I wrote this story in collaboration with a friend of mine years ago.

 

 

Clan Arcona FOB

 

Bloodshed was the key. No matter what events unfolded Kano knew that bloodshed was the key to this mission. His team, The Bastion, was already assembled and instructed as to what their various task would be. As they each checked in over the comlink a voice popped up on the line that wasn’t in his team. The voice was instantly recognized as being Fremoc Pepoi, the Quaestor of House Marka Rangos, and he seemed a bit eager but it also surprised Kano to find Fremoc tagging along on this mission. “Kano, we’re all set to go out here. Drop those damn defenses already so we can get this thing started.”

“Give me a few gorram minutes. My part is silent. We can’t just blow the damn wall down. Speaking of silence.” The Dark Jedi Knight pressed a button on his comlink to silence all outside transmissions. As soon as he did another voice came over the small bud in his ear.”Set.”

The single word was set to cause total pandemonium for Clan Arcona. The Mandalorian assassin took a deep breath and dropped down the ventilation shaft he had been sitting in. Far below sat two of Clan Arcona’s security forces. The monitors they watched showed many areas surrounding the Operating Base and security was doing its finest. One of the two looked up at the vent above his head.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Before the security official could say anything the vent cover came crashing down with Kano and struck the man in the face. The force of the falling Knight caused a loud crack as the man’s neck snapped. Kano sprang his blue saber to life and in a flash dropped the other man to the ground. Moving as fast as he could the Knight began slamming commands into the security systems until the words appeared on the screen, SYSTEM DOWN. At the exact time the comlink let slip another word.

“Sadow.”

All around the Operating Base explosions rang out. The outer walls crumbled in various locations and the power began to flicker on and off. Kano hit a button and spoke into the comlink.

“Fremoc, Doors are open. Welcome to the party. We meet in 15.”

Kano gripped his saber in his right hand and drew out his Westar-34 in his left and made his way out of the Security Room and into the halls.

The doors opened with a large man walking in, hundreds of troops at his back some even had lightsabers as they charged into the Arconan forward operating base. The Naga Sadow objective was to destroy the entire base, with as many members of Arcona as possible. Fremoc lit his emerald lightsaber as he walked in, batting away laser bolts as the troops from Arcona opened fire upon the Dlarit Corporation’s Special Forces. Fremoc didn’t come with just the DSF, he also came with the Night Raptors and the Night Hawks. Ekeia and Methyas running head first into the fray, along with their teams, cutting down the Arconan troopers getting the upper hand in the battle. 

A Dark Jedi leapt in front of the Templar, engaging him as the rest of the DSF troopers ran past him and into the forward operating base. The Dark Jedi was no match for Fremoc as the Templar cut the Arconan down with ease. Six leapt out of the shadows surrounding the towering Quaestor. He moved quickly as each blade reached out to score a hit on his person.  From behind, the Templar could sense the presence of his apprentice sneaking up on some of the Dark Jedi.

Several blue bolts of white hot energy blasted through three of the assailant Dark Jedi, while Fremoc cut through the remaining three. He closed down his green blade and turned to face the man that he had trained. It had been some time since the two had  been together because of Fremoc’s promotion to Quaestor and Kano being transferred to Ludo Kressh and becoming the Bastion’s battle team leader. The Quaestor reached out and clasped the forearm of his apprentice.

“Been awhile, ner vod,” said Fremoc as he looked at the Mandalorian. Kano was growing stronger in the Force every day, and would eventually surpass his master.

“Yes it has. Methyas is going to the shield generators, while Ekeia is going to the power cells, and my team is going after the rest of the Dark Jedi,” said Kano. He had been at the briefing with Methyas and Ekeia when Taigikori gave them their assignments. The arrival of Fremoc meant that either the Templar was bored, or the summit wanted someone around for guidance if there was a problem. “Surprised to see you with us.”

“I can sense that, the same feeling that Ekeia and Methyas had before we left.”

“Then why are you here ner vod?”

“Because sitting on my arse all day doesn’t suite me very well, especially when I know of an operation going on.” DSF troopers ran past the two Disciples of Sadow. They could hear faint blasterfire as the Dlarit Corporation’s soldiers cleared out the forward operating base. Fremoc heard a crackle over his comlink and picked it up. “Yes?”

“Sir, there is no one here except lowly Acolytes and Protectors. All the higher command staff is gone or has been gone for some time,” came the reply from the Commander in charge of the DSF.

Fremoc looked at Kano, as Ekeia and Methyas ran up to the Templar and Dark Jedi Knight. The four looked at each other and Fremoc looked at Kano, “It’s almost as if…”

“…they knew that we were…” continued Kano.

“…coming.” Ended Methyas and Ekeia at the same time.

“Commander get your troops out of the base, this place is going to explode,” yelled Fremoc over the comlink, his blood pounding through his veins. “You three get your people out of this base, rendezvous one kilometer outside the building and we go from there. Go!”

The battleteam leaders scattered and rushed to their teams as they began to escape the Arconan Forward Operating Base. Fremoc moved as fast as he could away from the building reaching the designated area, and waited for his fellow Dark Jedi. DSF ran out of the building as well, but couldn’t keep up with their generals who quickly made their way to the Quaestor’s position. The Templar stood and along with the other Dark Jedi he had brought with him into the operating base, walked back to the Naga Sadow Base.

“You sure it was a trap Fremoc?” questioned Ekeia as they made their way through the terrain. The felt it through the Force before the explosions actually happened. They turned back to the Arconan base, watching it blow up from the inside. The DSF were still retreating as the base exploded, killing only a handful but the Dark Jedi assembled could feel their screams as they died in the flames. 

“I’m pretty sure Keia, they just killed fifteen of our finest soldiers,” said Fremoc angrily as they continued their march back to the base. They spent the time in quiet realizing if they hadn’t moved as fast as they did they would have been fried in the explosions as well. Or that they could have been killed if they didn’t realize it was a trap to begin with. The soldiers that had died were left at the base for the time, but were to be retrieved at a later time because they didn’t have the resources on had to do so at the time.