RESOLUTE II
Aboard the open circle fleet flagship, Ahsoka, Plo Koon, Red and Yuralen were all gathered around the medical bed of one Anakin Skywalker who was laying there eyes closed still as a ghost. He was hooked up to vital monitoring machines of all kinds as a medical droid scanned him "His vitals are functioning but weak, he will recover in time but I am unsure when he will wake from this coma?" The droid said up to the jedi.
"We should transport him back to Coruscant immediately, so our own healers can care for him plus he'll be safer there." Ahsoka said to the other men.
"A wise choice Ahsoka, in the meantime my fleet will assist you with repairs to your ship before we depart for the Ogaia system, this new Militia victory is inspiring new attacks across the various fronts." Master Plo Koon said, getting Admiral Yuralens attention.
"I'll attend to the ship's repairs myself, Commander Tano please come find me when you are ready." He asked her, Ahsoka nodded quietly looking at him then back at her sleeping master.
Rex was the only one in the medical room left with Ahsoka and Anakin, when they had a moment Rex walked over to her "Don't worry about him Ahsoka, the General will be just fine a few days rest at the Jedi Temple he'll be back in action in no time."
"Thanks Rex, I can always count on you." She said to him "Of course Commander the men are dire for some payback."
Ahsoka frowned crossing her arms "Well count me in too."
ANTAR 4
The fourth moon of the Antar system, home to the Gotal people of the Galaxy Antar For was a small moon covered in hilly fields with rocks jutting up so high some could be considered mountains. In the wake of the Separatist creation of its own armed forces, much of the terrain had been leveled out to create the first Separatist training grounds far away from the Raxus the capital. The largest of these compounds was Fort Carrick, a new construction that sprung up almost overnight. The Fort is stationed on Antar fours largest plateau covered in metal buildings surrounded by twenty foot high walls with the main section of the compound open surrounded by barracks, hangars, a command center and other amenities for the soldiers, it was so large and the buildings so numerous it was almost a small city.
Running through the base in drill regulation either by marches or exercise were Militia recruits all wearing the horizon blue uniforms. They were a mix of species between a few humans, gotals, siniteens, leyakians, a few trandoshans and more. Walking through the compound with an escort of fully grey armored Militia regulars was General Jace Dallin with Separatist officers General Kleeve was adorned in black and gold armor fitting of a Devaronian General, Lok Durd was as well wearing his old blue and gray robes of rank. "As you can see General Kleeve, General Durd our forces are growing and as they do so will."
"Most intriguing Dallin, tell me when will I be receiving a command?" Lok Durd asked, smiling.
General Dallin stopped turning a round "I'm afraid that will be up to the Separatist Council, Count Dooku and they will be arriving shortly to inspect the troops as well."
"C-count Dooku?" Lok Durd asked.
Kleeve smiled seeing whether or not Durd was about to wet himself "I-I see I must go prepare then." Durd said before he waddled away back to the command center.
Kleeve shook his head "How that man became a General I will never know?"
"He may be a coward but he's a brilliant inventor." Jace said getting closer to Kleeve "Tell me Dallin, what was what that made you finally turn on the Jedi?" Kleeve asked before they started to walk together passing by men training at a firing range shooting at moving targets that flew up from under sand before switching around in a shuffle.
"When the jedi turned on us, in the years leading up to the War Rendili and other worlds petitioned the Senate to allow the System security forces of the core and mid rims to better coordinate resources to assist the systems calling for aid, they originally came to us first then to the Senate the idea of a Clone Army being raised in secret was to much for the other officers to bare on Rendili a slight against their honor." Dallin explained as they approached the Militia Marshal who saw them coming.
He saluted Dallin as they approached "But you, the Hero of the Stark Hyperspace War a man who spilt blood with the jedi in the name of that Republic."
"The officers under my command are young, idealistic and wanted a leader not too old or too young to rally behind. I would say it was an honor but this is more of a burden."
"One you wear well General." Kleeve said before they stopped in front of Marshal "How many recruits so far?"
"Almost a million already through basic training, we'll soon be out of our own stockpiles of weapons and armor, we'll need more soon to resupply the recruits." Marshal said under his helmet handing him a datapad.
Dallin looked at it "I'll take care of it." Marshal saluted before adding "Alliance Eternal."
Dallin saluted too casually "Alliance Eternal."
"What does that mean 'Alliance Eternal'?" Kleeve asked him before they continued on "All forces need a battle cry, a rally that they can all say, Alliance Eternal means that no matter where you fight you never fight alone that we are always stronger together than alone." Dallins explained as they passed by a hanger filled with Rogue-Class fighters being fueled.
Kleeve smirked "How quant."
"You disapprove?" Dallin asked him as they came to a less filled spot where they could speak from prying ears.
"On the contrary I'd like us to drop these formalities and get to the point, what do you want from me Dallin?" General Kleeve asked with his cybernetic eye scanning his face with his new good one.
Dallins good eyes did the same "You show up out of nowhere with an already trained force and are parading around as if you're the savior of the Separatist cause as if it were in trouble so what is it?"
"It's exactly that." Dallin said smiling "Tell me with the amount of droids the Confederacy has amassed they could have easily over run the Republic clones three times over, if we took every droid and ship we had and launched an all out assault on Coruscant how long would the planet stand, a day?" Dallin asked him.
Kleeve glared at him in silence waiting for him to continue, Dallin leaned in "Someone is playing a dangerous game in the shadows, I believe Count Dooku is part of this game, prolonging this war for some other purpose and not for liberty or democracy." Dallin said.
"A bold accusation, your proof?" Kleeve asked as Dallin saw a group of Genosians flying overhead before landing in the base.
Dallin returned his gaze to Kleeve "Follow me."
Kleeve followed Dallin back into the command center up in the highest point where the room was lit with red tins and nobody was in the room except for one Helix Starstorm leaning on the red glowing holotable "My second in command Helix Starstorm, he can be trusted."
"I know Helix but I know Starstorm isn't your only name." General Kleeve said walking up to him and holding out his hand, Helix eyed the man cautious "Lets keep Starstorm for now General."
"As you wish." Kleeve said.
"So Dallin, where is this proof?" Kleeve asked him.
Dallin looked to Helix who walked around the holotable "A while back, I was smuggling supplies to the Genosians so they could retake their planet I met a group of Genosians warriors who were given a very strange assignment." Helix said.
"They told me about a secret projet between Dooku and their leader Pogul the lesser." Helix said "That bug with that stupid bone cane?" Kleeve asked him.
"Hmhmm, not a lot of people on Geonosis liked him especially these warriors so after I gave them a bit of wine and my translator droid was able to understand them they told me two words."
"Words?" Kleeve asked, cocking a brow in disbelief.
Helix reached into his armor around his neck pulling out a necklace he took off and revealed a data disk around his neck "And a copy of the project plans." Helix plugged it into the table and before their eyes appeared a red holographic structure the size of a moon "Is that… a ship?" Kleeve asked, looking at it his suspicion and skepticism gone replaced by fear.
"No, it's a space station." Helix said "The two words- its name Death Star a weapon so powerful it can destroy entire planets." Helix said through the hologram before them.
Kleeve looked at Dallin then at Helix "How many more know of this?"
"Of this copy, just the three of us but we believe that those in Count Dooku's inner circle know as well." Dallin said, crossing his arms and looking out the window of the command center. Kleeve watched him before Helix unplugged the data putting it back around his neck. Walking around the table the horned devaronian stopped "You're not planning on fighting a war, you're planning a coup?"
Dallin turned around slowly "What if I am?"
"I'd say why share this with me?" General Kleeve asked "I could easily contact Grievous, Count Dooku or Nute Gunray and report your treason. I'd be welcome back into the inner circle with open arms?"
"Would you?" Dallin asked walking up to him "How do you know they wouldn't kill you after we're all hung?" Dallin asked him.
Kleeve didn't have an answer "Beside you and Lok Durd are already disgraces depending on how much you cooperated with Republic interrogators?"
"I never betrayed the Separatists." Kleeve said sternly "And that is why I've chosen you to hear us." Dallin said, walking back toward the devaronian.
"What about Dooku's former Assassin, Asajj Ventress, he betrayed her, is she not with you?" Kleeve asked them.
It was Helix who answered "We don't know where she is, last time someone spotted her it was bounty hunting in the outer rim but we'll find her."
"You'll find her how promising?" Kleeve said sarcastically, Helix took that with a slight walking around the table "We didn't need to come to you Kleeve, in fact maybe this was a mistake General?" Helix said walking past Dallin before the older man stopped his second in command.
"Stand down Helix." Dallin said calmly before resuming his offer with Kleeve "We approached you first as you are the only one of Count Dooku's generals who hasn't plundered a world or shown cruelty to its inhabitants, like Tambor, Gunray, Durd etc." Dallin explained.
"Let us say I agree with your offer, say you succeeded, what changes from now?" Kleeve asked him.
Dallin smiled seeing they were getting somewhere "We sue for peace with the Republic, withdraw all droids from active combat zones of worlds that did not align with the Separatists and have them recognize us as an independent nation."
"If they refuse?" Kleeve asked scratching his chin "Then we cry havoc and unleash the dogs of war." Dallin said.
Kleeve looked at the plan then back at both men "What of the Jedi, especially that old man's favorite Skywalker."
"Our spies in the clone army have told us he's in a coma being taken back to Coruscant." Helix said smiling.
Kleeve's one good eye was wide "You've infiltrated the clone army, how?"
Dallin held ups his armors gauntlet and pressed a button to signal someone, one of the doors to the command center opened and Marshal walked in before he removed his helmet to reveal the face of a clone soldier with a scar under the high fade black haircut "Allow me to introduce CT-1917 or as he prefers-" "Slick, my brothers called me Slick." He said walking in to stand beside General Dallin.
"A clone trooper who defected?" Kleeve asked walking up to him surprised "I can't defect if I ever had a choice in the first place?" Slick said.
"Where in the stars did you find him?" Kleeve asked Dallin.
Dallin looked at Slick "That's a long story, all you need to know is that Slick has been in contact with other clones across the Republic Army."
"And how do we know they're loyal?" Kleeve asked as Slick pointed to the scar on the right side of his head "Each clone is implanted with an obedience chip that makes sure we obey, when I first escaped I had it removed immensity and analyzed it." Slick said reaching into the folds of his armor and pulling out a specialized hard drive that had a very small chip inside this center suspended in bacta.
"There are contingency orders in here that no other clone knows about except me, they all revolve around the Supreme Chancellor and Senate one even calling for the elimination of Jedi once issued the clones with chips in their heads will have no choice but to obey." Slick said as Kleeve looked at them bewildered.
Kleeve was silent for a long time "Then why not use the orders now?"
"Can you imagine a Clone Army commanded not by jedi but by people like Trench or Grievous?" Dallin asked him.
"We must seize control of the droid army by eliminating Count Dooku's inner circle and the Count himself." Dallin said before he raised his and "Are you with us?" Dallin asked Kleeve.
Kleeve looked at the man's hand for a moment and said "I am Dallin." They shook hands sealing the pact of treason.