*cough *cough

Lukas' ageing lungs hacked as he tried to swat away the dust around him. It was times like these when he really missed his power armour's air filtration system.

The collapse of the comm tower had taken out some of the surrounding buildings, which coupled with the initial explosion had kicked up a great deal of dust that now caked the surroundings.

Lukas glanced behind him to see Jules and Berger both in similar states of disorientation. Inclining his head towards where the other group of knights had been only to see only one of them standing.

"Jules." Lukas spoke but realised his hearing was dull and muffled. "KNIGHT JULES… JULES!"

The knight finally recovered from her stupor and her attention snapped to Lukas.

"GO AND ASSIST THOSE KNIGHTS!" He pointed towards the lone standing soldier and wordlessly she set off towards him. Lukas then looked around the square, even through the panicking crowd he still picked out the two less than reputable individuals they had been pursuing.

"BERGER!" The knight already had his attention on Lukas. "After them, I want at least one alive."

Lukas received a very muffled 'yes, sir' as Berger set off after them. Slowly his hearing was getting clearer, he could begin to make out the screams of the civilians around him and the roar of a fire that had now consumed the top floor of the building.

Steeling himself, he made his way towards the building's main entrance. Last he had been told most of the scribes had been on the bottom floor with the public terminals. Pushing his way through those trying to leave the building he was waved down by one of the knights that had been inside.

"What's the situation, knight?" Lukas had to shout just to have his words heard over the carnage around them.

"I don't know sir." The knight looked into the building. "Last I saw, Ruffing and Paula, were checking out something on the second level I think."

"Okay here's what I need you to do." Lukas pointed across the square. "The cafe over there is the rally point. Direct everyone there. When the scribes are accounted for you take a few knights and help Knight Captain Jules."

The knight nodded as Lukas continued. "If I or Knight Berger aren't back in five minutes tell Jules that she's in charge and to lead the scribes back to base, understand."

"Sir." The knight said with an uncertain look.

"Don't worry knight, we'll be right behind you." Lukas patted the man on the shoulder while he nodded relenting to the paladin's orders.

Leaving the Knight with his orders Lukas made his way into the building intent on ensuring everyone's survival.

—

Two cloaked figures ducked into an alleyway to gather their bearings. The taller of the two pulled down his cloak to reveal his white carapace and piercing yellow eye-lenses.

"Uba Koochoo." The Tognath glared at his partner as his synthesised voice came out. "Uba koona tah geba killee."

"How was I supposed to know it would go off that quickly, I didn't build the damn thing." The other man pulled down his own cloak to reveal a scared human face.

The Tognath grumbled out a few more expletives in Huttese while the human just ignored him. The chaos could be heard even from where they had managed to run off.

The two remained in silence for a moment before looking at each other and wordlessly agreeing it was time to move on, that was until they both snapped their attention to a small scuffling noise near the entrance of the alley where they had taken refuge.

"Coo's la." The Tognath stated, already palming his sidearm.

The human glanced between his partner and where they needed to be heading. "C'mon, we don't have time for this."

The alien now with a blaster pistol withdrawn began to slowly approach where the noise had come from. Again his partner called out but the Tognaths' vision was fixated in front of him.

"Drido." At the mention of his name, his neck snapped to his partner. "We need to go."

It took a moment of contemplation but Drido eventually conceded, his pistol now holstered, and began moving towards his partner. This meant that he did not see the pair of arms grapple him from behind and was not ready for his legs to be swept out from under him. All that did register for the Tognath was the floor coming rapidly towards his face.

The remaining human, hearing the commotion, turned to see an armoured man put his partner onto the ground. "What the-." Anything he wanted to say was cut off as the man rushed at him and panic set in.

He barely had time to bring his blaster to bear on his assailant before the weapon was pushed up and away, sending plasma into the air. A punch to the face was enough to stun him before he was picked up and shoved against the wall driving the air from his body, leaving him gasping.

Knight Captain Berger let a small sense of satisfaction overcome him. "That was easy." If only his drill instructor could see him now.

"E CHU TA." A shout from behind him sent Berger diving down as three blaster bolts went off. Two passed blisteringly close to him while the last caught him on the shoulder.

Even with the searing pain, he was of enough mind to roll to the side out of the way of another bolt, leaving him on his back. The alien looked even angrier than before with a trickle of yellow blood coming from a gash on its head.

Berger was quick to react and before the alien got another shot in, he drew his sidearm and put a bullet through its head. He watched the alien crumple to the ground and paused for a second.

'Make me eat my words why don't you.' He stood up wincing slightly from the pain in his shoulder.

"Well, at least Lukas said only one." Berger looked towards the human who was only just barely getting his bearings together. Hefting the man up and putting him in an armlock the two began to walk back towards the square.

—

When Knight Captain Jules had reached the three Knights none of them had been in good shape. She had approached the only standing knight and the poor boy nearly jumped out of his skin when she turned him around.

The knight was in shock and being so close to the collapse had done no favours for his hearing judging by the blank shaken look he was giving him.

Noticing the fallen form of another knight near them she again held him by his shoulder and forced him into the direction of the prone soldier. That had woken him from his shock, and both she and the boy set to work helping their comrade.

A quick assessment of the man revealed nothing more than a severely dented helmet and a matching concussion. She signalled to the knight beside her to stay put and with a nod from him she set out into the dust-filled street to find the remaining knight.

Her hearing was returning now and with it, she heard a cry from her left. She found a blue-skinned alien crawling on the floor aimlessly. She was quick to help and Jules soon had the woman in a hold and began dragging her away from the collapsed tower.

She dropped the woman off near the two knights only to see another two knights coming towards them from the comm-building. "One of you stay here and watch these three, the other with me."

One of the knights stepped towards her and as they were about to turn and head back Jules spoke. "If any other knights show up tell them to get these civilians away from the collapse site."

With that, the two set off it didn't take long to find another person this time a child with small horns coming out of his head. They could hardly ignore the crying boy, so with quick orders she sent the other knight back carrying the boy.

When she finally did lay eyes on the knight it was only to notice the sizeable chink of rubble crushing her leg. Kneeling next to the knight Jules looked her in the eye and recognizing her the knight smiled for a moment before shouting in pain.

"Stay calm, don't speak." Jules withdrew a syringe from one of her armour's pouches. Quickly the Med-x went into the knight's leg above the rubble, relief soon overcame her face as the pain dissipated.

Opening another pouch out came a length of strap. Wrapping it around the leg and using her knife still in its holster as leverage, Jules tied off the improvised tourniquet.

As her attention came to moving the rubble from the knight's leg she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see the knight that had accompanied her. "Get ready to lift that rubble and I'll pull her out." He nodded and Jules turned to the knight on the ground. "This is going to hurt."

As the rubble was lifted, Jules pulled and the full extent of the damage was clear to see. Everything below the knee was crushed badly and Jules knew if the knight didn't get proper medical attention soon she would lose the leg.

No words were exchanged as the two lifted the injured knight and moved towards the main group. The situation that greeted them as they arrived was one of slightly controlled pandemonium.

A few of the knights were herding the last few citizens away from the collapse and the few civilians that were injured were being moved to what she assumed to be local rescue services that were showing up. The three made their way to where a majority of the knights and scribes were gathered. Lowering the injured knight to the ground she let the scribes take over.

Stepping away she heard a noise overhead, turning her head she saw flying cars floating around the building spraying water onto the raging fire in the building. "Knight Captain Jules?"

"Yes". Her attention snapped to one of the knights as they approached her.

"Knight Dempson, ma'am. Paladin Lukas told me to tell you that you're to take the lead." Before Dempson could continue he was cut off.

"Where is Lukas?"

"He went in to make sure everyone got out. All scribes are accounted for, we're only missing Knights Ruffing and Paula and they were in there". The knight pointed to the building, the top floor now crumbling from the fire damage. "He also said if he wasn't back in five minutes to return to base."

"Not without Lukas were not." She looked out at the square and now another set of flying cars were setting down in the square. Out of them came uniformed officers each armed with smaller blasters.

"Knight Captain." A scribe called out from behind her, one that had been treating the badly wounded knight. "If this woman doesn't get proper medical attention soon she won't just lose her leg."

Jules chewed her lip as she took in that information she kept her gaze locked on the comm-building's entrance. The officers had gathered and now some were looking in their direction with suspicious gazes.

"We'll withdraw." With downcast eyes, she gave the order and the group began packing up. Looking to her side she saw Dempson with the same look and after a moment of contemplation she spoke again with more sureness in her voice. "I need two volunteers for a rear guard to stay and wait".

Naturally, all of the knights volunteered so she selected Dempson and another to remain behind. As the group departed she shared one last nod with the two who would stay. "Good luck".

—

Everything inside the commander's office was already engulfed in searing flames. The fire spilling out rapidly into the connecting office space.

Captain Breel of the militia's 1st company was the luckiest of everyone in the room. He had been furthest from the blast and while it had still knocked him down, the middle aged human had gotten right back up.

He kept his head down and away from the fumes that were quickly filling the room, he moved towards the fallen bodies of his colleagues. Those that were alive he had sent towards the stairs, there were many however who were not.

Eventually, he found Commander Hesp lying in a heap completely out cold. The fact she was breathing told him she was alive at least but the deep gash on the side of her head coupled with the sizable chunk of wood protruding from her side didn't bode well for her condition.

The smoke now a thick cloud above his head meant standing wasn't an option. Grabbing the commander by the scruff of her collar, Breel began to drag the commander away.

Reaching the door to the stairs he saw a Zabrak ramming it with his shoulder. "Bahl, what's the problem?"

"Doors jammed sir."

"Keep trying then." With a nod, Bahl kept ramming the door. The few others huddled around most with minor wounds and scrapes.

With one mighty shout and crash the door flung open and they all started pouring down the stairs. Reaching the bottom floor they allowed themselves a moment of relief knowing they had escaped the blaze.

Bahl burst through the stairwell door into the lobby with a wide grin that lasted only long enough to register the blaster barrel that had been pointed at him.

"BAHL!" Breel saw his body drop with a flash of red. He barely had a second to lean back as another bolt struck the door frame.

Placing Hesp's body down and drawing his sidearm he watched as the others did the same. Ducking quickly in and out he took potshots at whoever had been shooting them. Desperately needing a plan he gestured at two of the officers. "I'll provide covering fire, move out into the hallway and find cover. We can't let them bottleneck us."

Once again leaning out of the door Breel fired at the enemy and drew a small satisfaction at hitting the one who shot Bahl. Two officers quickly moved into the room and took cover before taking shots of their own, taking pressure off of Breel and allowing others to move in.

Scanning the firefight he saw that whoever the enemy was they were not formally trained. While they would normally be at an advantage the officers he had with him only had sidearms and no body armour.

Glancing out the door his eyes landed on the unguarded back door of the building. "Staggered retreat out the back". The nods of his fellows were all he needed before he hefted Hesp up and began to move.

Steadily he moved towards the back entrance, eyes forward focused on his task. Behind him, he could hear the covering fire of his fellow soldiers as well as the sound of bodies dropping, friend or foe he had little time to find out.

Breel had little time to think of opening the door without knowing what was behind it. He silently thanked his stars when he stormed through the door to see no one in the alleyway.

"This way!" he began moving towards a sewer entrance blocked off by a metallic hatch. Handing off Hesp's body to another officer he blew off the lock with his blaster and began funnelling down the others. "Down here, we'll lose them in the sewers."

The last of the militiamen began trickling out of the building. Last out was a female officer, she spun sending two more bolts back into the building, a brave act that unfortunately meant she caught a bolt directly to the chest.

"DAMMIT NOOO!" watching all this Breel stepped forward to help the fallen woman only for one of the assailants to step through the door. Instinct took over and with his blaster raised he shot the man.

Hearing shouting from inside Breel took one last look towards the downed officer before quickly making to follow the others down into the sewers. It didn't take long to catch up and as a group, they all moved.

They had been moving through the sewers for nearly fifteen minutes before they felt safe enough to stop and catch their breath.

"What the Kriff was that!"

"Who the hell were they?"

"What about the void damned explosion."

Almost immediately the collective composure left the group as the past event caught up. Most were panicking in raised voices while others sat huddled in quiet shock, they were soldiers sure but that didn't mean they were expecting to be attacked at home.

Commander Hesp's body remained still and somehow looked even more pale than her naturally white skin. The only medic left in the group carefully and silently plying her craft.

"Pirates? What are you talking about? They've never attacked the capital before."

"What better explanation is there?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Breel's shout stunned them all out of their hysteria and all eyes fell on him. "I have no idea who attacked us but at the moment that does not matter. We need to alert the police of the situation and get Commander Hesp some medical attention."

Everyone glanced at the unconscious form of Salant Hesp. Their loyalty and trust in her was the very reason they had been in that office, to begin with.

One of the other captains took out his comlink and dialled in a number only to pause for a moment as the device flashed a no signal light. "That's weird." he pressed the dial again only to be met with the same result. "I should be able to connect even from down here… try your comlinks."

A few of them tried their own devices only to get similar results. This started another round of statements but before it could get heat Breel regained control.

"Listen! I don't know what's wrong with the com-system but so far we have acquitted ourselves well, I see no reason to falter now." His face maintained a stoic visage, with Hesp out cold and Dyl Tsu away leaving him in charge right now. "There will be time to mourn and investigate later but for now we have our mission."

Breel's calmness and sense of duty must have rubbed off as soon the group was off again now looking for the closest way out of the sewer. Finding an exit that led them out to another nondescript alleyway they were met with two pillars of smoke in the sky and the noise of distant sirens.

"This way". Breel turned at the sound of a voice he didn't recognize. What he found was a group of six armoured individuals and one scrupulous character coming around the corner. It took a few moments for each group to acknowledge each other's presence, the militiamen stared and the armoured men stared back.

"Shit". One of them spoke. Breel had no idea what excrement had to do with anything but he couldn't help himself agree with the sentiment.

—

Knight Barr hummed the tune of 'Way Back Home' under her breath while singing along in her head. She and the rest of her squad had been on a salvage expedition, finding and marking any of the scattered equipment from the citadel that had come along with them.

Like her the rest of the squad maintained silence all focused on keeping a lookout. They had little else to do while out here and the alternative to working was thinking, and at the moment there was only one thing to really think about.

'Home.'

Even just the thought crossing her mind made Barr's mood drop just a little. She was lucky, taken into the brotherhood too young to have known anything else. Others, especially those from the wasteland had someone they very well may never see again.

Many in the brotherhood had reacted like her, burying themselves in tasks so that for at least a moment they didn't have to think about it all. Right now that work was either helping the scribes or out on salvage, so that's what Barr would do.

She let out a sigh as the train of thought came to an end. "Everything all right Barr?"

She looked up to see the knight in front of her glancing back at her. "Nothing… just thinking."

"Yeah, I get that." He let out a sigh of his own before turning forward. Silence returned for a second before Barr heard a small chuckle from him. "You wanna know something funny?"

He didn't need her answer before he continued. "I was listening to that radio they have set up near the cantine. 'Anything Goes' by Cole Porter, I'm having a good listen and you know what."

"What?"

"The song finishes and the next thing I expect to hear is the voice of Three-Dog." The knight chuckled to himself again for a moment. "Is it weird that I miss that guy?"

Barr allowed a small nostalgia filled smile to come to her face.

"Over Here." Before she could respond, however, they both heard one of the knights, up ahead, call out and they all moved forward to see.

The whole squad moved and after coming down a small decline near a small river Barr saw the man as well as the thing he was staring at.

Sitting in all its gunmetal grey glory on the other side of the river bank was an almost pristine Brotherhood vertibird. The only problem seemed to be that it was slightly sinking into the river bank and would clearly need some work to remove it.

"Well, at least I know the lancers are gonna be happy".

AN: Thank you for reading so far hope you are enjoying. Thank you for all the comments and a big cheers for hitting 100 Favs :)

Also big thanks to 'Mandalore the survivor' for some great ideas for the story moving forward.

Hope you all had a great 4th of May, may the force be with you.