Chapter 21 - Trap Sprung
"I can't take it anymore!" Ada wailed. Hands clutching her head, she slumped backwards onto a couch worth more than she would earn in a month and let out a long, despondent sigh. The other members of Black Squadron, sitting on furniture every bit as valuable, understood, but refrained from voicing their aggravation. They'd done what they could to distract themselves, but there's only so much you can do when recreational drinking is off limits.
Captain Mithel watched the young woman moan and groan, but there was little he could do for her. The spark of Force-sensitivity they all shared was to blame. The same ability which afforded them such plush accommodations was also the source of their troubles.
"Deal with it," Mithel ordered. As they hopped from planet to planet, the sensation grew. It was the feeling of Emperor Darth Vader's ever growing agitation. Now, here on Chandrila, most likely sight of a first strike, it was reaching a fever pitch. The Dark Lord, never in what one might charitably call a good mood, was rapidly losing patience. If it wasn't for Major Gaunt and the diplomatic corps handling the brunt of social interactions, Vader might very well have drawn his saber already. As it was, more than one noble came perilously close to seeing the red blade.
The previous night, a Chandrilan politician tried to convince Captain Mithel to arrange a dance between Darth Vader and his eldest daughter. To facilitate a future betrothal, no doubt. Black Squadron's leader wasted no time foisting the eager fool onto Gaunt and downed two shots of the hardest spirit available.
Now, between the stress of glad-handing and the ever present pressure of Vader's ire, the team closed in on a breaking point. Mithel tried his best to focus on reports and tactical data. Rosh cleaned his guns more in the last few days than his entire Imperial service. Neel was tapping out a staccato while he tried to read and Ada was barely coherent enough to bother with anything more than staring at the molded plaster ceiling. The other members of Black Squadron were in the same position. It certainly didn't help that their position as VIPs warranted nothing less than an entire floor to themselves.
Upon arrival, the Comarc family, old Chandrilan stock, offered them a guest manor on the ancestral estate. Normally it would be the gubernatorial household's duty to host such important guests, but according to their host, the entire Mothma family was unwell. Almost certainly a lie while the rebels held the family hostage. For now, they went along with it. As Lord Vader's personal team, they found themselves one floor beneath the Emperor and Gaunt's team. The weight of Vader's rising fury became nearly oppressive.
Then all at once it stopped. At last, a release from the rising irritation. They didn't care where it came from, but all of them relaxed. In minutes, they were enjoying their digs for the first time.
Kshhhhhh
When they heard his augmented breath, every member of Black Squadron dropped whatever they were holding and leapt to attention. Except for Neel and Ada, who promptly threw a data slate and plate of food across the room.
After a moment, they all realized the sound came through their comm links.
"Prepare for combat," Vader said.
Stirring to action, the team went straight to the weapon and armor lockers, gearing up.
"Guess they finally attacked," Neel said.
"I almost want to thank them," Cive Rashon added.
###
Darth Vader glared at the holographic display. It represented Brionelle Memorial Academy's future. Expanded, improved, and ready to provide Imperial officers of unparalleled quality the finest military education in the Core. For now, the academy remained under construction. Only the training arena, the first of the improvements, was complete.
Kshhhhhh
"These plans are ambitious, Comarc, but can you see it through to completion?"
Jesco Comarc, current head of Comarc house, flinched under the Emperor's death mask as it stared through to the soul.
"I assure you, lord Vader, we will have the Academy up and running. We can ensure that not only the best officers, but Storm Troopers as well, will be graduates of Brionelle." The name stretched back nearly three thousand years, and it was a point of pride for Chandrila that so many fine strategists and tacticians claimed a place at the Academy in their student days. "Perhaps, my lord," Jesco said, "you'd like to see the arena yourself and ascertain if these claims are merited?"
Vader watched Jesco glance to his aid, a woman who bore a mercenary's bearing, despite the lieutenant bars she wore on her collar. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. For the entirety of this inane tour, Comarc subtly deferred to her, although whenever she caught the Sith's gaze she tried to downplay it. Nonetheless, it was clear to Vader who was truly in charge.
Kshhhhhh
"Very well."
Jesco shut the holograph down and led the way.
Throughout the day, Vader watched soldiers-in-training sprint across the campus. And they always ran in the same direction. The arena. Of course, he could sense the animosity from all sides. Even if he didn't expect treachery, they could do little to make their intentions more obvious short of telling him directly.
Passing through parts of the school still under construction, Vader casually took note of a few things. Errant, unsecured power cables. Open fuse boxes. Tools left out by workers soon to return, Halls and rooms unfinished, left open to anyone passing through. Dark pathways not yet equipped with lighting.
When they finally reached the arena, Jesco Comarc and his aid took a few steps from Vader and sighed in relief. It was most likely an involuntary action. The Sith knew his presence to be overwhelming. Even without a connection to the Force, most sentients felt the unease of close proximity to a powerful Dark Side user, let alone one like Vader. "It is unfortunate Governess Mothma could not join us," Vader commented.
"Ah, yes," Jesco answered. "But as I said, her entire household is bedridden. Naturally we have the finest medical teams attending them. We've been assured they will all recover in time, but sadly Tanis," Jesco said using the senior Mothma's given name, "cannot host you and your team. I hope my own guest estate has been of suitable comfort?"
The Emperor stared down at Comarc, taking a degree of satisfaction as the man flinched and looked away, then said, "We are satisfied."
Standing in the center of the newly enlarged training arena, Vader took note of the design. Using a mix of natural and artificial material, the upgrades were meant to simulate any potential environment required by a training regiment. Computer systems controlling the environment could arrange for many climates. Currently it featured a temperate terrestrial plain hosting sporadic patches of half dry grasses and open soil. Rocks jutted out across the barren field, providing cover. However, the entire field could quickly be changed to almost anything conceivable, whether snowy fields, verdant forests, murky swamps, or rocky hills. Even the inside of star ships or buildings could be arranged.
"As you can see, our use of natural construction allows for unparalleled realism in our combat simulations, Lord Vader."
The Sith glanced up and watched the young soldiers filtering in along the walkways suspended from the ceiling and the tops of walls. A perfect place for proctors to observe the students during exercises.
According to Vader's informants and the work of Black Squadron over the last two days, the entire student body was quietly given an extended vacation during his visit to Chandrila. And despite the student uniforms, the people above him looked nothing like attendees to a military academy. He turned back to the woman. They were all watching her as well, waiting, and they had her same bearing. Lastly, they all carried blasters. Older models. Pre-Clone Wars by the looks of them, but blaster all the same.
There was one important difference between the woman and what Vader presumed were her subordinates. She was confident. Vader could practically see the fear radiating of the rest of them. And Jesco Comarc, as well. The man sought Governorship over the entire planet, however, he was a Palpatine loyalist and chaffed when Vader took charge. Now it seemed he worked with these rebels in a bid for personal gain and power.
Kshhhhhh
"Impressive. Most Impressive."
"My thanks, Lord Vader. I leveraged the full weight of the Comarc family to achieve these improvements to the Academy."
"I was not speaking of the school. I am impressed these rebels so quickly and totally leashed you like the dog you are." As he said so, Vader grabbed his lightsaber, the blade bursting to life and casting a red glare against his helmet.
"Open fire!" the woman screamed.
"What!? No! Hold fire! I'm still down here!"
Everyone shouldered their weapons but stumbled and hesitated at the conflicting orders.
Vader took advantage of the clumsy chain of command, opened his palm to the ground, and pushed down with the Force. The impact rattled the rafters and a dust cloud exploded outward, leaving only an obscured red glow visible from outside.
Jesco screamed, but the wicked hum of Vader's weapon cut it short.
"Open fire, he's in there somewhere!" the woman screamed.
Blaster bolts peppered the dust cloud, but before they could bring numbers to bear, one platform buckled as the metal twisted under Vader's command and a dozen rebels plummeted to the arena floor. Then the red saber spun out of the debris and sliced through a second platform, decapitating half a dozen as it did. It kept spinning, only to vanish back into the cloud.
"Keep firing!" the rebel yelled as she retreated and shot blindly into the dust. By now it spread to cover most of the arena floor. It was all over in less than a minute, and as the dust settled, the saw nothing. No Vader, only the bisected corpse of Jesco Comarc.
Hope withered in their hearts. The Sith Lord was gone.
"Where is he, dammit!?"
"Look!" One Chandrilan rebel pointed to the edge of the arena. A metal wall, leading deeper into the academy, now sported a gaping hole. The melted edges still glowed red hot, proof a lightsaber had done its work. "He must be somewhere inside!"
"Then he's running," the woman said. "Everyone get to ground level," she called to the soldiers. "Help the wounded and get ready. We're hunting this Sith! Long live the Republic! Long live the Jedi!"
###
"I think I've had enough," Major Gaunt said as he ducked behind an ornate pillar in the Comarc guest estate's courtyard. A chunk of masonry exploded next to his head as a heavy blaster bolt crashed into the space he occupied a moment ago.
"Understood, sir," Mithel said and turned to Makraven and Ada. "Black Two, provide cover. Black Six, grenade."
Both Black Squadron and the diplomatic corps, lead by Gaunt, received orders from Vader after he vanished into the depths of Brionelle Academy. Despite their mission as part of the Imperial entourage, the officers were fully trained soldiers and carried blasters. Still, the DH-17 side arms wouldn't be enough. Luckily, Black Squadron was flush with funds and brought plenty of extra firepower. Gaunt and the others now sported DC-15A carbines. The compact, short range weapons would be ideal for close quarters urban combat. Meanwhile, Vader's spec-ops team used BlasTech's newest design. The E-10 blaster rifle. Equipped with attachments for low light engagements and data feeds to the heads up display, the rifle meant a significant upgrade to Imperial forces. In the field for the first time, it was about to be put through its paces.
"Frag out!" Ada called as Makraven blind fired around the corner to keep the enemy's heads down.
Two grenades sailed into the courtyard.
One rebel caught sight of them and shouted, "Grena-!" before the deafening fury of sound and light drowned him out. The blast shredded statuary and hedges alike, taking out a few enemies along the way. The others stumbled out of ruined cover only for Black Squadron to eliminate them with precision shooting. As the smoke cleared Mithel swept the barrel of his E-10 across the yard, scanning for survivors.
The courtyard itself was massive. A sprawling garden filled with intricately cut hedges and topiary. On the ground floor, a wide hallway opened to the court, marble pillars providing cover for Mithel and Gaunt's teams. If it weren't for the dead bodies, the scene would be almost palatial in its grandeur. Directly above them, supported by those pillars, a balcony overlooked the garden. The very same balcony Black Squadron ate breakfast on mere hours ago. Now it was rigged with explosive tripwires, courtesy of Ada. If anyone tried to get an angle on them, they'd find a nasty surprise waiting.
"Good work, team," Mithel said with a nod of satisfaction. "How many explosives do you have, Ada?" he asked.
Much like their fighters, Black Squad customized their combat armor. In Ada's case, munition carrying capacity was the clear priority. A harness, along with extra pouches and anchor points, covered her glossy black armor. In lieu of an answer, the young woman gave Captain Mithel a thumbs up. She was every bit as fond of explosives on the ground as in her star fighter.
"Rosh, take point. We need to get out of here and into the city proper. As long as we remain on enemy ground we're at a disadvantage."
Nodding, Black Five slung his rifle over one shoulder and drew the double-barreled heavy blaster pistol on his hip. Quick stepping at a crouch, the old merc crossed the yard until his back was against the wall. He was about to give the all-clear when he caught movement to his right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a body flinch. His pistol was on target in a heartbeat. "You're alive," Rosh said, "but not for long. I was a merc for quite a while before I joined up. Those aren't the sort of injuries anyone comes back from."
The rebel looked up at him, hatred burning from his eyes, and spat, "Long live the re…pub…lic…"
"I hate politics," Rosh said and fired a mercy shot. "Clear. C'mon, Neel."
Taking a nervous peek out of cover, Neel sprinted across the yard as fast as his feet would carry him, rifle bouncing against the back of his armor. Rosh took a knee and interlaced his fingers, palms up. Without slowing, Neel stepped into the cupped hands and felt himself rocket up and towards the top of the wall. Grabbing hold of the ledge, he hauled himself up and took a look at the other side.
"Clear," Neel whispered and swung a leg up until he was sitting atop the stone perimeter wall surrounding the Comarc estate.
One by one, the other members of Black and the officers repeated the same actions, mantling the wall and dropping down to the other side until only Mithel and Rosh were left inside the courtyard. When the Captain was up, he hung by his fingers and instead of pulling himself up, let Rosh grab his ankles and clamber past him.
Neel, who'd taken post on the wall to watch for hostiles, Mithel, and Rosh dropped down.
"Lord Vader's orders were clear," Gaunt said. "We are to cut across the city, past the old Debate Rotunda, and into the Mothma estate. Rebels are probably guarding them, considering how valuable they'll be as negotiating chips. We will take them out and secure Governess Tanis Mothma. Her family as well, if possible."
The assembled officers and Black Squadron nodded.
"Be prepared, "Mithel added, "for rebel interference. We may be doing this street by street."
###
"Alpha Team?" a voice asked over the radio.
"Nothing so far, ma'am."
They moved through the facility, starting with the hole Vader cut into the wall. The rebels had eyes on the surroundings, so they knew the Sith was still inside, but as of yet, he remained in hiding.
"Keep looking, Master Infal'a said this wouldn't be easy."
The Academy training program included urban search and destroy, so all teams, Alpha included, felt confident in their ability to hunt down one out-gunned and out numbered Sith. What they did not account for, was a man who held an almost encyclopedic familiarity with standard republic power grids. Anakin Skywalker spent more than his fair share of time poking around the systems of every ship, gadget, and building he encountered.
Kshhhhhh
Alpha Team flinched, opening fire in random directions, lighting up every wall, floor, ceiling ,and any random objects unfortunate enough to be in their way.
"Hold fire, hold fire!" the team lead shouted. After a moment things calmed, but nerves were still strung tight. "Where are you, Vader?"
"Fear is merely the first step," Vader's voice said as the lights went out. "A shame you will never advance farther."
Author notes: I'm back! I didn't intend to be gone so long, but work sent me out to a remote site. We were told the place had internet service, but no cell coverage. This was technically true. However, what they had was an old 56k dial-up modem. It took ages just to download a book to read. Not a great time.
I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and secured much loot on Black Friday/Cyber Monday.