False Peace/Chapter Two

False Peace

Chapter Two

Boom!

The blast awoke the tall red man from his slumber. In the window he could see black smoke coming from the building opposite. It took him a few moments to regain his vision from the blur of sleep. His head was pounding as if an angry rancor took it upon itself to pound his brain.

"The last time I party at a night time." the man said, trying to get his barings.

Blaster fire could be heard in the streets below, but this did not worry the man. He scrambled. Looking for any article of clothes he could wear. Someone was attacking. Someone with enough fire power to launch a surprise attack, one person ran through his mind; The Emperor, Exar Keen.

He cursed as he put on his boots. He had just about finished putting on his robes when armed guards burst into his bed chamber. "Lord Targath!" The young, blood and burnt stained human male bellowed.

"Here. Hurry up whats going on?" Targath demanded, but he was not oblivious to the invasion. He wanted to know the situation in the city.

The man explained the situation to him as another two entered the chamber. Imperial forces stormed the capital city after taking four other cities along the continent. The casualties kept coming in, the picture they painted was certain doom for Targath's mercenary forces. There was a question that Targath wanted to ask but he had already figured out. The defenses around the planet were crushed by the invading Imperial forces, had they not been the early warning system would have kicked in.

"How much of the capital is theirs?" He asked, walking in-between two men as he made his way out of the chamber.

"Around forty percent. The defenses garrison is fleeing and regrouping with Vestha Company and the fifty-sixth Battalion." The young man said, holding his datapad up.

"And my personal guard?"

"Wiped out en route to the palace. Sorry."

"What do I pay you people for!" Targath snapped, he was always quick to anger.

The corridor was filled with soldiers scrambling to equip their gear. The marble floor was covered in discarded weapons casings and spent power cells. Targath's mercenary forces were the best in the galaxy, but the Empire's troops were better and they managed to catch them off guard. Targath sensed Exar Keen's presence through he Force.

Exar was on the planet and he sent a tremor of anger through the Force which Targath pick up. He felt a pang of fear, he openly opposed the Emperor and he even started playing the old game to gain more power. Now the Emperor was mad and he knew. He knew his plans and has come to kill him.

"I need to get word out to my allies of this attack." Targath said, pointing towards the communication room. The rooms arch was made of and had a brown colour to it, it was hand crafted in an elegant design. But the beauty of it was lost on the soldiers who were busy coming up with a strategy for battle.

The young male looked at Targath. "Off world communications are down. Ground-side communications are barely working."

Targath looked around him, he knew the odds of most of his men surviving were nill. Targath's only chance was to get to his private shuttle, the Runner. The Runner was state of the art, the best durasteel, the best hyper-drive credits could buy. It could out run any Imperial blockade and make it to the next system before anyone was the wiser.

The decision was made up in his mind. No one but himself knew where the shuttle was, but he'd need help to fight the legions of Imperial Clone Troopers in his way.

"Gather your best men, I need them to follow me. The rest can go secure the palace and the surrounding districts. They will all to be alert if we are secure the city." Targath said, his words carried fear that scared the young man into action.

They moved quickly outside the palace that they had spent so much time hiding in, the palace had been built recently and it looked almost brand new. But the mortar that hit an hour before ruined the majestic view. The solider were in standard military formation, each one wearing their mercenary outfits white and purple armour with the "Krayt Knights". Named after the Tatoonie apex predator the Krayt Dragon. The leader of the Krayt Knights personally killed on in combat a few years back.

It was one of the reasons that Targath hired them, that and he had a fifty percent share in the mercenary group. Targath saw his subjects fleeing the palace for fear of their lives and that of their families. He didn't care, to him they existed to serve him and they were. He hoped that they would slow down the Imperial forces enough to make his escape and so he let them leave.

Imperial fighters darted across the sky line shooting at what remained of the mercenary air force. A loud explosion caught everyone's attention, of in the distance black smoke stretched across the sky. Something important was just blown up Targath thought.

"They've blown up the main barricade. I'm getting reports of hover-tanks pouring in." The comm officer shouted.

Without a word Targath lead his solders away from the palace and into the open courtyard where the civilians had passed when they were fleeing. If he could make it passed the courtyard and to Utopia Plaza, Targath had a chance to live to see another day and warn his allies of the Imperial attack.

The exit to Utopia Plaza was an archway followed by a flight of stairs. The Plaza itself had wide open space with a large circular fountain in the centre. It was surrounded by buildings and had four archways leading to other places. Targath and his men exited through the southern archway. To many soldiers relief it hadn't seen much fighting and even amid a war-zone it looked beautiful.

"Our escape is a secret passage way under the fountain. The switch is near--" Targath was interrupted by blaster-fire. The bolts struck the young man who had awoken him hours ago in the chest killing him.

Imperial troops poured out from the northern archway shooting at Targath and his soldiers. Their distinctive black and red armour and unique helmets struck fear into the hearts of many. Using the Force, Targath launched himself towards the fountain, he rolled as he landed and took cover by the fountain as his solider fire back at the Imperials.

Targath un-clipped his lightsaber from his belt, he did not activate it, just held it until he need to use it. His men were outmatched in terms of numbers. He counted at least eight to twelve men, an entire squad of Imperial troopers. They tried to flank him, but the blaster-fire from Targath's soldiers cause them to take any cover, what little cover there was. The expressions that each of his soldiers shot at him were of fear, and confusion. They were wondering why hadn't Targath leaped into the fray and used his lightsaber and Force abilities to dispatch the squad.

I twas quite simple, Targath wanted them to die so he could escape. His men were cannon fodder to him, expendable, only good for covering his escape.

Targath scrambled, searching the base of the fountain as blaster-fire crossed overhead. He was looking for the secret switch to unlock the hidden passage to his private hanger, he needed more time his men were being cut down. Fast.

Using his own men's fear to add to his own strength he activated his lightsaber, it let out its distinctive snap-hiss sound. The crimson blade lite up his own red features, making him look more sinister. With a loud hiss, he Force leaped in the air, deflecting the blaster bolts fired at him from the Imperials. He buckled his knee for the impact on the ground and with a mighty thud!, he landed behind the Imperial squad. He used the Force to send a shock-wave of telekinetic energy in all directions to knock down the Imperial Troops.

Using the opportunity he made, he stabbed the closest Troopers near him and quickly began slashing the recovering Troopers. Three managed to get up and they made a run for it. Targath grabbed one with the Force and pulled in towards him, he raised his lightsaber the trooper flew towards the blade and was impaled dying instantly.

He turned to see his remaining men look on at him with awe. Each of their expressions were painted across each of their faces, Targath couldn't bare to look at them. He didn't kill the entire squad of Imperials to impress them. He turned his attention back to the fountain, he half expected that it would have been bombed by now, but he was thankful it wasn't. Perhaps building a secret escape entrance underneath a public monument near the centre of the city was a bad idea in hindsight.

The men scattered around the fountain to guard the area from any more surprise attacks from the Imperials. Stretching out his awareness with the Force, Targath found the hidden switch. He had to admit that he did forget its location, he thought there was hidden switch on the fountain itself. But in fact it was hidden underneath a slab of duracrete a few meters away from the fountain itself.

The battle of the city was winding down now. Less blaster-fire could be heard and the reports began to lessen. A bad sign by all accounts. The men began to panic in silent but Targath could sense the fear building with in them.

"It's alright men we might actually be winning this." One of the men shouted, a lie of course to help the moral of his men.

Making his way over to Targath the man shuddered to think what the Sith Lord might do to him if he spoke out of line.

"The men could use some encouragement, my Lord." The man informally said.

Without a second thought Targath pulled the man closer to him with his outstretched arm and activated his lightsaber, the blade shot out and stabbed the man as he was being guided.

A loud yelp of surprise came from the man which got the attention of the rest of the men. "If I wanted to encourage you I'd have gotten someone to write a nice speech for your men. But as things stand I need to get off this world now!" He said into the soldiers ear.

The rest of the men turned and ran, it was the final straw they had to get away from Targath before he turned his attention on them. The mans body slouched to the ground at Targath feet. The look of agony still etched on his dirty features.

Before he could turn his attention to the fleeing men, he sensed a presence behind him he turned fast, his lightsaber still in hand and on. He was surprised to see a young man in grey armour. Clearly he was a Sith apprentice, trained to be a Warrior but he didn't recognize him.

"Who are you?" The young man asked drily.

With that question Targath knew who this mysterious young Sith was. "I'm the one your master wants dead."