Exile's Revenge: Chapter 6 "New Alliance"

11 Months After The Second Battle Of Malachor V

Outpost Kreion:

Chaos reigned in the corridors surrounding Docking Bays E and F. Five Sith troop transports had managed to breach the station's defences and land, two in Bay E and three in F. Each transport held fifty-five fully armed and armored Sith Marines, each willing to die to achieve their goal; the rescue of Revan, at all costs.

Colonel Faize, the commanding officer of the boarding party, exited his transport with the rest of the marines and began to assist the troops who were already engaged with the security forces defending the outpost. His troops had made a barricade around the transports with the crates and machinery found in the bay, and were slowly pushing outward from there. He approached a Major who was in command of the unit designated 'A'.

"Status report, Major." He demanded as he approached.

"Sir, the forces that landed in bay F have secured it and are requesting further orders." The young Major began. "As you can see, bay E is mostly under our control, except the upper level, there has been sporadic sniper fire coming from that corner" He indicated which one he meant with a nod to the far side of the bay. "According to schematics uploaded from a computer terminal, the holding cells are a few decks below. However, according to the computer there are extra security units moving in from all directions."

"Contact team B, tell them to begin preparing defences, they don't have much time." The Colonel ordered as he looked at the status report the Major had given him. "They are to hold their positions and keep the enemy away from the strike force lead by you. I want the Marines who landed with my transport to enter the ventilation shafts at this point." He indicated on the station map, and traced a line five decks down which took the Marines to the detention level. "Once they reach the detention level they are to neutralize any form of security and rescue Lord Revan." He handed the Major a pair of metallic cylinders. "Give these to our Lord when you reach him."

The Major moved to touch one of the buttons on the cylinders. "I wouldn't recommend doing that." Faize said. "These are Lord Revan's newest lightsabers, Lady Bastila finished making them only a few hours ago. They are for Revan only, those were her orders."

"Yes sir." The Major saluted and moved off to join the rest of the strike team.

'Good Luck' Faize thought as he watched them enter the ventilation shaft. He summoned the rest of his Marines, who had been clearing the rest of the snipers from the upper levels, and they moved to docking bay F to assist in the diversion.

Troy's automated reinforcements arrived within minutes and began systematically dissecting the invading Sith troopers. The HK-52 series battledroid carried many improvements over standard battledroids. These included stronger armor, made out of superlight metallic compounds that heavily dissipated blaster energy and ion weapons. The HKs also had numerous upgrades to their targeting and target tracking software which allowed them to hit an enemy soldier with almost every shot of their superior weapons. The standard weapon of an HK-52 was the Aratech A-640 SAW, a brand new, top-of-the-line, heavy repeating blaster capable of shredding typical body armor.

The Sith, however, also utilized better technology than those that served under Revan during the Jedi Civil War. Their armor, though not as sophisticated as the HK's, was sufficient to stop a couple hits from enemy fire. And they carried advanced weapons developed by top Sith weapon makers, weapons capable of causing serious damage to their mechanized adversaries.

The confrontation might have turned into a bloody battle of attrition if not for the two Jedi, one Zeison Sha and the other Echani, cutting through the Sith defences. Troy and Brianna had been training together since they had met nearly a year and a half ago on Taris and they knew exactly what the other would do in any situation. Both having been trained as Jedi guardians there wasn't much use Force, but since both had exceptionally strong bonds in the Force what powers they did use had devastating effects. Troy used his superior telekenesis abilities to toss Sith barricades aside like they were paperweights instead of full cargo crates, while Brianna used her expert knowledge of the Light Side to freeze whole groups of Sith while the droids did their work.

Within minutes what Sith remained standing had surrendered. Troy and Brianna used a combined Force pull to strip them of all their weapons and approached Colonel Faize, who had suffered a wound to his leg and a grazing shot to his right bicep.

"Please... do what you will to me, but spare my men..." The Colonel said in ragged breaths.

"We don't kill our prisoners, Colonel." Troy said as he approached. "I thought you would have remembered how I treated our Mandalorian prisoners during the War."

"It's good to know you haven't changed," Faize began. "From what Malak had said about you after you left I feared the worst coming here."

"No doubt," Troy said, his eyes glazing as if remembering some past experience. "My older brother was never the same after Malachor, none of us were... He no doubt hated me for re-joining the Jedi."

"Aye," The Colonel replied. "Such death does strange things to people. This bloody affair is but a riot compared to that day."

"Your soldiers aren't dead, at least most of them aren't." Troy said as he began to walk away, gesturing to the Sith troops lying all over the deck. "The majority of my droids were armed merely with stunners, though some of the newer models hadn't been properly equipped, a grave oversight on the part of my people and myself." He began to leave again but stopped. "Oh, and Faize, I would suggest ordering your men to stand down, brig security is heavily armed and highly trained -- and they are authorized to use deadly force to keep the prisons secure. " With that Troy and Brianna left, leaving the droids to take the captured Sith away.

Once they got far enough away Brianna turned to him. "How did you know about the Sith in the Brig?"

"Two reasons. First, it's Faize's style--" He began.

"Ten years is a long time, people change." Brianna interjected.

"True, however there weren't enough Sith in that Bay." Troy pointed out. "I knew he must have sent extra soldiers to rescue Revan."

They headed back to the Command Deck and Troy opened a comm channel to Bastila's fleet.

"Bastila, I know you can hear me so listen up!" He began, putting on a tone of voice he had often used when training her in lightsaber combat so many years ago. It was a voice she had obeyed, even when she disagreed with with what was being said. "I have captured your boarding party and Revan is still secured within my brig. Surrender now and your ships and the soldiers serving aboard them will be spared."

The Comm only returned static.

Troy turned to the Comm officer. "You're sure she's getting this?"

"Yes sir."

Troy turned the Comm back on. "Damn it Bastila! Answer your Gods-forsaken Comm!!" He yelled, each passing minute cost the lives of her soldiers and his droids, losses neither of them could afford.

"What!?" Came her response. "I will not surrender to you, Blukam, accept that."

"Stand down Bastila, I will not harm you or your people. We are needlessly wasting lives, ships and time."

"Release Revan, and I will stand down." Came her defiant reply.

"Cease fire and I will allow you to talk to him, he is not being harmed." Troy replied.

She didn't answer, but her guns fell silent. Troy ordered his automated fighters called back . Bastila came back on screen, a half-relieved, half-defiant look on her face.

"I've done as you asked, now let me talk to Revan."

"I'll allow you to come aboard and talk to him." Troy began. "Just don't land in docking bays E or F, your troops ruined them."

Troy cut the transmission before she could respond and walked away from the Comm, then turned back to the Comm officer. "Have her land in Bay C, it's near to the Brig."

"Yes, sir."

"I need a damage report and casualty list, now." He ordered as he walked to the TDU in the center of the room. He was studying the holographic display as an Ensign brought the data he requested. Troy looked at the information displayed, the casualties were much lower than he had feared, on both sides. A blip on the TDU distracted his attention. A small shuttle had appeared at the edge of scanning range and was heading straight for the Outpost.

"Sir, we have an inbound unit in sector--"

I see it," Troy replied.

Just then the Comm officer called from his side of the room. "Sir I have a transmission from someone named Mical, he claims you know him?"

"Patch him through to my office." Troy said as he left the Command deck. By the time he got to his office, a hologram of Mical was already standing on the holoprojector.

"Master Blukam," Mical began, giving that same bow he gave on Dantooine over thirteen months earlier. "I bring important information relating to Darth Revan..."

"Mical, I'm glad you found us." Troy began, smiling for the first time in what seemed like a long time. "I sent people looking for you all over the Galaxy, I need your help."

"I provide any assistance I can, but I have come with a warning. But I dare not speak of it over a Commlink. Where can I land?"

"Um, Bays E and F are out of the question, you just missed one hell of a battle. Take Bay A, Bastila will be landing in Bay C..."

"Bastila? But I had thought she went off with Darth Revan to the Unknown Regions." Mical said with mild confusion.

"Look, I can't talk about it over the Comm, when you land come meet me. I'll probably be in the Brig."

"I will see you there."

"I'll make sure you are cleared."

The transmission ended and Troy headed to Docking Bay C to meet up with Bastila, who should be arriving any minute. He got there just as her ship cleared the forcefield. Bao-dur was also in the bay and Troy walked over to him.

"You all right?" Troy asked as he approached. "Not many people can hold on as long as you did against a Force-choke, especially not one from someone as powerful as Revan."

"I'm fine General, really." Bao-dur replied, and walked off to see to Bastila's shuttle.

"Where is he?!" Bastila was yelling from the bottom of the loading ramp of her ship.

"It's good to see you to, my formal pupil."

"Don't give me any of that Blukam, where is Revan!? You said I could see him!"

"RIght this way," Troy gestured and followed her out of the docking bay. They entered a turbolift and headed down to the detention level, where Troy took the lead. They walked through the main Brig, through to a high security area. There, sitting exactly where Troy had left him, was Revan.

"Revan! Are you alright?"

"Bastila! Why are you here, with him?" Revan began.

"She came to see that you were alright." Troy said. "If I hadn't let her, she would've destroyed all of our forces. I couldn't allow that."

"Understandable," Revan began. "So, does that mean you believe me? Will you help me against Darth Necros and his armies?"

"Actually, that was the plan in the first place. That's why we built this place. Of course, at the time I was expecting you to be leading the Sith forces, but now I feel confidant that together we will be able to hold the line against the initial Sith attack. At least until the Republic arrives with reinforcements."

"When will that be?" Revan asked. "What Admiral would have approved something like this?"

"An old friend of yours, Carth Onasi."

Carth? Carth is dead Troy!" Revan said in anger. "I left him to die on that planet when his loyalty failed."

"And yet he lived," Troy said. "And he, along with Republic survivers from the Battle of the Star Forge, managed to fix up a couple of Capital Ships and take out the Forge."

"Carth, you son of a kath hound..." Revan said under his breath. "I never would have guessed it was you..."

"Master Blukam?" Came the voice of Mical, cutting off anything else Revan was going to add. "Master Blukam where --" He stopped midsentence upon sight of Revan. "You!"

Before either Troy or Bastila could react, Mical had them pinned on opposite walls of the corridor. With another swift gesture, Mical lifted Revan into the air and pulled him foreward. Revan crashed on his knees in front of Mical, but before Mical would do anything more Revan called Bastila's double-blader into his right hand and activated the orange blade. Sparks erupted as Mical's green saber collided with Revan's orange, the young man was exceptionally skilled in the ways of the Force, but his mastery of the blade was lightyears behind Revan's. Revan quickly forced Mical back to the 'T' where the corridor to his cell met the main walkway. However, before he could press his advantage, he was thrown down onto the ground as if he had been struck in the chest by a heavy weight. Troy was standing behind him, hand lowered to keep him pinned.

"Mical stand down!" Troy said as he pushed Mical away from Revan with the Force. "Deactivate your lightsabers, both of you." They did. "Mical, Revan is on our side. We can't be fighting each other when the Sith are knocking on our front door."

"He is the Sith, Troy," Mical began, his dislike of Revan showing clearly on his face. "And he will be the end of us all."