“Sarc Crimos, the Outcast.” Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn greeted the former Jedi.
“Qui-Gon Jinn, the Defiant One.” Crimos purred and winked at the startled Obi-Wan.
“You’re supposed to be dead…” Obi-Wan gasped.
“Is it really now, because Sifo-Dyas said so? If there’s one thing I did learn in my years in your so called Jedi Order, it’s that never to believe everything a Jedi says.” Crimos said with contempt.
“Enough talk!” Obi-Wan lurched before Qui-Gon could stop him. His argent blade clashed in a shower of sparks on the pair of red and blue blades of Crimos.
Qui-Gon arced to the left and attacked forcing Crimos to engage two opponents from opposite direction.
“Obi-Wan, get the Viceroy, I’ll handle her!” Qui-Gon barked.
Obi-Wan sprang up, somersaulted over Crimos as Qui-Gon pounded on. The padawan landed on a tuck and roll and used Force-speed towards the curving hallway leading to the command bridge of Saak’ak.
“Handle me? Master Jinn, you can’t even handle your own woman!” Crimos grinned.
Qui-Gon ignored her goading although it brought up memories of Tahl, but the veteran Jedi shook her image off of his head and concentrated on the prodigal Jedi.
* * *
Obi-Wan reached the deck and saw the Viceroy inside the command bridge. He rushed towards them and the Neimoidian spotted him coming.
“Seal off the bridge!” Viceroy Nute Gunray shouted.
The blastdoor to the command bridge sealed shut before Obi-Wan could reach it.
“Have you ever encountered a Jedi Knight before?” Rune Haako asked.
“No, and I don’t intend to change that. Send in the droidekas!” Gunray ordered.
Outside Obi-Wan pierced his lightsaber on the durasteel blastdoor and patiently waited for the metal to melt down.
“He’s still coming through!” Gunray gasped.
Haako punched the buttons for the emergency lockdown and two more layers of blastdoor closed in on the entrance.
Obi-Wan felt the clanging of metals from the inside and paused to adjust the setting of his lightsaber. He triggered the secondary button and his lightsaber doubled in length, the blade piercing through the two more layers.
“This is impossible! Where are those droidekas?” Gunray groaned in terror.
The blastdoor to the command bridge was situated on a T-junction and as Obi-Wan finally felt he was about to get through, three groups of droidekas rolled out from each side of the corridors.
Their shields powered and on and began firing deadly laser bolts at him. Obi-Wan Force-shoved the droids on the left and ran off as the swarm of droidekas went after him.
* * *
“What’s in it for you Crimos? You’re not one to devote for such a cause and you definitely could not be possibly in on this for the credits…” Qui-Gon grunted.
“So you’re supposed to know me now, old man?” Crimos sneered and sliced low with her green and at the same time gave a high sweep with her blue lightsaber at the Jedi.
Qui-Gon dived away avoiding her two blades as he stretched out his hand and grazed the shoulder armor of Crimos.
The metal clanged loudly on the pavement as Crimos took a step back and dropped her cloak off. She was now left with her Nightsister tribal battle gear that looks more like dark metal lingerie exposing her pale bluish skin and intricate witch tattoos from legs to hips, to navel to breasts to her arms and the right side of her face, her heterochromatic eyes blazing from the mixed hues of her blue and green blades.
Qui-Gon concentrated as the metal plates on the floor and the walls began to peel off the welds and bolts and started hurling towards the Lady Crimos.
Crimos uses the Force to shove the incoming debris aside but as the metal plates cleared she found no trace of Qui-Gon Jinn nearby.
Snarling in rage she ran on the corridor where she assumed the Jedi had gone and hunted him down.
* * *
Obi-Wan Kenobi awkwardly runs crouching on the waist high ventilation shaft seeking for the hangar bay and he spotted on one of the exhaust window his master, making a run on the hallway.
Obi-Wan whistled and Qui-Gon stopped and looked up, saw his apprentice at once. Obi-Wan threw open the closest exhaust window as his master jumped up.
“Whereto, master?” Obi-Wan asked, the older Jedi pointed ahead of them.
“This shaft leads to one of their hangar, let’s find ourselves a ship.” Qui-Gon winked and led the way.
The pair dropped to the good ten meter high fall and landed safely behind tall stacks of the metal crates on the side of a vast hangar bay.
“Master, look…” Obi-Wan jerked his head on the flurry of activity on the massive hangar bay.
“It’s an invasion army! We must warn the Naboo!” Qui-Gon explained.
“You were right about one thing master, the negotiations were short.” Obi-Wan grinned then looked around and spotted on the high ceiling a C-9979 landing ship being assembled by massive robotic arms and cranes.
Qui-Gon nodded at the idea of his padawan and the two Jedi began to make the arduous ascent to the landing ship pedestals in the ceiling racks.
Below them the B1 battle droid commander OOM-9 rode a Single Trooper Aerial Platform making wide circles and overseeing the loading of the battle droids on Multi-Troop Transports and Troop Carriers.
A six-inch holographic image of Viceroy Nute Gunray appeared on the palm-sized holocomm pad at the top center of the STAP’s controls in front of Captain OOM-9.
“Landing coordinates are being transmitted to you Captain, your troops are designated now to secure Theed itself and capture the Queen, alive.” Gunray commanded.
“Copy that Viceroy, deployment is already at 70%.” OOM-9 answered.
* * *
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi smuggled themselves into the AAT columns and relaxed when they saw that everything inside was on remote. The lines of Troop Carriers at the far walls were filled with folded and deactivated battle droids. The two were relieved that the interior of the C-9979 were not closely monitored.
“We only have one problem Master. These types of ships won’t be activating any life support. Do you think our A99 Aquata Breather will suffice?” Obi-Wan asked.
“We’re already in close orbit so I don’t think it will take long for the transport to enter the atmosphere.” Qui-Gon said.
“What if the ship landed halfway across Naboo from Theed? How are we to get there in time to warn or aid the Queen?” Obi-Wan asked.
“There are STAPs stored in this transport ship. We’ll just steal ourselves a ride.” Qui-Gon explained.
The ship began to move and the two Jedi lapsed into a semi-trance state and became almost imperceptible through the Force in order to prevent the Lady Sarc Crimos from detecting them.
The jolt sent the two Jedi out of their trance after a few minutes and Qui-Gon stood up and looked around him across the numerous of AATs stored around them.
“They’re entering the atmosphere of Naboo.” Qui-Gon explained as he helps Obi-Wan on his feet.
“There master, the STAPs!” Obi-Wan pointed at the far side of the vast wing of the C-9979 landing ship.
“Hold it, look!” Qui-Gon took cover as Obi-Wan spotted hundreds of B1 battle droids forming ranks on the staging area near the racks of STAPs.
“There goes our ride.” Obi-Wan sighed.
“I got a better idea. Follow me.” Qui-Gon suddenly grinned and started moving in a crouch across the panels of AATs and under the platform far from the activated battle droids.
Lieutenant OOM-20 stood by the forward viewport on the control center of the C-9979 landing ship watching the greenery of the jungles of Naboo below them.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi suddenly leaped out of their hiding place and ignited their lightsabers.
Startled B1 battle droids nearby were instantly hacked in pieces before the others finally reacted accordingly and opened fire at the two fast movin
g Jedi.
“Arrest those intruders!” OOM-20 ordered as Obi-Wan made his way to him and as the battle droid lieutenant raised his blaster the blue blade of the padawan came slicing through OOM-20’ss head and diagonally down to its left hip.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan then began to take over the controls and swung the C-9979 around and ignored the numerous hails of other droid leaders.
Qui-Gon took the steering controls while Obi-Wan handled the weapons. The pair of main defensive cannons began to swivel and open-fired at the nearby C-9979s.
Obi-Wan also fired the wing-tip blaster cannons as Qui-Gon made their ship rotate providing his apprentice maximum room for hitting targets.
When Qui-Gon saw in the radar that they have already destroyed all landing transports within their firing range he nodded at Obi-Wan and they started to rewire the ship and attach all of the bombs they found on storage on a makeshift self-destruct program.
The ship started to plummet after the Jedi left the control center, lightsabers blazing they sliced and slashed their way through the ranks of startled battle droids.
Qui-Gon had opened the metals doors and extracted the foot ramp before they left the controls center, the massive metals door were already open when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan powered up their STAPs and began to flew out of the doomed ship.
The ship crashed and exploded on the rocky hills as the two Jedi made their way through the jungle aboard their STAPs.
OOM-9 was hailing OOM-20 to no avail and when he checked the long range sensors he saw several of the landing ships’ winked out on the radar including that of OOM-20’s ship.
“Dispatch an advance party on Grid 59 and re-establish contact with OOM-20, regroup with us on Grid 70 in 0900 hours.” OOM-9 ordered on one of the battle droid officers.
“Roger, roger!”
Chapter 27: United Against a Common Threat
One month before the Trade Federation planetary blockade on Naboo began; Queen Amidala was contacted by Viceroy Nute Gunray to settle a peaceful negotiation.
Captain Panaka and Governor Sio Bibble strongly advised the Queen not to agree on meeting with the Viceroy on the Gonodran asteroid field at the borders of the Chommell Sector.
The viceroy stated their offered conditions for a truce to the Queen. The Advisory Council saw promising results if such truce is to be sealed with the Trade Federation. After much deliberation, the Queen finally agreed to meet.
Captain Ric Olié took Bravo Flight A, led by Captain Hoff Siege to serve as their escort and placed Bravo Flight B on alert stand-by in case something goes wrong.
* * *
The Royal Starship emerged in the edge of the Gonodran asteroid field. Captain Olié scanned the area and spotted two small Trade Federation shuttle.
Captain Panaka took the comm and hailed the other ships.
The image of Viceroy Nute Gunray appeared on the monitor inside the throne room.
“Your Majesty, I trust your flight was well?” Gunray asked.
“There are some details in your proposed treaty that do not stand well for us. I wish to discuss this flaw and seek to find a compromise.” Queen Amidala said without preamble.
“There is a deserted Corellian Astronomical Observation Station in the largest asteroid down on the Gonodran. Let’s land there so we could discuss these matters in person.” Viceroy Gunray suggested.
“Captain Panaka?” Amidala regarded her Captain.
“CAOS has been swept by our advance security squad earlier. It is safe.” Captain Panaka nodded.
“Very well, Viceroy, we will meet you there.” Amidala agreed.
Once the transmission ended, Captain Panaka quickly briefed the Queen and her Royal Handmaidens about their security arrangement.
Moments later, the Royal Starship and the two Trade Federation shuttles landed on the old CAOS landing platform.
Bravo Flight A formed a halo defense orbit around the CAOS asteroid. Queen Amidala, Captain Panaka, four Security Officers, Aluva D’asima and the Royal Handmaidens Eirtaé, Saché and Rabé went to meet Viceroy Nute Gunray and Settlement Officer Rune Haako with their B1 battle droids escorts inside the CAOS compound. Captain Ric Olié and the Royal Handmaidens Padmé, Yané, Fé and Dané and Artoo Detoo stayed aboard the Royal Starship keeping watch on all of their various sensor and radar monitors.
Padmé was tasked to monitor the actual meeting, with the help of Reepek, Aluva’s old Recon-PK droid. Reepek records and transmits the meeting live to the Royal Starship.
Artoo Detoo was paired to Yané to monitor the long range radar for any incoming ships on this unlikely hyperspace route.
Fé and Dané huddled together on another terminal checking on all comm traffic within the Gonodran space. So far the only one they could pick up was theirs.
Ten minutes after the meeting began the Trade Federation Lucrehulk-class battleship Saak’ak emerged from hyperspace and Captain Daultay Dofine hailed the Royal Starship just to assure them that they were just there to await their Viceroy.
Padmé scanned the armaments of the battleship and confirmed to Captain Olié that all were powered down. Captain Siege though remained alert and contacted Bravo Flight B back on Naboo to prepare their ships on a moment’s notice.
The meeting went on for another twenty minutes. Padmé listened attentively on the details of the negotiations and was so far pleased with Viceroy Gunray’s responses to Sabé’s conditions.
Artoo Detoo suddenly shrilled in alarm. Yané went to check the radars and began identifying the small incoming fleet.
“We got companies! Dagger-class and MorningStar-A starfighters, ten each! There are also five Dianoga-class assault starfighters and one unidentified make and model starship!” Yané announced.
“Captain Olié the first wave of the newcomers has just opened fire on the Trade Federation flagship!” the voice of Captain Siege exclaimed in the open comm channel.
“Dané, Artoo, get the Queen back here!” Captain Olié commanded.
Dané briefly glanced at Padmé and saw the other’s imperceptible nod, taking the astromech with her, the two descended the ramp.
“Second wave are flying past the Saak’ak, they are now heading towards us!” Siege announced.
“Prepare to engage!” Captain Olié said and started the pre-flight systems check and powered up the shields.
* * *
One of the MorningStar-A starfighter flew low by the main asteroid and dropped a pair of proton torpedoes on one of the Trade Federation shuttle. The explosion rocked the other shuttle and shook the royal Starship.
From the CAOS building, Viceroy Nute Gunray and Rune Haako flanked by battle droids came out running straight to the remaining Neimoidian shuttle.
Captain Panaka and Aluva came out shortly with Queen Amidala in tow and protected by the other Royal Handmaidens and darted into the Royal Starship.
A dozen Droid Starfighters spewed out from the massive Trade Federation flagship and flew to intercept and escort back the shuttle carrying their Viceroy.
Bravo Two Essara Till and Bravo Three Rhys Dallows flew side by side with Bravo Lead Hoff Siege as they led the rest of Bravo Flight A to engage the incoming unknown mercenary starfighters.
Each of the leading three got their kills at the first pass alone.
Essara Till circled and spotted one Dagger-class sneaked from behind the CAOS asteroid and lanced a single-charge ion blast at the Royal Starship that was beginning to take off.
Bravo Two’s N1 Starfighter swoop after the Dagger-class and blasted its engine with a single shot, the enemy starfighter lost control and exploded on the next asteroid.
“Captain Olié, are you alright?” Bravo Lead called out.
“Our power shorted, we’ll be able to reboot in a few minutes. Can you cover us for that long?” Captain Olié replied.
“We’ll manage.” Siege said and assigned himself and his Flight One on sentry orbit around the Royal Starship.
Another Dagger-class came in on them firin
g and spinning avoiding the lasers of the N1 Starfighters.
“Keep an eye sharp for sneaking ships. I’ll take down this creep!” Siege said and went after the crazy enemy starfighter.
“Blasted cowards! Captain Siege, the Trade Federation have just jumped off, we’re on our own now!” Captain Olié radioed Bravo Lead.
“Saak’ak has hundreds of Droid Starfighters in there. They could have easily taken out these mercenaries…” Siege grunted as he tried to box in his target.
“Unless…” Bravo Two commented.
“…unless those double-dealing Neimoidians themselves hired these scumbags!” Siege growled in anger at the Trade Federation and finally hit the Dagger-class starfighter.
“More enemy ships inbound!” Yané warned them.
“Captain?” Siege asked.
“We’re almost there. Your pal Artoo Detoo is fixing the engines faster than any of us could…” Olié grinned.
“I’m hit!” Bravo Two suddenly cried out.
Hoff Siege turn his ship back and helplessly saw a Dagger-class starfighter rained a barrage of laser fire at the already crippled ship of former Keren Squadron leader Essara Till.
“No!” Siege shouted in rage as the veteran pilot and her ship exploded.
“You’re mine!” Bravo Three swoop in behind the killer of Essara Till and blasted him.
The Royal Starship finally lifted off and started to head out of the asteroid field to make the jump.
Siege and the rest of Bravo Flight A went to keep the mercenaries from getting to the escaping Royal Starship.
“Jump exit is blocked by those Dianoga-class starships!” Yané announced.
“We’re veering back on the other side!” Olié gritted his teeth as he made a sharp turn and plunge back into the perilous asteroid field.
“Captain, an unidentified starship is coming in fast from your starboard!” Bravo Three called out.
“He just flew past me, he’s fast!” Siege exclaimed and turns to give chase.
The unmarked ship hit two more Bravo pilots and went after the Royal Starship. Rhys Dallows tailed the enemy ship and fired repeatedly after it. Captain Hoff Siege went in to follow them.
The starship suddenly reversed thrusters making Dallows to overshoot and in that moment the enemy ship fired its proton torpedoes. Dallows turn his ship to avoid the torpedoes. One flew past him harmlessly but the other detonated on his left wing.