Chapter 36
The Siege of Naboo
ATOLLON
Chopper Base
"They're what?" Ezra practically yelled the question to the hologram of Sabine who had her arms crossed, the specters were gathered in a semi circle in front of Sabine who stood above them on the holographic table arms crossed, "The High Command have already agreed to it."
"So much for liberating the Outer Rim." Zeb grumbled.
"In the Clone Wars the Separatists attacked Naboo to start the crisis, of course the Jedi didn't know it would turn into all out war at the time." Kanan said solemnly, shaking his head. Hera frowned at that and stood there next to Commander Sato "Surely they don't expect us to go along with such a barbaric attack?" Sato asked her.
Sabine shook her head "No, they…" She looked off camera clearly being monitored by someone, "'Understand we don't have the stomach for it'." her words were someone else's that she repeated.
"But Naboo only has one Imperial Garrison, and a light fleet at most it's… the Emperor?" Hera said thinking strategically then politically, "Of course."
"What of course?" Ezra asked, confused on her train of thought.
"Naboo is the homeworld of the Emperor, this isn't a strategic attack, this is personal, Ahkilleon wants to send the Emperor a message." Hera said, looking up at Sabine who nodded in agreement.
Sato cleared his throat "By attacking a world populated mostly by civilians, who our own reports show they detest the Empire's presence."
Rex had been eerily silent since the conversation began, "Rex, what do you think?"
"I think it's going to get worse before it gets better."
"Sabine, where are you now?" Hera asked.
HYPERSPACE
Shatterpoint, Vanguard Fleet Flagship
Sabine looked out the window of the communication room she was in, Lt. Breacher stood behind her up against a wall wearing his bucket hat his cigar illuminating his eyes with orange light as he watched her. "On my way to Naboo."
"What?" Ezra gasped again.
"Sabine, it's too dangerous." Hera said to the young mandalorian, "I'll be fine Hera, and I need to monitor the situation here with Ah- the Militia." She said back to them.
Hera shook her head "Blast it, fine, if you're going to be there it's just as an observer you can't enter combat."
"I won't." Sabine replied, "Promise me." Hera ordered, Sabine nodded "I promise." Sabine cut the transmission and she looked at Lt. Breacher with a scowl "Problem?" she asked the mutton chopped man.
He sucked on his cigar and breathed out the smoke in a circle "Nope."
Sabine left the room and looked around the ship's hallways for the markers showing the directions for the ship, yellow for the hangar and she followed it, as she walked briskly she passed by Militia Regulars gearing up, B5 droids carrying suppilies. The Dreadnought was so long and vast it felt like she walked forward forever, she passed by some officers who eyed her, Sabine stuck out with her bright colored armor.
She spotted Ahkilleon walking with Beetoo, he was fully armored, his helmet still painted orange with his mothers emblem on it "Ahkilleon."
He looked over his shoulder, "We'll be Naboo soon, our forces are gathering in the hangar, once the battle ends you can head back to Atollon." he said, still walking.
"No, I'm staying." She said walking up behind him and then beside him, "You'll fight with us?" he asked, stopping.
She shook her head, "No, just as an observer, but Ahkilleon I know you're angry, but the Naboo didn't try to kill me, or even like the Empire. They don't deserve this, call it off?" she asked him.
"I can't, it's to late now Sabine, this is war." he told her, continuing to walk to the hangar.
She kept pace with him, "No this is petty revenge, you said you're at war with the Emperor not it's people, how is this fighting the Emperor?" She asked.
He kept walking until they reached the hangar and stopped "Naboo is a symbol, so Lothal, to many people think Lothal is the birth of the Militia, it's where the war started. Naboo is where the Emperor is from, it's what led to his rise as Supreme Chancellor, and then Emperor."
"So it's not war, it's politics?" She asked him "It's the same thing, only it's more than just a symbol."
Sabine furrowed her brow "You're after something more than a symbolic victory, what?"
"I can't tell you that right now." He said, "Then tell me this, will you at least spare the Naboo, don't be like the Empire and destroy their homes." she asked him, Ahkilleon glanced over at a small ring of men, Zygote, Asimov, Sigma and a few officers, "I have to go."
Deep in the hanger, the Vanguard leaders were looking over a hologram provided by Beetoo next to Ahkilleon, of Naboo "Naboo went down with the rest of the Mid Rim when the Empire rose to power, the have a sizeable garrison of combat veterans, reservists and retired soldiers they don't know we're coming but our long range scans and intercepted reports show at least three Star Destroyers with varying numbers of fighters." Admiral Zygote said the quarrens mechanical eye focused in on the Destroyers. Between Asimov and Zygote, Ahkilleon could see Sabine watching from a distance.
Ahkilleon stood under his arm, "We will overwhelm their defenses above, and send in ground forces to take the Theed SpacePort." Lord Asimov said, the hologram shifted to show a beautiful city on the top of a cliff with a waterfall pouring down and beside the falls, with a river flowing out into thick jungle, the space port stood under the cliff beside the river and it had eight intersecting landing strips leading out, the ports main structure was an under hangar and curving in and out platforms above it in three humps, with three domed buildings pressed up against the cliff side, "Theed is key to holding the planet, we take the spaceport, we take Theed." Asimov added.
Commander Sigma looked at the spaceport and the city, "What about the locals?"
"Naboo…." Ahkilleon started to say, "Didn't ask for this war, we should destroy whatever defenses the Garrison has but should spare the city if we can." Ahkilleon looked to Lord Asimov who had his arms folded sensing Ahkilleons change of heart.
"The men will want their spoils." Sigma argued hands on his blasters, Ahkilleon turned to him "We're soldiers, not thieves, I hear anything about looting, or worse they answer to me." Lord Asimov said.
Sigma looked to Asimov, "Agreed, we destroy the Imperial Garrison, not the city." Lord Asimov said giving his consent, Sigma sighed but shrugged "Alright, no rockets, no detonators, no fun."
Sigma sucked on his cigar behind Ahkilleon, "More of a challenge anyway Sig." Breacher locked eyes with Ahkilleon and winked.
"Careful Lt." Sigma grumbled.
"There's just one problem." Zygote said as he nodded at Beetoo, the droid zoomed in on the Royal Palace of Theed, "A few years after the Trade Federation occupied the planet, the Queen installed a massive Ion Pulse, it disables all technology except inside the palace."
Sigma grunted, "Even if we break the blockade, land our forces, if we attack the city they'll blast that Ion Pulse the second we get close, they'll hold out in the palace and make us fight street to street. Unless we use explosives?" Sigma said looking at Ahkilleon who had a change of heart.
"Master, I can take care of the Ion Pulse." Ahkilleon volunteered, Sigma scoffed "You'd need an army to get through the defenses."
Ahkilleon looked at the city and smirked, "I don't need an army, just two dozen good men."
"Lt. Breacher." Lord Asimov said and the Lt smiled with his cigar, "I know just the batch."
"When we drop out of hyperspace, we'll engage the main fleet, and land our forces outside the city." Lord Asimov declared.
The alarm started to go off that they were about to drop out of hyperspace, "No time for a war dance, we need to go now." Asimov said, breaking the war council.
Everyone went to their ships, Ahkilleon headed to the Revenant his private ship and the one of a kind militia light corvette outside it stood two dozen Militia Regulars all with laser shields on their backs, holding their E-7's, in many of them armed with short vibro swords, hatchets or clubs. "These them?" Ahkilleon asked Breacher who was beside him.
"Yep, two dozen of the craziest, angriest, Imp scalping bastards I know." Breacher said smoking his cigar, they were all humanoid, some of them had their helmets off, Ahkilleon could see Umbarans, a Quarren, two Zygerrians and even a few twi'leks. "A pleasure, get on." Ahkilleon told the soldiers.
They boarded the Revenant quickly strapping into the extra seats along the cargo hold walls, after everyone boarded Ahkilleon saw both Ventus and Terro standing there, along with their padawans Fatima and Kraggen. "What's all this?" Terro asked, walking up.
"A surprise." Ahkilleon said hands on his hips looking at the two War Jedi, "You want in?" Ahkilleon asked Terro.
Terro walked up to the loading ramp, "Give me a hint?" he asked.
"Overwhelming odds, high probability of death and if we win, glory." Ahkilleon said plainly.
Terro looked back at Ventus and the other cooler headed Jedi sighed, "We'll be back padawans." Both War Jedi boarded the ship and Ahkilleon gave the two padawans nods of appreciation before he boarded. "Good luck." Kraggen called out.
The ships dropped out of hyperspace and the hangar doors opened, Ahkilleon walked into the cockpit, taking the pilot's seat in the center, Lt. Breacher was sitting in the front left seat with Beetoo plugged into the ship's computer with two other battle droid units supporting in the navigator seat and gunner seat. Hawk fighters and thousands of Vulture droids soared into the vacuum of space, the blue and green sphere of Naboo was guarded by three Star Destroyers that were quickly coming together to form a three ship line. The Six dreadnoughts opened fire on them, and dog fighting ensued, the siege of Naboo had begun.
ATOLLON
Chopper Base
Back in the rebel base, Ezra was training with three droid remotes, they were spinning around him moving in an ever tightening circle. Rex was sitting next to Zeb who was watching until one of the lasers zapped Ezra in the back of the leg, "Ow." Ezra snapped the small laser as a light burn that would leave a small hole in his pants and zap his skin but nothing lethal. "You need to focus."
"What we need is… ah forget it." Ezra was about to say something sassy but he just shook off the zap and held his lightsaber up "Ready to go again."
"Hmm Ezra not making a quip, these are dark times." Zeb said over to Rex.
Rex smirked, "Reminds me of the Crucible Test we tried on Ahsoka, and later… Ahkilleon." He said his smile was fading.
"I can do that too." Ezra said loudly as the remotes started to circle him, "Maybe, but first let's see you beat "But this is the same test, Master Tera Sinube designed for Padawans to fight droids." Kanan said to him as he picked up one of the remotes from a crate turning it on, it sparked and spit out smoke.
Ezra frowned "Yeah well these training remotes are practically broken, where did you get these." Ezra said.
"Um I… may have borrowed them from Asimov's temple." Kanan said as he picked up a different remote, "Well, General Skywalker and I devised a real test for Ahsoka, and our clone troopers were way more accurate than droids." Rex said, stroking his white beard.
Kanan ignored him and walked up to Ezra, "You're distracted, worried about Sabine?"
"And Ahkilleon, we destroyed the factory on Lothal, and helped the Militia but this… something feels off." Ezra said to him turning off his lightsaber.
"You mean about Naboo?" Kanan asked.
Ezra nodded, "Sit down." Kanan said softly.
"Naboo has a… dark history with the Jedi."
"Like Malachor?" Kanan shook his head, "Not exactly, before you were born, and before I could even remember the Trade Federation blockaded the planet, trying to force Naboo into an unfavorable treaty."
Ezra leaned in curious and unsure what that had to do with Jedi, "The Supreme Chancellor at that time, sent to two Jedi Knights to negotiate an end to the blockade. Things went south, fast."
"Where have I heard that before." Ezra muttered.
Kanan nodded "I know, the Trade Federation tried to kill the Jedi-" "Who were the Jedi?"
"Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi." Kanan told him.
"Obi-Wan, Ahsoka talked about him, said he was her Master's Master?" Ezra asked him, Kanan nodded "A ranking member on the Jedi Council, he was called the Negotiator when he was in the Clone Wars, I never met him but my Master Bilapa spoke highly of him, she's the one who told me all this."
Ezra gave him a confused look "He was still padawan, during the negotiations or lack of, anyway the Jedi fled to Naboo, through a series of events they had to escape with the elected Queen Padmae Amidalla."
"The Jedi escaped, with the Queen, her handmaidens and her personal guards to Coruscant."
Rex cleared his throat "I think your forgetting about the pod race on Tatooine." Rex said.
"Pod race?" Ezra asked his face lighting up "The Queens ship landed on Tatooine, a desert world owned by the hutt's to make repairs. The rumor is that Master Jinn made a bet on a pod race for the parts they needed, and to liberate a force sensitive child and… a Sith assassin tried to kill him and the Queen." Zeb reached into one of his coolers he was sitting next to and opened a drink, even handing a can to Rex listening to the story.
Ezra looked wide eyed "Fights his way through a droid army, gambles at racing, liberates slaves and fights off Sith Assassin this Master Jinn sounds like a real maverick?"
Kanan snickered, "That's exactly what he was, and it was the first Sith seen in a thousand years."
"So what happened with Naboo?" Ezra asked.
"I'm getting to that, the Senate got stuck in politics, endlessly debating until they voted in a new Chancellor, but the Queen returned, she led a revolt with the help of the Gungan natives against the Trade Federation, they won but at a steep price." Kanan said.
Ezra sensed the darkness in Kanan's voice, "Well, what happened?"
Kanan was silent for a while, "That Sith Assassin was Maul."
"What?" Ezra gasped, Zeb even spit out some of his drink "That's a twist."
"Master Jinn fought bravely, but in the end Maul defeated him and his Padawan defeated Maul, but that wasn't the end of it." Kanan said coldly "The Trade Federation survived, it embolden other systems to challenge the Republic's authority, those were some rough years before all out war broke out."
Ezra started to see the big picture, "So Naboo, that's where it all started, that's where the Sith began their plot?"
"Maybe, we can never know for sure." Kanan said, "The Point is, Naboo is a nexus for a lot of things, maybe it was only a matter of time before the Militia or even us had to go there. There are just some things we can't control, we can only control how we react." Kanan explained
NABOO
Upper Atmosphere
The Militia fleet was advancing fast, the dreadnoughts cutting through the spaces of the Destroyers, unleashing broadside blasts from each side on the Star Destroyers, blasting them to pieces, "All ground forces, begin your assault." Lord Asimov stated from his commander seat aboard the Shatterpoint, the gunships and landing crafts disembarked from the Dreadnoughts. Sabine stood on the bridge, she looked at the Star Destroyers one was already going down and the others were buckling, she could even see some TIE fighter pilots thrown into the vacuum of space from their TIE's cracked open, thousands of men died.
"Breacher, they're playing our song." Ahkilleon said in his pilot seat, "Right." Breacher said as he hit the Revenants engine thrusters to blast the light corvette ahead of the main force.
The Revenant flew down through anti aircraft cannon fire from the surface, the Revenant. dipped, ducked and dove through the thick white clouds before they saw the Space Port, just like in the hologram it had eight intersecting landing strips, their were anti aircraft guns mounted on the Imperial ramparts across the landing pad and TIE fighters zipping past them to either intersect or join the defense up above.
Back aboard the Shatterpoint Lord Asimov watched with Admiral Zygote, as the Revenant broke away from the other landing crafts right toward the space port. "What ship is that?" Zygote asked.
"The Revenant?" Sabine said, seeing the ship's call sign.
"The boy wants to die?" Zygote said, looking back at Lord Asimov who leaned back rubbing his hand softly, smirking under his helmet.
"No, he wants to send a message." Asimov said from his commander's seat.
"With what, he's going to take the spaceport with thirty men?" Zygote asked, flabbergasted.
The Revenant went into a dive bomb toward the landing pad, before pulling up at the last second, "Fire the Composite beam laser!" Ahkilleon snapped, Breacher slammed his hand on a red lever and from the ships four wings four red hot energy beams connected into one at the ships nose and tore a hole in the main hangar "Beetoo take the wheel." Ahkilleon leapt from his seat as Beetoo took over and wheeled around the entire ship sending it's back loading ramp facing forward before the Revenant skidded across the landing pad into the gaping hole the composite beam laser had made.
Inside the hangar hundreds of Naboo dock workers were fleeing back into the safety of the cliffside interior, while stormtroopers ran into surround the damaged ship, the Revenant's four wings were still intact and the landing pad pushed the ship to an upright position as the loading ramp slammed down. "ATTACK!" Ahkilleon shouted leaping out helmet on, lightsabers on, both Ventus and Terro on each side, Breachers strike force behind them in a shield formation.
The Jedi made quick work of any stormtrooper or imperial pilot bold or foolish enough to be nearby, their lightsabers drawing fire away from Breacher's men allowing them to spread out into a defensive line pushing forward.
Built like many Imperial hangars, the walls were metal with large open floors with stairs leading up to metal catwalks for pilots to get into their fighters. Ahkilleon used the force to leap up to the catwalk, his two lightsabers deflecting shots from each angle before he sliced the catwalk's support beams making the fall, taking a dozen stormtroopers with it.
Ventus stayed with the main force deflecting incoming blaster fire while Terro went more aggressive; he hacked and slashed his way through stormtroopers coming out of one of the entrances.
Ahkilleon landed off the catwalk next to him, "Advance." he ordered behind them before Breacher gave the command "Tighten up." the Militia regulars brought their shield wall in by rows of three and moved toward the entrance that the Jedi had given them. The Revenant sealed shut before they entered into the hallway, Ahkilleon and Terro at the front, Ventus flanking the line of Regulars in their laser shield wall, stormtroopers sealed the doors ahead of them. Terro and Ahkilleon drove their lightsabers into the door and sliced open the blast doors in a large square so that the shield wall wouldn't break.
"This way, we take the command center, we can shut off power to the turbo lasers." Ahkilleon told them behind his helmet going through the breach first, the stormtroopers held their ground while Ahkilleon went through the breach first, Terro followed "Just so long as I have something to kill." Terro said, stabbing a stormtrooper in the chest who came at him with the butt end of his blaster.
Fighting their way up to the top level after level, they broke through to the main platform at the base of the cliff, through other doors, there were three of the domed buildings at the top of the platforms, the center one being the largest with Imperial banners on it. The regulars around them formed up around the Jedi just as Gunships and C-9980's the successor to the C-9929 landing crafts descended onto the surface distracting the main anti aircraft cannons, that opened fire on the landing crafts.
"Captain." Lt. Breacher pointed to the command posts to see they had large blast doors that were slamming shut with stormtroopers coming out from behind them to open fire on the Militia. "Lightsabers won't cut through that." Terro said as they took cover.
Ahkilleon looked over to one of the anti aircraft guns, it had two barrels with one gunner sitting in it on a pedestal, shooting at the Militia ships, "Cover me, I got an idea." Ahkilleon made a run for the guns and the Militia attackers did as he ordered opening fire on the imps while he made a break for the gun. When the gunner saw the Jedi running at him lightsabers in hand they swiveled on the gun and tried to blast Ahkilleon to kingdom come. He jumped out of the way using the force to propel him over the gun and into the pilot seat, Ahkilleon used the force to throw the gunner out of his spot and over the spaceport roof. Taking his place, Ahkilleon swiveled back around and opened fire on two of the other anti-aircraft guns, taking one out and then another before he focused fire on the central command towers' doors. The stormtroopers saw their own guns turned against them and ran forces cover before the laser rounds hammered down the blast doors. He raised up the gun to open fire on the windowed lookout of the tower shooting through the glass and taking out the top of the dome.
"So much for shutting off the guns." Breacher said next to Ventus.
Ahkilleon jumped out of the gun and ran back over to the rest of his men, they hadn't lost anyone yet, "Come on." Ahkilleon ordered running for the hole they'd made in the blast doors, running through the smoking metal into the interior of the command center, they ran up a flight of cracked stairs to the command center, the bodies and vaporized remains of the imperials working the tower were everywhere, ignoring the smell and wounded they ran through another corridor to the inner workings of the cliffside, where the Empire had carved out a network of tunnels.
"Which way?" Breacher asked, and just on que they heard an elevator door ping, looking they saw a large turbo lift open and three imperials officers walked out caught off guard by the Militia in the corridor, Breacher opened fire taking out all three looking at Ahkilleon, "After you." he grunted to Ahkilleon, "Beetoo, where are you?" Ahkilleon asked.
"Why are we waiting on the droid?" Terro asked, walking to the elevator, "We need him to control the lift, make sure they don't drop us a hundred feet in the air." Ahkilleon told him under his helmet.
Beetoo sped up to the elevator and plugged in, overriding the controls of the elevator and opening the door, everyone piled into the brim, with the men, Jedi and finally Beetoo. The Turbolift began to rise, "That was the easy part." Ahkilleon said, taking off his helmet as the elevator rose up "Now comes the fun part." Lt. Breacher said, smoking his cigar.
"Beetoo, a map of the city." The elevator continued to rise up to the top "Out intel says the Empire keeps a minimum garrison here, but no doubt they've mobilized so we can't afford to get bogged down, we keep moving, you fall behind you get left behind, understood?" Ahkilleon asked no one to say a word, "Once we're at the top of the city, we make for the main boulevard; it's a straight shot to the palace." Ahkilleon said pointing to where they'd exit at the top of the cliff, then he dragged his finger over the holographic city toward a wide street with two gran arch's and finally the Royal Palace of Theed.
"What's to stop them from activating the Ion Pulse while we're topside?" Ventus asked.
"That much juice in one pulse, it'll take forever to recharge. We'd still have forces above it's range." Ahkilleon said.
Terro snickered behind his mask "Come on Ventus, this is what we live for." The War Jed i said as the elevator was almost at the top. "Remember, we don't stop, we take the Palace, we take the city, we take Naboo." Ahkilleon said putting his helmet on, Breacher and the rest of the men formed ranks behind them, their laser shields ready, "Terro, Ventus, we draw the enemy fire, Breacher your men do-not-STOP!" The doors to the elevator opened to the blinding light of the sun and a barrage of Imperial blaster fire, Ahkilleon ran out first with Terro and Ventus on his flanks the laser turtle of shields behind them. They ran out into an Imperial loading outpost at the edge of the city's cliffs. The colorless metal and blocky Imperial style stuck out amongst the marble baroque architecture of Theed.
As Ahkilleon had said they only saw Stormtroopers in the city but they're were hundreds of them out in front of the turbolift, behind statues, garden walls, and up on balconies with sniper rifles taking shots at the Jedi. Breacher had formed two rings of laser shields one outward facing the street level, others holding their shields up overhead. "I've got two snipers, on the third floor, north west building, and one more on the south east." Breacher said in the center with his sniper rifle the others taking shots as they moved.
The Jedi cut their way through the main force of Imperials blaster fire nipping at their heels, "Lt. this way!" Ahkilleon shouted heading for a narrower street, "Tighten up." Breacher related to his men and they shifted from a turtle into one giant metal snake that followed the jedi down the stone alleyway onto a narrow island. The alleyway led over a bridge that Terro smashed to pieces with the force and they kept running. "Go, go, go." Ahkilleon kept yelling as they ran through the city streets, up above Hawk fighters had started to break through the blockade and Ahkilleon glanced up to see a Star Destroyer falling from the sky in the distance, a giant flaming piece of wreckage that would fall well outside the city. He looked forward to seeing a stormtrooper rifle but slammed into his helmet before Ventus cut him down, "Tano?" Ahkilleon and everyone else felt the ground tremble, the Star Destroyer had hit the earth outside the city shaking the area for miles.
"I'm good- I'm good." Ahkilleon said recovering, they were at a narrow intersection of streets, and Ahkilleon looked round, the stormtroopers who tried to ambush them were quickly killed by Terro and Ventus, Breacher and his men were behind him. "The arch, where's the-" Ahkilleon looked forward to see the Naboo Archway that stood in the mouth of the broad street, it was close they had to get off the second island to the main city.
"Beetoo?" Ahkilleon asked the droid to pop his head up and sprayed out the map. They were on the edge of the second island, the droid programmed a quick route, a left and a right, then over another bridge, before heading directly forward through a side street to the archways. "Got, it move men." Ahkilleon led the vanguard forces at a dead sprint through the city, they came out into the open over a large street that was crowded with more than just imperials their were Theed citizens, native Nabooians in regal garments and robes who screamed at the sight of the Militia and Imperials exchanging fire at one another.
"Don't stop, FORWARD!" Ahkilleon drove his lightsaber into a stormtrooper's face and hacked off another pen's arms, he unleashed a massive force push knocking stormtroopers off the bridge and into the river.
They reached the other side, where the buildings were even more opulent and ancient, stormtroopers and Imperial riot police appeared with their shock batons and their own metal riot shields. They were little defense against lightsabers, and trained Jedi who cut them down. "Come on you dogs, give me a real challenge!" Terro shouted behind his mask. Ahkilleon could feel the turmoil in the force, the lust for battle in Terro, the focus from Ventus, the fear of Breacher and his men behind them, and the city itself.
No.
He had to ignore it, he had to change it, channeling his own battle meditation Ahkilleon didn't stop fighting, he didn't lose focus he channeled his own calm. The years of training, the years of battle that he had been through, this was another mission like any other, no this was his mission, his battle and today they would fight like the legends his mother had raised him on. Anakin Skywalker wasn't here to lead the charge, but Ahkilleon Tano was and that's what he did. Pushing forward, taking every inch of ground with blood, sweat and lightsaber in hand till they reached the first archeway. It had large statues on top ahead of it; the second one had a bronze dome oxidized green from years of being unwashed like the palace domes. Ahkilleon and his men took cover behind the nearest pillar and looked out.
Panting, Ahkilleon could feel his lungs burning his heart was racing, ready to burst from his chestplate, how many men had they lost, how many Imperials were closing in on them, no he couldn't think like that, Ahkilleon had to focus, he had to win "One last push." Ahkilleon said loudly looking forward, he slammed his gauntlet against the carved stone he looked back to Breacher who still had his helmet off, he was sweating, all the men were tired but they stood tall when he gazed at them, "Do you know what's behind those palace gates?" Ahkilleon asked.
"A shit ton of Imperials." Terro gasped.
"That, and our Victory, it's ours, LET'S TAKE IT!" Ahkilleon yelled before he ran out from around the center, "Shield wall!" Breacher shouted and the men formed ranks one row forming a wall the other a ceiling, before they ran out at sprint.
Ventus was on Ahkilleon's left, Terro on his right, Breacher behind with the men, or what was left.
They ran down the main street that was full of screaming panicking civilians who were diving for cover, they were halfway to the second pillar when Ahkilleon saw the palace gates open behind the pillars, a sea of stormtroopers came pouring out, twice, thrice, quadruple their numbers and growing fast. Ahkilleon ran ahead as Terro and Ventus held the advance, Ahkilleon roared flipping both his lightsabers in reverse grip he deflected most of the imperial blaster fire heading his way but not all of it, he felt it bounce off his armor, shots that would stagger him felt like droplets of rain his adrenaline, his battle mediation unleashing into a berserker rage as he reached the battalion of stormtroopers, crashing into them like a one man tsunami his lightsabers hacked, slashed, ripped and tore to the firsts step. The screams of stormtroopers, the cry of orders from officers to shoot Ahkilleon, the smell of blood and flesh vaporizing it was chaos, glorious chaos surrounding Ahkilleon. With his red saber he feed on the fear and terror of the Stormtroopers who had never seen a Jedi, but the stories, the nightmares shared around barracks of what a lightsaber could do to a man became a reality and with his blue lightsaber he deflect their attacks, he used the legends of old of the Jedi leading the charges to save a doomed world like his mother and father hd done, to send courage back to Breacher and the men. Ahkilleon was on the top of the steps before he knew it, a bloody trail of stormtroopers behind him, Terro, Ventus and Breacher coming up the rear, the men how many- NO, Ahkilleon forced himself not to think, he had to keep fighting.
He looked ahead to see the entire garrison of the city was closing in on the main street, walkers and tanks were rolling down the main street, thousands of stormtroopers were flooding it running for them, "Seal the gates." Ahkilleon ordered as the Militia forces piled inside.
Beetoo rolled up to the nearest console, the brave astrodroid had kept pace with them through all the chaos, his blue and yellow paint smeared by blood and ash from the battle. Ahkilleon watched the gates blast doors slam shut behind them. Gasping for air Ahkilleon fought down the urge to lean or rest, "Lt. have half the men go with Beetoo find the Ion Pulse controls and destroy them, Ventus, Terro with them." Ahkilleon said walking past large burgundy marble columns, "Where are we going Captain?" Breacher coughed as he pointed to the men dividing them up in two two squads of a dozen.
Ahkilleon stopped, "We're going for the head, this ends now." Ahkilleon said finding a flight of stairs.
Up above, in the palace throne room, Ahkilleon could hear the thundering footsteps of plastoid stormtrooper boots, he ignited his lightsabers once more and yelled "MILITIA INVICTUS!" and he ran up the steps, on both sides he saw stormtroopers opening fire from above as he deflected their incoming steps up the stairs, remembering to keep his balance he made his way to the first level and then leapt up onto the left side staircase, another one across from him. He used the force to blast apart the marble rocks, shattering it against stormtroopers. Breacher and his men had drawn their melee weapons and followed him, they climbed the levels so fast and through halls so quickly it became a blur. Was it battle meditation or berserker rage until he reached another hallway lined with stain glass windows, of women in flaming dresses of orange and red, stormtroopers Ahkilleon had missed were hacked down or shot by Breacher and his men, till Ahkilleon ran his lightsaber through and saw where they were.
It was a large circular room, the main dome in the palace, the Throne Room… and it was empty, all except for one person. At the back center of the room Ahkilleon saw a marble desk with a large rounded chair, not the Throne of Naboo. It was arched, with soft brown velvet cushioning but no royal sat in it, instead it was an Imperial officer, he wore the grayish green uniform of a high ranking imperial, his badge on his chest of blue, red and yellow showed his rank, an Imperial Moff. His hair was gray and his skin a dark umber brown lined with years of experience. His breath was paced but not frantic, his stern brown eyes watched Ahkilleon who walked to the man's right side near the desk.
Ahkilleon was panting hard under his helmet, "It's over… yield the city." Ahkilleon said.
"I never thought I'd see a Jedi in this palace again." The man said looking forward, his head turned slowly looking at Ahkilleon's armor, stained with blaster fire and blood, "Surrender now…" Ahkilleon said again to the Moff. The man looked up at him, "I was standing right there, the last time Naboo was invaded, right where you are." Breacher and his men came into the palace blasters ready shields on their back, surrounding the Moff, Breacher's comlink came on "Captain- Captain we've disabled the Ion Pulse."
The Moff twitched hearing that, "You can't possible expect to hold Naboo-" Ahkilleon held his hand up and tore the table from the floor sending it flying into a nearby marble pillar snapping the table like it was a piece of clay, The Moff tensed up, his nose flared with his heart racing but he still remained seated in the Throne as Ahkilleon walked in front of him, Ahkilleon took off his helmet and looked the Moff in the eye, eyes were green as laser fire and the Moff started to sweat "Surrender now, or what I do next will be spoken of for a thousand years." , he held his hand over a control pad in the throne room, and Breacher's men readied themselves to shoot him, he pressed a button "All forces, this is Moff Panaka… lay down your arms, and surrender."
Ahkilleon exhaled as Moff Panaka rose, he unclipped his blaster and held it out handle first, an officer's way of surrendering his weapon, Breacher had two of his men come up and Take Panaka by his arms leading him away, Ahkilleon looked up to see the Shatterpoint and the rest of the Vanguard Fleet descending from orbit, Ahkilleon felt his legs turn to jelly and leaned on the throne before he took his seat, "Breacher, how many did we lose?" he asked as Militia gunships descended on the city outside the windows like swarms of metal birds.
Breacher looked around at the men in the throne room, counting till he reached twelve, "Khast, how many you lose?" Breacher asked ,Khast, that must have been the Umbaran soldier.
"Say again?" Breacher asked, Ahkilleon rubbed his forehead exhausted "All twelve, including the Jedi, Captain we didn't lose a bloody man." Breacher dropped his cigar out of his math "Not a one."
"That's impossible." Ahkilleon said aghast, "It's a bloody miracle is what it is." Breacher said.
"Ahkilleon."
Sitting up Ahkilleon looked around "Ahkilleon." it was muffled but al the soldiers in the Throne Room could hear it, even Panaka who was on his knees handcuffed behind his head.
"Who?" Ahkilleon asked looking around "It's coming from outside?" Breacher came up to the throne room window and opened it "Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon!" "It's all over the comms Captain, sir." One of the men said and sure enough outside the palace walls as the Militia descended over Naboo, the gunship doors were open and the men were chanting his name. Inside Commander Sigma's Gunship the men at his side "Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon! Ahkilleon!" The Imperial forces that were still in the city were, who had only recently heard the orders to surrender by Panaka were hearing it too, "AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-AHKILLEON-"
Inside the Throne room, the man who was hearing his name changed leaned back against the Throne, closing his eyes before he heard metal scrap on the marble food, he opened them to see Breacher, was kneeling, "Captain." the rest of the men got down on a knee, then the rest, he was sitting on a throne and the proper respect was to kneel before a king.