Operation Darkness: And Silence Did Fall By Majick It is, perhaps, the screaming I'll remember most. It's foolish to say they came from nowhere. Everything comes from somewhere. And contrary to what we like to let Sci believe, some of us do read the NRI reports. But we really didn't think we'd have to worry about the Yuuzhan Vong. Even before the alarm klaxons started sounding, two Vong exploded through the room of my room, their amphistaffs cutting through the thick sheet metal like it were paper. Even before Dupree and Cohlson died, even before the Vong's weapons sliced through their chests, they screamed. Battle hardened warriors, on secondment from the NR to our remote outpost, died screaming in abject terror. I nearly died too, victim of my insatiable curiosity. Watching these scarred warriors pause briefly over their kills, I was froxen, a mixture of awe and desire for knowledge momentarily overriding my self preservation instincts. But as soon as the Vong turned towards me, fear cut through the haze. I dropped into a crouch, and the weak gravity in my room allowed me to push upwards, and out through the hole the Vong had entered through. The Vong spat defiance at me, tensing their own bodies and firing upwards to follow me as I flailed frantically in the zero gravity corridor above my room. When on outpost duty, I often let my defenses drop somewhat. I'd leave my blaster in my locker, safe in the knowledge that the Admonitor's sensors would afford us ample warning of an incoming attack. Stupidly, I'd not made the connection between the Vong coral skippers, and our own lack of defenses. My weapon resided far away, through a maze of darkened corridors probably crawling with more Vong. I was, I knew, probably dead. As one of the Vong reared back to throw a thudbug at me, I prepared to shed the probably from my statement. But the Vong's aim was thrown off when he and his buddy were hit from behind with automatic blaster fire. I stared past their bodies to see one of the NR commandos taking aim again. His clothing torn, I could see a large gash running down his flank. Superficial, perhaps, but the man was pale, and the trail of blood hanging in the air behind him suggested he'd used his last few seconds to buy me some more. I didn't even know his name. One of the Vong shook its head, almost muzzily. His arm came up, and in that instant, a thudbug was airborne, soaring towards the selfless commando. The soldier fired once, but I don't know if he hit. I was already moving, and frantically trying to recall the position of the nearest weapons locker, and the way to it through the twisting corridors, now lit only by emergency lighting. My lightsabre hung uselessly at my belt. With the burgeoning Force powers of a number of my colleagues, my own weapons training had been neglected. I knew that trying to face off against two Vong would be suicide. Then I swum soundlessly around a corner, almost crashing into the Vong there. My options spent, I grabbed my lightsabre and swung upward, the blade flashing into existence beneath the Vong's chin, stabbing out at its throat. But the alien's vonddum armour deflected the blow, and while I cut deep into the Vong's face, the wound was neither life threatening, nor, apparently, in any way hindersome to it. His amphistaff swung upwards, impacting my sabre's blade, nearly jolting the weapon from my hand. I kicked outwards, planting my feet either side of the Vong, and pushing off the wall. I sped backwards, the zero gravity atmosphere doing little to slow my progress. The Vong seemed content to let me go, doubtless knowing I was heading towards more of his kin. My own breathing heavy in my ears, I cast about desperately, trying to detect any hint of life, friendly or, well, Vong. But there was nothing. I was running perilously close to the edge of the station, where power and oxygen maintained life. Too much further to my right, and I'd be stuck. But there was light ahead, and maybe voices. Did the Vong talk? The two who'd killed my companions had screamed. I realised that Sci was verging on correct. I didn't read the reports thoroughly enough. And I babbled when I was scared. I swam onwards, my lightsabre unlit in my hand. Once, I saw something looming out of the darkness to my left, and swung frantically out at it. But it was a corpse, a human corpse. I recognised the young woman from seeing her around the station, but, again, I didn't know her name. The light ahead flickered, recapturing my attention. The voices were clearer, one much more than the other. It was as though the first was on the cusp of my hearing, almost a buzzing in my head, but I couldn't quite make it out. As I got closer, the clearer of the voices resolved itself. Brad Corletti stood in the middle of the corridor, apparently talking to himself. Over his shoulder, I saw a Vong looming ever closer, a predatory sneer on its face. Shouting a warning, I pushed off a bulkhead to gain extra speed. Brad looked up at me, his face frozen in shock as I barrelled toward him, my lightsabre springing to life in my hands. But even as I approached, his face changed to acceptance, and he swung around, impossibly fast, and fired his blaster at point blank range into the chest of the Vong. The Vong was thrown backwards by the impact, more through the zero gravity environment than through damage done. But it was enough. Its staff missed Brad by inches, and I was able to push my lightsabre home, plunging the blade deep into its chest where Brad's shot had impacted. The Vong almost looked surprised, before throwing its arms back and howling in anger. It raised its amphistaff above its head as I hung there, transfixed again, unable to detach myself. Until Brad shot the Vong in the throat, throwing it backwards, and tearing it from waist to throat as it pivoted free of my blade. I looked dispassionately at the alien's body as it swung away. "Is it dead?" I asked, unwilling to hear either answer. Brad snorted. "Don't bet on it." The buzzing in my head restarted, at the same instant I realised that it had stopped. "Sci says they're bloody hard to kill," the Australian added. I blinked. "Sci?" "I'll tell you on the way out. You can shoot a starfighter's guns, yeah?" "If I say no, are you going to leave me?" Brad almost grinned, before shaking his head. "We have to get out, and warn Earth. We have a better chance in my B-Wing, but I need a tail gunner." "I can shoot," I replied, serious again. "Just ask Thrawn." "Me too," he said, gesturing at the Vong. "Let's go."