"Get that dressing! Tighten that splint MacConnay, D'Keth hit the deck!" A whizz-pop sounds overhead and I know what's coming as a concussive wave smacks into the field hospital I'd set up behind the Fringe Push lines. I throw myself over a patient - a young Lieutenant named Agastaberthe Stan - and feel rubble hit my spine through the thin trooper armour I'm wearing. [member="Sargon Vynea"] was right, if I was going to be the Military Affairs minister, I needed to feel battle and as my bodyguard droid Bucket holds up a beam on the hospital's makeshift south wall, I wait for the sounds to pass.
The bombardment lulls. My mind runs as I watch a couple of Sergeant Nurses shore up the south wall and free Bucket. "Sir?" MacConnay jitters, he fingers the catch on his blaster holster and listens to the silence. "Sir they've..."
"Shh." I hold up a hand, "Get the patients out. Evac on the Suma. Go, go, go." I whisper, and MacConnay is moving as the sounds of disciplined feet break the silence with unison marching and Bucket whirrs to life and gets in front of me. "Sparkles has received a transmission. Mulligan received a letter from [member="Lucien Cordel"], you're needed." The droid said, grabbing another of his blaster rifles and holding position. "Once the patients are evacuated, we'll go. Don't want to keep the Lord Cordel wait-"
BOOM! The front of the hospital blows open and I see him, the one who started this mess: a Sith Knight who thought he could take a military base by force and plunder its stuff. Lines of battle droids march behind him and as his fingers are still clenched in exertion from yanking out the wall, Bucket and I open fire. "This would all go easier if you knew your place, little urchin." The Knight gloats, I hear boot steps on glass and ephemera and the crisp snap-hiss of a lightsaber coming to life. My eyes are shut, I feel outward. His mind... it'll take too much time to shift his mind and his telekinesis has already proved better than mine. Nothing for it. I hold out a hand signal for Bucket and glance over to see Bucket give the affirmative. "Kill the wounded! Take no prisoners, tear it down. Come out little urchin! I can feel your fear."
MacConnay goes down with a scream when the droids open up. I toss myself behind a surgical table and take a couple of deep breaths to drown the cacophony in my mind. My hands shake on the gun, but as Bucket veers around the opposite side and opens fire on the Knight, I aim at his head and fire. "You have got to be the stupidest son of a bantha I've met yet. We take care of our own, retard. Nobody threatens my people."
And fire. And fire. The repeating bolts of my blaster hit the distracted man in the left ear. He whirls around, but he's already lifeless as his body falls and my beautiful Fringe Troopers double around and clean the droids from the area. Walking up to the knight, I kick him in the shoulder and feel the life gone . . . well, he's missing the bit above his neck. "Torch his body. Turn it to ash. D'Keth, have this mess cleaned up and find Major Fet'sga, I want to know how this loonie-toon got so far into this place on the day I inspect the troops!" Bucket puts its arm around my shoulders and it's my sign to go - if I don't Bucket might decide I'm coming whether I like it or not.
"You are wounded, Sir." Bucket says, as we walk up the gang plank of the Sumatiyara and the hatch seals shut. I feel boosters lifting off, good old Gilbert the droid taking off and out. "Yeah, give me a second." I grunt and yank off the thin armour and pull down my collar until I see the wound - swollen and pink. Sitting in the medbay, I concentrate and it flushes out and off. "Bucket, see that these patients get triage. I'll check back later. Sparkles!"
"Yes Ma'amaster. . Ma'Master, yo-yo!" The Admin droid rounds the corner to see me with others, and I snort. "Patch me through to Lord Cordel, if you please."
"Only if afterwards I can lay out proper clothing and a shower for you, Master Anders." If he had a nose, it would be snubbing me right now. Gosh, I'd really ought to defray his hard drive. "I agree to your terms, Sir." We shake hands and I trot onto the holopad. A transmission would come to Lucien Cordel and the Council of a dishevelled and battle-messy Anders Sivas switching jackets and being passed a washcloth to wipe my face. Okay Sparkles is trying to wipe it for me. What can I say? The droid thinks he's a butler.
"Lord Cordel, pardon my not being there in person, I'm en route from a scuffle on our borders. What's up?" I push Sparkles away as its hand comes in with a spray bottle of soap and another washcloth. "Val'halla ready for us, yet?"
