Chapter 18

Tactician

"Never have I thought the Clone Wars would lead us here. Vjun is a dark place... I sense dark things for it in the future. However, the dark side clouds my mind. I will meditate over this later... For now I will need to look over the battle plans again."

-Galen Malor

Galen and James stood around the holoprojector still, waiting for the movements and Galen's orders to the battlefield. Galen continued to stare down the holoprojector in an endless duel against time. He had to give orders fast to many divisions at once, and if he doesn't then something will not go according to the plan. He started out simple, giving orders to the 17th Doom Legion.

Senior Commander Breacher stood tall and inside of an AT-ET, a huge tank walking on four legs, with dark armor with a red visor. His troopers wore similar armor, making them all be silent in the darkness of the AT-ET, with only one small red light making it possible to see each other. The red visors glowed in the darkness as well.

Breacher's comlink went off and he put his wrist high up in front of him. He stared it down then accepted the call.

"This is Breacher, who is this?"

"Hello, Commander. This is General Galen. I need you to move your troopers to this tower," Galen spoke, and he highlighted an area on a map near him, "Can you get there?"

Breacher gazed at the map, then turned back to the comlink, "We're willing and able."

"Good, Commander. Make sure this does not fail, this is crucial if we are to invade the planet and stop Phalanx at the same time," Galen warned him.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. Breacher out, sir."

With that, Breacher turned off his comlink. He put his hand back down aside him.

"Tank, send an alert to the the other AT-ET pilots. We're heading to the south tower," Breacher yelled across the AT-ET.

"Got it sir! We're off!"

Galen and James were still at the holoprojector.

"...And that was the last order I needed to give out, for now," Galen said. He looked at the holoprojector a little while longer, then looked at James, "Operative Fawkren, take over if needed. I need to be somewhere for the 77th when they get back."

James's head swung towards Galen. "What?! Ordering around a Corps? ..No problem," James told him smoothly.

"Good. Have fun, Operative," Galen told him. He walked out of the room and the doors shut behind him.

"And now to establish a connection to Commander Dunkel," James said to himself.

The two Sith who had escaped from the towers on Vjun stood aboard a shuttle with four deactivated EG-5 Jedi Hunter droids. They were sitting in extra seating on the shuttle, as they had droid pilots flying for them. The ship was a very dark grey and had blood red markings as well in it, similar to the EG-5 Jedi Hunter droids, making them camouflage perfectly.

Anne sat in a seat in front of Kaa'tana as they waited for the shuttle to land somewhere.

"Anne," Kaa'tana asked, "why didn't you just kill the clones? It would of been easy. They are fragile."

Anne took a moment before she replied. "I didn't feel like it," is all she told her. The two were silent once more, looking at their feat and around. Kaa'tana sighed in boredom while Anne remained emotionless as usual.

Suddenly, the table in front of them projected a blue image. There, their master, Darth Blazde, appeared. Blazde hadn't ever followed the rule of two, so he trained multiple apprentices.

"My lord," both Anne and Kaa'tana said. They stood up and knelt before Blazde. Blazde cross his arms, not showing if he was satisfied or displeased. Either way, Blazde began to speak.

"Kaa'tana, Tenebris, you have successfully fled Vjun, good," he said. He wasn't as calm as Anne was used to, however at the same time he was never calm as a Jedi.

"What would happen to Darth Phalanx, my lord?" Anne, who was referred to as Darth Tenebris when her title was used, had asked.

Blazde remained silent for a moment, his one eye shutting. It then reopened and he resumed the conversation, "I believe, he will die with the facility, but I do not think it would be as you may think."

Anne didn't completely care for Phalanx's safety. Nor did Kaa'tana. They both just knew that Phalanx was of somewhat importance to at least ask about.

Silence fell into the room. Only Kaa'tana's mostly mechanical breathing was heard in the room. The room seemed to have become darker and colder with Blazde in the room, ironic since he had mastered and discovered how to use force fire moves; force fireball, force blaze, and force ignite.

"I must go now, apprentices," Blazde continued. Kaa'tana and Anne bowed to him and Blazde's image disappeared as he closed it.

"...I can't help but feel like Blazde looks familiar," Anne said to Kaa'tana, "but I don't know why. I have only just realized this now."

"I don't sense anything about it. I think you are thinking too hard, or misplacing faces," Kaa'tana told her. Anne still couldn't help but wonder. Soon, however, she decided not to think about it.

"You're right. Thank you," Anne thanked Kaa'tana. Kaa'tana nodded to her. "Do you wish to watch the battle from above? We have eyes in the sky recording the battles to see what tactics they use."

"Sounds... interesting. Let's take a look at it, Anne," Kaa'tana decided. The two of them sat back down in their seats and Anne set the holoprojector to the image of the battle. "They're near Phalanx's location. This will be interesting."

Dunkel dropped from a LAAT alongside some troopers in the 927th Night Flame division and 1st Reaper Company. The 1st Reaper was a company of the 927th Night Flame, which is why they tagged along. The 927th wore black armor with purple markings while the 1st Reaper wore red markings on their black armor like most of the 66th, except with a purple mark on their gauntlets.

In Dunkel's helmet, Jame's voice filled his helmet. "Commander, this is Operative Fawkren. I will be like an adivsor for you, so if you will so please, I'd like to stay online."

"I didn't know I could shut down voices in my head. Let me try it," Dunkel joked. He turned off the comlink, which Fawkren then called back. "And you aren't gone forever."

"I tend to get that impression from some people. I just tend to hang around," James responded.

"Don't hang too long. You might shake off."

"Right..."

Dunkel and James ended the conversation there. Dunkel went back to focus on what was going on, and Sky and Senior Commander Zalok, the leader of the 927th, where in front of him.

"Sir, 927th awaiting orders," Zalok told Dunkel.

"1st Reaper is ready as well. Squads are prepared," Sky added on to Zalok's report.

"Excellent. Zalok, get the 927th to surround the tower. We can't have Phalanx escape," Dunkel ordered, "Sky, gather up the best of your company that will go inside with us. The rest will be guarding our exit."

"Can I bring Sideswipe?" Sky asked. Sideswipe stood far behind them. He was with some of the 1st Reaper, giving orders, "He was recently transferred to 1st Reaper."

"...Then why are you asking me about it if he is in 1st Reaper?" Dunkel questioned him.

"...Umm, not sure sir. Apologies," Sky replied. He rubbed the back of his helmet as if he messed up on something, then ran off to his company.

"Something isn't right. Droids didn't stop us and Phalanx hasn't come out to stop us with all this time we're wasting," Zalok told Dunkel.

"I have noted that, Commander. Stand your ground here and do as I already told you to do," Dunkel ordered. Zalok, getting the message Dunkel really wanted the troopers to surround the area, got on it. He waved his men down and shouted orders at them. Dunkel turned and ran to Sky, who stood in front of a squad, including Sideswipe.

"...Are you sure we should bring so few in, sir? This is a Sith Lord we are dealing with, who put our Jedi General in a coma that she is still in," Sky reminded Dunkel. Some of the clone troopers chatting went silent behind them. Kira, who they thought was only severally injured, now resting on a bed on Coruscant in the medical bay. She couldn't come to see this battle against Phalanx once to, hopefully, end him. It is also the reason why Sala'kun was with a different Jedi. Still a 66th General, but that Jedi wasn't coming with the invasion force.

"Let's move in now, Sky," Dunkel ordered, this time with more force. He didn't want his men to get all teary over their Jedi General. She was a Jedi, and also their General. So what of it? It was war. If anything, it would be more useful if she was dead then in a long sleep. Besides, it is not like she and the Jedi will be around much longer, anyways. Dunkel, Sky, and his men rushed to the entrance to the tower afterwards. "Set charges!"

One of Sky's men put a bomb on the door, and two more got ready to roll thermals.

"Out with the door!"

"In with the 1st!" the three chanted as they did their tasks. The thermals blew up some machinery and droids at the entrance. Then it began to rain lasers on them.

"...Deactivate and hold fire," a figure, who just appeared in the middle of the room ordered. He came from black smoke that fogged the area for a few seconds, then disappeared. The droids stopped shooting at them, and the troopers entered firearms up. Dunkel walked in, holding on to his electro staff and Sky held on to a lightsaber shoto, a lightsaber but with a smaller blade. The lightsaber had a black crystal in it and had a black core, similar to the coloring of the legendary darksaber, except it isn't a white lightsaber with a black core, just a completely black lightsaber. "I see I have some guests! I do not wish to welcome you,"

"We're not looking to be welcomed to your humble home, Dark Lord. Instead we'd like to ask you to leave, in a body bag or cuffs, whichever you prefer," Dunkel's voice echoed across the gigantic room to Darth Phalanx.

"I'd prefer I am taken away in a luxurious ship called my own... After I leave a mess of the place with bodies," Phalanx's voice shot back to him. "Let me make one thing clear... I want a duel with blades. No blasters till I kill your duelists."

Dunkel kept a firm grasp of his staff. After a few seconds of thought, he answered the Sith. "I accept your challenge. I do not care if you cheat with the force," Dunkel yelled back smoothly. He continued to say who was going to duel with him, "Sky, you and two of your duelists in the 9th Blade Squad and come with me."

Sky was unsure if he should feel gifted that Dunkel thought he was good enough to fight a Sith with him only using melee weapons, or if he should think he is going to die soon. Shaking it off, he turned and called out to two of the troopers, "Vibro, Dull, get over here! You're coming in with us!"

The two clones, who were Vibro and Dull, looked at each other. When Dull sighed the two of them ran over to Dunkel and Sky with vibroblades. "Nice knowing you, Dull," Vibro whispered to Dull, "You'll always be my favorite brother."

"Cut the chatter! You two are coming in alive!" Sky barked. That shut Vibro up.

Dunkel stood in front of them still, staring down Phalanx as if they were forever stuck in a staring contest which you were allowed to blink in. Not that anyone could tell Dunkel would blink. His black commando helmet covered all of his expressions. Then at last, Dunkel snapped his fingers. The four dashed into battle as Phalanx charged against them.

"And there goes our communications to the Marshal Commander..." James muttered to himself, "But it looks like they engaged into combat. Perhaps they found the Sith after all."

Galen, who had just finished speaking with the 77th, walked back in to James's surprise. "Hello, Operative."

"Nice of you to drop by now. You missed the show, the communications are down, General," James told Galen. Galen shut his eyes for a second, tilting his head down. Seconds had flew by when he looked back at James.

"I am sure they will be fine. Dunkel is the best non-force sensitive duelist I know. We shall know he will at least survive," Galen told his mind to James.

James and Galen then silenced. They stared down the holoprojector, which was still offline. Seconds went by once more. Minutes then had gone by. Has it been an hour? Neither no longer knew, nor did they care to ask.

Suddenly, a blue image showed once more.

Vibro was dead, lying on the ground near them. Dull had just been decapitated by Phalanx and fell right next to his comrade. It was only Dunkel and Sky versus Phalanx now.

Phalanx then found himself clashed with Sky. Their lightsabers sparked as they sprayed together. Out of no where, Dunkel pulled Sky back.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sky jolted.

"Saving your life," Dunkel growled. Sky was confused. Then, Sky noticed Phalanx's position. He had pulled out another lightsaber, and would of impaled Sky if Dunkel hadn't grabbed him.

"Oh. Err... Sorry, sir," Sky apologized. Now wasn't the time to get all friendly, however. They were still in a duel.

Phalanx charged back at them. Dunkel took the clash instead and more sparks flew. Dunkel could feel his electro staff heating up. He, however, wasn't worried. It was just the lightsaber's heat from Phalanx.

Sky had popped up behind Phalanx. Readying to perform a backstab, he raised his shoto.

He wasn't the one who performed the stab, though.

Phalanx had turned, and he now had his lightsaber through Sky's groin protector. "...Dirty son of a..." Sky coughed, "Cheap stab..." Sky fell over to his knees and collapsed into the metal floor.

Dunkel and Phalanx froze for a second, then Phalanx raised his lightsaber to finish the job.

Dunkel, who didn't seem to be affected by Sky's fall, but in fact, didn't seem upset over Vibro or Dull's defeat, either, raised his electro staff and stabbed Phalanx in the spine. Roaring, Phalanx spun to cut Dunkel in half. However, Dunkel already rolled backwards and pulled out a lightsaber hilt from his kama's belt. Activating it, he threw it at Phalanx. It flew like an arrow and it shot through Phalanx's heart.

Somehow still alive, Phalanx fell to his knees. "Heh, is that.. all you got?" He started to turn into a black cloud of smoke. However, Dunkel threw another lightsaber into his skull. Igniting on impact, it made a deep wound in Phalanx. He collapsed completely. The smoke cleared. Due to failure to complete, the smoke had torn off Phalanx's legs, since they were the only ones in the dark cloud, and made them disappear. Phalanx's torso bled out from where his legs used to be. Muttering things, he found himself blackout.

"Alright. I want a medic over here to collect Captain Sky and take him to the medical bay. The rest of you, destroy that machine," Dunkel ordered. Yes sirs were shouted everywhere, and the clones started to shoot at the cloning machine and the droids. After a few shots it blew up in a firework of flames.

All of the clone troopers' comlinks went off. Galen was contacting them. "Good work, 927th. Return to your ships and come back. Your part of the invasion is over."

Following orders, everyone left the tower and boarded their ships.

They forgot to investigate the whole tower.