The Horrors of Jabiim

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Disney owns everything and I make no profit from this.

Summary: As Separatist forces under the command of Bounty Hunter Durge prepare to attack Shelter Base, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex find themselves between a rock and hard place when Ventress attempts to take their lives before they can join the battle…

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.

Note: Because this story relates to an extremely bloody battle of the Clone Wars, visual descriptions will match the theme of the conflict, so viewer (or in this reader) discretion is advised and should be seriously considered.

Jabiim, Shelter Base Command Center, Anakin's point of view:

Had someone ever asked me to describe the events of the campaign on Jabiim, I'd tell them that 'bloodbath' was a massive understatement. It was twenty days after the Republic had made landing, and one thing had become clear. We were going to lose. Again. Personally I didn't want to believe it, but with reports of heavy casualties coming in from all active fronts, things seemed to be going even worse than the first time.

Durge –like the pain in the behind he was- had been leading the Jabiimi Nationalist forces into battle, always backed up by what looked like thousands upon thousands of Battle Droids. This wouldn't be too much of a problem on its own since we still had superior weapons, but the fact that it was happening so early in the War meant that the Jedi 'Generals' had no idea what they were doing, which always resulted in them ignoring my strategic advice and falling into traps immediately afterwards.

The men were getting tired of this motif and suddenly I realized that this was how most Republic officers –some Clones included- felt about the Jedi's leadership. It was certainly insufficient and ineffective, but I would also add 'pure Bantha Poodoo' to the list if I could because being stuck defending Shelter Base didn't leave me with many other options.

"Anakin?", Obi Wan, who had been standing next to me, asked with a nudge to my shoulder. "Getting lost in thought again?", he asked and I only sighed in response.

"No.", I said weakly, a protest that we both knew wasn't convincing anyone. After a moment of silence, I relented. "The Jedi are idiots. Well intentioned idiots yes, but they know shit about leading armies.", I told by brother, who hummed in agreement.

"I assume you're concerned about the number of casualties?", Obi Wan asked, his hand unconsciously going to stroke his beard, as it usually did when he was deep in thought.

I nodded an affirmative. "Good men are losing their lives because of other's incompetence. They should be glad Vader is dead, or he would have snapped their necks by now.", I mused, missing how Obi Wan stiffened at my response.

"Anakin, I've been wondering…what reasons would Vader have to kill a member of his crew?", Obi Wan asked, hesitating for a moment before popping the question.

I didn't want to answer, but rationalized that this probably was another attempt at understanding Vader's thought process, something Obi Wan had taken an interest in lately, much to my surprise when he had first started asking. "Vader...well, if someone's inability to fulfil their duties put the rest of the ship and its inhabitants in danger, they would either be reassigned, or they would be killed, though the latter only happened if someone screwed up during a battle of some sort, as an example for the others.", I told my brother, who hummed again, as if the pieces of an unseen puzzle clicked in his mind, bringing him that much closer to seeing the full picture.

For a moment nothing was said as we both stood there, contemplating different aspects of the same War, one fought by expendable armies and one that had been engineered by a madman all along. It seemed….almost peaceful, but it wasn't mean to last.

The door to the Command Center opened and in walked Cody, who was being supported by Rex. My first thoughts were of puzzlement, until I remembered that Cody had been shoved into a Bacta tank as soon as the medics had been notified of his return –said notification happening through mess hall rumors-, which had been followed swiftly by Coric practically dragging Obi Wan by the robe in order for them to place him into another tank, right next to his Clone Commander. They had both been given a clean bill of health yesterday and had been ordered to rest for a few days, hence them still being here, not that I minded.

Rex helped Cody sit down on a chair, ignoring the latter's protests and assurances of him being able to it himself, while Obi Wan snorted at the sight as I suppressed a chuckle, both of us knowing this was Rex's way of messing with his brother. It was funny to witness and it became even funnier as soon as it finally clicked in Cody's head, resulting in him practically jumping out of the chair and began chasing Rex around the room, promising to smack him over the head with the heaviest object he could find.

At this point, neither Obi Wan nor I could hold it in any longer, and we both fell to floor in sync, wheezing with laughter. This –of course- drew the attention of both Clones, causing them to halt their chase and begin stammering apologies to us, which only made us laugh more. Cody then smacked Rex on the shoulder, exclaiming that he should apologize for 'embarrassing him in front of the Generals'. Obi Wan snorted at that as I used the Force to levitate us both, putting the two of us back up on our feet.

"Enough, you two!", I managed to joke between spurs of laughter. The Clones took it as an order and fell silent, waiting for Obi Wan and I to respond to the situation with that they assumed would be a punishment.

Obi Wan, who had finally managed to stop laughing, smiled at the two. "Thank you Rex, Cody. That was just what I needed.", he told them honestly, two the duo's confusion.

"So…we're not in trouble?", Rex asked hesitantly, as if slightly afraid.

I smiled at him. "No Rex, you aren't. In fact, I'm pretty sure your prank just made my day.", I replied honestly, and a wave of relief came from the Captain.

"Indeed. It was a much needed break from the monotony of fighting.", Obi Wan mused as Rex and Cody relaxed, understanding that everything was fine.

"Not to worry Jedi, it will be your last!", a feminine voice shouted, and it was immediately recognized by both Obi Wan and I.

Ventress jumped down from the vent she had been hiding in –Force knowns how she even fit in there- and ignited her lightsabers, prompting Rex and Cody to aim at her with their blasters. However, my lightsaber remained on my belt as I gave Ventress a coy smile, pretending to underestimate her power while Obi Wan pulled his saber in hand and ignited the blade, bathing the room in a faint blue light.

Cody was the first to make a move, blasting Ventress twice with incredible accuracy, only for the bolts to be deflected onto his armor, hitting him in the chest and shoulder. He slumped down against the wall, defeated. Rex shot right after, ending up in roughly the same position, and a swarm of positive emotions from Obi Wan was the only thing that saved Ventress from complete annihilation.

I raised my blade, pretending to attack as she moved to block the strike, only for Obi Wan to catch her in a Force Choke. I was surprised by his use of the ability, but said nothing to him, instead focusing on the Sith assassin.

"You were foolish to underestimate our power.", I told her proudly, attempting to sound as arrogant as possible.

I then mentally nudged Obi Wan through our bond, conveying that it was his que, but he said nothing and simply looked Ventress in the eye, as if examining her. I could sense anger from him, but also sadness and hope. Sadness for what Ventress had been subjected to, and hope that she could one day overcome it. Silently, I made a promise to assist Ventress if that time ever came and prepared to speak again, but Obi Wan lifted her to the height of the window and sent her crashing through, resulting in Ventress tumbling down below.

She crashed into the soil, but I could sense she wasn't hurt. I gave Obi Wan a look of surprise –I had never expected him to throw someone out of a window-, but he simply shrugged and kneeled next to Cody, checking him over for wounds.

After a quick checkup, it seemed that both our friends got lucky, with the deflected blaster bolts having been soaked up by their armor completely, but I knew I had a certain Force Ghost to thank when this was over. Obi Wan probably thought the same, but whatever our next move would've been was interrupted by a large explosion at the main entrance to the base.

"We're under attack!" The distant shouts of Clone Troopers could be heard, along blaster fire and the lights produced by Jedi sabers could be seen if one were to look below.

"Anakin, I do believe that we are needed downstairs!", Obi Wan said, already exasperated by the current situation.

I didn't think much of it since this was his usual way of complaining, but I was worried. What if he got hurt while fighting down there? I could sense Durge leading the droids after all, and he was a very difficult opponent to battle against. Sith Hells, his death had been an accident last time!

"Anakin!", Obi Wan yelled again, trying to get me to move. I snapped out my daze and turned to face him before issuing a quick reply.

"Sorry, I'm coming!", I shouted at him as my brother ran out of the room and headed downstairs. "I'll just take the more direct route…", I muttered to myself, feeling a grin form on my face as I jumped out of the same window Ventress had been thrown out of a few minutes ago. She wasn't there, which was to be expected, so I quickly made my way to the front of the base and began issuing orders to the Clones, along with making sure they were alive and able to follow said orders.

The battle raged on for hours, with waves and waves of Separatist reinforcements coming from all sides and artillery fire raining down upon us. Durge was leading the charge and was currently engaging Obi Wan, who was backed by three Jedi Padawans, while Rex and I were blasting away at the Separatist tanks with blasters and lightning respectively.

I could sense the presence of Alto Stratus high on a nearby cliff, where most of the enemy's artillery was stationed. Ventress was with him, slightly wounded but standing proud, watching our Forces be decimated with a sickening grin of her face. She considered it revenge, the Force revealed.

The Separatist onslaught continued for what I imagined to be hours, but was probably less than even one. A quick glance in Obi Wan's direction informed me that he was still alive and standing, despite the deaths of the three Padawans that had been helping him. Durge was putting all his strength behind his attacks, and I could almost see Qui Gon's spirit guiding Obi Wan's blade as he continued to parry strike after strike. Suddenly, another explosion shook the ground and brought me out of my trance. Right. We had a battle to win.

Rex and I kept fighting side by side as blaster fire was deflected by my blade, keeping the Captain safe while I continued hacking away at any droid that got too close. I was too tired to use Force Lightning anymore, so I had to stick to the basics if I wanted to survive this. Cody also joined us at some point, helping the men surrounding our position to stay alive as he ordered the remaining Jedi to provide cover to those who were exposed, something they did almost immediately and without question.

I regretted sending Jango away now, seeing as his weapons would've come in handy at a time like this, but the battlefront was no place for regrets, only fighting, so I continued to do just that, occasionally blasting the weaker points in enemy formations with as much Lightning as I could, even though I felt like I was going to throw up right after. It didn't matter. I had to keep my men alive at all costs.

A blood chilling scream was suddenly heard from Obi Wan's direction and I snapped my head, preparing myself to defend my brother, only to see Durge missing his lower half and then regenerating it immediately. Asking for Rex and the boys to cover me, I remembered back to the time an Imperial Officer had tried assassinating Sidious and how the Emperor had used Force Drain on me to survive the encounter. I smiled to myself, a grin that would make Durge's blood run cold if he still had any when I was done with him.

Focusing on my absolute hatred for Emperor, I channeled the Dark Side through my body, my eyes flashing a sickening yellow and my aura becoming distorted –as Obi Wan would later tell me-, as I focused on Durge's presence in the Force and absorbed his strength, his very life, to fuel my powers further. The Bounty Hunter began to scream in agony as his body withered away before his very eyes, but his regenerative abilities continued to put him back together, turning into an unlimited fuel source for me to strengthen my powers with.

Once I felt like I had gathered enough power, I blasted the pathetic fool with a wave of Lightning as crimson as Vader's blade, disintegrating him completely and proceeded to do the same to every single Separatist droid and soldier on the entire battlefront as the Jabiimi Nationalists –the organic soldiers allied with the CIS- let out one blood curling scream after the other before dropping dead, their bodies turning into dust before they could even hit the ground.

I then targeted Stratus and his artillery units above and since Ventress had already begun running for dear life after she recognized my power for what it was, I made sure nothing but dust and ashes were left of our enemies. Only later would I realize that I had managed to generate a Force Storm and that Durge alone had been blasted with crimson lightning, the rest of the CIS forces having been annihilated by energy as blue as my own blade, which would perhaps explain why I couldn't feel the Dark Side anymore.

Needless to say, everyone was in shock at the amount of power I had exhibited, but I felt like I ready to collapse, throw up, or both as my surroundings faded away, being replaced by darkness. I could faintly hear the men cheering before realizing that I was unwell, and I caught part of a conversation between Obi Wan and Jango, which had ended with the latter's classic line of 'karking space wizards' and something about a cleanup, but everything else seemed distorted and burry, at least until darkness claimed me again. After that, I knew nothing but peace.

And…scene! There you have it everyone! Chapter 3 of Horrors of Jabiim! This chapter contained a lot of action for everyone involved, but I still couldn't resist adding a nice moment between the Clones and their Generals at the beginning. It is also the third-to-last chapter of the story, meaning we only have two more to go before this is finished! The next chapters will focus on the aftermath of this one, but that's best left for later.

Anyhow…onto our regularly scheduled exposition!

Firstly, Obi Wan. I feel like this and the last chapter are huge moments for his character, with him not only admitting his attachments for anyone other than Siri and Anakin (who we saw in chapters 16 through 19 of Episode 1), but also learning to -occasionally- be able to prioritize them when necessary.

We also get to see Obi Wan be protective of Cody when he Force Chokes Ventress, though I do have a clarification to make here. In the movies we see that when Vader uses the power, his target…well, chokes. In Obi Wan's case however, that doesn't happen. He isn't trying to strangle Ventress, he's just grabbing her by the neck and lifting her in the air, no choking included whatsoever. Anakin simply refers to it as such because it's the same ability, he just doesn't use it the same way Vader does, but the way Anakin uses it in the comics revolving around the Battle of Jabiim, where Anakin holds back a crowd of hostiles without choking them.

Also, when Obi Wan asks about the reasons Darth Vader would have for killing someone on his ship, he's trying to understand Anakin's reasoning for acting the way he did as a Sith Lord, since he –like us- can see that some traits carried over during Vader's Fall to the Dark Side of the Force. He recognizes that Anakin has changed since then (I actually had a scene to show that in chapter 1 but it couldn't fit so it's going in chapter 5 instead) and is willing to listen to his brother and tries to figure out what Vader's thought process would be, though the specific reasons behind this will be explained in a future chapter (probably chapter 4) and I can't get into them because of spoilers.

Secondly, Ventress. Can I just say that hiding in a vent must be really uncomfortable? She must have crawled through the entire ventilation system to find Anakin and Obi Wan, only to get thrown out of a window barely a minute later? That's rough, buddy. In all seriousness though, assassinating the 'dynamic duo' is her first mission from Count Dooku, which she fails to do, not that he was expecting her to succeed that is. The more likely scenario is that Dooku wanted to see if she would survive the encounter to begin with, but alas, she's there, and tries to kill Rex and Cody, with neither of their Jedi in the mood for such things.

When Anakin says that if Ventress ever comes to the Light he would help her, he isn't prompted by Obi Wan's emotions. He's recognizing the fact that she did escape the Sith's grasp before and promises to help her because he understands that she'll need it to rid the Dark Side's influence on her, just like he needed help to do it, so he promises to have her back when that day comes.

Thirdly, Durge. Durge was an extremely powerful opponent in Legends and even though we don't see much of him in this story, it's only because I have absolutely no idea how to write him. Like, I wanted to include him since he's an awesome character from Legends, but I didn't know how, so I went with this route. To be honest, I had to kill him off since he was OP in comparison to anyone that isn't Anakin or Obi Wan (the only Jedi who could actually stand up against him in Legends) and if he had stayed, he would have assumed a role similar to Grievous', which I didn't want both for it not fitting his character and because it felt like I was demoting him. Kinda like TCW did for Grievous in comparison to the 2003 series.

Also, I figured that him being basically immortal would complicate things and I wanted to kill him off in a cool way, so having Obi Wan cut him in half, having Anakin/Vader Force Drain him and incinerate him was the only way I could see him actually dying since it took him being thrown into a literal sun last time.

Lastly, Anakin and Force Storm. For those who don't know, Force Storm is a phenomenon that can occur when a Force user unleashes a powerful wave of Force Lightning. It's actually considered a special ability on its own and only extremely powerful Force Users like Revan and Palpatine can use it without assistance from either an artifact or Force Draining a lot of people first. (For visual, look to the scene in TROS where Sidious destroys the Resistance Fleet with Lightning, and that's the weakest Force Storm we've seen so far). In this case, Anakin uses Force Drain on Durge in order to fuel his powers enough to actually perform it without immersing himself in the Dark Side, even though he doesn't realize what he's doing until it's already done.

As far as his symptoms go, Anakin not feeling very well after overexerting himself so much during this battle. The full list of effects this has had on him will be expanded upon next chapter, along with the aftermath of him actually using Force Storm in front of the Jedi.

Next time: Anakin awakes in realm of the Force and is confronted by Revan, who has important news to bring to the Chosen One, as Obi Wan struggles to keep the other Jedi in check and prevent them from harming his brother.

That's all for now everyone! Reviews are always welcome, whether it be to ask a question or to chat, and I'll see you all next chapter, but until then, May the Force be with you!