Chapter 43
The Grand Commander places a hand on Gary's shoulder, turning him back towards the roof access. "Gather everyone left and assist them to the roof."
"But, sir," Gary motions towards Dr. Wither and the witch.
"You have your orders, trooper," he says without a glance, utterly focused on the witch.
While Dr. Wither struggles helplessly, suffocating in midair, an unnatural tempest swirls around her and the witch. Charal glares at him with all the animosity her hunched, mismatched body can project. Abruptly the half-raven, half-woman nightmare jerks upright, and her personal storm ends. At the same time, Wither collapses into a pile, coughing and rubbing her throat.
The sinister gesture is their only warning as she gathers all her power.
HER strength dwarfs Gary's. Before, with the stormtrooper, the commander felt tension and hairs on the back of his neck rising. Now, his whole body aches with alarm.
Without warning, Dr. Wither slashes Charal's calf. The witch shrieks before turning on the doctor. The slice should have been crippling; it should've bled profusely. Neither happens to their horror. Unbeknownst to them, the witch has gorged herself on the Dark Side. She's more powerful now than ever before, driven by her madness and fueled by the battle's suffering.
Diggs shoots when the witch raises a hand, forcing her to dodge. The commander adds his fire to the volley while Serrano surges toward her. The commander lunges first, thrusting with his force pike, while Diggs ceases fire. Trapped between the royal guard and the commander, they overwhelm the witch's power with coordinated strikes. She can't focus until she escapes, and the death trooper shoots before she can capitalize on it.
In the flurry of the melee, Dr. Wither flees, first crawling and then sprinting back to the Zeta. The trio keeps the witch unstable until the royal guard strikes her with his force pike. Screeching, she unleashes an invisible wave at them, repelling both Serrano and the commander. He remains standing, but the royal guardsman is thrown aside and nearly flies off the rooftop.
In the space she's created, the witch seizes Diggz. He rises off the ground, gagging as she drags him closer. The commander recovers fastest, shooting at her as he charges. The witch drops Diggs, rolling aside, before she snatches up the commander. After immobilizing him, she rips the blaster and force pike from his hands. But that momentary switch releases the Grand Commander, allowing him to close the distance. He slugs her. He pounds her uneven face twice more before uppercutting her. The power of the blow lifts her petite form off the ground.
Where she floats weightlessly…gathering the force. With a devastating blast, she slams him against the rooftop. Before she can finish him, Diggz shoots at her, forcing the witch to drop and dance about. Then Serrano appears, slicing and stabbing again.
Battered and winded, the commander drags his legs underneath himself and rises. Ruin appears in both hands, unbidden. The power of the Shadowstone within the ax flares, causing all three combatants to pause, giving him their full attention. The ambiance of the rooftop changes immediately, menacingly, as he advances.
General Syndulla's Camp
"Ma'am," A technician calls. "The Dulok pushed our forces back to the eastern wall. We've lost contact with the captain, and unit cohesion has collapsed."
"Tell the rest of our troops to continue pushing into the compound," Hera orders, suppressing her surprise and worry. Of course, he had a plan! "Reposition the walker east."
"The X-wings say the Dulok aren't alone," another tech warns Hera, her eyes widening. "Something is following them!"
Hera picks up a headset, "Pilot! Describe what's following the Duloks now!"
"Ma'am," the rebel pilot's voice breaks uncertainly. "I-I don't know! I can barely see it, but it's HUGE! Scanners detect a probe droid leading it. It's passing through the shield now!"
Hera's mind races, wondering what it could be. Then she gasps, "Oh no!"
The East side of the Compound
Captain Kensington cannot explain how everything went so wrong so quickly.
Burly Dulok slam into the rebel lines, smashing and stabbing Ewoks with berserk fury. While they slay rebels equally, the muscular aliens seem to do it out of inconvenience because the troopers stand between them and the Ewoks. They happily hop over wounded to reach their ancient enemies, even though it puts them at risk.
Then grenades explode among them, and blasters cut them down, but the Dulok keep charging. Savage and strong, the counterattack only slows them.
Kensington ducks beneath a spear thrust and bashes one with his rifle. The Dulok grunts before cracking him with his spear, ripping off Kensington's helmet, and throwing it aside. Stunned and knocked to the ground, he stares at the spearpoint about to kill him.
Hera's giant shoots the Dulok then blocks the alien's swing. Terrifyingly, the alien shrugs off the first shot before Kensington blasts him a second time and a third for good measure. The bodyguard grabs Kensington and yanks him back to his feet.
Before Kensington can thank him, more Duloks attack. They shoot one simultaneously, but it still swings a club before it falls, forcing them apart. An Ewok appears, stabbing a second, only to get punted off the ground. Kensington tries to shoot one, but the creature grabs his rifle, tearing it from his grasp. Kensington draws his vibrodagger and stabs the beast in the chest. It backhands him so hard he spins and falls again.
Blankly, Kensington can hear someone calling him and blinks away the spots in his vision. He's stunned and unable to think. Nearby sits his helmet, command calling him over the radio. Instead, he looks up at the Dulok. It growls before drawing the bloody dagger from its wound. Chuckling, it raises its club to finish him. Kensington can't focus, let alone fight back.
"RREEEEEEEE!" Several Ewoks scream, startling everyone. The sound halts his attacker and stalls the battle. Together they stare because the Ewoks aren't alone. Dulok, decorated in leather and bones, point frantically at the compound's roof. Even a pathfinder drops her blaster, tears running down her face. She stands frozen, mouth open, eyes wide with terror.
"What's happening?" Someone cries in panic. "What's wrong with them!"
The pause lasts only a heartbeat, and Hera's bodyguard reappears. He blasts the Dulok repeatedly. This time, Kensington stands on his own as the giant continues shooting.
"We need to rally!" The bodyguard declares. "Or this will turn into a rout!"
Kensington can't argue his point; whatever affects the screaming Ewoks unnerves everyone. Unfortunately, that's not the only problem: the Dulok attack dispersed his forces, making them easy pickings for the savages. Ewok hunters try to calm the howling shamans while others struggle to defend them. Pockets of defenders remain, but anarchy reigns.
Whining motors and heavy footsteps announce a new arrival. The ground trembles as an enormous metal foot crests the wall behind them. The AT-ST scales the compound's border, and from high above them, it blasts the Duloks mercilessly. Explosives land among the aliens, shredding them before it drops to the ground.
Kensington and the bodyguard flee, barely dodging its deadly feet. In seconds, the counterattack turns into a slaughter. Even the Dulok can't stand against the AT-ST's firepower.
"YES!" The bodyguard cheers, following the AT-ST as it disperses the Dulok. "The general saved us!"
"Form a line!" Kensington orders over the battlefield. "Form up and drive them back!"
Unable to withstand the combined strength of the rebel forces and the walker, the Dulok have no choice but to retreat. They do not surrender; they fight to their last breath even as their comrades withdraw. Yet the Ewoks respond tepidly, remaining close to their screaming kin. One cries frantically in their language, and almost in unison, they look up at the rooftop.
Kensington follows it, and the bodyguard asks, "What do you think it is?"
"Maybe some Ewoks or pathfinders have reached the roof," he lies. Kensington can feel it. That's no normal battle. He picks up his rifle, checks it, then refocuses on the battle.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a viper probe droid arriving from the woods. The droid fires steadily, but not at them. Kensington aims, then realizes something is behind it. Something so big, it shakes the woods, even as its arrival interrupts the battle. The gargantuan creature looks somewhat humanoid to Kensington, even with lupin ears and black fur.
Hera's bodyguard screams, "It's Trop!"
"What? What's Trop?" Kensington asks before he recognizes the beast. He read reports of the Gorax, Endor's ultimate predator, but he's been to many worlds. He's seen hundreds of terrifying species; the Gorax doesn't phase him. Instead, he grabs his radio.
With the arrival of their ally, the Dulok stop running and chant, "Trop! Trop! Trop!"
The largest of the Duloks raises his huge club in homage, screaming, "TRROOOP!"
"TROP!" It booms in an earthshaking roar.
A bolt hits Trop, angering the beast. The Gorax hurdles over the Dulok to land among the rebels. Its massive feet crush several men as it slams its fists, smashing more. The rebels scream and run, desperate to escape the onslaught, until two cannon blasts strike the monster's chest. Trop stumbles, groaning in pain, as the AT-ST intercepts it.
"Intensify forward firepower!" Kensington orders into his radio, speaking to the walker. "I don't want anything getting through."
"Too late!" Hera's bodyguard warns, grabbing Kensington and dragging him away.
Trop rises, tearing a tree from the ground and hurling it at the AT-ST. The walker barely dodges, the crude missile flying past, over the compound's wall, and into its courtyard. Although twice the Gorax's height, the AT-ST does not intimidate it. Trop sprints around it, circling the walker and squashing rebels. Once it reaches the war machine, it jumps straight up, grabbing the crew cabin. It hammers the walker with its fist while clinging to the side. The machine wobbles dangerously, long legs compensating as it tries to free itself.
In the sudden swing of momentum, the Dulok rally. In a reformed line, the savages counterattack the alliance, hitting them with the might of a sledgehammer. What remains of the rebels collapse immediately, falling beneath the weight of the beasts, who show them no mercy.
"We have to go!" Hera's bodyguard yells.
"We can't leave them!" Kensington argues.
"This battle is beyond us! We have to get the commander! Only then will everyone stop!"
It breaks Kensington's heart to leave, but he can't argue. Together they join several fleeing rebels, cornering the wall. They run towards the gate before entering the courtyard.
Every imaginable horror of battle lies naked before them. The dead and dying lie in piles, pieces, and indescribable gore. Wounded and maimed scream and weep, unable to continue but left to suffer. Rebels limp towards the Compound but pause when they spot their reinforcements.
"Report!" Kensington demands when he reaches them. Above and behind them, the battle within the compound has hit a lull, but the rooftop continues fiercely. Blaster bolts fire unceasingly while unnatural gusts of wind permeate the skies.
The wounded rebels lean against the building, barely standing. A woman says, "We're all that remains. The supporting fire on the second floor stopped a bit ago, and someone started throwing imps off the roof. Then…well, whatever is going on up there reached a fever pitch."
Kensington looks up at the roof but fears pressing on. The outright assault is not the pathfinder's way, even though he argued for it earlier. I overestimated our strength. Seeing it with his own eyes causes grief and regret to well in Kensington's heart. He squashes the feelings, steeling himself before looking at Hera's bodyguard. "What do you think?"
The enormous man points up, "That's where General Syndulla entered a few days ago. That's where the commander's office lies with comms and control consoles; we should take it before clearing the building. Intel will want it, and we might be able to shut off the shield too."
"That attack went poorly for her," Kensington reminds him.
"I don't have a better idea, and we need to end this before it worsens," he counters.
"How could this get worse?" Captain Kensington asks.
"Don't say that," the female trooper nervously glances at the roof, adding. "Sir."
All of them turn towards the roof, staring a moment before Kensington licks his lips. Then he examines his forces, "The rest of you hold the door; you're too wounded to continue."
"We can still fight, sir," she insists.
"No, you can't, and you know it, trooper," Kensington assures her. "Send in support when it arrives. I'll go in the front, and he'll take the second floor. We'll meet in the middle."
"Yes, sir," Hera's bodyguard pulls out an ascension cable, shoots it catching a lip, and rockets up. He peeks in the window before lunging inside. Instantly, blaster fire and a fight begins before it ends unexpectedly.
Captain Kensington nods to the rebel before he creeps in the main entrance. What once might have been a cafeteria has become a grave. The room mirrors the ferocious, bloody, and brutal battle for the walls. Dead bodies lie everywhere, as often killed by blasts as blades or explosives. Tables stand upright to provide a barrier; many are broken, melted, and meaningless.
Kensington slinks through the makeshift palisade of tables before groaning draws his attention. He quickly searches for it, discovering the chieftain of the Lightfoot. The Ewok spots him, waving him over. It coughs up blood before speaking in its language, pointing at its wounds. The captain nods his understanding; the chieftain needs immediate medical attention.
"Nothing personal, chieftain, but I've seen the ambition in your eyes before," Kensington whispers. He glances over his shoulder and searches the room again. Confident that they're alone, he continues. "I'd recognize that hunger for power anywhere."
Chief Misti can't understand his words but knows what he's saying. The Ewok draws a dagger as Kensington blasts him in the face, disintegrating him. The captain searches the room again, ensuring there are no witnesses.
To his surprise, a mound of dead Ewoks shakes until someone pushes them aside. An imperial in the heaviest armor he's ever seen coughs. Then the man rolls onto his stomach. Smoking, scorched, and ruined armor plates screech as he drags himself along the decking. Stubbornly, he inches forward as the captain approaches.
"Where are you running imp?" He asks, equally impressed and amused by the trooper.
"I'm don't run," the imp seizes a grenade from a corpse. "For the Empire!"
Terror fuels his legs; Kensington is running before he realizes what he's doing. He reaches the door before the explosion violently ousts him from the compound.
General Syndulla's Camp
"Shake it off! Get it off!"
The AT-ST pilots yell, but their cries mix in the symphony of chaos erupting from the communication console. Panicked screaming and howls of pain jam their transmissions. Technicians and officers try to calm the troopers or reassert command, but it's impossible. The general realizes she's lost all control of the East, possibly the whole battle.
Hera blinks. Shock leaves her chilled, unable to think of a solution. She racks her brain, but nothing answers the most basic question: what can I do? Overwhelming despair crushes her. The dead, this disaster, all of it lies at her feet. Weak counterarguments and justifications whisper excuses from within her, but Hera ignores them.
It's my fault, she admits. Now, what am I going to do about it?
Then, with crystal clarity, she knows. She points at an officer, "Take command here; I'm joining the battle! Patch comms through my X-wing once I'm airborne!"
He stares in disbelief as Hera pulls her comlink, "Chopper! Chopper, come in!"
"Whaa-waa-whah!" The old astromech grumbles.
"Get to the airfield and find an X-wing. Get it ready to launch!" Hera races through the doorway, startling the two sentries outside. She holds up a hand, "Stay there!"
Both guards jump at her tone while Chopper replies, "Whu-whaa-whooo!"
"I don't care if it's damaged. Fix it; we launch as soon as I arrive!"