Chapter 004:

Chapter 4: Fight for Life Support and Troubles in 'Bay 2'

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

Sector/System: Mandalore

Location: MandalMotor Shipyards

Laara's POV:

My team and I managed to get close to the area of our mission in quick order, it is like heir Gryphen had said only enemies were left on this side at the utility area.

[They are indeed fortified, but… why is it so ramshackle, they had plenty of time to set something up.] my second in command said over our coms.

[Maybe so, but keep your eyes open, it might be a trap, to lure us into moving in only to get pinned down] I cautioned the team, rather not have them die a fool's death in the pursuit of glory.

[Hah! Let's just see what they got.] My heavy weapons specialist spoke up, but before I could ask what he meant.

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

[... you… MORON!] I yelled through the coms hearing that idiot laugh about blowing the potential trap up, but almost us with it.

I pulled myself up and stood back up with a shake of the head, I could see the rest of my team do the same.

[Head-vision now!] I ordered and with some clicks as confirmation I did the same and what I saw was much worse than expected.

The ramshackle barricades and fortifications were all gone. However in its place stood a large beast close to twice a human's height, as well as it is wide, covered fully in white fur, with a smaller body close to it on the ground.

Judging from the heat dissipating from the small body… I take it is the beast's child and it died.

"RAAAAGH!!!!" the beast screamed at us.

[... fuck…] is all I heard the big guy say after cutting his laughter off and seeing him suddenly be flung backward.

[Argh!] was what we heard when he hid the wall hard.

[...Wampa's and it's a mother and child, FIRE!, use jet-packs to move to higher ground!] I quickly explained and ordered.

[Big guy, get up! and start shooting it!] I yelled with slight fear, we were geared to deal with people, not beasts, to deal with a Wampa we needed heavy ordinance like a laser repeater mini-gun, or more rockets and space to use them.

Hell, our grenades would hardly do anything to them … wait maybe.

[How many grenades we have!] I asked after jumping up with my jet-pack to one of the rafters shooting down below.

While this took place all five of us kept shooting at it as if our lives depended on it, which it did due to the small area we found ourselves in, maneuvers are not easy in areas not meant for most of them, that we would like to do.

[Captain… there are dead pirates all over… they got ripped apart.] my second in command said, from a different area in the rafters.

The big guy got grabbed again just after getting up from hitting the wall and was being flung around like a rag-doll.

[Shit… he won't be able to deal with this if this keeps up.] the demolition expert said.

[HOW MANY GRENADES WE GOT!] I got fed up with being ignored, after seeing the Wampa only focusing on the big guy.

I don't like the guy at all due to him overusing explosives, and not caring for his own side's safety, but he is still one of my men.

[...Oh got like an entire pack, why?] the demolition member answered but he looked at me and got a fist of the Wampa against his head, flinging him away face-first into a wall no longer moving.

If it was not for the heartbeat tracker still showing a heartbeat I would think he died.

"Fuck! Brother!" the fifth member of my team screamed running towards his I guess brother.

'Fucking hell… I almost forgot that many have never seen combat before.' I thought jumping down from the rafter after watching the yelling boy be flung away from a charge no longer moving after hitting the wall.

I quickly grabbed the pack of grenades and jumped back up on the rafters.

"Hey over here you big ugly fuck!" I heard my second in command below out making the Wampa turn his way.

I quickly activated the grenades in my hands to the shortest fuse possible, then jumped on the back of the Wampa stuffing the pack into the Wampa's screaming and wide open mouth, before using my jet-pack to jettison me away backward pushing off from the beast back.

*BOOM*

A massive explosion happened and a rain of guts and blood fell on all over the place.

"And… that's how… it's… done." I heard the big guy say in wheezing breaths, sitting against the wall that showed his imprint from how often he hit it.

'Oof, life signs show he's drugged up but stable enough, need to end this quickly so the docs can patch him up before the painkillers and adrenaline shots wear off.' I thought looking at his beaten-up form, before noticing the two red lines on my team list.

This woke me up making me look at the supposed brothers duo, both with helmets caved in, one from a fist in the face before hitting the wall and the other hitting the wall face first.

"Fuck, how am I going to explain this?" I mumbled, shaking my head for a moment.

"It was not your fault girly. Unlike us, most on this shipyard have never seen true combat before, beyond their hunt to become an adult. In turn, a true warrior, even though it is debated heavily nowadays what makes a true warrior." my second in command a gruff older man said patting me on the shoulder.

"Thank you uncle… but it still pains me since we all are from small clans and… what am I to tell their clan? sorry but two of your sons died in the shipyard. It's supposed to be the safest location to get used to life outside the clan and colonies." I told him.

"They died fighting a Wampa, whose hide is known to be tough due to it coming from Hoth, an icy hellhole, they died with glory, and you just leave their clan to me."

"*Cough*… there dead, but died fighting… *cough* they have honor for not running away." I heard my last remaining team member speak up through coughs.

"Right… well I'll go in and finish this since the Wampa ripped the pirates apart." I said, walking past them into the Utility room or life support room, getting shots thrown my way as soon I stepped in, forcing me to take cover.

[Shit, enemies holed up inside.] I spoke up on the shared coms channel.

[Go… old man… as long I don't move I'll live, no open wounds just lots of broken bones most likely… *cough* *cough*] the big guy said ending in a coughing fit.

[No worries girly, it's just you and me like old times.] I heard my uncle say before joining me in cover inside the life support room.

I could not answer him, fighting together side by side just us two against a large armed group made me a bit emotional, that and the fact I lost two members of my team.

[If you have beskar armor, you could use it to draw fire while quickly shooting them all down.] came the voice from Heir Gryphen.

[Hahaha! I knew I liked you, kiddo, let me guess, you forgot about it yourself?] I heard my uncle laughingly say.

[I hate to say it but yes… I got rusty over two years of no real combat, and just being a trader with just doing drills.] heir Gryphen answered back in a grumpy tone.

That tone made me believe he was not happy, about that fact at all. It makes you wonder what happened today for him to say that.

In the meantime, my uncle just did that, all while talking normally with him.

'Guess that is the difference between a 'rookie' and a 'veteran' I thought covering my uncle by shooting anyone out of cover firing at him.

Doing this the room was quickly cleaned out of enemies.

"Now, how do we deal with this contraption?" I asked my uncle, standing next to the blocky device with many tubes with some liquid in them all over its body. Including many empty ones on it and strewn around on the floor.

"Well I was never too good with tech before so…" my uncle looked at me while shooting the device into scrap.

"Now we just need to reset the systems and the life support will deal with the rest." he said.

"On it, I'm good with computers, resetting, and overriding them to do so would not be too hard." I told him and started to work on the main console controls hidden in a corner.

'It might take a while, my hands are shaking, when this is over, my uncle and I are going to have a long talk about how to get over the loss of teammates.' I thought before getting to work.

— — — — —

While Laara and her team were moving down toward life support, Jack was still on his way with his two shadows. In 'Bay 2' things were heating up and not in a good way.

The Trandoshen rushing a deathwatch trooper with his sword, reached him in quick order but it was clear he did not know how to use it, hitting the trooper with the flat side and sending him flying into some boxes that fell on top of him.

[...I'm alive… that's gonna leave a bruise.] the trooper said, making his side breathe in relief.

[Shit, teams 3 and 5, switch to melee, team 4 covering fire, Teams 1 and 2, switch two men to melee and rest cover them, and keep the flanks from collapsing on the center.] Chuck gave out some quick orders right after a man was sent flying.

All around the landing bay, troopers of teams 3 and 5 can be seen switching to their melee weapons, while team 4 slips further back taking up spots around support pillars and stacks of boxes to provide covering fire.

"YES! A challenge, I will get many mates when I show the heads of Deathwatch members!" a large brown-skinned Trandoshen wearing some type of armor yelled out moving forward with a massive two-handed sword.

[Dammit, that's likely their leader, he even wears armor.] Nora spoke up.

[I know, but we need to clean up the flanks, the boys need to deal with him on their own.] Chuck spoke to Nora on their private channel.

[This is gonna hurt.] A member of the melee teams said charging at the supposed leader.

"You not worthy of boss Buzz!" another Trandoshen moved in front of their leader with three others charging the trooper, who stopped and used his jetpack to dodge to the side. Shoulder-checking another Trandoshen who wanted to finish off the trooper who was buried under a stack of boxes just before.

When he did that his knife cut the throat, but the large tail of his target beat him away.

The group of four that jumped in front of their leader dropped to the floor dead without their heads.

"DO NOT GET IN MY WAY! THERE HEADS ARE MINE!" Buzz yelled out with a hissing tone denoting he was really mad.

[Boys try to lure more into the way of their leader, it would be good if he dealt with their numbers, Melee group, just stay defensive and buy time for the rest of us to clean the rest up.] Nora explained over their combined coms channel.

[Not much choice we have here, wow!] another trooper said who was thrown around after his leg was pulled by a Trandoshen lying on the floor still alive.

"You are mine!" that same Trandoshen stood back up and charged the thrown trooper down.

All around the landing bay, the same thing happened to those in melee, being pushed around grabbed, and thrown into others, pillars, boxes, and railings.

It was clear that the Trandoshens were playing with them instead of killing them due to their physical power and endurance due to their race recovering small wounds easily while in battle.

All the while, those still shooting focused down one Trandoshen at a time or cleared out the other pirates that could still pose a threat if left alone too long.

[I'm thinking, I should have listed to you Nora, about shooting the ships before they docked.] Chuck told Nora over their private coms.

[YOU THINK! I told you Huts love to use Trandoshens and those pig-faced brutes of theirs, I told you destroying the ships would have been best due to also the large number of enemy manpower!] Nora growled angrily at him.

All the while shooting around but it was clear she was so mad she went for parts that were not the head … mainly between the legs.

'(gulp) If we survive, she's gonna kill me for sure.' Chuck thought 

— — — — —

Jack POV:

I did not know what was happening in 'landing bay 2' nor what was gonna happen at the life support but what I did know though was the room I was pulled into by Aran and Cabur the twin giants, was filled to the brim with weapons, grenades, and other goodies.

"Been fighting" Aran said, pointing at me.

"Need supplies." Cabur finished for his brother pointing to everything in the room.

"Don't need to tell me twice." I told them, quickly moving to secure everything needed.

I restocked on energy packs for my pistols, and rifle and grabbed a large number of grenades.

'Hey they offer, and if I use them it's not stealing, even if I might end up with some leftover.' I thought.

"Alright let's go." I told them when I saw them both carrying a large energy pack on their backs with a repeater mini gun in front of them.

I could only look at them in amazement and silence, at the two of them.

"Ready" Aran and Cabur said early at the same time.

I snapped out of it and quickly led the two of them to 'Landing Bay 2', where before going into the door, I was pulled aside again.

"Lead to rafters." Cabur motioned.

"Good location." Aran showed their weapon of choice and then pointed at my rifle.

'I think I'm going to like these two if you get over their weird speech pattern' I thought with a faint smile

[Let's do this, follow me.] I told them over our squad's respective coms channel I had set up beforehand.

We rushed onto the stairwell towards 'landing bay 2's control room', which also leads out onto the rafters.

[Looks like they're not doing all too hot down there.] I said on the squad channel.

What we saw, were the Trandoshens in large numbers playing who can throw the furthest with the members of Deathwatch melee groups.

[Alright you two listen up, Aran you stay here on this side and Cabur go over to that end of this rafter for a crossfire of the center while also being able to cover both sides of the 'landing bay', I'll deal with their leader.] I told them as I started to run and jump down, slowing my descent with my jetpack just when both giants started spraying down hitting large groups of enemies.

'I say leave the leader to me but man he's bigger than Aran and Cabur, well he will love my gift.' I thought in slight shock before landing and rolling over the floor dodging his two-handed sword leaving activated small orbs at his feet.

*BOOM*. *BOOM*

"GET THIS OF ME YOU COWARD! I WILL CRUSH YOUR SKULL!" the leader yelled out covered in sticky webs from the grenades.

When I got back up I said nothing and started shooting in his face with my rifle.

Followed by my pistols, when my rifle was empty.

All around me, I could see it raining laser bolt fire from above, mowing enemies down and forcing others to take cover hoping to survive.

'Though bastard, let's do this the old-fashioned way' I thought putting my weapons away and grabbing and quickly activating a large number of grenades, stuffing some into his armor and others in his mouth, before using his stuck body as a springboard away.

*BOOM*

"Long live explosives, a man's best friend besides copious amounts of firepower." I said in a chuckle turning around and watching the carnage of Aran and Cabur had brought.

[Well done, they never knew what hit them.] I was in a really good mood, seeing so many ripped-apart Trandoshen bodies lying around like Swiss cheese.

"Go and clean up the survivors boys, medics check your brothers and sisters for wounds and patch them up." I heard the gruff voice from when I called Deathwatch for help.

"Markings of Heir Gryphen, so I'll take it in good faith that you are the kiddo that called us here, name's Chuck, that's my second Nora." I heard the man named Chuck say.

"It's Good to meet you. The help was sorely needed, as you clearly noticed." I said, pointing around at the mess.

That is when I heard something on the team coms channel.

[Shit, enemies holed up inside.] I heard Laara's voice on the shared coms channel, I knew it was her since she was the sole woman who went with a team to the life support area.

[Go… old man… as long I don't move I'll live, no open wounds just lots of broken bones most likely… *cough* *cough*] a man said ending in a coughing fit.

'Seems they found some resistance maybe a Trandoshen ambush?' I wondered about hearing that man's status.

[No worries girly, it's just you and me like old times.] I heard the old man, I took it likely just before he joined Laara inside the life support room.

[If you have beskar armor, you could use it to draw fire while quickly shooting them all down.] I quickly said over the team channel.

[Hahaha! I knew I liked you, kiddo, let me guess, you forgot about it yourself?] I heard the old man laughingly say, making me shake my head in dismay.

[I hate to say it but yes… I got rusty in two years of no real combat, and just being a trader with just doing drills.] I answered back in a grumpy tone.

"Well Chuck and Nora, names Jackal Gra'tua Gryphen, nice to meet you guys." I told them with Arun and Cabur still on over-watch but aiming towards Deathwatch now.

"Hehehe, ehm… you can call them off. We are basically factionless now after showing up here without permission." I heard Chuck, jokingly say before grimacing.

I saw Nora hit him in his side with a fist.

"What this moron is trying to say is, we're basically traitors now since we showed up without permission or orders or how you wanna see it, and even destroyed our old base." I heard her say.

"You what?" I answered in pure shock, I never thought that would happen by just calling in assistance.

[All clear down here boy, the girly just started the Life Support oxygen scrubbing systems again after a reset hard reset, it says air quality will be back to normal in close to 2 hours.]

[Good to hear that, what is the status of the command center.]

[Everyone is waking up or already awake. We watched the situation on screen here. The Commander of the shipyard wishes to see you and the leaders of Deathwatch here as soon as you are able.] I heard one of the men we left there, tell us before he and the others left the channel.

[I will see you there kiddo, old man out.] I heard him say in a joking manner at the end before he and the others also left, only leaving myself Aran, and Cabur still connected.

"Well seems the shipyard's command is back online and wide awake, he wants to see all of us, well me Chuck, and you Nora." I told them

"As expected, sigh, this will be a long meeting." I heard Chuck say with a deep resigned sigh.

"Oh man up, we got this far you better not chicken out now." I heard Nora say pointing a pistol at Chuck's crotch

I decided to walk away not wishing to be around a possible quarrel between lovers, at least that's how it felt anyway, Nora soon walked next to me in silence while from behind Chuck could be heard.

"Let us be off then, lads behave and clean this place up a bit, be back soon." I heard Chuck yell to his men before following me and Nora to meet the commander of the shipyards.

'Wonder how he is, serious one moment, joking another, I can't get a read on him.' I thought before we left the landing bay area with a running Chuck behind us trying to catch up.