Star Wars: Shattered Galaxy

[blaze96]

"I apologize for interrupting, but I must ask the same question as Rana. Is there anything that can help us out of our current situation? A ship just got cut in half like a plasma torch through an astromech and a station is currently being destroyed with us next on the list if that Kuat ship is destroyed." He said, beginning to regain his composure after sitting quietly for a while.

Why are the sith killing everyone if they desire control?

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

"Well, you tell me. I'm not omniscient. Does this pod have a hyperdrive, weapon systems, even a thruster? I can't teach you a Force technique that will just blow the enemies away and make you safe, it takes time and focus to even begin to tap the strength of the Force. Right now the best thing you can do is try and avoid alerting the Sith to your existence...once they have what they came for, they'll move along. Or the ships attacking them will drive them away."

Outside, the Sith battleship's main gun fired again, this time striking the Kuati Star Destroyer's bow. A red half-sphere appeared just off the warship's bow, the beam washing across it. After a second of sustained fire, the shield flickered and vanished, the beam cutting through and cutting a black gash through the Destroyer's armor plating. Despite the damage, though, the Liberation continued it's attack, it's turbolaser and ion cannon batteries battering the Sith battleship, beginning to blow off chunks of black armor.

"Judging by what's going on, the Sith will withdraw soon."

 

[Smagmuck_]

Joseph Knaake came up behind the Jedi. He was perplexed on how she could engage in that close of combat and make it out alive. Both PBT Blasters were draped across his chest on their one point slings. His arm ached, but it was better then walking around with a useless limp appendage. He looked over at his cracked shoulder pauldron, it had cracked diagonally straight through the PURK Emblem. He thought for a second. What was he fighting for anymore? The entire Station was on the verge of destruction, from what he heard on the Com-Links, nearly 90% of all PURK solder's had been killed of knocked out of action due to the extreme amount of damage the Station had taken. He made his decision.

"I'm coming with you." He said. He pulled the cracked pauldron from his set of armor and dropped it, where it finally broke into two pieces. "We need to get out of here. I have a lot of faith in the PURK but what ever those things are, they're going to be hard to fight." His dead comrade's Holo-Tags still dangled from his clenched fist. He felt sick to his stomach, he had never left anything behind him. Especially the PURK, if here were ever discovered he'd be executed for desertion. Thinking about it now, that was a risk he was willing to take for the greater good. He noticed aliens he had never met before, at this point. He took on himself to help protect them.

"Ma'am?" He asked the Jedi. "I guess that means I'm under your command now." He de-polarized his visor and looked her directly in the eyes. There was a lot of anguish in his own set. If he was going to die if or when he got back to PURK territory. He was sure as hell going to make the best of it.

 

[UnusualStranger]

"Well.....I guess that is comforting in a lot of senses." Marcus said, getting used to talking to something which had been around a few thousand years.

What the hell am I thinking? It reaches back before all this hit the fan! This is a goddamned artifact, which can apparently in some fashion teach...Maybe...And apparently has a full collection of history over almost all that time to boot. It's easily the most important thing IN the galaxy right now, especially as seeing that it actually works!

"So, why are you on? I mean, did Rana push some button or activate something? Is it because....force sensitive, right? And you said....all of us? I'm a salvager and a survivor, and I would think I would notice if I suddenly started....doing something that you do with the Force."

Marcus let out a sigh, hoping that perhaps things were going to go as well as the Holocron said they would. He would much prefer it if he was picked up right now and able to find a way out of here under his own power, not in an escape pod waiting to get picked up.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

"Damn it, you idiot! I told you to run, get to a pod! Every moment I'm here, a few more people are able to escape. I'll be right behind you, just get it ready to launch!" The Jedi spun on her heel as the Dark Jedi approached and swung her blade, cutting through a pipeline, which spilled some kind of gray-green gas into the corridor. "Go! Run!"

Onboard the escape pod, Nomi Sunrider's projection shook her head. "It can be extremely subtle when you're not trained to notice it. But now's not the best time to go into it. You need to figure out how to conceal this Holocron...whoever wins this battle is going to want it if they know it's here, and I have a feeling the Sith know it's here...that Battleship? There's a Sith Lord onboard. Not some Dark Jedi, a true Dark Lord of the Sith. I can sense it, they have a particularly vile mark in the Force."

 

[socialtangent]

The impact with the deck left Kass reeling even after he eventually came to a stop. Laying on his back, he struggled to catch his breath. The impact of the invisible wave had felt akin to a Wookiee slugging him in the chest. By the time he managed to get back up to his feet, the two Sith and the Jedi woman were long gone. However, he had a good enough taste of the dark warrior's power to know that going after them was essentially committing suicide.

Kass, exasperated, leaned against the wall to contemplate his next move. Super-powered marauders were sweeping the station, a massive Sith battle fleet waited outside, and the Screaming Mynock was lost. In terms of options, he was out of luck. No craft could slip by the Sith unnoticed, and any that had even the slightest chance of doing so were already destroyed.

Unless...

Looking up, Kass saw a brightly lit Aurebesh sign that may have spelled his freedom.

Escape Pods, Section Gamma

, it read. Below it was an arrow pointing farther down the hallway that he had been thrown down. The significance of this coincidence was lost on Kass as he scrambled down the hall as quickly as his feet would carry him. In no time at all, he found the escape pods, as well as a massive crowd of people trying to get into them as well.

I've got no frackin' time for this.

Kass pulled out his blaster and fired several shots into the air to scatter the crowd. In the freshly engineered chaos, he shoved a few more commoners to the deck and slipped into an escape pod, aiming his blaster towards the exit in case anyone else tried to get in. With his spare hand Kass slammed the launch button. The pod's tiny entrance closed, and with an explosive jolt the pod was catapulted into space.

Having had no time to brace for the kick, Kass was dropped to the floor by the force of the pod's launch. He clawed at one of the pod's seats and used it as leverage to pull himself onto it. The seat's belt was clicked into place soon afterwards. As the pod sailed away from the doomed station, Kass saw through the window that the Sith were not the only forces in the area anymore. Kuati ships were locked in an intense battle with the Sith vessels. A perfect distraction for a tiny escape pod to slip by completely unnoticed.

Kass took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Now we play the waiting game.

 

[Smagmuck_]

Knaake nodded. He pulled up a map of the station on his HUD, the real time feed updated and crossed off and removed the places that had vented their atmosphere or had been heavily damaged. He found a viable route to one of the few escape pods left on the station. He set up a way-point on his HUD, turned around an broke out in a dead sprint, leaving the Jedi behind with her advisories. He felt the gravity begin to go as he ran.

As he passed through an open bulk head he glanced out a view screen just in time to see the PURK Star Destroyer Liberator start to over power the Sith craft. He smiled a bit to himself as he saw it. He ran through a door way. And turned down a passage way, just ahead, another ten meters was a row of pods, one of them still docked. He grinned to himself. He ran towards it, skidded and swooped himself in it was all but empty. He checked the controls, they were green across the bored. He hoped the Jedi would make it before he absolutely had to punch out.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

Knaake could see the Jedi and Darksiders dueling on the far end of the corridor. Vesera seemed to be slowing, her defenses getting lower. She turned to look at Knaake. "Get going." Then she turned back to the fight. The Dark Jedi came at her from two angles. She batted away the first attack, twisted away from the second, then a thrust pierced her stomach, the red blade emerging near her neck. She gasped, then raised her hand - not towards them, towards Knaake. The pod door slammed shut and it began it's activation sequence.

"You haven't beaten me." Vesera grinned, then thrust her lightsaber through the viewport, making a quick, crude circle. "You're dead too."

Then the viewport blasted outwards, sucking all three of them into the darkness.

* * * * *

Episode I: The Deepening Darkness

The Retribution's beam cannon lashed out a final time, missing Knaake's pod by only a hundred meters or so and burning deep into the station's superstructure, the energy from the beam likely vaporizing the bodies of Vesera and the Dark Jedi, and leaving Graveyard Station a burned out husk. Then the battered fleet turned and made the jump into Hyperspace - all except one. A small corvette failed to jump with the rest of the fleet.

On the bridge of the Liberation, Admiral Cath was quick to jump on the opportunity.

"Tractor that corvette! Get me an ion barrage ready if it shows any sign of warming up it's hyperdrive."

"Yes, Admiral!"

She leaned on the railing between the two crew pits, wiping the sweat off her brow. The enemy hadn't fought like anything she'd handled before. Not like Duros or Corellian fleets, or the raiders that caused problems in outlying colonies...they hadn't even seemed to care about her fleet, and their ships had been resilient enough that even then they hadn't been able to wipe the fleet out. What the hell were they?

"Give me a fleetwide damage report. And deploy recovery craft for the escape pods. Start scanning the wrecks for any survivors." She found her chair and dropped into it. "And transmit the combat logs back to Kuat Control...maybe they'll know what the hell is going on."

From the underbelly of the destroyer, shuttlecraft began emerging, moving through the wreckage or coupling to escape pods and towing them towards the massive Star Destroyer. The Sith corvette began slowly drifting through space towards the Retribution's docking bay.

 

[Smagmuck_]

"Blast!" Joseph said. He keyed into the Liberation's Comms to listen to the chatter. The lights in the Pod shorted out with the near miss. He hadn't had time to strap himself in before the launch so when the beam came close the shear energy had moved the pod with extreme force. Slamming him around like a ball. He finally came to a rest at the back of the pod. He contorted himself and looked out the rear port hole. A fleet of shuttle craft emerged from the bay of the Liberation. Good, they were going to start recovering process. He keyed his Com-Link.

"PURK ship Liberation, this is Lance Corporal Joseph Knaake of 5th Regiment; Bantha Company. Destroy the enemy ship immediately, do not attempt a boarding. I repeat, do not attempt a boarding." He said. "Whatever's on that ship is three times more powerful then a Battalion of troopers. Over." He crawled and found himself a seat and strapped in. He was going to be wait for a long time.

 

[UnusualStranger]

Marcus couldn't help but sigh as it was discussed to hide the Holocron. He hadn't really publicly planned on showing the small hiding spot on his comm, but it appeared if he wanted any chance to figure out exactly what this AI....or Nomi Sunrider was all about, he would have to use it now, with other people paying attention.

"...I have a way to hide the Holocron. As long as you don't mind getting shaken around a little bit. It isn't exactly a snug fit for you, but I know that it will hide anything from being noticed. Innocent enough to be left with me, and I guess there isn't much point in me keeping these valuable looking lightsaber parts in there..." Marcus said somewhat disappointed that his self found treasure wasn't worth half as much as this item which was simply given away.

Tapping his comm arm, he put in the address which was his own personal choosing, which caused a slight hiss to come from his comm. Ordinarily, that would be cause for alarm, but Marcus had engineered this a long time ago when he found some salvage jobs had things that he particularly preferred to keep with himself.

"Its funny, people always tell me I'm nothing more than a smuggler, WHICH ISN'T TRUE, and here I am using my own damned secret compartment to smuggle. The force obviously has a very friendly sense of humor." Marcus said sarcastically. "Almost blasted out of the sky, talking to a five thousand year old Jedi, saw the Sith just destroy a station I had just been on, and I have now started talking to myself. What is wrong with me?"

Still tampering with the small compartment, he began to pull out what he figured was the focus part of the saber....or was it instead the energy control....perhaps some form of harmonizer? He had no idea, but he had figured it was something important worth hiding away. And now he was taking it out to put something in much more valuable. What a waste.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

"Lance Corporal, I'll take that under advisement." Admiral Cath's voice came through crisply. "You're lucky to be alive, soldier. I'll be interested in hearing your report. Continue tractoring it in. Prep Coma Gas harpoons."

One by one, their pods were hauled up to the Liberation and cracked open, the occupants being greeted by men in white uniforms, carrying medpacs and other triage equipment. They set to treating the wounded, while those still fit were left in the docking bay to wait.

Of the roughly seven hundred thousand people aboard Graveyard Station, only a paltry few thousands survived.

A pair of guards in face-covering white armor approached Knaake's pod. "Lance-Corporal Knaake, Admiral Cath sent us to escort you to the bridge."

 

[Smagmuck_]

"So she can do what? Make me her slave? Been there done that." Knaake sarcastically retorted. "Blasted Navy fly-boys." He popped the door and stepped out. Finally setting foot on the deck. Both blasters were still wrapped around his chest and the Holo-Tags were still in his grasp. He regretted not grabbing the rest of the squad's Tags as well. He pulled his helmet off and gasped. Finally, a breath of non-recycled suit air. He tucked his helmet under his arm and nodded. The trio of troopers began walking to the bridge. Both guards decided to keep their mouths quiet. Joseph looked around to see if any other PURK troopers had made it. He didn't see any, it left him with a grim feeling.

They finally got to the bridge, having to swerve between the wounded and the Medics attending to them. The elevator doors opened and all three men walked onto the bridge. It was crisp and white, like nothing a kid who had spent his years as a slave and a grunt has seen much before. He looked around, PURK Navy personnel barely noticed Joseph or the Guards on the bridge. They approached the forward part of the Bridge, where the Admiral was giving orders. Joseph was almost in awe at the sight of the whole operation. He quickly snapped a crisp salute as per protocol when facing an officer.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

Admiral Cath turned to face him at the click of his boots on the deck. She looked young for her rank, but longevity treatments could keep someone young indefinitely, so judging her actual age was nearly impossible. She had a short ponytail of red hair and a proud bearing, amplified by her height and the plain black uniform she wore, the only decoration being the star on her collar.

"Lance-Corporal." She saluted back. "At ease." She turned back out the viewport, staring at the distant, disabled corvette. "I'll forget your attempt to give me an order and put it down to a combat high. The boarding of the hostile warship will continue as planned." She turned to face him, staring at him. "We still have no idea what the hell went on out there, Corporal. However, you're the only surviving witness that I'd be interested in relying on. So, make your report."

 

[Smagmuck_]

"There's not much to say ma'am." Joseph began. "I had just gotten off duty at the now Destroyed Graveyard Station with Funneling refugees into PURK territories, when it all happened. At first a small craft had attached itself to the hull approximately a hundred or so meters from my position. With the ensuing panic a squad of Troopers were sent to investigate the unknown entities, I went with them to provide back up." He continued. "We encountered a Jedi as well and were informed that the boarders were hostile, we took precautions, including me killing the lights, and using a wall panel as a shield. Other then me. There were no survivors of the initial engagement." He paused, thinking about the entire engagement as a whole. "I was only able to recover a single Holo-Tag."

He stood there, silently. Looking out of the bridge windows. Out into space. He thought, if she was going to send in a boarding party, he'd have to go. Out of all the PURK Troops, he had the most experience with them, even if it was so little. He made his choice.

"Ma'am, request permission to join boarding party."

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

"A Jedi? I presume the Jedi was killed in the engagement, then?" She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Damn...we could use some Jedi right about now." She turned to face him. "Request denied. I haven't had time to study your service jacket, Corporal, but I don't think you'd have been assigned to Graveyard Station if you were experienced in boarding actions. My marines can handle whatever is aboard that corvette."

"Besides, your intelligence is more useful with you alive. Report to the triage center in the Docking Bay, all our medical personnel are down there. Get checked out, then I want a full report of everything you saw from the moment the station was boarded. You're dismissed, Corporal."

 

[Smagmuck_]

"Ma'am I insis-" He stopped himself, some form of sense of self preservation. "Very well. I'll complete my full report." He turned around and left the bridge. He looked over at his bare shoulder, he'd need to get a replacement. He keyed for the Docking Bay and the elevator dropped into the ship. Thinking, he had slipped up during the encounter. As soon as his temporary squad had been wiped out, he should have just grabbed the Jedi and gotten her out of there. He felt like a failure. The elevator doors opened and Knaake stepped out onto the Docking Bay. New Pods were still coming in.

He stepped into the Triage to seek some treatment, not that he really needed it, all he had sustained was an over extended shoulder and severe bruising from being thrown. At most he'd only need an Pack of something cold. Now that he thought about it, he was the sole survivor of 5th Regiment. He'd have to request a transfer, preferably somewhere where shit wasn't hitting the fan every five seconds. He stood to the side, understanding that the more severe cases got treated first, he was in for a wait. He checked his helmet, he didn't even notice the small crack in it, he probably was combat high.

 

[blaze96]

"I would agree with that statement Marcus." Prenlarr replied as he aided him in burying the holocron in such away that even if the compartment were found and searched it would look like nothing more than another bit of wiring buried in even more wires with similarly shaped scraps of metal used as a kind of bridge between even more disconnected wires.

Hopefully the sheer amount of things that appeared to be happening in that compartment would dissuade any troops from digging until the holocron could be retrieved.

"I was an engineer, now I'm helping two people I've never met hide a piece of technology in an escape pod of my former place of employment. I almost have to be thankful the place was as run down as it was or else something of that shape would draw real attention. Hopefully I covered the runes enough that they aren't visible."

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

The medic gave Knaake a quick look over with a scanning device. "You look like you've had a few knocks, Lance Corporal. Not much we can do for you here, I'm afraid." The Medic handed him a small bottle of painkillers, then turned to the next patient.

One by one, the sensitives were ushered out of their pods and brought into the main docking bay, where each was checked for injuries and given treatment if any of them were injured, usually amounting to little more than a bottle of painkillers or a cold gel pack. Each could feel a faint tingle in the back of their minds. Unknown to most of them, save Rec, they had been sent to the same general corner of the bay, easily within shouting distance.

 

[Smagmuck_]

Joseph found a crate to sit on, he looked at his helmet. The visor had cracked just a small amount, he should be able to get that repaired when he got his transfer. If he even needed it. He sat it down next to him. He felt some strange sensation in the back of his mind. Like he was supposed to be in that specific part of the Bay. He quickly banished the feeling to the back of his though process. He began to go through the entire destruction of Graveyard Station and the short battle with the Dark Jedi. He still held the Holo-Tags in his fist, he'd have to get rid of them eventually, maybe send them back home to his parents, if he had any.

 

[blaze96]

Prenlarr grabbed the two tool boxes and brought them with him to the corner he and the others had been placed in. He looked at his uniform with patches denoting that he worked on the station as an engineer. While he still wore them for now, he knew he would eventually have to take them off.

Graveyard station is gone, my home is gone. With that thought it finally hit him, he was now out of a job and without a home. He guessed he should feel lucky that his skills could actually be useful on a ship, and with the holocron he may not even need those skills in the first place. Still, it wasn't an easy idea for him to accept.

Once he gathered himself he decided he may as well see what tools he had actually brought with him. Hopefully there would be enough he could either gain work or at least sell them off for a bit of money. Engineering on Graveyard station hadn't payed well in the first place, and with the station gone, he had lost most if not all of his credits. There weren't any real banks to speak of on the station, everyone on it was too poor to open an account anyway. So opening any kind of branch or terminal was seen as a fruitless waste of money.