Disclaimer: Disney owns Star Wars, not me. All the characters and places (except for my OC Analise) belong to them.

"aaaa"-talking out loud. "aaaa" (bold and italics)-talking through a holo or com.'aaaaa'-inner thoughts.aaaaa-talking through a Bond. "aaaa" (bold)-another language. ("aaa") (bold, italics, and parenthesis)-talking through a holo or com in another language.

AN: Thank you for the reviews and birthday wishes sydpowell135 and Vera Krytan. I promise Vera that I will keep writing as much as I can whenever I can:)

Sorry for getting this out so late:P But I really wanted this to be a good chapter.

Rookies is one of my top ten favorite Clone Wars episodes. Part of that is due to the amazing talents of Dee Bradley Baker who was pretty much talking to himself for almost the entire episode.

Sorry in advance for the swearing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The best confidence builder is experience. Rookies, Clone Wars Season One

Chapter Six-Through The Fire

There wasn't much to do on Rishi Moon.

In fact there wasn't anything to do on Rishi Moon. The moon was barren and filled with craters. Craters rumored to be home to some sort of slimy eel creature, but none of them had ever seen it so the rumors remained rumors. Even though command had put in orders in place to keep them from venturing too far away. Just in case.

Most of the time it was cold. Bone-shocking cold that even their armor had trouble keeping out. They had to depend on whatever fuel sources they could lay hands on to keep warm. Even sources that could be deadly if sparked just the wrong way.

The coldness was such a departure from the moon's planet. Visible in the night sky, Rishi gleamed like a combined sapphire and emerald. It was warmer there. There were other beings, things to do, and much nicer food to eat.

Then again anything was better than the freeze dried rations that tasted like nothing and found on their plate night after night.

The cry of a neebray flying overhead broke the Trooper called Seeker free from his thoughts as it flew over the station. Sighing he shook his head as he made his further out on the lone landing platform. Sometimes he wondered why the Republic station was on the moon and not the planet itself, but he never gave voice to his questions.

After all the Republic had to know best right?

And anyway, better Rishi Moon for a first posting than at one of those outposts that routinely saw action. He wanted to last a good long while as a Trooper.

Even if the moon and the routine were boring.

He pulled his electrobinoculars down over his helmet's viewfinder and scanner the area, looking over the readings. Not that there would be anything new. There never was.

And tonight was no different. The hottest bit of action coming from a pair of neebrays as a male did his best to court the female of his affection. With so little else to do for fun, perhaps he and his brothers could start a betting pool on whether or not the male was successful in his conquest...And quickly dismissed that idea, making note to jump on the Holonet as soon as he was off duty. The boredom was most definitely getting to him.

He triggered his helmet com. The sooner he checked in and made his rounds, the sooner he could get to the Holonet. "This is the deck officer checking in. Nothing unusual to report...As usual."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're listening to the Grand Army of the Republic broadcast. We're the voice of the Outer Rim. This next song is going out to all the Mudjumpers in the 224th working hard on Minibomb. Keep your heads down and your seals tight boys."

The sultry, seductive voice of the Bettie-Bot VJ was slowly replaced by pulsing techno music that bounced off the walls of the command center. The holo of the VJ wiggled in time to the beat, but her somewhat hopeful gyrations were largely ignored by the men who filled the room.

She was just a droid after all and there were prettier females whose pictures had been tacked upon every open space of wall with more to be found in the barracks and even the mess hall. The men took every chance they got to sneak looks at the pin-ups of all shapes, sizes, colors, and species. If they got caught and teased, they had a standard excuse ready to go. They were studying them because after all, you never knew when you might run into a female of one sort or another who was is desperate need of assistance.

Most of the men were actually making an attempt to their assigned duties. An attempt because they either finished their duties within minutes or tried to drag them out for as long as they could.

The sound of a playful scuffle rose up over the music and Fives looked up from his console, shaking his head.

It would be Hevy of course; the brash, loud, and bossy oldest brother of their batch. He knew more about weapons than any of them and proudly defied authority where he could get away with it...And even when he couldn't often muttered snide remarks under his breath so their leaders couldn't hear.

Hevy did not like being bored and did not take to boredom well. This was not made any easier by Hevy's assigned duty; to watch one of the many scopes that dotted the command center and note anything out of the ordinary that happened.

Not the job for a Clone like Hevy on a moon where nothing every happened.

So Hevy made his own entertainment and egged his brothers on.

Arm wrestling was Hevy's choice for the day. He had marched into command when his shift came on and dared any of his brothers to challenge him in a battle of strength. Only Cutup, the jokester had taken him on...And was loosing. Five's could tell by Cutup's slightly pained grunts and Hevy's happy taunting.

Fives sighed, exchanging glances with his other brothers who sat idle at control panels and shifted his eyes to where Echo stood; a datapad clutched in his hands and gaze shifting back and forth from whatever regulations manual he was currently devouring to Hevy and Cutup's battle of arms. At least Fives didn't have to worry about the youngest and his favorite brother of their batch getting into trouble because he was bored. Just hand Echo something dull, long, and full of never-ending words and the Trooper was entertained for hours.

That still didn't stop Fives from checking on him though. Sometimes Hevy liked to tease and the others would follow his lead.

"Ha! Yes! I win again!" Fives stared at Hevy who had jumped from his seat and was waving his arms over his hand in a jubilant celebration as though he had won a podrace and not an everyday arm wrestling match. Cutup massaged his poor wrist and hand, studying Hevy with a mixture of unhappiness and admiration. "Alright then who's next? What about you Fives? It's been a while."

"What about the scope Hevy?" Echo couldn't keep his mouth shut anymore. He enjoyed letting loose as much as any of his brothers, but he wasn't sure that having arm wrestling contests and listening to the latest Top Forty hit from Coruscant while on duty was the best idea. "I mean it is your responsiblity to be watching it."

"If I check it will you stop being such a Kaminoan?" Away from Kamino, their creators had become a symbol, a code phrase for any killjoys who might frown on even the idea of fun. Hevy rolled his eyes as he dropped into his chair and slapped his hand down on the button of his scope. The screen flared to life showing...Nothing. Not one hint of movement at all. "Well look at that. All clear just like it was the last hundred times!" He leaned back in his chair and would have even dared to prop his boots up on the panel, but it was just a thought. Not even Hevy would dare to use a control panel as a foot rest. "This silence is getting to me! Why can't we be out on the front lines?" The biggest of the Clones in his batch stood up in frustration. Hevy was a Clone of action, not inaction!

"I heard one of the officers say it's because our trainning was rushed. Command wants to give us some time to brush up before sending us out further into the war." The other Clones leaned forward, even Hevy. Echo could be an annoying know-it-all, forever spouting off on regulations at times; but he was a know-it-all. Echo listened and learned. His quirk of repeating almost everything that passed through his ears had an unusual side effect. Echo could remember pretty much anything he had ever heard or read. His curiosity lead him, more often than not, to eavesdrop on their officers and usually the information was relayed back to his brothers. No Clone liked to be unprepared. "Besides you should take advantage of the quiet and go over the reg manuals." Echo tapped the screen of his datapad meaningfully.

"Echo what is wrong with you?" Hevy's voice held a mixture of disgust and affection for the younger Clone. All of them had the goal of becoming ARC Troopers one day, but sometimes Echo said or did something that had Hevy doubting that his brother would make it. Hevy kept pushing him though because he did not want any of his brothers left behind. Not even Echo, the odd-man out. "We're Troopers. We belong on the front lines fighting alongside the Jedi and blasting droids!"

"Awwww...Leave him alone Hevy." Cutup attempted a rescue of the much-teased Echo. "You know he was left in his growth-jar too long." Low chuckles broke out in the center as Cutup's rescue was more of a soft jab at Echo. The smaller Clone glared at his brothers, but said nothing. He closed out of the manual and instead opened up a letter he had downloaded to his datapad before coming on duty. The letters he and Fives were sent always made him feel better.

"Stop picking on Echo so much Hevy. If we do our jobs, than the time goes by faster."

"No it doesn't Fives! They stuck us out here on this piece of rock with nothing and nobody at all. It's pointless! Nothing ever happens!"

"And yet this station is of extreme importance!" The soft voice still seemed to boom as it came from behind Hevy. The Trooper flinched as he saw his brothers' faces pale. Cutup was quick to cut the music and trigger the alarm signaling an officer was in the room.

"Attention! Sergeant on deck!" Echo dropped his pad on a nearby panel and joined the rush as the Troopers circled the central control panel where Hevy and Cutup were now standing straight as they could, staring blankly forward.

"At ease men!" Sergeant O'Niner thankfully did not call Hevy out. He knew all the men were bored. Hevy just spoke the loudest. He studied the men and noted that not a single one of them had relaxed their posture, still standing stiff and tall. Only now their eyes tracked him. The stiff, unrelenting posture was one to tell a new batch of Troopers from those who had done time out in the field. They had yet to be exposed to the highly unorthodox Jedi Commanders and Generals. "Yes the time spent here can go slowly, but that doesn't make the Rishi Moon any less important than another post in a more active area." He stepped away from the main control panel, walking slowly and with purpose. "We help protect this quadrant which is key for the Outer Rim. If those droids get past our station, then they can launch a surprise attack on Kamino where we were born and the closest thing we've got to a home-world." O'Niner let that little speech sink into their minds before letting fall his next bit of news. "Two officers from the main fleet are on their way here to give us a little inspection. Let's not give them anything to complain about. Understood?"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was no real end to space. It went on forever and forever. It had no limits, but they did. They could only travel so far as their ships had been built and their technology programmed for. So much had been discovered and yet so much remained a mystery.

Still with all the space that had been discovered and charted, plotted onto maps and star charts; it meant that hunting something, someone was a puzzle. An exercise in patience and skill. Obi-Wan stroked his beard as he studied the stars and distant planets beyond the viewport. With an army at his back and the grudgingly given support of the majority of a galactic government, he and his men should have been having no issues locating their prey.

The issue was, though that their prey also had an army at his back and the support of a galatic goverenment.

Shaking his head the Jedi Master and High Jedi General turned his back on the, admittedly beautiful view and walked back across the bridge to the briefing room. A frown crossed his face as he noted his former Padawan staring intently at another holo map of some planet far away. His loyal astromech stayed quiet, plugged into the port; but Obi-Wan had been around Artoo long enough to understand the droid's little ticks. The little droid was worried about his Master.

Obi-Wan could feel the exhuastion and fustration rolling off his brother and into their Bond. It was a sign of just how tired Anakin was that such emotions were escaping the Knight's normally tight shields. "You should be in bed Anakin, not here. When was the last time you acutally got any sleep?"

"I'll sleep after we've found Grievous and capture him Obi-Wan." Anakin ran a hand over his face and centered himself in the Force a little bit more to fight off any more tiredness. He still couldn't shake the cries of the men he had lost in Shadow Squadron or the terror he had felt watching the Malevolence inch closer to the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center knowing his twin was there and in harm's way.

"You need to sleep Anakin," Obi-Wan tried to stress to him. There was a sharp tug at shinning threads flowing from his heart and soul. He sighed. You're worrying Analise. She's up because we're both up.

Analise? Anakin's head jerked up, focusing on the Bond he shared with his other half. She was up...Nearby when she should have been resting. Analise go back to bed!

No! The reply was sharp and heated as a small figure darted out from her hiding place behind one of the star charts. The man had been so focused on the holo map in front of them that they hadn't even sensed her or seen her at first. "I won't sleep until you do Anakin." The striking sky-blue eyes she shared with her brother shined with the safe fierce fire of a Skywalker at their most stubborn. She wasn't going back to bed and they wouldn't make her.

Behind Analise rolled her own astromech. Katee's red optical receptor seemed to glare at the men, blaming them for her Mistress being up so late. Then again, Katee always seemed to be glaring at them for the simple fact that she didn't like men in general.

Anakin glanced to Obi-Wan for help. After all the man was Analise's Soul Mate and husband. Surely she would listen to him if she would not listen to her twin. The Master though simply held up his hands and shook his head. He wasn't any happier about Analise being up, but he knew better than to argue with her over something so silly as this.

Without Obi-Wan to back him up, Anakin would be alone in this battle and he knew it was a battle he could not win. He never could when it came to fighting against his twin or wife. He could still win a few battles against his baby sister, but those days were running out as Ahsoka quickly learned to use what few weapons that could defeat her brother.

He shook his head. "Fine...You can help, but at the first yawn you are going to bed and Obi-Wan will back me up on that!" Analise smiled in triumph, slipping to stand in her usual place between husband and twin while Katee, whistling unhappily rolled over to Artoo so that the two could exchange complaints about the organics they served who at times lost control of their logic circuits, but still loved.

"What's the latest reports?"

"Not much." Anakin jabbed at a place on the map. "The last rock-solid lead we had from Clone Intelligence was that Grievous was somewhere here, in the Balmorra System..."

"But that report came in weeks ago. Grievous is most likely long-gone by now."

"It's like he just vanished into thin air..."

"Which is impossible. There has to be a trace of him somewhere..."

"We just have to find it!"

Even after so many years, Obi-Wan was still fascinated when he watched the twins work together, finishing each other's sentences and reading each other's ideas. True, he and Analise were Soul Mates. One soul shared between two bodies, but she half of the soul was Anakin's other half. When the Skywalker twins were completely in sync with each other, it was a sight to behold...And downright disturbing or scary to their enemies.

Obi-Wan shook himself free from his thoughts. He tugged at his Bonds with them both, knowing that if he didn't break in they would get too deep in their connection and then neither of them would sleep for days. "Maybe he has disappeared because he is actually resting just like the two of you should be!" The twins stopped, mid-search and looked up sheepishly at Obi-Wan. The Master opened his mouth to order them to bed, but a stern voice created from years of service in the military interrupted him.

"Excuse me Generals, Commander." Analise lifted her eyes up. She had yet to convince Yularen to drop her military title like everyone else did unless they were out in the field. The man was just too rigid, to set in his ways at times. "There is an incoming transmission from Commander Cody. Should I patch it through?"

"Yes Admiral." The map Anakin and Analise had been studying vanished, replaced by a holo of Obi-Wan's most trusted Clone Commander.

"General Kenobi, General Skywalker, Commander Analise." Analise had to bite back a giggle even as Anakin poked her side when the saw the disgraced face Yularen had made. She and the good Admiral often fought about her rule that when in the field she was to be called Commander Analise and not Commander Skywalker-Kenobi. It was just too long was her argument.

"Hello Cody. How are the inspections going?"

"Perfectly Sir and on schedule. Our station in Pastil is fully operational and ready to go. Everything checks out, so Captain Rex and I will continue on our way to the station on Rishi Moon."

"Rishi Moon...If you get a chance Cody, please tell Domino Squad I said hi. especially Fives and Echo." At the curious looks of the men, Analise blushed. "Echo told me where they were going once they got their deployment assignments."

"Will do Sir."

"Travel safely Cody and report to us when the pair of you have arrived."

"Yes Sir! Cody out!" Like the planet, Cody vanished. Anakin crossed his arms, his mind retreating to what was starting to become an almost obsessive, never-ending hunt for the cybernetic General of the Separatist Army. Analise studied her brother, catching his thoughts and frowning.

"Cody's one of the best men I've ever met," Obi-Wan declared before turning to his wife and brother. Their faces were shadowed and he knew that Analise was attempting to take away some of the pressure, the need that drove Anakin to hunt drown Grievous. He sighed. "Don't worry you two. If Grievous even attempts to come anywhere near this sector we'll know about it. Now go get some sleep!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alarms began blaring through the command center. It an alarm that seldom went off. All the Clones braced themselves, adrenaline pumping through their bloodstreams and hands ready to reach out and snag helmets that had earlier simply been tossed on one panel or another.

Echo whirled around and smacked his hands down on the control panel behind him. His brown eyes raced over the scanner; taking in and registering the information, the images being shown to him.

Meteors...Just Meteors.

"It's an incoming meteor shower Sir!" He turned back to look at the Sergeant with what might have been some small amount of disappointment in his eyes.

"Raise the shields then!" O'Niner ordered. He watched as Echo swung back to the control panel, sliding into the ,seat and quickly inputting the commands. His eyes narrowed as he watched the others seem to sag, adrenaline coming to a screeching halt and hands falling limply back to their sides. The worst a meteor shower could do was damage the station if the shields weren't raised fast enough.

On Rishi Moon, meteor showers were common enough that after the first few, the men no longer saw them as a break from the everyday. Instead of rushing they now moved slowly to their assigned posts in the event of a meteor shower.

"Well Hevy," Cutup slapped his brother's shoulder. "You wanted excitement and you got it!"

"Yeah...Well I wouldn't call a meteor shower exiting. Would you?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It wasn't just a regular meteor shower.

It was an attack.

The Separatists knew that they had to attack the new stations being built by the Republic if they wanted to attack Kamino head on. They also knew that the Republic would be watching and expecting such attacks.

They had to be sneaky to get around the defenses and surprise the men of the GAR.

The meteors rained down upon Rishi Moon and brought with them some visitors that the Clones were not going to be happy to see.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deck Officer was boring it was true, but Seeker enjoyed it the nights he was assigned and meteors lit up the sky. His brothers might view meteor showers as another boring event, a black mark for their posting; but Seeker never grew tired of watching the rocks blaze over his head. The chunks on rock burning as they fell to the surface. The shields kept the station safe, so he was able to stand outside even as meteors broke into the ground nearby or crashed into the shields.

He pulled his electrobinoculars back down. They gave him a better view of the meteors that fall further away from the station...And he needed to do another scan anyway. Seeker turned his head, planning on doing the scan quickly so that he could return to fully enjoying the natural fireworks display when something in the near distance caught his eye.

Turning the knobs brought the object into view and Seeker frowned. It was a ship, half-buried in the ground. It had not been there before the meteor shower for he had scanned that same area not too long ago and there had been nothing. Not even a hint of something.

Seeker's frowned. He didn't want to call it in and raise a fuss if it was nothing more than some old space junk; but he still needed to alert the men inside. Still, he leaned forward to get a better reading, a better look.

"What is tha..."

Out of nowhere a droid Seeker had never seen before sprang into view right in front of him! He jumped a little, but raised his electrobinoculars.

So focused was he on the droid in front in front of him, that Seeker didn't see the ones behind him. It wasn't until jolts of electricity were shooting through him and he found himself falling forward to the ground that Seeker even knew they were there.

One of the droids dragged him. Seeker was no fool as to his fate and surrendered himself to the blackness that was slowly washing over him.

At least Death was warmer than Rishi had ever been.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were the elite.

Twenty times better than any battle droid and ten times better than any super battle droid.

They were BX-series commando droids. They were programmed to be the ultimate when it came to stealth missions. They were quick, efficient, and their logic circuits were finely tuned.

Only one of them had been give the white stripes of paint that signaled it was more than just another underling. The white paint made it a captain. Its optical receptors were hard as it watched the rest of its squad dart up to the station.

The shield had kept out the meteors. It would not keep them out.

The captain brought them to a halt outside the door. "Get this door opened...Now!"

"Roger roger!" One of the BXs bent down and tore a panel free from its mooring. Behind it lay an organized tangle of wires. Carefully applied pressure from metal fingers shortened them out.

The station would be theirs in no time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"CT-327 report in...Sentry do you copy?" O'Niner glared at his wrist com that only gave him static. "Dang it Seeker, come in!" Echo twisted around his seat.

"Do you think it could be interference from the meteors?"

"Don't think so Echo, Sarge. I don't see him down there at all." O'Niner frowned at Fives' report and lifted his head. Two of his men stood at attention, helmets at the ready. Droidbait and Nub. They were the ones who tended to draw Deck Officer duty the most other than Seeker. O'Niner nodded. They would be able to find the missing man.

"You two! Go out and find him!"

"Yes Sir!" As the Troopers rushed past, sliding their helmets on; the Sergeant growled.

Of course this would happen right before an inspection.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The doors opened.

The droids marched in, blasters at the ready.

Two Clone Troopers came running down the ramp leading from the command center. "Droids!" Droidbait called out and took a giant step back.

The fingers of the BXs pulled back on their blaster triggers.

The Troopers had no blasters.

The droids opened fire.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

O'Niner turned sharply as the tall-tale sounds of blaster fire echoes through the metal hall behind him. Just under it he could a pair of pained cries.

He jammed his helmet onto his head and made for the hall, grabbing a the rifle that lay just next to the door.

Even he had stopped believing that anything would really happen at the station, even though it was such an important part of the Republic's military defense line.

He could hear one of the men running behind him as he pulled up short. Before him stood droids. Too many droids. Enough to easily wipe them all out and take over the station. He darted behind a support column. Even though he was slowly beginning to fill with panic inside, he forced himself to stay calm on the outside. "Sound the alarm!" O'Niner called back to whichever Clone had followed him down the hall as he began to take out what droids he could.

If he thinned the droids out enough, maybe they had a chance.

"I can't Sir! They disabled the alarm!" It was Echo then who had followed him. O'Niner turned to see Echo staring down at him, almost frightened.

"Get back inside and contact the fleet! Tell them to send...Ahhh!" O'Niner went down as Echo watched helplessly.

"Sarge!" The Sergeant looked back to see Fives dragging Echo back into the Command chamber before looking back at the droids towering over him.

He refused to believe that those men wouldn't make it. They would. They would make it and soon the fleet would be there to save them.

O'Niner glared at the droids from behind his helmet. Sneered at them. He wasn't afraid.

There was a flash of bright light.

Something hot burning its way through him.

Then nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fives shoved Echo's helmet at his brother. "Stay focused Echo!" His younger brother said nothing as the white mask covered his face. Clad as his brothers, helmet on now they truly looked alike just as they had on Kamino.

Cutup tore open the door control panel after shutting it and tugged on some wires. They broke free, snapping and hissing. "There!" He declared, trying to feel more confident that what he was. "That should slow those hunks of junk down." He turned to see that Echo had pried off a covering for a vent near the floor.

"This way! It leads to the outside!" Fives and Cutup wasted no time in joining Echo. Clones always knew when to fight and when to run...Well most Clones.

"No!" Hevy was flabbergasted that his brothers would even entertain the idea of running away. "Come on! We can still..." His bold sentence was cut short by the sound of something melting and cutting through the metal door. Turning Hevy could see a line of orange as the droids applied heat to get through to the command center and the remaining Clones in side.

"You can't Hevy! There's too many of them! We need to figure out something else!" Echo darted into the vent. Hevy looked over his shoulder to see the line of orange growing. He didn't want to run...

With a burst of speed Hevy dashed to the vent and crawled inside. Echo was waiting for him as Cutup and Fives slowly inched on ahead. Hevy grabbed the covering and snapped it back into place. It wouldn't do for the droids to spot their escape route.

Behind him came a clang as the door gave way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sir! Four Clones have escaped and their whereabouts are currently unknown."

"Those Clones do not matter for now. Hard wire the all-clear signal then contact General Grievous!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been one of his more brilliant ideas and Grievous could not wait for to succeed so that he could gloat about it and bask in his richly deserved praise safely. Sending in his commandos hidden in a meteor storm had ensured their arrival would go undetected until it was too late.

"We have the station secured General. The alarms have been turned off and the all-clear signal is broadcasting loud and clear."

"Good!" If Grievous had been any other being, his pleased voice might have been described as a near purr. "Make sure you keep that all-clear signal going. I don't want the Republic coming and finding out our plans."

"Yes Sir!" The BX captain had barely faded away before a battle droid seated below him piped up.

"General Grievous, we have a transmission from our spy on Kamino." A second holo appeared. It was a cloaked female, but Grievous had seen her without her cloak and had admitted that even to him she was a fine-looking specimen.

"What is your report?"

"Good news General. All the preparations for your invasion of Kamino are in place."

"Good news indeed. Our fleet is starting the approach to the system and we are nearly at the rendezvous point."

"Very good. I will await your arrival My Lord." Grievous let out a hacking laugh.

"Our destruction of Kamino will not only end the production of the Clones for good...It will spell the doom of the Republic!" Everything was going perfectly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Rishi Outpost this is Commander Cody. Do you copy? Please respond Rishi Outpost." The Captain picked up a helmet plucked from the head of one of the dead Clones before wrapping a hand around his metal throat. He twisted it to one side.

"Open the comlink channel." Gone was the gravelly, dull tone of machine and something closer to human took its place. It placed the helmet on its head.

"Rishi Outpost do you copy? Rishi Outpost respond!"

"I am sorry for the delay in response Commander. We are currently experiencing technical difficulties."

"We can help you fix those. We're the inspection team, here to check on the outpost."

"Inspection team?" The captain searched its memory banks, but found no information related to GAR inspection team. "Negative! Negative Sir...We do no require an inspection team at this time."

"That's not your call Trooper. It's ours. We'll be down soon."

"Roger roger."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Since when do our men say roger roger?" Rex turned back to look up at Cody. "As one of our Jedi would say...I have a bad feeling about this." Cody chuckled.

"Well it's your turn to be in charge this time. So good luck." Rex snorted, turning back around.

"Again as our Jedi say, there's no such thing as luck."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rishi Moon was covered with craters big and small. The result of decades of meteor showers plummling the moon. Over time the craters sank deeper into the planet and created a vast network of tunnels that became home to the creatures of Rishi Moon.

Or, in the case of one narrow tunnel a path for a vent leading out of the station. A vent that now was an escape tunnel.

The clang of the vent covering as it hit the rocky ground echoed through the night. The Clones winced and for a moment held still, worried that somehow the droids had heard it.

Hevy dropped out first. Then came Fives, Echo who had at some point during the escape snagged a pair of electrobinoculars, and Cutup brought up the rear. They stayed in a straight line, close to one another. They didn't mention Seeker or Droidbait or Nub or O'Niner. There would be time to mourn later and Clones learned early on that, in all likelihood they would die rather quickly in the battlefield.

After all, they were just merchandise.

"What do we do now without the Sarge?" Fives gave voice to the question they were all thinking. On Kamino during their tests and sims, Hevy had been in charge; but there had still been someone higher-up in the chain of fictional command.

Hevy glanced back at his younger brothers and swallowed the lump in his throat that seemed to grow bigger with every step. He knew that he was the one in charge now. It was up to him to get his brothers safely through this mess and find someway to call the fleet for help.

It seemed impossible.

Echo's voice brought Hevy back to the present instead of listing all the things that could go wrong in his head. "Well...The reg manuals say that..." Just this once Hevy wished he was like Echo. That he too could find comfort and calm from within the pages of regulation manuals that he only skimmed through and tossed away.

"Wait..." Hevy held up his hand, quieting the youngest of his brothers. At first the others were confused until the heard it. A low hissing sound. It was coming from somewhere, but where? "What is that?"

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound like droids."

"Maybe it's one of those giant eels," Hevy tried to joke. "We can't forget about those things." Underneath his helmet, Fives rolled his eyes. The giant Rishi eels were something of a legend that had been started by one of the Troopers and simply grown with time.

"No one's ever seen one of those things Hevy. Those eels aren't..." There was a loud male scream from the end of the line.

A giant, green thing with large red eyes had slithered out from a nearby tunnel and snapped his large jaws around Cutup! The jokester of the group kept crying out as his bones were crushed by the very-real eel.

"Cutup!" Hevy grabbed his blaster and Fives ducked out of the way as Hevy fired shot after shot at the eel. It gave a muffled roar, opting to take what food it had and leave the rest for later. It slithered fast, darting into another tunnel. Hevy didn't stop firing until it had vanished and Cutup's cries had died away.

"What the hall was that thing?" Hevy yelled, taking a hand from his blaster and waving it around.

"Ummm...That was a Rishi eel Hevy." Echo knew that Hevy already knew what it was, but maybe if he pointed out the obvious, it would distract them from yet another loss. "That's why they had the regulation for us not to go outside beyond the station."

"Whatever...Come on! Let's move before that thing comes back!" Hevy kept his blaster out as he began to lead the now smaller line away. Echo glanced over his shoulder.

"Poor Cutup..." They slowly began the trek back to the base. A distant whine came from overhead and Fives looked up.

It was a Nu-class transport! One with markings that Fives recognized from having seen a holo of it.

"Look! It's Commander Cody! I bet it's the inspection team!" Hope began to fill the hearts of the three remaining Domino Squad members. They could just make it out as the transport began to land.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rex looked around the landing platform as he and Cody disembarked from the transport in disgust. "I don't see any sign of the deck officer," Cody voiced his thoughts. "There should always be a man out here! This is bad."

"They're being sloppy." Rex's voice was gruff. "I hate to think what the inside will look like." He was no lover of regulations like General Skywalker, but there certain things he and his brothers absolutely had to do. Certain regulations that no matter what had to be followed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"They're walking into a trap...We have to warn them! Try the comlink."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The doors to the station parted to reveal a Trooper walking towards them. Walking oddly...Almost as if he was drunk. His movements were stiff, his limbs appeared oddly jointed as he moved. Cody and Rex shifted their grips on their blasters. "I have a bad feeling about this." If it were any other time, Rex would have chuckled.

The Jedi saying could be their motto.

"Welcome to Rishi Outpost. As you can see Commander this outpost is operating at max efficiency and everything is fine. Thank you for coming and have a safe trip...Back." Captain and Commander looked at each other. The voice sounded like a Clone, but different...Robotic.

"We still need to inspect the station." Cody and Rex stepped closer to the odd Clone who took a step back. His arms jerked about his waved almost wildly.

"There is no need. The base is fine and fully operational." They were given a thumbs up.

Oh yes...Something was most definitely wrong.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Echo poked at his wrist com, hitting the buttons in various combos and groaning as each time he got nothing but static. "It's no use guys." His shoulders sagged in a disappointment. "I can't raise them on their coms because they're using a different frequency that I'm locked out of."

"Good try Echo." Hevy held up a blaster and cocked it. "We still have this though. I bet if I fire this flare, it will get their attention." He aimed high in the sky and fired.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Take us to the Sergeant on duty!" Rex was fast loosing his temper. Not that his temper wasn't easy to loose to begin with. "Now!"

"Roger roger!" The Trooper's head jerked forward in a sharp nod. Rex and Cody looked at each other.

A shrill whistle ripped through the starry sky and the three beings clad in armor twisted, looking up. A flare, bright red and glittering was racing for the stars. "That's a droid attack flare," Cody exclaimed. Rex turned sharply back around to the Clone who had greeted them. Without warning his raised his blaster and calmly shot the Trooper right in the head. A perfect kill shot. "Rex! What the hell are you doing?!" Cody stood shocked-still as his brother took a knee and setting his blaster to one side.

"Just relax Cody." With a shark jerk of his hands, Rex yanked the helmet of the body to reveal...A droid. A blasted droid. Cody joined him, no longer held captive by shock. "Looks like one of those new BX commando droids General Skywalker heard about it. They can even mimic preset voices." The Captain shook his head in disgust. "They probably caught the station off guard."

"Which means that flare must have come from any survivors trying to warn us and get help!"

Blaster bolts came out of nowhere sending the Captain and Commander rushing to their feet. BXs popped out of nowhere, all aiming at the Clones. "It's an ambush!" The pair began firing back, aiming at what droids they could, but Cody quickly saw that it made little difference. He let off a quick round of three or four shots, dead on; but it made no difference. The BX leaned back from the force of the shots only to pop right back up like some twisted version of a the punching bags they had used on Kamino as children. "Blast it! Watch it Rex! These clankers have tough armor!"

The droids kept pushing and pulling the Clones. Rex and Coody ducked between stacks of containers near the edge of the platform. "Kriff!" Rex swore and was instantly glad that Ahsoka was safely back on Coruscant where she could not hear him. "They've got us boxed in!" It couldn't get any worse.

It did.

The doors opened and out streamed a handful of BXs. The first one darted forward a few steps than threw a metal ball as hard as it could. Under his helmet Rex's eyes widen as he recognized the all too familiar beeping of a thermal detonator. It dropped to the platform with a dull thud and rolled on. More dud thuds followed as more other BXs lobbed their detonators. Thankfully they were aiming for the ship and not the Clones, but it was still dangerous. "Off the platform now!"

"Heard that loud and clear!"

The detonators went off...And an orange fireball ripped across the ship while an explosion nearly deafened the Clones.

The droid Captain waited for the explosion to abate before slowly marching around the platform, scanning for any signs of life or death. "I do not see the Clones. The explosion must have pulverized them." His metal men gave harsh barks of recorded laughter. "Return to your defensive posts at once!"

So much for Clones.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Except the Clones had not been pulverized.

Rex and Cody had leapt from the platform right as the detonators had gone off, turning their ship into scrap. Their quick thinking and training had enabled them to fire off their cables, latching onto the bottom part of the now blazing platform. Slowly they let the cables run and drifted to the ground before disconnecting them.

A piece of flaming wreckage lay before them and Rex gave a sigh. "Well that bloody complicates things Commander." He gave a second look to the remains of their ship. "Well at least it's not any worst than what happened on Tibrin."

"Yeah...But Rex we had our Jedi with us on Tibrin. That did help..." Whatever else Cody had been about to say was forced to wait. There were shadows in the flames, movement. Rex held up a hand to still Cody's comments. Slowly the shadows turned into three Clone Troopers, their white armor showing no color other than some dirt and soot here and there. Rex and Cody raised their blasters. "Stop right there!" Rex barked to the trio who stopped, confused. "Heads over your hands and sunbonnets off now!"

"Sir?" The one with electrobinoculars still attached to his helmet questioned. His hands waved a little as he stood in between the other two. He was smaller, unsure. Rex snorted to himself. That one was the runt. There was always one in every batch.

"Now!" Rex roared at them. Slowly three pairs of arms dropped down, hands undoing the clasp of helmets and pulling them off.

No droids. All clones.

There was a roar, a hiss from behind the Captain and Commander. A large eel lunged out of its den, hissing in pleasure at the new snacks that had landed right outside its front door.

Out of the corner of his eye Rex noticed that the runt had been pushed back by the other two who stood protectively in front of him. The tough Captain of the 501st approved. He didn't doubt that the runt was any weaker than his brothers, in fact he might even be stronger; but it was a natural instinct in Clones to protect their possibly weaker brothers.

The eel lunged again and Rex was ready. He raised his blaster and fired. The eel gave a dying, pain-filled cry as the laser traveled to its brain and it fell over. The nearby ground shook a little and dust rose as it lay in its finally resting place. "Nice shot," One of the Troopers whistled as. Rex knelt down, removing his helmet. and laid a hand on over the bleeding eye.

"My name's Rex," He spoke as he lay a hand over the eel's eye. He lifted his hand and studied the blue blood that had been smeared on his glove. He rubbed his fingers together before standing to face the three Clones. "But you boys can call me Captain or Sir!"

"Sir yes Sir!"

"And I'm Commander Cody," Cody lifted his helmet off his head. "I'm the new boss. Now who are all of you?"

"I am Trooper 27 dash 5555 Sir!" The biggest one of the three rolled his eyes a little.

"Just call him Fives Sirs, we all do. I'm Hevy." He jutted his chin to the runt whose eyes seemed to be devouring every inch of the two new Clones in front of him. "That's Echo."

"Tell me where your Sergeant is." Cody watched as the hopeful faces fell. Echo's eyes wavered back and forth, but seeing that neither of his two older brothers wanted to even think the words let along speak them he did.

"Our Sarge..." Echo choked and shook himself before starting again. "Sergeant O'Niner was killed when the droids took over. We're...We're the only ones left." Rex knew that in all likelihood that some of those Troopers who had been killed were probably from the same batch as the three standing before them. It was common for a batch to be deployed to the same first assignment instead of being split up as they sometimes were later on.

"I guess we know what we have here then." Rex knew he sounded gruff, but he needed to snap the men out of their funk. There would be time to mourn the losses later. "We've got a crop of Shinnies on our hands Commander." He walked up to the trio.

"Shinnies Sir?" Echo was confused and the Captain knew it was because he had never heard the term before.

"Yeah...Us old hands call you Shinnies because your armor is still clean, white and new." He laid the hand covered in blue eel blood on Echo's chest-plate. "Clean, white, and new just like you." He pulled back, removing his hand and leaving behind a perfect blue hand-print.

"Sirs..." Sharps eyes turned to Hevy who stood as tall as he could before them. "My brothers and I may be Shinnies, but we're still well trained and we're ready to take back our base and give those clankers up there a little payback!"

Rex and Cody both smirked. "Well then," Rex pretended to consider Hevy's words when no consideration was needed. "I guess there's hope for the three of you yet."

"Oh and by the way," Cody smiled at the three before him. "Commander Analise says hi."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Commander Cody do you copy? Captian Rex please respond..." Static...Just static.

Yularen looked up to the two Jedi Generals and Commander standing across the table from him. "This isn't good," Analise wrapped her arms around her middle as if to ward off the cold only the briefing room wasn't cold at all. Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Cody and Rex should have called us by now from the Rishi Station."

"Blame Anakin. After all Rex is his Captain and I am certain has picked his disdain of following orders."

"Funny Master! I bet it's Cody's fault. He must have gone on and on about procedures and regulations to the point Rex fell asleep."

"In any case Anakin, you and I need to be working on our procedures and regulations. There has to be some way we can find Grievous."

"I'll stay here with Admiral Yularen." Analise uncurled her arms from her middle a little. "We'll alert you if anything changes." She shifted. "I'm glad Ahsoka is with Padme right now. She'd be chomping at the bit to go find Rex."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rock climbing was fun...But it wasn't easy in full Clone armor. Thankfully the naturally pockmarked surface of Rishi Moon meant they had perfect hand and foot-holds. It was slow going, but at long last the five Clones made it up over the top.

Rex and Cody went first, followed by the three Shinnies. The trio halted, their helmeted gazes staring at what had for a short time been their home. They had good memories of that place, happy memories. Hevy could still feel Cutup's hand wrapped around his own as they met in a contest of strength.

Had it only been a few hours ago that he had crowed in triumphant after slamming Cutup's hand into a console once again? Had it really only been earlier that day that he had teased Echo about his love of reading reg manuals?

"Alright then rookies." Rex and Cody turned to face them after reaching the summit. "It's time to look sharp and chase those heaps of scrap away from here. As long as they hold the base, Kamino's at risk." He took his rifle and pressed into Echo's hands. Cody copied him, passing his rifle to Fives.

"But Sir..." Echo stared at the blaster then looked back up. "But Sir, there's so many of them..."

"Doesn't matter." The Captain poured every ounce of confidence he had into his vond ice. "We need to take back the base so we will. It's that simple." The trio looked at each other than raised rifles and pistol, cocked them. They were ready.

"Good plan Rex old boy...But how do you plan on us even getting past the blast doors and inside the base?"

"Just leave that to me Cody...I have the perfect plans."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cody silently cursed Rex and called him every name he could think off. 'Later...I'll pound him later' he thought. He and Hevy were pressed against a wall on one side of the blast doors. Echo and Fives were on the other.

Rex himself was staggering up to them. Cody recognized the inspiration behind his walk. He had seen many a brother stagger like that after a night of heavy drinking to forget their pain.

He had to admit though. It did look like the walk of a BX droid.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were taking no chances.

Three BXs stood inside by the blast doors. Their job was simple. To monitor any being coming up to the entrance. Letting them if they were a friend and taking them out if they were a foe.

The door alarm went off. One of the units tapped a button, turning on the camera. A figure dressed in Clone armor was making its way awkwardly up to the door. "Unit 2-6, is that you?" Another button was pressed, extending the eyeball-like cam out from the wall so it could get a closer look at the figure.

"Roger roger." The voice didn't sound right.

"Your vocabulator seems to be suffering a malfunction. Is something wrong."

"Roger roger."

"Remove your helmet. I need to see your face-plate."

"Roger roger."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Quick as a wink, Rex ducked down. His hands flashed out searching. Then Echo kicked over what he needed. The head of a BX droid. Praying to the Force that they wouldn't be looking for any identity-markers, Rex grabbed onto what remained of the neck. Staying down, he held the head up in front of the cam.

"Kriff it all...This will never work." Hevy let himself chuckle just a little as he watched the best Clone Commander in the GAR face-palm himself. Looking across the way, he could guess what Fives and Echo's faces probably looked like. Echo was most likely shocked by this behavior that flew in the face of all the manuals and Fives would be silently observing and tweaking the plan in his own head.

Hevy had to admit that he was with the Commander though. It just seemed like this plan would never work.

Then the blast doors opened and three BXs, blasters in hand slowly made their way to the entrance. They were looking for the droid. Instead they found a very much alive and angry Clone. "Roger roger!" Rex taunted them as he opened fire. He only needed one shot and the leader was gone. Cody and Fives jumped out next to him, each letting off a few shots and each taking down one of the remaining droids. "Good! Now let's move it!"

The Clones dashed through the corridor. Echo slowed for a moment and wondered what the droids had done with the bodies. Where was Droidbait and the Sarge? Knowing the droids they had probably tossed them off the side of the platform or dropped them into the garbage chute.

He just hoped they were at rest and that wherever they were, Cutup had made his way there too.

They reached the ramp leading into the command center. They could just make out droids milling about, doing the same jobs that earlier they had detested doing while cursing their boredom. No complaints came from the droids. They weren't programmed to have emotions.

Hevy stood across from Rex at the bottom of the ramp. "May I take point Sir?" He knew his voice sounded earnest and he didn't care. He wanted to lead the charge and get revenge for his brothers, for his Sarge.

"Not a chance kid," Rex shot him a look that even through visors pierced Hevy. "As long I'm here. I go first." He cocked his gun than ran, full speed up the ramp. The moment a droid came into his line of sight he aimed and fired. "Aim for the heads! It's the weakest point!"

Droids began falling as the others caught up to them. The only cover they had was by pressing themselves against the walls on either side of the doorway. The droids had better cover, using the center console to duck down behind or dodging the bolts by ducking backwards or forwards.

"Argh!"

"Fives!" Echo's arms dropped as he watched his brother and main protector take a shot to his arm.

"He's okay Echo!" Cody yelled at the younger Clone to get his focus back to where it should be. "He's okay and I need you to focus on the battle!" Hidden by his helmet, Echo frowned and blinked hard. Fives needed him. He needed to help Fives.

As if guessing what Echo was thinking, Fives looked up and gave a quick shake of his head while gripping his his left arm. Echo lowered his head, then took a deep breath and lifted his gun back up again. Commander Cody was right. He needed to fight.

Rex had managed to dart into the command center. His back was pressed against the center console as he crouched low to avoid getting blasted. He saw the BX Captain perched on a console from which it was seemingly giving commands. Rex aimed his blaster and fired. The shot hit the droid's arm and sent its blaster flying. The BX let a motorized growl. It pulled free its vibroblade from its back and leapt down from the console it had jumped up on when the battle had started. The droid Captain went after the Clone Captain, slashing the vibroblade wildly.

Rex just barely rolled out of the way as the blade swung down, aimed for his head. It rang aganist the floor and the BX nearly toppled over from the force it had put behind its swing. Thinking quickly Rex jumped up behind the droid. He grabbed its head with both hands and twisted as hard as he could. Sparks flew up and Rex slammed it into the floor to make sure it was good and dead.

The battle was turning. There were only two droids left.

They were winning.

Cody marched further into the command center followed by Hevy and Fives who worked together to corner the final droid as Cody blasted the other one. "I junked it! I junked one!" Echo cheered when the final droid fell to the ground and didn't move.

"Sorry Echo...I junked it." Hevy ripped of his helmet and smirked.

"Like hell you did Hevy." Still Echo didn't push the subject. They had won an impossible battle and that was all that mattered. Helmets were removed. Cody went to the center console to study it while Echos joined Fives, Hevy, and Rex standing over the scrap heap that had been the commando Captain.

"Not tough now are ya clanker?" Hevy taunted the unmoving metal and circuits. His brothers rolled their eyes. Only Hevy would taunt a droid when it was beaten.

"Men..." Cody looked up from the scanners. "I believe we have some company coming our way. To the window!" The Five wasted no time in lining up in front of the window. Echo slipped his helmet back on, adjusted his electrobinoculars and gasped.

"It's a fleet! A Separatist fleet!" He pulled the helmet from his head. He had been nervous when they were taking on the droids. Now he was scared. This was a whole fleet and not just some squadron of droids.

"At least now we know why they wanted control over the outpost. They're planning a full-scaled invasion!"

"We need to alert command at once!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The good news General is that the base is still broadcasting the all-clear signal...The bad news is that none of the commando droids are responding to our transmissions."

"Hmmm...We can't risk the Jedi and Republic learning about our plans. Send down another group of droids to make sure that base is still under our control!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is not good!" Echo felt his hopelessness growing by the minute. "The droids messed up our entire system." He pointed angrily at the controls. The transmitter's been pretty much busted and they hardwired the all-clear signal so I can't turn it off." He glanced up to the men still standing by the window. "I can fix it, but it will take time and..."

"Time we don't have!" Rex's voice was sharp. Already they could clearly see C-9979 landing craft making their way down to the moon. No doubt they were packed tight with battle droids and maybe even super battle droids with one purpose. To check and make sure that the station was still in Separatist hands.

"Well Hevy," Fives joked as he shifted his wounded arm a little and mentally cheered that he felt little pain, "You've always said you wanted to be on the front lines. Well here ya go!" Hevy said nothing as he eyes watched the ship land, the doors open and the boarding ramp lower. A squadron of battle droids marched down the ramp followed by a handful of super battle droids.

Far too many for them to ward off alone. A though spoken aloud by Cody a moment later. "There are far too many clankers down there for us to take on so that we can keep the station in our hands...But we just can't let them have it."

"Then the answer is simple. We destroy this place." Rex spoke calmly, ignoring the shocked looks thrown his way by a couple of Shinies. It was certianly no plan they would have ever been taught on Kamino.

"But Sir..." Echo's voice piped up from below them. It shook a little, but he pressed on. "Sir our orders are to defend this post at all costs. Not destroy it."

"Think of it this way kid. We need to warn the Republic that those Seppies are planning an invasion. You just said we can't turn off the all-clear signal, well destroying this place destroys the all-clear signal..."

"And then they'll know something's wrong!" Fives snapped his fingers as he quickly put together Rex's plan. "They'll stop getting our signal which means they'll come and investigate and when they do they'll see the enemy fleet!"

"So we'll need every thermal detonator we can scrape up..." Hevy snorted.

"It will take more than some thermal detonators to blow this place."

"What about the LT Hevy?" Echo leaned back in his chair as he gazed up at the officers and his brothers. "Rishi Moon gets so cold for half the year that it pretty much freezes. That's why we have liquid tibanna laying around. We use it to heat this place."

"Liquid tibanna isn't just a good fuel source. It's highly explosive. Set it up, light it up, and this place will be blown sky-high!"

"Good thinking men! Let's get those tanks up here and prime the detonators!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They marched.

Forward and onward.

Marched for the Separatists.

Even though they didn't really understand the Separatist cause. They were just battle droids after all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright men, listen up! We all know the only place of interest in this sector is Kamino. That place is the nearest thing we Clones have to a homeworld. Today I want us all to remember that in this moment we're not just fighting for the Republic. We're fighting for Kamino and all our brothers that are still there! Understood?"

"Sir, yes Sir!" Helmets were donned and work began.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"My favorite place on the entire base," Hevy joked as he opened the doors into the weapons room. "We can use what's in here to even the odds a bit Commander."

"Especially since they don't know we're here." Fives and Cody followed him. Hevy tried not too look at the line of rifles laying against one of the walls, spare helmets stuck on top of them. Waiting for their owners to come and claim them. Instead Hevy grabbed his favorite weapon and the one he was best with.

"This little baby's all mine!" He near about stroked the Z-6 while Cody snorted.

"Just because it's a big gun doesn't make you a big man." Out in the corridor Echo and Rex worked together in coaxing a highly reluctant and somewhat unhappy PLNK droid it's normal, safe resting place.

After all they needed power.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A metal finger jabbed at the com outside the blast doors. "Your reinforcements are here. Open up!" The blast doors slid open...

"How rude! You didn't say please!" Hevy braced himself, lifted the Z-6, and happily began blasting away. Caught off guard, the droids at the doors fell beneath his might gun rather quickly.

"Look!" One of the droids further back cried. "Clones! Get them!" He rolled his eyes as he Fives and Cody joined him. Battle droids were really stupid. Cody joined him in taking pot shots at the oncoming droids while Fives went for a more direct approach. He lobbed a thermal detonator at the marching droids. Hevy thought the resulting explosion was beautiful, but his admiration didn't last long.

The droids kept coming, marching the flames. "Dammit!" Cody swore and began moving back further into the building. Hevy and Fives followed his lead. "I wish we had the Jedi right about now!" They made safely into the corridor, still firing away to keep the droids back as much as they could.

Cody hit the door panel, slamming the blast doors shut.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Commander Cody? Captain Rex? Please respond...Are you there?"

"Still no answer."

"No Obi-Wan and we've been trying for a while now. I've even tried hailing the station itself and gotten no answer."

"Are they still broadcasting the all-clear signal?"

"Loud and clear General."

"Cody and Rex would have alerted us if something was wrong. If the all-clear signal is still being broadcast, we must assume that everything is fine."

Maybe that's the point...

Moonbeam?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What is the status of our occupation of the base?"

"Ummm...It appears Sir we have run into some issues...Some Clones are fighting back aganist our droids."

"Then destroy them! We can't let some weak Clones stand in our way!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cody was guarding the ramp while Fives and Hevy stood guard in the corridor.

A muffled explosion shook the floor and walls before the blast doors sprang apart. Droid after droid after droid marched into the corridor. Red laser blots streaked towards them and the brothers ducked behind wall supports, seeking what cover they could get. "Get back to the officers!" Hevy ordered his brother.

Fives ran for it, darting past Cody while Hevy followed slowly and laid down cover fire. Cody waited for him. He tapped Hevy's shoulder and the two stopped firing, turn and ran back to the command center. The Commander jabbed at his com. "Get ready Rex! We're running out of time!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We're almost ready...Except the handset isn't linking up to the detonator!" He growled in fustration as Echo made a few last minute adjustments to the center console. Fives went for Echo and pulled his brother away from it. Hevy and Cody followed soon after. "Hevy!" The oldest of the trio halted in front of Rex.

"Sir?"

"Something's up with the linking. Can you fix it?"

"I'm on it Sir! Just get out of here!" Already Fives was at the vent, pulling the covering off.

"Just make it fast!" Rex gruffly ordered. "Those droids are getting too close for comfort!" The Captain ducked into the vent first followed by Cody. Echo would have gone last if Fives hadn't been glaring at him through his visor.

Hevy watched his brothers vanish into the vent, shaking his head. He hoped that the GAR kept Echo and Fives together. Even he could see how close the pair were. It would be tough on either one to be separated from the other.

He shook his head again and knelt down by the detonator. He jabbed at the handset for a moment before pressing a button on the detonator. "There...We should be all good to go now." Hevy looked up at the sound of marching metal getting closer and closer and closer. He quickly went to set up the link and...

A flat buzz issued forth from the detonator. Hevy cursed. "Kriff! This is no good." He head darted from side to side, his brain thinking fast. "There has to be another way..." He spotted the vent covering still laying on the floor. Picking his trusty Z-6 Hevy darted to the covering and replaced it. Better the droids find him and not the escape route.

Hevy moved further down the hall and watched, silent and stone-faced as the droids marched into the command center. "The base is ours once more Sir! The Clones are on the run!"

"Of course...Cowards! Search the area now!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They stuck close to the wall of rock, Rex in the lead.

They were far enough away and Rex nodded to Cody. "Alright Hevy...Go ahead and..." They turned when there was no answer. Hevy wasn't there. "Where the hell is Hevy?"

"Relax Cody...I'm on it." Rex raised his com. "Hevy where are you?"

"The link-up isn't working Sir. I'll have to do it manually."

"Hey! That's a Clone! Blast him!" All four men tensed as the sound of blaster fire and Hevy's battle yells came over the com.

"We have to help him!" Echo cried out, already ready to turn around. Cody nodded.

"Back to the pipe now!"

"Don't bother Commander...I know what I have to do." The blaster fire grew louder.

"Watch it Rookie! I don't like that tone!" Rex all but yelled into his come before he and the others turned around.

Running back to the place they were planning to blow up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were coming back. He knew they were.

Hevy gave it all he had. Waving the Z-6 back and forth. Not crying out when a shot met his shoulder. Instead he pushed on. "What's going on solider?" He was almost in a trance. That's what it felt like as he pushed forward, watching battle droids fall. He could hear the cries coming from his com, but they were muffled, faint. "Answer us Hevy! That's an order!"

He made it back to the command center. Outnumbered again, but for some reason it didn't matter to Hevy. He simply kept blasting. It was if by accepting the reality that in all likelihood today would be the day he died, it no longer mattered being outnumbered. Just as long as he could take a ton of clankers with him and blow up the station.

The Z-6 clanked dully the next time he pulled the trigger and he realized that the power pack was empty. He had no more weapons. Hearing battle droids coming behind him, Hevy turned and threw his Z-6 at them. It wasn't an act of desperation. He wasn't desperate. It was an act of distraction.

He made for the detonator when pain flared in his back.

So much pain. Multiple points of pain. Worse than the shot to his shoulder. Hevy fell to the ground and lay still.

But he wasn't gone yet.

Wasn't beaten?

"Hevy! Hevy? Come in Hevy!" Echo's voice frantically called his name. Slowly Hevy started to push himself up. He was doing this for Echo, for Fives, for all his brothers that had fallen before him and the ones that he hadn't had a chance to met. He did something he had only heard about in lessons about the Jedi, but never done.

'Please Force...If you're real and will listen to a Clone...Please protect Echo and Fives...Please protect all my brothers...'

"So...Do we actually take prisoners?" He snorted at the dumb droid and pushed himself up further. He could hear the cocking of droid blasters and knew they were all aimed at him. He chuckled.

It would take all his strength, but what did that matter now.

Hevy reached up and hit the trigger button on the detonator.

"Not this time..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The explosion shook the moon.

Flames shot higher, higher, higher into the sky as if trying to set the very stars ablaze. The platform was jerked apart from its moorings and sent crashing down the side of the cliff it had once jutted out over. Debris rained down upon the surface much like the meteors had just hours before.

The Clones pressed themselves under an outcropping and watched in mournful silence as debris crashed around them.

"I guess it is fitting..." Echo broke the silence. His voice heavy with sadness. "After all Hevy really hated that place."

"Yeah," Fives agreed. "It's only fitting that he get to blow it up."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Obi-Wan, Anakin!" The Generals turned to Analise who had been watching the all-clear signal.

"What is it?"

"The station on Rishi Moon...The all-clear signal has been stopped!"

"Grievous!" Anakin cried out, anger just starting to bubble.

"Agreed Anakin! Admiral sound the invasion alarm and let's get the fleet moving!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What!?" Grievous roared. "I told them to take over the base, not blow it up!"

"But that should be a good thing right..." The clueless battle droid flinched when a giant metal fist was raised in his direction.

"Useless fool!" Grievous glared out the viewport, jumping when the Republic fleet burst forth from hyperspace. "We're outgunned!" He growled as the ships began to fire at his fleet. "Retreat...We'll need to form a new plan."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Those tinnies are on the run now!" Echo cheered as he watched the Separatists fleet flee through his electrobinoculars. "All thanks to Hevy." Rex's head lifted at the familiar sound of gunships.

"Alright men...Time to get off this crater!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"On behalf of the Republic, we thank you for valiant service as we also honor the sacrifices of your comrades."

"Your new unit is lucky to have you and I am proud to have you as part of the 501st."

It was the second time medals had been placed on their chests. Only this time there was just the two of them. Echo and Fives, the only two members of Domino Squad left alive.

In one day...In one battle they had lost their brothers. Had lost Droidbait and Cutup and Hevy. They had been told on Kamino that it happened all the time, but living through it was different than just learning it.

On auto-pilot the pair saluted the Jedi Generals who both bowed in respect and graitude for their service before leaving.

This was the time for the Clones now. They would get to know Echo and Fives later on.

"Well done both of you." Rex was rare with his praise, only giving it when he truly felt it was due. "You've both earned this."

"Not really Sir..." Echo spoke for himself and Fives. "We didn't earn this. We failed the mission."

"No!" Cody's voice was sharp. "If it wasn't for you, than Kamino would even now be facing attack. The Republic wouldn't have learned of it until it was too late."

"Your actions today have shown to me and proven that you are exactly the kind of men I need in the 501st."

"Sir yes Sir!" The pair saluted, turned sharply, and ended the ceremony by marching between the Clones who had showed up to honor them.

Soon they would be on mission, be facing another battle.

Now though...Now was the time to mourn.