Chapter 3: The Darkness of War
February 11, 2228.
Nembrek barely had to say anything as he strolled through the miserable imperial camp on Mon Gazza. The soldiers were hungry, tired and disillusioned. In the few interviews he had done, the soldiers complained just how angry they were that the central government wasn't sending anything, and that they had to evacuate the planet even though they had lost thousands of comrades to take it.
The young journalist could not repress a growing sense of injustice poisoning his mind, but he also used the chance to take a lot of pictures and clips with his trusted VB-02 camera droid. He had already prepared to show and comment to the whole Empire how these soldiers had not received supplies in over a week, and how the central government was denying them even the fuel to retreat from that world that they couldn't possibly hold.
Yet he felt like this wasn't enough. He needed solid proof that the central government was deliberately leaving those men to die, but how could he demonstrate that?
Perhaps the Force listened to him, because he suddenly heard the rumble of an engine over the camp. He turned his head up and saw a single Gozanti-class transport heading for the landing pad. But a single one? It couldn't possibly bring in supplies.
Like pretty much everyone else, Nembrek hurried to the landing pad. The soldiers were actually hoping that they were receiving something from that transport, the reporter instead order VB to shrink itself into the pocket version. The droid reshuffled its modular structure to become basically a stick with a camera lens, which was much easier to conceal.
The crowd gathered around the landing pad, with only the logistical sergeant walking up and going in front of the lowering ramp with two soldiers.
From the ramp came out a Navy officer, walking with a straight posture and the hands behind his back, as the strictest type usually did.
"Supplies for the 193rd Battalion." the officer simply said.
Nembrek brought himself as close as possible and managed to capture the audio clearly.
After the officer had proclaimed that, two crewmen came out bringing a large pack of crates tied together onto a repulsor cart.
The logistical sergeant looked in bewilderment as the crewman put down the batch of crates and then went back inside the transport alongside the officer.
"Hey, hold on!" the NCO yelled furious and went to grab the officer's wrist. "Is that really all?!"
"Get your hands off me, Sergeant!" the officer replied furious. "Yes. That is all you'll get! And if you touch me again I'll make sure nothing comes your way!"
"You've got to be kidding. If it was a pack of food or ammo it wouldn't last a day, and I bet you gave us a mix. If the rebels attack, that will be of no use!"
"This is the decision of the Ministers. Who do you think you are, making requests out of nothing?" the officer replied with scorn.
"What do you mean 'nothing'?! We're here fighting and dying for you rich fucks. The least you could do is give us the means to do it!" the Sergeant replied, trying to get out a logical conclusion among his rage.
"This has been deemed enough for you rabble and aliens." the officer replied, pointing out the fact that the NCO was a Zabrak. "Your orders still stand: hold the planet." he added, seemingly ignoring the fact that the planet was already being evacuated by the Empire.
Then the officer walked back inside the transport, among the shouting and insults of the soldiers below.
"You got all that, VeeBee?" Nembrek asked and the droid beeped a positive. "Good." he added, feeling the rage boiling inside him.
By the stars, he was going to make a manure-storm rain on the central government!
WARNING: This paragraph contains depictions of heavy violence
February 13, 2228.
It turned out to be exactly that case.
Instead of fighting openly, the imperials were exploiting the dense forests and generally arduous terrain of Eriadu to lay ambushes, attack the rearguards and slowly chip away at the strength of the Coalition forces.
It looked like they had been hiding into dense jungles or caves inside or under the mountains, both environments that severely interfered with scanning equipment, thus making their spotting extremely difficult.
Therefore, Jordan was now leading his entire Marine unit across the jungle for a patrol.
"I like this place. Reminds me of Sur'Kesh." Sergeant Strum commented to his men.
"Lucky you, Sarge. I saw insects that were way too big even from here." Corporal Vitrini replied.
Karg instead grunted loudly. "The worst part is that we may not even encounter the enemy. Sneaky little pyjaks!"
"How's it possible that we didn't find any map of the planet? Not even a touristic one?" Michalina instead asked a little frustrated.
"Because there never were in the first place. The Empire canceled most of them, perhaps because they have, or had, important facilities in the most remote places of this planet. It's more likely we will find one of those than the actual enemy." the Major explained.
"Great." Thabo moaned.
"Can't you use your powers to find them?" Michalina asked with a little provocation.
"Do you have any idea how much life there is in a jungle?" Thabo replied in kind. "It's like finding a...ARGH!"
The sudden yell had everyone halt in their tracks. Jordan turned and saw his friend bent forward, holding his head with a strained posture.
"Thabo, what's going on?" he asked alarmed as he reached for his brethren.
Thabo panted and shivered slightly. "No...stop!" he said loudly.
"Thabo!" Michalina also intervened.
The psionic then rose his head with a jolt, looking at his right. Then started running. "Over here! Let's go!"
"Wait, Thabo?!" Jordan asked confused, but in the end he trusted his friend enough to motion the others to follow him as he got to the chase.
They ran through the quite dense foliage and minor animal trails for perhaps 800 meters before, among a row of trees in the distance, Jordan recognized a large column of black smoke. He quickly checked the GPS on the corner of his helmet and he realized something that sent a shiver down his spine: there was a registered village named Quria right there.
The group passed the last row of trees and came out on the edge of a slope that went down for a few meters before entering a valley.
And right now, that valley was burning. Quria had been set ablaze.
As soon as his eyes fully understood what was happening, Jordan's ears then captured something far worse.
The sound of blaster fire and screaming of mostly women and children.
He looked down and enhanced his vision. He quickly saw a group of civilians, peasants most likely, running in fear.
One of them, a young teen boy, was suddenly reached by a bolt on the back and fell lifeless on the ground.
A woman, probably his mother by her looks, ran over him, Jordan could hear her scream from there. She brought herself on him as if she wanted to protect him.
Then, from behind the same hut they had come from, Jordan saw two armed men...with the uniforms and the weapons of the Commonwealth.
"What…?" he murmured, unable to process all that. What was happening?
"The fuck?!" Michalina exclaimed, herself, like all the others, frozen for a moment.
And that moment was enough for the two soldiers to walk up and fire a burst each to the woman, too, killing her.
Something snapped inside Jordan. He launched himself down the slope at full Legionnaire speed, reaching the village in barely three seconds.
He heard the two soldiers laughing and joking about the two people they just killed, before they realized that someone was rushing them.
Before they could do anything, Jordan fired a bolt of his Mattock right into the right arm of one of the soldiers. The heavy projectile immediately cracked the bone and flesh of the wrist, leaving the hand hanging while the soldier first dropping on his knees, then he started screaming for the pain.
But after seeing what he had just seen, Jordan had barely any compassion left. He simply yelled at the other stunned trooper "Drop your weapons! Now!"
The other realized that he was in front of a Legionnaire, and as such he had no chances of winning and that he had probably screwed up big time. He immediately dropped his rifle and rose his hands, backing away from his wounded companion.
Jordan turned toward some of the Marines. "Create a perimeter there for the civilians. Everyone else, get inside and stop these damn jackals!"
The Marines sprang into action, all of them infuriated at the sight they just witnessed. They could hear more bolts being fired and the desperate voices of the victims. Guided by the three Legionnaires, the Marines split up and made a quick sweep of the village, passing through the burning homes and fields, the unsightly view of innocent bodies laying around. Some managed to intercept isolated Commonwealth soldiers that were chasing down more civilians and immediately arrested them.
Then Jordan and his group reached the center of the village. Under a small monument decorating the plaza, most of the Commonwealth troopers had killed an amount of people that Jordan could hardly count: there were just dozens of bodies of people bound and shot, or simply pushed against the walls and then subjected to a firing squad.
Among those troopers, Jordan spotted one with the combat uniform of an officer, who also saw him and was left speechless for a moment.
The Legionnaire rose his rifle again and intimated "Drop your weapons or Mars take me!" with a voice that barely contained his rage.
He didn't know if those guys knew that 'Mars take me' was a promise to slaughter them all without remorse or if they were intimidated by the sudden appearance of Alliance soldiers, much better equipped and expert than them. Anyway, the Commoners, after a moment of hesitation, decided that they didn't want to fight a Legionnaire and the Krogan behind him, so they dropped their weapons.
The handful of civilians that was being lined up with their hands tied were quickly liberated and brought out of that raging hell, while Jordan stayed there with a squad to round up the Commoners.
He approached the officer, with his whole body screaming that he should've punched him, but he kept his emotions in check and started his questioning.
"Name, Rank and Unit. Now!"
The other gulped, but replied firmly. "Lieutenant-Commander Vombi, 328th Infantry Battalion."
"Lieutenant, what is the meaning of this?!"
"W-We were attacked nearly an hour ago by some imperial scouts. They killed two of my men before retreating and coming this way. We asked the villagers, but they refused to answer. They are clearly hiding them!"
"So your solution was to burn everything to the ground?!" Jordan asked out of patience.
"Boss…" he then heard. He turned around and saw Michalina quivering.
Before he could ask anything, the woman dematerialized her helmet in time to throw up, giving Jordan a horrible feeling. After she regained some control, she pointed at a house behind her. It was on fire, but it was dying down.
Jordan approached it, if anything to document it with his camera.
Soon enough, he wished he had stayed away.
Inside the house there was a family of two children and a woman who had most likely died from asphyxiation before their bodies were burned. The children couldn't be older than 8...the woman was pregnant when she died. The fire and the mixture of gas had turned her belly into a vision that can't be expressed.
Jordan simply didn't have any word. He walked back to the officer and punched him straight in the face, knocking him unconscious and leaving everyone wondering if he was still alive.
"What are you doing? We surrendered!" one of the soldiers protested.
"Shut up! You would all deserve a firing squad right here and now! Be grateful that I'm not part of your army!" Jordan replied with fury.
One of the Commonwealth troopers grunted and then yelled back. "Easy for you, uh?! The Imperials have been doing way worse on our planets for years! What do you know about justice?!"
Jordan walked calmly in front of that man and dematerialized his helmet, showing a judging face like he never had before.
"Look at me." he said. "I spent ten years in an imperial prison camp. Every day they would beat me or work me to the bone, I met many good people who never came out of those damn tunnels and I saw the guards abusing someone every single day, and most importantly my daughter had once been captured and experimented on by the Empire."
The Commoner started to look a little more shaky in his expression.
"So trust me, I know full well what they are capable of, but these people? These people probably never left this planet, or even the region they live in. They did absolutely nothing to you, they most likely had no idea what was going on!"
The soldier lowered his head in defeat and perhaps shame, but that did not bring any satisfaction to the Major.
The only thing that relieved him slightly was when the Constantinople appeared over their heads and by using the Kodiaks, the Marines finally brought the surviving civilians safely aboard the frigate. On a village that might have hosted 500 persons, only 28 made it out thanks to Jordan' crew.
February 14, 2228.
"Turn it off." Jaral said disgusted as she, Darvos and Ezra were watching the HoloNet, which was showing the images of the Quria Massacre, as it had been already dabbed.
Ezra didn't hesitate and quickly shut down the projector, standing up as he felt the need to walk around a little and take a breather.
Darvos was just paralyzed: how did this happen? The soldiers of the Commonwealth were still part of the former Rebel Alliance, when did they become senseless murderers? Or perhaps there had always been cutthroats among the 'right' side of this war and he had simply decided to ignore them?
After a minute spent by everyone to process the horror they had just witnessed, Jaral spoke up. "So what do we do? We can't just ignore all this."
"And we won't." Ezra replied firmly. "For now, we will demand an investigation on this. Then, it appears like the battle on Eriadu is going to be quite long. We might have to bring our people in to ensure that the civilians are not harmed."
"But we can't just spread all over the planet. We don't have all that manpower." Jaral pointed out.
"Maybe…" Darvos said, gaining their attention. "We could establish a few bases...safe zones, if you will."
Intrigued, Ezra hummed and asked him to continue.
"By the Yavin Convention, the Jedi Order is allowed to establish bases of operations in any active war zone. We can establish a handful of them around the territory already occupied by the UACT and then you declare them safe areas for the refugees. Even if somebody ever gets the idea of making something so disgusting again, they'll think twice when there's a Jedi between them and their presumed victims."
The siblings looked at each other and decided that it was a good start.
"Let's gather the others." said Jaral.
Soon enough, the siblings were in the main courtyard of the Academy. All the Padawans, Knights and Masters that were still on Lothal were ready to listen, and Cal was talking via a hologram projected by Raze.
"I think most of you can imagine the meaning of this assembly." Ezra started. "We just received undeniable proof that this war is destined to become ever more violent, and neither the side that we considered 'good' is immune to committing atrocities. Now more than ever, it's imperative that we ramp up our efforts to protect the civilians."
"Darvos suggested the idea of establishing a few safe areas on Eriadu, which is the hottest front at the moment." Jaral continued. "We want at least two Knights or above to protect each area. Any Padawan over the age of 15 can volunteer to follow their teachers."
"Well, count me in." Ahsoka said immediately.
"And me." Lissia jumped in.
"I doubt anyone here is pulling out." Kota said with a quip. "After all, we all want to help put the galaxy a little back together."
"Us, too. Don't forget that many on Pabu would be willing to help us in any way they can." Cal added.
"Thank you, everyone." Ezra said with gratitude. "Then...Darvos, we need you to tell us how many bases the Peacekeepers would be able to set up."
"I'll go talk with the others immediately." he proclaimed before leaving.
"What do we do with the Academy, though?" Zatt rose the issue. "This endeavor will take up most of our resources, but we can't just leave the Academy unguarded."
"I figured the Masters and Luke would stay." Jaden said as if it was obvious.
However, the three interested were the first to look puzzled.
"What made you think so? We can't just sit here." Luke asked.
"Sit?" Lissia said with a certain severity. "You need to prepare for your fight against the Sith."
That statement reminded everyone of that crucial detail that the general atmosphere had temporarily made forgotten.
"Not to mention, we're still waiting for a possible Hutt retaliation." the Tholothian continued. "You need to stay here and train until you surpass your very limits, because Force knows that the foes you'll soon have the fight are by far the most dangerous you ever faced."
"Lissia…" Jaral murmured.
Then she saw her former Padawan shook her head with teary eyes. "Please...it's the only chance we have at stopping them...I don't want to mourn other friends because of the Sith."
Jaral knew that Lissia still had recurrent nightmares about that terrible day they faced Vader and lost Sellion as a result.
"She's right." the voice of Kyle, who was very invested in the matter as well, intervened. "Leave the operations to us. You need to prepare for the final showdown. You'll have to go there more than prepared."
"Guys…" Ezra also murmured, but then he closed his eyes and sighed. "All right. Then we will focus on defeating the Sith. And we will do that soon, I promise you."
Satisfied with that promise, the other Jedi looked at the Masters with full trust and then decided that it was time to reach Camp Garibaldi.
"Hold on...does that mean we have to take care of all the younglings?" Luke asked all of a sudden.
"Oh…" Ezra realized. "Karabast."
Jaral chuckled. "Well, consider it part of our training."
The other two laughed. It was still a task that they could manage quite easily, but first Ezra decided that they needed to do an announcement.
February 15, 2228.
Iulius had never been inside a HoloNet broadcasting station, but he was quite surprised to see how frantic the one on Naboo was. Every corridor was an endless movement of secretaries, journalists or simple administrative workers, mostly connected to the censorship.
In his case, though, the latter were not going to have much to do, not with a live interview.
The Lord-Protector was accompanied in the main record room, where he was quickly introduced to Beyner Remazer, the public face of the HoloNet in the Mid Rim. The journalist greeted him enthusiastically and accompanied him on the side of the table from which he delivered the most important news every day.
That day, however, he seemed very excited to bring the viewers an exclusive interview.
"Greetings, loyal citizens of the Empire." he began once everything was set and the cameras were rolling. "As you know, we here at the HoloNet always strive to bring you nothing but the truth. The truth is, that we're facing our greatest crisis to date, with the rebels and the invaders pushing in on our worlds with much more force than before. So today, in order to give you a full picture, so that everyone can understand that now more than ever is imperative to do your part, it is with the greatest honor and pleasure that we present you our guest."
He then turned his chair toward his right, prompting the camera to change. "Lord-Protector Tanis, welcome to our studio."
The camera on Iulius then took the streaming to show him.
"Thank you, Beyner." Iulius greeted in the way he was instructed to. Calling the anchorman by name was a tactic to make him look a more approachable figure. "I thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Just duty, my Lord." Remazer replied candidly. "So...Lord Tanis, the recent events on Eriadu has shocked the Empire to the core, literally. Many of our viewers ask why did we leave the planet and its loyal citizens to their own devices?"
Having prepared for that question, Iulius replied without any hint of hesitation or lie. "The truth is, Beyner, that the means to defend Eriadu have been taken away from us. Coruscant has basically stopped providing us with any fuel, munition, anything to conduct a real war. The Mid Rim can at least provide food for all of the planets and our brave soldiers on the frontline, but food alone can't win a war."
"And why did Coruscant stop sending you all the stuff you need?"
"For two reasons. For one, they decided that the Northern Fringe, where our enemies have exhausted their momentum, needs to be heavily funded. Second, they say that those supplies are bound for a vital project." Iulius said, knowing that he couldn't disclose the existence of the new Death Star to the public without consent, for it would've been way too risky for him. "I don't know what they are talking about, honestly. However, this project is taking a lot of time, and the Government doesn't seem to realize that, if our enemies get past any of the strategic worlds my fleets are defending, then they will be free to reach the Core, because we don't even have the fuel to chase them."
Even Remazer seemed alarmed by that news, even if he did quite a good job hiding it.
"Thank you, my Lord. Next question: recently, the Jedi Order proclaimed that they will establish 'safe zones' on Eriadu to protect civilians. What do you wish to tell to our citizens on the planet?"
"Normally, I wouldn't make such a recommendation, but until the government gives us back the means to bring some real help to Eriadu, all I can tell to the civilians is: take care of yourselves. It's clear that the rebels will not hesitate to commit another brutal action like that at Quria, so do what you can to protect yourselves and your families. For what is worth, the Jedi were true to their word during the battle of Ringo Vinda. As long as they don't involve themselves in the active fighting, their promises are trustworthy."
"So you think our citizens should seek refuge there?"
"Indeed. I'll tell you more: I already ordered all Mid Rim Forces to not interfere with the activities of the Jedi as long as they are assisting civilians and wounded. We shall therefore respect the safe zones."
"You heard it, dear citizens of Eriadu. If the Lord-Protector says that, we strongly advise you follow that suggestion. Now, let's continue…"
March 4, 2228.
"The images of Quria have been a shock to all of us, but maybe we should be careful not to overreact." Councilor Irissa warned.
"Overreact?!" Jordan, who was standing alongside Jane and John in the comm room of the Amerigo, returned with indignation. "Councilor, I saw kids...pregnant women melted by the flames stoked by those people! No response we take can be called overreacting!"
"Jordan, please." Jane said, putting a hand firmly on his shoulder. She couldn't physically stop him, but it was a gesture that prompted the Legionnaire to calm down.
Luckily, John spoke up, and he retained his composure. "Councilors, Your Majesty, you have already demanded that the Commonwealth processed the responsible and they outright refused. How are we going to tell the public opinion that we are the good side of this war if we take no action after this blatant disregard?"
"It's also worth mentioning that the episode of Quria violates the Yavin Convention, a document that all of us signed not even a year ago. Are we already telling the universe that rules do not apply to us or our allies?" Jane added.
"With strong conviction: I agree. We must make clear that we will not be indifferent to this kind of crimes." Kur Gatan expressed.
"They have a point." Lan'Ru'Nas intervened. "A member of the UACT has basically attacked one of the core tenets of this alliance. If we stand aside and do nothing, what's preventing another military unit to give in and let themselves go to another horrible slaughter? I'll let you know that the Tau will withdraw their support for the Commonwealth unless they take measures to prevent another episode like this one."
The words sent a shockwave among the assembly, for it was quite the drastic decision.
"That's it." the representative of the Commune to the Citadel, Daknar Kushiud, convened. "Many members of the Commune have already expressed a similar idea. But most importantly: we have decided that our expeditionary corp to Andromeda will be rerouted."
"Rerouted?" Francesco asked suspicious.
"Yes. We will put it at full disposal of the Jedi Order, to help them establish and protect the safe zones."
That news also took everyone by storm, but it was a little reassuring for the Emperor.
"Well, it's better than nothing, but our priority is ending the war. What do you hope to accomplish by putting all of your forces in a stationary position?"
"We will still participate in policing the territory, but we will always leave some support to help the Jedi defend their safe zones should they ever come under attack again. Until the battle of Eriadu can be considered over, this will be our contribution."
"The Concordat will also commit more resources to Andromeda." Ambassador Tyur vas Rannoch announced. "Many civilian captains and the Geth have expressed their desire to assist the Jedi Order in moving their resources around the galaxy."
"A noble cause, but we shouldn't forget our main goal: if we want to end this war, we need to find and kill Emperor Palpatine." John reminded.
"Yes, but all this help to the Jedi is a good thing." Jordan replied. "The more support they have, the more Luke and my kids can focus on their training, and to put together the most effective plan to defeat the Sith once and for all."
"A fair point." Francesco intervened calmly. "After all, our hopes to put an end to this war rest with those three. While we keep pushing inside imperial territory, we must also make sure that they have the time to prepare." he then turned toward the Council and the other representatives of the Milky Way's signatories of the UACT. "Gentleman, it is my opinion that we should listen to Major Bridger's request. Increasing the number of Spectre operatives in Andromeda will expand our options. Also, his task and that of the Shepards remains finding the plans of the new Death Star. They too will need all the help they can get."
"I suggest we retire to deliberate." Irissa proposed and it was welcomed. The holograms disappeared temporarily, leaving the three officers in the room to wait.
Jordan sighed exhausted.
"You okay?" Jane asked gently.
"No." Jordan replied. "I can't help but think that this war will get worse if we don't stop it: Eriadu is still far from being conquered and pacified, and History teaches that guerrilla wars tend to make the receiving side of those tactics become ever more brutal."
"Wise words, Major." John subscribed. "Which is why the work of the Jedi is now more than ever a necessity. In the meantime, I think your order on Eriadu can wait."
Jordan pondered for a second. "Well, I guess we have no idea where the Governor is, anyway."
"We intercepted a few transmissions indicating that he is indeed leading the imperial resistance, but he's probably hiding under the surface." Jane precised.
"So what do we do next?"
John put his hands behind back and delivered the new orders. "We are going to the Mandalore Sector. We will scout the area and pass the intel to the Mandalorians."