Danny79: You are being a little harsh on the Jedi in their fighting with General Grevious. In their first combat with him on Hypori in the animated Clone Wars, Gervious managed to take on six Jedi, kill three of them, seriously injure two Jedi Masters, and was about to kill another before the ARC troopers arrived. The Jedi aren't stupid. They just weren't used to someone who could fight like he could, and he was taught by one of the best, Count Dooku. Not to mention that his body could do things that was not possible, which gave him a large advantage over others who were not used to him.
As to using the Force, it's been shown that he could dodge Force attacks and survive them unscathed. When he launched his attack on Coruscant to capture Palpatine, there was an entire chase scene where three Jedi, clone troopers, and Republic Guards tried to hold him off, using Force attacks, rockets, and blasters. The only one who was able to score a hit on him that was injuring was Mace Windu after Grevious had kidnapped Palpatine and was escorting him to a shuttle.
The Jedi aren't idiots. They are just not used to fighting someone like Grevious, who is a tactical genius.
Swatguy123456: Not sure if you are thinking that it is the Death Star or not, but i can promise you that it has nothing to do with that weapon. It was a CIS design anyway so the Terrans would have something different.
JJAndrews: Pretty much. No repeat of the Cold War is their goal, but would that be a good thing to happen? Hmmm... The Galaxy Gun... I can't say if it's that or not, but if you think it is, please tell me why you think it's the galaxy gun. I can say this: It's not going to be one of Palpatine's superweapons in its final form. It will be a early "prototype" that will be built upon.
Please feel free to comment or criticize, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm still waiting to see if there is anyone here who wants to guess what the Manhattan Project will be.
...
Year 14, Month 05, Day 11
RSN Guardian
Brittany System, Getov-occupied Floevis
"Order all starboard batteries to concentrate on the Getov cruiser," Admiral Garyth Stark ordered. "Have the capital ships draw out the defending vessels while the fighters escort the invasion force." There was a bright flash outside the bridge viewport as a turbolaser blast impacted the shield. Stark involuntarily flinched and consoled himself before looking down into one of the bridge command pits. "Status of the invasion?"
"Several beachhead has been set up on the surface, but they are experiencing tough resistance from Getov forces on the surface," the operations officer reported.
"What's the status of the hypervelocity gun that is on the surface?" he asked. "We're lost a cruiser to that thing already. We need to find out where it is."
"Admiral, I have an incoming transmission from the HMS Belfast. It's General Montgomery," the comm officer reported.
Stark hid a small grimace. He hated working with that man. He didn't question the man's courage, but he lacked any tact whatsoever. "Put it on my holoprojector, Lieutenant."
In front of his command chair, a quarter sized image of the commanding officer of the Brittany invasion force appeared. "Admiral, I want your capital vessels to move in closer and provide support for the forces landing in Zones Omaha, and Utah. The bloody Yanks are having difficulty with artillery that is watching over the sites."
"I can, General, but I need to know where that hypervelocity gun is," Stark explained. "If I bring them closer, I risk losing more ships."
"The bridgehead will be lost if the invasion force isn't able to hold its position," Montgomery countered. "We may be the diversion, but I will not be brushed aside. The capital ships can take the punishment. I will have a wing of bombers ready to hit it when it shows itself."
Admiral Stark was quiet for only a second before replying, "I understand, General. I will be moving three cruisers forward to that sector."
Montgomery nodded. "Good to hear, Admiral. Good luck; I have a war to fight." Montgomery's image disappeared.
When the Republic and Allied fleets arrived within the system, several Getov vessels had been in orbit over the planet. Nothing larger than a light cruiser, but it was the orbital defense stations that had proven to be a tough nut to crack. The famed Atlantica Line was every bit as tough as the Allies had expected. There were both proximity and ion mines, both of which played havoc on the fighters and smaller vessels of the fleet. After getting past the minefields, there were the series of defense stations that orbited the planet, each of them with enough firepower to hold off a strike force. It had taken the concentrated weapons of a third of the Republic's star cruisers to make a hole in the lines, and even then, it was a difficult fight. From the surface of the planet, fighters and anti-orbital defenses hit the invasion fleet, resulting in the loss of several landing craft before they could even reach the surface. All in all, it was nightmare.
Behind him Jedi Master General T'ra Saa walked up to him, her calm demeanor a contrast to the outside melee of space craft. "You don't like General Montgomery, do you, Admiral?" she asked, in a voice that was quiet enough to where the rest of the crew couldn't hear.
"Not particularly," Stark answered, in just a quiet tone. "He is difficult to work with. I heard that several in the Allied HQ who wanted General Harold Alexander to be in charge. I haven't met the men in person, but I have heard good things about him. I wish he was in command." He turned toward the comm officer. "Order the Avenger, Victory, and Liberator to over watch on the Utah and Omaha landing zones."
In the distance, several bright explosions appeared, with Admiral Stark demanding a status report. "Two Albion cruisers lost," the sensor operator reported. "A third one is reporting heavy damage and losing power."
"Incoming message from General Montgomery, Admiral," the comm officer reported. "He says that the ships were hit by a hypervelocity gun. He's managed to get its location from the telemetry data and wants the first wave of clones to hit it."
So much for that bomber wing to hit it when it shows itself, he though.
"Admiral, the latest sliced communications coming from the planet," the intelligence officer reported, handing him a datacard. "The slicers believe that the defenders are calling in reinforcements."
Admiral Stark placed the card in his datapad, with T'ra Saa standing close enough to read the contents. "Closest location would be the Calais System," the Jedi said. "It would take them about an hour at the least to make it here."
"Incoming ships exiting hyperspace," the sensor operator announced. "Getov heavy cruiser group incoming, bearing one-nine-seven. Allied ships are moving to intercept."
"Admiral Stark," the Jedi said, in a calm voice, "it looks like Getov forces were expecting us. How many ships have we lost?"
"Three ships. All of them belonging to the Allies. Several have been damaged and we've sustained heavy losses in our fighter groups. I would call for a retreat, but we have our orders and a job to do," Stark replied, and he turned toward his Operations Officer. "Ready the first wave of Clone Troopers. Tell them the Hypervelocity Gun at Normandy is their target."
"Remember, we have to keep the Getov's attention on us, to allow the Allies to begin their invasion," T'ra Saa said.
"Are you heading down to the surface?" Stark asked.
T'ra Saa was quiet for a few seconds before answering, "I am. The clones will need to see me there with them. Also, I can sense traces of the dark side on the surface."
"Teutonic Knights?"
She nodded. "I am not surprised. Heydrich and Hitler have corrupted them into something terrible. I'm the only one who has a chance of stopping them and bringing them back to the light." The Jedi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'll be on the first wave. If they see me there, they will come to me."
Admiral Stark gave T'ra Saa a respectful nod. "Then I wish you the best of luck, General, and may the Force be with you."
"And you, Admiral. I sense that this fight will determine a great many things to come. Let us hope that it is for the better." The Jedi turned to leave the bridge, and as she walked Admiral Stark watched. When the door closed behind her, he turned his attention back to the battle at hand. There was still much to do.
Year 14, Month 05, Day 11
Getov High Command
Getov Prime, the Greater Getov Reich
Fleet Admiral Karl Donitz looked up at the holographic display of the Brittany System. It was an all too familiar scene: The Allies were invading again. Transports, capital ships, fighters, bombers, and everything in between had converged on that system and were attempting to take it.
The room that he was in was filled, with the top commanders of the Reich present, or someone to represent them. Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering was there, as were Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, Grand Master Reinhard Heydrich, Colonel-General Alfred Jodl of the OKW, a hologram of Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt of the Atlantica Defense line, and several other senior officers. All of them were nervous about what this attack would mean to the Reich
On the Fuhrer's face, there was a look of both confidence and smugness. Turning his attention toward Field Marshall Rundstedt, he asked, "What's the latest reports from the Brittany System?"
Standing at attention, Rundstedt answered, "The Allied and Republic invasion fleets have managed to land on the surface of the planet, but they are being contained at this time. I have ordered the defenders to hold any offensive action and to gather their strength before going on an offensive to push them off the planet."
"It is all as I have foreseen," Heidrich said coolly. "Did I not say that this would happen? That the Allies and the Republic would attack Brittany in an attempt to take what is rightfully ours?"
"You were right, Grand Master," Hitler said. "You confirmed that I was indeed correct; that the Allies would invade the Brittany System, and now we are ready to throw them out of Europa." He looked at Donitz. "What is the status of the fleet?"
"The Tirpitz and her battle group are standing by for your order, Mein Fuhrer," he answered curtly. "I also have a strike force from the home territories ready to join them." He was unsure whether or not it would be able to defeat the Allied fleet in the Brittany System. It was the largest gathering he had assembled, and it was indeed formidable. If they could catch they could catch the Allies and Republic between the planetary defenses and the fleet, they could inflict some serious destruction on the Allies. "There is one other thing, Mein Fuhrer." This was a piece of information that he was unsure of what it meant, but he had to present it to Hitler in order to cover his own ass. "Naval intelligence has been unable to account for all of the ships that were based in Albion. So far, it's been estimated that about half of the total number has been accounted for."
Hitler thought for a moment and turned to look at Admiral Canaris. "Tell me, what have your agents learned? Is there anything that can explain where these other ships have gone?"
Canaris' face was like a rock, showing no emotion as he answered, "So far, our sources in Albion have not received word of anything. It could still be some time before others within their nation can report anything."
The Fuhrer's lip twitched slightly before he turned to the head of the Teutonic Knights. "Tell me, Grand Master, can the Force tell us where the other Allied vessels are? Obviously my commanders are unable to figure it out."
The slight jab at the abilities of High Command was not missed by Donitz and the others. Inwardly, he sighed. How could the Fuhrer have fallen so far? he wondered. He is too trusting of these Knights.
"I have seen many things, Mein Fuhrer," he said calmly. "In my meditations, I saw the Allies storming the Brittany System, and the missing ships departing Albion. I have not seen where they were arriving, but it would have to be Brittany. You were right, Mein Fuhrer, about the Allies focusing on Brittany. The others in this room said that Calais would be the destination, but like you have in the past, your insight into situations was correct."
He wasn't correct about the Rarus Federation, or Russia, Donitz thought to himself, and he was sure that others were thinking the samel. Heydrich began to speak about how his insight with the Force and Hitler's intuition were responsible for every victory the Reich had experienced, while Donitz only half listened.
After Heydrich finished, Donitz asked, "Would you like the fleet to depart immediately, Mein Fuhrer, or shall we delay the counterattack a few days?"
The Fuhrer looked up at the holographic display; the image showing the order of battle for the Getov defenders and the Allied invaders. It was constantly updated with the latest reports, with the last known force dispositions of ground formations, and those in space. From the information displayed, despite the Allies and Republic forces landing on the surface, there were still several strong orbital defense stations that were operational. A small smile showed on his face, barely noticeable when he said, "Let's delay the counter-attack for a few days. I want to give the Allies and their Republic friends a small glimmer of hope before we crush them."
"As you wish, Mein Fuhrer," Donitz answered with a nod.
"Also, I want you and Admiral Canaris to inform me of any new developments with those unaccounted for Allied ships," he said, looking at both admirals. "I do not doubt Heydrich, but if you learn when it could arrive and its projected path, I want raiders to ambush them with a gravity mine trap."
Both Donitz and Canaris acknowledged their orders when the Fuhrer looked around at everyone in the room. "This will be the turning point for us," he said proudly. "When we crush the Americans, Albians, and their Republic Allies, they will know that they cannot defeat us. They will know that the Third Reich will last a thousand years, and when we have finally crushed the Slavic Rarus Federation, we shall turn our attention to the Republic, and their alien controlled Senate." He spat the last three words as if the very mentioning of such a thing was disgusting.
"With the help of our Confederate comrades, we shall drive to the heard of this corruption and purge it from the galaxy, and the Republic that stood for a thousand years will be replaced but something greater. Something better. Something pure, and purged of the filth of the galaxy." Donitz saw a twinkle in the man's eyes as the Fuhrer continued speaking. "The Jedi Order will fall before the might of our Order of Teutonic Knights, who will be the guardians of all true Aryans throughout the galaxy." He stopped to look at each and every man in the room. "Are all of you with me?"
"I am, Mein Fuhrer," Heydrich said at once. "My lightsaber is yours. Now and always."
One by one, each officer agreed with the Fuhrer, that they would win this war against the Allies. However, even though Donitz said the words, he couldn't convince himself to believe them. I doubt that it will happen, he thought, trying to ensure that the former Jedi didn't feel his doubts.
Donitz had suspected it for a while, but now he was sure of it. The Fuhrer from Earth had arrived in the galaxy. He wasn't sure when he had come here, but it had to have been some time the previous year. It would explain why he had changed his stance on fighting the Rarus Federation, and how he knew that the Allies would invade Brittany. He felt a small sense of hope, that perhaps they could win this war against the Allies, especially if they could get assistance from the Confederacy. Their numbers would add to the strength of the Reich. However, there was something that he had been worrying about for the past few months. The SS and Teutonic Knights, especially Grand Master Heydrich, seemed to be getting more influential in matters of the war. He had heard rumors that Hitler was considering replacing several members of the General Staff with those who were part of the SS and Teutonic Knights. He had suspected that they would be ones who had taken part in the July 20 Plot on Earth, but with the better outcome of the war in the Rarus Front, and the preparations to push the Allies out of Europa, they would not have as good a reason as on Earth. Instead, Hitler may give them a different reason to do so.
Donitz had thought about revealing himself to the Fuhrer; that he was from Earth as well and had lived well past the end of the war, but he had stopped himself from doing so for many reasons. One of the biggest was that he had been the man who surrendered the Reich to the Allies after the war had ended, and that he had to defend himself for his actions in the war during the trials at Nuremburg. He knew that Hitler would have wanted him to continue the fight to the very end, but he couldn't do that to his people. Instead, he had surrendered himself to the British after calling for all surviving German forces to surrender to the Americans or British. He knew that Hitler would not have approved of that, and would no doubt be unable to trust him completely, especially after the failure to destroy the Republic fleet that had entered the Sector last year. That had caused the Reich to lose most of its offensive capability in the Atlantica Region, and now was purely used as a defensive force.
No, it is better to remain hidden, he thought to himself. He remembered how dangerous it was to operate the complex political environment of the German military, and Getov was worse with the Knights amongst them.
I might have to create a back-up plan in the event that the war goes the wrong way, thinking about the war going in a similar matter as back on Earth. I would have to make some preparations. Perhaps have one of the new raiders on stand-by in the orbit? He would have to think of that further, and maybe have his family ready to leave in a moment's notice. If the worst came to the Reich, he wouldn't stay in Getov, or anywhere in the Terran Sector. There were other parts of the galaxy where he could hide. Perhaps the Confederacy could use a man with his military experience. He would have to see how the war went, and make a few calls to see what was possible.
Year 14, Month 05, Day 13
Normandy Region
Brittany System, Getov-occupied Floevis
Clone Lieutenant CL-5879 "Sharp" ducked down in a ditch as mortars rained down around his position, thanking whoever was listening that he had dived here in the first place. Training on Kamino didn't cover much on this type of warfare, but the Terran commanders had shown him how to properly prepare for war. He figured that was why he had survived through this nightmare of a fight, and even with all of that training, none of it really readied you for the actual thing.
Their objective was to take out the hypervelocity cannon that was in the Normandy Region of the planet. The main problem that it had, was that it provided perfect overwatch for the two landing zones designated Utah and Omaha. Several landing ships and troop ships in orbit had been shot out of the sky because of it and so his company had been sent in to try and take it, with the assistance of the American and Albian forces that had managed to land.
His platoon was made up a combination of Terran and Clone soldiers. Normally, this would have caused problems for him, but after spending months with American and Albion soldiers, he began to see them as fellow brothers-in-arms. His job was to serve as a distraction for the defenders, while two more platoons from the company flanked the gun and its defenders. The only problem was that they had no idea just how many Krauts were.
Crawling through the dirt, he thanked Command for pushing for camouflaged uniforms. Their bright white armor would have stood out like a Hutt in a crowd if they hadn't done it. Looking through a wrecked speeder that had been there for years, he could see the main entrance to the facility.
Moving up beside him, was Sergeant Harrison of the United Systems. "Boys are getting into position," he said, barely over a whisper. He pulled out a small holomap and activated it, showing the locations of the defenses and where Getov soldiers were.
"Have five men get in position to hit that heavy blaster emplacement as soon as I give the word," Sharp ordered, pointing at the location on the map. "When they have its attention, the rest of the platoon will use thermal detonators to take it out. We'll move in and draw the rest of garrison while the other platoons hit them."
"Yes, sir," Harrison replied, nodding. "I'll give them the orders. They'll let you know when they get into position."
Sharp watched as the man disappeared. Behind him, were three other men, these from Albion. Two carrying an Enfield Battle Blaster Rifle and the other with a STEN. Giving them a nod, he looked at the small wall that served as a barrier. He waited for about a minute before he heard a clicking sound on the comm. Using that a signal that the men were in position, he whispered one word. "Now!"
A Browning Light Repeating blaster went off in the distance, firing off toward the Getov position. Shouts could be heard in the Getov language and the men at the blaster quickly returned fire. The others around him soon began to return fire, drawing more soldiers toward their location. Up in a tree, an American soldier fired at the emplacement, hitting one of the enemy soldiers. The other Getov men aimed their blasters and fired, knocking down branches as the American continued to draw their attention.
Sharp involuntarily ducked as a blaster bolt whizzed past his head, impacting the ground only a short distance away. I think we have their attention. "Detonators!" he called out over the comm. He reached down at his belt and primed one. Quickly releasing button, he threw it overhanded, along with several others as they flew through the air. A few seconds passed and a large section of the wall disappeared as the detonators exploded.
Moving up quickly, but keeping as low to the ground as possible, Sharp ducked behind the remains of the wall as other dived into the craters the detonators created. More shouts could be heard as Getov soldiers began to run toward secondary defensive positions. "Kill them!" he shouted, and a torrent of blaster fire chased the fleeing soldiers until none were left standing.
From deeper in the complex, the shouts of Getov soldiers could be heard, and none of them men needed a translation to know what they were saying. "Looks like we've kick the hornet's nest, Leftenant," an Albion Sergeant said. Looking over the crest, he could see the Getov soldiers getting ready to make a push. "I think we should let the others know we have Jerry's full attention."
"Can't disagree with that, Sergeant." The clone keyed his comm saying, "This is Sharp: Begin!" On the other sides of the facility, blaster fire was sounding out and the Getov voices began to sound more panicked. As he looked around, he saw a fixed heavy repeating blaster and motioned toward it. "Get a couple of men on that gun. We'll need it when Jerry comes this way."
As the Albion soldiers manhandled the heavy blaster into position, a small rumble could be heard. In the distance, an SdKfz-252 came around the corner, the heavy repeating blaster on top firing at the approaching.
"Cover!" Sharp shouted as he dived behind some rubble. The other men did the same, but a few were not fast enough. One was cut down as he attempted to dive into a crater that wasn't quite deep enough. His training kicking in as he raised his rifle and fired at the APC and the Getov soldiers who were quickly exiting it. The heavy repeating blaster that he had told the men to bring about began to fire, adding its firepower to the rest of the platoon's, causing the APC to focus its fire on it.
"Anyone have any rockets?" Sharp cried out.
"Right here!" another shouted. This one an American, he dashed from cover to cover, carrying one of the American bazookas. He was only a few meters away when a bolt hit him in the head, his body continue another step before falling to the ground, the rocket launcher only a short distance away.
Sithspawn, Sharp thought. "Cover me!" he ordered. He crawled out cover toward the rocket launcher as the others kept the Getov soldiers busy. Grabbing it, he crawled back quickly as he heard bolt fly overhead until he was back behind the wall.
"Got the rocket, sir?" an American Private asked.
"Right here," he said, patting it. Sharp gave the weapon a quick onceover to make sure that it was undamaged. Taking a deep breath, he raised himself over the wall and aimed at the APC. All he needed were a few seconds for the weapon to lock, and when he heard the chirp of the rocket locating its target, he fired. The rocket flew, twisting slightly as it made its way toward its target. It was only a few seconds, but the Getov SdKfz-252 detonated. The fire from Getov positions stopped for a moment as they saw their armored support go up in flames.
"There goes that problem," he said to himself as he got behind cover again. He keyed the comm to the other platoon leaders. "Platoon Leaders: what's your status?"
"Heavy resistance," one reported. "Uniform markings are that of the SS."
"There's a Knight here!" the other almost shouted. "I repeat: A bloody Teutonic Knight! He's rallying those around him!" The sound of blaster fire was heard. "I'm not sure if we—" The comm cut off and was filled with static.
"Shit!" Sharp muttered. That was Quincy's platoon. He keyed his frequency to those of his platoon. "We're moving it. Lieutenant Quincy encountered a Teutonic Knight. We're going to move in to support him."
The others quickly reloaded their weapons and moved quickly through the outside of the complex, ducking behind cover when they could and hoping that they could make it in time to save the others in time. As they came closer, they could hear the increase in blaster fire. A short distance away, they could see Allied soldiers being pushed back by around thirty soldiers. Some of them normal Getov military while the majority were wearing those of the SS. Another person stood out amongst them. He was in black armor, with red crosses on his shoulder guards, and one on his chest, with a white cloak around his shoulders. In his hand, he held a green-bladed lightsaber. He stood out in the open, deflecting bolts away from his comrades and sending them back to the Allied soldiers.
Taking aim with his bazooka, Sharp waited to hear the weapon lock and fired the missile. It was a dozen meters away when the Knight turned and held out his hand. The rocket stopped in midair and exploded when the Knight closed his fist.
"Bollocks!" an Albion soldier said, seeing the attack fail.
"All men open fire!" Sharp ordered. He threw down the rocket launcher and fired his blaster rifle.
"Hostiles! Right flank!" a soldier shouted.
"Shit!" Sharp looked to see another platoon of Getov soldiers moving toward them, moving forward in groups, taking cover, and then firing. "Heavy weapons on the right. Try to hold them back." He changed the comm frequency to those of the Battalion HQ. "This is Sharp in Grid E34. I am requesting immediate air support."
"This is HQ," the voice replied. "We are unable to provide support at this time. All available units are tied down at this time."
"Look, if you don't get us some damn support, you can forget about getting rid of the hypervelocity gun overlooking Omaha and Utah."
"Sharp," came another voice. This one was feminine and calm. Support will be there in five minutes. Hold out until then"
"Understood. Sharp: Out."
...
General T'ra Saa gripped one of the handrails as the Republic LAAT/I banked to the left to avoid laser fire. Looking around her were fifteen ARC troopers who had been placed under her command; all of them calm as they checked their weapons and gear before going into action.
ARC troopers were the best the Grand Army of the Republic had to offer, having been trained by the infamous bounty hunter Jango Fett and were given tasks that required more finesse. The taking out of the main cannon on Muunilinst, the rescue of Jedi Masters on Hypori from General Grevious, and dozens of other operations across the galaxy were some of their greatest accomplishments. They were also the only force in the Republic fleet that had arrived that didn't need much training, and instead had taught a few thing to the various commando units of the Allies. The Albian Special Air Service, the American Army Rangers, and others benefited from the exchange in training.
Looking at the ground below, T'ra Saa could see the advance of Allied soldiers on Getov defenses. Tanks from Shermans to the various Panzer types pummeled opposing formations, with a few taking potshots at the gunship. The beam cannons quickly silenced those who were foolish enough to try and bring them down. The gunship banked again, this time diving closer to the deck as several rockets shot through the air where they had been only a few moments ago.
"Approaching LZ: Ninety seconds," the pilot announced.
Gripping her lightsaber, General T'ra Saa allowed the Force to flow through her, feeling the ripples as she sensed the clones around her, the emotions of the men below them, and of the lives that were snuffed out. "Pilot, make a pass over the landing area before you begin to clear it. I'll relieve the soldiers there."
When the pilot acknowledged it, she returned to her thoughts. She could feel him. She was sure of that now. It had been years since she had seen him, but T'ra would recognize him easily. How could you have fallen so far? she thought. She remembered memories of him. His first arrival to the Temple, moved up to a padawan, and some of his first lightsaber duels with other Jedi. She remembered his smile, and how he always seemed to be laughing or causing some minor mischief with the teacher, but he had so much potential. I will not allow you to stay in the darkness.
"We are over the drop site, General," the pilot announced.
"Circle the area and provide support to the soldiers on the ground," T'ra said calmly. "I'll begin clearing the landing zone." Taking one last deep breath, she leaped out of the gunship. Falling, she pulled her lightsaber from the belt and ignited it, the familiar snap-hiss being heard by a few of the soldiers on the ground. Using the Force, she soften her landing, lightsaber off to the side as the soldiers all around her looked to see this new arrival on the battlefield.
Three Getov soldiers in the grey uniforms of the military charged her, bayonets attached to their rifles as they attempted to rush her. The first one to reach her was greeted with a quick slash upward, splitting his rifle in half and following with a slash across the torso. The other two fired their rifles, with each shot deflected away from her. They continued to fire, trying to find a weakness in her defenses until General T'ra Saa found her own. Raising a hand, she directed a powerful Force blast that sent the men flying off several meters away.
Two other Getov soldiers fired at her, these wearing the splotched camouflaged uniforms of the Waffen-SS. She felt the Force flow through her, guiding her hand and reflexes as her lightsaber intercepted the bolts of energy, deflecting them away from her. T'ra then dashed forward, moving faster than the soldiers had expected and cutting them both down in a single slash.
Blaster fire began to pick up, but it was from the Allied and clone soldiers who had been on the verge of being wiped out. Seeing the Jedi arrive had given them hope and began to rally themselves. At the same time, the LAAT began its strafing run, unleashing green beams of energy from its turrets on the Getov soldiers.
"Come one lads!" an Albian soldier shouted. "Let's show Jerry what we're made of!"
T'ra watched as they moved forward, diving behind cover and providing suppressive fire as another moved up ahead of them where it would be repeated. On her right, the gunship landed, with the ARC troopers disembarking and laying suppressive fire across the combat area. After unloading its cargo, the gunship began to rise off the ground, bringing its cannons to bear on the Getov soldiers. As it gained altitude, readying to provide over watch for the Allied and clone forces, it suddenly froze. T'ra could hear the repulsors strain as the power was increased to get it higher, but it stayed where it was, shuttering until it exploded in a brilliant fireball.
Shielding herself from the blast while everyone around her dived for cover, General T'ra Saa looked through the flaming wreckage as a single man walked through the flames. It parted as he walked, until he stood only a few meters away, his white cloak with a red cross billowing in the flames and a lightsaber in his hand.
Before her was the familiar human Diedrich Brandt stood. However, instead of the friendly face that she remembered, the one she saw was hard. The smile replaced with that of a stern frown, and the light he used to radiate instead flowed with the power of the dark side. "Hello Master T'ra Saa," he said in accented Basic. "I heard that you were leading the Republic forces in the sector, and I could feel you on the planet. That's why I came here to see you again."
"Diedrich," T'ra said calmly. "What are you doing? You know that this isn't right. You were never like this with the Jedi Order."
Brandt sniffed. "It's Komtur Brandt now," he answered coolly. "The Jedi are corrupt and are unwilling to do what is necessary to bring stability to the galaxy. Grand Master Heydrich showed me that."
"You aren't like this," T'ra said, trying to get to reach the man who she had known on Coruscant. "I know there is good inside of you. I can feel it. Come back with me. The Council will be fair to you."
"I was merely a padawan with the Jedi, but now I am a Komtur. I command thousands of men. I command fleets. I speak, and others listen. The Teutonic Knights will bring order to the galaxy." He paused, and T'ra saw something different in his eyes, as if he was having an internal struggle. "However, out of respect for you, I offer you this one chance to surrender yourself. I promise that you and your men will be treated with leniency."
The fighting around them had stopped as they watched the two interact. T'ra looked around at the men she commanded and took a defensive stance. "I don't think so."
Brandt's eyes soften for a moment, but then hardened. "Then there is only one thing left." He switched his comlink and said in Getov, The Jedi is mine. Attack!
T'ra took a step back and brought her lightsaber down low as Brandt rushed her and tried an upward swipe, blocking the former Jedi's strike. Spinning the blades and freeing her weapon, T'ra slashed through the air, missing Brandt's torso by a few centimeters as he did a backflip to distance himself away from the Jedi.
Taking a deep breath, Brandt picked up the remains of the Republic gunship and hurled a portion of the wing at her, letting out a primal yell.
T'ra leaped over the projectile, spinning over it as the wing harmlessly passed beneath her. Landing on her feet, she sensed another projectile coming, and looking up, could see several more large pieces of debris flying toward her. She leapt again, using the Force to guide her muscles to avoid the missiles. Gaps that would have been impossible for a normal person to squeeze through were a mere effort for her. Looking toward her former friend, she saw the missile tube approaching. Twisting in the air, she brought her lightsaber up and sliced the machinery in two, the separate sections flying off in different directions.
T'ra landed on the ground crouched, her lightsaber out to the side. Looking up at Brandt, she stood up saying, "You have grown powerful, my former student. I sense the dark side in you."
"There is no dark side," Brandt countered. "All that matters is how you use it, and I use it for the Reich."
"You still have much to learn, Brandt," T'ra said, and like a flash, she was in front of him bringing her lightsaber down in a smash across his torso, but it was blocked by the Knight's green blade. Letting go of the hilt of her weapon, she lifted her palm and unleashed a Force blast that sent the Knight flying off several meters away.
Fire! Brandt shouted in Getov, and several blaster bolts flew toward the Jedi. Reacting quickly, T'ra brought her lightsaber into the paths of the bolts of energy and deflected them away, but it was all that Brandt needed, and sent a torrent of lighting from his fingertips toward the Jedi.
T'ra raised a hand, and calling on the Force, blocked the lighting. Seeing an opportunity, the other Getov soldiers who had fired began to unleash a stream of fire toward her. "I thought you wanted to fight me yourself," she said, her voice straining as she tried to split her concentration between the blasters and lightning.
"I take any advantage I can to win," Brandt said, over the crackle of the lightning. "Who is the master now?"
Time to end this. Pulling on the Force, T'ra changed the barrier that she had in front of her and directed the lighting away and toward the Getov soldiers who had been firing at her. She was rewarded with hearing the cries of pain of the soldiers as the electricity coursed over them. "End this now, Brandt. Let me help you."
"No!" the Knight shouted, and charged T'ra, his lightsaber out to the side in a reverse grip as he ran. He slashed again, this time at her head, but was blocked by the blade of the Jedi's lightsaber.
His face was a fill with fury, and it cascaded off of him like the surf at a beach. T'ra couldn't believe that this was someone she would have considered a friend. What happened to you? How could you have fallen so far?
Moving with lighting reflexes, Brandt reached for his blaster and pointed it at the Jedi. He felt smug at seeing what had to be remorse on his former teacher's face. Pulling the trigger, nothing happened. The flash, smell, nor feeling anything through the Force came. He pulled it again, with the same result. What the hell is happening? he though.
"You were not focused enough on your surroundings," T'ra Saa said in a calm voice. In between the two of them rose the powerpack for his Walther blaster pistol. Using the distraction, she angled her blade and nicked Brandt on the forearm causing the Knight dropped the blaster. As he recoiled, she nicked him again on the opposite sided leg. As he let out another cry of pain, Komtur Diedrich Brandt knelt before the Jedi, and looked up. "Surrender yourself," she said in a soothing tone. She felt pity for the man before her, but she had to try and save him. "Return with me to the Jedi Temple and we can help you." Looking down, she extended a helping hand and could see the man's eyes soften. She could sense that there was conflict inside of him.
Brandt bowed his head taking a deep breath. "I have made my decision… Die!" He stood up quickly, his lightsaber in his hand and ready to strike when a blaster bolt was fired hitting the Knight in the head.
As he fell to the ground, General Saa looked to see an Albion soldier with an Enfield rifle, pointing it at the body of the Knight as he cautiously walked toward her, with three more soldiers behind him. "Bloody Jerries," he said.
Looking down at the fallen Jedi, T'ra could feel the Force fade away from him. The head was half gone and charred while the other half was still intact. "I could have stopped him," she said, turning toward the Albian soldier.
"You could have," he answered curtly, "but maybe you couldn't. In the end, he's dead, and that's one less Jerry we have to deal with, and one less Knight to serve their Fuhrer." He turned toward the other soldiers who had accompanied him. "Come on, lads. We've still a war to fight."
As she watched them go, her comlink chirped. Pressing the answer key, she replied, "General Saa here."
"General, it's Lieutenant Sharp. We've secured the hypervelocity gun," the clone reported.
Signing she replied, "Excellent work. Set the demo charges and get ready to pull out of here." Placing the comlink on standby, she took a moment to survey the area around her. There were bodies everywhere. Some of them Getov, others American or Albian, and there were a few clones as well. So much death. She looked over at the body of Diedrich Brandt. How could something like this have happened to you? Did Heydrich really have that much influence?
"General Saa? Genera,l come in please," a voice came over her comlink. "This is Admiral Stark."
"What is it, Admiral?"
"A Getov fleet has entered the system," he answered.
