Operation Darkness: The Falling
By Arrek Lorrdain

Alone in his quarters, Arrek was shrouded in
blackness.  Thoughts flowed through his mind.  Memories
of friends, places and events that had turned his life
inside out.  He was so consumed by his thoughts and
emotions that the first jolt barely registered.The
last thought on his mind was that the station could be
under attack.  He turned out to be so wrong.

After the third jolt, he knew something was up.
Throwing on a jumpsuit and going out into the corridor,
he went to find his sister.  Her protection was the
first thing on his mind.  Turning right he headed for
he bunkroom.  He had to find her.

As he ran down the corridor the gravity went from
beneath his feet.  Suddenly disorientated and
weightless, he hit his head on the floor as he
spiralled around trying to find something to hold
onto.  The pain in his head made this more difficult
as he felt wetness in the air around him.  It was then
that he realised it was his own blood.

*Oops.* Arrek thought as he pulled himself along
trying to get to his destination as fast as he
possibly could.  Another jolt hit the station hard and
he felt shuddering through the superstructure.  Arrek
pushed himself harder.

Turning into his sister's corridor, one strobing lamp
his only lightsource, he noticed shapes up ahead. 
They turned and started to move towards him as soon as
he came into view.  With the lack of light he could
not tell who or what they were.  He only knew that
everyone was in great peril.

Reaching out with the Force he tried to contact the
two aliens.  *Nothing?  How can there be nothing?*  He
thought as he moved to meet them.   Arrek suddenly
realised things were going to get worse when the aliens
started hurling things at him.  Igniting his
lightsaber, he blocked one, destroying it, but as it
burned away another one struck his arm.  Blinding pain
shot through him.

Then he saw a sight that sickened him.  His own arm
was hanging in the air in front of him, blood pouring
out from the wound and surrounding him like an aura. 
Fear for his sister took hold, and he reached out to
her.  *RUN!  RUN WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND DO NOT LOOK
BACK!* he subconsciously screamed to her.  She knew
that things were desperate.  He could feel her tears
running down his own face.

One of the aliens approached him.  Surprisingly, it
spoke to him.  "We have been looking for you Jeedai," 
it said.  Then its forearm crashed into his skull and
all Arrek knew was blackness.