The drop ships quickly moved out away from the fleet vessels. Their contents of soldiers, marines, and water units would be deployed on the planet in order to provide effective weapons against the Wraiths. Among their cargo were some large spotlights to spread light across the whole landing platform. It would allow them to keep the Wraiths inside while they set up. Every trooper carried a glow rod in order to provide a light source on the inside as well as to keep the Wraiths away.
“Landing in 5…4….3…2…1…touchdown. Deploy.”
The doors swung down and the spotlights were wheeled out and turned on. The landing platforms shadows were illuminated with light and the Wraiths on the platform howled in pain as they ran inside. A squad of RPGC ran over to the door and popped their glow rods inside to push the Wraiths back. General Hector followed this squad inside with his own as they pressed forward. Blaster fire erupted on the inside as the two RPGC squads opened fire on a band of Wraiths that were pressing their luck and attacking.
The fact that the blaster bolts themselves were lights and that they were destructive energy effectively killed the Wraiths as they moved forward. Hector motioned for them to split off and move down the two separate halls and they did so. His squad went right while the other squad went left. Outside, the troops were securing the platform and checking to make sure everything would still work properly. Hectors squad was the one that found the command room.
“Alright. Get this thing working you two.”
Hector pointed at the two technical members of the squad.
“You two guard the doors for them while the rest of us see if there are any other beings in this half of the platform.”
A chorus of acknowledgments sounded as the troops spread out through their half of the platform in search of any living being. Of course there were still Wraiths to fight, and blaster fire from far off told them that the other squad was having the same difficulty. The Wraiths seemed to be everywhere and it was tough trying to get rid of them. Hector and his two men came across a band of them holed up in a side room that had once housed the platforms operators. They took them out quickly, but were forced to leave the room when they discovered the remains of a dead Gotal on the floor.
“Grotesque creatures, these Wraiths,” one of his men spoke up.
“Yes, they are. It looks like they took the place by storm. Perhaps came in on a merchant ship, then departed it upon landing and waited. When that ship left, they attacked ruthlessly. The operators, wisely, kept the platform above water.”
“But it looked like it had been under recently.”
“It did indeed. The Wraiths probably rode it down to grab a couple of people then brought it back up so they could torture them. Hence the one they threw to the Demonsquid.”
The trooper nodded and Hector led them back out of the room and off down the hall. They finished up scouring their side of the platforms interior and headed back to meet up with the others. By then the other squad had returned with two female humans in tow. They threw themselves at Hectors feet and pleaded for their lives. Hector rolled his eyes and lifted them from the ground.
“No one here plans to kill you. We’re from the Tholatin Republic. We’re here to liberate Aquaris from the Wraiths as well as get Aquaris to join the Republic secretly.”
“Oh I hope she’ll let us.”
They looked at each other with hopeful faces as Hector spoke.
“Who’s this she you speak of?”
“Silver Fyre of course.”
“Silver Fyre is still alive? I’m surprised.”
“She is but she’s a lot older than she used to be. But she’s a lot more willing to deal.”
“Good. Well, that’s what we’re here for. To deal.”
They nodded and Hector walked into the command room to check on the progress of the two technicians. They said they were ready for decent and sounded a warning klaxon outside as the waterproof dome came up and sealed itself over the exposed part of the platform. It jerked as the turbines went to work pulling it back under the oceans surface. Hector grabbed onto a bolted down chair for support as they descended.
“Hope this thing holds together. Otherwise we’re in deep trouble.”
“It’ll hold.”
As the platform plunged beneath the surface, Hector watched the animals on the outside as the moved by. The hostile squid came after the thing with wide mouths, but they could do no harm to the platform. And when they tried, a few underwater craft that the Republic had borrowed would come in and shoot harpoons at them to drive them away. Or they would use simple electroshock mechanisms to push them off. They were easily kept at bay, however.
“How long will it take us to get down?”
“Twenty minutes. It’s a long way down.”
“That’s a lot of pressure for this platform.”
“That’s a lot of pressure for anything, but this base was designed to hold. Ms. Fyre did a very good job of making sure she could take the pressure. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here on our own.”
“Very true.”
After twenty minutes of watching water and fish float by on the outside, there was a loud clank as the platform finished its decent. Off to the side of where all the troops were waiting there was a loud hiss as the pressure seal between the platform and the underwater base became active. One of the women undid the hatch and pulled open the door. She called in that there were friends coming in and Hector led his troops and the ones that joined them from the platform inside.
A large group of humans and other alien creatures approached them. At the front was a woman Hector knew almost as soon as he saw her. She was Silver Fyre herself and he had to admit she still looked dashing in her very revealing outfit. She did seem to be a bit older, but other than in the way she carried herself one would never have guessed she was over the age of twenty-five. Hector gave her a slight bow.
“General Hector of the Tholatin Republic Expeditionary Forces at your service.”
“A pleasure I’m sure. I assume you know me.”
“Yes, of course. You are Silver Fyre, leader of the Freeholders. One would be hard pressed not to know you. Fortunately this location has remained a secret.”
“How then, did you find us?”
“Prince Vondiranach of Tholatin used to be an Admiral of the New Republic. He discovered Aquaris and your base by accident and wiped all memory of the planet from Coruscant while he was there. He deemed it necessary to keep it a secret.”
“I see. What brings you here then? Are you going to try and kick us out of our home like these blasted Wraiths have been doing?”
“Absolutely not. We’re here to see if you would like to lend your services to the only Republic left in the galaxy. The New Republic is dead thanks to a lack of leadership. Our Republic is the only one still around.”
She motioned for him to follow her and led him off through some corridors. The rest of her people remained behind to chat with the RPGC troopers about the goings on in the galaxy. It seemed that information about what was going on was hard to get for the Freeholders. Mainly because of the Wraiths. Fyre led Hector into a lounge and they sat in two comfortable chairs off to the side.
“How does this benefit us?”
“Well, the Republic will lend some water forces to the planet and put a garrison here as an addition to your underwater base. In order to keep the fact that the Republic is here a secret, we’ll be shipping in supplies for both us and you through your ships so that our enemies only believe the Freeholders are here.”
“So far so good.”
“The platform will be fitted with four anti star fighter gun turrets and two torpedo launchers. Should an enemy try to land, you can blast them out of the air and then bring the platform down while we mobilize a fleet to come to your defense. Aquaris is not that far away from some of our planets.”
“So you’re saying we benefit by getting free supplies and a defense force.”
“Yes, exactly. And all you have to do is ship the supplies in and make sure our troops remain healthy while here.”
“Easily done. What’s the catch?”
“In the case if an emergency where our command structure must remove itself to a secret location they will come here and assume control of the Republic from here. You must accommodate them and be under their command while here.”
“Taking commands from outsiders is not something that we’re exactly good at.”
“It won’t be that hard. It’s unlikely you will ever have to do so. Their first choice is a planet hidden in unknown space that we found. If they ever are forced to come here it will only be under the most dire of circumstances.”
“Very well. We accept. When will this garrison be installed?”
“It’s ready to be installed now. In fact, it should have begun to float down here already. We’ll have it installed in two days at the most.”
“Alright.”
“The troops here with me will be the ones in the garrison and will be in charge of the defense structures that they have already begun to install on the platform. They will also assist in the attaching of the new base.”
“Alright. When do we begin shipping in supplies and such?”
“As soon as you can get ships to Ruusan. That will be your pick up point. Then you will follow an elaborate set of jumps to get back. That way nobody can trace your path back here.”
“Simple enough. Alright. We’ll get right on it. I’ll have one of my transports head over to pick up our supplies.”
”Very good. And Welcome to the Republic. I need to get back topside so if you will excuse me, I’ll be going. Commander Doren will be the one in charge of our troops.”
“Alright. Thanks. See you around. Give my regards to the Prince.”
Hector nodded and stood from his seat. Bowing slightly to her, he excused himself from the room and went back to where the platform was. Nodding to his two technical people, they all got inside the platform and soon enough it was headed back towards the surface. Hector had to report back to Admiral Delrain’s task force so that they could return to their station at Tholatin. From what they’d heard it would be necessary for them to go out on another mission soon.
The galaxy was growing heated as more and more fighting erupted between the super powers on all sides. Even some of the neutral factions had gotten involved in the war by attacking certain sides. Some even attacked both sides. It wasn’t everyday that that happened but it was becoming more and more evident the longer the war lasted. It was just a gigantic mess out there now and the Republic had some work on their infrastructure to do to get ready for the next time around. It was going to be a long off season.
