Star Wars: Revelations/ Chapter 9: Forefront

Departing Carlac, the New Republic along with the Death Watch jumped to hyperspace. Princess Leia activated a long-range transmitter that the Death Watch provided them and spoke into it, “Calling all New Republic forces. This is Princess Leia Solo on the emergency code channel, no matter who or where you are, please. Your assistance is needed in this urgent matter that will soon take place on Kamino. Death Watch are on our side but we need all we can get. Yuuzhan Vong will be there. A whole lot of them! If you are receiving this transmission, come to Kamino effective immediately!”

Ponds sat in his chair at the navigation helm, filled with green screens and monitors, showing him what was around them in the huge void of space. He kept staring at the ceiling, looking through it, however. Thinking he was talking within his own mind, he mumbled aloud. This caught the attention of Leia, who set her message on repeat. She nervously walked over to Ponds, almost trembling with her own words, “Um, Ponds? Ponds! Are you okay?”

“What? Uh, yes. Yes I am!” Ponds, snapping out of it, replied with pride.

“Ponds, ever since you returned, you’ve had that cut on your temple. What happened?” Leia said while talking a closer look at the cut.

“I have no idea, ma’am. I woke up with it and… that’s all I can tell you for now.”

Squinting her eyes a little, the princess heard the low sound of Rahr’s voice attempting to get her attention. She walked over, not letting go of the thought of Ponds’ cut. “What is it, Rahr?”

“Uh, your message only got to just, uh… two bases!” He said with content that shocked Leia.

Frowning with her eyebrows somewhat down, she responded, “Two bases?? How? And you think that’s a good thing?”

“Well, it did get to two of our bases.”

“Out of dozens! Ah, alright. Which bases?”

Patrick Rahr looked carefully at the computer console. “Uhhhhhhh, a thing called Sobriety Base on Naboo and the Felucian outpost.”

Taking deep breaths, Princess Leia paced four times. Rahr said in a joking manner, “are you okay, Princess?” He proceeded to laugh while trying to contain it.

Stopping Leia’s pacing, Stanton called for her, “Leia, there’s an incoming transmission from Bo-Katan.”

“Put it through, please.”

“Leia, according to our calculations, we are almost near the Kamino system, what are your orders for when we arrive?”

“We alert the person-in-charge there and we set up defensive positions. But I also want answers. Why are they coming to Kamino in the first place?” Ponds quickly got up from his chair and approached the main panel once he heard the name of his homeworld. “Katan, what weapons do you have?”

Katan smirked, knowing what Ponds’ was thinking of. “Oh, sir. We’ve packed Hell.”

Ponds also smirked and let out a slight chuckle, “Good. Because what the Vong are doing is personal to us clones.” He tightened one of his fists.

Meanwhile on the Koros-Strohna, Cato Loozin, with the help of Yugo Patoria, threw all dead bodies of the First Order into the trash compactor. They could almost feel the bodies getting crushed to a miniscule size when the compactor was fully activated. Scrape, who had escaped to the lower levels through the ventilation ducts, witnessed his former men being crushed into oblivion by the contraption. He activated a thermal detonator that was attached to his belt and threw it with all his might towards the two Yuuzhan Vong officers. Once on impact, the two officers were pulled back a ways, but kept their ground.

Scrape jumped down and on top of Loozin, blasting until his gun ran out of ammo cartridges. He got out his vibroblade with the blade making a shivering noise that he adored. He aimed it at Loozin’s eye. Accidentally hesitating, Scrape then felt a severe punch to the back as he went flying a few meters from where he originally was at. “You two, go to the Shaper. Leave him to me!” Shimrra Jamaane yelled. He charged at Scrape who did not move at all. In result of that, Scrape went flying back again, only to sustain more bruises. He groaned in pain as Jamaane retrieved a locust-like bioengineered insect called a Grutchin. Scrape spat to the side, looking at the Yuuzhan Vong’s winged weapon. “You know what this is?”

“Another secret you kept from me? Was that once a man from the First Order?” Scrape countered.

“No. This is the thing that will slowly yet surely tear the life out of your body. Any last words, Scrape of the First Order?” Jamaane closed in Scrape where he lay. All other Vong members watched as they easily considered every second of the battle entertainment.

Scrape formed half of a smile, “I’ll see you in Hell, Shimrra Jamaane.”

Releasing the Grutchin, Jamaane grinned from ear to ear, “I’m sure.” Directly after he replied, he could simply hear the groans coming from Scrape as the creature grasped its long, itchy legs around the neck of Scrape and ended him forevermore. Now expressionless, Jamaane walked over to where the Grutchin was still attacking the corpse of Scrape and stepped on it, due to the creature having the inability to be recalled.

Arriving on Kamino, the New Republic and Death Watch were granted clearance to dock by a clone ARC trooper colonel by the name of Pliers. Pliers foresaw the training of many cadets during the Clone War. Being physically built, Pliers knew how to handle himself and others. ARC Captain Carg arrived around the same time from a vessel of his own as the others with the Death Watch. Once Carg exited his ship, he raced up to his old buddy from Rancor Contingent, Colonel Pliers. “Man, it’s great to see you, brother,” Pliers said, beaming.

“Same here, Pliers. You’re a good man. May the Force be with us all,” Carg replied. Pliers went over to Leia’s vessel after shaking Carg’s hand. Carg noticed that Commander Colly, who had already arrived with Lieutenant Wreckage and Leland, was weeping along with a few tears that were slowly making their way down his face, escaping his eyes. Walking carefully over to him, he said in a gentle manner, “Colly I heard about what happened with Ganch. My deepest condolences. But this… this is not the end. In fact, it’s a new beginning. We will win. The Force is on our side. Please. Trust me.”

Colly, from looking down at his thumbs, looked up to Carg. He said in response, “I do trust you, Captain. But, it’s not just that. I have to tell you something…”

“What is it, Colly?”

Interrupting Colly from speaking further, Bo-Katan, holding a device with a scanner on it, raced towards the two clones. “Look, I’d hate to break-up whatever you two are talking about but we have a situation. Look,” she gave the handheld device to Carg which showed the Koros-Strohna.

Standing up, Colly, with bulged optics, pointed up to Kamino’s clear-sky mesosphere. “I don’t think we need that device to show us what there is out there.”