Have no fear, Grubkiller is here.
Hey folks. Sorry that I haven't updated in a little while. I've been busy between Work and School. I haven't had as much time to write out different stories. But I hope that you're all still on the edge of your seats, as you wait patiently.
Anyway, here's part 9, an exclusively Mandalore-centered chapter.
Hope you, read, enjoy, and review.
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Mandalore, Sun'dari. Before Dawn, beginning of day 4 of the siege.
The situation was starting to get desperate.
Maul's forces were slowly starting to gather above the dome-city. The reason that Republic/Night Owls naval forces weren't gathering above the city to try and stop them was because they were being protected by the city's anti-ship cannons. If Ahsoka and her troopers didn't move quick enough, then they'd be cut off and destroyed.
As Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, and their best troopers moved from street to street in search of the area that Sgt. Coric spoke of earlier, where they would find his squad and a disabled AT-TE tank waiting for them.
Meanwhile, Lt. Bow and the rest of the regiment were keeping the Shadow Collective forces busy. They were sending out different units, no bigger than a platoon, to attack the front. All of this was happening while artillery from both sides continued to hammer away at each other.
The streets were completely filled with debris from the battle.
The strike force stopped in the lobby of a battered office building. They all looked around to make sure that they weren't surrounded. Rex looked at his holo-map, which began to blink red rapidly. "Commander! We're coming up on Coric's position now!" Rex said.
Ahsoka and Kryze both walked up to Rex on the edge of the rooftop. "Where?" Bo-Katan asked.
Rex looked at his holo-map and pointed at the spot. "Just down the road," he said. Ahsoka and Kryze both looked down the street at where the Captain was pointing. They could see clear signs of battle that had taken place. Several vehicles from both sides littered the street. Some of them were burning from fresh damage.
Ahsoka and Kryze both looked at each other and nodded.
"Alright, let's move out," Ahsoka said before she rushed out of the lobby and waited in the middle of the street for her squad to form up.
"Cascade Company's walker is stuck half a click north of here. We gotta hustle! Let's go!" Ahsoka urged, before she moved at a quick pace down the road, with her men following close behind.
The clones and mandalorians kept their weapons at the ready, as they scanned the buildings around the road.
"Move it! Move it!"
"Clear! Keep movin-!" One clone said, before a sudden laser blast shrieked out and speared him in the head, cracking his helmet, and his skull, before he fell to the ground.
Microseconds later, a hailstorm of blaster fire rained down on the strike force, killing two more clones and a mandalorian.
"Ambush!" Echo called out before he repeated, "Ambush!"
Ahsoka summoned her blades, which both activated with a snap-hiss, before she began swinging them around to defend herself and redirect the enemy fire back into the buildings.
The others, Clone and Mando alike, raised their weapons and began to return fire on the buildings on either side of the road a few dozen yards ahead.
Enemy infantry began to pour out of the buildings, flooding the streets with bodies to throw at the invaders.
"Keep suppressing fire on those buildings. We have to move forwards!" Rex shouted as he began to fire his dual pistols.
As Ahsoka and clones held firm on the street, Bo-Katan and her men took to the air in a hover, and began to unleash their sophisticated arsenal on Maul's loyalist forces. With the combined efforts of the unlikely allies, the enemy infantry began to falter underneath the constant barrage of blue laser fire.
"Keep moving forward," Ahsoka ordered, as she continued to swing her blades, deflecting bolt after bolt back into the retreating enemies. Her men and allies followed, firing into the backs of the Maul infantry.
But as the allies gave pursuit, they overextended themselves, and came across an intersection. And then, a pair of tanks rounded both corners and turned sharply to face the invaders.
Everyone froze, as the turrets swiveled to face them.
They had to move forward, but Ahsoka could only think of one thing. "Fall back." She said, getting the attention of several confused troopers. "Everyone, fall back!"
As several more clones and Mandalorians were felled by enemy fire, Ahsoka and her allies retreated in the direction they came, deflecting blaster bolts and returning fire.
"Somebody access the city's schematics and find me an entrance," Ahsoka ordered.
As Echo turned and fired his blaster with one hand, he accessed his wrist unit and brought up a holomap of the city, which the Nite Owls provided. "Down there," he called out as he saw a section of the ma blink red, "That staircase leads down to a subway tunnel!"
Ahsoka and Kryze both looked at the staircase. Then they looked at each other and nodded.
"Alright, let's move!" Ahsoka said before she ran in the direction of the subway entrance, dodging explosions and deflecting blaster fire.
Rex directed his troops into that direction with a hand signal, while Bo-Katan and her warriors turned to face the enemy, and used their jetpacks to hover above the street, before unleashing a barrage of smoke pellets, which where used to cover their retreat.
Ahsoka stood at the top of the stairs that led into the entrance, before she stould there and began to urge her troopers down into the subway. Rex and Hardcase were the last clones down the stairs, as they backed up and fired at the enemy troopers that ran out of the smoke.
Bo-Katan and half of her warriors followed them, while half of the hovered over the street, firing blasters and small rocket pods at the advancing Maul troopers.
When everyone was in the entrance, Ahsoka turned to follow her allies, before she got one last look at Bo-Katan's other warriors, who took severe losses before blasting off into the sky.
'Kryze must have told them to draw off Maul's forces,' she thought to herself before she jumped down the stairs. When she saw a gate that was closed, and her troopers were struggling to pry it open.
Ahsoka used the force to pry the two gates apart. One of Kryze's people used a block of wood to keep it open. They all began to walk through as the sounds of blaster fire began to die down, and the sounds of Shadow Collective troopers shouting orders began to be heard by Ahsoka's Lekku.
"Forget those traitors," the officer said, refering to the warriors that just jetted off, "Find Kryze and the Jedi!"
As the allied troopers all walked through the gate, Ahsoka walked up to Echo, Rex, and Kryze, who were all conversing inside the corridor.
"What's the situation Echo?" Ahsoka asked the ARC troopers with the holomap.
Echo looked up at his commander and nodded before he pointed to the map. "This subway tunnel leads straight to the plaza where Coric's last transmission came from. If we follow it, we should come out parallel to them".
Everyone looked at each other and nodded.
"Nice work, Echo," Rex complimented, "You lead the way."
Echo nodded and turned around, heading deeper into the subway tunnel. Everyone began to follow.
One clone trooper that lingered behind turned back to the entrance, and used his rifle stock to bash the wooden block out from between the gates, closing them swiftly, just before a pair of Shadow Collective warriors came down the stairs to investigate the doors.
But after a few minutes of analyzing them, the two Maul-aligned troopers gave up and turned back to join the rest of their comrades.
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Sundari Hospital.
In the courtyard of a large abandoned building that used to be the city's hospital, a squad of clone troopers walked over the bodies of several Maul troopers that they just killed. They fanned out, checking their sectors and making sure it was safe to enter.
The lead clone pressed a button on the side of his helmet before he spoke. "Sector is clear," he said into the helmet's comm unit.
Just as he finished speaking, an object started spinning and flying towards them like a boomerang. When the trooper looked back to see what it was, he saw that it was a red, dual-edged sword of some kind. His suspicions were confirmed, and immediately turned to fear as it cut through half of his brothers.
"Not clear! Not clear!" The Clone shouted again into his com unit, before the spinning sword sliced through his neck.
The remaining clones ducked, and watched as the blade flew into the hands of a red-skinned Zabrak, who's orange eyes were filled with rage.
It was their primary target: Darth Maul. And he was being joined by over a dozen super commandoes, who hovered above the roof, ready to support their master if need be.
The clones were frozen with shock, before one of the other clones finally broke the ice. "Get him!"
The remaining clones raised their rifles and opened fire, spreading out to try and hit Maul from all directions. But the Rogue Sith Warrior merely deflected the blue laser bolts with expert efficiency, and deflected them back into the clones with deadly accuracy.
"Fall Back, Now!"
The few clones that were left broke ranks and ran away. But Darth Maul wasn't finished. He force jumped over to the clones, and jumped down onto a clone's back, kicking him to the ground, before he swung his dual-saber through the screaming clones spine. He then charged at another clones, who turned and fired on Maul. He deflected the blaster bolts, which flew wildly into the air and ground. Maul then threw his blade, which flew like a propellor through the clones head, and past another clone. Maul summoned the blade back, and it flew back through the other clone's shoulder.
Realizing that their situation was desperate, the clones decided to stop running and face Maul like men. The three remaining clones opened fire on Maul, who just deflecting the bolts with his blade, and when he was close enough, he used his other hand to reach out with the force, and focus on the clones. The clones all hovered above the ground, and dropped their weapons as they reached for their collapsing windpipes. As they struggled for air and kicked their legs, Maul cracked a demonic smile as he took joy in killing Republic troopers, before he used the force to push the three clones over the edge of the building, and they screamed as they plummeted to the streets below.
Maul deactivated his saber and looked out over the city's skyline. Columns of smoke rose from the burning buildings, and blaster cannons exchanged fire, pulverizing their targets, and ruining his city.
As he watched the battle for his city unfold, his warriors began to set up a small outpost to observe the Republic's movements. As this happened, one of the warriors, a woman named Lieutenant Rook Kast, walked up to him. She had her helmet in one hand, allowing her shoulder length brown hair to hand freely.
"My lord, The Republic is pushing hard. But we don't expect them to break through. They're running low on supplies and manpower, and their fleet is being held back by our defenses."
But Maul ignored what she said. Still looking out over the skyline. "Hmm. I sense deception in the force. I don't believe that this is their real attack."
Kast looked confused. But then her wrist comm started chirping. She pressed a button on the side of her helmet to answer it. "Yes, commander?" She asked, abviously speaking to Gar Saxon. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Alright, I'll tell him," she said before she let go of her helmet comm.
Maul looked at her, and after a short pause, she looked back at him to give her report.
"Lord Maul, a Republic walker has been spotted near the Banking center. It's damaged and being guarded by a squad of clones."
"And..." Maul pressed.
"One of our mechanized companies spotted a strike team of Clones and Nite Owls heading in that direction. They were being led by Bo-Katan Kryze and a Jedi."
"Kenobi," he said, with venom dripping from is lips.
"We couldn't confirm, sir," Another trooper said.
Maul crossed his arms over his chest and held his chin, before he began to draw up a map of the city that he memorized. The banking center was close to the laser control center. Which meant...
Then it hit him.
"Divert all available forces to that Banking center. Destroy that tank. And as for those protecting it, kill them all, but bring the Jedi to me."
Rook Kast saluted. "Yes, Lord Maul. I'll make sure they're destroyed," she said before she put her helmet back on.
"See to it that you do," Maul said, before Kast ran off to direct her troopers. Then he looked back out over the embattled city. "For failure could cost us everything."
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Sundari Subway tunnels.
The allied strike force walked through the abandoned tunnel. It was filled with rubble and abandoned train cars. The troops split off into three groups. Two of the groups moved on the platforms on either side of the tracks, while the third group moved up the middle, along the tracks and through the empty train cars.
Ahsoka tried to use her echolocation to try and sense anything that was in the tunnel with them. But all she could hear were rodents, the buzzing sounds of malfunctioning lights, and the rumbling of artillery fire crashing into the streets above them.
"What's the story here?" Ahsoka asked, wondering about the damaged state that the subway tunnel found itself in.
"Right after Maul's take over of Sun'dari, the planet found itself thrust into a full-scale civil war," Kryze began as she continued walking, "And a massive refugee crisis took place. People were forced to either stay and live under Maul, or they took their chances and took the tunnels out of the city. The Mandalorian resistance spent days trying to get as many people out of the cities as possible".
As Ahsoka listened to Kryze, she began to see abandoned luggage scattered about. One purple backpack caught her eye. It had a little doll next to it. She began to feel for that little girl who carried it, and hoped that the girl and her family made it out.
"When the resistance was ratted out, Maul's troopers went into the tunnels to keep them from escaping. So the resistance, which was made up of Satine's remaining royal guards and some militia volunteers, blocked off the tunnels and held off the Shadow Collective forces for as long as possible, sacrificing most of their members to save the people," Kryze said.
She lowered her head, a little saddened. "My son was one of them..."
Ahsoka swiftly turned her head towards Kryze.
"Was his name ... Korkie Kryze?" She asked.
Kryze turned to her. "How do you know him?"
Ahsoka smiled. "I taught at the academy here while I was on an undercover mission. He was one of my students".
"No kidding?" Bo-Katan asked, surprised.
"Yup. And don't worry. Korkie's a smart kid, and persistent. He had to have made it out," Ahsoka said.
"You sure about that?" Bo-Katan asked.
"I know he did," Ahsoka said with confidence.
Kryze looked at the young togrutan before she smiled and gave her a nod of respect.
Up ahead, Rex and his men were walking up ahead of the three groups. They listened as artillery fire rumbled through the ceiling above them and echo down the tunnel.
BOOMMMM! BOOMMMM! BOOMMMM!
"Do you think that's theirs, or ours?" Hardcase asked.
"I can't tell," Jesse said.
Kix, the squad's medic, looked around the tunnel, which was almost pitch black except for a few lights that were flickering or buzzing. "Man, this place gives me the creeps."
"Just try not to shoot the shadows again, alright Kix?" Jesse joked.
"Once! It happened once! Alright?" Kix exclaimed.
Hardcase, Jesse, and a couple other clones started to chuckle.
"Cut the chatter back there," Rex ordered. He then turned to face Echo, who still had his layout of the tunnel system hovering over his wrist unit. "Alright Echo, tell me where this entrance is".
"Just up ahead," Echo said. "We're almost there".
The strike force eventually came up on a door that looked like it was sealed shut.
"Alright, let's get this door open," Rex said.
Echo went to open it manually with the door panel, only to realize that it looked like it was ripped apart, as the panel hung down by a single screw, and the exposed wires sparked periodically.
"Looks like the door was sabotaged."
Hardcase pulled a explosive detonator from his backpack while chuckling. "Heheheheh! I've got this," he said as he walked up to the door, tossing the detonator up and down in his hand. But then he felt a hand on his wrist, before it forced him to put his arm down.
He looked to his right to see Ahsoka standing there.
"Easy, Hardcase. I don't want Maul to be able to hear us coming," she said as she moved towards the door, leaving behind a disappointed Hardcase. She walked up to the door and pulled out her lightsabers. She twirled them around in her hands before she activated them, making the dark tunnel glow with a blue light. "All it takes is ... a little finesse".
Then she plunged her blades into the top of the door, and began to separate them and move them downwards, cutting a hole out of the door. The door appeared to quite thick, considering the amount of pressure she had to put on her blades to cut the door open.
As Ahsoka began to cut the door open, the Clones and Mandalorians stood guard. For a moment, there was nothing interesting to report.
That's when one of the Nite Owls looked off in the distance and saw multiple silhouettes moving in the distance. He looked straight ahead and pulled down his antennae, activating his night vision, lighting up his field of view. What he saw caused him to yell out in surprise.
"Contacts!" He shouted, causing everyone to spring into action. "Enemy foot mobiles coming in!"
"Their here, open fire!" One of the Maul troopers called out. Laser bolts suddenly began to fly down the tunnel in the direction of the strike force. A couple clones and a Nite Owl were speared through the face by laser fire.
Rex, Bo-Katan, and their troopers took cover and returned fire. Soon, the dark tunnel was illuminated by yellow and blue muzzle flashes.
"Hey Commander..." Hardcase yelled out to Ahsoka, who wasn't even halfway through the door yet, "What was that you said about not wanting Maul to hear us?"
"Shut up, Hardcase!" Jesse shouted as they kept firing.
"Just hold them off, and buy the commander some time!" Rex called out as he fired his dual blasters at the enemy.
One Nite Owl was about to bend over to fire his jetpack rocket. That's when Bo-Katan stopped him. "Don't use your rockets down here. You could bring down the whole tunnel on us!"
The Shadow Collective forces were taking heavy casualties, but they had plenty of bodies to throw at Ahsoka and her allies. But unbeknownst to the strike force, that wasn't the only thing they had to worry about.
Up above, in the streets of Sundari, Darth Maul's forces were launching a massive counterattack to try and drive the Republic out of the city.
Gar Saxon looked through a pair of micro-binoculars to watch his forces throw themselves against the Republic defenses. Artillery from both sides blasted apart buildings and pavement, and occasionally caused troopers from both sides to disappear in a ball of fire. Nite Owl and Shadow Collective airborne troopers continued to fight for control of the skies. But the Shadow collective was soon going to receive additional reinforcements. They would take the skies and pick off the Republic forces from above. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
That's when one trooper ran up to him.
"Sir, we're getting reports from our forces in the underground tram network. The Jedi and her warriors are trying to move under our defenses."
Saxon lowered the binoculars from his face and looked at the trooper with a gaze that could kill, before he gave him an order.
"Flood the tunnels."
Down below, as the strike force continued to hold off the Shadow collective, Ahsoka continued to cut her way through the door with her sabers. She was now about two-thirds of the way there. Tiny sparks of molten metal continued to fly from the cuts she melted through the door already and onto her face, making her squint.
As the fighting continued, a loud rumbling sound could be heard. But it wasn't coming from the battle above. It was coming from the end of the tunnel. Ahsoka could hear. So could her men.
"What was that noise?!" One of the Nite Owls shouted.
Suddenly, rodents began to run passed the group, trying to get away from something. That's when they saw more Shadow Collective troopers round a corner down the tunnel and run towards them. The strike force fired at them and the Maul troopers that they were already dealing with.
One clone who was firing his rifle stopped firing and lowered it for a second, realizing that something was wrong... they weren't charging towards them. They were running. "Where the Hell are they off to in such a hurry?"
Then, the trooper got his answer.
A huge wave of water began to head towards them, washing away several enemy soldiers with them.
"O' Scray!" One clone exclaimed.
"Hurry Commander!" Rex shouted, with urgency.
"Almost..." Ahsoka said before she finished cutting and blasted the door open with the force. "...Got It!"
Bo-Katan moved towards the door. "Everyone move through now!"
The strike force moved through as quickly as they could. Most got through. But several more weren't fast enough, and were swept away with more than thirty Maul troopers. Ahsoka was the last to move through.
"Commander! WATCH OUT!" Rex shouted.
Ahsoka looked back for a split second as she rushed through hole in the door. She turned around to see more of her men abut to be swept aside. She jumped over them and raised her hands, channeling the power of the force to redirect the flow of the water away from her men. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was the force of the wave throwing her against a wall head first.
Ahsoka's vision is blurry as she slowly comes to. Her head was throbbing and she felt herself being carried up a flight of stairs. She's all wet and grubby. She began to cough before panting heavily.
"It's okay Commander. I got you," Rex said.
As her vision cleared up, she could see that she was leaning on Rex, with one arm around her shoulder. Clones began to move up the stairs, to join the rest of what remained of the strike force
"Uh, Rex. What..." she started to say before she groaned with pain as her head throbbed. "...what happened?"
"They flooded their own tunnels to try and kill us," Rex explained as he placed Ahsoka on a chair, to let her relax. "We lost a few of our guys, but most of us are okay".
That's when Ahsoka's com-link went off. When she realized that the transmission was coming from Sgt. Coric, she went to answer it. But Rex took it first. "I've got it commander," he said.
Ahsoka smiled at Rex's considerate nature.
"This is Captain Rex, what's your-" Rex was about to ask before he was abruptly cut off.
"Captain Rex, we're taking heavy fire on our position at the bank, north of the overpass! Where the hell are you?!"
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden urgency in Coric's voice, and shot up to their feet if they weren't already, as if raring to go.
"We're almost there! Hang on!" Rex assured before he cut off the transmission.
Bo-Katan pointed to a bridge that was close by. "The bank's on the other side of that overpass! Come on - let's cut through these alleys and link up with your men!"
As she put her helmet on and led the way, Ahsoka and her men followed, and rushed off to assist Coric.
Alleyway, behind the banking center, Sundari.
As the Strike force continued to move closer to the banking center, they moved through an alleyway that was just behind it. The sounds of battle began to get louder and louder, and laser bolts of all colors crisscrossed through the air above Ahsoka and her men.
The screams of injured men from both sides pierced through the walls of the alley.
Rex activated his helmet comm before speaking into it. "Coric, what's your status, over?"
After a short pause, Coric answered back over the entire strike force's comm net, shouting over the sounds of explosions and blaster fire. "We're still surrounded Sir! There's just the six of us left but the walker crew's still okay, over!"
Ahsoka and the clones broke into a faster pace, while Bo-katan and her warriors rocketed up above the walls of the alleyways to be the first to catch a glimpse of the battle. When Ahsoka rounded the corner, she saw an open courtyard in front of a heavily damaged building. A damaged AT-TE was in the center of it all, leaning lazily on its damaged legs. Nearly a dozen dead clones were sprawled out across the ground, while the rest were behind cover, firing back at the scores of Maul troopers that were coming in from buildings surrounding the plaza.
"Tano," Kryze said into Ahsoka's comm, "More of Maul's men are coming in from the east and more are flanking to the south!"
"Copy," Ahsoka said as she came to a stop in front of the tank, her lightsabers coming to life with a snap-hiss. Then she looked over either shoulder to look at her men, who were gathered around her. "Everyone, we're about to have our hands full with guests. Set up and hold the perimeter!"
Rex and the other clones nodded, before taking defensive positions around the walker. Some of them set up on the makeshift catwalks that were bolted onto the tank's chassis, allowing others to walk on the exterior.
As the blaster bolts started flying in either direction, Ahsoka started swinging her swords. That's when a transmission from the tank commander poured out of her com-link.
"Commander Tano, this is The Thunderhoof, the mass driver's offline, and our legs are heavily damaged. But we still have our secondary weapons systems."
Ahsoka nodded her head at the com-device before she deflected another bolt. "They're moving in with thermal detonators. Don't let them get too close to the walker." She called out before she looked around for someone, until her eyes rested on Echo. "Echo. Get aboard the walker, and see how you can help!"
Echo nodded, and turned to run towards the tank, before climbing up the ladder and disappearing inside the hull.
"We'll stay in the air and provide overwatch!" Bo-Katan called out to Ahsoka before she and her warriors rocketed off and started strafing the hordes of enemy infantry that seemed to pour out of the buildings.
For the next few, agonizingly long minutes, Ahsoka and her men fought to keep the walker and its crew safe. Every time enemy soldiers got too close with their det-packs, they were cut down quite suddenly by Republic forces.
But then enemy snipers started picking off and suppressing the Republic defenders, forcing Ahsoka to keep her blades up to protect her men, and expertly deflect the rounds away from their targets. Then one Maul trooper managed to run up to the walker was shot down by one of the bolts Ahsoka deflected. But he died after he activated his explosives. He fell to the ground, dropping his explosive charges beside the damaged walker's feet.
Thinking quickly, Ahsoka looked back and used the force to launch the rapidly beeping explosives at the building with snipers. The massive explosion caused the entire face of the building to crumble, exposing a fiery interior filled with charred and mangled corpses.
The battle continued to rage on. Clones were picked off, but for every dead clone, several of maul's men went down. They weren't fighting the super-commandoes from Death Watch. They were fighting the far less well trained riot guards and volunteers, who didn't get as much training.
The clones, being bred for war, were far superior. Even better, they were the men of the Elite 501st legion. When they fired, they did so with deadly, and professional, efficiency. When they were given an order, they followed it to the letter, even if it meant a great sacrifice on their part. But in this case, it was Maul's sacrifice, as more and more of his forces were thrown at them, but they continued to be shot down by the Republic's most elite unit of clones.
They continued to use heavy repeating blasters and grenade launchers to hold back the tide.
"Tano! The Shadow Collective is sending several tanks towards your location. They're on the overpass overlooking the bank!" Bo-Katan called out to Ahsoka over the strike forces comm net.
"Copy that." Ahsoka said, before she switched her comm-frequency, "Echo, talk to me."
"Ma'am, the walker's legs still aren't fully functional. But the main canon is back online."
"Good, somebody get on that gun and take them out!"
"Right away, commander!" Someone said. Ahsoka turned around to see a clone heavy gunner climbing into the gun's controls, "Four dead tanks coming right u-AAHHH!"
Ahsoka watched in clear terror as the trooper was speared through the helmet by a stray energy bolt. He slumped over the gun controls, dead. She reached for her comm again. "Somebody, get up on that cannon and take out those tanks!"
"I'm on it, Commander!" Rex said into his comm. Ahsoka turned around again to see the veteran clone captain pulling the dead clone off of the controls before getting on them himself.
The cannon slowly traversed to the left, and then slowly elevated upward to train the barrel on the overpass, just as the first enemy tank came into view. When it did, Rex pressed down on the triggers, and the end of the barrel exploded, cutting loose an oval shaped dart in the direction of the tank, piercing through it, before igniting the fuel and ammo compartments. The tank's exterior glowed a red hot color, before it exploded, belching fire, smoke, and burning, screaming bodies.
Another tank met a similar fate as it came into view.
Realizing that their mission was a failure, the two remaining hover tanks began to pull back. The infantry began to pull back as well.
"They're retreating!" Jesse called out.
"That's right you rotten sleemos!" One of Coric's men called out.
"Running away won't help! I'll just shoot you in your asses!" Hardcase shouted as he fired a full magazine of of his Z-6 rotary cannon at the retreating Mandos.
"Nice work, Rex." Ahsoka said into her comm.
"Commander," Echo said, "Power has been restored. The walker is ready to advance at your order."
"Alright. Everyone get ready. We're pushing to the objective!" Ahsoka called out.
Before the AT-TE started to advance, the crew got into its places. Coric's squad rode on the tank, taking a quick reprieve from fighting all throughout the night. Some of the troopers of the strike force with heavy weapons took up firing positions on the catwalks that were bolted onto the tank's hull.
The rest took to the streets with Ahsoka.
Up above, Bo-Katan's warriors took to the rooftops, jumping from building to building, clearing them out from the top and working their way down. Ahsoka's men on the streets did the same upward, meeting Bo-Katan in the center.
This process repeated as the Walker marched down the war-torn streets of Sundari.
Next stop: Victory!
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Transmission from Shadow Collective officer to Lord Maul.
"Lord Maul, the Republic forces have reached the tank. They've reactivated it and are advancing-"
"Why didn't you stop them!"
"My Lord... w-we... we were taking heavy losses and - Huukk... Gah! *Gasp*!"
"Heavy losses don't concern me! Either the Republic forces die... or you do!"
"Cough! Cough! Cough! Yes, Lord Maul."
Transmission ends.
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Sundari Laser Control Center.
Captain Autem was on the other end of the transmission. "Captain. Maul's forces are about to start flooding into Sun'dari. Unless you take out those cannons, there is nothing that we can do!" The Captain exclaimed.
The AT-TE, designate: Thunderhoof, was stopped at the end of the street, exchanging fire with the two mandalorian hover tanks that survived the encounter from earlier. Clones and Shadow collective troopers fired on each other from cover.
Before Rex could answer back, Ahsoka pulled down Rex's wrist so that she could speak into the comm-link, which was still on Rex's wrist. "We're just across the street from the power generator. Stand by, Captain," Ahsoka said over the chaotic sounds of battle.
"I hear you Commander. Standing by," Autem said..
Ahsoka closed the link and got up to look around at her allies. "Alright everyone. Let's take out those guns!"
"You heard her lads, let's go!" Rex ordered his troopers before they ran up to the roof-top of the building next to them. They were followed by Bo-Katan and her warriors. They eventually made it to the roof and looked across the street to see a large box-like building, which was heavily guarded by about a dozen Shadow Collective super-commandoes, and a platoon of regular soldiers, who manned repeating blaster turrets and mortar emplacements.
"Kryze!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "Go after those fliers".
"We're on it," Kryze said before she turned to her airborne troopers. "Warriors, if we disable those guns, then we'll be one step closer to a free Mandalore. Onward to victory!" Bo-Katan shouted as she and her Nite Owls rocketed towards their shadow collective counterparts.
Both sides started dogfighting in the air above the building.
"Okay Rex" Ahsoka exclaimed. "Let's get busy!"
"Alright, Kano, I want you and your men to keep this building secure. Coric, you and your boys are with me and the commander. Jesse, Hardcase! Keep their heads down!" Rex shouted, ordering the two troopers to suppress the Shadow collective infantry on the building across from them, which had the final three anti-ship cannons.
"Finally. I thought I'd never get to blast something!" Hardcore exclaimed.
"Just fire Hardcase," Jesse ordered.
Hardcase chuckled and lugged a rocket launcher over his shoulder. He fired it at the enemy repeating turrets. One of the emplacements were vaporized. The trooper then tossed the empty launcher to the side and took out his DC-15L, which was a more advance version of the 'A'. He placed it on the edge of the roof and fired it at the enemy.
Several of Maul's troopers took cover. Those that didn't received a blaster bolt through the brain, curtesy of Jesse, the team's expert marksman and wielder of the DC-15x. With the enemy troopers on the roof suppressed, Ahsoka and Rex moved down into the streets below.
When Ahsoka landed, she was fired upon by several of Maul's troopers. She started deflecting all of their shots before her feet hit the ground, even killing a couple of them. The distracted mandalorians were gunned down by Rex and his men as they landed in the streets with their rocket-packs.
They got to work and began to push their way into the building. The entrance began to close up on her. Ahsoka sprinted and slid underneath the door and used the force to try and keep it open.
Rex dove and somersaulted underneath the door after her.
But before any of Coric's boys could get through, the Shadow Collective troopers inside sprung into action, and began to fire on the pair from above. Rex turned around and began to fire on the troopers above. With his dual pistols, he hit two of the troopers, and caused them to lean over the balcony and fall to their deaths. Ahsoka let go of the doors and activated her lightsabers, deflecting any shot they came down upon them.
"Damnit, the door's sealed. We're locked outside ... and enemy reinforcements are on their way." Sgt. Coric said over the comm. Ahsoka could hear blaster fire in the background of the transmission.
"It's okay sergeant, we'll take it from here," Ahsoka said into the comm as she deflected another shot up into a Maul trooper's face. "Just hold back Maul' forces".
Ahsoka and Rex continued to fight off Maul's troopers, who continued to fire down on the pair. When the last Maul trooper fell, they moved up to the second floor. But when they got there, they saw the generator room for the power plant, that powered the city's defenses, blocked off. The door was locked down with a shield over it.
"UUUhhck! What is it with Maul and doors?" Ahsoka asked as she swiped one of her blades at the shield, causing it to spark in response to her blade. She turned back to Rex. "You got any bright ideas Rex?"
Rex reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small detonator. "Yeah, I think I've got a few ideas. You see those pillars?" Rex asked, gesturing to the large pillars that kept the building stable. "We take out those pillars, and then bring the whole building down on the reactor".
Ahsoka looked at the pillars. Then she nodded. "Well alright, Rex," she praised with a smile. Then she tossed him the few grenades she had on her. "You plant those charges, I'll cut us a way out".
Rex nodded and rushed off to start planting the few explosives that he had onto the pillars, while Ahsoka rushed to the door that they came through. She activated her lightsabers and plunged them into the door. She began to cut the door in a rectangular pattern. Rex ran around the building and continued planting explosives on the important looking pillars.
As Ahsoka continued cutting, she heard the door to the generator room open behind her. She then heard voices.
"It's too quiet. Go see what that Jedi brat is up too," someone said.
"There she is, get her!" She stopped cutting and turned around to defend herself. She began to block laser bolts that came her way.
"Hurry up Tano! Maul's forces are pushing hard!" Bo-Katan reported.
Ahsoka spoke into her comm. "Reeeexx! Time's a-wasting," she said as she deflected more bolts.
Suddenly, Rex came out of nowhere.
"I'm done, let's go!" He exclaimed. Ahsoka summoned a massive force push that sent every Maul trooper to the floor. She then turned around and slashed her blades in and 'X'-shape. She then kicked the door open as hard as she could. The door flew open and she ran out with Rex, who pressed his button against the detonator.
"Everyone get down. Get down!" Rex shouted, prompting all of the clone troopers in the streets to hit the dirt.
Several explosions blew out the walls of the building. Then, crackling sounds came from inside. The building was starting to collapse. Then, a massive explosion blasted upwards, sending dust and debris high up into the air. That's when an energy bubble formed over what was left of the building. It suddenly popped, and electricity began to crackle. A loud hum could be heard across the city, before it died down.
The power was off.
And for a moment, everything was quiet.
The strike force members, who were all covered in dust, gathered in the streets.
"Are we down here? or do you wanna level a few more blocks, just to be sure?" Jesse quipped.
"Hey, better safe than sorry," Ahsoka said.
Rex reached for his com-link. "Captain Autem, we've knocked out the power grid. The guns should be silent now. Where are you?"
For a moment nothing happened. And there was no response from Autem. For a second, Ahsoka and the others feared the worst. That's when they felt the streets vibrate beneath them.
RRRRUUUUMMMMMMBBBBBBBBLLLLLLEEEEEEE.
They all looked up. Something was happening above the city. They could see it through the translucent dome above them. They could see shapes blocking out the morning sunlight. But they couldn't see anything in perfect detail. That's when they saw blue and yellow muzzle flashes. But then, Ahsoka realized that three of the ship were Venators, including the Indomitable. The three Venators flew in with all cannons firing, blasting pieces of debris off of the Shadow Collective cruisers that hovered over the city. They were followed by their remaining support vessels, and over a dozen Mandalorian frigates and light cruisers behind them.
Their cannons flashed and exploded as they sent heavy ordnance down range at the Shadow Collective ships. Ahsoka and the others could see fire belching out of the hull breaches that were starting to form across the hulls of Maul's ships.
"We're right here Commander. You're reinforcements are heading to the docks now. I'm also happy to report that this is the last of Maul's naval forces on the planet and his scorched earth policy has been brought to steady decline thanks to our fighter squadrons," Autem said.
"Glad to here it Captain. All right boys, let's get back to the forward command post. We're gonna meet up with our reinforcements," Ahsoka ordered.
"Come on boys. Back to base," Rex ordered his men.
"Tano!? I wanted to thank you. You and your people really came through for us," Bo-Katan said over the comm.
"Don't thank me yet. We still have to kick Maul out of power. That's the only way that this planet will ever be free," Ahsoka said.
After a couple hours of trekking back to base, avoiding retreating Shadow Collective forces along the way, they went back to base. What they saw showed just how dramatically the tides have turned.
Fresh Republic troopers and vehicles were moving through the streets. Gunships were coming in with more troops and equipment every now and then. More artillery and tanks were being brought up closer to the front, which now had a good view of the palace that was less than a kilometer away. Not to mention the Allied fleet that was laying into Maul's cruisers. Once the artillery was set up, the battery commander gave the order to fire. Blue plasma balls flew towards the royal palace. Explosions caused plumes of fire to rise, as well as debris and dust. The Royal Palace was continually rocked by Republic firepower.
"Hooah! That's right, boys," Boomer shouted.
"Yeah! Show that spiky headed bastard how we get things done," Hardase shouted out.
"I bet Maul's having a really bad day right now!" Kix exclaimed.
Ahsoka turned to Rex. "Keep the bombardment going for another 12 hours. Then we'll hit the palace later today. If you need me, I'll be in my quarters," She said.
Rex nodded. "You got it ma'am".
Ahsoka went to go wash the dust off of her skin, finish her letter to Lux, and get some rest.
She smiled as she began to think about what Tup said earlier.
'Maul 'sprobably is having a bad day'.
Unbeknownst to her, or anyone else in the Liberation camp, she was right.
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Royal Palace, Sun'dari, two minutes after commencement of Republic bombardment.
Rook Kast watched as her lord and master, Darth Maul, looked out over the veranda outside the throne room.
Republic and Nite Owl warships hovered above the dome-city, out of their sight. But they could hear the rumbles of Naval guns firing above the dome. The Allied fleet was doing battle with what was left of Maul's fleet. He could feel the dome vibrate as ship debris began to hit the outside.
The Republic invasion fleet also managed to deploy more reinforcements and equipment to the city docks. But now, more and more Clone Troopers were flooding thtough the city, ready to storm the plaza out front. But in the mean time, Republic artillery was set up less than a mile away, and began to pound Maul's forces below.
His regime was being pounded into slag.
Maul began to seeth with anger.
He growled in anger. He then turned towards the political prisoners that were gathered behind him. With the raising of his hand in their direction, they were all suspended in the air. Their windpipes were crushed before they were all thrown over the edge. This happened so often that there was no one left in the prison cells for Maul to take his anger out on.
The key words were 'anyone in the prison cells'.
"What are your orders, Lord Maul?" Rook asked.
Maul turned around after his murder spree to face one of his lieutenants.
"Tell Saxon to hold his ground for as long as possible. Execute anyone who deserts his post. And get the bombs ready. We must go forth with our plans. Gather the last of our forces and bring them here. " Maul ordered.
Rook Kast bowed.
"Yes my lord," Kast said as she went back into the palace.
In a secret bunker, deep beneath the palace, Death Watch troopers were making the final preparations on several bombs. Each of them had the power to take out a city.
They all had a label on them.
One said Raxus.
Another had Nal Hutta sprawled across the side.
Kamino.
Naboo.
Tatooine.
The last one said Coruscant.
It was all apart of Maul's master plan to reshape the galaxy in his own twisted and demented image.
With the key worlds of the three most powerful entities in the galaxy gone, and with Maul in possession of powerful weapons, people will beg to side with Maul amidst the chaos. Whoever wins the battle of Mandalore will decide the path on which the galaxy will travel.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ahsoka Tano's room, Sun'dari, one kilometer from the royal palace.
Ahsoka stood under the shower head and activated the hot water which sprayed her.
She moaned in pleasure, feeling hot water run down her body again felt like pure heaven. She grabbed the soap and started to lather the soap in her hands.
When her hands were covered in soap, she started to rub the soap across her curves, her waist, her breasts, and several other parts of her exotic body.
'If only Lux were here to take a shower with me. I could use an extra hand ... or two,' she thought to herself suggestively.
Then after a few minutes, she stood directly under the shower head and let the water wash off the dust that had accumulated onto her skin. Brown-soapy water pooled around her feet before it flowed down until into the drain below. Soon, her beautiful fiery skin was cleaned of the dust of war.
When she was done, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her naked body. Ahsoka then walked outside of the bathroom and into her room. When she did, she could hear the sounds of Artillery. While only wearing her towel, she stepped over to the window, and saw the siege of Mandalore continue outside.
Clone ran around. Some were carrying wounded to the aid station. Some were going on, or coming back from patrol. The rest were standing guard on the perimeter, as Republic Artillery continued blasting away at the Royal Palace, and the surrounding Shadow Collective positions.
Ahsoka smiled to herself. "Hmpf! Go get 'em boys," she said as she walked over to her desk. "Let's make Skyguy proud".
She sat down and turned on her com-pad. She pulled the stylist out of a small compartment in the pad and continued to write her letter to Lux.
Dear Luxie.
I got your response. I'm really glad that you're all right. When this war is over, we'll be able to spend as much time as possible together. That, however, brings me to my next point: Yes, I'm playing around with the idea of being reinstated into the GAR. I really miss fighting with the rest of the boys alongside my old master. I really miss the old days. The only thing stopping me is the senatorial corruption. Well, at least if I do rejoin the GAR, I'll have you in my life without worrying about being lectured by the Jedi and kicked out of the order. I'm really glad that you understand. I'm lucky that I have you in my life to understand my position. Anyway, stay safe Lux, and I promise that we'll meet again soon.
I love you.
Your little 'Soka. OXOX.
Ahsoka smiled and planted a small kiss on the send button, which beamed her message to Lux's com-pad.
When she was done, Ahsoka shed the towel from her naked body and slipped under the covers, before drifting off to sleep.
Next stop: Victory
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Well folks, that was part 9. I hope that you enjoyed.
And again, sorry if it felt like it took so long to update this story. I have work and school.
Anyway, part 10 will be right round the corner, and won't take quite as long to update.
Until next time as always, this is Grubkiller, over and out.