Here's the next chapter where Bacara and Doom try to escape Daro while uncovering a secret operation on Daro. And we'll be seeing these two commanders fighting their way through the secret base while being hunted down by these mysterious Troopers.
Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Both Bacara and Doom took in their thoughts at the sight they stumbled upon. A secret base in the Outer Rims far away from Coruscant. Both commanders slid down the ditch and ran through the open shafts as they both stayed lowed. Once they got to the edge of the open hole Doom got his binoculars out as he scans the base. Many hangers with ships and Troopers, along with the Commandos. Doom is still having trouble with what he sees.
"I don't believe this. A secret facility all the way out here in the N-6 system." Said Doom as he lowers his binoculars as he turned to Bacara who also has his own binoculars "What in the name of Jango Fett is a military base doing on Daro? There were no mentions about a base on this planet."
"What does the word 'secret base' don't you get? Obviously, this base was built sometime before or after the war ended." Said Bacara still looking through his binoculars.
"Well, I don't like this. Not one bit. Something about this place doesn't sit right." Said Doom looking at Bacara.
"Something we both agree on." Bacara commented.
"We need to report this back on Coruscant. Tell them want we found."
"And how do we supposed to do that?" Bacara looked at Doom "Need to remind you our shuttle was shot down? The transmitter is beyond repairable. Even if we do manage to contact Coruscant, changes are they won't show up for days. Or maybe they might've jammed any way to call HQ."
"There's got to be a way."
Bacara looked back through the binoculars until he laid his eyes on something "Maybe there is. Take a look over there." Bacara points at something. Doom looked through his binoculars to see what Bacara is pointing at "There's a shuttle in that hanger."
Doom spots what appears to be a Nu-class attack shuttle. However, the length shortens, the roof has a tall fin, and has one pilot seat. Once Doom spots it Bacara went on speaking "That shuttle will get us back to Coruscant. It has a hyperdrive to get us out of here."
Doom sighs "One problem Bacara. There's a lot of Troopers in that hanger. Not to mention the base is crawling with Troopers." Said Doom.
"Which is why we're sneaking in."
"Sneaking in?" Doom looked at Bacara surprised "Never thought you prefer to sneak in. You're always the guy who go guns blazing."
'Normally I would. But not this time. Besides, you're going to prefer sneaking in yourself."
"Can't argue that logic. We'll sneak in through the lift shaft."
Doom and Bacara waited until the elevator came up. They both jumped on top as a Clone Commando and a couple of other Troopers got on. Once the shaft goes down Doom looked at Bacara "Ready? Now!" By his signal both commanders jumped and latched onto the out corridor.
Before Doom could get in, he quickly stopped himself as a Clone Commando with six Troopers behind him walked pass. Once the coast was clear, both Doom and Bacara climbed into the corridor. With their weapons drawn. They stealthily walked down the corridor, staying hidden from any passing patrol.
They come across a console near the elevator. Doom quickly gets to work and places a device into a slot, while Bacara holding his DC-15A blaster rifle stands as lookout "Huh, the description is new." Said Doom.
"But can you find what level the shuttle is at?" Bacara asked.
"It's going to be awhile. Give me a minute."
Bacara kept a lookout for any incoming individuals. While sneaking, he hid in a corner when he heard incoming footsteps. A Clone Commando and six Troopers walked to the elevator; he watched as the Commando took out a key card. Once the doors open both Commando and Troopers entered.
Bacara went back to Doom as he's still looking through the console "Found where the shuttle is?" Bacara asked.
"Yeah, it's on the ninth level. But I found something odd."
"Found what?"
"Something about TK-Troopers and… something called Project: War-Mantle."
"The hell is Project: War-Mantle?"
Before Doom could respond down at the side of the hall, a Clone Commando and six Trooper entered from the other corridor. They turned only to catch both Bacara and Doom "Intruders!" Said the Clone Commando "Blast them!" He ordered as he and the six others raised their blasters.
Bolts started flying as Doom and Bacara took cover. Doom looked at Bacara "Make sure your blaster is set to stun! They're still our brothers!" Shouted Doom.
"Right!"
Switching their settings, they started to fire stun bolts. They took out the Commando first since they know how well trained and skilled, they are. It took at least six or seven to finally put the Commando out from commission. They then turned their attention to the six Troopers. While distracted, another squad of Troopers suddenly appeared behind.
Bacara qucikly saw this "Doom behind!" He shouted.
Doom quickly ducked and fired stun bolts from his two DC-17's. He managed to stun two Troopers, he even rolled and stunned the Commando several times. The four other Troopers hid behind the corner but managed to stun one before he could hide behind the corner. Doom moved to the corner as well.
Bacara stunned several of the Troopers before turning his attention to Doom. Acting quickly, he went around where the lift shaft is at. He then parkour to get across the shaft. Once he's across, he then attacked the Troopers from behind. Stunning all three of them. Doom looked at Bacara who walked up to him and nodded to him "Thanks." Doom thanked him.
Bacara looked past Doom "Doom look out!" Shouted Bacara.
A Trooper that Bacara didn't stunned snuck up and fired his blast which knocked his DC-15A out from his hands and grazed his shoulder. Knocking the commander onto the ground. Doom quickly turned only to get almost blasted as he dodged. He's about to stun him only by getting kneed in the face and getting hit by the butt of the Trooper blaster. He dropped his DC-17's but tackled the Trooper and slammed him against the wall. The Trooper dropped his weapon, he then clasped his hands together and hammered Doom in the back.
The Trooper then kneed him in the stomach and picked him up, before slamming him on the floor. The Trooper then got on Doom. He punched the commander, knocking his helmet off him. Doom then tries to protect himself by blocking the Trooper punches. The Trooper swung one of his arms to knock away Doom's arm before punching him in the face three times. Disorientated, the Trooper then wrapped his fingers around Doom's neck. Trying to choke the life out of him. Doom grasped the Trooper wrists, struggling to breath while trying to free himself.
Doom then looked at the Trooper lends with pleading eyes "S-Stop…" Doom rasped as he struggled to speak "W-We… We're b-brothers…"
"A stinking clone is no brother of mine! Die you clone!" Shouted the Trooper.
Doom couldn't believe what he heard. A fellow clone called his own a 'stinking clone'? He must've misheard. His eyes start to roll back as he's losing air fast. However, before he could die by the Trooper hands. The sound of blaster bolts has fired. The Trooper groaned as sparks were seen behind him. His hands loosen as the Trooper body fell on top of him with a burn mark on the back. Doom gasping for air as he has his hand around his throat. Sore with each breath. Doom grunts as he pushed the Trooper body off him. He stared at the Trooper with horror. He turned to see the culprit who shot him.
Standing from a foot away was none other than Bacara. He grabbed one of the Troopers blasters and fired it. The barrel still smoking as he lowers it. Doom was in disbelief that Bacara would kill one of their own brothers without hesitation.
"What did you do?!" Doom shouted at him with a glare.
"Saved your hide. You're welcome." Said Bacara using his usual stoic tone.
"You didn't have to kill him! Couldn't you stun him?!"
"There was no time. My blaster got busted so I have to grab another. Didn't have the time to change the settings." Bacara told him.
While Doom looked at the Trooper with sorrow "Still… You could've…" Doom stopped.
"Look it was either him or let you die." Said Bacara.
Staring at the Trooper, Doom then grabbed the fallen Trooper's helmet. Slowly he unmasked him only to find a shocking discovery. Laying lifeless is not a clone, but a human being with hazel-color hair. Doom dropped the helmet is shock.
"This… This is no clone…" Said Doom breathless "This is an ordinary human being."
"What…?" Bacara asked in surprise.
He then looked at one of the Troopers that Doom stunned. Kneeling down he removed the helmet, revealing a dark-skin human male "This one human too." Bacara removed the other one's helmet, revealing the same result "So, is this one."
Doom looked at the hallway where the other Troopers are at. He stood up and walked to them while Bacara removing more helmets from the other unconscious Troopers. He kneels down and removes one of the Troopers helmets. Showing a young man with blonde hair. He removed more to see that the whole squad of Troopers are all human.
Bacara joined Doom and sees the other humans on the floor "Other than the Commandos. These Troopers are all humans." Said Bacara with Doom letting go of the helmet, letting it roll "I… I don't understand?" Doom asked himself.
"Understand what?" Bacara kneeled down to a Commando taking the key card.
"These Troopers." Doom commented "Why are they wearing armor that resembles Clone Troopers? What are they even doing in this base in the first place?"
While they were still wrapping their heads on what's going on, another squad of Troopers showed up. Once they saw the two commanders, they immediately started firing at them. Bacara grabbed Doom shoulder "C'mon, we'll discuss it later!" Shout Bacara as they both ran to the elevator, Doom manages to pick up his helmet, putting it on before grabbing his two DC-17's.
Bacara slid the card in calling the lift. Doom turned around, firing stun bolts at the incoming Troopers. Once the elevator doors opened, both Doom and Bacara quickly entered the lift as the doors closed. Then they descend downward. Once they're alone Doom starts to ask himself questions.
"I… still don't understand. Why are human's wearing armor and why are they station in a military base?" Doom asked.
"I don't know. But I'm not going wait around to find out." Replied Bacara.
The shaft stopped and opened its doors. They then came face to face with another squad of Troopers being led by a Commando. Thinking fast Bacara gave the Commando a kcik to the chest, knocking him back against the Troopers behind him. While the other Troopers started to fire their blasters. Doom quickly closed the door before both commanders each went out the sides.
Doom used his DC-17s to stun the Commando and several Troopers. While Bacara blasted and killing the two Troopers from behind. Suddenly, more Troopers coming up from behind Bacara, firing at them. Both commanders trained their weapons and returned fire, while running towards the opposite direction. Around the corner are two more Troopers. Bacara quickly turned his head to see them coming. He swung his blaster which smacked one the Troopers, knocking him back and bumping into his fellow Trooper. Causing him to lose his focus.
Bacara then Spara kicks the Trooper in his mid-section. Which kicked him off the ridge of the corridor. The Trooper screamed as he plumped to his death from the fall. Both commanders kept retreating until they came across another corridor. Doom sees this and turns to Bacara.
"Bacara through here!" Shouted Doom as he ran down through it, with Bacara following from behind.
Three Troopers showed up until Doom stunned all three of them. They then came across a door, Doom pressed to open the door. Inside is a single individual getting stun before he could take out his weapon "Bacara, in here!" Doom called out to Bacara who is shooting the Troopers after them.
Once they're inside Bacara shot the panels which connected to the door "That should hold'em." Said Bacara.
He turned to see Doom take a seat in front of a computer "Doom! What are you doing?!" Bacara asked his fellow clone.
"Something about this base doesn't sit right! And I'm going to find out what!" Doom replied.
Bacara looked at the screens, he saw one screen which is right outside the door. He sees the Troopers trying to get inside the room. He grips his blaster then turns towards Doom "Well, whatever you're looking for. You better hurry up." Bacara urged Doom to hurry "I don't know how long that door will hold."
"Don't worry I'm-" Doom cut off from his sentence as found something "Found it!"
"Found what?"
"There's a file about Project: War-Mantle. Just what exactly is this project?" Doom then opened the file, what he found is disturbing "Oh my god…"
"What? What did you find?" Bacara asked looking at the screens.
"Bacara… This… This isn't a military base." Said Doom.
"What?" Bacara slowly turned towards Doom who turned to look at him.
"This base… It's a training facility." Doom revealed.
"Training facility? What you mean?" Bacara walked up to him.
"I figure out what the hell is Project: War-Mantle. Those Troopers out there. Those… TK Troopers. They're our replacements."
"What?!" Suddenly they hear sizzling sounds.
Bacara turned to see the door having sparks at the side. He looked at the screen to see more Troopers showing up. Cutting through the doors. Knowing they're out numbered he turned to Doom "Time running out! We need to go!" Shout Bacara.
"Hold on! Need a minute!" Said Doom.
Bacara watches as the door slowly getting cut through "I don't think we have a minute…" Said Bacara as Doom still typing away.
Outside three Commando's and more TK Troopers are outside the doorway. Once the door is cut through one of the Commando's tosses in a smoke grenade inside the room. Once the room is flooded with smoke, they then went inside, weapons in hand. But once they got inside, they found the room empty. Confused, they didn't realize they had escaped through the ventilation above them.
Doom and Bacara crawled through the vents until they arrived to their destination. They exited the vents and dropped into a corridor. Stealthy they hid by the opened door, against the wall Doom peeked inside to see the hanger. He can see the shuttle sitting in the hanger with the hanger doors wide open.
"I don't understand. Replacements? Why would Vader-"
"It's not Lord Vader, Bacara." Doom cut off Bacara sentence "I don't think he's aware this facility even exists. No, someone else in the high command chain is behind this. I don't know who, but if we get back to Coruscant with this evidence." Doom holding a disk of information of the project "Lord Vader needs to know about this."
"Wonder who could it be?" Bacara wondered but push the thought aside "Well, whoever it is, we'll worried about it after we get off this rock."
"Luckily the shuttle we need to escape is in the hanger." Said Doom.
"Well, want are we waiting for? Let's get off this planet and get back to Coruscant." Bacara holding his blaster.
The two commanders then entered the hanger and raced towards the shuttle. However, before long, more TK Troopers and Clone Commando's showed up and started to fire their weapons. Bacara turned and returned fire which struck one of the TK Troopers dead. Doom switched his DC-17s from stun to live ammunition. He then joined Bacara shooting at the TK Troopers and fellow clone brothers.
The TK Troopers try to take cover while continue shooting. Soon, more Troopers entered the hanger as both Bacara and Doom made it to the shuttle "Start the ship! I'll cover you!" Ordered Bacara.
"Are you crazy?! I'm not leaving you to fight-"
"That's an order! There's only one cockpit and only one of us can fly us out of here! Go!"
Doom looked at Bacara with worried, only for Bacara said in a gentle, stoic tone "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you. Just get to the pilot seat." Said Bacara.
Doom nodded he quickly entered the shuttle with Bacara moving backwards firing "C'mon you sorry excuses son of a bantha's. Come get some!" Bacara blasting as them.
He managed to kill three or four TK Troopers only to get grazed at the shoulder. He grunted but kept on firing. Countless fighting's during the Mygeeto Campaign. Countless battles. Bacara fought time and time again during those brutal and bloody battles during the Mygeeto Campaign. He survived countless assaults against wave after wave of clankers. He fired his shot at a Clone Commando and hits him in the leg, knocking him down before delivering a killing blow to them head. Bacara didn't want to kill a brother, but his battle instincts told to fight.
Two more TK Troopers dead while another one get's hit at the face. He felt another bolt hit his side. He ignored it and fired at the TK Trooper who was kneeling. And hits him in the mid-section. Another bolt hits him which caused him to flashback during his time on Mygeeto. Remembering fighting by Ki-Adi-Mundi side. His former general. He remembered sleepless nights training new shinnies to join the 21st Nova Corp. Remembering how many of his men, his brothers die during the Battles of Mygeeto. Remembering the moment, he and his men killed his general during Order 66.
A ping of regret surfaced as he recalled Doom's words last night "Of course, Doom. I thought about that day ever since the war ended." Bacara thought to himself continue firing as he kept backing up towards the shuttle "There wasn't a day I never stopped hating myself. How me and the boys pulled the trigger. There was a time I hesitated, a time I wouldn't go through with it."
Bacara no longer hearing blots firing and hitting the shuttle as one of the TK Troopers fell onto the floor "If things were different, then… I would like to stay by General Ki-Adi-Mundi side. Even if the war ended, and the Jedi's still among the living."
He felt his body in pain as more bolts continue rain down on him as he entered the shuttle "Even if I were to die here. I would like to be by his side again. Sounds crazy, but even if I don't understand how the Force works. I wouldn't mind it, right General?"
Suddenly, the shuttle came to life. Doom in the pilot seat manage to start the shuttle "Bacara! I got the shuttle working!" Shouted Doom through the comms.
The shuttle door closed as Bacara is inside the shuttle. Armor littered with blaster marks. He breathes roughly before he collapses in sitting position. The shuttle then exited the hanger and took to the skies. Doom trying to set in coordinates to head back towards Coruscant.
"Coordinates almost done! Bacara, are you-"
Doom gets cut off as the shuttle shook. Readings showing six incoming ships "Shit… we're under attack!" Six V-Wings chased after the stolen shuttle.
Even though Doom isn't a pilot, he been through number of simulations of piloting. He kept heading towards space with starfighters on his tail. He dodges and trying not to get hit by the incoming attacks. Finishing setting coordinates he talked through the comms "Coordinates done!" Said Doom as the shuttle is now entered space "Jumping into hyperspace, now!" Pulling down the lever, the shuttle then jumped.
Doom let's out a sigh of relief. He turned on the autopilot. Getting off the seat as he entered the haul "Hey, Bacara. Looks like we made a clean get escape. Are you-" Doom cut himself off as he sees Bacara on the floor.
"Bacara!" Doom ran towards him to check on him.
Bacara grunt as he moved his head "Did… Did we…" Bacara asked very weak.
"We got away. We're heading back to Coruscant." Said Doom holding him "We'll get you treatment. You'll be okay."
"You asked… if it was a mistake…"
"Don't talk. Save your strength!"
"You were right. Order… 66… it was a huge…" Bacara groans in pain.
"Hang on…" A hint of fear is heard in his voice "You hang on, you hear me! I'm not going to let you die!" Doom takes off his helmet to show his face "I already lost enough good men. Not going to lose you."
Bacara chuckled "Of course, not… takes more than… few lousy bolts to… kill…" Bacara grunts.
Acting fast he searched for first aid. Once he found it, he quickly opened it and grabbed the injector. He takes Bacara helmet off and injected on his neck "Quit talking Bacara. I told you I won't let you die. Not after we came this far. We're in this together." Said Doom hoping Bacara survived the trip back.
At the edge of Coruscant a shuttle exited from hyperspace. Entering Coruscant atmosphere two V-Wings escorted the shuttle towards the planet's surface. On of the landing platforms is a squadron of Coruscant Guards and three LAAT/I with red paint job on the surface. The moment the unknown shuttle entered Coruscant, the Coruscant Guards were given an alert. In charge of meeting the shuttle is Commander Fox.
As the shuttle made a landing, he raised his hands "Stay alert! Wait for my signal." Ordered Fox.
Once the shuttle door started to open letting out steam, the Shock Troopers held their weapons tightly. However, once they see two men exiting the shuttle, one holding an injured man with his arm over the shoulder of the one helping. Fox immediately recognized them.
"Stand down! Lower your weapons! They're clones!" Fox ordered his men to lower their weapons as he quickly ran to them with two other Troopers behind him "Doom! What happened? Why didn't you report to HQ?!" Fox asking questions.
"No time! Got an injured man here! He needs medical attention ASAP!" Doom puts Bacara down as the injured clone groans.
Fox lifted his communicator on his wrist "We got an injured man here! Bring a capsule out now!" Fox ordered.
"Copy! Descending to the platform!" One of the pilots responded.
As the gunship landed, opening its hangers, Shock Troopers immediately brought out a medical capsule. Running up to them they placed Bacara on it and raced back to the gunship while Fox study the shuttle before looking at Doom "What happened out there?" Fox asked.
"No time, I need to speak with Lord Vader immediately." Said Doom urgently.
"Lord Vader?"
"Yes, he needs to see this." Doom pulls out a disk. What Doom and Bacara discovered on Daro would change the Empire forever.
And that's it folks. And boy this sure was a long one. What did you guys think of Bacara stand off against a bunch of TK Troopers?
Leave a review and I'll see you all later.