A/N - One more chapter to go, which has just been beta'd, so it will be up shortly. I drew some inspiration from various real world battles for this. See if you can figure out which ones. I'm moving forward on more LOTR too and I want to get back to that Silmarillion story with the minions of Morgoth trying to destroy the sun and moon.
Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds - Part II
An Icy Hill on Malachor VII
On a rocky hill, dubbed Mount Austen by the general, one of the final assaults in the Mandalorian Campaign was developing into a full fury. Shattered Republic regiments streamed down the slopes in full retreat from the savage Mandalorians. Nearby, in the frozen Tenaru Riverbed, the giant Republic Command Vehicle lay broken from Canderous' mad charge.
Amid random flashes of blaster fire and explosions, General Mai-Lyn T'Sing rushed up the hill into panicked soldiers. One of them sprinted by her in a panic.
"The Mandalorians have overrun us, General! They're not stopping for shit!"
Covered in frost, she looked into the faces of her men, full of mindless fear. Many of them had thrown down their weapons and looked back over their shoulders as if the Mandalore himself were on their heels.
Something has to be done. I must stop the rout and rally the division. It's all on me now. Okay, just like Revan has done. I can do it.
Mai-Lyn held out her lightsaber before the troops and activated it with her thumb. The loud hiss of the energy brought the men's attention to the glowing silver rod. The general scanned the faces of the men again, this time with calm determination. "Soldiers of the Thirty-Fifth, rally behind me! Your general will lead you to victory!"
Fleeing men came to a stop and watched her, while others stooped down to pick up discarded weapons. The wild, horrified expressions faded from the mob and Mai-Lyn waved her lightsaber toward the hill. "We must advance! Colonel Jorath is surrounded. You, Captain Kavis," she said to an officer, "reform the line. Sergeant Trosher, get artillery to hit the Mandalorians hard. We need time."
The young captain brandished his vibrosword. "Yes, General," he said as rockets and blaster fire whizzed by. He stomped off in front of the mass and pushed men back into line by force of will despite a few falling to stray shots.
The sergeant knelt down and put the mike of a comm unit to his mouth. "Hammer, this is Spear. I need a fire mission at grid coordinates Hotel-Oscar-Delta-Five-Two-Zero."
Mai-Lyn nodded and turned to face the hill that had defeated her. In a moment, a few blasts of artillery pummeled the pursuing Mandalorians. She turned back to Sergeant Trocher and made a fist.
"Fire for effect!" called the sergeant. "Fire for effect."
A storm of shells burst upon the Mandalorian warriors, rending armor and shredding flesh. Bodies flew into the air with arms and legs cartwheeling into the snow. The deafening roar of the barrage had most of the men, including the general, covering their ears. Like rolling thunder, the sound of the attack floated down the hill.
Crump! Crump! Crump!
Mai-Lyn made a slicing motion across her throat and the sergeant spoke through the mike, "Hammer, cease fire! Cease fire!" and the barrage went silent. The general looked up the hill to see the devastation – shattered rock and ice, smoke, and burning bodies. Mandalorians staggered about, some missing limbs and others holding their shattered ears.
"Now," she declared, "follow me!"
Mai-Lyn took off at a run and a battle cry rose up from her troops as they surged back up the hill. Within a minute, she ran into a Mandalorian, screaming incoherently and walking in circles, such was the horror of the artillery barrage. Upon seeing her, he tried to unholster a blaster pistol, but she clove him in two with a single stroke of her weapon. All around her, Republic soldiers were gunning down the stunned warriors.
We have the initiative! The tide is turning. You have to hold, Jorath.
On metal tracks or repulsorlifts, Republic armor ground up the hill, pumping massive laser bolts into the enemy. Mai-Lyn ran beside the metal monsters, leading her infantry by spinning her lightsaber. However, every step they took increased the resistance that she faced. She turned to see a warrior with sword drawn, standing firm and ready. The effects of the barrage are wearing off. Those Mandalorians are resilient.
The warrior advanced through the snow with his boots crunching with every step. Mai-Lyn took an elegant, balanced stance from Makashi, tall with feet shoulder-width apart – this Form was perfect for one-on-one combat. The Mandalorian brought his sword back to strike, but blaster bolts hammered into his armor and he pitched over, dead. The general looked about, confused, but Captain Pavis rushed past her.
"No time to waste, General. Come on!"
She gave him a sly smile and took a step forward before a rocket slammed into the captain and body parts sprayed over her. Stunned momentarily, Mai-Lyn blinked several times and wiped the gore from her face.
There's no time to mourn. We must advance.
Again, she waved her men up the bloody hill and meter, by deadly meter, they pushed the enemy back.
"General, it's Colonel Jorath," said Sergeant Trocher, handing her the mike.
She seized the handset and knelt as men streamed past her, up the hill. "What's your situation, Colonel?"
"Desperate," he said calmly, despite his predicament. "I'm completely cut off and under heavy fire. We must break out and fall back."
A storm of emotions passed over Mai-Lyn's face and she bared her teeth. "I didn't come all the way back up this damn hill to fall back again. You hold your position and you hold it until I get there!" she ordered her friend and fellow Jedi.
An audible sigh came over the speaker along with the sound of the constant hammering of bolts and shells. "Very well, General. As you command."
The Peak of Mount Austen
Mai-Lyn and the men of three regiments surged over the crest of the hill to see Jorath's force pinned down in a gulley. Mandalorian warriors were closing in from all sides and Republic soldier were falling in droves.
"Quickly! They can't hold much longer," she called to her troops and they poured fired down on the besiegers. The general ran ahead into the smoke and fire, which stung her eyes and clogged her lungs. Following the Force, she continued ahead and ran into the backs of Mandalorian troops. With her lightsaber, she ran one warrior through the back and then sliced the head off of another in a clean stroke.
Now alerted, the enemy turned and brought blasters to bear. The Force guided the general to shift her weight to the rear in a stance from Soresu. On the defensive, she swatted bolts away, some of them flying back into their owners. More Mandalorians fell amid the chaos and Mai-Lyn launched into an attack with strikes from the Shien Form. She lay about her in a wide swath, leaving a silver afterimage of her cut and three warriors collapsed in smoking heaps.
She was about to finish the last two men, when she heard a call from up ahead through the smoke.
"Victory is life!" came the chant from many lips and her blood ran cold.
I'm too late.
In a near fury, she waved her hand, flinging the warriors backward and charged through the dense smoke. She hacked down Mandalorians indiscriminately before bursting from the cloud and leaping into the gulley.
Three warriors stood there, one of them with a sword raised over Jorath, who was on his back, torn and bloody. Before she could react, the Mandalorian plunged the sword into Jorath's belly and the Jedi cried out in pain.
"No!" she cried and leapt forward, bringing her weapon down on one warrior's head. With a sizzle, the rod of energy split helmet and skull and the man dropped like a sack of stolen credits.
The other two turned to face her, but in a blur of speed, Mai-Lyn rushed up and cut away a warrior's throat. The final man slashed at her and she tried to speed away, but her energy was drained. Metal bit into her thigh, flaying open clothes and skin. The vibration of the blade tore nerves and tendons and she sagged to one knee.
She thrust up at the warrior, but he swatted the attack aside with a downward parry and then clubbed her across the cheek with the hilt.
Mai-Lyn's vision exploded in white stars and hot pain. She rolled away and crawled a few steps until she heard the hiss of another lightsaber. She shook her head and groped around, but the heavy body of the Mandalorian fell upon her.
Republic soldiers quickly helped her up and she staggered over to Jorath. Blood from his many wounds pooled in the white snow and dribbled down his chin. "I got him…I got him for you, General," he whispered to her.
Ignoring her own pain, she cradled his head, letting the blood coat her hands. "Hang on, my friend. We've taken the hill. Victory is ours. Just hang on."
His eyes began to glaze over and his struggling weakened. "General," he said, reaching up to touch her and leaving a red streak on her cheek, "I held the high ground for you. You take that fortress now."
"No no…. I'm not going anywhere," she said and a tear rolled down her cheek into the bloody smear, where it froze on her face. "Medic! I need a medic!" she wailed, losing her cool. "My power is exhausted, Jorath. Just hang on. We'll evac you."
"It's too late," he said, wheezing. "Remember Dantooine? Remember Master Kavar? I always thought you had a thing for him. Too bad I won't be around to see that. I finally gave my life for Revan…. She was my light…my hope. From the jungles of Dxun to the ice of Malachor Seven I fought by your side…to free the Republic."
With that, one last steam of breath escaped his lips and then frost coated his open eyes.
A feral scream burst from Mai-Lyn's throat and she tore at her clothes. Men tried to pull her away, but she rocked Jorath's head at her breast, babbling, "It's my fault…it's my fault. I told him to hold."
Several soldiers grabbed her and brought her to her feet. She snarled and tried to break free, but to no avail. "General," they said, "You have to go. Revan has ordered you to take the fortress. The Mandalorians are shattered and the way is open."
Mai-Lyn fought to control her raging emotions. She rubbed her eyes and then wiped the blood from her hands. Taking three deep breaths, she raised her head and scanned the opposite slope where isolated Mandalorian warriors were being overwhelmed in merciless slaughter – Republic soldiers were exacting a savage revenge.
Amid the carnage, a Republic walker vehicle stepped on two warriors who were fleeing back to the fortress while a bronze-colored Hunter Killer droid unleashed a torrent of flame into a cave where resisters were hiding.
The wild look in the general's eyes faded and the bearing that had led her men to numerous victories returned. She looked at the faces of her surviving staff. Now is not the time to fall apart. I must hold it together for Revan. The end is near now.
"Yes, we must press on to victory. Losses are not an issue. It is for the greater good."
The Mandalorian Fortress on Malachor VII
Rockets and artillery rained down on the shields surrounding the massive fortress, exploding on the invisible barrier. Bit by bit, the only thing that kept the once-mighty Mandalorians safe was being eroded by angry hordes of Republic soldiers bent on revenge.
The fireworks display would have been magnificent to a casual observer – one who was not caught up in the horror of this icy graveyard. In the distance, Republic artillery pieces and rocket batteries belched flame and plasma and missiles danced and wove pretty patterns before detonating on the shield.
Standing in neat ranks behind cover were dozens of magnificent Hunter Killer droids, awaiting their orders for the final assault. One droid in particular, stood out. It had a solid, bronze chassis with sinister, orange eyes. It stood behind the rest, in a position of command and held its blaster rifle in a menacing posture.
The droid's head twitched right to left like a bird's, constantly scanning the terrain ahead. Its inhumanly enhanced vision and hearing picked up on General T'Sing nearby, who was directing the mechanized artillery.
"Direct your attack at that weak point! Keep up your fire," she commanded the colonel of the artillery to do.
In his thick, white uniform, the colonel looked down at his monitor and then back at her. A smile came over his fur-lined face. "Yes, General. We are about to breach the shields!"
The general made a fist. "Good work, Colonel. I'm going to signal the advance. You are not to cease fire."
"General? What about our own people?"
"Casualties of war. I want that fortress."
"…Yes, General."
The droid saw the general walk up to him and he stood at attention. "Greetings, Master. I am HK-47, sent personally by Revan with her compliments."
The general nodded, her breath streaming in the cold air. "I will thank the Admiral later. For now, you are to lead the droid assault on the gate. My men will advance to cover your flank with armor in the reserve. The artillery bombardment will continue so you will have to move swiftly. Do you understand?"
"Comprehension: Yes, General…we lowly droids will have to brave your meatbag shit storm to accomplish our mission."
General T'Sing was taken aback and her face scrunched up tight. "HK whatever, how dare you call me a meatbag. Who taught you to address your superiors like that?"
"Informative: That would be Revan…your superior…meatbag."
She rolled her eyes but held her tongue. "Fine, whatever. Prepare to advance."
"If it means killing Mandalorians, it will be my pleasure!" he called with glee and shouldered his weapon. With mechanical precision, the legion of droids first marched and then ran forward.
As foretold, the shields collapsed in a sparkling sizzle and the whole line of the Grand Army of the Republic surged toward destiny. Mandalorian batteries opened up and explosions tore the battlefield. HK sprinted ahead as droids blew up around him. He fired on the run, sending bolts into laser cannon on the walls of the fortress as Republic rockets smashed the walls and the main gate to ruin.
As the gate came crashing down, Mandalorian warriors emerged to repel the assault. "Git some!" HK called as he unleashed a burst into their midst and three warriors fell. Leading a squad of droids, HK stepped through the opening past the mangled gate. Seeing one wounded Mandalorian crawling away, he lowered the muzzle of his weapon at the man. "Observation: Death is life, so you say. Here's to life," he said with mechanized glee and pulled the trigger.
Sparks then flashed on his armor as warriors in the courtyard rained bolts down on his group. An ion bolt just missed HK, but impacted on droid behind him and the automaton jiggled in a crazy dance before collapsing in a heap. "Mocking taunt: Your aim is worse than your looks," he uttered with contempt as he gunned down the Mandalorian. Bolts sprayed back and forth across the open field, but HK pressed on, oblivious to the danger. Tactical air speeders landed nearby, disgorging Republic troops under heavy fire. Missiles and rockets found their marks and more than a few speeders erupted in orange explosions, scattering men into the air.
A smoldering body crashed onto the ground in front of HK and he stepped over it like a speed bump. "Caution: Watch where you're falling, meatbag, you could hurt someone."
At a quick jaunt, HK ran at the fortress keep, where the chief of the Mandalorian forces for the planet would surely be. Organic troops began assembling and lay down a cover fire for the droids to advance while artillery rained down on all sides, churning up the frozen ground in icy hunks.
To add to the confusion, swirls of snow blew through the air, obscuring the melee – a blizzard had come to Malachor VII. Amid howling wind, HK switched his optics to Infrared and began picking out hot targets ahead of him. "Gratitude: I am touched by your warmth, meatbag," he said as he picked off a Mandalorian with a sniper shot. He walked calmly, his metal feet crunching in the growing mounds of frost. With cool precision, he occasionally took an unhurried shot, which was followed by a scream.
HK made for the charred opening in the keep wall where Mandalorians were trying to shore up the defenses. Piles of dead warriors lay at the gap in the stone, crumpled and slumped over. The psychotic droid's orange eyes glowed brightly at the anticipation of mayhem and he announced himself boldly, "Disappointment: What? No red carpet for the droid?"
The warriors responded immediately and unleashed a fusillade of fire into the droid host, which was already spraying bolts in return. Metal and flesh exploded in a chorus of mayhem as the droids stormed the gap in the wall amid the raging blizzard. Mandalorian reinforcements rushed up and threw the droids back into the courtyard. Under withering fire, HK regrouped his remaining forces.
"Exhortation: We can't let the meatbags get the better of us. What's wrong with you machines?"
He received no reply but the droid forces surged forward again, this time backed by human troops. At the tear in the wall, the two sides held their ground and hammered away at each other at point blank range. Smoke billowed from the gap along with screams and howls and sparks from fallen droids. HK opened a panel in his abdomen and removed a red grenade. With a flick of his mechanical fingers he powered the sphere and tossed it into the hole beyond. A second later, plasma vaporized a majority of the warriors in an enormous explosion. Stone, bits of metal, and body parts were ejected out of the gap, rending the walls around.
"Satisfaction: That must have hurt."
HK was about to step into the gap, when a voice caught his attention. "I'll take it from here, droid. You can rally your legion and mop up resistance."
It was the general.