SW System 8: The First Duel (Patreon)

While the Commando teams were being transferred from the frontlines, Iggios had already assigned missions to the remaining teams, sending them to the Petranaki Arena to infiltrate and destroy the droid factory beneath it.

Twelve teams should be more than enough to achieve that, especially since most of the droids present were likely en route to one of the Coreships and inactive—hopefully.

However, noticing that the famous Delta Squad was among the twelve teams raised his hopes. It had been years since he played that game, but he vaguely remembered that those clones were among the best the Kaminoans ever produced.

He quickly zoomed out of the Arena picture and set up the Holomap to view the broader battlefield, where the clone and droid ranks finally clashed in traditional line warfare formations. It wasn’t what he would have done, but the droids appeared to have more trouble finding targets through the dust and sand than the clones did… somehow. Seriously, was their programming this bad? Or was it shit sensors?

He turned away from the Holomap for a few moments, glaring at the multiple screens in the command center. Some screens displayed feeds directly from the clone soldiers' helmets, while others provided visuals from the LAAT Gunships, giving the clones valuable information on the state of the battlefield even without the Holomap.

He decided to leave the overall course of the infantry battle in the hands of the clone captains and lieutenants, who seemed reliable enough to guide their brothers through the chaos.

Iggios quickly turned back to the Holomap and began marking more artillery targets, primarily focusing on the CIS tanks and what he hoped were Tactical Droids.

He wondered if those models had even been produced yet. Regardless, those positions resembled command centers too much to ignore—he would rather be safe than sorry. In the worst-case scenario, he would waste an artillery barrage on what might have simply been a simple command vehicle instead of a proper command center.

By the time he finished relaying his artillery targets, Commander Zack approached with a report.

"Sir, the Commando teams have secured the upper level of the Arena. They have found injured clones and Jedi from the earlier extraction." He glanced through his datapad, quickly scrolling. "I've stopped two of the Commando teams to stabilize the injured for now." Iggios could sense the indecision in his voice.

"That should be fine, Commander. Send proper medics for the injured. Transport those who can be safely moved to the landed Cruisers; I would hope there are medical facilities on board," Iggios mused aloud, quickly relaying the orders to the Gunship crews that brought in the Commando teams. The Arena was secured; they could disembark from their Gunships and assist with the evacuation.

Iggios wasn't certain what facilities were available on the Acclamator ships, but considering their role as troop transports, he expected at least basic medical capabilities. It would certainly be an improvement over the sand of the Arena floor.

Meanwhile, most of the Commando units had been successfully extracted from the frontlines. Some were in the first wave and couldn’t be safely reached, but over four thousand Commando clones were loaded into Gunships and in the process of being reorganized.

"I want a minimum of twenty squads per Coreship! Focus on infiltration and system sabotage," Iggios ordered, reviewing the list of remaining Coreships. There were still twelve in total, too many for Iggios’ liking.

"The rest can be divided between eliminating the enemy command structure and clearing the Geonosian tunnels," he added, prompting Commander Zack to draft the first Gunship routes.

"I wouldn't hesitate to commit more for the Coreships, sir. There are incredibly large numbers of droids inside... I recommend no fewer than two hundred Commando Clones per Coreship," he advised.

Iggios nodded, recognizing Zack's expertise. "You know those men better than I do. As long as we can send them to multiple Coreships, I’ll be more than satisfied." He said, and added more forces to each Coreship. "Assign the remainder as you see fit, Commander. But I would suggest focusing on the Geonosian tunnels; they might lead to more droid factories or command centers."

Commander Zack acknowledged the order, thoughtfully assigning the landing points for the Gunships.

The battle seemed to be progressing well; the only significant issue was the Hellfire Missile Droids, which completely outranged the Clone-piloted armored units and managed to destroy several AT-TE walkers. Most of those Droids were taken out by the strafing Gunships, but the casualties still mounted.

Overall, the ground battle was favorable. Iggios watched on his enhanced Holomap as the Jedi-led clones advanced through the waves of battle droids. It looked promising, especially since another Coreship had suffered critical damage.

The Commando Clones were certainly working fast, and the artillery crews were performing their tasks with impressive efficiency, seemingly improving with every barrage.

"Any reports from the tunnels?" Iggios asked, eager to know if the Commandos had located the Separatist Command Center yet. He was reasonably sure there had to be one nearby.

"Negative, sir," Commander Zack replied. "Some of the teams have teamed up with a few Jedi to venture deeper, but we've since lost communication." This news made Iggios frown.

What did the Geonosians have hidden in those tunnels? Commandos were tough on their own, but if they had managed to kill both Commandos and a group of Jedi, that certainly spelled trouble.

"Send out warnings to the squads to stay sharp. This reeks of some biological weapon or perhaps a Force user," Iggios ordered, uncertain about what could be lurking down there.

It didn't help that he wanted to participate in the battle, but he recognized that he was most needed at headquarters to prevent poor decisions. At least now that the lines had officially met, his Jedi colleagues had less room to give reckless orders. Small victories, indeed.

Unfortunately, the good mood didn't last long. The Geonosians must have cleared their launch hives from the rubble, as their Nantex Starfighters began pouring into the skies by the dozens. Most of them headed straight to the ongoing battle in the planet's orbit, but many were heading for the strafing LAATs, intent on eliminating the Republic's air superiority.

"Have the Gunships fall back, Commander. They aren't built to engage in an air superiority battle against Interceptors," Iggios ordered as soon as he noticed the enemy fighters, hoping to preserve as many of his Gunships as possible.

Many Gunships had already been commandeered by various Jedi, and he could do little to save those after issuing an alert. The Gunships that were close to the main battle had enough time to fall back, though.

"Can we get some starfighters to dislodge theirs?" Iggios inquired, though he held little hope for a positive answer.

"Negative, sir. Our flyboys are tied up in orbit, and with even more enemies heading there..." Zack's answer was as expected, though slightly disappointing.

"Do we have any dedicated anti-air batteries available?" Iggios pressed, attempting another angle, but he didn't have high hopes.

"Aside from the rocket launchers that some of the heavy units carry? Not really, sir. There's nothing we have here dedicated to taking down small targets," Commander Zack reported, conveying what Iggios already suspected.

He might need to purchase some of those summons earlier than expected, likely for similar situations. Did the Grand Army of the Republic even have a dedicated defense platform against small starfighters? He would have to look into that later, but for now, the rocket launchers and blasters would need to suffice.

"Send the word, then. Take down as many of those Interceptors as possible," Iggios sighed, hoping that the small ships would leave for the planet’s orbit after chasing away the Gunships.

One of the clones stationed at the large screens turned to Iggios and Zack.

"Sir, we have a contact heading our way, a single speeder," he said, sounding puzzled.

Iggios swiftly turned to the screen; it showed a feed from one of the scout clones' helmets. A completely ordinary-looking speeder was racing toward the forward command center with a single passenger.

The only unusual aspect, apart from someone charging so deep into their lines alone, was the prominent lightsaber hilt hanging from the intruder's belt.

"Must be one of Dooku's assassins... or a darksider he recruited," Iggios muttered.

Could this be why those Commando teams were killed in the tunnels? It made sense, but he wasn't sure if he recalled any darksiders being present on Geonosis. Perhaps it was something from a book he hadn't read or another occurrence from the Legends continuity.

"Commander Zack, stay here and ensure my Jedi colleagues don’t rush into too much trouble. I will handle that infiltrator before he gets too close," he decided, mentally preparing himself for his first real fight.

"Don't worry, General. Go get him," Zack replied and took Iggios's place at the holomap. The ability was still active, providing perfect feed to the clone, allowing Iggios to remain helpful even from afar. "Hope to work with you again soon, sir.”

Iggios nodded, unsure of how to react. He quickly turned and took one of the nearby speederbikes for himself, eager to keep the fight as far from this place as possible.

He could still stay in touch through comms, but he doubted it would be necessary. The clones seemed more than capable of handling the battle in his absence.

General… Iggios never claimed any rank over the clones, unlike many other Jedi. Perhaps it was a sign of respect from the Clone Commander, or maybe gratitude for overriding the most reckless orders from Iggios’ Jedi colleagues.

Whatever the case, Iggios took it as a sign of a job well done, but the battle was far from over. Shaking his head, he focused as he sped off into the distance, heading directly toward the infiltrator.

———

It only took a few minutes to get a visual on his opponent. Iggios quickly activated his Danger Scouter ability, blinking a few times as the rating glitched into his view. Over his opponent's head hovered a large, translucent letter ‘B.’

Clearly, he was not a secret apprentice. Dooku would not be caught seriously training someone deemed this 'average.' Still, a dark acolyte with an unknown skill set could prove troublesome, especially since he was supposedly close to Iggios in combat capability.

Iggios turned off the Danger Scouter as he neared his opponent so he could better focus on the battle.

The Acolyte drew his lightsaber, the crimson blade flashing dangerously as he pointed it forward. It seemed the Acolyte thought this was a jousting competition.

Iggios decided against recklessly charging at an unknown opponent. Instead, he extended his hand and unleashed a powerful wave of the Force, sending the man flying off his speederbike. The Acolyte rolled in the Geonosian sand before regaining his footing. Taking that moment, Iggios dismounted his speeder and ignited his silver lightsaber, adopting a guarded stance, ready to act at a moment's notice.

A split-second warning from the Force alerted him, and Iggios raised his blade just in time to protect himself. Blue lightning crackled from the Acolyte’s hand, forcing Iggios to step back as he blocked the violent torrent with his lightsaber.

With his free hand, Iggios performed a quick motion with his wrist, tripping the Acolyte once more and forcing him to release the electrical onslaught.

That brief moment of reprieve was all Iggios needed; he quickly closed the distance, eager to disrupt any further attempts at Sith Lightning.

Iggios lunged forward, aiming to skewer his opponent’s chest, but the attack was parried by the Acolyte's red lightsaber. Not wanting to lose the tempo, Iggios quickly flicked his wrist, attacking from the left and forcing the Acolyte back. He then stopped his assault, resting his blade in the Bogen position, his saber pointed high at his opponent while stepping forward with his right leg to present his side.

The Acolyte retaliated, aiming a low cut at Iggios' front-positioned leg, forcing him to swat the attack aside and transition into a false-edge ascending cut with his saber, wasting no movement in his counter.

The Acolyte barely managed to block, but his momentary panic gave Iggios the opportunity to close the distance, ram his shoulder into the taller man, and place his leg behind that of his opponent, tripping him.

However, the Acolyte quickly rolled and extended his arm before Iggios could finish the fight, blasting the young Jedi away and creating some distance.

Iggios landed roughly, kicking up sand as he stumbled for a second before regaining his footing. By that time, though, his opponent was already on his feet and charging in again.

This time, Iggios was on the defensive, quickly parrying the aggressive overhead attack before swinging his saber at his opponent.

Though he was physically weaker, Iggios preferred not to rely on full blocks. He would still rather be on the offensive, though. After all, when an attacker makes a mistake, they can retreat, but a defender's mistakes are often fatal.

The Acolyte, however, maintained his aggression, swinging his lightsaber with such speed that Iggios had to focus entirely on parrying and defending, with few opportunities to counterattack. Form VII was certainly living up to its reputation.

"You're not bad for a Jedi brat. You'd do well under the Count's guidance," the Acolyte growled, frustration and grudging respect evident in his voice.

"I'll have to pass on that. I already have a teacher," Iggios replied immediately.

While Dooku could undoubtedly teach him a lot, he was not the type to collude with the most treacherous individuals in the galaxy. The Sith may be powerful, but in his eyes, the inevitable treachery was not worth it.

"Shame. You'll have to die, then," the Darksider shrugged, a grin forming on his face. He clearly enjoyed fighting—or perhaps killing—people. Iggios wasn't sure which.

"You're welcome to try..." he said, adopting the offensively strong Stier stance, his saber held high, guarding his head and shoulders from above, his left foot forward.

The Acolyte attacked again, this time from Iggios' left. Iggios stepped to the right to evade and committed to a diagonal cut from his right. Although the attack was barely dodged, Iggios seized the advantage, reversing his cut and striking horizontally from his left. The attack was blocked, but he was already prepared with his next move.

A quick feinting thrust deceived his opponent, and the follow-up upward flick of his wrist landed, cutting deeply into the Acolyte's left pectoral muscle and exiting from his left shoulder. It wasn’t a killing blow, but it was certainly debilitating.

The Acolyte fell backward, crying out in pain, but he was not finished yet. He extended his right hand and fired Sith Lightning at Iggios once more, catching the young Jedi off guard.

The Force attack struck, sending burning agony through Iggios' body before he managed to lift his saber into position as he fell to his knees. Iggios took a deep breath, his clothes smoking from the heat and energy of the lightning attack as he struggled to keep his blade high.

That Force ability was just too strong. Only a few seconds of exposure to the Sith Lightning, albeit weak, had left Iggios barely able to move. Thankfully, unlike his opponent, that weakness would pass quickly; lightsaber wounds were typically more debilitating in the long term.

Eventually, the Acolyte ran out of juice, his hand falling next to his body as his loud cry fell silent.

Iggios took a moment to recover, not trusting his legs to move for a few more seconds. He approached the fallen enemy, checking for a pulse, only to find that the man was dead.

Upon closer inspection, he realized his lightsaber had penetrated deeper than he initially thought; the cut must have gone through a significant portion of the Acolyte’s lung.

"B-Rank danger, and I still managed to throw away a clean victory..." Iggios mused as he picked up the body, preparing to transport his fallen enemy back. He saw it as necessary not only as proof of his victory but also out of respect, as leaving the dead unburied felt wrong, regardless of their side in this war.

"Commander Zack, do you copy?" Iggios asked into his comm, getting through to the clone without delay.

"I do, General. Are you done with the fight already?" The tone in the clone's voice was tinged with surprise. Did he think Jedi duels lasted for hours or something?

Well… To be fair, some duels were quite lengthy.

"Yes, I’m done. Just letting you know not to call an artillery barrage on the approaching speeder," Iggios chuckled, quickly stretching his still-aching body. He would probably feel the effects of the Sith Lightning tomorrow too. At least he won, but he noted that his overconfidence had cost him a cleaner fight.

———

As he looked across the plain, he noticed two figures jogging over the sand towards him, or at least in his general direction.

"Actually, Commander, can I get a feed on Sector 3347 and the surrounding areas? I have two contacts on foot," he requested, squinting to get a better view. The figures looked like little more than dots to him.

"Give us a moment, General," came the response, and Iggios could hear Zack ordering the feed to be located. "It seems to be one of our boys with... Senator Amidala?" he reported, clearly confused about the injured senator carrying a blaster.

"Ah, good... for a moment, I was afraid I would have to fight two more," Iggios breathed out in relief.

He wasn't sure he could handle two Dark Acolytes at once at his best, much less in his current condition.

"I'll go play taxi for a moment, Commander. Expect me with a little delay and some guests," he said to the clone, who quickly acknowledged the change of plans.

Iggios quickly connected a speeder bike to his tow and sped toward the two jogging figures. If Padmé was able to run this far, the fight with Dooku must already be in progress.

The trip to reach them was short, and the two looked relieved to see a vehicle they could mount. It certainly beat running through massive desert dunes.

"Are there any injuries we should be concerned about?" Iggios asked as he came to a stop near them, prioritizing their physical state.

"We're fine," Padmé replied.

Iggios hummed in response, feeling uncertain. Hadn’t she fallen out of a flying Gunship?

"Well then, hop onto the second speeder. We'll get you some first aid at the forward Command Center," he suggested, deciding not to push the matter, but he sensed that some basic first aid would definitely be warranted.

"I don't need first aid. I need a Gunship," Padmé huffed, showcasing her headstrong nature, just as Iggios had expected.

"A Gunship for what, Senator? If you haven’t noticed, there are enemy interceptors all over the sky. I advise against risking your life before the skies are cleared," Iggios said, sighing. He could feel that he would eventually lose this argument, no matter how sound his reasoning was.

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Okay... I usually don't write any notes here, but I wonder if you huys would prefer the more starwarsy/fantasy kind of lightsaber fights or the more autism-ridden duels based on actual swordsmanship like this one.

Feel free to yell at me in my Discord about it. XD