The Courageous, Above Serroco, Monday at sunset [FT]
As Carth led Zayne onto the bridge of the Republic flagship, Admiral Saul Karath flashed a predatory smile. "I've always said you were a man who was going places, Onasi, but I continue to marvel at the things you bring back. You don't have a Jedi here at all, but something a lot more interesting." Zayne's stomach turned as he realized where this was going. He wasn't sure how he really expected this to go, but he hadn't anticipated being figured out immediately. "I've been studying his file. He's the Jedi-killer, Zayne Carrick!"
"What?" Carth asked, clearly shocked. Officers on the bridge drew their weapons to make it clear that if anyone was going to die here, it was the guy who was cringing at the way this was all happening.
"Oh, yes, aren't you, son?" Karath asked. "Didn't recognize you earlier on the surface. But with that Snivvian down in the fringewagon, now it makes sense. Morvis." Karath turned to his Commander. "Pass the word for Chief Viddarie. See if he can find some binders for our young guest."
"I am Zayne Carrick," Zayne admitted to Carth while the Captain's back was turned. "Sorry, Carth. But I didn't do what they've accused me of."
"Don't be modest," Karath said, looking back at Zayne. "You did that and a lot more. And you're still working, aren't you?"
A large bird-like officer approached Zayne with a pair of manacles to put on his wrists as Zayne tried to figure out where this was going now. "What are you talking about?"
"Carth, you've caught a real, live Mandalorian spy. Bet you didn't think they made those!"
"A spy?" Zayne asked. He couldn't even grasp the idea.
"Oh, yes," Karath said, launching into his explanation. "It's why you're here now with your story of visions and destruction. Mandalore's sure becoming fond of intrigues in his old age! The Mandies planted a sleeper agent on Taris, right in the Jedi Order. The boy kills the new crop of Jedi and destabilizes the planet. Next thing you know, they're invading everywhere, and we spot the boy leaving Vanquo for Mandalorian space."
Karath moved in, pointing an accusing finger in Zayne's face. "Vanquo. I bet you did some work there, too, didn't you? And now he's here, wanting us to move our installations. What a coincidence. I suppose you've already told your boss about us. What did Mandalore have to say? What force is he bringing?"
Karath went from pointing to grabbing, pulling Zayne towards him by his neck sash. "I don't know Mandalore!" Zayne pleaded. "And I'm not a spy! I told you, I'm trying to save the people of Serroco. And your people, too!"
Karath dropped his prisoner, letting him fall to the floor as Carth watched in astonishment. "You're one of them," Karath said, his anger barely concealed in his voice. "I'm not a cruel man, but I'm pragmatic when it comes to protecting my forces. I'll make you talk if I have to."
Zayne was an expert at getting to his feet after unpleasant falls - even with his hands bound, yes - so he started to rise quickly. "I can explain everything, but there's no time for that right now. Serroco is in danger. You believe me, don't you, Carth?"
"Don't ask me. This is above my pay grade," Carth said. He turned to Karath to offer some explanation. "We just met, Admiral. He told me he was with the Jedi Crusaders."
"Yes!" Zayne said, perking up at a possible solution. "That's where I went from Vanquo! I was in Mandalorian territory to rescue the Jedi from Flashpoint Station! Call Squint. He's one of them. He'll vouch for me!"
"Squint?" Karath asked. He didn't really sound like he bought that name.
"Yes! He and his Master know more about this than anyone. If you won't listen to me, listen to them. Maybe they've had the same visions!" Zayne suggested. "They know what the Mandalorians are capable of! They'll tell you to move those forces, too!"
"Visions! And I suppose this Squint is okay with your killing Padawans," Karath snarled.
"No!" Zayne said. "I... He doesn't know anything about that. It's a long story, all right? Just call him."
"You say his name is 'Squint'?" Carth asked, actually trying to work with Zayne. "What's his real name?"
"I... I don't know," Zayne admitted.
"Ha! He doesn't know. This is rich," Karath scoffed. "If you're the face of Mandalorian espionage, 'Jedi,' we have less to worry about than I thought. Onasi, let's play it his way. Go down to the comm center and see if the Jedi Council can locate this great friend and ally of his whose real name he doesn't know! They're looking for Carrick either way, so we owe them a call."
"I'll do that," Carth agreed. "I spent enough time working there, I think I remember the way."
"Do it fast. I still want you at tactical when the Mandies show up," Karath said as Carth started to make his way to the door. "It's the big moment for all of us, Carth. This time, we're ready for them!"
A few minutes of near silence lasted. It was driving Zayne crazy. The Mandalorians could show up at any time and no matter what the Admiral thought, or what kind of warnings Zayne gave, they still weren't ready. And then he heard the words he was dreading.
"Mandalorian battle group in from Hyperspace, Admiral!" Morvis announced. "Just off the ecliptic. One Dreadnaught, several assault ships. Enemy is holding position at the edge of our weapons perimeter."
"What are they doing?" Karath asked after the briefing was given.
"Admiral, please!" Zayne said, his desperation rising. "You've got to get those camps away from the cities! Off Serroco would be better!"
"Another word and you're off my bridge," Karath said, not taking his eyes off the viewport. "You're only here because I want you to see what we're going to do to your Mandalorian friends! If they're going to invade Serroco, they're going to need a lot more ships than they've brought!"
As the Republic and Mandalorian ships effectively stared each other down, the first shot was finally fired.
"Missiles fired!" Morvis yelled. "Missiles fired, full spray! Sensors detect multiple warheads on each with radioactive signature. They're nuclear, admiral."
"Heavy stuff early, eh? They must not like our numbers," Karath decided. "Divert power to shields. Prepare to launch countermeasures, and give me a firing solution on the Dreadnaught. We'll give them some of--"
"Check that, check that," Morvis interrupted. "Bearing change on inbounds!"
"What?" Karath demanded.
"NO!" Zayne yelled, breaking away from the guard holding him and running towards the viewport. He had already scene what was about to happen up close, but he needed to watch it again for reasons he couldn't begin to understand.
"Missiles are tracking around Courageous!" Morvis reported. "Repeat, around Courageous! They weren't aimed at the fleet! They're heading for... Serroco."
As they crew scrambled to do something to destroy the missiles, Carth arrived back on the bridge. "I'm back. Sorry I'm... late?"
"Keep chasing them!" Karath ordered. "Where's the blasted missile defense fire?"
"Not online yet!" Morvis said. "The camps weren't expecting--"
His voice was dwarfed by Zayne rushing toward Carth in a panic, yelling, "THE PEOPLE! THE PEOPLE!"
The nuclear assault on Serroco was felt by Jedi throughout the galaxy. That much destruction, that much life lost, it was impossible for those finely attuned to the Force not to feel it. But this close, when he had failed to stop his vision from coming true, Zayne was in hysterics. He didn't have the capacity to deal with such a disruption in the Force. The only reason he didn't drop to the floor with one last whimpered, "The people..." was that Carth caught him and lowered him slowly as Zayne weakly tried to push away.
"What are the Mandie ships doing?" Karath asked once a moment of horror lead to a moment for regrouping.
"Not moving, Admiral," one of the officers reported. "They're waiting to see... what we're waiting to see."
"We count impacts near twenty-seven populated areas, Admiral," Morvis counted. "Heavy damage to the human settlements. The Stereb cities appear to have been wiped clean away."
"And our ships leaving the surface?" Karath asked. "HOW MANY SHIPS?"
"Eight," Morvis answered. "Eight ships escaped, sir."
"The Little Bivoli," Zayne asked quietly, hunched over on the ground, still too weak to move.
"What?" Karath asked.
"Fringe mess ship out of Ralltiir," Carth explained, moving over to a viewscreen. "Would've been at Camp Three." He took the screen's controls and zoomed in to where the Bivoli had been stationed. "I think I've got it. Main screen." Zayne managed to stand up and follow Carth's lead to the main vid screen as Carth pointed out the wreckage. "It looks like it tried to make a getaway. It was just too late."
"Why wouldn't you leave, Gryph?" Zayne asked in a small whisper to himself as tears started falling. "Why?"
"Ahem," Karath said. It was time to take control of the situation once again. "We'll marshal our forces and pull back. Find a place to make a stand. This... is a new phase of the war. We're going to have to change the way we look at things."
Morvis cleared his throat and pointed to Zayne. "What do we do about him, Admiral?"
Admiral Karath turned and took a couple steps toward the hunched over fugitive. "There were Jedi looking for you on Taris. I hear they still are. If we can stay alive, once we're out of this, I'm going to find them and I'm going to give you to them." Karath grabbed Zayne by the sash and pulled him in close. "I don't know if you're a traitor or a murderer or just crazy. I'm not smart enough to know. They are. And I'm sure anything they can do to you is worse than I can imagine right now. Or at least I hope it is."
[OOC: WARNING! This post contains the deaths of untold NPCs including some major characters as viewed from orbit, threats of torture, and general douchebaggery.
Continued from Days of Fear Part 3 by Miller and Weaver. A brief epilogue will follow tonight.]
"What?" Carth asked, clearly shocked. Officers on the bridge drew their weapons to make it clear that if anyone was going to die here, it was the guy who was cringing at the way this was all happening.
"Oh, yes, aren't you, son?" Karath asked. "Didn't recognize you earlier on the surface. But with that Snivvian down in the fringewagon, now it makes sense. Morvis." Karath turned to his Commander. "Pass the word for Chief Viddarie. See if he can find some binders for our young guest."
"I am Zayne Carrick," Zayne admitted to Carth while the Captain's back was turned. "Sorry, Carth. But I didn't do what they've accused me of."
"Don't be modest," Karath said, looking back at Zayne. "You did that and a lot more. And you're still working, aren't you?"
A large bird-like officer approached Zayne with a pair of manacles to put on his wrists as Zayne tried to figure out where this was going now. "What are you talking about?"
"Carth, you've caught a real, live Mandalorian spy. Bet you didn't think they made those!"
"A spy?" Zayne asked. He couldn't even grasp the idea.
"Oh, yes," Karath said, launching into his explanation. "It's why you're here now with your story of visions and destruction. Mandalore's sure becoming fond of intrigues in his old age! The Mandies planted a sleeper agent on Taris, right in the Jedi Order. The boy kills the new crop of Jedi and destabilizes the planet. Next thing you know, they're invading everywhere, and we spot the boy leaving Vanquo for Mandalorian space."
Karath moved in, pointing an accusing finger in Zayne's face. "Vanquo. I bet you did some work there, too, didn't you? And now he's here, wanting us to move our installations. What a coincidence. I suppose you've already told your boss about us. What did Mandalore have to say? What force is he bringing?"
Karath went from pointing to grabbing, pulling Zayne towards him by his neck sash. "I don't know Mandalore!" Zayne pleaded. "And I'm not a spy! I told you, I'm trying to save the people of Serroco. And your people, too!"
Karath dropped his prisoner, letting him fall to the floor as Carth watched in astonishment. "You're one of them," Karath said, his anger barely concealed in his voice. "I'm not a cruel man, but I'm pragmatic when it comes to protecting my forces. I'll make you talk if I have to."
Zayne was an expert at getting to his feet after unpleasant falls - even with his hands bound, yes - so he started to rise quickly. "I can explain everything, but there's no time for that right now. Serroco is in danger. You believe me, don't you, Carth?"
"Don't ask me. This is above my pay grade," Carth said. He turned to Karath to offer some explanation. "We just met, Admiral. He told me he was with the Jedi Crusaders."
"Yes!" Zayne said, perking up at a possible solution. "That's where I went from Vanquo! I was in Mandalorian territory to rescue the Jedi from Flashpoint Station! Call Squint. He's one of them. He'll vouch for me!"
"Squint?" Karath asked. He didn't really sound like he bought that name.
"Yes! He and his Master know more about this than anyone. If you won't listen to me, listen to them. Maybe they've had the same visions!" Zayne suggested. "They know what the Mandalorians are capable of! They'll tell you to move those forces, too!"
"Visions! And I suppose this Squint is okay with your killing Padawans," Karath snarled.
"No!" Zayne said. "I... He doesn't know anything about that. It's a long story, all right? Just call him."
"You say his name is 'Squint'?" Carth asked, actually trying to work with Zayne. "What's his real name?"
"I... I don't know," Zayne admitted.
"Ha! He doesn't know. This is rich," Karath scoffed. "If you're the face of Mandalorian espionage, 'Jedi,' we have less to worry about than I thought. Onasi, let's play it his way. Go down to the comm center and see if the Jedi Council can locate this great friend and ally of his whose real name he doesn't know! They're looking for Carrick either way, so we owe them a call."
"I'll do that," Carth agreed. "I spent enough time working there, I think I remember the way."
"Do it fast. I still want you at tactical when the Mandies show up," Karath said as Carth started to make his way to the door. "It's the big moment for all of us, Carth. This time, we're ready for them!"
A few minutes of near silence lasted. It was driving Zayne crazy. The Mandalorians could show up at any time and no matter what the Admiral thought, or what kind of warnings Zayne gave, they still weren't ready. And then he heard the words he was dreading.
"Mandalorian battle group in from Hyperspace, Admiral!" Morvis announced. "Just off the ecliptic. One Dreadnaught, several assault ships. Enemy is holding position at the edge of our weapons perimeter."
"What are they doing?" Karath asked after the briefing was given.
"Admiral, please!" Zayne said, his desperation rising. "You've got to get those camps away from the cities! Off Serroco would be better!"
"Another word and you're off my bridge," Karath said, not taking his eyes off the viewport. "You're only here because I want you to see what we're going to do to your Mandalorian friends! If they're going to invade Serroco, they're going to need a lot more ships than they've brought!"
As the Republic and Mandalorian ships effectively stared each other down, the first shot was finally fired.
"Missiles fired!" Morvis yelled. "Missiles fired, full spray! Sensors detect multiple warheads on each with radioactive signature. They're nuclear, admiral."
"Heavy stuff early, eh? They must not like our numbers," Karath decided. "Divert power to shields. Prepare to launch countermeasures, and give me a firing solution on the Dreadnaught. We'll give them some of--"
"Check that, check that," Morvis interrupted. "Bearing change on inbounds!"
"What?" Karath demanded.
"NO!" Zayne yelled, breaking away from the guard holding him and running towards the viewport. He had already scene what was about to happen up close, but he needed to watch it again for reasons he couldn't begin to understand.
"Missiles are tracking around Courageous!" Morvis reported. "Repeat, around Courageous! They weren't aimed at the fleet! They're heading for... Serroco."
As they crew scrambled to do something to destroy the missiles, Carth arrived back on the bridge. "I'm back. Sorry I'm... late?"
"Keep chasing them!" Karath ordered. "Where's the blasted missile defense fire?"
"Not online yet!" Morvis said. "The camps weren't expecting--"
His voice was dwarfed by Zayne rushing toward Carth in a panic, yelling, "THE PEOPLE! THE PEOPLE!"
The nuclear assault on Serroco was felt by Jedi throughout the galaxy. That much destruction, that much life lost, it was impossible for those finely attuned to the Force not to feel it. But this close, when he had failed to stop his vision from coming true, Zayne was in hysterics. He didn't have the capacity to deal with such a disruption in the Force. The only reason he didn't drop to the floor with one last whimpered, "The people..." was that Carth caught him and lowered him slowly as Zayne weakly tried to push away.
"What are the Mandie ships doing?" Karath asked once a moment of horror lead to a moment for regrouping.
"Not moving, Admiral," one of the officers reported. "They're waiting to see... what we're waiting to see."
"We count impacts near twenty-seven populated areas, Admiral," Morvis counted. "Heavy damage to the human settlements. The Stereb cities appear to have been wiped clean away."
"And our ships leaving the surface?" Karath asked. "HOW MANY SHIPS?"
"Eight," Morvis answered. "Eight ships escaped, sir."
"The Little Bivoli," Zayne asked quietly, hunched over on the ground, still too weak to move.
"What?" Karath asked.
"Fringe mess ship out of Ralltiir," Carth explained, moving over to a viewscreen. "Would've been at Camp Three." He took the screen's controls and zoomed in to where the Bivoli had been stationed. "I think I've got it. Main screen." Zayne managed to stand up and follow Carth's lead to the main vid screen as Carth pointed out the wreckage. "It looks like it tried to make a getaway. It was just too late."
"Why wouldn't you leave, Gryph?" Zayne asked in a small whisper to himself as tears started falling. "Why?"
"Ahem," Karath said. It was time to take control of the situation once again. "We'll marshal our forces and pull back. Find a place to make a stand. This... is a new phase of the war. We're going to have to change the way we look at things."
Morvis cleared his throat and pointed to Zayne. "What do we do about him, Admiral?"
Admiral Karath turned and took a couple steps toward the hunched over fugitive. "There were Jedi looking for you on Taris. I hear they still are. If we can stay alive, once we're out of this, I'm going to find them and I'm going to give you to them." Karath grabbed Zayne by the sash and pulled him in close. "I don't know if you're a traitor or a murderer or just crazy. I'm not smart enough to know. They are. And I'm sure anything they can do to you is worse than I can imagine right now. Or at least I hope it is."
[OOC: WARNING! This post contains the deaths of untold NPCs including some major characters as viewed from orbit, threats of torture, and general douchebaggery.
Continued from Days of Fear Part 3 by Miller and Weaver. A brief epilogue will follow tonight.]