I've been a bit sick lately so updates for this month have been a bit slow, but don't worry nothing has been dropped including Reyne of fire, the update for this story is coming along fast so expect the next chapter soon and it's a doozy. /XvbsrHSu come down to the discord and you can meet some of the better authors on the sight.
Also, I don't follow a rule of fire, if you don't like it don't read simple as.
Phu system- Hidden within asteroid belt
A medium sized ship silently floated within an asteroid belt, the ship was powered down. However, it had multiple satellites and receivers attached to the main body of the small cruiser. Lights twinkled dully within as the crew sat at their stations, their armour modifications denoting them to be intelligence gatherers, around them modified commando droids acted as pilots and additional crew allowing the Mandalorians to work more efficiently.
One of the Mandalorians at a communications relay table, perked up as a system message came through, the Man's eyes widened slightly as the importance of the message being shown by the symbols which accompanied it, the communications officer tapped the relay in his helmet.
"This is Captain Te'va, first lieutenant De ve'sa priority message to the statesman, or Taanab itself." the captain tapped his screen sending the message to his subordinate, who as soon as it was received sent it into the depths of space.
Taanab
The Republic fleet fell out of hyperspace before the arrayed Mandalorian fleet, Aayla's fleet was formed of three Venators and five smaller Acclamators, this would have usually been quite a formidable fleet, however these ships were a punitive effort when put up against the massive Mandalorian invasion fleet, even with some of the larger ships still turning the republic was still outnumbered within the local system.
"Sir, the offensive Fleet is sending a message on an open channel." An officer reported as Naruto raised an eyebrow, what could Aayla want?
"Put it through." He ordered as he turned around and walked up to the holotable that was on the bridge. Soon, the hologram of Aayla appeared.
"If it's a surrender you are looking for, then you are wasting your time." He said as Aayla shook her head.
"We are not here to fight, it's evident we would lose if we even tried; I am here to join you." She stated as Naruto's eyes widened. Why would she do this? She was loyal to the order and the Republic, so why would she do it?
"Why? This would surely mean that you will be hunted by the Republic, they don't take betrayal very easily as you can probably tell ." He stated as she nodded.
"Let them hunt me. I won't fight for a faction that cares only for those who have the means to provide wealth. The Jedi were meant to be peacekeepers for all, not just the wealthy. That, and the order has lost its way. It is not the order that I learned while growing up." She answered as Naruto slowly nodded. She was right; the Jedi had lost what it meant to be a Jedi. something had corrupted them and driven them off their path.
"I see. What about the chips inside your Clones head? Have they been removed?" He questioned. He was ready to welcome all the help he could get, but if they were Clones, he wanted the chips inside their heads removed. Those chips were dangerous, they kept the clones from being too individual and kept them loyal to the republic, they would be more likely to turn on him than anyone else.
"They are being removed as we speak, although I had them examined further. It seems like the chips were more than what we were told" She answered with a frown. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. He knew that the chip was meant to control the Clones, but he didn't know what exactly was on them.
As he was about to ask what was on them, one of his communication officers rushed up to him, gaining his and Aayla's attention. The officer was a short female with coffee coloured skin, she was wearing the dress uniform he'd been quite used to seeing amongst his naval officers a call-back from the republic navy.
"Sir, a message from the communications relay team. They're saying that there's something wrong with the inhibitor chips that they have a set of orders on them known as the 150 protocols, we are still not sure what the other orders do but we do know one. Order 66."
"Order 66?" He questioned Aayla, also giving a questioning look to both Naruto and his officer.
"We're not sure what it does exactly, but we do know it has something to do with the jedi and the clones being used against them " She answered as Naruto hummed. It would make sense to use the clones against the Jedi since many of the Clones would be stationed near high-profile Jedi and would be in the best position to take them on and eradicate them.
"This is disturbing news. I will meditate and have a meeting with my commanders later on." he told the officer who saluted and marched off, then he turned back to Aayla getting her attention
"I'll have your Fleet orders soon." Naruto said as Aayla nodded, understanding that he was in command.
"Also, Master Shaak Ti will also be joining us soon." She said as once again Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"So, she has also left the order?" Naruto questioned as Aayla nodded.
"Yes, she called in a few minutes ago, and had departed with her Fleet from Coruscant, though she did state that few Republic ships were chasing after her. She has chosen to take a different route in order to evade the pursuing ships." She said as she brought up a map of the route Shaak Ti was taking.
"She's heading to a system near Ord Mantell?" Naruto questioned.
"Yes, there is a system near Ord Mantell. It's a rather isolated system as it contains a planet that has reached the basic technological level of spaceflight." She confirmed as Naruto hummed.
"She's trying to lose the Republic ships and taking the long route to Mandalore. She is going to need some help. Aayla, you're in-charge here now." Naruto said as he began to issue orders to his crew. Aayla merely raised an eyebrow.
"Why am I in-charge?" She questioned.
"I am going to assist Master Shaak Ti." He simply said as he started to give out orders.
"Are you sure that is wise? I assume that your forces are already stretched too thin." Aayla questioned. Naruto nodded.
"While our forces are stretched, the Republic won't be attacking. They are too busy trying to hunt down Master Shaak Ti. As far as the Republic knows, Master Shaak Ti was a spy from the start. I am sure that the Jedi or any other Republic force won't try to leave Coruscant since they would believe that she knew where the asteroids were. They won't risk it, so most of the Republic Fleets don't have a Jedi general with them. They won't carry out an attack." Naruto explained as she slowly nodded.
"Then I guess I will be holding this system down then. May the Force be with you." She said, ending the transmission.
He turned back as one of the captains came through the holotable, the man was an older gentleman with a beard and moustache. He snapped to attention and gave a quick salute, resting once Naruto signalled him to begin.
"Sir, the Revanchist is prepared and ready to be deployed wherever necessary."
Naruto nodded and grinned, "Captain, have the ship arrive at these Coordinates. It will meet us at Ord Mantell and let us show the republic what we've been doing." the officer saluted before disappearing to carry on his orders.
"Jump to lightspeed!" Naruto ordered as the Statesmen, along with two Venator-Class Star Destroyers and a handful of hammerhead cruisers jumped to light speed, racing to the system near Ord Mantell. Aiming to ambush the Republic like a pack of angry Hyenas.
"Commander Triumph, what do we know of this untouched system?" Naruto questioned the commander as he brought up a picture of the system.
The commander was a veteran clone who had seen many battles. His armour was that of an ARC trooper, with dark orange colouring. This was Commander Triumph he'd served from the first battle of the Clone wars till now. He was an excellent commander, known to use heavy siege and assault tactics to divide and destroy the enemy, an incredibly dangerous clone and one he was glad to have on his side.
"Sir, the system is known as Ssaeg, and it has no important strategic value. It is not connected to any major hyperspace lane and lacks resources that would define it as a valuable system. The only people who use this system would be smugglers. It's a longer route, but they can avoid authorities that way." Triumph stated as Naruto hummed.
"How do you know so much about this system commander?" Naruto questioned the knowledge Triumph had was quite extensive.
"I was an adjutant sent with the 41st to scout out the system. We concluded that taking the system would be a waste of resources, that the local alien species of the region would not take kindly to their system being integrated into the Republic, not like they are aware of any life in the galaxy other than themselves." Triumph answered.
He had seen that system and quite frankly, the two species of that world were so busy killing each other that they failed to realise that they are not alone.
"I see, well then, it's good to have you on board. Have the boarding parties ready." Naruto ordered as Triumph saluted before heading off the bridge.
"Have the fighter pilots ready for launch, once we exit light speed, have them go on the offensive. Prepare the ships that can fire " Naruto ordered as the officers nodded and sent out the command. Naruto turned towards the view port.
"Just hang in there for a little while…" He hoped that he wouldn't be too late.
Master Shaak Ti:
Shaak Ti cursed as her ship shook. She had tried to throw off the Republic ships, but it seemed like they didn't take her defection too kindly. The ship rocked again.
"General, we lost 50% of our shields. The Dauntless has lost 3 of its engines and can't take much more damage. The Defender has lost all its shields and is taking heavy fire." Commander Colt reported as he held on to a railing as the ship shook again.
"Have the Dauntless abandoned and any surviving crew be moved to the Defender, have the dauntless set to explode and pushed toward the enemy tell the defender to make the jump. We will draw the enemy fire at us and the dauntless." She ordered.
"But General, we don't have the firepower or the numbers to defeat the enemy fleet." Colt said back. They were outnumbered and had lost their ability to run from the battle.
"I know the commander, but I have faith, now tell it to retreat!" She ordered as Colt nodded and sent out the order. Thirty gunships and a handful of shuttles as well as fighters left the Dauntless as it began to speed up toward the enemy fleet, who upon noticing the ship began to hopelessly fire upon it. Meanwhile the Defender began to manoeuvre into position behind Shaak ti's ship.
KA-BOOM.
The Dauntless exploded within the midst of the enemy fleet scattering the larger warships, while the smaller frigates and even an Acclamators were simply swallowed by the immense explosion that shook even Shaak Ti's ship, However this did not stop one of the Venators which despite being damaged pressed the attack.
"Evasive manoeuvres, try to avoid the incoming enemy fire." Shaak Ti ordered as the ship began to turn around, but then shook violently.
"Our Engines have been hit!" An officer shouted out as the ship started to descend into the planet. And it began to angle itself toward the planet.
"General! We have been caught in the planet's orbital pull! The ships going to crash!" An officer reported as the ship started to enter the planet's atmosphere. Fire licked off the front of the hull as it entered the atmosphere. Then all of a sudden there were alarms going off.
"Ma'am 6 new warships have entered the system." An officer reported. Shaak Ti was now worried. Maybe this was the end.
"Incoming transmission, should I patch it through?" One of the officers questioned. Shaak Ti slowly nodded.
"Master Shaak Ti, what is your status?" She sighed in relief. She knew who that was.
"My ship has been caught in the planet's gravity well and I fear we are going to crash. We will try to land the ship, but as long as these Republic ships are attacking us the odds are slim." She reported as Naruto nodded.
"Very well, I'll drive away the enemy Fleet; you just focus on landing that ship as safely as possible." He said, ending the transmission.
"Was that General Naruto?" Colt questioned. The man had visited Kamino a couple months back and damn was Naruto a fine General. Cool headed and calm, the man put the lives of his men before his own. During the short time he had served under him, he had seen Naruto in action within the specially built training rooms many times. He remembered that at one point he had carried out a mission to save one of his men. He carried out a mission to save the life of one clone! To many, clones were expendable, but it was evident that Naruto didn't see it that way.
"Yes, he has arrived. Let him deal with the Republic Fleet, we have to focus on getting this ship on ground. Have all hands brace for impact." She ordered as the crew began to manoeuvre the ship so that it could survive the crash.
With Naruto:
"Sir, the enemy Fleet hasn't noticed our arrival. It appears that their sensory arrays have been damaged within the battle." An officer stated as Naruto sighed. They were again showing the rear side of their ships. When will they realise that it's that weakest point of the ship?
"Cripple the ships, use Ion cannons and have boarding parties capture them." He ordered.
He needed more ships, so he opted to use a different approach. Instead of outright destroying enemy ships, he was going to capture them. It would not only add ships to his Fleet, but also allow his Fleet to become proficient in capturing ships. Destroying ships was easy but capturing them was harder.
Ion cannons started to open fire at the gun turrets of the ships and the bridge, shutting them down, while heavy turbo blasters knocked out one or two of the engines to cripple them. They even blasted holes in the side hangers that were closed, allowing for the boarding ships to land.
Naruto had his mind on something else, however.
"Update on Master Shaak Ti ship." He ordered as the officers quickly gained the information they needed.
"The Generals ship is descending faster than expected, it seems like all of their engines have been knocked out. They have manoeuvred the ship as much as they could, but they will survive according to the crash trajectory. " An officer reported as Naruto nodded.
"Very good, have the gunships ready. Have the 5th Engineering Battalion and 3rd medical company prepare for deployment; they are going on a repair mission." Naruto ordered as the officer looked at him.
"Sir, are you sure that the ship will be space worthy after it crashes?" The officer questioned. Naruto smirked.
"Knowing Master Shaak Ti, it will be." Naruto answered as he looked back to her ship as it descended further and further.
With Shaak Ti:
"General, you have to get to the escape pod! The ship won't survive!" Colt urged her, but all Shaak Ti did was close her eyes and began meditating.
"The Force shall guide us commander." She said as the ship slightly rocked. Colt could feel something was going on. Looking at Shaak Ti, he saw that there was sweat building up on her forehead.
"She's using the Force. I've seen the Jedi's use the Force before, but to guide a whole ship? That's insane!" He thought as the bridge crew ran around like headless chickens. He looked out the bridge view port and saw that they were about to hit. He quickly ran over to a command console and pressed a button on it.
"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" He yelled, warning the whole ship. He held on to something. Across the entire ship those who could. held on for dear life.
"I hope that the Force can save us now…" He thought as the ship made an impact. He was thrown forward and crashed into one of the chairs. Shaak Ti however held her ground. The ship skidded across the land, leaving a large trail behind it. It crashed through forests, hills and even a small mountain before it slowly came to a halt.
"Are you alright commander?" Shaak Ti asked with a smile as she looked at Colt, who slowly stood up, albeit with pain.
"Yeah… I don't like crash landings…" He answered as he quickly took off his helmet and threw up his lunch. Guess he shouldn't have eaten that meal before the battle.
"Let us hope we do not go through another one." She said as Colt nodded to that.
Naruto's Flagship began to descend through the planet's atmosphere, his warships movements graceful and controlled a far cry from Shaak TI's own descent, Gunships and fighters began to descend quickly. Soaring toward the wreckage.
"G-General, our scanners are picking up unknown elements heading our way." An officer said as he slowly stood up and looked down at the scanner, showing multiple dots heading their way. Shaak Ti hummed before looking at Colt.
"It seems like you're about to see some action commander." She said with a small smile. Colt sighed at that face palming lightly.
"Me and my big mouth…" He responded. Oh yes, this was not his day at all.
Even as the warship began to settle within the planet's crust, hundreds of smaller hovering craft began to head towards the formerly republic warship, Shaak Ti spied them from within the warship. One of the officers had given her a monocular to spy on the oncoming ships, they were shaped like insects, being coloured orange and floated above the ground acting similarly to hovercraft yet faster than normal.
Shaak Ti turned and looked upward as the small fleet of gunships finally landed upon her position and combat engineers began to spill out and take measurements of the ship trying their best to have an understanding of the damage that the Warship had taken.
Naruto departed one of the gunships as both medical personnel and soldiers and droids departed their own gunships, the soldiers forming a defensive circle around a small area of the wreckage while the medical personnel entered and began to treat any wounded.
Shaak Ti shouted down to her colleague. "We might have a slight problem…."
And that's the end remember to praise Neptune and continue to ask the panzer of the lake for information.