The main push of the Confederacy Army had achieved their objectives, tearing into the republic battle lines and creating a way to breakthrough the siege that had lasted weeks. It was to be expected, no, it was a fact that the line would be broken when faced with such a massive force.
The unimportance of this system still remained a fact, it had neither the resources, infrastructure, connections nor political power to be of any meaning use to the republic save for being nothing more than a log to slow down the advance of the Confederacy, which even to them, had little importance as shown by their severe lack of investment.
Rather, they used it as an alternate route for good transportation whilst building a few factories around to further increase the amount of troops being sent along the way to more important battle zones. That was the consensus among most in the upper echelons, the battle that raged for months was not a battle that was expected to last more than a week at best.
A single battalion was all that was sent along with its leading Jedi Commander, it had its orders - hold for as long as you can.
A hopeless endeavor with no hope of aide, an act to keep up the appearance of care. The republic cared little for things with little impact on its interests, but it did care to maintain its decaying image of...good.
But now, on its plate was an opportunity. For now only had this small force managed to hold unto this planet, they had done more.
Trained and fought with the local citizenry of this planet, militias that once crumbled under the marching boots of the Confederacy now laid its path with a welcoming hell.
Villages that once fell with little more than a hundred droids became the burial site of a people in the hundreds and the scrap yard of a 1000 droids.
The planet had become a death zone for the pockets of the leaders of the Confederacy, even now, as they sent a massive force to reclaim lost territory. They bleed.
So much already gained for the Republic, it would be foolish to end such a positive event. So it did what it needed to do, sending the rest of the much deserved force the assigned regiment needed as well as the capital ships to turn the once bloody battle of star fighters into a duel among true ships.
Each sided had avoided escalating in hopes of preventing any unnecessary and worthless war zone. But the republic already gambles its existence, what is one more bet to it?
***
Three platoons pushed into the fortress, scaling the paths along the mountain walls with their Jedi commander at the fore front. At some point, it had become important to use his sabers or risk the entirety of the mission itself.
An action he was not too pleased with it he understood that they would soon be found it quickly, breaching the fortress cost them a lot but once inside, the guards became sparse. Barely any patrols or droids guarding it and at first it smelt like a trap, Jarhead also pointed out how odd it was but soon they realized that it wasn't a trap.
They didn't wait to find out of course but they also didn't meet any heavy resistance, still they stood on their toes and pushed inwards. Towards the main command room that housed the commander of the entire separatist forces on this planet.
" Two of you on that side, Kerick and Limo on me. Once that door opens, we go fire blazing. " Jarhead commanded as they took up positions to breach the path that would lead into the command room.
" Now remember, I'd prefer him alive so try to go for non lethal shots if you can" Quad requested as he lined his sabers to begin cutting into the door, first having it position itself by melting a path into it then cutting a sizable chunk from it. Just enough for them to get through.
" We got that commander " Jarhead replied as he looked around him, less than three squads were with them. Some men they left to guard the already claimed locations or to serve as a warning for incoming reinforcement. Still, they had lost a lot.
" Get ready boys " Quad announced as the saber soon finished making a circular path and meeting where it had started. Then, he pushed heavily with the force, forcing the cut out chunk of metal to smash into whatever stood in its way, flying for meters before coming to a loud stop.
Quad rushed without waiting for it to stop, blade at the ready and just in time as he sighted B2 droids in the hallway. Those who moved into the pathway of the flying debre fell victim to it but the rest quickly activated and turned to defend their post.
Jarhead pushed right behind his general, wielding a DC-carbine and showing his quick trigger finger by offloading more than half a dozen shot before the first trooper had even taken up his place. Return fire came that burned through flesh and plastoid. A trooper who pushed in got riddled with them without even having the chance to raise his rifle.
Jarhead looked towards him and recognized that it was Kerick, he diverted his face and ordered his men to push up aggressively. They had to follow the General even if it meant to their death, this battle would define the fates of the rest of their brothers and the populace of this planet.
Quad push and cut his way through them, quickly understanding that he could not wait and cover his men until they all pushed through and took care of the droids. Silently he wandered if it would have been better to just push by himself, then maybe those lives his felt dimming would have had a longer chance at existence.
He blocked what he could but focused on cutting the B2 droids as fast as he could, even at some point, using the force to drag two others as a form of makeshift shield for his men. Surprisingly, Jarhead had stubbornly followed almost mere steps behind, laying down a volume of fire that had him thinking an entire squad was right behind him.
He took a shot to the should but his pads seemed to ease the impact as he soon resumed firing albeit with a visible struggle now, they soon finished up the last of the droids as most of the men now made it through.
The door was right there, at the end of the hallway.
" This smells like a trap all the way through sir " Jarhead stated as he examined the situation.
" I know " Quad replied simply before they pushed in.
***
Hash was panicking, greatly so that he had activated the hidden reserves of droids that he kept in his home. B2's that he held back just to protect him in situation like these, the issue was that they were garrisoned at the edges of the fortress because he wanted them to be deployed faster in case of an enemies breakthrough.
" How on earth did they get in so deep without me knowing!!!! " He screamed at the room as the B1's quivered a bit, not wanting to draw that raged to themselves until one Droid spoke up.
" Sir, you specifically ordered to not be disturbed by the reports from the tactical Droid on sector A, primary 13-16 until they contained reports of a success on their end " The B1 reported earnestly as he brought up a data pad for further evidence.
" How does THIS concern Sector A you damned Droid " Hash screamed at it as he swung his fist on the device showing his holomap which shook and blinked aggressively before stabilizing again.
" Sir, these trooper broke through from that sector. The tactical Droid made several reports and I believed you would not want to be informed of them as they held no good news just as you requested. Furthermore..." The B1 began talking, reading certain minor reports and statistics from its data pad but Hash had stopped listening.
His mind was wreathing in rage and...fear. He couldn't comprehend how the Droid was so stupid that it did not or could not differentiate those two separate situations which obviously required different responses. Technically, Sector A was beyond this, his fort was in Sector Central and so this was simply unreasonable.
So he did what he promptly understood was necessary, brought out his hand blaster and pointed it at the Droid who upon noticing slowed down from his speech and paused for a few seconds.
" Uh..sir, I am not the enemy, I think you're pointing the wrong way " The Droid commented as he pointed at his commanders blaster.
" I know " Hash replied before emptying his entire charge into the Droid in seconds. Stray shots hitting everywhere including command consoles and close by droids but he did not care because he had enough of things.
" Order the garrison forces to resist the clones until the B2's make their way here" He ordered as he slowly sank back into his chair once he had finished.
" Sir, we've lost most of the garrison forces and I don't think they'll hold " Another B1 informed as it examined a different console.
" What do you mean lost most of them? There is at least 500 hundred droids on guard here " Hash stated as inside his heart grew a gnawing thought, that a powerful Jedi Master had been sent specifically for him.
" Yes sir but most of them joined in the main assault as per your orders, according to protocols, only a skeleton Droid crew was left to guard the fort sir " The B1 reported as he brought up another data pad for evidence. Already ready to begin pulling up records and protocols to further support its report.
Hash went quiet for a second as he watched the B1 walk closer to him to make sure he would here the incoming mouth full of words that it would soon begin imparting into him. He stared at the sleek nature of the B1, remembering how many thousands he had seen recently and then around the room. More B1's, most working at their assigned posts but some looking towards him, seemingly waiting for something.
Then he had a thought, he remembered home and imagined what his command room would be like even in the academy. Behind him, he heard the sounds of battle and he imagined how his men would suddenly turn and be prepared to give a glorious last stand.
The B1's on the other hand just kept....working. Unperturbed nor worried, seemingly lacking the environmental awareness of their situation, or maybe they knew and just didn't care. How many months had he spent on this planet? when was the last time he saw his family?
He closed his eyes as the door behind him burst open and blue ionized beams tore into the droids that crewed this room. He could hear that footsteps of clones walking all around his as they trained their blasters on him and soon...their Jedi general.
He was...so young and...
He began as he looked at a fallen battle Droid at the feet of the clone trooper who upon noticing this kicked the droid aside and stared at him.
Lucky.