Chapter 1

One month after the Battle of Geonosis…

It was a rainy day on Jabiim, in other words, perfectly ordinary as far as the weather was concerned, thought the Jedi Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. It was not ordinary as far everything else was concerned, however. Ten thousand clones from the newly unveiled Grand Army of the Republic and thirty Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans, were there on the planet. Leading the mission was his own Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, recently appointed to take the place of Coleman Trebor, who had been killed a month prior. They had come to Jabiim in an effort to drive the Separatists off the Republic world. Unfortunately, a large number of the populace on Jabiim supported the Separatists. The Jedi were now leading a mission to liberate the planet, with the help of Jabiimi Loyalists, led by Colonel Orliss Gillmunn, who was now briefing them on the situation.

"This is our adversary: Commander Alto Stratus," the Jabiimi colonel said, showcasing a hologram of a bearded man with a claymore-style sword and a red coat. "Three months ago, he organized a coup that killed most of the government and replaced it with a Separatist one. He has promised exclusive mining rights for the Separatists in exchange for weapons."

"Can we negotiate with him?" asked Ellia Leska, one of the other Jedi sent along with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She was slightly shorter than Anakin, young and beautiful, with red hair. Standing next to her was her apprentice, Vaabesh the Gand. The other Jedi in the room were Master Nico Diath and his Padawan Tae, who was also his nephew, along with Glaive the Fondorian and his Padawan Zule Xiss, a Falleen with a genetic mutation that gave her red skin instead of green. Master Pol Norcuna, a Rutian Twi'lek, and his human apprentice, Mak Lotor, were at the city of Choal alongside Master Jakob Sirrus and his Padawan, Aubrie Wyn, Ellia's cousin. Other Master-Padawan pairs included Knol Venari, a Bothan that had mastered pyrokinesis to the point of being called the Fire-Eater, and Elora Sund, her Sullustan apprentice, alongside Jon Antilles, a human who wandered across galaxy until now, and his recently assigned Padawan, the Aqualish Padawan Windo "Warble" Nend, whose previous Master had been killed at Geonosis, and Master Cei Vooktu, a human, and his Padawan Dama Montalvo. There was also a Weaquay Jedi named Kossex and a human Padawan named Tohno. Finally, there was the human Master Shon Kon Ray and the Zabrak Padawan Kass Tod.

"No, we cannot negotiate with Stratus", Gillmunn answered. "He hates Jedi, the Republic, and everyone who sides with them. The only way to stop the Separatists here is to remove Stratus, either by capturing or killing him."

Just then, the holocom terminal burst to life with a screech and a whine. It activated to reveal a human teenager in a green overcoat on the other end.

"Dad? Dad, are you there?!" he yelled.

"Nolan, I am here," Captain Gillmunn said to his son. "What is happening?"

"Stratus and his army have arrived with hordes of battle droids!" he screamed. "And there are a pair of psychos he brought along to help him! Send backup!"

After hearing the distress call, Anakin, Obi-Wan and the rest of their forces took off in their gunships to reinforce Choal. Thirty minutes later, they had arrived at the battle. In addition to the battle droids, thousands of Jabiimi Separatists were attacking the city. Several of them wore red armor and had repulsor boots to skim over the muddy terrain. Anakin jumped out of the gunship with a grenade belt and telekinetically sent each grenade to an enemy squad, killing twenty-five Separatists. He then unleashed a shockwave in every direction when he landed, destroying thirty battle droids. He proceeded to behead a soldier wearing repulsor boots and ran to Republic lines, cutting down every Separatist in his path. He reunited with Obi-Wan behind the front line, along with Nico, Ellia, and Tae.

"Was that really necessary, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

"You know me, Master," he said back. "I do love to make an entrance. Besides, there are fewer Separatists now."

"Okay Anakin, we need to find the other Jedi," Obi-Wan said. At which point they headed toward the southern flank of the battle, while Tae went to the eastern flank. When they arrived, they saw a pale bald woman with a pair of red lightsabers fighting Zule. The dark jedi had already beheaded Glaive, Vooktu, Montalvo, and stabbed Kon Ray in the heart as well as Antilles in the neck. A short distance away Aubrie, Pol, and Jakob Sirrus were battling a giant, clad entirely in armor, who had already blasted Kossex's head to pieces with a point-blank blaster shot to the face. Anakin and Obi-Wan went to help Zule while the others went to help the three fighting the armored giant.

"I think it is time for you to surrender, my dear," Obi-Wan said to the pale bald woman. "You are alone against all of us."

"No… I'm not," she said in a gravelly voice. Then, the dozens of corpses around them picked themselves up and proceeded to attack the Jedi. Anakin swung his lightsaber around in an arc, slicing through five of the zombies. Zule slashed at two of the monsters. While Zule was distracted, the Dark Jedi cut her left arm off and knocked the Falleen back with a force push.

"Hey Asajj, you're up!" said the giant she was working with. He sent Nico flying with a powerful punch after the elder Diath's lightsaber became lodged in the abdomen of the giant. The one called Asajj, then jumped up and cut the Jedi Master in half. The giant then hit Sirrus over the head with a huge bola, instantly killing the Jedi. An angered Aubrie sliced off the right hand of the giant, who knocked the padawan back with a huge kick. A tentacled hand then formed in the place of the severed one and he wrapped it around the head of Norcuna, pulling the Twi'lek close enough for the monster to shoot him to death. Just as Anakin and Obi-Wan were surrounded by the zombies, Zule returned and sliced apart seven, using her right arm to hold her lightsaber. Anakin pulled the pin on a grenade worn by one of the zombies and pushed it back. The resulting explosion destroyed most of the remaining zombies. A piece of shrapnel hit Asajj in the abdomen, causing her to grunt in pain. She sent them flying back with a massive force push and then ran back to the Separatist lines.

"Let her go," Obi-Wan said. "We need to help Aubrie." After that command, the trio ran towards the Padawan battling the giant Separatist. The giant had knocked her onto her back and was about to crush her when Anakin leapt forward and sliced the monster in half.

"Are you okay!?" he hastily asked Aubrie.

"Behind you!" she screamed. Anakin turned around to see the Separatist had reattached his torso and was now whole again. He then grabbed Anakin with his tentacled hand and tossed the young Jedi away.

"As if that's never happened to me before!" the monster exclaimed. "It's been over seven centuries since I've killed Jedi, meatbag. I need to make up for lost time." He then fired a rocket at Anakin, who jumped out of the way just in time.

"I will let Yoda know his Master's killer has returned," he proclaimed. "My message will be written in your blood!"

At that moment, Ellia stabbed him in the back of the head, emerging from his eye socket. Undeterred, he rapidly spun around, knocking the lightsaber out of her grip. He then grabbed her by the throat and extended a blade from his wrist gauntlet.

"You have a pretty face," he said to her as his eye reformed. "I will take it as a souvenir." He then rammed his blade through her scalp, instantly killing her. He tossed a grenade at the other Jedi, knocking them back. At that moment, Venari arrived, having now secured the west flank.

"You won't kill any more Jedi!" the Bothan proclaimed. She swung her lightsaber at his neck, which he dodged. He then grabbed her leg and pulled her off the ground.

"I won't kill you," he said. "I will give you your favorite food, Fire-eater." He then shoved his wrist-mounted flamethrower into her mouth and activated it, burning her from the inside out. He tossed the burning Bothan at Anakin, who dodged the screaming Jedi Master. Anakin swung his lightsaber, but the giant activated a pair of shields that covered his forearms and parried the strikes. The monster then fired countless flechettes at the other Jedi. Obi-Wan was able to evade them but Aubrie's arm was riddled with them. That was stopped when a clone lieutenant jumped on the monster and started shooting him in the back of the head repeatedly until the giant tossed him onto Aubrie. Anakin heard a whirring sound fast approaching and moved to the side. Just as Anakin moved, a sword swung through the space behind his neck, severing his Padawan braid. Anakin turned around and saw that Stratus had joined the fight.

"The Jedi send children to subjugate us?" the Jabiimi Separatist leader asked incredulously. "They must be more desperate than I thought!" He swung again at Anakin, who ducked and sliced through both of Stratus's knees with his lightsaber. The Separatist screamed in pain at this, and fell to the ground. The giant Durge pushed past the Jedi, picking up Stratus and running away at astonishing speed.

"This is Commander Durge!" the giant screamed into his comlink. "Stratus is severely injured! I am evacuating him to headquarters! All forces, commence a fighting retreat immediately!"

As Durge ran towards the Separatist lines, an entire droid battalion moved in to cover his escape. The Jedi defended against the enemy onslaught valiantly, each destroying entire platoons of super battle droids on their own. Then, one of the droids fired a rocket at them. Obi-Wan caught the brunt of it, sending him flying. An enraged Anakin then sent a massive force push that obliterated the remaining droids. He ran to Obi-Wan and called for a medic.

Six hours later…

After eliminating the remaining stragglers, Anakin went to the war room. He quickly found that all of the Knights and Masters assigned to the mission, apart from Obi-Wan, had all been killed. Obi-Wan himself was badly injured, being hit in the chest with multiple fragments, having a lung collapsed as a result of the detonation, and a skull fracture as a result of hitting his head as he fell. The only reason he hadn't been killed instantly was because he had shielded himself with the force at the last possible instant. He was still alive because he had gone into a deep healing trance. All the other Padawans had lost their Masters that day and were coping with it in different ways. Aubrie was healing as many clones and Jabiimi citizens as she could. Mak and Kass were looking through the aftermath of the battle for salvageable equipment. Elora was sitting beside Tae in the medbay. Tae had been rendered unconscious by his telepathic connection to his uncle, whose death had reverberated back into his mind. Warble was sitting beside Zule, providing comforting words as her prosthetic arm was attached. Vaabesh was helping dig out Tohno and hundreds of civilians who had been trapped inside a bunker when apartment building above them had collapsed. It was Anakin's duty to report to the Jedi council and the chancellor what had happened.

"Anakin, it is good to see you," said the hologram of Palpatine, standing alongside the holograms of Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Shaak Ti and Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Though I must admit, I thought Master Kenobi would be making this report."

"Obi-Wan is in a deep healing trance, chancellor," Anakin answered. "All of the other Jedi Knights and Masters are dead"

"What?!" exclaimed Fisto. "How could this have happened?"

"Stratus isn't fighting alone, Master Fisto," Anakin answered. "He has a Dark Jedi called Asajj and an indestructible giant named Durge helping him."

"Durge?" asked Mundi. "When I was Master Yoda's apprentice, I heard the story of how his own master, Quantro, was killed by a Gen'Dai mercenary called Durge."

"Well, this Durge claimed to have done so," Anakin said. "Master Mundi, what can you tell me about Gen'Dai, seeing as how I'm facing one who killed about eleven Jedi today?"

"They are a species of invertebrates who can live for thousands of years because of their advanced healing factor," clarified Mundi. "They can survive hard vacuum, explosions, electrocution, even beheading. It is virtually impossible to sneak up on them, because they have a large mass of nerves clustered together and can sense the heartbeats of anyone within twenty yards. If you cause enough damage to them, they will fall into a state of hibernation in order to heal their injuries."

"Thank you for the information, Masters," he said. "When can we be expecting reinforcements?"

"Unfortunately, there are none available, Anakin," Shaak said. "You are heavily outnumbered and your master is incapacitated. You must retreat."

"Master Ti, there are not enough ships to evacuate the troops, much less all the Loyalist Jabiimi scattered across the planet," Anakin said. "If the Separatists win, they will gain access to all of the untapped ore on this planet and build enough droids to occupy Alderaan. Every Republic supporter here will either be killed or enslaved. Clearly, retreat is not an option."

"I appreciate your compassion for your troops and Jabiimi, Padawan Skywalker," said Plo. "But you and the survivors must evacuate while you still can. With Obi-Wan incapacitated, there is no one left in command."

"That is a problem quickly remedied," interjected Palpatine. "Anakin, I am promoting you to the rank of General."

"Chancellor, it is not within your power to make Anakin a Jedi Knight," Fisto said.

"I am not making him a Knight, I am making him a General," Palpatine said. "He is now the commander of all Republic forces on Jabiim. If they are to survive, it must be under a unified command."

"Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me chancellor," Anakin said. "Rest assured, masters, I will relinquish this rank as soon as Obi-Wan is capable of taking command once more."

"I think that is a fare compromise, my friends," said the chancellor.

"I have no objections to this plan," said Plo. "I think it is time we went to inform Master Yoda that the Separatists have enlisted the help of Durge."

Just after the holograms flickered out, the clone lieutenant who helped fight against Durge walked in.

"General Skywalker, the other commanders have assembled in the meeting room," he informed Anakin.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," the new General said back. Just as Anakin proceeded to the door he asked "What is your name?"

"My designation is CT-7567, sir," he said.

"I said name, not your serial number," Anakin clarified.

"I wasn't given one, General," the clone said.

"You are not just a copy, Lieutenant, you are a person in your own right," he said. "Your name is now Rex. Oh, and change your armor. You are now a captain."

"Thank you, sir," the newly named clone said.

This is my first chapter of my Jabiim story. I made Leska Aubrie's cousin because, as anyone else who has read the comic can attest, they look very similar. I added the masters of the other Padawans because I thought it was strange that they hadn't been assigned new masters after the previous ones were killed. Yeah, there is a war on, but Anakin was assigned to Mundi after Obi-Wan was presumed dead. I replaced Alpha with Rex because that is what they did in the show. I added Ventress and Durge because they were my favorite villains from the Republic comic books. I see Stratus as a Che Guevara: dangerous but ultimately a speaker with little military experience and his first encounter with Anakin in this story reflects this. (BTW, I recognize Che as the cowardly, racist, homophobic barbarian he was.) As such, Dooku has dispatched a pair of seasoned Jedi Killers to help Stratus. I had Palpatine give Anakin the provisional rank of General because it is definitely something he would do to make Anakin feel as if the Chancellor has more confidence in him than the council. I made Nolan Gillmunn (From the equally awesome sequel comic- In The Shadows Of Their Fathers) a teenager because he didn't seem to have aged a single day in twenty years. Anyway, please read and review ! Thanks.