Not For Glory

Not For Glory is the fifth novella in the second half of The Vesal Chronicles saga, better known as TVC. One of very few stories in the series to not have a member of the Vesal family as the main protagonist, the book follows Commander Lion as he leads the ground forces of the 44th Special Forces Division in defense of Dantooine against impossible odds. The title of the book comes from the motto of the 44th, which is 'For Comradery, Not For Glory'.

Synopsis
Just under a year after the start of the Clone Wars, the 44th arrives on Dantooine, expecting it to be a short stop before re-joining the torrent of the Clone Wars. Jeden and Nightingale Squad leave Dantooine on a seperate mission appointed by the Jedi Council, leaving the 44th under the command of Commander Lion and Admiral Anhal, two commanders that despise each other. Just as the division expects to settle down, Anhal's fleet is attacked in orbit by an array of Seperatist cruisers. With no choice but to retreat, Anhal flees towards the Core Worlds, leaving Lion on Dantooine's surface with the 44th's force of 20,000. With an orbital shield in place, the Trade Federation launch a ground invasion - of 80,000 droids.

For four gruelling days, Lion leads the division in defending Fort Delos, the home of the orbital shield generator and the key defensive point of Dantooine. Surrounded and outgunned, the 44th nonetheless held on to the Fort, losing 4,000 men in return for just under 40,000 droids. Eventually, reinforcements arrive in the form of Mace Windu, Jeden, Nightingale Squad and the 187th Scout Legion. The droid forces are routed, and while Dantooine is now under threat, the 44th have won their fight.

Lion recounts the battle to Jeden, before asking what mission Nightingale Squad went on. Jeden quickly dismisses Lion, and Lion keeps in mind that however important Jeden's mission was, he should have been with his men.

Main Characters

 * Commander Lion - one of the commanding officers of the 44th Special Forces Division and the main protagonist of the story. Lion is left on Dantooine to lead the 44th against the Trade Federation, despite being outnumbered 4 to 1. Lion's successful leadership and defence brings him praise from across the Republic, as well as tales of infamy from the Seperatists.
 * Officer Fen - a member of the 44th usually assigned to Anhal on the bridge of Jeden's flagship, the Phantom, Fen is sent to Dantooine to operate the orbital shield generator, and later serves as an advisor to Lion due to his computer-like mind and excellent tactical mindset.
 * Admiral Anhal - the commander of the 44th's main fleet and one of the commanding officers of the division. Anhal and Lion have a major dislike to one another, as Lion believes Anhal has a prejudicial view of the Clones, something Anhal denies but rarely debunks.

Side characters

 * Jeden Vesal - a Jedi Master and the Jedi High General who leads the 44th. Jeden is featured at the beginning of the novel, and later arrives alongside Mace Windu's forces to save the 44th from destruction/ He was absent from the battle, as he lead Nightingale Squad on a missions assigned by the Jedi Council.