Chapter 6: To Catch A Bug…
Obi-Wan Kenobi sat with Dharok in the Hangar of one of the cruisers, waiting patiently to hear from Anakin and Ahsoka.
"I don't like this," The Jedi Master spoke up, "They should have reported back by now."
"I don't want to say they were overwhelmed, but this is a droid factory we're attacking."
Dharok's reply to Kenobi only made the anxiety within him grow.
"Can't you sense him?"
"I've tried… there's something… clouding this place… like a dark hatred that burns away the light and consumes it."
"You think this place is strong with the dark side?"
"Hard to say… maybe something happened here… or will happen…"
The conversation was cut by the sound of a fatigued Ahsoka coming through over the crackling commlink.
"Master Kenobi, we've -*gasp*- we've secured a landing zone near the foundry. I'm sending you the coordinates now."
The older Jedi looked pleased and surprised by Ahsoka's report, but was concerned that he had not heard Anakin.
"Alright, let's get down there," stated Dharok, "Delso and that factory are as good as ours.
Dharok and Kenobi stood steadily on their gunship, watching the terrain of Mustafar pass them by. The volcanic rock and ash of the surface was blackened and abundant, and the molten seas of lava felt as if they were singeing the Jedi as soon as they so much as glared at it. Finally, they came within view of the landing zone. It was somewhat cramped, but large enough to get their forces down. It was connected to a large complex of buildings via several gangways.
As they drew closer the landing area, they noticed the firefight between the squad of clones brought by Anakin and the green lightsabers of Ahsoka deflecting fire from oncoming battle droids, though Anakin was nowhere to be seen. Bodies from both sides littered the walkways.
The gunships landed and the rest of the republic force rushed out onto the platform, weapons ready. Kenobi activated his lightsaber and ran to join Ahsoka's side, slicing through droids as he went.
Dharok took note of his surroundings and activated his double-bladed lightsabers and leapt into the battle. He landed on one of the gangways and found himself right in the middle of a shootout between the clones and droids. He spun his lightsabers, twirling them with precision and technique, deflecting lethal volleys of laser fire, pushing forward to give the droids less ground.
Finally, he reached the droids, who were stepping back to avoid the threat of the Jedi that stood before them. Stopping his impressive deflection, he threw his lightsabers through the droids that stood in front of him, guiding them with the force to outflank the machines, he drew them back and cut them down the middle, the once-functional droids falling to the ground in pieces.
"Ahsoka!" he shouted, grabbing the attention of the Togruta that was attempting to survive the onslaught of the droids. "Where's Anakin?"
"He and Rex tried to find a way into the factory!"
Dharok growled, annoyed. "I guess I'll go in after him." He turned to the clones behind him, unsure of what to say. "Alright men, let's take this factory and find General Skywalker."
The clones shouted in agreement and, following Torag, rushed into the corridors of the factory, blasting any battle droid that got in their way.
The complex was like a labyrinth of corridors, turrets and droids. Every dead end they found cost them time – and soldiers. Dharok took point throughout the search for Anakin, but even he could not prevent stray blaster bolts from hitting the soldiers that followed him. They left a breadcrumb trail of bodies, though this morbid marking would be useless until they found Skywalker.
Faintly, the sound of blaster fire and the shouting of clone troopers as heard. Were they finally on the right path? They ran through the corridors, following the sound and found themselves at a door that put them right in the middle of the factory control room, though they were not the first to arrive. At each side of the room, a force of battle droids fired mercilessly on the battered forces of Anakin Skywalker, who seemed to be on the verge of giving in.
"We're losing too many men General!" shouted Rex, grunting as he fired his twin pistols at their attackers, "We need to fall back!"
"Just keep going Rex, we can hold it."
Dharok looked at Skywalker's weary and fatigued demeanour.
"Go and help the General hold what ground he has. I'll flank them". Dharok's clones nodded and rushed up the steps to bolster what remained of Skywalker's squadron.
"Alright, droids. Let's see if this place can make you as fast as I can cut you down." Dharok performed his trademark leap and landed right behind the firing line of the droids. He activated both of his blades and grinned viciously.
Skywalker was tiring. The fight had been going on for so long, with neither side gaining any ground. He watched as the massive force of battle droids opposite his own diminished clones grew in numbers.
He was shocked when a group of clones charged through the centre of the room to join his fight, and watched helplessly as some were gunned down. Even the ones that did make it, he knew wouldn't last the fight. His fears grew, but he kept fighting. He watched as the droids fired straight at him. He watched as the droids slaughtered his soldiers.
And he watched as the droids stopped firing.
And he watched as the sound of lightsabers activating filled the room in the place of firing weapons.
And he watched as the droids were cut down, one by one by the force-wielding prodigy that Skywalker had seen destroy two cruisers with his bare hands.
"It's Dharok…" he muttered to himself, instilled with new courage. "Fire on the droids, let's help him out!"
The clones began firing and the droids were diminishing in number. They pushed forward, reaching the end of the control room, securing it after so much bloodshed.
"Skywalker, what's the report?" Asked Dharok, his grin replaced by a serious demeanour.
"We got to the control room and secured one end before we were fired on. We think Delso is still in the factory, coordinating the attack. We thought he would be here, but he knew we would be coming. If it weren't for you, we might not have gotten out."
"Thank you, let's find Delso. Leave some of your men here to keep the place secure."
Anakin nodded. "Rex, you and your men stay here. Take care of the wounded and try to hold the place."
Rex looked to his men and gave the order as Anakin and Dharok left to traverse the facility so that they could find their Geonosian target and end the assault.
Despite the situation, the two Jedi made quick work of any droids encountered as Anakin slowly recomposed himself.
"Did you see Ahsoka? Is she alright?" asked Anakin.
"Last I saw, she was fighting besides General Kenobi. I'm sure she'll be fine."
Anakin looked ahead, silently agreeing with Dharok's statement.
Finally, they reached a door that lead to the outskirts of the facility. In the distance, they could hear battle droids speaking to someone. They looked at each other and nodded, silently agreeing on their plan of attack. They crept quietly across the large veranda of the Mustafar facility as the voices became louder.
"Sir, the Republic have taken the control room. From what we can tell, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are leading the attack on the facility with help from persons unknown."
The battle droid's report on the situation struck pride in Skywalker and anxiety in Dharok. At the time being, he's 'persons unknown', but soon enough he could have the biggest target on his head of all the Jedi.
"They're catching on to me. We need to move now." He whispered.
"Hold on," Anakin replied, hushed, "We need to find out where Delso is."
The responder to the droid spoke in a language of clicks and odd throated noises, unintelligible to the Jedi.
"Double your attempts to take back the control room. I cannot risk the republic gaining knowledge of the droid prototype we are building. It could change the tide of the war!"
"Never mind, I think we found him." Anakin said, dumbfounded at the coincidence.
"Yes, sir, we'll double our attempts to take back the control room."
Dharok turned to Anakin. "Rex won't be able to hold off a full assault from the droids. We have Delso where we want him."
Anakin nodded and motioned for the Jedi to continue.
"If the prototype falls into the hands of the Jedi, Count Dooku will have my h- *gack*"
The Geonosian engineer running the factory was stopped in his tracks by a strangling sensation lifting him into the air. Out of the shadows came two Jedi knights, one the legendary Anakin Skywalker, and the other unknown to him.
"Gizor Delso," Dharok exclaimed, holding the bug in a force choke, to Anakin's surprise and delight, "You're under arrest for aiding Separatist forces, as well as the deaths of countless clone troopers with your creations."
The Geonosian struggled to get a word out as the droids around him raised their weapons to fire, though they were quickly dismembered by Skywalker.
"Oh, who am I?" Dharok drew him in closer, strengthening the hold, "I'm persons unknown."
Dharok threw the Geonosian down to the ground violently, while Anakin placed a set of restraints over Delso's wrists and wings. "Signal a gunship to take Delso and go to the control room. I'll try and delay the droids."
Anakin nodded and activated his commlink while Dharok ran back into the facility to try and find the droids that were about to swarm Rex's forces.