The pirates couldn't believe their eyes. The bodies of their companions advanced toward them, but they did not move a muscle, a leg, or a hand, and their heads hung low in a sort of funeral march. They were unable to shoot against him, even with the doubt of whether it was really their comrades or not. And it was only when they got close enough that they realized what was happening.

In a strategy that could be condemned by each side of the war as barbaric, the droids took the bodies of the fallen pirates and strapped them to the shields creating a grotesque shield of flesh. Given the extra weight, the shields had to be carried by the strong B2 droids, one in each hand, which, although it did not allow them to shoot, facilitated the advance of a large column of B1 droids behind them. This in itself was a war crime, but Icarus wouldn't hesitate to use it in battle, let alone against pirates.

When the pirates could clearly see what was happening, it took them at least five or six seconds to get out of the state of shock they were in. Their wailing and cries of denial could be heard from a distance, but it wasn't long before one of the more frightened let out a shot, seized by their own fear.

That was the shot that started the second assault on the Kandosii's command post. The adjoining corridors lit up again with the red flashes of blasters from both sides as the massive droid column slowly approached the pirate barrier. The E-Web heavy repeating blaster began to open fire, slamming directly into the bodies embedded in the shields.

The shots slammed into flesh, bit by bit tearing apart what was left of the bodies that hung from the droid shields. The smell of burning flesh was terrifying, but only the organics were able to smell it, further spreading terror in their ranks, combined with the droid presence that was getting closer and closer.

????: - Resist! Purrgil dung! I, the great pirate king Sen-gol, will not fall so easily before this pile of junk! -

A thunderous, scratchy voice was heard from a distance. The strange alien, who had spoken before his men, was shown on the battlefield with his imposing black clothing, something extravagant and with a non-functional ornament on his left shoulder. Only his face was visible, a spindly green face, covered by scaly green skin that clung firmly to the features of his skull, as if he lacked facial muscles.

Although her face was quite humanoid, it lacked a well-defined nose, instead having a bulging bulge above the septum. Its eyes were large and somewhat disproportionate compared to the rest, as if it were a huge praying mantis, although its body was quite humanoid, with the main difference being that it had bulging shoulders on its neck, which it covered with a plate of metal that was complemented by a kind of casing that covered his head and from which an energy shield that functioned as a space helmet was deployed. Very similar to those worn by the Umbarans.

His presence on the battlefield meant a boost to his men, who began to shoot more frequently and fearlessly, or fearful of a fate even worse than being shot. But no matter how hard they tried, their blasters couldn't wear down the barrier as quickly, and they had no thermal detonators to make their job easier.

Annoyed at the lack of progress, the pirate leader kicked the heavy cannon gunner away from the weapon, then positioned himself just behind and began firing on his own. It was a sudden urge, an outburst of his frustrations, but being in control of the heavy weapon wouldn't change the tide of battle. At least, not how he expected.

An accurate shot from Sen-Gol managed to evade the barrier of shields and shredded bodies and hit the foot of one of the B2 droids, destroying it instantly and causing the barrier to fall under its own weight, creating a fatal gap in the enemy formation. . This gap was an advantage that they were able to take advantage of and kill several B1 droids that were exposed, but the enemy forces were already too close.

The pirates began to fall one by one from the blaster fire. The luckiest were shot in the chest or head and died instantly. Those less fortunate had to spend their last moments suffering the hellish pain created by the burns that the blasters left on their extremities, or in areas of the body that did not have vital organs. And those who barely managed to stay on their feet had to watch their comrades fall one by one, until the E-Web cannon gunner was the last to stand.

Despite his efforts, that did not prevent him from being shot in the shoulder, but he did not hesitate to continue shooting with fervor. But when a second blaster hit his stomach he couldn't go on, and fell dejected to the ground, still with a few last breaths of life.

Sen-Gol: - So you are the macabre mind behind all this? - He said when Icarus approached, and saw him lying on the ground, choking on his own bodily fluids.

Icarus: - You fought well. To be a pirate. -

Sen-Gol: - Heh. Don't play important, you hunk of metal. I've been at this longer than your kind have been on the battlefield. - He said while complaining about the pain caused by the shot he received in his abdomen.

Icarus: - And still. You lost. -

Sen-Gol: - Haha. You're right. - He said after a long and forced laugh, interrupted by a sudden cough. - I never thought that the great Sen-Gol would fall so ridiculously before the Separatists... Well... What's left of them. -

Icarus: - The Separatist Alliance no longer exists. Those of us who remain are trying to create something new. -

Sen-Gol: - Heh. Separatists, the old Republic, the new, the Empire, what you argue to create. Everything is the same. No matter how many changes they make, wretches like us will always have to live in oblivion. You may be very smart... But you're too naive... I just... I just hope you give my little girl a good cause. He he. - Referring to what was once his ship.

That laugh was the last breath of the pirate, who fell dead on the metal corridor at the droid's feet. Despite his macabre origin, Icarus did not fail to admit that he acted like a brave man. Despite being the last one standing, he held his ground until the last moment, firing his weapon until the life drained from him, but not before destroying the barrier and taking down four B2 and a few B1 droids with the last of his strength. .

B1: - Commander. Hems finished taking position of the ship. -

Icarus: - Very good. Any prisoner? -

B1: - Affirmative. At least sixty of them. What should you do with them? -

Icarus: - Take them to a cell and put them in custody. Let Miraj take care of it when we get back to the Oasis. -

B1: - Roger. Roger. -

Icarus: - Wag Too. You accept me? - He spoke through the communicator.

Wag Too: - Loud and clear. All good? -

Icarus: - Affirmative. The ship is safe. Prepare the engineers. We need the ship ready in at least two hours. -

Wag Too: - On my way. Over and out. -

The Corps of Engineers rushed to the Kandosii's engine bays. The highest priority was to repair the engines and hyperdrive in order to return to Gwori as soon as possible. Once hidden on the planet, they were less likely to be discovered by the Empire. Furthermore, once the civilians rescued by Mirana reached the mainland, it would only be a matter of time before a patrol went to reconnoitre the conflict zone.

It had been almost two hours since the repairs began, and Icarus was at the Kandosii command post, connected to a terminator and gathering all the information possible about that very old model, but despite everything, he had some very good properties, which would make it a very useful ship for escort or transport.

The battleship had 30 medium twin turbolaser cannons, 12 defensive laser cannons, and 12 super heavy concussion missile launchers, but of course, they didn't have that type of ammunition at their disposal. Its cargo hold was large enough to carry 128 starfighters, though it could carry nearly twice as many Vulture droids thanks to its ability to compact for transport. In addition, its 1,360-meter length gave it an impressive cargo capacity, some 535 meters larger than the Munificent frigate.

This new acquisition had enough potential to become the capital ship of the small fleet, now made up of only two ships and a few fighters and droids. But it required a lot of repairs, which Icarus calculated would take at least a whole year for it to be in perfect condition. So, for now, it wouldn't be much of a contribution to their cause.

Wag Too: - Icarus. The hyperdrive is ready. It's not very reliable, so stick to a minimum speed if you don't want it to break apart on the way. - He spoke on the comm.

Icarus: - Understood. Commander Doom. - He called the droid OOM, who was in the command post of the Munificent. - We will return to Gwori. You will arrive before us, so hide the ship in the "dark zone" of the planet. -

Doom: - Roger. Roger. -

The two mighty ships turned and set course for Gwori. Little by little, the powerful engines began to fill with energy, at the same time that they produced a characteristic hum in the vacuum of space. The first to make the jump was the frigate, and after a few seconds the Kandosii followed., disappearing into the hyperspace dimension.