Liquidator: Subject Zero/Chapter 2

Chapter II

Solay, Outer Rim Territories Eight months before the Battle of Yavin

"Well yes, we can make a communication with a Star Destroyer," said Corporal Mauryl. "What did you have in mind?"

Under his helmet, Selwyn smiled.

Grand Moff Argon was getting nervous. The stormtrooper squad did not report in, as they were told to do so.

"Major, I think they are dead. Send in the two palace guard patrols." Argon ordered.

"Right away!"

As Major Zelos went to carry out his orders, Argon thought about what to do. If stormtroopers could not kill him (not that he honestly expected them to be able to kill a Royal Guard), then the palace guard, recruited from locals and not given as much training as regular Imperial troops, would not fare any better. But he needed the guardsman dead. Argon turned to Zelos.

"Major, have you called them in?"

"Yes, sir, they are on their way," he replied.

"Call in a platoon to the communications center, along with the patrols. I do not want the guardsman getting out of there alive."

"Understood."

Zelos got onto a comm link and began issuing orders. The Grand Moff told one of the techs to see if they could get any security camera feeds coming from inside the communications room. The tech brought it up on the screen for Argon to see. It was alarming. The Royal Guardsman was making a communication out of the palace on one of the consoles, but then Argon also noticed the dead stormtrooper bodies sprawled out on the floor. However, what was most curious, was that one of the stormtroopers was alive and apparently helping the Royal Guard.

Damn. Argon hoped to avoid this, but he clearly could not count of the reliability of his Imperial troops. The Grand Moff once again turned to the major.

"Have the stormtroopers taken on patrol out into the courtyard. Tell them we are expecting an infiltrator," he ordered.

"Sir?" Major Zelos looked confused.

"Just do it!"

The Major nodded and went back to his comm link, issuing orders. Argon looked back at the screen, only to see the stormtrooper fire a blaster bolt at the camera. Damn!

Selwyn activated the long range comms, and began a call to a specific Star Destroyer, the Executor. He could not take on the whole palace security and kill the Grand Moff, he needed support.

"Yes?" came the voice from the Star Destroyer.

"Hello, this is Emperor's Royal Guard Selwyn Marhanen. We have an emergency in the Dominus sector. Put me through to Lord Vader immediately."

The controller paused. "Very well."

There was another pause, and then the guardsman could hear the signature heavy breathing of the Dark Lord.

"What is it?"

"My Lord, here on Solay, the sector capitol of the Dominus sector, we are having a problem. The Grand Moff, Argon, is a traitor and much of his forces are joining him in joining the Rebellion—" he could hear Vader stop breathing when he mentioned that "—and I am in need of assistance in bringing him down. I am currently in the palace communications room and under siege from his traitors."

The Dark Lord resumed his breathing. "Understood, hold out as long as you can. I am taking my fleet and the Five-oh-first Legion to give you some assistance. Stand by."

"Thank you, my Lord."

And with that, Selwyn got off the comms. Just then, he saw Mauryl shoot at something near the far corner of the room. The trooper noticed that the guardsman was done and looked over at him.

"Cameras!" he explained.

Hearing footsteps in the corridor, Selwyn picked up his rifle. "I think we are about to have a bigger problem than that!"

Noticing what he was referring to, Mauryl ducked behind a nearby column, and loaded his E-11. Meanwhile, the Royal Guard got behind a computer console, and aimed his rifle at the doorway.

"Get ready, here they come!" he told the loyal stormtrooper, who nodded.

A middle aged man wearing a blue and red uniform, with a black helmet, ran into the room, with what looked like a second hand rifle.

"The palace guards. We never got used to working with them," muttered Mauryl.

Aiming quickly, Selwyn let off a single shot, hitting the guardsman right in the chest. With a groan, the man fell to the floor, dead.

That sound alerted the other guards in the corridor. Several more ran in, and the trooper and the Royal Guard opened fire, sending a volley of lasers at the enemies. The palace guards responded with their own, though very inaccurate, fire. Several palace guards were hit, blood staining their fancy uniforms, and hit the ground, landing next to the dead stormtroopers from earlier. The palace guards in the corridor returned fire, and some more entered. After Selwyn finished dropping them, Mauryl tossed a flash bang into the corridor. Upon hearing the surprised yelps of the guards, the stormtrooper and guardsman got out from their camping spots and rushed forward.

When getting close to the doorway, they saw a large group of palace guards throughout the hallway, not being able to see because of the flash bang. Quickly, Selwyn and Mauryl fired several shots, killing at least eight more palace guards before the effects of the flash bang began to wear off. At that point, they rushed back to their cover. Selwyn tossed a thermal detonator into the corridor as they ran, and a large explosion shook the floor. Screams of agony could be heard from the hallway. In response, before the smoke cleared, blaster bolts began flying in from the corridor, though most were far off from where the two were waiting. Another guard, who looked like he was barely eighteen years old, rushed in with his rifle up and ready, with a rage in his eyes. Without any pity, Selwyn shot him in the stomach, causing him to fall over with a scream. The palace guard apparently survived, and was crawling over to the door past the bodies that piled up there, with blood coming from his stomach. Mauryl noticed and fired one shot from his E-11, killing him with a headshot.

"Such is the fate of enemies of the Emperor!" Selwyn said to no one in particular.

"For the Empire!" yelled Mauryl from behind a wrecked computer console.

Selwyn thought he heard a faint "For the Rebellion!" coming from the hallway but did not get to finish his thought as an Imperial Army trooper ran into the room—only to trip on one of the dead bodies by the door, and fall onto the ground. Traitorous scum! Selwyn thought. A single shot to the head, followed by a yelp of pain, left the treasonous army trooper dead.

"My ammunition is getting low!" yelled Mauryl from his spot.

"Same here. We cannot keep fighting like this!"

The Guardsman looked around the room. There had to be a way out of here other than the door.

"Is there any other way out?"

Mauryl thought for a moment. "There should be a service tunnel over on the opposite side of the room."

He looked behind him, and sure enough, he spotted a small doorway wedged between two computer consoles. The guardsman looked over to the door, and seeing no one coming, he turned to the stormtrooper.

"Looks like they are regrouping. We should get out of here, corporal."

"Agreed, sir," he replied.

The two quickly ran to the back of the room, and Mauryl pressed some buttons on a small panel. The door into the service hall slid open, and the two ran inside. Mauryl, giving one final look at the door on the other side of the room, closed the service hall entrance.

"Grand Moff Argon? The commander reports that three patrols of palace guards were eliminated by the loyalists."

Argon looked enraged. But then again, I shouldn't be too surprised.

"Fine. Then get the entire palace guard over there! And get the army troops that are loyal to us to attack them as well!"

Zelos nodded, and another officer spoke out. "Sir, the Executor just entered the system! Lord Vader demands you speak to him!"

Argon's old face turned pale.