Star Wars Jedi Knight IV: Sith Empire

Chapter 24: Base Delta Zero

"The only dark side you need fear, Jacen Solo, is the one in your own heart."

―Vergere

Ben was intently working on the damage to the Falcon from the inside. Armed with an arc welder and scrap durasteel, he and Tenel Ka were executing repairs. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead underneath the welder's mask, and it trickled into his eye. It burned. But it didn't stop him. It merely added to the blaze of anger begging him to free it.

His father had separated him from the Force. A lot that'll do to stop me, Ben thought to himself. Vestara needed to die for this. There was no alternative. Thanks to his cousin Jacen, he was a trained killer.

Luke had his hands full with Han, which was why neither was helping. Ben could only guess what his uncle Han would do. He wanted to skin Vestara alive long before she blasted his wife to oblivion. By now he probably wanted to ram the Falcon into a Star Destroyer at lightspeed.

Ben brought the arc welder down the final side of the sheet, connecting the bead of metal to where it started.

Suddenly the boarding hatch opened and Han stormed in, with Luke following.

"And if those goosestepping idiots up there think we'd make good target practice for their turbolasers, we're a sitting duck!" Han exclaimed.

"Han, let's be realistic here," Luke said calmly. "If the Empire wanted to destroy us they would have done it already."

"My calculations agree with Master Luke," Threepio piped in. "It appears the Imperial ground forces are falling back to the dreadnoughts."

"When did you notice them starting to leave?" Han demanded, taking a step towards the droid jabbing a finger in his direction.

"I noticed it exactly two hours and forty six minutes ago," Threepio said with pride, taking a step back to allow his photoreceptors to focus on Han.

"Spast!" Han exclaimed. He turned to Ben and Tenel Ka. "You kids got that hatch sealed?"

"Uhh..." Ben lifted his welding helmet to glance at the gaping hole where he could still see unobstructed tarmac through the destroyed gun turret. "No."

"Well we still need to get outta here," Han said.

"What's the problem Han?" Luke asked.

"The Empire doesn't just pull out of an occupation like this," Han replied, shaking his head. "They're pulling out for a reason. They're going Base Delta Zero. With us here."

Ben learned was Base Delta Zero was in his time with the GAG. It was the order to slag a planet.

"Isn't the Falcon still technically space worthy?" Tenel Ka asked.

"Only if you don't mind technically not breathing," Han replied. "The only way to take her into space would be to seal us all in the cockpit. With no air circulation, we'd all be dead in hours."

"Well Jedi Knights can hold their breath almost indefinitely," Ben said. "Three of us are Jedi―"

"Two of us," Luke corrected with stinging authority, glaring at his son. He turned back to Han. "We'll need to relocate then. The Empire only has so many Star Destroyers on assignment here, we could probably find a quiet place on the dark side of the planet to start repairs."

Anger boiled up inside Ben at his father's rebuke. He bit his tongue to prevent himself from lashing out.

"Besides," Luke continued. "Just because she's space worthy doesn't mean she's hyperspace worthy."

"Yeah," Han agreed. "Sounds like our only good option."

As Luke and Han were talking, Ben noticed from the corner of his eye that it was starting to get dark outside. Funny, He thought to himself. I could have swore it was just late afternoon.

His focus became riveted on the dusk sky visible through the boarding hatch. The voices of his father and uncle seemed to fade. He stepped to the hatch and looked out. After he took his welding helmet off completely he saw the sun. Or rather, the red-orange corona of the sun that was blotted out by a dark triangular shape. In the darkening sky he could see more dark triangular blobs, their strobes at the corners highlighting a shape barely visible otherwise.

"Uh dad," Ben called back. "We've got a problem on the horizon."

Luke, Han, and Tenel Ka stepped outside to witness the simulated eclipse.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Han said, observing the Star Destroyers overhead.

"Han, just because they're getting closer doesn't necessarily mean anything," Luke remarked, his arms folded. "They're probably getting closer to make picking up their troops―"

Luke was cut off by a brilliant flash of crimson from the sky, followed by a loud crack. A turbolaser bolt fell from the sky like a burning raindrop. It struck the Fountain Palace, which erupted in a ball of fire.

"We're doomed!" Threepio exclaimed from behind the trio, running back into the Falcon with his arms in the air as fast as the golden droid's legs could carry him.

"Everyone in the Falcon!" Han ordered. Luke and Ben hustled into the freighter, but Tenel Ka seemed paralyzed. Han grabber her arm and yanked her onto the boarding ramp before another turbolaser bolt fell from the heavens onto a hangar bay.

"W-Why would they do this?" Tenel Ka stammered, still riveted on the apocalyptic scene unfolding before her eyes.

"C'mon Princess, we need to move!" Han shouted over the rumblings of destruction as he heaved the Queen Mother on board. The firey shockwave from the hangar washed over the Falcon, filling the freighter with a blast of scalding air.

Han slapped the button to close the hatch. As the door came down he made an effort to stand, but the violent quaking of the ground underneath the Falcon made it almost impossible. Another blast caused a deafening roar and made the freighter shake more than Han thought was possible. Numerous bangs and thuds could be heard above his head as debris from the planet rained down from the sky bombarded his beloved ship.

"Luke!" Han called in the direction of the cockpit. No answer. "Luke!"

Luke darted out of the cockpit. "What is it Han?"

"Tenel Ka," Han said, trying to talk over the thunder of buildings collapsing outside. "She's unconscious!"

Luke rushed to take the Queen Mother from Han's arms. "Get us out of here Han! I'll take care of her."

Han rushed to the cabin to find Ben trying to get the engines started from the copilots seat.

"Forget it kid, let me handle this," Han said sitting down in the pilot's seat. His fingers flew deftly over the controls, only to be met with the sound of chugging and whining as the world outside burned.

What could have changed between the time we set down and now? Han puzzled. It's as if we're not getting enough power to ignite the fuel...

"Ben, divert auxiliary power to the engines," Han ordered.

It took Ben a precious second to find the switches. Once he found the group he flicked the switches to the engine position.

"Done," Ben replied.

"Come on baby, work with me," Han said under his breath as he tried the engines again. They chugged, and then they roared to life.

Ben felt pushed into his seat as the dialed-back compensators didn't quite do enough to stop the g-forces in the cabin as the ship accelerated. Since his Uncle Han flew partially by feel, he tended to keep it that way.

Raining debris continued to pound the Falcon's hull as the Corellian vessel plowed on through the blazing inferno. Han intentionally kept the Falcon as low as possible to avoid detection by the Star Destroyers' sensors.

Ben had a gut feeling they were going to be on the ruins of Hapes for quite a while.