Chapter 7: Conflict

Cyprixxia Dantooine System Dantooine Five Days after the Fall of Dantooine

Larian watched as the small supply vessel spun in the zero gravity of space, and then rocketed away. It had dropped off several large crates that were now being moved by droids to a separate hangar, far removed from this one. He idly checked his blaster, and followed the droids. One of the crates had holes in the top, to keep the cargo alive, but he wasn’t sure how lively it could be.

Meanwhile, Reanne stood beside Iliyana on the control deck, both of them monitoring the ships systems. The rest of the Terenatek were planetside, sniffing out the remaining Jedi. Iliyana thought that they were happy down there, with plenty of room to hunt and roam, but she knew that any person possessing a strong affinity for the Force would be attacked, unless shielded by the thought weave.

One of the monitors chirped, and Iliyana looked sharply at it. Two large Republic cruisers had just emerged from hyperspace, on the outer edge of the system. In an hour, they would be here. She hit the inter-station communication switch. “Master, we have two Republic Cruisers, identified as the Hyperion and the Victor, now in system. I estimate an hour before they’re here.”

“They responded faster than I anticipated,” Tremar’s voice came back. “Begin preparations to jump to Brigia. Larian, scramble as many fighters as you can. Reanne, assist Larian. I will be on the command deck shortly.”

Reanne darted away as the line went dead, and Iliyana began to power up Cyrixxia’s engines. They had taken them offline to save power, and were in a high orbit around Dantooine. As the reactors began to heat up, she rolled her chair to the astronavigation controls, and began to calculate the course. In the back of her mind, however, was the knowledge that Cyprixxia’s engine systems would take the better part of an hour to heat up, and then another quarter to move far enough away from Dantooine to clear the mass shadow of the planet.

Larian and Reanne worked feverishly in the hangar controls, assessing how many fighters they had ready. The assault on Dantooine hadn’t reduced their forces much, and about one hundred of the fighters were ready to go. Larian checked a second monitor, one that was tracking the reactor’s power status. They were coming online, circulating power between themselves to heat up faster, but it was still an agonizingly slow wait.

Tremar swept into the hangar, and Larian spared him a cursory nod. “M’lord.”

“Larian, our status,” he asked calmly.

“Reactors are at 75% capacity, we can move, but far too slowly. It will actually be faster to wait in place until we reach 90%, and then we can start to move away. Once we reach a safe distance, we should have enough power to jump to hyperspace,” Larian said, his fingers flicking over controls as Reanne jumped lightly off the top of a fighter and jogged towards them.

Tremar nodded. “Reanne, remain with Larian until you are summoned. Is there any way of recovering the Terenateks from the surface?”

“No M’lord,” Larian said firmly, “only you or Iliyana can command them and both of you are too important to be caught in a shuttle on your way up from the planet.”

Tremar nodded, a bit sadly. “Very well then; I am on my way to the command deck. Keep a line open at all times.”

Larian nodded as Tremar swept from the room, and Reanne gave him a hug from behind. “We’ll make it out, won’t we,” she asked him softly.

“I don’t know Reanne,” was Larian’s only answer.

As Tremar came onto the bridge, Iliyana was naked. While the computers were double checking her astronavigation calculations, she had started to change into her leather combat suit. She saw her Lord enter the deck, and bent over at the waist, presenting her pussy and ass to him, and then wriggled her hips as she pulled the suit up her legs and up to her waist. She turned and walked towards navigation, leaving herself naked from the top down. “I can sense my old Master. I do not know which ship he’s on, but he’s out there.”

Tremar nodded. “There are two powerful Masters out there. If possible, we must avoid meeting with them right now.”

Iliyana nodded, and touched her fingertips to the controls, and activated the main engines. Cyprixxia shuddered, and began to move away from the planet, slowly. Another console beeped and Tremar swept over to check it. “Larian, two squadrons inbound. Launch fighters as a screen; keep them from doing too much damage. If possible, get all our bombers out, and focus on one of the two cruisers.”

“Yes M’lord.”

Iliyana ignored the activity around her, and increased the power to the engines. The station began to move a bit faster, even as the fighters swarmed out of the bays. More fighters launched from both cruisers, and streaked in to intercept the bombers as Cyprixxia continued its slow advance.

Hyperion Dantooine System Dantooine

Jedi Master Kaesar Caestol stood on the bridge of the Republic Cruiser Hyperion, watching the unfolding space battle. He could feel Iliyana out there, on the mobile space station, as well as Tremar. Jedi Master Koyi Komad came up beside him, dressed in the Jedi robes identical to his. “You didn’t have to come Kaesar,” she said softly.

“Yes, Koyi,” he replied softly, “I did. I missed the holding pens on Hurcha. I missed Iliyana’s obsession with her body and I missed her resentment towards us. Those are three things I must atone for.”

Koyi shook her head. “I hope we can recapture her, and Reanne. I’d hate to have to kill either of them.”

“No. Death is preferable to what will await them. I will refuse to cut them off from the Force, because that is a slow death and will make them even more resentful towards the Republic and the Jedi.”

Koyi sighed. Kaesar was always this way, she reflected. Life to him was only worth living to its fullest. The Hyperion’s Captain, an Alderaan native named Jec Armrill, approached the two Jedi. “Excuse me Masters, but the station is approaching optimal jump distance from Dantooine. Our fights are tied up defending from the bombers and fighters. This is not a battle we can win today.”

Kaesar glanced at the holographic display, and nodded. “I agree Captain. Move the Hyperion towards Cyprixxia, and prepare the boarding fighter.”