Path to Conquest
Imperial secrets discovered! Chief-of-state Lei Sarke has uncovered a secret Imperial program to create dangerous new weapons to turn the tide of the war! In an attempt to stop the production of the weapons, Admiral Ackbar along with General Madine have rallied together a portion of the Alliance's army and devised a plan of attack.
As they head to the Mid Rim world of Ord Mantell, they prepare for battle, unaware of the surprises that wait for them along the way…
Home One above Ord Mantell
Han, Chewbacca, and Corea entered the bridge of Home One along with the rest of the troops. He saw Luke and Ahsoka sitting off in a corner and sat next to them.
"Ready for it, kid?" asked Han.
"You bet" replied Luke. Ackbar cleared his throat as he walked down to the group.
"Your attention please" said Ackbar "As you know; the fleet has arrived at Ord Mantell and we are preparing our attack" He brought up a hologram of the planet on the hologram projector at the center of the room. "I will lead the fleet to keep the planetary defenses busy while the army goes down to the planet's surface" He zoomed in and revealed a large building complex surrounded by Imperial vehicles and turrets. "As you can see, our target is the building complex which is gravelly defended. We will split the ground forces into two groups; Group A will follow General Chai on the right, Group B will follow General Feless on the left. By focusing our attacks on both sides, and by filling the airspace with our starfighters, we may just bring this facility down and cripple the program tremendously"
"Is that all?" said a rebel trooper.
"Unfortunately, not quite" replied Ackbar "The base is protected by a powerful energy shield that is able to not only deflect energy blasts and bombardment but can kill any lifeform or deactivate any machine that touches it" A hologram of an energy shield appeared around the building complex.
"Okay, so how do we deal with that?" asked Corea.
"General Madine has that covered" replied Ackbar. Madine walked up next to Ackbar.
"We have located the energy shield generator; it is hidden within a small mountain range seven clicks away from the complex" said Madine. The hologram zoomed out and revealed the shield generator's location. "It is in turn protected by another shield generator five clicks away" The hologram zoomed out to show the other shield projector. "In order for the attack to work, both shield generators must be destroyed. We will send a small group of Rebel commandos to a designated drop zone where they will take out the first shield generator and then move on to the next. The sooner the shields are down, the better"
"Head down to the hanger to be designated into your positions" said Ackbar.
A few minutes later
Luke and Ahsoka walked through the hanger bay amidst lots of rebel troopers.
"Looks like we've been assigned to Group B" said Luke "Do you know anything about this General Feless?"
"Only that he's a Jedi survivor the Alliance found on Felucia" replied Ahsoka "I think it's over here"
Meanwhile
Han, Chewbacca, and Corea walked through the hanger bay.
"We've been assigned to the commando group" said Han "Just over here" They walked over to the commando group meeting area. In front of the crowd stood a male Dressellian, who was identified by his left eyepatch; at his side stood a female Cathar with brown fur.
"Captain Han Solo, take a seat" said the Dressellian "My name is Orrimaarko, this is Tani Ab'yla. This commando group has derived from the Alliance Special Forces as well as some additional members from the Alliance Army. As you may know, our mission is to find and destroy both the shield generators; and we have to do it as soon as possible"
"Why does they keep saying that?" whispered Han.
Raise your hand for a question, Captain Solo" said Orrimaarko "But in answer to it, that is exactly what I'm about to talk about. The area we will be traversing is heavily protected with all communications vulnerable to interception, so radio silence must be kept at all times. This means that we cannot talk to the rest of the Alliance army and they cannot talk to us; if either of those happen, we'll get discovered and the mission we will fail at our mission"
"That would mean we can't even tell them when we've gotten the shield down" said Corea.
"Precisely; which is why our mission may be the most important of today" said Orrimaarko "We'll leave in about an hour, get ready"
Meanwhile
Luke and Ahsoka reached Master Heten Feless who was standing outside an LAAT gunship and seeing Rebel troopers aboard. Luke cleared his throat.
"Master Feless…" said Luke. Feless turned to him.
"Skywalker…get aboard" said Feless. He turned and got aboard another gunship.
"Okay…" said Luke "Not the warmest welcome, but I feel it could have been worse" He and Ahsoka stepped aboard the gunship as it took off and flew down to the planet below. The gunship zoomed past the asteroid field and descended down into the planet's skies. Suddenly, a shot was fired and the gunship next to them was destroyed. Luke looked out and saw a group of Imperial Dropship Transports flying towards them. "Well, here comes the welcoming committee"
"It'd be bad manners not to greet back" said Ahsoka. The LAAT gunships began to fire back. A stormtrooper commander looked up at them through a pair of electrobinoculars.
"Fire at will!" declared the stormtrooper commander. A group of Imperial mobile heavy cannons fired at the LAAT gunships.
"We've got heavy resistance" said the rebel pilot.
"Stay calm, we just need to stay out of their sights" said Luke.
"Easier said than done" said Ahsoka. Luke looked out to the side and saw T-47 airspeeders zooming to their side. He looked down at the ground below and saw Rebel infantry, being followed by tanks and walkers, fighting back the forces on the ground.
"Looks like the cavalry's come in" said Luke. Suddenly, a blast hit the side of their gunship and shook it, causing it to sway to one side. Ahsoka lost her footing and slid down. "Ahsoka!" Ahsoka grabbed ahold of the side of the gunship and Luke rushed to her. "Here; grab on" He grabbed her by the wrists and started to help her up. Suddenly, another blast hit the gunship causing Luke to slide off and be forced to grab onto the edge desperately.
"The situation hasn't improved" said Ahsoka.
"Pilot, can you go down lower?" asked Luke.
"I'll try; but if we go down too low, we might become a target" said the rebel pilot "Be careful" He descended the gunship down until Luke and Ahsoka noticed a Rebel AT-AP walking past them. They leapt down onto it and grabbed on.
"All clear!" yelled Luke. The LAAT gunship ascended up. Up ahead was a battalion of stormtroopers with their blasters poised.
"Well, I guess we had to land sooner or later" said Ahsoka. Luke leapt down and ignited his lightsaber. The stormtroopers opened fire but Luke deflected their shots back at them. Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber, leapt off, and started cutting down the stormtroopers in her path until there were none left. Suddenly, a large AT-ST walked up to them and pointed its cannons at them.
"Damn!" said Luke. The AT-ST started shooting at the two of them and they scattered behind a pair of parallel rocks. Luke looked out at Ahsoka and gestured to AT-STs feet. Ahsoka nodded in response. They stood up, ignited their lightsabers, and charged at the AT-ST, cutting its feet off and causing it collapse. "Well, that went well" Suddenly, a large battalion of stormtroopers charged at them and started shooting.
"Don't say that too soon" said Ahsoka. The two of them charged forward and began cutting the stormtroopers down.
Meanwhile
A T-6 shuttle landed down in a jungle area and the commando group got out.
"Is that everyone?" said Orrimaarko "Good, then we can proceed" The shuttle got up and flew away. "We're just on the edge of the protected zone. Remember, no radio communications from this moment forward" They began walking through the jungle. leatherwing birds, identified by their black eyes and membranous wings, watched them from the trees.
"Pity we have to miss out on all the action, Chewie" said Han. Chewbacca groaned. "I know, busting stormtroopers is our job"
"You'll see plenty of action when we reach the shield generator" said Tani "The place will no doubt be crawling with Imperials"
"Which is why we have to do it discreetly" said Orrimaarko "Remember, we have to take out two shields; if a single Imperial sends out a distress call, it'll make destroying both the shields even harder"
"Why do one at a time?" asked Han "Why not just split off into two groups, it'll get the job done faster"
"Because these wildernesses are rough and hostile" replied Orrimaarko "Sticking together is the best chance of survival"
"I think you underestimate us" smirked Han. Orrimaarko turned around and pointed his blaster at him. "Woah, woah; take it easy. I was just mentioning that—"
"I am well aware of what you meant, but that isn't the point" said Orrimaarko "Maybe when you're off on your missions, Han Solo, you can do whatever you want; but I was appointed leader of this group. And while I am in charge, we do things my way. Understood?"
"Geez—" said Han.
"Understood!?" said Orrimaarko.
"Understood, understood!" said Han "Sheesh!" Orrimaarko turned back around and continued walking forward. "I'm still wishing we were a part of the attack, Chewie" Chewbacca groaned. At that moment, a low grumbling was heard.
"What the heck was that?" said Corea. Suddenly, a large beast leapt out from the undergrowth and roared viciously. It appeared to be a giant grey red-eyed armadillo with spikes on its back and boar-like tusks. It coiled up into a ball and rushed towards them.
"Incoming!" exclaimed Han. He and the other Rebel troopers leapt out of the way as the beast rolled forward and crashed against a large tree, causing the whole surrounding to shake. It uncoiled, roared again, and charged forward, knocking several Rebel troopers out of the way and swatted a few away with its tail. Chewbacca climbed up a tree, grabbed onto a vine, swung down (yelling a Tarzan-like call), and grabbed ahold of its back. The beast was irritated by it so much that it jumped around in an attempt to shake him off. Chewbacca held on tight and got out his bowcaster, only for it to fall out of his hand and fall onto the ground. Corea put on her helmet, activated her jetpack, and began shooting at it, only for the blasts to be deflected by the shell.
"Bad news: looks like it's blaster proof" said Corea. Han turned his gaze to Chewbacca's bowcaster.
"Not all of it is" said Han. He grabbed ahold of the bowcaster and threw a rock at the beast's head, causing it to turn its attention to him. It roared again and charged at him. Han charged up the bowcaster and fired at the creature's face, killing it in almost an instant. As the body collapse to the ground, Chewbacca slid off the back and got his bowcaster off of Han.
"What was that thing?" asked Tani.
"I've seen reports of these but never in person; it appears to be a male kakuona" replied Orrimaarko "At least there weren't any casualties; let's move on" They walked further into the jungle, with Han and Corea having one last look at the body of the kakuona.
Meanwhile
With a quick swipe, Luke cut down the last stormtrooper.
"That was the last of them" said Luke. At that moment, two rebel troopers ran up to him and Ahsoka.
"Commander Skywalker, we have secured the perimeter and made a makeshift base of operations" said one of the rebel troopers.
"We'll take you there" said the other rebel trooper.
A few minutes later
Ahsoka stood in front of a hologram of Rachi Sitra.
"So anyway, he got away before we could even question him" said Ahsoka "We still have no idea on why he was doing that or who he's affiliated with beyond being merely a Dark Jedi"
"We'll keep an eye out for such a disturbance from now on" said Sitra "Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"
"Well…during my illusion, I saw something I'd never seen before" replied Ahsoka "It looked like a woman but she was shrouded in dark cloak and she used some kind of lightsaber whip. What was that?"
"I have no idea" replied Sitra "I've never seen anyone use a lightwhip, those are a very rare lightsaber variant"
"I've never seen her before, so she's definitely not from my past" said Ahsoka "So does this mean she comes…from the future?"
"That is very likely" said Sitra "It could also explain why you got no true explanation for it. The future is like being shrouded in mist; you can only take one step at a time of your choosing, but you cannot see where the path fully leads" A rebel trooper walked up to Sitra and said something into her ear. "I'm afraid I have planning to go to so I have to leave. May the Force be with you" The hologram turned off. Luke walked up to Ahsoka.
"I still can't shake the image of that woman from my head" said Ahsoka.
"I'm still shaken up by what I saw too" said Luke.
"I think we all saw things that shocked us" said Ahsoka "But we can't dwell on it. Not now"
Meanwhile
Rachi Sitra and a group of rebel troopers stood around a strategy table and examined a hologram of the area.
"No, that still won't get us anywhere closer than we need to get" said Sitra "We'll just have to go over it again until we get it right" At that moment, a rebel trooper ran up to her.
"General, I've just received word that the commando group has entered the area" said the rebel trooper "They're on their way to the first shield generator now"
"Then let us hope they get there in time" said Sitra "All we can do in the meanwhile is our part" She turned around and had another look at the strategy table. "You know, I think I might have an idea"
Meanwhile
"Hopefully we'll be able to figure out something at the strategy meeting" said Luke whilst he and Ahsoka walked over to the strategy table.
"I'm just hoping General Feless arrives in time" said Ahsoka "We need everyone on the scene for this" At that moment, a loud stomping was heard. "Did I just hear something?"
"You did, I heard it too" said Luke. At that moment, an All Terrain Personal Transport stomped out of the trees and started shooting at them.
"Looks like the Empire knows we're here" said Ahsoka whilst she and Luke ignited their lightsabers.
"Are we to use the tactic against AT-STs?" asked Luke whilst they dodged the blasts.
"You bet" said Ahsoka. The two of them ran forward and cut the AT-PT down by its feet, causing it to collapse. Since the vehicle was only three meters tall, the cockpit itself wasn't too damaged. The pilot burst his way out of the fallen vehicle, got out his blaster, and fired a shot at Luke, who deflected it back at him.
"That was too close" said Luke. Suddenly, another AT-PT burst out, and it was followed by more.
"Looks like he brought backup" said Ahsoka "This is Commander Tano; our base is under attack by Imperial walkers. Requesting backup"
"Acknowledged" said a rebel trooper through her comlink. Rebel troopers ran out and began shooting from behind cover. Luke leapt up onto the top of one, cut off its blaster cannons with his lightsaber, and stabbed down onto it, causing it to collapse.
"I drove my lightsaber through that thing too easily" said Luke "These vehicles, their armor isn't very strong"
"Perhaps, but there's so many of them" said Ahsoka. She looked over at a supply of grenades and nudged Luke in the stomach to get his attention. The two of them force lifted the grenades and threw them at the AT-PTS, destroying a large amount of them; only for even more AT-PTs to replace them. The AT-PTs could be destroyed easily, but they quickly started to overrun the base with their numbers.
"They just keep coming and coming" said Luke "It's like there's no end" An AT-PT walked up from behind Luke and poised its cannons at him. Suddenly, Heten Feless leapt out with his lightsaber and cut off its legs.
"All vehicles, destroy the Imperial walkers" said Feless. An AT-TE's cannon turned around and blasted one of the AT-PT. This was followed by a group of T2-B repulsor tanks driving in and blasting them down and an AT-AP following suit. Eventually all of the AT-PTs were destroyed.
"Wow, thanks" said Luke "How did you know how to—"
"I've studied these in the past" said Feless "They're called AT-PTs, short for All Terrain Personal Transport. They're designed to give a single troop the firepower of a battalion; they're fast and they're designed to take down infantry. But this is what gives them their weakness; they have light armor and are only a few meters tall which makes them an easy target for larger vehicles"
"Well; now that you're here, perhaps we can get the meeting started" said Ahsoka.
"I've already had the meeting" said Feless.
"Excuse me?" said Luke "When?"
"The moment I landed" said Feless "I'm afraid you missed it, you'll have to be filled in; we leave in a few minutes"
"Okay, so what's the plan?" asked Luke.
"Commander Tano, you're with me" replied Feless "Commander Skywalker, you stay here and guard the base"
"Wait, what?" said Luke "No, you need me in battle"
"I need troops to stay behind and guard our camp" said Feless "You're to be in charge"
"Excuse me, but wouldn't it be better if all three of us were on the frontline?" said Ahsoka "Because—"
"I am the highest ranking official here, so I make the decisions" said Feless "Is that understood?"
"It's understood" said Luke.
"Good" said Feless. He turned and left.
"So much for being involved in the battle" said Luke "Well, what are you waiting for? You've got a job to do"
"Don't worry; I won't have any competitions until you come out onto the frontlines" said Ahsoka.
"Assuming I ever get out onto the frontlines" said Luke.
"You will, I promise" said Ahsoka "I'll see if I can change his mind" Luke smiled.
"Thanks Ahsoka" said Luke "You're a true friend"
"Anytime, partner" smirked Ahsoka whilst giving him a punch on the arm.
Meanwhile
Han panted and sat down on a log to get out his canteen of water.
"What are you doing?" asked Orrimaarko.
"What does it look like?" said Han "I'm thirsty, damn it. I never thought we'd have to go on such a long hike just to blow up a building"
"You can drink when it's time to stop" said Orrimaarko "We have a schedule to go on"
"Well, I want to drink now" said Han "It'll only take about a second"
"Every second counts" said Orrimaarko.
"Orrimaarko, Captain Solo is right" said Tani "We've been walking for almost two hours now. Can't we just stop here for a moment?" Unbeknownst to the rest of them, a scout trooper hid behind a log and watched them with a pair of electrobinoculars. He lowered them and got out a sniper rifle, aiming it at Orrimaarko.
"Because this area isn't secured yet" said Orrimaarko "If we stop at just any place, we risk being attacked. And unless—"
"Uh, guys" said Corea whilst pointing at the scout trooper. Orrimaarko turned around just as the scout trooper shot at him, only for Han to jump over and get Orrimaarko out of the way. The scout trooper quickly threw away his sniper rifle and ran off to his speeder bike.
"What are you waiting for?" said Orrimaarko "Stop him before he alerts someone!"
"Oh, you're welcome" said Han sarcastically as he got himself up. As soon as the scout trooper hopped on his speeder bike, he sped off. Corea quickly threw on her helmet and shot her fibercord whip at his speeder bike.
"I think I got hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim!" said Corea as she was quickly jolted off. As she was flown through the trees, she held tight onto her fibercord whip. She looked around at everything on herself for something to use before remembering her jetpack. "Damn; can't believe I forgot" She activated her jetpack and sped up to the front of the speeder bike, disconnecting her fibercord whip, and landing on the front of the speeder bike.
"Eh!" snapped the scout trooper whilst he reached for his blaster. Corea however grabbed one of her blasters and pointed them at him.
"Don't even think about it" said Corea. The scout trooper slowly placed his finger on the trigger. "Really? Do you really think you're that good a shot? I wouldn't press your luck that far"
"Huh?" said the scout trooper whilst tilting his head to one side. Corea looked around and saw that they were heading straight for a tree.
"Uh-oh!" exclaimed Corea. She leapt off of the speeder bike and activated her jetpack to slowen her fall as the speeder bike and the scout trooper crashed straight into the tree and were destroyed. "Woah!"
A few minutes later
Corea took her helmet off as she returned to the others in the commando group.
"Enemy agent disposed of" smirked Corea.
"Too little too late, I'm afraid" said Tani. Across the clearing Corea could see Han and Orrimmarko arguing.
"This isn't about that, this is about the chain of command!" snapped Orrimmarko "I can't afford to have a loose cannon in this group"
"Chain of command?" said Han "Go join the Empire then; I'm sure with a few modifications you'll fit right in"
"How dare you!" snapped Orrimmarko "Do you have any idea of what the Empire has done?"
"Of course I have" said Han "I wasn't living under a rock for the past few years. Imperials made it blatantly obvious when they boarded by spice runs"
"So that's it?" said Orrimmarko "You're just a mercenary, aren't you? You're whole motivation for working with us is that the Empire screwed you over?"
"What, no!" said Han "There are other reasons beyond that"
"That's what they all say" said Orrimmarko "I'll let you know this, people like you helped the Empire's rise to power all for the money"
"People like me, huh?" said Han "I'm guessing you have a bias"
"Listen, this is my squad" said Orrimmarko "I was put in charge, not you. You can either get in gear or get out of the way"
"I'll take the latter, thank you very much" snapped Han as he stormed off. Corea sighed and face palmed herself.
"I don't know about you, but that escalated quickly" said Tani.
"You don't know Han" said Corea.
Meanwhile
As the Group B forces walked along plains, Feless stood in an AT-TE with Ahsoka.
"Since you did not attend the meeting, I will catch you up on the battle strategy" said Feless. He brought up a hologram of the plains. "We have located an Imperial outpost just north of our makeshift camp. We'll capture it so it can serve as a more formal base"
"What are their defenses?" asked Ahsoka.
"Nothing too major" replied Feless "A few walkers, a few tanks; but they're probably hiding something, so keep your eyes open"
"Right" said Ahsoka "Say, can I ask you something?"
"What is it, padawan?" asked Feless.
"I just want to be certain, is there a certain reason why you left Luke behind at the camp?" asked Ahsoka "I just think it would be—"
"Your questioning on the matter is rather increscent, but I will answer nonetheless" said Feless "The choice to leave Commander Skywalker in charge of camp was merely a decision of strategy. I understand this must be difficult for you; I've heard that you two have made quite the team over the past few months, but we both know that attachment is not advised with the Jedi Order"
"Yes, but—" said Ahsoka.
"You are dismissed, Commander Tano" said Feless "Prepare the men for battle; we will arrive at the base shortly" He left the room, with Ahsoka merely frowning and placing her hands on her hips.
A few minutes later
"It's just impossible to communicate with him" said Ahsoka into her comlink "It's like he's just dodging the question. I don't mean to sound xenophobic, but it seems like I haven't had any good luck with Bothans recently"
"That sounds frustrating" said Luke through her comlink.
"You don't know the half of it" said Ahsoka "When he brought up the Jedi Code, it just reminded me of what the old Order did to me"
"I know it's upsetting, but don't get mad about that" said Luke "Besides, I thought you had moved on from that"
"I have, pretty much" said Ahsoka "But it's hard to forget getting disowned by the only family you've ever known, it just hits a sore spot. So how's things on your end?"
"It's alright" replied Luke "It's not as good as helping out, though"
"At least there are no more attackers" said Ahsoka "Some walkers took us by surprise last time, but we're more prepared this time. Then again, at least that would be some action" She thought for a second when she suddenly came up with something. "Wait a second; Luke, is it true that you and Sitra get along famously"
"Yeah, she took an instant liking to me when we first met" replied Luke "We become good friends fast"
"Perhaps she can deal with this" said Ahsoka "Talk to her about what happened and perhaps she could talk to Feless and get a proper explanation out of him"
"That's a good idea" said Luke "I'll see what I can do. See you, Ahsoka"
"See you, Skyguy" said Ahsoka.
"Attention, we are approaching the Imperial base" said the rebel pilot through the walker's intercom "Prepare yourselves for battle"
Meanwhile in the Imperial base
From the base that stood atop a hillside, and Imperial commander overlooked the approaching vehicles.
"Commander Amavia, the rebel forces are approaching us" said an Imperial officer who ran up to him "What are your orders?"
"Send out all tanks and walkers" said Amavia "They'll keep them busy whilst I contact the major general"
"Yes sir" said the Imperial officer. He ran off.
Meanwhile
Ahsoka climbed out the side of the AT-TE and climbed up the side of the walker and overlooked the opening of a large hanger door from the base. Imperial AT-STs, 2-M hover tanks, and AT-MPs emerged and approached them.
"Well, here it goes" said Ahsoka.
Meanwhile
Han walked through the jungles, muttering to himself and not looking back. Suddenly, he heard a rustling from the bushes. He instantly turned around and pointed his blaster at the bush. Suddenly, a small can-cell flew out and buzzed past him.
"Geez!" said Han.
"You know, that was nowhere near as big as those things can get" said a voice. Han turned around and found himself pointing his blaster right at Corea.
"You know, a little warning wouldn't go unappreciated" said Han "You and your Mandalorian stealth"
"If I was using my Mandalorian stealth, you'd have no idea I was even here" said Corea.
"So, come to join me?" said Han "Have you brought Chewie with you?"
"I haven't come to join you" said Corea "Han, you have to come back with us"
"I think it's obvious at this point that Prune Face and I don't see eye-to-eye" said Han "Why should I come back?"
"Like it or not, we need you and you need us" said Corea.
"I've got better things to do" said Han.
"Like what?" said Corea "Dying out here in this godforsaken jungle?"
"Beats taking orders from him" said Han.
"I know it's tough, Orrimmarko is a difficult person to work with" said Tani as she approached them "He finds it hard to get along with others, especially Humans"
"Let me guess, there's a reason for that" said Han.
"There is" said Tani "You see; before the Empire, his people, the Dressellians, had little contact with other species outside their homeworld. They grew to be used to this lifestyle. But then the Empire occupied the planet; however, the Dressellians fought back fiercely. Orrimmarko was among them; and thanks to their involvement, they were able to drive the Empire away and this led them to eventually join the Alliance. But the Empire's disdain for Non-Humans gave them a bad impression on the Human species"
"And what do you expect me to do?" said Han.
"Orrimmarko may seem rough on the outside; but like most of us, he's had it hard" replied Tani "But take my word; when I was first placed in a squad with him, all he did was boss me around. At times I just wanted to leave; but I never disobeyed an order, and that's probably what got the mission's done. Don't judge a book by its cover, Captain Solo" Han breathed a sigh.
Meanwhile
Ahsoka leapt down off of the AT-TE, landed on a passing AT-RT, and ignited her lightsaber. As the AT-RT ran past an approaching 2-M hover tank, she jump down onto it and cut the fuel lines, causing the tank to explode. A small battalion of stormtroopers ran up to her and she slashed them down within a matter of minutes. Suddenly, a large AT-MP walked up to her and prepared its missiles.
"Oh no!" said Ahsoka. As the AT-MP fired its missiles at her, she ducked for cover behind a rock. "This day's taken a turn, hasn't it?" The AT-MP started firing its chaingun at her. Suddenly, Feless leapt out, cut the chaingun off with his lightsaber, and force crushed one of the missile launchers, causing it to explode and severely damage the walker. He then force-pushed the AT-MP backwards and it fell onto its back with a thud.
Meanwhile
"Sir, we're losing our forces" said an Imperial officer "What should we do?"
"Hold position" replied Amavia "The general gave me his word that he would reinforce us if need be. And I've already contacted him about it"
Meanwhile
"This is most disturbing" said Sitra's hologram "Master Feless hasn't been with us for long and he's never shown this sort of behavior before"
"And I've only just met him" said Luke.
"Have you tried asking him about it?" asked Sitra.
"Both Ahsoka and I have tried, but he keeps dodging the question" said Luke "It's like he just can't be bothered with me. I was actually wondering whether you could talk to him for me"
"I'll see what I can do" said Sitra "I'll make contact with him as soon as I can" Her hologram disappeared. At that moment, a rebel trooper ran up to Luke.
"Commander Skywalker, incoming Imperial dropships are heading our way" said the rebel trooper.
"Get the vehicles to target them" said Luke "Get as many of them down before they can reach us"
"Yes sir" said the rebel trooper. She ran off to alert the other rebel troopers. Luke looked up at the sky as the Imperial Dropship Transports flew towards them. The vehicles aimed their weapons at them and began shooting. However, the Imperial Dropship Transports did not stay and attack but rather flew straight past them and out of sight. As they flew past, Luke noticed that each of them had a small attachment to the bottom of them that had three holes.
"Sir, what just happened?" asked the rebel trooper "Why didn't they attack us?"
"We mustn't have been the target" said Luke.
"Then who was?" asked the rebel trooper. Luke looked off in the direction of where the dropships had flown off to.
"Oh no!" said Luke "They're heading straight for the battle. The Empire must have called for reinforcements"
"But how much of a difference could it make?" asked the rebel trooper "There was only a few of them" Luke quickly remembered the attachment he spotted.
"There's something different about those ships; they've got some sort of attachment on them" said Luke "I don't know what it does, but it can't be good"
"What should we do?" asked the rebel trooper.
"Ready everyone, we head for the battle" replied Luke "We have to help the others"
"But didn't General Feless tell us to stay behind?" asked the rebel trooper.
"Yes, but we can't just stand by and let something terrible happen" replied Luke "Sometimes being a good soldier means doing what you think is right"
Meanwhile
"We're almost there, this way" said Orrimmarko as the commando group walked through the jungle. At that moment, Han and Corea walked up to him. "What is the meaning of this; Captain Solo, I recall that you weren't willing to follow my orders?" Han hesitated to say anything but Corea gave him a push in the back for persuasion"
"I'm sorry about what I said and I understand why you were driving us this way" said Han.
"So, you're willing to follow each and every one of my orders?" asked Orrimmarko. Han looked back at Corea who nodded.
"Yes" replied Han.
"I understand that this is difficult for you, Captain Solo" said Orrimmarko "I understand that I am different than most of the commanders you've worked with. I appreciate your joining in" He turned and walked off with the rest of the group.
"I think he just complimented you" said Corea.
"I still can't believe that I let you talk me into this" said Han.
"It's a living" smirked Corea "I talk you into a lot of things"
"You know, you're real cute when you get snarky" smirked Han. Corea smirked back.
"Good, because I like being snarky" smirked Corea. As the group walked through the forest, they reached a clearing underneath what appeared to be a large projection dish; just in front of them stood the entrance to a bunker.
"This is the place" said Orrimmarko "Remember, discretion is the top priority"
Meanwhile
Feless leapt onto the top of an AT-ST and slashed it in half downwards.
"If we keep up like this we may just be able to overpower the Imperial forces and take the base" said Feless.
"General, Imperial dropships are approaching our position" said a rebel trooper through Feless's comlink.
"Aim at them the moment they come near" said Feless into his comlink "I wasn't expecting aerial combat so we have to get these down fast" The dropships flew up to them. As Ahsoka looked up she noticed the attachments on them.
"Hang on, what are those on them?" asked Ahsoka.
"I don't exactly know, but it looks like some kind of enhancement" replied Feless "They seem to be flying awfully low" Suddenly, one of the holes on the attachments pointed towards them and shot out a large bronze ball which rolled off the side of the hill and uncoiled to reveal itself to be a droideka.
"Destroyers!" exclaimed Ahsoka. As the droideka activated its shield and began shooting at them, the dropships began deploying more and more droidekas until the whole battlefield was soon overrun by them.
"There's too many of them!" exclaimed a rebel trooper just before getting shot down. Soon, Ahsoka and Feless found themselves back-to-back as the droidekas surrounded them.
"I underestimated the Empire and it has gotten us all killed" said Feless "I should of known better; I should have brought everyone out"
"Too late for regrets now, I'm afraid" said Ahsoka. Suddenly, one of the dropships was shot down and crashed into a group of droidekas. A group of LAAT gunships flew past, shooting down Imperial forces. They were followed by Luke and the rest of the rebel troopers who zoomed up on speeder bikes. "Well, looks like the cavalry just arrived" As Luke sped past her; she leapt on and sat behind him on the speeder bike with Feless looking off astounded. "Good thing you turned up, we were almost done for back there"
"You know me, I couldn't just stand by as soon as I saw that something was up" said Luke.
Meanwhile
Within the Imperial bunker, the Imperial officers and stormtroopers were minding their own business as the door slid open to reveal the commando group.
"Intruders!" exclaimed an Imperial officer. He turned to activate the alarm, only for Orrimmarko to shoot the console with his projectile rifle.
"Holt!" yelled a stormtrooper commander. He and the other stormtroopers pointed their weapons at the commando group and it wasn't long until a full blown fire fight started and ended with all the Imperials in the room dead.
"Okay; now that's over and done with, let set those charges" said Han.
"The reactor should be down this corridor" said Orrimmarko.
Meanwhile
Luke ignited his lightsaber and cut down a stormtrooper as he sped past. Ahsoka looked up at the dropships and noticed something.
"Wait; the dropships, they're retreating" said Ahsoka.
"What are they doing that for?" said Luke.
Meanwhile
"No, no!" exclaimed Amavia "This isn't possible…how. I was told the dropships would help us, but—" At that moment, Feless and a group of rebel troopers entered the room. "Stop where you are!" Feless sped up to Amavia and held his lightsaber towards his face. "Wait, what are you—" Suddenly, Feless grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in front of him, holding his lightsaber at his throat.
"Surrender" said Feless.
"What kind of Jedi are you?" exclaimed Amavia.
"The kind that gets things done" replied Feless. Amavia was too shocked to say anything.
Meanwhile
A group of droidekas rolled up in front of Luke's speeder bike but Ahsoka force-pushed forward and pushed them back. As the final dropship turned and began to leave, an AT-TE shot at it, causing it to crash into the ground and roll uncontrollably towards Luke and Ahsoka.
"That's not good!" exclaimed Luke and Ahsoka simultaneously just before the dropship rolled into them and threw them off the cliff and down to the river below.
Meanwhile
Han pulled the charges from a bag and began to place them across the generator room. At that moment, a stormtrooper walked past and noticed them.
"Hey!" exclaimed the stormtrooper whilst pointing his blaster at them, only for Corea to shot him down. As he collapsed, his blaster went off and shot just past Han.
"Careful with that" said Han "One wrong blast and this bunker goes up and us with it"
"Don't worry; next time, I'll make sure I ask the stormtroopers to not shoot randomly as I kill them" said Corea.
"Charges first, comebacks later" said Han. He placed the final charger and set it. "Okay; that's the last of them. Let's get out of here"
Meanwhile
"The commander of the outpost has surrendered" said Feless through the rebel troopers' comlinks "The base is ours" As he said this, all of the rebel troopers on the battlefield cheered out triumphantly. As Feless overlooked out of the window, a rebel trooper ran up to him.
"General, I have just heard word that there is no sign of Commander Skywalker or Tano on the battlefield" said the rebel trooper "They were last seen riding a speeder bike through the battle. What should we do?"
"Once we are up and running, send out search parties in all directions" said Feless "If we are to truly win this battle, we will need every asset we can get"
Meanwhile
Han and the others in the commando group rushed out of the bunker and hid within the undergrowth just as the bunker and the projection dish blew up.
"Well; one down, one to go" said Han.
"And this one is the one that matters" said Orrimmarko "Get ready everyone; if you thought this was tough, you'll have to prepare yourself for the next one"
"I'll take that as a compliment" smirked Han.
Meanwhile
A T-6 shuttle descended down towards Rachi Sitra's camp.
"What is the meaning of this?" said Sitra. She rushed up to the shuttle as the ramp descended down to reveal a Togruta man and a Togruta woman walk down.
"Are you a member of the Rebel Alliance?" asked the Togruta man.
"Yes, we are" replied Sitra "Who are you?"
"My name is Acashto Tano" replied the Togruta man "This is my sister Alarnaa"
"Tano?" exclaimed Sitra "What are you doing here?"
"We came here to look for our older sister" replied Alarnaa "We heard that she was working with the Alliance and have to join"
"Sister…" said Sitra.
Author's note #1: The character Tani Ab'yla was a cut character for Star Wars: Empire at War so I decided to make her into a character in my series. Since she was described as a feline species, I decided to make her a Cathar.
Author's note #2: The kakuona is an original creation of mine.
Hellman76: Your wish is my command.
Martin: Other than general historic events, locations, and species etc., I'm not so sure about having a direct connection to Star Wars: The Old Republic as I have admittingly not played it. I will however have elements from the Knights of the Old Republic games.