Bloodlust: Crisis/Chapter 7

"They're here."

Artel held the electrobinoculars to his eyes and scanned the horizon. The sun was sinking, casting long shadows over the barren wilderness, and making the advancing army, spread out in a long line before the city, look even larger and more dangerous than it was.

"Are you ready for this, Ballo?" Artel asked, turning towards the gruff-looking clone commander stoically stood by his side.

"I was born ready, sir," he grinned, weighing the blaster rifle he held in his hands. Ballo hadn't taken his helmet inside the city, but he still wore his clone armour with pride.

The Separatist army was drawing near to the city by now. It had been advancing ever since daybreak, when the landing craft had first touched down to the north of the city, and Artel could make out dozens of tanks and thousands of droid units, all arranged in neat rows, marching towards the city. The sound of their marching footsteps had loomed over the city all day; now, it was louder than ever.

Artel watched as the droid army stopped about a kilometre outside the city and adjusted his blaster rifle. His lightsaber was a useful weapon, but he needed something more practical in order to take the droids on.

He had assembled a small team of city militia and had arranged them on the northern wall of the city. What they lost in numbers, they definitely made up for in sheer courage; each man on the wall was willing to give his life for the city they held dear.

The rest of the city's inhabitants were amassed in the centre of the city, as per Artel's orders. The city was under his command now; everyone had to do what he said.

The wall was silent as the Separatist tanks moved into position. Artel's eyes were glued upon the Separatist army's left flank, which he guessed would be the weakest. Artel nodded to Ballo and the clone commander loaded his rifle. The rest of the city defence followed suit, while those in the three cannons on the wall readied their weapons.

The Separatists fired first. Artel ordered his troops to get down as a volley of laser blasts fired by the multitude of powerful tanks fizzed above their heads. A couple of shots hit the wall, making it shake and rumble, while most whizzed harmlessly above them, pinging off the deflector shield defending the city from orbital bombardment.

A second volley of blaster shots rent the air in two before there was momentary silence. Artel scrambled upright, aiming his rifle down at the droid troops, before giving the order to fire.

The air came alive with bright red and blue blaster bolts. The men on the wall fired relentlessly down on the droids while the Separatists returned their fire. Artel watched as one of the cannons was hit by a tank blast and flew off the wall, the person manning it screaming, before it bounced harmlessly off the wall and disappeared in a ball of flame.

One down already, Artel thought, and we're only just getting started.

"Concentrate your fire on the left flank!" Artel ordered, pointing down at the weaker segment of the droid army. He turned to see Ballo, a grim smile on his face, his entire body alight with bright blue blaster fire.

Artel's forces obeyed, and death rained down on the left flank of the army, which was advancing quicker than the rest. Artel ducked beneath the parapets and used the Force, sensing one of the advancing tanks, picking it up and throwing it across the battlefield, scattering some droid troops while blowing still more to smithereens.

The men on the wall cheered as the droid forces began to slow, but they could do nothing to stop the relentless advance. Like a wave of undead skeletons, the droids kept coming, firing up at the wall, tearing it apart piece by piece. The tanks joined them, battering the weaker portions with blaster fire in an attempt to take the wall down. Artel knew their cause was lost.

Suddenly, the droids stopped firing. The army arranged themselves at the very base of the wall, looking up at the forces on the wall with cold, mechanical eyes.

A tank rolled forward. This was no ordinary tank, however; instead of a main blaster cannon, it had a massive projector arm. One soldier on the wall aimed his rifle at the tank, ready to destroy it, but Artel waved a hand and told him to stand down.

Night had only just fallen when an enormous figure appeared before them, projected by the tank far beneath them. The figure was Skakoan, encased in a crude metal shell. Artel thought he recognised the signature markings on the steel plates and lowered his rifle, prepared to listen to what the representative of the Techno Union would have to say.

"Citizens of Atairis-Deta," the figure boomed. "My name is Chatt Onakkit, and I represent the great Techno Union of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. We have your city surrounded. Surrender your city, and we will let you live. If not, we will kill every man, woman and child who stands in our way. You have until dawn to make your decision."

The figure disappeared and the night became dark again. Artel looked over at Ballo. "Well, Ballo," he said, "we'll need to talk to the Baron."