Chapter 4
Nar Shaddaa has a certain feeling to it I just can't shake off. I can feel the suffering on the planet, those of the innocents that perhaps deserve so much more. It causes my darker emotions to rise, wanting me to feed on those who think themselves strong and powerful, but my assignment is to focus on the matter on hand.
I wonder how I can get pass Kota's men without killing them.
Vader made it clear to leave no survivors, but I will have to formulate a way for the stubborn Jedi and his people to disappear to become my future asset.
At this point in time, I doubt I can even stand against Vader without the man choking me into submission or doing away with me entirely.
To distract myself from the assignment, I have been working on PROXY. I still have a lot planned for Juno in the time being, but one thing at a time. When I reactivate the droid after removing any memory he may have of me turning him off, I wait for him to speak.
"Master, something... seems to have changed. My programming to kill you has been replaced." The droid says, confusion audible in his tone.
I lie. "Lord Vader has altered your programming. Now, you're to spar with me, but not with the intent to kill me ever again. You're to help me on my assignment."
PROXY blinks, undoubtedly a way to register this order. "Yes, master."
"To continue, you no longer answer to him without addressing me firstly." I declare.
PROXY, as expected, accepts. "Yes, master."
"Good."
I walk away from the droid, smirking at my success. Vader no longer cares about what I do with the menace aside from keeping my experience sharp, and even if I do return to the Sith, I doubt he will care about the difference in PROXY's programming - especially with the original Starkiller's downright loyalty to the man.
I move to the cockpit, the smirk fading from my lips as I fold my arms across my chest. I rather not joke with Juno right now when this upcoming battle is going to be a great challenge.
The starfighter facility is a sight for sore eyes to be sure, making me wonder what this galaxy really is like. I have memories of only a vast of them for sure, but seeing and remembering is different. I see the faint source of explosions. The viewports are shattered, bulkheads are weakened, and burst access tubes.
It really shouldn't be surprising after everything Star Wars show what it is capable of.
"The shipyard's sustained heavy damage," Juno says matter-of-factly as she looks for a place to dock.
"What a waste of the Empire's resources." I respond in disapproval. Indeed, the underrated Jedi has been having fun. "Get us closer."
The Rogue Shadow wove gracefully between gouts of flame. Juno is a natural at this, perhaps matching Han Solo. The only tension she shows as the ship rocks and her jaw clenches.
I see the entrance of the facility, senses the threats on board. Even though I am planning to recruit the Jedi and his people in the future if I can convince the Jedi Master, currently they are enemies and will regard to me as such - no matter if I surrender to them or not.
"Over there," I point out, pointing. "That looks like an open hangar."
She nods tightly. "It is defended."
Here, I would have to deal with security. "Come in hot. Let me handle the defenses."
With well-practiced moves of my own, I activate the ship's weapons systems and take aim at the cannon emplacements protecting the open hangar. I wait until automated targeting registers our presence and they swivels to take aim at the Rogue Shadow. Then, with two precise shots, I destroy the emplacements and thus clears the way for a landing.
The shots are not completely accurate, instead finding the shots have been grazing off the facility slightly, but beggers can't be choosers. Even Galen hasn't been the best pilot.
The woman didn't waste any time. The starfighter moves into the hangar and rests onto a flat space clear of debris. As thrusters brings the Rogue Shadow to a halt, I am itching to use my lightsaber. It is surreal that this is happening but I'm going to have some fun.
"I will slice into the mainframe and guide you through the infrastructure," Juno says, slipping a commset over her right ear. "Your friend here can help me."
"Stay here and wait until I give the order."
The woman nods.
I can already feel the presence of the Jedi radiating like the sun. It must be as bright as it was when I saw the scene of Mufasa showing Simba the sunrise in the Lion King all them nice years ago. Kota wants to be found, all right.
"Just keep the ship safe," I tell her, "and be ready to leave when I get back. We might need to move quickly."
"That is my specialty," she says through the comlink on my wrist as I glide through the ship to the exit ramp, which is fully extended before I arrive.
I smell both smoke and blood, two aspects I am familiar with after witnessing such things throughout my original childhood, and Galen is too no doubt. Beyond that, the presence of the Jedi is radiating heavily in the air.
I take a running jump out of the ship.
My lightsaber is lit before I hit the deck, ready to deflect the shots fired my way by the contingent of troopers sent to investigate their landing, whom happens to be Stormtroopers. Well, it's about time I tap into the urge of combat. I have gotten into few fights in my original life, and I remember loving it because most of them are in self defense.
These pitiful Imperial Stormtroopers doesn't stand a chance against me, not when my red lightsaber is dancing through the air, deflecting their bolts against their helmeted forms. They are expandable, and they are nothing.
A dozen open-helmeted men and women in brown combat uniforms — Kota's insurgents — come down the hangar's primary access corridor, sealing the blast door behind them.
They fire at me without any hesitation, and I can't help but smirk bitterly about how this would have turned out if I didn't suddenly have Starkiller's memories from Vader. I would have been a twilight dancer or so on the battlefield, very dead like Aayla Secura.
The very few that Vader wanted Starkiller brought to him have enlightened me as well, it seems, for their arms or legs are up to stun. I raise my left hand and sends a mighty Force push into their direction, slamming them into the walls, knocking them unconscious.
I can get use to this!
The blast door opens, and insurgents and Imperials pour in on opposite sides, seeming to come to an unspoken agreement that I am the current most dangerous threat. I deflect bolts, not wanting to hurt any of Kota's people.
On the Imperial side, I toss the lightsaber in my hand, cutting through the bastards without so much as a thought, before bringing the 'saber back to my hand, and simultaneously deflecting the blaster shots coming at my direction, and applying another blast of the Force at the insurgents.
Yeah, Force pushing the insurgents constantly are not going to go. This would take forever! I instead position my lightsaber in front of myself and deflect them into non vital parts of their bodies such as the arms and legs. Some time in medical would be necessary for them for sure but it is better than wasting the potential assets and future allies that they will be.
"All Imperial squads maintain offensive stance," blares a voice over the intercom. "All squads maintain offensive stance!"
I walk pass them.
"Can you hear me?" Juno asks through the comlink.
"Yes."
"I take it you took care of the insurgents."
"Was there any doubts?" I ask, smirking.
Static before...
"Reports are showing that Kota's forces is about to storm the command bridge."
"Very good." I make my way to the bridge.
Her calm voice guides me level by level up a huge chasm leading to the top of the facility. Once I am out of her sight, I didn't have to worry about her asking questions about my harsh treatment of their supposed comrades. I can always inform her of Vader's orders, albeit twisting it a tad bit.
For now Kota is the most important individual to be considered.
"The intruders may try using TIE fighter assembly lines as cover," she says. "And I am picking up explosives on my scanners. Be careful."
A panicked trooper reports. "Threat status upgraded. Eliminate all unauthorized personnel."
"Unnecessary force is authorized."
"All K-Level squads report in!"
"Reinforce local security stations immediately!"
The walls shake from an explosion so close, it must have buckled every bulkhead on that level.
Currently, Juno is safe in the ship, safe from BlasTech E-11 rifles and the insurgents' ragtag weapons.
"Another Stormtrooper squadron has reached Hangar Twelve," Juno informs me. "It looks like we will have some help in retaking the facility."
"The station is not our concern."
"But Imperial High Command will be quite upset if the TIE assembly lines are damaged—"
"I don't answer to High Command. Vader have gifted me with another objective."
On the floor of a massive starfighter assembly rig, I stop with my head raised and my lightsaber angled. A prickling in the back of my neck warns me of a new threat just as a railgun charge explodes to my right, sending bits of TIE fighter in all directions. I am by no means the smartest person one would ever meet, but I am very observant and so I have been prepared to toss up a Force shield with my knowledge alone.
Damn, I can feel my shield wavering ever so slightly at the impact of debris, and I clench my teeth together as I toss my lightsaber at the railgun, chopping it in half at the hilt.
Blasters are aimed in my direction, and I'm seemingly surrounded.
"Give up!" one of the insurgents shouts. "We have the factory!"
"What is he?" calls another. "Some kind of shadow trooper?"
I say in a quippy voice. "Much more than that."
One ambitious soldier just can't hold back his blood lust as he trembles with his blaster. "Doesn't matter. Blast him!"
Yet again, I am back to blocking blaster bolts, pushing the shots against the wall. I pull harshly at their blasters and send one mighty wave of the Force into their direction, sending them flying against the walls.
I grin. I have never felt this alive, and to think I am preventing myself from acting on darker instincts to kill them. I can't wait to test my abilities on those who truly deserve it like the incompetent Stormtroopers.
My momentary high is interrupted as TIE fighter and body parts tumbles around me. Damn it!
I grit my teeth as I can barely hear Juno on my com...
"Repeat!" I bark.
"Kota's accomplices have hit the facility where it hurts," she summarizes. "Finish up soon, or we're going down into the skylanes with it."
"If it looks bad, just keep the ship ready and I'll tell you my location." The station trembles yet again, making me have to correct myself.
Using Kota's signature as a source of my direction, I move through the quaking facility. Anyone unlucky enough to get in my way is unceremoniously pushed aside by telekinesis or slashed with single swipes of my lightsaber. Doors buckles shut and weapons are jammed.
I didn't have time to play games anymore. I rather not die so soon after coming into this franchise.
"Any available squadrons," shouts the intercom, "defend the security stations at once!" Then: "They're breaching the security stations!" And finally: "Command bridge to all squadrons, we need your assista—"
The final broadcast end with a rasp of blaster fire. Then relative peace fall.
Ambient gravity is noticeably lighter by the time I reach the doors that Juno assured me led to the control center. Fortunately, with me primarily evading Kota's militia, I am going to make it in record time...
Well, here I go. Hopefully, the Jedi listen, but of course his dogmatic Order have been so arrogant throughout the Clone Wars so it's really a gamble.
Then I gesture with one finger, and the heavy blast doors slides open. Beyond lay a room with red display screens undoubtedly keeping staff updated on the facility's status. A long, elevated walkway led to a command post where General Rahm Kota stand with his back to the door, presence full of emotions I recognize as contempt and confidence.
He hasn't drawn his lightsaber, which cling diagonally across his shoulder blades in a custom-made sheath. A brown cloak hang from two metal shoulder pads. He looks like a JROTC soldier a little bit to be honest.
Kota begins to speak. "So I've finally drawn you out of hiding." He turns at last. "I ordered my men to lower the containment field on your approach and—" On seeing me he stand at the midsentence and looks visibly surprised. "A boy?" With one blindingly fast movement, the man grips his lightsaber and activates it. "After all these months of attacking Imperial targets, Vader sends a boy to fight me?"
Damn it, this is going to be difficult, ain't it?