STAR WARS: FRIENDLY-FIRE Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, or any of its properties ([Legends and Canon material alike] the Characters, the Planets, events, ships, Gear, etc. Mentioned in this story). All those belong to George Lucas, Lucasfilm, and Disney. I do however own "Shadow Squad's" Commander Shadow, Spooks, Umbra, Captain Gloom, and Shade, and The Rookie. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Note: This story is not technically canon and is a work of FAN-FICTION, and was inspired by my love for the Republic Commandos. After seeing Delta Squad's brief appearance on the Clone Wars TV show, I wondered what a marriage of Canon and Legends material would look like if the members of Delta Squad showed up once again in the Canon universe. Thank you and enjoy.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

STAR WARS:

FRIENDLY-FIRE

Separatist Forces have begun their attack on the Wookiee home-world of Kashyyyk. The Republic has come to the aide of the Wookiees in their hour of need; deploying their invasion force to assist the remaining Clone and Wookiee forces on Kachirho Beach create a defensive perimeter on the beach, as the Separatist forces prepare for another assault. A squad of Clone Commandoes, known as Delta Squad, search desperately behind enemy lines with the help of Jedi Master Quinlan Vos for their missing comrade, Sev, who was presumed MIA after the success of their latest mission. Vos has taken it upon himself to assist the commandos; despite receiving orders from Master Yoda to return to battle. If the Republic is to achieve victory once again, it will need all the clones on the planet for the upcoming battle; even the ones MIA...

"Sir, Master Yoda ordered us to..."

"I know what Yoda said," Jedi Master Quinlan Vos interrupted. "But it seemed more like a professional suggestion than an order to me. I'll deal with Yoda later. We're going to find Sev."

Quinlan Vos led Boss, Fixer, Scorch and Rookie, a Scout Trooper temporarily assigned to Delta Squad (despite the teams' objections) into the thick forest of Kashyyyk behind enemy lines; the sound of blaster-fire from the battle on the beach echoed through the wroshyr trees.

As the Squad moved carefully behind enemy lines, they noticed that the droid presence on the Separatist side of the lagoon was growing smaller.

"The Separatists must have ordered all remaining droid forces to join the attack on the beach." Vos surmised. "They'll be too busy attacking our forces to realize we're here. That should make this easier."

After approaching the missing Commando's last position, General Vos bent down and analyzed a broken twig surrounded by hundreds of droid footprints on the path in front of them. The Jedi Master closed his eyes and reached out with the force, holding the twig in his hand.

"He was here..." Vos said. "There were droids on all sides... He did his best to hold them off and as he was backing away..."

Vos's eyes shot open. He pointed at a small patch of broken branches in the Canopy level of tree-line a few feet in front of their position.

"He took a bad step and fell down to the lower levels of the forest floor." Vos said getting to his feet. "If we head down there, we'll have a better chance of finding him."

As the Squad prepared to repel down to the forest floor, Scorch turned to Fixer. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

The group carefully repelled down to the lower levels of the forest floor. The members of Delta Squad raised their blasters cautiously, uneasy about the sudden darkness of the forest floor.

"Keep your eyes open, Deltas." Whispered Boss. "If half the things the Wookiees say about this place are true... Droids will be the least of our problems..."

"General," Said Fixer pointing to a Katarn-class commando helmet decorated with red markings, on the ground nearby. "That's Delta-Seven's helmet."

Vos bent down, placing the missing commando's helmet in his hands, as he reached out with the force to unlock the memory the helmet held; using his force psychometry.

"Sev landed hard on his head...He was dazed, but walked away with just bumps and bruises..." He said. "The droids didn't follow him...But something else did... He took off on foot that way..."

Vos pointed to what appeared to be the entrance to a cave up ahead. He then handed the helmet to Scorch. "Hang on to this. I have a feeling Sev will need this back when we find him."

The Squad made its way into the cavern, stepping cautiously as they went.

"Sir, I'm picking up a lot of movement up ahead." whispered Fixer.

Suddenly the sound of blaster-fire erupted from up ahead.

"SEV!" Shouted Scorch, charging deeper into the cavern in front of him.

"Get back here, Delta-Six-Two! That's an order." yelled Boss.

Scorch ignored the Sergeant's orders and continued sprinting towards the sound of blaster-fire in the cavern chamber in front of him.

The Jedi General turned to Boss. "He certainly has courage."

"What good will it do us if he gets himself killed?" Said Boss, shaking his head.

As soon as the group caught up with Scorch, they found themselves in a large cavern chamber covered in thick webs. They were standing in a Webweaver nest. In the center of the chamber stood the clone commando, Sev; both his feet and his left hand were stuck to the floor and cavern wall by a think strand of web. In his free hand, Sev was holding his DC-15S side arm blaster and firing at multiple giant spiders the size of a human.

"WEBWEAVERS!" shouted Quinlan Vos as he ignited his emerald lightsaber.

The large spiders surrounded the squad, and soon cut off their only escape route. Vos and the rest of the clone team cautiously moved to Sev's position; not turning their backs on the spiders for a moment as they did so. Once beside their lost comrade, the Jedi Master freed Sev's arm and legs bound in webs with a quick slash of his lightsaber.

"You might need this back." said Scorch, as he handed Sev his helmet back, who in turn, quickly placed the dirty and beaten Katarn-class commando helmet over his head before resuming his defensive stance.

The Spiders moved closer and closer to the group; their long mandibles made a loud hissing noise in the darkness as they taunted their prey during their approach. The Commandos took note of this this tactic.

"They're using psychological warfare to push us into a kill box." Observed Fixer.

Delta Squad's newest member, the Rookie, was clearly distressed about the group's current predicament.

"This isn't what I signed up for when I volunteered to fill Sev's spot for Delta Squad." Said the Rookie, nervously shifting his DC-15A blaster rifle from Webweaver to Webweaver, trying to decide which one to take out first.

"You might not have realized it, Rookie, but this IS what you signed up for when you volunteered to join Delta Squadron." Said Fixer "You're free to leave whenever you want, now that we've got Delta-7 back with us."

"We're all getting out of here together... or not at all." said Boss.

"What...What are they waiting for?" asked the Rookie; his body was shaking so hard from fear that he almost dropped his blaster.

"They're getting ready to pounce. Their underbellies should be exposed once they're in the air. That's your target." Said Vos holding his lightsaber in front of himself defensively. "On my mark...."

Several of the Webweavers pounced into the air towards the clones, exposing their underbellies in midjump.

"Now!" Shouted Vos, as he cut a Webweaver in half with his lightsaber.

The Clones unloaded a volley of blaster-fire on the Webweavers, several of their blaster-bolts hit the exposed underbellies of their attackers, causing the large arachnids to scream out in pain as their lifeless bodies fell to the ground.

Despite, the counterattack from the clones and the Jedi, the Webweavers continued their approach, as they swarmed their prey with their large numbers.

The Clones continued to hold off their attackers, but it was clear they'd need a new strategy soon.

"We can't keep this up forever, General!" Fixer called out to the Jedi General as he continued shooting more of the spiders. "We can't stay here!"

"Understood!" shouted Vos, cutting another giant spider. "Cover me! I'll clear a path!"

The Jedi Master jumped into the air; cutting several spiders down at once with lightning speed. Another flash of green; and five more Webweavers were taken out. The seasoned Jedi thrust out his hand with a Force-push that sent thirty more of the spider-like creatures that were blocking the cave entrance, soaring across the cavern.

"This way!" He shouted to the clones.

The Clones followed Vos back the way they had come; covering their rear flank with blaster fire as they ran.

Boss called back to Scorch not bothering to look back at Delta's demolition expert ."Do your thing, Six-Two!"

"Yes, Sir!" laughed Scorch, tossing two handfuls of thermal detonators behind him at the oncoming Webweavers.

The red lights on the small explosives blinked faster and faster, signifying that they were seconds away from detonation.

*BOOM!!!*

The Webweaver pursuers were suddenly engulfed in the large fireball of the explosion. The cave walls rumbled and shook from the strong detonation force in the tight enclosed space passageway, just as Delta Squad exited the cave. Within seconds, the cave entrance collapsed on itself, sealing the Webweavers inside.

Scorch laughed and cheered at the large explosion he had just caused. "Take that you stupid bugs! Hey, Sev..." He cheered.

"Did you like the fireworks?"

Sev ignored, Scorch's cheering and turned to Boss.

"Boss," Sev said panting. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to get topside before more of those things show up..." -He looked back at Scorch.- "...or this idiot blows us all up."

To be Continued