Welcome to the adventures of the 31st!
A few little things before we start: I am following the Star Wars Wiki GAR command structure, and because of Star War Inconsistency I'm gonna be taking some liberties when it comes to troop counts and ship counts. For this I will mostly be looking at Illuviar's Star Wars Stories. This also means that any people you recognize from that story don't belong to me, such as Telar Valentra, but I'll try to keep it as original as possible. I also recommend watching EckhartsLadder's video on the low amount of Troopers in the GAR.
The Story will be on an episodic basis, with each "episode" hopefully taking up about 2 to 4 chapters and probably around 10.000 to 15.000 words. I'll try to keep the uploads somewhat scheduled, but my hopes for that are not high due to university and all that.
Any feedback is of course appreciated and I'll try to reply to all reviews in a PM and in a somewhat timely fashion So that we won't get A/Ns like these that are way too long.
Cheers,
Mac Gustah
The Clone Wars: 31st Assault Legion
Episode I: New Beginnings
Part I
Senior Commander CC-5402, better known to his troops as Aros, was tired. His eyes were drooping as he forced himself to continue cleaning his armor, trying to scrub the mud, grime, and blood off of the pristine white plates. Besides, he didn't want to sleep yet. He didn't want to relive Felucia.
They were headed back to Coruscant for some well-deserved R&R. They'd need a lot of replacements as well. He shook his head, not quite willing to replace his lost brothers, but seeing the necessity. They were operating at around half efficiency right now and had been for a while.
He guessed he should be lucky he didn't end up like general Kirrah. His death had shown him that his blind loyalty and obedience towards his Jedi general might have been misplaced. A brilliant warrior he may have been, but a strategist he was not.
He continued scrubbing at an especially stubborn piece of dirt on his helmet. After a while the purple lightning bolt started showing itself in its full glory. He smiled at the memories of Alpha's commander training on Kamino. War was nothing like the simulations.
He set his helmet to the side and went to grab his chest plate, but before he could start the door to his quarters opened with a swoosh. Aros didn't bother looking up, "Yatz, can I help you?"
The clone in the doorway snorted and stepped inside, "Really, vod, that's all I'm gonna get? 'How can I help you?' That's harsh man." He set down on Aros' bed and said clone finally looked up from his workbench and towards his brother.
"Sorry, Yatz, I'm tired is all."
His fellow officer let out another snort, "Yeah, no shit. It was messy down there until our relief force showed up. Kriffin' shinies." He shook his head a little, "Although we'll have a lot more rookies once we get reinforced. Maybe some new shiny toys as well."
"Don't remind me. It's going to be quite the task to get everyone integrated, let alone resupplied. Clock's regiment almost ran out of ammo for the AV-7s. It would have gotten a lot messier if we hadn't been relieved."
"You're right," his brother said as he slung his legs on the bed and sat back against the wall. Aros knew it was of little use to berate him on it and as such ignored it, "We're gonna be in for a fun shore leave."
"Yeah, right. At least Thorn and Blue are supposed to be on leave as well. Maybe we can all catch up over a nice drink."
Yatz scoffed, "Yeah, if Fox can get that stick the size of a dreadnaught out of his ass and actually let his men have some free time every once in a while."
The Senior Commander raised a brow at his friend, "He's still your superior you know. You should at least show some respect to the chain of command."
"Yeah, yeah. Speaking of the chain of command; any idea what we're gonna do without a general?"
Aros' brow furrowed, "I expect we'll get assigned a new one. Either that or we'll be folded into a sector army, but with the number of open fronts I highly doubt that."
"I guess we'll see, won't we?" With that the Regimental Commander stood up and left the small room, "Get some sleep, Aros, tomorrow's a long day."
-break-
Even along the Perlemian Trade Route, it had taken a while for the 22nd Battlegroup to make it back to the core. Felucia was not close by, but the route was uncontested for now. However if it fell, there would be an opening straight to Taanab and from there the rest of the core.
The majority of the 22nd would stop at Anaxes for repairs while a couple of undamaged Acclamators would continue to Coruscant with the 31st Assault Legion and the Commodore on board. The only Venator in the group, the Solace, would head to Kuat for an upgrade and a fighter resupply, after which she would continue to Coruscant for shore leave. They would have two weeks for all this before they would be redeployed to the front.
Commodore Mulva sighed. A week wasn't much, but with the GAR as spread as thin as it was, she supposed she should be happy they got any leave at all. She knew Valentra was doing all he could to cycle units to and from the frontlines to keep them rested and well supplied, but the GAR was only so big.
The ground forces were the ones that had really suffered, though. A month in a hellhole like Felucia, with dangerous flora, fauna, and battledroids to top it off. She knew Commander Aros and his subordinates had taken it badly. Most of their losses were to the hostile terrain. Walkers getting stuck in the mud, massive predators that tended to strike unsuspecting patrols and all sorts of diseases.
One platoon had even stumbled upon a rancor nest and had come back with half their numbers and an angry hulk of muscle and teeth on their tail. An AT-TE had taken care of it swiftly, but it was quite a blow to morale.
A shudder went through the shuttle as it entered Coruscant's atmosphere. She'd rather be at Kuat with her ship, but both Kaely and Commander Aros had been summoned to GAR HQ to meet their new general.
"ETA five minutes to HQ, buckle up, traffic is heavy tonight." It sounded over the intercom. She pulled down the metal brace and saw the commander do the same across from her, his emotions hidden underneath his pristine armor.
The regular yellow of his rank had been replaced with purple stripes and highlights, a kama attached to his belt and the commander pauldron replaced with extra rigging and pouches. He hadn't nearly done as much modification as Regimental Commander Yatz, which bordered on violation of Alpha 17's regulations, but he was easily discernable between his white clad subordinates.
The only other people in the shuttle were Countdown and Sibe, the two ARC troopers attached to the legion. They apparently had business with Special Forces Command and had opted to hitch a ride with them. They were currently idly chatting about equipment.
"I'm tellin' ya Sibe, Those commandos get all the good stuff. I spoke with a friend in SFC and he told me they get the Delta-A9 blocks! You have any idea how many seppies I could blow up with just one of those puppies?"
Sibe seemed skeptical, "Yeah, vod, really cool, but it's the DC-17's I want. Good firepower, modifiable and it looks awesome! Far better than the shit we get."
Their chatter was interrupted when the intercom once again crackled to life, "This is your pilot speaking; we are nearing our destination and I would like to ask you to straighten your seats and get ready for landing. Thank you for choosing Air Republic, literally your only choice."
A small smile escaped the Commodore. Flyboys were the same everywhere, clone or non-clone.
Half a second passed before the braces unlocked and they could exit the craft from the front ramp, Aros following right behind her. The pair of ARCs flanked them, weapons holstered but within easy reach. She'd seen them in action once and was fully convinced that they could draw and fire before the guards even got a shot off.
She quickly shoved those thoughts out of her mind. The last month had made her paranoid, constantly having to deal with separatist infiltrators and skirmishing forces.
As they neared the checkpoint a pair of red-and-white clad Coruscant Guard soldiers stepped forward and quickly scanned them to confirm their identities. While annoying, she could at least appreciate the efficiency of the clones guarding what was currently one of the most important buildings in Republic space.
Around halfway through the journey Countdown and Sibe split off towards Special Forces Command. Now it was just her, Aros, and their two armor clad guides. She and Aros were both familiar enough with the building and had tried to turn down the two guards when they offered to accompany them, but they insisted otherwise. Oh well, at least they take their job seriously.
It wasn't long until they got to one of the many briefing rooms in the massive GAR Headquarters. They were met at the door by two more of Fox' guards, standing ever vigilant by the door. Aros completely ignored them and went for the door. She had heard from the clones that there was no love lost between those on the frontlines and the Guard, and she could understand to a certain extent. Knowing that there was an entire legion based comfortably on the capital while they were slugging it out on worlds like Felucia was bound to breed some resentment.
Inside they were met by several other highly ranked officers, including Valentra. He seemed to have aged years since she last saw him, with lines on his face that hadn't been there two months ago. They were quickly noticed and saluted, only getting a tired smile from the general. She could understand why.
-break-
Aros had been in this room multiple times over the last year, and he still felt nervous around so many people who outranked him. He managed to keep his composure, of course. He wouldn't still be alive if he weren't able to control his emotions; an important trait, especially for someone of his rank.
General Valentra looked a great deal older than he had last time. And I thought we aged quickly.
He took his helmet off, holding it in the crook of his arm. They saluted the logistics general but it wasn't returned. The clone frowned a little. A breach of protocol, to be sure, but understandable, "Ah, Commodore, Commander, good to see you both alive; I heard Felucia was a tough one. A shame about the good master Kirrah, although I heard it might not be a horrible loss."
Understatement of the century. Aros remarked in the confines of his head. Yatz might not have been so tactful.
"I do have some good news for you though, especially regarding you, Kealy." The smile on the general's face was more lively now, "The new batch of Venators has been finished and crewed. I will be assigning one to your battlegroup, commodore. The Voidcloud and her supporting vessels shall join the Solace at Kuat and meet up with you at Coruscant while Commander Aros reinforces his legion." He turned to the clone, "It happens more often than I would like that we need to replace heavy losses like these, but a new batch has just arrived from Kamino. Speak to Colonel Bennett to requisition the necessary supplies. She can help you with replacements for the heavy assets you lost. Give her…" He shuffled around the pile of documents until he found what he was looking for, "…this and coordinate with your regimental Commanders."
Aros took a look at his own document and saluted, "Thank you sir. Anything else? There is a lot to do if I want to get these shinies in shape before we ship out again."
The tired general nodded and looked for another file and smiled when he found it, "Commodore Mulva, you should go pick up your new uniform." He handed the confused woman the 'pad.
A ghost of surprise swiped over Kealy's face, "A promotion?"
"Yes, congratulations are in order I believe, Rear Admiral Mulva." He looked cheeky, as much as Aros could imagine the general look that way. "One more thing. You are without a general now, but the Jedi Council has already offered a replacement. She was supposed to be here already." That worried the Senior Commander. He'd never heard of a Jedi who wasn't punctual. It was not a good trait for a general.
As if the force had read his mind the doors opened behind them. In stepped a young woman clad in the loose tan robes of a Jedi knight. On her belt hung a long sabre hilt, far longer than his former general's had been, and she wore her auburn hair in a thick braid draped over her shoulder. She honestly looked like she'd just gotten out of bed. She was supposed to be their new general?!
The tense silence was broken by Valentra, "Commander, Rear Admiral, now that she is finally here may I introduce you to your new Jedi general…" He trailed off, being clear to show his disapproval in her tardiness and not being informed of her identity.
She seemed caught off guard, apparently not expecting the negative reaction from the logistics general, Oh, eh, my name is Jedi pa-" she caught herself, "Knight Lina Itheris. Nice to meet you all."
He waited for Kealy to introduce herself before taking his own turn, "Senior Commander CC-5402 of the 31st Assault Legion, ma'am." He snapped a salute, and Kealy elbowed his side. Managing to hide the flinch, he added; "But Aros works too, ma'am."
"Well, Admiral Mulva, Commander Aros, I'm eager to begin working with you." She sent them a wide smile and Aros couldn't help but worry a bit.
About an hour passed before the meeting was over. At least she seems genuinely interested in becoming an effective Commanding Officer. Their brand new general had decided to accompany him to the hangers since she had to take a shuttle herself. Aros had decided that she seemed promising at least, if a bit young, but that she could learn to be a good general. If she would listen. And stay alive for long enough.
On their way they met up with Countdown and Sibe, who didn't seem too impressed with their new general. At least Countdown kept his mouth shut.
"So what did you do to become a general anyway? You seem a bit young for that." Sibe had started, "Last time I followed a Jedi, that fool Kirrah almost lead us into an ambush because he wouldn't listen to our advice!"
"Sibe." Aros responded, a clear 'shut up' in his tone, but the ARC did not, in fact, look like he was going to. His new general surprised him by retorting.
"Well, I'm not Master Kirrah. I might not be old and experienced, but I'm ready to lead you on the battlefield." She seemed pretty composed, but he could see that internally she was just about ready to either tear him in half or run away.
"Yeah, right, come back when you've seen one of your brothers ripped in half by an acklay, screaming his lungs out while he's eaten whole."
The air around them grew very cold, suddenly, and he knew he had to do something before either the ARC or the general did something everyone would regret.
"Sibe, that is enough!" he took his best angry officer pose and the ARC immediately knew he'd crossed a line. "I will not have you disrespect or superior officer, regardless of your personal feelings, or speak ill of the dead. Report to Captain Jeor first thing in the morning, I will make sure he has a suitable punishment for you. Dismissed."
With that the ARCs left, he could faintly hear Countdown admonishing his brother for his behavior, but he paid no mind. He turned to his superior officer, "I'm very sorry for that, general. I hope you don't take it personally; we've all been through quite a bit over the past couple months."
The Jedi seemed to lose some of her well founded indignation, "It's fine… I was expecting someone to challenge my command at some point, I just didn't expect it to happen before I was even officially instated." She chuckled. I probably shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just… I just went through my trials and…" she trailed off.
"Trials?" Aros inquired. He had heard you had to go through something to become a knight, but Kirrah was never keen to talk about Jedi matters with him.
"I'd rather not talk about it." She looked around, and apparently spotted the mess hall sign, "Wanna get some breakfast? I'm starving."
Aros raised a brow, "It's seven in the evening, ma'am…" he flatly remarked, "And I have to take a trip to the administrative offices to get this," He held up the holo doc, "checked in."
"Ah, okay." She looked a little sheepish, "Well, in that case I'll see you tomorrow, commander. I hope you'll introduce me to the command staff?"
"Of course, ma'am." He saluted and was surprised to see her return it. Rather clumsily, but still, it was the thought that counted. He stepped aboard the shuttle, ordering the pilots to take him to the administrative offices. Sometimes he wished he'd taken the offer to become an ARC instead of a commander. He sighed.
-Break-
Lina Itheris left the GAR HQ even more tired than she had arrived. Deep bags under her eyes and her messy hair kept the pilots of her transport to the temple from initiating more conversation than absolutely necessary and she sat down on one of the uncomfortable seats.
Regardless of the lack of comfort she dozed off, and only woke when one of the worried pilots shook her awake to tell her they'd landed at the temple. She thanked him and exited the craft; finding the hanger busy, but not nearly as much as it had been before the war started.
It gave her a sting of pain every time she thought of that. Without further dallying she made her way to her new apartment. Apparently becoming a knight forced you to move in on your own. She wondered how her master was doing. The old twi'lek always been somewhat of a slob and without her to clean up after him, she didn't think you'd even be able to see the floor in a month.
On her way to her apartment, though, she couldn't help her mind from wandering to the meeting. She hadn't made a very good first impression, she knew that much. Both late and hardly properly dressed, she had felt a slight spike of dislike from both her subordinates. They seemed professional enough though, ready to follow her commands when she gave them. She almost buckled under the responsibility.
Nigh ten thousand men under her command… or they would soon be so many, as they were still under strength from their previous deployment. What had the ARCs name been? Snipe? Spike? Sibe, she remembered. He'd had a good point, to a certain extent at least, but he was wrong. She'd seen enough horrible things in this war, enough men killed and enough mistakes made that she knew what loss felt like. She was a knight for a reason.
Oh well, at least she knew the commander didn't tolerate the comments to their superior officer, although she could feel that he didn't completely disagree with the ARC. It worried her somewhat, but she pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she got to her apartment. It took her less than three seconds to flop down on her bed and fall into a deep sleep.