Broke: A Clone Wars Tale - Volume 1 Chapter 239 The Clancker General

Just like Dageer said, landing on Korriban, and entering the Separatist base was easy. Tech was able to hack in the main computer, and not only open the gate, but also locate Commander Wolffe.

Considering how big the fortress was, knowing where the clone was helped a lot. As soon as the gate opened, Dageer ordered Brain to destroy the engines, preventing it from closing again. He didn’t want to be trapped there.

Unsurprisingly, they didn’t face a lot of resistance to get in. General Plo Koon and General Secura cut down two dozen droids, but, after that, they saw none else. Needless to say, it was suspicious, to say the least.

“Wolffe should be just down this corridor, general.”

“Good. Aayla, Commander Bly and Commander Dageer, come with me. You, you, you, you, and you too. The others, keep an eye out for any droid. They haven’t appeared until now, but they will soon.”

Dageer acknowledged the order, and the troopers the Jedi had chosen followed him. The corridor was dark, eerily illuminated by a flashing red light here and there. Holding cells on both sides were empty, except for one. They could hear screams of pain, and a mechanical voice asking questions.

Hearing one of his brothers screaming, the clones clenched their fists, but they were all seasoned soldiers, and kept their cool.

“This is a trap.”

“It sure is. Commanders, you are first through the door.”

Dageer and Commander Bly got on both sides of the door, and General Secura used the Force to push a button and open it. As soon as the door slid to the side, the two clones entered, their DC-15As aimed at whatever was inside.

Four lasers were fired, two from each blaster. Dageer got a commando droid on the head, and he fell to the ground, twitching. The other droid was a floating ball with many small arms, and it crashed on the floor with a loud sound.

Commander Wolffe was chained to the ceiling, bare-chested. One of his eyes was closed, and the other – the blind one – was looking up. Clearly, the commander had fainted. His muscles were still twitching, the reason being an electrostaff in the floor, and there were several cuts on his body, still bleeding. Dageer couldn’t believe the Separatist would be so cruel. If news of their torture methods were spread, several systems would leave their side.

General Plo Koon walked forward, and cut the chains. Two troopers caught Commander Wolffe before he fell to the floor. He was unconscious, and didn’t wake up even after a few tries.

“Let’s bring him like that. Move out. We need to…”

Suddenly, the Jedi trailed off, and looked at General Secura, who nodded slightly.

“I felt it too.”

“Felt what, my dear Jedi?”

“Cough… Cough! Shut up, assassin.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to the Republic when they looked to the left end of the corridor and saw Separatist. What surprised them, though, was who it was.

Several dozen B1 and B2 units, and almost thirty commando droids were being led by the Sith, Asajj Ventress. Next to her was an abomination like Dageer had never seen.

It stood at almost three meters tall, and it was made of bone-like yellowish metal. It’s feet were massive paws, like that of a Weronak, and he was holding two lightsabers in his claw-like hands. All in all, he would look like a droid, if it wasn’t for his eyes.

They weren’t lifeless like the eyes of normal droids. Reptilian pupils and light green eyes, surrounded by blood-red flesh flashed with a cruel light. It was almost like someone, or something, had been put inside a droid. And Dageer had never heard a droid coughing.

Both Jedis obviously felt threatened by the droid too, because, they ordered the clones to start retreating.

In a confined space like that, the troopers had no intention of engaging, even more when they were outnumbered. Carrying Commander Wolffe, they left as quickly as they could, but General Plo Koon and General Secura stayed behind.

“Go after them. Leave the Jedi sc.u.m to me.”

“Stay put, assassin… Cough! Cough… Cough… I will deal with them.”

“As you wish, walking corpse.”

That was the last bit of conversation that Dageer heard before the clones turned a corner. He could still hear the sound of lightsabers clashing and metallic footsteps though.

…

Ventress frowned when she heard General Grievous speak. She didn’t like the murderous machine, nor did she like the fact that Count Dooku – their master – thought one of them wasn’t enough to deal with the Jedis.

Watching the clones tune down the corridor, she ordered the droids behind her to go after them. One of the Jedis wanted to stop them, but General Grievous lit up his lightsabers, one green, and one blue, and stopped him. Spinning his arms in an impossible way, the general battled both Jedis at the same time.

Using an opening, Ventress tried to slip past them, but the female Twi’lek used the Force to push her back. Smiling creepily, the Sith turned on her red lightsabers. She was going to love killing another Jedi.

…

Dageer turned around a corner, and stopped. Without the need for orders, Hell Squad did the same, taking positions. With his head, Dageer gestured for Commander Bly to keep going. The clone nodded. He knew that Hell Squad was more than enough to stall the enemy, and Commander Wolffe was their priority now.

Hell Squad could hear the droids approaching, and Cell put one finger up. The normal units were in the front, and the commando droids on the back.

Unfortunately, Brain could only use droid poppers, otherwise he would risk blocking General Plo Koon’s and General Secura’s escape path. If that wasn’t the case, they could just throw thermal detonators at the droids until they ran out.

Hearing the clanckers get closer, Dageer pointed two fingers forward. Hell Squad sprung into action, surprising the droids.

Dageer didn’t hesitate to fire two lasers in the head of the nearest clancker. Before the droid hit the ground, he had already aimed and fired at the next B1 unit.

In a short few seconds, over fifteen droids fell by Hell Squad’s hands, and Dageer ordered them to fall back. As much as he would like to keep pressing his trigger until he was out of ammo, he had been through enough battles to know when it was time to retreat.

His decision was proven right, because, after a stunned moment of surprise, the droids showered them with red lasers. No clone was hurt, because they were already twenty meters away from their last position, and running at full speed.

Suddenly, Dageer heard the noises of a battle ahead of them. Cursing, he turned a corner, and saw the clones of the 327th, and Commander Bly, engaged in a battle against a group of clanckers, similar in numbers to the ones that Hell Squad was facing.

Looking around frenetically, he saw a blast door closed on their left. He pressed the control panel, but it didn’t open. Hearing the impact of lasers as the clones were caught between two fires, he knew they didn’t have much time.

“Brain, blow this door up!”

“On it!”

Two thermal detonators took quick care of it, and the clones started retreating to it, not before leaving two bodies on the ground.

“That is not the way out, Dageer!”

“I know, but we don’t have a better option! Now, let’s move!”

Commander Bly dove in just in time to avoid a torrent of lasers. Looking at the unknown corridor, Dageer shrugged. It was that, or dying.