WARRIORS OF THE REPUBLIC
by Gunman
Disclaimer: I do not own Eva or Star Wars The Clone Wars, of it's characters.
Summary: After the destruction of the Malevolence, Shinji, Anakin and Ahsoka are sent to destroy the new Malevolence ships, encountering new allies and discovering a large piece of Shinji's past.
Authors Notes: This story takes place two days after the Malevolence has been destroyed. Just so everyone knows where in the Clone Wars time line we are.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Chapter 3
Warriors Rise, Past Revealed
(Starcruiser Pen3)
The attractive purple-haired woman in the grayish-green Admiral's uniform lifted her head from her reports as three very important people walked into her command room.
"General Skywalker. Ahsoka Tano. Captain Rex. Welcome." Misato said to the trio.
"Admiral Katsuragi." Anakin replied. "Boy that's a little hard to get used to."
Misato had made 'Admiral' a week after the slave rescue from Zygerria as her skills at commanding a fleet of ships were as effective as commanding ground-based units. But because she would be commanding a fleet of ships, the title of 'Admiral' was bestowed upon her.
"Yeah. Tell me about it." Misato said. "It's not as good as being in the fight, but the Supreme Chancellor was so impressed he decided to make it official. I really didn't have any say in the matter. By the way, congratulations on destroying the Malevolence. Hardwiring it to fly right into the moon was a nice touch."
"Thank you, Admiral." the young Jedi General said.
"Hope you're ready to destroy the other three." she quickly stated.
Everyone paused as they looked to Misato for any sign of a joke.
There was none.
"THREE?" Ahsoka Tano shouted.
"The Separatists have been working on three more ships which were to be completed at the same time." Misato said as she brought up the digital rendering that the clone officers had of the planet. "This is the planet Korvo, on the far side of wild space, near the Teth system. The ship you destroyed was not only a prototype, but also a distraction from the construction of the other three ships. Which worked. Our latest reports were that the ships were more than 90 percent completed."
"When did the last report come in?" Captain Rex asked.
"A week ago." Misato said.
"A week? They could be finished with them by now!" Ahsoka gasped.
"That's what we need you to find out. And if they are... you have to destroy those ships." Misato stated.
"Of course we do." she sighed.
However, Anakin noticed something odd about Misato's mood. It was as if he could see a dark aura around her. When they had entered the war-room he had felt a slight tension coming from her that dissipated when she saw them. As if relieved. But now he could feel apprehension.
"There's something you're not telling us... isn't there?" Anakin asked.
"...three days ago I sent Shinji to infiltrate, spy on, and if he could, sabotage their efforts." Misato explained.
"You sent Shinji? Alone?" Ahsoka gasped in disbelief.
"He's the best infiltrator I have." Misato said.
"But he's one person." Rex said. "Even he couldn't destroy one Malevolence ship, let alone three!"
"One person alone has less chance of being detected." Anakin said. "Was this your idea?" he asked.
"My idea was for him to sabotage the ships, not go alone." Misato sighed.
"So why did he go alone?" Ahsoka asked.
Misato sighed before answering. "He took a space fighter and left before I could stop him."
"That doesn't sound like Shinji. Master Anakin sure, but not Shinji." the padawan said.
"What?" Anakin gasped at Ahsoka.
"I have to agree, sir." Rex said.
"Hey!" Anakin snapped at the clone captain.
"But he made it to the planet, right?" Ahsoka asked, unconcerned with her masters whining.
"We received a message that he did." Misato said.
"But you don't know if he sabotaged the ships, do you?" Anakin asked.
"No, we don't."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Ahsoka asked.
"Shinji missed his last three check-ins." Misato said.
"Last three... and he's been gone three days?" Anakin asked.
"Exactly."
"Right. Let's go, Master!" Ahsoka said.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
"This is really stupid, Master!" Ahsoka said as their ship made its way towards the planet.
"More stupid than sneaking past a droid perimeter line under a large box? Which worked, I might add." Anakin stated.
"Fine. Whatever." Ahsoka grumbled.
The three clones with them, Captain Rex and another pair of ARC Troopers named Tank and Frost, had smuggled themselves onto the planet using a large hollowed-out asteroid as a cover as their ship, the Twilight, landed on the planet. Once they had landed, they disembarked the old spice freighter, leaving Artoo behind, and headed towards the construction yards.
Crossing the mostly rock planet and heading for the ship-construction sight, the five Republic heroes eventually came to a large ridge that overlooked the construction of the new Malevolence ships. The ships were located in a massive canyon being built side-by-side.
"Whoa! Those things are massive!" Tank said.
"They should be." Rex stated to the trooper. "But wouldn't it make more sense to build these things in space?"
"Would you think to look for them here?" Anakin asked.
"No. I wouldn't." Rex said, realizing what the Jedi was saying.
"But where's Shinji?" Ahsoka asked.
"Don't worry, Ahsoka, we'll find him." Anakin said.
"Orders, sir?" Rex asked the Jedi General.
"Scout and recon." Anakin said. "You three go around to the South, Ahsoka and I will go around to the North. You find anything, let us know. But keep out of sight."
"Yes, sir!" the clones saluted.
As the pair headed North, they came to a large supply depot, about the half the size of a star cruiser.
"Master! In here!" Ahsoka said as she ducked into the depot.
"Ahsoka, wait!" Anakin hissed as he went off after her.
Following his padawan, the slightly irritated Jedi whispered to the Togruta girl.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin hissed.
"He's here, master!" Ahsoka said.
"Who?"
"Shinji."
"I don't see, hear, or feel anything." he replied.
"He's here I know it." she stated.
"Just how do you know that?"
"Looking for me?" a new voice said.
"SHINJI!" Ahsoka cried as she jumped at the boy, knocking him down.
She was right. Anakin thought, somewhat amazed. "Well, Admiral Katsuragi will be glad to know you're alive." Anakin said as Shinji and Ahsoka picked themselves up off the floor.
"Though she's gonna be pissed that you stormed out on your own." Ahsoka said, letting the young man go. "Why did you do that?"
"I'm sorry about that. But I had to do this alone. For... personal reasons." Shinji said.
"Personal? What personal? You never take anything personal." Anakin said.
Shinji looked at the pair, as if hesitant to explain why he came here alone.
"Well you can tell us later. We've got to destroy those ships." Anakin said.
"Actually we've got a bigger problem than those Malevolence ships." Shinji stated.
"What could be bigger than three more cruiser-crusher's under Separatist control?" Ahsoka asked.
"An army of giant, 40-meter tall robots?" he replied.
The pair were stunned at hearing that.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Shinji leads the pair to another base several miles away from the colossal ships, where the Separatist forces are excavating a gigantic purple robot.
Meeting up with the clones all of them are shocked what the Separatist's were working on.
"This is the reason the Separatists are behind schedule on the Malevolence ships." Shinji said.
"They've been diverting resources to build this giant robot?" Rex asked.
"They're not building it. They're excavating and repairing it." Shinji said.
"You mean they found it." Ahsoka said.
"Exactly."
"But who built this?" Anakin asked.
"Uh..." Shinji started to say.
"And they plan to use it against the Republic?" Frost said.
"Find a robot, copy it's design, build an army." Rex determined.
"Then we have to destroy it." Tank said.
"Yeah. But we're going to need help." Shinji said.
Anakin and Ahsoka looked at each other.
"We've got two Jedi Knights and three highly-trained and capable Clone Troopers. Plus you! The ships aren't finished yet, the robot isn't fully excavated and repaired, and they don't even know we're here. What more do you need?"
"Two mercenaries and an incarcerated scientist?" Shinji asked.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Shinji led the group to a cellblock on the West-side of the construction yards where the captives were being held.
"Who are these guys?" Ahsoka asked.
"The man in the first cell is Professor Argos Rollanne." he said, pointing to the first cell which had a cone-headed Cerean dressed in white outfit underneath a black coat within it.
"And the other two?" Anakin asked.
"Mercenaries who were being brainwashed by Dooku's agents."
"Was Dooku here?" the Jedi General asked.
"No. He sent his assassin, Ventress, to check on them. Their reprogramming was to be completed today." Shinji explained.
"Completed?" Ahsoka asked.
"According to them the Separatists have been putting them through some kind of special mind and body alterations that's taken a few days to complete. Apparently a slow process is much more effective than a quick one." Shinji said.
"They were being brainwashed? Dooku didn't offer them money?" the Padawan asked.
"They're at odds with some of Dooku's allies. Really, really at odds." Shinji said.
"Really. Who are they?" Anakin asked.
"The Noghri in the left cell is named Wass Remm." he said, pointing to the older-looking humanoid with the steel gray skin in the red shirt, black pants and white boots. "Says he's a sword fighter from Honoghr. He's also a little... talkative. Either they did something to him, or he's been here a while. The other one is Chord," he said, pointing to the muscled, blue-furred, canine-like humanoid in the right cell, who looked a head taller than Anakin and was dressed in a tan sleeveless shirt and pants. "A Nelvaanian who was captured by slave traders and eventually wound up here. He knows Basic well enough, and says that Chord isn't his real name."
"It isn't?" Ahsoka asked.
"Says his actual name is kinda hard to pronounce, so he just says to call him Chord." Shinji said.
"Kind of like a nick-name?"
"Kinda."
"So, kid. You come back to get us out, or you just come to take pictures?" Wass asked Shinji.
"That depends." Shinji said.
"On what?"
"On you. We need your help." Shinji said.
The trio looked at each other for a few seconds.
"Are you gonna use that Jedi mind-trick stuff on us to get us to help?" Wass asked.
"I'm not a Jedi. They are." he said, pointing to Anakin and Ahsoka. "But they won't do anything to you. I'm asking for your help."
"What kind of help?" Chord asked.
"Destroying the Malevolence ships." Shinji said.
"Oooh. That's a pretty tall order. Why not just ask me to take out Count Dooku, General Grievous, and Asajj Ventress while I'm naked and without my swords?" Wass asked.
"There's a pretty image." Ahsoka said sarcastically.
"I'll help you." Argos said.
"You will?" Anakin asked.
"The Malevolence's advanced propulsion and deflector systems were my original design. But I never intended them for use on a warship."
"You invented them?" Anakin asked.
"Yes. For massive space ships traveling great distances. The Republic wouldn't fund my designs for such large ships, but Dooku did. It was only after the fact that I realized what his true intentions were." the scientist replied.
"Did you invent the Ion Cannon?" Anakin asked.
"I could have. But I didn't. That was something else they added to my designs. After that I rebelled against them."
"Then why didn't they just kill you?" Ahsoka asked.
"I apparently have some value to them. As a scientist." Argos said.
"Right." Anakin said. "Keep you around in case you can come up with anything else."
"What about you?" Shinji asked the Noghri.
"Sounds like fun." Wass said.
"And you?" Shinji asked the Nelvaanian.
"Get me out of here, off this planet, and you got yourself a deal." Chord said.
"Done." Anakin said, igniting his lightsaber.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
After escaping their cells and having Wass and Chord securing their weapons that the Separatists were custom making for them, Shinji, Ahsoka, Anakin, Argos, Wass, Chord, Rex, Tank and Frost made their way to the three ships, only to get an unexpected guest arrived.
"Who is that?" Tank asked as a Separatist transport ship arrived at the landing dock.
"I sense something. Or should I say, some one!" Anakin growled.
"I feel it too. The darkness. I recognize it." Ahsoka said.
The ship landed near the newly constructed Malevolence ships, and Rex had to use his ocular-visor to see who it was.
"Who is it Rex?" Shinji asked as the person got out of the ship.
"It's... It's Ventress!" the clone Captain gasped.
"Either she's here to check on the ships, or the prisoners." Tank suggested.
The bald, lean, pale-skinned assassin had arrived to oversee the final stages of the Malevolence construction, as well as retrieve the final schematics of the giant robot the droids were excavating.
"So what's the plan?" Frost asked the clone captain.
"Sir?" Rex asked the Jedi general.
Anakin was deep in thought for several seconds before looking at the group.
"Alright. Argos!" he said to the Cerean scientist.
"Yes?" Argos asked.
"You know how to sabotage those ships, right?"
"They didn't change my original designs. I should be able to figure something out." he said.
"Alright. Here's what we're gonna do. Rex, you and Frost take the first ship. Tank, you and Wass take the second ship. Chord comes with me to take out the third ship. Argos will coordinate with us from the Twilight with Artoo to the best points where we can destroy them. Ahsoka, you and Shinji get to that robot and destroy it." Anakin said.
"Destroy it?" Shinji asked.
"We don't have a choice, Shinji. That thing can't be moved, the Separatists are in control of it, and we don't know if it... can be...hmm." Anakin started to say.
"Hmm, what?" Ahsoka asked, getting a weird vibe off her master.
"If it can be powered up, can you use it to distract the Separatists?" Anakin asked.
"Sure." Shinji said, wondering where this was going.
"Then that's your job." the Jedi General stated.
"Alright." the young captain said.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Argos was quickly taken to the Twilight where he started coordinating efforts with the others, via Artoo.
(Alright, gentlemen. The main power-core for the ship has already been installed. It's located on the engineering level.) Argos said over the communicator. (To destroy it, you can either overload the power core which shouldn't be difficult, or planting a well-placed explosive device and the power core will explode and take more than half the ship with it. That's the best way to destroy the ships before they can be launched.)
"Sounds like a plan, sir." Frost said, hefting up his gatling laser gun.
"Right. Let's do it!" Rex said, heading towards with the trooper on his heels.
The pair headed for the engineering level with all haste.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Malevolence 1, ten minutes later)
"This is getting hairy, sir!" Frost shouted as he fired his gatling laser at the super battle droids.
"I know, but we have to keep moving!" Rex shouted as he continued running towards the generator room, both handguns blazing at the battle droids in front of him.
Frost stopped firing and raced after the captain.
"What's the plan, sir?" Frost shouted.
"General Skywalker wants us to blow the generator. So that's what we're going to do." Rex said.
"Sounds a little simple, but... I guess it's as good a plan as any." Frost said as the pair came to the last door.
"Last door." Rex said, noticing the six super battle droids standing guard.
"And more droids. Plan?" Frost asked, standing next to Rex in an adjacent hallway so as not to be seen.
"Do you have any droid poppers?" Rex asked.
"One left." Frost said, pulling out the spherical device from his belt.
"Then use it!"
"Right."
Frost armed the droid popper and tossed it down the hallway, landing it at the feet of the super battle droids.
The device charged and then exploded, scrambling the six droids with electrical energy and causing them to fall to the ground.
"Nice." Rex said.
"Always is." Frost said.
"Alright, let's go."
"Right behind you, sir."
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Malevolence 2)
While the first ship was being taken care of, Clone trooper Tank and the Noghri swordsman Wass were on their way to sabotage the second ship.
"Of course I should hate those Separatists for what they did to me, since the Noghri race are not used to speaking so much. But then again I've never felt more liberated. This freedom of speech thing is rather nice. But it's hell on my throat. It needs to be quenched if I'm going to talk this much, so I just hope I don't run out of water any time soon." Wass said as he took a swig from his canteen.
"Personally, I hope you do." Tank said, lifting up his rocket launcher and securing it over his shoulder.
"Oh? Why is that?" the Noghri asked.
"Because you'd never make it on a covert mission. Which is what this is." the clone said.
"Right. Sorry. But in my defense, it's not completely my fault."
"And I'm developing another reason to hate those Separatists."
Suddenly, a group of droid soldiers appeared around the corner.
"Uh-oh." Tank said as the droids saw them.
"Halt!" the lead droid said.
"Who goes there!" another droid said.
"It's a clone!" another droid said.
"Blast him!" the lead droid said.
Tank hefted his rocket launcher at the droids, only to have Wass lunge at the 10 droids while pulling his swords from his back.
The less-talkative clone just watched as Wass swung his swords wildly, deflecting each laser blast with expert skill until he was right on top of them. The sound of metal striking metal was heard as droids starting falling down left and right, until they were all in pieces.
Once he was finished with them, he walked back to the stunned trooper who had powered-down his launcher.
"I have to say, that was impressive." Tank said.
"I'm thinking of taking up cooking. Then it would be dinner and a show." Wass said, walking past the trooper towards the engine room.
"If he didn't talk so much, he'd be the perfect soldier." Tank groused.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Malevolence 3)
"Not that I'm not honored to be chosen to accompany a Jedi Knight, but why did you want me to come with you?" Chord asked, a large circular shield and laser lance in his hands.
"I've fought alongside the Nelvaanian's before. They're good people." Anakin said as they made their way to the engineering level.
"Thank you." Chord said. "Although, with everything I've been through, I don't think even my own people would take me back."
"We can deal with that when the time comes." the Jedi Knight said.
"Wait. I smell something." he said, sniffing the air.
"What?" Anakin asked.
"Fuel cells." Chord replied.
"You can smell fuel cells?" he asked incredulously.
"And a lot more. I didn't used to be this sensitive."
"Did they preform any experiments on you?" he asked.
"Not... that I recall." he said, hanging his head.
Memory troubles as well. He thought. "Alright. Can you locate the largest concentration of the fuel cells?" Anakin asked.
"This way!" Chord said, leading him down an adjacent hallway.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(EVA-01)
"I hope the others are doing okay." Ahsoka said as she and Shinji raced towards the Eva.
"I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm more worried about us." Shinji said, suddenly stopping.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"MOVE!" he shouted tackling the Togruta to the ground as laser fire pelted their position.
The pair looked up and saw a pair of Super Battle Droids on a rock cliff staring down at them. But standing in between them was a lithe figure in a black cloak.
"This is bad." Shinji said.
"Is that..."
"Ventress!" Shinji said as the figure threw off her cloak, revealing the pale-skinned, glowering face of Asajj Ventress, the Sith assassin.
"Prepare to die, children!" Ventress hissed as she leapt from the cliff, her sabers igniting while in mid-air.
Shinji and Ahsoka break from each other as Ventress lands between them.
"Shinji! Go for the bot! I'll deal with this Sith slime!" Ahsoka shouted.
"Brave words, child. Your Last!" Ventress hissed as she lunged at the young Togruta and slammed her red bladed lightsabers against Ahsoka's green one.
Shinji quickly took out the two super battle droids standing on the cliff, and just stared in shock as his friend and ally matched the pale-skinned woman's own deadly weapon blow for blow, sparks flying left and right as the pair continued to battle.
For several slow seconds Ahsoka seemed to be holding her own. A full minute passed and Ventress succeeded in knocking Ahsoka's saber from her hand, then kicked the young Togruta down.
"And now, child... I give you the gift of death!" She said, raising her saber to strike down the Sith.
However, it did not come to pass as a green laser blade fell in front of the two red blades, blocking them.
"Shinji." Ahsoka whisper-gasped as she the young Captain hefted the lightsaber blades away from Ahsoka and got right between them.
Ventress grinned as she attacked, not giving the young Republic Captain the chance to give the Jedi Padawan her lightsaber back. However, Shinji moved the green lightsaber to and fro, blocking each of Ventress's strike, but returning none of the vicious attacks she was hammering into him.
Appearing to have the advantage, Ventress was distracted enough to allow Ahsoka to use the Force, and hurl a thick rock into the back of the assassins head. The Sith agent dropped to the ground, unconscious and injured, as Ahsoka stood up and reclaimed her saber.
"I didn't know you knew how to use a lightsaber." Ahsoka said.
"I don't." Shinji said, handing the saber back to her.
"But... you just fought Ventress!" she gasped.
"I blocked her attacks. It's not the same thing." he replied.
"You don't give yourself enough credit." she replied.
"That's what keeps me being me." he said with a straight face.
Leaving the unconscious Sith behind, as they had more important things to worry about, the pair got to the giant purple robot and climbed up to where the entry plug was.
"So... how do we get in this thing?" Ahsoka asked.
Shinji punched in the 28-symbol key code, which opened the entry plug with a fierce hiss.
"You... know the code?" she gasped.
"I do." he replied simply.
"But how could you know it... unless this thing belonged to you!" she gasped in realization.
Shinji sighed. She had nailed it on the head.
"I was the pilot of this robot. Misato was my commanding officer before we... came here." he said. "But we got separated from EVA when we arrived. Though... we didn't know where it landed."
"So this is why you took off on your own." she said.
"Yes. The clone intelligence troopers discovered that a number of droid workers were excavating the Eva a few miles from the Malevolence construction site. I purposely hid that information from Misato and came here on my own."
Ahsoka just stared at Shinji for a few seconds.
"You are so going to get it when the Admiral finds out." Ahsoka said.
"I know. But this is something I had to face. Alone."
"You know, you don't have to take the weight of the world on your shoulders!" she exclaimed.
"Sometimes it just ends up there." he said gloomily.
Ahsoka just grimaced at Shinji. The boy needed a serious attitude adjustment. And she decided to start with the giant purple monster that they were perched up on.
"So... this was what you did for a living?" Ahsoka asked.
"Yeah." Shinji said. "And I hoped I'd never have to do it again." he sighed.
The pair climb into the giant robot, Shinji in the seat with Ahsoka behind him.
"Kinda cozy. Isn't it?" she said sarcastically.
"It was really only designed for one person." Shinji replied as he engaged the start up sequence.
The plug seals up and instantly floods with LCL.
"We're going to drown!" Ahsoka cried, trying to get above it.
"Just breath it in. Once it's in your lungs, it will oxidize your blood directly." Shinji said calmly.
He's so calm about this. Ahsoka, thought, but noticed his apprehension. "Oh! God! It smells like blood! And it tastes like blood!" Ahsoka cried out in mild-panic.
"You get used to it after a while." he replied as he started the power-up sequence.
"Just how long did you do this?" she asked, trying not to think about the taste.
"About six or seven months. Give or take."
"I don't think six years is gonna be enough for me to handle this!" she grumbled.
"When you fight in a war, you have to get past the little things really quick."
Once the LCL was filly instilled within the entry plug, both teens felt the entire creature rear up, shaking dirt and stone from it's massive body.
"Looks like the Separatists were able to find a way to power it." Shinji said. "Some kind of internal fusion power core, maybe?"
"Didn't this thing have an internal battery of some kind?"
"It did, but only for about five minutes. Any additional energy came from a power cable attached to it's back that ran from the generators at our base."
"Pretty limited fighting ability." she stated. "We need to head towards the construction yards."
"Right." Shinji said, pitching the controls forward.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Malevolence 1)
"What is going on up there?" Frost asked, hearing a loud noise and lots of shaking.
"Do you really want to know?" Rex asked.
"Maybe." the troopers said as he planted the last charge. "We're all set, sir!"
"Good. Let's get out of here!" the clone captain said.
The pair dashed down the hallways, firing at the droid soldiers as their explosive charges detonated and took out the reactor room, the engines, and nearly half of the ship.
"Wow! Never seen an explosion that big before." Frost said.
"It's a good thing we wore these suits. Come on. We need to get back to the ship." Rex said.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Malevolence 2)
Wass and Tank were already out of the second Malevolence ship when the first one went up. Unable to set the necessary charges, due to Wass's constant talking, Tank was left with no other option than to trigger an overload in the reactor core while shutting off the majority of power systems. With no place for the extra energy to be distributed to, the energy cycled until it caused the reactor to blow.
"So... now what do we do?" Wass asked. "I only ask because those Separatists are gonna be mad we blew up another one of their ships."
"We rendevous at the Twilight, and get off this rock." Tank said. "I wonder where the General is?"
"Hey! Check that out!" Wass said as the clone trooper turned to the side and gasped when he saw the massive purple robot stomping and crushing the droids that were surrounding the ships.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Malevolence 3)
"We're pinned down!" Anakin said as the small army of super battle droids continued firing upon the pair.
"Good thing we didn't set the charges." Chord grumbled. "I don't suppose your Jedi powers can do anything about this?"
"Not against this many." Anakin said. "Must be three or four dozen super battle droids. And more an pouring in! Blast It! I didn't think the droids would find us so quickly!"
"Well, they did, so we should get out of here now!"
"Agreed! But how? That door is the only way in, and the vents running through this place are too small to escape through, and... how tough is that shield?" he asked.
Chord looked at his shield, then at Anakin, and grinned.
"Stay right behind me!" Chord shouted as he stood up behind the debris, shield in front of him as he barreled through the laser fire of the super battle droids. Slamming into the hulking metal foot soldiers, the Nelvaanian led the Jedi General out of the reactor room.
"We'll need another plan of action!" Anakin shouted.
"Too bad these droids aren't working for us!" Chord growled.
"Working for... That's It!"
"What's it?"
"Follow me!" Anakin said, dashing ahead of the Nelvaanian.
"I thought you were supposed to stay behind me!"
Racing to the nearest elevator, Anakin led his blue-furred companion to the upper levels of the ship. Reaching the command bridge of the ship, the pair only had a small number of droids to take care of before the bridge was their's.
"What exactly are we doing here?" Chord asked.
"We're taking over." Anakin said as he sat at the computer console and quickly scanned for the menu he was searching for. "Ah! Found it!"
Chord just watched as the monitor showed two different types of battle droids, the regular and the super, glow yellow at first, then started to glow green.
"Huh?" the Nelvaanian asked, obviously confused.
"And that... is taking control." Anakin said.
"It is? What did you do?"
"I couldn't do much without an override password, so I reprogrammed the droids to make them think that it was time for a recharge cycle. At the same time."
"Which would shut them all down at the same time. Clever."
"We Jedi have our moments." Anakin grinned.
"But what are we going to do about that?" Chord asked, pointing out of the ship.
Looking outward, the Jedi General gasped when he saw the gigantic purple mecha being fired upon by not only hundreds of ground troops, but also dozens of flying Vulture droids. It's energy field was holding, but with the laser and missile's in constant barrage, it would eventually wear down the shield and then Shinji would be sunk.
"Skywalker to Ahsoka! Get back to the Twilight and get it prepped! Shinji needs help!" Anakin said into his comlink.
(I'm kinda in the middle of something, Master! AH!) Ahsoka shouted back through his comlink.
"Ahsoka, where are you?" Anakin asked.
(Inside the...AH!...purple robot that's getting hammered by all these tinnies!)
"YOU'RE INSIDE? AHSOKA!" Anakin shouted.
(Could we talk about this later? We need help!) She shouted back.
Anakin groaned as he racked his brain for some kind of an answer.
It was then that he got a radical idea.
"Skywalker to Twilight! Come in Twilight!" he shouted into his comlink.
(This is the Twilight, General Skywalker. Where are you? Everyone else is here. Except for Captain Ikari and your apprentice.) Rex said over the comlink.
"I'm aboard the last Malevolence ship. Shinji and Ahsoka are inside that giant purple robot. The droids have them pinned down. They need help." Anakin said.
(We see it, General. The Twilight can't get close to them with that much fire power out there.)
"I know. That's why I'm commandeering the Malevolence."
(You're What?)
"Trust me, Rex. It's the best shot we got of getting everyone out of here. Get the others out on the Twilight and rendevous with us in the upper atmosphere."
(Understood, General. But can just you pilot that monster ship?)
"I've got Chord with me." Anakin said.
"Do I look like I know how to fly this thing?" Chord grumbled as he took a seat across from room.
What happened next stunned everyone.
Anakin engaged the engines of the massive Malevolence ship, rupturing the moorings and landing scaffolds, and shoots forward towards the giant robot and the ensuing battle.
"Ahsoka! Grab onto the ship!" Anakin shouted into his comlink.
(What Ship? What are you OH MY GOD!) Ahsoka shouted as the Malevolence blasted across the ground and slammed into EVA-01, turning it into the galaxy's largest hood ornament as Anakin gunned the engines and lifted off across the planets surface, scratching the underbelly of the ship in the process.
Crackle. (Master! Open The Hanger Bay Doors!) Ahsoka shouted over the comlink.
"It'll be easier once we're clear of the upper atmosphere." Anakin said.
(But Master!)
"Just hang on, Ahsoka." Anakin said with a smirk.
(What Else Am I Going To Do?) The Togruta padawan snapped.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Once Rex had rendezvoused with the Malevolence ship, and Shinji had crawled into the nearest hanger bay entrance, Anakin piloted the massive space cruiser back to Republic space to rendevous with Admiral Katsuragi's fleet.
And naturally, when Misato heard about what had happened, she was furious.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(Admiral's quarters, Starcruiser Pen3, three hours later)
"I SWEAR SHINJI IF YOU WERE MY SON, I'D GROUND YOU UNTIL YOU NEEDED DIAPERS AGAIN!" Misato shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Yes, Admiral." Shinji said solemnly, eyes downcast.
"YOU GO INTO ENEMY TERRITORY ALONE! YOU DELIBERATELY HIDE INFORMATION FROM A SUPERIOR OFFICER! YOU MAINTAIN NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER WITH BASE! AND DON'T TELL ME YOU COULDN'T FIND A SEPARATIST COMMUNICATOR! ARGH! IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A WAR TO FIGHT I'D THROW YOU IN THE BRIG!"
"But I did bring back Unit 01. We've captured a Malevolence ship, we've made some new allies, and no one was killed." he replied, still looking down at the floor.
"Those... are the only reasons I'm not court-marshaling you!" she hissed.
"Yes, Admiral." Shinji said softly.
"Return to your post."
Shinji walked out of the office and finally breathed a sigh of relief as Ahsoka and Rex came up to him.
"So... what happened?" Ahsoka asked.
"Well, I'm not grounded, but she's not happy either." Shinji said.
"I wouldn't be." Rex stated.
"How are the technicians working on the Malevolence doing?" Shinji asked as the group went to the hanger bay.
"Well, considering the size of the ship itself, it'll take them months to fully check and analyze all the systems. Make sure it's operational, without any Separatist surprises." Rex said.
"Master Skywalker really put it through it's paces." Ahsoka said.
"It'll take even longer to repair and analyze that giant robot of yours." Rex stated.
"The longer it takes, the better." Shinji said, causing Ahsoka to get a relieved vibe off of him.
"But at the very least, we've got a new super battle cruiser, courtesy of the Separatists." Ahsoka said.
The trio reached the hanger where they found Wass, Chord, Argos, Anakin and the troopers were just chatting away next to the Twilight.
"Every one's here." Ahsoka said.
"So, is everyone ready to go home?" Shinji asked.
"Actually..." Chord started to say.
"We were kinda hoping to stay and help." Wass finished.
"Help? Really?" Shinji asked.
"I would also like to assist you." Argos said.
"You would?" Shinji said.
"I was responsible for the existence of the original Malevolence ships. I owe a debt to repay for what I have done." the Cerean explained.
"But you can't be held responsible for what Dooku did to your designs." Ahsoka said.
"Never the less, I wish to help."
"We'd also like a chance to bust up those Separatist bums!" Wass said.
"And with everything the Separatists have done to us, it's not like we can go home." Chord said.
"Then would you all consider becoming a team?" Admiral Katsuragi asked, appearing behind them.
"A team?" Chord asked.
"You mean... work together?" Argos asked.
"Exactly." Misato said.
"I would." Argos said.
"You bet." Wass said.
"Me too." Chord said.
"Alright then. Professor Argos Rollanne. Wass Remm. Chord. As of right now, you are members of the Republic-sanctioned, troubleshooting task force, effectively called 'Team Warrior' ... under Captain Ikari." Misato said.
Everyone stared at her and then at Shinji.
"Me?" Shinji asked.
"Him?" Wass asked.
"Really?" Chord asked.
"General Skywalker and the clones have informed me of your actions in destroying the other ships. I'd think you'd work well as a team." she said.
Shinji narrowed his eyes at the woman. "You're doing this to punish me, aren't you?"
"Yes." Misato smiled.
"So I can't say 'no' to this, can I?"
"Nope."
Shinji groaned as she smiled.
"Then it's settled. As of this moment, Team Warrior is official." she smiled before walking away. "Good luck, boys."
"'Team Warrior'?" Ahsoka asked.
"Only Misato could think of something like that." Shinji groaned.
"And you're our leader, huh?" Chord asked the young Republic captain.
"Looks like." Shinji said with a frustrated groan.
"This... is going to be fun!" Wass grinned.
This... is going to be hell! Shinji mentally groaned.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Authors Notes:
I know that Anakin didn't encounter the Nelvaanian's until right before the start of the third Star Wars movie (The Revenge of the Sith) in the Clone Wars animated series, but I couldn't resist throwing their race into the mix.
And also, this is pretty much the start of the 'Warriors' part of my story. I based Wass Remm on Wade Wilson from the X-Men Origins Wolverine movie. Chord was meant to be a Chewbacca-like character. And Argos is the 'brains' behind their team. Being a scientist and all.
I'm also planning on something kinda special for Shinji later on. Something having to do with the blue virus in the Clone Wars series. Also, the team will cause major disruptions from the canon, encounter the bounty hunters like Cad Bane, and maybe they'll have more fun with the Malevolence ship and the Eva 01.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
OMAKE! (Takes place after Shinji gets his new team. This is sort of an exaggeration of things, but you get the idea.)
While Anakin and Rex talked to the newly formed Team Warrior, Shinji and Ahsoka talk.
"Shinji, I..." Ahsoka started to say.
"I know." Shinji said, gently interrupting her.
"A Jedi isn't supposed to feel this way. She isn't supposed to feel... love." she said with sadness.
"I suppose someone falling for a Jedi is pretty common." he said nervously.
"I wouldn't know."
"Ahsoka, listen to me. No matter what happens, even if you can't return my feelings, I do have them for you. And I will always be here for you."
(Shinji! I need you to come up to command bridge) Misato said over his comlink.
"On my way, Misato." Shinji said.
He turned to Ahsoka.
"I'll see you later, Soka-chan."
Shinji just walked away, leaving a saddened, crying Ahsoka Tano behind.
Meanwhile, Anakin comforts Ahsoka, telling her a little secret.
"He loves me!" Ahsoka said sadly.
"I know." Anakin said. "And it's tearing you up inside that you can't return it, isn't it?"
"Yes." she said. "Is it such a bad thing to love someone? I know that a Jedi can't fall in love, but..."
"Actually, that's not accurate."
"Huh?"
"Jedi can't be married. It's a form of attachment. Love, however, is actually encouraged."
"Are you saying..."
"I'm saying... to deny love into your heart, would be like welcoming the dark side instead."
Meanwhile, Shinji has arrived on the command bridge.
"So... did you tell her yet?" Misato asked when Shinji walked onto the bridge.
"I told her that even if she couldn't love me, I'd always be there for her." Shinji said.
"And while that's very sweet, it doesn't answer my question, Shinji-kun."
He sighed. "I didn't."
Misato sighed as she leaned back. "While it's nice to see that you've at least taken an interest in something other than music, it's still kinda sad that you haven't made a move yet."
"I'm not you, Misato. I don't have that kind of courage."
"Yes, you do, Shinji-kun. I know it."
"Faith?" he asked.
"Well... I am wearing a cross, right?" he said, dangling her pendant around her neck.
Shinji just looked at the woman and comically frowned. "You know that's probably not a recognized religion here."
"Faith is faith, wherever you go."
"You make it sound so simple."
"Love is one of those things that's both simple and complicated."
"Thank you, Socrates."
"Actually I think it was Pluto."
"That's PLATO!" Shinji snapped.
"Po-tay-to, Po-taa-to!" she shrugged.
