**Chapter 763: Defectors and Steel**
**Scene 1: Bridge of the Devastation – Mygeeto Orbit**
Another day had passed. Well, not really a day — the squadron was on Coruscant time, so it was evening. Local time was out of sync, and on Mygeeto it was early morning. This was actually convenient: by the time a new day on the planet began, we'd have time to work out plans for the day, and then — well, after that, nothing depended on us anyway. Using Battle Meditation was inconvenient because we were quite far from the scene. But then again, it allowed us to monitor the entire planet at once; if we flew to just one city, the others would simply be invisible. That risk wasn't worth taking yet. During the assault on the capital, we'd have to come down "to the ground."
Some interesting news arrived: I got a legion of Sun Guards wishing to defect to me.
The Sun Guard was a Thyrsian mercenary company and one of the most feared in the galaxy, centered on the planet Thyrsus in the Thyrsus system. Formed from the rebellious Thyrsian special forces sometime after 1154 BBY, the Sun Guard fought the Echani of the Echani Command in numerous skirmishes before the Pact of Almera in 899 BBY confirmed Thyrsus's independence. Earning fame as a mercenary unit, the Sun Guard became rivals of the Mandalorian warriors, though the group was ultimately subverted by the Sith under the influence of the Order of the Sith Lords. Many Sun Guards served the Sith Lords directly, led by their Supreme Sun Guardian Thull Wulain, and other Sun Guards were considered for the position of prime clone in the Grand Army of the Republic.
Most were not Force-sensitive. The Sun Guard were adept melee fighters, these Echani men and women equipped with a variety of weapons built into their recognizable black armor. Greatly prizing hand-to-hand combat, the Sun Guard were skilled in personal gladiatorial fighting, urban warfare, and a variety of other techniques; they were unmatched by any opponents but the Mandalorians. The Sun Guards' chief weapon was the pike, a two-handed bladed instrument that could be built in a number of variations for specific tasks.
The Sun Guard served as a special-forces unit of the Thyrsus military, incorporated into its rank structure. In opposition to their Echani forebears, the Thyrsians were male-dominated, with an emphasis on armor and bladed combat. A strongly religious group in its infancy, the Sun Guard drew spiritual significance from the sun. As they spread into the galaxy from Thyrsus, the unit used its near-unmatched skills in combat to its advantage, reorganizing itself into a mercenary group along the lines of the Mandalorians and forgoing religion as its primary motivation. The influence of religion returned to the forefront when the Sun Guard became under the spell of Sith, though this new allegiance did not prevent them from continuing their mercenary ways and demanding payment for their services. Fierce warriors, the Sun Guard were a devoted and fanatical group, with a reputation for ferocity that made even the appearance of their uniforms an object of fear. They charged high prices for their services, which included sabotage, kidnapping, rescue, warfare, and many other kinds of jobs; the one thing Sun Guard missions had in common was that others had tried to accomplish them and failed.
As a military unit, the Guard was organized into regiments, legions, and other levels of hierarchy; they often operated in teams of four. The lowest rank, taken by initiates into the group, was Stellar Legionnaire. They served a provisional term of one year, during which time they could be expelled at any point for breaches of Sun Guard etiquette, such as cowardice or undisciplined drunkenness. Legionnaires who passed were promoted to Stellar Tribune and made responsible for a legion of the Sun Guard, consisting of twenty to forty soldiers. Officers were rarer among the Sun Guard, as only particularly heroic Tribunes could be granted admission to the officer corps; officer ranks ranged from Twisuns Legate, who commanded two to four legions, Twisuns Praetor, Thychani Commander, Thychani Dictator, and finally Supreme Sun Guardian, which was the supreme commander of the entire Sun Guard. Promotion was obtained through military heroism, while cowardice was cause for expulsion at any rank.
Now, apparently due to Sidious and Dooku's desperate attempts to get the Crimson-71 sample to Alsakan, they had used up any goodwill with the Guards. Their own Supreme Commander had betrayed them for the virus. It wasn't much — about 1,545 individuals. A mix of women and men, both sexes, joined the Guards corps. They were the remnants who escaped the CIS and Sith betrayal, and took a CIS landing craft and escaped to Mygeeto.
*Oh, to be honest they look untrustworthy. This has Sith betrayal written all over it. Eh, to be safe…*
"Grace, Ahsoka, Kayla — load them onboard the captured Lucrehulk-class battleship *Blueburn*. Keep the 4 legions of reprogrammed B1 droids to guard them and give them food and medical care," I ordered.
The three women nodded without question. Grace's Zeltron instincts made her particularly good at reading intent, and she'd keep an eye on them. Ahsoka and Kayla would ensure security.
**Scene 2: Mygeeto Surface – Tarsus City Lower Levels**
UA-TT Walker, a modified walker used for city conflicts since Juggernauts were impractical.
UA-TT could deploy its CAP-5 captivator arm for stabilized firing similar to AT-AP walkers used by the Galactic Republic. The limb could also be used to grab enemies hiding in buildings using its claws. In order to use heavy machinery in an urban area…
**Length:** 10.33 meters
**Height/Depth:** 6.52 meters
**Maximum Speed:** 90 kph (56 mph)
**Sensor Systems:** Targeting sensors
**Armament:**
- Chin-mounted double laser cannons
- Heavy blaster cannon
- Air-cooled repeater cannon (5)
And new Umbaran tech.
**Self-Propelled Medium Artillery (SPMA)** — a smaller, more maneuverable version of the massive SPHA.
**Length:** 20 meters
**Armament:**
- Heavy turbolaser cannon (1)
- Articulated electromagnetic plasma cannon (1)
- Antipersonnel blaster cannons (12)
The effect was interesting and combined with my new Death Troopers — armored clones with their new T-7 ion disruptor rifle.
Designed as an anti-air and anti-armor weapon, the T-7 let loose a burst of ionized plasma charged with enough energy to puncture starship hulls. In its intended role, the T-7 made short work of many armored vehicles, mechanized infantry, airspeeders, and even starships — its intense ionization being particularly deadly to aircraft, as it could shut down critical components and send them into a death spiral. The T-7 was capable of chewing through nearly anything in its path.
Since the CIS started using nuke and bio attacks, Mas got the hidden approval for us to use disruptors. Not publicly, of course — it is currently being debated in the Senate, but since we are at war…
**Scene 3: Bridge of the Devastation – Command Oversight**
"Excellent, Colonel. Your subordinates have accomplished the task assigned to you. You could even say they've exceeded it. I've already ordered the release of reserve fighters trained with rocket packs, as well as our existing stock of these very same packs."
Yves Vanko shrugged. His shrug was impressive. He's not much taller than me, but his shoulders are broader and more muscular. Hence the presence.
"We don't need much. We managed to salvage some of the equipment; the only thing we can't use is what was destroyed. But we'll have to push the fighters hard to keep up with the 'old-timers.' Field training is one thing..."
"Real combat experience is a completely different matter," I finished for the officer. "You're the commander, so the cards are in your hands. But if you need anything, just let me know."
"How much time do we have?" Vanko got down to specifics.
"Three weeks, if not a month," I replied. "We simply won't be able to complete the first stage any sooner."
The colonel chuckled.
"You are the commander, you know better."
I returned his smile.
"Well then. Rest for now. I have to go."
As Vanko departed, I turned back to the holomap. The battle for Mygeeto was far from over, but the first major blow had been struck. The Muuns would feel the pressure. Dooku would feel the pressure. And the Confederacy would be forced to react — exactly as planned.
The Dragon's eyes narrowed behind the mask.
The trap was set.
Now they just had to wait for the prey to step into it.