"If I can hack into the mainframe, we might be able to get to a ship..."
"Well we can't do it from here! But...!"
"Enough rambling soldier! You've disabled all the cameras, correct!?"
"There wasn't any in here, there's only the one and it activates when this comm to the Jedi Council connects, they must want to keep an eye on his reports to the council..."
Voices, they sounded strangely like his brothers. But Cody was aware it couldn't have been them, they could have been droids replicating clone voices, he didn't know if they were looking at him now. He felt his hands binded behind a chair, he still felt his head throbbing from where his assailant had struck him. He had to be careful about this as he cranked open his eye oh so very slightly.
"You're awake, it's about time commander" another voice muttered instantly, a brown eye inches from his own.
Cody threw his head back in suprise, he attempted to headbutt his assailant but they moved too fast and leapt backwards.
He went to scream for help, but realised then his mouth had been gagged.
"Calm down Commander, don't you recognise us?"
Cody went to scream "Separatist scum" but stopped himself, now he could see he was speaking too. It was a clone indeed, three of them. But their armour was far more bulky than that of standard clone trooper. Their helmets lay by their sides and instantly Cody understood by the design of their helmets, their bulky armour and their larger physiques, that these were no ordinary clones. But Clone commando's, the most elite of the elite, the clone looking at speaking at him must have been the leader, his armour painted with splashes of orange, the other two were adorned in green and yellow armour.
He knew them, faintly.
Delta Squad.
If he remembered correctly, he knew this elite unit was used for all sorts of top secret missions and infiltrations for the republic's grand army.
Cody nodded at the leader's question, as the genetically superior clone, began to remove the gag.
"He'll scream for help, don't do it Boss!" the yellow clone exclaimed.
"It could be risky" The green clone agreed, eyeing Cody with unease.
"Boss" (Cody didn't know their names, but he'd soon find out) looked apprehensive, but removed the gag anyway and held his breath...
"Delta Squad" Cody muttered, racking his brains, remembering the last report he'd heard from them, "What on earth are you doing here? Sneaking around and trying to steal a ship, what's gotten into you, Weren't you assigned a mission to Kashyyyk? That's the last I heard from you"
"That really didn't go to plan" Boss said, casting a nervous glance at the door "and... where's Master Shaak Ti anyway? Weren't these her chambers? What are you doing here Commander Cody? Are you guarding this room, is she avaliable?"
"Hang on, hang on...!" Cody snapped "What the hell are you talking about, answer my questions, first!"
"We don't have any time, where's Master Shaak Ti!?"
"She's gone with Master Kenobi to take Mandalore" Cody snapped "I've taken her place".
"Damn it" Boss snapped bluntly "Can you get us back to her? We have intel, we need the republic to know"
"Now wait just a...!" Cody began to rant, before the yellow clone cut him off.
"Erm… guys, a Kaminoan is outside!" he called out nervously.
"Everyone back in the vent, NOW!" Boss ordered harshly, before he could join his retreating squad mates, who squeezed themselves into (what Cody realised) was an open ventilation shaft near to the ceiling. Boss himself stopped and undid Cody's bindings, the commander felt obliged to punch the commando, but kept his hands by his side and his feet steady.
"We weren't here, is that clear, soldier?" Boss informed him.
"Why...!?"
"They're looking for us, we're set to be terminated but we escaped"
"Commander Cody, is everything alright in there...?" the male Kaminoan called out.
"What is going on!?" Cody inquired sharply, lowering his voice, eyeing the door nervously.
"Help us and we'll explain everything, you have my word on that" Boss muttered.
With that he followed his brothers into the vent and slammed it shut behind him, just as the leader of Delta Squad did that, the door to Cody's room was slid open and he found himself looking up at the tall Kaminoan male who narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Commander, who we're you talking too?" he asked curiously.
"I..." in that moment he could feel Boss' eyes peering at him through the vent, with a deep breath he gave his answer...
"No one... just swore to myself because I fell over this chair..." Cody explained tapping the said-chair with his foot "I just picked it up and..."
"What's this rope and gag for?" The Kaminoan muttered, curiously glancing down at the objects surrounding the chair.
"I was cleaning up and found these" Cody answered vaguely "I was carrying them to the disposal bin when I tripped".
"I see" The Kaminoan said, "Regardless, I've been asked to inform you that you need to get back to your duties".
"Right, okay..." Cody said, adjusting himself and preparing to follow the tall man outside of the room. Yet Cody couldn't help but look up at the vent, once the Kaminoan man had turned away. He could see Boss swiftly crawling away, barely making a sound and as Cody began his usual routine, he found he couldn't wait to get back into his room when he'd finished his duties for the day.
Because he had so many questions.
But he kept them to himself at the moment, he didn't dare ask any of Kaminoans anything, he had a feeling they were suspicious of him anyway, if he wanted honest answers he knew he wouldn't get them from his heartless creators.
But from the republic's finest soldiers, trained and bred to get this intel.
Republic cruisers carried many of the wounded clones back to safety, the city itself was a smoking wreck, buildings reduced to rubble, people left to wander dazed and confused, republican medical services and high ranking politicians and senators had moved in to see to the aid and recovery that the planet would receive, or at least this city. Obi-Wan himself was sat on a medical cruiser awaiting his departure, dimly watching people buzz around looking busy, whereas he was so still and calm...
"Avenge us..." Maul had said, their last encounter still played heavily on his mind.
"I can't believe you did it" Bo-Katan said, appearing by his side and taking a seat next to him "You got rid of Maul".
"I don't think the problem's over however" Obi-Wan warned her.
"Doesn't matter" Bo said "We owe you a lot for this".
Obi-Wan blinked, he didn't know whether too feel touched, or ashamed of his actions.
"Listen, Bo about Korkie..."
"He died for Mandalore" Bo said simply, telling her the news at first, had been difficult for Obi-Wan and she said she needed a minute alone to process it and although Obi-Wan could see the tears wetting her eyes now, she carried on speaking, holding herself together.
"He knew the risks and he took them, he made me proud" she said "They'll be time to mourn him later, what he did, he did for his planet, just like my sister did" she went silent there before continuing "I know me and Satine didn't see eye to eye on everything, she was a stubborn woman. Foolishly stubborn to be honest, drove me insane. How she could be so pacifistic despite everything... I saw it as a determent to our society, but looking back now... despite me not changing my mind, I still loved her because she had a heart of gold, truly she did and Korkie did as well".
Obi-Wan looked at her closely now, there was truth behind her words, but that also left him with a burning question he didn't want answering.
"But what now?" he asked "Maul has gone, the city is essentially going to become one with the republic..."
"They've discussed using us Mandalorian warriors in battle, for the republic" she snapped "Doesn't surprise me, they'd take over a planet and expect it's people to bow to it's rule. They sent brainwashed kids to literally blow themselves up in the name of the republic, Obi-Wan how..."
"I know" Obi-Wan said "I know what the republic is becoming... or already is. I'm going to be honest with you Bo, give it a few months. You'll be fighting against republic rule, you won't submit for them, or fight for them will you? You know you'll be killed, they'll just firebomb the city or send in more of our young friends..."
"If you're telling me to be submissive to them..." Bo began.
"I'm telling you that I won't fight you" Obi-Wan said "I helped liberate this planet from Maul, I won't let it fall under another tyrannical regime, when the time comes, I'll come back".
Bo eyes widened.
"But... not for the republic?"
Obi-Wan was silent, unable to mutter the words.
He'd spent his entire life fighting for the republic and following the Jedi-Code, rebelling away from all of that frightened him, only one thing ever came close to getting him to leave all that behind. That thing, happened to be a certain Duchess, she was gone, but her planet and what was left of her family still remained and as Obi-Wan looked behind him, he could see where an injured Boil was watching him, before he could answer Bo's question, Shaak Ti (wounded and weary) had called him over, it was time to leave.
"Well this is farewell for now" Obi-Wan said, getting to his feet and taking her outstretched hand "Try not to kill anyone just yet Bo".
"That's going to be difficult" Bo said "and I believe our sewer lines need cleaning, might send some of our new friends down there..."
Obi-Wan laughed in dark humour.
"Well, I suppose that's technically not you killing someone" he muttered, "But seriously, play it safe and look after yourself, look after everyone in this city. You can honour Korkie and Satine's memories by protecting the people here".
"I know that and you look yourself as well Jedi" Bo said with a small smile "Until we meet again..."
She smiled at him and walked off towards where the rest of Death-watch were awaiting her, Obi-Wan gave them one last look as Bo placed the all-too familiar Mandalorian helmet back on her head, Obi-Wan could only hope good things awaited them after the hell they'd been through, but hoping was foolish during this war and everyone knew whatever was coming next wasn't going to be pleasant.
With those troubling thoughts in mind, the republic cruiser set off, Obi-Wan was left to look back at the city, moments later, the bio-dome and before long the planet itself as they prepared to dock aboard Yularen's ship. The whole journey had been silent, everything that had happened was too much to process, for Obi-Wan, the clones and Shaak Ti herself.
"We've won" Shaak Ti finally muttered "But it doesn't feel good at all, does it?"
That statement alone summarised everything Obi-Wan and the men around him must have felt. From the republic's viewpoint, this was a massive victory, the day had been won. Darth Maul, Savage Opress and Prime Minister Almec slain, their two Jedi generals had survived, a large portion of the 212th had survived the mission as well.
But they wouldn't take into account the children that had died, so many of them just bred like sheep to the slaughter, the loss of Commander Hap, the loss of Korkie, the loss of the Jedi's faith in the republic, the butchering of civilians fighting against the republic invaders.
Obi-Wan knew, after this mission, something had changed, with him, the clones and Shaak Ti.
Things weren't going to be same from this point onwards.
A/N: Happy new year everyone! Hope you had a happy holidays as this fic continues on, now for the reviews, yeah I should have called that the dark sabre Taitanorules555 thank you for pointing that out for me, especially considering that I've just watched the Mandalorian and that ending scene... yep that has got me hyped for season 2. A lot of these past chapters have focused on Mandalore and will be returning to it as the show gave me a better insight on their traditions as warriors and how badass they really are.
and ccmonty, yep the canon does spilt, with the omission of the Mandalorian, Rogue One (and Solo at a push) I really haven't liked what Disney have done with star wars (in other words the new trilogy and most of rebels).
But yep, it's confirmed Delta Squad are back, originally It was going to be the Bad Batch that Cody meets on Kamino, but as you'll see later on, having it be Delta Squad will suit the story so much better and tie up many loose ends, as for now I hope you liked this chapter!
Also just to clarify a few things, I haven't read the darth maul novel, but the gist of it is, he escapes due to the aid of Mother Talzin, who dies at Grievous hands, I can confirm things went differently to that and Talzin is still alive and will make an appearance much later on. As Maul was weakened, humbled and tortured by Palpatine and then freed by Palpatine so Maul could fulfill his last purpose of killing Obi-Wan and doing Palpatine's bidding.
As for the delta squad, what happened in the game is canon in this fic, rather than how we see them in the clone wars (I know it's only a cameo, but I just want to clear up the confusion) so the business on Kashyyyk will certainly involve them as the fic progresses.