together with Finueth, they would be able to defeat the Sith.
The two opened one of the doors to a new hallway, and were met with the Sith. But looking at his mask, the two Jedi realize that it wasn't just a regular Sith Lord.
"Darth Occlus," Finueth muttered as she and Gavai ignited her lightsabers.
"What is a member of the Dark Council doing here?" Gavai questioned.
"I do my part for the war," Darth Occlus answered. He took up his lightsaber, ignited it, and held it above his head, as was typical for one who practices Soresu lightsaber combat.
In response, Gavai assumed a Makashi stance, and Finueth took up a Niman stance. Gavai led the charge against Darth Occlus, jabbing his blade forward. Occlus step to the side and slashed towards Gavai. He was quick enough to block the blow and Finueth pushed the Sith back several feet, his feet sliding on the ground. She charged forward, slashing out at Occlus. Yet, like before, the Sith was able to block her swift strikes with ease as he stepped backwards.
Even though they had Darth Occlus fighting defensively, it did not mean they were beating him. Gavai was well aware that his opponent was holding back his considerable power. For what reasons, he wasn't sure, but the Sith was going to pay for underestimating the value of a Jedi Knight. He charged forward and attacked alongside Finueth, more eager to defeat his foe.
Despite this being their first real fight together, Finueth and Gavai understood each other well enough not to get in each other's way. Gavai focused on attacking Darth Occlus's right side while Finueth focused on his left. Even with their coordinated attack, the Sith Lord was unhindered. He dodged their blows swiftly and parried any attacks that came close to landing. Occlus continued to back down the hallway carefully throughout the duel.
Finally, the two Jedi both attacked towards his chest, and Darth Occlus raised his lightsaber to block both of their strikes together. Gavai gripped the hilt of his lightsaber with both hands, applying more strength to the locked blades. The Jedi Knight was surprised to see the Sith was struggling under the weight of their attack. Occlus was quick but he lacked the muscle strength he had. The Sith's blade inched closer to himself.
Darth Occlus held his free hand out to push back both of his attackers with a Force Push. Both Jedi Knights were sent flying away and crashed onto the ground.
Gavai did a flip to get back to his feet and activated his blue blade again. Darth Occlus held his stance as the Jedi Knight charged down alone. Gavai led with a slash towards his midsection that the Sith blocked. What Occlus wasn't expecting was for a punch that struck him across the face. It was enough to daze his foe with Gavai kicking his lightsaber out of his hand and towards the wall. He followed up with a one hand Force Push to knock Darth Occlus down onto the ground.
Confidence led Gavai to push on. He saw a downed opponent, one of the most powerful Sith the Empire had to offer, and pressed the attack. He charged forward, gripping his lightsaber with both hands to swing down upon Darth Occlus. However, he raised his lightsaber too high, and was left too exposed. The Sith pointed a single hand out and blasted the Jedi Knight with a continuous shot of Force Lightning that sent him even farther back than Occlus' Force Push.
"Gavai!" Finueth called out.
The Force Lightning was unlike any pain that Gavai had experienced and sapped him of his strength. He called upon his inner reserves to help him recover. Still, he was mostly helpless to watch what happened next. Finueth fought Darth Occlus by herself, just like Gavai. The Sith, back on his feet, dodged each of her strikes with ease. By the time Gavai was able to get back to his feet, it was too late. Finueth left herself exposed, and her foe did not show any mercy. He used the Force to pull his lightsaber to his hand and ignited the red blade into Finueth's abdomen just as she tried to strike him down.
"Finueth!" Gavai shouted.
Finueth looked at the blade piercing through her and dropped her lightsaber to the ground. Darth Occlus pushed her body towards the wall and turned to Gavai.
"One down, one to go," Darth Occlus taunted.
"You'll pay for that!" Gavai declared.
Although the Jedi preached not to fall to anger, there was nothing holding Gavai back now. In the course of the day, he witnessed three of his companions die. Stedar and Xekudo fell victim to Rosu's traps and Finueth was struck down by the mastermind of the entire plan. How could he not feel their losses?
Gavai pulled Finueth's lightsaber to his free hand. He activated the green blade alongside his blue lightsaber, and charged at Darth Occlus, who resumed his defensive stance once again.
Over the course of several minutes, the cantina battlefield turned into a massacre on both sides. The privateers loyal to the Galactic Republic held a chokepoint but the turncoats greatly outnumbered them. The privateers held the line, but eventually, the turncoats were able to break through, and shot down several of the privateers. They made use of the cover in the cantina with the numbers on both sides slowly dwindling down.
Risha was one of the last of the privateers remaining, having fled her position at the bar to the back of the room. As Rogun's met kept the traitorous pirates back, Risha took careful shots at the enemy, never missing her mark. Carac and Lunatta were careful with their advancement to not take a shot from her. If Risha could, she would gun them both down, but their carefulness kept them safe.
The last of Rogun's crew fell to a barrage of blaster bolts from the remnants of the turncoats: Carac, Lunatta, and two other pirates. Aside from Risha, only Rogun was left alive. His blaster was shot out of his hands towards the end of the firefight, and he remained behind his makeshift cover. He clutched his vibroknife in his hand, waiting for the enemy to advance so that he could rejoin the battle.
Carac and Lunatta both turned their blasters towards Risha and opened fire. She ducked down quick enough but recognized their tactic. The two captains would keep her pinned down while their pirates advanced. Normally, such a plan might have been able to work. She was trapped with nowhere to go. Yet, during the battle, the turncoats must have believed they killed the Butcher.
When Risha heard a scream, she rolled out from her cover. Rogun had already killed one of the turncoats with his vibroknife and turned on the other quickly, not giving him a chance to react. Carac stood behind his newest victim, with Lunatta to the side of the butcher. They both raised their blasters at Rogun, forgetting about Risha. She took aim at Lunatta and fired.
Two blaster shots struck Imperial Intelligence's most wanted in the chest to end her life.
Risha turned her aim towards Carac but didn't pull the trigger. Rogun used the second turncoat as a human shield against Carac's blaster fire as he advanced. He threw the corpse aside and tackled Carac to the ground. The traitorous captain opened his mouth to beg for mercy, but only screamed when Rogun's vibroknife slammed directly where his heart was, ending his life.
"So much for Iceheart," Rogun commented coldly and stood up. "How are you doing on ammo?"
"Not that great," Risha said and walked up to him. "But, on the bright side, I think that was most, if not all, of Carac and Lunatta's crews. That just leaves Leg's men and the Imps."
"Including their Sith Lord," Rogun added with a frown.
"Are you thinking about leaving?" Risha asked, returning his frown with her own. "We can still save the organization. We can still save Port Nowhere."
"You're very optimistic," Rogun shrugged. "Truth be told, I would leave, if I thought I could make it out on my own. Since I can't, I'll stick with you. What's the plan?"
"We take the command center," Risha said simply and walked out of the cantina. "Let's get moving."
"Right behind you," Rogun nodded. He took up a fallen blaster from the fight and followed Risha toward the command station.
Corso wasn't going to let Rosu get away for the third time. This time, he and Akaavi were going to stop the bounty hunter. Although Rosu had a good head start, his pursuers were catching up. When his foe came into sight running down a hallway, Corso wanted to take a shot at him with Torchy, but running and trying to aim past Akaavi, who was ahead of him, took too much time. The bounty hunter kept taking different turns in an attempt to lose the two but he wasn't going to escape. Port Nowhere was contested and Corso was certain that Rosu didn't know the layout of the station.
When Akaavi rounded a corner after Rosu, Corso heard her gasp in surprise followed by the sound of a thud. When he rounded the corner, he saw the bounty hunter grappling the Zabrak, keeping her electrostaff between them. Corso tried to aim at his enemy but was unable to get a clear shot and even had to take a step back to stay clear of the confrontation. With a grunt, Rosu pulled Akaavi's electrostaff and threw it behind him further down the hallway. The Mandalorian charged forward even without her weapon, initiating another grapple. The two spun around with Corso taking a quick shot that missed as the two fell forward past a door and into a storage room in the station.
Corso followed after the two to see Rosu pinning Akaavi on the ground in a struggle. The bounty hunter punched the zabrak, knocking her helmet off as he pressed his arm against her neck. Corso fired two shots into Rosu's back, and although his armor saved his life, he was stunned enough for Akaavi to throw him off of her and into a wall. Akaavi got back on her feet while Corso shot at Rosu three times with Torchy, although each shot only earned a grunt from the bounty hunter.
"I can't get through his armor," Corso commented, looking at Akaavi. "It's the same as yours. Any weak spots?"
"We'll make one," Akaavi said with a grunt.
Rosu got back on his feet and dashed forward toward the two. Corso tried to take a shot at the bounty hunter except he was quick enough to duck under the blaster fire. Having closed the distance between them, Rosu quickly delivered a sharp kick to disarm Corso. Torchy flew out of his hands and on top of a high crate. Akaavi started to throw several jabs at her foe who raised his arms to block them. Without thinking about it, Corso reached forward and grabbed onto Rosu's helmet. The bounty hunter grabbed onto his arms only for Akaavi to kick him in his chest to knock him back.
Still feeling the metal helmet in his hand, Corso grinned. Rosu looked up at the two, his face no longer hidden or protected. His yellow eyes glared as he assumed a boxing stance. Akaavi assumed her own hand-to-hand stance while Corso tossed the helmet back at the door's console to close it. Although he wasn't trained like Akaavi and Rosu, he's been in his fair share of scraps before. Corso just needed to aim for the head.
A moment passed, then the three resumed their fight with Akaavi and Corso charging forward together.
Colroc had spent a lot of time in Port Nowhere and knew where each hall led. With Bowdaar covering his flank, the Voidhound took the quickest path he could to the command station. Even taking the shortest path, they came across several Imperial troopers and turncoat privateers who fell to Colroc's blasters and Bowdaar's bowcaster. The two couldn't afford to turn back as taking back the command station would serve as an advantage to taking back Port Nowhere. They could use the consoles to view security camera footage, seal off hallways, and send out an alert to any nearby privateers for help.
The two made it to one of the doors leading to the command station, and after a quick moment at the console, unsealed it. Leg stood at the center, almost dropping his scatter gun in alarm as the door opened. The two guards he had at his side aimed blasters at him but Colroc was a quicker shot, downing both of them with ease. This time, Leg dropped his scatter gun as he dived for cover behind a console as Bowdaar took a shot at him. Colroc held his hand up to signal for his companion to stop shooting and stepped forward.
The command station was his as was the traitor that betrayed the privateers and sold out to the Empire. Colroc couldn't fight against the fury he felt.
"Stop hiding, Leg," Colroc called out. "It's over!"
"You're going to shoot me if I do!" Leg cried back. "I've heard the stories. I know what you did to Skavac and Darmas after they stabbed you in the back."
Colroc laughed. "Don't even think about comparing yourself to them?"
"But I betrayed you!" Leg gasped. "I'm just like them!"
"You're nothing like them," Colroc said, inadvertently letting out a growl. "Skavac made it personal but he was smart enough to at least stay one step out of my blaster fire until the end. Darmas manipulated me for months and I was never the wiser until Rogun showed me the truth. Those two knew what they were doing. You are nothing more than a pawn for the Empire!"
"The Empire wouldn't be here without me!" Leg said with what little pride he had demanding he defended himself.
"And they abandoned you here," Colroc pointed out. "And one last thing. Skavac and Darmas both fought until their bitter ends. You're a coward, Leg, and you'll always be one. That's why you hide behind bounty hunters to do your dirty work and it's why you won't come out and get what's coming."
"Do as he says, Leg."
Colroc gasped and Bowdaar roared at the sound of a new arrival. When they turned to look behind them, a tattooed pirate pointed a blaster alongside five Imperial soldiers with their rifles. Aside from the speaker, they were in cover behind extensions in the door Colroc and Bowdaar came through. The pirate motioned for the two to drop their weapons, and with the Voidhound nodding to his loyal crewmate, they set their weapons down on the ground. Two of the Imperial soldiers advanced to pick them up as the two smugglers raised their hands in the air.
Leg finally emerged from cover and gasped. "Andronikos?! I thought you said you were confronting the Voidhound!"
"I am," the pirate said with a cocky grin. "Sith Intelligence was kind enough to give us their reports on Captain Colroc Jericho. These reports indicated that he would be blinded by rage if he were betrayed and wouldn't think clearly."
"So this was a trap all along," Colroc realized out loud.
"It sure was," Andronikos said with a nod as the Imperial troopers surrounded the two. "Leg, get your gun."
"R-right!" Leg said and picked up his scatter gun.
"So what happens now?" Colroc asked with a defiant look in his eyes. "You take us to your master?"
"Darth Occlus is more pragmatic than that," Andronikos explained as he aimed his blaster at Colroc's head. "He just wants you dead."
"It feels like half the galaxy does sometimes," Colroc grinned. "We'll see if this death sticks."
Before Andronikos could pull the trigger, the other set of doors leading into the command station opened. Risha and Rogun stepped forward, pointing their blasters at the Imperial group.
"Colroc!" Risha called out.
"Huh?!" Andronikos and Leg both gasped in surprise.
Colroc took the surprise as a chance to make his move as he reached forward to grab Andronikos' blaster. He was able to turn the weapon in time as the pirate pulled on the trigger, the blaster fire shooting the wall over the Voidhound's shoulder. The two captains wrestled and Bowdaar tackled the Imperial soldier that had his bowcaster to the ground. The other soldiers turned to focus on Risha and Rogun, who were already opening fire on the group.
Leg and most of the Imperial soldiers made it to cover by consoles while Bowdaar dragged the screaming trooper to the hallway opposite of his reinforcements. Although Colroc and Andronikos were not in cover, both sides knew better than to risk shooting at the two out of fear of hitting their own side. The two wrestled with Andronikos shooting his blaster more. None of the pirate's shots struck the smuggler but several did hit the exposed terminals.
"Try not to shoot anything important!" Colroc taunted, stomping on Andronikos' foot.
Andronikos grimaced in pain and shot one of the terminals. While the last few shots had no impact on the station, this one had as the artificial gravity turned off. The various combatants in the room started to float up, making the battle even more chaotic.
With his anger fueling his attack, Gavai pushed out with the Force against his foe. Darth Occlus was thrown off his feet with his lightsaber rolling out of his hands and deactivating. The Jedi knew that the Sith was holding back, a mistake that he would pay for dearly. Gavai leapt up into the air, using the Force to enhance his speed as he let himself fall down towards Darth Occlus, pointing his two lightsabers downward in an impaling maneuver.
Yet, Darth Occlus was faster as he was able to point his hand out to direct the Force to slam Gavai against the ceiling of the hallway they were in. The Jedi grunted and held both of his lightsabers just in time to block the powerful blast of Force Lightning that came his way. Gaviai questioned how he was still floating in the air and realized that Darth Occlus was levitating off the ground as well. Something had happened to the gravity, he just wasn't sure what.
With the barrage of Force Lightning coming to an end, Darth Occlus pulled his lightsaber back into his hand but chose not to activate it. Instead, he attached it to his belt and used the Force to push him forward, leaving Gavai behind. Although the Jedi had him on the retreat, he knew better than to assume that it was due to his power. Darth Occlus fought defensively, and while Gavai realized that he was growing tired, he couldn't say the same for his opponent.
Gavai knew that he couldn't let Darth Occlus escape, even though his foe was swiftly getting away. He kicked off the ceiling and used the Force to push himself after the Sith. While he quickly realized that Darth Occlus was going to get away with his superior power in the Force, Gavai pushed on. To give up now would mean that he was letting Finueth, Stedar, and Xekudo down.
Rogun had previously explained that Rosu was a boxer before he became a bounty hunter. Corso had first hand experience of his hand-to-hand combat skill during their previous encounters. He knew that there was no denying Rosu knew how to handle himself in a fist fight.
Yet there was only so much training and experience can do when you were outnumbered, surrounded, and confined in close quarters. Corso was fortunate enough to have been able to sneak behind Rosu while he was distracted with Akaavi's flurry of blows. He was able to grab the bounty hunter in a full nelson, holding his arms in place so that the Cathar couldn't defend himself. Rosu tried his best to break free but Akaavi was unrelenting as each punch she threw struck him in the head. It appeared as though the two smugglers had finally had the advantage and were close to victory.
Then, Corso realized that his feet weren't touching the ground and that the crates in the room were floating.
Rosu was the first to take advantage of the gravity turning off, using both of his feet to kick Akaavi away from him and toward a crate He then activated his rocket boots and flew backwards, body slamming his foe against the wall. Corso cried out in pain, and while he was vulnerable, Rosu broke free from the full nelson. The bounty hunter grabbed onto Corso's arms and threw him over his shoulder, slamming him into Akaavi. The two smugglers took a moment to recuperate from the attack.
"Corso," Akaavi whispered, motioning with her head upward.
Realizing what Akaavi wanted, Corso looked up and quickly picked out Torchy above them. Rosu no longer had his helmet to protect himself, meaning that one well-placed shot would put him down for good. The bounty hunter kicked off the wall to resume the fight. Akaavi pushed herself off the crate in a similar maneuver and intercepted Rosu with the two armored warriors resuming their fight. Corso tried his best to move his arms and legs to go after Torchy but had little experience moving in such an environment.
Colroc finally disarmed Andronikos with the blaster floating harmlessly away. Both of the captains couldn't see how their sides were faring in battle other than the back-and-forth blaster bolts coming from all over. They remained focused on each other with Andronikos punching Colroc across his jaw. The Voidhound returned with a punch of his own, slamming his fist into the pirate's chest. Andronkios gasped in pain, and when he tried to punch the smuggler again, found his fist caught. Colroc threw his opponent away, taking advantage of the lack of gravity to get some distance between them.
Unfortunately for Colroc, that proved to be a mistake. A blaster rifle from a fallen Imperial soldier bumped into Andronikos' back and he was quick to pick up the discarded weapon. The Voidhound's Eyes went wide as he scrambled for cover, grabbing hold of the edge of a nearby terminal to pull himself toward the ground. The blaster bolts Andronikos fired struck the back of the console or flew over Colroc harmlessly.
With it only being a matter of time for Andronikos to find a clear angle to shoot at, Colroc knew he didn't have time to waste. With the pirate still in the air, he only had a few seconds to send him back to the ground and negate that advantage. Colroc started to access the terminal he hid behind, hitting as many buttons as he could in order to revert gravity back to normal. Andronikos' pausing in his fire meant that the pirate was trying to move elsewhere to shoot, which only had the Voidhound move his fingers faster to type.
Finally, with a single click, gravity was restored. Colroc was already by the ground and didn't really fall as much as land. Andronikos crashed down to the ground and grunted in pain. Colroc sighed in relief to see that the pirate's blaster rifle slid out of his hands.
"Shoot him now!" Colroc commanded.
Unfortunately for Colroc (again), in his rush to fix the gravity, he hadn't warned his allies of what he was about to do. They were on the ground as well, groaning in pain from the sudden impact. It appeared as though most of the Imperial soldiers had been killed, but when Colroc advanced toward Andronikos, a stray blaster bolt sailed past his head. He ducked back for cover, realizing that one soldier was still up.
The Imperial soldier kept firing at Colroc with Andronikos taking this as an opportunity to flee, rushing past Bowdaar while the Wookiee was recovering. With no weapon in sight, Colroc could only wait for his crew to save him. It was Risha who took the shot, striking the soldier in the throat to end the fight.
"Risha! Rogun!" Colroc greeted, emerging from cover. "It's good to see you both made it out alive."
"It's good to see you as well," Risha nodded. "I knew it would only be a matter of time for you to join us."
"We had to kill Lunatta and Carac when they sided with Leg and tried to kill us," Rogun informed Colroc. "We're all that's left of the privateer's leadership."
"Speaking of, where's Leg?" Colroc asked, looking around the room. "He was just here."
«The traitor ran past me during my fight« Bowdaar answered with a quiet roar as he stepped forward to join the group.
"We have to catch him," Colroc declared, stepping forward. "Andronikos too!"
"Right now, we have to do what we can here," Risha said, motioning to the terminals. "We need to ensure Port Nowhere is in our control."
"We'll catch them later," Rogun nodded in agreement. "If we act quickly, we might be able to seal them off from escaping."
Slowly, Colroc took a deep breath in, and sighed. "Fine. Let's hurry."
Colroc didn't like the idea of relying on the blasted security terminals to stop Andronikos and Leg but had little choice but to work with his crew. Securing Port Nowhere was the priority; revenge could wait. The Voidhound was glad to have found that the captains loyal to the Republic and the privateers were safe. With Bowdaar serving as a guard, the trio went to work to restore Port Nowhere to their control.
Corso had finally reunited with Torchy and took aim at Rosu's head when the gravity restored. He and Akaavi both slammed down to the ground and screamed out in pain as Torchy escaped from his grasp again. For his part, Rosu reacted quickly to the return of gravity and used controlled bursts of his rocket boots to land carefully. Corso slowly crawled over to where Torchy was while Akaavi stood up, standing in between Rosu and the door.
Rosu calmly picked up his helmet and put it back on. Akaavi tried to attack him while he did this but the bounty hunter moved out of the way. When she tried to punch him again, Rosu grabbed onto her arm, and with one quick motion, slammed his free hand down on it. Akaavi grunted as her arm went limp and delivered a kick to Rosu's leg that only inconvenienced him. The bounty hunter grabbed Akaavi by the head so that he could slam her face into his knee. Corso watched in horror as Akaavi collapsed onto the ground, defeated.
"Better luck next time," was all Rosu said.
Although Corso shot at Rosu, the blaster fire couldn't get past his armor. The bounty hunter ignored his shooter in favor of leaving, closing the door behind him. Corso was tempted to chase after Rosu, but at this point, knew it would be a futile gesture. He crawled over to where Akaavi was and sighed in relief to hear her breathing and groaning.
Rosu escaped again, but with each fight, Corso was learning enough to one day defeat him.
Leg ran as fast as he could but had no idea where he was heading. He was lucky enough that no one bothered with him when the firefight broke out to get out of the command center (although the lack of gravity for a few minutes certainly didn't help). Now that he was alone, he looked in fear over the corpses of the privateer turncoats and Imperial reinforcements that Colroc and his crew had killed to retake Port Nowhere. To stand against the Voidhound would be a futile gesture.
Then there was the matter that Leg had failed his new allies. It was no secret that the Imperial Empire was eager to punish those that failed the Sith and being an alien certainly didn't make it easy to make friends. Darth Occlus had proven himself to be surprisingly patient compared to the rumors the Twi'lek heard of other Sith Lords but knew that even he must have a limit. Failing Colroc was one thing but letting the Voidhound retake Port Nowhere would be enough to justify an execution, something he wanted to avoid.
Having betrayed the Republic and failed the Empire, Leg realized that he had very few options left for his survival in the galaxy.
Leg turned a corner and stopped out of breath. After looking over his shoulder to ensure that he wasn't chased, he turned back around to see a hangar. There were only three ships although his eyes were immediately drawn to the Whirlwind. For a moment, Leg thought about taking one of the starfighters but figured that if Colroc was able to get to his ship, he would be able to blast any traitor. The only sensible option would be to steal the Whirlwind, fly to Nar Shaddaa, and hope that there was someone in the Hutt Cartel hiring so that he could disappear.
Taking one final gulp, Leg stormed toward the Whirlwind. Most of Colroc's crew had been accounted for but he still had his scatter gun in hand in case of trouble. Yet, when he walked into the Whirlwind through the boarding ramp, he was surprised to see a Mon Calamari who was just as surprised as the boarder. Leg didn't know too much about Guss but that he had to have earned his place on Colroc's crew.
Even though Leg had his scattergun out, Guss quickly drew his blaster out and aimed it at the intruder. The Twi'lek gasped and dropped his gun out of fear.
"Don't shoot!" Leg cried out. "I surrender!"
"You surrender?" Guss asked with a hint of confusion. "I haven't done anything though."
Leg raised his hands in the air. "Please, you have to listen to me. I was coerced by the Empire! They threatened to do many things to me if I didn't agree to work with them."
"Sure…" Guss said, not buying it. "So, how about you step toward the wall for me?"
Slowly, Leg backed toward a wall, fearful that Guss was going to execute him. Yet, the Mon Calamari had other plans in mind as he instead stepped forward to pick up the scatter gun. Guss kept his blaster aimed on Leg, keeping the Twi'lek as his prisoner.
"You're not going to kill me?" Leg asked, desperate for a way out of the mess he found himself in.
"I'm not much of a killer, really," Guss admitted. "But the Captain's going to want a word, and at least now, I can say that I did my part."
Leg closed his eyes and resisted the urge to faint.
Darth Occlus could have kept fighting. He knew that he was more powerful than the Jedi he had left behind when gravity turned off. Yet, he calmly made his way toward the Harbinger. Andronikos had informed him through a comm line that the Voidhound had retaken Port Nowhere. While it would be easy to deal with a group of smugglers, the Sith Lord knew that there was little more that could be done. Most of the privateers that sold out the Republic were dead or trying to flee for their lives.
While it was his intention to convert the majority of the privateers to the Empire, Darth Occlus would have to settle with having done enough damage to see it dissolved.
With the Harbinger in sight, Darth Occlus entered his ship with the ramp rising behind him. He entered the bridge and took the co-pilot's seat next to Andronikos, who was already preparing the starship for flight. While many Sith Lords wouldn't lower themselves to being a co-pilot under any circumstance, Darth Occlus knew the value of trusting his companions. Although bonding with Andronikos had been difficult, he's had decent conversations with the pirate compared to the other members of his typical crew.
"Where's our destination?" Andronikos asked.
"We need to fall back to our base," Darth Occlus explained. "Once we reunite with Talos and Khem, we can decide on our next action."
"We're going to need to find something to do about the prisoners we have," Andronikos noted. "You're going to want to deal with that."
That being the hangar doors closing. Colroc had to be both brave and a fool to even consider trapping a Sith Lord as powerful as he was, something which the files Sith Intelligence had supported. Darth Occlus held his hand and used the Force to stall the hangar doors without any effort. It was a menial task but one that was important to their escape. With Andronikos on the controls, the Harbinger flew out of the hangar, and moments later, jumped into hyperspace.
Several hours later, Port Nowhere was back under the privateer's control. Many of the turncoats tried to flee but with the station sealing its hangars, mostly surrendered with a few fighting to the bitter end. The few remaining Imperial soldiers fought on although were easily dispatched. Keeping the prisoners locked up would be difficult but most of the traitors had lost the desire to fight. After Rogun called for some of his forces as reinforcements, Colroc got in touch with contacts in the Republic for prisoner transports and extra security until they could say for sure that there was no longer a threat to the station.
Colroc stood at the hangar he landed in alongside Risha and Rogun, working with what few loyal privateers survived to remove the fallen. The hangar was one starship short as Rosu was able to work his way back to the hangar and escaped on the starfighter he came in on. Akaavi and Corso put up the best fight they could but it wasn't enough. The two were in the medbay being treated by Guss. Akaavi had suffered worse injuries compared to Corso and would be out of action for some time although the Voidhound was glad that his friends were still alive.
Unfortunately, not everyone was able to make it out of the battle with their life. Colroc learned from a devastated Gavai that Finueth had met her end fighting a member of the Dark Council. Any thoughts that he had about why Darth Occlus had an interest in the privateers faded away when he realized how emotional the Jedi had become. Colroc had enough experience with the Jedi Order to know that it wasn't good for one of its members to speak with the anger that Gavai had for Darth Occlus. Still, there was little he could do now as the Jedi Knight spent his time preparing his fallen friend to be sent back to Tython.
Bowdaar escorted Leg, who was bound in handcuffs, toward the three remaining leaders of the privateers. The traitor grew pale as his thoughts turned to what kind of punishment they had for him. It didn't help that Colroc had one of his blasters out of his holster although he didn't aim it at the Twi'lek. Slowly, the Voidhound stepped forward, and while he was known to be jovial, spoke seriously.
"You weren't able to get far," Colroc commented. "You know what I do to traitors."
"Please, make it quick and painless," Leg pleaded, looking down at the ground to avoid his gaze.
"It just so happens it's your lucky day," Colroc said and slowly holstered his weapon. "Risha talked me out of killing you."
"She did?" Leg gasped.
"We know your master is the reason why many of our privateers have disappeared without a trace," Risha told him, crossing her arms.
"You do?" Leg gasped again. "Who told you?"
"You did," Risha smirked and the Twi'lek gulped in terror. "Given that the other turncoats were mainly with Carac and Lunatta, and that Andronikos was able to escape with Darth Occlus, you're our only lead to finding them."
"They didn't bother trying to save you because you were a pawn," Colroc flatly informed the traitor. "We're going to send you to the Republic for trial, but if you help us now, we might be able to work out a lenient sentence for you."
While the offer was tempting, Leg shook his head without hesitation. "I fear what the Empire will do to me if I talk more than what the Republic has in mind."
"We thought you would say that," Rogun admitted. "I know people who can get you to talk. It'll be painful for you."
"But you're turning me in," Leg protested weakly. "The Republic wouldn't torture its prisoners."
"We never said that we were turning you in immediately," Colroc grinned. "Put him in his own holding area, Bowdaar. We'll get started with our interrogation soon enough."
Any protests that Leg had were silenced with Bowdaar roaring and pushing Leg forward toward another hall. The traitor knew his place as a prisoner and made no attempt to escape as he was escorted to his cell. Although Colroc was tempted to make Leg pay for his treason, reason won out. It was important that they rescue the other privateers from wherever they were being held, and if Sith Intelligence really had files on him, he needed to change the way he acted to throw their reports off.
"How soon do you think he'll talk?" Risha asked Rogun.
"He'll talk but it's a matter of if we want him to," Rogun answered. "I'm not too keen on dealing with a member of the Dark Council."
"It's not like we have a choice," Colroc said with a shrug. "The Republic has given us space to operate on our own terms but it means that they won't help. If anyone's going to get our people out of some Imperial prison, it's going to be us."
Colroc had his fair share of dealing with the Sith before but each time had nearly ended with him getting killed. The enemies he faced were nothing compared to the might of a member of the Dark Council. Still, Colroc wasn't going to let Darth Occlus make a move against the privateers and get away with it. He had to do what he could to save the privateers that trusted in him from the grasp of the Sith Empire, no matter what it took.
A/N: So, I'm trying to get back in the habit of writing, which means returning to my projects like this. No scheduled updates planned other than what I can write.
I have unfortunately lost the notes I've had for this story and am currently going off of memory. I hope to find the notes soon but have enough to get through several upcoming chapters.
This was a pretty long chapter, longer than the previous two, and a lot has happened. I like to compare the story structure to how the Clone Wars went with their episodes focusing on a lot happening during arcs. Speaking of, the next chapter should see the conclusion of the current arc.
Until next time.