I am Sorry for all of the delays, but I finally got there! I have spent a bit of time after writing this to polish and perfect this so it is the best quality I can offer. Here is the beginning of Shard's long awaited rivalry with the good ol' General.
The Holorecording glowed an unnatural red, as the hacking metallic form of the Droid feind General Grievous appeared upon the holotable; the crumpled and dejected form of Jedi Master Eeth Koth at his feet.
"Greetings, Jedi. It would seem that once again another member of your Order has lost his way." He taunted, grasping Eeth by the neck and dragging hip forward.
"Even Better, a leading member of your Jedi Council."
His reptilian eyes, the only thing left in that barbaric tomb of metallic alloys and combat circuits, narrowed as he spoke.
"Listen to me, Jedi. I do not care about your politics, I don't care about your republic, I only live to see you die!" He bellowed, pointing a clawed finger towards the weakened form of the Jedi Master, as an IG-100 Magnaguard marched forward with his Electrostaff, and proceed to shock the Zabrak. His tortured cries seemed to echo around the room, causing the few younglings who were in attendance to whimper, burying their faces in the sides and stomachs of the Jedi Padawans present, who looked on in sorrow.
Grievous held up his hand, and the Magnaguard ceased to electrocute the Master.
"But death will not come so easily to Master Koth. I will make him suffer endlessly, because I know it will be more painful to you all." He gloated, before letting out the laugh of a being who had lost his mind, before degenerating into his characteristic coughing fit as the recording ended.
There was a long, grave silence, before Grand Master Yoda finally spoke.
"Away with the younglings, much there is to discuss." he all but whispered.
"It's time we finally put an end to that monster!" General Skywalker said, slamming his fist on the holoprojector as the last of the children filtered out.
"Seconded," Shard said, his eye narrowing and his cybernetic implant dimming to mimic the movement.
"If we were to capture Grievous, the entire Separatist navy would all but be brought to a standstill." He continued, gesturing with a hand to the Jedi.
"On that, agreed we are. But how to find him, the question remains." Yoda said gravely, looking towards the Clone General.
Among the holograms of the various Jedi General spread throughout the Galaxy, General Koon's Clone Marshal Commander Wulf stepped forward, and whispered something in the General's ear. Shard only just noticed it out of the corner of his eye, but Jedi Master Kenobi did not, as he spoke to Grand Master Yoda.
"After Engaging Greivous, we lost contact with Master Koth. He could be anywhere."
It was then that Jedi Master Plo Koon interjected.
"Commander Wulf has found a message in the hollotransmission; playback the message."
The crimson image played once more on the center of the Holopod; Grievous standing in his characteristic hunch off to the side as his IG-100 droid electrocuted the Jedi Master. However, as he ceased on the General's command and as he continued his speech, Master Eeth Koth's hands…
"Look, hand signals!" Skywalker exclaimed at the Zabrak's now surprisingly clear movements.
"I admit my skills are rusty, but…" Obi-Wan began, before going quiet and studying the movements.
"Saleucami system… Sector J… 19… 080… 5… 29… " He finished, his brow relaxing.
"Saleucami? But our intelligence reports that Grievous has no ships in that sector." General Adia Gallia said skeptical, glancing towards Kenobi.
"Yes, but so often inaccurate, our intelligence is." Master Yoda reasoned.
"I should go." Kenobi said boldly, stepping forward.
"So will I" Skywalker added.
"And I." said Adia.
"I'm going as well. You can never have too many people when you are dealing with Grievous." Shard reasoned.
"Then decided, it is. Ready your troops for Saleucami, you must." Master Yoda said gravely.
The ships slipped out of hyperspace like ghosts upon the unprepared Separatist fleet. Five Venator-Class Star Destroyers, and four escort-class ships. Shard sat in the command center of the Arquitens-class light cruiser, readying his weapons and ensuring they were up to optimal performance, all the while trying to ignore the conversation of General Kenobi and General Grievous behind him. He activated the lever to release his Vibro-blade bayonet. If I die, it will be after that monster is dead. He thought viciously.
The light rumbles of blaster cannon fire echoed around the ship, indicating to Shard that the battle was underway. He nodded to his contingent of five men, who sat in grim silence.
"Well, we certainly have his attention…" Kenobi said dryly, before activating his wrist comlink.
"Admiral Yularen, keep Grievous's fleet occupied so Anakin's arrival is undetected."
"Yes General. Commencing attack!"
"Alright boys, lets get ready to shoot some clankers." Shard told his men.
"Silk, Dodger, Hot-head; you go and help the regs hold the door when we are boarded. Grievous knows Kenobi is on board and is going to stop at nothing to kill everyone on board. Cudgel, Breaker and I will hold the bridge with Cody and his boys."
"Sir, yes Sir!" the three men replied, before leaving the room and entering the hallway.
"Thank you for coming, General. This won't be easy, but I think we may be able to finally catch Grievous." Kenobi said, approaching Shard from behind.
"I hope so. This war has gone on for too long. While I know these boys are bred for war, it would be better to have a time and place without need of them."
"Well said. Cody, patch through the exact coordinates to General Skywalker."
"Patching through now, sir-"
The ship gave a dreadful lurch towards the Separatist flagship, knocking over all within the cockpit
"They got us in a tractor beam, sir! Should we fire on the source?" Cody asked, leaning against one of the pilot seats
"N-no, Codey. Let them think they have us. We need to be a diversion for Anakin"
"Fire shots at the ship as we are pulled close. Make them think that we are still fighting back!" Shard said, leaning on his modified DC-15A Blaster Rifle.
"Good call, General." Kenobi said over his shoulder, leaning against a monitor as the ship lurched again.
"Remember, we need to keep him on this ship until General Skywalker is clear. I'll go down to the hatch and join the defence."
"I'll hold here with Cudgel and Breaker, and be ready for when you get pushed back." Shard called to Kenobi's retreating back.
It had hardly been a minute when distant blaster shots sounded down the hallway, and the unmistakable sound of multiple lightsabers being activated.
Sargent Silk, named for his ability to sooth his brother's bouts of anger and remarkable sense of calm, had been named an honorary Skull at Geonosis. He did not bear the Pauldron, yet a red skull was painted upon his pauldron.
The door was pierced with four lightsabers, carving the sold durasteel in a circle, before being batted through the hallway; a massive breach joining the Separatist freighter and Republic light cruiser. Commando Droids poured through the gap, butchering Cody's Regs. Silk hurled a droid popper into the gap, while Dodger and Hot-Head laid down covering fire. However, they ceased their attack and hurled themselves to the side as it became clear that their bolts were being reflected back to them.
Two IG-100 Magnaguards boarded, followed by the figure all Clones feared. That hunched figure, that horrible metallic tread, and those eyes…
Yellow, reptilian eyes behind a metal mask.
"Focus your fire on the Droids!" Silk bellowed, switching his powerpack from Ion charges to Mandalorian Molten charges; better to damage the IG's systems so their deaths wouldn't be in vain.
There was no way a Clone could stand to Grievous. There was no way.
It was impossible.
Hot head let out a cry before rushing forward, ignoring the purple electricity coursing through his body as the IG-100's both lurched forward and electrocuted him, but not before putting a blast cap on the arm of one and detonating it, blanketing the room in black smoke.
Grievous was gone, having engaged the Jedi in single combat further down the bisected hall and ignoring the Clones. One less nuisance to deal with.
Cudgel's weapon jammed, causing him to activate the small vibroblade he had hidden on his belt and rushing forward, ducking under the jabbing motion of the guards and slashing across the central bulb. It left a deep mark, but did not end it's functionality.
"Shoot, Sir!" had been his last words as the guard impaled him, dislodging the limp body from their weapons with a buzzing flourish. He drew his holdout pistol and held the DC-17m, releasing hell on the guards.
Yellow bolts of hot metal and energy trailed side by side with blue plasma bolts, all absorbed in the maelstrom of whirling purple electro staffs. Dropping the pistol, Silk reached behind his waist and activated the cylindrical explosive at the back of my belt.
One…
They were advancing the burn marks starting to show.
Two…
They were grumbling something in their metallic droid-speak, likely proclaiming some pre-programed propaganda about the so-called glory of the Separatist cause.
Three…
"Long live the republic!" he shouted, before being consumed in the blast.
The others should have been alright, the only damage being a flareup in their heat sensors. But Silk knew that the droids would be gone, that his brothers were safe.
The door to the cockpit opened, and Kenobi backpedaled in, his lightsaber held aloft. Advancing on him was Grievous with two lightsabers ignited, flanked by one badly damaged IG-100 Magnaguard.
"So, Kenobi. Is everything going to plan?" the monster mocked.
"That depends on your point of view, General!" Kenobi said, fending off an attack from the Magnaguard before kicking it aside and blocking Grievous's attack. Shard and his men set upon the droid from their place pressed up against the wall, pinning down the mechanical menace and plugging Clicker's virus in its data banks. It was likely too advanced for the virus to take hold, but it would sure as hell fry its brain trying to reject the outside intrusion.
"Your powers have gone to ruination, Jedi!" Grievous taunted, having driven Kenobi into a corner. Shard stiffened, looking at the data-spike. Hurry, damn you, hurry!
"I hear a lot of talking, General, but in the final accounting, what does the top get you? A futile quest for power, a mutilated body, a your place as Dooku's errand boy!"
"I am no errand boy!" Grievous barked, almost comically disgruntled at the comment.
"And I'm not in this war for Dooku's Politics. I am the leader of the most powerful Droid Army the Galaxy has ever seen!"
Obi-Wan used the force to summon the fallen Magnaguard's Electrostaff from the floor and block another attack.
"An army with no Loyalty, no Spirit. Just programming. What have you to show for all of your power, what have you to gain?"
"The future." Grievous growled.
He lurched slightly, his arms splaying out like a horrible arachnid, or else something out of a nightmare as four lightsabers ignited in the clawed hands of the Droid General.
"A future where there are no Jedi!"
"No!"
[warning; hostiles detected. Defensive mode: Yellow, Delta movements suggested.]
Grievous looked over his shoulder.
A single Clone, was rushing towards him from the other side of the cockpit. He was dressed in black armor, likely a member of that idiotic propaganda army; 30th army or something like that. He was adorned with a Kama, one of those ridiculous kilts the marshal commanders wore to indicate their status. In fact, his entire body was covered in gadgets that would suggest an Arc Trooper. His armor was accented with golden stripes, likely a platoon leader of some sort. Behind him, the Magnaguard lay deactivated on the ground, a data spike driven into the back of the head.
{Switching to Defensive style: Dok} He commanded. He would not allow himself to be shot in the back as he finally ended Kenobi.
[Error; combat style ineffective. Suggested defensive style, unknown.]
Grievous brought the Clone commander back into focus. He had previously held some form of modified blaster rifle with a Vibroblade attached, creating a form of melee weapon. However, he had cast aside the blaster and was instead rushing forward with a horrendous battlecry.
What was he doing?
With a yell, the Clone leapt upon the General, sending the cyborg to the ground with a crash. Without missing a beat, the dark trooper grasped one of the hands holding a lightsaber, and wrenched it free from his talons, and proceeded to sever two of the droid general's arms.
With a howl of rage, Grievous reached out with one of his remaining arms and severed the offensive Clone's limb from above the elbow, headbutting him and making his escape on all sixes as the nameless commander howled in pain..
{Damage report} he requested. He knew the extent of the damage, but he simply wished to see the damage it had to his ability.
[Limbs Beta and Delta have been gone; left side of body is open to attack. Minor denting to the main body.] his body reported
Got to get off the ship. Need to get out of here. Grievous thought wildly. He made his way to the entrance hatch, only to find several Clones still alive and breathing. They hadn't seen him yet, but his metal clanking upon the ship's hallway floor would soon alert them.
"Cody, Come in Cody! Grievous is headed your way!" A pained Clone voice said from the shipwide intercom.
The Clones turned to see the cyborg general as he lurched forward on his two feet, spinning his two right arms defensively to block their blaster bolts. Karabast. He swore internally.
Lunging forward with a flurry of his blades, he spooked the troops and gave himself enough leeway to run down the hall and towards his ship. He dialed up the bridge on his comlink.
"Fire on the docked republic ship. Target their engines!"
"But, Sir! The republic ship is still attached!"
"It doesn't matter! Prepare all our troops for a landing on Saleucami."
He had hardly finished his sentence when he felt something hit him in the back, and an incredible force pull him backwards.
His first thought was Jedi trickery, yet the further he traveled the louder the grunts of the Clone Troopers became.
Damn pests he grumbled internally.
He did not have time to activate his sabers before they were on top of him, the fight devolving into a pitiful melee. One trooper landed a solid punch to Grievous's head, causing his sensors to briefly flicker.
Big mistake.
With a roar of anger, he ripped the troopers from his back and sprinted back down the hatchway to his ship.
He passed the bisected hallway, blackened by a small explosion and peppered with the charred plastoid remains of what might have been a Clone, and metallic shards of droids. Kenobi turned a corner, followed by two of the dark Clones, and the pitiful commander.
One of the damn Clones fired a shot with a sidearm before grievous boarded his ship.
But not before seeing that that blasted commander still held one of his lightsabers.
Their escape was slow, yet they managed to evacuate before the explosion could consume Anakin's small ship, docked at the bottom of the Providence-class dreadnought.
Shard winced again, looking to the wound. His arm, was just... gone. He had cauterized the wound with the lightsaber, so that-
His eyes widened behind the helmet, looking down at what lay in his hand.
"What is that?" General Adia asked, pointing to the weapon.
"It was Grievous, I pulled it from his hand in the fight."
He held it out to the Jedi.
"It belongs in the temple, you should return it. I need to get to a medical bay and get a cybernetic for this blasted arm."
"Of Course, General. Yet... there seems to be something familiar about this weapon..." She trailed off, as their ship docked in the Republic Flagship's hanger bay.
Woooooo its finally over! Lol ok celebrating aside yes I am here and am going to try to keep pushing out these stories. Cloaked writer out.