31 Stand Off 6 (2/2)
”I know!” grumbled Anakin.
”If the Senate wants a scapegoat. We have Vindi in custody.” I added my two cents. ”Undoubtedly a big part of today's agenda will be assigning blame.”
”Our work as Senators is to serve the Republic. To protect those who could not defend themselves. It is natural that the Senate wants to know how the attack on Theed could happen.” Padme continued to be her quite blind idealistic self.
”Those are laudable ideals. Too bad that outside the Core words they do not mean much.” I whispered to myself. In fact they didn't mean much in the Core either.
The door chimed and Bail Organa strode in without waiting for an invitation.
”Senator Amidala.” he saw me and Skywalker and nodded stiffly. ”Generals. I am sorry to interrupt you but Mon Mothma called a meeting before the hearing. She wants to speak with you, Senator.” Bail spoke formally.
”Ah. Senator Organa. Of course. I'll be there shortly.” Padme looked back at us. ”I'll meet you two in the senate Chambers. Try to behave yourselves.” She ordered.
”I'll keep Anakin out of trouble.” I smirked at the Jedi who gave me a dirty look.
Organa turned to leave and looked back at Padme.
”Are you coming, Senator?”
”But of course. I'll see you later. ”
When they left, Anakin slumped in a nearby chair.
”I hate politics!” he grumbled.
”Unfortunately, that's what keeps the world spinning.” I commiserated.
=RK=
GAR Headquarters
Coruscant
In the building housing the High Command of the Republic's army it was business as usual. Officers – both clones and naturals were striding in and out of the headquarters doing whatever was needed to keep the army running. From the high level strategic decisions directing the war to insuring that the logistics needed for a campaign spawning the whole galaxy were flowing freely.
In all this, the droids maintaining the building went on with their jobs mostly unseen beyond some routine scans. On that day the clones responsible for the security of the headquarters were working with faulty equipment though they did not know it. A captain responsible for the maintenance of the scanners had gotten a fat addition to his bank account and helped ensure that six droids with some unusual equipment slipped in. Late last night he got on a flight to Scipio and was never seen again.
Just like every other day, the machines went on to do the jobs they were programmed for. Most of them did what good cleaning droids would do. A few of the altered ones did the same but only until their internal clocks reached specific time. Then a non-standard circuits came to life for the first and final time. A spark of electricity was sent into a mechanism buried into the torso of each machine. Then two things happened. The plating covering their chassis blew outwards in a rain of shrapnel which wounded the people unlucky to be around the droids at the time. Then two spheres housed in the chests of the droids exploded spreading thick blue gas.
One of the robots was working on fixing a faulty computer in the main junction where the ventilation of the building was passing through in order for the air to be filtered. Two minutes before the rest of its brethren self-immolated, that droid froze for few seconds while a hidden programming kicked in. It proceeded to place two canisters full of Blue Shadow within the heart of the ventilation system before going to a nearby terminal and slicing into it. It would take two minutes and four seconds by the time the intrusion would be detected. Another minute before it could be stopped, which happened moments before security cut through the sealed door keeping the droid safe.
That would prove to be an eternity too late. The droid temporally disabled the automatic shut down routines of the ventilation in case a biological or chemical agent was detected in the building. By the time it was turned into slag, blue mist was spreading throughout the whole headquarters.
=RK=
Freighter Sea of Tranquillity
Coruscant Airspace
Ferok Loren was captain of one of the countless trade ships delivering the supplies needed for the survival of a planet turned into one giant, spawning metropolis. At a first glance his craft was nothing to look at twice. The scans it suffered prior to entering the atmosphere showed nothing out of the ordinary – just a small compliment of crew and a holds full with droid parts. After that ordeal he had chuckled nervously. He was in! It was time for those kriffing Republic murderers to pay!
The Tranquillity's cargo was in fact much more sinister than its manifest or any cursory scans could show. In Loren's opinion it was great that on surface scan there was now much difference between parts for various robots and deactivated commando droids hidden among those components.
The freighter was one of three that managed to slip through the Republic's navy umbrella over the capital. Two headed for the GAR bases closest to the seat of the Republic's government and the last flew towards the biggest space port nearest to the Senate.
Sea of Tranquillity veered sharply off its course and headed straight to military base Pelor.
Its crew, who were hand-picked from people whose colonies in the Outer Ring had suffered from mistakes caused by the Republic's forces, disregarded the frantic calls of various controllers and multiple warning about entering restricted airspace. The freighter came in screaming low over the buildings surrounding the target, which it used to take cover from the surface to air weapon emplacements planted around the base. By the time fighters were scrambled and reached the descending transport it was too late for its mission to be stopped.
”Raise shields.” calmly ordered Lorak. ”Head towards that row of warehouses. Blow the underside of the holds the moment we are over the base.”
The human male smiled contently. Soon he would join his family who were murdered by an ”accidental” orbital strike. As if he was dumb enough to believe it. You do not wipe a peaceful village by mistake!
Shields too powerful for a mere freighter snapped to life and absorbed the few volleys the weapon emplacement had time to unleash before the ship was over the base. Pelor's own shields were just a heartbeat too late in coming to life and the freighter slipped through. Its own defensive field held long enough, despite not having enough time to charge to full capacity before coming into fire. The underbelly of the craft was sundered by a series of well-placed charges which opened it spilling two hundred commando droids. Yet, the machines raining all over the base were merely an afterthought. It was the four big spheres which detached from the freighter and blew up five hundred meters over Pelor which were the real danger. Their payload covered the base with blue mist.
=RK=
The same scene unfolded over the second military base near the Senate as well as at the nearest space-port.
Ferok withdrew a small silver locket from under his shirt and opened it. He smiled contently at the holo-image of his murdered wife and little daughter. He was still looking at their faces when his ship's nose cleaved through the roof of the first warehouse chock full with military equipment.
The last act of the freighters attacking the bases was to crash land straight in the motor pools of the military installations.
At the space port, the transport attacking it was turned into a burning wreck by the guns of an Acclamator, which was preparing to launch. Its crew wasted no time, zeroed on the approaching intruder and unleashed all weapons that could bear on the freighter. However, the Republic Assault Ship was in the atmosphere above a friendly space-port. It simply couldn't afford to use the full power of its weapons in fear of causing more collateral damage than the incoming freighter could do itself. The fire-power raining upon the approaching ship was not sufficient to fully stop its deadly descent and it crashed in the command pylons of a defenceless Venator. The resulting explosion crippled the cruiser and waves of blue mists washed over the space-port.
Moments later, the airwaves over Coruscant were filled with calls of distress and pleas for back up by beleaguered Republic forces.
=RK=
Senator Amidala's office
Senate building
Coruscant
My first clue about the newest mess rearing its ugly head was a tremor in the Force. It was a sense of premonition. Skywalker and I looked at each other. Something was about to happen. It was going to be bad. Very bad.
I turned my head towards the window. I could see five big vehicles – basically flying buses, break from their lanes and head straight towards the Senate. Considering that those were just the ones I could see, there probably were four or five time more all together.
I jumped from my stool and activated my comm. My intention was to warn the building's security and then call for back up from the nearest military base. I did not believe for a second that what was happening was something harmless like another anti-war protest.
My and Anakin's comm s came to life before my call could go through.
”This is General Valentra, identification Besh-Delta-Three-Niner-Five. Code Midnight. I repeat Code Midnight! GAR headquarters has been hit with bio weapon! Bases Hercal and Pelor are under separatist attack and confirm Blue Shadow released in the area! This is not a drill! All GAR units on Corusss...”
The transmission was lost to the characteristic hissing produced by powerful jamming.
”Skywalker, get your wife and as many of the senators as you can out of the building. I'll try to meet with the senate guard and slow down those bastards!” I ordered. For once there were no protests from the peanut gallery.
=RK=
Republic Cruiser Requiem
High orbit over Coruscant
”All GAR units on Coruscant implement plant Winter.”
For few precious seconds Commodore Pellaeon stood frozen by the unbelievable orders coming from GAR headquarters. The sheer audacity displayed by the CIS with attacking targets on Coruscant while simply bypassing was stunning in its sheer audacity.
With sheer act of willpower, Pellaeon shook himself out of the stupor and started barking orders.
”Battle stations! Raise shields and power up weapons! I want all fighters launched yesterday! Assume that this is combined space and ground attack and the Seps kriffed the timing until we know better! Comm, find out who is in charge of our forces in system! I want what little ground forces we have on board to be ready for deployment on the surface ASAP!”
The commodore turned to Piett who was still struggling with the sheer impossibility of the situation.
”Ensign do whatever you can to contact the General! Move it people!”
=RK=
Senator Amidala's Office
Senate building
Coruscant
We just exited Padme's office when the lamps cut off only to be replaced by subdued red emergency lights. The floor shook lightly when a flying bus struck the building. Then again and again. I counted at least six impacts nearby.
Skywalker darted along the right corridor undoubtedly tracking Amidala's force signature. I ran to the left. Before I reached the corner I could hear the subdued sounds of battle. At least for now there were guards who were still alive and fighting.
I rant towards the sounds of gunfire and a minute later reached a corridor where one of the doors along the left wall was blown out. A bunch of commando droids were exchanging fire with a dwindling group of men in distinctive blue armor.
I vaulted forward and jumped at the backs of the CIS Special Forces. Their first clue that I was amongst their ranks was my lightsaber vertically bisecting a black coloured droid. A reverse strike sliced in two a machine to my right while I sent two others at the wall on my left with a telekinetic push. Before that pair could recover I picked them up and threw them at their brethren.
My intervention raised the morale of the Senate guards who intensified their fire. Caught from the both sides of the corridor and with no place to take cover or escape, the only thing the droids could do was to perish. Within moments the Commandos were dismantled but not before they managed to gun down three more of the blue armoured guards
”Thank you, sir. If it wasn't for you we'd be goners.” said an old, gruff NCO who was the senior of the surviving guards. Only two of them were left combat effective with a small group of wounded laying on the floor.
”You are welcome. The comms are jammed. Any idea what is the best way to call in the cavalry?”
”If you go to the computer control room there're landlines connected with the nearby GAR bases. Or one of the antennae arrays near the rooftop – you should be able to boost your signal enough to cut through the jamming.”
”Thanks, sergeant.”
I helped them move their wounded to a nearby guard room which had basic medical facilities as well as a lot of guns, while they gave me directions both to the roof and the control room. Considering that I was about to speak in front of the senate the only weapons I had on me were my lightsaber and dart launcher. I used the opportunity to take a pair of blaster pistols and few thermal detonators. You could never know when you'd need the fire-power.
=RK=
Anakin made his way to a parapet overlooking a large room where seventy or eighty senators and their aides were herded in. The men and women were surrounded by twenty odd droids and few mercenaries.
Skywalker hissed angrily. A tall man wearing dark brown duster and a large hat which hid his face from the position where the Jedi was, had Padme caught by the chin. He was both proud of her bravery and pissed off because she was endangering herself, again, damn it! She was telling the terrorist that the senate would not negotiate with such as him which made him laugh at her. Anakin could sense that the man was amused and had no care in the world. He was either insane or knew something that neither Skywalker nor the senators knew.
Padme somehow saw Anakin and their eyes met. The man holding her noticed it and spun around. His weapon moved in a blur and unleashed a hail of laser bolts at Skywalker's cover. The Jedi rolled away from the opening and ran down the corridor.
”It's Skywalker! Get him!” shouted the terrorist.
As he ran, Anakin made another futile effort to raise someone on his comm.
”This is useless!” he grumbled and turned around a corner only to find himself face to face with a pirate armed with a pistol and a droid carrying a long barrelled blaster.
Before either of them could shoot him, Skywalker had his lightsaber in his hands and had it ignited. He deflected their first shots at the walls and then the man fell slowly to the ground with most of his brain and the back of his head missing. The droid was made by a sterner stuff because few deflected shots did little to slow it down. That prompted Anakin to advance towards the machine. With an economic slash he cut the barrel of the droids gun and with the back stroke took off its hands. The machine's distressed whine was cut off by a blue laser blade applied to its head.
=RK=
Chancellor's Office
Senate Building
Coruscant
”Sorry for disturbing you, Chancellor.” said a holographic figure that was projected in the centre of Palpatine's cabinet. Judging by the smugness in his voice the man did not regret it at all. ”I already have control of the eastern part of your building and fifty odd senators. I will soon have most of the Senate in my grip. If you care about your senators I advise you to release Count Dooku and General Grievous.”
Palpatine frowned.
”You know that the Republic does not bow down to terrorists. No deals.”
”What just happened to two of your nearby bases should be an object lesson about my abilities. If my demands are not met I will release Blue Shadow not only in the Senate but across Coruscant.”
Palpatine stood still at hearing that. Getting the virus released around the planet was not part of his plans! He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the mercenary.