Episode 20 – The Battle of Rhen Var
The Galaxy: At War! With the Sith Forces striking at outer rim worlds, the Republic needs increasingly accurate intel in order to counter the Sith's actions in the region! In an effort to prevent a valuable sensor station from falling into Sith hands, Jedi Knight Kento Marek has been dispatched in secret with his team of Commandos to the planet Rhen Var to prepare the planet for a possible invasion by the Sith forces!
Rhen Var…
The men of Kento's forces were huddling inside the ruined buildings of an ancient harbor of the snow covered planet (A/N: it's the Rhen Var: Harbor map from Battlefront 1). They all bore a small cartoonish emblem of a Boma beast holding a thermal detonator clinched in its mouth on their shoulders with the aurabesh inscription encircling the emblem: "They have the Dark Side but we've got the cookies!" The detonator in the Boma's mouth was deliberately designed to look like a chocolate chip cookie. There were other soldiers scattered around but clearly not Kento's. One particular group of mixed soldiers was gathered near a heated glowlamp, huddling together for extra warmth in the freezing weather.
"So you guys serve under Grand General Marek's son?" one of the soldiers asked the Bothan officer who nodded.
"The General's led us through some tough scraps. He first led us to victory on Dxun against several squads of Sith troopers trying to excavate a tomb of some sort. That's where we got the mascot. A Boma is a beast native to Dxun." The Bothan said, motioning to his shoulder patch.
"What about the motto, Major Tresk?" another soldier asked.
"Actually that one came from the General's advisor's daughter." Tresk replied, glancing up towards a hole in the roof where Ailyn Vel could be seen standing atop the roof, her ID scanner swiveled down as she scanned the horizon. The weather was clear but it was still cold.
"Why do you have a bounty hunter working for you? We don't need her kind of-." "You call her scum and we'll let her introduce you to the medical droid." Major Tresk warned.
"She's also Mandalorian, you know, our allies in the war?" another of Kento's men added.
"Mandalorian. Whoa. They're supposed to be the best infantrymen in the galaxy. On a par with Skywalker's Fist." One of the soldiers commented.
"Oh I wouldn't say that. I think you men are giving both a run for their money."
The men turned to see Kento leaning against a wall drinking from a heated flask.
"General Marek sir!" one of the men yelped.
"As you were men. At ease." Kento said, sitting down with them.
"How did he sneak up on us like that?" one of the men asked.
"He's that good." Tresk replied with a smirk.
"General, I have to ask, but are the rumors true that you raided a Sith Prison facility recently?" one of the soldiers asked.
"It's true but there are a lot of things about it that I can't discuss. Classified information and all." Kento replied with a smirk.
"Which reminds me sir, where'd you go after that mission? Admiral Moor said you were ordered to take a couple weeks' leave." Tresk said as Kento shrugged.
"Ordered isn't the right word. Encouraged perhaps, but it did me some good. Spent some time at the Jedi Temple for a week then visited my homeworld for the rest of the time." Kento explained.
"What is home for you sir?" one of the soldiers asked. Kento smirked towards his men.
"Uh you'll have to ask the Major here for that answer." Kento replied as he got up, walking away.
"Yeah we've got a bet between the squad and the General. He claims to be from a planet one would never expect a human to call home. He says he'll only tell us once we've guessed it correctly." Tresk replied. Meanwhile Kento was joined by Ailyn as she dropped down from above, using her jetpack to soften her landing.
"You know, I know the answer to that question. Which planet is your homeworld?" Ailyn said as they walked out of the building towards a large fortress-like structure built into the mountain in the back of the harbor.
"Keep it to yourself, Vel." Kento replied with a smirk as they entered the structure through a pair of large yet ancient double doors that stood open. The halls inside were ancient, they were tall, wide, and A shaped. Republic engineers had reinforced parts of the halls to prevent collapse and had also strung up work lights throughout the halls to provide lighting.
"And if I don't? What's to stop me from not telling them that you're from-." "You won't get paid." Kento interrupted.
"You want to run that by me again? Please bear in mind I have a blaster and I will use it." Ailyn said with a low tone.
"Simple. When I made the bet with the men, the rules of the bet were that if they guessed my homeworld, I'd give them all an extra month's pay, you included. But if you tell them the answer, they still get paid but you don't. Sound fair to you?" Kento asked.
"Fair enough." Ailyn mumbled as they entered the command center, a portly human man with a colonel's rank insignia standing in the center observing a hologram of the entire Rhen Var system.
"So Colonel Tollo, any sign of trouble?" Kento asked.
"Nothing in our system no, but in one of the outlying systems, yes. The Sith appear to be making another push against Felucia but General Veers is well dug in. It is odd for that many Sith to be there but they're probably that determined to take the system. There are a peculiar number of civilian ships in and around Ossus though. Have been ever since the start of the war." The Colonel explained but Kento played it cool. He knew Ossus was the new location of the Jedi Order and its location was being regarded as a closely guarded secret.
"The Republic's maintaining an outpost there. We're keeping it low profile, using civilian ships to maintain an air of secrecy and avoid attracting the Sith. You're not to bring it up again, understood Colonel?" Kento asked, Tollo clearing his throat and giving a salute.
"Yes sir." He replied.
"I don't mean any disrespect, Colonel, but we're merely trying to discourage word-of-mouth about it." Kento said the Colonel giving an appreciative nod.
"None taken sir. We're all intelligence officers here. We live by the rule of 'tittle-tattle will lose the battle.'" Tollo replied.
"Slip of the lip, will breach a ship." Ailyn added.
"Indeed." Tollo replied, giving Ailyn a respectful nod.
"Well the Bothan Spynet believes the Sith are mounting for an attack on the system. We need to be prepared." Kento said as Tollo nodded.
"Well if they do, we'll be ready for them." Tollo replied before Ailyn tapped Kento on the shoulder urgently.
"I think we better start getting ready then. Look!" Ailyn said, motioning towards the Sith forces in the Felucia system as they broke off into two groups, one staying in Felucia and the other starting to move from Felucia towards Rhen Var.
"There's not a remote chance they aren't going towards Galidraan is there?" Kento asked but Tollo wasn't convinced.
"The trajectory's leading them straight here." Tollo said as Kento took a deep breath.
"Alright then I guess we better prepare to give them a warm welcome. By my guess I'd say they'll be here in about an hour if we're lucky! Ailyn, go ready the men! Colonel, get Admiral Moor." Kento ordered, the Colonel nodding and bellowing orders to his men. Outside, Ailyn ran out into the harbor area yelling for the men to assume battle formations, the men quickly scrambling to the defenses.
"Get those turrets online! I want snipers in the citadel and lighthouse walls! Anti-armor in the fortress! Let's get some mines down on the perimeter! Power up the tanks, I don't want them spluttering out on us before we can even use them!" Ailyn yelled, the men following her orders as she flew overhead on her jetpack. She then heard the sound of the deflector shields activating, the large dome of blue energy activating from behind the Citadel, the dome extending to just outside the harbor perimeter. She landed on one of the spans of the lighthouse structure, looking down at the men as they scrambled to prepare the defenses. Some of the men were checking a pair of Canderous Assault Tanks that Kento had brought in, R4-M9 assisting with the repairs to one while some of the men ran towards the edge of the shield and started laying down mines, burying them with a thin layer of snow both inside and outside of the shield. Others were quickly checking the turret emplacements to make sure they were functional while others began setting up a light mortar launcher on one of the lighthouse's lower levels. Rayon, now sporting corporal's stripes, ran up towards the underside of the span Ailyn was standing on.
"Defenses going up, ma'am! We'll be ready for them!" Rayon called up to Ailyn who jetpacked down to his level.
"Go tell Scruff that our defenses are in place. Take his droid in with him." Ailyn ordered, Rayon nodding before turning and running towards the command center. Inside, Kento stood at the holoprojector as Admiral Moor's image appeared.
"Admiral I hope Liberty Group's ready for a fight because we've got hostiles incoming from Felucia! Sensors indicate at least one destroyer and two assault ships plus assorted cruisers and frigates! ETA in under an hour!" Kento said as Kasan gave a nod.
"We'll hold the line General. We won't let anything get through us." Kasan replied.
"Even if anything does, our deflector shields are up so they'll have to attack on foot if they want to take the base!" Kento said.
"Fighters are already being scrambled, sir. We'll have full fighter support before the Sith arrive." Kasan said as Kento gave a nod.
"Good, I'll see you shortly. Marek out." Kento said, the hologram deactivating just as Rayon, followed closely by R4 entered the command center.
"Sir, Vel told me to inform you that our defenses are in place." Rayon said, saluting.
"Good man. Best take your positions. Colonel, I leave the base in your hands." Kento said, Rayon turning and running off as the Colonel arched a confused eyebrow.
"My hands? Where are you going?" he asked.
"To join the party upstairs, where else?" Kento replied as he and R4 hurried out of the command center.
"R4, did you remember to pack that item my Master loaned us?" Kento asked, R4 beeping in agreement.
"Hey, it might look old but it's virtually a hotrod!" Kento replied, the R4 unit beeping in argument.
"Just you wait until you're snug in the droid socket. You'll quickly change your tune." Kento said as they entered the hangar where the Mynock sat docked. The two quickly entered the freighter, Kento headed straight for his quarters. Nearly twenty minutes later, a large cargo lift near the back of the Mynock started lowering, revealing what appeared to be an Eta-2 Actis Class Interceptor with white and green colors, the symbol of Kento's Boma Company emblazoned where the Old Republic emblem used to be along with the symbol for the 501st Legion. Kento sat wearing a pilot's jumpsuit under a Jedi cloak in the cockpit, R4 sitting in the droid socket.
"You secure in there, R4?" Kento asked, the droid whistling a confirmation. Kento gave the droid a nod with a smile.
"This is Boma One to Wampa Base, requesting clearance for takeoff." Kento said into the headset on his head.
"Acknowledged Boma One, clearance granted. Happy hunting sir." Tollo replied over the comms.
"Will do. Alright, R4, hang on to your dome, let's see what this baby can do!" Kento said as the fighter's engines started, the fighter lifting up a few inches off the ground on its repulsorlifts as it moved forward, clearing the Mynock before engaging the thrusters, the fighter quickly flying out of the hangar, which was built into the side of a steep cliff, flying through the shield and towards the sky.
"So far so good, wouldn't you say R4?" Kento asked as they passed through the atmosphere into space. R4 beeped a confirmation.
"Yeah he keeps forgetting the cup holders but all-in-all, Master Skywalker knows his ships." Kento said as he approached the Liberty Group in orbit in time to witness the group's compliment of starfighters deploying from the Liberty itself, largely X-Wings and A-Wings with a few squadrons of Y-Wings and one squadron of B-Wings. He was just passing the Liberty itself as the Sith Fleet dropped out of hyperspace, quickly deploying starfighters of its own, none of the ships within weapons range yet.
"All wings report in!" Kento ordered as the Republic starfighters formed up behind him.
"Bravo Flight standing by." "Delta Flight standing by." "Gold Squadron standing by." "Blue Squadron standing by." The squadron leaders reporting to their leader.
"Lock S-foils in attack position, accelerate to attack speed, and engage those fighters! Remember our priority is to keep them from reaching the surface!" Kento ordered as the X-Wings, B-Wings, and Kento's interceptor opened their S-foils.
"General! I'm picking up enemy cruisers moving to intercept us!" one of the squadron leaders reported. Kento looked ahead and saw the cruisers in question. They were Sith Strike Cruisers, designed explicitly for targeting enemy starfighters and bombers.
"Pull up, all fighters pull up! We'll have to let the bigger guns deal with those first!" Kento ordered, the Republic fighters quickly turning and headed for the protection of the Republic warships. On the bridge of the Liberty, Admiral Moor stood at the holographic tactical display.
"All ships, target those cruisers! Ignore the capital ships for now and leave their fighters for our own!" Kasan ordered before hearing the thundering of the Liberty's turbolasers as they opened fire on the cruisers blocking their path however the cruisers didn't stop moving as they took fire, headed straight for the Republic's capital ships at full speed.
"What are they doing?! They're not even slowing down!" Kento exclaimed as he caught glances of the Sith Cruisers while pursuing a Sith fighter past a Nebulon-B Frigate, shooting the fighter out of the sky and coming around past the frigate's bridge in time to see one of the cruisers collide with Liberty's MC30c cruiser, destroying both ships.
"Force! They're making suicide runs!" Kento exclaimed. Most of the cruisers were being destroyed by Liberty Group but some of the cruisers collided with some of their Corellian Corvettes and Gunships.
"We've got one headed directly for the Liberty's bridge!" Kasan reported.
"All ships concentrate your fire on that cruiser! Don't let it hit the Liberty!" Kento ordered as the fighter and bomber squadrons of Liberty group converged on the cruiser, the cruiser's guns targeting the fighters.
"Blast, we're getting ripped apart by that thing! R4, autopilot now! I'm going to have to take a page from my father's playbook!" Kento ordered, letting go of his controls as he closed his eyes and reached out with the force towards the cruiser, grabbing a hold of it.
"Impact in ten, nine, eight, seven-…" Kasan counted as Kento used the force to shove the cruiser off course, causing it to miss the Liberty's bridge tower but collide with the portside corner of the hull, causing some damage before the cruiser was split in half by the impact, the bridge section of the cruiser exploding while the engines floated away shortly before exploding as well.
"Moderate damage to port engines! Two of our four port barbette turbolasers are offline! Shields are down to eighty three percent!" Kasan reported as Kento took back the controls.
"And to think, ripping a magnetically sealed door is tougher. No idea why." Kento said, catching his breath as he brought his fighter around, the Republic fighters engaging the Sith's own while the Liberty and the Nebulon-B, along with the Corellian Gunships targeted the Sith capital ships while the blockade runners targeted everything in between.
"Gold Squadron, target the enemy assault ships! We can't let them get to the surface! Blue Squadron, give them some cover!" Kento ordered.
"Copy Boma One, we're setting up our run now." The Gold Squadron leader replied calmly.
"We're on your tail Gold Leader!" the Blue Squadron leader replied. Kento looked to see several Y-Wings moving into position, launching proton torpedoes at the assault ships while several blue painted A-Wings flew escort, intercepting any Sith fighters that tried to interfere. As Kento pursued one Sith Fighter, he couldn't help but sense a disturbance in the force.
"Whoever's leading this attack is definitely not afraid to lose a few ships." Kento mumbled, noticing the ruthlessness of the Sith's tactics.
"Agreed. They definitely took us by surprise when they launched a suicide run on the Dauntless." Kasan said as Kento scowled.
"I'll bet we're dealing with more than just your ordinary Sith Admiral!" Kento said, turning towards the Sith Destroyer which was setting up to broadside the Liberty and the Nebulon-B. Onboard the Sith Destroyer's bridge, a certain Kaleesh Sith Lord stood watching from beneath a metal hunting mask and suit of armor designed to resemble General Grievous's droid body only a gunmetal grey color and non-cybernetic. Darth Sheelal let out a dark and amused laugh.
"Look how they flail about! They weren't expecting our tactics to be so ruthless!" Darth Sheelal declared as he watched the Republic forces attempting to engage the Sith's own.
"My lord, Republic bombers have disabled the Decimator's engines! She'll be unable to perform the landing to deploy ground troops!" one of the bridge officers reported. Sheelal immediately looked to the tactical display to see one of the Sith Assault Ships listing hard to port.
"Order them to deploy transports directly to the landing zone and order the Persecutor to begin its landing sequence! Have the fighters engage the bombers and those gunships! Ignore their corvettes! The Admonisher will deal with their capital ships!" Sheelal ordered, as he headed for the turbolifts.
"Yes milord!" the bridge officer reported. Sheelal approached the turbolift where a pair of Dark Jedi stood nearby.
"There is a Jedi here. He is alone but powerful. We will destroy him on the surface. Come with me." Sheelal said to the Dark Jedi who followed him into the turbolift. Back outside in space, Kento was chasing a Sith fighter as it veered towards one of the Y-Wings.
"Gold Three you've got one on your tail!" Kento said into his comms.
"I can't shake him! Get him off my-!" the pilot said before his bomber was shot to pieces by the Sith fighter and exploded.
"That was a mistake!" Kento hissed, locking on and firing a pair of concussion missiles at the fighter, destroying it as it passed by the Sith Destroyer's bridge. The Destroyer and the Liberty were exchanging turbolaser fire, the Nebulon-B firing at the destroyer as well but was taking quite a beating. At the same time, the damaged assault ship was deploying transports bound for the surface while the other assault ship began to drop below the other starships, firing up at the Liberty as it passed.
"They're making for the surface! Delta Flight, take out the smaller transports, there's nothing we can do about the assault ship at this point! We'll have to hold them off on the ground! Bravo Flight, take over for Blue Squadron, and give Gold Squadron a hand! Gold Squadron concentrate your fire on that Star Destroyer, take out its turbolasers! " Kento ordered.
"Boma One this is Gold Leader! I copy but I've got one on my tail and I can't shake it!" Gold Leader exclaimed as his Y-Wing flew across in front of Kento, a Sith fighter behind it.
"Hang on, I'm right behind you!" Kento replied as he flew in behind the Sith Fighter, lining up a shot and quickly shooting the fighter down, freeing Gold Leader up.
"Thanks sir! I'm all clear, locking onto the nearest turbolaser and-YAIGGGGGG!" Gold Leader cried out as laser fire flew in from overhead and blew his Y-Wing to pieces. Kento flinched in surprise, narrowly dodging the burning wreckage of the Y-Wing as he flew past it. Kento looked up to see a Belbullab-22 starfighter with two Sith Heavy Fighters flying escort as it flew past towards the surface.
"Force is strong with this one." Kento mumbled as he turned to pursue. The Belbullab was headed straight towards the line of transports heading for the surface, the Republic fighters shooting down as many as they could but the three Sith fighters were making it difficult. Kento attempted to line up a shot on the Belbullab but the fighter managed to nimbly evade him, leading the Jedi Knight on a chase perilously close to the hull of the Assault Ship as it entered the atmosphere.
"Smile you son-of-a…" Kento grumbled as he finally got a target lock and fired a pair of concussion missiles but one of the heavy fighters quickly veered back and intercepted the missiles, the fighter taking serious damage but still just barely flyable.
"Blast!" Kento exclaimed as R4 let out an alarmed series of whistles. Kento quickly checked his rear sensors, a pair of Sith fighters on his tail. Kento quickly closed his S-foils and started flying straight down towards the surface.
"Boma One to Liberty! I'm afraid I'm out! I'm heading for the surface!" Kento said as he brought the fighters into an icy canyon in attempt to shake them.
"Acknowledged General. The Sith Destroyer's shields are buckling; we've almost-…we've got it! Target destroyed!" Kasan replied as Kento managed a brief glance back in time to see the Sith Destroyer splitting in two and exploding.
"Excellent work! Finish off the remaining Sith fighters and any other of their ships in the area then send word to Command for reinforcements! If more ships start arriving, recall all fighters and retreat to the Yavin system! Liberty's in no shape for another round!" Kento ordered, managing to shake one fighter and cause it to crash into a tall frozen spire.
"Agreed! Be careful down there General! Liberty out." Kasan said as Kento brought the interceptor towards Wampa Base, the Cliffside hangar dead ahead, protected by the base shields.
"Wampa Base this is Marek! I'm coming in hot!" Kento exclaimed. Almost instantly an AA-turret built into the top of the cliff above the hangar turned and opened fire, taking extra care to avoid Kento's fighter, one shot managing to hit the Sith fighter right in the cockpit.
"R4! Brakes! Brakes! Where are the brakes?!" Kento exclaimed as R4 let out a scream, the interceptor's engines suddenly cutting out on R4's command.
"Oh I have a bad feeling about this!" Kento yelped as the fighter began dropping quickly but luckily just made it inside the hangar, sliding across the hangar floor, turning slightly as it neared the back of the hangar, coming to a stop inches from the back wall. Kento took a huge sigh of relief, R4 shaking in his droid socket.
"Another happy landing." He said as his cockpit opened up, emergency personnel rushing into the hangar. Kento climbed out, R4 slowly ejecting from the socket, beeping frantically at him.
"I agree R4, no more crash landings." Kento said, taking a minute to catch his breath as Ailyn, Colonel Tollo, Rayon, and Major Tresk rushed into the room.
"Remind me never to loan you any ships any time soon, Scruff." Ailyn commented as Kento tossed his headset into the fighter cockpit.
"No worries, I've had my fill of dogfights for a while. I'll stick to the Mynock from now on." Kento said as R4 got back into the droid socket on the fighter, activating its repulsorlifts before ejecting and grappling onto the fighter with a tow cable, pulling it towards the Mynock to load it back up.
"We've got Sith transports touching down a few klicks south of the base. They'll reach the deflector shield in under an hour." Tollo reported.
"Then we better prepare the welcome baskets, shouldn't we?" Kento asked as they headed out the door into the hallway.
…
Meanwhile, Darth Sheelal stood in the snow near the base of the Sith Assault Ship, observing as it unloaded an army of troops and combat vehicles for the assault on the harbor. Sheelal had the two Dark Jedi flanking him on either side as he observed the army disembark. A Sith Officer in snow gear then approached.
"Lord Sheelal, our scouts have reported in. Republic forces have set up a deflector shield over their base. It's strong enough to withstand any bombardment. We're having difficulties locating their power generator however. We'll have to engage them through the shield sir, but they've already set up a sizable defense of turrets and mortar launchers." The officer reported.
"It makes little difference. We have them outnumbered and outgunned. Their base will be ours before nightfall." Sheelal replied.
"Sir there is one more thing. Our scouts reported seeing several of their men at the listening array. It's possible they could be willing to destroy the array rather than let it fall into our hands." The officer reported. Sheelal only laughed.
"Let them destroy it if they want. They remain ignorant of our true objective. Deploy the demolition teams to these coordinates." Sheelal ordered, handing the officer a datapad. The officer looked at the pad and blinked in surprise.
"Milord, these coordinates are in the complete opposite direction of the Republic base. There's nothing there but old ruins." The officer stated as Sheelal glared at him.
"Remember Commander, these order came straight from my Master. You wouldn't want me to inform the Empress that a meager Commander is questioning her will, would you? We both know how…forgiving she can be." Sheelal asked with a dark glare as the Commander swallowed hard and saluted.
"I-I'll deploy the men at once, milord." The Commander said before turning and running towards the assault ship. Sheelal let out an audible groan and rolled his eyes.
"Imbeciles. At least they're better than droids." Sheelal mumbled as he turned his gaze towards the harbor in the distance, the deflector shield dome indicating its location.
…
The Republic troops were rushing into position, manning turrets, finding cover. The Assault Tanks were powered up and sitting securely behind the lighthouse and fortress. A several decade old tunnel of ice leading into the heart of the base had been collapsed long ago so the enemy could only manage a direct assault, forcing them into the line of fire and, as the shields were one way in terms of weapons fire, the Republic troops could fire out while the Sith would have to wait until they were within the shield to open fire. Sugi and Sumi the Twi'lek twins were setting up a forward sniper position on one of the upper levels of the lighthouse structure.
"You two all set up?" one of Tollo's men asked, attempting to flirt with the two beautiful Twi'lek women. The two didn't catch on though.
"We're ready. I've got two pairs of electrobinoculars and extra clips for her sniper rifle." Sugi replied, setting a fully loaded blaster rifle down in front of her behind the sacks full of snow they were using for cover while Sumi checked the sights on her rifle.
"By the way, save the flirting for if we survive." Sumi added, the soldier frowning in disappointment as Kento, Ailyn, and Rayon came running up.
"Well looks like the fun's about to begin." Kento said as Ailyn knelt down behind the twins.
"If things get too hot up here for you two, fall back to the citadel. There's an optimum sniper location that gives you a clear view of most of the base right above the doors to the command center, got it?" Ailyn asked, the twins nodding in response.
"Yes ma'am." Sugi replied as Sumi spotted something through the scope of her rifle.
"General, you might want to look at this! Ten degrees due south!" she exclaimed as Kento pulled a pair of electrobinoculars from his belt, looking through them as he scanned the horizon. What he saw made him grimace.
"Uh-oh! They're not holding back! We've got a walker!" Kento exclaimed, raising his comlink.
"Ordo team! Ready on those tanks! Get to the edge of the shield and wait for the walker to get within firing range!" Kento ordered.
"Yes sir! Ordo 1 moving into position!" "Ordo 2 here, I'm right behind you!" the tank pilots reported as the two Canderous units moved in towards the edge of the shield.
"Ailyn, might want to take your marks." Kento said as Ailyn nodded.
"I sure hope there's a dar'jetii among them. My credit account's looking a little dusty lately." Ailyn said as she turned and started walking towards the steps.
"I sensed at least one earlier so you may be in luck…that is unless Mead doesn't beat you to it!" Kento yelled after her, Ailyn pausing to glare at the soldier in question. She made the 'I'm-watching-you' motion with her fingers towards him before continuing on towards the fortress.
"Why do I get the feeling that she's going to shoot me in the back of the head one day?" Rayon asked worriedly.
"Probably because she will if you keep stealing her kills." Kento replied spinning his lightsaber hilt in his hand.
"It was just the one! And it was a lucky shot!" Rayon said nervously as Kento stepped forward, activating his lightsaber.
"Alright men! They're beginning their advance! Open fire the minute they're within range!" Kento ordered as the men quickly took aim at their nearest targets. Unfortunately they could only see the walker. The shield on the base was up presently but that didn't stop the walker from opening fire anyway, pounding the shield with every shot.
"Ready mortar! Ready! Aim…" Kento ordered as the men at the mortar controls targeted the walker.
"FIRE!" Kento ordered, the mortar firing a large bolt of blue energy into the air, the shell coming down and scoring a direct hit on the walker.
"It's a hit!" Sugi exclaimed.
"But no effect!" Sumi added.
"That mortar launcher's meant for anti-infantry rounds anyway, concentrate your fire on the troop transports behind the walker! Fire at will!" Kento ordered, the mortar team working to reload the cannon. In the meantime, the walker had gotten close enough that the turrets could open fire, however they were only blaster cannons and weren't strong enough to penetrate its armor. As the turrets, mortars, and sniper teams fired on the Sith Forces, Kento looked ahead and saw something coming up fast towards the base shields.
"Combat Speeders incoming! Turrets ignore the walker and focus on the speeders!" Kento ordered. The Combat Speeders were like the ones from Raxis but some of them lacked the back mounted turret, instead equipped with a pair of missile launchers. Kento saw these and his eyes narrowed. The Missile Speeders slowed down as the turrets turned their fire on them. One of the Missile Speeders suddenly launched a single missile towards the shield. Kento watched the missile curiously but was stunned when the missile flew through the deflector shield as if it weren't there.
"INCOMING!" Rayon exclaimed. Kento quickly used the force to redirect the missile up and into the lighthouse structure behind him, the missile exploding against the wall and missing the men below.
"Target those speeders! Take them out!" Kento ordered, the turrets and mortar launcher turning towards the speeders. Republic soldiers began running up with RPGs, firing them at the speeders. Some of the speeders were downed but a few managed to launch a volley of rockets aimed towards the lighthouse and fortress.
"TAKE COVER!" one of the men exclaimed as the missiles barraged the sides of the buildings, taking out one of the turrets, the mortar launcher, and several men. Calls for a medic were quickly being issued as the soldiers scrambled to reassume their positions and return fire. One of the missile speeders then charged forward, leading a large open-air troop transport, the transport appearing similar to an old Trade Federation Platoon Attack Craft but without a droid rack and with light blaster cannon mounts along the front, sides, and rear of the platform, the cockpit being the only part completely enclosed. As they both approached, the speeder suddenly exploded as it flew over the mines the Republic forces had set earlier. The transport quickly veered to evade the burning wreck but only moved into more mines, causing the entire craft to explode, taking all of its passengers with it. The Walker was still approaching the base but was now within firing range of the Canderous Tanks which began firing at it through the shield, their mass drivers pounding the thick armor plating on the walker. At the same time, the walker was moving over the mines, the mines exploding but not slowing the machine down.
"Looks like they've got thick underbellies! Keep firing Ordo team!" Kento ordered. He then spotted a swarm of speeder bikes, all piloted by remote, heading straight towards the base, deliberately tripping the mines until the majority of the mines leading up to the shield had been detonated, the speeder bikes being destroyed with them.
"Oh I have a bad feeling about this!" Kento remarked as Sith Strike Walkers and Troop Transports started heading towards the base.
"Get ready men! They're making for the shield! Target the walkers first then the troops!" Kento ordered, the remaining turrets and the RPG troopers firing at the walkers, felling a couple as they approached the shield but one got through and began firing at the Republic troops in the base, it's chin flamethrower having been switched out for a pivot mounted chain-gun, and mowing down Republic troopers.
"Snipers fall back to position two!" Kento ordered, activating his lightsaber as he deflected the walker's laser fire. Rayon and a couple of other men quickly laid down covering fire as the Twi'lek twins quickly up and ran, headed for the citadel. Kento was still deflecting shots and continued doing so for a moment before leaping into the air and landing on top of it before driving his saber into the walker's engines, causing the machine to topple over onto its side but not before Kento had leapt off and onto one of the troop transports, landing in the center of a bunch of Sith Troops. The troopers attempted to shoot him down but his skill with a lightsaber enabled him to evade their fire, cutting them down in piles. In the fortress, Ailyn, Major Tresk, and their men were having a little easier time of it, having felled the strike walkers and they still had their mortar launcher in place, the mortar having taken out a couple of troop transports. Ailyn was scanning the horizon when she spotted something fast approaching in the distance from the Sith Assault Ship. Her ID scanner swiveled down and zoomed in on the object. It was a speeder bike with a Dark Jedi riding it.
"Haar'chak I knew this was too good to be true! Spread out! We've got dar'jetii incoming!" Ailyn yelled as the speeder bike started heading towards the fortress. The Dark Jedi began standing up on the speeder, its lightsaber active as it passed through the shield. It then leapt up into the air, the speeder crashing into the mortar launcher and exploding before the Dark Jedi landed in the middle of a group of Republic Soldiers and started cutting them down. Ailyn immediately turned her blaster towards it, firing at the Dark Jedi and gaining its attention. The Dark Jedi attempted to charge towards her but she lifted off into the air on her jetpack, continuing to fire at it from midair. Ailyn stopped firing as the Dark Jedi began chasing her.
"I wouldn't have moved there if I were you." Ailyn mumbled, smirking inside her helmet, as she pressed a button on her left gauntlet. The Dark Jedi suddenly heard a beeping from beneath it and looked down to see a metallic object flashing beneath a thin layer of snow. The mine suddenly exploded, the troops cheering as bits of burning Dark Jedi rained down on them. The Dark Jedi's lightsaber clattered against the ground for a moment, coming to rest against Ailyn's foot as she touched down on the ground. She reached down and picked up the lightsaber, twirling the hilt in her hand for a moment while staring at the blast crater where the Dark Jedi died before clipping it to her belt. Ailyn took a deep breath and let out a contented sigh.
"Ah nothing like the smell of fresh credits flowing into my bank accounts." Ailyn said before recoiling just as a blaster bolt flew past her head. She turned and saw Sith Troopers climbing the battlements, firing at the Republic's own. Ailyn quickly began to return fire as Major Tresk took cover behind a column.
"We're getting overrun! Fall back to the Citadel!" Tresk ordered, the Republic forces falling back. Ailyn was falling back with them and tossed down a detonator into the middle of a group of Sith Troopers, the detonator taking out a few of them and disorienting the rest, giving the Republic troops a chance to fallback. As Ailyn flew after them she turned and pulled a flare gun from a holster at her side, firing it into the air, signaling that the fortress had been lost. At the same time, the Sith Walker finally breached the shield, the Canderous units still pounding its armor only now the walker was able to attack the tanks. However it only got off a couple of shots before the walker's cockpit took a direct hit from a mass driver, the walker spluttering to a stop, it's forward left leg falling off. The tank pilots didn't have a chance to celebrate though as the troop hatch on the front of the walker fell open, allowing a second Dark Jedi to emerge from within, followed by a whole platoon of Sith Troopers. The Dark Jedi immediately leapt up onto one of the tanks, bypassing its shields, and cut into the tank's top hatch, raising the cannon operator up and out of the tank with a force choke, the pilot struggling for a moment before the Dark Jedi sliced him in half with its lightsaber. The other tank attempted to turn and shoot the Dark Jedi off of the tank but only succeeded in hitting the other tank, destroying it as the Dark Jedi had leapt clear in time, landing on top of it and sliced the barrels of the mass drivers off before leaping down behind the tank and slashing at the machinery, causing a chain reaction which caused the tank to explode. The Dark Jedi was about to turn and pursue the Republic Troops falling back towards the citadel when it sensed something behind it. It turned in time for an airborne green lightsaber to fly into its chest before flying back towards its owner. Kento then let out a shrill whistle.
"Boma Company! Fall back!" He yelled to the men in the lighthouse as his men began falling back towards the Citadel. Several Republic sharpshooters, including the Twi'lek twins and Rayon, were covering the retreat from above the entrance to the citadel. Kento however was skillfully repelling blaster fire as the troops raced into the citadel.
"Inside! Everyone inside!" Kento ordered, the Sharpshooters quickly racing for the steps.
"Scruff!" Kento heard Ailyn yell from behind him. He turned in time to see Ailyn and a pair of heavily armored soldiers emerge from inside with chain guns, using them to great effect in mowing down approaching Sith Troopers, giving the rest of the soldiers a chance to retreat into the Citadel, Kento falling back with them while the Mandalorian and two heavy troopers covered their retreat. Once all were inside, Ailyn stopped firing for a moment before dropping to one knee and dropping her head down, firing her jetpack rocket straight up into the air, the rocket flying straight up before flying straight back down, creating a large patch of burning flames. She then quickly turned and started running into the citadel, passing Kento as he stood at the door. He then quickly leapt inside, using the force to close the doors, slamming them shut.
"Jam the doors!" Kento ordered, the men quickly running up with extra engineering support braces, using them to bar the door as well as keeping it forced shut. The door had no electronic equipment in it because of its age so alternative methods had to be used.
"We're getting torn apart out there." Ailyn grumbled as the men quickly started setting up defenses including an E-WEB cannon.
"Yeah and I get the feeling we haven't seen the last of those Dark Jedi either." Kento said as they caught their breath near the back of the hall by the doors.
"Your Jedi senses tingling still?" she asked.
"Yeah. The Dark Side is strong all of a sudden. I think we're dealing with one of the Sith Lords." Kento said as Ailyn unclipped the lightsaber from her belt.
"I bagged one of the dar'jetii di'kuts out there. You sure it's not the one you're talking about?" she asked as Kento nodded.
"Unmistakably." He replied as they heard a thumping against the doors, the Sith attempting to break through.
"Looks like my incendiary rocket's worn off." Ailyn said, clipping the saber back to her belt, taking a position near the side of the hallway along with several other troops, her blaster raised. Kento raised his comlink towards his face.
"Colonel Tollo, I'm giving the evacuation order. We've lost this one." Kento said soberly into the comlink.
"Understood General. The Liberty is still on hand for evac but our sensors show another group of Sith forces headed straight for Rhen Var. ETA one hour, twenty six minutes and counting." Tollo reported, defeat clear in his voice.
"Make it quick, Colonel. We need to be out of here before those transports arrive. Liberty Group can't take another round." Kento said.
"Yes sir. I've sent out an alert to all outlying Republic Military forces, informing them that the Sith have captured Rhen Var." Tollo replied.
"Good. Put me through to Boma Company Eta Squad." Kento instructed.
"Right away General." Tollo replied. There was a brief pause before a soldier answered.
"Eta squad actual reporting. Go ahead, General." The soldier on the other end reported.
"Are the charges set?" Kento asked, glancing towards the doors to the citadel as the Sith continued pounding on them with what he could only assume was some sort of battering ram.
"We haven't set the timers yet but they're ready." The soldier replied.
"Set the timers and get out. The Sith have taken the system and we can't let them have this listening array. Blow it." Kento ordered. There was a pause on the other end for a moment, the soldier on the other end sighing in defeat.
"Yes sir. We'll meet you back on the Liberty sir. Eta Squad out." The soldier replying. Kento lowered his comlink as he turned to stare at the doors, sensing the presence in the Dark Side growing closer with every second.
"Tresk, how are we on explosives?" Kento asked. Tresk, Ailyn, Rayon, and the twins turned to stare at him curiously.
"We've got a few detpacks, one last rocket launcher, and a few detonators but beyond that we're fresh out." Tresk replied.
"Have everyone fall back a little further down the hall towards the hangar. I've got an idea." Kento said with a smirk, eyeing the lightsaber on Ailyn's belt.
…
Outside in the harbor, the Sith had finished off any survivors and were rallying near the citadel doors, using a fallen column to try and beat the door down as a battering ram, the citadel exterior being too high up off the ground for any walkers or vehicles to get up onto the citadel level. The Sith Commander stood observing the troopers efforts to beat the door down as Darth Sheelal approached.
"What's the situation Commander?" Sheelal asked, putting his hands behind his back.
"We've driven them back into the citadel sir, but they've barricaded the door and all of our demolition charges were sent elsewhere." The Commander replied. Sheelal glared at the doors for a moment before they heard the sound of engines in the distance. They looked up towards the sensors array near the top of the mountain and saw a small Republic shuttle taking off from a platform near the array. A few seconds later the array exploded, sending large chunks of destroyed sensor equipment falling down the side of the mountain, creating an avalanche. However the avalanche was falling away from the base and wouldn't affect the Sith forces.
"They just destroyed the listening array. We could've used that." The Commander grumbled.
"The Republic scum were never going to let us have the listening array, but now we can claim victory at having rendered them blind in this sector and they will remain ignorant of our true purpose in the system." Sheelal said as he reached for the double-bladed lightsaber at his side, heading straight towards the citadel doors. As he approached, he let out a grunt of disgust at his men.
"You fools! Back away and let me show you how to open a door!" Sheelal yelled with a dark laugh as he approached the doors, the men backing away and dropping the pillar. Sheelal activated one of the lightsaber's yellow blades and moved in front of the door. He then took a couple of fast swings at the door, leaving an X made of molten iron in the door before using a force push on the X, shattering part of the door and giving the Sith an opening. Sheelal and a squad of troopers entered into the citadel but found only Kento standing in the center of the hall, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Aw, now is that really how you treat your customers? We told you we didn't want what you were selling but man you door-to-door salesmen sure are persistent." Kento said with a smirk as the Sith Troopers surrounded him, their rifles aimed at him as Darth Sheelal put his hands behind his back, approaching the young Jedi Knight.
"Ah, the Son of Starkiller. I had hoped we would get a chance to meet. I have heard much about you from my Master and the rest of her Hands. I look forward to reporting your death to my Master." Sheelal said as one of the Sith Troopers reached in and confiscated Kento's lightsaber from his belt. Kento looked towards the trooper with a smile and a shrug.
"You're going to regret doing that." He said to the trooper before turning back towards Sheelal, the Kaleesh Sith Lord glaring angrily down at him.
"So I assume by hands you're not referring to shadow puppets." Kento stated as Sheelal let out an audible growl.
"Jedi scum. I refer to my fellow Apprentices. The Empress's Hands which includes myself, Darth Sheelal, Lords Fenrir and Stalker, as well as Ladies Talzin and Vandal." Sheelal replied.
"Oh so that's what you guys are called. I thought it was something more original like Akul's Amazing…Huh, I guess Empress's Hands works better than I thought." Kento shrugged, angering Sheelal to the point that he backhanded Kento hard across the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Your insolence is only speeding you along towards certain death, Jedi." Sheelal said, activating the lightsaber and pointing it towards Kento's face, the Jedi Knight, rubbing his cheek and finding a small cut on it.
"Mmm. I think I recognize that lightsaber. Stole it from a Padawan if I'm not mistaken. Thanks for holding onto it, I'll be sure to return it to the Padawan you stole it from." Kento said as Sheelal chuckled menacingly.
"I hope you're this insolent when you become one with the force, Jedi!" Sheelal said, rearing back the lightsaber but Kento smirked at the Sith Lord.
"Any last words?" Sheelal asked, grinning beneath his mask.
"I've got something to say to that trooper there." Kento said, motioning to the trooper that had confiscated his lightsaber. Sheelal arched a confused eyebrow as Kento looked towards the trooper.
"Remember how you stole my lightsaber a moment ago? Yeah, that wasn't my lightsaber." Kento replied as the lightsaber started emitting a high-pitched whine. The trooper quickly unclipped it from his belt, looking at the saber in confusion. Sheelal's eyes widened in realization before leaping away just in time for the saber to explode, taking out the trooper and two others. In the confusion Kento leapt to his feet, revealing that he'd had his lightsaber hidden beneath his crossed arms the entire time. He quickly cut down a couple of troopers before spinning around in time to block a swing from the angered Sheelal, the Sith Lord activating the other blade. The two began quickly exchanging blows while Ailyn and several Republic troops burst out of the hall leading into the hangar, firing at the Sith troopers while Kento and Sheelal's lightsabers flashed.
"Let the di'kuts have it boys!" Ailyn exclaimed as they gunned down the Sith Troops in the hall. Kento and Sheelal were still exchanging blows with one another, the Kaleesh Sith Lord proving to be a particularly vicious opponent but Kento was able to nimbly deflect his attacks. Kento then leapt up and stated bounding off the walls back towards the line of Republic Troops near the exit.
"You're only delaying the inevitable, Jedi!" Sheelal yelled but Kento shrugged.
"Sorry Darth, can't stick around! Take care of the place while we're gone! Oh and be sure to clean up the mess!" Kento yelled as Sheelal saw Ailyn raise her arm. His eyes widened before he turned and ran for the exit just as Ailyn pressed a button on her gauntlet. Almost instantly a series of detpacks on the walls exploded, killing most of the Sith Troopers inside and collapsing a large part of the hall, bringing part of the citadel down around them. Sheelal emerged from inside the citadel, a cloud of smoke billowing from inside the structure, causing the Kaleesh to wheeze. He then heard the sound of a ship's engines and turned in time to see the Mynock flying away from the base mere minutes before the deflector shield emitter and power generators self-destruct went off, the shield dome deactivating overhead while the explosions from both caused a chain reaction that ripped apart the citadel. Sheelal scowled at the burning building, audibly growling in anger as he watched Kento and his men escape. He didn't notice the Sith Commander approaching.
"Milord, we've received a transmission from the demolition teams. They have destroyed the target and are returning to the transport." The Commander said as Sheelal glared at him. He let out a growl before he started to walk towards the transport.
Later…
The remains of Liberty Group had rendezvoused with the First Fleet near Yavin, Republic Forces having recently reconquered the system with absolutely no resistance from the Sith, the Republic military now working to construct a space station to act as a repair and fueling depot for Republic forces in the region. No attempt was being made to reestablish the Jedi Temple on Yavin IV, leaving the place alone to honor the Jedi who perished during the Sith's attack at the start of the War. A non-Jedi military base wasn't being established there for the same reason. Kento stood on the bridge of the Lusankya with his father, Ailyn, Admiral Moor, Col. Tollo, and Cpl. Mead.
"So Rhen Var is lost to us. This complicates things. Without that listening array, our operations in that sector become much more difficult." Galen said thoughtfully.
"Please tell me you're not about to berate me for failing to hold onto the base." Kento said with a blank stare on his face but Galen shook his head.
"No, son. You did your best, and I can't blame you for that." Galen replied.
"But…" Kento stated, expecting him to continue.
"No buts. You were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. You did well to have held out for as long as you did. I'm proud of you and your men. I don't think I could've done any better." Galen said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder, smiling at him.
"Thanks, dad. I could have sworn there'd be some yelling over this." Kento said, a smile forming on his face.
"Well I won't but…" Galen said as Kento looked confused for a moment before he grimaced in realization.
"How long has he been here?" Kento asked, Galen chuckling slightly.
"He got here about the same time you did. Sorry." Galen said, backing away.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Kento asked.
"You didn't ask." Galen replied.
"Who're they talking about?" Rayon asked. Ailyn merely chuckled in amusement.
"Brace yourself kid." She replied, fingering the red lightsaber crystal from the saber she had confiscated. At that, the doors to the bridge opened, a pair of 501st Stormtroopers emerging and taking positions at the doors as a familiar breathing sound echoed into the room. Soon Anakin Skywalker entered, headed straight for Galen and Kento. The sight of the former Dark Lord caused Rayon to freeze, eyes widened in surprise.
"I thought you might prefer my report in person, General." Anakin said as Galen smirked.
"Only if you say it." He said, earning a glare from Anakin.
"No." he replied plainly.
"Master, you're looking 'svelte' as they say." Kento said as Anakin turned his glare to him.
"You don't even know what that means, do you?" Anakin asked.
"Not at all." Kento replied.
"Force, they're joking with Vader." Rayon whispered in disbelief.
"He's not Vader…at least not anymore." Ailyn mumbled back.
"Alright Master, what's the report?" Galen asked.
"The pirates that were intercepting the supply shipments for Telos have been eradicated. We intercepted and cleared out the pirate forces in the area. Telos is now secure and receiving regular food shipments." Anakin reported.
"Better than I can say. We just lost Rhen Var." Kento said as Anakin glanced at him.
"Rhen Var? You allowed the system to fall?" Anakin asked, disturbed by the news.
"He was outnumbered and outgunned. There was nothing he could've done." Galen interrupted.
"We destroyed the arrays so they won't be able to use them against us." Kento added.
"It isn't the listening post that I'm concerned about. Rhen Var has many secrets hidden there. I suspect that their taking Rhen Var had little to do with the listening post. I wager it was more of a pleasant bonus for them to have taken the post as well as an adequate cover for their true mission." Anakin explained.
"Lord Va-I-mean-Skywalker, my men and I were stationed on Rhen Var for months. We never found anything of interest there." Col. Tollo interrupted.
"No, Colonel. Just because you could not see it, did not mean it wasn't there. We need to retake the system and find out what the Sith were doing there." Anakin said.
"Liberty Group is in no condition to fight." Kento said as Anakin looked his way.
"I will go then. I know where to look." Anakin replied with a thoughtful tone, a tone that Galen and Kento picked up on.
"Mind if I join you then?" Kento asked.
"Wait, sir, you're going back to that ice ball?" Rayon asked, surprised.
"I'm inclined to agree with Master Skywalker. Something doesn't feel right. My instincts go one way but the facts go another and my instincts tell me that the attack on the sensor station was to divert attention away from some other kind of activity on Rhen Var." Galen said before turning to Anakin.
"Let us know what you find, Master." Galen said, Anakin giving a nod.
"I will. Come Kento." Anakin said as he turned to leave, Kento close behind. Galen watched them leave with a disconcerted expression.
"Permission to speak freely sir?" Rayon asked, earning Galen's attention.
"Granted…and at ease corporal." Galen replied.
"Sir, may I ask, but what exactly is down there on Rhen Var? What could possibly be of interest to the Sith?" Rayon asked.
"There are a lot of ancient Jedi ruins there. It's also the burial place of one of the Jedi Order's more famous members. I suspect there might be something buried there that the Sith wanted. But what could they want so badly to try and steal it from us?" Galen explained, scratching his chin in thought.
"What if…what if they weren't trying to steal something? What if they were trying to make sure we didn't steal it instead?" Ailyn asked.
"You mean like remove something that could help us further down the road? Something that, with it, we have the advantage but without it, they have the advantage?" Galen asked, Ailyn and Tollo both nodding.
"A trip between two points takes ten minutes on foot. On a speeder it takes half the time." Tollo replied, using the metaphor to expand on his point.
"You may be right. I suspect my old Master knows what the Sith were looking for. Either way, I sense that we're about to be facing a grave threat." Galen said in thought.
Back at Rhen Var…
The Tatooine Avenger and two additional Star Destroyers dropped out of hyperspace, the Avenger deploying the Twilight II almost instantly after arriving. The Twilight II flew into the atmosphere, heading towards an area that was miles away from the harbor, flying towards a pillar of black smoke in the distance.
"That smoke wasn't there earlier." Kento commented, a look of concern on his face as he sat in the copilot's seat.
"It would seem our hunch is proving correct." Anakin said in a low tone as he brought the ship in for a landing near a large domed structure that appeared to be in ruins. Large portions of the structure had collapsed and were billowing smoke and ash. The ship touched down outside the structure, the boarding ramp lowering, allowing for a squad of 501st Snowtroopers to emerge followed closely by Anakin and Kento.
"What was this place? Some kind of temple or…" Kento asked, confused.
"No. This was a tomb. A tomb belonging to a fallen Jedi. The tomb of Ulic Qel-Droma." Anakin explained, immediately turning back towards the ship. Kento was now confused as he hurried to catch up with his master.
"Master, am I correct in assuming that the Sith came all this way, conquered a sensor station, just to defile a tomb?" Kento asked, following his master to the bridge.
"Commander, patch me through to the Jedi Council and the Chancellor immediately. Time is now our enemy." Anakin ordered Commander Delta.
"Right away." The commander replied, rushing to the controls.
"Defiling the tomb was not the intention. Rather, it was to keep valuable information out of our hands." Anakin replied to Kento who looked up at him confused.
"Information, what sort of information?" Kento asked. Anakin motioned to wait a moment before a hologram of the entire Jedi Council and Chancellor Solo appeared.
"Father, I sense distress within you. What has happened?" Luke asked.
"What's the situation at Rhen Var?" Galen asked.
"I know now what the Sith are up to. Master Tionne, search your knowledge of the Ancient Jedi. What do you know of an ancient Sith weapon known as the Dark Reaper?" Anakin asked, Tionne, K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, and X2's faces all contorting in soft spoken shock and horror.
"It is a weapon of mass destruction, capable of annihilating entire armies by stealing their force energies, including their life force, and turning it against them." Tionne reported.
"But it was destroyed, twice! Once during the Great Hyperspace War four thousand years ago, then again during the Clone Wars…by you!" X2 added, motioning to Skywalker.
"After its destruction, the Republic and the Jedi scattered its remains across the galaxy. The Separatists attempted to steal the remains and succeeded in stealing one piece in a raid led by General Grievous who hid it, presumably on his homeworld of Kalee." Anakin explained.
"And was…was Darth Akul present for this?" Galen asked.
"No. The battle took place during my final year as a Padawan. Ahsoka was not aware of it to my knowledge as the Republic tried to keep all talk of superweapons on either side quiet. However, that's not to say that the Emperor did not inform her of it once she became his apprentice. General, I recommend we scramble the fleet to the Thule system, the place where the Reaper was built and destroyed during both wars." Anakin explained.
"Thule is deep within Sith space. It'll take quite an army to get through and we're spread thin as it is. Even with the First Fleet, the 501st, and whatever extra ships I can scrape up, we'll need a lot of firepower to break through. We're going to need help." Galen said.
"But who can we ask?" Leia asked.
"I already know who we can ask. I only hope he's willing to work with us." Anakin said.
On Mandalore…
Boba Fett sat in the cantina, filling out paperwork when one of the Mandalorians approached, clearly in a hurry.
"Mand'alor! You've got an urgent message incoming! It's from General Skywalker of the Republic!" the Mandalorian replied. Boba immediately arched a curious eyebrow.
"Put it through." Boba ordered. Almost instantly the holographic band disappeared and was replaced with a hologram of Anakin.
"Greetings, Boba Fett. I have a proposition for you." Anakin said. Boba immediately was intrigued and sat back in his chair for a moment before replying…
"As usual Lord Skywalker, I'm your man…for the right price of course."
End Episode 20