Ossus
Mayday searched the barren plains for the best route to the building their Intel indicated, without tiring the men too much; tired men don't fight well, even though they were fit and well fed at the moment.
A lightning storm raged across the plain in front of him; this was going to be a difficult journey whichever way they took but Mayday had done worse. It reminded him of his ARC training but not all his men were ARC's even though he had included some upskilling for them.
"Ready sir!" The message came through his headset, linked to Baylan, who lifted his hand and they started going forward, pushing through the tricky terrain.
Making good time, despite the stormy conditions, they were now within striking distance of the building and encountered no opposition. Mayday felt uneasy; he had expected some resistance or evidence of the Seppies.
Beyond the building, the terrain was dense, thickening up into a forest region covering hills in the background. The building was hidden from that side. Air surveillance had shown it appeared to be built into the mountain and the ruins were little more than walls but the images were grainy.
Mayday pulled down his viewfinder. The building looked new, resembling many of the warehouse's he had seen on Coruscant.
"Splicer! Can you scan it to get us an idea of its layout and inhabitants. That's missing from the Intel. I want as much intel as I can get."
Baylan turned to Mayday smiling, "Good intel keeps you alive, Commander."
Mayday smiled back beneath his helmet, "Always found that myself sir."
"I'm in, sir."
Mayday waited while Splicer completed his checks.
"This is odd, sir. There's not much there. In fact my scan shows it's almost empty, except for some machinery. Possibly droids."
"Droids?"
"Yes but none are moving that I can see. In fact, it looks abandoned."
"Thanks, Splicer."
Baylan frowned, he had been linked in to the conversation, "The Intel we had indicated that the CIS or someone working for them were excavating, looking to get into the abandoned Jedi library from another point."
"General!"
"Yes Tank!"
"Visitors! A few clicks away to the south."
The Jedi and clones melted away, into the undergrowth and settled in, observing from all sides.
.
A whole rotation showed a few people entering or leaving the building. They had identified one Kourivar and several humans, mercenaries by their dress.
"I don't think we're going to get much more just by observing, sir. We need to check it out sir. Seems a pity to come all this way and not even look inside."
"My thoughts exactly Mayday."
"Squad! Form up."
The men moved into position; Mayday directed them with hand signals. Baylan watched closely and took point, Mayday close behind, the rest fanning out behind them.
"It's a good day for fighting, General." Tank commented.
"I'll take your word for that." Baylan said.
It looked straightforward but looks were deceptive. Mayday's adrenaline wouldn't cease pumping until they had sorted this. He felt the familiar tingling in his stomach, as it coursed through him, preparing him.
He was just about to signal Hexx to effect an entry, when Baylan stopped him. Indicating he was to go in first.
Mayday tamped down his arguments and Baylan walked up to the door as the men stood ready to cover him.
.
Theed
The troopers pushed Hela from the speeder and bundled her to the Apartmenr door, their armoured bulk covering her.
Nola greeted them with a carbine slug thrower in their faces, the troopers reacted but didn't fire. After a few seconds, she pulled Hela into the hallway and they followed closely, locking the door behind them.
"I saw what happened on the Holofeed." She explained.
When they rushed her away from the celebrations, together with other dignitaries, everything became a blur, as the Jedi set off after the Bounty Hunters and the Chancellor.
They stood in the hall, Hela catching her breath; Knox tilted his head, as if listening. She pulled her traditional headdress off, as she waited for him to say something, anything to let her know what was happening.
"The Chancellor is safe." announced Knox, "the Bounty hunters have all been arrested except one."
He listened again and she thought he made a comment by the way his body moved.
"Do you know how to fire that, ma'am?" asked Ammo concerned, at the slug thrower still in her hand.
Nola let out an undignified snort, belying her looks, as she put the weapon on safety and lowered it.
"I learned how to fire a weapon before you were even a twinkle in those damn cloners eyes." She declared, "So what's the plan now?"
Knox tilted his head again, receiving further orders, "We have to return to Coruscant."
"Now?"
"Tomorrow!"
"Good! That means I can get you some more real food, other than those ration bars I know you eat all the time."
She glanced at Hela, who stood frowning at the floor, "Hela love, get changed then come and see me in the kitchen. We need to talk."
Hela walked slowly up to her room, knowing what Nola wanted to talk about. She had been dropping hints since they arrived. Hela stretched her back out, the dress was heavy and hot. When she reached her room, she undid it, let it drop heavily to the floor, then stepped out of it. Immediately she picked it up and hung it ready for packing; as much as Zur commented on how helpless she was, she wasn't and was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and her things.
She stepped into the shower and despite its warmth, started shaking. She turned the heat of the water higher but it didn't help. Washing quickly she shakily dried herself, dressed, and sat on the large bed, taking deep breaths, only then did the shaking gradually stop. Finally calm, she opened the door and walked towards the kitchen.
The clones' animated voices greeted her and Nola's, as she was instructing them on the use of seasoning. Hela couldn't help but smile to herself, she had heard the lesson herself as a child many years ago.
"Hela!" Ammo turned to face her as she entered, "Are you making that dessert we had last night."
"If you want it?"
Ammo and Knox exchanged a glance, "Oh yes!"
.
Nola leaned over and put the cup of tea on the small table next to Hela. The troopers were checking the perimeter of the building yet again — orders they said.
"They're very— focused, your troopers."
Hela sipped the tea, "They're not my troopers and is this last season's honey?"
"Yes. It is."
"Hmm. A good season." She took another sip.
"It was. You seem different to when you last visited?"
"That was years ago."
"Four, nearly five." She sipped her own tea, "What's his name?"
Hela ignored the jibe, if it was one, she was never sure, "Does it have to be a he?"
Nola shrugged, "I know you, and the Holonet reaches here too, you know, albeit patchy at The Cabin."
Hela sipped again.
The older woman continued, "I appreciate that coming here and staying with me brings back bad memories. And I am sorry that I couldn't get you out of that camp fast enough."
Before Shreeve Palpatine got his claws into you.
"Before the Chancellor, you mean. I know you don't like him."
"Just be careful. He was always ambitious and things happened to people near him."
Hela frowned, Nola had always made her feelings known about Sheeve Palpatine, even before he became the Chancellor.
"I don't blame you for that. I can't blame you for that." Hela continued.
"You did."
"That was then. I was young and hurting."
"I know. It is the biggest regret of my life." Nola looked at her hands, twisting them.
Hela put her hands over them to still them, "I won't anymore. I don't think I've said this before but thank you for looking after all this for me."
"It was in your parents' Wills, if you were under age when they died— that said you could still have removed me and sold them."
"No I couldn't." Hela stared into her tea, remembering how the Chancellor pushed her to sell everything and yet— she still couldn't.
"You hardly contacted me, a message here and there. The last visit was when you sold the main house." Nola pushed on.
"That was difficult—"
"And Naboo still brings back bad memories?" Nola asked.
"Not so much now."
Nola narrowed her eyes studying the young woman sitting in front of her.
"Good. Because it's your home."
Hela's com pinged; she picked it up, frowning as she saw the ID.
"No! This can't be right. Kriffing sleemo!" She exclaimed.
"Language!"
"Someone's using Ben's ID code."
"Answer it, find out who. Then you can swear at them."
Hela activated it and gasped as she saw a fresh faced Obi Wan Kenobi, emerge from the holo emitter. "Ben?"
"Hello my friend."
"You're alive?"
"I am." He smiled and shrugged.
"How?"
"I must apologise to you for my subterfuge. It was a ruse to find the Chancellor's potential kidnappers."
"A mission to foil the kidnapping attempt?"
"Yes and I couldn't tell you or some other people who deserved to know. It had to appear real."
"If you were standing here now, I'd hit you." She said peevishly.
He shrugged and smiled, "I will admit to being a coward and that's why I'm calling you."
"You are."
"You look well."
"You're changing the subject."
"No. I'm saying you look well and you are on Naboo. You should stay a little while."
The thought had crossed her mind but she hadn't yet put it to Nola. The show was taking a break and she could stay here, unwind and refresh. It was tempting and she needed to build bridges with Nola.
"I may do that."
"You should. But now I have to go. Duty calls."
"Be careful!"
"Aren't I always?"
She snorted.
He smiled.
"You look better without the beard." She added.
Obi Wan rubbed his chin, smiling.
"Take care Hela."
The holo image dropped.
Nola handed her another tea.
"Your old one went cold."
Hela nodded.
"It's not the Jedi, is it?"
"No!" Hela scoffed.
Nola sat, "So there is someone?"
"Yes."
"The Falleen? Or that Krennic?"
"No! Are you spying on me."
"Just kept abreast of your life. Who then? Not that singer. That was just an act."
"I'm that bad?"
"No it was good but I know you. So who is it?"
"Nobody you know."
"That bad eh?"
Hela felt ashamed, at her reticence at telling her, "No just— difficult."
"Why?"
"Have you put something in this tea?"
Nola rolled her eyes.
"His name's Mayday and he's a Commander in the GAR."
"A clone, like those troopers?"
'Is that a problem?" She asked, relieved that she didn't have to think about what Ben had done.
"It depends how he treats you. These troopers seem okay but they're cloned from a Mandalorian and I've had dealings with those in the past."
"He's like any other man, Nola."
The older woman snorted, "That remains to be seen. Brought up to be a soldier with no access to the wider Galaxy in their formative years—."
Hela slammed the cup down "Perhaps you shouldn't make judgements on what you've heard and just two men." She rose to leave, "Perhaps this is a mistake. I'm going for a walk."
Nola winced as she heard the old fashioned outer door slam.
"She's not changed that much then." She said to the empty kitchen.
.
Ossus
Baylan hesitated at the entrance, then backed away indicating the clones should do the same.
"Sir?" asked Mayday.
"There's more in there, more than we've seen entering. Not droids."
"Splicer?"
"Nothing sir. Just checked again. No heat signatures, nothing." He checked his datapad again, tapping it. "Kriff it!— sorry sir. It's still not showing anything but that's the thing. It's not showing anything, it's like— it's like an empty box. It doesn't make sense unless they have a short range jammer.
"Okay we assume the worst. Tinnies and more organics." Ordered Mayday.
Tank pulled his Z-6 rotary blaster cannon from his back, prepared, as they waited for the General to effect an entry, the Jedi way.
"On my orders!" Barked Baylan. His lightsaber hummed into life, the pale blue light highlighting the doors. Then he pushed it directly into the lock, sparks flying as it burnt through it to the other side. Once the lock had melted he force pushed the doors open.
"That never gets old." Muttered Decs over their channel. Baylan smiled at the comment.
Inside they could see numerous workers and guards, which appeared to be mercenaries, mainly humans and humanoids, armed with blaster rifles and vibroblades. They all looked up in surprise, thinking their jamming would keep them safe.
There was a Koorivar among the group plus five Trade Federation battle droids, who turned to look at the intruders.
The building looked larger on the inside, definitely built into the mountain. It certainly looked like it was some type of storage facility, with huge shelves reaching the ceiling.
Mayday joined Baylan, "You're good for at least six of them, aren't you, sir?"
"I think I can manage that, Commander."
"That'll leave some for us then sir." Confirmed Tank.
In the building, the hum of a generator made its presence felt. It would be difficult to communicate without relying on comlinks.
The clones poured in after Baylan and the mercenaries attacked
Using the Force, Baylan let it guide him to the greatest threat, his lightsaber sweeping through the air, deflecting blaster fire and severing limbs, both organic and droid. Time seemed to slow down, each moment expanded, allowing him to perceive the trajectory of each individual energy bolt and each flick of a vibroblade.
It was how he fought.
He felled his opponents with clean slashes, no hesitation between organics and droids. A mercenary whimpered, as he keeled over backwards, a hole in his chest, blood spots leaking from vessels that hadn't been cauterised by the light sabre; another, Baylan decapitated.
He sensed Mayday and the clones around him, all completing a dance in death and meeting with success.
A shivering blade of a mercenary's knife missed him by an inch. In response he spun on his heel, sweeping his attacker's feet out from under him, and removing the human's left foot. The man howled, his eyes going wide, and he lashed out, knocking the lightsaber from Baylan's grip and sending it skittering across the floor.
Mayday at the same time, was fighting a battle droid and two mercenaries. The droid was been taken out, and the sparking shell collapsed on top of him, pinning his right hand and blaster; two mercenaries converged on him to finish him off.
Mayday was kicking, to keep one of his would-be killers at bay and dodged a blaster bolt that ricocheted from the floor.
Tank rushed in to take on the kicked mercenary, rotary blaster discarded and going vibroblade to vibroblade with him, but Mayday looked to be out of luck with his second assailant, who had a Vibroblade clasped in two hands, and leapt at him.
Baylan moved in a blur, reaching for the still-spinning lightsaber hilt, which he toed into Mayday's left hand. Just as he did that, the mercenary was leaning over Mayday to deliver the fatal blow, vibroblade inches from his neck; Mayday clasped the hilt and hit the lightsaber's activation stud. A column of blue energy surged up and through the Separatist's chest, impaling him.
He fell to one side.
Suddenly, it was over; they were all standing in silence, chests heaving from the exertion, the smell of blaster fire and ozone from melted droids thick in the air.
Now they could see exactly where they were and it wasn't a Jedi temple but just as Mayday had thought, a warehouse facility.
"Not exactly what I was expecting." Commented Baylan as he surveyed the crates, stored in neat regular rows.
Tank pulled one out, "Shall we have a look?" He prised one open and peered in, "Oh! That was a let down."
It was empty.
They checked numerous crates but all were empty.
"Splicer. Can you scan anything inside?"
"No still being jammed."
Baylan stood, frowning, "This doesn't make sense."
"Unless—"
"Unless what Mayday?" Baylan asked.
"Unless the Intel is incorrect and this is some kind of decoy—."
"And we've been sent on some kind of wild Nuna chase." Baylan finished for him.
"It's beginning to feel a little like that."
"Check the outside walls and the floors. Are they hollow or solid? This is built into a hill. And all those beings weren't here by accident."
"You heard the General! Spread out! Check everywhere."
The clones rushed to obey except Splicer who was carefully putting what he had identified as the jammer in his pack. He quickly followed Decs, until he saw something on the floor. It looked like a trail of dirt leading to a blank wall.
"Commander! I may have something."
"We're on our way."
"Sidewall sir. Midway."
He tapped on the wall, listening carefully.
"That sounds hollow." Decs muttered, using the amplification on his helmet to determine that, as he joined him.
"Check how far it goes." Splicer instructed him and they worked along the wall, in opposite directions, tapping the sections.
"Stops here!" Observed Decs.
"And here." Splicer stood some feet from him. He scanned the wall.
"Anything?"Decs asked.
"No heat signatures. Nothing but that doesn't really mean anything here."
"What have you got lads?" Mayday approached them, standing behind.
"It's hollow between these points with no heat signatures. But I can't get anything else."
"Sir! I think we have something!"
"I'm on my way." Baylan replied, sounding a little distracted.
A little later, he was standing between them, his hand flat on the wall, and his eyes closed as if listening.
"Did you find anything else, sir?" Mayday asked, he had taken longer than expected to reach them.
"No! And I can't sense any beings here. It feels very empty. No obvious openings?"
"No sir." They had all checked the wall and the floor.
"Let me just…." He placed both his hands on the wall and closed his eyes. Moving his hands slowly gently across the surface.
The clones exchanged glances. This was some kind of Force thong again.
"Ah!" Exclaimed Baylan and pressed.
Mayday watched as the wall seemed to fold in on itself revealing an opening.
"Shall we?" Asked Baylan.
"Be my guest!"
Baylan appreciated the seemingly flippant and humorous side of the clones' personalities as their way of dealing with their way of life. He lit his lightsaber and the clones used the lights on their helmets, to light their way.
Decs touched the side of the walls as they walked, "It appears to have been machined through. It's smoothish but you can just see the grooves, where they've drilled."
"But to where?" Asked Splicer.
"The old Temple." Baylan answered.
They walked in silence along the manufactured tunnel.
.