Open Hell
Geonosis, 22 BBY, Petranaki Arena
Count Dooku of Serenno, Leader of the Separatist Movement and secretly the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, watched with satisfaction as the Reek carrying Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala was cornered in the sands below by Destroyer Droids that surrounded them.
It was about time. This farce had gotten on long enough. After they had escaped their bindings and killed the Nexu, Dooku knew he had to intervene. As riled up as the Geonisians in the stands were for the show they got, this day could not end any other way than in the deaths of these three people.
Around him, various Dignitaries of the soon to be Confederacy of Independent Systems - Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Foreman of the Techno Union Wat Tambor, Chief Executive of the Trade Federation Rune Haako and Viceroy Sheev Palpatine - watched from their balcony as the Execution of the three 'Spies' would finally be concluded.
Dooku could feel the satisfaction of Rune Haako, who had never forgiven the Senator of Naboo for her resistance against him and his former Master, Nute Gunray. Aside from aiming to deal a blow to the Government of Supreme Chancellor Jar Jar Binks so shortly before the outbreak of the now inevitable War, it had been his insistence that she would be the one targeted for this Job. Plus, assassinating such a well known and beloved Leader who had been advocating for peace would surely further fuel the flames of War within the Republic and help bring about the conflict they desired.
So far, thanks to the Jedi with her at this moment as well as a number of...unsavory elements...Amidala had dodged death time and time again.
No more. After they had managed to lure Kenobi to Geonosis and capture him, Skywalker and Amidala had soon followed on a Rescue Mission and fallen into their hands, as well.Accusing them of Espionage, as flimsy and transparently overblow as the charge was, had been enough to sentence them to death.
Palpatine had a look of somber sorrow on his face. Not for the first time, Dooku admired his Masters ability to feign emotions. To any casual observer and indeed many Force Users, the old man appeared to regretfully witness the coming death of his former Queen and Protége, as well as the Jedi guarding her, seeing it as an unfortunate necessity brought about by their own stubbornness and pride.
Beneath the mask, however, Dooku knew that Darth Sidious was eager and gleeful to finally watch all three of these interlopers perish.
Sidious had confided in him that he had once hoped to bring Skywalker over to his side...but the election of that Gungan Fool had thrown a wrench into that plan, as in so many others of his Master. Now, after a decade of the boy coming to terms with the Jedi Code and the duties and responsibilities of being part of the Order in peace, there was little chance to plant the seeds of the Dark Side in his mind. Not impossible...but not worth the effort any longer.
It was fine by Dooku, really. It meant less competition for the eventual successor of Darth Sidious.
Dooku raised a hand, preparing to give the Droids below the final signal.
...Looking back at this moment, Dooku chastised himself for not having seen what happened next coming. The Force did not warn him in time, clouded as it was by the Whirlwind of emotions emanating from the cheering, howling spectators of the Arena and the other present members of the Separatist Council. Even Sidious would later confess to him that he had been blinded by it, too...as well as by his own emotions, though he would of course never admit
that.
All of a sudden, the Count of Serenno felt a cold, round object press against his neck. At the same time, the well-known sound of a Lightsaber igniting next to him made him glance to the side.
Palpatine stood as calm and tall as ever...but there was a stiffness to his posture now, a subtle widening of his eyes. Small wonder, given the fact that a purple Lightsaber blade was held precariously close to his neck. The other Separatist leaders gasped and flinched back while the audience fell suddenly quiet.
Dooku attempted to turn his head to fully look at the man holding his secret Master hostage, but a cold, familiar voice, muffled by a helmet, stopped him.
"Don't move, Tyranus."
Collecting his thoughts and suppressing his shock, Dooku put on a winning smile as he glanced aside at the Jedi, not being able to see the man behind him who pressing a blaster against his neck.
"Master Windu. Jango Fett. How pleasant of you to join us."
The words were measured, collected and expected. Master Windu was always the more forward of the Jedi Council, and while Jango Fett being here was a conundrum, matters could be settled in fair time.
He was a Mercenary, and all that was needed to secure loyalty would be the right contract negotiations.
"This party's over." Mace Windu had the slight grin of bravado he rarely allowed himself to feel. A misplaced confidence.
For but a moment, Sidious looked bemused at how the Jedi Master and Mandalorian got so close without them noticing.
"A clever deception, hiding within the echoes of the crowds and their emotions. It must have been a spur-of-the-moment plan", Dooku smoothly commented.
"It was my suggestion, and knowing the customs of how Geonosians love a good spectacle...it made it quite easy to get passed their security with the right leverage. The best way to get into something unseen. Wouldn't you agree, Count?", Jango asked.
"I suppose", Dooku said lightly. "It is impressive that you both managed to come all this way by yourselves."
Mace smirked. "Who said we were alone, Dooku?"
Dooku's eyes briefly widened as all around the Arena, in the stands and on the floor, Lightsabers ignited. Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred...there had to be about two hundred in total! Dooku spotted many familiar faces among them: Aayla Secura, Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Eeth Koth, Plo Koon and many more. Nearly the whole High Council was present, as well as many of the most skilled Jedi Knights and Masters of the order.
The crowd was starting to get agitated, but the fear of being caught in an attack if they made a move kept many of them in place. Dooku could feel the fear of them all, as well as of the Separatist Leaders around him, who did not dare make any move.
Still, despite his initial surprise - and no small amount of anger, how had the Geonosians let all these enemies slip past their security?! - he quickly calmed himself and softly shook his head.
"Noble, but foolish, old friend", he said to Mace. "All you have accomplished is leading the best of the Jedi Order to their deaths."
If Mace was unnerved by Dooku's continued calm, he did not show it, as always keeping a perfect control over his emotions. "Oh, I don't think so." He briefly glanced across the Arena. "The Geonosians are brilliant Inventors, but not the best Warriors."
Dooku smirked. "I was not thinking of the Geonosians. How will Jedi fare...against an Army of Battle Droids?"
He expected the Super Battle Droids he had discreetly called upon with the press of a button on the Comm in his hand to open fire, now, and for a whole Army of them to flood into the Arena soon after...but nothing happened.
Dooku quickly lost his smirk.
"Not as well", he heard Jango state calmly, but with an undeniable tone of satisfaction in his voice. "Thankfully...we didn't JUST bring Jedi."
As if on cue, a series of explosions sounded from beyond the walls of the Arena, followed by a rapidly swelling cacophony of Blaster- and cannonfire.
Dooku conceded that the Jedi had to have been far more prepared then he and his Master had anticipated. The Republic's Army had always been a grand nuisance that Jar Jar had created to disrupt this carefully concealed balance of power that they had wished to uphold.
"So you have", Dooku noted, "But getting them on planet does not mean they will be in a position to support your little strike. It will take them precious minutes to reposition and breach the colosseum...and by that time I am afraid we will have surrounded your little strike force."
"We planned for that too", Mace's smirk was now a full blown smile as he looked up. Dooku followed him, seeing a shower of obejcts rapidly approaching the Arena from above.
"A meteor shower...no...it's too clustered."
Ahh, the Republics weapons of insanity...
Helldivers.
With loud crashing noises, the Ground Assault capsules slammed into the Arena, in the stands, on the ground and into the surrounding walls. Two of them slammed down on top of the Destroyer Droids surrounding the three would-be victims.
If Droids could show emotions, Dooku was certain the remaining Destroyers would have looked as flabbergasted as Kenobi, Skywalker and Amidala atop the Reek did. Not for long, however.
The Capsules opened and the two Helldivers inside opened fire immediately, felling the last three Destroyer Droids around them before they could activate their shields. As the Arena descended into complete Chaos, with singular Squads of Droids marching onto the sand through the Gates, the Geonosians taking flight and the Acklay in the background going on a rampage, the two Helldivers tossed weapons towards the Prisoners, two Lightsabers and a Blaster, which they all caught.
But Dooku was no longer in the mood to watch the Chaos unfold. With the Helldivers attacking the Droids in the Arena and splitting them up, and the Republic Military launching a full-blown assault outside, they needed to evacuate the Separatist Council, at once.
And that meant getting rid of, or at least occupying, the two Interlopers with them.
Dooku had not moved his head once since Jango hap put the Blaster to his neck...but he had slowly, discreetly, moved his hands. Just enough.
A blast of Force Lightning shot out of his fingers and slammed into Jango Fett behind him. The Mandalorian was thrown backwards and crashed into the wall, falling to the ground with a pained grunt.
Mace Windu was caught off guard by this display of the Dark Side from his former friend...in fact, judging by the subtle shock in his eyes, he seemed to have still held out hope that Dooku was not too far gone.
Now naive of him.
Those few short moments of hesitation cost him his best chance to end the entire War. Dooku's crooked-hilted Lightsaber flew into his hand, igniting with crimson red as he brought it down onto the Jedi Master. Mace immediately brought up his own weapon away from Palpatine's neck to block it, purple sparking against red as their weapons clashed.
Palpatine wasted no time. Barking a command to the other members of the Council, he rushed down the tunnel behind them, Wat Tambor, Rune Haako and the others following him as Mace and Dooku faced one another.
"I had wished this displeasure would have been left to kinder tidings, old friend", Dooku said as he stepped back and gave a half-mocking salute with his Lightsaber.
"Kinder tidings...?! How long damn you...?! HOW LONG since you betrayed yourself?!?", Mace shouted as Jango got to his feet and growled.
"It is no betrayal to leave what has already left me behind, Master Windu", Dooku said, as they began to trade blows, softly probing their defences.
Mace quickly fell into his signature Vaapad stance, fighting with the ferocity only immersing yourself in your Emotions can give you, but keeping them under such a tight control that he could resist the call of the Dark Side. Dooku, by contrast, fought in his usual Makashi Style, elegantly and swiftly, like a fencer, aiming for any potential weak spot in Mace's defense.
Behind him, he heard Jango activate his Jackpack and take to the air, opening fire at him with his blasters. Dooku intercepted the shots mid-swing, sending them back at the Mandalorian, who managed to doge them by flying around erratically.
Again and again, the two Lightsabers clashed as the battle around them continued to escalate.
A shiver in the force was Dooku's only warning. Evading Mace's next blow, he whirled around and thrust out his hand, calling upon the force to catch the wrist-rocket Jango had fired at him mid-air and send it back at the Warrior. Jango tried to escape, but the projectile detonated mid-air, shot-circuiting his Jetpack and sending the Mandalorian crashing down into the Arena.
He would survive, Dooku knew. If Galidraan had not killed Jango Fett, a fall like this would not, either.
But Mace used the opening this distraction had given him expertly. A Force Push sent the Count flying down the tunnel behind the Balcony and sprawling to the ground. Only his quick reflexes saved Dooku, rolling himself away as Mace's blade slammed into the floor where his head had been second before. Jumping back to his feet, Dooku continued the fight, the duel leading the two former friends further down the Hallway as the sounds of battle outside grew ever louder.
Jango groaned as he got back up. His armors internal systems notified him that his Jetpack was damaged beyond repair.
"
Dar'Jetti-filth...!", he growled, before taking stock of the situation around him.
The arena was a swirling vortex of Chaos, with Jed and Helldivers fighting Droids and Geonosians in the stands and on the ground wherever he looked. What's more, while his built-in weapon systems were intact, he had lost his Blasters in the fall. He needed to find some, and quickly, before-
"HEY!! DUCK!!"
Only the shouted warning and his decades of battle instincts saved Jango. He rolled himself forward just as something slammed down where he had stood moments prior. Coming back to his feet and whirling around, he found himself facing the Acklay, one of the Execution beasts. Despite being wounded - one of it's claws had been sliced half off - it looked more pissed then angry, roaring at him with it's mouth full of sharp teeth before charging again.
Jango threw himself to the side, rolling out of the way as the creature charged past him. He came to a halt kneeling, before a hand reached out to him.
"Up with you, Mando! We'll need all the help we can get for this!", barked the same voice that had warned him before.
Taking the hand and letting himself be pulled up, Jango found himself face to face with one of the Helldivers. His black cape flowed down from the back of his bulky armor. He carried himself with the confidence of a grizzled Veteran and the Officer marking designating him as a Colonel left no doubt who he was: Colonel Edward Brasch, commanding Officer of the Helldivers.
Before Jango could say anything, Brasch grabbed a Blaster Rifle from the ground and tossed it to him. Then, he turned to look at the Acklay, which had regained it's bearing and screamed at them. "No time for talk. Let's take this bug down and then get out of this death trap!"
It was in fact a deathtrap of the highest regard. While the B1's went down easy enough, the B2's seemingly came with heavier firepower, duel blaster cannons and granade launchers in some models. Since the Helldivers' assault had split them up and reduces their numbers, the Jedi were holding much better than they woud otherwise, but already, Jango could see a few of them lying dead around the Arena.
"Fine kriffing mess."
Jango took his shots, moved to a pile of tilted over drop pods and re-positioned himself to take quick and easy shots at any enemy that was approaching, Brasch following him after evading another charge by the Acklay.
He dare not waste his rockets at this range. "Colonel, where the KRIFF is the rest of the Army?! The Clones should be here by now!"
The Colonel coughed as he fired away at the once more approaching Acklay. "Well, there were complications, with the First Waves being bogged by anti-air! And Five other units are trying to punch a hole!"
"Didn't you send the Commando's first?!", Jango shouted.
"We did, but the damn bugs are tougher than expected. We had ten Helldiver teams drawing fire to get them down here...but we don't know where they are, we lost contact!", the Colonel shouted. "Either the equipment malfunctioned, or the Bugs found some way to jam our Comms quickly!" Brasch barely evaded the Acklay's claw as it slammed into the ground, before unloading a few shots into the things face, causing it to reel back in pain. "Doesn't matter now, anyway. Democracy counts on us winning this fight and surviving, so that's what we'll do!!"
Jango suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He earnestly respected Brasch as an amazing Warrior - frankly, the man could have been a Mandalorian in a different life, as well as many of the other Helldivers - but his patriotic fervor was a bit of an acquired taste.
Still, he had a point. They needed to wrap this up.
The Acklay roared and charged once again. As Brasch dove to the side, Jango stood his ground and raises an arm, aiming it at the monster. As the Acklay brought it's head down to bit at him, he unleashed a jet of fire from his Flamethrower...right into it's gaping maw!
Howling in utter AGONY, the beast reared back up on it's hindlegs, wildly slashing it's claws in pain. Brasch did not waste his chance and opened fire at the Acklay's hind legs. At the same time, a Rocket flew by from behind them and slammed into the monsters exposed underbelly! Dealing it a grievous wound, the impact caused the Acklay to topple back over, slamming into the ground. It's limbs twitched a few more times before the Execution Beast went still for the last time.
Brasch and Jango turned back to see another Helldiver flashing them a thumbs-up, an RPS-6 rocket launcher on his shoulder. The markings of the armor signified him as a Major.
Brasch nodded. "Perfect timing as always, Joel. Well done."
Major Joel, the man who had practically pioneered the concept of the Helldivers, quickly saluted. "All in a days work, Colonel." He quickly ran over to them. "Also, Command just patched through. They've secured local air superiority and are sending the Clones and their Gunboats to evac us and the Jedi out of the Arena. We just need to hold out a bit longer"
"Well, kriff me! It took long enough", Brasch shouted. "What about the rest of the Fleet, they should be hitting strong points across the planet by now!"
Joel nodded. "Localized shields are a pain in the ass sir. The commando's are still working on it."
"Tell me some good news at least", Jango groused.
"Most of the Heavy Armor has hit the road as they say...and Gunships will be here shortly!", Joel continued, shooting at the Droids trickling into the Arena.
"Finally, some good news!", Brasch shouted as he blasted some B1's down.
Jango fired a Rocket that blew apart two B2 Super Battle Droids in the stands who were about to shoot a Jedi in the back. "Let's make sure we stay alive, then-"
A characteristic noise from behind made all three men whirl around. Behind them, two Destroyer Droids had unfolded and activated their shields, leveling their Blasters at them.
Just as Jango was about to do something desperate, however...a red and black blur came in from the side and smashed the droids to pieces, their shields collapsing, not built to withstands blunt force by a large object.
Blinking under his helmet, Jango quickly registered who had just come to their aid. Kenobi, Amidala and Skywalker, sitting on the back of the Reek they had tamed, had just ran over the droids about to shoot them.
Kenobi, spotting Jango, gave him a salute. "Jango", he said jovially. "I'd say we have to stop meeting like this, but at least this way, I can start paying you back for saving me."
Jango gave a wry grin. "Counting the business on Coruscant, Kenobi, I'm still one up on you."
"For now", replied the Jedi.
The characteristic sound of LAAT-Gunships from above made everyone look up as they descended into the Arena.
Amidala jumped down from their mound. "Alright, time to get out of here." She nodded at Colonel Brasch. "Thank you for the rescue, Colonel."
Brasch quickly saluted. "All in a days work for the defenders of Freedom, Senator. But you should thank Minister Tarkin. He authorized this Mission." He glanced back to the Gunboats. "The time for talk can wait. We still have a battle to win."
Amidala nodded, a solemn expression on her face as she glanced at the Chaos and carnage around her. Jango did feel a twinge of sympathy for the woman. Despite everything, she had clearly still hoped that War could be avoided, fought for peace with all she had. Seeing this battle, the beginning of a new Galactic War...it could not be easy for her.
But the War had been inevitable. There was nothing she could have done to stop it. Even if the Republic had acquiesced to all Separatist demands, Dooku and the Council would still have pushed for War. A violent secession had always been the point.
Skywalker squeezed Amidala's shoulder, reassuringly. Then, he turned to his Master.
"Can we keep it?", he asked, pointing at the tamed Reek.
Kenobi rolled his eyes. "If it survives the battle, we can talk about it. For now, let's get moving." With that, they headed to the Gunboats.
With the battle having largely shifted to outside the Arena, the remaining Helldivers and Jedi were quickly extracted. All in all, their casualties had not been negligible, but still rather light, with about twenty fallen Jedi and roughly the same Number of Helldivers among the dead.
As Jango watched the Arena shrink below him, however, he could not help but worry that this was only the beginning...
Geonosian catacombs beneath the surface, some hours later...
Her back slammed into the wall with great force, causing her to cry out in pain, before she crumbled to the ground.
Ur-Sema Du, Jedi Master and temporary Leader of a Company of Clone Soldiers, struggled to get back to her feet, but her wounds and exhaustion kept her down. Looking around, in the dim light of the Geonosian Catacombs, she could see the slaughtered corpses of her men strewn about everywhere. Only a few of those who had come with her had survived until now.
She fought to control the sorrow overwhelming her, her eyes wandering until she found her Lightsaber lying on the ground a few feet away. Feebly, she tried to reach out her hand and use the force to call it to her...but before she could, a metallic claw wrapped itself around it, lifting it up.
Ur-Sema stared up at the beast that had murdered her men and defeated her. Just as they had been about to close in on the Separatist Council, which Scouts had reported to flee through this section of the Catacombs, to capture them and end this War before it could really begin...this metallic monstrosity has stepped into their way in this cavern. Despite all her skill and experience, the beast had outmatched both her and her Soldiers, bringing them down after a fierce struggle.
The Monster had the exterior of a Droid, no doubt, but it was no mere machine. Tall and strong, it's mechanical limbs and body possessed both great speed and strength. She could feel something alive within the beasts armored chest, and the eyes leering down at her with cruel glee from it's facemask were undeniably organic, as well.
Her assailant was a Cyborg, one with barely any organic parts left. It was hard to tell what species it had been originally, but the design of the body and the face, especially, reminded her of a Kaleesh.
...If the being had been one, before becoming a Cyborg, that certainly was another mistake having come back to haunt her Order, was it not?
But even if that was the case, there was no doubt that the creature before her, whatever it's motives had once been, was now a being of the Dark Side. Not force-sensitive, but still twisted and corrupted by the perverse cruelty and malice that accompanied it. The way it had slaughtered her men, tearing even those who could not fight back or tried to surrender apart without mercy or hesitation, was proof enough of it.
The Cyborg, holding the Electro Staff it had wielded for the fight in one hand, looked at her Lightsaber, her weapon since she had been a Padawan, with a perverse joy. A raspy, almost mechanical laughter rang out from under it's facemask, a triumphant glee evident in the voice as he - it was a male voice - began to speak.
"Aaahhhh...finally. A worthy first Item for my collection."
The Clones, those who remained that is, opened fire upon the great beast of a Cyborg, trying in vain to at least put distance between the Jedi Commander and the beast.
It would be only a small moment of reprieve for Ur-Sema, who wheezed and breathed from her damaged ribs and broken arm as the beast began to attack with her Weapon. Though his stance was somehwhat unbalanced from the lack of weight a lightsaber carried, the monster used it like a clever through meat, cutting through most of her remaining Soldiers. Ur-Sema wanted to scream, but found herself too weak to muster the energy for even that as she watched her own weapon, forged by her very own hands, bring death to her men in the hands of an Enemy.
Each strike was a mockery of Jedi grace and ability, like an animal, a great spider monster like the ones on Kashyyyk. There was a sick, cruel, methodical nature to it.
Whoever this monster had been in his previous life, he must've been quite the Warrior.
Soon, none of her men were left standing. A few were alive, but lying on the ground, wounded and incapacitated.
The Cyborg reached her and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up. Choking under his metallic grip, Ur-Sema looked down at the face of her opponent, struggling weakly against his hold.
The beast laughed his horribly metallic laughter. "Not so superior now, are you, Jedi? I was expecting more of a fight from one of your kind. But I suppose your Orders weakness should not surprise me."
Ur-Sema gasped for air, struggling to stay conscious. "W-who...who ARE you...?", she managed to choke out.
The Cyborg leered at her with malice. "I have been called many names. But the one my Enemies know and fear me under is...
Grievous." He tightened his grip. "And it is the name your ilk and your accursed Republic will learn to tremble before as I lay waste to your Worlds and slaughter your Order. In your negligence and blind obedience to a failed state, you humiliated and condemned my people...and for that, I will not rest until the last Jedi in the Galaxy has fallen by my hands!"
Grievous raised Ur-Sema's Lightsaber in his other hand. "You will be the first...and your precious Lightsaber shall be one of the weapons I carve a bloody path through the Republic with. Take this knowledge with you into oblivion,
Jedi...and know that the rest of your Brothers and Sisters will soon follow you!"
Meanwhile...
Captain John, nicknamed 'Helldiver' for embodying the quintessence of one (at least that's what his comrades said), was not having a good day. The Drop had gone poorly, and the anti-air had been far stronger then anyone had anticipated. The Helldivers barely had any heavy ammo left after hitting the strong points and they were going to have a rather difficult fight on their hands.
That had only been an hour into the Battle! At least they had managed to resupply, now, but still. This was easily the hardest fight they had ever taken part in!
Then again, it was perhaps to be expected, John thought. Secessionists and Traitors with years of planning would out up a harder struggle against Democracy than Pirates and other Criminals.
Now, he had lead his J-Squad of four of the best Divers into the catacombs beneath Geonosis, after receiveing a Comm Call by a Jedi claiming to chase the Separatist Council. They had been sent to support her and her men.
And now, they had reached the entrance to a cavern that the Jedi and her Soldiers were supposed to be in. A blocked entrance that J-4 was already setting up a charge against to breach.
"Sergeant, what's our grenades and rockets looking like?", John hissed to his second-in Command.
"We burned through most of it, Sir, but we still have a few Droid Poppers and one Rocket for the launcher", the Sergeant replied.
"Well, lets pray to the Force and Liberty that we don't have need more than that", John said. He clenched a fist. "This is our chance to take down the Enemy Leadership and end this assault on Freedom!"
A CLICK sounded out. "Charge is ready, Captain!", J-4 shouted, running back a little."
"Very good! Breach Cave in three, two, one...!", John counted down.
*BOOM*
J-4 pressed the Detonator and blew up the door to the cave causing the roof to shake, while the Jedi and the-
What the HELL was that THING?!
The Monster stared at the Helldivers, surprise clearly written in it's eyes despite the expressionless facemask. The Jedi, gathering what mus've been the absolute last of her strength, managed to use the force to free herself from the Monsters grip and push it away, though she fell to the ground helplessly right after.
"LAY ON THE BLASTERS, BOYS!" John shouted. "Secure the Jedi and kill that thing!!"
The four Helldivers opened fire with their heavy blasters. The first shots hit the things armor and caused it to stumble backwards, but it quickly regained it's footing. Snarling, it leapt at them, swinging the Lightsaber it must've taken from the Jedi.
John rolled to the side, avoiding the first blow and did his best to get distance between himself and the thing as his Squadmates kept shooting. Despite it's heavy metal body, the damn thing was annoyingly agile and fast. Thankfully, it seemed to have had little training with a Lightsaber yet, wielding it more akin to a Vibroblade. Still effective, but not entirely suited to the weapon.
Still, the Clanker was quite the fighter. Akick hit John in the chesta nd sent him stumbling backwards. The Monster leapt towards the others, who tried their best to gain some distance. J-4 screamed and clutched his shoulder as the saber sliced through the armor, but still managed to roll away. Snarling, the Cyborg whirled back around to John and charged, identifying him as the Leader by the marking on his armor. John retreated, trying to keep a distance. The only reason they were still alive, he knew, was the element of surprise that had thrown the thing off balance. Once that settled, much as he hated to admit it, it would probably overwhelm them.
John suddenly felt his back hit a wall. The Cyborg -it had to be one, judging by the organic eyes - charged straight at him. Determined not to die at the hands of this Enemy of Freedom, John let go of his blaster and drew his Stun Baton, managing to block the Lightsaber with the glowing head of his weapon, mere inches away from his face. His knees buckled under the applied force as the Cyborg leaned forward to overpower him.
"I do not know who you are, Soldier", the Cyborg snarled. "But you made a grave mistake to get between me any my prey!!"
John growled under his helmet. "Not nearly as great...as the one you made, going up against the Helldivers...!!"
A metallic clink caused the Cyborg to look down. J-2, the Sergeant, had tossed an EMP-Grenade, nick-named 'Driod Poppers' by the troops, right between both of their feet.
The Cyborgs eyes widened. Clearly, he had not expected John's comrades to go on the attack when he was so close to him.
His mistake. There was no sacrifice too great to defend democracy, and they all knew it!
Still, John had no desire to be taken out of the fight by having his armor systems fried, so he quickly dove to the side, spotting the Cyborg doing the same.
The Grenade went off two seconds later. John HUD inside his helmet flickered, but the systems survived the blast thanks to his quick dive getting him just barely out of effective range. Getting back up, he could see the Cyborg rising to his feet as well, though one of his metallic legs buckled, damaged by the blast, having been closer to the grenade than John.
"NOW!! BLAST HIM!!", John shouted to his Squadmates.
The Hellfire of their heavy blasters gave some more distance between them and the Cyborg, holding him back as they retreated to the other end of the cave. The Cyborg groaned as it struggled to ofollow...but J-3, having loaded their last rocket into her launcher, fired at the ceiling above him!
The force of the explosion and the collapsing rubble split the cave in half, as John and his Squad lowered their weapons. He hoped the Cyborg had been crushed by the rocks, but a gut-feeling told him that this Enemy of Liberty was too tenacious to go out like this.
Runing over to the Jedi, John helped her up, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Are you alright, Master Jedi?", he asked.
The woman winced. "I'll...I'll live...", she muttered, looking at him gratefully. "Thank you, Helldiver..."
"Don't thank me yet, we're still in a warzone", John replied. He nodded at his Squad and they quickly ran back into the Tunnel, the rest of them supporting the few surviving Clones who could still walk. The others would have to be extracted later. For now, they would have to reach the surface.
"Quite a mess that one", Sergeant growled. "We los the chance of catching the Enemy Leaders thanks to this beast. What the Hell was that thing?!"
J-3 shrugged. "Definitely a Cyborg", she said. "But none like I've ever seen."
"Bastard kinda looked like a Kaleesh, didn't he?", J-4 chimed in.
"Grievous", the Jedi muttered weakly. "He...he said his name was Grievous..."
John shook his head. At least he now had a Name to put to the face of another Foe of Democracy that would need to be struck down. "Let's just get the Jedi and these Clones to the surface, for now", he said. "That Monster will get his due sooner or later."
"Do you think we'll see that thing again, Sir?", J-4 asked.
John frowned darkly. "Unless we're very lucky? Probably..."
The Surface of Geonosis, hours later...
Nicholas Cru'sher, former Senator of Udraaso, now General in the Republican Army, stood side by side with Master Yoda as they observed the battlefield around them.
The surface of Geonosis was scarred and marked by battle, craters everywhere, the Soldiers busy cleaning up the remains of the shattered Droid Armies and the bodies of their own fallen Soldiers. It had been a vicious struggle, but the Republic had come out on top. The remaining Separatist Forces had fled the Planet and Geonosis was in the Hands of the Republic.
A Victory. But not one without cost...and not complete.
"So, Dooku escaped?", Cru'sher asked the Jedi Grandmaster.
The ancient little Alien closed his eyes with a sigh. "Prepared for a possible flight, he was. After escaping Master Windu, to his private Hangar he went. Intercept him, Kenobi and Skywalker did...but while holding their own working together, preventing him from escaping once I arrived, we could not."
Cru'sher grimaced. "I heard they got wounded badly during the fight?"
Yoda's ears drooped. "By my former Padawan's blade, gravely injured Master Kenobi was. When try to defend him, Knight Skywalker did...slice his right hand off just before I arrived, Dooku did."
Damn...
"I'm sorry", Cru'sher said, and he meant it. He had gotten to know Knight Skywalker and Master Kenobi over the last ten years, and gained a good personal opinion of them. "Will they...?"
Yoda sighed. "Recover, they both will...but an additional sour taste to this incomplete Victory, it gives."
Cru'sher looked across the battlefield. The Grandmaster was certainly right about that. While they had delivered a heavy blow to the Separatist War-Machine by taking Geonosis and it's factories, all the while suffering heavy, but acceptable losses of their own - with the Jedi and Helldivers Strike-Forces especially coming out battered, but intact - it had hardly been the crippling, perhaps even lethal blow that War Minister Tarkin, perhaps soon to be Supreme Chancellor Tarkin, depending on the election, had envisioned.
A large chunk of the Separatist Ground Forces had evacuated before they could be destroyed. And they were sure to have many other Factory Worlds to produce the Droids they needed. More critically, however, the entire Separatist Leadership had managed to flee. The Decapitation Strike on the CSA had failed.
Geonosis was still a Victory, no doubt, robbing the Enemy of a large Industrial Center and giving the Republic a much needed foothold in the Outer Rim. And with theunlawful abduction and execution of two Jedi and a Senator on frankly Bogus charges, the Separatists would find even less sympathy among the wider galactic population than before.
But the chance for a quick end to the War had slipped through their fingers. Now, it would be a grueling, perhaps years-long conflict that lay ahead. War as the Galaxy had not known it for nigh-on a thousand years.
"The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen", Yoda said gravely. "Begun, the Galactic Civil War has."
And General Cru'sher, looking at the carnage around them, knew fully well that the Jedi Grandmaster was correct.
The opening Salvo had been fired, the Gates of Hell were open...and soon, the Galaxy would burn.
A.N.: As usual, shared Credit for this goes to @Cyberphilosipher, who wrote this Omake in collab together with me. I hope you all enjoyed our take on the Opening Battle of this War and the Alternate Episode II Finale!
