26 - Everybody was Jedi fighting.
"Sergeant? What do you know about these Kaiminoans?" says a silver suited marine.
"Don't know much. Briefing said they're cloners. Why don't you ask the Jedi? They sent us here." says another waving at Obi-Wan and myself.
Several helmets turn my way.
"Okay Jedi, these Kaiminoans. You say they're cloners?" the trooper asks. I nod.
"Yes, they are." I say.
"Then why the hell are we protecting them? I say shoot them and these raiders, then extract the clones." the trooper says to murmurs of agreement.
"We're to follow orders. Currently that means the Kaminoans are listed as friendlies." says the sergeant.
Cloners don't exactly have a positive reputation in the Galaxy at large. Cloners are basically slavers except that they make their victims. En masse too. Palpy must of hugged himself with glee every night at getting the Jedi to be commanders of what is basically a slave army. Just another dose of low grade evil on the Dark Side mill. That was what the bastard was good at. Getting people to just flow with the banality of evil. So why did he go all electro-bastard rays and zorching his way out? Did he have a precognitive warning that the Jedi would come after him and then became part of the self-fulfilling prophecy? Was his entire house of cards so flimsy that going quietly was not an option? Was he just having a really bad day? Or is it too much to expect Ming the Merciless 2.0 to be a rational actor?
"Dee-Jay. Can I ask where your padawan is?" asks Obi-Wan interrupting my train of thought.
I look over at Obi-Wan and Helena. Good question oh perfect one. I concentrate briefly. I get the sense of a rapidly rotating star field, cockpit controls and a sense of concentration from my charge.
"He's fine. He is also at my side." I say.
Obi-Wan looks pointedly at the trooper sitting besides me.
"It's from a certain point of view." I say.
"And that would be?" says Obi-Wan
"Anakin is escorting us down, the best starfighter pilot in the Galaxy, I am told." I say.
A cunning warrior and a good friend. Let's hope we can keep it that way.
-----
Obi-Wan, Helena and I help provide cover for the troopers as we exit and push towards the raiders. As is usual for Kamino it is raining. The smooth alien features of the landing area is covered in water and slippery as anything. This is not the place for jumping about. We push forwards, keeping low and in cover since our bright blue blades are still easily visible through the rain. I notice movement on a nearby platform and run across the gantry towards it. There is a cry of warning up ahead and several bolts are fired at me. With quick motions my lightsabre deflects them. I advance on the enemy squad who were in the process of setting up a heavy blaster and I raise my right hand.
"Put down your weapons and surrender." I command. Four of the beings do so. The others fire and I jump roll for cover before knocking them flat with a gesture. Two are out cold and the others raise their hands as the Naboo marines following get into position.
I nod and hurry to the next point of contact to assist.
-----
What quickly becomes apparent is that the starport interface for the cloning facility is a massive affair, much bigger than the futuristic oil rig depicted in the movies. The raiders have landed several thousand soldiers, all intent on penetrating the blast doors to gain access to the facilities deep underwater. The marines quickly set up defensive points to safeguard the shuttles and organise air defence to harass the enemy fighters. Everywhere there are requests for our assistance. I quickly discover it is not so much my supernatural abilities as the immense effect on morale a Jedi's presence has. I am a Space Paladin. I am, by definition, Right. The marines may wonder why they are drenched, cold and being shot at by people they cannot possibly know. They might start regretting signing up for what sounded like a glorious, idealistic adventure. They certainly are questioning why they are aiding scum like the Kaminoans. Then I run past with nothing but a blue glowstick in hand, imploring them to push forwards and kick these raiders off this planet and the doubts vanish. The Jedi are here on your side. This is Good, it is Right. So they follow me, rally instead of falling back and push where they would normally hold.
It also helps that I have my own organic fighter support.
"Anakin! I've got a repeater battery pinning down our flanking maneuver." I say as I take cover from the torrent of fire.
"No problem Dee-Jay. We're on it." comes Anakin's reply.
A few moments later a silver fighter dives out of the clouds. There is no need to say where or give coordinates. Anakin knows. The fighter inverts and the rear guns rain fire on the defensive position from above. I use the chaos, confusion and smoke as cover to charge, marines following in my wake. Overhead the fighter targets and blasts a raider ship intent on doing the same thing before ascending back among the clouds.
-----
It's not all happiness and light. I may have preternatural speed, reflexes and the guidance of a mystical energy field but the marines don't. While I draw the lion's share of the enemy fire and I can protect those with me I cannot save them all.
A scream rings out behind me and I blast the raiders in front flat with a wall of telekinesis before looking behind me. A marine is leaning against a bulkhead, left side smoking. I can see others advancing through the hole I made but this kid needs more than a trauma patch. I reach out with the Force. Damn, he's worse than he looks. Blaster fire does horrible things to a body. No. Not now. Not on my damn watch kid. You don't get to die while I have something to say about it. I reach out with the Force. One of the raiders is concussed, they'll do. Using the Force I link the trooper and raider. The Force resists, briefly as I command it to obey. I will decide who lives and who dies not some abstract energy field. It's easier this time as I transfer the states of the two beings. The kid will have a hell of a headache but that's a small price for not dying.
As a squad advances, I point to the now not so injured marine.
"He's hit. Medic check him out. The rest of you with me." I say and we continue on.
'See love. Was that so hard? You can decide. The Force shall free me.'
-----
I run through strangely lit corridors towards the sounds of panic. Some of the raiders made it inside. With them is a lunatic with a red lightsabre. Just as I can inspire hope, courage and strengthen resolve, so too can Adepts of the Dark Side cause fear and terror. Two marines stumble past me carrying a comrade and I round a corner. Two marines are backing up and firing. The Adept is here. Red skinned, bug eyes, face tentacles, black cloak, red lightsabre. Not classic purple, but still. The universe can let up any time. Any time at all. Oh well. Time to really Jedi.
I step up to the marines.
"Fall back. I've got this." I say to them, they obey and I then I face the Mindflayer. "Oi! You with the ravestick. Care to dance?"
The creature regards me.
"Jedi. My master said I would prevail against you." it says.
I advance guard high.
"Really? Sideous I know. Tyrannus I know. Who the hell are you? How about you surrender, come quietly and we can talk about this sensibly?"
In answer, the being screams and attacks with powerful two handed blows intended to heroically cut me apart. I block some of the blows and give ground to avoid the others.
"Typical. You are weak, like all the Jedi." it says advancing
I continue to fight defensively. Suddenly, I launch a brief series of attacks and move so we change places.
"You mistake mercy for weakness. You may still surrender or retreat, the path will be clear. I will see you can go." I say and gesture with my hand.
"You are wrong. I am stronger than you. More powerful. I will destroy you." it says attacking furiously. Again I fall back. "See how you retreat before my righteousness, my power, my fury. Fear me."
"I am not retreating. I am giving you one last chance." I say. Behind him I notice some marines come round the corner.
"Never!" cries the being and makes an overhead strike. I raise my blade and they lock.
"Now!" I say and the marines open fire. A volley of bolts sprays down the hallway, several catching the unfortunate Adept in the back. His body shields me from the fire. He collapses, dead before he hits the floor. I catch the red lightsabre with the Force and deactivate it before walking to the marines and presenting it to the one in front.
"A trophy. Well fought. Now, can I help you kick these sorry bastards off this world?" I say.
I may not be able to see her face but I know Grete is grinning as she takes the weapon.
We make sure the interior is clear before heading out for the end.
-----
Blaster fire crosses the platforms as we push forwards through the rain to the raiders' landing site. They are making a determined defence.
"There has got to be a better way to do this." I shout across the din.
"Oh, I agree. How about we remove their way out?" answers Obi-Wan.
"Good idea. Do you want the one on the left or right?" I ask.
"Left. Helena, cover us!" orders Obi-Wan.
Lifting or moving things, like say, a drop shuttle takes focus and concentration, both of which are rare commodities on a battlefield. As we concentrate, visualising the ships in our minds we are not doing other pertinent things. Such as keeping an eye out for anyone aiming at us to prevent any attempts at space magic. Helena covers us, deflecting blaster fire and telekinetically bouncing away a couple of grenades. Some bolts come a little too close. I lose concentration as I am sprayed with hot metal shards and cry out in pain. There is a massive thud as the shuttle collapses to the platform, landing struts crushed. Still, the sight of one shuttle going over the edge and another being wrecked takes the fight out of our enemy. Soon there are calls for surrender. We have won.
-----
Then there is a lot of waiting around as I get Obi-Wan to contact the Jedi Temple since I figure a call from me may not go down well. Meanwhile I get the nice dodgy cloners to show me round the base. Mostly in the forlorn hope that Mr Fett will show up. I'm not holding my breath. He wasn't here when we arrived so he's unlikely to just fly in with several cruisers in orbit. The other reason is that this technology is so cool.
"I am not sure I understand the question." asks Taun We, a long necked Kaminoan. You would think there would be some selection pressure against that sort of thing in a universe with lightsabres but I guess Darwin got chucked out with Newton and Einstein. I've tried to make sense of the local science but I suffer from it being so similar but still different.
"These cloning facilities. You say the template, is that the right term? The template is this mercenary?" I say as we wander along a gantry displaying several thousand incubators.
"Yes, Master Jedi." says We.
"But it could be anyone. I could clone myself, for example." I say.
"Oh yes. Did you wish a clone made? I must advise that duplicating your extraordinary Jedi abilities is very unlikely however." says We.
"Just a theoretical example. You could also, say grow a person from a fertilised egg. Or even perform the fertilisation process with donated germ cells?" I say.
"No, no, no. We would never do that. Everything here is perfectly legal." says We, as much as I can tell, the elegant being looks shocked by such a suggestion.
Say the hell what? With the right credits I can grow my own army but a child is verboten?
"Okay, why is that." I say
"It is illegal. I myself have always wondered at the reluctance of the Republic to embrace what is clearly a very beneficial technology. I believe that such sanction came with the blessing of the Jedi themselves. I am surprised you are unaware of it." says We.
The Jedi are responsible? Does ultra IVF have some effect on Force sensitivity?
"I was unaware of that. Now tell me about this flash learning process." I say to keep Taun We focused on me.
-----
"It is a little surprising. Are you sure you want to take delivery now?" says Lama Su, Prime Minister and Head Cloner.
"Yes. In light of the attack it may be safer to remove them to elsewhere." I say.
"I see. Where would that be?" asks Lama Su.
"Well, that depends, can you keep a secret?" I ask.
"Oh yes, Master Jedi." says Lama Su, it's head bending down to hear whatever I whisper.
"So can I." I say.
-----
A few days later the rescue is finished. I am cold, damp, tired and Shayla seems upset. Our definitions of 'crazy' not exactly in sync it seems. I watch as a red and white cruiser descends, replacing the last transport. The ramp extends and several blue suited Judicial troopers in full armour step out followed by Mace Windu.
"Master Dee-Jay. I trust you will come quietly?" he says.