Chapter 15. Arquillions Unleashed

Because Jedi Master Kyle Katarn rescued the command crew of the Star Fire it forced Donovan and the Arquillions to call on their allies and attack Alliance targets. So Donovan summoned his mind slave Darth Vader to the front lines to assume command of his fleet. Vader's first target was the territories of the Imperial Remnant. After three weeks of intense fighting the Arquillions occupied Bastion and all surrounding systems. It was Jedi Master Corran Horn who lead a counter attack to retake the system. The battle was going in his favor as he used his force illusions to create chaos in the Arquillion fleet.

"Sir we are being boarded!" A soldier yelled waking Corran from his illusion trance.

The soldiers boarding the Alliance flagship was lead by Darth Vader himself. The elite commando squad fought through deck after deck leaving dead bodies in their wake. That was until Jedi Knights Jasylla Horn and Tahiri Veila attacked them. As the two Jedi cut down the men Vader stood with his arms folded watching then the two turned their attention to Vader.

"Remember why we are here! Don't let your emotions get in the way." Jasylla whispered to Tahiri.

She ignored her, "Anakin its me! Tahiri-Don't you remember?"

Vader's mask opened left and right then it folded into a color around his neck. "Of course I remember you Tahiri, but my name is Darth Vader!"

"Donovan is controling you with a Vong Bigot-Come with me and let us help you!"

As they spoke the Barabel Jedi Tesar was aiming a tranquilizer-dart gun at him, "It is you who need the help! Surrender! I have no wish to kill either of you! Join my master and he will open your eyes as he has opened mine."

Tesar fired, but the dart stopped a foot from Anakin's neck. He looked back and smiled pointing his hand. "Nice try!" Tesar left his feet and hit the wall then the dart flew across the hallway and into his neck. Vader ignited his saber and attacked Jysella and Tahiri.

Their blades crackled and hissed as they struck blow after blow. Vader kicked Jysella in the chest and swept Tahiri's legs from under her. He raised his lightsaber to finish Tahiri and that is when Corran Horn blocked his blade.

"Go get my daughter and get out of here!" Corran yelled.

"I'm not leaving you father!" Jysella yelled

"Go! I sense more Arquillion troops-Go! Are we all get captured!"

Reluctantly Jysella obeyed and the two young women force grabbed Tesar and dragged him to safety, while Corran fought Vader who had put his death mask back on. Unltimately the counter attack was a failure and Paelleon was captured and forced to sign over the Imperial Remnant.

Tattooine

Tattooine was being evacuated by order of the Galactic Alliance, but that didn't stop Natasi Daala from meeting Boba Fett on the planet to discuss a rescue operation for Gileade Paelleon. They met in a upstairs room of a hostel.

"I have a hundred Mandelorians-They will meet us at the rendezvous point in four days."

"We should wait for the Arquillions to take the system-then we get hired on as mercenaries." Boba said.

It was a long tedious wait and to occupy their time they played sabacc and pazaak. The Arquillions had taken over the planet and a day later Daala and Boba got work as mercenaries. She was walking from the office when a Rodian bumped into her. She hadn't taken three steps when she realized that she neede to check her pockets. She did and to her relief nothing was stolen, but something was in her pocket that didn't belong. It was a mini holo-disk. She placed the disk in a receiver when she returned to Boba.

A holographic image of a bio-weapons plant was displayed. The facility was on Bespin-the holgram also included intricate plans to use a bio-weapon to wipe out the Chiss Empire. "By the force!" Boba said.

"We have to give this information to the Chiss." Barkull said, he was another Mandelorian.

Daala shook her head, "The Arquillions are watching the Chiss to make sure that they don't intervene in the war-No we should get this to the Alliance."

The Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace near Dantooine. "This is the Falcon to Slave 1 please respond!"

"Right here Solo-turn to 3319-6."

Han sighed, "Why not transmit this information?"

"Because Carbonite Brain-There may be stray ships in the system."

Han grunted, "You sound paranoid."

After Boba Fett gave them the information Han took it to the Alliance high command on Utipau. Luke and most of the Jedi High Council was there with Admiral Wedge Antillies and General Orn of Onderon. Lando and a few others were transmitting via hologram.

"We have a Jedi operative on Ssii-Ruk..." Luke said, "We have visual confirmation on the bio-weapons sight."

"Then we go with a stealth bomb attack." Wedge said speaking up.

"Fine Kyp's Dozen will lead the assault-no ground troops."

"Agreed!"

The operation to destroy the bio-weapons plant was a success and so was the plan to rescue Gileade Paelleon. Darth Vader stood at attention with Peter Voles, Jaddock and Kindo. "Despite recent setbacks the war is going in our favor. But more is needed."

Vader stepped forward, "Master what about capturing Geonosis? Their droid factories are up and running again-we could use those factories to build droids for the Arquillion Empire."

"Yes-I want you Lord Vader to lead the campaign for Geonosis-The rest of you I want at my side when we engage the Alliance in open space."

Geonosis

Darth Vader stood on the bridge of his command ship the Emperor's Hand directing the space battle in orbit of Geonosis. The planetary shields and weapons grid prevented any ships from landing on the surface. "Units 23 through 79 fire on shield coordinates 99-NE-003." All the ships with those designated numbers began firing their turbo-laser guns at the assigned section in an attempt to weaken the shields. Vader's arms were folded as he waited.

"Sir shield strength in that sector has weakened by 19%." The science officer said from his station.

"Increase bombardment power by 50%!"

When the shield was weak enough Vader began landing his troops on the planet surface. He also sent a special commando unit to shut down the shield relays. "My Lord! V-Unit has shut down the shields-Ground forces need support to take down gun ADA and GD towers. No sooner had he given the command when the underground factories blew up.

"What in space was that?" Vader demanded.

"There is a lot of COM traffic sir!" The COM officer said from his station, "Say again commander!"

"They blew up the factory-I repeat the Geonosians have blown up the factory!"

Surface of Geonosis-3 hours later

Vader walked down the ramp of his personal shuttle where several Arquillion engineers were waiting. "Lord Vader-The bugs destroyed their own factory and have gone into the catacombs-COM-Scan is picking up a large heat signature."

Vader stared at the commander from behind his mask, "Its a trap commander-Get me the Emperor!"

Donovan ordered Vader to hold the planet no matter what. An hour after that the Geonosians came out of hiding and a huge battle erupted as millions of battle droids came up to the surface. A secondary battle fleet of the Alliance came out of hyperspace to aid them. A squadron of Stealth Xs were lead by Jaina, her mother and father aboard the Falcon. As the hours dragged on no one side would yield to the other. Roller tanks rumbled across the ground. Roller tanks were Arquillion tech-large silver spheres that could hold a battle crew of 100 and roll across any surface and smash and crush everything in its path. These spheres went up against Alliance AT-AT walkers and juggernauts. The Rollers were equipped with magnetic shields-so all blaster fire ricocheted off the silver armored vehicles. After a week of intense fighting the Geonosians and the Alliance had to retreat.

"It was a well laid plan master, but we prevailed-The cost was high as we lost over 200,000 troops not including battle droids." Vader said to Donovan via hologram.

"What about the droid factories can they be salvaged?"

"Yes but those dirty bugs ionized their caves-It will take months to remove all the residual energy."

Arquillion Flagship Destiny

"You have done well Lord Vader-Secure the system and report to the Hapan invasion force." After Vader saluted Donovan sat back in his chair, he was winning the war and his destiny was at hand. He stood up and left his personal COM center to go to hanger 2 where Peter Voles and Jaddock were waiting for him. "Time for your lessons!" He said to them both.

Peter had already built his lightsaber, so Donovan had the two of them square off. They practiced for the next hour before an alarm sounded. "That felt like a shadow bomb!" Peter said. Donovan sneered because he could feel his old Jedi Master Kyp Durron.

"All ships stay in attack formation and target the flagship." Kyp said leading his infamous Dozen. He had reformed the group and had been targeting Arquillion positions for the past three weeks. This time his target was Donovan' command fleet. It was hard for the fighters and anti-fighter gunners to lock on to the stealth ships as they had no COM signals to track and the scramblers prevented lock on as well. Donovan's command fleet was in disarray as Kyp and his squadron crippled over twenty ships and shot down seventy star fighters.