373rd Arrowhead Legion

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion was a unit that served in the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic's 279th Siege Corps during the Clone Wars. It consisted of soldiers, engineers, and various support personnel specialised in spearheading frontal assaults. Despite mainlining as a siege and assault unit, they had personnel who served other roles. Participating in hundreds of battles, they not only brought ruin to multiple plans constructed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, but also safeguarded Senators, intelligence agents and naval officers. The unit also served with distinction in the Galactic Empire, even as a small percentile of it's personnel defected.

## **History**

### **Founding**

When the Clone Wars broke out, Republic High Command had researchers look at ways to improve the phase I armour worn by standard Grand Army troopers. A compound was developed for the armour's torso that resulted in additional armour plating that could withstand multiple blaster bolts. This compound, though expensive, was just cheap enough to produce for an entire legion of clone troopers. It was only effectively implemented once Phase II arrived.

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion was then commissioned from Kamino. The unit contained everything from standard clone troopers to ARC troopers, pilots, siege experts, and sharpshooters, all outfitted with the new armour. Though it made them a slight bit slower than the average trooper, they rapidly learned to account for it's weight and the added protection it offered.

It was readily apparent the Arrowheads were intended to break the Confederacy's monopoly by laying siege to various sectors, and the unit was also a living experiment: how well could a unit perform while near-consistently supplied with a slightly heavier type of armour?

### **Battles of Kamino**

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion and it's predecessor units took part in every single battle that took place on Kamino during the Clone Wars, even when they didn't have access to their prototype armour.

### **Early Mission**

"You requested backup? Special forces?" "Not quite. I've brought a few... Deluxe models." ~ Commander Greyloc, introducing the Arrowheads.

One of the very first 373rd missions involved a tense situation wherein a pro-Republic world suffered an attack from a heavily militarised group of pro-Separatist terrorists. The enemy secured several choke points and they had eyes and hands affixed to heavy weapons as they awaited a Republic response. Troopers from the 373rd, including fresh-faced Lieutenant Wasp, were deployed against them.

Suffering zero casualties, the Arrowheads entered a situation wherein ordinary clone troops would have been shredded by the enemy's superior firepower. Instead, they routed the terrorist group and secured the city. This success led to their redeployment across several battlefields for a series of intense firefights wherein they suffered relatively few losses and earned a number of impressive early victories.

### **Cloud Planet Skirmish**

Hornet Battalion and other 373rd units battled the Separatists on a planet where clouds touched the ground, and their mission was focused in an urban environment. One officer, Commander Bumblebee, committed suicide via blaster pistol due to a mentally crippling disease he had contracted during his time on-world. Recently promoted to the rank of Captain, Wasp was the only one available to command the troops, and continued the operation despite the loss of headship. Leaping across a series of hovering speeders, Arrowhead personnel defeated a variety of battle droids and secured a victory. The planet was soon conquered by the Grand Army.

### **First Battle of Ord Mantell**

Major Wasp led Hornet Battalion to assist Commander "Bridger" and Staff Sergeant "Sierra" in retaking a base that was overwhelmed by BX-series commando droids. While the 20th Armored Infantry Regiment, members of Hornet Battalion, Nova Squad and a team of 104th Battalion troopers attacked the front of the base, Wasp led a team comprised of 111th trooper "Bite-size" and Jedi General Zenak Venrend. They secured valuable data and linked up with the successful attackers.

### **Battle of Umbara**

Working alongside the 187th Legion and members of the 501st Legion and 7th Sky Corps, utilising the 187th's trench system and holding the line against Umbaran militia. Battalion Commander Sakxon led an assault on Umbaran-CIS positions.

### **Battle of Cholganna**

Noting the seizure of a Grand Army forward operating base by C.I.S. battle droid units on Cholganna, Republic High Command briefly re-tasked elements of the 373rd Arrowhead Legion to fight on Cholganna. Working alongside a reconnaissance trooper and an Antarian Ranger, Arrowhead initiated a lightning raid against the Confederate automatons and re-secured the base with few casualties.

### **Counter-Insurgency on Ryloth**

Major Wasp and a squad of 373rd Arrowhead Legion clone troopers were issued orders to meet Alpine Battalion on a Venator-class Star Destroyer for their briefing.
Alpine's Battalion Commander, Phantom, explained that the mission was to drop supplies in a Twi'lek village on Ryloth. Intelligence regarding the region they were supposed to operate in stopped coming in at least a week before the mission date, and Phantom said they should be ready for anything.

The Venator arrived in the Ryloth system and a pair of gunships set out, a squad from the 373rd in one and a squad from Alpine in the other. The Arrowheads cleared the perimeter and Alpine advanced beyond a set of mounds, moving inside the village.

Under covering fire from the 373rd, Alpine personnel downed several battle droids and their gunship -piloted by the "Puke"- dropped off the supplies while destroying the rest of the droid defenders. A droid quick reaction force arrived, and Alpine retreated.

The Arrowhead troopers held the rear for a full minute before withdrawing. The landing zone came under attack by Separatist-aligned militia, and the 373rd held it for several minutes until the arrival of the 13th Iron Battalion and Alpha-81.

The 13th Battalion needed cover while they extracted civilian hostages from a mountain outpost. The 373rd pressed on, procedurally clearing out a second village and attracting the attention of droid army units. They linked up with a unit of scouts from the 91st Mobile Recon Corps, including ARF-1144 "Knot" . Alpha-25 "Mutt" arrived and attacked Separatist forces.
Alpha-81 revealed he was sent to track down General Grievous because new intelligence came through indicating his presence leading the droid forces on Ryloth. Wasp insisted he had to distract the droid army around the mountain so the 13th Battalion could save the hostages.

Linking up with Knot and the 91st, the 373rd cleared various buildings and only suffered one casualty from a B3 the task force encountered prior. Knot noted the presence of Separatist sympathisers in the form of twi'lek militia. 91st pilot "Rubber" brought in his gunship and hit a platoon of B1 battle droids and the clones advanced.

The Iron Battalion's commander met up with Wasp and explained that the Separatists killed the hostages and the 13th lost an entire squad of infantry. They were pulling out. Alpha-81 returned to Wasp and stated that Grievous retreated when he was confronted by the Muunilinst Ten, who also helped the now-returned Alpha-25 set up explosives on all of the Separatist artillery throughout the region.

Forming a plan, Wasp declared their operation was now a revenge mission to avenge the fallen 13th squad and the executed hostages. He ordered Mutt to detonate the artillery positions and the combined arms force covered the 13th's retreat before spilling into a valley to destroy C.I.S. bunkers scattered throughout. Rubber destroyed one or multiple bunkers before an AA emplacement shot him down.
An Arrowhead heavy trooper destroyed the AA emplacement and the troops converged on Rubber's position, helping him and members of Lightning Squadron out of the gunship. Together they destroyed all of the droids in the area, though they suffered a few casualties in the process. An inserted unit from the 442nd and 212th battalions provided assistance in defeating the droids and capturing a Mandalorian CIS sympathiser.

Alpha-81 had left to commit sabotage behind enemy lines, and upon attacking a cave filled with droids, the combined arms force discovered he was placed in a holding cell and rescued him.
With the droids all destroyed, the 91st Mobile Recon Corps Legion and other units buried their dead and left the region. Wasp replenished his squad's single loss and led them in a mopping up operation which led to the temporary or permanent acquisition of the troopers Tak and Ant, whose squads had been ambushed and destroyed. His troopers were bolstered by support from ARC Captain Light Kick and Commander Lighter, though he lost an Arrowhead trooper in one of the intense firefights. Afterwords, they went to base camp before the Venator-class Star Destroyer was rapidly redeployed to Mygeeto for a vital operation.

### **Retrieval Mission on Mygeeto**

Full article: https://djs-swrp.fandom.com/wiki/Retrieval\_Mission\_on\_Mygeeto

Wasp, Notch and three squads of the 373rd were tasked with retrieving a data packet from a crashed gunship, alongside personnel such as Master Sergeant May Kato from the 111th. Other units partaking in the operation included the 212th Attack Battalion and a later addition in the form of some troopers from the Coruscant Guard. The fighting was fierce and the Separatists repeatedly ambushed, outnumbered and outflanked the GAR task force.

Thanks to the 5th Fleet Security ARC trooper "Mark", a squadron of starfighters and a squad of H.O.P.E. Commandos from the 11th Shock Battalion, Wasp, Notch, May and a handful of Arrowhead troopers survived to fight another day. The rest of the task force was completely destroyed, and many of their bodies were never recovered from the frosty slopes and platforms of Mygeeto. Wasp returned to the Venator-class Star Destroyer.

### **Boarding Action Treachery**

The surviving 373rd returned to Admiral Rija Ali's Venator, which was scheduled to deploy it's forces on Ryloth once again. However, the fleet was attacked by droid ships and heavily targeted by C.I.S. hyena droid bombers. Several pods broke through the hull and droids flooded in, which had to be suppressed and destroyed by fleet security, the 373rd and a number of other personnel on board. They also had a traitor to deal with in the form of the ARC trooper "Mark", who it turned out was aiding the Separatists and, judging by his erratic behaviour, may have been sickly, brainwashed or defective. He was killed, and in the aftermath of the battle, Tarkin ordered Admiral Ali to have the body shipped to Kamino. The Arrowheads escorted the admiral and the body to Jedi General Shaak Ti on the clone homeworld, and she took it from there.

The unit known as the Dug-outs, particularly Tak and Zero, were inducted into the 373rd Arrowhead Legion. Despite this, they were permitted to retain their outdated Phase 1 armour and bland colour configuration in memory of the comrades they lost on Ryloth.

A trooper from Tango Company who had gotten aboard the ship, one of the strays they had picked up, turned out to be a BX-series commando droid in disguise. Infuriated, the admiral had everybody aboard the starship investigated. When they were all cleared of any wrongdoing, she brought her fleet to Coruscant for repairs. The 373rd personnel aboard that ship enjoyed some rest and relaxation on Coruscant, and many clone troopers were introduced to the finer things in life.

### **Crash Landing on Christophsis**

Major Wasp led a contingent of the 373rd in a joint task mission with various other Grand Army units to mop up battle droid remnants on Christophsis and slice into the heavily encrypted Separatist research station. The 989th Regiment, Coruscant Guard, Rabbit Company and various other units contributed to the effort. The Confederacy had an ambush in mind, and somehow managed to bring a BX-series Commando droid on board the Republic fleet's capital ship, the *Responsibility*. It's sabotage efforts rendered the ship vulnerable, and C.I.S. warships attacked the Republic fleet. The 373rd and other units rallied to the defense of the *Responsibility*, destroying basically all of the battle droid attackers before abandoning ship due to the damages it sustained. The Republic fleet defeated the rest of the Separatist vessels. The crew and survivors evacuated, most of them having survived the Confederate droid attack.

Landing in an escape pod with a squad of Arrowheads, Wasp rallied nearby clone trooper units and regrouped with ARC Sergeant Ray before proceeding to find Lolf, wounded inside his crashed starship. A medic saw to Lolf's wounds, and they rallied on Regimental Commander Blood Diamond, his AT-TE and the Galactic Marines. Further efforts brought in more survivors, and they soon found Admiral Ali. Within the next couple of hours, the entire mission force was evacuated by the Republic fleet in orbit, in part thanks to the effort of the 501st ARC Sergeant "Rascal", and the fleet moved back to Coruscant.

### **Return to Ryloth**

WIP. When Phase 2 armour just arrived. 373rd and 302nd joint op. Had an independence movement and another unit on the ground.

### **Admiral Ali's Assassination**

Wasp overheard a conversation between Admiral Rija Ali and Tarkin, who conversed via hologram while on Coruscant. Tarkin explained that after Ali acquired a replacement vessel, she should go down with the ship next time. When the admiral got on to her new ship, she received orders from Republic High Command to bring the hangars-on from the joint force to Anaxes to fortify a forward operations base against a localised insurgency.

Hornet Battalion and several other groups of 373rd soldiers went aboard, with Lolf, Rascal and some naval security units. While en-route to Anaxes, the upset admiral moved to her office with her security detail. Wasp and the other Arrowheads locked down the ship and the main bridge to prevent another sabotage attack, but a C.I.S. assassin disguised as one of the *Responsibility'*s personnel entered into Ali's office.

He wiped out Ali's security detail and shot her in the back as she went for cover or for a weapon, instantly killing her. The ARC sergeant Rascal arrived and snapped the assassin's neck, also killing the assassin. Since the office's door was open at the time, the hallway's built-in holocam system recorded the entire incident and Rascal was cleared of any wrongdoing, as he thought he could still save the Admiral and had to eliminate the attacker to get to her.

The fleet waited until their new admiral, Admiral Free, arrived. From then on, the 373rd always had a minimum of two personnel boosting the admiral's security detail.

### **Second Anaxes Uprising**

Major Wasp and Hornet Battalion fought off insurgent forces and AATs provided to them by the Confederacy. When the insurgency began barraging the base with artillery strikes, Wasp had the base's artillery respond in time. He had dispatched Lolf and four or five personnel to hunt down the insurgents after they retreated to their position in the mountains. Though most of the hunting party was killed, Lolf and the remainder destroyed dozens of vehicles and artillery emplacements. Ali had a heart to heart with Springy after Wasp failed to console her, as Springy was a close friend of Admiral Ali's.

Though the walls and a portion of Hornet Battalion's roster were reduced to slag by artillery, Wasp's strategising kept the base interior intact. He maintained security efforts, though two deserters managed to sneak past the frequent and plentiful patrols. Said deserters were captured by Admiral Fray.

The Anaxes insurgency was destroyed, and only a handful of insurgency fighters remained un-captured or otherwise alive. The Arrowheads and affiliates continued to assist the local garrison until they were deployed elsewhere.

### **Ryloth Mopping Up Operation**

With the recent destruction of the Anaxes insurgency, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion was returned to Ryloth to finish destroying the Separatist droid remnants previously bolstered by the forces of General Grievous. Led by Major Wasp, a company of Arrowhead infantry and engineers, coupled with a small force of clones from other units, and a group of All Terrain Tactical Enforcers, stormed a lightly defended Separatist wall and broke their way in, destroying all of it's mechanised occupants before establishing a temporary command post and maintaining defensive positions.

Special Operations Branch elements including an Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commando and a stealth operative nicknamed Vortex provided valuable intelligence on the region. The Confederate droids had taken hostages, a familiar trend in the conflict on Ryloth, and the droids had established a minefield ahead to deter the Republic's advance. Stealth droids and sniper droids were also deployed. Special Ops elements eliminated the stealth droids, whereas the Arrowheads took down the snipers and cleared a path through the mines.

One of the soldiers from a medical regiment which sent troopers to work with the 373rd, a clone Lieutenant nicknamed Climax, tripped on a rock and fell on the minefield, and the ensuing explosion brought about the deaths of multiple Arrowhead personnel. Despite their losses, the 373rd pressed on, wiping out droid resistance. They discovered two fortified Separatist facilities, and breaching one revealed the droids within had already slaughtered the civilians. They moved to breach the next one, but were temporarily interrupted by wildlife until the newly arrived Jedi General Heinrich used the Force to calm the creature involved.

Breaking into the fortified area, the clones wiped out the Separatist battle droids and saved the Twi'lek hostages, but an explosion caused a rock slide. An All Terrain Tactical Enforcer was called in and opened fire on the rocks outside, clearing the way. The rocks subsequently buried Corpse-hawk halfway, crushing his legs. They carefully freed him, and with the operation concluded. they returned to the 6th Fleet. Corpse-hawk was provided cybernetic legs, courtesy of Lieutenant Dread of the 111th Heavy Brigade.

### **Stealth Attack on Umbara**

Republic High Command tasked the 373rd Arrowhead Legion with infiltrating an Umbaran militia base left over from the Battle of Umbara, stealing intel and destroying the base prior to evacuating. Wasp led a company-sized element, with Commander Pulse -from another GAR unit- leading a rear guard force to prevent Separatist remnant forces from entering the region. Bounty hunters attacked the 373rd's rear, and Wasp tasked Watz with leading a squad in a second rear guard action which brought forth the bounty hunters' collective demise.

Using their grappling hooks, the troopers rapelled up and over the fortress walls. Corporal Frog rapidly shot down the few B1 battle droids on the ramparts and provided effective support and tactical advice as the Arrowheads stormed in, securing the data and rigging the fortress with explosives. Umbaran reinforcements arrived and the Arrowheads escaped, but not before losing a gunship full of soldiers. They delivered the information to Admiral Fray, whom brought it to the proper authority in person.

### **Mandalorian Attack**

A group of Mandalorian warriors from the Death Watch faction infiltrated Admiral Fray's flagship. Working together with General Heinrich and a unit of Covert Ops clone troopers, the 373rd Legion successfully repelled the enemy. Then-Sergeant-Major Dell, an engineer, saved the ship by repairing one of the reactors. Watz and his squad were provided Advanced Recon Commando training, several personnel were promoted and Heinrich accepted an invitation to become the 373rd's new Jedi General.

### **Vital Mission on Christophsis**

Dedicated to discovering the contents of the encrypted and abandoned research facility, the Sixth Fleet, 373rd Legion and 989th Regiment set out with a hefty chunk of their forces. With Anaxes as their staging point, they assembled tens of thousands of support and combat personnel and took off into space. Pausing to assist a small Republic outpost against a large number of battle droids, they bought time for Lolf to steal the outpost's data from it's terminal and return it to the ship. At least one battalion of personnel from the 302nd Legion also arrived, providing an impressive array of tactics and firepower.

Following their first success, the Sixth Fleet moved towards Christophsis' star system and engaged a Confederate Navy fleet led by the Providence-class Destroyer *Liberator*. A Recusant-class light destroyer proved highly troublesome for the fleet, and so the 373rd, 989th, Captain Riot of the Coruscant Guard, and other personnel boarded it. A total of 3,600 troopers and 120 gunships were utilised for the boarding action, and personnel such as Jedi General Heinrich and Commando Lolf took part. The light destroyer was sabotaged from within, and upon exiting, the Grand Army boarders detonated explosives, destroying it.

Hundreds of Republic starfighter pilots and an entire Consular-class cruiser's crew perished in the heavy fighting, but very few Venator crew were killed and the Acclamators were protected in their entirety. The rest of the C.I.S. fleet was quickly mopped up and destroyed.

Wasp was promoted to Battalion Commander. He led a strike force to Christophsis and, despite the arrival of Mandalorian warriors from Clan Fang who attacked them from the rear, they managed to secure the research facility, crush the Separatist droids trying to stop them from reaching it, and discovered evidence of a Black Sun-affiliated Separatist experiment which involved testing brain chips on living beings as a means to control them. Lolf decrypted the research facility's computer systems and the G.A.R. units withdrew.

### **Battle of Aduran**

Alongside the 6th Infantry Corps, the 373rd Arrowheads were tasked with defending a military base on Aduran, where the conflict with the Separatists was ramping up with recent strikes against them by the 111th Heavy Brigade. The 6th Corps vacated the planet, leaving behind a small garrisoning force which was struck down in the subsequent Separatist strike. The 373rd fought alongside three Jedi against the Confederate droids, which included B3 ultra battle droids and a B4 WarBorn battle droid model. A Jedi Padawan was killed, the other two were wounded and hundreds of clones fell in the attack. Wasp led the Hornet Battalion in a counter-assault with explosive charges which destroyed the last of the B3 models, and then he protected evacuation efforts by duelling with the B4 Warborn droid, which tossed him aside. He used a B3's arm cannon to destroy it, and then escaped with a handful of personnel aboard an LAAT as the B4 activated a high-powered explosive which annihilated the military base completely. Though the Separatists lost a large number of droids, Hornet Battalion suffered heavy casualties.

### **Second Battle of Anaxes**

Arrowhead personnel fought hard during the Second Battle of Anaxes and broke through Separatist encirclements, saving several other Grand Army units in the process.

#### **Cut Off**

Re-garrisoned on Anaxes, the 373rd Legion was defending a series of outposts when the Confederacy of Independent Systems swept aside the hefty naval defenses surrounding Anaxes's star system and invaded the planet. The region which the Arrowheads were stationed in was assaulted by a massive droid invasion force, and the outposts and forward operating base were cut off. Joined by the captains Kara and Devil of the 111th Heavy Brigade, they battled for the first outpost and successfully put the Separatist droids to flight.

Lolf moved out on his personal mission to hunt droids throughout the forests and swamps to support the advance. An entire battalion and some of Arrowheads led by Wasp broke through the droid lines and secured a Republic outpost with three partially functioning AT-TEs and a handful of surviving clone trooper riflemen. Wasp was going to order Dell, Voltage and the other engineers to repair the outpost's turret platforms, but Kara targeted and destroyed them with her rockets, rendering them entirely useless.

Moving through a large swamp, they fought dwarf spider droids, camouflaged B1 and B2 battle droids and entrenched Separatist positions. One of the AT-TEs was destroyed by hostile fire. Kara's rockets helped clear the way and Lolf used his anti-armour and sniper rifle attachments to great effect. Over six battalions of battle droids were destroyed in the fighting, and after a brief set of firefights the forward operating base was secured. The few surviving clone troopers and Republic Intelligence agents inside, led by Agent "Demi", were grateful for the assistance.
Grand Army ground forces held down the F.O.B. and Dell's engineers fixed the communications equipment to inform the rest of Anaxes and Republic High Command about the situation.

### **Handling The Insanity**

The 73rd Marine Corps and 373rd were sent to check on a Venator that was veering off course.
When they got aboard, they began speaking with Admiral Samlin Park, whose speech was slurred. he began acting strange. The venator entered hyperspace and then rapidly exited, a significant amount of space away from it's intended destination.

Surprised, Samlin ordered Wasp to send troopers out into the darkness of space to investigate. He scoffed at the suggestion to perform a system scan or send out gunships and starships. His mannerisms became increasingly aggressive.

Major V'ur of the 73rd declared the admiral should be relieved of duty and sent to the medical bay for an examination. The admiral drew a Hornet battalion trooper's DC17b sidearm and pointed it at V'ur.

Wasp and V'ur rapidly talked him down, and had him sent to the medical bay.
Separatist saboteurs, or the admiral himself, had sabotaged the reactors and forced the ship onto a collision course with an adjacent moon.

The ship then came under attack from Separatist warships and hyena droid bombers. It was boarded by hundreds of battle droids.

The 73rd, 373rd and 313th fought their way off the vessel and helped the crew escape. A Mandalorian in black and yellow armour was leading the CIS attack, and a Jedi took him down.

### **Jiwo Ima Raid**

Gathering up Captain Springy, the Dug-Outs and a company of clone troopers from the heavily depleted Hornet Battalion, Wasp led them in a squadron of gunships to land at and initiate a joint land and air operation against Separatist battle droids and their large anti-aircraft guns on a moon somewhere in the Jiwo Ima system to pave the way for acclamator-class assault ships ferrying Galactic Marines from the 21st Nova Corps. The attack was swift and deadly. Tak, Zero, Springy and Wasp effectively eliminated several key operatives among the defenders, several prisoners were taken and the guns were destroyed or deactivated.

### **Hangar Bay Raid & Counter Attack**

Following a series of successful battles, the 373rd and the 6th Fleet started taking on troops and supplies from various G.A.R. operations in the nearby star systems. Troopers from several security units and also elements from the 501st Legion and 212th Attack Battalion arrived aboard the various vessels belonging to the 6th Fleet. A Separatist fleet attacked and a droid boarding craft and two HMP gunships entered the hangar bay, a brief firefight ensued and the vehicles were shot down, their battle droids destroyed. A second boarding party arrived, this one containing B2 Super Battle Droids, BX-series commando droids, B3 Ultra Battle Droids, several B1s and their commanding officer, Super Tactical Droid T-3021.

Captain Springy and a number of Arrowhead and Sixth Fleet Security personnel fought to defend the hangar, but the droids were numerous and well-armed. They closed in, cutting Wasp, Springy, a 212th airborne trooper named Black Bird and a security trooper named Tac off from the rest of the defenders. Roughly forty clone troopers fell and died under the ruthless attack, with no survivors being spared among the wounded. Entering close combat, Wasp dropped his carbine and drew both his pistols, damaging several elite battle droids before he was fully disarmed and captured. T-3021 delivered orders to execute the rest of the survivors, but the droids were repelled by Springy and the others.

Taken to a Providence-class carrier/destroyer, Wasp was interrogated. Using a BX-commando's vibroblade, the super tactical droid personally removed Wasp's right foot and one of his fingers. Wasp spent several minutes experiencing incomprehensible pain before he regained enough sense to anticipate the Separatists were going to kill him, as he was being generally uncooperative. Ducking beneath a BX commando's gun, he drew his vibroknife and struck the commando with it before striking out at more droids. An R-13 Assault Droid opened fire on him, but he deftly avoided being hit with the bolts and delicately moved his hand through it's shield, striking and disabling it before sliding beneath the main chassis and using it to shield himself from the enemy fire that ensued.

It was then that Captain Springy, Black Bird and Tac arrived with a combined arms force including Commander Checkmate and various other troops from the 302nd Legion, along with personnel from the 501st Legion and other units. They struck the Providence in different sections, overwhelming droids in the hangars. Springy and Checkmate's groups secured the room Wasp was in and the way out, while the other task force cleared the bridge and sabotaged multiple sections of the ship. The 302nd also assisted in the sabotage jobs by targeting other sections of the ship. T-3021 fled in an escape pod and the Republic troops withdrew, carrying Wasp in the process. The Battalion Commander had fallen unconscious when his adrenaline rush wore off.

The Providence was destroyed and Wasp received medical care. A prosthetic was unavailable at that point in time. When next he awoke, he congratulated Springy on her efforts before inviting Tac and Black Bird to transfer to the 373rd. The two troopers agreed. The 6th Fleet finished handling the various strays and visitors before heading for their next objective.

### **Desert Planet Slog**

Comm officers on board the Sixth Fleet decrypted a secret set of Confederate transmissions indicating the Separatists were deploying fleets and had recently slaughtered civilians on Mygeeto, where a weapon was being constructed. Admiral Fray decided to engage the enemy there and assist the 302nd Legion. However, their attention was required by the 214th Red Wolf Legion, who had deployed to a desert world where they suffered heavy losses. Wasp dispatched Sergeant-Major Lolf and several mission elements to assist while the 6th Fleet engaged C.I.S. orbital defense forces over Mygeeto.

After the space battle ended, Wasp learned the Red Wolves had lost two Jedi and a clone Commander. Lolf and the other Arrowheads were not responding, and so Wasp personally led a wing of gunships to locate and extract them. Despite lacking one foot and having to hobble along on crutches, Wasp went in one of the LAATs. Landing, they discovered clone troopers under attack by a battalion of droids as the Red Wolf Legion retreated. Lolf had saved five civilian refugees, and was extracted alongside the other G.A.R. survivors. Most of the droid battalion was destroyed, the remainder went into a retreat. Wasp gave Lolf a commendation to receive a medal later on. With that skirmish underway, they were ready to assist the 302nd on Mygeeto.

#### **Engagement on Mygeeto**

Hornet Battalion and a small number of troopers in Commander Law's Battalion linked with one of the 302nd Legion's battalions and a small number of Grand Army stragglers to attack Separatist positions on Mygeeto. With AT-TE and LAAT support, plus extensive infiltration and assault-based assistance from Lolf, they were able to demolish several Tri-droids, breach and clear the C.I.S. command centre and secure the area for R.I. agent "Demi" to arrive. After the agent left, the Arrowheads and 302nd returned to the 6th Fleet, wherein they spent time drinking and celebrating. Wasp hoped to see the 302nd again sometime, and the 302nd left for their next deployment. Several stray clone troopers from other units were transferred into the 373rd. Wasp was promoted to Regimental Commander after commanding his unit's efforts while on crutches.

### **Dustball Battle**

Learning that a unit of clone troopers was stranded and outnumbered on a desert planet, Wasp and two squads of clone troopers arrived. Anticipating support from the 302nd Legion, they swept a series of houses and found no enemies, only Twi'lek civilians who had not evacuated. Shortly after, the Arrowheads encountered a concentration of Mandalorian warriors with blue and grey markings, armed with rifles and telling them to keep away. After a curt confrontation, they parted ways. Jedi General Ander Naka joined the operation when his gunship landed, as he had recently gained command of one of Arrowhead's units. Another encounter with the Mandalorians led to brief sparts of violence as Ander temporarily lost his cool, and a nearby clone trooper, a shiny nicknamed Killer, had a brief breakdown wherein he nearly attacked his Jedi General, but chose to engage nearby battle droids instead. The ground force engaged the arriving Separatist battle droids and discovered the clone unit they had been sent to extract was killed. General Naka was wounded and evacuated in an LAAT, while the 302nd Legion deployed several gunships' worth in troopers and prevented the complete destruction of Wasp's squads. Outnumbered, the Arrowheads and Sailor's Warnings fought on with vigor, eliminating several times their number in droids. Jedi General Mu'gen initiated an artillery barrage which, when combined with the efforts of the newly-arrived Healthline Squad of Republic Commandos and several clones from another unit, destroyed the remaining battle droids. With victory achieved, the entirety of the Republic ground force was able to evacuate to the Sixth Fleet.

### **Search in Sloan V**

General Naka received medical treatment and new personnel arrived, including the recently trained ARC troopers Yellow and Echo, along with the newly-promoted Battalion Commander Laprey. Wasp introduced them and Sergeant-Major Lolf to Ander Naka, then explained that Lolf was due to receive several medals and possibly a promotion. Naka had received a mission from Republic High Command to investigate some of the rundown sections of the urbanised planet Sloan V, where they sought out suspicious activity and reported people behaving in a strange manner. There, they encountered several Jedi, including the Knight Mug'en and the Padawan Mar'ko So'lar.

### **Escorting Binks**

#### **The Forest Skirmish**

"Give me the Gungan." "How about no?" "You do that or you're wormfood."
- Jason threatens Yellow.

Following their policing action on Sloan V, Wasp assembled his Regiment and those of the Legion who were present and prepped them for another assignment. Republic senator and ambassador Jar Jar Binks had crash-landed on a forested planet and was in need of escort to his next destination, a diplomatic conference in another star system.

A portion of the Sixth Fleet ferried them into the appropriate star system and a gunship descended containing Wasp, ARC trooper Yellow, and two squads of clone troopers, alongside a Republic shuttle for the Senator. Wasp and Yellow proceeded to the rendezvous point ahead, which was a small clearing. A thorough search revealed the area was secure.

Jar Jar Binks arrived with his two-man security detail and was glad to see the clones present. An ex-Death Watch Mandalorian named Jason arrived and demanded they turn Binks over to him. This happened just as troops from the 9th Siege Company arrived, including Captain Vanz.

Forced into a retreat by the sudden onset of clone troopers, Jason was fired upon as he disappeared into the overgrowth. Then the shuttle detected three vulture droids on sensors, and Wasp directed the clones to take cover at a nearby rock formation. The 9th Company opened fire on the vultures, but not before the automated starfighters destroyed the 373rd's gunship as it started lifting off. Several clones died in the strafing run and the explosion. Additional vulture droids arrived.

During the airstrike, Vantz and his troopers had advanced deep into the forest in pursuit of Jason. After Wasp and Yellow had dove to protect Jar Jar from an oncoming strafing run and shot down the rest of the vultures -in part thanks to Jar Jar's clumsiness-, Wasp issued a distress transmission and Jedi Master Satal and Jedi Knight Kirito Toi arrived on-world.

Vantz was ambushed by Jason, and the Mandalorian warrior killed various members of the Ninth Company as they sought to bring him down, whether by capturing or destroying him. It took a significant amount of time to recover all of the corpses, but it was confirmed that Jason killed at least eight G.A.R. personnel that day.

Separatist dropships entered the planet's atmosphere and then deployed a force of battle droids in a larger clearing. They marched towards Wasp and the surviving Arrowheads, who took up defensive positions in a series of rocks and thinned the enemy's numbers. Yellow shot down several droid squads and was wounded and then tended to by a medic.

Toi stepped out and deflected blaster fire back into the battle droids as Vantz arrived and loudly declared he had been taken prisoner behind Separatist lines. An HMP gunship flew overhead, mowing down two Arrowheads as the rest dug in and shot down droid after droid. Vantz suddenly aimed his dual pistols at Ambassador Binks, alarming everyone present. Wasp questioned this action, asJar Jar whipped one of the blasters away with his powerful tongue.

The pair of Jedi ensured Jar Jar was moved out of harm's way and they confronted Vantz. Content in their capability to handle the matter, Wasp turned back to fighting the Separatists as a trooper's rocket downed the HMP. Yellow returned to fighting and shooting. Noting they had fewer droids left, Wasp led the squad in a charge that wounded one Arrowhead but brought them all into close quarters combat, wherein the enemy was rapidly overwhelmed.

Pulling back at the sight of additional C.I.S. troop transports and super battle droids, Wasp witnessed one of his troopers die to a headshot before lighting up a section of the attackers. The commander had Yellow and two troopers advance to an adjacent rock formation and lay down a second cone of fire on the Confederacy's invasion force. The tactic proved effective until Yellow took off after a frightened Jar Jar, who later returned with the Separatist landing area in flames. Through his clumsiness, he had ended the droid assault on Arrowhead's position.

Thanking both Jar Jar and General Toi, Wasp invited the Jedi to join and serve in their ranks. Toi eventually accepted this offer. Vantz threatened to shoot everyone, and both questioning, physical restraining and examination revealed his mind had been tampered with by Separatist-affiliated cybernetics surgeons. Vantz was about to reveal something important via questioning, however a Kaminoan dart struck him in the neck, ending his life. Wasp and Yellow took a gunship back to the Sixth Fleet while Jar Jar boarded his shuttle to leave for the diplomatic conference and did not witness Vantz's assassination.

#### **Crash Landing on Mygeeto**

General Toi had to be elsewhere, as he was tasked with another mission by the Jedi High Council. Wasp and Yellow went to the Sixth Fleet and had to immediately requisition a trio of LAATs, as it had been revealed that Jar Jar's shuttle had deviated from it's planned course and crash landed on Mygeeto. After a platoon of 373rd troopers secured their landing zone, the commander and his ARC compatriot moved up as a pair to locate and extract the Senator.

Yellow performed a scan of the surrounding area and they advanced. Moving from barricade to barricade, they successfully evaded several battle droid squads. Mortar fire was audible in the distance, a sure sign that the 302nd Legion continued battering the Separatist forces across the planet.

Skirting along the edge of a power generator, the pair moved along a series of bridges and pathways until they discovered the 302nd's forward combat formation. General Toi had, it turned out, been on a mission in the neighbourhood and had himself crash landed on Mygeeto due to Jar Jar's accidental antics.

The 302nd's airborne troopers leapt out of gunships and took numerous droid offensive units by surprise. Mortars struck the droids yet again, and the terrifyingly efficient nature of the allied legion's combined arms assault became readily apparent.

Approaching Commander Checkmate and Captain Merica, Wasp and Yellow prepared to work together with them when Toi suddenly stated they should begin placing explosive charges along the battlefield before directly advancing to the front line. Wasp asked Checkmate where the charges should go, and if he had seen Ambassador Binks. Having been preoccupied with battling the Confederacy for the past week, Checkmate hadn't seen hide nor hair of the politically-inclined Gungan buffoon.

A Sixth Fleet crewman announced reinforcements had arrived from the 34th Legion as Wasp, Merica, Checkmate and Yellow reached the front line and annihilated a large gathering of battle droids with their superior tactics and firepower. Kirito Toi brought Jar Jar back behind friendly lines and he took cover by a barricade to avoid blaster fire.

One of the Separatist infiltrators tasked with hindering GAR efforts on Mygeeto had used several thermal detonators to wipe out a squad of clone troopers. Wasp commed Checkmate as they fought on, inquiring as to whether the airspace was clear. Checkmate confirmed that it was, explaining that the 302nd was nearly at the end of the current assault. 373rd gunships arrived in droves, pushing back the Confederate formations and ripping through them with a significant amount of firepower. Jar Jar Binks was extracted to the Sixth Fleet.

Having secured their objective and aided the 302nd, Wasp and Yellow returned to the Sixth Fleet's Venator in orbit along with the rest of the Arrowheads. Toi and Wasp went to the Venator's bridge.

#### **Surviving Cad Bane**

"Arrowhead and Delta Squad, establish defensive positions!"
- Wasp preparing Binks's defense.
Aboard the single Venator-class Star Destroyer that had broken away from the Sixth Fleet, the Arrowheads were tasked with protecting Senator Binks on the way to his diplomatic meeting. But General Toi informed Wasp that he was being siphoned off for a special mission with Delta Squad. Wasp's excitement surprised those in the room who understood his regular demeanour. Yellow and numerous other Arrowhead personnel were given orders to defend Binks with their lives.

Delta Squad arrived on-board and spoke with Wasp. The mission, they explained, was to destroy a valuable droid factory on Sullust. They informed Wasp that he needed to bring twenty starfighters and at least fifty ground troops for the assault. The Regimental Commander was happy to comply.

Sergeant "Scopes" of the 104th Battalion arrived on the Venator alongside a group of stragglers from various other units, when the power went out. Someone had sabotaged the ship. Wasp tasked the Deltas and Yellow with securing the bridge. He brought Scopes to join him and Sixth Fleet Security troopers in securing the various hallways throughout the vessel.

Hidden explosives activated inside one of the Venator's hangars, killing numerous personnel and destroying everything inside it aside from three gunships. Wasp recalled the Deltas to his position, then ordered several fireteams to the bridge and a troupe of firefighters to put out the fires inside the hangar.

Sergeant CT-2538 "Flak" of the 88th Backup Squad arrived in the hallway. Auxiliary power went on, as Wasp explained the situation to the new arrival. It was soon discovered that Separatist warships were attacking the vessel, and battle droids were boarding. Rallying stragglers -including Jedi Knight Ja Sho-, security and Arrowheads into battle, Wasp defended the ship and Jar Jar.

The ship's fuel tanks exploded during the fighting. Running out of fuel at a fast pace, the ship's integrity was failing. A mass evacuation effort ensued. Most of the crew and personnel escaped with their lives. Gunships and escape pods reached the desert world below.

Once there, he gathered the survivors and brought them into defensive positions using makeshift barricades. Yellow, Flak, Scopes, and two engineers were some of the more prominent defenders. Cad Bane sniped some fuel tanks which they had in reserve, killing several clones and briefly throwing Wasp and the others back.

General Kirito Toi arrived in a gunship, and explained that the Sixth Fleet had arrived to save Wasp and the others. The Regimental Commander was grateful, but the enemy's attack continued. Flak was injured in an explosion and medics tended to him, removing his armour in the process. Scopes skillfully slid into cover.

Cad Bane attempted an infiltration of the GAR camp, and stole Flak's armour. However, he was discovered before he could kill his Gungan target. Firing on multiple clones, he began to retreat. Scopes opened fire and missed, Wasp took a crack shot at the Duros gun for hire and hit him in the leg, but Bane still made his escape.

Binks finally arrived at his diplomatic meeting, and Wasp and the others were permitted time and resources to regroup. He invited Scopes to join the Arrowheads, and ensured his promotion to Gunnery Sergeant.

### **Battle for the Spill**

"Let me guess, you're Wasp." "You might want to watch your mouth, Mando."
- Ke-toe and Shiny "Rico".
When the Sixth Fleet required refueling, Arrowhead personnel were dispatched to secure the Republic fuel world known as the Spill, especially it's main fuel base. Wasp and Sergeant Traps touched down in an LAAT. ARC sergeant Oasis from Rancor Battalion, a shiny nicknamed Rico, and enlisted captain Tyno A. had joined them, likewise providing security for the area on behalf of the Sixth.

Personnel from the 264th Iron Legion were on-site, along with Captain VT-4275 "Faith" . But all was not well, because Mandalorians from Clan Moon had landed troop transports on-world and covertly sabotaged the base's automated defenses.

A tense standoff ensued between Rico and a Clan Moon officer named Ke'toe, who claimed to have killed Rico's brethren. Rico declared Ke'toe was aligned with the Separatists and a fight broke out. Wasp delivered a kick to the warrior's midsection, and Ke'toe responded by lunging forwards and throwing the ARC commander back. Wasp's back slammed against the door of the LAAT as Ke'toe retreated behind cover and his escorts opened fire.

Traps and Tyno took cover behind the LAATs and let their blasters roar. Oasis was dumbfounded. Wasp moved up and slammed against a piece of cover, blasting one of the Moon warriors before Ke'toe flew up with his thrustpack, one of his blasts striking the commander's shoulder pauldron. Oasis slid behind Wasp and together they outflanked Ke'toe.

The ensuing blaster fire pushed back the Moon escort pair, whom Oasis and Tyno engaged while Rico pinned Ke'toe down. Ke'toe responded by using a wrist-mounted flamethrower to attack Rico and earn some breathing room. Wasp immediately opened fire, delivering four blasts in rapid succession. The enemy warrior escaped, though his escorts lay dead. Wasp used his comlink to warn friendly forces of the impending attack.

Wasp's advance was met by Ke'toe and ten of his warriors, whose firepower slammed into his pauldron and armour. Despite this, he returned fire and shot three bolts at Wasp. Tyno took cover behind Wasp and took advantage of his superior armour to advance. While this was happening, Faith and the Iron Legion personnel opened fire on Clan Moon's exposed flank, dropping a pair of them with blasterfire.

Wasp fell to avoid being shot further, and both he and Tyno were exposed on the walkway. Ke'toe was attacked by one of the flanking personnel and they fought in close quarters until Ke'toe kicked them and used his flamethrower on them. Wasp advanced and simultaneously damaged the armour on two of the Mandalorians with his pistols.

The 264th's personnel came into view: Ingot, Sergeant Gear Shot and General Soloman Barris. Gear Shot opened fire, wounding one of the warriors. Rico rolled out of harm's way as Traps moved up and hit one of the warriors in the head.

Rico managed to overpower Ke'toe despite being on fire, and Ke'toe used his jetpack to escape onto a nearby shuttle. With his escorts dead or wounded, the landing area was temporarily clear. Gear Shock performed maintenance on a TX-130 fighter tank while Traps was hit in the shoulder.

Faith looked over his shoulder to the two 264th members, then rushed one of the warriors and hit him with the stock of his rifle, knocking them down. A Mandalorian flew upwards with her jetpack and shot a rocket towards the captain. Traps took occasional shots at the enemy despite his wounded shoulder.

Unconcerned by the attackers, Faith shot both of them, and the one died instantly. Another warrior tried to hit Faith in close quarters, but was shot in the back by Traps, causing their jetepack to spin them out of control.

Four Mandalorains ganged up on Wasp as he dove into cover. Clan Moon's reinforcements began arriving, attacking everyone on the platform with blaster rifles and vibroblades. Traps rushed to cover behind a barrel near Wasp's position, and Rico lit up the warriors near Wasp, whom nodded towards him in thanks before weaving around cover and repeatedly blasting a warrior in the visor. The body promptly crumpled to the ground.

Witnessing two of the Mandalorians flying to engage the GAR troops, Gear Shock blasted the pair of them in short order. Faith blasted a pair of blaster cell charges at the enemy, the explosion killing several. Rico rushed a Mandalorian and kicked him off the edge and towards the ocean, but he flew up with his jetpack and fired four shots at the shiny as another one lit up Wasp's position. 264th troopers arrived on the scene and began supporting the Arrowheads and Faith's flanking force as Wasp returned fire on the hostiles pinning him down.

Traps shot a target who collapsed in a dead heap as Jedi Knight Kirito Toi arrived on-world. Mandalorian starfighters strafed the platform in a bid to kill some of the defenders, who had coalesced into the same area after defeating the initial ten attackers. Rico was wounded, and Traps moved behind cover to tend to him. With a break in the action, Faith vented his weapon and revealed the base's defense systems had been sabotaged. Soloman suggested the enemy had taken out the power.

Gear Shock went to turn it back on. Kirito activated his yellow-bladed lightsaber and joined the fray against the Clan Moon invaders. He leapt onto an enemy starfighter and forcibly took control of it to create havoc throughout the enemy forces by strafing them, and destroyed three other starfighters before crashing his into an adjacent platform and ejecting. Inside the Republic base, Gear Shock saw several dead clones strewn about the control panel. Their blasters lay on the floor, smoking, and holes covered the walls and ceiling from an intense firefight.

Faith fired on one of the starfighters to block it's field of view, and successfully saved the lives of multiple personnel in the process. Traps brought Rico into the base to treat his injuries as Gear Shock swept the area near the control panel for signs of hostiles. Aircraft arrived at the landing platform and dropped off groups of clone troopers to aid in the intense battle ongoing outside.

A Mandalorian jetted out with his jetpack, heading straight towards Gear Shock while firing wildly. He moved to the side and opened fire. Outside, Clan Moon reinforcements arrived and Faith welcomed one by firing at their helmet. The warrior facing off against Gear Shock slid to a stop, dropped his pistol and unsheathed a vibroblade. He marched menacingly towards the 264th's Sergeant as Gear Shock's blaster bolts pinged harmlessly off of his beskar-armoured torso. The warrior then twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding Gear Shock's attempt to fire into one of his weak points.

One of the Mandalorians fighting outside ran up with a personal shield to bash Soloman. The warrior was dealt with, as Faith handled two other Mandalorians. Back inside, the enemy warrior gunning for Gear Shock activated his jetpack, flew up over the clone and then descended on him with fury, trying to stab him with the virboblade. Ducking down, the Iron Legion sergeant stuck a shock grenade to the warrior's armour. The shock grenade sent electricla currents all throughout his body, frying him to a crisp, with a horrific smell, screaming wildly before he died.

Having eliminated all of the hostile attackers out front, the Arrowheads and Iron Legion went about other business and Faith slung his rifle over his shoulder. Toi was wounded and located by a medic. Another medic helped out Rico, and Gear Shock got closer to the control terminal to discover the bodies of more clones and several strange-looking droids. He learned these were ITAR assassin droids, which were shielded everywhere except for their legs. One of the droids got up from the group of bodies and Gear Shock hid behind a corner. The droid declared the area secure and stated it was preparing an espionage action to further damage the base and deactivated defense network.

It's arms whirring, the ITAR clipped it's blaster rifle to it's side and prepared to smash the control panel. Gear Shock then opened fire, and though every single bolt from his initial volley was absorbed by it's shield, his blasterfire distracted it. Taking off at a run, he taunted the droid and it followed him, now with it's blaster rifle in hand. Then the ITAR droid paused, and exploded from it's exposed legs all the way up through the inside of it's shielding. Gear Shock had placed a pulse mine on the ground, resulting in the assassin droid's destruction.

An additional force of Clan Moon starfighters moved to attack the tired defenders, who were still busy cleaning up the bodies, helping the wounded, and counting out their ammunition. Faith cursed their fate, and they all readied to meet the end, if that was necessary. Then a noise sounded out from the base, mechanisms and electronics moving to life. Turret barrels rose, the automated defense system online, and hundreds of powerful blue blaster bolts did into the starfighters collide. The few survivors from Clan Moon's last assault plan fell into a retreat, Gear Shock had turned the power on and the victory seemed complete.

Six prisoners were marched in, their armour removed. Instead of facing questioning, they discovered a way to take their own lives. Kirito's arm was in a sling. An escape pod crashed onto the Spill and it's hatch opened, revealing Akira Sakura had arrived. Sergeant Kingpin of the 264th's 1st Victorian Battalion also made his presence known, to announce the Clan Moon warriors had committed suicide rather than face capture.

Kirito greeted his new Padawan, K'arr, and Wasp had to speak with Rico and another trooper, Corporal Merc, about their methods for treating Sakura. A scuffle had broken out between the two clones and single volunteer, and they had downed her, and one of them kicked her. After this was dealt with, Wasp and Faith had a brief discussion wherein the captain welcomed the regimental commander to the base and arranged for the Sixth Fleet to refuel three of their ships. General Bariss soon joined the conversation.

K'arr went crazy and temporarily knocked out his mater. He was then pursued by the clones as they attempted using non-lethal weapons and calm words to bring him in. K'arr then attacked Wasp, but Toi showed up and calmed him down before the pair were shipped back to the fleet. Wasp began to dislike K'arr as a result of this incident. However, K'arr later cut himself off from the Force and fell into a Sarlaac pit, so Wasp did not have further interactions with him.

A Separatist probe droid examined the area, picking up weaknesses in the Grand Army's perimeter of the Spill base. The 264th and 373rd dug in as Captain Faith left the base to go on a separate mission. Wasp had assembled an entire company of Arrowhead personnel to hold off the C.I.S. attack, and Commander Inco of the 97th Operation Corps arrived with several troopers. Hyena droid bombers arrived, separating into two groups as Separatist dropships neared. Fifteen clone troopers died as explosives rocked the various platforms, though the base's defenses ripped through several of the bombers. Two turrets were put out of commission by the first bombing run.

Rifle fire from the Arrowheads proved ineffective as the bombers whirled in and out of range at will. Wasp's troops spread out along the main platform and the base entrance. Separatist militia exited various dropships, including then-Corporal Mack C. Making a final run, the remaining hyena bombers devastated the Republic's turret defense. One bomber performed a kamikaze attack which killed two squads and further doomed the 373rd's company to a numerical disadvantage. Jedi General Kane Vak'Kestis arrived to reinforce, but the sheer number of droids and militia exiting dropships revealed this was going to be a difficult battle.

Arrowhead, Iron Legion and Operations Corps troopers continuously lit up the Separatist position, more than making up for their losses in droids. However, the militia fighting the Arrowheads fought well enough to almost match them kill for kill, wound for wound. Rockets from both sides of the engagement slammed into hostile squads. Corporal Mack C. hid behind cover due to a weapons jam, preserving his life in the process. A hyena droid bombing run disoriented the defenders, allowing many of the remaining militia to initiate a charge. The Arrowheads countered with a bayonet charge, breaking the militia's formation and morale and taking three of them prisoner.

One militia squad remained and threw a fragmentation grenade, but they flubbed the throw and it took out several militia members. A new landing craft arrived, deploying numerous B1 battle droids as more militia entered the field, many of them in the form of heavy weapons squads. Two Multi-Troop Transports and several dwarf spider droids marched on the base.

The B1s unfolded and Wasp called in two heavy weapons crews with E-Webs, along with all three of his heavy weapons squads armed with rocket launchers. They shot at the MTTs, heavily damaging them as a spider droid volley struck the clone ranks. Ferocious fighting ensued as the droid ranks marched on the hallway, many of them falling to Gear Shock and the other Iron Legion troops. Militia gunners mowed down clones before they themselves fell to blaster fire, and the Operations Corps' numbers thinned and they retreated.

Pressed back farther and farther, Wasp and the Arrowheads expended numerous magazines to stem the tide of mechanised death machines. They took position behind barricades and fought on. Ten Arrowhead troopers tossed thermal detonators into the enemy, separating and annihilating rank upon rank of B1s. Super battle droids arrived to bolster the already considerable C.I.S. force, and spider droids finally entered the hallway, blasting through the barricades.

A militia squad with standardised weapons and one machine gunner rushed Wasp's position as a pulse mine from Gear Shock went off, eliminating roughly a platoon of droids. Wasp bashed his rifle at one of the militia, then turned and slid into a crouch while firing into another one. He and his troopers brought the heavy weapons squad down to the last man and beyond, but a unit of B1s stormed the hallway and brought down several clones.

Bullrushing a unit of droids, Wasp smacked around five of them over and shot down another pair. This encouraged the other Arrowheads to initiate a daring counter-charge which brought many battle droids to ruin. Tossing his rifle into another B1, his armour was hit a couple of times and he stumbled back before drawing both his pistols. He led the rear guard action, bringing down droid after droid as the clones all retreated. Spider droids mowed down several clones in their grizzly advance.

Personnel from the 919th Legion arrived in LAATs and opened fire on Separatist droids and dropships, taking the pressure off of the Arrowheads. A platoon of Arrowheads had fallen due to the hallway turning into a killzone during their retreat. One Arrowhead trooper shot a rocket into the hallway, causing an explosion in the midst of the droid ranks. More troopers armed with rocket launchers were tasked with clearing out the dwarf spider droids, but several riflemen had to sacrifice their lives to defend the heavy troopers. Despite their heavy losses, the spider droids broke through. Then the rocketeers released their last barrage, bringing the automated beasts down.

Gear Shock threw a droid popper that brought down a squad of droids. When the Arrowheads steadily withdrew, the 264th established themselves in positions wherein they could initiate an ambush against the Confederates. They used the choke point to cut off and destroy a significant number of the battle droids before they were forced into a retreat, and Wasp covered them with his dual pistols.

The Iron Legion suffered significant casualties until Corporal Bridge rolled three thermal detonators over into the crowd of droids. Creating a rear exit with explosives, the Arrowheads called in and rapidly received several Low Altitude Assault Transports. The survivors from the 373rd and 264th piled in with their prisoners, and though a pair of gunships were shot down, the rest escaped. From an entire company, only a mere two squads of 373rd personnel survived the battle. They had destroyed several times their number in Separatist droids.

Every one of the remaining gunships entered a Sixth Fleet Venator which was under heavy fire from C.I.S. warships. The Venator made a hasty retreat alongside the Sixth Fleet, exiting the star system whilst Admiral Fray's command scored several kills on enemy starships.

### **Assault on Mimban**

#### **Northern Front**

After the disastrous battle at The Spill, where nearly a full company of Arrowhead's Hornet Battalion had fought until their last breath, the Arrowhead Legion brought around three battalions and support personnel to Mimban to assist in the on-going conflict with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

They set up in a forward observation base. Sergeant Traps took his nine-person squad to the armoury to arm up and await further orders. They were handed rations bars, which they ate. Wasp moved to Trap's position and the sergeant inquired whether he and his squad were needed. Wasp explained they had a combat mission ahead. They were to lead the charge for a group of Mudjumpers and friendly PDF. They took three gunships to the assigned location, witnessing three AT-TEs travelling on the ground and unloading their own clone trooper squads.

Sergeant Knot's 91st Corps squad was in the area, and had arrived recently in a fourth LAAT. The Arrowhead and 91st LAATs unloaded their personnel, and Wasp and Trap's squad found themselves supported by an Arrowhead sergeant whose squad bore unusual blue markings along with the usual dark golden yellow.

Moving past a crumbling Republic outpost and into the trenches, they took cover as Traps and his squad was sent on a special mission. The squad with blue markings was attacked by droids when they were temporarily separated from everyone else, requiring Traps to save the remainder. Knot and Wasp encountered a Mudjumper fresh from the front lines, who revealed that two AT-TE squadrons had been destroyed up front. Wasp decided to allow the other AT-TEs to pummel enemy positions before moving up.

A squad of B1 models approached their trench and were rapidly wiped out, along with a platoon in the rear that was targeted by the AT-TEs. Personnel from the 67th Legion arrived to support, led by Commander Risk. During their move into the trenches, Knot was separated from his squad, but later regrouped with Corporal "Sides". Unfortunately, Sides was killed in an ensuing firefight.

After destroying various droid units, the clones collectively charged into C.I.S. lines for the purpose of eliminating one of their tactical droids. Bogged down due to the heavy droid presence, the Arrowheads found themselves reinforced in the form of an orbital insertion pod which struck the ground and opened to reveal Mjolnir, a repurposed BX commando droid sent by the 6th Light Infantry Corps to support them. Using his various abilities, Mjolnir destroyed a number of battle droids and had several groups of droids turn on each other.

Commander Risk discovered several of his personnel planted explosive charges along the Separatists' back line, and the resultant explosion was visible from a lengthy amount of distance away. Together the GAR personnel entered the trenches and surprised the enemy, rapidly conquering several sections of trench in a series of pitched medium and close range engagements. Wasp and Knot also boarded and destroyed AATs, preventing the enemy from unleashing them against the ground assault. A final set of trenches were then overwhelmed, resulting in a Republic victory. The bodies of Sides and several fallen Mimbanese soldiers were transported away.

#### **Taunting Ambush**

After completing their last mission, Wasp paid attention to layouts of the surrounding engagements and wished that he was permitted to attack enemy forces with his entire regiment. However, the Grand Army had other plans for them and wished for the unit to be transported off-world. Intent on delivering one final hurrah on Mimban to take the heat off of the Mudjumpers and many other units, the Regimental Commander produced a transmission indicating there was experimental technology within the FOB that was being protected by the Arrowheads. In reality, the only experimental tech avialable was their uniquely composed armour.

The transmission was designed to be intercepted by the Separatist droid army and lead to a full-out assault on the FOB. Null-7, who went by the nickname Mereel among his Null and Alpha class brethren, arrived on-world. After consulting with him, Wasp convinced Null-7 that this plan was a workable concept, and Mereel offered him a bag of high-powered explosives. Satisfied with this, Wasp went to Sergeant Traps and had his squad begin planting all of those explosives in a wide perimeter outside the base, specifically intended to catch Separatist tanks.

Gunnery Sergeant Scopes went on a scouting mission with his squad to determine angular sniping positions, while Lieutenant Cayde maintained the base's equipment and Wasp got the ARF trooper Rex up to speed. Delta Squad arrived to inform Wasp that a starship was spotted in the sky with EMP weapon capabilities, with the ability to severely hamper the Arrowheads' mission. Wasp encouraged Mereel to assist the Commandos, then provided them with multiple gunships to ensure they made it up there. The Null and Commandos reluctantly agreed to work together and attack different portions of the ship.

After they took off on that mission, Wasp went over to Frog, -who was a corporal at the time- and explained his plan. Frog was enjoying some hot caf, and the commanding officer gave him orders to acquire a sniper's nest and provide tactical advice from that position. He was also able to provide emergency medical and combat aid along with light reconnaissance duties from there. And unfortunately for Frog, he had somehow lost his helmet during the previous mission. He went to the armoury to aquire and paint a fresh one.

Scopes finished his recon trip, brought back a datapad of valuable information and returned to his station, where he and his squad detected and estimated incoming enemy numbers. Mereel and the Deltas returned from their mission destroying the enemy ship. Hostile forces began arriving on the perimeter.

Hornet Battalion and two other battalions' worth of Arrowheads held defensive positions in trenches all around the base in a circle. AT-TEs acquired their defensive positions. Scopes' squad established mortar crews in key areas. Frog laid down on top of an AT-TE, just behind the gun, and set up a bipod while placing his helmet next to him to allow the paint to dry.

An armoured division consisting of AATs and MTTs moved forwards, but battle droids advanced beyond them. The 373rd unleashed sniper and ion mortar fire to prevent any B1 models from stepping into and activating the buried minefield. Snipers dropped them one by one as they marched into the mortar shells, fizzling and losing their function, collapsing in droves. The droid vehicles sought to escape the barrage and reach the minefield. Scopes lit one of the MTTs up with a smart rocket, causing significant damage before the entire enemy armoured division reached the minefield. Spurred on by the explosions behind them, the droids brought their vehicles into the midst of the explosives before they were detonated.

Hundreds of vehicles exploded or fell apart, a mere fraction remained. A regiment of droids moved up as the first wave, a company or so having fallen to the first sniper and mortar rounds. Mereel hefted up a Z6 as Wasp ordered the infantry, which included Rex, Viper and numerous others, to engage.

A rocket soared towards the Arrowheads' position, then two more. A squad of Arrowheads died. A Tri-droid approached the Republic line and was shot down by the AT-TEs. One of the clone snipers was downed by droids as Wasp mowed down an entire droid squad. Frog began reporting additional hostiles incoming and the droid waves multipled when the Grand Army's regional communications cut out. It now became impossible for the Arrowhead Legion to coordinate it's three battalions and all of the sub-units within, aside from sending runners and shooting flares. Wasp ordered a full retreat into a second set of trenches, then had sniper sconcentrate fire on the left flank, the mortars on the right and center.

C.I.S. forces advanced as a dropship landed. Scopes' squad prioritised the droids exiting the transport and shot down several battle droids. Frog used his thrusterpack to reach Wasp's position and warned him of vulture droids targeting the defenders. Wasp's response was to send Lieutenant Viper over to the AT-TEs, for the purpose of coordinating their fire against the vultures. Scopes was attacked by droids and shot twice in the back as the fighting intensified.

667th Legion and 919th Legion personnel arrived, pouring into the first and second set of trenches to engage in close combat with the arriving hordes of battle droids. Blood, oil and used blaster charges became a blanket of messy clutter along the ground. Seven LAATs and an AT-TE reached the area, courtesy of the 919th. Droid companies poured in, hitting the entrenched Arrowheads with everything they had, while the two reinforcing legions moved in on the right flank. Wasp shot an entire magazine into the approaching platoons.

A medic rushed over to Scopes and tended to his wounds. The 919th chose to provide covering fire so the 373rd, who had taken the brunt of the assault and destroyed the most droids, could extract. Most of the troops in the three Arrowhead battalions withdrew, though Wasp and the Hornet Battalion provided a temporary defense in the final set of trenches.

Wasp tossed a droid popper while firing a DC16s carbine one-handed. A crimson bolt struck his pauldron and nearly sent him spinning. Frog asked for instructions and Wasp gave him some before turning, firing into a super battle droid and two B1s as the Hornets fell back gradually. Scopes was brought to his feet thanks to the medic, and shot at the droids.

The entirety of the three Arrowhead battalions coalesced at the base, taking cover behind barricades and at numerous structures. Droid forces poured into the trenches, their tanks and infantry providing the numbers and firepower that sent the 373rd into it's tactical retreat. 373rd AT-TEs provided covering fire, their mass drivers and blaster cannons sending blasterfire which slammed and shelled the Separatist lines to protect the reinforcing legions. Wasp had Viper lead his platoon in spreading out to prepare to ambush the clankers once they arrived.

Hand to hand combat along the trenches intensified, the 919th fought neck and neck with the Separatists. Clone troopers bashed and battered and blasted away battle droids while their brethren screamed and died. They lost their hold on the final trenches, mowing down clones as they charged the GAR base. Frog had planted a number of explosives, but was wounded and had to be seen to by medics. He gave Wasp the detonator and the commander activated it.

Droids mowing into the base found they were vulnerable to fire from multiple portions of the base, all of the buildings, and the sides and rooftops of every building. Wasp single-handedly eliminated a full squad of droids. The chokepoints made it so the defenders had a homefield advantage. All of their AT-TEs withdrew deeper into the base to take part in the ambushes.

Regrouping with Frog after taking down various droids, Wasp questioned what had happened to the 919th. Frog explained that the attachment which attempted a frontal assault to buy them time had been wiped out. Wasp thanked him for the info and rolled out a droid popper, watching a squad become immobilised and then firing on the next squad in the column.

One of the officers leading the Confederate force was well-trained in tactics and hand to hand combat. His efforts killed various 919th personnel. As that legion's reinforcements had nearly breathed their last, the 373rd's gunships swooped in, firing on the numerous droids as a Republic Navy orbital bombardment crashed into the thousands of attacking droids. Arrowhead sniper, mortar and rocket teams continuously opened fire to cover the air assault and rescue attempt. The 919th's survivors were pulled into the gunships, which took off towards the base. Meanwhile, roughly twenty shuttles had arrived at the base, containing Republic-aligned militia.

A sea of blue, explosive strikes smashed around the exterior of the base, enveloping multiple droid battalions as the rescue gunships touched down. Wasp's armour absorbed three bolts, the damage apparent as it smoked. The first shuttle of milita touched down, though it took on heavy enemy fire despite the best efforts made by the AT-TEs to cover it. Mounting up on a building, Wasp watched as a snail tank stormed into the base with a platoon of B1s, massacring multiple clones. The commander leapt down, rolling and ascending onto the tank, shooting down a squad of escorting tinnies in the meantime. Other snail tanks arrived, rolling over the bodies of dozens of dead clones. But Wasp had planted a thermal detonator on one, and leapt off. The tank was put out of commission. ARF trooper Rex boarded a second one, rapidly planting an explosive and destroying the next one. The snail tanks were rapidly dealt with, before a tri-droid's rockets soared into the ranks of the defenders. An AT-TE fired it's mass driver into the thing's bulging head, bringing it down onto a column of B1s.

Militia made good on it's destruction by establishing makeshift barricades comprised of crates and sandbags, along with an E-WEB position, at the wreckage. More Arrowhead troopers dropped explosives onto approaching droid war machines, then ran back behind the militia barriers. Several of the troopers were mowed down in the process.

Corporal Frog had received a concussion and was trying to move the wounded. A militia marksman covered the Arrowheads as their ambushes massively reduced the number of droid attackers. Some militia ran up to warn them of an attack on their left flank, before rockets hit the Arrowheads on that side. AT-TEs turned to repulse said attack, but several were destroyed by rockets. BX-series commando droids had entered the base, and Wasp had dropped his carbine and drew his pistol in order to drag back a wounded soldier. A commando droid gunned for him, and he finished pulling the soldier, drew his second blaster pistol, and fired four shots that scrapped the commando in short order. A final AAT exploded, and aside from the screams of some of the wounded, the entire base fell into a brief silence. Casualty reports streamed in, revealing that three battalions, a small number of reinforcements and some walker and gunship support had, with help from an orbital bombardment, had destroyed over an entire division -five regiments- of battle droids.

The bounty hunter Land'ix D. arrived and Wasp filled him in before Landix headed out on his Republic-licensed mission. As Land'ix headed on his way, Wasp spoke with Rex about his invaluable assistance and promoted him to corporal. Various wounded personnel and dead bodies were transported up to the 6th Fleet for processing. Wasp, however, wasn't finished. He assembled a small group of ARC troopers...

#### **With The Marines**

The three hundred seventy third had struck a blow against the Confederacy's efforts on Mimban. Over thirty thousand droids lay scrapped and scattered across the field that they vacated. But Wasp was not quite done, and had assembled an ARC squad for a final operation before leaving Mimban in full.

Hundreds or thousands of clone troopers from the Galactic Marines and several units of shinies were stationed at a GAR base adjacent to the one which Wasp and the 373rd had protected. That was where Wasp and his ARCs gravitated towards. Trooper Coil also showed up. Reconnaissance efforts from Arrowhead air units discovered a massing force of droids, and the 373rd lobbed artillery shells for several minutes to clear the field and allow for the other Grand Army troops to advance.

This GAR base was both a defensive base and situated in a strategic location. Several droid units advanced towards the base before Arrowhead gunships cut them off and wiped them out, then withdrew from the entire area.

Separatist forces began shelling the base. Various shinies were wounded or killed, the wounded screamed, medics ran about. Troopers waited and held on for dear life, hoping to receive orders to give them something to work towards. Then the shelling ceased. A status report indicated fourteen shinies and Marines had died, and twenty-seven were wounded.

Altogether, the squad Wasp brought with him included Trooper Coil and the ARC troopers Dash, Manticore and Pretzel. While the troopers spread out along the trench line and prepared to charge, Wasp instructed the squad to advance on the flank, in such a manner that the Marines and shinies would never know they were present on the battlefield. Dash suggested they take out and retrieve the head from a hostile tactical droid who intel confirmed to be directing enemy forces from behind the lines, and Wasp agreed.

A hyena droid bomber approached the nearby clone forces, but a lucky shell ripped off it's wing. Unfortunately, it crashed into and killed a number of clones in the trenches. Coil remarked it was like being back on Mygeeto, without the snow. As the droid's tank line advanced against the clones, lobbing shells into their trenches, the Arrowheads moved up on their flank, rapidly destroying several battle droid squads.

Dash and Manticore successfully acquired the tactical droid's head, and though the clones had suffered many casualties, they also secured the area.

### **Binks and Boarding Party**

After their three successful engagements on Mimban, the Arrowheads returned to the Sixth Fleet, dividing themselves among the available Venators. Some personnel from the 919th Legion might have also been on board, recovering from what was a costly victory for those among their number who were deployed. Wasp was with Corporals Rex and Frog. The Regimental Commander explained the 373rd Arrowhead Legion was finally in a place wherein they were assured to experience more victories than defeats. He sent Rex to tend to his armour, and Frog left to rest off his concussion as the medics took care of him.

Captain Ty'no A., Commando Bumblebee and a reconnaissance trooper named Mash -the latter of whom came from the 212th- joined Wasp on board. Mash assisted with repairs in the hangar bay. They all stormed aboard the bridge when a blaster bolt went off in one of the hallways nearby. None of the patrols caught sight of whoever it was that fired off the shot, but they understood that the shooter was loose on board the ship.

Squads and fireteams swept across the fleet, while Wasp and Frog searched the reactor room and found it was secure. After they left the room, two guards were stationed inside and three outside. A squad from the 302nd Legion arrived aboard, led by Commander Tempest. They joined in the search for the lone gunman.

A Separatist fleet jumped out of hyperspace and began attacking the 6th Fleet. Admiral Fray's ships fought back, destroying several frigates. Droid platoons managed to get aboard, and they were ferociously attacked by the defending Arrowheads. Wasp and Frog entered one of the hangar bays, where Frog deployed an E-WEB and took advantage of a chokepoint to annihilate the droid boarding party inside. Squads secured all of the hangar bays and Senator Jar Jar Binks, whose vessel was caught in the crossfire, crossed over onto the Venator. His protection became a top priority.

Tensions between Jar Jar Binks and some non-373rd GAR personnel on board the ship rose, and Wasp had him confined to his well-defended quarters. At the end of the operation, Frog was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

### **Recovering The Armour**

#### **No Armour, Just Ambush**

After receiving orders from higher up, Wasp assembled twenty-some Arrowhead personnel for a briefing on their new assignment. Present individuals included ARC trooper Yellow, Commando Lolf, Sergeant Traps, Sergeant Dagger and Sergeant Frog.

The map on the projector showed a fortress which was used as a prison by Krada's government prior to the Clone Wars. Wasp explained that the Separatists had seized nearly a company's worth of Arrowhead armour during the battle at The Spill, and that clone intelligence indicated it had been moved into the old fort.

Intel revealed the location contained six anti-air positions, a battalion of droids, several BX-series commando droids and an unidentified number of tanks. Frog noted that charging into such a situation was pure suicide. Wasp understood, and explained that charging in was not the intention.

The forces they had on standby for the mission were two LAAT squadrons, an AT-TE team and a battalion of infantry with an additional company. Frog, Lolf and the rest were going to infiltrate the fortress while a storm rolled over, using gliders to get inside before disabling two key power generators. They even had actionable intellignece on a lightly guarded section of wall which was going to make for a fine insertion point. The reason they were sending in a team like this was due to the lack of a proper Republic Commando squad at the time.

Captain Sharky and Jedi General Logan of the 607th Legion offered their services for the operation, and Wasp wanted several of their personnel to assist in the initial insertion, plus the full-fledged assault that was going to take place once the base's defenses were offline and their vehicles were sabotaged.

While waiting until the sixth fleet Venator they currently occupied was en-route to Krada, the insertion team practised some CQC techniques with Lolf and Frog. A late addition to the team joined up with the 373rd aboard the Venator when they entered the star system. It was Lieutenant Alpha-64 "Ghost", who the Special Operations Brigade had dispatched to assist.

Jedi General Logan was recalled for a classified mission from the Jedi High Council, changing the composition for the Republic's attack force. Most of the 607th Legion's personnel went with Logan, and a second infiltration team was created, comprised of Traps' squad.

The LAATs landed on a large mountain opposite the fort. Crew outfitted the insertion teams with backpack gliders. Frog offered to climb onto a vantage point and discern enemy patrol patterns, but Wasp explained that reconnaissance had already revealed those patterns.

Both teams had the primary objective of disabling the pair of power generators to disrupt Separatist communications throughout the region. Upon landing at the wall, the troops quietly attacked various battle droids. Traps' squad secured their section while Lolf directed a scout and Frog to take out the B2s first, then the B1s, using superior weaponry and the element of surprise. Lolf and Yellow took cover and then attacked the B1 models.

Dagger discovered a system of automated defense turrets and used his slicing skills to disable them, but the unique make of the model prevented him from repurposing them. After multiple squads were taken out, the majority without blaster fire, droids started going on alert with the awareness there was trouble somewhere in the fortress. However, several squads remained laidback and maintained their ordinary duties.

Alpha-64 infiltrated the fort's command centre and eliminated the droids and communications offers there, acting ruthlessly and taking no prisoners. Dagger tapped into a terminal, disabling additional security systems. Frog planned on having his team reach the generators without having to fight the whole way.

ARC trooper Sharky was struck by a blaster bolt, and Yellow dragged him into safety while the clanker was eliminated. Yellow let out a shout which wasn't regulated by his helmet's comms filter, thus accidentally attracting two B2 super battle droids to their position. The Super slammed it's arm into Yellow, knocking him over. It stood over him, ready to end his life with a shot from it's wristblaster.

Ghost sneaked up behind this altercation and rolled a thermal detonator towards the super battle droid. Though the explosion attracted the attention of several droid companies, diverting them from locations the others were attacking, Yellow was killed in the explosion. Ghost snuck out undetected and moved out to find the fort's depot for it's cannon ammunition.

Ghost discovered an ammo depot guarded by a squad of B1s. They looked around wildly when one of the generators blew up in the distance, the work of Traps and his squad. Frog effortlessly destroyed three commando droids as Traps received permission from Wasp to assist the other team in completing their objectives. Using explosives, Ghost destroyed the ammunition depot, sending it up in a blaze.

Wasp ordered both teams to proceed to the southern courtyard and hold position in that isolated section of the fort, if they had both planted charges. Droid units advanced towards the site of the wrecked ammo. Alpha-64 went to work and added tanks to the list, having sabotaged ten Ground Armoured Tanks as they sat in a nearby hangar.

The southern courtyard was empty and secure, the survivors from both teams arriving and settling in. The attack was underway, with comm channels highly active as gunship pilots announced their attack runs. AT-TEs arced their shots into the fortress, eliminating numerous droids within.

Bereft of their anti-aircraft weaponry, power, communications and most of their armoured vehicles, the Separatists within the former prison were doomed to fail. The might of the Arrowhead units descended on them in a display of calculated firepower. Wasp comm'd in to announce the droid forces were at a third of their strength and dropping.

Then the comms cut out. The lights throughout the base went dark in their entirety. Something bright moved towards the two teams, and they realised it was a Republic gunship, which then crashed into a nearby wall. Five more soared overhead, red blaster bolts slicing through each Larty in rapid succession.

Ghost noted that the enemy fire was not coming from inside the base, because the anti-aircraft weaponry had no ammunition to shoot with. And all along the walls surrounding the courtyard, Lolf could make out the silhouettes of battle droids taking up their new positions.

Frog pointed out that they were going to get stuck in a killzone if they did not act quickly, as three Arrowhead troopers rushed in, the remnants of the assault force's infantry vanguard. They were mowed down by blaster fire from the droids and their high ground position.

Traps and his squad took to the wall, trying to use it as cover so they could return fire. Lolf ordered Dagger and Frog to focus fire on targets. There were not many crates in the courtyard, and it turned out the only ones that were had been packed to the brim with extra blaster cartridges. This ambush by the Confeds was well-planned, designed to catch the Arrowheads in a crossfire and eliminate them.

Ghost took off towards the north-west area, picking off droids with his rifle and throwing several thermal detonators. Frog picked off several enemies as his shoulder armour took a dent from a bolt. Over a platoon of droids lined the top of the walls, and Lolf's armour received five hits. Frog called for a retreat before they could be picked off.

Frog, Ghost, Lolf, Traps and the others took down several droids on their way out. The courtyard became clean enough for them to make their escape through a passageway and into the next area. Out there, they found the fallen bodies of thirty Arrowhead troopers, surrounded by hundreds of wrecked droids. Three HMP gunships dropped off fresh BX-series commandos.

Frog had retrieved a rocket launcher and ammunition from one of the crates in the southern courtyard, and shot it at the tightly clustered HMPs. Three BX models were crushed beneath the trio of destroyed gunships due to Frog's ingenuity.

Lolf took out his sniper attachment and opened fire on the commando droids. Ghost tossed an EMP detonator into a group of the commando droids, disorienting them. Discarding the launcher, Frog returned to using his pistol and pulled Lolf out of the way of the withering hostile fire.

The two groups entered close quarters combat. Lolf, Frog and Ghost defeated their adversaries and Traps blew the sole surviving BX model away with his dual blaster pistols. When it was discovered Traps' squad had a couple of troops with minor injuries, Ghost recommended shooting them to put them down. Frog pointed out it was a waste of ammo and refused. They continued through the fortress.

The courtyard that lay before them had massive holes in the wall, but two AATs were out there. Frog discovered there was an Arrowhead clone trooper squad in hiding behind several crates. Both AATs were attacked, their main guns placed out of commission, and one of the tanks was destroyed.

Two B1 platoons marched into the area. They became distracted by the resurging trooper squad, and Frog, Dagger and the others accurately fired on and destroyed both platoons. This was done by creating a killzone of their own, which annihilated the tinnies.

Revealing themselves as Bravo Squad, the infantry fell in with the infiltration teams and they exited. The fortress exterior was a mess. Gunships lay in wrecks all around, and several became shields for desperate clone troopers. A pair of HMPs strafed their positions.

AT-TEs were in scattered groups throughout the battlefield, battling a significantly larger number of AATs. Using his thrustpack, Frog took to a vantage point, having reacquired his launcher from earlier. He opened fire on the AATs, taking down the three armoured land contacts in short order. Lolf climbed a rock and efficiently downed three droids, one with his vibroblade and two with his DC17m before switching to his anti-armour attachment and joining Frog in changing the vehicle situation.

Dagger and Sol established E-web turret positions and shot down various HMT gunships while the Alpha-class ARC downed entire droid platoons by himself. Frog cycled through three different rocket launchers to down five AATs. As the fighting continued, small groups of Arrowheads began rallying on the infiltration team survivors. Ghost made out at least a regiment's worth of battle droids marching towards the battle. Though he casually ripped through B1 platoons with his rotary cannon, he realised the Arrowheads were heavily outnumbered.

Frog slowly jogged on with his three launchers. Lolf used his DC17m attachment to wreck multiple AATs. Arrowhead comms began functioning throughout the battlefield as the 373rd personnel fought for their lives against the droid army. Frog's launcher fire was dedicated to the now-advancing droid regiment, poking holes in their front line and scrapping dozens of droids.

Wasp reported that evacuation was inbound, and that he was three clicks north of the fortress and pinned down. They were battling two entire regiments of battle droids. Things looked bleak for him, but Senior Commander Atlas reported he was inbound with armour and artillery support and requested that any units available mark viable targets.

Ghost's Z6 ran out of ammo, he tossed it aside and drew dual blasters, fighting willdly against the outnumbering swarm of automated soldiers. Frog used his rocket to destroy a group of droidekas rolling towards them. Several clone troopers fell as they nestled into a hill near a crashed gunship and tried to hold out. Lolf and Dagger handed flares to Frog, whom shot them into a packed crowd of B1s.

Airstrikes smashed into droid postions around the Arrowhead survivors. Ghost co-opted an LAAT's bubble turret and cut down droids, like a hot knife through butter. AT-TE shells arced int orank after rank of droids in the most efficiently planned strike the assembled troops had ever witnessed, as regiment after regiment of battle droids marched towards their destruction. Ghost released a green-tinted smoke grenade, marking the Arrowheads' position to keep them safe.

A gunship swerved in, covered in yellow and grey markings, with a pair of red eyes painted on it near the cockpit. AT-TEs trundled over. Senior Commander Atlas stepped out, congratulating the Arrowheads on their work, and specifically commending Frog for his long-standing exemplary capabilities. This drew questions from some of the other Arrowheads, as they believed Frog was a simple infantryman before he was raised into a tactical assistance position.

It turned out that when Wasp had seen what was happening to the forces at the fortress, he called in broken arrow and requested reinforcements from the entire 373rd Arrowhead Legion. He was attacked and cut off by Separatists, and had to fight off three regiments of battle droids with only a pair of battalions at his disposal.

Atlas went on to explain there were over six hundred clone infantry converging on the fort, and the fact they went down so quickly implied the Separatists knew the GAR was coming. Someone in either Republic Intelligence or Republic High Command likely leaked the information to the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Ghost left, and cleanup teams arrived to bring in the corpses and armour from the fortress. The original suits of stolen 373rd armour were absent from the start. The Separatists had only temporarily situated the armour in the base on Krada. Lolf was promoted to Lieutenant. Atlas stated that Wasp planned on placing Lolf in-charge of an elite platoon of special operations troops, and Atlas agreed with his regimental commander.

#### **Getting It All Back**

After all of the armour and bodies had been accounted for, Waps informed Lolf and Frog that they were to use commando armour to intercept a Separatist vessel that Republic Intelligence figured out was carrying the 373rd Legion's armour. The inspiration for this operation, Wasp explained to the pair, was when Lolf arrested Senator Darklighter aboard a Confederate ship and escaped undetected. Elements of the Arrowheads were going to stick to stealth missions and lightning raids from now on, standing in contrast to the rest of the legion, who were devoted to offensives and sieges.

Frog was to be promoted to Sergeant-Major, and the pair of operatives set out in a ship piloted by a small crew of loyal soldiers. While this happened, Wasp was mulling over the concept of using Krada for the Arrowhead Legion's operations for training special operations personnel, and pondered how the Advanced Recon Commando "Yellow" could have become separated from the two infiltration teams before he died.

Frog's set of Republic Commando armour was outfitted with a thrustpack. It was revealed that he previously had Commando cross-training, and was considered a special operative. The two commandos exited their stealth ship and breached the hangar of the C.I.S. starship, engaging in combat with a B3 ultra battle droid and destroying it after their shielding took some hits. A crab droid and a few other battle droids suffered similar fates.

Sneaking their way past automated defenses and droid patrols, the Commandos rescued a prisoner, got him a pressure suit, reprogrammed hauling droids to move the stolen armour, and brought all 100+ suits out of the vessel and into the stealth ship. They made a hasty exit afterwards and arrived on Krada, where there was much fanfare.

With their armour retrieved, the Arrowheads had assurance that at least a company of reserve troopers were going to have the best armour available, capable of withstanding multiple blaster bolts.

### **Continued Aduran Operations**

The Ironworks Company, maintaining their Separatist backing, had raided a series of civilian relief convoys heading towards the wartorn cities in one Aduran's districts. Several LAATs descended on-world, dropping off Arrowheads. There they met Jedi General Snrlom, whose starfighter had landed next to the gunships.

Trooper Apollo joined Wasp in greeting the General, who had brought a unit of his Wookiee warriors along. The warriors had been hiding in the hills while waiting for the Republic to arrive. Snrlom recommended that they ambush the enemy if possible, and Wasp agreed.

The Wookiees led the way, followed by three squads of Arrowhead riflemen, Wasp and Apollo. They encountered Corporal Hock, the last survivor of Crimson Squad. After conversing with the corporal, Wasp affirmed that they would lay the bodies to rest in proper fashion if any remains could be recovered.

Wookies ran ahead, roaring, while some mercenaries ran out of a ditch. Using blasters and slugthrowers, they opened fire on the Wookiees. Wasp took aim at one, pulled the trigger once, and shot one of them down.

Marshal Commander Rico arrived with a combat element from the 500th Legion, reinforcing the Arrowhead-Wookiee push against a walled fortification. They reached the wall as the Wookiees charged ahead, one dropping dead from slug fire. Wasp used his sniper to eliminate several Ironworks personnel.

Several Arrowheads and Wookiees were pinned down by enemy fire, which was alleviated by Rico calling in an artillery strike which killed several of the mercenaries. A small contingent of battle droids were destroyed when they backed up Ironworks, and the Ironworks' regional camp was discovered.

Arrowhead troopers used medlifters and other transports to move the fallen and wounded bodies back to their landing zone. Snrlom discovered a turret position was defending a pass with several mercenaries, and used the Force and his lightsaber to eliminate the turret. The Ironworks personnel routed as they were attacked. Two surrendered off to the side, and Rico gunned them down, but it went unnoticed in the confusion. A squad of Republic Commandos joined the Arrowheads and Wookiees in securing a forward position, and various Ironworks mercenaries finally surrendered. Rico had taken one of the captives to use as a meatshield, resulting in the body absorbing blaster fire. Wasp declared that this was against the conventions, and Rico stated that the rules had changed. The 373rd Arrowhead Legion rapidly withdrew itself from that region, and Wasp filed a report on Rico's actions.

### **City Assault on Aduran**

Wasp and Captain Hive-Mind arranged for a Republic fleet carrying some 501st Legion troopers to provide them with some supplies. They also encountered a salesman and purchased fifty boxes of paper for the 373rd.

The Arrowheads returned to Aduran with the goal of conquering a nearby city. Two companies of clone troopers were released at a landing zone, the closest the pilots could get without being shot down by the city's anti-aircraft defenses.

The city outskirts had several turret emplacements near a wall and watchtower, which fired on the advancing ranks of clone troopers. Wasp and the others hit the dirt and spread out, slowly moving towards the treeline as the LAATs turned their guns and turrets on the enemy. Green laser beams matched red blaster bolts in a powerful display of attack and counter-attack.

Hostile turrets entered a cooldown period, allowing the Arrowheads to advance further. Taking aim, they opened fire on the droids ahead. Wasp sent a couple of bolts towards a droid platoon, damaging a pair of B1 models. The turrets exited their cooldown period and lit up the clone troopers' positions.

A clone trooper nicknamed Griffon arrived with reinforcements from the 104th Battalion to assist. His arrival was followed by Captain Ricochet of the 501st Legion, who brought his own company, and Lieutenant Alpha-44 "Silencer" also brought personnel for the fight ahead.

Arrowhead personnel held the rear as the other units advanced. Droids closed in, readying their weapons. Silencer downed several droids and Wasp covered him using his sniper rifle. The 373rd Regimental Commander personally led a squad towards the treeline and the city that lay ahead. Meanwhile, Senator Sven and two Senate Guards arrived on-world for a diplomatic meeting with one of the planet's various countries.

Ricochet questioned the logic of sending a Senator to an active warzone. Wasp warned the Senate Guards' commander of the on-going situation. AATs moved up to the wall, and Ricochet chose to defend the landing zone with his company, allowing the two Arrowhead companies to move up and do what they do best.

The tactical droid commanding the defense ordered the wall's cannons to open fire, killing several clones before they disappeared from view. Wasp, Silencer and three Arrowheads distracted the droids by firing from the hills to allow the rest of the two companies to advance unseen.

Disturbed by the turn of events, the tactical droid ordered droids to move up and attack the Republic troops. The AATs opened fire, killing several Arrowheads and nearly vaporising their bodies in the process. The combined efforts of the GAR troops destroyed an AAT and broke open a hole in the wall, Silencer threw an EMP grenade and Wasp's squad moved up. He requested a fire mission on two AATs, which artillery eliminated promptly.

The Separatist forward outpost had a heavy turret still intact, and it and the surviving AATs opened fire, downing multiple clone troopers. One Arrowhead didn't even have time to scream. Wasp ran up to a rock and took potshots at the droids as he tried to reach one of the AATs.

Silencer eliminated the tactical droid in-charge and the Arrowheads and other troopers moved up proper, overwhelming the remnants of the AAT unit and destroying or capturing the remainder of the droids. A handful of B1 models surrendered and were taken in for reconditioning.

With the wall secured, the anti-aircraft weapons were taken offline and LAATs were able to resupply and reinforce the new front line. Wasp took his two companies into the city. Their push was joined by "Stinger", a soldier in the Judicial Forces, along with trooper CT-9914 "Shark". Arrowheads "Pinch" and "Matt" stood out in their performance during the fighting that followed. It was their first engagement as members of the 373rd.

From off in the distance, an AAT targeted their advance. This was immediately followed by a Separatist droid advance. Wasp ordered the medics to pull back and tend to Stinger, then had the riflemen keep the droids busy while the anti-tank teams moved into position with rocket launchers. Pinch successfully shot a trio of B1 models in the head as a B2's wrist rocket downed two clones. Wasp ran to one side, firing his carbine towards the enemy ranks.

A sniper shot Stinger, requiring Matt to tend to him. An Arrowhead tossed a thermal detonator, taking down a squad of eight B1s before a blaster bolt hit him in the head. The Arrowheads proceeded through the city streets and fought with fervor, taking cover when necessary. Arrow pointed to the sniper's position, Wasp ordered Pinch to cover Matt, and then the Regimental Commander reached for his sniper rifle. Going prone, he sighted the BX-series commando droid responsible and opening fire, taking it's head off. Simultaneously, Pinch mowed down enough droids to form a small pile.

Silencer withdrew to complete one of his assignments, and an LAAT stealth varaint dropped off Lieutenant Alpha-73, nicknamed "Chief". After being informed of the situation on the ground, he joined the fight. He used an experimental mobile shield generator which created a squad-sized shield, able to protect the advance. By poking their rifles out, the Arrowheads were able to accurately shoot the enemy droids. Matt was wounded by an explosion and had to be tended to by Pinch, as the G.A.R. attackers found themselves faced with reinforcements from Separatist-backed militias instead of battle droids. After additional intense fighting, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion and it's allies seized the city. Matt had to be moved up to the 6th Fleet to receive extensive medical treatment.

### **Treachery on Aduran**

Arrowhead Legion troops made ready for their upcoming assignment at a forward operating base. Wick stated he was going to enjoy the planet due to the amount of mud that was present. Their goal was to engage and defeat a local resistance movement backed by the Separatists, eliminate the artillery and anti-air emplacements, and secure the region. The Jedi Knight Rio arrived to command the attack and they were joined in the trenches by Major RC-5425 "Tango" and Blood Squad. Wasp explained their mission objectives before they performed a calculated advance against the militia, destroying an AAT protected by shielding in the process. Ram was injured in an explosion and treated by a medic before re-entering the fight. 373rd ARC trooper Hornet took part in the concentrated effort to reinforce the trench line.

They crashed into the trench, joining a dwindling number of shinies amidst a sea of blaster fire and bayonets. Wasp's assigned platoon held strong, eliminating AATs and militia rocketeers. Rio protected them by deflecting blaster bolts with his lightsaber. Ram established an E-Web position and laid down suppressing fire. A Republic-hired Mandalorian mercenary whom went by the callsign "Solace" attended to them, firing at the militia left, right and centre. Tango informed Wasp that orders had come down from the top, stating that the planet was doomed to Separatist takeover and they were to set charges throughout the nearby Republic outpost before evacuating. Wasp countered with the realisation that an evacuation while the AA remained intact was impossible.

Combat intensified. Clone and militia lives were extinguished all throughout the trenches. Each Arrowhead trooper stood or crouched as a bulwark onto themselves, and bodies fell in heaps. A Rodian militiaman nickanmed "Ten" was captured and Wasp began interrogating him. Wick noted that Ram had somehow resurged into the battle despite being apparently wounded a second time. Solace offered to run reconnaissance on enemy lines, an offer the Regimental Commander readily accepted prior to Tango's declaration that new orders had been issued for Blood Squad. The Commando Major then unholstered his pistol and pointed it directly at Wasp's helmeted head while declaring that good soldiers follow orders. Several troopers pointed their rifles at Tango, but it was difficult to keep track of things due to the throng of Separatist militia and their on-going assault on the trench line. Wasp repeated Tango's mantra, which all clone troopers knew by heart, before collapsing to the trench floor to avoid Tango's blaster fire. Tango shot him once in the chest, presuming him wounded, even though Wasp merely faked unconsciousness. Solace tried to tackle Tango as Rio activated his lightsaber. Wick attacked a Blood Squad Commando, whom effortlessly dodged his strike, and Tango worked his way out from under Solace before the Mandalorian opened fire with his Westar blaster pistols.

Rio gave Tango one chance to explain his orders, and Tango claimed they came from Armand Isard himself. Blood Squad opened fire on the GAR soldiers throughout the trench, shredding through their armour. Solace flew Rio away from the scene via his thrustpack, explaining that things were unsafe for the Jedi.

Two Mandalorian bounty hunters known by the aliases Skit and Killer Bee had been hired by Blood Squad to fight the GAR forces. Using the full might of their miniature arsenals, and the benefits of their Mandalorian armour, they wrought havoc. Tango said he was assuming command of the Republic outpost on the authority of Republic Intelligence and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

Tango stormed his way towards Wasp, but another Republic Commando stepped in and stopped him. It was Captain Tron, whose squad was missing in action at the time. He had went rogue, deserting the Grand Army, and chose to hide out on Aduran to avoid the Republic before the battle stranded him there. He confronted Tango and they fought, before Tango disarmed Tron and he was forced to flee.

Wick pulled Wasp away from the confusion and into the Republic outpost, but Tango fought his way through. Although the 373rd's troopers used the outpost's environment to their advantage, Tango and Blood Squad blew right through them, though their shields were depleted in the fighting. Yellow Jacket changed sides and helped keep the rest of Blood Squad busy, and Wick challenged Tango to a pistol duel. He shot Major Tango in the head, killing him instantly.

Those members of Blood Squad who survived, -their size was five troops strong despite Republic Commando squads only containing four Commandos- retreated, with their armour and bodies battered by the remains of Wasp's platoon, and those shinies who contributed to the fight. It was then that Wasp stood up, because he was no longer in imminent danger. The Commander had ARC training, but understood he was no match for five Commandos in close combat.

After arresting Skit, they reached the 6th Fleet and moved to Coruscant.

### **Putting Them Away**

On Coruscant, Wasp, Notch, Wick and their escorting Arrowheads were attacked by an entity claiming he was a demon. The alien of unidentified species was captured and placed in cuffs, then he and Skit were sent to prison. A small droid arrived, containing information revealing a number of the 373rd's clone troopers had been captured by Separatist scientist Ra're Devon for experimentation. Wasp decided to postpone trying to contact Armand Isard about Blood Squad's treachery and instead the group returned to the 6th Fleet while the Republic Intelligence's Internal Affairs Branch agent "Foxtrot" remained behind to help Grand Army forces manage the strange menagerie of prisoners they had recently acquired.

### **The Exchange**

A few days of travel towards the Outer Rim resulted in the 6th Fleet picking up an escape pod, which turned out to contain "Westerner", an operative from the International Scientific Group, the Diver Team leader for 1st Platoon. He was one of a number of special forces mercenaries who worked for the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

An RI agent named Stetrav Lawson received permission to come aboard and helped arrange a prisoner exchange with the Separatists. it took place on Mimba, where Ra're stood flanked by several elite super battle droid models, the B2-10-034 variant, as he exchanged eight clone POWs for the single special operative. He then introduced the Arrowheads to an individual clad in dark armour, the remains of an Arrowhead trooper who was experimented on and transformed into an obedient and highly skilled meat droid. Disgusted, the Arrowheads and RI agent left the planet.

### **Enter Psi-Gamma**

Several Arrowhead gunships arrived on a Republic military world. Notch and Wasp exited with a squad of ten personnel. Notch had been promoted from Corporal to Sergeant due to his performance during Blood Squad's treachery and the incident with hostile Mandalorians back on Coruscant.

The Mandalorian Skit, now on some sort of deal with the Republic, claimed he possessed information for Wasp. He was interrupted by what happened next.

Personnel from Republic Intelligence's Project Psi-Gamma, including one "Dawn Four", arrived on scene and began moving scientists into shuttles escorted by V-wings and flying them off, then moving the bodies of other scientists into the area and having their bodies incinerated. Wasp became aware that trouble was brewing and activated his helmet's holorecorder, something he had installed shortly after Major Tango's death.

An entire platoon of RI personnel attached to the Project approached the Arrowheads. Their leader loudly declared they had been selected for project Psi Gamma and ordered them not to resist. Wasp ordered them to stand down, by authority of the Galactic Republic.

Dawn Four revealed he had a warrant authorising the detainment of a randomised number of members of the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic. An Ithorian scientist, the head researcher of the Special Operations Brigade's Irregular Weapons Division, Colonel B'rrk Sk'es, was the head researcher of the project. He explained that due to the changing times they were required to remove veteran clone troopers from their units for experimentation.

Wasp explained that his unit was under tasking from their Corps, the 6th Fleet and the GAR at large, and noted heh ad to make an in-person report to the director of Republic Intelligence. They dismissed his concerns and demanded they go quietly into their custody.

Both sides set their weapons to stun and opened fire. Wasp, Notch and the Arrowheads shot most of the RI personnel, and the project brought in hidden reinforcements after the fight had ended. All twelve 373rd troopers had been stunned.

Six clone troopers were removed by the backup RI personnel. using restraints and hover devices. One of them was Notch. Wasp and the survivors were drugged, mind-wiping the recent events. RI agent Stetrav Lawson, who had helped facilitate the Arrowheads' prisoner exchange, arrived to assist Wasp. Wasp did not recall the incident until the agent pointed out his helmet's holorecorder was still running. Wasp relived the incident, restoring his memory.

### **A Stint on Geonosis**

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion received a tip indicating that RI Section 1 Agent Ken J. possessed intel relating to the Psi-Gamma project. He was on intelligence duty for an engagement on Geonosis against the super tactical droid general Den'Kin. Personnel from Kota's Militia -including Sergeant Bon'ji Harp-, the 41st Elite Corps and the 38th Armoured Division were dug in there, battling a large force of B2 super battle droids when the Arrowheads arrived.

A ten-clone squad led by Wasp stepped out of a Republic gunship as several AATs breached the Republic's lines. Three Arrowheads were ran over by one of the AATs, but it was destroyed by a rocket launcher. Jedi General Krik arrived with his unit of shinies and discovered that Wasp's squad had acquired defensive positions to protect the landing zone. Sergeant Wick's LAAT landed and he exited with his own squad to join the fight.

Wasp briefed Wick on the mission as they fought for the landing zone. Null-5, Null-7 and Null-12 arrived at the landing zone and agreed to take the heat off the Arrowheads by attacking the Separatist droids beyond the LZ.

An Arrowhead engineer named Stinger joined Wasp and Wick's efforts to remove the Separatists from the landing zone perimeter. Wasp's squad covered Wick's unit as they advanced to an adjacent hill. Stinger shot at the droids with his pistol, and the pair of squads proved effective. A red blaster bolt struck Stinger's pistol, sending it flying. Wasp stepped in front, tanking shots from a super battle droid as he filled it with holes and destroyed the tough automaton.

Drawing his spare blaster, Stinger rejoined the fight and pointed out the lack of viable cover, suggesting they push up. Wasp agreed, as he valued his troopers and also did not want the Nulls to reach the agent before they did. An AAT rolled behind GAR lines, but the 38th diverted some troopers to deal with it.

Stinger narrowly escaped being shot by an AAT before the Republic Navy initiated an orbital bombardment on the Separatist forces ahead. The GAR sought to eliminate a droid factory in the region. Still, a few scattered units of battle droids and snail tanks were regrouping and one of the vehicles ran over several clones.

Wick discovered several Republic soldiers had taken cover in a cave system beyond their position, and pondered whether the agent might be present there. Three fourths of Wick's squad had fallen during the Arrowheads' advance, though they downed more droids on the way in. Reaching a crashed gunship, the clones rapidly downed a squad of encroaching B2s.

A group of droidekas fired on the clones from a distance, shredding the shields and armour of a Republic Commando who had attached himself to the assault. Stinger announced that his radio pack had been busted by a stray droid blaster bolt. Now buried in the sand, the droidekas pummelled the Republic positions as Wick and Wasp's small remnants of their squads dug in.

One medic named "Twister" from the 38th recommended using the incoming sandstorm to retreat as Wasp directed an AT-TE's fire towards the droidekas. One of the Arrowheads, a rocketeer, launched a rocket towards the droidekas and then fell back. Null-5 arrived, revealing he had planted explosive devices in the droid factory and detonated them, destroying the building.

Encountering RI Agent Storm and some other Republic personnel, Wasp and the Arrowheads learned that Kent was allegedly killed in action. This left them with the sole goal of defeating the Confederates across the sandy battlefield, and Wasp called in reinforcements. Twister explained that the 38th had sent a unit to resupply the 373rd, but they were ambushed and suffered heavy casualties in the process. Three Venator-class Star Destroyers exited hyperspace, leaping to assist the Republic fleet already there.

#### **Reaching the Shuttle**

Sergeant-Major Frog, Corporal Jed, Trooper Cooker and Sergeant Notch joined the Arrowheads at the now-secure landing zone, where a company and two platoons of 373rd troopers prepared for battle. Notch had apparently escaped from Project Psi-Gamma, and his family and fellow combatants were grateful for his return. Jedi General Rio, recovered from the betrayal on Aduran, led the Arrowheads for the operation.

The 345th Battalion and Captain Ay'rn of it's Barret Company were tasked with backing up the Arrowheads, maintaining a front line vanguard as well as a back line rear guard and support staff. Half of their supplies remained intact. There was a collective reaction of surprise when Delta Squad landed and agreed to help Frog with the important mission Wasp tasked him with.

Jed, Cooker and a fireteam went on patrol outside of the landing zone. Wasp filled Frog in on what Project Psi-Gamma did to their brethren, then explained there was a crashed RI shuttle across the battlefield. Frog and Delta Squad were to support the Arrowheads' advance and then investigate the shuttle due to the belief it was used by Psi-Gamma personnel.

Back from their patrol, the scouting party said a company of clones from another unit had been destroyed by droids a short while ago. As the Arrowheads moved out to battle the Separatists, a shuttle landed and out exited Kando. Kando was a human Padawan whose master was preoccupied on Coruscant, and his master sent him to temporarily serve under Rio for the campaign.

Something the patrol had spotted was a crashed gunship with a single survivor. Together they advanced, rifles and pistols raised. Ay'rn warned that a sandstorm was going to arrive in eight minutes and he wished them luck. Cresting a hill between them and the gunship, they were ready for the worst.

Jed received permission to go for the gunship and took off. Notch advised everyone else stay back in case it was a droid trap. Several red bolts struck the gunship, indicating an attacking Separatist presence. Jed and Kando began helping the gunship survivor as Cooker, Notch, Wasp and the other troopers took cover around the gunship and the hill as they returned fire. Notch ducked to avoid a spray of fire, his own few quick bursts taking some advancing B1s down. The first droid squad went down from Cooker and Notch's fire. A second squad moved against the gunship, their fire pelting the hull. Arrowheads responded in kind, wiping the clanker squad out. Frog returned from his intiial mission and patted Wasp on the back of the shoulder, startling him.

Kando moved out in front of the gunship wreck and was shot down by a blaster. Rio ran up, ignited his lightsaber and began blocking incoming shots. Wasp rallied the Arrowheads to that position, shooting at droids while the area became embroiled in a sandstorm. With limited visibility, they fought to defend and extract the padawan. Frog expertly fired on any droids posting a threat. Oil spilled from droids and their joints as they collectively lit them up.

Two platoons reinforced them. They fought through the battle droids and discovered Frog had eliminated the tactical droid commanding the enemy force, causing them to become more disorganised. Frog noted that the battle droids operated with a surprising amount of autonomy, even though they whined or complained in bad situations.

After clearing the area and ascending up a cliff with their cables, the 373rd and 345th surrounded the crashed RI shuttle. Rio cut through the door with his lightsaber and was immediately attacked by four shadow troopers, who he was forced to strike down in rapid succession.

Frog used techniques taught to him by Lolf to slice into the shuttle and copy it's data before the computer could wipe it. They received details on journeys to several locations, narrowing down the list of places to look.

The 345th parted ways on friendly and brotherly terms with the 373rd, as they were needed on Anaxes. The 373rd remained on the planet battling the Separatists, which became much easier when teh 93rd Legion and Impetus Brigade distracted a hefty number of enemy forces. Frog found Robuck's Raiders and assisted them against three large scale droid attacks. Victory was achieved.

### **Integration Day**

Venator-class Star Destroyers arrived above an unidentified Republic naval world, followed by a string of Acclamators descending. They approached the appropriate landing zone and disgorged thousands of troopers. The 373rd Arrowhead Legion was rallying. Regimental Commander Wasp watched their forces rallying on a large patch of flat ground next to one of the Grand Army's military bases. Sergeant CT-5862/1132 "Notch"'s squad arrived via gunship, and the sergeant recalled how much he despised flying.

General Soloman Barris of the 264th Iron Legion was nearby, providing temporary security to the military installation while his forces resupplied. The Arrowheads were also resupplying, though they had an ulterior motive.

Matt the heavy trooper arrived from another gunship and joined Notch and Wasp in observing the troop formations. Two Coruscant Guard commanders and a captain arrived to briefly question the Arrowheads, and became temporarily agitated by the presence of what amounted to at least two regiments' worth of personnel carrying out resupply runs and practising formations on their front lawn. Wasp calmed them before things got too intense, assuring the fellow clones that they would be on their way in due time. Corporal Veil and Trooper and medic Shrapnel showed up during this time.

Once the Guardsmen were out of hearing range, Wasp explained why he was assembling specific, trusted personnel: Marshal Commander Rico of the 500th Legion had committed war crimes by executing two prisoners and using a third as a meat shield during his stint in the Aduran Campaign. Republic Intelligence was prepping a team to bring him in, or kill him if necessary. He was previously an RI / SOBDE asset, and had been acting on orders, though Wasp and the entire 373rd were unaware of that specific detail. Republic High Command permitted that he would be allowed to remain alive and able to serve in the Grand Army, if his rank was lowered and he was placed within a unit where others could keep an eye on him. This was because the Ironworks mercenaries he had killed were brutally infamous for their own war crimes.

Captain Guess and Trooper Hock from the 500th Legion then entered the scene and exchanged pleasantries with Wasp and the other troops. Notch analysed the captain while Veil quietly moved up behind, prepared to ensure the 373rd had the advantage if a fight broke out. Corporal Storm and Lieutenant Dell joined and backed their fellow Arrowheads. Wasp was honest with Guess about Rico's actions on Aduran, and his proposed solution. Guess was not entirely against the proposal, and decided it was better than the violent alternative. As Wasp explained the survivors from the 500th were going to operate as their own unit within the 373rd Arrowhead, Captain Ay'rn arrived. After partaking in a mission on Anaxes, most of the 354th Battalion went to take part in a mission on Ryloth where the CIS ambushed them and severely debleted their numbers. Barret Company was shaken but undaunted. Wasp assured Guess that the 500th's legacy was going to be upheld, then realised Ay'rn was there and happily conversed with him for a short while. After learning of the 354th's heavy casualties, he invited Ay'rn to sign on with Barret Company. After some discussion, he and most of his troopers agreed. A small number refused and were sent elsewhere.

While waiting for Rico to arrive, the Arrowheads and 500th discussed battles they had fought in. Guess explained Umbara was a hellish experience. Notch recalled the retrieval mission on Mygeeto. Then the Senior Commander reached their position and Wasp confronted him with the current situation. Rico explained that he was not in control of the situation, and that all of his actions were under orders. The Arrowheads understood that spooks left capable soldiers out to dry and offered a way out. He accepted and together with Ar'yn they discussed some of the details while Sergeant-Major Frog arrived on scene. Wasp asked him to train the new Arrowheads in hand-to-hand combat.

Verbal hijinks ensued amongst the troops, prior to the legion's departure for Krada. Personnel worked to move supplies and maintain the base while others began training. However, Frog's CQC training session was interrupted when a medical LAAT crashed on the runway. The crew died instantly, except for a lone pilot who was brought into the medical bay for surgery. He woke up a while later and tried to attack the medic, so he was sedated for several hours. Notch received medical attention for his hand because he cut it trying to pry the LAAT's door open. Amidst his insanity, the pilot warned of an immense danger that was on it's way. Rico broke his neck during the incident.

Wasp was inside the command center at this point, and had finished speaking with Republic High Command. Master Sergeant Traps joined him after he had finished checking the armoury. Wasp briefly conversed with Traps, before Notch brought them up to speed on the situation. The Regimental Commander wanted to speak with the pilot, pausing on the way to note that Captain Ay'rn was dressed in his new Arrowhead armour, which looked spiffy. Ay'rn remarked that it was better than the old maroon. Traps took off for the runway to inspect the vehicles.

One of the 354th's personnel, a trooper named Warpath, got their unit's sattelite up and running to grant the entire legion a better eye in the sky, which the Arrowheads appreciated. A loud sound echoed throughout the base, and it was discovered that Shrapnel had sung to himself. Also, the pilot had escaped from lockup and was nowhere to be seen. Ordering security to remain on alert, Wasp considered the possibility someone had used cloaking devices to infiltrate the base and spring the pilot. ARF Lieutenant Jumper from the 500th joined the other Arrowheads in considering the recent happenings. Jumper had been preoccupied with an errand prior to his arrival.

Wasp stepped up to a newly arrived airborne trooper named Warhammer. He said the airborne trooper represented something in the legion, and a long pause hung in the air as the trooper delivered a silent, visor-covered death glare. The Regimental Commander explained that he represented the application of airborne tactics to a legion which ordinarily fought battles solely in a siege capacity. Alongside the inclusion of special operatives and lightning raiders, the 373rd now contained airborne elements, particularly due to the inclusion of the 500th. A new combat medic named Storm stepped into the room, causing the other new combat medic, Shrapnel, to feel some unease. He took Wasp aside and asked for permission to activate his "there can only be one" protocol, which Wasp presumed to be a dangerous thing. He told the medic he'd rather they stay alive, and things eased from there.

Everyone collectively noticed Lieutenant Jumper was carrying a cage, which the 500th ARF explained contained the most dangerous thing in the galaxy, a creature that had bitten his fingers a total of ten times.

Commander Wasp spoke to the massing group of personnel and explained that a planet on the fringes of the Jiwo Ima system had requested support. The Jiwo Iman army had turned their eyes and set their sights on their world, and cut a swath through the defenses there before laying siege to the planetary capital. Admiral Fray announced the Sixth Fleet was prepared to provide transport for the assembled Arrowheads. A strategy was rapidly concocted, for airborne troopers to attack and clear a landing zone so the rest of Hive Regiment could descend and properly land with their vehicles and siege equipment. Shrapnel stated it had been roughly three weeks since his last deployment, and he desired a fight. Ay'rn assembled Barret Company, particularly Kanjali, Primer and Warpath, whom had been dubbed "Convenient Squad".

The Venator-class Star Destroyer Dastonia requested and received permission to resupply on Krada. Traffic controllers assisted them in their arrival and resupply efforts. While waiting for gunships to bring them up to the Sixth Fleet, Ay'rn, Shrapnel and Notch played a ferocious game of rock-paper-scissors. Then the LAATs arrived, bringing them on board the fleet. Fleet security captain Jan gave them a warm welcome, but after brief greetings were exchanged with the admiral on board the bridge, he required that all Arrowheads leave the bridge so that Fray could command the space portion of the operation. After eight hours of traversing space, the vessel halted and Jan informed the 373rd of their arrival. Hundreds of gunships streamed towards the planet. Rico and his 500th's airborne contingent were leading the attack, with other airborne and then the entire assault force in tow.

### **Breaking the Siege of Kavlia**

Commander Rico and his airborne hit the surface, opening fire on the battle droids massing ahead. An LAAT/C arrived early to drop off an AT-TE in support. Anti-aircraft and blaster fire smashed into the 500th's gunships and most of their airborne troopers were on fire or were shot down while attempting to parachute in. Intent on assisting, Ay'rn brought a gunship full of troopers from Barret Company. They flew ahead of the offensive and landed, displaying their aggressive nature against the battle droids as they sought to save what remained of the 500th. The AT-TE's mass driver delivered a shell which destroyed an enemy tank and several droids. Barret Company sprinted for cover while gunning down Seppies, with Captain Ay'rn in the lead.

Wasp's LAAT landed with numerous others, a fair distance behind the ground covered by the airborne troops. Hundreds of battle droids already lay in pieces from the early offensive that had ensured the rest of the unit could make their landing. Ar'yn encouraged his troopers to push up, then shoulder-charged a B1. Wasp and Notch both led squads of troopers in an advance consisting of various rifle and heavy platoons. Several vehicles, mortar emplacements and artillery guns were hauled in by gunships and other transports.

Notch recovered from an attack near his position and jogged down the sand, his blaster in hand. The AT-TE let off another shell, trashing several droids. Fray's fleet was preparing orbital and air support, and had a Y-wing squadron inbound to assist in what was rapidly becoming a multi-pronged, large scale battle against the Confederacy. Mortar crews pounded away at Separatist territory, taking some of the pressure off the troops at the front. Ar'yn hurled a thermal detonator and heared the shrieks of multiple droids. The AT-TE's cannons overheated and it took a short break for the purpose of cooling it's weaponry. Pilot Drift said he was arriving in his gunship in two minutes.

Moving forward in a wide and loose formation, Notch's squad downed several droid stragglers. Ar'yn fought droids with dual blaster pistols as Drift's larty arrived near Wasp's location. Troopers exited, carrying crates and supplies needed for a continued push. Barret Company overtook the tattered airborne as the unit at the forefront and chose to dig in, holding their ground until the others could arrive. Infantry and airborne units surged up, acquiring positions in the reed forests, in the sand and at a large rock formation. Troopers at the front explained they were in desperate need of air cover, so Wasp called in Fray's Y-wing squadron for an attack. Drift's gunship unloaded a volley of missiles into the front ranks, and bought some time.

Barret Company was hard-pressed to hold on, but mortar fire made their job easier. Drift's larty opened a door and a trooper wielding a Z6 lit up various tinnies. Rico was struck by a blaster bolt and dragged into cover by a combat medic as reports indicated B3 ultra battle droids and vulture droids were making a presence in the engagement. Another air unit, Locust, arrived to provide air support. Ar'yn recommended units be sent to watch the flanks so they could not be encircled. Most of the attacking clones were pressed into cover as crab droids and B2 super battle droids advanced on them, and the lead AT-TE began pulling back as combat engineers worked to get it back into the fight. A Separatist cannon lined up Drift's LAAT as he shot another volley of missiles, which collided with the crabs and B2s to produce a fine explosion.

Barret Company charged over the rock formation, seeking to acquire cover beyond. The CIS cannon opened fire on Drift's LAAT, blasting off it's right wing and sending it towards an inevitable collission with the sand. Notch and Wasp pressed up, cutting a swath through the Separatists on their way to Drift's crash site. Several droids flanked the Arrowhead attack force on their right, downing several troopers before some clones shifted their attention in that direction.

Artillery and mortar fire hammered the droid lines as a few naval personnel arrived on-world to better coordinate between ground, air and space support. Fray used these observors to considerable affect. Though vulture droids harassed them from the sky, the attack force carried on. The 500th brought in numerous troopers via gunships and Juggernaut turbo tanks, committing to the front.

Arrowheads swept through gunship wreckage to recover Drift and his crew, the crew went back to the siege camp while Drift remained with the assault. Vulture droids came awfully close to killing several Arrowheads as Ar'yn acquired a rocket launcher and downed one. A Separatist sniper accurately zoned in on a heavy trooper named Drake, and the ensuing blaster bolt or sluthrower round killed the Jango clone instantly. Rallying his men, Rico and a great swarm of clones from the 500th advanced, their grey sky camouflage blending with the rocky terrain but standing out in the midst of the forests, sand and grass.

A dozen artillery emplacements fired on the various Separatist units attempting to either meet the Arrowheads full-on or outflank them, thanks to the efforts of competent spotters and gunners who had trained in siege warfare for multiple years before serving for one or two in the field. Two companies of clones kept the artillery safe from harm, their rifles making short work of any would-be saboteurs. Two LAATs circled the forward Grand Army positions, their green Sixth Fleet markings evident as they delivered several payloads into Confederate lines to keep them scattered and at bay. After a brief conversation with Wasp, Captain Ay'rn had his company affix vibrobayonets to their blaster rifles and charged ahead. Wasp's squad equipped their own bayonets before tossing fragmentation grenades into a large mass of droids ahead.

Wasp's squad was bolstered and surrounded by a pair of platoons of riflemen, and two of them disappeared into the adjacent brush. A trooper heard the sound of a neck snapping and pointed. Turning, Wasp lifted his rifle and fired blindly. A squad of BX-series commando droids opened fire, wounding a trooper and striking Wasp in the chestplate, a blow it thankfully absorbed. A commando droid leapt out with it's vibroblade swinging, and Wasp drew his vibroknife one-handed in response.

Fray's Y-wing bombers devastated the droids' forward ranks, but a Y-wing was shot out of the sky. It crashed into the CIS encampment, damaging several buildings beyond repair. Someone directed the forward AT-TE to target HMP gunships moving in on the right flank before their lasers and rockets could dish out too much damage.

When the BX commando made a move, Wasp raised his carbine as a shield and struck out towards the advanced automaton's midsection with his vibroknife. The droid moved for his knife, so he delivered a hard kick to it's leg, relying on his metallic foot to deliver a strong blow. The commando fell and Wasp shot several carbine bolts into it's face before discarding and replacing the now-faulty and unstable weapon. The vibrosword had done it's damage.

Medics treated battlefield injuries, AT-TEs lit up Separatist lines, infantry took cover or advanced against the tinnies and artillery and mortars continuously fired. The coordination displayed was immense, the Arrowheads having mastered warfare carefully tailored for situations where most other units were doomed to suffer substantial losses. A special forces unit arrived under the common alias of Reaper Squad, and they went to work battling BX models on the army's left flank after Wasp delivered a rapid sitrep. Rico briefly accompanied them, killing a BX commando all by himself. The AT-TE which had taken the lead, dished out so much firepower and bore so much punishment for the Arrowheads had to be removed via LAAT/C so it could receive heavy repairs back at the siege camp. Ar'yn and Barret Company encountered a BX squad all to themselves, and proceeded to destroy the elite droids in open combat.

Regrouping with Sergeant Notch, Wasp continued his unit's advance. Arrowhead gunships ripped into and melted the droids ahead. Notch's squad blew apart B1s, B2s and crab droids aplenty. The front line had become fully enforced, with enough firepower to ensure someone was always moving up. Lance Corporal Hopper recommended calling in Venator support as Rico joined the front and dragged a wounded clone trooper behind a rock for cover so the medics could tend his wounds. Notch grunted when his armour withstood three sustained blaster bolts from the Separatists, but shook it off and continued firing.

Eclipse and his special forces "Reaper" squad provided effective covering fire so Wasp could advance with a pair of platoons. Y-wings moved in for another pass, flattening entire droid battalions in mere moments. But another bomber was shot down, and despite frequent requests for additional bombing runs, Fray understood the need to keep her pilots intact and withdrew them.

The freshly repaired AT-TE joined others of it's kind on the front, returned by the LAAT/C that had brought it back earlier. Snail tanks and B2 super battle droids pushed against the Arrowheads' assault, killing dozens of them and running several over in the process. Barret Company lost various clones to the snail tanks, and Wasp requested fleet assistance when his own gunships were unable to provide support for that section of the battlefield.

Several clones remembered the way they had ambushed the CIS on Mimban, and chose to bravely face the tanks and attach explosives to them. Though this destroyed several of them, the Arrowheads' front line was still being overrun and in some cases ran over in the most literal sense. Notch was temporarily disarmed and had to re-arm with an E5 rifle he acquired from a scrapped B1. Artillery closed in, taking out several tanks, but the B2s made up for it and filled in the gaps.

Fray informed Wasp that her fleet's light cruiser was about to enter orbit and bombard the hostile armoured columns. Forty percent of Barret Company's roster had bitten the dirt, and falling back was far easier said than done. Wasp and Reaper Squad committed to a rear guard action, then reported when the area was cleared of friendlies.

The light cruiser opened fire, it's orbital bombardment eliminating everything within the specified area. After the green hue subsided, only glass, scorched rocks and dead vegetation remained. Medics took the opportunity to assist the wounded. Wasp took some troopers and fired on the disorganised droid groups ahead. Their path had been cleared all the way up to a series of platforms that the Separatists were using as a base of operations from which they conducted the siege. Barret Company and the 500th advanced on the platforms with Wasp and Notch while the others hung back.

Artillery support assisted Barret Company against the crab droids and other various hostiles in their way, as an Arrowhead gunship swooped by to lend it's spherical turrets in support. Captain Jan and a unit of fleet security clones had joined the fighting in support of the naval observors, and Jan was shot down. His injuries were tended to by a medic.

Pressing onward, the Arrowheads drove the Separatists into the sea. Wasp and Notch advanced up the platform with Notch's squad, finding the platform where Ar'yn's troopers had made remarkable progress but taken a considerable beating in the process. Notch's squad charged forwards, and Wasp ascended a railing and leapt ahead of them, firing into the Separatist ranks. A thermal detonator exploded and rocked the bridge ahead as Wasp tossed a droid popper, disabling an entire squad of clankers. Hopper had fought alongside Ar'yn and Barret Company, and was injured. Pilot Hell-Men arrived in a gunship to remove the wounded from the scene.

Charging up the platforms, which had been holed by LAAT fire, the Arrowheads now closed in on the enemy commander. Rico joined the fight and was himself wounded by the Separatist droids, before Hell-Men's LAAT took him away. Sergeant Wick joined Notch and Wasp in their endeavour. When Hell-Men's larty took off, it was attacked by droids and the Z6 gunner fell off the side. Notch fought off several dwarf spider droids before the rest clambered onto Hell-man's LAAT. Swarming it, the droids began firing at the cockpit and the rest of the chassis.

Wasp ordered Hell-Men to perform a barrel roll, which he promptly did. All of the spider droids fell off, but Rico fell out of the gunship and Wasp had to use his own body to slow the commander's fall into the water. They all survived, and pursued the Separatist commander until the unidentified officer retreated into a shuttle and escaped as their droid bodyguards collapsed around them, full of holes from blaster bolts. WarHammer pointed out a datapad was left behind in the confusion, which was then seized by Republic Intelligence Major F.A. Townsend.

The siege was broken, all of the attackers having been re-routed in an attempt to stop the tide of attacking Arrowheads, who had used a mixture of airborne, infantry, artillery and air support tactics to wipe out their opposition. What was planned by the Confederate Military as a stellar victory became an utter defeat, having cost them entire legions of droids.

Despite doubts from some Kavlians that the clones qualified for functioning, sentient lifeforms, the people at the planetary capital granted them various gifts, often in the form of jewelry and traditional garb, but sometimes weapons, beverages and electronic devices were also awarded. Shoring up the crippled Kavlian defenses, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion rested on their heels.

#### **Counterattack on Kavlia**

Kavlian allied personnel and Arrowheads touched down on Kavlia, and were greeted by Wasp and the other troops who were present. A hovercraft full of destroyed droid bodies passed the regimental commander by while he hefted his sniper rifle.

Regimental Commander Rico set out with the newly-created 55th Paratrooper Regiment, a unit which called back to the beginnings of the now-dissolved 500th Legion. Their intention was to spearhead the way for an attack on a Separatist base to prevent them from launching additional raiding parties against Kavlia, but several of their armoured vehicles and gunships were shot down. Between that and their paratrooper landings, the 55th Regiment was scattered all over the region.

Moving out with a platoon, Regimental Commander Wasp assisted Rico in rallying his personnel while they also handled matters such as a support gunship being shot down and a Jedi Commander's gunship crashing in the nearby area. They briefly assisted other units in severely damaging a Separatist outpost, the 55th disarmed numerous landmine. Then they assembled the full strength of the 373rd for an all-out attack.

Laying siege to the fortress with the likes of Captains Springy and Ar'yn, Sergeants Notch and Wick, Commandos Locust and Blue Wolf, and various others including a soldier from the 29th Armoured Corps, they succeeded in eliminating the Separatist droid and militia forces inside the stronghold prior to capturing it.

#### **Trench Assault on Kavlia**

After scording two important victories on Kavlia, Wasp oversaw engineers producing fortifications around a G.A.R. F.O.B. as guards marched several prisoners away. Gunships ferried supplies to and from the Sixth Fleet as platoons ran guard patrols throughout the area.

Turning towards a newly-arrived gunship, Wasp silently felt a pendant he had inside a slot in his utility belt. Master Sergeant Traps exited the LAAT. Wasp's inquiry as to whether everything was in order was met with a simple nod before Traps returned to burying himself in his work.

After a few minutes, Wasp questioned Traps on whether the Kavlian military had given him any trouble. Traps responded with the fact he hadn't seen any since they broke the original siege. Wasp acknowledged they were regrouping and arriving gradually in platoons.

As they finished discussiong that, a hover transport filled with supplies drove by. Another LAAT flew in, dropping off clones from the 55th Paratrooper Regiment including Captain Domino. Meeting with Wasp, the pair discussed the realities of this next war zone.

Ten clone troopers armed with carbines stepped by on patrol while Wasp stated they were going to enlighten the Separatists regarding ownership of Kavlia. Domino remarked that last time they did that he nearly lost his head.

Traps had entered disaster mode and performed an analysis on the rations supplies and things of that nature due to the arrival of additional clones. That was when a human male in grey Mandalorian armour arrived and declared he was a bounty hunter hired to seek out a target wearing armour with yellow markings.

Wasp grilled the Mandalorian on whether or not he was Republic-hired and licensed. The bounty hunter ignored the regimental commander and left the area, so Wasp ordered patrols to keep an eye on him.

Captain Domino explained Rico was absent due to partaking in a mission to locate the 55th regiment's Jedi General, who had went missing during a mission which took place several months ago. Wasp hoped the mission was going to be successful, and then ordered an E-Web team to acquire an overwatch position to keep an eye on the nearby bounty hunter.

While under the watchful eye of an armed E-Web team, the grey-armoured Mandalorian returned to the F.O.B. and conversed with Wasp. He made it clear that one of the Arrowheads was his intended target. The Separatists were paying him in baskar, and he refused to back down unless the Republic paid him twice as much.

Domino and a number of Arrowheads surrounded the warrior, who drew a heavy blaster and threatened to fight his way out of the F.O.B. Wasp doubted he had full beskar, as that was a highly sought resource which was very expensive to acquire.

Using his thrustpack, the bounty hunter tried to escape. Wasp ordered the turret team to open fire, and one or several shots struck their newfound foe's armour and pack. Domino was sent to protect the turret team as Traps explained the AT-TEs were on standby. Wasp had three of the walkers deploy in patrol formation.

Domino moved his troops to defend the walkers and Wasp took a platoon to sweep the left flank. The bounty hunter managed to damage one of the AT-TEs with a rocket shot from his thrustpack. Blaster fire dented his armour in several places and damaged it signficantly. He fled the scene as one of the E-Web gunners remarked that Mandalorians were all cowards.

From the comfort of an AT-TE's command cabin, Traps reported their position to central command and kept matters under control. Without visual, Wasp understood the Mandalorian was unseen and could potentially discover a way to make things hellish for the F.O.B. So he requested aerial surveillance over the area.

The 55th troopers stayed alert, although Domino did manage to catch a short nap. The Sixth Fleet approved air support and had it inbound. Beore the air reconnaissance could arrive, the Mandalorian entered the base as the E-Web opened fire on his position.

Most of the F.O.B.'s personnel had been removed from the area, along with any valuable intel and logistics data, so Wasp gave the all-clear for an LAAT airstrike on that position. The gunships locked on and opened fire with their beam turrets. While that went on, Wasp greeted Notch, who had just arrived from another outpost. He briefed the Sergeant in regards to the crazy Mando with a bounty on one of their heads.

Their target's armour was severely damaged by the consecutive attack. The platoon Wasp took with him investigated the center of the F.O.B., confirming the bounty hunter had been sent packing and everyone could move back in. Their assailant had disengaged and Wasp said not to attack unless he moved in on the base again.

It was right then that a damaged ARC-170 starfigher crashed into a nearby field. The pilot opened the cockpit and couched heavily. Despite his broken arm, he was able to grap a DP-23 shotgun and started moving towards the F.O.B.

Notch and a platoon of troopers followed Wasp in that direction. The pilot, CT-7264 "Bang" of the 41st Elite Corps was on his way, but a group of unarmed dropships were on approach. They weren't carrying battle droids, but were in fact of a pro-Separatist Kavlian make.

Wasp nodded towards the new arrival and stepped past, planning on putting the Arrowheads between him and the enemy. Green and purple blaster fire flew from the gunship doors towards them. Yelling a string of curses, Notch ducked below the weapons fire and noted they just could not catch a break.

A combat medic worked to patch up Bang, as Notch returned fire with his carbine. Bang let off a shotgun blast that startled the enemy while Wasp called in the LAAT air support squadron. Notch and Bang's continued fire each took out an enemy soldier before the entire platoon's combined volley of fire cleared one of the dropship troop bays.

Drawing his blaster pistol, Bang crawled to avoid enemy fire while Notch shot at the hostile Kavlians with accurate bolts. Three bolts grazed Wasp's armour when he advanced and fired with his pistols until the dual weapons overheated. The Kavlians wounded two Arrowheads, and the platoon lit them up in kind.

Headhunter starfighters and gunships swooped in, firing on and destroying the dropships in short order. Notch sprayed the area in front of the Separatist positions, forcing them into cover. They used trenches and old ruins to hide from the clones' deadly counterattack. A medic took care of Bang in a nearby trench, Notch pressed himself against a muddy wall and caught his breath.

Skirmishing took place over the next few minutes. A few enemy Kavlians died as Bang complained that one wrong hyperspace jump had gotten him into this mess. Kavlian Separatist advances were pushed back by the Arrowheads until the fight transformed into both sides shooting from cover.

After producing results via an advance, they witnessed a Headhunter crashing into the soil in front of them in a flaming wreck. In the distance the enemy had set up mortar cannons and decided to push their offensive. Wasp's next air support call was denied, with a pilot stating the mortar fire had to be dealt with.

As the medics patched Bang up, two additional platoons from Hornet Battalion moved up to assault the mortar positions. Notch's squad stuck with Bang as Wasp and Cable moved into hostile territory, storming a trench to hold the line for the other platoons to reinforce them. Three clones fell rapidly, at least one of them dying on the spot, and vicious CQC combat took place with the Arrowheads ultimately ending up on top.

A new Mandalorian warrior arrived, this one working alongside the Kavlian rebels instead of the Separatists themselves. Traps arrived and planted a thermal detonator on his thrustpack. The ensuing explosion killed the warrior and ended his attempts at creating havoc.

Rallying more Arrowheads to his side, Wasp led another charge against Separatist lines. The Kavlian rebels, now backed by Separatist droids, prepared melee weapons for when the Arrowheads were going to crash into their line. One of the mortar positions was overrun and Wasp received a communication from Admiral Fray.

She informed him that she was pulling out the final gunship, as air support was now unavailable in it's entirety. The LAATs had suffered several losses backing the Arrowheads, who had just stormed the final mortar position.

Tri-droids and snail tanks charged at the Arrowheads from their newly acquired trench. With reinforcements plus heavy weapons, Hornet Battalion and the accompanying soldiers laid several of the towering and rolling vehicles low until at least a dozen of their wrecks littered the ground.

What seriously helped was the destruction of the Separatist-Kavlian mortars, which permitted Fray to dispatch an entire bomber squadron. Additional vehicles, tri-droids and various entrenched positions were struck or annihilated. Wasp reported a good effect on target, and with the enemy's line scattered they were able to make an advance and use tri-droid wrecks as cover.

Joined by Trooper Colt and additional reinforcements, the entire Hornet Battalion and then some moved up. However, they were heavily outnumbered despite being in the final press. Wasp divided their forces to maximise their effect and during the intense firefighting and close quarters killing he lost his helmet.

The success of this action was in part due to the new smoke grenades Traps had requisitioned for one of the squads in Hornet Battalion. So despite Wasp losing his helmet, the Kavlian rebels crumpled as they were hit from two directions simultaneously.

Much to their surprise, Wasp's offensive was backed by the grey-armoured Mandalorian who had faced them in the beginning. He apparently had a change of heart, possibly hastened by events that took place elsewhere on the battlefield and were unseen by the Arrowheads on this front.

The Mandalorian bounty hunter was wounded, and Wasp ensured a medic treated him effectively as they made their last push. Colt pulled intelligence from the enemy's computer systems as Hornet Battalion brought in it's battle flag. Several LAAT/carriers brought in artillery pieces in the effort to turn the area into a forward outpost for hitting front line Separatist positions at a reasonably long distance.

After his wounds were treated the Mandalorian explained his friend owned a warehouse which was currently overflowing with speciality ammunition of various kinds, and he and his friend had it shipped to the Arrowheads for the legion's usage. Colt watched a holovid while Waps finished the shipping of materials.

Their mission was highly successful, but their work was far from over. They received communications from another region on Kavlia, alerting them to the reality that several G.A.R. personnel had been captured.

#### **Kavlian Badlands Operation**

A distress signal from the Kavlian badlands alerted the Grand Army to the reality that the Separatists had captured an elite GAR operative and possibly a Republic Senator. As they were the closet unit nearby, the Arrowhead Legion moved in. Data retrieved by Notch from the Separatist base Hornet Battalion had taken earlier helped them dial in and understand precisely where the prisoners were being held.

General Grievous had captured one of the 104th Battalion's elite personnel and had stashed a series of keys within nearby CIS outposts. Arrowhead gunships landed and their personnel disembarked, including Colt, Notch and Wasp. They encountered an elite clone trooper dressed in red and black armour who had been sent to assist them per General Skywalker's orders.

They had speeder bikers and multiple infantry companies on standby for the rescue operation.

The elite trooper reconnoitered the area for an easy way through Confederate lines. The aim of the game was to have speeders hit their flanks and disable some turrets while they moved in. Notch noted the HVI had better be worth all of the trouble, because the Seppies were not simply going to let the clones stroll in there.

Returning to their command post, the specialist clone trooper designated "504" explained that destroying the turrets that the enemy had established was going to open the way for an attack. So two speeder bike squadrons raced towards the combat zone, firing wildly, as Wasp prepped an advance with three of Hornet Battalion's four companies. Their initial advance was on the three bases, and they waited until the opportune moment to open fire. Wasp's attack left two B1 platoons overwhelmed.

504 backed the assault with sniper support. Notch moved up while firing in short bursts to keep his blaster rifle from overheating in the hot climate. A group of clone troopers from the 212th Attack Battalion arrived, and the 373rd began coordinating with them.

Without air cover or proper surveillance, the battle droids fell prey to numerous clone troopers with yellow and orange markings. Notch wondered why the 212th and 373rd were fighting on the same battlefield for the operation. Wasp guessed the Third Systems Army was sent to work on the mission but had wanted support, and the Arrowheads were first on the scene.

504 switched to his Z6 rotary cannon and opened fire on the droid defenders. Wasp rolled to one side and shot down a pair of droids before rushing to the nearest hill. While following, Notch sprayed down another pair of droids trying to follow them. Entering the Separatist outpost on their end, the Arrowheads took up positions at various crates.

212th troopers attacked the outpost from one side, Arrowheads from the other, and they wiped out the Separatists' security. Wasp was surprised to learn they were now spearheading the entire operation, as several units were sending the keys their way after retrieving them from the outposts.

Rockets flew into the Arrowhead positions, killing several troopers. Notch, 504 and Wasp successfully eliminated the enemy rocketeers, which were a group of B2 super battle droids. Wasp kicked one of the wrecked ones before they went to find the prisoner.

Congregating around the Kavlian Separatist base in the badlands, the Arrowheads discovered the prisoners had been removed and taken away aboard a starship. A Nemoidian Separatist officer left a pre-recorded message behind to taunt them with the fact.

### **Reinforcing on Ryloth**

In one of Ryloth's regions, the 103rd Red Death Squad was under attack and in need of reinforcement. Gunship flight 2478 and several other Arrowhead LAATs deployed to the region.

Acclamators and Venators from the Sixth Fleet were a ways off in the distance. Jedi General Rio, Regimental Commander Wasp, Captain Ar'yn, Trooper Colt and various others disembarked. Intel indicated hostile units were moving to attack, and he ordered the troops to defend the LZ. Hefting a carbine, Wasp scanned the surroundings. The bodies of several droids and Separatist militia littered the ground.

Notch straightened himself and went to retrieve his DC15S blaster. He hated gunship rides. Wasp stated the area looked clear and several troopers fanned out. Notch acknowledged that at least the landing was smoother than usual, and Colt questioned if this was the place they were supposed to arrive to reinforce the Red Deaths at.

Confirming this was the place, Ryloth prepared to move out. Ay'rn remarked that Ryloth was a mass of mud, and nothing special. The Arrowheads kept their eyes to their surroundings, expecting company.

Ay'rn took Notch, Colt and a platoon of troopers to sweep the forward area while the rest of the legion handled supplies. While Wasp explained these happenings, Rio remarked that the pilots never told him anything when he went on assignments with the Arrowhead Legion.

Some of the clones snacked on fruits when they checked the database and discovered the ones produced by the nearby trees were perfectly edible.

Wasp later advanced with a company of clones and secured a fortresss at a halfway point. Several engineers installed anti-aircraft emplacements along the rooftop. Meanwhile, Notch's leg got caught in a wiretrap and he breathed shakily as he untrapped himself.

A squad of troopers moved up from the fortress to cover the rear of the main assault. As they neared, Notch slid down a rooftop to get out of the enemy's line of sight. Ay'rn stated that the forward element was separated, scattered, and that he was heading to Notch's position. Wasp spoke out over comms requesting a situation report.

Notch protested Ay'rn's chosen course of action, explaining he was going to wait the droids out as their numbers lessened before trying to make his way back. Wasp and his squad crested a hill, running into Firestorm Squad's Corporal Turf from the 55th Regiment.

Responding to Wasp's transmission, Ay'rn explained he had a datapad with valuable info and that a pincer attack and ambush had split the troops. Wasp and his squad approached, taking up positions along an uncrowded series of buildings. Notch waited for a droid patrol to pass before getting to one, twisting it's head and tossing it behind a group of crates.

Turf kept an eye out for snipers as Wasp held his carbine and they advanced gradually.They found the survivors from Red Death Squad trickling away from the fighting. Wasp linked up with the rest of his forward company he'd requisitioned and they and Turf moved towards Colt, who was relieved at their arrival.

The first thing was for the supporting company to open fire on the surrounding droids to permit Ay'rn and Rio to make it back to the Arrowheads' position. Colt and Wasp fought back to back against several battle droids until they broke through. Several Red Death troopers, including Captain Acer and Lieutenant Echo, leaned or lay against or near buildings due to the wounds they accumulated in combat.

Arrowhead medics tended to the various wounded personnel as the fighting intensified. Notch warned a group of twenty droids had moved past his position and he had narrowly avoided them but was inbound to where Wasp was.

One of the 103rd's airborne announced an LAAT was arriving and everyone should get on. Wasp and his company fought wildly to secure the landing zone. Said LAAT was manned by General Rio, who had brought it in to rain fire down on the encroaching battle droids.

As the LAAT's guns and turrets destroyed several battle droids, Wasp waved towards Ay'rn and then rapidly turned and downed three droids in rapid succession. Ay'rn approached with his head ducked down.

Ay'rn's datapad briefly came up in conversation as they fired on the droids. A shot glanced off Wasp's pauldron as he brought it down. Corporal Turf received a blaster bolt to the chest from an approaching battle droid before it was destroyed. Stepping up, Wasp covered a medic while he dragged Turf into cover behind a civilian dwelling. Ay'rn drew his pistols and opened fire in small bursts, downing small groups of battle droids as Rio's saber ignited and the Jedi Knight laid the blue light against several enemies.

To keep Turf alive, the medic poured bacta onto his wound and glued it together prior to another two clones carrying the Corporal onto the gunship with the help of Commander Atlus. Rio ordered Wasp to move the injured onto the LAAT. Wasp told the Red Death Squad to get their people onto the LAAT while he and his troopers held the line. Arrowheads moved the Red Death's wounded onto the transport. Wasp personally moved Lieutenant Strange.

Two troopers brought Acer on board and the Low Altitude Assault Transport took off. Rio hopped aboard a second gunship to provide air support for Wasp, but the regimental commander insisted he use the LAAT to support the other gunship's evacuation effort and make sure the wounded and the 103rd escaped.

Barret Company provided secondary support and watched the flank. Together the companies committed to a cautious advance. A wrist rocket slammed into the cliff on their right and one of the squads opened fire towards that position. A blaster bolt came ringing from behind because CIS snipers had taken a vantage point on a large rock formation in the middle of the gorge behind them.

Droid platoons marched to back up the snipers and B2s, but were intercepted by the other company of clones whom had been dispatched to the fortress by Wasp earlier in the engagement. Ay'rn expertly discerned the sniper's position due to the glint of his scope and opened fire. Wasp blew the receptors out of another droid sniper before rolling to one side and advancing a few feet. When he learned that the LAATs had returned from Sixth Fleet to pick up Wasp, Ay'rn and some of their soldiers, he redirected them to evac Notch's position. Ay'rn and his sniping foe both hit each other simultaneously, blasting both shooters backward.

The counter-sniping skirmish that ensued resulted in several injuries among the Arrowheads but no deaths. Wasp narrowly avoided having his head taken off by a B2 as he mowed it down. Then he helped Ay'rn get up. Notch, meanwhile, was out of droid poppers and thermal detonators and was nearly out of energy cells and charge packs for his blaster.

Escaping the series of snipers by moving into several buildings, they stayed away from the windows and reached the extraction zone. On the way they linked up with Notch and the midway fortress was entirely emptied of clone troopers aside from a small garrison of fresh troops intended to maintain a stable hold on the region.

Wasp congratulated the troops on their victory and the fact they had saved the 103rd Red Death Squadron. Colt had lost his helmet somewhere and was wondering if anyone had seen it, and his short, white hair was visible to everyone. Having succeeded in their combat operation, the Arrowheads returned to the Sixth Fleet.

### **A Long Way to Kamino**

The Arrowheads arrived aboard the Sixth Fleet's flagship, where Lieutenant Zane greeted them as the acting head of security. The interaction went well, and Ay'rn handed off the datapad he had acquired on Ryloth, giving it to Wasp. They realised the datapad contained plans for a Separatist raid against Kamino and chose to alert the Grand Army of the Republic while making their way to the planet that served as the home of cloners and cloned alike.

An Arquitens-class light cruiser had linked with the Sixth Fleet to receive repairs. It's crew consisted of shadow troopers led by an officer known by his code name, Landon. He spoke briefly with General Rio.

Sixth Fleet technicians repaired the scratch marks on various LAATs. Jedi Generals Ce and Oe made brief appearances within the hangar bay. With nothing much to do until they arrived in the Kamino system, the Arrowheads cleaned their weapons and armour, hit the refreshers, tended to each other's weapons and got some food and sleep in the barracks Zane had prepared for their arrival.

While the Sixth Fleet traversed space, it was set upon by a Confederate Navy fleet intent on preventing it from joining Kamino's defense. Major CM-1479 "Brimstone" from the 41st Elite Corps' Sarlacc Company was present alongside the 373rd and fleet security to repel the attack.

Ay'rn, Notch, Corporal Colt and Second Lieutenant Traps exited the battacks alongside Wasp and Brimstone. Several sections of the ship had already been overwhelmed, so Wasp explained they must assume the bridge and reactor room required immediate reinforcement. Colt set out for the reactor room while Notch and Ay'rn went towards one of the hangar bays.

General Oe linked up with Wasp, Sound Barrier, Traps, Colt and Jedi General Oke Tee. Together they then ensured the bridge was secured while other units locked down the reactor room and bolstered the hangar bays.

Unprepared for the ferocity of Arrowhead's response, the battle droids were entirely destroyed and the Separatist fleet was smashed clean through by the fine skills of the Sixth Fleet's crew and Admiral Fray's leadership.

### **Battle on Kamino**

Kamino was a target of Separatist forces at least three times prior to this engagement, and historical records do not accurately clear up whether this was or was not part of the Fourth Battle of Kamino. General Grievous was allegedly captured during the Fourth Battle of Kamino, and nothing indicates that happened during this battle.

Arrowhead gunships and dropships descended upon Kamino in mass. Prominent among these were Hive Regiment's Spearhead Company and the pilots of Bandit Squadron, which included the famous pilot named Drift.

An initial C.I.S. force dispatched to probe Kamino's defenses was rapidly overwhelmed and destroyed by the Arrowheads.

Conversing with Commander Clyde of the Kamino Security Forces and Commander Riot of an unidentified grey camouflaged ARF battalion, they began establishing defensive measures. Ay'rn tried to explain that the dwarf spider droid the Arrowheads had brought along was a recent addition who was reprogrammed to fight for the G.A.R.

Traps set up trooper positions with E-Web turrets and rocket launchers throughout the landing platforms and various covered positions, while Notch and his squad specifically grouped up behind bits of cover.

Several Jedi were present including one Padawan named Aki-Min. Trooper Sting joined Wasp's efforts to defend the landing area. Kamino Security and Kamino Guard troopers rallied at the gates as a string of HMP gunships and droid dropships entered the planet's atmosphere, disgorging jetpack droids all the while.

Various crab droids hit the ground and started attacking Republic forces on the landing platforms. Anti-aircraft turrets and Arrowhead gunships opened fire, destroying a hefty percentage of the initial assault. Kamino's Honour Guard assumed positions at the very front of the action, battling in close quarters against jetpack B2 super battle droids.

Slipping past anti-aircraft fire, several droid transports disgorged snail tanks that immediately joined the fight. Traps' rocket launcher-wielding clone troopers fired a volley that took many of those down and out altogether. Skilled pilot CT-1101 "Sideswipe" shot down a hefty number of vulture and tri droid starfighters above the battlefield.

An entire battalion of clones fell to the cannons and treads of the snail tanks. Sideswipe came under heavy fire and Wasp ordered Drift to provide assistance with his gunship. Though Drift destroyed a number of vultures and HMPs, his vehicle was shot down. A platform containing several LAATs was bombed into oblivion. Despite this, Sideswipe found himself able to continue flying and fighting.

General Grievous arrived on-world, engaging multiple Jedi and some clones as a new wave of droids surged forwards. Wasp told Ay'rn to pull back, then ordered personnel to move the wounded out of the combat zone and Notch complied. Wasp then mowed down four droids with his carbine.

Between the Separatist crab droids and snail tanks and Grievous's expert sword-fighting skills, the G.A.R.'s casualties piled up until Wasp ordered Arrowheads to withdraw into secondary defensive positions. Though they fell back, several Kamino Security and Kamino Guard troopers remained at the forefront of the battle and gave their lives to destroy droids and provide time for everyone else to regroup into advantageous positions.

Gathering along the security checkpoints, Hornet Battalion readied their vibro bayonets. Numerous clones hit the ground to avoid being struck with enemy ordinance as a Thranta-class corvette flew overhead and delivered heavy punishment onto the Separatists that dared to trespass on what the clones both hated and regarded as sacred in equal measure.

Notch returned to the front line, and Ay'rn had Barret Company fix their bayonets and charge the enemy. Intense fighting took place, sending General Grievous into a retreat. Tens of thousands of battle droids lay wrecked, along with quite a few clone corpses. Notch explained his understanding of the ineffectiveness of Kamino Guard and Honor Guard tactics, believing they had martyred themselves needlessly. Wasp pointed out some of their troopers had held the flanks and manned the anti-aircraft cannons with vigour.

A fresh attack wave arrived, many times larger than the previous one. This time Grievous brought numerous B2 super battle droids and magnaguards, and had severed the Republic's defensive forces in two. Personnel from the 107th Legion had arrived to assist as the fighting took over once again.

One squad of Honor Guard troopers opened fire on and then tried to jump atop Grievous to disarm him. Several were struck down and killed by lightsaber blades in the process. Wasp led a platoon of Hornet Battalion troopers, blasting and stabbing, into the heart of the enemy forces. Sideswipe requested everyone move away from Grievous's violent rampage so he might drop bombs on the cyborg's position.

Three Hornet Battalion troopers stabbed a Magnaguard with their vibrobayonets, disabling it thoroughly. Ay'rn threw himself off a platform to avoid being shot or stabbed and twisted to send a grappling hook into the platform's bottom.

Sideswipe's starfighter dropped explosives on several magnaguards and B2s, then another one Grievous's position. Vulture droids opened fire on him and committed to strafing runs against the various clones under Grievous's firm orders. Sideswipe's ARC-170 starfighter crashed and his armour was blackened from the rough landing.

Though the Confederates' attack had dealt out massive damage to the defenses and defenders, Grievous's forces were overwhelmed and fled in the midst of the Arrowheads advancing with blaster and bayonet put to heavy use. The Separatist cyborg had been wounded in the large scale, high stakes confrontatio, and so was Notch. The Kamino Guard suffered heavy losses.

Sideswipe was rescued and brought back to health by a team of Arrowhead combat medics. Sergeant-Major Frog was on the scene to explain he had been preoccupied tending to the extensive number of wounded clones during the engagement. But the Separatists were not yet done, and had dispatched various hyena droid bomber squadrons to level the defending forces.

This was the Confederacy's last attempt to gain an advantage and when the anti-aircraft weaponry shot down the hyenas, the Arrowheads departed for Krada. The Separatist fleet lay in tatters and Kamino was secured entirely.

### **Brief Respite on Krada**

Frog, Notch, Wasp and various others took to sparring on Krada following their victory on Kamino.

### **Battle of Teo Rraz**

#### **Ring Offensive**

A few days after recuperating on Krada, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion joined the 6th Fleet in attacking and shattering the Confederate Navy's presence near the ring around Teo Rraz, prior to the Arrowheads inserting into the Teo Raz ring from multiple directions. The Hive and Venom regiments were the first to make contact against enemy battle droids. The hangar bay was rapidly cleared, and a lone surviving B1 screamed as it ran and was promptly blasted down.

Captain Ay'rn, Barret Company, Wasp and Hornet Battalion entered a lengthy hallway. The captain activated his night vision to better handle the darkened coridors. Wasp moved into a crouching position, sniper rifle prepped and loaded.

Battle droids became visible in the distance as Barret Company moved up on the sides of the hallway and took up various positions. Crimson blasterfire pittered and pattered nearby walls and flooring.

Moving up to another clone, Ay'rn motioned for and received a device his 354th Battalion had been working on. He skid to the centre of the room and slammed down the small square, which dug into the metal on the floor and expanded to create a small wall. Wasp took out two super battle droids as a flurry of bolts struck the ground next to him.

Barret Company troopers formed up on the wall, firing over it with their blasters. They were joined by several clones from Hornet Battalion. One of the droids loudly declared the clones had set up a shield, to which a B1 with a rocket launcher responded it was going to take care of the problem. Ay'rn knelt behind the wall and peered out to let the droids know his thoughts on the matter, in the form of retaliatory blaster bolts which were accurately aimed.

The captain spotted the rocketeer droid and ordered his troopers to take them down. Wasp took aim but accidentally shot down a different droid. Peaking over the wall again, Ay'rn took another device.

Other Arrowheads had penetrated the sector from elsewhere and were fighting their way to Wasp and Ay'rn's positions. This detachment included Notch and Jackal, who had moved because their combined units' designated LZ was too hot. Wasp marked a second LZ they'd secured, along with an alternate route present via a large maintenance chute to the south.

Ay'rn offered another device to Wasp to try out. He declined. Two Arrowhead troopers received heavy hits to their armour and fell down, the rest effectively blasting up a squad of tinnies in retaliation. The rocket launcher took aim and let loose a rocket that narrowly missed the Arrowheads' position.

What they saw next made all of the Arrowheads in the main attack force freeze in position aside from Ay'rn. It was the sight of General Grievous himself, standing before them at a distance, with a significant droid force behind him. Using hand gestures, Wasp ordered a Commando clone to flank the enemy and hit them with his DC17m's anti-armour attachment. Then he issued an order for Traps and his unit to use their grenades.

Ordering his battle droid force to attack, Grievous advanced as the B1 battle droids and BX-series commandos fought an all-out firefight of a fierce and intense nature against the Arrowheads. Ay'rn instructed the entirety of Barret Company to guard their right flank and ensure nothing unfriendly made it through to the Arrowheads' rear.

One of Barret Company's ten-trooper squads assumed a position in the rear. With the right flank and rear secured, it was going to be more difficult for commando droids to break in. Igniting his quartet of lightsabers, the cyborg steadily moved towards the GAR attackers. He cut through several of his B1s, his stride unending. Wasp brought a squad to the front and their carbines lit up the other droids escorting the General on the front line.

When they met in the middle, but a few feet apart, Grievous greeted Wasp as "clone", and Wasp returned the greeting with "general". Taking rapid action, Ay'rn blew out the nearby sources of light with his blaster and activated his night vision. Wasp's frontal squad joined him in firing on Grievous's position. Grievous's fleet had arrived nearby, and HMP gunships dispatched B2 super battle droid units that started cutting their way in through the ceiling. One of the clone troopers alerted the others of additional contacts closing in.

Barret Company's forward platoons shot down a significant number of battle droids thanks to Ay'rn's quick thinking and their usage of night vision. Despite not possessing the Force, Grievous was able to block many of the blaster bolts and entirely spare his chassis from taking damage from direct fire. Recalling the Arrowheads' frequent record of victories, he stated their time was over.

B2s fired their wrist rockets, which slammed into Wasp's squad and eliminated five troopers. The squad's return fire, however, took out four B2s and they resumed firing at Grievous. Ay'rn threw himself into cover inside the side of a wall to avoid another rocket. Wasp had drawn and then lined Grievous up with his sniper rifle. Ay'rn slid out from cover, carbine dug into his shoulder. He targeted the general's left leg.

Grievous narrowly deflected the blaster fire heading his way as twenty commando droids worked to surround the clones. Barret Company expertly fought them off with few losses. Meanwhile, Notch and Jackal had destroyed the handful of droids guarding the LZ with concentrated fire.

Lightsabers swinging, Grievous cleaved through four clones. Wasp leapt back, and Ay'rn twisted his body and shot a grappling hook onto Grievous's left leg. The captain activated his boots' maglock to steady himself as he tried to wrangle Grievous. The general struck with a lightsaber towards Ay'rn's chest and Wasp sent a trooper to retrieve his body, while the regimental commander himself prepared a thermal detonator.

Traps found himself under attack from Grievous, but avoided succumbing to his saber. Grievous's arm was severed during the engagement. Wasp tossed his thermal detonator, which Grievous narrowly avoided. The explosion annihilated several droid squads. The general's magnaguards moved up in mass, aware the majority of the battle droids had been destroyed. Grievous yet again declared their time was over, and Wasp simply responded with "You, General." and drew his combat knife in one hand, his sniper rifle in the other. Moving leftwards, he opened sent several bolts in the Confederate cyborg's direction.

Ay'rn's armour had not been pierced by the saber strike, because he used his grappling hook to offset Grievous's saber arm. He left the ignited weapon on his belt and unsheathed a vibroknife, charging Grievous and digging the vibrating, deadly melee weapon into his torso. Injured through his plating, Grievous retreated under the protection of his various magnaguards and Wasp parried one's attack with his vibroblade before firing point blank with his sniper rifle, severely damaging one of them.

Ay'rn missed a shot with his carbine and drew a dc17b sidearm from a holster, then blasted a magnaguard's legs out from under them. A total of ten remaining magnaguards charged the Arrowheads. Their electrostaffs cut and shocked through a multitude of clones before Wasp dropped his sniper rifle, cooked and threw a thermal detonator to break their formation.

Behind the magnaguards there formed a mass of B1 battle droids Grievous brought in to support his retreat. Ay'rn wove beneath a charging magnaguard and drove his vibroknife through the bottom of it's cranium, disabling it thoroughly.

Trading his sniper rifle for the carbine off a fallen trooper, Wasp rallied another squad. Notch and Jackal's advance involved numerous droid-wrecking activities including throwing a droid popper into an assembled company of B1s, disabling a significant number of them. They had successfully divided the Separatists into two. Wasp and Ay'rn's troubles did not end, however.

Approximately thirty-two sniper droidekas opened fire, many of them making their mark across various Arrowhead targets. Ay'rn immediately slammed a device down onto the floor, creating a second shield barrier to protect his troopers. Ten of Wasp's clones fell wounded or dead from the accurate red blaster bolts.

A second salvo of blasterfire eliminated or injured two squads of Arrowheads as Wasp requested support from Jackal and Notch's detachment. Fifty B1 battle droids -roughly two platoons worth- moved ahead of the sniper droidekas but provided them room enough to shoot the clones. The large number of Arrowheads in the area required that they close ranks and shoot wildly in kind, and every trooper that fell was replaced by another in the ranks. Low on carbine ammunition, Wasp tossed the weapon at the droids and drew both of his pistols, mowing down numerous B1 models.

55th Paratrooper Regiment troopers arrived under Rico's command. Rico tossed an impact grenade which dented the Seppie ranks, and most of the sniper droidekas were eliminated, largely by Barret Company. Though the resistance on their front weakened, the other Arrowheads attacking the droid army's rear had ran into Grievous. Specifically, Notch and Jackal had met the general with a force of nineteen clones.

Though magnaguards and sniper droidekas still posed a threat, Wasp listened to Ay'rn's recommendation and moved up with intent to assist Notch and Jackal's detachment. Ay'rn used the blue-bladed lightsaber stolen from Grievous to attack and slice apart various droids while Wasp warned him that it was not a vibroblade.

While they advanced, Wasp ducked beneath an electrostaff and gunned into a magnaguard's waist, then twirled and kicked towards another while shooting repeatedly into it's head. Ay'rn assisted by blasting one of the magnaguards, twisted and headbutted a B1, sent a knee into it's midsection and then finished them. Grievous's reception on the other side was less than pleasant, with Z6 rotary cannons and rocket launchers brought against him to the extent he chose to escape the war zone by slicing through one of the walls. Wasp was staggered by a blaster bolt and Ar'yn caught sight of him about to be hit in the head by an electrostaff. Barret Company's captain expertly shouldered and knocked it away, allowing Wasp to shoot it down.

Major Brimstone reinforced their efforts as Notch reported Grievous's retreat. Although some clone troopers perished in the counterattack, the magnaguards were in tatters and all of the sniper droidekas were either destroyed or busy battling the detachment working alongside Notch and Jackal.

Ay'rn caught a glimpse of a Nemoidian officer in amidst the droid ranks and made a pursuit, but the droid ranks had been entirely destroyed. The officer was captured by Notch's squad, but broke free and attempted escape in a shuttle. Two Arrowhead platoons closed in, a few falling to droideka sniper fire, but the survivors brought out rocket launchers and opened up. Their intention was to destroy the shuttle.

A second wave of LAATs arrived, shooting down the shuttle. It was discovered that the Nemoidian officer was actually a hologram, and the real officer was already making his escape. The actual Nemoidian was quickly captured and brought inside a gunship.

Through the ceiling, a group of Mandalorian mercenaries emerged. Their weapons fire brought down various clones, but they were overpowered and defeated. Although the news that Grievous escaped was momentarily disheartening, the Arrowheads were enthused by the fact Ay'rn had his own lightsaber to play with, at least until the GAR was going to confiscate it from him.

Having secured the space ring, the Arrowheads tended to their wounded and prepped for an assault on the world below.

#### **Land Offensive**

Having defeated a significantly larger droid army and helped the Republic seize the ring, the Arrowheads were the second force to volunteer for a land assault against the occupying Confederate forces. The first unit in was from the 501st Legion and led by Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano.

A series of LAAT gunships descended upon the planet's desert where the majority of the droid forces were located. Wasp, Sergeant Notch, and several Arrowheads stepped out. Among these were airborne troopers. Notch was displeased in having to take a gunship to reach the ground. A Jedi consular and general, Meeko, went along with them, as did Commander Tano.

Their sole initial landing zone was an ampitheatre-style structure. Wasp switched on his visor and gestured with his head towards their right flank, alerting the troops to two local snipers taking aim at them. He ordered the troopers to split up and engage. Crimson shots struck the sand. Sending up a pair of sniper shots, Wasp briefly suppressed the snipers. Notch's squad disappeared into the stands. Meeko deflected some blaster bolts, and he and Tano kept the snipers preoccupied.

Though tedious work, no-one perished, and a sniper was killed, another captured. Jedi General Tor'Lin Mira landed with his elite company of clones to join in. A company of battle droids marched into the area and three clone troopers were knocked down. Notch's squad opened fire on the company from up in the stands on Wasp's mark, Meeko ordered Wasp to call in an airstrike on the ridge adjacent to their position and the regimental commander called for the support. The pilot explained his ETA was five minutes.

Meeko deflected bolts fired by the encroaching droid company, but a mysterious shooter struck him in the back, causing the Jedi to fall. Tano sprang to his defense, as did five Arrowhead troopers. Mira used the Force to heal Meeko, reviving him and negating the blaster wound. Blaster fire from up in the stands and from the troopers down low decimated the Separatist company, but they found backing in a small group of elite three-legged droids that cut several troopers down.

Y-wing bombers dropped their payloads beyond the gate, annihilating the rear half of the droid company and disorienting the remainder. A Seppie rearguard action took out some clones, but Wasp insisted they pursue and wipe out the violent automatons. It was only through General Mira's intervention that he agreed to take things slowly and avoid rushing into what might rapidly turn into a bad situation. Then, a transport arrived. It's side ramp opened and several clone troopers in dark bluish armour stepped out. The 373rd correctly guessed they were some kind of special operations unit sent in to assist.

As they took out an arriving droid attack force, Wasp noted Republic High Command wanted the entire desert valley secured by nightfall. The strange new arrivals were backed up by several two-armed, three-legged droids that were designated Terror Droids due to their fast firerate. One of the special troopers stated they were going to exact revenge upon the Separatists. Mira told Meeko his body was going to make a full recovery by tomorrow morning.

Meeko noted he had never seen Mira at the Jedi Temple, to which Mira remarked that he was ordinarily positioned on the front lines. The shooter who attacked their rear revealed them-self as one of multiple battle droids that then attacked the GAR rear. Mira agreed to cover the back while Wasp led a reconnaissance-offensive out front, and Wasp made sure a squad was repositioned to protect the General.

Moving with some Arrowheads and the special troopers, Wasp spotted droid forces up ahead and called in another bombing run. He had Notch prepare his squad while the special troopers covered their advance into cover. With all the droids at the rear destroyed, Mira rejoined them at the end of a mountain where they used rocky mounds as cover.

Wasp planned to attack the droid companies down the mountain during daylight hours, but General Mira convinced him that it was better to ambush the tinnies at night. The special troopers eliminated several hundred droids during the moments they delivered covering fire, sending several companies of B1 units packing. They then observed the droid battalions with their ocular implants.

At Wasp's command, the clones, Jedi and droids took up positions among numerous rocks and rocky mounds. In the distance, a Republic warship initiated an orbital bombardment that cut off one of the Confederacy's routes of attack, preventing them from skirting around the mountain or exiting the valley. A second squad of special forces went to another section of the valley for the purpose of creating a killbox. Battle droids moved around AT-TE walkers wrecked from a prior skirmish, but usually held their positions.

Notch and his squad were positioned with Wasp, and everyone understood that when General Mira activated his lightsaber, the attack was going to begin. Night fell, Mira's lightsaber-wielding arm stretched out and his blade illuminated the darkness before it was filled with the blasterfire from hundreds of Arrowheads, the 501st troopers and the special forces unit. The Terror Droid showed off it's rapid rate of fire.

The special forces charged the enemy while the droids were distracted by the Jedi. Meeko tried to lead the charge, but fell into a hole someplace else. Within the spawn of mere minutes, droid battalions lay wrecked and ruined, entirely destroyed by the Grand Army ambush. Mira's padawan Omega joined with the rest of Mira's company.

Regrouping at the end of the mountain, the assemblage of GAR and Jedi were informed that Jedi General Shaak Ti was inbound to their position. Notch scanned the horizon and they discovered another wave of droid battalions had moved through the bombarded region and into the valley. They numbered five battalions, totalling 3,920 droids in all.

Wasp had a group of BARC speeders engage the enemy and then withdraw, then General Ti led a charge towards the enemy. Arrowheads used their tow cables to descend before likewise engaging. Notch's squad focused fire on the right side while Wasp mowed down several droids on his own. Shaak Ti effortlessly wove through the CIS ranks, cutting down B1 models.

In their advance, Notch tripped on a shell-struck hole and nearly broke his neck, but he recovered excellently. Relying on the Terror Droids' firepower, the Arrowheads gradually moved as they fought droids along the flanks, with the Jedi powering through the center. Their continuous attack on the five battalions ruined them, although the Arrowheads lost an entire squad and several special forces troopers perished in the fighting.

With Notch's squad, Wasp and two platoons formed up around a wrecked AT-TE while preparing for the next stage of their attack. Hyena bombers soared through the sky, accompanied by vulture droids. HMP gunships followed behind. As the bombs fell from the hyenas, a Commando squad from a separate unit arrived, as requested by Wasp.

Though the next set of battling was fierce, the 501st, 373rd and special forces lost very few troops and either destroyed the CIS vehicles and droids or forced them into a retreat. The entire valley was secured, providing an effective landing zone and rallying point for Republic forces. As they bid farewell to the 501st Legion and Commander Tano, Mira and Omega informed the 373rd they had a new mission straight from the Jedi High Council.

### **Spy-Catching**

Tor'Lin Mira and his Padawan, callsign "Omega", were on assignment the Jedi High Council, and explained a spy had infiltrated deep inside friendly territory in Naboo, in a specific city. He brought his Padawan Omega, a Terror Droid, a Commando from another unit who partook in the previous engagement near the mountain, Jedi Knight Vane, and a small force of 373rd personnel. These included Sergeant Notch, Sergeant-Major Frog and Regimental Commander Wasp. Together they boarded a confiscated civilian transport and it flew to the city, where the group disembarked.

Frog busily organised supplies, which somehow leaked into his duties as a senior NCO. Wasp informed the troops that Grievous had not been seen since his defeat on the ring above. Notch conversed with Frog regarding logistics, and explained he worked in a garrison for the first half of the war. Frog explained he did not understand how logistics was still in his orders.

Going over a hologram of the area, Wasp explained some of the geographical details while Mira reminisced on the fact he had a friend from Naboo. Mira also conversed with his padawan, believing she was having certain thoughts. Unknown to those present, Omega was experiencing visions of the future through the Force.

Aware as they were that an infiltrator was in the city and that the Jedi Council said not to trust anyone outside of their task force, they were unaware that one of the biggest dangers was going to spring from within the group, not from the outside.

Arriving on-world, they entered the city while Frog noted the job seemed better suited for Republic Intelligence than for Grand Army and SOBDE personnel. Wasp summed up their tasking thus: allow the Jedi to conduct their investigation and prevent any harm from reaching them.

General Mira was directing Wasp to send a squad deeper into the city when the Commando captain from another unit raised his DC17m blaster rifle at the Jedi. He opened fire, but Notch tanked the bolts and stood in the way as Omega ordered the captain to stand down. The captain was then disarmed, captured and imprisoned aboard a Venator of the 6th Fleet.

Wasp considered the commando captain might have somehow been in league with the spy. Frog requested and received permission to question the captain on the Venator. Vane accompanied him. Mira had to return to Coruscant for a new mission alongside three other Jedi while Omega remained with the Arrowheads.

Notch informed Wasp that the commando captain had a strange chip inserted deep inside of his head, and they were going to need a proper facility for analysing it. The decision made by Wasp was to head towards a Grand Army medical facility that Vane said existed in a volcanic region on Teo Rraz.

### **Medical Facility on Teo Rraz**

Arriving at a volcanic region on Teo Rraz, Wasp brought Arrowheads down in three gunships to secure the area. One of their commandos named Ripper joined him alongside Scanner the engineer. Jedi Knight Vane and Omega, who was recently promoted to Knight, arrived with a Terror Droid and several other personnel. The 373rd's wounded were moved into the facility.

Frog arrived. The scanning and healing bed deep within the facility was damaged somehow and needed repairs. It was quickly seen to. There was a series of conversations which took place on the ship instead, and Ripper quietly revealed to Wasp that he had removed his own inhibitor chip on grounds of suspicion that it was designed to exert control over his brain. Wasp wished to speak with Frog in private and told Ripper to make himself useful around the ship.

They spoke in a conference hall with the doors shut. Frog had looked at scans performed with a ship's equipment and found that the inhibitor chips contained a set of instructions that were too difficult to make out. Wasp brought up Lolf's discovery that Black Sun was experimenting with control chip technology.

Wasp knew a medical lieutenant in the 111th Heavy Brigade who was possibly able to provide assistance, and the medical facility's technology would allow them to discern how much of a clone's mind and body the inhibitor chips controlled.

Per Frog's suggestion, Wasp ordered that all of the legion was to be scanned to ensure no-one else was compromised like the special forces captain was. They were to ensure the legion never dropped beneath 90% combat readiness. Without missing a beat, Wasp made his declaration to be scanned first.

With the meeting concluded, they landed inside the medical facility's landing bay. Wasp entered with a quartert of troopers. A number of troopers from the 501st Legion were also present, having participated in the Battle of Teo Rraz prior. Among them was Commander Shen, an artillery expert.

A flight of ARC-170 starfighters flew by outside as a pair of turrets swivelled, keeping watch over the skies above. Wasp talked with Shen, who was heading security alongside another soldier in the 501st, Sergeant Hook. Then an alert sounded due to a Confederate fleet's arrival in the star system.

Prepared for this, Hornet Battalion and 55th Regiment clone troopers rushed past the 501st to engage the enemy. The turrets and the ARC-170s targeted and shot at droid dropships and starfighters. An elite sharpshooter targeted the engines on several droid air vehicles, wrecking them.

Battle droids rushed the facility, wiping out the 501st Legion's clone troopers stationed on the perimeter. With a torrent of lightsaber strikes, Grievous cut his way into a hallway and past it, slicing up two entire platoons worth in clone troopers. Wasp took a step back as the cyborg then took the life of an Arrowhead trooper. A squad of nine B1 battle droids flanked them from the side. Commander Rico was present with the 55th paratroopers and opened fire towards Grievous, who leapt towards a clone in an attempt to kill them, but exposed himself to additional blasterfire.

Leaping towards Grievous, Rico made an attempt to plant an explosive device on the General's back. Three Arrowhead troopers split their attention between Grievous and the B1s as other clones collapsed dead and Wasp advanced on Grievous. The clone next to the Arrowhead commander fell with a lightsaber through his chest, and Wasp shot towards Grievous's right shoulder whilst telling Rico to detonate the explosive. The B1 squad was outflanked by other GAR troops and destroyed.

Glaring at Wasp, Grievous lifted him by his neck. Wasp glared back and fired his carbine into the General's chest cavity. This elicited a pained shout from him as a 501st sergeant shot at his exposed back chassis. The combined firepower forced Grievous out of the room and Wasp briefly lay collapsed on the floor. Outside, turrets continuously blasted away at vulture droids. Inside, Wasp, Rico and the rest were joined by ARC trooper Jackal and a Commando squad attached to the 501st Legion, along with several LAATs and a number of Arrowheads.

Shen tried to rouse the downed sergeant Hook as Grievous called in an orbital bombardment from the encroaching CIS fleet, which was hitting the medical facility. A call was sent out to the 302nd Legion because they had units operating within the star system. Charging through a hallway and downing a unit of B1s, the Arrowhead-501st joint force fled the bombardment via the windows and escaped the destruction of half the medical facility.

Moving along a sill, Wasp gunned down a pair of approaching battle droids as he saw a trooper plummet out the window to his head and to his death. Clones and droids skirmished across the wreckage, seeking to claim what was left of the place due to it's value to the clones and their wounded.

Hook insisted retreating to allow the navy to handle things, but Wasp countered with the fact that would involve leaving the medical facility vulnerable to Separatist occupation and takeover. Shen, Jackal, Hook and the Commando moved through a portion of the remaining half of the facility alongside Wasp and an Arrowhead fireteam. Frog comm'd Wasp and asked for orders, explaining he was still inside the facility. Wasp told him to slither his way onto the sixth floor.

The 501st's attached RC squad gunned down several droids on one end. On the other, the Arrowhead-501st group had to contend with B2 supers. They were destroyed before the 501st Commandos announced they secured most of the right side of the remaining half of the facility. Frog used a pistol and his close quarter combat skills to wipe out six battle droids in his area before Sailor's Warning used comms to question whether anyone was alive at the facility.

Wasp informed Sailor's Warning that he only had tabs on one platoon worth of personnel, which now included Jackal and Rico, and made it known they could not afford to lose the facility. Marshal Commander Checkmate and Jedi Commander Heist were inbound in ten minutes. Frog advanced down a hallway, keeping his pistol leveled as he slowly advanced. He announced via comms that the southern section of the sixth floor was cleared.

Wasp's personnel took out several B1s, and Frog and some survivors on his side eliminated BX commando droids. Jackal reunited with his men and the cautious fighting continued. Rico covered the rear, dishing it out to a few droids who had tried to attack them from the rear. Using a breaching charge, they opened a door blocked by wreckage. Both groups gathered and met up with three LAATs' worth of clone troopers from the 302nd, led by Checkmate and Heist as anticipated. A rifleman squad led by Hook reached their position.

It turned out a civilian, a young girl, was at the facility. Possibly a refugee being checked for diease or having injuries or sickness treated, she was blown away by rubble in the bombardment. The 501st Commando squad regrouped with the rest of the clones and the Jedi.

One of the 373rd's Jedi had arrived. It was Edward Pol, whom Wasp rapidly briefed on the sitaution. Meeko was rediscovered in one of the facility beds, having received treatment since he fell in that hole in the desert. Frog requested and received permission to go ahead of the main force to clear out various rooms, and Wasp sent the 501st Commandos along with him. The five-man team set out to cause some havoc and destroy some tinnies.

Though numerous clone troopers, technicians and crew had been killed, the Separatist's first and second waves had been largely destroyed between the initial contact and the skirmishing that took place after. Regaining consciousness, Meeko was briefed by Wasp, who then noticed an astromech had survived the bombardment earlier.

Additional battle droids were revealed to be prowling the area, and Wasp delivered an order to turn them into scrap metal. Arrowheads tended to their wounded and kept track of various squads whilst regrouping and keeping everyone up to speed. 302nd Legion troopers joined in. Checkmate took troopers to search the other surviving buildings at the facility for General Grievous. Jackal took some of his troopers to search the facility for any personnel left behind, and also to acquire any intel from the databanks and terminals so it could be preserved.

Frog got back to them explaining the hallway ahead was clear, and several BX commando droids had been destroyed along the way. Rico suggested the laval levels might begin rising, but someone else explained the levels were stable. Communications people revealed that five battalions of battle droids had arrived and were advancing on the facility's perimeter. Jackal returned with his troops and a bunch of medical supplies.

Wasp prepped the Arrowheads to repulse the five droid battalions on the edge. The Arrowheads were then reinforced by the ghost troopers of the 808th Lich Battalion, who were revealed to have been the special forces troops helping them in the deserts of Teo Rraz. One or more 501st Commandos ran up to the advancing Arrowheads, and were seen to by medics.

Arriving at the edge, they moved up slowly to avoid being spotted by numerois droid patrols. It was the 808th Lich Battalion that drew attention to itself, charging towards the Separatists droids in their enraged state and with firm purpose. One of the ghost troopers punched a super battle droid in the head and swung it around into some of the other supers as they opened fire on him with wrist blasters. Blasterfire grazed his lfet shoulder plate as Arrowheads and Jedi fought the droids. Jackal was reasonably freaked out when he explained he saw someone with a red lightsaber standing on the roof of the facility.

Wasp ordered the Arrowheads to quietly move up and engage droid battalions at the opportune time. The ghost troopers wanted to bring the entire facility down on the droid army, which Wasp belayed. Arrowhead intentions were to secure the facility, not destroy it. Their argument became heated before a ghost trooper explained they could hold the line for evacuation. That was when Wasp said they should stop wasting time and get to fighting the droids.

Rounding a corner, Wasp went into a crouch and poured fire into four B1 droids. Jedi and their clones struck droid forces as a droideka rolled up. Red-armoured troopers from the 815th Battalion, including a trooper named Blast, joined the fight to bolster the GAR's numbers.

As this happened, Erena Heist took down a group of BX-series commando droids that had infiltrated a section of the facility. She blocked to one side with her saber, dodged around, ran to a holotable and slid over it, then went for a slash that beheaded a commando droid before turning around and blocking further blasts.

Unknown to the Jedi and Republic, a fallen Sith Lord who had gained immortality was using the Force to appear as a ghost and trouble them. Back at the front, ghost troopers led the charge. Pro-Republic PDF and militia had joined in, using a blaster turret to mow down droids. Frog stormed ahead and Arrowheads moved behind him.

A clone tossed an EMP grenade that shut down dozens of droids. Frog popped out of cover and shot down more before pulling back in. Back on the other side of the facility, someone was Force-choking Erena while holding her up in the air, and battle droids were using those hallways to flank the clones. Arrowheads, 501st, and others found droids shooting at them from behind and on the left flank.

Roughly two droid battalions remained at the front, the clones having cut their way through many of the Separatist units on the landing platforms. Frog and several personnel went back to assess the situation at the rear. Wasp brought four troopers to secure the interior. The paratroopers of the 55th Regiment struck the droid lines, breaking through their forward ranks with great success alongside the 808th. A 55th paratrooper shot down a vulture droid with a rocket launcher. Frog found Erena, who explained the commando droid presence. Frog said he had something for that, and put on his sniper rifle attachment.

Erena and Frog engaged the BX models. Moving up a hallway to reach them, Wasp felt a slight burning sensation on his shoulder where the ghost had placed it's invisible hand. The burning sensation irritated the regimental commander, but he was too focused on his job. General Omega moved with Wasp, along with a ghost trooper.

The ghost ceased trying to manipulate Wasp, mentally realising the clone contained great mental fortitude, and went elsewhere. A ghost trooper explained Heist was reasonably safe and down the hall. Wasp reached the medical facility's impormptu command center, where Frog and Erena had taken cover. Erena noted that droids attacking them in seemingly endless waves was same-old same-old to her.

A drop pod crashed through the ceiling in front of the Commando and Jedi, opening it's doors and permitting a squad of ARF troopers to disperse and begin firing on the droids. Frog covered their movements as they pulled back, having arrived within the thick of it. An unspecified Jedi Knight arrived, his blue lightsaber joining Erena's green in defending the command area.

Rico comm'd in explaining his troops had cleared the exterior and landing platforms. Wasp said he should come back and rally on the interior defense group. Erena was glad to see Wasp, who stated it had taken a bit to get there. ARF troopers took casualties as Arrowhead medics pulled them back. General Meeko comm'd Wasp explaining he had fallen off the medical facility and into a nearby waterfall. As Wasp dealt with that, Frog explained to Erena, the ARFs and the other Jedi that the droids were hemmed in on both sides and did not have the manpower to keep it up. He believed it was their final stand.

Jedi Knight Omega confronted the ghost, and her lightsaber started to shake. It exploded in her hand, crushing the crystal. It was in multiple pieces and Omega's hand bled. While this went on and the droids were nearly destroyed, the 111th Heavy Brigade's Lieutenant Vengeance joined the fight.

Omega's mind was partly clouded by the Sith Force ghost as it attempted to convert her to the ways of the Sith. Her eyes glowed yellow, although she had no idea why. The SOBDE also had an interest in this battle, as Alpha-28 was deployed to assist.

Two complete droid regiments were destroyed altogether. Reinforcements arrived from the ARFs' unit and clones began securing the area. Omega called out Meeko's as the force ghost shocked her with red force lightning. She felt herself drifting away from the Force due to her attempts at resistance.

Moving in with the 501st Legion, Anakin Skywalker entered the facility. He, Erena and several others stormed into the hallway where Omega was being held and dispelled the Force ghost or forced it into hiding. When Omega was released from it's grasp, she took a team to search for General Meeko.

With the Separatist threat eliminated, Wasp invited a group of people into a room in the medical facility and shut the door while they conversed. Vengeance, Frog, Wasp, Erena, Rico and various Arrowheads were present. He explained the mission to Naboo and how the Commando captain had attacked them. While not their first run-in with rogue SOBDE, what stood out from the incident with the captain was the fact he specifically tried to eliminate the Jedi.

Foreign semi-organic matter was found inside the captain's skull, Wasp explained as he went on. It was similar to a control chip the Black Sun had installed in Master Sergeant May Kato of the 111th's head when she was a child sold into slavery.

Anticipating trouble in case anyone tried to break in, Rico holstered his knife and it's sheath onto his chestplate. The Jedi who was at the facility earlier, his initials K.S., wondered aloud about the control chip. Wasp explained it caused her to become momentarily unstable and attack nearby officers. Then he and Frog went on about how everyone in the 373rd, beginning with Wasp, was going to have their heads scanned.

Frog dutifully volunteered to be the second in line for scanning. Alpha-28, who had somehow also been in the conference room, questioned whether they planned to remove their inhibitor chips. Wasp said they simply wanted to scan them, but then questioned what precisely an inhibitor chip was.

28 was surprised to learn these regular clones had not learned about the inhibitor chips. Wasp emphasised the Arrowhead Legion's loyalty to the Republic. If the chip was Republic-sanctioned, they simply wished to know more about it. He stated that everyone present was a witness. Wasp was then scanned. The results were the same as the captain's, and showed the inhibitor chip could manipulate brainwaves.

K.S. asked if they should inform the Supreme Chancellor. Wasp recommended informing Republic High Command and the Jedi High Council beforehand. Frog then took his turn getting scanned as blasterfire echoed outside the room. Wasp read Frog's readout and prepared his dual pistols as a clone's body slammed against one of the outer walls.

The door was forcefully opened. Outside was a Jango clone of significant height, in a dishevelled partial uniform. However, two beings with red lightsabers entered the room first. One was the Sith Force ghost, who had somehow acquired a body. The other was Meeko, who was corrupted by the Dark Side.

The mysterious Force-sensitive said Erena had stolen something from him. It was a Sith holocron. She activated her lightsaber and the whole room tensed as they readied for battle. But then a tentacle wrapped around the attacker. Peering out, Wasp reluctantly waved towards the clone who had the strange appendage coming from his person.

Erena dueled the Sith Force ghost's humanoid form and Omega fought Meeko. Meeko knocked Omega away and made his escape aboard a small transport. Wasp discovered a pile of unconscious clones. The other clone, who had been experimented on, was rendered mute during the experimentation. He had become incredibly frightened upon seeing the clones in their phase two armour and fought to protect himself.

As Erena fought the force ghost, she felt her lightsaber weaken with every blow. But through her cunning and skill, she was able to defeat the Sith reincarnation and send him back into the realm of the dead, though he managed to trouble the Jedi K.S. before that happened. Rico threateningly aimed a blaster pistol at the experimented-upon clone trooper, who took action with his tentacle. The clone tossed Rico against a wall, and the regimental commander of the 55th dragged himself up the stairs and drew a knife which Wasp attempted to wrench from his hands in a bid to deescalate the situation.

Rico was having none of it, but two medics managed to restrain him. And with the medical facility entirely secured, the Arrowheads had the opportunity to begin a thorough examination of the entire legion. Except, they were immediately called away to partake in another combat operation. The facility would wait.

### **Muunilinst Campaign**

#### **Preparing for Muunilinst**

Their plans for the medical facility had to wait. The Arrowheads were being retasked to the Muunilinst system on standby for a Separatist resurgence in a key region on the planet. It was a long way there, and they waited aboard the Sixth Fleet. Wasp met Blast for the first time, and Frog held a datapad while scrolling through data and strolling towards the cargo room.

Their specific goal was to relieve the 43rd Legion, a significant number of whom were in a Venator-class Star Destroyer that crash landed near a cluster of trees. Frog had received info on the situation and Wasp ahd read through it. Frog discovered someone in the unit had apparently ordered twenty-two crates full of mounted weaponry kits instead of the intended two. Wasp was grateful the Mandalorian mercenary had given them so much special ammunition during a previous battle, as this was going to permit their gunnery teams to operate a significant number of turrets.

There were also twenty-four tons worth of luxury goods. Frog stated he was going to have someone's head for that, and Blast noted the quartermaster was going to be enraged. Frog stated that he was the quartermaster. The Commando irritably noted that things like this would lead to him interrogating the entire logistics team.

The Sixth Fleet's personal request for several crates of tea was played in bay area three, subsection eleven. The luxury goods were a different thing altogether, comprised of steaks and a seven-layer cake. That led Wasp to figure out it was all gifts from the Kavlians, grateful for their successful fighting on the one planet in the Jiwo Ima system that refused to yield to Confederate interests.

The Kalvians' shipment was delivered with the markings of an official Republic resupply to prevent the food from being seized as contraband. They were two hours out from Muunilinst, and Frog suggested using the weapon emplacements to save the forty-third. Having ninety-eight more turrets than they requested, there was going to be plenty to attack the droids with, along with more ammo than they'd have anything to do with under ordinary circumstances.

There were also mortar weapons and a pack howitzer, which Frog did not know was even possible to be requested or signed out for by logistics. Wasp explained that it was usually a PDF weapon. Shortly after, ground forces were deployed to Muunilinst.

#### **Ground Deployment and Engagement**

Arrowhead gunships went down in mass, dropping off Corporal Jackal, Trooper Matt, Sergeant-Major Frog, Wasp and numerous other clones. Though flak and blaster fire filled the air, none of the gunships were shot down and only a few suffered any damages. Rico and the 55th's Urban Company touched down nearby. Their combined objective was to clear a path through enemy forces so Frog could reach the downed Venator.

Landing LAATs shot at distant CIS units as Wasp remarked the droids had them heavily outnumbered. Some personnel from the 104th Battalion arrived, headed by an ARC trooper named Dead-Eye. Wasp leapt from an LAAT with a platoon of clone troopers. Jackal prepped his minigun as he and his squad exited their own gunship.

Enemy blasterfire flew towards the clones as hundreds of troops disembarked from the gunships onto the open field. Troopers manning gunship turrets fired back with piercing green laser beams. Matt went prone and opened fire, Wasp reached out and touched a few B1s with his pistols. The charge across the field was intended to provide breakthrough, and Arrowhead artillery positions set up in the distance.

Frog reached the 43rd Legion's position and made his way back, Jackal's minigun spun up and tore through the droid ranks ahead. After figuring out what they required to survive the surrounding droid forces, Frog dispatched four LAATs with six starfighters supporting, to provide ammunitions and weapons to last the day.

Declaring that satisfactory, Wasp continued firing. Frog poked his head from cover and shot at a group of droids before ducking back. A droid platoon was destroyed and an AAT revealed itself, firing a red stream of energy into the Arrowhead ranks. A trooper from Jackal's squad shot a rocket at an AAT, damaging or destroying it.

Battle droids were joined by heavily armed organic personnel, but the Arrowheads and several other clones pressed on the offensive regardless. Armour soaked up blaster fire and then retaliating blaster fire eliminated various droids and militia auxiliary. Jackal's minigun overheated and he set it aside, exchanging it for a smaller weapon.

Enemy machine blaster fire from a militiaman tore through a squad of Arrowheads, wounding most of them and killing a few others. The group aiding the CIS was an insurgent faction known for being entirely comprised of cultists who venerated the Sith. At least five of their squads were wiped out before they retreated into a forest dotted with ruins, which was near to the location of the thirty-fourth legion's crash site.

Rico downed insurgents with accurate sniper fire, Dead-Eye shot droids down one by one. Matt and Jackal received orders from Wasp to flank on the left with Jackal's squad. An insurgent gunned down an Arrowhead before Wasp casually shot the insurgent and a couple of B1 models. The other insurgents, tired and broken, were no match for the Republic's weapons fire. TarKall ignited his green lightsaber, the human Jedi joined the engagemeny and deflected blaster bolts to protect the clones.

Reaching into a crate, Frog pulled out a bunch of droid poppers and tossed them towards the enemy at a high arc. Rico rushed and eliminated an insurgent with his knife, and a clone crew arrived with their pack howitzer. It shot towards Separatist positions, shredding the popper-stunned droids.

Dead-Eye pointed out the droids were retreating and Wasp delivered orders to advance and establish a perimeter at the crash site. Frog moved ahead of the group and found a flanking route to reach the forty-third and ensure they survived. Jedi Knight TarKall joined the unit and watched from behind.

The insurgency's leader attempted to escape the demise of his group by fleeing in his personal starship as hundreds of clone troopers rushed the Separatist line. Wasp directed an E-Web team to open fire on the starship. They damaged it at the very least, while only a token force of droids tried to resist the breakthrough effort of the Grand Army.

Frog slipped his way through the battle line and went around or over fragments of rubble to reach the 43rd. A surprise encounter with a commando droid was rapidly solved via his vibroknife. Meanwhile, the Arrowheads and co could see the crash site in the distance. Droidekas rolled over and opened fire on the 373rd, putting the lives of multiple troopers at risk. The droidekas were destroyed in short order. Three of four LAATs intended to relieve the fourty-third made it to their position, with the fourth having to return to the Sixth Fleet due to damages sustained.

General TarKall ordered the clones to stand down, the remaining droids having retreated. A local boy named Jace exited the forest and wondered what clones were doing there. Rico despised the notion they might have to babysit. Dead-Eye acquired a combat shield, in the same dark markings as was present on his armour.

A few droid platoons marched to attempt to stop the clones from reaching the crash site, but Jackal and Matt's efforts on the flanks harassed and prevented them from doing so. Cobra avoided blasterfire and slammed himself against the ground, putting his own machine blaster into use against the droids. Jace was experiencing some sort of Force-based mental suffering whenever he stood next to TarKall.

AT-TE and LAAT units backed the Arrowhead charge. Jackal's squad was hit hard by droids and requested medical support, a combat medic moved to their position with some infantry. The Arrowheads were then able to see the troopers for the 43rd holding on for dear life against the droids. Rico reported he and Urban Company were being called to Alderaan and departed in a gunship.

Frog reported a CIS AAT brigade was moving towards the far side of the crash site and requested danger close artillery support. Within the next several moments, a number of shells struck the droid tanks. Wasp joined the forward element. Artillery delivered a second salco as the Arrowheads pressed on towards the crashed ship. An airborne lieutenant from another unit, Mip, went out on a reconnaissance mission.

During the firefighting with droids, Wasp took a hit to the shoulder pauldron but shrugged it off and kept going. Troops reported gunships bringing tank squadrons in to support the clones and Wasp ordered them to cease fire due to proximity to the crash site. They also regrouped with Matt, Jackal and the flanking squad.

Droidekas began cutting through the clone ranks and TarKall rushed ahead to carefully breach their shields and slice them up, allowing the remainder to be destroyed by the GAR's newly arrived tank squadron. Arrowheads formed up on the tanks to prevent their destruction by any would-be saboteurs. After taking out all of the destroyer droids, the tanks moved to engage the CIS tank brigade at a distance. Tanks destroyed a droid platoon and the 43rd linked up with the 373rd.

Three hyena droid bombers flew overhead. TarKall lost his focus and was shot in the shoulder, falling to the ground near a GAR tank. Moving to his side, Wasp gunned down some B2 supers with his pistols. The tank crew moved their vehicle forwards to absorb blasterfire in the Jedi general's defense.

Jackal was wounded in the chest, shoulder and forearm, medics tended to him and to TarKall as the Arrowheads formed a unified front against and drove back the Separatist droids. Clones took cover to avoid the hyenas as Wasp instructed the tanks to aim skyward. The Arrowheads advanced into cover alongside Frog at the crash site. The Commando had been preoccupied with shoving clones into cover. The Arrowheads set up E-Web positions with their various turrets in attempts to target the bombers.

This was not enough to prevent the bombers from dropping payloads on the Arrowheads' rear-based artillery before flying away and out of range. Dozens of clones died in the explosions that wracked the rear and eliminated all of the battery emplacements. Two additional hyena waves were inbound.

Headhunter starfighters sent by Jedi General Anakin Skywalker eliminated several distant hyena bombers and deployed ion cannons against small units of droids, but lacked the numbers and timing necessary to prevent all of the bombers from reaching the 373rd position. Frog noted the enemy's commitment to winning dominance in the air, as the Arrowheads now lacked anything capable of effectively eliminating the bombers. Wasp took up position amidst the wreckage near Frog and Dead-Eye.

Despite their lack of effectiveness, the E-Webs and pack howitzer were deployed. Roughly forty tanks, around two companies' worth, were still moving towards the GAR position. Despite his injury, TarKall was able to reprogram an elite battle droid and turn it against the enemy. The Jedi and GAR tanks moved against the AATs, with the Republic tanks entering into a skirmishing action.

Skywalker led a charge against infantry and AATs, with 501st Legion troopers following him as Wasp and a company of 373rd moved to reinforce. Their push was coordinated through pieces of wreckage, although a tank was destroyed by hostile ordinance. Lieutenant Mip reported several casaulties as the fighting continued.

Each hyena squadron concentrated it's attack into one movement for the purpose of annihilating the Grand Army personnel, and wiping them off the face of Muunilinst. Vulture droids arrived to protect the rest of the hyenas, battling with Skywalker's headhunters and shooting several down.

Although half the AATs were destroyed, the bombers were about to hit the 373rd. They scattered to avoid being struck by the massive payload. TarKall's face was burnt and had uneven layers of skin due to injuries sustained by being adjacent to an exploding Republic tank. A medic proactively applied bacta to his wound as they moved. Wasp had the tanks spread out and try to hit the bombers if possible. An AAT or bomber took out a GAR tank, potentially killing all of the crew.

The infantry were all strewn out and E-Webs and tanks were positioned to hit hyena bombers or force them to forfeit their planned attack runs. A Jedi Master named To'ria Nax arrived to reinforce the GAR units, because magnaguards began moving onto the battlefield and killing clone troopers. General Grievous had set his sights on them. A squad of attacking droidekas got a few troopers killed or injured before rocketeers took them down.

After estimating that there were twelve remaining AATs, Frog recommended hijacking them to utilise as anti-aircraft assets against the bombers. Before they set about carrying out that strategy, Grievous arose in their midst. Wasp quietly spoke over unit-based comms, ordaring that Frog take Matt, Jackal, Dead-Eye and several others to acquire the AATs. He planned on staying behind.

Skywalker, Nax and the other Jedi met Grievous's attack in an intense lightsaber duel as Wasp and his squad prepared for the worst. The Jedi were momentarily repulsed and Grievous slashed through Wasp's kama and pauldron, and was very close to ending his life, even having exchanged a greeting, when a All Terrain Attack Transport prototype opened fire.

Meanwhile, Frog directed Arrowhead troops in their goal to acquire Separatist tanks. Each squad was directed to steal one, with troopers from the 501st and 104th providing anti-infantry support against the few B1s that remained. Droids were attacked, not expecting the clones to navigate the starship and tank wreckage to get in close and personal. All of the tanks were hijacked.

Grievous slashed at the AT-AT, severely damaging it. The walker dispatched two infantry squads whom rapelled down and opened fire on the cyborg with their blaster rifles. Battle droids moved in on one flank to support the general, but he was distracted and Wasp activated and rolled a thermal detonator towards his mechanical feet.

A squad of eight heavy B2 battle droids with rocket arms joined the fight alongside the magnaguards, as the AT-AT's hulking form collapsed due to lightsaber damage. It hit the ground with a massive thud, crushing all of the B1 droids supporting Grievous's counter-offensive. Rockets sent Wasp flying and blew several troopers away.

AATs overran the Republic perimeter without firing a shot or running anyone over. It turned out that every single CIS tank had been taken over by clones. One immediately opened fire on Grievous's position. Grievous leapt towards the ground and crawled like a spider towards Wasp, who he successfully tripped.

Crawling in the mud, Wasp sought to gain his bearings as clone troopers rushed all around him to battle Grievous and his dwindling droid escort. Several AATs also hovered by. An LAAT launched a salvo at the cyborg general, buying Wasp some time to recover and stand awkwardly. Grievous received leg damage from the gunship strike. A trooper with blue markings named Atlas approached, and the LAAT fired again as a pilot named Corn arrived in a tank. Scurrying away, Grievous entered a CIS shuttle that sped away.

Taking a knee, Wasp lowered himself to avoid being shot by his own tank and shot his blaster pistols towards the shuttle. He delivered an order for all tanks to open fire, and the AATs and GAR tanks shot at the shuttle and made it shake. Corn's tank and Frog's AAT landed several hits.

When the 6th Fleet received a report revealing an attempt by CIS navy forces to attack GAR ground units, they intervened and a small space engagement ensued. Any battle droids throughout the area where sparse in number and being routed by the bold Arrowheads and their allies.

The Separatist shuttle exploded. Staring at the explosion, Wasp immediately went for his commlink and declared that Grievous was unconfirmed K.I.A. Corn and the tank squad broke out in collective cheers. When Corn muttered that he needed a new All Terrain Assault Transport, Wasp agreed to file a procurement request.

Frog noted that the elimination of Grievous was going to swing the entire war in the Republic's favour, and Wasp was glad that the "king tinny" was finally gone. Dead-Eye approached, inquiring as to what happened while he was preoccupied fighting droids elsewhere in the area of operations. With that out of the way, the Arrowheads prepared their tanks and turrets for the incoming squadrons of hyena droids, which were still a lengthy distance away. Dead-Eye left to report the events to General Skywalker. Atlas's request to seek cover was promptly granted.

#### **Handling Hyenas**

The whine of the hyena bombers returned. E-web and AAT positions were established throughout that area. Dead-Eye had returned from making his report. And though this region of Muunilinst had become a killing ground, the fight was not over yet. Corn's surviving crew scavenged the area in an attempt to repair the AT-AT. Five hyena squadrons were on approach, which Wasp suspected were new arrivals, whereas Frog was considering they might have been simply rearmed and launched again. Additionally, three vulture droid squadrons were supporting the bombers.

LAATs broke off and headed for safety as the pack howitzer was turned to face the vultures. It functioned as a flak cannon for the rest of the operation. Frog had the detonation of shells ranged at four thousand feet. Dead-Eye, Frog and Wasp briefly conversed regarding the intended aftermath of the battle and mopping up operations, and then Wasp hefted up a rocket launcher from another clone trooper.

Falling in with the AATs and remaining Grand Army tanks, an HAVw A6 juggernaut tank rolled up and prepared to open fire. Tank, turret and anti-air weapons slammed into various hyenas upon their approach, and the lucky ones veered out of the way... And into flak from the pack howitzer. Three of the five waves were initially hit, and endured heavy losses.

Nearly a third of the bombers were eliminated, another fifth were unable to complete the dives for their bombing runs and broke off. It was then that Wasp ordered the surviving LAATs to engage. Bombers reached the peak of their arc and rained bombs on several tanks and a score of troopers throughout. Screams and creaking machinery filled the air. Then the bombers and fighter escort broke off, leaving Frog noting they would return in ten or fifteen minutes with another payload.

With Sixth Fleet busy engaging the reinforcement fleet that had arrived with Grievous prior to his supposed destruction, further GAR air support was unavailable. Wasp said they should discover the location of enemy supply lines. Rapid and Corn noted their tanks were running low on fuel, and survivors from the 43rd Legion siphoned some of the fuel from the Venator's storage.

Surviving headhunters were dispatched to track down the hyena bombers with the LAATs in standby to support. Troops finished refueling the tanks and one of the troopers delivered a thumbs up. The tanks went out with a unit of infantry to perform extensive reconnaissance.

Captain Ay'rn and Barret Company regrouped on Wasp's position while Frog and the other officers performed logistics, regrouping and reorganising the legion. Arrowhead troopers cordoned off the perimeter to their ad hoc outpost as they awaited the arrival of a squad of Republic Commandos. Major Brimstone and trooper Blast joined Wasp's mission element, along with Brimstone's Alpha Company, the "Mad Hatters".

The first Commando to arrive was Breaker, who was previously attached to the 212th Attack Battalion, as exhibited by the orange markings painted on his armour. Sergeant Battue and Tharloc Squad arrived and went ahead, disappearing into the distant terrain. Sniper rifle in hand, Wasp led his element. Several minutes later, Breaker communicated with Wasp's group and informed them that the Separatists had established a base within one of the cities. They were patrolling an area around the regional palace and had several battalions inside, along with several civilian hostages.

Wasp granted permission for Tharloc to engage at long range, but only if Breaker reached their position to reinforce, as five Commandos would prove a superior force than four. Airborne trooper Warhammer arrived via a dropship to reinforce Wasp's group as they advanced toward the city. Jedi Knight and general Tal-Ro attempted to requisition the Arrowheads and bring them back to Coruscant, but the chain of command prevailed and the 373rd were permitted to continue their operation to find and destroy the hyena bomber base and secure the hostages.

Nearing the city, the Arrowheads received a transmission indicating Breaker had been captured by commando droids. This led Wasp to grant Tharloc permission to engage and liberate the civilians as soon as possible. Having quietly eliminated patrols at range, the commandos swiftly smashed the glass inside the regional palace and began blasting.

Captain Ay'rn and Barret Company had moved against the city from a different direction, going after Techno Union envoys who were trying to evacuate alongside an experimental variant of the B2 super battle droid chassis. At that same time, Breaker was being beaten in an attempt to gain information. At that time, he did not break.

Tharloc commandos destroyed numerous battle droids and liberated a number of hostages, with assistance from clone troopers that were likewise liberated. When the main FOB was clear, Battue retreated into cover. Battue explained that the Techno Union envoys had made their escape, but all of the hostages were free.

Wasp ordered Tharloc to regroup on the Arrowheads' position at the edge of the city, where they ascended a wall using tow cables and rapidly destroyed Separatist sentry droids. One of Tharloc Squad's commandos, Jester, took a bolt through the side of his head during the move to regroup. Wasp sent Notch's squad to go with Tharloc and eliminate the commando droid sniper that got Jester, and stuck with Major Brimstone's company for hitting the streets.

Warhammer encountered and engaged the first droids in sight. The platoon of B1s that encountered them steadily dropped as over a company of clone troopers mowed them down. After discovering that Breaker had been tied up and tossed into the river by the droids, Wasp placed his sniper rifle on his back and dove in, unsheathing a vibroblade and effortlessly cutting the wounded commando's bonds. Together they swam for the far side and got back on to the bridge. A combat medic began seeing to Breaker's wounds.

Advancing with a handful of troopers, Wasp shot a B2 super battle droid that was in the distance as they and Breaker approached Alpha Company and Major Brimstone's position. Meanwhile, Sergeants Battue and Notch used magnetic locks to scale the skyscraper. Wasp called in a gunship to take Breaker so he could report back to Marshal Commander Cody. Alpha Company reported they had successfully annihilated many of the city's droid occupiers. Breaker returned with a platoon of clone troopers from the 212th, whom Cody had graciously granted towards the city's liberation.

Several droid platoons lay effectively destroyed, and the clones of Alpha Company had taken few losses. A droid peered out from a skyscraper window and Battue grabbed it by the throat, ripping it out of the window and sending the automaton plummeting to its destruction. Several droid snipers poked out of the skyscraper windows to fire at Alpha Company, but their rounds proved ineffective. Wasp and Brimstone's group pushed up with Breaker, gunning down several of the dorids that dared opposte them. Notch and Tharloc Squad discovered the Techno Union envoys who had fled the initial attack had retreated into the regional palace, regrouping and re-arming. Several groups of civilian hostages remained inside, along with a few clone prisoners also.

Wasp, Brimstone, Alpha Company and Wasp's squad took to the front with Breaker providing sniper overwatch. Notch and Tharloc Squad took to the rear with a droid popper. The violent two-way rescue attempt downed multiple B1 and B2 battle droids. Tharloc Squad commando Cluster engaged the sniper up top after Battue shifted behind cover to avoid the pesky surviving droid sharpshooter.

Wasp had swapped his sniper rifle for a standard issue DC15a, joining the breaching team after thermal detonators knocked down the front gate. Tharloc gunned down the sniper and Notch used stun blasts to incapacitate the Techno Union envoys and several Nemoidians. Having secured the civilian hostages, Wasp called in the two gunships from patrol to evacuate the civilians.

Wasp promised Battue that the next gunship out would be responsible for recovering Jester's body. The Arrowheads noted they had not uncovered the location of the hyena droid base. All of the wounded, civilians and prisoners were exfiltrated via two gunships. Further reconnaissance by Tharloc Squad revealed a large number of battle droids elsewhere in the city, so Wasp brought Hornet Battalion up into the city to create a ruckuss. Notch cursed the Nemoidians and Wasp considered that Nemoidian culture seemed steeped in pro-Separatist ideals and opposition to the Republic at large.

Tharloc Squad climbed up the skyscraper and performed a parachuting operation before engaging several droids. Hornet Battalion began hitting the Separatist ocupiers on two sides. The building they had in mind was responsible both for resupplying hyena droid bombers and upgrading more B2 super battle droids with shoulder-mounted blasters and EMP or rocket launchers. Hornet troopers focused their efforts on the construction site around the building.

Hitting the Separatists up front and in numbers, Hornet Battalion and Alpha Company thoroughly distracted the Confederate droid army. AATs and hailfire droids arrived and unleashed a volley that killed several clones, leading to the Arrowheads requesting fire support against them. An entire platoon was heavily damaged by a hailfire as the Arrowhead rocketeers went to work, efficiently blowing up several hailfires and AATs with rocket launchers.

A Republic cruiser entered the atmosphere and bore down on the battlefield, blasting apart several Seppy positions. Jedi General Cors Dessel exited the cruiser in a Jedi interceptor and, accompanied by several clone starfighters, they brought the fight down hard on the enemy. Master Dessel exited his starfighter to join the ground engagement as the clone starfighters nailed multiple droid vehicles. Several LAATs flew in, dropping off platoons of Arrowhead reinforcements.

Activating his lightsaber, Cors brought the purple glowing blade against the Separatist ranks and wrought havok among them. Meanwhile, Tharloc Squad was tearing apart the inside of the building, destroying the hyena droid bombers, the munitions, and the Confederacy's secret B2-related upgrade project.

One of the attacking troopers was struck in the arm by a blaster bolt and promptly tended to by a field medic as the clones and Jedi advanced against the dwindling droid numbers, which amounted to just a few platoons. A nefarious being in a dark and shadowy robe leapt into the construction site, igniting a red-bladed lightsaber with a dreaded hiss. A Dark Acolyte, he sought to prevent the Jedi and clones from succeeding. B1 battle droids formed up on the Acolyte, and Arrowheads rallied on Master Cors Dessel. Then they charged as one.

Plastoid and fists both organic and metal collided in an ocean of raw struggle which was soon joined by bayonets and vibroblades. The acolyte Force pushed various clones away from his position, very briefly granting the droids an advantage. Wasp was thrown back several feet and landed on his back with a loud crunch of plastoid against street tiling, whereas Notch merely slid back on his feet. Wasp called for Tharloc Squad to flank and eliminate the Dark Acolyte.

Droids fell down in steady droves, and soon only the Dark Acolyte remainded standing against the GAR forces. An LAAT entered the construction site to unload more troopers and take on wounded. Instead of flanking the Dark Acolyte, Tharloc Squad covered Battue as he approached from behind, vibroblade drawn, and severed the Force-sensitive human's spine. Ripping to the left, he opened the man's back completely. Cors was disappointed that the Acolyte could not be taken alive. His last words were a declaration that he was a true Sith.

Tharloc Squad had also destroyed the factory, eliminating the Confederacy's capacity to launch hyena droid bombers and B2 super battle droids throughout the region. Notch performed headquarters duty for Wasp by checking in with other 373rd Legion units and found that the entire region was clear of droids. Victory was achieved. Cors ordered Notch and his squad to search the area for wounded civilians.

Having won two battles in rapid succession, captured enemy high value individuals and destroyed valuable CIS military infrastructure, the personnel of the 373rd Arrowhead Legion and Tharloc Squad were feeling pretty good about themselves. But Wasp expected an enemy counterattack in an attempt to retake the region, and understood that the CIS would attack the city first and foremost in an effort to eliminate the 373rd while they were packed into the city streets. So he ordered the clones and volunteers to make defensive preparations.

#### **Holding the City**

Battue ejected his wrist vibroblade and sliced quickly across his armour to rid the blade of the blood shed from the Acolyte's death. Jedi Commander and Padawan Lull Cyon joined the troops shortly after.

Dozens of clone lives were traded in return for many more in droids during the previous two engagements. The 43rd Legion was safeguarded and the entire region had been securely placed in Republic hands. But Regimental Commander Wasp did not believe the enemy was done with them, and was aware that other regions still contained surviving CIS forces seeking foes to engage and destroy.

Perimeter patrols were organised. Within the span of a few minutes, several patrols had clones missing. Notch found himself rapidly attacked and thrown back before a strange grey-white shape retreated from the scene. Understanding the Separatists were at it again, Wasp took suggestions from his men. One of the troopers suggested a retreat to the palace, which would permit for flanking attacks against the Confederates while protecting the 373rd against orbital and aerial bombardment.

Because the helpful trooper had recommended establishing themselves in the regional palace area to hit incoming Separatist units from two directions, Wasp considered nicknaming him "Twos" after the conclusion of the operation. Whether or not the trooper survived is not specified in current records.

Tharloc squad was saddened to learn that they were shortened to two members, Batteu and Moose, because Cluster had either died in the massive skirmish prior, or had been killed by whatever was picking off Arrowhead patrols. Dessel called for reinforcements and Tharloc Squad, plus a newly arrived Clone Commando who was separated from his squad, acquired multiple vantage points.

Aerial reconnaissance and investigation of the recently killed personnel revealed that General Grievous had not only survived the destruction of his shuttle, but was also leading a droid army to retake the regional palace. Two Arrowhead platoons were entrenched at the palace gates, another two in the courtyard, and the rest throughout the city.

For several minutes, the Arrowheads at the palace listened to the sound of droids marching towards them. The droids had ignored the rest of the Arrowheads in the city to focus solely on the palace. As soon as they were within range, snipers opened fire and mortars whistled through the sky. The droid army split into two groups, moving in two directions.

Lull Cyon activated his silver-bladed lightsaber at the palace steps. Batteu expended magazine after magazine of DC17M ammunition on the incoming battle droids, who fell in droves. But the clones and volunteers also took casualties. Notch let out a loud curse as his DC15s carbine overheated.

A B2 super's wrist rocket collided into several clones. An airborne trooper called in an airstrike and LAAT support strafed and sent missiles careening into the droid army. Grievous himself was on the field, fighting alongside five magnaguard droids. They contended with the Jedi. The Jedi, which included a young apprentice who arrived earlier in the fight, were off battling Grievous near a bridge. Warhammer and several airborne troopers split off from the majority of the Arrowheads defending the steps and courtyard to aid the Jedi. Warhammer fought his way into the midst of a droid platoon, kicking and blasting through.

Wasp had ordered the airborne to reinforce those Jedi on the bridge, a decision he would later regret. Hyena droid bombers soared overhead, delivering payloads that killed several airborne. A providence-class dreadnought soared overhead, unleashing a torrent of heavy blaster fire. The bombardment pummeled the ground and broke tiles throughout the area, shattering the stone. Only Warhammer and two airborne survived, but they were separated by the dreadnought barrage. One of the airborne dragged his badly wounded brother back to the palace.

That dreadnought barrage also killed a number of Arrowheads in the courtyard, forcing the rest into cover. Batteu had left to find the Jedi, and was engaging Grievous up close and personally to avenge the death of Commando Cluster. He clinged onto one of Grievous's feet to hinder the cyborg's mobility.

Arrowheads sallied out to reach Warhammer's position, but the dreadnought bombarded the front of the palace and prevented them from reaching his position. Some Separatist vehicles began attacking the GAR forces, who were hard-pressed to defend the palace. They had to fall back deeper inside to avoid being blasted into oblivion by the Separatists' cursed dreadnought.

Warhammer fought for his life and was blown onto his back by an explosion. He lay there for a while before hearing the sounds of two gunships inbound. Meanwhile, Batteu had survived his encounter with Grievous and was assisting the Arrowheads in falling back inside the palace. While Alpha Company was elsewhere in the city, Hornet Battalion fought their hardest to keep the palace in Republic hands.

Wasp laid out a battle plan: if the rocketeers could hit the heavy droids and droid vehicles, the rest of the Arrowheads could at least match the droid army man for man. Batteu joined the rocketeers on the upper level, using his sniper rifle to pick off droids as the palace doors slammed shut and the rocketeers went to work.

Steady rocket and sniper work eliminated most of the tougher droids and their vehicle support. Wasp ordered the two airborne troopers to throw smoke grenades over the top, then slammed down his thermal visor and led Hornet Battalion and the other troopers in a large infantry offensive.

An explosion had thrown Warhammer's charred, ashen-clad helmet onto the palace steps, something Wasp noticed amidst their fierce fighting against the battle droids that had them severely outnumbered. No longer firing his carbine or sniper, Wasp drew dual pistols and downed eight droids consecutively. Notch's squad dashed through multiple buildings as they gunned down numerous B1 models.

Of the 212th platoon that assisted the 373rd throughout the operation, only trooper "West" survived. A new recruit in the Attack Battalion, he was injured in the massive shootout and had to be treated by a medic. Arrowhead micro-offensives secured vast sections of the forward courtyard. The Sixth Fleet sent in a Venator to combat the Providence in the sky.

It was the hope of the Arrowheads to secure all three Jedi and bring them into the palace. Jedi Commander Cyon, an echani, stood alongside Jedi General Cors Dessel, who was a human. They worked with an unidentified third Jedi and had nearly defeated Grievous on the bridge when the dreadnought struck. The unidentified Jedi was killed. Cyon fell into the river. Dessel was listed as missing in action. With the Jedi out of the way, Grievous was able to march on the palace in full, though he had to step over numerous forcibly-deactivated battle droids to do so.

The remnants of Grievous's initial droid army were sandwiched between two sections of the Arrowhead defenders who were too angry, too stupid and too tough and tenacious to destroy in totality. A gunship from the 55th Paratrooper Regiment arrived behind the Arrowheads, laying down blaster fire and missiles in support. The CIS dreadnought was badly damaged and the droid army defeated. Grievous retreated.

A clone nicknamed "Lockjaw", a member of Republic Intelligence, arrived with an RI agent and received information from Wasp regarding the situation as clone troopers from the 55th Regiment piled into the area. A Republic dropship brought in an Alpha-class ARC trooper, Major Alpha-18 "Rustic", whose armour included red and grey markings.

Wasp ordered a clone engineer nicknamed Yun to establish a defensible position with a turret near the palace entrance as the 373rd occupied the palace, the front courtyard and the city square. He sensed that something bad was about to happen. A squad of reinforcing paratroopers with green markings joined in.

General Grievous leapt from his hiding place and into the midst of the defenders, slicing, dicing and kicking. Numerous Arrowheads were killed or knocked back. The clones steadily encircled and outflanked him. Rustic squared off with Grievous and held his ground for a while, as aerial ARC troopers entered the city square in support. Notch's squad almost had Grievous via their tow cables, but a fresh army of battle droids marched into the city. That was when the Arrowheads realised that Grievous was merely holding them up while his forces got into position.

Several blaster bolts struck Wasp's advanced armour plating and he casually opened fire, downing several with his dual pistols. The Separatist dreadnought was crippled and slowly moving away as the Venator moved in for the kill, but then the crew reported an unidentified vessel approaching Muunilinst.

The newly arrived ship, which identified itself as the 'Bastille', stated it was a trade vessel that had not anticipated a Republic presence on Muunilinst. Wasp gunned down a unique-looking, red-eyed battle droid with a chassis made from dark metal. Then five buildings steadily went up in flames, presumably from enemy air cover.

It turned out Captain Josef and the 'Bastille' had planned on seizing Muunilinst, and wrenching it from the hands of the IG Banking Clan. Their intel was several years out of date, and they ended up smack dab in the midst of a conflict between the Grand Army and Separatist droid army.

Josef's bombardment had dealt more harm to the GAR units, who Wasp ordered to fall back into the regional palace as tri-droids and the secondary droid army marched into the frontal courtyard. Rico's 55th troopers held a sturdy rear guard action that allowed the rest of the 373rd to enter the palace. From the palace windows, rockets and sniper fire rained down.

A fourth Jedi had joined the GAR force and fought against Grievous, but he was impaled or crushed against the stone and perished. Hailfire droids barraged the front of the palace until the main archway crumbled, burying the entrance. Several of the window occupants were killed by retaliatory fire from droid tanks.

Aware that they were trapped, Wasp called for an evac. He planned on repeating the method used to save Hornet Battalion during the Battle of The Spill. His thoughts were interrupted when an MTT crashed through the rubble. Though rockets soon disabled it, the multi-troop transport managed to disgorge numerous battle droids and droidekas.

Grievous slew several clones before hiding behind a pillar to escape the wrath of Wasp's pistols. The commander primed and tossed a thermal detonator in that direction, causing the pillar to explode in massive pieces. The Republic Intelligence agent who had joined Lockjaw on Muunilinst approached Grievous and the droid army with his hands raised towards the ceiling.

Hitting the pillar with a thermal detonator had bought the Arrowheads some time, as it then fell sideways and obscured both sides of the engagement. The fighting retreat cost the lives of a second platoon of Hornet Battalion personnel plus multiple other troopers. Clones kept dying, and Wasp commandeered four men to try and shoot at a spot where Grievous was exposed. He leapt out of the way, avoiding the danger.

Arrowheads wielding rotary cannons and rocket launchers shot up the droid attack force, which included several towering tri-droids that moved into the palace. Grievous used his lightsabers to slice and gash clones left and right, before Wasp approached, slid low and kicked up against Grievous's chestplate.

The foot that performed said kick was non-biological, a cybernetic replacement procured after the Hangar Bay Raid that had cost Wasp his foot. This sent the cyborg general reeling back, as rotary cannon fire ripped through the front droid ranks, even as the thinning number of clones dropped one by one.

Only one platoon of Hornet Battalion personnel survived. They and the other survivors exited through the palace windows, entering into three gunships that immediately split up and destroyed a series of vulture droids and HMP gunships dispatched to intercept them.

Rico and the few remaining 55th from Urban Company had remained behind. Rico personally destroyed a full droid platoon as the others rigged the palace to blow with demolition charges, but they narrowly escaped in a fourth gunship. The survivors were extracted to the Sixth Fleet in orbit. The regional palace caved in, destroying numerous battle droids and killing a couple of Republic personnel whom the Separatists had taken prisoner.

Grievous sent a transmission to the Sixth Fleet, showcasing Grievous himself holding a clone's helmet. Behind him stood a field of many clone helmets placed on sticks that were pierced into the ground. Wasp had to remind his personnel that several armies' worth of droids had been destroyed before Grievous could earn those clone kills. But what really got to Wasp was the fact that the helmet Grievous held up... Was Warhammer's.

The sole-surviving paratrooper from the operation, Destiny, joined the ranks of the 373rd Arrowhead Legion. Thousands of battle droids had been eliminated in several solid engagements that had mere minutes between each other, at the cost of roughly a battalion of Arrowhead personnel. But every body they could not retrieve meant the Separatists had acquired a suit of armour.

The regional palace on Muunilinst was refurbished as a Confederate base. Locals deemed "treacherous" were lined up and gunned down by battle droids incapable of feeling emotion or resisting their orders. Several other citizens were taken somewhere else. The bodies of several clones were stripped of their armour and burned.

Wasp bitterly remarked that some pro-Separatist bankers were going to be very happy they had secured their lost purse-world. Destiny took him aside and explained that something about the Clone Wars felt wrong, and that the enemy was not using it's full resources, or else they could have squashed the Republic. Wasp countered by stating that the Seps had spared no expense when it came to retaking Muunilinst, as the casualty lists showed.

Speaking with his fellow Arrowheads, Wasp assured them they would find and achieve a breakthrough. Because they were Arrowheads, and the Separatists were traitors.

#### **Space Battle over Muunilinst**

Grievous's Muunilinst dealings went far from unnoticed. Jedi High Council member Oppo Rancisis and a battalion of clones joined the Sixth Fleet for a military operation. Wasp debriefed the Jedi General and his battalion officers. The clones were outraged upon learning how Grievous had disgraced the fallen.

Rancisis remained unaffected emotionally, but permitted his troops their right to maintain that outrage for a while before he calmed them successfully. A Separatist fleet arrived and Rancisis instructed the clones to defend the ship against boarders while the gunners did their dirty work.

Admiral Fray's fleet matched everything the Seps could do to her warships out in space. Fierce fighting overtook both fleets. Rancisis saw a cruiser being ripped apart and decided to try a gambit, withdrawing nearly all of the starfighters under his command from the engagement.

Separatist forces broke open the shields of the Venator that Wasp was present upon, then boarded the vessel in an attempt to subjugate it. Wasp ordered Arrowheads to take up arms and defend the ship. Rancisis activated his green-bladed lightsaber. A dozen B1s forced themselves through and into a hallway, where they were soundly defeated after Rancisis slithered his way through the ranks of automatons and destroyed them with his tail and lightsaber working in tandem. A pair of crewman had died, but the numbers were well within the Republic's favour.

Clones took the fight into the hallways, annihilating groups of B1 and B2 droids while word reached them that the hangar bays all had been secured and that the 264th Iron Legion had arrived. Wasp began planning boarding actions against the enemy. General Soloman Barris led Gear Shock and other Iron Legion personnel onto an enemy ship alongside Wasp and Destiny.

It became apparent to Master Rancisis that the Republic Navy was losing the space battle against Grievous's fleet, and tactical boarding actions were paramount toward ensuring room for a successful retreat. Gunships loaded with Arrowhead and Iron Legion platoons descended, entering Separatist hangar bays in mass throughout that section of space.

Large scale battles took place aboard several hangar bays. The one that Wasp, Soloman Barris, and Gear-shock entered was relatively quiet after the first few droid squads were dealt with. Oppo Rancisis remained behind to aid the Sixth Fleet in a command role alongside Admiral Fray, as Arrowhead and Iron Legion troops viciously combed through the Confederate warships.

A Jedi starfighter flew in, the canopy sliding open to reveal Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano. She slid out of the vehicle and activated a green-bladed lightsaber in aid of the clones and volunteers on board the Separatist dreadnought. Together they eliminated a quarter of B2s, but flanking unit of droids got the jump on them, and commander Tano was wounded. Together the group formed up defensively around Tano.

A combat medic tended to the Togruta's wounds as fighting continued, the clones and volunteer downing more B2s in rapid succession. A pair of droidekas rolled in. Surrounded by B1s, they advanced. Wasp used his blaster one-handed against a B2 as he primed and rolled a droid popper towards the droidekas.

Gear-shock's droid squad shot their heavy cannons at the droidekas as Wasp narrowly avoided blaster fire and downed a pair of B1s. Soloman fought on with his vibroaxe and shield, eliminating several droids. A bit dazed and confused, Ahsoka still used her lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts.

Tano agreed to focus on the droidekas as Wasp and some troopers contended with a force of newly arrived droids on the flank, which included BX-series commando droids. A commando droid got into the Republic's formation and used the butt of its blaster rifle to knock out Tano. Medics went to tend to her as the Arrowheads and Iron Legion mowed down several commandos with great difficulty.

Placing himself in front of Tano and the medics, Wasp's armour sustained several enemy blaster bolts in the process. Gear-shock hastily reprogrammed a B1 security droid and Wasp shot down several BX models.

A gunship entered the hangar bay, unloading Captain Rex and a number of clone troopers from Torrent Company. They and the original boarding party were facing off against General Grievous and some magnaguards. Wasp shot at one of the magnaguards and Rex tossed a grenade towards their formation.

501st Legion clone troopers began flanking Grievous and his bodyguards. Wasp's attempt to flank from the other side was foiled, and he narrowly avoided being sliced open. A saber slash grazed the heavy armour plating on his chest while he backpeddled furiously. Other personnel caught the general's attention, allowing Wasp to approach, prime a thermal detonator and roll it forwards, then toss his weapon -which had been slashed in half- towards the cyborg.

Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi entered the hangar bay and duelled Grievous. The droids were destroyed and Grievous made his retreat, along with his flagship and the Lucrehulk governing the assault. The Sixth Fleet and 373rd Arrowhead Legion scraped a defeat from the jaws of death.

### **Fierce Forest Battle**

Arrowheads resumed operations on a forest world following their successful victory in space. Regimental Commander Wasp, Corporal Corpse-Hawk and Corporal Jackal were the first boots on the ground. Jackal was wounded in a previous engagement, and Wasp was glad to see him. Corpse-Hawk looked up at LAATs that arrived to supply and reinforce their position.

Airborne Sergeant CT-0481 arrived on scene. He received a transmission from his squad, who had been performing reconnaissance duties nearby. The squad reported Separatist activity and Destiny recommended the entire operational element should fall back. Instead, Wasp ordered the troops to establish defensive positions. Crates and barricades were used to form and hold the line. Paratrooper CT-8525 "Destiny" arrived with additional supplies to bolster the operation.

They were joined by a clone from the 104th Battalion who went by the nicname Kicker. He had lost his friend Ding in a recent operation on-world and was anxious to deliver some retribution, and he brought an LAAT and a squad of troops with him. Wasp readied his sniper rifle and the clones were all arrayed in proper fighting positions.

All in all, their fighting force consisted of several infantry platoons, the remnants of Hornet Battalion, a single stray 501st ARC trooper and the squad of 104th troopers. They saw droids approaching from the treeline and opened fire. Jackal revved up a rotary blaster and they shot in unison, downing many battle droids. The droids had numbers on their side, and Kicker and most or all of the 104th who were present found themselves either dead or wounded.

Jackal and Corpse-Hawk moved up on the left, seeking an advantage over the Seps. Kicker was dragged back from the barricades by a medic. B1 and B2 units pushed through the treeline with light gunner units in support. A Republic droid rolled up, bearing resemblence to the Confederate droidekas, and shot at the encroaching droid ranks.

Corpse-Hawk and Jackal performed an escapade that caused explosions to go off in a line, destroying almost all of the approaching droids. Only a few dozen droids remained, and they fell back. Clones dug in further, checking their weapons and ammo.

Three artillery batteries were called in alongside two infantry support companies and an LAAT sortie to help handle the next wave. Jedi General Kin'akami joined them during the fight against the first wave, and he gestured up into the trees. Spotting enemy droids, the Arrowheads fired up into and destroyed a platform, taking the droids with it. Corporal ARC-1660 "Quiet" from Venom Regiment arrived in support.

A second wave of droids attacked on the front and flanks, but the Arrowheads downed them. General Kin'akami had moved up and there was no sign or word from him, so Wasp dispatched the three corporals, each in-charge of a two-man fireteam, to investigate.

The Arrowheads searched the forest as their reinforcements arrived back at the supply point. Wasp, Jackal, Corpse-Hawk and Quiet found the Jedi General was a ways off and away, purple lightsaber ignited in the face of a hooded man wearing a mask similar to the one worn by Darth Nihilus in the days of old. His reddish orange lightsaber blazed in the daylight. A squad of BX-series commando droids backed the figure up, as he declared that the clones were slaves to the Republic. Jackal kept his explosives and blaster ready. The Arrowheads spread out. Then the figure raised one of his hands and an orbital barrage hit the area.

Wasp took at shot at the figure with his sniper rifle. Corpse-Hawk and an infantry platoon opened fire, and though it was initially deflected by his lightsaber, their and Jackal's blaster fire proved too severe. The figure, presumably a Dark Acolyte, sustained several hits and dropped to one knee. Troopers started switching to stun rounds, but the figure used the Force. He and about eight others were pushed back and collapsed. The figure re-ignited his lightsaber, and that was when the Arrowheads blasted him with stun rounds.

Jackal, having sneaked up to the figure's rear, was considerably more effective with his stun blasts. He also slammed his blaster against the back of the man's skull, even as the figure acknowledged they appeared to have won this. The figure was humming calmly as he found himself disarmed, handcuffed and moved aboard a Low Altitude Assault Transport.

Wasp noted that their new prisoner was apparently the only hostile Force user with a sense of humour.

### **A Dangerous Prisoner**

Sixth Fleet security troopers flocked to teh hangar bay to ensure the prisoner was processed securely. The Force-sensitive prisoner, clad in dark side energy, questioned the immense security and Wasp, without missing a beat, responded that it was standard procedure. Jackal handed the prisoner's lightsaber to Wasp, who took it and observed it was another addition to the legion's collection.

A Kaleesh Jedi General joined them aboard the 6th Fleet vessel, assigned to guard the prisoner's transfer into Republic space. But within moments of his arrival, the prison block reported that the guards were being overrun and the prisoner was on the loose. Wasp initiated a sweep of the entire ship, and the Jedi General was informed by the crew that a Separatist fleet had arrived to challenge their hold on the prisoner.

The ship's crew sent out a transmission to Republic High Command, adequately informing them of the situation and their present location before they became fully engaged against the Separatist fleet. One of the engines was reportedly sabotaged, and Wasp sent Corpse-Hawk, Quiet and Jackal to guard the reactor room with their lives.
The prisoner approached the bridge, and Wasp asked the General whether he planned on fighting him. The General said yes and activated dual yellow-bladed lightsabers. A duel ensued. The prisoner briefly disabled the Jedi General, then left Corpse-Hawk and Jackal indisposed. Wasp shot him in the back several times, wounding the Force-sensitive attacker. Corpse-Hawk was left in tears due to one of his organs being crushed.

The escaped prisoner was stunned once more, and Wasp holstered his pistols before dragging Corpse-Hawk back and to a medic. A full analysis of the engagement revealed the dark sider managed to kill hundreds of crew before being restrained. Jackal oversaw the transfer of the prisoner to a maximum security prison ship with hundreds of well-trained guards.

It was decided the prisoner had to be transferred to a prison on a world that contained a Jedi sanctuary. Three Arrowhead battalions touched down to ensure things went off without anymore issues.

The prisoner was placed inside a shielded circule within the dojo. He was visited by Master Yoda, who the prisoner sensed on approach. When Yoda asked for his name, the prisoner stated that he was beyond names. Corpse-Hawk, fresh out of medical several hours later, stood with Wasp as they watched Yoda enter the shield and converse with the prisoner.

The prisoner claimed to be a Sith Lord in service to himself. The entire room shook with Force energy. But Yoda kept steady.

A Force-sensitive Mustafarian and former Jedi named Mar had infiltrated the dojo. He had secret ties to Palpatine and sought to free or eliminate the prisoner. And he brought a group of five men to assist him. Corpse-Hawk, Wasp and the other Arrowheads fought them off, but it seemed to happen really quickly, and their memory on the incident became quite foggy.

The prisoner told Yoda that he was a soldier in the Wars of the Grand Life, a regional conflict on his homeworld that led to his discovery of the light side of the Force. But when he was maimed in battle, he nearly died and became something akin to Darth Nihilus. And he sought Yoda for help quelling the dark power inside him. Corpse-Hawk and Wasp were pleasantly surprised, with Wasp noting that monsters are not so scary in the end.

Wasp decided to buy Corpse-Hawk a drink, and the Corporal joked that after the traumatic suffering he endured, he could drink enough to fill ten bars. Instead of offering him that much in alcohol, he promised Corpse-Hawk all the caf he could want.

### **Second Battle of Raxus Prime**

During the second half of the Clone Wars, Separatist forces were reconnoitering on Raxus Prime. Republic Intelligence discovered their intention of digging up additional artifacts. A mission element from the 373rd Arrowhead Legion was deployed that included Airborne troopers CT-2239 "Razor", "Snapshot" and "Spearhead", ARC troopers "Slash" and "Kat", heavy trooper "Knots", trooper "Scrapper", pilot CT-2042 "Sideswipe", Jedi General Der'a Shan and Regimental Commander Wasp. Razor witnessed the number of gunships and infantry in the region and felt sorry for the Separatists. The Arrowheads were dedicating themselves to preventing the excavation of the relics.

Separatists established anti-aircraft positions throughout the area, and the only way to reach those was through a civilian settlement. Razor said he and Spearhead could take the AA down, and Wasp noted the 373rd was permitted to use explosives to take out any battle droids in their path. However, Wasp ordered them to be careful with their explosives and use the Arrowheads armour to their advantage.

Hive Regiment's command section moved in with Hornet Battalion as an LAAT/c brought down a tank to assist. Snapshot went looking for a suitable vantage point. He rappled up a building and set himself in place. Clone troopers moved up through the town, stepping over pieces of junk and leaving footprints in the reddish sand. An LAAT slowly circled towards the area.

Two Mandalorian bounty hunters were hired by the Separatists to stall the GAR advance, Lax Statt and Okau Crix respectively. They took up positions and Statt opened fire, his blaster downing two of the Arrowhead troopers. Wasp ordered Stinger to engage with his troops as the LAAT opened it's doors and revealed that Jackal was on the scene.

Der'a Shan ignited his lightsaber and Notch scrambled for cover, with Kat planning on scouting ahead while ascending with a thrustpack. Wasp had the troops spread out to find the sniper responsible for wounding two of his men. Though unable to locate the enemy sniper, Snapshot did spot a possible Dark Acolyte, a person working with the Separatists who was armed with a lightsaber. Jackal exited his gunship with a group of ARC troopers, and the transport took off to avoid being shot down in case the sniper had anti-vehicle rounds.

Notch dashed behind a building and pulled his macrobinoculars. Arrowheads spread out and several delivered suppressing fire towards the rooftops. Poison darts flew, causing the terrible deaths of several clones who died gasping. This was followed by yellow blasterfire, which Wasp was able to trace and return fire against. Statt quickly ducked, and the temporary suppression allowed the clones to steadily move in. Snapshot could not find the Mandalorians, but managed to down a droid sharpshooter nearby.

Stinger and Jackal advanced on Statt's position as a gunship received orders to engage. Two more clones fell to sniper fire. The attack turned into a full fledged battle in the streets when several space pirates from Black Sun joined the Mandalorian mercenaries, savagely firing at the clones and the Jedi from positions throughout the area. Wasp rapidly lined one up and delivered a shot that transformed a pirate's head into charred pieces. Sideswipe moved in with his ARC-170, chasing the targets with blasterfire. This eliminated several pirates as Der'a Shan used the Force to lift Lax Statt from his rooftop position.

Five more clones fell to blasterfire as the fierce battling continued in the streets. Medics tended to various wounded, dragging them behind cover while protected by the blasterfire delivered by their stout brethren. A pirate moved towards their tank with the intention of putting a grenade down it's hatch. The tank exploded as a result. Sideswipe's ARC-170 killed Lax Statt and Okau Crix.

Sideswipe had been briefed on the Separatist AA perimeter before the mission started. He was unconcerned and knew how to generally avoid their fire, and received an order from Wasp to destroy as many pirates as possible. Arrowheads pried open the wrecked tank's armoured plating in a bid to rescue the crew. Other troopers advanced on several pirate snipers, eliminating their positions with heavy ordinance or a significant amount of blasterfire. Sideswipe noted a sandstorm was moving in and Wasp said he should stay clear of it, and land at the Republic LZ if necessary.

Nearby CIS patrols began moving away from the 373rd when the sandstorm closed in, leaving the legion with their pirate enemies. Troopers worked to repair the tank when Sideswipe informed them that the sandstorm was going to engulfe the area of operations in five minutes. Only a few pirate squads remained in teh fight, the rest thoroughly dealt with by the Arrowheads. Wasp ordered everyone to seek cover, and then communications ceased functioning. The 55th Paratrooper Regiment sent in a mission element to assist Hive Regiment, which included a two-man mortar team. Two ARF squads were also included in the mission element, under the command of one of their captains. Snapshot exited his vantage point and Kat, who was wounded in the skirmishing, was tended to by Snapshot.

Wasp ordered Jackal to get Kat on his feet and move him into a building where they would take cover and assume defensive positions. Wasp told Snapshot to acquire cover up front and get some recon in before the storm hit. He also had the tank move near to a building that it could use as cover from the storm. Wasp and some members of Hornet Battalion requisitioned an abandoned cantina for shelter. Multiple pirate warships closed in to attack, killing several of the Arrowheads, but the sandstorm encompassed that portion of the region and damaged or destroyed several warships.

A brief and garbled comms transmission from Sideswipe indicated he had lost control of his fighter. Wasp repeated his order for the ARC pilot to land his starfighter immediately. An despite the destruction of several pirate vessels, dropships had made it down to ground and were dropping off squads in the distance. They had less eye protection and more difficulty hitting the clones, and the skirmishing continued as the Arrowheads fought from various pieces of shelter. Notch took cover beside the repaired tank.

Snapshot kept trying to reconnect on comms while firing at the shrouded pirates in the storm. Several pirates were captured by Arrowheads. Notch entered the cantina and gave Wasp whatever amounted to a sitrep with all of the action that was going on throughout the region in the middle of a sandstorm with the comms not working. Snapshot and two troopers from the 55th worked to get Sideswipe free of his starfighter cockpit.

During a previous Arrowhead operation, Destiny went missing and was recovered by a group of pirates affiliated with Black Sun. The Arrowheads discovered that he was part of the pirate assault force, and he was captured by Jedi General Shan. One pirate squad hit the Arrowheads from their rear, causing a brief confusion. Snapshot and the 55th troopers entered the cantina and propped Sideswipe against the wall, where he was being treated by a medic who said he needed intense care in a Venator medical bay.

Kat burst into the cantina, claiming he knew a way to stop the sandstorm. He had lost an arm in the fighting and was badly wounded, and also happened to be the unit's artifacts expert. He argued that his chances of survival were slim enough, and he should be the one to enter the strange tower nearby. Said tower contained a machine being used to generate the sandstorm, and it was very heavily armoured with only enough room for a single occupant to slip inside and plant a powerful explosive. The factors started rapidly piling up, each one making it more and more obvious that whoever did the deed was bound to die.

Wasp wanted hard intelligence on the matter and ordered Snapshot to move out with Kat and get some pictures. Jackal entered the cantina with his ARC squad and explained the sandstorm had subsided for the time being and that one of the LAATs discovered the location of a pirate camp. Wasp ordered that despite his injuries, Sideswipe had to go back out there in a fresh vehicle and destroy the camp with Jackal's help. But then Jackal informed Wasp that the pirates had multiple civilian hostages. In that moment, five pirates moved against the cantina and were cut down by General Shan. Jackal also handed Wasp a small artifact he recovered from a Separatist excavation site the sudden sandstorm had forced them to abandon. Kat moved out and, despite hostile fire nearby, slipped past his brethren and into the tower to set off an explosive charge.

It came to Wasp's attention that Kat had blown up the tower but had somehow survived, so he dispatched gunships to perform immediate medivac. A newly-arrived tank joined the first tank and several clone troopers on a mission to secure the area. Major Brimstone of the Alpha "Mad Hatters" Company arrived, receiving a brief sitrep from Wasp along with orders to secure Kat's medivac and eliminate the CIS AA positions. But when comms went back online and it was learned that Kat was rescued by the clones, Wasp just tasked Major Brimstone and Alpha Company with trashing CIS AA and pirate camps respectively. Snapshot was sent to go help. Snapshot took one look at the wounded Kat and stated that Kat was a madman, before exiting the cantina to go complete his assigned task.

The pirates' hostages were civilians, and one of their camps was a refugee camp. They released a comms transmission threatening to destroy the refugee camp and all of the civilians within it unless the Arrowheads corporately surrendered and turned themselves in. Sideswipe downed four AA turrets and Wasp chose to move his headquarters staff outside the cantina to get them closer to the action. Der'a Shan slumped down against a wall, having expelled his energy between fighting pirates and healing clones. He received well wishes and was told to rest easy.

Sideswipe did not enter his mission alone, but rather with a group of ARC-170 starfighters taking part. Several wingmen sacrificed themselves to destroy Separatist and pirate positions across the whole region. When all of the AA turrets were down, they received overs to target enemy units in airstrikes coordinated to alleviate what ground forces were going through. The Arrowheads had achieved air dominance, and an LAAT/c setup an artillery emplacement that shot down a pirate dropship.

When the Arrowheads proved themselves capable of saving hostages and defending refugees, the pirates attacked them in mass. Seven Arrowheads fell dead from blasterfire, and their imminent retaliation sent many more pirates to their early graves. A bolt struck Wasp's shoulder pauldron, another two slamming into his chest and leaving a scar up along the chestplate. Snapshot aimed at a flanking pirate and shot him right between the eyes, killing him instantly. He then casually took out a second pirate.

Der'a Shan approached Wasp, blue lightsaber blazing, and asked if he was alright. Wasp let out an affirmative while Notch noted the pirates still seemed scattered. Wasp ordered all available Arrowhead groups to rally on him. De'ra deflected blasterfire left and right as the Arrowheads attacked the pirates. Pirate bombers flew in to engage, and at least one of them was shot down by Sideswipe and his wingmen.

Jackal slammed his rifle into a pirate to incapacitate him. Corporal Veil and personnel from Soearhead Company arrived on site, and Veil hid behind his BARC speeder. Wasp gave the order to fix bayonets. The sight of hundreds of vibroblades going off on the edges of blaster rifles and carbines proved intimidating. Der'a threw his lightsaber, which spun and took the heads off five pirates.

Jackal and two of his ARC troopers hitched a ride on an LAAT. Snapshot was hit by two blasterbolts as pirates cornered him on a rooftop and he requested assistance. The Arrowheads charged forward as one, blasting and stabbing numerous pirates. The Jedi and clones proved they were every bit as vicious in combat as the pirates ever were, but the Black Sun-aligned scum were far from adequate soldiers and their vicious demeanour only got them so far in comparison. The full militarised push was powerful, and supported by a Jedi and suitable air cover.

Arrowhead sergeants bellowed instructions to their troopers. Stance, lunge, pull. It was surprising how many pirates they could engage up close, and those that fought them got shredded. Very few of the pirates were suited for close quarters fighting with a well-trained fighting force. It was in their rapid flanking movements and blaster-based surprise attacks that they managed to kill as many Arrowheads as they had thus far.

De'ra forced a pirate's head onto his blade, severing it and ending the man's life. Notch impaled a close-by pirate in the side with his bayonet. Pirate mortars flew towards the assembled GAR attack group. The troopers spread out and avoided suffering any casualties from the mortars, and air cover rapidly evaporated the mortar crews with blasterfire. The pirates fell into a retreat and Wasp ordered all units to pursue the pirates and remove their presence from Raxus Prime.

Kat had recieved several cybernetic and prosthetic adjustments to his badly wounded body and, hyped up on pain-eliminating meds, was able to join the fight. He humorously remarked that he hated clankers, but had basically become one. Veil drove off in his BARC speeder, sliding along and engaging targets. Pirate camps were set ablaze by ARC-170 starfighters. Pirates began surrendering, unwilling to sacrifice themselves to bide time for their leader's retreat. Wasp reminded Kat that he was still a son of Jango, then sent Brimstone to Snapshot's previous location to assist him.

Jackal and his squad reached the prisoners with their LAAT and placed stun cuffs on them. Sideswipe soon was ordered to provide air cover for Brimstone's mission to retrieve Snapshot. Wasp told Hornet Battalion and the other Hive Regiment personnel to spread out in twos and threes to find any artifacts and take out any pirates or Separatists in the area. General Soloman Barris and troops from the 264th Iron Legion touched down to assist in the endeavour.

Jackal informed Wasp that all of the pirate camps were burning and the surviving pirates were taken prisoner. Another artifact was also captured. Snapshot's spotter, Eagle, had fought viciously to secure Snapshot's body from the pirates who killed him, and he was met by Brimstone as Sideswipe flew around in the distance. All of the pirate prisoners were brought to LAATs and lifted off, Snapshot's body was prepared for burial.

The pirates surprised the 373rd by returning to Raxus Prime a few minutes later with a well-armed speeder bike squadron. Wasp took aim and shot one of the drivers dead with his sniper rifle. Wasp ordered the airborne troops to focus their fire on the speeder bikes while Hornet Battalion finished processing prisoners and such.

Pirate dropships rejoined the fighting, placing additional pressure on clone forces. Jackal interrogated a pirate officer and discovered a rallying point. When Wasp received news that Commando Frog was inbound, he ordered Frog and Jackal to acquire and destroy that pirate target. Meanwhile, Wasp and Notch fought tooth and nail with the rest of Hornet Battalion and the 55th troopers against the pirate bikers and newly arrived squads of hitmen. Brimstone returned to Wasp's location and noted the Mad Hatters had sustained heavy losses. They had been attacked by Separatist BX-series commando droids. Wasp ordered Alpha Company to regroup and warned the rest of the units on the playing field. Kat had saved Brimstone, ensuring his survival.

Regimental Commander Rico dispatched Firestorm Squad to destroy the commando droids. Notch rallied his squad into battle. Wasp wished to interrogate Destiny for battlefield intel while the fighting continued. Sensors soon showed the area clear of contacts, and that meant most of the pirates had been eliminated, so the Arrowheads focused on wrecking the commando droid squads.

Wasp and a squad of Hornet troopers interrogated the pirate leader. Corporal Veil arrived with a newly-discovered small scale artifact which Wasp instructed him to take and put away. Frog commed in and explained he found digging equipment in the canyons, where a dust storm was brewing. Scrapper and his Delta Squad infantrymen rallied on Brimstone's Alpha Company remnants to fight the commando droids.

The pirate stated that he loved shooting down Wasp's men for the thrill it gave him. Frog took out a pair of droids guarding the equipment before displacing to avoid immediate detection and continue evading the CIS. Jackal discovered a hidden pirate camp and engaged them with his squad, securing another artifact. A trooper took off the pirate leader's head and revealed that, yes, it was Destiny. The clone who had disappeared several missions ago had been brainwashed into a pirate leader. He remained unconvinced by Wasp's attempts to make him realise he was fighting his brothers and that the Republic was a better alternative to whatever Black Sun was doing. Destiny loudly and openly declared that the Republic was all lies.

That was when a Black Sun pirate hit squad moved in, wildly firing stun blasts in close quarters. Five of Wasp's troopers crumpled from the initial stuns. A sixth trooper was struck by a regular blaster bolt and died on the spot. Notch ducked to the side when the pirates turned to live fire. Scrapper and his squadmates had returned and shot at the pirates in kind.

On Frog's end, a pirate jumped over his cover and received a kick to the chest and a stun blast for his troubles. Two pirates from the hit squad attacking Wasp's position remained standing, and sped away with their speeder bikes. Notch ensured Destiny could not be retrieved by the pirate team. Additional ARC-170 starfighters flew overhead, fresh reinforcements from the Sixth Fleet in orbit. It was soon discovered that all of Scrapper's squad had been killed except for one, a heavy trooper known as Brute for his particular way of getting things done.

Pirates began using civilian homes for cover as Scrapper and various other Arrowheads hunted them down. The ARC-170 starfighters under the command of Arrow 3 linked up with Sideswipe to hunt down pirates and their dropships. Wasp personally questioned Destiny and used his unique perspective and way of speaking to dig down to the root issues and remove a fair portion of the brainwashing, to the point that Destiny became capable of confessing that his mind had been altered by Black Sun.

Major Brimstone was shot and wounded in the fighting with the pirates and was tended by a medic from the squad Wasp had on his position, which was partially comprised of troopers who were still recovering from the stun blasts they had taken earlier. That was when the pirate hitmen returned with reinforcements, gunning down the squad Wasp had assigned to his person and knocking him out in the intense shootout that followed.

Then something terrible happened. Seven vulture droids flew overhead, and a droid regiment started marching on the region under the command of a super tactical droid. The Hornet Battalion survivors, alongside those who remained from the other combat units, entered into a cantina and secured it, boarding up the windows and making the building appear heavily abandoned so as to draw away suspicion. They knew they lacked the numbers sufficient to stop an entire droid regiment, as nowhere near the entirety of the Hive and 55th Regiments had been deployed for the operation.

Frog had made thirteen broadcasts, most or all of which had been unanswered during the time that Wasp spent unconscious. He was trapped in a crevasse and under heavy fire from CIS excavator operatives, and his ammunition ran low. Wasp ordered air support to assist. Brute set up a table as a barricade and attached a heavy blaster which he aimed towards the cantina doorway.

Frog doubted the starfighters could make out enemy contacts in the dust storm that filled the canyon he was occupying. Kat had been restrained by some Arrowheads because he had apparently gone crazy, and was stating that the Separatists had touched his brain. Wasp complained that this was the worst possible time for such a thing to happen.

Destiny had returned with a group of pirates and forged a reluctant and temporary truce, aware they could not return to their fleet in orbit due to the presence of the droid regiment. And CIS warships had destroyed pirate warships and dropships and sent the rest into hiding. Kat tried to attack Wasp and was restrained further. Wasp survived the attempt on his person and had Brute plant a breaching charge on the back of the cantina wall, stating his intent was to create a shortcut.

The droids planted a detonator on the barred cantina door and it exploded. An entire Arrowhead platoon held the cantina doorway as commando droids charged in. Two of them had heavy repeating blasters to match the firepower of the rockets and rifles the Arrowheads held. Brute tossed an EMP grenade that fried the first few droid ranks.

BX commandos tossed thermal detonators which caused part of the cantina to crumble. Wasp ordered troops to cave the front door in. The Separatist droids created another entrance and droidekas rolled in. A dozen clones fell at once, but a droid popper and heavy weapons fire eliminated the droidekas. Another platoon of clones rushed forward, tossing fragmentation grenades deep into droid lines.

Frog survived the fighting at the excavation site due to Arrow 3's timely arrival and made it to the rear wall of the cantina. Brimstone was injured during the fighting inside and yet again found himself treated by a combat medic. The droids temporarily fell back due to the ferocity of the Arrowhead defenses, and Kat went mad again and broke free, firing on clones while declaring he was being controlled by the Separatists. Frog and Brute's combined explosives detonated, destroying the back of the cantina and providing a convenient means of escape.

Two platoons from Hornet Battalion and several other clones escaped with the wounded personnel and generally those whose names had been mentioned earlier. Gunships swarmed in while Frog provided covering fire. The droid regiment began surrounding their position. Brute helped fight off the droids as Veil treated some of Brimstone's injuries.

Wasp forced Destiny to call in pirate dropships to help the GAR troops make their escape. HMP gunships opened fire on the Arrowhead troops as they fought tooth and nail to ensure they could live to fight again. Commando droids shot Wasp in the shoulder and chest, his armour narrowly absorbing enough of the damage that the wounds were non-fatal. The Arrowheads and pirates piled into gunships and dropships, escaping with droid gunships in pursuit. Wasp mowed down a dozen droids with his dual pistols, Frog received a slew of new kills, and Brute annihilated multiple droids before he was wounded.

Frog had covertly placed EMPs prior to his move towards the back of the cantian prior, and those went off in a single controlled detonation that made most of the droids in the region go offline. Of the multiple escaping LAATs, several were damaged and the last one out was shot down. They boarded Sixth Fleet starships and filled the medical bay and hallways with their wounded. Destiny and his pirates received temporary amnesty.

Only a portion of the 55th and Hive Regiment had taken part, and of that portion forty-two percent were killed and twenty-two percent were wounded. Scrapper had been in the LAAT that was shot down. He and his new squadmates had been executed. This fact enraged Brute.

Republic Navy Captain Roxanna Misa brought them back to the rest of the Sixth Fleet. Frog had multiple wounds that were tended, or was otherwise just very tired from the large amount of one-man army style activities he had to commit to.

A legion of clones had requested aid on a nearby world shrouded in darkness, and so Wasp brought a band of bravely volunteering Arrowheads to assist. In the back of their minds were the casualty lists from the last mission. Hornet Battalion had been reduced to mere platoons and various units were dead or destroyed. Brute was in need of a new squad. In spite of that, they had recovered a few artifacts and held back a far larger droid force. And so their adventures continued.

### **Pirate Space Battle & Dark World Rescue**

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion found itself attempting to move their personnel to a nearby world to assist the 67th Legion, troops with maroon markings who had been stranded in that darkened place. But the Black Sun pirate fleet attacked the Sixth Fleet, and so the 373rd had to break off first, boarding and disabling pirate warships from the inside until they chose to retreat. Jedi Knight and General Med Arch briefly assisted in the fighting. Drift brought a platoon inside a pirate warship with his LAAT, where they joined Wasp, Brute -and his newly created squad- and a multitude of other 373rd in causing carnage.

The 411th Military Police Legion joined in, their engineers setting up defenses within the pirates' own ships to prevent the scoundrels from accessing their technology and valuable portions of their vessels. Every time Arrowheads pushed, MPs brought in more defenses to hold behind them. MP E-WEBs proved invaluable for punching holes through the pirate ranks to permit the 373rd to advance further. Med Arch personally held Destiny at saber point when the space battle was over.

These pirate vessels were rapidly commandeered and taken to the surface of the dark world for the purpose of saving the 67th Legion's remnants. Commander Cash of the 411th insisted his personnel join in on the rescue operation to ensure a clean evac. 55th and Hive Regiment units moved down with the 411th, engaging multiple droid units and recovering the bodies -and possibly a very small number of survivors- from the site of the sixty-seventh's demise. They also fought a few monster and a completely different pirate gang.

After that, the Arrowheads returned to the Sixth Fleet, grateful for their allies and the time and chance to lick their wounds.

### **Weapon Facility Defense**

After their hasty retreat from the Raxus system followed by the destruction of a pirate fleet with the aid of 6th Fleet and the 411th Military Police Legion, the 373rd was tasked with defending a Republic weapons testing facility until it could send prototype weapons shipments to Kamino. The warships of Sixth Fleet exited hyperspace. Admiral Fray Rayen turned to her crew and began barking orders. Notch made his way to a window and peered through as starships passed by, and Jackal marched down the halls with a few troopers.

Frog, bored out of his mind, did logistics work while sitting on a crate. Notch hated gunship flights and hoped the trip to the surface would be short. Jackal reached Wasp's position and announced gunships and gear were prepared for arrival. Fray had recently been absent aiding with Republic naval doctrine on Coruscant and Anaxes.

Wasp reminded the admiral and those listening that the Separatists had been operating in the adjacent sector to the one that contained the planet they were to defend. Fray stated that upon their arrival, the Sixth Fleet would make ready for immediate combat. Jedi General Whu Fang arrived and captain Roxanna Misa announced she was inbound. Her Venator-class star destroyer was smoking and heavily damaged.

Upset by the destruction of their pirate fleet, the Black Sun deployed another fleet of warships that attacked the Sixth Fleet, which had shown up in it's entirety. Several of their dropships boarded the ship and Brute was one of the defenders, protecting a hangar bay with his heavy blaster. Fray ordered her crew to attack the enemy, noting their position was being flanked by more pirate ships.

Wasp sent Jackal's squad to defend the starboard hangar, where Captain Misa's crew had detected a hefty pirate presence. Whu Fang ordered the regimental commander to send clones to board the pirate ships. Pirates shot and stabbed clones, and when Brute reported that the pirates possessed an entire brigade in the hangar bays, Wasp ordered them all to pull back. Roxanna spoke to Fray and Wasp, stating the *Striker* still had a working hyperdrive and that she would not allow it to come under pirate control. She then joined the Jackal inside the starboard hangar bay, popping out to fire a few blasts at Destiny.

Destiny was leading the pirate attack. Jackal fought the pirates with his squad, and was slashed along the shoulder by a vibroblade. Wasp, Notch and several troopers pulled them out of the hangar bay to form a hallway defence. Due to Jackal and Roxanna's desire to fight the pirates with blade and blaser alike, they had to be physically removed for their own safety. The starboard hangar bay was sealed off and opened up on the other side, the rayshields deactivated so the vacuum of space could pull away pirates, their dropships and various pieces of cargo.

A pair of medics tended to Jackal's injuries as the hallway defence was heavily maintained, with clones in the mid-section and back and Whu Fang out front, his purple lightsaber delivering a glow throughout the shadowed segment of the ship. After the pirates were flushed out, the hangar bay shielding was reinstated. Matt and Sky were among the defenders.

Commando Sergeant-Major Frog recommended deploying jet troopers to recon the vacuum in zero-g. Wasp decided it was best to send a gunship from one of the other hangars. Pirates broke out into the hallway and a shootout took place. The ship's engines started failing as a result of pirate sabotage. They loosed volley after volley on the pirates, and Frog opened fire with his DC17m sniper attachment, sending a high velocity bolt screaming towards Destiny.

Simultaneously, Destiny shot a bolt that apparently stunned Whu Fang before delivering a stab. Whether his armour or body was damaged by Frog's sniper shot was not mentioned in historical records and the registered after action reports. Jackal sniped pirates left and right. The combined fire of Notch, Matt, Sky, Brute and Jackal filled that hallway with pirate corpses.

Whu Fang was dragged back into safety by several clone troopers. Jackal's weapon went full auto when a unit of elite pirates arrived, and Frog activated and hurled a pair of impact grenades from his backpack. Jackal ditched his weapon for a z6 rotary cannon. Sergeant Notch ordered the surrounding troopers to keep the enemy pinned down. A handful of Arrowhead troopers died in the shootout, their casualties relatively minor compared to that of the pirates.

When some pirates sought cover, Frog rolled a thermal detonator down the hallway that sent several of them flying, their bodies partly vaporised in the explosion. Jackal's rotary cannon began to spin. Brute continued firing his heavy blaster. Jackal mowed several pirates down himself before tossing a grenade that added to the losses in their ranks. Whu Fang had recovered from the effects of Destiny's stun bolt and re-ignited his lightsaber, charging forwards to re-enter the engagement.

Frog's careful sniper shots took more pirates down. Around sixty-two remaining pirates were taking part in the assault. Jedi General Tor'Lin Mira had been performing duties elsewhere on the ship to stop the pirate advance and soon joined the other Arrowheads. Jackal sent out his squad's assigned LAAT to hunt the pirate vessels. It was soon joined by an entire squadron of them, shooting down pirate dropships before they could get inside.

Other hallways reported similar successes and the Arrowheads began a cautious advance against the pirates. Trooper squads ensured the engines and reactors were secured. Soon the pirates were entirely beaten back and Destiny was in retreat, hundreds of his men rendered KIA. Arrowheads moved themselves to the surface of the lush, green world below.

Several pirate gunships attacked the Republic weapons testing facility there, but were repulsed or destroyed when the 373rd's LAATs arrived in mass. AT-TEs and artillery were placed down. Notch let out a low groan as he exited one of the gunships.

Aware the Separatists might attack and that the pirates had additional gunships off in the distance, the 373rd dug in. They began placing traps out front and digging trenches behind. Destiny sent out scouts to test the Republic lines. Brute mounted his heavy blaster and waited. Short skirmishing. General Mira yawned and complained that he hadn't slept in three days. Several members of the 264th Iron Legion joined the defense, including General Barris and Sergeant Rewind. Frog checked the base's supplies and informed Wasp they were good on ammunition and weapons systems. Jet troopers prepared to ambush the foe from above.

Lambda Squad was designated QRF and sabotage, while the other Arrowheads established row upon row of troopers and trenches, weapon emplacements and walkers, tanks and anti-air. General Mira agreed to take up the middle section. Second Lieutenant Traps arrived and took up a defensive position alongside the rest of his brethren. Vulture droids approached in the distance, the loud whines of their movements beheld by all present.

The vulture droid squadrons opened fire, lighting up forward defensive positions and prompting assembled clones to return fire. Gunships arrived, bearing Commander CC-4075 "Cash" and the 411th MP Legion's Titan Regiment. Distant Separatist dropships were too far to hit, but the frontal trench formations found themselves able to shoot down numerous vultures with minor losses. Titan Regiment's gunships shot and damaged or destroyed various CIS dropships on the way in. Three battle droid legions marched forth from the transports that made landfall to challenge the Grand Army.

And then all of the 373rd's artillery batteries stationed on that world opened fire. SPHAT and heavy gun shells slammed into the forward droid ranks. SPHAT blasts and heavy gun shells slammed into the forwarf droid ranks. A hailfire droid's rack exploded, eliminating the surrounding droid platoon. A continuous artillery bombardment rendered holes across the enemy's inbound battalions. Brute joked that the Arrowheads should be referred to as the Can-Openers due to how they tore the droid army apart.

Some Separatist artillery returned fire and more vulture droids attacked. A clone next to Jackal lost his arm and another one farther off lost his head. Droid blasterfire slammed into another trooper as Wasp took aim and fired his twin pistols. Brute revved up and fired his heavy blaster. Turret and sniper fire ripped through approaching droid squads and cut down swathes of droids. Medics moved towards fallen Jedi and clones, moving and tending the wounded.

Clones in the hills then lit up Seppy positions with blasters, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and hidden tank units. The jet troopers joined in. B2 platoons and droideka squads bolstered the B1s and still suffered casualties. Tor'Lin's Alpha Mad Hatters Company earned numerous kills. A hailfire droid destroyed an AT-TE and numerous AT-TEs delivered mass driver shots into Separatist lines. Tri droid starfighters flew over the field, firing down towards Tor'Lin and Barris. The first twenty minutes of the massive battle eliminated two regiments of droids.

Titan Regiment planted shields down and an engineering squad established an E-WEB. This allowed the 373rd to hold the front trenches much longer than was initially thought possible. Jedi Commander Telia Ari'ze was one of the Jedi on station, and handed Jackal a pair of EMP detonators to use on the droids as they marched up. Transmissions from the 501st Legion alerted the 411th, 373rd and 264th that they and Commander Tano were inbound to assist.

Hornet Battalion had planted itself in the first trench, several of their troopers dying when the droids got too close. They only had two platoons left from the Second Battle of Raxus Prime, so that was quite the loss. Hundreds of droids fell before that happened. A downed B2 crawled up and held on to Wasp's foot. Three B1 models took advantage of that and lit him up with blasterfire. Simultaneously, Titan Regiment succeeded in establishing seven E-WEB positions.

Four blaster bolts slammed into Wasp's armour as he aggressively gunned into the damaged B2. Two droid regiments advanced into clone lines, fighting them ruthlessly in close quarters. Several approaching B2s were gunned down by Wasp's pistols and an entire company of surrounding clones fell to Separatist blasterfire. Brute eliminated entire squads by himself using his heavy blaster. A third droid regiment moved in, but was broken up by the arrival of troops and assets from the 501st Legion, with Ahsoka Tano in the lead. Still, dozens of clones died to droid rocket and blasterfire.

411th engineers then established anti-projectile field generators to better assist the engaged GAR units. The forward trenches became compromised, most of them overran by an entire droid regiment. Two droid legions plus air support turned to engage troops that had attacked their rear. Wasp fought hard in the forward trenches as Brute and Rewind covered his retreat. Entering the anti-projectile field activated the explosives various droids were carrying or had loaded up in their vehicles, destroying many of them thanks to the 411th's Titan Regiment and it's creativity.

Jackal's squad got into LAATs and dropped bombs, grenades and detonators across the width and breadth of the droid ground forces. This signifiantly damaged the second droid legion. EMP grenades thrown by the 411th fizzled throughout the first trenches, deactivating hundreds more. This allowed the survivors from the forward trenches to assume secondary positions. 373rd walkers leaving the trenches were ensnared or outflanked by the droids and few found their way out. The 411th decided to forego the retreat, instead holding incredibly well-protected defensive positions against the encroaching sea of droids.

Narrowly avoiding the massive wall of anti-aircraft fire, HMPs strafed the trenches with rockets and lasers. Arrowhead rocketeers opened fire on droids trying to exit the trenches. Cash made his way over to Wasp as Jackal and Brute's squads annihilated numerous droids. Cash informed Wasp that if they made a push, recovering wounded was a possibility. When Wasp said the Arrowheads could not afford to charge out like that, Cash stated the 411th would do so with or without support from the 373rd. Unwilling to allow for the 411th to lose too many troopers on their account, Wasp rallied what was left of Hornet Battalion and had them affix bayonets. Tano decided to go with them and brought a group of 501st for that purpose.

Cash's ARC troopers went into full charge with Hornet Battalion troopers and some 501st not far behind. Wasp had also rallied other troopers until the 373rd's contribution to the attacking force numbered a battalion in size. 411th EMPs removed ninety droids from the front lines. Brute, Wasp and Rewind were in the thick of it. An engineer squad with shields pushed up with the medics. Reinforcing 501st LAATs brought a savage beating to the droid forces until the first droid legion was entirely crushed, and the second began it's advance with various armoured units ranging from hailfire droids to armoured assault tanks.

Notch joined the effort to save the wounded. Hundreds of clones in the mid-line were wounded or killed when the second droid legion's vehicles opened fire. Walkers and artillery retaliated in kind. The 411th's Venator remained above in the sky and delivered a volley of blaster fire that destroyed the forward droid elements until only two platoons remained to contest their challenge for the wounded. Jackal was shot in the shoulder and leg, but kept fighting regardless. Back behind GAR lines, Telia Ari'ze had been wounded and was being tended by General Mira, who healed her wound with the Force. The 373rd and 264th's flanking force found itself engaging commando droids up the hill and to one side.

The 411th's Venator shifted to engage the Separatist force's rear. At least three jet troopers perished on the flank, but most of the BX commandos were destroyed. The 411th pulled out the last salvagable clones from the trench and a withdrawal to the mid-line defensive positions took place. Notch worked to facilitate the transition of the wounded to the back of the GAR's order of battle to ensure proper treatment was delivered. The second droid legion and all of it's armour was destroyed, but the third legion packed plenty of armour in the form of hundreds of AATs.

Consistent Venator fire reduced the entire droid force to cinders. Three battles had reduced Hornet Battalion to a few squads. The Arrowheads reformed their lines, tended the injured and began clean-up duties. A pair of Mandalorian bounty hunters opened fire from one of the stone ridges near the facility. Twin blasts struck Wasp's armour and he fell backwards several feet, sidding along the ground. The clones hurried to close ranks and the jet troopers opened fire on the bounty hunters' location. Jackal called an LAAT airstrike on the ridgeline.

A medic from Titan Regiment moved Wasp and treated him. Notch and his Meatbag Squad gathered up around Hornet Battalion's troopers, shielding their regimental commander from additional blasterfire. The clones and Jedi marveled at the number of droids wrecked during the battle. Reconnaissance and the Sixth Fleet warned that an assault force by General Grievous was heading towards the planet and had evaded their ships entirely. Mountains of anti-air fire flew up at approaching droid dropships.

More commando droids attacked, these ones under Grievous's command. Grievous sliced several clones into pieces, a cybernetic whirlwind of lightsaber-wrought death. LAATs, artillery, walkers and hudnreds of clones lit up his position. Wasp temporarily governed the defence until he collapsed and was pulled away for further treatment. The ghost troopers from the 808th Lich Battalion joined in, landing via drop pods and revealing they were assigned to take on Grievous. The cyborg general fled in retreat. The 373rd Arrowhead Legion received orders to return to their main base on Krada.

### **Mission on Teo Raz**

The 373rd prepared to situate a mission element within the medical facility on Teo Raz. Officially, this was to aid in the recovery of their wounded. Unofficially, Wasp wished to rid a multitude of Arrowheads of their inhibitor chips. He was joined by Regimental Commander Rico, Corporal Corpse-Hawk, Sergeant-Major Frog and Matt, Brute and Jackal, along with Jackal's squadmates Twice, High Light, Nerf and Black List. Jedi General Kelli Mond and Senior Commander Cash of the 411th MP Legion arrived, and they briefly conversed with Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, who just happened to be in the neighbourhood. Kelli distainfully stated that Skywalker was the esteemed Jedi Council's pet. Wasp accessed private helmet comms and warned the other Arrowheads not to get on her bad side.

After Skywalker asked after Grievous's whereabouts, his forces finished refueling and left the staging area. Wasp saluted Kelli and she returned the salute. She explained the rest of the 411th were staying back, and only she and Cash were going to partake in their mission. Wasp filled them in on their experiences with inhibitor chips, particularly surrounding the Commando captain who attacked them during a spy-hunting operation on Naboo. Kelli stated that CT-5555 went rogue after something similar happened to one of his friends. General Soloman Barris, Battalion Commander Zealot, Captain Ace, Sergeant Shepard and Gear Shock joined in with another trooper from Iron Legion. It seemed quite a few prominent figures were interested in this systemic removal of the inhibitor chips. While preparing for their mission to Teo Raz, Wasp surprised Rico by offering a set of armour in the 55th colours, forged from the same material as the rest of the 373rd's armour. It was the first step in the process to fortify the 55th with the Arrowhead advanced armour. Rico had survived the battling against Grievous on Muunilinst and pulled himself from the rubble, back to the waiting arms of the 373rd.

BX-series commandos raided the medical facility. The combined force destroyed them all. This was followed by a single rogue Jedi attacking the facility, before he was surrounded and stunned by the Arrowheads and thrown aboard a transport ship. The small 264th and 411th elements left after providing security efforts. Multiple Jedi and GAR officers knew about the Arrowheads' unconventional choice, but they did not inform High Command. If the Republic learned the 373rd was experimenting by removing the inhibitor chips, the unit would have faced castration and decomissioning. The others were curious, due to the rising number of incidents wherein the presence of inhibitor chips either corrupted a clone's mind or allowed for a clone to be brainwashed or manipulated. The sacrifice the 373rd was making allowed for them to monitor the situation and see what would happen.

Wasp, Jackal, Brute, Matt, possibly Rico, and various other Arrowheads had their chips covertly removed on board the medical station. Wasp spoke with Rico, discussing the merits of the new armour received by the 55th. Wasp stated the 55th was no longer running suicide misions.

### **Rescue on Loegallo**

Removing themselves to the Sixth Fleet, the Arrowheads received a distress call from ARF Corporal CT-5993 "Shepard". His squad was ambushed on a remote section of a forested world, Loegallo. It was a Republic world that bore terrain highly similar to that of Naboo, where Rico noted the 55th had ran an operation or two back during their service for Republic Intelligence. The 373rd had linked up with the 246th and some of the 411th, and recommended the generals alert local security forces. Kelli noted the GAR and PDF garrisons there were small, and that this might be a trap to draw them out and expose the capital city for an invasion.

Rico stated his troops could assist the local garrison and prepared for an airborne drop. The GAR task force for the rescue mission was augmented by a Republic Commando, Lieutenant Vaulta, who was ordinarily attached to operations performed by the 187th Legion, and first lieutenant J'en from the 41st Elite Corps was also there to help. Other units were likewise inbound due to the perceived large scale threat, and were to remain on standby without compromising other Republic worlds.

Airborne Trooper Matt was set to work alongside the airborne troopers of the 55th for the duration of the mission. Lance Corporal Cayde, Corporal Sau, and Sergeant Jackal were among the Arrowheads assembled. Cayde and Sau were riding with Jackal's squad for the op. One of the forces on standby was a Republic Army group led by General Hanzar. Soloman Barris ordered his Iron Legion troops to lock and load. The 104th Battalin joined in with Jedi General Plo Koon.

The airborne entered the area of operations with their drop, followed by the 187th commando lieutenant's group, then the 41st platoon and the Arrowhead and Iron legions proper. As the airborne went in, Wasp's gunship slowly descended. The rest of the combined army followed. The Iron Legion larties actually landed right after the airborne did. One of the 55th's LAATs was shot down, but the pilot and troopers escaped. The 55th also made first contact with a unit of droids.

General Hanzar declared this was going to be one of the Republic's most successful victories. But the majority of the enemy force had not been spotted, nor ascertained in their scope and scale. The airborne rapidly seized an enemy outpost within the forest. The 264th protected the flanks. Kelli ordered several tanks to stop firing towards the forest, so as to avoid friendly fire.

AT-RTs moved to engage, but per Kelli's advisement the push into the forest was cautious. And for good reason, as the enemy was revealed to be fielding BX commando droids and a number of camouflaged B1s. The 55th deployed their own requisitioned, reprogrammed battle droids to meet those of the Separatists. Kelli casually deflected blaster bolts with her lightsaber and a number of clones fought along the left flank. Hanzar's force broke through a shield the Separatists had deployed over some of their assets, using several cannons.

Thousands of enlisted infantry under Hanzar roved around the forest, revealing and crushing multiple Separatist positions. Matt sent a comms transmission declaring that he was cut off and surrounded by droids. Matt's position was reached by two Jedi and Vaulta's platoon, Wasp and the Hornet Battalion remnants -which had been expanded to company-level-. Matt's wounds were treated by one of Hornet's only remaining medics. Droids were on every side. Grenades exploded, blasterfire flew, the droid ranks thinned considerably. Kelli arrived, announcing there were no more droid stragglers behind them and a retreat was possible. Wasp thanked her and they began pulling back.

Hanzar's cannons opened fire, and that turned out to be a useful thing, because the Separatists had brought in a tank force to ambush Wasp's group. Instead of waiting on Wasp to pull back entirely, the entire mission element made a fighting advance to his position. One of the Jedi ordered the clones to move up, went against a company of B2 super battle droids, and then ordered them to retreat. Wasp chose to hold his ground. Said company was joined by other B2s until it amounted to battalion size. General Barris and various clones and Jedi arrived to combat and destroy the threat. Simultaneously there were droid aircraft inbound.

The 55th annihilated several droid units and attacked the remaining CIS force from the rear, then the 264th attacked the enemy's left flank. When the 411th MPs brought in gunships, the bulk of the enemy's B1, B2 and tank units started collapsing. But the Separatists had a trap card in the form of a thousand battle droids brought around to attack the rear. Hanzar brought his troops back to fight them. J'en was knocked unconscious and seen to by a medic. Arrowhead rocketeers proved especially deadly to the droid groups ahead.

Cayde was wounded and rushed to a Sixth Fleet Venator. Zealot dragged J'en back while the medic continued assisting. A Jedi severed the head of the tactical droid leading the droid assault. The GAR task force reunited with the 55th, including a bloody-faced Rico. Jackal was also wounded and half of his visor had been smashed. The droid army entered a retreat.

In the aftermath of that battle, Jackal removed his helmet and the task force relaxed. The Arrowheads themselves had experienced minor losses, only twenty of Hornet Battalion's troopers had been killed or wounded during their time spearheading. Hanzar congratulated the assembled GAR and Jedi personnel, informing them that they were all heroes. Then a mysterious portal appeared behind him, widening until it sucked a clone trooper into it. The portal then shrunk after a shadowy figure stepped out from it, and a similar portal opened up behind the group. Several more clones were sucked in. Numerous troopers fired at the portal and the figure as Wasp screamed for evac over comms. Cayde noted staying to fight the anomaly was pointless, and gunships were heard overhead.

J'en was personally seen by General Hanzar aboard the Sixth Fleet, apologising for the trauma the 41st Elite Corps lieutenant had witnessed. It was an impressive effort, the evacuation. It had airlifted thousands of troops within mere minutes. There were no further anomaly reports after the event took place, and Wasp ordered the supply personnel at Krada to order more armour and supplies from Kamino. Matt was promoted to Corporal. The Iron Legion received thanks for being such a big help during the battle. Corporal Shepard had been rescued, but his squadmates were not so lucky. They had died fighting droids.

Shepard noted that being aboard a Venator was many times better than being trapped in a forest with murder tree bots. And then the Sixth Fleet warned of an approaching fleet of warships.

### **Third Pirate Battle**

Black Sun's pirates were squaring up for the third time, when a portal appeared within the hallway of the Venator the combined army's leaders were on. The being who stepped out Force-pulled a Jedi towards it's position.

The Sixth Fleet fought the Black Sun pirates using several Acclamator-class assault ships, earning an impressive victory against twenty-some pirate warships. Wasp and Plo Koon moved to a Venator at the front of the fleet that was about to be boarded, shoring up one of the hangar bays with two platoons of clones and a pair of E-WEBs that immediately fired on the approaching pirate transports. The E-WEBs took fire and exploded. Pirates threw grenades at the clones, but Plo Koon used the Force to throw them back.

Four CIS navy ships exited hyperspace. Among them was at least one Mandalorian mercenary in a custom starfighter which shot ion blasts into the Venator's armaments. the small CIS fleet's destroyers eliminated multiple pirate ships and they began falling back. A reinforcing Republic fleet arrived to assist the Sixth Fleet. Wasp and Koon stood in a hangar bay wherein numerous pirates had been slaughtered in open combat.

B2 super battle droids exited troop transport ships in that same hangar, a third E-WEB gunner fruitlessly trying to take it down. Koon used the Force to slam two pirate dropships into each other, disabling both craft. Destiny approached Wasp and tossed a vibroblade in his direction, challenging him to a duel. Wordlessly, Hive Regiment's commander raised both pistols and shot at the brainwashed turncoat. Koon went after the Separatist mercenary, who launched a poisoned dart that impacted the general and disoriented him, also inhibiting his ability to use the Force. The mercenary then deployed smoke bombs as an additional unit of B2s entered the hangar.

Arrowheads took losses and began pulling back steadily, Wasp rolled a droid popper into the enemy's front rank that disabled roughly thirty of them. Those few pirates who had not fled decided to form a temporary alliance with the Grand Army, as the super battle droids were proceeding to gun down everyone they encountered throughout the ship.

The ruthless super battle droids found themselves being fired on with rockets and rotary cannons from various positions as crew and Arrowheads poured into escape pods with a few of the space pirates. General Plo Koon and Wasp were the last ones to enter a pod, alongside a handful of clones and three pirates. Those present had never fought a Mandalorian with the level of skill they encountered in the hangar bay, and all of the clones present wore armour covered in blast marks.

CIS Recusant-class destroyers were joined by some Munificents, but that did not save them from the Sixth Fleet and the reinforcing fleet led by a Commodore. Although a Venator had been taken by the Separatists, they lost the space battle. Wasp had lost two platoons of Hornet Battalion troops, something that deeply upset him in the escape pod. Plo Koon told him to calm himself. Destiny remarked how he did not remember Wasp from any prior encounters, but did recall Plo Koon. He claimed he had lost two armies, twenty-five divisions, in prior engagements. Although Wasp felt no sympathy for the pirates, he admitted that he understood Destiny's pain. It took great personal restraint for him to avoid attacking the ex-airborne where he stood. Plo Koon broke them up before it could escalate.

A trooper manned the comms and sent out transmissions. A nearby scavenger fleet exited hyperspace near the scene, salvaging wreckage and pulling in the pod. Destiny warned Plo and Wasp that this scavenger fleet in particular was known for being vicious and well-armed, and they were also the victims of consecutive Black Sun piracy raids under Destiny's command. Destiny's pirates had stolen blueprints from the salvage ships to produce their own salvage branch. This embittered the scavengers towards him.

There was a bounty hunter ship offering to provide aid, it came under fire from the scavengers who also shot at the escape pod. The bounty hunter exited her ship and was allowed into the escape pod. She was Moi'ra Vaz, a former Jedi Knight who had embraced the dark side and way of the Sith.

The ensuing series of engagements with the scavengers in their ship killed all of the clones present with Wasp, wounded Destiny and killed his pirates. Plo Koon, though wounded himself, survived the encounter and they prevailed, killing most or all of the scavengers and parting ways with the bounty hunter. Destiny rejoined the tattered remains of his pirate fleet as Wasp and Plo Koon went back to the Sixth Fleet and headed for Krada.

### **Celebrating What They Had**

"Wasp. The hell happened." "A Mandalorian happened." - Ay'rn and Wasp.
Several of Arrowhead's more infamous troops were stationed in the Sixth Fleet's capital ship. Ay'rn stood in a hangar bay, staring along and ahead for a few seconds. He had arrived via an LAAT with members of Barret Company after learning about the situation regarding Hornet Battalion.

Wasp was in an office room shuffling and signing dataslates. Ay'rn strode in, looking at Wasp and inspecting the room. Springy, Notch, Wick and Matt followed soon after. Ay'rn remarked how fancy the room looked with the red elements inside, and Wick declared that his sense of direction had never failed him, guiding him to Wasp's location. Notch noticed the office red gave his eyes a rest from all the dull grey aboard the rest of the Venator.

Ay'rn and Wasp discussed the Mandalorian mercenary who fought alongside the Separatists, and Ay'rn questioned if it was one of the Death Watch. Wasp stated there were no such markings and he had never encountered a Death Watch warrior with the fury this mercenary had. A heavy blaster, whistling birds and grey armour had been his calling cards. Notch suspected he was clanless. Wasp explained the six troopers he brought aboard the escape pod with him had perished, and he was recalling the other remaining Hornets from their assignments. That included Trace and four ARC troopers who might have been alive, but the vast majority of the rest of the battalion was dead or MIA.

Notch suggested hunting the Mandalorian mercenary, Temor, but understood engaging him with anything aside from a proper elite squad was a dead wish. Conversation continued while Admiral Fray ran scenarios on the second bridge to test the Flight Control crew.

Among the Arrowhead discussions was plans to attack Raxus Prime and see if the armour stolen from fallen Arrowheads remained there. Between that, Muunilinst and the Venator lost in the space battle prior, there were over six hundred sets of Arrowhead armour in need of retrieval. They thought for a bit, the Captain explaining if the Venator was intact it was likely heavily modified, boobytrapped and crewed by droids, and that the CIS had been underestimated to the Grand Army's detriment in the past. Notch added Raxus Prime was Separatist home turf and incredibly hard to make an impact towards. When Wasp delivered an estimate on how long it would take the CIS to research the armour composition and apply it to their battle droids, Ay'rn theorised a full scale assault could be undertaken before that time frame was completed.

Fray made her flight control crew run laps inside the ship. When Wasp stated the Arrowheads could move even faster, Ay'rn jumped on that idea by recommending an infiltration mission. A small team slipping through the enemy blockade around Raxus Prime might work. Plans were considered, and smaller ones were implemented, although it was going to be some time before the push to regather the armour was made.

Afterward, Wasp said they were going to acquire equipment and repair their armour. Until then, the 373rd's goal was to rest. He dismissed the troops from the office. Fray entered after their departure. Wasp was lost in his memories when she approached, and she stated that she did not appreciate being ignored. With some minor coaxing, she got him to explain Hornet Battalion's demise, the cause of his woes. She sympathised but needed his head in the game and told him to take a lap around the ship if that would help. Wasp decided to remain seated and Fray delivered her condolences for his loss before leaving the room.

Ay'rn rerturned with the others and several of them conversed. The Barret Company captain reminded Wasp a small number of Arrowheads had been taken by the CIS and experimented on, brainwashed into meat-droids. He questioned whether Wasp would hesitate to shoot a brother. Wasp said he would have shot Major Tango, the commando major who went rogue during the 373rd's Mimban missions. He expanded on his statement by saying the 373rd should stun in close quarters and use lethal blaster bolts for range, and not hesitate to employ those methods on brothers who had been turned against the Republic and the unit.

Ay'rn left the room with most of the others. He had become more... Cold and calculated for the time being, with the understanding that an attack on Raxus Prime would be a suicide mission. Jackal and Ay'rn met for the first time, with Ay'rn introducing himself as the clone that forced Grievous to retreat during the defence on Kamino. When everyone had left, Wasp activated his helmet's communications filters and screamed into his helmet as his fist shook against the desk. When the screaming that no-one else could hear had died down, his shoulders visibly heaved. Notch asked if he was alright, to which Wasp responded that his battalion was dead.

Wasp had come up the ranks with Hornet Battalion, starting off in charge of a company and then building the battalion he led through to his promotion to the commander of Hive Regiment. Hornet had been his elite troops, the hardened fighting force at the front who were infamous for taking minor casualties and absolutely annihilating their enemy. Notch awkwardly left, not finding anything to say.

Ay'rn and Wick discussed the ramifications of a possible mission to Raxus Prime and Major CT-1385 "Hammer" entered the office. He reported the Patrol Company's first ever reconnaissance operation was successful. They had gathered intel on a specific region in Raxus Prime suspected of containing the Arrowheads' stolen armour. Separatist activity there was rather light. Wasp thanked Hammer and inquired about the patrol unit's weapons, to which Hammer responded they had received their new carbines and that he possessed the new heavy blaster. This was the result of successfully defending the weapons testing facility. And during their recon, only one man was wounded. He slipped on a ledge. The unit had avoided skirmishes as ordered.

Exiting his office after dismissing Hammer, Wasp met Notch and inquired whether Admiral Rayen was currently in the bridge. Notch delivered an affirmative and the Regimental Commander placed a hand upon the Sergeant's shoulder, assuring him things would be put right for the Arrowhead Legion. Wasp's arrival on bridge was announced by a crewman. Meanwhile, Ay'rn was asking Wick what would happen if he dual wielded smart rockets.

Wasp announced their intent of slicing through CIS territory to reach Raxus Prime, and Fray inquired as to who authorised such a mission. She was unable to perform a jump to lightspeed without permission from the higher ups. Wasp acknowledged this and they went and spoke privately, where he revealed Frog's discovery of several tonnes of Kavlian steak and a five-layer cake, which was still in the freezers. Plans were laid in motion to host a party for the clones and crew, for a much-needed morale boost. Admiral Rayen also received a circlet on a string, with a light and appealing brown colour and a green flower emblem in the middle. It was the Kavlian Battle Flower, forged for soldiers and officers who displayed immense courage and prowess. She accepted the gift.

As they walked away and down a hall soon after, Wasp naggingly insisted that he be put on her security detail with party leftovers in a midflight transfer, as she had elsewhere to be, likely advising High Command and other elements on naval strategy. In the meanwhile, Captain Tarren Valpol was placed in command of the Sixth Fleet's flagship. When Fray Rayen left, word spread throughout the ship that an enemy infiltrator was aboard.

Though it took a while, they discovered and eliminated a series of BX commando droids and their infiltration team was destroyed entirely. Although cooperation between Wasp and the new captain proved clumsy and frustrating initially, they had proven their ability to work together. There was nothing to stop the entirety of the 373rd Arrowhead Legion and Sixth Fleet from enjoying an unexpected party.

### Desert World Massacre

Wasp, Matt, Jackal and Notch, Veil and Sharp touched down on a sandy backwater of a planet someplace in the Outer Rim, several hyperspace jumps away from Confederate space. Since enough of the local populace was pro-Republic, the Arrowhead Legion deemed it appropraite to relax. There were GAR units and fleets between them and the front lines. Troopers headed for the cantinas while others remained on guard duty.

A power outage briefly affected the cantina, and a dancing droid was suspected of being a possible saboteur. But the Arrowheads' relaxation and drinking continued while they maintained their trademark vigilance. Corporal Veil got drunk, so Wasp sent him and Matt to guard the transports at the spaceport. A Force-sensitive with a purple-bladed lightsaber attacked the Arrowheads. A local Jedi on assignment approached, glowing dual yellow blades blazing as he ordered the adversary to surrender. Gunships arrived to provide fire support for the clones, but they soon discovered a full-on Confederate attack had penetrated into Republic-occupied space. General Grievous himself fell from a shuttle that was located in midair. His claws struck the sand and he activated two of his four lightsabers.

The clones and their Jedi ally fought Grievous and the dark-sider, several Arrowheads were cut down in the fighting and battle droids arrived to reinforce the general. A Mandalorian warrior wearing black armour with red trim also opposed the fighting troops of the 373rd, but was convinced to relent. Sharp was wounded and pulled into an embattled Sixth Fleet vessel in orbit before being placed inside a bacta tank for recovery. Wasp received a lightsaber wound to the leg. The dark-sider, a small creature, ran up along the wall and sliced through the legs of several clones. Jackal disarmed him and he unleashed a flurry of Force Lightning against the ARC sergeant, but not before Jackal had acquired the creature's lightsaber. But it was not added to the 373rd's lightsaber collection, as the dark-sider used the Force to propel the energy weapon back to himself. But Jackal's ARC troopers had seized three lightsabers from General Grievous.

Despite Wasp's heavy leg injury resultant from a lucky saber strike, he continued governing the 373rd's defence in that area. The dark-sider tried escaping in his ship, which was damaged by the gunship that personally carried Jackal's squad into every engagement they were involved in. The creature used a hyperspace ring and the Force to make a narrow escape.

Medivac gunships arrived and ARC-170s fought off droid starfighters. An Arrowhead trooper earned his new nickname, Zaps, from the fact he was nearly zapped by the dark-sider. The Arrowheads only lost six men to Grievous and the dark-sider, including Corporal Veil. Considering many engagements with Grievous throughout the war had cost entire companies and battalions from various GAR forces, it was a miracle more Arrowheads had not been slain.

After leaving the planet with the Sixth Fleet, they encountered Mobile Battlegroup 14. Jedi General Kelli questioned Wasp and some other Arrowheads on the events that had unfolded prior.

#### Lava World Engagement

A Republic garrison on a world with volcanic conditions was attacked by the Separatists and sent a distress signal. Kelli, Mobile Battlegroup 14, another Jedi and the 373rd were involved. The droid army had reactivated factories they recently lost when the Republic took back that planet.

The two combined fleets engaged the Separatist warships while a small Jedi strike team gleaned valuable reconnaissance data on-world and sabotaged enemy infrastructure. Acting fleet admiral Tarren Valpol, who had taken over the Sixth Fleet in Fray's absence, proved excellent at fleet tactics.

Various fighter pilots and crew lost their lives. At least two CIS Lucrehulks were eliminated alongside numerous other droid warships, and a Separatist boarding attempt was halted and negated by the 373rd and a clone commando squad. Commander Acer knocked out a Mandalorian working for the Seps in the hangar bay before exiting in his fighter alongside the rest of Ghost Squadron. Acer's squadron scored numerous droid starfighter kills. However, Ghost Squadron lost most of it's roster during the battle.

Another hangar bay was boarded, and though most of the troops and technicians there survived, it was overrun and BX commando droids entered a corridor. Several clones gave their lives in a holding action. Jedi Knight Jonathan Nexus was aboard for the duration of the mission, and he activated his orange lightsaber and protected the hallway. Wasp approached with a fresh platoon to reinforce Trooper Zaps and the men of Hammer Down Company. They fixed bayonets, all too aware of the BX-series' capacity for weaving through blasterfire to enter CQC. Although SBDs and droidekas joined the boarding action, the attack was repulsed with minor GAR casualties, including Sharp. None of the Sixth Fleet or Mobile Battlegroup 14 lost any warships during the battle. Wasp was on the ropes facing off against commando droids and was shot in the back by one when a trooper ran one through with a bayonet, saving the regimental commander's life. Zaps then tackled the droid corpse to ensure it could do no harm towards Wasp.

Additional Boarding Action Details:

Wasp and Trooper Zaps were among other GAR personnel stationed aboard a Venator-class Star Destroyer when it was attacked by Separatists. Master Dar'wyn, a human male, and Chi-ve', a Rodian male who dual-wielded double-bladed lightsabers, led the counter-charge to free the ship. They reached a turbolift where a squad of droideka destroyer droids exited, followed by a group of elite BX commando droids led by a BX sergeant designated "Vector".

Wasp, Zaps and a platoon of Arrowheads fought to defend the ship with various weapons. Acting Fleet Admiral Tarren Valpol commandeered command of the Venator, which was part of the Sixth Fleet, and had four ARC-170 starfighters position themselves outside the hangar where the boarding party had landed. The pilots and gunners ripped into the HMP gunships and droids.

Dar'wyn deflected blasterfire. Zaps dove for cover after suggesting using thermal detonatirs and slipping them through the droideka shields. The forward platoon of clones began taking casualties, and one squad used rocket launchers and thermal detonators against thte droids to some effect. Buzz droids sneakily clambered through the ventilation shafts, fully intent on killing any beings they came across.

Zaps threw a droid popper towards the Separatist boarding party. This was effective, but clone cohesion was suddenly eliminated when buzz droids exited ventilation shafts to attack them from behind. Clones reeled back screaming as they were cut and pierced. Wasp turned, dropped his carbine and drew dual sidearms before firing on and destroying most of the buzz droids. Turning exposed him and he was shot in the back.

Dar'wyn's padawan was also in the fight, with two small green lightsabers that served to differentiate his weapons from his master's blue double-bladed one. Clones streamed in rom other portions of the ship as their brethren died screaming and Wasp lay collapsed on his belly on the floor, a waft of smoke rising from the blaster wound in his back. A BX commando rushed over to him while wielding a vibrosword. One of the Arrowheads stepped out from cover and shoved his vibrobayonet at the commando droid.

Zaps slipped a droid popper through a droideka shield, frying the internals and disabling the power battle droid. The clone trooper's bayonet went through the BX droid's head, saving Wasp's life. Zaps turned around and tackled the droid to the floor for good measure.

A Venator attached to the 55th Paratrooper Regiment exited hyperspace and helped drive off the Separatist fleet. Tarren stepped out from nearby the bridge to the hallway where Wasp had been driven back to and collapsed alongside trooper Fex. He slid his scarf over his nose and ducked underneath a blaster bolt, then drew a pistol. Zaps dragged Wasp behind cover in the bridge, which Tarren Valpol fell back to before the door to the bridge shut closed.

Part of the operation involved a land invasion to a lava world for the purpose of saving several Jedi, which the 55th was promptly sent on with a full scale airborne assault. Sergeant Trek and the blue-marked 77th Airborne Company arrived in a hangar bay and thus the droid boarding party was stuck between two opposing forces and blasted to smithereens. Seventeen gunships and a few other space-borne vehicles attached to the 77th flew towards the planet.

Kelli Mond arrived aboard and revealed their sabotage trip had been highly successful, with the enemy anti-air completely destroyed. The 55th was withdrawn from the action so that the Sixth Fleet could bombard the world below. All of the Separatist droid factories were obliterated in the bombardment that ensued.

Multiple orbital bombardments and the large scale deployment of the 55th Paratrooper Regiment utterly destroyed the Separatist presence on the planet. Two Arrowhead squads were requisitioned by an entirely different Jedi to secure a Sith holocron which was then brought back to Coruscant by the Jedi in person.

### **Tion Cluster Campaign**

#### **Tion Cluster, Desert World**

The 373rd were grouped with the 667th Legion for a sudden advance into the Tion Cluster. Gunships and transports exited various venators from the 6th Fleet, with acclamators slowly following behind. Some Separatist starfighters and anti-aircraft emplacements provided resistance, but most of the LAATs made it groundside to an abandoned warehouse that served as the LZ.

Notch gripped the handrail hard, ignoring his queasy stomach as his gunship touched down. He hated flying. Wasp, volunteer trooper Laura Scoff, ARC-5475 "Shark", Corporal Matt, Jackal and Captain Ay'rn also exited gunships. Republic Commando captain and sniper RC-1244 was already there to provide overwatch support.

The 21st Legion's Jedi General, Dar Tone, had been on the ground a few moments prior. Wasp conversed with him and the other unit officers while noting the 667th was going to arrive at the landing zone with Major Spitfire and Jet.

Ay'rn unholstered his DC17b pistols and led the way as Wasp ordered the assembled troops to clear the landing area and prepare to attack Separatist lines. Shark lowered his rangefinder and scanned the horizon. A platoon of droids moseyed in on the abandoned warehouse, rifles levelled forward. They began firing.

Spitfire slid into battle in a kneeling position, Jet stepped up and began firing with a rotary cannon. Wasp's sniping skills removed a sergeant from the droid platoon. Jackal shot his blaster, the assembled Arrowheads joined him. Their combined initial volley brought two of the platoon's squads to ruin. Ay'rn rushed towards a rushing droid, slamming his head into it and firing thrice into it's chest.

Continued fire removed the rest of the droids from existence and the warehouse landing zone was secured. Another group of battle droids tried attacking through the front doorway, but Laura Scoff tossed her custom-made chain explosives and the rest of the Arrowheads finished off the remainder.

Shark and Jackal's squads checked the doorway. They and their fellow ARCs shot up some droids from an overlook and gave Wasp the all-clear to move through. Mandalorian mercenaries in the Republic's employ joined the operation. One of them reported the Separatists had seized several prisoners from other clone units nearby. The Mandalorians were ordered to sabotage the enemy's capacity to fight back, as the Arrowheads prepped their artillery.

Separatist units milled about the rocks, ruins and old housing ahead. Several Republic fighter tanks had been captured by Separatist army troopers. Wasp explained the enemy infantry outnumbered them despite being lower quality, and said they needed to stop the Separatist-commandeered tanks. Troops attached their grappling hooks to the cliff edges and rappled down.

A mortar team set up and began firing on the droids and tanks over yonder. Ay'rn led Barret Company in an assault that left several tanks in tatters. They lowered themselves down the cliffs and ran towards a hill, where the company took cover. After taking position, they returned fire on the droids, PDF and tanks ahead.

Captain and acting admiral Merchant sent a comm transmission stating he was soon to arrive on-planet. The 264th Iron Legion began arriving. One of the Mandalorian scouts explained that the left flank possessed several droids equipped with force fields. Laura Scoff commandeered a hostile tank as ARC troopers fired rockets, disabling several more.

Barret Company eliminated the force field droids and several PDF on the left flank, along with a whole slew of tanks. It was effectively cleared. A single LAAT with dark green markings flew through the sky, doors closed. Its beam turrets tore through a handful of hijacked tanks. Iron Legion jet troopers opened fire on the enemy from high ground. The LAAT broke line of sight past the mountains on the left flank as Barret Company hijacked and put a fighter tank to full use against the enemy. The Barrets piled out and their advanced armour protected them from hostile fire so they could seek cover and retaliate.

Tarren Valpol, Merchant, arrived at the LZ. Two squadrons of gunships delivered additional reinforcements and support during his arrival. Republic-hired mercenaries distributed extra flamethrowers to several clones. It was at that moment that Rico and the 55th Paratrooper Regiment joined the Arrowheads on the battlefield. Barret Company continued their frontal push.

LAAT/cs brought several AT-TEs down to the battlefield. Notch used multiple thermal detonators to blow up enemy troops. 373rd artillery fire barraged the distant foe. Wasp ordered the mercenary and commando elements to focus on the remaining tanks while the infantry were to maintain perimeter security and slowly push back the opposition.

Merchant received a situation report to help him get a better grasp of what was happening. Trooper Scoff was an enemy hangar she had infiltrated when the place collapsed, so Wasp sent Rico to investigate and dig her out of a rubble pile. She had single-handedly eliminated the hostile hangar bay and a factory with her explosives.

Barret Company applied suppressive fire on the main defensive forces, racking up a considerable body-count on scrapped droids. They made a stalwart defense while the ARCs moved aggressively with blaster and vibroblade against the enemy. A plume of fire and soot erupted in the mountains beyond the left flank, perhaps indicating the LAAT with green markings had been shot down.

Merchant flagged down one of the AT-TEs and negotiated with the crew to get them to bring him closer to the action as hundreds of Arrowheads advanced. Their area secure, several Barret Company personnel, including Ay'rn, took a quick hydration break. Wasp noticed the plume of smoke and ordered several gunships to scout the flanks on flyby runs and find out what was going on.

An unknown transmission was received across all channels in the mountains. Merchant wanted a squadron detatched to that position if able. Blue Devils Squadron arrived there first. The gunship had crashed and several clone troopers from the 12th Legion were sprawled out in a defensive circle around it.

Wasp had Blue Devil Squadron protect the survivors at the downed gunship and then sent Laura Scoff and a shiny named Charger to go help. Meanwhile, the ARCs had discovered enemy infrastructure and planted explosives to blow it to high heaven. The Arrowheads received orders to perform a gradual advance with AT-TE support into the nearby towns.

The ARCs found and eliminated the enemy tactical droid commanding the defenses. Starfighters attached to the 55th began assisting the Republic Navy in shooting down vulture droids.

Trooper CT-1028 "Tri" was near Wasp and so the Regimental Commander sent him to go help the troops sent to aid the gunship on the left flank. Charger returned without Scoff and delivered a status report before returning. Shark arrived with the tactical droid's severed head. He had also retrieved data from a droid factory, and Wasp sent him and Jackal back to finish the job and destroy the factory.

Jedi General Taxok saw Laura Scoff arrive with a group of clones on speeder bike. Their foes were a horde of organics entrenched in the cliff face ahead, raining down blasterfire. The general noted it had taken the Arrowheads a while to respond to the transmission. Meanwhile, the 55th was the first unit into the outlying towns with Barret Company following behind after eliminating a tertiary enemy force. The 55th and Barret Company had orders to link up with each other.

When Laura invited the 12th Legion survivors to the 373rd forward staging area, Taxok explained that all of his wounded already bled out and he was taking the rest of his forces to a medevac. They were withdrawing.

Ay'rn linked up with the 55th and they started taking the towns together. Tri was sent to join them along with Jackal and Sharky. A trooper from the 55th named Tanner was shot twice in the chest and died on the spot. Sometime later, a transmission reported the full withdrawal of the surviving 12th Legion personnel. The Arrowhead response was a message expressing regret for their losses and wishing them good luck in their future endeavours.

Merchant and Wasp took to a hill with some troopers and command staff to observe the goings-on from afar. A squadron of hyena bombers were on approach, their progress impeded by a small amount of GAR AA. Wasp ordered that Merchant be brought inside an LAAT. Taking aim with his sniper rifle, Wasp opened fire on one of the droid bombers and destroyed it. He then damaged or destroyed a second and damaging a third. The LAAT with Merchant inside began spooling up its engines. Wasp ordered the squad of troopers he was with to open fire on the third and fourth bombers when a sense of unease dropped upon the whole rear guard. The fifth hyena droid survived to drop its payload on the cliffside before exploding in a fireball. Wasp had asked for 55th-attached air support, but the starfighters and y-wing bombers were slow to arrive due to recent tasking over the townships.

Wasp took off like a bullet, dashing towards the gunship. Meanwhile, Aggie exited a Force portal on the cliff above, quickly dispatching any guards on overwatch with her staff. That final bomber's torpedo payload had landed right next to the gunship, which was essentially destroyed and hit the ground before beginning to slide off the cliff. Activating his tow cable, Wasp slid over towards it. The gunship was nearly at a ninety-degree angle to the ground when Merchant tried to force his way to his feet.

Jedi General Tor'lin Mira arrived on the cliffs, and battled Aggie. She was a Vahla, who he might have recognised as being of the race his Order had nearly exterminated in the past. Wasp grabbed Merchant and used his sniper rifle's tow cable to exit the gunship and descend to the ground. Aggie stated that Tor'lin was a fool to believe the war was as simple as black and white, and Tor'lin retorted that she was too dull-minded to comprehend the ongoing battle and said he wanted her to turn away and leave. When Aggie used her staff to send some rocks falling towards Wasp and his rearguard, Tor'lin's use of the Force saved them. Aggie used the opportunity to bolt forwards and kick him off the ledge.

Mid-air and many feet up, Wasp remarked that he'd give much to have Frog's thrustpack in that moment. He and Merchant exchanged amusing pleasantries. While they worked out their situation, Aggie and Tor'lin battled fiercely. Help arrived for the two officers from the 411th Military Police Legion, in the form of a gunship that kept low as it approached the edge of the ridge. Thus the pair were saved by CC-4075 "Cash".

A cargoship landed on-world as the fight between Tor'lin and Aggie wrapped up. It was a smuggler who proceeded to sell food to the civilian population at a modest price. Laura Croff regrouped on Wasp's position to inform him the factory was gone, the 12th had been evacuated and the towns were fully secured. And several HMP gunships were spotted leaving the area.

With the battle over, the 411th squad who showed up took off in their gunship. The Arrowheads began forming up at their landing zone for an evacuation. Jedi Padawan Car'men A'nada temporarily joined them at the LZ. They returned to the Sixth Fleet. When Car'men saw Rico was having a rough time, she used the Force to ease his mind.

#### **Tion Cluster, City Siege**

The Arrowheads had to seize another world in the Tion Cluster. On that planet, the skies darkened grey with a purplish tint. Separatist starfighters flew overhead. Beyond lay a fortress, it's walls clad with droid defenders, blasters at the ready. An airborne trooper, rank of sergeant, looked at the assembled force of paratroopers inside the gunships and stated their objective was to clear a landing zone for the clones and Jedi to make landfall. He declared their's was to mop up droids in the designated area like lightning and go straight for their heart.

Lights went green and the doors to dozens of gunships swung open, and airborne Arrowheads poured out with carbines, rifles and pistols. They dropped from the transports with parachutes and thrust packs. These things were brought to bare and got them onto the ground where they engaged in a decisive attack on the enemy.

Vulture droids clipped several clones upon descent. AATs and droids were visible on the ground at the designated landing zone, where airborne and paratroopers such as Corporal Matt struck the confused enemy.

A few B1s fell from their blasters. They had the tanks and the rest of the droids to eliminate, and most of the airborne strike force was comprised of veterans from the 55th Paratrooper Regiment. After taking down that small number of B1s, the group collectively encountered a blue-skinned togruta armed with dual lightsabers that were active, glowing white and purple. When Matt aimed his blaster at the newcomer, the togrutan man advised against it.

He explained it was not the time he expected to meet more clones. The last of the airborne touched down using thrustpacks and parachutes in a surprisingly gentle descent. Their platoons broke off and started gunning for distant droid targets. A damaged LAAT was smoking as it flew by, and another new arrival leaped from it and touched down at the surface of the landing zone.

Rico was with Tuxedo Company and Matt in the front, being questioned by the togruta. They knew that Commander Wasp, Captain Cluster, Sergeant Jackal and the landing assault force were not far behind.

The togrutan Force-sensitive began using the Force to toy with a newly-arrived Jedi, that was the figure who had leapt from the gunship, and AATs and B1s moved to support him. The togrutan was a Dark Jedi who had proclaimed himself Darth Umbra. The Jedi demanded that he surrender his blade.

The Jedi Knight was A-Juni. Black-haired, dark-skinned, bearded and with white eyes and a top knot. He wielded a purple lightsaber and a blue one as hee faced off against Umbra, whose lightsabers shifted into a double-bladed setup wherein the purple blade became red. The Arrowheads tussled with the droid tanks and B1s nearby, with the main force nearly there.

Lightsabers clashed back and forth as the pair fought. Matt and a squad began flanking the Separatists nearby. As they fought, A-Juni taunted Umbra, saying that he was getting slow. Umbra told A-Juni to stand down, but the Jedi rolled and kicked the dark sider aside. A trio of AATs shot their weapons at the airborne clones, killing several. Matt tossed shock grenade that zapped two droid squads and permanently put them out of commission.

Then the full swarm of LAATs landed with Wasp, Cluster, Jackal and Notch stepping out. They joined General A-Juni there. Only twelve gunships had brought in the airborne, but infantry and walkers were carried in by dozens more. Darth Umbra had been beaten in his duel with A-Juni and taken captive as a prisoner. The tanks had been destroyed by the gunships' missiles and the LZ was entirely secured when the clones created a strong perimeter.

A-Juni had been appointed the Jedi officer for the engagement and within moments a hundred gunships had toughed down throughout the region. He and Rico entered a brief argument when the regimental commander was unwilling to follow an order, and the spat ended with the Jedi telling Rico to hold the position.

Wasp surveyed the carnage at the landing site and spoke with Matt, who reported the area was clear and they had a prisoner. Notch had exited his own unit's LAAT, ever grateful when he wasn't flying and could touch ground. Wasp congratulated him and told him to get Umbral into a gunship with a squad of guards. Troops were then ordered to begin securing a perimeter for the siege emplacements, artillery and anti-aircraft positions while rifle squads carried out persistent patrols.

Rico was glad Notch and Wasp had made it in one piece. Matt had a group of troops bring Umbral into an LAAT that took off for a Venator immediately, their rifles set to lethal. The enemy fortress lay before them, so the Arrowheads established siege camps to saturate the enemy walls with artillery. A-Juni inquired about the fortress inhabitants, with Wasp responding that intel stated the occupants were armed combatants through and through.

A-Juni ordered additional reconnaissance sweeps to determine there were no neutral individuals, any non-combatants or any prisoners within. Wasp complied. LAAT flybys performed recon duties while additional patrols ensured the Separatists weren't outflanking the Republic forces.

Rico felt uneasy because the Jedi was tasking the units without giving them a full briefing beforehand. Wasp explained that mission parameters sometimes changed. The last of the gunships and other transports had deployed siege equipment and troopers, so the siege was ready to begin in earnest.

As the GAR force moved to attack, A-Juni had a brief and vivid memory from his past. Children scattered upon contact with enemy fire, his lit blade standing still. And then, as Notch assured Rico that they were prepared for the battle ahead, the Jedi returned to the present day. The 373rd's strategy called for a good slog, but they were capable of considering retreat if things turned nasty. Gunship pilots reported no apparent civilian presence in the fortress ahead.

Darth Umbra had escaped capture and confronted the Arrowheads at the approach to the city, amidst the sound of cannons, artillery and weapons platforms unleashing torrentual firepower against the walls. These included the Self-Propelled Heavy Assault Cannons. Captain Hazi Indaza brought her space forces over the region to provide additional support for the barrage.

Wasp sent a few units of infantry forwards to skirmish with the walltop defenders and laze weaknesses and valuable targets for the artillery. A shiny trooper approached and began behaving weirdly, before it was revealed to be a BX commando droid that Notch destroyed.

Separatist mortars and turrets returned fire on the GAR that were in range, dishing out a few casualties. A squadron of STAPs flew in and attacked the landing zone. A pair of clones were killed and an AT-RT exploded. ARC-170 starfighters from Vanguard One-Nine engaged and destroyed the droid assailants. A-Juni used his communicator to direct local units against the fort defenders.

Another Republic Navy command arrived and deployed a prototype AT-AT. The 55th had deployed ARF troopers who began moving against the fort.

Some mortars fired by droid crews in the stronghold were endangering the lives of some clone troopers. The 373rd's siege weaponry targeted the mortars and removed them from the equation. One of the STAPs swerved in and shot down another clone, and Wasp retaliated. he downed it by firing thrice with a blaster pistol.

A-Juni deflected incoming blasterfire with his lightsaber. A group of droids moved out to the bridge in front of the city, and were engaged by the 55th ARFs. A-Juni said the droids there would have to be cleared for a successful advance. A sentry reported three droid HMP gunships coming in from the 373rd's right flank.

Several tanks from the 55th landed and moved to join the siege. Half the starfighters deployed to assist the GAR forces were strafing the fort. Other starfighters began targeting some of the STAPs. A-Juni ordered several clone troopers near him to get the front line under control, and battalion after battalion formed up.

A-Juni upped the offensive by using the Force to leap onto a GAR tank before then propelling himself onto one of the stronghold towers using the Force. Combination fire from several AT-TEs and AT-RTs destroyed the very last of the STAPs. A vulture droid stuck to an ARC-170 and, despite the clone pilot's barrel roll, it was shot until it spun out of control and into a cliff.

A final offensive rally by the CIS forces took place in the form of a ten-droid BX squad that A-Juni Force-pushed into a 373rd artillery barrage. A second ARC-170 was shot down, but the pilot professionally flew his doomed starifghter into the fort. An AT-TE fell to three HMPs. Anti-aircraft emplacements were fighting to bring the droid gunships down. The rest of the vulture droids harassing the Republic forces were destroyed by the ARC-170s.

A-Juni was wounded by walltop sentries and troops returned fire. The final stage of their charge was prepared. Notch sprayed blaster bolts at the droids and asked the Jedi if he was alright, and the Jedi's response was to shout at the clone and tell him to move it.

A transport flew overhead, deploying an All Terrain Tactical Enforcer headed by Lieutenant CT-545 "Striker", the most-known AT-TE driver in the 373rd, who was piloting an experimental walker during the planetary engagement. This walker was known by the designation Walker 3389. Then the charge took place, consisting of all four battalions of Hive Regiment and also a significant portion of the 55th Paratrooper Regiment, with their vehicles and sentry positions and emplacements being moved farther up to support the effort.

Lieutenant Striker's walker saw immediate action, because behind the BX commando droids had been a Dark Jedi who identified as a Sith. Wearing a mask with a skull visage and wielding a red-bladed lightsaber, he sought to aid the Separatists and defeat the clones in mass. The true extent of his power was never discovered, as Striker's walker was essentially a prototype AT-AT and it gunned him down. He was entirely unprepared for it. The AT-AT then stepped on his corpse for good measure.

Vanguard One-Nine and the associated naval units stated the necessity for their element to withdraw from combat. Wasp thanked them for the assist and said he owed Vanguard drinks when the fighting was over. From the besiegers, a chorus of rockets and missiles slammed into the walls and turrets. Masonry crumbled and battle droids crumpled along the entirety of the line.

CIS mortars destroyed two platoons, and then a pair of SPHATs ripped through the walls with their cannons. A-Juni went up against a large unit of B2s and used the Force to send them crashing into a nearby river. The walls were ripped apart as siege engines fired deeper into the fortress. Hive Regiment and the 55th continued their push, nearing those walls. A-Juni emphasised that he wanted all forces directing fire into the heart of the city. Backed by the AT-ATs, the GAR was unstoppable in this battle.

Airborne troopers stealthily made their way into the city gates to secure them while the Jedi and clones stormed the causeway into the city. The Arrowheads smashed into the CIS droids like a tide. The airborne fought droid battalions stationed ahead. Notch took a blast from a droid, gunned it down and kept going. Wasp blasted a B2 to death and a clone from the 55th sent a rocket into an AAT, destroying it. Lieutenant Striker's AT-TE sustained too much damage and creaked as it slammed into the ground, crushing several clones and droids under it. Combat engineers moved up behind the swarm of clones and their Jedi leaders to attempt repairs. Airborne elements proceeded to strike a different position in the city to distract the Separatists.

What served as the Separatists' last resistance efforts were six droidekas and a B1 battalion. The downed AT-TE's mass driver took out the droidekas. A BX commando charged at Rico, who countered by stabbing it in the head. The clones proceeded to outflank the enemy, finally providing room for some of the nearby Jedi to activate lightsabers and use their abilities. Corporal Matt declared that his group had secured the other side of the city.

When Notch announced the gate and causeway secure, Wasp ordered medics to attend all the wounded and medivac them when possible. When casualties were tallied, three droid regiments had been destroyed and three clone companies in turn. The 411th Military Police Legion, as their Jedi General explained, were going to seize the city's armoury under Commander CC-4075. She believed most of the weapons were to be dismantled or given new serial numbers and issued to less-important units, such as planetary defense forces. The 411th also helped repair damaged Arrowhead workers.

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion communicated with the 264th Iron Legion to ask them to garrison the city. Meanwhile, light hostile activity had been spotted in the planet's southern region, one of the deserts, where several archaeological dig sites existed. Notch was promoted to Sergeant-Major and tasked to a platoon that Wasp was bringing for the operation, along with the 411th's Jedi General Mond, and an accompanying Jedi padawan.

#### **Tion Cluster, Desert Dig Site**

Master Mond, Commander Wasp, Commander Rico, Sergeant-Major Notch and Corporal Matt exited their gunship in the southern desert with a platoon of clones in tow. The dig site seemed abandoned. Rico had desert camouflage painted on his armour. Though they did not know it at the time, the tombs of Darth Kor and Sith Lord Cre'nx were present at the dig site. A group of 55th troopers had arrived ahead of the group and popped out of the sand to meet them. Mond used her precognition in case the group came under attack.

A garbled transmission hit the GAR comm net, with the only word in the alien transmission that they understood being "Republic". Separately yet simultaneously, Mond felt a chill down her spine. A barrage of rockets slammed into the ground, but the clones saw it coming.

An alien warrior wearing cloak-capable stealth armour, Ira RenKor was intent on allying her small band with the Separatists. Her warship attacked the GAR investigation team. Simultaneously, pro-CIS insurgents from the local population attacked the clones, as did Cad Bane in a Munificent-class frigate. An LAAT from the 55th was forced down by Separatist militiamen and destroyed in the fighting.

Though the Separatist forces turned on each other, it was still a difficult battle and most of the Arrowheads and 55th present in the small force perished. They were aided by a Republic mercenary and a commando, but were still forced into cover, even after one fourth of the militiamen had been killed.

Wasp was wounded and called for reinforcements. The Sixth Fleet dispatched Venators and various aircraft to medivac the few remaining survivors.

#### **Recuperation**

After a series of brief skirmishes across several worlds, Wasp returned to the 6th Fleet with Notch and various others. Admiral Fray noted Wasp seemed greatly diminished, and in a state of immense depression. She confronted this and discovered it was due to the considerable losses his forces had taken, particularly in regards to Hornet battalion, which had been significantly reduced in recent campaigns. After comforting him and lifting his spirits through conversation, she was escorted to a shuttle that sent her off to the Anaxes naval college. Fray was due to teach courses there, and the 373rd wished her the best. Captain Tarren Valpol was made acting admiral over the 6th Fleet in her absence.

### **Hunting Metal Rats**

A group of commando droids infiltrated one of the 6th Fleet's vessels, resulting in a mission where the Arrowheads had to hunt them down. Despite minor clashes with Valpol in the chain of command, they successfully destroyed the enemy and improved their relations with the acting admiral.

### **Tank Push on Aduran**

A tank squad moved to support the 373rd and their 55th Regiment on Aduran. The city they were taking was in ruins, and an enemy bombing run destroyed all but two tanks. The 55th's airborne elements also partook in various sniping operations to help pacify the region.

### **Paratrooper Mission on Aduran**

The 55th Paratrooper Regiment was deployed to Aduran to defeat the Separatists. Their sharpshooter teams were on the move, trying to stay alive in the planet where urban landscapes had been transformed into deadly hellscapes. A squad of clone troopers was lined up against a stone wall and shot to death by a squad of commando droids, while a sniper-spotter team watched, helpless to stop them.

Flek and Rozz were their names. A sniper and spotter respectively, they decided the commando droids could not get away with that. They acquired a position in a nearby building and took aim. A 55th-attached starfighter flew over the battlefield on a surveillance run, spotting Flek and Rozz, as well as a nearby Tuxedo trooper named Guess.

Taking careful aim, the sniper lined up a droid and pulled the trigger. The blue bolt pierced the air and took the droid's head clean off. A second shot snagged another tinnie in the chest before the pair took off running, and displaced to another location. Sliding through a hallway and then running ragged past an alley, the pair slid into a garage. They moved through an attached house and ascended a stairwell to reach the two windows on the second story and get eyes back on the droids.

Guess and Commander Rico were hiding out nearby, with a small small number of troops who were hiding from the enemy's probe droids and their roving patrols. The GAR forces in the area were heavily outnumbered, and caution was in order.

The sniper delivered two more shots, the sound resounding through the streets to the point that Rico and Guess could overhear. Realising they were still alive, Rico used comms to reach the team and retasked them with watching over a group of survivors in the middle of town, to allow them to regroup at Rico's position.

Rico hoped they would remain safe. The sniper covered the spotter while he dashed across a street littered with wrecked speeders. Intent on assisting, Rico led his squad towards the combat zone. On the way, he vaulted over a destroyed tank. The spotter used his carbine to cover the sniper's approach, and then they both took cover behind one of the wrecked speeders.

A squad of the 55th had ambushed a droid prisoner escort unit, saving Captain Domino and Lieutenant Jumper. They were in danger from retaliating droid units, and so the sniper-spotter team had to cover them until they could reach Rico. Domino and Jumper were behind cover with what remained of their rescuers, and Domino responded to one of Jumper's quips by telling him to keep his mouth shut, before dragging a droid behind his cover and stabbing it with a vibroblade.

Another trooper, CT-2124 "Phoenix", arrived on the scene before Rico could get there, blasting a light post to send it crashing down on the droids, which it also set on fire. B1 droids marched into the town square, their attentions divided between the attacking 55th troopers and the sniper-spotter team, who procedurally downed the droids as they arrived. Then the team got suppressed by incoming blaster fire.

Low Altitude Assault Transports dropped Bled Company and Owl Company into the square, and together they all fought like dogs of war until the few remaining droids surrendered at the town hall. Unifying with Tuxedo Company, they proceeded to secure the town and the outlying city.

### **Ending a Hostile Takeover**

"Looks like a hostile takeover." "Precisely."
- Anakin Skywalker and Avvin Blaise discussing the situation.

Rallying on board a Republic venator under Admiral Kamto, Regimental Commander Wasp was with ARC-118 "Jackal" and Major "Stone", who was part of the patrol companies. There they met with Jedi Master Avvin Blaise, general Anakin Skywalker, general Tal, Lieutenant CT-545 "Stinger", ARC trooper CT-1466-7 "Locket" and Commander Rico, the latter just returning from another battle on Aduran.

A nearby world was occupied by the Separatists, and Jackal's squad had perfomed covert reconnaissance. He had Wasp's permission to brief the room. The droids possessed tanks, super battle droids and a few space cruisers. Tal noted the Sixth Fleet was temporarily hobbled as Tarren Valpol sought to regroup his ships. The enemy was going to fire on them as soon as they exited hyperspace.

Kamto noted his fleet was still recovering from a previous attack. Wasp watched from a corner, alongside the stone-faced Hammer. This confirmed Tal's suspicion that the fight would have to begin in space, first. Most of the enemy's droids were down on the planet, leaving the cruisers vulnerable to boarding actions.

Blaise suggested they split the Jedi, one or two to go after the ships. Skywalker agreed, saying they should prioritise getting a Jedi into the lead cruiser. Kamto consented to carrying out the bold strategy. Jackal noted they could attack the enemy from multuple directions if they planned carefully. Tal offered up his unit's gunships for the Arrowheads' use, because his own unit was recovering from a recent engagement and found themselves few in number. This was fortunate, considering Kamto's LAATs had been destroyed prior. Jackal advised sending a few walkers and tanks to support the infantry.

Blaise agreed to board the lead CIS cruiser, while Anakin decided he and Tal should head for the surface. Fleet crew went towards the bridge, gunnery stations and other relevant areas while clone troopers moved towards the hangars and their officers and NCOs made the final preparations.

Although the fleet's lead Venator had it's deflector shields disabled within moments of receiving fire from the droid fleet, the Arrowheads were able to safely make landfall in a dusty mountain range on the planet below. Tuxedo Company was one of the first units on the ground, and secured a landing zone before Hornet Battalion touched down, followed by the 55th Regiment proper.

With the troops on the ground, the fleet was able to go ham on the enemy in space. Meanwhile, Skywalker and the other Jedi present with him -including the padawan Heiwana- led the clones in an all out attack on the droids ahead, making heavy usage of tanks to clear out the tougher elements at the Separatists' front line.

Jackal performed well on the front, with Stone performing deep reconnaissance ahead to keep the Arrowheads informed of every move the Separatists made. Master Avvin Blaise flew in a starfighter above, delivering barrages against a CIS cruiser and delivering immense damage to it. Stone encountered at least one AAT and destroyed it with a smart rocket launcher.
Stone then reported two B2 super battle droid companies on approach, so Wasp requested that Rico engage them with the rest of the 55th. The Paratroopers moved in mass against the B2s, eliminating them from the equation that was the dust-covered battlefield. Communication with the navy above was faulty, thanks to interference, and Wasp had to ask that Blaise and his padawan attache' Zi'ara Cadere move to assist them in orbit. Simultaneously, Wasp was informed that escape pods were falling down to the planet, the results of several Republic warships being destroyed. He sent troopers to look for the pods and rescue any survivors, and led two platoons of troopers towards that task himself. They found Admiral Kamto and had medics see to his wellbeing. He informed Wasp that the Separatists used prototype droid bombers to destroy his ship, and gifted the clone commander with a prototype miniature shield generator to help him in the fight ahead.

At the front, Jackal, Rico and Stone put the hurt on the enemy forces. Troops from the 55th annihilated a section of the droid army with riflemen and flamethrowers used on conjunction, an effective combination that quickly cleared ground. A pilot attached to the 55th flew over the battlefield and took holographic pictures of the engagement to assist the recon detail.

Cutting through a unit of affiliated clone troopers from outside the Arrowhead Legion, General Grievous revealed himselves to the 373rd, his rivals on the field. The 55th's troops briefly displaced him by attacking him with massed flamethrowers. After the cyborg moved to another location on the battlefield, one of the 55th troopers asked if anyone else wanted to go for a drink when the battle was over.

Stinger approached Wasp's group, piloting an AT-RT at the head of several more of the small walkers. He explained there were droids moving through some canyons to attack their flank. The commander told Stinger to report the information to his company's captain and then take the walkers to intercept. But when he learned that the enemy outnumbered Stinger's platoon of walkers, he dispatched CT-5655 "Nylon" and Aviators Squad -a unit from outside the Arrowhead Legion- to assist. Blaise reported that all prototype bombers had been successfully intercepted.

Wasp joined Rico, Stone and Jackal at the front, where they and the rest of the troops were preparing for another attack on the droids. Stone, freshly returned from additional recon duties, informed Wasp and the other Arrowheads that a droid division was inbound, three clicks out. It consisted of four or five B2 companies and two squadrons of armoured vehicles. Kamto reported that the fleet had survived the Separatists in space, thanks to the efforts of the Jedi in their starfighters. Wasp requested bombardment of the enemy force on the Arrowheads' flank. Nylon brought some bad news, because while the Aviators and Stinger's platoon were fighting off the droid attack on the 373rd's left flank, they discovered a droid battalion moving in on the right. This led Wasp to call in a second bombardment.

One of the 55th's platoons worked in conjunction with one of their armoured units to destroy a company of the B2s attacking them from afar, but the rest of the division was moving in. The Arrowheads had to respond to quickly respond to the threat. After the brief pair of bombardments, the navy spared a fighter squadron to assist the 373rd. Most of the droid units were destroyed by the ground-space coordination that took place, though a smaller fleet of CIS frigates and a Providence-class dreadnought exited hyperspace and began to make trouble for the GAR and the Republic Navy.

A starfighter unit attached to the 55th, Quartz Squadron, engaged incoming hyenas and blasted them to pieces. General Blaise led the space engagement in his starfighter, and the Republic space forces eliminated the CIS dreadnought before it could get it's weaponry into range of the clones. Because the dying Separatist fleet had landed a fresh wave of battle droids, Stone and his patrollers decided to stagger and hobble them by picking the droids off at a distance while initiating a fighting retreat. For every pair of patroller scouts, there was a smart rocket among them. They used these to excellent effect and brought chaos upon the droid units that tried to attack Grand Army positions on the front. Droid tanks pressed on regardless, their shells killing multiple Arrowheads and a great number of other clones. Stone's troops turned their smart rockets on the tanks, eliminating a strong number of them.

Blaise and Quartz Squadron shot down Separatist insertion pods and mopped up remaining droids while the Arrowheads pushed against the enemy, gaining ground and providing aid and evacuation to the few civilian families they found along the way. It was discovered that a super tactical droid called Silo was responsible for recent Separatist victories in the region, and was leading the droid forces that the Arrowheads were attacking. Silo sent out a large battle droid -easily as tall as three clones- that killed a few Arrowheads before Stone hit it with a belt of EMP grenades. The special droid continuously attacked, even putting Jedi on the backfoot. Wasp had everyone step away and then called down an orbital bombardment that turned the droid into a smoking heap.

Wasp thanked Masters Tak and Ko for keeping the war machine at bay long enough for the fleet to bring it down. After it's destruction, both Grievous and Silo retreated to different areas of the planet before the Republic took it back, forcing them to leave. When the dust settled, the Arrowheads left for their fleet without taking part in the cleanup duties beyond burying their own dead and scavenging anything valuable from their bodies.

### **Unified Beach Assault**

Marshal Commander Cody had a mission: to seize the beaches belonging to a planet's coastline. On the front line of this offensive, he placed the 212th Attack Battalion. The 212th's walkers and infantry were massing alogn the edge of the water and on the beach, trying to find cover and adequately return fire as the Separatists fired upon them with blasters and mortars.

A squad of Arrowheads swam through the water, their grey-yellow marked helmets bobbing up out of the water before they engaged a fixed blaster turret position with grenade launchers and concentrated blasterfire that ripped the position open and destroyed the gunners. Several 212th were killed by incoming ordinance. Two Arrowheads were struck by crimson bolts on their way up the beach, but their armour absorbed the shots.

Joined by Regimental Commander Wasp, Notch, Corporal Blast and the entirety of Hornet Battalion, the 212th were able to seize the beach.

### **Nal Hutta Patrol**

When a group of Jedi had to discuss something with the Hutts, Wasp and his Hornet Battalion were sent to provide patrol and protection duties. Stationed at a small outpost, they kept a vigilant watch. Wasp spent most of the mission in the quiet hills, viewing things through his sniper scope.

### **Loegallo Campaign: Grassland Factory Attack**

The Arrowhead Legion and the 91st Mobile Recon Corps were tasked with destroying a series of droid factories. Flying towards the grasslands that preluded the factories, the Arrowheads and Mobile Recon Corps' troops were packed into gunships like sardines in durasteel cans. The LAATs were initially specks upon the horizon, but the vehicles' weapons lit up Separatist positions like candles.

Green lasers and blue rockets slid into the enemy lines and then the doors opened. A platoon of troopers touched down, then Wasp, Dell, Knot and several others disembarked. A second group of gunships started deploying AT-TEs and heavy cannons. A trio of hailfire droids unleashed a devastating array of missiles, and two gunships disappeared beneath the cliffs. Wasp explained that the storm the planet experienced earlier had prevented sattelite scans, so that was where Knot and his squad of scouts came in.

Wasp shot his carbine at a squad of battle droids. Faced with a cliff farther off, he sent Knot's squad to figure out enemy positions around the area and discover the easiest way across. A Lucrehulk hung higher in the air, it's menacing presence felt by all who saw it. Dell followed Wasp and covered the right side. A downed Venator was near the factories, and Knot spoke to the Arrowheads over comms to inform them that the Separatists had entrneched there.

Wasp, Dell and the other Arrowheads blasted down the droid squad without issue. There were armoured units ahead, which were being subjected to Arrowhead gunship fire and the bombardment from artillery platforms. Knot found a way across the water, but he and his squad were fired upon and fored to fall back.

Wasp's group continued skirmishing with droids across the cliffs. They were reinforced by Sergeant Wick and his squad. Knot contacted Wasp on comms and said they had to face cover from CIS fire and had to vacate the area, moving into a cave system near the water and West of the Venator's crash site. Although the 373rd were besieging the enemy positions ahead, the factories were continuously pumping out battle droids to challenge them in fresh waves. Another gunship was struck by a missile and collapsed into a platoon, killing thirteen troops and wounding several more. The Arrowheads and Recon Corps exchanged fire with the CIS all along the river.

Knot's squad exited the caves and kept searching the area, and they reported that a communications jammer was scrambling comms beyond the crash site. The Iron Legion touched down behind the 373rd's positions and their troops began reinforcing the Arrowheads in mass. Wasp reminded Knot that his first objective was to guide them across the river and the canyon it was part of, then joked that recon wanted to do everything at once. Wick gleefully countered that basically everybody felt that way.

Artillery cannons blew apart some of the hailfire droids ahead, lessening the chances of more larties getting shot down. Knot pointed out the eastern side of the crash site was less heavily guarded, with just a few B1s and B2s defending the hangar. Wick was running low on ammo and Wasp effortlessly tossed him another charge pack. Then he directed the artillery to barrage the enemy and direct their attention away from the Eastern side.

A purple-haired volunteer nicknamed "Tank", wielding a rotary cannon and wearing armour with red markings, joined in with a unit of troops who were setting up a mobile armoury. She was from Robuck's Raiders. The woman approached and, after two Arrowheads were wounded by some B2s, procedurally levelled them and the majority of the battle droids within their line of sight. Wick sought to shoot targets who were farther away and put a scope on his rifle.

The B2 platoon in their way were eradicated. Wasp appreciated the forward heavy firepower, the Arrowhead Legion was a siege unit, after all. Knot's squad planted explosive charges and set them off to divert the enemy's forces away from their original positions. An AAT moved to the river and was destroyed by a clone heavy trooper.

Several droid companies were redirected to investigate the explosions Knot and his squad set off. Knot sent the data on the canyons to Wasp. Several battalions remained around the cliff edge to keep fighting the droids, while Wasp brought Dell, Wick and a platoon across. Tank stayed on the cliff edge, using a heavy weapon she affectionately referred to as "nuke". She and her troops named Poison, Champion, Anger and Grance proceeded to annihilate the droids on the other side of the cliff with their unorthofox selection of powerful handheld ordinance.

Units of shiny troopers were deployed across the river to augment the Grand Army's offensive as Wasp and his selected troops skirted and then crossed the river, out of the enemy's sight. They encountered a squad of B1s and shot them before they could call for backup. Knot's recon squad was split between two locations, one of which was a crashed shuttle.

A Separatist warship arrived overhead, and aqua droid units were deployed along the river. A CIS shuttle made landfall and a familiar four-armed cyborg stepped out, and his presence was reported over comms. The scouts near the shuttle discovered the enemy had moved mobile turbolasers towards the East to make up for a lack of droids situated there.

The droids also had turblasers in the western approach, but only one remained after heavy ordinance took it out. Grievous engaged a platoon of shinies, several of them down. After reaching the other side, Wasp gave the all-clear and Tank proceeded with several battalions worth of Arrowheads who rapidly ascended the cliff in calculated safety. The shinies tried to climb up various rocks to escape from Grievous, but the majority of them were torn apart by his lightsabers.

Grievous gathered what remained of the Confederacy's forces as a steady stream of factory-produced B1s joined them. Regimental Commander Wasp, Tank, Dell and Wick were at the head of the battalions and saw the Separatist general in all of his maligant glory. Grievous recognised the 373rd Legion. This was a personal rivalry.

Wasp unsheathed his sniper rifle, Knot called on comms to explain he and his scouts had a clear shot at the general but doubted their blasters would do anything. Tank offered to use heavy weapons on Grievous. Wasp opted for both of their options to go into play simultaneously. Grievous approached and leapt into the air, landing directly in front of the GAR forces.

Two sabers blocked blasterfire from the sides while he spun the other two up front, deflecting their blaster fire. Wick threw a grenade at Grievous. The entirety of the assembled clones opened fire at his position. Wasp crouched and sought to blow his brains out, but his shots were deflected or dodged. Grievous grabbed Wick's grenade and threw it into the Arrowheads' side of the engagement, causing several clones to be thrown back and wounded or killed.

Arrowheads began spreading and spacing out while shooting at the general, who had managed to cut down several of them. Wasp finally landed a shot that struck the side of Grievous's leg and burned a hole through his cape, which angered the Kaleesh cyborg. Gunships and artillery focused on the droids behind Grievous, turning them into scrap metal.

Grievous turned his wrath towards Tank and her squad, killing a few of her troops and nearly slicing one of her arms off with a lightsaber before a tow cable slammed into his right shoulder, then another into his left. He attempted to leap away and managed to slice one cable, detaching his cape in the process. The clones pulled fiercely on the other cable to upset Grievous' balance while opening fire on him.

Grievous broke free and was like a maelstrom, all four of his blades at work. He was killing troops left and right while blocking their shots. He went for Wasp, who tossed his sniper rifle at Grievous and drew dual pistols while leaping backwards and collapsing onto his back. Grievous killed six troops on his way towards Wasp, who tried to light up the cyborg with his pistols as a distraction.

Knot's squad had regrouped and infiltrated the crashed Venator, where they powered up the Venator's turbolasers and turned them on Grievous's battle droids. Grievous saw that he could not win the battle and narrowly escaped the barrage of firepower heading his way, and made an escape in his personal starfighter. But before he left, he promised Wasp that they would fight each other again in the future.

Turbolaser fire removed many droids from the battle and left small craters across the grassland. The Arrowheads surged forward and, taking advantage of Knot's recon work, coordinated their firepower in all of the right places. They were close to the factories.

Reaching the Lucrehulk in orbit, General Grievous ordered the launch of all the warship's nuclear warheads. When the Republic Navy warned the 373rd Arrowhead Legion, Iron Legion and 91st Corps, a mass evacuation ensued. Any vehicles that could not be saved were left behind. Tank had lost four of her troopers to Grievous, and Wick had lost six of his. Though the evacuation was surprisingly swift, several hundred troopers died in nuclear hellfire.

Though it seemed a loss, the Separatists had destroyed the production facilities that had been supplying assets to three separate star systems within the Tion Cluster. The Arrowheads' campaign had become far easier than it was initially. This also marked the first true engagement in the Loegallo Campaign.

### **Ord Mantell Evacuation**

Ord Mantell had become a battleground once again. Jedi Knights Derius Varos, Caron Zan, Erron Excelsus and Easyrenok Lerti teamed up with Master Malaika to fight the Separatists. An Acclamator-class assault ship from the Republic Navy's orbiting fleet was shot down by ships under the command of CIS fleet admiral Ragun. Commander Terrier's unit was on board.

CIS armoured units were being deployed to the surface. Though the Republic had plentiful air support, they were going to be hard-pressed to stop the enemy's tanks from killing everyone at the crash site. Sergeant Jackal and Regimental Commander Wasp brought the 373rd Arrowhead Legion to intervene.

Intel suggested that Ragun's forces had acccess to chemical weapons. Lerti wore a rebreather, as did her troops, as a result of when similar tactics were used on them in the past. He was operating out of a Lucrehulk. Lerti had six remaining Venators in the sky, and a heavily damaged Victory I. She ordered her starships to focus on the Lucrehulk and ignore all other vessels, but to only engage it defensively. A CIS providence-class dreadnaught deployed a series of cluster bombs to damage the Republic fleet.

Gunships descended and disgorged Wasp, Jackal and the others. They began evacuating survivors from the downed assault ship. Ragun's ships were outnumbering the Republic's Meanwhile, the battle had come to a standstill on the surface. Easyrenok had a plan to sort her ARC contingent into numerous assassination groups, and they deployed AT-TEs from what was left of the acclamator's hold.

Hive Regiment had a battalion shore up and supply the trenches, whereas others spread out among various fortifications and defensive positions. Hailfire droids rolled through the battlefield, over the cooling corpses of droid and clone, and began bracketing the 373rd's position. The ARCs from Lerti's unit opened fire with AA emplacements and handheld rocket launchers. Though the Arrowheads took a few losses, Lerti's unit had committed to a full charge and most of the trenches were emptied out when the missiles struck.

Several Arrowhead companies began returning fire with artillery strikes, courtesy of newly positioned batteries. Lerti's tanks and large infantry group followed her into battle and they completely overran the Confederate battle line. The Separatist fleet began pulling back in orbit. The Arrowheads formed up on the flanks to support the ARCs, who were ruthlessly committed to hit and run strikes.

The assassination group ARCs spread out through nearby forests, acting as guerilla forces. Ragun's fleet took a few casualties, and Munificent frigates tore through the atmosphere and landed in the ocean. Rico brought in the 55th Paratrooper Battalion, but they were taking time arriving. The first one of their number to reach Wasp was the airborne minigunner "Bombay". He announced that the unit he was in was killed when they dropped. Wasp re-tasked Bombay to his own element.

Admiral Trench's flagship exited hyperspace at the head of another Separatist fleet over Ord Mantell. CIS fanblade fighters entered the atmosphere and appeared to be running recon sorties, as they did not attack anyone unless fired upon. No further droid reinforcements had arrived, and the ground situation appeared quite one-sided.

Wasp was sniping droid targets while Jackal's squad led the attack, alongside the three forward battalions from Hive Regiment. Notch and Meatbag Squad soon joined Wasp. The ground began to rumble underneath their feet. Lerti had used a Force Bubble to crush a vast number of the attacking droids. Two rounds hit the durasteel armour underneath her robes, but she and her ARCs were relentless.

The battle ahead and to one side became suddenly fierce and they received reports of a hostile Force user. Meanwhile, in space, Ragun was reporting to Grievous and Trench and explaining how the Jedi had made the situation far more difficult. Lerti saw the damage that had been done to her clones early on in the fighting and became momentarily lost in grief and rage, battling her way through the droid companies while the Arrowheads reformed their lines.

A Force-sensitive man in a dark cloak with a red lightsaber had cut down several of Terrier's clones and wounded Bombay. His name was Kir, and he was facing down Excelcus. After the Jedi Knight defeated him in a duel, Kir escaped in a starfighter and blasted several troopers with proton torpedoes. Wasp and his troopers opened fire, but couldn ot prevent his hasty exit. Wasp sent Notch and Meatbag Squad to secure one of Lerti's flanks and keep an eye on things.

After reforming their line, the Arrowheads returned to protecting the flanks wholesale, aside from those who were in the trenches or providing medical and supply aid to Lerti and Terrier's forces. Lerti had a few Y-Wing squadrons rip overhead, dropping titanic bombs on the rear echelon of the Separatists. Bluish and monstrous mushroom clouds ripped up. Lerti's lightsaber shut off, as did most of the droids. The 373rd's heads-up displays collectively flickered on and off within their helmets.

Lerti's artillery was disabled, but the Arrowheads had several batteries still in the fight. These pummeled the droid positions ahead, what little remained of them. Hyena droids with full payloads began rushing GAR lines on suicidal runs that always ended up with the bombers slamming into the Republic lines, aside from a few that the AA missiles managed to shoot down. The Arrowheads withdrew towards the trenches, several of them were struck by explosions and blown apart or vasporized in the process. The rest took up position within the fortifications and held out.

Lerti had initially landed with one legion, and was being reinforced by a second, the 33rd Legion. Droid artillery was hauled up to the front line to barrage the Arrowheads and Lerti's troops. Wasp ordered his artillery units to pull out, several were destroyed in the process. Strategic bombings, suicide bombings and artillerty strikes from the dwindled CIS forces were severely depleting the number of tanks and AT-TEs the Grand Army had at their disposal. Two batteries tried to return fire and one was promptly squashed by enemy shelling. Wasp was knocked off his feet by a shell that impacted the ground nearby.

Returning to his feet, the regimental commander leapt into a foxhole next to Notch's. Then a previously hidden group of droid commando sniper and machine blaster units, deployed by another CIS organic officer, began suppressing the 373rd. The bombardment was fierce and Rico, who had arrived a short while before, was in a foxhole and covering his head as he started to go into shell shock. The multi-pronged attack and the effects of the EMP combined to severely limit the Arrowhead Legion's command and control capabilities.

Wasp ran for Notch's position and the staff sergeant grabbed him by the leg and dragged him in. Then gas weapons were deployed over the clone positions, infecting many of them with sickness. Those who survived were left in weakened states. Wasp called for Notch to take care of Rico, and then departed to find General Lerti. Wasp slid on a rebreather under his helmet and noticed the artillery barrages had stopped entirely. After expressing his desire to get their capacity to respond back up and running, Wasp crawled out of the trenches and through a bush towards the Jedi's position. He tried shouting for the general, but his voice could not rise over the sounds of coughing and clones dying or struggling to survive. An infected trooper stumbled over and gave his life up on the spot. Wasp looked for the red-skinned Jedi General, desperate to discover whether or not she and the other Jedi officers were still alive.

Nearby, a battle droid's voice sounded out and delivered a damage report: It's head unit had been separated from the rest of it's body. Wasp ignored it and continued his search.

The 33rd Legion was still up and fighting, even when the Arrowheads were incapacitated. They were being led by Jedi General Aernti Ciekto. He used anti-swarm tactics to punish the Separatists' next series of massed attacks. Wasp sidestepped another one of his troops who was still dying due to the chemical effects, and was genuinely considering that it might be best to order a full scale retreat. General Lerti and her forces had barely acknowledged the Arrowheads and very few of her troops were visible after the gas hit.

But he found troops who knew what was going on, and they explained that Easyrenok had been dragged off to a medical bay due to wounds sustained when her legion's attack was disrupted. Comms had become functional again and the Arrowheads were slowly picking up the pieces, with the 55th's third platoon and Jumper covering retreats towards fortified positions. Notch explained that the platoon he was in had been too badly mauled for it to partake in operations.

Rico was not reporting in over comms, and Wasp discovered he was just standing there, dazed. So he sent a medic to diagnose and treat the condition that was afflicting him. Slowly, Rico was brought back to his senses and the dazed Arrowhead units were re-organised.

Wasp spoke to his officers and Rico, and explained that there were too many battle droids and that they were too weakened to hold the front line, so the necessary move was to withdraw from it entirely. General Ciekto reached Wasp and told him to drop the salute and the formalities. Then Wasp delivered a status report. B1s, B2s, droidekas and snail tanks had occupied the front line in mass. Ciekto was surprised at the slaughterhouse tactics Lentri had employed, which had actually cost her a large number of troops.

Rear Admiral Containe conversed with the pair. He had arrived on foot with a group of clone troopers from 5th Fleet Security. He interrupted their strategy session by ordering Fleet Security troops to use the dead bodies for recycling. Wasp interpreted this as meaning they must reorganise those who were still alive, and then Containe clarified that those who could not fight then and there were of no use and had to be dispossed of.

The Fifth Fleet started evacuating the critically injured and removing the dead bodies. Wasp argued with Containe, stating that those who were too badly injured should neither be executed nor euthanised, because good medical care could ensure their return to the front later on. Containe asked if he was defective, to which Wasp countered that he was simply operating by the book on this. Further, Wasp explained that if Containe's men touched the 373rd's dead, he was going to report such actions to the Jedi Generals and to the admiralty.

Containe stated that his orders were within protocols, to which Wasp countered that the clones were "refuse" to be buried, not "recycling" to be renewed into other substances. Ciekto spoke up, explaining that the admiral had no authority to command army units on the ground anyway. Wasp returned his focus to the battle at hand, ordering his regiment to reacquire positions in the trenches and prep the artillery remnants while bolstering the thirty-third legion's positions.

But while this was going on, the Arrowheads were also hurriedly burying their dead and collecting any identification or personal items to remember them by, as they did not want to take the chance that Containe would revolt and attempt to circumvent the General with the help of troops from the Fifth Fleet.

A small, green lifeform exited a bush nearby. He was wearing a robe and had long, pointy ears. After his identity was quickly confirmed as General Yoda, Wasp gave him a situation report, to which Yoda responded that the clones must retreat, gather their numbers, and only then should they come out from hiding. His advice was useful and his presence calmed Wasp. Meanwhile, Ciekto had won his argument with Containe, while earning the rear admiral's hatred in the process.

Yoda told Wasp that they should be smarter in mind than their enemies, and the regimental commander recalled how it was hit and run tactics that landed them their victories on Krada. Then Yoda went over to where the wounded were being tended and entertained them by dancing. Wasp finished gathering his troops and ensuring they were fit for battle, and Yoda leapt onto Ciekto's shoulders.

Staring off into the distance while leaning on a barricade, Wasp briefly allowed a recollection of recent events to play through his mind. His breathing ran a little heavy as his soul struggled to catch up with what was going on. Images of paratroopers, engineers and infantrymen lurched over, vomiting, bleeding, afflicted with chemical weapons. When he caught sight of Yoda leaping aboard a gunship before it took off, he decided to save what was left of the regiment's deployed assets.

Out of Hive Regiment's original four battalions, one was shattered and two others were missing hefty chunks of their rosters. They also had a few artillery batteries, an AT-TE column and three LAAT squadrons. The artillery unleashed a bombardment of the enemy's forces and the Arrowheads made a coordinated series of small thrusts against the battle droids. Containe and Yoda backed them up with starship support.

Braving the droid trenches, the Arrowheads rushed forward in droves and began disabling the tanks while engaging the clankers in close quarters. Containe's Y-Wings eliminated a number of droid battalions. Wasp vaulted over a mound of dirt and poured blasterfire from his pistols into a marching droid squad while encouraging his men to keep pushing. Three B2s rounded a corner near a barricade, but were blasted from behind by a pair of Arrowheads.

Master So'Zyn joined the battle, using the Force to create a mighty tornado that swept aside most of the remaining droids. Yoda returned and brought his own Force powers to use. After that the battle transitioned into mopping-up operations. A trio of droidekas rolled up and opened fire, so Wasp dove behind a pair of crates. Yoda used the Force to break the droids down and cause them to self circuit, paving the way for another advance by the 373rd.

Wasp moved ahead with his troops and felt a dark presence beyond. Yoda hopped upon Wasp's shoulder with his lightsaber still activated, and together they stared at the darke ntity. The commander ordered the darkly garbed man ahead to identify himself. He laughed maniacally and asked if the clones and Jedi wanted to know how he got his robotic torso. Wasp guessed it was the same way Grievous did. The man stated that was the wrong answer and laughed maniacally again.

A Republic probe droid was observing this event, and headhunter starfighters flew overhead to take pictures. The man explained that one night his boss went crazy and started asking him why he was so serious. Then the man asked why Wasp and the others were so serious, and took a detonation trigger out of his pocket. He said Wasp should put the blasters down or else he would miss the fireworks. Containe contacted Wasp over comms and told him and his men to stand at least five hundred meters away from the insane person.

They evacuated the area and the Jedi constructed a Force barrier. A clone officer wearing a robe showed up with a toothpick made of wroshyyyr in his mouth. It was Commander Cash from the 411th MPs. Jedi Knight Aethra Zenn exited a Force portal and began using her own energy to help So-Zyn maintain the barrier. Meanwhile, the strange man was telling Containe that he was too mysterious to be taken down. So-Zyn approached and attacked the man, knocking him down. Then they put him in a gunship and sent him off to the medical bay for a psychiatric evaluation. He turned out to be an infamous Force-sensitive bombmaker known as The Subpar.

The battle was over, and the Arrowheads had successfully saved Terrier's men and brought the Separatist droid army to it's knees through the unit's sheer tenacity.

### **Loegallo Campaign**

#### **Space Station Rescue**

A gunship entered the space station hangar bay, the doors opening as the roar of the engines simmered down. Wasp stepped out with Staff Sergeant Notch and Meatbag Squad. The hallways ahead appeared dark, so he lowered his visor and led the way.

An ARF captain approached them, warning that the station was not safe because a hostile Force user had gotten aboard. Together they stealthily approached the section of the station that had been taken over, and stacked up on a door leading into the room where their target was. This target turned out to be Darth Maul, who had boarded the station with two of his Death Watch warriors.

Wasp made entry with dual pistols raised, Notch immediately on his right with a carbine, and the rest of Meatbag Squad in proper formation to the left and behind. Maul escaped and both the Death Watch were captured. However, Wasp soon learned that one of the warriors was actually an active duty clone trooper from the 212th who had killed one of the Death Watch during the initial attack and stolen his armour to infiltrate the offensive. He had been discovered and was just about to be killed by Maul before Wasp and his men swarmed the area.

They escorted the commander back to his armour, put the prisoner in the brig and handed over control of the station to a Coruscant Guard captain who had just arrived on-site with his company. Word arrived that the other Death Watch warriors throughout the station had been eliminated or forcibly evicted. Rico and the 55th rallied on Wasp and Notch, who had a mission on the planet below.

Hive and 55th Regiment gunships descended, landing on Loegallo to begin the campaign.

#### **Loegallo Campaign Summary**

After regrouping and achieving a small number of victories, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion saw deployment on the forested world of Loegallo. A large number of the local populace had switched allegiances to the Republic following a series of Separatist scandals. The 373rd landed, deploying forward elements into various states of contact with the Separatists, with CIS-backed PDF militias, and with local wildlife that included giant spiders. Jedi General Snrlom was captured and held inside a heavily fortified settlement that sat atop a hillside amidst the ruins of what used to be a local city.

Thousands of soldiers from numerous units entered the siege against the fortress, including the 1st Weapons Research Company, various Siege Corps units, and elements from the 302nd Legion. An airfield and several minor forts were seized in the process. Regimental Commander Rico was, unbeknown to himself and the entire Arrowhead legion, poisoned by one of the giant arachnids they had crossed paths with and killed earlier. Upon Snrlom's rescue and the taking of the fortress, he killed multiple surrendering enemy militia in front of numerous other GAR personnel and was court-marshalled.

Despite Rico's war crimes, the Loegallo Campaign was a massive success for the Arrowheads and most of the other GAR units deployed on-world. They forged good relations with the apish local species, despite an attempt made by pro-CIS forces to usurp the 373rd's garrison.

#### **Basecamp Establishment**

"I swear, boss. Brass really needs to take a better look at who the hell they're promoting." - Notch to Wasp

Notch let out a sigh, a mix of discomfort and relief as the gunship descended to the ground. Supplies were forthcoming and they had to establish and secure a basecamp. The gunships gradually dropped off garrison supplies while Wasp, Notch, Zaps, Knight and Rico got set up. In the background, various squads of shinies were carrying out their mission objectives, and one was present on behalf of the 91st MRC. The Arrowheads took supplies, crates and barricades out of the gunships and started getting to work on the basecamp.

Wasp sent some shinies to go scout the surrounding area. A non-Jedi general arrived and claimed he was in charge, but froze solid when Notch inquired whether or not he was going to take control of the base. He then departed, leaving an industrious Wasp and an equally industrious but exasperated Notch in his wake.

Arrowhead riflemen took up positions behind the barricades as rations and medical supplies were laid out for use. Republic Intelligence was anticipating a droid attack on the region. A transmission arrived from the scouts, but was abruptly cut off. It indicated they were being attacked. Wasp jokingly asked Notch to name a more iconic duo than scouts and making trouble with the wildlife.

Wasp and Notch kept base-building with the rest of Hive Regiment and asked the nearby 91st squad to help find and rescue the missing scouts. They readily agreed. Prominent among them were the names "Char", "Jay", "Kir" and "Nitro".

They returned a few minutes later, explaining that they had lost a man and found a shiny who had been sent to man one of the outposts farther off. His squad had been attacked by a large, brown creature with yellow eyes and he was the only one who survived. After they explained that it was not droids that attacked them, Wasp dedicated a portion of his forces to driving out people or creatures responsible.

Rallying a squad of troopers and Meatbag Squad, Wasp set out with Rico and Notch. The 91st, some 55th troopers and the surviving shiny followed in tow. They moved from cover to cover and swept the forest for a solid hour. The shiny thought he heard a scratching sound nearby. It was discovered that the 91st's loss was due to an enemy sharpshooter, and one of the 55th's troopers had been dragged away into the forest by an unknown lifeform.

A rocket went off, flying past the clones at the head of the group. Wasp ordered them to get low. Then a long, red line pierced the sky and nearly took Wasp's head off. He dove behind a tree ahead and ordered the clones to engage. Notch got up and dashed for the closest tree, and a bolt narrowly missed and hit the trunk behind him. Wasp advised Rico and his men should move over to find the shiny, who had gotten separated from the group, while Notch and Wasp would focus on dealing with the sniper.

Walking away, Rico casually shot a blaster bolt from his rifle into the treeline. A large spider fell out, the mandibles sizzling as it died. Notch moved up to another tree in an effort to goad the sharpshooter into making another shot. Wasp unsheathed his sniper rifle and went hunting. Deflty moving through the trees using his ARC training, the regimental commander took aim through his scope and delivered a precise round into the droid's skull. After witnessing his kill, he reported the sniper as a confirmed KIA over comms.

Notch approached the mangled body and fired a round into it's chest with his carbine for good measure. Then the shiny approached them, lacking his helmet. He said that Rico was ambushed by giant spiders and some of his troops were dragged off by a monster in the water. Wasp's group followed the shiny through the forest and to a clearing with a waterfall and a large rock pound. Night was falling.

The shiny was unarmed, so Wasp offered up one of his pistols. The shiny referred to the creature that had attacked them as a "spider with arms". Then one of those arms popped out of the water, and it held a helmet belonging to one of Rico's troopers. Notch noted that water-arm spider hunting in the dark with the boys was a pretty weird team exercise.

Multiple arms slowly crawled out, trying to grasp at the troopers. Wasp ordered them to light it up. Notch stepped back and sprayed blasterfire into the water. Through his scope, the commander got sight of an arm and put a bolt into it, causing the thing to jerk and recoil into the water. Revealing itself in it's fel glory, the giant sea-spider struck out with several long legs and the tentacle-like arms. The clones continued firing on it as it struck with legs and tentacles alike. It regarded them with several eyes, and Wasp got visual on some of the 55th troopers it had captured under the water. The waterfall's rushing noise, once soothing, had been overriden by the screeches the giant sea-spider made as it attacked. It was more akin to an octopus than a spider, but still bore arachnid characteristics.

Combined firepower steadily brought the large animal down. Descending the rocks and moving towards the shore, Wasp started moving in to try and recover Rico's troopers, who he knew did not have enough air supplies to last forever. He had Notch scan the water, had Knight search the far end and had Zaps search the shore while he called in a medivac. Then Wasp unclipped his various armour plates.

Notch detected a trooper and the commander took off like a rocket, moving through the water at a rapid speed towards the life sign. Sinking to the depths, he found the trooper and used his vibroknife to severe the spider leg that bound the fellow clone. Wasp swam up with him right when Notch returned with several stretcher bearers, who waited at the edge of the water to receive the clone.

Immediately after bringing the clone up to the shore, Wasp took several breaths and went back under. He found a clone deeper down and fought to free him. He brought the trooper back up and handed him over, then gave a thumbs up and bobbed tiredly in the water. But instead of resting, he went back down in search of another trooper. Although he fell over in the water, he eventually made it back up to the shore with a third man. He weakly pressed the 55th trooper towards Zap and then leaned away, floating on his own back.

Rico and two of his troopers were still missing.

After recovering for a minute, Wasp re-donned his armour plating and sent a transmission to Tuxedo Company, alerting them that if Rico and the two troopers were still out and about, they should avoid large bodies of water, and that Wasp was looking for them. Decending down a cliff with their flashlights on, the troops went looking. Wasp kept sentry with a sniper rifle.

They found a flare blazing away in a clearing near the trees, along with a combat knife. When Wasp rejoined the group he swapped his rifle out for a pair of pistols. Notch clipped the knife to his belt. A breathless yell was audible ahead. Wasp had the group form a perimeter and keep their weapons ready, and also ordered a rear guard be installed.

There was a 55th trooper hanging in a tree, his blue visor the only thing visible. Something crawled from the darkness towards them, and it was revealed to be a gigantic spider that set upon the band of Arrowheads. It's red eyes glowed in the dark, but the legs were invisible whenever it escaped the glow of their lights. It nearly bit Notch before Knight broke two of it's legs and it started dragging Notch away. Fumbling for his pistol, the staff sergeant balanced it on his forearm as he fired wildly at the spider.

While the rest of the group sought to defeat the spider, Wasp climbed up a tree and used it to identify the terrain ahead. There was something that he clearly identified as a spider nest over comms, and then sent the coordinates to the unit HUD. Blaster bolts bounced off the spider's hard carapace as it continued dragging Notch, and the combat knife fell from his belt in the scuffle. A second spider climbed up the tree behind Wasp.

Notch was taken into the nest, which was partially within a large cave, wherein a 55th trooper dangled on the ceiling, suspended by webbing. Wasp was struck by the spider that had sneaked up on him and only narrowly managed to turn around and deliver a kick. This gave Wasp enough time to get out of the tree, take off at a run and switch to his blaster pistols. The spider was in pursuit.

Another spider revealed itself within the cave, attacking the clones. Running up to the one that held Notch, Wasp slid underneath and used his pistols on it's underside. Then he used his vibroknife to slice off the webbing the spider had begun using to hold the staff sergeant in place, freeing him. Sergeant Knight, who had been on the receiving end of the other spider's attack, was kneeling on the cavern floor. Blood poured out from his helmet.

Notch had a wound on his ankle but was otherwise in decent shape. Wasp used his knife to cut more webbing and free a 55th trooper. A distress signal was received from Rico's position elsewhere in the woods. Wasp called for an evac for the freed trooper and pilots were inbound. Three gunships landed in a nearby clearing to accept the rescued clone, and a 55th flametrooper stormed deeper into the cave than Wasp and the others had ever gone, lighting the place thoroughly on fire.

The flames spread throughout the woods, the flame trooper found Rico farther inside, and the clones had to flee to reach the extraction site. The gunships returned them to the basecamp, which was fully established. With everyone safe and sound, it was up to them to defend the basecamp until the fleet and the GAR had more information on the Confederacy's plans.

#### **Found Out on Loegallo**

Upon returning to the basecamp, Wasp was informed that a 41st Elite Corps patrol had gone missing. One of the troopers returned after a considerable amount of time, and a burst transmission had been sent from the forest. The Arrowheads set out in squad-sized groups in different directions. Everyone was eventually rerouted to the south where Knight's Warmonger Squad had found and exchanged blasterfire with Separatist droids. When Wasp arrived, Knight explained that pver one hundred enemy contacts had emerged from the houses and trees. Troopers Trample, Fire and Fret were killed in the attack before they drove them away. Jedi Commander Lin Jun Tri made landfall to provide assistance in defeating their foes.

Skirmishes broke out that lasted until dawn.

Working their way towards the enemy-occupied village, they noticed a bunker with an active machine blaster emplacement and approached it from an angle the gunner could not see. They circumvented it and stormed the village, battling pro-CIS elements of the PDF that had turned against their planetary government in the name of the Separatist cause. From a hut, another machine blaster opened fire, lighting up Arrowhead positions. Battle droids were present and they had weapons and armoured vehicles at the armoury, which the Arrowheads made sure to destroy during their daring raid. There were several buildings and an airfield ahead.

Wasp had the 55th take the right, Warmonger Squad the left, and he, Meatbag Squad and heavy trooper Tempo focused on the center. Tempo was wounded in the fierce firefight that took place, and a couple of Arrowhead and 55th troopers died from enemy blasterfire, but a mix of Jedi powers and heavy weapons had destroyed the only AATs in the area. Wasp's command section protected Tempo while using rocket launchers on the enemy. They discovered that although the airfield was empty of aircraft, the locals had plans on housing CIS hyena droid bombers there.

More battling led to the defeat of the larger contingents of Separatist droids and sympathisers. Troopers were divied up between securing any surviving weapons and pushing to secure the airfield entirely. Among the enemy's weapons were a cache of Republic blasters that, eerily enough, included a DC17m. Rico acquired this weapon and moved towards a group of surrendering PDF and villagers. The 55th's regimental commander opened fire, killing several of the unarmed POWs. He was stun-blasted by Wasp and restrained by the others, then taken up to the space station. Flames and bodies lay scattered throughout the area, where the 373rd's casualties had been rather light considering how many combatants they had taken down.

#### **Imprisoned**

Wasp had once convinced the Grand Army to spare Rico after he was caught killing prisoners of war back on Aduran. In the space station's command centre, he wondered how many lives his deal had saved, and how many it had taken.

Rico was brought to a cell in the station's brig, where he sat on a bed, in a daze, and asked to be left alone. Wasp ensured that two guards were always present near his cell to prevent any escape attempts. Jedi Knight Aethra Zenn arrived on the station and explained to Wasp that his men were unlikely to tolerate Rico's survival for much longer, and were liable to break into the cell and kill him. Wasp acknowledged this and explained that the trial was due to begin soon.

The general had questioned Rico inside his cell, and revealed to Wasp that the 55th's commander did not seem to be in a stable state of mind, and only remembered killing twenty spiders when they ambushed him in the forest. Wasp went through the events with her, discussing how they transpired.

Then there were reports of blasterfire at Sergeant Knight's position. Wasp sent troops, who discovered that Knight was wounded from a self-inflicted blaster wound.

#### **A Difficult Defense**

A group of Separatist-aligned locals attempted to storm a fort occupied by several 373rd. They were backed by a bounty hunter who had orders to take Wasp alive. The clone soldiers fought off the attackers with their ingenuity, heavy armour and firepower. Wasp outsmarted the bounty hunter and an affiliated droid hit squad. She was forced to withdraw, and republic gunships arrived to extract the Arrowheads, who had suffered light casualties.

#### **A Talk to Remember**

"Just because one does not bleed, it does not mean they are well. Mental wellbeing is just as important." ~ Jedi Knight Aethra Zenn

Aethra Zenn and Commander Wasp took a gunship to the surface, where they joined a squad of clone troopers and an AT-TE providing perimeter security. The pair went and investigated the forest near the basecamp, which had since been taken down and moved elsewhere. She had a theory that could alter the ruling. They found one of the dead spiders, one that perished from blaster wounds to the head and abdomen. Wasp felt a cold sensation from viewing the arachnid corpse. Aethra, undisturbed, used a scalpel and flask to collect a sample of the spider's venom.

When asked whether any troopers were bitten, Wasp remarked with surprise that the spiders only attacked with the sharp pincers attached to their legs. The water spider was an exception, since it used tentacles instead. Aethra theorised that a spider had bitten Rico and that the venom affected his mental processes, preventing him from thinking clearly. Wasp then lugged the spider's body back to an LAAT, and the Jedi questioned his intent. He stated it was for the triple reasoning of scientific advancement, database expansion and war trophy collection. Since the spider was part of the local wildlife, and not a hostile faction of sentients or battle droids, it technically did not violate protocols against removing items from battlefields.

On their way to a supply post, Aethra questioned whether anything relating to the trial was nagging at Wasp's mind. He became increasingly frank, stating that one of his brothers was likely to be executed for killing surrendered militia, and that Rico's regiment had gone quiet. Aethra understood and said that it was not hard to notice that the 55th might have been planning a revolt or other acts of dissent.

The Jedi warned him that he must not let the possibility of a rebellion affect the clarity of his mind. But she pressed him, trying to learn if he experienced any sharp changes in mind or personality. He admitted that before the attack on the settlement and air field, he was unwilling to sacrifice large numbers of clones to save the others. After the fact, his state of mind shifted and he was both prepared and terrified. He was willing to destroy an entire regiment to roof out evil and save the rest of his men, even though he acknowledged that they were all brothers and sons of Jango.

Zenn understood that sacrifices could be necessary, but remarked that the good must always outweigh the evil in such an act, and that one should always strike for what is best. This led Wasp to decide that he should talk to the Paratrooper Regiment when the time was right, even though the rest of the Arrowheads were prepared to wipe them from the face of the galaxy.

This led to another warning from Aethra, that the commander should avoid giving the 55th a free opportunity to cut him down while he sought a peaceful solution. Such a thing would only serve to endanger the entire Hornet Regiment and its fighting ability. And she was intent on remaining on the space station or otherwise near the 373rd Legion until the trial's end, to provide assistance if any trouble arose.

The commander and the Jedi were conversing when a starship descended. They were going to use lab equipment so that Aethra could test her theory. Wasp led her to a small prefab structure filled with tables and equipment. Two clones hauled the dead spider away. A man named Cole Mirax had exited his starship and approached the lab, and Aethra noticed his lightsaber. When she greeted him as a fellow member of the Jedi Order, he seemed surprised.

She asked if he was aware that carrying a lightsaber without being in the Order could land him a criminal sentence. Cole stated he belonged to neither side of the Force and then stated he had only arrived to ask them a question. Aethra requested that he surrender his lightsaber and he refused. Wasp's hands hovered over his blaster pistols as he inquired as to the nature of Cole's question, and the man stated that he was seeking holocrons. He already had two. Wasp did not know what a holocron was, whereas Aethra knew and explained that possessing Jedi and Force-related artifacts was a crime. She retrieved her lightsaber, the de-ignited hilt resting comfortably in her hand.

Mirax delivered a short speech about his place in the Force and reiterated that he could not surrender his items. Wasp drew his pistols and declared that the man was under arrest, then requested two teams to reinforce the science lab ASAP. Aethra used the Force to seize his lightsaber, except Cole used the Force in turn to keep the lightsaber midair and hold Wasp in place. Aethra gathered her Force power and crushed the saber. He then tightened Wasp's armour around him, slowly harming and suffocating the clone.

Cole ceased hurting him and tried to Force pull the commander to his position, but Aethra used the Force to catch him and warned Cole to flee before the Arrowheads could descend upon him. Cole retorted that he was merely bringing artifacts to the Jedi, to which Aethra countered that he was either a liar or purposely withholding information to incite conflict. Cole sighed and stated that the Jedi were ignorant. Aethra delivered a final warning for him to leave, and thus Cole Mirax departed in his starship. A starfighter squadron attempted intercept but were unable to apprehend him. In the meantime, Wasp examined the Jedi's work and continued washing as she worked on the analysis of the spider venom. She discovered that the venom had a mind-altering effect on sentients. Wasp noted that Rico's mind already seemed addled before the encounter with the spiders, but he had seemed a good enough soldier in spite of that and his aggression. Aethra's obligation as a healer led her to the personal resolution that she would advocate for Rico to be spared execution during the trial. Even so, she did not desire for Rico to return to service or to the general public.

Keeping him alive, Wasp realised, might stave off the possibility of his regiment revolting in mass. Aethra decided she needed to bring the sample back to the Great Jedi Temple for further study. Then she presented a millflower for Wasp to sniff, and the calming chemical drifted through his sinuses. She then took a gunship to the station where she took her starfighter to Coruscant.

Following Aethra's absence, Jedi General and battlemaster Ju'katar arrived and temporarily took command of the supply post. Working alongside Wasp and the other Arrowheads, she destroyed a unit of camouflaged battle droids that were sent to disrupt the flow of supplies. Trooper "Coil" was among the clones assisting.

The general was wounded in the leg and Coil watched over her. A squad of clones had been killed in action, as had five droid platoons. After Ju'katar was moved, Wasp ordered Coil to withdraw into a nearby village and prepare an ambush for the droids. During the ensuing ambush, three Arrowheads were wounded and Coil took down at least one HMP. Major Hammer reported in with a squad three clicks to the south.

Fighting in that region was different than duking it out with their foes in the green forests, which Coil had never been to. He was mostly sent in with reinforcements to various open fronts, or was otherwise cooped up with the fleet. Wasp humorously remarked that Coil was going to be seeing much more ground action, and might even get a personality. Successfully moving from cover to cover and ambushing the CIS droids had shattered their rear guard. Gunships were brought in to remove the dead and wounded.

Hammer's squad was pinned down a ways off. He peeked out from behind a corner, raising his heavy blaster and unleashing a five-round burst at a pair of B2s, then threw himself back into cover and raised a hand to his helmet. He was busy trying to push through a bottleneck to reach Wasp. They were in a gully, opposing a force of droids estimed to be forty to sixty strong. Wasp and Coil gradually made their way towards that position. Meanwhile, Hammer motioned for a trooper to draw the B2s' fire and stepped back out, using his arm as a brace for his weapon. He finally blasted down the two super droids. At the current rate of combat, he surmised they would not break through for an hour or two. An extended recon mission-turned-skirmish had cost them most of their ammo. He tossed the man his pistol, gave the second to another clone, and warned them to only use the pistols when their primaries went dry, and to keep them on quickdraw.

Motioning for two of his men to peak out, Hammer reached into his belt and pulled out his second-to-last droid popper. It was thrown in a lobbing arc down into the gully. The second he tossed at a trio of approaching B2s that were raining fire down on his men. He was slapped in the face with a crimson blast, head snapping back as he fell. The volume of fire increased as his men poured blasts into the enemy ranks, while one trooper ran to check up on him. A blaster pistol was set down alongside him, and a clone covered him with a carbine. There was a quiet sound that prefaced a B2 toppling over violently from the back of it's chassis being blown open by Wasp's sniper rifle.

Coil was spotting for Wasp, and the pair was situated on a hillside and monitoring the situation regarding Hammer and his squad. Coil was uncertain they could take on that many droids with the means at hand, but Wasp believed that the fighting route was better than leaving Hammer to die. Coil didn't really have an opinion, he was simply along for the ride. The Arrowheads spread out and lit the droids up, then melted back into the brush and the hillsides. Wasp domed a B1 to cover the withdrawal. Coil hit the ground and slid down the hill to get a better angle on the enemy. Wasp stayed, even though his hill took fire from the enemy. He kept on shooting and the 373rd's combined fire brought an end to a dozen droids. Hammer's squad continued their pocket defense, but it was obviously a doomed effort due to their compromised position.

Running along the rocks of a nearby ridge, Wasp called for reinforcements. His battered squad and Coil were not enough to take on the two remaining platoons of battle droids. Rolling behind a rock, he casually gunned down four droids and then made his profile small as blasters pounded away at the stone. Sergeant Jackal, Sergeant-Major Notch and Meatbag Squad arrived in the area and there was only a squad of droids left, the combined crossfire catching the droids in a storm of blasts.

Wasp ordered his squad to move up and then told the squad medic to get on Hammer's position. He announced the arrival of friendlies and then reached Hammer's position. The medic removed Hammer's helmet and began treatment as Wasp observed the survivors. They were joined by Private Cooker of the GAR's 5th Volunteer Infantry Unit as one of Hammer's men explained that they had originally ambushed half a platoon of droids joined by a second, then moved on and encountered two and a half more platoons making their way to a village, and intercepted them.

Wasp observed that Hammer's men had hunted the droids like hounds. The troops with Wasp had thought the enemy only had two squads, but then found themselves walking into the enemy's camouflaged killzones out in the open. It had been a hard fight, but the enemy was destroyed and Hammer was safe. At the cost of nearly two squads, the Arrowheads had destroyed two droid companies. Wasp turned to Cooker, Jackal and Notch, explaining that though the enemy's frontal forces were destroyed, they likely had a headquarters somewhere. He tasked Jackal's squad with discovering where the field HQ was located, and had them bring the soft-shell Cooker along with them. Cooker offered to take the weapons from Jackal's squad and modify the scopes, coolant systems or even the magazines.

Hammer, largely recovered, rose to his feet. Wasp explained that by the numbers, the major had done a good job. Then Hammer reported that they discovered a grouping of five large-scale droid factories underground, accessible via cave entrances. An additional two factories were dedicated to mechanised and vulture droid production.

#### **Trial of Commander Rico**

(Full article: https://djs-swrp.fandom.com/wiki/Trial\_of\_Rico )
A panel of Jedi and GAR officers oversaw the trial of Commander Rico from a nearby space station and sentenced him to be executed via firing squad. The rest of the 55th Regiment ultimately chose to stand down instead of committing mutiny. Rico was taken away by clone troopers from the Coruscant Guard, and a small number of his troopers quietly defected and attacked the prison transport. Most or all of the defectors were killed in the process, but Rico out-fought the CG and escaped.

#### **Wrecking those Factories**

Hive Regiment regrouped with their allies groundside as the LAATs flew in. Wasp disembarked from the interior of a parked AT-TE. Mottel and Mosquito Battalion approached with various walker and artillery units, perfectly ready for the siege the Arrowhead Legion planned. After wiping a speck of dust from his armour, Wasp hefted his sniper rifle and examined the terrain ahead.

The 373rd Legion was out to remove the enemy's factories, which was the final vestige of Separatist forces in the region. They had to protect a bridge-later and protect the armour and artillery so it could move in and attack the factories. Taking down the enemy here was going to preserve the lives of 373rd troops across Loegallo and the rest of the star system. Several infantry companies advanced on teh edge of a canyon, firing on the assembling droid forces ahead.

A trio of armoured assault tanks loomed in the distance, their guns shelling the Arrowheads. Wasp ordered artillery on the tanks' position, destroying one and upsetting the other two. A handful of clones fell as the push continued. The Muunilinst 10 and Captain Fordo were brought in to help spearhead the infantry assault. A super battle droid was gunning for Fordo, and Wasp shot it down. Across the river, droids were joined in by militia who sided with the Seps and slugthrower rounds sounded out.

The AT-TEs and bridgelayer trundled forward, firing cannons and massdrivers at the tanks and infantry beyond. Fordo reported more hostiles approaching from five clicks east. Multiple artillery cannons began a big and beautiful barrage to target the droids in that position. A rocket narrowly missed the bridge-laying AT-TE, which Wasp ordered his troopers to defend.

Patrol troopers were a key part in the engagement, and all of the Patroller Companies took part. Aqua droids and various B2s saw heavy action against the Arrowheads, and an AT-TE collapsed under the weight of a hailfire droid barrage. When scans revealed a cave system inside the nearby canyon, Fordo's team was sent with a 373rd trooper to investigate. Wasp and eight AT-TEs continued fronting the attack.

Major Hammer joined in with his troops, sticking near to Wasp. The droid factories had jamming devices up to prevent successful air strikes, but Hammer's recon mission earlier had proven highly useful in that regard. Fordo reported the first of the caves was clear and IR-marked in case an airstrike was needed. He was ordered to proceed to recon and mark the full extent of the cave system.

Ahead stood two old-school anti-tank guns and a multitude of barricades, combined with several light tanks. The native enemy's attempt to keep the Republic at bay. The militia were wearing flak vests and helmets donated by their Separatist allies. The artillery and walkers had to focus on the enemy armour or else it was bound to chew through Arrowhead infantry if they got within range. The anti-tank guns went off, narrowly missing the first of the Arrowhead Legion positions. Hammer laid down, set up his bipod and clasped a hand over the top of the barrel, opening fire in short bursts. GAR artillery opened fire. Militia took cover under the heavy volley, and one of the GAR artillery pieces deployed a smoke package. This allowed the troops to advance and take down the anti-tank guns while the artillery kept the enemy suppressed.

The Arrowheads set upon their enemy while disappearing within the smoke. The militia were pinned down and unused to fighting anything other than planetary defense forces. One of the 337rd was wounded by a blast to his heavily armoured chest. Activating his thermal imaging enabled Wasp to get a vague idea of where each shot came from, and he retaliated. Fordo's team was ambushed in the caves below, one of his lieutenants was killed and he was knocked unconscious.

Fordo lay on the ground, his red and white armour illuminated by the glowing mushrooms. A trio of BX commando droids advanced on him. But someone else heard the noise, and saw the three sets of circular eyes in the distance, and someone in armour laying on the ground. The listener was a man wearing bandages on his torso, armed with a DC17b pistol. The lead commando looked to him and demanded he identify himself. The man stated he had no intention of doing that and used the Force to throw the commando back into it's partner, then opened fire at the third, who tanked the blast and sent three towards the human.

Bolting backwards, the man narrowly dodged the bolts and waited for the BX to advance up the small hill. That BX and another slowly walked forward, backed by a fourth that had gravitated to the sound of blasterfire. The man used the Force to send a BX slamming into the cave ceiling. He shot at the droids until there were only two bolts left in his magazine, and one of them was permanently deactivated in the cave of glowing mushrooms. With all of his might he Force-grabbed a BX and threw it violently against the wall, causing it to fall into pieces. The Arrowhead with the group, CT-4429, had also been unconscious, and he woke up and used his blaster rifle to help eliminate the last of the BX droids.

The man turned out to be none other than Jedi General Wedge Heinrich, whose starship had crashed on the planet when his squadron was shot down. His communicator broke during the crash, so he was forced to survive until the 373rd legion arrived on-world. The Jedi had to be detained for safety purposes to ensure it was actually him, but the Arrowheads were glad to have him back. As they exited the caves, a small squad of B1s crawled along the walls and leapt down into the river to attack them, but they fought the droids off and destroyed them.

A second droid squad joined in and was wiped out through a mix of Force powers and blasterfire. A platoon of B2 super battle droids marched it's way up the other side of the canyon to engage them. A gunship arrived, revealing Coil and a few clone troops who fired down on the B2s.

Wedge was rescued and all of the droid factories were destroyed, resulting in a Republic victory.

#### **Extended Family, Abandoned Base**

Wasp waited in the space station's loading bay. A 501st trooper kept the hangar bay secure with a turret above. The station was a flurry of comms chatter and activity. Troops were unloading weapons and rations or entering transports to reinforce planet Loegallo. Notch stood near the ladder, busying himself with a datapad. Ay'rn was standing all cool-like, watching his company prepare to head down to support the forces on the ground. Wasp had Sergeant Zaps, Notch and their squads secure the loading bay and nearby hallways. Zaps was in Milo Company, and Wasp wanted the rest of them to run logistics. In the meantime, Wasp was going to examine the rest of the station and ensure some order was involved.

The Iron Legion's general, Soloman Barris, and Jedi General Tharrano were present. Lieutenant Frog was there, with Lambda Squad providing their services in the role of a rapid response unit in case things got dicey. Everything was being prepared for the 302nd Legion's arrival, and the place was made spick and span.

The Iron Legion was also visiting. Commander Zealot was there. But the big fanfare was pulled out for the 302nd, who arrived with Commander Checkmate in front. Wasp invited all of the Arrowheads to come down and meet their "extended family". Lieutenants Buck and Frog briefly conversed. One of the new recruits for the 373rd, trooper CT-556 "Reggie", got to meet the Reds. The troops were due to take part in an operation on Loegallo, but in the meantime, everyone not on immediate sentry duty was permited to take part in food, drinks and weapons practice.

Ash'ad unslung his weapon and started taking it apart near a crate, inspecting and ensuring it's total function. A bartender served the troops. Wasp made Frog take a mandatory break for a few minutes while he took over the duties of the logistical Commando. Most of Hive Regiment and many Venom Regiment troops were on-station with the 264th and 302nd. Zaps saw Reggie's orange armour colouration and assumed he had been kicked out of the 212th, and was excited to meet a new arrival.

After some socialising, Wasp joined Checkmate in the briefing room. The mission was to infiltrate a Republic base that was thought to be abandoned, but then an all-clear signal sprang up out of nowhere. Wasp placed Reggie and Zaps on temporary assignment with the 302nd. Then Wasp and Frog managed some logistical details, and Wasp informed Frog that most of the rifles that the Arrowheads had lost were recovered, except the ones lost on Muunilinst and Raxus Prime. Frog decided to order seven hundred rifles. General Barris was nearby, and he was a bit down in the dumps about Rico's behaviour before he was shipped off for execution. He considered that some strange, otherworldly force may have coerced the clone into committing war crimes.

General Plo Koon arrived with a slew of troopers from the 104th Battalion. Wasp watched while leaning on a firm metal hand rail. Plo Koon was leading an aerial assault with the 104th, who were being sent to destroy yet another droid factory on Loegallo. Shortly after hearing about this, Wasp learned that the 325th Special Operations Regiment had lost nearly all of it's personnel on Loegallo, with Commander Hornet among the few survivors.

Adding to the mix -the Arrowheads were guarding the station while the 302nd went on deployment-, Jedi Generals Kit Fisto and Mace Windu entered the station. Wasp and Fisto conversed, and Fisto said he heard that Wasp was very formidable on the battlefield. Wasp respectfully asserted that it was all due to his troops, who never let him down.

After engaging the Separatists and defeating them on the surface, the 302nd secured the base. The operation was a success.

#### **A Dalliance on Krada**

"Nothin' says Arrowhead like rushing into a dark cave with light weaponry, light support, and no intel." ~ Sergeant-Major Notch

Although the Dallaince on Krada did not take place on Loegallo, it happened during the campaign, when a hefty portion of the 373rd Arrowhead Legion briefly relocated to Krada to train their new recruits.

The 373rd Arrowhead Legion welcomed new recruits to their base on Krada. Dawn was a short ways off, and a dropship was bringing the newbies. Reggie was getting used to the heavier nature of the legion's armour. Wasp and Notch were with him, overseeing the integration of the arrivals into their new unit.

A small unit of leftover battle droids was detected in the outskirts. One trooper, Sparks, was part of a patrol that was attacked, and he was wounded. Medics saw to his injuries. Since they were closest to the droids, the fort went on full alert. Patrols and sentries readied their blasters and turrets as Wasp and a platoon moved towards the gate. They entered a cave system wherein Sparks' patrol was attacked, discovering that a visiting Jedi who had accompanied the patrol was killed in action. Their lightsaber was retrieved for safekeeping.

Wasp and a squad proceeded ahead of Notch, Sparks and Reggie, their flashlights activated. A Mandalorian warrior attacked, his blaster bolts dropping two troopers dead before Wasp and the squad retaliated efficiently, killing the warrior. Notch, Wasp and Meatbag Squad rushed ahead with Sparks, who was jumped by a second warrior that they had to kill. Notch jogged over and kicked the corpse ahead before they proceeded.

A small group of visiting 501st Legion troopers reported they had discovered the precise location of the remaining droids. They learned it was a battalion-sized element. But the 501st trooper reporting on behalf of his group then sought to assassinate Wasp, and the Arrowheads filled him with blaster holes, revealing that the trooper was nothing more than a BX commando droid disguised as a clone. The enemy battalion was in the southeast, so the Arrowheads assembled forces to counter it.

Two gunships brought in reinforcing troops and two more deployed a pair of AT-TEs. These were joined by two additional AT-TEs that arrived on foot. Unknown to the group, someone in dark armour was approaching from the caves, blending in with the shadows with shocking ease. Daylight arrived just as the 373rd engaged the droids. The CIS battalion's artillery launched proton warheads at their location, resulting in the 373rd adopting a strategy of spreading their forces wide.

The shadowed one, a secret operative from Project Hidden Sun, met Wasp while he was behind cover. He answered the operative's question, confirming that two bounty hunters had ambushed them in the cave. They said his cooperation was appreciated and stepped past, giving him a pat on the shoulder before disappearing from view. Notch fired on the droids, sending a steady stream of blue bolts down range. Sparks and several others reported that the droids were beginning to outflank them, but Wasp coordinated gunship strikes that delivered green death unto the flanking groups, disrupting their movements. Notch wondered why their AT-TEs were not effectively repulsing the enemy, and Wasp told him to just focus on the push on the front.

Gunships dropped off two infantry companies to bolster the 373rd, as Wasp had planned earlier when he learned of the enemy battalion. The gunships performed continuous sotries, wrecking the droids along the sides. Wasp led the push personally. He casually brushed off a pair of blaster bolts that struck his chest. Sparks was pounced on by commando droid, who Notch shot down. Wasp directed a medic to Sparks and kept going. The Hidden Sun trooper returned from the cave, stealth carbine raised and silently, invisibly firing upon a trio of droids, taking them down with swift ease.

Their aggressive push paid off and the droids were destroyed. In the process, the 373rd learned more about the cave systems on Krada and decided it was time to explore and fortify those underground areas.

#### **Loegallo, By Water and Air**

Pro-Separatist troops were holding out on Loegallo, and increaased efforts were needed to dislodge them. One such operation took place near the coastline.

Helmets peaked out of the water, rifles and carbines soon following. The troops examined their surroundings along the beachhead. Camouflaged, a woodlander stared down his sniper scope at one of the clones, then lowered his rifle and disappeared off into the bush as the clones steadily moved towards the beach. A trooper collapsed into the water with a loud shriek, and the others opened fire at the droids on the beach. Wasp took aim through his sniper scope and dialled in a droid, then sent a bolt in it's direction.

Two droid platoons and an assortment of organic hostiles were rapidly engaged and dismantled by the clones of the Arrowhead Legion with no further casualties. They regrouped with other Arrowheads further along the beach, ones who had arrived by land. A few AT-RTs trundled past, their markings from a different unit. The troops of the 373rd understood they had a few minutes to get supplies moved before they were to engage the Seps.

A familiar demolitions expert from the Republic Commandos' Delta Squad, Scorch approached from the brush and provided valuable tactical intel to Wasp. He then left and performed reconnaissance on the forward area that was equal parts explosive and informative, resulting in the revalation that a Separatist jamming device was turning their comms to static. A short forest-based battle ensued, with Scorch and Wasp moving from tree to tree while backed by Arrowheads and a slew of local native allies as they battled the Separatists and their hostile organic counterparts. A hostile Mandalorian marksman opened fire with his sniper rifle and t ook out one of the local troops, leading to Wasp hunting the man down and destroying him with a barrage from his pistols.

After blowing up the jamming device with Scorch's help, Wasp's force grouped up with Lieutenant "Yan" and the 28th Assault Platoon. Ahead was a small fort held by the Separatists that spewed anti-aircraft and machine blaster fire into the nearby river and up at the sky. An LAAT brought an artillery emplacement for cracking open several of those turrets.

The droids and rogue PDF outnumbered the Arrowheads, who spaced out their troops and began attacking the shut-off gate and the nearby turrets. Troops from the 104th Battalion who had followed General Plo Koon to take down a factory earlier had been shifted over to assist the Arrowheads, and they brought another general named Snowe for the battle. They secured the front so that the 373rd could bring in a bridgelayer.

Yan wondered what the enemy wanted with the base, to which Wasp replied that they wished to hold air superiority over most of the planet to prevent the GAR from sending in more air-based reinforcements. Since their air forces had been largely annihilated, this was the Separatists' attempt to stop the GAR from bringing their own air assets into the picture. Yan acknowledged that even the droids were being smart about this.

Super battle droids and snipers engaged the clones, sending a few of the 104th's boys into the river or slamming onto the ground as naught but dead bodies. The clones and Snowe continued a gradual push as gunships roared off in the distance, a few more missiles striking the fortress in defiance of the heavy AA that threatened to rip the vehicles out of the air. Yan saw Wasp's troopers charging the gates and voiced his surprise that they were acting as teh vanguard. Whistling arose from the fort, and a pair of mortars flew into the Republic ranks. Two more LAAT/Cs arrived to bring in an AT-TE and another artillery emplacement.

Another gunship arrived to serve as the bridgelayer, dropping said bridge at precisely the right moment and spot. The Arrowheads and assault platoon charged as one, crossing the bridge and overtaking the droids on the other side. Artillery cleared most of the way. The other clones stuck to cover, but Wasp rallied the 373rd and explained they had to either pus hin or risk casualties from a prolonged siege. Artillery barraged the gates, and then explosive charges were used to break in. Two blaster turrets in the courtyard mowed down a number of clones as medics saw to the wounded outside.

The Arrowheads and a handful of assault platoon and 104th troopers grouped up behind trees and barricades. Wasp leaned out and sniped a super battle droid. A familiar blue lightsaber and brown robes were visible before General Anakin Skywalker revealed himself with infantry from the 501st Legion. Wasp explained that the courtyard's turrets had them effectively pinned down. Switching to a carbine, Wasp followed Skywalker into battle. The Jedi expertly deflected the turrets' stream of blasterfire with his lightsaber and then destroyed them, allowing the clones to overwhelm and eliminate the rest of the droids and seize the fort. The Grand Army was thus able to move it's air power without restriction.

#### **A Forward Push**

The enemy militia remained a menacing threat that had to be destroyed. Wasp redeployed with the Arrowheads, including Notch and Sparks, Reggie and Hammer, Missmatch and Coil, Knight and Wedge Heinrich. They landed at night and setup so they could strike the enemy at dawn.

Moving through the trees, they held carbines and rifles and made ready. Knight led the way and attacked from another direction, but the militia ambushed his squad and they reported over half casualties and requested backup. Missmatch and Coil moved up to the trees ahead to Wasp's right while Reggie and Notch provided cover fire. Reggie then moved to the tree in front of Notch, allowing the sergeant-major to himself move up. A sniper was firing at Knight's squad, and Notch was in a perfect position to target them, so Wasp ensured that transpired. Coil and Mismatch leap-frogged from cover to cover through the trees to distract the snipers further. Sparks was hit by a blaster bolt in the chest and slammed into a hut wall before collapsing against it. Wasp had Notch and Reggie continue firing on the sniper and then called Sparks to check up on him.

Switching to his pistol, Sparks took out an incoming militiaman. Notch continued firing on the sniper. Wasp did not need comms to see, from a distance, that the man was hit. Coil and Mismatch continued zig-zagging across the treeline while taking turns covering each other against the sniper and other militia. Wasp slowly moved up to Sparks' position and pulled the trooper back as Sparks realised how lucky he was. Wasp remarked that luck simply happens, and when the clone dropped his pistol, Wasp demanded that he put it back in his hand. Then he pulled Sparks behind the siding of a house, just before a pair of slugthrower rounds cracked harmlessly against the front.

Knight ordered his squad to use the houses for cover, saving the remainder of their number from further losses. A medic from Knight's squad sidled up and began tending Sparks' chest wound as Wasp reminded the trooper to never forsake his weapon. When Wasp requested intel on the status of enemy contacts, Coil responded that he did not have enough knowledge to deliver a full report. The medic treated Sparks and two troopers provided cover. Wasp moved up slowly, firing a pair of blasts and suppressing a single militant.

An enemy militiaman moved behind a house and took aim at Knight, firing a blast before charging him with a bayonet. Knight expertly took him down. Mismatch gestured to a rock and offered to give Coil covering fire to move up, which the fellow soldier accepted. Knight declared that the enemy had to fallback at some point. Notch stepped out from cover and fired a bolt into a recently downed militiaman to confirm the kill, then moved on to the next set of trees. Wasp swept the area around a building, opening fire and lighting up a man in a flak vest, watching him drop with three holes in him.

Reggie was hit in the arm by a bolt and slid into cover while Notch berated him for standing out in the open. Wedge blocked incoming blaster fire and Sparks was good to go again, but the medic said to contact him if the pain spiked back up. After deflecting a full barrage of blasterfire, Wedge inquired as to how many enemies there were, to which Sparks responded that he had no idea. Wasp and a few of the troops took up position behind a building and Wasp peered out, identifying three militiamen with slugthrowers before shooting one down and returning to cover.

Re-equipped with his rifle, Sparks rejoined Wasp, who asked Missmatch to cover Sparks' move to the next tree to get away from the house. Slugs struck the ground, throwing up dirt. A few hit the tree with hard force, but Reggie, Sparks and Missmatch were unaffected. Sparks utilised the cover provided by Missmatch to reach Coil's position and asked how he was doing. Reggie remarked that his armour had been broken when he got shot. Wasp took to the back of the clones and ordered them to flush their enemy out with grenades. A militia fighter lunged out of the trees towards Sparks, who ended him with a pair of blaster bolts up close.

Notch grabbed Knight by the pauldron, dragging him back behind and then against a rock to keep him out of harm's way. Wasp moved up from tree to tree, a slug round grazing his wrist plating and leaving a scratch. Jackal arrived on scene with his squad, using grenades to blow up trees. This action both exposed and eliminated several of the militiamen. Reggie requested orders and Wasp told him to stick with a fireteam and move up, then joined a trio of riflemen taking cover in the trees, illuminating the area with blasterfire.

Notch joined some troops behind a tree, his blaster raised as he allowed it to cool off. Reggie went behind another tree and Jackal's squad withdrew to reach another safe position from which they could rid the enemy of their capacity to strike and flee into the woods on repeat. Wedge used the Force to push militiamen into the mountainside, wounding and killing several. Sparks took a blaster bolt to the leg.

A handheld rocket went off, flying past the helmeted heads of several Arrowheads. Reggie warned of incoming wrist rockets as a result. Enemy snipers were getting brave, so Wasp told Reggie to work with a aprtner to suppress and out-flank them. Night fell, and with vision uncertain, Coil activated his NVG. Six militia charged in with bayonets on Wedge's left flank, having run out of ammo during their last salvo. He cut them all down before Sparks announced that the militia had largely fallen back. Wasp joined Missmatch in the forward area and delivered a few shots, noting that the militia were indeed falling back, only to be replaced by battle droids. The firefight intensified for several minutes. Red and blue bolts flew back and forth through the forest, with the odd lightened burst from a slugthrower going off.

Wasp activated his visor's night vision as a pair of thermal detonators thrown by clones went off in the distance, his helmet rapidly filtering out the polarisation. Reggie was hit again, and Knight was shot in the visor. Wasp was moving up cautiously, and told Reggie and anyone else who was wounded to seek medical help. Meanwhile, Jackal and his squad were equipping their heavy weapons nad explosives. Wasp reached the front and saw a red lightsaber activate in the distance. Though he did not know it, Wasp was facing off against Count Dooku, but he was not alone. Wedge Heinrich arrived and declared that Dooku should have chosen the right side. Hearing that Knight was badly wounded, Wasp ordered Coil to move the sergeant to a medic. Sparks shot a few bolts at Dooku, to little effect.

Dooku deflected it effortlessly and stated that he could chop every single clone down. Wasp realised who it was and loudly declared that they were facing none other than the Confederacy's commander-in-chief. Undaunted, he ordered his troops to spread out and prepare to outflank the Sith. Dooku had droid snipers spread out along the hills to counter this, and a red bolt slammed into Wasp's right pauldron. Jackal's squad used their heavy weapons on Dooku's position, particularly several rocket launchers. One of them used a grenade to bring down a tree and reveal a droid sniper so the others could shoot it.

All of the droid snipers began firing on the clones and the firefight reached renewed intensity. A medic tending Knight found his one eye was damaged, so he had the sergeant scheduled to receive a prosthetic. Wedge told the clones to seek cover and Jackal advised letting Dooku escape, stating that it was likely a trap. Then he dragged Sparks behind cover, sparing him from an incoming sniper shot. Since they had arrived behind the same tree, Notch spoke to Wasp and swore the Separatists must have had another factory somewhere, with how many Force users they kept throwing at them.

Wasp led several troopers in taking potshots at the droids in a slow and highly coordinated attack through the trees while ensuring the others committed to establishing a medivac position farther back. Dooku was nowhere to be seen, and Wasp ordered several LAATs to perform recon sorties. Jackal pointed out that the Count admitted his plans to Wedge, stating that he had been searching for a holocron. A droid sniper narrowly missed Wedge, and Wasp blasted down a sniper variant super battle droid.

An ARC Sergeant named "Flow" joined the Arrowheads in battling camouflaged Separatist sniper droids. A soldier named "Tank" from Robuck's Raiders also joined in. Upon receiving permission to unload, she repeatedly blasted into the trees until most of the surviving droids were reduced to scrap metal. Also arriving in pursuit of the holocron was a duros bounty hunter by the name of Cad Bane, a man who Wasp and the 373rd had fought once knowingly, and once unknowingly. Bane killed several clones with his blasters before Wedge threw a lightsaber at him using the Force. Flow said command wasn't kidding when they said he was needed on the surface. Sparks declared they should have completely pulled out when Dooku showed up. Tank threw out a string of profanity and tossed a grenade at the droids, blowing up several.

Flames engulfed part of the forest when Cad Bane used his flamethrower, causing an Arrowhead to roll on the ground, his armour set alight. Tank shot a rocket at Bane, but the duros dodged it. The fight against Cad Bane and a group of battle droids continued until daybreak, when Wasp personally led the charge against them. He put three rounds into a militiaman and made him crumple, continuously moving through the trees and along a hillside. He leaned out from a tree and tossed a frag grenade that ripped through several droids. Sparks warned the regimental commander that he was facing a diversionary force, and that droids were circling around towards the drop site to prevent medivac. Thus Wasp had Hive Regiment circle around to engage the enemy and defend the drop site while he led everyone else forwards to eliminate the enemy in front of them.

Missmatch called in air support, and Notch arrived with fresh reinforcements. Wasp blew apart three militiamen and learned that Wedge was captured by Bane after he had been incapacitated by a sun blast. Wasp tasked Jackal with securing the general and defeating Cad Bane, then sent Knight over to reinforce Sparks' position. Notch and his hidden troopers ambushed the encircling droid forces, opening fire in mass. The droids continued walking into the clones' fire and were destroyed.

At least four militia were taken prisoner and one of them was provided medical attention. Tank, Sparks and Flow were sent to search a cave for either Wedge, some droids, Cad Bane or the holocron. Instead, they found only ghosts. One of the ghost harassed and mentally broke Tank, who spent a few minutes curled up inside of a gunship before Wedge was recovered and everyone departed the area.

The aftermath of heavy fighting left carcasses on the ground and a pair of buildings ablaze. Arrowhead troopers stood at sentry near a line of shuttles while captured Separatists were moved inside. Wasp instructed them to maintain perimeter because there were pro-Sep elements interested in freeing the prisoners. Through near non-stop fighting, the 373rd Legion had seized an anti-aircraft fort and defeated a large number of enemy militia. They were making extensive gains that Wasp had no intent on stopping.

Thus they guarded a group of shuttles in front of a Republic outpost, and Kenobi had brought a group of the 212th to assist by keeping the nearby woods clear of enemies. Their number included CT-037 "Dusty", troopers "Jacks" and "Max", and airborne captain "Ivan". Dusty stated they had lost sight of Kenobi, and then the clone was killed by an enemy sniper. Wasp instructed them to find cover and find the shooter while sweeping the area with his eyes on his carbine sights.

The Arrowheads moved up and searched for the sniper while Ivan remarked that Dusty was dead and they were the only ones left from the squad sent with General Kenobi. A few squads of troopers stayed behind to process the prisoners. Wasp declared that they would find the missing clones, and Cody and Kenobi, before a blaster bolt slammed into his chestplate. He stumbled and then returned fire. A cloaked figure with a long rifle fell from the rockets, landing on the ground with a hard crunch. One sniper down.

Notch reached the outpost as a final shuttle took off with the last of the militia prisoners loaded inside. The bodies were moved and Kenobi and Cody were recovered after a brief battle with militiamen before they left to partake in another mission on a different planet. Wasp informed Notch that the 373rd were likely to spend several days on pacification duty before being sent back to the larger campaign.

#### **Fort Defense**

On a planet near Loegallo, the Arrowheads responded to a distress call from a GAR fortress and found it in disarray, with several clones dead or missing as the result of an attack from an unidentified creature. There was also a rancor loose in the base, which had to be put down by the 373rd and a number of GAR allies. The highly eccentric and tough individual known as "Sarge" was found and recruited by the Arrowheads during the mission.

A Separatist attack was inbound, so the Arrowheads and their allies established a chokepoint and multiple defensive positions. After sustained fighting they retreated into the main complex, detonating the gate to prevent entry. Temporarily raised from Corporal to tactical commander, Lifa had EWEBs set up under her orders. Three hyena bombers were shot down, but not before one dumped its' payload and injured Major Stone. The wounded, Stone included, were recovered. A tunnel had been drilled through the main gate and was destroyed by a joint effort of Tak, Lifa and Stone.

As pressure on the main wall continued to mount, anti-air capabilities were destroyed. After recovering, Stone resumed command and put in an initial call for exfil. The Separatists overwhelmed the outer wall defenses and the GAR retreated to the second gate. An artillery piece was established in the fallback position's gate as a counter to armoured units. A strange tank with a mobile shield generator arrived, and six squads of B2 super battle droids advanced within the shield. The artillery piece went to work firing on said shield.

Tak attempted to rush past the advancing tank and droids to reach a lone, outdated anti-aircraft emplacement. He had been behaving strangely and slightly suicidal. Lifa stunned him into unconsciousness before he could put ihmself in danger.

Though the shield was destroyed, the second gate was overwhelmed by the remaining B2s. A brave clone soldier sacrificed his life and was shot several times while firing one last round into the second gate's side to collapse it and buy the defenders more time. B2s strode over his corpse. Stone deployed smoke grenades to allow the clones to make a retreat into the main complex at the rear. The B2s began breaking through, so Stone called in danger-close artillery, wiping them out.

With all resources exhausted, one lone hyena bomber began approaching the building head-on from the distance. It was shot down moments before dropping its payload, and Grand Army exfil arrived in the form of several gunships and other transports.

### **Rooting Out Infiltrators**

Reinstated with additional manpower, Dug-Out forces were sent to another planet to root out possible Separatist infiltrators. They were aided by a lone Advanced Recon Commando from a unit referred to as the Cobalt Corps. Sergeant Tak eliminated a Separatist informant with extreme prejudice.

### **Operation Candlelight**

The Confederacy was stockpiling and researching Arrowhead armour, and in the process, experimenting on the clones they had captured. The scientist Ra're Devon was turning several of them into bio-tech weapons, part droid and part human, with all of Jango's combat instincts still present. Republic Intelligence finally discovered where the development for the project was taking place.

Located in a solidly protected fortress, the project was surrounded by numerous battle droids, AATs and artillery pieces. The majority of the Arrowheads were siphoned from their other engagements to take part in what was designated Operation Candlelight. But even with their thousands, the hardy 373rd was outmatched. Calling for assistance, High Command assembled the forces of the 87th Stardust Corps, the 302nd Legion, 264th Iron Legion and 192nd Sentinel Brigade to provide vital assistance.

A rapid attack from the 6th Fleet vanquished the Separatist defensive fleet and a vanguard of clones was deployed to establish a base of prefabricated buildings. This base was stormed and nearly seized by trandoshan mercenaries and battle droids before the 192nd and Stardust touched down, liberating the base and making their advance. The Arrowheads followed. What happened next was a pitched siege that included the usage of Lambda Squad to destroy enemy defenses. Troops faced off against a powerful magnaguard tasked with protecting the fortress interior, and the 91st sent a familiar ARF trooper and friends to help seize important information from the base's interior. The Separatists were defeated and their project was foiled. As a follow-up, another operation was in the works for the final destruction of Ra're Devon's project. To carry this out, the Arrowheads had to return to Krada and assemble their new, raw recruits.

### **Krada Besieged**

Throughout the war, the 373rd had faced the worst that General Grievous offered and survived in spite of his efforts to eradicate them. They disrupted secretive CIS lab projects, defeated pro-Separatist uprisings, and broke entire legions and battle groups worth in droid and organic enemy personnel. Entire systems fell within days when the Arrowheads concentrated their manpower in any singular place. They were also resupplying and emerging from different routes than most units in the Grand Army, and the Separatists wanted to learn why.

It was a leap in intelligence and scouting operations that led to the discovery that the 373rd had not only conquered Krada, but continuously occupied it as a base of operations where troopers were shipped to after being trained on Kamino. Understanding the threat that the Arrowheads possessed, the CIS diverted considerable resources to attacking and destroying them. Krada was put to siege, the Republic ships in orbit rapidly assaulted by a fleet of considerable bulk, while thousands of dropships disembarked ground assets. The Arrowheads' anti-air, satellite and defensive grid was rapidly burned away. Resistance efforts were in tatters within the first few hours.

All forward operating bases were destroyed, though most of the 373rd's personnel and a considerable number of vehicles had been conveniently sequestered away before planetary bombardment could ensue. Several units of troopers were outflanked and eliminated, but not without putting up a substantial fight. Regimental Commander Wasp commandeered a fighting retreat into the cave systems and mountainsides, destroying several times their number in droids in the process, as was par for the course at the time.

When the first day of the siege ended, the Separatists had forced the Arrowheads into hiding. But they found significantly fewer bodies than they would have liked, and could only hope that the majority of them had been vaporised when their outposts were destroyed. Fighting continued in space.

### **Order 66**

Many members of the 373rd Legion carried out Order 66, due to their flash training and inhibitor chips. The others were too busy battling CIS militia or wildlife, and in those moments they may have had some mental clarity on the matter.

Following the activation and execution of Contingency Order 66, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion served in the Galactic Empire's Imperial Army and it's Stormtrooper Corps. However, Regimental Commander Wasp only covertly served the Empire, as he was investing his time and energy in the Havencomb project with the intention of creating a state where soldiers' lives were valued and everyone could be properly cared for.

### **Imperial Expansion Era**

#### **Defectors on Orto Plutonia**

After Regimental Commander Wasp's defection, he and three Arrowhead troopers infiltrated an Imperial base on Orto Plutonia. They worked alongside Achilles and his commando squad, but the three Arrowheads were killed in a deadly shootout with troopers from the 7th Sky Corps and 212th Attack Battalion. Wasp was captured along with Achilles, but the Freelance Airborne Platoon arrived and attacked the 212th personnel. They sacrificed themselves, permitting Wasp and the Commandos to acquire the data they needed before acquiring transport and fleeing the planet.

## **Unit Summary**

### **1.94th Hive Regiment**

The 94th Hive Regiment was responsible for reconnaissance and heavy assault. Most of it's soldiers were suited towards infantry roles, but heavy weapons, vehicular and airborne elements also operated under it, along with the YellowJacket Squadron.

#### **1.2. Hornet Battalion**

Hornet Battalion served as Regimental Commander Wasp's personal unit, dedicated to fielding some of the hardest hitting and fastest thinking combatants in the entire legion. Hornets were encouraged to show the initiative and emulate each other's tenacity, using a combination of frontal assaults, flanking attacks, force reconnaissance and a small amount of sharpshooting to turn battles in the Arrowhead legion's favour. The second of their four companies was infamous for it's assault recon squads. The third company contained several personnel with flamethrowers and heavy repeaters. Hornet Battalion also contained Lambda Squad, an elite unit of Commandos and cross-trained personnel that was designed to grow into a Commando Troop complete with advisors, specialists and support personnel to allow for the Arrowheads to initiate engagements with stealth and lightning raid tactics.

#### **1.3. 345th Battalion**

Containing Captain Ay'rn's Barret Company, the 345th proved it's capabilities in assaults and sieges on numerous occasions. Their personnel also performed logistics and defensive tasks, which included providing weather updates and sattelite coverage to other units.

### **2.58th Venom Regiment**

Venom Regiment had two battalions dedicated to walkers, artillery and supply vehicles, two dedicated to infantry-based warfare, and one fighter/dropship squadron.

### **3.45th Stinger Regiment**

Stinger Regiment was entirely comprised of land-based assault units except for it's Bombard Battalion, which consisted of artillery, artillery logistics and support personnel. There was also Golden Arrow Squadron, a unit of Low Altitude Assault Transports.

### **4.53rd Artillery Battalion**

Built upon four companies, the fifty-third was a support unit dedicated to defensive and offensive artillery usage. It was not uncommon for the 53rd to continuously barrage an area for several hours before the other units entered combat.

### **5.22nd Battalion**

Little is known about the 22nd Battalion, aside from the fact it's Veil Company contained some of the Arrowhead Legion's finest pilots, who also possessed reasonable combat capabilities when outside of their starfighters and gunships.

### **6.Commander Law's Battalion**

Battalion Commander Law's personnel were integrated with the 373rd Legion sometime prior to the Engagement on Mygeeto. Their white, yellow and grey armour scheme was modified to include small, dark green stripes.

### **7.Sixth Fleet Security Task Force**

The Sixth Fleet Security Task Force was initially and primarily comprised of 373rd Arrowhead and Coruscant Guard personnel, but personnel from other units were invited in. It was a temporary and consistently secured posting intended to protect the officers throughout the Sixth Fleet, and frequent security checks prevented the SFSTF from being infiltrated by commando droids.

### **8.Fletch ARC Cavalry Company**

Led by Captain Ray, the Fletch ARC Company consisted of various Advanced Recon Commandos, jet troopers and elite assault and support personnel tasked with flanking enemy positions, capturing hostile leaders, destroying vehicles and ordinance, and providing evacuation and paramedical support.

### **9.Milo Company**

"It's not Shock Squad, it's Shuck's Squad!" - Corporal Vex

Created for the purpose of delivering quick offensive and defensive security units to Grand Army bases, Republic worlds, and small scale battlefields, Milo Company included the unit's infamous "Shuck's Squad", a squad of Arrowhead shock troopers.

### **10.Blue Devil Squadron**

Blue Devil Squadron was a unit of Low Altitude Assault Transports and ARC-170 starfighter escorts designed to ferry reinforcing troopers or take the fight to the enemy in devastating airstrikes.

## **Unit Composition**

Kane Platoon

Blue Devil Squadron

Star Squad

Yellow Squad

Warmonger Squad

113th Alpha Company "Mad Hatters"

### **94th Hive Regiment**

YellowJacket Squadron

Mosquito Battalion

Freelance Airborne Platoon

Dragonhawk Battalion

#### **Hornet Battalion**

3rd Assault Recon Squad

Niner Squad

Brave Squad

Lambda Squad

### **58th Venom Regiment**

Yeow Squadron

Roughneck Battalion

Raider Battalion

Stride Battalion [Walkers]

Mottle Battalion [Supply/Siege]

### **55th Paratrooper Regiment**

Tuxedo Company [Airborne]

Island Company [Infantry]

Axe Company [Armoured]

Cavern Company [Airborne]

Urban Company

Bled Company [Airborne]

Owl Company [Airborne]

Galaxy Company [Airborne]

Sigma Company

Firestorm Squad

Desert Snake Squad

Alpha Squad [Airborne]

Tropical Squad

Atlas Squad

Sound Barriers Squad

1st Squad [Airborne]

Kessel Squad [Republic Commando]

Garner Squad [ARF]

Radio Squad [Stealth Troopers]

### **45th Stinger Regiment**

Golden Arrow Squadron

Rapier Battalion

Dirk Battalion

Husk Battalion

Bombard Battalion

### **53rd Artillery Battalion**

Cannon Company

Graid Company

Octillery Company

Italic Company

### **Milo Company**

9th Platoon

2nd Platoon

Crun Platoon

Shock Squad "Shuck's Squad"

## **Personnel Roster**

Trooper CT-#### "Sleeper"

Trooper CT-#### "Blast"

Trooper CT-#### "Cooker" [Sharpshooter/Slicer]

Trooper CT-#### "Coil"

Trooper CT-#### "Apollo"

Trooper CT-#### "Shrapnel" [Combat Medic]

Trooper CT-#### "Badger" [Sharpshooter]

Trooper CT-#### "Pinch" [Medic]

Trooper CT-#### "Ram" [Heavy Weapons]

Trooper CT-1645 "Friendly"

Trooper CT-#### "Diomedes" [Engineer]

Trooper CT-1364-1 "Scanner"

Trooper CT-2239 "Razor" [Airborne]

Trooper CT-1945 "Arrow"

Trooper First Class "Zero" [Dug-Outs]

RC-#### "Cod" [Special Forces]

ARC-#### "Sharky"

ARC-#### "Sol"

ARC-#### "Hornet"

ARC-#### "Slash"

Corporal CT-721 "Ant"

Corporal CT-5019 "Matt" [Airborne / Heavy Weapons]

Corporal ARC-#### "Jed"

Corporal CT-#### "Longbolt"

Corporal CT-#### "Tunic" [Engineer]

Corporal CT-#### "Stinger" [Engineer]

Corporal ARF-#### "Rex"

Corporal CT-1515 "Vaz"

Corporal First Class CT-1511 "Corpse-Hawk"

Sergeant CT-#### "Dell" [Engineer]

Sergeant CT-#### "Wick"

Sergeant CT-1339 "Dagger" [Sharpshooter]

Sergeant ARC-6211-1 "Finder"

Sergeant-Major "Tuk" [Dug-Outs]

Sergeant-Major CT-5862/1132 "Notch"

Lieutenant VL-#### Pal Pattron

Lieutenant CL-#### "Viper"

Lieutenant CT-545 "Stinger"

Second Lieutenant CT-#### "Anu" [Pilot]

Captain CT-#### "Hauitzyr"

Captain CT-#### "Hive-Mind"

Captain CT-2925 "Lockdown"

Captain CT-5209 ""Fly"

Major CT-0451 "Sinker"

Major ARC-78 "Raph"

Jedi Commander K'arr [Kirito Toi's Apprentice, Defected]

Battalion Commander CC-0255 "Bumblebee" [Deceased, suicide, unidentified planet]

Battalion Commander CC-#### "Storm"

Battalion Commander CC-#### "Sakxon"

Battalion Commander CC-01-1986 "Chino" [Mosquito Battalion]

Battalion Commander CC-3121/23 "Claw"

Battalion Commander CC-#### "Laprey"

Regimental Commander CC-7181/25 "Greyloc"

Senior Commander CC-1201-2119 "Atlas"

General "Ballista"

Jedi General Der'a Shan

Jedi General Ander Naka

Jedi General Wedge Heinrich

Jedi General Jar Masusa

### **94th Hive Regiment**

#### **Hornet Battalion**

Trooper CT-#### "Fex"

Trooper CT-#### "Fab" [KIA, Battle of The Spill]

Trooper CT-#### "Torpedo" [KIA, Battle of The Spill]

Trooper CT-#### "Mount" [KIA, Second Battle of Raxus Prime]

Trooper ARF-#### "Rocket" [KIA, Second Battle of Muunilinst]

Trooper CT-#### "Colt" [KIA, Battle of The Spill]

Trooper CT-#### "Breaker" [Jet Trooper] [KIA, Second Battle of The Spill]

Trooper CT-1367 "Maddison"

Trooper CT-9714 "Trump-Card"

Trooper CT-6762-39 "Black Bird"

Trooper CT-2681 "Holler"

Trooper CT-#### "Tac"

Specialist CT-#### "Blanks" [KIA, Second Battle of Raxus]

ARC-#### "Echo" [KIA, Second Battle of Muunilinst]

ARC-#### "Kat" [KIA, Second Battle of Raxus Prime]

ARC-#### "Yellow"

ARC-1148 "Manticore"

ARC-#### "Pretzel" [Gunner]

Corporal CT-#### "Static"

Corporal CT-#### "Knots" [Heavy Weapons] [KIA, Second Battle of Raxus Prime]

Corporal CT-#### "Veil"

Sergeant ARC-2242 "Dash"

Sergeant First Class CT-3195 "Watz"

Lieutenant CL-#### "Jaf"

Lieutenant CL-#### "Shuttle"

Captain CT-#### "Pollo" [KIA, Battle of Aduran, Cresh Front]

Captain CT-#### "Trace"

Regimental Commander ARCC-7537 "Wasp"

##### **Lambda Squad**

Sergeant RC-1749 "Lolf" [Slicer]

Sergeant-Major CT-3011 "Frog" [Jet Trooper] [Sharpshooter] [Tactical Aide]

### **55th Paratrooper Regiment**

Trooper CT-#### "Hock" [Airborne]

Corporal CT-0096 "Jazz" [Ordinance Squad Trooper] [Close Quarters Combat]

Lieutenant ARF-#### "Jumper" [Firestorm Squad]

Captain CT-1204 "Guess" [Airborne]

Captain CT-#### "Typhoon"

Regimental Commander CC-3165-8 "Rico" [Removed]

### **Milo Company**

Trooper CT-#### "Antler" [9th Platoon]

Corporal CT-#### "Vex" [Shock Squad] [2nd Platoon]

Sergeant CT-#### "Shuck" [Shock Squad]

2nd Lieutenant CT-#### "Dell" [Crun Platoon]

### **22nd Battalion**

#### **Veil Company**

CT-#### "Drift" [Pilot]

CT-#### "Vex" [Pilot]

CT-#### "Fisherman"

### **Blue Devil Squadron**

Pilot CT-7436/14 "Weasel" [K.I.A., Battle of Aduran]

Lieutenant Anika LaRone

### **Kane Platoon**

Lieutenant CL-#### "Cayde" [Engineer] [Kane Platoon]

## **Equipment**

For vehicles, the 373rd commonly utilised the

UTAT (Unstable Terrain Artillery Transport)

ATOT (All Terrain Open Transport)

ATAP (All Terrain Attack Pod)

ATRT (All Terrain Recon Transport)

and AV7 Anti Vehicle Cannon.

Since the introduction of Phase II gear, the 373rd armour was adjusted to be more resistant to blaster fire than that of the average Republic clone trooper's, capable of absorbing several blaster bolts before the wearer was incapacitated or killed. It has been theorised that this was one of many prototypes used later on to create stormtrooper armor.

Despite primarily being a heavy assault force, the 373rd Arrowhead Legion was known to utilise the DC15x sniper rifle for it's marksmen.