(Resolute)
"So that's all you could get before those thugs attacked you?" said Anakin.
"Yes Master," said Ahsoka.
"I guess it's the best we have. Me and Obi-Wan couldn't find out anything else," said Anakin.
"So we're heading to the Kessel cluster?" said Taran.
"I believe so," said Anakin.
"General Skywalker, we're getting an urgent message from the planet Terra," said Admiral Yularen. Taran froze. That was an Elementian colony world, home to nearly one million people. It was about the same size as Endor, except the land was one giant Pangea. The land was mostly plains, with small grass dotting the landscape, making it a very fertile area. Some canyons, mountains, and hills dotted the northwest part of the land, with a live volcano adjacent to the coast in the same area. Here the people lived as one people and not four separate nations, except they did stick with the ties to their nation in festivals. One large city was the capitol of the land, with large and small towns dotting the landscape.
It was one of these small towns that was sending a distress signal. Luckily they were only five parsecs from the planet.
"What's the situation Admiral?" said Anakin.
"A small town is being attacked by a gang of Trandoshan pirates by the look of it," said Wullfe. "The militia tried to get in there and drive them off, but there were too many of them and they were stopped."
"That's odd. Why would Trandoshans suddenly and without warning attack there?" said Obi-Wan.
"I don't know. It could be just a raid for weapons. You know the Trandoshans were discovered dealing with the Separatists by our commandos," said Anakin.
"Let's worry about the motive later and get to Terra as fast as possible," said Obi-Wan.
"Admiral, head a course for Terra," said Anakin.
"Yes sir," said Wullfe. The Resolute and another ship turned about 45 degrees starboard and entered into hyperspace.
(Terra)
Citizens ran for cover everywhere they could get as the Trandoshan pirates ravaged the town, killing for the sheer pleasure of it. Trandoshan slavers, mercenaries, and Trandoshan elite, armed with projectile weapons like the ACP Array Gun and Repeater, and the LS-150 Heavy ACP Repeater. A few were armed with the LJ-50 Concussion Rifle. They wrekaed havoc in the settlement, destroying and killing as they went. The civilians ran here and there to escape the rampage, but many were killed or captured by the Trandos. All across the ground were dead civilians, a few Trandoshans, and many of the town's militia.
The survivors were being huddled into the center of the town, awaiting whatever end fate had in store for them. An old man, supported by his son and the son's daughter, tried to escape unhidden to a nearby house the Trandoshans didn't bother to look in. Before they reached the doorstep a Trandoshan spotted them and fired. The young man and his daughter fell to the ground, unharmed, but the bullets tore into the old man and he fell lifeless to the floor.
"Grandpa!" yelled the little girl in the Elementian language. She rushed to the body of her grandfather, shaking it to wake him up, but the old man would never wake again.
The Trandoshan who shot at her and her family reloaded his weapon and walked forcefully over to them. He grabbed the little girl by her hair, making her scram in pain. Her father went and tried to stop him, but the lizard hit him across the face and sent him sprawling to the ground. Another Trandoshan came up and made the man kneel on the ground, his gun aiming directly into the man's skull.
"Papa!" the girl screamed, trying desperately to get out of the Trandoshan's grasp.
"Mai, I'll be fine," he said softly to her.
"Kill him!" yelled the Trandoshan holding the girl. The mercenary holding the man at gunpoint and loaded his ACP Repeater. The father silently prayed as the Trandoshan readied to kill. Just as the Trandoshan loaded in his clip and prepared to fire, a small black burn appeared in the center of his head and he fell back, the hole smoking. The other Trandoshan holding the little girl looked around to see who shot his comrade, and was rewarded with a blaster shot to the face. He fell lifeless to the ground as a man in white armor with blue markings stood over her, shooting at the other Trandoshans, being careful not to hit the civilians taken captive.
From a building overlooking the square, a teenager with tan-skin and black hair tied into dreadlocks came jumped from the top and landed to the ground, causing the earth to shake when he landed and off balancing the Trandoshans. A slaver came at him with knives ready, but the teen pulled out a green bar of light and cut the knives in half, embedding the glowing sword into the slaver's chest.
Another individual ran into the square, holding another green glowing sword. She was red-orange all over and her blue and white lekku gleamed. She took out two of the slavers while their backs were to her.
The rest of the Trandoshans opened fire on them, and the teen, the blue marked soldier, and the red alien ran for cover behind an upturned fruit cart. Luckily, the wood was heavy and thick enough to keep the bullets out.
"I hate projectile weapons," said Taran. A high velocity round ripped through the wooden boards and made a hole nearly a centimeter away from Ahsoka's head. It makes them duck down as the entire Trandoshan force aims their weapons at the cart. Some of the roundsstart to break through the wood. Rex takes a quick peek over the cart and yells into his comlink "Now!"
LAAT's scream overhead and unleash volleys of laser fire at the Trandoshan's huddled in the square. The hostages had all taken cover behind a building as the gunships made runs over the square, taking out scores of Trandoshans. The rest of them went running off here and there.
"Let's get 'em boys," said Ahsoka as she, Taran, and Rex jumped out from behind the cart and went to get the remaining Trandoshans. From other points in the town came Torrent Company and the 212th Attack Battalion. Anakin and Obi-Wan appeared above from the buildings and slashed their way through any Trandoshans offering resistance.
Taran and Ahsoka were taking on a Trandoshan Elite in an alleyway. (For all you who don't know what that is, it's the largest Trandoshan soldier in the game Republic Commando. Watch clips of it if you want to have the best image in your head). The Elite was using his heavy projector to shoot unyielding volleys of fire at the Padawans, pressing them to the wall on the buildings that separated to make the alleyway.
"I'll hit high, you hit low," said Taran. Ahsoka nodded and Taran Force-jumped to the top of the building. He crawled cautiously forward as the he heard the Elite snarling as he still fired at the targets he couldn't see. When his clip on his projector was gone, the Elite threw it away and was reloading when Ahsoka jumped from behind the wall and ran to attack him. She sliced the gun in half and her lightsaber stabbed itself into the thing's gut.
The Elite just laughed as if it didn't hurt him and threw Ahsoka to the side, weaponless. He pulled out the lightsaber from his stomach and looked up to see a foot hit him in the face, sending him into the wall. Taran swung his lightsaber down on him, but the Elite blocked it with Ahsoka's lightsaber and kicked Taran into the side wall. He cut the lightsaber across the wall and Taran ducked down as it slashed where his neck just was a millisecond ago. The Trando cackled and punched Taran, but Taran was near his leg. Taran picked up a knife that had fallen on the ground and stabbed the Elite in a chink in it's leg armor.
Green blood flowed from the wound and the Elite howled in rage and pain. He picked Taran up by the neck and headbutted him. Taran saw stars and felt himself get thrown to the floor. The Elite took the knife out of his leg and hurled it at Taran. Taran summoned up enough of his conscious to deflect the balde, sending it smoking into two halves. Taran had had enough of this.
He launched himself at the Trandoshan, knocking Ahsoka's lightsaber out of it's grasp by cutting off the arm holding, then swung around and stabbed the blade into the Elite's gut. The Trando snarled and used it's only arm to pull Taran in closer to him, snarling into his face. Taran pulled out of the thing's gut and was preparing to slice it in half when he saw Ahsoka's lightsaber cut off the thing's head, sending it rolling off, the stump where it's neck use to be smoking. The body stayed up as if nothing had happened and then slowly crashed to the ground on it's side.
"Thanks," Taran said breathlessly to her.
"Your welcome," she said, just as breathless. "Next time we use your bending."
"Agreed," said Taran. Though they rested for a split second to gain focus and catch their breath, they knew they had a battle to win, and the Trandoshans weren't giving up as easily as expected. In fact, they seemed more determined than ever.
The Trandoshan put up super resistance, retreating into buildings and alleys, determined to fight till the last man. Everywhere they went clones and Jedi went in pursuit, nearly losing their lives countless times as the Trandos formed ambush units, and the Trandoshan Elites needed an entire squad of clones to take down.
Nevertheless the job was getting done, and the last surviving Trandoshans put up one of the toughest defenses ever. Taran and Ahsoka were heading for a building where the last survivors had hunkered down and barricaded themselves in. The doorway was blocked with tables and chairs from the house. Taran looked at it like it couldn't stop him.
"Ready Soka?" said Taran.
"Ready," she said, readying her lightsaber. Taran launched a powerful gust of air at the doorway, making the barricade shoot into the house and crush two Trandoshans positioned just behind it. Tarna went in with his lightsaber, followed closely by Ahsoka. One of the Trandoshans wasn't dead and tried to raise it's gun to shoot, but Ahsoka stabbed the lizard in it's head. Upstairs they heard shuffling of feet, and in another room down the hallway.
"I'll take that room," said Ahsoka.
"I'll get the upstairs," said Taran. Ahsoka raced into the room and came face-to-face with two Trandoshan mercenaries. Their repeaters went off and she deflected many of the shots before taking cover behind the doorway wall. The mercs laughed at what they perceived as cowardice, except they should have spent that time reloading their weapons because Ahsoka came in and both were dead with two slashes across the chest.
Standing over the bodies of the dead mercs she could hear Taran's lightsaber swinging ear and there, and Trandoshans screaming. She also heard what sounded like a fist fight and scuffle, then she heard a grunt, and then the sound of a repeater shooting on full automatic. Finally she heard what sounded like a concussive fireball attack, and then all was silent. She heard the sound of feet going slowly across the floor and down the stairs she rused to see the entire upstairs black with smoke, little fires on the walls, and Taran staggering down the stairs, his shoulder bleeding heavily and his side bleeding as well.
"Taran!" she said in alarm. She helped him down the stairs, making sure he was alright.
"How did this happen?" she asked.
"I took a hit to the shoulder, then the other one got a round off in my side," he said. "I didn't even realize I got hit until I hit them with that fireball. You don't want to go into there, it's a bad sight," he said. She helped him out the door towards the center of the town. Her eyes were always on his wounds, and they didn't look so good. She was silently praying that he would be alright. To her, it was just like the time he nearly bled to death on Raxus Prime. She couldn't stand it once, and she didn't want it to happen a second time.
All of the Trandoshans were dead, save one heavily wounded who was slowly dying. Anakin was interrogating him.
"Who sent you to do this?" he demanded. The Trandoshan laughed at his, coughed, and it's eyes rolled into it's skull. Anakin let go of it's lifeless body and turned to see Ahsoka helping Taran towards him.
"What happened?" said Anakin. Ahsoka told him what happened in the house, and Anakin rushed to find any medics with the clones. Luckily, Kix was nearby.
"We need to get him into a house. Do any of you speak Elementian?" he asked to the huddled crowd of villagers. Rex, Ahsoka, and Anakin rolled their eyes. Clearly Kix didn't realize that one of his superior officers was the only one in the group who's first language, besides Galactic standard, was Elementian.
Obi-Wan led one of the villagers to Taran.
"Do you by any chance speak Galactic standard?" he asked just in case. The woman shook her head no, only understanding what he was trying to say.
"Taran, ask her if they have any Waterbenders right now," said Obi-Wan. Taran asked her, but she replied no. There were Water Tribe people living in the village, but none were benders. Taran had one more question to ask her.
"Miss, I need to get to a house," said Taran in Elementian.
"Okay. Come to my house, quickly," she said.
"Follow her," Taran said to them. Ahsoka and Anakin helped him to get to the house, Obi-Wan, Kix, and Rex following close behind. The woman's house was virtually unaffected and was typical for an Earth Kingdom style house. She led them to a bed in a room upstairs. Ahsoka helped him into the bed. Kix examined the wounds, tenderly taking Taran's top robes and tunic off.
"The shoulder wound was a flesh wound. Luckily the projectile didn't hit any bone, which is a miracle. Unfortunately, the round in his side is still in there, but no organs were hit. I'm going to have to dig it out," he said. Taran and Obi-Wan locked eyes and an understanding came between them. Anakin saw it too and held onto Taran's hand as Kix got out a probe and a clamp.
"Ready sir?" he asked. Taran nodded. Kix plunged the clamp into the wound. Taran grit his teeth to hold back his yell and squeezed Anakin's hand. Thankfully, it was Anakin's robotic hand. It seemed like an eternity to him before Kix found the round and took it out, tossing it outside the window. He applied bacta to the wounds on his shoulder and side and applied some fresh bandages on them. Taran relaxed into the bed, breathing heavily and his brow covered with sweat.
"He's going to need some rest and less movement with his torso and arm, or else the wounds will bleed open again. He shouldn't try to walk for about an hour, it's critical he stays in bed," said Kix. At that minute, Cody contacted Obi-Wan.
"General, we have more Trandoshans pirates at another town twenty clicks from here," said Cody.
"Got it Cody, I'm on my way," he said. Obi-Wan thought about it for a moment. He motioned for Anakin and Rex to leave the room into the hallway.
"Is it a good idea to leave him here in this state?" said Anakin.
"I strongly disagree, but you know Kix said it's crucial that he should get immediate rest, and as a medic he outranks everyone," said Obi-Wan.
"Will he be okay though? There are probably some pirates still around this area," said Anakin. "But we can't leave some of our men here if the other pirates will fight like they just did."
"I think, sirs, that he should stay put. These villagers seem like nice folk. They'll care for him," said Rex.
"If I didn't think any better Rex, I'd say you've grown quite fond of him," said Anakin.
"No...it's just...alright yes I have," said Rex.
"We should leave his weapons here just in case though," said Obi-Wan. They all nodded and headed into the room.
"Taran, we think we have to leave you here for now. In this state you can't move," said Obi-Wan.
"It's okay Master, I understand," said Taran.
"Should I stay here with him?" said Ahsoka.
"No, we need you Ahsoka," said Anakin. Ahsoka sighed and gave Taran a look. Taran nodded, meaning he'll be fine.
"Here's your lightsaber and your staff," said Obi-Wan, putting the two weapons on the stand next to the bed, the staff shrunk down to it's 'big-as-your-hand' state.
"Also kid, you might need this," said Rex, putting a DC-15A on the stand as well.
"Thanks guys, this means a lot," said Taran.
"We'll see you soon," said Obi-Wan, putting his hand on Taran's forehead. "For now just rest." Taran smiled and nodded, glad to have a one of a kind Jedi Master.
"Tell this woman that you'll need to stay here for now," he said.
"Miss, is it alright if I recuperate here?" said Taran in his native language.
"You must certainly may, Lord Avatar," she said, bowing as she said so.
"She says it's okay," he said. Obi-Wan politely bowed to her and left, followed by Kix, Anakin, and Rex. Only Ahsoka stayed behind for a quick while.
"Please be careful," she said.
"When have I not been?" he asked.
"Well there was that time on the Empress Teta system," she said.
"Okay, I got it," he said. She leaned down and lightly kissed him before she left the room, looking back at Taran as she left.
(Outskirts of the village, twenty clicks away on a butte)
A pair of electorbinoculars watched the Republic forces get onto the gunships and fly away to the next village. She saw that Cyneran wasn't on one of them. She had seen him get hurt and since he wasn't getting on one of the gunships meant he was still in the village healing from his wounds. She smiled to herself and hung up her binoculars.
"Everything's going to plan," she said to her team.
"He's in the village?" said Bane. Aurra nodded.
"Good, he'll be easier to bring down if he's wounded," he said, his mouth grinning maliciously. "When do we attack?"
"In due time. Let's get his false sense of security up first, and then we move," she said.