Raging Wars
Disclaimer: Disney owns everything and I make no profit from this.
Chapter 1
The Battle of Christophsis! Ahsoka Tano, the new apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, arrives on Christophsis to help them with the battle against the Separatist Army and realizes that War is much worse than she could have ever expected. Meanwhile, Anakin struggles with his emotions, debating whether or not it's too late to send Ahsoka back to the Temple in order to preserve whatever scraps of her innocence he can…
Warning: For those who have not read my story "A Messed Up Destiny: Before the Dark Times", it is needed for context of what's going on here and for the other side stories I plan to write that will take place in the same universe. So I suggest you go read it or you'll be completely lost here.
Christophsis, Abandoned Skyscraper, Anakin's point of view:
If anyone ever asked, I'd be the first to admit that the Battle of Christophsis was a mess. One big chaotic mess of a battle, and having to arrest Sergeant Slick again had not helped with my mood at the time. The engagement above Christophsis had gone nearly the same as last time, with only a few inevitable changes that come with knowing the enemy's strategy beforehand. Admiral Trench was still nearly blown to smithereens, but I could sense that he had survived the explosion that nearly killed him in both the past and present timelines.
He was weak and broken, so I had made a mental note to tip the Council off about his survival the next time I'd speak to them and left his remains be, knowing that I would get the satisfaction of killing him at some other point in the War. Reaching the surface had also been easy, but I did have to restrain myself from choking Bail Organa when I saw him. The man had been a thorn in the Empire's side for years and had I still been Darth Vader, he would surely be dead by now. Arresting Slick was far easier this time, though I did purposefully allow him to sabotage the coms, knowing that Master Yoda would send Ahsoka to assist us when that happened.
The old troll had already been informed of the fact that she used to be my Padawan and –having warmed up to me after I had helped with a classified incident back at the Temple- had proposed that she train under me once more, since she would need an unpredictable Master to handle her unpredictable personality. At least that's what he told the Council, though he said he would tell her that I requested her as my Padawan, something that would hopefully help with her confidence, which I remember she was lacking in the first few months of her apprenticeship.
It wasn't long after arresting Slick that Rex, Jango and a squad of Jet Troopers had helped me set up an ambush for the incoming Separatist forces that were quickly approaching our positions. Behind us was the defense line Obi wan was holding, and I had absolutely no intention of letting a single droid get to him and Cody, not to mention the rest of our men.
"General! The traps are set and our ambush teams are in position!", Rex reported, reminding me of how good a soldier he was once more. Even six months after our first meeting, there were still times where I thanked the Force for pairing me with such a good soldier and above all, friend.
"He saw us do it. You don't have to state the obvious.", Jango mumbled, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Sorry, Commander Fett.", Rex apologized. "I did not mean to bother you sir.", he added.
I scoffed at Jango. I knew the man was trying to help Rex leave his 'programming' –as he called it- behind and be more of a person, but he wasn't doing a good job when it came to conveying the message.
"You know, you could just let him follow protocol for once.", I retorted without even looking in the Bounty Hunter's direction.
"Says you.", he replied. "It only took you ten minutes to break half the protocols in the GAR during the Battle of Jabiim.", Jango added.
"Commander, with all due respect it was General Skywalker that saved us during that battle." Rex was attempting to defend me, which I was fine with, though I did need them to be quiet so I could listen for incoming droids.
"Quiet, both of you!", I snapped at them, sounding more annoyed than I actually was. "I sense…incoming!", I shouted, dropping to the ground. The others followed my lead immediately and we –thankfully- managed to avoid the incoming projectiles.
"Did anyone see where that came from?", one Clone, CT-2005 asked.
"Over there!", CT-2331 pointed out and I sincerely hoped that they would find a name soon, because I hated having to call them by a number. It felt wrong to do so, as if they didn't deserve the respect the same respect as other human beings.
I pushed my anger for the Kaminoans aside and jumped in the direction the wrist rockets were coming from. The droids immediately opened fire, some with rockets and others with regular blaster bolts. Jango and Rex lead the charge right behind me, annihilating the enemy before I had even reached them, though I had been more focused on protecting the squad than taking them out.
It only took a few moments for us to make sure we were clear and to reclaim our positions, waiting for the main Separatist forces to pass below. They weren't hard to miss, considering the clanking of their Battle Droids could be heard from more than a mile away.
The droids began to advance on Obi Wan's position and the two ambush squads we had set up opened fire, with me taking cover and redirecting blaster bolts to prevent the defenders below from getting shot. Unfortunately for the droids –and Obi Wan himself- Obi Wan took a hit to the shoulder, but the graze was enough for me to want to end this.
Allowing the Force to direct my actions I felt my fingers stretch outwards and towards the enemy before releasing torrents of blue Force Lightning, something Revan had helped me learn only a couple months earlier. The droids –being made out of metal- were torn to pieces, with at least half of the Separatist infantry and nearly all of their vehicles being destroyed in the blink of an eye.
Satisfied with the results of my work, I moved to Rex's side, awaiting confirmation from either Obi Wan or Cody regarding whether or not the droids would manage to retreat. Barely a moment later, Cody's form appeared via hologram and he informed us that the Separatists had been almost completely destroyed, but that they had a second wave of reinforcements on the way, along with an energy shield.
In short, he didn't tell me anything I didn't already know and I had a plan for dealing with the energy shield, but that was something I wouldn't concern myself with until later. Right now, it was time to go greet Ahsoka.
Ignoring the looks of utter awe and amazement sent my way by the men, or at least the ones that hadn't seen me do things like this before, I quickly found myself in the outside of our base, awaiting a Republic transport from above.
Said ship landed gracefully only a minute later and Ahsoka exited the vessel, looking exactly as I remembered, both from my memories of this day and from when I saw her in the Temple nearly a whole six months ago. The young Togruta was excited to be here, not understanding the reality of War. The feelings I sensed from her made a single tear run down my cheek, though I made sure to wipe it away with the Force as soon as I could.
Jango must have noticed this, because he pulled me aside asking what was wrong, his visor betraying the concern he felt for me. "You alright?", he inquired, keeping the question simple.
"Yeah…I'm fine.", I told him. "It's just…she's so young. And many more her age are fighting on the frontlines of War as we speak. Even if those kids make it out alive, they'll never be kids again. Not after having fought in a battle.", I added, revealing my thoughts to the Bounty Hunter and good friend.
"I get it.", Jango replied. "Just seeing her here makes me want to strangle your Council for allowing this in the first place. And if it weren't for you, there would be a lot more of those kids out there, fighting against endless armies and armored killing machines." He sighed before continuing. "Best you can do is keep her alive and try to preserve whatever innocence you can.", he finished, talking in a tone that could only stem from experience.
I nodded stiffly before looking at Snips, little innocent Snips, and took a deep breath before exhaling, trying to calm myself down.
"You know, I'll never understand how you make that sound.", Jango laughed before punching me lightly on the shoulder. "It sounds so much like a machine, I'd believe you were one if I'd never seen you bleed."
I gave no response to the Mandalorian, knowing that he was making a joke. Though, I couldn't help but be reminded of Vader's breathing, and of how much more machine than man I once was.
Plastering a smile on my face, I walked up to where Ahsoka was, talking with Obi Wan. My brother's face was neutral, his usual kind smile being present, but I could sense that he too was saddened by seeing Snips go to War once more. I said nothing for a moment, content with listening to Ahsoka while she was talking about how excited she was to be learning under me and how happy she was that she'd get to help the Republic win the War.
I could feel Qui Gon placing a hand on my shoulder -trying to steady me- even if I couldn't see him and I heard Revan's prayer for her to be okay, his promise that he'd help Obi Wan and I keep Ahsoka safe in whatever he could. Jango tilted his head, as if examining her before looking in my direction. It took less than a second to understand that he too didn't want her here, though it was with the same reasoning in mind.
I mere glance at the Clones told me they were also thinking of how young she was, wondering if the Jedi would make a little kid fight beside them in a gruesome war. I shared the sentiment and I allowed myself to be angry at the Jedi Council, if only for just a moment or else risk losing control.
"-walker? Master Skywalker?", Ahsoka asked and I realized she had been talking to me.
"Oh. Hello Ahsoka.", I greeted politely, giving her a -rather sad- smile.
"Hi there!" She was excited. Poor Snips… Seeing that I didn't respond –and perhaps sensing my feelings- Ahsoka asked if I was okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine Snips. Just…tired. That's all.", I answered, as if I hadn't been remembering all the crap she'd been through because of this War and as if those moments weren't flashing before my eyes as we spoke.
"You seem…disturbed.", Ahsoka pointed out, ignoring the nickname I addressed her by.
Why was she so darn perceptive? "I'm fine. Don't worry about it.", I told her quickly. "Now, how about I have Captain Rex show you around?", I inquired, changing the subject.
Ahsoka's eyes beamed at the simple prospect of being shown around by a 'real Clone Trooper' and I motioned for Rex –who had been observing the scene from the sidelines- to come closer, explaining that he was to Ahsoka around the encampment. Rex gave me a knowing glance and looked at her sadly for barely a moment before excitedly proclaiming that she'd tell her everything she wanted to know and walking off with Ahsoka, having to run after her barely a second after.
Obi Wan approached me as soon as the pair was gone, flanked by Jango and Cody on each side. The three shared a sad look –I could tell even though Cody and Jango were wearing helmets- before Obi Wan spoke.
"Anakin…", he began, but I cut him off, knowing what he wanted to say.
"I know.", I replied. "I hate seeing her like this. She's so happy at the prospect of fighting, but this War…" My voice broke, for I was unable to finish the sentence.
"Sirs, I know it's not my place, but is sending children to War the Jedi Council's solution to not having enough Knights?", Cody spoke up, a rarity by itself, but for him to criticize the Jedi Council? He certainly had much to say about this, but he was holding his tongue as much as he could.
"I agree with Pillow here.", Jango said, teasing Cody with one of the more…amusing meanings of his name. "Kriffing Jedi and sending kids to battle. What's wrong with that Council of yours anyway?", he asked, furious, though he refused to show it.
Obi Wan shook his head sadly. "I had thought that with how many deaths we prevented on Geonosis the Council would have no need for sending Padawans to fight.", he said, almost to himself.
"It didn't make much difference.", I told them, remembering my talk with Master Yoda from a few months ago. "The Council was willing to send out everyone who is able to go in order for all the Padawans to get Masters.", I added, explaining their so called reasoning.
Cody gave Obi Wan a sideways look, but physically recoiled when he realized that Obi Wan had seen him. "Cody, I was against this. Masters Yoda and Koon were too, but the others…" Obi Wan fell silent. I could tell he was berating himself for not seeing what the Jedi were turning into in the previous timeline.
I said nothing, not knowing what to say and instead focused on sending as many positive feelings as I could muster though our Force Bond, which must have been more than I realized, because a small smile found its way to my brother's face a moment later.
For a moment it looked like he was about to speak, but the discussion was interrupted by shouts originating from nearby guards, alerting all those present to the wave of Separatist reinforcements heading our way. Obi Wan and I shared a look, already knowing what the other was going to do, and the two us sprinted off towards the enemy, Jango and Cody following shortly after.
I really hope you guys enjoyed chapter 1 of Raging Wars, even though the action is going to have to wait until the next chapter. Below are just a couple things I need to say in regards to the purpose of this story when it comes to the main trilogy (AKA exposition), so I might as well get to it.
The classified mission mentioned in paragraph 3 is a reference to the events of "Shadows of the Sith", which has yet to be published as of the time uploading this (March 13th) and is just there to hint at what the results of those events was.
The teamwork between the 501st and Anakin is flawless as always, and Jango is ruthless when it comes to fighting. They all work very well together, hence Fett holding the rank of Commander. Also, Jango is trying to get the Clones to individualize themselves more, though his methods often have mixed results.
Anakin requesting Ahsoka to be sent to him during the Battle of Christophsis and having Yoda tell her that is just him wanting to boost her confidence a little since she had always wanted to prove herself to him (as we can see in CW episodes taking place early in the timeline) and to ensure that Ahsoka knows she's wanted.
Everyone, from Obi Wan and Anakin to Jango and the Clones themselves, have their issues with the Jedi Council deciding to send Padawans to War. It's stated that they weren't in total agreement, but it is a very bad call to make, hence everyone criticizing them for it.
Anakin is second guessing his choice when he sees Ahsoka again, wanting to preserve her innocence and putting her above his own desire to have his little sister by his side. He's grown and is willing to put the safety and wellbeing of those he cares for above his own desires.
Anakin being taught Force Judgement (the Jedi version of Force Lighting) by Revan is just more proof of the fact that his power is growing by the day. Also, during the Battle of Geonosis, where he was still very close to being Darth Vader, his Lighting was red, but now it's blue. Keep that in mind people.
That's all for now guys! Stay tuned for the future chapters! I'll see you all in the next one (or the review section), but until then, May the Force be with you!