KAP Caibre Diceann (Krath)/Satal Keto
A Question of Loyalty
Hospital frigate Sabine sat waiting at the edge of Lyarna. Stars twinkled about her oblivious as casualties streamed into the medical bay. Shuttles, assault transports and storm trooper transports came in by the half dozen or so. The groans of the wounded mingled with the smell of fresh blood as doctors and medical assistant with their twonebees bounced from patient to patient segregating the living and the dead. The serious and the salvageable were treated first. Those that were safe to travel or ready to travel were placed back on the transports and vectored to Desalmado. Everywhere blasted smoking armour on Imperial Storm Troops charred by glancing blaster fire. Cut faces slashed by flying debris, bandaged skulls holding cracked bone and oozing flesh wounds, the whole place was littered wall to wall with people in agony. Everywhere there was view of blaster wounds and the scream of a hundred minds in agony. The dying and near dying were given what help they could.
The reports had been filtering in all day. In the depths of Minos, Imperial forces had tripped a nest of Eyeightthree battledroids. The loss of arms and legs today included the additional ones left by close quarters combat. Fighters flew sorties to pound the more exposed positions. Hover tanks and AT-STs pounded the periphery of larger inner caverns. The surface of the asteroid was littered with broken droids and dead zero troopers. An entire battalion thrown at more than a regiment of entrenched artificial sentience.
Door to door, hallway after hallway, no cavern was left unexplored. That would have been fine except that a Republic Star Destroyer detected their presence and forced the section into a mad scramble for local reinforcements.
Eile walked among the wounded the reports ringing in her ears, fellow Imperials. She clutched the dragon’s claw on her chest- the pain was intense- all these minds screaming the brutality of dead and wounded comrads and the scorching pain of their own battered bodies. Last rites for some, prayers of recovery and wrapt limbs for living. So much death. She shook her head violently. The Rebellion -never- went through this. Xoth’s pirates had more enemies this side of the Imperial border than at Greeop. As she sat comforting some storm trooper who’s name she would soon forget, comm announced two more shuttles arriving on the perimeter. One of them had severe damage to her port wing. Both were broadbanding distress on every Imperial station… Military and local.
Up on the bridge, the Captain watched the approaching shuttles with trepidation. Normally Lyarna was a quiet spot on the map of the Hammer’s Marches. He turned to the XO. Perhaps it was a ripple on the Force, perhaps blind luck but he knew nonetheless. "Battle stations", he shouted impatiently. "Deck Officer launch the standbys". A second later a hornet’s nest of Xwings, Ywings and Z95s jumped in following the Lambdas.
Down on the flight deck, the Avengers devoted to the Sabine’s defense began a screaming launch, desperate to intercept. Commander Ophilan brought up the HUD battle Manager to observe the incoming attackers. TAC piped in as 4 Avengers joined the threat display. "Estimated 15 Zekes, 8 Crosshairs and 6 coffins. The newer stuff is hanging back. Judging by their attack speed, the zekes are mark twos. The deck officer nodded and confirmed. "Directing Beta flight after the bombers". The Ophilan made a note of taking the TAC to task over his continuous of Galthain battle chatter at the next ogroup… if they stayed around long enough to have one.
Captain Terastead smirked briefly as he began his final approach on the Medical Frigate Sabine. After having infiltrated the RSD Heracio’s fighter crew, Aquillas had opened a unique opportunity to level an opening shot at Clan Satal Keto. He and his flight members had been flying with the pirates from the Hangar of the Heracio for three weeks. No one aboard Heracio knew they were Imperial pilots and no one suspected them to be flying Ares class Xwings. It was doubtful that Captain Corrigan knew what an Ares class Xwing was because they were too close to the border for them to be used. Sadly, if Terastead had bothered to search back into Corrigan’s files he might have noted a reference to Altair’s Reach and the reason this Republic Star Destroyer was as big and an Imperial class Star Destroyer was that it was the ISD Ravage which was turned over at Altair’s Reach by Captain Corrigan.
Six Tie Avengers slashed (TAC had released the reserves) and ripped into the whirling swarm. The command bridge of the Sabine listened desperately as news came in that reinforcements were 30 minutes away. VSD Bombard of the Lyarna defense fleet was on the way with everything she had.
Captain Unlatu winced as he linked up with Desalmado. Most squadrons were off raiding the Rebellion. He caught a baleful look from flight Captain Hobbel at there. The man grumbled a warning that a Cloakshape Banshee was enroute. Unlatu frowned. A Cloakshape was in route?
Hobbel looked into Unlatu’s eyes. He mouthed no explanation. Just an apology. Reprisals were expected and the fleet was in contact.
Unlatu looked over to TAC and keyed the comm... "Commander Ophilan, news from Desalmado is grim. They have a lone Cloakshape enroute of its own accord... ETA 10 minutes. They regret they cannot send more. Communications from their attack squadrons report reprisal jump in progress.
The deck officer went white in the holo. "A lone cloakshape? The man is nuts! They’re slower than the Ys attacking us."
Highlighting Ophilan’s comment, a dull thud pounded the portside hull. Klaxons screamed as the lights went to emergency mode- everything went into a shadowy red. In the darkness of the red lighting surgeons scrambled to get to the new wounded as the shield breach resealed. A lone rocket had launched from a Zeke evading the anti-missile battery. Right behind it, the Zeke splattered across the Medical frigate’s deflectors like a crack of thunder, rolling her to port.
"We can’t take much more of this pounding sir. Rescue shuttle has launched to pick up our downed pilots. We’ve only got 3 left."
"Easy Commander. Losses are heavy on both sides." Unlatu had a point They had 40 percent losses. The bombers were being savaged, leaving the fighters to spin and fight with few left to strafe.
Terasted growled as he spun to avoid the deadly guns of the 3 remaining Avengers. The fools were out numbered but refused to quit. Only his Sith training kept him from being salvage parts free floating in space. A grin flashed across his face as the on his tail exploded in a fiery bouquet of shrapnel. Two to go. Seven Z95s remained along with eight Xwings and two Ywings. The Ys were out of torpedoes. There were no more rockets with the Z95s- which left those Xwings who’d loaded torpedoes standard instead of the more effective anti-fighter advanced concussion. Still, with most of the fighter defenses gone the shields on the Sabine began to buckle. For the Aqullias pilot, it was time to leave. He was too distracted to notice a brief blip appear on his threat display only to disappear- its loss whispered happily to him.
Klaxons aboard the Sabine continued their serenade. Surgeons, twonebees and medaes scrambled from deck to deck searching for casualties as repair crews and droids desperately tried to keep the medical frigate from breaching into vacuum. The staff command bridge winced as the lone Cloakshape entered the battle. Ophilan joined the bridge staff to watch as the HUD battle display went down on the hangar deck.
He watched in a mix of amazement and horror as the lone Cloakshape entered the battle.
"Banshee to Sabine requesting permission to join the party?", it piped in.
"Roger Banshee, do what you can." The words no sooner left his mouth than the old fighter jumped up to 135mglt and vanished. Ophilan went white. Two Avengers left at eight to one... neither were Sith pilots.
Terasted felt a brief flash as the Cloakshape disappeared in a cloud of Xwings- death to thee on the howls of the night Reb. It was the last thing he saw. A howl broadbanded across Reb One as his port wing was torn from its mountings, cut clean by collision with something he could not see. His mind screamed as metal grated on the elmarin glow of deflector shielding- death to you traitor. It whispered through his cortex like a virus. It smacked of fear unlike any he’d tasted. He desperately thumbed the hyperdrive into action... too late... it cackled in his mind as he slammed into acceleration. Points of lines began to blur into lines as a pair of ADV tore through his engine compartment at maximum speed violently cartwheeling him into the depths of the Lyarna system perimeter.
Xwings and Zekes scattered as Terasted roared into deepspace. The two Ys exploded as missiles launched from the blackness. They had been bare minutes from an ion canon run. The Banshee decloaked and warmed up her gunpods. "Sabine, this is Banshee. Request you vector me your remaining pilots so I can effect a route for the neighbours ."
On the command deck the deck officer nodded to TAC "Banshee you have our best wishes. Bring ‘em back in one piece!"
At 35, Caibre Diceann had seen enough battle in the Imperial Navy to know a bad situation. Thrawn had taught him that a bad situation was best dealt with by a handful of people who were directly involved. Turbo Lasers were still charging into the green. He now had two avengers under his command... That made it 14 to 3. He smirked, the pilots probably outranked him now. He keyed his mic. "Alright gentlemen, I don’t know which part of the Navy failed you worse but we’re gonna clean up this mess." The pirates were getting ready to bolt... he it smelled on their breaths. "Beta 3 you take the lead of the remaining Xwing super flight. Beta 2 take out his wingmen. I’m gonna do a pack split." The pack split was a basic run the opponent up the middle cutting their numbers in half while cloaked. With 3 ADVs that was going to be it. Thank the dragon for pirate pilots... Rebellion Navy types would smell the attack style immediately.
As the Banshee went to cloak, the remaining pirates broke into a classical furball in an attempt to engage the Avengers. 90 seconds later three Zekes shattered in two. With five down, the pirates had no more stomach for heavy losses and scattered along a dozen exit vectors. Two more failed to make the jump as the Banshee decloaked and charged her guns. "Nice shooting gentlemen
As they began to board the Sabine, night descended
upon Caibre Diceann as it had since his days at the academy. He hadn’t
feared it since Tau squadron aboard the Grey Wolf. The walls of the Banshee’s
cockpit blurred into the depths of space. He "awoke" aboard the command
bridge of a Star Destroyer. It was the Ravage... the smell of the bridge
was unmistakable. Captain Corrigan loved leather and loved the smell of
nicotrol sticks. Corrigan failed to recognized him as he stood on the deck
next to the tactical station. The man had changed. His uniform was that
of a Rebellion flag officer. He still stood as arrogant and reckless as
he did in command of the Ravage. It smelled like he’d made a tidy sum too.
The air brimmed with the wafting vapours of expensive nicotrol sticks.
He stared proudly out upon a new CC7700 and motioned for nav to follow
its course. The two blinked at once as the points of light became a blur
of white lines. Diceann strained to focus on the astrologics. The points
they were... everything went black.
Diceann shook his head as 3 Medaes checked him over for vitals on a stretcher . "Heart rates dropped to critical", he heard the neighbouring twonebee report as he sat up. "Rumours of my imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated." He said with chuckle. The Medae above him flashed a glare of concern.
Eile Ganere looked down into Diceann’s eyes as she continued to monitor his pulse- the silence of his presence gnawed at her... his mind had left the ship to visit elsewhere. "You know Lieutenant you had us worried for a moment. We’re going to continue to monitor your situation.", she reported.
The Krath priest gave her a flash of mock horror and reached to clutch his talisman- fear not little Vornskyr. "Glad to be rescued by so beautiful a medae. I find it distressing though, so easily, you have forgotten your training last year Ensign Ganere. Have those 4 weeks been so far buried that my name has been stricken from your mind." He shook his head again the flash niggling fresh in the back of his brain- blast it woman get me the Captain no time to waste!. Casually, he hopped off the stretcher belying the wince he felt as his mind continued to scream for action so soon after they stopped to wait for another stretcher party to race by down to engineering. The smell of smoke was still strong in the air even though the emergency lights had been replaced with real light. Ignoring the bewildered looks of his attendants, waved his hand at the comm and connected with the bridge.
Without a word of hello he broke the silence of the command bridge. "Captain, request you get this bucket of bolts underway sir. They’re coming!"
Captain Unlatu glared at the holo of the Lieutenant. A black cloak hung about a black suit of Imperial Navy battle armour. Unlike the rest of the crew about him, his brown hair was longish tied back in a ponytail. A large Blastech Dag sat at his left hip as the silver tube of a lightsabre hung from his right. His command rank cylinders were not standard red and blue of the Navy, his were the black and white of special ops. Around his neck hung the Krath dragon medallion. The Captain glowered at the flight Lieutenant’s breach of protocol. "Lieutenant, we generally don’t let just anyone dial up the bridge. Have you something specific you’d like to report that you saw or are you going to report a Jedi hunch?"
Rage rumbled in Caibre’s belly. Krath Jedi did not have hunches. The force was the voice of the dragon that spoke to them. "Understood sir. I have no time to quibble. Deck Officer I’m taking your pilots with me. We have company coming and it isn’t something that can be ignored or wait. That company would be bigger than a Nebulon" The Lieutenant clicked his heel and spun back to the hangar deck. Angrily he stormed up to the grey suited techs inspecting his personal fighter. No one touched the Banshee. She was his blade in the night, to have her run worse by someone else’s hand would mean death. He growled to the nearest one. "You there.. I need a full rack of advanced torpedoes and a second rack of advs. Don’t dawdle!"
The Avenger pilots waddled up to him. Eyeing him with disdain. He was a Krath. No pilot let alone a Sith one cared to hear what a Krath had to say about flying or combat. It was a well known fact that Krath didn’t fly and those who did were only half decent Diceann snapped a brief salute. " No time to explain. By the time I do the Sabine is gonna be in tractor beam mode."
His reply was a bemused snort. Flaring he turned and stabbed deep into the minds of the techs lolly-gagging on the work that was assigned them - get to work you fewls or the vornskyr will feast on your bones when I’m through. Fear whispered into their souls from his darkened gaze. They ducked and scurried like wamprats. Impatiently, he hopped into the Banshee and scoured through her damage report. He scowled at his two Sabine counterparts. This fight would be his own.
The fatter one waddled over to the cockpit "Hey boy. You know that anything bigger than a Nebbie is gonna pack two or more squadrons. Why an RSD could patch together nearly a whole wing. What’s one little croaky cloak pilot gonna do against a nest of Awings and Xwings?"
Diceann sat calmly. Rage brought calm.. the hangar deck stirred with breezes strung from his calm. He tore into the depths of the Captain’s eyes. "Well sir, Pilots from the SSD Avenger don’t worry about numbers cuz we’re the best. Corellian’s don’t worry about the numbers cuz it wrecks our Sabbac concentration. If I need to tuck you in or change your diapers while your scouring the Zips and Crosshairs from your shoulders, I’ll be happy to oblige. You glimmer pilots are really a joke. Wraith Squadron’s four would have pasted the job you six messed up. And if it weren’t for me, you’d be rations for the space slugs. Watch your six.. I don’t do diapers as much as I used to." A wheeze itched in the man lungs as the Lieutenant closed his canopy and checked the missile load. Diceann grinned... the man wasn’t a Sith. Six ADTs(advanced torpedoes) and 8 ADVs... a double load would have been nice but a harsh to request on a medical frigate. The Banshee signalled the command bridge and rolled out of the hangar bay.
The night was quiet. Behind Dice, the two Tie Avengers played tag with his six. Tempted as he was to roll over and rip the port wings from one of the glimmers behind him, he decided against mauling them. He had bigger fish to fry. The CC7700 danced clearly in his eyes. He could smell the leather aboard the Ravage. Suddenly, the klaxons screamed in his ear. Two and a half klicks to his port the beast emerged from the darkness. A tender bump from behind on his aft shield rattled him awake. Krayt spittle. It was as big and as ugly as a Devastator class frigate. The beast could have been mistaken for an over-inflated missileboat with those looming forward missile batteries.
One of the pilots screamed in his headset "Rebellion frigate off the port beam" No doubt everyone from here to Coruscant had heard it. The man was terrified.
Dice pulled up the shield display and began a sector by sector scroll of her hull. Curiously, the CC7700 failed to share the flaws of the ISD designs. The shield generators were buried in her hull as was the grav well generator. Thankfully, the shields were half that of her Imperial counterpart.
Dice hissed a prayer to the dragon as the wave crashed into him. To Battle. The night went red. The 7700 became but a foe to crack and break. Behind him his wingmen shook their heads in unison as the Banshee throttled up and charged full into the face of the beast.
The lines of stars collapsed into point. The Heracio halted bare kilometers from the side of the Restraint. Captain Corrigan looked out onto the mayhem. A lone fighter sat scratching at the CC7700s shields pounding with incredible savagery which belied its tiny armaments as it nimbly evaded the Restraint gunners. Off in the distance, the Nebulon Frigate Sabine listed to port. Xoth had said he wanted a Nebulon.
A squadron of Awings followed Cerephram squadron into the blackness.
The fighters blinked in nearly all at once as the Tie Avengers did their best to evade the screaming cloud. The whirling cloud pounced on the two Tie Avengers watching the Banshee’s tail fins. They had no chance. No less than 4 Rebellion fighters hotlit each of the pair. Expertly the pair shoestringed through the cloud barely able to break the lock. The arrival of the Heracio hit Diceann like the foreshock of an explosion- Corrigan had arrived. Dice looked over his shoulder as a frantic message echoed in his headset.
"Lieutenant time to play! We have 2 full squadrons, say again 24 inbounds and they are steamed!"
He snapped his head back to the front and slammed the stick to starboard just barely missing the command bridge of the 7700. Dice scrambled through his list of options spinning and wheeling but barely out turning the hornets’s nest of Rebellion flyers.
Over on their port side, the Sabine watched the arrival of the RSD Heracio with surprise. Their joy turned to despair as the comm lit up on the command bridge of the medical frigate and the ISD moved into a tractor beam position.
"Imperial Nebulon Sabine, this is the Republic Star Destroyer Heracio. You will heave to and prepare to be boarded. Resistance is futile." Captain Corrigan issued his orders with his usual calm certitude. He would give them no quarter. The young Krath Priest heard it in his voice.
Captain Unlatu looked out onto the ISD as it crept closer. Few Imperial class Star Destroyers existed in the Rebellion. Most were remnant hulks attained when the main fusion reactor failed to vaporize. The heracio stood before the Sabine unscathed, its guns spun to face the her as she listed to port. The VSD Bombard would arrive too late only to be torn apart by a Rebellion interdictor trap.
Diceann smouldered in anger as his mind screamed with the presence of Captain Corrigan. It had been many years since Altair’s Reach. Until then only Admiral Harkov had defected in search of a quick credit. He remembered the day as if it were yestereday.
Ensign Diceann had been on routine patrol in his Tie Interceptor. The whole of Panther squadron had been with him as they patrolled the rocks known as Altair’s Reach in the Jadriene sector. Corrigan had heard intel about a secret Rebellion assault force. The high command had sent the Ravage to flush them from their stronghold and destroy the pocket.
The ISD sat waiting. They’d located the base and Panther was reconnoitering its defenses . The assault would be a simple board and destroy mission. With the fighters clearing the defenses and the Stormies set to pounce on a nest of Rebels. Nothing was what it had seemed.
The Rebellion forces hopped in 15 minutes after the Ravage arrived and set themselves with their 6 ships in a scarlet crescent. Two Rebellion Nebulons flanked the Ravage while 4 Rebellion Corvettes fenced her in. Any Captain, worth his salt would have blasted through the middle and punched the hyperdrive- any Captain but Corrigan.
All six squadrons from the Ravage were ordered to continue their attack on the base , the storm trooper forces at their heels(which was abandoned) while one of the Corvettes docked with and then boarded the command bridge of the Ravage. No one could have foreseen the completeness of the treachery among the officer corps. Panther squadron turned immediately to engage and Acinonx Squadron charged into the fray at its side. 3 full squadrons of Tie Fighters a squadron of Tie bombers and the both standby squadrons mounted by the Rebellion forces countered the loyalist forces.
In spite of their best efforts the Imperialists were in trouble from the start. Their allies who’d flown on their wings against the foe more than once pounced on them from behind as the two Interceptor squadrons raced to meet the Rebellion squadrons. The massacre was nearly complete. Those pilots who’d survived were picked up and put into the brig with the exception of 4 members of Panther squadron who’d been chased off to join the forces already on the surface of asteroid. Only 7 of the 15 Assault Transports made it home in the mass retreat. A year later, Imperial forces faced off against Pirate forces armed with fighters from the Ravage. Diceann had vowed revenge.
The hull of the Sabine echoed with the thunk of mooring lines from the Heracio. Outside the trio spun and whirled bare seconds from disaster- their combined shields were scoured and sparked by mulitple rgazings. Diceann hissed as the chase continued. As the Sabine docked with the Heracio he saw his chance. He keyed the mic and ordered his wingmen to follow him. Too quick to follow the Banshee charged full throttle at the command bridge of the Heracio. The two trailer squadrons rolled and scattered to avoid collision. Immediately he dove and ran along the hull racing toward the one spot they would not attack… The ISD was still an ISD and the Nebulon was under docking conditions. Diceann counted his torpedoes- just one. He rolled and shot forward into the docking bay launching the last torpedo into a line of waiting ground troopers. Hell let loose its fury frying those unfortunate enough to be too close to the blast as the Banshee landed amid the flames and shrapnel. A perfect 180 crater landing Diceann chortled to himself. The hangar lay strewn with free floating bodies as the air was pumped from its cavernous maw.
Corrigan frowned as reports of an explosion and fire in one of the shuttle bays were relayed to the command bridge. The three remaining Imperial fighters had executed a suicide assault on the Hangar gutting it of the troops waiting to board the Sabine. The fire had been extinguished by emergency crews. It was unclear what remained of the hangar bay as the repair crews were suiting up to review the damage
Eile watched the explosion via remote from the Sabine’s chief surgery wing. Scores of soldiers were torn apart by the blast as the torpedo had entered the Hangar. She watched angrily as the banshee and the two Avengers landed unscathed- fire blistering off their remaining shields. War created casualties. Imperial forces were drilled in cruel tactics that had been expressly designed to cause as many as possible.
Diceann’s expression was one of glee. Dozens, no scores of dead Rebel troops hung scattered around the hull of the Banshee. It didn’t matter that they never had a chance. He pressurized his helmet and opened the cockpit. The shuttle hangar was as massive as he remembered. The ferrocrete hull was blackened and pocked with holes. Everywhere, the dead floated among with the wreckage. Shadows slipped along the edges of the room from the emergency pressure doors. A hand tapped his shoulder from behind.
Diceann nodded "Welcome to the ISD Ravage gentlemen. Our company will be joining us shortly and as we have but three to the 9400 remaining troops aboard the Ravage I suggest we depart."
Captain Kailin motioned the Lieutenant to lead the way. "Get us to a cargo bay so we can plan what next to do."
They skulked down the southern most hallways and ducked into a large entry room with walls and racks filled with crates. Here and there the cargo containers were labeled with their contents. Mostly they were replacement parts for Awings, gun pods, engine parts, electronics. Dice continued to survey the place in silence. The far end seemed to be shielded. Kailin drew his sidearm and motioned Dice to hit the power button.
There they stood, silent. 4 wheel-like crab shaped droids and a platoon of battle droids. The rust coloured quartet sat each with twin gunpods splayed at the ready. The Krath priest had never seen anything of the kind. Kailin had only heard the recent reports. Eyeeightthree’s were older than most of the people in the room.
"What do you think Lieutenant? You’re black ops…"
"Never seen anything like them, they look nasty but can’t be too bad… just droids with big guns… great for hallway clearing but I doubt they’d be a match for a sabre or a seeker round." Diceann looked at them cautiously. They had no imprints. No one had touched them. Still they felt familiar, not a before but maybe a future. He shrugged and pulled a thermaldetonator. No point wasting blaster fire.
The Captain shook his head. " Too soon and too close to the Hangar. You know they’ll hear it"
"They can only they throw platoons at us from here. I can handle a squad." Diceann pulled his lightsabre.
The clack of a boot echoed across the room. They were soon joined by the scurrying rush of a dozen others. A snap hiss broke the still as Diceann levitated to the second level of the racks- 15 feet from the floor. He motioned the others to stay put as he counted the squad of Rebellion troopers pushing forward. So far it was just interior security running a sweep. They had a racoonda hound with them four or so pistols, two net launchers and six blaster rifles.
Diceann grinned as his eyes flared into blue brilliance… -hmm leftovers .
Down on the floor a low hum filled the ears of the Rebellion squad. The racoonda whimpered at the whine but couldn’t find the source. The red glow above them was sheltered by the crates. There had been someone in here. The security alarm had gone when the shield went down on the destroyer pen. The slipped forward in a double stiletto. As they passed, a black shrouded figure leapt down behind them. In a blur it began.
Diceann’s sabre snapped up in a spinning blur instantly halving the rearmost two and skewering a third through his limited armour. The forth turned to face him his gun at the ready only to lose his hand before losing his life. Two more turned to greet him only to have their weapons swept away with a flick of his hands. The front six scattered Blaster fire spattered in a radial arch killing one of the two pilots.
Kailin grunted and blasted the racoonda as it charged his cover. In the chaos, the trooper behind it made a short dash to the wall. As he hit the power button a lightsabre sprouted from his chest from across the room. The five remaining poured on the shots. Pistol and rifle shots streamed around Di`Ceann like a blur of hail. Quickly, he stabbed into the mind of the nearest one crushing the air from his lungs. He dove as fire continued to spit around him reaching for his dag. He returned fire. He smelled the fear rising in their voices but only briefly.
He charged. A blaster shot took him in the shoulder knocking him sideways from his feet. Pain screamed from the smoking agony that was the wound. He bounded to his feet eight metres from the Rebels. Two more shots blasted into the Rebel position. Three remained as the Captain took down another.
Diceann glared hatred into their eyes. "Surrender children of the Rebellion … or die!" Weapons dropped to the floor in front of him as they squatted down on their knees with their hands on their heads. The young Lieutenant nodded a salute to Captain Kailin. "They’re all yours sir."
Diceann studied the man he’d impaled with his lightsabre. He had been attempting to activate the droids. Luckily there were no more troops ready to do so.
The command bridge received a report of shots fired in cargo bay 14. Corrigan raised an eyebrow. 14 was also home to a small detachment of battle droids destined for sale. " Remote access destroyers two and four, protect, serve code bearers two three nine". 239 was the code borne by Rebellion forces aboard the Ravage so as to allow the droids to distinguish them from intruders.
As Diceann picked up his lightsabre a low whir to his right as two of the crab droids stepped forward. The low whine of a blaster shot echoed across the chamber as a show of ferrocrete sprayed out beside the Jedi. Kailin was already on the move as Dice spun to face the new attackers.
The new droid opponents moved in a fluid purposeful manner. Each chose an opponent and stalked forward. As Kailin raised his pistol and put a shot into the electronics core of the beast horror washed across his face. The shot was met by the flash of a blue glow as shields popped into place deflecting it off into the rafters. "Lieutenant our new boys are a little more protected than we were expecting."
Diceann’s lightsabre spun in a blur deflecting a shower of shots directly into the one he faced. Nothing. Not a scratch, a dent a ding in the shields. " I can see that sir. Suggest we beat a hasty retreat.’ Diceann hated withdrawing but no amount of rage would cut through the shielding. He leapt on the second floor and ran, shoving random crate down onto the two rust coloured battle droids. The bulkhead slammed behind the two as they scampered into the fighter bay.
Diceann glowered at the two Xwing’s nearest them. The Infiltrator Wing was aboard the Ravage and they had left two Ares class fighters right under the noses of the Rebellion. They smacked of Sith pilots. Aquillas pilots to be exact.
Diceann smiled briefly. Aquillas was aboard the Ravage and the Ravage had assaulted Lyarna home of Clan Satal Keto. Too soon three Squadrons of CSK fighters would reach the Aquillian home and strike at their forces. The raid would be followed by a two hour landing and reconnaissance of Satal Keto Obeliskan troops aboard 2 Assault transports.
Diceann snapped a glance to Captain Kailin. "Sir I request that you take one of these Ares Xwing’s home to the fleet. With them looking the other way you can zone five to Desalmado and hyper to the Sovereign."
A small boarding party reached the surgery ward of the Sabine. Eile Ganere watched as medaes and surgeons began moving the injured. One of them walked up to her after spotting her Krath medallion.
"Hard work for a Krath priest", the young jedi said. "Hard living in conflict with the rage that you need and the medical work you must do."
Eile shook her head. "Why do you ask? I do not deny that I have trouble serving our lord and healing our injured. Honour seems to be the one thing we do not argue. There is no room for compassion as a surgeon. The dead, the dying and the wounded must be held at arms reach to do our work."
The jedi medae shook his head. "Surely there is no honour in serving the children of the Emperor."
Suddenly rage flashed in Eile’s mind. The Empire for all its evils still had its right to exist. What evil could be served by a medae serving s right to exist. What evil could be served by a medae serving the Imperial Navy whose choice was honour hear in the Emperor’s Hammer Marches.
A turbolift arrive at the command bridge behind ops. With all the action focused on the boarding of the Sabine and the hunting of the intruders no one noticed the black cloaked individual with the lightsabre dangling from his belt. Quietly Dice slipped to the XO’s poste and typed in a series of codes.
A dry computer voice whispered a reply "Access granted" Dice smiled and whispered his command access.
The voice echoed behind the bridge crew who each I turn moved to see what was going on. Too late the guards noticed the gun to Captain Corrigan’s neck.
Diceann grinned with dark satisfaction. "Sir I have waited a long time for this." His voice echoed in Corrigan’s eared and roared in his minds.
Corrigan half turned to greet the young jedi. "Ensign Caibre Diceann. So you’ve survived the war and made it to the Rim. I congratulate you."
"No sir I congratulate you. The load of battle droids in the cargo bay is worth a small fortune. I can’t believe they’re the only ones. Actually, I’m more surprised the Rebellion hasn’t had you arrested for running weapons to the pirates too. "
"Diceann you won’t get away with this. I have 9500 marines that will stop you." The captain smirked wryly.
"No sir this is where you are wrong. You see your bridge staff see the gun I have at your throat. What they don’t see is the live thermaldetonator I have in my other hand. You see I’ll blow us all into little unidentifiable chunks if they don’t agree. Sir you do forget your crew. I’m Corellian. Never tell me the odds." Diceann growled menacingly to the bridge’s security detachement. Soft minds were easy to distract and confuse.
Diceann looked around to the bridge crew. "Don’t
worry sir. I’m sure yoyr XO will be experienced enough to take command.
Captain Corrigan, I, Lieutenant Caibre Diceann in the name of the Galactic
Imperial Navy do hereby place you into custody- you are under arrest for
the crimes committed by you at Altair’s Reach. " Diceann pulled him to
the door and flashed the detonator to the two guards who’d snuck into position.
Troops scoured the ship searching for the Krath Priest and the Captain as they vanished from the command bridge. A voice issued over the open comm. "This is Flight Lieutenant Caibre Diceann former Panther squadron pilot aboard Imperial Star Destroyer Ravage. I have the Captain of the RSD Heracio in my custody. Any attempt to impede me will result in the death of those fools who do so. I will be taking he and the Frigate He has been charged with a litany of crimes unbecoming an Imperial officer and he will see justice for his actions and murders at Altair’s Reach. I want all Rebellion forces off the Imperial Frigate Sabine, if you do not I will voice activate the destruction of the ship. I can do so with either the Ravage or the Sabine." Diceann shoved his former Captain ahead of him. "Justice served sir. Imperial Navy Justice like you used to say."
A small detachement of Imperial Dark Troopers, Zero G Troopers and Storm Troopers escorted the Rebellion forces from the Sabine. Diceann met them on the shuttle bay floor.
"I have a present for you. Captain Unlatu Imperial Medical Frigate Sabine meet Captain Corrigan Imperial Star Destroyer Ravage, Traitor, Weapons Smuggler, Warlord Wannabe and butcher of hundreds of loyal Imperial troops."
Diceann reached into the line of Rebellion medaes who trundled passed. -Your mind is like an open book wet with the ink of a dozen lies. Guns snapped up only to be met by the thermaldetonator… "Gentlemen leave now! This one is mine!" With little choice the Rebels left.
Angrily Diceann shoved the Rebellion medic into the shuttle. The medic hit the floor with a thud. He glared at young jedi. With on hand he drew his lightsabre and drove it through the sublight consul after locking in an exit routine. He stepped forward and growled the red light of its blade glowing with his eyes.
"I could kill you where you lay Jedi. It would be one less lightsider for me to look at in my life. You tried to confuse one of my apprentices into siding with those who would lie to her about Altair’s Reach." Diceann slammed his fist into the young man’s jaw. "Remember this and remember it well. You sit in Imperial space. You were only spared of you miserable existence because you are a medical officer. It brings me no honour to strike down an officer who’s job is not fight. Remember that." The Krath pilot spun his heel with a click. His cloak flapped across his shoulders as a soft breeze drifted into the shuttle. The words echoed in the mind of the younger jedi dipped in blood as Diceann snapped a glance at the hyperdrive consul and motioned it into a delayed launch - death is a whisper away.
Diceann stepped down the ramp into the cargo bay. A line of zero G and stormtroopers guarded the entry ways as the command crew of the stood in a circle around their captive. He looked to the Sabine’s Captain. "Sir, I suggest you mount up and get the Nebulon under way. Their gonna try and jump as they’re clearing the cargo bay. They know the cavalry is coming. They’re not going to sit and fight, even if they can. It’s not today’s mission."
Captain Unlatu looked deep into the eyes of the Flight Lieutenant. "You have much of a reputation Diceann. Your insubordination is blatant and your methodology defies team efforts. I ought to have you court -marshalled."
Diceann nodded slowly "Hence why I haven’t been a member of the Imperial Navy in four months. Can we go now?"
With the banshee aboard the Sabine. The young Krath Priest made one more stop before he drifted off to a quiet cot on the flight deck. He stopped in to the surgery bay.
"I salute you young apprentice for your strength in facing the Rebel. He is right that it is a difficult path. You have already chosen your path. As a Krath you may never truly be much grander without the darker commitments. The Imperial Navy however needs your skills. Without them, without our twoonebes, our surgeons and what little bacta we have left we would fare worse in our fight to stand against the Usurpers of the crown."
Somewhere on the night, as the war of Jedi rages across the border between Rebel and Imperial, a lone howl strikes fear with its rage. The fight rests in the hands of those who would and those who can heal. The loyal, the proud and the free.