This is a sequel of sorts to my fan fiction Confederate Heroes: Vol. 2. This time, however, instead of being a forty or fifty sentence challenge fanfic, this one is a little more like a story. In it, Count Dooku and General Grievous are asked for their definition of a hero by a CIS Shadowfeed reporter, and what sort of heroism they see in the Confederate heroes of the CIS. Several Separatists will be mentioned in this story, mostly Expanded Universe and Clone Wars ones, but I'm including some OC Separatist heroes for fun, too. This sequel and its predecessor are written in honor of ZakoBattledroid, a author who says he loves the CIS, especially the battle droids. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, George Lucas does.
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Confederate Heroes: The Definition of a Confederate Hero
"Count Dooku, Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems," asked a Sullustan news reporter from Po Nudo's Hyper-Communications Cartel, "as commander-in-chief of the Separatist Droid Army and Confederate Navy, you have seen and heard of many great deeds done by the Confederate soldiers and pilots. What do you say the definition of a hero is, or at least a hero of the CIS?"
"As someone who used to be a Jedi," started Dooku, sitting in one of two interviewing chairs opposite the reporter, "and a member of the irredeemable Republic, I cannot really give an absolute definition of a hero. The Force says that what makes someone a hero is a relative truth, not an absolute one. However, since you ask me for a definition, I will tell you how I see someone who stands up for freedom to run their own affairs as a hero, a Confederate hero.
"There is Alto Stratus, commander of the Jabiimi Nationalists and Nimbus commandos, to begin with. He knew that the Republic had never intervened to help his world in its time of need, nor had the Jedi, and that they wanted to exploit the planet Jabiim's ore underneath the mud and crust during the Clone Wars. But did he submit to Republic tyranny? Did he submit to the Jedi? No. He fought to free his people from the corrupt Republic. He knew also that while the Confederacy of Independent Systems has its own government, the Confederacy does not fight for a political principle, like the Republic does. It's people fight for the survival of their homes and families, and they help each other live together and fight together in a galactic nation that desires justice, freedom, honesty and a free market. And for all the talk about his hate for the Republic and the Jedi the Republic Holo-Net loves to spread, hate was not what truly motivated Stratus. It was love, love for his family, love for his people and planet, and love for the other seceded star systems in the galaxy. He was a hero of the Confederacy, but not just because he fought for it; he was heroic for his stance on protecting his people, his love for his family, and his fiery spirit in battle. He was indomitable to the end, and he will be long remembered.
"Another example is Tofen Vane, leader of the Valahari Raiders. He lost his father to a Republic attack, and fought for the Confederacy with a passion. With his Raiders, he shot down many Jedi starfighters and even took out several Venator-class Star Destroyers without any problem. He was a man who found his path in life and took it, a path to use his Force-instincts to defeat the Republic and take down its corrupt Senate before they can take over the galaxy as a whole.
"People so typically give 'hero' the definition of someone who stands up for what is good and righteous in the eyes of the majority, or in other words, the stereotypical slang term, 'a good guy', while a villain always seems to be someone who stands up for what the majority see as evil and vile in the eyes of the people, or 'a bad guy'. While I will not deny that there are some absolute truths, most of what makes a hero is relative, not absolute, and the same goes for villains.
"So, to give an answer to your question, I would define a hero as someone who knows what they want to stand up for in life, and has the bravery, the honesty, and the honor to uphold it. It does not matter whether a hero becomes famous or a legend or not, he/she is still a hero in the eyes of the Force. And I would define a Confederate hero as someone who has an attachment or believes in someone or something they love, though not a fixation or obsession with it, are willing to protect him/her/it with all their heart and soul, and who is also willing to ally her/himself with others of similar or like mind to protect all our loved ones and live in peace together. Anyone who loves the freedom to possess or protect a possession or a loved one, will believe in and stand up for it, and will ally himself with others of like mind to preserve it is, in my boat, a Confederate hero, in heart and soul if not in heritage.
"As for a villain, I would say a villain is someone who, either, is too cowardly to stand up for what they love or believe in, or worse, stands up for something that is obviously wrong or corrupt and stubbornly refuses to see or accept the truth about his complacency."
"Very interesting, Count," said the reporter. "Are there any other Confederate heroes you'd like to describe to us? I'm sure the Confederate public would like to hear more about what various Separatists have done for the Separatist Alliance."
"There are too many heroes to name all of them, even if I knew all of them," said Dooku. "But I can give some examples, if that will please the audience.
"Commander Merai, a Mon Calamari commander who joined the Confederacy, was a good and pure man, humbly believing in pure and simple freedom for the galaxy. His sacrifice is to be remembered throughout Confederate space, for his attempt to destroy the cloning facilities on Kamino to stop the Clone Wars early on.
"Admiral Trench, my most legendary fleet admiral in the Confederate navy, is a man of principles, like myself. He has devoted himself thoroughly to defending his home star system, the Ando colonies, and he can also pull more than his weight in battle, seeing how effective his strategies are. Like Alto Stratus, he is indomitable, and he does not cringe in the face of possible death, making him a very brave fleet officer, too.
"The Nosaurians of New Plympto are fine warriors, serving as one of the Separatist Droid Army's many militias. They fight for what they know is right for them. The Republic refused them representation in the Senate, causing their economy to go nearly bankrupt, so we on the Confederate side offered to buy their leading export, rikknit eggs. And now, just because we're helping them, the Republic will not tolerate the Nosaurians' freedom, perhaps not even their existence, and are determined to pound them to dust. But the Nosaurians continue to fight for their right to self-determination, and they know that what they fight for is right. That makes them more heroes of the Confederacy.
"There is one hero of the Confederacy, though, who does not serve in the CIS Armed Forces, yet nevertheless, she is a true hero. In the Separatist Parliament, there is a human woman Senator named Mina Bonteri. She does not stand up for warfare or conquest, but fights for peace non-violently in the Congress, and she believes a soft peace is better than utter defeat of one side or the other. She knows her path in life, and it is the path of peace. And unlike the Republic, which forces its own brand of complacent democracy on innocent people, the Confederacy allows its citizens to all have their own different views and paths in life."
"That's very interesting, my lord," said the awestruck reporter, "The Confederate citizens could learn a lot from you about how to live their lives."
"Well," said Dooku modestly, "I'm just trying to make the galaxy a better place to live, and it isn't always easy what with the Republic always interfering with that."
"Thank you, Count," said the reporter. "And how about you, General Grievous, Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies?" He asked the mostly metal man in the other chair. "What would be your definition of a hero, especially a Confederate one?"
"As the general-in-chief of all the Separatist military," started Grievous in a voice calmer than he usually used, "a hero is definitely a relative truth. I know that, from hearing all the many quirks, dreams and complaints of the organic Separatist soldiers, not to mention all the annoying chatter of the B1 battle droids!"
"Ah, yes," the reporter said, "But, actually I meant, what kind of CIS citizens or servants would be heroes in your eyes, ones you would deem worthy of recognition?"
"My heroes are mostly among the soldiers and some of the droids," said Grievous. "I was raised as a Kaleesh warrior, a proud soldier doing warfare against the hated Huk people. And I was a religious warrior, too. My people saw me as a demigod. To me, anyone who can boldly march into battle, is capable of claiming victory, and stands up for his cause with equal boldness, is a hero as well as a warrior. As for a Confederate hero, anyone who applies to Count Dooku's definition of one and fights for the glory of the Separatist Alliance is a hero of the Confederacy.
"Like I said, my Separatist heroes are mostly organic warriors. I have often used the Corporate Alliance's Koorivar Fusiliers for campaigns in the newly begun Outer Rim Sieges. They are some of the toughest soldiers in the Droid Army. The Gossam Commandos are also very impressive, matching the wits and intelligence of those cardboard cutout clone troopers. I once knew two very elite partners in those units, a Gossam Commando named Vi Shang, and a Koorivar Fusilier named Ford Polkhas. They were among the best of the best. Not only were they elite fighters, they also had a staunch belief in the Confederacy and would not stray from the path for anything.
"Among the droids, most of them, though powerful units of destruction, are pathetic, and the B1s are virtually useless, but there are some exceptions, even in my opinion. The commando droids are smarter and more elite than the regular battle droids, like Jedi fighters in a way, being so acrobatic and fast. The battle droids I am the most proud of, though, are the MagnaGuards, bodyguards for important CIS figures like Count Dooku and myself. I've trained with them for several years, and they can take down almost anyone without a problem, even Jedi scum.
"I think, however, that the greatest heroes of the Confederacy are those who are its only necessary political leadership, people like myself, and the Count, and-" Here Dooku cleared his throat quietly and gave Grievous a small frown.
"Excuse me, people," growled Grievous grudgingly, "The Count does not want me to disclose the identities of just any heroes in the Confederacy. I hope you'll understand."
"I, think we do," said the reporter hesitantly. "I suppose that there are always some heroes who prefer to remain anonymous. Yes, we do understand."
"Very good," said Dooku. "I myself could name a few more heroes who don't mind being talked about to the public."
"I have some agents called Acolytes, who serve me and the Force faithfully, and at least two have shown special affection for the Separatist cause. Sora Bulq was once a Jedi who hated what happened on Geonosis at the beginning of the war. I helped him realize that the Republic is corrupt enough that it has to be brought down, and he saw the wisdom in this because he knew many people see the Jedi as the enforcers of the Republic, tainting their image. Like me, Bulq says they're on the wrong side. Now he serves the CIS as an agent who tries to bring more Jedi into the Confederate fold.
"Asajj Ventress also cares about the affairs of the Separatist cause, fighting for them without relenting. She does not give up except for when she's sure the battle is lost, and knows the Jedi did not help her home world of Rattatak any more than they helped Stratus' world Jabiim."
"This is fascinating, Count Dooku," the reporter said, "But I'm afraid the interview has to end here. We've run out of time and have to move on to the next program."
"We understand," said Dooku. "We've said all we have to say, right, General?"
"Yes, Count," said Grievous, "I'm getting a little restless sitting here, anyway, with all these people staring at me like I'm a celebrity."
"Thank you very much, then, both of you."
"Any time, my friend," said Dooku. "Anything to further spead the message of the Confederate movement."
A/N: The "hero" Dooku wouldn't let Grievous give away was Darth Sidious. Vi Shang and Ford Polkhas are OCs from my older story What Sin Freedom?