The Glass Pond

The Glass Pond is the first novel in the Sith-venator Wavingstrider trilogy and covers both the Clone Wars and Human-Covenant War.
==Prologue==
===Fast Forward===
====8:00, August 30th, 2552 (The Fall of Reach)====
Jugar-007, marksman of the SPARTAN-II fireteam Purple Team, dropped his Stanchion with a loud thump before taking his helmet off. His face sported a fresh scar from a Sangheili's energy dagger near his chin; it wouldn't be the first though. His short brown hair moved slightly as a breeze flew through the destroyed UNSC base. Corpses of both UNSC Army Troopers and Covenant Jiralhanae were scattered around at every possible place. 
After a short moment to rest he put his helmet back on and attempted to contact someone over the radio, "This is Sierra-007, are there any friendly forces left in the city of Manassas? Over." There was a silence that dreaded the Spartan, if no one answered, he would be left on Reach to be killed by the Covenant's orbital bombardment, commonly known as glassing, and he would be responsible for the death of a second squad mate.
Jugar looked over to the three bodies closest to him, of the three, only one was still breathing. The one that was still breathing was Sith-venator-077, leader and CQC specialist of Purple Team. In front of him laid the corpse of a Sangheili Zealot, the body still was smoking from the events that has just occurred, this bothered Jugar a little. In the corner of his eye he could see the corpse of the squad mate he wasn't able to save, Taylor-001, the heavy weapon specialist of the team. The events of what had just occurred played over and over in his head, it wasn't possible. He again tried over the radio but still got no reply.
Right when he was about to think up a new plan though a voice came over the radio, "This is the UNSC Frigate Ron Paul, we're currently on our way to the space port to pick up a team of ODSTs. Sierra-007 if you want off Reach you'll need to get to that port fast."
Jugar looked around quickly for anything that could get him and Sith-venator to the space port with ease. He looked around the deserted base swiftly until he found what he was looking for, an AV-14 Hornet. Jugar raced over to the unconscious Sith-venator and strapped him onto the side of the Hornet, then returned back for the corpse of Taylor.
"That damned Cole Protocol.", thought Jugar-007 as he prepared to activate the self-destruct sequence for Taylor's Grenadier armor.
"Don't do it.", said a voice in his head before he could finish the sequence. The Spartan sighed; he grabbed the dead Spartan instead and tied her corpse up on the hornet next to Sith-venator.
Jugar got into the cockpit after putting his Gauss Rifle over his back, making for a tight squeeze. He activated the controls and headed for the space port. He could see the UNSC Ron Paul closing in, a Stalwart-class light frigate by the looks of it. He needed to hurry; those things were fast but were next to useless against any kind of plasma weaponry. After about another five minutes he landed near a flare to be greeted by a group of ODSTs.
"Looks like you guys had it tough too.", commented one of the ODSTs as Jugar got out of the cockpit.
"We gave em' hell, but the damn Covenant seem to love the place.", replied Jugar as he untied both Sith-venator and Taylor from the Hornet, "Who's your commanding officer?"
"I am.", said an ODST wearing a Recon helmet.
"Lieutenant Colonel Ledger, it's glad to see ONI hasn't forgotten about you.", said Jugar as his HUD displayed the Lieutenant Colonel's rank, name, and serial number.
"Glad to see you Spartans still have the fight with you, I saw too many men and women just give up and wait or even pray for something to kill them.", said Ledger as a Pelican came into view to pick everyone up.
Something is wrong, thought Jugar as the ODSTs helped him load Sith-venator and Taylor into the Pelican. 
"Everyone VISR mode on and get on the Pelican now!", shouted Jugar as he pulled up his own VISR, what he saw confirmed what he thought he had seen, an entire task force of Special Operation Sangheili and Jiralhanae Stalkers.
"You heard the Spartan everyone, get your ass on the bird!" ordered Ledger as he fired a M7/Silenced Caseless Submachine Gun into the nearest Brute, only managing to take down its shields resulting in the armor breaking apart revealing the beast in plain sight. Another ODST quickly finished the Brute off with a shot to the forehead from a BR55 Service Rifle. The squad fired their weapons as everyone stepped on board the Pelican, once on board the Pilot closed the hatch and ascended up to the UNSC Ron Paul leaving the Sangheili and Jiralhanae to blame each other for a mission's failure.
With everyone safely onboard the UNSC Ron Paul blasted into space doing its best to avoid Covenant patrols. Once safe the frigate jumped into Slipspace towards anywhere but Reach. Jugar put Sith-venator in cryotube gently, his CQC armor still smoking from where the Sangheili Zealot had tortured him slowly with an energy sword. Jugar did the same for Taylor; he hoped she would get a proper burial back on Earth. He went over and placed his weapons by the weapon rack near the armory before taking off his own armor. 
"How did this all happen?", asked Jugar as he stepped into his own cryotube, once inside the machine he closed his eyes and tried not to think about what had just happened. 
The voice inside his head answered before Jugar was able to drift into stasis, "You know how."
==Chapter 1==
===Begun The Clone Wars Has===
====22 BBY, Atraken====
Explosions rocked the landscape as droids were blown to pieces and Clone troopers were thrown off their feet only to be dead before they hit the ground. The 66th Assault Legion fired from the confines of their trench into the hordes of Separatist battle droids marching over the corpses of poisoned civilians. CC-1117, commonly known as Gizmo, fired his DC-15A blaster rifle into the line of droids scoring a head shot on one unlucky B1 battle droid.
"Nice shot sir.", commented CC-2525, better known as Dexter, as he fired at an incoming OG-9 homing spider droid with an E-Web heavy repeating blaster until one of the legs of the droid broke off and caused it to collapse onto a column of battle droids.
"My shift ends in an hour boss, wheres' that damn Jedi when we need him to help us out?"
"Commanding as usual.", replied Gizmo as he threw a thermal detonator underneath a DSD1 dwarf spider droid.
"What the hell does he think we're doing than?", asked Dexter as he handed over the E-Web to another trooper.
"Implementing I guess.", said Gizmo before taking his helmet off to take a drink of water.
"You sure that's all right to drink sir?", asked Dexter as he pointed at the canteen.
"The Confederacy hasn't poisoned all the water in the galaxy just yet Captain, it isn't local."
"Good because I need a break." Both troopers dropped to the ground to rest for a quick moment, neither one minded the mud.
"Commander have I ever shown you this nice little cantina just down the street from our command center?" Gizmo took a swig of his water before answering no.
"Well as soon as we rap this skirmish up for Jedi Master Tone'e I'll take you there for some well needed R and R."
"There's girls there aren't there?", stated Gizmo rather than actually asking. 
"Yeah, and let me tell you sir, they look a lot better in real life rather than on a screen."
When the droids eventually retreated the Commander and Captain ordered some mines be implanted in the former no-mans land before heading off to the cantina. 
"Did you inform the General we were leaving the front?", asked Dexter as they walked into the cantina to find other troopers there as well.
"I did, we have a couple of days off before we have to strike a droid factory on another continent.", said Gizmo as he spied the dancers wearing clothes their mothers would not likely approve of.
"Fracken A, a droid factory?", commented Dexter as he began picking out a dancer to focus on, "I love taking those things down. Almost makes me want my R and R to be over already."
"I'm not so sure I enjoy those operations as much as you and I'm not the one that lost a foot on the last one.", said Gizmo as he and Dexter placed their helmets on a table in front of them.
"These dancers love troopers with missing limbs, trust me.", replied Dexter as he slipped off his right boot revealing a cybernetic foot. The Zeltron dancer in front of them noticed Dexter's foot giving a small frown. Good to see they think we're human thought Gizmo to himself as he took a sip of blue milk he had just ordered. The flashing lights almost gave him a headache, how can anyone possibly like a place like this he thought. 
"Okay Luxa your shift is over, it's my turn to raise the soldiers' flags.", said a voice from behind a curtain near the small stage. The zeltron laughed as she exited the stage to clock out leaving Dexter with a sad expression. Not many people had seemed to care when Dexter lost his foot, Gizmo thought Dexter felt better when non-troopers noticed and didn't think of them all as machines. After a couple of seconds of awkward waiting the next dancer came out on stage.
Both Gizmo and Dexter widened there eyes in disbelief. 
"Okay you were right,", commented Gizmo as the beautiful woman stepped forward into the spot light, "much better than a screen." Dexter snickered as the woman began to do her seductive dance. After a little while Dexter got up and told Gizmo he was going to go find a chiss before the night was over. With Dexter gone and most of the cantina was either asleep or completely focused on other things it was just Gizmo and the dancer. 
"So, ummm,". began Gizmo in a crispy voice, "what's your name?"
"April Wavingstrider", answered the dancer with a smile.
"Wizard, err how long have you been on this planet? Most people have left due to the war.", asked Gizmo now more nervous than he was before.
"Where other people see danger I see opportunity.", answered April as she jumped off the stage and onto the lap of Gizmo.
"I bet you've never touched a woman before soldier boy.", said April as she began to feel Gizmo's hair.
"I shook the hand of Senator Amidala before I was stationed here actually.", said Gizmo with a smile.
April laughed before she said, "You know that's not what I mean." Gizmo didn't know what was happening, he was trained to command on the battlefield and shoot droids not socialize with strippers. Before he could say anything though she put a finger on his lips and said shush. 
"There is a room in the back where we can get some privacy, I'll teach you how to be a better leader."
April stood up and took the arm of Gizmo leading him to the back room.
==Chapter 2==
===Mata Hari===
====22 BBY, Atraken====
“Commander? CC-1117 we need your help immediately! For the love of the force Captain where is Gizmo?”, said the Ithorian Jedi Master Tone’e to Dexter.
“He is usually really good at answering his comm, he must have turned it off so he wouldn’t get…sidetracked.”, replied Dexter as he checked the final room in the cantina. The Jedi walked up to the cantina’s bartender and asked if he had seen where the commander had gone.
“I wish I could help master Jedi but they all look the same to me.”, said the zygerrian bartender. Dexter gave the bartender a snarl before turning to face the general.
“Sir I know this looks bad but believe me he’s probably just found himself a nice dancer to err...get to know.”
Tone’e sighed, “I know Captain, I trust Commander Gizmo with my life but he just chose the worst moment to turn off his comm.” The clone captain and Jedi general took a few more moments of asking other people in the cantina if they had seen where the clone commander had gone until the zeltron dancer from the previous night walked in for work.
“Excuse me miss.”, asked Tone’e to the dancer, “You wouldn’t happen to know where the clone commander Gizmo may have gone do you?”
“Well if he was the one with the captain last night then he’s probably with April.” 
“How do you know?” replied Dexter.
“In my line of work you can tell when a dancer is actually interested in her audience.”
“Do you know where they might be?” asked Tone’e.
“Well we’re not really supposed to tell anyone but there are a series of secret rooms in the back that the dancers and bartenders use for emergencies.”
“I swear on Jango Fett’s grave general if that fracken zygerrian withholds anymore information from us I’ll personally make sure he gets a nice refreshing glass of water...from one of the contaminated streams.”, said Dexter as he gave the bartender the middle finger.
“Miss if you would be so kind to show us to April’s emergency room please.”, asked Tone’e in a very polite tone.
“Anything for our troops.”, replied the zeltron with a slight blush as she led the two to the secret back rooms.
The zeltron then proceeded to open the secret door to reveal Gizmo and April in a bed, with a substantially smaller percentage of clothing then from the previous time Dexter had seen either of them. 
“Have you ever heard of knocking?”, yelled Gizmo as he rushed to get some clothes on.
“Have you ever answered your damn comm when you frack a woman?”, replied Dexter as he pointed at Gizmo’s comm at the bottom of the bed.
“I’m sorry Captain I must have lost track of time.”
“I’m not the one you should be saying sorry to.”, said Dexter as Tone’e walked into the room.
Gizmo immediately stood straight up and saluted, “General I’m sorry for keeping you.”
“At ease commander, just focus on getting your armor on.”
“Are we hitting the droid factory early sir?”, asked Gizmo as he rushed to put on his leggings. The ground shook with a violent explosion that caused a crack to form in the ceiling.
“The Droid Army has launched a counter-attack Gizmo; we need you in the trenches.”, said Dexter as he handed Gizmo a gauntlet.
“Well, haven’t I started off a great military campaign. General I’ll meet you outside in two minutes, captain I want a gunship here in less than three.”
“Yes, sir!”, saluted Dexter before rushing outside with Tone’e.
“So this is how you act with your family?”, commented April as she too began to redress herself.
“I was stupid to shut off my comm, I could have missed a nuke going off right next to us.”, said Gizmo as he put on his helmet.
“Hey, you deserve to be stupid soldier. You’ve been trapped in those trenches for weeks now.”, replied April as she gave a light kiss on his helmet where his lips would have been.
“Will I ever see you again, April?”, asked Gizmo as he loaded a tibanna gas canister into his DC-17 hand blaster.
“I’ll be at this cantina whenever you need me Gizmo. Now go on, the Republic needs you right now.”, said April as she pushed the commander forward out of the room ever so slightly.
“Well, goodbye.”
“Goodbye Gizmo, I hope your aim is as good as your performance last night.”
“I aim to please.”, replied Gizmo as he rushed out the door.
“Took the damn clone long enough.”, commented April as she popped out the plans for the raid on the droid factory the Commander had been planning. She walked over to her holotable and dialed in for her broker. After a few seconds a hologram appeared in the form of a T-series tactical droid and a Death Watch Mandalorian.
“Informant Wavingstrider, do you have the plans as instructed?”, asked the droid.
“I do TX-22, and as long as I get paid you shall have the privilege of learning the Grand Army of the Republic’s secrets.”, replied April as she sneered at the Mandalorian. The mandalorian gave a disapproving nod to the left and right.
“Do you have a problem with me, Mister Underwood?”, asked April to the Death Watch trooper.
“You’re gonna’ break that poor kid's heart.”
“How do you know I will do such a thing, Trawe?” asked April suspiciously.
“Because, it’s your only method of getting information.”, replied Trawe Underwood, "It's how you landed the job in the first place." April then held up an E-5 blaster to the holotable.
“Trust me, Trawe, I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope so, April, for your sake.”
==Chapter 3==
===Deception===
====22 BBY, Atraken====
Gizmo, Dexter, and Tone’e stood in the Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry’s main cabin holding onto various handles. The gunship shook every so often, but was never directly hit by enemy fire. After a few moments of waiting the gunship quickly landed allowing for its passengers to depart back into the crowded, flooded trenches of the battlefield. 
“I’ll catch you on the flip side Mal, we might need you for air support,” said Gizmo to the pilot.
“I’ll do what I can, right now I’ve got a commando squad that needs extraction.” The LAAT/i sped into the dark stormy skies disappearing from the commander’s sight very quickly.
“What the frack is going on here,” commented Dexter as he looked around the trenches finding disembodied limbs floating in the shallow puddles in the trench. Various clone trooper moved about doing different jobs taking little notice to the newly arrived officers.
“Looks like they got hit by some nasty artillery, we don’t want this to happen again to our brothers do we, Dexter?” asked Gizmo.
“No, sir,” replied Dexter as he grabbed a fresh tibbana gas canister from a nearby private and loaded it into his DC-15S carbine.
“Captain, I want you to meet up with Sarlaac Company and take out that artillery, based on local intelligence it is likely a group of Heavy Artillery Guns protected by NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers,” ordered Tone’e.
“Only tanks, sir?” commented Dexter.
“Only tanks, captain,” replied Tone’e.
“What about me general, you’re not going to let him all the fun are you?” asked Gizmo as he put a new tibbana gas canister into his DC-15A rifle.
“Oh I’ve saved a particularly fun mission for you Marshal Commander. I want you to take the 77th Shock troopers and 382nd Rangers to the Separatist lines and break through them. Once broken through there is a large column of anti-aircraft guns that need to be taken down in order for more Acclamators to land. Once that is done take over their forward command post and gather any intel you can.” Said Tone’e to the clone who now hunched over a little from the sheer amount of work that had to be done.
“Dexter, want to trade?” asked Gizmo.
“Not unless we trade ranks too,” replied Dexter with a laugh.
“Well, we’ll get the jobs done sir, but if I may, what are you going to do?” asked Gizmo.
“I’m taking the 117th Krayt Dragons to an airfield where Hyena-class bombers are refueling. Reports also mention a Protodeka guarding the airfield.” Replied Tone’e.
“Looks like you chose the fun mission for yourself, sir!” commented Dexter as he hopped aboard an AT-TE’s mass driver.
“Indeed I have Captain, last one done has to clean the walkers for a week.” Replied Tone’e as he entered his own method of transportation for the objective, which in this case was an AT-RT. Before Gizmo could say a word both his Captain and General were off to their objectives, leaving mud all over his armor.
"Firefek..." commented Gizmo as he tried to shake the mud off his boots. Gizmo then proceeded to pull out his comm to give out further orders before he joined his men in the charge towards the Droid Army's position. "CC-4299, this is CC-1117, over."
"Read you loud and clear Gizmo, still haven't learned my name yet, have you? Over," replied CC-4299.
"I try to sound official on the comms, Gelden, wish you would do the same. Over." "Well, Sir, the 1st Infantry Regiment is waiting behind me for our orders. Over." Gizmo pulled out his holomap for a minute to study the terrain one last time before making a decision, "I want you and your men to take a longer route through this forest to the west, so you can flank the enemy without getting spotted. Over."
Gelden paused for a moment before replying the order, "Think you can handle that charge without us, sir? Over."
"Don't worry, commander, I've got the 77th and 382nd behind me, they may not be as good as the 66th, but they'll get the job done. Now, don't engage the enemy until my forces have already attacked their entrenched positions. Out."
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Ayrus Tan'dres 
*CC-1117 
*Cliff Ledger 
*CC-2224 
*Darth Maul 
*Anakin Skywalker
*Jabba Desilijic Tiure 
*Jugar-007 
*Juno 
*Palpatine 
*Revan 
*Sesa 'Moramee 
*Sith-venator Wavingstrider 
*Taylor-001 
*Trawe Underwood 
===Species===
*Bith
*Chiss
*Gungan 
*Human
**Clone
**Cyborg
**Human
*Hutt 
*Ithorian
*[Jiralhanae Jiralhanae]
*Sangheili
*Sullustan
*Trandoshan
*Twi'lek
*Wookiee 
*Zabrak
*Zeltron
===Organizations and Titles===
*Captain
*Colonel
*Covenant
**Jiralhanae Stalkers
**Special Operation Sangheili
**Sangheili Zealot
*Death Watch 
*Governor 
*Grand Army of the Republic
**66th Assault Legion 
**Clone trooper commander
*Jedi
**Jedi General
*Lieutenant
*Lieutenant Colonel
*Mercenary
*Sergeant
*Sith
**Sith apprentice
**Sith Lord
*United Nations Space Command
**ONI
**UNSC Army 
**UNSC Marine Corps
***Orbital Drop Shock Troopers 
**UNSC Navy
***SPARTAN-II program
****Purple Team
===Locations===
*Milky Way
**Epsilon Eridani system
***Reach
****Manassas
*****Manassas Spaceport
**Paris system 
***Paris IV 
*The galaxy
**Christophis 
**Coruscant
**Kalevala 
**Kamino 
**Kashyyyk 
===Events===
*Clone Wars 
*Great Jedi Purge
**Order 66 
*Human-Covenant War
**Siege of Paris IV 
**The Fall of Reach
===Vehicles===
*All Terrain Armored Transport
*All Terrain Recon Transport
*All Terrain Scout Transport
*All Terrain Tactical Enforcer
*AV-14 Hornet
*BARC speeder
*CK-6 swoop
*D77-TC Pelican
*Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled A5 Juggernaut
*Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled A6 Juggernaut
*Light freighter
*Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry
*Nu-class attack shuttle
*
**UNSC Ron Paul 
*Star Destroyer
*Theta-class T-2c shuttle
*74-Z speeder bike
===Weapons===
*AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun
*Anti-personel laser cannon
*Autoturret
*BR55 Service Rifle
*DC-15A blaster rifle
*DC-15s side arm blaster
*DC-15x sniper rifle
*DC-17m Interchangeable Weapon System
*DXR-6 disrupter rifle
*E-Web heavy repeating blaster
*energy dagger
*Fibercord whip
*Kamino saberdart
*LL-30 blaster pistol
*Lightsaber
*M319 Individual Grenade Luancher
*M7/Caseless Submachine Gun
**M7S Caseless Submachine Gun
*M99 Stanchion
*Mass-driver cannon
*MiniMag PTL missile launcher
*Mk 14 Mod 7 Enhanced Battle Rifle
*Proton torpedo
*Slugthrower
*Thermal detonator
*Type-1 energy sword
*Vibroknife
*WESTAR-35 blaster pistol
*WESTAR-M5 blaster rifle
*Whipcord launcher
*ZX miniature flame projector
===Technology===
*3PO-series protocol droid
*Armor lock
*Artificial intelligence
**Smart AI
*Blast shield
*BX-series droid commando
*Comlink
*Cryotube
*Cybernetics
*Datapad
*Deflector shield
*Droid commando personal shield
*Droideka
**Q-series droideka
*Electrobinoculars
*Energy shielding
*HUD
*HoloNet
*Hologram
*Holoprojector
*JT-12 jetpack
*Katarn-class commando armor
*Macrobinoculars
*Mandalorian armor
**Mandalorian Shock Trooper Armor
*Mitrinomon jetpack thruster
*MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor
**MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV
***Grenadier variant
**MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V 
***CQC variant
**MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI
*ODST armor
**Recon variant
*Repulsorlift
*Spartan neural interface 
*VISR
===Miscellanea===
*Cole Protocol
*Glassing
*Splipstream space
Category:Books
Category:Sith Venator