The Lannik scratched at the stubble gracing his chin as he studied the simulated topography rotating slowly before him. The hologram was crude at best causing the confrontational General to fill in the details through avenues of common sense, practical knowledge, and past experience.
“If we insert our main force here.” He said, reaching to point toward the Eastern edges of the valley surrounding the lake. “We can force them to come to us, and away from the Lake itself as you suggest Master Vos.” The diminutive man turned his top knotted head with a slightly audible whoosh as his massive downward turned ears caught the air in their wake.
“Keeping any confrontation away from the Lake is a priority Vomend. We cannot disturb what is not meant to be.” Quinlan Vos replied, both hands on his hips and his eyes locked on the same image.
“War often disturbs what shouldn’t be.” Vomend responded. “Besides Master Vos your fears are based on myth and legend.”
Quinlan stifled a light chuckle as he found the irony in the statement, “the same was said at one time of the Sith…” he trailed off, finding the irony less comical with each passing second.
“We will have to place several units atop the cliffs on either side, closer to the enemies approximated position, to draw them apart and around that Lake Master Vos, it will take time and will most definitely come with casualties.” Vomend’s ears twitched in his response, Vos noting the movement with sympathy in his heart. The man was agitated.
Quinlan turned to face the small Lannik, “Vomend, within that Lake resides spirits closely tied to the Dark side of the Force. We need to avoid disturbing its waters at all costs.”
“And you can assure me the Empire will do likewise?” Vomend replied with an upturned brow.
“Of course I can’t Vomend, which is why it’s critical to split their forces. Make them come to us….and away from that body of water.”
“Sirs, we have two descending signals, T-85 Titans.” A young human female, her voice contrasting the dialogue between the two men with an excited tinge.
“Two divisions?” Vos turned to the Lannik again.
“Cappy, where did those Titans originate?” Vomend asked his tactical technician over his shoulder.
“Executor Sir.”
“Veers will keep the divisions tight, supporting one another…splitting them will be difficult….” He trailed off in thought, returning his own gaze to the holoimage once again.
“And Vader will insist on deploying all five Vomend.” Vos added as the Lannik began to scratch at his chin with more vigor.
“Of course he will.” Vomend added as he focused his inspection toward the Western ridge of the valley. “We will deploy the main force as I’ve said Vossy and line a flanking perimeter of artillery along the valley’s Southern and Northern rims at intervals. Hit and run from the high ground. I will assign Karg and his fleet squads close ranks with KAAC support from midway up…” He turned from his musings to face Vos once again, “….and away from the lake.”
“Sirs.” Cappy interrupted again, “incoming enemy fighters.”
“ETA?” Vomend swiveled completely to face her.
“Currently breaching atmosphere, landfall in less than five minutes Sir.”
“Nohk. Do you read?” Vomend spun back toward the holoimage canting his head skyward.
“Gotcha little guy.” The baritone said almost cheerfully.
Vomend bristled at the slight, his ears vibrating wildly, “Nice. We are going to have issues landing every unit if we can’t stem the flow of fighters. It is imperative that you do your best to keep them hangered if you can but even more so to keep that Super Star Destroyer on its toes to delay any further ground force deployment.” “Understood Vomend.” All trace of jest gone from his voice. “Ravager is here as well but Shallah and Reece are drawing Tethys out. We are in approach as we speak for another run on Executor. Her movements are erratic and sloppy so I would wager Vader is not aboard. Just a heads up.”
“Copy Captain, good run.” Vomend said, returning the small hand to the stubble and casting a furtive glance toward Quinlan.
“If he is planet side, I’ll need to be as well Vomend.” Voss said, his expression stolid but frowning into deadly serious.
“Sirs?”
“Cappy, no more bad news please.” Vomend said without turning around.
“I don’t know what kind it is Sir, life forms….four, at our decant position.” She said, forcing Vomend to turn his wrinkled brow skyward completely, slowly swiveling his gaze toward Quinlan’s. The look asked for some sort of explanation but only received a shoulder shrug from the Kiffar in response. The man’s upturned hands offered sincerity that Vomend wasn’t sure he appreciated.
✦
“Rexxy, I don’t think you need the nocs anymore, look.” Kowani said, her own helmet lying at her feet as she watched the ships approach them from the Eastern horizon, her finger pointed toward them for his benefit.
Rex brought the device down to his chest as he squinted his eyes into tight hyphens, then brought the quadnocs back up to his face with a grumble, “….young...eyes….”
Ahsoka choked down her intended laugh but couldn’t contain the squeal that left her lips. She raised a hand to apologize, but continued to watch on as the ships drew closer.
“Ani, Nara do either of you sense anything?” Ahsoka asked in a more serious tone after she had composed herself. “Take care while reaching out, we may find more than we expect.”
“Ahsoka. Vader will come. He will be here if he already isn’t.” Nara said turning to the Togruta with sorrow tugging her eyes downward. “I, better than anyone, realize what that means for you.”
“It is not my destiny Nara.” Ahsoka said bluntly, although she wasn’t entirely sure she believed her own words.
The sound of the incoming ships began to thrum through the valley as they crested the Eastern ridge at staggered intervals, dropping to the ground below with dedicated dives. The lead vessel arced toward them, an obvious deviation from its intended course. Rex’s jaw dropped as he rang out various makes and models of the assembled freighters and modified haulers, most identifiable and all upgraded with thick duranium plating on their undersides. The lead vessel, a massive CEC modified Baleen class heavy freighter began detaching various segments of its mid hull landing skiffs by the dozens. Each skiff angling toward the ground below and decanting all manner of vehicle and soldier. Artillery dating back to the Clone Wars mingled with freshly painted versions of Imperial AT-ST support walkers. Gigantic Mekun Heavy Trackers with ground shaking repulsors decanted from their own skiffs, massive Ion disruptors adorning the tops of their decks were already swiveling around, looking for enemy targets.
Ahsoka could only look at Rex with a smile on her face as he gave her a wink in return.
The extensive disruptions in the dirt and sand at their feet caused the four of them to shield their eyes from the natural projectiles as the collective thrumming of repulsors from the landing skiffs began swirling obfuscating clouds of the debris in all directions. Rex heard it first as he began turning slowly toward Ahsoka, “do you hear that?” She could only look up toward the massive hauler still a kilometer distant to the sight of penetrating flood lights piercing through the violently swirling debris clouds, several successive clanks could be heard through the chest pounding bass of the collective repulsors.
“What is that?” She began to ask the old clone as a new sound joined the fray. Faint at first as it blended in with the other audible preparations for battle but unmistakable as the wind shifted slightly bringing the signature roar of twin P-s4 Ion engines with it.
“TIE?” Kowani asked, resting her helmet upon her head once more.
The sounds began to mute out the others upon the breeze as the deep resonate clanking sounds stopped abruptly.
“More than one.” Rex offered, taking several steps involuntarily backward.
The opening salvo they were all expecting surprised them nonetheless as a red beam of hot energy illuminated the debris clouds on its way to an unseen foe, only to be answered by twin beams of green from a forthcoming Imperial fighter that had successfully utilized the confounding clamor of preparation to mask its approach.
There were no audible reports of any of the attempts finding their marks, but Ahsoka could not hide the sorrow that had taken over her features. ‘The battle of Ambria has begun’ she thought to herself although unclear who its participants actually were. They had come at T’zar’s behest to uncover a truth, only to find a wayward version of the very person she thought she had destroyed months prior. These newcomers surely didn’t know any of those details so this, then, is simply a matter of two forces colliding for the sake of war. All sounds faded from her hearing as the red, orange, and yellow debris clouds were consumed with pulse and blaster fire. Green, red, and blue hyphens crisscrossing her field of vision from left to right and back again, triggering her extensive memories of similar encounters during the Clone Wars. Instances she had rarely thought twice about as she would jump into the fray at her Masters side, her thoughts focused only on the purification of Separatist forces and the liberation of the people that called whichever planet home. How eager she had been to unleash her weapons, both physical and martial, in those endeavors if only because no one else would, or could, at the given moment. ‘How is this different?’ She asked herself blankly as some of the laser fire began finding targets, an Imperial TIE coming to a flaming halt forty meters away, a landing skiff with a Saber tank in flames crashing to the ground at a feverishly canted angle. Ahsoka turned to consider Nara, who was mouthing words with her eyes closed tight. ‘All of this for her?’ The question surprised her but only for a second as parallels to her thoughts began to take shape. She could feel a hand on her shoulder and knew without looking that Kowani would be at her side.
“I don’t understand Ahsoka. I can’t understand it, but she needs us.” Kowani said in a hushed tone, meant for Ahsoka alone.
Ahsoka fought the urge to whirl on the woman and berate her for intruding on her thoughts but only lifted a hand to squeeze Kowani’s slightly. “Nara.” She said, deciding on a slight detour of subject, “we can’t stay here.”
“She knows.” Zannah said softly as Ahsoka watched the Mirialan continue her chanting. “She will embrace it in time.”
Ahsoka turned toward the spectral woman, “I don’t think we have much of that.”
A loud explosion rocked the air close to them all as a visual flash of red and orange fire engulfed a descending skiff hosting the crouching form of a heavily modified AT-ST. The skiff canted slightly before nose diving into the planet’s surface, forcing rock, dust, and sand into a cratering wave of debris. Whomever was operating the AT-ST however would not be denied their part in coming events as they skillfully lept the vehicle from the skiffs edge moments before impact.
“I’ve never seen piloting like that before.” Rex offered as the AT-ST staggered to a halt ten meters away and swiveled its head skyward before unleashing a barrage of heavy blaster fire from its nose and side mounted turrets, an effort to return the favor to the offending TIE fighter. Ahsoka could not help but wince with each screeching bolt released from its cannons as the sounds of war infiltrated her memories yet again. The roars of a multitude of incoming fighters piercing their way into her thoughts, her mind active in drumming up some imaginable visual of herself from twenty years prior. Again, she could feel herself being pulled from the auditory reports of reality around her, her mind delving further into memory at the expense of rationality and oath. Without thought, she tore from her stance straight for the two-legged walker, pausing only briefly to bound her way up its legs, flip herself up onto the torso behind the cockpit and summersault onto the head of the mechanical beast. Dropping to a knee, she banged on the access hatch at her feet with the hilt of her primary saber. Her senses heightened to levels she had never known herself capable she could hear active whispers from the cockpit below, a human and a Twi’lek, both male, contemplating opening the hatch.
“I am a friend.” Ahsoka called through the duranium and durasteel armor. She could hear the debating cease as the swivel on the internal locking mechanism rotated with a metallic scrape before an awfully familiar face emerged from within.
“Togruta. What are you doing?” The familiar face had an accompanying familiar voice.
If not for the oddly formed tattoo covering the man’s bald head and the lack of facial hair she would have sworn she was looking at Rex. “I am Ahsoka Tano. Keep your fire focused on the ground, let me worry about incoming fighters.” Although she hadn’t meant the admission of her name to register with the man, she could see his eyes widen slightly upon hearing it and a sly smile betraying his hard edges as he brought a hand to his forehead in salute. “Understood Commander.”
As the hatch closed again without the metallic locking sound, Ahsoka found herself in the throes of nostalgia, igniting her sabers with a crack of both wrists. She forced a glance back down toward Rex and Kowani who had formed a flanking perimeter around Nara. Ahsoka nodded toward them both before the roar of Ion engines brought her attention back to the foreground. Three incoming Imperial TIE fighters were bearing down upon the walker, unleashing a strafing hail of blaster fire into the ground. She planted her feet as the pilot below guided the AT-ST diligently to the side with a complicated shuffling of the machine’s appendages, the head swiveling to the left to compensate for the trajectory before unleashing all four heavy blasters into the lead fighter. The ensuing ball of flame threatened to rupture the fighter to its right whose pilot was deft enough to roll out of the way. The fighter on the left, taking exception to the walker’s presence rolled similarly and back into line of fire with its own stream of green energy. Ahsoka was able to time the bursts and dip low to prevent one of the beams from tearing through the pilot house, deflecting it into the debris cloud that only seemed to gather in intensity. The next three bolts fired in precisely the same sync as they had previously, Ashoka turning them all back into the fighter with explosive results. She turned her attention to the third fighter, only to see a white-hot bolt of energy tear through its solar panels and reduce the craft to its spherical cockpit before it too was reduced to explosive fury upon contact with the hard ground below. Ahsoka turned to see Kowani lowering her A-180, knowing it wasn’t the first time the Mirialan had reduced an Imperial TIE to rubble with the weapon.
✦
“Perfect Nara, maintain your focus and continue to let the Force guide your thoughts.” Zannah whispered her intentions into Nara’s mind as she continued working the meditation. “You see how strong you can be simply by letting yourself become whom you were meant to.” Nara acknowledged the sentiment but continued focusing on channeling the wrath of Ambria itself into the Togruta’s efforts, offering the precision of the Force into the sabers at Ahsoka’s command. Nara could sense the ire of Ambria within its full scope, wanting to be free of conflict at all costs but something more personal, deeper, inside its soundless wailing. “You are feeling the pain of corruption Nara. Ambria has been afflicted for eons, by spirits severe and extreme in their resolve to escape bondage.” Zannah continued, quietly and softly so as not to disrupt Nara’s concentration. “These are the elements that have drawn us here, why I kept coming back even in life, why Master Thon has resided here millennia and why T’zar had taken it upon himself to monitor the matrix.”
“This planet is a prison.” Nara returned in thought alone, careful herself not to sever the intense concentration the mediation needed. “Even with your matrix in my possession, you cannot leave. Master Thon will cease to be this day as the waters of Lake Naath will finally be cleansed. Master T’zar will be free of his charge….” Nara hesitated as she felt her concentration waver.
“It is inevitable Nara, do not think on it.” Zannah responded, knowing where Nara was headed. “Just focus for the time being.”
Nara could feel an inexplicable sorrow beginning to grip her core as she tightened her eyes in concentration. She felt the pain of Ambria, the weight of its tragic past begin to manifest itself through her imagination. Death, beyond Nara’s comprehension, lie in every centimeter of the planet’s surface as well as the layers of rock underneath. Nara had seen what the Dark side was capable of through the lens of planetary destruction, either outright or over time, this however was something more tragic, more sinister. Ambria had, long ago, become the crossroads of fate and destiny, where the basic needs of life would be thrust into their most extreme forms. Something not caused by either the Light or the Dark, but a combination of the effects caused by the clashing of both. Nara saw the irony as it stared her square in the face, ‘we are doing the same to her now.’
“Nara, it is inevitable. There is nothing that you are doing now, nor could ever, that would have either impeded or assisted what was set in motion before my time.” Zannah answered her thought. “It precedes my own Master and even the Brotherhood of Darkness that proceeded him.”
“Ambria will be free of its pain Mistress.” Nara thought.
“It will be Nara, and then, when you are prepared to come home, it will be here for you.” Zannah said the words that she knew Nara needed to hear.
Nara was silent on the subject as she poured more of her concentration into the meditation again, assisting Kowani’s shot as it tore through solar wings. She was immediately assaulted in thought as Ahsoka was startled herself, what had been an easy transaction of sorts was amounting to child’s play in her mind as a looming threat made its presence known in both her thoughts and her physical self. The one whom Sidious had sent to retrieve her, to take her from her home and subject her to countless forms of torment was approaching. Vader was here.
✦
“Get those units planet side Captain. I need my full contingent!” General Veers shouted at the diminutive holo image of his duty Captain aboard the Executor. “Launch the Titans, what are you waiting for?”
“Sir, the Admiral is engaged in evasive maneuvers and is contradicting my orders stating as much. I know you need them ground side, but he insists that he will not expose his hangars to enemy fire.” The duty Captain responded.
“Am I to understand that we will not have any further fighter cover than as well?” Veers said, his features hardening to stone cold directness.
The holoimage was silent for a moment before General Veers shook his head in frustration and terminated the emitter. “Sir, enemy artillery from both ridges are focusing on our center. Long range, minimal threat but I am certain we haven’t seen full potential yet.” The gunnery officer said as the pilot beside him guided the metallic beast with methodic precision and ground shaking authority. “Long range scans are inconclusive through that haze.” He said pointing a gloved finger out toward the debris clouds swarming the Eastern horizon.
“They are trying to do nothing less than split the forces we do have.” Veers said in a response of his own, reaching for the comm link in his helmet, “All units, ignore diversionary fire and continue toward Lord Vaders position, we will sweep the Northern cliffs, keeping us out of range of the artillery on the Southern cliffs and out of sight from everything to the North. Maintain delta pattern and keep your eyes open for enemy units.
His gunnery officer turned in his seat, “ignoring the cliffs doesn’t mean the units won’t reallocate Sir, what of our rear?”
Veers was silent for a moment as the answer to that question was still hangered in the bowels of the Executor. As if in response, the holo emitter chimed with an incoming message. He brought his gaze down from his forward view to activate the device before him. “General, I think I may have a solution to your dilemma. Give me a few minutes to allow your duty Captain the window he needs to get those Titans off the Executor. In the meantime, we will launch fighter escort and do our best to maintain air superiority over your operational area.” Grand Admiral Simi Tethys delivered the news his own fleet Admiral hadn’t seen fit to convey.
“That is very welcome news Grand Admiral, thank you.” General Veers responded, the emitter ceasing on the distill end, “and that should sufficiently answer your question Pitale.” He said to his gunnery officer.
✦
Captain Nohk Cellukt placed both of his massive hands upon the arm rests of his seat and pushed himself up to his booted feet. Crossing his taught thick arms before his chest he proceeded at a casual pace toward the forward viewport. Built to give its passengers an uninhibited view of the ribbons of hyperspace travel, the scope of its construction also enabled the ship’s captain to entertain views at his leisure. ‘I am sure they never had this in mind.’ Nohk thought to himself as he approached the reinforced transparisteel panels, set into the nose of the vessel three times his own height. “Century and Dorsal gunners, prepare for port roll.” He called out to the active Tacnet. Half turning, he glared over his shoulder. “Helm, I want Port canted roll, fifteen-degree downward angle…” He paused returning his view to the ports before him, “Make that eighteen degree.”
“Sir.” Tam squeaked out, “isn’t it enough to keep the Executor from delivering anything else planet side? I think it worth noting that Ozzel’s ineptitude is more than compensated for with Tethys’s presence.” Freebo was certain the words would anger the Devaronian, but they needed to be said, nonetheless.
“Perhaps your right Tam. Greed can make for lonely partnerships.” Nohk said blowing out a breath, “helm belay trajectory, give me Port roll, steady on.” He updated with an approving eye toward the squat Sullustan. “On my mark.”
“Sir. Shallah and Reece are in position. You have their mark.” A young male Zabbrak called over the bridge’s comm.
‘Now or never’ Nohk thought, hating how the cliché was so right. “Mark!”
✦
“Fire all forward long-range batteries. Nearest targets. We’re not looking for heroics only to draw those forces farther out from orbit.” Captain Shallah bristled in her Togrutan accent. She felt the old Venator shudder under the resultant recoil of the refurbished DBY-827 Heavy laser turrets and subsequent unloading of all forward proton torpedo tubes. Peripheral sidelong glances from her vantage presented a similar visage of other vessels under her command. Blue hyphens streaking their ways toward the far superior armor and shielding of the current Imperial capital ships, knowing how ineffectual the impacts would be. The collective tactical decision to use Imperial aggression against itself found no argument from anyone however as the ship shuddered again from another wave of arms sent streaking away toward the contingent of Imperial warships. Shallah watched with hopeful desperation as she coaxed Tethys to make the pivotal mistake of committing even a small delegation of vessels to deal with this outside threat. She knew Reece was pulling on those levers of hope, knowing he was firing away just like they were. Shallah almost pitied Ozzel as she’d come to know the man vicariously through Captain Nohk and General Vomend and she couldn’t understand why Vader hadn’t chosen someone else entirely to lead his fleet. ‘Someone like Tethys’ she thought to herself, knowing the Vice Admiral well from the plethora of Outer Rim skirmishes the two had unwittingly engaged. Another fusillade of laser fire erupted from the batteries as another group of torpedoes rushed forward from the aged lady. She tapped her ear bead, “Reece, anything?” Her accent fresh on her tongue.
“We had several leads fall back Shallah. Tethys must have taken direct command of the fifth.” He responded in her ear.
“We must be cautious Reece. Nohk, keep eyes on your scopes, expect reinforcements. Reece, they haven’t been able to hinder Vomend’s landing whatsoever and if those ships haven’t committed fully to blockade the planet then something else must be coming. I suggest we belay fire and concentrate our forces on the perimeter to prepare for it.”
“Copy Shallah, the overall lack of fighters is what has me concerned. We should be swarmed with them by now.” Reece responded.
Shallah placed both hands on her hips as she turned from the viewport and concentrated her gaze on her scanning team, canting a hip upward she knew she was right in assuming something else was on its way, the call was her’s alone in what to do about it as she did her best to replay the narrative since their arrival. ‘If we close ranks, we fall under their fire. If we don’t, we leave Nohk exposed over the long term.’ She thought to herself, knowing full well Temple Garden could hold its own longer than the average Star Destroyer, however there were also two Dreadnought’s trading space in its wake. Nohk would be able to maintain his ruse with the Executor, until, that is, the Ravager became directly involved. She waved toward her comms officer to get the man’s attention, then circled a finger over her head. With the man’s thumbs up she lifted her head slightly, “listen up everyone, we came here with the intention to nullify any further ground involvement from the Imperial Fifth Fleet, a portion of which is currently under heavy fire from our own Vomend currently. As it turns out, through Nohk’s efforts, that directive has now presented us the opportunity to drive a wedge deep into the Imperial Navy altogether. I am convinced reinforcements are forthcoming, so our time is limited. I am going to initiate attack pattern zeta three, Nohk converge on our pincer point orbital. Reece and I will cross over and skip blind to wraparound positions on their flanks. Reece, you will have the Mark.”
“Captain, do not forget the SD’s that went dark polarizing the planet.” Nohk replied with a trace of caution in his voice.
Shallah only chuckled in response, “forget them Captain? I think not my dear Nohk….I am counting on them.”