The Smoke be for the Fires: (Book 1)

[Akirapryde]

Visions and Prophecies
Wormwood
Outer Rim

The air was hot and dry causing Zey to sweat within her armor despite the atmosphere controls of the suite. Bullets ripped through the air as she lined up a target in her cross hairs. She slowly squeezed her trigger and let loss a three round burst in to the target. “Tango Down” she said in to her comlink as she shifted her aim to another target. Before she could take the new target down she heard another immortal called in for cover fire while he reloaded. Zey changed her position and moved to cover her trooper while he dipped behind a crate to reload his weapon.

She took aim at a truck that three defenders were hiding behind, she switched from her ballistic rifle to her grenade luncher. She took closer aim and then fired the grenade at the truck. The truck exploded in a fiery ball of twisted metal and burning debris. The three defenders were blown from their cover and laid dead scattered about like leafs blown across the yard. Zey looked around and saw a short pause in the defenders counter attack. But they were no where near where they had to be. They had to cross a catwalk between two buildings but the defenders had them pinned down not even halfway across the catwalk.

The immortal that she was covering waved his thanks as he turned to return fire from one of the defenders. Zey nodded and shifted her weight as she looked down the catwalk. Already more defenders have moved to cover it, “Come on Marines, we need to clear that cat walk!” She yelled in to her comlink then continued, “Angle! Where are these reinforcements coming from?”

“Sarge, I see two trucks unloading but I don't have a clear shot on them. Also a air speeder landed on the tarmac behind you. Ten more defenders have moved towards your position. I got them pinned for now, but you guys got to get moving!” Angle said. Angle had been with the unit since before even Talon. But he loved his job and so had turned down promotion to remain one of the best snippers in the Marines.

“Sarge, Cyte here, I got those trucks sighted in. Fifteen Tangos heading your way. I have them tied up for now, but you can expect allot more resistance soon. Another unknown truck leaving the area rapidly. Five maybe six tangos on that one. I think that group is withdrawing or going for more help.” Cyte stated from across the spaceport. The cool and calm voice of Cyte often left others uneasy with her. She and Angle had been a thing for years. Everyone was just waiting for the day that the two would tie the knot.

Zey looked down the catwalk and then brought up the map of the spaceport. She reviewed what she had and the information that she was given. There was another way but it was risky. The catwalk was the most direct path to their target and with the threat of a Dark Jedi out there she really hated the idea of splitting up her unit. She sighed, they had to reach those kids and she knew that time was ending rapidly for a successful rescue. It was time for a risky operation, “Okay here is what we are going to do. Heavy take your squad and fall back. There is a set of stairs back in that building behind us. Go down to the tarmac level. Head south out of the building and on to the tarmac. Then turn east and follow the building around. You should see the repair yards across the large dock. Head for them and then turn north. You are going to follow those fuel tanks till you reach point bravo. I am marking it now on your headsUp now.”

“Once their I need you guys to breach that building and kill everyone you meet. Then move up to the second floor and give us cover fire from a control room there. Everyone else, listen up, we are going to fall back and get off this catwalk. We will cut across the back side of these buildings and take the hanger from the rear. Halo, we will need your eyes on us. We will need to move fast and hit hard. We are counting on you Halo. Everyone understand?” She explained then waited for everyone to acknowledge her orders.

“Hey Sis, sounds like a plan. We are finding much harder resistance on the west side of the port. So much for that plan to secure a larger ship. There is simply no way we can break their lines out here. I hope that the Jedi can secure a ship for the rest of the hostages. We are going to risk the kids if we don't link up soon. We are going to try to push towards the hanger from the north west and link up. Looks like they manned port with their regular unit. From what I can tell we are facing a battalion at least out there. No militia in sight.” Talon informed then continued, “On a more important note, I am finding that my power levels are dropping fast. We really need to let Doc Hashan about the power problems.”

Zey checked her own teams power levels and noted the same problem, “Yeah we got the same problem over here. Great performance but sucks for power. We need to end this Talon before we our cells are dry.” Zey warned about the very real possibility of running out of power before the battle was over. Right now their armor was the real advantage over the defenders pure numbers.

“Hey ladies, hate to cut in but Talon, you have two more airspeeders landing on the tarmac. They are unloading allot more troops. I can not pin them all down. Also I see walkers moving through the city towards the port from the west.” Angle reported.

Talon hated being out flanked but she hated the idea of the kids paying for their mistakes. “Zey carry out your plan. I like it. We'll link up with you at Delta Check Point” She ordered.

“Aye aye Talon,” she said then looked to her men, “You heard her Marines. Let's move out!” She yelled at them as she started to move on her plan. She peeked up from her cover just in time to see two soldiers trying to sneak up to their position. Zey pulled up her rifle and fired a short burst at them. Both soldiers were hit and fell dead. She searched for more targets as she pulled her team back.

It wasn't that it was a deadly fight for them. Not one of the immortals feared death. Each and every member of the unit knew all too well that the costs to open up the gates of Valhalla were paid in the blood of their enemies. Thor did not look kindly on warriors that cowards. This battle was rough because of the number of enemies they faced. They would kill one and three would replace him. The defenders fought very hard to keep the Immortals from the spaceport. It was a losing battle for the defenders but they still fought on. Zey had already had second thoughts about the wisdom of not sticking with the original plan. That was then, and she was faced with this battle now.

Zey's team fell back and rushed down another short catwalk. Once at the end she shouldered her weapon over her back and, “Zack, drop two Antps behind us!” she ordered as she leaped over the railing and dropped the fifteen feet below. Zey knew that the Antp or Anti Personal Mines would give the defenders more then enough reason to pause their pursuit. She rushed to a pair of nearby crates and took up cover while her team followed her. She spotted four defenders as she pulled out her rifle. With a flip of a small lever on her weapon she charged up the grenade luncher again. She rolled out the far side of the crates and took up aim.

She squeezed the trigger, she sent the grenade spiraling towards its target. As her troops were still dropping down, the four defenders spotted them. Too late for the defenders as a grenade landed in the middle of their position. The blast blew the four from their position and in to the air. They died in a fiery blaze. However Zey was too late in her attack. As her grenade was flying through the air one of the defenders picked up a comlink and started to talk. Her plan was blown. But she had known it would not stay a secret for long. She wanted a bit longer while her team gained ground but once more she had to roll with what she had.

Checking her men, she nodded and waved them on to follow her. She led them up the back side of the buildings. The movement was text book. They would cover each other while those who were being covered would rush forward to a new position. They would then take up covering positions for the rest of the unit to move up as well. Zey saw the two blast from the Antp's going off in her HeadsUp. She knew those defenders that had tied her down on the catwalks were taken care of for now. But they had more problems to worry about. They pushed on to the hanger where the kids were being held.

“Tangos Behind US!” She heard her rear guard screaming as he started to engage them.

'Damnit,' she thought, “Cable behind us, help out Zaine.” she ordered shifting her unit more. She was running out of men to deploy fast. The further they were able to move up the backside of the buildings the thicker the defenders were getting.

Watching the battle from a distance really showed the experience and elite training of the Immortals. The three teams were cutting off their target hanger from reinforcements and at the same time they were limiting what the reinforcements could do during the engagement. The three snippers were taking their toll on the defenders and forcing the defenders to move slower. This gave the Immortals much more freedom in movement and reaction time. The defenders had tried to bring in an airspeeder to give them close in air support, but Angle ensure that the pilot and copilot would never fly again. The speeder crashed on top of the very defenders it was suppose to assist.

With the skies above them clear, the Immortals were able to deal a slaughter to the defenders. The body count still raising and the Immortals were just getting warmed up. The only problem now was that their plan was working too well. The pocket formed to cut off their target hanger was now running out of defenders as they closed in on it. Two squads had changed from assault tactics to rear guard to ensure that the rest of the unit was not out flanked. They were more then enough to ensure that the defenders were not able to break through to the hanger. With Talon's squad on one side and Zeys on the other, they were finally ready to breech the final doors to where the kids were being held.

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Daz's vision through the Force

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The blast filled the room with smoke and charge energy as the two heavy doors disintegrated against the breeching charges. The defenders in the room were stunned and blinded as well as the hostages. Their combined screams filled the air, yet fell on deaf ears as the blast had deafened them. Shadowy figures rushed through the two openings as weapons' fire filled the room. Energy and blaster fire erupted across the large room as defenders dropped like flies. Sadly as well so were the hostages. In the confusion no one noticed that they were tied and left hanging from the ceiling at normal height.

As one shadowy figure would move in to the room another one would follow till there was six that had entered from each side. Talon was the first on her side to breech the room and take down the first target. She stepped forward to leave an opening for the next man as she drew out her blade and drove it in to a defender then turned to fire on a third. She heard over her comlink, 'tango down' over and over again till it was replaced with 'clear'. She paused with a satisfied smile. Within seconds it was all over. The smoke cleared, the horror of what had just happened became clear. Ten defenders and a all of hostages were killed during the assault. Talon lowered her weapon and looked at Zey, “Damnit” she said.

Zey looked around in disbelief, “What the hell is this” she questioned.

Other Marines were as equally in disbelief as well. All that they had fought so hard for was gone. But not all was lost, one of the Marines pointed out, “Where are the female hostages?”

Talon and Zey both looked around and concluded the same. The female hostages were gone. They had to have been moved to somewhere else earlier. “It doesn't matter, they are most likely dead anyway.” Talon said in grim realization, Then it happened. Something that no commander ever wants to hear in combat. Her rear guard teams started calling out low ammo. “We need to get the hell out of here before we get over run.” She said then keyed up her comlink, “Snippers we are pulling back and withdrawing. The hostages were killed before we got here” She informed them.

Zey stepped forward, “We have to let Daz know so he and the others can go after them” she stated in disbelief.

“They are most likely already dead. We lost surprise so Daz and the others can chase the Mercy remember. We blew it here. This was the reason why we should have stayed on mission. No! these deaths are on Daz's head. We have to get out of here before we add ours to these!” Talon argued back at Zey. “Lets get out of here!” she ordered her troops. “Thats an order!” She yelled at Zey.

Beyond the city limits high the mountains there sits a house next to a large lake. There is a small boat house that sits along side the lake and on one side of the house with a green house on the other side of the house. The house is a large two story home with a split level basement on the north side of the house. There is a military truck parked out in front of the house. Soldiers line the area around the house walking around and patrolling the area. There is a local flag flapping above the front door. The home is set in a lightly wooded area that over looks the city to the south of the house.

Moving in to the house there are two soldiers guarding the front door with others inside. To the right is a large living room where a pair of soldiers are looking out a set of large bay windows that over look the southern approach to the home. Moving to the left of the main doors is a dining room where two more soldiers are eating a meal and talking about who is going to be next with their new entertainment. Going past them to the right is a large kitchen and then a back sitting area. This room over looks the green house and the east approach to the house.

There are no soldiers out side in the back of the house. Turning right there is a sun room with a large indoor pool here. The pool is drain and filled with supplies and other gear. Turning right once more there is the main entry way, once more with the living room once more to the left. The soldiers are now sitting on the sofa talking about the women upstairs. One gets up once again and checks the windows then sits back down again. Moving forward and turning round there is a set of stairs going upstairs.

Once on the second floor landing there is a bedroom at the top of the stair to the right. Here there are three female Jedi Padawans that had been bound and gaged. They are scared with the look of terror on their faces. All are in different states of tears. Each show signs of being beaten. A Jedi Knight lays of the floor unconscious. She had been beaten heavily and bound tightly.

A large man walks in to the room and smiles, he grabs one of the padawans and lifts her over his shoulder. She screams out in horror as she tries to fight off the man. The others also scream out and try to stop him. He kicks one and then turns to leave the room but pauses and turns back to the others, “Don't worry little ones, I be back for each of you in time.” he said with a laugh then walks out of the room. Following him across the hall he carries her to another bedroom where a large bed sits in the center of the room. There are blood stains that covers the bed from other horrors that had been committed in this room. He throws her on to the bed then leaps on top of her. Bring his large hand up and slaps her across the face. Then with a single action he grabbed her rob and ripped it open. Shifting back out of the room, all that is heard is her muffled screams for the others.

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End Daz's Vision
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Lotus watched silently as Orchid conducted the ritual. Lotus had never seen anything like it before. In all of her years training with the Jedi Order she had never seen anyone use the force like this. Before Orchid had entered her trance, she murdered a young boy and drained the blood from his body. Then she used locks of his hair to paint symbols on to the floor in the boys blood. Then to Lotus' surprise, she watched as Orchid started the ritual and the blood drawn symbols slowly start to glow.

The ritual lasted hours and during that time Orchid had been in some deep trance. Now with the ritual over, Orchid's eyes slowly opened as she let out a breath. Even though the temperature in the house was well over ninety degrees, Orchid's breath was as visible as if it were below freezing here. Taking in a breath she smiled, “He has my vision now and will be coming soon.” she said then looked over at Lotus, “Then we will kill him.”

Lotus cocked her head to the side, “Won't he know it is a fake vision” she asked softly trying to understand these new powers that Orchid was teaching her.

Orchid slowly got up from the circle that she had created in blood, “Even if they are discovered to be fake, he does not trust his friends. He does not trust anyone. He will trust in what he sees through the Force as fact. History with him has shown me that he will believe what he feels to be true and will not relay on others. Mother had showed me that Daz and my destiny are inter tangled. Since that time, I had been playing with him through a vision. For the longest time I had him believing that he was going to kill his best friend in a act of betrayal. He didn't trust her enough to even tell her what he was seeing at first. I bet he still does not trust her enough to tell her that he will kill her in cold blood.”

“As you can see, I have been testing the waters for this very day for more then a year ago. No he will trust in what the Force shows him and he will come. He will come alone. I have ensured that this building matches the very building where he kills his best friend.” she explained softly as she put her cloak back on.

Lotus shook her head, “Mother contacted us while you were in your trance, sister. She said that the bird creature is close to discovering the oracle. She said that the bird creature can not be allowed to speak to the oracle. She has ordered you to kill them both personally.”

Orchid turned in disbelief and shock. “No!” she said shacking her head, “I will not be denied this! She promised me Daz's death!”

Lotus nodded, “As I have told her sister, but she said that it is more important that you stop the bird creature before he speaks to the oracle. She was very clear on this, Sister.”

Orchid walked over to the large bay window and looked down the drive. She could feel Daz close, she knew he would come. She knew he did not trust those around him. She had planned this whole operation on this one fact. He didn't trust his own friends. She leaned on the window seal continuing to look down the drive as she hoped she would see him walking up the drive already. Still she knew it was too early for that. She balled her fist up, “NO!” she yelled in the empty house, “I will not be denied his death!” She closed her eyes once more and pictured her beloved. She remembered how they would drink the blood of their victims together.

“Mother's orders were very clear sister.” Lotus restated.

Orchid turned around to face Lotus, “You're right, take the troopers. Go and kill the bird creature. Bring me his head. While you are gone I will tend to Daz's death alone. He will not bring anyone with him. I know he will come alone or and if he doesn't then he might bring that brat Angle. Either way, nether will be no match for me. Then once both deeds are done, we will together go and kill the oracle and silence his voice once and for all” Orchid said calmly.

Lotus appeared concerned, “But Mo.....”

“What did I say!” Orchid yelled, “Do as your told or else!” She threatened as Orchid raised her hands at Lotus.

The threat was more then clear, Lotus nodded, “Yes sister, I will obey you” she said softly.

Orchid sighed as she lowered her hands in sadness, then she stepped forward. Orchid walked up to Lotus slowly and lovingly, “I am sorry for yelling at you sister. Killing Daz has consumed me for months now. Every part of my being screams out for his death.” She said slowly lifting up Lotus' black hood uncovering her lovely face. Orchid smiled as she moved Lotus' hair back to the back of her head carefully. She slowly brought her face closer to Lotus'. “You are a remarkable sister and I know that you care deeply for me and don't want to see me anger mother again.” she said kissing Lotus softly. Lotus brought her arms around Orchid as the two pulled each other in to a loving embrace. Their kiss deepened as they pulled on each other tighter. Once their kiss was finally broken Orchid smiled at Lotus, “But once Daz's blood is mixed with the rest, I will be able to focus on other things.” Orchid said softly, “I need your help if I am to kill him. Please Sister, help me.” she pleaded.

Lotus smiled softly and then nodded. “I know how much he has caused you to suffer. You have my word and my help” she said stepping back from Orchid and turned to walk away.

But before she was able to leave the room Orchid stopped her. “Don't forget this.” she said passing a pair of goggles and mask to Lotus.

Lotus smiled, “Thank you sister.” she said pulling the disguise over her face, then put on the mask and the goggles. “Good hunting Daz my sister.” she said through the mask and then turned to leave. Lotus departed the house with the troopers leaving Orchid alone to face Daz.