General Grievous: Prove Your Worth

by GeneralPen0412

Tired of General Grievous' failures and supposed incompetence, Count Dooku gives his supreme commander an ultimatum and one final chance to prove himself to the Separatists. When a chance transmission comes through will it be enough to save the CIS cyborg from certain impending doom or lead to his imminent destruction?

5. Chapter 5

Well, we are nearly there now. Just three more chapters to go and this story will be complete, again owing to size constraints I have decided to add another chapter but I promise I will do all in my power to make it worth it.

Sorry about the delay but I have been really busy these past few weeks so I haven't really had a lot of time to work on the story. I will try to keep up, because I already have my mind set on posting my next fanfiction story. Sadly it won't have anything to do with the cyborg General because I am a bit strapped for ideas on what to do with him, ah well I am sure we'll think of something.

In the meantime, let's focus on what is going on in the present. Please enjoy this chapter and as always, don't forget to R&R.

Disclaimer: as always I don't own Star Wars.

Chapter 5: The Battle for Kalee: Part 2b – The Plans are Made, the Battle begins!

The Separatist Base, The Fields of Banen.

The three kolkpravis watched in silence, eyes focused and unblinking as the lone figure sped towards the northern most perimeters of their base. Stationed high up upon one of the turrets at the bastions gateway the three sentries were poised, ready to take action should the lone figure prove to be a forewarning of approaching danger.

In the end though, it turned out to be a false alarm. One member of the unit, was carrying a set of night vision binoculars with him, and upon further examination identified the lone figure as a friendly. One of their own in fact! With this reassurance the squad commander turned to a B1 battle droid standing close by and acknowledged with a small hand gesture.

Nodding in acknowledgement the droid turned to his squad mates, stationed around the gates main control panel. A few seconds later, the energy gate evaporated into thin air, permitting just enough time for the warriors transport to make it through before the gateway resealed itself.

At ground level the Kaleesh warrior brought his STAP to a giddy halt, before hurriedly dismounting. Around him several more kolkpravis and battle droids were converging on his position. Two of the B1 servers approached ahead of the main entourage and the soldier all to happily surrendered control of his speeder over to them. The rest of the gathering crowd though appeared concerned.

Those who knew this warrior, recognised him as a brave and efficient at carrying out his orders. As such he had been one of the few Kaleesh who dared to accompany his Khagan upon the almost certainly doomed, exploratory mission towards the Republics Liberty Base. Now, as if to confirm the Kaleesh's sense of anxiety this scout had returned to their command post alone. Yet there didn't appear to be a scratch upon him, nor any sign that a fateful encounter had occurred. Why then had he returned alone?

These questions were brought to a front when a figure pushed her way through the crowd, a shoni spear clutched in one hand. Tall and slander the Kaleesh woman surveyed her soldier with the same curiosity and trepidations of anyone present at the time though. She was one of the Kaleesh war chief's though, a female kolkpravis who had proven herself on the battlefield time and time again, and had many kills to her name. As such she knew how to temper her emotions well enough so that only the slightest hint of her anticipation showed itself before the rest of her warrior kin.

Upon seeing her, the Kaleesh scout marched over to her before falling down upon one knee and resting his right hand over his heart; in the Kaleesh's gesture of respect. "My Lady" he spoke hastily, "It is a relief that I have found you, for I have most important news for you".

"What is it warrior?" the female replied. "Has something happened whilst you were on patrol? Where are the rest of your unit, and Lord Grievous?" She expectantly looked around her as if hoping that the energy gates might once again deactivate, so that the Khagan and the rest of his group might come riding onto the scene. Since this did not transpire, her feelings along with those all around her were in a state of apprehension and dread.

Only when the soldier shook his head hurriedly did she feel herself relax, though only slightly. "No ma'am, its nothing like that. Lord Grievous and the rest of his unit are all fine, and should be on their way back here as soon as they have covered a few of the last details. I was merely sent ahead by the master so that everything might be ready for when he returns."

The feeling of apprehension had now faded and the CIS warriors were now exchanging both glances and words that demonstrated their confusion in the matter. Detail's he had said? Something about preparations for the cyborgs return, he had said? What did this mean exactly?

It was a mark of her authority that the Kaleesh war chief was able to bring order back to the clouded spectacle with nothing more than her voice and tone, but it was also a small indication of her now undying loyalty towards the cyborg general. As all of the soldiers recalled, when Grievous had first made his presence known upon the Fields of Banen, almost a day ago the droid chieftain had saved one of the Kaleesh warlords from execution at the tendrils of a twisted Huk warrior. That individual had been this particular female, and in response to this action, she had been among the first of the tribesman of Kalee to pledge her everlasting loyalty towards Grievous and his army. It did not matter to her that this hulking figure, claimed to be the broken remnants of Qymaen Jai Sheelal was more machine than sentient, what mattered was the actions he had taken and as such from that point onwards she never questioned him, nor his orders.

Even so, at this particular moment she did not understand what exactly should impede Lord Grievous' arrival, nor comprehend why he need to stay out in the open and risk discovery, even if it was just for a little while longer. "What do you mean soldier, why has the Khagan warranted such actions?"

Once again, the warrior shook his head, only now he lifted his head up so that she could see the seriousness in his eyes. "I apologise my Lady but I do not know. My Lord General, was careful not provide too much information lest I be captured on the journey back here. All he said was that he requires you along with the other war chiefs to gather by the training grounds for another council of war. He has also requested that we contact the droids space fleet so that all of you might be ready for his instructions when he arrives."

A myriad of confusion still hung over the gathering, but now a sense of determination and resolution returned to the warriors of this Separatist coalition. Their Khagan had given them an instruction and now they had to fulfil it, even if it were quite trivial. If it took them that much closer towards winning this conflict, then they would carry it out, both quickly and efficiently.

Thankfully the Kaleesh female had seen this kind of thing before in the clan wars and wasted no time in taking charge of the situation. "Alright you slugs" she said to the rest of the onlookers, "You heard him Our Lord and Master has given us a command. He wants it done, and he wanted it done yesterday. So what are you standing around for? Get out there and find your war chiefs!" There was a flurry of activity, as the scene transformed from one of silent on looking into one of chaotic haste, as Kaleesh and droid babbled off in every direction desperate to carry out their masters instructions, if not out of loyalty then out of a desire to avoid Grievous' wrath.

Over the frantic scuffling, the Kaleesh war chief also shouted out a few more instructions. "Make sure Lord Grievous is given a straight run to the training fields for when he arrives. Tell all units to initiate standby procedures, and somebody notify the sentries as to what has just happened here." Then to herself the woman added, "If all goes the way I am expecting it too, we will soon be on the march to war."

The Republic base, the Shrupak Temple / Huk Reprimand, Kalee. The Huk settlements

The Kaleesh were not the only ones desperate for this tedious pretence to end. The Yam'rii too, where feeling the pressure of all this waiting, not just one or two individuals but the army as a whole, all nine thousand of them! Originally they had come here under the pretence that with the aid of their Republic allies the insectoids would be able to take the region virtually unchallenged, thus allowing them to regain their colony worlds. Now however, the Kaleesh were organised, reformed and under the leadership of the droid commander responsible for the scourging of their population on Tovarski.

None of them really knew who this cyborg was, or where he came from. All that they knew was that he had a vendetta against their kind and from what their Jedi comrades had told them would stop at nothing to achieve victory. This reinforced the need the need for the Huk to be ruthless in the coming battle, not just to ensure this generals defeat, but also to destroy their enemies so that they might protect their secret.

As they took shelter within the coves and outlet buildings that surrounded Shrupak, which they had now cannibalised for their own use, every soldier, every labourer, doctor and engineer within that army, knew that everything hung in the balance. Their fate, along with that of their species would be determined in the coming fight. Yet as the distant rumble of thunder echoed across the confined landscape only one figure dared to speak of this foreboding.

Sheltered within the best quarters available, Senator Derm was taking out his fear, and frustration on the strained and aggravated General Mal. "Their closing in our position General. I know it, I just know it. Those recent attacks on our scout patrols prove it". Dinner had been prepared for the two prestigious figures. A selection of raw meats and various eggs of several birds, and fish lay on the table in front of them buts so far the majority of it lay untouched. The food let off a repugnant odour, but Mal was standing away from the table looking out of the window into the night sky, and Derm was too skittish to eat at the moment.

"You don't need to remind me, about the fate of those excursions, Senator. The Jedi, have explained it to me enough times to make me sick of hearing it. Do not panic, the situation is still more than recoverable, I have spoken with the Jedi generals and their reliant clone troopers and we have a plan." Derm's shivering subsided but still the spindly insectoid did not appear as relaxed as his more developed counterpart.

"We have no need to hasten ourselves to confront these cold bloods; it is in their primordial instinct to go to war, so sooner or later they will force their commanders hand. I won't bother with to fill you in on all of the details but suffice to say that like the Jedi I believe that Liberty Base will be the most likely target, which is why we have ensured that the majority of our forces are now stationed at that outpost. When the foolish natives and their computer based allies attack us they will be hard pressed to fight their way through the sheer number of forces that our army can provide. In the meantime we can take the necessary steps to ensure that their settlement and establishment is destroyed, and then we will win the greatest victory that this latest campaign has ever seen." The Huk general grinned maliciously as he thought of this, there was no vestige of remorse within his being nor trace of sorrow for the inevitable slaughter that would come with such an action. In the contrary the prospect of such a battle delighted him.

Derm on the other hand, did seem so confident. In fact if anything, it made him even more nervous. "And you … you can guarantee, that such a triumph will happen can you? Hmm, I mean who is to say who will win. You are gambling a lot on one battle, and if it doesn't pay off …"

"Senator, Senator …" Mal said slyly, turning away from the window to look towards his flimsy counterpart. The smaller Yam'rii quailed under the wicked star that Mal gave him, and trembled even more so as the larger insectoid strode towards him. "When have I ever let you down? Hmm, are you saying that after everything we have been through you do not trust me?" He shoved his large bulbous face right up close to the Senator. Derm shivered and raised both hands in a pathetic gesture of nerve. Mal didn't attack but merely permitted the Senator a look at his gnarled chitinous carapace, and to smell the stench of decay upon his breath.

"You seem to forget Senator, that this campaign against the Kaleesh was my idea, backed up the Huk high hive. As one of the only members of the board not to agree with it, you were sent along as both my associate and as an overseer, so you might observe the success of this conquest for yourself, and so far we have meet with triumph in all of the major engagements. You seem to forget that armies are defeated on the battlefield not the negotiating table, and look what has happened. We have regained much of our old territory, dealt with a troublesome enemy and once the last vestiges of this Kaleesh army are taken care of both here and on Oben, we will have nothing more to worry about!"

"It is not the Kaleesh that worry me" the Senator said anxiously, now determined to make his feelings heard. "It is the Republic that concern me. Every day we spend in their company makes me nervous. You've seen the way we look at us, the way that their soldiers whisper behind our backs. They are beginning to suspect something."

Mal drew away from the seated figure, and stood tall and erect, his arms folded across his narrow, armoured chest. "If you are referring to our secret …" he said stoically.

"OF COURSE I AM REFERING TO IT" Derm shouted now rising to his feet, sending the chair flying and slamming both palms upon the table. "How can you be so calm about it? I want this conquest just as much as you do Mal, the whole hive does, but if the Jedi were ever to find out what we did all those years ago they would surely turn upon us. And what would we do then? Who is to say they will not try to forge an alliance with the Kaleesh and unite against us as common enemies? They could then desecrate us as we did them, we would lose everything. We would …"

"ENOUGH!" Mal shouted, his temper unable to take any more. Derm flinched like a wounded animal and quivered as Mal glared at him, emitting a heinous rattle from deep within his throat. "The Republic will never find out, and even if they did, proof would be required. All vestiges of that are locked away safely within the Hive Archives upon Huk. If need be we will use that as leverage to ensure our survival but trust me Senator it will not come to that."

"But …"

"Trust me" Mal said, resting one palm upon the wooden surface he curled the other taloned appendage into a point, and speared a fish upon the end of it. "The Jedi's army will not find out about that piece of knowledge. And even if they did …" he lifted the morsel towards his mouth, "The information would be to die for!" He bit off the fishes head, his teeth crushing through both the flesh and bone. He then tore a large chunk off and chewed it roughly. Derm watched skittishly as the salmons head was ground into paste and swallowed roughly, fish blood and oil dribbled from Mal's lips.

Derm broiled at this proposed act of treachery, but before he could say anything, another voice spoke up. "Uhm sir's!" The two commanders whipped around to see one of their own standing by the doorway.

"What is whelp?" Mal asked coldly, mouth still full of fish.

"Begging your pardon my Lords, but Master Koth requests your presence at the Shrupak Temple immediately. It seems that the Kaleesh forces are on the move or something."

The Fields of Banen.

The soldier was right. Far to the South in the CIS army was on the move. The energy gates were down and the troops were filling out. At the flanks of each gate, one thousand Kaleesh and droid units stood rigidly to attention, whilst snipers covered the entrance from the gateway and walls above. They watched with both envy and resolution, as the rest of the army marched out of the gates and into the canyons beyond.

Kaleesh and battle droid marched in steady lines, clutching at weapons or staring in to the recesses ahead, sometimes both. Behind the main lines, tanks and walkers followed, with the AAT's at the front, HAG's in the centre and Spider walkers behind them, whilst several Hellfire droids brought up the rear. Hundreds of Dwarf Spider droids (both standard and heavy munition) marched on the flanks as legions of STAP's buzzed and hurtled alongside.

At the head of the procession, thirty Roggwart's strode, armed and mounted. The beasts grunted and heaved, as they rode in triangle formation, whilst their riders spurred them onwards. At the head of the procession, and the forefront of the army rode Grievous. Mounted and primed, the cyborg portrayed no vision of fear but that of a steely determination and of the kind of bravery that can be found only before a battle.

This was it! There was no turning back! All that remained now was to see how his plan unfolded. Everything had been considered, the plan laid out.

Grievous and the rest of his scouts had returned within the hour of his messenger's arrival. By then a path had been cleared, and whilst the rest of the unit dispersed to rest and ready themselves, Grievous rushed on head. The chiefs were gathered, TS-192 contacted. Like loyal soldiers they waited, ready to hear their masters instructions.

Flashback, to a few hours earlier.

"Sk'ar" Grievous called, spotting the closest of his allies, as the cyborg honed in the reins drawing his steed to a stop. The hulking Kaleesh strode forward obediently, whilst a few nearby Magna Guards took the reins off of Grievous, allowing the Kaleesh Khagan to dismount comfortably.

Striding towards his loyal lieutenant Grievous beckoned to the others hastily. "I know how we can win this fight. Gather round!" Their theories and speculations confirmed the eleven commanders hurried to obey, as Grievous crouched down low, Sk'ar mirroring his Khagan.

Resting one hand upon his duranium knee cap Grievous started to draw a series of images into the sandy dirt with his free hand. Four triangles, which he organised to form a square shape, a windy line leading from the centre of the bottom most square, another circle which he positioned right in front of himself and finally a series of wiggly lines connecting all the circles together. Clearly these images meant something to the cyborg but the to the other commanders, who were now assembled, they were just a series of stranger images.

That was until Grievous started speaking! "This is our base" the cyborg explained, pointing to the lone circle closest to him. "These are the Republic's bases!" again he gestured at the relevant images. "As we know the clones and Yam'rii have distributed their forces unevenly across these stations due to the mountainous terrain. The majority of their forces are stationed here at Liberty" he jabbed the relevant circle.

"Now as we all know just from looking at this map, the main purpose of these outposts is to protect the Republic's main base at Shrupak, am I right?" A series of nods greeted Grievous' statement. "Good now as we know, Alpha, Bravo and Echo were designed to be within close proximity to each other so that if one was attacked the other two might reinforce it with speed. Liberty being the most southern of these establishments is isolated, and exposed. Its purpose is to block the most accessible route to Alpha Base through the Ausez steppes. As such the Republic has reinforced this base with much of their arsenal and garrison forces. This is both the bases greatest strength but also its greatest weakness!"

The rest of the chieftains and droid commanders looked at each other, clearly they were missing something about this daunting presentation of facts. In the end though, only K6D7 dared to speak up. "Uhm pardon me for saying so sir, but how exactly does the size of this garrison present itself as a weakness? I mean surely the troop reinforcements signify a successful stratagem on the Clone troopers parts."

Normally a comment like this from a droid commander like K6D7 would have earned the said unit an early retirement from Grievous' employment, most commonly at the end of an alloy fist or a lightsaber blade. At the moment however the cyborg was so overcome by excitement and expectation that he forgot to punish the droid for his insolence. Instead the cyborg chuckled.

"It would be if they had bothered to take the terrain into consideration" Grievous explained. More furrowed eyebrows, hinted at further confusion, but Grievous was all too happy to elaborate. "We all know of the small outlet that leads right into Liberty Bases central outpost" the cyborg explained. "We all knew that this would be a key component for our plan. What we did not know though, was how to exploit it. That is until now!" He pointed to the windy line that connected the representations of Liberty and the CIS base.

"This is where we shall make our stand, here at Stabolaz Gorge! As you can see is both confined and proximate to both us and Liberty's garrison, except that we can exploit it better than they can. Now listen carefully, because we are only going to get one shot at this and we have to get this right! Now what I want you do is form our men into relevant lines …."

With that Grievous laid out his plan, explaining it clearly and efficiently. Pointing to relevant areas of the map, he pointed out both areas of interest and key reference marks, all the while referencing troop alignment and topographical features in the surrounding geology. Towards the conclusion, he turned to the taunting figure on his right and the tactical ship commander. With Sk'ar and TS-192 hanging on his every Grievous laid out a key part of his plan to his two most important allies, a joint effort that he would intrust to no one else.

"It is important that you succeed in this mission though. Otherwise the Jedi, and their soulless allies might be able to call for reinforcements. I need you to succeed in this one!"

TS-192 viewed it as nothing more than carrying it the whims and orders of his master, and as such replied rather bluntly. Sk'ar on the other hand viewed it as a stupendous honour, to have been chosen to lead such an action. As such the Izvoshra nodded fervently at the Khagan and responded with a whole hearted "Yes Sir". The prospects behind this plan was both daunting and exhilarating. It meant that they would be risking everything, but if they could pull it off ….

The time for words and talk was over now, everyone stood this. "Good!" Grievous said getting to his feet. "Is everything clear?" he inquired. A series of nods greeted his question. "Excellent. Notify me when all is set, I intend to do a little training. TS-192 make sure you do what you have to do, the rest of you wait for the signal. GO!" They dispersed, ready to carry out their orders, and get that much closer to liberating their home world.

End of Flashback

They were several miles away from the relative safety of their own establishment now, but they still had quite a way to go before they reached their designated target, at the foothills of the Stabolaz Gorge. Yet now, as they neared the fork in the path where their troops would separate, Grievous and his army halted. They needed to make sure, make absolutely certain that they were not being followed. The Republic could not see what was about to happen. If they did, then the clones commanders might be aware of what was about to happen. Of the trap that Grievous had laid out for them. It was too late to adjust the plan now.

As the last droid gave his confirmation, Grievous stared ahead into the black recesses of the canyons beyond. The path on the left led directly through Stabolaz to Liberty, whilst the track on the left led through various mountain paths that opened out on to locations near Liberty, Stabolaz and Echo Base. It was here that a small fraction of the army would go, whilst the majority of the other troops went the other.

For a few heartbeats Grievous comprehended what this meant. There would be no retreat now, no surrender, not for him anyway. All that lay ahead for the CIS cyborg general, was either victory or death. That was exactly how he phrased it to his commanders when he laid out his strategy to them.

In keeping with the standards and traditions of his people Grievous and the other war chiefs had held a ceremonial prayer, in which they beseeched both the gods and their ancestors to grant them victory over the hated Huk foe, and their lap dog allies. Now the time had come to see whether their faith would be rewarded? Now was the time to prove his worth!

Raising a hand high into the air, the cyborg brought it slashing down through the air, and gestured at the relevant path. "FORWARD!" he cried, and kicked his steed forward. The Roggwart let out a loud, abating roar and then obeyed. Thus it was that Grievous strode towards his war, and his decided fate. Behind him the Separatist forces divided. Most followed the same path as Grievous, whilst a few small squads mainly composed of Kaleesh sharp shooters and droid snipers branched off in the other direction, followed up by the majority AAT and the HAG battle tanks. These warriors, led by K6D7 had a different destination in mind and their role in the coming battle was crucial.

Yet for all of their navigational skills, for all of their subtly and anticipation the Kaleesh Droid coalition appeared to have deprived itself of one of the most important aspects and key skills relevant to war. They did not pay attention to the detail around them. As such the kolkpravis and battle droids who had given the order of all clear, had failed to notice that their army was in fact being watched. High up in the narrow crevices of a tall rocky outcrop a scout trooper captain lowered his night vision goggles. His white armoured helmet hid the look of terror etched across his face, as the warrior comprehended the significance of what he had just saw.

"Blimey!" the clone trooper gasped to himself, as he turned and ran back to join the rest of his three man squad with all haste. The rest of the unit were not far away, having taken shelter in a weathered gulley etched into the side of this exposure. A storm was gathering overhead, and though the troopers had orders to carry out, on watching for any sign of a Kaleesh assault, the clone troopers had no desire to be caught up in the bad weather. Claps of thunder shook the air around them, whilst flashes of lightening cut through the darkened night sky. Now as the captain reached his unit with hurried orders to return to Liberty base, the first few raindrops began to descend. By the time the clone soldier and the rest of his companions speed off into the darkness, ahead of the advancing Kaleesh onslaught the weather began to unleash its own full offensive.

Hours later at the Shrupak Temple.

Dawn was just under four hours away but the weather showed no sign of improving. The thunder and lightning had passed by now, but the rain itself still appeared to have some fight left within it. As such many of the Republics soldiers were taking shelter, so as to wait out the storm. Only a few of the soldiers dared to hail out in the storm and even then they did it out of necessity. Now more than ever did the watch need to maintained, now that they knew that the Kaleesh at last, were making the full march to war!

Sheltered from the storm the Republic commanders laid the final preparations to their battle plan. "Is everyone agreed?" the Zarbak asked. A series of nods greeted his response. "Very well, it is settled then. As of this moment all troops are to form up and remain on standby, and maintain regular contact with each other so that nothing goes unmissed. Commander!" the Zarbak nodded to Willis to take over the briefing.

The clone stepped forward and gestured at the holographic scaled down version showing the outline of their four bases and the topography surrounding each one. "Based upon what our scouts have gathered it would appear that the droids are planning a two pronged assault. It seems that the majority of their army [he gestured at a cluster of small red dots that represented the Separatist forces] is converging here upon Liberty Base. The other part [he pointed to a smaller cluster, that were heading in a different direction relative to the rest] are taking a series of navigational routes that will lead right to Echo Base" the clone concluded by pointing at the most western of the Republics bases.

"Why, would they choose such an action?" Derm stammered looking from the board to the clone trooper.

"I can't say" Willis admitted with a shrug, "But given the rocky terrain and the fact that none of the other paths lead to any areas of interest it seems feasible to assume that Echo is the groups most likely vector".

"Bah" General Mal spat, "That's just stupid. There is no way that a small division like that will hold up against the fortifications we put in place at Echo, nor any of the other bases for that matter. It seems that the famed, cyborg commander of theirs has probably dislodged a cog or two. What does he think he can achieve by dividing up his army like this in a two pronged assault? And with such a beleaguered force already, they will never be us this way!"

"Don't be so hasty to judge things by their appearance General Mal" Sashi Betrini said cautiously. "Grievous may be brash and ruthless, but he is not incompetent. He would not act unless he had a stratagem in mind."

"Yes, you would say that wouldn't you Jedi, but so far I have seen no evidence to the contrary" Mal said rather coolly. "Ever since his arrival one day ago, all that this famed cyborg general of yours has managed to do is launch one successive surprise attack and then follow that up with one or two scouting missions. Ha, hardly what I would call imposing actions, and most definitely not what I would refer to as a harrowing commander."

"Hey now wait a second Mal, I agree with the Jedi here" Derm said nervously. "Just because nothing has happened up until this point doesn't mean that it won't come. We can't go rushing into things here, we – we need to be cautious. Ah eh!" Once again the cowardly Senators words were trampled under the look Mal gave him.

"If I say it is nothing, then I mean that it is nothing, Senator. This cyborg and his droid army are nothing to worry about." He leant over, and gestured at the area of the 3d map showing Liberty and the surrounding area. "Part of their army has branched off towards Echo base, a pathetic gesture they should know will not even get past the forward defences. As for the rest of the army, ha" a twisted smile lit across his features. "The only way they will be able to assault Liberty is a frontal attack, and with the rock wall between them and us they will be hard pressed to fit sufficient troops into the small space available to them, before we cut them to ribbons. And should they retreat, that is what you were going to say, was it not Senator?" for the smaller insectoid had acted as though he wished to say more, but now just stood there with his mouth hanging open stupidly. "Well as the Jedi have already pointed out we already have a sufficient amount of soldiers stationed at Liberty to ensure that any retreat would be meaningless. One attack, that is all that is required to finish this, for whilst these divisions are being dealt with, we can send our forces to attack their main base and then all of our armies can converge on one locality and finish this decisively. I do not doubt it will be costly at first and will forestall our plans of invading Oben, but personally I think it will be worth it".

His words earned him uneasy stares from the Jedi, and looks of disgust from the Clones and Admiral Namlick. The generals willingness to sacrifice the lives of his own soldiers and his total disregard for Kaleesh life had been disturbing to them but now, with Grievous' arrival, the Huk's determination to win the campaign with all haste seemed to have reached new bounds. Never the less there could be no contradiction to the insectoids argument. One single step was all that was required to win this conflict, and it was in that moment that something stupendous happened, the likes of which had not been seen throughout the whole of the Kadok campaign. Willis the clone commander gave his support over to the Yam'rii.

"He's right, I agree with General Mal on this one. I think the time has come for us to end this campaign, here once and for all. With your permission General [he said to Koth] I think that once we have the Kaleesh in retreat we should push forwards. Even without the rest of our reinforcements the men at Liberty are more than efficient to deal with the rest of the Kaleesh army".

"The commander has a fair point Master Jedi" Admiral Namlick added his voice to the fray. "I can see the weather patterns from up here and know that it can't be to comfortable down there. Our intentions were to stop the Kaleesh from attacking our allies here and ensuring peace in this sector. Given that the Kaleesh have finally shown their true colours and don't seem willing to back down I think the time has come for us to respond in kind". The human said his words with conviction, yet remorse hung off of every word. Clearly the thought of massacring the Kaleesh pained him, even if they were the very people he had entered this conflict to stop.

"Here, here" Willis acknowledged, thanking the Admiral with a brisk nod, before returning his attention to Eeth Koth. "It makes sense sir, and it fits in with our plan. The men are tired, and moral is falling, so we need to win this as quickly as possible. Look, this is what our new strategy will be …" he gestured at the map whose images now corresponded to show his thoughts.

"We go by what General Koth says, we stay on alert and hold position. Wait for General Grievous and the other Separatists to make the first move. Then after we converge all the remaining forces at Liberty down here [he gestured at the image of a gorge] and deal with the remaining forces there. At the same time we launch an array of twenty gunships from Liberty each carrying a squad of twenty men. These units are to fly ahead and will engage any remaining forces here at the Separatist's based upon the Fields of Banen. Whilst they forestall them, the rest of our forces will initiate a forced march in order to reinforce their position and bring about the end of this conflict." He clicked the image as the holo-projector showed an image of the CIS base getting consumed by a ball of fire.

"Simple, but brilliant. It cannot fail" Mal said appraisingly, "We cannot waste any more time on this campaign Jedi General. If we are to have any hope of victory, we will find it now! I suggest we take it now, quickly and relatively cleanly!"

Koth was silent for a long time, the Zarbak's chin was held nestled between three fingers of his right hand as considered the various possibilities that now lay open to them. Clearly Grievous wanted a proper battle at last, and from the statements that his own commanders had just given it was clear that they along with the rest of his troops shared this opinion. Yet conflict would result in the loss of life, and further torment both twisted machinations that went against the Jedi Code. But what other choice was there?

This fate seemed inevitable, and no other solution presented itself, even as the Zarbak let go of all emotion and reach out with his being to try and contact the light side of the force. All was dark and cloudy, nothing became clear. No solution, no progression. It was always the same; wherever Grievous went the will of the dark side followed him, even though the cyborg himself was not a force sensitive.

Bringing himself out of his trance, the Zarbak General surveyed the entirety of his surroundings. "Are you sure this is what you want?" A series of brisk nods followed this question, though unseen to the Jedi commander, Senator Derm shook his head fervently. Only a sharp jab from his taller field commander prevented the smaller insectoid from expressing his true emotions, though Koth remained none the wiser.

"Very well" Koth said resignedly, "Then we shall use your battle strategy Commander Willis. Contact all stations and tell their troopers to arm and prepare themselves. I want all garrisons standing by ready to aid the nearby stations if necessary. Also tell them to expect a Jedi at each base within the hour, if there is to be any battle, we are going to be there to help impede it."

Willis nodded, and with a brisk "Yes sir, right away!" ran off to inform the troops. Mal and Derm also dismissed themselves shortly afterwards, (or to be more precise, Mal dismissed the pair of them). Saying that they too would go off to commune with the troops the pair marched off in the direction of the exit.

Once they were gone Koth turned to the other Jedi. "Right, as is said I think it best if we each head out and take command of the defence operations ourselves. I don't know exactly what the Separatists are planning but I know one thing, Grievous would not deploy his whole arsenal unless he thought that he could win!"

"Are you saying you doubt the capability of our troops Master Jedi?" Namlick inquired. The Admiral had remained in contact with the Jedi out of the necessity to discuss further matters with Koth but the Jedi Masters last comment made him a little uneasy. Though this was stemmed somewhat when the general shook his head.

"No Admiral I do not think that is what Master Koth is trying to say. There is no doubt that both the clones and the Yam'rii are very capable warriors and I have complete faith that our forces will rise up to any challenge thrown at them. Never the less this is Grievous we are talking about, and whilst he may be cowardly in the face of defeat he is by no means foolish. Therefore it is best that we take every precaution necessary and take every military action possible to ensure the survival of as many combatants as possible." As always it was Master Sashi who provided the voice of comfort, and from the way the Admiral sighed it was apparent that her words had eased his fears.

"Thank you Sashi" Koth said gratefully, "Now as I was saying; I think that it may be best for the four of us shall split up. We should each take control of one of stations and maintain regular contact with each other at all times. That goes for you too, Admiral I wish to know what is going on with the Separatist fleet at all times".

"No problem Master Koth" the Admiral acknowledged. "So far nothing new to report at the moment I am afraid. The status has remained the same throughout the whole time we have been speaking". The Admiral turned away from the transmission to look out of the port view window. For over two hours now the four ships of the Confederacy fleet had been initiating a strange, unparalleled manoeuvre.

For reasons unknown to the Republic the four ships were carrying out a sort of strange weaving pattern. They would drift purposely from one direction to the other without reproach before suddenly coming to a sudden standstill and then pivoting slightly to glide back in the direction from which they came. At the moment the two fleets were within optimum firing range of the other, with the advantage going to the Separatists owing to their ships possessing forward mounted turrets and cannons.

At that precise moment TS-192 was checking on the status of the fleets trajectory. "Status?"

"All ships at Data point 0248 magnetic sir" the pilot droid responded.

"Right, divert all ships to point 782 magnetic, maintain current altitude and projection!" TS-192 told to the Neimoidian driver of the Vengeful Star. The alien gave his acknowledgement and ever so slowly the Providence class space cruiser began to list slightly to the left. The two Intergalactic Clan Frigates and the Lucrehulk soon mirrored its actions, though at a much slower pace. All the while TS-192's attention had returned back to the Republic Star Destroyers.

"… Can't think what they are doing!" Admiral Namlick shrugged. "We have calculated all possible escape routes and they don't seem to be following any specific patterns so quite what their intentions are I cannot say." A silence followed as the Jedi considered his words. "Do you wish for me to engage them?" Namlick inquired.

"Not, right now Admiral, but thank you. Maintain your current positions and report back to me at regular intervals!" Koth ordered.

Looking partially relieved, partially concerned Admiral Namlick nodded. "Very good sir, unless anything changes, I will make my next report in an hour!" and with that the Admiral cut the transmission.

"Right then, I think the time has come for us to split up as well" Koth said to the Jedi.

"Very well then, I shall head out to Liberty Base at once" said a heavy male voice. The other three Jedi turned to look at Soltark for it was the Devaronian Jedi who had spoken. It had been the first time that the Jedi knight had spoken since his anxious arrival with Master Sashi over an hour ago. "It's a long journey to the Liberty outpost …" the Jedi went on, ignoring the stares from his compadre "So I had better make a start as soon as possible."

"Soltark …" Kolback started to say anxiously, but the Devaronian male cut the Anx off.

"I'll get some scout troopers to accompany me, we'll take the quickest route possible. If your speculation is right Master Koth, Grievous and the Separatists will hopefully wait until dawn or for the rain to subside before they launch their attack. Either way we should hopefully make it to Liberty station before that happens".

"Soltark I appreciate your boldness, but I don't think …" Koth tried to say, but once again the younger Jedi cut off his more experienced associate.

"It's settled then! I will maintain radio silence en-route but will let you know as soon as I get there. Good luck to you my friends". He gave a swift bow and then made his way out of the chamber. The other three Jedi watched him go, each one looking as concerned as they felt. Koth motioned as if to say something but was stopped as Master Sashi brushed past him and tore after the Devaronian Jedi. Instead the Jedi master exchanged a glance with his turquois companion; each one sharing a growing sense of unease for the Devaronian Jedi's safety.

Soltark for his part maintained a sombre, stoic expression, keeping his head bowed as he navigated the long corridor that would lead him out of Shrupak into the outside world. He had made it about half way down this tunnel when Master Sashi finally caught up with him. The human had called his name every step of the way but he had pointedly ignored her. It was only now when her voice drew up parallel to his being and her soft warm hand came to rest gently upon his shoulder, that the Jedi allowed himself to stop.

Yet still the Devaronian could not bring himself to look at his female companion. "Please don't try to stop me Sashi. My mind is made up on this."

The hand tightened slightly upon his shoulder, but only marginally. "I would not be carrying out my duty as a Jedi if I did not speak my concerns. Nor could I bring myself to call you my friend if I did not try to stop you."

A small smile touch the devil like aliens face. "You always did care about other people too much" he said humourlessly. "But I fear this time that your words would be wasted upon me". With a slight rotation of his shoulder muscles he gently shook the woman's hand off of him, but he did not even manage to take one step before she moved in front of him, determined to have her way.

"Then I will shout if necessary but I am not going to let you go until you have heard me out!" She kept her voice quite calm but Soltark could sense the tension behind it, as she reached out and gripped his forearms. "Soltark please I beg you; don't head out to Liberty station. Allow one of the others or myself to go in your steed. If I cannot persuade from heading out to face Grievous then at least travel to Echo or Beta stations where it is relatively safe."

The Devaronian shook his head. "I am sorry Sashi but like I told you, my mind is already made up on this. I want to go to Liberty Base not just to aid the troops, but also take a weight off of your shoulders."

The woman shook her head feverishly, and gripped his arms even tighter. "You don't need to lie to me Soltark for I have come you to know you very well. To well for one such as you to be capable of concealing their true emotions, so please don't attempt to deceive me. I know of the motive which drives you in this endeavour, but that is also the reason why I worry about you. I can sense a great conflict within you Soltark. Your loss causes you great understandable pain and yet your desire to supress that feeling, is making to even worse for you. Your emotions border very close to the dark side. Please, believe me, it is for this reason and that alone that I make this plea for you to stay. You should not gamble with your life like this, not when we are on the verge of a major conflict like this. This is why I plead for you to stay, so that we might help you learn to forgive yourself for a loss that you had no control over, and to take control of your grief before it can destroy you."

Soltark sighed, "I understand what you are saying Sashi, really I do but that is precisely why I must go to Liberty base. Where else am I going to find clarity for what happened to Hurok if not there, the place where Grievous is most likely to attack! In time yes I might learn to forgive myself but right now I need that closure. I need to confront my fears in order to overcome them, and facing Grievous seems like the only viable option left open to me at the moment. Right now to face that cowardly cyborg is all that I desire, and when I speak of doing such it feels right. This is the will of the force, it is my destiny to face Grievous to day I can feel it within my being."

The sincerity of his words drove the female's emotions wild with concern. "This is precisely what I am talking about Soltark, can you not see it? The force may guide you in this mission yes, but the question remains: which side of it? Good and evil exist within all of us Soltark, they are driven by our emotions which in turn dictate our actions. Grief and pain are among the most powerful of those feelings Soltark and they are often weapons utilised by the dark side. They care not who they strike or how deeply but once they have seized a hold of their quarry they never let go. Like poison seeping through the system, they can cloud the vision and judgement to such levels that we fail to grasp the realities around us!"

"So you think I am weakened by my emotions now, do you?" Soltark said furtively, glaring at the woman, which owing to his demon like appearance made him seem more like an angry devil than a slightly annoyed Jedi. "Are you saying that because of my current state that I am incapable of looking after myself out there on the battlefield and that the reason I should is so that others will not have to risk doing it for me?" There was a brief pause between these words, in which Sashi did not flinch but continued to look straight into the eyes of her friend, wishing and willing him to calm down. Finally after a few intense seconds his features relaxed and he seemed to regain control of himself. "I am sorry, Sashi!" he said bashfully, "Sorry I, I shouldn't have said those things".

"No it's ok" she said truthfully, "But this is precisely what I am talking about! You cannot control yourself at the moment, and in the field of battle who is to say where those emotions will take you. One lapse of judgement is more than enough to tip the scales against us, we have seen this plenty of times throughout this war. Especially against a foe like Grievous." At the mention of the cyborg general, Soltark's features contorted into a slight grimace, though only for the faintest of seconds. Sashi picked up on it though and once again her fear and concern for him mounted.

"Listen to me, Soltark please. Grievous is both boastful and arrogant in his approach to battle, but you should never underestimate him for that is only one part of the puzzle. Grievous is also unprecedented, erratic, uncompromising and above all ruthless. He has been well trained in the Jedi arts, and been able to turn our weapon against us upon plentiful occasion despite his lack of sensitivity to the force. It is my opinion that these assets make him the most efficient asset in Dooku's arsenal. Yes he is not invincible and whilst some his actions might be viewed as cowardly, I see them as key strategical moves so as to provide him the opportunity to improve himself and to learn from prior mistakes. Yet there is something more to it here, some larger scheme is at work here on Kalee, much larger than any of us. We do not know why Grievous was sent to here of all places, and with such an understaffed force. Do not fool yourself into thinking this everything though, the size of an army is not everything here, Grievous would not march into battle unless he had a stratagem in mind and one that he was confident would work. He is playing the game differently here and whilst the Yam'rii might be blind to it I for one would hope that someone as strong as you are would not be. This is the work of the dark side, Soltark and I advise you more than anyone to tread carefully from now on, otherwise and it pains me to say this, we might all end up like that cyborg!"

"Sashi …" Soltark said hesitantly, "Sashi please. Let go of me". Another silence ensued as the Devaronian closed his eyes and didn't look at his smaller superior. If the woman had any reaction to this man's ignorance to her words or warnings she did not show it. Her face remained calm and relatively neutral, though she did maintain a small glimpse of unease as her grip slowly slackened before she finally relinquished her hold upon him.

"I understand your concerns and I do appreciate them" the Devaronian told her reassuringly, taking a leaf out of her book and resting a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "I am grateful for this talk Master Sashi, for you have given me much to think about but wish to make it clear to you that this fear of yours is unnecessary. I will not deny my emotions are relatively turbulent at the moment but this is only a temporary measure. I know that for these past few hours I have not been the same person I once was, not since Hurok fell, but that does not mean that I have truly changed. My loyalty is and always has been to the Jedi order and to the Republic. Now, with Hurok gone I have reached a new understanding about both my place within that order and what I must do to truly serve the force. I must strive to do whatever I can to ensure that evil doers such as Grievous may never triumph and to fight the dark side in all its forms, and by whatever means necessary."

The woman's face contorted with grief and once again she looked mournfully into his eyes. "Many's the time throughout our orders history, that Jedi have said those words, yet few have ever remained true to them." She reached out and placed her palm upon his chest, right over the Devaronian's beating heart. "They take the path that they view is noble, yet all it does is lead them into damnation and bring about nothing but ruin. The dark side comes in many shapes and forms, my friend. There is that, which is obvious and demanding like our emotions and fighting styles, but there is also the more subtle approach. That which slowly eats away, and whittles us down until only a hate filled husk is left. It is at that time, when the dark side reaches its zenith that the damage becomes irreversible. When it takes away all that he hold dear, and binds us with hatred and lust, until finally when we regain control … We no longer know who we are anymore".

They looked at each other, neither daring to speak of the concern that they now felt. For what felt like an eternity they just stood there, the words hanging in the air like a dampening mist and the only sound to distract them was that of the distant rumble of thunder outside. Finally Soltark spoke, "Sashi, dawn is fast approaching and if we are to have any hope of winning this coming battle, I have to get going."

"I know …" she said sorrowfully as she took her hand off of him. "I beg you though Soltark, even if I cannot talk you out of going to Liberty, please. Take what I have told you into consideration. Do not let the dark side take a hold of you my friend, or it will consume you!"

The Devaronian who still had his hand resting upon her shoulder, gave it her scapula a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I won't, I promise". The female nodded appreciatively and with this final acknowledgement, she stepped out of the way and made room for him to pass. The Devaronian marched onwards Sashi watching every step, but he had hardly gone six feet when he turned and faced her.

"Hey uhm… May the force be with you Master Sashi."

"With you too Master Soltark" she came the reassuring reply, and with that the two Jedi parted company.

The following morning, Stabolaz Gorge.

"Is everything prepared?" the cybernetic voice inquired. Around him figures stood tall and straight in vast columns around both his flank and rear, whilst those on the front lines were crouched behind flimsy, hastily constructed wooden palisades, that ran the entire length of the gorge. In the centre of this was a small gap, barely large enough for five six people to fit through at anyone time. It was risky leaving an opening like this but was a necessary part of his battle plan.

Other warriors, predominantly snipers stood atop, large wooden platforms that had been nailed and secured into the vast canyon wall rather hastily. Each of these wooden constructs had been built upon Grievous' orders before the Kaleesh departed from their base, and had subsequently been carried many miles to Stabolaz. By the time they had reached the gorge over three and a half hours ago the Separatist army was tired, cold and sore from the long march. Yet the Kaleesh made no complaint nor showed any signs of giving in to their discomfort. Along with a detachment of droids, more than a hundred kolkpravis volunteered to help erect the wooden palisades under Grievous' supervision, meanwhile the rest of the army took a much needed rest. With both speed the defences were erected within an hour granting everyone a small reprieve.

It was still dark, despite the fact that it was now day time. Thick black clouds hung in the air and although the worst of the storm had abated, a light drizzle still descended whipping at the faces of anyone unfortunate enough not to be under cover. This itself was now easing off but had left its mark upon the landscape. The rocky surface of the gorge was slippery and wet, and amongst the rock matrix the clay rich deposits had been transformed into a sticky muddy surface. The Kaleesh, who were used to such conditions again made no comment, and thus far the only complaints came from a lone B1 battle droid, who was unsatisfied with the poultry conditions.

"Oh really" Grievous finally declared when his frustration could take no more. "Well then if you survive this battle remind me to enable you full blown retirement from my service." The droid quivered and made hurried frustrated attempts at an apology, but Grievous (who had already got the droids serial number) turned away uninterested. His Roggwart also turned its gaze away, shaking his head slightly to dislodge irritating raindrops.

Beep, beep, beep. The small noise caught everyone's attention. Reaching down into his belt Grievous extracted the holo-communicator and clicked it one. An image of a B1 battle droid sprang into view. "What is commander?" the cyborg inquired anxiously.

"The troops are in position my Lord" the droid responded. "Everything is set up on my front, all routes and specifications have been matched relevant to your orders".

"That is great, but what about Lord Sk'ar, have he and his forces taken up positions, as I ordered?"

"Affirmative sir" the reply "We had visual contact with Lord Sk'ar's forces less than three parsecs ago. They have taken up concealed positions along the eastern perimeters. All other forces along that station are in standby position and awaiting your order!"

It was time! "Excellent" Grievous said gleefully. "Hold your position commander and remember, whatever happens try to remain as inconspicuous as possible so that the Republic do not see you. Wait for my signal, then commence your attack!"

"Roger, roger …" K6D7 barely had enough time to acknowledge this order when in typical fashion Grievous cut off his transmission early. This time however his move was justified: it was time for the army to get under way, all of it!

Pressing the button one more time a new image propped into view, that of a T series tactical droid. "Lord Grievous!" TS-192 stood to attention as he saw the image of his commandeering chief.

"I take it from the fact that you are transmitting all is well up there Captain?" the cyborg decided to quickly double check all liabilities, before he went rushing into things. Again his subordinate nodded and provided a brief relevant report. "Yes my Lord, the stratagem is working perfectly. The Republic ships maintain optimum firing range for our cruisers, yet thus far have refused to engage us."

"Excellent my stratagem is working perfectly" Grievous chuckled jubilantly before pausing to let off a small series of wet wheezing coughs. "To business then!" he proclaimed after his recovery. "All is set down here Captain. Remember use any means necessary to capture or destroy as many of those ships as possible. If all goes well, everything should proceed accordingly. You may attack when ready!"

"Yes my Lord" TS-192 acknowledged with a nod. Grievous cut the transmission and the droid turned back to the control panel. Pressing a button on the terminal he spoke clearly and audibly over the ships sound system "TS-192 to all stations maintain standby status. All units prepare to engage the upon my command!"

Meanwhile on the planet below, Grievous stowed the holo-terminal away, re-attaching the now deactivated device to his belt buckle. One of the cyborgs six digit hands then reached into the recesses of his cloak and drew out the silver hilt of a lightsaber. Activating the devices blue bladed weapon, Grievous tugged on the reigns of his steed causing the beast to let out a long piercing shriek. Somehow over the noise the cyborgs shout was still heard, by all around him. "With me!" Grievous proclaimed before with a kick to the flank and the crack of the reins he urged the Roggwart forward.

The battle of Stabolaz Gorge began this way, with the Separatists making the first move. It was Grievous who rode at the forefront of the army, leading his troops honourably by example. Yet as he strode forward in the general direction of his quarries command post, only a small portion of his army dared to follow him. Magna Guards trudged alongside, whilst STAP's buzzed forwards to cover the front lines as six or seven squadrons of thirty battle droids, mainly of B1 and B2 design fanned out to form the core section of the advancing unit. The rest, kolkpravis and other droids hung back, none daring to move from his station more making any advance to join in with the fray. Yet Grievous did not notice this, he continued to advance, one hand clutched tightly onto the reigns of his Roggwart, the other gripping the now sizzling lightsaber tightly. His gaze was straight ahead and there was a vicious glint in cyborgs golden eyes.

Meanwhile high above the Separatists were about to make their first move in the space battle too. Yet the Republic were none the wiser

Under Namlick's supervision the Republic fleet had now formed up to form what was known as a multiple launch formation. This process involved the four ships forming a concentric diamond shape, like the four points of a compass, and was designed to implement maximum firing capabilities whilst also ensuring as much protection as possible to all cruisers.

A top the main bridge of the fleets flagship, which was positioned at the most northern end of the ships formation, Admiral Namlick stood arms behind his back, gazing out of the front view window, watching the Separatist fleet close by. He grimaced and clicked his tongue, biting his lower lip slightly. "At it again" he whispered to himself as he now watched the four hostile crafts initiate another sharp manoeuvre aimed to port side this time. "All this time, we've been in optimum firing range and yet they refuse to take a shot. What are they doing?"

"Everything alright sir?" The voice belonged to clone soldier fully armed and set out in battle armour. The reason for this clone troopers presence was that he was one of the main fleets battle marines, an elite unit of clone troopers trained to maintain presence on board stationary Star Destroyers. It was there job to ensure the safety of everyone by dealing with any low reign security issues, whilst also defending the ship from any invading forces. There were currently about five hundred of these men stationed across every sector of the Republics battle fleet, though there had been more of them, prior to the invasion of Kalee.

"What!" Admiral Namlick snapped to attention as he was brought out of his trance. "Oh, ah" he chuckled as he saw who it was, "Oh uhm, nothing captain just caught me talking to myself, that's all. At ease soldier".

"Right sir" the clone trooper said slowly, following his commanders gaze. "Still no change in their pattern?"

"As always, no matter how many times we follow them it's the same thing". They stood watching as the Separatist ships formed the second stage of their battle manoeuvre, if that was even what it was first the Lucrehulk zoomed overhead taking up position relative to their own star ships topmost battle cruiser. After that the three remaining ships would subsequently form up to form a geometric line right underneath its position, with the two Muunulist ships maintaining situation upon either side of the units flanks, whilst the Lucrehulk took up position in the dead centre of the formation. All this action ensured that whilst one ship was changing position so as move relative to its new destination the other three ships were on standby, ready and waiting to attack should the Republic dare to fire first.

Yet Namlick remained true to his order, watching and waiting himself trying to decipher what exactly his enemy was up to. Finally after many hours of non-stop watching the Admiral was becoming bored and his attention along with that of his crew was starting to waver. Now after standing in front of the windshield for more than half an hour the Admirals patience could take no more.

"Well, that will do. I don't know about you son but frankly I have no desire to watch these clankers put on another stage of this display show."

"Couldn't agree more sir" the clone trooper replied, speaking through his helmet. The pair turned their backs and began to march onwards towards the ships aft section, stopping only so that Namlick could give his report to a clone worker. "Maintain watch on the ships, give me regular reports please."

"Yes sir" the clone replied, and with that the group set about focusing on other work they felt demanded their attention.

Meanwhile back at the Separatist fleet the Lucrehulk was now manoeuvring slightly into position. Still tilted slightly to port the ship began to straighten up and levitate slightly to regain altitude with the rest of the fleet. Aboard the bridge of the Vengeful Star, a buzz of excitement seem to fill the air. Droid pilots worked rapidly at terminals ensuring that the ships vital systems and armaments were primed in working order. B1 battle droid marines, the Separatists equivalent to the Republics clone marines, stood anxiously nearby waiting for direction, and TS-192 maintained position close to the ships main driver.

"We are levelling out sir" the Neimoidian told his commander, "Position 159, reference G48 JV9 magnetic sir. All systems read A ok."

"Have all ships armaments brought online. Tell all stations to remain on standby" TS-192 declared, not taking his eyes off of the face view window.

A few seconds later the Neimoidian responded, "Weapons armed and ready Captain. All ships moving to standby status."

"Excellent. Tell them to maintain current trajectories, concentrate all fire upon the nearest Star Destroyers bow divisions. Follow up with a second volley fire aimed at the ships aft section".

The Neimoidian nodded, and set about relaying his orders. A few parsecs later a series of small bleeps, and flashing red lights across his computer screen gave him the response he had been waiting for. "All ships reporting in Sir, target acquired!"

"Standby!" The crew held its breath, or at least the sentient's did, as TS-192 raised his left arm slowly. Never taking his eyes off of the Republic fleet the tactical droid did not stop until he had brought his hand up to a right angle. Then clenching his fist he flexed his arm downwards as he finally gave the command. "Open fire!"

The response was a series of loud BANG's as at once the Separatist ships brought their armaments to life at last. Long range ion cannons and turbo laser offensives blazed into action, launching a wave of projectiles upon the nearest enemy. The missiles cut across the entirety of the Star Destroyers bow section, its shields rippling hard across its surface as it tried to maintain the barrage of fire power. But against such an onslaught there was only so much that shields could do and many of the quickly failed.

It was only then that the real impact of the onslaught was felt, as the laser fire cut across the ship's prow section. The impact of such a force was so strong it caused the ship to shake across its aft section. A series of explosions lit up the night sky surrounding it like a series of exploding suns. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in close proximity to the blast radius was quickly engulfed and consumed, whilst anybody else lucky enough to escape the blast was thrown off of his feet by the ensuing shockwaves. Many was the cry of pain and surprise that echoed across the ships dorsal section.

The attack so sudden and unexpected that it took everyone in the Republic fleet by surprise! Warnings flashed across screens, alarms echoed out across the entirety of the ships command and on board the flag ship, Admiral Namlick rushed back onto the bridge, clone marines hot on his heels.

"WHAT IN BLAZES WAS THAT?!" he shouted as he ran to the ships prow section to get a better look for himself. From there he could see the fire for himself, and the damage that had been wrought upon the ships under his command. "Oh my gosh, get me Captain Warren of the Endeavour lines immediately". Captain Warren was the acting commander of Star Destroyer Endeavour, the ship that had just been hit. Confident that the other commanders would take the necessary actions to prevent the same thing from happening to their own cruisers, Admiral Namlick stuck to the old time traditions of checking upon his wounded comrade, determined not to leave any man behind as long as he could help it.

Little did he know TS-192 would not provide him with that chance. "Launch simultaneous fire against the crippled Star Destroyer, take it out of action" he told the Neimoidian pilot. "Launch all droid fighters; they are to engage all enemies on sight. Inform Rogue squadron to belay that order and head down to the planet surface, the Kaleesh require their assistance. Instruct all remaining fighters to concentrate fire upon the ships auto turret defences and life support systems. T ell the cruisers to pick their targets and fire accordingly and divide up that fleet, General Grievous wants no survivors!"

On board the Vengeful Stars aft section, legions of Vulture droids clung to the Lucrehulk's outer casing like tics to a host. Now as the orders were relayed to them via their internal systems, they buzzed excitedly to each other.

"KOSHI YA ACT NO E, NAH!" one shouted excitedly to the others, and as one the Vulture droids kicked off from the ground. Locking into attack position they streamed across the sky, and were soon joined by other Vulture droids and Tri fighters, making their way out of the Lucrehulk and Providence Class Destroyers hanger bays. As they formed up into cohorts one droid fighter cried out, "ACHNE AH. ACK TOO E" and spinning off to port he and selection of other droid fighters panned off away from the main line. This unit of ten vulture droids fanned out and began to make way towards the planet below with all haste. Meanwhile the rest of their companions continued onwards unabated. Weaving in and out of formation the droids made haste with all speed, whilst also compensating and making room for the barrage of fire power that followed in their wake.

Amide the gale of alarms and incoming reports, Admiral Namlick still managed to hear his fellow commanders report. "Life support structures have sustained massive damage Admiral" Captain Warren cried over the intercom, which whittled in and out of existence. "Fires reported acros – ix levels. Maintence crews report [static] launch control is out, [static] ..n't launch our fighters. Pulmonary [image flickers, inaudible high pitched frequency] failing. Second division AGH!" The Captain was last seen throwing up his hands to shield himself, and then the image died. Meanwhile the sound of an ominous explosion filled the air around them, in such close proximity that it made the Star Destroyer rattle. Men were thrown off their feet and computers died briefly before springing back to life.

As men struggled to get the ship back to standby status, the communications team tried desperately to regain contact with the Endeavour. "Captain Warren? Do you copy, over?"

"There's no point son" Admiral Namlick said quietly, resting his hand upon the clones soldier. "They must have been blown out of the sky".

"Admiral, we've got droid fighters closing in!" clones voice rang out. Seconds later a barrage of laser fire cut across the bridges prow section as droid star fighters filled up across the view point. Weapons discarding the Vulture droids and Tri fighters threw themselves into the thick of things as green laser fire meet their red ones, as the Star Destroyers auto turret defences sprang into action.

Admiral Namlick was quick to respond. "Well don't just stand there, man your battle stations" he commanded as he marched towards the bridges prow window. He kept his gaze forwards staring out into the black recesses of space at the enemy that had now dared to engage him, noticing how the cruisers hung back whilst the droid star fighters flew in ready to engage their own cruisers in close proximity. "Order all Republic cruisers to fan out and form up along our flanks. We are charging in there, wedge formation, so divert all available power to forward shields and get our long range turrets online so that we might return fire!"

Reaching the interface that lay directly opposite the forward screen Namlick smashed his fist against the control switch that gave him direct contact to the rest of the ship. "ADMIRAL NAMLICK TO ALL HANDS, BATTLE STATIONS, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ALL TURRET CREWS TAKE UP POSITION IMMEDIATELY. ALL REMAINING PILOTS DEVIATE FROM STANDBY STATUS, REPORT TO YOUR FIGHTERS ON THE DOUBLE!"

Across there was a hasty harrowing of action, as men already struggled to carry out their masters instructions. Clone pilots rushed off in vast teams towards the ships hanger bays whilst clone troopers rushed past them in the other direction to aid in the armament of the ships laser turret defence batteries. Across the hangers clone engineers rushed hurriedly, trying desperately to disconnect fuel pipes, carry out the last few inspections or else insure that the pilots R Series Astrodroids were secured properly. Pilots already ready, launched the fighters into the fray without hesitation. Soon dozens of Republic ETA interceptors, ARC and V Wing fighters had rushed out to meet their Separatist counterparts head on, with dozens more ships bringing up the rear.

Meanwhile the trio of remaining Star Destroyers began to surge forward ready to meet the Fleet of Rightful Conquest head on in a close quarter fight. They left the still burning husk of what had once been the Endeavour in their wake, but right now they had more important things to worry about than the fate of their fallen comrades. Right now Admiral Namlick's priority was to deny the Separatists any chance of repeating that same action, and ensure the survival of his own men.

In no time at all the triad of Star Destroyers closed the distance between the two fleets and with their long range turrets now sufficiently in range they responded in kind, launching an array of fire against the Separatist onslaught. "Keep firing men!" Admiral Namlick called discerningly to his men, "Show them no quarter!"

Meanwhile on the planet below.

"KEEP FIRING MEN. SHOW THEM NO QUARTER!" The cry came from Commander Conan as he and his squad of clone troopers endured yet another volley of fire. Clone and Yam'rii soldiers from all across Liberty surged forwards anxious to repel the mechanical menace that had finally dared to show his face.

Across the front rank clones, droids and Yam'rii fell in droves under a barrage of fire power, as blasters and carbines expended shells rapidly and thick waves of red and blue blaster bolts shot across the battlefield, as numerous and vast as the rain falling around them. Yet still the fight went on.

The scene was one of complete and utter chaos, it was a wonder that anyone could understand anybody amid the vast cacophony of noise. The clone troopers and Yam'rii soldiers did their best but for all every droid that they slew another one quickly emerged to take his place. The large turrets that the Republic forces and instilled to hold off droid star fighters and any other air borne menaces that the Kaleesh sat back were currently standing idly. Unsuited for the close quarter fighting such as this, they had been abandoned temporarily less the Republic inflict casualties amongst their own troops.

Even so the small field turrets that had been placed across Liberty's southern wall were really paying off. With but a single trooper required to man them, and with other warriors standing by in reserve, ready to take up his place, less the droids get in a lucky shot, these small armaments were cutting down the droids in droves, taking down several of the walking scrap piles in but a few short seconds. What was more the Republic's advantages in numbers was really starting to take its toll, on the Separatists, who for some odd reason just did not seem to be able to match the speed and demands for every man they lost.

Never the less this did not mean that the droids were completely out of the woods yet. Despite the heavy amount of casualties they had taken, the battle droids showed no mercy. Even as more of them were cut down they continued to rain fire and death down upon their foes and soon there were clusters of dead and dying clones lying across the battle field, whilst Yam'rii shriek in pain and outcry as they sustained fatal injuries. The six Magna Guards who had dared to accompany the unit were really making their mark felt. Shrugging off fire power that would easily kill their weaker counterparts the combat droids charged heedlessly into the front ranks, with no regard for their own lives, they were soon found cutting through into the Republics ranks. The STAP's zoomed in and out above the clone troopers heads, launching a vast array of turret fire into the fray. In the cramped conditions and the narrow pathways that made up the entrance to Liberty station it was almost impossible for these nimble little crafts to miss.

What was more at the back of the fray, in close proximity to the cliff face where the droids were coming from Grievous himself urged his warriors on. He wasn't just standing idly by however, utilising his skills with a lightsaber and his knowledge of Soresu, the droid General was using his skills to deflect incoming blaster fire. Though he could not deflect them owing to his lack of force sensitivity, Grievous was doing a great job at intercepting a lot of the incoming fire directed at him upon his lightsaber blade. This allowed he cyborg General to maintain a relatively calm collective vigil as he surveyed the results of the battlefield that played out around him. His Roggwart on the other hand whose thick hide and heavy armour already shielded him from the worst of the blaster fire could do nothing but shriek and whine as the strained tightness on his reigns indicated that Grievous wished for him to remain stationary.

At the forefront of the Republic minds, Soltark Romalta was able to use the force to utilise the full concepts of Soresu to its mightiest effect. Swinging his lightsaber blue lightsaber gracefully from one angle to the next he was able to the intercept incoming fire, before willing the force to deflect the projectiles back upon its owner. Yet still the Separatist forces did not break as yet more troops marched through the gap and started to throw themselves into the fray. All the while yet more clone troopers and Yam'rii continued to arrive also from all of across Liberty, only now they brought even more fire power with them. The sound of speeder bikes and the ominous clank, clank of AT-RT walkers could be heard growing louder as the Republic tried to bring them into the fray.

With all this fire power it was just a matter of time until one side relented. The only question was who would it be? Although they were separated by a distance of just a few dozen feet, both Grievous and Soltark Romalta appeared to share a common goal; that neither of them would be the first to let his troops relent. Both commanders knew that this conflict was but the first stage of a much larger battle that had yet to follow and knew from experience that for whichever side relented, the warrant of such an action would most likely come back to haunt them with a vengeance!

"KEEP GOING YOU DOGS!" Grievous shouted over the din, jabbing his lightsaber in the direction of the Republic foes. "SHOW THESE SOULESS BUGS AND THEIR ALLIES WHAT IT MEANS TO TRADE BLOWS WITH THE CONFEDARCY OF INDEPENDENT SYSTEMS. MARCH ON TO VICTORY!" So it was that at Grievous words that the droids renewed their efforts and tried to recommence their efforts of a fresh advance.

Yet amid Republic lines, Soltark Romalta offered words of encouragement to his forces too. "HOLD POSITIONS MEN" he cried, as both he and his men continued to unwaveringly face in the incoming barrage of fire power. "LET US SHOW THESE PESKY DROID CONTRAPTIONS WHY IT IS THAT EVIL WILL NEVER TRIUMPH IN THE FACE OF RIGHTSEOUSNESS AND HONOUR. GRIEVOUS THINKS HE CAN WIN AGAINST US WITH HIS SMALL BAND OF BATTLE DROIDS, WELL I SAY LET US GIVE HIM A LESSON HE WILL NEVER FORGET. LET US SHOW HIM WHAT TRULY MEANS TO BE AMONGST THOSE WHO FIGHT FOR THE REPUBLIC!" And with a chorus of cheers at his back, the clone and Yam'rii soldiers continued to renew their efforts as well.

At the moment both sides were equal in their resolve. The fight was merely started and only time would tell which side would prove to be the victor. As the clones and Yam'rii soldiers continued to open fire, Grievous repeatedly jabbed his lightsaber in their direction ordering his forces forward. Grievous still mounted upon his Roggwart, tugged tightly upon his steeds reigns. As the cyborg gave yet another harrowing command, the beast rose upwards until it stood almost upright, with its arms splayed outwards showing off its mighty claws. As he looked up at the sky Grievous' steed unleashed a mighty roar! One that echoed above the sounds of the battle raging on around him as signification that this conflict was far from over!

End of Chapter 5

Well there we go. I hope you enjoyed it.

Once again I am pleased about the change in plans because this now means I can focus on the battle itself. The only question remains now, who is going to win?

You'll just have to wait and see but please feel free to comment.

Don't forget to R&R

Chapter 6 coming soon.