[ON HIATUS] Follow Your Heart | An Alternate Star Wars Story

Under The Cover Of Darkness

You sat upon a Nu-class shuttle with Horn Company as it descended down onto the Felucian soils. You and your Master, Jedi Master Eeth Koth, had been sent due to reports from the inhabiting farmers that the Separatists were occupying a small Staging Base in the area. Your ship would be able to reach the surface undetected, whilst Master Koth and Captain Lock would receive information back at the Venator cruiser, Unyielding, that hid behind one of Felucia's moons. Whilst you weren't a stranger to real battlefields or stealth operations, this was the first time your Master had sent you in without himself. This mission would prove whether or not you could effectively lead clone troopers as a commander and perform the role of a Jedi in battle without the guidance of one's Master. A heavy undertaking you did not intend to fail in up-keeping.

You looked around you, the clone troopers either preparing their equipment or throwing around small talk. You knew them all, by serial number, but also name. You had fought with Horn Company since the beginning of the Clone Wars and shared a good relationship with a lot of the soldiers that operated with you on the Unyielding. Eleven were to accompany you on the mission, which was to identify the threat level of the Separatist base and either neutralise it or report all findings back to Koth, depending on the severity of their forces. One of the clones, Spec, looked over to you, nodding. "Hey Commander , not stressing out are you?" he called over the hum of the thrusters, which earned a small chuckle from you as you shook your head.
"I'm not sure about this sir," the clone trooper Flak called. "Separatists control this system, but I don't see them having a strong foothold. I don't even know why they bother holding this place."
"Resources and food," another clone interrupted, Spike. "They occupy those farmers out there which means they have enough resources to bribe some of the neutral systems."
"Then let's make sure those farmers don't have to deal with Separatist politics anymore," you replied. The clones nodded to you in response, a sign of respect and brotherhood. The pilot was the next to speak:
"Commander (L/N)? We're approaching the drop point. Orders?"
"Bring us down quietly and keep on guard. We'll need you to be ready for extraction at a moment's notice." The pilot nodded, bringing the shuttle down. You turned to the squad, pointing to two in the back. "I need you two to stay here, just in case some scouts come close to the ship." The pair saluted to you.
"Yes sir!" With that, you felt a small jolt as the shuttle came into contact with the ground, causing you to raise your hood over your head. You stood, leading the nine soldiers who would accompany you out of the ship and onto Felucia itself. The flora was admittedly beautiful, a plethora of colours flooding your view as the night sky twinkled overhead.

The troops all prepped and awaiting orders, with the security team positioned on a nearby ridge, you signal for the group to move North. The shuttle had landed in the closest clearing to the coordinates Koth had provided, meaning it would only be a short walk to the Staging Base. The foliage provided good aerial cover and the small group would be difficult to detect. Still, you and the clones remained cautious. The illumination of the flora meant flashlights weren't necessary, all the better for your squadron. Before long, you reached a small mound with a smooth vertical cliff face from your approaching side. Turning to your squad, you pointed out two clones and ordered: "Spike, Flak, use your tethers to get up there and scout for us. I want to know what we're walking into." They nodded, stepping forward and preparing to scale the cliff side. "The rest of us hold a defensive position here. We don't know what we're dealing with yet and I don't want to risk anyone unnecessarily." Horn Company nodded to you confidently, assuming a perimeter around the overlook.
"I told you he was a natural," Spec said softly to another trooper, which you couldn't help but smile a bit at. You were glad you're commanding techniques were approved of by your company. Unlike some others who viewed the clones as machines, they were just as valuable and alive as you were. They were men, not droids. You radioed back to the shuttle, your wrist-comm held up to your face.
"Pilot, how goes it?"
"Calm as anything, sir," they replied over the comms. "Though I did pick up a ship entering the atmosphere. It doesn't match any known Separatist signatures and didn't head for the coordinates General Koth provided."
"Okay..See what you can dig up, but don't risk exposing the shuttle. Just because it's not Confederate doesn't mean it's friendly."
"Sir, yes sir." The comms went silent, giving you a moment to breathe.

It was at that moment when you heard Flak and Spike, subtly calling you from above. "Sir, you have to see this for yourself," Flak said, lowering his tether rope for you. You nodded to Spec to take charge temporarily. Taking the rope, you scaled the smooth rock, reaching the peak of the overlook without too much stress. As you joined the pair, Spike gave you his NV scanner without a word. You peered into it at the direction of the base, a small shock running through your mind. What you observed wasn't a small base, it was a heavily fortified outpost, with tall walls and a Separatist dropship stationed in its centre.
"That's not a Staging Base..." you muttered. "..It's a Military Outpost."
"We should to get back to the Unyielding and report to General Koth," Spike suggested, causing you to nod in response. The three of you climbed back down swiftly and explained the situation to the company, having Spec call back to the shuttle with the information. The group all began to head back to the ship at a rapid pace, avoiding the occasional droids on STAPs as they patrolled.

Once back at the shuttle, you saw that the team you had left for security had already loaded into the ship and the thrusters were ready for immediate takeoff. You entered with the rest of Horn Company, who quickly seated themselves as you made your way to the cockpit, signalling to the pilot to takeoff. In the same moment, the door to the shuttle began closing and the ship lifted into the air, shooting off into the sky and away from the planet. "General Koth's received the report. He sounded concerned. Wants you on the bridge when we get there."
"Thank you," you replied with a complimenting smile.
"Always happy to serve, Commander." With that, you took your seat with the rest of the clones, removing your hood.
"Sorry you didn't see much action boys," you said jokingly as you turned to your comrades, who shrugged it off or chuckled.
"No worries Commander," Flak called back. "Rather avoid a fight than lose it completely."
"Agreed," piped up Spec. You chuckled softly, sitting back and entering a meditative state as the humming of the thrusters ran through you.

Heya! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. No worries, we get to meet more Jedi characters in the next chapter, including a certain Togruta ;) The romance of this story will be a little slow to start, but no worries, it's core to the plot I have planned. For those unaware or interested, this basically took place right before 'Padawan Lost', at the end of Season 3 of 'The Clone Wars'.
Final note, if I use a clone's name which already exists elsewhere in TCW, please tell me and I'll have it changed. I don't want to mess with Filoni, lmao

Until next time, my friends