Knight's Birth

Chapter 2: Proving Grounds

Counterattack! With the Clone Army stretched in a desperate attempt to engage General Grievous' starfleet, Separatist planets that were once thought secure are now rising up against the Republic. On Geonosis, Separatist leader Poggle the Lesser, safe in his newly ray-shielded factories, creates thousands of terrible new weapons which march off the assembly line against the outnumbered Clone Army.

The Jedi, resolute in their effort to restore order to the Republic, mount a massive invasion to retake Geonosis and shut down Poggle's factories of terror once and for all.

Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ki-Adi Mundi gaze down upon the red-sand deserts of Geonosis, their next battlefield. Obi-Wan sighed and turned to his fellow master.

"I cannot believe we're back here again." The oblong-headed master nodded in agreement with Obi-Wan's annoyance.

"It is unfortunate. The resistance from the native Geonosians was stronger than we anticipated."

The sound of the door into the bridge opened as Anakin and his Padawan, Ahsoka, entered, along with Valor. Valor and Ahsoka had only met a week ago, yet they acted as if they'd been friends for a long time.

"So, Jarik's like, 'You're going down, Valor!' And I was like, 'Oh yeah? Try me!'" Valor had to pause as he couldn't help but laugh at the story he was about to tell. "Here's what he did. He charges at me and takes a massive swing, so I just dodged. Well, the fact that I dodged meant his momentum kept him going, and so he ended up falling flat on his face right at Master Yoda's feet!" Ahsoka laughed hysterically, the image of a pubescent boy falling on his face too funny for her to keep in.

"Hahaha! Man, your class was a lot funnier than mine was. Everyone in mine was so serious and uptight."

"You're late," Obi-Wan spoke, looking at the three Jedi with a not-so-pleased visage.

"Sorry, Master. Ahsoka and I were busy routing the Seppies near Dorin," Anakin explained.

"My squadron alone had 55 kills." Ahsoka looked back at her master with a smug expression that was quickly wiped off by Anakin's one-up.

"Yeah, but mine had 76." Valor made a silent "OH" expression and acted like his mind was just blown.

"Show-off."

"What about you, Valor? Any excuse?" Obi-Wan's disapproving gaze made the Padawan stop in his tracks and right himself.

"Well, I was getting familiar with the troops, Master. You know, introducing myself. Cody's a bit uptight, but I guess he's gotta be since he's the commander of an entire battalion. Waxer and Boil were pretty cool, though. Waxer even showed me his rocket launcher… And I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"Yeah," every Jedi present simultaneously replied, causing the young Padawan to shrink into himself in embarrassment.

"Getting familiar with your men is a vital step in becoming a leader," Ki-Adi stated, easing Valor's worries and loosening his posture.

"Well, I'm glad you three enjoyed yourselves," Obi-Wan said with a deadpan expression.

"Hey, it's just a little friendly competition, Master," Anakin responded. "Nothing to worry about." Obi-Wan shook his head at his friend's antics.

"What I worry about is the way this war seems to be drawing out with no end in sight."

"Which is why it is crucial our invasion of Geonosis meets with success," Ki-Adi stated. Anakin nodded in agreement with the Cerean Jed iMaster.

"Agreed. Ahsoka, contact the Outer Rim Command. We're ready for our briefing."

"They're already waiting for us." The group of Jedi walked over to the holotable, where the images of Masters Unduli, Windu, and Yoda, along with Chancellor Palpatine, were apparated.

"Our ships are in position, and we are ready to begin our campaign against the Geonosians," Obi-Wan explained.

"And what about Poggle?" Valor had come to recognize Mace's deep, commanding voice as the voice he'd heard at his Padawan induction. The voice certainly matched the man. "Any report on his location?" Obi-Wan swiped the holotable, bringing up a map of Geonosis.

"It seems he's holed up at the primary droid foundry here." He outlined a single building that was pretty hard to miss. "The factory is protected by a shield generator. Anakin, Ki-Adi, and I shall attempt a three-pronged attack through their defense lines to a staging area just short of the shield." Three sets of green lines popped up, illustrating the attack plan Obi-Wan just described. "Once we have landed, we shall knock out the shield generator. That is our primary target." The soft voice of Palpatine interjected.

"Isn't it risky committing three generals to one area of the attack? If something went wrong, we could be dealt a serious blow."

"To ensure that rise again Geonosis does not, capture Poggle we must." Yoda's wise words reminded Valor of the days when Yoda taught him and other younglings how to hold a lightsaber. It was strange seeing him in a war mindset rather than the goofy teacher he'd grown up with.

"Of course." Palpatine bowed his head. "As always, I shall leave the strategy to you, Master Jedi."

"Our thanks, Chancellor," Obi-Wan replied.

"May the Force be with you," Master Windu said, before Windu, Yoda, and Palpatine vanished from the call, leaving only Luminara. Captain Rex, Commander Cody, and Commander Jet all came in shortly after.

"Good, Cody. These are the coordinates for the rendezvous," Obi-Wan stated, pointing to a red rectangular box on the map.

"Yes, sir," the commander responded with the utmost respect. "When we hit the ground, we'll create a perimeter there." He traced his finger along a curve just outside the perimeter. "Getting past their defenses here will be the trick. General Mundi will come across the defensive lines from the north. We will make our assault through the middle. General Skywalker will make his attack on the defensive lines from the south, and we will meet at the rendezvous point at 0700 exactly."

Man, we're on a tight schedule. Valor studied the plans excruciatingly, not wanting to forget the strategy when he hits the ground in the thick of battle.

"If we meet with strong resistance and are forced down away from the landing zone, hold out until we join our forces before attacking the shield generator." Ki-Adi circled an area from which a defense could be made.

"Their front lines are heavily fortified," Ahsoka noted. "Look at that giant wall with all the gun emplacements. That won't be easy to get past."

"Don't worry." Anakin looked down at his Padawan with a reassuring gaze. "We're not going anywhere near that." As soon as he said that, a rush of dread washed over Valor.

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that," Valor absentmindedly replied, staring down at the highlighted wall intensely.

"What makes you say that?" Anakin looked at the young boy with a perplexed look.

"Just a feeling. Nothing more."

"Come now. What happened to all the enthusiasm I saw earlier?" Obi-Wan looked at his close Jedi companions, specifically Valor, with an uplifting visage, aiming to calm them.

"Don't worry about us." Anakin placed a friendly hand on Obi-Wan's armored shoulder. "You just make sure you get the two of you to that landing zone in one piece."

"Yes. I shall be waiting for you when you finally arrive."

"Gentlemen," Master Luminara interjected, "if you are quite finished, we have a battle to begin."

"Quite right." Obi-Wan shrugged Anakin's hand from his shoulder and motioned for Valor to follow him as he navigated around the holotable. "Cody, prep the gunships. We'll meet you in the hangar."

"Yes, sir."

The hangar bay was crowded with both gunships and clones alike, rushing to get to their respective ship and start the assault on the Separatists. It was chaos, organized chaos.

"So, Cody, have you been to Geonosis before?" Valor asked, looking up at the orange-highlighted trooper with childlike wonder.

"No, sir, I wasn't involved in the first assault on Geonosis," Cody responded, giving the boy a passing glance.

"Well, you didn't miss much," Obi-Wan said. "Last time, I was chained to a pole and attacked by several humongous monsters."

"Oh yeah! And you cut the Acklay's leg off with your lightsaber!" Obi-Wan and Cody looked at the boy, slightly concerned at how excited Valor seemed to be by that fact. Obi-Wan stepped into a gunship, surrounded by a dozen camouflaged clone troopers.

"That sounds… entertaining." Cody was unsure of what to make of what he just witnessed.

"It was… for the Geonosians." Valor moved to step in with his master, but the bearded Jedi held up a hand. "You'll be going with Cody. He will teach you on how to handle a leadership position in the heat of combat, as well as dealing with battle in general." Cody made no indication, but he was silently cursing his Jedi companion for leaving him with the babysitter role.

"Understood, Master. Come on, Cody. We'll miss our gunship!" Valor excitedly ran off, Cody reaching out his hand to stop him only to realize he was too far away. He turned to Obi-Wan, who had an entertained smirk on his face. Cody slumped his shoulders, sighed, and moved to follow the boy.

There was a difference between reading about combat and being in the thick of it. Valor learned that very quickly. He could always disassociate himself from the violence that he learned about. But now that he stood in a crowded gunship while explosions rocked his entire being, he could understand why he felt nervous earlier. He also knew that the clones around him were born for this life; it was all they ever knew. They knew that no matter what, their brothers would be right behind them. They expected that of Valor, too. They expected him to lead them with the best decisions he could make. They expected that he did his part, as they would always do. Valor knew he could not let his troops down. Failure was not an option. He would not crack under the pressure of war. He would make them and his master proud.

"Cody, come in! Get the tanks down!" A member of Ki-Adi's squad hurriedly shouted over the comms, the sound of warfare audibly heard even through the microphone of the other clone.

"Copy that. Pilot, begin landing sequence," Cody ordered.

"Looks like the fun's beginning early," Boil remarked, looking at Waxer and their little Padawan tagalong.

"Copy that, commander. Have fun down there." Valor's body shifted as the gunship decreased its speed and altitude, landing with a loud crunch as the rock's underneath shifted. The doors slid open, the crowd of Clone Troopers forcing past Valor out into the hot desert of Geonosis. Troopers rushed to defensive positions while Cody began barking orders out.

"Move it! Move it!" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the beginning, and there'd be plenty more casualties at the hand of his blade. It was for the good of the Republic, at least that's what Valor told himself. He reached down and took hold of the silver hilt of his lightsaber. His thumb pressed down on the big red button in the center, igniting a cobalt blade. He stepped out into the blazing desert of Geonosis.

"Here they come! Bugs incoming!" Waxer warned, raising his rifle and firing off shots. Valor in turn poised his lightsaber in the standard Shii-Cho form taught to all Padawans, blocking a few shots that attempted to pierce his defenses.

"Man down! Man down!" A clone had been hit in the initial volley, his lifeless body left with a singing hole in his chest.

"General Kenobi, don't land. The zone is hot," Cody advised.

"But there's nowhere else to go," Obi-Wan argued. The sound of an explosion came through Obi-Wan's comms. "We're hit! We're going down!" Valor's pupils shrank as he heard his master utter those words. He scanned the sky for any flaming gunships, but couldn't see through the dust clouds being kicked up by the firing of multiple AT-TE cannons.

"Master, please be okay." Today was going to be a long day.

"Today, I'm going to test your defense against blaster fire. This is what you'll usually be up against, as most of the galaxy does not have access to a weapon such as a lightsaber."

Obi-Wan was worried the boy wouldn't show up on time, as tradition had been for Anakin, To his surprise, however, Valor had shown up on time and ready to get started. His excited demeanor was vastly different from the jumpy countenance he'd displayed the night prior, leading Obi-Wan to believe Valor had just been nervous to be assigned a master. They now stood in a fairly-sized training room, complete with a sparring arena, obstacle course, and training dummies.

"I understand, Master Kenobi," Valor responded, retrieving his lightsaber and igniting the blue blade.

"Now, show me your stance." Valor looked at Obi-Wan confused before a face of recognition popped up. He placed his hands on the hilt and held his lightsaber vertically, taking the stance of Form I, Shii-Cho. "Ah, that makes sense. I suppose you wouldn't have learned any of the others, yet. Don't get me wrong, Shii-Cho is a perfectly fine form to use, but it pales in a lot of ways to the other techniques available."

"Well, what do you use?" Valor asked this in both curiosity and annoyance that he was already getting criticized when he hadn't done anything.

"I use Form III, Soresu. It's mainly used as a defensive stance when you don't want a laser bolt slipping through. I've also heard it being used for close-quarters fighting, but maybe that's just Master Billaba." Obi-Wan could see the look of concern on Valor's face and immediately calmed the boy's fears. "Do not worry. Like I said, Shii-Cho is a perfectly fine form. Master Fisto uses it as his main technique. Now, I will activate a set of training droids that will fire at you. Your job is to deflect the shots back into the droids." Valor's eyes lit up, a joyful grin forming.

"I've done this before!" Obi-Wan nodded and pressed a button on the wall next to him, causing three small holes in the tiling of the wall to appear. Out of them, three training remotes flew into the room, surrounding the Padawan. He glanced rapidly at each one, waiting for the first bolt to be fired. 'Which one of you will it be? … There!' He twisted to his left as the droid fired off a shot, him barely able to deflect it, although not into the droid. 'Damn. I need to get back into the groove.' The next droid that fired wasn't so lucky, as Valor was ready this time. He moved his lightsaber into the correct position and sent the laser bolt back into the droid, causing it to careen onto the floor. Obi-Wan observed his Padawan shift between the two remaining droids, who not only used his vision, but the Force as well.

'I'm surprised he's so good at this. Padawans usually need to wear the helmet to be able to sense an attack, but he's already figured it out.' Just as Obi-Wan conjured this thought into his mind, the second droid fell to Valor's reflexes. It wasn't long before the final droid was defeated, and Valor looked at his master with a pleased look. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you to have mastered the ability to sense attacks with the Force so soundly."

"Yeah. That's probably because I tried way harder than everyone else was. Even though Master Yoda said we didn't need to master it right away, I just knew I could do it." Obi-Wan was once again impressed, this time by the boy's resolve.

'He's going to go a long way,' the Jedi Master thought with a smile.

Valor and Cody's group had managed to set their AT-TEs in a circle to provide a place to hunker down from the opposing forces. Valor did what he could, deflecting any shots that threatened to injure him or the troopers right next to him.

"We don't have the manpower, Rex! Plus, General Kenobi never reached the landing zone! We think his gunship got shot down! I'm sorry." Valor heard Cody talk with Rex over the comms, though he was too far away to hear what Rex responded with.

Master Kenobi… That settled it for Valor. "Can one of you take my place? I need to check on something."

"Yes, Commander Quinknight." A clone trooper brushed by the young Padawan and joined his brethren in suppressing the enemy Geonosians while Valor got to a safe spot and closed his eyes. He kept his search small, limiting the scope to just beyond the AT-TEs. When that scale found no results, he slowly broadened his area, but still found nothing.

Come on, Master Kenobi. You're tougher than that! That's when he felt it. At the very edge of his range, he felt a faint force presence. He focused on it, directing all of his concentration onto just that spot. He had to make sure it was one hundred percent him. The presence increased in clarity as his senses honed in, before Valor was confident in his discovery. Obi-Wan was still alive, but not for long, as he could sense the Geonosians gaining ground. His eyes snapped open, wide with adrenaline. He had to be quick. He broke out into a sprint toward Cody, who was busy talking with a scout.

"Not good. The bugs are splitting up."

"Cody! Cody!" The sound of Valor shouting his lungs out caused the commander to whip around.

"What's wrong?"

"I found him! He's alive. He's still alive, Cody!" Cody needed the boy to calm down or else he wouldn't get anywhere.

"Commander, slow your roll, alright?" He waited until Valor's breathing slowed before continuing. "Now, who's alive?"

"Master Kenobi. I sensed him. His gunship's about five clicks east. We have to hurry. The Geonosians will be right on him if we don't get there."

"Are you sure?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that Master Kenobi is still alive!"

"Understood, sir." He raised his forearm and went on the comms. "Waxer, Boil, on my position, now!" A few moments went by before the two mentioned troopers came running toward them, stopping before them and saluting.

"Waxer/Boil reporting as ordered, sir!"

"We've got a downed gunship five clicks east. We believe it's General Kenobi's. I need you to get out there and check for survivors."

The two troopers yelled in unison, "Sir, yes, sir!"

"I'm coming too," Valor added. "I'll cover you." Cody nodded, secretly proud of the boy for taking the initiative. The Padawan led the two clones toward Obi-Wan's downed gunship, deflecting any blaster fire that came their way. Suddenly, Valor sensed something being fired at him. Cannon! He leapt off the ground using his Force abilities and just barely got out of the blast radius of a Geonosian cannon blast. Another was fired shortly after, this time at Waxer and Boil. However, the shot easily missed the two, who simply jumped out of the way of the blast with plenty of space to spare. They soon arrived at the downed gunship and took cover behind it, unscathed despite the turmoil around them.

"So that's what it feels like to charge headfirst into the enemy," Valor remarked. "I can understand why that's a stupid idea, even with a lightsaber."

"Why do we always get the fun missions?" Boil grouched.

"Oh, this isn't the fun part," Waxer exclaimed. "Getting back to the square is the fun part." The two troopers went to pry the ship's door open, only for Valor to motion them away. He extended his hand and concentrated his hold on the door. He felt it seep into the crack in the gunship's hull and wrenched it open with a loud screech. Inside, Valor was relieved to find Obi-Wan alive, although he was worse for wear. He was caked in dust and bruises, and had a cut running down his right cheek. All the other clones seemed to be dead, save for one sitting right next to Obi-Wan. Despite this, he still had that signature Obi-Wan smile.

"Valor, Waxer, Boil, am I glad to see you. Trapper and I are the only ones still alive."

"Good to see you, sir." Waxer leaned down and hoisted Obi-Wan's arm over his shoulder, Boil doing the same with Trapper. "Commander Cody's established the square just beyond this position. The bugs are on the move and trying to surround us as we speak, sir."

"Let's get going then." Valor stepped aside as Waxer and Boil stepped outside with their injured comrades, but rather than leading them like he did before, he took the rear. Any bolts that got anywhere near Obi-Wan or the rest of the group were deflected square back into the bug that shot said bolt. In addition, an AT-TE was laying down suppressing fire upon the opposing forces attempting to overrun them, allowing them to make it back to the square unscatched once more.

"Are you injured, General?" Cody rushed up to the five-man group, relieved that Obi-Wan had survived the crash.

"No, nothing too serious," Obi-Wan replied with a hint of sarcasm. "What's the situation here?" Waxer moved Obi-Wan over to a set of crates and put him down as gently as he could, while Boil carried Trapper off elsewhere to get medical attention.

"Ah, we've got no air cover, two generals on the ground beyond our position, and a mess of bugs surrounding us. The enemy was more than prepared for our attack, sir. They knew our every move." Another trooper walked up to Obi-Wan and injected him with a needle of bacta juice.

"Well, I'm sure General Skywalker and General Mundi will make it to our position. We just have to make sure we're still here when they arrive." Cody nodded and ran off, presumably to continue ordering his troops around. Valor would've followed had Obi-Wan not motioned his Padawan to wait. "Valor. I'm proud of you." Valor was taken aback, especially since they were in the middle of an intense battle. "You're handling this far better than most Padawans do on their first battle, even when they've been taught how to manage their emotions."

"To be honest, it's been rough. I just have to remember there are others that are counting on me to hold it together. I can't afford to lose hope so soon." Obi-Wan nodded, as if that's the answer he expected. "Although, I might need a little time after this is over to 'meditate.'" Obi-Wan nodded once more, this time understanding the implied quotations over Valor had placed.

"Don't worry, Valor. It'll start to become easier to cope with." He winced as he reached up to Valor and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now go give Anakin and Ki-Adi a place to come back to." Valor placed his hand on Obi-Wan's, squeezing it tightly for a second, before he ran off after Cody.

"Today, I'll be testing your capabilities in a one on one duel." Valor's eyes widened as Obi-Wan explained their lesson for the day.

"You mean I'm fighting you!?" Obi-Wan laughed at his Padawan's response.

"No, that would be cruel. You'll be fighting a training droid." Valor breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Obi-Wan would wipe the floor with him. "Now, get your lightsaber out." Valor did as asked, the lightsaber eliciting a "woosh" as the blade ignited. Obi-Wan pressed another button on the nearby wall, this time only opening a single hole in the wall. A sparring droid wheeled itself out of said hole, waiting for its next opponent. Valor's expression grew solemn as he took the standard position of Form I and awaited the droid's first move. The droid drew its arm back and swung at the Padawan. While it's moves were easily readable, they packed a punch, nearly knocking Valor off his feet when he clashed blades with the droid.

"Gah!" The next strike packed the same punch as the first, though this time Valor was a little more ready, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Still, it took all of Valor's will not to fall flat on his back. As the spar continued, Valor was able to slowly use less of his might every time, finding ways to block the droid's attacks without taking the force head on, such as redirecting the blow to the side. Only, Valor hadn't noticed he'd been doing this. His mind had entered some sort of trance. It was just him and the robot. After a few minutes of this blocking game, Obi-Wan stopped the droid.

"I could tell you were struggling to stay on your feet in the beginning. Simply blocking was taking all of your effort not to tip over. So instead, you began reducing the momentum of the blows by parrying them off to the side. That style of fighting is what is called Form V. It's a highly advanced technique, but also risky, considering it involves parrying and counterattacking. The fact that you were able to come up with a new fighting strategy on the fly means you have a great presence of mind during skirmishes. It is important you stay aware of your surroundings and think of your next move, but not too much that you neglect the battle at hand."

"Did I really use another style of lightsaber combat?" Valor found that hard to believe, given he had no prior knowledge of it until now.

"It was rudimentary, but the basics were clearly there." Valor stood there in deep thought, wondering why he'd been able to pull something like that out. It wasn't even him, it was as if some external force had been sparring for him. Valor pushed that thought out of the forefront of his mind immediately. After all, the Force can't do that, right?

If the situation had been bad before, it was now infinitely worse. They'd already lost two of their tanks, and the Geonosians had officially surrounded them. There was nowhere to go, and their numbers were whittling fast.

A Clone Trooper was hit directly by a Geonosian cannon, being sent flying and thudding next to Obi-Wan and Waxer.

"Man down!" Waxer called out, much to Valor's dismay. He could only block incoming shots and hopefully take down a Geonosian or two along with it, but he couldn't do anything but the Separatist tanks taking out what remaining AT-TEs and gunships they had left. He ducked as a Geonosian on a speeder bike attempted to blast a hole through his head.

Hey. Valor had an idea. Without warning, he sprinted toward a gunship and leapt on top, before leaping off of that. If he timed this right… He landed on the front of the speeder, with a very confused Geonosian staring back at him. "Hi there. This is mine now." The Geonosian let out a disgusting screech as Valor planted a boot in its face and sent it tumbling into the dirt, its bones cracking as it landed from a high velocity vehicle. Valor quickly took control of the speeder and jetted off toward another speed circling the square. The Geonosian glanced at the Padawan, before doing a double take as it realized its friend was not piloting the other speeder. Valor gave the Geonosian a cheeky grin before igniting his saber and slicing the side of the speeder open, destroying the machinery inside. The Geonosian screamed as its speeder spiraled out of control and flew off into the distance, crashing with an explosion into a Separatist tank. "Wooooooohooooo!" Valor fisted the air in excitement. This was a rush! He could get used to going this fast! In his elation, he failed to noticed the tank aimed directly at him, noticing only when the tank had fired its explosive laser his way. "OH SH–" Valor leaped off the speeder in time to avoid dying, but was still thrown into the air by the explosion, landing with a nasty thud on the ground.

Everything seemed blurry to the Padawan, his hearing gone temporarily. He struggled to lift himself off the ground, his hands pushing with all their might against the red sand. He hoisted himself to his feet, a sharp pain in the side of his chest. He noticed his lightsaber had flown from his hand and laid a few feet away. He quickly stumbled toward it, noticing the opposing forces were even closer. He had to get to safety. He ignited his saber and retreated toward a gunship, nearly falling over as the sand slipped from underneath. As soon as he got close enough to the open door, two clones popped out and dragged the young Padawan inside.

"In here, commander!" One trooper continued dragging him while the other continued defending the square, taking him to Cody, who had drawn his rifle and was opening fire on the Geonosians that dotted the sky.

"Oh no." Cody saw the Padawan's injured and dazed state and grabbed him by the arm. "On your feet! We must defend this point!" Valor looked up at Cody, taking in what he said, then grimacing as he grabbed Cody's arm and pulling himself up. His face hardened as he ignited his lightsaber, a physical wall that stood between the Geonosians and victory. "That's the spirit!" The Geonosians blew up another gunship, then another, then another. The group had been forced into a tight circle, one that would not last long. "Make every shot count! Give it all you got!" Obi-Wan, understanding the dire situation, forced himself to his feet, pain visible on his face as he lit up his saber and prepared to join his Padawan in their final stand.

"Reinforcements! Reinforcements have arrived!" a clone trooper shouted, spotting something that no one else had. The sounds of proton torpedoes nearly brought tears to every clone's eyes, a sigh of relief coming from both Obi-Wan and Valor. The clones cheered as the tides of battle turned in their favor.

"Go, go, go, go!" Waxer shouted, leading the charge to push back the weakened Separatists. "Move it, move it!"

"You heard him lads!" Cody barked, "Up to the front!" Both Obi-Wan and Valor slumped back down to the ground, looking at each other with tired expressions.

"Looks like they finally arrived," Valor laughed, eliciting a laugh from Obi-Wan as well.

"Indeed." In the distance, they could spot the blue and green lightsabers of Anakin, Ahsoka, and Master Mundi dashing toward them.

"Master Kenobi, Valor!" Ahsoka knelt down to the two, clasping Obi-Wan's shoulder before squeezing Valor in a tight hug.

"Oh! Ow! I think you're crushing my ribs," Valor croaked.

"Well, what happened to you two?" Anakin looked relieved, very relieved.

"I might ask you the same question," Obi-Wan said. After reunions were done and over with, a portable holotable was brought to the group so the next phase of their plan could be discussed. "Our combined forces should be enough to destroy the shield generator. Anakin, you'll need to take a small squad through the shield, as close as you can get to their gun emplacements. From there, you'll be able to temporarily jam their scanners so they are unable to target the incoming tanks. Once the tanks knock out the shield, Master Mundi can bring the rest of the troops in with the gunships." Anakin nodded.

"Consider it done, Master."

Unfortunately, Valor was unable to help with the final assault on the shield generator, what with taking an explosion and all. But, from what he heard, it went swimmingly. He sat on a crate as troops dashed around between gunships and the camp, realizing that this was only the start of the assault.

Aw man. I feel bad for these clones. They have more fighting to do while I have to get treated. Valor attempted to stand up from the crate only to feel the sharp pain in his side again. "Ooh, crap. That hurts." He then saw Ahsoka nearby and called out to her. "Hey, Ahsoka!" She looked around her before seeing Valor, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh, hey!" Ahsoka jogged up to her fellow Padawan and smiled. "Yes, Valor?"

"Can you, uh, help me get back to the gunship? I think I cracked a rib when you hugged me earlier." Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the jab, but understood that he was injured during the fight. She grabbed his arm and helped him over her shoulder.

"Come on, dummy. Let's get you to your master." The two slowly made their way toward the gunship, where Ki-Adi Mundi stood talking with a clone. Nearby, they spotted Anakin and Obi-Wan walking in a similar manner to them, with Obi-Wan's arm over Anakin's shoulder. Ahsoka looked at Valor with a cheeky grin and said, "Watch this." She then turned to Anakin. "So, Master, what was your total?" Anakin looked annoyed that she was bringing this up now.

"Not now, Ahsoka."

"Come on. Are you afraid you lost this time?" Anakin sighed and would've pinched his nose if he wasn't holding up Obi-Wan.

"Fine. Fifty-five, that's my count." Valor's eyes lit up.

"Ha! Fifty-six! Eat it!" Valor outbursted, unable to contain himself.

"What!? How!? You didn't even climb up the wall!"

"Ha! So you did go to the wall! I knew you'd go there! Valor: 2, Anakin: 0!" Obi-Wan sighed.

He's becoming like Anakin. Why do I even try?

"What about you, Ahsoka?" Anakin asked, trying to change the subject. Ahsoka paused in place, rechecking her math before revealing her answer.

"Sixty. Looks like I won." Valor groaned in despair.

"Dang it!"

"Yeah, but I called in the airstrike," Anakin countered, trying to spin this into a win for him. "Tie!"

"You're impossible," Ahsoka said while rolling her eyes. She helped Valor onto the gunship, where a clone took Ahsoka's place. "Take care."

"Oh, I will. There will be a rematch!" Valor warned. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at Valor's competitiveness.

"I'll never understand how you can simplify these battles into some kind of game." Waxer took Obi-Wan from Anakin and handed him to Ki-Adi, who took Anakin's place.

"Well, take care of yourselves," Anakin said. "I expect to see both of you back here by the time I've destroyed the main factory."

"We shall do our best."

"Sixty-five, Skywalker," Master Mundi interrupted.

"I'm sorry?" Anakin didn't quite catch his meaning, but Valor did.

"Oh come on!"

"My total. 65. So what do I win?" Anakin's face was filled with surprise as he turned to Obi-Wan for guidance, who couldn't help but smirk. Anakin returned to Ki-Adi, this time with a look of deference upon his face.

"My everlasting respect, Master Mundi."

"Oh." Ki-Adi's face dropped, somewhat disappointed in the prize.

"That is a gift Anakin rarely bestows, I assure you." Obi-Wan gave Anakin a knowing look, while Valor grinned at the three older Jedi. Anakin turned to the clone next to Valor and gave him the go-ahead to take off, the door closing as the gunship lifted off the ground, ending Valor's first of many battles during this war.

WHOA! It's me! I'm back! And let me tell you, I did not expect this chapter to be this long! This has to be my longest one yet! I'm proud of it, don't get me wrong, but it's given me a sense of how long the rest of the series will be going forward. I'm in this for the long haul, especially given self-quarantine has given me tons of free time. I would like to note I will be focusing on other projects at some point. For example, I've really wanted to do a rework of my old Sonic fanfic that has been collecting dust, so stay tuned for that. Also, I'm working on doing some Marvel and DC stuff, in the same concept of Roysovitch's Earth-27. Honestly, I can't wait to output more content on this website. Also, look out for chapter 4 of Heroes of the Republic, as I've been slowly working my way through that.

Now, for the first time in my writing career, I get to respond to reviews! WOOO!

CasuallyNoodles: I'm glad I was able to characterize Valor effectively, as that was my main goal for both that chapter and this one. And don't worry when it comes to Legends continuity. I'm not going to throw everything in, as this is my tale to tell. At the same time, I'm most definitely sure that there are some ideas I might not know about that I want to include in my story! It'll come down to a balancing act at the end of the day. I understand your concerns regarding that, and they're something I didn't really think about.

ABEBOABDU: I'm glad you're excited for the future of this story. I certainly am too!

And that's it for reviews! Also, I left a little easter egg in this chapter to another story with a similar premise by another author on this site. Let me know if you find it (not in reviews 'cause that's spoiling), and you'll win absolutely nothing!

So that's it for this outro! Follow/favorite if you want to, and leave a review telling me what you liked and what I could improve on!