Star Wars - Stolen Empire

Chapter VI

Inside the hidden command center, Jace Malcom and other Republic Troopers are sat around, awaiting orders. Jaxis is seated nearby. Corso enters the large room, spotting Jaxis and making his way over. Admiral Ryken steps up before the Republic forces and addresses the troops.

"Listen up everyone!" He shouts, silencing the murmurs around the room. "These imps are planning another assault on neutral territory here on Tatooine! Now, we've already lost ground on Alderaan, so I don't need to explain why we can't afford to lose this battle!"

Corso leans in towards Jaxis as the admiral begins a patriotic speech. "Cap'n...We couldn't rescue Jendo, but...there's more."

Jaxis looks around the room, trying to spot Risha among the many heads of the crowd. "More?" He asks.

"Risha...she sold us out, Cap'n." Corso reports. Jaxis clenches a fist in reaction to the bad news. "She played us...she's why the Mando found us on Kashyyyk to begin with."

"She...did what?" The starship captain seethes, tightening his fists and scowling as the briefing continues.

Admiral Ryken activates a holomap of the planet and zooms in on the Mos Ila settlement. "This here is a little town called Mos Ila. Neutral ground, but we have information that confirms multiple Sith are meeting there as we speak, with more Imperial forces on the way! Our plan is to take out these forces before they can even move on our soil! That's right, we're ambushing Mos Ila!"

His announcement roused a cheer from the men. "We must fight with extreme prejudice against the Empire. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, gents, lives will be lost today, but we must not fall to their intimidation nor their tactics! We will rise! FOR THE REPUBLIC!"

"FOR THE REPUBLIC!" The crowd of soldiers echo back to the Admiral.

"Now, load up those transports! MOVE OUT!" The Admiral barks, sending troopers scrambling. Jaxis and Corso take to the skies in the Fearless as Kira and Adaya ride in the Defender, both ships assisting the Naval division as the Republic army marches on Mos Ila. Jace Malcom leads the offensive line into the town, overwhelming the unsuspecting Imperial soldiers with a tidal wave of blaster fire and explosives. Republic Walkers march through the sand while reducing walls to rubble with singular cannon shots. Xesh squad joins the carnage with a destructive display of force, cutting down enemy units with concentrated attacks.

Republic ships bombard the settlement from above, alien mothers fleeing with children in their arms as sand kicks up all around them. Some hunkered down in the lowest part of their home they could find while others fled. Jaxis cheers while shaking the planet's surface with unforgiving turret fire. Kira's Defender flies over head. She wraps her fingers around the console mounted triggers that were linked to a cannon with far less mobility and power than the main turrets.

Unlike her Republic counterparts, the Jedi Knight flinches as she feels the collective pained screams from the surface wedge into her mind like a flash of lightning.

"Shot is clear, master." Says Adaya. Still, Kira hesitates as she passes right over.

"Regana, what are you doing, western rooftop, your side, that shot was clear!" Jaxis shouts over the comms.

Kira snaps back to attention. "Sorry, making another pass..."

Imperial Dreadnoughts needle through the sky as they suddenly appear out of hyperspace and rain hell on the Republic Navy. Sith starfighters descend, harbingers of doom hitting the Republic like a storm. The Defender barrel rolls away from a straight on collision with a Sith fighter, only for Kira to briefly glimpse the faint essence of Lord Kaeiden from the black and gray blur that screamed by. Jaxis charges into the maelstrom of battle, lining up shots for Corso to knock out of the sky. Ships boom and crash, splintering apart into fragments of metal and charred flesh that spiral down to the sands below.