Chapter 9

The atmosphere of Fractis Minor was thick with clouds and electric storms, sporadically lighting parts of the sky. Ta'ni winced as turbulence bounced the shuttle from the stillness of space into the mottled gray and purple stratosphere. The pilots cursed as their craft jolted and bucked from the fierce storms within the clouds.

"We're running on sensors only," the pilot informed, "Approach is really choppy."

"No kidding," Zim mocked as Ta'ni thought the same.

"Hang tight, we're almost through," the pilot cooly noted.

As if someone flipped a switch, the clouds disappeared and the ship fell out into the open sky to see a large comms dish with a battle raging at the base of it. No sooner than the ship's descent had calmed, the pilots jerked the controls to avoid incoming fire from the pair of vulture droids that had been strafing the ground forces. The ship rolled as cannon fire harmlessly glanced past, followed soon after by the assaulting craft. The copilot was working frantically to find a spot to set down as the droids quickly course corrected to pursue them. He angled the deflector shields to the rear of the craft as the droids targeted the ship full of passengers. The pilot evaded a hail of fire as they passed over the listening station, close enough Ta'ni could see lightsabers in action from where she sat. An alarm sounded as the rear deflector shield began to falter. Before the pilot could say anything, the craft shuddered under a barrage of blasts. A loud bang sounded as one engine stopped.

"We've lost our port engine. Everyone assume crash positions," the pilot said, fighting to keep their descent controlled.

As the ground came closer and closer, Ta'ni saw her master, calm as could be, and wondered how she could be so reserved amidst the chaos unfolding. Zim grabbed the sides of his seat as the copilot barked his last order.

"Brace for impact!" he shouted.

Water, mud, and foliage erupted in a dark wave, enveloping the ship in the planet's mire as the world tilted and shook violently. The cabin was very dim, the cockpit smashed to nothingness. Ta'ni could hear coughing, moaning, as troopers collected themselves.

"You okay?" Zim said, giving Ta'ni a gentle shake. She shot him a thumbs up.

The cabin suddenly brightened as a ramp unfolded, pouring daylight inside. A trooper headed outside to assess their situation. Surprisingly, Master Ansii followed silently, stopping to help no one. Zim helped Ta'ni from her seat harness and to her feet. Clone troopers were scattered all over, some still in their seats. Some alive, others not so fortunate. Shaker was slumped in his seat as Mover worked to free him from his restraints.

"Is he?" Ta'ni started.

"Just fine," Mover interrupted. "Just a bump to the head. He should be back with us shortly. Just taking a nap," he grimly joked.

"Where are we?" Zim asked.

"As best I can tell, we overshot the landing by about three clicks. Apparently the battle wasn't over, as we'd originally planned. Comms on this planet are tricky at best, so we're on our own getting into the fight.", Mover relayed.

"Well that's just great," Zim finished, trying to sound as war weary and ready as Mover appeared to be.

"You two help him outside while I take a look at our valuables. Hopefully we didn't lose too much," Mover concluded.

By the time Ta'ni and Zim carried Shaker outside, one trooper was administering aid to a half dozen other wounded clones. The clone who had cleared the ship first stood with electrobinoculars scanning the distance. Master Ansii stood close by, her stature frozen in concentration.

"The droids have abandoned us," Ta'ni mentioned to her.

"Surely to report our position," the trooper noted, "we'll need to get moving soon."

"Right, they'll be back soon, no doubt with reinforcements. Though judging by the fight we saw, cutting us off would be enough to help," Mover confirmed, pulling two containers from the ship. "But that means their reinforcements shouldn't be too heavy to stray from the main fight either."

"Then we should push ahead to secure a route to the Jedi," the stoic Jedi master added, "I'll take the padawans with me."

"We'll go as well," Mover volunteered, alongside a half dozen troops who filed alongside him.

"Nonsense, you must tend to your wounded and salvage the payload," she responded, almost in disgust, "without the speeder bikes, you'll only slow us down."

"Master, it's their duty. The ship and wounded are as secure as they can be with just this small detachment, we should take advantage of their capabilities," Zim interjected.

Ta'ni furrowed her brow at the conversation, puzzled at her master's staunch position. She could feel a tension, or distress in the force. Her emotions were hard to control in the midst of the chaos on this desolate rock.

"Very well, we may need someone to draw fire in the case of an ambush," the stubborn master concluded, "Let us embark."

--

Master Stral watched smoke billow from the newly arrived shuttle as the pair of vulture droids wore down its deflector shields, scoring a hit on an engine. The shuttle passed so close to their objective that it almost could have landed if not for the fierce stalemate locking the opposing forces against each other.

"We need some sort of a foothold if we're to secure this outpost, Master Stral," Master Ko's hologram declared.

"Yes, this fight's going nowhere quickly. Our supply ship was just disabled on its approach."

"Where was its descent?" Ko asked.

"Its direction indicated somewhere toward sector FM-6," Stral responded. "Unfortunately, our forces are barely able to hold the ground we've conquered, so we cannot spare anyone to help them."

Master Traab spoke up. "Perhaps I could go alone to intercept them. I could move quickly enough on foot and remain undetected. I'm sure the padawans aboard could use the guidance."

"I can absorb your forces in the meantime, Master Traab. Be swift, be cautious," Ko said. "I sense a disturbance in the Force."

Master Traab faded out of the transmission, while Masters Ko and Stral coordinated with their own forces in an effort to gain the upper hand at some front in the battle. The listening post had been far more heavily guarded than their intelligence indicated.

The main entrance appeared to be the only way in or out of the facility, thanks to its geographic isolation, which also aided it in transmitting anything on this far-flung and near-inhospitable world. As a result of the fight for the main entrance, the rear remained relatively unguarded, overlooking a vast foggy marsh. Traab's forces had discovered a service entrance near a landing platform above an overhang of the plateau that the station rested atop. The rock face was a dangerous climb, but remote enough to avoid detection and passable enough to attempt. They worked out the particulars of raiding the station from within using a small strike force. However, they needed additional Jedi to help with the raid. A task the padawans would revel in the chance of.

As the fight raged outside of the station's walls, the interior would be the least of the droids' concerns. With the AT-TE covering the power generator, repairs would be almost nonexistent until the battle was won. This tipped the scales in the Republic's favor as the droids were occupied with a full-frontal assault and no way to call off-world for reinforcements. The pair of vulture droids were problematic, though with the arrival of the shuttle, they could be distracted for a brief period. This would allow Traab's commandos to effectively flank the CIS forces, ultimately winning the station.

The troops readied their weapons, evaluated their tactics, checked their gear, and formulated emergency backup plans. They fought at the fringes of the battle so as to contain it, but also to be able to slip away unnoticed toward the face of the plateau that would allow them access to the coveted alternate entrance. The success of the battle now rested with Master Traab and the Padawans.

With the new strategy in place, all that the Republic forces could do was hold the line until Traab had their reinforcements. Stral focused on protecting the AT-TE. Ko tried to formulate a plan to hasten a victory at the forefront. A tremor rippled in the Force, the familiar feeling of someone approaching. Stral focused on the sky in the direction of the newcomer, pondering its numerous implications.

"Ansii."

--

"You'd better be right about this, Jedi," Conn said as he broke free of the ferocious storm covering most of Fractis Minor. "This isn't a warship and I'm not a clone trooper."

"Over there," Ansii pointed, the battle raging on in a hail of reds and blues, bolts decimating stone, machinery, and sentients alike.

"My scans indicate a downed shuttle nearby. The signature matches that of a shuttle bound here with supplies and reinforcements, three of which were Jedi," 86 reported.

"How'd you get such high-tech scanners?" Ansii smirked. "Set us down there. The Republic forces need that aid."

"Hold up. I have something else in mind," Conn said as he approached the rear of the CIS outpost.

"Why does this sound expensive?" she asked.

"Trust me," he replied.

"Remember, the Republic is here to secure the base, not to destroy it."

Conn came in low toward the landing platform, hailing the station. A tactical command droid appeared on his display.

"Star-runner craft, state your business. There is a battle in progress," the droid said in its hollow synthesized tone.

"This is the craft Lightning Bolt with stolen prototype commando droids to return to your ranks," Conn replied calmly. "Perhaps you could use assistance in your battle?"

"This is a top-secret facility. However, your claim stands to reason. You may land for inspection."

"Stand by for landing sequence," Conn said as he flipped the comms off. "Stupid droids."

Conn turned the ship over to IG-86, instructing him to escort Ansii to assess the wreckage of the shuttle and await orders. The Dead Bolt leveled near the landing platform, its boarding ramp lowering. As four awaiting destroyer droids and two B2 battle droids drew to fire on Conn, the ship's forward cannons belched a destructive wave of fire, reducing the droids to scrap, simultaneously opening a large rift into the wall of the station. While Conn departed, the Dead Bolt was clear before the surface guns could fire on it. Vulture droids gave chase, but his ship was capable of dealing with them, even without him aboard. He scanned the exterior of the building, then entered the station through its smoldering new door.

Quietly patrolling the innards of the fortress, Conn saw little activity in the way of military operations. He actually saw little activity, like the main power was out. It made sense to him that the Republic forces probably knocked out the generator to the station, but the attitude within the base seemed a bit lax, considering.

As approaching footsteps clanked against the metal flooring of the corridor, he ducked into a small alcove in the side of the hallway. A squad of droids rushed past, toward the landing platform he'd just come from. He stuck to the lower-lit areas to help conceal his hostile presence after his dramatic entrance.

Conn eventually came to a guarded area that was surely the command center for the base. Two B2 battle droids and nearly a dozen B1s stood at their posts by the command droid he'd spoken to earlier. He zoomed his HUD into the room to see half a dozen of the B1s manning the base's remote defense turrets. While planning the best possible way to seize the command center, a hologram appeared in the center of the room. A familiar robed figure materialized.

"I trust the Jedi haven't broken your defenses, Commander?" the figure said, revealing a bearded face.

"Negative, Count Dooku. The Republic forces remain in a stalemate with ours. However, we may have a possible intruder," the droid informed.

"Jedi?" Dooku probed.

"Negative, sir. We believe it to be a bounty hunter."

"Very well. Neutralize the threat and proceed to shut down all units as planned," Dooku finished.

"The Republic will not know what hit them, sir."

The hologram faded as fast as it had appeared. Either this was a much more serious operation than Ansii had first revealed, or something was awry. Before another thought could cross his mind, a hot bolt seared the wall Conn leaned against. Suddenly, the occupants of the command center spun to face him, firing in turn while a huge blast door closed to seal the room off. There went his surprise attack.

Conn fired a grenade at an approaching droideka, knocking it backward through a handful of the droids he'd evaded earlier. From his right wrist, he fired a few well-placed laser blasts into the heads of the remaining B1s attacking him. His left hand went to work with his pistol, covering his haphazard retreat. The droideka had righted itself and began to pursue Conn despite him picking off its entourage of lanky battle droids. Another wrist grenade sent the destroyer skidding down the corridor as Conn fixed the blast amp onto his carbine. He knelt, awkwardly low to the floor, training the rifle on the droid that again stood in attack position. His HUD indicated a lock on the attacker, and the flare of backblast sprayed the wall with sparks as a missile sailed to its target. The droid attempted to intercept, but was not quick enough as the projectile weaved between bolts with the slight twitch of Conn's muzzle. The droid scattered into shrapnel against the confines of the corridor before the Mandalorian slung his weapon and began working to open the blast door with his data spike.

--

The dark and light sides of the Force ebbed against one another in this place, driving Articus Trang's hunger absolutely wild. Though the energy she'd just felt flashed away as quickly as it had come about. It didn't disappear totally. Slowly it built, almost undetectable, but it certainly approached. As risky as this hunt was, she could indeed make good on her quest to find the Jedi's feared Dark Lord of the Sith. This battle was merely a stepping stone. Not unlike the craggy rock formations that took the place of the wet marsh they'd started in, surrounding her and these clones, who insisted on accompanying her and the Padawans. Another presence was approaching her position, this one much more prominent, closer to her. As the group fanned out amongst the rock formations, she followed a lone trooper through a pass within. Without the slightest hint of breaking stride, she reached out through the Force, probing his mind, testing him for his fears. The trooper twitched his head as if his radio sounded, but he continued on. She concentrated a bit more and saw Geonosian soldiers in his memories, along with the obvious battle droids. When they crossed paths with two more soldiers, she probed their minds as well, finding the same things. These three had seen the Battle of Geonosis. She could practically see what they were seeing by now. The next few soldiers they came across appeared as Geonosians. "What are they doing here?!" one trooper called out, "Blast them!" The trio leveled their weapons on the confused troopers and opened fire. Trang grinned at her perfectly sprung trap. She let the clones distance themselves a bit more, scanning for any activity. She reached out to more troops, sowing delusion amongst the scattered forces. In the ensuing confusion of firefights, Trang circled back to the Padawans, who were near paranoid. Trang had sown images of Sith to the clones, who flushed the Padawans to her. "Master, our clones have turned on us! What do we do?" Ta'ni implored. "They've gone berserk, even on each other!" Zim added. "Never to fear, young ones. I'll take care of you both." Trang said, practically salivating. As she tried to infiltrate the young man's mind amidst the backdrop of chaos, the snap-hiss of a new lightsaber pierced her concentration. "What's going on here?" Master Nees Traab quipped, "and who is this?" "Master Ansii-," Ta'ni tried to answer, clearly confused. "This is not Master Ansii, young one. She is just as dangerous, though." He said, staring the imposter down, "Why are you here?"

"Why tell you, when I could show you?" Trang preened, igniting her saber. She slowly circled Traab, opening herself up for his attack. He was not baited easily. Ta'ni turned to face her, saber at low ready. Trang paused for a brief second, noting the headstrong Padawan. As she paused, Zim's blade narrowly missed her nose, stirring rock fragments as it bounced on the ground. Trang kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him flying. Ta'ni joined only to have her attack parried. Traab seized the opportunity, literally jumping into the fight. She fought frantically against the Jedi so as not to harm them, but she was simply outnumbered. She positioned herself against a narrow crevasse and grinned coldly as her eyes narrowed in concentration. Moments later, clones appeared and opened fire on the Jedi. Trang retreated while they were distracted, but to her delight, Traab had chased behind her. Away from the fighting as well as his allies, the two resumed their fierce duel of sparks, sweat, and adrenaline. Traab used the Force to keep Trang off balance, but he couldn't quite get the upper hand no matter what he tried. As the duel grew in intensity, Trang raked her saber across the rocks, spraying Traab in the face. His momentary break in composure cost him his saber, and the hands that held it. Before he could wail in agony, his throat was summoned to her hands as her tendrils uncoiled and pierced his face. The grotesque display of ecstasy and terror, predator and prey, was over in a few moments. Trang briefly reveled in the thrill of the hunt, but collected the slain Jedi's saber and continued to her next victim. Returning to the clones, the Padawans sat on their knees in the center of a group of clones, ready to be executed on command. Trang joined the group, congratulating them on a mission well fought. Every muzzle then tilted toward her, as the Padawans stood, then took up their sabers and ignited them in defensive poses. "You have a lot to answer for, Trang. I'll have them."

"Master Ansii, I was saving you for a special occasion." She slyly said.

"In the name of the Galactic Republic, you're under arrest." Ansii returned, as a stun bolt disabled Trang.