Chapter 3: A Rising Storm
DEVARON
Temple of Eedit
The sun was gone from the skies of Devaron, constructed deep within a jungle near the city Tikaroo on Devaron, the Eedit Temple was an elegant structure that emerged from the tangles of vines and underbrush. The grand promenade, known as the Eedit Road, that led to the temple cut straight through the jungle and up the stately staircase at the temple's main door. A relatively small temple compared to the Jedi Order's larger facilities, though it borrowed its architectural style from the towers of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Comprised of two dissimilar towers made of gray stone, they were joined at the base. The circular courtyard that was situated adjacent to the temple was a place of meditation, combat training, and study; a fountain was located at the center of the area. Auxiliary buildings surrounded the towers, as well as statues of ancient Jedi and other symbolism important to the Order. Established on the jungle planet Devaron because of its vast number of Force-sensitives and a powerful vergence in the Force, the Jedi Order built the Temple at the site of the vergence as an academy for the Devaronians best suited to join the Jedi. The vergence, which was strongest in the courtyard of the Temple, made it easy to learn new techniques in the Force and to heal the spirit. The light side aspects of the Force were strong here and offered those touched by darkness to feel awash in the light of the Force.
A distance away they patrol of clone troopers were marching in the jungle outside the temple, they walked through the brush and vines ready for anything "Eyes up everyone, our sensory alarms picked something up out here and it wasn't a droid." their Arc trooper said, he was wearing yellow striped armor with a full shoulder pauldron and spotted Kama.
"Probably some herd of animals?" one of the men grumbled behind him.
Suddenly the Arc trooper froze hearing a series of 'thwip' from a strung band, a second later the all five of the clone troopers were shot through with arrows.
None of them had even been able to get off a single shot as they hit the ground, coming out from above trees and the darkness was a helmeted Helix, wearing his helmet again his ghillie suit blending in with the thick vegetation of the jungle. His archers came out with him, all of them had quivers over their backs or at their hips, Helix nodded at them and they started to climb up the trees and jumping through them to take up other positions around the temple.
The commander reached to his belt and pulled out a blinker raising it to the right he clicked it making a red flash, a blue one was seen in the distance. Across from him was a group of Separatist regulars amazing in the brush, at the front of the Militia was a grey armored officer wearing a standard helmet holding an RG-4D blaster in his hands.
"This is Starstorm, are we set?" he asked.
"We're bouncing their signals off a hundred different channels they won't know what happens till it happens." a voice in his helmet ear replied. Helix stood up and reached under behind his back and pulled out another arrow from his quiver, it had a unique tip not an arrowhead but some sort of red substance. Holding it up to his gauntlet he struck it across the metal like a match it sparked up into fire before he laid it on his bow, pulling the string he fired the flaming arrow into the sky. Inside the temple, a tholothian jedi master with purple skin and a dark beige jedi robe and a weequay padawan learner wearing a tan one with long braids coming out of her leathery skin who were training inside the temples top tower saw the arrow lightsabers already drawn.
"Sound the alarm." his master said, the doors of the temple burst open with clones rushing out greeted by Militia already running up the street and through the trees shooting. The clones bravely rushed through the enemy gunfire taking up positions and shooting back.
Down in the listening tower the Jedi Padawan rushed into the tower, it had four seats with clones sitting at terminals by a window "Get a distress signal out now."
"We are but no one is receiving us, I did a systems diagnostics there redirecting our signals I'll try to-" The glass windows shattered when an arrow flew through the window taking out the radio workers through the neck.
"No." The padawan yelled.
Outside her master broke through the enemy fire to deflect shots to give his men a chance to move up, "Rally to me." the Jedi Master said wielding his blue lightsaber when his padawan came out with a green one. Each of them deflected the lasers as the archers loosed arrows in the trees as sharpshooters.
"Focus fire on the branches, take out those archers." the Master ordered his men who tried to find their targets but it was too dark "I can't see them?"
"Get the lights on." The Master ordered the soldiers inside, ducked behind the windowsills so as not to get hit by the arrows, one of the clones slammed his hand on a switch making the lights on top of the temple come on. The lights were painted in light with the archers sticking out like sore thumbs. The clones opened fire getting two of them as the others scattered or jumped from the trees, the advance had been halted as more clones were able to take up better positions.
Helix and his men had begun to advance with the main force coming up behind and using their cover to fling arrows over. Helix rushed up to the officer who was holding back ushering more soldiers forward "What the hell are you doing?" Helix barked at him.
"Sir?" the officer asked under his helmet "Why are we stopping?" he asked.
"The jedi sir, they cut off their path." the officer replied to helix over the enemy fire. Looking over Helix saw the clones weren't backing down and that the men were holding back he took out four arrows from his quiver and held them between his fists fingers and ran out behind cover "Commander?!" one of the officers called out after. Helix knocked his first two arrows and aimed them at the two nearest clones, they flew just as the clones opened fire on them, Helix jumped sideways flipping he knocked his third arrow and fired it at another clone, when he landed he took the bow in hand and like a climb slammed it into the next clone and stabbed the arrow between his helmet and neck he dragged the clone in front of him so the troopers opened fire on the white armored back.
He pushed forward with the clone as the human shield before the Jedi Master saw him behind the dead clone. Helix ran at the jedi dropping the clone trooper to engage him. The clone trooper swung his lightsaber at Helix who dodged and flipped out of the way but kept himself close to take away the advantage of the man's lightsaber. The jedi master kicked and tried to punch Helix but he dodged the kick and took the punch before he twisted around so the Jedi's back was turned and drew his lightsaber back to to strike a killing blow but the second his back was turned he was filled full of arrows.
"Master!" his padawan screamed, when the clones saw their general fall it was nothing to the reaction from Militia forces. Seeing the spirit of the clones falter the enemy made sure to break it.
"Come on!" Helix yelled, Militia soldiers flooded over their cover on all sides running toward the clone troopers. The first wave went down but the others broke through overwhelming the clones. Helix watched his men rush forward driving the clones back inside the Jedi padawan held them off at first taking the high ground cutting down the first man who came at her. She sidestepped stabbing another before one of them was able to shoot her in the arm she yelled before she was cut down by the militia fire.
The Militia were past her before the jedi were even dead into the temple, overwhelming the clones with superior numbers.
Helix watched his men break into the temple followed by heavier fighting inside any clones who tried to retreat deeper inside were met with grenades following them. Outside Helix knelt down in front of the dead padawan and looked at her as she breathed her last, "Sir what are your orders?" the Separatist Officer asked under his helmet. The Padawan's body was riddled with blaster shots, she started to cough up blood drowning in it.
Helix stood up and looked at him "Burn it." he said taking the officers blaster and putting the padawan out of her suffering.
OPEN CIRCLE FLEET
Resolute II
Anakin and Ahsoka stood on the bridge of their cruiser looking at a hologram of Plo Koon standing with his Arc Trooper Wolffe beside him on the table. "The temple was razed to the ground, everything was either destroyed or burned we found no survivors but we found these." Plo Koon held up a faggot of arrows in his claws to show the jedi.
"The Militia." Anakin said looking over at his Padawan, with them were Admiral Yuralen and Captain Rex.
"This is the third outpost they've hit, they've been moving faster than expected?" Admiral Yuralen said.
"Have we uncovered anything about who's leading these attacks, General Dallin has remained on Antar 4 training more troops?" Plo Koon asked.
Yuralen knodded "We do his name is Helix Starstorm and he's been promoted to Command of the Militia expeditionary force."
They brought up a holographic image of Starstorm in front of him rotating it around, "Looks a little young to be a Commander?" Anakin said. Ahsoka looked over at him noticing Helix and her were similar age but said nothing.
"What do we know about him?" Anakin asked.
"Very little, all we do know is he was a former member of the Black Sun crime syndicate before they placed a bounty on him and removed it a little over a year ago." Admiral Yuralen said as they showed a wanted poster for him that had a sizable reward "What made them remove the bounty?" Ahsoka asked.
"We're not sure, we have more on his files for your review." Yuralen explained, the image changed back to show a recording of the battle between Helix and the Jedi master before the Jedi Master was filled in the back with arrows. Ahsoka and Anakin winced seeing another one of their jedi fall, then they watched the padawan fight to her last breath before she fell over. As the troops ran past her they watched Starstorm stand over the padawan and take the Separatist officers blaster "Burn it." They cut the feed before they saw him execute the padawan.
Anakin looked at the deactivated holotable thinking "We need to put a stop to this Starstorms raids, the more outposts he reports the destroy the more people will join the militia."
"We can handle this Militia General." Rex said confidently "Good to hear Rex, cause we're going to set a trap."
"A trap?" Ahsoka asked "That's right snips, if we choose the right outpost with the right bait we'll get them."
Anakin nodded at her "And I have just the one in mind." Anakin said.
THE VANGUARD
Separatist Space
Helix left his troop transport as it docked in the dreadnoughts hanger the men followed out with wounded being carried by droids toward the medical wing of the ship. Captain Nemo watched the wounded get taken away as Helix walked out holding his helmet by the brim with his bow over his chest crossed over his quiver strap "Captain Nemo, chalk another one down."
"Any word from General Dallin?" He asked.
"None yet, but your transfers have arrived much to the officer class's dismay." The Quarren said taking out a holopad and handing him a holopad.
Helix took it and looked at him "Good there, here, what did you mean about the officers dismay?"
"They expected to fight under General Dallin, not…" "Not me I get it, words gotten around about what I did before this?"
Nemo didn't say anything he only started to follow Helix as they walked toward another part of the hanger, Helix handed him the datapad "Tell me what you think of our latest additions?" He said as they walked past a colorful cast of soldiers now aboard the vanguard.
"Skell Longclaw, a trandoshan mercenary and weapons expert highly trained in explosives, marksmanship and close quarter combat, his units would go in first and break the enemy lines with shotguns, a high temper and even higher alcohol tolerance." He said behind Helix as they walked past a trandoshan, he was wearing a blue trandoshan hunters suit and brown vest. He was sitting by a set of crates opening taking out an array of weapons "Means he's an excellent shock trooper." Helix said as he walked by them. Skell looked over at Helix and gave him a snarl of acknowledgement.
"Vox Noir, umbaran militia, excellent guerilla fighter, trained in explosives and booby traps as well as sabotage it says here though he lost half of his face when his own IED went south." they passed by a tall slender umbarian male with pale gray skin and a white Mohawk, half of his face on the right side was burned severely almost down to the bone "Then he made bigger and badder, guy makes bombs like it's an art." Helix said walking by Vox wearing a militia uniform and armor.
Finally they came to the only woman among the transfers "Uriel Mantell, from Onderon she remained loyal to the Onderonian court when the new monarchy was implemented, basic training in military tactics and a specialization in foreign linguistics and cultures I see why you asked for her compared to these to." Nemo said as they walked past her, she was a young woman with bright red hair and pale skin, a set of pale amber eyes were behind her bangs. She was wearing a naval uniform similar to the quarren captain but had body armor on, her red hair was tied back in a thick braid. "Now you're catching on what about the last man?" he asked.
"If you can call him that and no sign of him yet." Captain Nemo said.
"Damn I was hoping he'd show, he's all three of them wrapped into one." Helix said sighing in defeat before he held up his hands to his lips and whistled for all three of them to come over.
Skell, Vox and Uriel approached him "Glad you all could make it, now here's the plan we're finally being left on the leash."
Skell's fangs grinned, Vox brought out what looked like a half smile and Uriel said nothing but starred "What's our next target?" She asked.
"Bogada." Helix said making all three of them look aghast and shake their heads "That's another listening outpost Helix?" Vox asked.
"Our orders are orders, the General is still on Raxus and the Marshal is on Antar 4 I don't like it anymore then you do." Helix said trying to reason with them as one of Captain Nemo's men came up to him with a holopad.
"Commander." He said handing the holopad to Helix.
His eyes got wide and the blonde looked to his men smiling "What is it?"
"Our spies just got word the Republic are moving a high value prisoner near our location." Helix said holding up the datapad, and showing them a hologram profile of a Devaronian man with a right cybernetic eye, he was wearing an orange jumpsuit of a prisoner around his collar instead of proper military apparel and a fat nemodian in similar garb "General Kleeve and Lok Durd?" Uriel said eyes wide.
Vox and Skell looked at one another "Says here putting him and Durd on trial on Devaronian for crimes against the Republic."
"This is a trap." Captain Nemo said.
"Even better we'll make it ours." Helix said smiling with an idea of his own.
All of them looked at him "Captain Nemo gathered the officers in the conference room and got word to General Dallin I need his approval before we go forward."
OPEN CIRCLE FLEET
Resolute II
Ahsoka was looking at Helix Starstorms file, his picture right next to his name and logistics about him as she and Anakin awaited the transfer of prisoners to there fleet. "Whatcha reading snips?" Anakin asked.
"Yuralen report on this Helix Starstorm?" she said looking at it.
"It helps to know one's enemy Obi-Wan wanted to say." Anakin said smiling as he suddenly took it from her "Let me see."
"Hey." Ahsoka said as Anakin read it "Never heard of this planet, Lothal says here he moved to Coruscant before he was enrolled in the Republic Naval Officers academy… on a recommendation from General Dallin before he dropped out interesting?" Anakin said looking back at her.
Ahsoka nodded "I saw that too, I've also been reading reports he's tactics include deception and surrounding the enemy." Ahsoka said taking the datapad back "I'm still trying to figure out why he uses a bow and not a blaster?"
Before she could read more a Republic dropship flew in landing before them, out of it walked both Lok Durd and Kleeve in orange prisoner jumpsuits, Lok Durd was shoved into the hanger as Kleeve walked with his horned head held high.
"General Skywalker." Kleeve said hands bound like Durd "Are we being traded, is this a prisoner exchange?" Lok Durd asked hopefully.
"Have some respect for yourself Durd, we're being put on trial and on my own home world no less?" the devaroian male said in spite of glaring at Anakin with his one good eye.
Anakin glared at him "You chose your side General Kleeve to betray the Republic and now you'll face justice." Anakin said.
"Justice from you, I doubt it, kill us if you must but one day soon Jedi the people will rise up and when they do they will drag your corpses through the mud and hang you from your own temple statues." General Kleeve said up to him refusing to break in front of the Jedi Knights overwhelming presence, Kleeve looked down at Ahsoka "You're on the wrong side girl."
"Get moving separatist." one of the clones said shoving him to his cell "Master what did he mean by the wrong side?" she asked him.
Anakin rolled his eyes "He's a separatist they'll say anything to get inside your head Ahsoka."
RAXUS
Separatist Senate House, Raxulon
General Dallin was sitting in his office looking at the information Helix had received and transferred a hologram of the young commander standing across from him "Kleeve, wasn't he captured early in the war?"
"He was a General, if we break him out I'd assume he'd be very grateful to the Militia and I heard he was against the idea of droid soldiers versus real ones." Helix said back to him.
Dallin brushed his fingers over his scar "He's not the man we need to convince, in fact is on his way here to discuss the future of the Militia there already many of the Separatist Generals and Admirals who have made it clear we are not go anywhere near there fleets or sectors."
"We did up show them at Aragon." Helix said "We had to make a statement that much of this war is being run by opportunists with their own agenda." Dallin said looking up at the hologram.
"Do you think the Vanguard has enough men to pull off the operation?" Dallin asked him, Helix paused "I only need one strike team the other officers will lead our men in a diversion, the clones are still used to fighting droids which gives us an advantage." Helix said.
General Dallin looked at the battle plans and logistics on his desk before he looked up a Helix and leaned back in his chair "I heard you killed another jedi."
"We're at war." Helix said back quickly avoiding his gaze.
"We are, very well I approve the operation contact me when you've secured General Kleeve." General Dallin said standing up "Alliance Eternal." Helix said saluting him "Alliance Eternal." Dallin replied before the transmission was cut.
Dallin wouldn't be a moment to rest as his doors opened to reveal General Grievous the cyborg leader of the Droid Armies. Dallin already standing bowed respectfully to him "General at last."
"General Dallin, how strange it is to find you hear after you and Rendili initially refused to join the Separatist alliance yet here you are?" Grievous coughed walking in, both of Dallins guards followed the Chairmen in, Dallin held up his hand and gestured for them to wait outside leaving the two men alone. Dallin and Grievous stood there, the cyborg's white armor and yellow eyes gave him a monsterous visage while Dallin's brown hair and fair skin against the light showed something primal about him.
General Dallin held out his hand "Please General, sit and I'll explain."
Grievous did so blowing his gray cape back to sit down and cross his legs while Dallin sat down at his desk "I initially refused the Counts offer of a place in his inner circle because I was still loyal to the Republic and your insistence to use artificial soldiers."
"It is the humane thing to do as opposed to the Jedi's clone troopers, droids are easier to handle and coordinate as a larger force" Grievous said tapping his chair.
"I agreed then as I do now, but a war of independence or separation must be fought with those who seek to separate from the old, men and women who must be inspired to fight and rally to their General when surrounded." General Dallin pointed out "Tell me the makeup of this Militia?" Grievous asked
Dallin felt like a great dragon was watching him "The entire Rendili Home Defense fleet has pledged their military might behind us, the Quarren Separation league have been supplying us with cruisers and ships, as small faction of the Neimoidian Noble families have sent some of their sons to our cause with weapons, the last are Umbarian Militia, Genosians who want their planet back and any volunteers." General Dallin told him to give him the makeup of his army.
The cyborg looked at him closely stroking his mechanical mask "And more on Antar 4 everyday, I hear?"
"With the Parliaments support yes, but not yours?" General Dallin asked throwing an accusation at him.
The slits in Grievous eyes were like two knives cutting deep "You are certainly ambitious General Dallin, I will give you that but what makes you think you are any threat to my command."
"My only ambition is the freedom and security of the Alliance General." General Dallin replied "You served in the Stark Hyperspace war did you, among many jedi." Grievous asked him
Dallin didn't make any nod or gesture to confirm "You know I did, because Count Dooku was the Jedi Master in charge."
"And you have no qualms fighting against old comrades?" Grievous asked asked him with a scent of glee in his voice box.
General Dallin stood then and walked over to the window looking out, showing his back to the cyborg "This war was inevitable, as was the need to choose a side."
"The Jedi ignored the outer rims pleas for help from lawlessness and the Republic cared more for profit for their corporations than the safety of their people." General Dallin said "But I won't talk politics with you Grievous we'll leave that to the Count, I know this war isn't like any other war." General Dallin said, turning around.
He walked around the table standing over the Grievous "You were not always a Cyborg as Count Dooku wasn't always what he was?" for just a brief moment before Grievous rose to meet his eyes then tower over him "...A jedi master turns from his order, his faith and rallies a thousand systems on the idea of independence and fair treatment for all not just humans to stand against the Republic he swore to uphold, General please do not insinuate my intelligence I want to know right now what you want from me and my men?"
"Droid army out numbers the Clone and Jedi a hundred to one yet this war has dragged out for nearly three long years, you take a planet or a system and loose it in a few days, unlike some of these generals I have no ambitions to pillage and loot worlds like Ryloth?" Genera Dallin asked him walking over to another desk and pouring two cups of wine "When I fight a war I intend to win it, I know you have a hatred for the Jedi, killing them one battle after the other isn't enough is it?" he asked returning to Grievous with the wine cup.
Grievous and Dallin locked eyes before Grievous took the wine "What are you offering me that Count Dooku cannot General?" General Grievous asked him. Dallin drank his wine and walked back over to the table and pulled up a holographic image of Anakin Skywalker "How about Anakin Skywalker's head for the taking."