Boom. Boom.
Boom. Boom.
Boom. Boom.
Artel awoke suddenly, clammy sweat sticking to his hair and forehead. He rolled out of the bed, which was less comfortable than he would have liked, and stumbled, half blind, to the window.
The sky was a rich, pure reddy-pink, the clouds tinted purple and orange by the early morning sunlight. And then he saw it.
Out of the sky, through a gap in the clouds, a ship was descending. Another followed it, and then another, and then another. They weren't Republic vessels; those were Separatist ships.
Artel threw on his cloak and sprinted to the holoprojector, trying to communicate with Hyarkis. The image was fuzzy and broken up, as if the communications were being jammed, but Artel could just make out some of what he was saying.
"Separatists... A'alla system... invasion army... Techno Union... invade..."
The image broke off, replaced by a mass of blue static. Artel turned it off and picked up the communicator, carelessly thrown down on the floor by the bed, and tried to get hold of Opa. The signal was jammed; all he could hear was static.
Artel swore loudly and ran over to Doc and Ballo's rooms, pounding on the doors with his fists while shouting their names. Ballo came out immediately, Jedi robe discarded to show his clone armour underneath, and Doc followed closely, rubbing the sleep from his enormous black eyes.
"What is it?" Doc asked sleepily. Artel carted him to the window and showed him the landing ships.
"That's what it is," Artel said bluntly.
Ballo growled under his breath. "I haven't seen ships like that since Geonosis," he commented and tapped the scar on the side of his head. "They gave me this, and I'd like to repay the favour."
"Indeed." Artel grabbed his lightsaber and ran out of the apartment block and into the streets.
Everywhere, there was chaos. People were running in all directions, screaming madly. Artel thought he saw someone who looked like Ajiarr hurriedly collecting his belongings into a cart, but the pink-skinned Twi'lek fled before Artel had the chance to approach him.
"Where to now?" Doc demanded, for a moment taken up in the panic-stricken crowd.
Artel pointed towards the spire, which loomed up over the city. It looked particularly vulnerable as it looked across the wastelands, peeking over the top of the wall, an easy target for Separatist ships and troops alike.
"Ballo and I are going in there!" he replied. "Doc," he addressed the flustered Rodian, "I need you to go back to the shuttle. Tell Opa to go back to the Akarak and to tell the Council what was happened. Hopefully they'll send someone to sort out this mess."
Doc nodded bravely. "Whatever you say, sir."
"Good luck, Doc. May the Force be with you."
"And with you, General."
Ballo and Artel watched Doc run off to the south gates of the city and then sprinted towards the spire, cutting a path through the crowd, which seemed to be getting bigger by the minute.
"What do you want here?" Hyarkis demanded as they entered the audience chamber. He was alone with Assari, and both looked flustered and pale with fear.
"We need to organise the defence of the city," Artel replied bluntly.
Hyarkis shook his head. "No," he said. "No; we surrender to them, immediately. There's nothing we can do to save us from them."
"So you're just going to give in to those Separatist scum?" Ballo asked, incredulously.
Hyarkis stared at Ballo, as if he'd only just noticed him. "A... a clone trooper? In the city?" He turned back to Artel. "How dare you deceive me..."
Artel put up a hand to stop him. "There's no time, Baron. Just answer his question."
Hyarkis shrugges. "It would mean our trade links would be reestablished..." he pondered, deep in thought.
"You can't just give in to them!" exclaimed Ballo, exasperated.
"Do you have warriors? People to defend the city?" Artel inquired earnestly.
"A few," Assari admitted. "But they..."
"Then now is the time," Artel interrupted him. "I'll take command of the city defences. Until this attack has ended, this city is under martial law. Is that understood?"
Hyarkis and Assari reluctantly nodded.
"Good. Commander Ballo and I will defend the city walls. If they fall, so does the city."
"Ok, then," Hyarkis sighed. "But be warned, Master Jedi. I don't want any fighting inside the city. Is that clear?"
"Baron, sometimes these things..."
"Is that clear?"
"Yes, Baron. No troops will enter the city, I promise you."
Hyarkis looked wild-eyed. "I'll hold you to that, Jedi."