Star Wars_ Jedi Trial Part 16

"Maybe ten hours? I don't know, Erk. Can you cut a hole big enough for us to get out in less than ten hours of use?"

"Well, we're sure going to find out, aren't we? I'll start at the apex there, where the two slabs join the wall. That way whatever I cut out won't weaken the resistance that's holding all this stuff up."

"We'll take turns, Erk."

"Ah, I knew you'd come in handy!" He grabbed her and kissed her.

"I don't know about all this fraternization between an officer and an enlisted woman, Lieutenant," Odie said. She put a hand behind his head and kissed him full on the lips.

"When we get out of here I'm going to talk to you about doing some serious fraternization. Well, watch out rocks, here we come!"

21.

Quickly but carefully, the four made their way along the dry riverbed, keeping close to the far bank to hide themselves as much as possible from observation by the enemy positions on the mesa far above. This proved to be a wise tactic, and in a very short time they had worked their way to a point where the ancient river had changed its course away from the mesa.

The friendly artillery barrage roared and split the sky above with bright flashes, and soon counterbattery fire began ranging down onto Halcyon's positions. The entire universe seemed to be consumed in the fiery holocaust. None of them had ever seen such a display, and they were both exhilarated and awed by it. Sergeant L'Loxx smiled to himself: the diversion was working.

They crawled one by one over the riverbank and picked their way over the plain that separated it from the steep mesa walls. I here was evidence everywhere of the enemy's occupation-destroyed equipment, blasted droids, deep sh.e.l.l holes-all providing the cover they needed as they crawled and scuttled over the open ground. Every piece of equipment they carried had been carefully padded so as not to make any noise, and LLoxx had brought along a piece of cord that connected each team member to the next so none would get lost in the dark. He'd also painted small luminous dots between their shoulder blades; by using the night-vision goggles, each could keep his eye on the one in front. Each carried a blaster pistol as his main weapon, but nothing heavier. After an hour they had made their way across the plateau to the slope of the mesa at a point L'Loxx judged to be somewhat behind the right wing of the enemy's positions. That was where they would negotiate the steep cliff to come out at the base of the hills that dominated that end of the line.

L'Loxx knew this ground, had been over it numerous times. This end of the enemy's defenses was anch.o.r.ed in the two small hills that occupied a commanding position on the mesa. A thin line of skirmishers had been posted just above the plain, but since the hills themselves could only be approached from the front through a forest of boulders, some bigger than ban-thas, the advance sentry posts, L'Loxx hoped, were considered sufficient security to warn of an attack. He signaled for a halt. When the other three had closed up to him he went to each and whispered, "This is where we go up. When we come out at the top we should be just behind the far right of the line. I'll go in first. Stay close behind."

Gradually the barrages ceased. An unnatural quiet descended on the battlefield, and it was plunged again into impenetrable darkness.

Lieutenant Erk H'Arman paused in his work. Cool air came through the tiny hole he'd been able to cut in the rock. Through it he could see the stars. "We're going to make it, Odie." He sank into a sitting position and removed the tunic that had been covering his arm and hand. "s.h.i.+ne some light on my arm, would you?"

Recon trooper Odie Subu gasped. "Its covered in blisters! I have a first-aid pac on my belt." She fumbled with some pouches and applied a dressing to Erk's wounds.

"You're an angel, Odie. Do you think there's a reason we were put together to go through all this?"

"I think there's a reason for everything, Erk." Erk examined his tunic.

"It's holding up pretty well. It's just those splatters of molten rock are pretty hot. Would you mind giving me a drink? My hands are mighty sore about now."

She unfastened her canteen and held it to his mouth. He drank greedily.

When he had his fill, she said, "Let me do some of the cutting now. You rest awhile."

"All right. But let's both take a break for a minute, let some of this hot air dissipate. As soon as you begin to feel the heat, stop. I made the mistake of holding on too long. I've really messed myself up. Don't let that happen to you."

"It's a guy thing. You guys always want to do everything right now. Let this woman at it." They lay there, resting for several minutes, and then she donned his tunic and began cutting away at the rock. She worked steadily for ten minutes.

'Do you hear that?" Erk asked. The roar of the artillery came to the pair inside the ruins of their bunker somewhat m.u.f.fled but still gloriously loud enough to tell them that a major attack was under way.

"We've been relieved?" Odie whispered. Starting to cry, she slumped down next to Erk. He put his good arm around her shoulders. The hole had widened enough with her cutting that she could put her hand through it.

They listened in the darkness. "It's either a relief force, or the final a.s.sault," Erk said at last. "Either way we're getting out of here."

"I'm sorry for crying like this."

Erk pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair, which smelled of atomized rock and sweat, but to him it was the most delightful fragrance he could imagine. "Forget it, Odie. It's a girl thing, you know?" They laughed. "Now stop this mooning around and get back to work," he said with mock gruffness. "We both need to get out of here and get a bath."

They entered the jumble of boulders. The rocks loomed over them like tall buildings. It was so quiet they could hear one another breathing.

Sergeant L'Loxx signaled a halt. From far ahead, off to the left a bit and above them, they heard faint metallic sounds. n.o.body needed to be told it was battle droids moving about. But how many? What were their fortifications like? Did they have heavy weapons? What would be the best way to attack them? Through his night-vision goggles L'Loxx could make out a small open s.p.a.ce between the rocks. He stepped into it, followed by Grudo.

A droid stood up just to the sergeant's left, and before L'Loxx could react, Grudo drew a vibroblade from his equipment belt and took the thing's head off with one swift, clean blow. Just as quickly as he had drawn and struck, the Rodian grabbed the droid's falling body and eased it to the ground. But n.o.body caught the head before it tumbled onto a pile of debris. Sparks flashed from the head's severed circuitry.

Hearts in their mouths, they all froze where they stood. Then L'Loxx continued to lead the way carefully across the clearing. On the other side he crouched down and indicated that they should gather about him in a tight circle.

"Good work, Grudo." He punched the Rodian lightly on the shoulder. "Now listen up. I go on from here alone." One of the guards protested. "No, I'm better at this than any of you. Establish a defensive position here and wait for me." He pressed a stud on his wrist chrono. "It's zero three hundred hours now. First light is at zero six hundred. Give me one hour.

If I'm not back by then, leave me."

"No way," Private Vick whispered. "We came in together and we'll all go out together, or not at all."

L'Loxx leaned close to the guard and whispered, "That's an order. If they get me, they'll get you, too, if you hang around. You do as I say or I guarantee you'll never be allowed on patrol again." the Private Vick couldn't tell for sure in the dark, but he thought sergeant was grinning.

"You all know how to follow orders," L'Loxx told them, "so follow." He undipped the cord that bound them together and vanished into the dark.

I he three sat back to back and waited. Corporal Raders put his hand to Grudo's ear and whispered, "You do good work, Rodian. That droid never knew what hit it." Grudo nodded his thanks.

The minutes dragged by. Grudo felt at home now, with other soldiers on a dangerous mission, death or glory just a few meters away. It was what he lived for. He listened as the two guards whispered to each other, "Get me some," one said. "Yeah, bring them on!" the other replied. Grudo smiled in the darkness. Soldier talk, bravado to cover their fear-"Mocking the midnight bell," he'd heard someone describe it, the kind of defiant courage that gave warriors the strength and confidence they needed to fight. He loved it. No one was more alive than those who found themselves where they were now, on the thin edge of life and death. He thought of Anakin, whom he'd come to love during the time they had worked together.

There was something about the young Jedi that Grudo had recognized the first time they'd met in that sleazy bar on Coruscant. He'd been unable to pin it down at the time, but subsequently he'd recognized it as the ability to get others to follow him.

In the darkness beyond, L'Loxx climbed up the reverse slope of the nethermost hill. The going was surprisingly easy. Cautiously, he peered over some rocks into the rear of the enemy defenses. Just ten meters to his left, no more, a group of battle droids huddled behind a hastily constructed rock wall. In his night-vision device they appeared as tiny glowing dots, the infrared signatures of their power cells and circuitry.

As he watched, there was a small but bright flash from one of the droids, and then it disappeared from his vision to be replaced by a fast-fading glow. L'Loxx smiled. The thing had just had a short circuit. Delightful!

They weren't being properly maintained. Good to know. Slowly, he scanned the line. He wished he had the telemetry to send what he was seeing back to headquarters, but they had decided against using that option: there Was too good a chance the transmissions would be intercepted. As he examined the position closely his heart began to race in his chest. This was it, this was the weak spot. The line could be turned at this point.

He had to get this information back to headquarters.

He crept back down the slope, expecting every moment to be subjected to blasterfire, but none came. In a few minutes he was back at the rocks, crouching down with his three companions. "We're ready to go back in," he whispered, "and boy, do I have some intelligence." He withdrew his communicator and gave the signal they were ready to return. "While we're waiting for the all-clear, I've got to tell you what I saw up there. You won't believe this, but they-"

Two battle droids came clattering into the little clearing between the rocks. Vick drew his blaster and, kneeling, destroyed them both with two quick shots. "Run! Run!" L'Loxx screamed.

"I'll stay here and slow them down," Vick yelled back. The other three ran between the boulders. A flurry of blaster bolts flashed in the night behind them. Vick came running out from between the rocks. "Too many of them!" he shouted as he skittered past Grudo. Calmly, Grudo unholstered his blaster and drew his vibroblade with the other hand. As the droids came charging at him from between the rocks he cut one down with his blaster and slashed through the neck cables of another with his blade. In ten seconds he lay six of them low, forming a small obstacle the others had to clamber over to get at him. He stood calmly firing into the charging droids. Blaster bolts caromed off the rocks, singeing him; two hit him glancing blows and he staggered, but didn't go down. He piled the droids up. Thirty seconds into the fight there were no more droids to shoot at. Grudo stood panting for a moment. He bolstered his blaster.

Dead silence. No! Up ahead more droids were coming down from the hills.

It was time to go. He turned and raced back in the direction of his comrades. At that point the artillery opened up again and the night turned to bedlam.

Odie stuck her head out of the hole she had cut in the rock. "A few more minutes, and I think I can get through!" She sat down beside him. "How's the arm?"

"Well, an ordinary person would be screaming and writhing, but me? Heck, I'm a hotshot fighter pilot and we train in pain." He grimaced, then turned serious. Tm sorry, Odie, but I'll need your help to get up through that hole when the time comes. My legs feel a little rubbery, you know?"

"Give me ten more minutes and we're out of here!"

After the rock around the edge of the hole cooled sufficiently, Odie lifted herself up to the rim. Erk gave her a boost from below and she was out.

The barrage started up again at that very moment. She slid back into the bunker. "Do you think we should go out there in this?"

"Who cares? Anything is better than another second in this tomb."

"Use your good arm to hoist yourself up, and I'll boost you from below.

But be careful-it might be a tight fit."

The cannon fire was so intense it lit up the interior of the bunker.

Erk's face showed pale and drawn in the flas.h.i.+ng light. "Hope the crawlers don't run over us," he said weakly.

He managed to pull himself halfway through the hole, then got stuck. He grunted in pain. Odie grabbed his feet from below and with all her strength shoved him out into the clear. She tossed up her blaster rifle and followed him. They lay in the rubble, gasping for breath.

"We made it." The artillery roared and thundered overhead, but nothing hit the ground where they lay. "They're dueling," Erk went on. "Nicest display I've ever seen."

Figures emerged out of the dark Odie grabbed her blaster and fired a shot.

"Dont shoot!" one of the figures shouted. "We're friends!" Someone rushed up to Odie and slapped her blaster out of the way. "Blast you!" he shouted, "you shot one of my troopers, you fool! Didn't anyone tell you we were coming through?" He looked at her in the strobing light of the barrage, then at Erk, lying on his back beside her. Both looked the worse for wear. "Hey, who are you, anyway?"

"Grudo's shot real bad," Corporal Raders said. "She hit him in the side of his head. Blast you people! What the-" He stopped abruptly as he took in the pair.

"I-I-we-we were trapped in a bunker, sir. II thought you were the enemy.

My buddy is badly hurt, too. I-I'm sorry about your soldier. I-"

L'Loxx turned and knelt beside Grudo. The side of the Ro-dian's head gave to his probing fingers, but he was still conscious. His one good eye blinked in the gunlight. He tried to say something, but it came out as only noise.

"Let's wait for the ARC troopers," Raders suggested. "They can help us carry him back to the aid station. There's nothing we can do for him here."

"If we don't get him back right now he won't make it, and after what he's done this night, we're not waiting. You two," L'Loxx said, indicating Odie and Erk, "give us a hand."

"Sir, my buddy is badly burned-he can't help carry anyone."

"Okay, you help him along; we'll handle Grudo ourselves. And stop calling me sir, I work for a living-hey! I know you two! You're from General Khamar's army. We came in together. I don't remember your names, but I found you two out in the desert-"

"Sergeant L'Loxx," Odie gasped.

"How're you doing?' Erk asked from where he lay.

"I remember now," L'Loxx said, "they sent you up to Izable after we came in together. Well, I'll be-"

"Sergeant, let's get moving? We can talk when we get back to our lines,"

Raders suggested.

In moments they had rigged a stretcher from a net Odie found in her equipment belt and two long durasteel rods they wrenched from the ruins of a bunker. Carrying Grudo over the rough ground was easier than they'd expected.

Sergeant L'Loxx came to attention and saluted Halcyon.

"Make your report, Sergeant."

"We didn't wait for the other teams to come in, sir, because I had two wounded and had to get them to the aid station. Their right flank is vulnerable, sir." He moved to a three-dimensional display. "First, this hill on the far end of the line is only lightly defended. I think they're counting on the rocks at the foot of the hill to break up any a.s.sault.

Second, I didn't see any crew-served weapons up there.They haven't brought in artillery. And finally, I have reason to believe lack of maintenance might be reducing the droid fighting force. We put them through some exercises, and they'll lose combat strength through breakdowns."

"Who was wounded?" Anakin asked.

"I'm afraid the Rodian, sir."

"How badly?"

"Very badly, sir. But let me add this: we wouldn't have made it back with this information if it hadn't been for him. He stayed behind long enough to give the rest of us a chance to get some distance between us and the droid lines. I want to add also, sir," he said, turning to Halcyon, "that your two guards are solid soldiers. They held up their end."

"Well, who's the other wounded trooper, then?" Slayke asked. Briefly L'Loxx explained about Odie and Erk. "I remember them. She went to Izable with the lieutenant,"

Slayke said.

"She's the one who shot Grudo," L'Loxx told Anakin. "In the dark and the confusion she thought we were the enemy. It was just one of those situations n.o.body could have antic.i.p.ated. It happens, sir. Friendly fire."

"Very well, then." Halcyon had made his decision, "It's zero four hundred hours now. Commander Skywalker, at zero six hundred I want you in position to attack that right flank. Use Sergeant L'Loxx as your guide.

Take two brigades of your division. Leave the third in reserve under the command of Captain Slayke."

"Shouldn't we wait for the commandos to report, sir?" Halcyon's operations officer asked.

Til be interested to hear what they've found out, but no. This-" He pointed to the display. "-is the pivotal point in our a.s.sault, and we'll attack there. I'll take my division and attack the center. I'll wait until you're in place before I commence my attack, Commander Skywalker.

You wait ten minutes after I move forward before moving in. I believe during that time the enemy will bring in troops from his wings to reinforce his center. We've given him two artillery barrages so far tonight to soften him up, or I hope he thinks so, and when we hit him again while my division moves into position, he'll see that as the main attack, I'm sure of it. I think we might just carry this off." He turned to his operations officer. "Issue the order to all commanders."

"May I see him?" Anakin asked the medical officer who met him at the aid station.

"This way." The doctor's slumped shoulders and the deep lines that carved his face spoke more eloquently than the bloodstains on his surgical gown of what Sons and Daughters of Freedom had been through since they landed.

Grudo was lying on a field litter behind some curtains. Anakin caught his breath when he saw how grievously the Ro-dian had been wounded. Friendly fire, Anakin thought, that was what the sergeant had called the accident.

He wondered who had invented such a ridiculous term. Some staff officer, no doubt, someone safe and secure in a headquarters, someone who jested at scars but who'd never felt a wound himself. There was nothing friendly about fire that caused that much injury, no matter who it came from.

Anakin fought down a surge of anger, not at the hapless recon trooper who had shot Grudo, but at the kind of military mind that would call such a thing "friendly fire."

"Can he talk?" he asked the harried doctor.