Hey everyone! It's been a while, I started working as a teacher, and let me tell you, COVID hasn't made things easy. I hope all of you stay safe out there, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate, and a good day to everyone!
"Master Obi-Wan, good to see you it is. News of your mission, have you?" The Jedi Grand Master asked. Obi-Wan was standing on the bridge of the Sundered Heart, staring at the holo-projection alongside Captain Antilles and Ahsoka.
"Yes, that I do Master Yoda. The Force guided us to Kashyyyk, where we encountered Master Luminara." He said. "We were able to rescue her in time, after a brief encounter with Barriss Offee again." He explained.
"Good news, that is. Engage Offee, did you?" He asked.
"I did not, that would be Ahsoka." Obi-Wan explained.
Ahsoka nodded, "I did fight Barriss… I wounded her, Master Yoda, but she was able to escape. She's failed against us twice now… I have a feeling if we meet her again she won't give up." Ahsoka stated.
"Understand, I do. News I bring as well." Master Yoda said after a moment's pause. "First, of Skywalker. Made contact with new allies he has. Aid us, they will. New ships, to our fleet he has added, arrived a week ago, did they. Master Mundi's search continues still. However, guided by the force to a suitable planet, he feels he is." The Grand Master said, before sending them a file. "And some aid, from our contact, I send. A message, intercepted it was, by the Imperial Military." He explained before said message played for them.
"This is Captain Lock, is anyone out there. W-We need help! Anyone still loyal to the Jedi or the Republic…" There was a pause as he suddenly opened fire on something off screen. "There are Jedi with us, General Eeth Koth is my commander! There are others too, please, we need help! We're on Ryloth!" He said before the transmission was cut.
Obi-Wan nodded at this, his eyes a bit widened. "Master Koth… he must've made the decision to have the chips removed from a portion of his men as well." Obi-Wan said. "I will see what can be done to help them." He explained.
"Understood, Obi-Wan, may the force be with you." Master Yoda said before the transmission ended. Obi-Wan took a breath and looked to Captain Antilles and Ahsoka.
"We have to make for Ryloth then. Ahoska, we'll go get the troops ready. Captain Antilles, we'll need you to be ready to evacuate an unknown number of people off of the planet." He explained.
"Understood, Master Kenobi. My crew are ready to do what we can." Antilles replied, his voice firm and confident. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Captain. Ahsoka, shall we go ready the men?" He asked, smiling.
"Of course. I think they'll be interested in going to Ryloth, especially if there are more free clones there." She said, smiling. With a nod, Obi-Wan followed along with her, headed for the quarters where Cody and his men had bunked.
The room itself had been converted into troop space, and the clones were steadily making it into their home. Music was playing, and the men were going about their business as usual. Some were exercising, some were cleaning equipment and weapons, others were talking, resting, and even reading. However, what drew Obi-Wans attention was the group in the center, where Sergeant Boil and a few other clones were engaged in a game of Sabacc. However, what really caught his attention was that the clones seemed to have taught Kittani how to play, and she was currently engaged in a game. He looked to Ahsoka, who had an eyebrow raised while Obi-Wan grinned. He caught Cody's gaze and motioned for him to stay silent before quietly walking up behind his padawan and the entertained clones.
"I think she's getting the hang of the game there Sarge. She's got you beat this time; I can feel it." One of the clones said, chuckling.
"Nah, not a chance. Boil's been playin' Sabacc since before he came out of his growth tank." Another clone replied. It was then that Kittani set her hand down and proudly proclaimed.
"Pure Sabacc!" She cheered, setting her hand down with a grin on her face that Obi-Wan more felt in the force than caught. "I win Boil."
Boil grinned even wider. "Not so fast kid… Idiots Array." He said, laying down the unbeatable hand.
It was then that Obi-Wan placed a hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "It's good to see you're taking my warnings on getting overconfident to heart, my young Padawan." He said, smiling knowingly. Kittani whirled around, and the surprise was evident as she went a bit red in the face.
"M…master Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, when did you get here?" She asked.
Ahsoka smiled, "Just in time to see this." She said.
Obi-Wan nodded, "It's good to see you bonding with the soldiers under your command Kittani, however, try not to gamble too much." He joked. "I'd hate to find out my Padawan was in debt." He said, smiling. Kittani smiled sheepishly.
"I understand Master, but the occasional game for fun doesn't hurt, right?" She asked, seeing if he was going to completely have her stop. Obi-Wan smiled.
"No, it doesn't. Besides, you are bonding with your troops, something I encourage." He smiled. "But, I fear the game will have to be on hold for now. We have our next destination in mind. Cody, Fordo, if you could, gather the men up." He called out.
"You heard the General boys, we've got a new mission." Cody said quickly. "Gather round."
The clones all jumped to their feet, heading over to the table where Boil and the others quickly cleared away the Sabacc deck to make room for any planning. Once everyone was settled, Obi-Wan looked around. "Master Yoda has passed on some information sent to him by a close ally. Imperial Intelligence intercepted this holo-communication from Ryloth." Obi-Wan said, before playing the short recording again. He could feel the spike in interest when the clones in the room saw one of their fellow clones asking for the help.
"As stated, not only are we talking about rescuing Jedi from the planet, but clone troopers as well. We don't know how many troopers or Jedi are on the planet, but we must hold out hope that they're still there. We're already in route for the planet itself. The Empire has had time to prepare, and I have no doubt that a large group of Jedi will draw the attention of more Inquisitors. So be prepared. We may need to secure extra transport off planet as well. We don't have much time, and we don't have much intel, but many of you are veterans of Ryloth, you know the terrain, and I know that I fully trust in each and every one of you. Cody, Fordo, prepare your men. May the force be with us." Obi-Wan said, giving a firm nod.
The clones didn't hesitate. "You heard the General! We got vod to rescue! Let's get to it!" Boil was the one to shout out. The rest of the clones took off as well, the energy in the room stirring through the force powerfully. It never ceased to amaze Obi-Wan how men that the Kaminoans tried to make all the same could be so different, and so motivated. The clones were already putting on their combat armor and preparing weapons. Beside him, Obi-Wan noticed Cody nod in approval.
"Boil's come into his own… before long, if it ever comes to the point, might just have to make him a lieutenant." He said.
Obi-Wan nodded, "He's motivated, especially now knowing your brothers need help alongside the Jedi." He admitted.
Cody smiled, "Well, you're half right sir. We'd be just as motivated if we were rescuing Jedi." He said. "Even if you and the other Jedi aren't clones… we consider you family." He said. "While there have been some bad ones… Generals like you and Skywalker have stood by us no matter what, as well as commanders like Tano and Jaxx." He said, acknowledging Ahsoka and Kittani. "We trust you, and we'll fight for you and with you." He said before departing to prepare his own gear.
Obi-Wan couldn't help but be surprised by that statement for a moment, and then felt immense pride in the men he led and that he'd earned such respect from them. Obi-Wan nodded to Ahsoka and Kittani. "Well, let's get ready then." He said, heading off to check over what little gear he had, and to meditate in preparation.
"Master Kenobi, we're over Ryloth now, but we won't be able to stay long. I've already spotted an Acclamator escorted by three Arquitens in orbit, probably more ships than that around the planet." Captain Antilles said.
Obi-Wan understood, "I see. We'll use the gunship to get down to the planet. As soon as we're away, jump out of the area and send us the coordinates. We'll contact you if we need assistance, if not, we will rendezvous with you at those coordinates." He said as he watched Ryloth grow closer from his view inside the LAAT, the large engines of the CR-90 pushing it along quickly. Obi-Wan looked to his troops, along with Ahsoka and Kittani, both ready with their minds focused in the force. "Alright! Is everyone ready!? We're going to skim the atmosphere and release, then fly in and move to low altitude. Ahsoka, Kittani, and I will work to locate the Jedi and clones. Be ready to go into a possible hot landing zone!" Obi-Wan warned.
The Sundered Heart dipped into the planets atmosphere, and, at the signal, the pilot of the LAAT released them from the ship. The gunship flipped around to be right side up, and then the engines went to full, managing the rest of re-entry. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out with the force, searching for other strong force signatures. He first felt Kittani and Ahsoka, the closest two, but then, farther away, he could sense others. Once he had a solid idea, he contacted the pilot. "Hunter, I can sense them, towards the southwest!" He said.
"Understood General, we'll divert course there now!" The clone trooper responded.
Obi-Wan turned to Cody. "Cody, see if you can raise them on comms, we might be close enough now!" He shouted over the sounds of the engine.
Cody nodded, and Obi-Wan saw him start scanning through channels. After a moment, he looked back up, his visor looking to Obi-Wan. "General! I've got a signal, but I can't tell if it's Lock or not! Too scrambled." He said.
Obi-Wan nodded, "We have to take the chance!" He said, still hanging on to the hand grip hanging down above him. "Clear it up and make contact." He risked. Cody nodded, and began to tap away, after a moment, a holo of a clone commander coming up.
"Cody, is that you!?" The commander asked.
"Bly? Yeah, it's me…" Cody hesitated. "Are you…"
"No chance! General Secura got that damned chip out of some of our heads in time too. It's mine and Lock's unit down here!" The commander paused, ducking blaster fire and returning it with his own long blaster. "We got maybe two hundred troops with us, four Jedi including General Koth and General Secura, and two Jedi Commanders! We've also got some of the Ryloth natives helping us out here! We're in a tight spot and taking heavy fire!" Bly shouted out, occasionally returning fire from cover. "We've got a lot of wounded, including one of the Jedi!"
Cody was quick to respond. "Understood! What's your coordinates, we're inbound with some support, we're here to help you evacuate!" Cody shouted.
"I'm sending you the coordinates now! What're you coming in on!?"
"We're inbound on a Laartie! I'll send you its recognition code so you can mark it blue!." Cody said, rapidly typing on his comm pad now.
"Understood, if able, think you could give us some gun runs? We got heavy enemy troop concentrations and armor in cover about 300 meters from our positions. I'll mark them!" Bly called.
"You got it Vod." Cody replied. "We're inbound, out!"
Cody quickly sent the information to the pilots, who diverted their course. "General, they're in contact with Imperial forces. We're definitely dropping into a hot LZ."
Obi-Wan nodded, his face grim. "I understand Cody, have the pilot make that attack run solid. We'll see what we can do to ease up the pressure."
"Already ahead of you General!" Cody said with a nod. Obi-Wan steeled himself, still focused on balancing himself in the force. After a moment, the pilot spoke up.
"General, Commanders, I see the engagement zone. Targets already marked for gun runs. I'll make a pass, then drop troops, and will do what I can to keep giving support." Hawk replied.
"Understood Hawk, but don't take any risks. We need this transport." Obi-Wan reminded. The pilot gave an affirmative, and Obi-Wan looked to the troops. "Let's get these gunner positions manned here! All the fire support we can lay down will help us later." Obi-Wan said. The troops didn't hesitate, as two ran forward to mount the waist gunner positions that had been mounted in the ship to replace the beam weapons. The doors were opened as well, and Obi-Wan watched as the two clones packing rotating blasters took up seated positions by them.
"This is Shadow-1." Hawk said a few moments later as the LAAT started to dive. "Guns guns guns!" He shouted. Obi-Wan leaned out of one of the open doors slightly to get a look. Below him he could see what must have been the enemy positions. Two AT-TE's escorted by AT-RT's and several infantry positions. They had Master Koth's forces backed into a forested canyon and were shelling them. For a moment, everything was drowned out as the LAAT came in low and opened fire. The front facing blaster turrets screaming as the pilot unleashed a full barrage of mass driver missiles into the enemy positions. Cody's men spooled up their own weapons, and for a moment the transport bay flashed blue around Obi-Wan as blaster fire poured into enemy positions. Just as quickly as the attack run had started, Hawk was pulling them away and climbing for altitude as he came around.
"Good effect on target, Shadow-1! Just in time too!" Bly commed in. "We've set up an LZ as best we can, it isn't 100% clear, but we'll cover you! It's marked with smoke!" He replied.
"Understood Bly, we're inbound!" Cody replied as the LAAT moved towards the green smoke Obi-Wan could see rising up. He shifted to look at the damage done by their attack, and Hawk had certainly risen to the occasion. Both of the AT-TE's were burning and collapsed, and Obi-Wan could see the mangled remains of some of the AT-RT's around them, as well as the bodies of the clones. He felt his stomach turn at the death and destruction below. After all, Jedi were not soldiers.
The jump light turned green, and Obi-Wan leapt down. "Let's go!" He shouted as his troops all leapt down, surrounded by friendly clone troopers for once. However, Obi-Wan knew the imperial soldiers wouldn't be gone for long. Around him were all clone troopers, looking at them with curiosity. Obi-Wan himself could feel the excitement. A clone commander and captain walked up, each in their own respective unit colors, as the clones around them were a mix of yellows and greens. Behind the two officers, Obi-Wan was relieved to see Master Koth and Master Secura, along with a young Barolian Padawan, who was supporting another Padawan who had bandages around the side of his body and his leg.
The clones were the first to speak. "Cody… Vod… damn am I glad to see a friendly face." Bly said, removing his helmet as Cody did the same. The two commanders took a moment to grasp each other's hands.
"The same here, brother." Cody replied. "Damn good to see that we aren't the only ones still fighting for the right side." He added.
"This… isn't all of your unit that's left, is there?" Lock asked after a moment.
"No. All that's here some of my 212th, and Fordo's boys. The rest are back with the fighting force the Jedi 've martialed. Mix of my boys and Rex's men, along with a large amount of non-clone forces. About a company of us clones." He said.
"Good to know, we're ready to fight, although we do need to reorganize, and we have wounded." Lock added. Obi-Wan kept walking past the talking clones and gave Master Koth a smile.
"Master Koth… It's good to see you alive and well. You as well Master Secura." He said, taking a breath.
"As it is you, Master Kenobi. When we realized Palpatine succeeded, we were in transit to Felucia and Order 66 happened. Master Secura and I were in the process of getting some of our clones chips removed. Those are the clones you see here." Master Koth explained. "When the rest turned on us, it was a fight to escape the assault ship we were on, and then they've been hounding us ever since then."
Obi-Wan nodded. "We need to find a way off planet now, because far worse is coming. Palpatine wasn't a Sith Pawn… he was the Sith. And now he's formed a group out of an unknown number of Dark Jedi. I've already sensed them on the planet." Obi-Wan said.
Master Secura nodded, "We've sensed a dark presence as well, and we've noticed ships landing to the east. Definitely Imperial. If we're going to escape, that is the most likely place where we can find a ship." Aayla said.
Obi-Wan nodded, "I see. I could send Cody and Fordo, along with their men, to see about collecting a ship. Kittani, would you be willing to lead them?" He asked.
"I would, Master. I think I can manage." Kittani said, giving him a firm nod. He'd been working with her steadily on her lightsaber technique, and she was steadily getting more comfortable with leading the clones.
"We can send a few of our Twi'lek allies with you. They've been acting as guides for us, especially since Imperial forces have been rounding them up and harassing them. They were the ones who got us to the relative safety of this canyon." Master Koth said. Ayla looked back into the encampment they'd made and called out in Ryl. Three Rylothians came forward, and Obi-Wan was surprised to see that he recognized at least one of them. The small child, older than he'd last seen her, skidded to a stop before him in recognition.
Obi-Wan smiled, "Hello, little one. Still helping I see?" He asked Numa, the girl who had helped him rescue her village during the battle for Ryloth.
"Master Jedi! Yes, I want to help!" She said, excited.
It was then that Obi-Wan heard one of his troops approach. Boil knelt down beside him. "Kid. Is that you?" He asked, removing his helmet after a moment, smiling. Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile as the girl launched herself at Boil, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Boil couldn't believe it. Here the kid was, even after three years, fit as a fiddle and still fighting. He wrapped his arms around her after a moment of surprise, her happy shout of Nera bringing back a lot of memories, some of them good, others not so good. Silently, he sighed. "Waxer… force I wish you were here brother."
It was then that Numa looked up to him and then looked around, saying something in twi'leki, then calling out. "Nerra? Nerra?" After a moment, she looked back to him, questioningly.
Boil took in another breath and shook his head some. He'd never been as good at this as Waxer had. "He… Waxer… he's gone kid, he's gone. I… I'm sorry." He said as gently as I could. It took her a moment to realize what he was saying before her head lowered. She sniffed some, but he noticed she didn't cry. He hugged her again. "It's okay kid… he never forgot about you. Neither of us did." He said, grabbing up his helmet and showing the decal he'd stenciled onto it. A characterization of her, something he and Waxer had both done. She looked at it for a moment, the smile returning as she chattered out something excitedly and reached into the small pack she carried with her. The first thing that came out was the toy that they'd given her all those years ago, which she suddenly pressed to Boil, making him take it. She then pulled out a new doll. The cloth was a bleached off white, with some yellow decals along the arms and helmet, and a visor was made using what looked like smeared ash. The blaster the little doll carried was a stick. It was a doll of a clone trooper in 212th yellow.
Boil smiled, "Wow, that's great kid." He said, getting ready to return the original doll to her. However, when he tried, she stopped him and pressed it to him again. With a smile, Boil tucked it away into one of the pouches he carried with him.
At the end, Numa smiled up to him and managed to say, "Thank… you…"
One of the adult Twi'Leks suddenly spoke up, speaking basic with an accent. "Numa wanted to thank you in Basic, so we've been teaching her, just in case you ever returned to this planet." The male Twi'lek said.
Boil nodded some, "And thank you, Numa." He said.
"Boil, it's time to get moving." General Kenobi said with a nod. Boil nodded in understanding and stood, readying his blaster. "Alright. General." He turned to Commander Jaxx. "Commander, I'm ready to move out."
Commander Jaxx nodded as General Kenobi ordered the LAAT back in. As it landed, the commander nodded to him and Captain Fordo. "Captain, Sergeant, let's go secure a ship." She said.
Obi-Wan watched as his padawan and soldiers lifted off in the LAAT, headed to try and get them a ship. He looked to Masters Koth and Secura. "It won't be long until they return… and I have a bad feeling about this." He said.
Master Secura nodded, "I do as well, I hope your Padawan gets that ship quickly."
Obi-Wan nodded, "She will, I am confident in her abilities. I trust her." He said.
"Good. Ekria, you stay here. Drake, one of the clones will get you back to the medical bay. You're in no shape to fight."
They both nodded, and the wounded male, Drake, said. "Yes, Master Koth."
"And Ahsoka, it's good to see you back with us." Master Secura said. "I was afraid we'd lost you forever after the incident."
Ahsoka smiled, "Well… I'm no Jedi… but, I trust Obi-Wan and Anakin, and I put my faith in the force."
"Indeed, I can sense i-." Master Secura suddenly fell silent. A chill swept over them despite the warmth of the planet.
"I felt it too." Obi-Wan said, igniting his saber. The dark side was swirling about them. He'd felt this kind of presence before. "Inquisitors." He warned at the last moment.
A large group of stormtroopers backed by AT-RT's crested the hill before them. Obi-Wan barely had time to react as they opened fire, trying to suppress the clones in the valley. Their own clones didn't hesitate. Fire rippled from all around him, pouring into the enemy and hillside. What quickly drew Obi-Wans attention though, was the group of at least a dozen dark clad figures who appeared at the center of the imperial assault, sabers unignited, but in hand.
"Get ready." Obi-Wan said. He took a slow, deep, breath, letting the force flow through him. The leader of the dark side users ignited their blade, followed by the others. Some made use of the spinning blade he had seen before, however, he noticed others used single and double blades, not unlike Ventress. Suddenly, they charged. The most eager of them leapt forwards, the leader coming for Obi-Wan immediately.
Obi-Wan caught the leader's lightsaber, backstepping to expend the built-up energy from the leap. He blocked an upward strike from the same inquisitor before launching an overhead strike of his own. Their lightsabers hissed as they pushed against each other. Obi-Wan jumped back as the force screamed in warning, another inquisitors' dual blades barely missing him. A third inquisitor, using one of the spinning blades, leapt forward to strike with a sloppy power blow. Obi-Wan caught the spinning saber with his own. He lashed out with a kick to the inquisitor's knee, bending it as they shouted in pain. They refused to back down and lashed out one last time with the blade. Obi-Wan sidestepped, and his saber dug into the inquisitors back, silencing them.
The other two stared Obi-Wan down, and Obi-Wan himself grinned. "Even after all the years they waited, it seems the Sith and the Dark Side still fail to impart the teachings of patience." He remarked.
With a shout, the dual blade wielder charged in, followed by the leader. Obi-Wan blocked the attack from the dual wielder before having to duck a strike from the leader. He rolled forward, then sprang up and wheeled around, catching the dual wielders strike. Obi-Wan countered with a series of quick strikes, trying to separate his opponents and gain breathing room. He grunted in pain as one managed to land a kick to his stomach, sending him back and knocking some of the wind from him. Obi-Wan wiped his mouth, clearing the sand and sweat away from himself. This wasn't his first time facing off against two force wielders, but it wasn't something he enjoyed either. He took a breath, both to refill his lungs and to calm in the force, before launching himself at the leader. He watched as the leader reached out with the force to push him back, and Obi-Wan launched himself forward with the force to counter it, driving his blade into the leader's own blade, both pushing against one another.
The force screamed out in warning, and Obi-Wan launched himself upwards and back with a kick to the leaders chest. He could hear the hum of the second inquisitors lightsabers as they occupied the space he'd once been in. The leader had blocked the two blades out of necessity, and Obi-Wan took his chance as gravity pulled him downwards again. With a clean strike, Obi-Wans saber cleaved through the dual wielding inquisitor's neck, felling him. Obi-Wan locked eyes with the mask of the leader, who stared him down.
He could feel the battlefield around him, their clones going up against the stormtroopers, a few firing at the dark jedi when able. Ahsoka and the Padawan Ekria were back to back, Ekria suffering from some sort of wound while Ahsoka had felled one of her assailants. Master Secura was holding her own against a duo of assailants and had already finished another. But, before Obi-Wan could even react to stop it, the force let out a rending scream as Master Koth was cut down, overwhelmed by the ones attacking him. Obi-Wan watched as his fellow Master fell to his knees, a lightsaber wound in his chest. Obi-Wan felt the last of his life drain away as he fell over.
"Heh, so that was the mighty Jedi Eeth Koth?" The leader commented, chuckling. "Can't have been too strong if some of my underlings finished him. Now Kenobi, you'll meet the same fate. Die Jedi!" The inquisitor gave as a battle cry before charging, leaping towards Obi-Wan for a downward strike.
Obi-Wan could feel the anger rise in himself at the lack of respect for life, the same anger that before, only Grievous had managed to get from him. He kept it at bay however, that small tendril of the dark side, and instead allowed the light to guide him. Obi-Wan reached out with the force, grabbed the inquisitor, and pulled him forward. Obi-Wan closed his eyes as he felt the man get impaled on his outstretched blade and heard the shuddering exhale as air was forced from lungs.
He extinguished his blade, letting the man fall to the ground. Obi-Wan looked down to him as the man took a few ragged breaths. "Y… you think stopping us here… changes anything?" He chuckled. "My master has total control; his will is all powerful. The only way to survive is in his service." He snarked. "Your Republic is gone… and soon, the Jedi will be too." He uttered his final words before Obi-Wan felt him fade in the force. Taking a breath, Obi-Wan turned and pushed himself back into the fray… they had to get off this planet.
"Engine damping active, electronic signature minimalized. All stealth measures active. We're off the radar." Kittani heard the Laarti pilot say as they skimmed along the surface, only a few meters off the ground. The Twi'lek civilians had guided them in close, and then they'd dropped them off at a friendly village before continuing on.
"Based on the intel they gave us, the ship is at a tucked away landing area. The stormtroopers themselves were brought in from Orbit by dropship, the area was too mountainous for an Acclamator to land and deploy in force. The smaller Arquitens however, did not face that issue, and had brought the inquisitors directly to the planet.
"Captain, Sergeant, any ideas on how we take control of this ship?" Kittani asked.
Fordo spoke up quickly. "It's an Arquitens, and one used for transport instead of combat. Chances are it won't have a full crew. Probably under two dozen crewmen, and a squad of guards. If we push on board fast and hit them before they can react, we'll have the advantage and should take it." He said.
"I agree with the Captain, Commander. We attack quickly and clear the ship before they can react, then get back to the Generals." Boil added in.
Kittani nodded, "Alright. Secure the bridge and engine rooms first, Master Kenobi taught me that at least. Fordo, take the bridge, Boil, the engines, spread your units out from there." She said. "Once both are under control, we get in the air and clear out the rest after."
"Commander! We're coming up on the landing area now!" The pilot suddenly said.
"Alright, drop us off then get out of here!" She said, mentally preparing herself. It was then that the chill hit her. "Oh no…" She said.
"What's going on commander?" Trapper questioned.
"There's a force user down there… not a friendly one. They know we'll be coming! He can sense me, everyone be ready to go!" She shouted.
They broke over the edge of the hill, into a glen where the ship was tucked into. They started taking light fire from ground troops almost as soon as they appeared. The light cruiser itself was still powering it up, it's weapons not ready.
Kittani didn't wait though. She opened one of the blast doors and jumped out, using the force to control her descent. In her comms, she could hear the chatter of the clones that she'd jumped out.
Her landing was harder than she wanted, a solid thud that jarred her knee's and joints. She forced herself to keep going, and charged the stormtroopers who had diverted the focus of their fire onto her. She charged the nearest stormtrooper, deflecting bolts from his blaster before cutting him down with a swift slice and using the momentum of her charge to move towards the next nearest trooper. She briefly registered that more imperial troopers were pouring down the boarding ramp, another squad, but ignored it as her own clones reached the ground and opened fire, engaging the enemy reinforcements. She was focused on clearing as much as possible before the force user she'd sensed entered the battle.
She sensed him again as she finished a third stormtrooper and turned to the ship. Her opponent stood before her, dressed in the greys and blacks of the inquistorious. He was slightly older, by maybe two years judging by size and looks. A young human, his face covering off, red lightsaber hissing to life from both ends.
Kittani took a deep breath and opened herself to the force, letting it flow through her as her eyes settled on the young man before her. He was lightly corrupted by the dark side already, his skin pale, dark bags surrounding his eyes.
"It's good that you're here Jedi… killing you will prove my wort to the inquisition and the emperor, and your blood will earn me my place." He said, leveling his lightsaber at her.
Kittani grit her teeth some, steeling herself. "Surrender now, it's not too late to give up the dark side." She said. "You can fight it."
Around them, the troops were focused on battling each other. Hers against the imperials. Both groups either knew it was pointless to engage force users about to fight each other, or his troops had orders to leave her be.
"Why would I want to? Oh, the Jedi were once high and mighty, but look how you've fallen. Hiding away, struggling to survive. Sorry, but my chances of surviving and living good are a lot better under the Empire… besides, the Jedi were just going to stick me in the agri-corps… here, I can be what I was meant to be. A warrior!"
He charged her, and Kittani did the same, closing the gap between them. She sidestepped his first attack, their sabers hissing and throwing sparks as they glanced from one another. Kittani countered with an attempted thrust into his back. He jumped and cleared it in a backflip.
His lightsaber started to spin rapidly, building momentum as he used his landing to springboard himself into a leaping strike. The first blade hissed against Kittani's lightsaber as she caught it and was forced back. The second one did much the same as she caught and stopped it. The lightsaber reversed its rotation, and she had to step back to keep from losing her hands. Her opponent drove home his attacks, pressing her and forcing her to backpedal as their lightsabers hissed with each strike.
She struck back as an opening became clear, an overhead swing that the dark sider caught before sending a kick to her stomach that sent her flying back, the air forced from her lungs.
"Commander!" She heard Boil shout, and in her peripheral she could see her squad of clones pushing on the dark jedi.
"Don't!" She shouted. "Focus on the objective guys!"
Kittani forced herself up and reignited her blade, watching as the clones hesitated before pushing their way into the ship. The dark sider began to swing his rotating saber from side to side, cutting up the ground. "Huh, putting up a fight I see. Braver than most younglings!" He said before charging again.
Kittani was ready this time, he was powerful, but he still used repetitive attacks. She caught his strike and used his momentum to drive her knee into is calf, hitting the nerve there and earning a grunt of pain as she twisted away from him.
"So, is this all of that masterful dark side training?" She said, letting a little sarcasm through. It earned another scream from him as he attacked, Kittani went into another flurry of blocking strikes. He was faster this time, drawing on the dark side. It took everything Obi-Wan had taught her to keep up.
She caught another strike from his blade, before suddenly it wasn't there as he extinguished the half she had caught. The force screamed in warning, and Kittani pushed herself away, however, the sudden flaring burning pain in her arm showed she hadn't been fast enough. A scream ripped from her throat as the burning pain flared through her arm. The cut on her lower arm had bit into the flesh well, destroying muscle and bone, at the minimum she'd have a scar, and it hurt, a lot.
"What's the matter little Jedi? I thought you were supposed to be all about peace, that you could release all feelings to the force!" He said. "I'm going to put that theory to the test now!" He said, swinging at her. Kittani forced her blade up, catching and bouncing the strike away barely. She blocked another furious attack from him but forced herself to get her guard back up. The force guided her blade forward in a sudden strike, and she landed a cut of her own on his leg, wrenching a pained gasping shout of surprise from her opponent.
His anger was suddenly fully focused on her then, and an all out flurry of punishing, battering, strikes was targeted at her. Kittani caught them or dodged, and although they jarred her body with each impact, the force seemed to speak to her, and suddenly she heard Obi-Wan's voice, the briefest moment of her training over the past months with him.
"The strikes of an angered opponent can be powerful… but… they are unguided, unfocused… use that to your advantage."
"Why! Won't! You! Die!" The dark sider screamed, consumed by the dark side and fury with no control. Kittani felt the further jarring impacts. At the last moment, as though the force nudged her, she struck out widely, and her saber caught flesh.
The dark sider collapsed to the ground, one leg gone below the knee where her saber had cut it, the other one smoldering where the saber had bit into it. A blood chilling scream escaped the boy. That's what he was, Kittani realized. He was little older than her, but his fury had been with full intent to kill. The battle had been sloppy. He locked eyes with her, still clouded by the dark side.
"Well Jedi, do it… kill me! That's what you want right? To kill me like your entire order was killed off!" He snarled.
Kittani felt a slight chill, the briefest whisper. Do it… avenge the temple… make him pay for his betrayal. It was enticing, sweet, with the temptation of great things, and she stared at him for a long moment as it urged her to finish him off. It reminded her of what the Jedi could be, powerful protectors of the galaxy who could save anyone with their abilities by stopping bad people like him. Then, she felt a tug from her bond, and this time it was Master Kenobi, not just the force.
It is not the Jedi way young one… do not look down that path.
She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "No… I've beaten you, I've stopped you. Killing a defenseless opponent is not the Jedi way." She said before she turned to walk away.
As she walked away, she heard more enraged screams from him. "Defenseless!? Defenseless!? I'll show you defenseless!" He shouted, and the force screamed again as she heard his saber ignite and go spinning through the air. She turned suddenly, and her own saber caught his, reversing it. Before she could deflect it, or he could catch it, the saber span back to its owner, ignited, and silenced him.
Kittani just stared in shock for a moment. She hadn't meant to kill him, even then. She quickly did what Obi-Wan told her, acknowledging the pain of taking life, letting it flow through her and out into the force as she stared at the lifeless form.
Boil snapped her out of her thoughts and meditation. "Commander! We've got the ship under control! We gotta go!" He said.
He was standing on the ramp, and with a nod, Kittani took off running to the ship.
Obi-Wan gasped for air as he stood with his fellow Jedi and their clone forces. They'd been pushed back from the original landing zone, closer to the medical camp. Ekria was badly wounded, a lightsaber wound to the side, in addition to one on her arm and another on her leg. Aayla Secura was nursing one arm from a blaster round. Obi-Wan himself was bruised and battered with a limp. They'd felled about half of the dark Jedi that had attacked, and were having to fend off the others. Ahsoka stood beside him, battered herself with a cut on her forehead and a glancing lightsaber wound to her shoulder. Obi-Wan currently wielded both his and Master Koth's saber. They were holding off the enemy for now.
The dark side forces and storm troopers charged again, the remaining force users launching an all out assault on the Jedi. Obi-Wan deflected his easily enough, but another scream was rent from the force as the dark siders got to their target. In an instant, Master Secura was overwhelmed by three inquisitors who cut her down. The young Padawan, Ekria, let out a cry. Obi-Wan grit his teeth as his blades hissed with the blade of his attacker. With a kick, Obi-Wan broke the lock, and he used Master Koth's blade to cut down his opponent. The clones poured on the fire, driving back the stormtroopers and the dark jedi, who had to focus on deflecting blasters as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka pushed forward on them, driving them back further.
Without warning, the remaining inquisitors started to pull back, ordering their troops back with them. Going from pressing an attack to falling into a retreat.
"Incoming! It's friendly!" Cody shouted. Their LAAT came flying in, laying down some fire, and behind it came a sight that relived Obi-Wan. Kittani had pulled through. He'd felt her duel in the force for a moment and sent her what encouragement he could at the time.
The Arquitens opened fire with its PD guns, scattering the Imperial forces and beating even the dark siders back with the amount of fire. The ship came in for a landing, it's boarding ramp already opened. Obi-Wan could see Kittani and two of the clones on the ramp, providing cover and keeping any boarders from attacking.
"Come on! Get the wounded on board! We've gotta go!" Fordo announced over comms. With the LAAT and the cruiser holding the enemy at bay, the clones responded. Obi-Wan started to move to help, but stumbled.
"I got you general, let's get you and the other Jedi on board." Cody said, supporting Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan was thankful for the loyalty of his second in command. "Thank you, Cody… please, make sure that we recover what bodies we can… I hate to sound selfish… but I'd like to see both Master Koth and Master Luminara recovered… I want them to receive a proper burial."
"We will General, but for now… we need to get our still living Jedi to the medical wing." Cody said, part serious and part joking. "You just rest General; we've done it for today."
Obi-Wan nodded, and his eyes turned to his young Padawan, seeing concern at the large bandage that went up a good half of her arm. "Kittani… you did well." He said. "I take it not all of the inquisitors came to attack us?"
"No Master… one was waiting… I had to fight him." She said.
"I understand Kittani, you had no choice. I'm proud of you though. We will talk more about your duel later… for now… I think you and I both need to see a medic." He said, doing his best to give her a smile. Kittani gave a small one in return, but he could see the tiredness in her eyes, and the pain. With a nod, he started off with her, up into the ship where they would recover and lick their wounds. They'd won the day… but with a cost.