Liberation of Duro: Darkest Night

[Colonel Connors]

:Two weeks before attack:

The lights of Pellezara Station were blinding as the passengers of the Astral Gambit boarded the station. The dimly lit docking tubes did nothing to prepare the new arrivals for the blinding light emitted by the systems sun and the artificial lighting running along the curve of the large city dome. The bright lighting did little to hide the stations age and history. Many old and damaged buildings could be seen in the distance among the cityscape. A large rail station filled most of the welcome plaza. Two rails leading off into the city went forever in both directions. Small shops and other store fronts filled the remaining space. Most meant to grab as much of the newcomers credits as possible before them departing for wherever in the city they were destine for. The more than familiar sight of Imperial troopers and customs officials could not be missed. Duros greeters helped people with their bags and to the tram station, for a small fee of course. This outer system station was no different than any floating city around Duro or any other planet for that matter. Owned by private citizens bullied into Imperial oversight and management. What was different was the fact that even under Imperial management the city still allowed the daily flight shows put on by Station personnel. Each day the mundane station turned into a tourist magnet as the airshow entertained any and all who frequent Pellezara Station.

Connors looked around the plaza and noticed right away the AT-ST in the distance waiting for an excuse to pounce. Every main entrance had at least two Imperial regulars standing near them. It was apparent that the Imperials had been expecting something after the Sullust attack. This state of readiness was seldom see on unimportant stations like this. He grabbed the bag on the floor next to him and walked to the tram stations. The double flight of stairs led down into the main tram terminal. Two small turbo lifts flanked the stairwell and seemed to just go between the plaza and the terminal itself. He walked to the security checkpoint and handed the attendant the small data pad he had been given when he departed the Astral Gambit. The attendant scanned the pad then handed it back to Connors.

"Terminal forty seven sir. Welcome to Pellezara Station."

He smiled and walked away from the checkpoint and to the long hallway which ran for a kilometer in each direction. The tram rails seem to split and run to a series of small terminals. Each with its on waiting area. He looked at the overhead displays and saw his terminal and walked toward sit. Half way down the hallway he caught a glimpse of someone her knew. Corporal Treniin was standing at a terminal watching the trams board. He smiled and walked past the man without so much as a nod. They were not to have any contact while on the outer system city. This was just a layover for the next phase of the mission.

The trip to his quarters took the better part of a standard hour and Connors was ready to kick back and decompress after the long trip from Corellia. Getting in and out of CorSec security was a nightmare and Connors was on edge the entire time on Corellia. He had not seen any of his team there which meant they were doing what they were trained to. He could only hope they all made it from Corellia to Duro. They had payed a small fortune for the security passes and identities needed to get to Duro. He hoped they credits were well spent. He sat on the small sofa in the corner of his suite and relaxed. He had a three day layover here and had no idea how to spend the time. He watched the afternoon airshow and caught a holodrama that night. The next day was spent exercising and reading a data magazine on how the Empire attempted to free the poor tortured people of Sullust and how the renegade pirates controlling the planet threatened to kill its population if the Imperial ships did not leave orbit. The headline read, REBELS KILL MILLIONS. The story sickened him and the tossed the data mag on the table and closed his eyes. He needed to get ready for his trip to the shipyard tomorrow. He knew everything he was supposed to to pass for an engineer. He just wanted to read over it all again. The next day Connors finished his breakfast and worked out before hitting the shower and preparing to leave. The room had been small but it reminded him of his officer quarters on the Independence. It felt oddly homey.

The departure station was nothing like the welcome plaza. It was a massive three tiered hanger on the upper levels of the city. Tall docking spires jutted up from the edge of the city with a motley assortment of freighters and shuttles docked to each. He found his shuttle and sat in the small waiting are. He wanted to get an idea of what kind of people he would be spending his trip with. Many of his team had gone to the shipyard the day before. Only he and four others were scheduled for today’s trip. He had spotted the other three members of his team as they entered the shuttle. He knew sitting much longer would draw attention. He stood and walked to the boarding hatch and gave the Duro security official his pad and waited for a moment. He was relieved when the Duro gave him back his pad and waved him on. He walked into the large shuttle and sat in the second row of seats from the boarding hatch. He liked to be close to the exit in case he needed to jump put in a hurry. He stuffed his bag between his legs and closed his eyes. The normal greeting and customs of the flight crew was a formality he was only there to ride this hunk of junk to the shipyard and get settled in. Once there his mission was half over. All that was to do then was wait. He sat quietly as the shuttle departed and accelerated towards the Duro Delta 12 Shipyards. He hoped the rest of the mission went this smooth.

[Colonel Connors]

20 hours before the attack.

Connors had been On Duro Delta 12 for ten days now. Alliance Intel had severely underestimated the Security and readiness of the Defense forces on the station. Most of his day was spent working in the engine room of the Impervious. The massive ship was the cleanest Destroyer he had even seen. The Empire spared no expense on building them. The battle over Sullust had damaged the ship and her reactor had lost partial containment and nearly destroyed the ship. Now an army of engineers had reworked the reactor and replaced the damaged containment projectors. If he and his team could not do something to disable the ship it would be more than ready for service when the Fleet arrived.

Connors had heard from his contact the day before that the second Mark III Destroyer was far more damaged. Many of her maneuvering systems needed work and parts for the new advanced Thrusters had not come in from Kuat as of then. He knew this was not by chance. Another team had been tasked with delaying the delivery and it appears they had succeed. Now when the Fleet arrived the [IThunderer [/I] would not be able to maneuver out of the shipyard slip. He and his team had to find a way to put the Merciless out of the fight before it started.

Connors had ended his shift and retired to the makeshift quarters Imperial security had set up in hanger four. The Hanger was the largest of the aft hangers and housed the assault units of the Impervious. Some two hundred engineers were housed here working in three shifts around the clock to get the ship online. Connors and the day shift had just finished their rotation and now many meet in a small car the Engineers had set up between the legs of an AT-AT. Security did not seem to care about the establishment. Many frequented it on their off rotations and Connors had even seen an off duty stormtroopers in there once in awhile. He sat at a makeshift table with three other engineers laughing and talking about co-workers and the days events. Several others sat enjoying a drink quietly, ignoring the small group. Connors watched as the last of the Imperial security officers left the small room then nodded to the bartender. The bartender walked around the bar and went to the hatchway leading into the room. Like clockwork the Bartender closed the hatch and four of the solitary patrons jumped up and grabbed the engineers siting close to them. In less than fifteen seconds the bar had been closed and the engineers not working with Connors had been drugged and knocked out. They would be harassed the next day for drinking too much and passing out. It would not have been the first time for any of them. Now the four men walked over to the table and sat. The bartender glanced at Connors then went back to tending to his duties behind the bar.

"OK, We have less than twenty hours to put this barge in a bad way. Team three has the Indomitable ready. I have sent word to them to proceed with the plan as if we had the Impervious disabled also. Now How do we do it? Ideas?"

A grumbling mix of ideas came all at once then Connors pointed to team twos leader. The man had an idea for how to disable the reactor. A daring plan which might get them all killed but would work. The Explosives tech on team four had planets explosives on the hanger they now sat. As well as the TIE hanger and Hanger One. The only female on the team had been working with the tech team repairing the targeting sensors and was sure she could disable them if needed. Connors listened to each team leader and specialist one at a time and considered their ideas. They now had less than nineteen hours to get the job done.

"OK we need to get some rest. I will work out a plan and give each of you their assignment when tomorrows shift begins. Marki, get with the crew on third rotation and have then stick around when their shift is done. Carl, make sure the Duro on board loyal to use do their job. We need this to go off without a hitch. We have an uphill battle tomorrow now lets make sure a couple of you stay to help our inebriated companions when they wake up. Three men nodded and went to sit again around the small bar. Connors stood and went to the hatch and unlocked it. He would try to sleep but he knew he would not. In his mind a thousand ideas and possibilities serge like waves on the sea. He was full of pride and fear. His people had done well and he knew they would do their jobs. He also knew the Imperial Security were trained well and they too would do theirs.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Eighteen hours before the attack.

De’Ville adjusted the cuff on her matte black pressure suit. She and her team had been on board the Golan space station in orbit of Duro for a full twenty-four hours, and the small storage locker they’d taken over was feeling cramped. Aside from a few scouting runs, they’d spent the majority of their time in the ten by ten room. Candan Lellan was doing push-ups again. Keeping his mouth shut for so long was probably the worst part of the mission for him.

Tavena Fil’lik met De’Ville’s eyes, and then went back to watching the screen of the datapad in her green hand. They had hacked into the station’s security feeds, and had timed out the Imperial patrols and routes to the sensitive areas of the station appropriately. Disabling the station wasn’t going to be the hard part. Getting off of it after they were done was.

A faint click click from beside her caught her attention, and she looked over at Kyle Mano. He bit on his fingernail again. click. De’Ville scowled at him, and he put his hands in his pockets a little sheepishly. Jurn Grenn was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. The Zabrak demolitions expert had already checked and rechecked the charges they were going to be placing, and was conserving his energy.

Lellan switched to one-handed push-ups, sweat beginning to drip off the end of his nose. De’Ville took Grenn’s lead and closed her eyes. Fil’lik would warn them if anyone came close to the locker, in the meantime there was nothing to do but wait.

[Reshmar]

The men and women of 3rd battalion were in place. Across every ship yard, orbital city and station men and women from every race loyal to the alliance readied for battle. In the depths of space the bulk of two fleets sat waiting for the signal to jump to hyperspace. Fighters sat in formation along side corvettes and frigates tending to their massive cruisers and battleships. The largest collection of ships and personnel ever assembled was amassed to strike as never before. With a force larger than the strike force amassed for Endor, the Alliance fleet was ready. Com channels opened, vid screens lit up, and halo displayed exploded into life. The voice and image of Admiral Reshmar appeared.

"The most ambitions operation ever carried out by the Alliance is about to begin. I regret many of you have been mislead and left in the dark for these past months. Every member of the assault force have only been given the information needed to do their part. All communications referring to the operation has been squelched. Private meetings with my staff and the heads of the Alliance were the only planning done for this action. No radio signals to intercept no courier to interrogant. The work of Alliance security and Intel has been outstanding this time around. For this I thank the few fine men and women who have had a part in this. Now the time has come for the rebellion to be felt again through out the galaxy. This day will mark the fiery birth of the Alliance as a true galactic power. No longer will we be conceived as a minor annoyance to the Empire. No longer will we be a band of rabble rousers and pirates living on the edge of the galaxy fighting a gorilla war. Today we will strike a blow that the entire galaxy would feel. The Phoenix will be reborn in fire and rise to fight injustice and tyranny, The republic will be restored!"

Reshmar paused for a moment then spoke again softly.

"May the force be with us all."

Reshmar signaled and the channel was closed. He looked at the chrono display ticking down to sixty and stop.

"It is time."

Reshmar walked to the command station and pressed in his security code enabling the chrono to finalize the count down. The sixty second timer began to count down. It hit zero and Reshmar closed his eyes and gave the order.

"Signal all battle groups to jump to the Duro system."

[Colonel Connors]

thirty minutes before attack

Specialist Tes Kellin kneeled next to the open power conduit access looking over the transfer lines with confusion.

"Colonel, didn't Marco say the green wire?"

Connors turned away from his lookout point near the hatch way into the power conversion chamber and walked over to the core wall. Looking over Kellin's shoulder he saw a mass of red wires bundled together, but no green wire. He took in the mass of confusion that was the power access then turned away to look out the door.

"Marco is color blind lieutenant. Just set a thermal charge and lets get the hell out of here."

Tes attached a small detonator to the bulk of wires then reattached the access cover. Connors stood looking down the gantry running from the power access chamber off the main access conduit. This part of the ship was way out of his clearance level and being seen here would not be good.

"Lets go already."

Tes ran up next to Connors and nodded. He took another look down both ways and stepped out onto the gantry way. The short run back to the conduit access went smooth. They crawled back into the large conduit and closed the hatch behind them. From there the three hundred meter crawl back to engineering took what seemed like an hour.

Connors kicked the hatch open and crawled out of the conduit relieved to be back on his feet. He hated cramped spaces, fighter training was a nightmare for him as a cadet. He just had to be able to run from a fight if he needed. Not that he did not try, he had always wanted to be a fighter pilot. Was his dream as a kid. Watching old clone wars footage of daring fighter assaults and dogfights. He had no idea he would have such an adverse response to the close quarters of fighter cockpits.

Connors looked around the small storage closet which connected to main engineering. Even this small room gave him the heeby jeebys. Tes climbed out of the conduit and replaced the hatch. She walked over to the hatch out into the main control section and started to open it. Connors grabbed her hand then pointed to the floor. He held up his finger to silence her and moved her away from the door. A small tripwire ran across the floor connected to what seemed to be a small fuel air explosive. He shook his head then cut the wire. Her turned to Tes and whispered.

"Marco rigged the damn door while we were gone. Remind me to see he receives an optical implant if we make it out of this."

She laughed then opened the door. The shift change was five minutes away and most of the workers and security personnel were near the station umbilical. She watched Connors reconnect the charge and close the door. Connors pointed out the door and too the left. A security station was located there, that would be their first target. The two walked to the hatch and stood on each side of the door. Connors took a look out and around the corner. Two stormtroopers stood talking about something. Storm troopers were not what they used to be. He remembered the 501st. Those guys were troopers. These new guys just seemed like glorified security guards. Connors turned to Tes and whispered.

"Kellin, get the guns."

Tes ran over to the far side of the room and opened a ventilation access and grabbed a pack. She took the pack back to the doorway and opened it handing Connors his rifle and a sidearm. She took out her blaster and two vibroblades. Connors threw the rifle over his shoulder and attached the holster for the blaster. Tes handed him one of the vibroblades and took the other. The two stood silent waiting for the signal that would start the entire operations. A single buzz sounded on Connors chrono and immediately the ship shook. A second later a deafening sound blast through rushed the deck and turned the Stormtroopers towards the main turbolift. Connors and Tes exploded out the door blasters in hand and each fired four shots center mass into the stormtroopers as they turned to engaged them. One trooper got a shot off but it was wide and hit the ceiling. Connors ran past the two downed troopers and locked secured the security station. Tes kneeled over the bodies one by one and jammed the vibrobladed into the accessible neck sleeve just below the helmet killing the two already dying troopers. Alarms went off and the deck shook again. Connors walked back to the two dead stormtroopers and reached out to helped Tes to her feet.

"Let go kill some Imperials."

[Reshmar]

Marco looked over the row of lockers they had tore down for cover. The Corridor was full of flashing light and smoke. The thermal visors were useless at this point heat and debris filed the air.. Fellion sat next to him looking over the floor plan for deck forty two. All access to the ship was now cut off. And with it a good portion of decks forty through forty four. Marco sat down again behind the makeshift cover and switched off the thermal visor.

"I can not make out anything out there. Have you been able to get through to team six or the colonel?"

Fellion shook his head. And handed the map to Marco.

"Naw man its bad, you used way too much explosive on the umbilical. From what I can tell you took out sections G through K on this deck. Who knows what is left of deck forty three."

Marco modded and smiled. He had planets a double charge on forty three just to be sure the Umbilical did not survive. He knew it was a bit much but had no idea the fuel feed would be active during the shift change. He looked over the map and then saw it. Yeah there it is. Deck forty three. A droid recharge station and a hyrdo-glycoic fuel reserve.

"OK I should have seen that, but now we have to find a way back to deck twenty seven. The turbolift is gone. We will have to work our way back into the hanger section and use the lift there."

Fellion nodded as he looked over the barricade into destroyed corridors. They had just barely survived the blast and they had been two hundred meters from the umbilicus. Anything closer was for sure gone. Which meant team seven. He closed his eyes then heard a noise from behind. He flipped around and took up a position on the other side of the barricade. The lighting was muffles by the smoke and debris in the air but in the distance he could make out a shape. The stead clank clank clank gave it away and as it neared the medical droid ask if they needed any attention. The droid told them a medical station had been set up in deck four and for them to make their way there. It then ran off into the darkness of the worse hit section of the ship. Marco smiled at Fellion and picked up his rifle and pack.

"I guess were headed to hanger four."

[Colonel Connors]

Nell Strazi knelt in-front of a door access panel hooked in to the main transmission terminal. He had cleared al the security protocols and now was working around the lock to the door. With a gush of air the door to the bridge opened and Nell jumped back out of the line of fire. Bolts streamed out of the bridge impacting the wall across from the door just missing Nell's leg.

"That was close"

Nell sat back and gathered himself as Vurisk and Greg took up firing positions. The sandy haired bothan major looked around the corner of the door to make out who many storm troopers were in the bridge. He was meet with another volley of bolts grazing the doors edge. Nell stood and took up a position behind Major Irys'vys and handed him a scanner wand. The bothan grabbed the wand and extended it out past the door jam.

"Thanks, now see if you can get me eyes in there."

Nell nodded and knelt down to cut into the corridor wall. Greg Sinner stood across the doorway from Major Irys'vys and watched the bothan scan the room. Immediately the scanner was shot out of his hands crashing against the wall cross from them.

"Theses guys are good"

Vurisk nodded and pressed himself against the wall. He looked down the the teams slicer who was working on getting the wires out of the hole he had cut into the wall. Another volley of bolts struck the door jam and wall across from it.

"What do you think major, Six of them?

Vurisk nodded as another volley of fire came out of the room.

"At least six"

He thought of the situation for a moment then focused his attention on the duro slicer who was now cutting into the wires he had fished out of the wall.

"Strazi, do we have communications yet?"

The pale blue skinned duro looked up and smiled.

"We do Major. I'm working on the camera feeds now."

The bothan nodded and wet back to working out the situation in his head. He and his team were out numbered at least two to one. The Bridge was large and who knew where the stormtroopers were battened down in there. He had coms now and soon would have video feeds. All seemed to point to one thing.

"Find me the Colonel and get him on the com Strazi."

Nell nodded and began working on the chore. A moment later Colonel Connors was on a staticky channel yelling over the sound of a fire fight.

"This is Connors,GO!"

Nell handed a com earwig to Vurisk then went back to work on the video feeds.

"Colonel, this is Major Irys'vys, We have reached the bridge but we are pinned down here. The Bridge is not an option."

Vurisk paused and waited for a reply. A muffled explosion cam over the channel then a few seconds later down the corridor. Then silence on the com. Vurisk waited then was relieved when the voice of Colonel Connors came over the com channel.

"I copy Major, If you can not take the bridge make it so it cannot be taken or held at all. We have secured the engine room and will be cutting power at our end."

"Aye sir, I will contact you when we have wrapped up things up here."

"Very well Major, good hunting."

Vurisk closed the channel and nodded to Greg. He did not have to say a word Sinner knew exactly what the major meant. Greg knelt down and opened up a large case he had been carrying and began to dig through it. Major Irys'vys tapped Nell on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Can you close this door and seal it?

Nell nodded and dug a new set of wires out of the wall. A moment later Greg through three charge packs across to Vurisk then grabbed three in his hands. The two tossed all six around the corner of the doorway then braced. They knew the stormtroopers were behind cover and the sub-sonic and ionic detonators would not kill them but that was not the desired effect.

"Close the damn door now Nell."

The door wished shut fallowed by a muffled sizzling noise then a explosion and an almost inaudible rumbling noise.

"Ck, lets seal it."

Vurisk stepped back as sinner began planting welding charges to the door. The thin puddy like compound ignited and welded the door shut sealing what ever was left of the bridge and the stormtroopers inside. The three grabbed their equipment and relaxed a moment while Nell finished setting up the tap on the video feeds. He shoved all the wires back in the wall plus his splice tap and resealed it.

"Ck we have the video feed up."

He handed Major Irys'vys the pad which now displayed 6 small video feeds. HE could see Colonel Connors on the Engineering deck dragging bodies into a pile. The other displays were clear and for the most part smoke filled. Vurisk brought up the bridge feed and it was black. The camera had either been disabled by the Ionic Resonator charges or destroyed by the Sub-sonic Charges. Either way the Bridge was now out of play and they could move onto their next target.