Author's Note: One last post before the new year! And I hope none of you like Clones...


-Chapter 37: Death in Deep Space-

Location: Republic Listening Post, Eridicon Three

"Space. It's cold, lonely, infinite, and the worst place to die..."

Somewhere in the galaxy...

In a dim medical room, illuminated by only a few wall-mounted lights and the stars visible from a viewport, an unconscious Pomel Scipio lay in bed, hooked up to a variety of machines and heavily bandaged. Having been rushed to the medical bay upon arrival, the wounded doctor had been operated on by a pair of medical droids who had quickly stemmed the bleeding and patched up his internal injuries. Now on the mend, the Pau'an lay dormant as his body strove to heal itself up.

And by his side, quiet and unmoving, sat Wraith.

His silent vigil had begun as soon as Scipio had been moved to this bed, still clad in the armour he had worn, a little singed and a little blackened, Wraith had refused to move and was determined to ensure Scipio made a full recovery as well as be there for when he awoke. All the while he stewed in his thoughts and emotions

Someone had almost cost Scipio his life... and they would feel his wrath soon enough.

But who? And how did they find him? While such pertinent questions needed to be answered, Wraith didn't care for them right now. All he wanted to do was make the Republic pay for their actions.

They had burned his home... so he would burn theirs...

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door behind him opening and footsteps entering the room.

"How is he?" A deep yet elderly voice inquired. Wraith had heard it enough times to know exactly who was here with him.

"The medical droids say he'll make it. The debris punctured some of his internal organs. But he's stable, for now." He answered. "Now it's just a question of when he'll wake up." He added with a sigh. Patting Scipio's hand, Wraith stood and turned to face Count Dooku.

"He's like a father to you, isn't he?" Dooku softly asked.

"More than you realize." Wraith quietly answered. "He... He..." He made to speak again, trailing off as he grew consumed by emotion. "If he doesn't make it, I swear to you, I will raze Coruscant to its core." He finally growled. And he meant every word.

"A time for everything, Wraith." Dooku reassured him. Motioning to the door, he used the Force to slide it open. "I'm sorry about your base." He apologized.

"Me too." Wraith replied, following him out of the room. "No matter. This'll do."

"I take it you appreciate the results of Project Iron Tyrant?" Dooku inquired.

"I would've appreciated it regardless if it had a place for me or not." Wraith told him, quite impressed by what the Separatists has constructed. He had been informed of its purpose and the plan surrounding it upon arrival. While he had not been expecting his new base of operations to look like this, he was more than pleased with the outcome.

"And for that reason, we need your skills." Reaching into his robes, the Sith Lord retrieved a holoprojector that displayed a single planet. "We've discovered another Republic listening post on the world of Eridicon Three." He explained. Wraith crossed his arms. He knew of several planets involved in Iron Tyrant, and he knew where Eridicon Three was.

"That's awful close to Pammant. Can't be a coincidence." He mused.

"We think the same, solider." Dooku agreed. Wraith immediately drew a connection between Dooku's words and rolled his shoulders.

"One destroyed listening post coming up." He stated.

"Before you go, we have some data which may prove helpful in your planning." The Count informed him. "Based on what we've heard from intercepted radio chatter, a group of 501st Legion troopers are on their way over to help with a security changeover. Among them are some of Captain Rex's right-hand men, including: ARC Troopers Fives and Echo, Torrent Company members Jesse and Kix, and 501st affiliate Tup."

"A chance to off some of Rex's friends... now that's an opportunity I can't pass up." Wraith mused, feeling more than a little hungry for some payback.

"Also, the entire planet is surrounded by an asteroid field. There's no way a ship can exit hyperspace just above the planet with those rocks in the way. They'll have to drop out a few miles earlier and slowly pass through the asteroid field. You and a squad of rocket battle droids can ambush them there."

"Right. We'll latch on to the hull and force our way in. Makes sense."

"I take it you have a means of surviving the vacuum of space during this process?" Dooku wondered, wanting to make sure Wraith was properly equipped. If not, they would have to find something for him and quickly.

"One of the outfits Doc managed to bring was a prototype space suit for me. I can figure out how to work it. I should be fine." Wraith answered.

"Do your best Wraith. The secrecy of Iron Tyrant depends on you."

"And it'll remain a secret." The super-soldier replied, turning about and setting off for the hangar. A good mission would keep his mind nice and occupied, as well as help him to vent.

He looking forward to getting to slaughter some Clones...


Later that day, in the Eridicon Sector...

Dropping out of hyperspace, a GX1 short hauler shuttle slowed down as it approached the asteroid field surrounding Eridicon Three. Manning this shuttle were some of the finest Clones in service to the Republic. All of them belonging to Torrent Company, with Fives and Echo in charge, they were destined for the new Republic listening post in order to drop off some supplies and relieve a few of the men who'd been there for a few days already.

"Jesse, let them know we've arrived and will be there shortly." Echo commanded.

"You know, this kinda reminds me of the time we were stationed on the Rishi Moon. Remember that, Echo?" Fives commented, reminiscing back to when they were only rookies.

"When everything went horribly wrong and Hevy got killed?" Echo replied, rather sardonically. "Sure. I try not to though."

"Ah, this can't be that bad, can it?" Tup wondered. "We're just here to make sure everything goes according to plan."

"That's what we were doing." Fives replied, his voice taking a grim tone. "And then nothing went 'according to plan'."

"But we've got pretty much all of Torrent Company with us. Any Seppies or clankers trying to sabotage this place would have to be stupid to try." Jesse said.

"Jesse's right." Kix agreed. "This is just gonna be a boring, routine stay. Nothing more." While the three of them were optimistic, despite the prospect of being bored for weeks on end, Fives and Echo were veteran ARC Troopers and they knew that with a fraction of a second, anything could happen.

Anything.

Further ahead, along the interior of the asteroid belt, strategically clinging to the sides of varying space rocks, were a dozen commando droids, battle droids with rocket packs and The Wraith, suited up in a set of custom armor that acted as a space suit. Forsaking his jacket for a more slim and flexible suit, Wraith looked just as intimating here in the cold vacuum of space. With thick armor plating protecting his chest, shoulders and legs, a flattened oxygen tank sat on his back and was wired to his helmet via a pair of hoses connected to an all-new mouth-guard. His pistols were the only weapons he carried, all four of them strapped to his waist via his gun belt. Specialized magnets in the soles of his boots kept him securely attached to the asteroid as the sensors in his optics tracked the incoming shuttle.

"Wait for my signal." He commanded the droids. "We'll wait until they can't see us."

"Roger roger." One of them replied. Poking his head out from behind his asteroid, the long, narrow hull of the ship came into view, slowly floating forward as the pilots traversed a narrow path determined by their nav computers. As soon as the gleaming glass of the cockpit was out of view and only a steely wall of plating, sporting small Galactic Republic and Republic Army logos, remained, Wraith lept off the rock he was on and jetted towards the ship, courtesy of a pair of small jump jets mounted on the sides of his boots.

"Make for the rear cargo access." Wraith ordered, maneuvering down and round the ship. Getting in to this tin can wouldn't be easy, as it required carefully timed and precise movements in order to board without a sound or trace. He didn't want the Clones to know of their presence until it was too late for them.

Fortunately, he had a little extra for just such an occasion.

Uploaded into the computing equipment in his gauntlet was a virus that would bypass the ship's natural breach alarms and broadcast a temporary 'all clear' signal. With any luck, the Clones wouldn't suspect a thing until he and the droids were storming the cockpit.

Arriving at the door, Wraith's boots clamped to the metal walls of the ship as he pulled out his connector cables, jacking them into the astromech port located to the lower right. Quickly uploading the virus into the ship's system, Wraith pulled his cables out a moment later and forced open the door. The droids quickly floated inside, Wraith ensuring the door stayed open. With all of them in, he followed behind them and closed the door, before accessing the room controls and switching on the artificial gravity field. All of them landed on their feet and Wraith promptly moved for the exit, cracking his knuckles as he did.

"Follow me in." He growled.

The fives Clones sat normally, relaxed and at ease. Wraith's virus proved successful and all of them were oblivious to the Separatists boarding their ship and the impending doom awaiting them all. They sat silently in the cabin, expecting nothing and anticipating nothing. Then a sudden, small explosion blew open the entry door to the cabin, revealing a small squad of droids and The Wraith at the front. The Clones whirled about and were surprised by the presence of invaders and shocked to see someone who looked a lot like the super-soldier they had supposedly killed on Utapau.

"It's Wraith!" Kix cried as he recognized them. "And the Separatists!" Not caring for how their hated enemy was still alive and jumping from his seat, the Clone grabbed the nearest blaster and charged the invading Separatists.

"Time to die, Republic dogs!" Wraith thundered as he drew one of his blaster pistols. Firing two shots, Wraith hit Kix square in the chest, bolts of energy tearing through his armor and killing the Clone with a blow to the heart. Kix dropped his weapon and fell to the floor, a smoking wound in his chest. The other Clones were quick to react, springing from their seats and grabbing their weapons. Fives drew his pistols and opened fire on them and Jesse was quick to follow, grabbing his blaster rifle and crouching down behind a seat. Taking aim, the Clone managed to blast the head off of a droid. But another took its place and fired a shot that hit the Clone square in the abdomen. Jesse dropped his weapon and doubled over with a cough, clutching the wound but leaving himself exposed so Wraith could draw his slugthrower and end the Clone with a single shot to the throat. A splatter of blood painted the console behind him as the powerful slug ripped out the Clone's neck. Jesse hit the ground sputtering, more dead than alive, rasping for air with blood flowing from his mouth as he died. Tup joined Echo as they moved to reinforce Fives, weapons in hand and ready to fight. By now a firefight had erupted in full force in the confines of the cabin. Wraith held up a gauntlet to protect himself as several droids were shot down, but smirked beneath his helmet when Tup fell to a hailstorm of blaster fire that ripped his body apart, once the droids finally coordinated their attacks and recalculated to accommodate the confined interior of the cabin. Fives and Echo kept shooting, now desperate to survive this encounter. The shuttle was by no means roomy, with no room to truly fight a ranged battle. Blaster fire from both Clones and droids ricocheted off the close quarters walls and bounced in every direction whenever they missed their mark.

But out of all of them, Wraith never missed a single shot.

The soldier took aim at the renown ARC Troopers: Fives and Echo. Echo he killed with a barrage of blaster fire that ripped through his chest and torso before he downed Fives with a series of well-aimed hits that put the Clone on the ground for good.

The firefight was brief, but ended in total Separatist victory.

Ejecting his spent energy cell and quickly reloading, Wraith holstered his weapons and paused to take in the blood-soaked and body-filled interior before him.

"Huh. That seemed pretty easy." One of the battle droids noted.

"They're Clones," Wraith replied, "they're always easy to gun down." Moving past the bodies of Anakin Skywalker's top men, Wraith stepped up to the helm of the ship to look out the permaglass screen. "Take the controls and continue on to the listening post. Once we've snuck past their defenses, we'll take them down from the inside." But as a pair of commando droids began to take their places at the helm of the shuttle, the Separatists failed to realize that Fives was still alive and had heard their entire plan. Clinging on to consciousness with all the willpower he could muster, the Clone rolled over with a groan as his sudden presence was acknowledged by the Separatists.

He would do whatever he could, until his last breath, to defend the Republic.

"N-No..." Fives gasped, reaching out to grab Wraith's boot. "C-Can't let you... w-win..." But his struggle was in vain as Wraith stepped away from his outstretched hand.

"Ah, Fives," He rumbled, drawing one of his slugthrowers, cocking it and taking aim at Fives' exposed head, "even in your current state you can't help but profess your loyalty... such absurdity." He growled and pulled the trigger, a metal slug ripping through the Clone's head a split second later.


On the surface of Eridicon Three...

The new Republic listening post was bustling with activity. Blue-painted Torrent Company troopers kept a careful watch on the area from various positions across the grounds while regular Clones operated and observed the listening equipment within the new complex. Newly commissioned and freshly constructed, it was the job of the Torrent Company Clones to ensure nobody blew it up like the Anoat post.

Suffice to say, it was a boring job but an important one.

Joc, Ross, Ringo and Oz had been here the longest and the four of them were looking forward to being able to go back to Coruscant and rejoin Rex and the 501st. Hardcase and Dogma hadn't been here for nearly as long and would be here to help out Fives and the other newcomers.

They had no idea what had transpired just a few miles above in Ediricon Three's orbit and that they were all in grave danger.

One of the Clones on the upper level deck was the first to catch sight of the incoming shuttle.

"Someone let Ops know the shuttle's here." He reported into his comms. His transmission was picked up by those in the command center, Dogma among their number.

"Right, time to send Joc and the others home." He mused. Turning about and heading for the crew quarters, the two remaining Clones received the shuttle's clearance code, a unique signal that confirmed it was a Republic transport.

"That's odd." One of them noted. "They sent the clearance code... no message though. Usually we're contacted prior to their arrival."

"Eh, who cares. They sent the code and they're good, nothing to worry about." The other nonchalantly replied and not concerned about the supposed discrepancy in the slightest. His partner shrugged and decided to ignore it.

Down on the adjoining landing pad, the two commando droid pilots set down the shuttle, doing their best to not arouse suspicion. Behind them, Wraith was busy scanning the area with his thermal sensors. There were no Clones on or around the landing pad, but there were some stationed at the top of the stairs that led to the listening post. A pair of permacrete barricades stood erected beside them and clear views of the roof of the post could be seen even from this lower lever.

If there was one place for them to hold their ground, that would be it.

Wraith turned back to the remaining battle droids in the cabin. A few of them had been taken down during the surprise attack, their metal husks lying where they fell. But Wraith had about ten to work with along with his favorite commando droids. They were equipped with blades that could skewer a Clone just as easily as his own could. This was good, as he needed to make sure it looked like they had done this and not him. He still needed the Republic to think he was dead.

"I will lead the opening assault. Commandos, find a way around their defenses and take them out from behind, the others and I will provide a distraction. The rest of you form a defensive position around the landing pad, use crates and this shuttle for cover. Attack anything that isn't a droid." He explained. The droids nodded and readied their weapons as Wraith walked to the rear of the ship to extend the boarding ramp, droids in tow.

The Clones at the top of the stairs were anticipating some of their brothers to disembark the shuttle, maybe carrying a few pieces of cargo or even pushing some hover crates that would help keep this post going.

What they got instead, was a black-clad, armored man with crimson eyes darting out and training his blaster pistols on them. Startled, the Clones were frozen in place and unable to move as Wraith promptly gunned them down. Droids started pouring out of the ship, taking up positions as Wraith began bounding up the stairs. The sound of shots drew the attention of the other Clones who turned just in time to see The Wraith rise up with blasters raised, baring down on them. The Clones were quick to open fire without hesitation. They would deduce how Wraith was still alive later. The clamor of battle had reached the interior of the facility and a sergeant arrived on the roof. He approached a scout who was observing the unfolding fight through a pair of binocs.

"Trooper! Status report!" He demanded.

"It's The Wraith!" He shouted, sounding anxious and even a little fearful. The sergeant snapped to him, shocked by his report.

"Impossible! We killed him on Utapau!" He exclaimed.

"See for yourself!" The Clone retorted, handing the binoculars to him. The sergeant lifted them to the visor of his helmet and bore witness to The Wraith and a squad of battle droids advancing on their defending brothers.

"By the Force..." he breathed, having a hard time believing what he was seeing. "How is he alive?"

"Who cares? Start shooting at him!" The other Clone cried, raising his blaster and opening fire. The others followed suite, not waiting for an order. Even the sergeant was quick to cast the binocs aside and draw his DC-15, firing alongside the rest of his men. They rained fire down on Wraith peppering him and the droids behind him as they took cover behind the permacrete barricades. The Torrent Company affiliates soon charged out of the base, all of them armed.

"Right lads, focus fire on the clankers! We'll cut Wraith off from his support units and then unleash hell upon him!" Ringo stated. They dashed to the few Clones holding the door, Hardcase stepping up in front of them.

"Stand back, boys! I'll cut 'im down!" He cried, bringing his rotary cannon to bear on the fast-approaching Wraith. The super-soldier was quick to raise his gauntlet, the barrage of blue energy bolts slamming into his guard with relentless force. Dropping to one knee, Wraith held his own as other blaster rounds soared past him and slammed into the droids, taking them down one by one. The super-soldier knew he had to take out the rotary cannon and quick, so he developed a plan of attack to buy his droids time. Triggering his personal shield, the energy field absorbed the incoming rounds and gave Wraith enough room to stand and start moving. A throwing blade slid into his hand and he whipped it towards Hardcase. The knife flew through the air and stuck in the midst of the barrels, jamming it and forcing Hardcase to look down. Sprinting to the side and bouncing off a rock, leaping high into the air, Wraith took aim and lined up his crosshairs with the thin visor of Hardcase's helmet as he looked up. Frozen in the face of his impending doom, Hardcase watched as Wraith squeezed the trigger. The single, acid-lined slug leapt from the barrel and slammed into Hardcase within seconds. The bullet pierced clean through the visor and ripped through his head, the residual acid just enough for it to explode out of the other end of the helmet, a splatter of blood in its wake. Chunks of flesh and brain matter hit the ground as Hardcase collapsed, instantly dead.

"Hardcase!" Dogma cried, racing to the side of his fallen brother. As he did so, the others realized their supporting fire had been eliminated.

"Someone grab that rotary cannon!" Ross shouted. "The rest of you, pop thermals!" Reaching for their belts, each and every Clone drew a thermal detonator and armed it before sending it rolling across the ground towards Wraith. The super-soldier realized the explosive potential if those things got under his shield and he quickly backflipped away as a flash of flame and a cloud of smoke enveloped where he had once been standing.

"We gotta pull back!" Joc realized. "He's too well-armored, we need to think our way out of this."

"All of you fall back to the door, we'll hold him off from inside!" Ringo ordered. "I'll grab Dogma." The Clones nodded and moved to retreat, signalling their brothers on the roof to provide cover fire as they backed off. Ringo jogged over to Dogma's side, the Clone still kneeling by the corpse of his friend and brother. There was nothing he could do, but he felt compelled to not leave Hardcase behind. "Time to go Trooper!" Ringo told him, grabbing his shoulder. Dogma's head snapped towards him.

"He was my brother." He hoarsely whispered. Ringo nodded and knelt down next to him.

"He was mine too." He replied. With those few words, Dogma knew Ringo felt the same way he did. But they both had a job to do. If they didn't act now, none of them might survive this.

"Alright..." He finally relented, rising to his feet. "Let's go." Ringo nodded and took off for the door, Dogma right behind him as they left Hardcase behind.

But a loud crack split the air and Dogma suddenly lurched forward as a slug ripped through his side, blowing open a hole right where his ribs would be. Searing pain shot through the left side of his body as he stumbled, clutching the wound and realizing it was a bad one.

Behind him, Wraith held his smoking slugthrower high, still aiming at Dogma.

Another loud crack and Dogma collapsed with a cry, another slug tearing through his thigh. Ringo turned around and watched as Dogma fell to his knees, Wraith slowly approaching him from behind. Before he could act, Wraith fired two more slugs in quick succession, blowing open bloody holes in Dogma's chest. The Clone screamed in agony as blood and specks flesh splattered the ground before him. Ringo stood frozen, wanting to help but knowing he'd be good as dead if he did. Dogma looked up at him and the others with a pained look, almost as if he were pleading with them to save him, wondering if he'd be alright despite the immense pain flooding his body. His suffering was short lived, though, as Wraith took aim and fired one last slug at the kneeling trooper, evaporating Dogma's head in a shower of blood. "Kriffin' hell!" Ringo shouted as he raised his arm to shield himself from the gore, Dogma's blood splattering across his arm. The Clone's headless corpse fell to the ground with a meaty thunk, blood gushing from the spot on his neck were his head would normally be. The sight was appalling. "Dammit..." Ringo swore, "Dammit all!"

"Ringo, come on!" Oz shouted, grabbing his brother by the arm. "Fall back!" He cried to the others. "Back inside!" The troopers hurried in as the door sealed behind them, cutting them off from Wraith's brutal assault. All that remained now were the Clones on the roof, still firing away at the battle droids behind Wraith.

But even they would not last long.

The commando droids had finally made their way around the base and had crawled up to the roof where they jumped the defending Clones. Blasting them from behind, the smaller battle droids were quick and speedy, dashing right up to the Clones in order to drive their blades clean through them and shoving them off the roof where they died on the ground below.

The exterior of the post had been taken. Now they just needed to move inside and finish the job. Wraith was pleased with their progress. As he stepped over Hardcase's body and then Dogma's corpse, he planned their next move.

"Jam their transmissions and then plant some detpaks along the transceiver. No reinforcements for them." He ordered the commando droids. His orders were to completely annihilate this post, not a single Clone was to survive. While this was nothing new to him, he did have the aid of some battle droids to ensure this mission looked like he was not involved. Sure, they would have to destroy some evidence of his presence, but at least he wasn't doing this alone.

Having said that, quite a few droids had been shot down during this initial assault, leaving Wraith with more commando droids than actual battle droids. No matter. As long as he spearheaded every assault, there would be at least a few droids to return to Dooku when this day was over.

But as for the present circumstances, it was time to find a way inside.


The Clones had taken up defensive positions within the corridor leading to the main entrance, waiting tensely for something to happen. This was the only logical way in, so they would hold them off here. Hiding behind walls and barricades made from storage crates, Joc, Ross, Ringo, Oz and the others were ready for the fight of their lives.

"How are we supposed to survive this?" One of the local rookies wondered, bemoaning their seemingly hopeless situation. "We're not ready for this... we're never ready for him!"

"Keep your cool, soldier." Joc reassured him. "We'll win because we need to win."

"But how? No one's ever beat him before, can't even put a dent in him with additional firepower." The rookies responded, still distraught and feeling hopeless.

"What's your name, shiny?" Joc asked him.

"Lance, sir." The Clone replied.

"Well Lance, I've been through my fair share of scrapes. I survived the battle of Teth, watched all my brothers fall around me. I'm a survivor... we're survivors," he said, patting Lance on the shoulder, "and we will survive this." Suddenly, the jarring grating sound of metal being bent and torn drew their attention back to the door. A blade was jammed between the two halves, slowly wrenching the entry way open.

"Here it comes, lads! Get ready!" Oz stated, charging his blaster. The others took aim at the door, ready to shoot as soon as they laid eyes on whoever was coming their way.

"As soon as you see something, full fire! No mercy today!" Ross added. The Clones nodded and watched with itchy trigger-fingers as a pair of hands reached through the opening made by the blade and began to push the doors open. Metal ground against metal as the doors were forced apart and a black figure with blazing red optics was revealed on the other side. "Now!" Ross shouted. The Clones opened fire simultaneously, aiming for the crack in the door that slowly grew wider with each passing second. Forcing his way inside, Wraith ignored the blaster rounds ricocheting off his body as he was hellbent on leaving this listening post destroyed, corpse-ridden and bloodstained. With a roar, Wraith forced through the doors, bending them inwards as he surged into the hall.

"Shoot him! Shoot him!" One of the Clones cried, firing his blaster wildly. But Wraith continued to stalk forward, ignoring every shot that came his way and slammed into his body. Charging ahead, Wraith drew one of his blasters and leaping over the nearest crate, dropkicking the Clone behind it in the head and snapping it back with such force his neck snapped. The second Clone behind the crate was immediately put into a chokehold, Wraith pressing his pistol against his helmet.

"This one's for Scipio." He growled, blasting him with three shots to the head. Training his sights on the two Clones across from him, Wraith shot them both in the head with quick, successive shots.

"He's unstoppable!" One of the survivors shouted, dismayed by the sudden onslaught. The veteran members of Torrent Company understood this and knew that a executive decision had to be made. They simply didn't have what it took to repel The Wraith... besides, the Republic needed to know about his survival, stat!

"Fall back to the command deck! Call for help, we'll hold him off as long as we can!" Ringo commanded. The rookie Clones nodded and took off down the hall, Oz and Ringo staying behind.

They would have to buy them some time.

Wraith stood alone with four corpses around him. The rest of the Clones had cleared out, leaving only two who, based on the blue markings adorning their armor, were members of Torrent Company.

Time for a little more payback...

Oz and Ringo moved to intercept, opening fire on the Wraith. Raising his gauntlets in defense, Wraith charged ahead, forming a plan of attack. Sprinting fast, Wraith leapt forward and drove an armored knee into Ringo, knocking the wind out of him. Once on his feet, Wraith whipped a throwing blade which caught Oz in the throat. The Clone gagged, choking as he struggled to free the projectile. But Wraith leapt forward and dropkicked Oz hard in the throat, driving the blade in deeper. Oz stumbled back, falling to the ground as he tried in vain to reverse his injury, blood seeping from between his hands and staining his white armor.

"Oz! No!" Ringo cried, climbing back to his feet. Wraith turned on his other opponent, ready for a fight. Ringo primed his blaster but Wraith batted it aside.

He wanted to have some fun with this Clone.

Forgoing his blaster, Ringo put up his fists and readied for hand to hand combat. Wraith did the same, silently encouraging the Clone to fight him. As much as he would love to drag out this fight and torture his victim, he needed to take control of this facility and this Clone was only slowing him down. Ringo lashed out with a straight punch but Wraith tilted his head to the side, dodging it. Ringo struck again with a left roundhouse, but the Wraith simply leaned back and avoided it. Again and again Ringo lashed out with a punch but every time Wraith dodged it, egging him on and taunting the Clone. Wraith could see that Ringo was growing angry and tired of the taunting. With his mind so focused on one thing, the Clone would fail to see something else coming his way. "Stop moving!" A frustrated Ringo growled as he threw another punch only to hit air. That's when Wraith struck. Two sharp jabs chipped away armor around the Clone's midsection. Ringo staggered back, unprepared for the hits. But Wraith pressed his attack, landing a trio of blows across the Clone's chest. Ringo recoiled from the impact, his hand reaching up and feeling dents in his white armor. Battering the Clone with a quick barrage of punches, Wraith was ready to inflict some real pain.

"This is too easy." He jeered, pausing his assault to allow Ringo to recover. Despite the helmet, Wraith could tell that Ringo was mad. Standing straight the Clone delivered a swift kick aimed at his midsection. But Wraith caught his limb and brought his armored hand down hard on the knee, breaking the joint with a hard crack. Ringo screamed as his knee was bent at an unnatural angle, pain shooting up his leg. Wraith dropped the broken limb and delivered a hard kick, knocking Ringo into the wall. Unable to stand, the trooper slid to the ground, broken limb splayed out before him.

It was time to end this.

Wraith lunged forward, arm blade extending with a shrill metallic ring. Thrusting his arm forward, Wraith impaled Ringo clean through the neck, embedding his sword in the wall behind the Clone. Pausing to savor the gurgle of pain as the Clone twitched under him, blood spilling onto his sword and trickling down the white chest armor, Wraith slowly wrenched his blade free from his dying opponent. Standing up and retracting his blade, Wraith mentally ticked off a few more of Rex's right-hand men.

He could only imagine the captain's reaction when he found out his whole company was dead.

A low rumbling echoed from somewhere above him. His first thought was that the commando droids had successfully destroyed the transceiver, cutting off all communications. This was good, all he had to do now was clear out the remaining Clones and then blow the joint sky-high. Battle droids now entered the hall, following after him.

"Uh, all clear sir?" The commander droid wondered.

"Almost." Wraith replied. "The rest of them are likely hoarded up in the command deck. So that's where I'm going. Sweep the lower decks, make sure we didn't miss any." He ordered. "Tell the commandos to get the drop on the command deck." He added, stalking off down the hall.

"Roger roger." The droid replied.


Up in the command deck, the remaining Clones were packed in, some of them technicians feverishly attempting to work the communication equipment. That's when the defending troopers rushed in.

"We gotta call for backup! Wraith has breached the door, he's inside now!" Lance exclaimed to the techs.

"We can't! They've destroyed the transceiver, there's no messages going in or out of here!" One of them replied, detailing the bad news.

"Oz and Ringo just sacrificed themselves to buy us some time!" Lance responded, desperate to not let their sacrifice be in vain. "We gotta send a message back to Coruscant, tell them what's happe-" He was cut short when the loud crack of a slugthrower echoed through the air and his head exploded in a shower of blood, flesh and skull fragments. Whipping about, the Clones saw Wraith holding a smoking slugthrower. The Clones scrambled to fight back. Joc, being the closest, rushed in with his rifle raised, aiming to bash Wraith with the butt of his rifle. But, with slugthrower still in hand, Wraith smacked the side of his head to stagger him. The reeling Clone was left vulnerable and, with his free hand, Wraith rounded a hard uppercut straight to Joc's chin, lifting the trooper into the air a little.

But that's when he struck.

Flicking his wrist, Wraith activated his arm blade. The weapon shot up from his gauntlet, stabbing clean through Joc's chin and up through his head. The very tip of the blade broke through his helmet as blood trickled down from the top while gushing from below. A simple grunt of pain and Joc fell still, twitching in his stabbed position. Hand and gauntlet growing soaked with blood, Wraith pulled his weapon free from Joc with a spray of red fluids. The body dropped to the ground, another tally on Wraith's already impressive list of kills. Turning on heel, Wraith struck with a wide swing that decapitated two Clones as he turned his slugthrower on the technicians in the room, emptying his slugthrower and gunning them down. Just then, commando droids burst in through the viewports, blasters and knives at the ready. Utter chaos erupted within the command deck as Clones and droids exchanged blaster fire, Wraith cutting down those around him in the midst of it. He set his gaze on the final member of Torrent Company present: the trooper known as Ross. Said Clone had his sights on him, firing a few shots from his blaster as Wraith stalked towards him. With one hand Wraith pushed aside Ross' blaster and slit his throat with the knife in the other. The Clone coughed as his hands gripped his neck, hoping to stave off the blood. Wraith grabbed the defenseless trooper and shoved his blade deep between the sections of Ross' armor. More blood spurted from the wound, staining his armour as Wraith wrenched his blade free. Shoving Ross away, the dying trooper hit the ground, still clutching his throat.

"I wonder why Torrent Company's colors are blue," Wraith mused, sheathing his knife, "they tend to wear red whenever I'm around." The chaos around him began to die down as the commando droids' surprise attack had proven very fruitful and caught the Clones off guard, tearing them apart and sparing none. Reloading his slugthrower, Wraith holstered all of his weapons and looked around at the room full of bodies. He approached one missing his helmet and being examined by two commando droids, a Clone who was struggling to breath. Using his boot he flipped the Clone over, revealing a gash across his chest and a deep wound in his gut. His markings indicated he was a sergeant, probably one of the lead troopers at this post. His eyes settled on Wraith's crimson optics, locking with the villainous super-soldier.

"You're... a monster..." he rasped. Wraith knelt down atop him, triggering his wrist blade.

"No. What I am is an instrument of destruction," Wraith replied, "your destruction." Thrusting his blade into the Clone's throat, a gush of blood followed a gurgle of pain as the trooper thrashed in his grip, caught in the throes of death before falling still. Pulling his blade free, Wraith retracted his weapon and stood up. Now that the place was clear, they had work to do. "Start planting explosives wherever you can: structural supports, fuel lines, power generators, the works. I want this place to rival a solar flare when it goes." He ordered. The commandos nodded and moved to obey, drawing explosives attached to their backs. Wraith himself flicked a few explosive discs into his hands and attaching them to the consoles in the room...

A few hours later...

The Eridicon Three listening post erupted in a tremendous ball of flame as the explosives within detonated. Wraith and the remaining droids stood on the launch pad, watching the show while awaiting for their transport to pick them up. All of the dead Clones had been placed inside, the evidence of Wraith's presence to be destroyed in the firey demise of the listening post. Even the shuttle they'd hijacked had been rigged to blow, wanting to leave no trace of who had been there. Among those Clones were the prominent members of Torrent Company, some of the greatest Clones in the Republic army. Their bodies burned and incinerated by the explosions, nothing was left of them.

In one fell swoop, Wraith had demolished the Republic's greatest Clone unit.

"Good riddance." He muttered, feeling glad for have been able to exact a tiny bit of revenge against the Republic in such a manner. This wasn't nearly enough to satiate him, but it would do for now.


Later that day...

Wraith and the remaining droids disembarked within the hangar of Wraith's new base. Shedding the components of his space armor, Wraith was greeted by a tactical droid as he removed the oxygen hoses from his mask. Said droid pulled up a holocomm and revealed the presence of Count Dooku.

"Job done, sir." Wraith reported. "The listening post of gone... and they'll never know I was there."

"That is good to hear, Wraith. A job well done indeed." Dooku replied. "Take some time for yourself. I understand Doctor Scipio has awakened." He suggested. Wraith shook his head, bewildered by that information.

"He has?!" The super-soldier exclaimed. Dooku nodded. "Then you'll pardon me, my lord, if I go see him." Wraith continued.

"Of course." Dooku replied. The communication ended as Wraith broke into a sprint, booking it down the halls as he ran towards the medical bay. He didn't bother with shedding his armor or changing his outfit, he just wanted to see Scipio. Not wasting any time, Wraith immediately found the door and enter, coming across an awakened Scipio, lying in bed. Wraith could tell he was weak, but he was so glad to simply see he was alive.

"Doc!" He cried, dashing to Scipio's bedside as the Pau'an turned to him.

"Wr-Wraith!" He stammered, equally glad to see his creation but drained of energy.

"Thank the stars... you gave me a good scare, Doc." Wraith breathed as he took a seat next to him. There was no way he could clearly explain the depth of his relief.

"Wraith, I..." Scipio started, voice weak, "I didn't get all the logs." He revealed in a whisper. "I... I-I forgot some." Wraith found his composure and broke down what might happen. Scipio's logs all contained sensitive information, information that, if in Republic hands, could be a devastating blow to the Separatists and Project Sunstorm.

Wraith's very existence could be in jeopardy.

"Which ones?" He asked.

"S-Some of the early ones... J-Just after your creation." Scipio replied. He knew them well enough to know which ones had been left behind.

"Do they detail anything specific? Anything about the serum?" Wraith pried.

"N-No..." Scipio replied, believing he knew the answer.

"Then I don't think we have anything to worry about." Wraith responded. Taking Scipio's hand in his, he held it reassuringly as simply basked in the fact his doctor... his father... was alive and well. "It's good to have you back, Doc." He whispered, feeling a little choked up.

"It's... good to be back, my boy." Scipio replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.


Author's Note: Happy New Year everybody! I've sprinkled a few easter eggs throughout this chapter. Bonus points to whoever figures them out...