Star Wars - The Clone Wars - Secret Missions #3 - Duel at Shattered Rock

by Ryder Windham

  The strange ship slid into the docking bay. No landing gear extended as it came to a hovering stop beside the Suwantek Systems freighter. But then an oval hatch opened and a ramp lowered to the docking bay floor. A girl stepped out. She wore a crisp, black uniform. She had black hair, blue skin, and bright red eyes.

  Nuru was stunned. Stepping cautiously forward, he said, “Veeren?”

  The girl looked at him quizzically. “Kung’urama’nuruodo.”

  Hearing her say his actual Chiss name, Num’s mouth felt suddenly dry. “You … I … I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to see you again.”

  “No, you did not.” Without taking her eyes off him, she continued, “Your allies may reveal themselves without apprehension. I traveled alone. I am unarmed. I will not damage them,”

  “Of course,” Nuru said, although he had a hard time imagining Veeren posing much of a threat to Breakout Squad. “You can come out, men. It’s the Aristocra.” He noticed Veeren wince slightly at his pronunciation.

  The troopers and Cleaver stepped out from behind the cargo containers and moved up beside Nuru. Veeren cast a quick glance at the troopers and the droid, then returned her gaze to Nuru. “Your mechanical translator located the transmitter I placed on Captain Lalo Gunn’s freighter.”

  “What?” Nuru looked at Cleaver. “Cleaver, do you understand what she’s talking about’

  “I believe so.” The droid reached down and removed the magnetic cylinder from his thigh. Handing it to Nuru, he said, “I thought it was the transmitter. I found it on the hull. It’s a good thing Captain Gunn told me to save it for later

  Returning his gaze to Veeren, Nuru said, “You put the transmitter on the Harpy?”

  “I have admitted the fact.”

  “But… why?”

  Veeren looked stung. “Why did I admit this?”

  “No,” Nuru said, feeling suddenly exasperated. “Why did you plant the transmitter?”

  Veeren blinked and lifted her chin a fraction. “It enabled me to follow you across space. I see Captain Lalo Gunn is no longer traveling with you.”

  “No, she isn’t, she …” Nuru struggled to find words. He realized if Cleaver had not found the transmitter, Veeren might have tracked the device to Gunn’s crashed ship on Vaced. He considered telling Veeren about the crash but quickly decided it had little bearing on their current circumstances. “Veeren, may I ask why you followed us all the way from Chiss space?”

  “I followed you, Kung’urama’nuruodo, because I am compelled to tell you something of great importance.”

  Nuru waited. “Yes?”

  An analysis of several events, including the Separatist attack on the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force Station Ifpe’a, has determined a high probability that you are an unwitting accomplice tо an unknown individual or group whose goal is galactic domination.”

  Nuru was taken aback. Breaker said, “I beg your pardon, Aristocra, but… you’re suggesting someone has been using Commander Nuru? To help conquer the galaxy?”

  “Actually,” Veeren said, “it is quite possible we are all being manipulated.”

  The Sith, Nuru thought. She must be talking about the Sith. Before he could ask Veeren if she had any knowledge of the existence of the Sith Lords, she faced him and continued, “Although I do not have conclusive evidence, I suspect a conspiracy may date back over eleven of your standard years, when the Jedi discovered you as an infant, adrift in a Chiss escape pod in the Outer Rim. I also suspect that because you are Chiss as well as a Jedi, you are in great danger. Perhaps you should investigate.”

  Although Nuru thought Veeren’s suspicions about a conspiracy were incredible, he said, “You should come with us to Coruscant. We can inform the Jedi Council and—”

  “You will tell no one of our conversation,” Veeren interrupted “The Chiss Ascendancy is unaware of my data analysis or my suspicions. Except for you and the members of your team, no one else knows I have left Chiss space. I have taken many precautions to maintain secrecy because I believe there is a conspiracy, and spies and assassins could be anywhere. The conspirators will not hesitate to silence anyone who speaks of them or interferes with their plans. If you alert your Jedi Council to anything I have said, you risk my life as well as your own.”

  “I understand,” Nuru said, even though he doubted there were spies in the Jedi Council.

  “I must go.” Veeren turned abruptly and began walking back to her hovering ship.

  “What?” Nuru said. “Wait! Where are you going?”

  Veeren stopped and glanced back at him. “I am returning to Chiss space.”

  “But … now I don’t understand. You traveled days to track me down, just to warn me that someone might be trying to take over the galaxy, and then you leave?”

  Veeren cocked her head. “It seems that you understand perfectly.” And then she resumed walking toward her ship’s landing ramp. Nuru suddenly realized he was still clutching the cylindrical transmitter.

  Veeren entered her ship. The landing ramp retracted, and the oval hatch sealed. As her ship began gliding out of the docking bay, Nuru and Breakout Squad saw another starship approaching from the surrounding asteroid field. The incoming ship’s running lights were off.

  Ring-Sol Ambase and the clone trooper who claimed his name was Sharp were seated in the cockpit of the Kuat Corona-class transport that had just arrived at Bilbringi VII. Their journey from the Bogden system had been long, but Ambase had spent much of the time using Jedi meditation techniques to regain his strength. Still, he was not fully recovered, and because they did not know what they might encounter at Bilbringi Depot, they were being especially cautious. At Ambase’s instructions, the clone had switched off the transport’s running lights so they could approach the depot with some discretion.

  But as they neared one of the docking bays, they sighted a bizarre teardrop-shaped vessel gliding toward them. A warning light flashed on the Corona’s nav console. The clone said, “We’re being scanned, General, but… that ship it… it isn’t appearing on our sensors?”

  The mysterious vessel suddenly glowed brightly. “It’s definitely not a Republic ship,” Ambase said with concern. Neither he nor the clone saw the Republic troopers who were in the docking bay beyond the glowing ship.

  An alarm sounded from the Corona’s console panel. “We’re picking up massive radiation emissions,” the clone said. “They may be charging weapons.” The clone’s hands flew to the controls for the transport’s laser cannon as the glowing ship suddenly increased intensity and accelerated toward the transport.

  Three laser beams streaked from the glowing ship and smashed against the Corona’s shields. Ambase said, “Return fire.”

  The Corona’s cannon fired straight at the glowing ship. Ambase had assumed chat the bizarre ship was heavily shielded. He was genuinely startled to see the single volley of laser fire cause the ship to explode in a brilliant burst of light.

  The explosion lifted Nuru, the troopers, and Cleaver off their feet and sent them crashing across the docking bay deck. Nuru dropped the transmitter as he rolled and jumped to his feet. He snatched his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it while stray bits of glowing metal trailed away from the explosion. He gasped. “No.”

  The glowing wreckage illuminated the vessel that had destroyed Veeren’s ship. The attacking vessel was a Kuat Corona-class transport. Nuru directed his gaze at the transport and shouted, “No!”

  Inside the Corona, Ring-Sol Ambase sensed a disturbance in the Force, a wave of anger so strong that it jolted him in his seat. He shuddered with the terrible realization that the anger was directed at him and that it came from someone he knew.

  Nuru?!

  And then he sensed Nuru’s awareness of him. A moment later, he felt an even stronger wave of rage crash over him.

  Ambase suddenly feared Count Dooku had been telling the truth about Nuru turning against him. He also knew he was not sufficiently recovered to confront his Padawan,

  He loo
ked at the clone beside him and said, “Get us out of here. Now!”

  The clone jerked the controls, and the transport raced away from Bilbringi Depot.

  The troopers and Cleaver picked themselves up from the docking bay deck and moved toward Nuru, who was still holding his lightsaber and facing a cluster of asteroids where he had lose sight of the Corona, Breaker looked at Nuru and said, “Are you all right, Commander?”

  Nuru stammered, “My—my Master was on the transport… that fired at Veeren’s ship.”

  Cleaver said, “Your Master? General Ambase? But … why?”

  Breaker looked at the other troopers. He knew that they, like him, had no idea how to proceed. And as they waited for Nuru’s next order, none of them noticed the lone bank droid who crept out from blaster rifle. He aimed it at the troopers and opened fire.

  “Take that, Republic dogs!” the droid said as he shot one trooper in the back. The trooper collapsed, his armored body clattering against the deck.

  The other troopers and Cleaver spun fast and were about to return fire when they saw Nuru was already racing straight for the droid, swinging his lightsaber back and forth to deflect the fired energy bolts away from his allies. The droid cried, “Oh, no!” Nuru’s blade swept through the droid’s neck and torso. The droid’s parts fell to the deck.

  Nuru darted back to the troopers. The droid’s attack had happened so fast that Nuru had not seen which trooper had been shot, but then he heard one of the three unharmed troopers say, “Chatterbox! Can you hear me?” It was Breaker’s voice.

  Chatterbox groaned.

  “Get his helmet off,” said Breaker as he carefully rolled Chatterbox over, elevating his shoulders and head while Knuckles plucked an emergency med kit from his belt.

  Sharp removed Chatterbox’s helmet. Grimacing, Chatterbox gasped out, “I think it’s bad.”

  Just then, Gizz returned to the docking bay. He was carrying a sack that he had stuffed with food rations and was chewing on a large stick of nerf jerky. Seeing the group huddled around the fallen trooper, he said, “Did I miss something?”

  Ignoring Gizz, Nuru said, “Sharp and Breaker! Sweep the area! Make sure there aren’t any more battle droids!” Nuru returned his attention to helping Chatterbox.

  Breaker and Sharp left the others, running past Gizz to the maintenance hatch. Breaker said, “I’ll take the hatch. You search the outer corridor.” Breaker entered the hatch.

  Sharp proceeded to the corridor that lay beyond the docking bay. The corridor was empty. Keeping his rifle in front of him, he kept moving until he found a metal door for a storage room. He kicked the door open and jumped in, ready to shoot even a simple cleaning droid. The storage room was also empty.

  Sharp glanced back into the corridor, then stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Leaning against the door, he removed his helmet and took a series of deep breaths. And as he breathed, his facial muscles shifted. His smooth, pale skin changed to a dusky, grayish green. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, they were yellow and reptilian.

  He thought of what might have happened to him if he had been shot and the members of Breakout Squad had removed his helmet to see his true face. He shuddered. He knew that now was hardly the time to relax. He still had work to do. The Clawdite shape-shifter took another deep breath, pulled on his helmet, and then made his way back to the clone troopers.

  Lalo Gunn pushed her empty glass back and forth across the crackled surface of the bar in the dimly lit tavern at Vaced Spaceport. There were only a few other customers at the bar, and Gunn was ignoring all of them. The bartender, a Qiraash with high cheekbones and a much higher forehead, looked at Gunn and said, “You finished?”

  “Oh, I’m finished, all right,” Gunn said, shifting on her seat. The bartender took the glass. Gunn placed a credit chip on the bar. She was about to get up when a large man moved up beside her and placed a hand on the shoulder. She glared at the man. He pointed to the raised stool next to hers, and said, “This seat taken?”

  “I was just leaving,” Gunn said.

  “Stay awhile longer,” the man said, keeping erne hand on her shoulder. “I’ve got credits. I’ll buy us a round of—”

  “If you want to keep your hand,” a deep voice interrupted from behind Gunn, “you’ll remove it from the lady and be on your way.”

  The man laughed. “Oh, yeah? Who’s gonna make me?” Grinning broadly, he glanced back to see who was standing behind Gunn, The man’s grin vanished, and he suddenly looked nervous. “I meant no harm, the man said as he yanked his hand away from Gunn and hurried out of the tavern.

  “It’s about time you got here,” Gunn said as the newcomer sat down beside her. “When you hired me on Kynachi, I didn’t bargain losing the Harpy. You said there’d be a big reward for me if I got Breakout Squad to Vaced. I expect to be well paid.”

  “You needn’t worry about your reward,” Cad Bane said with a smile that bared his sharp teeth.

  NEXT:

  STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

  SECRET MISSIONS #4:

  GUARDIANS OF THE CHISS KEY

  Devastated by the explosive events at Bilbringi Depot, Nuru Kungurama returns to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant while the remaining members or Breakout Squad await their next mission. But after an alien escape pod vanishes from the Jedi Archives, Nuru finds himself flung toward a fateful encounter with his own Jedi Master, Ring-Sol Ambase.