Chapter 41 - Red Dawn (1/2)
Part 1
Republic Cruiser ”Chimera”
First Assault Fleet Flagship
High Orbit over Geonosis
”Look that station go!” exclaimed one of the sensor operators.
”Easy, kid. Remember where you are.” Pellaeon chided his subordinate.
”Sorry, sir! It won't happen again.”
”Better not. Though off the record, I agree with the notion.”
Few chuckles answered the Commodore's quip.
”The heavy missiles did better than the initial projections called for.” Lieutenant Olen added.
”That's the second time the boffins knew what they were talking about.” Yularen chuckled. ”It make's me apprehensive. What's the status of our magazines?”
”Down to ten percent on the siege missiles.”
”Flush the rest of the birds. The fleet will advance. Capital ships are to concentrate fire on the remaining enemy mobile forces. Once thosse are dealt with take out the Golans. Our escorts are to eleminate the defense platforms. One the battle line is engaged, bomber wings are free to strike targets of opportunity.”
”Aye, sir. Relaying orders.”
=RK=
Couple of hours submerged into the Force, using the Light side to recover from the strain caused by the Battle Meditation, an energy bar and a lot of the local equivalent of Aspirin, did wonders for my disposition. Oh, I wasn't up for fun and games, like joining the first wave of the ground invasion, that was reserved for my apprentice and the Jedi, but at least I was more or less functual.
Which meant that I had a job to do. So, while I munched on another energy bar, there was a data pad in my other hand and I was busy browsing the compiled list of fleet losses.
They were rather severe, though nothing like the butcher's bill that this battle should have yelded. At least on paper both sides were evenly matched. The most optimistic estimates called for about fifty perecent fleet casualties, if we won. Thanks to my Battle Meditation and the plan Valentra, the ONI Director and me cobbled together, we got out of the scrap relatively light. If you can call a third of the fleet lost low casualties.
That had been unpleasant for more than the obvious reasons. I felt every single death during the battle, thanks to the Battle Meditation connecting me with my men and the few organics in the CIS fleet. They fed the Dark side, and while actually making me a bit stronger in the Force, strained my control. It was making it harder to deal with the persistent seduction of the whispers in the back of my head.
I shook my head. Even if I knew that it was all a lie, or at best a short lived gain before I was left tottaly insane, her whispers and suggestions had a dark alure that I found hard to resist. All I could do with the unrestrained power of the Dark Side on my disposall… I just had to stop fighting it at every turn… I shuddered as a familiar chill went up my spine. The Dark Side was coiling around me, anticipating the next round of slaughter.
I focused my mind, doing my best to ignore the whispers.
=RK=
Light Cruiser ”Corellian Fury”
Task Force Lacoon Flagship
First Assault Fleet
High Orbit over Geonosis
After the immediate aftermath of the Fleet on Fleet engagament was dealt with, Jole became a spectator. His Cruiser squadron had fallen back, behind the main body of Republic ships in order to escort the remaining carriers. That in turn left him free to watch the fireworks, somethig that warmed his old, smuggler's heart.
It had all started innocent enough. The fleet had reformed just out of the Planetary defense grid's effective weapon range. The ships had pumped their ECM levels as much as possible, followed by ripple firing shoals of missiles. Part of the ordinance sent downrange were antifighter Darts as well as electronic warfare birds, meant to sweep away what was left of the enemy fighters and target weapon emplacements. On their heels were waves of Lancer siege missiles.
Not to mention that in order to defeat shields, those missiles needed to came relatively close before detonating and thus activating their laser heads. Which made them vulnerable for intercept from fighters and point defense.
However in this case, those weaknesses were anything but. The standard doctrine was to send your fighters forward to deal with missiles of this kind. Which the Seps, refused to do, in order to preserve the Vultures they had left. That course of action had predicatable results. No one was particularly surprised when the Darts failed to cause any noticible damage on the battle stations, merely diabling a few of their weapons. Yet they did their jobs, screening their much larger sisters.
Only ten percent of the first Lancer wave was picked off, before they reached stand off range and detonated… all of them missing the Golan stations they were flying at.
Solo grinned viciously. Shields flared briefly, fighting to abosrb and deflect lances of pure energy. Then the defensive fields failed and ten more Munificents died, their hulls shattered by invisible beams of pure energy.
That awoke whoever was in charge and the Vultures surged on dashing straight at the next wave of missiles… Which only looked like Lancers. The large missiles blew up few seconds before the enemy fighters fell upon them, releasing a swarm of Darts down their throats. The Vulture flight stood no chance and slammed straight into the trap. The explosions caught on camera by the recon birds in the vanguard of the fleet were beautiful to behold.
Then the second Lancer wave struk true. This time they did target the battle stations. Two of them to be precise. The missiles didn't even attempt to kill them outright. Instead they were instructed to take out the shield generator and heavy weapons.
Few hundred missiles concentrated their fire on a small section of the deflector fields, temporaly overwhelming and piercing the defenseses. A lot of the incoming energy was either absorbed or dispersed, a big fraction of what went through wasted itself ablating armor, yet enough remained to damage the generator on one Gollan and outright destroy that of the second. When the next missile salvo struck, those two stations were left as drifting, toothless hulks.
=RK=
DCS ”Nemesis”
Admiral Ningo glared balefully at Grievous. The damn cyborg had survived after all and even managed to get to his ship… Just in time to order the suicide charge of most Vultures that had survived the previous engagements. Yet, he held his tongue. The Sulucian didn't feel like dying by the hand of the madman who was in his nominal command. It had been obvious that the missiles were some kind of bait. Sending all but the first wave without a covering force of a barrage of antifighter ordinance… He shook his head and turned his sight towards the tactical plot. It appeared that the enemy had fianly exhausted their supply of heavy missiles. The Republic fleet was picking up speed, advancing towards their position.
While before the relentles barrages, Ningo had been reasonably sure that he could further bloody the enemy, now even that was going to be denied to him. Only seven battlestations were still largely intacts, backed up by what was left from his mobile forces and about seven hundred or so defensive platforms. But the latter were more or less evenly spread over the planet, unable to concentrate their firepower for the final round of the space battle. Even wordse, now there was insuficient number of fighters left to blunt the impending attacks from Republic bombers, which were massing up together with their own escorts.
”Maneuver our remaining units behind the Gollans. We'll use them as a shield until the enemy is in effective range.” Ningo suggested.
That way, their mobile forces, which were much less defended in comparison would survive longer and would have a chance to take out enemy ships weakened by the battlestations.
”Multiple new contacts detected!” exclaimed one of the B1's which was monitoring the sensors.
”So their ground units arrived.” muttered the Admiral.
”And thaks to your incompetence, we no longer have the forces to intercept them!” Grievous seethed.
The Admiral rolled his eyes behind his back and called the sensor data. As if. Those Acclamators and their escorts were a potent force in their own right, more than enough to deal with whatever would have left from the CIS fleet even if they had won and destroyed the Republic fleet. Now all he could do was ensure that as many of the enemy ships were taken out before his remaning units were gone. If Grievous let him fight his fleet.
=RK=
Republic Cruiser ”Negotiator II”
Battle group ”Titan” Flagship
Five Light Seconds from Geonosis
The commanders of the ground forces had gatthered for a final briefing before they joined their units for the drop. Shaak Ti looked around, evaluating the men and women in the room. Needless to say, most of them wore the same face. With few exceptions those had the rank of Commander or General. The rest were either the Jedi or the officers in charge of the new units, which weren't made up by clones. It remained to be seen how they were going to mesh with the GAR forces once on the ground. While she had heard of only a few problems, that didn't mean much at this stage.
”I can confirm the good news. The fleet won a major battle over Geonosis and is in the proces of dismantling the orbital defense network. By the time we are in position, we will have orbital superiority.” She had to pause for few seconds while almost everyone cheered. She allowed herself a small smile and continued. ”Now, thanks to the extensive network of anit orbital weaponry that the locals had built, we won't be in possition to simply orbital strikes all over the place and just mop up.”
”Good to know. What about air support?” General Villem Maxtro, the commander of the Anaxxian Rangers asked.
”We'll be getting plenty. From what Admiral Yularen told me, I believe that First Assault's bomber force is largely intact. Then there are our own fighter and bombers too. The main opposition in the air is expected to be from Geonosian air breathers, because the Vultures in system are a spent force.”
”So we are going with Red Three then?” Colonell Gyro Pell, the CO of the Caamasi Laners asked.
”Yes. Our heavy divisions will land at the desiganted areas with heavy orbital support, while the airmobile units will drop in, bypasing the nearest defensive lines and striking at various strategic targets. Those include local C&C centers, power stations and of course the theater shield generators.”
”What about the planetary shield?” One of the Clone Commanders asked.
”We have contingency in place to deal with them. I'll be leading units from First Shock Army against the main generator complex. We will be going in to support General Veil's Helldiver Regiment. That will be the first of our strategic objectives. We will have to either hold the place while reinforcements arrive or trash it and exfilatrate. Now for the different unit asisgments. There won't be any major alternations on Red Three at this point.” That announcement got a few relieved chuckles. ”
Seventh Army will be landing here, two hundred klicks from the shield generator complex. They will be shielded by the artillery positions emplaced around it by this mountain chain, though either corssing or going around it will slow them down.” She nodded at Obi-Wan.
”I'll be spearhead the push towards the Experimental Droid factories. As you all know that is our primary objective on Geonosis. Unfortunately the place is protected by extensive network of overlaping theater shields, so we will have to crack it the hard way. General Myndi's troops and the Rangers will ȧssist in the initial push.”
”The Caamasi Lancers will as well as the Ryloth First Ranger Regiment will make a push towards this valley, ” Kenobi zoomed the image of Geonosis floating in the center of the table dominationg the meeting room. ”This is the place where the locals rebuit most of their war related industry after our last visit. You will be cleaning the way from any light enemy forces and provide support for Ninth Army's heavy armor which will be making a landing on these coordinates...” he pointed a large plain, two hundred clicks from the Caamasi projected drop point. ”Once their leading divisions are deployed, they will be heading your way.”
=RK=
Part 2
71st Bomber Squadron
Low Orbit over Geonosis
Falk drove his bomber into a roll, bȧrėly avoiding a burst of flak fire. His craft shook from the blast wave, but he compensated and dived at the battle station below. His squadron followed, deftly avoiding the last ditch effort of their target to fend them off.
Around them, space was lit up with explosions as the fleet was duking it out with what was left of the CIS ships and the remnant of the Orbital defenses. Falk saw a Munificent frigate being blown apart by turbo laser bolts bigger than his fighter, then he spun again and his ċȯċkpit view was obscured by the Seventy First's target. He waited for a moment, before unleashing his bomber's load of proton torpedoes in quick succession. The armor plating protecting turbo-laser turrets and concussion missile launchers shattered in a handful of hits, the following impacts disabling or outright destroying the weapon emplacements.
By the time his squadron finished their run, a quarter of the Gollan's offensive firepower was gone. Falk glanced at his readouts. Two of the newbies didn't make it. He shrugged, privately glad that he hadn't gotten to know them all that well, before banking right.
”Good job, lads. Follow me in. We are making another run then we are off for reloading.”
As they headed in, a swarm of bombers overflew them, heading for one of the handful CIS battleships that were still operational. He doubted that the battle-wagon would be more than a powerless hulk once they were done with it.
However the battle wasn't as one sided as the Lieutenant might have hoped. While he was diving at the battle station he had a great view of a Venator which went afoul of two Gollans and was pounded into scrap before most of the stations weapons could be silenced.
=RK=
Republic Cruiser ”Chimera”
First Assault Fleet Flagship
High Orbit over Geonosis
”Sir, the remaining Confederate ships are making a break for it. Their frigates are screening that DCS.” The sensor operator shouted.
”Their Capital ships won't make it past the planet's gravity well before we pound them into scrap.” The Admiral frowned.
He zoomed in the tactical display. Almost all remaining Vultures were converging at that point of the battlefield.
”Re-task our fighters in the nearby sectors to intercept. They are most likely covering the escape of their commander. Concentrate the Guardian system efforts on that sector too.”
Soon enough, the plot shifted, whole Torrent squadrons swarming the Confed ships which were attempting a breakthrough.
”Kriff! Sir look at that!” The same Lieutenant shouted again, earning himself a dirty look from Pellaeon.
Yularen zoomed out the display. A few seconds later a look of displeasure appeared on his face.
=RK=
”Talon” Squadron
High Orbit over Geonosis
”This better work!” Grievous snarled as he forced his fighter's engines to the point of overload.
”If it doesn't we are dead anyway.” Admiral Ningo shrugged in the back of the ċȯċkpit of a two seater Selucian starfighter. He had a squadron of those birds on his ship, which were meant as his personal escort. Now they were about to prove their worth.
The small craft went on afterburner, straining their engines to their melting point in an attempt to break clear from Geonosis' gravity well. They were screened by a hundred odd Vultures, which were instructed to fly in a funnel formation, using their bodies as a physical shield against enemy fire.
It was a race, between the Guardian missiles that would be undoubtedly sent their way and whatever enemy fighters were still in the vicinity after most of them were sent against the bait.
They had fifteen seconds head start before Ningo's ċȯċkpit was bathed into the shrill beep of the lock on alarm. Targeting sensors were locked on his fighters and missiles were sprinting their way. He glanced out and saw the Vultures shifting, moving to better protect their charges.
The Admiral helplessly waited as long seconds slowly ticked by, when suddenly the ċȯċkpit was bathed in bluish light. A Vulture blew up, then another and another in quick succession. Ningo glanced at the instruments. They were still thirty seconds from the edge of the gravity well. At this rate, they weren't going to make it.
His pilot, the leader of Talon squadron apparently agreed with that ȧssessment.
”Gentlemen, it was honor serving with you. Now go intercept those damn missiles!” He ordered.
Half the squadron peeled off and charged the swarm of ordinance heading straight at them. They opened fire with laser canons and their own missiles, which was merely a drop in the ocean. That is until the lead two Talons opened their cargo compartments, spilling reserve parts behind them. The rest of the Selucian fighters charging the missile swarm did so too, a couple of seconds later.
It was the last thing that they would ever do. Moments later missiles either found their mark, blowing up fighters which didn't even attempt to evade, but flew straight firing all the way until the bitter end, or ploughed in the small artificial debris field, detonating harmlessly.
That desperate maneuver was far from enough to take out all the Darts, yet it bought precious seconds for the rest of Talon squadron and their charges.
Ningo grit his teeth as the last of the Vultures expended itself against a missile flying straight at his ride. Just few more seconds…
The Admiral winced when his fighter shook viciously, almost throwing him out of his seat despite the restrains. In the same moment the ċȯċkpit was bathed in blinding light.
=RK=
Republic Cruiser ”Chimera”
First Assault Fleet Flagship
High Orbit over Geonosis
”The kriffing bastards got away...” Pellaeon, who was leaning over the sensor station muttered.
”Pity. It would have been great if we nailed their commander. Whoever it was did pretty good.” Yularen stated.
”Yes. They will be trouble in the future.” the Commodore added.
The Admiral returned his attention to the bigger picture, disgruntled that he had fallen for the feint. He honestly hadn't believed that the enemy would try getting out using small craft once they knew the true capabilities of the Guardian. However they had masterfully made him focus his attention at a tempting bait, buying themselves enough time and distance to get a chance at surviving the inevitable missile strike. He silently cursed the missed opportunity at depriving the enemy of one of their competent Admirals and turned his attention at mopping up the Orbital Defenses. Freedom's battle group had the breakout attempt well in hand, and the rest of the fleet was reducing the remaining two Gollans. Those would be dealt with shortly by bomber wings, which were already moving in for the death strike.
”Sir, we are mostly done here.” Pellaeon surmised the situation. ”However the planetary shields are up and running. How are we going to deal with them?”
”Apparently it's a need to know.” Yularen.
”It was.” a new voice interjected. ”I have an acquaintance down there.” He waved at the planet below. ”It remains to be seen if we'll be taking the shields the easy or the hard way.”
The Admiral turned around to see General Veil entering the bridge, looking somewhat better. At least he didn't look like the death warmed twice over.
Pellaeon looked incredulous at his commander. ”A single being?!” he exclaimed.
”Yep. He is perfect for the task.”
=RK=
Planetary Shield generator command center
Geonosis
Vikkal Plog, surveyed his domain from a raised platform in the middle of the room. He was the Geonosian Elite in charge of the one of the most important installations on his home world, and by the Queens, he was going to make sure it ran perfectly.
He stared in turn at the backs of the workers manning the stations controlling the intricate network of generators and shield emitters protecting Geonosis, as if daring them to make a mistake. He would have preferred that his installation was manned exclusively by Warrior caste members, but unfortunately that was impractical. Whatever else you could say about the workers (most of it less than flattering) they knew how to fix tech. Fast. On the other hand, Plog and his exalted kind were best on the battlefield or in charge of important facilities. While he knew that his job was vital, Vikkal couldn't suppress the instinct to go out and be amongst the first to meet the kriffing Republic forces. If they managed to actually pass through the shields.
After their previous visit, the Queens were displeased, issuing orders that their world must be turned into fortress, thus making a repeat performance highly unlikely. While it would have been better if the Geonosians allies had managed to win in space, Plog actually preferred it this way. The last battle had been over before more than a handful of his kind could engage the enemy, because they were stationed at locations rather far away from the places the GAR attacked.
This time it was going to be different. The Geonosian Elite Warriors were mobilized and ready for battle. They, just like Vikkal, were cybernetically enhanced war machines, wielding powerful beam weapons and protected by master crafted armor. He smiled at the thought and almost reverently petted the heavy weapon which encased his right hand, before returning his attention to the holographic display representing his world's orbitals.
The defenses were almost gone and the enemy transports were growing near. He smiled when the nearest comm station hissed to life, announcing that now all ground based anti-orbital weapons were free to seek targets of opportunity.
He was still smiling when moments later, a monomolecular blade found a weak spot in the armor surrounding his neck and severed his spine.
=RK=
The command center stood still, the six Elite Warriors who were providing internal security just staring at their leader. First they saw the blade, sticking from the back of his neck. It sparkled, the air around it warping, revealing a dull red metal hand, to which it was attached.
”One Meatbag down.” A mechanical voice muttered.
The guards raised their weapons a moment too late. The air twisted further, showing a heavily armed droid, which had sneaked in their midst. Before they could line up shots, the command center was turned into a charnel house when multiple explosions shook it, pelting everything within with half molten shrapnel. Consoles became pieces of fast flying death, scything unprotected Geonosians.
HK-117 jumped back, thermal detonators flying from his hands. At the same time, two stealthy drones became visible near the ceiling, sending crimson lances at a single Elite Guard.
In all the bedlam no one noticed how the locking mechanism of the doors was fused shut.
The ȧssassin droid would have smiled if he could. This was what he was made for! Pure, unrestrained havoc! HK-117 danced, faster than most organics could follow, bȧrėly evading beams of amber light. The Command Center shook again, bathed in the light and heat of thermal detonators blowing up.
In bȧrė moments, four of the seven Elites were taken out, evening the odds.
The ȧssassin rolled left, amber beam briefly grazing his shield. That alone drained a third of his deflector, sending warnings through his system. He jumped over a trashed console, a repeating blaster in his hands. Behind the droid, the drones were playing tag with one of the Elites, while the last two were engaging him. HK-117 hit the ground and rolled, avoiding a sweeping beam. His weapon spoke, shredding blaster bolts at the unprotected feet of the overgrown insect. Its agonized screech was music for the droids audio-receptors.
The heavily armored being crashed on the ground, while his buddy tried to bisect the ȧssassin with its weapon. HK evaded by a hairbreadth and threw a thermal detonator, finishing its wounded victim. Then he vaulted forward, using the blast wave as booster for his jump. The nimble machine flew over the other Elite Geonosian, avoiding a sweeping beam of deadly energy. HK-117 landed lightly on his feet, moving in a blur. His blaster clattered on the ground just as the droid slammed a pair of vibroblades in the back of the big Geonosian. The local whimpered when the ȧssassin twisted its weapons, before withdrawing them an letting his latest victim fall bonelessly to the ground.
HK-117 turned his head to the right and his artificial eyes glared at the single remaining drone. The other one was already turned into molten slag by the last remaining Warrior.
”I expected more from you, guys...” the droid shook his head sadly. ”You couldn't handle just a pair of meatbags!” He sounded affronted at his synthetic siblings' failure.
The Geonosian turned his head towards the sound a moment after disposing off the second drone with a well aimed shot. Only to see the cooling corpse of his comrade and no sight of the infernal machine.
”Looking for me?” A hated voice asked from behind. Before the Warrior could swing his bulk around, HK jumped on his back, blades slashing down.
A few seconds later, the ancient droid made his way to the raised platform where he ȧssassinated the facility's commander. It was the one place that was still somewhat intact. HK plugged himself in the Command Centers network and started working, while the base's security were attempting to breach the door. He wasn't concerned. It was a really nice door, the finest Geonosian engineering could make. It would hold for a few minutes. More than enough time.
By the time the entrance was breached by the base's security, the shields were powered down, leaving the complex vulnerable. It would be fifteen minutes before one of the secondary command centers could bypass the lock down initiated from the command center. Even longer before they could reactivate the shields.
It would be far too late.
=RK=
Republic Assault ship ”Unto the Breach”
Low Orbit over Geonosis
Shaak Ti suppressed a shudder when the drop pod sealed around her. A moment later the HUD of her light armor lit up with green light showing that all systems were nominal.
”Drop in T minus thirty!” The commander responsible for the initial part of the deployment shouted in her communicator.
”All units, sound off.” The Jedi ordered. She was pointedly trying not to think about the madness she was about to take part in. Shaak Ti patched herself through the frequency of her command battalion, listening.
”First Platoon, A Company is green!”
”Second Platoon, A Company is nominal...”
She took a deep breath, calmed by the professional discharge of her soldiers. Just ten of the pods showed red lights and she was thankful for the excellent job the engineers did in making the new tech perform up to spec. For now. The real test was about to commence.
She switched channels, listening as the battalions started reporting their readiness.
”Second Battalion, Helldiver Regiment is green. Only seven malfunctioning pods.” A Clone Commander reported.
”Third Battalion, Helldiver Regiment is green. Five pods down.” This crisp voice sent shiver down Shaak Ti's spine.
She was still unable to make up her mind about Veil's newest apprentice. Aria Astra. A clone of a Chiss woman, who was also a Sith. Not to mention that she led the first attack on the Jedi Temple in millennia. Yet Veil had saved not only saved her at the end of the battle, but taken her under his wing. While Ti knew that what happened wasn't really the woman's fault, not when she had been used as a brainwashed, disposable weapon, she simply couldn't help it. Long time friends of hers, good people, had died in that attack. The fact that Aria was a Sith didn't help either. It wasn't like she was seeking redemption by trying to turn a new leaf and join the Order.
What she felt towards Astra wasn't hate. Not really. It was something she couldn't really place into words. It was more akin to resentment, because of how easy she was given a second chance. Not even a slap on the wrist for her actions, instead she was rewarded by being apprenticed to a powerful Force Adept.
”Ten, nine, eight…” Shaak Ti's scattered thoughts were interrupted by the pre-launch countdown.
She took a deep breath and spoke: ”May the Force be with you!”
”One...”
A loud thump later and sudden acceleration slammed into the Jedi Master.
=RK=
Part 3
10 km above Planetary Shield Generator Complex
Geonosis
Aria hadn't been more afraid in her short life. Certainly not when she led the attack on the Jedi Temple. That had been exhilarating, the first time she had felt alive. Not even while she laid dying in the great hall, broken and defeated. Then she had been relieved more than anything else. She had failed in her mission, no matter that it never had a chance of success and accepted the price.
When her Master held her very soul in his hands and saved her… She was both stunned and fascinated at the raw power she felt. As if the Force itself was his to command.
Oh, Aria knew that he was one of the most dangerous men she would ever meet, that in anything resembling a stand up fight she would lose. At least before her training was fully completed and that was many years away. Yet she didn't fear him. There was respect of the man and the power he wielded, but strangely enough no fear despite the simple fact that she survived only because of his good will.
Now however, she was terrified. Strapped in a flimsy shell of durasteel composite, protected by a thin sheet of armor and shield bȧrėly enough to survive a high speed reentry… Hurling through the atmosphere as a shell send downrange… Fear clawed at Aria's mind, cold sticky fingers gripping her very soul. Despite the high temperature caused by the re-entry and the environmental controls of her armor, she felt chill spreading from the frozen pit that was her stomach. Aria shuddered and gritted her teeth.
She was better than this! Aria snarled. She loathed her fear. It was a weakness, making her vulnerable. It was unacceptable.
That thought was promptly thrown out of her head, when her pod jumped and shook. Aria squeaked, dimly remembering that it was all going according to plan. The drop pod was supposed to enter a wild and erratic flying pattern, making it harder to hit.
It didn't help her. At all.
Aria closed her eyes and for the first time in her life she started praying. First to the Force and then to anyone, anything that was listening.
No one was listening. Her ride started shaking even harder, as if it was already coming apart. Alarm blared and sudden wave of DE-acceleration slammed into the young Sith. Aria had time for one last shriek, before the pod peeled off around her, letting her free fall for the last kilometer or so. Her HUD lit up with warning signs, marking targets of opportunity and active sensor envelopes.
”Kriiiif!” Aria shouted just as the gravity reestablished its hold over her. Finally her training kicked in, moment after a rail round buzzed near her head. She slammed the controls of the repulsor pack on her back and darted at the ground, hoping to get below the engagement envelopes of the myriad of AA emplacements pinging her.
Moments later the anti gravity pod whɨnėd in protest as she returned it to default setting and it tried to prevent her from slamming in the roof of nearby building. It was a somewhat successful maneuver, because Aria didn't become a stain on the roof. Instead she landed hard, the mechanized joints of her armor protesting as they absorbed the hit. Her HUD flashed with yellow warnings, showing marginal damage to her knee and ankle armor joints.
Aria smiled. While her armor was damaged, her body was not. More importantly she was back on a firm, solid ground. Roof. Whatever. She wasn't falling down from orbit anymore and that was the important thing!
The Sith in training retrieved her Carbine from its magnetic hook on her back, discarded the spent repulsor pod and looked around, using both the Force and her armor's built in sensors to get her bearing. She was about a click from the control center of the Shield Generator Complex, which was the primary target. Shock troopers and pieces of pods were raining around her, further confusing the defenders.
Aria braced herself. She had wasted entirely too much time on that roof. It was time to join the action. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down a bit her heart, which was pounding like a jackhammer in her ċhėst. It didn't help. ”Damn. And we Sith were supposed to be fearless...” she muttered.
Aria gulped, steeled herself and sprinted toward the edge of the roof.
=RK=
Planetary Shield Generator Complex
Geonosis
”Woohoo!” Boil exclaimed as he slammed into a confused B1 droid, instantly turning it into a pile of scrap.
Waxer landed about thirty meters to the west and wasted no time in retrieving his AR and opening fire at a nearby squad of SB droids. He shot the neares, which was facing him and then pumped a grenade in the midst of the others. The following explosion threw mechanic limbs and heads in all directions.
”Kriff it, that was awesome!” Boil shouted at his brother, who was dashing his way.
A woman shrieked nearby. The Clone whirled that way, his blaster at the ready. His grin grew wider when he saw the General's apprentice jumping from the roof of the building to his left. She opened fire from mid-air, suppressing a pair of Command Droids which were sneaking at him. Her wild bursts nailed one, which made for an awesome video, the other machine ducked behind a nearby cargo hauler. While the droid found temporarily reprieve from the crazy lass, it made a perfect target for Boil who didn't waste the opportunity and blew up the clanker.
”Ma'am, Troopers Waxer and Boil reporting. What are your orders?”
Aria stared at them for few seconds before shaking her head and pointing at the biggest building on their right.
”We are taking the control center.”
”Just the three of us?” Waxer asked, a hint of incredulity creeping in his usually professional voice.
”Awesome!” Boil grinned.
”Do I look suicidal?” She asked, sounding affronted. ”They are coming with us, she waved behind the pair.
”The more the merrier.” Boil shrugged.
His HUD was showing the better part of a company of Helldivers converging on their position.
”Kriff. My HUD's busted.” Waxer grumbled after glancing behind them.
”Just shoot any clanker or overgrown insect you see.” he quipped at his brother.
”Enough chit-chat. We are going in!” Aria ordered and sprinted towards the command center.