Clone Wars (Opening Act)
The Galactic Republic's forces were on the move, and Lelouch was at the helm, directing the deployment of troops and strategizing the next phase of the war. But as the first months passed, he knew there was another piece of the puzzle that needed to be put into place—a piece that involved a certain cyborg general who was as feared as he was elusive.
Lelouch had studied General Grievous extensively. The Separatist Supreme Commander was a formidable foe, a master tactician, and a ruthless warrior. Yet beneath the armor and the lightsaber collection, there was something more—a vulnerability that Lelouch intended to exploit.
It was time to make contact.
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In the cold, dimly lit confines of a remote Separatist warship, General Grievous stood before the massive viewport, gazing out at the stars. His mechanical breath echoed through the chamber, a constant reminder of the fate that had befallen him. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime—an incoming transmission.
"General, there's a secure communication coming through." one of his droids reported.
"From whom?" Grievous demanded, his voice a mix of metallic rasp and suppressed rage.
"It's... unidentified, sir. The source is encrypted, it's passing through a local relay, most likely a ship within our range, but it's definitely coming from within the Republic's communication network."
Grievous's eyes narrowed. He was not one to entertain unknown transmissions, especially from the enemy. But to have his exact location and not ambush him while their shields were powered down was a sign he could translate rather well. .
"Patch it through."
The hologram flickered to life, and Lelouch vi Britannia appeared before General Grievous. Clad in his usual white attire, Lelouch's presence was commanding, his violet eyes—now glowing faintly with the dark side of the Force—seemed to pierce through the distance between them.
"General Grievous," Lelouch began, his voice calm yet carrying an underlying weight of authority. "Thank you for accepting my invitation. I am Lelouch Palpatine, a newly appointed High General of the Republic. But I am not here to speak on behalf of the Republic."
Grievous's eyes narrowed as he assessed the young man before him. "I know of you boy, of your victory on Geonosis. It seems to have made you arrogant. Why should I listen to anything you have to say, 'boy'?" he spat, his voice dripping with taunt and venom.
Lelouch smiling expression set into a deadpan. "I am no 'boy', General. In fact, I am something quite more dangerous." He raised his hand, and with a subtle gesture, the air around Grievous began to thrum with a dark energy. The General felt a sudden, overwhelming pressure bearing down on his mind, forcing his mechanical body to bend slightly as his eyes darted towards all directions. His mind buzzed as Grievous felt his death near, only for it all to disappear within a moment.
"They replaced your body, I doubt they'll have the same luck with your mind... so listen, and listen closely because I'm not going to repeat my words, and I'll accept nothing but straight answers from you."
Grievous was not chosen by the Sith for nothing. He was quick to realize this "boy" was a bigger player than even his master... which brought forth the question: If the Sith were leading both the CIS and the Republic, what exactly was his role?
If he did not have this information already at his position... then all opportunities that remained bar any special occasion, did not bode well for him or his future.
"...Dooku LIED."
"For much more than you think. You have no allies in this war general... though to be fair, you have no war to wage unless you agree to my conditions. This is no negotiation general. I'll provide you with a list of benefits for your unconditional servitude." Lelouch said, his face
With that Grievous heard a *clank* near his face, looking down to see his right arm holding a deactivated lightsaber right under his chin... pointing up...
"I sympathize with your situation. But I cannot afford to have you refuse my offer, generous as it might be."
Grievous calmly looked back right at Lelouch. "I am not one of your 'kind'. What stops you from disposing of me later on like I'm sure my current master would?"
Lelouch smiled widely at that. "We'll just have to fix that won't we? You have already proven yourself a warrior without equal among, falling short only to the most skilled of Jedi's. And not because of their skill, because of the power in the 'Force' they command. Let's just say that what I would require of you would have you face many of the most skilled Jedi and perhaps even Dooku and his master, so naturally, you would be given the abilities to be able to pose a threat to them."
"Master?!" Grievous eyes widened a little bit, though at the same time lust for power that was promised filled his eyes.
Lelouch smile returned to normal as his eyes flashed yellow with power. "Let the 'negotiations' begin."
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Fireworks painted the space in front of the Republic fleet as the burning and exploding wreckage of half a dozen Lucrehulks Class Battlecarriers presented itself in all its glory.
Lelouch watched calmly as the explosions were reflected in his eyes as the entire bridge filled with clones watched solemnly.
The assault on the Separatist blockaded planet had taken 5 minutes and cost the lives of three dozen clones.
A small Cruiser had jumped into the system first, approaching under the guise of a surrendering diplomatic ship, and once it had gotten close enough to map the locations of each ship in the Separatist blockade, 6 Acclamators had jumped in front of the core ships in a synchronized manner.
Each acted as a dagger that accelerated into the heart of the Lucrehulks' core ships.
This immediately put an end to the attack of the Separatist on the world below as well.
"Connect me to the troops." Lelouch said as he rose from his seat.
The clone next to him turned to the panel in front for a moment before turning back around with a nod.
"This is your general speaking."
Clones inside the Venator Star Destroyer, and those working or otherwise occupied, those watching from the bridge or even those watching form the opened hangar doors suddenly stood still as they heard their general speak.
"Look carefully at the scene unfolding ahead of you. Three dozen of your brothers lay dead somewhere among the wreckage."
"I asked of them one thing and one thing only. Would each of you be willing to die... so dozens, hundreds... or even thousands of your brothers can live to fight another day... I believe you all know how they answered."
As the clones stood in silent reverence, their helmets reflecting the flickering light of the distant wreckage, Lelouch continued, his voice resonating with the gravity of the moment.
"They gave their lives not in vain, but with purpose," Lelouch said, his tone unwavering. "They understood the stakes, the cost this victory would have asked of us. This one-sacrifice they could make, was not made for the republic, but for their brothers. I expect all of you to not waste it."
A moment passed as all of a sudden, a loud thump was heard, the clones in the bridge standing at attention as the ones throughout the ship followed suit.
"UNDERSTOOD, GENERAL!"
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"With our fortifications here, we should be done on this quadrant, Field commanders can take over the specific patrols and troop organization on the ground." Lelouch sighed as he looked over the map.
He'd appreciate it if it was an actual war. Behind every move there would be much more thought and much more weight... but when you controlled both sides, well... There was still the occasional surprise of a greedy admiral that wanted to make a name for himself, like the one he just destroyed.
Suddenly a clone commander approached him from the side.
"General, as you predicted the offensive on the southern quadrants has been much more aggressive. You are requested to proceed on that front as soon as possible by the chancellor."
"We have deployed all of our troops already..."
The commander nodded before handing over a holo-pad. "New legion is being formed. Whoever's out by the time we arrive is ours for the taking."
"So... we're getting whoever has failed to graduate the first time and clone cadets who possibly haven't even passed yet if necessary. It'll have to do I guess... Equipment?"
"We'll have to pick it up on our way. They can spare no transports at this time..."
"Kamino it is, then," Lelouch said, almost to himself. "We'll gather this ragtag new legion and whatever equipment we can salvage on our way there."
...
"Any news regarding Jedi-General Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
The clone shifted through the information on the Holo-pad before responding.
"... Successful deployments so far, mostly together. Most recent orders have them set of for Christophis, coordinating defenses to secure the planet and have it serve as a forward operating base."
Lelouch tracked the planet on the map before frowning.
"I'd say the Jedi High-General in charge is bold... but they are just clueless. Just by their sheer numbers and our rather thinning ones, barring some miracle it will be a disaster."