Jedi Insurgency 100

With the attack on the capital temporarily halted, and the Republic forces rearranging their defensive line to reinforce the south, Corvus was left alone-inside the FOB-to stew in his thoughts. And the one thing constantly ringing in his head was 'what would Anakin Skywalker do?' After much contemplation, he had a good idea. Even if he was Vader now, he was still a maverick. 

Skywalker was the type to do something bold, outrageous, and daring. Something that would end the fight as fast as possible. And what would accomplish this? Taking out the shield generator! If he was right, the attack on the south was both real, AND a feint! It was real, because those starfighters really did need to rearm, however, if the shield covering Eriadu City fell, they could pivot to the capital, and rearm here!!! Then the Empire would hold dominance in the skies, and the defense would become tragic. 

But the thing was, Corvus couldn't simply recall the troops, because if he did, then those airfields & factories in the south would be seized anyway! This plan that the Imperials concocted was devious, and practically without flaw. Corvus was grinding his teeth as he thought up solutions to this quandary.

Of course the simplest solution would be to stop Vader from reaching the shield generator. This was easier said than done. He may be 2 to almost 3 months into that suit, but Corvus held no illusions that he could beat Vader in a 1v1. Even if he had an army at his back, he wasn't 100%. The goal then, would be to stall Vader, and prevent him from reaching his goal. 

Meanwhile, the Republic forces would have to outlast the enemy supply lines. Once the Imperial starfighters were  out of fuel & ammunition, they would become sitting ducks. Maintaining the advantage in space, they could then force an Imperial retreat. Of course, Corvus would like to swallow them all, but battles where one side was completely annihilated were rare in reality. Hyperspace meant that retreat was always an option. Of course he possessed some interdictors, and could prevent that. However, both sides were almost evenly matched. 

If he insisted on holding the enemy back, there was no telling who would emerge victorious in the end. In his opinion, it was good enough to cut off an arm, and show the galaxy that the Jedi were not to be trifled with. Forcing a deathmatch could result in unforeseen consequences.

Now that he had a general idea on Vader’s next move, he had to prepare for the Dark Knight's avenue of attack. Vader typically liked to attack in a linear, straightforward manner. Using overwhelming force to crush his opponents, he enjoyed striking fear into the enemy. Yet he was Skywalker just a few months ago, and that man wasn't stupid. For all his arrogance, he didn't blindly charge forward every time. In fact, the amount of Infiltrations, and flanking maneuvers Anakin performed were so numerous, they were impossible to count. 

‘What would Skywalker do?’ 

If he were Anakin Skywalker...he would feign a full frontal, all out attack. Then he would send commandos on a mission whilst he drew the heaviest firepower onto himself. However, without Rex, Ahsoka or any of his closest companions, Vader likely wouldn't trust such an important mission to anyone else. 

Therefore, it was likely that the 501st would act as the elite speartip, whilst he found a way to sneak into the shield generators facility, and sabotage it. To accomplish this goal, flight was practically out of the option, however, there was one method that he was fond of...going underground! Eriadu City was a massive megalopolis, and looked no different from the planet-wide city that was Coruscant. It had layers upon layers, and extended deep into the crust. There were plenty of underground routes that could be used for Infiltration!

Corvus's eyes snapped open. THAT WAS IT. This would be Vader’s angle of attack, he was certain of it!

Knowing that Vader had a high likelihood of entering through some maintenance shaft, or sewers, Corvus would have to plan accordingly. Facing that black armored figure in a narrow hallway was intimidating as all hell. Out in the open, Corvus had tons of room to maneuver, and could sprint or [Shadow Hop] to evade danger. Meanwhile, those service corridors gave juggernaut's like Vader an unseen advantage. Capable of muscling his way through most common forms of attack, the man was a tank. Furthermore, it wasn't like Corvus could just booby trap one hallway and call it a day. There were potentially dozens, if not hundreds of ways to reach the facility that housed the shield generator. 

This also wasn't some videogame where the protagonist has to take a door to enter. A lightsaber could cut through walls, the Force could create openings, and whatever commando squad Vader entered with would be more than capable of blasting a wall down. 

Defending the shield generator was beginning to look like a grim prospect. Corvus had half a mind to rig the entire area with explosives, and set a trap. Yeah, he would sacrifice the shield generator in the process, but there was a very real opportunity to catch Vader in it. He didn’t think an explosion would be enough to claim the Chosen One's life, but there was a good chance it could significantly harm or damage him. Thus leaving him open for a stealth attack…

The more he thought about it, the more Corvus liked this idea. It was incredibly risky, but was one of the few options he had left. Fighting Vader head on was suicide, and defending every entrance was untenable. Alternatively, he could even choose to be absent from Eriadu City altogether. Whilst the Imperials were focused on the southern front, and on the capital, Corvus could take an ARC-170, and from the auspices of stealth, pilot it into the command ship. 

Intelligence had identified the fleet commander as Grand Admiral Octavian Grant. With Vader away, and their attention focused elsewhere, he could ensorcell or assassinate Grant. Using his skills as a Jedi Shadow, he could then throw the Imperial fleet into turmoil. 

The entire crux of this siege was to outlast the enemy. If he could lure their ships into an ambush…then it would be Vader forced into the defense, and he would be the one who had to scurry around on the planet like a rat in the dark! 

As this thought began to proliferate, the smile that spread across Corvus's face was like something straight out of The Grinch. 

‘Yes, why fight Vader directly, when I'm not even a Jedi Master? I am not a saber monkey, or some idiot Windu who thinks solving every problem with a lightsaber is the correct option. My past victories hardly relied upon my superior martial abilities, rather, it was because of my reliance on the Force that I emerged as the winner!’ Corvus thought to himself in relief filled glee. 

The universe seemed to want an epic clash between ‘Revan’ and Vader, but Corvus knew his limitations. Men were prideful creatures, and he for sure would love to say he took down Vader in a 1v1. That was something he would brag about until his dying days. However, being a man also meant understanding responsibility. Saving money for a trip, retirement, or being the one to make decisions for your household and family. Every decision a man, or a leader had to make wasn't just for himself or his own vanity. A wise man took his experiences from the past, planned for the future, and did not live solely for the present! 

A heavy weight lifted off his shoulders, and a subtle cloud of darkness that had been hovering over his shoulders was lifted. Even though a storm was currently beginning to rage on the outside world, his heart was calm, his eyes clear, and confidence filled his every step. 

Rising from his dimly lit seat within the FOB, Corvus finally saw the light in this siege. 

Suspecting that Vader would wait until night to begin his hidden assault, Corvus had about eight hours until dusk. That was plenty of time to craft explosives at the workbench, and prepare a little surprise for his charred friend. 

Rubbing his hands together, Corvus found Pots, handed him a note with the plan on it, and instructed him to tell nobody. The clone commander gave him a stunned look as he walked away, but Corvus paid him no mind. 

The Commander probably thought they could overwhelm Vader with numbers, and maybe he was right. But in the art of war, if you weren't cheating, you weren't aiming to win. 

And Corvus sure as hell wasn't going to lose! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beneath the scorched avenues of Eriadu City, far from the smoldering surface battles and crumbling towers above, Darth Vader descended into the undercity. Bypassing scanners, and roving patrols of native militiamen, he entered a narrow maintenance shaft. The confined space echoed with the stomp of armored boots as the Dark Lord led what remained of his hand-picked strike team from the 501st. 

Above them, the city’s deflector shields blazed with relentless strength, fed by the facility Vader now approached. Revan, that witless fool had holed himself inside Eriadu City with a cadre of surviving clones too loyal for their own good. They'd fortified the city like a fortress, and the shield generator was its beating heart. A direct assault had failed, and now victory hinged on his actions. 

Vader’s black armor groaned faintly with each step, and his respirator hissed with each pain-filled breath. The undercity was a maze of ancient infrastructure and modern defenses, riddled with proximity mines and automated turrets. The first trap claimed two men. The second, four. By the third encounter, Vader raised his hand, palm outstretched, and felt the wiring in the turret ahead like a pulse beneath his skin. He reached with the Force, and pulled. 

The gun shuddered, whined, then fell dead. He marched past it without a word, his cloak fluttered due to his haste, and his men silently followed in his wake. 

Mechu-deru. The Sith holocron had instructed him during his long hours of meditation. He'd experimented in secret, his hatred fueled his understanding, and his already strong grasp of machine-based knowledge only served to enhance his power. Already, it let him bypass the sluggish delay of his armor’s servos, moving now with a speed and precision that matched, no, surpassed, what Grievous had once achieved. His strikes were faster, and stronger. The prison that acted as his life support had become a weapon to wield against his enemies. 

But even with all these advantages, he still yearned for a day that he could feel the warmth of the sun upon his skin. Or the tender kiss of her lips upon his own. 

Darkness both literal and metaphysical shrouded his form. The Force warned him that his path would be fraught with danger, that a trap lied in wait. He was unafraid. This was the breakthrough point, Vader would not yield. 

With every step deeper, another man died. Sometimes from above, shredded by turret fire. Sometimes from below, vaporized by mines. Sometimes they simply vanished, swallowed by collapsing tunnels or malfunctioning lifts. And with each death, Vader felt something tighten in his chest.

Rex. Fives. Hardcase. Echo. Names he'd once spoken like family. Each face surfaced for a moment in his thoughts then vanished in a flash. Had they lived, had they followed him down here, no, had they remained loyal, this mission would already be complete.

Sixty percent of his men had perished during this trek. Yet he would not yield. 

Finally, the durasteel bulkhead marking the generator facility loomed ahead. A final blast from a plasma charge forced the doors open, revealing the heart of Revan’s defense: the main control chamber for the city’s shield. Conduits thick with energy constantly buzzed, and a squad of droids rushed them. 

Vader dealt with them with a squeezed fist. Metal shrieked, and blasters fell silent as cubes of metal clanked to the ground. 

Victory, at last.

Vader stood tall, surrounded by the wreckage of his dwindled company. He could feel the rhythm of the energy field now, pulsing like a heartbeat. Soon, it would die. The moment the shield dropped, the Imperial fleet above would rain turbolaser fire upon Eriadu like a divine hammer. And then he would descend on Revan himself. Vader's fingers curled into a fist as he imagined the scene of himself ripping the man's mask of his face, of the relish he would experience upon witnessing Revan's terror. 

He would break the Jedi’s spine. He would rip the secrets from Revan’s mind and bury the name with his corpse. How dare Revan lecture him? How dare he invoke her name?! 

Then, when the Jedi were extinct, when the last light was snuffed out he would turn on the one who still called himself Master.

The dream of that day filled him. His respirator hissed as he grew excited. 

However, a flicker of blue light interrupted his vision.

A holoprojector activated from the console, unbidden. The crackling image of Revan shimmered to life. 

“You're too late, Vader. Or perhaps you’re exactly on time.” The recording said in a smug tone that reminded Vader of Windu. “The shield generator is rigged to explode. You may survive the blast, but your pride? Perhaps not. Goodbye, Annie.”

The projection vanished, and Vader’s lightsaber ignited with a scream, cleaving through the projector. Sparks danced across the floor, barely satisfying his rage. 

A second later, a high-pitched beep echoed from the main console.

9... 8... 7…

The countdown glared in blood-red numbers, and in reality was moving at 3x the speed of a normal second. His fury surged like a tidal wave. He extended his will toward the mechanism, tried to seize it with mechu-deru, but the fail-safes were locked, and a laughing face appeared on the screen. Due to Vader’s attempt, the time immediately decreased faster than it should. 

3... 2... 1...

Vader stood in the heart of the trap, and used the Force to rip away durasteel, and coat his body. 

Then an explosion of epic magnitudes erupted from all around him. Vader screamed his rage into the collapsing dark as the world became bright like a newborn sun.