{"id":90,"date":"2012-03-23T12:00:24","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T18:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/?p=90"},"modified":"2012-07-03T12:50:03","modified_gmt":"2012-07-03T17:50:03","slug":"the-new-jedi-order-siege-enemy-at-the-gates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/?p=90","title":{"rendered":"The New Jedi Order: Siege – Enemy at the Gates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kelta Rose and Kativie Lusp walked side-by-side through one of the many corridors running the length of the wreckage of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>. Lights flickered off and on in the deeper sections of the ship, the systems not fully restored. The air was stale, too; many fans and ventilation systems were still offline or, at best, not working well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand him,\u201d Kelta murmured. \u201cWhat\u2019s happened to him since\u2026well, since Endor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kativie offered a slight shrug. \u201cWar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich one?\u201d Kelta asked honestly.<\/p>\n

Kativie offered a small, pained smile. \u201cAs near as I can tell, pretty much every one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t make any sense,\u201d Kelta said, shaking her head. \u201cHe left the Alliance after Endor to find some peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he did,\u201d Kativie agreed. \u201cAs near as I can tell, he failed to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That brought Kelta to a stop. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Zabrak Jedi studied Kelta for a long moment. \u201cI only know what I can put together. There are so many things he won\u2019t talk about, won\u2019t tell anyone\u2014not even me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelta waited patiently.<\/p>\n

The youngest of the three Sanshir siblings was contemplative when she spoke. \u201cI know he left the Alliance and tried to give up on fighting, on war. He spent a year or two as an honest trader, and then as a smuggler. Then he got dragged into the fight against the Empire on some backwater worlds, did some soldiering. He got himself out again after helping kick the Empire out of the Rim, and was down on his luck for a few years.\u201d She blew out a sigh. \u201cThen Thrawn came in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelta listened patiently, not interrupting.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalyn was struggling to get by when he was dragooned into service for the New Republic, with a group that called itself Zealot. He did some flying and shooting, and when Thrawn was killed at Bilbringi, he got himself out again.\u201d Kativie smiled a little. \u201cDuring the reborn Emperor crisis, and the warlords that followed that, he did some honest work as a freelance captain. He\u2019d actually captain ships for rich tourists and the like who had bought a ship but knew nothing about flying.\u201d Her smile spread. \u201cHe told me about it once, after a lot of drinking. He\u2019d use these rich tourists\u2014usually Imperial loyalists\u2014to smuggle rebel operatives and resistance members onto Imperial-held worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelta tried to reconcile Halyn in such a role with the general she knew. To her surprise, it wasn\u2019t that hard.\u00a0It\u2019s just like him, in many ways. Use the enemy\u2019s strength against him. Rely on wile and wit and guile instead of force of arms. It\u2019s like all the strategies and tactics he used back during the Civil War, except scaled down instead of up.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe did all sorts of stupid things during that,\u201d Kativie continued. \u201cUntil the war really started to wind down with the Empire. With fewer worlds crying out for oppression, and most of the remaining worlds in the Empire actually wanting to be there, well\u2026\u201d she hesitated. \u201cI think he got bored.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBored? Halyn Lance got\u00a0bored?<\/em>\u201d Kelta couldn\u2019t contain her surprise at that statement.<\/p>\n

Kativie nodded. \u201cHe spent a year or two here on Iridonia, helping Argus defend the military budget. See, a lot of people saw the peace and thought it was time to disarm. Both my brothers were convinced that allowing our guard to drop would end poorly.\u201d Her face twisted, her expression unreadable. \u201cWhether they succeeded or not, well, I think that\u2019s yet to be decided. If it wasn\u2019t for them, Iridonia would probably already have fallen. As it is, we\u2019re on the brink.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo where was he after the peace treaty was signed?\u201d Kelta prompted.<\/p>\n

Kativie shook her head. \u201cThere\u2019s six years of Halyn\u2019s life that he won\u2019t tell me about. He\u2019ll always deflect me, no matter how hard I pry. There\u2019s a year gap starting six months or so after the battle of Endor, and there\u2019s no information at all from a few months after the signing of the peace treaty between Bastion and Coruscant, and three months before the Vong invaded the Outer Rim.\u201d<\/p>\n

The red-maned Jedi Knight considered Kativie\u2019s information. \u201cAny idea where he was either time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Kativie said with a shake of her head. \u201cHe\u2019s given me absolutely no clues about it. All I know is that he was really grim after the first year, and he seemed a lot more\u2026I don\u2019t know,\u00a0jumpy<\/em>\u00a0after the second time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJumpy?\u201d Kelta asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how else to describe it. He was just on edge for\u00a0months<\/em>\u00a0after he showed up here, and it only got worse as the invasion progressed.\u201d She shuddered. \u201cI think Argus knew something about it, but he wouldn\u2019t speak about it, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t sense anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kativie shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m not like you, Kelta\u2014I\u2019m not good at feeling other people\u2019s emotions. I can pull some surface stuff from most people, but sometimes I think it\u2019s easier to read a Vong warrior than it is to figure out what Halyn\u2019s thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about\u2026\u201d Kelta was interrupted as both their comlinks chimed simultaneously. The Jedi dropped their hands to their comlinks, freeing them together and twisting them on. They were both surprised to hear Halyn\u2019s voice from the tiny speaker.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Triak Kraal and Ret Kraal were in deep discussion about the overall strategy for conquering Iridonia when the villip keeper interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommander,\u201d she said, \u201cmy life in forfeit, but the infidel leader is transmitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBring me the villip,\u201d Triak ordered.<\/p>\n

It took only moments for the visage of their enemy, the Zabrak leader called Halyn Sanshir, to be staring out from the villip at Triak. The villip tender confirmed that Sanshir was transmitting on a broadcast, and could not see Triak in return.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at these Yuuzhan Vong cowards,\u201d the general was saying as Triak took the villip in his hands. \u201cThey sit in orbit after using a dishonorable tactic to break our defensive fleet. It is not the conduct of warriors, but of sniveling creatures who know not the honor of battle, of the shedding of blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I offer a challenge!\u201d Triak growled at the villip as his hated enemy spoke. \u201cLet the Yuuzhan Vong come, here to Rak\u2019Edalin! Let them show themselves to be honorable, as they claim to be, or cowards who hide behind false honor, as all of Iridonia can see them to be!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ret Kraal was silent, staring at the villip in utter disbelief. \u201cA toolmaker calls us honorless?\u201d he half-whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet the Yuuzhan Vong come and embrace life or death as warriors! Let them prove they are capable of even lifting a weapon against the Zabrak! I call on you, Vong scum,\u201d the villip relayed, \u201cto quit hiding behind your false gods and fight us as warriors, not with the conduct of vermin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Triak tensed at the insult of his enemy calling him \u201cVong\u201d\u2014such a being was childless, without the favor of the gods\u2014and the tone of his enemy left him little doubt that this Halyn Sanshir understood well the insult he was offering. He studied the villip intensely, memorizing every feature, every scar, every tattoo of his enemy. \u201cI will crush your skull and grind your bones into dust,\u201d Triak swore. \u201cYour death will be without a scrap of honor, and your entire clan will be cursed by your own people!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanshir continued. \u201cFight us, Vong scum! Fight us here, at Rak\u2019Edalin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Triak stabbed the villip with his coufee. He looked down at the weapon in his hand as the villip writhed and died, not remembering drawing the short bladed weapon. \u201cLaunch the yorik trema,\u201d he said in a trembling snarl. \u201cWe shall purge this world of this infidel scum who dares insult the chosen children of the gods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need merely point the target, Commander,\u201d Ret\u00a0 said with a deep bow, \u201cand our warriors shall destroy it. Where shall we strike?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRak\u2019Edalin,\u201d Triak snarled. \u201cWhere we can find our enemy and utterly destroy him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ret was slow in speaking. \u201cIt is where the enemy expects us to strike,\u201d he said cautiously.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Triak agreed, \u201cwhich is why we know we can find the enemy there. Land our forces\u2014every warriors, every slave, every living being who can hold an amphistaff or coufee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the north, then,\u201d Ret speculated. \u201cWhere the fall of their warship has weakened their defenses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d came the contradiction. \u201cTo the south, where the enemy does not expect us. We shall smash through their walls, their gates, and in the confusion we shall run them out of their own city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir,\u201d an officer said tightly. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing coralskipper traces at the edge of the atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn nodded. \u201cAs expected.\u201d He glanced over his shoulder at Kryi Rinnet. \u201cReady for your part?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kryi returned the nod. \u201cAs always, General.\u201d She smiled. \u201cUl\u2019Akhoi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yorik trema, often called \u201ccrates\u201d by the natives of the galaxy, were lightly-defended, unarmed vessels designed to move large numbers of soldiers quickly from space to ground. Like almost all Yuuzhan Vong vessels, their hulls were comprised of yorik coral and they relied on dovin basals, using gravitic manipulation, for propulsion.<\/p>\n

Because of their unarmed nature, they were escorted in combat by coralskippers, known to the Yuuzhan Vong at yorik-et. While the coralskippers engaged enemy defenses, the sturdy yorik trema would rely on their defenses to insert successfully into atmosphere and deploy troops on the ground. Once the warriors had departed, it wasn\u2019t uncommon for yorik trema to hurl themselves at enemy defenses to weaken shields or structures, particularly if the vessel had taken damage and wasn\u2019t capable of returning to orbit.<\/p>\n

However, yorik trema relied first and foremost on air superiority having been achieved before entry into the battlefield.<\/p>\n

As hundreds of the Yuuzhan Vong transports descended into atmosphere, they were beset upon by Zabrak fighter squadrons. The coralskippers, an even match for the defenders in space, found their un-aerodynamic designs severely disadvantaged in combat where drag, altitude, and gravity became factors. Still, they battled the Zabrak pilots to a standstill, sacrificing Yuuzhan Vong lives to keep the marauding starfighters from reaching the yorik trema.<\/p>\n

But here at Iridonia, the coralskippers found themselves in a battle situation unlike any the Yuuzhan Vong had encountered during their long march from Helska to Coruscant. No veteran invader was prepared for the nature of this fight, for the New Republic had never forced it upon their foe.<\/p>\n

The Yuuzhan Vong were\u00a0outnumbered.<\/em><\/p>\n

This had been a critical element of the defense, devised and revised by Argus and Halyn. The defense of Iridonia, they had both agreed, would not rely on establishing superiority in orbit; the Zabrak simply had too few capital ships to manage that. Instead, they would play to their strengths, and establish aerial superiority, using their starfighters to intercept and destroy the Yuuzhan Vong between orbit and the ground.<\/p>\n

Squadron after squadron of Zabrak craft joined the battle. Battered coralskippers found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of lasers and proton torpedoes and concussion missiles, found a foe so numerous that despite their best efforts, they couldn\u2019t keep the Zabrak fighters away.<\/p>\n

Coralskippers fell away from the fight in droves as dovin basals were stunned or killed; yorik coral hulls splintered and fell to the ground in a coral hail; yorik trema hid behind gravitic void defenses, trying desperately to survive until they could deploy their precious cargo of warriors, of slaves, of weapons. Formations crumbled, and transports began to burn as the defenders reached them. More and more surviving Yuuzhan Vong found themselves descending towards the planet without a ship when hulls erupted like overripe fruit, with no hope but a short death as they met their end kilometers below.<\/p>\n

It was impossible, of course, for the Zabrak defenders to destroy the entirety of the drop force. Ordinance was expended, fuel exhausted, and fighters had to return to base before the job was complete. Any other landing force, having lost nearly a third of their supplies, troops, warriors, and weapons in the opening minutes of a battle, would likely have turned away from the fight.<\/p>\n

But these were the Yuuzhan Vong; they would fight their enemy to the death, for their glory, and for their gods.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds of the force made landfall to the south of Rak\u2019Edalin, with surviving coralskippers setting up a combat air patrol over the battered invasion army. Unharmed yorik trema returned whence they came, clawing away from the mad world with impossible defenses. The wounded yorik trema chose instead to hurl themselves at the defenses of Rak\u2019Edalin, to weaken them for the assault to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cGeneral,\u201d an officer said tensely, \u201cthe shields can\u2019t take much more pounding. They\u2019re throwing entire ships at the city\u2019s defenses, and the power grid is on the edge of failing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn nodded. \u201cAs expected. Order all forward units to stand ready, and then pull the coverage back on the shield dome. Only shields overhead\u2014pull back forty degrees of coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nisia glanced over at him, shock riding freely on her face. \u201cJess, you\u2019re opening the door for them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they\u00a0did<\/em>\u00a0knock,\u201d Halyn said dryly. \u201cDo it. All forward units are to hold their position\u2014don\u2019t advance out from under the shields.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn watched the tactical hologram grimly. It wasn\u2019t the detailed model compiled from sensors of dozens of warships that he would have had in orbit, nor was in the strategic data he\u2019d used from the orbiting satellites and ground-based sensor stations. This was crude by comparison, updated with reports flowing in from the city\u2019s edge, from the limited data the crippled Cathleen could provide, and from the city\u2019s sensors and alert system.<\/p>\n

As the shields fell back, the Yuuzhan Vong charged into the city. Based on the tactical hologram, Halyn guessed there were perhaps a single Yuuzhan Vong warrior for every twenty slaves in the attacking force. \u201cThis is going to get brutal,\u201d he muttered. \u201cDown in the mud and wrestling for control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot your style of fight, sir,\u201d Kryi Rinnet spoke up. With the Zabrak squadrons regrouping and the surviving coralskippers withdrawn to orbital positions, she had idle moments now to watch and speculate.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Halyn agreed. \u201cBut it\u2019s not the Vong\u2019s, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Nisia asked with a frown.<\/p>\n

Halyn shook his head. \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, our squadrons are starting to come ready again,\u201d Kryi announced. \u201cYour orders?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep them on alert, standing by,\u201d Halyn instructed. \u201cWatch for any more reinforcements from orbit. If the Vong try to send any ships down the well, dispatch squadrons to intercept and destroy. For now, though, hold them in reserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Kryi said quietly.<\/p>\n

Another figure entered the bridge, and Halyn turned by reflex. His eyebrows rose when he recognized the newcomer. \u201cSandarie? Sandi? What are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

The blue-skinned Twi\u2019lek looked a little worse for wear. Her dark jumpsuit was dusty and torn. Blood trickled from a variety of scrapes and minor cuts, and purpling flesh revealed bruising over her right eye. Her walk was slow and limping, favoring her right hip. She looked tired, battered. \u201cHi, Halyn,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cYou dropped a building on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSir,\u201d another voice said. \u201cSir, we just received a signal from the Council. They are demanding to meet with you immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat can wait,\u201d Halyn said, waving off the call. \u201cSandi, what happened? Why aren\u2019t you on the\u00a0Dauntless<\/em>\u00a0and clear of this mess?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d the Twi\u2019lek said slowly, \u201cRyian and I had a fight, and I decided to come down here to Rak\u2019Edalin to meet with Kativie. I parked my ship in a hangar half a klick from here, and when the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0came down, it collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn grimaced. \u201cYou look like the Vong got ahold of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandi shook her head. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t. My ship does, though.\u201d Her expression twisted. \u201cRyian won\u2019t be happy.\u201d She glanced around the battered remains of the command center. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVong came up with a new toy,\u201d Halyn said grimly. \u201cThe fleet\u2019s been pushed out of orbit, and we\u2019re under blockade. The Vong are at the edge of the city now, fighting with our forward elements.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what are we going to do?\u201d another voice asked from behind Sandarie.<\/p>\n

A moment later, Kativie and Kelta both stepped into light. Halyn flinched at that, and Kelta refused to meet his eyes. \u201cWe\u2019re going to fight them,\u201d Halyn said. \u201cUnless you think surrendering would be a better idea?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kativie shook her head and tried to form a joke, but the wisecrack died on her lips. \u201cNo, we\u2019re not going to give up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halyn glanced at the tactical hologram, then sighed. \u201cThe Council\u2019s braying for my blood,\u201d he said. \u201cOrders before I go to meet with them.\u201d Around the bridge, Zabraks straightened to listen and receive orders.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/em>Cathleen\u00a0might have fallen, but it hasn\u2019t broken us. The Vong are at our gates, but they\u2019re willing and able to fight.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vong are going to concentrate their push on the south.\u201d He gestured at the tactical hologram. \u201cI want every Zabrak who hasn\u2019t received a jato to be pulled back here to the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>. We\u2019ll protect them here, if they haven\u2019t already evacuated out of the city. Everyone who can hold a blaster or zhaboka will need to prepare to fight.\u201d He glanced at the hologram again. \u201cWe\u2019ll need to setup strongholds at major intersections and open areas throughout the city,\u201d he continued. \u201cVolunteers from the city\u2019s citizens are preferable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about evacuation?\u201d Kelta asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo evacuation,\u201d Halyn said firmly. \u201cWe need every single body we have to fight. Anything less than our full effort, and Rak\u2019Edalin will fall. The Vong are going to be stopped here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what about\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo evacuation,\u201d Halyn repeated. \u201cKativie, Sandarie, Nisia\u2026\u201d he looked around the bridge, \u201c\u2026and Ceikeh, with me.\u201d He looked down self-consciously at his uniform and was acutely aware he hadn\u2019t changed, hadn\u2019t bathed, hadn\u2019t eaten since the Cathleen’s<\/em> spectacular entry into the city. \u201cWe\u2019re going to meet the Council.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kelta Rose and Kativie Lusp walked side-by-side through one of the many corridors running the length of the wreckage of the\u00a0Cathleen. Lights flickered off and on in the deeper sections of the ship, the systems not fully restored. The air … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-njo-siege"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p52rlt-1s","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":371,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions\/371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=90"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=90"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingunderduress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}