Chapter Twenty (Patreon)

Quest: Battle for Khedive

Defend Khedive from the Yam’rii attack

Reward: 100 experience for each dead Yam’rii; 20 experience for each surviving Kaleesh. Note: Experience is shared with those who fight and survive the battle

Failure: Loss of Khedive, probable death

Quest: Attack Run

Use the freighter to attack the Yam’rii

Reward: 1,000 experience for each destroyed Yam’rii landing craft, 200 experience points for each destroyed Yam’rii fighter or bomber, 50 experience for each dead Yam’rii. Note: Experience is shared with your crew

Failure to try: Viewed as a coward by Tarkhan Qymaen jai Sheelal

Failure to complete: Likely death

Well, Ali’ya thought. You only die twice? Terrible joke.

“Now.” The Tarkhan--the possible future Grievous and half the reason Ali’ya was willing to take this jare’la mission--spoke in a way that brook no disagreement. Ali’ya, though nominally in command, did as ordered. The ship ascended swiftly. As soon as the artificial gravity was on Ali’ya pulled the ship into a vertical climb, soaring up, up, up above the battlefield. She turned, and looked through the viewport. She looked at the instruments. Most of all, she opened herself to the Force.

Bombers and fighters darted over the city. The giant Huk, so large and terrifying when standing face-to-face, looked like little more than ants. Ali’ya paused. She waited.

“What are you--”

The Force hummed, and Ali’ya dove. Through the clouds, through the waves of bombers. Then she tilted, shifting the entire ship onto its back as they zoomed across the city. Ali’ya slowed the engines as they neared, moving just fast enough to avoid getting pulled down by the planet’s gravity. She paid little attention to the shouts and calls of the gunners. She listened to the Force and her instruments, picking up speed just as a trio of fighters entered her scanning range. She pulled up, then down, spinning to face them and passing them by. As they flew her gunners took down two of the fighters. Ali’ya turned again, flying over Igman’s Square where three landing craft--shields down to allow swift disembarking--were torn apart by the powerful laser cannons.

A boom sounded as they pulled up, forcing Ali’ya to turn sharply or risk losing her shield to the buildings nearby.

“Gunners Three, Four, Five and Six! Focus on the ground. One, Two, Seven, Eight--focus on the air!” the Tarkhan ordered beside her. Ali’ya made a mental map of the gun placements, then spun allowing gunners three and five to open fire on the landing craft.

They all knew when it shifted. The bombers were no longer making their attack runs. The fighters were no longer flying escort. Everything in the sky was trying to kill them. The shields were falling. Ali’ya knew she didn’t have the skill to outfly this. She knew the gunners didn’t have the skill to shoot them all down.

Perhaps, she thought, mentally pulling up the Skills tab in the System. There is another way.

“Tarkhan!” Ali’ya shouted. “Take over!”

“What?” the Tarkhan demanded, swiftly taking over the controls. “What are you--”

Ali’ya ignored him. She ignored the sounds of the pounding on shields, ignored the flare of lasers and the scent of sweat and plasma. She reached out to the Force, desperate and hopeful. The Force reached back. It pulled her up, through the waters of grief and dissociation. She stood upon its watery surface and peered down. Bright lights, brilliant lights. Burning orange and envious green, passionate light and fierce bright the Huk and the Kaleesh stood in the Force.

Ali’ya stepped carefully. For all the system seemed to work, she was hesitant to trust it in her desperate hour. But she had no other choice. She moved, reaching gently forth. She tapped the Tarkhan’s shields. She felt his confusion, and eased it, sending it into the depths of the Force. She felt his unease, his nerves, and soothed them. She guided his hands, lending him a bit of her strength, of her instincts and knowledge. He moved faster, before the starfighters opened fire. She moved down the ship. At each station she asked the gunners for entry, and each time soothed them. She helped them relax, helped them find their confidence, their determination. Their knowledge of what they must do.

Ali’ya did not stop at the ship, though most of her power rested there. Gingerly she descended, keeping her power and focus upon the ship. Yet she could spare a bit more of her self, and so reached the anti-aircraft gunners. She linked them with the gunners, linked them with each other. They knew where to aim, when to provide covering fire and when to aim for the engines.

Ali’ya panted, struggling for breath as she connected the last of the gunners. Yet she knew it wasn’t enough. How could it be, when she could still feel the dying lights? So she reached again, spreading herself thinner still. She joined with the artillery, with the soldiers and medics and civilians and--

Rest, child.

*

Quest: Battle for Khedive Completed!

Defend Khedive from the Yam’rii attack

Reward: 100 experience for each dead Yam’rii (255,368); 20 experience for each surviving Kaleesh (8,995,489). Note: Experience is shared with those who fight and survive the battle (3,544,614). Your share is 58 experience points.

Bonus Quest: Earn the respect of Tarkhan Qymaen jai Sheelal

Reward: A new ally (Tarkhan  Qymaen jai Sheelal), 500 experience points

Bonus Quest: Prevent the Yam’rii from landing Failed

Quest: Attack Run Completed!

Use the freighter to attack the Yam’rii

Reward: 1,000 experience for each destroyed Yam’rii landing craft (89), 200 experience points for each destroyed Yam’rii fighter or bomber (211), 50 experience for each dead Yam’rii (3,704). Note: Experience is shared with your crew of ten. Your share is 31,640 experience points.

Bonus Quest: Keep all of your crew alive

Reward: Earn the respect of Tarkhan Qymaen jai Sheelal

Bonus Quest: Keep the freighter intact

Reward: +40 piloting (ships, medium), continued use of the ship

Level: 13 → 16

Experience Points: 45,648/13,000 → 3,648/16,000

Current Quests:

Noble Lineage: Find out your noble ancestry

Revenge: Find out who killed your parents and avenge them

Equal Sequel: Publish a sequel that sells a trillion copies

Master Before Your Time (Force): Increase one of your Force skills to Master: 1 before being knighted

Master Before Your Time (Lightsaber): Increase one of your Lightsaber skills to Master: 1 before being knighted

Research Master: Increase at least one of your technology or knowledge skills to Master: 1

Padawan, but Older: Become a Senior Padawan

Knighthood: Become a Jedi Knight

Skill Quests: Choose to elaborate

Ali’ya blinked. Her vision was fuzzy, but they won? They’d won. The quest alerts had to be that accurate at least. Ali’ya tried to sit, up, then groaned, falling back. Her hands gripped her skull. It was painful as her worst migraines back on Earth. She whimpered.

“She’s awake!”

“She’s in pain,” another voice hushed. “Where--”

“Migraine,” Ali’ya gritted out, then realized she didn’t know what those were called in Kaleesh. “Uh, half-head pain?”

“Ah, golka,” the voice said. “Injection or pill?”

“Which is stronger?”

“Injection,” the voice said. Ali’ya nodded, then found a sharp pain between her shoulders. She relaxed suddenly. The pain wasn’t gone, but it was easing. Her shoulders relaxed.

“We--”

“We won,” the voice–Healer Arrin–confirmed. “Yesterday. Baatar Sheelal said you passed out?”

“Overextended myself,” Ali’ya explained. “Force stuff.”

“Like that second week in the hospital tents.”

Ali’ya groaned. “You’re never going to let me forget about it.”

“Not until you’ve learned your lesson at least. Now get some rest. We’ll be needing your help, once you’re up to it.”

“How many--”

“After you rest.”