The Countess ━ OBI-WAN KENOBI

Chapter Seven

With a deft flick of her wrist, she swung her lightsaber behind her back, deflecting yet another imprecise shot from the droids. The ease of it all bordered on the mundane as if the challenge posed by the droids fell far short of her capabilities. Their movements were predictable, their aim lacking finesse; the only power they had was in their numbers.

Slicing through the last of the B2 series battle droids, she sighed in momentary relief, only to find herself swiftly cornered by a group of droidekas.

"Of course..." she muttered to herself. "And I had to send Blaze and the whole battalion back to get reinforcements."

Shifting to the right, she adjusted her grip on her lightsaber, skilfully deflecting the shots with calculated precision. However, the energy blasts proved to be largely ineffective against the ray-shields. Devoid of any grenades or droid poppers to aid her, she found herself compelled to retreat, her mind racing as she scanned her surroundings for an alternative solution. Before she could even contemplate evasive manoeuvres or seek refuge in the nearby terrain, a sudden explosion reverberated through the air, engulfing the advancing droids in a shower of debris and smoke, flattening them in an instant.

"HA! I told you that it would work," the voice chimed in from the side, causing her to cough lightly as she turned her gaze toward the source.

"Appreciate it, Wrecker," she acknowledged with a nod, easily recognising the man. His towering stature and distinctive, bulky armour made him unmistakable in any situation.

"Anytime, General!"

As the planets revolved countless times, a span of eleven years unfolded, bringing about profound changes. The war that had become Leilani's reality commenced the very moment Dooku released her, persisting relentlessly. Initially, Serenno, along with several other systems, rejected the Republic's offer, forging a new alliance—the Confederacy. The revelation hit her like a shock-wave when, years later, she witnessed her brother delivering a speech with the very same words and convictions he had shared with her long ago.

And it never stopped.

With one single action and a decisive push, the dominoes began to topple, setting into motion the inexorable march towards war, creation, and the loss of millions of innocent lives. All of it, because of him—and her, who could have intervened to halt the descent. There existed always one pivotal decision that could have altered the course of events, the outcome. Perhaps she had not recognized it initially, but now, she bore the weight of blame upon herself with every passing second.

Having been through numerous battles in the past, she had always managed to balance aiding others while tending to her own duties. This time was no different. Her padawan remained at the temple back on Tython, the very place she had called home for the past eleven years, while she was summoned to recapture the planet Felucia; not much after Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi had lost the first battle. Hope was to take back at least two important cities, and then leave, wait and let the Republic forces plan the next moves. Just as much as it sounded easy, however, it was definitely not. Her legion had been trapped on the planet for the past month almost, no tanks, no munition were enough to keep this siege alive, even with one city already captured. Hence, that was when Clone Force 99 came in.

The time for careful planning, structural decisions and standard procedures was long gone.

"Alright, listen up!" she called out, commanding the attention of her troops as they regrouped at the nearest camp. "Sarge, I need you and the Batch to neutralise the compound on the west side of Jiaozi. Intel suggests that the tactical droids are concentrated there, diverted from the city outskirts. Once we eliminate them, we'll have a clear path in," she explained, gesturing to the tower displayed on the holotable. "The rest of the battalion will split into two teams; Captain Blaze will lead one team over the wall here," she indicated the designated area on the holotable once more, "while the other will accompany me and Skimmer along the main route. By drawing their fire, both teams can execute their missions with minimal resistance."