Here is our intermission chapter before we return to the main cast. Part 2 of the Chronicles of Dune!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS!
"Republic scu-
A round from Dune's Westar silenced the defeated droid, blowing its head off. Around him, the men under his command were following his lead. The sounds of blasters filled the air as they finished off the remains of the droid force they had just demolished.
Dune's tattered cloak billowed in the wind as he slung his rifle back onto his shoulder. His phase 1.5 armor was caked with grime and dirtied by mud. After the Parcellus Minor disaster, he and the small remainder of the clone forces there had been merged into another battalion with a new leader.
Dune had the choice to leave, but he couldn't leave these men alone. They were Erg's men and it was his responsibility to watch over them.
For Erg.
Dune felt the hard pitter patter of rain hit the areas of his armor not protected by the cloak. He grumbled, kicking a droid head away as he turned away from the destruction.
"Weaver!" he yelled to a trooper prodding a downed super with his foot.
The trooper turned quickly, snapping into a haphazard salute.
"Sir?!"he responded.
"Report our victory to Twelve and the jedi Rikah. Let them know we'll be regrouping with them soon enough." Dune barked.
Weaver nodded and ran off to send off the transmission.
Weaver was one of the survivors from Parcellus Minor. Dune, Weaver and the others had been put into the Hawkbat Battalion of the 101st regiment. The battalion was led by a clone major named Twelve. By the book and loyal.
Twelve deferred to him despite his ranking being higher than his, solely off the principle that Dune was an arc. Besides him the battalion was under the control of a human Jedi named Rikah and his young Mikkian padawan Kip.
Dune didn't particularly like Rikah whatsoever. Where General Darte was incompetent especially in leading battles, the jedi still felt guilt over his actions. Dune still wouldn't forgive him but it was much better than Rikah.
The jedi felt no remorse for the troops he allowed to die. Refereed to them by their designations and called them living droids. No care for clone rights.
What was even worse was the manner in which he treated his padawan. Neglect and disrespect. He chastised the kid at every opportunity he got and always put him off on the Arc. Dune never knew the jedi could be so heartless towards their own kind.
The jedi combined with Null being an almost exact replica of the Parcellus Minor did not serve to help Dune's already dour mood. He hated it here and would be happy when the battle was over. At the rate they were going who knew.
Besides the seperatist forces, there had been reports of bounty hunters entering into the fray and attacking Republic forces. Mainly jedi and clone officers for the bounty or perhaps as some sort of sport.
Dune truly didn't know. He just hoped not to run into on-
"Hey Dune whatcha thinking about?!" came a childlike voice from behind him.
Dune exhaled softly, turning to face the green skinned Mikkian. The boy's robes were dirtied, and burnt from areas where they had been hit by blaster fires, yet he still had a wide smile on his face. Despite the mistreatment by his master and the status of the battle.
The arc smirked, patting the kid on the head.
"Just about the battles to come, kid. Just about the battles to come." he responded.
The kid had started to grow on Dune over the time they spent together. He started to see Kip as a little brother. He was sure the other men did too.
Dune hoped that maybe, with his influence, the kid wouldn't grow to be as bad as the other jedi. Especially his master.
"Ohhhhhhhhh!"Kip said, smiled growing wider.
Dune just shook his head. The kid had taken a liking to him just as much as the arc had done to him.
"Anyway let's get back to base camp and report back to Twelve and your master." said Dune as he turned and walked away,with the boy following behind him.
~OOO~
"Good work on the skirmish victory Alpha-seventy four but now I have a new mission for you. We've received reports of a small group of bounty hunters aiding seperatist forces. I want you and your men to assault their position and take them down." said the jedi while he, Twelve, Dune and Kip convened in the briefing room.
"CT-12-006B will commit the remainder of the men to a full blown assault alongside our allied forces." he continued.
"And you..Rikah. What will you be doing?" asked Dune, his voice laced with discontent for the jedi.
"That's general to you clone. I will be here, formulating plans for the next assault in which I will take part in. That is all you may make preparations. Oh and take that padawan of mines with you. He'll be of use there." Rikah said nonchalantly.
Dune peeped the slight look of disappointment on Kip's face.
"Wouldn't the padawan be better with his master instead of me? I'm not supposed to teach him." said Dune, folding his arms across his chest.
Rikah turned to him.
"He'll just be a nuisance here. I don't nee-"
"I understand master! I'll go with Dune and the others right away!" Kip said, running towards the door and grabbing Dune's arm to pull him along.
"Come on Dune." he pleaded.
Dune didn't budge, instead glaring at Rikah's back before finally going along with him.
"Please don't fight master on my behalf Dune. I'm sure he'll come along eventually. He's just being tough on me that's all. I'm sure things will get better with time. The force would never steer me wrong!" he said as the two made it to their already gathering squad.
Dune just held his tongue, nodding his head along with the boys rambles.
~OOO~
"PUSH FORWARD! WE'VE GOT THEM ON THE ROPES!" yelled Dune over the sounds of battle.
The battle with the Bounty Hunters was a lot more intense than Dune had expected. Mainly because of their droid reinforcements. Regardless, this victory was going to be theirs.
Dune rallied some men to him, and charged forward. Kip was a bit away finishing off some remaining droids. He was doing good during this battle.
Dune released a salvo of bolts, downing two bounty hunters and a few droids, when something caught his attention. A bounty hunter, hidden in the wreckage of droids, blaster aimed at the kid. Dune wouldn't be able to stop him in time.
"KID WATCH OUT!" He screamed in hopes of Kip.
Kip turned towards Dune, a smile on his face, having not heard his warning. The smile turned into surprise as he looked down to see a burning hole in his chest. The boy's lightsaber fell from his hands as he dropped to his knees, hands raised to the hole in his chest.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dune roared in fury
He burst forward, tanking his way through a few b1 droids towards the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter was a lightly armored Gand. He had stood form his hidden camouflage of bodies, seemingly to celebrate his kill.
Bad move. Now Dune didn't have to drag him out..
The bounty hunt probably felt Dune's blood lust and turned to see him coming. In panic, he began to fire at the rampaging arc but Dune was unfazed or perhaps he truly didn't care. Phase 1.5 had more protective plating than his last set of armor.
Dune felt the impacts of the bolts but he didn't feel the pain. Too angry. Too full of adrenaline.
Dune spread the Gand bounty hunter, slamming him into the ground. Now ontop of him, he began to rain blow after blow upon his head. His fist broke the Gand's breathing apparatus, causing him to gasp for air whilst he beat down upon him.
Dune still did not stop, not until one he was sure the bounty hunter couldn't move anymore.. Fists bloody, Gand's head beaten to a pulp. The killer was certainly going to die in agony.
Deed done, he ran off to where Kip had fallen. He found the boy laying down, covering the hole in his chest. Dune slid to him, cradling him in his arms.
"Medic! I need a medic here immediately!" he yelled as he held the Mikkian child in his arms.
"Come on kid stay with me! We're gonna get you help!" Dune pleaded
Kip coughed, his were starting to glaze over. His end was near and there was nothing Dune could do to save him.
"Do..do you think master will finally acknowledge me now Dune..Do..you think..I finally..earned..his..praise?" Kip said as he took his last breath.
Dune held the boy there for a while speechless, before setting him down gently and closing his eyes. He picked up Kip's lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. He then had some men take Kip's body so that it could be buried properly with the jedi.
The hard part still wasn't over. He still had to report this to Rikah.
After getting patched into the Jedi, Dune told him of the success of the battle but also of the death of his padawan.
"Disappointing. Expected more out of him. Nonetheless. I shall report this to the council. Carry on." he said, holding no remorse or guilt over how his actions led to his padawan's death.
Dune clenched his fist, body shaking with rage.
~OOO~
Their original base of operations had been destroyed by a seperatist sneak forces scattered, Dune, Rikah and a few others of Hawkbat battalion had somehow managed to end up together . They had steady contact with Twelve and the others and were making way to a Republic outpost nearby to regroup.
They had just finished repelling an enemy attack. A few bounty hunters still remained, trying to collect fame and glory from getting high ranked kills but they were nothing..Just fodder.
The Jedi known as Rikah was at the front of the group, standing over the remains of a few cut up battle droids. Weaver was besides Dune and the rest of the men behind them. The two nodded at each other as Dune walked to Rikah.
"General." He said.
"What is it. We have bett- ah.." Rikah gasped as a green colored lightsaber blade exited from the front of his chest.
Rikah looked at the blade, then slowly turned his head towards Dune, facial expression a mixture of surprise and betrayal.
"W-w-why?" he mouthed as Dune deactivated the lightsaber, letting his body fall to the ground.
"For Kip." the Arc replied.
After Kip's death, he and the others of his portion of the Hawkbat battalion shared their rage at Rikah's actions. They wanted revenge for their fallen brothers. For Kip.
The plan was for a bolt from one of them to strike the Jedi down during the fires of battle but the attack and the separation from the main force was a godsend for them.
The plan could be executed more easily now. None of the men with him would betray him. They were all loyal to him.
All survivors of Parcellus Minor and other battles that shattered their loyalty and trust of the jedi.
Weaver walked up to him, prodding Rikah's body with his foot.
"Weaver. Report to Twelve about Rikah's unfortunate death at the hands of the bounty hunters during this recent attack. " Dune said coldly.
"And the body?" Weaver asked
"Leave it to the local Fauna. This trash doesn't deserve a proper burial..besides..less work for us that way.
Well we see what happened to Dune and the others after Parcellus Minor...but now that they killed Rikah what do you all think will come next? Just know this all is going to tie in to future arcs and turn into a real big moment. Anyhoots, next chapter we start our next arc full of surprises so get ready. Remember to follow, fav and review and see ya soon!