Master Jedi - General Farron Sha, The Enforcer
posted 27 April 2008, Sunday
Suddenly waking from sleep thanks to the annoying and persistent ringing at her door, Jina threw her covers off and lazily walked over in her pajamas to see who could possibly be bothering her at three in the morning. "What is it?" Jina hissed as her door slid open. On the other side Luke was leaning against the wall not looking too sharp himself. "Get dressed. We have an urgent meeting," Luke said with heavy eyes that begged to be closed.
"Now?" Jina asked pointing out the time and her need for sleep in her tone.
"Now," Luke replied.
The short trip over to the Perceptor wasn't nearly long enough for either of them to get any rest or sufficiently wake up. Admiral Antilles, who wasn't looking too good himself, smiled as he ordered a subordinate to get them some coffee. He rarely saw Luke in such a state and he was somewhat relieved to see that he was still human. "So what's so urgent that you have to drag us out of bed so early?" Luke tried to focus on Wedge but was having trouble. Jina just curled up in her seat and stared at Antilles angrily.
"The Wookies, remember? Apparently this mission isn't going to wait." Wedge began bringing up schematics and maps of Kashyyyk on the monitor.
"What does that mean?" Luke asked.
"It means that we got a call from General Shoorrakk. He's been chasing the leader of the Imperial remnant, General Farron Sha, for months now and he's finally cornered him at an Imperial bunker located on a cliff. He has no air support so he can't escape, but he's got substantial ground forces protecting him."
Jina buried her face in her hand realizing she was about to get dragged into a mess of a situation with little sleep.
"You never did answer my question," exclaimed Luke. "What do you expect us to do? From what I see there, you estimate he's got at least five-hundred troops."
"He also has four AT-ST's, ten speeders and a handful of turbo lazers, but that's not the point," Wedge added. "The Wookies are going to take care of all that. Your job is to capture General Sha and bring him in."
A moment passed as the both looked over the information on the screens. "Well, do I have to ask why?" Luke looked at Wedge expectantly.
"Well there's two reasons. The first is strategic. If we kill him the subordinates he's been grooming may still be motivated to keep the fight going. By capturing him we can potentially end the resistance and rid Kashyyyk of Imperials for good. The second reason is intelligence. General Sha is one of the six remaining high ranking officers who served under the old Empire. Honestly we doubt we'll get anything from him, but there's nothing wrong with trying."
Jina had slipped away from the conversation unnoticed and was now laying in a corner trying to get some sleep.
"Well slipping in and grabbing some old General during the confusion doesn't sound too bad," Luke yawned.
Wedge scoffed, "Wait 'till you hear this. General Sha is also known as The Enforcer."
Luke tried to laugh but yawned instead.
"The reports say he's known to kill his officers when a battle isn't going well then run into the fight like a madman. One account has him killing one-hundred and thirteen people all by himself," Wedge continued.
"That's ridiculous. He looks sixty at least."
"Yeah. Well. Just don't let your guard down... Anyway, your transport is all ready. Shoorrakk will give you the rest of the details," Wedge finished.
The short trip to Kashyyyk proved bad for Luke's stomach as he drank a liter of coffee trying to wake up. Jina got a short nap, but the hard edges on the seats were hardly soothing. Because of the war zone the transport came in hard and fast and landed with a heavy jolt that almost made Luke throw up. As the ramp came down Luke jumped out and began holding his stomach hunched over. "Are you okay?" Jina asked with little interest.
"Oh, I shouldn't have had all that coffee!" Luke groaned.
Out of the treeline walked three wookies wearing forest green battle vests and carrying heavy weapons. Jina tapped Luke on the shoulder to tell him, "The wookies are here."
Luke spit on the ground then took a deep breath hoping to feel better then reached out his hand to Jina. "Give me the translator, and make sure you put yours on."
[Friend Jedi! We are glad to see you arrive. Come. We must move quickly. The General is waiting,] said the lead scout.
"What time is it here?" asked Luke as he tried to get his bearings.
[By our time it is three hours until sunrise. The General is an hours journey up this mountain,] the Wookie replied.
"Great!" Jina complained as they began the long hike.
[This young one. Is she your offspring? I am proud to be fighting alongside my pup.] asked one of the Wookies.
Luke laughed, "No. She's my student."
All three Wookies looked happy at the response. [Another Jedi!] they began to cheer.
In just under an hour they arrived at the front line and passed through the ray shield protecting the Wookie tanks, equipment and gear. Luke and Jina were immediately escorted to the front where a large black and brown wookie with strands of braided hair that were wrapped in beads and metals that represented his rank and accomplishments stood. When they came together Shoorrakk put his hands on Luke's shoulders and gave him a friendly shake. He did the same to Jina. [You are most welcome here Jedi friend. Too much time has passed since Wookie and Jedi stood together,] Shoorrakk greeted.
"I'm happy to help," Luke adjusted the translator in his ear. "Now what's the situation?"
Shoorrakk squatted down over a holo-map of their position and began explaining. [We are here. The bunker is ninety meters past the treeline and two scout walkers guard the main gate. We destroyed the other two a few days ago when we attempted to weaken their defenses. The only thing stopping us is their power generator which proved too much for our weapons which are limited because of the difficult terrain.]
"So you want me to take out the power generator?" Luke asked rhetorically.
[Once it is destroyed we can attack and lure them out into the clearing.]
"What about the General?" Luke asked.
[We are sure he is inside. He is a ruthless human who has killed many Wookies,] Shoorrakk growled.
"Alright. We're going to check out the bunker. We'll be back in a while," Luke said.
[It is dangerous beyond the shield. The bunker is equipped with turbo lasers,] Shoorrakk pointed out on the map.
"We won't stay long."
[Very well. Then let my lead scout show you the way,] Shoorrakk called one of the wookies over.
Fifty feet past the shield Luke, Jina and their Wookie escort took positions behind a fallen tree. They were just inside the tree line, but very open to attack. Using the Wookie's night vision scope Luke scouted the area trying to find the best way to enter the bunker and avoid the turbo lasers and AT-STs. "It looks like we're going to have to approach from the right side," Luke whispered to Jina. "There's a thin tree line up to the bunker, but it should be enough for us." Luke turned to their escort. "Do you have explosive charges?" The Wookie silently nodded. "Fine let's head back."
Luke didn't notice that while laying behind the tree Jina had fallen asleep. The soft ground and cushy leaves were just too much for her to resist in the sleep deprived state she was in. Luke was about twenty feet away when he noticed and scurried back to find her. "Jina!" Luke whispered as loudly as he could, but she didn't budge. Using the Force he nudged her until she woke up, rubbed her eyes and nodded at Luke. Unfortunately she had forgotten the danger they were in and stood up in the open to stretch and yawn. Luke urged her to get down, but before she could hear what he said the first turbo laser blast exploded just behind her sending her flying past Luke. As he turned to find her another blast exploded behind Luke knocking him around.
Luke woke up back at the Wookie camp lying on a mat with a strong pain in his shin. He tried to get up but one of the wookies barked at him and pushed him back down. "Your leg's broken," Jina said as she came around so Luke could see her. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't for our escort we wouldn't be here."
"Are you okay?" Luke asked.
"I'm fine. Just a few scratches. I landed on some moss."
"How long have I been out?"
"Almost thirty minutes. The Wookies plan to attack before sunrise so..." Jina trailed off.
"Yeah I know. It's going to take at least an hour to heal my leg, but it'll be too late by then."
"I'll go," Jina said confidently.
Luke rolled his eyes and sighed deeply at the thought of letting her go on her own.
"Stop acting like that! I know I can do it."
Shoorrakk walked up to Luke and began speaking, but he couldn't understand. "What's he saying? Where's my translator?"
"He wants to know how you're doing, and what you plan to do now," Jina replied.
"Ask him if he can delay the attack one more day?"
Jina was beat up and tired, and the last thing she wanted was to spend a day away from her comfortable bed. She was also excited at the opportunity in front of her. Like all apprentices who wish to prove themselves Jina couldn't resist going alone. After tapping Shoorrakk on the shoulder she pulled him aside and explained how she was going to take out the power generator. She told him to let Luke rest and to prepare the charges immediately so she could set off. Shoorrakk quickly agreed and led her to the equipment.
"Jina? Jina! Where are you going? Jina!" Luke yelled in vain.
After slinking through the tree line Luke had pointed out with a backpack full of explosive charges, Jina looked down into the Imperial base from the top of a tree. In the center was the main bunker that led to the underground facility and surrounding it on top were a handful of small armor-plated buildings which she could see troops walking in and out of. At the very back was the power generator, and to her relief it didn't appear to be guarded. As quickly as she could, she jumped from the tree into the base and rolled into a nearby shadow hoping that she wasn't noticed. When she stood up she focused on the troops at the surface and hid her presence from them as best she could before heading to the generator. This is easy, she thought as she followed the wall back.
The generator was a massive two story tall machine that hummed quietly as it pumped out a massive ray shield that covered the entire base. After appreciating its size Jina was drawn to the numerous warning signs that contained words like danger, warning and hazard. They didn't tell me it was dangerous to get near this thing, Jina complained as she walked around to the control panel and removed four flat panel charges from her backpack. They were the size of a large book and about an inch thick, but they could blow a hole through six inches of armor plating - more than enough for the power generator.
Jina placed the charges where Shoorrakk told her to then pushed the red button on the primary charge activating them. All she needed to do now was wait for the fighting to begin then try to capture the General in the confusion, but she would have to find a place to hide far away from the generator so she headed off to the front of the base again. At the front wall Jina ducked behind one of the small buildings, but before she could figure out her next move a storm trooper starting coming around. There was no where else to go but inside the building.
"Don't move!" Jina yelled as she came up behind two officers who were bent over a table looking at documents. She had her lightsaber pointed at them.
"Who are you?" One of them asked.
"Wait! Are you with the Wookies?" Asked the other.
Jina thought for a second. "Yes."
"Listen! We want to help you! We've been trying to get rid of the General for months now!"
"We don't need your help. The General will be taken care of in a little while," Jina said being suspicious of them.
"We want asylum with the Republic! Can you protect--" before the officer could finish his request the explosion and subsequent alarm overtook the conversation.
"Stay here!" Jina tried to yell over the noise. "Surrender yourself when they find you!"
"If you want the General there is an emergency access point behind the last building! It's right next to his quarters!"
The wookies had moved up and taken positions just behind the tree line facing the Imperial bunker, and as soon as their power generator went down they began the assault. A barrage of artillery and tank fire quickly took out the Scout Transports and the two heavy turbo lasers followed. As the Wookies advanced Storm Troopers began taking positions on the gate and a team of rocket troopers took out one of the Wookie tanks. With well placed artillery blasts the gate exploded and General Shoorrakk signaled the Wookies to storm the bunker.
Luke was watching the battle from the rear wanting to rest his weak, but healed leg. In spite of the carnage in front of him all he could think about was Jina and if she was okay.
Quickly sliding down the ladder of the emergency access Jina was ready to find General Sha and go home. Inside the bunker troops scrambled back and forth making it easy for her to sneak around, but the General's quarters were conveniently two doors away so it didn't matter much. The door was open and Jina walked into a room with a large table with a room at the back. Almost surprising her Sha briskly walked in from the back room with a map in his hand. He was so focused that he almost didn't see Jina. "It's over General!" Jina said confidently at the old looking man as she raised her lightsaber. "You're coming with me!"
"Am I?" The General asked with disdain. He was insulted at the thought that someone would challenge him, and confidently moved to pull his service blaster out. It was obvious that things were not going to be as easy as she had thought, and with a disappointed sigh Jina came around the table and aimed to remove the General's arm. With a crackle of energy Jina's lightsaber bounced back at her. Sha's personal shield generator fended her off giving him time to aim and shoot. Surprised at the turn of events Jina was now on the defensive blocking away blaster fire and retreating behind the table.
Sha let out an annoyed grunt as he realized he wasn't going to hit Jina. His blaster clip ran out and he tried to run out the door, but Jina Force-grabbed him and slammed him against the back wall. She couldn't believe it when the old General jumped back up as if nothing had happened. Again she grabbed him and slammed him against the wall hoping to see what she thought she should be seeing, but the General popped up again without a scratch.
His resilience was annoying her and anger started to set in. With all of her ability Jina slammed the General into the back wall repeatedly causing the metal to dent. She did this for about a minute before her exhaustion caused her to let him fall to the ground. He can't get up! He can't, Jina thought as she looked past the table, but there he was. The General slowly got up a little more scratched up than before but still looking a lot better than an old white haired man who was just repeatedly slammed against a metal wall should.
Jina's lack of sleep, anger and frustration at the General came together in a rage that caught her off guard. The sudden impulse made Jina raise her arm and catch the General in a Force-choke from across the room - She had never used such a technique before though she didn't realize it at that moment. In the air now Sha kicked his legs wildly as his face twisted with anger. He didn't look like he was choking, but Jina didn't have time to find out as the collapse of the ceiling from an artillery blast ended the confrontation.
Outside the Wookies had significantly reduced the number of Imperial troops, and according to General Shoorrakk the fight would be over in less than thirty minutes. Out of the bunker stumbled an angry looking General Sha who stood up in the midst of the battle and let out a far reaching yell. He didn't seem to care about the blaster fire or getting hit, and he strolled out of the front gate without a worry. The Wookies nearby took notice of him and began aiming for his legs, but his shield protected him. Luke saw the General and immediately worried for Jina.
As he stood there in the open the General began to yell again and in an incredible transformation doubled his size. Luke shook his head as he looked at the now metal clad General who was now more of a machine than a man. He's a cyborg, thought Luke as he unhooked his lightsaber and prepared to confront him. Sha didn't hesitate to go into a frenzy attacking anything near him - Wookie or Imperial. He fired lasers from his forearms and grenades from his stomach, but he seemed to enjoy slashing and tearing his victims apart with his metal claws the most.
General Sha cut a path through ten wookies and three Storm Troopers before noticing Luke and heading for him. Luke stretched his foot making sure his leg was okay then rushed in. Sha took a wide swipe at Luke who had gone to the ground swinging at his feet. His attacks just bounced off the ray shielding that was built into his metal body. Turning around General Sha let out a burst of laser fire before firing three grenades. Luke dodged the attacks then Force-pushed the general back about twenty feet. As if it didn't happen Sha quickly got up and began attacking some wookies who were nearby.
"I'm sorry I doubted you Wedge," Luke said as he turned off his lightsaber and rushed the General. On the way he picked up a thermal detonator off one of the dead wookies then when he reached Sha jumped on his back. In his rampage against the Wookies the General almost didn't notice which gave Luke enough time to arm the detonator and shove it into the metal body of the cyborg General through a slot on his back. It exploded inside him causing a lot of smoke and sparks, and the General fell to the floor.
Luke looked to the sky in disbelief as the General got up again. He didn't seem damaged at all, but was definitely more angry than before. He began attacking the nearby wookies again, but this time their blaster fire wasn't bouncing off. Apparently the blast had disabled his ray shield, and Luke didn't waste any time taking advantage. Again he came up on the General from behind and with one big swing took off his left arm. He came around to take off his leg, but a swipe from Sha sent Luke flying.
The hard landing had tweaked Luke's leg and it was starting to hurt. The General now had him locked in his sight and was determined to kill him. He approached Luke firing bursts from his forearm blaster while he struggled to stand up and block them at the same time. Just as he got up Sha swung at him with his large metal hand. It was a wild attack which Luke only had to duck before coming up and taking off his right hand. The General backed off yelling then squared off to Luke who stood watching with his lightsaber ready trying to ignore the pain in his leg. Without warning two high explosive directional charges the General had in his chest fired creating a cloud of dust and debris midst all the damage.
Jina opened her eyes and immediately felt the sharp pain on her head from the blow she had received from the ceiling fixture that hit her. Pieces of metal and tubing covered her body which she pushed away as she got up. Where is he, she thought as she remembered taking on the General. The details of the battle were fuzzy underneath her massive headache, but she knew she had to find him.
Inside of the bunker gate things were dying down. Wookies escorted Imperial prisoners while others stood guard. Blaster fire could be heard in the clearing just in front, but the scene made Jina relax thinking that the fight was over. I hope they captured the General, she thought as she nursed her head on the way to the front gate. As she got closer the rumblings of battle got louder and in no time she could see the violence taking place. What is that, Jina asked as she saw what looked like a ten-foot tall droid smacking Wookies around like plush toys.
Is that the General, Jina asked herself now a few steps out of the Imperial base. "Luke!" she suddenly shouted as she noticed her master getting smacked around. Her pace quickened as she looked on, but she was only half way there when General Sha fired his chest explosives. "NOOO!" Jina yelled when the dust cleared and she saw Luke looking dead on the ground. With the yell all of the anger and rage shot up through her body again and compelled her to rush at the General with all of her might.
Jina was shivering with anger and as she jumped in the air behind him the purple glow of Dark Force energy could be seen around her. With a scream Jina came down on Sha with a Force punch that that ripped through his Dilinium armored body like a piece of paper. She tore through his right shoulder down to his waist essentially cutting him in half. After taking out her lightsaber she stood over the General, who was still very alive, and raised it in the air about to deliver the final blow. She knew what her mission was, she knew her job was to keep him alive, but her anger needed to be satisfied.
She stood over Sha for a moment before closing her eyes and powering her lightsaber down. I can't do this, she said to herself forcing the anger and rage away. I won't give in to the Dark Side. She looked over at Luke who was still on the ground then rushed over to him. She turned him over and was happily surprised as he moved, slowly opening his eyes. "Are you okay?" Jina asked looking over his body for injuries.
"Yeah, I think so," Luke replied.
"I thought you were dead!"
Luke sat up. "If I hadn't jumped away I would be. Where's the General?"
"He's over there on the ground. I disabled him... or whatever. I don't think he's human," Jina pointed him out.
"Whatever he is he's Wedge's problem now. Come on let's get out of here."
Jina helped Luke up then acted as his crutch back to the Wookie base camp. They spent a few hours there getting treated then were picked up and taken back to the fleet where Jina spent the next two days in bed.
To Be continued...
"Now?" Jina asked pointing out the time and her need for sleep in her tone.
"Now," Luke replied.
The short trip over to the Perceptor wasn't nearly long enough for either of them to get any rest or sufficiently wake up. Admiral Antilles, who wasn't looking too good himself, smiled as he ordered a subordinate to get them some coffee. He rarely saw Luke in such a state and he was somewhat relieved to see that he was still human. "So what's so urgent that you have to drag us out of bed so early?" Luke tried to focus on Wedge but was having trouble. Jina just curled up in her seat and stared at Antilles angrily.
"The Wookies, remember? Apparently this mission isn't going to wait." Wedge began bringing up schematics and maps of Kashyyyk on the monitor.
"What does that mean?" Luke asked.
"It means that we got a call from General Shoorrakk. He's been chasing the leader of the Imperial remnant, General Farron Sha, for months now and he's finally cornered him at an Imperial bunker located on a cliff. He has no air support so he can't escape, but he's got substantial ground forces protecting him."
Jina buried her face in her hand realizing she was about to get dragged into a mess of a situation with little sleep.
"You never did answer my question," exclaimed Luke. "What do you expect us to do? From what I see there, you estimate he's got at least five-hundred troops."
"He also has four AT-ST's, ten speeders and a handful of turbo lazers, but that's not the point," Wedge added. "The Wookies are going to take care of all that. Your job is to capture General Sha and bring him in."
A moment passed as the both looked over the information on the screens. "Well, do I have to ask why?" Luke looked at Wedge expectantly.
"Well there's two reasons. The first is strategic. If we kill him the subordinates he's been grooming may still be motivated to keep the fight going. By capturing him we can potentially end the resistance and rid Kashyyyk of Imperials for good. The second reason is intelligence. General Sha is one of the six remaining high ranking officers who served under the old Empire. Honestly we doubt we'll get anything from him, but there's nothing wrong with trying."
Jina had slipped away from the conversation unnoticed and was now laying in a corner trying to get some sleep.
"Well slipping in and grabbing some old General during the confusion doesn't sound too bad," Luke yawned.
Wedge scoffed, "Wait 'till you hear this. General Sha is also known as The Enforcer."
Luke tried to laugh but yawned instead.
"The reports say he's known to kill his officers when a battle isn't going well then run into the fight like a madman. One account has him killing one-hundred and thirteen people all by himself," Wedge continued.
"That's ridiculous. He looks sixty at least."
"Yeah. Well. Just don't let your guard down... Anyway, your transport is all ready. Shoorrakk will give you the rest of the details," Wedge finished.
The short trip to Kashyyyk proved bad for Luke's stomach as he drank a liter of coffee trying to wake up. Jina got a short nap, but the hard edges on the seats were hardly soothing. Because of the war zone the transport came in hard and fast and landed with a heavy jolt that almost made Luke throw up. As the ramp came down Luke jumped out and began holding his stomach hunched over. "Are you okay?" Jina asked with little interest.
"Oh, I shouldn't have had all that coffee!" Luke groaned.
Out of the treeline walked three wookies wearing forest green battle vests and carrying heavy weapons. Jina tapped Luke on the shoulder to tell him, "The wookies are here."
Luke spit on the ground then took a deep breath hoping to feel better then reached out his hand to Jina. "Give me the translator, and make sure you put yours on."
[Friend Jedi! We are glad to see you arrive. Come. We must move quickly. The General is waiting,] said the lead scout.
"What time is it here?" asked Luke as he tried to get his bearings.
[By our time it is three hours until sunrise. The General is an hours journey up this mountain,] the Wookie replied.
"Great!" Jina complained as they began the long hike.
[This young one. Is she your offspring? I am proud to be fighting alongside my pup.] asked one of the Wookies.
Luke laughed, "No. She's my student."
All three Wookies looked happy at the response. [Another Jedi!] they began to cheer.
In just under an hour they arrived at the front line and passed through the ray shield protecting the Wookie tanks, equipment and gear. Luke and Jina were immediately escorted to the front where a large black and brown wookie with strands of braided hair that were wrapped in beads and metals that represented his rank and accomplishments stood. When they came together Shoorrakk put his hands on Luke's shoulders and gave him a friendly shake. He did the same to Jina. [You are most welcome here Jedi friend. Too much time has passed since Wookie and Jedi stood together,] Shoorrakk greeted.
"I'm happy to help," Luke adjusted the translator in his ear. "Now what's the situation?"
Shoorrakk squatted down over a holo-map of their position and began explaining. [We are here. The bunker is ninety meters past the treeline and two scout walkers guard the main gate. We destroyed the other two a few days ago when we attempted to weaken their defenses. The only thing stopping us is their power generator which proved too much for our weapons which are limited because of the difficult terrain.]
"So you want me to take out the power generator?" Luke asked rhetorically.
[Once it is destroyed we can attack and lure them out into the clearing.]
"What about the General?" Luke asked.
[We are sure he is inside. He is a ruthless human who has killed many Wookies,] Shoorrakk growled.
"Alright. We're going to check out the bunker. We'll be back in a while," Luke said.
[It is dangerous beyond the shield. The bunker is equipped with turbo lasers,] Shoorrakk pointed out on the map.
"We won't stay long."
[Very well. Then let my lead scout show you the way,] Shoorrakk called one of the wookies over.
Fifty feet past the shield Luke, Jina and their Wookie escort took positions behind a fallen tree. They were just inside the tree line, but very open to attack. Using the Wookie's night vision scope Luke scouted the area trying to find the best way to enter the bunker and avoid the turbo lasers and AT-STs. "It looks like we're going to have to approach from the right side," Luke whispered to Jina. "There's a thin tree line up to the bunker, but it should be enough for us." Luke turned to their escort. "Do you have explosive charges?" The Wookie silently nodded. "Fine let's head back."
Luke didn't notice that while laying behind the tree Jina had fallen asleep. The soft ground and cushy leaves were just too much for her to resist in the sleep deprived state she was in. Luke was about twenty feet away when he noticed and scurried back to find her. "Jina!" Luke whispered as loudly as he could, but she didn't budge. Using the Force he nudged her until she woke up, rubbed her eyes and nodded at Luke. Unfortunately she had forgotten the danger they were in and stood up in the open to stretch and yawn. Luke urged her to get down, but before she could hear what he said the first turbo laser blast exploded just behind her sending her flying past Luke. As he turned to find her another blast exploded behind Luke knocking him around.
Luke woke up back at the Wookie camp lying on a mat with a strong pain in his shin. He tried to get up but one of the wookies barked at him and pushed him back down. "Your leg's broken," Jina said as she came around so Luke could see her. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't for our escort we wouldn't be here."
"Are you okay?" Luke asked.
"I'm fine. Just a few scratches. I landed on some moss."
"How long have I been out?"
"Almost thirty minutes. The Wookies plan to attack before sunrise so..." Jina trailed off.
"Yeah I know. It's going to take at least an hour to heal my leg, but it'll be too late by then."
"I'll go," Jina said confidently.
Luke rolled his eyes and sighed deeply at the thought of letting her go on her own.
"Stop acting like that! I know I can do it."
Shoorrakk walked up to Luke and began speaking, but he couldn't understand. "What's he saying? Where's my translator?"
"He wants to know how you're doing, and what you plan to do now," Jina replied.
"Ask him if he can delay the attack one more day?"
Jina was beat up and tired, and the last thing she wanted was to spend a day away from her comfortable bed. She was also excited at the opportunity in front of her. Like all apprentices who wish to prove themselves Jina couldn't resist going alone. After tapping Shoorrakk on the shoulder she pulled him aside and explained how she was going to take out the power generator. She told him to let Luke rest and to prepare the charges immediately so she could set off. Shoorrakk quickly agreed and led her to the equipment.
"Jina? Jina! Where are you going? Jina!" Luke yelled in vain.
After slinking through the tree line Luke had pointed out with a backpack full of explosive charges, Jina looked down into the Imperial base from the top of a tree. In the center was the main bunker that led to the underground facility and surrounding it on top were a handful of small armor-plated buildings which she could see troops walking in and out of. At the very back was the power generator, and to her relief it didn't appear to be guarded. As quickly as she could, she jumped from the tree into the base and rolled into a nearby shadow hoping that she wasn't noticed. When she stood up she focused on the troops at the surface and hid her presence from them as best she could before heading to the generator. This is easy, she thought as she followed the wall back.
The generator was a massive two story tall machine that hummed quietly as it pumped out a massive ray shield that covered the entire base. After appreciating its size Jina was drawn to the numerous warning signs that contained words like danger, warning and hazard. They didn't tell me it was dangerous to get near this thing, Jina complained as she walked around to the control panel and removed four flat panel charges from her backpack. They were the size of a large book and about an inch thick, but they could blow a hole through six inches of armor plating - more than enough for the power generator.
Jina placed the charges where Shoorrakk told her to then pushed the red button on the primary charge activating them. All she needed to do now was wait for the fighting to begin then try to capture the General in the confusion, but she would have to find a place to hide far away from the generator so she headed off to the front of the base again. At the front wall Jina ducked behind one of the small buildings, but before she could figure out her next move a storm trooper starting coming around. There was no where else to go but inside the building.
"Don't move!" Jina yelled as she came up behind two officers who were bent over a table looking at documents. She had her lightsaber pointed at them.
"Who are you?" One of them asked.
"Wait! Are you with the Wookies?" Asked the other.
Jina thought for a second. "Yes."
"Listen! We want to help you! We've been trying to get rid of the General for months now!"
"We don't need your help. The General will be taken care of in a little while," Jina said being suspicious of them.
"We want asylum with the Republic! Can you protect--" before the officer could finish his request the explosion and subsequent alarm overtook the conversation.
"Stay here!" Jina tried to yell over the noise. "Surrender yourself when they find you!"
"If you want the General there is an emergency access point behind the last building! It's right next to his quarters!"
The wookies had moved up and taken positions just behind the tree line facing the Imperial bunker, and as soon as their power generator went down they began the assault. A barrage of artillery and tank fire quickly took out the Scout Transports and the two heavy turbo lasers followed. As the Wookies advanced Storm Troopers began taking positions on the gate and a team of rocket troopers took out one of the Wookie tanks. With well placed artillery blasts the gate exploded and General Shoorrakk signaled the Wookies to storm the bunker.
Luke was watching the battle from the rear wanting to rest his weak, but healed leg. In spite of the carnage in front of him all he could think about was Jina and if she was okay.
Quickly sliding down the ladder of the emergency access Jina was ready to find General Sha and go home. Inside the bunker troops scrambled back and forth making it easy for her to sneak around, but the General's quarters were conveniently two doors away so it didn't matter much. The door was open and Jina walked into a room with a large table with a room at the back. Almost surprising her Sha briskly walked in from the back room with a map in his hand. He was so focused that he almost didn't see Jina. "It's over General!" Jina said confidently at the old looking man as she raised her lightsaber. "You're coming with me!"
"Am I?" The General asked with disdain. He was insulted at the thought that someone would challenge him, and confidently moved to pull his service blaster out. It was obvious that things were not going to be as easy as she had thought, and with a disappointed sigh Jina came around the table and aimed to remove the General's arm. With a crackle of energy Jina's lightsaber bounced back at her. Sha's personal shield generator fended her off giving him time to aim and shoot. Surprised at the turn of events Jina was now on the defensive blocking away blaster fire and retreating behind the table.
Sha let out an annoyed grunt as he realized he wasn't going to hit Jina. His blaster clip ran out and he tried to run out the door, but Jina Force-grabbed him and slammed him against the back wall. She couldn't believe it when the old General jumped back up as if nothing had happened. Again she grabbed him and slammed him against the wall hoping to see what she thought she should be seeing, but the General popped up again without a scratch.
His resilience was annoying her and anger started to set in. With all of her ability Jina slammed the General into the back wall repeatedly causing the metal to dent. She did this for about a minute before her exhaustion caused her to let him fall to the ground. He can't get up! He can't, Jina thought as she looked past the table, but there he was. The General slowly got up a little more scratched up than before but still looking a lot better than an old white haired man who was just repeatedly slammed against a metal wall should.
Jina's lack of sleep, anger and frustration at the General came together in a rage that caught her off guard. The sudden impulse made Jina raise her arm and catch the General in a Force-choke from across the room - She had never used such a technique before though she didn't realize it at that moment. In the air now Sha kicked his legs wildly as his face twisted with anger. He didn't look like he was choking, but Jina didn't have time to find out as the collapse of the ceiling from an artillery blast ended the confrontation.
Outside the Wookies had significantly reduced the number of Imperial troops, and according to General Shoorrakk the fight would be over in less than thirty minutes. Out of the bunker stumbled an angry looking General Sha who stood up in the midst of the battle and let out a far reaching yell. He didn't seem to care about the blaster fire or getting hit, and he strolled out of the front gate without a worry. The Wookies nearby took notice of him and began aiming for his legs, but his shield protected him. Luke saw the General and immediately worried for Jina.
As he stood there in the open the General began to yell again and in an incredible transformation doubled his size. Luke shook his head as he looked at the now metal clad General who was now more of a machine than a man. He's a cyborg, thought Luke as he unhooked his lightsaber and prepared to confront him. Sha didn't hesitate to go into a frenzy attacking anything near him - Wookie or Imperial. He fired lasers from his forearms and grenades from his stomach, but he seemed to enjoy slashing and tearing his victims apart with his metal claws the most.
General Sha cut a path through ten wookies and three Storm Troopers before noticing Luke and heading for him. Luke stretched his foot making sure his leg was okay then rushed in. Sha took a wide swipe at Luke who had gone to the ground swinging at his feet. His attacks just bounced off the ray shielding that was built into his metal body. Turning around General Sha let out a burst of laser fire before firing three grenades. Luke dodged the attacks then Force-pushed the general back about twenty feet. As if it didn't happen Sha quickly got up and began attacking some wookies who were nearby.
"I'm sorry I doubted you Wedge," Luke said as he turned off his lightsaber and rushed the General. On the way he picked up a thermal detonator off one of the dead wookies then when he reached Sha jumped on his back. In his rampage against the Wookies the General almost didn't notice which gave Luke enough time to arm the detonator and shove it into the metal body of the cyborg General through a slot on his back. It exploded inside him causing a lot of smoke and sparks, and the General fell to the floor.
Luke looked to the sky in disbelief as the General got up again. He didn't seem damaged at all, but was definitely more angry than before. He began attacking the nearby wookies again, but this time their blaster fire wasn't bouncing off. Apparently the blast had disabled his ray shield, and Luke didn't waste any time taking advantage. Again he came up on the General from behind and with one big swing took off his left arm. He came around to take off his leg, but a swipe from Sha sent Luke flying.
The hard landing had tweaked Luke's leg and it was starting to hurt. The General now had him locked in his sight and was determined to kill him. He approached Luke firing bursts from his forearm blaster while he struggled to stand up and block them at the same time. Just as he got up Sha swung at him with his large metal hand. It was a wild attack which Luke only had to duck before coming up and taking off his right hand. The General backed off yelling then squared off to Luke who stood watching with his lightsaber ready trying to ignore the pain in his leg. Without warning two high explosive directional charges the General had in his chest fired creating a cloud of dust and debris midst all the damage.
Jina opened her eyes and immediately felt the sharp pain on her head from the blow she had received from the ceiling fixture that hit her. Pieces of metal and tubing covered her body which she pushed away as she got up. Where is he, she thought as she remembered taking on the General. The details of the battle were fuzzy underneath her massive headache, but she knew she had to find him.
Inside of the bunker gate things were dying down. Wookies escorted Imperial prisoners while others stood guard. Blaster fire could be heard in the clearing just in front, but the scene made Jina relax thinking that the fight was over. I hope they captured the General, she thought as she nursed her head on the way to the front gate. As she got closer the rumblings of battle got louder and in no time she could see the violence taking place. What is that, Jina asked as she saw what looked like a ten-foot tall droid smacking Wookies around like plush toys.
Is that the General, Jina asked herself now a few steps out of the Imperial base. "Luke!" she suddenly shouted as she noticed her master getting smacked around. Her pace quickened as she looked on, but she was only half way there when General Sha fired his chest explosives. "NOOO!" Jina yelled when the dust cleared and she saw Luke looking dead on the ground. With the yell all of the anger and rage shot up through her body again and compelled her to rush at the General with all of her might.
Jina was shivering with anger and as she jumped in the air behind him the purple glow of Dark Force energy could be seen around her. With a scream Jina came down on Sha with a Force punch that that ripped through his Dilinium armored body like a piece of paper. She tore through his right shoulder down to his waist essentially cutting him in half. After taking out her lightsaber she stood over the General, who was still very alive, and raised it in the air about to deliver the final blow. She knew what her mission was, she knew her job was to keep him alive, but her anger needed to be satisfied.
She stood over Sha for a moment before closing her eyes and powering her lightsaber down. I can't do this, she said to herself forcing the anger and rage away. I won't give in to the Dark Side. She looked over at Luke who was still on the ground then rushed over to him. She turned him over and was happily surprised as he moved, slowly opening his eyes. "Are you okay?" Jina asked looking over his body for injuries.
"Yeah, I think so," Luke replied.
"I thought you were dead!"
Luke sat up. "If I hadn't jumped away I would be. Where's the General?"
"He's over there on the ground. I disabled him... or whatever. I don't think he's human," Jina pointed him out.
"Whatever he is he's Wedge's problem now. Come on let's get out of here."
Jina helped Luke up then acted as his crutch back to the Wookie base camp. They spent a few hours there getting treated then were picked up and taken back to the fleet where Jina spent the next two days in bed.
To Be continued...
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