Hey Folks, Grubkiller here.
Here is part 2 of this story.
Enjoy.
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T-6 Republic shuttle, en route to Rendili.
Quinlan Vos, covered in cuts and bruises, began to walk towards the front of the ship. The clones that he passed fixed him with some serious glares worthy of the Jedi who commanded them.
He had a reputation in the Republic, and it wasn't a good one.
Eventually he stumbled into the cockpit, where Obi-Wan and Cody were.
Obi-Wan, arms crossed, stroked his beard thoughtfully as Vos entered. He looked at him and smiled.
"I see you're u and about." He said.
"Can't keep me down forever, Kenobi." Vos said before he plopped down in an empty chair and propped his feet up on a console in front of him. "Looking good, Commander," he said with a two-finger mock salute.
Cody glanced at the insolent 'Jedi'' and lightly groaned with a flare of annoyance present in his tone.
"Gotta say, Obi-Wan, You and I have escaped alot of explosions in the past, but I don't recall you being the reason for any of them. I think I'm starting to rub off on you."
"Oh, I'm thrilled." Obi-Wan said.
"Still, we should have stayed to make sure Ventress and Skorr didn't escape. They would have done the same to us." Vos said.
Obi-Wan sat in the chair next to Vos and leaned over to fix him with a glare. "Exactly. It's what you would expect of someone who has gone over to the Dark side. Proving to many that the rumors about you are true. Right Quinlan?"
Vos crossed his arms and turned his head away from him.
"This is serious Quin. When we get back to Coruscant-"
"I know," Vos said, cutting off Obi-Wan. "And I'm ready to take face the consequences of my actions. I owe the council that much."
Obi-Wan nodded, but didn't change his serious expression.
"We're coming up on the system, General." One of the clone pilots said. "Coming out of hyperspace now."
Vos took his feet off the console and sat up straighter. "We shouldn't be at Coruscant already."
"We're not." Obi-Wan said.
The blue-white vortex of hyperspace disappeared, and the stars began to appear normal again. A planet zoomed into view almost immediately. They then found themselves in the middle of two fleets of powerful warships staring down at one another, ready to unleash all their fury upon one another if anyone made a wrong move.
"This may be a little awkward for you, Quinlan, but I'm needed here.
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RSD Resolute, Republic fleet.
For nearly an entire planetary rotation, both sides continued to give each other a stare down. But in that entire time, no one in the Republic fleet received any word from any of the representatives that they sent over. When the Republic tried to reach out to them, they were given a chilling response.
On the bridge of Anakin Skywalker's flagship, Admiral Yularen, Anakin himself, and a hologram of Master Saesee Tiin, transmitting from aboard another Star Destroyer, stood around a hologram display in the Resolute's control center.
The hologram showed Plo Koon, Ahsoka Tano and Jan Dodonna, all on their knees, with several guards training their weapons on the backs of their heads.
One officer walked back and forth, clearly the leader, as he was the one to start speaking.
While everyone calmly watched, Anakin had an enraged look on his face at the sight of his Padawan being held captive.
"Do you think I won't do it, Tiin?!" Yago raised his voice. "If you don't clear out, I will kill the hostages," he said as he pressed a blaster pistol to the back of Plo Koon's head. "...Starting with Master Koon. I'll rip off his mask and let him drown in the oxygen for all of you to see! I'm not afraid of your sorcerous ways! I'll do it!"
But before anyone spoke up, Plo Koon, of all people, was the first to speak, in a very calm temper within his voice.
"It is death that you fear, Mellor Yago. I do not. It places you at a disadvantage. I suggest you surrender now."
Yago's face crunched up in anger at his hostage's insolence.
Anakin slammed his fist on the display, making it shimmer for a second. "If you hurt my apprentice, I'll-" Anakin started, before Saesee Tiin raised a holographic hand in front of Anakin, silencing him.
But then Tiin spoke up, standing up straight, with his hands clenched in fists at his side, showing his resolve.
"Listen to me, Yago. I will mourn the death of the hostages if I must. They knew the risks when they went to your ship to negotiate. The supreme chancellor was explicit. If negotiations failed - and by the looks of the hostages, I can safely say they have - the Rendili fleet was to be destroyed. You've had time to reconsider your actions. Your time is almost up. You have an hour to surrender and return the hostages, or be destroyed. Start killing the hostages, and the truce ends now. Saesee Tiin out."
And with that, the transmission was terminated.
Rendili flagship, Mersel Kebir.
The hologram dissipated, the hostages were escorted back to their cell, and the mutinous Rendili officers were with their private thoughts.
Lt. Gallon, the deputy officer of the mutineers, leaned forward against the holotable, before he spoke up. "This isn't going like you said it would, Yago. This General Tiin, isn't backing down, and that Skywalker character looks like he could fly off the handle."
Yago could only grin, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back. "Doesn't matter. Dooku's agent said their support will be here any moment. We've won. The Jedi just don't realize it yet."
RSD Resolute command deck.
"Those idiots are going to force us to kill them." Tiin said, his holographic figure crossing his arms and shaking his head.
"Maybe not, Master Tiin," Anakin said as he pressed a few buttons on the holotable. It brought up an image of the Rendili cruisers. They were old and small, maybe half the length of a Venator, and the width of a Pelta-class freighter, but their armor and shields were deceptively strong for their size, as well as their weapons. "I've been studying the schematics of their ships, and I believe their's a way to cripple them, without destroying them. Take a look."
Obi-Wan and Seasee walked closer to get a better look, while Admiral Yularen went to go and inspect his bridge crew.
Anakin continued with his presentation.
"These ships are from an old Mandalorian design, but adapted by Rendili Star Systems." Anakin then pointed to the box-like engine block on the aft third of the ship. "Concussion charges here or here," he said, pointing to the starboard and port sides of the engine block, "would cripple their astro-navigation, and keep them from jumping to hyperspace." He then turned to his compatriots to gage their reaction, which was a typical scowl in response... any of Anakin's plans. "Placing those charges on a star-fighter or converting our proton torpedoes might be tricky, but not impossible."
Tiin waved his hand dismissively.
"It would be suicide! I have profound respect for you as a pilot, Skywalker, but the guns on those Rendili cruisers would cut your star-fighter to pieces."
Anakin shook his head. "Not in my fighter. You know the modifications me and Artoo have made. I can outmaneuver anything the Rendillis throw my way. And if this works, we can avoid a needless loss of life."
"Anakin," Obi-Wan stepped in. "I understand that you're about Ahsoka, but-"
"Oh, but what?!" Anakin snapped. "We should just sit on our hands, leave her over there, and then have to destroy their fleet anyway? How is that now reckless?"
"Because if you rush into this mess, we may end up harming Ahsoka and the hostages anyway." Obi-Wan reasoned. "Patience."
Anakin scowled at the two masters at their willingness to stand by. But before anymore words could be exchanged, the klaxons started to blare repeatedly.
BWAAAAAM! BWAAAAM! BWAAAAH!
"Alarm klaxon!?" Obi-Wan exclaimed.
Admiral Yularen walked into the control room.
"Admiral, what have we got?" Anakin asked.
"Separatists ships have just jumped out of hyperspace near the Rendili forces. They appear to have arrived to support them, General!" The admiral informed as he pulled up a hologram image of the CIS forces.
A providence-class dreadnaught, supported by two recusant-class destroyers, several munificent-class star frigates, and a pair of DH-Omni Support Vessels. Out of the hangers on the larger vessels spilled dozens of Vulture Droids and Tri-droid fighters.
Tiin pressed a button on the comm-console. "All fighters to their ships. The Rendili's hour is now up. The Star-Destroyers Triumph and Doneeta will take their battle groups and hold back the Separatists, while we deal with the Rendili. We'll command the fleet from our fighters. Above all, keep both fleets from supporting one another." Tiin said before his hologram dissipated.
The Republic fleet immediately went into actions. The entire crew went to red alert, and stations were manned, while star-fighter units scrambled to intercept enemy forces. As hundreds of Clone and Droid fighters clashed in vicious dogfights, both fleets began to exchange fire, red and blue turbo-laser blasts slammed into hulls and shields, causing massive damage.
But the Republic was heavily outnumbered, and that was soon made apparent by their comm chatter.
Republic warships were spread thin, trying to bring down the enemy support vessels, which were continuing to spew endless waves of droid fighters onto the battlefront. But no Republic warship could get close.
"Shields overloading, sir! Batteries four and five have taken hits!"
"Hull fracture, level fifteen. Emergency technicians report to the site!"
The valiant clone pilots, who were experienced and could think creatively, unlike any standard droid model, dove head first into the massive swarms of droid fighters, blasting dozens to pieces. But for every droid fighter shot down, five more seemed to take their place.
"Blue leader, I have vultures all around me!"
"Hang on Blue five. Red four is about to dust your tail."
"Pull away, green two. Pull away!"
Meanwhile, A single Venator-Class Star Destroyer, the Resolute, was leading the charge against the Separatist-aligned Rendili ships. Its modifications, curtesy of Anakin Skywalker, allowed its shields to absorb more damage, and its weapons to dish out even more.
Between Admiral Yularen's Star Destroyer, and its escorting cruisers and frigates, the Rendili ships were taking punishment. five of the heavy-cruisers were either heavily damaged, or destroyed.
One ship had explosions blossoming all over it, and its engines sputtered out. The Resolute, with all guns blazing, flew into the crippled hush of a ship, and smashed through it, causing an explosions that ripped the ship apart, and pushed the pieces away from each other.
But the Resolute was taking punishment.
"This is the Resolute, engaging the Rendili flagship. We're taking heavy fire."
"Divert all non-essential power to the shields." Yularen ordered.
"Power overload in subsection four. I need droids."
For now, the Republic fleet was holding its ground, and the two enemy fleets were being kept separate, and unable to support each other. But that wasn't going to last indefinitely.
Asajj Ventress' fighter, Separatist fleet.
As the Republic continued to take a beating from both fleets, the separatists continued to launch an endless wave of fighters to swarm and overwhelm the beleaguered clone forces.
Among this latest wave was a squadron of Tri-Droid fighters. Leading this group was a Ginivex-class starfighter, a fan blade-shaped fighter designed by the Geonosians, for the use of Dooku's greatest assassin.
Asajj Ventress has joined the battle. The bald-headed witch piloted her ship with confidence and skill, as she led her squadron through the chaos of battle.
"Trident group one, attack the starboard engines." She spoke into her comm.
The squadron in question peeled off to the left and began to sweep around, ready to attack the Republic flagship at the designated section.
"Trident group two, knock out their port shield generators. I'll go directly for their bridge."
The other squadron peeled off as well, while she moved forward. As the Resolute's firepower became divided between the Rendili ships, and the atacking CIS droid fighters, there was nothing stopping Ventress from flying towards the bridge superstructure.
RSD Resolute.
For the crew of the Resolute, what started as a simple show of force against rebellious forces in a local system close to the Republic core worlds, had rapidly turned into a desperate fight for survival.
The Star-Destroyer rocked back and forth as it sustained punishment from both enemy fleets and from the endless waves of fighters that overwhelmed its defenses.
"Bridge, we've got shield malfunction. We're going to take a hit!"
"The port side deflectors are gone." One clone crewman called out to Admiral Yularen, who could only watch as a new fighter flew stright towards him.
The veteran Admiral of many campaigns watched as the fighter unleashed a volley of blaster fire onto the unshielded portside bridge tower, which exploded into a ball of fire. Suddenly, an explosion from the aft section rocked the ship, which began to lose its orbital position, being taken down by Rendili's gravity.
"Give the order to abandon ship." He said to one crewman, as more explosions began to dot the hull of the failing capital ship.
Now, both fleets were able to converge on the rest of the Republic fleet, which was still taking heavy damage.
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Well, folks, that was part 2.
Hope you enjoyed. Part 3 will be out soon.
Grubkiller out.