"We are touching down on Kashyyyk in a few minutes. We will land several klicks from the Black Forest so as to avoid any area that could prove to be hazardous. "
As a Dragon Brood clone trooper pilot announced their arrival, Shriekhawk-1 made its slow and steady descent through the thin wispy clouds and over the thick canopies of the wroshyr trees before finding a spot on an abandoned tree top landing pad. Once it touched down on the wooden bowl, the occupants filed out of the gunship with the red jaig eyes and orange paint toward the stairs that led onto the platform below. It was apparent that this landing pad saw much use during the Clone Wars as seen by the wear around the edges and the scars of laser fire all over the structure.
"You sure Quinlan Vos is lurking somewhere inside that forest?" Rahm Kota kept his colorless eyes trained upon the Black Forest, where the Shadowlands were located in the beyond.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Major Drake replied as he trotted after the Jedi. "I mean, no one would care to risk their lives by walking into the death trap. A lot of things that could kill you lounge in there."
"I don't care where he is at," Eyghor muttered. "I only want to find him alive and in one piece. Do you think we can?"
"Positive that we will locate Vos, I am," Yoda assured the Mirialan Jedi. "Have good relationships with the Wookies, I do. Enlist their aid, we must."
"Oh, I don't doubt that we will need their assistance," General Kota grumbled. "They know the Shadow Jungle better than we do. Perhaps they know alternate routes that could preserve our lives or they are smart enough to avoid such a crazy feat."
"I am sure we can figure out if we are running headlong into any danger in a timely manner, general." Hunter walked ahead of his fellow squadmates of Clone Force 99. "I have enhanced senses and don't forget Crosshair's skills as a marksman."
"Eyy! What about me?" Wrecker groaned. The steps heaved and shuddered under his weight. "I am large and can destroy things like a juggernaut."
"The only thing you will destroy right now is this stair case with your weight if you aren't careful where you step," Crosshair replied, glancing back and playing with his toothpick.
"Oi! What's that supposed to-Augh!" Wrecker's left foot knocked a wooden plank down from the stairs, tumbling into the blackish-green foliage below. The stairs started to heave to and fro, the clones unlucky enough to still be on it clutching the railings tightly.
"This is precisely what I meant when I said you'd destroy this staircase like a juggernaut, you big lug," Crosshair hissed as he grabbed onto the railing to keep from falling to his death in the jungle below.
"Hey, I didn't mean to, seriously!" The Bad Batch's bruiser grabbed onto the railing until the other steps started to give away and the stairs flew back, knocking him, Crosshair, and the clones holding on for dear life against the wroshyr tree serving as the landing platform. "Woooooaaahhhh!"
Hunter, who was able to leap into the platform below due to his close proximity to it, turned around and gazed in shock at the scene unfolding. Desperate to save his two comrades, his eyes scanned the canopy of the blackish-green forest to locate a makeshift coil or rope he could improvise from the tree's vines. "Hang in there, boys. I need a moment and I will be able to rescue you."
"Yeah, what does it look like we are doing?" A tooka doll started to slip out from the mutated clone's pack. "No, not Lula!"
As he reached over to grab it, the railing gave way and the rest of the clones began their plummet to the dangerous soil of the planet's exterior, Hunter let out a shout of despair as he watched his fellow mutated clones fall to their deaths. As he anxiously glanced over the side of the wooden platform, he was greeted by an awe-inducing sight. Wrecker, Crosshair, and several Dragon Brood troopers were levitating above the canopy of the trees below and were set upon the wooden platform before the other members of the Shriekhawk-1 strike force , the former clutching his doll to his chest.
"You alright?"
Hunter hurried over to his brothers as they glanced all over their body like they woke up from a nap. Wrecker pounded his right fist into his left palm, a wild look in his grey eyes.
"That was fun! Did you see that, Hunter? I was flying?"
Crosshair only rolled his eyes and dusted himself "I believe we all were flying thanks to our saviors, the Jedi."
The gray-haired sniper motioned to Eyghor Dragos and Rahm Kota, who had just lowered their arms and opened their eyes, and Yoda, who was clinging on to a trooper's back. Hunter, Wrecker, and the regs who were on the doomed stairs with them nodded their gratitude to the Jedi who had spared them from a drop of death to Kashyyyk's vegetative floor.
"You are welcome, but you can show your thanks by making haste with the search for Master Vos," Eyghor replied as he prepared to descend the wooden ladder to the floor of the Wookie home planet. As Eyghor followed one of the clone's under his command down the ladder, followed by the clone that bore Yoda on his back, the green Jedi Master addressed the former's command.
"Making haste, I do not recommend. Be thorough, we must. "
"Master Yoda has a point there," General Kota added as he descended the ladder with his personal militia. "As much as I want to find an old drinking buddy and hop on out of this planet, we need to make sure we aren't heading facefirst into a trap laid out by the Imps."
"That is a valid concern," Hunter voiced his assent to Yoda's suggestion. "Let me remind you once again that as long as you have me in this expedition, you have no need to fear an ambush or an attack by the Imps. My senses can warn us of any enemy troops or hostile locals over 100 clicks away. "
"We got it the first time, clone," one of the militia's Saboteurs, a Rodian in heavy white armor, helmet, and face covering, muttered. "However, it is of paramount importance we keep our guards up and not storm any positions until we gather valuable intel. My Saboteurs are highly skilled in search and destroy tactics."
As soon as they touched down, the clones , along with the militia's Elites and Heavies, trained their weapons around their dark arboreal surroundings in case Imperial soldiers or some lethal inhabitant of the nearby Shadowlands happened to stumble upon them. As soon as all the Jedi and the small anti-Imperial detachment accompanying them completed their descent, Rahm Kota glanced toward Yoda.
"Where do we head off to from here?"
Yoda cleared his throat. " A moment, I will need. Sense Master Vos's presence in the Force, I will try. "
Eyghor Dragos watched apprehensively, Major Drake by his side clutching his (clone rifle), as the little green alien closed his eyes in concentration. After a bit, the former leader of the fallen Order's eyes reopened and he began to speak once more.
"Detect Master Vos's tainted Force signature, I have. Cross the Shadowlands, we must to reach the location of this disturbance in the Force." Master Yoda pointed a finger toward the heart of the Black Forest.
"You heard the little green master, get a move on! " General Kota ordered his troops.
"Yes sir! Affirmative!"
As soon as Kota's guerrilla troops marched steadily into the dense shrubbery, Eyghor nodded at his clone liaison, who in turn gave the order for the Dragon Brood to march on as well. As soon as the clones of the 494th and all accompanying units disappeared among the various shades of green, Crosshair and Hunter tailed their reg brothers until they realized someone was missing. The two mutated clones glanced back to see Wrecker hanging back, glancing apprehensively at the dark forest that surrounded them.
"Wrecker, what's the hold up? We need to get a move on and retrieve our quarry so we can get out of dodge! " Hunter urged on his younger brother. "The longer you linger here, the higher the chances the Imps or a creature from your worst nightmare stumbles upon us."
Crosshair sighed. "Honestly, what is keeping you this time? We have gotten past your greatest fear once we nearly plummeted to our deaths up there on that unstable platform. Are you going to tell us you are afraid of monsters?"
The Bad Batch's bruiser only groaned. "No...well... Yes...I mean, how do we know there isn't a massive cliff or a trench that is several klicks wide?"
"Look, I can't guarantee that there aren't, but if you continue to linger out here, some brute from Kashyyyk's jungles is going to chance upon us and have us for its next meal, assuming that the Imps or their Trandoshan hunter minions don't find us first. Now let's get going. We are falling behind the main column. I promise I will let you know if danger is lurking around the corner."
As Hunter extended his hand, Wrecker glanced to Crosshair, who crossed his arms impatiently, before making his way to his brothers. After catching up to the rest of Shriekhawk-1's crew, the 3 enhanced clones readied their weapons and glanced around for threats hidden in the dense foliage. The sounds of the insects, avian, and other fauna of the Black Forest echoed around them as the team cautiously made their way through the grasslands, weapons raised. The sounds of sticks and dried grass cracked as they inched closer to the Shadowlands. The sun disappeared behind the thick tree cover over them, plunging the strike team's neck of the woods into early nocturne the deeper they got inside the planet's infamous danger region.
Why did Vos have to select the most treacherous of Kashyyyk's regions to hide out from the Empire? Oh right, no one in their right mind would venture a klick into the Black Forest lest they have a death wish. A perfect place to hide out the madness consuming the galaxy. Smart thinking, Vos. I'll give you that.
Hunter recalled that one mission Clone Force 99 had gone on with Quinlan Vos and Depa Billaba on Kerkodia to pacify the pro-Separatist forces led by Piar Nagelsa. The Bad Batch had fought alongside Commander Grey and the Haruun Kal Battalion to eradicate the droid army, which was a cancer on the former Republic planet, but despite Nagelsa getting killed during the Battle of Plagen, the campaign ended in a disaster and the Republic lost another planet to the CIS. Despite fighting a hard and grueling battle, it wasn't the Jedi or the Grand Army of the Republic who had done in the Separatist leader of the Kerkodian military. Rather, the tactical droid decided that its organic overseer was unfit for service and decided to rid the automated forces of their major obstacle in order to do what was needed to secure their victory.
That blasted battle did seem to prove the fact that our victories against the Seps seem to be due to the fact their commanders lack competence and restrain those tactical buggers for us. That would be frightening if the CIS only relied on those tactical droids to direct the war without organic officers to override their decisions. Fortunately, the war ended and now we have biological enemies to deal with. Although, it would have done the Seppies some good not to underestimate the creativity of Clone Force 99.
As soon as they came out onto a windy wooded path complete with a paved rocky path, a scream was heard among the fugitives' ranks. All units looked over to see the Rodian Saboteur from earlier get dragged by his boot toward the vegetation. Looking closely, he spotted a kelly green vine with thorns wrapped tightly around the militia fighter's leg. As clones and militia fighters shot at thorn-adorned vine, Hunter followed its trail to pod-shaped plant ahead of the trail and lunged forward. Activating his Vibro-knife, he sliced the vine clean from the tip before the flailing militant could come near the sickly green plant. Walking over, Hunter took the Rodian's hand and hoisted him up, patting him on the back.
"Still don't trust clones, soldier? You better get with it because we are in this together and you know who has your six?"
"Did you not brag that your senses could alert us to incoming ambushes?" General Kota inquired. "Then how was my troop taken by surprise?"
"Need for conflict, there is none," Yoda spoke. "Attacks only when threatened, the orga plant does. Move along, we must."
"Yeah, I agree with that, Master Yoda," Eyghor grumbled as he and his clone officer turned to lead the group deeper into the Black Forest. "Master Vos might be in grave danger as we search for him and whether he survives or not depends on soon we arrive. I suggest we make haste."
"Advise against that, I do. Patience we must have, young Jedi Knight, lest we run into another ambush."
"I agree," Major Drake concurred with the old Jedi Master. "If that man-eating plant is something is an indicator, I'd take it that much worse terrors await us in this spooky jungle. I'd rather get out of here alive if anything."
"At least I know that one of you bucketheads has some sense," Rahm Kota grumbled. "The sooner we find this elusive Jedi, the sooner we can stop for some drinks. Though I'd rather do it without losing any of my men. Numbers are critical if we want to take on the Imps and their vile clone army. I'd also rather chat with Quinlan Vos himself over a drink. I hear he had sense enough not to trust them as well. That is, until now, which got him into his sticky situation. He and I will be having a serious talk over some Corellian whiskey soon enough."
"Heavens Above!" Eyghor exclaimed. "You seriously have issues with the clone army. Major Drake and his men have gotten me out of many a dreadful situation and I trust them with my lives along with the Force. Besides, it was a clone, Captain Rex, who gave us the intel from another clone, Arc Trooper Fives, who gave his life to expose the Emperor's deception from the get go. Besides, a mutated clone just saved your militiaman's life moments ago. "
As the Jedi Knight finished his admonition of the blind Jedi, distant explosions were heard as well as shouts that resembled the din of battle. Glancing deeper into the dark forest, Eyghor unsheathed his lightsaber and ignited it, the blue glow lighting up the darkness around them. Hunter closed his eyes and tries to pinpoint the location of the fight before opening his eyes.
"The sounds of battle are coming northeast of us at the edge of the Shadowlands. We must proceed with caution."
"494 Brigade, sally forth!" Eyghor Dragos raised his saber and led the charge ahead to where hunter indicated.
As the green-camo troopers charged through the thick dark vegetation, Crosshair shook his head.
"What a laserbrain. From what Lt.Toad tells me, the Mirialan is a pacifist and that the Dragon Brood have to take the initiative in battles. Of all times to switch tactics, why start now ?"
Yoda ignited his saber which matched his skin. "In trouble, his former Master is. Eager to assist him, the young knight is. Restrain him, we must. Before he complicates things."
"Let me blow up some walkers!"
As Wrecker bulldozed his way through the plants of Kashyyyk, Hunter and Wrecker hurried after him.
"Get back here, you numbskull! If you are going to run headfirst into an Imperial ambush, don't drag us into it!"
Hunter and Crosshair drew their blasters and hurried after their comrade, hoping to stop him before he ran into trouble. As soon as they cleared the first several foliage, a piercing shriek tore through the air. The Bad Batch, with Yoda, Kota, and his militia hot on their heels, sprinted toward the source and found what looked like a giant Venus flytrap with the lower torso of a 494th trooper sticking out, the legs kicking in despair. As blaster fire arced toward the plant, a Aqualish Saboteur slid under the plant and used a vibro-axe to sever it from the stem, releasing the clone. The trooper, covered in a slimy yellow-green substance, was assisted by the militiaman as Dragos, Drake, Yoda, and Rahm Kota appeared to check on him. The Mirialan turned to speak to the older Jedi Knight.
"I am glad your troops and mine put aside their differences to assist each other when they find themselves in sticky situations. It gives me hope that we can work together for the remainder of our mission"
"Bah!" General Kota opened a canteen and drained it. "They are soldiers. They never leave allies to die. As you heard, we need every trooper if we have a stardust's chance in the universe to take on the Imps."
By the Void! This man is insufferable! Hunter thought. He is too stubborn to admit that he has been proven wrong in his close-minded assumptions about clones.
"The Jedi speaks some sense," Crosshair added. "Our odds are currently about 20 to 1 against the Imperial forces. That is only factoring in the Outer Rim where the Republic's reach was only minimal. "
"Awwww poodoo!" Wrecker groaned. "I wanted to destroy something."
"You will get your chance soon because I believe there a battle is going hot there!"
Hunter gazed over at the opening at the edge of the Black Forest where a patch of sunlight fell upon a piece of grassland surrounded by wroshyr that housed Wookie villages. The leader of Clone Force 99 saw a couple of the Imperial walkers that reminded him of Rothanan whelmers, flanked by a TX-130s, and several squads of clones, wearing either plain white armor or the markings of the 41st Elite, fanning out the area, searching. Upon closer inspection, the mutated clone realized that the clones were not the only force present. Green reptilian bipeds, some in tan AATs, augmented the clone troopers as they searched for something or someone. Hunter recognized the commander of the Trandoshan forces immediately.
Babwa Venomor, that slippery son of a Bantha got away, huh? Now he is escaping punishment for his crimes by assisting the Imperials in their own? Well, he will not get away scotfree this time! I will personally make sure he won't get his slimy hands on any more Wookie pelts.
One of the Imperial clones shouted and motioned to the trees as flashes from Wookie bowcasters rained down upon them. Soon, the Wookie defenders began their counterattack on the invaders. Hunter readied his (rifle) and prepared to join the fray on the Wookie's side before Crosshair reached out and gripped his hand, shaking his head.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Right, he is," Yoda informed them. "Outnumbered, we are. Of the Imperial Forces, we know have little logistics. Risky, it would be, to rush into the heart of the skirmish."
Wrecker groaned. "Aaaahh! When will I get to blow something up?"
"Now you are sounding a lot like Scorch," Lt.Toad noted.
Eyghor Dragos clutched his weapon close. "Do you guys see that?"
General Kota blinked his colorless eyes. "Do I look like I can see?"
"More ways to see, there are," Yoda commented as his eyes glanced in the direction the Mirialan's was. "A disturbance in the Force, I can sense. Rushing in without proper judgement, though, I do not suggest."
"Oh, Bantha piss!" Wrecker sulked.
Hunter was about to object when he noticed a lithe figure swoop down from a badly marred Wookie treehouse and activate a glowing green stick as it took on the loyalist clones and the Trandos. They observed as many of the troopers and their Trandoshan allies collapsed while the humanoid figure darted around, his weapon flashing in the dim light. As it leapt upon tanks, other war machines fired at the shape, but only succeeded in destroying the armor it was occupying before.
"Is that who I think it is?" Hunter murmured.
"Skies, it's really him!" Eyghor Dragos's beady eyes widened.
"Indeed, it is," Yoda greed. "I sense Master Quinlan Vos's signature. "
"He appears to be holding his own," Crosshair remarked. "I don't think us exposing our presence to the Imperials would be an essential idea."
The sound of a LAAT gunship was heard overhead and soon, a stark grey Imperial troop transport materialized above the trees, circling a couple times before it hovered between a couple burning tanks. The side door slid open and a clone officer, dressed in a cloak and wearing a helmet that seemed to Hunter like a mix of Neyo and Keller's, stepped out with an escort of a dozen Ranger Corps scouts and confront the Jedi. Hunter did a double take as he recognized the clone commander.
Faie! The most 'by the book ' clone I ever met. Gives Bacara and Neyo a run for their money. Always the first to bash on the 'Sad Batch'. Perhaps I can give Master Vos some assistance in putting down that mad dog.
As Hunter scurried through the tall grass, the conversation between the strict commander and the Dark Jedi began to reach his ears. His eyes grew wide and his arms clenched around his blaster rifle as he heard what they were speaking about.
Am I hearing that correctly? Does that bugger want to bomb this whole forest to the Void so he can kill one Jedi? Is he not putting his own troops, allies, and innocent Wookies on the line? I am aware he is fixated on completing the objectives, but this is a new low for him!
"Hunter! Wrecker! Eyghor! Where do you think you are going?"
Ignoring General Kota, Hunter dashed through the shrubbery and foliage, raising his weapon to fire. He sensed two other forms, one as lithe as a Vorn tiger while the other was like a rolling boulder, speed through the jungle to the site of the battle. Unlike those two, he didn't want to rescue an old mentor or fight for the sake of fighting. His objective was to prevent innocent lives from being taken by a madman. As he aimed his weapon at the sociopathic clone and was going to let out a burst to take him out when what happened next caught him off guard.
As Master Vos struggled with Faie, the former pulled back before a flash of grin arced through the space between him and his opponent. Commander Faie froze for a few seconds before he collapsed onto the grass. As the clones under Faie's command on the LAAT raised their weapons to attack the Jedi Master, Hunter decided to unload his (rifle) at them. As the Bad Batch's leader felled Faie's troops, Wrecker used that opportunity to barrel into a TX-130 tank, sending it careening into a few other tanks, including the Separatist tanks driven by the Trandoshans.
"I'm gonna wreck it!"
As the hulking clone served as a wrecking ball to the Imperial tanks, Hunter came upon the clearing and lunged upon an unsuspecting clone and stuck his Vibro-knife underneath an opening of his helmet. Eyghor, tailed and provided with cover fire by his clone battalion, entered the fray, deflecting blaster shots as he tried to close the gap between him and his former Master.
"Master Vos!"
Startled, the rogue Jedi Master turned to look at his former apprentice as the Mirialan approached while they deflected blaster bolts and cut down or Force pushed the enemy combatants.
"Eyghor?! What in the heavens are you doing here?"
"We are here to rescue you!"
"Star's End!" Quinlan Vos exclaimed as he evaded a Trandoshan slaver's slugthrower shot, cut the weapon with his saber, and slashed the reptilian militant. "How were you able to make it past the blockade? Alone at that as well? Hold on a sec. Why are your clones fighting alongside you?"
"Believe me, I am not too keen on that idea either, but it's a miracle the clones serving under him didn't blast him."
Rahm Kota had joined the fray as well, slashing 41st clones as his militia provided covering fire. Master Yoda himself had decided to partake, adding his green saber to the mix. The ancient Jedi master seemed like a blur to Hunter as he hopped around the battlefield, taking out Imperials and their Trandoshan headhunter allies. While he was distracted, the buzzing sound of the LAAT was heard. Glancing toward the open canopy of the tree cover, the tracker clone spotted the LAAT that had dropped Faie and his unit off come in to provide air support for the ground forces.
Who here has a RPS-6 launcher?
Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard and a red-purple bolt shot across the air and made contact with the gunship's cockpit, sending it careening down onto what was left of the Trando-Imperial ground armor, resulting in a wide explosion, sending Hunter and everyone else in the immediate radius of the blast flaying backward. Once the heat had dissipated and the smoke cleared, Hunter rose, coughing from the haze and noticed a severely burned Venomor crawl out of a blazing AAT hatch and stumble forward. The leader of the Bad Batch prepared to finish off the former Seppie, but another red-purple shot zipped across the air and found its mark on Venomor, knocking him down to the ground where he lay still. Hunter turned to see Crosshair on his Firepuncher sniper hidden among the brush and flashed him a thumbs up.
"Excellent, Crosshair. Though he was mine."
A loud bellowing sound was heard as a team of Wookies descended upon the battlefield to augment their numbers. In mere minutes, the Imperials were repelled back, a great many bodies littering the soil. Those that hadn't retreated were taken as prisoners by the defenders. Yoda walked up to the leader of the Wookie guerrilla party and addressed him.
"Thankful we are, Chewbacca, of your assistance. Vacate me must, as soon as possible. Complete, our objective is."
A brawny wookie with light brown fur, donning armor on his head and upper shoulders, turned and gave the little green alien a growl of acknowledgement as he and the one Yoda referred to his Chewbacca watched the joint Imperial-Trandoshan occupational force get marched to wooden structures where Hunter assumed the Wookie warriors would keep them in detention. The tracker recognized the wookie he answered for Chewbacca as Salporin from the previous campaign against Venomor and the rest of the Separatist's Trandoshan allies. The former master of the Jedi temple turned to see Quinlan Vos and Eyghor Dragos make their way over to the group.
"A long time, has it been, my former Padawan. Dead, I presumed you were."
Master Vos just chuckled. "It's great to see you as well, Master Yoda. It's a long story, but I assure you Dooku was never successful in killing me, thanks to the interference of a former friend. Though I did stop by to lend my services to our Wookie friends as well as Master Unduli when I had the chance, but the clones happened to turn on us at that moment. Unfortunately, she didn't make it out alive, but you wouldn't happen to know what made our former soldiers think we are traitors to the Republic we have served for so long?"
"That can wait until later," Crosshair spoke up as he unholstered his rifle. "I'm sure the Imps have requested back up which can arrive at any moment. I don't want to be here to face a massive Imperial onslaught out here in the open."
"The deadeye clone speaks some sense," General Kota agreed. "While we assisted the wookies in fighting off their oppressors, we won't be able to handle a whole battalion of clones. "
"Requested pickup, I have," Yoda assured everyone. "On their way, Shriekhawk-1 is. "
"We've got what we came for," Eyghor explained. "Now all we need to do is wait for our ride. Perhaps our wookie allies Salporin and Chewie can allow us to stay in one of their treehouses until Shriekhawk-1 arrives?"
"Sounds like a great idea to me," Hunter concurred.
"Very well. Ask, I shall. Rendezvous with Shriek hawk-2 soon, we should. While I do, gather the rest of our small task force."
Eyghor, Drake, Kota and Hunter gathered what was left of their strike force as Yoda conferred with the two wookies. Seeing Chewbacca nod and Yoda motion to them, the team from Shriekhawk-1 headed to the nearest wooden structure. Hunter thought this was one way the wookies are compensating the aid they received from this ragtag militia of clones and Jedi. As he reached the ladder and attempted to scale it, a piercing shriek was heard and a projectile slammed into the structure above, resulting in a blazing inferno that engulfed a couple clones, their pearl-white armor get wrapped up in the yellow and orange flames like a glove.
What in the blazes is going on?
As Hunter, barely holding onto the mangled rungs, glanced up as a clone, limp as a broken doll , plummeted to the soil. As the genetically-modified clone attempted to avoid his falling brother, the rung he was holding on to broke and he fell a couple meters before landing on his back onto the soft grass. Breathing heavily, Hunter noticed the prone body of the clone in front of him. He couldn't tell if he was a prisoner of the wookies or was part of the unmarked unit that had accompanied the Dragon Brood on Shriekhawk-1, but he didn't have time to dwell on his fallen brother's allegiances as what caused his fall was before him.
Flattening several trees as it broke out into the open, a Juggernaut assault vehicle paved the way for several TX-130 tanks, a AT-TE, and a whole battalion of Gree's 41st Elite Corps , clad in forest camouflage or colorless and stained with the green and brown of the forest of Kashyyyk, who aimed their weapons at the wookies and the rogue clones. As Hunter thought things couldn't go even further south, the hums of LAAT gunships were heard as they swooped out of the sky and circled over the trees as a small contingent of Z-95s flew cover flight for the Imperial ground force.
How did this relief force arrive so quick? the survivalist clone wondered, but he had a few guesses to that. He knew that they were here to take out this small insurgent squad or punish the wookies for their uprising, if not both. Hunter would not let it come to that without a fight and he felt sure Drake, Crosshair, Wrecker, Kota, and the Jedi wouldn't let harm befall the wookies for assisting them.
"Halt! Traitors to the Empire, heed my terms! I am tempted to annihilate you and those furballs for being a thorn at my side, but I am willing to cut you a deal. Surrender now and you will get a swift end and I'll be sure to leave the wookies be. Refuse my terms and I will obliterate you all where you stand and hunt down who survives. There is nothing more I enjoy than the thrill of the hunt other than executing a prisoner. There is no escape from justice under my jurisdiction!"
Hearing the grating laughter that made him want to punch the owner of the voice, Hunter was helped to his feet by Jedi Knight Dragos before he gazed out toward the edge of the forest where the Imperial Battalion had emerged. Appearing between the tanks and operating an AT-RT walker was an Imperial Officer dressed in a white uniform and a matching cap. Escorting him were four clone techs on their own walkers. Hunter's enhanced sight spotted what looked like a sash over the Imp's shoulder was made of fur, like the pelt of big game. HIs eyes grew wide with revulsion and he felt sick to his stomach once he realized what it was.
This sicko hunts wookies for sport! I'd love to put a laser round in him and maybe I might get my chance!
"Captain Ozzik Sturn, Magistrate of Kashyyyk, am I right?"
The Imperial officer only bore an evil smirk at Rahm Kota's revelation. "Indeed I am, Jedi scum. You know how badly I want to hunt your kind, but sadly the clones have taken the pleasure from me. Now if you will kindly surrender on my terms, you won't have to experience one of my hunts. Your death will be swift, as befitting a traitor."
"He hunts innocent wookies for sport," Eyghor hissed under his breath, igniting his saber, but Master Vos grabbed his arm and shook his head.
"Not a chance!" General Kota responded. "I know your kind well enough to not fall for false promises. The moment we lay down our arms, our troops will be executed onsite and the Jedi will be hunted like dugar duagars. You said so yourself when you revealed to us that you want to hunt jedi badly."
Captain Sturn's expression turned sour. "I'll hunt you either way, but I'll leave the putrid walking carpets alone. However, should you continue resisting me, I'd let our reptilians allies hunt them while I hunt you. "
"Surrender, we will not," Yoda spoke up. " Condone these blatant war crimes, we won't."
Sturn's beady eyes narrowed. "So you've chosen death. Perfect! This will be very fun. I'll enjoy hunting all of you."
"I'm gonna wreck it!"
Without warning, Wrecker launched himself at the Juggernaut like a cannonball, barreling into it. At once, blaster fire erupted from both sides.
"What a fool," Crosshair mumbled as he readied his 773 Firepuncher and took aim. "Always rushing into things. No matter, let's end this quick."
"Take a shot at Sturn to end this," Hunter proposed.
"My thoughts exactly."
As Crosshair aimed his sniper rifle, Hunter provided covering fire. Once everyone was too busy with the chaos to pay attention to the marksman, Crosshair fired and connected his shot to the corrupt Imperial's chest, knocking him off his AT-RT. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the Imperials from pouring in more fire at the small rebel contingent. As the wookies added their bowcaster fire to the mix to aid their liberators, explosions riddled the ground the Imperial troopers occupied, decimating their vehicles and uprooting the attacking troopers of the 41st.
"The cavalry is here!" Sgt. Frog, one of Drake's junior officers, exclaimed.
The hum of a gunship was heard and Hunter braced himself for Shriekhawk-1's appearance over the opening of the tree's canopy, but the LAAT bearing down on them like a shriekhawk didn't seam like it was here to liberate the joint strike force. In fact, the modified clone could see that it lacked the adornments of their ride and bore the colorless Imperial signature that was reminiscent of the clones under the Emperor's spell.
"Incoming!" One of Kota's militants, a Saboteur , burst out. "Gunship on the warpath coming in hot!"
Silently cursing under his breath, Hunter, along with a few clones and Heavy militants drew weapons to counter this new threat, but he suspected that they all knew it would be futile. Despite the desolation of their present predicament, the 494th Regiment , Kota's insurgents and the remaining clones and Jedi were prepared to fight until the bitter end. Hunter braced himself for the laser blasts that never came. The Imperial gunship, preparing to strafe the traitors, burst into flames on its flank and went into a death spiral into the Black Forest before the flames that rose nearly as tall as the wroshyrs signified its demise. The forest shook with the cheers of the covert infiltration team as their gunship,Shriekhawk-1, adorned with the red and orange decoration of its namesake, circled the treetops and fired its lasers on what was left on the enemy armor before hovering close to their position. A brown and green camo-striped clone of the Dragon Brood opened the hatch and motioned for them to hurry on in.
"Come on now! Move along! We haven't much time until we have the Imperial air units all over us!"
Not needed to be reminded of the consequences of lingering too long in Imperial territory, Hunter stepped over the bodies of dead clones and wookies to get to the air transport craft. He glanced down and noticed that some of the dead clones bore the armor of the Drago Brood. Aware that casualties were a part of any conflict, Hunter felt that any loss, no matter how small, made a huge impact on the small rebel force as every troop mattered. They lacked the endless supply of troops the Imperials had so they needed to be weary of losses. As he joined the rest of the troops in the gunship, he glanced out across the battle-scarred field to see that Wrecker wasn't present with the group. Frowning, he turned to his brother Crosshair.
"You seen the big bruiser around lately?"
Crosshair frowned and chewed on his toothpick before pointing out across the field to the smoking Imperial scrap heap .
"I believe our very own juggernaut has met his match with the Juggernaut assaults vehicle."
The hatch of the wrecked Imperial all-terrain vehicle exploded and Wrecker popped out, looking like a kid in a sweet shop. The small clone squad waved him over to get his attention. After striking various victory poses, the hulking clone turned to see them and hurried over. Salporin, his fur singed from the missile attack, and Chewbacca accompanied him to the LAAT, which was lifting up the moment Wrecker launched himself inside. His brothers Hunter and Crosshair heaved him inside as they prepared to flee. Quinlan Vos and Yoda signaled their gratitude to the wookie chieftains, who howled in response as they shot skyward. They were only ten standard seconds into the planet's stratosphere when the alarms squawked.
"Hang on tight!"the pilot called out. "We have bogeys closing in on all sides. It's going to get rough!"
Green and red lasers streaked by as the LAAT took evasive action from the pursing aircraft.
"We've got two Headhunters and a Laatie boxing us in!" the copilot remarked. "Hang on tight while we shake them off!"
Hunter hang on tightly for dear life as the LAAT transport ducked and dived, twisting to and fro, to avoid the lasers of the Imperial craft. The clone with enhanced senses was grateful he had no breakfast prior to this as he spotted a proton torpedo zero in on them, a glowing violet mass.
"Shriekhawk-1 to Envoy, do you copy?" The panicked clone pilot tried to send a dispatch to the capital ship, though it seemed that comms were being jammed, unclear by whom. Possibly the Imperials. "We have some Headhunters on our tail and can only do so much in a Laatie against fighters. We'd be grateful for any assistance you could muster up. "
As if heeding the 494th pilot's request, the proton torpedo suddenly shifted and barreled into the Imperial LAAT to their starboard side, resulting in a fireworks display. Dumbfounded, Hunter and his fellow clones glanced over to where Quinlan Vos stood, his hand raised. The rogue Jedi Master smirked at all the soldiers glancing at him.
"My pleasure."
"Well, that takes care of one issue," Kota muttered. "Though we have a couple others swarming us like carrion flies. It's very fitting as we will be carrion if we don't escape the Imps' air units!"
"I don't suppose you can conjure up any Jedi tricks to get those Headhunters off our scent?"
Eyghor shot Crosshair a look. "Don't push it. I hope you remember that Jedi actions must not be offensive?"
"General Dragos, may I point out that it isn't offensive to defend others from aggressive maneuvering by an enemy combatant?" Major Drake pointed out.
"Correct, the clone officer is," Yoda chimed in. "However, another method to neutralize the instigators, there is."
"How do you mean?" Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Crosshair and I could use basic weapons to take out those Z-95s."
The little green Jedi nodded. "Of that, I have no doubt, but more efficient, this way is."
Yoda floated toward the hatch that separated the pilot from the main body of the aircraft and closed his eyes, clasping his hands together. Hunter watched in curiosity at what he thought was a uncanny Force trick. Suddenly, the craft dipped , sending Hunter's stomach into his mouth. Above them, two white-gray imperial snub-fighters fired proton torpedoes at where their ride used to be, but thanks to the Jedi Master's trick, the interceptors only managed to destroy themselves.
"Wooh, that was a neat trick!"Wrecker pumped his fist in victory.
"How did you pull that off?"Hunter asked in genuine curiosity.
Yoda only smiled. "Pull anything, I did not. Give the pilots an idea, I did."
"Well, as long as it worked out, I couldn't care less about the mechanism behind the move,"Crosshair muttered.
"So does this mean we are clear of hostiles?" Eyghor asked.
"Mayday! Mayday! We have an enemy ship right on top of us! Preparing for evasive maneuvers!"
Above them, blotting out the purple-blue stratosphere was the vast triangular shape of an Acclamator assaults ship. The silver cruiser, which appeared as a Barghest beside its successor, the Venator, seemed like a gorog compared to the Republic gunship. A gorog that was threatening to swallow a rancor.
"Make it literally," Drake grumbled, "It's literally right on top of us."
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