Chapter Nine; "The General's Mission: Destruction"
"General. We have sent more Droid starfighters, but we are beginning to be outnumbered." – reported one of the Pilot Droids.
Grievous hated losing a battle, especially against the Republic.
"This is hopeless. The strike teams still haven't´ been able to conquer one of the fortifications?" – asked the General.
The Pilot Droid nodded.
"I want to speak with them. Now!" – ordered Grievous.
"I am very disappointed with you, General." – said Targo Glassnuk – "I thought that you were supposed to be the best."
The General looked angrily at the Neimoidian and then at the Pilot Droid.
"Didn't you hear me? Now!" – repeated the cyborg.
The Pilot Droid saluted and said: "Roger! Roger!"
"And as for you…" – Grievous said turning to the Neimoidian. – "You are here only to observe, not to meddle."
Targo Glassnuk wasn't afraid anymore. The codes were his shield against the General's wrath.
"I am here as a representative of the Viceroy. And believe me, General… I will tell the Viceroy everything." – said the Neimoidian.
Grievous shouted in rage. He was beginning to lose his patience with Targo Glassnuk. He looked at the hologram of a Battle Droid that appeared on a console.
"Report!" – ordered the General.
"General. We can't seem to enter any of the fortifications. The Jedi and their clone army are blocking our way. We seem to be trapped. If you send some reinforcements, maybe…" – said the Battle Droid.
"Reinforcements? I have sent you many reinforcements, but you still haven't showed me results." – stated the General.
"General, we are following the plan that you set for us. We didn't expect the Republic reinforcements." – said the Battle Droid.
"So I am to blame for this?" – asked the cyborg.
The Battle Droid hesitated and then saluted.
"Of course not, General." – answered the Battle Droid.
"Good! Can the planet still be conquered?" – asked the General.
The Battle Droid looked at his side and then at Grievous.
"I wouldn't count on it, General." – stated the Battle Droid.
Grievous tightened his fist and punched one of the Pilot Droids that was completely destroyed by the General's powerful fist.
"Damn!" – shouted Grievous.
Targo Glassnuk started laughing. He was laughing at the cyborg, which only made the General even angrier.
"It would seem that you aren't the strategist and tactician that the Confederacy expected." – mocked the Neimoidian.
The General seemed to lose all of his patience and grabbed the Neimoidian by his neck.
"I assure you of one thing… The Republic will not win this battle!" – said the General.
The cyborg wanted to break the pathetic creature's neck, but he knew that he couldn't. There was too much at stake. He loosened his grip and the Neimoidian fell on the floor.
Targo Glassnuk started coughing and rubbing his neck.
"The Viceroy will hear of this insult, General! Mark my words!" – threatened the Neimoidian.
But Grievous didn't even listen to the threats. He had a battle to win… He wouldn't let the Republic win this battle.
"This poison?" – asked the General.
"What about it?" – shouted Targo Glassnuk.
"Couldn't we use it against the Republic dogs?" – asked the cyborg.
The Neimoidian looked worried and thoughtful.
"But… But you would waste so many of it! No! That is not an option!" – said Targo Glassnuk.
"What?" – shouted Grievous. – "Not an option? We are losing this battle!"
The Neimoidian shrugged.
"You can't waste the poison. It is the main reason why we want this miserable planet! If you used it now, then all of this would have been for nothing." – stated Targo Glassnuk.
Grievous gave him a cold stare.
"I understand. Just one more question?" – said the cyborg.
Targo Glassnuk nodded, but felt that something was wrong.
"Is the poison inflammable?" – asked the General.
The Neimoidian looked confused.
"What?" – asked Targo Glassnuk.
"Is the poison inflammable?" – repeated the General.
"Yes. Highly inflammable." – said the Neimoidian. - "Why?"
Grievous looked at one of the Pilot Droids and ordered it to gather all the thermal detonators that he could find.
"Roger! Roger!" – said the Pilot Droid.
The Pilot Droid started leaving the bridge and asked two other Pilot Droids to accompany it.
"What are you doing?" – demanded Targo Glassnuk.
Grievous ignored the Neimoidian and started talking with the Battle Droid via hologram.
"You have new orders. Forget about the fortifications! Conquer a mine or try to reach the underground in another way. Drill if you have to!" – ordered the General.
The Battle Droid saluted and the hologram was turned off.
"General! What is happening?" – demanded Targo Glassnuk.
Grievous looked at the Neimoidian and started laughing.
"I am just trying to win this battle. You two! Grab him!" – ordered the cyborg.
Two MagnaGuards, the General´s Droid bodyguards, grabbed the Neimoidian by his arms.
"What is the meaning of this?" – shouted Targo Glassnuk.
The three Pilot Droids that had left looking for the thermal detonators arrived at the bridge in that precise moment.
"We have ordered the Battle Droids to look for all the thermal detonators aboard the Invisible Hand. What should we do with the thermal detonators?" – asked one of the Pilot Droids.
Grievous looked at them and then at the trembling Neimoidian.
"Gather them all in boxes. And prepare a team to take the boxes to the planet. The team should be consisted of several Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids. Prepare the Multi-Troop Transports." – ordered the General.
The three Pilot Droids saluted and started following the cyborg´s orders.
"What are you doing?" – demanded Targo Glassnuk.
Grievous looked at the Neimoidian and laughed coldly.
"I am wining this battle. And you will have an important part in my plan, Targo Glassnuk." – explained the cyborg.
The Neimoidian tried to escape the MagnaGuards grip, but failed. Damn Droids!
"You see… You were the one that made me realize that this battle was already doomed. We couldn't use the poison, because if we did the battle had been for nothing." – continued Grievous. – "So the planet is lost, already. But I won't let the Republic keep it! They won't save this stinky planet! If I can't win this battle, then I will destroy the planet!"
Targo Glassnuk looked at the General in panic.
"You are mad!" – shouted the Neimoidian.
"Perhaps…" – said the cyborg. – "Or maybe I am a genius. It is very difficult to tell the difference."
"My plan is simple. This new strike team will not try to engage the enemy. It will reach the underground and place the boxes full of thermal detonators. The thermal detonators will be all turned on and… Like you said… The underground poison is highly inflammable." – continue Grievous.
"That will destroy the planet as well as all of the Droids that you have down there!" – shouted Targo Glassnuk.
"True!" – said the cyborg. – "But it will also destroy every Republic soldier and Jedi that dared to oppose me."
"I will tell the Viceroy of this! Mark my words!" – said Targo Glassnuk.
Grievous started applauding the Neimoidian.
"I don't doubt that! Unfortunately you won't be able to contact him. I want to give you the congratulations for your act of bravery, by the way." – said the General.
"Act of bravery? What act of bravery?" – asked Targo Glassnuk.
"Why… You volunteered to go to the planet in order to make sure that the Droids complete their mission. You have come here to watch and observe my actions, Targo Glassnuk. You are a loyal member of the Confederacy!" – said Grievous.
The Neimoidian went suddenly pale.
"What? You can't do that! They are going to blow up the planet!" – said Targo Glassnuk.
"Indeed. And I told you of that, yet you didn't want hear noting of it. You wanted to go with the Droids. In fact… Better not keep them waiting. Take him away!" – ordered the General.
"You need me!" – shouted Targo Glassnuk.
"We needed you to conquer the planet. The planet isn't going to be conquered anymore, remember? We are going to blow it up! We have no further use for those codes of yours." – mocked Grievous. – "Take the brave hero away!"
The Neimoidian started crying and fighting to get loose of the MagnaGuards grip.
"You can't do this to me! Please! Aren't you forgetting something? Don't you remember who I am? The Viceroy will demand your death! Please! Don't!" – begged Targo Glassnuk.
Grievous looked at the two MagnaGuards and told them to stop. The Neimoidian looked at the General, his eyes full of tears and fear.
"You are right! What was I thinking?" – said the cyborg.
Targo Glassnuk´s eyes were full of hope. He was relieved to see that the General had regained his good senses.
The cyborg started walking towards him.
"Don't forget to take with you some protective equipment against the poison. I have heard that it is quite deadly. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you." – said Grievous.
The General then saluted the trembling Neimoidian.
"May the Force be with you, Targo Glassnuk." – mocked the cyborg. – "Now take this slug away!"