"Desperate Defense"

From the snowflakes that stung her face, to the headache, and constant ringing in her ears, Kvetina rose to her knees oblivious to everything else around her except a maroon and brown colored droid with worn blue paint. Her mind struggled against the will of its own body, the latter crying out for a rest and a refreshing drink while the former was desperately trying to pull itself together and survive the immediate danger it was presented. With the voices of clones and blaster fire growing louder by the second the dazed woman looked up to the droid as if she were waiting to give her answers to questions she had yet to ask. Taking matters into his own hands, Wire had slung one of his owner's arms around his shoulders, helping her limp further away from the heat of the battle that still raged on only meters away. Coming to her senses and finally recognizing just how poorly her droids performed in defending Kvetina pulled herself away from Wire checking behind her to see if any daring clone bothered to chase after them, however she was met with only Sparks keeping watch and distant lights of blue and red.

"Captain, are you well?" Asked Wire who was still holding onto her as she tried to find her balance again.

"Report." She said lazily, hand against the icy wall as she checked herself for any possible injuries.

"Our communications are being jammed by enemy forces and they are pushing through our lines at a troubling pace. I advise returning to any of our transports if possible." Wire took his blaster from his back joining alongside Sparks in watching for potential targets. The officer patted the side of her face to feel traces of blood run from various cuts the ice had made upon impact. She wiped it away with her gloved hand which itself was already beginning to wear down from the aggressive use Kvetina had put it through and unholstered her pistol and vibroblade.

"We need to take care of those walkers." She said.

"We lack the equipment to deal with their heavy armor, I do not think it is possible for use to effectively counter them." Sparks informed. The three slowly made their way back to the front lines, hoping not to get shot along their journey but by now the clones would have already captured their line and would start moving on to the next; if they were to make a move they would need to execute it now. The three encountered a few surviving droids, one of which looked to be a commander droid from its appearance while the rest were all but destroyed. They were scarred with scorch marks, dents, scratches an all sorts of damage done yet they continued their struggle against the Republic.

"268, 'Evens', where's the rest of your forces?" Kvetina asked as an explosion erupted in the distance.

"The clones destroyed our forces here captain, I'm afraid even our numbers can't defeat the Republic advance." The droid commented, his tone low as if he had disgraced his superiors. Truth be told even Kvetina was skeptical of their chances at winning but that wouldn't change their situation. Even in the face of defeat they still had a job to do and- as many Confederate officers she knew of- they would do it well. "What do we do captain?"

"Gather your arms and follow our lead, if our enemy believes this place to be secured then it will be easy to flank them. They'll be caught off guard," She rubbed the temple of her head that was still recovering from the headache, "Besides I don't think we can get over the ridge without being immediately shot."

Before long they group would return to the heart of the fire: the frontlines of the clone army. It didn't take long for the clones to notice arrival but few managed to react in time before getting slashed across the chest by either Kvetina or Wire's vibroblades. A trooper pulled his blaster up to one of the droids, but his chance was denied as Wire grabbed him by the throat, holding him in the air as he shot his blaster six times into the clone's stomach. The other battle droids marched as any would in a line, firing wildly without much hope of landing on target but with two deadly commando droids at the front it was difficult for the clones to engage at close range without being torn apart by metal hands or impaled by an increasingly dulling blade. The winding path made ambushes an issue and with the approaching danger of the AT-TEs growing near the fight grew much harder as the already small number of droids dwindled down to just the Captain, her two companions, Evens and two other B1s. The quick work of the clones must have made news spread quick as more clones arrived to combat the growing threat the survivors posed.

The two commando droids charged forward, Sparks driving his vibroblade into an unprepared clone's throat while Wire's blaster snapped from one target to the next. A clone tackled Sparks to the ground while Wire had to find cover from more clones that arrived to aid their brothers. Kvetina stepped on the clone on top of her droid shooting him in the back of the head as she took a grenade of his belt, while Sparks retrieved his weapon and Wire provided supporting fire, the Confederate officer threw the unprimed detonator which succeeded in causing a panic among the remaining clones whom believed it to be live. Using the short distraction to their advantage, the droids and their leader hastily moved in for the kill. By the time the Republic troopers realized the explosive was a dud, it was too late for them.

"This section is secure captain, but I am unsure as for how long it will remain that way." Said Sparks. Kvetina looked back on the dozen or so corpses she saw, instead of seeing a great loss of life she saw potential equipment and resources to be scavenged, akin to how the Republic saw Confederate forces: as piles of scrap. She ordered the droids to pick up any grenades they could but there weren't too many as the battle had been going on for a few hours by now and it was likely they would have been used up by this point in the battle. Although there wasn't much to be salvaged Wire and Evens picked up a concussive and sonic grenade respectively, why clones were equipped with that much extra equipment was anyone's guess but hers; regardless they would be used in the freedom of the Confederacy and more importantly Kvetina's goal of surviving this downward plummet of a mission.

"Captain, we have incoming clone forces from the east. Their general is leading the assault." Battalions 'A' through 'D' had arrived as ordered an hour earlier and the pincer maneuver was being executed as ordered but Kvetina was worried even such a plan would fail with the skill and proficiency of the clones. She had to give them credit, the Republic's training certainly served them well and could be argued that it was the advantage that turned battle after battle but the time for such compliments was not needed at this moment for she could only assume the 'general' Sparks had mentioned earlier was none other than the Jedi that led the invasion of her home. Even if it wasn't the odds of it being a Jedi were high, and after coming to terms with Jedi being an order of lies she grew to hate them even more when they always came to 'liberate' once peaceful CIS worlds. To her it was nothing more than the pacification of a planet threatening to leave their rule, threatening the power the Republic held and fought to keep.

"Anything else?" Kvetina asked the droid.

"It would seem they have assigned one of their AT-TEs to break through our formation, it is likely that the other is doing same on the opposite flank."

"Very well," The captain acknowledged, "Let them come and if we're lucky we'll finally kill a living legend."

"A 'legend captain?" Sparks asked, unaware of the status symbol the Jedi posed to the Republic.

"They're the poster child of the Republic, always preaching peace and balance. Always looked up to by the rest of the galaxy as heroes and saviors of it. But you've seen the things as I did, it may be true they are valiant and strong warriors, but they certainly are no heroes."

"I see captain, then yes, let us kill a 'legend' as you say." He responded with a light and monotone laugh Kvetina so rarely heard. The clones marched forward with their AT-TE providing artillery support from the rear. Their robed and hooded general led the charge recklessly as an inexperienced leader but Kvetina did not care, instead opting to tighten the bandage Wire wrapped around her forehead slightly tighter so it wouldn't come loose during the battle. What caught the woman's attention was the blue lightsaber that was wielded instead of the green one she had seen up close only once.

"Battalion 'A' and 'B' begin march, 'C' and 'D' fire at will." This battlefield, while still in the same area of engagement, was now an open plain instead of the body filled trenches at either side of the armies. The captain was worried about the newcomer to the fray, the Jedi was reckless though proficient in cutting through one droid after another. Swearing under her breath Kvetina would beckon for Sparks and Wire to follow. "Evens, take command of Battalions 'C' and 'D', try not to get them all killed this time."

"Roger, roger!" He said, "You heard the captain, I'm in charge. Fire on those clones." Was all she bothered to listen to before concentrating on the battle at hand. For the ratio for losses it was an even fight even with the AT-TE used as support, but the Jedi was too much for the droids to handle alone. Holstering her blaster and having her vibroblade at the ready the separatist mentally prepared herself for the risky battle that was about to take place.

"Wire, aid our comrades in their fight, I shall deal with this one." She ordered.

"Are you sure captain?"

"They'll need better management and plans and right now you're the best for the job."

"As you wish captain." Sparks readied himself for the battle, being the only two with weapons to counter a lightsaber it was fitting that only they would be able to defeat the Jedi without vast number of guns directed at him.

"Remember Sparks, nothing risky." Eyeing one another down neither wanted to make the first move. As luck would have it for Kvetina, the Jedi moved first, breaking their silent gaze to one another. Her hooded opponent slashed down at her but the combination of both Sparks's and her own weapon easily thwarted the attack and allowed them to go on the offensive. The next strike went toward Sparks who evaded it with ease thanks to his agile frame while his owner would lash out against the Jedi. Despite the fight being two against one the Jedi was skilled enough to handle the two as expected. Every attack made, be it from a lightsaber or vibroblade, was deflected or missed one way or another leading the fight to stagnate into whoever had the greater energy left in them and with Sparks being the unrelenting droid he was it was not likely either of the Confederates would lose. As Sparks went for another attack he was pushed back with a wave of the Jedi's hand and the droid fell into the snow. Kvetina locked blades with the Jedi barely able to muster the strength to push him back but it was enough time for Sparks to get to his feet. The droid went for a feint, the Jedi moved twisted himself to deflect it leaving him open even if only by a little. Taking the chance Kvetina smashed her fist into his jaw, an unorthodox attack in an average duel but this proved to be no average opponent. The Jedi stumbled back, quickly retaliating with a sweep of his leg, but the move failed as the woman raised her forward leg out of harm's way only to bring her boot down on his knee. With his cry of pain drowning out in all the other screams from dying clones, the officer raised her sword above her head poised to kill the beaten Jedi until the sound of a bomber caught her attention. Up above a pair of Hyena bombers strafed the AT-TE in the distance, their bombed breaching its side armor and bringing it down. As the officer brought down her weapon her attack was narrowly deflected, sliding down the blue lightsaber only to slice through the Jedi's left eye. She hadn't bothered to notice before, but he was appeared younger than her, certainly younger than the first Jedi she encountered. In the heat of the moment, as Sparks went to try to finish off what his owner failed to do, both were once again pushed back by the Jedi, this time much further causing both Sparks and Kvetina to skid a short distance. Snow blanketed them as they looked to find several transports and fighters arrive. Likewise, Vulture droids filled the skies, shooting down Republic gunships and interceptors though many of them would destroyed in turn.

"Captain," Wire's voice came the comm on her forearm, "communications with the Indomitable have returned and they report that the fleet from Onderon have arrived." Around her droids started overrunning the field, taking out a few stragglers that were too far from the transports. Lots of things surprised her, for one she didn't have much of an injury from her encounter with the Jedi (Though a few bruises would say otherwise), and what's even better would be her forces weren't utterly crushed; saved by the arrival of the new CIS fleet. Sparks appeared above her, offering out a hand which she gratefully took.

"It would appear the Republic are fleeing Captain." Sparks stated the obvious.

"So, it would seem." The captain started with Wire eventually rejoining the two, "Call a shuttle to pick us up, and get me a link to whoever is in command of that fleet." Brushing off the bits of snow, Kvetina watched as Confederate Vultures now ruled the blue-white sky. "It would seem the 'Second Battle of Agamar' has begun."

A.N.: Longest one so far. Not much else to say really. As always, enjoy!
~Firetoast312