Chapter 3: The Storm - Chapter 7: The Duel

[Wolfe]

“Lance Corporal Javen Wolfe, Spearhead Company, First Platoon Leader, sir, reporting for duty,” Javen said, saluting the lieutenant.
“You’re a platoon leader? A lance Corporal?” the older man asked, his face weathered by long years of service.
“Yes, sir. The Empire hasn’t got as many officers as it did, sir,” Javen replied, shifting uncomfortably.
“I can imagine so, huh, anyways, General Telzarus is taking command of this platoon, a jedi is in the area, no doubt an Alliance Strike team with him. As such, I need this platoon to help search for them,” the old man said, pacing back and forth in front of Javen and Strozzi.
“Sir, we ran into the Jedi, well he ran into us, literally, he took out two of our AT-Sts before he ran off, heavily damaging a third. That’s the only reason we stopped here, we got your transmission as we were entering the city, sir,” Strozzi said.
“Who are you?” the Lieutenant asked.
“I’m Private First Class Strozzi, sir. Second to Lance Corporal Javen Wolfe, sir,” he replied.
“Ah, well, Private First class Strozzi, Lance Corporal Javen Wolfe, I’m Lieutenant Jon Drake, 88th Death Legion under General Telzarus. It’s my duty to inform you that even though your platoon is damaged, the jedi must be captured. I’m sorry, but there aren’t any supplies here, we had to take most of them to Grand Moff Vorhut,” Drake said.
“Thanks all the same, sir. I’ll take the platoon out, hopefully we’ll get a shot at him before he gets a stab at us,” Javen said, saluting. He then climbed up the ladder to the get into the AT-ST. Strozzi saluted and followed Javen up.

Hugo de Paix concentrated: where was Telzarus? Up? No. Left? No. Right? No. Where was he? Behind? No! Reaching out with the force, Hugo tried to fond the Stormtrooper general. Ah, behind that hill, straight ahead. He’s hiding.
Hugo ran forward, keeping his lightsaber ahead of him and his wits about him he leapt over the hill and landed almost on top of Telzarus. Telzarus parried the downward swipe of Hugo and kicked out, hitting Hugo; who fell on his side. Grimacing, Hugo brought his lightsaber up to parry anything the General might try and do… to find once more the General was gone.
“Telzarus, what’s the new game? Hide and seek? What are you a baby gungan or what? Stand and fight!” he called out to the seemingly empty hills. Behind him, he felt it. Swinging around he saw Telzarus do a flip: right over him and behind him again, parrying the attack, Hugo jumped away, swinging his blue blade around just in case. Telzarus pushed the blade aside with his red blade and waded in, intending on a quick kill. Hugo had other ideas. Hugo spun around his lightsaber feinting high and then he stabbed low. Telzarus hopped back then hopped forward, swinging his blade in a vicious downward hack at Hugo’s head.
“You can’t win, de Paix,” Telzarus sneered.
“Oh, yeah? And why is that?” de Paix laughed.
“Because there are around 15 AT-STs coming up behind you along with the 88th Death Legion,” Telzarus replied, this time he was laughing.
Normally, Hugo wouldn’t fall for such a trick, but when the blaster fire hit the ground only a few feet form him, he thought he’d better run. He force-pushed Telzarus back, then, hopping over the downed General, he ran like the wind. His lightsaber formed a screen between him and the enemy’s blaster fire.
“Catch him! I want his head do you hear me? His head!” Telzarus roared.
“Why Telzarus, yours isn’t good enough? You’re right, it isn’t, sorry!” Hugo shouted back, then turned and ran.
“Lieutenant get these men moving, your stormtroopers, act like them, get going!” Telzarus roared at the Legion as it swarmed past him. He spun around and began to run after the fast fading jedi.
“Let’s move, troopers!” Lt. Drake shouted. He took up the lead, running after the jedi, following Telzarus who fast outdistanced the others.

“Grand Moff Vorhut, the station is complete, the weapon systems are now online. How should we proceed?” General Landwehr asked, his gruff voice sounding like a large dog’s bark on the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer The Demon’s Blade, Vorhut’s personal Star Destroyer that sat right next to the Wanderlust Station.
“Good, target the surface, I grow tired of Telzarus’s incompetence, I’ve received word that the jedi who was killed is still alive. We will end it. Target sector 4-7-J on the surface, we’ll pulverize those buffoons,” Vorhut croaked.
“Yes, sir,” Landwehr turned to the communications Officer, “Contact Admiral Krehtsturm, inform him to fire at sector 4-7-J.”
The officer nodded and did so.
The Wanderlust Station, a machine designed by Vorhut, was a huge, planet bombardment sniper, capable of placing large amount of bombs at any position from orbit, and doing so far faster than any normal bomb dropped from within the atmosphere could, began to take aim.
“This is Admiral Krehtsturm, Wanderlust Control, all weapons prepare to fire, maximum firepower at sector 4-7-J. Begin initiation.
The gun loaded.
Krehtsturm looked at the central monitor’s screen.
Vorhut smiled.
The gun fired and-
Then the station exploded before the first bomb had time to escape.

The debris from the huge station fell upon the planet; the 88th Death Legion and Hugo de Paix fell about as the ground shook.
“What is happening?” Strozzi shouted as the huge rumbles and explosions began.
“No idea. Looks like something went boom in orbit and decided to fall on us though, we can’t last long like this,” Javen shouted back to Strozzi as a huge piece of flaming durasteel shredded the AT-ST next to theirs.
“No kidding.”

[Wolfe]

Lieutenant Javen Wolfe surveyed the area. Although the limp from the falling debris from the Wanderlust Station was still there (and probably always would be), he felt better. He could at least say he felt better than any of the the others caught in that downpour, as all were dead. Except Lieutenant Drake, he was alive, just he'd lost both of his legs and was still in bacta. When he'd get out wasn't even the question, it was more like: will he get out?
Wolfe growled as he looked at the landscape. Apparently, someone had been sneaking around for the last few months, someone that had killed two guards using a lightsaber.
"Lieutenant, we have a code red signal from Patrol 6. they're at Wormwood Forest, sir." the Corporal said, entering the AT-AT's cockpit.
"Hmm. Contact Platoon Leader Lokar, he's one of the best. Get him and several other AT-STs out to them as soon as possible.
"Yes, sir," the corporal said, hustling out.
Well, maybe they've found the mystery assassin, Wolfe thought, looing at the countryside through the cockpit's window.
"Sir, are we going as well?" asked a private, one skilled at piloting the AT-AT.
"No, we'll wait here for secondary reports from Corporal Lokar. Contact the governor and inform him we have a code red alert in squadrant 5-5-8.
"Yes, sir."
***
Hugo de Paix was an angry jedi. For the last few months, since the explosion that had cut off his right arm, he had been in deep meditation, and only recently had he woken up. He had sensed something, something dark, yet familiar. What it was, de Paix had no idea, but it was growing stronger, and he had to do something to stop it. It was for that reason that he was making his way to the spaceport, he needed to get there and notify the Republic,something bad was about to happen, he needed reinforcements.
***
Grand Moff Vorhut, head moff of the Kessel Sector, sat at the table of his ship, the 'Kastenburst,' glaring at his right hand man, General Landwehr, the man who had failed in finding the Mithonian Crystal in the wrckage of the Wanderlust Station, the station Vorhut had built.
"General, you disappoint me, I had thought you a capable man..."
"Your Excellency, I will find it, I assure you, the crystal is not only had to find in that it is so small, but also that the waves it emits cause insanity and a possessive, overconfident nature, one that if a passerby came in contact with it, would have him run for the hills with it, quite literally."
"So, you think a peasant found it and took it?" Vorhut sneered, his withere form seemed to vibrate with the croaking laughter that sounded more like sandpaper on a rough wall that laughing.
"I never said that, you Excellency, I was merely sayign, that due to that I must use droids, and as I only have a limited amount, it will take time," the general replied.
"So, I haven't given you enough resources?" Vorhut continued; the one thing he loved about Landwehr was that he was so thick you could call hims stupid to his face and he wouldn't know it was directed at him.
"Well, to other things," Vorhut said, sitting up, "What of my plans for the taking over of the Chommell Sector and Oversector 8? Are things running as planned?"
"Yes, your Excellency," Landwehr bowed.
"Yes, that's all, go."
as Landwehr exited, a new person appeared, his small frame contained immense power that radiated over the room.
"Greeting, your Excellency, Grand Moff Vorhut, always a pleasure."
"Bu-u-u-ut you're-you're uh...de-d-dead?"
"You can't kill me, you Excellency, and guess what? I heard that little take over thin-y of yours, and I'm about to take the law into my own hands. Do you know what that means?" he grinned.
"Wh-w-what?"
"That you are dead."
***
Javen Wolfe wasn't happy either. Not anymore, at least. He ahd had the day off for a nice, quick rest when the alarm had sounded, they 'had' the culprit, and he demanded an audience with the Commanding officer of the local garrison.
That meant Wolfe.
And yet, seeing who it was that had demanded it, his anger fell away. Everything seemed to fall away, except a total fear. those eyes, they burned into him like blaster bolts...
"Lieutenant! Are you listening to me?" came the sadistic voice, and Wolfe was pulled from his internal torment.
"Uh..we..um...yes, s-sir!" he snapped.
"Good, I wouldn't like to repeat myself, Lieutenant, I'm sure you wouldn't want it either. Now, I'm taking over here until the jedi, de Paix is dead."
"Yes, General Telzarus."