Shattered Stars (TCW)

Chapter 7 -- Dark Side of the Moon (On Dorin Pt. II)

A vicious attack! Taska Rokanh and her clone troopers have just been rescued from their crash site on the surface of Dorin. After this near-death encounter, the General wonders, who targeted the Noble? And what did they have to gain?

"I'm afraid we have work to do now that we're rescued," Taska told Ace once they had organized the extra troops across two Destroyers, the Champion and the Valid. "I managed to contact Skywalker, and the rogue droid has been disabled. The issue now stands as to how it got on board in the first place."

"When was the last time droids boarded the cruiser?"

"The last time we left Coruscant," the general frowned. "It's troubling that a mole could have made it through security so easily."

"And what was it going to do?" Lark added, removing his helmet as he joined the conversation. "Let's not forget, we weren't even assigned to help General Skywalker when we left about three rotations ago."

"No," Taska agreed. "It was just a scouting mission on Luerillia. Maybe that's where we should start. Captain, I trust you will find a way to continue to reinforce Generals Koon and Skywalker; I'll be taking some forces back there to investigate."

"Yes, sir," Ace nodded. "I'll be sure to report this to Coruscant as well."

* * *

"Thank you for the report, Captain," a sergeant nodded, grimacing. "We had been given orders to ignore anything mildly suspicious, because some of the droids had just been in storage for extended periods of time."

Ace didn't like the sound of that. "Make sure you get the message to the Chancellor as well," he decided to reply. "And keep an eye on who gave you that order."

* * *

"Well, I don't like the look of this place at all," Lark said as he jumped out of the gunship, the general following shortly.

"Is that just what you're going to say about every planet now?" She said lightly, though a smile did not accompany her words. "It is rather eerie."

The party took a moment to glance across the scrublandish terrain of the new planet that was rapidly sinking into twilight. "I have a feeling this is a very old planet," Taska stated, starting off to lead the party.

"What is that supposed to mean," Moss muttered, and Dev only shrugged in reply.

"The Force signature of this place doesn't feel right," she said as they stepped along.

Ranger, the squad's tracker, seemed to be rearranging the indicators on his enhanced HUD with his free hand. "General, I'm picking up some disturbances."

"Atmospheric?"

"There is some, yes, but-I can't crack it, General," he replied. "It's like we're walking right over something."

"Perhaps we are," she said. "Only one way to find out." She pulled her lightsaber from her belt, plunging it into dry soil underneath them and cutting a neat circle. It fell through with a clang.

"Good work, Ranger," she congratulated. "You, Brick and Lark, come with me. The rest of you stand guard." She jumped through the hole, gracefully landing in a sterile hall.

* * *

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Lark asked as they walked quietly through the bunker, rifle sweeping.

"You always have that permission, Lark," Taska replied absentmindedly.

"This place... I really don't like the feeling it gives me."