The Clone Wars

Shadows of darkness part 3

A new enemy

Three months after Fisto liberated the capital of Treas and accepted the Separatist generals surrender Ashoka and jedi master Joran Malank is patrolling a newly established border in space.

They are on the edge of the known galaxy.

Only unknown planets and systems lied ahead.

Ashoka is standing on the bridge, looking out the front window.

She stood in the middle of the room.

Ezz makes her company.

Ezz and Ashoka were on Malank's main cruiser.

Jedi master Malank had five cruisers under his command.

"Sir", he said.

"Commander", Ashoka replied.

"What are you thinking sir"? Ezz asked her.

"I think this patrol thing is boring as hell", Ashoka replied.

Ezz smiled at that.

"I know what you mean sir", Ezz said.

Ashoka glanced at Ezz.

"By the way, do you know where master Malank are"? She asked.

Ezz shocked his head.

"In his room perhaps", Ezz quest.

Then a bold man in a grey uniform turned to the two.

"Commander Tano we're tracking several Separatist ships exiting hyperspace on our starboard side", he said.

"Turn us towards them admiral", Ashoka ordered. "And find master Malank".

"Yes commander Tano", the bold admiral replied.

Ashoka took a few steps forward.

"How many are several"? Ashoka asked who ever had the answer.

"17 commander", a man on her left side replied.

The 17 cruisers now came in view.

But to Ashoka's surprise the droid cruisers held their position.

They stopped out of the Republic fleets firing range.

Ezz and Ashoka glanced at each other.

"The force are they doing", said Ezz.

After a few minutes Malank entered the bridge.

"Ashoka, what have I mist"? Malank asked.

It took a few second before Ashoka knew that to say.

"Well, nothing master", she finely replied.

Malank looked strangely at her.

"What you mean nothing"? He asked.

"I mean nothing", Ashoka explained. "They're just been sitting there for soon five minutes".

Malank looked out the window.

Malank is an old man. He has grey short hair and a short grey beard.

He has brown pants, black shoes and a dark brown shirt.

Malank didn't understand.

"They have us outnumbered, why don't they just attack? Have they tried to contact us"?

The admiral shocked his head. "No general they haven't".

"But what are they doing in none Separatist space"? Malank asked himself.

An ensign runs up to Malank.

"General, I've scanned the enemy fleet and it appears they have been In a fire fight".

"How so"? Malank asked him.

"Three of the ships are almost falling apart and the rest is extremely damaged".

Then a trooper turned away from his screen.

"Sir, we've detected another ship exiting hyperspace", he said. "In three, two, one".

"Holy…" was all Malank could say when he saw the ship.

"That is one big ship", Ashoka said in chock.

The ship was almost six times bigger than their own cruiser.

The ship immediately opened fire at the droid fleet. The droid fleet fired back.

"Sir", the admiral spoke. "The unidentified ship is tearing the Separatist cruisers apart".

After only about two minutes the Separatist fleet was destroyed.

Ashoka smiled nervously.

"You, think its friendly"? She asked hopefully.

"If it isn't, we're all goners sir", Ezz replied.

"The ship doesn't match anything in our database", the admiral said.

He then turned to Malank after talking with an ensign.

"General, its coming straight for us", he said.

"We don't stand a chance if they attack us", Ashoka said.

"Order the fleet to prepare for battle", Malank decided.

/

At the same time on the bridge of the Resolute Anakin, Obi-wan and Rex is standing.

They are about two hundred parsecs away.

They have been sent on a mission to support the pro Republic side in the Yugian Civil War.

Their fleet of 12 ships arrives at a small planet that was conquered by the Yugian's almost 400 years ago.

Admiral Yularen turned to Anakin.

"General, we're detecting four Yugian cruisers in orbit around the planet and their hailing us", Yularen said.

Anakin sighed.

"Fine, put it through", Anakin replied.

Obi-wan glance at his friend.

A hologram of a man with a dark green uniform and yellow skin and three eyes appeared.

"Greetings, I'm jedi master Obi-wan Kenobi and this is…"

"Yes, yes you I will send you the coordinates for your landing jedi", the Yellow skinned man interrupted.

The hologram disappeared.

Obi-wan and Anakin glance at each other.

"Nice guy", Anakin said.

"Well", Obi-wan replied. "Parkadians are known to be, well, like that".

Anakin shrugged his shoulders.

"At list his not Yugian", Anakin said.

"Anakin"! Obi-wan said with almost an anger voice. "You may not like Yugian's but it's in the best interest of the Republic that you behave on this mission".

After 20 minutes they had landed on the planet with a small transport ship.

In the transport was Obi-wan, Rex, Anakin, Padme Amidala, Echo, Fives and a prisoner.

As they walked out they were met by ten Yugians with dark green uniforms and two with small start on their shoulder.

This two there Yugian officers.

"Why do they have greed uniforms"? Asked Echo. "Don't Yugian's have black uniforms"?

"The Elite Guard have black uniforms", replied Rex quietly. "This must be men from the regularly army. The Elite Guard are probably fighting for the Emperor".

"Greetings", said one of the officers then the Republic group stopped in front of him.

"Greetings, I'm senator Amidala…"

After a presentation of all.

"I'm general Hanim", said the man. "This is general Ilova".

Ilova nodded as a greeting.

"I'm sorry for commander Fdhek, but you know how Parkadians can be", Hanim said.

"Think nothing of it general", Obi-wan said and smiled.

Obi-wan turned to Echo and Fives.

"In the voice of friendship we wish to present a… gift to you", Obi-wan said.

Obi-wan, Anakin and Rex were against doing this but they were under orders.

Echo and Fives led forward their prisoner.

Hanim and Ilova just starred when they saw who it was.

"Risinic", Hanim said.

Hanim smiled.

"Come, follow me and meet our leader", Ilova said and the group walked inside a large building.

After a moment they were in a large room with a man in a dark green military uniform sat on a chair, surrounded by soldiers.

They stopped in front of him.

"My I introduce Lord Gal Vash, soon to be leader of the reborn Yugian Democratic Republic", Hanim spoke.

Lord Gal Vash is a Yugian around his 50s and a former senator for six, a minister for 13 and military commander for 18 years.

He has black short hair and tiered eyes.

"I greet you all", lord Vash happily told them.

"It is an honor to meet you lord Vash", Padme greeted him with a smile.

Vash walked up to them.

Risinic fell on her knees and bowed to him.

His eyes traveled directly over to her.

"I am not worth of your present", Risinic said quietly.

However Vash still heard her.

Risinic that wasn't an idiot knew that in the Republic she would have been executed for her war crimes against the Skiir People during her occupation of Mori Prime.

Or her attempt to occupy the planet to be more precise.

She was aware of that she would not be executed here.

An enemy of the rebellion or not, she's a legend for the entire Yugian people.

She's all your now", Anakin said.

Vash looked at him.

"I thank you master jedi", Vash said.

Vash turned to Risinic again.

She was still bowing on her knees.

"I'm your to command my lord", she said.

Same time later Rex, Anakin, Obi-wan and Padme are in a room talking.

Echo and Fives have returned to the Resolute.

"This is bad", said Anakin as he walked forward and backwards in the room.

"Anakin sit down", said Padme.

"This could not have played out worse", Anakin continued.

"Indeed I must agree Anakin", said Obi-wan. "But the fact that lord Vash reinstated Risinic as the military supreme commander of the Rebellions forces could not be foreseen".

It was quiet for a few seconds.

"But it's a massive moral bust for the Rebellion with her on their side", Padme said.

Obi-wan nodded. "But I wonder what her hidden agenda could possibly be".

/

"The ship are entering firing range general", the bold admiral said.

The admiral turned to Malank.

"Orders general"? He asked almost beggingly.

Suddenly the large ship fired at another cruiser.

"All ships open fire"! Ordered Malank immediately.

The first cruiser was destroyed.

Malank was about to give a new order then the ship shock.

"The unknown ship is firing on all four cruisers"! Said the Admiral.

"Take us to hyperspace"! Malank ordered as he saw two more of his cruisers destroyed.

"Our engines our gone general", the admiral said.

They saw how the last cruiser was destroyed and they could do nothing but watch.

Ashoka fell of the walkway in the middle of the room and fell down to the clones at the computer.

Several clones gathered around her to help her.

Then the ship stopped shaking.

Ezz had fallen to the floor on his back and now stood up.

The force are they doing"? He asked himself.

"They have stopped firing", Malank said.

"Sir they are boarding us", a clone said.

"Prepare all men to defend the ship", Malank ordered.

"The internal commsystem is down as well as our weapons", the admiral said.

Malank turned to Ezz.

"Follow me commander Ezz", he said as he run towards the door.

"Right behind you general", Ezz said and run after him.

Ashoka was a little dizzy after having fallen down.

With the help of a few clones she was up on the walkway again.

A clone put his hand on her shoulder.

Are you alright commander"? He asked. This one had white armor.

Ashoka nodded at him with a smile.

"I'm fine trooper, thank anyway", Ashoka replied. "Just a little dizzy".

At the same time Malank and Ezz had gathered almost thirty men.

Ezz was gathering more as Malank and the most of the other thirty was defending the ship.

Malank stood in a hallway with several clone troopers behind him.

He had activated his blue lightsaber.

As a door exploded someone on the other side started firing at him.

Malank found the weapon fire to be not blaster fire but more like some energy blast.

They were harder to deflect.

A clone beside him was hit and fell backwards.

A quite large wound could be seen on his chest.

Around the wound the white armor was black. Almost like the armor was burned.

The enemy came running through the destroyed door.

They had silver armor and a silver staff that they fired with.

"Fall back"! Malank ordered his men as the enemy soldiers came closer and more clones were killed.

Malank was hit in the knees and lost his concentration.

He was hit in the arm and dropped the lightsaber.

He was hit in the stomach and chest with three staff blasts before falling backwards.

The fire fight kept up in hallways in every direction on the ship.

Ezz and nine clones defended a hallway as the enemy came at them from four directions.

"Are you alright Carmine"? Ezz asked as he saw a clone get shot but not killed.

"Yeah, just… fine", Carmine said.

Ezz saw and heard how clones around him was hit and fell.

Suddenly Ezz was hit in the head by an enemy who swung his Staffweapon.

Ezz lost him helmet and his weapon.

As he turned around on the ground he wound that five men in silver armor pointed their weapons at him.

"Okay boys, don't fire", Ezz said.

Ezz fought it was a little weird that all enemy soldiers he'd seen yet was been human.

Ashoka was just about to leave the bridge then the enemy soldiers entered it.

Ashoka activated her two lightsabers and jumped at the enemy.

She swung around in the air and cut the head of two. She put the left lightsaber threw one and deflected energy blaster fire with the other.

As she pulled out the left lightsaber Ashoka destroyed three Staffweapons.

She flipped backward and kicked two to the ground.

But they Ashoka fell over something and dropped her lightsabers.

As she was about to get up she was that she had fallen over the dead admiral.

Then someone hit her in the head and knocked her out cold.

She had been hit with a Staffweapon.

A man with a golden mark on his forehead looked down at her.

"Shel-nok kree Jaffa", he said, ordering the other men to kill all except Ashoka.

Ashoka opened her eyes and saw that she was being dragged through an unfamiliar ship.

She must be on the enemy ship Ashoka thought. She wanted to resist but her body didn't have the strength to do so.

She was dragged into a large room with a gold throne in one end.

'Your got to be kidding me', Ashoka thought.

On the gold throne sat a bold man in black clothes and a black cloak.

The two Jaffa who dragged her let go and dropped her in front of him.

"Commander Tano", Ashoka heard a voice whispering.

Ashoka sat up and glanced to the right.

It was Ezz and another clone named Carmine who sat there.

"Are you…" Ezz started.

"Silence Scum"! The Jaffa with the gold mark on his forehead yelled and hit Ezz with the end of his Staffweapon.

"Hey! Stop that"! Ashoka shouted at the man.

The man walked over to her and hit her too.

"Enough", the bold man on the gold throne said in a high and dark voice.

"Yes my lord", the Jaffa said and slowly backed away.

The bold man looked at Ashoka and the two clones.

I am Memphis, now bow to your god"! He ordered.

"Great", Ashoka said to herself. "A man with a god complex".

"I don't think so", Ezz said to the man.

Then two Jaffa pushed in Malank.

Ashoka was horrified to see all the staff blast hits on him.

"Master"! Ashoka shouted.

Malank smiled at her. Or he tried.

"Jaffa kree"! Memphis said.

The Jaffa with the golden mark pointed his Staffweapon at Malank's chest.

The staff was only ten centimeters away.

"Don't hurt him"! Ashoka almost begged.

Memphis looked at her, smiling. "Kree Jaffa"!

With does words the Staffweapon pointed at Malank was fired.

Ashoka and the two clones looked horrified as Malank fell dead to the metal floor.

"Now, bow to you god", Memphis said with the same dark and deep voice but with a softer tone.

/

In the next part Anakin and Obi-wan helps the Yugian Rebels to plan an attack on the Yugian homeworld of Yovana.

Padme will try to get the Rebels to enter the Republic when they win the Civil War.

We will see what will happen to Ashoka, Ezz and Carmine.

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