Months later, the battle of Umbara began quietly. The only thing in orbit was the Separatist fleet. Umbaran weapons and starfighters didn't even come up. The republic navy entered space. Ahsoka and Barris stood beside Obi-Wan and Anakin. Its blockade was significantly less stable without the Umbaran ships. Landing on the planet was even more off putting. There was blaster fire, but it wasn't towards the clones. Umbaran militia shot at the B1 battle droids showing little remorse. When the clones landed with Anakin, a blaster bolt shot just beside his head. A trooper of the 502nd came out with his blaster trained on Anakin.
"Skywalker, you have to leave. All forces on this planet belong to the Galactic Defender's and you're…" The trooper stopped.
He looked down to see a buzzing lightsaber protruding from his stomach. General Pong Krell stood behind the 502nd trooper. The trooper raised its blaster at him weakly, showing more strength than most. That was just before his body was tossed off the blade.
"KRELL!" Anakin yelled at the Besalisk.
"What Skywalker? Our orders were clear. We were to take this planet. We even got confirmation that there were only hostiles down here." Krell stated.
"That was before we knew the Galactic Defenders were…"
His comm went off. "Master what did you do? My fighter is getting cease and desist warnings in fifty different languages."
"That couldn't be. I killed the man painlessly."
"Think...again. Jedi scum."
The two looked back at the 502nd trooper. He was leaning against one of the Umbaran trees. In his hand was a button that he pressed down on.
"Trooper this was an accident!" Anakin tried to explain to the trooper.
"Accident?... Funny accident… Tell that to the… boss." The trooper slid down the tree, dead.
Anakin's comm went off again. Wullf Yularen spoke through. "Sir we're picking up incoming forces. None of which are under galactic registry."
"Admiral, tell your forces to stand down and return to the ship!"
"Please Skywalker. We can still win this day." Krell stated. "All that needs to be done is to remove the clones and incoming fleet."
"If you think it would be so easy master Krell, try it." Krells comm beeped to life. Davicans voice projecting from it. "All Republic and Separatist force on and over Umbara. You are currently found guilty of breaking our treaty. As of this moment, both sides are under arrest and in my custody. Don't try to run, there will be no escape."
Anakin looked at Krell nervously. In the span of a few seconds, a fleet appeared. One ship was built like one of the minotaurs, except it didn't have a yamato cannon. Its cic was lower and in place of the yamato was a strange generator. It began to glow a bright blue. Behind it, a giant ship came from hyperspace. This ship was half the size of the Invictus. Many point defense systems were located all over the ship. Instead of the two silencer cannons, it had something else. It was a large cannon, the firing chamber was large and pronged on both the bottom and top. It had an ominous white glow in the middle of the prongs. Different kinds of point defense turrets also armed this ship. It had four hangers on it. One on each side.
Minutes later, the Jedi and their armies were on board the ship. The Separatist blockade was dismantled or disabled. Ahsoka and Barriss seemed nervous. More so than usual around Davican. Before they weren't in any real trouble. This time however was different. Anakin looked towards Obi-Wan with a slight apologetic look. Krell however didn't share this. He looked as disinterested as could be. The weapons of all the clones were confiscated which made them jittery as well. Davican came into the room. He wasn't wearing his mask this time. His brow was patched with a bacta patch. Bandages covered his lower ribs and his arm was drenched in blood. Wincing with each step he took. Ahsoka and Barriss covered their mouths at the sight.
"Davican. What happened to you?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly.
"Yuuzhan Vong. Thud bugs and Razor bugs. Amphistaff as well." Davican began. "I had to drop my battle with them and gather the least essential part of my fleet to come back here because someone murdered my trooper that was left to help with the worlds garrison and training! So who is responsible for the murder of my men!" He slammed his hand into the wall, denting it.
"Davican… It was my fault. I take full responsibility for it." Anakin stepped forward.
"...I don't have time for you to take the blame for someone else's mistake skyguy! SO WHO WAS IT!?" Force exuded from his voice, pushing everyone back. The clones who weren't skilled or trained in the slightest bit in the force, were thrown back into the walls.
"Calm yourself young magister. It was just a clone. They…" Krell was interrupted when Davican's saber scythe cut part of his chest.
"Don't. You don't seem to understand or respect the lives of all beings. How you became a Jedi, let alone a master is beyond me. Now you have a choice. You either apologize for the clone's death, or I make the order system of the Republic much much simpler." Davican growled.
"Apologize?! For a single clone?! You must be…"
The scythe cut down the neck of the Besalisk. Davican turned his scythe off and calmed slowly. The 502nd saluted him as he walked towards the door. He stopped in the doorway and spoke to the remaining people.
"Leave Galactic Defender space. Or we will fire upon every ship that's Republic or Separatist alike." Davican said with great disdain in his voice.
The Jedi did as instructed and got their army out of there. The droids weren't so lucky. The massive cannon from the ship fired off a spread of strange shells. They struck the shields with large emp bursts and those that got through blew chunks from the hull. Shot after shot bombarded the Separatist ships till there was nothing but scrap. Anakin arrived at the temple with Pong Krell's lightsabers in hand. He looked down at the oversized sabers before bringing them to the council.
"Pong Krell was killed by the magister?" Windu asked Anakin.
"He was. Krell killed one of his men, so he killed him." Anakin answered. "He then said he'd fire on any ship, Republic or Separatist, if the armies didn't leave."
"Hmmm. Troubling this is. Anger the magister, we have." Yoda spoke somberly.
"Master Yoda, he is a threat to this whole Republic. We have to take action."
"Revenge, not the Jedi way. Lead to the dark side, it does." Yoda stood and walked from the council.
Many of them looked at the old alien. However, they all knew what he said was true. Skywalker looked down thinking about how things could have gone differently. If only he stood up to Davican. If only he drew his saber on the boy. In the end, he knew he was helpless. No matter what he did, he would of been at his mercy. Anakin thought about gaining power to crush him.
Ahsoka walked alongside Barriss. Both of them looked down to the ground in deep thought. Davican murdered a Jedi master. Pong Krell may not have been liked or anything, but he was still a Jedi master. They walked past the temple guard with quiet somber. The guards looked down at the two padawans with ever watchful eyes.
"Ahsoka… Do you think…. Do you think that Davican's alright?" Barriss asked kindly.
"...I wish I could tell you Barriss. Every time we've seen him, he was on some kind of mission." Ahsoka said quietly.
"Maybe… Maybe he's overworking himself. The stress from running such an active empire like the Galactic Defenders."
Ahsoka looked deep in thought before smiling. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it Barriss. He's just stressed. We need to find a way to get him to relax for a while."
"But how? We can't leave the temple to someone else's fight without them saying so."
"...Atia." Ahsoka smiled and ran with Barriss.
The two ran to the comm center. Cin Drallig was there on watch with his padawan knight Serra Keto. Serra smiled at the two padawans. The two then left the comm chamber to give them privacy with their call. Ahsoka thought before bringing up a call for Atia. When the hologram came on, they saw her in the middle of a battle with two giant creatures, screaming at the top of her lungs. The eyes of the two padawans widened in both terror and awe that she was outrunning them. They then saw Davican meditating. Both the giants stopping before him. They then turned and went the other way attacking what used to be their allies. Atia panted and recollected herself slowly.
"Ahsoka, hi. Sorry. How long has this been on?" Atia said between breathless gasps.
"What were those?" Ahsoka asked in marvel.
"Those? Oh biter and beater. Sgauru and Tu-Scart. Can I help you? I'm kinda in the middle of a…" She immeadiatly ducked below two flying bug like creatures.
"Um. Yes sorry. We were worried about Davican."
"Is this about him killing Pong Krell? If so he was, EEK!" She moved aside and used her lightsaber to fend off a Amphistaff wielding Yuuzhan Vong. When the fight between her and the vong ended, she panted.
"No. We're worried that about him. He's going through a lot of things so fast. With little break."
"Oooooh. I see. You're worried about him getting stressed from the constant work."
"Yes… We're worried it might be affecting him.
"Say no more padawans. I will look into it shortly. Just… try not to get yourselves killed. I don't think he'd know what he'd do without you both."
She turned off the call. Ahsoka and Barriss shared a smile before heading to their training. Back on the warzone, Davican meditated. His thoughts communicating with the thirteen Dhuryam. Each one's thoughts and actions in each domain made them the rulers of the Yuuzhan Vong creatures. He compromised, bargained, and even pleaded with some. In the end, his eyes opened. Tired and not as full of life as they used to be. His skin paler than what it once was. He didn't dabble in the dark side of the force. However he relied on his force abilities more and more lately just to get through the day. He… was dying.