Arzak Nothus Selrac was born some time ago on the planet Tatooine. Like most Jawa he was born into one of the Jawa clans that roam the deserts of Tatooine. Arzak, however, was born the son of a clan chief. His father was a distant and cowardly sort, which forced Arzak to mature by himself, under the constant punishment of jealous peers.
When Arzak reached the age of adulthood among the Jawa, he used the skills that hatred had created within and killed his own father. In one bloody act, Arzak took over the leadership of his own clan. Using his position as leader, Arzak soon collected enough credits to purchase a small ship. Leaving Tatooine was unheard of among the Jawa, but Arzak was determined to get as far away from anything that reminded him of his life or his bloody actions. Unfortunately Arzak did not have any detailed plan, other than to get as far away as his ship would take him.
After drifting from one side of the galaxy to the other, Arzak finally ended up working for Mandalore. Most of the people Arzak met there, thought of him as a joke, until he proved that a intelligent mind can overcome any size deficiency. He found himself assigned to the Army, where his youth in a sandcrawler and his familiarity with technology, helped him gain prestige in the mechanized forces. Eventually he was given command of the famous Stone Dragon Division, and the rank of Captain.
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Chapter One: A New Mission
I’ve always been one to wonder on unnecessary points of interest. It is how I survived most of my childhood. When the world around you just doesn’t measure up, you tend to focus on the things that can be measured. That is how I came to be looking up at my own distorted reflection. I pulled my eyes away from it, trying to focus my min elsewhere. I know it is superstitious to fear looking at your own reflection, but I didn’t really care, it scared me what I saw there sometimes.
There was a slight beep from the dusty controls in front of me. The beep was followed by a flashing light buried inside a small red button. Moving my right arm forward, I pushed the button. The screen to the left of the now silent button, came to life and displayed a scaled-down map of the surrounding space. I spotted the intruder on it and pressed a few more buttons to zoom in. It was a freighter. I whispered the code I had memorized a few days ago, then began to enter it into a keypad near my right hand. After I double-checked it, I sent the code to the nearby ship. At the same time I brought my left hand forward and rested it on the flight controls. If this didn’t work, I would have to leave quickly.
After a long four minute wait, the electronic reply came with a confirmation code and a silent sigh escaped my mouth. I activated the flight controls, and brought my ship to full power. With my right hand I maneuvered the ship, until it pointed left and down, then I ignited my sublight engines. Within seconds the freighter was visible to the naked eye, and I adjusted my course slightly so I would pass over the ship, and not through it.
As I passed over the large freighter, I spotted a few Y-Wing class fighters hiding in the sensor shadow created by the ship. Ignoring them, I cut my engines and used maneuvering jets to dock with the freighter below me. There was a slight bump, a hiss, then another beep and flash from the controls, alerting me that we were now docked.
I slid into the undercarriage of my ship, and stuffed a few essential items into my combat pack. There was a cautious ringing knock from the other side of the docking hatch, and I answered it by un-holstering my blaster and banging on it with the butt. The ringing stopped and the hatch hissed open revealing a young Sullustan looking up at me. Re-holstering my weapon, I moved aside, letting him aboard.
“Hey, what’s that smell?” The Sullustan said innocently. I turned my head towards him so that both of my eyes were visible.
In times like this, I always found my glowing eyes a very useful tool. Most sentient beings find them unnerving, and the Sullustan was no different. He gulped, said something in his native tongue, and climbed up into the pilot seat of my ship. While he was getting reading to undock my ship, I tossed my pack down into the docking ring. Following it, I climbed down the ladder, and closed the hatch above me. I watched the indicator light next to the hatch until it turned red, then continued my descent.
When my feet finally reached the deck of the freighter, I turned around and was surprised to find the passageway empty. “What, no welcoming committee?” I said sarcastically. I bent down, grabbed my pack, and went in search of information.
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The door in front of me slid open almost silently revealing the bridge. The captain, his actual rank lieutenant junior grade, turned to me and smiled. “Greetings Captain. I was just about to give the command to enter hyperspace.” He raised his hand and motioned to a nearby officer. The officer nodded and turned to his console. A few seconds later, the ship shuddered as it entered hyperspace.
I dropped my heavy pack on the deck, drawing the captain’s attention. “Why wasn’t there anyone to meet me when I boarded?” I asked dangerously.
The captain ignored my tone and smiled again. “I’m sorry, but we’re a bit...short on crew. You found your way, so no harm done.”
I heard the pause and it didn’t improve my mood. “Who has my orders?”
“I do.” The captain said. “They’re in my personal safe. Perhaps you’ll join me for dinner? We can discuss your mission then.” Turning, he spoke to another officer. “Flight Officer, please make sure the Captain can find his quarters. We don’t want him getting lost.”
The Flight Officer nodded and proceeded to lead me off the bridge. As he passed my position, I grabbed my pack and tossed it up to him. Not having much choice in the matter, he caught it, and continued on with his task. I took in the grinning face of the captain one more time, then turned and followed him.
He led me through a couple of maze-like decks, until we finally reached the quarters I was assigned. As soon as the door opened he tossed my pack onto a nearby bed and hurried off, saying something about being needed elsewhere. I looked inside the room I had been provided and sighed. A human captain would have received better quarters, probably near the bridge. I didn’t particularly care about the quarters themselves, but the disrespect such an action showed was distasteful. I thought about including this in my end mission report, then decided against it. It was one thing to not be respected by my peers, an entirely different thing to be hated.
I went to my pack and pulled out a new robe. Fingering the rank insignia that had been sewn into the dark grey fabric, I wondered why I was still working for Mandalore. After all of my work to reach the rank of captain, I still had to contend with prejudice and unfair treatment. It didn’t happen as often anymore, but it still happened. My hands slid down a sleeve and found the Third Division patch on the robe. The red dragon there reminded me of all the friends I had made, people who didn’t judge me with only their eyes.
Resolved, I unpacked the rest of my clothing, took a shower to rid myself of some of the smell that humans found so offensive about Jawas, and changed into a clean uniform. A few seconds after I finished dressing, an officer came to tell me when and where the captain was expecting me for dinner. I made him describe the route I would have to take to get there twice, then let him go.
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“You see Captain Selrac, the problem is that our noble traditions are being diluted.” The captain spoke, expressing himself with his knife and fork as he chewed his steak. “In the past several years, we have grown by over a hundred percent, but it has come at the price of quality. Don’t you agree?” I nodded, not really interested in the conversation.
The captain cut into his steak and kept talking while he chewed. “My family has served with Mandalore for over ten generations, my father was a very close friend of the last Warrior Eminence. Believe me when I tell you, we know how far Mandalore has fallen. There was a time when offworlders would be killed for stepping foot on Mandalorian soil, but lately...”
I looked up at this pause, trying to consider the best way to eat the steak in front of me. Jawas didn’t normally eat meat. The captain looked at me questioningly. “Is your steak alright? You haven’t touched it.”
I slid the plate forward a little. “My people are not good with meat. We eat only fruit and vegetables.”
“I’m so sorry Captain! I had no idea. You must forgive me.” The captain smiled and turned to a nearby officer who was serving as our waiter. “Bring the Captain some vegetables.” Turning back to me, he grinned, his white teeth looking almost carnivorous. “We humans sometimes forget that not all races are as...versatile.”
“Lieutenant Jr’ryk do you think we could discuss my mission now? I am sure the history of Mandalore is a very interesting subject, but I prefer to worry about the future more. The sooner you hand over my orders, the more prepared I will be when we reach our destination.” The officer returned with a plate of steaming vegetables and placed them in front of me. I reached out with my hands and picked up a yellow gourd-shaped vegetable. Raising it to my face, I smelled it cautiously, then slowly ate it.
The captain watched me eat with interest. “I have your orders in my personal safe, as I said before Captain, but I am curious as to what they are. They are coded for you only, I was not able to open them.” There was a long pause as both of us chewed our food.
I finished first. “I have no idea what they are. All I know is that I was ordered to meet your ship and collect them.”
“Captain Selrac, surely you would do me the favor of opening these orders in my presence?” he said. “I am responsible for the safety of my crew, and could not in good conscience allow them to be put in jeopardy by not knowing of any danger your mission might propose.”
The tone he was using and the way he said it made me doubt his sincerity. “If you needed to know the content of my orders you would have been allowed to read them, Lieutenant. Now if you’re quite done making a fool of yourself, would please bring them to me?”
Jr’ryk’s face reddened and he stood abruptly. Throwing his napkin and utensils down he stomped off, presumably to retrieve my orders. I sighed, losing my hunger. He was right about one thing. Mandalore had fallen in it’s reputation, and his kind were to blame. Mandalore had a proud history of breeding the best warriors. Lately, however, it seemed the noble families of Mandalore were producing more children than warriors. The fool probably thought he was entitled to know my orders because of his bloodline.
The captain returned shortly, slamming one of the small metal cases that Mandalore used to send sensitive information onto the table. I looked at the case, then up to him. “Thank you Lieutenant.” I stood and took a hold off the case. “If there isn’t anything further, I’ll retire to my quarters to study my orders.” I stared up into Jr’ryk’s face. “Is there anything else?”
“We’ll arrive at the rendezvous coordinates in two days.” he said, stiff and formal. “Be ready to disembark at that time.” Then he turned away from me and walked out of the room. The remaining officer looked back and forth between the door and myself twice, his expression worried, then left as well.
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Back in my quarters I went through the lengthy coding process to open the case. Without the proper codes it would never open, and it took me a while to remember the right ones. Finally, after a few minutes of trial and error, I was successful. Inside was a folder with a written version of my orders, but I ignored them and instead removed a small disc that was secured to the roof of the case. I reached across the space between the bed I was sitting on and the terminal on the other side of the room. I slid the disc into the terminal and waited for it to read the disc.
A few seconds later, a small piece of the floor directly beneath the terminal slid away revealing a holo-projector. It activated, and I was staring at a holo-representation of Lieutenant General Auron Drayer, Chief Warrior of the Mandalore Army. The image began playing shortly. “Captain Arzak Nothus Selrac. You have been selected for a mission. Surface Command for this mission will belong to Major Plo Qaan. He will continue with the rest of this briefing.”
There was a blank spot on the disc and the projection faded for a second. Then it found more information and a new image appeared. It was the aforementioned Major, standing at ease with his hands behind his back. “Captain. The code name of this mission is ‘Too Friendly’.” The image switched to that of a small green and blue planet with only one continent. “Our employer is the government of Firro, a sparsely populated world in the Farfin sector. The government there, has been dragged into a war with several mining companies over the taxation of minerals. Now the government is a small collection of families who own most of the planet. They have plenty of credits, but not enough manpower to field an army against this threat. Most of the population on the planet, work for, and support the mining companies. This has put the government at risk to a takeover. Our mission,” Qaan continued, as the projection switched to a view of the main continent. “Is to capture or destroy all personnel and assets operated by these rogue companies. Intelligence estimates the strength of the enemy at five to ten thousand civilians. Most of these are poorly led and equipped, people used to operating mining machinery and not weapons. For this mission Second Division and Third Division have been assigned. The First Fleet will provide our transport and supply. That is all for now. We will discuss our plan of action once we have both arrived at the rendezvous coordinates.”
The projector cut off, the floor sliding back over it. I reached out and removed the disc from the terminal. I held it for a second thinking, then broke the disc in half so no one else could read it. I removed the papers from the case and committed all the minor details to memory. When I was done I put them back into the case with the broken disc and sealed it. Inside the case I knew the papers and pieces of the disc were quickly being reduced to useless sludge as the case self destructed. In another minute or so, the case would be nothing but a block of useless metal with a handle.
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Chapter Two: The Ensigns of Command
Two days later, and we exited hyperspace to find we had arrived at the rendezvous coordinates first. Lieutenant Junior Grade Jr’ryk was still acting the fool, but I knew I could put up with him indefinitely. I had sent him the destroyed metal case the day before, as a sort of warning. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would learn to respect the orders Mandalore gave him, before someone killed him.
I knew the danger intimately. I had spent my first few years with Mandalore, observing such politicking between the officers in my division. It didn’t often end in violence, but the younger officers were always ready and willing to exploit any weakness in their superiors. Every year there was always one or two dead officers as a result of a challenge for power. There were rumors, that there would be new laws about this kind of activity soon, classifying it as a form of mutiny. I doubted it, if the system wasn’t so efficient at making Mandalore commanders the best in the galaxy, it would have fallen out of use a long time ago.
People passed behind me as I stood silently, looking out a nearby port. Every time they did, I could hear their conversations drop to a whisper or cease altogether. I didn’t know if it was because of the smell or if the way I treated their captain had gotten around. It didn’t matter.
I turned my mind back to the problem of Firro. So many things could go wrong on a mission like this. It seemed to me that this wasn’t one we could win, not if the population supported the mining companies. I didn’t want to have to fight that kind of war, the kind where both sides lose. A tap on my shoulder interrupted these thoughts, and behind me I saw two of the ship’s crew looking down at me. “Yes?” I focused on the nearest one’s chest. “Crewman.”
“The Captain has made contact with the rest of the Fleet. You’re requested on the bridge.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Crewman. Continue with your duties.” The crewman nodded, then turned and motioned to his companion. As they were walking away I took one more look out the port, then headed to the bridge.
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“Yes Commander. We will arrive in thirty-seven minutes.” Jr’ryk nodded to a nearby officer and the officer cut off the holo-projection of Commander Olvier. He then turned to me, his face empty of emotion. “It seems we shall have to part ways now Captain.”
“It seems so Lieutenant.” I said, obnoxiously. His face began to turn red, as he lost control of the mask he held over his emotions. Turning away, so that he faced forward, he sat down in the captain’s chair. Watching him I started to feel a sort of pity for him. He had probably been raised by people just as arrogant and stupid and knew little beyond what they had drummed into him. In an atmosphere like that, a child either started acting like his peers, or he become a target of their derision. Luckily for myself, I had chosen the latter. My childhood had been hard of course, but it had taught me many things. Given me strength to follow my own path.
Suddenly I came to a decision about how I felt about this upstart lieutenant and I approached the captain’s chair, leaning forward slightly. “May I speak with you in private Captain?” I said, using his title instead of his actual rank.
Jr’ryk looked at me, curious why I had addressed him so, and nodded before really thinking. Standing he spoke to an Ensign, who was serving as his second in command. “Dommy, take command. Alert me when we are ready to dock.”
We exited the bridge, him leading the way. I thought we would just talk in the corridor, but he walked across it to a door on the opposite side. As I followed, I noticed it was the captain’s quarters. They were twice as large as my own. Chuckling under my breath I entered and looked around at the opulent decor. Jr’ryk must come from quite a rich family, I thought musingly.
The captain sat in a comfortable looking chair and poured himself a generous drink from a nearby decanter. “What is you want Selrac?” he said, trying not to look at me.
“You have a very nice room. Mine was quite spartan by comparison.” I walked towards him, sliding my hand over the silk sheets that covered his bunk.
A sour look filled his face. “You’re lucky I didn’t make you bunk with the crew. They smell almost as bad as you do.”
I turned to him, my head snapping around until my eyes focused on his face. “Ah there you go again with the insults...” I paused here and watched him until he finally looked into my eyes. “Is there truly nothing but hate in you Jr’ryk?” He turned his face away from me and took a long drink. I sighed and took another look around the room, turning in place. “To think, the noble families of Mandalore reduced to producing hateful children, with no respect for their superiors.”
This got his attention, and he slammed his glass down. “That’s quite enough! You may outrank me, but technically I am in command on this ship!”
I looked sideways at him and he fell silent. After a while he started to look uncomfortable again. He was about to start in again when I preempted him. “Stop.” He stopped, his mouth halfway open. “I am not here to berate you, or to tell you how foolish you’re acting.” I paused. He was about to talk, when I again interrupted him. “I’m here to help you. You’re falling. Falling into a dark place you won’t be able to climb out of.”
“What d-“
Again I interrupted. “I know. I’ve been there.” I raised my left hand and pointed at him. “You’re listening to the wrong part of you. Stop trying to follow the path others want you to. It will lead you to a place you don’t want to be.”
By now, Jr’ryk was entirely confused. He couldn’t tell if I was insulting him or not. Finally, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Get out!”
I nodded, lowering my hand. “I will leave. We should be docking soon anyway. But listen to your heart Jr’ryk. Don’t turn to hate.” I turned and left. Behind me the young lieutenant just sat with his mouth open, shocked by the entire conversation.
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A holo-projection of Firro rotated between Major Qaan and I, as we discussed our plans for deployment. “The main concentration of the enemy appears to be here in the northeast.” Qaan pointed to an area of the map that was highlighted in red. “While there haven’t been any major battles between the two sides since the conflict started, our employers are worried about an attack against their capital.” Moving his hand slightly to the left he pointed to a spot on the western coast of the continent.
I shook my head. “I don’t think there is much chance of that yet. Not until we land. Once we do, they might try to in the hopes of getting rid of us, by removing our employers. The government has it’s own security force for self-defense anyway.”
Qaan nodded. “Agreed. We should focus on our mission objectives and let them defend themselves. The question is how. Do you have any ideas?” He looked at me, and I knew he probably already had his entire plan worked out and just wanted to hear mine first.
I reached forward and entered a few numbers into the holo-projector terminal. In response the projection changed and showed one of the few mining cities the enemy had captured on the eastern coast. “I believe this should be our first target. The city is the main port for the majority of the mining companies. Once we have it under our control, they will have a hard time supplying their forces.” I typed a few more numbers into the console and the map zoomed out, showing the surrounding terrain and nearby mining facilities. “If we land here and here.” I pointed out positions north and west of the city. “We can take control of the city easily enough.”
Observing me, Qaan nodded thoughtfully. “Very good. I approve your plan. However, I want your division to bombard the enemy facilities northwest of the city, while I lead Second Division against the city itself. I anticipate very little resistance will be offered there. According to intelligence, the enemy has focused most of it’s forces on defending the facilities.” He paused here for a second. “Once we have the city, Second Division will move past your position and assault the facilities.” He reached forward and deactivated the holo-projector. Standing, he motioned for me to follow him as he walked over to a liquor cabinet, that was part of the briefing room we were in. He removed two glasses and decanter from it and poured two drinks. “To a successful mission.” He handed me a one of the glasses, drinking his as he did so.
I took it from him and placed it back on the cabinet. “Sorry Major, my body doesn’t react well to alcohol.” Qaan shrugged, and took another drink from his. I put my hands behind my back and turned to look back at the holo-projector terminal.
Finally, Qaan finished his drink and put the glass down. Sighing, he turned and looked down at me. “So. Captain. I heard the last mission you were on turned into a real shit-storm?” he said, his voice light and unoffensive.
“The employer underestimated the threat. I warned him, but he was a moron.” I looked away from the holo-projector terminal and up at the major. “The next time they send me on a mission as military advisor, I hope the client listens to my advice.”
Qaan laughed a little, under his breath. “Last I heard, his successor was still trying to find the rest of the body.”
I nodded, remembering the incident. The grenade attack had been quite deadly. I still had a fragment in my left shoulder from one of them. “Yes. They won’t be finding anything though. I don’t think there was much left after the attack.”
Qaan nodded. “Well, we should be exiting hyperspace in the Firro system soon. You should brief your people.” I nodded again and left. Qaan was pouring himself another drink as I was leaving. I believe he was smiling.
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In my quarters on the Fleet flagship Dyfinor, I briefed my executive officer, Second Lieutenant Jango Night. “Got it Jango?” I said laying on my bunk and staring at the ceiling.
Jango was sitting next to me in one of the two chairs in the room. He nodded and began to stand. “I’ll brief the squad commanders then.”
I stopped him, and he sat. “Tell them to not take any chances. Even more than usual, we can’t trust anyone. With the sympathy of the population in doubt...” I trailed off, but turning to look at Jango’s face, I could tell he understood. He nodded, and left to brief the squad commanders.
After he left I went over the situation again, this time trying to find the flaws in our plan by putting myself in the mind of the enemy. There were some vulnerabilities, but nothing serious enough to change the plan. Besides, I don’t think in the history of warfare there has ever been a perfect battle plan. Every single one has it’s strengths and it’s weaknesses.
Sighing I got up from the bunk. It was hard. I hadn’t slept in almost a day, because we had rendezvoused with the Fleet at an awkward time. It didn’t look like I would get much sleep soon either. Once we entered orbit of Firro, we were to land immediately and take what advantages we could from a surprise attack. Feeling sorry for myself about the lost sleep, I began making preparations for the mission.
The first thing I did though, was an old custom I had picked up years before joining Mandalore. Something I did before every mission I went on where there was a chance I might not be coming back. I went to my pack and pulled out a bottle of Alderaanian Ruge and a glass that I had bought just for this purpose. I sat the glass on the small table the quarters provided and poured a generous amount of the expensive liquor in it. Then I placed the bottle next to the glass.
I stood there staring at them for a second, making the same silent promise I always did. If I came back from the mission alive I would pour the glass back into the bottle. If I didn’t, then let them drink to my memory.
Gathering my equipment took only a second, as I hadn’t unpacked since transferring to the Dyfinor. That reminded me of Jr’ryk, and I wondered what he was doing right this minute. But I didn’t have time to daydream. I left the room without looking back, my combat pack slugged over my shoulder. If someone other than I found the drink, they would know what to do with it.
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“ATTENTION!” Jango bellowed, as I entered the large docking bay behind him. The entire assembly jumped and stood as ordered. I paused and looked over them for a second, amazed at how young some of them seemed.
I walked over to the nearest hover tank and touched the armor-plated hull. I dropped my pack on the ground and picked one of the vehicle’s crew at random. Using his hands as a ladder, I climbed atop the inactive tank. Turning to face the men and women of my division, I paused to collect myself for a second, then began to talk. I used a tone I had perfected a long time ago as a clan leader. “At ease people, you aren’t infantry!” There was a general chuckle, as the level of tension in the bay dropped a bit and everyone relaxed. “First, I want to say I’m glad to be back. I’m sorry I missed the campaign on Thyferra. I hear we lost some friends.” I noticed a few people nod sadly and continued. “We also have some new people. Welcome them and make sure they don’t get me killed!” Laughter. “Now to business. This one is supposed to be a walkthrough, but don’t believe that for a second. Most of us know, it is the easy ones that get the most people killed. So keep a good eye on your crew-mates and check your six regularly. The rest is details. Our enemy is a group of mining companies and their employees. They’re fighting over what they claim are unfair taxes on minerals that are shipped off-world. Intelligence reports they have no armor, except for a few modified mining vehicles.” I paused and raised my right hand in a fist. “UNDER THE STARS, ON THE FIELD OF DEATH!” Immediately, over two hundred fists were reaching into the air as well, repeating the motto of the Stone Dragons of Third Division. I turned and nodded to Jango, who stood nearby. As he started yelling orders to prepare for debarkation, I slid silently down the side of the hover tank.
I was picking up my pack, when a hand fell on my left shoulder making me twinge a little as the shrapnel imbedded there, dug further into my flesh. “You always were a good speaker Arzak.” A familiar female voice said.
I turned, dropping my pack, and sure enough there was Corporal Lorial Hoor. I smiled up at her, even though I knew the effect was hidden by my robe. “It’s good to see you Lorial.” I had first met Lorial in Hutt Space, years before joining Mandalore. A Twilek, she had been serving as a bouncer in one of the clubs I had frequented, in one of my more experimental phases. She was quite a fighter, and lover. We had quite a history, she and I.
She tossed her head-tails over her shoulder, as she usually did when she was nervous. “I heard you had been killed on Pirdia 9, but I see you’re back again. You have more lives than a claw cat.” I nodded. I was about to speak when she interrupted me. She was always doing it, and it was a bad habit that I let her get away with it. “So, what is with this mission we’re going on? Think it might get bad?”
“Yes. I think there is a chance of that, but not a great one.” I picked up my pack. We stood looking at each other for a second, both uncomfortable. Finally I said, “I have to go now. Squad Two is waiting for me.”
She nodded. “Take care of yourself Arzak. You still owe me that hundred credits.” I laughed. She smiled and turned away, her head-tails swinging. I watched her walk away for a few seconds, admiring her beautiful blue-skinned body, then turned the other way and went looking for Second Squad.
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Chapter Three: Burnt Offerings
The passage planet-side was uneventful. Since the enemy possessed no spacial or aerial assets, the Mandalore ships had no difficulty in landing and disembarking the vehicles in Third Division. As soon as the vehicle bay doors yawned open, hover tanks began pouring out and speeding away from their transports. Within minutes the entire division had exited and begun to take positions for their advance. In my own hover tank, I tapped a command on my wrist comm. The Mandalore ships activated their repulsers in response and soared over the army of vehicles.
I watched them for a second, then turned to survey the division. Everything seemed in order, so I activated my comm and said, “Advance.” The entire division, 144 vehicles in all, began to move. Luckily the surface of Firro was mostly grassland, which enabled the Stone Dragons to move as one. I did some mental calculations and figured we would begin to encounter enemy positions in an hour at our current speed.
During that hour, Jango was in active command while I retreated to the interior of the hover tank to review orbital photos of the enemy positions. The photos were of a few dozen Vintrium mines, that the mining companies were using as depots and controls centers. I would have to dangerously fracture my division if I wanted to hit them all by surprise, because each mine was separated by at least two kilometers. Not to mention, that since I didn’t have support from Second Division yet, I couldn’t close with the enemy.
I looked at the chronometer above the bank of electronics in front of me. The hour was almost up. Speaking into my comm, I said, “Jango, execute one.”
A few hundred meters away, in his own hover tank, Jango heard the message and replied swiftly. “Confirmed. Executing.” He then changed his comm frequency and spoke again, “Squads Six through Twelve, set course 313.” There were a series of silent confirmations from Squad leaders, as half of Third Division changed course from almost due north to northwest. I waited a few seconds to let Jango’s half of the division separate, then sent out orders to the remaining six squads that were with me.
Each squad would detach from the group and attack a different target on the southern border of the enemy territory. Hopefully this would draw out reinforcements from the other enemy mines to the north. If they did decide to send reinforcements, the rest of the division led by Jango, would be able to close with and destroy them in the open land between each mine.
I was riding with Second Squad, which would attack the mine Mandalore Intelligence had dubbed Alpha 4. I checked the time and noticing we were only a few minutes away from the mine, switched my comm to listen in on the Squad’s personal channel.
“Sir! Tank Four has enemy sighted!” came over the comm. I ignored this, knowing the Tank Commander wasn’t talking to him, but to Second Squad’s leader, Sergeant First Class Even Strindmo.
“Open fire.” Even said, his voice not betraying any emotion. Less than a millisecond later, each hover tank reverberated with sound as their dual-laser main cannons started firing on enemy positions.
I heard a shot bounce of the hull of the tank I was in as the enemy opened fire with an assortment of small weapons, which could do little against the armor of the tank. Listening to the sounds of battle outside, I turned around in my seat and watched as the pilot and gunner worked together without a need for words. Both were behind blinking consoles, with viewing goggles strapped to their heads and arms at controls. Each looked almost like a cyborg, symbiotic with the tank.
I slid my own pair of viewing goggles out of a compartment under my seat and plugged them into the terminal in front of me. With the goggles firmly strapped to my head, I felt the weird sensation as the goggles showed the outside of the hover tank. The scene moved to the left slightly as the gunner changed targets and fired again. Using the console under my right hand, I zoomed in enough to see the dual-laser bolt hit a mining vehicle and destroy it.
A futile attempt to charge the tanks was made by a small group of miners wielding blasters and cutting tools. Before they came within 100 meters, they were cut down by light blaster fire and concussion grenades from the tanks. The one-sided battle continued for a few more minutes, until the remaining enemy combatants retreated into the mining facility, which offered at least some protection against the deadly lasers of the Stone Dragons.
Seeing the enemy retreat, I contacted Even and ordered him to begin his bombardment of the facility. Soon after, the twelve tanks of Second Squad synced their firing controls systems with their leader’s and began firing thunderous volleys of laser into the mining complex.
“Captain! Alpha 9 has broken out and is retreating north! Should I alert the Lieutenant?” came over my personal comm channel.
I searched my memory of who was in command of the attack on Alpha 9 and came up blank. “Negitave, the Lieutenant has more important duties than to chase leftovers. Begin your bombardment.” I switched comm channels and told Jango about Alpha 9. “Also Jango, if the enemy doesn’t send up reinforcements for a counter-attack within two hours, I want you to begin with your secondary objective. I don’t want Second Division to say we were slacking when they move in for their attack.”
After two hours I got confirmation from Jango that he had begun his attack. He seemed excited over the comm. Pushing that from my mind, I thought about the failure of the enemy to even try and counter-attack. They were setting themselves up to be slaughtered. It might take longer of course, but it was inevitable. My mind a riot of possibilities and data, I sat back in my seat and removed the viewing goggles.
I was reviewing the orbital photos, when three hours later Alpha 7 and 5 surrendered unconditionally. I ordered the Squad leader’s to keep an eye on their prisoners and to wait for Second Division. Turning in my seat I activated the long-range comm, and contacted Qaan, who was with Second Division.
A small hologram of the Major appeared on the projector before me, his arms crossed. “Yes Captain?”
I nodded. “Alpha 7 and 5 have surrendered. I’ll need assistance from Second soon, to deal with the prisoners.”
“Three companies from Second Division are preparing as we speak, they will arrive in two hours.” Qaan looked sharply to his left, obviously distracted by something at his position. He nodded and turned back to look at me. “Is that all Captain?”
“Yes.” I said, emotionless.
The hologram disappeared, the transmission ended by Qaan. I was distracted by a question from the pilot about how things were going for Second Division. I said something inaudible. The pilot un-faltered by my lack of answer, drew me into a conversation about his favorite things to do when he wasn’t on a mission. The gunner remained silent, keeping an eye on the orders his weapons were automatically receiving from the Squad leader’s tank.
<>
It was a long day. The attack had started sometime just after dawn. By midday, the majority of mines were still holding out bravely and Second Division was arriving in the armored transports they used. Qaan had stayed in the city with the remaining company, setting up a headquarters and securing the spaceport against sabotage. At the spaceport, several dozen Mandalore freighters had landed and were unloading supplies.
I was talking to Qaan’s exec, Captain Xun Vixx, while one of the company commanders moved Second Division’s people into position for the attack on Alpha 4. “They’ll be pretty dissolute by now. I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble Captain.” Xun was standing behind one of the now silent hover tanks studying the mining complex, which was about 500 meters away. Xun handed the binoculars up to me as I stood on the back of my tank and I put them to my eyes. The complex was deceptively silent.
I handed the binoculars back to Xun and he put them away in the case on his belt. “Thank you Captain,” he said. “I believe we’ll begin now, before they notice us. Please have your tanks advance slow enough that we can use them as cover.”
I nodded and climbed back into the hover tank. Once I was safely aboard I secured the hatch and activated my wrist comm. “Sergeant, have your squad advance slowly so they can take cover behind us.” There was a clicking sound as Even confirmed he understood. The hover tank’s engines activated and we rose silently until we were about two centimeters from the ground, which was mostly hard packed dirt and gravel excavated from the mine.
I slid the viewing goggles on and observed as we slowly advanced over the next couple of minutes. Even had ordered a staggered formation, which allowed the infantry behind the tanks to advance in two waves. About 200 meters from the first buildings in the mining complex and we started receiving light blaster fire. It came from everywhere, but it did little damage to the tanks or the troops behind them. The accuracy was very poor, and I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would put weapons into the hands of people who could barely fire them.
A few unlucky shots ricocheted off the armor of the tanks and hit the soldiers, but it couldn’t equal the amount of firepower that Second Squad put out. I could see several places where the earlier bombardment had punctured the walls of buildings. Men and a few women would stand there with weapons, firing blindly. Then the gunners of the tanks would see them and nothing would be left but ashes or a burning corpse. We continued to advance and came within 100 meters, the fire intensified and more people fell on both sides. At this range the dual-laser cannons on the hover tanks ignored walls and buildings altogether, instead they started to tear huge holes through the complex. Every time one fired another part of the complex would have a new burning orifice, often accompanied by burning debris and bodies. Finally Even gave the command to cease fire with the lasers, which were causing too much damage to the complex. Instead the gunners switched to light blasters and concussion grenades. Still deadly, but they left the complex relatively undamaged.
By now the fire from the enemy had almost stopped. The last 50 meters were ominously quiet, but the experienced soldiers of Mandalore kept moving forward. Once the tanks came within 20 meters they stopped. The battle was Second Division’s from that point.
Using smoke grenades, the soldiers covered the distance to the buildings easily. They started to secure the complex building by building using grenades, blasters, and blood. After watching their comrades die in nearby buildings, some of the miners tried to mount a rescue. When it was crushed, the rest of the buildings fell easily, surrendering as soon as the soldiers approached.
<>
The rest of the day was filled with much of the same. The hover tanks of Third would advance, while Second Division used them as cover. Many of the mining complexes fell as soon as they saw the advancing troops, but there was the exception. Alpha 3 fought hard, destroying one tank and damaging two others with a modified mining tool. When Second finally began taking the complex, an unlucky shot from a blaster hit a weapons stockpile. The resulting explosion left many dead and injured.
By late afternoon all of the 31 mining facilities, depots, numerous other buildings that dotted that area had either been totally destroyed or captured. Casualties were light considering. In Third Division only 2 tanks were unoperational. Lucky shots that had disabled the hovering systems. Second Division had 31 dead, and about 78 injured. All in all it was a very successful operation, seeing as enemy casualties were estimated at about 1500 dead, 500 injured, and 739 captured. There had still been no attempt to counter-attack however, putting most of the veterans on edge. With dusk approaching, Major Qaan ordered a withdrawl to the city where food and rest was waiting for us all.
That night most of the Mandalorians were either sleeping or on guard, while their commanders were still awake reviewing the battle and planning for tomorrow. "I don't like it Captain. Today was far too easy. Would you like some?" Major Qaan motioned to the drink he was holding in his hand and to the open bottle on the table next to him.
I shook my head. "I don't drink. I find that most alcohol doesn't suit my metabolism. I'm sure all of us feel the same about the resistance. Far too light. I suggest we send out some recon teams. They might try and hit us yet."
Qaan nodded sagely, taking a sip of his drink. "I already ordered that." He sighed and sat his drink on the table. "It just doesn't make sense. Orbital photos show no movement of any enemy assets. It's like they're complacent to just allow us to destroy them peacemeal. Do you want to review the enemy positions again?" The Major pointed to the large holoprojector in front of them questioningly.
"No I don't think so. There is nothing there. How about the interrogations? How are they going?"
"I haven't heard anything so far." He stood and started pacing slowly back and forth. "You know how Intelligence is, they never tell us anything until they know for sure what it is."
I nodded and stood as well. "If there isn't anything further I'll brief my second and then retire for the night."
"Go ahead." The Captain turned and was about to exit when Qaan spoke again. "Sleep well Captain Selrac." I turned back, nodded again and left.
Third Division had been quartered outside of town at my request, so I picked up a patrol of Second Division soldiers and had them escort me back to our camp. Once there I waked Jango and briefed him quickly on tomorrow. After answering many of the same questions I had asked Qaan, I sent him back to sleep. Before falling asleep myself I sent a comm to the flagship of the Mandalore ships in orbit. "This is Captain Arzak Nothus Selrac with Third Division, may I speak to the Commander?"
There was a pause as I waited for a response. "I'm sorry sir Commander Olvier is asleep. I'm Lieutenant Diomedes Nacca the Commander's executive officer. May I help you?"
"Yes Lieutenant. Has anything strange been happening up there?" Subconsciously I looked up at the underside of the tent, thinking about the ships in orbit.
"I'm sorry sir. I don't understand what you mean by 'strange'."
I chuckled a bit at this. "Any potential enemy ships been sighted?"
"No sir. All vessels have been identified. No unknown or enemy ships in system."
"Alright. Thanks Lieutenant. Be sure to notify me if that changes. Okay?"
"Yes sir. Major Qaan has already requested notification of any changes."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry Lieutenant. Thanks for your time anyway."
"No problem sir. I've been briefed on the situation on the surface sir and I understand. Rest assured, the minute we know of anything you'll know." Comforted by that thought I fell asleep swiftly and slept a dreamless sleep.
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Chapter Four: Gambit
I woke to the sound of explosions. After a second of mindless panic I rolled out of my cot, grabbed my blaster, and rushed out of the tent shouting. “Report!” I looked into the distance as another explosion rocked the city in the distance. There were several dozen major fires burning all around the city already, and as more exploded they set fire to many more. So much for sleep, I mused. Closer to home chaos ensued as men and women ran out of their tents, most half naked, and boarded their hover tanks in a rush. I saw Jango at the edge of the camp, perched on a hover tank and shouting at someone as he pulled on his uniform. I turned and climbed up onto my own tank and nodded at the gunner as he rushed around the tank clearing all the weapons. The pilot was inside, trying to rush through his own checklist. I jumped down into the command seat and activated my comm. “Jango, what the hell is going on?”
“Second Division is being attacked.” Was his breathless reply.
“I kno-“ I was interrupted by the entrance of the gunner into the vehicle. “Jango just report to me when the rest of the division is ready to move.” I barely heard his confirmation click as I reached forward and pushed the pilot. Getting the message he quickly dropped his viewing goggles over his eyes and activated the engines.
I changed the comm channel on my wrist-comm and tried to reach Qaan. “This is Captain Vixx.” There was the sound of blasters firing in the background, and a voice that sounded like Qaan’s shouting orders. “The Major is busy. Our HQ is under attack.”
“Understood. Tell him Third is coming when you get a chance.” I said loudly, so Vixx could hear me over the battle. I spoke then in a normal tone to the gunner and pilot. “Head into town. Second’s HQ is under attack.”
By that time we were already at the outskirts of the city and I saw the barricades before the pilot or gunner. “We got a problem,” the pilot said.
I cursed at him. “I can see that!” To the gunner, “Aim for that blue speeder and fire the main.” Without comment the gunner took aim and fired. The shock of the blast at less than twenty meters exploded half the vehicles in the street, sending shrapnel in every direction. I hoped any innocents were smart enough to have moved away and ordered the pilot. “Ram through that mess.”
All three of us braced ourselves as the pilot put the engine in overdrive and rammed through the remaining burning debris blocking our path. On the other side I could see the full extent of the damage the dual-laser cannon had done. The building right behind the barricade had a hole large enough for us to drive through. I had the feeling a lot of the city would look like this in the morning.
As we passed through the city many of the buildings were on fire, but no one was bothering to put them out. I could see several families with their belongings strapped to their backs, trying to leave the city. There were also many ongoing battles throughout the city as squads from Second were pinned down by snipers. Seeing these for what they were, I ordered the pilot to keep moving. We came across another barricade directly in front of the HQ with several dozen armed men hiding behind it. They were looking in the direction of the HQ so they didn’t see our approach until it was too late.
“Fire,” I said emotionlessly to the gunner. I focused on one individual as his body was literally torn apart by the light blaster and concussion grenades of the tank. When it was done the barricade was covered in blood and bone. I closed my eyes for a second then said to the pilot, “See if you can push through it.”
Gently the pilot nudged the tank forward, pushing vehicles in the barricade aside slowly. We started receiving blaster fire from the other barricades around the HQ once we pushed through the barricade. The gunner immediately started returning fire with our blaster. I took my first good look at the HQ building as the pilot pulled up in front of it. Several parts of it were scorched from fire or battle, I could see a couple of dead Mandalorians on the steps in front of the large entrance.
I saw movement inside, behind a barricade of office furniture. At this time I received a comm from Jango saying Third was entering the city wherever it could and clearing any barricades it found. I gave him my position and told him to send an advance squad here immediately.
I tried again to comm Qaan. “Major Qaan? This is Captain Selrac.”
“Is that you outside my HQ Selrac?” Qaan replied. He sounded almost upset.
“Yes sir.”
“Well it’s good to see you. Is the rest of Third on it’s way?” Qaan said, calmly.
“They’re on the way.” I paused for a second, looking around at the barricades and noticing most of the fire had stopped. “Any orders sir?”
Qaan laughed. “Just park your butt right there and keep us covered. I’ve got to coordinate Second.”
The rest of the city seemed to fall silent after that. With their failure to take the HQ building, the rebels gave up and faded back into the city. Hiding amongst the population it would be almost impossible to single them out. Several hundred were caught trying to escape however and an intense fire fight broke out near the spaceport, where most of Second Division had been quartered. Qaan left his headquarters under the command of Vixx and went with a squad to oversee that battle personally. Before he left he gave me orders for Third to secure the outskirts of the city and make sure no more civilians left. I took these orders without comment, knowing Qaan was upset about not being able to foresee this attack.
<>
By dawn most of the fires had been put out and the battle near the spaceport was over. The butcher’s bill was high however for Second. 81 dead and 138 injured was a heavy price to pay. With the losses of the previous day added into it, a good third of Second Division was either dead or too injured to fight effectively. Even though we had effected greater casualties on the enemy, the ratio of enemy dead per Mandalorian dead turned the victory to ashes in our mouths.
“Third suffered very few casualties, thankfully.” Jango said, as we stood out of the way watching several mechanics from our division prepare one of the destroyed hover tanks for transport to our ships in orbit.
I looked up at Jango. “Second suffered enough for both divisions.”
“I know. Is Qaan still planning to go on the offensive today? Even after this attack?” He was still looking at the tank. Three dark rectangles marked the spot where the tank’s crew lay now, entombed in body bags.
I sighed and turned away motioning for him to follow me. “I don’t know. We’re supposed to meet him in an hour with a readiness report.” The street we were walking down was filled with ash from a nearby building, several bodies of civilians or rebels were still scattered here and there. I had left orders for Third to leave them alone until we had cared for our own dead. “Will you have the report readied?” I didn’t bother to look at Jango as I said this.
“Sure. I’ll contact the squad commanders.” Two men from our division passed by carrying a dead man on a stretcher between them. Since Third was an armored division, we didn’t have very many wounded, only dead. People usually didn’t survive the loss of their first tank. “What are you going to do?”
I looked up from the two men. “I need to talk with someone. Contact me in an hour with that report.”
As I turned and walked away from Jango, I heard him stop and talk with a wounded soldier from Second Division. “Come on I’ll help you back to your squad.”
<>
I walked around for a while surveying the extensive damage the city had taken during the night. Entire blocks of the city had burned down to ash and rubble as the two sides had fought. We had won, but what was left didn’t seem worth owning.
Finally I came across a sentry from Squad 9 of Third Division. His face was covered in smeared soot. He nodded at me as I passed him.
“Where is Corporal Hoor?” I asked when I came across a man cleaning the scoring along a hover tank’s cannon.
He smiled and pointed behind him. “She saw you coming and high-tailed it sir. If you take my meaning.”
I grunted and walked around the tank to a building behind it that the Squad was using as it’s own. Inside I heard a familiar voice cursing. I walked up to the door and knocked on it. “Lorial?”
It must have been the tone of my voice, but she immediately opened the door and pulled me inside. My eyes adjusted very quickly to the darkness inside and I could see she was half in and half out of her uniform, her blue-skinned face was covered with dirt and grime. “What’s wrong?” She said nervously, studying my body language.
I sighed. “I just needed to see you. Make sure you were alright. Last night was pretty bloody, for both sides.”
She paused for a second, making sure I was truly alright then continued removing her uniform. “You shouldn’t worry about me. You know I can take care of myself.”
“I know.” I sat down on one of the cots that had been set up here, keeping my eyes on Lorial’s beautiful body. “This is different though. We’ve been in battle together before, but this time I couldn’t be there to protect you. I was so involved with the battle I didn’t even think about you until the fighting stopped.”
She laughed, using a nearby canteen to wash her head and hands. “You’re not worried about me Arzak. You’re worried about not being worried about me.” She used the inside of her dirty uniform to dry her face, head-tails, and hands then pulled a clean one from her pack. “You have an unhealthy obsession with being a good person. I was never quite sure why, with what I know about your past.”
I stood and walked over to her. I took her hand and pulled her into a kneeling position so we were eye to eye. I looked pointedly at her other hand that held her uniform. Taking the hint she tossed it away and drew me close.
A while later I woke to the sound of Jango’s voice through my comm. “Captain. It has been an hour.” I turned my head to the left and saw Lorial looking back at me thoughtfully.
I reached with my right hand and picked up my wrist-comm from where it had fallen during our lovemaking. “Okay Jango. Meet me at Qaan’s HQ in a bit.” Neither I nor Lorial said anything, we both got dressed quickly. We didn’t avoid each others gaze, but we didn’t seek it either.
I was about to leave, when she picked up a blast rifle from the floor and tossed it to me. “Before you run off I want you to look at this.”
I caught it easily and examined it carefully. Nodding I said, “Thanks. I’ll tell Major Qaan.” We didn’t bother to say any lengthy good-bye. She nodded and I left, the rifle slung over my shoulder.
<>
I commandeered a hover tank from Squad 9 and had the crew drive me to the headquarters. The ride passed quickly, with only brief flashes of the scenery intruding on my busy mind. When we arrived I looked around, hardly recognizing the place from the previous night. The barricades were gone, the streets almost cleared. The only major sign that there had been any battle in this part of the city was the scorched ground and walls.
Jango exited the building and stood watching me as I half slid, half fell off the tank. Once on the ground I waved at the tank commander who watched from his position at the hatch of the tank. He nodded and spoke to his pilot down inside the vehicle.
As the tank was driving off, I walked up the steps and tossed the blast rifle up to Jango. He examined it and his eyes widened slightly as he realized what the rifle meant. “Damn,” he said fervently.
“Yeah.” I pushed past him into the headquarters building, noticing a pile of office furniture Qaan had used last night to form a defensive barricade. Captain Vixx was there, giving orders to a man about the disposal of the furniture. I interrupted him saying, “Where is the Major?”
Vixx turned and saw me and Jango standing there. Ignoring us for a brief second, he turned and said to the man with whom he had been speaking with before, “Do it.” Taking Jango and I in again, he motioned further back into the building. “This way.” He turned and led us deeper into the war torn facility.
I followed him, Jango trailing behind me. We passed a room where a prisoner was being interrogated. The screams turned my stomach and I walked past, trying to forget what I had seen. When we reached the command center of Qaan’s headquarters I looked around and found Qaan reading something on a datapad. He put it away as I approached. “Captain Selrac, do you have the report I asked for?” He looked tired.
I turned to Jango and he stepped forward handing another datapad to the Major. After Qaan accepted it, Jango went and stood behind me again. “There is another more important matter however.” I said, taking the rifle in my hands. “One of my people retrieved this last night from the enemy bodies. Notice the lack of any markings.”
Qaan put the datapads on a nearby table and took the blast rifle. “Very strange. The mining companies shouldn’t have access to any weapons like this. What do you make of it?”
“Black Sun or Eidola most likely.” I lowered my head, thinking out loud. “It could be one of the less known criminal organizations, but I don’t think they would try to move against us.”
“I think you’re jumping to conclusions. One weapon doesn’t mean anything,” he said, standing the rifle against the table. “It could have gotten here any number of ways.”
Vixx spoke up, slightly anxious. “Actually sir, several commanders have turned in similar weapons. I was just about to brief you when the Captain arrived.”
Qaan pursed his lips, thinking. “I see. Looks like you’re right Captain. I can’t see anyone spending the credits to supply and entire army with those weapons unless they made them. I’ll have Commander Olvier contact the Triad immediately. We might need reinforcements if we’re up against them,” he said, referring to Black Sun and Eidola. “Until we hear from them however, we’ll continue as planned. Whoever supplied these rebels obviously didn’t bother to train them, so I see no reason to sit around and wait.”
I agreed, but kept silent, waiting for Qaan to speak again.
He picked up a third datapad and handed it to me, turning on a holoprojector behind him as he did. “We’re going to move north today. Since the city has suffered major damage to all but the most critical facilities, we’ll be relocating our base to this city.” He pointed behind him at the projection. “It isn’t too far away. Third will leave now. Second will finish evacuating the wounded and then follow by ship in a few hours. Any objections?”
I couldn’t think of any, so shook my head. “I’ll alert my people.”
Qaan nodded and began to ask Vixx about the evacuation of the wounded Mandalorians.
<>
Three hours later the Stone Dragons were moving north again, with Second just behind them in the air. I was reviewing my maps of the terrain around the target city, when I heard the first reports of the enemy fleet in space.
“Selrac. This is Qaan. We have a problem.”
I spoke into the comm, a knot growing in my gut. “What?”
“A few minutes ago, fighters from First Fleet engaged suspicious ships near the perimeter of the system. The entire squadron was destroyed. Then, two minutes ago a large fleet of ships exited hyperspace an hour away from the planet.” There was a pause and Qaan’s voice could be heard in the background arguing with one of his men.
“Sir, any chance First can handle this new threat?” I asked, fearing the answer.
The argument on the other side of the comm ended suddenly and Qaan replied, a sour note in his voice. “None. Commander Olvier estimates the chance of success against such a force as less than one in twenty.”
Sliding the maps away, I nodded slowly. “I understand, an hour isn’t enough time to retrieve Third.”
Qaan’s voice rose slightly as he got angry. “Olvier says he can maybe hold them off for another half hour or so. We can-“
I interrupted him, angry too. “We both know there is no way to pull our Third unless we abandon all our vehicles, which I’m not about to do. Even then, the chances we could make it out of the atmosphere without taking heavy fire is remote. Respectfully sir, I know you’re in command here, but get Second the hell out of here. Third will be fine. We’ll retreat west and do what we have to.”
There was a long silence as Qaan considered his duty to Mandalore, his division, the mission. Finally his voice whispered over the comm. "Alright. Second Division will retreat, but I promise you Captain as one soldier to another. We will be back. Take care of your division, Arzak."
I made a silent promise to myself that I would and commed Jango to explain the situation. "We should disperse our forces a little. I think we can expect heavy bombardment from space once the enemy ships enter orbit. Take Squads One through Six and head west now. I'll take the rest and continue north for an hour then turn west as well."
Jango confirmed his orders with an obvious attempt to be cheerful. "Yes sir. Good luck. We'll beat these bastards yet."
I switched my comm frequency and set about arranging the remaining six Squads in a loose formation that should provide some defense against orbital fire.
An hour later, the first sign that they were under attack was a bright bright light arcing through the sky like a meteor. As soon as I noticed it, I shouted into the comm, “LEFT!” and tightened my grip on the rim of the hatch he was observing from as the vehicle swerved to the left sharply. I wasn’t totally prepared for what came next however, as to my right the world itself seemed to explode. Instinctively I ducked into the tank as a large piece of earth struck the side of vehicle, shaking it like a toy. “INCREASE SPEED!” I shouted again, this time to the pilot as another blast landed somewhere off to the left.
Slowly the bombardment began to lessen as the tanks seperated more from each other in their attempts to dodge incoming fire. I returned to the hatch, where I could keep a better lookout for incoming fire than the veiwing goggles provided. A few hundred meters ahead I saw two tanks collide as the bombardment exploded the ground underneath one and it flew into the other. The resulting secondary explosion blew up a cloud of dirt and grass from the already weakened soil.
"HALF SPEED!" I shouted at the pilot below as we entered the area of the explosion. The earth was beinging to rain down again when I spotted a survivor trying to drag herself away from the wreckage. "STOP!" Immediately the vehicle slowed and I jumped, half falling half rolling to the ground. Running to the woman, who I could now see was Lorial, I started helping her back to the tank. “Come on! We’ve got to keep moving!”
Before we took two steps however, another flash of light brightened the sky and we could only watch in horror as the hover tank and the ground around it exploded violently. Less than three miliseconds later the shockwave of the explosion reached us and we were thrown into the air like dry leaves.