Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
A/N: As stated, just ahead on this story so this was uploaded quickly.
Beta: Chaos-PSD. Contributor: KuronoDono12.
Chapter LV: A War On Two Fronts.
Fear Is A Malleable Weapon
Separatist takeover complete. Another Republic planet has fallen. Onderon has seceded to the Confederacy of Independent Systems under the rule of a new king. However, a small band of rebels have taken refuge deep within its vast and savage wilderness. From an abandoned outpost, they plot to take back the heavily fortified capital city of Iziz and end the Separatist occupation….
Coruscant, Jedi Temple Council Room.
Naruto, Zule, Anakin, and Ahsoka stood in the room with the Masters, some via holograms as they looked at a hologram of Lux and another man.
"Unfortunately, the only way to reclaim Onderon will be through armed struggle. But we lack sufficient hardware and supplies."
"Onderon is under your king's rule," Obi-Wan said from his seat. "And at the outbreak of the Clone War, he chose to align it with the Separatists."
"Our true king has been silenced." The man said, looking at Obi-Wan before continuing as he looked at the others. "The one you recognize is a traitor and a Separatist minion. We need your help to survive this."
"Find a way we shall," Yoda spoke as he looked up from thought.
"We await your answer." Lux nodded before the hologram shut off.
"There are pockets of rebels on many of these planets that just need guidance," Anakin explained from his spot. "With training and resources, they could attack soft targets while the Republic continues to engage them on the battlefield."
"That sounds like terrorism, Anakin," Obi-Wan spoke up from his seat.
"Well, I think of it as an insurgency to help realign these planets with the Republic."
"We can divide the Separatist forces and press them on two fronts." Naruto picked up after Anakin before Yoda leaned forward in his set.
"A means to an end fear cannot be. Stop those who spread terror the Jedi must."
"Indeed. What you're suggesting would open up dangerous possibilities. And we must not train terrorists." Obi-Wan said as Anakin turned to his former Master.
"Eh, rebels."
"How we conduct war is what distinguishes us from others. Funding rebels to overthrow a legitimate government puts innocent lives at risk."
"We can minimize collateral damage by using arms that mainly affect droids."
"The least we can do is help them defend themselves, test the tactic while we're at it," Mace said as Naruto crossed his arms.
"This could be a great new weapon for us."
"Hmm. Train and observe. Send advisors we will." Yoda said after thinking for a moment.
"I'll assemble a team," Anakin said before Obi-Wan stood
"I'm going with you."
"What, you don't trust me?"
"Too much. That's what worries me."
Onderan.
"This is Valkyrie 2929. We're coming up on the drop zone."
A clone said as he landed a ship in the forest at night. The hatch opened up having another tell Anakin, Ahsoka, Naruto, Zule, and Kakashi with an eyepatch and without his Hiate in cloaks and Rex in regular clothes to jump off. "Go, go, go, go!"
As they landed, Rex, using a jetpack, looked up as the ship left. They then jumped through the trees before landing on the ground as a man watched them from a bush. He then brought his hand up to speak as a communicator. "We've spotted them, sir."
With the others, as they walked around a tree, a woman with dark skin and hair in dreadlocks stopped them on an animal. "Stay where you are. Identify yourselves."
"It's all right. We're friends." Naruto said, raising his hands at her as more people surrounded them.
"Jedi."
"I'm General Uzumaki with Generals Kenobi and Skywalker. These are Captain Rex, Commandeers Tano, Xiss, and… Well I guess General Hatake We're here to help you take back your planet," Naruto explained as he looked around
"My name is Steela." The woman replied before turning to walk. "I'll guide you to our secret base."
Later as dawn approached. Steela took them to her base where they saw the used equipment
"Hmm. A bit rough around the edges, wouldn't you say?" Obi-Wan said as Kakashi nodded
"I've seen bandit camps with better stuff."
"That's why I brought Rex here." Anakin pointed at the clone as they continued walking.
"They're not exactly what I would call shinies, sir, but I could work with them."
As they got to the middle, a man with dark skin and short black hair with a goatee dropped down on a flying animal.
"General Skywalker, Uzumaki."
"At your service," Anakin replied as Naruto waved as BD walked around scanning stuff.
"This is General Kenobi, Hatake, Commander Tano, Xiss, and Captain Rex."
"We're looking forward to taking the fight to those scrappin' droids." The man said as Naruto nodded
"Yes. All in good time."
"Saw. Saw Gerrera."
"He fashions himself as our leader, though no one elected him," Steela said as she stood beside Saw.
"Well, for now, we're in charge, and there is much to learn," Anakin said to them with a smile. They then went to a table where Anakin then continued. "The Separatists have strength in numbers. We're gonna show you how to target and destroy them."
"Now, to be clear, we are not here to fight your war; rather, to show you how to conduct it most efficiently and successfully possible," Obi-Wan spoke before Anakin looked over at Rex.
"Captain Rex."
"I'll show you how the 501st destroys clankers. First, I need volunteers to carry supplies from our entry point a half-klick west."
"Shouldn't be a problem," Saw said as Rex nodded and walked with him and Kakashi.
"Excellent."
"Lux, it's good to see you again," Ahsoka said as she and Zule walked over to the teen.
"It's good to see you too, Ahsoka."
"I didn't realize you had such strong ties to Onderon.
"Onderon is my home. My mother represented it in the Senate."
"Your voice is strong like hers was," Steela said as she walked up to follow them.
"Have you reconsidered joining the Republic Senate?" Zule asked as she talked to Ahsoka about Lux
"Even if we do take back Onderon, it won't change how I feel. I'm not fighting for the Republic." Lux replied as they walked.
"Well, what matters now is, we need each other's help, just like we did on Carlac," Ahsoka said as Steela blinked and stopped at that.
"Carlac? What happened on Carlac?"
"Ahsoka is the reason I'm here and not with Death Watch," Lux replied as he turned to face her.
"Really?"
"What he means is…"
"She saved me from a huge mistake." Lux interrupted the Tortuga Padawan before leaving as Steela walked to Ahsoka.
"Hmm. Lux thinks highly of you."
"I guess so.
"Let's hope that respect is well founded," Steela said before leaving as Zule looked over at Ahsoka.
"She likes you."
They then went to a tank where Ahsoka started to give out training. "The pilot in the front hatch controls the tank, the shelves, and the short-range blasters. The commander in the top hatch controls the turret and the main cannon. You have to take out both chambers. Otherwise, the tank will remain operational."
She then looked back at Rex who nodded and got on the tank. He opened a hatch and threw a grenade inside before jumping up to the top hatch and throwing another before jumping off.
"Everyone, divide up into teams of two, and we'll practice an assault on both hatches," Naruto said as he saw Kakashi training in a hit and run tactics at the next group
"I'll take the top," Lux said to Saw who elbowed him.
"Let's see what you're made of, Bonteri."
The two ran over, but Lux fell onto Saw as he slipped off the cannon. "Ah! Sorry about that."
"You're a terrible soldier, Bonteri."
"I'm not sure if they're more interested in fighting the droids or each other," Obi-Wan said to Naruto and Anakin as Naruto sighed.
"They'll learn. They're just not used to working together yet. We need time to train them properly."
"Keep your eyes on the quick learners. In this fight, time is not on our side."
"Go, go, go, go, go!" Rex said to the group as they started again.
Later, they're still doing it as Rex gives out orders. "Come on! Move it like a soldier, like a real soldier!"
"Come on, Dono. Pick it up, Hutch. You can do better than that." Saw said to the two who tried the exercise."
"Come on, hustle! I said hustle! That's what I'm talking about right there. Go, go, go! Good, good." Rex said before Saw looked to see Stella with Lux before walking over.
"You sure you're up for this?"
"Saw."
"It was an accident," Lux said as Naruto looked over.
"You would've had us both killed."
"Just stop it," Steela said pushing the two away from each other before Saw looked at Lux.
"Sit down, boy. This isn't the Senate. You've got no talent for this."
"It's going to take a lot more than muscle to defeat the Separatists." Lux bit back at Saw who scoffed.
"Politics have failed us. We have no choice."
"We always have a choice."
"Then make yours," Saw said before Naruto walked over.
"Keep that energy for the enemy or you've already lost."
"Look, if we're going to succeed, you'll need to be exceptional with words and action. There will be time for both." Steela said having Saw walk away as Naruto walked to a group of disabled Destroyers with Zule.
"Destroyers are quick, pack twin blasters, and come with their shield generators. Nothing short of a cannon will pierce it. But they do have two weaknesses, and you will need to work together to exploit them." Naruto explained before looking at Rex and nodding. Rex turned one on via remote before Naruto continued. "The shields deflect high-velocity attacks. What the shields don't stop are slow or stationary objects. They're designed to absorb them so nothing hinders their movement."
Zule threw a small EMP grenade slowly at the shield, having it go through the shield. It went off and turned the droid off before she spoke. "Destroyers are blind from behind. A distraction combined with a rear assault will give you a kill. The trick is to get the right speed on the droid popper."
Rex turned all three on before holding the grenade up to speak. "These are unarmed. Just concentrate on getting it past the shield."
He threw it at Saw who grabbed it and walked forward. "Watch and learn."
He tossed the grenade, having it roll only to bounce off the shield from going too fast.
"Quite brilliant," Lux said before catching a grenade and tossing it and havin' it go through.
"Not bad," Steela said before tossing one and having it bounce off. "Ugh!"
"Be mindful of your frustration. It'll only hold you back." Obi-Wan commented walking up.
"Here." Lux started rolling her arm to show her how to do it. "Use your shoulder, let your arm swing. "And keep your eyes on the target."
"Great. OK, let's get back to work." Naruto said to the group as he walked to another area. "Everyone, pair up. We'll practice in groups."
Later, Saw still struggled to get the timing right before looking over at Zule. "I can't get the distance or the speed right."
"Don't give up. Learning this could save your life and those around you. A little backspin might help." She explained tossing another grenade to him.
He threw it and got it to go through the shield before smiling. "You got it."
"You're a good teacher, Jedi."
Naruto saw Steela walk to the trees before following as BD looked over his shoulder. "(Trills!)"
"I'll never learn this." She said looking over a rifle.
"Keep practicing," Naruto said with a shrug as she looked up.
"You made it look easy."
"It wasn't always that way."
"Right. The Force. That your secret?" She asked as he smiled.
"No. Perseverance. Look, you'll get the hang of it. I wouldn't let it get you down."
"I'm not feeling down. I just know what I'm good at." Steela said as Naruto sighed before seeing she looked through the scope.
They walked to a target range where droid heads were the targets before she shot one. "Impressive. Most impressive." Anakin spoke as he walked up.
"Fixed targets are one thing," Zule said before Ahsoka lifted a head and had its sway. "How about this?"
Steela hit the head before Naruto smiled.
"Nice job. You have mastered your ability to focus." Obi-Wan said before Rex spoke.
"A headshot is the only decisive way to disable a droid. They don't need arms, legs, or even bodies to pass intel to central command. Alright, shoot at will."
Steela aimed and saw something in the woods. "Wait a minute. What is that?"
"Droids!"
"Take cover!"
"It appears the training is over," Obi-Wan said as the Jedi turned their sabers on and Kakashi pulled out a regular sword.
"I'll take the left flank if you take the right."
"No, Anakin. We can only protect them. We cannot fight this war for them." Obi-Wan said as Kakashi looked over.
"I'm not a part of either side." He dashed around slicing heads off droids as Naruto looked at Steela.
"There are too many. But we can hold them off while you get your people out of here."
"You didn't teach us to run," Steela said as Naruto looked at the droids. "Saw, use your disruptors to take out the droids." She said into her comms.
"I'm on it," Saw said before looking at the group. "Ready disruptors. On my mark. Now!"
They threw bombs that exploded destroying a group of droids.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A tank then came out of the woods and the rebels fired at it before Lux and Saw successfully disabled it from their practice.
BOOM!
"Now you look more like a soldier than a politician," Saw said to Lux as they stood and patted the dirt off them
"Well, maybe a good politician needs to get dirty now and then," Steela replied with a smile at Lkyx before they walked back to camp where Obi-Wan looked at the group.
"Take confidence from this victory. But rest assured, there will be more droids coming now that they know your position."
"It doesn't matter. You're ready now." Anakin picked up arms crossed. "We are going to take the fight to the droids. You don't have to hide in the jungle any longer."
"Droids were a bit dim, more so than I imagined," Saw spoke up before Ahsoka looked at him.
"They make up for it in numbers. They're designed to overwhelm."
"But they're not designed to deal with our approach," Naruto spoke with a smile as Lux raised a fist.
"We hit them where they least expect it. And before they realize what happened…"
"We fade in with the rest of the population." Steela continued off looking at the others.
"Exactly."
"We need a plan to get inside the city." Zule raised her hand at that as Lux smiled.
"I have an idea."
Later, at a city, the Jedi in cloaks rode beside Lux and Kakashi in separate carts that had animal pelts on them with Steela on the back, one with Naruto, and Zule. Kakashi, Obi-Wan, and Anakin ride beside the carts. Naruto looked up to see Obi-Wan riding beside them as they got to a gate that closed.
"Identification please." A B1 droid said walking up with two more. "What were you doing outside of the city gates?"
"Hunting," Lux replied, glancing back at the pelts. "We've been trekking for days."
"Did you register before your excursion?"
"No, but most of our time is spent in the bush, collecting our traps. We come to the city to sell. You can't get thrip larvae like this in Iziz." Lux said before thumbing over his shoulder. "Only the biggest trees on the other side of Onderon."
"Hey, listen, we need to deliver all of this in time for supper." Steela finished as two B1 droids scanned the pelts.
"Are you scanning anything?"
"It's hard to tell with so much organic matter."
"Come on! Our merchants are waiting inside. Can you hurry it up?" Steela said as the first B1 droid looked at the others.
"Let them through."
"Roger, Roger."
They went through before Ahsoka looked at Lux. "Good plan."
"As Saw said, those droids are dumber than we thought."
"Not a bad start," Naruto said, riding up to them. "But now the hard work begins." He said before looking back at Lux. "You must find recruits and choose your targets wisely."
"They'll be looking for us," Steela said as Lux stood as well.
"We should split up."
"Regroup after nightfall," Saw said, getting off the cart. "I'll alert our brothers."
"We'll make sure you have the supplies you need," Anakin said as Ahsoka nodded.
"Rex, Zule and I will take care of that."
"Good luck."
"How do you think they'll do?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan as the Jedi looked at each other.
"I have a feeling we'll be pleasantly surprised."
"So you admit our new strategy will work?" Anakin asked with a smile as Obi-Wan mirrored it.
"I am hopeful, Anakin, hopeful."
To Be Continued.
A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes.
Beta: Chaos-PSD. Contributor: KuronoDono12.
As stated, just ahead on this story so this was uploaded quickly.
Next to be updated will be Maelstrom Huntsman
Nothing else to say.
Talk To You Later,
Lone Wolf Out.🐺