Chapter Nine:
The Kaida Operation
Bi'nloden, Imperial Dockyard
18BBY, Mid-Rim
Several clicks from Chandrila.
0501 Hours
A ray of bright sunlight broke through the thick layer of clouds above the terrain, and Clone Troopers bearing Phase II armor patrolled the dockyard, holding their standard issue blasters firmly in their hands. They were among the handful of Clone units that still served the Empire, even in the midst of the transition and recruitment of human Stormtroopers through Project War Mantle.
Uniformed officers walked around the port, attending to mandatory duties, and made sure the base was secure as a couple TK Troopers made their arrival, either assisting the Clones or taking over for those who were about to retire from duty on Imperial orders.
The sector had been busy like it had since the Empire set up shop in the aftermath of the war, and all seemed to be in order. Unbeknownst to the soldiers and officers, rogue agents had infiltrated their ranks, and were set to make their move to strike against the Empire in one of it's major territories.
X'oadd Je'rah, an Umbaran who'd joined the criminal group Crimson Dawn, was ready to make his move, along with Nachuti Teranon, a Rodian who'd served a Separatist legion during the Clone Wars before Maul recruited him.
Both X'oadd and Nachuti had donned Imperial uniforms, along with other Crimson Dawn agents and volunteers, with a few putting on TK Trooper armor they'd found in an armory during the infiltration. A pair of B1 Battle Droids bearing the Empire's insignia accompanied them, and they were all joined by well-disguised Changelings.
The operatives made their way through the base, and entered the dockyard, where a few troopers stood aside for them. X'oadd was disguised as an Imperial Moff, and Nachuti was a low-ranking Lieutenant who acted as the Moff's assistant.
"Kinda odd seeing Battle Droids." A clone remarked when he saw the supposedly Imperial-converted droids.
"Just don't bother the clankers." Another clone instructed, "Some of the Separatists' assets have proven to be useful in Imperial hands, even with a handful of other factions putting them to use in some areas."
The disguised infiltrators approached the two docked Imperial shuttles stationed on Platform D and Platform Q respectively, and the other agents, and droids, in league with X'oadd and Nachuti split up, with the dividing Crimson Dawn operatives taking the shuttle on Platform D and Platform Q.
More well-hidden Dawn agents in Trooper armor joined X'oadd on his shuttle, just as he started up the engines. At the same time, Nachuti started up the engines on the other shuttle. Every agent was prepared, with the Imperials not even suspecting a thing.
Blasters were well-polished, and every agent knew the Empire's codes, as well as how Imperials acted. The two shuttles lifted off, with the destination being the 911th fleet near Chandrila.
"Have you made sure our channels are secure?" X'oadd asked Nachuti in his commlink.
"We've had no indication of Imperials intercepting transmissions." A B1 in Nachuti's group replied.
"Good luck."
The hijacked shuttles left the planet's surface, the coordinates for the 911 Fleet's position set in the navi-computers, and the agents jumped into hyperspace as soon as they were away from the gravitational pull of Bi'nloden.
On Dathomir, Maul smirked evilly. In his mind, he was already hearing the report on the Holo-Net about the Imperial ships crashing into the financial district of Chandrila, and he could imagine the reported death toll even then. Everything was going as planned, and that fool Palpatine would certainly be proud of Maul, if he still harbored any respect for him.
Half a mile out from Chandrila.
Mid-to-Inner Core, 18BBY.
911 Imperial Fleet.
0300 Hours until the attack.
Shuttles A and B exited hyperspace, and flew towards the Brendol and Cheland. X'oadd and Nachuti transmitted the codes to the two Imperial ships, and steered them towards the docking bays. Every agent and droid stood at attention, with all weapons ready, and the signal was sent to any and all moles in Imperial ranks to disable transmissions aboard the ships.
On the Brendol, Changeling agent Cadav incapacitated a coms officer, and began the shutdown of the communications network. Aboard the adjacent ship, Cheland, simultaneously, Qoolvel Morodo, disguised as a technician, proceeded to disable the com-channel.
Both shuttles made their landing, and the final preparations were made. On one ship, TK Troopers approached to greet and escort the newly-arrived high-ranking personnel. On the other, Clones were prepared to welcome whomever was aboard the shuttle. The ramps lowered, and all was in place to begin.
The steam began to once the ramps were lowered, and Crimson Dawn struck. B1 Battle Droids and agents in full Imperial uniform emerged from the shuttles like lightning, and blaster fire exploded through the hanger. Troopers were cut down in a blaze of blaster bolts, and alarms began wailing.
"UNDER ATTACK!" An Imperial soldier screamed, "WE'RE UNDER... AH!"
A blaster bolt struck him under the chin, burning into his throat, and the soldier collapsed to the ground. X'oadd and Nachuti's groups were on the move on every ship, wiping out every last guard in the hanger, and they swarmed the halls, shooting officers and Stormtroopers. And with the coms down, nobody else knew what was even happening.
X'oadd sent a signal to the other agents aboard the Brendol, who'd hidden expertly among the Imperial ranks, and the operatives flashed their true colors in seconds, shooting down nearby Clones, TKs, and commanding officers along with technicians and Imperial-class droids.
"PIRATES, WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY PIRATES!" A Clone shouted, "GET REIN... ARGH!" He was cut off as Crimson Dawn fire tore through his armor, ending his life in a manner of seconds.
"TAKE THE BRIDGE! SET COURSE FOR CHANDRILLA!" X'oadd ordered his forces.
He led the agents through the halls of the Brendol, firing his repeater blaster that he'd carried for years, and shooting multiple officers in the face, while Nachuti's group on the Cheland tore through the Imperials like a total hurricane, making their way for the nearest turbo-lift.
On one end of a corridor in the Brendol, a pair of Clones braced themselves when they saw the B1 droids advancing with the Crimson Dawn agents, remembering the Outer Rim Sieges at the end of the war, when they were in heavy combat with Separatist droid units on several worlds across the galaxy.
Volleys of blaster fire screamed in every direction throughout the corridors of every ship as both parties fired on one another. Crimson Dawn pressed hard, bearing down on the Imperial forces, and the orange bolts shredded through the bodies of breathing Imperials, extinguishing their lives in a matter of seconds before anyone could do anything else.
Both X'oadd and Nachuti led their forces to the closest turbo-lifts, wiped out the guards inside, and pressed the button that would take them to the upper levels where they would access the bridge. By this point, Operation: Kaida was in Crimson Dawn's favor, with no turning back.
On the bridge of the Brendol, Captain Klite, a well-decorated, middle-aged Clone Wars veteran, had just received the word from an officer that Battle Droids and rebels in uniforms were attacking the ship with a high chance they were heading for the bridge. Klite was on edge, shouting orders to his crew, even with the report that the com-channel was on the fritz.
"DON'T LET THEM TAKE THIS SHIP!" Klite yelled, "FIGHT FOR YOUR EMPIRE, AND STOP THOSE INSURGENTS!"
Aboard the Cheland, Admiral Ertuvok was attempting to get the com-channel back in order to call for reinforcements after hearing that his troops were being cutdown by a ragtag group of extremists. He was shouting desperate orders, calling for more guards, and ordered one of his officers to contact Imperial command to request back-up from Coruscant.
The lifts rolled open, and troopers screamed as energy bolts struck them down. Crimson Dawn's forces flooded the bridges, annihilating the crew, with Klite and Ertuvok making a desperate stand before X'oadd and Nachuti executed them with a shot to the head.
With the bridges captured, the operatives placed the Brendol and Cheland under lockdown, jettisoned any remaining soldiers and officers into space, and took control of both ships. X'oadd began setting course for Chandrila, and so did Nachuti. The rest of the captains in the 911th fleet noticed the two ships leaving, even as they suspected nothing.
Brendol and Cheland jumped to lightspeed, heading for the Chandrila system, and the leaders of the mission observed the spiraling blue tunnel of hyperspace, basking in the glorious hour of victory, and knowing the mission was almost complete.
X'oadd brought out his hologram communicator, and contacted Dathomir. The holographic visage of Maul made his appearance, and the Dawn agent bowed his head. "We are on-route to Chandrila, the Destroyers are secure, and resistance is neutralized." He informed the Zabrak.
"Excellent..." Maul began to chuckle, "Make them burn."
"Coming out of hyperspace!" A B1 Battle droid announced.
"Set the ship to head into the financial district of the city..." Nachuti told his unit aboard the Cheland.
"...and prepare the escape pods for launch before we crash." X'oadd instructed a fellow operative on the other ship.
The Brendol and Cheland exited hyperspace, and lumbered towards Chandrila, passing a couple of ships in it's vicinity. A few Imperial cruisers could be seen leaving, and the two Destroyer-class ships continued their course, flying into Chandrila's airspace, until their shadows loomed over the city, getting closer towards the financial sector.
On the surface below, a pair of Chandrilan security officials and Imperial officers spotted the incoming Destroyers, and took note of what seemed to be happening. X'oadd sent out a quick signal to the Crimson Dawn agents stationed on Chandrila, within the very sector that was being targeted.
Guns turned on Imperial representatives, Chandrilan authorities were taken off-guard, and hints of chaos unfolded throughout the city. Panicking security forces and Imperial soldiers raced to turbo-laser towers, only for the towers to explode, and nearby agents to shoot them down.
On X'oadd and Nachuti's order, the engines of each ship were super charged, and the ISD's were aimed directly at the financial sector. Down below, people scurried and screamed, all fearing for their lives as the shadows loomed larger and larger. Aboard the Cheland and Brendol, the hijackers opened the lifts, and made a break for the escape pods.
Surviving Stormtroopers, Clone Troopers, and officers made one last stand, trying to gun every agent down, only to be blasted to oblivion, B1 Battle Droids ran as fast as possible with their organic allies, and the groups made it into a pair of escape pods before securing themselves inside, then the pods were launched with the help of reprogrammed Astromechs.
Both pods launched, flying over Chandrila's city, and over the lush countryside. X'oadd, his militants, and the others would proceed to make way to a spaceport, then they'd steal a ship to Dathomir, while avoiding detection.
Minutes later, the Brendol, and the Cheland hit the surface, nose first. The impacts were hard enough to shake the surface, and an explosion shook Chandrila's city. Civilians screamed, and foundations were ripped apart. Within the financial buildings, credits were obliterated by the intense heat of the blast, and the financial tower, bearing an Imperial insignia, collapsed.
On Chandrila, thousands died, and thousands were injured, and the galaxy was shaken to the core by the catastrophe on a day of infamy that would not be unnoticed by galactic history...