บท 3: Part III: Alea Iacta Est
I stayed at the outpost that I had been assigned to for a bit over 3 weeks, before I was sent back to Cenaha. We were to launch an attack on the troopers that were stationed at the planet. We boarded our ships and left. En route, I polished my armor and talked to our rebel cell.
"So what's next, after all this?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, that's where we part ways, partner." Esques said in his characteristic drawl. "Ken and Celene here are coming with us, and we'll do something else to get the attention of the Empire. We'll come up with something else." He looked at Shena. "We know you want to return to your homeworld, so…" I nodded. "We'll get to that when the time comes." And that was that.
We arrived at Cenaha, only to be greeted with a shock. Some ships had clearly had an overhaul. Larger but fewer weapons crowded their surfaces. These were weapons built to deal with capital ships like ours as well as weapons of mass destruction. While it would make the jobs of our fighters easier, our main ships themselves would be more vulnerable. But that gave us no hesitation. We charged in with poise and grace.
The blockade gave us more trouble. The fighters exploded from our ranks and charged en masse. But the large weapons hammered at our shields. A symphony of warbles rang out from the shield surrounding our ship, warning us of its weathering and destruction. I gasped. Next to me, Dejah pilots made an attack run on the Desecrator, running up its front. I could see the turrets angling, trying in vain to reach the bombers. The fighters and bombers made it around halfway before unleashing a horrifying trail of bombs in their wake. If not for the fact things were moving, it could have been a work of art being admired in a museum.
It arced upward…. Until it hit their bridge and the bridge exploded in a fiery halo. Smoke poured from the wreckage of the bridge and the ship began to list. The robots manning the turrets kept firing, faithfully following their last orders. We knew the ship couldn't recover from this. The disadvantage of droids was that they didn't have the capability to think. They couldn't take initiative or generate a backup command hierarchy.
But we had won again. I looked out among our ranks. We'd lost more than last time. Plo spoke behind me. "Based on the size of the fleets, I would call this medium casualties." I just surveyed the battlefield.
"I've changed. When I got here, I couldn't imagine picking up a blaster and shooting it. Now I'm casually ordering the destruction of fleets full of people."
"Such is the nature of war." Plo said. We just stood in silence.
The blockade was the least of our concerns. A veritable army stood below us. The forces here were strong. We landed our ships around a kilometer away. It was almost certain that the troopers were marching toward us right now. We took our droids and arranged them in an arrowhead formation.
We marched and the two armies met each other on even ground. I could feel the troopers were in shock. Our army was much larger than theirs by a factor of at least 30. However, I knew that was partly an illusion. Our forces were very low quality. Each trooper could take out 5 or 6 droids. It was much like Gideon's Army.
Plo and I, with some of the best armor on that field, were leading our charge. I shot with my blaster, picking off troopers until we got closer. I strapped my blaster to my back, pulled out my Photon Sword, and charged into the midst of the battle. I hacked at their artillery, taking out their most potent and largest weapons and letting the droids take the rest. But for every trooper I ran through or sliced, it seemed Plo took out 10, all without killing a single one. Decades of training at the Peacekeeper Temple must have given him some serious skills.
After we had destroyed the army of troopers, we advanced toward the data center. We took it without a confrontation. We took the data, gave it a glance, and returned to our ships. We departed to Rheta to hide from the Empire while decoding the information we had acquired.
We spent 11 days struggling toward the code. What we eventually found horrified me. The STGM wasn't just going to bring a plague to planets, it would make the people suffer. It was intended to be a painful death, a slow, agonizing one. The people of the galaxy could look on with a sort of twisted amusement. It was a terror weapon. What planet would revolt when they knew they and their kind would die a torturous death if they rebelled?
On the twelfth day, we encountered a shuttle. Inside was a part of the other group we split with on Terxis. They had come from an assault on a factory on Geonosis. "Long time no see!" Esques said. We let them heal and rest. They handed us a file full of data. We began to decode that as well. While we did so, I noticed Celene looked very different. She seemed to be worried about something. I decided ask her about it later.
It took us another twelve days to decode that data. Once we finished that, we were done here. We packed up our supplies and left. This destination was personal to me. We were going to the blockade that had once seemed so imposing to me. We were going to Bastion C again.
It took us a day to get there, but I was smiling the entire time. I couldn't believe how the tables had turned. While it had only been months since I was on this sandy planet, it felt like a lifetime ago. I had seen a lot since then. When we arrived, I smiled wider. We were in the orbit of another planet in the system. We stayed there for a day, preparing and waiting. Our intel helped us greatly. We knew their position and what they would do when.
The next day, we attacked. All was going as planned, until an enemy ship moved in parallel to us.
"Swing around!" Marik shouted. But it was too late.
"Brace!" I yelled. The enemy ship was broadsiding us, barely 10 meters away. We could hear the hum of its engines and the gray monstrosity of its hull filled up our viewports. The cannons fired at this impossibly close range, and both of our flanks were lit up in simultaneous fire, crisscrossing like the web of a space-faring spider. We came past each other, shields battered. As it moved toward our engines, we turned and launched fighters. Soon enough, it was busy dealing with swarms of droids. Then, it pulled off something we never expected it to do.
It came in close with its undamaged side, then launched vessels with drills. They burrowed deep into our hull and unleashed companies of troopers into our halls. The intruders fired away and battles raged down every corridor. We ran to the fighting and fought to repel the intruders. I pulled out my blaster rifle and fire. The troopers are all behind masks. It was impossible to determine what they were feeling. It could've been anger, hope, sorrow, or regret. They were faceless, emotionless warriors, from our perspective, exactly what the Dejah Empire wanted. Eventually, they were cleared.
When the battle was finally over, we came down into the prison. All the prisoners stared at us. After we sent down a few battle droids, the troopers on the ground surrendered. We gave them food from our stocks and some fresh water. We stayed there that day and the next two. Virtually all the prisoners volunteered to join the rebels. We brought them onboard.
Shena came up to me. "A Dejah fleet is in the system. We have to leave now!" I nodded. We took off and left for a nearby planet, Redou. We arrived there and began training the ex-prisoners. It might've been because of the fact that they wanted to beat up the empire, but they all participated in training full-heartedly. While they trained, Celene, Esques, and I started plotting a way to defeat the empire in the most efficient way possible. Whenever our heads hurt, we would go train with the recruits.
After 13 days, I was promoted to Squadron Leader. I continued with my plotting and training the new recruits. Even though I didn't fight, I was technically in charge of the fighters of my ship. I guess that would come in handy in case we needed it. Soon we were notified that we were to depart for NAB-00.
As we approached NAB-00, something felt odd. There were no ships there. I tried to convince myself that it was just luck, that perhaps they had been in the middle of changing ships, but it just didn't seem right.
Soon enough, I got my questions answered. A huge Dejah fleet dropped out of warp. My eyes bugged out. They knew we were going to be here. They had let us advance, out of the warp point, and fall into their trap. "Retreat!" Plo shouted. Those orders were followed without question. The droids couldn't feel disappointment, but I could. As we turned around and fled, the shots hit a couple ships. However, despite that, we only lost two ships from rapid pursuit.
The next 13 days were a low point in the campaign. We split up into groups of two and scattered, going from planet to planet. There was no goal other than to avoid the Dejah Empire and draw their attention away. We were lying low.
A few days in, I found something else in the compartment in which I found my Senate Guard suit and the weapons. A small card. It was almost like one of those upscale credit cards, metallic, dark blue, and small. However, there were no markings on it. I carefully held it in my palm and took it over to the rest of our cell.
"Woah!" Shena said, "That's a Delim card. It gives the Senate Guard access…." she glanced at Plo. "To both the Senate buildings and the Peacekeeper Temple steps. Perhaps after this whole debacle is over, we could sneak into those buildings. The Senate Building wasn't touched after the Dejah Empire came into power, so the security codes should still work, but the Peacekeeper Temple might have had its security changed."
I put on a smile, though something caught in my throat. This was it, then. After a few more battles and such, we were really parting ways. Another realization hit. The regular world would never be enough. I couldn't just work in a small cubicle for the rest of my life. Knowing the universe held so much in its enveloping folds but being forced to stay on one planet…. No - one city on a planet would be too confining. I'd always feel trapped. Claustrophobic. I'd miss space. To top it off, I wouldn't know what happened in this fight against the Dejah Empire. I wouldn't know the rebellion died, if the Dejah Empire collapsed, or if the war was ongoing. But that was in the future. Let's focus on the present.
I took a deep breath. I noticed, however, that Celene looked as nervous as I did. Perhaps even more so. And so I returned to my station. Something else nagged at me, though. This could supposedly access Senate things, couldn't it? I took the card and went to a room at the aft portion of the ship.
There was a cylindrical mechanism about the size of a desk in the center of the room. A holographic projector. Plo had his card revoked when the Peacekeeper order fell, but Shena said perhaps they forgot about the Senate Guard, since they were loyal. There was a slot like the ones you use at gas stations to pay with your credit card. The card was scanned by the slot, and a hologram popped up. It was a square. It had three rectangles inside. There were three buttons blinking.
One said Chancellor's Office, another said Guard Station, and the third said Senate Main. So this ship still used the old Republic interface, which made sense, considering it hadn't been updated by the Dejah Empire. I didn't want to have a heart to heart with Sovereign Emperor Jar Jar Binks while he was doing paperwork. So I didn't press the first button. The Guard Station was likely now used for the Emperor's Royal Guards, so I didn't press that. That left the Senate Main. I pressed the third button.
Inside was something grand. Or… it might be more proper to say once grand. It was the inside of a sphere. The Senate Building, I guessed. The inside was not in ruins like the outside. There was a small spire in the middle with something like a crow's nest on top, about 200 feet tall, where the Supreme Chancellor sat. There was a circle around that, then the curved walls of the sphere began to rise. Studding the walls were small structures, thousands of them. Each one was a torus with a floor, and a small, three feet wide connection to outside the large circular chamber, whatever was there.
That must have been where the Senators sat. They were in a staggered setup. The only way to tell it was abandoned was how everything had turned white from dust and the nonexistent lights. Only the light filtering in from the tori's connections to the outside allowed light in, and it was natural light from windows, most likely. I had stood there for around 10 minutes, just taking in the vast room, when the others came in behind me. They just stood there as well.
"I remember seeing that place back in its glory days." Marik said. "The holonet covered all the important meetings." Plo's expression, was downcast. The fallen glory of the Senate silenced us all. But it wasn't just the physical appearance of the building. The Senate always reflected the principle of democracy. When democracy ruled, so did the Senate. When it waned, in its last days, so did the Senate. Now, this debilitated structure reflected democracy as nothing but a legacy of a bygone age.
"That was what I served. The Senate which ruled the Alkazari Republic." he said. Shena patted them both on the back.
"That's what we're fighting for, boys."
After 14 days of avoiding the Empire, we were told to regroup at SP-0R. As the only way to tell arrived there, we were briefed on our final plan: to destroy the STGM.
"The STGM is on the planet NAB-00, where it is being constructed. According to the files we took last time, it is heavily guarded and will be extremely dangerous. We are to attack the base and destroy the STGM." Kabba announced. The next day we departed from SP-0R and started going towards NAB-00. It was planned to be a 6 day trip, but we underestimated the number of patrols the empire would have, causing it to double the estimated time. This was serious. It was a core world of the Dejah Empire and the homeworld of the Emperor. We were ransacking his backyard.
After we snuck past their patrols, we observed NAB-00 for a few days. Better safe than sorry. The planet was a real-life paradise. I heard that there was still some concept of popular sovereignty and that the planet was free of bureaucracy. I sighed. This war was necessary, but that didn't make it less painful.
Esques ordered our ship into position. "We'd better get into the history books, pardner."
I smiled. "Just to annoy kids centuries from now, I'm going to say a very memorable thing that the teachers will have to put on the tests." Celene rolled her eyes. I cleared my throat and continued, "For freedom, for the Senate, for democracy. I fight for the people because I AM THE SENATE!" Seeing as how nobody else here has ever stepped foot on Earth, nobody got it.
And we attacked NAB-00. The battle started with a loud boom as we fired out ion cannons at their ships. This was our most intense battle yet. The ships were more coordinated. The Empire protected its own, who were wealthy and privileged. Living in the Core, for the most part, wasn't cheap.
I looked on as ships were destroyed. "Defend our flanks! Positions 302-9!" Celene ordered the droid computer. Our fighters covered us, at the expense of not attacking the enemy ships. It was the first time we'd been forced into a defensive position. However, we eventually won. All enemy ships were destroyed, but then I realized something. Each of those ships carried thousands upon thousands of people. I'd ordered savage mass murders with joy. How could I have done this? I pushed those thoughts away. I'd have to deal with them later, but now was not the time. We'd lost close to half our fleet since we left Terxis. We still had several targets to go, and they only got more fortified.
We approached the main facility. It seemed to have been abandoned when we attacked the fleet in space. Plo and Esques were ordered to go check it out.
"STOP! RETREAT!" Esques called out upon his return, "It's a trap. This isn't-" A large explosion ensued. Our forces were decimated in an instant as the base blew up. It was all a trap, and the base only had some robots inside. The enemy had used the empty fort strategy and had efficiently taken down plenty of our troops at the cost of a few robots and an empty laboratory. I seethed. This wasn't over. Now, we only had around half of our original forces.
We spent the next day recruiting people. We didn't get that many. NAB-00 was a paradise, only slightly affected by the Empire's rule. People knew they had it good and didn't want to mess that up. I could understand that. Yet, there were plenty who had either lived under the Republic or had heard stories about it.
That wasn't all we had done today. The STGM that was supposed to be stationed above the planet wasn't there. We had missed it. But we could destroy the assembly facilities. We left before a counterattack could occur, and left for a small, out-of the way world, Aaru.
Kabba had researched the STGM while we were on the planet. We'd had a few scientists who worked on it defect to us. "The STGM causes a disease that slowly eats its victim from the inside out. It is a product of breeding viruses and bacteria from all across the galaxy and acts like a poison. The disease caused by it has no cure and results in a slow agonising death in its victim. The STGM works by shooting 100 small colonies of this disease in pods that crash-land on a planet, where they quickly reproduce and spread, effectively killing all life on the planet. The whole project goes by the name Operation Planetfall." A scientist said to me, tears in her black eyes. She had light gray skin with huge eyes and an impossibly long neck.
As I returned to my bedroom and lie down, I think about what she had said. This would result in my planet being destroyed by disease. It would spread and kill like the Black Death, only slower and with more suffering. I slept fitfully, my dreams filled with visions of plague, famine, and ruin. Slightly different scenarios that all had the same result. The extinction of humanity.
The next day, we arrived at Aaru. We restocked on supplies such as food, and stayed there to talk about how to take the deep-space assembly site of the STGM. On our fifth day there, a small shuttle landed. Inside were four weary, battle-hardened rebels. "The Terxis facilities have been destroyed at the hands of the Dejah Empire. The second round of ships barely made it." This news filled us all with dread. It was now or never. Reinforcements were on the way, but no more would arrive afterward. It always came down to a final charge. Why did it come down to a final charge?
For nine more days we stayed at this out-of the way spot. On the ninth day, a large fleet dropped out of warp. Our reinforcements. When we left Terxis, the other half of the rebels stayed behind to make a second batch of ships, identical to the first one.
Filled with new ships, our fleet was bigger than it ever had been, 1 ½ times the original size. It was a much-needed boost both for morale and in terms of the plan. We were gearing up for our final assault.
I walked up to Ken and Celene. "Alea iacta est." I muttered.
"What does that mean?" Celene asked, head tilted. Apparently our translators didn't work for Latin.
"The die is cast." I said. It was a grim yet hopeful reminder there was no going back at this point. Revolutionary Commando was definitely going on my résumé as past job experience.
"Cool!" Ken replied. We left Aaru determined. Our next target was the STGM site itself. The penultimate point in our journey. Not everyone expected to make it out of this alive. But we would try to destroy the site…. Or die trying.
We spent the next 10 days hopping between systems randomly, as a group this time. Close to Dejah fleets, it was the best way to get around. They could be stationed at major points, but no government even that large could hope to cover all planets at all times.
We arrived at the site the next day. We stared. It was the size of a small moon. There were support buildings and laboratories and a small shipyard, not to mention living quarters for the workers and all the buildings that come with living things. There were generators and cafeterias and all sorts of other things. We spent the next 3 days looking over their defense mechanisms and security measures.
Today was the day. The day in which we attacked the site. I looked around again in amazement. The Dejah Empire could build this. This huge complex. I realized once again the massive military strength we were fighting. We began to move into view. I steeled myself for our biggest battle.
Just then, a huge fleet dropped out of warp. "It's a trap!" I yelled. "Full retreat!" We left in full-blown flight. Our fighters were ordered to disable a gun turret and leave immediately. Thankfully, while our main ships were irreplaceable, there were machines onboard to construct fighters.
We had minimum casualties. It was decided we would stop in the Telemari system.
Telemari Prime, a dark purple world filled with nitrogen gas, was our target. We landed. Everybody was talking about the ambush. After spending the day in some weird hybrid of tension and relaxation, I come to as startling conclusion. One of the rebels must be a spy!
The next day Kabba said the same thing.
"It makes me sorry to say this, but there is a traitor amongst us!" he declared, "Whoever you are, I will find you, and I will make it so you never see the light of day ever again!"
Everyone started look around suspiciously. Anyone could have been a spy. You could trust no one. I returned to my quarter to take a quick nap and take my mind off of the subject. Suddenly, there was a knock on my door.
"Hello," I called out, "Come on in, the door's unlocked."
Celene came in. " I have a confession to make," she said.
"Okay?", I responded, " Go on."
"I'm the spy." she said.
"Wait," I said, "Wait, just a moment, I don't think the translator's working, could you repeat that?"
"I am the spy." she repeated.
"WHY!?" I exclaimed, "Why would you do this, I thought we were on the same team! That we were allies! Why would you help the Dejah Empire?!" Words couldn't describe this, what I was feeling right now.
"I'll admit, the empire is a bit, well, flawed, but it can be fixed. Join me, Ana, we can make the empire better. We can make everyone happy and well cared for. We can be loved by all. Though you may say I betrayed the rebels, I say that I have brought peace and prosperity to my new empire!" Celene replied. She turned and faced me. "Join me."
I stared at her. "Your new empire?" I asked incredulously, my voice rising. "My loyalty is to the Alkazari Republic. To democracy!" I paused. "I serve the legacy of the Senate Guard." I looked her coolly in the eyes. "You, my friend, are a traitor."
She stared back. I called on my comlink. "Kabba? I've caught the spy."
"Great job," Kabba replied, "I will send someone to escort them to the brig. Congratulations."
And that was that. We stayed on Telemari for the next two days. I visited Celene in her cell numerous times. I began to see that she simply has a misguided sense of what is right and what is wrong.
The next four days were spent planet-hopping again. Lost progress was remade. Rebellions are built on hope. We had a lot of it. When we reached the STGM site, we immediately hid, engines powered down and all non-essential technologies off. After staying a day, it was clear there were no supporting fleets in the region. They'd clearly changed their security, so we had to conduct reconnaissance again.
After three days of that, we were ready. We charged in. A plethora of turrets swiveled to meet us. My heart pounded. I wasn't sure if we could make this. Suddenly, a transmission came in over the comm system. "This is Admiral Kir-K. Desist." We didn't. Instead, we pressed our attack run. This admiral was competent. He anticipated our moves, flanked us, and broadsided our ships into oblivion. Plo was a life-saver. I really should ask him to train me, because he was excellent in melee combat, fleet maneuvers, piloting, and like a dozen other valuable things.
By the end of the day, the glorious base in which we hid, used to our advantage, trench ran in, and otherwise exploited was in ruins. It would take years to rebuild. We did manage to snag a copy of the blueprints of the alien blaster rifles and armor, as well as the machine to make them. A modified fighter docked with an external port and carried data up to our ship, where it was transmitted to all the ships in the Rebel fleet.
However, this was our deadliest fight yet. We lost a good third of our fleet, perhaps even more than that. But our penultimate target was neutralized, and our data retrieved. Now to break the blockade around Earth, give these blueprints to the governments of Earth, and mission accomplished. I could return to my home. And… the rebel fleet would continue without me. I kept pushing thinking of our parting off to the side, but it was getting closer. I couldn't deny that. I would ultimately be the sole person responsible for this mission's success. For now, however, I rejoiced in our victory.
Now we hid in the Delmauri system, at Delmauri. For the next 8 days, we plotted something we had been dreaming of for a long time. The assault on the fleet near Earth. As we reviewed the data we had retrieved, it became clear that this would not be nearly as easy as our other targets. Our fleet would be in tatters. At best. Earth was heavily defended, and everyone was glad we didn't have to fight our way through more planets. Just a couple more and the assault we were planning would be impossible. Over a warm, cozy campfire, with something resembling hot chocolate, we discussed matters of death and destruction.
Once we broke through the blockade, the remnants of our fleet would leave. I would not be with them. When that was said, everyone looked at me. I had amassed quite a reputation as the Last Senate Guard. Kabba continued speaking. "Ana will dock with the human space station, the…. ISS, was it?" I nod. He goes on. "She will hijack the station, which is uninhabited due to the blockade, and wait. When the orbit lines up and the governments of Earth are awaiting his arrival, Ana will take the escape craft and land on the surface. Having no data on the orbit of the ISS, we cannot say where she will land." Cleene and Ken looked at me encouragingly, while Kabba continued.
"Ana will bring the technology to Earth. It is impossible to know whether the Dejah Empire will attack again, and we might not be there to protect them. This will at least give them a fighting chance. Remember, they don't need to defeat the whole Empire, just make them feel it isn't worth fighting. Due to the fact this is an out-of the way world and taxpayer money goes into military spending, that should be relatively easy."
Shena took over. "After Operation Firestorm is concluded, we will hide at Tostillo." There were some groans. "I know, we've all had enough of hiding, but the Dejah will send fleets after us that we can't hope to outfight. We will go on from there. We will all be tried in the coming days. It will be tough. But we can't give up. For the Alkazari Republic, we must go on." And with that, the meeting was adjourned.
I also visited Celene in her cell numerous times. I began to see that she simply has a misguided sense of what is right and what is wrong. I persuaded Kabba to let her out. She seems to be genuinely sorry about her efforts. "Sorry, Ana. I just… thought this way might be easier. I've been part of the Empire since I was born to Admiral Hondo. I've seen the families we tear apart when we attack and kill. I just thought if we reform the Dejah Empire, it would be easier to achieve victory."
I smiled at her. "That would work, except people would still be at the whim of one individual with no say in their government. You might not abuse that, but what about your successor? At some point, a rotten individual will assume power. In an empire, there's no way to get rid of them. With the Alkazari Republic, you can impeach them."
She nodded. "Let's do this." I persuaded Kabba to let her out. The good thing about the rebels: they don't torture their prisoners.
The next day, we began our warp to Earth. I sat thinking. My home. I was almost there. I had missed this place so much. That morning when I got abducted, did I think any of this would ever happen? No, I didn't. But, strangely, I was glad it did, that I had such adventures among the stars, that I was - no, am part of something so necessary and noble. When I went home, I would be glad to see my family, my friends. A part of me would be happy my life was back to normal. But a part of me would stay here, surrounded by starlight and supernovae, fighting for justice and democracy like it was 1776 in space.
A part of me felt like normal would never be enough again, and I knew that feeling would stay with me forever. I was an embodiment of duality, home in two places. And I was okay with that.
The next day, we continued our warp. We were going from one side of the galaxy to the other. We would reach Earth in 10 hours, and we were all going to sleep. Anticipation curled in the air. All preparations had been made and all that was left was to just sleep and get to it. Right before I was about to go to sleep, I walked into the atrium of our ship. The rest of our rebel cell was waiting there. Celene was the first to speak. "Look, this is likely going to be our last chance to talk to you. We have a battle, and then you're going home." She gave me a bittersweet smile.
Ken talked next. "We're all just…. Here to say one last goodbye. We've worked together for a year. It's true, what they say. Fighting for your life with people really is a great bonding experience. Brothers in arms are brothers for life."
Marik went next. "Look, man. It's been a wild ride. Just remember it. And us, will you?"
Esques talked next. "We're all just leaves in a river, sheriff." He raised his hand in a salute. I saluted back.
Shena took up the torch at the 'make Ana emotional' party. "Thank you for what you have done." She looked at Celene and Ken as well. "None of this would have happened if not for your arrival. This is your moment. Revel in it." And with that, they all left. Formal goodbyes were done with. Tears began to flow freely from my eyes as I made my way to bed.
The next day dawned bluish-purple with white streaks, as usual in warp. I stared out the window as the stars retracted into dots one last time. A tear fell from my face. It was quickly replaced by shock. There was a fleet as large as ours guarding my beloved home. Behind their imposing silhouettes, the lights of Europe twinkled. I steeled myself. We had only taken on fleets a quarter of this size. We might actually lose this. Then I noticed a small ship, a fraction the size of the rest. I knew that was the STGM as soon as I saw it. On that ship lay 100 cultures of a disease that could kill all life on the planet in a matter of months. I didn't know how we were going to do this.
But we had to try. One last time, our glorious ships moved into battle. The light of the sun, my sun, shone off our vessels. The Army of Light moved forward. Fighters race on both sides. No ships are held in reserve like they had been before. I could only imagine the awe of a observer planetside, looking through a telescope at explosions and blaster bolts by the thousands. "Send a group after the STGM! Don't let it escape!" Twenty frigates thrice its size went after it. I felt bad for the crew.
Most of the ships, however, were fairly standard. But a few are different, larger, painted a dark gray instead of the lighter tone usually found on Dejah vessels. And at the center was a huge vessel, 20 kilometers long. It was painted in a chilling black. Celene's father's ship, I was sure of it. It was leading the fleet, taking out ship after ship. I shook my head. "We have to board that thing."
Ken looked at me like I was crazy. "Are you kidding, we'll be repelled! That's the largest class of ship the Dejah Empire makes!" In all honesty, after seeing Earth so close, yet out of my grasp, I probably was insane. Yet I continued with my plan. The other ships, even the other new ones, were far easier to deal with. If we could get this one down, we might be able to win this battle.
"Trust me!" I yelled. "Move this and three other ships to the docking ports. Come from underneath." We began to move, our robotic pilots steering unfeelingly. Of course, this was a rather dumb move. For a harrowing two minutes, the three ships we were leading to the docking ports were under the full broadside volley of the vessel. By the time we reached, our shields were down. Luckily for us, they kept their guns split on different targets the entire time. I moved midship to the docking port.
We could hear yells and orders from the other side of the blast door. No doubt they were waiting for us. I nodded. I was in full regalia, as was the rest of our cell. Plo and I were side by side. We had established the role as the vanguard units of our cell.
Plo whipped out his Plasma-sword and rushed the door, through it in a matter of seconds. Battalions of troopers were waiting for us. Our droids were an unstoppable yellow flood, pouring out of our ship by the thousands. Plastoid armor protected me, as I was wearing my trooper suit, and the Ankh armor-weave that Plo wore protected him. While the droids and our cell attacked the troopers and moved aft toward the engines, I moved to the command center. It was time to end this. Once and for all. I prepared myself. I changed into my Senate Guard suit, with chromium blaster and Photon Sword to boot. Inside the command center, a group of officers stood up. In the center was a tall, elegant man in a gold-accented uniform. "Admiral Hondo." I bowed mockingly. "What a pleasant surprise." He looked at me, fury in his eyes.
"You have done something to my daughter. You've brainwashed her! You seek to destroy all we have built!" I rolled my eyes.
"I have done nothing to brainwash your daughter, Admiral. And cut the talk while you're at it. We both know that the Dejah Empire isn't making life any better for the vast majority of the galaxy. You're in it for the power and money, like all the other high-ranking Imperials."
Admiral Hondo simply pulled out a blaster and fired. A shot hit me in the shoulder. It caused me to grimace in pain. I ducked and rolled. I pulled out my own blaster, and the admiral and I exchanged blaster fire. Some troopers came in and started firing at me. And I fired back, expending power packs as I took out a good 50 of them. All around me, I could hear more docking noises. A few more ships had docked and unleashed their droids into the expansive halls of the fleet's flagship.
"I hope you're enjoying your stay on the Capitol Reaper." Hondo smirked. He tossed his blaster away, out of ammo. I fired a few more shots and did the same, also out of ammo. He pulled out an Photon Sword. While not as elegant as mine, it had ornate carvings running up and down. He pointed it at me and charged. I pulled mine up to block and leaped onto a inbuilt table.
"It's over, admiral. I have the high ground!" Naturally, he didn't stop. Our swords clanged again and again. He was good. I twisted my neck. A blade wooshed by a centimeter from my jugular. We clashed and jumped. A shudder echoed. The gravity generators had been attacked. They were at a fourth of their normal gravity. We leaped and bounced off each other. Outside, destruction could still be heard. From what I could tell, a lot of our forces had been repelled, and some ships of ours had been forced to leave. Many more were gone. Like two tides, our fleets met in a crash and were slowly cancelling each other out.
The admiral kicked me, sending me flying. He sliced my shoulder, and I spasmed as electricity wound through me. I kicked off the wall and sliced the admiral in the calf, my shoulder leaking a small trail of blood. Behind me, there was a gasp. Celene was watching in horror as her father and one of her best friends attempted to kill each other.
We continued to duel, both still weakened from electrocution but still fighting on pure adrenaline. At least, I was fighting on adrenaline. I wasn't sure what he was fighting on. Any wounds more serious than a light graze would be fatal.
"Stop!" Celene shouted. Both of us did, if only for a second. We both turned simultaneously to attack each other.
"Great minds think alike." Admiral Hondo sneered. A series of bangs echoed throughout the halls. In my moment of distraction, the admiral kicked me, then attempted to impale me. I pushed away, outside the center just as I reached the floor. Celene followed me. Before the admiral could make it, I stabbed the console outside, closing the doors. He would have to use the other console, which would buy us at least 15 seconds.
We ran down the maze of hallways, and nobody pursued us. Onto our ship, and through the viewport, I saw the true devastation that had been reaped on the Capitol Reaper. Huge chunks were missing, at least half the turrets gone. Escape pods flew out by the dozens, and sirens blared. Blast doors had been closed and the ship was listing and belching smoke. All the other ships were wrecks.
I looked at our side. There were only four other ships. A near 200-strong fleet whittled down to five ships, three heavily damaged. I shook my head. Even if one more planet was part of Operation Firestorm, we would have lost. I stared out at the emptiness of space. It truly was beautiful, an orchestra of light that encompassed the drumming heartbeat of all creatures, impossibly vast and incomprehensibly deep. I felt a strong, unshakable melancholy come over me.
I knew I shouldn't feel sad. I had seen things no human ever had. Not just the void, but planets and aliens and fleets. I had piloted starships and commanded invasions from the stars. I had fought for freedom on a scale the human race had never known. I would forever be the first human to do such things, and my experiences were something envied all over the globe. Name one sci-fi fan who wouldn't want my journey, besides the rational ones who didn't want to have around a 97.5% chance of death or torture.
But I was leaving all this behind, almost certainly forever. Call me spoiled, but I cried a little as I walked toward the escape pods. Everyone looked on. ut this had to be done. Someone had to deliver this, make sure it got in the right hands. I, as a human, had the best chance of doing that. I wouldn't be feared or reviled. I could communicate easier.
Also, like I said, this was bittersweet. I wanted to see my loved ones, but didn't want to leave space. One sorrow for another. Earth was a fishing hook to me. Even if somebody else took the schematics, I would likely accompany them anyway, out of a desire to go home. I was conflicted to my core.
When I got to the escape pod, Esques was there. "An honor, Ana. It was an absolute honor to serve with you." He saluted. I saluted back, entered the pod, and pressed the eject button, hands trembling with both happiness and grief.
I piloted toward the ISS, gently docking with a docking port. No Soyuz craft was docked, as the last crew, who were evacuated, took it with them. I used the computers on the craft to calculate a trajectory.
For that day and the next seventeen, I was waiting. The escape pod held enough food for a month, and I used the ISS's exercise facilities to stay in shape. As I waited for the ISS to move into position,I thought about a lot of things. My life before the abduction, my life when I got home, and how I would be seen by the people of Earth, to name a few. But mostly, I thought about my time among the stars. I had saved Earth from destruction and had a great time doing it, something the likes of Agent 007 and assorted other protagonists had never managed to do.
When I get home, I should probably write down my whole experience and publish it as a book or something fun like that, I thought. As I spent the time whiling away, wondering about my future, it crossed my mind multiple times that Earth might see me as a criminal. What if the governments think the rebels are just trying to take over the galaxy for power as the Empire had? Those thoughts were serious, but I pushed them aside.
The last day, the seventeenth on the ISS, was the day I was due to deorbit. I made sure everything was alright on the craft, then tried to close the door. Nothing. The dock wouldn't close. It just wouldn't. Then, above the door, I noticed the Galactic Standard word for sabotage. I kicked the wall and went flying in the other direction. The Dejah had sabotaged the station!
I came up with a plan. Like most of my plans, this one increased my chances of death. I would deorbit the entire station. Whatever sort of clamp they had affixed to stop the escape pod door from closing, it would melt with heat, causing the door to close. I smiled. $100 billion of international partnership down the drain. I soon discard these thoughts as the ISS moves above South America. I start preparing the ISS for atmospheric reentry, closing all the doors, and then waited for the perfect time to bring down the International Space Station. The next day, at roughly 3:00 AM, I brought the ISS down.
I used the escape pod's thrusters to deorbit. As Earth grew larger underneath me, I strapped myself into the escape pod seat, Senate Guard outfit on. My Photon Sword and the drive containing the schematics were hidden inside my armor. I entered atmosphere pod up. The heat rose as the ISS started to burn off in a display of meteors. The reduced mass was a blessing. I could more easily move around with only the pod's thrusters.
The sky began to lighten, and the heat became hotter. Suddenly, the door closed and the air began to cool, thanks to the coolant systems. Within seconds, it was room temperature. I looked closer, 100,000 pounds of debris was falling to Earth, crashing into Rio de Janeiro's buildings. I winced, wondering how many people were injured because of that. I crash-landed in the water close to the beach. Within the hour, a ship came alongside me, and a man hauled me onboard. I am taken to Sao Paulo, the capital of Brazil. Precisely, Palácio do Planalto. Waiting for me is the Brazilian President. Within the day, other heads of state arrive. I tell them my story and give each one a copy of the files. Mission accomplished. I knew that I my planet was safe for now, but the Dejah Empire may come back. It might wipe us all out. But at least…. we gave humanity a fighting chance.
I sat back and relaxed. It was over. Night had now fallen. I looked up at the stars, wondering what the rebels were doing now. I wondered if I'd ever know. Maybe, maybe not. I knew one thing for certain. I was ready to give Earthling life a try.
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