Chapter 8
A/N: I do not own any of the characters of Kim Possible or Star Wars. They are the property of Disney.
I.
"Shoot them down!" Unit Commander 892 shouted at battle droid Unit 352 as clones and a Jedi dove behind a line of trees. The battle droids, a mix of B-1's, B-2 super battle droids, and hovering Armored Assault Tanks advanced down a clear slope in some of Malastare's dense jungles. Their orders had been simple. Establish a landing zone for more reinforcements to land so they could take this sector of the planet.
"Sir, we've lost them," A super battle droid told the commander ceasing its fire and folding up its right arm.
"Well don't just stand there! Find them!" Unit 892 shouted motioning his troops forward. Unit 892 had been given the usual orders to advance at all costs and never to relent. Attacking enemy positions was a programmed feature that all battle droids had, but TX-41, the tactical droid in charge of the invasion of Malastare had been pressuring Unit 892 more than his circuits could handle.
Hundreds of battle droids resumed their marching down the hill firing their blasters and wrist launchers through the forest line where the clones and Jedi had sought cover. Unit 892 watched from the hatch of his armored assault tank as his regiment besieged the enemy below. The enemy wasn't firing back. As far as Unit 892 was concerned, that was a good thing.
"Unit 892, Are you there?" A hologram of TX-41 appeared from the top of his tank.
"Yes, sir!" Unit 892 saluted.
"Have you eliminated the Republic forces in sector 257?" Unit TX-41 asked. The tactical droid was as impatient as ever.
"No sir, they have hidden in the forest near one of the ravines. I need reinforcements if we are to defend the sight once we secure it!" Unit 892 pleaded with his superior.
"We do not have reinforcements to spare. You must wipe out the enemy before their reinforcements land. I estimate our chances at victory are now thirty-eight point four-two-three percent with current conditions," Unit TX-41 informed him.
"But sir! What about our reinforcements!?" Unit 892 asked.
"I have not been able to establish any communications with our fleet. Now take their lines or I'll order the bombers to destroy you and their position for you!" Unit TX-41 threatened him.
Unit 892 nodded obediently at the threat of death. "Roger roger."
Unit TX-41 nodded and the hologram disappeared. Unit 892 looked at the tank driver below and ordered him to move forward.
"Charge!"
II.
Captain Rex looked over to General Skywalker and Commander Tano who were gasping for breath. There were only ten others left in the group besides themselves, the rest had been cut down by the battle droids blasters. Luckily they had used the forest as a ruse. The battle droids were shooting straight into the forest not realizing that they had taken cover in a shallow ditch behind the tree line. Since they didn't know, they weren't firing any rockets or mortars that could arc in from above them.
"Sir… there are too many of them!" Captain Rex shouted rasping for air, his phase I helmet hot and stuffy from the planet's renowned humidity.
"We've got to hold out! General Kenobi will be here soon!" Anakin Skywalker shouted above the chaos pressing his body as flat as he could against the dirt. It wasn't helping that hot splinters from shredded trees by the droids blaster fire fell down on them.
"I don't know if soon's good enough sir!" Rex shouted back, popping up for a moment to shoot down two battle droids breaching the perimeter. A cluster of super battle droids turned in his direction and opened fire. He ducked back down into a crawl against the shallow slope. Clods of mud sprayed overhead as the lasers struck the dirt, joining the hail of burning splinters.
"Well, it's going to have to be. I haven't got word from Kenobi for a while," Anakin grunted cutting a battle droid in half when it fell over the side.
"Where was he when you contacted him?" Ahsoka asked deflecting laser bolts with her lightsaber. A battle droid tried to charge her to no avail.
"He was sixty clicks to our east… I think," Anakin replied trying to think while fending off the increasing surge of battle droids. It was obvious that they had figured out they had gone into the ditch as they tried to storm it.
"What!? He won't get here in an hour!" Rex griped preparing droid poppers in his hand.
"It could be days," Toomer, one of the newer clones in the 501st laughed sarcastically.
"Have a little faith in him, boys! He'll be here soon," Ahsoka shouted as rockets ripped through the branches above.
"Throw those droid poppers, Rex!" Anakin shouted jumping up deflecting the incoming laser fire giving Rex a chance to throw them undercover.
"Right away!" Rex yelled throwing the grenades at the group of advancing droids. The grenades discharged sending out an electromagnetic pulse frying their circuits. The large group of battle droids collapsed on the ground.
"That should stall them awhile," Anakin and Rex ducked back down.
"Yea for two seconds!" Rex retorted. "They just keep coming! Hawk! You have any rockets left?" Rex yelled.
Hawk looked into his pack of munitions, "Two, sir!"
"Take out those advancing tanks when they get close. It'll buy some time!" Rex pointed at two armored assault tanks hovering toward them. "Try to take them out when they get to the tree line. It'll add us some cover!"
"Yes, sir! Right away."
"Maybe even create a position for us to advance too," Toomer added.
Hawk loaded the first projectile inside and readied the launcher on his shoulder. "Who cares. Let me at em'."
"Get ready! Ahsoka and I will cover you," Anakin shouted out standing up with his padawan deflecting the incoming blaster fire. Hawk stood and aimed at the nearest approaching tank and fired. The missile zoomed out and slammed into the tank, bursting into flames and charred metal.
"Great job!" Captain Rex shouted out as the rest of Torrent platoon stood up and fired on the droids that walked around the wreckage.
"Load another one!" Ahsoka ordered while another tank rolled around the first. Hawk crammed the last shot inside and took aim again. The tank stopped and aimed its main cannon at Hawk and Ahsoka. He steadied his balance and fired, watching the rocket glide into the lower section of the tank's repulsor engines. The tank ground into the dirt, its hatch exploding with flames bursting out.
"That'll give them clankers an obstacle!" Toomer shouted proudly.
They watched as endless hordes of battle droids came running around the tanks right into the clones' crosshairs.
"Should we advance?" Ahsoka asked her master. She knew all too well that her Master liked to advance whenever the chance presented itself.
"Not yet, we have to wait for Master Kenobi!" Anakin shouted back.
"Well, I hope he gets here…" Ahsoka grunted as a blaster bolt whizzed past her arm. "Soon."
"Incoming!" Toomer shouted and dived to the ground. An assault droid had managed to set up and fire a missile that arced over the ditch and straight into it. The rocket sent shrapnel and dirt everywhere. Luckily for most of the clone troopers, Anakin and Ahsoka were prepared and pulled them out of the way with the Force.
"Sir! We can't hold out much longer!" Rex shouted out to Anakin. The clone troopers recovered from the blast and continued to defend their position.
"We have to!" Anakin shouted back. Behind the tree line and their trench was one of the infamous steep canyons of Malastare. The canyon to their backs was at least a mile in depth and a hundred yards across. If the droids continued to press their advance, they would either be mowed down by blaster fire or pushed over the cliff to fall to their deaths.
"Master! Hawk's hurt… bad!" Ahsoka yelled leaning over a groaning Hawk. His arm was twisted and broken in ways it shouldn't be. The rocket had been meant for him and the droid had hit its mark. Ahsoka turned glaring at the assault droid which was loading another round. Ahsoka picked up the head of a fallen B-1 and flung it with the Force at the assault droid, knocking its head off before it could finish.
Anakin grimaced, trying to hold back the droids offensive. There were too many droids and his company wasn't in a position to attack. The enemy had them outnumbered and outgunned. He might be able to survive, but the others couldn't without making a huge sacrifice.
"Sir! What are your orders?" Rex asked breathing heavily with his blasters in hand. He was ready to fight to the end if he had too.
Anakin looked over at his padawan of whom he had taught how to fight and win battles. He could tell she was ready to go at a moments notice. She was ready to charge without hesitation and she had taken that page out of his book. She looked up at him desperately seeking out his help. Below her on the ground was Hawk writhing in pain. Anakin grimaced but saw no other way and motioned for his apprentice to get ready. Then he felt a familiar presence within the Force. It wasn't Obi-wan, but it was someone that was even more daring.
"Ahsoka! Rex! Get ready to attack!" Anakin shouted with newfound confidence. He took in one last breath before he ordered his men and padawan to charge. Rushing air swooped past them.
Ahsoka looked up to find a red-headed girl with rocket shoes fly through the trees along what was a cord and grappling hook attached to one of the trunks. Her green saber drawn, deflecting the droids blaster fire. The red-head somersaulted over the embankment and in front of the advancing Droid Army.
The young teenager landed in a crouch defending herself with her lightsaber. The battle droids turned their attention to her and opened fire. She was already on the move before they knew what was going on, deflecting every bolt that came her way and slicing through the battle droids. Many of the battle droids didn't get the chance to fire, finding themselves falling apart before they could acquire their new target.
Ahsoka turned around to see Commander Cody and other clones pulling themselves up from over the edge of the canyon wall.
"How?" she mouthed baffled to how they came across the canyon.
"Commander Possible! She's something else. These droids don't seem to phase her at all. We've had a hard time keeping up," Commander Cody gasped for air. "We can talk later! Come on, men. To victory! Take out those clankers!" He shouted waving more troops of the 212th attack battalion over the cliff walls.
"Commander Possible?" Ahsoka repeated. Why hadn't she heard of the name before. The roar of Republic gunships swooping in from the skies above drew everyone's attention as they fired missiles down below into Separatist tanks. Anakin cheered lifting his saber into the air at the arrival of air support.
"Who is she?" Ahsoka asked herself quietly. She knew she had seen her before, but where? Anakin looked down at his padawan and smiled. A gunship touched down softly on the ground in front of the trench where slain battle droids now laid. Captain Rex and some of the clones had joined Commander Cody in the assault, mopping up the battle droids that had been distracted, left behind by the red-headed padawan.
"Skywalker!" Ahsoka and Anakin stopped their charge at the sound of a familiar voice.
"Master Windu," Anakin and Ahsoka bowed in respect as did Windu and Yori, his padawan. "So you're our reinforcements?" Anakin crossed his arms surprised.
"We were…" Mace said after looking around watching more gunships land, off-loading fresh troops and then far off to where Kim was. "… But after Commander Possible is done I don't think we'll be needed anymore. General Kenobi has already stormed the Separatist command center in the main city. With the Separatist fleet destroyed, this battle should end shortly," Mace Windu smirked confidently.
Ahsoka looked at Kim in the distance who was nearing the command tank at the other edge of the clearing.
She's just a padawan?
III.
"Unit 892!" the hologram of Unit TX-41 scorned its subordinate. "Why haven't you taken out the Republic's position!?"
Unit 892 jumped to attention at the sound of TX-41's voice. "Yes, sir! Um… the Republic troops are pushing back. They've received reinforcements." Unit 892's voice lowered despondently at the situation.
"So why haven't you taken the field? They're just clones!" TX-41's deep mechanical voice growled.
"Um… there's a slight problem sir… the Jedi are destroying our forces. Just one Jedi" Unit 892 responded.
"I don't care! Destroy them at all costs!" TX-41 ordered. But Unit 892 didn't listen. Instead, it watched a Jedi creep up behind TX-41.
"Sir…" Unit 892 tried to warn TX-41.
"What- Argh!" The transmission was cut off as the Jedi cut through TX-41's body.
"Uh, sir?" the battle droid piloting the tank looked up and asked.
"What is it?" Unit 892 was aggravated by losing its transmission to the base. It didn't know what to do now.
"We have the Jedi in our sights!" the pilot droid called out.
"What's the Jedi's position?" Unit 892 asked.
"Um… heading straight for us sir!" the driver shouted out nervously. Unit 892 panicked and tried harder to make contact with the base.
"She's taken out our last defensive line!" the battle droid manning the main gun yelled alarmed.
"Anyone out there? Hello… hello!" Unit 892 began to shout at its transmitter trying to reach any other command droid.
"Sir… I think you're in charge of the whole thing now," the pilot droid suggested.
"Um… right?" Unit 892 tried to comprehend what that meant for itself. But the more he tried, the more his circuits overloaded.
"What should we do sir!?" the gunner asked.
Unit 892 took more time to think about it and ordered the one word that was programmed into his memory over and over again. "Attack!"
"Roger roger!" the gunner answered.
The assault tank opened fire with everything it had. But the red-headed Jedi dodged every shot while continuing to cut down more battle droids in front.
"I can't… get her sir. She's moving too fast!" the gunner complained.
"Do I have to take care of everything myself!" Unit 892 popped the hatch of the tank open. He lifted himself out to get a better view of the battlefield. But instead of the battlefield, Unit 892 came face to face with the red-headed Jedi balanced on the main gun, her green eyes boring into its photo-receptors.
"Oh no…" Unit 892 groaned.
IV.
Kim Possible kept perfect balance atop the assault tanks cannon glaring down at the droid commander. The droid was completely still after uttering its regret at opening the hatch, trying not to provoke her.
"Um… please don't hurt me?" the droid tank commander asked holding up his hands.
Kim already hated battle droids with a passion. Part of the reason drew from the Diablos Drakken had released on Earth and other robotic devised armies. The other reason was when she arrived on Ord Canfre, the battle droids attacked her and the others without reason. Through the last ten weeks, she had seen the strife the Droid Army had caused throughout the galaxy and she could say without hesitation she wasn't a fan.
Kim cocked her eyebrow amused by the battle droid's request to preserve its own life. She could see that her sitting perched atop of its cannon was causing its programming and capacitors to overload. Her just sitting there was her own way of taunting the droid.
"Uh?" The droid commander looked back and forth trying to think of an excuse when two super battle droids ran past the tank in attack position. "You two! Attack her!" he ordered pointing at Kim. Kim turned, unfazed watching as they turned and aimed ready to fire, but were cut in half as Yori rushed by, her purple lightsaber slicing through their torsos.
The droid looked back at Kim. The scowl across Kim's face told the droid commander she wasn't too happy about the order he had just given. "Um… sorry."
"I don't think so," Kim deadpanned slashing her saber, severing the droid commander's narrow head from its body. Kim cut through the tank's cannon and vaulted off landing next to the last battle droid still firing away at the advancing clone troopers. It stopped as its torso slid off and fell apart.
"Are you alright Possible-san?" Yori asked deactivating her lightsaber as she stepped by Kim's side.
Kim sheathed her own sword and turned to Yori as the tank behind her exploded. "Yea. A scratch or two but I'll be fine." Kim smirked confidently looking down upon the wasted droid troops below her. "Well, we beat this one," Kim said with a cocky smile.
"We?" Yori remarked with her own pawky smirk. "You took out a whole legion of battle droids, Possible-san. You took all the glory and at the end you say 'we'."
"Great work Kim." They both turned around finding Mace Windu, Anakin, and his padawan. Kim instantly recognized her as the alien girl who had rescued them from the hands of General Grievous. She never got the chance to meet her after that.
"Thank you, master," Kim replied nervously, still uncomfortable calling someone master.
"Yea, thanks for saving our skins back there," Anakin thumbed back to the embankment near the edge of the cliff. "We were in quite a pinch."
"Yea thanks for the save," Ahsoka added.
"No big! It's me who should be thanking you, Ahsoka. You saved our butts from Grievous awhile back. I'm going to owe you for that sitch for a while," Kim smiled holding out her hand. "I'm Kim. Kim Possible."
Ahsoka smiled remembering Kim and Yori from the skirmish on Ord Canfre. "Uh, no problem. It's just what we do," Ahsoka responded taking Kim's hand shaking it.
"Nice to meet you Tano-san," Yori bowed.
"I remember you guys. Glad to see you guys made it out. I heard that you guys weren't from around here." Ahsoka smiled back trying to comprehend the situation.
"Yori is Master Windu's padawan and Kim is Master Kenobi's," Anakin further introduced. "From what Master Kenobi has told me, Kim and Yori are progressing quite well with their training."
"Oh, it's no big. Master Kenobi is a badical instructor," Kim replied using some of Ron's terminology. It was her way of keeping the young towheaded boy fresh in her memory, taking on a couple of his mannerisms.
"Well, I'm glad we had the chance for small talk. But with Malastare secure we need to meet up with Obi-wan and discuss our next course of action," Mace Windu instructed. They all agreed and boarded the gunship. "Take us to Malastare's capital!" Mace Windu ordered the pilot.
V.
Ziost. At its zenith, a beautiful planet in the Outer Rim covered by lush green jungles. In the past it was a hidden jewel in the far reaches of the Trans-Hydian Borderlands of the Outer Rim. But as time, conflicts, and the Sith took their toll. The climate shifted, changing the lush world into a frozen wasteland and dark forests that was largely forgotten. Its importance had decayed until it was nonexistent to the rest of the galaxy at large.
For those few who strived to find the darkness, it was a black-hole in the light. But the planet wasn't as nearly as important as was the ancient Sith citadel that was constructed on it millennia ago. The very place that held the dark secrets of the Sith and its dynasties of the past. Evil sorcery and weapons lay dormant, deep beneath the temples walls. It towered over the landscape of the frozen valley it was centered in. Glaciated mountains dominated the view behind the structure. Winds howled between the peaks like a siren to warn of the perilous evil below.
A small dark freighter ship zipped in from the dark and stormy skies, dashing toward the massive citadel. It stopped just before the fortress and hovered beside the main tower of the temple. A hole in the snow laden roof opened and the ship descended inside, swallowed by the rocky terrain.
Inside the citadel, the air was warm and damp unlike the cold winds licking the surface above. A ramp from the bottom of the freighter hissed open and a deep crimson light from the cabin illuminated an elderly silver-haired monocled man and younger hooded female beside him waiting below.
Grayson descended down the ramp, his fists balled holding onto something tightly. He placed a hand on his sidearm, not recognizing the people before him. "Who are you two?
"Our names are not important. All you need to know is that we are extensions of your employer and you will be dealing with us and others frequently when he cannot," the monocled elder replied.
Grayson wrapped his fingers around the grip of his pistol ready to draw. "I only answer to Lord Monte Fiske. I refuse to answer to anyone else."
He drew his pistol quickly only for a crimson blade to be pointed at his neck revealing the obsidian hair of the elders partner. "I strongly suggest you put your weapon back in its holster before I tell my Master it's time to hire a new merc!" she hissed.
"Katsumi!" the elder shook his head. "There is no need for your blade and unsolicited threats. I am in no danger and our Master's instruction to us is to be welcoming to our guest." The young apprentice slowly withdrew her blade, deactivating it and sheathing it back under her dark robes.
"Now then," the elder man continued, "Do you have the package that you were instructed to deliver?"
Grayson slowly sheathed his weapon, still precarious about the two who had greeted him and took out a small data-disk from his pocket handing it to Lord Fist's middleman. "All the information pertaining to the genetics of former bounty hunter Jango Fett are on it. And as proof..." Grayson unlatched another weapon from under his jacket and handed it to the elder. "The lightsaber I took from a Jedi."
The elder inspected the weapon before handing it back to Grayson. "Excellent, our Master anticipated this. So you are indeed ready for your next mission."
"I anticipate that my pay will be put into the freighter after?" Grayson asked making sure he was paid before agreeing to anything else. He didn't trust anyone else but Fist.
"You will receive your compensation, you have my word. But our Master does require your assistance in another assignment." Katsumi brought out a small holo-projector. It revealed another Jedi, much younger than the one he had encountered on Kamino.
"Who is this?"
"This is the young warrior who has been a beleaguering thorn in your employer's side for years now. He wants the target eliminated as soon as possible."
"What's the target's name?"
"You may have heard of her. Kim. Kim Possible."