scottisi

Star Forge - Chapter 10

Added 2025-05-13 16:00:11 +0000 UTC

NOTE:
Apologies for the lateness. This one is a bit longer than usual. I didn't want to spend too many chapters on Alderaan.

10.

The landing shuttle was packed to the point that Rain was practically sitting in my lap. Not that I was bothered about that. Athletic with combat skills was my type. Something about a woman that could potentially kick my ass just did something for me. The fact that she looked like a young Michelle Rodriguez was a big plus too. There was something about her, and the rest of her crew, that tickled the back of my mind, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

"Is that a blaster in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" Rain teased.

"You're sitting on my DL-44," I replied dryly. "Otherwise, I'd buy you dinner first."

Rain laughed.

"Once we land," a mechanical voice interrupted further conversation. "The ground forces will sweep the area. We cannot allow the Killik to acquire a space-capable ship. You will disembark once the area is cleared." The voice paused. " You will be given a choice of assignments once the area is cleared. All teams will need to create a passcode to prove they have not been compromised. Those infected by the Joining are unable to say anything negative about the Killik. This is the easiest way to gauge if someone has been exposed. They find the terms bug, creepy crawly, and ants to be insulting."

The voice paused once more.

"You will be paid per job," the voice continued. "Drones and soldiers are too numerous to track efficiently. Any squad that manages to kill an Overseer will need proof via a trophy or image. There is a bounty of five thousand per." That caused a bit of a stir. Five thousand was a decent payday on its own. Less so when split among a squad, but still a nice bonus.

The shuttle stayed in motion above the landing pad until the all-clear message came through. It was rough when it actually landed. The mercs filed out of the tight space with a welcome breath of fresh air. Rather, whatever filtered air made it through various filters in place to stop the Joining Pheromones. Still, the extra elbow-room made it worth it.

We had landed on the top of a wide municipal building in the center of a small town. The architecture reminded me of an underwater fairy-tale castle with smooth lines and a lot of curves. They seemed to have an aversion to colors that were shades of white. It made the turrets, guard posts, and defensive encampments that dotted the area. The artfully sculpted landscape was marred with signs of fighting and refugee camps.

I walked between Jaid and Rain as the squad stepped to the side. A steady stream of civilians was guided up to the roof to fill the shuttle once it was clear. It took off the moment the doors closed. The charred husks of a few building-sized ant hills. Keeping the people safe until they could get off planet was more of a chore than I had expected.

If I remember correctly the planet willingly disarmed itself at some point. Something about loading all their weapons onto a ship or something like that. The Extended Universe was a strange one. Alderaan had a larger population than I had thought. My experience with the planet came down to a couple of episodes of a show and the online game. Neither addressed the size of the general populous. In the game, the Killik were a side-note to the class-specific storyline. The main quests were centered around playing politics between the various noble houses while trying to earn the favor for the Empire or Republic. I guess if the audience wanted that kind of entertainment they could look for something with A Song of Ice and Fire.

"Is this your team?" A guard asked as he approached the squad.

The man was human. He wore what had once been a well-tailored uniform. It, like him, had seen better days. There were worn patches on his coat, his boots were covered in dried mud, and he looked like he hadn't had a decent night of sleep in some time. His gaze swept along the others before pausing on me for a moment. I noticed him take a quick look at my shoulder in search of a clan sigil.

"Yes," One answered.

"Name?" The guard asked.

"Queens' Guard plus one," One replied.

The guard made a note on his data-pad. He tapped a few messages out and waited. A small 'ding' sounded a moment later when he received a new message.

"We set up an emergency communications network," the guard said. "The bugs are using Joiners to interfere with our satellites. Now, they're trying to do it again. We're sending out teams to secure the relays and flag the ones that need repair. Our technicians will do the rest."

The guard paused to see if One had anything to say. My helmet pinged as it received a packet of information. One pulled out his own data-pad to review the information.

"Acceptable," One replied.

"Good," the guard relaxed a little. "I'll mark the coordinates. Expediency is requested."

"Transportation?" One asked.

"We don't have the equipment to spare," the guard replied with a heavy sigh. "Everything is focused on evacuating and safety."

"One," I said to give the guard a chance to move on.

"What?" One growled at me. "You expect us to hoof it the entire way? Did you see the coordinates?"

"Yes," I replied. "I can handle it."

The man continued to glare at me through the visor on his full-face rebreather. They all wore similar models that were basically fancy looking gas masks. We made our way down through the building until we reached the ground level.

I used the crowd to slip away from the others. It took me a moment to find an empty spot. Then I activated my HUD. An icon in the shape of a wheel appeared in the corner of the display. I activated it and received a chirp-chirp of an old key fob in reply. The M12 Warthog appeared in the open area in front of me. It had a mounted machinegun which meant it could fit three people. It had a clearance of nearly a meter and its wheels came up to my chest. I wasn't in any hurry to remove a powerful weapon, so it looked like we were in for another cramped ride.

I hopped in the driver's seat and turned it on.

[SYNCING . . .]
[CALIBRATING COMPASS . . .]

My HUD lit up as it interfaced with the console of the Warthog. I now had access to a compass, the engine temperature, gun status, and condition readout. The engine roared to life as I kicked it into gear. It was loud enough to give people plenty of warning to get out of the way.

One and the others watched me approach. They stared at the vehicle with visible confusion.

"Where did you get that?" One asked narrowing his eyes at me.

"What is that?" Kaplan asked, there was a spark in his eye as he examined the vehicle.

"M12 Warthog," I replied. "Supply drop from a friend."

The squad shared a look, then climbed in when no one had anything to say. Supposedly, there was enough room for three people, but we were able to fit all seven of us without any issue. I guess it was a limit to three Spartans, not normal soldiers.

Kaplan hopped into the passenger seat without a word. There was a manic smile on his face as he studied the control console. It only took him a moment to figure out the interface to input the coordinates. A marker appeared on the compass on my HUD complete with the distance.

"Hold on," I said with a smile.

The Warthog jumped forward as I pressed the gas. My smile grew at the sound of the mingle collection of curses. A small, single chime announced something on my HUD.

[COMMUNICATIONS ESTABLISHED]

"What do you know about the bugs?" One asked.

"Just what they told us on the ride down," I replied. "You?"

"Nothing much more to add about them," Kaplan cut in. "The bugs vanished a few hundred years ago. They were supposedly a sentient species. These haven't been reported to be more than cunning animals. Even the Overseers. No one has encountered a Queen yet, so we don't know if they are."

Kaplan tapped something on his forearm. A quick look out of the corner of my vision told me it was a small data pad that had been welded into his armor. It was a rough job, but it worked.

"The scans show that there are at least three colonies on this continent," Kaplan continued. "Each one has multiple exits. They seem to want to overtake the planet before moving on to do it to any other that they can reach. The colonies do not get along and will fight each other if they encounter others. They tried to work that in their favor, but the Killik will focus on fighting others before turning on each other. A few million people were lost to the Joiners. The initial stages are subtle and can be treated if caught early enough. They're lost once their condition reaches the Recruitment Stage. That's when they can't say anything negative about the Killik or work against them. The code phrases are the easiest way to determine if someone has been turned."

"From now on, we call them ants," One ordered. "What happens when they reach that point?"

"They're lost," Kaplan replied with a shrug. "Can't come back, it's recommended to just kill them. They retain any skills they had before but lose their free-will and higher brain functions. Thankfully, they can't pass on their skills to the colonies, so the ants keep them alive as tools. They're smarter than the soldiers and drones, but not on the level of an Overseer."

"Damn," Queen muttered.

"Two to the chest, one to the head," Jaid said with a snort. "They'll go down like everyone else."

I let their continued conversation fade into the background and focused on driving. The landscape was smooth for the first stretch of the drive. I had to admit, it was beautiful.

"We're coming up on the first relay," Kaplan spoke up.

My mind snapped back to the present at his words. I was focused on the drive rather than the surrounding conversation. They were professional enough to avoid trying to drag me into whatever they were saying.

"Don't slow down," Kaplan said. "The relay is reading fine. This one isn't the issue."

I inclined my head to show I heard him and continued on. The landscape was rougher further from the refugee camps. Their focus was on the safety and extraction of the population. Signs of Killik activity picked up the closer we got to the next relay.

"Slow down," Kaplan said flatly. "This one needs work."

"Jaid, Queen, Rain," One ordered. "Set a tight perimeter. Medic, stick tight to Kaplan. I'll grab the turret. Mando, you do what you do."

The Warthog stayed on when I got out, but the controls were locked for anyone other than myself. Thankfully, the turret was still available for use. The others spread out as ordered. I drew my blasters and slowly scanned the area. My HUD identified blaster scorches scattered around the area as well as drag marks that fit the scale of a human body.

"Signal the technicians?" I asked.

"No need," Kaplan said. "I've got it."

His skills were proved right when the notification off connection popped up on my HUD. Queen and the others covered their angles as they returned to the Warthog. The tension in the air grew as we continued on to the next relay.

The sculpted landscape was well and truly fucked up as we got closer to the next relay. Wreckage of various speeders and other transports marred the plains as well as a smattering of impact craters from high explosives. Everything had been stripped for parts with deep drag marks leading off toward the next relay. Regardless, the Warthog bounced along without issue.

"No bodies," Queen stated.

"Army ants march on their stomachs," Medic muttered.

I nodded my agreement. If Killik were anything like actual ants they cleaned up their corpses. Considering the focus on rapid expansion it made sense for them to gather the dead for food. Hopefully, they were actually dead when they were dragged away. All things considered; they probably became Joiners instead of food. Though that did make me wonder what happened when a Joiner was no longer useful.

"No more chatter," One ordered. "Lock in."

The next relay had been turned into scrap. This wasn't going to be an easy fix.

"Kaplan, contact the technicians," One said. "Set a perimeter. Mando, park it next to the relay. I'll set Overwatch on the turret."

I dropped each merc at a designated spot before pulling up next to the relay. Kaplan did a quick scan to determine how bad the damage was. He didn't hesitate to contact the Alderaan forces. The relay had been set on what had been on a flat portion of the clearing. Now, it was surrounded by chunks of burned-out scrap of defensive encampments.

My helmet kept me appraised of the area. The raised portion of the clearing meant we could see anything approaching, but we were also out in the open. Whatever cover the wreckage could provide was minimal due to distance. I walked in a tight circuit inside the perimeter with my helmet constantly scanning at range.

Movement near a cluster of scrap caught my attention. A person crawled out from under the remnants of a covered speeder. They wore the same type of uniform as the guard that had given us our assignment. Dirt, blood, and singe marks told me they had a rough go of things. They wore a half-faced respirator that had seen better days too.

I sent a ping to the others via our comms to notify them. Jaid was the first to see the person. He had his blaster aim steady as the guard approached. I couldn't hear what the survivor was saying, but Jaid came through clear over comms.

"Identify yourself," Jaid ordered.

The person said something in reply.

"Stay where you are," Jaid said forcefully. "Kaplan, run an ID check for a Guardsman Taret."

Kaplan tapped on his data pad.

"Guardsman Taret was assigned on security detail to the previous technician crew," Kaplan reported. "They reported as MIA as of two days ago, Alderaan time."

"How did you survive the bugs?" Jaid asked.

The guard said something. My helmet told me that the man had been slowly making his way closer to Jaid all the while. It was subtle, barely a half-step dragging along the ground.

"The bugs," Jaid said.

The guard paused. They shook like they had caught a bad scent and were trying to clear it. All pretense of normalcy dropped as the guard broke into a sprint at Jaid. The guard was cut down before they could take three steps.

"Joiner down," Jaid reported.

He approached the body with his blaster aimed at it. Jaid put another round in their chest before he rolled the body face up.

"Why would he charge you like that?" I asked. "That wasn't mentioned."

"The disrespect to the ants could trigger an uncontrolled spike in aggression," Medic guessed. "Briefing said they can't say anything negative."

"He had a rebreather," Rain said. "Do these things work?"

"It's compromised," Jaid said, poking the mask with the toe of his boot. "The thing doesn't look graded for anything more than a thick fog."

"Secure your helmets," One ordered. "Kaplan, have you made contact?"

"The team of technicians are inbound," Kaplan reported. "They're bringing another squad for support. We're to hold the location until they arrive."

"Time?" One asked.

"Ten minutes," Kaplan replied.

"That means thirty," Queen grumbled.

"Jaid," One ignored the comment. "Secure that wreckage the Joiner was in. Toss in a detonator for good measure."

The merc moved closer to the wreckage. He unhooked a detonator from his gear and tossed it into the speeder once it was in reach. The explosion wasn't nearly as big or loud as it should have been. My helmet did have built-in hearing protection, but this wasn't caused by it.

I felt the ground under my feet rumble. My helmet helpfully identified it as an approaching wave of Killik. Jaid had just enough time to take a step back before the first bug emerged from the wreckage. Its arrival launched the charred speeder into the air, clearing the way for those behind it and exposing the tunnel that had been underneath.

Jaid opened up on the ant. A near-constant stream of blaster fire tracked up along the Killiks' torso. It stumbled under the assault before falling flat on its face. The thump of the body hitting the ground signaled the surge of soldier ants. Some carried scavenged blasters while others held spears and clubs made from repurposed pieces of scrap.

I drew my other blaster and began to fire into the wave of ants. My HUD marked the optimal locations for me to aim. Five went down with newly acquired holes in their heads while a few more dropped with aerated thoraxes.

Jaid could only be seen in glimpses through the onslaught. He was too close to the bugs for One to use the turret. The man had swapped to his rifle until it was clear. Queen and Rain added their support from their positions. Medic and Kaplan didn't have line of sight.

Rain let out a feral scream as she moved toward Jaid as well. Her rifle went dry, and she swapped smoothly to her sidearm. The HUD on my helmet was going crazy as I waded through the ants. My armor was holding up, but my undersuit was getting torn up.

I reached Jaid first. My hand latched onto the hook on the back of his armor. I held on tight and activated my jetpack. We launched out of the middle of the bugs and landed back by the Warthog. One hopped back on the turret once it was clear. Rain hadn't been able to get close enough for it to be an issue.

Rain reloaded her rifle as she retreated. One handily put down the rest of the soldier ants with the turret. Queen, Kaplan, and Medic made sure to put an extra shot in the fallen bugs before returning to the Warthog.

Medic wasted no time. She assessed Jaid's condition with a mixture of a physical examination and a quick diagnostic of his suit. Their armor wasn't as complex as mine, or as strong judging by the amount of blood, but it did have something to track vitals.

She stopped mid-exam and took a step back. Her gaze zipped over to land on One.

"What are you doing?" Rain snapped at her.

Jaid hadn't spoken yet. His head lolled a bit to the side as only someone with a concussion can do. The lens on his gas mask was cracked and there were streaks of blood on his face.

"His mask is compromised," Medic replied.

"So?" Rain growled. "Patch him up, that's what you are here for."

"He's been exposed," Medic kept her voice flat and without emotion. "We need to assess his mental condition before I do anything more."

I took a moment to read through the multiple warning messages on my HUD. The notifications were not all about the damage I had sustained like I had thought. There were a few mixed in, but the main focus was on the quality of the air. The pheromones were at a dangerous level from the brief time I was in the crowd of bugs.

"Jaid," Rain leaned over to meet his eyes. "Can you hear me?"

Jaid nodded.

"Yeah," his voice came out muffled through the gas mask.

"What's my name?" She asked.

"Rain," he answered with a snort.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked.

"Three," Jaid replied.

He tried to get to his feet. Rain moved to help him. I stepped closer to block her.

"Rain," I cut in. "Ask him about the bugs."

"What?" Rain snapped.

"Ask," I repeated.

"Did the bugs get you?" Rain asked, her voice had a rawness to it.

"I'm fine," Jaid leaned against the Warthog to steady himself as he spoke. "Just stabbed, shot, and roughed up."

"Jaid," Rain said softly. "How many bugs did you kill?"

A flash of something passed across his face at the question. He seemed to think on it for a moment. His eyes tried to focus on Rain, but they didn't seem to be able.

"Kill how many what?" He asked as he finally steadied.

"The bugs," Rain said.

She barely got the words out before he lunged at her. My armored fist intercepted him, slamming into his jaw, and snapping his head back. Jaid fell flat on the ground. His hands scrambled along his gear, going for the blaster on his hip.

One hopped down from the Warthog. He landed with one boot in between Jaid's shoulders and the other on the searching hand.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Rain yelled.

"Rain," One locked eyes with her.

The steadiness in that connection calmed her ever so slightly.

"He's a Joiner," One said. "You know what that means."

"No," Rain shook her head. "It wasn't long enough. There's no way."

She turned to Medic for her input. Medic shook her head.

"Dank Ferrik," Rain yelled. "Jaid, do you hear me?"

"You stand against the Colony," Jaid spoke in a distant, disconnected tone. "The Colony must spread."

Rain seemed to shrink in on herself at his words. My heart ached for her. One drew his sidearm and put Jaid down with a single shot. Rain dropped to her knees, letting out a scream so raw I could feel it in the Force.

It didn't feel right to try to hug her, and I had no idea what to say. Instead, I held out a hand to her, offering my support if she wanted it. She moved with surprising speed. Her blaster blurred as she raised it and took aim at One. My hand changed from reaching for her to clamping down on her weapon. I wrenched it away from her target.

She screamed as an arc of lasers raced through the sky rather than killing One. Her eyes were wild when she turned to me. I saw her fist coming and let it connect. The punch shifted my helmet slightly, but I could hear the armor on her gloves crack. She'd probably have a few broken fingers if she hadn't been wearing them.

"Load up on the Warthog," One ordered ignoring the attempted murder. "Kaplan, contact the technicians again. Update them on the situation and tell them to put some speed on."

He nodded at me in thanks.

"Alright," Rain growled. "You can let go now."

I cocked my head to the side in an unasked question.

"I'm not going to kill him," she glared at me.

I looked at the blaster rifle that we both held then back at her.

"I wasn't thinking," Rain huffed. "Killing him is stupid. It's not his fault."

I slowly loosened my grip on the rifle. She lowered it and let her sling catch it. I half expected her to take another shot at One. Instead, she stomped over to the nearest ant and turned it into a melted chunk of biological matter.

"Kriffing bugs," Rain yelled as she moved on to the next one to take out her aggression.

We let her vent on a few more.

"Rain," One called. "Reload and get back here."

I looked away from Rain to see One had already wrapped Jaid in some sort of tarp. Rain joined him and the thing sealed tightly around the body after a moment. The two worked together to lift their fallen squadmate into the back of the Warthog without a word.

"The technician squad say they're ten minutes out," Kaplan reported.

Fifteen minutes later the technicians with their security. There were four more relay points on our run that we needed to complete. Each one was deeper into contested territory that more than likely had been completely lost to the bugs. The relay network spanned the continent. It worked not only to connect the bastions of survivors, but as a rough benchmark of the Killik invasion.

As interesting as all that was, what really caught my attention was the group providing security for the technicians. It was the first time I had seen another Mandalorian since I woke up as Kiskin. The blue and silver armor was familiar, as were the Nite Owl helmets. I knew Bo-Katan led them and at some point they were part of Death Watch. Further details were lost to me. I had no idea if they formed before joining Death Watch or if they took shape after. Contrary to what I had thought, they weren't an all-female unit.

"Oya," one of the Nite Owls said as she strutted over to me.

I remember people making a fuss about her having 'boob plate' when she appeared in the Mandalorian Series. It wasn't 'boob plate' the armor was a chest piece with space for female endowment. There was a distinct lack of separate cups and points that compromised the functionality of the armor.

"Oya," I replied as I mentally made the switch to speak in Mando'a. <Do you speak the language?>

<I wouldn't wear the armor otherwise,> the said in perfect Mando'a.

The thing with the languages was still a bit weird, but I wasn't going to argue. I just imagined a switch to flip when I wanted to speak something other than Basic.

<Fair,> I nodded. <How long have you been here?>

<Two weeks local,> she replied. <Bo-Katan Kryze, you are?>

<Kiskin Aurelian,> I answered. <Clan of one, currently.> I paused. <Kryze sounds familiar.>

<My sister,> Bo-Katan answered full of venom. <The Duchess Satine Kryze. Leading Mandalore into a bright future as toothless Republic pets.>

<Almost as bad as Death Watch,> I snorted.

<At least they wear the armor,> she snapped.

<They have no honor,> I said evenly. <They're thugs playing dress-up.>

<Big talk from a lonely merc,> Bo shifted her stance ever so slightly.

I didn't miss the way her hands lowered closer to her blasters.

<We'll continue this conversation elsewhere,> I said. <Are you the on in command?>

<These are my people,> Bo answered with pride clear in her voice. <Who are they?>

<I'm running this job with them,> I replied. <This isn't something a sane person would do alone.>

She nodded. <What are you carrying?>

I gave her a rundown of the gear I carried. She returned the kindness.

<Nice ride,> Bo motioned to the Warthog. <I don't recognize the model.>

"M12 Warthog," I had to switch to Basic to answer.

The Retroactive Merge Complication should have covered this. Or it could just be a rare model since vehicles with actual wheels weren't seen too often. I'd lean toward the second option. Even Tatooine used vehicles and carts that hovered.

"Bo!" One of her people called.

I looked over her shoulder to see another Nite Owl walking over to her. Another female, but shorter. Considering where we were on the timeline, Bo-Katan was probably in her early twenties at most. Katee Sackhoff circa Battlestar Galactica was fine by me.

She turned off her external speaker and swapped over to private comms. The two shared a silent conversation. Seeing their body language and hand gestures without their voices to accompany them was rather amusing.

[Meet the Neighbors]
+100 FP
[Roll – Bank – Store]

ROLL.

[COST: 50]
[WEAPON: BR55HB Battle Rifle]
[Firing off 9.5 × 40mm M634 Experimental High-Powered Semi-Armor-Piercing rounds from a thirty-six-round magazine, it also comes with a x2 scope on the top while possessing both a three-round burst firing mechanism to deliver three hits in rapid succession. The Heavy Barrel likewise increases the range and accuracy of the weapon to ensure anyone in medium range is not going to be happy. Three loaded magazines are provided and will refill after ten seconds of being emptied.]
[Balance: 0 Forge Points]

PURCHASE.

Well, damn, now I am completely broke. Fights before now gave a decent payout, but this one didn't. I had no idea how the points were awarded. Maybe losing Jaid marked negative on my record. The rifle appeared on the weapon rack behind the driver's seat. I felt my belt shift as the additional weight of the magazines settled. A mid-to-long-range slug thrower sounded like a good idea in the current situation.

"Friends of yours?" Rain asked as she moved to stand beside me.

"Just met," I replied. "You good?"

"Functional," she said. "Thanks for not letting me kill One."

I nodded.

"You were close?" I asked after a moment of quiet.

"Grew up on the same no-name planet," her voice had a slight shake to it. "Joined the local militia and moved on from there. Death by bug. How kriffed is that?"

I nodded, not sure what else to say.

"Load up," One ordered walking over to us. "This relay is secured and we're moving on."

The drive to the next relay was quiet. They didn't seem to notice the appearance of my new rifle either. No one spoke aside from the updates from Kaplan. The Nite Owls and the technicians would be out at the first location for the rest of the day. They set a network of sensors that tracked vibrations underground and attached a string of auto-turrets to it. The guns wouldn't stop another wave of ants, but it would give them a couple seconds of breathing room.

Signs of fighting increased the farther we went. The smaller villages along the way had been evacuated. They still had scorch marks, craters, burned out vehicles, and plenty of damage to the buildings. Worse still were the broken doors and windows that had multiple claw marks that led to streaks of blood. My HUD didn't pick up any movement around the buildings. The local wildlife would stop as we got close then pick up as we passed. I had expected the ants to take anything they could to feed the colony. The presence of animals and lack of people made me think that less useful Joiners filled that role.

I needed to make sure things went well since I only had fifty points to my name. My best guess was that Jaid dying was the reason I didn't get a payout. Keeping everyone alive was going to be a challenge if the previous relay was anything to go by. Hopefully, the others would be cautious with the loss of one of their own.

My armor was intact. The fight with the ants had given the paint some character, but the damage done was relatively little. Even the attacks that had hit where my armor didn't reach had been absorbed by my upgraded undersuit. The description had said it was uncomfortable for longer stretches, but I had yet to have an issue with it. Switching from the bulk of the previous version, even though it was just clothe, was actually a nice adjustment.

I slowed down as the relay site came into view. It was placed on what had been a flat stretch of raised ground. The previously scenic area was marred not only with the remnants of a battle, but a couple of big ant hills. Unlike the last relay, these Killik didn't bother with stealth. They had sentries, a few patrols, and plenty of salvaged weapons. Most notably was the inclusion of an Overseer Ant. The thing was easily double the height of a drone and spotted us at the same time we spotted it. Its antenna twitched, sending a silent signal to the drones around it. A moment later we watched as the message was sent through the others. A few dozen eyes all turned toward us in a wave of synchronized motion.

My HUD marked it as a High Value Target as I slammed on the breaks. The sudden shift tore grooves in the ground. I flipped the Warthog into reverse and punched the gas. Another gash of tire marks dug into the remains of the sculpted landscape as I hit the brakes once they were out of sight.

"One," I ordered. "Get on the turret. Kaplan take the wheel. Medic, Queen, Rain, covering fire from the Warthog."

"What about you?" Rain asked.

"I'll do what I do," I snatched the Battle Rifle from the hook on my seat and hopped out of the Warthog.

I dropped to a knee as my HUD and the Rifle synced up. Not a moment later the first Killik appeared. A group of drones with Joiners in the mix. I stuck to three-round bursts taking out the ones in the lead with clean headshots, adjusting for the kick by aiming a tad bit lower. My HUD kept track of the remaining ammo, giving me plenty of time to time my reload.

The first soldier ant didn't show up until half-way through the second magazine. Their appearance prompted One to use the turret. Time moved strangely in the middle of a fight. It felt like it had been a few seconds and seemingly an hour or more at once. Regardless, I didn't want to count on the first magazine being reloaded by the time I was through the third.

It wasn't until the soldier ants started to fire their stolen weapons that I realized the drones and Joiners didn't have ranged weapons. They were armed with tools of various quality if they were lucky. Their lack of proper weaponry wouldn't matter if they got close enough. A sharp enough blade will kill just as well as a blaster.

I adjusted my aim to the soldier ants as the turret took out the drones and Joiners. The three-round burst showed its usefulness as it took at least that to put down a single soldier. I went through the remains of the magazine much faster once they joined the fight. My hands moved smoothly through the motions as I reloaded. We still had some distance before they got too close, but I wasn't confident that the magazines would refill before then.

"Note to self," I muttered as I drew my blasters. "Buy grenades."

My blasters felt good in my hands. I didn't give a stray thought to where the spent magazines, or the now-empty rifle went when I switched. My HUD marked the most pressing targets. The turret stopped as it started to run too hot. It would need time to recharge and the ants too full advantage of the sudden lull. They put on speed. The squad started to fire once the ants were in range, but they couldn't recreate the same effect that the turret had.

Most of the Joiners and drones were down or disabled. The remaining fodder was getting too close for comfort and that meant that the soldiers would be a step behind. I heard the Warthog rev as Kaplan reversed to give them more space. Rain yelled something over the comms, but I was too focused to hear whatever she was saying.

I holstered my blasters and stood before the remaining drones got too close. My lightsaber hissed to life the moment it was in my hand. A sense of serenity settled onto my soul as the spark of Force I called my own woke. The drones didn't pause even for a moment. My blade cut through them with hardly any resistance. The area around me quickly became a blur with the Force making me stronger, faster, and more aware than I had been before.

The ants suddenly shifted their entire focus on me rather than trying to reach the others. A spike of annoyance and anger pushed me even faster. My world shrank down to the circle around me and where my lightsaber could reach.

Slash, dodge, kick, stab. Twist, swipe, cut, duck. A burst of Force to gain some breathing room. At some point the turret started up again. Another surge of fighting finished the ants charge. My breathing was hard and heavy in the aftermath. I was covered in a mixture of dirt, grime, and charred bug remains.

My HUD pinged. I followed the noise to find the Overseer standing with a wall of soldiers acting as a shield in the distance. New ones would step into place once the turret cut an ant down. I deactivated my lightsaber and swapped it over to the rifle once more.

A quick check told me one of the magazines had reloaded. I slid it into place, switched it to single-fire, and took aim. The Overseer watched the turret intently to keep its shield ants protecting it. It was on the far end of my rifles optimal range, but I was too tired and pissed off to care.

I took a deep breath, held it, and fired. The round punched through the Overseers' head just below one of its antenna. Damn, I was aiming for its eye. It swayed for a moment before dropping to the ground. The soldiers froze for a moment, unsure if they should continue to follow orders now that the VIB was down.

One took advantage of their confusion to take out a few more as the survivors retreated. My breathing slowed as I started to come down from the rush of the fight. Something clacked against my shin. I looked down to see the head of a drone trying to chew through my leg.

I chuckled as I put a bullet through its head. My HUD did a quick scan for life signs and movement. There were a few pockets of dismembered drones and soldiers, but they weren't intact enough to attack or were stuck.

The Warthog pulled up beside me. Queen, Medic, and Rain hopped out of the vehicle and began to put down the ones that were still alive. One and Kaplan stayed in their stations. I checked my magazines to make sure they were all loaded before I placed them back on my belt.

"What was that?" Rain asked as she walked up to me.

"It's what I do," I replied with a shrug.

"Chuba," Rain snapped. "You're some kind of Jedi?"

"No," I laughed.

"Why didn't you do that before?" Her eyes went hard.

"Too dangerous," I said simply. "A lightsaber doesn't care if you're a friend and I don't want to dismember my allies."

She took a deep breath and let it out. Thankfully, she seemed to accept that.

"You're covered in bug shit," Rain said.

I shrugged.

"This is not good," Kaplan spoke up.

"What?" I asked without taking my eyes off of Rain.

Luckily, it was easy to study without them knowing when I had my helmet on.

"They've hijacked the Distress Signal," Kaplan replied.

I swapped my comms to connect to the local network.

"Survivors, help is coming," a human voice said, there was something off about it, but it could be blamed on stress. "Switch your beacons to code 34462108. A rescue crew will be sent to your location as soon as possible. THIS MESSAGE REPEATS."

"Why don't they know about this?" I asked. "Seems like it's too big to miss."

"The bugs have destroyed enough relays to keep it from reaching the real Alderaan forces," Kaplan explained. "Reporting it now."

Slowly, we pushed forward to the location of the relay. There were a few drones and Joiners left meandering around. The main cluster was around the compromised relay. Worse yet, was that a couple of drones arrived via the ant hills in a steady procession. They grabbed pieces of partially dismantled tech before turning around and taking it down into the tunnels. My previous thought was confirmed when another line appeared to clean up the various bodies that were scattered around as well.

"They're eating the dead?" Rain asked over the comms.

She was on my left with enough distance to cover each other without getting in the way.

"Looks like it," I muttered.

"Orders?" Rain asked, her voice was strained.

"Main command has requested our return," One commanded. "We've updated them and marked the location. Get in the Warthog."

"I could use a resupply," I nodded.

"Yeah," Rain sighed. "Let's go."

I took a spot in the back, letting Queen take the passenger seat while Kaplan drove and One stayed on the turret. My HUD had a couple more air quality warnings, but the seal hadn't been breached. I looked down at my armor. It definitely needed to be cleaned. I didn't mind some battle-scars, but I drew the line at being covered in bug guts.

A trio of bombers raced overhead and erased the area around the hijacked relay. It was better than tossing a grenade into one of the anthills. The Warthog jostled a little when the shockwave hit. It was good to see them take the situation seriously. The adrenaline of the fight started to fade. I felt my eyes start to droop.

I woke to a gentle alarm telling me that we were approaching base camp. There was a string of unread notifications as well. One was still on the turret, though he was a bit more relaxed. Queen had her chin tucked against her chest dozing. Rain sat beside me with a tight grip on her blaster. Her eyes stared straight ahead not really seeing anything but aware all the same.

[Relay Trouble]
+100 FP
[Ant Destroyer]
+100 FP
[Headless Honcho]
+100 FP
[Natural Paint Job]
+100 FP
[They Live]
+100 FP
[Roll – Bank – Shop]

ROLL.

[COST: 400]
[ITEM: Tactical Team]
[A full complement of twenty-seven elite commandos, or an equivalent appropriate to your species and faction. Unswervingly loyal, skilled and dedicated. They will be stasis in your Workshop until summoned.]

Damn. It would take all of my new points, but still. Appropriate species was an interesting detail. Would I suddenly have twenty-seven Pureblood Sith under my command?

PURCHASE.

[Select Species]
[Human – Twi'lek – Asari – Quarian – Turian – Krogan – Sith]

SITH.

[Purchase Complete]
[Balance: 50 Forge Points]

"You're awake," Rain said.

I nodded.

"I can't sleep after a fight," Rain continued. "Never could."

"You don't crash?" I asked.

"I'll sleep once we're off this planet," she replied softly.

Her eyes drifted over to where Jaid's body was wrapped. She sniffed and looked up at the sky, holding in the tears she didn't want to cry. After a moment she took a shaky breath and shook her head.

"I never expected either of us to die in a bed surrounded by fat grandkids," she said. "Just didn't think it would be something like this."

I offered her my hand. She took it and squeezed hard enough for me to feel it through my gloves.

"Damn, you smell," she chuckled.

"It must be bad if you can smell me through that," I said smiling under my helmet.

"So, you're not a Jedi but you use the Force," Rain stated. "Are you one of those evil Jedi?"

"No," I laughed. "I don't come off as evil, do it?"

"At first," she shrugged.

"Thanks," I snorted.

"What are your plans after this?" Rain asked.

"I promised my crew a vacation," I replied. "That's why we were heading here."

"You have a crew?" She asked.

"My ship, yes," I nodded. "Four plus me."

"They aren't Mando?" She asked.

"It's not a requirement," I shook my head. "True Mandalorians aren't as prevalent as they used to be."

"There has to be more of you not on Mandalore," Rain shrugged. "It's not the only planet in the system. There are moons too."

"And those like me who are out in the galaxy," I added.

"What about those blue ones?" She said after a moment.

"Nite Owls," I clarified. "I know a little about them, just not enough to call them allies."

She raised her eyebrows in a silent question. They disappeared under the top ridge of her mask, for a moment it made her look like she didn't have any. I couldn't stop the chuckle that snuck up on me. She glared at me, which made me actually laugh.

"Are you going to explain, or just laugh at me?" Rain continued to glare.

"The Nite Owls, right," I shook my head clear. "Do you know about Death Watch?"

"Some kind of Mando group, right?" Rain said.

"A bunch of thugs playing dress-up," I grumbled. "They're using the new regime as an excuse to blow things up and cause chaos. Death Watch was around before all of this pacifist garbage. They were able to capitalize on it to increase their numbers. Dar'manda the lot of them and that's being generous."

"Sore spot, eh?" Rain asked.

I nodded.

"Base Camp checkpoint," Kaplan announced.

One relaxed his grip on the turret, leaning his arms atop it to rest. The Warthog pulled to a stop beside a guard post. A second layer of barricade has been erected around the camp. There were auto-turrets and raised platforms spaced along as well.

"Report," one of the guards ordered.

There were five of them in front of us in a half-circle that were backed up by a couple of turrets.

"Three relays checked," One replied. "The bugs destroyed one and hijacked another. We put down an Overseer too."

The guard nodded. Calling the Killik bugs would have triggered a Joiner to attack. The fact that none of us tried to kill One was a good sign.

"Pull in," the guard said.

They closed the gate as soon as we were clear. There were a few signs of a fight between the two fences. A group of technicians were going around repairing what had been the first line of turrets. The lack of bodies was even more disturbing after seeing the ants haul the dead down into their tunnels.

The Warthog got some attention as we rolled through the camp. Kaplan followed some signage to the vehicle area without issue. The mechanics came out and stared at it while muttering amongst themselves.

"Does it need repairs?" The head mechanic asked Kaplan.

"Systems read functional," I answered. "Fuel cells are recharging, and the turret is cycling through the heat sink without issue."

"Ok," The mechanic nodded like he understood that.

Kaplan powered the vehicle down as we got out of the Warthog. It locked down automatically once I was out of range. The squad split off to handle Jaid's body. It was a private matter, so I left them to it. I spared a quick look to see the mechanics assembled around the Warthog. They stared at it, pointing out things they found strange. One of them kicked the tires.

"Put tires on something and everyone looks at it like it will explode," I muttered.

I was led to a command tent to debrief to find there were a few other mercenaries waiting to report as well. The squad needed time to take care of Jaid. I could give the report just as easily as the others. Moreso, actually, considering my helmet recorded things. Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls were easy to spot. Then again, so was I. They either had already given their report or were still waiting. Regardless, she made her way over to me.

"I could have sworn your color was red last time I saw you," she teased.

My armor was covered in splotched of mud, ant blood, claw marks, and a few other things I didn't want to think about.

"I was busy," I replied.

"Clearly," Bo scanned the area to see I was alone. "Just you?"

"The squad has an important duty to attend," I replied.

She nodded.

"You aren't the only squad to report compromised relays," she said after a moment. "They passed the information on to the other continents too, just in case."

"They're sure that it's not just one colony?" I asked.

"That's what the intel says," Bo shrugged. "We aren't going to be here much longer anyway."

I cocked my head in a silent question. She tapped her helmet.

[Accept Private Message]
[Yes/No]

<The fight is not going well,> Bo switched to Mando'a for extra privacy. <If it was just one colony they could drop a few bunker-busters every couple of hours. There are at least three locals and more on other continents. The plan with the most traction is to call in some heavy battle cruisers and bombard the hotspots once the evacuation is at an acceptable level.>

I sighed. Maybe the Death Star destroying Alderaan wasn't such a bad idea.

<What's the countdown until then?> I asked.

<Four days, local,> she answered. <Everyone is getting Search and Rescue assignments.>

<Wonderful,> I said.

"Red," an Alderaan officer waved me over. "Report."

<That's me,> I said as I disconnected the private connection.

The Alderaan guardsmen had set temporary quarters for the mercs. I found my way to them easily enough and found the rest of the squad already there. There was a double airlock to protect a filtered air system that allowed people to remove their respirators if they wished. Only Kaplan had his still on. I had a suspicion that it had more tech than the others.

My HUD scanned the area. It gave a pleasant chime to let me know the air was clean. I switched off my private supply and allowed it to refill. There was a slight taste of mint to the filtered air. Still, it was a nice change from the stored supply.

I settled onto a bunk next to Rain. She gave me a nod in greeting before returning to whatever she had been doing. True to my promise to Anakin, I made contact with my ship. Technically, there was no way I should have been able to have a smooth connection with anything beyond low orbit. The Forge didn't care about that. I could use the key to go to my Warehouse and take a shortcut to my ship if I wanted. Sending a message wasn't an issue in comparison.

A hologram of Anakin appeared floating above the omni-tool on my forearm.

"Kiskin!" Anakin greeted me. "What did you do today? Have you been busy? Did you kill any monsters?"

"Hey, Anakin," I replied finding myself smiling the moment I heard his voice. "I have been busy. There aren't monsters here, just bugs that they call Killik. Those I have killed a lot of."

"Ani," Shmi warned. "You don't need to ask about that."

"Sorry, mom," Anakin said softly.

"Where did you end up?" I asked to move the conversation along.

"Aquator," Shmi answered.

"I don't know that one," I said honestly.

"It's a resort planet," Shmi replied with a soft smile.

"There are beaches!" Anakin chimed it. "And trees! And water! So much water. And it rains!"

I smiled. His unbound energy helped soothe the rough edges of the day.

"How much longer are you going to be?" Anakin asked after he took a breath.

"Four or five days, local time," I replied.

"Ok," Anakin replied. "I'm learning how to swim!"

"That's awesome, kid," I laughed.