"Dorne?" Cyr'rnin said. Her medical officer was in the galley of the Meteor eating breakfast. "You're here earlier than usual."

"Captain Xaldiba has left for Alderan," Dorne replied. "I must say, ma'am, you've been quite calm about this whole affair. You yourself warned me about him on Taris."

Cyr'rnin shrugged. "It worked out." She grabbed her food and sat down.

"Still, ma'am," Dorne continued. "I can only view my inability to resist your brother's manipulations as a fundamental failure of character."

Cyr'rnin said, "Don't worry about it."

"You're not bothered in the least?" Elara asked. "Honestly, ma'am, you act as if you planned the whole thing."

Cyr'rnin shrugged again.

"You planned this?" Elara said. "You sacrificed me to your brother's lust!"

"I wouldn't say 'sacrificed' exactly," Cyr'rnin replied. "I thought, if anything happened, he might help you relax."

"Ma'am!" Elara said. "Did you really think I needed relaxing that much? You needn't answer that. But, ma'am, your brother did things." She considered her food. "All right, thank you."

As they were finishing their breakfast, Jorgan entered. "Ma'am, you got an urgent call from Mayor Klerren. Someone contacted him claiming to have information on the bombings, but the informant wants you at the call."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Cyr'rnin said.

A short time later, they were in the Mayor's office.

"Lieutenant," Klerren said. "Good to see you. The informant won't contact us until he knows you're here. Tell me, how did things go with your underworld contact."

"Dorne?" Cyr'rnin said.

"Quite well," the sergeant replied. "I believe we have identified how the targets are being selected. We can predict the next likely targets with ninety-three percent accuracy."

"That's great news," the Mayor replied. "We'll be able to get those people to safety, and maybe-"

"Sir?" the Mayor's aide said. "We have the informant on holocall."

"Put him through, Cohn," the Mayor told her.

The emitter sputtered, and a Zabrak appeared. "Ah! Uh, hello there, Mayor Klerren, sir. My name is Vanto Bazren, and I have vital information for you. But first, is Lieutenant Jorgan there?"

"It's 'sergeant', Fuse," Jorgan said. "I got demoted because of you."

"Who's leading Havoc Squad?" Fuse asked.

"That'd be me," Cyr'rnin replied.

"Sergeant Onoka, is that you?"

"Lieutenant," she corrected.

"Right. Sorry."

"What about the bombs?" Mayor Klerren asked.

"Fuse, tell us about the bombs," Cyr'rnin said.

Fuse said, "Look, I, uh... this, this isn't what you think it is. Not, not exactly. I know, uh, you might not believe this, but... I'm really, really glad you're here. If anyone can shut down the Imps and stop the bombings in Anchorhead, it's you."

"I'm not here for Imperials," Cyr'rnin told him.

"You should be," Fuse replied. "Please, I-I don't have much time. If they catch me transmitting, they'll, uh... it won't be good. The Imperials brought me here to design bombs. Desert planet, middle of nowhere, makes sense, right? Then Colonel Gorik, the Imp leader, wants to test the bombs. But he wouldn't use the empty deserts- he wanted a live testing ground. He chose Anchorhead."

"That son-of-a-bitch," the Mayor said. "He's killing innocent people just to test your damned bombs?"

"No!" Fuse said. "The Empire wouldn't be that stupid. They needed the bombs to cover something else. They wanted confusion. And fear."

"Cover what?" Cyr'rnin asked.

"Something in the desert," Fuse said. "Something a lot worse than what I'm making. The bombs cover when it's being tested. The Imps don't care about me or you or Anchorhead. They're after someone named 'Agenord'."

"Who?" Klerren asked.

Cyr'rnin said, "That's classified information. Fuse, tell us everything we need to know to stop these bombs."

Agenord nodded from the holocomm. "It explains why our sonic sensors couldn't locate the device. It's not just Anchorhead. Six settlements in the area have been targeted."

"Fuse gave us the location of the Geonosian manufacturers," Cyr'rnin told him.

"It makes sense," Agenord said. "Geonosians have a reputation for blowing things up. If you can stop the manufacture, you can cut off the serpent's head. Wait until the next test begins, then deactivate the bombs remotely. The Imperials won't have time to shut down the device before we can find it."

"Master Agenord," Cyr'rnin said. "People could be hurt."

Agenord replied, "They'll be more than hurt if we can't stop that device."

"We could use your help," Cyr'rnin said.

Agenord shook his head. "I'll be scanning for the device. You could ask Yvie."

Cyr'rnin didn't reply.

"It was a thought," Agenord said. "I'll tell you when the next test begins. Agenord- Actually, I might know someone else. I'll see what I can do. Agenord out."

Dorne said, "Ma'am, is something wrong with Master Yvisnussiish?"

"You got that pretty fast," Jorgan said.

Elara shrugged. "If I can pronounce 'esophagogastroduodenoscopy', I can certainly pronounce 'Yvisnussiish'. But, I thought she was a Jedi in good standing."

Cyr'rnin sighed. "Don't ask. Just don't."

"As you wish, ma'am."

"Nariel Pridence," the young Jedi said. "I should be seeking Vaverone Zare, but she has fled back to Imperial territory. In the absence of any immediate leads, I am pleased to help you, Lieutenant...?"

"Onoka, ma'am. Cyr'rnin Onoka. It's always an honor to work with a Jedi."

"Another Onoka?" Nariel said.

Cyr'rnin nodded. "Master Agenord is my cousin."

"And Captain Xaldiba?" Nariel asked.

"My older brother."

Nariel's expression offered sympathy. "Very good. How am I to help?"

"We need to enter the Geonosian factory undetected," Cyr'rnin told her. "Once there, we need to take control of the bombs and shut them off remotely during the next test of the superweapon."

"I am certain I can get us in undetected," Nariel said. "Taking control undetected will be more difficult."

Cyr'rnin nodded. "Never expected it to be easy, ma'am. Let's move out."

Nariel held Cyr'rnin back while the others left for the speeder. "Who's the blond?" she asked.

"Sergeant Elara Dorne, Medical Officer," Cyr'rnin replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Is she seeing anyone?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am. She is currently dating Xaldiba."

"Really?" Nariel said. "Okay. Thanks anyway."

Nariel had been right about entering the factory. Mind Trick, weapons set to stun, and some surgical sniper shots got them inside the factory without notice. They reached the roof and climbed in through an access hatch, Forex still on the ground as backup. As they approached the control center, they heard voices. One of them was not Geonosian. Cyr'rnin signaled the group to stop.

"What I'm saying, my dear friends, is that the latest objective was not destroyed," the non-Geonosian said.

"Geonosian construction is flawless," the lead Geonosian said. "Your design was flawed or the bombs were found."

"You assured me they could not discover the delivery method."

"I said 'unlikely', Colonel, unless they found an underworld expert. Hardly likely for Republic soldiers."

"Then find a new method," the Colonel said. "We can give them no chance to pinpoint the device."

"Do not be so proud of your seismic marvel," the Geonosian said. "It is impressive in its potential but hardly worthy of this paranoia."

The Colonel snarled, "It can break apart entire worlds!"

The Geonosian laughed. "That? An oversized mass-oscillator? You would need thousands, scattered across the entire planet, and perfectly synchronized. No weapon so small could destroy an entire world. Geonosians know this. You can cause earthquakes and tear down defenses, but the planet will survive."

"I was told-"

"What you heard was theory not fact," the Geonosian said. "It's not useless, Colonel. It would destroy shield generators and planetary cannons, tear down buildings, kill tens of thousands, or more. It is a tactical weapon, not a final weapon."

"Very well," the Colonel said. "Make sure the next test has no interruptions. Gorik out."

Another Geonosian said, "The failure was not ours."

"He knows," the leader replied. The other Geonosian was about to speak, but the leader held up his hand and sniffed the air. "Intruders! What do you here? Speak!"

Nariel stepped out from hiding. "The innocent shall no longer suffer because of you!"

Cyr'rnin and Jorgan groaned.

"Surrender!" Cyr'rnin said from cover. "Drop your weapons! Now!"

"Elites!" the leader called out. "Swarm! Attack!"

The Geonosians fought well, but, against a Jedi and three trained commandos, they didn't have a chance.

"I repeat," Cyr'rnin said, walking past the dead or unconscious. "Surrender."

"Or what?" the leader replied. "Geonosians honor their contracts."

"Give us control of the bombs," Nariel said, waving her hand.

The Geonosian chuckled. "I was not made leader because my mind was weak."

"Your men are still alive," Cyr'rnin said. "Most of them, anyway. But this warehouse is filled with bombs."

The leader thought. "You are Republic."

"And you've already killed hundreds," Cyr'rnin said.

He sighed. "What would you do with the bombs?"

"The first wave of bombs detonate," Cyr'rnin said. "None of the rest."

"And you find the device," he said. "My people will be arrested?"

Cyr'rnin nodded.

"Very well. The loss of one test will not mean so much." He guided them to the control panel. "What of Colonel Gorik?"

"I know the Jedi searching for that device," Cyr'rnin said. "Colonel Gorik won't be a problem." She activated her holocomm. "Master Agenord."

"Agenord here. Do you have control of the bombs?"

"We do, sir," Cyr'rnin said. "The first wave will detonate in..." She looked at the Geonosian.

"Twenty-six minutes," he said.

"We'll be ready. Agenord out."

"I never imagined it would come to this, you know?" Fuse said from the holoemitter. "Innocent people dead, all because of my designs. I... I was so stupid."

"We're going to put a stop to this," Mayor Klerren replied. "Don't doubt- Lieutenant!"

"Mayor Klerren," Cyr'rnin said. "Fuse was right. The Geonosians were definitely working with the Imps. Republic troops are transporting them to a holding facility now."

"Lieutenant!" Fuse said. "What did you do? Everyone here is panicking. Colonel Gorik is terrified, like he's got a Sith Lord after him."

"Smart man," Cyr'rnin said. "The colonel is right to be scared. Now, where is this operation?"

Fuse shook his head. "I have no idea where we are. The base's location is a total secret. The only people who have the base's coordinates are Gorik's commando teams. You'll, uh, you'll have to hit one of those teams to get the coordinates."

"Tell me you know how to find these teams," Cyr'rnin replied.

"Yes, ma'am, I do."

"That's it, Master Agenord," Cyr'rnin said.

"Understood," he replied. "How long until you have the location of the base?"

"It depends on the resistance, sir," Cyr'rnin replied. "But not more than half an hour."

"Very good," Agenord said. "We don't know the size of this base, but, considering the importance of this weapon, we'll need more than just us. When you have the location, request two additional Republic teams. Then contact Nariel and Yvie-"

Cyr'rnin groaned.

"I know," Agenord said. "But she's been improving since she's been in the field."

"If you say so, sir," Cyr'rnin replied.

"Well done with the Geonosians, by the way," he told her. "You helped save a lot of lives. Agenord out."

Sergeant Jorgan sighted down his rifle. "Two lookouts in desert camo. Three scout droids. Two more Imps farther back in the cave behind cover."

Cyr'rnin thought, standard Imperial Special Forces team was ten to twelve troopers. Forex was as strong as three of them. The Imps still had the advantage, her team had surprise. She attached a scope and a sniping collimator to her rifle.

"Ma'am?" Jorgan asked.

"Did a lot of hunting on Ryloth," she explained.

"Let me guess," he said. "Best in your family?"

Cyr'rnin shook her head. "That'd be my sister Nina. I don't think I ever saw her miss. You take the lookout on the right, I'll take the left. Forex, can you take out all three droids at the same time?"

"I assure you, Lieutenant, my targeting systems are-"

"Yes or no, Forex?" Cyr'rnin said.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"After the droids are down, fire gas grenades into the cave. We'll smoke out who we can. Jorgan, Dorne, get your thermal goggles ready." She took aim on her target. "And remember, we need at least one of them still alive. On one. Three, two, one."

They had surprise and Forex, but still faced a significant fight. The two near the cave entrance fell to a missile. The remaining Imps were entrenched and gave as good as they got. Eventually, Cyr'rnin was knife to knife with the enemy commander.

"How did you find out our mission?" he asked as they circled each other.

"I need the location of your base," Cyr'rnin replied. "Surrender, and I'll see your people get medical care."

"Big tits can give them more than that," he said. Cyr'rnin didn't flinch. "So, where'd you get that knife?"

"My sister made it."

"I'll thank her," he said and attacked what he thought was an opening. Most men assumed a more feminine strength from Cyr'rnin. He was shocked to admiration when she overpowered him and died with respect in his eyes.

Jorgan pushed an Imperial at Cyr'rnin and said, "The rest are dead or unconscious."

"Something wrong with your arm?" she asked. The sergeant's left arm dangled at his side.

Dorne said, "Broken in two places, ma'am, but it should be easy to set."

"Where's your base?" Cyr'rnin asked the Imperial. "And what is Gorik building?"

"Gorik's not building anything," the Imp said. "It's his job to confuse the seismic sensors. That's all. They've got a Sith Lord running the real project."

"Where is your base?" she asked again.

"My team gets medical attention?" Cyr'rnin nodded. "Fair enough. You'll need to move fast. The colonel wants off Tatooine. He said a sand demon was after him."

Cyr'rnin held in a laugh. "That's a good way to say it."

"Master Agenord," Cyr'rnin said. "We have the location. Yvie, Nariel, and the Republic troops are enroute."

"Well done," Agenord replied. He checked the coordinates. "I'm close to that location now. I'll meet you there."

"Understood," Cyr'rnin said. "Our informant said a Sith Lord was running the base."

"I knew that already," Agenord said. "I'll deal with him. Agenord out."

"You can sit this one out, sergeant," she said to Jorgan.

He shook his head. "I can still fire a pistol, ma'am, and there's no damn way I'm missing a fight like this."

"Dorne?" Cyr'rnin said.

"If he's careful, ma'am."

"Good enough. Havoc Squad, move out."