Have no fear, Grubkiller is here.
Hey folks. Here is part 4 of this ROTS/CW story.
Please enjoy this story, and feel free to leave your thoughts in the review section.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gunship, Valkyrie 2929, lower hanger bay of the RSV Indomitable.
Ahsoka was nervous.
This will be her first time leading men into battle since before she was kicked out of the order. And Anakin wasn't nearby, ready to save the day when the need would arise.
As the gunship, carrying Rex, Jesse, Echo, Kix, Hardcase, and Sgt. Coric's squad (Who were all wearing different sets of armor with orange markings) lifted off from the deck to join the rest of the Invasion force, she breathed in heavily as she contemplated the future.
She thought about her friends on Coruscant, and her boyfriend in the senate. She reached all of them back when she was a mechanic on Nessem, and spoke regularly, but she was afraid that she wouldn't get that chance again. Concerning Lux, Ahsoka was afraid for his safety in the midst of the Separatist invasion on Coruscant. She was afraid that she wouldn't get the chance to talk to him, even over a com-link.
The chance to see him again.
The chance to 'feel' him again.
Ahsoka was also afraid of letting Skyguy and her men, not to mention an entire planet, down. Ever since she was assigned to him as his padawan, she'd felt babied by him. She also felt desperate to prove herself in this way. But now that that chance had finally arrived, she regretted ever even thinking of taking on such an enormous responsibility.
Ahsoka then felt a hand on her shoulder. The startled 17 - going on 18 - year old togrutan turned around to see that it was Rex, a seasoned clone captain that first saw action on Geonosis at the very beginning of the war. Unike the rest of 'Ahsoka's loyalists', he kept his secondary colors blue, as opposed to orange.
"Hey kid? You okay?" Rex asked.
Ahsoka took in a deep breath before exhaling.
"I have the weight of the galaxy on my shoulders Rex".
"Ma'am. You don't have to be worried. These men have complete faith in your skills. And these men were chosen because they would've broken into prison to have you freed had the senate not come to their senses. And you know what? I would've done the same".
Ahsoka smiled and blushed at what Rex just said. She nodded at him before she turned around and looked out of the open hatch of the gunship.
Dozens of gunships, carrying troopers, vehicles, and supplies to the surface, soared through the skies above Mandalore's deserts.
Ahsoka even saw some Mandalorian fighters that had the markings of the Nite Owls painted on them. The Night Owls were any Death Watch warrior that defied Maul's regime with Bo-Katan. They have been planning, and dreaming, for this day: the day that they would finally reclaim their homeland from an awful tyrant. Now, instead of dreaming of that day, they could live it.
It was a beautiful sight to behold. But then that sight was suddenly filled with black and red puffs of smoke. They got closer to her gunship. Not to mention louder. The Gunship vibrated and shook violently as it was rocked by tiny explosions.
"Stang," Jesse, one of the two ARC troopers, exclaimed.
"Where's that crap coming from?" Coric shouted.
"Talk to me Hawk. What do you see?" Ahsoka asked the gunships's pilot.
"Enemy AA, coming from the city. This is gonna get bumpy".
The gunship rocked even more heavily.
Some of the other gunships weren't as lucky. One of the nearest ships was hit directly where the portside wing connects to the main body of the gunship. It caught fire and trailed smoke. The ship lost altitude as it crashed into the sandy surface and exploded in a ball of fire. Many others suffered the same fate.
"Get us below those guns!" Ahsoka shouted into her com-link. The gunships flew down to a lower level just above the surface, in order to avoid the enemy fire.
Then, all of a sudden, a panicky voice came in over all channels.
"This is supply transport T-327. We've been hit. We're going down. AAHHH!-ffffffzzzzzzzzz!" said the voice before it cut to static.
A voice came in from the other side of her link.
"Tano! Maul has some heavy artillery protecting Sundari. You might want to pull your fleet out of range," Bo-katan said.
"Roger that. Captain!?" Ahsoka exclaimed into her comm.
"We heard her commander. And we saw the cannons. Pulling out of range now," Autem said over the link.
The Indomitable and the rest of the task force withdrew, but they continued to fire on the areas surrounding the city.
'Well, we're off to a good start', Ahsoka thought sarcastically.
Then, all around, she could see dozens of Death Watch fliers using their jetpacks to fly amongst the Gunships. They were wearing black and dark red armor. They buzzed around the gunships, firing on them with their blasters. The gunships opened up their side hatches, so that the clones could fire out of the crew bays with their own blasters.
Several Shadow Collective commandoes flew out of control after taking enough blaster fire, and began to spin out of control. But other Maul-loyal commandoes began to fire their rockets, hitting the engines of the LAATs, where by they then spun out of control, trailing smoke and then turning into a fireball on the desert floor.
"Take those fliers out!" Ahsoka ordered her men before she hit the button for the side hatch, opening it up, allowing the wind to blow in with an ear-popping roar.
As the clones began to do as their brothers were doing, and personally fire on the flying Mandalorian pests that were bugging them, Rex and two others turned to look at Ahsoka stepping onto the edge.
"Commander, what the Hell are you doing?!" Rex asked, shouting over the roar of the wind.
Ahsoka looked down, and saw dozens of gunships, and hundreds of Death Watch fliers buzzing around, unfazed by the great distance to the desert floor. Then she looked over her shoulder.
She smiled.
"I'm going for a ride." She simply said, before jumping out the crew bay, and into the flak-filled sky.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Royal Palace, Sun'dari, Mandalore.
As the Siege of Mandalore began, and Republic warships broke through the Shadow Collective blockade, Prime Minister Almec marched through the corridors of the Royal Palace. The palace interior had gray walls, with guards that lined them every 20 feet.
He walked into the throne room to see Lord Maul sitting there. The throne room's windows were blocked by maroon colored drapes that blocked out most of the natural lights. Except for the balcony windows of coarse. It represented Maul's reign over the planet perfectly.
Dark and depressing.
Almec bowed before he spoke to his lord and master.
"My Lord, a Fleet of Republic Warships has been spotted entering the atmosphere, and gunships are heading for the city itself. What would you have us do?" He asked.
Darth Maul leaned to the side of his throne as he starred at Almec with his menacing yellow eyes.
"If it's a War they want..." Maul started. "...then it's a War they shall get".
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mandalore airspace, just outside of Sundari.
The Gunship was gone, flashing by overhead in an instant.
Ahsoka's stomach lurched up to her throat as she began to plummet, the warm desert air ripping past her like a thousand tiny knives. She Fought to keep the content in her stomach down.
The second thing she noticed was the sound. The noise of rushing wind was nearly deafening.
Then, of coarse, was the battle all around her, as Gunships continued to fly through the flak-filled sky, which was orange from the setting sun. She also saw the many Death Watch troopers who continued to fly through the air, harassing the gunships, and periodically downing one.
Clones pointed their rifles out of the open slits in the side hatches, trying to shoot down the Mandalorian pests that buzzed all around.
That's when Ahsoka saw one gunship with its hatch blasted wide open, and Mandalorian commandoes flew in, blasting the clones inside apart. Some clones fell out of the side hatches, while the others just fell to the deck, allowing the Death Watch troopers to board the ship and step over their corpses.
Ahsoka's fury began to flare up. She couldn't allow this humiliation from Maul's forces to stand, or allow them to endanger the rest of her men by taking over that ship and doing Force-knows-what with it.
Readjusting her dissent, she aimed her fall at the open hatch of that Gunship. When she was close to the ship, she forced herself to assume the spread-eagle position that would slow down her dissent and stabilize her. She hovered next to it, and grabbed a safety handle on the side of the ship and then swung down into the open hatch, lifting her feet up to simultaneously kick two commandoes out of the side of the ship, before landing safely on the deck, surrounded by six more Death Watch commandoes, who were about to execute two more surviving clone troopers.
She immediately ignited her two lightsabers, the blue blades coming to life with a snap-hiss, and went to work hacking up the two commandoes on either side of her. Three more commandoes rushed to subdue her, but they were too close and she was still spinning and slicing. Their weapons were cut apart, and she leaned over, kicking one foot back, which connected with the commando's face behind her, and used her hands to summon a force push the sent the commando in front of her back into the wall, all while she was balanced on one leg.
She turned to face her two remaining adversaries. One tried to tackle her, but she spun around and delivered a kick that sent him tumbling out of the open hatch. The last one also tried to tackle her, but she flipped over him and slashed his jet-pack. The panicking commando was stunned when Ahsoka jumped onto his back, just as his malfunctioning jetpack blasted off, taking him and his Togrutan passenger for a ride, leaving the gunship and its stunned passengers behind.
Ahsoka then made sure that her panicking ride was pointed in the direction of Sundari.
"Get off of me, you Jedi scum!" The commando shouted, still trying to swat and kick her off, when they were above the dome of the city.
"As you wish," Ahsoka said before she jumped off, kicking the screaming commando into the side of the dome, where he met his fiery end.
Ahsoka then slid down the side of the dome, using her blades to slow down her dissent. She then jumped down and landed right in the middle of the docks, which was heavily protected by a Shadow Collective defense line, which included turbo-laser batteries.
The Maul troopers that were on station looked at her in confusion. But when they saw she had sabers, they went on the offensive.
Ahsoka smiled.
The fight was on
Back on Rex's Gunship, the clones were still awaiting their landing. The sky was clear of Death Watch Commandoes, who were taking too many casualties trying to force the gunships down, only to suffer heavy casualties in the process.
And due to some commotion at the docks, the turbo-laser fire in one section of the city's perimeter had subsided, allowing the Gunships to land unabated.
"Look, there's the commander!" Jesse called out as he pointed to the docks.
Rex and the others all looked to see a Togrutan with two lightsabers running trough yellow blaster fire and dodging rockets, and began hacking up enemy emplacements. Two Turbolaser emplacements were on fire. Another was sliced apart. And Ahsoka ran across the barrel of the forth cannon, with his blades dragging behind her, and slicing into the cannon. When she ran across the breech, where the proton shell was loaded, the cannon ignited just after she jumped off.
"Wouldya look at that?" Rex exclaimed.
"How'd she get ahead of us so quickly?" Kix asked.
"Who cares? Let's get in there before she finishes them off without us." Hardcase said.
"Right. Lock and load!" Rex called out.
Rex and his squad checked their weapons and when the hatches opened up, they poured out of the lead gunship.
Blue armored clone troopers, with orange face-plates, raised their rifles and fired at the Shadow Collective forces (Not just Death watch, but also largely Mandalorian troopers that are dressed like the riot guards, but with black and red).
Blue lasers filled the air as the Clones laid down murderous fire down on Maul's forces.
Ahsoka was in the center of it all as she deflected yellow Manadalorian laser blasts back at the Shadow Collective forces with her lightsabers. She then noticed that her men had arrived to join her.
"Nice of you boys to show up. Now come on. Push them back!" Ahsoka shouted to her men.
Bo-Katan and her Night Owls came out of no where and hovered over the Clones with their jetpacks. They used rockets from their jet packs to destroy clusters of Shadow Collective troopers.
The Clones charged forward.
Rex and Jesse used their dual sidearms to blast at the Shadow Collective troopers.
Echo raised his mechanical fist and punched a Mandalorian square in his faceplate, shattering the helmet and forcing him to the ground. The fallen guard held his hand up in a desperate attempt to stay alive. However, it was in vain as Echo used his rifle to blast him in the face. He then moved on to his next target.
On the other side of where the gunship landed, Sgt. Coric and his team inched forward, towards a group of Mandalorians that were pinned down by Hardcase, who used his Z6 Rotary blaster to lay down suppressing fire. Coric and his men vaulted over the enemy's cover and kicked them to the ground as they landed, before they blasted them or plunged their laser bayonets into their torsos. Boomer and Kano's men covered the left and right flanks as Ahsoka and the others moved up the middle. The gunships were still pouring troopers onto the deck while pouring fire onto the enemy positions.
The Shadow Collective troopers started to pull back away from the docks and into the city.
"They're falling back" Ahsoka shouted before waving her men forward. "Come on!"
Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, the clones, and the Night Owls moved forward. They made their way through a tunnel that connected the docks to the city. Republic and Mandalorian free forces were using similar tunnels all along the perimeter of the city to move their heavy equipment.
Ahsoka held down a button on her wrist comm and spoke into it.
"Indomitable command, this is Commander Tano. We've secured the docks and are on our way into the city," she said as she released the button to receive word from the ship.
"Copy that Commander Tano. Be advised: those cannons are still a serious threat, and Maul's fighters are beginning to swarm over our task force. Until you've taken out those guns, we can not risk giving you any naval fire support. But we can still try to replenish your supplies with the gunships, but that may prove to be difficult," Captain Autem said through Ahsoka's wrist comm.
"Copy that Captain. We'll do what we can in the meantime. Tano out," she said before cutting the transmission.
As the strike forces emerged from the tunnel, they saw the beautiful skyline of the city.
"All right then, time for us to get to work," Rex said before he flagged down the Artillery and tanks. "Get those tanks in position for the assault, and set up the heavy cannons!"
"Yes Sir," the battery commander said before he started ordering his troopers around. In a few moments the heavy cannons started to unfold, while the AT-TEs, AT-RTs, and TX-130s moved near the elevator that would take them to the streets below.
Ahsoka and her troopers mustered to the elevators as well. Bo-Katan walked over to Ahsoka.
"We'll try to wrestle control of the skies away from the Shadow Collective. Maybe we can even try to disable the city's AA defenses. I'm also going to need your jet troopers for this one," she explained.
Ahsoka raised her eye brow to Bo-Katan. Mandalorians usually didn't ask for help. But it probably wasn't their day to be picky.
"All right. Take them. I guess I've got ground side duty with the rest of the Clones," Ahsoka said. "Are your men ready for this?"
Bo-Katan walked away and rallied her Night Owls to the edge that overlooked this once majestic city to give a rousing speech.
"Warriors of the Night Owls. Sons and Daughters of a free Mandalore. For the past year, ever since Mandalore's authority was usurped by the treacherous outsider Darth Maul, our once proud, and noble, planet and its people, have been stifled under the oppressive heel of his puppet regime. Our people have been bullied into submission. Political prisoners have been taken away to labor camps all across the system. Our people and resources have been used to feed Maul's terrorist war machine. But now, on the one year anniversary of this planet's subjugation, we have returned. A great battle for the liberation of our once great people shall tear Maul's corrupt and totalitarian regime apart. Our destiny beckons. It is time to reclaim what was stolen from us: our cradle world. Take heart warriors. Mandalore will be free!" Bo-Katan said.
All of her warriors cheered. Their battle cry could shake the foundation of any building. They activated their jet packs and followed their "Warrior Duchess" into the air space above Sun'dari. Many of Maul's death watch soldiers went to meet them. They began to dogfight above the city. There were explosions, and yellow blaster bolts flew in every direction. Low yield AA fire from the city below began to fire upwards.
The battle for Sun'dari had begun.
All of the platforms that carried Ahsoka and her men started to descend towards the streets below.
The Republic Artillery was set up at the same time. The clone battery commander walked in front of the cannons and raised his hand in the air and paused. After a few seconds, his hand swiftly dropped to his waist.
"Fire!"
The barrels of each cannon exploded, sending balls of plasma over his head and down range towards the city.
Over the past year, the resistance groups that were loyal to the old pacifist government and the Nite owls, and supported by the Republic, have been sneaking people out of as major cities. Many fled Sun'dari over the period of time that Maul's puppet, Prime Minister Almec, ran the planet, mostly in the early days. So no one really worried too much about civilian casualties. Civilians were mostly underground if they remained in the city.
The Ahsoka and the clones watched as Republic ordnance was fired into the buildings below. Craters were blasted into the pavement, and walls were completely blown open. The sidings of some buildings even collapsed all together, leaving the interiors of the buildings exposed.
"Kryze, we're starting our attack now," Ahsoka said into her wrist comm.
"Good. Keep the artillery creeping forward. I want us to strike fear into the hearts of Maul's regime and the traitors that follow him," Bo-Katan said.
"But aren't you worried about the city?" Ahsoka asked.
"It can be rebuilt. And there's hardly anyone left in the city, and if there are, they're most likely underground. Beside's, I would rather see this city burned to the ground than under Maul's control," Bo-Katan said before cutting off the transmission.
Ahsoka looked at Rex, who just shrugged his shoulders.
The elevators finally reached the streets. The Republic could now begin it's advance into the city. The AT-TE's moved through the streets with the light hover tanks and the AT-RT's moving forward alongside them. The clones moved through the ruined buildings and the side alleys.
"Come on boys, move up with the armor. And be sure to watch your spacing," Rex called out to his men.
As they continued their advance, nothing seemed to happen. It was all quiet. Nothing but the skeletal remains of the buildings and piles of rubble, with the occasional fire.
Suddenly, Shadow Collective forces popped out of cover and began to fire on the advancing Republic forces.
"The invaders are here, drive them out. For Lord Maul!" one of the Shadow Collective troopers called out.
"For Mandalore!" Another shouted.
"Victory or death!" Another one shouted.
"They're everywhere, find cover," Ahsoka called out.
Every clone took cover behind corners or behind pieces of debris before they returned fire.
Ahsoka activated her sabers and placed herself between the Shadow collective forces and her troopers. She expertly swung her blades to block any bolt that came her way. Many bolts were fired at her, but none hit her. Some were even deflected at the Mandalorians that fired them.
All around her, Clone troopers began to seize the initiative. They laid down suppressing fire on the buildings that Maul's forces were taking cover in. Some had even attached grenade launchers to their DC-15 a rifle, and started firing grenades at the concealed enemy troopers. Explosions from those launched grenades rocked the buildings that were hit by them. The explosions also kicked up dust that obscured the enemy's vision.
"Come on. Charge the building while their blind," Ahsoka shouted.
"You heard her lads, let's go!" Rex shouted, repeating Ahsoka's orders.
Many of the troopers activated laser bayonets on the ends of their rifles before charging into the Shadow Collective forces. The clones charged right into the Mandalorians. They prodded their adversaries with their bayonets, or slashed them across their bodies. The results were gruesome.
Ahsoka sprinted past the bloody melee with her green sabers in hand. She leaped into the air. The arch of her leap led her into the window of the building that the Clones were fired on from. The hapless shadow collective trooper that occupied the window never knew what hit him as Ahsoka slashed her blades in a 'x' form. That motion caused her target's head to roll. She then landed in a position that made her crouch down and kneel, her blades standing in the air. She opened her eyes and looked to her right. A trio of Mandalorian troopers stared at her in a dumbstruck manner.
"Jedi, get her!" the trooper shouted, trying to bring his weapon to bare on her. But Ahsoka was too quick. She sprinted towards them and swung her blades wildly. The room, that lacked natural sunlight, was illuminated green as she cut the troopers apart. When she was done, Ahsoka stood back up and looked to her left. The small building was clear and Clone troopers from Coric's team started heading up the stairs.
He saluted. "Ma'am. Rex and his team have secured the building next door. This side of the street is ours".
"Good. Now bring up the rest of the armor," Ahsoka ordered.
As soon as she said that, blaster fire began to pour out of the building directly across the street. Blaster bolts flew through the windows right next to her. Everyone took cover. One trooper that wasn't fast enough was speared right in the throat with a blaster bolt. Another one was shot through the stomach, causing him to write on the floor in agony before a clone medic rushed up and kneeled next to him and went to work trying to save him.
Maul's forces had everything covered. Anything that stepped into their sight would be wiped out. One clone squad that had been in the streets was cut to half strength before vaulting behind a low wall for cover.
Ahsoka turned to Coric.
"Tell Rex that I want rocket fire on that building, and bring up the armor!" She shouted to Coric before she jumped out of the open window to join the troopers on the ground, who were apart of Sgt. Boomer's unit.
"Boomer, I have an idea. I want your squad to start prepping grenades. We need to be through that building soon," Ahsoka said, just as an AT-TE was hit by a rocket blast to its cock-pit behind her. "Very soon!" Ahsoka said with emphasis.
"Yes ma'am," Boomer said. "Alright boys, time to give Maul's boys a present. Prep your grenades!"
They all prepped a thermal detonator each.
"Toss 'em!" Boomer shouted.
They threw them, but Ahsoka used the force to propel a grenade into different open windows. When the grenades were inside, they exploded. She heard screaming and the fire coming from those buildings ceased.
The AT-TEs marched up the street when the fire died down. They turned their powerful main cannons at the building to their left. Their cannons fired into the building at point-blank range. The powerful explosions sent dust and debris everywhere. The enemy fire was now silent.
"Nice one, Commander," Boomer complimented as he bumped his fist against her shoulder.
Ahsoka smiled at the compliment.
"Torrent Company move inside," Ahsoka ordered. "Cascade and Waterfall companies will move around these buildings with the armor!"
"Yes ma'am," some of the troopers shouted.
Ahsoka and the clones moved through the building. It must've been some sort of records keeping building, for there were record and holo-books everywhere. There were also bodies of Maul's forces scattered everywhere. Some of them weren't in one piece.
"Captain, Commander. There are survivors". One clone called out.
Rex walked near passed one of the bodies and saw that he was reaching for a grenade. He blasted him with his sidearms. Another Shadow Collective trooper raised a blaster at a clone and managed to get a shot off. The trooper was grazed in the shoulder plate. Before the maul trooper could fire again, Jesse raised his pistol and put him down before he could use it again.
"Make sure these bastards can't shoot us in the back," Jesse ordered.
The clones finished off the wounded Shadow Collective soldiers. Partially to put them out of their misery, but mostly to eliminate the threat theses particular Madalorians still represented. From what they've seen so far, the Shadows didn't surrender for the most part.
"All right, let's keep moving," Ahsoka and the clones moved down into the streets below.
A few AT-RTs moved through the side alley with Torrent company.
They also saw a pair of Night Owls pushing several Shadow Collective prisoners up against a wall.
"Move you traitors. Face us you cowards," one of the Night owls ordered.
"No please, we were forced to stay and fight. Please, don't shoot!" one of the Maul 'loyalists' begged.
The two Nite Owls then blasted at their prisoners. killing most of them.
But one of them was still alive, barely. He crawled on the floor.
Ahsoka tried to stop them.
"Wait!" both she and the wounded prisoner said, just as one of the night owls walked up and shot him point blank in the face.
"What did you do that for? They were surrendering," Ahsoka shouted.
The two Nite Owls turned around to size her up. But she held her ground.
"They were traitors who sided with the enemy and have committed terrible crimes against the people of Mandalore. You have no idea what kind of atrocities that these animals have committed in Maul's name. Your jedi compassion has no place in this war, much less on Mandalore. So stay out of the way of justice," the night owl said before he and his companion jetted off into the sky to rejoin their comrades, who were dogfighting above.
All of the troopers had their eyes on Ahsoka, who looked like she wanted to punch something.
"We'll worry about it later Commander. The mission always comes first ma'am," Rex said, trying to bring Ahsoka back onto the mission.
She frowned. "Fine. Hardcase!" she called out to the heavy weapon's specialist and pointed at a wall that separated the alley from the street. "Blow it!"
"Ha Ha, I love this job!" The hyper active trooper shouted as he placed a thermal detonator on the wall.
He hugged the wall with the others. The wall blew apart, allowing the rest of the company to move through. They spread out into the street in front of the courtyard that was on the grounds of an old asylum.
"Keep your eyes peeled. The enemy can be anywhere!" Rex shouted to his men.
For the moment, all was quiet.
Then suddenly, the world exploded around them. Mandalorian fire came down from the asylum.
"Found them!" Jesse shouted, smarting off.
"Find cover!" Ahsoka shouted.
The Clones scattered to find cover, which most of them found behind a low wall that made up the perimeter of the Asylum's courtyard, and started laying down suppressing fire.
The AT-TEs were in a nearby street but were pinned down by Shadow Collective armor. They traded shots, but the Republic tanks were stuck where they were. The highly mobile AT-RTs fired their rapid fire blasters at the enemy building. A flight of death watch troopers loyal to Maul flew overhead and blasted two of the AT-RTs to slag as they flew by, while being chased by a flight of Nite Owls.
"This place is a God Damn hornet's nest! It must be their forward command post for this part of the city," Rex said over the sound of gun-fire.
"Grrr! We need to fight our way into the asylum. Rex, Jesse, Kix, Hardcase, and Echo. On me. We're gonna clear out the courtyard. Coric, Boomer, and Kano! I want you and your squads to provide covering fire," Ahsoka ordered.
The troopers all nodded.
"Now!" Ahsoka ordered as she vaulted over the low wall and jumped down about 6 feet into the courtyard. She swung her blades, deflecting everything that came her way.
Appo and the rest of the company, along with the AT-RTs, started laying down murderous suppressing fire upon the building. There were enemy snipers and AT (anti armor) teams firing on the Republic forces below. Distracting them meant giving Ahsoka some breathing room.
Rex and the others followed suit, keeping close behind her for cover. It was something that she and Anakin did with the clones in the past. The Sword and shield maneuver. The Jedi block, while the clones fire. As Ahsoka blocked the Mandalorian laser blasts, the Clones fired over her.
Jesse brought his scoped DC-15a to bare on a repeating blaster emplacement that was firing on them from the second floor. He sighted on the gunner and squeezed the trigger. He sent a blaster bolt straight through the eye of the gunner, silencing the that emplacement for good.
Hardcase inched over to the side, blasting away at the Mandalorian forces with his rotary cannon. His firepower kept every Maul trooper in the courtyard from daring to lift their heads.
With the turret silent and the Shadow Collective forces suppressed, Rex, Echo, and Kix started lobbing grenades over Ahsoka's head. The grenades landed near or behind the dug in Mandalorians. The blasts lifted several Maul loyal troopers into the air from the concussive force. When they were close enough, Ahsoka and the clones charged at the remaining troopers. They then started to hack away at them with their energy bayonets and sabers.
Bo-Katan and some of her troopers flew by.
"Kryze. Nice of you to join us!" Ahsoka shouted.
"I thought I'd see how you were doing. Then I saw that your tanks were pinned down. So I had people take care of that," Bo said as she pointed to some of her other Nite Owls.
They were harassing the Shadow collective tanks from above. One night owl blasted open a tank hatch and used his flamethrower vambrace to clear out the inside of the tank. Fire shot out of every part of that tank.
In a few moments the AT-TEs would be free to move.
"Thanks Kryze. Are about to bring down the Anti-Aircraft guns?" Ahsoka asked.
"Not yet. We still have to find the control center. I've got to get back to my warriors. See you on the other side, Tano."
Bo-Katan then took off with her warriors.
"Rex, you and your men follow me into the asylum. We need to secure the regiment's flanks. Everyone else, move up with the armor around the building," Ahsoka said as she waved her troopers into the building after her.
It was dark inside the building. Ahsoka used her blades and the troopers turned on their helmet lights to see. What they saw made them wish that they didn't turn them on.
The asylum was full of blood stains. It also smelled of rotting flesh. They passed by a few prison cells. There were dead bodies inside. They had been burned alive by the looks of things. Ahsoka recoiled in disgust at both the sight of burnt corpses, and the horrible smell of charred human flesh.
"UUcckk! What has Maul been doing in this place?" Ahsoka asked in disgusted horror.
"I'm not sure that we want to know," Rex said.
They made their way upstairs were it had more natural light shining through, not to mention much less horror shows like there were downstairs. It was all quiet. Some would say too quiet (cliché quotes for the win). Even Ahsoka found it hard to hear anything, despite her head tails being literal radar.
"Do you guys hear anything?" Kix asked.
"No, but that's what has me me on edge," Echo said.
"Ha, they must've heard me coming and ran," Hardcase.
"Like hell they did, Hardcase," Kix stated to the blood thirsty clone.
"Cut the chatter and keep your eyes and ears open. They could be anywhere," Rex ordered.
They came up on a room. There was water pooled out on the floor from a leaking pipe on the ceiling, and massive holes in the walls.
That was when all Hell broke loose.
Several Maul troopers shot out from their concealed positions and fired on the Clones. Lucky for the clones, Ahsoka was still in front of everyone and had her sabers ready for action before those Maul troopers reared their ugly heads. She deflected every shot back at Maul's forces, killing most of them. The rest, though wounded, beat feet deeper into the asylum.
"Get them!" Rex ordered.
The clones chased the enemy troopers into the asylum. They came up on a sky bridge, which connected one section of the asylum to another. Their was an enclosed courtyard down below with a pile of charred skeletal remains.
'Maul most likely used this place to deal with political prisoners'.
The other side of the skybridge was heavily protected. There were death watch troopers hovering above the skybridge, while regular Maul troopers lined up along the rooftop and the windows. They unleashed a hailstorm on the Republic forces on the other side. Several rockets hit the Republic side. A couple of troopers were killed. The rest were pinned down. The hovering death watch troopers fired all of their remaining rockets at the skybridge. It collapsed, severing the link between the two sections of the asylum.
"Ah great! Now how are we gonna get across?" Kix shouted.
"I hear this this trick that you can do with grenades," Hardcase shouted.
"Get your heads back into the fight troopers and focus!" Jesse shouted.
"Bring up those rocket launchers," Ahsoka shouted as she deflected more shots back at the enemy. One shot she deflected hit a death watch trooper in the rocket pack, forcing him to fly out of control before his exploding pack took him with it.
Three troopers ran into the windows with rocket launchers.
"Move it troopers, on the double," Echo ordered. The troopers aimed their launchers at the other side. "Fire!" Echo shouted as he pointed at the other side of the sky bridge.
Smoke flew out of the rear of the launchers, and the rockets jetted out of the front ends. They flew towards the windows on the other side. They created three tremendous explosions, silencing the Shadow Collective weapon emplacements. The death watch troopers flew away, while the troopers on the roof retreated.
Ahsoka deactivated her blades.
"So how are we gonna get across?" Kix asked.
Ahsoka turned to him and smiled. "Watch and learn," she said as she walked over to the edge of the floor where the sky bridge once stood.
She inhaled deeply before exhaling. She raised her hands, channeling the power of the force. With all of her strength, she was able to raise several chunks of the fallen debris. She began to struggle a little bit. The pieces were heavy.
"Hurry, everyone get across," Ahsoka ordered in a strained voice.
The Clones all started jumping over until they were all across.
Ahsoka dropped the debris when the last clone had lead frogged over the floating debris. She stood back and took a running start before jumping to the other side.
Ahsoka and the clones pushed through the building until they came across the last few rooms in the building. They ran through a doorway and into the hallway. That's when two clones were gunned down by a repeating blaster turret.
"Stang!" Rex shouted. "Enemy turret's got the hallway covered. Jesse!"
"I'm on it," Jesse said as he threw a flashbang behind the mando-trooper's turret. It detonated, and screams were heard from the other side.
Jesse and the others rushed the turret and blasted the gunner point blank in the face repeatedly. These actions had an effect on Maul's forces, as they began to run away.
The retreating Mandalorians ran out of a hole in the wall and down a mountain of debris into the streets below. They joined their other comrades to escape the column of Republic Armor that was advancing down the streets.
"There's our armor," Echo pointed out.
"All right troopers, link up with the tanks and push them back!" Ahsoka ordered.
Ahsoka and her men regrouped in front of the AT-TEs. As they advanced, the Shadow Collective started to make a fighting retreat down the street. As this happened, the Clones blasted away at their retreating adversaries. The AT-TEs fired there powerful cannons at the buildings that were crawling with Shadow Collective forces. All along the street, buildings were being demolished at the hands of the Republic's superior firepower.
No where was safe for the hiding and fleeing Maul troopers. Ahsoka and her troopers continued their advance down the street. And they continued to push the enemy forces back.
"Hey, where are you going? Come back here!" Hardcase shouted tauntingly as he fired his rotary cannon into the backs of many a fleeing Mandalorians.
Balls of Republic plasma pounded the pavement, wiping out clusters of Maul's troopers and creating craters in the street. That's when the Night Owls swooped in and started strafing the streets below with blaster fire and streams of fire from their wrist vambraces.
Bo-Katan landed right next to Ahsoka as they halted their advance.
"Look at them run. We should spread the word," Bo-Katan said.
The tanks continued to fire their powerful cannot down the streets, while the Clones formed a perimeter.
One of Bo-Katan's people ran up to her with some device that would connect her to every city on Mandalore.
"Ma'am, we've taken over one of the comm towers. It should broadcast your message across the planet," the trooper said. She smiled and took it before speaking into her device. Her voice echoed across the planet in every city street. People stopped to listen to her speak.
"Citizens of Mandalore. My name is Bo-Katan Kryze. I am the leader of the Night Owls and the invasion force of Mandalorians that have come to liberate you. I am also the sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze. For a year now, you have been oppressed by a horrible outsider. Darth Maul has taken away your freedom and he has suppressed any voices of dissent against his false rule. He has taken away the fruits of your labor and forced you to build his war machine, which he is only using to further his own personal agenda. Maul has used you to launch terrorist attacks in his mad pursuit of power. Many of you have lost hope. But fear not. The time of your freedom is at hand. People of Mandalore, drive these traitors into the light to face justice. And to those who support Darth Maul and his illegal reign. Know this: Your city is surrounded. You don't have the support of 'True' Mandalorians, who are the silent majority. Your regime is falling apart. Maul does not care about you. We will defeat those who stand against the True Mandalore. Lay down your arms, abandon your posts, and abandon all hope of defeating our unbeatable spirit. For Mandalore!" Bo-Katan managed to say before the tower broadcasting her message was destroyed by a flight of Shadow Collective fighters.
"For Mandalore!" Her warriors repeated, and the people, repeated across the entire planet.
Ahsoka smiled. But she looked away in slight sadness when she remembered those Night Owls executing the prisoners earlier.
At what cost Kryze? At what cost?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mandalorian royal palace. Darth Maul's HQ.
Rook Kast and PM Almec calmly watched as their lord and master, Darth Maul, vented his frustrations on a group of political prisoners. Maul used his dark saber, which he claimed in a duel from the previous leader of Death Watch, Pre Visla, to decapitate the prisoners. Some of the prisoners were Death Watch officers who failed to keep his comm towers, which were constantly broadcasting his propaganda, from falling into enemy hands.
"GGGRrrrrrr!" Maul growled as he decapitated another prisoner.
"What are your next orders Lord Maul?" Rook Kast, one of Maul's top lieutenants, asked before she bowed.
The black and red skinned zabrak with yellow eyes stared at Kast. He breathed in and out with rage and venom. He then calmly regained his composure.
"Accelerate our plans. I want the weapons ready to be shipped out for our use. And mobilize all of our forces. I want them to bomb every city and town across the planet. If we're going to lose Mandalore, then we're going to make sure that the invaders cannot have it. When they are done they will converge on Sun'dari for a final stand," Maul ordered.
Everyone was stunned into silence.
"My lord, I must protest. We are supposed to defend our home world. Not destroy it," Almec protested.
Maul then suspended the Prime Minister into the air. Almec's hands shot up to his throat, which was being crushed.
"I am not destroying Mandalore. I am saving it," Maul said before he crushed Almec's windpipe and threw him through the door to the balcony, sending his suffocating body to the streets far below the palace.
He then looked to his officers, who remained in stunned silence.
"The planet is now infested with traitors. They riot in the streets and welcome the invaders with open arms. Are these the people that you want in control of Mandalore when this invasion is over? Do you want it to be ruled by someone who is supported by the Jedi?" Maul asked.
That got everyone to think.
"This is the end of the Mandalore that you all know. It is time for it to be destroyed and make way for something new. Something better. Rest assured that it will not fall to the invaders or be controlled by those who subvert our just cause. And it will be avenged. The Republic, the Hutts, and the Separatists will all be destroyed, and I will rule over this galaxy. We will rebuild it in our image. The same goes for Mandalore. But in order to make that plan happen, you must follow your supreme warlord one final time," Maul said.
He looked around at his warriors. They all nodded in agreement.
"Victory or Death!" Maul shouted with his fist raised into the air.
"Victory or Death!" The warriors repeated with their fists in the air.
Maul smiled.
'My plot for revenge will soon be complete'.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well folks, that was part 4.
Part 5'll be worked on in the near future.
Until next time, this is Grubkiller, over and out.