DEVARON
The Resolute II dropped out of hyperspace above the planet where they'd be transporting the prisoners. Inside the hanger Anakin and Ahsoka were debriefing the commanding clones with Artoo gave a holographic image of Militia troops fighting "From our recovered recordings of the attacks on our outposts by the Militia we've learned these troops move fast and hit hard, the Militia Regulars comprise the majority of the Militia forces." Anakin said.
The image changed to show the Militia bowmen next "These appear to be a scout and mix of special forces, for now we're designating them as Rangers, there primary weapons are bow and arrows but they also come equipped with grapple hooks they use to traverse high ground." Ahsoka said to the troops.
"Any droids?" Rex asked looking at a recording that Artoo switched to show the Militia troops fighting clones "As of right now the Militia have been fighting solely without droids but if they do we can expect them to use the droids as shock troops." Anakin said before they showed a rogue class Starfighter that froze the second it passed by zooming in on a Militia pilot. Their helmet was similar to regular but had a tube coming out and down into the vest of a yellow flight suit "Same for pilots."
The clones looked at one another uneasily "We're dropping Separatist Generals Kleeve and Lok Durd on Devaron for trial, Devaron's loyalty to the Republic is questionable at best many on Devaron see General Kleeve as a hero but there wrong." Anakin said to the clones who didn't bat an eye, Ahsoka on the other hand looked at her Master before he finished up "Right now we're expecting ambushes as soon as we land, Rex make sure your men are planning plenty of fire power."
Rex smiled "We can handle these farmboys General, right boys?" Rex asked his men who all nodded and smiled.
"Ahsoka go escort the prisoners back here okay?" Anakin asked her.
"Yes Master." Ahsoka said before she headed out of the hanger.
Later as she walked into the brig, the clone troopers were taking Durd and Kleeve out of their cells and started to escort them up to her. "General Kleeve, General Durd follow me." Ahsoka said turning around leading them to the elevator.
The two separatist Generals, Ahsoka and four clones crowded into the elevator "W-what will happen to us?"
"We're escorting you to Devaron to be tried for your crimes against the Republic." Ahsoka said.
"But, but I've cooperated plenty. Why Devaron, why not Coruscant?" Lok Durd asked frightened still, Kleeve was quiet watching Durd beg "My world isn't allied with the Separatists what's your motive Jedi?" Kleeve asked her.
Ahsoka said nothing as the elevator rose onward "There's talk in the prison transports, of a Separatist Militia being formed, that they may stop using droids does this worry you Jedi?" Kleeve asked.
Not easily goaded Ahsoka didn't reply "Or does it worry you troopers?" Kleeve asked looking at the clones, their faces hidden behind their phase II helmets "I mean you never had a say in this war, you were born trained and then told to fight?"
The Clones who stood at attention shared a few looks when Kleeve wasn't looking "You men must all be wondering what is it going to be like to fight men who actually had a choice, who decided instead of sitting back and letting someone else fight my war, that they will kill and maybe even die for what they believe in." Kleeve said looking at the back of Ahsoka's head.
"What do you believe in Jedi?" General Kleeve asked her.
Ahsoka turned "I believe you'll be found guilty for war crimes and that the sooner you Separatists give up the sooner this war will be over." she said as the elevator opened to the hanger walking out.
"And what becomes of us after the war?" Kleeve asked her "What are you sixteen, started fighting around thirteen fourteen all you've known is war." General Kleeve said as they approached Anakin who stood hands on his hips next to Rex.
"He's all yours Rex, careful he's quite the chatter." Ahsoka said, Rex and his men took custody of General Kleeve and Durd to one of the drop ships.
Durd walked past them as Kleeve did so before he stopped looking at all the clones around them then at Anakin and Ahsoka "Keep moving." Anakin ordered.
"Ah Anakin Skywalker, tell me how do Palpatine's boots tasted after you've licked them clean?" Kleeve asked.
Anakin didn't take kindly to that "I'd watch what you say about the Supreme Chancellor."
"And I'd watch him even closer, Skywalker." Kleeve said walking onto the ship.
"What was that?" Ahsoka asked "I'm not sure Commander?" Rex added before they were about to board the ship the entire ship's alarms began to blare followed by the entire hanger being wrecked by cannon fire.
Anakin and Ahsoka steadied themselves as others were knocked to the ground, Anakin reached up to his comlink "Admiral, is it the Militia?"
"Are those the jedi premonitions I've heard so much about?" Yuralenn asked from the bridge where he could see the Vanguard had just come out of hyperspace heading straight for them, fast.
Anakin smiled, getting his confirmation "Alright the trap is sprung, get to your fighter Ahsoka, all Squadrons get ready to launch."
"Admira keeps them busy, my fighters and I will reinforce you soon." Anakin said up to him, as the ship took even more heavy hits getting harder and harder with every blast.
"I wouldn't recommend it Skywalker, the enemy dreadnought is in a collision course with our own- intensify forward shields and batteries." Yuralen ordered while he reported to Anakin, one of his bridge officers saw something on the scanners "Admiral we've got confirmation of boarding pods coming from the enemy ship." Yuralen went pale for a moment before he saw a dozen Separatist boarding pods stab into the haul of his ship via the hanger. Down below inside it Anakin and Ahsoka bore witness to the twelve pods spier like clamps cut through the metal haul above the clones and their ships.
"Is this our trap or theres?" Ahsoka asked her to take out her lightsabers "Rex, Ahsoka get the prisoners back to the brig." Anakin ordered drawing his own sword as the doors of the boarding pods wooshed open.
Rex saw some of the boarding pods start to open "That may be a problem sir."
"ATTACK!" Commander Starstorm leapt out with his bow and arrow at the ready followed by an entire battalion of Militia borders jumped out holding the hexagon yellow personal shields forming defensive circles around their pods as regulars without pouring out to engage the clones with red hot balster fire. Helix was already loosing arrows left and right at clones as behind him came his hand picked soldiers. Skell Longclaw came out with a helmet on holding a heavy repeating rotary blaster cannon, Vox Noir was carrying a standard E-5 with a vibrosword on his back and jetpack. Uriel came armed with two blaster pistols here head covered by a traditional Onderonian helmet with a militia face mask. Anakin was out in front on a crate deflecting most of the shots but Skell was clearly trying to spray cover fire and not hit the jedi. Ahsoka and Rex were also engaged as the entire hanger was turned into a battlefield by the boarding pods spreading out the militia forces among the clones.
Skell's rotating blaster cannon unleashed a barrage of blaster fire covering the other boarders as they came out. Across them the Sepratatist prisoner were all reacting very differently, Lok Durd was cowering behind a crate as a clone trooper watched them "I surrender, I surrender." Lok Durd said as General Kleeve waited for the right moment.
The second the clone trooper guarding them looked away Kleeve jumped at him using his devaronian horns to ram into the guards helmet and pick up the clone blaster, he turned it on Lok Durd "K-Kleeve what are you doing?"
Kleeve squeezed the trigger he shot the restraints of Lok Durds cuffs just as Ahsoka looked back "Rex." she snapped over to him, she ran right at Kleeve and Lok Durd making the fat neimoidian scream. Kleeve turned the blaster on her shooting, Ahsoka deflected his shots out of the way before she cut his blaster in half and knocked him over "You're not getting away that easy." she said. As to tempt fate the crates behind them were burst open with a squadron of clone pilots locked in a melee with another militia boarding party. They were all either holding vibro swords or axes giving them an advantage against the unarmed clone pilots, Ahsoka was taken off guard not by the enemy troops but from the whtie armored clones stained with their own red blood being spilled by the sword and axes cutting and hacking away at the clones.
Anakin and the other clones turned around to see their lines had broken in the hanger and turned around to face the closet enmey, Helix took notice too "The lines are broken, go, go, go." he said flicking a switch on his bow, the arms bent inward compacting itself and he put it on his back next to his quiver, he unsheathed his knife and Skell tossed him one of the boarding axes, a short hatchet with a single hooked edge before he and his men charged the republic ranks just as the doors behind the clones opened with reinforcements.
The ensuing fight turned into a close quarter bloodbath like on Aragon, Helix ran past the clones rolling on the floor to cut a clone's heel before he buried his axe into his neck as he fell. Walking forward he engaged a clone with a long blaster rifle that he caught on his axe before he drove his knife into the gap under his chest piece and arm dragging it up making him scream. When he saw Kleeve and Durd being held hands behind their heads by clones who had come to assist Ahsoka, who was surrounded at the moment. The padawan used her lightsabers to block and deflect any swords or axes that came her way, she used force push to repulse the surrounding troops when jumping over the wave appeared Helix.
"Round two jedi?" he asked her "You." Ahsoka hissed before they locked weapons. Ahsoka's lightsabers entangled with his axe and knife
"Get the Generals out of here." Helix barked at his men who shot the two clone troopers guarding them.
"We've been saved!" Lok Durd cried "No." Ahsoka tried to force push Helix away but he rolled out of the way and hooked his axe around her boot making her fall over when she tried to chase the two Generals. Clawing on top of here, Helix raised his Axe down but she caught his arm and rolled over him and pulled his arm back in an attempt to break it. But when she heard the warning in the force that Uriel was pointing her blaster at the jedi. Ahsoka let go and rolled out of the way.
She saw Kleeve and Lok Durd were being escorted to one of the boarding pods by a squad of militia "Master!" Ahsoka yelled.
Anakin who was in the thickest part of the melee looked out to see the prisoners escaping, he leapt into the air over the battle to try and run them down. "Vox!" Helix yelled, in a split second the Umbarian was in the air with his jetpack and tackled Anakin out of the air onto the hangar floor. Drawing his sword he ran straight toward Anakin who was up and waiting. All it took was one swing from Vox for Anakin to get out of the way and slice his arm off.
Vox screamed from shock and pain before he looked up at Anakin who smugly said "Nice try-" Anakin's smile disappeared when Vox held up his other hand holding a thermal detonator already primed
"Alliance Eternal." Vox said before he turned it on, the blast shook the entire hanger sending Anakin across the room and into a metal wall leaving a serious dent "MASTER!" Ahsoka screamed as she fought Helix. She gave one look at him and he saw in her eyes the Jedi training was gone; there was only rage. Ahsoka summoned all the force within her and erupted into a force repulse sending all the Militia around her flying. Helix was able to grab onto a pillar before he hit the floor, looking up he saw Ahsoka standing over him with her Lightsabers ready to cut his head off.
Helix looked up at her with a cracked vizor with the Jedi over him "Do it." Helix said to her "DO IT!"
Ahsoka gritted her teeth, her eye twitching before she lowered her arms refusing to follow through, instead she turned and ran over to her master.
"Commander, we have the Generals secure." Helix rose from his spot watching Ahsoka go stunned; she didn't kill him when she had the chance. "Commander?" Uriel asked again. Snapping back to the fight "All forces withdraw, this was the easy part." Helix said, picking up his bow and retreating as the fighting resumed.
Across from them Ahsoka ran up to Anakin as clones surrounded the fallen General, Anakin was covered in burns bleeding from the forehead and his robes torn apart. "Rex, we need to get him to the medical bay." Ahsoka snapped as Rex came up his armor stained with Militai blood "Yes Commander- Medic, we need a medic what about the prisoners?" Ahsoka looked up to the Militia forces retreating to their pods climbing into them via ropes or harnesses pulling them up.
"When those pods detach this hanger will go to, pull everyone out." Ahsoka ordered "You heard her men, get out of the hanger out!" Rex ordered the clones.
Ahsoka helped Rex drag Anakin out of the hanger as the Militia were given a free escape route. When all the Militia who were still alive were onboard Helix gave the order "Detach."
The pods's repulsor engines unlocked them from the Resolute's haul creating powerful vacuums across the hanger sucking out supplies, fighters and even men from both sides. "Admiral can you take out the retreating pods." Ahsoka asked.
"Not without drawing fire away from the enemy ship, they're going to ram us if sent out a call for reinforcements they should be here momentarily." Admiral Yuralen said with the Vanguard closing in on them.
"Rex we need to secure Anakin." Ahsoka told him quickly.
Up on the bridge Yuralen watched the escape pods swerve around the crossfire of cannon fire to the opposite side of the Vanguard seconds away from hitting the Resolute "Brace for impact!" Yuralen yelled when the enemy ships battering ram hit the nose of the Resolute II. Every soul on each ship felt the collision sending clones flying from their seats but aboard the Vanguard Captain Nemo and his men were strapped in their seats.
"Direct hit Captain, damage to our haul is minimum." One of his bridge officers reported to Nemo.
"Excellent work, men let's bring out men home and get the hell out of here." Captain Nemo ordered.
"Roger, roger." the men all said as the pods entered the opposite sides hanger, the Vanguard started to steer away from the Resolute with its broadside cannons unleashing hell on the cruiser.
In the Resolute's Bridge the crew was recovering, Yuralen on his feet "Admiral we can't take more of this." one of his men said when another shouted "Reinforcements have arrived."
Three Republic cruisers dropped out of hyperspace behind the Resolute and aboard the lead ship was General Plo Koon, "Concentrate your fire on the enemy ships engines we cannot afford to let them escape." Koon ordered coming out of the hangar in his jedi Starfighter leading his squadron into battle.
Now it was the Republic's turn to hammer the Militia who were withdrawing, even as the boarding pods returned to the Vanguard, Helix could feel the ship shake from four enemy ships hitting them at once "Get us out of here, now Nemo !" he barked.
"Five seconds to hyperspace jump, five four three tw-." Nemo replied before the port wing of the Vanguard exploded "No!" Nemo yelled.
"Admiral the enemy ship is disabled." One of Admiral Yuralens crew replied as the Republic starfighters closed in, Plo Koon's ship flew across their bow taking out their cannons one by one when his own ship's radar started to blare with warnings. Plo Koon looked out the cockpit and before he could warn his men an entire Separatist armada with a modified Providence Dreadnought at its helm and eight frigates to reinforce it.
Aboard the Separatist command ship stood General Grievous "All ships open fire on the Republic dogs!"
Meanwhile aboard the Vanguard the Militia forces saw the Separatist fleet arrive inside the hanger and sent up a cheer "That's General Grievous's ship!" one of the men said Helix heard him and took his helmet on climbing up to a crate "Grievous, Grievous, Grievous!" he yelled to his men who started to chant with him "GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS!"
Helix pressed his finger to the com "Captain Nemo you hear this?" he said as a swarm of vulture droids flew past them.
"I do?" Nemo asked as Grievous covered their retreat "Send it through to the General."
Captain Nemo started to send the signal through from his chair "General Grievous you're a sight for these eyes." Captain Nemo said in a hologram in front of Grievous "I care not for your men Captain only to see Republic ships burn." Grievous said back to him "They have another viewpoint."
""GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS, GRIEVOUS!" the General heard the chants of hundreds of men and women crying out his name.
Plo Koon's fighters were soon overwhelmed by the droids and saw Grievous's frigates starting to encircle them "General Skywalker do you read, we must fallback."
"My master's hurt Master Koon, Admiral?" Ahsoka replied into the comlink then asked the Admiral "We won't last much longer, we must retreat while we can." Admiral Yuralen said.
"Do it, signal the retreat." Ahsoka ordered "All ships withdraw." The order spread across the cruisers and fighters who all turned around in full retreat defeated, again.
RAXUS
Raxulon.
Jace Dallin stood hands behind his back looking over the Separatist capital inside his office when his tables comlink came on to show the hologram of Commander Starstorm, "That was close."
"It worked didn't it?" Dallin replied, turning around walking over to his chair leaning on it "Did the General receive his dues?" Dallin asked him.
Helix nodded "The men chanted for good ten minutes, but Grievous didn't come over to say hello."
"Lok Durd and Kleeve?" General Dallin asked him "Lok Durd hasn't shut up since we got him, Kleeve is… quiet?"
Jace Dallin smiled "Figured he's not a fool, return to Raxus we'll repair the Vanguard and he'll have a chance to inspect our new recruits."
Helix nodded casually, not looking at him "Of course sir."
Dallin noticed that something was bothering the young man "What is it, thought you'd be happier considering the victory?"
"One of the jedi could have killed me today, but she didn't?" Helix said shaking his head looking at the floor.
Jace took a deep breath "War is fickle mistress, rest recover we'll speak more."
"Do you think General Grievous will be with us when we make our move?" Helix asked him before Jace hit the coms "If we remind him of who the man he was not the machine became, yes we'll need him if we're to kill Count Dooku." Dallin said to him "Alliance Eternal." Dallin said.
"Alliance Eternal." Helix replied before they cut the transmission.