Blaster fire filled the corridor as the ARC team fought against the advancing B1 battle droids, an obstacle they had to break through if they wanted to reach the control room.
"They're too many!" one ARC trooper said while firing his DC-15A, destroying five droids in quick shots. "Is there another way to reach the room?"
"No!" the designer shouted from behind cover, flinching every time a blaster bolt struck the wall near him. "This is the only path to the control room that I know."
"Well, it's a shame we didn't bring an astromech with us," another ARC muttered while reloading.
"Then we have no choice," Spear said firmly. "We push through the horde."
He then turned toward Padmé, who was firing her blaster beside him.
"Senator, I want you to stay here until we clear the droids," he said.
Padmé lowered her blaster slightly but did not step back.
"With respect, Commander," she replied, "I didn't come all this way just to hide behind a wall."
Another wave of battle droids marched into the corridor, raising their blasters.
Spear sighed slightly.
"Then stay close," he said. "And don't move ahead of the line."
He turned back toward the corridor.
"ARC," he ordered, raising his pistols.
"Advance."
Hearing the order, four ARC troopers stepped out of cover first. Each of them wore identical armor—a much heavier ARC trooper armor variant designed for frontline assault.
With the four ARCs forming a living shield, the rest of the squad advanced behind them, firing their blasters at the incoming B1 battle droids. This time the droids fell much faster than before.
"Let's go," Ion gestured to Padmé. "Stay close to me and stay low."
Padmé nodded and moved behind Ion as the squad advanced.
Ion followed directly behind the shield line, firing controlled bursts past the armored troopers in front of him. Each shot dropped another battle droid as the squad slowly pushed down the corridor.
Blaster fire filled the hallway, bolts flashing back and forth as the ARCs forced their way forward step by step.
Behind them, the designer hurried along while keeping his head down, clearly unused to being in the middle of a firefight.
Up ahead, the corridor began to widen.
"That should lead to the control section!" the designer shouted over the sound of blaster fire.
"You heard the man!" Spear shouted. "This is the last push! Forward!"
The ARC troopers increased their pace.
The four heavily armored troopers at the front absorbed the incoming fire while the rest of the squad unleashed a storm of blaster bolts behind them.
Droids fell across the floor as the clones pushed through the final line.
"Left side clear!"
"Right side clear!"
"Keep moving!" Spear ordered.
At the end of the corridor, a large blast door leading to the control room finally came into view.
"Can you open the door?" Spear said to the one ARC that operating on the door console.
The rest of the ARC troopers aimed down the corridor behind them, forming a defensive line in case more B1 battle droids appeared.
"It's definitely different from what I learned back on Kamino," one ARC said as he fiddled with the exposed wires on the control panel. "Looks like the Separatists changed a lot of their systems for the war. I need more time."
Spear sighed.
Before he could say anything, Padmé stepped forward, with Ion beside her.
"Maybe I can help with this, Commander," she said as she pulled a connector wire from her wrist computer. "This device can override most systems. I think it should work here too."
The ARC trooper looked at her for a moment, then stepped aside.
"Well… Senator," he said, "be my guest."
Padmé quickly connected the wire to the open panel. Her fingers moved quickly across the small screen on her wrist device.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the console flickered.
Before long, the door suddenly slid open, revealing ten B1 battle droids standing inside the room.
"Hey," one B1 said, pointing at the group. "You're not supp—"
Spear immediately fired his dual DC-17 pistols, dropping the droid and two others before it could finish speaking.
Two more ARC troopers instantly opened fire with their DC-15A carbines, destroying the remaining droids in seconds.
"Q," Spear said to one of the ARCs as he, Ion, Padmé, and the designer entered the control room. "Set up a defensive perimeter in case droid reinforcements arrive."
The ARC nodded and moved to the doorway with the others, aiming their rifles down the corridor.
"So," Padmé said, turning toward the designer. "Can you do something?" She gestured toward the console.
"Well…" the designer began as he looked over the controls. "I'm only a designer. I can't say for sure that I—"
"Senator," Spear interrupted, not wanting to waste time. "Could your wrist computer do something about this?"
"I think it should work," Padmé said with uncertainty, but still begin to connect the wire into the console.
After a minute, just before Spear want to ask, the screen begin to lit up and begin showing the control system for the all generators.
"Good," Spear said immediately.
He stepped forward and began pressing commands on the console, trying to shut down the generators.
The designer quickly moved beside him, pointing at several sections of the display.
"There—those are the power nodes. Disable them and the whole defense grid will collapse."
Spear followed the instructions and entered the final command.
A moment later, the system confirmed the shutdown.
Across the facility, the generators powered down at the same time.
The lights in the room suddenly went dark for a brief moment before the emergency lighting switched on, bathing the control room in a dim red glow.
"Generators are offline," the designer said, staring at the screen.
"That means the shields are down."
Outside the room, one of the ARC troopers shouted from the corridor.
"Commander! The droids are coming!"
Spear grabbed his pistols again and turned toward the door.
"Then our job here is done," he said.
He looked toward Padmé Amidala.
"Senator, time to leave this place."
===
"General," a naval officer shouted, pointing at the defense points shield that dropping. "their shield are gone."
While unsure what's happen, Galahad will not waste this opportunity.
"Launch the assault battalion immediately," Galahad ordered.
Vorn nodded and activated his comlink.
"7th Assault," he said firmly. "Begin the assault."
In the Venator beside Fists of Iron, about twenty LAATs flew out of the hangar, charging toward the now-unshielded defense points.
"Vorn, prepare the rest of the Corps for the attack," Galahad continued. "I will bring Appo and Vaughn with me to join the 7th Assault."
He turned and began leaving the bridge, with Appo and Vaughn following closely behind.
"Make sure you keep up," Galahad said jokingly as they entered the corridor.
"I will, General," Vorn replied with a small nod before turning back to the bridge crew.
Moments later, Galahad and the two clones reached the hangar.
Rows of gunships were already preparing for launch as clone troopers from Appo and Vaughn squads rushed aboard.
Without hesitation, Galahad stepped into Hawk LAAT.
"Let's go," he said.
"Roger that, General," Hawk replied as the LAAT began to lift off alongside another gunship.
When the two LAATs exited the hangar and charged toward their target, a squadron of ARC-170 starfighters moved into formation above them.
The heavy starfighters spread out across the sky, flying escort for the gunships as they descended toward the shipyards below.
Laser fire from distant Vultures flashed across the battlefield, but the ARC-170 pilots quickly intercepted them.
Bright explosions lit up the sky as the starfighters clashed overhead.
Before long, they arrived at their destination when the turbulence of the LAAT disappear.
"We're here, General," Hawk said as the side door slid open.
"Good job, Hawk," Galahad replied as he ignited his silver lightsaber and stepped out of the gunship.
The landing zone was already in chaos.
The 7th Assault was locked in battle with advancing B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids. Blaster fire filled the air, and explosions echoed across the shipyard platforms.
Clone troopers moved between cover, firing in controlled bursts as they trying to push back the droid forces.
Behind Galahad, Appo and Vaughn quickly led their squads out of the gunships, and stand beside him.
"General!" a lieutenant from the 7th Assault called out as he ran toward Galahad through the smoke.
"The droids are regrouping near the central tower," he reported. "It's the tower that controls the main highway across the shipyards."
Galahad considered this for a moment.
"I will lead a charge toward the central tower," he said decisively. "The 7th will cover my flanks and follow me into the tower."
"Yes, General," the lieutenant nodded. "I will begin preparing the men for the attack."
As the lieutenant ran off, Galahad turned toward Appo, Vaughn, and their troopers.
"Follow closely behind me," he said calmly. "And you'll be fine."
The clones nodded.
A moment later, Galahad stepped forward and began moving toward the battlefield.
Blaster bolts streaked toward him from the advancing B1 battle droids, but his silver lightsaber flashed through the air, deflecting the shots aside.
Behind him, the clone troopers advanced in formation, their rifles firing in steady bursts.
"Forward!" Appo shouted.
The clones surged ahead behind the Jedi, pushing toward the central tower as explosions shook the shipyards around them.
Galahad moved quickly across the broken landing platform, his silver lightsaber flashing as he deflected blaster bolts coming from the line of B1 battle droids ahead.
Each step he took pushed the line forward.
Behind him, the clone troopers advanced in formation.
"Keep moving!" Appo shouted as his squad fired controlled bursts.
Droids fell one after another as the clones pushed through the defense line.
To the right flank, Vaughn led his troopers along a row of cargo containers, eliminating several droids that tried to flank the assault force.
"Right side clear!" Vaughn reported.
Ahead of them, the central tower rose above the shipyard platforms. Its lower entrance was guarded by several B2 super battle droids supported by a group of B1s.
Before any of the droids could fire their weapons, Galahad raised his free hand and unleashed a burst of Force lightning.
Blue arcs of energy struck the droids, destroying them instantly as their circuits overloaded.
Without slowing down, Galahad rushed toward the tower entrance, using the Force to accelerate his speed.
The moment he arrived, the door slid open and another group of B2 super battle droids appeared behind it.
Still moving at high speed, Galahad crashed directly into them.
The heavy droids were thrown aside as the impact sent them slamming into the walls. In the same motion, Galahad's silver lightsaber flashed through the air, cutting through their armor.
Metal limbs and broken plating scattered across the floor as the remaining droids collapsed.
Seconds later, the clone troopers led by Appo and Vaughn rushed inside the tower behind him.
"Entrance secured!" Appo shouted as the clones formed a defensive line.
Galahad looked up the interior of the tower, where multiple levels and walkways circled upward.
From above, the sound of marching droids echoed down the structure.
"They're reinforcing from the upper levels," Vaughn said.
Galahad lifted his lightsaber slightly.
"Then we climb."
Without waiting, Galahad rush up the stair, destroying any droids standing in front of him, while Appo and Vaughn lead their squads behind Galahad, firing at the droids that firing at them from the upper level.
After slicing a large number of B1s, Galahad and his men finally arrived at the command center at the top of the tower.
The command center doors were reinforced, but Galahad didn't hesitate. Using the Force, he slammed them open, sending the heavy panels flying inward. They crashed into the B2s and two Droidekas waiting inside, destroying them immediately.
Appo and Vaughn led their squads in immediately behind him, blaster fire cutting down any remaining droids that tried to recover. Sparks flew as metal clashed with energy bolts, but the clones moved with precision, securing the room.
Galahad stepped forward, using the Force to hold a T-1 tactical droid in place, ensuring it could not escape.
With a swift motion, he disassembled the droid, carefully keeping the head—and the memory bank inside—intact.
"With you gone," Galahad said, holding the droid head in his hand, "the campaign for the Shipyards will be much easier."
"General," Appo approached. "We've secured the tower. The rest of the 10th Corps is beginning deployment, and both General Unduli and General Fay have secured their objectives."
"Good," Galahad nodded. "then the true battle can begin," he then handed the tactical droid head to Appo. "See if there's any information we can use to make the rest of our mission easier."
"Yes, General," Appo replied, taking the head and returning to his squad.
Beep… beep… beep.
Galahad's private comlink activated, the soft tone cutting through the din of the command center. He tapped it, and Padmé's tense, urgent voice came through, layered over the distant sound of blaster fire.
"Galahad," she said, voice strained, "I need your help!"