章 3: Calm Before The Storm
Calmly walking out of the hangar, he looked at the 4 immense Acclamators floating in the sky with the Venator Star Destroyer towering over them.
Narrowing his eyes, he noticed multiple other Star Destroyers enter the atmosphere.
"It seems Yoda has arrived."
....
..
Silas counted 1 Venator-class Star Destroyer and 14 Acclamator-class Star Destroyers as they slowly decreased in altitude. The Acclamators split up, pairing off and landing at different facilities, just like Silas's.
The Venator itself hovered beside the other Venator under his legion.
As the top of the newcomer Venator opened, hundreds of Laat Gunships quickly exited, landing at the other facilities. Volunteer pilots exited swiftly, making way for the clone troopers.
One Laat Gunship approached Silas's empty hangar. He crossed his arms, watching it land in front of him.
With a slight breeze, the Gunship's door slid open, and two figures emerged, Yoda wore a light brown cloak and brown outfit underneath, with a brown staff, and right behind him was a young Togruta girl, wearing a brown tube top, brown skirt, and leggings.
'Hmm? Ahsoka, huh?' Silas recognized, as he watched them approach.
"Greetings, General Raven." Yoda greeted, his gaze lifting to meet the golden visor of the man clad in robust armor.
"Master Yoda, it's a pleasure." Silas acknowledged with a nod.
"Indeed it is. This young one, Padawan Ahsoka Tano, she is," Yoda introduced, as Ahsoka stepped forward beside him.
"Nice to meet you." She smiled warmly, her eyes curiously observing the unique, sleek-armored man towering before her.
Silas nodded back curtly, his focus currently on the looming mission.
"Troubled, you are?" Yoda questioned, his wise gaze sensing the inner turmoil of Silas.
"Indeed, Master Yoda. I believe it's imperative that I depart for Geonosis without delay. My troops and equipment are fully prepared within the Star Destroyers. Waiting for additional forces risks the lives of countless Jedi." He explained.
Silence lingered until Yoda finally replied, "Correct, you are. Lead them yourself, you should."
Nodding in understanding, Silas spoke.
"I'll be waiting for you there, Master Yoda."
"Meet with the Kaminoan Prime Minister, I will." Yoda suddenly muttered as he started to walk toward the Hangar.
"Wait! Master Yoda, please reconsider allowing me to go to Geonosis with you!" Ahsoka exclaimed as she stared at Yoda's retreating back.
"Stay in Kamino, you will." Yoda indifferently denied as he continued to walk away and entered the hangar.
A frown adorned Ahsoka's face as she watched Yoda's disappearing figure.
Her shoulders sagged down with a sigh, wondering if she should just give up.
But Ahsoka's eyes then seemingly locked onto the green armored man beside her, a spark of hope appearing in her gaze.
'Right! He's a General, which probably means he has just as much authority as Master Yoda probably. I should try and ask him for help.'
But she seemed to be hesitating, as her nerves were prickling as she eyed Silas's menacing armored figure, wondering how he would react.
He seemed more machine than man, yet she could sense something different beneath that exterior.
Inhaling slowly, before exhaling, she finally summoned her courage to approach him, her eyes filled with resolve.
"What's the problem, Padawan Tano?" Silas's rather robotic voice resonated from behind the golden visor once noticing her intentions.
Ahsoka's heart pounded in her chest as she took a step closer, determined to make her plea heard. "General Raven, I need your help," she began, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands.
Silas's gaze was piercing as he regarded her with an unreadable expression behind his helmet, making her anxious even more.
Regardless, she continued, "I want to join the mission to Geonosis. I can't just sit idly by while my fellow Jedi are in danger. Please, General, I know I can make a difference."
Silas chuckled, a deep sound echoing within his helmet, "So you wish for me to take you to Geonosis?"
She nodded, as her eyes stilled and looked toward him with pupils full of conviction.
Silas's mind whirled with calculations as he processed her request. 'What could I gain from bringing her along?' He pondered, observing the young Togruta in front of him.
'On one hand, she could prove to be a liability, a distraction in battle, her lack of experience potentially putting herself and others at risk, and if she dies, I'll be at fault, at that point not even Palpatine could defend me... And I'd rather not have a kid's death on my conscience.' His thoughts then drifted to the chaos of combat, the need for precision and focus, qualities that seemed lacking in the impulsive nature of the young Padawan.
'However,' another voice whispered in his mind, 'If she proves herself capable she could become a valuable asset in future missions as her skills would be honed earlier through firsthand experience in the crucible of war. She'll also feel grateful to me, allowing me to gain her loyalty easier which will prove useful for my future endeavors.'
Silas acknowledged the potential strategic advantage of having a skilled Jedi at his side, albeit an inexperienced one currently, nevertheless she has the potential to navigate the complexities of battle with the agility and intuition beyond that of an ordinary Jedi.
And while she didn't have an enormously large Midi-Chlorian count like people such as Palpatine, or Yoda, she could be considered right below them in terms of skill and potential, even if their is a vast difference.
In the end, Silas recognized the multifaceted nature of the decision before him, weighing the risks and rewards with a cold, analytical eye. 'She may be inexperienced,' he concluded, 'but her determination is undeniable. And in war, determination can be just as valuable as skill. So let's invest into Little Ahsoka, and hope she blooms into someone even more amazing then her canon counterpart...'
With his decision made, Silas turned his attention back to the present, his gaze meeting Ahsoka's with a steely resolve.
His thought process occurred in a matter of a second, as he spoke,
"Sure."
"__"
"__"
Ahsoka could only stare at him stunned, unbeknownst that he just went through a extensive thought process, it seemed as if he just said yes without even considering it.
"Sure?" She questioningly muttered with an expression full of astonishment, confirming whether or not she heard him right.
"Sure." He confirmed.
"Sure?... " Ahsoka couldn't help but mumble again, before smiling happily, "Yes! I can go!" Pumping her fists upwards, she lightly celebrated.
Silas just turned around plainly, "Come on let's go." Heading toward the waiting Gunship.
A sense of relief washed over Ahsoka's features as she quickly followed after him, "Thank you, General! I won't let you down!"
Silas smirked beneath his helmet, "I expect nothing less, Padawan."
They both quickly entered and held the handles above them.
The Gunship quickly started to rise in altitude as it sped towards their Venator.
"While I am grateful, why did you agree so easily?" Ahsoka asked curiously.
"Let's just say that I can see your potential, and believe that you can handle this upcoming war." Silas answered as the Gunship would slightly shudder.
Ahsoka nodded in a daze, and both then stayed silent for the remainder of the ride.
As the Gunship shuddered slightly in the quiet atmosphere, Ahsoka felt a rush of excitement mixed with nerves. Silas's words echoed in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at being recognized.
"Potential..." She repeated softly, the word carrying weight as she glanced at Silas beside her. It wasn't often that someone saw something in her beyond just being a Padawan, and the validation filled her with a sense of purpose.
'Fufufu, I'll be sure to show my worth!'
Ahsoka shifted slightly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she looked out the cracks of the door. The landscape blurred as they flew past, but her mind was clear and focused.
After a minute or two, Silas could feel the Gunship lowering altitude as they entered from the opened roof of the Venator, which promptly closed soon after.
Once feeling the Gunship landing, Silas slid open the door as he and Ahhoka exited.
Inside the hangar of the Venator, hundreds of Gunships and Star Fighters could be seen inside, with clone troopers loitering around them.
"Come on, follow me," Silas instructed as he led the way past the rows of ships, with Ahsoka trailing behind him.
Clones occasionally glanced their way with nods before returning to their tasks.
Reaching a door at the end of the hangar, Silas pressed the button on the side, promptly opening it.
As they traversed the gray metal hallways, they eventually entered the Command Center, bustling with activity. One figure stood out amidst the clones: a certain Admiral at the center, who approached them.
"You must be General Raven. My name is Admiral Yularen, and I am the temporary Admiral for these ships sent by the Chancellor." The Admiral greeted as he extended his hand.
"I see. This is Padawan Tano, but let's skip the pleasantries... Are all the ships ready?" Silas shook the Admiral's hand as he introduced Ahsoka and continued speaking.
The Admiral nodded toward Ahsoka, smiling at Silas's battle-ready attitude.
"Yes, General. All the ships are ready for take-off. But if I'm not mistaken, weren't we supposed to go with Jedi Master Yoda's Fleet also?" Admiral Yularen looked at Silas with a hint of confusion.
"Since Master Yoda will take time to prepare, we decided we will go on our own first. He'll meet us there later." Silas explained as they walked toward the front of the Command Center and stopped.
Yularen nodded in understanding as he quickly commanded the crew, "We're leaving now for Geonosis! Inform the rest of the ships!"
The clones in the Command Center swiftly got to work at the Admiral's command.
"I'll leave you to it, Admiral," Silas remarked once noticing the Venator and the other 4 Acclamators slowly rising in altitude.
Admiral Yularen nodded as he turned back to his duties.
Silas and Ahsoka made their way to another part of the command center, where a hologram table stood in the corner.
"Actually, I have a question," Ahsoka spoke up suddenly.
"Hmm?" Silas turned to her, indicating for her to continue.
"I sense that the Force is powerful within you... Are you a Jedi in armor or something?" Her eyes filled with interest as she gazed at him.
Silas simply smirked, "I'm just a special clone trooper."
"Special clone trooper?" She mumbled, trying to connect the dots on how a Clone could use the force.
Silas ignored her as he tapped the holographic table a few times.
Ahsoka curiously looked at him, "Uh, what are you doing?"
"I'm bringing up a map of Geonosis so that I can create an attack plan."
Silas stopped tapping the hologram table as he activated his comlink a few times.
"All available Commanders, report to the Command Center." Silas ordered, his voice echoing through the ship's intercom, before focusing back on the table.
Tapping it a few more times, eventually, the map displayed Geonosis and all known enemy locations.
And soon after, two troopers in different colored armor approached Ahsoka and Silas.
"Sir, you've called for us?" The navy blue clone spoke as he stood beside a green-striped counterpart.
"Commander Bang, Commander Zephyr, where are the rest of the Commanders?" Silas questioned.
"Sir, the rest of the Commanders are spread out among the other 4 Acclamators to ensure everything goes smoothly." Commander Bang explained.
"I see. Let's contact them and connect them with our holographic interface." Silas muttered.
The other two nodded in agreement.
"Alright, time to devise a plan."
****
A few hours passed, and the planet of Geonosis was finally in sight.
Silas, Ahsoka, and the Admiral stood at the front of the command center as they gazed at the brown planet.
"Ahsoka," Silas said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You'll stick by my side for the duration of our time on Geonosis unless I voluntarily leave it. Now go down to the hangar, make sure all the men are ready, and wait for me there. We'll board a Gunship together once we're ready to descend into the atmosphere."
Ahsoka nodded, a hint of exasperation crossing her features at being treated like a child in need of protection.
Nevertheless, she acknowledged Silas's directive, understanding the necessity of the order. With a resigned sigh, she turned and left the command center to carry out her assigned task.
Silas then glanced toward the Admiral beside him, "You know what to do, Admiral. Once all designated ground forces exit the Venator, you're to go back up into space and make sure anyone that escapes us is stopped by you."
"With all due respect, General, let me lead these ships while you lead the ground forces." Admiral Yularen replied with a helpless smile.
Silas didn't respond as he just lightly nodded, before turning around leaving for the battle.
"Good luck, General." Admiral Yularen muttered, as Silas's figure disappeared behind the metal door.
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