Krest | A Star Wars Story

Chapter 23: Another Happy Landing

0645 hours, 21 BBY

LAAT Gunship, Approaching Rakarth's Fortress, Kogg Sector, Planet Heldia

"First wave ineffective! I repeat, first wave ineffective! We do not hold a landing zone!" Krest cried over Linorra's wrist-comm. It seemed that the Navy's bombing campaign had proved ineffective at best. Reports from the first wave described a rough landing at best. Most of the drop troops were scattered or went down with their gunships. Either the Navy missed their targets or Rakarth had anti-air batteries hidden away from the Republic's torpedoes. "We're at the western landing pad! Droids got it locked down!"

"Captain, we have nowhere else to go! If we don't secure a landing zone the whole mission goes under! Do the best you can!" Linorra ordered.

There was a brief silence before a quick "Yes, ma'am." and comm fell silent. Linorra's wave was supposed to bring in tanks and additional reinforcements. Without the landing zone, there was no way to land the tank which meant they couldn't reinforce the drop troops already on the ground. She thought to herself for a moment. If she could move ahead of the second wave and meet up with Krest, they might be able to secure that landing pad before the rest of the troops arrived. It's risky...but risky times call for risky measures.

"Sergeant, do you copy?"

"I copy General, what can I do for you?"

"I'm going to take my group ahead and try to help the Captain secure an LZ. Relay to Corporal Arroyo to follow the course." Linorra instructed. "Hopefully by the time you arrive, we'll have it secured."

"Uhm, General, Corporal Arroyo has already made her drop."

"Excuse me!?" Linorra suddenly blurted out. What is she thinking? "I'll go ahead as well Sergeant. I'm putting you in charge of the rest of the transports. Just make sure you guys get there on time."

"Copy that, General. We'll make sure these gunships stay the course!" Jamun replied.

"Pilot! Break off formation and head for the Captain's coordinates!" Linorra ordered. "We're going to be dropping in hot everyone. I want weapons at the ready, we only have a short time before the rest of the troops arrive so we need to secure that landing pad pronto!"

"It's real choppy out here! I'll try and get as close as I can!" the Pilot responded.

Linorra gripped her lightsaber for comfort as the incoming flak grew the closer and closer they got. So much so in fact that many of the men inside the cabin had to hold onto the overhead balance straps tightly as the gunship jerked and rocked violently. Her heart raced, it felt as if her heart was ready to pop out of her chest. She felt beads of sweat form on her brown as each shockwave grew more violent than the last.

"WE'RE RIGHT OVER THEM! GO!GO!GO!"

The cabin doors opened and without a moment's hesitation, Linorra took a step back and jumped.

"GET HIM BEHIND SOMETHING!" Krest cried as a militiaman dragged a wounded trooper out of the line of fire. He sprinted across the landing pad, narrowly missing the barrage of blaster bolts that plucked the ground behind him. A flash of pinkish-purple and Krest dropped, sliding the last few inches into cover as a B2 rocket screeched past his head. After landing, Krest managed to regroup with survivors from his group as well as a handful of others from Deuce's group. Together they assaulted the landing pad with a force of about 3 dozen men. At first, they managed to clear the droids with ease. Now, the landing pad was flooding with droids. Sometime during the ensuing firefight, Krest's men had been split up. On opposite corners of the landing pad, they bunkered down behind supply crates and debris. But the droids kept coming, whittling down their ammunition and manpower.