The Battle of Kalee Pt. 4 - Hold the Line
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Shrupak, Kalee
Lightning split the blackened skies over the sacred temple of Shrupak as rain pounded on the army waiting there. While there were some Watcher troopers interspersed throughout, the vast majority of the forces covering the temple and its surroundings were Kaleesh, all of of whom were staring into the distance and awaiting the arrival of their enemies. On the cliffs surrounding the temple massive anti-air emplacements stood ready, their crews waiting for the inevitable assault.
At the top of the temple stood six people: the Silencer, checking over his many weapons one last time, Ciaran, who was adjusting the bone mask on her face, Kygeetu, whose eyes hadn't strayed from her Lady, Riphath, who was looking towards the sky for any signs of movement, HK-47, whose hands hadn't strayed from the trigger of his rifle, and Grievous, who had knelt to the ground and had begun quietly praying, his words almost inaudible in the massive storm.
<"Gods above, hear my prayers. I pray for the sake of every warrior standing on this battlefield, for every son and daughter they wish to protect...">
------------
Abyss Watchers Military Compound
Several miles away, the fortified military compound of the Abyss Walkers was abuzz with activity as people were rushing to either set up defenses or evacuate sensitive material before Trench's forces began their attack. The exterior was brightly lit up as people rushed around to set up last-minute emplacements while inside the buildings soldiers rushed through the halls, putting on armor and grabbing weapons as Xruk spoke over the comms.
"I will not be repeating myself after my little speech is finished. Every moment of your suffering, every moment of agony at my hands has been to prepare you for this very moment. If you die today that only proves that you did not grasp the lessons I have been teaching you.
Fear will not be tolerated. Retreat will not be accepted - and besides, the droids will have orders to kill anything that lives.
But truthfully...I will be disappointed if those walking rust piles end up carrying the day. Your training has made you superior. Our versions of their own droids are superior.
Let them send as many droids at us as they like - do your jobs properly and all they'll accomplish is leaving behind scrap heaps for us to clear up. That is all."
Meanwhile in one of the ready rooms, a pair of technicians strained to haul what could only be described as a gigantic shock mace to its recipient. As they got close enough they suddenly felt the weight pressing down on them vanish as an armored hand casually picked it up as though it weighed nothing. The pair looked gobsmacked at its recipient - one Goraah the Hutt - casually swing the shock mace through the air as though it were nearly weightless, air whooshing around it as he tested it.
"Good to see that the checks were finished in time," he said casually as he lowered the mace slightly. "Have they arrived yet?"
"The attack is coming in a few minutes," one of the techs replied. "The other Walkers-"
Before he finished, the door opened to admit Dani, who started to walk in before she did a double-take, processing the image of the fully-armored Goraah rolling his shoulders before adjusting a helm painted to resemble a Kaleesh skull mask.
"...You know, when I first joined the Watchers...I did not expect to see something like this," Dani mumbled to herself. Before she could say anything she felt herself get shoved aside as Piebald eagerly rushed up to Goraah, visibly excited.
"Heeeey, buddy! Got some good news - turns out they managed to get that harness set up, so you should be able to carry some big guns into the fight like one of those rocket launchers the Wookies sent in! Isn't that great!?"
"Excellent! I would hardly turn down more firepower at a time like this!" Goraah declared before he burst into laughter, quickly followed by Piebald. In the background Dani quietly retrieved her equipment, desperately hoping she wouldn't attract the attention of one or both of the clearly insane beings in front of her.
Outside, Koliya looked through a rangefinder to see if he could detect any signs of movement, but the storm made it difficult to see anything. Grumbling to himself he patched into the comm network. "Wyn. Any signs of movement?"
"Er...I see rain, rain, more rain, sometimes lightning, but mostly rain. Have I mentioned that I hate the fact that my sniper nest doesn't even block out the rain? Because I do. A lo-"
"Have you seen any signs of droid movement?"
"Oh that! No. Not yet. Wait, maybe-"
Koliya tensed up.
"False alarm, that was a bird! My mistake. It just looked metal to me for a second there. Kind of like those landers...uh oh."
Without hesitating Koliya sent out an alert signal, and within seconds everyone rushed to the fortifications and the turrets came online for the coming battle...
-------------
<"General! Incoming fighters!">
<"So the time has come..."> Grievous muttered as he stood up, his face briefly illuminated by a bolt of lightning. <"Warriors of Kalee! My comrades in arms! We have known that this day was coming ever since we cast out the accursed Huk!"> Vulture droids rushed overhead in a strafing run, but Grievous was unfazed as he continued his speech. <"Stand tall! Do not fear our enemies today, for they fear us! They fear our strength, our loyalty, our determination! They fear that we are willing to rise against them where others would falter! They are afraid, for they know that we shall never submit!">
<"NEVER!">
<"Let them bring their armies of droids! Every warrior standing here today is worth a thousand of their own! Take heart in how our enemies cower behind machine and metal while we stand strong and fight together!">
<"AS ONE!">
<"The gods watch over us on this sacred temple! They have brought the their wrath against our foes!">
Lightning arced through the sky, illuminating massive Separatist landers and swarms of smaller droid carriers around them descending towards Shrupak.
<"Let our battle today prove their favor worthy! Let our battle today echo in eternity!">
As Separatist forces began to come into range, Grievous thrust his rifle into the air.
<"FOR THE FUTURE OF KALEE!">
A deafening war cry roared out from the Kaleesh army as the Separatist forces finally came into range, the batteries around the area opening up on the incoming droid carriers. While some were shot down, others dove down to just above the surface of the water, and as they made it to shore they began disgorging droids. As they activated and began to open fire, they were met by a hail of fire coming from the steppes around them as the battle began in earnest.
At the center a swarm of Hssiss droids began to charge towards the Kaleesh lines, screeching horrifically before the sound was drowned out by a boom of thunder. They were met by a counter-charge led by Grievous, and both sides slammed together to begin a brutal melee. The Kaleesh were just as relentless as the Hssiss droids, engaging them in brutal swordfights as blaster and slugthrower fire flew around them.
Ciaran herself had waded into the midst of the melee, slicing apart anything that looked like it was made of metal without pause. She would cut through one Hssiss droid with her lightsaber before turning to block another, using her other hand to strike at its core and shatter it completely before spinning and slicing apart a pair that had tried to jump into the air and slam down on her. Her Force-boosted instincts had gone into overdrive, constantly feeding her information on what moves to make next -
Slice left, block right, shatter, chop right, block left, shatter, shatter again, slice, block, slice, block, slice, slice, slice, shatter-
The Kaleesh around her looked on in awe as they saw Ciaran fully cede control to her instincts and turn into a blur of motion, either slicing apart or outright shattering any Hssiss droid unfortunate enough to come close to her in a relentless chain of attacks. As Kygeetu finished destroying a droid that had challenged her, she saw her Lady tearing apart her foes - and while most of her face was hidden beneath her mask she could see her eyes shining. Suddenly she felt an arm clasp her shoulder, and she turned to see Riphath, also in a mask though much more clearly concerned.
"I have no idea what the hell's gotten into her, but I from what I can sense you should not get close to her right now."
Kygeetu nodded, briefly sparing a glance toward her Lady before charging back into the fray.
As HK and the Silencer rained grenades, rockets, and anything explosive they could shoot at the increasing amount of droids on the coast the Kaleesh began to fall back towards Shrupak itself, leaving behind mounds of destroyed Hssiss droids and fallen Kaleesh. As Grievous looked out, he saw Ciaran continuing to carve her way through the droid army, either not noticing or not caring about the Kaleesh falling back to a more defensible position. And as he looked up lightning once again illuminated the landers, now about to touch down...
------------
Hell had come to the Abyss Watchers' compound as legions of droids marched out of the landers and through the base's shield, opening fire on anything that moved and being cut down by return fire from entrenched soldiers and turrets.
In the midst of this chaotic battle explosions rang out, quickly followed by bouts of maddened laughter as Abysswalker Piebald launched an apparently endless barrage of grenades into the droid lines, sending groups of them flying into the air. Closer to the trenches Dani and Koliya were hanging back; Dani was opening fire on anything that got too close while Koliya was focusing more on calling out potential targets of opportunity for Wyn to snipe.
None of that seemed to matter to the droid army though, as they continued to advance relentlessly - some were even beginning to step over the destroyed waves that had come before them during their advance.
Then suddenly, a deep roar echoed through the air, and before anyone realized it they saw Goraah charge headfirst into the enemy ranks, slamming his shock mace into the ground and sending droids flying if not obliterating them outright.
"I AM GORAAH! FACE ME IF YOU DARE!" he screamed out as he began swinging his mace wildly, tossing droids aside as he waded into the oncoming enemy lines. The army began to focus more fire on the clear threat in their lines, but none of their shots could pierce through the armor Goraah was wearing.
At the back, Koliya saw an opportunity, and shouted out "Anyone close enough to me, we're pushing forward and providing Goraah support!" over the comms before igniting his lightsaber and charging forward, quickly followed by blaster fire that took out a few stray droids in his path before he could reach Goraah. Once he got close enough to the berserk Hutt to provide support but far enough away to stay out of mace range he began cutting down droids, prioritizing any B2s who were aiming wrist rockets at Goraah.
It seemed like they were beginning to push back the droid army-
"ENEMY ARMOR INCOMING!"
As Koliya's head whipped up he saw AATs beginning to move through the shield and open fire, though his response was cut off by another roar of fury from Goraah as he reached to his side, ripped one of the rocket launchers he had on him out of its harness and fired a shot that hit an AAT dead center, destroying it. Even so, more were beginning to advance and were training their cannons on Goraah-
Before they could fire Koliya saw a volley of rockets fly out from the side of his vision towards the AATs, either damaging or destroying them outright. As he whipped his head to the side he saw the unmistakable sight of clone troopers flanking the droid army, cutting down the wave advancing on them and destroying the AATs.
"Hope you don't mind getting some reinforcements. Captain Rex moving in with the 501st to support you," came a call over the comms.
"Appreciated," Koliya replied, quickly sparing a glance towards Goraah, who gave him a slight nod before moving back towards the trenches. "We're not going to turn down help at a time like this - head towards our trenches and link up with our forces."
"Roger that. By the way..."
"Karrosi."
"What was with that...Hutt? We saw just now?"
Koliya chuckled to himself. "Let's just say we are a very open-minded in the Watchers."
-----------
The battle at Shrupak continued to rage as the landers there began disgorging their own droid armies, which began their advance on the Kaleesh positions. In the middle of the advancing waves a hollowed-out circle emerged, lit up by brilliant arcs of light as Ciaran continued to tear apart anything that tried to get close to her. From the temple itself, Kygeetu stared at her Lady in what could only be described as "enraptured awe" while Grievous began debating whether to send a rescue effort after her since she couldn't hold out forever...
Though his thoughts were cut off as he received a report over his comms and realized that the situation was about to be resolved without his help. From above the battlefield, an escape pod lit up like a meteor hurtled out of the cloud layer and drove into the ground, sending droids flying as it skidded to a halt close to Ciaran. As it started to slow to a halt it was blasted apart by a burst of Force energy as Asajj ignited one of her lightsabers, cut her way through to Ciaran, grabbed one of her free hands, and began dragging her back towards friendly lines, off-handedly blocking any fire coming in their direction as Ciaran squawked indignantly.
"A-Asajj, let go of me right now! I can handle myself!"
"Says the woman getting caught up in a battle frenzy and deep behind enemy lines!"
"Well what else was I supposed to do when I was surrounded by Hssiss droids!?"
"Don't play stupid, I can tell by the fact that you're wearing that mask that you would have stayed out there until the moment you died!"
"That is not true-" Ciaran broke off her counterargument as she blocked a shot aimed at her. "-I would have been fine. I can literally fight for hours on end!"
While the pair continued to bicker and make their way back to Shrupak, Grievous' thoughts were cut off by a metallic scream as a trio of Hssiss droids began to charge at him, briefly lit up by a nearby bolt of lightning. Annoyed at the thought of his enemies believing he would go down that easily, he readied his rifle as one was blasted away by HK hovering overhead, one was stopped as Riphath engaged it, and Grievous leveled his slugthrower at the final one...
Only for it not to be even necessary as a blue lightsaber spun through the air, slicing it in two and sending its remains flying back down the temple's steps. Grievous stopped for a moment before he turned to see Obi-Wan Kenobi calling it back to his hand.
"Hello there."
Grievous' eyes narrowed. "General Kenobi. What do you think you are doing here?"
"Providing support, along with the 212th."
"This is a battle for the Kaleesh to fight!" Grievous shouted at him. "We do not need the help of a Jedi or any of your forces today!"
"If you won't consider this generosity, then consider it reparation for the mistakes of the past," Obi-Wan smoothly replied, looking out over the battlefield as clone forces began to form up with the Kaleesh and open fire on the incoming droids before facing Grievous again. "I won't pretend that we were in the right before, nor will I be so arrogant as to assume that this one act will make up for the mistakes the Order made. But I can say with confidence that I am your ally today."
Grievous stared down Obi-Wan, briefly considering HK's request to "terminate the Jedi with extreme prejudice" before scoffing. "You should be grateful that Lady Ciaran regards you so well," he grumbled before getting a message over his comlink. Confused, he activated it with a curt "Report."
"General, our sensors have detected that a small contingent of Trench's forces have landed at the beaches of the Jenuwaa Sea. From what we can tell they are setting up artillery pieces...and it would seem that what is left of the Huk auxiliaries are with them."
"Where are the batteries targeting!?" Grievous shouted.
"...Abesmi. It's the only place in that area that matters to us, and the Huk know it."
"You realize this is a blatant trap," Obi-Wan said to Grievous, causing the Kaleesh to turn towards him in clear fury.
"You do not understand what Abesmi is to my people, Jedi. It is the holiest site to our people. For it to be destroyed-"
"He's got a point Grievous, and you know it." He turned to see that Ciaran and Asajj had finally arrived, neither of them fazed even after their trek through enemy lines. "The only reason Trench hasn't bombed it out of existence from orbit is because we've got fighter cover over the island itself and the fleet's got orders to keep any of Trench's bigger ships from getting into range."
"Much as I am loathe to say anything positive about Kenobi," Asajj started to say before glaring at Obi-Wan as he raised an eyebrow, "he should be capable of handling the defenses here."
Grievous closed his eyes, deep in thought before they snapped open again. "Fine. Kenobi can lead the defenses here." He looked at Ciaran. "You and Asajj are staying here as well - between myself, HK-47, the Silencer, and Reaper...that will be more than enough to act as a command team."
"General, I think you should at least take Ventress with you," Obi-Wan replied. "Much as I am loathe to admit it, she's a fierce warrior-"
"...No," Ciaran quietly replied before looking at Grievous. "While I agree with the sentiment you're getting at that fight's not for her, and they're throwing more forces at us here anyway. Asajj will stay here..." She trailed off, looking at Grievous for an answer.
"If you are so determined, then I would be honored to have you fight alongside us," Grievous replied without hesitation. "Prepare yourself. The Huk will show no mercy to you."
"Fine by me. I never liked those bugs anyway," Ciaran coldly replied.
------------
"I'm seeing a line of Hailfire Droids coming in!" Rex shouted over the comms as they wheeled into view, their missile racks arming-
Only for them to start exploding one after the other before they could get their shots off - and from what Koliya could tell all that hit them was one sniper round each.
"Wyn, how did you do that!?"
"Oh, the Hailfires? Those things are soooo much fun to fight! Turns out if you aim your shots reaaaallllly carefully you can hit the rockets mounted on them before they're launched, and then - KABOOM! Fireworks!"
"That sounds like my kind of party!" Piebald replied eagerly. "Speaking of which-"
"There aren't enough forces over the blast zone. Wait a little longer," Koliya ordered, ducking as a blaster bolt sailed over his head. "Speaking of which..." He switched over to the 501st's comm network. "Captain Rex, when I give you the order to duck, you will need to hit the dirt if you want your forces to survive."
"Planning an explosive surprise?"
"You don't know the half of it."
-----------
Jenuwaa Beaches
The beaches of the Jenuwaa Sea felt the full wrath of the storm overhead as gigantic waves crashed against the shoreline, the wind bending the treeline in the distance with its ferocity.
As Grievous' transport touched down and the small contingent of forces he brought with him disembarked on, he looked into the distance to see the disgustingly familiar sight of a Huk battle line formed around the Separatist artillery starting to deploy, with droids on both sides of their forces. To his delight he saw some of them visibly start to quake with fear as the Silencer casually strode up beside him, though they still managed to hold themselves together despite that.
That would not do.
Without a word, Grievous' forces formed up alongside him. As a bolt of lightning crashed down nearby he raised one of his swords.
<"DEATH!">
<"DEATH!">
<"DEATH TO THE HUK!">
<"DEATH TO THE HUK!">
The Huk lines started to visibly waver.
<"KNOW THIS, HUK - YOUR LIVES ARE ALREADY FORFEIT!">
<"DEATH!">
<"YOUR CARCASSES WILL MAKE FINE ADDITIONS TO OUR TROPHIES!">
<"DEATH!">
<"THOUGH BEFORE YOU DIE, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL KNOW THE DEPTHS OF OUR FURY!">
<"DEATH!">
On cue, some of the Huk started to charge in a clear panic, quickly followed by the rest of their forces and the droids supporting them. Grievous smirked viciously at the sight.
<"Since they are so eager for death, it only seems fair that we grant it!">
With a loud war cry, the Kaleesh forces began a charge of their own...
AN: Aaaaand I'm cutting it here because cliffhanger, 3.6k words, and wanna get out content. Enjoy~
Lightning split the blackened skies over the sacred temple of Shrupak as rain pounded on the army waiting there. While there were some Watcher troopers interspersed throughout, the vast majority of the forces covering the temple and its surroundings were Kaleesh, all of of whom were staring into the distance and awaiting the arrival of their enemies. On the cliffs surrounding the temple massive anti-air emplacements stood ready, their crews waiting for the inevitable assault.
At the top of the temple stood six people: the Silencer, checking over his many weapons one last time, Ciaran, who was adjusting the bone mask on her face, Kygeetu, whose eyes hadn't strayed from her Lady, Riphath, who was looking towards the sky for any signs of movement, HK-47, whose hands hadn't strayed from the trigger of his rifle, and Grievous, who had knelt to the ground and had begun quietly praying, his words almost inaudible in the massive storm.
<"Gods above, hear my prayers. I pray for the sake of every warrior standing on this battlefield, for every son and daughter they wish to protect...">
------------
Abyss Watchers Military Compound
Several miles away, the fortified military compound of the Abyss Walkers was abuzz with activity as people were rushing to either set up defenses or evacuate sensitive material before Trench's forces began their attack. The exterior was brightly lit up as people rushed around to set up last-minute emplacements while inside the buildings soldiers rushed through the halls, putting on armor and grabbing weapons as Xruk spoke over the comms.
"I will not be repeating myself after my little speech is finished. Every moment of your suffering, every moment of agony at my hands has been to prepare you for this very moment. If you die today that only proves that you did not grasp the lessons I have been teaching you.
Fear will not be tolerated. Retreat will not be accepted - and besides, the droids will have orders to kill anything that lives.
But truthfully...I will be disappointed if those walking rust piles end up carrying the day. Your training has made you superior. Our versions of their own droids are superior.
Let them send as many droids at us as they like - do your jobs properly and all they'll accomplish is leaving behind scrap heaps for us to clear up. That is all."
Meanwhile in one of the ready rooms, a pair of technicians strained to haul what could only be described as a gigantic shock mace to its recipient. As they got close enough they suddenly felt the weight pressing down on them vanish as an armored hand casually picked it up as though it weighed nothing. The pair looked gobsmacked at its recipient - one Goraah the Hutt - casually swing the shock mace through the air as though it were nearly weightless, air whooshing around it as he tested it.
"Good to see that the checks were finished in time," he said casually as he lowered the mace slightly. "Have they arrived yet?"
"The attack is coming in a few minutes," one of the techs replied. "The other Walkers-"
Before he finished, the door opened to admit Dani, who started to walk in before she did a double-take, processing the image of the fully-armored Goraah rolling his shoulders before adjusting a helm painted to resemble a Kaleesh skull mask.
"...You know, when I first joined the Watchers...I did not expect to see something like this," Dani mumbled to herself. Before she could say anything she felt herself get shoved aside as Piebald eagerly rushed up to Goraah, visibly excited.
"Heeeey, buddy! Got some good news - turns out they managed to get that harness set up, so you should be able to carry some big guns into the fight like one of those rocket launchers the Wookies sent in! Isn't that great!?"
"Excellent! I would hardly turn down more firepower at a time like this!" Goraah declared before he burst into laughter, quickly followed by Piebald. In the background Dani quietly retrieved her equipment, desperately hoping she wouldn't attract the attention of one or both of the clearly insane beings in front of her.
Outside, Koliya looked through a rangefinder to see if he could detect any signs of movement, but the storm made it difficult to see anything. Grumbling to himself he patched into the comm network. "Wyn. Any signs of movement?"
"Er...I see rain, rain, more rain, sometimes lightning, but mostly rain. Have I mentioned that I hate the fact that my sniper nest doesn't even block out the rain? Because I do. A lo-"
"Have you seen any signs of droid movement?"
"Oh that! No. Not yet. Wait, maybe-"
Koliya tensed up.
"False alarm, that was a bird! My mistake. It just looked metal to me for a second there. Kind of like those landers...uh oh."
Without hesitating Koliya sent out an alert signal, and within seconds everyone rushed to the fortifications and the turrets came online for the coming battle...
-------------
<"General! Incoming fighters!">
<"So the time has come..."> Grievous muttered as he stood up, his face briefly illuminated by a bolt of lightning. <"Warriors of Kalee! My comrades in arms! We have known that this day was coming ever since we cast out the accursed Huk!"> Vulture droids rushed overhead in a strafing run, but Grievous was unfazed as he continued his speech. <"Stand tall! Do not fear our enemies today, for they fear us! They fear our strength, our loyalty, our determination! They fear that we are willing to rise against them where others would falter! They are afraid, for they know that we shall never submit!">
<"NEVER!">
<"Let them bring their armies of droids! Every warrior standing here today is worth a thousand of their own! Take heart in how our enemies cower behind machine and metal while we stand strong and fight together!">
<"AS ONE!">
<"The gods watch over us on this sacred temple! They have brought the their wrath against our foes!">
Lightning arced through the sky, illuminating massive Separatist landers and swarms of smaller droid carriers around them descending towards Shrupak.
<"Let our battle today prove their favor worthy! Let our battle today echo in eternity!">
As Separatist forces began to come into range, Grievous thrust his rifle into the air.
<"FOR THE FUTURE OF KALEE!">
A deafening war cry roared out from the Kaleesh army as the Separatist forces finally came into range, the batteries around the area opening up on the incoming droid carriers. While some were shot down, others dove down to just above the surface of the water, and as they made it to shore they began disgorging droids. As they activated and began to open fire, they were met by a hail of fire coming from the steppes around them as the battle began in earnest.
At the center a swarm of Hssiss droids began to charge towards the Kaleesh lines, screeching horrifically before the sound was drowned out by a boom of thunder. They were met by a counter-charge led by Grievous, and both sides slammed together to begin a brutal melee. The Kaleesh were just as relentless as the Hssiss droids, engaging them in brutal swordfights as blaster and slugthrower fire flew around them.
Ciaran herself had waded into the midst of the melee, slicing apart anything that looked like it was made of metal without pause. She would cut through one Hssiss droid with her lightsaber before turning to block another, using her other hand to strike at its core and shatter it completely before spinning and slicing apart a pair that had tried to jump into the air and slam down on her. Her Force-boosted instincts had gone into overdrive, constantly feeding her information on what moves to make next -
Slice left, block right, shatter, chop right, block left, shatter, shatter again, slice, block, slice, block, slice, slice, slice, shatter-
The Kaleesh around her looked on in awe as they saw Ciaran fully cede control to her instincts and turn into a blur of motion, either slicing apart or outright shattering any Hssiss droid unfortunate enough to come close to her in a relentless chain of attacks. As Kygeetu finished destroying a droid that had challenged her, she saw her Lady tearing apart her foes - and while most of her face was hidden beneath her mask she could see her eyes shining. Suddenly she felt an arm clasp her shoulder, and she turned to see Riphath, also in a mask though much more clearly concerned.
"I have no idea what the hell's gotten into her, but I from what I can sense you should not get close to her right now."
Kygeetu nodded, briefly sparing a glance toward her Lady before charging back into the fray.
As HK and the Silencer rained grenades, rockets, and anything explosive they could shoot at the increasing amount of droids on the coast the Kaleesh began to fall back towards Shrupak itself, leaving behind mounds of destroyed Hssiss droids and fallen Kaleesh. As Grievous looked out, he saw Ciaran continuing to carve her way through the droid army, either not noticing or not caring about the Kaleesh falling back to a more defensible position. And as he looked up lightning once again illuminated the landers, now about to touch down...
------------
Hell had come to the Abyss Watchers' compound as legions of droids marched out of the landers and through the base's shield, opening fire on anything that moved and being cut down by return fire from entrenched soldiers and turrets.
In the midst of this chaotic battle explosions rang out, quickly followed by bouts of maddened laughter as Abysswalker Piebald launched an apparently endless barrage of grenades into the droid lines, sending groups of them flying into the air. Closer to the trenches Dani and Koliya were hanging back; Dani was opening fire on anything that got too close while Koliya was focusing more on calling out potential targets of opportunity for Wyn to snipe.
None of that seemed to matter to the droid army though, as they continued to advance relentlessly - some were even beginning to step over the destroyed waves that had come before them during their advance.
Then suddenly, a deep roar echoed through the air, and before anyone realized it they saw Goraah charge headfirst into the enemy ranks, slamming his shock mace into the ground and sending droids flying if not obliterating them outright.
"I AM GORAAH! FACE ME IF YOU DARE!" he screamed out as he began swinging his mace wildly, tossing droids aside as he waded into the oncoming enemy lines. The army began to focus more fire on the clear threat in their lines, but none of their shots could pierce through the armor Goraah was wearing.
At the back, Koliya saw an opportunity, and shouted out "Anyone close enough to me, we're pushing forward and providing Goraah support!" over the comms before igniting his lightsaber and charging forward, quickly followed by blaster fire that took out a few stray droids in his path before he could reach Goraah. Once he got close enough to the berserk Hutt to provide support but far enough away to stay out of mace range he began cutting down droids, prioritizing any B2s who were aiming wrist rockets at Goraah.
It seemed like they were beginning to push back the droid army-
"ENEMY ARMOR INCOMING!"
As Koliya's head whipped up he saw AATs beginning to move through the shield and open fire, though his response was cut off by another roar of fury from Goraah as he reached to his side, ripped one of the rocket launchers he had on him out of its harness and fired a shot that hit an AAT dead center, destroying it. Even so, more were beginning to advance and were training their cannons on Goraah-
Before they could fire Koliya saw a volley of rockets fly out from the side of his vision towards the AATs, either damaging or destroying them outright. As he whipped his head to the side he saw the unmistakable sight of clone troopers flanking the droid army, cutting down the wave advancing on them and destroying the AATs.
"Hope you don't mind getting some reinforcements. Captain Rex moving in with the 501st to support you," came a call over the comms.
"Appreciated," Koliya replied, quickly sparing a glance towards Goraah, who gave him a slight nod before moving back towards the trenches. "We're not going to turn down help at a time like this - head towards our trenches and link up with our forces."
"Roger that. By the way..."
"Karrosi."
"What was with that...Hutt? We saw just now?"
Koliya chuckled to himself. "Let's just say we are a very open-minded in the Watchers."
-----------
The battle at Shrupak continued to rage as the landers there began disgorging their own droid armies, which began their advance on the Kaleesh positions. In the middle of the advancing waves a hollowed-out circle emerged, lit up by brilliant arcs of light as Ciaran continued to tear apart anything that tried to get close to her. From the temple itself, Kygeetu stared at her Lady in what could only be described as "enraptured awe" while Grievous began debating whether to send a rescue effort after her since she couldn't hold out forever...
Though his thoughts were cut off as he received a report over his comms and realized that the situation was about to be resolved without his help. From above the battlefield, an escape pod lit up like a meteor hurtled out of the cloud layer and drove into the ground, sending droids flying as it skidded to a halt close to Ciaran. As it started to slow to a halt it was blasted apart by a burst of Force energy as Asajj ignited one of her lightsabers, cut her way through to Ciaran, grabbed one of her free hands, and began dragging her back towards friendly lines, off-handedly blocking any fire coming in their direction as Ciaran squawked indignantly.
"A-Asajj, let go of me right now! I can handle myself!"
"Says the woman getting caught up in a battle frenzy and deep behind enemy lines!"
"Well what else was I supposed to do when I was surrounded by Hssiss droids!?"
"Don't play stupid, I can tell by the fact that you're wearing that mask that you would have stayed out there until the moment you died!"
"That is not true-" Ciaran broke off her counterargument as she blocked a shot aimed at her. "-I would have been fine. I can literally fight for hours on end!"
While the pair continued to bicker and make their way back to Shrupak, Grievous' thoughts were cut off by a metallic scream as a trio of Hssiss droids began to charge at him, briefly lit up by a nearby bolt of lightning. Annoyed at the thought of his enemies believing he would go down that easily, he readied his rifle as one was blasted away by HK hovering overhead, one was stopped as Riphath engaged it, and Grievous leveled his slugthrower at the final one...
Only for it not to be even necessary as a blue lightsaber spun through the air, slicing it in two and sending its remains flying back down the temple's steps. Grievous stopped for a moment before he turned to see Obi-Wan Kenobi calling it back to his hand.
"Hello there."
Grievous' eyes narrowed. "General Kenobi. What do you think you are doing here?"
"Providing support, along with the 212th."
"This is a battle for the Kaleesh to fight!" Grievous shouted at him. "We do not need the help of a Jedi or any of your forces today!"
"If you won't consider this generosity, then consider it reparation for the mistakes of the past," Obi-Wan smoothly replied, looking out over the battlefield as clone forces began to form up with the Kaleesh and open fire on the incoming droids before facing Grievous again. "I won't pretend that we were in the right before, nor will I be so arrogant as to assume that this one act will make up for the mistakes the Order made. But I can say with confidence that I am your ally today."
Grievous stared down Obi-Wan, briefly considering HK's request to "terminate the Jedi with extreme prejudice" before scoffing. "You should be grateful that Lady Ciaran regards you so well," he grumbled before getting a message over his comlink. Confused, he activated it with a curt "Report."
"General, our sensors have detected that a small contingent of Trench's forces have landed at the beaches of the Jenuwaa Sea. From what we can tell they are setting up artillery pieces...and it would seem that what is left of the Huk auxiliaries are with them."
"Where are the batteries targeting!?" Grievous shouted.
"...Abesmi. It's the only place in that area that matters to us, and the Huk know it."
"You realize this is a blatant trap," Obi-Wan said to Grievous, causing the Kaleesh to turn towards him in clear fury.
"You do not understand what Abesmi is to my people, Jedi. It is the holiest site to our people. For it to be destroyed-"
"He's got a point Grievous, and you know it." He turned to see that Ciaran and Asajj had finally arrived, neither of them fazed even after their trek through enemy lines. "The only reason Trench hasn't bombed it out of existence from orbit is because we've got fighter cover over the island itself and the fleet's got orders to keep any of Trench's bigger ships from getting into range."
"Much as I am loathe to say anything positive about Kenobi," Asajj started to say before glaring at Obi-Wan as he raised an eyebrow, "he should be capable of handling the defenses here."
Grievous closed his eyes, deep in thought before they snapped open again. "Fine. Kenobi can lead the defenses here." He looked at Ciaran. "You and Asajj are staying here as well - between myself, HK-47, the Silencer, and Reaper...that will be more than enough to act as a command team."
"General, I think you should at least take Ventress with you," Obi-Wan replied. "Much as I am loathe to admit it, she's a fierce warrior-"
"...No," Ciaran quietly replied before looking at Grievous. "While I agree with the sentiment you're getting at that fight's not for her, and they're throwing more forces at us here anyway. Asajj will stay here..." She trailed off, looking at Grievous for an answer.
"If you are so determined, then I would be honored to have you fight alongside us," Grievous replied without hesitation. "Prepare yourself. The Huk will show no mercy to you."
"Fine by me. I never liked those bugs anyway," Ciaran coldly replied.
------------
"I'm seeing a line of Hailfire Droids coming in!" Rex shouted over the comms as they wheeled into view, their missile racks arming-
Only for them to start exploding one after the other before they could get their shots off - and from what Koliya could tell all that hit them was one sniper round each.
"Wyn, how did you do that!?"
"Oh, the Hailfires? Those things are soooo much fun to fight! Turns out if you aim your shots reaaaallllly carefully you can hit the rockets mounted on them before they're launched, and then - KABOOM! Fireworks!"
"That sounds like my kind of party!" Piebald replied eagerly. "Speaking of which-"
"There aren't enough forces over the blast zone. Wait a little longer," Koliya ordered, ducking as a blaster bolt sailed over his head. "Speaking of which..." He switched over to the 501st's comm network. "Captain Rex, when I give you the order to duck, you will need to hit the dirt if you want your forces to survive."
"Planning an explosive surprise?"
"You don't know the half of it."
-----------
Jenuwaa Beaches
The beaches of the Jenuwaa Sea felt the full wrath of the storm overhead as gigantic waves crashed against the shoreline, the wind bending the treeline in the distance with its ferocity.
As Grievous' transport touched down and the small contingent of forces he brought with him disembarked on, he looked into the distance to see the disgustingly familiar sight of a Huk battle line formed around the Separatist artillery starting to deploy, with droids on both sides of their forces. To his delight he saw some of them visibly start to quake with fear as the Silencer casually strode up beside him, though they still managed to hold themselves together despite that.
That would not do.
Without a word, Grievous' forces formed up alongside him. As a bolt of lightning crashed down nearby he raised one of his swords.
<"DEATH!">
<"DEATH!">
<"DEATH TO THE HUK!">
<"DEATH TO THE HUK!">
The Huk lines started to visibly waver.
<"KNOW THIS, HUK - YOUR LIVES ARE ALREADY FORFEIT!">
<"DEATH!">
<"YOUR CARCASSES WILL MAKE FINE ADDITIONS TO OUR TROPHIES!">
<"DEATH!">
<"THOUGH BEFORE YOU DIE, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL KNOW THE DEPTHS OF OUR FURY!">
<"DEATH!">
On cue, some of the Huk started to charge in a clear panic, quickly followed by the rest of their forces and the droids supporting them. Grievous smirked viciously at the sight.
<"Since they are so eager for death, it only seems fair that we grant it!">
With a loud war cry, the Kaleesh forces began a charge of their own...
AN: Aaaaand I'm cutting it here because cliffhanger, 3.6k words, and wanna get out content. Enjoy~
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Especially when it involves referencing one of the coolest scenes in Episode III. And it being a Previous QM Request to boot.
