The journey to the lower depths of the Senatorial Palace is anything but easy. Moments after the planetary bombardment ceased, dozens of landing ships, each carrying a full payload of stormtroopers descend on the city, and immediately begin storming the Palace. Navik’s security force leads the way as Serra and her support team follow closely behind.
“We don’t have far to go, the entrance to the bunker is just around the corner.” Navik tells Serra between labored breaths.
However, before they are able to reach the location that Navik mentioned, the clicking sound of footsteps can be heard closing in. Within seconds, blaster blots are flying through the air, just inches from their heads. Then, they see several white shelled Imperial stormtroopers just in front of them. Serra, Navik and the others are almost in shock as the stormtroopers, who still haunt the nightmares of small children to this day level their weapons at the small party.
“Freeze!” one to the white clad troops orders. Then, there is a sound almost like thunder as Barthon fires his bowcaster at the enemy, hitting the stormtrooper square in the chest, sending him flying several feet backwards. The remaining stormtroopers exchange blaster fire with Navik’s security force, as well as Serra’s team.
One by one, the stormtroopers fall. However, there are casualties on both sides as members of both Navik and Serra’s teams fall one by one. Serra pulls out the blaster that her father had given her and aims at one of the stormtroopers, she pulls the trigger and watches the Imperial fall as he is struck by the blaster bolt. “This way!” Navik calls as he reaches the entrance to the bunker and opens the door. As Serra and the remaining survivors go through the door, Navik’s personal bodyguard closes the bunker door just as more of the stormtroopers arrive.
The survivors rush down several flights of stairs until they reach a large set of solid black blast doors. Navik activates a security console and begins punching in a pass code. There is a brief pause after he finishes entering the code, and then the blast doors open.
“We’ll be safe in here.” Navik tells Serra and the others.
“We’ve got to get help.” Serra says to Navik.
“I agree. Follow me.” Navik says as he leads her deeper into the bunker. The Rodian leader pulls a tarp off of what Serra had at first assumed was some stored junk in the corner, but a closer look reveals an old communications array. “This should do the trick.” Navik says as he fires up the array.
A wave of relief washes over Serra as the communications array comes to life, and she sits in front the holo recorder.
“This is Serra Eclipse of the Republic Senate. I am on a diplomatic mission to Rodia, however, the planet is under attack by…” Serra pauses for a moment as she tries to find the right wording. She knows that to most of the galaxy, the Empire is dead. Should she say that Rodia is being attacked by Imperial stormtroopers, any help that would come might think that this is some sort of hoax. No, she can’t risk it. “an unknown aggressor.” She finally settles on. “We are currently in an underground bunker in the Senatorial Palace, but we won’t be able to hold off our attackers for much longer. Please help.” She finishes.
Serra looks to Barthon, and then to Navik. “Now we just hope that someone hears our message.”
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Just before Kaylee and Rush make the jump to hyperspace bound for Coruscant, an incessant beeping sound begins going off on their comm system.
“We’ve got an incoming message.” Rush says to Kaylee.
“Well what are you waiting for? Play the message.” Kaylee tells Rush. The male Jedi does as he’s told and begins playing the message, while at the same time relaying it to the Darq Dreams.
“This is Serra Eclipse of the Republic Senate. I am on a diplomatic mission to Rodia, however, the planet is under attack by…an unknown aggressor. We are currently in an underground bunker in the Senatorial Palace, but we won’t be able to hold off our attackers for much longer. Please help.”Kaylee and Rush sit in silence for a moment. Kaylee looks at the comm system, almost as if she is urging it to continue playing; silently begging it to give them more information. Then, she looks to Rush and sees the concerned look on his face. Although she had let Master Datch know that they were on their way to Coruscant, they couldn’t just let the senator be killed by whoever this mysterious attacker is. She opens a comm line to the Darq Dreams.
“Dreams, did you get that?” Kaylee asks.
“We got it.” Nyna’s voice comes back over the line.
“Good,” Kaylee says.
“Set a course for Rodia. We’re going to save a senator.”