Welcome to the fourth chapter of Unexpected Places. Last chapter, Admiral Vlanc was promoted to Moff of the Auril sector and is now in command of the 18th Solar Corps, the same group of clones who attempted to kill Jedi Knight Vrax. What happens next? Read on to find out! Without further ado, I hope that you enjoy the following story, please remember to review and finally...thanks for reading!
On the Harbinger, Moff Vlanc was admiring what had once been the personal starfighter of Jedi Knight, Alyss Vrax: The Mirialan's Eye. As Clone Marshal Commander Corona had said, it had indeed been painted in the colours of the Republic. The ship was bright red, with the exception of the wings, which had alternating green and blue triangles on them; representing lightsabers. On the right wing was the symbol of the Galactic Republic, while on the left was the emblem of the 18th Solar Corps, a violet sun. Vlanc was startled to realise that this was the first time he had seen the ship up close.
"Magnificent..." Vlanc murmured as he placed a hand on the side of the vessel.
He remembered when he had first set foot on Murkhana, what seemed like a lifetime ago. As he stepped off of the Harbinger, he had turned to Captain Starkblast in order to make a request.
"Captain, before I leave my old ship, may I ask for a small favour?"
"Of course, Moff Vlanc. So long as it is in my power, I shall do so." Starkblast had replied.
"Good. I would like to have one of the droids who serve aboard this ship, to serve as a memento of my time aboard it. Can you do that for me, Captain?" Vlanc had asked.
Starkblast had seemed puzzled by this request, but after a brief pause, he hesitantly nodded "I believe that I can spare a droid for you, sir. One moment, I shall find one suitable for you."
A few minutes later, a silver plated R2 unit with black and white trimming was rolling towards Vlanc.
"Moff Vlanc, this is R2-E7. His records inform me that he is a very reliable and competent droid. He is perfect for your needs." Starkblast had informed Vlanc.
Vlanc nodded, remembering passing the droid a few times in the corridors of the ship "Thank you, Captain. You have my gratitude. Come along, Eseven, we have much work to do."
As Vlanc had walked off, the astromech droid followed closely behind him, making the odd whistle or beeping sound as it did so.
From his citadel, Vlanc had been able to see a great deal of Murkhana City. It was certainly an impressive view. Still, Vlanc had felt somehow incomplete and restless. Thinking that it had been perhaps because he was no longer serving in the Navy, Vlanc had decided to return to the Harbinger, under the pretence of a shipboard inspection. Still, Vlanc did not feel satisfied. Remembering what Corona had said, Vlanc had decided to see the Jedi's ship for himself.
"Indeed, truly magnificent..." Vlanc murmured as he gazed at the ship.
Seeing the ship and remembering the Jedi who had served aboard the vessel, Vlanc realised that the restless feeling was dissipating. He fondly recalled his experience with the Mirialan Jedi and her Master, the Arcona, Kodu Terrafin, as well as the other Jedi that Vlanc had served alongside. He remembered seeing her flying prowess during the Battle of Garnib, where General Vrax had downed a considerable number of Vulture droids. During the Battle of Ooo-Sek, Vlanc had personally fought alongside the Jedi who had been sent to recapture it; General Vrax had been among them. Vlanc frowned when he remembered Ooo-Sek. That had been an absolute massacre; seven Jedi and countless clone troopers had lost their lives at the hands of the Horror of Hypori, the Butcher of Belderone. Vlanc ceased to think of these distant memories and hoped that wherever she was, she was safe.
"Lord Vlanc? I hate to disturb you, but you're needed planetside." A young ensign by the name of Farador Walker said as he approached the Moff.
"What is it this time?" A weary Vlanc asked.
"Sir, the Corporate Alliance Headquarters are currently under siege. The Corporate Alliance refuses to yield to your forces." Walker replied.
"But the droid armies are deactivated, how can they resist us?" Vlanc asked, remembering that he had yet to work out what to do with all the deactivated droid forces which littered the streets of Murkhana City.
"Well, that is true for the majority sir. However, the ones being used by the Corporate Alliance Holdout in the Argente Tower are running on a different signal, hence why these ones are still up and fighting. In addition to this, they are using Koorivar Fusiliers in conjunction with vehicles of their own design, such as Corporate Alliance Heavy Artillery tanks and Heavy Energy Pummels." Walker explained.
Vlanc nodded "Tell my shuttle to prepare for my departure. I shall be down momentarily." Vlanc paused before he added "Oh, and get a crew down here. I wish to have this ship taken to my citadel."
Walker cocked his head to the side in puzzlement "Sir? The Captain might not take too kindly to that. He wanted the ship to be destroyed because it belongs to "Jedi scum"." Walker said, mimicking Captain Starkblast.
"Well, I outrank the Captain and I wish to have the ship." Vlanc said as he stared the ensign down.
"Very good, sir, I'll have someone take care of it right away." Walker said, making to walk off before Vlanc stopped him.
"Ensign?" Vlanc called out.
Walker stopped and turned to face his superior "Yes, sir? Is there something else you require?"
"Just a simple question, ensign, and then you can be on your way. Do you believe that the Jedi are traitors to the Empire?" Vlanc asked.
Ensign Walker's eyes darted back and forth, as if someone was listening in on the pair "Why, sir, Emperor Palpatine himself said that-"
Vlanc broke in and cut him off "I don't care what Palpatine says, I want to know what you think."
Walker glanced around nervously, before he made his reply in a hushed whisper "No, sir, I don't. It just seems so sudden and absurd. The Jedi defended the Republic, how could they go and betray like that? I don't doubt Palpatine, but surely there must have been some kind of misunderstanding! Perhaps there was some kind of coup within the Jedi Order, but I simply cannot believe that they are all our enemies."
Vlanc nodded "Thank you, ensign. You may go now."
As Vlanc turned to walk back to his ship, the ensign called out "Sir? What do you believe?"
Without turning around or breaking stride, Vlanc answered: "Very much the same thing, ensign!"
When Vlanc touched down outside of the ArgenteTower, he had been expecting his forces to face perhaps a number of B1 infantry battle droids. Instead, he was face to face with quite a number of NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers. Even as they were butchering the stormtroopers that were under his command, Vlanc could not help but admire their sheer power. Whatever clones were avoiding their blaster fire or concussion missiles; they were crushing under their treads. Complimenting them were a number of Heavy Artillery tanks, who were bombing the stormtroopers from afar and slow moving Energy Pummels, who were cutting through the Imperial vehicles like butter, safely protected from blaster fire by thick armour. Alongside them were the organic foot soldiers of the Corporate Alliance, the Koorivar Fusiliers. The stormtroopers meanwhile, were limited to infantry and a handful of All Terrain Attack Pods and a mere two All Terrain Tactical Enforcers.
As he fired at a Heavy Artillery tank, Corona looked up to see Vlanc walking towards him and did an immediate double take.
"Sir, when I requested your presence, I meant for you to go to your citadel. It's too dangerous for you here!" Corona exclaimed as Vlanc ducked behind him.
"Nonsense, this won't be my first ground based battle, Commander. Now, tell me about the situation." Vlanc said calmly as he pulled out a blaster pistol.
"It's problematic, to say the least, sir. The droids and the Koorivar have us heavily outgunned. We're waiting for artillery support, but it could take a while for them to get here. By that time, we'll probably all have been slaughtered." Corona muttered bitterly as he reloaded his DC-15A blaster rifle.
"And what of the building itself, Commander?" Vlanc asked as he gazed at the imposing structure of the Argente Tower, which loomed over them.
"The walls are ray shielded and have a number of turbolaser turrets attached. I must say, they're well prepared for a siege." Corona acknowledged somewhat reluctantly.
"It really is quite impressive..." Vlanc murmured to himself.
"Yes, and they're wiping out our forces!" Corona pointed out.
"If we could take control of forces like that, we'd gain significant firepower. Attacks like these would be sure to decrease." Vlanc said as he observed a line of droids smash through a fortified barrier that the clones had constructed.
"Well, why don't you take that up with whoever's in charge when we kick his door down and drag him out?" Corona suggested as he stood up and effortlessly gunned down three Koorivar soldiers as they approached their position.
"So, what do you suggest then?" Vlanc asked as he similarly rose and fired at a Fusilier as he reloaded his weapon.
"At this rate we're going to have to order a retreat and bomb the damn building from orbit. It's only way to be sure." Corona said as he threw a LXR-6 concussion grenade at one of the droid enforcers, which seemed to do very little damage.
"Bomb it? If we did that we'd risk high civilian casualties!" Vlanc exclaimed.
Corona shrugged "True, but they'd just be Koorivar. They allied with the damn Seppies; it's not really much of a loss."
Vlanc's blood boiled in anger "I will not order such an action! I don't care if the Corporate Alliance Holdout marches out and takes my citadel, I will not run the risk of murdering civilians!"
"We're losing men at a rapid pace, if we don't take care of this insurrection now, it may inspire others to rebel!" Corona exclaimed.
"I am your Commanding Officer, clone! My rank far surpasses yours!" Vlanc shouted.
Corona snarled "So, it's going to be like that, is it...Sir?"
Before Vlanc could make his reply, a loud explosion rang out as a Heavy Artillery tank fired on a nearby position, sending dozens of stormtroopers flying in the air, their bodies broken. The enforcer droids quickly rushed in for the kill while the clones were disoriented. What few vehicles were left were soon destroyed when the Energy Pummels swept in and began to break them down.
"Stang!" Corona cursed before activating his com-link "All forces pull back! They're gaining too much ground!"
At that, a number of LAAT/i pulled in to evacuate the surviving clones from the area. Turbolaser and artillery fire ripped through the air, downing a number of the escape craft. Corona and Vlanc rushed to get aboard the closest transport, a LAAT with a needler crab firing a missile painted on the side. As the Cluster Crab and other LAAT pulled away from the battle, the enforcer droids, vehicles and Koorivar began to retreat back to the Corporate Alliance Headquarters in the Argente Tower, packed tightly together into defensive positions.
"It would seem that they know they cannot hope to retake Murkhana." Vlanc noted.
"No, but they'll dig in and defend this building to the last man." Corona muttered sullenly.
"I must admit, I do somewhat admire their resolve. Surely they know that they cannot win in the long run?" Vlanc said.
"No, but we'll suffer heavy casualties, especially since you won't authorise orbital bombardment." Corona said, the resentment heavy in his voice.
"There other ways to win a battle, Commander, you'll see." Vlanc reassured the clone as the Cluster Crab retreated to a safe distance.
"Sir, the Imperial forces have retreated." Head of Security, Colonel Leosa Vantare reported, standing proud in his red armour and metal boots, his blaster rifle slung over his shoulder, barrel still smoking, having recently seen combat. A scar ran over his right eye, having lost it in the Battle of Boomis Koori IV, what remained had been replaced by an electronic patch.
"Excellent. They are wise not to prolong the siege; they would have been crushed otherwise." Acting Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance on Murkhana, Shand Essil replied as he stood over the balcony and watched the stormtroopers scamper off to lick their wounds.
"But how long can we hold out? They will bring heavy artillery and siege weaponry. Not even our forces can hold out against that kind of firepower." Leosa said, shuddering at the thought of weaponry such as the Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery.
"Our show of force will have certainly made them desperate. However, I suspect that we will be reinforced long before times become desperate." Shand said.
"But we have received no word from Passel Argente or any other members of the Separatist Council! Grievous and Dooku are dead and the majority of our forces have been deactivated! From who will we receive reinforcements?" Leosa questioned.
"Calm yourself, Colonel. We are not the only Separatists to still defy the Imperials. I know the Trade Federation is unhappy with the threat of being dissolved, they will surely fight back. On Geonosis, the battle droids run on a separate signal and will continue to function. Why, there is even a large cache of battle droids and weaponry on Mygeeto, just waiting for someone to claim it!" Shand reassured his second in command.
"And if we are not reinforced? What then, sir?" Leosa asked.
Shand shrugged "Then we shall work something out, I assure you. The Corporate Alliance shall not fall to this so called Galactic Empire, no. We will survive this threat and thrive!"
Leosa was uncertain, but in the end, his loyalty to his employer won out "My Fusiliers are at your disposal, sir. We will fight to the bitter end."
Shand smiled, his yellow eyes twinkling "Excellent, Colonel. Now, why don't we take this lull in the fighting as an opportunity to come up with some strategies to repel future attacks? Perhaps fortify and expand our territory? The Imperials did not beat us now and we will continue to ensure that they never do!"
On the planet of Pypin, deep within Wild Space, the Jedi and a small group of Antarian Rangers were searching for information. Accompanying Alyss Vrax and Bdaris Telnari were two Codru-Ji, Talia and Io, the Kel Dor Poe Tac, the Tarnab Ailan Hel-For, the Menahuun known as Suka, the Krish Sig Salza and the Zygerrian Drum Uspid. In order to avoid notice, the Antarian Rangers had shed their usual leather jackets in favour of civilian clothing. The Jedi meanwhile, had adapted in other ways. Bdaris wore the helmet of the late Ubese bounty hunter Sadix to conceal his face. Alyss, on the other hand was trying to pass herself as a Mikoan, using a set of goggles to cover her orange eyes, a scarf to cover the tattoos on her face and a set of black gloves to conceal the ones on her hand.
"Very inconspicuous." Talia had muttered sarcastically.
"Best I can do short of using Jedi mind tricks on everyone we come across." Alyss said with a shrug.
The group was attempting to find any information on surviving Jedi and their possible locations.
"Any luck?" Bdaris asked Ailan as he and Suka came within earshot.
The Tarnab shook his head "There's not a lot of information out here regarding the Jedi. This planet missed all the action."
"Yeah, real shame that." Suka said as he rolled his gigantic eyes.
"We didn't have much success either," Io said as he and Talia approached "There have been rumours of a Jedi hiding out somewhere in the Bothan Sector, but they seem to be just that, rumours."
"The Imperials don't seem too interested in searching for this rumoured Jedi. That makes the claim somewhat dubious." Talia added.
Drum and Alyss walked up "Anything?" Bdaris asked.
The pair simply shook their heads.
Just as the group was about to give up any hope, Sig and Poe came into sight.
"We have discovered a potential lead." Poe whispered to the assembled Jedi and Rangers.
"Yes? Go on." Bdaris prompted.
"There was a Jedi Master on Acherin. He was in the process of negotiating with a bunch of Separatists when the clones betrayed him. There's been no official word on it, but apparently, the Jedi managed to escape with the help of the Seppies." Sig explained.
Alyss and Bdaris exchanged eager glances. Another Jedi, especially a Jedi Master could greatly aid them in restoring the Jedi Order if he were to be found and rescued. Not to mention the added advantage of having someone of his wisdom and power around.
"We'd best get back to the ship then, no use in hanging around here. Not exactly safe, is it? Corporate Sector's practically working for the Imperials now." Io said, looking around nervously.
"Let them come, see how much good it does them..." Talia said, a wicked grin on her face as she made to take out a blaster pistol.
"Ahem, guys? There's something you should see..." Drum said, clearing his throat and pointing to a nearby wall.
Being put up were a number of wanted posters. All of them concerning Jedi. There were apparently a number of them still on the run. Aside from the four surviving council members, there was Rahm Kota, Olee Starstone, Kazdan Paratus, the Dark Woman, Garen Muln, Beyghor Sahdett, Tholme and others.
And one in particular caught Bdaris' attention.
Bdaris' eyes widened in shock when he saw him on the poster. He was sure that he had been killed when Order 66 had been initiated, sure of it!
"Well, it seems more Jedi survived than the Imperials would have liked." Poe noted.
"Certainly seems that way." Sig agreed "If we can find even a few of them..."
Suddenly, a shadow passed over the group, causing them all to turn to see what had caused it.
"Whoa!" A stunned Drum exclaimed, his eyes wide.
"That's a lot of firepower..." Talia said.
"I don't believe it." Sig murmured.
Looming over the nearby shipyard was a massive Recusant- class light destroyer, completely blotting out the sun.
"What is that doing here?" An edgy Talia asked.
"A possible Separatist Holdout?" Sig offered.
"Unlikely, look, you can see that the Separatist Roundel has been replaced with the Corporate Sector logo." Poe noted, pointing it out.
Overhearing them, a Corporate Sector security official walked up "I see you're admiring the Corporate Sector's latest purchase."
"Where did you acquire such a vessel?" Bdaris asked, grateful that his helmet disguised his voice, making it sound synthetic.
"It was bought from the Galactic Empire, along with seven others of its kind. It seems that we're going to be expanding our business soon. With weapons like that, it'll sure be easy!" The security official chuckled at that, before walking off.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Perhaps we should get back to the ship?" Io offered.
As the group walked off, Talia took one last gaze at the ship "Kriffing lucky CS goons, getting all the heavy weaponry..."
"Talia, let's go!" Ailan shouted out "You can leer at the ship when we leave!"
On Murkhana, Vlanc and Corona were in Vlanc's fortress, planning on how to best the Corporate Alliance Holdouts.
"If we bring in the V-Wing starfighters to distract their turbolaser turrets, we can follow up by bringing in our AV-7 Antivehicle Cannons to deal with their enforcer droids and Energy Pummels. " Vlanc said as he studied a holographic image of Argente Tower.
"We run the risk of high casualties if we do that." Corona noted discouragingly.
Vlanc sighed "I know, those Q7-series astromech droids are expensive."
Corona bristled "I was talking about the clone pilots!"
Vlanc shrugged and tried to seem as casual as possible, in order to purposely offend the clone "From there, we can hammer their artillery pieces with our AT-TEs. When that happens, negotiations begin."
"Negotiations? With a bunch of Seppies?" An outraged Corona asked.
"They have something I want, Commander. I will ensure that I acquire it." Vlanc said, staring into the eyes of the stormtrooper opposite him.
"Why don't we just carpet bomb the area with our BTL-B Y-wing starfighters?" Corona questioned as his anger mounted.
"Commander, these orders will be carried out to my exact specifications because I want the building to be intact when I see it. Because I want the leader of this little rebellion alive and because I want to do this with as few Koorivar casualties as possible." Vlanc said, glaring at Corona.
Corona sputtered in sheer disbelief "You want to spare those Separatist scum?-! You're a Separatist sympathiser!" Corona cried out in outrage as he pulled out a blaster pistol and aimed it squarely at Vlanc's head.
Vlanc calmly stared down the clone "Let me assure you, Commander, that I am by no means a Separatist sympathiser. However, those Corporate Alliance thugs have something that I wish to acquire. They have something that will be much easier to obtain if they are alive."
"And what would that be, sir?" Corona asked, not lowering his blaster pistol an inch.
Vlanc smirked "Their droid forces of course."
Corona dropped his pistol in shock "What?"
"You see, Commander, for all the skills you and your men possess, you just aren't capable of going up against these droids on your own. That little incident earlier proved that. Oh, yes, with adequate vehicle support, I'm sure you could have overrun their position with little difficulty. But on your own, you are weak. With those droid enforcers on our side, we could have the potential to be unstoppable! We will be completely unchallenged within this sector space!" Vlanc exclaimed, a mad grin on his face as he thought of the possibilities.
"You-you can't do this! We're the defenders of the Empire! I will not be supplanted by a droid army!" Corona cried, slamming his fists down on the table.
Vlanc waved a hand dismissively "Supplanted? Hardly. No, I don't have the authority to do that. Instead, they will merely work alongside you and your men to ensure that no future insurrections occur, understood?"
Corona shook with rage "I will not work alongside machines! And neither will any of my men! We won't stand for it!"
"I'm sorry; Commander, but you don't have a choice." Vlanc said impassively, before turning and walking away.
A small part of him felt pity for the stormtrooper commander. Vlanc found the feeling to be somewhat unsettling and tried to ignore it.
Less than an hour later, the Cluster Crab set down outside of the Argente Tower. Vlanc and Corona had decided to take separate transports to different areas. While Vlanc was going to attempt to negotiate with whoever was inside, Corona was setting down with the rest of his troopers. The LAAT gunship that he had taken was known as the Droidbreaker, and had the likeness of such a creature painted onto the side, in its maw was the upper half of a B1 battle droid. To further liken it to an animal, black stripes had been painted down its back. As the Cluster Crab set down, Vlanc stepped out, flanked by a squad of stormtroopers, for his own safety, Corona had insisted. The members of Bha'lir Squad, named for the endangered yet fearsome beast, were weary, guns raised.
"Stay frosty, men, the Seppies could ambush us at any time." Stormtrooper Sergeant Halo said as he scanned the area for any signs of a trap.
The only ARF trooper in the group, Praetor snorted at that "Yeah, an ambush involving a bunch of Persuader enforcer droids. That'd be just our luck, wouldn't it?"
"Watch out, the doors are opening!" Obsidian said as he and his hatch mate, Striker pointed their blaster rifles squarely at the door.
Walking out was a group of eight. At the front was a golden skinned Koorivar adorned in garish looking robes, who strolled at in a confident manner that boarded on arrogance. A few steps behind him was a well armoured Koorivar Fusilier with scales of dark green, who had some kind of cybernetic replacement over his right eye. Yet despite his injury, he seemed to be very certain in his movement. The other six were what Vlanc guessed were also Koorivar, although they were clad in head to foot robes. The fact that they appeared to be unarmed suggested to Vlanc that they were perhaps attendants. Clearly the leader of the Corporate Alliance Holdout was very sure that he would not be assassinated or kidnapped by the Imperial forces.
"Ah, I assume you are Moff Vlanc, the new "leader" of Murkhana?" Shand asked, his arms held out in mock greeting.
Vlanc glance at Shand's hands and saw five rings, two on the right hand, and three on the left. Very expensive looking rings with large set jewels. Am I dealing with a Separatist commander or some kind of decorated bird? Vlanc wondered before he made his reply: "That is correct, I am Moff Ozzaris Vlanc, and I am in command of not only Murkhana, but also the entire Auril sector of space."
Shand's eyes twinkled "Do you hear that, Colonel? The entire Auril sector! My, my, what power! Such a shame that it's in the hands of an Imperial."
Colonel Leosa grunted in reply, not taking his eyes off of Sergeant Halo, who was likewise staring the Fusilier down.
"I come to negotiate with you, commander..." Vlanc offered.
Shand waved his hand in a dismissive manner. As he did, Vlanc noted that what he had took for rings were actually jewels embedded within Shand's fingers. Clearly they take status very seriously... A stunned Vlanc thought.
"I am acting Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance, Shand Essil and I regret to inform you that your negotiations are for naught. For you see, I will not surrender to a group of petty thugs who seek to bully my company. If you push us, we will push back, am I right, Colonel?" A very smug sounding Shand asked.
Once again, Leosa's only response was a grunt of acknowledgement.
"As I recall, it was your forces that started this little skirmish." Vlanc pointed out.
"Well, we had to show you that we would not bow down before you or your little Emperor. And really, what better way to demonstrate that than by killing a few hundred of your men?" Shand said with a smirk.
Vlanc stared down his opponent. Clearly the man was ruthless, Vlanc could respect that. He felt a strange liking to the man, in spite of his Separatist background.
"I see." Vlanc said slowly "So, we will not negotiate?"
Shand shook his head certainly, still smirking at Vlanc.
"Very well then, Magistrate Essil. I suppose I shall see you on the battlefield then?" Vlanc asked.
"I suppose you shall." Shand said, despite having no intention to leave the safety of Argente Tower "Bring on your best men. Bring on your weaponry and siege vehicles. Argente Tower will not fall; you could not topple it with a hundred thousand men. It is folly. My men will stand beside me and they will not yield to a force of inferior soldiers." Shand said, his voice brimming with both confidence and arrogance.
Vlanc glanced at the Colonel who stood behind Shand. He seemed somewhat apprehensive of his superior's orders, but Vlanc knew that he would follow them, he was loyal, and that much was clear. Vlanc would have given a thousand clones for one such man.
Vlanc sighed "Very well then. I hope that when we next meet, you won't be dead. That would be quite a shame."
Shand laughed at that little comment "I am sure that when next we meet, it will be you who is dead. I will no doubt be moving into your shiny new fortress."
And at that, he and his men turned and walked back into the Argente Tower.
"Of all the arrogant-" Striker muttered.
"He's either the bravest or most foolish man on this planet." Vlanc said with a smile as he shook his head.
And at that, he and Bha'lir Squad turned back and left aboard the Cluster Crab in order to prepare for the coming battle.
Leosa was weary. A Colonel in the Koorivar military normally commanded only three hundred and forty-two men. Due to the losses of other commanders during the Battle of Murkhana, Leosa now found himself in command of over two thousand. He was not sure if he was capable of leading so many men. His ascension to the rank of Colonel was only recent, and that was because the last Colonel had been cut down by the Jedi, Bol Chattack in combat. If this battle went on, he knew that the Corporate Alliance would lose and his men would suffer dearly for it. The Magistrate however, seemed to think that they stood any chance of winning this. Their last battle had only been won because the clones had seemed to think they could beat the Corporate Alliances forces through sheer numbers of infantry, with no vehicle or artillery support at all. They had since learned that such a feat was near impossible and would doubtlessly not try such suicidal tactics again.
"Magistrate, with all due respect, perhaps it would have been wise to have negotiated with the enemy leader?" Leosa prompted.
Shand waves his hand dismissively, he was rather fond of doing that, Leosa had noted as Shand had begun to speak "Nonsense, Colonel. I know that we can beat back any further attacks, the Argente Tower is impregnable!"
That was what General Oro Dassyne had said at the Battle of Boomis Koori IV, and look what happened there, Leosa thought bitterly. Two Jedi managing to effortlessly breach the walls of Dassyne's so called impregnable fortress, shut down the shield generator and bomb the fortress from orbit, sustaining no Republic casualties at all, while General Dassyne and most of his forces had been wiped off of the face of the planet. At the memory of the battle, Leosa's hand went to the scar over his right eye. He had suffered more than a lost eye during the battle, cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a broken leg and more. But ribs could be healed and shoulders could be reset, a lost eye, well, that was permanent.
"Sir, the Argente Tower is not a suitable command post, if I might remind you. The fortifications that were installed were only recent and I doubt they could successfully repel the army that the Imperials no doubt plan on sending."
Shand turned to face his second in command, a reassuring smile lighting up his face "Colonel, you worry too much! I can say in full confidence that this building will withstand any attacks that the Empire throws at us!" To punctuate his words, Shand heartily clapped Leosa on the back.
"We were just lucky that the Imperials didn't try to assassinate you back outside." Leosa muttered.
"Oh, there was no danger of that, I had my guards of course," Shand motioned to the six robed figures who were walking alongside the pair "Not to mention you of course, Colonel."
Leosa grunted once more. He would be glad when this was all over, with any luck Shand would be incapacitated in some manner and he would be free to negotiate the terms of surrender with Vlanc. He had seemed a reasonable man, even if he was an Imperial, Leosa thought. While he was loyal to both Magistrate Shand Essil and the Corporate Alliance, Leosa knew that it was a dying organisation and he no intention to die along with it.
"So, I assume your little attempt at negotiations failed, sir?" Corona asked as Vlanc and his vanguard approached him.
"That sounds about right." Obsidian muttered under his breath.
Vlanc held up his hand in a gesture of reassurance "A temporary setback, I assure you, Commander. They will surrender before the end of the day." And then their forces will be mine! Vlanc thought.
"The men are ready to move out as soon as you give the order, sir. Do you wish to attack?" Corona asked.
Vlanc nodded "Yes. We attack immediately!" Vlanc shouted out, causing the stormtroopers to cheer wildly.
With any luck, most of you will soon be replaced by more worthy soldiers, Vlanc thought with contempt as the clones marched out to battle.
As the assault on the Argente Tower came underway, it started to rain.
"How very fitting, don't you think, Commander?" Vlanc said as a stormtrooper handed him a waterproof poncho.
"If you say so, sir." An irritated Corona replied as he waited for the first stage of the battle to commence.
"Men, soon the Imperial dogs and their forces will be marching on to take Argente Tower. They think they can come in and tell us what to do! Are we going to stand for that?" Leosa exclaimed.
"SIR, NO SIR!" The Fusiliers shouted in response.
"Damn right we won't! They are going to come and then they are going to turn and run away, tails between their legs! We will make them regret that they ever stood foot on Murkhana! We will make them scamper off to cry to the cloning tubes that they call their mothers! And not a single clone foot will sully the Argente Tower! Do you get me men?-!" Leosa roared.
"WE GET YOU, SIR!"
"That's what I wanted to hear. Now go get into standard positions! Droids in front, then the men, then the Energy Pummels!" Leosa barked.
As his men rushed to prepare for the coming storm, Leosa gazed at them sadly; We're all going to die because some power hungry fool won't accept defeat. Madness.
As Vlanc had suggested, the first wave to come in had been the V-wings in order to draw the turbolaser fire away from the incoming LAATs and repulsorlift carried in AV-7 Antivehicle Cannons.
"This is Squadron Commander Pen of Blue Squadron. We are beginning our run momentarily...Over and out." The squadron leader said almost mournfully, knowing that he and most of his men would not survive.
The rain helped to dampen the effect of the blaster fire somewhat, but the casualties were still high as V-wing after V-wing was gunned down to the streets below. Corona frowned at the senseless loss of clone life. Vlanc on the other hand was smiling as the Koorivar realised too late that they had been firing on the wrong targets. AT-TEs, AT-APs, All Terrain Heavy Enforcers and All Terrain Personal Transports set down alongside the Antivehicle cannons and the clone stormtroopers. The enforcer droids power forward as fast as they possibly could, crushing any clones that were in their way in their mad rush to destroy the enemy vehicles. They let loose volleys of blaster bolts and missiles. An AT-PT exploded in a brilliant blossom of fire and collapsed sideways onto an unfortunate squad. Yet it was not enough. The clones rushed forward madly, seemingly unconcerned with the blaster fire that was mowing them down.
"All artillery batteries are to open fire!" Leosa ordered.
At that, dozens of energy blasts were lobbed at the Imperials. The stormtroopers shouted out in alarm and pain as they were struck down by the enemy fire. Yet despite the mounting casualties, the Imperial forces continued to advance. More and more droids were being blown to pieces by the sheer firepower of the AT-TEs and the AV-7 Antivehicle Cannons. They never stood a chance. As the larger vehicles gunned down the Corporate Alliance vehicles and droids, the AT-PTs, speeder bikes and infantry rushed forward to meet the Koorivar Fusiliers head on. A Fusilier let out a cry as he was mercilessly struck down by a speeder bike as it flew by. As the operator of the speeder turned, he made sure to throw a handful of detpacks at the enemy infantry, the ensuing explosions sending them flying. A massive fire fight quickly started as both groups of infantry opened fire. There were shouts on both sides as the blaster bolts found their marks. Still the artillery fire continued and the stormtroopers found themselves bombarded.
"Push them back! Push them back!" Leosa shouted as he raised his rifle and shot down an advancing stormtrooper.
Encouraged by the artillery and their commander's words, the Koorivar fiercely fought back against their enemy. The front lines of stormtroopers were quickly gutted by Koorivar bayonets, while the ones behind them were gunned down by blaster fire.
"This is an absolute bloodbath!" Corona said bitterly as he fought alongside Corporal Nimbus.
"It seems that way, Commander! They can't win though, we have them outnumbered and outgunned!" Nimbus shouted back as he beat a Koorivar Fusilier with the butt of his rifle.
"That may be, but we're still taking heavy casualties!" Corona replied as he saw one of the remaining enforcer droids hammer an advancing company with concussion missiles. Corona took out his frustration by punching a Fusilier in the stomach before he ended his life with a shot to the temple.
Bha'lir Squad meanwhile, was taking cover behind a destroyed Energy Pummel.
"We're getting massacred!" Striker shouted as he ducked to avoid blaster fire.
"Doesn't mean we won't win." Praetor replied, trying to lighten the mood.
"We're going to have to make a push forward, men." Halo said as he reloaded his rifle.
"We can't retreat?" Obsidian asked.
"Retreat is not an option, trooper. The Moff and Commander Corona are depending on us! Now, suck it up and move!" Halo ordered as he ducked out from cover and shot down two advancing Koorivar.
"Look on the bright side. It's still better than Malrev IV!" Praetor encouraged as he followed his sergeant and made a mad dash for Argente Tower.
Obsidian shrugged "Some days I think that Malrev IV might actually be an improvement to this place."
"Yeah, these Seppies and their droids make me miss the Irrukiine." Striker added.
"Ok, how about this? It's better than Ooo-Sek." Obsidian said darkly.
Striker shuddered at the mere mention of Ooo-Sek "You're right, this is better than...that place."
"Thought so, now come on and cover me!" Obsidian shouted as he ran after his squad mates and fired wildly into the crowd of Koorivar soldiers.
The battle raged on, with both sides taking heavy losses. Soon the Imperials began to gain ground and made their way towards their prize: The Argente Tower.
"Colonel, they're overrunning our position! We can't hold here!" A Koorivar Captain cried out.
"Stang! All forces fall back! Fall back to the tower! We'll make a stand there!" Leosa shouted to his men.
All surviving Koorivar Fusiliers raced to get into the safety of the Argente Tower. Just in time too, as the Imperials had unleashed their clone blaze troopers, who were setting alight anything or anyone that was in their path. The few remaining enforcer droids and artillery pieces did their best to cover the fleeing Koorivar soldiers, but with so few left it was a difficult task. Finally, seeing that all of his remaining men had safely reached the building, Leosa backed inside and sealed the building down. The Imperials would have to take the tower down before they could hope to breach it.
"The infantry have retreated! All forces concentrate firepower on the droids!" Corona ordered, motioning frantically for his men to follow his order.
Stormtroopers armed with rocket launchers stepped forward and opened fire on the handful of enforcer droids that still functioned, in conjunction with the firepower of the heavy vehicles. It wasn't a battle at this point; it was a simple mop up operation.
"Well, it looks like we have them on the run, Commander." Vlanc said confidently as he strolled up to Corona.
"It would seem that way, sir."Corona said as he looked over the bodies of the dead, mainly his deceased brothers.
Neither one of them noticed the half dead Koorivar Fusilier leaning on a scrapped enforcer droid.
"Well, now that we've dealt with their droid and vehicle forces, we should-" Vlanc began.
"Look out!" Corona shouted as he crash tackled Vlanc to the ground, the blaster bolt from the Fusilier's rifle sailing harmlessly past where Vlanc's chest had been.
A squad of stormtroopers quickly gunned down the injured soldier as Corona helped Vlanc to his feet.
"You...you saved my life?" A puzzled Vlanc asked.
"Yes sir, it would seem that I did." Corona replied in an impassive voice.
"But...why?" Vlanc asked.
"Because you're the commander of the Auril sector, sir. I might disagree with you, but I will follow your orders." Corona explained.
Vlanc stared at the clone closely. Could he have been wrong about the clones? Before either of them could say anything else, Corona's com-link buzzed to life.
"Sir, we're moving towards Argente Tower. Permission to enter and secure the building?" The clone asked.
"Permission granted, trooper. Just be careful." Corona said.
"Alright, we're moving in now and...Wait a minute, the doors are opening! Someone's coming out...it's those people who were with those two Seppies when Moff Vlanc was negotiating with them! What are they-? Wait they're-Fire! Fire!" The clone cried out in alarm.
Corona and Vlanc stared at the com-link as the sounds of blaster fire drifted through it. Suddenly, it was joined by a different noise, a familiar noise. A loud, obtrusive humming. Vlanc and Corona exchanged shocked glances.
It was the sound of a lightsaber.
"They have Jedi?" Corona asked incredulously.
"It can't be! They must be Dooku's Dark Jedi Acolytes! There's no way it would be actual Jedi!" Vlanc exclaimed.
"How do we know that for sure? Those damn Jedi are traitors, these ones could be working for the Separatists!" Corona snarled, furious at the thought of the Jedi betraying them.
"Get me a speeder bike, I have to get their as quickly as possible!" A concerned Vlanc ordered a nearby stormtrooper, who nodded in response.
"I'll need one too. If there's Jedi, I want to see them for myself." Corona added, no doubt scowling under his helmet.
The two raced to get to the Argente Tower on their speeder bikes. Outside there were hundreds of stormtroopers who were anxiously waiting outside. They were all staring at the figures that were standing at the entrance to the building. The clone had been right; they were the six figures who had been accompanying Shand and Leosa during Vlanc's failed attempts at negotiation. Now they all stood shoulder to shoulder and stared the clones down. At their feet were a number of clones, each of them bearing distinctive wounds.
And they were all wielding two lightsabers each. Their blades were glowed a deep, malevolent red, almost the exact same shade as blood.
"They are Dark Jedi! Look at their blades, no Jedi would utilise a red lightsaber!" Vlanc exclaimed as he motioned to the lightsaber blades.
"I've seen lightsabers in all sorts of colours. Green, blue, yellow, and hell, I even saw a grey one once." Corona said.
"Yes, but never red! That is the colour of the Sith! A Jedi would never wield a red bladed lightsaber!" Vlanc snapped.
Corona glared at the six figures from under his helmet "Well, no matter what they are, they are enemies of the Galactic Empire and or glorious Emperor. So they shall be put to death!"
The clones let out a battle cry and raised their rifles, before levelling them squarely at the lightsaber wielders. They opened fire at once. It did them little good, as the Dark Jedi's hands were blurs as they deflected the blaster bolts. For a single Jedi, this would have been impossible. Even for a single Jedi wielding two lightsabers, this would have been a death sentence. But for six Dark Jedi, altogether wielding twelve lightsabers? This was a fair fight.
A number of clones let out strangled cries as their own blaster bolts were sent straight back at them. Soon, there were at least a dozen more dead and many more injured.
"Cease fire! We'll never get them that way!" Vlanc ordered as a stray blaster bolt whizzed past his head, barely missing the Moff.
"Then what do you suggest?" Corona questioned.
"Send in the blaze troopers! Not even a Dark Jedi is a match for the power of a harnessed fire!" Vlanc suggested.
Secretly, he was conflicted. Yes, these Jedi were allied with the Separatists, but at one point the majority of them had been members of the Jedi Order. Perhaps they could be redeemed? Quinlan Vos had momentarily fallen to the Dark Side, and yet he had been brought back to the side of the Republic...
At that point, two clone blaze troopers shot forward, propelled by a jetpack towards the Dark Jedi. The six assembled Dark Jedi raised their lightsabers defensively and prepared to fight back.
"Feh, lot of good that'll do them," Corona snorted "Not even a lightsaber can stop a jet of flame!"
The two blaze troopers stood still for a moment before they unleashed their flames upon the Dark Jedi. All but one of them leapt to safety. The one that didn't was soon out of sight, his body obscured by the flames.
Corona chuckled "That's got him! Not even a Mustafarian Jedi could have survived a blast like-!"
Vlanc's eyes widened in pure shock "Commander! Look!"
Corona followed Vlanc's gaze and almost dropped his rifle in surprise.
The Dark Jedi was still standing, his lightsabers held out in a cross shaped formation in front of him.
"N-no way!" A stunned Corona exclaimed.
"Wait, look at that!" Vlanc said again.
While the Dark Jedi had been unharmed, his robes had been burnt to cinders. They could now see what the thick clothing had obscured. Vlanc let out a gasp at what he saw.
What he had taken to be one of Dooku's Dark Jedi was actually an EG-5 Jedi Hunter droid.
Vlanc was equal parts relieved and disappointed. While on the one hand he was glad that he would not have to face the guilt of killing six former Jedi, he was also saddened by the fact that these had never been Jedi at all. Just machines designed to kill them.
"By the Fo-! By the Emperor! They're all droids!" Corona exclaimed.
Vlanc closed his eyes and exhaled "Commander, order your men to pull back."
"Sir? We can take them, I know we can! They're just droids!" Corona said.
Vlanc spoke softly "Yes, I'm sure that they can. But I'm tired of killing and death right now. Pull them back. We'll bring in the S-PHAs."
Corona lowered his weapon "Uh, very good, sir. All right men, let's move out! We're going to bring this building down!"
At the top of Argente Tower, Colonel Leosa was with acting Magistrate Shand. Shand was sitting on a couch, his jewel encrusted hand covering his eyes.
"Sir, what are your orders?" Leosa asked.
Shand either ignored his Head of Security or he didn't hear him. Leosa spoke louder.
"Sir! Your orders?"
Shand sighed "We are not defeated. I planned for this. We have reinforcements."
Leosa was puzzled "Reinforcements? Where?"
Shand offered a weak smile "In the shipyards nearby. A number of Fantail-class destroyers. It will be glorious."
Leosa's eyes widened in shock at what Shand had said "Fantails? But how? I thought that the Republic had bombed our shipyards! That they totally destroyed everything!"
"I managed to salvage a few that were hidden away in case of emergency. With those in our power, their forces shall crumble into dust!" Shand said, a mad gleam in his eyes.
"But the Imperials will send Venator-class star destroyers!" Leosa exclaimed.
Shand smirked "The Fantails will swat them from the sky."
Leosa was horrified. Shand's reckless actions would get them all killed! Leosa had made up his mind. He pulled out a blaster pistol and aimed it at Shand "This is madness! You will destroy us!"
Shand shook his head in disappointment "Oh, Colonel. I had thought that you of all people would have seen things my way."
"I am sorry sir, but my men and I will no longer follow you. We will surrender." Leosa said gravely.
"We must hold out until the other Separatist Holdouts come to reinforce us then!" Shand exclaimed.
"Magistrate, we cannot expect help from the other Separatist forces! They are too busy with their own battles! The Trade Federation is fractured, Dooku has alienated the Death Watch, the Intergalactic Banking Clan has denounced us, the Nosaurian soldiers are fighting guerrilla warfare to keep their homeworld free and the Nimbus Commandos of Jabiim have abandoned us! We. Have. Lost!" Leosa exclaimed.
At that point, a 3PX droid stepped forward to address the pair, interrupting any further arguing that may have occurred.
"Excuse me, sirs, but there is an incoming message from the apparent leader of the Imperial forces. He says he wishes to negotiate the terms of our, um, surrender." The protocol droid said nervously.
Shand sighed and stood up "Activate it."
At that point, a holopanel in front of the group lit up. Standing in front of them was the life sized holographic figure of Moff Ozzaris Vlanc.
"So, Magistrate, are you ready to negotiate now?" Vlanc asked, a triumphant grin on his face.
Shand narrowed his eyes "What's there to negotiate? We surrender and we spend the rest of our lives on some miserable backwater like Kessel or some other prison planet. Am I right?"
The Moff's grin never left his face "Not even close, Magistrate. Actually, the deal is, you surrender, I don't take down your little tower with my S-PHAs and you continue running your little operation."
Shand's eyes shot up "What?"
Leosa was similarly perplexed, although he kept silent, not wishing to draw Vlanc's attention.
"You heard me, Magistrate. If you surrender to me, I will allow you to continue to run whatever is left of the Corporate Alliance on Murkhana. There are a few conditions, however."
Once again, Shand narrowed his eyes "Of course there are. Tell me, what are they?"
"The first is that the Corporate Alliance supplies the Galactic Empire with a steady stream of NR-N99 Persuader-class enforcer droids, as well as artillery and pummels." Vlanc began.
Shand nodded "Go on."
"The second is that you also supply us with your Fantail-class destroyers for use in my private fleet."
Shand's eyes widened. He knew about the Fantails? More, he was constructing a private fleet?
"The third is that your Koorivar Fusilier forces become part of the Auril sector military. I was quite impressed by their prowess. Not like droids or clones at all, much more flexible and adaptable."
Shand and Leosa exchanged surprised glances. This time it was Leosa who spoke: "My men would of course fight with you, sir. Assuming of course that we would receive all of the same treatment as your clone troopers?"
The image of Vlanc nodded "I'll see what I can do. I assure you however, that I will do everything in my power to follow through with your request." Vlanc turned back to face Shand "Now, Magistrate, if we may continue."
Shand smiled and tented his fingers "Moff Vlanc, let us talk business."
And so begins Moff Vlanc's alliance with the Corporate Alliance Holdout. Not to mention the start of his new relationship with Corona. Leosa and Shand will be reoccurring characters from now on to aid Vlanc. If you're curious as to what Leosa's replacement eye is, it's the same kind as used by General Ziering, from the comic Star Wars: Empire: To the Last Man, and R2-E7 is based on the appearance of R2-Q2 from A New Hope. What happens next? I hope that you enjoyed it, please remember to review and finally...thanks for reading!