Blood of Heroes, Part IV

[Sonnenburg]

Thanks, btw, to everyone who's been reading and commenting. I appreciate it.

Blood of Heroes, Part IV


Telaaca was as physically intimidating as they come. His heavy frame easily topped two meters in height, and even beneath his fur signs of durastele-like musculature was evident. He stank of sweat and wet hair, and his breath was foul. His mouth was open, and the Wookiee's sharp canines promised that if the claws couldn't kill, they could. He swung a fist; Sebastian dropped under it.

"Come on, attack me!" Sebastian said, standing back up and dancing about to stay light on his feet. "Mean it!" Telaaca swung again, but Sebastian easily dodged. "This is a waste of my time. Wookiees are beasts of burden; pack animals. You don't know the first thing about fighting; no wonder you were enslaved so easily. Why don't you go over and start unloading some cargo so I can face a real warrior, ape."

Telaaca let out a roar as he attacked. Sebastian caught the massive arm at the wrist, then pivoted and shoved to drive his shoulder into the counterswing; by catching it near the elbow he managed to dissipate most of the strength. He then twisted, pulling the wookiee off balance and shoved his elbow into his abdomen. He ducked and pivoted, sending the wookiee over him and dropping him on his back on the ground, but even as he hit, Telaaca yanked, pulling Sebastian on top of him. He grabbed a handful of the human's hair and pulled him further over, but Sebastian drove his knee into the side of Telaaca's head with bone-jarring force. He repeated the kick several times, then grabbed and twisted the arm that held him until his head was free. He pushed as Telaaca kicked, narrowly avoiding the claws of his feet as he stepped back. He caught the wookiee's back swing and twisted the limb until Telaaca was on his stomach. Sebastian leapt onto his back, pulled out his lightsaber, and swung.

"And had I been a Vong," he said to the assembled rebels, "that would be the end of that." He attached the still unlit lightsaber to his belt, then got off Telaaca's back. He got down on both knees. "I apologize for the attack on your honor, and I place my life in your hands." The wookiee grabbed him by both shoulders and lifted him back to his feet to indicate that all was forgiven. "Does anyone think they could stand up to Telaaca in a fight?" There was no answer. The other wookiees had agreed that he was their finest warrior, and the assembled humans and aliens knew how wookiees often acted when they lose, and felt they'd be lucky to live that long. "Okay then. The Vong will not use anything different than what you saw here: strength, position, and viciousness. Remember that going up against a Vong hand-to-hand is the absolute final resort. They are at the advantage; it's how they fight best. Any questions?" He waited. "Fine. Mr. Shilof, take care of Mr. Telaaca's wounds. The rest of you, pay attention, this is basic field medicine. After that I want squad leaders to have their groups armed and ready to fall out for drills. Dismissed."

The group walked off as Sebastian came up to Gorren. "So, how about this weather?" he asked.

"Good, good," the Klingon answered. "Nice and clear. Hope we get some rain soon to help toughen them up."

"Quite true, quite true." Sebastian looked up at the sky. "Maybe it will."

"It might at that."

"Are they gone?"

"Yes."

"Good," Sebastian said as he fell down and groaned. Gorren laughed, then helped prop his friend up next to a tree. "What was I thinking?"

Gorren started patting the dust off Sebastian's clothes, causing the Jedi to wince. "You were thinking that they would only get the point if the wookiee gave you his all. Anything less, and they wouldn't remember it, especially him. They'd know that he was holding back, that he really could have won if he'd tried. This way there's no doubt, so they'll be cautious. It was a wise move, my friend."

"Well, I think this could be the first time in galactic history that wrestling an enraged wookiee was called wise; usually it's the opposite."

"Nonsense. You are Sebastian, Son of Luke and head of the house of Skywalker. You could have bested two such warriors if you yourself weren't holding back."

"Are you sure my scalp is still attached?"

"Hmm, mostly," Gorren said, looking him over. He found the medkit and gave it to Sebastian, who gave himself a pain killer with a sigh of relief. "It's a shame we cannot have more missions like this. If you'd been at my side on Qo'nos we would even now be standing at the front of an army of millions of warriors ready to battle the Empire at our command."

"Yes, but we're not at war with the Empire."

"Yes, it's a pity. They'd be a far more worthy challenge than the Vong have been."

"And by 'worthy,' of course, you mean 'certain to annihilate us,' right?"

"Ah, but what a way to end," Gorren said dreamily, sitting back alongside Sebastian. "You have no idea the dishonor the Imperial conquest has brought to my people. Defeat in battle is one thing, but to be reduced to an unarmed state, to be forced to resolve all matters with words... I cannot tell you how it fills our hearts with shame. Believe me, one such as you could rally the entire population behind you in any cause."

"You, perhaps, my friend. But I am no Klingon."

"Maybe not in your flesh, but in your heart you honor our ways."

"I respect your culture because I respect you, Gorren." Sebastian winced as he closed the last wound on his scalp. "But let's be honest, I'm just a human."

"Maybe so, but I still think they would follow you. When you speak you are genuine; why else would any of these men who are two, three times your age show you the respect they do? You inspire them, show them that you find them worthy, and for that they won't disappoint you. The way you remember every detail about them-"

"It's just my eidetic memory," Sebastian said.

"It doesn't matter where it comes from! It matters that it is! These farmers and bankers will march into certain death at your command because they believe in you, and they do that because you believe in them! If you lead-"

"No!" Sebastian snapped. Gorren said nothing more, and they sat together in the shade until the squad leaders arrived. Sebastian kept trying to put it out of his mind, but he could no more do that than stop breathing; sooner or later, it comes back. That quiet voice whose tone did nothing to ease the foreboding of those words.

"They're going to take it all away from you Sebastian. Everything."
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Two Imperator-class star destroyers dropped out of hyperspace near Gidala III, a minor world still under Vong control. It was a routine mission: arrive, show of force, leave. Let the Vong know that the Empire hadn't forgotten about them, and that they could strike with impunity throughout their territory. TIEs were launched to deal with the skippers. The mission was so commonplace that the new fighters hadn't been assigned to these operations.

Alarms suddenly came to life on the bridges of both ships as the mundane gave way to surprised anxiety. A gravity well projection had arrived, but it wasn't an interdictor field; it was biological. Only one group had that capability.

Twenty Vong coralships came out from behind the dark side of Gidala III's moon. The star destroyers, obviously trapped, moved to engage the Vong, intent on taking as many down with them as possible. But the Vong's strength of numbers was too much. Within minutes one was disabled and the other in flames. The skippers, outnumbering the TIEs by thirty to one, made short work of them. No one bothered to jam the Imperials' signal. The Vong had a message of their own to send.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sen. Alixus finished reading through the report, doing her best to hide her satisfaction behind a frown of disapproval. It wouldn't do for anyone to suspect her any more than they already did. She handed it off to one of her aides as the turbolift doors opened. Perhaps this will help solidify things with Nom Anor, she thought as she and her bodyguard entered the hall and proceeded to the transporter. Seconds later she was in the garden of her senatorial home, blooming with the radiance that comes only from plants grown by calloused hands and bent backs. The bodyguard led the way to the door, entered the security code, and held the door opened for her. She hung up her coat as he went about the daily ritual of checking in with the house security.

"Senator," he said, "there seems to be a problem. Gall and Didara aren't checkin-" He stopped, and she turned and also saw the look of horror in Didara's eyes. Perhaps it was the fact that his body was several meters away.

"Don't move," came a voice from the shadows. Alixus' bodyguard went for his weapon. As a lightning bolt came out of the darkness to engulf him, Alixus noted a cloaked figure wearing a mask. As the charred remains fell to the floor she decided not to disobey.

"Why are you here?" she asked, keeping her voice even. Strength was what was needed to overcome, she reminded herself. She couldn't bring it back to humanity if she didn't embrace it herself.

"Your allegiance," the masked figure said.

"To whom?"

"To the Sith... we who will tear down the Empire and make mankind strong again."

"And how will you do that." She jumped despite herself at the snapping sound, and the cloaked figure was eerily outlined by red light.

"With this," he said. "And that datapad." She noticed the device sitting on the table. He nodded, and she stepped forward and activated it. A gasp escaped her lips. "You're surprised?"

"It'll never work," she said as she read through it. "This is Chandrilla, not the Alpha Quadrant. You can't just-"

"For the Sith, there is no such thing as 'can't.'"

She read through it again. It was impossible... and yet, it included details that hinted at her own connections, at the secret network she'd been using to help topple the Empire. With the help of this Sith... "If you can do this," she said, "I will gladly play my part."

"See that you do," he said as the lightsaber went out. Alixus turned away; somehow she knew it would be better not to look at him.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. John Ezri was leaning over a patient when the door opened. He nearly jammed the medical tricorder into the patient's eye as he saw who came through it.

"John," Helga said, "Mr. Solo and Mrs. Skywalker asked to see you directly."

"Hello," he said with a voice like a drop of liquid nitrogen.

"Do you know them?" she asked.

"I'm afraid we've never met John Ezri," Han said. "But we have some problems we were hoping he could help us out with."

"I'll see what he can do," he said in the same tone. "If you'll come with me," he led the way to the side examination room and sealed the door. "What are you doing here?" he said in a low, harsh voice.

"We came for you, doc," Han said, getting straight to the point.

"Me?" Ezri was indignant. "I have no interest in galactic politics-"

"It's not about that," Han interrupted, "it's about the fungal disease."

"What about it?"

"How'd you like to help find a cure?"

Dr. Ezri looked ready to burst but he managed to contain himself. "I've said before, and I'll say again, I want no part in Imperial Research. Using condemned prisoners as test subjects isn't my idea of medicine, its barbarism."

"We're not talking about research," Annika said. "Someone's developed a cure, but we're going to need someone who can verify its effectiveness."

He looked at them both, not sure whether to believe a word of this. "You're really serious," he said finally. "Who could develop a cure and keep it a secret? You'd think someone would at least try to sell it... ever since the Empire came everyone's become half Ferengi."

"They're not interested in money," Annika said. "But you're right... it comes with a high price."

"It's the Borg," Han said.

"Borg?" Dr. Ezri said. "But, there hasn't been Borg for decades."

"Ex-Borg," Annika said. "Some movement that wants to rebuild the collective; they have the cure. They developed one before the collapse of the collective."

"How-"

"It's rather involved," Annika said. "Suffice to say that they have the cure, but we need someone to make sure it's the genuine article."

"Plus, Annika can use a doctor," Han added.

"Han!"

"Her condition's gotten really bad," he continued. "We need you to keep her alive long enough to get the job done."

"You ass!" Annika snapped at him as Dr. Ezri pulled out his medical tricorder. She pushed it away as he tried to scan her. "This isn't about me!"

"This is about you," Han said sharply. "That's why they infected you."

"This- what?" Annika was staring at him. This time she offered no resistance as the tricorder scanned her.

"It's your son they want," Han pointed out. "Did you think it was all just a coincidence?"

She shook her head, still slightly in shock and also a little embarrassed. It wasn’t often that Han put things together before she did. "I can't believe I never thought of that..."

Dr. Ezri closed the tricorder. "Well, if that's true, then this might all be for nothing. The Borg may have a cure tailored specifically to your infection. Still, I suppose I could use it as a roadmap even if that were the case, and according to these readings, you're not going to survive without medical care for much longer."

"So you're in?" Han asked.

Dr. Ezri nodded. "Let me take care of a few things, and I'll meet you at the docking bay."

Helga was waiting as they exited. Han and Annika slipped off as she came up. "You're leaving, aren't you."

"I'm sorry," he said, and meant it.

"It won't be the same," she admitted. "But you've nothing to be sorry for. You've done a lot of good here, John Ezri."

"Yes," he couldn't bring himself to look at her. "I suppose it's time Julian Bashir did a little of his own."
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Molly O'Brien was just examining the results of the previous hour’s work. It was crucial that it be flawless; the stations may have rather lax security, but once she actually set foot on Chandrilla there'd be all types of sensors that might pick her out if she wasn't careful. She'd lengthened her hair until it was halfway down her back and turned it purple. She'd attached what was called a Twi'lek clip that gave her a dual ponytail; it was the style on some of the core worlds. She'd adjusted her pigmentation to pure white with lavender leopard spots on her arms and legs, and her eyes were red. She'd also turned her lips, tongue, and gums black. She turned as Ben came in. "What do you think?" she asked.

"Tacky," he remarked.

"That's what I was going for," she said.

"Congratulations. I'd lose the fur on the back of your hands, though. That can cause trouble in a fight."

"Good point," she said, although she was disappointed. Stimulating the hair follicles like that had been a challenge, but she couldn't let pride get in the way of their work. She picked up the pigment adjuster and walked over to wear Ben had taken a seat. "How did it go?"

"She'll do her part," he said wearily as she started running the device over his head. "And through her we are aligned with the Vong." There was no mistaking the tone in his voice. "This is what I've been reduced to; seeking help from the Vong."

"It's only for the moment," she offered. "When the time comes, you'll drive them out of the galaxy."

"Of course I will. But to have to get help from those barbarous fanatics..." He pounded his fist on the desk in frustration.

"Hold still; the eyes are the hard part." A minute later she turned it off and spun him around. His hair was now sandy-blond and his eyes blue. Ben examined it in the mirror. "Not a spitting image," he said, "but more than enough for the task at hand."

Molly placed the device on the table. She seemed to hesitate before she spoke. "Ben... ever since we arrived here I've felt a tremor in the Force."

"Yes, I have felt it."

"What's it mean?"

"Most obvious is the Emperor; even in his old age he makes an impression on the Force. But he is feeble... there's no sign of the great power there... he's a changed man."

"I see," although she didn't. "And the others?"

"Of no importance."

But Molly pressed on. "They're Jedi, aren't they."

"There's nothing to worry about."

Molly knew she was tiptoeing into a dangerous subject. "It’s just... they seem so tranquil, serene."

"Of course they do," he said with contempt, "they embrace the light side."

"'Light side?'"

Ben turned back towards her and she took a step back in fear; she could feel his anger. "The Jedi," he said with rumbling undertones, "call their way the 'light side,' and ours the 'dark side.' We've taken their petty label and turned it into a badge of honor, because like children they fear the dark. They deny their feelings and preach only of peace."

"But, peace-" She froze as she felt his anger expanding like pressure in a deep magma pocket. She straightened up. "'Peace is a lie,'" she recited, "'There is only passion. Through passion I gain strength. Through strength I gain power. Through power I gain victory. Through victory my chains are broken.'"

Ben stepped right up to her; at these moments he filled her worldview, and it was terrifying. "Remember that." Before anything more could be said, the comm link chimed. "Yes," he said, his eyes still on Molly.

"We're in position. As soon as you give the signal we'll have the transporter get him out of there."

"Good," he said, putting the comm link away. He took Molly's arm in a somewhat kind fashion to lead the way. "Come. Garak will be waiting for us."

[Crazedwraith]

Another great chapter.
Nice idea, likening the vong/wookie fighting styles.

[2000AD]

Hmmmmmm........ innn-teresting .

[Singular Quartet]

Most excellent, Chuck. Keep up the good work.

[Ghost Rider]

Ya, more Chuck's Trek/Wars material .

It's hard keeping track of everything but fun.

[phongn]

Excellent work, Chuck!

[Sonnenburg]

Thanks everybody. I think I might post the next chapter tomorrow instead of waiting until Sunday, assuming I get my other work done first, of course. Things are about to get shaken up.

[Crown]

Where are parts I-III? Do I have to go looking for them?

[Crown]

Never mind, found them. But here's my question; there is a whole back story to this isn't there?

[Slayen]

go here http://sfdebris.com/main.html.

you'll find the entire Worlds Without End saga under Unity.

[Crown]

go here http://sfdebris.com/main.html.

you'll find the entire Worlds Without End saga under Unity.

Hooooleeeeey shit that's a lot of back story!

My mind boggles!

[phongn]

Read it all!