**STARSHIP STORMTROOPERS**
THE ARACHNID CONFRONTATION

by LCM Roth Jalis

Night was falling over the seemingly unending dustplanes of Aurora Prime. Since many years no trees, no grass and no animals filled up the landscape. Aurora Prime, once the seat of power of the Emperors Hammer forces, now reduced to a place where no mortal soul with a healthy mind would go. Duststorms were now master of this long forgotten place.
Dark clouds were forming, bringing new thunderstorms and acid rain. Rain, on most planets the guardian of life, here nothing more than the sign of death. The acid had destroyed al life that was still present after the Great War.
And yet, for reasons unknown, some "unhealthy minded" persons tried to make a living on this desolated planet. On the planes an ARV was making its way though the mud, which was a result of duststorms followed up by rain. The ARV was a constant target for bolts of lightning, making it not a nice place to stay. Sparkles came from control boards as the relays inside it could not withstand the energy coming from the lightning.
-"Another sensor down master, I don't know how much more we can take!"
-"Keep re-routing the power, we need those sensors. I'll try to find us a shelter were we can do some repairs."
The vehicle made it's way into a canyon, the high walls on both sides protected it from further damage by the lightning. An edge in the rock formation provided shelter from the acid rain. 
-"Master, if I may ask, what makes you think we will find it here. All reports say the capital city was far more to the north?"
-"The reports are wrong, well perhaps not for the capital, but the obelisk is not there."
-"How do you know?"
-"The Grand Admiral was not a stupid man, he knew that if the planet would someday be attacked by enemy forces, they would go for all military installations and the capital first."
-"Yes, but hiding your greatest treasure in a dessert?"
-"Don't forget that this is a desert now, but twenty years ago this all was a rainforest. In fact, where we stand now this was probably a gorge with a wild river flowing over these rocks."
-"But I still don't understand why he would place it here, it had to be guarded by at least a garrison en they can be spotted from outer space by a blind wookie."
-"Yes and that is why his place to hide it was brilliant, there was no garrison to guard it. Up till now nobody has ever found one single trace of where it might be, … except for me."
-"You mean what I think you mean? Did you get access his personal files?"
-"Yes, I had to pull some heavy strings to be allowed to take a quick look in them but it was enough, the force let me to the right document. What I understood from it, is that it has to be somewhere near here."
-"Let me guess, no X marks the spot, I presume?"
-"No unfortunately not. But we've done enough for today, let's get some sleep and tomorrow when the storm has passed we shall continue our search."
As the two men got to sleep the storm outside continued it's destructive work it had been doing for twenty years. The two men could not care for it in their shelter, they were safe now.

With the first sparkles of sunlight breaking through the last clouds, the ARV got out of the canyon on the opposite side it had entered. The end of the canyon was also the edge of the plateau. With some trouble the vehicle reached a path that had been there for thousands of years, probably made by the first inhabitants of this planet as a way to get from the lowlands to the highlands on top of the plateau.
As they got down the two men got out the ARV. They faced the 500 metre high wall of the plateau. Halfway up they saw the canyon they had used for shelter.
-"Any idea on where to go next?" 
-"We are getting close, I can feel it." Tamat Lacai said to his apprentice "The admiral spoke in his notes of constant rain coming from the ground. I never knew what he meant, but now I know."
-"You got me there, I have no idea what you mean."
-"It doesn't matter, I'll tell you another time." 
The dessert they now faced was completely desolated, except for a rock formation and one other thing. In the far distance a wreckage of an imperial stardestoyer filled up part of the horizon. Tamat knew it was the Immortal, the same ship he had transferred to after the Arachnid debacle. He had warned High command of the great danger the bugs presented, but not even he knew they would strike back so quick and to total. The Immortal had gone down in a futile attempt to defend the Emperors Hammer home planet after a long and bloody war that had cost the lives of millions of imperial citizens. The remnants of the fleet had scattered after the death of Ronin, only to join up with other imperial factions or eventually be destroyed. But that was now long time past.
-"Let us be on our way to that rock formation, the sensors are picking up something."
It was the only rock formation there could be seen on the horizon. Three rocks pointed up into the sky no higher than about 7 metres. In the time this was all a rainforest it must have been almost invisible to the naked eye.
Had they been in the dessert only for a short time, the ARV's engine already started to overheat. Even at this early hour the sun was already heating up the ground, vaporizing the last remnants of the rain from the night before. By the time they reached the odd looking rock formation the engine already overheated.
-"Well, it seams we're not going anywhere for a while, let's hope we have enough water till I have a chance to fix the engine." Rell said.
-"We do not need it anymore my young apprentice, we have arrived at our destination. Come let's go inside" Tamat said while walking through the burning sun in the direction of the rocks.
Only now Rell saw the entrance in the rocks leading to some underground cave. He quickly grabbed a few canisters with water and followed his master.
Both men ignited their lightsaber to get a better view of the dark path that lead them further into the ground. The path spit up numerous times, creating a maze of tunnels making it impossible to find your way without a map. Although the two Jedi did not have a map, Tamat used the force to guide them. Getting lost was probably the least thing to worry about, the tunnels were loaded with traps. From collapsing ceilings to poisonous gasses. Even after so many years the mechanisms that triggered the deadly traps still functioned properly.
But alike the maze also the traps proved futile to a trained Jedi and his apprentice.
After hours walking through the tunnels they reached a small gallery, the walls had a red color and were marked with numerous unknown signs. On the other side another dark passage started. In the middle on a pillar lay a small metal ball. Rell saw it and walked towards it.
-"Is that the obelisk? Did we find it?"
-"Step away from it!! it's a trap!!" Tamat shouted while mentally reaching out to Rell mind.
Tamat was just in time to prevent Rell's mind being sucked into the metal ball.
-"What happened to me? It felt like I was pulled inside?"
-"You almost were, that is a mental labyrinth. It's an old Jedi training device to sharpen your mind, but an untrained Jedi might never find the exit."
-"How did it get here then?"
-"I guess the admiral had a good sense of irony, he knew a Jedi would be able to get through the maze of tunnels and evade the traps, only to get stuck inside this labyrinth. I wonder where he got it, there are only few of them left and even fewer Jedi now about it." 
The two men let the metal balls for what they were and entered the passage on the other side of the room. A few corridors later they found themselves again in a gallery, this time is was so dark inside that the walls could not even be seen, not even with the lightsabers. Only in the middle one beam of light came from the ceiling. It was pointed at a green colored obelisk, the 
Tjapack Obelisk. They found it.
* * *


-20 years earlier-
The galaxy, a fast space full of life but yet almost empty. Only occasionally a star or planet filled up the emptiness. From a distance even the largest star or nebula was reduced to nothing more than a sparkle of light in the darkness. The star in the Arachnid System had been named the White Dwarf because of the brilliant white light it sends into space. As if it wants to let everyone know that this is his system. 
How small it may be, compared to the stardestroyer that just entered it's system it was huge.
The immense gravity would mean certain destruction to the ship if it came too close, but the men aboard it knew of the dangers of the star. The ship stayed well away from the gravity grip that tried to pull in everything it could. 

The stardestroyer adjusted it's course a bit to fly straight for the outpost that had been installed in this system a week ago. 
"This is stardestroyer Grey Wolf for outpost D36, prepare docking clamps."
"Affirmative Grey Wolf, docking clamps have been opened at platform 3, reduce your engines to one-quarter portspeed and await confirmation of locking procedure. Station control out."
Aboard the bridge of the Grey Wolfe commodore VA Cyric sat in his captains chair, overseeing the docking procedure. The pittcrew were following the procedures as they had been learned, Cyric could already hear the engines powering down to below portspeed and with 1.5 clicks distance from the station it would take another 5 minutes before they had finished the complete procedure.
Cyric was not the man for this formal stuff, he hated sitting in his chair, not being able to do anything. But also this was part of the drill, the captain has to be on the bridge during docking operations.
-" VitCarp, increase speed to full portspeed." Cyric said while not willing to let this take anymore of his time than absolutely necessary.
-"Sir we are not allowed to exceed…"
-"Your formal complaint has been noted LC Chrusos Ichthys." 
The commodore used VitCarps' entire name this time, only for the record. He always had trouble pronouncing his entire name so he just named him in a way he could pronounce it. 
-"Good now that's over with. Full portspeed!" VitCarp said to the pittcrew.
Cyric was pleased to see that his second in command shared the same opinion about docking procedures. The communications officer was ordered to ignore all communications from the platform, and within a minute the ship had docked with platform 3 without trouble.
The complaints from the docking crews from the station were quickly solved with a few bottles of chaquila.


Just as Starships, also the stations were an elaborate 'maze' of long corridors and elevators leading to numerous command posts, control rooms, barracks, storage rooms, hangers and much more. A large delegation walked through one of those long corridors. Flanked by VitCarp, the station commander and a full squadron of stormtroopers, captain Cyric made his way to one of the station hangers. All station personnel that crossed their path quickly stepped back. Even though the station was on constant battle alert since it became operational one week ago, such a heavy guard was certainly not daily routine. As they reached the hanger, heavy doors slide open, making less noise than would be expected. The hanger that they entered was one of the smaller ones of the station. Barely large enough to fit an assault-transport in it. It had completely been rebuild to house a lab in it, against all walls computers were processing data, operatives were controlling computers and examining dozens of displays showing unending rows of numbers and graphs. The computers were randomly placed in a circle around the centre of the hanger. There in the centre, constrained by heavy bolts, a brainbug fiercely tried to resist the many tests that were done to it. 
Cyric could see it had some heavy scar tissue on it's body. It seamed like old laserblasts, but the healing process indicated it should have been well over a year ago and that could not be possible. There have been no indications of any other species with laser capability in this system for at least three years, and the empire had only come here about two month ago.
-"We captured it two days ago" the station commander said "…To our very surprise actually. We were ordered by High Command to bomb the remnants of the colony, to give the bugs as little information about our forces there might be left. During the bombing one of the bomber pilots saw it surface from a tunnel beneath the former headquarters. We immediately sent in a transport to bring it in."
-"I presume you did contain it first, to see if it might have carried a virus?" VitCarp asked.
-"Yes, we did, but we found nothing. It is completely clean."
-"I really hope so commander, for your sake." Cyric said. "Oke, prepare it for shipment to the Grey Wolf, I want to be out of here within two hours."
Within an hour a transport vessel brought the brainbug from the station to the Stardestroyers' main hanger. From there is was brought to a more secured area aboard the ship and placed under the guard of a squadron of stormtroopers. This time it was the station commander's doing to speed the procedure up. He probably was glad to see the Grey Wolfe take the creature. The ship was released from it's docking clamps and after it gained some distance from the station it made the jump to hyperspace to it's new destination. Aurora Prime.
* * *


Tamat Lacai stood in the middle of a circle formed by the Dark Brotherhood Dark Council.
Grand Master Zoraan held the Oblisk in his hands, closely examining the stone.
-"It took us almost ten years to find out it even exited, after multiple quests we stil had no idea where it was. And then you show up, to bring me the obelisk after only a one year search. Impressive, most impressive as Lord Darth Vader would have said."
-"The force wanted me to find it, master."
-"Yes, undoubtedly, but now the question is? What does the force want you to do with it?"
-"Me, master?"
-"Oh come on Tamat, don't play stupid on me. I can still read your mind you know."
-"Yes, master."
-"It is a noble thing that you want to restore the Emperors Hammer to it's past glory, but just a stone containing all Ronins' knowledge won't bring it back. However this knowledge will help us in safeguarding the future of the Brotherhood."
-"Yes master."
-"…I sense there is something else you want to share with us. Tell us while you still have all our attention."
-"Yes, thank you master. As you all know this stone formed a constant mental link with Ronins' mind. All he ever heard and saw, all his knowledge and all his thoughts, they are all inside this obelisk. This means that it also contains the identity of the person that murdered him."
-"What good will that do now, it won't bring him back from the dead." One of the council members asked?
-"No, but I don't intend to bring anyone back to life, I want something to be brought back to the past."
The other members of the High Council had not said much thus far but now everyone was mumbling with each other. Zoraan called the council back to order.
-"Do you know what you ask from us? This has been tried before but has led several times to the death of the ones that tried to break time. Reading the past and future is one thing but breaking it? Who knows what might happen, perhaps we distort the past aswell as the future. In that case it might stop the galaxy to exist as we know it.
-"I know it can be done master, the past, present and future are separated only by a small invisible barrier and we might not have to break it. If we combine our powers we should be able to bend it, even if it's only for a very short time we can get a message through."
-"Why do you think we will succeed where all those others failed? Another member of the council asked. 
-"Because we never before had so many powerful dark Jedi together as today, and because we just have to succeed!!" Tamat said with so much determination in his words that no one needed to hear the words, they could feel it.
The council kept silent for a moment, although it seemed much longer for Tamat. He could feel the members probing his mind, searching for reasons to his request. He was able to keep most of it hidden from them, he didn't like it when others tried to scan him.
The Grand Master was the first to speak again.
-"Ok, we will take your request into consideration. I sense your compassionate feeling in this matter. I presume you already know who has murdered the Grand Admiral?"
-"I have accessed the obelist and indeed found out who killed Ronin."
Tamat hesitated before revealing the persons' name to the High Council. 
-"It was me! I have murdered Grand Admiral Ronin!"
* * *


The imperial stardestroyer Grey Wolf continued it's journey through hyperspace. It had been a routine jump and all systems were operating within normal parameters. Many of the crew were doing their daily routine, VA Cyric was doing some administration in his office and LC VitCarp was commanding the bridge.
The brainbug had been brought to a secured staging area, the squadron of stormtroopers were still guarding it with half of the men inside and the other half outside the area.
Several tubes had been implanted in the creature, the computers to which they were connected gave many readings but none of the scientists had been able to make up what they ment. It was random information so they didn't know much of the bugs autonomy yet.
A scientist, that had been working on the bug since it had been brought aboard, tried to pull out one of the tubes but it seemed to be stuck. He put his feet to the bugs' body to pull harder but it didn't work. 
-"What's going on here?" he murmured.
As he stepped closer to see why the implant wouldn't come out, the tube suddenly shot out by itself. From the hole in the bugs' body now a swarm of tiny flies emerged. The scientist was stabbed several times before falling unconscious to the floor.
The stormtroopers quickly reacted to the new danger. Laserblasts were filling up the room as they tried to take out the tiny flies. But it was a futile attempt, the flies were too small and there were too many. Within seconds all troopers and scientists were disabled. The laserfire had triggered the sensors setting off the alarm in that entire section. The stormtroopers outside the staging area did not respond to the alarm. The brainbug used a mind trick to let them ignore it. The bridge though was out of the bugs reach, they also received the alarm from that section and certainly did not ignore it. 
Cyric had quickly come to the bridge.
-"Status report." He said to VitCarp.
-"Sir, we have lost contact with our stormtrooper unit guarding the brainbug. Reinforcements are underway."
-"Good, go there yourself as well to monitor the situation, I'll be here on the bridge."
-"Yes sir, VitCarp said and made his way to the staging area.
Just before the first stormtroopers reached the area, the brainbug released it's grip on the troopers outside. They all collapsed under the mental pressure they had been under during the beginning of it's attack. By the time VitCarp reached the staging area, the other stormtroopers that had been called in had already secured the room without facing any opposition. The leading commander reported in to him.
-"Sir, we have secured the room, faced no opposition but we did find all scientists and troopers unconscious on the floor."
-"Good, let your men investigate what happened, and keep a close eye on that … thing. I won't have this happen again!"
-"Yes sir."
Back at the bridge, VA Cyric closely monitored the display on his chair. Trying to find some reason for the recent events. He was one step ahead on the pittcrew. 
-"Lieutenant Althor, have you given the order to increase speed of the airflow inside the ventilation system?"
-"No sir, I'll see what is going on." Althor said. "Sir, it seems something is inside the ventilation system, it is triggering sensors all around the ship now!"
-"Damnit, the alarm was a diversion so we wouldn't detect the real attack. Close down all hatches to the system, turn around airflow directing it outside!"
Within seconds all around the ship all hatches closed and the air inside it was led outside into space.
-"Sir, it seems we were successful, all sensors do not detect any movement inside the system any longer. …Wait what is this? …The alarm has been triggered in the officers lounge, and now in the sickbay, no, it's the hanger section. Sir, what is going on here?"
-"Red alert!! Close all blast doors and shut down the elevators. And give LC VitCarp the order to shoot that bug. We're under attack!" Cyric said.
The order had reached VitCarp but he was not able to respond to it. He lay unconscious on the floor just as all the troopers in that area as a sudden flow of flies had come out of the ventilation system just before it was shut down. The first battle had been won by the brainbug.
* * *




Accompanied by his apprentice, Tamat Lacai walked up the stairs leading to the roof of the Dark Council's palace. He could already see GM Zoraan standing in the middle of a circle being formed by the most powerful Jedi in the Brotherhood. Zoraan had been successful in convincing the leading Jedi of all houses to work together for once, instead of fighting.
Even though Zoraan had not been entirely convinced himself that this was a good idea, he came to realise that without the empire the brotherhood was slowly bleeding to death. Even now they had the knowledge of GA Ronin, the future would not be certain as he thought in the beginning. Altering the past would be the only way to secure the future.
-"Master, what will happen to us when you succeed?" Rell asked.
-"If we succeed this future will stop to exist, making place for a new future. A new uncertain future in which we will face a new enemy."
-"With a new enemy you mean the bugs? But why not sending a message to a time before we ran into them?"
-"What we are going to do is not easy, it will demand all our energy to do it. The person to whom I am going to send it must also have a very high brain activity the moment I send the message."
-"But to whom are you going to send it?"
Before Tamat could have answered they were greeted by Zoraan.
-"All is in place, the Jedi are ready, the obelisk has been prepared, so are you I may hope?"
-"Yes master Zoraan, I am ready."
-"Good, let's begin."
Rell watched from a small distance as all jedy began meditating to prepare themselves mentally. Tamat sat in the middle holding the Tjapack obelisk, he would use it to bring the message to the past.
* * * 


High above the surface of Aurora Prime, the ISD Immortal awaited the arrival of the Grey Wolfe.
On the bridge, accompanied by Commodore VA Adrenaline and COL Mell, Tamat Lacai nervously looked through the transparisteel windows. Only a few weeks ago he had the encounter with the brainbug on the Arachnid homeworld. Because of this he had been selected to escort the brainbug that had been captured. Ga Ronin had shown great interest in the new species and wanted to see them himself. Tamat had to make sure nothing would happen to him. A new shade came across his face, as he looked up he saw the new ship that had entered the system.
It was the Grey Wolfe. The pittcrew made contact with the new ship.
-"This is stardestroyer Immortal for Grey Wolfe, please respond."
-"This .. ...troyer ..ey Wo.. we nee. ….iate assi…ce. My crew i. .... down …"
-"Please repeat Grey Wolfe, you're braking up." The comm officer replied, but no answer came. 
-"Col Mell, prepare a transport, send a stormtroper unit to investigate. Something is totally wrong there!"
-"No, don't send soldiers." Tamat said. "It is the brainbugs' doing. What happened to the crew of the Grey Wolfe will also happen to your soldiers."
-"Then what do you suggest?" Mell asked.
-"Send me!"
-"Just you? On your own?"
-"Just me! Right now I am the only one who can stop it."
-"Alright, but you'll only get half an hour, after that I'll give the order to board the Grey Wolf or destroy it when nessesary." Adrenaline said.


The hangerbay doors were open and the lambda class shuttle landed without incident in the main hanger. With his lightsaber in his right hand Tamat descended from the ramp of the shuttle and walked through the hanger to the elevators, all around him he saw the bodies of officers, pilots and working crews lying on the ground. He could sense they were still alive, but there would be no chance of waking them up on short notice. He would have to do this on his own, as he preferred. For a minute he thought of what had happened a few weeks ago. He had not been able to help his brother when he needed it, until it was too late.
Pressing the button to the elevator, the display gave the message that it had been shut down.
Wasting no time in trying to overwrite the system he used the staircase. The force would have to lead him to the place where the brainbug was. The ship was badly damaged, as if there had been a large battlefield within it's corridors. Occasionally Tamat had to cut his way through damaged doors and powerlines coming from the ceiling. As time passed Tamat could feel he got closer to the brainbug. The corridor he entered had been badly damaged. Probably some crewmember that used a grenade to hold off whatever he had faced. Part of the ceiling had come down showing pipes filled with coolant gas. The mechanism of a door had been damaged, making it to open and close constantly. 
As he continued through the corridor Tamat could hear a new sound, a sound of …. 
From around the corner a 'cloud' of flies appeared, there was no way out, he had to fight them there. They were rapidly closing in on him. As they were about to reach him, Tamat raised his saber cutting through the ceiling and the pipes in it. A large cloud of extremely cold coolant gas emerged, taking out all the flies. The automated system, still operational in this area, quickly cut off the gas and without further opposition Tamat reached the staging area. Everywhere around him stormtroopers and other crewmembers lay unconscious on the floor. As he entered the room he faced the brainbug he had senses all along. It was still constrained by bolts. 
-"It is you again, isn't it? You are the same bug from the colony."
Of course the bug did not reply but Tamat knew it was treu. It was the same bug he had encountered while protecting the colony commander.
-"This time I won't let you get away!" Tamat said while igniting his lightsaber. He walked towards the bug to give it a final blow.
But as he was to strike the brainbug reached out in the force to get a mental link. Tamat had expected something like this to happen and used a blockade to hold it of. But unlike the first time this happened, back at the colony, the bug was more powerful and forced Tamat to lower his defense. The two minds connected. It was an overwhelming experience, much more powerfull than any other he ever had. It felt as if the bug's mind pounded on his, trying to take over bit by bit. Every defense he build was quickly blown away. Again and again. All he tried to hit back proved futile. He was losing this battle. Just as Tamat was about to give in he felt new energy, making him to hold on a few more seconds.
It was as if he could feel the presence of a new mind. A much more powerful one than his, but yet familiar. Almost as if…
Suddenly images flashed through his mind. Images of a war, a bloody war. Starships fighting an unknown enemy, soldiers losing their lives while protecting civilians, entire planets burning. The image faded away and a new image appeared. He saw himself flying a shuttle from the Grey Wolfe to the planet surface and the next moment he found himself in the throne room of Grand Admiral Ronin. Tamat could see himself standing in front of the Admiral as if he protected him from an enemy. The enemy could not be seen in the image. Tamat saw himself raising his lightsaber to … turn around and oppose the Admiral. 
He himself was the enemy! 
The next moment he was back at the cave where he had been unable to protect his brother. 
But now he was standing right in front of him again.
-"You're save? I don't understand? Tamat said.
-"Save? You think I am save, you abandoned me here to die!"
-"No, that is not true, I will come back for you, I know you are still alive!"
-"You will come back for me, brother?"
-"Yes, if it were the last thing I could do!"
-"Then don't let it control your mind, fight it! Don't fail me brother, fight it!"
Those last words seemed to echo through his mind for eternity. 
He was back in the throne room, this time he could see more of the room itself. All around him were the bodys of Ronin's guards. He could not tell if they were dead or alive but around him flew the same flies that he had seen in the corridor, they had probably also been responsible for what had happened to the crew of the Grey Wolfe.
Once again he faced Ronin. His face showed no impression at all. He still held his lightsaber above him, ready to strike.
-"Is his how it will end? Will I kill Ronin, just as the brainbug planned?" 
-"Fight it!!" He could hear his brothers words again.
-"Noooo, I won't do it!!" he shouted.
The next moment he could feel the grip of the brainbug decrease, but it wasn't gone yet. The fight took a lot of energy from Tamat, he could not hold on for much longer. A new image came in his mind, again it felt like someone else wanted him to see this, a friend instead of an enemy. He saw Aurora Prime, it was burning. An enemy fired at it from outer space, creating death and destruction. In all this violence there was only one ship visible, an imperial stardestroyer. On the hull he could read it's name; Immortal. It fought valiantly to overwhelming odds. It was the last ship to defend the planet. One explosion followed the next and fire slowly engulfed the ship. As the engines of the Immortal failed, the planet's gravity got hold of it pulling the ship in it's atmosphere. An explosion marked the sign as it crashed to the surface. This image made Tamat's will to break free even stronger and the next moment the connection was terminated. He was back in the staging area where the brainbug now fiercy struggled to break free from the constraining bolts. Tamat felt drops of sweat on his face, he was tired, all he wanted was to sleep. There was only one more thing to do.
He raised his saber and cut through the bug. It made a few gurgling sounds before dying.
It was over, finally.
* * * 

by FM/LCM Roth Jalis/Demon 3-3/Wing XI/ISD Immortal