Meanwhile, Solo was adjusting to his repaired armor.
The engineers had completed all equipment installations and system tests. The armor, now a deep gray, was slightly heavier than the previous model, but Solo's body had long since adapted to the weight, so he felt no discomfort.
"It suits you perfectly, Master!" Ahsoka said, beaming from where she stood beside him.
Ahsoka had also changed into her new uniform, which retained her signature striped style. While more subdued than before, the distinctive design still made her stand out.
Solo wondered if this was her personal preference or a subconscious nod to Togruta aesthetics.
However, this uniform was made from high-strength fabric armor, significantly enhancing its protective capabilities and compensating for the design's shortcomings.
Recalling Solo's earlier warning about the harsh weather to Jabim, Ahsoka also crafted a small cloak from the same material. This cloak not only protected against the rain but also provided additional protection.
"Commander!" A messenger hurried over and saluted. "A ship from Kamino has arrived with a contingent of clone troopers. They specifically requested to see you and are currently waiting in the main hangar."
"Understood, Sergeant." Solo turned to Ahsoka. "Let's go meet these experts."
"Do you know who they are?" Ahsoka asked curiously.
"Of course." Solo nodded. "They're part of the second batch of experimental clone troopers, like Alpha-15 and the others—handpicked elites personally trained by Jango Fett."
Seeing Ahsoka's puzzled expression, he added, "Simply put, Jango Fett is the genetic template for all clone troopers. Don't pretend you don't recognize him in front of them. They revere him deeply, and they'll get angry."
"Understood, Master." Ahsoka nodded and followed Solo into the turbolift.
Upon entering the main hangar, Solo immediately spotted a squad of clone troopers standing alone in a corner.
Their armor stood out, adorned with various tactical components and painted in blue, red, and green stripes. Each trooper exuded a unique, defiant aura, setting them apart from ordinary clone troopers.
"Commander, are you General Viktor?" a helmeted clone trooper asked, his metallic voice echoing through the helmet's communicator.
"Yes, this is Commander Tano," Solo introduced Ahsoka beside him, then asked, "And who are you?"
"I am Alpha-17," the clone replied. "We've been dispatched by General Shaak Ti to reinforce you and assist with the Jabim Mission."
"Welcome to the 13th Legion," Solo nodded. "There are two other Alphas here with you—Alpha-15 and Alpha-22. You should know them. Alpha-56 is currently on an external mission."
"Yes, Commander!" Alpha-17's tone carried a hint of skepticism. "You actually command a corps-level unit. Why is it named a Legion? This seems to contradict the Republic Army's organizational structure."
This guy's arrogance needs to be tamed. Spending too much time with Jango Fett has clearly gone to his head.
Solo sneered inwardly, his expression remaining impassive. "I don't give a damn what you think. By the way, do you even have decent call signs?"
"Call signs are irrelevant, Commander," Alpha-17 replied stiffly.
"Then I'll give you some." Solo's voice was resolute. "Alpha-15, you're 'Scum.' Alpha-22, you're 'Luck.' Alpha-56, you're 'Expedition.' As for you—Alpha-17—you're 'Puck'."
His smile carried a hint of menace. "Now, let's discuss the mission details—"
Meanwhile, the Jedi Council was bustling with activity, as usual, with some Masters absent due to other commitments.
Master Windu was engaged in a hushed conversation with Yoda, while Shaak Ti discussed the situation on Alanteen with Evan Pierre and Ki-Adi-Mundi.
At that moment, a communication from Lantilles came through, and Solo Victor's holographic image materialized in the projection area of the Council Chamber.
"Greetings, esteemed Masters of the Council," Solo nodded in respect. "I report that the unit has assembled, and we're preparing to transfer to Jabim. We'll depart in one hour."
"Excellent, Warrior Victor," Ki-Adi-Mundi replied. "You've completed your preparations in record time. Your efficiency is commendable."
"I simply did what I had to," Solo replied, his tone indifferent.
"Good luck, Solo. May the Force be with you," Shaak Ti said, her voice filled with genuine concern.
After the communication cut off, Solo immediately found an engineer and issued orders to modify an idle Type A6 "Overlord" tank into a mobile command center.
Earlier, on the landing pad, he had circled the heavily armored, well-armed, highly mobile, and spacious war vehicle several times before deciding to convert it. Though its appearance resembled an enlarged mining truck, its practicality was unmatched.
Now, the retrofitting proceeded rapidly. The extendable observation tower was retracted and fitted with three layers of communication node antennas. Adjacent to the antennas was a fully equipped infirmary with twenty-four double-tiered beds, ample medical supplies, and three medical droids: one B-1 surgical model and two FX-7 general-purpose models.
The remaining space was divided into a small warehouse and two compartments, one assigned to Solo and Miro, the other to Ahsoka and Sumelagi, following the principle of men on the left and women on the right.
Though somewhat forceful, as the commander, Solo had no intention of spending the night in Jabim's mud.
Half of the tank's second level housed the command core. Technicians had just finished installing the equipment: observation screens covered the walls, multiple cameras were mounted on the roof, a tactical table stood in the center, and corners were reserved for tactical system operators and other staff.
Behind the command area was the personnel and guard zone, housing an infantry platoon, three close combat squads, and several flamethrower troopers.
In the Republic Army, flamethrowers were uncommon weapons. The soldiers' sideways glances at the flamethrower troopers stemmed not from fear, but from their rarity.
Solo turned to his apprentice. "Ahsoka, want to come for training?"
"More than anything!" The Togruta's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"Then let's begin. Four hours of training, followed by a break," Solo said. "Once we reach Jabim, we'll be busy with preparations. Likely no time to rest."
"Let's go, Master!" Ahsoka immediately responded.
Late that night, Ahsoka lay on her bed, her sleep restless.
Her body twitched intermittently, her lips moved silently, and her blanket was twisted into a ball.
Raindrops splattered on her face, blurring her vision.
She tried to move, but her body refused to obey. She felt someone's arms around her, but the rain obscured their features—
Ahsoka curled into a fetal position, clutching herself tightly, her eyelids trembling violently.
In the distance, a figure clad in familiar armor led soldiers into battle.
Fighter planes whistled through the air, yet she heard no sound.
A profound sense of unease gripped her, and she finally realized something was wrong.
There wasn't a single sound around her—
She looked back at the armored figure and suddenly felt a wave of lethal danger—
She strained to run forward, but her feet refused to move.
In the next instant, everything ahead was engulfed in raging flames. She screamed, but still heard nothing—only silence surrounded her—
Ahsoka jolted awake, sitting bolt upright in bed, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
"That dream was utterly bizarre," she gasped. "I need to ask Master if it means something."
A minute later, the Togruta had wrapped herself tightly in her blankets and drifted back into a deep sleep, her breathing gradually steadying.
Hours later, Solo stared at the gray-brown planet on the observation screen.
Jabim was now within sight.
During the remaining time before arrival, he had been immersed in meditation, trying to use the Force to foresee any dangers ahead. But all he sensed was vague chaos.
The orbital space was completely empty—no Separatist ships, no trace of neutral forces, not even any signs of intelligent life.
"Commander, we're quite fortunate. A landing window has opened over the northern hemisphere, and it's expected to last at least six hours," an operator reported, his voice tinged with surprise and delight.
"Will we have enough time to unload everything?" Solo asked, turning to Captain Ragnos.
"No problem, Commander!" Ragnos replied swiftly. "Unloading all equipment and personnel will take no more than three hours."
"Good. All ships follow the Dawn Blossom for Operation Dawnflower," Solo ordered. "Captain Bram, Captain Jejerod, notify all personnel to prepare for landing—we have a maximum of four hours in the window."
"Yes, General!" Bram responded immediately.
The ships slowly glided into the gap in the clouds, a clear patch of sky about 40 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide, starkly contrasting with the surrounding atmosphere raging with ion storms.
"General, enemy ship signals detected at the far end of the orbit," an operator suddenly reported.
"Damn, trouble's coming," Solo muttered inwardly. "Good we haven't encountered them directly yet. I hope they haven't spotted us."
"Prepare for turbulence," Jejerod warned in advance.
Despite the ship's stabilizers, it still shook violently.
"If this is just 'a little turbulence,' I don't even want to imagine what 'severe turbulence' would feel like," Ahsoka grumbled, tightening her grip on the nearby handrail.
The Hunter-class Star Destroyer and Hailfire-class cruiser successfully pierced the upper atmosphere and began their descent toward the planet's surface.
The hangar bay doors opened, and a swarm of Low Altitude Assault Transport gunships poured out. Sixty All Terrain Tactical Enforcers were hoisted by cargo LAATs, followed by the deployment of the clone trooper vanguard.
Solo had specifically requested priority unloading for this slow-moving heavy equipment. This would allow them to quickly establish an initial defensive perimeter while also providing cover for subsequent units during the unloading process.
Ships in the atmosphere were already vulnerable, but shut down engines after landing made them even more vulnerable targets. A single missile strike on the engine exhaust would render the entire vessel completely paralyzed.
Solo glanced at the observation screen again. Against the backdrop of distant dark clouds, the flickering glow of ion discharges danced. If not for the lethal danger they posed, the spectacle would have been quite magnificent.
A single strike from an ion storm would render a ship uncontrollable and send it plummeting—assuming that was the best-case scenario.
Solo and Ahsoka hurried to the hangar and boarded the modified Overlord tank command vehicle.
Command was fully operational, and the tactical table displayed a clear map of Jabim's local terrain.
"General, below us is a plateau, likely one of the larger continents in the northern hemisphere," Sumelagi reported, pointing to the map. "These areas are clusters of hills, and this is a muddy plain with unknown depth—our sensors are being interfered with by ions. There are two marked highland points, one of which has an indigenous settlement with approximately six hundred structures and an estimated population of ten thousand. Their status is unknown."
A few minutes later, the ship's landing gear touched down steadily on Jabim's rocky plain.
"Begin unloading!" Solo ordered. "H, lead your unit to seize the northwest hill; Enoch, take responsibility for the southern plain; Zillo, secure the western hill; Turn and I will take the central area, the eastern highlands, and the indigenous settlement. Understood?"
"Understood, Commander!" the unit commanders replied in unison.
The ship's ramps lowered simultaneously, and equipment and clone troopers poured out like a flood.
Scout units led the charge, followed closely by engineering teams rapidly establishing the base.
The clone trooper contingent, interspersed with B-1 battle droid formations, advanced alongside Solo's "Overlord" tanks, which slowly rolled out of the hangar and moved toward their designated positions.
Meanwhile, at the Trade Federation outpost near Jabim, Neimoidian Park Ganam paced anxiously.
By Neimoidian standards, his age marked him as elderly.
After the war erupted, he had been assigned to oversee this secondary trade route near Hutt Space, managing logistics for planets like Jabim, Taschid, and Dannogra.
Having come from a prestigious family and boasting an impressive military record, he had expected a comfortable posting.
"Governor, Republic vessels detected in our sector!" a 00M-series droid reported through the communicator. "They've landed on the far side of the planet."
"Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!" Park Ganam roared. "What are their exact coordinates?"
"The northern hemisphere. The enemy force includes three large cruisers and three small combat vessels," the droid promptly supplied the data.
"Deploy immediately and eliminate them!" Park Ganam ordered. "Mobilize all available forces: one Lucrehulk-class battleship and seven frigates! That should be enough! I absolutely will not allow Republic personnel to appear in my jurisdiction!"
"Roger! Roger!!"
The robot nodded vigorously and immediately relayed the orders.
Park Ganam frowned deeply, his mind filled with doubts. "Something is definitely wrong with this planet. Why would the Republic suddenly attack here?"
On Jabim's landing field, the last batch of equipment departed the hangar of the Acclamator-class assault ship.
According to the plan, this fleet detachment should immediately return to orbit to provide cover and facilitate a rapid withdrawal if necessary.
But Solo knew that the ion storm window could close at any moment, rendering orbital cover largely meaningless.
"Good luck, Captain," Solo's holographic image waved to Jejerod. "Evacuate as quickly as possible while the window is still open! The weather's about to turn bad!"
"Understood, General!" Captain Jejerod replied, then turned to his crew and ordered, "All ships, prepare for takeoff!"
The Consular-class light frigate lifted off first, followed by the Hunter-class Dawnflower, the Acclamator-class Dingyuan, the Beacon, and the Hunter.
At that moment, the leading Star Falcon suddenly veered sharply to one side. The Clone Captain's roar blared over the comms channel: "Enemy contact! I say again, enemy attack!"
An energy blast struck the light frigate, instantly engulfing the bridge in flames.
The ship's bow pitched upward, then flipped and plummeted, crashing directly into the bridge area of the ascending Beacon.
The frigate's engines overloads exploded, followed by a secondary detonation of the reactor. The massive shockwave sent both vessels careening out of control.
Deprived of its bridge, the Beacon began a slow descent.
"Boost! Hard left turn!" Lagnos roared, but it was too late.
The Dawn Blossom and Dingyuan engaged their afterburners, barely managing to dodge the falling wreckage as they continued their climb toward orbit.
Above them, the Separatist fleet had already established a blockade.
"Launch V-19 Torrent fighters! Prepare for combat!" Jejerod ordered.
Fighters streamed out of the hangars one after another, clashing fiercely with the incoming droid fighters.
As the Confederacy of Independent Systems' ships closed in from all directions, a brutal orbital battle erupted.
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 10+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon