When the last Yuuzhan Vong warrior fell to Anishor\u2019s rykk blades, Halyn paused for a moment to draw himself up. Around him he could see his allies\u2014Kelta, her burning lightsabers held high and ready; Anishor, his fur matted with blood and grime, the twin rykk blades shining with their own light; Ceikeh, his arm slashed open and still bleeding freely, but on his feet with zhaboka in hand; Nisia, blaster pistol in hand and still firing; Sandarie in a crouch, her blaster rifle firing.<\/p>\n
Wait, Sandi?<\/em><\/p>\n With the Yuuzhan Vong down, the reptoid slave troops broke and fled. The Wookiee berserkers made parting blows, killing yet more of them. Some of the Wookiees were down, either badly wounded or dead; those still on their feet were splattered with blood and gore, though it was impossible to tell if its origins were Yuuzhan Vong or Wookiee. A few of the berserkers began an impromptu pursuit, but Anishor\u2019s commanding roar brought them to a stop.<\/p>\n Halyn was still looking at the Twi\u2019lek.\u00a0I didn\u2019t tell Sandi to come. Did I?<\/em><\/p>\n For a moment, the hasty plans he\u2019d improvised aboard the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0seemed a lifetime ago.<\/p>\n <The Yuuzhan Vong retreat,> Anishor observed, interrupting the Zabrak\u2019s thoughts.<\/p>\n The Ul\u2019akhoi turned. \u201cFor now. Without the Vong warriors, their slaves aren\u2019t exactly brave. We\u2019ve blunted this attack, but we\u2019re losing ground to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n <How much?> Anishor asked.<\/p>\n Halyn flicked his comlink on and brought it to his lips. \u201cKatie, what\u2019s the status of the major battle?\u201d<\/p>\n The younger Sanshir answered a moment later. \u201cThe Yuuzhan Vong are inside the defenses now; there\u2019s no holding them back. We took a fair number of casualties, but the Vong paid for every meter of territory they hold with their blood. We\u2019re at a stalemate for now; they\u2019re not making any harder pushes yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll consolidate their hold inside our defenses before they try anything else,\u201d Halyn grunted. \u201cWhat\u2019s the status of our shield generators?\u201d<\/p>\n Kativie\u2019s voice was grim. \u201cThe matalok overloaded everything. The on-site technicians said that there\u2019s no quick fix for this one; the generators will need to be completely stripped down to the cores and rebuilt. The surge that hit the system cooked so many circuits that diagnostics can\u2019t make sense of what\u2019s left.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn clicked his comlink off. \u201cIt\u2019s going to get worse before it gets better,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt always seems to,\u201d Kelta offered. Halyn turned, saw her lightsabers were clipped to her belt now. Her Jedi robes were torn and cut in a half-dozen places, though she seemed relatively unharmed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe coldest hour is the one before the dawn,\u201d he murmured. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think we\u2019re there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Anishor nodded. <It is time to evacuate the remaining civilians.><\/p>\n Halyn shook his head. \u201cThere are no civilians here,\u201d he said firmly. \u201cThe children are protected aboard the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>; anyone else on Iridonia can and will fight.\u201d<\/p>\n <Coatrack, not everyone is like us. That is why we exist\u2014to fight, so others don\u2019t have to.><\/p>\n It was a familiar argument stemming from the Wookiee berserker tradition. Anishor was born of a tradition of Wookiee warriors, berserkers who committed their entire lives, their full beings, to warfare. Every one of the Wookiee\u2019s skills revolved around some aspect of war\u2014flying and gunning aboard starships, using bowcasters as ranged weapons, training with melee weapons that had traditionally been used against slavers and the vicious creatures of Kashyyyk, even forging new weapons for himself. Halyn suspected that even what little recreation the Wookiee indulged in was based around war.<\/p>\n The berserker philosophy boiled down succinctly.\u00a0We become slaves to war, so others can have freedom.<\/em><\/p>\n Halyn understood the philosophy well, and believed it effective.\u00a0On the other hand, Iridonia is at risk. This battle affects us all. The Yuuzhan Vong aren\u2019t interested in traditional conquering, and merely controlling territories. They want to destroy our very civilization, our traditions that trace back millennia, and remake our species, our worlds, our galaxy in their image. No one should be forced to fight, but we can\u2019t afford anything less.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCheck on your berserkers,\u201d Halyn said aloud. \u201cLet\u2019s regroup, because we\u2019ll likely need them again soon.\u201d Deliberately he turned away from the Wookiee, ending the discussion. Instead, he looked at Kelta squarely. \u201cYou and I,\u201d he said calmly, \u201cneed to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn stepped away and Kelta fell in beside him. He knew without looking that Anishor was frustrated with him, his willingness to sacrifice civilians to slow the Yuuzhan Vong advance.\u00a0But I don\u2019t view it as sacrifice. This war is for all of us\u2014if they don\u2019t fight, we\u2019ll all fail.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you need, General?\u201d Kelta asked.<\/p>\n Halyn was hit by a thousand memories when Kelta said General. He pushed them away with an effort. \u201cHow long will you stay?\u201d he asked instead.<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as you\u2019ll have me,\u201d Kelta said hesitantly. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure how welcome I was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour daughter was adopted into our clan,\u201d Halyn pointed out. \u201cYou participated in Kativie\u2019s wedding. You made a passable Zabrak, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were there,\u201d Kelta said incredulously. \u201cI thought\u2026but I wasn\u2019t sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn nodded. \u201cThat was then, this is now,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cKelta, I\u2019m looking for every advantage I can get against the Vong. We\u2019re holding our own\u2014barely\u2014but I know that won\u2019t last. So, I need to know if the Jedi Academy trained your battle meditation.\u201d More old memories flickered through his mind as he said it. He ignored them as well.<\/p>\n The Jedi hesitated. \u201cI\u2019m capable of it,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cBut I don\u2019t use it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFeedback.\u201d Halyn waited patiently for explanation, and Kelta finally relented. \u201cHalyn, you remember how sensitive I was to the Force. I could feel my friends\u2019 pain. I could feel when someone died nearby, even when I had no connection to them. I sense everything so clearly it\u2019s distracting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is why you were capable of the battle meditation,\u201d Halyn pointed out.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and no. I only used it once, when we fought the Imperial blockade here, at Iridonia. And the feedback from it was enough to make me numb. Halyn, I can feel every injury, every death around me. In battle I can shield myself from it to some degree\u2014the concern for my own survival, drawing on the Force to defend myself, all insulate me from the sensations. But if I\u2019m attempting battle meditation, I can\u2019t cut myself off\u2014I have to feel it in order for the meditation to work.\u201d The look on her face was frustration and shame. \u201cIn an actual battle, I can\u2019t take in all that feedback and still make the meditation work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d was all Halyn could say.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a way,\u201d she continued, \u201cfighting the Yuuzhan Vong is better than fighting the Empire. I can\u2019t feel them in the Force, so I can\u2019t feel their pain or death, either. I still feel my allies\u2026but it\u2019s half the sensation I used to feel.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but I can\u2019t help you that way.\u201d<\/p>\n So much for that weapon<\/em>, Halyn thought glumly.\u00a0It was still worth asking, though.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHalyn,\u201d Kelta said quietly, \u201cwhat are you going to do? The war is going to destroy this world. If the New Republic couldn\u2019t defend Coruscant, how are you going to save Iridonia?\u201d<\/p>\n The Zabrak found he had nothing to say.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kelta frowned at Halyn, realizing for the first time that the dark leather of his duster was tinted crimson. \u201cHalyn, you\u2019ve been hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n The Zabrak shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing\u2014just a few scratches.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not.\u201d Kelta reached out with the Force and started to probe his injuries. \u201cYou haven\u2019t been poisoned, but you\u2019ve been cut in a half-dozen places. We need to get you cleaned up or you\u2019ll get infected.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, Kelta. That\u2019s what bleeding is for\u2014it\u2019s the body\u2019s natural way of flushing out debris from wounds.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the Iridonian military\u2019s Muurian transports settled onto its landing struts, and Halyn marched aboard it without pause. Kelta followed closely. \u201cYou\u2019re just as stubborn as always, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Kelta asked in frustration.<\/p>\n Halyn whirled abruptly to face her. \u201cAnd you\u2019re still getting worked up over nothing,\u201d he snapped. \u201cAlways pushing when you could just let things be.\u201d<\/p>\n During the Galactic Civil War, she would likely have wilted when his temper rose. Years as a parent and as a Jedi Knight, though, had added a layer of durasteel that she\u2019d never had.\u00a0Or maybe<\/em>, she pondered to herself,\u00a0it forged and tempered the steel that was already there.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m pushing,\u201d she said, her voice low, \u201cbecause I didn\u2019t come here to watch you die. I chose to stay here to defend Iridonia and, whether I like it or not, you\u2019re the best chance the Zabraks have at holding out against the Vong.\u201d She pointed to the small medical alcove\u2014not even a separate room in the light freighter. \u201cSit.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn stared at her, and Kelta could feel defiance in his gaze. Unexpectedly, it cut off. \u201cAlright,\u201d he said agreeably.<\/p>\n Kelta stripped off the leather duster, and was more than a little surprised to see it relatively intact. Amphistaffs were razor-sharp and capable of filleting most armor; only the Yuuzhan Vong\u2019s own vonduun crab armor and a Jedi\u2019s lightsaber could reliably stop the living weapons in combat. However, Halyn\u2019s leather duster had apparently turned aside more than a few of the attacks. \u201cWhat kind of leather is this?\u201d she asked disbelievingly.<\/p>\n \u201cTrade secret,\u201d was all Halyn would say.<\/p>\n She stripped off his shirt, revealing the striped scars running down his back. Fresh cuts crisscrossed them in places, as well on his chest, but they were relatively shallow. Kelta shook her head and found an antibacterial cloth, and started to wipe away the blood and dirt that clung to his torso.<\/p>\n Halyn was silent while she worked. At last, she asked, \u201cWhat happened to you, Halyn? You didn\u2019t used to have scars like this.\u201d<\/p>\n A faint smile touched the Zabrak\u2019s lips. \u201cI led an interesting life after Endor,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it going to be like this until I leave?\u201d the Jedi asked in exasperation. \u201cYou just refusing to give a straight answer? You used to trust me, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn was silent for long heartbeats\u2014long enough for Kelta to regret the words. She could feel the faint sting of pain and regret that had nothing to do with the shallow cuts the amphistaffs had inflicted on him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Hutts caught up to me,\u201d he said at last. \u201cAfter the peace treaty between the Remnant and the New Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelta raised an eyebrow. \u201cAnd what, they just beat you and let you go?\u201d She winced at the glib remark. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n The transport\u2014now loaded with Wookiee berserkers\u2014whined as the repulsorlifts lifted it clear of the ground. Whether it was the noise of the engines or the vividness of the memories Kelta could feel bubbling up in Halyn\u2019s mind, it seemed like he hadn\u2019t heard her. \u201cThey decided executing me was too swift for what I\u2019d done, and freezing me in carbonite wouldn\u2019t cause enough suffering. They wanted to make a proper example out of me, and get some entertainment in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Kelta asked.<\/p>\n Halyn again didn\u2019t seem to hear the question. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of Rim worlds beyond the reach of the New Republic\u2014just like they were beyond the Empire, and the Old Republic before it. On one of them, the Hutts had built, or taken over, a gladiatorial arena. They were using it in the traditional way\u2014after all, battles between gladiators are great betting material.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey made you fight?\u201d Kelta asked quietly.<\/p>\n Halyn finally turned and looked her in the eyes, then nodded. \u201cThey were using slaves, smugglers who\u2019d dropped cargoes, bounty hunters who had failed to take marks, political enemies\u2014whoever they could get. And they pitted every fighter against each other. There were no allies or friends in there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long were you in there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout two years,\u201d Halyn said distantly.\u00a0 \u201cIn a way, it was the best thing that could have happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelta stared at him in shock. \u201cWhat?\u201d she managed.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were no blasters, no laser cannons, no starfighters,\u201d he said, his voice as distant as before. \u201cI had to fall back on the training of my youth. I re-learned the zhaboka, melee fighting, reading an opponent\u2019s stance and grappling. I had forgotten so much that I needed to know.\u201d His eyes returned to Kelta. \u201cIt was everything I needed to know to fight the Yuuzhan Vong. Without that knowledge, I\u2019d already be dead.\u201d He glanced down. \u201cAre you done yet?\u201d<\/p>\n Kelta looked down and blushed. \u201cOh. Yes,\u201d she said awkwardly, pulling away the blood-soaked cloth. The shallow cuts were already sealing themselves; small amounts of blood still seeped through, but he was clearly in no danger. \u201cHow did you get out?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cArgus,\u201d was the Ul\u2019akhoi\u2019s response. \u201cOne of the spectators at the gladiatorial games recognized me and got word to Argus. He and Kativie came and pulled me out.\u201d His smile was faint. \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure if the Hutts ever catch up to me again, they\u2019ll go straight to execution. Of course, they\u2019ve got other things to worry about right now, with the war between the Vong and the Hutts.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn shrugged his leather duster back into place sans a shirt. He turned away from Kelta then, withdrawing his sword from its sheath and frowning at it. \u201cYou took a beating,\u201d he said aloud at the notched blade. \u201cNeed to get you fixed up before I need you again.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelta shook her head.\u00a0He told me, but I have more questions than answers. Halyn, what\u2019s happened to you?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u2019s bridge was just as loud and busy as when Halyn had departed it. Orders and information flowed freely; tactical holograms, now properly adjusted for the scope of a city-wide battle instead of the depths of space, filled the open air; repaired data screens were filled with casualty reports, supply information, reconnaissance data on the Yuuzhan Vong\u2019s movements. Zabrak officers moved from station to station, sometimes at a run.<\/p>\n Kativie sat in the big command chair in the center of the battered bridge. Halyn had to smile at that. \u201cGetting used to command, Katie? I\u2019m sure we could arrange something.\u201d<\/p>\n She snorted at him. \u201cYou know exactly how military I am. I\u2019m better off as a Jedi than a general\u2026or Vysht\u2019akhoi. Or Ul\u2019akhoi.\u201d She smirked at her older brother.<\/p>\n Halyn snorted. \u201cKeep the seat. What\u2019s the status?\u201d<\/p>\n The Zabrak woman\u2019s expression lost its mirth. \u201cThe Vong are well inside the city now. Their advance, and the retreat you ordered, means they control about ten percent of the city. It\u2019s by no means a large amount, but they have a beachhead we\u2019re going to lose a lot of people dislodging. They\u2019re taking full advantage of it to get supplies moved inside, according to our recon pilots. More troops, supply transports, and some of their war beasts.<\/p>\n \u201cLast report from our on-site technicians says the shields aren\u2019t going to be repairable with what they have on-hand. They said there\u2019s nothing bigger than freighter shield components on planet, and those won\u2019t handle the power needed to generate a city-wide shield.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about components from the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>?\u201d Halyn asked.<\/p>\n Kativie\u2019s face darkened. \u201cHadn\u2019t even thought of that. I\u2019ll get a comm line open between them and whoever is left of the Cathleen\u2019s engineering crew.\u201d She glanced at the tactical hologram. \u201cYour counterattack scattered the scarhead ambush force, but we\u2019re getting sporadic reports of Yuuzhan Vong and their reptoid troops in places of the city that should be secure. They\u2019re going to do some damage before we can hunt them down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t hunt them down,\u201d Halyn said with a shake of his head. \u201cTo do that, we\u2019d need to pull troops off the line between the city and the Vong. Any weakness and we\u2019ll lose ground quickly, and we can\u2019t afford that right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCity supplies are in place now,\u201d Kativie continued with a touch of impatience. \u201cWe\u2019ve got enough food and medical supplies to hold out for three months, give or take\u2014calculating for expected casualties. If we do better than expected, we\u2019ll run out of supplies more quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood reason to lose,\u201d Halyn said dryly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Vong in orbit haven\u2019t done anything interesting since they sent that cruiser down the well that hit the shields. They\u2019re still trying to get transports down with heavy coralskipper escorts, of course, but Rinnet\u2019s squadrons are only letting a handful through.\u201d She shrugged slightly. \u201cNothing unexpected, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn nodded. \u201cThe Vong are taking a moment to catch their breath and prepare for the next phase. With their beachhead in place, they\u2019re going to start pressing into the city much harder. This is going to get ugly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow so?\u201d Nisia asked, breaking into the conversation between the two siblings. \u201cCorrect,\u201d Halyn said. \u201cThis works to our advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n Every person in earshot turned to give him an incredulous look, including several of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u2019s officers going about their duties.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Yuuzhan Vong have never fought this type of battle,\u201d he clarified. \u201cLook at what\u2019s happened since the invasion. At Belkaden they took the world without a fight. At Dubrilion, they dislodged the naval defenders and promptly took the planet. Ithor was almost entirely a naval engagement; the ground battle was nothing but a distraction. Obroa-skai, Fondor, Duro\u2014after removing the space-based defenses, the worlds fell quickly. There was resistance, sure, but nothing organized, no difficult ground campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cHere at Iridonia, they\u2019ve driven off our fleet. They expect our ground forces to fall away. Instead, we\u2019re going to engage them in the most brutal fighting they\u2019ve ever experienced since they entered our galaxy, bar none. We\u2019re not going to break\u2014we\u2019re going to stand firm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a plan, then?\u201d Kelta Rose asked.<\/p>\n Halyn turned and smiled at the violet-eyed Jedi. \u201cOf course.\u201d He turned back to the tactical hologram. \u201cGive me the entire city, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Rak\u2019Edalin shimmered in the air, ethereal in the blue-white holographic light. Halyn stepped into the hologram. \u201cThe Yuuzhan Vong,\u201d he said, \u201chold a fraction of the city. If they maintain true to form, they will first spread out in waves and attempt to overwhelm our forces in all directions. They\u2019ll be using reptoids to soak up blasterfire, of course.\u201d He gestured expansively around the Yuuzhan Vong beachhead. \u201cOur forces are going to be drawing back, using every bit of cover. They\u2019re going to intentionally draw the Vong into building-to-building, room-to-room combat.\u201d<\/p>\n <Your losses will be heavy,> Anishor said grimly.<\/p>\n \u201cSo will the Vong\u2019s.\u201d Halyn turned back to the hologram. \u201cTheir commander isn\u2019t an idiot\u2014he\u2019ll adjust appropriately as the pain from his lost forces hit him. So he\u2019ll adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat sort of adjustment?\u201d Nisia asked.<\/p>\n Halyn smiled faintly. \u201cNot yet, Nisia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a tease, Jess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne stage at a time. If we\u2019re going to beat the Vong, we need to get them dancing to our tune, and this is the first step in manipulating them.\u201d He closed his eyes. \u201cMake no mistake about it. A lot of people are going to die, probably including some of us.\u201d When his eyes opened, they were green ice. \u201cI won\u2019t think any less of you if you leave, or choose the safety of the\u00a0Cathleen<\/em>\u00a0over close-in combat with the Vong. I\u2019m going to be on the front lines with those who are fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho will take command if you fall while fighting on the front lines?\u201d Ceikeh Alari asked. \u201cThere\u2019s a reason Generals aren\u2019t strapped in a starfighter cockpit or firing a blaster.\u201d<\/p>\n Halyn smiled faintly. \u201cKeep me alive, so you don\u2019t have to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the last Yuuzhan Vong warrior fell to Anishor\u2019s rykk blades, Halyn paused for a moment to draw himself up. Around him he could see his allies\u2014Kelta, her burning lightsabers held high and ready; Anishor, his fur matted with blood … Continue reading
\n<This is the worst kind of fighting,> Anishor spoke up. <It is brutal, disheartening, and destructive for all involved. The campaign will move to house-to-house fighting, in the streets, in the air. There will be extreme casualties on both sides, and even if we win, there may be nothing left of Rak\u2019Edalin by the time we have beaten the Yuuzhan Vong back.><\/p>\n