Chapter 10

Hold Me

"Alright, boys. Let's move it!"

Rex leaped from the ramp, boots landing firmly on the dark, crusty ground. Double checking his bearings, he began to make his way towards the target.

He looked back to see his squad forming up to follow. Ahsoka followed close behind; though she was his superior, she had agreed to have Rex take the lead on this mission, though she wasn't about to let him out of her sight. Behind her came Trio, the squad medic, with his first-aid container on his back, a DC-15 over his shoulder. Jym, Glen, Thud and Heat followed, the latter two carrying a heavy grenade launcher and Z-6 rotary cannon respectively. Deck brought up the rear, with a heavy cannon slung over his back in addition to his 'deece'. Each man's movements betrayed the same feelings of grim determination. They carried their mission equipment and a supply of water only - they wouldn't be needing rations.

Barriss and Commander Gree each led one full squad, all similarly equipped. Falling into single file, the group began their trek towards their first waypoint.

"Thirteen degrees due west, about point eight klicks," Rex announced. "Deck, keep in contact with the ship, let 'em know what's going on at all times."

"Yes sir." Deck toggled his wrist com, passing on their heading and estimated arrival time to Coil, who along with Wild, Ryno and the rest of the service crew, would be staying with the ship. The latter group would be well occupied repairing the hull damage and other systems, an operation complicated by the fact that the ship needed to remain cloaked at all times.

Gree and the other 41st troopers had managed to encrypt and activate their main com channels, giving most of the team communication. This change of plans was more welcome than the others, though it was most assuredly temporary. Barriss had instructed all team members to abide by visual contact orders - they couldn't risk becoming dependent on a temporary capability.

The route to the facility was crafted with painstaking care, attempting to strike a balance between what would considered too dangerous by the enemy to be worth monitoring closely, and what was simply too treacherous to navigate at all.

"Force, who would ever hang around here by choice?" Trio asked, gazing in disbelief at their surroundings. "Unless they had a death wish."

The landscape was indeed as foreboding as one could ever envision. The blackness of the volcanic rock stood in sharp contrast to the fiery pillars of lava that could be seen in every direction shooting skyward. The air was filled with the smell of sulfur, and clouds of gas billowed from jagged vents that appeared every few meters. In the distance, one could see the glowing brinks of the large lava 'rivers' that flowed through parched canyons. The ground underfoot was uncomfortably warm, with occasional sputters of gas and large gashes opening without warning, exposing the liquid fire beneath.

It had taken some time to even find a solid location to land the ship, and even then, the crew would have to be ready to take off in a moments notice, if the ground showed signs of weakness. Trio held a portable geo-scanning wand, which could give them some degree of warning if the nearby ground was in danger of giving way. Barriss was seen that each squad was provided with such a device, and Rex had a feeling they'd be needing them.

"Oh, they have a death wish," Rex responded wryly, glancing back at Trio. "For us."

The first waypoint was a large ridge that ran several for several klicks South of the target facility. It would hopefully provide visual cover for the team for most of the journey. Anxiously each team member scanned the horizon and sky for evidence of enemy activity or recon; being caught out here without cover would spell certain death for all of them.

"What the - what is that?" Heat pointed off to their left. Partially hidden under a crag was a large, blackened creature, unlike anything any of them had seem before. An enormous, oval-shaped body was supported by long, thin legs that were folded nearly in half under it's abdomen. Large, expressionless red eyes dominated its small head, and it seemed content to simply stare at them, not caring to approach or to flee.

Rex eyed the beast warily, and opened his mouth to speak when Ahsoka interrupted, "Relax, guys. It's just a lava flea. Barriss told me about them. They're native to this place, but all they eat is rock - they'll leave us alone." She motioned to continue their trek.

"They eat rock?" Heat shook his head. "This just keeps getting weirder."

"Alright, cut the chatter, men," Rex ordered. "We have bigger things to think about than rock-munching pests."

He surged ahead, picking up his pace to lessen the time they would spend in the open. The ground was shaking almost non-stop, sending uncomfortable vibrations through his legs. Moving quickly was the only way to alleviate the sensation.

"All right, form up men!" Rex shouted as they reached the way point. Again they advanced single file, hugging the base of the cliff that towered over them. Nearby, a fresh plume of lava broke through the brittle surface and roared skyward, launching fiery fragments that began landing far too close for comfort. Rex shook his head - he was grateful for his armor which would provide some degree of protection; he wasn't particularly pleased with the Jedi's absolute lack of body armor. Treating burns was not a diversion they could afford. Hopefully their Jedi senses would keep them clear of the flaming missiles.

"Captain, I don't like this," Trio called.

"Nobody said you had to," Rex answered, not looking back.

"No sir, it's just that that's the third explosion I've seen since we reached the ridge, and it's getting closer."

Hearing that, Rex turned to look. Sure enough, beyond the newest column of fire were two others, connected to each other by deep, seething crevices. The resulting fault was rapidly converging on the foot of the ridge just ahead.

"Trio, what's your scanner picking up?"

"Stability rating is dropping, sir. Doesn't look good."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," He muttered. The developing fault was gradually cutting them off, forcing them against the cliff, and if it reached that...

"Ascension cables! Everybody! Get to the top of the ridge now!"

The strike team immediately raised their ascension units, trying to get a solid grip. This isn't going to be easy, Rex thought to himself. Finding a solid surface to attach the lines could be treacherous, and they didn't have much time.

"Rex! Look!" Ahsoka shouted, her voice betraying fear.

He turned to look ahead. "This is not good."

The rapidly widening fault had reached the foot of the ridge, and was now spreading along its base in both directions. It would swallow them whole in moments.

He shouted behind him, "Get off the surface! Now! Start climbing everybody!"

The sound of grappling claws gripping the brittle rocks high above gave way to the whine of ascension motors as the team scrambled to scale the towering wall. Rex waited a moment, his experienced eyes searching for signs of weak holds on any of the soldiers' cables. Gree, bringing up the rearmost squad, was doing the same from the end of the line. The two officers gave each other a quick nod when all seemed to be safely on their way.

Suddenly with a bone-chilling roar the ground beneath his feet gave way, as the foot of the cliff was torn apart by the yawning chasm. Mind-numbing heat billowed out from the crevice, along with flaming blobs of magma.

Ahsoka watched from above with horror. "Rex!"

Rex threw himself forward, gripping the sheer rock walls with his arms as his feet struggled to find a footing. With some difficulty he managed to engage his wrist hooks, slamming them hard into the cliff-side to get some degree of grip. The heat was unbelievable, even through his sealed armor.

He looked up to see Ahsoka trying to lower herself. "No!" he shouted at her. "Commander, get to the top, now!" The urgency of the situation overrode his years of military training, and his words came out as an order. Ahsoka was taken aback at being on the receiving end, as it were, of his commanding tone. But as leader of her squad, he was to be obeyed, and she reluctantly halted her descent.

"I'm fine, Commander," Rex said, vaguely realizing he had made a mistake. "I'm fine, sir, really." The strain in his voice said otherwise, as he struggled to maintain his grip while aiming his ascension wand. After what seemed to be an eternity he managed to fire it, and, after a test pull, he somewhat shakily began his own ascent.

As he reached the halfway point, he paused for a moment, looking below them at the base of the ridge. The ground they had all been occupying moments ago was completely gone, in its place was the blazing chasm, its own near-vertical walls spread like the jaws of some hungry monster, waiting for the young rocks at the top securing their lines to betray them, sending them plunging to a fiery doom.

Ahsoka was now beside him, having continued her ascent at a slower speed to allow him to catch up. She looked worriedly into his visor. Suspecting she was intending to lecture him on ordering around a superior officer, he sighed. "I'm sorry, sir, I got carried away. With all due respect, can we wait to discuss this up top?"

Ahsoka winced at his apology. "No, Rex, you didn't do anything. Just..." she turned her eyes down to the seething cauldron below. "Take care of yourself," she almost whispered.

He was about to respond when a scream from up above caught both of their attention. Rex watched in horror as Deck's line broke from its grip, sending him plummeting towards the bottom. Time seemed to slow down - they were so close. "Deck!" he shouted, desperate to help but knowing there was nothing he could do. His new comrade, his brother, his friend, was freefalling towards a horrible death, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Rex!" Ahsoka screamed at him, "Hold me!"

In a split second his horror changed to bewilderment at her bizarre order. But in even less time he complied, reaching out his right arm to grip her tightly around her waist. She let go of her ascension wand, shutting her eyes and reaching both hands for Deck.

For a second he though they were too late. But at the last minute Deck's fall magically slowed, becoming an unsteady hover over the deadly inferno. Sweat poured from Ahsoka's brow from the billowing heat and the mental exertion as she struggled to concentrate with Rex's arm clamping over her stomach like a vise. But she couldn't ask him to loosen his grip; she needed every bit of Force pull she could muster.

With a sinking feeling of dread she realized she wasn't strong enough; she could barely hold the trooper at all, let alone pull him back up. But how could she drop him? She felt like she would rather hurl herself down with him than to let go now.

Suddenly she felt the trooper become lighter, and the crushing burden on her mind lifting. Warily she allowed her eyes to open slightly, and was greeted with the sight of the bewildered soldier slowly rising towards the top. She cautiously looked around for the source of the new help, and as her gaze rose towards the top of the cliff, she saw Barriss in the same position as she, eyes closed, both hands extended, with another trooper's arm around her waist. Ahsoka quickly turned her attention to the trooper below, and along with Barriss pulled him upward.

As he reached her height, she saw a cable drop towards him, which Deck immediately seized with both hands, clutching it in a death grip. He turned his head slowly to face her; his expression safely hidden under his helmet. Apparently speechless, he simply nodded towards her. She smiled wearily at him, then looked back up to see Trio leaning over the edge, reeling in the cable.

She breathed a sigh of relief, before becoming painfully aware of Rex's iron grip around her. "Rex," she said carefully, "you're squishing me."

"Sorry, sir." His grip slightly loosened, and she reached for her wand again. Both paused for a moment to catch their breath, then continued their climb.

Disclaimer: Until next time, I own none of this. Well, apparently I own Deck. So, leave him alone. And his squad.

Author's Note: Well, so much for my intended delay. I made more progress than I expected, so I feel safe posting this. No need to hate me, laloga. ;-)

Mustafar! Finally! Told you they'd get there. As you can see, not a great vacation destination. This chapter and the next will be primarily from Rex's and Deck's POV, for purposes that will become clearer later. After that it will be primarily Ahsoka and/or Barriss. It is their story, after all. I hope it came across as reasonably exciting. If not, and you have suggestions, I'm all ears. This is my first multi-chapter story ever, so I'm eager to learn.

Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers! Glad to have you onboard, SerendipityAEY! And I'm still waiting for you, Fox Scarlen. I know you're reading this. ;-)

Please review!