The little Togruta lay on her bed.
Yet her sleep was far from peaceful.
She twitched slightly, her lips moving soundlessly as the blanket twisted around her small body.
Rain fell across her face.
Cold droplets struck her eyes, blurring her vision.
She tried to move—but her body refused to respond.
*Am I being carried?*
Yes.
Someone was holding her.
Strong arms supported her as they ran through the storm.
But she couldn't see their face.
The rain distorted everything.
---
Ahsoka curled into a ball beneath the blanket.
Her eyelids trembled.
---
Far ahead stood a familiar figure in armor.
Battle raged around them.
Soldiers rushed past. Walkers marched through the mud. Vehicles roared across the battlefield.
Yet something felt terribly wrong.
Then she realized it.
There was **no sound**.
Everything moved…
But the world was silent.
A chill ran through her.
The armored figure ahead suddenly felt… dangerous.
Ahsoka tried to run forward.
Her feet wouldn't move.
Then—
Fire erupted.
The battlefield vanished in a blinding explosion.
She screamed—
But the silence never broke.
---
Ahsoka bolted upright in bed.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
"What… was that?" she whispered.
The room was quiet.
The ship's distant hum was the only sound.
She rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"Probably just nerves," she murmured to herself. "Still… I should ask Master about it later."
A minute later, the young Togruta curled up again beneath the blanket.
Soon, she was sleeping peacefully once more.
---
### Orbit of Jabiim
"So this is you… Jabiim."
I stared through the viewport at the gray-brown world below.
Dark storm clouds covered almost the entire planet.
Flashes of blue ion lightning crawled across the atmosphere like living veins.
I had spent the last hours meditating, trying to sense what awaited us.
But the Force remained frustratingly unclear.
Something was coming.
Yet I couldn't grasp what.
"General," an operator called from the sensor station. "Orbital scan complete. No Separatist ships detected."
"That's… strange," Captain Ragnos muttered.
"No patrols?" I asked.
"Nothing," the operator confirmed. "Orbit is completely empty."
I frowned slightly.
That was either very good…
Or very bad.
"Sir!" another technician said suddenly. "We're detecting a weather gap over the northern hemisphere. Atmospheric storms are thinning there."
"How long will the window last?" I asked.
"At least six hours."
I turned toward Ragnos.
"Will that be enough?"
The captain studied his console.
"We'll need about three hours to unload, sir."
"Good."
I straightened.
"First deploy all fighters to remain in orbit. Better safe than sorry."
"Yes, General."
"And prepare my **Silencer**," I added. "I'll patrol the orbital perimeter personally."
Ahsoka tilted her head.
"You're going alone?"
"Just for a quick sweep," I replied calmly. "If something is waiting for us, I'd rather find it before we land."
She crossed her arms.
"Just don't crash before the battle even starts, Master."
I smirked.
"I'll try."
I then turned to the communications officer.
"Blam, alert all ships. We begin landing operations immediately."
"Yes, General."
"And deploy the captured **Hardcell transport** first," I continued. "Leave it on the surface. If things go bad, we'll appreciate the extra armor."
"Understood."
---
### Medical Transport
Inside the converted medical ship, Visenya stood near the ramp watching the preparations outside.
Crates were being unloaded.
Clones moved in tight formations.
The invasion had begun.
Behind her, I stepped inside the medical bay.
She turned when she heard my footsteps.
"Already leaving?" she asked.
"Soon."
She looked toward the battlefield outside.
"I can help."
I shook my head.
"No."
She frowned.
"You don't trust me?"
"That's not it."
I stepped closer.
"This planet is dangerous even without a battle. Ion storms, unstable terrain, constant rain."
"And that's before the enemy shows up."
She crossed her arms stubbornly.
"I'm not helpless."
"I know."
I gestured around the medical bay.
"That's exactly why I need you here."
She looked confused.
"Here?"
"Yes," I said.
"This ship will serve as the main hospital until the ground base is fully secured."
The medical droids moved quietly behind us, preparing surgical stations.
"You're safer here," I continued. "And the wounded will need someone they trust."
She hesitated.
"So I just… wait?"
"For now."
I rested a hand briefly on her shoulder.
"When the perimeter is secure, I'll call you down to the main base."
She studied my face for a moment.
"…You promise?"
"I promise."
She sighed.
"Fine."
Then she smirked slightly.
"But if you get yourself killed down there, I'm going to be very angry."
I chuckled.
"I'll keep that in mind."
---
### Atmospheric Entry
The **Acclamator assault ships** descended through Jabiim's violent upper atmosphere.
Ion lightning flashed across their shields.
Inside the hangars, gunships roared to life.
LAAT carriers lifted into the storm-filled sky carrying heavy walkers.
"Launch advance units!" Ragnos ordered.
Gunships poured from the holds.
Dozens of **AT-TE walkers** hung beneath cargo clamps as they descended toward the surface.
I had specifically requested they be deployed first.
Slow machines—but extremely effective at securing landing zones.
Ships in atmosphere were vulnerable.
But once landed and supported by walkers…
They became fortresses.
---
### Mobile Headquarters
Ahsoka and I boarded the command **Juggernaut**.
Inside, the tactical center was already active.
A holographic map of the surrounding region hovered above the central table.
Sumeragi pointed to several locations.
"General, preliminary scans show a plateau beneath us."
She expanded the projection.
"Exact dimensions unknown, but it appears to be one of the larger landmasses in this hemisphere."
She pointed to several raised areas.
"Hill formations here and here."
Another section flashed red.
"This region appears to be a mud plain. Sensors are having trouble determining its depth."
"That could be dangerous," Ahsoka muttered.
"Very," Sumeragi agreed.
Then she zoomed into another point.
"There's also a settlement here."
"How big?" I asked.
"Approximately six hundred structures."
"Population?"
"Rough estimate: ten thousand."
Ahsoka looked surprised.
"People live on this planet?"
"Apparently."
I leaned forward.
"Status?"
"Unknown."
---
### Landing
A heavy impact shook the ship.
"We're down," the pilot reported.
I immediately issued orders.
"Begin unloading!"
The legion commanders listened closely.
"H, secure the northwest hills."
"Enok, you take the southern plain."
"Zilo, control the western ridge."
"And Turn—you're with me."
"We'll secure the central plateau and investigate the settlement."
"Yes, sir!" they responded together.
The landing ramps dropped.
A flood of clone troopers and equipment poured onto the muddy ground of Jabiim.
Scouts sprinted ahead.
Engineering units followed close behind.
Reprogrammed B-1 droids marched beside the clones in perfect mechanical formation.
Moments later our command **Juggernaut** rolled down the ramp and onto the battlefield.
I looked out across the rain-soaked horizon.
"Well," I muttered quietly.
"The war starts here."
---
### Separatist Sector Command
Pak Ganam was very old.
Even by
Neimoidian standards.
Because of that, when the war began he had been assigned to a quiet backwater sector near
Hutt Space.
His jurisdiction included several minor systems:
Jabiim
Taskeed
Dennogra
It was supposed to be an easy assignment.
Comfortable.
Profitable.
Then the alarm sounded.
"Lord Governor," a droid reported over the comm. "Republic ships detected within our jurisdiction."
Pak Ganam straightened in his command chair.
"What?!"
"They have landed on Jabiim."
"Unacceptable!" he screeched.
"Where exactly?"
"Northern hemisphere. Enemy force consists of three large ships and three smaller combat vessels."
Pak Ganam slammed his hand on the console.
"Prepare the fleet!"
"What are your orders?"
"Destroy them immediately!"
The droid tilted its head.
"Our available forces include one
Lucrehulk-class battleship
and seven
Munificent-class star frigate."
Pak Ganam grinned.
"That should be more than enough."
"I don't want a single Republic soldier operating in my territory!"
"Roger Roger."
---
### Orbit Above Jabiim
Pak Ganam's fleet exited hyperspace.
Almost immediately—
A streak of green light cut across the void.
A **Munificent frigate exploded**.
"WHAT?!"
Another flash.
A second ship's engines erupted in flames.
"Enemy contact!" a droid shouted.
Then a black starfighter flashed past the bridge viewport.
My **Silencer** roared through the Separatist formation.
"Target the fighter!" Pak Ganam screamed.
Too late.
A pair of torpedoes slammed into the **Lucrehulk's reactor core**.
The massive battleship erupted in a chain reaction explosion.
At that exact moment—
Hundreds of Republic fighters dropped from hyperspace.
**V-19 Torrents and TIE Interceptors** swarmed the remaining Separatist ships.
Laser fire filled the darkness of space.
Within minutes…
Pak Ganam's fleet was nothing more than drifting debris.
---