Geonosis: Orbit: Launching Bays of the Republic Flagship Truth Seeker
"Geonosis, a desolate planet of dust and mountains, its only real interest is the Droid Production System built by the Geonosian natives, there constant supply of droids are one of the many recourses that keep the TF going." Said Commander Eli to his troops, "The Kominoans created us for this, we were bred in our tanks for a decade preparing for just this moment, and we are going to prove just how wise an investment it was."
"Yes Sir!" said the Troops
"Forget not commander," said Master Yoda, "To rescue the Jedi our reason for being here is, all objectives remain secondary until rescued they are,"
The diminutive Jedi along with his small team of Generals were the one's who had come to Kamino, they were also the one's who had decided to take the Clone Army into battle. The Jedi were the supreme commanders of the Republic Army, most of the clones were not conscious enough to offer their opinion, but the special corp. Clones, such as Commander Eli, pitied the Jedi Generals.
The future of the Galactic Republic rested on the shoulders of the slim number of Jedi, the choices they made now would result in either the destruction or the salvation of the Republic, not to mention the Jedi Order, not one clone commander wanted to trade places with any of the Jedi.
Geonosis: Orbit: Bridge of the Republic Flagship Truth Seeker
"Master Echuu, troubled are you?" asked Yoda, his second in command, Echuu Shen-Jon, was gazing out of the Transparent Carbon view-screen onboard the bridge,
"Yes master, I am wondering why you chose me to lead the Jedi assault team down on the planet," said Echuu "Why not my former Master Mace Windu?"
"Because best he was for leading the diversion on the planet while we are to sneak in and rescue the Jedi team," said Yoda "best choice are you to destroy the Trade Federation battleship cores, forgetting you should not Echuu; if survive this assault, you and your Padawan Stam Reath do, than finished his journey to Jedi Knight will be."
Geonosis: North of the Trade Federation Battleship Cores.
"Master Yoda says that the TF battle cores are too the north of our touchdown," said Stam Reath as he looked out across the desert with his binoculars, "That looks like the right way to go,"
"Good," said Echuu as he snapped on his personal Jedi Armour, "The sooner we get there the better, if we don't hurry the Jedi that have been trapped onboard the cores will be killed,"
"Yes master," said Stam "Master?"
"Yes my apprentice?" asked Echuu
"Did master Yoda really say I'm going to be excepted as a Knight?" asked Stam hopefully
"Yes young one," said Echuu smiling, "He did, soon you'll be a Knight, and my usefulness as you're mentor will have ended,"
"Never," said Stam
"What?"
"I said never master, I'll always continue to learn from you, and you'll train Padawans until there aren't any Padawans left," said Stam smiling, "I bet you'll even become a leading member on the council,"
"Not if you get there first," said Echuu jokingly, "I'm happy as a Knight, I wasn't like the rest of my youngling group, I wanted to be a Knight and pass down my knowledge of the force to as many Padawans as possible, my ascension to the Council will come in its own time,"
"Master," said Stam as he adjusted the small computer in his hand, "Its time,"
With that the two Jedi leapt onto their speeder bikes, pulled the two Clone Commander helmets on over their heads, and threw the Bikes into full speed, riding as fast as they could the two Jedi headed for the nearest core.
Geonosis: West of the Trade Federation Battleship Cores
"General Tann?" called 88-9-17 to its commanding officer, the dark robbed figure stood with her feet apart meditating.
"Why do you disturb me droid?" asked Sev'Rance Tann flatly
"Darth Tyranus's speeder is due to arrive in one more hour," said the droid.
"Excellent," said the woman, as she pulled off her cloak and strapped it to her speeder bike, her bright blood-red eyes blazed with the strength and determination that had led to Tyranus's decision in choosing her as the supreme commander of the Confederacy Forces, her black leather jump-suit along with her blue skin and Lightsaber made her a very daunting enemy indeed.
"Will we head to the landing bay commander?" asked 88-9-17
"No," she said, "we will wait for Tyranus, and I shall quite possibly have my first taste of a Jedi battle,"
"Yes General," said the Droid.
Geonosis: Battleship Core I-XX-D: Bridge interior.
"General Tann," said Hal-Rakko to the Holo-Gram of the dark robbed Sith Knight standing in the center of his command deck, besides being cowardly, even for a Nemodian, Hal was not happy with the number of Jedi that were swarming up and down the planet, he had already lost contact with three of the four Battle-Ship cores still stranded on the planet, and things did not look like they were going to improve. "When my people joined this Confederacy of yours we were not told that we were all going to be killed by this huge Republic armada!"
"Calm yourself Nemodian," said Sev'Rance dangerously, "My master has informed me of the situation and we are doing everything possible to handle the situation,"
"Which is nothing!" said the Hal angrily.
"Which is what we're doing." With that the transmission cut off.
"What? What!" shouted Hal "Get her back! Get that damn Chiss back right now!"
"I am afraid that is most impossible sir," said the transmission officer
"What! Why?" asked Hal angrily
"Because of two reasons sir," said the she said worriedly, "One; she has terminated all transmission's to and from our Battle core, and Two we have a duo of intruders destroying all internal functions faster than would normally be considered possible!"
"Jedi," growled the Nemodian
"I'm not sure sir I think-"
Suddenly a Cyan blade appeared straight in the center of the door leading to the Bride.
"Close the blast-doors!" said Hal
"I do not believe that closing-"
"Do it!" Shouted Hal
The huge door slid shut around the Cyan blade and stopping all entrance into the bridge.
"That will hold them!" said Hal relieved
Geonosis: Battleship Core I-XX-D: Hallway leading to Bridge.
"Master!" shouted Stam
Echuu cut down the last droid and turned to his apprentice, pulled off his helmet and said.
"What's wrong Stam?"
"They've closed the blast-doors!" said Stam as he tried to continue his cut through the door.
"Hand me your Lightsaber," said Echuu, taking Stam's saber he pulled out his own saber's power pack and after crossing a few wires he handed the saber back to the young Jedi and said, "Put your helmet back on and point the saber straight at the door,"
Stam yanked his helmet back onto his head and pointed the saber straight at the door.
"Alright," said Echuu, standing behind Stam he put his arms around the apprentice and said, "hold on, the blast from the two power-packs will be quite powerful, after this door opens I want you find cover my saber has a back-up power cell but while yours is recharging you'll be vulnerable."
"Don't worry master I've got a blaster," he patted his hip and smiled.
"Activate it now" said Echuu.
With a rush of pure power the saber sent a blast of energy that cut straight through the door like butter, as soon as it was finished, Stam jumped behind a small pile of scrap that had come from the door and opened fire on the droid guards, while Echuu snapped on his Viridian Lightsaber and headed straight for Hal.
"We've come to negotiate you're surrender." He said with a smile.
Smirking Hal said, "Take on more step Jedi and I will activate this remote in my hand which will release a poison that will kill everyone on this battle-core!"
"But you'll kill yourself!" said Stam still pointing his blaster at the Nemodian.
"My species is impervious to this poison," chuckled Hal
Suddenly there was a crunch and the remote in Hal's hand crumpled into dust.
"On second thought I always hated the Trade Federation anyway." Said Hal sheepishly.
"Where are the Jedi you've captured?" asked Echuu
Hal activated his wrist mounted communicator and said "D-77 bring in the captive,"
Two doors at the end of the bridge pulled open and a pair of Super-Battle droids walked in carrying a young blonde girl in a blue leather jumpsuit with the Republic Insignia on her right sleeve.
"Naat?" said Stam standing up in shock "Is that you?"
The young woman looked up and even with the jagged scar leading form her left ear to the left side of her mouth, and her disheveled golden locks, Echuu could see the resemblance, this was Stam's sister.
"Stam?" croaked Naat, no more than a seventeen-year-old, the girl looked quite out of place on the bridge of the Battle-Core.
"You Bastard!" shouted Stam leveling his blaster at Hal, the Nemodian shrieked and scampered behind Echuu, the Jedi Knight activated his Lightsaber and said, "Stam this is neither the time nor the place to start a fight,"
"But she's my sister!" shouted Stam, "That slime had the force beat out of her!"
"I had no choice," whimpered the Nemodian, "Count Dooku ordered me to get the information on the battle plan of the Republic fleet and how many ships they had, I was just following orders!"
"Stam!"
The angry Jedi spun on his heals and shot the two SB droids full of holes then picking up his bleeding sister he followed his master out of the ship.
"General Shen-Jon come in!" came a voice form Echuu's wrist-com, pushing the reply button on the wrist-com Echuu said, "General Shen-Jon here,"
Obi-Wan-Kenobi's stern face appeared on the holo-projector and said "Count Dooku's speeder bike is headed you're way and my ship is having a few difficulties keeping up with the speeder, can you cut him off?"
"I'm on my way General Kenobi,"
"Padme!" came a loud shout from somewhere out of the wrist-com's line of sight,
"General what's going on?" asked Echuu but before Obi-Wan could answer the wrist-com shutdown in a flurry of static and garbled words.
"We need a speeder or something!" said Stam, "Naat can't walk and I don't think we should try strapping her to a speeder bike,"
Echuu turned to the Nemodian and said, "We need something fast, that can carry four people and is made for any terrain."
The Nemodian pushed a button on his belt, then with a clank a ramp dropped out of the bottom of the Battle-Core and a Heavy Corporate Alliance Tank rolled down the ramp.
"Well, Well, Well," said Stam "An HC-AT, this should do quite well,"
After the Nemodian, climbed in and Echuu helped Stam lift Naat into the HC-AT, Stam climbed into the drivers seat and after closing the hatch activated the engines, and threw the Tank into full speed which was quite fast since the Tanks treads made it easy for the thing to climb on any territory.
Echuu reached into his cloak and pulled out a remote, "Care to do the honors?" Echuu asked Stam.
"No master you deserve it more than I." Said Stam chuckling
"Honors?" asked Hal
Echuu pushed the violet button in the center of the remote and with a deafening roar the Battle-Core erupted in a flash of red light.
Geonosis: Dooku's flight path.
"This is the coordinates given to me by Master Kenobi," said Echuu, "Dooku should come through in another three minutes,"
"I'll take up sentry," said Stam
"What about your Lightsaber young one?" Echuu asked
"The recharge should be finished in two minutes a whole minute before Dooku arrives," said Stam,
"Alright, I'll try to contact Kenobi again and then I'll join you," said Echuu
Stam back-flipped out of the HC-AT and began scanning the direct area with his binoculars, while Echuu fiddled with the radio inside the Tank and tried to reach Kenobi, after a minute he turned it off, turned on his wrist-com and said, "Looks like they've got some sort of communications block activated,"
"Great!" said Stam into his communicator "Looks like we're on our own,"
"I'm coming out," said Echuu, but before Echuu could leap out a bright yellow beam of light appeared right in the center of Stam's chest.
"Stam!" shouted Echuu, he back flipped out of the Tank and ran to his fallen apprentices side, and suddenly a dark robbed figure appeared and leveled its yellow saber right at Echuu.
"Who are you!" shouted Echuu, the figure sent its saber spinning at Echuu's head and nearly took it off, but Echuu activated his Viridian saber and deflected it, sending the saber spinning back the figure, the figure pulled back its hood to reveal the face of a blue-skinned woman, with black hair and piercing red eyes.
Echuu ran at the woman and took the offensive, the woman blocked all of his hits as he tried to cut her down and get to his apprentice's side, the woman kept stabbing left and right trying to knock the exhausted Jedi over, then Echuu stabbed straight at her abdomen… and missed by a hair of an inch as she dogged, all he had done was cut her jumpsuit and given her a pretty even midriff, the woman however spun on her heal and nearly cut through Echuu's head, the Knight only barley managed to block it, then he reversed and knocked the saber out of her hand, but before he could finish the blow the woman used the force to pull Stam's saber into her hand and then activated it and continued to duel Echuu, it had been exactly two minutes.
Echuu tried to stab again and knock his apprentice's saber out of her hand but at that moment a Trade Federation Fighter flashed by and the woman knocked over Echuu and jumped onto the fighter and disappeared over the horizon.
"Master?" called Stam weakly; Echuu deactivated his saber and stumbled to his apprentice's side.
"Yes young one?" asked Echuu
"Did we win?" asked the boy
"Yeah," said Echuu as he examined Stam's wound, "We did,"
"Good," said Stam smiling weakly, "Master, please make sure Naat makes it back to the temple, I'm… glad to… have… had this time… with you… master… you were… my mentor… and… my… best friend…"
"Don't speak Stam," said Echuu sadly
"I… failed you… master… forgive… me," said Stam softly
"You've never failed me Stam" said Echuu "And you never will."
"Thank you." And then Stam was gone
To Be Continued…