Chapter 36: United

"Down! Down!" Oro urged in a whisper. They crouched near the edge of the valley. Rodrigo crawled up to the lip with Galia while Smash and Gutter kept watch. "There are thousands of them. Guess we know what those explosives were for."

At first it seemed like the ground hadn't quite settled. Until they realized, thousands of droids marched towards the fortress. Most of them were crab and spider droids along with hundreds of Geonosians. Their wings twitched, despite walking across the surface. The fortress sat tilted, precariously settled on uneven rocks. The former walls lay scattered around it.

"Is anyone alive in the fortress?" Galia asked and was answered by a stray blast from the sunken building. The Separatists returned fire by volley, thousands blasting the structure. Fortunately the rubble created cover with lots of cracks and crevices for defenders to hide in. More shots emerged from the fortress and someone started up a mounted auto-cannon; the slow boom-boom-boom tore great swaths of destruction. Spider droids returned fire and the cannon exploded in blue-red flashes. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing, we wait," Rodrigo replied. His team looked at him in shock. "There are thousands of droids reinforced by Geos. That's open ground down there in daylight. Galia and I couldn't make it through there alone. I'm not sacrificing anyone in some mad dash."

At that moment, the shooting just stopped. They looked at each other before looking over the ledge. Within the droids remained but they waited without attacking. The fortress was equally silent. A few clones appeared as dots in the distance while they moved around.

"Is there any radio transmissions from the fortress?" Rodrigo asked Smash.

"Short range transmissions jammed sir."

"Oro, can you see a concealed path or short road to the fortress?"

"There's one but if we're discovered, we're finished," Oro shrugged. "We'll have a better chance if we wait till nightfall. Regardless, movement draws more attention than staying still."

"I don't like the idea of being caught in the open," as Rodrigo spoke several Geonosian fighters raced overhead. They flew in pairs and circled around, obviously patrolling. "It's too dangerous to remain here. Whatever stopped the fighting down there may not include us. If we're spotted by a fighter we'll be caught without cover. Oro, lead us in."

The Mon Calamarai nodded, leading them along the edge to a notch in the rim.

"This is a terrible idea sir and I fully support it." Gutter smiled and Galia joined him.

Rodrigo had no response. They descended into the scar that sliced down the side of the canyon. There was just enough rubble to hide behind when a patrol of droids passed through; they desperately hoped no one looked over the side. They hid again as another patrol moved through. Then suddenly the patrol stopped and remained there. They didn't dare climb outside of the notch and the patrol was too large to eliminate without drawing attention. So they waited.

…and they continued waiting. Rodrigo felt uncomfortable but he didn't sense any particular danger. Oro lay on the ground, his camouflage effectively blending him in. Smash and Gutter watched their backs and the walls. Galia remained close to him, which he appreciated.

"This is taking too long," Rodrigo told her. He waved the Clones closer and asked, "Oro, can you hear us from there?"

Oro gave a thumbs up without looking at him.

"We don't know what stopped this battle and without more information I'm not going to restart it. So that leaves us with two choices, go back or hide here. What are your thoughts?"

"Here. There. They're both bad. Here we can fight and run sir," Smash shrugged.

Gutter just smiled and Rodrigo found it both endearing and irritating at the same time.

"Maybe we're worrying too much," Galia suggested.

"Not likely." The voice was so deep and synthesized they raised their weapons instinctively. A super battle droid looked on from the rim of the notch, its casing tarnished with ash, soot, and scorch marks. One of its arms was replaced by a huge bulk loader appendage. In the other hand it carried a sonic blaster. The bulk loader arm had a massive grasping claw that nearly dragged on the ground, painted cautionary yellow.

"One-Arm," Galia gasped and lit her lightsaber. Oro was by her side in a heartbeat, rifle tucked in his shoulder.

"No!" Rodrigo yelled at them. "Everyone just remain calm. Look around."

One-Arm raised his hand and both rims of the notch filled with his hybrid droids. Reinforced by both Geonosians and Spider droids, they watched with a frightening stillness.

"How did you find us?" Rodrigo kept his tone casual.

"Jedi logic." The droid replied. "If you can't charge, sneak around or through. Statistically this valley was the highest probability in the gorge."

"Why didn't you attack us?" Galia hesitantly asked.

"Orders. General Zurskur is negotiating with Jedi Knight Kenobi. We're on standby."

Gutter grinned, "Can you still call him One-Arm if he has two?"

"Please don't provoke the leader of the overwhelming droid army," Oro laughed.

"One-Arm?" The super battle droid inquired. "My designation is Flail."

They gave each other an awkward look but Rodrigo didn't miss a beat.

"Greetings commander Flail. I am Jedi Knight Rodrigo Voxx and this is my Padawan Galia Paltz. May we pass through to the fortress?"

A gruesomely scarred Geonosian spearman next to Flail shook his head and pointed at them, "Giblub gabbo lahhbu."

Flail turned his torso, as his head was embedded in it, to look at the spearman. He considered the Geo's words before he answered.

"Negative Piktok. Orders are to standby. Pass through Jedi Knight Rodrigo Voxx."

"Thank you commander Flail," Rodrigo bowed respectfully before he motioned for them to move. Only a few steps later, the ground trembled, before it began shaking. It settled for a moment and Rodrigo asked. "Are the catacombs beneath us collapsing?"

"Negative. This is the lowest point," Flail answered.

The ground shook again, far more violently than the first.

"Out of the notch!" Oro yelled.

They scrambled up the sides, Rodrigo and Galia first, followed by Oro and Smash. Gutter needed help and Rodrigo offered him a hand. Their wings humming, the Geonosians lifted off the unstable ground to watch from above. Flail turned and observed.

Fissures spread across the ground from their side of the valley. Not quite near them, they watched as rocks and boulders rolled free. The very ground exploded as three massive heads stretched out of the hole. The heads looked around for a moment and focused on the Geonosians flying nearby, who screamed and fled.

Flail turned to Rodrigo, "Is this a Jedi trick?"

"No," Rodrigo vehemently shook his head.

"Is this your fault?"

"Maybe." Rodrigo winced and Guttered added, "Oh yeah."

Flail commanded, "Attack the monster!"

Thousands of droids bombarded the heads. The heads withdrew before the whole creature broke free. The droids and the Geonosians pounded the creature but the sheer size of it and the thickness of the carapace diminished their attacks. The hydra jumped, crushing droids beneath its feet as it landed. The heads snatched Geonosians from the air and ate them.

Oro suggested, "If you distract it master Jedi and Gutter provides cover fire, maybe we can save some Geonosians."

Gutter unleashed his rotary blaster, spraying the center head. Smash fired more conservatively. Rodrigo and Galia ignited their lightsabers. Almost instantly the Hydra's three heads turned on them. The eyes narrowed and it lunged. Its wings flapped before it landed directly over top of them, sending droids and Clones fleeing. Gutter threw himself back into the notch, Oro not far behind.

"Follow me!" Rodrigo told Galia as he jumped on the creature. They slashed and hacked at its carapace, doing little more than annoying the beast. Its heads turned towards them and Rodrigo said. "Jump off!"

They fled as the heads snapped at them. Seconds later the volleys of droid blasts struck the creature again, causing it to flinch and refocus on them.

"Attack the heads!" Flail ordered. "Concentrate fire on the heads!"

Oro shot, striking an eye, causing the hydra head to screech and back up a few steps. Enraged, it lunged forward, claws slashing at him. Oro and Gutter scrambled madly; claw marks rent the notch.

"Boost!" Flail ordered a crab droid. The droid compacted itself and sunk to the ground. Flail jumped on it, then it launched him in the air towards the Hydra head. His big arm seized a hold while he shot at the creature's eyes. The head squeezed its eyes shut and shook madly, trying to free itself. Distracted by Flail, Gutter and Oro fled from the clawed feet.

Gutter looked at Oro, "That was amazing!"

Another head noticed the rider and shot towards Flail. It snatched him up before gobbling the droid. The Geonosians screeched in horror, many of them falling from the air in shock.

"That was amazing too!" Gutter yelled.