Part 1.2: Dxun Encounters

Ashley's Dream: Second Onderonian Civil War

A soldier ran up to Ashley and saluted.  "Ma'am, the Imperialist forces have taken the Palace... it is a matter of time before they reach the Queen," he said, gasping for breath.

Ashley looked at him and said "The Queen?  But... the Queen died days ago..."

"No, not Queen Anora Kira... Queen Talia Tavers... we need to hurry if we are to save the Queen!" he exclaimed, running to the door.  He stopped and turned around.  "Come on!  We need to move now!"

She nodded and followed the soldier up the Sky Ramp, which was suspiciously empty.  This is odd... it's too quiet... she thought, running after the soldier.

They reached the top of the Sky Ramp when several proton bombs fell from the sky and destroyed the Ramp behind them, stranding them at the Palace.

"Damn those Imperialists!  They'll bring the whole Palace District down to the ground!" the soldier exclaimed, running over to the Palace entrance.  "Come on!  I don't know how much longer the Queen will survive!"

Ashley ran after him when someone dressed in an Imperial Flightsuit stepped out of the shadows and blocked her path.  On the person's shoulder, she saw the easily recognizable insignia of Tuk'ata Squadron.  Cayden... she immediately thought.

"I'm sorry Ashley... but I can't allow you through this door..." the man said, taking the flight helmet off.

"Cayden... We have to... your mom is going to die unless we help her!" she exclaimed, running up to him.

"I am sorry Ashley... but I have my orders..." he said, looking into her eyes, not smiling once.  He rested his hand on his blaster.

"Cayden..." she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Etere Videum - Present Day

Ashley woke up suddenly and noticed that she was not only on the floor, but drenched in her own sweat.  What the hell kind of dream was that?  Cayden would never do that. she thought, getting off the floor.  She looked at the thermostat and noticed that it was set at 12 degrees Celsius.  And I'm covered in sweat... lovely... she thought, heading over to the shower.  She stepped into the shower and let the water cascade down her body, the oils and wastes secreted by her sebaceous glands washing away in the warm water.

She got out after a while and dried off, she took out an old uniform she had in her bag and put it on.  She looked at herself in the mirror and thought I look like I'm in the Onderonian Military... we need to get some new uniforms if we are going to do this outside of Onderonian government jurisdiction.  She walked out of her room and went to the bridge, nodding at the SF standing at the door.  "Status report, Sergeant," she said, sitting at her chair.

"All systems are green, Ma'am," Marcus said, turning to her.  "Awaiting your command."

"Where are we in the galaxy?" she asked, looking at the navicomputer.

"Ummm... we are approximately ten parsecs away from the Onderon System, Ma'am," he said, pressing keys on his console.  "ETA... 40 minutes."

"Excellent, I want everyone to battle positions, just in case the Imperialists took control of the orbiting fleet," she said, walking to the door.

"Yes ma'am," Marcus said, pressing more keys on his console.

She walked off the bridge, down the brightly lit corridor, and entered the briefing room, where three teams of four soldiers, all in full combat gear, stood waiting orders.  “Gentlemen... as you are aware; we are less than 40 minutes away from Onderon, which means…” she started, the soldiers nodding in agreement.  “… That we are less than 40 minutes away from what will be the climax of the Civil War.  I am sure that the Imperialists have established a base of operations on Dxun, something we cannot allow to exist.  We need to go down and knock out that base before they take full control of the moon.”  She pressed several buttons and a holo-projection of Dxun appears in front of them.  “This is a satellite image of the base that they have constructed sent to us by the Royal Navy several minutes ago.  As you can see, they have established a rather strong presence here… yes, Captain?” she asked, noticing that Captain Oron Rezkul was raising his hand.

“Ma’am, I don’t think I heard you right… did you say we will be going down there?” he asked, staring hard at her.

“Yes Captain… We.  I will be accompanying one of the assault teams down to the moon surface.  There are some… allies… that I can get to help us in the fight,” she vaguely said, smirking.

“Allies?” Oron asked.

“Yes Captain… Allies.  The day after Cayden left, Queen Anora sent me on a mission to complete two objectives: One, find Cayden and convince him to return to Onderon… and Two, make an alliance between Royalist Onderon and Mandalore…” she said.

“Mandalore?!?  You made an alliance with the Mandalorians?!?  Does our history with them mean absolutely nothing to you people?!?” he exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table.

“Captain, I am aware of our past with the Mandalorians, as was the Queen.  But, remember, the Imperialists made an alliance with the New Republic,” she pointed out.

Oron smirked, then said “Not the New Republic… a splinter faction of the Empire.  They pose as the New Republic, making planets believe they are under attack from them so that they won’t join the New Republic… the perfect strategy to keep incoming members to them as low as possible... and to keep Royalist forces from being dangerously increased.”

“So… then it is one of the Imperial factions fighting with the enemy, not the New Republic?” she asked.

“That is correct, Ma’am,” he said.

“Once we liberate Dxun from the Imperialists, we need to send a transmission to Coruscant to ask for the intervention of the New Republic,” she declared.  Cayden’s not going to like this... he won’t like it at all… but it’s no longer his call, its mine…

“As you wish, Ambassador Clearwater,” Oron said, saluting.

“I’m not an Ambassador anymore… you may call me either Major Clearwater, or Ashley,” Ashley said, smiling.  “I was given a commission in the Onderonian Navy, as a Major, by Queen Anora before I left for Mandalore.  Now… I will be going with Alpha Team.  We’ll be inserted here, outside the main entrance with Bravo Team.  Gamma Team, you will be going in the back way.  We’ll flank them, and take back the colony.  Should reinforcements arrive from the planet, the Etere Videum will be there to provide aerial support until we have secured the colony.  Once the colony is secured, I will contact the Mandalorians and have them move in to beef up security.  The ship will land inside the city, and we’ll begin preparing for an attack on Iziz itself.  Any questions so far?”

She looked around at the soldiers, then smiled when none of them had a question.  “Very well,” she said.  “Preparations should take about two weeks for us to complete.  During those two weeks, Alpha Team, as well as a team of Mandalorians, and myself will head to Coruscant to make an appeal to the New Republic for their intervention in the final battle.  Assuming they agree to send reinforcements, we will return as the preparations are being finalized.  Once we have received a transmission from the New Republic command ship, confirming their arrival into the system, we will begin our attack on Iziz, sending in gunships and infantry to begin pushing both the Imperialists and the Imperials to their command center and force their surrender.  Any questions?” she asked, looking around.

A soldier, Chief Master Sergeant Jake Solarius, spoke up.  “Major, what if they deny our appeal?  What happens then?” he asked.

Ashley looked at him and smiled.  “For one, I don’t deal in what if’s … secondly, assuming they do deny it, we’ll just appeal directly to the New Republic Naval Commander-in-Chief, who I believe is currently Admiral Ackbar, a Mon Calamari veteran from the Battle of Endor.  He should sympathize with us, and convince the New Republic Ruling Council to send some ships to help alleviate our suffering, the political wording of sending the Fifth Defense Fleet.” she explained, still smiling.  If THAT happens… then Cayden will definitely not be happy… he’ll be fighting alongside Rogue Squadron… and if they find out that he fights for the Vast Empire… she stopped that thought dead in its tracks, because she already knew the outcome: the Vast Empire Military being drawn into battle against the New Republic above, and possibly on, Onderon, plunging the Onderonian Civil War into the much larger Galactic Civil War.  “We will arrive in…” she started, checking the wall-clock.  “About 30 minutes before we enter the system, so… let’s get everything and everyone to full-battle readiness.  Dismissed.”

The teams left the room to begin preparations for the assault of Nadd City, and she sat down in her chair, putting her head into her hands.  What have I become a part of?  I have become a soldier, fighting for a war-weary planet’s stability.  I am planning on asking the enemy of my fiancé to aid us in our battle, and asking my fiancé to fight with them… Tears began streaming down her cheeks.  Why did this war have to happen in my lifetime?  Why couldn’t it have happened 32 years ago, during the Clone Wars? she thought, wiping the tears off her face.  She pulled out her datapad and looked at a picture of her and Cayden, in flightsuits, standing at the base of an ARC-170 Starfighter, smiling and holding each other.  She smiled.  I remember this day… this was the day we started going out… this was taken an hour before we shared our first kiss.  Oh, how I wish he was here… he would make it so much easier for me... but he has his obligations, as I have mine.  He will arrive soon, hopefully… and he will help us end this bloody Civil War once and for all… she thought, smiling.  She stood up, put the datapad away, and walked down to the Armory to begin suiting up for the upcoming battle.

Flashback: 3 Years Ago

Ashley woke up and looked at her calendar.  She saw that it was the first day of their flight simulation courses, and quickly sprung out of bed.  She started putting on her Academy-issued flight suit, when she stopped.  Should I do it today?  I don’t know how much longer I can go without telling him… she thought, reaching for her belt.  I know that I really like him, and I want to see if he is the one…   She put her belt on and started pulling on her boots.  But if I tell him, he might not like me back, and I’ll have made a fool of myself…   She fastened her right boot tight around her calf and pulled on the other one.  Or, if I do tell him, and it doesn’t work out, then I’ll be crushed… and lose a great friend… she thought, securing the left boot tight.  She stood in front of her mirror and put her hair into a pony tail.

Then, just as she was about to grab her bag, her mother, Rozanne, came in.  “Ashley, dear… it’s time for breakfast,” she said, poking her head into the room.

“Alright, I’ll be right there,” Ashley said, reaching for her bag.  She hesitated and quickly turned around before her mom left.  “Mom… how did you tell dad you liked him?” she blurted out.  She put her hands over her mouth right after the words came out.

Her mom stopped and turned around.  “Are you asking because of Cayden?” she asked, smiling.

Ashley looked at her dumbfounded.  “How did you…?” she began.

“You talk in your sleep, dear… Dad might not hear it, but I have ears like a Bith,” Rozanne said, sitting on the bed.  She patted the mattress next to her and Ashley sat down.  “I’ve actually known for quite some time now that you liked Cayden.  I’m amazed it took you this long to finally ask that question,” she said, laughing.

“Moooooooom… how did you tell dad you liked him?” Ashley asked again.

Rozanne smiled again.  “I met your father when he was on leave during the Clone Wars.  He was part of the liberation army sent here to end the Separatist occupation.  I was a nurse at the hospital where he was visiting a friend of his who had a broken leg and a blaster wound in his side.  He came up and asked me where his friend was, and I took him there.  I had asked him if he aided in the liberation, and he said yes.  I asked him if he was from the Republic, and he said no, that he was from Onderon.  When we reached the room, I asked him if I’d see him again, and he said it wasn’t very likely.  I was rather upset when he said that, but understood the truth behind it, so I left him with his friend.  We didn’t meet again for several years, when he was a patient I happened to be processing.  I walked in to his room to prep him for the doctor when I recognized him.  I saw his name on the chart and asked him if he remembered me.  He looked at me for some time, and then said that he did remember me.  He called me ‘that cute nurse from way back.’  I giggled and he asked me if I was doing anything that weekend.  I looked at him and said ‘No… but I don’t know if you’ll be doing anything for the next two weeks, seeing how you’ll be stuck in here for bacta treatments and therapy for that leg of yours.’  He smiled and said ‘Well, we could always hang out in here, seeing how this’ll be my home for a while.’  I replied ‘We could… but the noise has to be real low when it hits 22:00 hours.’  He smiled and motioned me over.  I walked over and he whispered to me that we will be great friends.  I smiled and agreed.  Two weeks later, when he was discharged from the hospital, he gave me his address and said that I could stop by any time I wanted,” she said, taking a breath.

“But mom… that doesn’t explain HOW you told him…” Ashley whined.

“I’m getting there, Ashley,” Rozanne said smiling.  “One day, hanging out at his house, I asked him if he wanted to go on a walk in the forest.  Of course, being the cheery guy he is, he agreed and we went for a walk.  We walked for quite some time until we reached a large tree with a fallen tree underneath it.  I stood on top of it, putting myself at his height, and asked him if he liked me.  He said that he did, since he was my friend.  Then, I asked him ‘Enough to kiss me?’  He said that he didn’t know, paused for a second, and then said ‘Let’s find out.’  He leaned in and kissed me,” She finished, blushing.  “Does that help, sweetie pie?”

Ashley said, smiling “Yes mom, that helps a lot…”  She grabbed her bag and walked to the door.  She paused and turned to her mother.  “Thank you, mom… I really do appreciate it,” she said, still smiling.

“You’re welcome, dear,” Rozanne replied, smiling.  “Have fun today, sweetie.”

Ashley ran out of the house and continued running down the street.  She ran down the street, passing several houses, until she reached the Sky Ramp.  She stopped there and saw Cayden, wearing a similar flight suit, walking down the Ramp.  Smiling, Ashley ran up to him and gave him a hug.

“You’re awfully cheerful this morning, Ashley,” he said, smiling.  “Have you been drinking enriched milk again?”

She smiled and replied “No sir, I swore off that stuff last time I drank it.  Besides, today we begin our flight simulation courses.  Why shouldn’t I be extremely happy?”

He smiled and hugged her again.  “Alright, good enough for me.  Let’s get to the Academy before they begin without us,” he said, running to the far wall.  He turned and smiled when she ran up behind him.

They ran down the street towards the Academy, cutting across the main plaza of the Merchant Quarter.  They reached the doors of the Academy moments before the first bell rang.  They ran down the hall and walked onto the flight deck before the final bell rang.  Noticing the rest of the class gathered in the middle of a string of ARC-170 simulators, they ran to join them before the Instructor began taking role.

When he finished taking role, he moved over to a simulator and said “Today, as you all can see, you will begin flight simulations.  It is here that we determine if you are capable of flying an actual fighter, or if we should just place you on engineering.  But, I am confident that each and every one of you will pass your simulator exams with flying colors.  Now, your simulator number is on your right breast.  Climb in, and I’ll walk you all through the pre-flight process.”  He climbed into the simulator and strapped himself in.

The rest of the class started looking and climbing in to their simulators.  Ashley noticed that Cayden’s simulator was to the right of hers, designating him her wingman.  She placed the straps around her shoulders and fastened them in the buckle located between her legs.  They didn’t design this cockpit with morality in mind she thought, putting her helmet on.  She flipped the switch to close the cockpit as she secured the helmet onto her flight suit.

A cackle sounded over the radio as the Instructor switched on the communication channel. [[Alright everyone, I assume you all put on your flight helmets and closed the cockpit.  Now, locate the ignition button and press it]]

Ashley looked at all the instruments, saw a red button with the unmistakable symbol for power on it, and pressed it.  The power generator roared to life after she pressed the button.  She smiled and thought This is pretty easy… I can’t wait to take this thing into the air, even if it is in a simulation.

The radio cackled again as Instructor spoke.  [[Alright, I’m getting good signs from most of you.  Delta-3, the button is RED, not GREEN.  The GREEN button is for the sensors.  Who can tell me what the blue and yellow buttons do?]]

The radio cackled as a male’s voice spoke.  Ashley recognized the voice as Cayden’s.  [[The yellow button powers-up the weapons and the blue button powers-up the shields.]]

[[Correct Beta-2, yellow is weapons and blue is shields.  Now, there are several dials in front of you… what do they do?]]

This time, Ashley answered.  “The one on the far left is the radar, while the one to the right of it shows the power levels for the shields.  The one on the far right is the navi-computer, for the hyperdrive; and the one above the viewport is the live video feed of behind the fighter,” she said, smiling.

[[Correct Beta-1.  Now, everyone get those repulsor-lifts active and let’s get into the air.]]

Ashley flipped a switch next to the ignition as the Heads-Up Display appeared on the cockpit window, and the simulation began.  The fighter simulated a take-off from the ground as she began pushing the throttle forward with her right hand, pulling the control stick back with her left, propelling the ship forward.

[[Okay everyone, listen up!  I will take Alpha Flight through the run first.  Beta Flight, follow us about 2 minutes in, Gamma follow Beta, and Delta follow Gamma.  Let’s do this people!]]

She watched as the fighters marked with the markings of Alpha Flight began descending into the simulation course.  She began a timer on her wrist, and spoke into the radio.  “Beta Flight, switch to private channel.”  She turned a dial near the radio box, and heard the distinct cackle of the rest of her flight switching onto the channel.  “Alright Betas, we’ll follow them into the course after about 90 seconds.  Keep your wits about you.  There’s no telling what we’ll be flying through.”

She heard another voice through the radio, this one female.  [[Flight Lead, this is Beta-4.  Are you saying we might encounter resistance in the course?]]

She smiled.  “What’s your name, Beta-4?”

[[Danielle Sharp, ma’am.]]

“Danielle… you sit behind me, right?  You’ll do just fine if we encounter resistance, I’m sure,” she said, smiling.

[[Roger that Ashley.]]

She smiled, then asked “Hey Cayden, what are you planning on doing for lunch today?”

[[Oh, maybe going back up to the Palace for something, why?  Did you want to come with?]]

“I have a better idea, Cayden.  We’ll…” she stopped when she noticed the timer hit zero.  “We’ll discuss it later.  Right now, it’s our turn.  Beta Flight, let’s move out!”  She switched throttle control to the foot pedals and pushed down on the control stick with both hands, throwing the fighter into a 90-degree descent.  She pulled up on the stick at about 4000ft and began flying through the course.

[[Ashley, its Cayden.  Watch your port side; you’re getting close to those rocks.]]

“Roger that, Cayden; making adjustments now,” she said, moving the fighter to the right a bit.  That was rather lucky for me… good thing he has sharp eyes, she thought, pushing the control forward to duck beneath a low-hanging rock.

[[Flight Lead, this is Beta-3.  Incoming fighters at our ten, ma’am]] she heard Beta-3 say.

“Acknowledged.  Beta-3, you and Beta-4 move onto my starboard side.  Beta-2 and I will intercept inbound fighters,” she said.  “Cayden, form up on my six.  I’m going in!”  She swung the fighter to her left and began ascending to the level the inbound fighters were at.  She looked at the radar and saw that they were flashing Onderonian IDCs.  She switched to the general comm. channel.  “Inbound fighters, identify yourselves!” she said, pressing the yellow and blue buttons.

[[This is Instructor Cava, requesting that you power down your shields and weapons, and surrender immediately!]]

“Instructor?!?  What is going on?!?” she asked, bewildered.

[[Surrender or be destroyed!]]

She watched as the incoming fighters moved into attack formation.  She switched to the flight channel and said “Everyone, the Instructor has pitted Alpha Flight against us!  Betas 3 and 4, continue on course.  Beta 2 and I will engage incoming hostiles and warn Gamma flight of the Instructor’s…” she started.

[[Incoming hostile fighters on our 6, Ashley!!!]] she heard Cayden say.

“So much for back-up… 3 and 4, punch it to the finish line.  Cayden, you and I will fend off the fighters until 3 and 4 have left the combat zone!” she stated, flipping a switch to release control of the weapons.

[[Negative Flight Lead.  We will stick together!]] she heard Danielle say.

Ashley smiled and said “Very well.”  She switched to the Delta Flight channel.  “Delta Flight, what’s your status?”

[[Delta Lead here, we’re right behind Gamma Flight.  Is anything wrong?]]

“Delta Lead, Gamma and Alpha Flights have engaged us.  We are requesting your immediate intervention!” she said, flipping another switch to divert power to front deflector screens.

[[Engaged?  That’s not possible… unless… Beta Lead, the Instructor intends for us to work together under combat situations.  Let’s show him who the best pilots really are!]]

“Roger that Delta, Beta out.”  She switched back to the Beta Channel.  “Alright Betas… lock S-foils in attack position!” she said, flipping another switch near the weapons control, moving the wings mounted above and below the main wing into a 35-degree angle.

She tore through the air like a knife through butter, engines burning with intensity, towards Alpha Flight.  She let loose several laser blasts as the simulation came to an end.  What the frakking hell?!? she thought as she opened the cockpit.  She climbed  out of her cockpit and walked over to Cava and asked “What the hell just happened?!?”

Cava looked at her and smiled.  “Addicting, isn’t it?” he said laughing.  “There will be plenty of time for you to shoot each other out of the sky.  Today was just to see if you could pilot the fighters and… if you had the nerve to engage those who you thought were on your side.”  He walked to the front of the class and said “Good work everyone! That will end today’s lesson.  You have the rest of the day to yourselves.”

Cayden walked over to Ashley and asked “So… you said you had another idea for lunch?”

Ashley smiled and said “I most certainly do, Cayden… but first, I want to take a picture of us in front of an ARC-170 for our scrapbook.”

They walked over to the lone ARC-170 in the hangar (the same one Cayden would fly next year in battle against the Imperialists), and Ashley set up a camera on a retractable built-in tripod.  They stood in front of the fighter, holding each other, as the shutter snapped.  Ashley smiled and said “Okay… now I’ll tell you what we’re doing.  We’re going on a picnic, just you and I.”

“We are, are we?” he asked, smiling.

“Yes sir, we are,” she said, as walked over to the lockers and pulled out a rather large basket.  She pressed a few keys on the pressure lock and inspected the food.  “Good, it’s all edible.  Let’s go.”

They walked out of the Academy and headed for the North Gate.  When they reached the North Gate, the guard came up to them and asked for their IDs.  Cayden flashed the Royal Seal, and the guard waved them past.

They walked for about an hour when Cayden asked “Where are we going, exactly?”

Ashley replied “It’s not much farther… we’re almost there…”

They clambered through several bushes and entered a small clearing.  In the center of the clearing stood a large tree, with a fallen tree underneath it.  Ashley ran to the base of the tree and sighed.  I found it… and now comes the moment of truth… she thought as she stood on the fallen tree, placing herself at Cayden’s level.  She watched as Cayden walked over and asked “Cayden… how much do you like me?”

He looked at her, surprised, and then answered "You're my best friend, Ashley... I like you a lot."

She smiled at that, then asked "Enough to kiss me right now?"

Cayden, still surprised, answered “I don’t know…”

Then, almost as if willed by the gods, Cayden leaned towards Ashley and they kissed.  Ashley wrapped her arms around him and they kept kissing each other.  It started to rain a little bit, but that didn’t stop them.  They kissed for several minutes, until they finally decided that it was time to get under some cover.  They ran through the forest and found an abandoned outpost.  They entered the building and silence hung in-between them.

Ashley broke the silence first “Cayden… are we going to allow it to progress and develop?”

Cayden stared at her for a while, then smiled and said “Of course, Ashley.  To be with you would make me the luckiest guy in the whole universe.”  He then walked over and kissed her again.

I can’t believe it worked… heh, I guess mom does know best… she thought, kissing him back.

Etere Videum Armory: Present Day

Ashley smiled as she pulled on her combat vest.  She secured her belt tight around her waist, grabbed the P-590 rifle that was in her locker, and proceeded to the bridge.  She arrived just as the ship fell out of hyperspace.

“We’ve reached Onderon, ma’am,” Marcus said, pressing keys on his consol.

“Very well… get all teams ready for deployment.  You know where to take us, Marcus,” Ashley said, patting him on the shoulder.

“Yes ma’am,” he said, smiling.

She left the bridge and walked down the length of the ship to the cargo bay.  She felt the ship vibrate as it began to enter Dxun’s atmosphere.  That’s an odd thought: a moon having an atmosphere.

The intercom cackled as Marcus’s voice said [[Five minutes ‘til touchdown!]]

Everyone began fastening their gear to their bodies as they felt the reassuring jolt of the ship landing on the moon’s surface.  The cargo bay doors opened and two of the three teams ran out onto the marshy surface, Ashley quickly following them out.  The teams began making a perimeter as the ship took off to drop off the other team on the opposite side of the city.

Ashley signaled the men to come to her.  “Alright everyone, we’re here.  We will make our way to the city walls and await confirmation from Gamma Squad.  When we receive confirmation, we will begin our attack.  If they surrender, we will NOT shoot them.  I repeat: we will NOT shoot unarmed people, understood?” she clarified.  The men nodded, and she continued.  “When we gain control of the Command Center, I will send a transmission to the Mandalorians on the moon to send soldiers to help us push the remaining Imperialists off the planet.  Once that is finished, we’ll begin preparing for an assault on the Imperialist-held portions of Iziz, starting with the Residential Quarter.  Once preparations have begun, I will go to Coruscant and ask for the aid of the New Republic.”  She stopped and looked at the men, who had a look of amazement.  “Now, I know what you’re all thinking, but I assure you, this is the best thing for Onderon.  We have to reintegrate with Galactic society.  Plus, since an Imperial faction is attacking, I doubt that we’ll join another Imperial faction after this war.  Anyway, enough standing around… it’s time to move out team!”  She shouldered her rifle and began trudging through the marshy forest towards Nadd City.

They reached the southern wall and stopped just inside the tree line.  Ashley pointed two soldiers on the wall out to snipers, who quickly took them out with deadly precision.  She smiled as she motioned Bravo Squad to take positions around the gate.  Her and Alpha Squad took up positions next to them and awaited her signal.

She grabbed her communicator and said “Gamma, what’s your status?”

[[We’re in sight of the rear gate.  However, there is a small problem…]] She sighed at this.  [[There are some light walkers stationed around the gate.]]

She looked at Oron, then said “Hold position.  I have an idea.”  She switched channels to the Etere Videum.  “Marcus, I have a request for you all up there.”

[[Yes ma’am?]]

“I need you to bombard the north gate of the city.”

[[What?!?]]  She tried not to laugh at his bewilderment.

“Gamma has reported the presence of walkers at the gate.  I need you to bombard it into oblivion.”

[[Very well… just make sure Gamma is away from the target area.]]

“Roger that, Ashley out.”  She switched back to the Gamma channel and said “Alright Gamma, you need to mark the target area and get away from it as fast as you guys can.  Marcus will bombard the area as soon as he has the mark.”

[[Roger that, Major… Gamma Squad out.]]

Ashley switched off the comlink and turned to Oron.  “Light walkers… can you believe it?”

Oron shook his head.  “I had no idea, Major… no idea at all…”

She sighed, then smiled.  “Well, we’ll have a signal to move in and begin the attack at least.”

They waited several minutes before hearing a massive explosion coming from the north.  Ashley smiled and said “Let’s move in!”

They opened the gate and ran into the city, shooting several guards who had their backs turned to the north.  Then, almost as if they had expected it all, several walkers came around the far wall and stopped in front of the teams.

Ashley stopped suddenly then ran to her left and threw herself against the wall, putting herself out of the walkers’ line of sight.  The rest of the soldiers scattered and took defensive positions around the area.  She inched herself away from the corner as laser fire impacted the wall.  You have to be frakking kidding me!  She was about to grab her comlink when laser fire from above destroyed the walkers.  What… the… hell…? she thought as she looked up…

OOC:

WC: 5439
My biggest post ever!
Expect Part 1.3 Unexpected Alliance in the nest 2 weeks.

Part 1.4: Contradictory Actions

Abrae: Tuk'ata Barracks Briefing Room - 10 days later

Cayden flipped a switch on the holotable, and a projection of a mottled blue and black Mon Cal, with a white slash birthmark reaching from his lower left jaw, through his eyelid, and ending up near the top of his head, appeared before him.  "Warrant Officer Drac," he said, saluting.  "It's Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers from Gamma Flight."

"What is it, Cayden?" Drac asked.

"Sir, are we to be heading out on any mission any time soon?  Or training exercise?" Cayden asked.

"Do you have something you'd like to take care of, Chief Petty Officer?" the Mon Cal asked, cocking his head to the left.

"Actually, yes, I do have something I'd like to take care of.  My home planet, Onderon, is in the middle of a civil war, as you might have heard," he started.

"Yes, it's taking up a lot of space in Galactic News Weekly.  Too much space, if you ask me," Drac said, frowning.  "Would you like to head on out and help end this civil war?"

"Yes sir, I would love to be able to head out and end it," Cayden said, smiling.  "Also, can I take one of our Interceptors to get out there?"

Drac just smiled and shook his head.  "I'm afraid if you did that, I'd have the NHC breathing down my neck.  Plus, the High Council would not approve of a war with an unknown faction at this time, so it'll be best if you didn't take a VE Interceptor."

"I understand, Commander.  I'm sure I can procure a transport out of here..." he started.

"Hold on, Cayden.  There is a fighter you can take... however, it'll cost about 35,ooo credits to purchase," Drac said.  "There's a man at the spaceport selling a Toscan 8-Q Starfighter in very good condition.  I was looking at it earlier this morning, but decided against buying it.  I already own like, an entire fleet if warships, so owning a fighter like that would seem redundant to me.  However, for someone like yourself, it'd be a perfect fit."

Cayden smiled when he said that last part, and said "Alright, I'll check it out.  Thank you, Drac.  You have no idea how important this is to me."

"Trust me, Cayden... I understand perfectly," Drac said before the transmission ended.

Cayden walked over to the door and looked around the main room of the barracks.  Alright... let's go put an end to this civil war once and for all he thought, grabbing his flight suit, M-590, Sonic Screwdriver, "Credit" Card, Vibroblade, wristcom, and his trenchcoat.  Damn... I need to pick up a napsack as soon as I possibly can he thought, putting everything he grabbed into his trunk.

Cayden walked out of the barracks, pushing his trunk on a hover table.  He pushed it across the roadway to the barracks landing pad.  Walking past several fighters, he stopped in front of a LAAT/i Gunship bearing the seal of the Royal Family of Onderon right next to the insignia of the VE.  I did something right purchasing this beauty he thought, loading his gear onboard the gunship.

Just as he was about to board the ship, a man wearing an Onderonian Army uniform came running up to the ship.  Now that's something you don't see everyday on Abrae he thought, turning to face the man.  "Can I help you, son?" he asked, dropping his hand to the M-590 at his side.

"Are you Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers of Tuk'ata Squadron?" the man asked.

He dropped his hand away from the weapon and said "Yes, I am... who are you, Onderonian?"

The Onderonian breathed heavily and smiled.  "I'm Sergeant Major Cameron Tavers of the Royal Onderonian Army... you're brother, Cayden," he said.

"Cam?!?  How did...?  Is the war...?" Cayden attempted to say, but was waved off by Cameron.

"Not now, Cayden.  Right now, we both need to get back to Onderon," he said, jumping into the co-pilot's seat of the gunship.  Cayden just stood there, wondering what the hell is going on, when Cameron spoke again.  "Cayden, let's go!  I already know you cleared this trip with your squadron commander.  We don't have much time!"

Cayden snapped to, jumped into the pilot's seat, and began filight proceedures.  "Abrae Air Control, this is Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers onboard LAAT/i Gunship Onderon requesting permission to take off," he said into the radio.

[[Permission granted, Chief Petty Officer Tavers.]]

"Thank you, Control," he responded, flipping the ignition switch.  The engines roared to life, and the gunship lifted off the ground.  "Alright, Cam... we're heading to the spaceport to facilitate the purchase of a ship."  He pushed forward on the yoke, and the ship started moving through the air.  He flew upwards and entered a mainstream of traffic heading towards the spaceport district.  "Alright Cam... how did you know I was here?"

Cameron sighed and said "Ashley told me.  A couple of days ago, she managed to contact me, and told me that the people aiding the Imperialist Army were not New Republic, but a splinter faction of the Galactic Empire.  She said she was going to Coruscant to ask for New Republic aide.  Before she ended the transmission, she told me to look for you and get you back, no matter the cost.  She said you were on Abrae... which I thought was odd, seeing it's under the control of another Imperial splinter faction..."

The Vast Empire, Cam... it't not like the others.  We don't openly oppose the New Republic, but we will not hesitate to defend our borders, should they cross over," Cayden interjected.

"Yes... the Vast Empire.  So, I managed to get clearance from Army High Command to head here to get you to Onderon.  I'm guessing they were hoping you'd bring allies to the fight," he said, looking at Cayden.

"Nope... just me," Cayden replied, smiling.

"That's what I was afraid you'd say," Cameron said.

The gunship began to slow down and decrease in altitude when they reached the spaceport.  The bottom of the ship touched down, and Cayden powered down the engines.  They jumped out and began off-loading Cayden's things from the cargohold.

"Alright, there's supposed to be a vendor of some sorts around here selling a Toscan 8-Q Starfighter," Cayden said, looking around.

"Ummm... maybe not," Cameron said, his head hanging low.

"And why's that, Cam?" he asked.

"Because I already bought his starfighter," Cameron said, his voice quieter than before.

It was obvious that Cayden was trying not to blow up when a man in a VE Army Engineer's uniform came up and asked "Are you Chief Petty Officer Tavers?"

Cayden sighed and answered "Yes, Private.  I am Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers."

"I'm supposed to give you this note, sir," the Private said, handing Cayden a datapad.

"Thank you, Private," he said, a little depressed and irritated.

The Private saluted, then returned to his duties,

Cayden looked at the datapad, then smiled.  It read:

Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers,

I heard that someone bought the Toscan 8-Q Starfighter after I left the spaceport.  Now, I know that I can't give you a Navy TIE Interceptor, but I can give you one of my personal ones.  She's in Hangar Bay 21.  Good luck Cayden.  Return home safely.

Warrant Officer 1st Class Drac
Squadron Commander of Tuk'ata Squadron

"Alright, Cam... let's go," he said, smiling.

"Did I miss soemthing, Cayden?" Cameron asked, confused.

"Nothing too important... just that my SC gave me one of his Interceptors, since you bought the other fighter," Cayden said, grinning.  "Take my things to your ship and put them into the cargo hold.  Radio in to me when you're ready to go."  Cayden moved to hug Cameron, then decided to salute him instead.  He reached into his trunk, grabbed his flight suit, and closed it back up.

Cam grabbed Cayden's trunk and walked down one of the two corridors branching from the landing zone.  Cayden watched as he walked away, then turned in the opposite direction and walked down the corridor to Hangar Bay 21.  He stopped in the restroom before the hangar bay doors and changed into his flight suit.  Putting his uniform into his bag, he walked out and continued walking towards Hangar Bay 21.  He opened the door and noticed many TIE Interceptors suspended above him.  He walked over to an engineer and said "Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers looking for TIE Interceptor TA-871-B."

"Yes... Warrant Officer Drac sent me a transmission earlier about Interceptor TA-871-B.  He said that I should place it under your possession upon your arrival," the engineer said, pressing several keys on his consol.  He grabbed a keycard that was dispensed from the consol and handed it to Cayden.  "Here's your personalized keycard for your Interceptor, Chief Petty Officer."

"Thank you, Senior Crewman," Cayden said, pocketing the keycard.  He walked over to where the Interceptor was located and took the elevator up to the embarkation level.  He walked over to the cockpit hatch, opened it, and climbed inside.  Shutting the hatch, Cayden began switching on the fighter's systems, starting with communications.  A familiar cackle was heard over the radio as Cameron logged into his network.  "Cam, is that you?" he asked.

[[Yes Cayden, it's me.  I'm all set over here.  Just give the word.]]

"Roger that, stand by," Cayden said to Cam, then switched over to the general comm network.  "Control, this is Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers, requesting departure for one TIE Interceptor and one Toscan 8-Q Starfighter."

[[Request approved, Chief Petty Officer.  Please proceed through the hangar doors.]]

"Thank you, Control," he said, switching back to his and Cameron's private channel.  "Alright, Cam.  Let's head out!"

[[Aye aye, Cayden.]]

Cayden switched on the repulsor lifts and ion engines, and pushed the yoke forward.  The Interceptor tore out of the hangar bay, and began to accelerate tremendously.  Cayden, without thinking, began to pull up.  The fighter started arcing upwards, and shook as it soon left the atmosphere.  He began flying towards the orbiting space station when he looked over to the Atrus.  Seeing the Super Star Destroyer docked above the planet gave Cayden a feeling of serenity.  Heh... I came a refugee, and I leave a soldier... Long live the Vast Empire... he thought as he saw the Toscan 8-Q Starfighter form up on his left.  "Ready, Cam?" he asked, tightly gripping the yoke.

[[As ready as ever, Cayden.  Let's go save our home.]]

"Roger that.  Inputting hyperspace coordinates now!" he said, pressing several keys on the navicomputer.  He pulled the lever next to the navicomputer, the one labeled "hyperdrive".  The Interceptor jolted as it entered hyperspace, leaving Abrae behind.


Onderon orbit - several hours later

The TIE Interceptor and the Toscan 8-Q Starfighter exited hyperspace over Onderon and began flying towards the jungle moon of Dxun.

Cayden flew towards the moon, keeping an eye on the Nebulon-B Frigates stationed on the farside of the planet.  This whole operation is suicide.  If they spot us, we have little chance of reaching Dxun alive.  He looked over to his wingman as warning sirens sounded in his fighter.

[[Cayden, multiple contacts approaching on our 2 o'clock!  Scanner shows x-wing class and a-wing class fighters!]]

"Copy that!  Swich all power to weapons and prepare for battle, Cam!" Cayden said into the radio, flipping switches on his dash.  I did not come all this way to be shot down now! he thought as he banked toward the incoming fighters.  "Cam, form up on my six and get ready to pick off any stragglers!"

[[Cayden... I'm not a fighter pilot.  I don't think...]]

"Alright Cam, here they come!" he said, pressing down hard on the laser cannon button on the yoke.

Green laser bolts rocketed out of the TIE's wing-tip mounted laser cannons and tore through the shields of the first X-Wing, disinegrating his top left engine, and sending him crashing into his wingman.  The other fighters all scattered themselves around the incoming fighters.  Cayden begain looping around to the left to start picking the enemy fighters off.  This is where the fun begins/[i] he thought to himself as he lined up his sights with another X-Wing and let loose a volley of laser bolts.  Many impacted the target's shields, and several destroyed one of the engines.  The enemy pilot began flying erratically, and Cayden almost laughed to himself.  [i]This is going to be a lot easier than I thought.  Imperial pilots in Rebel fighters... I can say that they are the worse I've seen.  He let loose another volley, and this time they tore through the shields and destroyed the Imperial X-Wing fighter.

Cayden looked around to see how Cameron was doing and noticed that he had picked up an A-Wing on his tail.  Heh... I must do everything... he thought as he swung his fighter over and began accelerating towards the A-Wing.  He was about to lock-on and fire on the A-Wing when several laser blasts whizzed past his cockpit, forcing him to bank left in order to avoid colliding with them.  Damn it! he thought to himself as he spoke into the radio.  "Cam, you have an A-Wing on your tail!" he said, falling in behind another A-Wing.  "Hard brake!!!"

[[Cayden, are you sure?]]

"Yes, I'm sure!  Hard Brake!!!"

He watched as Cameron's fighter braked hard, forcing the A-Wing to fly above Cameron and fly ahead of him.

"Take him down, Cam!" Cayden said into his radio, watching as red laser bolts flew from Cameron's fighter and destroyed the enemy A-Wing.  "Good shooting, Cam!"

[[Thanks, Cayden.  It appears as though they are retreating.]]

"Most likely to alert the rest of the fleet to our presence.  We need to get to Dxun now!" he said, swinging his fighter towards the jungle moon.

[[Aye aye, Cayden.  Just lead the way.]]

The radio fell silent as Cayden began accelerating towards Dxun, Cameron following close behind.  They felt the jolt of the atmosphere as they began leveling out in order to avoid impacting the jungle below.

"Alright, once we land in Nadd City, we need to find Ashley.  She's the only one who know's exactly what the hell is going on here.." Cayden started, before being interrupted by a female voice.

[[Approaching fighters.  You are tresspassing in Allied Air Space.  Identify yourselves or be destroyed!]]

Cayden sighed, then spoke into the radio.  "This is Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers of the Vast Empire Navy and Sergeant Major Cameron Tavers of the Royal Onderonian Army requesting permission to land in the Nadd City Spaceport."

[[Is that Prince Cayden Tavers?]]

[[Yes ma'am, it is.  We need to land now!]] Cayden heard Cameron say into the radio.

[[Very well, proceed to the Spaceport, Princes of Onderon.]]

"Thank you, Dxun Control," he said, switching back to the private channel.  "Alright Cam, once we land, we need to find Ashley."

[[Agreed Cayden.]]

They flew over the city and landed in the main spaceport.  Cayden climbed out of his Interceptor and looked around.  "It has been far too long... I've forgotten how humid it was," he said to himself, chuckling a bit.  He walked to the main entryway and saw Cameron rushing towards him with his trunk.  "Ready, Cam?"

Cameron smiled and replied "I should be asking you that quesion, Cayden.  It's been, what?  Almost 4 months?"

"It's felt like 4 years, Cam...  I've been away too long..." he said, grabbing his trunk from Cameron.

"Alright Cayden... let's go save our home," Cameron said, grabbing the door and opening it.

OOC:

WC: 2589
This concludes Part 1 of Onderonian Liberation.

Star tuned to see the next installment of this story; Part 2.1: Unprecedented Intervention

Part 2.2: Journey Home

OOC:

Last time we saw Ashley, she was preparing to leave Dxun for Coruscant, to try and get the New Republic to send military forces to aide in the liberation of Onderon from the Imperialist Army, led by High General Mizra Moore, and aided by rogue Imperial Warlord Torti and rogue Imperial General Valdez.

Now, we go to Coruscant, during the final day of negotiations between Major Ashley Clearwater of Onderon, Mandalorian Captain Xandar, Captain Oron Rezkul, and the New Republic Senate.

Coruscant - Senate Building

"I am sorry, Major Clearwater, but we are at war," one of the New Republic senators said, leaning on his podium.

"Kuati Senator, with all due respect, I am aware of the New Republic's war with Grand Admiral Thrawn.  However, Onderon is in desperate need of New Republic intervention.  If we don't get the ships and man-power to help us thwart this Imperial uprising, the planet of Onderon, and all her resources, will fall into the hands of Imperial Warlord Torti," Ashley said, staring hard at the Kuati Senator.

"Senator, I would like to get a word in," the acting Chief of State said, standing at her podium.

"By all means, ma'am," he said, taking a step back.

"Now... Major Clearwater, I know what it feels like to be in a life-or-death situation.  However, there are political issues with this case-" she started.

"Political issues?  Like what, acting-Chief of State Thrall?" Ashley asked, crossing her arms.

"For starters, the assassination of Queen Anora Kira.  Without an official head-of-state on Onderon, who are we supposed to coordinate with?" Thrall asked.

"The Commander-in-Chief of the Military," she said.  Ashley turned to Captain Xandar and shrugged.

"Wasn't Commander-in-Chief Dorn Tavers killed in action several days before Queen Anora was assassinated?" Thrall asked.

"That is correct, however..." Ashley started, noticing the reaction of the other senators to that admission.  "However... the Onderonian Ruling Council has decided to place Lieutenant Colonel Angie Tavers of the Onderonian Royal Air Force as the Commander-in-Chief of the Onderonian Military for the duration of the Civil War."

"Well, even if there is to be a Commander-in-Chief, there is still the issue of Prince Cayden Tavers... or, should we say Senior Chief Petty Officer Cayden Tavers of the Vast Empire Navy?" the Chief of State asked.

The senators around Ashley began murmuring again, and Ashley started to get frustrated.  "So what if Cayden works for the Vast Empire?  His loyalties lie with Onderon, first and foremost.  As a member of the Onderonian Royal Family, it is his sworn duty to protect Onderon from any threat, regardless of current affiliation.  If the New Republic decides to intervene on the behalf of the Royalists, I can ensure that the Vast Empire will make no grab for Onderon."

"Are you sure, Major?  Cause, once we dispatch ships, Onderon will technically fall under New Republic jurisdiction," Thrall said.

Ashley stopped for a second.  Blast... I didn't think about that...  She looked at Thrall and said "Onderon is filing a petition to formally join the New Republic."

Xandar and Oron both looked at her in amazement.

"Are you sure, Ashley?" Oron asked, a look of skepticism crossing his face.

She looked to Xandar, who shrugged, then said "Yes, I'm sure... the only way we can secure Onderon's freedom is if we join the New Republic."

"Alright, I just hope you know what you are doing," he said, sitting down.

"I hope so too, Captain..." she said, turning back to the Senate.

"Major, we will discuss Onderon's petition to join the New Republic.  Meanwhile, please return to your quarters, and we'll contact you when we're done," Thrall said, standing up.  "This session is adjourned!"

Coruscant - Ambassador Appartment Blocks - Floor 87, Room 2376

"I can't believe they had the nerve to hold Cayden's service to the Vast Empire against us!" Ashley said, storming around the appartment.

"Ashley, they can't deny us membership.  We were productive members of the Old Republic.  Plus, if we fall, the Empire has a clear shot at both Kuat and the Core Worlds," Oron said, motioning for Ashley to sit on the couch.

Ashley sat down and countered "It doesn't matter what we did in the past, or where we're located.  It only matters on who wins the war: us, or them."

"The Major is right, Captain," Xandar said, walking over from his dark corner.  "These New Republic types aren't going to take us if this war goes sour.  We have to show them that we will come out on top."

"But how?" Oron asked.

"I have an idea..." Xandar said, smiling.

Coruscant - Senate Building

"Major Ashley Clearwater of Onderon, we of the New Republic Senate have decided to reject your petition to formally join the New Republic on the grounds that until Onderon is stabilized, we cannot afford to run the security risk," Thrall said.

Ashley stood up to protest when Thrall raised his hand.

"However... we have also agreed to send military aide in the form of an MC-80 Liberty, a pair of Nebulon-B Frigates, five Corellian Corvettes, and a full compliment of fighters," Thrall added.

Ashley smiled and replied "Thank you, Senators.  Onderon will put these forces to good use.  And, when the situation is stabilized, we will file another petition to join."

"And we will be eagerly awaiting it, Major," the Kuati Senator said, smiling.

Coruscant - Landing Pad

"Well... that went rather... easy..." Oron said, opening the loading hatch on the Etere Videum.

"Almost too easy," Xandar agreed.

"Come on, you guys... the New Republic agreed to send us aide.  That's what we came here for," Ashley said, taking several steps up the ramp.  "Let's go home..."

They boarded the ship, and as soon as the loading bay was closed the Etere Videum took off, leaving Coruscant behind.

OOC:

WC: 972

Alright, now that the New Republic Senate is finally out of the picture (in terms of seeing them again), we can get to the good stuff: the actual campaign!!!

This marks the ending point for Onderonian Liberation Part 2.2: Journey Home

Tune in later for Part 2.3: Unprecedented Happenstance

OOC:

It has been a while since I've posted here.  But, I have just finally gotten the urge to post here one last time.  This will be the final post of Onderonian Liberation.  This post will end the story (hence the title change), and possibly the war.  Will Cayden and his team succeed in destroying the cannon?  Will the Royalists hold out until New Republic reinforcements arrive?  Well, let's see in...

Part 2.4: Last Strike

The team of ten walked through the wet, dark jungle for what seemed like hours, until Cayden gave the signal to stop.  They all crouched down as Cayden waved Tech. Sergeant Ben Ardmore, the groups scout, ahead.

Ben silently walked through the underbrush and looked out at the facility.  He picked out several sentries before motioning Senior Master Sergeant Peggy Zythor over to begin taking them out.

Armed with a Whisper Subsonic Slugthrower Sniper Rifle, she began to quickly and quietly take them out.  After about 4 shots, she turned around and whispered "Alright... all sentries taken out.  Let's move forward!"

As they were all quietly walking out of the forest, Cameron said "I wonder why there are so few sentries for such a critical outpost..."

Cayden quickly turned to him and said "Because, the less guards, the more important it is.  Would you like to give away a critical position because you have a larger contingent?"  He waited for Cameron to respond.  When he got nothing in reply, he said "No, you wouldn't."

Cameron, confused by what Cayden said, decided to remain silent.

They approached the building and stopped in front of the main doors.

"So... who's going first?" Tamran asked, smiling.

"We are, Tamran.  Drexl Squad will be going in first, and I will go with them," Cameron said, breaking his silence.

"Right.  While you guys are going in through the front door, Lacun Squad and I will be going in the back way.  We're going to flank them hard, and take them down," Cayden said, noticing the grin on Natan's face.  "Wipe that grin off your face, Sergeant.  We're at war."

"Sorry sir... but, it's hard not to smile when the commander of the entire military is going with you," Natan said, smiling.

"Right..." he said, unsure.  "Lisa, I need you to find a computer and try to get the security system shut down.  Maybe lock some of the soldiers in their barracks.  Just get in, and walk us through."

"Yes Colonel," Lisa said, nodding.

"Alright, we have our orders.  Let's do this!" Cayden said, nodding to Drexl and Cameron as they saluted.  "Lacun Squad, with me."

They ran to the back of the compound and stopped when a explosion rang out.

[[Colonel, the front door has been breached and the guards taken care of.  Proceeding down dark, creepy corridor now.]] They heard Angie's voice over the radio seconds after the explosion.

"Alright, that's our cue..." he said, running over to the rear door.

The rest of the team followed closely behind, and moved into breaching position when they reached the door.

"Do it," Cayden said to Natan.

Natan nodded and placed a charge on the door.  "Clear!" he yelled, pressing the detonator button.  The charge exploded, and the door went flying into the room.

Peggy and Ben quickly moved into the room and waved the 'all-clear'.  Natan and the team's fourth member, Master Sergeant Cynthia Secura, moved in.  They formed up several meters ahead of Ben and Peggy, and waved the 'all-clear'.

Cayden walked in and looked around the room.  "This is a mess hall..." he said, putting his hand on a table.

Just as he said that, the lights turned on and several Imperialist soldiers entered the hall, heavily armed.

"These guys are too armed to just be eating..." Cynthia said, raising her M82-G Assault Rifle to her shoulder.

The rest of the team raised their weapons moments before the Imperialists opened fire.  They all flipped several tables over and ducked behind them, using them as shields.

Cayden brought his M-590 up to his shoulder and fired several rounds into the lead Imperialist, puncturing his plastiod armor and piercing his heart, killing him instantly.  Cayden then crouched on the ground and emptied the rest of the clip at the Imperialists.

The Imperialists, horrified at the sudden death of their commanding officer, began retreating out of the mess hall.  However, before they could get to the door, it suddenly closed.  After that, the turret defenses sprang to life and fired upon the Imperialists.  Caught off-guard, the Imperialist soldiers were gunned down by their own turrets.

[[Happy Birthday, Colonel.  Hope you enjoyed the show...]]

"Thank you, Lisa... open the doors, we're ready to proceed," Cayden said into his radio.

[[Yes sir, opening mess hall doors now]] she replied.

The mess hall doors opened, and the team proceeded deeper into the complex.  Cayden looked around and noticed that every door branching off the corridor was shut tight.  "Ummm... Lisa?  Why is every door shut?" he asked, confused.

[[I had them electronically sealed.  Behind each one is a group of dead Imperialists.  I gassed them in each room, making your trip to the reactor that much easier.]]

Cayden smiled and said "Thank you, Lisa... you guys head down here on the double.  See you at the reactor."

[[Yes sir.]]

The radio fell silent, and they continued onward, increasing their pace drastically, to where they were practically running down the hall.  They entered the reactor room and gasped at what they saw.

"Is that... a SFS I-a2b Solar Ionization Reactor?" Cynthia asked, shocked.

Cayden nodded and grabbed his radio.  "Angie... get your team down here ASAP.  You have to see this..."

Several minutes passed before Angie and her team arrived.

"Cayden... is that what I think it is?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes... it is... let's start placing charges around it, people.  I want to blow this thi-" he said before being interrupted by the sudden entrance of Stormtroopers.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't Cayden Tavers... why am I not surprised?" a man wearing an Imperial officer's uniform with General rank bars said.

Cayden turned around, surprised, and said "General Mizra Moore... I thought you would be leading your army to victory today?  Or is that defeat?  I can't really remember..."

"Your arrogance has blinded you, Colonel... yes, I am aware that you are an officer now... that you are the Supreme Commander of the Royalist Military now... and that you are alone... here... within my grasp," Moore said, walking up to Cayden and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Cayden shook off the General's hand and said "Your intel is good... very good... but too bad you didn't prepare enough for us."

"Oh, my dear Colonel... you're sadly mistaken.  I made sure it was easy for you... I ensured that Captain Nivix here could slice my security and kill most of my troops by gassing them and turning the defenses against them... for you see... you are now surrounded," the crazed General said, grinning evilly.

"General... you underestimate our resolve and determination..." Angie said, glaring hard at the Imperialist General.

"Give up, Tavers," Moore said. "The war is already lost for you. Surrender now while you still can!"

Cayden stared at General Moore, smiled, and shouted "Dal shakka mel!!!"  The group dropped into a crouch and began firing at the Stormtroopers.  Before many could raise their guns, they were gunned down by high-speed projectiles.  The remaining troops, however, after seeing that a large majority of them were now deceased, began to flee.

General Moore, outraged by this, grabbed a fallen trooper's blaster rifle and shot Cayden twice in the stomach, and once in the right leg.

Cayden let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground, grabbing his stomach with his left hand, and his leg with his right.

Angie lifted up her rifle to her shoulder and fired a round clean through Mizra Moore's shoulder, sending the traitor down to the ground.  She walked over and stood over him, placing the muzzle of her rifle against his head.

She was about to pull the trigger when Cayden said "Wait!  Don't shoot him!"

"Yes, listen to your brother!  I'm much more valuable alive!" Moore said, attempting to plead for his life.

Angie scowled at him and hit him across the head with the butt of her rifle.

"Arrest him, and we'll take him back to Iziz!  He will stand trial for his crimes and treasonous acts against the Onderonian Government!" Cayden said, standing up with the help of Lisa and Natan.

Angie gave him a confused look and almost pulled the trigger, then said through her teeth "Yes sir..."  She put her rifle down, pulled out a pair of force cuffs, and cuffed Moore's hands together.

"Good, now Cameron.  Radio in to HQ and tell them that we have General Moore in custody and ready for evac," he said, walking with Lisa over to General Moore.  "And General... I'm going to see that you are put away for a long, long time..."

"Don't think you've won just yet, Colonel... you still have the people's hearts to win back..." Moore said, spitting blood onto Cayden's boots.

"We'll see... Lisa, get me out of here.  Alright team... mission accomplished.  Let's get the hell out of here and blow it sky high!" Cayden said, smiling to himself as he was assisted out of the facility by Lisa.  He's right... this is just the beginning...

OOC:

WC: 1508

And this concludes Onderonian Liberation.  I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.  I hope to see you all again very, very soon.