Vanguard
Chapter 17
"SHIVA"
[Null Sector]
Longarm fires off another two anti-materiel rounds from his SRS99D taking down a super battle droid in the midst of the heavy fighting taking place in the corridors between the separatists and the 501st Legion. Captain Rex was fighting alongside the SPARTAN with his blaster pistols gunning down droids with efficiency as well as General Skywalker who was going on the defensive protecting his men from incoming bolts while they in turn engaged the separatist from their dug in positions.
Anakin could see the Recusant-class Destroyer in construction through some view ports located along the right wall, he states "C'mon men we're almost there! Keep pushing!"
"You head him troopers! Move it double time!" Rex barked.
The troopers fought harder taking down droids left and right but they too were sustaining casualties whenever a lucky blaster bolt strikes a clone causing him to fall over with a brief cry of pain, one trooper eventually yells out "Spider droid!"
Longarm was taking cover behind a extrusion coming out of the side of the corridor reloading his rifle when he glanced down the hallway seeing the droids dug in with this large quadrupedal machine with a dome-like body featuring two large red eyes with two much smaller eyes in between and a large forward mounted blaster cannon, this was the DSD1 Dwarf Spider Droid.
Longarm states calmly "I got it" before appearing out of cover lining up the shot with his rifle.
He pulls the trigger sending a high velocity 14.5mm armor piercing sabot round downrange but when the projectile collided with the droid's thick heavy armor it ricocheted off and struck a B1's side destroying that one in the process while the spider droid merely took a step back from the impact. The droid then traced the shot fired back to the SPARTAN and fired a high powered bolt of energy which came streaming back and slams itself into his chest shattering his shields and knocking the seven foot soldier flat out onto the ground in one single hit. Skywalker looked down at the soldier finding no movements, he knows no one could've survived a direct impact from a spider droid's cannon, until he saw the SPARTAN's right leg move slowly and a heard a low groan.
He asks "You still breathing Longarm?"
Longarm replies "Ugh . . . yeah I'm still able . . ." before he slowly got back up to his feet and back into fighting shape.
Rex saw the soldier get back up after taking the hit and states "You're pretty lucky Longarm!"
"Yeah, and now I'm pissed" he replies allowing his shields to recharge.
Once his shields came back to full strength he taps the shoulder of a trooper that took cover next to him and hands his rifle over to him saying "Mind holding this for a second?" before coming out of cover and make a mad dash for the entrenched droids.
A B1 droid emerges out of cover to shoot when it spots the one ton black soldier racing towards them at fifty three kilometers an hour quickly closing the gap through his use of his augmented abilities and only giving the droid enough time to yell "Uh oh!" before the SPARTAN-ll was right on top of them.
Longarm leaps over the first set of cover the droids were using and slams his right shoulder straight into a B2 super battle droid with such force knocking the droid over before proceeding with the rest. Skywalker, Rex, and the clones soon ceased fire once they saw the close range carnage the super soldier inflicted on the separatist ranks. Longarm throws a quick right uppercut into a battle droid with his fist smashing into the thin durasteel plating while tearing the head off with his left hand, other droids responded to the attacker among them and began firing laser bolts at the SPARTAN however he begun to use his first victim as a shield before tossing it aside and made way for his next target.
All then meanwhile he was single handedly wreaking havoc he could hear B1 battle droids yell out in fear with their humoring high-pitched voices "Oh my god! Shoot him shoot him!"
He quickly performs a roundhouse kick sending a battle droid flying towards the wall, instantly follows up with a jab with his right arm piercing another droid's armored chassis and disables the droid tossing it away like a piece of garbage when his back was struck by a pair of blaster bolts fired from a super battle droid. His shields held and he turns to face the droid before he makes a fast high swing with his right fist but the droid quickly throws up its left three fingered mechanical claw and caught the SPARTAN's fist before it began to squeeze.
The droid laughed triumphantly with its low monotone voice "Ha ha ha . . . I have you no-"
Longarm immediately resorts to a simple but powerful head bash slamming his titanium-A E.O.D. helmet against the droid's heavily armored faceplate where it damages the optics and forces it to let go allowing the SPARTAN super soldier to seize the droid in his two hands and lift the heavy autonomous machine up over his head.
The droid only had enough time to say "Whoa hey! Let me down!" before Longarm obliged its request and brought its back down hard and fast on his right knee snapping the droid's mechanical spine and destroying vital components inside.
He then picks the droid up again by its leg and threw it towards another pair of droids crushing them in the process before receiving a glancing blow from the spider droid's main cannon when it finally got a lock. The SPARTAN then rushed the four legged machine using his EVA boosters for extra velocity and kinetic force where he comes around to the droid's left quickly and slams his left shoulder against the spider's heavily armored dome toppling it over onto its side. The droid gave an animal like squeal in fright from the impact and began to get itself back up but Longarm firmly placed his left boot on the droid preventing it from correcting itself and draws his electro-staff, activated and ready for use, and drives the staff downward forcibly through the spider droid's exposed undercarriage causing it to convulse in electrical shock and shut down.
He withdraws his staff from the impaled droid moments before he sees Skywalker and his men come up to him from their precision, Rex looked around at squad of droids the SPARTAN eliminated with his own hands and says with newfound respect and some fear "Nice work . . ."
Longarm holsters his staff before the trooper he entrusted his rifle to comes up and returns the weapon to the SPARTAN he looks at Skywalker and notices a scornful expression on the Jedi's face, he couldn't tell why Anakin was doing this despite his success in destroying a full squad of battle droids, but he ignores him and begins taking the lead with the troopers following behind on their way to destroy the docked destroyer leaving the Jedi behind.
Captain Rex however remained at Skywalker's side as he noticed the general's distrust and asks "Something wrong?"
Anakin replied "Keep your eye on him, there's something about him that I don't like."
Rex however seemed confused "Sir?"
"Call it a hunch, but I get the feeling Longarm is not just here to lend a hand to the Republic."
The captain wasn't sure what Skywalker was on to but he trusted the Jedi with his life, and that of the 501st, and learned that if he was suspicious about something then normally he was right so he complies "Right . . . c'mon General, we don't want to be left behind."
The two then started their way catching up to the others as they steadily advance towards the Recusant destroyer.
On the other end of the station, Kenobi and Tano, along with the 212th, were starting to seize the lower levels of the command tower that oversees all operations on the shipyard. The Jedi along with Commander Cody and two of Cody's best men, Boil and another trooper named Sar, fought their way up through the levels while the rest of Ghost Company fought fiercely door to door clearing room by room. The Jedi were already up to the third and final level before the command center when they engaged another squad of B1 battle droids, now backed up with a droideka, Ahsoka and Kenobi darted straight for the battle droids while Cody and his two men took on the droideka through teamwork. Boil started making his way around the destroyer droid while Cody and Sar occupied it by shooting at its energy shield with their standard issue blasters. Boil finally gets behind the droid and pulls out his own EMP grenade, arming it, and gently roll the grenade slow enough so it would pass through the destroyer's personal shield. Once the grenade passed through it quickly noticed Boil and begun to turn but was too late when the grenade emitted its electro-magnetic pulse and shuts it down.
Kenobi cuts down the last droid before he says "Good work Boil."
Ahsoka adds "Come on, the command center is just above us."
She then quickly took the lead up the next set of stairs with Kenobi and the clones close behind her, they raced to the top destroying any droids that stood in their way through the use of lightsabers or blasters. Despite what type of droid stood in their way they quickly eliminated them one by one until they reached the command center, they reached the last bulkhead hatch that leads into command center which was easily presumed to be heavily guarded by what remained of the droid forces in the starboard sector of the shipyard.
Ahsoka lined up on the right side of the hatch with Cody stacking up behind her while Kenobi, Boil, and Sar stacked up on the left side, Boil asks "General how're we going to get the drop on these clankers? They probably have every blaster pointed at the door when we come through."
Kenobi adds "True . . . we'll need a distraction of some sort" he glances at Ahsoka and noticed that she was already in the process of developing a plan, he asks "I know that look young Tano, what do you propose?"
She answers "One second" she turns on her comlink and switches to the UNSC encrypted channel Percival provided her and contacted the Vanguard "Percy you there?"
It was a short moment later before the AI responded "The ship is still here if that's what you're asking about. What is it?"
"Master Kenobi and I are standing outside the station's command center, can you get a fix on what we're up against?"
"Of course, standby."
Percival went silent for a moment when Obi-wan asks "Friend of yours?"
"You can say that, you should meet him one day" Tano said with a grin.
"I sure would . . ."
After a few more moments Percival finally comes back and said "Alright you got twenty plus targets, some working on working stations and some on the door ready to shoot."
"Good, can you provide a distraction?"
"Yes, I can send a distraction in ninety seconds on your go. You'll only have a small window to do what you have to do. That's all I can do for you."
"Thanks Percy, do it."
"Acknowledged . . . Pod six is hot, launching in five."
"Thanks Percy. We'll take it from here."
She turns her comlink before Cody next to her asks "What's the word?"
"We go in ninety seconds, Percival has something for them."
[Command Center]
General Kronus, a super tactical battle droid with khaki as his primary color for his external chassis complimented with dark grey 'vines' ordained across his body as his secondary, was assisting Captain Mar Tuuk coordinate their newly arrived reinforcements in order to defeat the Republic forces and push them out of the system through force. He personally made sure the command center, that closely resembled that of a separatist frigate's command bridge with the pyramid like structuring and wide open view ports giving an excellent field of view, was secured with the aid of eight B2 super battle droids, nine B1 battle droids including his second in commander, four droidekas with their shields deployed and weapons armed, and two more droidekas configured into the sniper variants outfitted with a powerful anti-personnel blaster cannon and a well armored rounded faceplate to protect the droid from frontal attacks.
A B1 battle droid reports "Sir, there's a pair of Jedi along with some clones waiting outside the hatch."
Kronus replied in his usual low intimidating monotone voice "It does not matter, I calculate their odds at seizing this command center to be five hundred seventy three to one, they will not succeed."
Another battle droid reports "General! That unidentified warship just launched a missile, it's heading right for us."
Kronus couldn't evaluate why the warship would dare fire upon the station when they were trying to take control of it, nonetheless he orders "Divert reserve power to the shields."
"Roger Roger" the droid replied before doing what it was ordered.
A third droid reports "Sir, the Captain is contacting us."
"Put it through" Kronus orders.
Soon enough a hologram of Captain Tuuk sitting in his command chair appeared before the droid general, Tuuk orders "General, I need you to direct your ships in a frontal assault against the Jedi. We can defeat them if we act now."
Kronus quickly calculated all possible outcomes within seconds and states "No, if I understand correctly then it is Admiral Yularen leading the fleet, a direct assault would result in seventy three percent of our fleet's destruction. I will hold my ships and wear the Republic out through a war of attrition."
Mar became frustrated "You droids are all the same! If we don—"
Kronus rudely interrupts Tuuk "Good bye Captain" before cutting the transmission.
He then turns to the droid that mentioned the missile and orders "Report."
The droid answered "The missile is a kilometer out and closing fast, impact imminent."
The general looked out the wide viewport and spots the missile barreling towards them until it suddenly impacted the station's shields releasing a powerful explosion and rocked the entire station, the crew stumbled back and forth after the hit and that's when Kronus heard the hatch behind him open up followed up blaster fire. He quickly draws his E5 Blaster Carbine attached to his right thigh and turns to see two Jedi accompanied by three clone troopers, he quickly takes aim with one hand at one of the lower ranked troopers and fires a bolt striking the clone in his right shoulder forcing him to let go of his DC-15S blaster.
The other trooper calls out "Boil!" before Kronus takes aim again, this time for the other clone's head.
Ahsoka quickly dismantled a sniper droideka before lunging at the droid general, cutting his carbine in two with a single swing, but Kronus was extremely quick to react disarming the young togruta of her lightsabers and deliver two low blows to her stomach one quickly followed by the other. Obi-wan quickly realizes Tano in danger and begins to rush towards her after cutting down three super battle droids but Kronus quickly seizes Ahsoka's neck in an head lock with his right arm and bringing up one of her own lightsabers to her neck with his left.
Kenobi and the clones quickly ceased their fighting and everyone entered a standoff, Kronus greets the Jedi General "General Obi-wan Kenobi, the negotiator . . . I had calculated the possibilities of you being aboard your warship. It seems that they were false."
"And you are?" Obi-wan asks.
"I am General Kronus, and ironically enough I am the one that is keeping your fleet intact."
Cody scoffs "Says the bucket head that's holding a Jedi hostage with her own lightsaber."
Kronus's three optical eyes locked onto Cody for the moment and said "Captain Mar Tuuk insists that I launch my ships in a forward assault. I am unlike him, I do not waste my assets in blind and uncalculated situations."
Ahsoka struggled to free herself from the droid's firm grip as she uttered "Scrap this bucket of bolts . . ."
Kronus however threatens "The moment either one of you pulls a trigger or make a swing, I will have already slit your companion's throat. Drop your weapons and call off your troops, and I will spare your lives."
Kenobi and the troopers looked at one another deciding whether or not to risk Ahsoka's life in order to complete the mission but Obi-wan eventually orders "Do what he says, drop your weapons" before deactivating his lightsaber and tossing it onto the floor.
The clones followed suit and dropped their blasters to the floor allowing the surviving battle droids to seize their weapons and hold them at gunpoint.
On the other side of the station, Longarm, Skywalker, and the 501st were now crossing the docking tube leading into the partially constructed Recusant-class Destroyer after dealing with the few remaining guards left on the station.
Anakin stops for a moment letting his troopers pass him on their way to the destroyer and ordered "C'mon men move it! Let's go!"
The SPARTAN was taking the lead as usual when the hatch ahead of him opened up revealing a pair of B2 battle droids coming out, he tosses his sniper rifle aside and goes into a full sprint reaching up to his top fifty three kilometers an hour. Using this velocity Longarm cock his right arm back before entering close proximity of the first droid where he then launches his right fist like a loaded gun sending his hand smashing against the droid's armored faceplate where it warped and buckled under the SPARTAN-ll's sheer augmented strength. The droid simply crumpled to the floor while the second droid prepared to open fire but its armor was immediately racked by blaster fire given by Captain Rex and several clones resulting in the droid's termination as it slumped down to the ground.
"You owe us now" Rex states as he runs pass the SPARTAN.
Another clone comes up with the discarded sniper rifle and hands it back to Longarm before he passes through the hatch and board the destroyer.
Once they made it inside one of the vessel's corridors, Skywalker orders "If we're going to destroy the ship we need to rupture the engine core near the aft, Rex take Longarm and some of your men with you."
"We're on it Skywalker, Havoc and Trus on me!"
Two clones responded "Yes sir!" and begun to follow their captain and the super soldier as they made their way aft.
The Jedi watched the four soldiers leave before getting his comlink and ask "We're on the destroyer Obi-wan, what's your progress?"
His master shortly replies "We're a little busy right now . . . Ahsoka is being held hostage."
"What!? Hang on I'm on my way!"
"No Anakin! Any wrong move and they'll kill her."
Skywalker sighed and acknowledged his master's warning "Yes Master I understand . . ."
He signs off now feeling frustrated and helpless knowing Tano was in danger and that he couldn't do anything about it, he soon hears heavy footsteps approaching from behind and when he turned he found Rex and the others returning from their assignment.
Rex reports "Sir, the charges are planted."
"That was quick . . ."
Longarm steps in "Yeah well having two guards standing outside a door hatch that hasn't been installed yet isn't really the most effective way of protecting a reactor core. What's the status of the other team?"
"They're at the command bridge, but Ahsoka is in danger."
"What? We gotta go help them" the SPARTAN states starting to make his way back into the docking tube.
"No! If we do anything to save them they're dead."
"Then what the hell are we going to do?"
Anakin thought for a moment before answering "Destroy the ship and head for the hangar, hopefully we'll have a plan" he noticed Longarm was looking elsewhere as if he already had something in mind, he asks "What do you have in mind?"
The SPARTAN looked back at Skywalker answering "Hopefully one hell of a distraction" he then contacts the Vanguard "Percival, what's the status on that warhead?"
"Primed and ready for launch, the separatist fleet is pressing their advance."
"Alright buddy, launch it."
Percival paused for the moment before obeying "Acknowledged, overriding authorization protocols and removing the safety locks. Missile launch in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Launch. Missile is away."
"Alright you done your part, retreat to a safe distance."
"Acknowledged."
Longarm signs off and turns to Skywalker saying "General, contact the fleet and tell them withdraw your fighters and retreat along with the Vanguard. Raising your shields might help too."
Skywalker's voice soon became threatening as if he instantly became disappointed with the SPARTAN "What. Did you do?"
But Longarm wasn't intimidated by the Jedi's tone of voice "Anakin, if you don't warn the fleet now people are going to die."
Anakin knew he didn't have time to argue and contacts Yularen aboard the cruiser Savior "Admiral come in?"
Yularen's voice came through, he seemed on edge and quite worried "Yes General we read you, the Vanguard has launched a missile and is falling back with haste. What's going on?"
"I don't know, but you need to recall our fighters and withdraw the fleet now!"
"Of course General, we're falling back."
On the command center, Kenobi and the clones stood idle with their hands behind their heads while Genearl Kronus held young Ahsoka hostage with her lightsaber up against her neck. He notices the Republic fleet was withdrawing its fighters and falling back with haste while this lone missile, launched from the Vanguard, slowly made its way to the reinforced separatist fleet. This particular missile burned with a different color and at a much slower velocity compared to the usual barrage of Archer Missiles launched against the fleet.
Ahsoka's comlink chimed prompting the droid General to ask "What is this?"
He presses the comlink and a voice, Ahsoka recognized it as Longarm's, came through "Ahsoka? You hear me?"
Kronus answered "I am afraid your friend is unavailable at the moment, surrender yourselves immediately or your friend dies."
"Oh . . . so you're the one holding her hostage . . . well it's not really going to matter in the next few minutes."
"Explain yourself" the droid demanded.
"Are you looking out your viewports right now? If not then you probably should."
Kronus turns around with Ahsoka in his hands and quickly notices a single missile flying across open space on a collision course with Tuuk's warship Abdominal, the SPARTAN states "I am assuming you can see a missile making its way to the separatist fleet right about now."
Kronus responds with certainty "Irrelevant, I have observed your weapons' capabilities, a lone missile will not make it pass through the cruiser's energy shielding."
Longarm then explains "Doesn't have to, that missile you see there is a SHIVA-class Nuclear Missile. Currently it is fitted with a one hundred megaton warhead that will reduce your defense fleet into nothing more than dust. My personal recommendation is if you value your life or that of this entire station then you will raise the shields to full power. You only have about a minute to do so before the resulting shockwave impacts the station and tears it apart."
The missile was now less than a kilometer away from the Abdominal as the cruiser attempted to take evasive action but the nuke was not easily avoided nor was it easy to shoot down while the fleet used every available asset they have. Kronus watched the missile ominously approach the ship before impacting against the dreadnaught's shields, at that very moment, everything became replaced with a bright blinding light.
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