Private Joint Ventures

[Saint Lauren]

The Battle of G-6
H-Gas Refinery - Asteriod Belt G-6
Silver Concord's Sith Border


It was a recently abandoned refinery located in a giant asteroid belt in the orb of a small dwarf star. Once owned by the Commella Corp out of Hapes and abandoned because of the war. Now, a rogue Sith cruiser had landed there to deploy construction crews and anti-starfighter defenses. Right on the border of the Silver Concord too. It was a rushed, frantic affair. The Sith knew they were too far out. Hoping their small numbers went unnoticed. Alas. They did not. And the Silvers had requested interdiction support from the GA.

The space battle was still underway when the GA requested permission to board the station and head off the Sith retreat. The Silver cruisers were busy preparing for Sith reinforcements out from Myrkr and decided it was a good idea to allow it. They fired up their own landing shuttles and gave the orders for their ships to open a lane to the station. Whatever the Sith scientists were doing down there? It had to be stopped before more ships arrived from Sith space. They couldn't have the Sith gaining a supply depot or a beachhead in this sector. No matter how small of an operation it may seem.

A Silver Concord Frigate pushed right up through the Sith fighter formations and hovered directly over the station. Taking additional fire from the station's new quad blasters so that the shuttles could land in the open hanger bay without the distraction. They did so quite successfully too. Two shuttles from the GA and two shuttles from the Silver Concord swept into the shielded hanger with ease. They had almost touched down on the deck when black-armored Sith troopers began to engage them from the hanger's interior with small arms fire and an a big gun. The shuttles light cannons fired back and blew the Sith's big gun to smithereens.

Still. It was a firework show of aggression in the hanger bay as the back ramp dropped open and Basil's unit was given the green light to disembark.

Fire at will.

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil sighed clutching his battle rifle so this is it was it? He knew that going into the front lines was inevitable and somewhere in the galaxy his father must had a smile on his face. Basil's closest friend Samatharis was out there doing Jedi business but the two of them left on bittersweet terms but at least they understood each other a bit better. "Thirty seconds!" his commanding officer yelled as Basil felt the dropship descending. "Today will be the first day for the rest of my life." Basil muttered.

An alarm blared out and the ramp began to open revealing the sounds of blaster fire and explosion. Sweat formed around Basil's brow landing on his eye stinging a bit. "GO! GO! GO!" The officer yelled to the eager soldiers as they flung themselves into the fray. "This is all just a dream," Basil found himself running straight for cover: A piece of debris being pelted by blaster bolts. "In a few seconds I'll wake up in my room and I can go back to hacking stuff and reading comic books."

Shutting his eyes as though he could wish himself out of here, Basil immediately opened them to see his unit fighting and dying. "This dream is very vivid," he laughed nervously.

 

[Saint Lauren]

The battle for the hanger bay continued in earnest as a blue X-Wing quickly flew in from outside space and hovered above the field of battle. A woman in a black cloak discarded her headband and opened the fighter's cockpit. Then she dismounted with a flip, straight into the fray. A white Lightsaber heralding her approach with righteous terror.

She descended into the background as the fighting continued. Laser bolts firing in all directions. Basil's commanding officer looked him straight in the eye and pointed towards the far doors.

"Giles! Move!"

So much for comic books.

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil was surprised that he didn't pee himself, prior to the battle his fellow soldiers took bets on if Basil would pee himself before they entered the battle or after. The young man didn't blame them, he just didn't have the stomach for battle but here he was pinned to a rock overwhelmed and feeling concussed by the lasers and small explosions by the Stormtroopers. Besides Basil was almost certain that half of the squadmates who took part in the battle were probably dead. Basil didn't even bother to look up but he can already tell that the initial assault is already going poorly. The Stormtroopers to well armed and there were many of them. "Well," Basil said his lower lip quivering. "I guess I'll die."

Just then an X-Wing landed into the fray and a blue Lightsaber activated as the woman leapt into battle cutting down Stormtroopers. The young man looked up was it Samatharis? No it was a blond woman who locked her blue eyes with Basil's. "Okay I'm moving!" Basil shut his eyes taking his blaster rilfe and began to fire blindly into the incoming Stormtroopers. "PLEASE DIE!" he squeaked.

 

[Saint Lauren]

Basil's commanding officer was dumbfounded as the young man stood up, closed his eyes, and started firing blindly. The frell!?

Meanwhile, the battle shifted in the Allies favor. No matter how many Stormtroopers came down the back ramp to reinforce their buddies, even more where sent flying through the air by a nearby Jedi woman.

It took all of about two minutes to finish the fight. Dozens of black stormtrooper legionnaires lay dead on the gray metal of the hanger bay. Smoking holes in their chests. Alas, there were wounded among the Allies as well.

The blonde Jedi woman didn't bother to slow down however. She rushed at impossible speeds up the far ramp and disappeared deeper into the Mining Station. The sounds of gunfire echoed out from the way she came.

"Hanger Bay secure!" Basil's commanding officer shouted, "All units! After the Jedi! We are taking the command bridge! Move out!"

Then the commanding officer approached Basil and harshly stripped him of his regulation detonator. No grenades for rookies.

"You too Giles! And if I ever see you blind firing around your buddies again! I'll blast you myself! Now get! Get! Move it trooper!"

About twenty five men from both factions began hustling towards the back ramp and into the Mining Station. Following the blonde Jedi. The rest of the men and pilots stayed behind to load the dead and wounded into the shuttles. The droid flying the blue X-Wing managed to land and secure a parking space.

Next stop. Blasting through the tight hallways of the station. They had to reach the command bridge before the Sith finished doing, well... Whatever it was the Sith were doing here. Luckily, the blonde Jedi seemed to know what she was doing. The hallways beyond the ramp were littered with pairs of dead Stormtroopers in defensive formations.

The Allies had a strong advantage as they pushed forward.

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

When Basil opened his eyes he saw a pile of corpses mixed with Stormtroopers and Galactic Alliance soldiers. "Well I survived my first fight," Basil mumbled as his commanding officer stripped him of his grenades. "Sir sorry sir!" He yelled. "It will not happen again!" Basil mentally cursed himself yet deep down he was ecstatic that he was alive. Yet Basil acted like an idiot in his first fight and something like that will most likely get him court marshalled and dishonorably discharged which is a bigger stain to Basil's family than dying.

Basil sighed as he followed the Jedi "I need to do better," he said. "If I want to survive this, I have to do better than what I just did." Yet something told Basil the worst was yet to come.

 

[Saint Lauren]

It wasn't.

The total Sith forces on this station was the same number as held in a Sith-Imperial Mastodon-Class Troop Transport. So about 90 Stormtroopers minus Sci and Officers. Thus far, the Sith had launched everything they had at the GA and Silver troopers in the hanger bay. Tactically, it made sense to commit everything to stopping the enemy from getting a beach head. Crush them before they get a chance to mess things up. Alas, pure numbers hadn't worked for them. The light guns on the shuttles, the shear number of Allied forces deployed, and the addition of a Jedi had crushed the Sith offensive. The ground battle for the Mining Station was already over. Basil just didn't know it yet.

Still. Without knowing how many enemy troopers lay ahead? Basil column of Allies moved carefully down the narrow hallways. Passing even more dead Stormtroopers. Each pair looked like they had been holed up defensively for a siege. Made barricades. Prepared for a long fight. Sadly. The lightsaber cuts on each and everyone of them told another story. They had never stood a chance.

Suddenly, the blonde Jedi appeared before the Allied column in the hall,

"Command bridge is clear. However the scientists are trying to blow the station with a sonic charge down in the tunnels. We need everybody down to maintenance to clear them out."

The lead trooper for the GA gave a thumbs up,

"You heard the lady! Command bridge is clear. We're busting rats in the tunnels! Alliance, let's go!"

The Silvers gestured the same. Time to descend into the old mining tunnels and clear out the last remaining Sith scientists and engineers.

The Jedi lead them down the hall to the maintenance sector. The blast door was already open and held in place by a mining skiff. Somebody had crashed it into the doorway to keep the blast door from shutting.

Inside, was a spider's web of tall but narrow rock tunnels. Lined with pipes, foot grates, and emergency equipment. It looked just like an old Iron Mine. The Jedi turned back to the troopers and pointed down the hallways,

"We'll split up to save time. I'll head left. You guys take center and right."

The lead trooper nodded and pointed center,

"Roger ma'am! Alliance, we're going center! Let's go! No time to waste!"

The Silvers nodded and headed right.

If they covered all three tunnels at once, they could find the Sith and stop the bomb. And. As luck would have it. The Sith scientists had gone right down the center tunnel.

Basil and his men were heading right for them...

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil took his blaster rifle and ventured forth jogging behind the Alliance soldiers as they headed towards the middle. He had a bad feeling that they were going to walk straight into the Sith Troopers and the Sith Scientists. "There they are!" Basil's commanding officer shouted. "Blast them!" As soon as he gave the order, one of the Troopers shot him in neck immediately leaving a smoky neat hole. "Shit!" Basil saw his commanding officer the man who dressed him down fall to his knees both of his hands clasping his injured neck. The young man sprinted through a shower of blaster fire to catch him before fell to the crowd.

"Hang on sir!" Basil too out his Blaster Pistol firing back at the Sith Troopers downing two of them. Normally Basil would've vomited at the sight of battle like he did five minutes ago but he was hopped up on adrenaline carrying the commander on his back as though somebody injected Basil with Adreno. "He's down!" Basil yelled at the nearby medic placing the choking officer down gently. "We need Bacta immediately!"

Turning around, Basil saw the scientist sprint back to where they came heading towards a darkened room. "I gotta get after them!" If he wanted to live today, Basil had to capture those scientists alive. Holstering his pistol and switching to his rifle, Basil ran back to the fray, for a brief moment the taste of battle didn't taste so bitter after all.

 

[Saint Lauren]

Elsewhere,

Lauren came to a dead end and cursed.

~ "Left is a dead end." ~ She voiced into her wrist com.

~ "Nothing right either." ~ A Silver Commander chimed in.

~ "This is Dewey with the Alliance. We've got contact mid. Soldier's down." ~

Lauren turned about and started sprinting back the other way. Really, really sprinting,

~ "Roger. Coming to you. Stay on that bomb." ~

The Silvers echoed her reply.

Luckily, the Alliance team still outnumbered the Sith. They had a shot of making it to that bomb before either Lauren or the Silvers arrived for back up. They could do this.

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

The battle continued to rage.

Although the Alliance Troopers outnumbered the Sith, they were still well trained and well armed enough to put up a real fight. Basil placed his back against a metal box likely containing Red Dust needed to complete the bomb. Peeking to return fire, the Scientists ran towards the dark room activating the ray shields. "Blasted ray shields," he whispered as he returned fire. "Our weapons aren't good enough to penetrate that," looking around the battlefield Basil's eyes darted around for something, anything that can disable.

"Unless we can access the base system deactivate the ray shields," he mumbled. "The only other way I can think of is to use an EMP blast."

If only the commanding officer didn't take away his grenades, one of them had an EMP grenade. It wasn't powerful enough to take out the entire Ray Shield but it's enough to punch a hole for a decent amount of troops to get in.

 

[Saint Lauren]

As Basil looked around for options. There was a sudden chill in the air.

Then, just as quickly. All of the Sith soldiers surrounding the shield door suddenly grasped at their chests and toppled over. Heart attacks. All.

Lauren lowered her hand and stepped up behind the Alliance soldiers. She was just a tad late to the party.

"Interesting." She frowned as she approached the shield door. Looking it up and down. Noting that the battery was on the other side. Pfft. Figures. Meanwhile, the Silver's showed up behind them. Heck of a hustle too. They seemed almost out of breath.

Lauren turned her eyes directly to Basil,

"You."

She pointed to a generic power terminal on the wall. It was Hapan in design and probably controlled the lights or something.

"Fix this."

The other Alliance soldiers all seemed to balk at once. Did... Did the Jedi just ask Basil to do something? But. But. Didn't she know Basil was literally, the worst?

Lauren's glove lingered in the air. Still pointing for Basil to approach the terminal. It didn't feel like an order either.

It felt like a command.

"Clocks ticking soldier."

A good reminder. Either they got through this shield door in time or, ...boom.

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

Basil nodded as he quickly worked on the power terminal. "This is a Unix system," Basil muttered as he began to hack into the system, the password was surprisingly easy to guess: 1234. Seriously what kind of buffoon would have a password like that? "I know this all I need to do is to find the right file and-" Just then the shield door deactivated allowing the soldiers and the Jedi Knight to pass.

"Done!" Basil said. "And in record time too!"

Saint Lauren

 

[Saint Lauren]

Lauren was off down the passage way almost as quickly as the barrier came down. She practically disappeared into the tunnels, in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, another Alliance soldier approached Basil and put a hand on his shoulder,

"Holy Force, Giles! What the frak man! Haha!"

Another soldier chimed in as the rest went rushing off,

"Yeah man! How the heck did you even know how to do that!"

The both pointed to the shield gate as the Silvers took the lead down the tunnel.

"Dang man. Maybe you ain't no Toydarian Hoke' after all? Haha."

The two men gave each other a high five and quickly turned to rush down the tunnel after the others. Still had a bomb to catch and all that. Even so... It was pretty heavy praise for ol' Basil Giles. Maybe he had a little soldier boy in him after all. Ha!

...


Moments later,

The Silvers came rushing up on Lauren and a handful of dead Sith scientists. The tunnel had come to a split. A eight way hub. This might have been the center of the system or something? It was hard to tell.

"They never even armed it." Lauren pointed to a missile-looking device at the center of the tracks.

Sure enough. The bomb wasn't even armed. I guess they just, ran out of time.

"Okay. Um, good?" The Silver commander shrugged. Then he looked around and holstered his rifle. "So uh. I guess I'll call that in then. Maybe look around for survivors too."

"Don't bother. I can't sense any survivors." Lauren said flatly.

"Oh. Okay then." The Silver commander nodded and touched his com, ~ "Home. This is Eagle One. Command Center is secure and so are the tunnels. We stopped the bomb and got all the scientists accounted for. All dead." ~

Lauren nodded as command acknowledged and gave the pull back order. Time to get the heck out of here. Mission successful.

The medic who had been helping Basil's unit commander approached Giles,

"Guess that's it then huh? Damn. Made quick work of them Sith eh. Well... Anyway. Help me with the sled back here okay? Need to get the commander back to the shuttles. Grab that end, will ya?"

Lauren gave the bomb one last look. Then turned to withdraw with the soldiers.

It was finished.

Therax Milbon

 

[Therax Milbon]

Was that praise that Basil received? It was a good thing that Basil was wearing a helmet, the rest of the soldiers would've saw his reddened face. It was the first time in his life that Basil was ever thanked for something that he'd been doing since he was six years old. It was nothing new if anything the Sith were arrogant enough to create such a simplistic system.

"So is it over?" Basil sighed looking over the strewn of Alliance and Sith corpses all over the floor. "Can we go now?"

Saint Lauren

 

[Saint Lauren]

The Alliance Medic gave Basil a somber nod. It was over.

"Yeah. Orders are to get back to the shuttles and make it back to the cruisers. Guess the Sith noticed we won down here and already started pulling out. Fights over."

He motioned for Giles to help him with the sled again. They'd be off this rock in no time.

/end

Therax Milbon