Part 1 Formation - Chapter 19

Sleek black fighters speed towards the hangar of the rebel base. As they neared their target, lights began to form at the tips of their wings, and glow brighter and brighter, until suddenly they lanced out from the fighters streaking towards the doors of the hangers. As they impacted they exploded in a roaring fireball. The fighters then veered off revealing More fighters coming up after them. They fired their laser cannons, Angry red beams pouring into the hangar. Ships exploded and men screamed as they were caught in the explosions or hit by steaming shrapnel.

Then those fighters veered off, revealing shuttles speeding towards the hanger. They passed the broken and blackened hangar doors, and settled on the hangar floor. Rebel soldiers opened up with gunfire from behind covered positions, and the doorway leading out of the hangar. Their laser blasts pinged harmlessly off the shuttle's armor.

The Shuttles cannons opened up, spitting fire at the Rebel soldiers who ducked, in turn, for cover. The doors to the shuttles then opened, and Imperial troops poured out of them, firing furiously at the Rebels. The defenders fought hard, dropping Imperials left and right, but were soon pushed out of the hangar and farther into the base

In the Rebel command center, officers bustled about. Radio operators issued orders or listened to chatter. Others scurried around gathering data from the terminals, or trashing documents. In the midst of the chaos stood Nónanae, his face tense, but calm.

"Sir base evacuations are proceeding well." One woman called from a console in the back of the room.

"Good," Nónanae replied, "See if we can speed it up, and tell our cruisers to stay hidden on the other side of the planet. We don't want them engaging the Imperial warships, they'll be ripped to shreds."

The woman nodded and began rapidly issuing orders into her headset. Another man yelled out, "Sir! Our troops have been pushed from the hangar, enemy troops are on their way here!"

A few people in the room stopped dead, hesitating for a second, others looked to Nónanae, fear, however, flickered across all their faces. Nónanae took a deep breath, "All right, hurry it up people, finish destroying anything we can't take with us, Issue your final orders and get ready to evacuate."

A chorus of "Yes Sir!" rang out throughout the room as people returned to their work with a quickened pace. Nónanae started to turn back towards a map of the base when a shot rang out in the control center. A man screamed and more shots rang out as the guards outside who came rushing into the room were shot.

Nónanae whirled to see five men standing, holding their weapons on the rest of the people gathered in the room. He looked to the lead man, "Larn, what is this?"

Tears filled the man's eyes, and his hand slightly shook, " I-I'm sorry sir. They...They threatened our families, we had to."

Realization dawned on Nónanae's face, then it twisted into anger, "Do you realize what you're doing, the people you're dooming to die, the years of work you're destroying." Sorrow began to drip into his voice, mixing in with the anger. "Why didn't you tell me, we could have done something."

Tears gushed from the man's eyes and he hesitated slightly but then motioned for Nónanae and the others to move into one of the corners of the room. Some glared at him but he just kept muttering that he was sorry. Shortly after, Imperial soldiers entered the room and took control of the situation.

They ushered their prisoners through the base, past the broken lifeless bodies of their fellow soldiers, and the Imperials they had killed in their last moments. They brought them into the hangar, where Karanis stood, waiting. When he saw Nónanae he smiled, his dark eyes lighting up with a sadistic glee. His cape brushed the ground as he strode towards them. "Praetorux Toito Nónanae, it's been far to long since we've seen each other."

"Karanis." Nónanae spat. "I can't say it's a pleasure."

Karanis merely smiled then turned to the Soldiers, "Thank you for bringing him in alive."

"What about us?" Larn hesitantly asked, the other four men huddled around him, "You promised our families would be safe."

Karanis' smile widened, "No, I believe Praefexis Javest promised you that." He then titled his head slightly and placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "Not to worry though your families will never have to worry about anything ever again." He paused, "after all, the dead have no need of anything."

They stood in shocked silence, then their faces twisted into anguish, and tears streamed down their faces. "No" Larn yelled, "You promised us, YOU PROMISED US!"

Karanis nodded to the soldiers, and Nónanae winced as shots rang out, echoing through the hangar and followed by the heavy thud of bodies hitting the ground. Now Nónanae stood, alone, amidst his captors.

"What do you think?" Karanis said to Nónanae, "They betrayed their comrades for their family only to have that taken away from them as well. The irony is delicious." he looked at their corpses and laughed, "Oh well, that's the fate that awaits all traitors."

"You're a monster." Nónanae sneered.

Karanis smirked, "Now what to do with you. I could torture you until you beg for mercy, or parade you through the streets of the capital and finish it with a public execution."

Nónanae looked at him then spat. The glob of spit hit Karanis in the face, and trickled down his cheek. Karanis stood there for a moment his mind trying to register what had happened, then his face twisted in anger, and he screamed in rage, "HOW DARE YOU DEFILE ME!"

With one swift motion he unclipped a metal tube from his belt and thumbed it on. A blood red blade blazed to life from it, lighting up the area around him in an angry red glow. He swung it at Nónanae's neck, beheading him in one swing.

As the head slammed into the floor with a loud thump, he stared at it, seething in rage, then turned to his men, "Kill them all!" He hissed before turning back to glare at Nónanae's severed head.