"General."

"Hang on, Trick, this is Push." Ali brought her wrist comlink up to her mouth as her Captain moved closer to hear Push's report.

"Push, come in."

"General, there is a small troop of clankers coming our way from southwest position. I think they mean to hit our supply tents."

"How big is small?" Ali asked, looking up to Trick who was pulling out his DC-17 hand blasters. The three rookies he had been training pulled out their blasters as well.

"A squad of droids, three su… no, four supers, and a spider."

"Thank you, Push. Come on back to camp," Ali ordered her ARC.

"Yes sir, General."

Trick looked back at the three rookies, "Well Shinies, looks like you're going to get your first taste of battle."

The rookies looked at each other and grinned.

"Actually, Trick," Ali said, pushing her wings out and stretching her arms, "I need some exercise."

Trick looked at Ali with an eyebrow raised, "By yourself?"

Ali smirked back at her Captain and turned toward the supply tent.

Trick sighed and turned back to the rookies.

"I never said I didn't need covering," Ali shouted back at them.

Trick rolled his eyes at Ali's words and addressed the rookies. "Runner, I need you to catch up with Push and tell him we've got the surprise attack covered. Ziggy, Sights, you're coming with me."

"Sir, yes sir." The three clones snapped into attention and Runner left to find Push.

"Now, I want you two behind me at all times," Trick spoke to the other two while following Ali's path, "General Kora says she can handle it, and I have no doubt she can. We're here for her cover. Let's let her have some fun slashing up some tinnies."

"But sir," Ziggy started, "that's fourteen droids. Are you sure the General can handle herself?"

"Never seen a Jedi in action, have you?" Trick looked back at Ziggy.

He shook his head, "No, sir."

"Bet you had reservations when you heard you were being sent to Stealth Company under a female General, right?" Trick pushed.

Ziggy looked down, "Um, ye… yes, sir."

"Ha," Trick let out a little chuckle, "I felt the same way when I was assigned to General Kora."

"Really, sir?"

Trick nodded. "What about you, Sights? Think our General can't handle herself?"

"Actually, I studied a lot of Jedi Generals' battle strategies while in training with my Cadet group," Sights shrugged, "And the fact I was sent into sniper training seemed to put me in a position where a Recon company would call me up. And there are only five good Recon companies: High General Piell's, High General Rissep's, General Secura's, General Skywalker's, and General Kora's. So, no sir, no doubts at all."

Trick raised his eyebrows at the rookie, "I like your attitude, soldier."

Ziggy looked at Sights and scowled; Sights just shrugged it off.

The three Clones came upon the opening that was in their southeast portion of camp and saw Ali already addressing the Clone Sergeant and lookout of the position.

"Sergeant Sei, call in your scouts and make sure none were overtaken."

Sei saluted Ali, "Yes General. Is there any position you want us in?"

Ali grinned, "Yes, safe. I can handle these droids just fine, and I've got Captain Trick and two of our new rookies covering me."

"Yes sir, I'll call them in." Sei turned and marched off speaking into his comlink.

Ali stretched some more and turned to Trick, "I want you behind the supply crates right there. Should give you plenty of cover, even if one of you gets a little cocky." She eyed the two rookies on either side of Trick.

"You realize that this is the surprise attack and the others are probably dealing…" Trick trailed off as all of them heard blaster fire in the distance. "Are dealing with a squad of tinnies."

"Which is why I called Push down. He can handle it," she turned to him, "Almost as well as you can."

"Hm," Trick grunted.

Ali smiled, "Now take cover, my Captain, because here they come."

Ali drew her lightsabers and blaster fire started almost immediately. Sights and Ziggy took cover and began shooting back before Trick shoved his hands against their chests. "She's got this. Just watch."

Ali spun her lightsaber in her hand deflecting a blaster bolt and hitting a droid. She then rushed them, jumping and spinning with her wings. She cut off the head of another droid, and before it could fall, she was on top of it, putting a lightsaber away, and grabbing its blaster.

She jumped and summersaulted, landing on a super battle droid, and stabbed it through the head. She tucked and rolled as the droid fell and slashed at two more droids, cutting them down. She raised the blaster and fired a few times into three more droids. A super came up behind her firing and she ducked, took a step back, and pushed the lightsaber up into its body. As she pulled out the saber, she cut down the last battle droid with a backwards hold.

Flipping the lightsaber around again, she rushed the last two supers and the spider. She leapt into the air and screamed out a growl, firing the blaster with precision into the supers and landing on top of the spider. She drove her lightsaber through the top of it and pulled it back out as it fell.

Ali took a little leap off the dead droid, looked at the blaster in her hand, and tossed it away with a 'tsk'. She flexed her wings once more and walked toward the supply crates.

Trick stood up, followed by Ziggy and Sights. "That was new," Trick said taking off his helmet, "Never seen you use a blaster in a fight."

"Eh," Ali shrugged, "I can't rely on two lightsabers all of the time. And what if I end up with no lightsabers? Blasters are… interesting weapons."

"Holy shit!" Sights exclaimed walking up to her, "The holopads on Tipoca said you were good, but that was… that was fraking amazing!"

Trick turned to scold the rookie on his outburst, but Ali started laughing.

"Nobody's called me fraking amazing before," Ali looked at Sights, "I appreciate the compliment. And, oh let it go, Trick! The rookie was just speaking his mind." She elbowed Trick's side.

"Speaking of compliments, your name is Sights, correct?"

"Yes, General."

"You were trained as a Clone Sniper?"

"Correct, General."

"You realize the droid I deflected blaster fire into was dead before I did so, right?"

Trick turned to look at the rookie as Sights looked down, "I'm sorry, General. It was instinct."

Ali put her hand on Sights' shoulder, "Instinct that will save your life, my dear Sights. Your name comes from your ability?"

"Yes, sir." Sights looked at Ali.

"Prove it," she said, turning around and lifting three battle droid heads with the Force, "One shot each."

Sights fired as soon as she finished her command. The droid's head fell with a shot through its core processor, and the two other heads followed in less than a second.

Ali turned back to look at Sights, "Impressive. Perhaps you will become my new camp lookout so I can have ARC Trooper Push near me."

She turned to the other rookie, "Now don't think I don't want to know your talents…"

"Ziggy, General."

"Ziggy," Ali smiled at him, "What do you have to offer my Company?"

"Well," Ziggy shifted, "I was only trained as a Clone Trooper while I was a cadet, but I always was the one to cover my brother's backs while we were training."

"Oh!" Ali seemed surprised, "A defensive Trooper. I don't get many of you come through my ranks. I'll put you with Sergeant Sei's Scouting Squad; they need somebody who thinks to look back."

Ziggy grinned for the first time, "Thank you, General."

"Now come on, back to camp," Ali started walking, "I'm sure Push wants to report."

As they walked back into the main camp, Ali stated to Sights and Ziggy, "Oh, and since you are now part of Stealth Company, feel free to paint your armor."

Trick patted both of their backs, "Welcome to the club, Troopers."

The two rookies smiled at each other.

Ali saw Sei and called him over, "Sei? Anything to report?"

Sei saluted and said, "One of my Troops was killed while scouting, the boys brought his body back, but this puts me down to eight men. Do you think—"

Ali sighed, "Have you buried his body?" Sights and Ziggy frowned with confusion.

"My squad is on it right now."

"Name?"

"CT-2—"

"Sei."

He sighed, "Bart."

Ali nodded solemnly. "Here's your new squad member," she motioned to Ziggy, "he's good a defense, so introduce him to his brothers on the squad. He'll be in the Mess." She turned to Trick, "Find Push and tell him I'll be right there."

"Yes, General Kora," Trick nodded back as Ali walked off with Sei following her.

"Um, Captain?" Sights reacted, "Where is General Kora going?"

Trick motioned for Sights and Ziggy to follow as he walked, "She's going to oversee the burial of Trooper Bart."

"What?" Ziggy asked in a surprised tone.

"You come to notice that General Kora is not typical for a military General," Trick explained, "She—for lack of a better word—cares about us Clones. When a Clone is injured during battle, she makes sure he's moved and treated. When a Clone dies during battle, she makes sure he's given a proper burial; and if a burial cannot take place, then a memorial will be set for him. She feels personally responsible if something happens to one of us, even if she did not know the Clone that well, or if she was not the one to give the order, she still feels responsible for the consequences."

"Wow," Sights let out a little breathy, "She really cares about our well-being."

"Immensely," Trick nodded.

"But why?" Ziggy questioned, "To most people, we're just expendable Clones that are easily replaced."

Trick turned to Ziggy, "I know many of us are taught that, but I don't think General Kora sees it that way. When I was first under her command on Geonosis, she didn't know much about battle strategies and would seek my advice for many tactics. Not many Generals would ask a Captain how to handle a situation. However, when I saw her in action during one battle, I noticed that she knew exactly what she was doing. She knew where the droids would be hit hardest; she knew how to down them with little to no casualties—"

"So she was a fast learner," Sights interjected.

Trick grinned, "Not exactly. Technically, she was tricking me."

The rookies' mouths gapped open.

"Yeah, that's right," Trick nodded, "She was tricking Captain Trick. When I confronted her about it, I remember her just smiling at me and saying, 'You're a good soldier, Trick. I can see us working together throughout the war.' And from that moment on, I realized she didn't want to see me as a soldier, she wanted to see me as a friend. She wanted to know if I was okay with speaking my mind, with giving her advice, with showing her how we were taught to operate, even though she knew these things all along."

"She was testing you," Sights grinned.

"You've got that right. And I've trusted her ever since," Trick turned back around, "because she treats us like men, like equals."

"Wow," Sights let out.

"My respects to General Kora," Ziggy said professionally.

Trick stopped as he saw Push jogging towards him. "Trick, where's General Kora?"

"I'm assuming you do have something to report, then?" Trick shifted and crossed his arms.

Push propped his blaster cannon on his shoulders, "I'm assuming you took care of the clankers then?" he retorted.

Trick grinned, "The General took care of them. Said she needed the exercise."

"Time?" Push raised an eyebrow.

"Minute thirty-four," Trick replied, "Would have been shorter, but she experimented with a blaster."

"A blaster?!" Push lowered his Z-6, "Damn! Wish I could've seen that!"

"It was amazing!" Sights butted in.

Push looked over to Sights, "I don't doubt that you'll see more amazing things from our General." He looked back to Trick, "So who're the shinies?"

"Well, General Kora doesn't think they're shinies anymore, but they still have a long way to go." Trick turned to introduce them, "This is Ziggy; he'll be with Sei. And this is Sights; he's taking your position." Trick grinned.

"As lookout?" Push said skeptically, "Whose orders?"

"The General's."

Push's face fell, "A rookie lookout?"

Trick shrugged, "He's a sniper."

Push looked at Sights menacingly, "Prove it."

Sights saluted, "I could shoot the helmet off your head, sir."

Trick burst out laughing as Push shoved the rookie, "Don't you talk to me like that, Trooper, or I'll Court Marshall you straight back to Tipoca."

Sights stayed at attention, "Perhaps then, your cod—"

Ziggy's eyes got wide while Trick laughed even harder. Push was right in Sights' face about to shout an obscenity when he went down with a grunt.

Sights looked up to see on-coming Humans, P'w'ecks, and droids, blasters ablaze. His rifle was already to his shoulder as he fired on the enemy. Three dropped, but more replaced them.

Trick was picking up Push and shouting at the two rookies, "Go! GO!"

Ziggy turned and retreated, firing over his shoulder; but Sights was standing guard over his Captain and ARC. The enemy was nearing and he felt Trick shove him in the stomach shouting, "GET KORA!" He looked down, and then back up, returning to firing and giving cover.

"THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Sights lowered his rifle slightly and began to back up. He found Ziggy half way to the mess tent shouting, "ATTACK! ATTACK!" as more of their brothers came out firing.

Suddenly, a blue and green whir flew out of nowhere, and he realized that General Kora had come. He continued to shoot down what enemy he could as he listened for her orders and covered his Captain.

Ali went on the defensive as the onslaught from the enemy came quick. There was no opportunity for an offensive strike, so she shouted her first order, "RETREAT! RETREAT TO THE BARRACKS!"

Sights looked to see if Trick heard the order. The Captain was covering Push with his body, handblaster in the air firing away, but wasn't making any move to follow the order. Sights went to move towards them both, but was shoved over by a P'w'eck and knocked out.

Ali had a Clone over her shoulder and was retreating to the barracks, "FALL BACK!" Her green lightsaber was a blur as it knocked back blaster bolts. She was in no position for a surprise attack and cursed herself for it. She set the unconscious Clone down and called over a medic. Standing back up she shouted, "TRICK!" There was no answer and he didn't show up to her side. "PUSH!" Same thing.

"No…" She rushed back to the camp commons to see the mess tent in flames and two of the Company's AT-RTs destroyed. The enemy was already being pushed back and seemed to be retreating. "Keep firing!" she ordered her Company. She stood behind a line of Troopers and scanned the ground; there was a mix of her men and the enemy everywhere, and she didn't have a chance of finding her Captain and ARC until the fighting was over.

Finally, the fighting had subsided and Ali gave her last order, "Heads on a swivel, boys. We don't need any more in this camp. I need two Troopers with me to check for survivors." Two of the Troopers in front of her stood up and saluted.

"At ease, gentlemen," she conducted the Troopers, "Price, I'll need you on the north end of the commons. Mal, you take the middle. I'll sweep the west. Check for any signs of life, be it comrade or enemy. We can take hostages. And I want a body count."

"Yes General." Both started their search.

Ali jumped over and began to move along the fallen. She came across a Trooper and bent down to check, taking off his helmet. She sighed, "Oh, Kad…" There were no signs of life as she closed his eyes. She stood up saying, "One." She kept on, coming across numerous dead battle droids and thinking that her men did a courageous job.

She was just coming upon another Clone she could tell was dead when Mal shouted, "General!"

Ali turned to see him restraining a Trooper on the ground. She ran, opening her wings, and glided to their position.

Mal looked up, "General, I don't know what's wrong with this rookie. He just keeps saying he needs to save them."

Ali's eyebrows furrowed, "Rookie?" She dropped down beside Mal, who was still holding the Trooper, "Take off your helmet."

The Clone stopped and said, "General Kora!"

Ali reached over to remove the Trooper's helmet, "You need this off, you'll calm down faster." She pulled it off and recognized Sights.

"You are one lucky rookie, Sights," Ali smiled with relief.

Sights, however, wasn't smiling, "General, the Captain. Is he alright?"

Ali frowned and turned to Mal, "You haven't found him?"

"He was covering ARC Trooper Push right there," Sights pointed to an empty patch of ground, "I was covering him. Then he told me to go. I didn't. I was covering him. He ordered…" Sights trailed off.

Ali moved closer, "Hey, Sights, you did very well."

Sights looked into her eyes, "I'm sorry."

Ali grinned meekly and stood up. She went to where Sights had pointed and crouched down. Underneath footprints that weren't her Troopers, she noticed signs of a struggle. Her Shistavanen skills kicked in, and she sniffed. Her eyes got wide and she looked out beyond their base noticing signs of people being dragged. Her Troops being dragged. She ran to the edge of the clearing and got down again, breathing in the air.

Sights and Mal ran up behind her, and she answered their unasked question without turning around. "They were taken. Captain Trick, Push, and three other Troopers were taken."