|
Post by Darth Decivus on Jun 4, 2019 20:58:30 GMT -5
The great hall of Gardulla the Hutt's Palace is lit up by thousands of blaster bolts of various color, blowing chunks out of support pillars, searing small holes into the walls and shattering the small decorative windows. Within moments, the Imperial forces begin pouring in behind Decivus as the young Sith pushes forward, redirecting shots aimed at him with honed precision.
The mercenaries begin falling like poisoned rodents as the Stormtroopers begin to overwhelm them with sheer force of numbers. The ranged battle devolves into a desperate melee as the Imperials wash over the mercenaries and bounty hunters who dared remain. But if the mercenaries were expecting better luck in hand to hand combat, they would find themselves quite wrong. The training provided by Wez Viszla and his crew of hunters had spread through the Stormtrooper training regimen; these Stormtroopers fight with a fury and brutality unseen before.
Decivus cuts down two mercenaries, and lifts a third several meters into the air as the being claws at the collar of its uniform, gasping and fighting against the invisible grip of the Force. Decivus whips his clenched left hand to the side, invoking the Force to crush the mercenary against a nearby pillar, cracking its surface from the impact and a spray of blood from the mercenary's skull as it splits open. Decivus releases the alien, and pays it no heed as the corpse falls in a heap on the ruined floor.
After a few more minutes, the sounds of fighting die down. A Stormtrooper steps up beside Decivus, snapping to salute.
"Sir, Lieutenant Commander Farro, Two Ninety-First Legion, reporting." came a stern voice from the Trooper. Decivus turns to the trooper as he walks through the hall. The Lieutenant Commander takes the hint and follows in step. "The hall and outer perimeters are secured. We've begun moving troopers to the upper levels with the MA-AT's, and are being met with little resistance. Many of the enemy are just mercs and bounty hunters."
"As expected." Decivus replies evenly.
"Yes sir. There are a few Hutts that are apparently holed up in the uppermost level, they've locked themselves behind blast doors, according to our scans." Farro continues. "Conventional methods aren't going to crack that nut. Twelve inches of reinforced durasteel, we'll need to override their controls, and that will take time."
"We will give them a chance to surrender themselves." Decivus suggests, setting his lightsaber to the magnetic clip on his belt, and clasping his hands behind his back. "If they refuse to surrender and open the doors, troopers are to eliminate every living thing behind those doors. I will, of course, attend and extend the terms personally."
"Of course sir. What of the mercs and bounty hunters that surrendered on the field?" Farro inquires. "I believe my orders were to not take prisoners, Lieutenant Commander." Decivus replies, sounding completely indifferent to the sentence he had just placed on the captured foes. "Terminate them as enemies of the Empire."
"Yes sir." Farro replies, showing no outward hint of defiance. But in the Force, Decivus felt the human recoil in his mind. The order was seen as excessive - they have not seen excessive yet.
Decivus and Farro continue onwards, taking a turbolift to the top level of the palace. When the door opens, they are greeted by the sight of Stormtroopers pulling bodies along into rows, and out of the way. The blast doors at the far end of the hallway are still sealed shut - no irritation to Decivus, as he had not yet made his demands. When the young Sith reaches the door, a camera mounted in the ceiling turns to him, making Decivus grin under his helm.
"I wish to speak with your current leader. In person." Decivus commands confidently.
"The Great Borga Besadii Diori asks for proof of a peaceable exchange before allowing the blast doors to be opened." replies a raspy voice through the intercom.
"Inform Borga that if we must force the doors open ourselves, my troops have standing orders to kill everything within the room." Decivus replies casually. "My forces have taken control of your spaceports, surrounded this palace, and established atmosphere and orbital superiority. I am not asking for the doors to be opened, I am commanding it."
It takes a few moments, but Decivus can feel the muted panic and desperation emanating into the Force from the room. No doubt these emotions come from the slaves and what body-guards remained with the Hutts. Hutts themselves are difficult to read through the Force, but not immune to its assault. Eventually, a decision was reached, and the blast doors slowly unlock and slide open. Decivus, heedless of the still in motion blast doors, steps over the threshold and into the lavish room. The walls and furniture are almost disgustingly opulent, and two Hutts sit side by side as Decivus approaches. Stormtroopers follow in immediately after Decivus, leveling their weapons at the guards, who promptly set their blasters and various other weapons on the floor.
The Hutts glance at each other and regard Decivus with clearly nervous eyes. Decivus' eyes settle not on the larger Hutt, which must be Borga, but fall upon the smaller Hutt.
"My my, Kujja, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" Decivus says, though he has to fight back a powerful violent urge as he utters the Hutt's name.
Kujja and Borga exchange suspicious looks, and Kujja gestures at Decivus. Borga silently nods, and the smaller Hutt turns back to Decivus.
[Forgive me, Imperial, but have we a history?] Kujja asks in a throaty voice.
"More history than you realize." Decivus replies. He reaches up and removes his helm, at last allowing his burning yellow eyes to leer at the Hutt. Kujja appears confused, so Decivus continues. "I'm hurt, Kujja. Surely you should recognize the face of one who has once been of service to you years ago... I haven't been away that long, have I?"
Slow realization begins to appear in the Hutt's eyes, much to Decivus' vicious satisfaction.
[...You... the slave child that Sije Paris-] Kujja begins, but Decivus, unable to resist any longer, pulls his helix blaster pistol from its holster and pours a dozen shots burning into the Hutt's massive face, causing Borga to shout in surprise and almost topple over as it moves to avoid being hit by a stray bolt. Breathing intensely through his nostrils, Decivus lowers the blaster and holsters it as Borga scoots away from Kujja's corpse with her hands up. Killing the Hutt after all this time felt so... so... good.
[Kujja deserved your wrath, Imperial Lord, I ask that you not turn your wrath on those undeserving.] Borga requests tentatively. But Decivus' attention had turned away from the Hutts, and towards a door. Something is hiding... Decivus walks across the room, and wrenches the door open to find a broom closet.
"Out." Decivus commands, taking one step back. Reluctantly, a being slowly steps out from behind a large plasteel crate. Speechless, Decivus watches as a small, red-skinned Twi'lek child edges into view, clutching desperately to a mop handle. With his height, Decivus can see a branded mark just barely hidden by the collar of the girl's ragged shirt, a slave's brand. The young Sith, lowers himself to a knee, and holds out his hand to the child. "Come with me, child... I will take you away from this place."
The girl worriedly looks from Decivus' eyes to his outstretched hand, and slowly reaches out. Decivus delicately takes her hand in his outstretched hand, and leads the girl out of the broom closet. Borga eyes them, and seems to come to an idea.
[Have you need of a cleaning slave? I have many that you may choose from!] the Hutt offers, unable to extend what it felt may be a saving grace, [All at total mark down prices, of course!]
Decivus leads the Twi'lek girl across the room, ignoring the Hutt and guards until he reaches Lieutenant Commander Farro.
"Your orders, sir?" Farro asks, glancing quizzically at the girl still holding Decivus' hand.
"Is the palace secured?" Decivus asks.
"Yes sir, troopers are rounding up the noncombatants as we speak." Farro replies evenly.
"Good. I want the slaves taken off world, cleaned up, and re-educated. I want them made into proper Imperials." Decivus replies. "As for the Hutt, and the surrendered mercenaries... execute them. All of them."
"As you command, sir." Farro replies, saluting as Decivus walks the Twi'lek girl away and to the turbolift. A pair of Stormtroopers accompany them down, and across the scarred great hall and finally back into the outside light. The girl gawks silently at the troopers as mercenaries are lined up on their knees, but Decivus turns her away before the inevitable ring of blaster shots sound out.
Decivus spots a ship landed nearby, and reaches out with the Force. He senses the familiar resistance of a strong mind, and deduces that Lieutenant Mitth had completed his tasks.
|