C1P8

MTT-Chassis Mobile Command Vehicle

Three Kilometers from Agrocite Processing Facility

I quickly viewed my options. With nearly three times the number of troops that the Republic were currently fielding, I could easily swarm the enemy and simply overwhelm them with sheer numbers. But it would result in the loss of nearly three fourths of my basic footsoldiers, something I would prefer not to lose, as I would prefer a reserve force in case things go severely pear-shaped.

On the holographic projector, I tapped the table and selected nearly two thirds of my entire complement of Dwarf Spider Droids available to me. There was a valley that led directly to the processing facility, a direct path that also went straight to the agrocite mines. That valley was also at the top of a hill that the processing facility was embedded into. Nearly two hundred of the small four-legged droids began hugging the sloped walls of the valley, slowly being covered in snow by several dozen pockets of BX Commando droids scattered along the sides of the valley. These would be the ambushers, once the Republic gave chase to my 'retreating' forces, they would pop out on my order open fire upon the enemy.

Ventress had approved of my plan. 'Deceptions upon deceptions, I like it,' she had said.

A vanguard of AATs and ten thousand B1 Battledroids, supported by Droidekas and B2 Supers, slowly marched through the valley and towards the downward slopes of the hill.

Almost at once, the map was slowly filled with red dots and triangles. The dots signified enemy troop formations by platoons. Triangles were AT-TEs and small rectangles were juggernaught assault destroyers. There were quite a lot of them. Fortunately, the commanders had spotted my force's arrival and were reacting by condensing his armor in layers, with lines of soldiers protected by their armored bulks.

The commander was smart, but I was quite sure I was smarter.

"Agrocite Processing Facility in sight. Republic walkers and clone troopers have spotted us and are opening," said a B2 Commander in deep monotone, his holograhic form flickering as a mass driver round impacted a tank nearby. "Orders?"

"Begin the attack! Aim for the walkers and Juggernaughts!" I replied fiercely, tapping three times on several sections on the map. "Withdraw only when I give the order!"

"By your comman-zt!" Said the B2, shortly before it was smashed by dozens of blaster bolts.

I peered through the eyes of a lone probe droid positioned on a cliff overlooking the battle. The slope was covered in explosions as my vanguard sluggishly pushed on, though AATs were returning fire with accurate shots of their main cannons; sending clones flying in pieces and rupturing Juggernaught assault vehicles as the shells perforated their topside armor.

But the clones and their armored vehicles were heavily entrenched. Their concentrated fire was far, far greater than what I had at my disposal.

In a span of less than a minute, I had lost nearly a fourth of my soldiers, but I ordered them to push on.

I wince as a shell penetrated the front of an unfortunate hovertank's armor and through an entire column of B2s.

"Is the attack going well?" Demanded Gout's voice over the transmitter.

"It is proceeding as planned," I replied evenly, as an explosion from behind the Republic's lines shattered their momentum and rained confusion and chaos behind them. Moments later, I heard Ventress speak.

"There is only one Jedi here. The other two have disappeared somewhere and I am sure they are not in the facility," said Asajj, calmly cutting her way past several surprised clones.

"Did you have fun?" I ask, curiously.

"The good Jedi was a good enough opponent, but he was too blind to notice the other saber behind his back," she replied, shrugging as she sliced the legs off of one trooper and impaling another. A pair of clones rushed her on speeders. "Oh, a speeder. Thank you!"

One of the clones lost their head as the other was yanked off his bike by an unseen force and thrown against the base of a smokestack. "I am on my way."

"Be careful, Ventress," I said, "The enemy is alerted to your presence now."

"You think?" Snarled the witch as she sped past dozens of surprised Clones.

Despite the odds raised against her, her skill on the speeder was impressive. Against all odds, she blasted through dozens of barricades and up the hill.

Quickly, I ordered a 'retreat'. "Begin withdrawal. Have all units 'retreat'."

"By your command!"

I lost another third of my forces as the troops and their armored support began a fighting retreat, losing dozens more before it became a full scale retreat.

The Republic commander took the bait and had his forces follow, like a dog refusing to let a delicious bone go. Nearly the entirety of the forces stacked behind the barricades followed, leaving only several dozen armored vehicles and some soldiers to guard the area. Almost ten thousand soldiers and a thousand armored vehicles followed my broken vanguard, blowing the lagging soldiers behind to bits.

Had I had lips, I would have had a sinister smile. Instead I planted my hands together into a pyramid and placed my elbows on the table.

"Just as planned."

-

Major Kendal Ozzel fired his blaster rifle several more times and let loose a toothy grin. "Will you look at that? They're retreating! CHARGE!"

"But, sir!" Said Clone Commander CC-3636 'Wolffe' in surprise, "Jedi Master Tauht ordered us to hold our positions-"

"Tauht is dead," he stated firmly. "I am in command. If we leave those droids alone, they'll be back, repaired, refueled, and rearmed. We'll chase them down and then launch a direct attack on the mines themselves!"

Wolffe didn't agree. "Sir, with all due respect, it could be-"

"All units, this is Major Ozzel," shouted the Major, ignoring the clone commander entirely, "Charge! Chase those clankers down! Rear elements will remain here and guard the facility. You will be the reserve force! Everyone else, CHARRRRGE!"

Ozzel clambered into an AT-TE and into the mass driver turret, taking control of the cannon and aiming it at the retreating droids. Still wearing that shit-eating grin, he put pressure on the trigger and sent droid parts scattering all over the place.

"Mass Drivers on the AATs!" He shouted into the comlink as the clones gave a resounding cheer, hopping on AT-RTs or Swoops, clambering into Juggernaughts. A volley of rockets left a troop transport's bow, smashing a tank with resounding success.

"-A trap," he finished, lamely. Wolffe sighed and followed the Major dejectedly, muttering decidedly insubordinate things under his breath.

The charge led them into a valley, forcing the droids to clump together as concentrated firepower shredded them like so much chaff. Wolffe had to admit it, though, it did feel good to be on the offensive for once. The bad feeling in his stomach on the other hand only intensified.

"Sir, we should slow down," said the clone respectfully, "There could be mines up ahead. And we still haven't seen their fighters. The Admiral said there were hundreds-"

"Mines? Don't be proposterous, CC-3636. Their fighters are all probably damaged and are being repaired. By the time we get there, they won't have enough repaired in time to stop us," scoffed Ozzel as he climbed down from the turret. "Come on, have a go with the turret. It's great fun blowing those bastards to hells and ba-"

An explosion rocked their walker, sending the two of them crashing into each other.

"What was that?" Demanded Wolffe, prying himself off of a dazed Ozzel.

"Its a trap!" Shouted a trooper amidst the stuttering of blaster fire, before a BX Commando droid popped out of the snow and unloading blaster blasts into their ranks.

Wolffe pushed the sputtering Major out of his way as he grabbed the man's comlink, "All units, to your sides! There are droids hidden in the-"

Explosions filled their entire army as dwarf spider droids popped out of snow, unleashing a rain of laser fire into the lumbering walkers.

Legs were torn apart from the heavy walkers as laser bolts struck their vulnerable joints. Thousands of clones barely had time to react as BX Commandos and Droidekas tore into their unprotected and vulnerable flanks. Shocked by what was occurring, dozens of vehicles smashed into each other in the confusion, firing desperately as they tried to turn their bulky hulls to aim at the enemy appearing all around their blind spots.

Friendly fire proved to be exceedingly deadly as the panicking clones did as much damage to each other as the droids did to them.

Ozzel whimpered as their walker crumpled onto it's left side, it's entire leg assembly slagged and the unfortunate clones manning the turret and the driver's seat screaming in pain as the half melted armor encased them. Wolffe grabbed him by the collar of his coat and dragged him out of the burning half-slagged walker, firing his pistol like a madman.

The droid army had stopped their retreat and were pummeling away at them with cannon rounds and missiles as the bulk of the clone army were trapped by the half melted hulks of their vehicles and the small mountains of the dead and dying.

Wolffe spat an expletive at the top of his lungs and tried to order what remaining troops he had into something resembling order amidst the rain of lasers and blaster bolts falling atop of them. But suddenly his ears pricked, catching something over the din of weapons fire and cannon blasts. A keen whine slowly made itself known over the valley and his eyes widened as his brain registered the noise.

"INCOMING FIGHTERS!" He roared, throwing Ozzel behind the smoking remains of an A6 Juggernaught.

He threw himself behind it's half melted armor as well right before a rain of laser bolts shredded whatever remained of his army as over a hundred Vulture Droid starfighters passed over the valley before making their runs down to the unfortunate rear guard half a kilometer away in the processing facility.

"S-signal the enemy," blustered Ozzel, his goggled hat askew, the left of his mustache on fire. "W-we're s-surrendering."

Wolffe raised an eyebrow at him, before frowning deeply. "Droids seldom take prisoners, sir."

Ozzel managed a shaky grin as he patted his stars, "Not even officers?"

The clone stared at him, momentarily in disbelief before palming his face and pulling out his comlink and tapping in an open frequency. "We surrender!"