Chapter 14: The Sith Base
They stepped inside the front door of the Military Base that had been taken over by the Sith. A desk stood in front of them occupied by a Twilek receptionist. She gazed at them in surprise as they entered.
"Hey, you can't be in here!" she said in fear. "This is the military base! Only authorized personnel are allowed in here!"
"Aren't the Sith technically unauthorized?" Carth asked.
"True," the Twilek said. "But they are the current reigning power. I have no love for them but if they find out I let an unauthorized group in it would be over my head! Please, just leave now and they won't need to hear anything! Go, or I'll hit the alarm!"
"Wait! Don't do that!" Calak said as he noted, "You don't seem to like the Sith."
"Not really, they just came and took over this base and the rest of the planet," the Twilek admitted.
"How about I give you five hundred credits and you just leave?" Calak said drawing credits from his pocket.
"Five hundred credits?" the Twilek asked, a sparkle lighting up in her eyes. "I think I can make a deal with that! You know its about time someone stood up to these Sith! But are you sure you can handle it?"
"We did something like this not too long ago!" Mission said. "And we all survived! Plus we have a Jedi with us now!"
Bastila stepped forward, her lightsaber in her hand but unlit for the moment. The receptionist looked at her.
"You're the Jedi they're after!" she said. "Well, if you have a Jedi you might just pull this off."
"Are there any Dark Jedi here?" Bastila asked.
"No, most of them are offworld," the Twilek said. "Darth Malak was here last night though."
A shiver ran down everyone's spine at that. If they were to run into Darth Malak they would probably all be killed.
"There is a Sith Governor here though, and he is a Dark Jedi in training," the receptionist said. "He doesn't have a lightsaber yet though."
"Well, that isn't too bad," Bastila said. "It would be much harder if we had a bunch of Dark Jedi here."
Carth nodded. He'd seen many Dark Jedi in action and the soldiers they felled. They were not easy to kill. Only the most experienced soldiers like himself might have a fighting chance.
"Get out of here," Calak said as he handed her the credits.
"You don't have to tell me twice," the Twilek said as she took them and ran off. "Just wait till I'm out before you start blowing the place up!"
They didn't have to wait long for that. With her out of the way they took a look at the desk she'd been at.
"This looks like a security desk," Carth said. "If they wanted to keep intruders out they should really put these in the back of the base not the front! This will make it too easy for us to hack and cause chaos!"
Calak looked at their new droid. "T3, plug into the mainframe!"
T3 inserted his arm into the mainframe droid access port. He let out a few beeps as he found the security traps and controls.
"He says he can turn the Sith security droids against the Sith and each other, as well as activate the traps," Calak translated.
"Do them all then!" Mission said.
The others nodded.
"That should cut our work back a great deal!" Bastila said. "I wish I'd focused more on learning skills like computers, but the war with the Sith forced me to focus on perfecting my battle meditation."
"Don't worry Bastila, it's helped us a lot!" Carth said.
T3 inserted the necessary amount of security spikes to hack the system and they soon heard blaster fire and electric explosions. Then suddenly the door nearby on the left opened, revealing a Sith officer and three troopers.
"We warned you that if you…" the officer cut himself off as he saw not the Twilek receptionist but a group of unfamiliar sentients.
Bastila lit her lightsaber, the twin yellow blades springing from either end of the hilt. She put herself in front of the group as they drew their weapons as well. The officer and troopers unleashed blaster fire at the intruders but it was deflected by Bastila with her lightsaber blades. She charged in while still deflecting the bolts and with a swift strike cut one trooper down then unleashed a wave of invisible energy that sent the officer flying back a few feet against the wall. Calak aimed his blaster rifle and shot at one of the troopers that was still standing. He caught the trooper in the shoulder and a blast from Mission did the same on his chest. Carth and Zalbaar shot as well, catching the last remaining trooper. Bastila then closed on the officer as he tried to get up and aim at her but she simply thrusted one of her blades into his stomach. He let out a pained groan and fell to the floor.
That took care of their first wave of resistance. The sounds of fighting faded in the distance. But no doubt there were still enemies out there that had survived be them hacked droids or Sith soldiers. However, thanks to T3 showing the security cameras in various parts of the base they could see which areas had surviving enemies. They also saw a map of the base as well and were able to tell where they were and where the enemies were. Seeing the camera of a computer room up the hall further into the base them they saw a single surviving droid in there.
"I can handle that," Bastila said as she walked off to take care of that droid.
Calak looked at the map closely. "Where are we going to get the codes?" he asked.
"The Sith Governor!" Carth said. "He's the guy in charge he has to have them, hopefully on a datapad. He'll probably be in the Commander's quarters."
T3 lit up the pathway to that area. It was up the hall to the right past some force cages where they kept prisoners. Unfortunately, there was also an obstacle they saw before the elevator that could take them up to the Commanders Quarters. A heavy assault droid.
"Damn! That will be a tough droid," Carth said as they looked at it.
It was of a larger model then the one they had fought at the Vulkar base with long arms that it used to move around and perform heavy strikes as well as shoot blaster bolts. It had thick armor and worse, an energy shield that would block a good amount of blaster fire.
T3 let out a series of beeps.
"You can?" Calak asked.
T3 beeped a confirmation.
"Do it then!" Calak said.
"What's he saying?" Mission asked.
T3 inserted another spike and they watched as the assault droid suddenly shook. Its shield deactivated.
"The droid's too advanced for him to just scramble or shut down but he did manage to disable its shield," Calak said.
"That will have to do," Carth said.
"Arr!" Zalbaar agreed.
Bastila came back at that moment. "Let us go forward!"
They nodded and followed her through the hallway and into the door with the force cages. Looking at them they saw only one cage was occupied. It held a familiar Duros, the same Duros that had been there when Calak had first woken up and their mission to find Bastila had begun.
"You!" Calak exclaimed.
"You!" the Duros also exclaimed. "You're actually here? You are crazy! But I suppose I should be relieved! Mind getting me out of this?"
Calak nodded. He looked around for a control and saw not one but five on the wall across from the force cages. They shined with a mixture of red and green He looked at them in confusion.
"You have to make them all match the same color," the Duros explained. "I don't know if it's red or green but they all have to be the same color. Unfortunately, it's not so easy as the ones next to whatever one is changed is affected as well.
Calak walked up and pressed the middle control. Sure enough it changed from green to red and the two on either side of it changed as well.
"Okay, so we need to get all of them to green or red?" Calak asked.
"Yes, but one color kills me the other will set me free!" the Duros said.
Which one then? Calak asked.
"I'd go green," Mission said. "Red is more of a bad color I think!"
"That's what the Sith would want you to think," Bastila said. "But I've seen things like this before! They have red set as the release color since that is often a mistake people choose green instead of red. I chose green and the people I was trying to rescue were all electrocuted."
She looked down at the memory. With this in mind though, Calak slowly worked each control, turning them to red one by one. He was almost done with only two more right next to each other when the door next to them opened and a squad of troopers led by another officer emerged.
"There! Intruders!" the officer said as he reached into his pocket.
The Sith Troopers fired their weapons. It was a good thing Calak and the others had put up their energy shields which protected them as there was no cover around here to hide behind. Bastila managed to deflect the shots that came at her but her eyes widened as she saw something. The Sith officer had drawn a grenade from his pocket. A plasma grenade that would release a blast of fire!
He pressed the button and was about to throw it and burn them all to a crisp!
"No!" Bastila said extending her hand.
Her force push caused the officer to fall onto his back, and he failed to let go of the activated grenade. He gritted his teeth in fear and could only look at it for a split second before it exploded. The fireblast caught him and his men who screamed and dropped to the ground rolling. But there was too much fire, they were cooked in their own armor. Some of them managed to avoid burning to death but the burns were too bad and they laid there in agony.
Calak looked away in disgust at the sight, at least thankful that the fire had been just out of range from their group. Mission gritted her teeth, Zalbaar covered his nose from the smell of burned flesh and armor. Bastila felt remorse as well, the only one with a different expression was Carth. He glared at the corpses without sympathy.
"You got your just deserts," he said.
Bastila breathed in and out and said to herself, "There is no emotion there is peace."
Calak frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"That's the first line of the Jedi code," Bastila explained. "I use to keep my emotions under control when I have to. We Jedi must not let our feelings cloud our judgement. We must remove them."
Calak frowned. Controlling emotion was one thing, but out right eliminating it sounded impossible. He didn't voice this to Bastila but turned back to the task at hand. He had to free this Duros and then they had to get the codes and get out of here. Then just a few more things to get done and they'd be out of here hopefully by tomorrow.
He hit the last button and all the lights shined red. The force cage holding the Duros powered down and he stepped out.
"Thank you again, soldier!" the Duros said. "I thought for sure I was going to be executed!"
"Get out of here before anything else happens," Calak advised.
"I will, thank you!" The Duros said as he left.
With the prisoner freed, Calak turned to the door leading to the elevator. "That's the way we need to go."
"Okay, but maybe we should make sure there aren't any other Sith in the base?" Carth suggested. "Wouldn't want any to sneak up us on like what just happened."
"I can scout the other areas," Mission said activating her stealth field generator and vanishing.
They waited for a while, keeping a sharp eye and ear out. But Mission soon returned and said. "It's clear, and I found a few things in the containers around there!"
She held a bag out. "It's got grenades and some more upgrades!"
"We're really getting lucky, I think we might just make it!" Carth said.
"There's no such thing as luck, Carth," Bastila said. "Only the force. It is with us!"
"Let's hope it stays with us then!" Calak said as he led the way to the door leading to the elevator blaster at ready.
"Calak!" Carth said. "We should use ion weapons against droids."
"I have my ion blaster!" Mission said.
"So do I," Carth said as he reached up and drew the rifle over his shoulder. "This will hopefully be enough."
They made their way to the door where the elevator was. Opening it they saw the assault droid who saw them as well and let out an aggressive VVVEW!
Bastila lit her lightsaber and charged in to try and cut the droid down. But her saber glanced off it and she staggered, barely managing to dodge the droid's counterstrike.
"It's lined with cortosis!" she said.
That wasn't good, cortosis would resist lightsabers. Figures that the Sith would have some droids in making that might have a chance to kill Jedi. The droid swung its long arm at Bastila. Calak and the others all fired their weapons at it, most of their shots glancing off the cortosis armor. But ion shots sparked and zapped the droid who flinched and shook as its systems were slightly damaged. That gave Calak an idea. He reached into his pocket for a grenade. Bastila was still near the droid fending it off with her lightsaber, but there wasn't much room in there for her to dodge forever. Thankfully, this was not a grenade she needed to worry about... much.
Calak threw it at the droid's feet. It released a wave of blue energy that hit the droid head on. The assault droid let out a shriek as its circuits were overloaded. Bastila was caught in the explosion as well. It caused her to wince but she was otherwise unharmed. Ion damage was only harmful to droids. Humans and biological sentients had little to worry about aside from some slight discomfort that would wear off within an hour.
"Thanks," Bastila said in a tone that made it difficult to tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
"No problem," Calak said. "Better ion then fire."
"I suppose you're right," she said. "But I don't exactly like the feeling of being hit with ion."
She stumbled a bit. "Great! Now we have a Sith Governor up there and I'm a clumsy Jedi!"
Calak sighed. "We just have to press forward."
They stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to go up to the Commander's Quarters. The doors closed and the group felt themselves going up. It was time to face their first true Sith. A force user with the power of the dark side. This was not going to be easy, Calak knew it. There seemed to be a slight chill in the air.
"I feel cold," Calak said.
"That's a common feeling we force sensitives have when we get close to the dark side of the force, and those that wield it," Bastila said. "Though this is not a particularly strong feeling since our foe is only an apprentice. Of course, I'm only a padawan myself."
"But you killed Darth Revan!" Carth reminded her. "You should be able to handle a mere Sith Apprentice!"
The door opened at that moment and the cold feeling both Bastila and Calak felt grew stronger.
"I didn't," Bastila said. "Malak killed Revan."
Carth's eyes widened. Bastila didn't wait for his reply as she stepped toward the door of the elevator. It opened and revealed another door. This was it, the Governor was likely just behind that. Bastila stepped forward and the next door opened, revealing the Governor. He was a bald man in a suit of grayish silver armor sitting crossed legged, a double bladed vibrosword beside him. He looked up with a glare at them.
"Who dares to break my meditation?" he asked angrily. "You will pay for interrupting my…"
He broke off as he saw Bastila in front of him with her lightsaber drawn. She ignited the twin yellow blades.
"Bastila!" he exclaimed. "Well well well, I've spent a long time sending troops down to the Undercity looking for you. Now you come to me! Lord Malak will reward me for this!"
He got to his feet as Bastila assumed a fighting stance, holding her lightsaber out in front of herself defensively.
"I will not go to the Dark Lord!" she declared.
Calak came up and stood by her side. "Not as long as we are here!"
The Governor laughed arrogantly. "You? A mere soldier? You think you can… wait, I sense the force is strong in you, very strong. Who would have thought a force adept could be found on this insignificant planet? But your talent is no match for a disciple of the dark side!"
"Turn away from the dark side," Calak tried to reason. "It will only lead you to ruin. We've beaten the Sith at least twice before and we'll do it again."
"Spoken like a true drone of the Jedi Council," the Governor rejected. "My master will surely reward me with my lightsaber once I kill you!"
"Open fire!" Carth said as he aimed his blasters.
"Wait!" Bastila shouted.
But Carth, Mission, and Zalbaar all unleashed blaster fire from their weapons. They thought since the Sith Governor had no lightsaber he could not deflect their bolts. They were wrong. The Governor raised his hand and deflected the attacks with the power of the force just like Bastila when she'd fought Brejik. Calak however recalled that and instead of shooting reached for his vibroblade. Thankfully, the Sith Governor didn't have the skill to send the shots back at their senders, so the bolts were sent harmlessly off to the side, scorching the walls.
Bastila charged at the Sith. Her lightsaber moved with grace and speed, forcing the Governor to go on the defensive with his heavier weapon for a moment. He blocked her strikes as Calak joined in the fray as well with a shout. Hearing the sound though, the Governor looked in Calak's direction and raised his hand. Calak expected to be pushed back or otherwise effected but felt… nothing. That was strange. The Sith Governor was caught off guard and nearly didn't manage to block Calak's strike as he came in.
"What is this!" the Governor said as he somersaulted away to avoid being backed into a corner. He focused, narrowing his eyes. "Your armor! It has mind protecting properties!"
Calak smirked as he recalled his armor was outfitted with the mind protection implant. So, the Dark Jedi couldn't use their force powers to affect his mind, still they had other powers as well.
Carth, Zalbaar and Mission all drew their melee weapons while T3 hung back. They surrounded the Governor, hoping to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. His eyes lit up with fear for a moment, seemingly uncertain as he was faced with a Jedi, a force sensitive, three other sentients, and a droid. It was six against one. But that fear turned to anger in a split second as his eyes narrowed and seemed to turn yellow.
"Stay back!" Bastila said worriedly.
"Arrrgh!" The Sith Governor yelled, releasing a scream that seemed to emit power itself.
The sound was so intense it caused Zalbaar, Carth, and Mission to cover their ears. The only ones who didn't flinch and close their eyes were Calak and Bastila. The Sith Governor then sent a wave of invisible energy at Bastila and knocked her over. Then he leapt, his double vibroblade thrusting out at Mission, set on impaling and ending her.
"No!" Calak yelled as he leapt in front of the young Twilek, ready to give his life for hers if needed.
Fortunately, his armor combined with the barrier from the armband and belt he'd taken from Brejik was enough to stop the worst of the blow. Still, he felt a jolt of pain as the blade sank partway into his stomach. Calak groaned out loud and instinctively thrusted as well, driving his vibroblade through the Governor's silver armor, in much deeper than the Governor had stabbed him. The Dark Sider coughed out blood as a vital point was pierced, and both men fell to the floor, their weapons still in each other's bodies.
"Calak!" Bastila exclaimed as she ran over.
"Calak no!" Carth said.
They all gathered around him.
"No no no no!" Mission said desperately.
"Move back give him some space!" Bastila ordered as she pulled the Sith Governor's blade out of Calak's body.
She then put her hand on the wound as Calak gritted his teeth in pain. Then suddenly the pain lessened and disappeared. He looked at Bastila who smiled.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Force Heal, I just transferred a bit of energy from me to you. It healed you. Good thing I was able to perform it right away or you probably would have blacked out," Bastila said. "Just try not to move too much, you didn't lose much blood but don't strain yourself."
Mission put Calak's arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet. "Thanks," she said.
"No problem, Mission," Calak said.
The Twilek looked down, frowning slightly. "I always seem to be the one getting beaten up or in danger here. I really need to improve my fighting skills! I don't want one of you to die because of me!"
"It's okay Mission," Carth said "Street fighting is one thing and all-out war is another. When we got off this planet, I'm sure you could have a place in the Republic Army if you wanted. You've already gotten at least some basic training but I'm sure you could become an advanced fighter pretty quickly with a little training."
Mission smiled. "I think I could use some training, and if me and Zalbaar are with you till we stop the Sith I guess it's where I'll belong."
Bastila looked at the Sith Governor, who was already dead from Calak's strike. She found a datapad in his pocket. Looking through it she found what they were looking for.
"I have the codes! Now we just need to meet Canderous and get off this planet!"
They were almost done. The group made their way back down, with Calak soon regaining his strength. There were just a few loose ends to take care of and then they were out of there.
Hope you all had a good 4th of July. I had a BBQ at my place with my parents and some friends. Just to give you a heads up I might be taking a break from writing this fanfic soon since one of my other stories is nearly complete and I would like to focus on it and get it done. If I haven't updated by Friday the 21st, which will be 2 days before my birthday, it means I'll be going through with that plan. But I will get back to this as soon as that story is complete and then who knows I might be updating this fic every week. We'll see.