Disclaimer: I own neither SW (property of Disney) nor Dai Bendu (created by aroaccejoot, ghostwriterofthemachine and loosingletters). This is the last arc before there's a time jump and I move onto the big changes.
Posted 20-11-2023
Read, enjoy and review!
Chapter Seventeen
The Invasion of Geonosis
"-stronger than we anticipated," Jaieh Mundi was saying to Obi-Wan as Leia led Ahsoka onto the bridge.
She was struggling, she could admit it to the Force and herself if nobody else. Being back on Geonosis, just a year and a half after the start of this endless-seeming war, was draining on Leia's emotional reserves. She had been constantly re-centring herself since the announcement that they would be invading Geonosis to destroy Poggle the Lesser's droid factories. It was wrong of her, but she could only associate Geonosis with grief and death and horror. She was not happy to bring her Padawan to this planet at all.
The only good thing was that this deployment yet again delayed her Padawan's Marking. Leia suspected the Council were avoiding bringing her and the 501st back to Coruscant for that exact reason, and she was grateful to them for it. But she knew it couldn't last forever, if nothing else than because the Chancellor had been dropping hints that he was 'eager' to see her. He'd have them brought back sooner than later, if nothing else did.
"The same can be said for their loyalty to Countess Ventress," Obi-Wan replied. The Councillors continued their conversation without turning to the two newly arrived Jedi, but Leia sensed their acknowledgment and sober greetings to her and Ahsoka as they arrived on the bridge.
"A fact that is often overlooked," Jaieh Mundi acknowledged, tilting his head in agreement.
"You're late, Leia," Obi-Wan said sternly as Leia came up behind his shoulder.
"Apologies, Master," Leia replied sincerely. "Ahsoka and I were routing the Separatists near Dorin. Minimal casualties on our side, thank the Force for Its mercy."
"I must admit, I am worried at the way this war seems to be drawing out with no end in sight," Obi-Wan sighed in response. "And the mood in the Senate is harsh towards the faction in favour of a cease-fire. Padmé can't even mention the idea of negotiations with the Separatists without being torn apart in the media, who are equally as against negotiations. The Senate wants nothing less than a full surrender from the enemy, ignoring the fact that our men are being outnumbered by hundreds of droids."
"Hopefully this invasion will help with that," Leia said unenthusiastically.
"I feel terrible for the Geonosians who are going to suffer," Ahsoka murmured. "Is there no other way?"
"Unfortunately not one we have been able to find," Obi-Wan said sadly, even as all three of the adult Jedi sent her encouragementpridelove at her loving heart. Some Padawans were becoming prejudiced against all the Separatists, ignoring that the populations of the planets under Separatist rule were suffering almost as much as those of the warzones. But Leia had taken painstaking care in instilling compassion for all the war's victims, on both sides of the conflict, in Ahsoka's heart. It hadn't been hard. Ahsoka was a naturally empathetic girl, and she had soaked up the information from Intel on how the natives suffered under the Separatist's rule. She was as indignant on their behalfs as she was determined to free them.
"Well, we'd best get to it," Leia sighed, folding her arms with her cloak. "Ahsoka, contact Outer Rim command please. Tell them we're ready for our briefing."
"They're already waiting for us," Ahsoka replied with a smile. Leia returned the expression, then followed Obi-Wan and Mundi to the Briefing Room, her apprentice at her heels.
"Our ships are in position, and we are ready to begin our campaign against the Geonosians," Obi-Wan reported to the Senior War Council, consisting of the Chancellor (unfortunately), Yoda and Jaieh Windu.
"And what about Poggle?" Jaieh Windu asked. "Any report on his location?"
Obi-Wan touched a button, bringing up a map with an area covered by a fake ray shield. "It seems that he's holed up in the primary droid foundry, here," he stated. "The area is protected by a shield generator. Leia, Ki-Adi and I shall attempt a three-pronged attack, through their defence lines to a staging area just short of the shield. Once we have landed, we shall knock out the shield generator. That, is our primary target."
"Isn't it risky, committing three generals to one area of the attack?" Chancellor Palpatine asked dubiously, turning to Jaieh Windu and Yoda in turn as he spoke. "If something went wrong, we could be dealt a serious blow."
"To ensure, that rise again, Geonosis does not," Yoda replied, his ears flat against his head in a tell-tale sign of dislike for his own words. "Capture Poggle, we must."
"Of course," the Chancellor replied in that gentle, understanding voice that had always disturbed Leia and come across to her as false. "As always, I shall leave the strategy to you, Master Jedi." He turned to look at Obi-Wan, who bowed slightly. The media had nicknamed Obi-Wan 'The Strategist' as well as 'The Negotiator', because his plans were nearly always a success. His experiences on Melidaan and Mandalore had come in handy during this war. It seemed to Leia that her old teacher must have suffered those experiences because he would need the knowledge one day.
"Our thanks, Chancellor," Obi-Wan said, perfectly courteous with no hint of his true feelings towards the man.
"May the Force be with you," Jaieh Windu said grimly, before the transmission ended and their images disappeared, just as the door slid open and three troopers came in.
"Good," Obi-Wan nodded. He pressed another button, making an area on the map glow red. "Cody, these are the coordinates for the rendezvous."
"Yes sir," Cody replied with a salute. "When we hit the ground, we'll create a perimeter there. Getting past their defences here will be the trick. General Mundi will come across the defensive lines from the north. We will make our assault on the middle. General Skywalker will make her assault on the lines from the south and we will meet at the rendezvous point at 0700 exactly."
"If we meet with strong resistance and are forced down and away from the landing point, hold out until we join our forces, before attacking the shield generator."
"Their frontlines are heavily fortified," Ahsoka commented, furrowing her brow. "Look at that giant wall with all the gun emplacements. That won't be easy to get past."
"Don't worry," Leia assured her confidently. "We won't be going anywhere near that."
"You'll be fine," Obi-Wan added warmly. "You, your master and your men are more than skilled enough to make it to the rendezvous with ease. If you follow my plan instead of wandering off following your own whims, that is." He gave Leia a pointed look, and she smiled angelically.
"Why Master, I almost think you don't trust me," she said playfully, knowing what he was doing. Indeed, they were successful, as Ahsoka giggled at their banter.
"That's because I don't," Obi-Wan retorted, "I find another grey hair every time I read one of your reports."
Leia pretended to sniff, wiping away a fake tear. "Oh, Obi-Wan, you've broken my heart with your cruelty," she exclaimed melodramatically. "How could you say such things?'
"Very easily, I assure you," Obi-Wan smirked.
They joined Ahsoka in her laughter, and Leia saw a smile playing at Master Mundi's lips, as the men's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
"Seriously though, Leia," Obi-Wan stated after their laughter died out. "This is perhaps you most dangerous mission yet. Take care, alright?"
"Don't worry about us, Master," Leia replied with a smile. "We'll be fine. The Force is with us." Ahsoka finished the phrase with her. Leia gave her a pleased smile as Rex groaned a bit.
"Oh great," he muttered to his vod'e. "There's two of them now."
"Speaking of the Force, may it be with you both also," Leia said, ignoring her captain's whisper as she and Ahsoka bowed to the two Masters. "You'll need it."
"We all will," Jaieh Mundi agreed soberly.
"If you are all ready, we have a battle to begin," Jaieh Unduli, a former enishee of Obi-Wan present by hologram, cut in.
"Quite right," Obi-Wan nodded. "Cody, prep the gunships. I'll meet you in the hanger."
"Yes sir," Cody confirmed.
"Come Ahsoka, Rex," Leia ordered. "We need to prepare for the battle."
"Yes sir," Rex agreed as Ahsoka fell into step at Leia's side with a confident "Yes Master."
"Is everybody aboard, Rex?" Leia asked as she and Ahsoka climbed into the gunship and reached up to grab hold of some handholds.
"Yes sir, and General Kenobi's invasion squad is already underway," the blonde clone confirmed with a nod of his blue-painted helmet. Leia gave the ghost of a smile, and gave the order for their invasion squad to take off.
She focused on breathing as they flew down, struggling to make it passed the Geonosians' defences, releasing her guilt and grief for those lost on the way into the Force without even thinking about it anymore. Later she would learn their names and mourn them, once the battle was won and Geonosis was theirs.
Later.
Suddenly, Leia felt a warning from the Force, and the gunship shook as their shuttle went down. "Crash positions!" Leia called out, grabbing Ahsoka and shielding her with her body even as she whispered urgently to her. "Listen to me. We are going to grab the gunship and guide it to the ground, understood?"
"An entire ship? Master, I don't think-"
"Size matters not, Padawan," Leia cut her off. "All is the same in the Force. There is no time to argue. Do it now!" She reached out with the hand that had been holding the strap and grabbed hold of the shuttle. She concentrated hard, feeling beads of sweat falling down her face. In theory, there really was no difference between levitating a feather and levitating a ship during a battle. In practice, your mind tried to make you believe there was a difference in effort, so you had to force yourself to ignore what your mind told you. And avoid the shots being fired at them as well, of course.
Ahsoka joined her, gasping with effort. Together, they successfully brought the ship to a gentle landing. But they could still sense danger.
"Everyone out!" Leia ordered. "We need to keep moving!" She and Ahsoka Force-pushed the door off the ship and they ran out, the Jedi's lightsabres lit and the men firing. The men took shelter behind the shuttle to fire, while Leia and Ahsoka moved forward, Ahsoka and Leia utilizing Soresu, not either of their favoured Forms but one Leia knew well due to being the student of the Master of it and had taught her own Padawan, to send the bolts back at the Geonosians while conserving as much energy as possible. The Geonosians, while numerous, weren't nearly as experienced as the 501st, and after Leia and Ahsoka destroyed the five droids, the natives began to pull back.
"They're falling back!" Ahsoka shouted to the men. "Come on!"
They continued to press onward grimly.
"Okay, I'll pass it on to Skywalker," Leia heard Rex say, running up and taking cover behind a rock she stood in front of as she formed a constantly spinning shield out of her lightsabre to deflect the never-ending blaster bolts aimed in the 501st's direction.
"Rex!" She shouted to be heard over the sound of blasterfire. "What does Cody say? Can Obi-Wan send support?" She jumped behind the boulder herself to speak to him better.
"I don't think so, sir," Rex replied grimly. "Cody says that General Kenobi never reached the landing site. They think that his gunship got shot down." He leaned over the edge of the boulder to fire at the enemy while Leia snapped her eyes shut and tugged at her bond with her Jaieh, a silent question of 'are you alright?' He tugged back immediately, sending reassurance, stress and a questioning feeling as he returned her query. She returned the emotions, and left the silent conversation.
"He's still alive and unharmed," Leia said to Rex and Ahsoka, who was radiating worry for her tonjaieh. "But we need to gather the men together. If he can't send support, we must make do on our own. We're going to have to rush the guns."
"Yes sir," Rex answered, scrambling to his feet and hurrying away, bent low to the ground to avoid the enemy fire.
Leia turned to Ahsoka. "Padawan, you're with me," she ordered. "We need to give the men cover when we attack. No Soresu now. Use your Ataru, it's your best Form."
Ahsoka had chosen Ataru and Djem So as her favoured Forms, but Leia continued to drill her on all of them (except, of course, Juyo and Vaapad) just in case, just as she herself worked hard to make them all muscle memory.
"Yes Master," Ahsoka gave a slightly anxious nod. "Just give the word." There was a bit of hesitance in the latter half of her response, and Leia sent her assurance.
"I worry for him too, 'Soka," Leia told her. "But remember, daieno bika. We can't help Obi-Wan if we fall here."
Ahsoka nodded, straightening her shoulders. "Yes Jaieh," she said, nodding more firmly this time. "Like I said. Just give the word."
The remainder of the squad rushed up to them. "All here sir," Rex announced, clutching his DC-17 firmly.
"Ready," Leia said, re-igniting her 'sabre. "Now!" She and Ahsoka leapt over the top of the boulder and began pressing forward. Leia used a mixture of Shien moves and Niman telekinetic pushes to put the pressure on the Geonosians, while Ahsoka was clearly releasing some nervous energy, to judge based on the many flips she was doing as she jumped from one spot to another, never staying in one place long enough for the enemy to aim properly at her, and too unpredictable for them to prepare for a movement. It made Leia dizzy just to look at her, so she didn't, instead monitoring Ahsoka's safety through the Force.
The men were charging forward behind them, shooting like their lives depended on it, which, of course, it did.
"Now! Go, go, go!"
"Take 'em out! Take 'em all out!"
They made it through, and out of the hot zone. They darted through the barren Geonosian equivalent of a forest. Leia followed her instincts, and felt her heart fall in dismay as they came to a stop to take cover a little distant from the barrier that Leia had specifically assured Ahsoka they would be going nowhere near. Clearly, she had jinxed them.
"Well this is another fine mess you following the Will of the Force has gotten us into," Ahsoka complained as they peered around at barrier, trying to remain unseen by the guards lining the top of the wall.
"Excuse me?" Leia huffed. "That is no way to speak to your Master, young one. The Force clearly has a reason for us to be here. This must be the safest way."
"If this is the safest way, I shudder to imagine the least safe," Ahsoka huffed.
Leia sighed, and decided to ignore her sulking Padawan, trying to think of a plan.
"Alright then," she muttered after a moment, "Padawan, get ready to climb."
"What's the plan, General?" Rex asked, as Firework handed over a backpack filled with explosives to Leia.
"You and the troops will lay down cover fire, Rex," Leia instructed him. "There's too many of them for all of us to make the climb. Leave the hard work to Ahsoka and I and be ready to go when we bring the wall down."
"Yes sir," Rex replied with a sharp salute. "And may the Force go with you."
Leia smiled at him in appreciation and nodded back. "And with you. Now come, Ahsoka. We need to hurry." She and her apprentice darted out of the cover, relying on their Force-sensitivity to avoid the energy bolts sent at them, in some cases by mere centimetres.
They reached the cliff opposite the men's cover, and activated their climbing gear, to begin climbing the cliff face.
They reached the top quickly, and dodged several blaster bolts as they ignited their lightsabres, after which they both fell into Shien to deflect the bolts back at their origins.
Leia felt a tingle and called to her student. "Come on!"
They Force jumped down onto the bridge at the top of the wall, and began fighting the droids that turned towards them. Their men concentrated their fire on the droids Leia and Ahsoka were fighting, and the tide soon turned against the Separatist forces. They cut down the last of them, and Leia instantly began searching the floor.
"Look for a hatch!" She ordered Ahsoka. "We need to put the bombs inside the wall!"
There was an urgent warning in the Force as Ahsoka cried, "Found one!" Followed by the painfully familiar sound of droid hinges uncurling. Leia spun, spying Ahsoka cringing away from a droideka. She reached out and crushed it in the Force before it had uncurled enough to conjure its force-field.
It wasn't something she could do to multiple droidekas at once, especially if they had their shields up, but one unfurled she could manage. Of course, there wasn't just one droid. A second and a third one arrived so there was one for each Jedi, and Leia couldn't stop them all from unfolding.
She and Ahsoka stood back-to-back, fighting the worst of the droids, in Leia's opinion. She, well she was a Jedi so she didn't hate, but she severely disliked ray shields, as it seemed to her that only the Separatists could afford them.
Karking Trade Federation and their kriffing endless pockets.
Leia sensed it as Rex came up behind Ahsoka's opponent, and heard it be destroyed moments before Leia destroyed her droid as well, allowing them to dump the bombs down the two hatches, killing another idiot BD in the process of dropping them.
Leia spun to her captain. "Sorry about this Rex, but there's no other way," she told him.
Ahsoka, picking up on Leia's thought, grinned mischievously. "Up and away!" She exclaimed, plucking up the swearing captain with the Force and levitating him safely off the wall onto the ground. They Force-jumped after him as the wall exploded, leaving their way past the wall's remnants clear.
Out of the seventy they had started the trip with, fourteen had died escaping their landing zone, and another twelve had died here at the wall.
Leia would remember their names, as she remembered those of their fallen 501st vod'e.
"Look!" Ahsoka cried as they sprinted through the barren forest. "What's that?" They looked, seeing the flaming corpse of a Geonosian fall over the side of a cliff's edge.
"It's Jaieh Mundi and his men!" Leia exclaimed, recognising his Force Presence. "Come on!"
They ran in the cliff's direction. Just below the cliff, Leia commed the Councillor. "Master Mundi, do you read me?"
"We are here, Skywalker," he replied. "We took a slight detour that put us out of communication for a bit."
"You're not the only ones who took a detour," Leia said ruefully.
"Indeed," Jaieh Mundi mused. "But now the road is clear. I can see the landing zone. It does not look good."
"You understand what the events of today point to?" Leia asked vaguely, knowing that if she could put the pieces together, a Council Jaieh definitely would.
"Yes," he confirmed solemnly. "We can consider it later with Kenobi. For now, he needs our help."
"Agreed," Leia stated. She could sense Obi-Wan better now, and knew the feelings that meant he was in the middle of a battle going wrong. "We should link up and provide him with reinforcements together."
"We will meet you at the end of the mountain," Mundi agreed. "Keep in touch. Mundi, over and out."
"Skywalker, over and out," Leia replied, ending the call. She turned to her troops. All of them were exhausted, wounded and their numbers had gone down from seventy to forty-four. Not much of a reinforcement force, but she had faith in her men and the Force. "You heard him, men. Your vod'e needs your help. Let's get moving."
A thought occurred to her and she turned to Denal. "Get me Admiral Solo," she ordered. He set up the equipment and soon she was looking at a hologram of her beloved. He looked relieved at the sight of her, dirty and ragged but still alive and composed. "Admiral, we're almost to the rendezvous point, but we urgently need air support," she told him.
He smiled widely at her. "Looks like the Force really is with you, General," he told her. "I have one squadron available. I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do for you without compromising the rest of the invasion."
"It's better than nothing," Leia said, always one to accept life's challenges and make the best of it. It was something she had gotten from her mother, and she was working hard to instil the trait in Ahsoka, who sometimes tended towards pessimism.
There was one squadron available, so they would work with that squadron to save as many of the troopers' bright lights as possible.
They met up with Mundi and his forces (he had about a hundred left still in fighting condition, along with three tanks carrying a dozen more wounded) at the base of the mountain as arranged and hurried on to the landing zone. They arrived just after the air squadron, and together the revitalized 212th, the 501st and the 21st battalions, along with Scarlet Squadron, repelled the Separatist forces and secured the landing zone.
As the men were chasing off the Geonosians, Leia and Ahsoka rushed over to where Obi-Wan was slumped on the ground, leaning against the crates with one hand pressed to his abdomen, exhaustion, pain and weakness radiating from his Presence.
"Tonjaieh Obi-Wan!" Ahsoka cried, rushing to his side. Leia was only a step behind her, crouching down and trying to find the source of his pain.
"Jaieh, where are you hurt? What happened?" Leia demanded, kneeling at his side. She couldn't see any blood, but it could be hidden by his robes.
"I might ask you the same question," Obi-Wan deflected with a smile. Leia sighed in loving exasperation for the only father she had ever known.
After securing the landing zone, the Jedi and their clone second-in-commands gathered around Obi-Wan, who brought up the holomap for a meeting.
"Our combined forces should be enough to destroy the shield generator," Obi-Wan stated. "Leia. You'll need to take a small force, about twenty at most, through the shield, as close as you can get to their gun emplacements. From there, you'll able to temporarily jam their scanners so they are unable to target the incoming tanks. Once the tanks knock out the shield, Master Mundi can bring the rest of the troops in with the gunships."
"We won't fail, Master," Leia said confidently, before turning to Rex. "Rex, choose twenty of the troopers in best shape for the force. Select them from all the battalions. Whoever is least tired, and least injured. We'll leave in an hour."
"Yes sir," he saluted and hurried off to pick the troopers.
The other troopers and Ahsoka were all sent off on various tasks, and the three adult Jedi huddled together to whisper.
"They knew everything we had planned," Leia stated lowly. "Our numbers, which directions each of us would be attacking from, where the rendezvous point was. Everything."
"There is only way that the Separatists could have had such knowledge in advance," Jaieh Mundi said grimly.
"There is a spy," Obi-Wan concluded, soft as the wind on the trees. He turned to Leia. "You must tell this to nobody, not even Ahsoka or Han," he warned her in a low voice. "If you cannot do so, we cannot tell you what we know."
"You can count on me, Jaieh," Leia promised. "I will speak of this to no one."
The Councillors both nodded, and Obi-Wan replied in an even softer voice, so quiet that even standing right beside him, Leia had to use the Force to enhance her hearing to make it out.
"The Valehnan tasked with discovering the identity of the Sii Master have tracked them to the Senate," Obi-Wan revealed.
Leia felt her eyes widen in shock and horror, but it got worse.
"Not just the Senate," Jaieh Mundi admitted in an equally soft tone. "But the Chancellor's office itself! The Republic is under the control of the Sii."
Despite the shock of what she had learned, there was still a mission to complete, so Leia led her men through the ray shield towards the gun emplacements.
They fought their way to their goal, and took cover behind some convenient boulders to jam the scanners.
"Droid poppers at the ready!" Leia ordered. "Throw them now!"
They flung the poppers over the boulder and heard them activate.
"Looks like it's working!" Ahsoka cried.
"Not for long, though," Leia warned, hitting the button on her wrist comm. "The scanners are jammed, bring in the tanks!"
They watched as the tanks fired on the generator, and the structure collapsed under the assault. The sky turned from the blood red of the shield to the gentle orange that was native to the Geonosian sky. Gunships flew down towards them. Leia relit her green lightsabre and signalled her men to attack.
Mundi's ship was the first to land, and he was out and joining them in the fight along with his Nova Corps. The Geonosians didn't resist for long, soon surrendering to the Republic forces.
They had won the battle, but there was still a long way to go before they won the war.
Especially with a Sii controlling both the Senate and the Separatists.
Dai Bendu:
Jaieh: Master (Teacher)
Enishee: Crechemate(s)
Tonjaieh: Grandmaster (formal)
Daieno bika: Be in the here and now/moment
Valehnan: Jedi Shadows
Sii: Sith