Chapter 18

Location: Chasin City, Planet Commenor

The company was advancing and destroying droids, lots of them. A gathering of droid parts on each floor that Captain Challis's men tossed the kills they'd achieved had been getting smaller however. It seemed that the thirty floors they'd taken in the first day had broken the droids' backs and their advance was getting easier and easier. He'd settled into the command state of combat, directing his men as needed in the mammoth tower in his assignment of clearing it out.

Challis had never gotten used to seeing dead troopers carried past him to be deposited in a quiet open communal office space where, so far, twenty-nine of his troops were zipped up in body bags. He'd only seen it a couple times, preferring to visit his thirty-eight wounded, who were on the floor above. The wounded and dead never amounted to this in one spot, thankfully. The medivac dropships had come to pick up a handful at time, making sure that there was never a mass of dead bodies there to strike down morale. His company of one hundred and seventy one men and women had taken a bloody nose in this room-by-room fight. The majority of their casualties had come from the droid counterattacks they'd endured in the first couple hours and whenever a Droideka was holed up. But the enemy hadn't kept the Commenorian company from doing its job and taking over thirty of the floors it was assigned to take. Another pair of Commenor companies had been detached to attack the center of the building, and work their way up and down to aid their comrades. So Challis knew that he was going to be encountering another company of friendlies shortly. But the fight in Chasin City was far from over, he could see from any number of northern windows that the capital building and the surrounding area was still under heavy assault.

That, he knew for sure, would be his next destination. He personally hoped that he would be making the assault on the university, which was his old stomping grounds. Perhaps he'd come across a few former colleagues and see their faces when he rescued them. He hadn't been popular at the school, and his enlistment in the RVC turned Republican Guard had seen many of the more extreme students and faculty really turn on him. To liberate those kinds of people would be just desserts.

"Sir, first platoon's reported that they've made contact with Echo Company," First Sergeant Kelrein reported to him as he sat near a window, surveying the nearby buildings which were all Republic-occupied.

"Very well, finish sweeping the last floor, we'll be diverted to the main assault soon," Challis said without hesitation.

"Hoping for a reunion sir?" Kelrein asked after he relayed the order.

"Perhaps, I know the university grounds quite well, I see no reason we wouldn't be directed to aid in the assault."

"With all due respect sir, anyone can memorize a map."

"But it never gives you a feel for the place, never gives you firsthand knowledge that knowing it gives you. I know that school, and I know we're taking it next."

"Alpha-6, Alpha-1-6, all floors are clear," Challis's comm went off.

"Very well," Challis said in response, and turned to call the major, "Alpha-6 to Battalion, objective is secure. Standing by for orders."

"Command to Alpha-6, prepare for immediate redeployment, battalion's destination as follows," the operator on the other end stopped and then read the complex grid coordinates to him, "How copy those orders?"

"Roger that Command, Alpha-6 copies all, out," Challis turned to his NCO and nodded, "Told ya, University of Commenor. The whole battalion's being focused against it."

He popped out a holographic image of the circular overlapping mix of different styles of structure, a live feed showing that a lot of it had been caved in completely, the facades having been shattered and the buildings with hole blown through them. There were droid markings resembling at least a battalion's worth of hostiles stationed there with another pair of friendly companies already attacking it. The buildings were hard to harden for combat, but given that there were as many droids stationed there as he was seeing then he knew that they would have a rough go of it, and he very well might end up seeing the university get blasted to rubble. The thought of that hurt, but he knew all-too-well what was needed in war. If a few structures had to get blasted then they would have to get blasted.

As he contemplated these things his company was getting itself prepared for a redeployment. All his troops were gathering their gear and restocking their ammunition and filling up their canteens and ration bars. There was no telling when they would get another chance to do that. The process was quick, and a company's worth of F6 Dropships came hovering over their heads as a handful of medivac birds dropped in to pick up the wounded. The wounded, either on stretchers or being helped, were ushered into the waiting craft as the body bags were deposited on board the last bits of space available.

"All platoons, prepare for dustoff by order," Challis ordered as he signaled for the dropships to start coming in for a landing as the squads lined up.

It was a rapid process of a dropship landing and a squad charging out to get on board. They didn't have as many troops to carry as they did when they'd arrived, so there were five less dropships present to carry them to the new frontline. Challis made sure he was on the last one out, the tenth. Other dropships carrying the other companies of their battalion were also loading up and starting to hover in formation, ready to fly off towards their new objective. But there weren't enough to go around, and only thirty were dispatched for the move. The dropships aligned after that, and Challis received the new command and tactical plan for their next operation.

"All company commanders listen up, we're attacking the Separatist stronghold in the University of Commenor from the air in concert with an armored push into the grounds," the order started out, "We'll land on the eastern half of the campus, and start pushing the droids out as another force pushes north. All dropships will land on the roofs of the buildings, making it easier to sweep down and target the droids from above. Here's your area of responsibility, let's take care of business."

Challis saw that his dropships were on the middle section of the campus, on the largest building, the general academics one, with a commanding view of the rest of campus. It was an L-shaped construction with a circular dome at the middle joint which was the main entrance and was a building he'd taught in a bunch of times. The dome itself was glass, and the views he was seeing suggested that it was very much gone, just an open hole to fire into. That would make things a bit easier, he knew most rooms in there were quite large lecture halls so there would be less cover for the droids, not like the tower he'd just led his men in capturing.

"Alright. We're landing on the buildings, cover the entrances to the roof first, then put fire down onto any droid you see. Let's make them fear Commenor's soldiers."

The dropships slowed their advance as their gunners took aim at the enemy and fired their chin-mounted twin laser cannons along with a spare rocket or two that devastated the droid defenses. Red lasers from the infantry and a few cannons rose to meet the incoming assault dropships and the Guard troopers inside the bays felt their craft shudder and buck as their ships took small arms fire. Challis's dropships maneuvered around the campus outskirts, pouring fire down into the droids on the roof of their target building along with other targets of opportunity. The enemy defenses hadn't been quite up to the challenge of thirty dropships being massed against a single target this way and the company of troopers were soon ready to engage on the ground.

"Dropping your boys off Captain, give 'em hell!" the call from the pilot came out to Challis as the dropship he was in now angled rapidly for a short landing.

The hatch opened and once more Challis was the first to jump off the craft. The air was thick was dust and smoke as he looked around with his rifle tucked to shoulder and saw the numerous droids lying about thanks their own destructive firepower having easily rendered the roof uninhabited. The other dropships deposited his company quickly and they swept the roof, and many of his troopers rushed to the walls to begin firing down into the enemy droids rushing about in other buildings and on the ground. Challis himself rushed over a student-made garden built on the roof and ran to an entrance to the roof and was glad he did because a handful of B1's came charging out onto the roof to fill in the gaps.

He lifted his A280 and fired rapidly, blasting several of the droids as they rushed out of the door and his own men finished off the remainder as he primed a droid popper and tossed it into the stairwell through the door. The throw was right on and the pulse went off and he entered, firing down onto a B2 Super Battle Droid that was moving up the stairs, causing it to tumble back down the stairs and toppled a dozen B1's rushing up behind it. He methodically went down, pumping the stairwell full of blaster fire and tore up the writhing pile of B1's until it was nothing but a smoking pile.

"I want your platoons down each stairwell, now! We have momentum, keep it!" Challis ordered to his platoon leaders, moving down to an open door and pointed his blaster rifle through it to see a familiar hallway in the faculty offices section of the top floor, "I know this place," he said to the squad that was answering the call, "Follow me, stay tight, there's offices to each side with glass walls."

"Roger that skipper," the squad leader nodded and the squad began fanning out into the thin hall.

The echoes of blaster fire and explosions rocked the building as he saw the wreckage of the university that the droids had caused. Screens and lights sparked and crackled as holographic images struggled to stay alive in the cubby holes where the images were broadcast. The dark hall was empty, with no signs of civilians or civilian casualties. The faculty must have not been here to be attacked, but he knew that there were always some professors, groundskeepers, and students on campus at all times. Those would have been in the dorms, where the droids were still in control. But this was a different animal of a building. He knew that the moment he heard the rolling of a Droideka echoing down the hall.

"Offices! Take cover!" he ordered as the noises got closer.

The men got into the open offices and took cover behind desks and tables and chairs. Then the shadow of not one but three rolling Droidekas came around the corner and the men opened fire. An grenade blew apart the lead droid and blew it open to slide across the floor as the one behind it got perforated with blaster fire from a couple of DLT-18's as the third stopped and began to deploy. But it too succumbed as it was standing upright and halted its movements and its legs gave out and the droid keeled over onto its side. The squad rushed forward as more droids were heard clanking their way over the marble tiles towards them.

"Poppers," the squad leader said from the corner, as he had none left.

A man behind Challis took one out, triggered it, and tossed it to his sergeant, who caught it and tossed it around the corner where it went off and knocked out a group of a dozen battle droids that clattered to the ground. They stepped out into the open and checked the next hall the same way as the one they'd just gone through. Without much else happening they pushed through, Challis in the lead while keeping an eye on his tactical map, watching for casualties or hold-ups. So far things were going quite well.

"Sir," Kelrein yelled as he caught up, "Sorry for delay sir, but this place is a helluva maze."

"I know, got lost here when I did my grad work. How're the rest of the platoons moving?" Challis asked.

"So far so good sir, the droids' numbers aren't as large as we'd thought."

"Very well, just keep moving, keep clearing."

"That's all this is sir."

When Kelrein chuckled at that there was a clanging sound, like wooden pole falling to the ground. This caught the squad's attention and the group pinpointed the noise to a janitor's closet at the end of the hallway they were moving along. The group stalked up to the door, and then the door was opened and two troopers flashed their flashlights into the room and its occupants, holding their fire when they saw who was in there.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" a familiar voice caught Challis's attention and the captain walked up to the door as an old man in a fine suit was ushered out.

"Chancellor Vox," Challis greeted the man as his troops parted to give him way.

"I-I'm sorry," the leader of the University of Commenor squinted through his glasses as Challis walked up. Challis took off his helmet once he was close enough, and the man's eyes lit up in recognition, "Professor Challis?"

"It's Captain now," Challis corrected him, "Are there any other faculty or any students still on campus?"

"Uh yes, campus police ordered all staff to the police station when the invasion began and the students were told to shelter in their dorms."

"Very well, First Sergeant Kelrein."

"Sir."

"Advise battalion that there are civilians in the campus police station and in the dorms," Challis calmly ordered.

"Yes sir."

"As for you sir, you must stay in that closet I'm afraid, it's where you'll be safe."

"B-but…" the old man stuttered as a pair of privates pushed him back in gently and then Challis himself closed the door and looked at his entertained troopers and smirked.

"Been wanting to do that for some time."

Location: Naboo Senatorial Yacht, in Hyperspace

"Senator Amidala," Captain Typho interrupted Padme as she spoke with Bail Organa, "A message from the Chancellor."

"Patch him through please," Padme nodded as she looked for the holographic image to join the one of Bail Organa who was in his CR90 flying alongside her own yacht. His image came through, but as did the image of someone she recognized immediately, Grand Admiral Drexel of the Republican Guard.

"Senator Amidala, Senator Organa," Chancellor Palpatine greeted both senators politely, "I'm terribly sorry about interrupting this way, but it seems we have need of your services."

"One of my pilots has been shot and captured by a pirate band and is being held hostage. You are the closest Republic representatives to Vivyis-12. I need your help in securing her release," Drexel said calmly, but his seriousness in his voice as clear as day.

"You have been authorized to negotiate for this pilot's safe return," Chancellor Palpatine began, "We have arranged for the ransom to be ready for pick-up at your current destination. You will take that ransom and negotiate this pilot's release," the image of said pilot was put on the screen, a short-haired brunette Corellian, "Captain Teela Abya, the Republican Guard's highest scoring ace."

"Who is the pirate Chancellor?" Bail asked in curiosity.

To answer his question the holographic ransom demand was streamed to them directly, and it began playing. The pirate, Captain Hondo Ohnaka, came up as he stood with a kneeling Republic pilot with her flight suit's upper body portion unzipped and tied around her waist and hands bound behind her back and a black cloth tied over her mouth, effectively gagging the young pilot. Her eyes seemed groggy and unfocussed and had a bandage on her head bound by a strip of gauze with blood going down her temple. Hondo however seemed unconcerned and jovial.

"Good evening my Republic friends, it is I, Captain Hondo Ohnaka," he said quickly, and then turned to the pilot, "It seems that my men and I, on our humble business travels, have come across this poor Republic pilot, her starfighter shot down and her lost in the forest. We gladly rescued her from the loathsome Separatists, and now have her under our protection. However, do to the expenses of such protection, we shall need to arrange for some just compensation, both for the protection against the Separatists and her own…lack of cooperation, as you can see we have to take drastic measures to protect ourselves!" Hondo explained, but Padme knew from the stories from Anakin that Hondo, while a dangerous pilot, was never one to make outright enemies, "We merely ask for compensation in the form of two hundred pounds of spices. It is a meager amount for such an important individual as her, I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial business deal."

With that the message ended, and Hondo's image disappeared. And Drexel now took center stage.

"As you can see, he has our pilot, and intelligence believes that he will be playing us and the Separatists, who have been making noises of intent of taking her prisoner. She is the Republican Guard's top ace. It would be a harsh propaganda blow to us if she were to fall into enemy hands. So I have been told that a quick ransom will have to suffice in light of the rapid development of the situation."

"You two are our closest representatives, you must secure her release and return, before the Separatists take her prisoner," Palpatine explained.

"I will have a team of commandoes sent to provide a rapid action response force to prevent anything untoward occurring against you two, you are also recommended to bring your personal guards as well. As important senators your value is many times that of that pilot, to both sides."

"We will arrive to begin negotiations shortly Grand Admiral," Bail quickly said in assurance.

"Rest assured, your pilot shall be returned to you in no time," Padme also added, placing her own assurances in the ring.

"I hold a great deal of confidence in you Senator Amidala," Drexel nodded, and then turned as he was quietly spoken to by an officer, "Excuse me Chancellor, duty calls."

"Of course," Palpatine responded as the image was cut off, "Senators, I do believe I must leave you to your new task."

"Thank you Chancellor," both Senators said as they bowed their heads in response and they were left to themselves once more.

"Well then, it seems we are off to a dangerous negotiation than a trade settlement," Bail mumbled.

"Agreed, but I do not like going to a place so near to the frontline without a Jedi escort," Padme responded.

"We'll be fine Padme, the pirates under Ohnaka are not fools, at least not complete fools."

Location: Vivyis-12, Ohnaka Gang's Camp

Held hostage in the brig of a Corona-Class Armed Frigate Captain Teela Abya was probably the most uncomfortable she'd ever been in her whole life. Not even survival and evasion training on Carida at the end of her training had things ever been this bad. Sitting in the dark brig with her hands bound behind her back and ankles bound together she'd been blindfolded with a bag over head after her short time in front of the camera with Hondo and was now sitting against the wall of the makeshift hold, listening and waiting for any kind of opportunity to try and escape.

Although the last few times she'd tried her binds and "privileges" got worse. She'd lost the "privilege" to have her binds undone and to have her gag removed. But the attempt at least made her feel better, she'd bloodied one of the pirates' noses. To discourage such behavior it had been decided to keep her as unable to do anything as possible, short of being unconscious, mostly due to her value.

So here she sat, stewing in her anger and self-pity. The sitting stayed that way, in that cold cell, unable to really warm herself with only her tanktop and bra covering her torso and nothing on her arms. The sound of beeping on the door outside let her know that she was soon to have company and she braced herself for whatever may come. The hatch opened up and some new voices were heard.

"This is your prize Ohnaka?" a deep voice asked, "A girl…"

"Yes, a pilot for the Republican Guard, and not just any pilot," the easily recognized voice of Hondo piped up, and her blindfold was pulled off so her face could be seen and she herself could see, "The great starfighter ace Captain Teela Abya."

"Hmm…" the strange voice noted and she looked up to a massive bluish green-skinned Falleen, wearing the garb of the more public and dangerous uniform of the Black Sun, a captain by the look of him, "A worthy prize, take her," and two Black Sun soldiers leaned down and grabbed her arms and lifted her up, "You know that you owe the Black Sun a sizeable sum and this will do."

"And that debt shall soon be repaid, a ransom of valuable spices is on its way," Hondo stopped them quickly, "And it must be me who does this, after all, your public image would not need such a black mark. But me, Hondo? I care very little, but you, and your political allies, would not want…say…a dreadnought to appear over Mustafar. That would not be good for business."

Teela looked back and forth between the two pirates. The group was seemingly at odds and she was caught in the middle, a prize to pay a debt it would seem. She had heard of both the Ohnaka Gang and the Black Sun, she would much rather stay with Ohnaka Gang if given the choice.

"You have two days before we take what we are owed," the Black Sun captain growled at him, and then his men tossed Teela onto her side back onto the metal floor where she landed with a muffled grunt.

The Black Sun members walked out and Hondo sighed a bit as he crouched down next to her after she managed to sit back up. He softly pulled her gag down and she knew she had a few questions to ask.

"What the kriff are you thinking?" she snapped at him immediately, "Do you have any idea who you are messing with? Black Sun? The Republican Guard? You must have a death wish!"

"I remember now why we kept you gagged," Hondo mumbled.

"You're going to die! One way or another, this is a huge mistake!"

"Maybe, but it could be a profitable one," Hondo said with his usual attitude.

"Are you kidding? Do you honestly think that the Guard will just ransom me?"

"Of course they will, the Chancellor has already sent two Senators to do so," Hondo corrected her, much to her surprise, "Apparently you are worth quite a lot to them, seeing as the Separatists over the mountains also want your head."

"Separatists?"

"Oh yes yes…" Hondo mumbled, "Well what can I say? We came here to pirate some Wookiee trade ships, and we end up here."

"You shot me down," Teela growled at him, "And now you're going to trade me to the Separatists?!"

"Possibly, possibly going to trade you. There's a difference."

"You are completely out of your minds!" Teela desperately yelled.

"We are pirates! Of course we are."

A member of Hondo's crew popped his head in to speak with Hondo.

"Cap'n, a word?" the smaller pirate inquired.

"Excuse me my dear, duty calls," Hondo said and reached down to her gag.

"No, no, no-nnnph!" Teela stammered in protest as the gag was returned to place and she lashed out with her feet bound together, but missed.

She was left alone once more, but this time she had more to think about. However that wasn't necessarily a good thing, considering that the possible outcomes for her ranged from death to torture to public propaganda exploitation, not the best of things to have floating around in your head. So she tried to sit back and rest, there wasn't much else she could do.

Location: City of Munto, Planet Commenor

The city's droid occupation forces had been gradually ground down, with little signs of weakness showing from either side. Numerous Republican Guard vehicles had joined their Separatist opponents, smoldering in the streets thanks to hidden anti-tank teams of droids and ambushes in the tight confines of the old city. Among the Republic forces grinding down the droid defenders were the men and women of the 1st Guards Legion, one of the all-Anaxes units.

Leading his Knights Captain Kayle Titus had been slashing and blasting droid after droid, further enlarging his already impressive ego and reputation. As Champion of the Knights of Anaxes he was expected to lead any attack on any major objective and was doing just that. The city's main square was within sight, and as one would expect he was leading a contingent of Knights in the taking of this objective. Taking cover among the streets just outside the city square the numerous caped warriors readied themselves along with numerous regulars that they were supporting in the close-in urban war.

"Well, what's the word?" his brother Abel asked as he returned from their battalion command post.

"We attack, but there's a problem, we have local Commenor militia on our left flank," Titus said sourly, "The brass decided it would be better for the cameras if they took a major part in the operation."

"What kind of militia?"

"Mine," a deep voice answered him, and a light blue uniformed Commenor police chief walked in on the conversation, "Chief Ardadien, my department managed to equip ourselves for a fight before the invasion began. We're waiting for the signal to engage the enemy right flank."

He was a beard man with a bald head, carrying a similar helmet to what the Coruscant Underground Police wore with similar armor, but with a fur-lined collar at his neck with the padded riot gear and a heavy blaster pistol. He seemed rough and ready, especially for a police officer.

"How many have you?" Abel asked.

"Two hundred and fifty men."

"Mostly police with riot gear, their heaviest armor, but there's a gaggle of patriots who'd just wanted to fight to save their home," Titus sighed, "Brave but foolish."

"It's not foolish to fight for our homes," Ardadien countered.

"Indeed, well wait for our signal to engage the enemy. Then we'll see what your made of," Kayle said to the man.

"It'll be an honor to fight besides the Guard," the man nodded and saluted and then turned and left, back to his own militia.

"They're going to get themselves killed," Abel sighed, resigned to that inevitability.

"Prepare for assault!" the calls starting going out and troops got into position.

"Alright, the militia will attack the Separatist flank on my signal," Kayle informed his brother, slipping on his helmet and unholstering his repeating pistol, "The word is also around that a force of BX-Series Commando Droids are facing us, drinks on the tally?"

"Oh that's not fair, come on!" Abel said as Kayle rushed to the lead.

Kayle just laughed as he made it to the front of the assault as the call came down to him to make the frontal attack into the open square. Taking out his shield he prepared himself and checked to be sure what the square looked like, it was a simple open area with a street going around it and a circle of evergreen trees planted in stone-walled bits of dirt and a tall statue of the city's founder in the center. There were droids and several enemy and MTT's in the square, burning or smoking from airstrikes and live droids on the sides, ready to meet their attack.

"You may begin your assault Captain Titus," he heard the comm go off in his ear.

"Attack!" Titus yelled and rushed around the corner on foot with Knights in behind him, capes flapping and shields over their torsos with blaster pistols readied.

The enemy fire came immediately, with red bolts filling the air, cutting through the trees in front of him and slammed against his shield. He fired back with a long burst of fire at the source of the enemy fire and was glad to see the droids marching out into the open to meet their assault head-on. The Knights and regular troopers began fanning out into the open area, taking cover as needed behind their Knights and their tough shields. Titus himself attracted a friendly squad who recognized the unique cape with the symbol of Champion on it, they fired rapidly, mowing down the droids that charged them across the open field. But there were far more enemy droids than Titus had anticipated, with blocks of droids streaming in towards them.

Leading them into the open battle were sprinting BX-Series Commando Droids, dangerous opponents who each wielded a blaster rifle and a vibrosword. They Knights saw these new opponents, at least two hundred of them, and as did their friendly infantry who laid into the enemy elite. Many enemy droids dodged the fire with ease, but others fell to the concentrated fire as the Knights now drew their swords and formed into their formations. They closed ranks and then locked their shields, the first rank with shields facing the enemy and then the next rank layering in behind with a third behind them.

The droids attacked immediately with blasters but the Knights' shields held firm as they awaited them to come closer. They did so, and the skinny athletic commando droids drew their swords and sprinted at them.

"Shield wall!" Titus roared as he saw that the droids would doubtlessly jump the wall of shields and engage them to break their formations.

A second row and then a third row of shields from the Knights were put into place as and the shield wall was now eight feet tall with another three lines of Anaxes Knights aligned behind the wall, ready to clash with the enemy in case they summited the shields. Regular infantrymen stood with blasters pointed at the crest of the wall formed by their caped comrades and waited. The Commando Droids didn't disappoint, and leaped at the wall and slashed at the shields in a cacophony of metallic clanging and smashing. Many of the Commando Droids did in fact manage to get over the wall and the infantry in behind opened fire, sending several tumbling back or over the wall with blaster holes in their heads and chests. But most landed in behind the first layer of Knights and into the second.

"Engage!" Titus now commanded his Knights and they broke their shield wall and charged into the droids in a symphony of clashing blades.

Titus charged into the second rank of enemy elite droids, ducked under a swipe from a sword, cut the droid in half at the waist, pulled his shield up to block an attack from the right, and spun into that attack. He felt the forceful bash against his shield from the virbrating blade and cut the droid's head off with his backswing. He deflected a stab from a third attacking droid on his right jumping down at him and popped his shield against its head and sent it reeling. Before he could finish that one he was charged again from the left and swung his shield from above to send the droid's sword into the ground as it cut at him and brought his sword in a smooth follow-up blow that sent the droid's chest parts airborne he hit it with such force.

"Kayle!" he heard his brother call out, and he turned to see the droid he'd hit with his shield charging at him. But his brother dispatched it with a rapid cut into the hip of the droid, and then Kayle upper cut the droid's head, bisecting it evenly.

"You're still here?" Kayle teased at him.

"Someone's gotta watch your back," Abel laughed.

"Not now I'm rather busy!"

Both brothers now engaged a set of regular droids that now swarmed into the battle trying to engage from short range but were dispatched with complete ease the battle devolved into a complete bloody melee. But the droid's had one more ace in the hole. Kayle saw it before his brother did, an thirteen-foot tall monolith of a battle droid with a central red eye in a head like that of a B2 Super Battle Droid, but much, much bigger. Two enormous arms held wrist-mounted blasters and two smaller ones on its body swerved to fire into his comrades who attacked it. He knew this massive droid to be a problem when it smashed a Knight charging it with a harsh stomp of its boot, smashing the white armor of the Anaxes Knight that attacked it and killing him instantly.

"That's a new one," Abel said as he noticed the big silver droid wading through the battle, swiping a line of three Anaxes troopers firing into it with little effect and sending all three airborne.

"He's mine!" Kayle smiled and ran at it, slicing through two B2's that stepped into his path.

The droid, a prototype B3 Ultra Battle Droid, saw Titus charging it, and lifted an arm and fired at him as he sprinted towards it. The blaster bolts smashed into his shield, almost stopping him in place from their sheer force and the droid decided to finish him off. Stomping down at him Titus rolled to the side, and lifted his shield just in time as the smaller arm fired rapid-fire blasts at him. He then had to duck as the larger left arm of the massive war machine swiped at him and he swung at the smaller arms that were firing at him. The sword of Songsteel sliced clean through the arms, and Titus followed this up with a slice into the back of droid's right thigh, cutting through only part of its hardened durasteel frame. This served to enrage the droid, which upper cut him with some force and sent him flying through the air, bouncing off the snow-covered ground and into the raised treebed underneath a smoldering tree.

His helmet had come off and he shook away the stars in his vision as he looked up at the droid, stalking towards him. The behemoth smashed a B2 that stepped into its path the same way that B2 would smash a B1 as it closed on him. Getting to his knees and grabbing his sword Titus saw an opportunity when a B2 walked at him, firing a few blaster bolts at another unseen target. The Ultra came within range and Titus let out a warcry and sprinted up and leaped up at the Super Battle Droid before him and then pushed up off of that big droid and stabbed down at the Ultra's red eye. His sword cut clean through, sinking up to the hilt as the droid tried to recover but its systems died and it stumbled back and three poor B1's behind it came forward only to be crushed under its immense weight.

Rolling off of the droid and onto the ground Titus looked around and knew the time had come to give the Commenorians their shot.

"Ardadien, now!" he yelled.

He saw the police chief step into the open, a large square riot shield in hand and a large sparking riot stun baton in the other. The other police behind him had a mix of different blaster pistols and riot shields and stun batons themselves along with average citizens with captured droid weapons or civilian blasters.

"Go! Show Anaxes what we can do, go!" the chief urged his men forward before charging down the stairs into the square and raging battle, his men yelling and screaming down behind him.

They shouted and cursed at the mechanical invaders, firing wildly, swing their weapons at anything not made of flesh and bone. Commando Droids made short work of some that attacked them but the swarm of angry police and citizens bulldozed its way into the fray, carving through intact blocks of droids that hadn't seen them coming. Titus reached down and grabbed his helmet laying a couple feet away as other Knights rushed up next to him while he put it on.

"They've made a marvelous mess things," Abel said as he came up next to him.

"Brave amateurs, they do their part," Kayle smiled and nodded at the ferocity of the militia and police, as he charged back into the fray along with the other Knights.

He stabbed into a Super Battle Droid, ripping up through its metal body and lifted his shield to block a jumping Commando Droid swing at his head and when it landed in behind him he spun and stabbed it through its back. Without a wasted second he withdrew his weapon and spun completely around as he swung his shield's edge into the head of a sprinting B1, sending it literally into a backflip flying past him. In another sweeping slash a second Super Battle Droid found itself cut in half at the chest as it walked past him. With no more droids in range and the remaining enemy force hesitating in front of him, trying to reform, both the regular B1's and B2's and the more dangerous BX's stood and watched as Titus stood firm as the B2 he'd cut in half powered down and toppled backwards, while his cape settled from the blow he'd delivered.

Without hesitation Titus lowered his stance and brought his shield back into ready position as other Knights, Anaxes regulars, and Commenor police and militia also did the same alongside him. After a moment of hesitation the droids charged once more into the strong Republic line. This time however, none would remain.

Location: Confederate Patriot Forces Headquarters, Planet Edusa

The CPF, the Patriots as they were quickly becoming known, was growing faster than Der had anticipated. The reasons for the massive growth and influx of recruits from across the outer rim was as varied as the species she had under her command. The vast majority of them were human however, a trait that she was starting to see may have been done on purpose in both the army of the Republic and her own forces. But she didn't care, so long as she had an effective fighting force she was perfectly happy turning a blind eye to that.

Her fleet was growing, the shipyards of deep space had begun churning out specially modified Lucrehulk-Class Battleships by the dozen with many of her new Type-1 Class Star Destroyers, Type-2 Class Cruisers and Type-3 Class Escort Cruisers already lined up in docked formations, where their biological crews had already training. Her ground forces were constantly evolving force of droids and biological soldiers, moving more and more like an army with training maneuvers being conducted at literally all hours to ensure rapid turnover of her forces from recruits to soldiers.

Officers had been weeded out to take command of droid battalions all the way through regiments and divisions and up into the army group. Tactical droids conducted the training of her officers and the prediction of new flexibility among Patriot droid formations had come to fruition with unique maneuvers being conducted in war games against one another that even the super tactical droids were unprepared for. She knew that this way of fighting, man and machine intertwined in one seamless fighting force, was the way of the future, and she was more than ready for the chance to prove it.

However a couple things were missing. It had been made very obvious to her that the Republican Guard had its aces in the hole as far as their ground forces and space forces. In space they had their supercapital class ships, the Kuati giants, and on the ground they had the Caridan Commandos and the Anaxes Knights, both elite fighting forces that had made their presence felt throughout history and were living up to their reputation in this war. She needed a force like that to counter them.

For that one key addition to her fleet was being built, a personal design that she herself had come up with. To take on Kuat's capital ships she'd requested a new kind of flagship of equal size. The design that she hoped was under construction was a massive copy of the Lucrehulk-Class Battleship. At six thousand and three meters long and wide it was literally as simple as taking a Lucrehulk and scaling it up by a factor of two. It was easily a match a Kuati Mandator-Class Dreadnought, with hundreds of turbolasers, and over four thousand starfighters. The beast was affectionately known as the Ultrahulk-Class Command Ship, and it would be her personal flagship once her forces were unleashed.

But traditional space combat with ship against ship didn't seem to be how the Republican Guard played the game. They preferred a different and radical tactic. Starfighers had proven to be a key part of Republican Guard offensive operations and the Jedi seemed to be thinking along the same exact lines more and more as operational reports were starting to figure out. So Der had dug into the Separatist databanks for a suitable match that could be swiftly bought into production and found it in the form of a prototype variant of the venerable Scarab Droid Starfighter. Instead of a shield, as the stock models had, the variant she wanted was equipped with a hyperdrive and a proton torpedo tube with a magazine of three torpedoes. This fighter made for the perfect counter to the massed F-Wing and Y-Wing formations that the Republican Guard seemed to favor, and would avoid combat with the new and dangerous Imperator-Class Star Destroyers that tended to maul entire Separatist squadrons all by themselves.

And on the ground Der had found her answer to the Knights and the Commandos. Two elite fighting forces aligned with the Confederacy had pledged their services. The battle-proven Nimbus Commandos of Jabiim had already begun to take on the role of the CIS's elite special operations units with attached BX-Series Droid Commandos. These men were to fall under Der's command, and she knew that they would greatly enjoy spilling Caridan blood. However their bloodlust was nothing compared to her coming guests, a dangerous and sometimes volatile force of elite blade-wielding warriors from the Outer Rim.

She stood upon the landing pad of her main headquarters as a TZ-15 shuttle came in for a landing. The occupants of that shuttle were said to be the oldest and most bitter rivals of the Knights of Anaxes. And their very names still struck fear into the hearts of those in the Core, the Warriors of the Tion. Hailing from the planet Tion Proper these warriors were sword-wielding artists in the art of battle, and were just what Fleet Admiral Der needed. Her first glimpse of these warriors came in the form of a man she had come to familiarize herself with, their leader and greatest warrior, the Hero of Tion, Ronan the Wild.

Stepping from the shuttle he wore the combat armor of the Tion Warriors. On his chest three black trapezoidal shaped main armor plates that overlapped from his chest to waist that were bent in the middle with straps going around over smaller more flexible armor on his torso and going to his arms and legs. Armored shoulder pads with sharp ridges jutting out from the sides gave him a massive appearance, with other armored sections in the same kind of style on his arms and legs and shins. All the hardened armored portions were colored black and his softer portions were colored a bright blue. He wore a cape of black and blue with a broad sickle sword in a scabbard at his side.

He himself was the embodiment of ferocity, with long braided hair tied back and a thin wispy goatee on his face. The hair on his beard was braided as well and his long braids tied together by a black elastic band were decorated with a few beads of silver and gold. The man towered over her as he approached, his eyes examining her top to bottom in an almost unsettling manner.

"General Ronan I presume?" she asked as he stopped before her.

"I am," his deep voice responded, but didn't say anything else, which rather surprised her.

"I hear your warriors seek to aid us?" Der asked again.

"We seek honorable battle. The politics matter little."

"Very well," Der nodded and looked to her aid standing beside her, "When would you like to begin?"

"Now."

I kinda copied a few things from 300 there and I have no problem doing so. That movie and the Spartans' fighting style and the parallels I can draw were just too much to resist. So yeah, I've had my fun there and shall have even more fun with a character that I have obviously heavily based on a favorite actor of mine, Jason Momoa. He's just a complete badass, and really fits into the mold of a warrior cult like the Warriors of the Tion (Which are made up just like the Anaxes Knights).

Other than that, yeah I had a ton of fun writing this chapter and will be looking forward to the feedback from you all. So as usual, hope you guys enjoyed.

Next Chapter Preview: Aggressive negotiations for Padme, and Grievous's entry into this story.