Star Wars - Artoo Detoo: Droid of a Kind (Volume 1)

by Mark A.J. Cristobal

  “Gentlemen, let’s go to war.” Padmé nodded at them.

  * * *

  The fog spreads out like a sea of faint blue white haze from the lower elevation of Theed Spaceport up to the Negotta side of the plateau where Theed City stands. Pale shadows and silhouettes seemed to ripple across the farthest reaches of the fog from each sides of Theed.

  Scattered fleets of diverse ships of make and models moved like disturbed Mantooine green ants from the night side of Naboo and the far side of each of the three moons of the planet.

  Trade Federation Occupation Camps on every city from Theed to Spinnaker and up on the blockade fleet suddenly lost their sensor signals sending paranoia from various Neimoidian overseers dispatched by the Viceroy.

  Viceroy Nute Gunray fidgeted nervously from Queen Amidala’s throne. The Lady Sarc Crimos stood on one of the tall windows of the Throne Floor looking out at the fog covered swamps below the cliffs with trepidation.

  Darth Maul sat cross-legged on one of the state rooms of Theed Palace, his double-edge lightsaber resting on his lap. The Sith’s fingers clasped each other and his eyes were closed. He could sense fear, apprehension and determination from almost everywhere.

  He felt the Jedi like a jolt of exultation running through his bloodthirsty veins. Darth Maul opened his eyes and grinned. They are coming!

  * * *

  Boss Rugor Nass rode Hooga, the only Fambaa in the Gungan Grand Army that wasn’t carrying a Shield or Drum assembly. Instead, it was heavily armored. Thick spiked metal braces from its stubby legs to its head and to its tail serves as both protection and weapons against the battle droids.

  Atop its back was a thick plated and shielded, steering cockpit where Boss Nass sat and controls Hooga while directly in front of the lead Fambaa is Geerokk, the alpha prime of the cerrabore herd of the Gungan Grand Army.

  Ridding Geerokk is no other than Bombad General Binks who raised his electropole and signaled for his army to begin advancing towards the Grassy Plains.

  Two hundred mounted cerrabores started marching on both sides of Hooga while the rest of narglatch riders moved ahead with Jar-jar. Behind them march a hundred sixty-six thousand and six hundred kaadu riders and militiagungs on foot of the same numbers.

  The second and third thirds of the Gungan army led by Major Fassa and Captain Tarpals have also begun their movement from the left and right of the Theed Spaceport.

  Gungans on the edge of the forest atop the trees blew their horns in tandem with some of the militiagungs marching with their drums.

  One Corellian Cargo Freighter zoomed above the sea of fog and landed under heavy fire on the Theed Spaceport. A squadron of Z-95 headhunters from Nym’s forces came swooping down providing covering fire for the freighter’s passengers. Out from the ramp Aluva D’asima and the two hundred members of the Order of the Sanctuary poured out with their blasters firing at the startled battle droids.

  Up on the plateau coming out from the Negotta mountains were a sizable army of Nym, a group of various species gathered there in hopes to benefit from their Freeorin leader’s deal with the Queen, although they hardly numbers to a thousand, they were not lightly armed. They rode scores of tanks from Corellian P-67 Assault tank to vintage Mandalorian G5000 Fortress Destroyers.

  Nym has cleverly got these tanks past the blockade with the help of Resnon’s fleet. He has secured the tanks on two cargo haulers and faked a crash during one of their skirmishes in the other side of the planet. One crashed on the ice tundra’s of the North Pole and the other on the jungle twelve kilometers west of the Mootoo Cave.

  Once down, his men drove the tank out of the fallen cargo haulers and triggered the self-destruct of the massive ships. The blockade being busy on Resnon’s fleet ignored the two crashed haulers.

  Now, under the cover of the fog, Nym’s army made their way to Theed slowly.

  Captain Kiel and the Naboo underground forces drove their landspeeders in top speed past the crawling tanks of Nym’s army and shot straight to Theed City. The forward unit got past startled droids and was already in the city before they were fired upon.

  Moving meticulousness, Kiel and his one hundred ground units scattered, each were thoroughly instructed to operated individually and do hit and run attacks all over the city.

  A group of bongos made their way underwater from the Negotta base. Aboard were two strike teams led by Queen Amidala and Sabé.

  With them were the active Royal Handmaidens, the reserved handmaidens from the Order of the Sanctuary, Captain Panaka, Lady Crystaé herself, Junior Palace Guard Gregar Typho, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, the boy Anakin Skywalker and Artoo Detoo.

  The bongos swam across the labyrinthine underwater pockets and tunnels towards their destination, the Solleu River.

  Behind the three moons of Naboo, the Moviana fleet moved out of cover, powered up their shields and armed their ships. The blockade reacted at once and from their battleships came pouring out hundreds to thousands of droid starfighters like disturbed bees from their precious hive.

  Resnon who just came from his shuttle along with Captain Hoff Siege and their escort Bravo Squadron right after their briefing with the queen stood on the command bridge of Fair Chance to look at the displays and check if everything is running smoothly.

  Captain Siege and his Bravo Squadron flew escort to Fair Chance waiting for their signal to engage the Trade Federation flagship Saak’ak.

  Captain Ric Olié was given the command starfighter of Vengeance Squadron and is now skimming the sky towards Theed City. The circling droid starfighters above the Naboo capital spotted and them and started to regroup and form a wedge to intercept them.

  In the city itself, on the Olié Residence, Darred Janren looked out at the window and saw the patrolling battle droids and shook his head in frustration.

  Sola came to him and placed her arms around his waist and kissed his firm shoulders. “We have to stay strong my love. I’m sure my sister will not let this atrocity goes by unchecked.”

  “I know, but we have to do something.” Darred sighed and turn to look at Ruwee, Jobal, Thea and the rest of the crowded Naberrie clan with the Olié family.

  “We fight.” Ruwee nodded with conviction. Jobal started to protest but Ryoo Thule held her and shook her head.

  “We gather the people, make weapons, anything…” Darred said in a surging excitement.

  “We’ll help.” Thea Olié nodded, beside her, Rinn smiled at Darred.

  * * *

  Boss Nass checked his comm console, a recent addition to his steering cockpit courtesy of Nym and Resnon, and noted the progress of the other teams. Nass nodded in satisfaction and noticed he has an incoming call. It took him a few seconds to remember how to answer the comm.

  “Boss Nass here.” He said.

  “Boss Nass, enemy activity has begun. MTTs and AATs accompanied by Troop Carriers are now flooding out of Theed City and Theed Spaceport. Have your army in position and get ready for the engagement.” Nym reported.

  “Thank you Nym.” Boss Nass rubbed his thick hands and relayed the situation to Jar-jar, Tarpals and Fassa.

  The three groups of the Gungan Grand Army stopped and prepared themselves for the battle. Battle wagons and catapults were moved into strategic positions as the first wave from all three groups poised for the charge.

  Jar-jar saw his narglatch and cerrabore riders’ nervousness. “Steady, steady.”

  The Gungan Grand Army were thoroughly trained for hundreds of years, generations after generations were listed and honed. They studied tactics and theories though not as creative as the off-worlders, but Jar-jar believed his people knows enough to put up a real fight.

  Although there is one problem, ever since the Gungan tribes were united and Otoh Gunga was built, the Gungan Grand Army never experienced real war. The Naboo-Gungan War hundreds of years ago do not even get close to this situation.

  Jar-jar’s hopes are relying on the determination of his people a
nd the experience of their allies. Ahead of them he spotted the small dots of the MTTs, AATs and Troop Carriers emerging from the slopes of the Grassy Plains of Naboo.

  From the radio he heard the voice of Captain Tarpals, “Ouch time!”

  Chapter 45: The Battle on the Solleu

  The bongos finally arrived in the Solleu River and Qui-Gon moved his Gungan sub forward to the ancient sewer at the Theed Hangar side of the river. The Jedi Master put on his Aquata breather and opened the bubble of his bongo then swims towards the steel bars of the sewer’s tunnel.

  The entrance was large enough for a single bongo to enter so the group formed a single file as the Jedi activated his lightsaber. Once more, Qui-Gon was thankful for the modifications of Master Fisto to his lightsaber.

  Obi-Wan also in his Aquata breather went out of his bongo and swim his way on the surface near the other side to draw the attention of the patrolling droids away from the rest of his team.

  The moment he emerged, the waters around him exploded as the AATs on the river bank opened fire at him. Apparently one of the droids spotted his silhouette before he rose up on the surface.

  Obi-Wan Force-leaped and cross the five meters and landed on the nearest AAT. Igniting his weapon, Obi-Wan sliced off the tank’s turret and leaped to the next one.

  A platoon of battle droids spotted him but as they were about to head towards the river bank explosions erupted somewhere in the city and Captain Kiel’s scattered commandos started wrecking havoc on the confused droid army in the city.

  Obi-Wan easily destroyed the stationed AATs and droids by the river bank and was about to return to the river to follow the others when he sensed a strong presence behind him.

  Obi-Wan Kenobi stood straight and slowly turns around and saw the Lady Sarc Crimos on the other end of the road, her pair of lightsabers already thrumming in power.

  Obi-Wan took a battle stance and raised his blade in a two handed grip facing her.

  “A Knight now huh?” Crimos hissed as she noticed the former padawan’s braid was already gone. “Too bad your Knighthood is short lived, time to die, Jedi!”

  Obi-Wan grinned wolfishly at her and his muscles coiled for the action, “Oh, I don’t think so.”

  * * *

  Artoo Detoo and Anakin Skywalker were helped by Typho and Saché out of the bongo while the Jedi was busy cutting through the basement wall. Artoo made a cursory scan on the vicinity and detected no evident activity in the basement area.

  Padmé was ahead of them behind the Jedi with Panaka, Aluva and the Lady Crystaé. The rest of the Royal Handmaidens, both active and reserves, and the Palace Guards were checking their weapons and comlink signals.

  The Jedi completed the hole and kicked the ferocrete down. The group then made their way though it and into the basement. Artoo quickly rolled to the control panels and turned on the lights.

  The group was startled to see that the entire basement storage was full of inactive droidekas. Qui-Gon looked closely at one of them and moved back.

  “They’re active!” the Jedi strikes down the droid before it could move. The entire chamber erupted in a pandemonium of droidekas activating their shields and the humans running for cover on the scattered crates.

  Typho pulled Anakin to where Artoo Detoo was safely hidden from view beside the control terminal. “Stay here with the droid Anakin.” Typho said then turn to regard the astromech, “Artoo, make sure the kid is safe.” And the soldier went to join his team in fighting off the droidekas.

  Darth Maul looked at the monitors in the comm station and nodded in satisfaction as he saw the raging battle on the basement. “Right on schedule.” the Sith muttered.

  * * *

  Resnon’s fleet are outnumbered and outgunned by the Trade Federation almost to a one hundred to one but their assault is not meant to destroy the blockade but merely to keep them occupied long enough for Captain Siege’s Bravo Squadron to get their mission completed.

  Captain Feul Atane of the flagship Saak’ak was on the verge of panic breakdown. This is his first space battle and even though he has the advantage in terms of firepower and numbers, the fact that he was aware that his ship was the primary target of the enemy fleet were enough for him to lose focus.

  With Viceroy Gunray down on the planet and unable to be contacted, the terrified Atane has nowhere to turn to but himself.

  He simply issued an order to destroy everything that is not part of their blockade and sat shaking in fear as the holo displays of the on-going battle rages on before him.

  The droid starfighters received the order loud and clear so they attack to kill every enemy ship. Although they could overwhelm the Moviana Patriots and the Bravo Squadron easily, the droid starfighter swarms received no tactical orders and was forced to acquire their individual targets without proper coordination with the rest of them.

  The result was catastrophic for the Trade Federation. The erratic advances of the droid starfighters were easily outmatched by the cool tactical precision of the Patriots.

  As the turn of the battle tipped in favor of the Patriots, Captain Siege ordered the assault on the Saak’ak and the two squadrons took on their attack formation and flew to engage the droid control ship.

  * * *

  The Gungans driving the shield Fambaas activated their protective bubbles then the AATs opened fire to test the Gungans’ shields. The three divisions waited for the MTTs to begin deploying the battle droids they were carrying. When Jar-jar saw that the troop deployment racks of the MTTs are almost halfway out, he gave the order to charge.

  Six hundred massive mounted cerrabores surged ahead from three sides of the battlefield and came crashing and battering against the helpless MTTs and AATs. Shortly after Jar-jar has attacked, the rest of the narglatch riders and Boss Nass’ armored Fambaa charged as well.

  The falumpasets pulling the catapults and the other long range weapons of the militiagungs stayed within the protection of the shields and provided cover fire for the advancing Gungan army.

  The rest of the MTTs deeper in the lines of the Droid Army activated their cargo prematurely while still attached to their hatches. The confused battle droids struggled to get off and landed at each other as they all drop off the racks.

  But the second and third waves are already attacking and by the time the rest of the remaining battle droids were deployed, the entire Gungan army has already engaged the Trade Federation forces.

  OOM-9 led the main assault force against that of General Bink’s army. The droid commander was on the specialized Armored Command Tank or ACT. It was a large as the MMT but similar in design as the AATs but with far more advance modifications and armaments such as shielding, surface-to-air-missiles, magnetic repulsor cannon, triple-barreled primary laser cannon, six launch tubes for armor-piercing shells, a pair of secondary quad laser guns each operated by droids, four short range blasters on the side of the forward casing.

  The ACT of OOM-9 was the only of its kind manufactured by the Baktoid Armour Workshop exclusively at the request of the later Rune Haako himself. OOM-9 operates the triple-barreled primary laser cannon and was also in constant communication with all of the droid sub-commanders.

  The ACT was piloted by a crew of five and its quad lasers were controlled by a pair of gunners. It is also faster than the regular AATs of the Trade Federation.

  When the ACT joined the fray, the casualties on the Gungan army started to rise. Boss Nass ordered Jar-jar to locate the droid commander so he himself could attack it. Ramming his cerrabore through the throng of battle droids, zooming droids on STAPs, AATs and MMTs, Jar-jar went to the thick of the droid army and his people to find the large ACT.

  * * *

  Crimos came down on him hard. The impact of her two blades on Kenobi’s was bone jarring and forced the young knight to step back. Obi-Wan swung aside her blades and rolled to her left and at the same time lashed out his right leg to trip the Dark Jedi.

  Crimos easily avoided his foot by jumping but tha
t was what Kenobi was waiting for, in mid-air he Force-shoved her to the edge of the riverbank as he got up on his feet.

  The former Nightsister stabbed the low rock walls to stop her fall then sprang up over the Jedi and landed safely on the wider street at the side of the river.

  “You are resilient Obi-Wan. I had to give you that.” Crimos snarled and advanced on him with her swift and intense vaapad attacks.

  Obi-Wan knew what she was up to so he channeled the Force to strengthen the muscles of his arms. She had given him that same relentless pounding in their past encounters. Obi-Wan knew she would be executing a new trick this time, trying to lull him to believing this was just another of her typical fighting style. He matched her virulence with measured parries and refused to be backed into a wall or onto the river.

  Seconds turn to minutes and as the unstopping sweeps, slash and slices of Crimos began to strain Obi-Wan, he started to wonder if he could still keep up this defensive position because the way he sees it this time, the Lady Crimos was hardly panting or batting an eye at him. Her face was expressionless and her heterochromic eyes are ablaze.

  People, both civilians and Naboo undergrounds started to appear on some areas by the riverbanks firing on battle droids and AATs, distant booms of explosion became a constant background. Fast looming shadows kept passing by them as droid starfighters and the Vengeance Squadron dogfights above the city of Theed.

  One of the droid starfighters skimmed low by the edge of the river as it chases one of the Vengeance Squadron’s fighter. Crimos leaped on the wing but Kenobi was already at her tail and the two landed on the perplexed droid starfighter but kept flying after its own target.

  Kenobi and Crimos use the Force to keep themselves from falling off the ship as they move against each other. The added weight plus their movement forced the droid starfighter to fly slower and slower much to the advantage of its target that managed to escape and flew on wide arc to retaliate but when the pilot saw the two combatants above his target, the pilot veered off and went to pursue another.

  Obi-Wan slashed at the antigravity generator of the droid starfighter and in his swing he also hit the power converters and several permanently installed power cells.