chapter 22

Battle over Ryloth

The bridge of the Terran flagship was filled with the battle chatter from their command chain, pilots, and grounds forces. Everyone was occupied doing something trying to keep up with all the commands while the commander overlooked the placements of his ships and the enemies. Despite being heavily outnumbered they were still able to hold their own and would have certainly wiped out the original republic forces, but the addition of more of their ships had caused major setbacks in the terrans plan to control the planet.

The republic had basically rushed them with a mass number of troops hoping that their numbers alone would cripple their defenses, but numbers and speed alone would only help them for so long. The power of the terrans technology would quickly catch up to them. Not only this, but the terrans had not even mobilized a portion of their forces and if the entire population of Terra was to go out for war, the republic and separatist could be doomed to fall.

Back with the commander he was coordinating his fleet until an officer yelled. "Sir. Multiple unidentified ships are about to enter the system."

The commander hearing this freezes on what he was doing before looking at the officer. On the outside his face was stoic. In the inside he was thinking of the possible threat that was about to enter the system. Should he send some of his forces to intercept them or wait till they enter the system to figure out who their visitor was. Both of these choices would have devastating consequences if his assumption was wrong.

If he changed his fleets formation the ground forces could be open for any republic attacks and if they didn't moved and the fleet entering the system was an enemy they would certainly lose most of the fleet.

He was stuck in a dilemma. Should he be cautious and send a fleet to intercept them which could leave their ground forces open to attacks or gamble and leave his fleet where it is right now and if wrong could lead to the destruction of his fleet.

These thoughts linger in his head for a few seconds before he finally makes his choice.

"All ships stay in battle formation. Our ground forces  are depending on us. We can't have another repeat happen again."

"If it is more republic reinforcements, we will have to take that blow."

As they continue to battle they only hope it's not more hostiles. Seconds later hundreds of ships appear out of hyperspace, none of them belonging to the republic, but could still be a threat that they don't know about yet.

"Are those...Mandalorian ships?" Someone questions as he inspects the ships more.

The commanders eyes widen in shock. He didn't know if they were friendly or foe. The last he heard the mandalorians were neutral before they even joined the war. They could have joined the war for multiple reasons.

They might have joined the war on the republic side because of their dispute over Zeridian or theirs as payback because of the war against the republic years ago. He didn't know and by the time he could make contact with them, they would already be over them. He had no choice but to wait for them to make the first move.

As the commander watch the mandalorians come closer one of the ships fire it's blaster in their direction, but not at them. It's target was the clone fighters. Everyone on the bridge stands up looking as the mandalorians ships passes by as most of them cheer as each one enters combat.

As they cheer the commander let's out a breath of air that he didn't even know he was holding in. This had caused a great amount of stress on his body and being wrong in a situation like this could stop someone in command to try and command troops ever again if the consequences were heavy.

"One of the mandalorian ships is trying to contact us. Should I put it through?" A officer questions.

"Start the transmission with them. I'm pretty sure no one knew they were coming in this war." The commander says.

As the terrans are having more help, the republic is having a nightmare as the mandalorians going to war with them was not even thought about.

Mace windu had seen the entire thing happen as he watched from his flagship. The arrival of the mandalorians were already taking affect on his fleet.

Mace windu seeing that they won't last long decides to contact Kenobi who was still on the ground. As he wait for him to pick up the entire ship shakes as they get bombarded. While this is happening Kenobi finally appears ready for what he wanted.

"Kenobi have all troops withdrawal from the planet. Victory for us will be impossible under these conditions now." Windu says.

"What!? I thought our reinforcements was enough to push them back. Did the terrans arrive with more men?" Kenobi says trying to understand what is going on.

"It's not the terrans. It's the mandalorians. They've arrived with a fleet of ships and are now attacking us. We don't have the forces to deal with them. Ryloth is going to be lost." He says.

"I meet with Duchess Satine weeks ago. She was still against joining war. Something must have happened unless this is a rouge group acting behind their back." Kenobi says hoping that it wasn't what he thinks it is.

"Whether are not Mandalore will have to speak out if it was them. Because of them our plan to liberate the Ryloth people from the separatist is gone and who knows what the terrans will do to them. If they suffer, it will be because of them and they will have to answer for it." Windu says frustrated that the terrans will have another planet occupied by them.

"Withdrawal from the battle immediately. Once all troops are accounted for we are leaving." He says.

"We'll talk more about this once we make it back to Coruscant." Windu says before cutting the transmission.

"Just the luck we need. More enemies." Windu says sending waves of transports to pick up Kenobi and any other troops on the planet.

As he is doing this he can only look as one of his ships rips apart as Terran bombers tear it apart. The mandalorians were taking out many of their fighters leaving them open for attacks like this.

"We put too much faith on them only to be stabbed in the back. I knew we shouldn't have trusted them." Windu says to himself as a squad of mandalorian ships speed towards the republic transports.

Once the ships makes it close to the planet a few mandalorians jump out using their jet backs to get closer towards the clone transports. 

Once they get a visual on them they all fire missiles at them as the transports take evasive maneuvers trying to shake them off with some successful and those that didn't plummet towards the ground as they explode.

After the missile attack they get even closer using their blasters to shot the pilots with some even landing ontop of them shooting them as they can only watch as they get killed.

Transport after transport was destroyed and the chance that a clone may be left behind was growing with each one getting taken out.

On the ground Kenobi's withdrawal of troops from the front lines was showing it's affect on them as the Terran army started to push towards them. Because of this most of their equipment had to be left behind.

As they went towards their rendezvous point they could see the transports under fire and once they land they would have to make a quick exit or they would be just a sitting duck out in the open.

Once a few of them land Kenobi quickly hopes on one with Waneta as it takes off seconds later. As Kenobi looks out to see the commotion he knows that he will lose many men trying to escape the planet as he could only watch in horror as they get shot down.

Clones that were still on the ground being surrounded by Terran forces and mandalorians as they had landed on the ground and a firefight had began as this would be the last time they would ever be seen again.

As they start to make it towards space that felt like an eternity that finally made it towards the fleet, but battalion was almost entirely cut in half because of the number of men that he had lost. As he makes it in the hangers of one of the ships he watches as many of his men struggle to survive as many of them had fatal injuries.

Kenobi close his eyes looking away as he tries to keep his mind at peace.

Once he feels the ship shift he knows they had entered hyperspace and the battle for Ryloth was now a failure for them.

"How did everything get to this?" Kenobi says to himself.

"Master...are we now at war with mandalore now?" Waneta says as she visibly shakes.

"They killed...no they massacred our men. How will we recover from this." Waneta says as she frowns deeply as tears threaten to pour out her eyes.

"I don't know, but I know we will get some answers once we make it back." Kenobi says to her.

Hearing this Kenobi sees her ball her hands up before speaking with a little bit of venom in her voice.

"We can't just let them take over the planet just like that! We have to make them pay for what they did before it's to late. By the time we figure out what happened they'll-

"Waneta!" Kenobi says loudly interrupting her.

"Vengeance is not the Jedi way. Trust me we will find out why they did this and they will  face punishments because of it." Kenobi says trying to calm her down.

Kenobi looks over her as he felt bad for making a new padawan have to go through a battle like this already without any experience.

"Get some rest. You'll need it." Kenobi says to her.

"Master I don't nee-"

"Waneta." Kenobi says sternly interrupting her again.

Hearing this Waneta looks down before saying "yes master." As she leaves Kenobi sighs before calling her name out again as she looks over her shoulder.

"You did well these past days on the battlefield and I could never be more proud to call you my student." Kenobi says as Waneta slowly smiles before walking off again.

As she walks off Kenobi could not see the devilish smile on her face as she walked off and her gaining their trust was going to be easier than she originally thought.