KS—13RT—7047 darted out from the corner, then instantly withdrew.
Several energy blasts slammed into the corner of the stone building, sending debris flying, but they failed to harm him.
"What do we do, Lieutenant?" a clone trooper asked urgently.
Number Forty-Seven adjusted his grip on the DC-15 blaster rifle, thinking, Oh yeah, I'm a Lieutenant now.
Due to heavy casualties, he, as the only combat-capable clone in his squad, had been temporarily appointed Commander. His rank had jumped two levels, and he was now tasked with integrating the surviving soldiers from other damaged units into his platoon.
This promotion stemmed from his initiative during the retreat. After the Sergeant fell, he had led the remaining members of his squad through the encirclement. Later, he had taken command of the platoon, even though the remaining soldiers were barely enough to form two squads.
The clone trooper felt little enthusiasm for this promotion, but duty came first. He continued to perform his duties as Commander with unwavering dedication.
After retreating to the base, the unit underwent reorganization and personnel rotation. The squad was reinforced with new recruits, but it still failed to reach full strength.
However, nearly all combat units were in a similar state.
"Those tin cans have occupied the rooftop of the two-story department store and set up a quad-barreled Blaster Cannon turret. Its firepower is suppressing us so effectively we can barely lift our heads," Number Forty-Seven said in a low voice.
Another soldier added, "Casualties so far are two wounded and four killed, but that's not the worst of it. Commander, don't you think we shouldn't have charged into this square?"
A veteran soldier chimed in, "He's right. Our squad broke through the militia's defenses quickly, but the other squads are far behind. They can't advance now—that turret's firepower is too intense, completely blocking the two streets converging on the square in a wedge formation. And I remember, according to the original plan, we weren't supposed to attack that building head-on."
Number Forty-Seven's tone was firm. "We must find a way to suppress that turret. It's not only blocking our vehicles but also slowing down the other squads' advance."
"But General Viktor ordered us to avoid direct assaults. Perhaps we should flank it from the side?" suggested a newly promoted sergeant, only to be cut off by the lieutenant.
"You're right, the General did give that order. But if he were here now, what do you think he'd do?"
Number Forty-Seven quickly checked the remaining charge in his DC-15 blaster rifle and gas tank, then barked out orders: "Soldiers, prepare for combat! First Squad, get the grappling hook launchers ready immediately! The rest of you provide covering fire! Move out!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Number Forty-Seven darted around the corner, followed closely by the eight soldiers of First Squad.
The robots on the rooftop immediately spotted them, unleashing a torrent of energy blasts.
In the end, only six soldiers, including the lieutenant, made it to the base of the building.
The clone trooper surveyed the scene, clearly seeing how the robots had transported the heavy weapon to the rooftop. A single-story annex stood beside the main building. The self-propelled howitzer had first climbed the annex's roof using its four mechanical legs, then used hydraulic lifts to ascend to the main building's roof.
"Keep moving!"
The soldiers fired their grappling hooks in unison. The sharp hooks bit firmly into the roof's edge, and they began climbing rapidly up the ropes.
On the roof, a B-1 battle droid seemed to hear the commotion and poked its head out from under the eaves.
"Uh, there's—"
Before the droid could finish, a covering soldier fired a precise energy blast, beheading it.
However, when Four-Seven climbed onto the roof, he realized the real trouble had just begun.
The quad-barrel cannon turret was guarded by six B-2 super battle droids, with four B-1 droids operating the cannons.
"Open fire!"
The clone troopers scattered rapidly, some rolling to find cover, others raising their DC-15 blaster rifles to return fire.
The robots immediately counterattacked, their dense energy fire crisscrossing the rooftop.
Through the helmet sensors' buzzing, the Lieutenant learned his soldiers were falling one by one. The rooftop was bare, offering no cover.
In this desperate moment, the last surviving soldier hurled an ion grenade.
The grenade detonated in mid-air, and a powerful ion pulse instantly disabled the electronic systems of the remaining B-2 super battle droids.
"Nice work, brother!"
Number Forty-Seven seized the opportunity, charging forward with his body arched back, dodging the crossfire of three B-1 battle droids. He fired back, kicking one of the robots off the rooftop.
The second droid stepped forward, raising its Blaster Carbine to aim at him. Number Forty-Seven blocked with his rifle, simultaneously pulling the trigger to shatter the enemy's mechanical arm. He then slammed the heavy stock of his rifle into the droid's head, utterly destroying it.
With the guards eliminated, eliminating the remaining gunners was child's play. These guys were so focused on firing downward that they hadn't noticed the battle unfolding on the rooftop.
Number Forty-Seven kicked the droid's wreckage aside from the gunner's seat and settled into the position.
He adjusted the controls, aligning the targeting reticle with the enemy lines across the plaza. The cannon's depression angle was barely sufficient to cover the target area.
The green targeting screen automatically marked the enemy's concentration point. The Clone Trooper fine-tuned the cannon's angle and squeezed the trigger.
Four Blaster Cannons simultaneously unleashed scorching energy blasts, shredding dozens of enemies in an instant and blasting a gaping hole in their defenses.
The few surviving militia fighters were so terrified they scattered into the nearby alleyways in a panic.
The Lieutenant struggled to pull his hand from the trigger, his fingers stiff from the sustained pressure.
He shook his head, suppressing his excitement, and scanned the devastated rooftops. Then he walked to the edge and waved to get the attention of the soldiers below. "Second and Third Squads, secure the building immediately! Fourth Squad, maintain suppressive fire! Medics, get up here quickly!"
Sliding down the rope, Number Forty-Seven noticed the other squads had already advanced, systematically clearing the buildings and preparing to push deeper into the city.
Reserve units, combat vehicles, and medical anti-gravity transports began arriving in the square, deploying for follow-up operations.
"How's it going, Lieutenant? Looks like you had a tough fight here," a familiar voice said.
Number Forty-Seven turned to see General Viktor standing before him. In his peripheral vision, he could see a mobile command post deployed on an anti-gravity platform nearby, and the red-and-white B-1 battle droid following behind the General.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, Commander," the Clone Trooper replied, his voice tinged with contempt. "Just standard procedure. What else would it be? That's our job."
Solo hopped off the Speeder Bike, which he and Ahsoka had just ridden to the city's main plaza—the location of their primary Command post.
The siege of Dalen City had lasted four days, culminating in their successful capture of the city with far fewer casualties than anticipated.
One hundred forty-two clone troopers had died, and four hundred eighty-one had been wounded, most of whom would be back in service within three days.
Considering they had eliminated nearly fifty thousand enemy robots and two thousand Nationalists during the battle, Solo considered it a brilliant victory.
Unfortunately, some civilians had been caught in the crossfire, resulting in casualties.
Naturally, the local population blamed them for this, even though the militia had initially established defensive positions in residential areas, forcing the Republic forces to deploy heavy vehicles in their attacks.
Even with current technology, the precision of heavy weapons wasn't perfect.
Yes, they had provided post-battle aid—performing surgeries on the wounded and distributing food and medicine—but—
Two days had passed since the end of the siege, yet as Solo stood at the window of the Command Center, he could still feel the eyes of the Jabim people on him. Their gazes, devoid of any warmth, burned with deep hostility.
In their eyes, Solo and his troops were invaders. If not for the overwhelming disparity in power, they would have attacked the Republic Army long ago.
Almost every Jabim person was ready to take up arms and resist at any moment. Only the Republic Army's massive forces, advanced combat vehicles, and the fear of Jedi Knights kept their rebellious spirit barely suppressed.
"Damn it, now's not the time to dwell on this," Solo muttered. He had been supervising the construction of the defensive perimeter on the city's outskirts when Master Glaive's urgent summons brought him back immediately.
Solo reached out with the Force to communicate with Ahsoka: What do you think is happening?
Ahsoka, also uneasy, replied: I don't know, Master, but it doesn't look good.
"What's going on, Jeb?" Solo asked as he approached.
"Solo, you've come at the right time." They shook hands, Master Glaive's expression grave. "We just received a message from Kenobi. To put it bluntly—our situation is dire. Compared to this, our position in Dalen City was practically a vacation."
Solo had anticipated this. "What's the situation?"
"Master Kenobi and his Jedi Knight detachment are pinned down at the defensive line outside the Capital, Joal City. They've broken through four lines, but reconnaissance reports indicate six more enemy lines remain unbreached."
Jeb's voice was grave. "Furthermore, our supply lines have been stretched to six hundred kilometers and are constantly harassed by small enemy units. While not fatal, these attacks are severely slowing our progress. The worst part is, we've lost contact with Master Gis-Ilova's Command."
"Two Jedi Knights have already fallen: Larsema Billisura and Nico Diat."
"Diat's Apprentice, Tai Diat, has lost his Master, so your Apprentice squad will soon have another member."
"Two other Jedi, Prata Fera and Kai Enneba, are currently unaccounted for."
Solo cursed inwardly: "Damn it."
"What are our orders from Command?"
"My unit is to remain in Dalen City, while you and I must lead your subordinates and depart as soon as possible. We'll head to Diamond Base first, then reinforce the Capital."
Solo mentally calculated the distances on the map. "This journey will take about three days—"
"Let's hope we can arrive before the situation deteriorates further."
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