SWtCW: Grievous Wounds pt. 5

Surface of Lakton IV

“Commander.”
Niklos looked up from the holomap to face the Captain who'd addressed him.
“What is it?”
“Our heavy guns are in position.”
“Roger that, tell those crews to stand by until they receive orders from me to fire, I don't want to risk any counter-battery attacks.”
“Commander, incoming transmission.”
Niklos turned to his command staff. “Route it here.”
Captain Rex from the 7th Sky Corps appeared on holo.
“Commander, we've made contact with General Guo-Jia, but our Larty was shot down behind the lines and we are isolated.”
“What do you have there with you?” Niklos asked as he traced the transmission to its source. Once he had the location, he began to formulate a plan.
“We have one reinforced battalion with heavy weapons and no armor along with Commander N'ahrr and Geneal Guo-Jia.”
“Can you get to these coordinates?” Niklos asked, sending the burst transmission.
Rex paused for a moment as he received the data before nodding. “Yes sir, we can get there.”
“Alright, then this is what I propose.”

Rex killed the link and turned to look at the General.
“Commander Niklos requests that we move north three klicks, from there he can provide artillery support to form a break in the enemy line for us to exploit and escape through.
General Guo frowned. “Won't we be exposed moving through the gap? Our flanks will be completely engaged by the enemy.”
“They aren't just going to let us walk out.” the newly minted Captain Kil added dubiously.
“No, which is why we're moving to those coordinates. There is a concentration of the 13th's fighter tanks in that area. Once the bombardment clears our path, they'll sweep through to engage any surviving enemies and then screen our flanks as we pass through.”
General Guo nodded. “Alright, I like it. Let's get a move on.” she slapped Lana on the back. “Well, looks like your rescue attempt is going to work after all.”
Lana's face flushed as she nodded and move to follow after the general.
Rex looked to Kil. “It's your unit Captain, you lead them.”
Kil nodded and turned to bark at his troopers. “Form up and move out! Target is three klicks north of here!”

Lana had never had to keep pace with clones moving overland before. She'd always considered herself to be in good shape but they put her to shame with how easily they traversed the rocky ground and they were carrying all their gear with them! She was huffing and puffing before long and barely keeping up, in fact the only reason she was keeping pace with Rex she was certain was because he was pacing her!
“It's only a little further Commander.” Rex said reassuringly.
She glared at him. “Hey, I don't need special consideration!”
Rex seemed at a loss for a moment but was saved by Master Guo who came up chuckling.
“Don't take it personally Lana.” she said mirthfully. “They're awfully accommodating.” she grinned at Rex. “Something about us being inferior compared to them.”
Lana heard what sounded like choking from inside Rex's helmet, but it was abruptly cut off, he must have muted his interior speakers.
“I'm not inferior!” she said indignantly.
“Uh, no ma'am, I never thought that.”
“Oh come on Captain.” teased Master Guo good naturedly as they jogged along. “Even Kil admitted that one!”
Rex said nothing as they continued to move and Lana turned her attention towards Master Guo. She was certainly something...in fact she was inspiring if Lana was being honest with herself. She imagined herself coming to the rescue the way Master Guo had...she hoped she would be that cool one day.
“We're hear.” Captain Kil announced.

Niklos answered the com call immediately. Patching through all four links into his mobile command post.
“We're at the location Commander.” Captain Rex reported.
“Good,” Niklos turned towards Kil. “Are your men in good enough shape to make the dash?”
“How far do we have to move?” Kil inquired.
Niklos checked. “The front is seven klicks deep, but we'll be moving in through the gap with heavy armor and infantry to follow on the fighter tanks. Our goal is to widen the gap and turn their flank but at the very least we'll clear a path for you.”
Kil nodded. “We can do it.”
“Then brace yourselves, fire mission incoming.” as the link severed, Niklos turned to his artillery commander. “I want a full barrage on these coordinates, smash those Seps into scrap.”

Guo had seem some things in the few months since the war had started. She'd seen whole platoons blown to pieces in a matter of seconds, she'd seen the trooper standing next to her incinerated, she'd seen waves of infantry mowed down in front of her, she'd watched helplessly as her padawn was cut limb from limb while Kil dragged her to safety, but nothing equaled the sheer ferocity of the 13th's artillery barrage.
“What are they trying to do!?” she shouted. “Crack the flipping crust!?”
No one answered her and the barrage continued. Though they weren't at the site of the bombardment, there was no lessening the tremors and she had to work not to clench her teeth less she shatter them from the constant jarring. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the barrage stopped. Guo got to her feet and looked down the slope below her battalion. They had a clear field, there would still be stragglers of course, but that was just another part of the operation. Her job was to get through, and she was going to do just that.
“Alright, come guys, they aren't going to keep the door open forever!”

Kil needed no prompting, weeks of fighting alongside the General told him what was going to happen next.
“With the General!” he barked over the command circuit. “Charge!”
There was a collective shout from the troopers and then they were on their feet charging down the slope through the gap the artillery had blown for them. General Guo was at their head with Captain Rex on her left while Kil brought up the right. Both captains kept up their fire as they dashed through, blasting any droids that lingered amidst the cratered ground. It was no small task, the further into the gap they proceeded the more and more droids seemed to appear. This could get bad if they got bogged down and the enemy decided to turn inwards to engage their flanks. All their hopes rested on the combined fighter tank and heavy armor assault somewhere ahead of them.
Kil looked to his left at General Guo. If they were going to die, he would die besides her. No one should die alone.

“What was that!?” shouted Obi-Wan as the ground stopped shaking.
Cody was silent for a moment before answering.
“Artillery barrage, seventy-percent of the 13th's heavy guns were concentrated on one stretch of the front.”
Obi-Wan blinked. Seventy-percent? That much firepower would level a city. What in the name of the Force was Niklos doing?
“Find out what's going on!” he shouted. “We don't have time for surprises!”
“Armor!” someone shouted.
Obi-Wan turned to see a line of AATs rolling into position.
“Get down!”
He and the clones around him all flattened themselves just as the tanks opened fire on their line. Blaster and laserfire peppered their positions as dozens of clones were mowed down in the advance.
“Where the hell did they come from!?” someone shouted over the link.
“Get a launcher up here!”
“MEDIC!”
The sound of his men fighting and dying around him wasn't new to Obi-Wan, but he'd rarely had the chance to be in the midst of it like this. It was hell. Of that there was no doubt.
“Cody! Get an aerostrike on those tanks!”
“Already on that General! Aerostrike incoming!”
A flight of ARC-170s winged in low over the field from the west, their cannons spitting fire as they loosed a volley of proton torpedoes on the tanks and droids. As they pulled away, their aft cannons opened fire, continuing the strafing run even as the fighters ascended once more.
Obi-Wan got to his feet to look at the devastation as his men began to pick up the pieces of their units around him.
“Sir,” Cody said. “The enemy line is collapsing along the right flank, our forces are turning in to cut off their retreat. We've got them.”
Obi-Wan nodded. “Alright, get demo squads into the foundries, destroy anything they can use.” he turned to look as a walker squadron strode into view, their cannons barking angrily at the straggling Separatists.
“And find out how General Guo is doing.”
“Roger that sir.” Cody replied.

Orbit of Lakton IV, Republic star destroyer Resolute

“Admiral! The enemy fleet is moving!”
“Trajectory?” Yularen asked calmly as he turned his gaze from the ongoing bloodbath on the surface.
“Intercept course sir, it looks like they're going to fight.”
“Damn.” Yularen scowled. He didn't have the forces to fight the Separatist fleet. That heavy cruiser and the battleship alone were enough to wipe his meager task force out.
“All ships, break orbit and head for open space, if they want a fight, they'll have to catch us!”
“Sir, what about the ground forces?”
“Launch all remaining assault forces, get the assault ships on the ground and any additional units that can launch from the destroyers, give them everything we've got but get our ships out of orbit now!”
“Aye sir!”
Yularen punched in the command frequency. “General Kenobi, if you can hear this we are withdrawing from low orbit. The enemy fleet is moving to engage us and we do not have the forces to fight them at the present time. If we remain to support you we'll be trapped. I am transferring all ground forces I can to the surface to help you in your attack including the assault ships. I recommend you form them into a defensive perimeter so that their shields can screen you from any incoming attacks.”
“I understand Admiral, get your ships to safety, we'll handle this on our own.” General Kenobi replied grimly.
“Wait!” came a woman's breathless voice over the command circuit. “There's another option!”
“Who is this? Identify yourself!” Yularen demanded.
“This is General Guo-Jia,” she replied as blasterfire echoed in the background. “I've linked up with elements of the 13th Assault Corps and am taking command and I am saying that you do not have to withdraw.”
“We have no choice General, our forces don't stand a chance against that fleet!” Yularen protested.
“Is that monster cruiser still in the middle of their fleet?”
“Of course it is!”
“It's equipped with ion pulse cannons.” General Guo-Jia said simply. “You trigger those when its in the middle of their fleet and they'll be dead in space.”
“And how do your propose we fire those cannons? Ask them?” Yularen asked caustically.
“We launch an assault on that ship Admiral, it's our only chance.”
“Absolutely not! We'd lose too many ships and men!”
“And if you withdraw then we're either dead or back in the mines Admiral. I am not going back down there.” there was a hardness in General Guo-Jia's voice now. “We can do this, an assault ship can ram their hangar and launch a strike inside of the beast to fire the cannons and then the rest of the fleet can close in to finish them off.”
“That's assuming you could even get close! Any ship trying to run that gauntlet would be torn to shreds!”
“Not if we slingshoted ourselves using the gravity well.” General Guo-Jia responded. “We'd be moving too fast for them to hit us effectively, we'd be through their lines before they could stop us.”
“This is insane!” protested Yularen.
“No, it's our only choice.” General Guo-Jia replied grimly. “Master Kenobi, will you help me? I can't fight their commander by myself and he's probably on that ship.”
There was a long pause and for a moment, Yularen thought that the senior jedi would listen to reason, his hopes were shattered as General Kenobi spoke.
“We'll attack them, if our attempt fails then we've at least destroyed their mining and production operations on the planet and the fleet can still withdraw mostly intact. Admiral, aside from the forces attacking the Separatist fleet, I want to begin immediate withdrawal of our forces on the planet. No one is going to be left behind.”
“I...I understand General, we'll begin withdrawal immediately.”
“Order our bombers to level the Separatist facilities, we've already rigged demolition charges to most of them but there are still some that remain standing. We can't destroy them completely but we can at least disable them.”
“Of course General, I'll make sure it is taken care of...and General?”
“Yes Admiral?”
“Good luck.”

Entering the atmosphere of Malastare

Ahsoka looked out her fighter's cockpit at her new master's craft. It was pretty heavily customized, so much so that it was hardly recognizable as a Delta-7. It looked a little comical she had to admit, but it seemed to handle better than her own Delta-7 did, making her more than a little envious of it. Still she had to concentrate on their mission.
“Master, all flight leads are showing green.”
“Roger that, all ships listen up. Our job is to screen the bombers while they conduct their runs. I want the ARC-170s to stay close to them to provide point support. Headhunters, Torrents, and TIEs intercept the enemy and engage targets of opportunity, bombers are a priority.”
Ahsoka listened as all the flight leaders responded in the affirmative before activating her own channel to Master Skywalker.
“What's the plan Skyguy?”
“I wish you'd stop calling me that.” he replied tersely.
Ahsoka smiled. “What are we going to do Master?”
“We'll be joining the interceptors.” he said in exasperation. “Try to keep up.”
“That won't be a problem Master.” she replied with a snort. “I'll be sure to watch your back Skyguy.”
She heard his sigh and smiled smugly as she moved to join with a trio of Headhunters as they dove down towards the battlefield. She could see the flashing lights of the battle below as the two sides exchanged fire. From up here it almost looked beautiful.
“Incoming Vultures.” a pilot called.
“I see them.” another answered.
“All ships engage.” Master Skywalker ordered.
Ahsoka watched as his starfighter rolled away from the rest and accelerated. She pushed her own craft's engines up to maximum, determined not to be left behind and be shown up by her Master, however the modified starfighter's engines pushed it beyond her reach easily and she was forced to fallback within the screen of the other starfighters as they rose to engage the incoming enemy. She set her sights on a flight of enemy bombers and swooped downwards towards them. Her lasers peppered their armored hulls as she flew threw their formation. They remained together as they continued on their attack run and Ahsoka swung around to engage them from the rear as a flight of T.I.E. Starfighters came in and shredded them.
She felt her adrenaline rising as the aerial furball began and she took her place in the deadly dance, slewing her fighter in a series of high-G maneuvers as she engaged each enemy that presented itself amidst the buzzing swarm of fighters.

Anakin kept one eye on his apprentice's movements. She wasn't half bad, and he had to give her credit for trying to keep up with him but nothing could catch the Angel with her sheer engine power. The massive twin engines gave it a power-to-mass ratio that outstripped anything in the Republic inventory. He looked at the incoming enemy fighters and smiled almost giddily. It was time to have some fun. He squeezed the trigger and the Angel opened fire, peppering the enemy and blowing them to pieces as he swooped through them.
He was the first to go through the enemy gauntlet but a veritable swarm of V-19s, Z-95s, and TIEs came after him eager to join the fight. He liked the V-19, it was a versatile design and the Z-95 had been around so long and modified so much that there was no doubt as to its reliability in a fight. The variant that the clones flew was faster and more maneuverable than its predecessors and came standard with shields and hyperdrive in addition to twin laser cannons and paired torpedo launchers, making it an effective mutlirole fighter. The T.I.E. Starfighter though was another matter entirely. With no hyperdrive, no life support, and no shields, it was basically an engine with twin-linked lasers and a cockpit strapped on. They were extremely fast, almost as fast as the Azure Angel II, but that didn't make up for their major flaw: they popped like popcorn.
Their only redeeming quality as far as Anakin was concerned was that they were easy to mass produce. When he and Obi-Wan had first taken command of the Open Circle fleet at the start of the war, the first thing he'd done was exchange all their TIEs for Z-95s which were almost as plentiful and in Anakin's mind far more capable fighters. Still, the TIEs were here so there was no denying their usage and as he continued to blast the Sep fighters from the space above the Republic forces Anakin couldn't deny the TIE pilots a grudging respect for their bravery and tenacity. Despite their disadvantages, they engaged the enemy with just as much zeal as their better equipped brethren.
The dogfight lasted for just over seven minutes before the Separatist fighters finally withdrew. Their bombers had scored some hits but the Republic forces had kept the bulk of them off of the Republic line while their Y-wings had gone on to score several strikes of their own against the Sep line.
Anakin's eyes caught sight of something that made him scowl.
“Ahsoka, pull back now, you're going to get yourself killed.”
“But they're getting away and we're winning!” she protested.
“You and the pilots with you are to turn around now.” Anakin ordered. “You can't take on the entire Sep fleet by yourselves.”
Anakin heard Ahsoka's sigh but noted with approval that she and the fighters flying in formation with her turned around to rejoin the rest of their fellows.
“I copy Master.”
Anakin did a quick scan of Republic frequencies and stopped when he heard a familiar voice.
“Fortify our positions! I want those gaps plugged! Get our walkers up here! We need to push back before they have a chance to exploit the holes!”
Anakin punched the comlink. “Fordo is that you?”
“Commander Skywalker?” replied the ARC captain with evident confusion. “What are you doing here?”
“It's General now Fordo, and I was aboard one of the ships that got called into the area.”
“Congratulations on the promotion sir. It's,” Fordo paused as if the words were hard to find. “Good to hear you again.”
“You'll be seeing me again too Fordo, we're coming down on your coordinates.”
“Good to have you sir.”
Anakin switched the link over to Ahsoka again. “Follow me in, we're landing and joining the ground forces.”
“What about the rest of the fighters Skyguy?”
Anakin winced. Why did she insist on calling him that?
“They'll be fine, they're heading back to the fleet. I've got an old friend to catch up with on the planet.”

Ahsoka frowned as the link died and she broke off from the Headhunters she'd been flying with. She'd thought that perhaps Master Skywalker lacked aggression when he'd called off her pursuit of the retreating Separatist fighters, but now he was landing in amidst the ground forces! Perhaps he did have some fight in him after all. Her esteem for him grew as he made for the point where the fighting was heaviest. Maybe he had the heart of a warrior after all!