The Wolf Pack

Chapter 48

Kriari didn't like being arrogant, but there were times she couldn't help it. She told them this would happen and now the sense of victory in having been right all along cursed through her as if it were blood. She didn't like being arrogant, but being right was so rewarding.

Even if the circumstances of her being right weren't the best.

Either way, her caution had spared the entire attacking force a good amount of losses. The 212th members that had been sent to find hidden enemies had been mostly successful, and the GAR forces were now advancing towards the factory unhindered by ambushes. Still, they had their work cut out for them. Their target was still a very much operational droid factory, and they were very much outnumbered.

Once the situation in the rear had been contained, Kriari advanced towards the frontline to assist both Jedi masters. She had been in combat for two years at that point, she had worked with several different Jedi, but She had never seen a single one of them so at ease in the battlefield as Skywalker.

While Master Unduli's lightsaber technique was more defensive, Master Skywalker was a force to be reckoned with. He was all fluid movements and fierce efficiency. He severed one droid after the other as if they weren't really there. Kriari would have stopped to stare at him had it been safe enough to do so.

But Kriari was no green recruit, she could admire Skywalker and still do her job, which at the moment was defending the big guns from enemy fire. The men operating the tanks were awfully exposed, and it would be no good for them to lose not only their men but also their biggest offensive weapons.

The booming sound of the cannons as they fired and reloaded made it incredibly hard for her to hear anything else, so she focused her attention on her sight and her Force sensitivity to compensate when it came to her spacial awareness. The only things she could hear clearly were the voices of the 212th men speaking on the open commlink channel.

Everything was going rather well, until the enemy decided to send out droidekas to the front. But even those didn't last long when confronted with a missile launcher. The enemy had been repelled, for now at least, and Kriari was glad to be able to hear more than her own thoughts.

"Foreas, come in. What's the status at the back?" Sounded General Skywalker's voice in her ear.

Kriari looked around and took a deep breath in. Waxer saw the question on her face and made hand signs to answer.

"We lost very few men in the attempted ambush, less than half a dozen. The heavy guns are intact and so are the operatives. We have several injured but most of them are still able bodied. We should take advantage in the lull of battle to get the wounded out of the field."

It took Skywalker a moment to answer, but when he did, it was with a tone that brokered no argument.

"Good, have two men escort the wounded back to camp and come here to the frontline. I believe we are going to need all the muscle we can muster when the enemy attacks again."

"Right away, Master." Answered Kriari before turning to Waxer and Boil.

"Boys, have T.H. and Happy escort the wounded back. Then get all the able bodied men ready, we are going up front."

...

"Good, you're here. I have to say, I'm impressed with you, Kriari. Obi-Wan had clearly been teaching you well. Your foresight saved many men." Admitted Master Skywalker while looking back at the men of the 212th that had come to aid on the frontlines.

"Indeed, but now we shall see how you do when facing enemy fire head on." Added Luminara.

"With all due respect, General, the Commander has more experience with frontal assaults than she does with recon. You can trust her to watch your front as well as your back." Interrupted Boil.

Kriari shot him a look. It was one thing to break protocol when we were on our own or with Master Kenobi, but they didn't really know how Luminara operated. Skywalker was obviously okay with it since Rex wasn't afraid to state his opinion from time to time. Kriari hated that they couldn't speak their mind freely, but she could only bend the rules so far. She had a bad rapport with the Jedi Council already, even if the troopers had no idea why. She appreciated his confidence in her nonetheless, and showed him so with a pat on the shoulder plate.

General Unduli watched the interaction from the corner of her eye as she turned her body towards the factory.

"I will take your word for it then, trooper."

As she turned, the gates to the factory reopened, and from within came armored tanks none of us had seen before.

Shit.

"Looks like the separatists have a new toy." Said Master Luminara.

"Rex, pick your targets." commanded Skywalker.

"Yes, Sir."

"Captain, elevation four-two-seven." Kriari provided as she looked through the binocs to assess the distance.

"You heard the Commander, four-two-seven." repeated Rex.

In quick succession, all three tanks fired onto the first two enemy weapons. It was an incredible display of firepower, but when the smoke and dust cleared, the enemy continued advancing unhindered and unharmed.

"Sir, nothing could withstand that." Kriari could hear the confusion in Rex's voice, as well as feel the unease of her troopers when they realized what was going on.

"We could draw them out and maybe drop a rocky structure on top of them?" suggested Kriari as she helped troopes off the tanks being targeted.

As another projectile approached, she threw herself on top of a trooper from the 501st to shield him from the debris. She only heard the General's answer when the trooper helped her up.

"We would have too many losses by then, but we could draw them out onto the bridge." He said as he took a bag of explosives that was being handed to him.

"I'm coming too." Said Kriari as she took the bag from Master Unduli.

"Padawan, I don't think-"

"If something goes wrong, the men need to have a General to command them, Master." She interrupted before Luminara could finish. "I may be good, but I'm not a Jedi Knight yet."

There was no visible evidence that Kriari was discontent with that fact, but it was very telling that she mentioned it at all. Kriari knew she needed to be knighted in order to take certain liberties to save her men, but for now she would have to be content with taking the riskier assignments to spare her troopers.

"Enough chit chat, let's get going." Ushered Skywalker.

"Waxer, Boil, you two are in charge." Said Kriari hurriedly before sprinting away at Skywalker's toes.

Master Luminara Unduli looked a little puzzled as she watched them leave. Waxer couldn't blame her. Kriari had left two troopers in charge of the 212th and not a Jedi General. It was an enigma for the Jedi but a clear sign for the troopers: the Commander doesn't trust Luminara with the safety of her men.