Spectre: Heya! Been a while since I last updated. College has been draining my mind for the past couple months and I've been busy with the rest of my stories. Also, my apologies if this wasn't as great as it seems but I promise it'll improve at the next, because the chapters following these is a trilogy.
Inspiration: Star Wars: Clone Wars
Chapter 26: Old Friends not Forgotten
"Where to next?", Yang inquired the Observers.
"Hang on...", Flit told her as he pressed the remote for the next universe. "Got it!"
"Outer Rim under siege! Separatist forces have launched a major offensive. Led by the evil droid General Grievous, Republic forces are pushed to the brink. In response to this overwhelming attack, the Jedi Council has dispatched its Generals, sending them far from the Core Worlds to bolster the beleaguered clones.", the narrator spoke with clear distress.
"Quite the story-teller, what do you think, Peter?", Oobleck asled to his colleague.
"I'd hire him to narrate my entire life story!", Port declared.
Devastating war across the galaxy as it shows the Jedi and Republic forces are shown discussing their next move, with Generals Ozpin, Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, James Ironwood, and Saphron Arc, Padawan Adrian and Commanders Bly and Bacara, as they prepare to fight against the Separatist army on several fronts.
"The war did spread beyond what we hoped." Taiyang mused, a little bummed out that their versions of this universe failed to stop Cinder from escaping.
"Like getting our asses kicked while little green friend Ozpin came to the rescue", Qrow grumbled at that memory.
"Now, now, Qrow.", Ozpin sassily calmed down the veteran huntsman. "I'm sure you can do just fine"
"On the distant planet of Yerbana, we find Commander Cody of the 212th in desperate need of reinforcements."Over the skies, intense dog-fights happen over the bridge between Clone Pilots and Droids.
"Hit the targets!", one of the Clone pilots called out. One of the LATT/is carrying reinforcements plummeted to the ground, sheets of metal tearing off of the ship as it spewed fire and smoke. One large piece slammed into one of the bridge supports.
Now shows Commander Cody leading the 212th Clone Battalion during a battle on a bridge. "Take cover! Take cover!", he urged his men.
"It still a little weird to hear Roman leading the front-lines...", Ruby whispered to her team, who felt a little eery at the statement.
"Not to mention, there are millions of clones of him over the area as well", Weiss mumbled. "One Roman is already enough while millions are just...ugh"
"Hey! Don't go bad-mouthing at me or those guys out there!", Roman called out, since they are technically his brothers. Though it was still weird for multiple versions of himself fighting in the front lines since he wasn't that type of guy.
Clones are seen advancing towards the Droid forces amidst heavy fire. "Look out! Look out! Look out! Aim for their eyes!"
The screams of men as the ground exploded, ripping apart the Clones.
Neo flinched at seeing Roman's clones dying in front of her, and she huddled closer to the Master thief.
A missile came arching through the air, heading right towards Cody. He twisted his body, bringing his arms up in a feeble attempt to shield himself.
There was a rush of air and over the roar of battle, Cody heard a sound that filled him with hope.
The buzzing-hum of a lightsaber as it was ignited. The humming grew louder as it swept through the air and his ears rang as an explosion echoed around him. Dust and pavement rose through the air, but not a single piece of debris even came close to touching him.
Cody waved his hand in front of his face, brushing away some of the dust. He already knew what he would see when his eyes were finally lifted all the way up, but his heart still leaped at the sight of his hero, his savior. His commanding officer who was also his friend.
"Qrow?", Summer and Raven broke the silence of the apperance of their teammate/brother at the screen, remembering that he was a Jedi from the previous screenings.
"General!", Cody called out in relief.
"GENERAL?!", said by the audience who knew the veteran huntsman, who smirked and leaned on his chair. Apparently, the most outraged wete Ironwood and Winter, who didn't see him as military material at all.
"General Branwen? Sounds overkill to me", Qrow said with a smirk, glancing at Winter, who was peeved at the thought of him being an equal to Ironwood and essentially outranking her.
"How the hell did this idiot became a General?!", she asked the Observers who scratched their heads sheepishly.
"Get used to it, Ice Queen!", Qrow snarked, putting his hands behind his head and glanced at the glaring Specialist. "I outrank you!"
"Don't blame us. It was the Supreme Chancellor who had the idea that all Jedi were to be commissioned as commanding officers of the Grand Army of the Republic", Flit hastily said in order to diffuse the situation.
"Uncle Qrow, a General?", Ruby thought before her expression brightened. "Sounds awesome!"
"Unfortunately, I do not share the same poisitivity as you have, Ms. Rose", Ironwood muttered with a sigh.
Qrow Branwen, Jedi Master and High General of the Grand Army of the Republic stood poised for a moment, catching his breath. His brown and tan Jedi tunic and pants bore the soot marks and burn holes of battle. Dirt was smeared on his face as he began to swing his lightsaber back and forth, weaving a complicated pattern that Cody had long since given up trying to follow.
"Cody, get down!", the Jedi called out to the commander. Cody began to back up, firing as he kept a close eye on Qrow. He was a great man and like all Jedi, he came built with a self-sacrificing attitude when it came to the lives of the Clones who served under him. One that was just a little bit more deeply ingrained than other Jedi. So Cody wasn't just going to turn and run until he knew that the General was following him.
"Thanks for saving my ass back there", Roman thanked the veteran huntsman.
Qrow shrugged, instead focusing on the screen instead.
He was able to let out a sigh of relief when Qrow did indeed began to step backward, keeping his men protected as another missile slammed into the bridge. Cody finally turned when Qrow did, leaping over a giant hunk of metal that had come from a ship. He didn't stop to think about where it had come from. Looking up Cody could see the other Clones running for their own make-shift cover, even as they continued to fire at the droids.
"Well, I can see things are going splendidly on this front!", Qrow sarcastically remarked.
"It's no good. We can't locate the tactical droid. He's staying out of sight.", Cody explained. They weren't going to be able to win the battle if they couldn't take out the tactical droid.
Qrow then turned to his wrist comm. "Taiyang, where are you?"
His eyes roamed the battlefield, searching for some sign of his wayward former Padawan and younger brother.
"I'm right here"
The two swung around to see the missing Jedi Knight and High General standing behind them.
"What are you doing down there?"
"DAD!", Ruby and Yang called out at the same time on seeing him on screen.
"Now what do we have here...", Taiyang said to himself.
General Taiyang Xiao-Long stared at the pair as though confused as to why they were hiding behind a chunk from a ship. He shifted just the smallest bit to one side to avoid getting hit with a blaster bolt. Nor did he show any sort of sign when another shot hit the ground just inches from his feet.
"We are taking cover. Now get down!", Qrow urgently ordered his former Padawan and fellow General.
"You're not serious. There's only a thousand droids down there, tops."
Every so often Taiyang would shift just the smallest bit as blaster fire raced past him. He shook his head at the pair of old men as he walked between the pair and climbed onto the metal.
"Your over-confidence will get you killed, Mr. Xiao-Long!", Glynda berated the blond.
"Come on, Proffessor Goodwitch, I'm sure he can handle this!", Yang assured her.
"What are you up to?", Qrow asked. "Where's Captain Rex?"
"We already finished our battle, so we decided to come help you with yours."
"You're overdoing it. Again!"
At this, the Beacon Staff and students looked at the blond.
"What? I just want to help them in my own way." Taiyang said in his defense to the others.
"I don't think being overconfident amidst the warzone is one of them, Taiyang", Raven deadpanned with a sigh.
Taiyang turned his back to the droids and took a knee atop the metal.
"Master, I mean no disrespect. If you want, I can hide here with you, and we can let the people in the city suffer longer."
"Now, Taiyang, you know I..."
"Or... we can do things my way and help them now.", he suggested rather smugly.
"Your way never works with ours!", Qrow proclaimed out loud.
"Says the drunkard around these parts!", Taiyang shot back.
"Sometimes I even wonder why I bother trying to argue with you, Taiyang," Qrow said, exasperated as he shook his head.
"Hey, at least my plans certainly work in the end, right?" Taiyang, giving a friendly smirk to his teammate. Summer and Raven coughed at the sentence.
"All right.", Qrow caved in. "I know better than to try and stop you. What's your plan this time?"
"Stay here.", Taiyang told the pair as he spun on his heel and leaped off the metal.
"He's gonna do something reckless...", Blake uttered in anticipation.
"And something stupid...", Weiss added.
"And it works most of the time!", Ruby added in defense.
"One target approaching.", one of the Battle Droids relayed. "We can't hit it."
"Identify target.", the captain ordered and held a pair of macrobinoculars up to its optical receptors. A lone human male in dark colors was making his way steadily towards them. A lightsaber hung from his belt.
"You're walking straight at them?" Summer asked her teammate and husband, looking incredulously at him.
"Cease fire.", the Captain ordered. "All batteries take aim at the Jedi."
Gears whirred, joints hissed as air was released. Every single droid in the army turned, adjusting their aim so that they were all pointing their blasters, rocket launchers, missiles at the Jedi marching towards them without any sign of fear.
"Ready. Aim."
"Hold your fire! Hold your fire. I have come to surrender",
"Really, Dad?" Ruby inquiried, unimpressed as she raises an eyebrow at her father. His acting wasn't convincing at all. It was lucky that most of the Battle Droids were likely too gullible most of the time.
"Hey, don't look at me like that, Rubes. Let's just wait and see." Taiyang replied in his defense.
"Surrender?", the Droid repeated. "That's a relief. Notify the tactical droid.
"Your forces fought valiantly, and I must admit that we are overmatched by your superior firepower. I congratulate you, for I have fought in many battles on many planets… always been victorious against the droid army. Though you have always..."
"The way blondie speak is half-assed, not gonna lie", Roman stated while Neo nodded in agreement.
"If they're just dumb droids in front of him, I'd say it's effective", Mercury added.
As Taiyang continued to blather on, Penny lowered her periscope back into her head and rolled down the side of a bridge support.
"Penny. How much longer are we stuck down here?", Rex asked, the clone wearing the blue and white armor of the 501st had very carefully inched his way to the edge of the under-bridge, sticking his head out so that he could peer at the droid more clearly. The neatly painted jaig eyes on his helmet were a sign of bravery. The droid beeped a reply for the clone captain. "Great. I'll tell the boys."
They all knew how crazy Taiyang's plans were, but they somehow always worked out in the end. Just with a lot of showboating and explosions.
He very carefully made his way back under the bridge where the rest of his men were clinging tightly to pipes running under it.
"All right, men. Hang in there a little longer.", Rex told his men.
"Sir, yes, sir."
The Clone spoke for them all with fond annoyance for their sometimes, well often insane General.
There were many sighs, huffs, groans, and even muttered complaints about limbs going numb from their tight grips.
But they were all more than willing to die for him.
"So, it is with these thoughts in mind that I gladly surrender myself to the mercy of the Separatist forces.", Taiyang said as he kept his voice calm and steady even as he started to feel just the smallest bit nervous. He had thought the tactical droid would have made his appearance as soon as he had gotten word that a Jedi had surrendered.
"He's luring their leader through a fake surrender", Winter observed before she realized what he was doing. "Isn't that a war crime?"
And...there!
His eyes narrowed as he watched the super tactical droid march to the command center of the droid army.
"Why have you ceased fire?"
The commander turned to reply. "Jedi Knight, Taiyang Xiao-Long, has surrendered to us, Commander.
"There he is.", Taiyang smirked and he didn't care if the tactical droid saw. He wanted to laugh as the tactical droid stepped back. He could even see the moment it dawned on the droid he had lost though he had no way to form any sort of expression.
"It's a trap, you fools! Open fire!", the Droid realized this and ordered them. But Taiyang knew that the tactical droid knew that it was too late.
"Now, Penny!"
He shouted as he turned towards the edge of the bridge where Penny was hiding. While his loyal friend was giving the okay to his men, Taiyang reached out with the Force, wrapping it tightly around the tactical droid.
He yanked his hand back, dragging the droid to him as he used his right head to pull his saber from his belt and ignited it. The blade sang as he drew back...
Ruby sighed with admiring eyes. "If only I could get one of those..."
And then blazed as he beheaded the droid as it raced past him. The tactical droid's body slammed into the ground while his head bounced and scraped along the ground until it came to a stop by the body.
"I have to admit. That was ingenious and creative. Well done, Taiyang." Ozpin praised his former pupil.
"Mr. Xiao-Long, you do realize you had committed serious war crime of fake surrender?", Ironwood said to the blond man with a disapproving look.
"It's not a war crime if you lose. That is how conflict often end", Raven pointed out.
The sound of jetpacks filled the air as the 501st took off from under the bridge. His men flew towards the army, blasters at the ready. The droid army opened fire. But his men were packing more than just blasters. He could hear the pop, the bang as the detonators his men rained down upon the droids went off.
Qrow and Cody watched as the droid army became pockets of flames and explosions. The plan had been insane, but Qrow had meant what he said. That he knew better than to waste time fighting with Taiyang over his plan when in the end Qrow knew that the plan would work.
And there were bigger things to worry about than one of Taiyang's very crazy, but always successful plans.
In just moments the droid army that had once outnumbered them was a mess. Battle droids were running, firing their blasters wildly and blindly as octuptarra droids were blown apart and toppled over onto the panicking army below.
"General."
"Yes, Cody.", Qrow smiled. "You may join the fun as well.
"Yes, sir. Blast them!"
"Fire!"
"Go! Go, go, go!"
"Move it! Move it!"
With shouts and cheers, the men surged out from behind their cover. They stampeded onto the battlefield, charging forward to join the 501st in obliterating the droid army.
Qrow joined the flow. His pace was nowhere close to the mad dash of the Clones. Instead, his pace was sedate, a steady walk as he moved among them. His gaze no longer focused on the battle which had been won, but on his brother and former Padawan. Taiyang stood in the center of the bridge, his lightsaber off and returned to his belt. His arms were crossed as he allowed the Clones to finished off the army.
"Bravo, Taiyang.", Qrow praised. "You've done it again."
"Oh, I can't take all the credit.", Taiyang said in reply. "Your state of helplessness really sold them on my surrender talk.
Qrow chuckled. "Always glad to help, my friend.."
Taiyang sends an amused smile at Qrow, who only rolled his eyes in response.
The pair shared a smile. Smiles that were only for each other as brothers, as Master and Padawan. Then they turned back to face the battle, to watch the Clones wrap up their victory.
Their vigil was interrupted by the beeping of Taiyang's comms. The pair glanced at each other in slight confusion before Taiyang lifted his left wrist and tapped his comm.
"Xiao-Long here. What is it Admiral?
The Admiral turned to them in reply. "Sir, we've received a transmission from someone using your subspace frequency Fulcrum."
"Neptune Vasilias?"
"Perhaps the siege at Onderon has taken a turn for the worse.", Qrow suggested.
"No, sir, it's not Vasilias.", You had best take this transmission here on the ship. Both of you.
"But if it's not Neptune, who could it be?" Pyrrah pondered.
"We're about to find out, Pyrrah," Jaune told his teammate. A pang déja vu was was forming over him and he couldn't help but feel that something bound was waiting for her.
The door to the ship's communications area slid open with a whirring hiss, Taiyang and Qrow entered the room.
"All right, Admiral.", Taiyang said. "What's so important you brought us all the way back here?"
Taiyang's voice trailed off as one of the figures in the colored holo turned. His eyes widened in shock as he recognizes her. Wearing a combat uniform that consisted of a gray vest, shirt, trousers, boots and arm warmers. The redhead turned to the two Masters in greeting, her emerald orbs gazing at Taiyang's.
"Hello, Master.", former Jedi Padawan Pyrrah Nikos greeted. "It's been a while"