Chapter 16

Advancing to a Castle

"The 66th Slaughter Corps have been doing very well, Chancellor. I suggest we finally get them going to a new planet to position themselves at. I have thought about many planets that have ongoing problems. As for instance, the investigation on Dantooine being conducted by the company we sent form the 7th Sky, they are requesting assistance because of an incoming attack. However, we have the 41st Elite's Survival Regiment heading there already. I thought about sending them to Utapau, but General Kenobi claims he has it all under control. So I have decided on one planet that needs to be served right... Vjun. The operation going on there from the Separatists will finally come to an end."

-Anonymous Commander, speaking to Palpatine about his plans for the Clone Wars.

Dunkel had arrived from a patrol on Coruscant. He marched out of his LAAT alongside with a few troopers in the 66th Slaughter Corps. They marched off into their own directions as Dunkel stepped towards a line of clones. All of the clones were high rank officials in the 66th.

In order from left to right, the clones in line were Senior Commander Gearbox and Bullseye, then Battalion Commanders Blaze and Kicker. At the end there were Captains Shade and Sky.

Gearbox was the Commander of the 34th Shock, a legion that is parented by the 66th Slaughter Corps. His armor was nearly all red except for his boots, which instead were black and three white lines. He wore a black kama with red markings on it around his waist, and carries a R-6 Rotary Cannon on his back, which he barely uses. He is a shock trooper.

Blaze was an ARC Trooper. He had lead one of the few ARC Battalions in the whole Grand Army of the Republic. This battalion was the Zillo Battalion. Kicker also leads the battalion, however he focuses more on his 77th ARC Unit then the rest of the battalion. His helmet seemed to have a grey face mask, and had two red stars on the forehead of the helmet. Bellow his helmet, he has a double pauldron, one side black and the other red. His chest armor as well seemed to be wearing a grey mask, and has a huge red star on it. His arms were all red, along with his hand protectors having a red image of a flame. His legs were mostly covered by a black kama with red stripes, however someone could see that his legs are white on the top and red at the bottom, including the feet.

Shade's armor was most certainly unique compared to the rest of the 66th Slaughter Corps. He wore black covert armor, which wasn't unusual, until you noticed instead of red, Shade's arms were yellow and his leggings had a large dot of yellow on the knee pad. His helmet shared the black covert look, and he had a black pauldron as well with a yellow stripe on it. On the back of shade, it is poorly written in white, 'I love my job.' Shade lead the 101st Airborne Company, as well as his private squad, 84th Assassin Elite Squadron.

"Alright. Commanders, Captains, as you know, we will be heading out soon for Vjun. I need to make sure you all got the injections due to the Chancellor's orders. Gearbox, is your part of the legion you're bring good?" Dunkel began his speech out with.

"Yes, sir. We are fine and ready to get to Vjun," Gearbox informed Dunkel. Dunkel nodded, and walked on to Blaze and Kicker.

"Is Zillo Battalion ready, Blaze? Same for your 77th ARC Unit, Kicker."

In almost perfect sync, both Blaze and Kicker said, "Yes, sir!" Kicker added, "Fire Team B is down for now, but Fire Team A is ready, sir."

"Good then," Dunkel marched over to the Captains, "Is 101st Airborne and 1st Reaper ready?"

Sky only nodded. Dunkel found it of Sky's cockiness showing, however he decided to ignore it. Shade replied, in a voice different from the rest of the clones, "The 101st Airborne is good, sir, however 84th Assassin Elite and I still need the injections, as we were the last to get them."

"Gather your squad and meet me in the medical bay then, I haven't gone yet either," Dunkel replied. Shade thought he heard a slight chuckle from Dunkel, then he noticed it was Sky. He elbowed Sky in the kidney. It was strange for him to be the only one of all of them in the line to be the only volunteer, however he had gotten used to it and had been used to it for a long time now. "Dismissed."

The line gave Dunkel a salute, and spread out. Shade prepared for his squad to meet him in the medical bay.

Dunkel had arrived to the medical bay earlier than the 84th Assassin Elite had. The entrance slided open and Dunkel observed the room that seemed to be pure white, until he had realized that was lens flare against his helmet. He looked somewhere else and saw the room better now. There was only one person in the room. It was a female nurse, and she was only tidying the place up for now.

"Hello, nurse," Dunkel greeted. The nurse was slightly startled at Dunkel's sudden presence, but he ignored it, and she quickly calmed down after realizing who it was.

"Ah, Marshal Commander!" The nurse walked towards Dunkel. He noticed she seemed to be going slightly faster than most medical units. She had to look up at Dunkel when she finally got as close as she intended to, which was about two feet away to give him some space. "Have you come to get your injection?"

"That is correct. I thought I should get mine before the 84th Assassin Elite Squadron will," Dunkel responded, "Let's get this over with, Sally."

Sally wore a white outfit. It would of been a jumpsuit, except she had a skirt and the top of her chest and the top of her back wasn't covered, showing her skin. Her hair was brown and had curls going down her back.

She took out a holopad and starting examining it as she motioned Dunkel to follow her. "Umm, excuse me sir. Mind if I ask why you ordered poison from the medical unit? And the nurse who delivered it was the nurse who recently was recently arrested and later killed for attempting to kill Republic troopers in the hospital wing."

Dunkel glared at the nurse when the question was over. After a few seconds, he spoke, "There are some creatures on Vjun who we may need to use venom on to kill easier. The previous nurse must of thought I got it for something else." I tricked her into thinking I was trying to overthrow the Chancellor and the Republic... it was also how I got her arrested.

"May you please step over here, Commander?" Sally requested. Dunkel did what the nurse said and stood next to a bed. "May I take off your armor for the procedure? Or do you wish to take it off yourself?"

Without response except for a low grunt, Dunkel began to take pieces of his Commando armor off without Sally's aid. She slightly frowned at how he was rude not to say anything. Dunkel lied his armor down on the bed next to him, and took his cloth mask off and put it near his helmet. Sally saw a very long scar on Dunkel's eye covered by an eyepatch and another on his left cheek. She also noticed the six-pack clearly showing on his torso, and his rather large muscles on his arms and legs. She stopped looking at him and returned focus to what she had to do.

"Alright... here's the shot, let me just inject it here. Fair warning; it stings," Sally warned, then she injected Dunkel's arm. Expecting to hear a shout of some kind, she prepared to cover her ears. However, it seemed Dunkel couldn't even feel it. He didn't even flinch. "Alright, Commander. May you please walk over here?" Sally motioned towards a scale and a ruler on the wall.

"...Why do you need my height and weight?"

"The Chancellor has requested the High Ranks of 66th Slaughter Corps get their height and weight reexamined before heading to Vjun, Commander," Sally explained to him. Dunkel shook his head and walked over to the scale and ruler.

Shade had gathered up the 84th Assassin Elite Squad and headed to the med bay. When he entered, he saw Dunkel and the nurse. Dunkel was putting his armor's gauntlet back on, and the nurse was waiting for him to finish doing that. As Dunkel finished equipping his gauntlet, the nurse walked over to Shade and his squadron. She observed all of them.

"So, all of you are volunteers it seems," Sally noticed.

"Fine eye, Doctor," Shade nodded at her for noticing. All of the 84th Assassin Elite Squad had no Fett Clones among them. The company they were placed under, 101st Airborne Company, did however. It wasn't common to see volunteers in the Republic for some reason it seems. The 84th began to spread out and they sat down on one of the beds for the nurse so she didn't need to tell them to already, however Captain Shade stayed up at attention while Dunkel was getting up.

"Just a warning, you are getting a check up. I hope you don't mind shots," Dunkel teased.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine sir," Shade laughed.

Shade took the spot Dunkel was at when he had arrived, and sat down and got comfy as he waited.

"General Galen," Kicker spoke. Kicker walked into the commanding bay and saw Galen looking at a holographic board. It was the board used to give out visual orders, or at least that is what Kicker presumed. He was always with his unit when they were on a mission. He presumed Galen must of been there often when they did short but complicated missions on Coruscant.

Galen slowly looked towards Kicker, then back at the screen. "Ah, Kicker. Take a sit."

Kicker looked towards where Galen was motioning, and he sat down across from Galen. He was used to there being a table between him and a higher ranking officer, however there wasn't on there this time.

"Kicker, your efforts on Orto Plutonia were fine... the question is why the Separatist droids were there," Galen pondered.

"Well sir, I-"

"Save your breath, Kicker. I didn't want to talk about that mission in detail," Galen interrupted Kicker.

"..Of course, General," Kicker nodded.

"What I wanted to tell you about the details of 77th ARC Unit Fire Team A's mission on Vjun. On Vjun, there is a cloning facility being used by a Sith Lord, by the name of Darth Phalanx. That isn't what you will be dealing with, however."

Kicker nodded. He was disappointed how they weren't going to be dealing with what seemed to be the funner mission.

"Instead, you are going to be taking out some targets. On a neighboring palace to the palace with the cloning facility, there are three apprentices there. None of them are one of Phalanx's apprentices, so we presume they are either clones or apprentices from another Sith. We need you and Fire Team A to take them out. Stun if possible, however we will only need one alive," Galen explained.

"We're dealing with three apprentices instead of a Darth? Well, going after three Sith is a chance of paste, so we are ready, General," Kicker responded.

"Good, Kicker. The rest of the 66th Slaughter Corps is waiting for you and the 84th to board the Venator-class Star Destroyers. Good luck to you," Galen told Kicker. Kicker saluted to his General and walked out.

By the time he had gathered up Fire Team A, 84th Assassin Elite Squad had just arrived, and stepped in front of the formations of black armored troopers with yellow markings on them. Kicker, Predator, Jinx, and Rose joined the front of the Zillo Battalion alongside Commander Blaze.

"It feels like it has been forever since we have gone on one of these cruisers... We've been on Coruscant forever," Jinx told his squad mates.

"I agree, Jinx. I'm glad we're getting out of the city for once," Predator replied.

Above all of the clones in black armor cruisers began to hover above the courtyard. Minutes later, they began to land.

Over the comlink, Dunkel's voice rang in their helmets, "Alright, get to the star destroyer you were all assigned to, move out!" he ordered.

As soon as he said that, the formations of troopers began to march towards their respected star destroyers.

"...This is going to be a long journey," Blaze spoke as he began to lead Zillo Battalion.