Dramatis personae
RC-1168 MAV: Clone Commando, Demolitions Expert, Corporal, Clone Army (human male)
RC-1169, DOC: Clone Commando, Medic, Lieutenant, Clone Army (human male)
RC-1170, DRALSHY'A: Clone Commando, Squad Lead, Captain, Clone Army (human male)
RC-1171, TALYC: Clone Commando, Sharpshooter, Sergeant, Clone Army (human male)
Clone Commander CC-1111, JAY: Clone Trooper Commander, Clone Army (human male)
Vice Admiral JEROME DONNA: Republic Officer, Commander of Senator, Grand Army of the Republic (human male)
Captain MILO CHIPEN: Republic Officer, Executive Officer of Senator, Grand Army of the Republic (human male)
Null ARC Trooper N-8 TRACYN: Null Advanced Recon Commando Lieutenant, Clone Intelligence (human male)
Admiral AUGUSTUS AVARO: CIS Officer, Commander of Reconciliation, Trade Federation Navy (neimoidian male)
Trade Federation Droid Army
Trade Federation Navy
GRULLUSS, Shipmaster of Blood for Trandosha (trandoshan male)
Prologue
"Please repeat! You're breaking up!" Vice Admiral Jerome Donna yelled over the comm as another ion blast pounded the broad side of the Venator-class Star Destroyer; Senator.
"Enemy fleet reinforcements incoming, retreat."
"Yes Admiral Yularen, we will leave once Sigma is on board." Donna responded and broke the connection.
Another blast hit the ship, this time taking down the aft shields. "Hull breached sir!" Yelled a trooper in the bridge crew. "We can't take much more of this!"
"I know we can't. Sigma should be here anytime now."
"There is no sign of them sir. They must have failed their mission." With that a massive explosion sent the Senator rocking side to side. A bright light followed, blinding Donna and the rest of the bridge crew. Once they could see again, a Trade Federation Battleship ripped in two at the center of the ship's spine.
As this was all happening, there was movement among the scattered remains of the Republic's 9th Navy Fleet, and the remaining ships in the Trade Federation's Navy, a lone LAAT/i.
Over the static of the comm came a voice, "Senator, this is Sigma Squadron Captain RC-1170, requesting permission to come aboard."
Donna smiled to himself, "Sigma, this is the Senator, permission granted, good job son."
"I would save that for later sir, we're still not out of here." There was faint chatter on his end of the comm. "Further orders, sir?"
"For now, just get back here in one piece." Donna turned to his second in command; Captain Milo Chipen, "Keep them covered, we cannot afford to lose those men."
He nodded and went on his way to the Senators gunnery bays to pass down the orders.
Donna turned to the nav trooper, "Trooper, punch in coordinates for hyperspace."
"Destination sir?"
"Anywhere…just get us out of here."
Another blast rocked the ship from side to side, temporarily knocking Donna off balance, but he grabbed a rail that was next to him. An alarm blared throughout the ship. "What was that?" Donna asked.
"Hull compromised, Deck C2375. Atmosphere is venting." Through the view port window they could see the huge hole the ion round put in the ship, troopers being ripped out into the vacuum. "Close bulkhead doors."
"Aye sir." The trooper pressed a sequence of buttons and the pressure returned back to normal.
"Admiral, this is CC-1111, permission to speak sir?"
"Of course Jay, speak your mind son." Donna responded.
"What is going on up there? Me and my boys here are getting motion sickness from all the rocking. What's the hold up?" Jay asked.
"We are just waiting on Sigma."
"Did they complete their mission?"
"By the paint on their buckets, but yes they disabled the battleship. But we still have to deal with the rest of the fleet and an Admiral."
"Which one sir?"
"Admiral Augustus Avaro."
The communication trooper turned in his seat, "sir, incoming transmission from the Federation Fleet."
"Patch it through."
There was brief static then a clear image came to the holopad, a Neimoidian sitting in his command chair aboard his flagship, Reconciliation. Avaro being a well-known Federation Commander since the invasion of Naboo soared through the Federation ranks to Admiral.
"Very well fought, Vice Admiral, but as you can see, it is now pointless to resist. Surrender now and your lives will be spared."
Donna chuckled to himself, "Admiral Augustus Avaro, how nice of you to take time out of your busy day to talk to me."
"You will not talk yourself out of this again Admiral. You will not escape this time."
"Admiral, this is Sigma Leader. We are on board, repeat we are on board."
"Well I would love to stay and talk Admiral, but we are late for a date."
And with that the Senator jumped into hyperspace leaving Avaro with his fleet.