In orbit above the planet...
The Republic fleet stationed around Coruscant encountered nearly a hundred ships with no apparent coordination or battle plan beyond pure chaos.
The Venator-class Star Destroyers largely held their own, launching starfighters in massive waves to combat the increasing numbers of vessels that kept emerging from hyperspace.
They were an odd collection, to say the least.
Consular-class cruisers, old Hammerhead corvettes, damaged Acclamators and Victories, stolen and repurposed Separatist starships—all mixed together in this surprise assault.
Republic Admiral Yularen barked orders as he tried to make sense of the situation.
It didn't take much analysis to determine this wasn't a CIS attack. The Confederacy didn't operate with such chaotic tactics.
It was too reckless, even for their nearly unlimited droid armies.
Moreover, while Separatist symbols had been removed from Confederate ships, the same had been done to Republic vessels.
This raised the crucial question: who was attacking them in this pandemonium?
Yularen stood on the bridge of his Venator-class destroyer, maintaining a thoughtful yet composed expression.
Now wasn't the time to show uncertainty.
He needed to remain strong and take control of the situation.
"What's the status on the surface?"
"Fighting everywhere, sir. Distress signals are going out, requesting reinforcements from fleets across the galaxy."
"What?" Yularen said in surprise. "But they're only attacking here."
"I know, sir, but there appears to be ground combat as well. The entire planet is under siege."
Yularen stepped back in shock. "How is this possible?"
"I believe a large-scale assault like this would require weeks, even months of planning."
"The Separatists must be bolder than we estimated," one clone officer muttered.
Yularen shook his head. "Not them—I recognize some of those ship models from our own fleet."
"...Who would dare attack the Republic's capital, sir?" another clone asked in amazement.
"That's the question, isn't it," Yularen muttered. "I want every starfighter deployed immediately. We need to repel this invasion with everything we have."
"Yes, sir."
By now, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of Republic starfighters were massed against the incoming tide of enemy vessels, and the battle raged on.
Multiple clone units and Coruscant Guard detachments were being organized and deployed as rapidly as possible to counter this surprise attack.
Captain Rex of the 501st was currently leading his men in battle alongside detachments from several other clone trooper regiments and battalions stationed on Coruscant.
The 104th "Wolfpack" Battalion, led by Commander Wolffe.
The maroon-armored 187th Legion under the newly assigned Commander Ponds.
Commander Gree and his 41st Elite Corps.
Bacara of the Galactic Marines.
Commander Fox and Thorne of the Coruscant Guard.
Leading them while coordinating their defense was a clone trooper of legendary status among the clone ranks.
The only clone besides Captain Rex to earn the distinctive jaig eyes on his helmet—a symbol of exceptional courage and tenacity.
His armor bore red markings, but unlike the Coruscant Shock Troopers, the pattern was distinctly unique.
Combined with his pauldrons and specialized equipment, this soldier was one of the most recognizable clones in the Grand Army of the Republic.
Advanced Recon Commando Alpha-77
Also known as Captain Fordo.
"Bacara, Thorne—take your squads to Sector 10 and reinforce the northern perimeter. Gree, Ponds—secure the right flank. Rex, Fox, you're with me," Fordo commanded while gunning down multiple drones and war machines.
The clones dispersed to their assigned positions to engage these seemingly endless waves of enemies.
"Where the hell did these things come from?!" Bacara shouted, grabbing one of the attackers with his bare hands and repeatedly smashing its head against the ground until it shattered.
"Doesn't matter," Fordo replied, leaping up and bringing his knee down on a drone's head. As he landed, he opened fire on a cluster of machines, destroying several while his brothers eliminated the rest.
"Where are the Jedi?" Fives called out as he and Domino Squad worked alongside their brothers.
"Right there," Fordo said, pointing ahead.
The clones could see at least a dozen Jedi Knights, lightsabers ignited, cutting through the mechanical army. They were fighting at the base of the Jedi Temple steps, while inside the Temple, other Jedi could be seen battling alongside additional clone units.
Among the group of Jedi before them was Depa Billaba, who appeared to be leading both the Jedi and her accompanying clone forces.
They were all working at maximum capacity to protect the surrounding area and repel the droid invasion.
Unfortunately, several inexperienced Jedi in the area were quickly overwhelmed or knocked down, left vulnerable on the ground.
Others found themselves surrounded, swinging their lightsabers desperately in futile attempts to keep the droids at bay.
"Fall back," Depa shouted, managing to rescue two struggling Jedi. "Maintain defensive positions. Keep these droids away from the civilians. Grey, Styles—reinforce our right flank."
"Yes, General," Grey acknowledged, signaling to his squad as they moved out with a clone contingent.
"General."
The Jedi Master turned to see a large group of clone troopers approaching to reinforce their position.
"Captain Rex, Fordo, Bacara, Fox," Depa said with a relieved smile. "Perfect timing."
"General, where do you need us?" Fordo asked immediately.
"We'll need to secure several key positions if we're going to establish proper defensive lines around the Temple," Billaba explained, deflecting an unusual energy blast back at its source. These weren't like the typical blaster bolts she was accustomed to deflecting. "Fordo, I need you, Rex, and Bacara to prevent our left flank from collapsing. Commander Fox, coordinate with the forces here and secure this sector. We'll provide covering fire."
"Roger that, General!" the clones responded in unison.
While all this unfolded, inside the Jedi Temple, they had successfully repelled Ultron's initial assault and commandeered the crashed LAAT. Now they were scrambling to establish the Temple's defenses and coordinate the overall defense of Coruscant.
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