Chapter 003:

Chapter 3: Battle continues

34 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) - 2 Years before Canon

Sector/System: Mandalore

Location: MandalMotor Shipyards

"Darn it, there's way more than the bastard said." I cursed while shooting.

'Then again, it is on me really, I should have known there were more than just twenty or so guys as he said… he did say twenty… ah who cares.' I thought to myself, as I shot around the corner of the pillar I was using for cover, dropping an enemy who leaned too far out of cover.

All across the hallway and near the closed door at the other end of the hallway lay many dead bodies of a multitude of races.

Behind the barricades at the end, I could still see many people moving, and knowing more were on their way, I was starting to grow impatient, I could feel the adrenaline pumping. 

If this was due to the impending army showing up on ships or the fact I have no idea how long I have left, or if they are already here, and that is why there is no end to them. I had no idea.

'Hope those Deathwatch guys will show up on time.' I thought, peeking and shooting around the corner while ducking into cover again, each shot dropping an enemy.

'There is no end to them, the more I kill the more show up.' Thinking about this I started to think about what to do.

"Shit! "I'm so stupid." I said, hitting myself on the head, my mic still offline.

I suddenly remembered what most assault-oriented Mandalorians have on their jet-packs, and what our suits are made of.

'Can hardly believe I forgot most suits are made of Beskar, blasters won't do much to me for a short while and low-quality bolts will even bounce off.' I shook my head at that thought, disregarding the fact that this was my first real fight, and it's just been close to a day since I woke up.

I pressed a few activation buttons on my gauntlet and walked out into the middle of the hallway while shooting and dropping enemies as I did so, when I suddenly knelt and leaned forward a bit firing the rocket I remembered to be on the jetpack.

These guys are such bad shots even now they aren't hitting me, with so many of them still standing, I was not worried my beskar would help me out even if they could hit me.

Well now that I remembered my suit was beskar, I quickly fired the rocket it flew away straight ahead, I was not worried I would be caught in the blast, I was nicely behind the pillar again.

*BOOM*

'No more shots incoming, is it because they can't see anything or are they dead?' I wondered waiting a bit for the smoke to clear.

I quickly switched my night vision to heat vision to see through the smoke and saw a few still alive.

'They must be thinking, help me, save me, why me or something… let me put them out of their misery.' I thought drawing my pistols once more, I had put them away to use my rocket and ended the few still alive before going to the door they were guarding.

— — — — —

While Jack was fighting outside in the hallway trying to clear a path to the door behind the enemies, inside the room the others were guarding so heavily, was a small group of people using some sort of apparatus plugged into the consoles in said room.

"Hurry up! We're running out of time here!" A nervous-looking bald Human man in damaged rusty armor said sweat all over his bald head.

"I'm trying here, it is Mandalorian and I'm horrible at that!" a blue-skinned Rodian said blinking his big black eyes at the bald man.

"What! you said you understood it, when the boss asked!" another Human with short black hair and a scar across the face yelled out.

"You do not give a negative answer when that person asks!" the blue Rodian snarled.

Just then they all fell silent when they heard it.

*BOOM*

"W-W-what was that?" the bald Human asked with a stutter.

Before the others could answer the doors opened, and they saw a fully decked-out Green Mandalorian pointing his weapons at them.

And that was the last they saw when they lost the light in their eyes and dropped to the floor with a smoking hole in their heads.

— — — — —

When I walked into the room through the door, finally getting inside, I could finally focus on the here and now.

"That is that more will arrive soon, all that is left is to get everything back online and watch the fireworks.'' I quickly walked further into the shipyard's weapons control room shooting the few guys inside in quick order who stood out in the open.

"Not the smartest ones around, now let's see here, oh look at that they tried to crack the code Hahaha! "Idiots." I grumbled after laughing seeing how little progress they had made.

I took the hacking tool, pulled it out, and destroyed it, then put in a code all Mando knew, This is the Way, in both words, numbers, each letter in their alphabet, and symbols in the same way, and backward, somehow I just knew that was the order and the code, to begin with.

As soon as the last piece of the code was in place, the station came alive, lights went on, and weapons came alive, sadly at this time the shields were already disabled, but you work with what you can get.

"Let's target those fighters of the enemy first, those big hulking ships ain't in range it seems they are already unloading troops at least they're not unloading at 'landing bay 1' or my ship would be taken straight away." I looked at the screens in front of me seeing large bulky ships dock with the shipyard. 

While I was scanning the data of the station, I saw that there were only enemies near the 'life support' and 'landing bay 2', now where the third ship just finished unloading, and just when it went outside into space again it got hit hard by missiles and laser fire from fighters that came in fast and hard.

"About time." I mumbled seeing the Fang fighters fly circles around the enemy Headhunter fighter craft, and take them down in quick order.

— — — — —

While the ship was running away it soon got blasted apart by defense cannon fire, Jack watched as the Kom'rk Fighter/Transport flew past dropping a full load of Mandalorian commando's twenty-four total and guns blazing, all that the Kom'rk can carry along while flying further after the last two damaged large freighter converted transport ship taking shots at it while it did.

"You're joking, that many came to assist? Deathwatch is serious then." I was both happy and unnerved watching that many from Deathwatch on screen, knowing that when this was over I might not walk away alive.

I quickly put all the weapons on the station on auto-targeting and ignoring the Deathwatch ships, I knew I would take a risk since even though they came to help it is Deathwatch, and they could easily decide to take me out and cripple my clan from having an heir and likely end up in fighting for the spot.

"Let's go to the command center and wake everyone up." My decision was made as I quickly, ran towards the command center, knowing that if they were awake there would at least be witnesses in case Deathwatch tried anything to me, arriving there in quick order.

"Seems they did not do anything here yet, guess without power the doors here close automatically." I looked around seeing a full guard in gear on the ground without their helmets on lying outside shut barricaded doors.

It is like they just started their shifts, and with how paranoid the owners of the shipyard are about Deathwatch, protocols to show they are who they are must be in place forcing them to keep their helmets off and only put them on when their shift begins and someone has verified who they are.

Even though it backfired now., I shook my head at the situation and went to try and wake them up.

— — — — —

We can see Jack rush to them, put their helmets on, and activate the diagnostics override command on their gauntlets making the program know something is wrong with their user, and pump them full of anti-toxins waking them straight up with a start.

Watching them fully wake up and move, Jack explained the situation, and afterward, he gave straight-up orders.

"Outsiders have attacked us and are here trying to steal all the ships and the beskar, we have over three hundred enemies on the station moving in from 'landing bay 2', Deathwatch is assisting us so if you see them watch their backs until this disaster is over and we can figure out what to do with them when your leaders are awake again.

Outside a patrol group of my Clan Gryphen is engaging their fleet, and more backup is on the way." Jack explained.

Jack noticed them all paying attention, or more like when they saw the markings of Clan Gryphen heir-ship on his armor.

"Name's Laara, and my men and I are at your command Heir Gryphen, until our command is back online." a woman's voice was heard, from a suited-up dull Grey armor with Red highlights, with an urban camo pattern all over, with two grey modified blasters on the hips.

"Good, I want the three of you to stay here and wake the others up, however, one of you stay on watch at all times to alarm the others in case the enemies are showing up in sight." Jack began giving orders only giving Laara a nod to show he heard her.

"Following that Laara you take four with you as a full squad, you go down to the utility room scanners show there are still heavily fortified enemies there likely protecting the gas distributor, if you can deal with that and clean the air on the station everyone else should wake up and assist." Jack followed through with more orders.

"Also if there is someone able to reroute weapons to command. That would be great since the weapons command room is between 'Bay 1 and 2', and they landed in full force in 'Bay 2'." Jack ordered before walking away.

"Forgive my impudence, but what about you?" Jack heard Laara ask, making him stop in his tracks

"Hate to say it, but I called in the group of Deathwatch, so I will be meeting up with them, now go you have your orders and not a lot of time." Jack was heard grumbling.

"I don't think so, the two of them will go with you." Laara pointed at the two that I missed standing behind me like two shadows.

'How did I miss them? I'm sure I only woke up the eight of them not ten.' Jack thought in shock that was hidden behind his helmet.

"Fine by me, now time to key all of us in on the same coms channel so we can keep in touch." Jack, told them to start, and begin to connect Laara to his channel first.

"Now that is done, get a move on! This is the Way!" Jack told them moving away again at a slight jog, with his rifle at the ready, my two shadows Aran and Cabur close on my six with their weapons at the ready as well.

— — — — —

Laara POV:

To say I'm surprised by suddenly waking up and being commanded by Heir Gryphen would be an understatement.

Sure I'm just a lowly guard of a small clan compared to his own, but to say I liked it? Not really but he knows the situation and has been fighting alone, so I can at least give him the benefit of the doubt, and seeing two of my men ready to follow his orders I guess I have to step us as their leader or I might lose it.

I mean nothing to the Gryphen heir, but I never heard anything about him commanding others in battle, I just hope I won't regret doing this, but if my men show they are willing to follow him, as their leader I have to keep them alive by leading them the best I can while following the heir's orders.

Argh, the dilemma of us all being from lower clans, but I won't begrudge them, this might be the brake some need to join a bigger better clan… maybe.

"Name's Laara, and me and my men are at your command Heir Gryphen, until our command is back online." I said it, can't go back now or it will be a dishonor to myself and my clan, something we as a small clan can't use right now.

Hearing his orders, they are sound and show, that he at least can think things through, but what will he do alone?

"Forgive my impudence, but what about you?" I asked him, seeing him stop in his tracks, did I make a mistake to question him?

'Oh Laara, you had to overstep'  I thought, beating myself up in my head.

"Hate to say it but I called in the group of Deathwatch, so I will be meeting up with them, now go you have your orders and not a lot of time." I heard the heir grumble in a low voice.

Oh hell no, if my men are willing to follow him for a possible maybe, of raising to a bigger clan then I will give them this chance even if it pains me to do.

"I don't think so, the two of them will go with you." I quickly pointed at the two giants standing behind the heir.

Aran and Cabur are twins, they hardly speak but their teamwork is a work of art, it is as if they know what the other needs and provide it, they will be perfect to watch the heirs' back.

"Fine by me, now time to key all of us in on the same coms channel so we can keep in touch." he said moving to me.

'Why am I getting nervous just to be keyed into 'his' com channel, wait is it his or his clans? Darn it Laara focus!' I thought, trying to focus on the com list in my helmet showing everyone's names.

Huh, Jackal, that is not a name you hear often, but it is fine, time to focus and take my team down to the utility where life support is.

Time to take back our home.

"Alright let us be off, time to take back our home." I noticed the check-marks in the team's channel showing they agreed.

'Time for some fun of our own' I thought with a smile as my team and I moved in the other direction from where the heir left.

— — — — —

Inside 'Bay 2'

While Jack had just activated the weapons on the station, twenty-four Deathwatch commandos dropped into hangar 'Bay 2'

If Jack had stayed to watch on the screen he would have seen the initial attack succeeding in surprising the enemies but due to their sheer numbers, they were quickly forced into cover soon after fighting an attritional battle, they would win due to their better gear and training but it would not be easy.

All members of Deathwatch had the same gear and colors, all their armors were Dark Blue with Black highlights and white stripes all over denoting their allegiance to Deathwatch

The two leaders, one brute of a man fully clad in Dark Blue but instead of black highlights had Silvery Grey highlights, on his helmet instead of white he had silver lines instead, using a heavy laser rifle.

The other one is a female wearing full Dark Blue close to Black colored armor, with burned Orange lines on the helmet and highlights, carrying a heavy laser pistol in either hand.

Both were on either side of 'Bay 2' with their respective teams, while the others were stuck in the center.

[Darn it Chuck, told you we should have blown those ships apart.] The female said over the coms to the man that led them into this situation.

[Don't be like that Nora, we either assist and die in glorious battle or sit back in dishonor and watch these pirates steal and pillage making a fool out of us all.] Chuck said to the woman.

[Fuck you you muscle-brained fool!] the woman named Nora growled out, all the while shooting and downing enemies.

[... great … she cut me off coms again.] Chuck said with a sigh, blasting the head of a large Trandoshen.

All around them, enemies dropped in small numbers slowly draining the hundreds of enemies.

[Boss!, the fight is going well those five ships that ran away had been moving towards the shipyard but due to the weapons coming online again they are pulling back towards the system's jump point!] came the excited voice of a Fang pilot over the radio.

[That is good news, but also bad it means these guys will become desperate soon if they find out they are left behind.] Chuck said in a slightly chipper tone but the worry was clear to all to recognize in his voice.

And no wonder due to the large number of enemies and so many being Trandoshen.

"ARGH!! Just charge them cowards!" a Trandoshen yelled pulling his sword and rushing to the closest deathwatch trooper.

[Fuck!] was all the trooper said before grabbing his knife and going into a close-range fight.

'Shit, was I too overzealous and lead us all to die here?' Chuck thought with a grimace