Star Wars: Brave Misdeeds

Chapter 17

"Innocence is always a casualty of war."          —Cysha Stormrider <GLOW>

Black and tendrils of gray smoke curled above the rooftops of the houses and gardens of Sanctuary. Corpses lay sprawled in the pristine gardens, in the shadows of grim statues, and some slouched over fountains, which ran crimson with the blood of the slain. The harsh din of war echoed in the narrow back alleys, silhouetted streets, and spacious boulevards. From the city hall on the western edge of large main square to the guildhall on the eastern side, blaster fire flared, streaked, and volleyed in destructive shades of blue and red, some finding their mark in flesh and armor, other ricocheting from charred marble walls and duracrete foundations.

Buildings blazed, their frames licked by flames, their foundations reduced to cinders. Avoiding the fight, frightened citizens hid in the homes on the borders of the besieged metropolis. Those bold enough to raise a weapon in protest of their city's violation laid in the streets and in the green grasses along the sidewalks and terraces. Farther into Sanctuary, the guttural blasts of turret fire shook the grounds as half a dozen Imperial riflemen took aim at the structures, staying barely within range of the turrets to destroy them and the Rebel soldiers defending them. Those riflemen, who could not shoot within safe distance, laid prone and fired, their lives balanced on the whim of a lightsaber. Above each soldier, a Sith stood guard, deflecting blaster bolts and occasionally, hurling their lightsabers against the turrets themselves.

Free of any such duties, other Sith matched skills with Rebel soldiers who had come out of the base to deter the invaders. Highly skilled Teras Kazi masters held their ground as armed pikemen, held Imperial soldiers at bay, all with the hopes of reinforcements. The Rebels were rewarded as elite soldiers from other Alliance guilds came to answer the call for help. Soelle recognized the guild badges of <GLOW>, <EA>, and <GA>, fighting alongside members of <WRA>, <KRS>, and <Orion>. But even with these guilds to aid them, the Talusian allies were outnumbered by the many Imperial guilds present on the battlefield. Many of soldiers fell before ever reaching the base heavily defended quad within the base.

Soelle stood inside the trellis-gates of a small garden as battle waged about her. "Stay close." Those had been El-Diablos' words, and though the Sith fought fiercely beside her, slaying Rebel soldiers and any citizen who dared come within reach of his saber, Soelle would have preferred to be elsewhere. There were advantages to being tucked safely way in a prepared shelter, awaiting the order to run to the base and begin the detonation protocol. This particular battle, while glorious, was taking far too long. She realized with irrefutable certainty, having overheard the crackling of desperate voices from the Rebel comlinks, that other guilds were in route to assist the denizens of Sanctuary.

The Alliance forces greatly outnumbered the Imperials in Wanderhome. It was only a matter of time before the tide of the battle turned against them.

Avari held the shuttleport with <RW>, slaughtering any soldiers foolhardy enough to risk entering the Sanctuary by public transport. Daemen and <ELITE> wrecked havoc among the Rebel soldiers defending the Detachment Headquarters. Leading his guild with the ire and fury of his lightsaber, the Sith waded into the Rebels and decimated any soldier who crossed his path. Fistacuffs and Tempist protected his flank, as Ghata, a Wookiee Jedi, closed their ranks in a diamond formation. While devastating to the Rebel soldiers, the offensive technique proved ineffective in breaking the Rebel line or their resolve. There were too many soldiers, as if the base had been stacked on top of several other bases through an exploit of space and time. A seemingly endless stream of soldiers poured from the base, dying and killing in the name of their cause. It was battle unlike any Soelle had ever seen. Around the corners of the base, Asli and Tutok of <KEG> fought to thin the number of Rebels and them cut off from the main line. Their efforts were in vain. For each soldier that died, three others took their place.