Across the Stars : A Star Wars Story

Chapter Three

Inside a barrack area near the main Senate building, Coruscant Guard troopers were beginning their changes into Phase Two armor. After the armor set proved successful by the ARC troopers of the Republic, the CG were the first to get the new batches. Trooper Glyph had finished painting his helmet to match that of all the other troopers when he was given a notification on his wrist comm connected to his helmet marked as urgent. He answered it with curious feelings. "Attention all Coruscant Guard personnel in the Senate Sector, I need emergency reinforcements on Level 394, I repeat, Level 394. The Coruscant Police are in a standoff with a group of heavily armed pirates inside a apartment complex and need reinforcements. Bring some heavy rifles. Lieutenant Rys out."

Glyph stood up and put on his helmet and the DC15S on his bunk and began to head out and saw other clones going out. One clone stopped and walked alongside Glyph. "Did you get that call too?" Glyph could tell who it was.

"Yeah, I guess we are all heading there, Splint. Those police droids they keep trying to roll out are just not working that greatly." Glyph responded as both troopers exited out to the street where a police gunship was waiting with other troopers entering inside. Glyph took a step into the ship alongside Splint as it took off and began racing through the air.

"It's been getting worse down there. I've heard a couple story from the police units and the cartels keep trying to get storage facilities in order to store whatever they are illegally trying to ship through. We keep getting newer police units to stop the movement but it only continues to flow quicker." Splint told Glyph. Glyph looked out of the slits of the gunships large doors, seeing the flashy colors and large aurubesh letters advertising new political figures and products as he felt the ship tilt downwards to go down a port.

"We just need to keep monitoring what is going on and help reinforce the police whenever they need more assistance. We need to be on the highest levels monitoring and protecting but in these situations we also need to be down here." Glyph said in response. The gunship tilted back upright as it slowed down to let the troopers exit. The doors opened and Glyph saw that the lieutenant was standing at one of the entries to the main parts of the level with a police speeder next to him and 2 underworld police officers. Rys had a pauldron and macrobinoculars on and a DC15A in his hands.

"Attention troopers, I want you to follow us to the apartment building. We have the location surrounded with underworld police officers and a couple speeders so the pirates inside do not have a chance of escaping. There is a couple windows and we estimate they are on the second level in one of the rooms to the frontside of the building. There is only one entry with it leading to the lobby and elevators so we may have to force breach. Lets go!" Rys shouted as he took a lead forward. The speeder lifted off of the ground and started to lead ahead. The troopers followed the lieutenant only a few blocks of buildings down until they saw the crowd of underworld officers and speeders wrapping infront of a 2 story tall apartment complex.

A leading officer walked over to Rys and traded a few words of updates about the situation. "There are at least 17 pirates inside the building with all civilians cleared out and all blocks in a 3 block radius blocked off. We do not know how armed they are." The officer told Rys.

"Well, I guess we will wait to find out. Continue warning them to come out or to face the consequences." Rys responded before turning around. "I want troopers with heavy DC-15LE rifles spread out behind the speeders along with all the other regular troopers. If they do not come out soon, I will send in a strike te-" Rys was saying before a loud explosion filled the air. Glyph looked at the building and saw that one of the larger windows on the second level was blown out and that a IG assassin droid was in the window area with a DLT-23 rifle.

"OPEN FIRE!" Rys shouted as the droid started to fire down at the clones and police as other pirates filed out of the front entrance. Glyph went and slid behind one of the police speeders as he heard the rain of blaster bolts hit the speeders. He saw Splint and a couple others take cover as well. He saw the lieutenant jump back as well with a few police officers falling to the fire. Glyph took off the thermal imploder that came standard with the new armor and looked up briefly to see what was happening. The pirates that were out of the building were still in the lobby with the IG unit still in the window area on top.

Glyph threw the imploder at the IG unit after turning it on and ducked again. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" He shouted at the other troopers as the imploder went off, sending the IG units parts out onto the street. Glyph stood back up and aimed his DC15S into the lobby and started to fire back as the other units started to do the same. Glyph managed to down 3 pirates in the lobby as he saw the rest flood into the elevators.

Rys had stood up from behind one of the speeders and looked at Glyph. "Smart move, trooper. They most likely are in the furthermost back section of the building. I want a strike team to go in and try to clear the estimated remaining 11 pirates inside before they call for reinforcements. You, Glyph, Splint, Daven and myself are going in." Rys said as he motioned for the mentioned troopers to follow him. Rys looked at Splint who nodded back as they went behind Daven, one of the DC-15LE users. The strike team entered the building and saw 3 circular elevators at the end of the hallway with a few lounge chairs against the wall.

"When we get up there, I will throw my own thermal imploder down the main hallway. Take cover and fire back at anyone firing back." Rys told the group as he entered the middle elevator. Daven went with Splint in the right elevator and Glyph entered the left one. He clutched his gun tight in his hands as the elevator doors shut and he felt himself rising. The doors opened again and Glyph threw himself across the room and past the hallway entrance where he saw Rys throw a imploder down the hallway with red bolts filling the air. The other 3 troopers dove for cover as the imploder went off down the hallway.

Glyph got up and took cover behind the wall he was behind as Daven and Rys got up. He saw Splint struggle to get up and he turned around with concern. "Are you ok, Splint?" He asked.

"A shot grazed my knee but I'll be ok. Keep going." Splint responded. Splint fully got up and took behind everyone else as Glyph went down the hallway. A few pirates filled the different rooms as Glyph took cover in the room where the IG unit use to be. "Splint, take cover in this room for the meantime!" Rys shouted while firing down the hall. Splint entered the room and saw the other troopers and police down below. Glyph exited the room while crouch walking and saw that only one room was left unclear on the left side. "Everyone, get ready to clear!" Rys shouted as he fired at the door panel and entered the room quickly and looked around. Glyph and Daven followed suit as Glyph looked around.

"I guess we cleared them all out, Si-" Daven was about to say before there was a red flash and Daven fell over. Rys turned out and was shot in the thigh and fell down, but Glyph rushed forward and saw that there was a hidden weequay pirate in the corner of the room with a blaster pistol. He rushed the pirates gun to the side before firing again and saved Rys as Glyph then kicked the pirate in the chest before throwing him against the backwall of the room. Glyph quickly picked up the fallen blaster pistol and fired at the pirate 3 times and ensured the pirate was dead.

"Good job, trooper. You saved me." Rys said as he slowly got up, calling for medical assistance on his internal comm. Several other troopers filled the building and escorted both Rys and Splint out of the building as Glyph exited alongside them. Both injured troopers were fixed up and Daven's body was taken out of the building and escorted to a special convoy transport alongside the other fallen dead. Rys walked over to Glyph who was standing near one of the speeders reflecting on the situation. "Trooper, Glyph, you did great today. I'll see that your unit is working alongside myself more and my higher ups to continue reinforcing the police units down here. We want to get to the bottom of this and I assume you will be a key asset in helping us." Rys said before turning around and walking away to one of the other leading underworld officers. Glyph had a feeling he was not yet done down in the underworld.