December 16th
2583
30 Klicks west of Sword Base
Babd Catha Ice Shelf
Reach
15:00 UNSC time
3rd Person POV:
The B1 battle droid screams in pain as the magnum bullet collides with the droid's head, making the head explode.
Richard Deckerson looks around, holding his magnum pistol in hand, and looks around the vast fields of ice all around them. Behind him is Alice Lovell holding a sniper rifle, her once-clean business suit now torn up and full of bullet holes, Dylan Andrews and her cameraman, Jax Jonez. "According to my information, we should not be far from Sword Base." Dylan says, staring out at the vast field of ice.
"Aw, man. I can't wait to get there! This would make an awesome stage for a movie that I came up with. It's about an Eskimo who kills a man from another country and goes on the run after police officers start hunting him down!"
"Jax, please. This is serious; we need to get in contact with the UNSC as soon as we can. Also, I'm pretty sure that your idea has already been done before."
"Exactly! I'm thinking about calling it The Savage Innocents 2. In my movie, there will be more murder, more car chases, and bigger explosions. Boom!" Jax shouts, emphasizing the last part.
"Can you please keep your ideas to yourself?" Richard asks. While the former cop is normally patient, listening to a wannabe blockbuster director spouting out nonsense has begun to grate on his nerves. "For the record, I'm pretty sure the Savage Innocents never had any of those things to begin with."
"I don't know. Could you work on your idea more and send me the script sometime? If you really think it out, and maybe take it to a less offensive place, then could you send me the script sometime?" Alice asks, smiling kindly.
"Gladly." Jax says with giddiness. He then stops in place and looks to the right. "Hey guys. Did the UNSC send us an escort or something?"
"What are you talking about?" Richard asks, then looks in the same direction and his eyes widen in surprise. Running towards them are two MagnaGuards, their bo-staffs already crackling with electricity and glowing purple. Richard then tries to fire his magnum, only for it to click. "Oh shit."
"I got this." Alice says, then lifts up her sniper rifle and fires. While one of the MagnaGuards is hit in the shoulder, the female scientist falls onto her ass, not used to the rifle's recoil. As the two droids continue to charge towards the group, the sound of loud engines can be heard and they can only watch as a Scorpion tank comes barreling across the sheets of ice, kicking up small clouds of ice shards as it goes, before firing a round at the MagnaGuards.
One of them is hit dead-on and explodes, sending shrapnel in all directions and knocking the other MagnaGuard onto its back. The droid never stood a chance once the tank ran over the droid's body, crushing its head instantly.
The clones sitting on the side of the tank immediately jump off and look around in all directions. "Clear!" One of the clones shouts to his comrades. Before any of them could talk to the quartet of survivors, Jax lets out a scream, catching everyone's attention instantly.
"What are you doing?" Dylan asks incredulously.
"Eh. Just practicing my Wilhelm Scream. I don't want to have to go through lawsuits and all that garbage just so I can have the scream in my movies, so I'm going to practice my own Wilhelm Scream." Jax replies, not embarrassed in the slightest.
"You know what? …I take what I said back. I don't want your script just yet." Alice states, a little put-off by the eccentric nature of the wannabe blockbuster director.
"What the kriff are you doing all the way out here? You should be on shuttles, and leaving." Another clone pipes up, surprised at the civilian's presence.
"We need to get to Sword Base. There has been a breach in security; the Insurrection has hidden a unit of soldiers on Reach for who knows how long, no doubt relaying intel on UNSC movements to their allies. The Insurrection could be on their way as we speak." Richard replies, pulling a sharp piece of shrapnel out of his arm and throwing it aside.
"I see." Master Chief states, once he has jumped out of the Scorpion and joined the group. Just then, he taps the side of his helmet and walks off. "This is Sierra-117, over." After a long minute of intense silence, Chief only nods his head. "Copy. We will move to intercept." He then takes his hand off of his helmet. "FLEETCOM just gave their latest report. According to the planetary sensors, there are 200 CIS warships, in addition to another 100 Insurrection warships, approaching Reach."
"Three…300 warships?" One of the clones asks, a hint of fear in his voice. This was shaping up to be a battle even more intense than the Second Battle of Earth or any other battle in the Bitter Wars, as the UNSC is dubbing it.
"I wouldn't worry about it." Dylan states, "The orbital MAC cannons were designed to withstand a Covenant fleet. I think they should buy us enough time to do some real damage to them."
"Agreed." Chief states matter-of-factly. "I can also confirm that CIS General Grevious is here on this planet. We will need to find the general and finish this fight before it can begin."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Alice asks.
"Woohoo!" Jax shouts. "This is just like a scene from an action movie! This is awesome!"
"Not you." Richard says. "You are going to get onto the transport and you are leaving this planet until the battle is done."
"No way. I've stuck with you guys this long. Besides, I can be your super scout, the one who can get into places you can't. In fact, you can start calling me…Solid Snake." Jax says, grinning under his helmet.
While the clones look at each other, confused by Jax's references, while Dylan shakes her head in exasperation. Richard, however, stares at the camera-man with interest. "Jax, I must admit that you certainly have guts. Let's get moving."
"Yeah, let's do this!" Jax shouts. "Also, I don't want to go back to Earth. If I do, I will find myself being beating up by some IRS looney. That's because I have 100 billion dollars in student debt*."
Classified ONI Science Facility
Camp Independence
Fairchild Field
15:30 UNSC time
General Grevious lets out a growl of anger as he lifts up his left leg and grabs the face of a UNSC marine before contracting the protrusion at the bottom of his feet. The soldier screams in pain as blood starts dripping down from the soldier's face.
Hissing in triumph, Grevious throws the corpse to the side with ease, narrowly avoiding a pair of B2 battle droids that are walking around on patrol, walking over the corpses of more UNSC marines and tall strands of grass that make up the vast field.
Just minutes before, the CIS and Insurrection fleets had arrived hundreds of klicks from Reach's surface. While the Super MAC cannons are doing a serious number on the invading fleets, two CIS warships managed to push through the heavy defenses past a severely damaged Super MAC cannon and provide thousands of droids to reinforce the ground assault. "General Grevious." A droid's voice states. The General turns around to see a B1 droid with bright yellow stripes along its body, holding a long blaster rifle. "We managed to secure the base."
"Excellent work, Commander. Have our…guest of honor open the base to us." Grevious states, his reptilian eyes almost glowing with rage before he starts coughing violently.
"Yes, General." The commander droid before turning around to address its comrades. "Bring forth the prisoner!"
"Roger roger." One of the other droids nods before getting onto the private comm line and relaying the order. Seconds later, another pair of B2 droids walk towards the tall ONI building, jutting out of the ground like a spear reaching for the sky. Between the two droids is a semi-muscular man with short black hair that is now dyed blood red, but parted in opposite directions, a long face and crystal blue eyes and wearing a UNSC scientist's uniform under a white lab coat.
"You are about to make a serious mistake." Fred states, his tone level and nearly emotionless despite the situation he is in.
"I am not making any mistakes, human." Grevious says, walking over to Fred and coughing slightly. "You will open the doors of this facility or I will kill you."
Fred and Grevious stare each other down for several long moments before Fred smirks slightly. "I would be delighted." Fred then walks towards the silver tower and the sealed entryway. He lifts up his right hand and places it on the scanner on the far wall. After several seconds, the red screen suddenly turns green and the doors start sliding upward.
"Get in there!" One of the droids says, poking the tip of the blaster rifle into Fred's back.
But Fred doesn't walk in. "If you don't mind me asking." He asks. "What do you hope to gain from infiltrating an evacuated science department?"
"Because I was told by General Clayton that this station was built to reach the old titanium mines under Reach's surface. Now that the cowardly Dooku is dead, I shall do what he refused: Claim the battle suits stored in the mines for my purposes. With them, not even the Jedi or those accursed Spartans will be able to stop me when I burn their homes to the ground for their treachery." Grevious then starts laughing with insanity before coughing loudly.
"You'd better hope that your plan doesn't blow up in your face." Fred states, before being forced inside the station by the B1 and B2 droids. Grevious stares at the entryway for several long moments, preparing to go in, until he hears someone land behind him.
"Hello there." A familiar voice says. Grevious whirls around and notices Obi-Wan Kenobi standing directly in front of him, his lightsaber hilt at his side.
"General Kenobi. I have waited a long time for this moment. Crush him." Grevious says to his two MagnaGuard body guards. The two droids walk forward, their bo-staffs flickering with purple light at the tips. Kenobi then holds his left hand out before pulling back, ripping the still-primed bo-staffs out of their arms and sends them clattering several feet behind him. Then in quick succession, pulls his lightsaber into his other arm. The blue blade instantly shoots out and he slices the head off one MagnaGuard and he then slices downward, cutting into the chest of the other droid. In response to both droids falling to the ground, all of the battle droids point their weapons at the Jedi.
"Back away!" Grevious says to his forces, looking at them. They instantly lower their weapons. "Good. I will deal with General Kenobi myself." The droids instantly comply, walking into the entryway.
"That was a bad mistake, Grevious. And right now, you have no chance of escaping." Kenobi replies, getting into his battle stance and holding an extended arm to his opponent.
"Ah, but how foolish of you. You see, Count Dooku taught me your Jedi Arts." Grevious answers. "I will not run from a filthy Jedi like yourself." His then holds both arms out in opposite directions, allowing the arms to split in two. His four arms then reached to his belt, grabbed the lightsabers hanging on the red inside of his long cloak. "Time to die!" He shouts, getting into a fighting stance and slowly walking towards Kenobi, spinning his top two arms at rapid speeds. Kenobi backs up, watching as the lightsabers leave deep gashes in the grassy fields, kicking the charred ground up as the cybernetic droid walks forward slowly.
Eventually, Kenobi has enough of this and runs forward towards the General. At the last second, he leaps into the air and somersaults over the Separatist leader. Grevious notices the gesture, then stops his attack. He then whirls around and slashes the blue and green blades down upon the Jedi Master. Kenobi easily blocks the two blades with his single blade held over his head. Kenobi then lowers the blades to his right side before swinging it upward and slashing at Grevious.
The mechanical general deflects Kenobi's attack with another two blades and Grevious then tries slashing at Kenobi with the other blades. The Jedi notices this attack, and thrusts his other open hand forward. Grevious lets out a loud grunt as he recoils from the Force wave and Kenobi slashes his blade forward. Grevious notices the attack and uses one of his arms to knock the blade aside. But because Kenobi was so close to actually striking the General that even though Grevious managed to deflect the attack, the lightsaber still grazes Grevious's chest plate.
He lets out a screech of pain before grabbing Kenobi and lifting him into the air by the throat before throwing the Jedi aside. "Fool! I am a superior warrior. What makes you think that you will win?" Grevious asks.
Kenobi shakily gets onto his knees, wiping a thin stream of blood from his lips, and looks up with a smirk. "I wasn't planning on winning. I was planning on distracting now." Just then, a barrage of gunfire rings out around him and soldiers, both clone troopers and UNSC marines led by Ahsoka Tano without her ODST helmet, charge forward and blowing the battle droids away. The ring of battle droids turns to face the assailants, but they are mowed down one by one, especially when a flame trooper steps in front of the other soldiers and melts down the B1 droids with ease. "Face it, General. You have lost and this time, you have no way of escaping." He then lifts up his hands and uses the Force to send Grevious flying into the air dozens of feet.
Grevious growls in anger and lands on his four arms, before proceeding to crawl away from the massacre of his droid army, and toward his personal TSMEU-6 Wheel Bike that he rode in on. Angered by his failure, Grevious lurches his Wheel Bike forward, its wheels folding into the sides as it charges towards the soldiers' ranks. Grevious pulls out a blaster pistol embedded in the side of the Wheel Bike and fires it.
Several unlucky clones and marines get impacted by the blaster shots, and some of them are even crushed by the Wheel Bike as it zooms past them and across the grassy plains in an attempt to escape the ambush. "Blast!" Kenobi curses, then senses a nearby presence and smirks. "Lieutenant, secure this facility. I am going after the General and ending this." Before anybody could respond, Kenobi then starts running after Kenobi, reaching out through the Force towards a nearby forest.
Within seconds, a creature with bird-like feathers covering its whole body with a long neck leading up to a reptilian head starts running out at full speed. Leaping into the air, Kenobi lands on the creature's back and they take off after General Grevious. "Did your General just hitch a ride on a Moa?" One of the marines asks Ahsoka, dumbfounded.
The former padawan in question just smirks back. "There's a Jedi Master for you. Come, let's go scrap some more clankers!"
Classified ONI Science Facility, Sub-Level 3
15:35 UNSC time
Once the elevator doors swing open, the dozen B1 battle droids and B2 battle droids point their blasters forward, and start firing in different directions. "Stop firing!" The command droid shouts, holding up a hand.
The firing immediately ceases and the droids walk into the clean silver corridors, lights casting eerie shadows. "You, get in there." Another droid says, prodding Fred to walk in front of them. The android looks around the long corridors with an almost emotionless expression. "Take us to the storage facility."
Fred smiles slightly, fighting down a smirk. "Of course. Right this way." The android then leads the battle droids down the long winding corridors, through large doorways that open up after Fred uses the optic scanners on the panels.
As they walk down another corridor, they all stop in place upon the commander's held-up hand. "I must alert the General of our progress." He then picks up the comms device at its belt and activates it. However, instead of the cranky General on the other line, all the other line held was static. Before the Commander could speak, the sound of gunfire could be heard on the other line.
"It looks like your General is lost." Fred remarks before immediately moving into action. He pulls out a blaster rifle out of a nearby B1 battle droid's arm, ripping off both of the slender arms in the process, before firing the blaster rifle at a B2 droid and destroying it in a matter of seconds. Then, knowing that his moment of surprise is now gone, decides to start running down the corridors.
"Blast him!" The commander droid shouts, pointing a hand at the retreating android. The battle droids immediately follow the order, firing their blasters at the android who ducks into a door on the right. "Follow him. We will stay here and cut off his escape"
"Roger roger." Six of the droids declare in unison then start marching down the scorched corridors as fast as they can and into the room.
"Al right. You better surrender you. We have you surrounded." A B1 droid states as it walks into the circular chamber, past empty test tubes and pads filled with data on the experiments. As a 2nd B2 droid walks past a long table near another doorway, Fred leaps out and splashes an orange chemical trapped inside a test tube. The B2 screeches in mechanical pain as the acid melts through the flimsy droid armor and eats its way through the inner wiring before it collapses on the ground. Then stepping out from behind the cover, Fred fires his blaster rifle as quickly as he could. He destroys the last B2 with ease, along with another B1 droid on the far side of the small laboratory. The final droid sneaks around the worktables cluttered with lab utensils to try and ambush the android, but Fred manages to jump in the air, roundhouse kick the droid to the ground before blasting its face four times.
"I heard blast shots coming from this direction." The command droid says as it runs down the corridors as well.
Fred stares at the voices calmly before running towards the door that immediately swings open, leading to a small square room with prototype pilot suits lining the walls. Once Fred runs through the door, he punches the panel on the inside of the room. The doors swing closed immediately, even through the sounds of blaster shots being fired in his direction, some of the red blasts even managing to slip through before it seals completely.
The male android looks around, taking note of his surrounding, anything that he could use to escape his predicament. All that he could use were a few suits that are needed to pilot the Cyclops suits. Suddenly, an idea comes to Fred's mind, and for the first time in his life, feels a genuine smile forming on his face. "I have had enough of these primitive, pale versions of what they could be. Now, they shall feel the fires of Tartarus burn across their skin as I have." He states as he takes off his scientist overcoat and uniform and puts on the pilot suit. Once the suit is on, with the droids using laser cutters to cut the door open, Fred presses a button on the side of the wall and the doors slide open, revealing an empty mine that stretches out as far as the eye could see, its ceilings so high that even Fred had a difficult time seeing the top.
All around him are tons of aging mining equipment, possibly thousands pf crates, and standing on the right side of the circular chamber, are a dozen green hulking Cyclops battle suits. While all of them are also showing age, with the green paint starting to dull considerably, they look ready for action. Fred then runs towards the nearest Cyclops, with a pile driver on its left arm and the number 426 boldly printed in white on its left side, leaping from mining utensil to mining utensil until he reaches the front of his destination. "In a way, this is appropriate." Fred mutters, placing a hand on the yellow glass that makes up its head. "We are both relics of a past age, cast aside once our usefulness has ended. But I have seen the good in man, and together, we shall make sure that spark never dies." With a smile, he grips the bottom latch of the Cyclops and pulls upward with all his might. In the process, the glass dome goes flying off and smashes into the stone ground below. Fred jumps into the cockpit and begins situating himself with the controls.
Seconds later, the door blasts open and the battle droids storm in. "Surrender, android…" The command droid states before noticing Fred powering on the Cyclops armor, standing it up to its full height. The droids just stare up at the aging Cyclops for several long moments before the B2s begin firing upward while the B2s do the same. Fred directs the mech to pull itself out of its bindings and charges towards the droids. The droids can only stare up in horror as the mech lifts up a large foot and stomps it down heavily, demolishing the rest of the droids with ease.
"Surrender? Hell no. I am actually just getting started."
Galactic Republic Senate Building
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's Communications Chamber
Coruscant
15:50 UNSC time
Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine stares at the circular comms device in the seperate wing of his vast office as the central device dies out, a deep frown on his face.
Count Dooku is dead and General Grevious has decided to attack one of the most heavily defended planets in the galaxy. Palpatine's certainty that the invasion, even with the Insurrection's support, will be Grevious's last mistake is growing by the second. It's time for the end game to commence. As he is deep in concentration, he notices a strong pulsing of the Light Side of the Force.
The Supreme Chancellor senses the disturbance and grimaces even further. He then forces a smile on his face as he spins his chair around to face four Jedi Masters. Each of them are of a different species, and Palpatine can't remember or care who most of the Masters are, with the exception of the one who is leading them.
"Chancellor Palpatine, for crimes against the Republic, you are under arrest." Mace Windu states, pulling out his hilt and activating the purple blade, with the other Jedi activating their green lightsabers.
The smile slips from Palpatine's face. "Do you have proof to support these claims?"
"We have discovered your secret transmissions to the late Count Dooku. The Senate shall decide your fate." Windu states calmly, maintaining a battle stance.
Palpatine's grim expression deepens much further. "It seems you do not understand what is happening around you. I am the Senate now."
"No, you are not." Windu replies, glaring at the Chancellor with hatred.
Seconds later, two lightsaber hilts shoot into Palpatine's hands. "Then it's treason." Palpatine then activates the red lightsabers and spins in the air before giving a tremendous slash.
One Jedi Master is struck down, screaming, in the first swing and cuts down a second Jedi Master with the second lightsaber. The third Master manages to block one of the lightsabers, but then receives a stab to the chest. The corpse falls backward and Palpatine holds out a hand to pull one of the lightsabers into his hand.
Windu leaps into action, cutting the blade in half and attempted to stab Palpatine. The Sith Lord blocks the attack with ease and together, they walk down the long corridors and slash at each other.
Eventually, they reach the main office, and Palpatine starts slashing wildly, doing everything he can to gain an edge.
Unfortunately, Windu is more than prepared for every attack, countering it with a perfect block. Both men grunt slightly as they press the attack even further. Windu gains an advantage, using a Force push to send Palpatine flying into the glass wall. The power behind the push is so great the entire glass wall shatters, large shards falling to the ground below along with the Sith Lord.
Slowly and cautiously, Windu walks towards the edge of the office to see if Palpatine fell before suddenly backing up when Palpatine suddenly leaps up, slashing forward with the intention of cutting Windu in half. Once Palpatine regains his footing, he blindly slashes at Windu.
The Jedi Master is more than prepared for the strike, slashing his lightsaber towards the other lightsaber with such power that Palpatine loses his other lightsaber, before Windu proceeds to point his lightsaber at Palpatine's throat. "Chancellor Palpatine, you are no longer under arrest. For the murder of hundreds of Jedi and throwing the galaxy into war, you are going to die."
Palpatine shakes his head, an insane grin spreading on his face. "No. You are going to die!" Palpatine shouts before sending waves upon waves of Force lightning at Windu. But the Jedi Master holds his lightsaber in front of him and concentrates on the Force for protection. The Sith Lightning hits the lightsaber and rebounds back at Palpatine. The aged Sith screams in absolute pain, his face aging by the second until he looks like a decrepit old man as he falls onto his back.
Just then, the doors slide open and Anakin Skywalker comes running in, shock on his face. "Master Windu, what are you doing?"
Windu looks up, a hint of anger on his face before it subsides. "Master Skywalker, we must kill the Chancellor. He is too dangerous to keep alive."
Palpatine looks at Anakin, and starts whimpering. "Anakin, help me."
Anakin then looks at Windu. "Master Windu, we can't execute the Chancellor. I have faith that the Senate will know what to do with him."
Windu stares at Anakin in disbelief before glaring at Palpatine. "I see that the Chancellor has corrupted you. I'm sorry, Anakin, but I must end this." Then he brings up his lightsaber, preparing to cut the Sith's head off.
"No!" Anakin shouts, activating his own lightsaber and slashing upward with the intention of disarming the older Master. But instead of doing that, he cuts Windu's hand off instead. Anakin can only stare in horror at his actions as Windu shouts in pain for a brief moment before Palpatine sneers and sends another wave of Force lightning at Windu.
"Unlimited Power!" Palpatine shouts, insanity practically dripping off his words as he charges more power into his assault. Windu is so shocked by Anakin's actions that he doesn't even scream or try fighting back, just stands there and receives the lightning before he falls out of the window and into the streets hundreds of feet below.
"What have I done?" Anakin asks, still horrified and starting to back towards the doors. But Palpatine is quicker, standing up to his full height and using the Force to seal the doors. "Anakin Skywalker, you have proven yourself worthy of earning the knowledge that will allow you to protect Padmé. Do you wish to accept my training to listen to my word?"
Seeing no other choice and the world around him darkening, he bows to Palpatine. "I am willing to accept your training, my master."
"Good. Good. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth… Vader. Before you begin your training, I have a task for you. Since you are the only Jedi unaware of the plot to overthrow the Senate and take control of the Republic, I leave it to you to wipe out the Jedi Order."
"It will be done, my Lord. But what of the clones? They will not turn on the traitors easily." Anakin states, looking back up to stare at the face of his new master.
"I have had a contingency planned in case this treachery should happen. I shall activate this plan and exterminate the traitors. Lead the 501st Legion and cleanse the Republic of the Jedi." Darth Sidious states, a small smile forming on his lips.
Vader simply nods, standing up and walking out of the Chancellor's office. Sidious just stares at the doorway and lets out a long cackle that would sends child down even the bravest man's spines.
AN: Well, shit's hitting the fan now. All roads are coming together, and the end is near.
I have to admit, this has been an interesting chapter to write, and I look forward to carrying it all the way to the end.
See you great readers next time when the Battle of Reach reaches its climax and the infamous Order 66 goes underway.