Author's Note: Alright, found a moment of quiet and managed to get some writing done, which resulted in the completion of this chapter! Special shoutout to SAK-96 and his many many ideas. This one is slightly older, but was something I really wanted to make happen. Hopefully you'll find it as cool as I did!
-Chapter 23: Wraith Versus The Super Army Part 1-
Location: Diado
"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it."
Coruscant, the office of the Supreme Chancellor...
The news from Jabiim was making waves at the center of the Galactic Republic.
The incredible defeat of the 212th Attack Battalion and the capture of both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Cody was both startling and worrisome. It certainly appeared as though Jabiim would remain firmly under control of the Separatists and that the Republic would not find a victory there. But the loss of one of the Republic's finest Generals was definitely a blow to morale.
Something Chancellor Palpatine was all too well aware of.
Reports had been coming in from the surviving Clones, detailing the arrival of The Wraith as the cause of their defeat. But they brought with them some positively terrifying tales about Wraith entering some kind of 'berserker state' in which he lashed out at anyone and everything around him, ripping Clones apart with his bare hands. Those who had survived had been forced to bear witness to the sight of their brother's shredded bodies strewn across the ground, blood, innards and bone scattered around the blood-soaker Separatist commando.
It all sounded quite ghastly.
Hence the reason for this emergency meeting. It was of utmost importance that Obi-Wan be returned to them at once, but now it appeared that the Wraith was becoming an even greater threat. If such a prestigious army like the 212th could be literally ripped to pieces, surely it would not be long before Wraith took the fight to Coruscant. Chancellor Palpatine surrounded himself with the best possible people for dealing with both of these situations, them taking the form of Anakin Skywalker, High General Mace Windu and visiting Commander Thrawn of the Chiss Ascendancy.
The group of four met with Palpatine in his private office in the Senate Building where the Chancellor laid forth the facts and the needs now presented to them.
"Jabiim has proven to be a costly battlefield, but also one where we might take the knowledge gleaned from our failures and apply them to practical solutions." He was saying.
"I get the feeling you've chatting with our resident visiting commander lately." Anakin mused.
"Commander Thrawn has been most helpful in deducing the nature of The Wraith. His insights and discoveries are unmatched, even by our own intelligence divisions." Palpatine replied.
"Such high praise is not necessary, Supreme Chancellor." Thrawn quietly replied. "I simply wish to do my part, if only to help keep The Wraith away from Csilla. Such death and destruction I would rather not befall my people."
"Which is exactly why I've asked you all here." Palaptine continued. "It has been reported that Obi-Wan Kenobi has been incarcerated on the world of Rattatak." He told Anakin. "General Skywalker, I will leave a rescue mission in your capable hands." He instructed.
"That won't be a problem." Anakin replied, crossing his arms. "But I'll need some help and some permission first." He added, looking to Mace Windu.
"I'll ask Master Yoda to convene a Council meeting on the matter." The elder Jedi replied. "Better start working on something."
"I'm on it." Anakin nodded as he turned to leave. Once the Knight had left the office, Palpatine began the far more confidential purpose of this meeting.
"I'm certain you've both heard about what The Wraith has done on Jabiim." He said. Both Mace and Thrawn nodded.
"It sounds like something out of a horror story." The Jedi mused. "I managed to get a few brief glimpses at helmet recordings. Such gruesomeness cannot go unanswered."
"I know of very few peoples that can match such horrifying potential." Thrawn added. "If the Confederacy wished to unleash a monster, I dare say they have done just that."
"Indeed. Truer words could never be so fitting, though I wish they'd never have to be spoken." The Chancellor agreed. "However, Master Windu is correct, we must respond to this act of brutality." Rising from his chair, Palpatine moved to the front of his desk. "Given the rise of his use against us, I believe we must now make a concerted effort to put The Wraith down once and for all." He explained, motioning for his two guests to walk with him.
"I take it you have something in mind, Chancellor?" Mace inquired.
"I have. Over the past months, I have ordered for the creation of a new Clone detachment. A very special one." Palpatine answered. "Since the demise of Apex Company and the revelation that it will take much more to down this super-soldier, I have been working on developing a new fighting force. One specifically designed with the downfall of The Wraith in mind. Once again, Commander Thrawn, your insights have proven most valuable in the training of these men." The Chiss silently tilted his head in acknowledgment.
"Where have you stationed this new unit?" Windu asked.
"If you two would like to accompany me, I will show you." Palpatine answered.
Later, at the Coruscant Military Headquarters...
"The Thirty-First Special Operations Regiment. Or, as many have come to call it, Jaeger Regiment." Palaptine announced, showing off the newest assembly of Clones to Windu and Thrawn. The two onlookers were quite impressed with the scale of the new army.
The thing was, none of them were simple Clones. All of them bore unique armor designating their specialization in some role.
"I have requested for it to be comprised of the most elite forces available in the Republic Army. Nearly every ideal specialist has a role in this new unit. Shadow troopers, Covert Operations troopers, Clone commandos, Special Operations troopers, ARC troopers and even powersuit-equipped Clone troopers." Palpatine listed off. "All of them matching at least one of the qualifications necessary to take down The Wraith. We have even gone so far as to develop a totally new brand of Clone specialist: the Clone assassin."
"Clone assassins?" Mace repeated.
"You'll know them when you see them." Palpatine replied with a slight grin. "The reason why I have asked you two gentlemen here is because I would like for you both to lead Jaeger Regiment." The Jedi and the Chiss looked curiously to the Chancellor.
"Are you certain, Chancellor?" Thrawn wondered. "I am supposed to be here as a simple observer, nothing more."
"And yet you have engaged in this war by providing us with intelligence on our opponent." Palpatine replied. "I only ask because you are a man of great intellect, Commander Thrawn. We would fair much better if you were coordinating this army." The Chiss still seemed a little uncertain about the offer, hesitant to accept a position with the Grand Army of the Republic. It was true he had crossed the line from observer to participant already by submitting his findings and aiding the Republic.
What was one more step further into the fray?
"I suppose you are correct in that matter." Thrawn finally relented. "I accept the position, Chancellor." Palaptine nodded in acceptance before turning to Mace.
"You are one of the finest Jedi Generals in the army, Master Windu. You were the first and only logical choice to lead such an army." He explained.
"Then I accept, if only to aid in their first mission." Windu answered. "We know The Wraith is something of a slippery character. Even when downed, it is possible for him to get back up."
"Something I for one would like to see change." The Chancellor mused. "I have recently received word from several informants that The Separatists are planning on salvaging what they can from Diado, after Master Tiin's successful mission to sabotage their prototype starfighter destroyed the factory. It seems logical that they may send Wraith there as an advanced scout."
"They would send the toughest warrior they have to survey potentially unstable and unpredictable terrain? While a tad odd, it would not be outside the realm of possibility." Thrawn commented. "If they were to test or demonstrate Wraith's abilities as a scout, then that would be a far more probable reason. They claim him to be a 'one man army', an army does have scouts after all."
"Precisely. Which is why I must request the two of you deploy Jaeger Regiment as soon as possible. This may be our one chance to eliminate The Wraith on our terms." Palpatine informed them.
"Even so, Chancellor, if Jaeger Regiment performs well, we could finally have Wraith fighting on our terms every engagement."
On Diado...
Cold. It was decently cold on this planet. Despite his insulated jacket, he could still feel it. That by itself was something impressive. Usually, he never felt anything.
Diado seemed like the perfect world to build a factory. Out of the way, a barren ball of ice and rock, no inhabitants to worry about. And yet somehow the Republic found them and attacked them, disrupting their work and straight up stealing their projects.
Typical.
Wraith trudged through a snow-filled valley, passing rocky outcrops as he made his way towards the remains of a Separatist weapons factory. His job was to see if anything from the factory could be salvaged, especially anything pertaining to the advanced starfighter that was being developed there until its theft and the factory's destruction by the hand of Jedi Master Saesee Tiin. Apparently this mission had come from a long way up the chain of command, leaving wraith to wonder if Count Dooku or Darth Sidious were behind this mission. Only just recently returned from the frontlines of Jabiim, the mission had suddenly arrived in Scipio's hands and was deemed 'urgent'. While it seemed like a bit of a diversion from his usual courses of action, which typically included him going head-to-head with the Republic army, Wraith refused to disappoint any of his superiors.
Although he would've preferred not to, Wraith parked his shuttle a decent distance away from the ruins so as to avoid setting off any unstable ground or upset the already flimsy structural remains. Hence his need to cross a healthy distance of snow-covered terrain before actually arriving at his objective. It's not that he didn't like snow. No, he was perfectly fine with any environment, but the howling winds didn't exactly make this trip a pleasant one. He wore his common dark blue jacket and had forgone his carbine, thinking this to be a simple 'observe and evaluate' mission and not one that required any special hardware.
Little did he realize just how big of a fight would be on his hands in the coming hours...
The Venator-class cruiser Endurance arrived in Diado's airspace in seemingly record time. The newly formed Jaeger Regiment were quick to follow General Windu's orders and make for departure, allowing them to reach the snowy world where it seemed like they'd ere going to encounter the foe they had been designed to fight. The Jedi General, accompanied by Thrawn on the ship's bridge, was ready to find out for certain if The Wraith was in fact here or not.
"I don't like this." The Jedi muttered. "We're playing too big a game of chance here. Suppose Wraith arrives early or late? Then he's either gone before we get a crack at him or he's ready and waiting for us. Neither bode well for a first deployment." The Chiss commander understood his feelings.
"It is always better to act on fact than on chance, General. However, given our current situation at the request of the Supreme Chancellor, perhaps we had best see if Jaeger Regiment can adapt as quickly as we can, despite our objections to it."
"Maybe you're right, Commander Thrawn." Mace nodded. "Let's go and join the men on the flight deck." The Jedi explained as he turned to leave.
"General Windu, if I may," Thrawn continued, stopping him in his tracks, "perhaps we should see how well they perform without the presence of a Jedi on the battlefield."
"Are you certain that's wise? They will be going up against the deadliest foe the Republic has ever encountered." Mace replied.
"If proven successful, there may come moments where Jaeger Regiment will need to be quickly deployed without the authority of a Jedi General. Seeing how they function on their own, with a simple commander such as myself being their only contact, may better prepare them for future engagements against The Wraith."
"And what if those moments never come? What if, because of my lack of presence, there is no Jaeger Regiment to further train?"
"Then we will know for next time." Thrawn simply answered. "The solution to victory sometimes lies in the heart of defeat, General. The foolish accept defeat while the wise learn from it."
Picking his way through permacrete debris, Wraith rounded the rear of the destroyed facility, forced to scale part of a cliff and hug a very thin ledge in order to continue his survey. He had to find a way in, somehow. He knew from prior knowledge that the facility extended many miles underground and housed several developmental labs as well as forges and smithies, the kinds of areas you would expect to see in a major droid factory.
Given this was once the sole production factory for an experimental starfighter, though, it made sense they would want to build their tech themselves.
So far his scans had found only rubble and caved-in entrances. Whatever Saesee Tiin had used to destroy the factory had been incredibly successful. Wraith was beginning to think this mission would only result in ill-news: the factory was done for and nothing could be salvaged by one man alone.
Little did he realize just how intense this mission was about to become.
Far from his position, a series of LAAT stealth transports from the Endurance deployed a series of ARC troopers equipped with sniper rifles in the surrounding cliffs and hills. They would be the first wave of Jaeger Regiment soldiers to make planetfall, the ones responsible for keeping tabs on Wraith and intervening when necessary. The team leader, Sergeant Spyke, used his binocs to scan over the ruined facility. He was quick to highlight the location of the super-soldier, a special setting on his lenses detecting electrical energy rippling off his head.
"Darkhawk Company to command, we've got a confirmed sighting." Spyke radioed. "Awaiting orders." With The Wraith pinpointed and his movements being tracked, Endurance proceeded to unleash more of its forces. Gunships full of Clone assassins, Clone commandos, special ops troopers and Clones wearing prototype Juggernaut 500 combat power armor. They were quick to land in the snowy plains near the outskirts of the ruined facility and filed out of their ships, forming into squads organized by their respective specialties. The group leader, Marshal Clone Commander Hatchet, standing tall alongside Thrawn as the Clones assembled.
"Our first wave is nearly ready, sir."
"Good. Have them move forward and be ready for any kind of welcome Wraith may have ready. I will remain behind and observe the battle and will direct you to command them as things progress." Thrawn instructed him, donning a battle helmet he borrowed from an officer.
"Understood, Commander." Hatchet nodded. Turning back to the Clones, he raised his hand. "Jaeger Regiment, move out!"
The recognizable whine of LAAT gunships were quickly picked up by Wraith's audio sensors. Triggering his cloaker, Wraith quickly rounded the remains of the facility and triggered his scanners. On a cold, snowy world, thermal would be his greatest vision and it soon revealed the presence of many Clones marching towards the factory. But while he could see the main force, the ARC snipers went undetected by him. Seeing their quarry vanish into thin air, Spyke was quick to call Hatchet.
"Marshal, we've lost contact. Wraith has gone dark."
"Understood. Keep watching the area, let me know the instant you see something." He replied. He turned back to his men. "Look alive boys. Looks like our man likes to play hide and seek."
While the Clones halted and waited for some sign of their quarry, Wraith was on the move. Deciding he would get the drop on them, he hugged the sides of the ruined facility and crept forward, hoping to launch a sneak attack.
But he had only recognized the presence of Clones. He had no idea how specialized they were.
The special ops troopers found him first, the large headphones on their helmets increasing their hearing and detecting localized vibrations as his invisible boots trudged across snow and rock. The unit commander, Major Brist, quickly alerted Commander Hatchet that they had pinpointed someone creeping up on them. With everyone on high alert and the spec ops guiding their actions, Hatchet had every Clone ready to fire.
But, having learned a few lessons from the 212th engagement on Jabiim, he already had a plan in mind.
"Klaw, have your boys get some ion grenades and some EMP's ready. The instant we find him, you all gotta give him a nasty shock." He instructed the lieutenant in charge of the Clone commandos. With a quick nod, Klaw obeyed, holstering his weapon in exchange for a grenade in each hand. One ion, one EMP. His men were quick to follow suite, now tense and waiting for the first sign of their quarry. The Clones waited with baited breath, fingers on triggers and gazes staring down crosshairs as the special ops troopers did their best to pinpoint the direction of The Wraith.
They didn't have to wait long, though. Despite all his efforts to be stealthy and sneak up on his opponents, Wraith didn't realize that he was still leaving footprints behind in the snow.
The instant the imprint of his boot tread appeared in the snow before them, Klaw armed and lobbed his grenades without hesitation. The rest of his men quickly followed suit and soon multiple blue and purple explosions lit up the silhouette of a bulky man. The air started shimmering as the cloaking field around Wraith shorted out.
"Blast him! Blast him!" Hatchet ordered, opening fire with his scatter blaster. Dozens of blasters followed suite, a steady volley of blue rounds ricocheting off the armored foe before him. The Clone commandos broke out their heavier weapons, namely their DC-17m interchangeable blaster, and pulled the triggers as fast as they could. The powersuit Clones also opened up with their heavy repeater blasters, keeping a steady stream of blaster fire on their foe. Now fully revealed, Wraith did his best to shield himself from the incoming fire with his gauntlets. But, taking a severe assault from several directions, he knew he needed to break away and gain some distance so he could evaluate his opponents and strike back properly.
It seemed obvious these Clones were here for one purpose: to attack him. Regardless of who they were and how they found him, Wraith was certain they would not find victory today.
Today the snow would turn red.
Wraith executed a backflip and loosed a pair of explosive disks which detonated seconds after being released. They kicked up a cloud of snow that temporarily obscured the troopers' vision and bought Wraith enough time to draw his slugthrower pistols.
He knew he needed to play this smart, take out those who could find him and those who dealt the most damage first. The rest would fall soon afterwards.
He turned the sights of his gun on the spec ops troopers, gunning them down with blood spraying from holes bored through their gray and black armor. But then a sudden blaster round from somewhere to his right ripped clean through the gun in his hand, destroying his slugthrower pistol. Wraith growled as the weapon was ripped from his grasp and landed, laying useless on the ground. But with no one to his right, a startling realization dawned on Wraith.
There were snipers. These Clones had come prepared. Very prepared.
Realizing the troopers before him had help hidden somewhere in the distance, Wraith turned and decided to create some space between him and his foes, moving in a serpentine pattern in order to avoid getting hit. He had a feeling his armor could take the hit, but the fact they could destroy his weaponry was another matter altogether.
"We've got him on the run now." Spyke surmised, smirking beneath his helmet. He radioed Hatchet. "Marshal, do you want us to keep firing? Make him dance a little more?"
"Hold fire, Darkhawk. Let's get him focused back on us. We'll tell you when to bring the rain." Hatchet replied. The Clone marshal turned to the bladed Clones under Captain Vec: Black Dagger Company. "Assassins, go!" He ordered. The Clones immediately took off in hot pursuit, their agility training paying off as they quickly caught up with the fleeing super-soldier. With his scanners detecting pursuers behind him, Wraith slid to a halt in the snow and turned to face these new Clones he had never seen before. The assassins quickly moved into formation, barring Wraith form attacking the rest of their comrades. The Clones assumed attack stances and triggered their blades, steel weapons unfolding from the guards on their arms.
"How cute." Wraith growled. "The Republic is so desperate they're trying to copy me." Triggering his own arm blades, Wraith stood his ground as the assassins rushed to attack him. The first Clone struck with a downward slash, both blades cutting into Wraith's guard. He pushed him back and lashed out with a kick to drive him away. Two more Clones attacked on his right and left with rapid slashes and a third moved in close and drove his blade across Wraith's chest, leaving a silver scar behind on his darkened armor.
"Fascinating." Thrawn mused, observing the fight through a pair of binocs. "It appears Wraith's reliance on technology is also his weakness. While I first thought those behind his creation had thought of everything, it seems they have forgotten the basic science of electrical fields and interference. Still, the thought of him being able to control his presence at will adds yet another factor to this battle." He thoughtfully noted. Lowering the binocs, Thrawn keyed up a communicator linked to Hatchet. "Marshal, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Commander." Hatchet replied.
"Use your assassins and powersuits together. Have the bladed troopers attack intermittently while the powersuit troopers attack with barrages of fire." Thrawn instructed. "You must keep Wraith worn down so he cannot form a proper counterattack."
"I copy." Hatchet acknowledged.
The assassins were proving, by far, to be the trickiest Clones Wraith had ever faced. So far, only two of their number lay dead, bloody stab wounds running clean through their armor and their blades cracked and broken. They had given Wraith the idea that he could perhaps destroy their weapons first, which would open them up for a killing blow. But they had become much more agile and dodgy as of late, not to mention unpredictable. If two were in front of him, becoming the focus of his attention, Wraith would attack only to have another come from out of nowhere and slash at his back or legs. His proximity sensors informed him of their presence, but they were gone by the time he could whip around to attack. Then they would repeat the maneuver while his back was turned.
The tactic was honestly getting quite annoying. And it was starting to make Wraith mad.
But his situation was shaken up when one of the assassins shouted "Clear out!" and they all rolled away from him. Ready for anything, Wraith so discovered he wasn't when a grenade, launched from the shoulder mount of one of the powersuit troopers, exploded against his chest and sent him sprawling. With snow covering his body, Wraith growled as he picked himself up, noting the new scorch mark on his chest. That one had knocked the wind from him, being a pretty heavy hit. But the Clones were not going to give him a moment, as each one of the six troopers opened fire with their repeater blasters. Heavy rounds slammed into his body and another grenade exploded against his shoulder, throwing him back into the ground. Growling in both pain and annoyance, Wraith rolled over and into a far more ready position. His scanners quickly highlighted the Clones firing at him and the presence of another incoming grenade. Successfully dodging this one before it exploded, Wraith drew his still-working slugthrower as snow and debris was kicked up into the air beside him. Raising his gauntlet to deflect a few of the incoming rounds, Wraith knew he needed to be quick and precise with his shots. The powersuits had to go down.
But he only managed to get a single shot off before another sniper round tore through his weapon and the blade of an assassin slashed against his shoulder.
His armor was tough, it could handle a few cuts and a few explosions. But he'd rather not test its integrity right now.
Growling in irritation, having had just about enough of this, Wraith readied himself to go full juggernaut on the assassins. Rising to full height, he showed no signs of moving as another assassin came rushing towards him. But before he could strike, he found his neck locked in Wraith's iron grip and had his throat torn out seconds later. Blood splattered across the ground as the Clone fell dead, Wraith shifting to challenge his next attacker. Blades sliding out with a metallic ring, Wraith parried the two incoming slashes, ignored the attack from behind and practically threw off the Clone before him with a shower of sparks as their blades raked against each other. Another quickly moved to take his place while the one behind him persisted in attacking his exposed back. But Wraith was anticipating on being double-teamed and decapitated both with a quick spin of his body.
"Even fighting in pairs won't be enough to take me down. I've wasted entire armies, you'll have to do better than that!" He rumbled menacingly.
Having been observing each of Wraith's physical responses to the measures employed against him, Thrawn was discovering he had quite a bit of material to work with.
"His response seems to be brute force as a solution. While not always effective, his combined skills certainly make it a more viable option." He quietly noted. "Perhaps in this moment it would be wise to use equal force, if only to see what he does." Continuing to watch as Wraith skewered two more assassins on his blade, Thrawn called Hatchet once more. "Marshal, have the assassins pull back and order the rest of the regiment to advance. Use the powersuit troopers to provide cover fire."
"Acknowledged, sir." Came the reply.
The bloodied assassin bodies hit the ground at Wraith's feet, both of them dead from the stab wounds in their chests. It was at that moment Hatchet's orders came through.
"Retreat! Retreat!" One of them yelled and the remaining assassins took off back towards the main force.
"Yes... run from me!" Wraith growled in victory as he watched them leave. With blood dripping down his blades and death on his hands, he was feeling a bit better, despite having lost both his slugthrowers. But he felt a lot worse as a pair of grenades exploded against his chest, sending him tumbling through the snow. Bits and pieces of his jacket and the armor on it flew through the air, ending up scattered across the snow as a sizeable scorch mark was left behind. Pushing past the aching pain in his chest, Wraith picked himself up, noting just how blackened his chest was. The explosives were doing a real number on his armor and, although it was designed to withstand such hard impacts, it was starting to grow weaker with each successful explosive.
He needed to deal with those powersuits.
Stowing his blades and drawing his pistols, Wraith rushed ahead, ready to battle these armies head-on and tired of being knocked about by them. The scores of commandos, spec ops and powersuit troopers opened fire with every weapon in their hands, showering the approaching Wraith with a hail of blue blaster fire. The captain of the commandos, Clone Captain Klaw, decided to go a little above and beyond just the average assault and pulled out his DC-17m interchangeable weapon system to equip the anti-armor attachment.
"Let's see how high and mighty he is when one of these hits home!" He mused aloud, firing a single dumb-fire grenade towards the sprinting warrior. The explosive collided with Wraith and triggered an incredible blast, one that sent the charred and scorched warrior sailing backwards. Pistols knocked from his hands, Wraith, covered in snow and now a complete mess of blackened scorch marks, was looking nothing like his usually intimidating self. That single shot had torn through his chest armor and had succeeded in managing to actually rip through his jacket.
Suffice to say, his armor had reached its maximum limit.
Blaster rounds still continued to ricochet off of him and kick up snow around him. He had to get up and get moving. This battle was starting to push his limits. He needed to do something soon.
Right now, all he could think of duck and dodge. He wasn't nearly angry enough to trigger his 'Feral Rage' as Scipio had called it. Instead, he was feeling very concerned.
Making it to his feet, Wraith took off as he fought the urge to retaliate, another anti-armor explosive detonating not far behind him, the ensuing shockwave pushing him forward and causing him to stumble a little.
"That's got 'im!" Klaw mused, grinning beneath his helmet. "Forward, men! Charge him!" The commandos rushed forward as one mighty wave, keeping their blasters trained on Wraith as the ran across the snow-covered terrain. Hearing a clamor behind him, Wraith stopped and turned to see the Republic army rushing him. Rushing him.
They were feeling confident. But such confidence could easily lead to many mistakes.
Standing his ground, Wraith whipped throwing blade after throwing blade at the incoming Clones, felling them in droves as they continued to run, not stopping for anything. Questioning what exactly they would do when they reached him, Wraith balled his hands into fists and readied himself for anything.
What they did was open fire at close range.
Peppered by rounds from a variety of weapons, Wraith thought the tactic lame, but then thought better of it when he realized they had no melee weapons with which to strike him with, apart from their own fists.
This gave him a distinct advantage.
Rolling his shoulders, Wraith surged ahead with a war cry, ready to do battle once more. Despite his wounded appearance, the serum in his veins kept him going and kept his body responding to all negative stimulus, no matter how bruised or blackened he was. Seeing this, Klaw stepped between Wraith and his men, ordering the commandos under his command to cease fire.
He wanted to have his own crack at The Wraith, nor did he want his men to be caught in the crossfire.
The super-solider saw his first victim literally line up and gladly obliged the seemingly eager Clone by performing a superman punch aimed straight at his head. But the commando dodged and fired a series of rounds from his DC-17 right into Wraith's torso. Ignoring them, Wraith grabbed Klaw by the shoulder and threw him away. Klaw went with the move, however, and rolled back to his feet, turning around and lighting up Wraith with his pistol. The Separatist turned and swatted the pistol out of Klaw's hand before moving to strike with a blow to the gut. Fortunately for Klaw, his Katarn-class armor managed to lessen the blow, avoiding an injury Wraith could cause most other Clones. Seeing how his punch had little effect, Wraith executed a kick aimed for the side of the commando's helmet. Klaw ducked this too and put up his fists in a ready position. It seemed this commando was quite talented and Wraith was curious about his other skills, seeing he'd never done battle with a Clone commando before. Stalking forward, Klaw pulled out his WESTAR-20 pistol and his vibrodagger, taking a few shots over his crossed arm. The rounds were quickly shrugged off and Klaw jumped in ready to stab the Separatist. Wraith quickly turned his shoulder into the blow and Klaw's dagger broke upon connecting with the solid phrik plating. Executing a chop, Wraith knocked the other pistol out of Klaw's grip before backing hand the Clone and sending him spinning. He had more than enough skills at his disposal to counter and or obliterate anything this Clone could send his way.
But Klaw had a few surprises of his own.
Recovering from the attack and having gotten close enough to see the damage done to Wraith, Klaw developed a quick plan. Triggering the short vibroblade mounted on his knuckle plate, the commando struck with repeated right jabs, which Wraith blocked. But as soon as Wraith struck with his own right hook, Klaw parried him with his right hand and drove his left fist forward. His aim was true and his blade dug deep into Wraith's waist, right at the weak point between the hem of his shirt and his belt. Wraith grunted as he was stabbed, pain suddenly registering with him. Startled, he drew back, Klaw pulling his bloody weapon free. Wraith felt about the wound near his belt and when he raised his hand, he saw blood coating his palm.
This Clone had made him bleed.
It was a minor wound, nothing medically serious. But the simple fact that a Clone, a Clone, had made him bleed instantly shattered any and all perceptions of him being invincible, untouchable or unkillable.
The Wraith was made mortal.
Klaw moved in to strike again, spurred on to do so by the blood on his weapon. But Wraith was quicker, knowing he needed to retaliate lest this Clone somehow achieve the upper hand. Rounding a jab to his chest and following it with a straight punch to the head, Wraith was surprised when Klaw shrugged off both blows and managed to round a quick left hook to his wounded chest, knuckle blade stabbing past his fractured armor and into his flesh. Wraith growled as he stepped away, his blood trailing behind Klaw's retreating weapon.
This Clone was good. Too good.
Wraith charged back in, aiming to put Klaw in a headlock and snap his neck. But the commando pushed himself right against Wraith's body, grappling him with one arm and fighting off the super-soldier's tight grip. With his one bladed hand free, Klaw managed to stab Wraith once, twice, three more times in the gut, the Separatist grunting with each blow. It was enough to force Wraith to back off and left him breathing hard, his breath ragged as blood stained his shirt and dripped from the multiple wounds. He barely had time to recover before a quick signal from Klaw sent a group of commandos charging towards him. They fought as a unit and attacked Wraith from all angles much like the assassins had. Wraith was starting to realize some similar tactics were being used here, meaning that someone higher up the command chain was responsible for directing them to act as they did.
Question was, who was it?
A fact to be determined later, Wraith surmised. He had far more pressing issues at hand.
Summoning what was left of his brute strength, Wraith managed to throw off someone of the assaulting commandos, batting them aside or using them as an impromtpu club against their comrades. He was no longer fighting back, now he was just trying to create some space. One of the commandos jumped off a nearby rock, seemingly trying to tackle him from above. Wraith raised his gauntlet, deeming the attack hardly effective considering he saw it coming.
But he missed the EMP disruptor in his hand.
The slim stylus seemed rather useless, designed to damage or disable electronic systems in buildings. In combat, it appeared out of place, better off being used for an infiltration mission.
But this commando saw its potential.
As Wraith raised his arm to block the Clone, his opponent grabbed his arm and drove the disruptor in between the plates of his gauntlet. The electric shock that followed shorted out every single trigger system located within.
Every weapon stored inside it was now unusable. Arm blade, wrist blade, grapple, shock chip, throwing blades and explosives were gone.
The crackle of electricity that ripped through his arm indicated something was very wrong. It was when he flicked his wrist in all different directions that he knew what had happened.
"No. No no no no no no..." he feverishly muttered, triggering his remaining gauntlet blade and shaking off the Clone that had crippled him. Unfortunately his fellows were quick to see the difference.
"Grab his arm! Hold him down!" They shouted, knowing what they had to do next. They started to swarm his other arm.
"Get off me!" Wraith rumbled, hacking and slashing at any who came close, drawing a knife with his free hand using it to stab and hack at the frenzy of Clones as well. "Kriffing duplicates!" Some had their armor chipped, others had their weak spots punctured, blood now dripping down their white armor. But still they pressed on, hoping to overcome. A sniper round slammed into the back of Wraith's arm, forcing him to drop the knife. The commandos dogpiled on his arm, six or seven of them working together against his impossible strength. Growling as he struggled to resist, Wraith saw one Clone draw a similar disruptor from his belt with his free hand.
It was now or never. Wraith had to do something, lest he be deprived of the rest of his tools.
Summoning strength honed over years of training and practiced on numerous battles before, Wraith forced his arm up before lashing out in an uppercut. The move threw off the Clones grabbing him and he managed to impale his blade through the chin of one of the commandos. Throwing his body down opposite of him, Wraith finally had a breather. But the commandos were on their feet lightning quick and charged him from behind.
But Wraith was moving as well.
He struck with his arm fully extended, the sharpened edge and point of his blade ready to meet their armored bodies. Whipping about in a circular motion, Wraith beheaded each and every one of the commandos in a single clean sweep, blood trailing behind his faultless blade. Stand up and seeing the dead bodies before him, Wraith cackled in victory.
And then Klaw came up behind him and leapt on his arm, driving his own stylus into the still functional gauntlet and shorting it out.
"Yes!" Klaw cried as a crackle of electricity forced the extended blade back into its sheath.
"No, dammit! No!" Wraith growled as he shook Klaw off. Now he was really in trouble. The commando leader was quick to seize the opportunity.
"Somebody get on him! Take him down!" He shouted into his comms. Without hesitation, Clones came storming out from their ranks towards The Wraith. Commandos, assassins, spec ops, all of them were ready to declare victory over their foe. Wraith did his best to fight back, swinging wide with hard punches that shattered helmets and cracked armor. But, unlike his previous encounters, these Clones were relentless. They had studied and been trained to destroy only one target: him.
They eventually managed to trip him up and push him onto his chest. They were piling on top of him, trying to keep Wraith pinned to the ground so they could subdue him. No matter how much he fought back, innumerable zapping devices quickly put him back on the ground.
It seemed as though he were done in. Wraith briefly wondered if this was how he went out, surrounded by ranks of Clones that used his own tactics of brute force against him. Would he really be felled by those he hated most?
The thought lingered, demanding to be contemplated. He had an answer soon enough.
No.
No one kept him down! Certainly not a group of over-zealous Clones! No one. NO ONE!
His situation finally giving him enough reason to reach peak levels of anger, the ignition of RGE-7 empowered him swiftly and suddenly. With a mighty roar, Wraith threw off all the Clones in a display of titanic strength, sending them flying through the air as he rose to full height. He started ripping apart the Clones nearest to him, tearing them limb from limb and spraying their blood all around him. Now the Clones were panicking. They had heard about this frenzied state from the 212th survivors on Jabiim... and there weren't very many survivors. From his position with the main lines, Hatchet was starting to worry. But then a call from Commander Thrawn came through.
"Commander! We might be in for a slaughtering if we don't do something fast!" He exclaimed to the calm and collected Thrawn.
"Indeed. This new fit of rage is quite a fascinating sight to behold. I for one would like to study it further, under more controlled conditions." The Chiss mused.
"Your orders, sir? What do we do?" Hatchet urgently wondered.
"Is that fear I detect in your voice, Marshal?" Thrawn replied. "You are a solider of Jaeger Regiment designed to combat The Wraith. Now is not the time for fear! You are here to prove yourself a worthy adversary, one whom Wraith can fear!" He declared. "And you will not be feared if you yourself are afraid." That seemed to help Hatchet collect his wits.
"Understood sir." He replied in a far more even and confident tone. "Your orders?"
"Pull all of your men back and execute a ranged assault only. We cannot engage Wraith head-on when he is like this." Thrawn calmly replied.
"I copy sir." The Clone saluted as the communication ended. "All units! Pull back at once! Powersuits, give Wraith something else to chew on!" Suddenly coming up with a possible idea, Hatchet called Spyke. "Darkhawk, I need a full barrage against Wraith ASAP! Aim for the head, repeat, aim for his head!" He commanded.
"Roger that sir." Spyke replied, relaying the order to his men. "Light him up, lads!" Taking aim through their targeting crosshairs, the Clones started pulling the triggers. One after another, sniper rounds arced through the air and slammed into Wraith as he continued to rip Clones to pieces while the rest of them retreated. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the shots, ignoring how they slammed into his helmet and rocked his head. The RGE-7 had narrowed his mind, blotting out all possible 'distractions' for the sake of powering him towards his goal of total domination.
Tearing out the spine of one last Clones, the blood-splattered super-solider rushed after the fleeing Republic with a roar.
But that's when the big guns opened fire on him.
Round after round from the powersuit trooper's heavy repeating cannons pummeled his already wounded form. The last of their grenades flew through the air, arcing high in guided shots with the intent of stopping their quarry in their tracks and, if it was possible, blowing him to pieces. Wraith powered through the persistent barrage as best he could, holding up his gauntlets in an effort to try and stand tall against the incoming firepower. But ultimately, despite his Feral Rage and his enhanced defences, the powersuits managed to overcome him and sent him sprawling through the snow, his chest now bleeding as the most recent explosion tore through whatever was left of his armor.
In fact, the amount of concussive force applied to his body was so great it managed to take him completely out of his Feral Rage. Lying still and feeling sick as the red mist cleared from his vision, Wraith came to the simple realization that these powersuits were simply proving too much for him in his current state. He needed to play this fight smart and rework his strategy. He knew who he was up against. Now he needed to stage a means of striking back in a more effective manner. But he had better move quickly before he was overcome again.
He had to get out of there.
Slowly crawling to his feet, Wraith turned about and began fast-walking towards the nearest source of shelter: the destroyed starfighter facility. Picking up speed as he moved, Jaeger Regiment was hesitant to give chase as they watched their opponent flee. But as Hatchet soon realized his destination, he gave the order to pursue.
With an army of Clones hot on his heels, Clones capable of his destruction, Wraith soon broke into a sprint as he recalled to mind his earlier reconnaissance and remembered a very small window of opportunity he might be able to exploit. Picking up speed and accelerating to speeds beyond what any organic sprinter could achieve, Wraith began plotting his moves so that he found shelter and safety and covered his tracks before the Clones could catch up to him.
The remains of the facility loomed before him like a mountain. A mountain that had been shorn down and broken to pieces but still towering in some areas. Summoning his agility, Wraith scaled up the wall like a veteran climber and disappeared over its edge, out of sight and beyond the reach of the Clones. From there he sprinted over to a pile of debris and lifted up the largest fragment, revealing the remains of an air duct. Slipping inside, he let the debris slam down atop him, like he'd never been there.
The Clones arrived at the foot of the ruins and gazed up at the towering walls, mostly impressed by how Wraith managed to climb it in his injured condition and in such short time. Knowing they were not properly equipped to directly pursue him, they began to realize to their misfortune that their quarry had evaded them. Upon asking the ARC troopers if they could see him, to which the response was negative, a disappointed Klaw reported the development to Hatchet who turned around and called up Thrawn.
"Commander, Wraith has disappeared inside the facility. We can't follow him in immediately, we'll have to find another entrance." He stated.
"Very well. Have your men surround the perimeter and begin searching for another way inside. Perhaps the special operations troopers might use their equipment to locate a ventilation shaft or similar access point." Thrawn suggested. "I will contact the Endurance and request for the covert operations troopers and shadow troopers to join us."
Sliding and crawling down the winding air duct, Wraith soon found himself promptly deposited in a large and spacious corridor as he crashed through a weakened grate and ended up getting dropped unceremoniously on his chest. Groaning in pain as he lay still for a moment, basking in the dark and quiet of this room, he breathed a shaky sigh of relief.
"Well... that was tough." He finally mused. Forcing himself to his hands and knees, Wraith allowed his breathing to even out and settle as his natural healing abilities kicked in and began working on his extensive wounds. Digging through the lower pockets of his jacket, Wraith produced a single sample of a healing accelerant contained within a small pneumatic injector. Pumping the contents into his side, Wraith sighed as he dropped the injector and closed his eyes, allowing for a moment of tranquility to help ease his body and help the chemical do its job.
He had been firing on all cylinders for some time now. And he really needed a breather.
Pushing himself to his feet, Wraith started walking, not knowing where he was going or what he might find down here. He had only surveyed the perimeter of the facility and had not bothered to breach its remains, leaving the state of its rooms and equipment unknown to him. The clank of metal on metal echoed throughout the empty corridor as he trekked onward until the space before him widened significantly and he discovered a very large room. He could tell simply because of how open it felt and how the echoes of his boots clicking against the ground lasted longer and sounded further. For a moment, he thought himself to be in luck. But upon realizing this place would only serve as a brief respite, he shook his head in disappointment. He wasn't exactly expecting to find anything down here. But right now, he felt overdue for a little luck. Wounded and in bad need of repair, Wraith knew the only way out was by fighting. Good thing his helmet recorders were still operational. Scipio needed to check out these new Clones.
But before that could happen, there was a still a fight outside to return to. Lest he waited so long it followed him in here.
Wraith grimly took note of his equipment and weapons: his gauntlets were fried, and the tools within them inaccessible, one of his knives lost and both of his slugthrowers were permanently decommissioned. That left him with only his two DE-20's. Not nearly enough firepower to bring against an army of Clones specialists. Checking the magnetic locks on his gauntlets, he tried to pry open and access his explosives but to no avail. They had been sealed tight and were now, for the moment, permanently locked away.
Wraith sighed as he rested his hands on his hips. He was in a real jam.
The worse part was, his comms were also jammed. He had noted it during the fight, his HUD registering a lack of signal, and assumed another Clone specialist he hadn't seen yet was responsible.
There would be no help. He needed to come up with a solution on his own.
Recalling his years of training, Wraith knew he could overcome this as long as he put his mind to it. Maybe he could build his own weapons. But out of what? All he had to work with was durasteel plating. There was nothing down here, unless his scanners had lied to him.
Deciding to linger a little longer on the notion of building weapons, Wraith pulled the cloaker from his belt and gave it a few whacks. It seemed these Clones had heard about his work on Jabiim and were smart enough to have developed a way around his new 'disappearing act'.
Regardless, after fiddling with the settings and power cell, along with a few more whacks, the device flickered to life in his hand.
Beneath his blackened helmet, Wraith grinned. Finally, a stroke of luck!
With the option to disappear now open to him, Wraith soon decided against this course of action be recalling just how quickly he had been discovered in the first place. If they could do it once, they could surely do it again, even if he was trying to escape this time.
"What to do.. What to do..." He muttered. Swinging his head this way and that, Wraith decided he'd had enough of this pitch dark and adjusted his optic's field of view. He'd already entered night vision mode, courtesy of some built-in daylight sensors, but had yet to expand its range beyond holding his hands in front of his face. With his surroundings suddenly revealed to him, Wraith was surprised by the piles of half-built battle droids lying amongst scattered tools and pieces of debris. The shapes of machinery also came into view and Wraith realized he had stumbled upon one of the working rooms of the factory. This was where grunt work took place, the far more industrial jobs that corresponded with the production of starfighters. It occurred to him then exactly what this place was.
This was a foundry.
It made sense, considering this factory was built to test and produce experimental starfighters, for them to have their own construction equipment available. Eyeing the smithies and forges around him, Wraith suddenly traced back to his older query about being able to construct his own weapons to fight against this Clone army.
Such an abstract thought now seemed to be entirely possible.
Choosing to act upon it, Wraith set about determining if this foundry could be reactivated... as, through a burst of inspiration, a design came to his head.
Thrawn had moved much closer to the scene now, but still chose to observe from a distance as Jaeger Regiment combed over the remains of the facility Wraith had scampered into. Having beat such a hasty retreat, the Clones were certain that victory was almost within their grasp and were very eager to finish the mission they had embarked upon. Many of them had fanciful visions of them returning to Coruscant with scraps of Wraith's armor as trophies of their astounding victory over the super-soldier.
But while the Clones above ground continued sweeping and searching for a way inside the ruins, Wraith was hard at work in the renewed forge below...
They had to be good both close and ranged, blunt yet ballistic.
Hours passed as Wraith worked meticulously, using the foundry's available smelters and forges to craft the new weapons he had in mind. He mixed together molten metals, forging new alloys as the design and functionality of his new tools took shape in his mind. He visited the husks of half-finished B2 models, pulling pieces from arms still under construction, specifically their twin-barrelled blasters and their firing mechanisms. Syncing them together in a crude yet functional design, Wraith began strapping pieces of machinery to his arms as he wired up his new offensive features.
Then came the smithing work.
The ringing of a hammer against molten metal being shaped rang loudly throughout the abandoned facility. Having researched and read about this kind of work but never having fully experienced it, Wraith began to discover why machines did this now. The work was hot and exerting, no doubt the average being would grow tired quickly due to all the meticulous work involved.
His thoughts racing as his plan unfolded and began to take on a form, Wraith fused together the history he had learned with the skills he had practiced. While he had never set foot inside of a forge nor done any work related to the trade, he had seen many a holovid on the subject and had committed the similar moves to memory.
So many different tools all brought to life through identical means. There truly was no difference.
His many quiet hours of studying races and wars, tribes and societies returned in full as the glow of fire and flame illuminated him. He remembered studying the ancient weapons used by more primitive people. While they were far from what modern day people would call 'advanced', they were sufficient and beyond all others in their time.
There existed once a weapon, one so difficult to master only a true warrior could control it. It's raging power and erratic character earning itself a place among the more unstable individuals who shared a chaotic spirit with said a weapon. It was known as the 'rope spear' or 'kunai' in some translations.
But in the vivid imaginings of Wraith's mind, a bigger, bolder and more powerful version took shape.
He looked up from his work as the metal cooled, a hammer in one hand and tongs in the other. There were chains hanging from the roof. While he did not know what their original purpose was, they were long and sturdy. Perhaps they could be enhanced with a bath in liquid metal, an additional layer of hardened steel to enhance their toughness.
Yes. They would suffice.
Hours later...
Dusk had set in on Diado and the already crisp and cool day was about to become a bit colder as night was fast approaching. With the arrival of reinforcements, taking the form of Clone shadow troopers and covert operations specialists along with more commandos and assassins, Jaeger Regiment had been busy surveying the wrecked factory in an effort to find a way inside. The ARC troopers had descended from their position in the cliffs and had also joined in the work. Having acquired the proper equipment to scale the wall, Clones milled about all around the place, actively searching in groups.
So far, they had uncovered nothing.
"Group three to Marshal Commander. Nothing to report sir." An ARC radioed from the top of the structure.
"Keep looking, trooper. We've gotta find Wraith and put an end to this." Hatchet replied.
"Copy that sir." Ending the communication and splitting off from his brothers, the Clone walked over to the edge of the building and looked out over the wall. How exactly were they supposed to find Wraith in all this debris? Not even the spec ops Clones had found anything, and they had the best sensor equipment!
Growing lost in his musings, the Clone became oblivious to his surroundings... and was unaware of the silent predator that had been stalking him.
He realized something was wrong just a little too late when a blade stabbed him from behind, the bloody tip sticking out through a hole in his chest.
The other members of his unit were hunted next and one by one they fell with bloody stab wounds in their bodies. The last of their number fell with a scream as not one but two blades were shoved into his back and he was yanked backwards.
Although silenced seconds later, the Clones below heard his scream.
Looking up, curious and questioning, they waited for a moment to see what was wrong. Some of them reached for their blasters, anticipating that they had discovered a threat of some kind.
It was when the snow before them kicked up in a flurry and the air shimmered as a cloaking field powered down that they realized what had happened. Wraith stood tall before them, his body still bearing the wounds and scars from the first engagement.
But this time, he was ready for them.
A pair of short, heavy blades, the handles tied to chains that wrapped around his arms, were now in his hands. Already, Wraith's new chain-blades had Clone blood dripping down their edges.
"Time to die Republic dogs!" He thundered. Not wasting a moment, Wraith lunged ahead and let his chain-blades fly, gripping them by the chains tied to his arms. Whipping about and spinning his body as he surged ahead, Wraith's blades ripped through Clones with uncanny precision, blood trailing in their wake as they sliced clean through armor and flesh like it was nothing. He continued his rampage as Clones of all sorts fell before him, cut to pieces as their allies tried in vain to stop the onslaught.
They had never encountered weaponry like this before. Solid steel blades that could reach out and cut them down without the user having to get close? It was simply unheard of.
They tried to fight back, opening fire with whatever weapons they had or with whatever was closest to them. The clamor drew the attention of those not already invested in the fight and soon every Clone in the area was now dealing with the blade-swinging Wraith.
Moving like a razor-sharp tornado, the super-soldier was unrelenting, never stopping as he continued his path of destruction, a trail of bloody, mutilated bodies left in his wake. Having been spinning around so much, Wraith was surprised he wasn't dizzy yet. He supposed his enhanced body was responsible for keeping his center of balance secure or perhaps his method of attack was not nearly as strenuous as he had first thought.
Regardless, he believed he had discovered an all-new level of battlefield efficiency.
The powersuit Clones were quick to step up to him, training their heavy blasters on his whirling, twirling form. Wraith caught sight of them and stopped, drawing his blades back to him an gripping them by the hilts.
These guys needed to be dealt with.
He rolled out of the way as they began firing, blaster rounds pelting the snow where had had been standing. Quickly forming a plan and hoping it worked, Wraith wound up and pitched one of his new blades at the nearest trooper. It found its mark and passed through his armored thigh, causing the Clone to scream as he was impaled. Wrenching back, Wraith pulled the wounded trooper to him and promptly silenced him by stabbing his other blade through his helmet, an explosion of red hitting the inside of his visor. Leaving both blades stuck in his body, Wraith picked up his abandoned heavy repeater and opened fire on the other powersuit troopers. His aim proved remarkably true once more as the powerful rounds tore into them, exploding the head of one and tearing apart another, completely disregarding the armor they wore.
The blades were nice, but they were no replacement for a good blaster.
With many of the powersuit troopers dead, Wraith dropped the repeater rifle and pulled his blades free of the corpse at his feet. It was then that he looked up and spied a new group of Clone assassins coming towards him while the rest of the Clones retreated. Since he seemed to be in a particular melee mood, they were the ones best suited to deal with his blades.
Or so they thought.
While Wraith's skill with these new tools was simple and not yet refined, he knew enough from history and from memorization how to use them to best produce the deadliest results.
One of the assassins, a commander, given his fully-coloured plating instead of regular striping, stood back as he ordered his men to charge, the forward most Clones extending their blades in preparation. Wraith stood his ground, ready to strike. Blood dripped thickly down his chain-blades, seemingly hungry for more to savor. Not even waiting for them to make the first move, Wraith threw a blade forward with enough force to impale an assassin clean through his armor. The dying Clone was then pulled towards him, flying through the air as Wraith's blade left his body and returned to his hand. From there the super-soldier simply sliced forward, nearly cutting the Clone's body almost in two, his innards spilling across the ground as he landed on the ground and lay still. Feeding off the stark fear in the Clones' body language, Wraith chuckled darkly as he motioned them on, hoping to goad them into attacking him.
They did.
His chain-blades were so large, only one could block both of an assassin's thinner blade with ease. Wraith capitalized on this and parried one strike before hacking deep into the Clone's body with his free blade, tearing it out with a scream from the Clone and a spray of blood. The rest who rushed him fared no better, falling victim to his ruthlessness and suffering the gruesome fate of being hacked to pieces. One Clone had a blade buried halfway through the side of his head before Wraith wrenched it free, snapping his neck in the process. One assassin lasted a little longer, parrying his first strike and then bracing himself to block the next. But with a might thrust, Wraith's blade was shoved clean through his arm and into his head, severing the limb in the process. Those further away made the wise decision to hang back, seeing their comrades killed so easily made them think twice about rushing The Wraith. Stalking closer to the cluster of assassins, the squad commander stepped forward and triggered something on his belt. Suddenly he was enveloped by a visible field of blue energy, one Wraith instantly recognized to be an energy shield, similar to the kind deployed by destroyer droids.
Shields like those were virtually impenetrable. If anything he would have to wear it down somehow...
"Don't know why anyone else doesn't carry one of these. They oughta be standard issue when it comes to dealing with you." The Clone muttered, extending his blades.
"Whether or not it proves useful against me remains to be seen." Wraith retorted, raking his blades against each other and creating a shower of sparks, hoping to intimidate him. The Clone instead chose to charge, tossing a thermal detonator ahead of him. Wraith kicked it to the side and whirled about, sending his blades slamming into the shield.
"Nice try, Seppie!" The Clone said mockingly. His own blades quickly slashed across Wraith's armored arms, diving in as he sought to take advantage of his shields. Wraith quickly backtracked and pulled his chain-blades in, knowing he had to get awful clever if he wanted to surpass this shield. He remembered witnessing Jedi dive under destroyers and past their shields, disabling the droids where they were weakest.
Perhaps a similar policy was in order.
Parrying the Clone's next two strikes, Wraith dropped down low with his blades in hand and took a swipe at the Clone's legs, his hand and blade passing through the shield. Seeing the move, the assassin leapt back. "Cute trick. Thanks for the reminder!" He sarcastically thanked him.
"Don't bother." Wraith grumbled as he raised his arms and blocked another set of slashes. His gauntlets may not be able to provide their tools, but they were still pretty much invulnerable and offered a decent layer of protection. Shoving the Clone back, Wraith charged forward and executed a dropkick. While the force was enough to trigger the shield enough to rebuff him, he did push the Clone back a few feet, causing him to stumble. Returning to his feet, Wraith developed a plan. Spinning around to gain some momentum, he threw both of his blades into the air before jerking the chains and sending them crashing down towards the assassin. However, the Clone saw what was happening and quickly rolled forward, dodging the blades and ending up very close to Wraith.
So close, in fact, that the super-solider was within his shield.
"You missed." The Clone smugly noted.
"Did I?" Wraith retorted. Turning over his arms and revealing the battle droid arm-blasters strapped over his gauntlets, Wraith blasted the surprised Clone with two shots in quick succession, downing him before he had a chance to switch on his shields. With the Clone dead, Wraith pulled his blades back to him. Stooping down over his body, Wraith took the shield generator from the dead Clone's belt and clipped it to his own before turning it on.
Now he was truly invincible.
Enveloped in an impenetrable energy field, Wraith could definitely say he had claimed the upper hand. The assassins turned about and ran, knowing this mission was now hopeless. Some of them were speared from behind, killed where they stood as Wraith's chain-blades punctured their armor and fatally stabbed them. One assassin had both blades stabbed into him, one through his chest and the other through his middle. Yanked back and still stuck on the blades, the Clone was left helpless at Wraith's mercy and was killed as the super-soldier took hold of his blades and summoned his strength, ripping the Clone in two.
The rest of Jaeger Regiment was in full retreat. Seeing the empowered and protected Wraith to be quite unbeatable compared to before, Hatchet deemed it best that they pull out, as did Thrawn. They had left their mark on him and had proved their worth. As far as those two were concerned, their job was done.
But Wraith was not done with them yet.
He could tell from the beginning that these Clones were being directed with a very refined precision, something he hadn't seen in very many Republic commanders. He wanted to know who was behind this army, to see with his own optics who was capable of organizing such a specialized army capable of giving him such a fight.
Spying a Marshal Commander, based on the identifying markings, he quickly made to subdue him and gain some answers. Surely this Clone had a higher authority he reported to.
Hatchet saw Wraith coming for him and had a feeling his end was near. Problem was, Thrawn was moving to link up with him in effort to coordinate a proper retreat back to the Endurance and that decision had been made some time ago.
He wasn't about to let his Commander, let alone a foreign officer with no true stake in this fight, to succumb to the ferocity of this monster.
"Commander Thrawn! Break off the rendezvous, I repeat, break off the rendezvous!" He shouted into his comms before one of Wraith's blades speared him in the shoulder and the super-solider was suddenly upon him. Using his blades to pin Hatchet to the ground, Wraith got really close to the helmeted Clone.
"Who is he?!" He demanded. "Who is this 'Thrawn' you speak to?!"
"I am." A voice said. Turning around, Wraith came face to face with its owner: a noble-looking Chiss male clad in a black foreign officer's uniform and wearing a battle helmet he'd seen some Republic officers sporting on occasion. Thrawn tightened a pair of gloves around his hands as he continued speaking, calm and collected despite whom he was dealing with. "I've been watching you for some time, Wraith." He stated in a quiet, reserved voice. "Might you test your skills against me?"
