Hi, everyone. Sorry about the wait on this chapter. My schedule exploded and I had to figure out how to tie up some lose ends that I forgot to tie up earlier. Anyway, I think everyone will enjoy this one a lot. Sidious and the Jedi are making their moves and the battle lines are being drawn. The only thing I would ask is that if anyone knows how call signs are assigned and work in the military would they please let me know if I messed them up? I had a heck of time finding that info, and had to, more or less, wing it. So, with that sit back, enjoy, and please review.
Without further ado, I give you chapter 10:
(Coruscant: Senate district)
Jedi were renowned for being strong yet peaceful… merciful but firm, and not easily persuaded to violence. In all of Padme's time as a politician she had not seen a Jedi lash out in anger. However, today, in the Supreme Chancellor's office, she was starting to think she might just live to see it.
"You what?" Calmly demanded Master Windu.
The calmness of his question was off putting given the rage that flashed into his eyes.
For his part Palpatine didn't flinch as he responded, sympathy lacing his words, "I'm sure you understand that with Durge's latest string of attacks it was necessary to reallocate some forces-"
"Reallocate some forces?! You re deployed the entire damn military! On top of that you didn't talk to us before doing it," Windu snapped.
"Unfortunately in war one doesn't always have time to-"
"You had time. You can't tell me the decision couldn't wait an hour or two. Currently we have multiple units going out at half strength and barely recovered from earlier campaigns and ops. Commander Bly's unit just went out with General Secura, who barely got out of a coma four days ago, and is barely combat operational. Not to mention we have two of our best legions missing and you just reassigned their admiral. What in the hell were you thinking?" Windu continued to rant as he rose out of his chair.
While Master Windu may come across as cold and detached to most people, he was actually quite protective of the people around him, and even more so when it came to his fellow Jedi.
Seeing him take a step toward the Chancellor's desk, Padme decided that it was probably a good time to intervene.
"Gentlemen, I understand that emotions are running high, and that communication can be hard," she stated as she placed her hand on the Jedi's shoulder, firmly guiding him back, "I was there when the decision was made. While it was unfortunate that this happened, Chancellor Palpatine is right. The Senate left him with no choice, but to act then. The Senate's running scared. We haven't seen an offensive this brutal or successful ever in the war. You may not like it Master Windu, but for better or worse, what's done is done," she stated.
"I'm afraid she's right," added Palpatine with a sigh, "With any luck we can might be able to fix our strategy. However, in the meantime I hope that you will respect the Senate's decision in the matter."
Master Windu let out a sigh. For a moment it looked like he might be relenting. Then he re steeled his gaze.
"We'll see," he answered coldly.
"You're not seriously considering going against the Senate's orders, are you?" asked the Chancellor as he raised his eyebrows.
Yes. Yes, I am, he thought but thought better of saying it out loud.
"That's up to the council, not me," he answered instead.
There was an uncomfortable silence as the weight of what he just said set in. Finally, he let out another sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Well, there's nothing more that can be done at the moment. As such, I should be leaving. I'm due to ship out within the next few days and must prepare," Master Windu concluded.
"Very well. I do pray that your council would approach this matter with care," the Chancellor answered.
Padme spoke up before Master Windu could respond.
"I'll walk you out."
With a nod, Windu let her lead him out. As they walked down the hall, she suddenly pulled the Jedi Master to the side.
"I haven't been able to hear much in the way of exactly who's where. Have you heard anything from Skywalker or Kenobi?" she asked.
Mace Windu paused as he considered his answer. While he didn't know the extent, he knew that her and Skywalker had an attachment. Usually the council would've said something by now, but she seemed to be what kept him centered, and frankly, sane at times. Because of this they took the stance of "What they didn't know wouldn't kill them.", and now he was struggling with an answer.
"Truthfully, we haven't for a while. Last we heard from them was over a month ago. They deployed together into wild space in an attempt to intercept Grievous. However, Grievous broke through Yularren's fleet, and trapped them planet side. Intelligence still has Grievous in system, but with the lack of communication we've been forced to assume the worse," he finally answered.
Though she kept a professional look, Master Windu felt her flood the force with sadness and dread.
"I understand. What of attempts to take back this planet?" she asked after a brief pause.
"We're trying. Master Koth was suppose to help, but his fleet got attacked, killing everyone. We almost had another attempt ready to go. Then this happened," He answered.
"Beyond the painfully obvious, what would you say the strategic importance of their mission was?" she quizzed.
She knew when they married that there was a chance that he could die and she was prepared for that. However, if there was a chance that she could save him, than she would take it.
"Very. From his current position, Grievous is in striking position of several key planets and a short hop would put him in striking distance of Coruscant itself," he answered.
"I understand. However, it seems that with this latest assault, people have forgotten about our good general," she answered with a bitter edge, "I don't like what the Senate has done, but I am asking that you be patient. I'll see what I can do about freeing up some forces to help them. In the meantime, a power struggle inside our government is the last thing we need."
"Our thanks. Is there anything else we can provide?" Master Windu asked.
He didn't like politics, but it looked like that was their only option at the moment.
"Yes. I need to know if you hear anything. I can tell you that they won't put a force together for a couple dead men," she answered.
As much as she hated to say it, she knew she was right. Three years of war had made the Senate detached and quite jaded. Two Jedi weren't going to matter in a war full of dead Jedi.
"Understood. I will let you know if the situation changes," he answered.
"Good. Now let us hope that we can put an end to this," she stated as she moved to part ways.
Taking his cue, Master Windu quickly bowed before leaving for the temple.
(USCGC Sherman: Thirty miles off the Louisiana Coast)
When the CIS attacked, the US scattered their Naval and Coast Guard ships so that the droids wouldn't just blown them up in harbor. Now many of them, working out of foreign ports, are playing limited roles in the fighting. Using the clouds and storms for cover, ships would bombard targets and ferry supplies and personnel from one place to another. The Sherman was no exception to this. Except now, it was making a suicide run to deliver one man.
At the moment a tropical storm battered the 378 foot Coast Guard Cutter. Sheets of rain flooded the deck, while wind and high waves practically threw the ship from wave to wave. For the last twelve hours, droids had been the least of their worry as the crew tried to keep the ship afloat. Agent Garner confined himself to his quarters and continued to pour over his plans for the mission. He knew the mission and plan inside and out by now, but decided it was best to stay out of the way as the soaking wet crew worked furiously at their jobs.
The mission was simple. Command needed to get a signal out to the Republic military and planned to tap into the Separatists' comms to get around the jammers. However, they needed a way to physically connect their network to that of the CIS. Agent Garner's job was to insert the half inch device that would allow them to do that. Usually, due to his distance, he wouldn't have been picked but all of the other agents were tied up at the moment.
He slowly became aware that the ship wasn't rocking as badly as it was before. He could still hear the torrents of rain but it appeared that the storm was slowing down. He presently became aware of the ship making a sharp turn portside. With a sigh he picked up his primary weapon. It was code named "Saber 4". The name "Saber" came from the round it fired. The assault rifle was fresh from DARPA and fired a special .308 round. What made it special was that it had a miniature, and relatively weak, EMP charge inside the bullet. The idea was that the bullet would enter a droid and explode, damaging the droids circuits and killing it. The "4" referred to the fact that the rifle was basically an M4 that was changed to accommodate the larger round. Some of the differences were shock absorbers in the stock to reduce the recoil and a sturdier construction. His, unlike the other few that were being tested, had a hybrid sight that nearly doubled the range at which he could hit something or someone.
The only other thing that was different was his body armor which was an improved version of the body armor that the SEAL teams had used when they set off the nuke over San Francisco. The rest was his basic tactical load out of different types of grenades, various tools, and a colt 1911 .45 for his side arm.
Agent Garner was finishing up reloading his last magazine when there was a pound on his door.
"Enter," he called.
Immediately a Lieutenant poked his head inside.
"We're near the insertion site. Captain want's you down at the flight deck within the next ten minutes. We're going to have to drop you and run. This op has us in a pretty tight situation," the man stated.
"Understood. I'll be down in five," he stated.
With a nod, the man left. After he was gone, Agent Garner began donning his gear. True to his word he was down to the flight deck in five minutes. Moving along the side of the deck, he watched as the flight crew did a final check of their stealth helicopter. The lights on the deck added an eerie contrast to the pitch black, night sky with the rain adding a real danger to the eeriness.
"Agent Garner," called a voice from behind him.
Turning around, the agent squinted as he tried to make out the face. However, he caught a look as the man walked past a light.
"Yes Captain," Agent Garner responded expectantly.
"We've had a change of plans," the captain stated, "As you know, we're at the front of one hell of a hurricane. The Marines in New Orleans were hoping that they could trap the droids in the path it. However, our target ship is shelling the crap out of our men. If it stays, they will be able to avoid the worst of it. Your job has turned to asset denial. Destroy the ship and get back behind our lines. They have a different target in mind."
Agent Garner sighed as he thought things over. This was quite a change in plans, and one he wasn't prepared for.
"Alright, but with no team and no nuke how do I- oh wait- never mind. I know what I'll do," Agent Garner answered as he formed a plan in his mind, "Same insertion plan?"
"Yes. Dust off in two minutes," the Captain confirmed.
"Alright. Let's go give them hell."
(Main Defensive Line: Twenty Miles South of Medford, Oregon)
BOOM!
The explosion sent Lieutenant Pierce stumbling as a tree to his right splintered. John threw himself to the ground inside the trench as he tried to shield his face from the wood splinters. There was a loud crash as the tree fell overhead. With as shake of his head, John fought to regain his footing in the rain soaked trench.
Suddenly a volley of lasers slammed into the wall of the trench right in front of him. Upon bringing his rifle to bear, John filled the offending droids full of bullets. Adjusting his aim, he continued pouring fire on the droids that were trying to work their way up the hills. Droid after droid went down as John and the rest of his platoon continued shoot at the attackers. Behind him there were more several Crack!... Boom!'s as Republic and U.S. tanks traded shots with those of the Separatists.
Suddenly a figure in black robes leapt over the trench. Standing wide in the open, he began using his blue lightsaber to cover the men that were retreating. The droids began to focus all of their attention on him, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was great that it took a lot of the pressure off of John's platoon and Torrent Company, but bad in the sense that they were slowly overwhelming the General.
"This is Shadow 3-1, to Anvil actual. We, or more specifically General Skywalker, could use any extra covering fire you can give," Lieutenant Pierce called into his radio as he ducked below the top of the trench wall.
"Roger. Anvil 1 and Anvil 2 will cover with the .50's. That's all we can do that close to the trench," crackled a response.
"Solid copy. Light 'em up," John answered as he changed magazines.
John popped back up just in time to watch as the droids in the area around Skywalker seemed to explode as .50 caliber rounds ripped through them. The only droids that were lucky enough to escape the weapons fire were quickly hacked apart by Anakin.
John watched out of the corner of his eye as Rex slid into the trench immediately to his left. However, John set his sights on a squad of B1's that were charging up the hill. Somehow they seemed to be lucky enough to avoid the fire from the tanks, and Anakin's lightsaber strikes. This made them his responsibility. Shifting his aim, John was about to fire when he got an idea. The droids were clumped together... big mistake.
Rule number 1: Spread out, John thought as he loaded the grenade launcher on his rifle.
John felt the rifle buck as the grenade went flying.
Woomp… Boom!
All that was left was bits and pieces as the squad was blown apart by the blast. However, they were quickly replaced by more droids. John quickly switched back to throwing lead down range as he redirected his men's fire. Soon the .50 caliber fire began to fade as the tanks were forced to focus their attention in a different place. Slowly the droids began to force their way forward. Soon Anakin was pushed back to the front of the trench as he continued to bat away the lasers. He felt his stomach knot as he braced himself for the inevitable order to fall back. However, that never happened.
"This is Demon Hunter to Torrent 1 Actual, we are in your airspace and ready to assist. However, we can't see crap through the trees. Is there anyway you can mark friendlies? Over," announced a voice over the radio.
"Roger. This is Torrent 1 Actual. IR strobes will mark the line. Everything South of the strobes is enemy," Anakin yelled into his comm, over the noise.
"Copy that. Standing by," the pilot concluded.
Soon the order went out across the line for troops to begin activating the IR strobes.
"This is Torrent 1 Actual. Do you see the strobes?" Anakin asked after a couple agonizing minutes.
"Affirmative. I can confirm visual. Watch your heads down there. Things are about to get loud," the Pilot answered.
"Understood. Have fun," Anakin concluded as he jumped into the trench. All across the lines, clones and "regulars" alike began to duck and cover their ears. By this point in the fight, everyone was aware of the hell that was about to be unleashed.
BABOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
John felt himself sink further to the ground as he covered his ears. Overhead mud and debris went flying before raining down in torrents. In front of the droids and their tanks alike were all blown to pieces or crushed as tree were splintered and whole chunks of the mountain face were blown in every which direction. The very ground felt like it was going to come apart the overhead C-130 gunship threw down everything from 30 mm Gatling gun rounds to 105 mm howitzer rounds. Next to him, for at least the hundredth time this campaign, Rex and Anakin found themselves excessively glad they weren't on the receiving end of this world's heavy weapons. Slowly the ground quit shaking as the C-130 pilot explained that they had to break off due to enemy fighters moving to intercept.
Immediately the soldiers scrambled to their feet as they prepared for the attack that never came. The silence was unnerving as the soldiers stared at the killing field. Millions of droid pieces were scattered everywhere while several tanks and tree stumps sat burning on the top and down the opposite side of the mountain. Noting the lack of counterattack, Command demanded all call signs to call in. After reporting the status of his company as "Combat effective", Lieutenant Pierce listened as everyone sounded off.
"This is Torrent 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."
"This is Shadow 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."
"This is Eagle 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over"
"This is Rancor 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."
"This is Anvil 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."
Lieutenant Pierce felt his heart leap as he listened to each unit sound off. They had done it. They had held off the droids in what appeared to be their first major victory. Not only had they held them off, but they could do it again if they had to. As the last call signs checked in, cheers ran up and down the line as clones and "regulars" alike briefly celebrated their victory.