The Republic Acclamator-class ships where closing in on my small fleet. Head on, as if aiming on the Belugaross they came. No doubt since it was the largest vessel of my formation. The rest of my ships where 35 Techno Union Hardcell transports, and a couple of Commerce Guild Diamond-class cruisers, clustered to the left and right of the Belugaross.

Ever since that conference on Cato Neimoidia, my forces had increased, and incorporated many new kinds of weaponry as the various business corporations had supplied the separtist's cause with all the more equipment necessary to wage war.

"Launch one fourth of our fighters, sergeant. The Vulture droids only - we'll hold on to our Geonosian starfighters for now." I ordered a battle droid sergeant present at the bridge.

"Launch one fourth of our fighters, Vulture droids only. Affirmative, sir. Relaying command." The droid said in it's monotone voice and headed for the communications relay.

Next, I turned to the Neimoidian captain Thoth. A very experienced captain, and not quite as cowardly as Neimoidians usually are. I would not tolerate cowardly behavior, and he didn't dare anger me. How ironic.

"Captain, 90 percent power to shields. All batteries fire at targets of opportunity, give me one hell of a show Thoth!"

"Yes general!"

A moment of relative peace followed, before the battle suddenly erupted in a cacophony of turbolaser-fire. The Vulture-droids made contact with Republic fighters. Explosions, laser cannon fire, and the screech of the Vulture's engines - all at once, as the fighter's clashed between the capital ships of the Confederacy and the Republic.

Some of the Republic fighters got through our defences, and attacked the Belugaross. Low thuds where heard as proton-torpedoes impacted against the bridge's shields.

A crippled Diamond-cruiser disappeared in an enormous explosion, damaging another nearby cruiser that started descending downwards. A Techno union transport was split in half as a proton torpedo hit the onboard fuel storage. The thirty or so Republic cruisers where gaining the advantage - or so it may have appeared.

"What's the status, captain?"

"Shields are holding. No damage sustained on the ship."

"Good."

My plan was working perfectly. I had divided my capital ships into four different groups, and now was the time to make real use of them.

The Republic fighters were spread thin - so sure were they of victory that they didn't bother to give their own Acclamators fighter support.

I pressed a few buttons on a commucations control, and a blue hologram sprang into being in front of me.

"Ah, general Borgward. I was beginning to think you would never let me in on the fun." The blue hologram said.

"General Grievous, I suggest you deploy your fighter squadron now. Give them hell!"

I watched as the fighter wings shot out from the hangar bays of the Belugaross. Grievous headed straight for the nearest Acclamator in his Belbullab-22 fighter, followed by the other Geonosian fighters. Their formation pierced the enemy's fighter defense around the Acclamator like a spear. Isolating the Republic fighters from one another and eliminating them.

They where too far off for me to be able to spot any individual fighter now, but I could still see small explosions and thin streaks of laser fire. Grievous and his wingmen were supposed to knock out as many of the Acclamator's communication arrays as possible, so that jamming the remaining ones would be easier.

Still though, no Acclamators had been lost yet, only damaged, while several more Hardcell's had gone down.

"Captain, reverse the ship's course, but keep the front pointed towards the republic fleet." I ordered Thoth.

"Yes general."

"Sergeant, relay my command to the 11th and 38th fleets on our left and right flank respectively. Have them both advance at low speed."

"Relaying orders to the 11th and 38th fleets, general." The droid answered.

What happened now was exactly what Borgward had planned. His ships formed a gargantuan predatory mouth formation. The republic ships where pursuing the Belugaross, while his other ships were the jaws of the formation, about to shut off the republic ships from their escape routes. All too late did the Republic commander realize what was about to happen.

"Captain Thoth, decrease shields to 40 percent, and transfer power to the turbolaser batteries. Concentrate fire at one ship a time." I commanded.

"Yes general."

Without adequate communications, the Republic commander couldn't call for reinforcements, nor warn any other nearby forces. My fleet had trapped the Acclamator-vessels in a devastating crossfire. They had no chance to escape.

The ships closest to the Belugaross went down in flames as the immense power of thousands of turbolasers pounded at them, breaking them apart. The surviving Republic ships desperately gathered closer to one another like a flock of scared birds in order to provide fire support against the starfighters that attacked them from every direction.

I watched satisfactory at my work, hands clasped behind my back, as a security droid approached me.

"Sir, we just found two jedi starfighters abandoned in the starboard hangar bay."

"We have jedis onboard?!" said, chocked.

"We're not yet certain, sir. But it is plausible."

So, the Republic fleet commanders had been jedi then. Probably a master and a padawan, desperately attempting to destroy my ship in a vain attempt to turn the tide. Fools! No explosives carried by two men can be powerful enough to make anything more than a dent in the ship's hull! A nanosecond after that thought, another one struck me. The engine core! It didn't take much explosives to blow the entire vessel to smithereens if placed at the engine core!

"Place a brigade of droids around the entrances to the engine core!" I ordered, afraid that the jedi might succeed in turning this battle.

"Roger, roger." The security droid answered and hurried away.

"Captain! Can you track the jedi?!" I asked, shifting my attention to Thoth.

"Negative, general."

Time was of the essence. I couldn't possibly defeat the jedi! I needed help. I needed Grievous!

Yet again activating the communications console, the blue hologram of general Grievous sprang into being in front of me. He was still in his fighter.

"What is it general? I have pressing matters at the moment." Grievous said, and yanked the controls. An explosion could be heard in the background.

"Two jedi have boarded my ship, I need your immediate assistance!"

"Ah, jedi!" Grievous said mischievously. "I'll be there in a moment."

I strongly felt that I needed to do more! So I left the bridge with a small escort of security droids to oversee the defences of the engine core myself. The droids may not understand how to properly deploy the droidekas in a defensive position...

I was completely unaware about everything around me as I walked down the long corridors, deep in thoughts, when I suddenly heard a sudden hissing sound from behind me. I turned around just in time to see two of the security droids being decapitated by a green lightsaber blade. A male human, a young jedi, had appeared out of nowhere and destroyed half of my escort in a split second.

Next, I heard another lightsaber igniting. I grabbed an arm from one of the decapitated battle droids that I kicked against the young jedi, and swung around to meet the new threath. Another male jedi. Older. He had already destroyed the last two droids in my escort. Not a shot had been fired. In a vain attempt to fend for myself, I swung the droid arm at the older jedi, using it like a club. He cut the droid arm in half, and proceeded to knock the last piece of the arm out of my hand with the force. I was now completely defenseless.

The two jedi stood in defensive stances blocking any possible escape paths down the corridor. I stood unmoving, hands at my sides. Waiting for their next move.

"Separatist general!" The older jedi adressed me.

He was probably the master for the other one standing behind me. The master looked confident as he continued to speak.

"You will come with us, now, to the ship's bridge. There you will order your forces to capitulate."

Is he brain dead? Why would I do that? I thought to myself as I grinned, revealing a row of small pointed teeth. Another Kaleesh heritage of mine. The master seemed to misinterpret my silence for a surrender.

"Now, lead us to the bridge, immedietly!" He said, and made a move towards me.

"To hell with you." I simply stated, still grinning. "I'm not a bloody Neimoidian, you can't intimidate me! What are you going to do? Kill me?! I don't think so, it would be against your precious order."

The master showed no signs of surprise or bafflement. His face was as unreadable as a droids.

"We are allowed to kill you, even though you're unarmed, since it might help us save thousands of clone soldiers." He said calmly.

What a moron. Life, my own life, has never been very precious to me. I'm not very strong, fast or skilled in fighting techniques. But I have one advantage; I do not fear death. I remain indifferent to the prospect of dying. This, the master could ofcourse not know.

"I don't care." I said flatly.

Silence. The master actually appeared stunned by this. I felt him search my mind. He found nothing but plain honesty.

His eyes grew wide. He was about to reach for his lightsaber when metal talons grabbed him by the head and smashed his entire body against the corridor wall, leaving a bloody trail on the metal. Grievous had appeared from out of nowhere and saved me.

The padawan, fear in his eyes, yelped and reached for his weapon. His hand never touched his lightsaber, as Grievous leapt upon him and grabbed him by the arm with his right hand, holding him by the shoulder with the other one. With a cry of indescribable pain and terror, the padawan's arm was ripped off. He slumped to the floor, crying, blood and saliva rinning from his mouth.

Grievous took a step back, and tossed the arm to the floor beside the crying padawan, taking his lightsaber from the boy's belt and adding it to his ever growing collection.

"Please..." the padawan begged silently, in between coughs of blood.

"No mercy." Grievous said in a low voice.

"Oh, come on!" I intervened.

Grievous spun around to listen to me. He had long ago given up on intimidating me. He knew of my view of death.

"Look at him. He will barely be able to dress himself after this, much less fight in a war. He is too mentally damaged by this ordeal. I have a better idea..."

"I'm all ears, general." Grievous said impatiently.

I mainly felt that it was unecessary to kill him. He was already defeated, and just a few years younger than I. But I couldn't tell Grievous this, he would need a good reason for it. I leaned forward and spoke in a low voice.

"Send him into captivity to count Dooku, he will probably be interested in having a force sensitive as prisoner."

Grievous considered this for a moment, and then nodded in approval.

"A very good idea indeed, general. See to it that it be done."

"I will." I said. "As soon as I've finished off the last Republic ships. It won't be long."