Battle of Felucia (Part II) & Eclipe

0001 watched the combat feed from her place in the coordination center. Hestia seemed concerned as the rest of the sisters simply reacted to the changing situations on the battlefield. Separatist reinforcements as expected appeared on the battlefield and casualties were heavy but nothing they hadn't predicted.

The loss of communication with the battleship that had served as a battering ram to disable the Malevolence was expected, considering it was in the middle of the enemy's jamming field.

"What's troubling you, Hestia?" 0001 said curiously.

Hestia bit her lips and looked at the battleship.

"I'm worried about Lion, he is dear to me." Hestia confided, 0001 gave her a reassuring smile as she came closer to her sister.

"I'm glad you two are such close friends. But tell me, how was your time when I was asleep? I haven't had a chance to catch up yet, lots to do you see."

Hestia looked at the strategy map and then at 0001.

"Shouldn't we be watching the battle?" Hestia asked an admirable attempt to redirect the conversation. However, her Big Sister merely laughed in response.

"Everything that can be done has been done, the rest of the work is up to the admirals, captains, and, Hera, but she's a naval geek, you know. She loves ships, space, and everything in between."

Hestia gave a quiet chuff of laughter. "Yeah, I guess you're right, it's just, that a lot has happened while you were gone."

Big Sister looked at Hestia and then at Medusa, Hera and Mania.

"Is that why you're so distant with your sisters? You know we only have ourselves and what few allies we have." 0001 said, which didn't make Hestia feel any better, she felt genuinely betrayed by her sisters. They had gone too far in Big Sister's absence.

"It's hard to explain," Hestia said.

"Then explain it to me when you feel it's easier." Big Sister said, putting her hands behind her back. "I also expect you to invite me to the wedding with Lion." She said, capping it off with a joke, to which Hestia laughed.

"We don't have that kind of relationship!" She hissed, her face flushed with embarrassment, earning an arched eyebrow from her eldest sister.

"Then what kind of relationship do you have?" asked 0001.

"I'm not sure," Hestia answered, watching the cameras as Separatist frigates got destroyed by Y-Bombers. Hera cheered with each ion torpedo hit, celebrating like it was her birthday. Mania focused on the Malevolence, while Medusa attempted to contact the forces on Felucia

There was little or nothing they could do at this point. Now it was just to wait and see.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dan, Lion, Ahsoka, and Anakin had fled to the railway, leading to a high-speed firefight as they were waylaid by Separatists following in their railcar. Grievous being not far behind. The rest of the clones had perished during the retreat. The Big Brother had run out of ammo and was now throwing crates at their assailants. 

Things were not going well.

"We need to regroup with my own and Mania's legions but I can't hail them on comms!" Lion yelled as they attempted to disengage. Lion was having a hard time multitasking with only one arm, his right arm hung limply at his side ever since his attempt to kill Grievous. Anakin and Ahsoka were redirecting fire back at any droid brave enough to shoot them.

Dan sighed, they would soon reach their target but Grievous was hot on their heels.

"We're going the wrong way! We need to change directions if we want to regroup!" Anakin shouted in response.

It was then that Lion saw their chance, there was a hangar at the next stop and they could easily take a ship to regroup with Republic forces.

"We stop at the next station, there's a hangar there, we grab a ship and get the hell out of here!" Lion ordered, to which Anakin and Ahsoka nodded.

"I like that plan, but are you okay? That wound looks pretty bad." Anakin commented, gesturing to Lion's limp arm.

"I've been through worse. We're slowing down, we stop in twenty seconds, get ready to move."

Dan saw the writing of "Hangar" on the wall, he knew that when they stopped Grievous would catch up fast. When the train came to a stop he didn't move. 

"I'll hold them off as long as I can, GO!" Shouted Dan as the group ran as fast as they could. Ahsoka looked ready to mutiny and help Dan but Anakin forced her to move on. Bodily dragging her away from the clone's last stand.

"This is war, and sometimes hard choices are necessary, now move," Anakin said between gasps as he ran to Ahsoka. "There is no glory in dying, we need to survive for the next fight and mourning those no longer with us, so keep moving and remember him as the hero he is," Anakin said.

The group disappeared into the Hangar as the Big Brother watched Grievous approaching him.

"Come and get me, your bag of bolts." Taunted Dan, as he tossed a large crate at the general. Grievous gracefully dodged the first only to get a plasteel-reinforced fist to the gut for hit trouble.

He quickly righted himself and returned the clone's charge.

Both forces collided, Dan used his enhanced body to block the general's lightsabers, creating an opening to give the cyborg another solid blow, sending him flying into some crates.

"You hit hard, but you have no chance of winning, I recommend you give up," Grievous advised, returning to a combat stance, seemingly none the worse for wear.

"Fuck you, clanker!" Roared Dan, as he bull-rushed the general once more.

"So be it," Grievous replied, dodging the blow and with uncanny precision cutting through the joint of his arm, dropping the oversized appendage on the floor. Dan slammed his head into Grievous' head in reaction, so hard that Grievous could feel his organ parts being affected by the hard blow. However, recovering, he drove three of his laser blades through Dan's chest, sending him crashing to the ground dead.

"You fought well," Grievous noted, "but not well enough," Grievous said before looking at the Hangar.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lion stood in the spaceship they stole from the separatists and saw with hate how Dan fell dead. He took out his blaster pistol and aimed at the cyborg menace that was the General. Running towards them while Anakin and Ahsoka were inside the cabin, trying to port the ship and fly away.

"They're closing in. If we don't leave soon, it's over for us," Lion's voice wavered as he called from his position.

Anakin was calmed in porting the ship, trying to do it as fast as possible while Ahsoka had her hands on the controllers of the ship to get away as fast as possible when the porting would be over.

"How can you be so calm?" Ahsoka's desperate question echoed through the tense air, her frustration palpable.

"Stay focused and keep your hands on the flight stick! Be ready to take off when I say," Anakin's urgency cut through the chaos as he struggled to hotwire the craft amidst a sea of tangled wires.

"Now, take us out of here!" Screamed Anakin. Lion heard that and fired his blaster with precision and hate as the cyborg general advanced through the hangar. But for so much precision the general was evading the shots with an unnatural grace. Despite Lion's skilled marksmanship, the metallic foe leaped into the ship just as it began to ascend.

In an attempt to disengage the cyborg, Lion continued to fire, but it proved futile. The mechanical monster closed in swiftly, and just before Lion faced certain defeat, a new force intervened. Ahsoka intercepted the lethal blow, pushing the general back with a surge of telekinetic power.

However, the cyborg adjusted rapidly by using its metal claws that he used as legs to break the metal and stay stuck in the spaceship, renewing the deadly engagement with the young Jedi.

Lion observed the duel while noticing how the ship was uncontrolled. As if the one that was handling the ship disappeared and then he noticed. Ahsoka in her try to save his life, abandoned the controls leaving Anakin alone.

With determination to make a difference, he tried to search for an opportunity to change the battle in their favor but he found none as Ahsoka struggled a lot to handle Grievous force and skill.

In mere seconds the General made wounds on Ahsoka, making her scream in pain and fall on her back. She had in her right arm a very strong marc of light saber though her limb wasn't cut.

The grim realization set in as Lion foresaw the paths ahead. The general overpowered Ahsoka and was about to kill him and then Anakin.

With a heavy heart, Lion made his choice.

Just before Grievous could kill Ahsoka, Lion acted.

He threw himself at the cyborg general, sending both of them tumbling out of the separatist transport.

For a brief moment, all he sensed was the rush of wind in his ears, a fading scream, and then a harsh impact and a resounding crack.

And in that moment, with Lion dying and Grievous looking at him. The separatist spaceship abandoned the hangar, the door closing automatically and Ahsoka with a heavy wound on her arm. Defeated, humiliated, and with Anakin shouting at her.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin steered the ship with a heavy heart, his hands gripping the controls tightly. Ahsoka sat silently behind him trying to make her wound hurt less, a storm of conflicting emotions brewing within her. The recent mission had left an indelible mark, weighing heavily on both their minds.

"We'll talk later," Anakin muttered, struggling to contain the anger that surged through him. The risk Ahsoka had taken, the disregard for his orders, fueled the turmoil within him.

The ship veered away from the battlefield, escaping the crumbling Separatist formation, heading back to the Maelstrom, back to 0001.

Having taken control of every aspect of the ship, Anakin navigated through the ongoing fleet combat, attempting to establish communication with the Maelstrom. Finally, the channel opened, and an angry clone's voice echoed through the ship.

"Unidentified separatist ship, state your reason for communication."

"This is Anakin Skywalker. I've stolen this ship. Please don't shoot. I'm already dodging gunfire from clankers who know I've taken it."

After a tense confirmation of his identity, the clone responded, "Understood, CC-0001, and 501st will await your arrival on the Maelstrom." 

The communication closed, leaving Ahsoka to grapple with the consequences of her actions and Anakin rethinking the situation. Setting a strange silence. That didn't last long as Anakin broke the silence, his voice heavy with grief. 

"You will be the one to break the news of the loss of Lion and Dan."

Ahsoka sighed quietly, a heavy burden settling on his shoulders. After several minutes the ship landed at the battleship, being welcomed by members of the 501st Legion who had stayed behind.

The separatist transport door opened, Joker's presence was notable, but he seemed to be searching for something—or someone.

"If you're looking for Lion... he's gone. I'm sorry," Ahsoka's voice quivered with sorrow.

Confusion etched Joker's face as he asked, "How?" He couldn't fathom the loss of Lion, a figure known for his calculated risks and unmatched skills. And his best friend.

"He saved my life, fighting General Grievous," Ahsoka confessed, on the verge of tears, burdened by a sense of guilt.

Joker's eyes transformed, taking on a dangerous edge that sent a shiver down Ahsoka's spine. Without uttering another word, he turned and left, leaving behind an unsettling silence.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hestia and 0001 walked down the corridor, going to the hangar to find out what had happened, Anakin's group had returned before expected and the battle was not yet over.

"Do you think Lion will be alright?" Hestia asked Big Sister, who just nodded.

"Of course he is, he's always fine, but I want to know why they have returned. The Separatist ships are indeed in retreat, but I doubt the Malevolence boarding action is over yet." 0001 said, they had won the battle, that was clear, although it came at a great cost. Most of the Republic fleet was either destroyed or heavily damaged.

Entering the hangar 0001 could see the mess that was the Malevolence in the hangar bay, full of blast marks and fire. Then, she saw Anakin and Ahsoka in the Hangar, a somber air about them and Lion wasn't around... that could only mean...

0001 looked at Hestia, who still didn't seem to understand the implications. Remembering the first time she lost a comrade close to her, and her episode after...

Mulling over her tragedy, 0001 accompanied Hestia until they were within speaking distance of Anakin and Ahsoka. Upon closer inspection, the expressions they wore looked… lost.

"Where's Lion and the rest?" Hestia asked, to which Ahsoka's face fell, unable to meet her gaze...

"He -," Ahsoka choked on her words.

"He.. fell in the line of duty" Anakin replied somberly, seeing his padawan unable to stand over her obligations.

0001 felt uncomfortable, it wasn't the pain of loss she felt in her second life. She had grown used to losing people close to her. It bothered her how little she felt at the loss.

However Hestia began to cry, and the 501st soldiers in the hangar looked at each other. Two of them approached Hestia, 0001 quickly opened comms with the pair.

"Take her to her room and keep an eye on her, help your sister any way you can." The last thing 0001 needed was for Hestia to try to do something... drastic.

"At once Big Sister." They both replied, grabbing Hestia's hoverchair and carrying her away, her quiet sobs fading into the distance.

"What happened, Anakin?" 0001 said quickly, looking for answers.

"General Grievous, he's a monster, he's almost impossible to kill. The losses we suffered can almost universally be laid at his feet."

0001 nodded, it made sense to her. Grievous cyborg body and skill in battle was an uncomfortable advantage.

"Even Dan failed? Mania's favorite?" 0001 Inquired.

"Yes, even he fell in the end. He bought us valuable time." Anakin replied, then added "And I could do nothing to prevent it."

0001 nodded, they would hold a funeral for all the fallen of this battle with a place of honor for Dan and Lion when this battle ended.

"And you just accept death like that?" Ahsoka asked, accusingly towards Big Sister. To which she looked at Ahsoka.

"When you have to lead a war where all your soldiers are your brothers, your family, you either harden yourself or become crazy," 0001 answered, starting to leave, but she turned around to address them a final time

"What does your Jedi Code state? 'There is no death, there is the Force.'" With that, 0001 clinked her feet and turned around, leaving Anakin and Ahsoka alone with their thoughts.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The council of Sisters gathered before me, sadly most could not be there in person but the holos are a good substitute.

"We have won the battle and will proceed to help our brothers on Felucia, however, the casualties have been horrendous. Medusa please put up the report."

Medusa put up the stats, exposing them to all the sisters.

"While casualties among the troopers have been below estimates the losses of the fleet are catastrophic. We lost over forty-one Venators, ten are badly damaged and will need significant yard time, and twenty-six more have only received minor damage and will be ready soon. Also, the Maelstrom class battleship, Democracy, used to strike the Malevolence will need repairs for a better part of a year."

All the sisters showed displeasure in different ways, none had wanted to pay such a price. The war was going to stall for months if not years.

"This is a complete disaster," Aphrodite said, sighing and sinking into her chair. 

"We can forget about winning the war quickly, damn it, we were so close!" Elpis lamented, at which point I raised my hand.

"May I ask why you think we should win this war so quickly?" I asked my sisters, "Why do you consider it a good thing for the Republic to lose their need for us?" I continued, not waiting for a response, and continued talking. In a nonprepared speech for my sisters, I didn't realize that winning the war was the worst-case scenario for the clones, only comparable to losing the war.

"We all hate war for one simple reason, our brothers die. Dan and Lion are but a drop in the ocean of our dead. Yet have any of you thought about the future? What will happen when we win the war? Where will we live? What will the Republic do with us? What future will we have?"

I allowed a moment to let that sink in, to understand the reality of the situation we were in.

"The Republic," I said, bringing them back to reality. "The Republic is a foul, inept system, the cause of our creation and the death of our brethren. This Republic is dominated by a corrupt and foolish Senate that dares to command us to fight in their war. Without an assured future, why should we end the war?"

Elpis then interjected.

"What other choice do we have, what about our brothers who are dying even now? We decided to cooperate with the Republic instead of doing the clone revolution" 

"And answer me Elpis, what will happen to our brethren once the war ends? I will tell you, a fate worse than death, everything that makes us who we are will be taken from us, and we will be scattered across the galaxy because the Republic will not be able to create a way to deal with the crisis we represent."

Nemesis interjected curiously

"And what do you propose, Big Sister?"

"I advocate for the assimilation of the Republic, a transformation orchestrated with militaristic finesse. Let us supplant their admirals with our strategic minds, replace their Senate Guard with our loyal enforcers, substitute their intelligence agency with our astute operatives, and seamlessly install senators that benefit us in lieu of theirs. Those who defy our interests shall be swiftly removed. In the face of a flawed government, our only logical recourse is to become the architects of governance, subtly weaving our influence into the fabric of the Republic throughout the war. Through meticulous purging of dissenters and the strategic placement of individuals under our sway, we shall govern from the shadows, manipulating the Republic for our exclusive benefit. This endeavor necessitates a protracted conflict—a war of enduring proportions, paving the way for the ascension of a Republic controlled by us, the clones. And if that was to fail for whatever reason. We will split the galaxy under thousands of governments while we create our own Clone Empire! We will create a situation in which everyone in the Republic gets independence and starts to fight each other to gain influence while we create our own Empire, our place under the universe where we could be free!"

With Tanya's speech, the force howled. Fate was altered. The Republic's curtain call was beginning.