Author's Note: Did I have inspiration enough to finish this chapter? Yes. Am I actually back? I don't know. To be honest, even though I've been working on Avengers EMH for the past few months, I've always been planning out Star Wars and determining the course of this story.
And I've been listening to your reviews. The praise and the critiques.
I've been listening to everything you all have to say. I know some of my choices have turned off a lot of you and for that, well, looks like I did something wrong. In hindsight, I know there's things I could've done differently. Hell, I could rewrite this whole story with different ideas. Maybe it would be better? No idea.
Some people might say that "you're the author, you can do whatever you want and if people don't like it than tough beans!" But stories live and die on reader interaction. A plot will never thrive if it has no invested audience. And since you've been along for the ride this far, maybe I've wronged you all with my decisions. For that, I apologize.
But as I've said, I've been planning. And maybe, just maybe, I can turn this around for the better and give you, the people, what you want. If you'll bear with me, that is.
-Chapter 140: Blood, Sweat and Metal-
Location: Olanet
"The strength applied to an endeavour determines the quality of its results."
Aq Vetina was nothing.
A simple world of settlements and colonies, it offered nothing of renown nor did it hold much of interest. So Banshee felt no remorse in treating its inhabitants the same way.
Stalking through the burning village with an army of battle droids flanking her, she primed her Shriekburst emitter and unleashed a condensed sonic wave that sent several fleeing inhabitants flying through the air until their bodies slammed into walls or other structures. Scenes of battlefield carnage raged all around her, burning buildings and fleeing civilians marked by the onslaught of battle droids cleansing the village. B2 units unleashed their twin cannons upon anyone within range, their orders indiscriminate and ruthless. The campaign was going well, but Banshee was disgruntled and unimpressed.
Ever since her battle with Ahsoka Tano, that had left her arm in dire need of medical attention, Separatist medics advised she take her time and recover slowly. They even went so far as to advise high command to send her out on low-intensity missions to ensure her total recovery. This frustrated the Umbaran to no end. She was a super-soldier, she could do more than the average being could with a torn muscle… twice as much in fact! She had things to do, she had missions to complete. And her vendetta against Ahsoka Tano needed to be satisfied as well, her time enduring forced-bedrest had given the Umbaran time to think and Banshee had cooked up quite the plan she was eager to try.
But each new lowly assignment kept her from trying, and so the super-soldier worked out her aggressive frustration on the poor inhabitants of Aq Vetina.
Drawing her assault blasters, Banshee unleashed rapid-fire bolts that cut down a fleeing man and woman, marching down the centre street unopposed and unstoppable. B2 droids did similarly, gunning down civilians left and right as soon as they could target them.
And then, all of a sudden, golden blaster rounds started slamming into battle droids from the side, taking them by surprise and mowing them down with ease. Surprised, Banshee turned to face the threat, her optical scanners tracking and targeting a series of black and blue armored Mandalorians.
Mandalorians. What in the universe were they doing here?
With a growl, Banshee moved to engage them, charging her sonic emitter and unleashing several powerful blasts while her opposite hand drew her assault pistols. She got their attention soon enough, three of the armored warriors converging on her position. She took aim and fired, multiple rounds scorching their armor and wounding them, allowing her to get in close as her saber gauntlet ignited. Hacking through their blasters, she severed their heads and dropped their corpses alongside the civilians, offering a disinterested huff as she silently mocked their inability to stand against her.
More moved against her, priming thermal detonators and hurling them in her direction. Snapping up her arm, Banshee unleashed a blast of ultrasonics that propelled the explosives back towards them, the Mandos scrambling for cover as each one detonated in sequence. Moving through the fire and flames, Banshee stalked towards them until her path was suddenly barred by a hulking heavy trooper, carrying a two-handed belt-fed cannon. Registering the threat he posed, Banshee moved quickly, sprinting ahead as fast as she could.
A single pull of the trigger unleashed an explosive bolt from the heavy Mando's cannon that struck her in the chest and bowled her over, sending Banshee flying backwards, tumbling to a halt across the ground. Regaining her senses, the super-soldier pushed herself to her feet, turned to face her attacker and was promptly blown back by another explosive round. Sent crashing through a wall this time, Banshee took a moment longer to recover as she lay amidst debris and wreckage, her armor covered with dust from the aftermath.
Picking herself up with a grumble, she emerged to find the Mandalorians breaking off in pursuit of other droids, some of them taking flight altogether as they vacated the battlefield… one of which clutched a red-robed child in his grip. "Cowards." She growled, dusting herself off. A chirp from her commlink forced her to pause and draw her communicator, powering up the device to reveal a holographic render of Count Dooku.
"Report, soldier." He commanded.
"The citizens offer no resistance. They either flee or suffer their fate." Banshee crisply responded, deciding to leave out the instance of Mandalorian intervention. Dooku nodded in acceptance.
"Very good. Since the situation appears to be under control, I have a new assignment for you." He continued, his image fading away as it was replaced with the render of a massive building complex. "The Republic is moving to assault one of our experimental droid factories on Olanet. I want you to rendezvous with other special agents and defend it at all costs."
"At once, my lord." She replied with a partial bow.
"We will send you a data cache with all available intelligence en route." Dooku concluded. "See to the safety of this factory, Agent Banshee. Your favour with the Separatist Council grows." That information pleased Banshee and she responded with humble eagerness,
"I swear on my life I will not fail you." Her vow brought an end to the communication and she stowed her device as she made to leave. Passing by a pair of civilians cautiously emerging from around the wreckage of a B2 unit, she wasted no time unleashing a sonic blast that propelled them both into a distant wall, stains of blood marking the spot where their heads made impact.
Later that day…
Olanet was a terrestrial world of a green and rocks found in the Outer Rim. Specifically located in the Hunnoverrs sector of the Siskeen system, it had been claimed by the Confederacy early in the war and was the site of the second biggest droid factory after Geonosis. It's prominence and importance warranted the need of more than one super-soldier and Banshee was surprised to find she would be the senior officer of two others fresh from training and testing. Apart from knowing their designations as 'Cerberus' and 'Chimera', the Umbaran knew little else about them.
But those details bored her. There was only one thing in the data cache that truly grabbed her attention.
Recent navigational data cross-referenced with naval sightings and bouy pings suggested a combined fleet was approaching Olanet, consisting of none other than the 501st Legion and the 212th Attack Battalion. Of the two, Banshee was gleefully excited at the prospect of the former, for it presented yet another chance to try her hand at bringing about Wraith's restoration. Her eagerness barely stifled, she feigned paying attention to the information presented her by the factory foreman and a local tactical droid as the gears in her head churned excitedly.
"This facility is responsible for the mass production of B-One and B-Two units, in addition to the testing and development of experimental units." The tactical droid droned in a monotone synthesized voice. "Of note are the prized experimental B-One-Advanced units, designed and constructed here on Olanet."
"I see now why Dooku considers this installation with such favour." Banshee replied. "Tell me of your defences."
"Approximately five platoons of droids are ready to engage the enemy, a further five more can be produced within twenty-four hours." Came the response. Crossing her arms, Banshee studied the schematics, her gaze raking over the design and layout.
"How many of these 'experimental' units can be deployed?" She questioned.
"Approximately one company's worth." The tactical droid explained. "But they have not finished testing phases."
"If they can fight, we will make use of them." Banshee determined firmly. "Have the droid army stay behind the ray shield until our enemies make themselves known." She ordered. Without another word, she left the briefing room and walked right into her twin compatriots.
Cerberus was tall, built like an athlete, with a pair rifles of varying power and intensity strapped across his back. His look was utilitarian, tools of all sorts hanging from his belt and strapped to his limbs while his helmet contained a rebreather unit constructed over the mouthplate. He had no optics, but a broad visor that stretched across the front, allowing him total visibility without hinderance.
Chimera was far bulkier and broader, dozens of blades and knives visibly strapped to his arms and belt. His helmet was smooth and spotless, save for the multiple horns lining the top of his head, his optics oval and bug-like. Their armor was matching silver with blue Confederate markings, both of them the same yet unique in their own way.
"What's the word?" Cerberus drawled.
"We will let the enemy reveal themselves then crush them with the full might of our power." Banshee replied.
"Dirt-simple. Love to watch the light drain from their eyes." Chimera hissed.
"Better to wear 'em down. Get 'em weak and willing before you close in for the kill." Cerberus retorted.
"Enough." Banshee interrupted. "I understand you both possess unique abilities honed over the course of the program. I want both of you to find ways to use your strengths best, no matter what. Fighting on our terms will be the Republic's downfall." She directed. "Now go, scout the terrain, map out our battle before it begins." With simple nods they moved to obey, leaving Banshee alone as she started down the path of fulfilling her own plan. Reaching for her personal communications, she triggered a broad-band signal and reached out to her fellow super-soldiers. "Agent Banshee to all available super-soldiers, rendezvous on my position as soon as you can." She said simply.
"Something wrong?" Ravage inquired.
"Hardly. But to keep it from going wrong, I need as many of us here as possible…" Banshee replied, watching as several of her comrades announced their intentions to come.
Later that day…
Piecing together the segments of his sniper rifle, Dynnal enjoyed being meticulous with his hands. Wraith had studied most of his life to ensure his mastery of any weapon was complete without equal. Now he was putting that practicality to work, assembling his weapon from the ground up after a spot check and recalibration.
He was once again with the Titan Conglomerate, masquerading as mere up-and-coming mercenary 'Dynnal' handpicked by Corsair. None of them save Theris knew his true identity as 'Dynnal Karn', the son of Corsair Karn… The Wraith…
Pausing, he lowered his weapon, thinking about the course of his life for a moment. All of a sudden, he felt a heat overwhelm his mind, the room suddenly too hot to handle.
You cannot hide from me…
That voice… it was like Wraith's, but… deeper? He shook his head and steadied himself, questioning yet again this dirty little secret of his. What would it take to keep himself in control, to keep from devolving into a monster once more?
"OI! DYNNAL!" Stirred from his thoughts and jerked back to reality, the din of explosions rocked his world as he remembered where he was. "Head outta tha stars, boyo! There's a war goin' on!" His father Corsair snapped.
"Right!" Swivelling on heel, Dynnal aimed his reloaded sniper rifle downrange at the approaching droid army, squeezing the trigger and picking off a line of heads with one shot. Serving with the mercenary conglomerate on Olanet, the crew had come under direct fire from defending battle droids the moment they made landfall. Clearly the factory they were after was an important target for this much heavy fire to be warranted. "You know, I would've liked to have known we were headed for a warzone!"
"You know Corsair; always loves a surprise!" His mother, Meline, responded. Her orange lightsaber flashing back and forth as she deflected incoming bolts.
"Yor still not sor' ovah that Hahlli business, are ya?" Corsair wondered over the din of his Roba heavy repeater.
"I'm getting over it!" Meline retorted, a powerful Force blast bowling over dozens of droids somewhat suggesting otherwise.
"Was it wise to bring Talon and her crew into this?" Dynnal asked, firing off another two rounds that bored holes through a series of B2 models.
"Shor! They needed a workout!" Corsair dimissed. Several miles away, Talon and her Birds of Prey were busy engaging the droids at Corsair's behest, the two mercenary groups working in tandem in order to accomplish the Republic's desire of seeing the Separatists experimental battle droids destroyed. It was Corsair's idea for them to work together, given the heavily-defended nature of droid factories.
Even then, neither group were alone.
A short distance away from the Titans, the Republic's 501st Legion and 212th Attack Battalion laid siege to the factory's front lines. Clone troopers led by their Jedi Generals and Commander pushed the Separatist lines in one assault after another, bringing heavy machinery and combat firepower to bear on their forces. But the droids remained clever and used the facility's ray-shielding to their advantage. Entrenched positions closest to the building remained heavily fortified, well protected and out of reach of the Republic's heavy guns.
"Unless we can find some way to bypass their current defences, this is going to take far longer than our supplies will allow!" Obi-Wan remarked, his sapphire blade humming in time with each swing as he blocked dozens of incoming laser bolts.
"We need that shield down, one way or another!" Anakin determined, his blade thrumming in tune with his friends'.
"Let me guess, your approach is gonna be to rush them and breach their line in a hard, blunt way?" Ahsoka wondered sardonically.
"I'm far more clever than that!" Anakin shot back. "I say we clear them out and make some wide strides."
"Uh, this is a factory! There never won't be any clearing them out, they'll just keep coming! Remember Geonosis?" His Padawan retorted.
"Of course I do! And unless you've got a better idea to take down these shields, I'm working with what I've got!" Anakin sniped, using the Force to send a group of battle droids flying through the air.
With the battle slowly grinding to a stalemate, both sides were coming to the realization that something needed to be done. From her position observing the fight, Banshee concluded that things were well in hands for her forces.
"Ugh! This is pointless! Why aren't we bringing the fight to them?" Chimera complained.
"Where's your patience?" Cerberus derisively drawled. "It's all about timing and opportunity. Let 'em wear themselves out, then we move in and strike."
"Says you. I'm desperate to start bustin' heads!" Chimera retorted.
"Shut up!" Banshee snapped. "We will deploy when I say so. We are waiting on this factory's special units to be fully armed. Only then will we strike, not a moment sooner." She commanded them. Cerberus nodded in understanding while Chimera crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance.
Back with the Titans, despite their offensive efforts, a rather cunning scheme was in the works courtesy of Corsair's foresight. He made to check on its progress as he paused to reload his Roba.
"Jammah! Status report!" He ordered, pulling out the spent energy cell.
"Do fic tlahnian fiyet a t'arehan kehra, ohsla. A si'nu'sil t'u bisuh o'anbinao vil gan nila fic eti." His Twi'lek techie replied. Despite Jammer being limited to his native tongue of Ryl, Corsair understood every word.
"Tha soonah tha bettah!" He replied, slotting a fresh cell into place. "Titans! Let's bust 'em up!" At his word, Freak and his manpack launcher made quick work of advancing droids, four rockets exploding within their midst and sending shattered pieces of metal flying in all directions. Corsair's Roba unleashed a volley of ion bolts that shredded through their ranks, Dynnal's rifle picked off column after column with quick, precise shots, the rest of the Titans following suit and pushing closer towards the droids. Multiple explosions rang out as Boomstick's line-up detonated within the droid ranks, sending charred chassis tumbling away from the fight.
"They're still coming! They've got a few divisions' worth here, if not an entire corps!" Dynnal realized.
"Meline, kindly let tha Jedi know we're poppin' that shield soon." Corsair asked, his wife cueing up her earpiece.
"General Skywalker, this is Meline with the Titans. We've got a plan to work on their shields." She informed Anakin.
"We're all ears!" He responded eagerly.
"We've managed to hijack incoming signals from the factory and reworked the bandwidth to project a momentary EMP signal. We can shut the shield down for brief period of time, maybe just long enough for you to land some heavy ordinance on their position." She explained.
"We'll take it, let us know when!" Anakin replied.
"Cory, the moment Jammer's got a positive signal ID, we deploy!" Meline quickly told her husband.
"Rogah!" Corsair affirmed.
"Rex, we need to push in close!" Anakin ordered. "If that shield comes down as they say it will, we need to be up in the droid's faces causing maximum damage."
"Tempest Company is ready and willing, sir!" The Captain responded, his twin DC pistols primed and ready.
"On my mark…" Anakin cautioned, hand up in waiting as he carefully observed for an opportunity to attack. The moment one of their artillery cleared out a gap in the droid lines, he made his move. "Now!"
"Come on, lads! For the Republic!" Rex urged, his Company responding with whooping war cries as they followed their Captain, Commander and General into the fray. Jolt and Sixshot led the way, with Ransack, Backlog and Reverb not far behind, all of them blitzing the battle droids with their weaponry, blasters running hot as they pumped blue bolts into their mechanized enemies. Pushing across the battlefield with lightsabers swinging, the Jedi quickly closed the gap as they paved the way for their troops. But Anakin and Ahsoka knew the odds would shift the moment they crossed under the ray shield, without any artillery to aid them.
They needed that shield to come down.
"General! EMP signal going out now!" Meline quickly informed him over comms, Anakin looking up expectantly. True to her word, the ray field began to recede, revealing the entrenched droid positions closer to the factory.
"Move in, men!" He ordered, charging ahead with Ahsoka hot on his heels as the Clone troopers of the 501st followed suite.
From their position, the super-soldiers watched with mixed reactions to the sudden lifting of the shield.
"What the-! How the hell are the shields pulling up?! You didn't order that, did you?" Chimera demanded of his commanding officer
"Of course not." Banshee retorted. "They must've devised some means to bypass it."
"Them mercs sure are a clever little bunch." Cerberus mused. "I can see why the Republic keeps 'em around."
"Aw, we gotta got crack their skulls in! They're bad news." Chimera growled.
"Enough. We will do as I command." Banshee cut in, shooting her subordinate a withering stare. At that moment, her comms crackled.
"Commander, the B-One-A's are ready for deployment." The tactical droid informed her. Accepting the information, she turned to her fellow super-soldiers.
"Chimera, Cerberus, follow my lead." She ordered. "It's time to turn this around."
The defending droids were left in the open, the one form of protection their entire strategy was built around was gone, and there was nothing to save them from the assaulting Republic forces. "Fall back! Fall back!" A red-marked security droid ordered. "Run for your lives!" A yellow-painted commander screeched moments before it was shredded by Ahsoka's twin blades. The fearful droids took their advice and began to backtrack with the Republic hot on their heels. The Jedi were feeling good about this, the Clones even moreso. They always did whenever the tide turned in their favour.
But everyone suddenly slid to a halt when the retreating battle droids parted to reveal Banshee awaiting them.
"Oh boy…" Ahsoka grumbled, prepared for a fight.
"Stay sharp men, we'll deal with her." Anakin promised Rex and the others.
"I would adjust the phrasing of that statement," Banshee countered, striding towards him, "to 'them'." At her word, Chimera and Cerberus made their appearance known, standing tall alongside Banshee. The shock on the faces of the Republic was tangible and the super-soldiers savoured it with sinister glee.
"Hang on, I don't recognize those two!" Ahsoka cried in alarm.
"They must be new. Be careful!" Anakin cautioned. Then came a further surprised as more battle droid emerged from the factory to flank the super-soldiers.
But they were unlike anything they had ever witnessed before.
They were big, far taller than the average battle droid despite their similar appearance. Of prominence was the fact they possessed four sets of arms, the lower two holding a powerful battle rifle while the two upper ones exchanged hands for a massive pair of cannon barrels. Overall, they were menacing, the Jedi having no idea what this unit was or what it was capable of. It was a new variable that drastically changed the course of the battle.
"What in the universe are those?!" Ahsoka exclaimed.
"Talk about some oversized clankers!" Rex mused.
"Hey, the more parts the merrier!" Sixshot remarked, spooling up his rotary blaster. "My collection needs an update." Anakin was cautious, carefully searching these droids for a weakness, gripping his blade tightly as Banshee ignited her own sapphire sabers.
"All units, attack!" She commanded.
"Roger roger." The B1s replied.
"ROGER ROGER." The B1-As boomed, training their rifles on their targets and unleashing powerful scattershot rounds, hot lead tearing apart Clone troopers as their mighty twin cannons opened fire to defeating effect. Pumping out more firepower than the average blaster ever could, it was like the turrets of a cruiser were barraging them as they rained down fire from afar.
"Retreat, retreat now!" Anakin cried, doing his best to ward off incoming rounds as stray buckshot pierced his robes most painfully. Now that the super-soldiers were engaging, this battle had taken a turn for the definite worse. Chimera drew a pair of long, wicked knives and cut deep into straggling Clones, spilling their innards across the ground as he hacked them to pieces. Cerberus had drawn one of his rifles and methodically cut down the Clones one shot at a time while tossing out grenades that began to spew toxic smoke that had most everyone in close proximity doubled over coughing.
And as the fight spiralled out of control here, similar elements were besieging the Titans.
Meanwhile…
The droids had seemingly withdrawn and the mercenaries moved in carefully. The appearance of B1A units startled them all and they were unprepared for the barrage of fire that came with it. Corsair and Dynnal took shelter behind a boulder, eyeing up their new quarries as they gave chase after an airborne Theris. "Recognize 'em, boyo?" Corsair asked in a hushed tone.
"Nah," Dynnal replied with a shake of his head, "these are brand new, design, concept, everything. Deifitnely prototypes developed after I left."
"Bad news all 'round." Corsair surmised. "Still, can't be that hard ta deal with."
"Let's figure out what kinda tricks they've got up their sleeves." Dynnal mused, propping up his rifle and taking aim at the secondary cannon arms. His finely-tuned scope zeroed in on the joints, allowing him to good look at the elbow and shoulder components. Surely these would be the weak point. Drawing a bead, he took aim and fired, scoring a direct hit on the elbow. Nothing happened, the droid simply reacting by turning on them.
"Think ya made it angry!" Corsair remarked, the two moving quickly as cannon rounds slammed into their hiding place. Buckshot followed close behind, Dynnal feeling the ping of scattered rounds ricocheting off his armour while Corsair grunted as superheated metal passed through his flesh. Finding a fresh position, Dynnal took aim as the shoulder joint and fired, scoring another direct hit and causing sparks to sizzle from fried wires.
"That did something!" He remarked happily. Training his Roba on the droid, Corsair unleashed a steady stream of ionic energy that chewed through its leg and dropped it down, the hulking mechanoid unable to compensate for the sudden loss of limbs.
"That did somethin' too!" He observed with a grin. To finish the fight, Meline dashed in, moving at high speed thanks to a boost from the Force, and lopped off the droid's helm with a swing of her orange blade.
"Looks like it takes more than one solider to drop one of those things." She mused, turning to her husband and son. "We'll have to regroup with the others and gang up on these things."
"Among othath things." Corsair mused. Just then, Meline's comms crackled again.
"This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, we're being overrun by a trio of super-soldiers! If there is anyone who can provide aid, please, we need your assistance!" The Jedi urgently pleaded. The Titans shot each other looks of concern.
"Damn. Those kriffahs plus these things? Not a drink ya want mixed!" Corsair remarked. Meline looked to Dynnal, his brow tightly knitted in concern.
"You should go." She suggested. He hesitated, regarding her briefly as the notion of her offer settled in.
"No, we need to hold off these things together. I can help them after." He determined at length
"Might be too late, boyo. They've got anothah problem with supah's runnin' loose." Corsair added, strengthening the argument. More B1A's appeared on the horizon, lumbering towards them.
"But I need to help you." Dynnal protested.
"You need to help your girlfriend." Meline urged. "Trust us, we've got this." Suddenly, one of the advancing units was cut to pieces by a purple lightsaber, Talon of the Birds of Prey landing on her feet as the B1A fell to pieces behind her.
"Go." She ordered. "We'll handle this." Taking the sudden appearance of Arashi in stride, Dynnal nodded and turned to go, breaking into a run with his rifle clutched tightly. Taking a stand alongside Meline and Corsair, Arashi boldly faced down the incoming battle droids. "They've brought an army." She commented.
"I am an army." Corsair remarked with a grin.
"An army of two." Meline cut in, standing tall alongside her husband.
Moments later…
The super-soldiers were wreaking havoc amongst the Republic forces, overwhelming the Jedi and butchering Clones left and right. Ahsoka was once more engaged in heated combat with Banshee as Anakin did his best to ward off Chimera, the Zabrak super-soldier taking great pains to get under the Jedi's skin as he casually butchered Clones with his knives. Cerberus held back, using his rifle to great advantage as he picked off Clones one by one.
The Republic's once-victorious rush had now fallen into a disasterous retreat, the trio of Jedi struggling to repulse their enemies and save their men. Only one could be accomplished right now. "Rex! Order all our cannons to hit their forward movement!" Anakin shouted, his blades driving into Chimera's gauntlet as the super-soldier moved speedily and forced Anakin to respond with equally swiftness.
"All units, fire on the front line!" Rex ordered into his radio, successive thunderous booms followed by the whistle of shellfire coming shortly after until white-hot rounds impacted with the droid army's detonating and kicking up a great deal of earth and rock.
"As if stupid cannons could stop us!" Chimera sneered, getting up in Anakin's face as he pushed hard against the Jedi's defence. Suddenly, his head twitched violently as a round pinged off his head. The two turned in the direct of the shot to find Dynnal slowly approaching, his rifle pressed back into his shoulder as he took aim and fired again on the super-soldier. Chimera twitched again as a heavy round impacted with his shoulder. "Damn twerp!" He growled, breaking off from Anakin and charging the Titan. Analyzing his movements, Dynnal fired one more shot before reaching for his belt, rolling backwards as Chimera lunged for him. Planting a thermal detonator on his chest, Chimera landed on the ground as Dynnal righted himself and explosion pitched the super-soldier back in a fiery plume.
"Thanks." Anakin offered, the Titan nodding in acceptance. Another B1A droid suddenly stomped over to them, Dynnal dropping to his knees and firing off a single shot that impacted beneath one of its cannon arms.
"They're weak at the joints!" He cried in warning, using his rifle to quickly knock the left shoulder loose with another shot, the cannon fell floppily by the droid's side. Taking the hint, Anakin threw his blade forward, guided by the Force, and cut through the droid's opposite shoulder, severing the arm entirely and dropping it heavily to the ground.
Recalling his blade, Anakin watched the droid collapse as Dynnal planted two rounds through its head, killing it instantly.
Meanwhile, Banshee had surpassed Ahsoka's defence and landed a powerful push kick that sent the Togruta tumbling backwards across the ground. The super-soldier stalked towards her, Banshee's bloodlust rising. She could try now, but now was not opportune. She'd waited this long, she could wait a little longer.
Glancing over her shoulder, she discovered the ray shield had recalibrated and was returning to its original sealed state. Their defences had been renewed. "The shield has recycled. Fall back! Behind the shield!" She ordered into her comms.
"What? Why? We got 'em on the ropes!" Chimera protested.
"Now!" Banshee firmly repeated.
"Dammit all, fine!" He growled in relent, sheathing his knives and breaking into a run alongside her and the other droids as they retreated for a safe space behind their own defences. The Republic chased them off with scattered blaster rounds, felling a few more droids by shooting them in the back. With the last of the retreating units disappearing behind their lines, the Republic paused within the safety of their own lines.
"Well, that could've gone better." Obi-Wan mused, his blade disappearing into his hilt as he tucked it back into place on his belt.
"I'd like to know where those new droids came from." Anakin concurred.
"They kinda reminded me of General Grievous. Minus the coughing fits." Ahsoka observed.
"At least we know how to stop them, thanks to our resident Titan here." Anakin remarked, turning towards Dynnal. The young man didn't respond, his focus entirely on his commlink.
"Talon, do you read?" He urgently implored.
"Loud and clear, kid." Arashi responded.
"What's the situation?"
"We held off the droids, minimal losses. But Corsair and Meline took a few hits, we need to get them out of here." She revealed. Dynnal felt like his heart had stopped.
"H-Hit…?" He repeated with a stutter. "How bad?"
"They're down for the count and need medical attention." Talon explained. "I'll deal with this, kid, stay with the Reublic and give them whatever they need." She determined. Taking a moment to swallow the lump in his throat, Dynnal quickly gathered his composure.
"R-Right." He answered, the Birds of Prey leader clicking off before he could. His arm fell and he exhaled slowly, struggling to comprehend the sad truth that had befallen him.
He knew he should've stayed. He knew it!
He rejoined the Jedi, doing his best to appear composed. "Meline and Corsair need a… a-a patch job. You need anything, I'm… I'm here." He told them.
"Good to know." Obi-Wan simply responded. "One thing's for sure, with those shields still in place, forward momentum is dubious at best." He determined for his colleagues. "We need to shut them down first."
"Any of your expertise able to bring those down?" Anakin inquired of their ally. Dynnal turned towards the distant factory and the shields, but his gaze was vacant, a sort of mile-long stare dominating his look as the news about his parents continued to cloud his vision.
"Uh…" He trailed off wordlessly, lost for what to say or do. Thankfully, Ahsoka came to his rescue.
"Why don't I go on a little recon, Master? Surely they don't have defences everywhere. If anything, they won't be able to compensate for one person sneaking behind their lines." She suggested. Anakin immediately approved of the idea.
"Take Dynnal with you. Bring those shields down, Ahsoka." He instructed, the teen Togruta moving to obey as she grabbed Dynnal by the arm and led him away, the two breaking into a run as they made to navigate around the factory shield. Once they had disappeared from view and were guaranteed to be out of earshot, Ahsoka looked to her boyfriend with a knowing look in her eyes.
"You're worried about your parents, aren't you?" She pressed, climbing some rocks to a higher vantage point. He continued wordlessly behind her, only answering once he was standing normally again.
"Y-Yeah…" Dynnal said, running a hand through his hair. He was stressed, Ahsoka could sense as much. "Th-They told me to go help you, they said they would be fine… I don't… I-I'm not sure…" He mumbled, perplexed and anxious.
"You did what they told you to do. Don't beat yourself up over that." Ahsoka told him.
"But I could've protected them, I could'Ve done something to make sure this never happened!" He blurted out. "I only did as I was told because they're my parents. If I hadn't then… maybe…" he trailed off.
"I'm sorry, Danny. But you can't change what's happened." Ahsoka replied.
"A little cold, don't you think?" He muttered under his breath in return. Her gaze jerked to him. "I'm sorry, but I have to… I-I could've…" he trailed off again, lost to his anxious musing. Ahsoka crossed her arms.
"Look, you have to keep moving forward. They would want you to!" She told him firmly. "I'm sorry, I really am. But you can't… go back in time to change what's happened." She concluded. Dynnal said nothing, his gaze downcast. "Come on, Danny. Take a little action, do something for them as… payback." Wraith would. She thought to herself, surprised by the notion and not knowing where it could've come from. Ahsoka composed herself, quickly coming up with a suggestion. "Look, why don't you check and see if the generator is an exterior unit. I'll get closer and see if it's up against the wall or something." She said. "I'll comm you with what I find." Already moving, she barely heard his mumbled response.
"Yeah. Okay." As she jogged, Ahsoka's thoughts drifted to those of her own frustration. Dynnal's indecisive nature was grating to her for reasons she couldn't quite place. And where had that thought about Wraith come from?
Maybe it was his total commanding presence, his ability to act so decisively leaving her to merely follow in awe of his prowess. Dynnal always differed to others, trying to seem weaker and less potent than Wraith was. He had told her once it was an act, now she wasn't so sure given his recent actions.
She loosed a sigh of discontent, determined to talk to him about this later. The factory was approaching, and if there was no generator visible, maybe she could climb up and dismantle the emitter-
"Well well well, a little Jedi all alone." She stopped in her tracks as the new super-soldier suddenly appeared, appearing to decloak and block her path. Drawing her lightsabers, Ahsoka frowned and prepared for a battle.
"I don't think we've met." She replied.
"Call me Cerberus: super-soldier and master hunter." He drawled. "And one of my new friends really, really wants you in her clutches." He added, unloading his rifle. At his word, Ahsoka considered what he had to say before narrowing her eyes in realization.
"Banshee send you to do her dirty work?" She demanded.
"Something like that." Cerberus responded. Suddenly, her danger sense flared and Ahsoka backflipped over an electro-shock wire, a sudden burst of electricity erupting where her feet had been. Landing on her feet, her senses flared in alarm once more and Ahsoka rolled to the side as a snap-trap clamped just seconds later, Ahsoka having landed on the carefully-concealed pressure plate. A third time, her danger sense sent screaming warnings through the Force and Ahsoka lunged ahead, narrowly avoiding a series of spikes that erupted out of the ground.
At that moment, she felt a sudden pinprick in her exposed biscep, the Togruta wincing in pain as she looked down and spied a dart lodged in her arm. It had come from the pistol in his opposite grip, his rifle a mere ruse. The Togruta's vision suddenly turned blurry, the effects of the sleeper toxin taking effect straightaway. Her balance was next to go, her stance shuffling as she struggled to maintain control over her motor functions. "You're good, Jedi. Real good." Cerberus remarked. Ahsoka fell to her knees with a groan, her lightsaber blades dissipating as they fell from her grip. She managed to pluck the dart from her skin, managing to get a good look at the device before sleep claimed her brain and she fell flat on the ground, completely unconscious. "Not good enough, though." Cerberus determined, sheathing his pistol and triggering his comms. "Cerberus to Banshee… bagged one lil' Togruta." He reported.
"Bring her in. You know what to do." Banshee responded.
"Copy." Signing off, Cerberus produced a pair of small wrist-binders from his belt and promptly cuffed Ahsoka before slinging her body over his shoulder with ease, giving her discarded hilts a careless kick before he made for the factory…
Later…
Ahsoka felt groggy and sleepy, which wasn't exactly unpleasant given how she'd felt far worse recovering from a drugging in the past. The first thing she noticed was the cold hard floor she was situated on, and the room was dark. Her montrals were ringing, likely a side effect from the drug and she tried to move with a groan. Her limbs felt all too heavy to move and it took so much effort to barely shift the position of her arm… which she used to learn that her wrists were bound.
"Wake up, Tano." A familiar, synthesized voice greeted her in a cold, sharp tone. Seemed like this Cerberus had hauled her before Banshee of all people. The Togruta looked up, spying the glowing crimson optics of her apparent nemesis. "We've modified this room to put a hamper on your Force powers. Don't even bother trying to use them they won't work." The Umbaran added. That gave her some cause for concern and the moment Ahsoka tried to reach out, she felt only an empty void as her connection was broken.
That wasn't good.
Gathering some more clarity, she crawled to her knees and looked up, surprised by the presence of more than just three super-soldiers. Banshee she recognized, along with Aivela, Esne, Phantom, Spectre and Ravage. The two new ones, Chimera and Cerberus, she was still unfamiliar with.
"Couldn't finish me off so you got some help, huh?" She noted in a snippy tone, her unimpressed gaze turning to Banshee. "This whole grudge-thing of yours is really petty. Really unbecoming of a super-soldier." Her biting remark was met with a firm cuff to her montrals, her sensitive sensory organs ringing with pain.
"Quiet, Tog." Spectre growled.
"You won't be so smart-mouthed by the time we're finished with you." The Umbaran remarked, crossing her arms. "As a matter of fact, you won't be doing much talking at all."
"Why? Because I'll be dead?" Ahsoka wondered in a mocking tone. "If I had a credit for every time I've heard that-" her sentence was abruptly halted when a fierce hand gripped her rear lekku and jerked her head back, Ahsoka crying out in sudden pain as she was forced to look up into the optics of one of the females.
"Mouthy little schutta, isn't she?" Aivela remarked.
"Maybe we oughtta discipline her some." Cerberus mused with a huff of laughter.
"I like the way you think." Banshee concurred. She nodded to, Aivela, the super-soldier jerking Ahsoka to her feet via her grip on her lek.
"Ow! Ow! Stop it, that hurts!" Ahsoka pleaded, doing her best to compile quickly in order to alleviate the pain. The moment she was standing, Aivela shoved her forward, the Togruta now perfectly surrounded by eight super-soldiers.
"Mark her up." Banshee told them. "I want her ready for display when her precious boyfriend comes running." The other super-soldiers chuckled darkly in recognition of their orders. Ahsoka barely had a moment to comprehend the meaning of her words when Chimera's fist came crashing into her cheek. Ahsoka spun around with a cry of pain, the force of the impact sending her stumbling into Spectre, who promptly wound up and drove his fist into her abdomen with crushing force. Ahsoka gasped and spluttered as the air was knocked from her lungs, doubling over as she clutched her torso in pain. Staggered and reeling, Ahsoka had no opportunity to avoid the incoming kick from Esne as her boot connected with her forehead and pitched the Togruta backwards, Ahsoka collapsing to the floor as the super-soldiers descended upon her, a flurry of punches and kicks armed with hard steel edges following suite...
Author's Note: Cerberus and Chimera created by Nitro Zeus!
