Chapter 4
Year 13 Month 7 Day 01
Amas, the leader of a bandit group, has taken over an abandoned fort, helped by the Black Fang. They built up the fort and created a droid factory, creating an army. The Coalition reformed to take on the bandit group, but they still stand.
"My brothers and sisters in arms, hear me now! Weeks have passed since the enemy first entered into our fortress, and still, we stand strong! Against overwhelming odds, against insurmountable challenges, we have held fast, refusing to yield even an inch of ground to those who seek to claim what is rightfully ours! But let us not rest on our laurels, for the enemy gathers in ever greater numbers, their ranks swelling with each passing day. They come seeking to crush our defiance, to trample our freedom beneath their boots. But I say to you now, they will find no easy victory here! For we are not just warriors, but the very embodiment of resilience and determination! We have faced adversity before, and we have emerged victorious. And so it shall be again! As long as there is breath in our bodies and fire in our hearts, we will fight on, undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead! So I say to you, my comrades, my brothers and sisters in arms: stand tall, stand firm, and stand united! Let our enemies tremble at the sight of our resolve, let them quake in fear at the sound of our battle cry! For today, we do not just defend this fortress, we defend our very way of life! Together, we shall emerge victorious, for nothing can defeat the unbreakable bond that binds us together!"
Amas gathered his people together again. They stood strong against the coalition forces. They had beaten back the enemy once before. They were ready to do it again. They still had yet to see the new designs of the droids. Amas turned around and saw the enemy gathering.
"Jedi and Sith seek to keep us down! We have all suffered under them! This is our stand against the lightsaber! Against the Sith and the Jedi alike! We will win!" Amas added. He turned back to the enemy.
"They fear what we are. They fear what we will become."
The Sith watched the crowd. The bandits were doing exactly what he needed them to. Soon, the enemy will see the upgraded droids the factory was creating. It was in lower number than the base droid units. The coalition forces gathered and even brought droids with them. Maybe they were hoping to have droids fighting droids. An interesting fight, but probably not happening.
Vuren arrived with her padawan to the front. He was an older padawan and a strong padawan. She was training him to use two lightsabers. Kael became Vuren's padawan at the end of the war. He's almost ready to become a knight. Kael had striking blue eyes and sandy blond hair, which he kept cropped short for practicality during combat. He wore traditional Jedi robes, adorned with his emblem. His lightsabers were crafted with care, each hilt customized to fit his grip perfectly. He stood taller than Vuren.
"Let's see what the situation is." Vuren said as they moved closer to the HQ.
"Why do you always make blind jokes?" Kael asked.
"After all these years it still bothers you." Vuren said.
"Does nothing faze you?" Kael asked.
"Escargot freaks me out." Vuren said. They entered the tent. Roni turned around and greeted Vuren and Kael. Kael bowed to Roni.
"The situation hasn't changed much. Unfortunately, Karel is unable to come." Roni said.
"I know. Has anyone been able to sneak into the fort since?" Vuren asked.
"Jedi knight Kor snuck in, but he was found and killed." Roni said.
"Why did he go alone?" Vuren asked.
"He did it without authorization. Amas has his lightsaber. He did cause some damage. Right before he died he activated all his explosives. That's how we figured out someone left. The empire sent in some HK droids to do some damage. We still don't know if they're active, but we do know they took out some of the defenses on the inside." Roni reported.
"I can't believe I would miss the clones right now. Get a few commandos and I bet they could take down this fort." Vuren said.
"Yes, I wish we had them too." Roni said.
Amas walked into the droid factory. They captured three of the new HK units, and they were figuring out how they worked. Once they did, they would start creating their own batch. The Jedi's lightsaber hung on his hip. The Sith dropped down.
"You wear the weapon of the Jedi." The Sith said.
"I know assassin. What better weapon to use against them than their own? They tie so much of their power to this legendary blade. Have I not the duty to bring them down with the same?" He asked.
"You do have the right. I admire the choice Amas. Soon, you will have your own kingdom." The Sith said. Amas turned back to the droid factory.
"Power," Amas muses, his tone introspective yet resolute. "It is a concept both revered and feared, coveted by many but understood by few. Some see it as a tool to be wielded, a means to control and dominate others. Others see it as a burden, a weight that crushes those who dare to grasp it."
He pauses, casting a sidelong glance at the Sith standing beside him, their presence a silent testament to the complexities of power and its implications.
"But true power,' Amas continues, his voice gaining a steely edge, "is not found in the ability to exert control over others. It is found within oneself, in the strength of one's convictions, in the resilience of one's spirit."
As he spoke, he gestured towards the assembly line where droids were being created, their sleek forms taking shape amidst the whirring machinery.
"These machines," Amas said, his voice tinged with a hint of awe, "are a testament to the power of ingenuity. They are more than mere tools of war; they are a symbol of our defiance, our determination to stand against those who would seek to oppress us."
"But power," Amas continued, his voice growing softer, "is not without its price. It comes with responsibilities, with sacrifices that must be made in its pursuit. It demands unwavering commitment, unwavering resolve, even in the face of insurmountable odds. And so, we must wield our power wisely. For only then can we hope to shape our own destiny, to forge a future where freedom reigns supreme, and where the will of the people cannot be broken." Amas concluded with Conviction.
"I see. You are wiser than any give you credit for." The Sith said.
"Including you I suspect." Amas said.
"A warrior, a philosopher, and a king." The Sith said.
"Soon Hell will rain down on the enemy." Amas said.
"What are these readings?" The Red Fang commander said as he looked at strange readings.
"Droids are rising from the sand again!" An officer shouted.
Out in the field between the coalition and the fort, thousands of droids raised from the sand, once more.
"How is that possible?" The commander asked. They all marched forward. The Coalition sent their own droids to meet them. As soon as the first shots were fired, some of the bandit droids started to explode.
"They have bombs!" One of the officers shouted. Vuren left the tent, along with others. The droids were marching to the sections where the shield generators were.
"Lightsabers may not be the best for this force." Vuren said.
Ships launched and started firing at the droids. The heavy turrets started firing at the ships. The droids kept getting hit and exploded.
Zia ordered her troops to take the defensive positions. The coalition droids held off the droids, but soon, some passed. Some started to enter the shield, and the coalition troops started firing down at them. Some exploded. It was about one in five that exploded. Kael turned on his lightsabers. An Azure blade and an Emerald blade hummed. He started blocking the shots coming towards them. The droids still had to climb up a hill.
Commander Pixi watched the battle continue. She was reminded too much of Pare.
"Commander, something's coming from the Canyon." One of her officers called out. Pixi looked over at the canyon and saw hundreds of droids climbing out. These were different. They were more heavily armored and armed. They moved toward the base camp. She sent the notice out to the coalition ships.
"Confirmed Commander Pixi," One of the Mistral imperial officers said.
"Understood." The Pare imperial officer said. "This reminds me of the Clone Wars."
"What was that?" Pixi asked.
"Nothing. Just thinking aloud." He said.
Roni saw the new droids coming. She took a Legion over to stop them. She looked at them as they came closer. She shook her head.
"What is it?" Jennie asked.
"They remind me of old enemies." Roni said.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
"Yes. We need to keep this area clear. They will be tougher." Roni said.
Inquisitor Rene led her troops to defend the base camp. She twirled her lightsaber, sending back every shot that got close. The stormtroopers were taking down the droids with efficiency. Some of them remembered the Clone Wars. Anger was still deep at the droids. They tossed droid poppers, destroying multiple droids with each. Even the ones with bombs didn't explode. The droids were using the fallen droids to move up. They were getting closer. A shot hit the stormtrooper next to Rene. He was dead instantly. She raised her hand and sent out a force blast.
"Keep them as far away as we can!" Rene shouted.
Mai activated her semblance. The sand the droids were standing on dropped. The droids were trapped with only their heads showing. The pit was slowly being filled with the sane around them, and the sand they were standing on. She used her semblance to fill the hole with sand and crushed all the droids. Psammokinesis was her semblance. A key reason she was assigned to Vacuo.
The new droids got to the edge of the shield with minimal losses from the ships above. They crossed into the shield to a storm of blaster fire. They were able to take a few hits before they were killed. One of them brought its wrist up and started firing at them. Roni blocked the shots. Another raised its arm and launched a wrist rocket. Roni used the force to catch it and send it back to the droid that fired it. They were slowly getting closer to the barriers. More troops were killed as they got closer. One reached the barrier for Roni to slice it in half. Rouge and Lyra arrived with more troops to help Roni.
"Watch out for the wrist rockets." Roni said. Another wrist rocket was fired. Rouge caught it and sent it to a droid.
"Why are they shooting from their wrists?" Rouge asked.
"So they can use heavier weapons with less recoil." Roni said. Lyra used the force to send a few of them sliding down the hill. She blocked a shot at her. The droids were almost overwhelming them.
The same was true on every front at base camp. Some droids got past the barriers and marched toward the shield generator. Emperor Sym saw the droids coming close. He raised his hand, crushing all the droids he saw. He was reminded of Pare. His elite troops created a defensive line at the shield generator. Droids started to explode. Some of them stopped moving when they got close to troops and exploded, killing troops, and damaging the front lines. The battle was getting hectic.
Vuren tossed her second lightsaber, slicing through multiple droids. Some exploded, but the lightsaber was safe. She caught the lightsaber and continued to block the attacks coming at her. She was forced to back up. Vuren activated four droid poppers and tossed them. They sat in the sand for a second. The droids fell backwards. Kael continued to block more shots at him. He sent out a force push, sending droids flying. Some of them began to explode. Zia flew into the air and started firing at more of the droids. She landed a wrist rocket and took out more droids.
Troops went to the edge and were about to fire when they were all killed. The droids walked over them. They continued forward toward the shield generator. More exploded as they moved closer to the generator.
Amas watched the battle. The droids were working. They broke the front line of the enemy. But they were running low on droids. The new droids had pushed the enemy further back. They would need to send more troops over there. Many of the droids fell below the sand.
"Why are we letting the droids have all the fun? Why don't we go and attack?" One of his captains asked.
"Not yet.
"Why?" He asked.
"Patience, my friend, there is a time for action, and there is a time for patience. We must wait for the right moment to strike, to ensure our victory is swift and decisive." Amas said softly.
"What's the goal of this attack?" The captain asked.
"Our enemy needs to lose more troops. They are irreplaceable." Amas said.
"I see." The captain looked out at the battle. "We're pushing them back."
"Yes. But they will defeat this wave of droids." Amas said.
"Then why continue the attack?"
"There is still a chance to take out the shield generator. Without that, they will be wiped out." Amas said.
Roni cut down another droid, breathing heavily. This siege was too much. She used the force to toss a group of droids in the air. Sweat dripped down her face. She continued to move back. More troops were killed as they were forced back. She blocked another attack.
Emperor Sym stepped forward, destroying more droids. They were slowing down. The attack was almost over. Droids were coming in fewer and fewer numbers. He slashed another droid in half. None of his elite guards had been killed.
Zia landed, shooting four more droids. That was the last of them for this section. She ordered reinforcements to help Roni. The droid attack failed. The shield was still up. She sat down as she heard the sounds of battle ending.
Roni got the reinforcements and with them, including two Sith warriors, they were able to push back the new droids. More droids were destroyed as they were slowly destroyed. Roni took in a few deep breaths.
The battle ended. The entire front lines of the base camp were overrun. They were wounded. Ironwood had left to gather more forces. The coalition forces were recovering.
Amas went to his head engineer, a former stormtrooper. He had brought with him all the blueprints of the Droids from his galaxy. The new models worked wonders, but they were more difficult to make. Amas went to the engineer and found him looking over his work. The engineer turned to see Amas. He lifted his goggles, revealing his near-human features.
"Landus, you have done us proud. Your ingenuity, your dedication, has brought us one step closer to victory." Amas clapped Landus' shoulder. The look in his eyes was amazing.
"It was nothing, Chief, I simply did what needed to be done to ensure our survival." Landus said.
"Do not downplay your achievements, my friend. Without your expertise, without your tireless efforts, we would not have stood a chance against the enemy. You have proven yourself to be an invaluable asset to our cause." Amas said.
"Thank you, Chief." Landus said.
Sym stood in the HQ tent. The leaders were still alive.
"Where is Ironwood? He promised us troops!" Soule slammed his finger on the table.
"He's almost back." Mai said.
"You've been saying that for too long." Soule said.
"The droids pushed us back. But we destroyed thousands of them. Soon, Ironwood will arrive and then we can attack them." Roni said. Her comm rang.
"I'm sorry for making you wait. I've arrived." Ironwood said. Sym left the tent with Roni and saw twenty ships in the sky. The bottoms of all the ships opened back up, and thousands of droids jumped from the ground. The field was filled with droids.
"Don't forget about me." Winter said. She was leading another ten ships.
"I see why it took you so long." Roni said.
Soule looked at the sky filled with Atlas ships. More droids rained from the sky.
Amas watched the droids landing. He turned to his men.
"The enemy is here." Amas said. "Don't lose hope! Gather our forces and meet them on the field of battle!" Amas ordered.
"Amas, this is General Ironwood. Surrender now or be destroyed. Your reign of terror is about to end." Ironwood said.
"Surrender? We will never surrender to the likes of you! We will fight to the last breath, to the last drop of blood, before we bend the knee to your oppression!" Amas raised his hand, and the courtyard was filled with droids. Amas's rang out to all.
"So be it. Every death here will be on your head." Ironwood said. The droids marched forward. The battle droids marched to the edge of the shield and prepared to meet the Atlesian droids. Winter stood on the deck of the ship, looking down at the image of Amas.
The droids met at the edge of the shield. The droids were moving up to meet the droids. Unnoticed, multiple transport ships flew into the canyon. They were filed with droids. They filled the landing pads. The transport ships flew away, only to have others fly in.
The droids from the transport ships moved into the fort. After five waves, live troops were brought into the landing pads. The droids moved forward, fighting the battle droids. Alarms rang out all throughout the fort.
"This is our true test." Amas said.
The thirty ships started firing at the fort. The ground started to shake. The droids fought each other killing each other. They continued marching against each other. Soule looked out at the battle.
"I'll never get used to this being normal." Soule said.
Amas took hold of the lightsaber and turned it on. He lifted it up to the sky. He flexed every muscle. He was straining. He let out a scream but the ship he was pointing at started to shake.
"What's going on?" Ironwood asked.
A massive tear tore the ship in two. The front half fell to the ground, but the back half stayed in the air. Amas strained but started to crush the back half of the ship. Explosions erupted throughout the ship as it started to condense. Amas lowered his arm, ending his usage of his semblance. The back half of the ship was crushed, and it fell to the ground, squashing droids.
"He destroyed a ship!" Ironwood said.
"It must be his semblance!"
"General, what should we do?" One of his men asked.
"Land the ships! We don't know how long it will take before he can do that again." Ironwood said.
"What was that Chief?" One of the captains said.
"My semblance, special distortion." Amas said. The ground shook as the front half ship crashed into the sand. One of his captains used her semblance to create a storm. The sandstorm blasted toward the battlefront.
"What was that power? Did he just summon a sandstorm?" one of the alliance troops asked.
"How can we beat him?" an imperial troop asked.
The battle inside the fort continued. The troops saw the massive cloud of sand rush toward them. The cloud rushed down the canyon, and tons of sand slammed into one of the ships that started moving back up. The pilot fought but couldn't see the canyon wall.
The cheer of the bandits rang out of the fort. It was overrun by the sound of the rushing sand. Many of the Atlesian droids were knocked over in the sand.
The base camp was slammed with the sandstorm. The shield protected them, but their equipment wasn't working.
"We're blind." Vuren said. Kael glanced at Vuren.
"Joking now of all times?" Kael asked.
"What joke?" Vuren asked. Kael sighed.
The droids broke the battle droid front line and moved to the entrance to the Fort. Amas was still gathering his energy. His captains led troops to meet the droids. Each captain had a semblance that allowed them to manipulate something. Auto turrets came from the walls and started firing at the oncoming droids.
The battle stalled there. The droids were still moving forward, but they were getting inches. Twenty droids were sliced in half by the captain that made the sandstorm. Her manipulation of air was deadly.
Another captain used flames and sent blasts of fire at the droids, melting them. They were forcing the droids back. But they still took down many of the defenses. Battle droids were littering the ground of the fort. The Atlesian droids were ordered back as the sandstorm started to fade. They left the shield.
The droids were able to push the enemy a few floors up, but they stalled a few floors before the shield generator. Ships came back and brought the troops back. The droids continued to fight.
"Did anyone else see a Sith there?" One of the troops asked.
"I did." Another said.
The droids continued the fight. Some were ordered to hide in the fort and cause as much damage as they could. So they did. It was a stalemate.
Ironwood landed, and thousands of more droids followed him. He had a few thousand troops as well. Winter found Ironwood and ordered her men to unload the ships.
"General." Roni said as she found Ironwood.
"Hello, master Roni." Ironwood said.
"What's the news?" Roni asked.
"Oh, they love this. The military has seen higher recruitment all across the Alliance. No one wants this bandit nation." Ironwood said. "Some also love questioning the leadership and power of the Jedi. But they are on the fringes of society. We have millions of droids that can quickly be brought here."
"Millions?" Roni asked.
"Yes, millions. This crisis has the whole world looking." Ironwood said.
"Master Roni, General Ironwood. The forces have a report from inside the fort. They spotted a Sith with a black lightsaber. You know what that means." Winter said.
"Confirmation the black fang is part of this." Roni said.
Day turned to night. The enemy droids had entered into the deep corners of the fort. Amas saw the enemy getting ready for the night. He gathered some of his bandits. He turned to them.
"My brothers and sisters, tonight, we embark on a mission of stealth and cunning. Under the cover of darkness, we will strike at the heart of the enemy's base camp, sowing chaos and confusion in our wake. We must move swiftly and silently, like shadows in the night. Our objective is clear: disrupt their operations, sabotage their supplies, and sow discord among their ranks. With each blow we strike, we weaken their hold on our lands and strengthen our own resolve." Amas said. He made sure everyone had silent weapons, as well as blasters.
"Are we coming back?" His captain, Cyan, asked. He had power over water and had multiple water packs on his side.
"We will do everything in our power to ensure our safe return. But know this: tonight, we embark on a mission of utmost importance. We must be prepared to face whatever challenges come our way, to adapt and overcome in the face of adversity. Our survival depends on our skill, our wit, and our unwavering resolve." Amas said. Landus and the other engineers came by and passed out explosives. They didn't need night vision gear since they were all Faunus. Amas jumped down from the wall and stood in front of Cyan. Amas put his hand on Cyan's shoulder.
"Trust in your training, in your instincts, and in your fellow comrades. Together, we will navigate the dangers ahead and emerge victorious on the other side. So fear not, my friend. We may face uncertainty tonight, but our bond as brothers and sisters in arms will see us through." Amas said. Cyan shook his head.
Amas grabbed the night vision gear. They were much smaller than the traditional goggles. They were small near glasses. He placed them over his eyes. They had a thin line in them that would protect him from and sand and allow him to see like the faunus. Each faunus was given eye protection. The group was ready.
Night had fallen. Amas led his group as stealthily as they could. They traveled along the canyon wall. They followed the same route the advanced battle droids took. They climbed up the canyon and found themselves at the edge of the base camp. They moved into the shield and were in enemy territory. Amas silently ordered his men with hand signals. They moved up to one of the tents. Amas ordered one of his men up to check it. The bandit saw sleeping troops.
He turned around and gave a few hand signals. Amas shook his head. Everyone took out knives and entered the tent.
Jennie was meditating. She felt something at the edge of her senses. She felt pain and terror. She opened her eyes and saw a man standing over her. They saw each other, and then he lunged. Jennie rolled out of the way. The knife found nothing but air where she was a second ago. Wings emerged from her back. She took out her spear and brought it to the attacker. He dodged out of the way. He took out a blaster and fired. Jennie raised her hand and used Tutaminis to absorb the energy from the blaster. She used the force to grab her lightsaber. She turned it on, driving it forward with a jump. The orange blade entered his heart.
The bandit dropped dead.
"We have company!" Jennie shouted in her comm.
There was an explosion near the turrets. Jennie rushed out of her tent.
Amas found a Jedi and a Sith both ready to fight him. He raised his hand, and they started to scream. He expanded part of them, their hearts. Their hearts exploded, and they dropped. He went to them and collected their lightsabers. He saw they were defending the shield. He walked to it and placed the explosives. He connected it to a detonation. He planted a few more explosives just in case.
Amas saw the explosions of the defenses. Their mission was done. Amas turned back and saw the red fang commander holding a pistol. He fired it. Amas brought the lightsaber up, barely blocking the bolt. Amas raised his hand and crushed the commander's windpipe.
The commander dropped. Amas walked to the commander and slammed the lightsaber into him to end him. He placed an explosive in his shirt so that when they grabbed his body, it would explode. He and his most of his men left the shield.
Roni had taken down five bandits. They tried to kill her in her sleep, but she woke up before they could. She checked on Rouge. A Sith and a Jedi were reported killed. Rouge ran into Roni.
"Master, you're alive. Good." Rouge said. The report came in. The Jedi and Sith were recent arrivals.
"The red fang commander is also KIA." A man reported. There was an explosion.
Month 7 Day 02
Explosions rang out through the fort. The droids continued to sabotage the fort. One of the armories were destroyed. That ruined breakfast for the bandits. Landus stopped everyone and went down himself to check the damage. The armory was lost, but not much else was damaged.
"Chief, we lost everything." One of the bandits said. He was surrounded by the other bandits.
"My friends, the destruction of one of our armories strikes a blow to our strength and our resources, but it will not break our spirit. We are resilient, we are resourceful, and we will rebuild stronger than ever before. We may have lost weapons and supplies, but we still have each other, And together, there is nothing we cannot overcome." Amas said.
The bandits listened to him with total belief. They cheered him on. Amas walked back up.
"Find those droids!" Captain Maria yelled at the bandits.
The Sith watched Amas. He was the only thing keeping the fighting spirit. His strength, his words, his presence. Everyone believed in him. He had made himself too important. He could see it now. Once Amas was dead, the coalition forces would rush in. They would be scattered and unable to keep the enemy away. They would all die terrible deaths. But at the moment they were about to be overrun, the bomb would go off. Thousands would die and the darkness would spread.
Bogan would have no choice but to open his realm here. Soon, everyone will be here. Soon, Amas will die. The Sith dropped down and saw nine clones. He was surprised that many got in here undetected.
"We know what you plan on doing." One of the clones said. They all wore masks.
"This is my operation. I spent all these years building this pathetic band together." The Sith said.
"You have the attention of all the world. We are joining this operation."
"I don't need assistance." The Sith said.
"We believe otherwise." A clone said.
Ironwood sent the message to President Belladonna about the death of the Red Fang commander. He sighed as he continued to write.
"General, I thought I would find you here." Roni said.
"Master Roni, what is it?" Ironwood asked. Roni brought him a bottle of brandy.
"I don't know if that is for the best right now." Ironwood said.
"I know you. You need something right now." Roni put a single shot glass on the table. He sighed. She was right he poured himself a shot.
"For this battle to end, we need to complete three objectives." Roni put up three fingers. "One, kill Amas, Two, destroy the shield generator, and three destroy the droid factory. If these three are not met, we fail."
"I know this already." Ironwood said. He was about to pour himself another glass, but Roni stopped him.
"Do we have a bomb that can bring down the fort? We'll need to capture the inside of the fort leading to the level with the shield generator, but if we plan this bomb, the shields should keep the explosion in for a few seconds. If it goes through the shields, we have our own." Roni said. She took the shot glass and drank it herself.
"It will be costly to get a bomb up to that level." Ironwood said.
"But it can work." Roni said.
"It could. But we would most likely lose the one who brings in the bomb. And so many others." Ironwood said.
"It may be necessary." Roni said. She poured another shot.
Winter was in her tent, strategizing. They needed something that would end this quickly. But she needed some advice, so she called Karel.
"Winter, has anything changed?" Karel asked.
"Sadly no. We fought three times yesterday. We defended against thousands of droids, and then Ironwood and I arrived and brought down part of our droid forces. We pushed them back before Amas used his embrace to destroy one of our ships. Last night he attacked us as well. The problem is that shield. That is the only thing keeping them alive." Winter said.
"That was a common strategy. Cities would often shield themselves forcing the republic to enter a siege. We sent in elite troops and Jedi to destroy the shield, then we quickly won the battle. Is there no sewer system? Some way that they may have forgotten about to get in?" Karel asked.
"Not that we have been able to find. It seems that they have hollowed out the entire canyon. Maybe at the very bottom of the canyon, they have a sewer." Winter said.
"If they do, they probably won't expect you to use it." Karel said.
"We'll look into that." Winter said.
"Please be careful Winter." Karel said.
"I will. Keep the kids safe." Winter said. Karel nodded, and she turned the call off.
Winter sighed. Ironwood knocked on the door, and Winter opened it with her maiden powers.
"Did he have any suggestions?" Ironwood asked.
"Go through the sewers." Winter said.
"I see." Ironwood said.
"What did Roni tell you?" Winter said.
"Bringing in a bomb and detonating it on the inside." Ironwood said.
"I see. What's the plan then?" Winter asked.
"I see potential in the sewer plan." Ironwood said.
"The bomb has a better chance of working." Winter said.
Emperor Sym entered the room.
"Our HK droids have found a sewer system that leads into the fort. They also found four other entrances. What are your plans?" Sym asked.
"We were just discussing that." Ironwood said.
"This crisis needs to be ended soon." Sym said.
"We know." Winter said. Sym stood there.
"How long would it take for your ships to take off and start the fort's bombardment?" Sym asked.
"Five minutes or less." Winter said.
"Good. When that shield falls, wipe them out." Sym said. Sym left the room. Ironwood shook his head.
"We'll send someone up the sewer to see where it goes. Maybe it could lead right to the generator." Ironwood said.
Rouge, Lyra, Vuren, and Kael were chosen to go up the sewer. They were each handed masks to avoid any contamination from the sewage. They were also given spare robes. They went down to the sewer.
"Well, let's start this." Vuren said. She used the force to open the sewer grate. They walked into the sewer and moved in. They walked along the walkway walking next to the sewage.
"Why us?" Lyra asked.
"Because they can trust us." Kael said.
The sewer was uphill. The stairs were a help. Vuren led the group. Still, it was miserable. Kael was behind Vuren.
"Why have stairs?" Kael asked.
"Do you know about sewers? They need people to fix any problems." Vuren said. They continued onward.
"As soon as we get out of here, I'm taking a shower." Lyra said.
"If you can." Rouge said. It didn't matter how much noise they made. The flowing sewage drowned out whatever noises they made.
"Karel's plan better work." Vuren said.
"What was that?" Rouge asked.
"Didn't Master Roni tell you this was Karel's idea?" Vuren asked.
"No, she seemed to have forgotten that part. Maybe this wasn't bad luck." Rouge said.
"Master Allusis had this plan? Why?" Lyra asked.
"It is a good plan." Vuren said.
They continued through the sewers, moving upward. Vuren stopped the group. There was a droid walking the sewers, around a corner. The sewer stopped at this level for a bit. Kael saw the droid as well.
"I got this." Kael said. He stepped up to the next level. He saw the droid and activated his green lightsaber. He tossed it and it drove into the chest of the droid. It dropped to the ground.
"Why are they here?" Lyra asked.
"It was just a single droid." Kael said, getting his lightsaber back.
"For now. Suspect that we will run into more." Vuren said.
They continued through the sewers and found a few more droids. The closer to the fort they got, the more droids they found. They dismantled the droids as they moved along.
"Do you think they will care about the droids?" Lyra asked.
"Probably not." Kael said.
The sewers continued to move upward. They found a ladder and climbed up it and found an entrance. Kael led the group to the entrance. He noted it down on the map they had been creating all along the way. Kael opened the door slightly and had a spy droid look around. The door led to a maintenance room. Kael and the other Jedi moved in.
"Well, where are we now?" Lyra asked. Kael activated the map, and they saw how far up they were. They were about on the same level as the landing platforms. The Jedi sighed.
"This isn't a practical way in." Rouge said.
"We can still do some damage though." Kael said. Kael moved the map to show more detail and found an undamaged armory. He looked at everyone else.
"We could destroy another armory." Kael suggested.
"It's better than nothing." Rouge said. They moved further down the path, finding many values and pipes. Kael turned to Lyra.
"Watch out for anything." Kael said he turned and hit his head against a pipe.
"Dammit." Kael said holding onto his head.
"You were saying." Lyra asked.
"I'm serious. I know you've been in here before, but we have to watch out." Kael said. They continued to walk, Kael using force healing to heal the injury. Vuren stopped the group. She looked up and jumped onto the support beams. Rouge and the others soon joined her. She gently lifted up on the panel. It moved. She brought it back down on looked at the other Jedi.
"Keep an eye out for loose panels. We can use them." Vuren said. Kael made a note of the loose panel.
They slid the panel to the side and moved up. They recovered the panel and moved along the fort.
"Where do you think you're going Jedi?" A clone dropped from the ceiling. He turned on his black blade. The hiss of the Jedi's lightsabers. Rouge and Vuren rushed first. The two Jedi knights moved fast in fighting the Sith Clone.
Rouge ran along the side of the wall, swiping at the Sith. He blocked, then ducked under a swipe from Vuren. He stepped back and sent a force push at the Jedi. Rouge landed on the ground and brought up her force shield. It slammed into Rouge, and she stumbled back. The clone rushed forward, swiping at Rouge. Rouge jumped backward in the air and used the force sending a wave at him. He was tossed back as Rouge landed.
Kael and Lyra moved forward, but Vuren raised her hand. The padawans stopped. The clone tried to swipe at Vuren, but she rolled under the swipe. She reached out with her lightsaber, singeing the clone's robe. Rouge jumped and kicked the Sith, sending him rolling on the ground. He spat on the ground and rushed to the Jedi.
He spun around at the padawans. Kael blocked the strike with his two lightsabers. Lyra made a swipe at the clone. He broke off the lock with Kael and spun around the strike. He raised his hand, and a blast of force lightning rushed at Lyra. She raised her lightsaber but still felt some of the energy. She gritted her teeth. Kael made a few strikes at the clone until the clone kicked Kael in the face. Vuren jumped in, continuing her fight with the clone. Rouge rushed over to the clone as well.
Vuren blocked a strike from the clone and kicked his leg. He dropped to one knee. Rouge soon thrust her lightsaber into the clone. He looked down at the lightsaber in his chest.
"You still have the other nine."
Rouge took her lightsaber out, as the clone dropped dead.
"Great. More than one." Vuren said. She wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Do we have to hide the body?" Lyra asked.
"Yeah." Vuren picked up the lightsaber and tossed it to Lyra. She caught it. "What?"
"Maybe I can show you how to purify a crystal." Rouge said.
Kael grabbed the body and saw an opening in the wall from one of the previous attacks. He tossed the body out.
"I was thinking more like putting him in a side room." Vuren said.
"Where they could find him? This way is easier." Kael said. Vuren shook her head.
"Let's get away from here. That battle may have caught some notice." Rouge said. They continued along the fort. Vuren stopped the group as they got to the armory.
"Anyone?" Kael asked.
"No." Vuren said. Kael opened the door, and took a step in. He found a crate full of explosives.
"Well master, I think we found our target. He took out a timed explosive and placed it in the crate. He turned and nodded at the group. They left the armory.
"This should give them a surprise." Kael said.
"Too bad we didn't find any other secrets." Lyra said.
"We can always come back and try again. But this is going on for longer than I thought it would." Kael said.
"Entirely due to the shield generator." Rouge said.
"We don't have to turn back yet. I think I still have one or two on me." Vuren said. She went to her belt and felt for a vial. Finally, she found it. There was a worm in the vial.
"What's that?" Lyra asked.
"This should be a centipede that Kael and I found when we were searching a ruin." Vuren said.
"Right before we got here. That's the one that ate through the power lines around Mount Glenn, right?" Kael asked.
"I believe so. Can't really tell. I don't know the full name of this thing, but it should be able to eat through many of the… delicate electronics here. And it just so happens that I brought a few with me. I've got to have grabbed some males and females." Vuren said.
"Why did you take them?" Rouge asked.
"I was going to get them studied to see what species they were. But then Amas decided to show up." Vuren said. She went to a panel in the armory and opened it. She dumped the vials down. She could already feel the bugs moving around the electronics.
"They're moving up now. Give them a few minutes before we detonate the bombs. We are close to the shield generators, right?" Vuren asked.
"A few floors below." Lyra said.
"Good. That should mean that the bugs are going to go to the strongest electrical source along the way. Which in this case would be those very fragile wires of the shield generator." Vuren said. They left the armory, only to find another clone there.
Vuren didn't wait for him to start talking. She ran along the wall and swiped at him. He didn't expect it and brought out his lightsaber slower than he would have liked. Kael followed Vuren's lead. The clone moved back and forth between Kael and Vuren. Rouge saw an opening and threw her lightsaber. The clone didn't see it coming. He took a step to the side at the last second, but the lightsaber glanced his side. Rouge brought it back.
The clone brought his lightsaber up and blocked a strike from Vuren. Kael was below the clone and brought his lightsaber up. The clone took a step backward, blocking the strike. Rouge jumped behind him and thrust her lightsaber forward. The clone opened his eyes wide as the lightsaber ran through him.
"We surprised this one." Vuren said. Kael picked him up and threw him through the same hole as the last one. They needed to get out of there. The bomb in the armory was still active.
They rushed back down to the sewers. Vuren had everyone go in front of her. She stepped in and made it look like they were never in there.
Amas was walking down to the shield generator. To the heart of his kingdom. He knew that as long as he had the shield he could stand against anything.
'But what if you lose it? Your death will be guaranteed, and the flame will die out with you. You need to attack the enemy. They will come for you. You know that they can't have a rouge figure like you out there. They've already been attacking you. How much more can this generator take?'
Amas heard the words. They sounded like his own. But he didn't know if they truly were. He could feel the similarity to his own voice. Was the pressure getting to him? Were his doubts finally taking form in his mind? No. He couldn't allow them to be here. He needed to keep his mind his own. He needed it to be free.
He left the shield generator room. He had to have faith. He was moving toward the armory. He needed to check it to make sure his resources were still being used wisely. He felt the lightsaber hitting his thigh as he started walking down each step. He noticed a hole in the wall. It looked like it was made with a lightsaber. Did the Jedi sneak in? He rushed to the armory and opened the door.
His eyes opened wide as the explosives that Vuren and her team went off. A massive fireball ripped through the room, broke the wall behind it, and rushed in both directions. It went into the shield generator room.
The wiring fired. Pieces popped. The shield generator was holding… barely, for now. Until it too fell to the might of the explosives.
The entire fort shook.
The Jedi strike team rushed out of the sewer and saw the result. The bomb they placed shouldn't have been able to do that much. But they saw the massive explosion.
They heard the sounds of the shield generator dying. Whatever explosives they had in that armory were far too powerful. The shield broke.
"Damn. Get on the ship!" Vuren yelled. They knew they had to get out. Soon, all hell would rain down on the fort.
Karel opened his eyes. He couldn't ignore it forever. He knew that the Amas's base was a danger to them all. He knew he was told he wouldn't be the hero again by Ashla and Bogan. That his role was fulfilled… but he didn't need to listen to them.
He sat up in bed. Weiss got up and wrapped a hand around him.
"Blue… what is it?" Weiss asked.
"I have to go. They need me." Karel said.
"No. They don't. They have everyone they need already." Weiss said.
"Rouge is out there. Vuren is out there. Roni is out there. Pixi is out there. Winter is out there. How can I stay here?" Karel asked.
"Because Atlas needs you here. And so do I." Weiss said. Karel looked over at Weiss. He knew that look. He took some deep breaths.
"You're a good man for wanting to help. But they don't need it." Weiss said.
"I feel so useless." Karel said.
"You know you're not useless." Weiss said. "I would never have married a useless man, and you know it."
Karel brought a hand down his face. He shook his head.
"You're right." Karel said.
"Of course I am." Weiss said. Karel lay back down and stared at Weiss. She stared back at him. Not a word was spoken. Just a moment. She leaned forward and kissed Karel.
"You know your place is here." Weiss said. "We don't need any more adventures."
"No more deadly adventures. I think we can still have some." Karel said.
"Okay. I guess we can go have some adventures for ourselves." Weiss said with a smile while rolling her eyes. Karel held onto her.
"Thank you, Weiss. I needed that." Karel said.
He stopped. He sat back up.
"What is it?" Weiss said. He didn't normally act like that.
"It's Rouge. I can feel something…" Karel closed his eyes and delved deep into the force.
"There you are! Sorry, did I wake you?" Rouge asked through their force bond.
"No. What is it?" Karel asked.
"We did it master. We took out the shield." Rouge said.
"That means…" Karel asked.
"The situation's about to end. We got two more of those clones as well." Rouge said.
"I almost made a mistake." Karel said.
"You still have time." Rouge said.
"I almost joined you." Karel said.
"Master!" Rouge said. He knew that tone.
"I did say almost." Karel smiled.
"I've got to end this." Rouge said.
"May the Force be with you." Karel said.
"And you, Karel." Rouge said.
Karel turned to Weiss again.
"They took down the shield." Karel said.
"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Weiss asked.
"Do you mean before or after the ice spear?" That earned him a playful slap on the arm. She wrapped her arm around him and dragged him down.
"Back to bed. You'll be tired in the morning." Weiss said.
"Perhaps you could sing me to sleep." Karel said.
"I'm tired too." Weiss said. She snuggled into Karel's chest, feeling his warmth.
Jasper started crying.
"Dammit." Weiss said.
"Looks like someone else wants to hear your singing too." Karel joked.
Author's Notes: I finally got chapter 4 done. It just needed a little under ten months. I don't know why I didn't get this one done sooner. I can't explain it. I was having so much fun in this world, then stop.
Of course I haven't been slacking. I wrote over 300k words since the last chapter of this story came out. They just all happen to be in the Jedi Huntress series.
Part of the reason I'm doing this now is because chapter 5 of Veil of Darkness is about to be a year old in the doc manager. Because of the other chapters, and the SGW epilogue, the doc manager has 34 (as of writing this note) documents, which goes along with the number of chapters that VoD has. So I needed something that wasn't VoD to replace that.
It is nice seeing Karel again. I imagine Weiss at this point to look like the fanart of her from Koyoriin, where she's in the suit dress with the gloves and the massive blue ribbon. I imagine Ruby to look like she does in the Deboo drawing, with the short hair and the crescent side hair. I imagine Blake to look like Dishwasher1910's RWBY 3.0 drawing of her. Yang looks like a drawing of her from Yellow_Nicky. This one is hard to find, but it is a full body. Yang has a sharper-looking face, a bandage on her chin, a silver earring, a dog tag, and an orange bandana.
We got the next chapter for Standing Peace down. Good to see another Glimpse into this universe.
May the Force be With You
-DragonZlayerx12