Star Wars: The Jedi Reborn ✓

Chapter 98 - Fyrnock Maneuvers

Nine minutes later, the Jedi jumped while levitating himself to the extended hands of his comrades on the wall. 

❶ As he posed himself to tumble to the ground, blaster fire erupted from the trees to their left. Wei'ahtt leaped from the wall and rolled across the hard-packed earth as a barrage spewed across the intervening space.

The entire squad hit the deck. One man, took a bolt to the chest and collapsed. Holzum said in a harsh whisper, "Get up, Spefud. They're only stun bolts."

Lovnick, one of the few females in the squad, lay closest to where Spefud fell. After touching his neck, she whispered back, "He's dead."

"That's impossible," Holzum said as his eyes grew bigger in the dim twilight.

Parwood and Lishatt jumped down from the four-meter wall, risking a broken leg or neck. Wei'ahtt stretched out his hands slowing their descent with the Force.

The two men scuttled on their bellies to Wei'ahtt as the Jedi reached out with the Force for Spefud's signature. "Holzum, Lovnick's right. He's dead."

Wei'ahtt wiggled on the ground, reaching his hand under the back of his shirt where it tucked into his camouflage pants. He motioned to Parwood on his left, held up three fingers, and tapped his helmet. He did the same to Lishatt. As they passed the message down the line to the other members of the squad, each changed the frequency on their helmets.

Wei'ahtt ordered over the helmet comm, "Squad, check-in."

"Holzum."

"Lovnick."

"Lishatt."

The list continued until the remaining eighteen recruits verified over headset.

"Listen up, squad. We've got unfriendlies in the woods. I'm gonna give us cover as we charge them as a group."

The squad moaned over the helmet comms.

"This ain't no sim. They got live weapons set to kill, and they're gunning for us. Disarm them and pull them into the clearing. If they give you any trouble, kill 'em." Wei'ahtt drew his lightsaber.

Holzum glared at Wei'ahtt. The Jedi frowned at the man as he Force-lifted himself into a fighting stance and ignited his green saber. As the blaster fire focused on him, he swung the sword, deflecting the bolts back to their origins. At least two of the enemy groaned as their own weapons' bolts struck them.

Parwood and Lishatt followed in tight formation behind Wei'ahtt, giving him room to work but staying in the lee of his saber arc. Other troopers joined them, creating a triangular wedge behind Ahhzteen as he advanced on the enemy.

Wei'ahtt focused on the center of the fire blasts as he entered the woods. The squad huddled behind him as about a half dozen enemy continued to fire.

After two more of the squad fell, the Jedi jumped across the intervening five meters. Slicing the man's blaster with his saber, Ahhzteen wrapped his arm around the his neck in a chokehold and said, "Cease fire, or you all die. This one's first."

The green blade hummed in the darkness as Wei'ahtt lifted the man's head by his chin and brought the saber close to his neck. "Don't sneeze," the Jedi warned.

For a long moment, every person in the grove stood still with weapons frozen and all eyes on the enemy leader.

The leader, indistinguishable from the others in the gloom beneath the trees, said, "Drop your weapons, men. We surrender."

The six men surrounding them dropped their blasters to the forest floor. The squad looked to Wei'ahtt for direction. He jerked his chin at the enemy. "Don't just stand there. Grab their weapons and take them into custody. We've got a long march ahead."