The story of Volar + Carodin Odias

Part One

Carodin Odias entered the Briefing room. He stood-to and awaited the arrival of his superior. It seemed strange that a mere corporal such as himself would be called in to this particular briefing room, rather than having his orders transmitted to him through the normal channels. The doors to his right opened and the figure of a mysterious robed figure appeared. Slowly the figure entered the room and stood close to Carodin. He could not make out the face of this individual through the shadow of the Jedi's cloak, but he instantly figured out who it was.

"Ah, Master Jedi Calan Ordlenko, it's an honor... sir. I was not expecting-"

The Jedi turned to Carodin and spoke firmly. "What state of mind are you in, Corporal? Are you fit?"

"Y-yes, sir. I believe so sir"

"Good, I need you to be prepared for what I am about to tell you. It will not be easy for you to hear. A few days ago your younger brother, Volar, was sent on a smuggling run to Ord Mantell."

Carodin began to feel uneasy. Ord Mantell is a very heated zone in the Repbulic-Empire conflict. Carodin had seen action there himself. He did not like where this is going.

"He was delivering vital weapons to Republic military personnel there, along with his companion, Alandra Mokel. Once the ship left and hit outer-atmosphere, there was an explosion. A scouting party was sent to investigate the crash site. There was nothing."

Carodin found this news hard to take in. His younger brother, gone. Just...gone.

The Jedi could sense that Carodin was not taking the news well, and could sense the rising anger in the soldier. He slowly reached into his robes.

"He was over a Republic Zone! No empire gun could have hit at that range! You... How could you? After all my family has done for the Republic! You betray my brother. You betray ME!"

Carodin raised his rifle, but the end of it was met with the green haze of a lightsaber and the weapon was rendered useless. He then proceeded to draw his side-arm, but a sudden push met him and he was forced backwards, collapsing into the desk. Before he could react any further, he could feel the heat of a lightsaber held inches away from his neck.

Listen carefully Corporal. The Republic has not betrayed you. Nor have I. The destruction of your brothers ship was not ordered by authorized miltary personnel. No mans heart is far from corruption. We must find out what happened. Mourn for Volar, but do not dwell on him, for he is surely now one with the force.

Now, here is what you must do."

(Two weeks previous)
Volar opened his eyes into a squint. The low hum of the engines of The Regal Star was slightly off-pitch, he thought. He lifted himself from his bunk and proceeded over to the mirror.

"Boy am I a mess"

Volar was 20 years old, though his mature appearance gave the impression that he was a couple of years older. His short brown hair was in good need of a combing and his stubble, usually short yet visible, which added to his attractiveness, had grown slightly beyond that stage now.


"Ah, you're awake. Good morning handsome"

Through his morning squint Volar could make out the figure of Alandra Mokel. Her long red hair had been neatly combed and left to flow over her shoulders. She was already dressed and equipped to make the most of the working day, unlike Volar.

"Or not so handsome, if your current appearance is anything to go by. How do you expect to romance a gal like me if you can't look after yourself properly? Hurry up and get changed, we have an assignment to carry out"

Twenty minutes later Volar joined Alandra in the cockpit. Alandra appeared to be concentrating on what she was doing, so Volar opted not to disturb her. Alandra sensed his appearance and spoke without turning to him.

"We are about an hour away from Coruscant. Hopefully Republic HQ won't give us too much hassle, we are running a tight ship as it is"

Volar slumped into the pilot seat. The ship had just come out of hyperspace and the city-planet of Coruscant was in plain view. Volar then checked his console. A yellow strobe was indicating that ventilation pressure was slightly above the threshold.

"So that is what is making the strange engine pitch"

"Yeah, you might want to check that out. To be honest it has been driving me around the bend. Go sort that out and I will prepare for our landing"

Volar got up and walked to the entrance of the cockpit, before turning to Alandra and giving a salute.

"Yes, SIR!"

Alandra turned around and gave Volar a stern look. This was a woman who would not suffer fools.

"Foolhardiness will get you nowhere with me my good sir. This may be your ship, but I run our business, both credit earning and... private"

Alandra gave a disturbing smile. Volar left the cockpit and began to investigate the engine problem. He made his way to the main engine room, careful not to accidentally tamper with any components. He had spent a lot of hard-earned credits sprucing up this machine.

Upon inspection, it was clear that the problem was merely over-heating. Too much drag must have been created when the ship had entered hyperspace. A little coolant would fix that right up.

Volar re-entered the cockpit while Alandra was speaking to ground control.

"Roger that, Regal Star. You have been cleared to land on Republic military property. Please ensure that all weaponry that you may be carrying is declared to our security personnel before your briefing. Once you have made your descent, proceed to Hangar D-7 and await further instructions."

Alandra turned to Volar and smiled.

"Lets see what the almighty Republic has to offer, eh?"

The Regal Star touched down onto the landing pad. Volar checked his outfitting and headed to the bunks where Alandra was outfitting herself. Volar entered as Alandra was fastening back her long, red hair. She then turned to Volar and smiled. She was currently clad with Mandolorian MK II armor. It was mainly grey, but had two distinctive red stripes down the sides. She had once told Volar that she chose this type of outfitting in memory of her ancestors who were apparently mandalorian, with the armor being passed down through the family. Volar never questioned this.

Alandra stood up, holding her helmet by her waist.

"Shall we head off then?"

The pair walked out onto the landing platform. They were roughly mid-level in the city. Buildings towered for miles above them yet, looking over the side, Volar could not even see the ground.

They were then beckoned into the main hangar bay by a man of middle age, dressed in a formal suit, surrounded by what appeared to be bodyguards. Upon entry, they were greeted by a cluster of large crates.

"This is our cargo, I assume?"

The dealer nodded. "This stock needs to be delivered to our dedicated troops on Ord Mantel. As you know, there is fierce fighting there at the moment, and these supplies are desperately needed"

"Very well. The sector of space surrounding the planet, however, is crawling with sith cruisers. I hope the pay is worth the risk"

"You will be getting 150,000 credits, smuggler, and not a single credit more"

"I trust then that you will transfer them into the usual account?"

The dealer let out a sigh. "Yes, Yes, you will be paid in full once you have delivered the 'package'. How a smuggler such as yourself manages to spend all of these credits, I have no idea"

Volar acknowledged this, and he and Alandra returned to The Regal Star while the service droids loaded the cargo onto their ship.

Volar began to prepare the ship for departure. The pitch of the engine seemed fine now, which was a good sign, and all consoles and cruise-assistance were on stand-by. Volar was making his way towards the cockpit, but stopped just beyond the doorway to hear the tail-end of a conversation Alandra was holding over her console.

"You will get the credits when it is done. Contact me at the time and we will make our arrangements"

"Very well. Volar and myself will be departing shortly"

Volar entered the cockpit and sat in the pilots seat. Alandra turned to him, surprised that he had finished his pre-flight system check so quickly.

"So what was that conversation about?"

"Oh, just making some extra spending money on the side" Alandra smiled. "A girl can never have too many clothes."

The Regal Star lifted from the landing pad and flew upwards, zig-zagging between sky-scrapers before eventually leaving the outer-atmosphere of the planet.

"All systems online"

"Preparing to enter Hyper-space"

Part 2

The hustle and bustle in Coruscants Rapid Assault Strike Team (R.A.S.T)
headquarters was far beyond the normal level. There was a lot of tension in the air. A big strike mission was about to take place, and everyone knew it. Veterans of such missions sat checking their gear, while fresher faces were tasked to spend their time delivering messages and gathering equipment. The armory was near empty, several empty racks showed where armor and high-quality weapons had once been held. The hangar was also hectic. Several star-fighters and small transport ships were being prepared for what could turn out to be a massive battle.

Calan Orlenko entered the main hangar bay, closely followed by newly promoted Sergeant Carodin Odias. Carodin was already kitted out and was wearing his helmet already, to avoid showing his nerves to those men who he may be required to lead.
The arrival of the pair into the main hangar bay drew a lot of attention. All the noise and chatter that had previously filled the area was replaced by a sudden hush.

"As you all know, these are dangerous times. The peace established by the Treaty of Coruscant is hanging by a thread. The situation on and around Ord Mantell is heating up. You know this, many of you have seen combat there. There have been reports of a powerful Sith in that sector. That is Jedi business. Your business today is the defense of the Republic. By stopping the threat endangering the balance of power in that sector, the Republic will maintain a suitable level of safety and security, thanks to your efforts"

Calan turned to Carodin, content that his speech was enough to motivate the men to achieve their assigned goals.

"Sergeant, you will be heading a small strike team and will move with me at all times. There will be a time to mourn for your brother, but it is not now. Stay strong"

With that, Calan pulled his robe over his head and boarded his transport. Carodin stood, and realizing that the clock was ticking, collected himself and gathered his gear.

"All right, men. You know what you have to do. Stick close, strike hard, strike fast, show no mercy. I want to see no breakages in the volume of fire. Run a two barrel spread. One man fires as the man next to him reloads. Give the enemy NO breathing space. Move out!"

Carodin and his men boarded the transport. A small time later, all the transports and star ships lifted off and ascended from the hangar, quickly disappearing above the outer atmosphere of the planet.

(one week previous)

"Nothing like sharing a bunk to pass the time, eh?"

"Indeed" Alandra got up and began to get dressed. "Come on, we will be dropping out of hyperspace soon"

Volar got up and kitted himself out. Ord Mantell was a dangerous planet, he had to be prepared for anything. This was even more the case if the rumors regarding the sector were true. A sith heading a stealthed cruiser patrolling the sector? Hmph, little more than a cantina rumor

Volar gathered everything he needed and headed to the cockpit. Alandra was already working away at her console, preparing landing co-ordinates for the ship and communicating with ground control.

"Roger that Regal Star. Proceed to Alpha Quadrant, but be sure to fly low whilst moving to grid point bravo where the drop-off is being held. An increasing Empire presence in the area means that we can take no risks with our supplies"

Alandra shut down the console and turned to Volar. "Only a couple more minutes, make sure you are ready, this could turnout to be one dangerous landing"

The Regal Star descended into the atmosphere of Ord Mantell. Volar took manual control of the ship. Flying low across this terrain was risky at the best of times. He wouldn't let anything happen to his baby, Regal Star. The ship continued on a North-West bearing until a large white structure came into view.

"Must be the local Republic camp. Yes, delta quadrant according to these co-ordinates. Set her down gently."

Volar touched the ship down on the largest area of grass he could find.Great. They could not even be bothered to build a make-shift landing area

Volar and Alandra made their way down the loading ramp. They had not so much as stepped off the ship before service droids raced on and began to un-load the cargo.

A large man in Republic uniform approached the pair. Volar assumed that this must be the man in charge of the camp.

"Ah, supplies! About bloody time!" The commander outstretched his hand.

Volar did not take the offer to shake the mans hand."Yes, and i believe I am owed 150,000 credits now"

The commander was momentarily started, then a smile re-emerged on his face. "Ah, you smuggler and mercenaries are always so business-like and straight to the point. I wish i could say the same for my troopers"

Volar was losing patience already. He just wanted to get his pay and get off-planet as quickly as possible."Yes, yes, as do I. May I take my credits now and go?"

The commander laughed again as he reached into his pocket and handed over the credit-file. Alandra jumped in "I'll take that, if you don't mind" She turned to Volar. To keep it safe, knowing you for as long as i have I am willing to bet you'd drop this into the engine of your ship"

Volar all too under-enthusiastically bade the commander farewell and both he and Alandra re-entered the ship.

"Right, lets get out of here and spend a few well-earned credits"

The ship took off, near deafening the nearby camp-workers as it went, and roared off into the atmosphere.

Volar let go of the console and gave off a large smile. "So, where shall we-".

Volar felt the tip of a blaster pistol touch the back of his head. His smile dropped instantly.

"To the Hutta region, that is where" Alandra tightened her grip on her weapon. "I like you Volar. I really do. And it has been a great adventure hanging around with you."

Volar could not believe this. The one person he had learned to trust in the whole galaxy had betrayed him... for credits. She was a Bounty Hunter. Giving a small sigh, Volar guessed that this was a possible eventuality.

Volar remained frozen, waiting for Alandra to lower her guard so he could strike.

"But your activities have earned you many enemies Volar. There is quite the price on your head. I intend to capitalise on this"

The weapon momentarily lifted slightly away from Volars head. This was his chance. Not missing a heart-beat, Volar forcibly rolled back his seat into Alandras stomache, forcing her to the ground. Seeing she was in a weakened state, he reached for his blaster.

As he turned towards Alandra, however, he felt a sudden sting in his chest.

Agh, stun...dart. Volars legs gave way and he fell to the ground. Everything went black.

Alandra, re-focusing herself after her fall, approached the unconscious body of Volar and began to bind him. Looking down on Volar, Alandra realized she would still require a moment or two to collect herself.

"I like you Volar. Maybe even love you. But you do not even realize how deep into this you really are. You are going to make me very rich my friend."

Alandra sat down at the main console and began to enter co-ordinates for the space sector surrounding the planet of Nal Hutta. She thought that she felt a sudden thud on the side of the ship.

"Probably nothing. Volar might not have fixed the engines properly. But it will only be minor"

A Vibro-blade appeared at Alandras' neck. She gritted her teeth. She had heard rumors of imperial stealth troopers, but had never encountered one. Until now.

"No sudden movements, Bounty Hunter. We were not briefed on your presence." The soldier turned his head. His comrades were already dragging Volar away to their boarding vessel. "But thank you for your help. That saved us a lot of work. Now get up, you are coming with us"

The vessel fast approached a large Imperial cruiser. The stealth systems on that thing must be state-of-the-art. How else could a vessel that size patrol this sector un-noticed?

As the transport vessel approached the main cruiser, one of the cannons let off a deafening noise. The cruiser had fired directly onto The Regal Star, its wreckage slowly re-entering the atmosphere of Ord Mantell.

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Volar awoke in a small cell aboard the cruiser. His sight was blurry. He slowly got to his feet, and staggered over to the cage barrier. He tried to touch it, but he received a minor electirc shock to his hand when he did so. Holding his hand, he started calling out. "Alandra! Where am I? You think you are clever, don't you? The Hutts will double-cross you, surely you are smart enough to know this"

"It is not the Hutts you need to worry about, smuggler"

Volar backed away from the barrier. Standing before him was a woman, seemingly in her thirties, wearing a red-battle suit, the kind well known for sith warriors to wear. She had short black hair and was physically well formed. Volar thought she was kind of hot, but that was canceled out by the fact that she is undeniably evil. Volars fears were confirmed when he noticed the lightsaber hilt attached to either side of her waist.

"I have no quarrel with you Volar. You are not tied to the republic, this i do know. It is thanks to your past efforts that Imperial soldiers have received much needed supplies in the outer-rim. However, we have been watching your progress. You have recently made a shipment to Republic soldiers on Ord Mantell. An important shipment. You are going to tell me what you were delivering"

Volar took a couple of moments to allow this to sink in. How does she know all of this? Eventually, Volar mustered the courage to speak up.

"You know this kind of information is never revealed to a Smuggler."

The sith frowned. "Wrong answer. GUARD! Begin the torture process. I want to know everything he does"

"Sergeant, have you managed to establish communication with the ground on Ord Mantell yet?" Calan Ordlenko was sitting in a meditating position on his seat in the transport. He had not even looked in Carodins' direction when he put forward the question. He remained fixed on his meditation.

"We are getting there sir. It is very hard to set up a secure channel in the middle of hyper-space." Carodin continued to tap away at his console, until he heard a welcome sound.

"This is Republic Ground Control. Do you read me Reaper 2 ?"

"Affirmative. This is Sergeant Carodin Odias of Repbulic Military, Coruscant Falcon squadron. Forgive me while I skip formalities here, but we are on a vital mission. We have reports of a stealth-cloaked Sith cruiser in your sector, and that you can help us find it. I trust you have successfully completed the proto-type anti-cloaking generator?"

"We have sir. We just received the vital components about a week ago, delivered by a seemingly small-time smuggler accompanied by a woman wearing some rather unique armor. It looked Mandalorian. The smugglers' name was Volar, I believe. Do you know this person?"

Carodin paused. Volar...

"We never receive information like that. If intelligence flowed that easily, Imperial Agents would have a field day. Get ready to fire up the generator, we will be dropping out of hyper-space in less than an hour"

It seemed as though Calan was finished meditating and was now focused on preparing for the mission ahead. Carodin made his way out of the cockpit into the main seating area of the transport, where his men were awaiting further orders.

"Ok men, listen up. Shortly we will be dropping out of hyper-space, our destination in the vicinity of Ord Mantell. One the anti-stealth generator is running, it will hopefully reveal the enemy cruiser. We will then begin the initial bombardment. Just enough to lower defenses enough to ensure minimal casualties. We will then be leading the strike-team that boards the vessel. Once you are in, keep firing and check your corners. We will split up once inside. Alpha will move down towards engineering and the fuelling stations. Bravo will follow Jedi Master Ordlenko and myself to the bridge. Get set men.

A voice re-appeared on the console. "Firing for Effect."

The anti-cloaking generator fired up. Electricity was flowing all around the containment chamber. As the noise levels began to rise, so did the light and electricity flowing from the machine. A pair of panicked looking engineers observed from behind a maintenance barrier. Then, the machine made a massive crack, and a beam of light and electricity shot up into the sky. The beam flowed out of the atmosphere until it hit the side of the Imperial Cruiser.

"We have a lock on the Imperial Cruiser. I Repeat. We have a lock on the Imperial Cruiser!"

"That is our cue. Brace yourselves!"

Suddenly, the Republic ships dropped out of hyper-space almost directly onto the cruiser. The ships began bombarding the cruiser with their main guns. The guns appeared to be doing little damage. The shields were too strong.

"Aim for the shield generators protecting the hangar bay!"

A squadron of Republic star-fighters split off from the main group. They maintained a scattered formation, criss-crossing their fire onto incoming Imperial fighters, avoiding opposing fire. A further group of a half-dozen star-fighters split off and flew close to the side of the cruiser, headed towards the hangar bay. Each let off two missiles, destroying two hangar bay shield generators. Another small group came in for another pass, finishing off the remaining generators.

"Alpha team, head for the Hangars! From there, head to engineering, GO!"

A large group of transports split off from the small fleet and headed directly for the hangar bay.

"Pilot, head directly for the side of the cruiser, below the bridge. We'll make a hole and deploy there, causing the enemy to be pincered. Everybody, ready yourselves"

The soldiers all picked up their helmets and placed them on. Each picket up a small oxygen tank, to help with breathing during the boarding process before the breach is sealed. Each then picked up their weapon of choice from the armory and awaited further orders.

"Now! Fire the Main Cannon!"

Alandra sat on her cell bunk. She had her back to the wall, and her knees were held tightly against her chest, with her chin resting on top. She was rocking backwards and forwards slowly. Down the corridor she would occasionally hear one of Volars' screams. Each time she would shiver uncontrollably, and she would begin to cry.

"What have I done? This is madness! Poor Volar..."

It had dawned on Alandra through this experience how cold and mercenary she had become. Just like her father. She looked across to her Mandalorian Predator Armor, which she had inherited from him.

"No, I don't want to be him! I don't want to sacrifice those I love! No!"

Just then the shield cage of her cell went down, and a guard entered. Before he could speak, Alandra had darted at him. She punched him in the stomache, causing him to bend forward. She then back-fisted him with the same hand to the face, causing him to then fall backwards. She caught his back with a rising knee, held the back of his head with one hand and punched down onto the front of his neck with the other. Following a sickening crack, Alandra let the life-less body drop to the floor. She then proceeded to don her armor and retrieved the guards' blaster.

"It is time to make things right"

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"My Lord Andul Taar, it is an honor to speak with you once again. It may interest you to know that we have managed to capture a couple of rather interesting individuals. A Smuggler named Volar Odias and a Bounty Hunter named Alandra Mokel"

"You took PRISONERS?!?!"

"Y-yes, my Lord. Is-is something wrong?"

The hologram picked up some static, though the anger of her master was very clear. "Are you not aware that the Jedi are hunting you? This open act will have drawn attention. This I know has already happened. You are being actively hunted by Jedi Master Calan Ordlenko. You had better prepare yourself, my Apprentice"

With that the Hologram was interrupted. The ship shook as several Republic ships appeared on radar.

"Where did they come from?!? More importantly, how do they know we are here? Everyone, to your postitions. Eliminate these Republic scum!"

Suddenly the light of a mass particle cannon from a Republic vessel made a massive roar and made a hole in the side of the ship, knocking moss of the crew off of their feet.

The boarding ship reached the breach in the hull. A dozen squads of Republic soldiers stormed out into the stretching corridors of the sith vessel. The patrolling guards stood no chance against this surprise attack. Sgt. Odias and Master Orlenko stepped into the clearing.

"We need to be quick. She knows we are here." Calan threw off his cloak and drew his lightsaber. This man was ready for action.

"Good progress men. Now form on me. Strike them hard and strike fast. And watch those corners!"

The unit advanced. The sith guards came in waves, but their defenses were no match for the Falcons. The unit halted at the end of the corridor and halted as Carodin set about downloading ship blueprints and schematics from a nearby terminal.

"According to this, the fastest way to the Bridge is through the prison block here. Alpha, how are you guys doing down in Engineering?"

Through alot of blaster fire and static, Carodin could just about hear "Like a trawler through Bantha poodoo" Nice

"Ok, rig those charges, I want to sweep through the Prison Block as fast as possible"

The doors flew apart in the explosion. The soldiers rushed through and found a live body on the floor. They did not fire, this was no sith. The Mandalorian armor showed that.

Alandra held one hand over her eyes, temporarily blinded by the explosion. "Don't shoot! I am not your enemy!"

Carodin grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to her feet. The other soldiers were pointing their blasters at her, ready to make the shot if she was a problem.

"Is that so? Who are you, what are you doing here?"

Alandra straightened herself up and stared directly into the visor of Carodins helmet. "Alandra Mokel. I was on a business deal with a Smuggler called Volar Odias before we were abducted. Please, you have to help me rescue him, we are not enemies of the Republic!"

Carodin was wide eyed. This was not something he expected to hear. Volar...

"Come on, hurry!"

The group charged down the central corridor of the corridor, checking every cell along the way, until both Alandra and Carodin met a familiar sight. Volar was held up in chains on the wall of his cell. Alandra reached for the console and typed in the codes to lower the barrier. She then ran in and released Volar from his chains.

"You-" Before Volar could say anything Alandras lips met his in a passionate kiss. Alandra began to cry.

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I have failed you, but I want to make everything right. I love you Volar... I love you"

Carodin gave the pair a moment before he entered the cell. "Volar, you dirty son of a Bantha, I can't believe you are alive! What the hell happened?"

An annoyed-looking Jedi was standing in the doorway. "I hate to break up your little party here Sergeant Odias but there is a WAR ON!"

The group got on their gear. Carodin gave Volar a blaster and a couple of Thermal Detonators. "Do what you do best mate"

The group left the cell and made their way through the corridor. They were met by a walkway junction, paused for a second and proceeded towards the Bridge, taking down any resistance as they did so.

The group were surprised to find that the blast doors to the bridge had not been sealed. Carodin signaled his men to move forward wit caution, they were taking no risks. By this stage the group consisted of Carodin, Volar, Calan, Alandra and four other republic soldiers. They had taken quite a fight to get here.

They moved up the centre of the bridge. "Careful. I can feel a presence." Calan dropped his outer robes to the floor and pulled out his lightsaber hilt, but did not activate it. It was clear he knew that an attack was imminent.

Out of the blue two red lights suddenly appeared. They circled the group and cut through the remaining republic soldiers. The blades would have hit Volar also, but Alandra had dropped, bringing him down with her.

The Sith revealed herself, a red lightsaber in either hand, slowly approaching Calan. "So the Jedi Master reveals himself. A one Calan Ordlenko. My master speaks quite highly of you. It's a shame you will never get to meet him."

Calan activated his lightsaber, revealing a green glow. "Be silent, Sith. I will not trade words with your kind" Calan turned to the others. "Don't get involved, you will only be harmed"

"Don't worry, Jedi. They will have more than enough to keep them busy"

Blaster fire opened up from behind the group. The Imperial soldiers had managed to re-group behind them and were making a charge for their rear. "Everyone, get to cover! Hold them off. Keep them away from the bridge controls!"

A firefight ensued between the two sides. In the middle of the carnage were mixing glows of clashing green and red light. Calan was observing the movements of the sith warrior amidst the duel. Twin lightsabers. Purely aggressive stance. I will play a defensive role until she wears out

In the centre walkway of the bridge the two force-users were engulfed in a whirlwind of coloured glow as their isolated duel continues. Neither of them seemed at all concerned by the blaster fire taking place all around them.

The fighting continued, with intense blaster fire filling the air. Volar, Carodin and Alandra were taking cover behind the consoles at the end of the bridge, firing across at the Imperial Soldiers pouring from the breached blast doors. The two force users were still heavily engaged in lightsaber combat, and nobody dared interrupt them. The ship began to shake.

“Alpha, what is going on down there? Alpha, do you copy?”. Carodin was receiving little other than static over his comm.. Then suddenly a voice came through. “Sir…ambush…leaked fuselage…evacuate…sorry”. Carodins face fell. He turned to his comrades. “We have to get out of here, now!”. He adjusted his comm frequency. “Give a message to the Admiral. Tell him that the ship is in critical condition and we are heading for the escape pods. DO NOT fire upon any craft leaving the cruiser!” Carodin opened his pack and pulled out a flash grenade and two thermal detonators. “We take the fight to them, but be sure to give the Jedi some space!”

Calan was still engaged in combat with the Sith. He was blocking every flurry made against him. ‘Where does she get this energy?’. He could feel his own strength waning. He had to end this soon.

Carodin lifted himself out of cover, assault rifle held firmly to his shoulder, firing round into the open. Volar and Alandra moved down the opposing side, giving Carodin covering fire. As he reached the end, Carodin primed and threw his flashbang, and Volar and Alandra followed suit with their detonators. There was a large cry followed by an even larger explosion. The Imperial soldiers had begun to fall back. Calan let out a cry, and the others turned around in shock to see what was happening. Calan had been lifted by force lightning and was thrown across the room. Volar fired a couple of shots, but they were efficiently deflected. The Sith let off a force push, knocking the entire party off their feet. Volar found himself slouched against a console with the glow of a red lightsaber at his chest.

“You have been more trouble than you are worth, SMUGGLER!”She raised her lightsaber to make a strike. This was it, it was over. Before the blade could strike him, however, a blaster shot hit her wrist, causing her to scream in pain and drop her raised weapon. Seizing this chance, Volar reached for his blaster. He aimed upwards and fired, landing a short directly into the chest of the Sith Apprentice. She fell limp, and dropped to the floor. Volar looked to his right and saw Alandra lying on the floor, perched on her left arm, her right holding a blaster pistol aimed at where the Sith had stood.

Volar got to his feet, leaning against the console. He gathered himself, approached Alandra, grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Looking over his shoulder, Volar could see that Carodin was assisting Calan. The ship began to shake again, this time fierce and unrelenting. “We need to get off of this ship now! Get to the emergency pods! Move it!”

‘We’d better hope the Imperial Soldiers have not taken them all’. Luckily for the group there was little resistance as they made their way down the vast, open corridors towards the pod bay. They would not have been able to put up a proper fight. As the group reached the pod bay, it was noticeable that many of the pods were gone. All of them, in fact, bar one, which appeared to have a faulty shutter release. “Everyone get in, I will sort this out”. Volar tapped away at the control console as Carodin helped Calan into the pod, both of them sat down. Alandra waited behind Volar. Volar finished and began to step into the pod. Alandra tried to follow, but was met with a blaster. Volar, with a furious look on his face, was pointing his blaster directly into Alandras chest.

Alandra could not hide her surprise at this action. “I don’t think so.”

“W-what? I don’t-“

“You are not coming with us. You BETRAYED me, remember? Because of you I have lost my ship, my money, and I damn near lost my sanity! Because of you I faced near endless torture at the hands of the Imperial Soldiers, tortured to answer questions I did not know the answers to to begin with. There is no going back for us now. You can face a fitting end in this hellhole.”

“But, Volar, I-“

“But NOTHING!”

“I LOVE YOU! Can’t you see that? I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry! Please, don’t do this!”

“I’m sorry, but this must be done. There is no turning back. Goodbye Alandra”

With that, the pod closed, and Volar sat himself next to his brother. Alandra stepped back, away from the pod, tears streaming down her face. She fell to her knees, and began to sob uncontrollably. The pod launched into space, headed towards the Republic fleet, who would soon pick them up. The group sat in silence. Calan tended to his wounds. Carodin sat with his hand on the shoulder of Volar, who had his head buried in his hands. They looked out towards the Sith Cruiser. It began to tear apart, almost cleanly in two. There could be no survivors.

Volar gathered the strength to speak up. “First things first, I need a new ship”