Alto Stratus waited for a response to his call, and at last the voice projector came to life.
"We welcome you, Stratus." A hologram of Wat Tambor appeared beside the image of the foreman of the Trade Federation. "We have been awaiting your call."
"What about reinforcements? Count Dooku promised help in the war against the Republic, but so far not a single transport has reached the surface."
"Difficult weather conditions," the Skakoan replied. "However, I can assure you that the first ships will reach the surface within the next few hours. We will use rockets with a special formula that will help reduce cloud cover."
"Do you have the coordinates of the Republic base?"
"Yes. As soon as flight in the atmosphere becomes possible, we will strike with bombers and land troops directly on their base."
"I will support your attack from the ground." Stratus smiled.
***
Another raid on the enemy's rear was interrupted quite unexpectedly. Ahsoka and I were just about to leave the Juggernaut to set up another ambush on the enemy's supply column when Mirro's cry stopped us.
"General! Come here, quickly!"
"What happened?" I asked, already realizing it was nothing good. The Force was warning me—danger. Great danger.
"General, I intercepted a message—"
Explosions rang out in the sky.
"The enemy is preparing—or rather, has already used—missiles with a special compound to disperse the clouds! The windows are right above our base and the surrounding area! See for yourself!"
One of my OOM droids reported:
"Sir, conditions are optimal for enemy landing."
The tin can is right. I turned my head toward the exit. It had become noticeably brighter outside.
"Hutt! Contact all units! Return to base at full speed!"
***
The simultaneous attack from the air and ground bore fruit. The CIS troops, supported by the Jabiimi nationalists, broke through the defenses, and the battle raged across the base's territory. Having lost several transports shot down by anti-aircraft fire, the droids stopped trying to take the base by direct assault, but the situation was dire. The remaining armored vehicles struggled to hold back the enemy. Huge AT-ATs mowed down the attacking columns, and nothing seemed able to stop them.
However, saboteurs from the Nimbus approached them from the rear and moved in close, planting mines directly on the AT-ATs' supports. One by one the walkers toppled, exploding anddestroying everything around them.
Hand-to-hand combat erupted in many places… and Separatist fighters and bombers swept across the sky. Defensive turrets fired until their barrels were literally molten, risking reactor overload.
And everywhere, clones fought the enemy. Their training allowed them to act independently, and they did exactly what they were meant to do. Commanders directed fire; grenade launchers destroyed enemy combat vehicles. Snipers took out commanders; Z-6 gunners mowed down ranks of droids—or selected enemy aircraft as their targets.
Blam directed all operations from theheadquarters room.
"Sector four—circular defense! You've been flanked! Battery Two is under fire; they need help! Saboteurs in sector two!"
"Damn, that's near the hospital!" someone shouted.
"We have no reserves! The general's squad is on its way, but they're still seven minutes out, and the other squads are even farther!"
"Arm everyone! Engineers, technicians—we have to hold out until they arrive…"
A proton bomb launched from a Hyena struck the headquarters building…
***
Running between rocks, wrecked vehicles, and the debris of destroyed droids, Puck fired again and again, cutting down enemies. Behind him followed the soldiers from the general's squad, the general himself, and his "guards." Commander Tano advanced on the left flank, covering the squad rushing toward the hospital.
When the vehicles reached the base, they found a scene of utter horror: several downed CIS transport barges decorated the area, and fire raged in all directions. The clones fought the superior enemy forces with tenacity and courage, but the odds were far from equal. The Juggernauts pushed forward, while the slightly slower walkers swept to the flanks. No one spared ammunition as rockets and grenades fired from the huge combat vehicles' launchers, striking the droids assaulting the base.
Breaking into the base, the armored vehicles paused just long enough to disgorge waves of troops from their wombs, then rushed back into battle, circling the perimeter. The clones—under the command of the Jedi and the ARC clones—charged to reinforce the defenders.
The general's squad reached headquarters, where Marshal Commander Blam met them, his head bandaged.
"Good to see you, sir!"
"Be more specific, Blam!"
"The enemy has broken through here, here, here, and here. You've closed one breach, but there are still others. Sir, our hospital is in danger! It's defended by two engineering battalions, but those Hutt Nimbus have broken through!"
"Understood! Follow me!" The Jedi ignited his lightsaber. "Ahsoka will need help—she's heading right there! Eight Hundred and Two, take the left flank; your task is reconnaissance! Three Hundred and Two, with me!"
"Roger Roger!" the adjutants replied.
They were already approaching the ship around which the battle raged. The Togruta rushed across the field, cutting down droids and covering the troopers racing to aid their brothers.
Suddenly, the cacophony of battle paused. A powerful explosion erupted ahead. The automatic system in Alpha-Seventeen's helmet darkened his visors, but he could still see everything clearly. The Pelta-class frigate ceased to exist—its place taken by a smoldering crater. Everyone still standing was thrown to the ground by the shockwave.
A single thought flashed through Seventeen's mind: The reactor exploded. And that was definitely not an accident. A baradium charge, no doubt.
Nearby, General Vikt fell to his knees, clutching his helmet with both hands.
Hutt… I think Commander Tano was there.
"Brother, grab him and let's go! There are too many of them! Clanker, cover us!" Fourteenshouted, firing another shot at the nimble enemy.
After destroying the ship, the militiamen's spirits soared, and they surged forward with triumphant cries—followed by combat droids and the fighters of the Nimbus, hovering a few meters above the ground on their repulsor boots.
Seventeen stepped forward and reached for the general's shoulder. Suddenly, the general jerked his hands away from his helmet and stretched them out before him…
***
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