Vanguard

Chapter 4

"Baptism of droids"

[Toydarian Palace, Toydaria]

It didn't even take minutes for the once peaceful landing pads of the palace to become a bloodbath between the Toydarian Guards and the relentless armies of battle droids, at this point Longarm had taken out a fair amount of droids from his vantage point above the platforms. A third squadron of B2 Battle Droids was now marching down the ramp and off the transport that carried them here, Longarm quickly shifts his aim and continued firing in a semi-automatic fashion from his DC-15S blaster. One after another guards and droids fell to the ground after being struck by a bolt fired from each other, but this did not tempt the SPARTAN to fall back as he continued firing with deadly precision with a ratio of two out of eight shots missing their targets. After the next few moments of firing and the landing transports began deploying a much larger grey bulkier version of droids armed with dual wrist cannons, they marched with a heavy footstep and they as a force began to push the guards back. It took nearly three shots from Longarm's now insignificant blaster to bring down even one of the those walking tanks, after taking down at least seven of them the rest of the super battle droids traced the shots back to the SPARTAN's position and unleashed a barrage of red laser fire from their wrist mounted cannons. Longarm scrambled for cover behind a portion of the wall and continued firing whenever he wasn't taking fire, minutes later into the firefight and he notices a Toydarian Guard approaching him. He glanced at the guard for a moment before appearing out of cover shooting down several more advancing droids and return to cover to hear what the guard had to report.

"Report Guardsmen" Longarm asks as he takes a glance around the corner seeing more droids march off the ramps.

The Toydarian reports "The remaining guards are pulling back to make a stand in the throne room, Security Chief Kahlo requests your assistance to hold the line there."

"And the Senator and King Tachuko?"

"The Jedi has sent me to deliver this communicator to you."

The guard handed the communicator to Longarm and he turns it on asking "What's your situation?"

Ahsoka's voice came through with minor static "Longarm? We're hold up in a safe room below the palace, what about you?"

"The Separatists are making a push, the guards are gathering in the throne room to make a stand, I'm heading there now."

"Alright, we got word from Captain Typho, they're aware of what's going on but they can't do anything without endangering the shuttle and crew."

"Understood, don't worry we'll keep them at bay as long as possible."

"Stay safe . . ."

"Oh so you do care about me" Longarm said with a smirk behind his helmet.

"No . . . I care about the questions I want to ask you" Ahsoka replied with an obvious sign of sass.

"Ah-huh . . ." the SPARTAN replied as if not believing her words just to get her agitated.

The former padawan sighed thinking this was ridiculous "Just go already, the droids on going to be on top of those guards at any minute."

"Heading out now" Longarm finishes as he switches the communicator off and begins following the guard to the throne room.

Ahsoka switches her communicator off as she began to hear King Tachuko begin arguing with Senator Amidala.

"The last thing I want to have is everyone knowing that the first thing I did as king was fleeing from a Separatists attack merely hours after being crowned!"

Senator Amidala maintained her calm tone as she speaks with the enraged King "I understand your majesty, but Toydaria needs a King that can rule and protect it. They can't afford to lose another one."

King Tachuko calmed down by a margin as he turned to Ahsoka and asked "Jedi, what is the status of your friend and the guards?"

Ahsoka replied "The guards are making a stand in the throne room and Longarm is making his way there to help them, they'll hold the line don't worry."

Padme' added "Now if we can only find a way to—"

Her voice was interrupted as an accompanying Toydarian Guard by the blast door shushed her and whispered "Listen . . . they are close . . ."

Ahsoka came next to the door and placed her ear next to it and listened carefully. At first there was nothing but then the light footsteps was heard and grew louder as they got closer, the footsteps had the distinct 'clank' which told the former padawan that battle droids had made it into the lower catacombs in search of whatever it is they came for. Judging from the amount of steps she heard, Ahsoka could only assume it was a full squad of droids numbering around half a dozen of them.

A droid officer called out to the others "The signal ended somewhere around here . . . spread out and find Tachuko."

A chorus of droids replied "Roger roger."

Ahsoka returns her attention back to the senator as she now whispered "We need a way to get a call out to the Republic but we can't do it with the Separatists jamming our outside communications. Anyone got ideas?"

Everyone glanced at each other for a few moments until Tachuko mentions "Well . . . if I remember correctly, there's an old communications center several levels above us. It's based on ancient technology but it still should be able to work."

"But the Separatists are jamming the communications from one of their ships . . . how are we going to get word out?" Ahsoka asks.

The Toydarian guard by the door states "The Separatists have modernized jamming equipment on their vessels, meaning they can jam live video feeds, holographic projections, and voice communications. The communications center the King speaks of relies on the only other means of communication that is now rarely ever used, messaging."

Amidala became impressed with the guard's knowledge of communications and jamming and asked "How do you know all this?"

The guard shrugged his shoulders "I attended one of the academies on Coruscant and majored in communication and logistics . . . before I became a guard quartermaster of course."

Ahsoka then created a strategy "Alright here's what we're going to do, the senator, quartermaster, and I are going to make our way to the communications center and send word out for help. Tachuko I would really appreciate it if you remain here with the rest of your security detail."

But the king protested as predicated "I refuse to simply lie down and hide like a whipped animal! I will come with you and aid you on your mission."

Ahsoka didn't bother to argue with the stubborn king and said "Alright fine you can come with us, just stay behind us and try not to get shot."

Ahsoka and the guards stacked up around the door as they prepared themselves to take on any battle droids still lingering about, Ahsoka nodded to the quartermaster who stood next to the door panels as the signal to open the blast door. The quartermaster acknowledged and activated the switch thus opening the door, Ahsoka was the first to sneak out into the barely lit catacombs of the palace, no droids were found so the former padawan signaled to the others with her hand that it is safe to come out and so the guards plus Padme' and Tachuko came out.

Ahsoka came next to the quartermaster and whispered "Which way to the communications center?"

The quartermaster simply pointed in a direction and the entire group followed his lead without hesitation.

Nearly half an hour later and the group was now coming up on to the level where the communications center was held on, several guards remained behind to hold off several squads of battle droids the group accidently stumbled upon. They were in such a rush now after fending off a small group of super battle droids, wasn't till long that they ran into another squad of droids. Ahsoka readied her lightsabers and quickly and effortlessly cut the droids down one after another in a descent display of the Jedi arts.

The group resumed heading towards the center as Ahsoka turns on her communicator and asks "Longarm how's things on your end?"

Longarm's voice came through with a mixture of heavy blaster fire in the background "We're still holding them back but they're wearing us down. I'm down to three magazines . . . make that two."

"Alright just hang in there for a little longer; we're going to send word out."

Longarm's voice yelled out as he began firing back at the droids "Roger that! C'mon men keep up the left flank!"

Ahsoka repeated herself "Just a little longer alright!?"

"Yeah I hear you! We'll keep them off until . . ." the SPARTAN's voice trailed off as if something happened.

Ahsoka became worried as she asked "Longarm what's wrong? . . . Longarm!?"

Longarm didn't reply but instead she heard an awfully familiar deep mechanical voice followed by a distinct sinister laugh "So you're the group of insignificant pests that has been thwarting my advance . . . I'm impressed hehahaha."

Ahsoka stopped dead in her tracks and cried out "LONGARM GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"

The SPARTAN and most of the remaining few guards ceased fire shortly after the droids stopped firing for some reason. Instead of pressing the advance, the droids stopped firing and formed two lines on each side of this seven foot tall black and white droid with organic eyes and a well intimidating mask. The droid stood there with his hands folded behind his back as he observed what remains of the defending force, his eyes slowly scanned across each of the Toydarian guards' faces until they came to rest on this tall black figure that stood several meters in front of him. At first he took the figure as a spec-ops clone trooper but something didn't set right with him, he noticed that it was far too tall to be a clone and that it had very unusual markings along its body.

"I can tell from simply looking at you that you are something that can only hope to be a threat against me" the droid calmly boasted.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, you don't look so tough yourself droid" the SPARTAN replied as an insult.

The droid growled furiously as it took the insult to heart and defiantly claims "I am Grievous, warlord of the Kaleesh and Supreme Commander of the armies of the Confederacy. And I am not a droid!"

The SPARTAN decided to introduce himself as well "The name's Longarm, SPARTAN-ll super soldier and Chief Warrant Officer of the United Nations Space Command."

Grievous never heard of a SPARTAN or about a UNSC but he tossed those thoughts aside as he comments "I don't care what you are 'spartan' but you will not get in my way from my goal."

Longarm slowly brought his weapon to bear when he asked "And what is that might I ask?"

"To do what that mindless brute, Savage Opress, had failed to do. Bringing the Toydarian king back to Count Dooku alive" Grievous states.

Longarm and several guards took aim at Grievous and his droids as Longarm states "Well if you want to do that than by all means . . . try and get through us."

The droid general gave a sinister chuckle "I was hoping you would say that ehahaha. Prepare to die scum."

Longarm quickly orders moments before another firefight ensues "Guards stay on the droids! I'll handle Grievous!"

Blaster fire from both sides erupted into an intense exchange, Longarm fired several bolts at Grievous but the general used his augmented reflexes and brought out two lightsabers deflecting the incoming shots. The SPARTAN maintained his aim on Grievous and began sprinting and shooting at once, Grievous held his ground and continued blocking the shots until his adversary came into killing distance with his lightsabers. The droid general swung both blades high as a way to decapitate his foe but the SPARTAN ducked and rolled to the left, having recovered his aim Longarm fires three bolts but Grievous was far too quick in reflexes and blocked the shots with ease 'Gotta do this up close and personal . . . great' the SPARTAN thought. Longarm holsters his blaster and charges towards the general who then raised his blades up high to strike him down, but the SPARTAN was far too quick and slammed himself into the general's chest bringing the two giants down to the floor.

Grievous looked up to see the black soldier sitting on top of him but quickly received a punch from the SPARTAN's right fist stunning him for a few moments. Within that time frame Longarm drew his blaster and fired multiple bolts in rapid succession into Grievous's right hand nearly destroying it but the general managed to save it by grabbing the soldier's face with his left hand and swung him down into the floor beside him. Now it was Grievous's turn as he sat on top of Longarm and began repeatedly throwing punches at the SPARTAN's head that was moving left and right evading the mechanical fists as they made crackling holes in the floor showing the general's augmented strength. Longarm knew he had to get out of this and quickly grabbed the two 'ears' on Grievous's head and threw him off with his augmented strength. The two quickly got up to their feet and Longarm charged forcing himself into close combat with the general who quickly followed suit, the two cybernetic giants clashed once more each throwing punches and dodging hits. One of the Toydarian guards eventually stopped firing and became mesmerized by the speed and precision the two were using against each other as they used their augmented abilities to the fullest, the SPARTAN was using every known martial arts in the UNSC while Grievous used the lessons he learned from Count Dooku and added his experiences to the fight. The SPARTAN throws a right sidekick but the general raised his left knee guard blocking it while he in returns throws a right fist but Longarm caught it between his arms, twisted the general's arm sideways while pulling himself next to the angered droid, and lifted the shoulder joint upwards thus dislocating Grievous's arm showing a small display of sparks flying out. The general showed no sign of pain but instead gave an annoyed growl and attempted to break free out of the SPARTAN's grip, he grabbed Longarm by the shoulder with his left hand, threw him out in front of him, and kicked him in the lower abdomen with his right clawed droid foot sending the SPARTAN flying several feet back. Grievous then took the few moments he had before Longarm would attack and popped his shoulder joint back into position though now he had only partial control of his right arm due to the fact that the SPARTAN may have broken several circuits and locomotors in his arm socket. The general was enraged as he picked up his two original lightsabers and started walking towards Longarm who was now getting back up.

Longarm was back at his feet and saw Grievous approaching him with eyes full of rage and hatred, at first the SPARTAN was confident that he could engage the general once more and began a charge. Longarm slammed himself into Grievous's chest knocking him back and disarming him of his lightsabers, the two entered a quick and brutal brawl once more until the general's arms separated and gained an immediate advantage of the skilled SPARTAN. Longarm managed to block several moves from the now fully prepared general but it didn't last long until Grievous grabbed Longarm by the shoulders with his original arms, and then use his new set of arms to draw two more lightsabers from his belt. Longarm attempted to break free and eventually grabbed the general's right arm and bent the elbow joint forward thus damaging his arm and setting the SPARTAN free. The general roared with rage and slammed his left arm into the SPARTAN's head knocking him down onto the floor, Longarm attempted to get up but Grievous forced him back down as he slammed his left foot onto the SPARTAN's chest thus immobilizing him. Longarm got a hold of Grievous's leg and used his augmented strength to push it off but the general reassured his weight and strength onto the struggling SPARTAN.

Grievous chuckled sinisterly "No doubt I have underestimated you, but your time is up! Time to die 'Spartan' ehahahaha!"

Grievous raised his secondary arms wielding the lightsabers and brought them down with sheer velocity just in time for Longarm to close his eyes and wait for the inevitable, but suddenly a loud clashing of energy rang out and he didn't feel anything for some reason . . .

Ahsoka Tano stood over the SPARTAN's body with her two lightsabers clashing against the general's who was somewhat surprised to see her here.

"Did you miss me?" Ahsoka said to Grievous with a smirk.

Grievous simply responded with a slow and vengeful "Jedi . . ."

Longarm opened his eyes finding the young Togruta standing above him and asks calmly "Where have you been?

"Oh nowhere . . . I was out sightseeing" Ahsoka replies while maintaining her focus on Grievous.

"Fair enough I guess. . ." the SPARTAN remarks towards her sense of humor.

Ahsoka was beginning to lose her ground against the physically superior droid general but the SPARTAN placed his left boot against the general's pelvic joints and exerted all his strength into a kick and threw the general off and freeing Tano from the would-be failed saber lock. Ahsoka steps off allowing Longarm to get back up and prepare to fight once more.

"Guards!" the general calls out knowing he couldn't face the two in his damaged state.

Coming through the doorway far behind the general were four tall grey droids with a red 'heart', red eyes, dirty cloaks, and an electro-staff with the tips surging with purple electricity. They came to their general's side and prepared their staffs for combat, Ahsoka nodded to Longarm who the nodded in return and attacked one of the guards while she attacked another. It took little effort for Tano to kill two of the guards since she had experience dealing with them before but Longarm had difficulties dealing with them until he disarmed one of the droids and used the staff as a spear impaling the second droid through the heart moments after beheading the first.

Grievous watched the two as Tano slowly etched her way to his right and Longarm retrieving a staff and slowly came to his left, he was now fighting a lost battle but he couldn't go away simply empty-handed, at least not yet. The two charged from the sides towards Grievous who then leaped out of the way hoping Tano and Longarm would slam themselves into each other by accident but that hope died when Longarm performed a power-slide underneath Tano who jumped over him in time to avoid a collision, the two then assumed offensive positions and rushed the general. Ahsoka was the first to make contact with Grievous while Longarm picked up his dropped blaster and open fired forcing Grievous to hold off Tano with on saber and block the incoming bolts with his other. Longarm quickly holsters his blaster and attacked with his staff and gradually the two forced Grievous out of the door and onto the landing platforms of the palace in a well calculated duel. The Toydarian guards have managed to push the droids back to the platforms during the duel where they were now picking off the last few droid stragglers.

Grievous was losing quickly and knew he had failed his mission, Ahsoka came in from the left and Longarm from the right and the two kept up their relentless assault. The general has had it and broke away making a run for the separatists shuttle that brought him here, Longarm puts the staff down bringing up his blaster and open fired hoping to hit Grievous but the general was quick to evade the incoming bolts and board his shuttle. Longarm continued firing striking the hull of the shuttle multiple times as it gradually lifts off the ground and takes off for orbit.

"Dammit!" Longarm yells as the general got away.

"Hey we won . . . take a look" Ahsoka said as she looks out into the distance.

Longarm followed her glare and found the separatist frigate that hung in the air at the start of the attack now crashed into the ground with several portions of the hull on fire, and up in the sky to take its place was the much larger triangular cruiser with a red strip going along the bottom of the hull and two towering structures on top acting as the bridge of the cruiser. Eventually white gunships with wings angled downward came into sight and moments later they landed on the platforms opening their side doors letting out squads of men adorned in white armor with orange strips similar to the guards back on Coruscant.

A trooper with a visor cover and a small antenna on his right shoulder armed with the long DC-15A blaster rifle approached the two and asked "Ahsoka!? What are you doing here?"

Ahsoka replied "Oh just sightseeing Cody, where's Obi-Wan?"

Commander Cody simply points to something behind them, Longarm turned around with Tano to see a man with a mix of brown and orange hair and beard wearing fragments of clone armor mixed with the traditional Jedi robes.

Obi-Wan came to a stop in front of Ahsoka and Longarm and asked "Ahsoka? Mind telling me what you're doing here?"

Suddenly Senator Amidala and King Tachuko appeared from behind Longarm with Amidala stating "These two were helping me with the negotiations with King Tachuko, they helped the guards repel the droid attack."

Obi-Wan ran his fingers through his beard saying "Is that so? Senator you know that Ahsoka no longer has the status of a Jedi and this was a violation of law."

Longarm stepped forward towards Kenobi and said "Sir with respect, if it weren't for her you wouldn't have known about the attack."

Master Kenobi agreed "I suppose that is true . . . what is your name?"

"Longarm"

Ahsoka states "We met back on Coruscant several days after I left master. How's Anakin doing?"

"He's getting by day by day but I do believe that a moment hasn't gone by where he had forgotten about you" Obi-Wan said with calm.

Commander Cody comments "There's a lot of dead droids around and I don't think the guards could have done it all, no saber cuts either . . ."

Longarm replies "I might have had something to do with that . . . you should take a look inside the palace, it's no better than out here."

Kenobi asks "Mister Longarm, I take it you're a mercenary of some sort judging by how many droids you destroyed, would you care to work for the Republic? You will be rewarded handsomely."

Longarm glances at Ahsoka for a moment then said "Thank you for the offer but I'll have to decline the offer, I have my own priorities to tend to."

Obi-Wan then states "Very well, you may take the offer whenever you see fit. That goes for you as well Ahsoka, when you are ready to come back to the Order, we'll be waiting for your return."

Ahsoka bowed her head lightly "Thank you Kenobi but you may have to wait for some time."

Obi-Wan and Commander Cody began walking away to attend investigating the battle sight as King Tachuko says to Ahsoka and Longarm "I thank you for your efforts to protect the palace, we would have stood no chance against them."

Senator Amidala asks "So will you join the Republic then?"

"I will gratefully have Toydaria and its people join the Republic" the King replies with a smile.

Nearly twenty-three minutes passed since the Republic arrived, Longarm stood on the platforms next to Amidala's shuttle as he watched the clones patrol and salvage the dead droids. Ahsoka came up to Longarm with the electro-staff he had used against Grievous and hands it to the SPARTAN.

"Fits you nicely" Ahsoka said as Longarm takes the staff.

"Thanks . . ." Longarm replies as he examines the staff.

Ahsoka pats Longarm on the shoulder saying "I got Kenobi to give us a ship to go wherever we need to go, come on."

Ahsoka began walking towards an empty platform where moments afterwards a Gozanti-class cruiser measured at sixty-four meters long and lightly armed with only a pair of laser cannons meant for taking out fighters but did not possess the firepower to crack the shields of a warship. Longarm eventually followed Ahsoka to the cruiser and began walking up the ramp, Ahsoka kept walking towards the cockpit of the ship while the SPARTAN stayed by the ramp looking out at the clones walking by. The clone pilots who brought the cruiser walked past Longarm and made their way down the ramp and onto the platform, the SPARTAN heard the cruiser's engines start up suggesting that Ahsoka was now piloting the ship and watched the troops as the cruiser began lifting off the ground. He lastly saw Kenobi looking up at him with a confused look almost as if he was concerned about something.

Obi-Wan watched as the cruiser slowly gain speed on its way to orbit when Cody came by and asked "Something wrong sir?"

Kenobi simply replied "Something about that Longarm fellow . . . just doesn't set right with me."

"Whatever it is General, Tano is more than capable of taking care of herself" Cody comments.

"I do hope you are right Cody . . ." Kenobi said as the cruiser was now but a black spec against the clouds high above now leaving the atmosphere.

Sorry for the delay guys, I had work the last three days and I added a Clone Wars mod to my old Star Wars Empire At War game and got carried away lol. I haven't forgotten about the story and I can tell you right now that it is far from over. As always leave your comments and thoughts. Thank you.