SWtCW: Standfast pt. 3

Mid Rim, Republic Relay Outpost

The crump of explosions sounded as the incoming droids marched their way through the improvised minefield surrounding the relay outpost. Atop the outpost Jedi Knight and General Choyel Dowitire watched the Separatist forces closing in around her limited forces. She was pleased to see that the mines were having some effect, blowing gaping holes in the lines of the droids. There were still hundreds of them and her meager forces were heavily outnumbered but it was something.
As the droids drew nearer the weapons teams around her opened fire with their repeating blasters both from the rooftop and from the approaches to the outpost's entrance. Waves of blasterfire poured into the advancing droids and for a brief moment Choyel felt that perhaps they had a chance as the droids' return fire spattered harmlessly against the walls of the outpost, unable to fire effectively at the raised positions of the heavy repeaters. Then something massive loomed out of the droids' serried ranks.
“What is that?” Choyel asked in disbelief as she looked at the overlarge droid.
It looked like the standard B2 battle droid but it was well over double the height of the smaller droid and had a the same dark steel coloration to it. As she watched two small arms extended from its torso.
“Incoming!” Choyel shouted in a moment of realization.
She and Iago ducked down as the rooftop was peppered by blasterfire, angry red bolts burning scorch marks into the duracrete and felling troopers as they returned fire.
“Concentrate fire on that monster!” Choyel shouted. “Missiles!”
The scream of a missile sounded and Choyel looked up to see the warhead slam home, staggering the droid for a moment. To her dismay the droid remained upright and turned its attention back to them.
“Hit it again!” she heard Iago snap.
It was too late however as another volley of blasterfire tore through the missile team, killing the gunners for both launchers. Choyel clenched her fists for a moment before she jumped to her feet and ignited her sabers.
“Commander!” she shouted. “Get those launchers!”
“With you General!”
The pair of them dashed across the roof to the downed launchers. Choyel took up position in front of Iago who knelt down to retrieve one of the weapons. She began swatting aside the incoming blasterfire from the towering droid as it loomed closer to them, her purple blades flashing in a blinding display as she did her best to deflect the bolts away harmlessly rather than at the troopers standing atop the roof with her.
“We've only got one launcher left ma'am!” Iago shouted as he hefted the undamaged weapon over his shoulder.
“Better make it count then!” Choyel shouted back, her attention fully focused on the hail of angry red bolts pouring against her blades.
“Ready!” Iago replied. “Down!”
Choyel ducked down, kneeling on the roof as the scream of the missile sounded right behind and above her head. She felt the heat of the warhead's passage over the back of her neck as it roared up towards the droid. Watching as the missile slammed into the shoulder of the droid and a far larger secondary explosion ripped through its torso. The smoldering wreckage of the annihilated droid toppled into the ranks of advancing droids, smashing many of the smaller droids in its collapse as Choyel picked herself up and looked to Iago.
“Nice shot Commander.”
“Thanks for the cover General.” the clone officer replied. “It isn't over.”
“No,” Choyel agreed as the sound of battle raged around them.

“Sir, one of the B4 battle droids have been destroyed.” the droid operator reported in a monotone. “There appears to be a Jedi on the rooftop.”
Durge grunted, Ventress would be annoyed about that but it was just a droid. They could build more. He was glad to see that there was Jedi here, he always enjoyed killing them.
“Order the second Ultra to target the Republic positions on the roof. Drop them through it.”

“There's another one!” one of the clone troopers shouted, pointing as a second massive droid moved into position.
“Iago!” Choyel shouted. “Get that launcher ready!”
“Loaded and ready General.” Iago replied.
Choyel looked up as the droid seemed to brace itself for a moment and realized too late what was about to happen as a missile howled out of its shoulder launcher. She flung her hand forwards and jerked it violently to one side, sending the missile careening away harmlessly to explode amidst the droids around the compound. The massive battle droid however did not seem dissuaded from its attack as it leveled its weapons at the rooftop and began to pepper it again with angry red bolts of energy. Choyel's sabers danced back and forth before her as she attempted to keep her men on the roof alive under the withering barrage.
Amidst the attack, another missile sailed out of the droid's launcher. Unable to cease her defensive maneuvers or risk being gunned down Choyel could only watch in mounting terror as the missile soared towards the complex and slammed into the building directly across from her. The roof of the building collapsed amidst the explosion as a wave of heat and sound overwhelmed Choyel's senses as she and the troopers around here were dropped through the collapsing structure's roof. Above her, Choyel heard a booming explosion before the debris collapsed in around her and her world went dark.

“The threat from the roof has been neutralized.” the droid reported stoically.
Durge grinned behind his mask. “Good.”
“However the remaining B4 battle droid has been destroyed.”
Durge's leering grin turned into a snarl. He would never hear the end of this once Ventress knew the results of this mission. She loved goading him over this sort of crap. In the meantime though he was going to go down to the planetoid and finish this.
“I'm taking field command.” Durge snarled. “No one shoots the Jedi, leave them to me.”

Mid Rim, aboard the Republic star destroyer Vigil

“Sir, we've just lost the transmission.”
Senior Commander Tag turned to the crewman who had been monitoring the ongoing distress and warning signal coming from the relay station they were racing towards.
“What happened?”
“It terminated mid repetition.” the crewman replied.
“I see.” he turned to the communications watch. “Notify the Generals, request that they meet me in the briefing room.”

Nabin followed Estelle into the briefing room looking around at the clone officers gathered there before he spied his master whose side he quickly stepped to.
“What's going on Master?” he asked uncertainly.
His master looked at him with a tense smile.
“We lost the transmission from the relay post.”
Nabin's heart sank. “Does that mean we're too late to save Knight Dowitire and her men?”
Nabin watched as his master took a deep breath before shaking her head, cracking a smile.
“No, we're going to save her and her forces.”
Nodding in uncertain agreement, Nabin turned to Commander Tag who was beginning to speak, indicating the holographic indication of the fleet and their destination.
“The transmission was cut off mid-repeat which leads us to believe that the outpost has been knocked out. We cannot risk our own transmissions unless we want to find ourselves pursued by any Separatist forces in the region.” a large red wedge arrow indicated the possible advance of the Separatists. “We know there is at least one large Separatist fleet advancing along the local spacelanes in an attempt to push the Separatist offensive advantage however there may be other elements we do not know about within range of our emissions. With no other information to go on, as of this moment, we have to assume that the forces located at the transmission's origins have been wiped out.” he regarded Nabin's master and Knight Korra grimly. “We should abort the rescue mission and return to the safety of our own lines. The Republic will need our forces elsewhere.”
Nabin looked over at Estelle and her master, looking at the pale eyes of Knight Korra searchingly as she gazed up at the hologram. He'd been trying to read her since first meeting her. He knew that Knight Korra was friends with his own master, Knight Nerlo, but beyond that he really hadn't interacted with her very much before this mission.
“If it were us,” Knight Korra spoke quietly. “Would you want your rescuers to give up?”
Commander Tag looked back at her calmly.
“I would understand that losing additional forces to rescue ours was not acceptable.”
Knight Korra nodded. “I can understand that position Tag, but we cannot abandon them. They asked for help, we're going to provide it.” she took a deep breath. “Even if all we can ultimately do is find out what happened to them.”
The clone commander considered for a moment before he nodded.
“Understood General,” he turned his gaze to Nabin's master. “I assume you are in concordance as well ma'am?”
Nabin watched as his master nodded.
“Yes, we're not abandoning our fellows. Not after they risked their lives to warn the Republic of the Separatist attacks.”
Nabin watched as the clone's features closed up. He could sense frustration from the officer, but was impressed by the ease with which Commander Tag accepted the judgement of the two Jedi he referred to as 'generals'.
“Very well, we'll continue on our current heading. As of now we will arrive in half a standard day.”
“Thank you Tag.” Knight Korra said solemnly. “Keep us informed of any further changes.”
As the briefing broke up, Nabin followed his master out of the now brightly lit chamber into the passageways of the Vigil.
“Are we really too late? Commander Tag seems to think that they're already dead.”
“He's a clone.” Freya answered. “He's trained to assume the worst.” she gave a slight smile. “I think that's part of why the clones and the Jedi are working together. We provide the hope to counter their dour outlook on things.”
Nabin accepted his master's appraisal but in the back of his mind he could still sense the clone commander's ill ease over the decision to continue and his certainty that the forces they were rushing to rescue were already dead. What if they were wrong? What if all they were doing was rushing into the jaws of the Separatists who had already wiped out one group of Jedi and clones and were only too happy to take down a second?

Sitting in her cabin, Dee'la examined the holographic map that showed the presumed advance of the Separatist warmachine as it closed in around the Core Worlds. The Mid Rim was in serious trouble if these assumptions were correct. She wasn't sure if the Republic could withstand such an attack, let alone multiple attacks and from all indications there were at least three mass offensives happening at once in an effort to bolster the gains already made by the Separatists in the opening months of the war. The energies of the hologram glowed before her unseeing eyes and as she continued to examine the map she saw the energies of her apprentice through the bulkhead approaching her door.
She motioned with her hand, opening the door before Estelle had a chance to enter and smiled at her apprentice. When they'd first begun their journey together, Estelle had been surprised whenever Dee'la opened doors before she entered, however she'd become used to it with time and now just accepted that the doors between her and Dee'la would open before she had a chance to knock. The energies within Estelle though indicated that this wasn't just a social visit, something was worrying Dee'la's young apprentice.
“What's the matter?”
Estelle swallowed, shifting uncertainly.
“Master, I was listening to some of the other officers. They all agree with Commander Tag, they think we're throwing ourselves right into the Separatist advance with no chance of surviving.”
“Does that worry you?” Dee'la asked gently.
Estelle nodded, her energies revealing more than uncertainty, there was fear mixed with it.
Dee'la sighed. “I understand, I do, but I won't abandon them. We're not just military officers, we're always, first and foremost, Jedi. We don't abandon those in need, do you understand?”
Estelle nodded again, immediately, her emotions flickering between determination and that uncertain fear bubbling beneath the surface.
“It's just that, well...the last time we faced off against the Separatists like this we ended up...that is—“
“—you're afraid we'll fight another being like that Miraluka.” Dee'la said, adding to herself that there were worse within the Separatist ranks.
“Yes.” Estelle said after a moment. “I don't know if Nabin could fight him. He nearly killed me.”
“He surprised us.” Dee'la said. “And if he's here then we'll at least know what we're facing.” she gave a reassuring smile. “Leave him to Freya and myself, you keep Nabin alive, deal?”
Estelle brightened slightly, her emotions becoming vibrant.
“Yes Master, you don't believe Commander Tag do you?”
“That everyone is already dead?” Dee'la shook her head. “No, I do not. I trust in the Force and it tells me that we're still needed.”