Bravo Squad had barely stepped foot back into the cruiser when their advisor greeted them in the hangar. He advised the rescuees to go get a bite to eat and to get some rest, then respectfully nodded to the commandos.
"Congratulations on the success of your mission, Bravo Squad."
"Thank you, sir." Mars replied.
The advisor gave a tight nod. "You boys might want to go clean your armor. You're getting sent off again in five hours."
"What?" Slate interjected in disbelief. "But, sir, we've only just stepped foot on the ship."
"Believe me, I tried to argue on your behalf. But it came from the top; from the Jedi."
"What's the mission?" Oh-Nine asked, not giving Seven-Six time to escalate the situation.
"An ARC trooper of the Five-Oh-First has been taken captive by some pirates on the planet of Florrum." The advisor informed them. "General Skywalker and Commander Tano have requested to have a team sent in to pull him out."
An exasperated sigh came from Jem's direction. "You have got to be kidding me."
"I thought you should know that this cruiser's being deployed elsewhere. We'll provide you with a shuttle to pilot, so you can return to Kamino." The superior officer instructed. "Get in, get the ARC trooper, bring him home. General Skywalker plans to greet you when you return."
"You mean, we get to meet General Skywalker?" Sunny piped up eagerly.
"That's enough, Bravos." Scowling beneath his helmet, the squad leader held up a hand to silence the others. He gave the advisor a nod. "We'll see to it, sir."
*X*
"Another rescue op." Jem huffed. "I can't believe it."
"We help where we're needed." Mars told him, wiping Geonosis dust from the visor of his removed helmet. "We don't have the option of picking and choosing our jobs."
"Yeah, but we literally just completed a mission." Slate pointed out. "Can they really send us right back out?"
"At least they're letting us dust off our armor." Sunny commented optimistically, hard at work across the room they'd been temporarily assigned.
"Sunny's right." Oh-Nine agreed, nodding his head at the blue-striped commando. "Clean yourself up and try to get some rest before they call us down to the shuttle."
"Isn't Florrum another desert planet?" Seven-Six raised an eyebrow at them.
"Is it?" Two-Seven asked, frowning slightly.
Jem shrugged. "Clean armor gives a good impression."
"I'm sure pirates have a different opinion on good impressions, but suit yourself." Slate remarked, starting to take off his armor. "Don't forget that we'll have to clean our armor again after we rescue that ARC trooper. How did he even get into that mess anyway? I thought the Five-Oh-First were on Saleucami."
Mars, working off the calf of his leg armor, glanced up at him. "They are. But ARC troopers can be sent off on their own, like the one we're after. If you'd have paid attention in basic training, you'd have known that."
"I just knew I'd miss something I needed in there."
"Let's hope that's all you missed."
*X*
The hum of the shuttle did not blot out the sound of the advisor's hologram voice as Bravo Squad entered the orbit of Florrum. Mars sat in the copilot seat beside Jem as the ship entered the planet's atmosphere. Sunny and Slate sat behind them.
"Now, the pirates' leader is a Weequay male named Hondo Ohnaka. Well, I suppose they're all Weequay...he wears a red jacket. Should be easy to spot." The advisor told them. "He might not look like it, but he's clever. Do not, do not let him capture you. The Republic can't afford to send another team in to extract you. Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Mars gave a firm nod of confirmation. "And the ARC trooper? What's his status?"
"He's still alive, as of now. Ohnaka's put an unreasonably high ransom on him. He'll probably be stripped of his armor and gear, so don't bother looking for white and blue."
"Do we have any layout of their base?"
"No. Generals Skywalker and Kenobi were not able to map out the area when they were there last. Is there anything else you wish to ask before you reach the surface?"
"No, sir. Thank you."
"Good luck, Bravo Squad."
Jem pressed a button on the controls, the image of the advisor flickering out.
"So, we're going in blind." Slate muttered unhappily. "Great."
"We'll make do." Oh-Nine assured him.
While Florrum wasn't the same orange that Geonosis was, it was, indeed, another desert planet. The surface was rockier than that of the other planet, however, adding more variation to the apparent endless sandy terrain. Still, even if it wasn't said, the whole squad would much rather be back home on Kamino than on either of the two desert planets.
"Where do you want me to set us down?" Jem asked.
"That's the question, isn't it?" Mars mused. "We're on the east side, yeah?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ah, just set us down around here somewhere. The pirates can't be far."
Eight-Three gave a small nod, flipping a small switch so that the landing gear would open up and be ready by the time they touched down. As the ship descended, Oh-Nine scanned the nearby landscape for any signs of the pirate base. He flinched as a hand shot into his vision from the corner of his eye, almost hitting him. He almost rolled his eyes when he glimpsed the yellow paint on the armor. Typical.
"What's that way out there?" Sunny asked excitedly. "Looks like some sort of complex."
Mars narrowed his eyes, looking out into the distance. He could make out the shape of a cylindrical structure sitting in a small gully in the rocky desert. "Good eye, Two-Seven. That has to be it. We'll leave the ship here and move in on foot. Let's hope they didn't see us coming in."
The shuttle gave a small jolt as it touched down, all movement ceasing. Jem powered it off, turning his chair to face the squad leader. "Ready to go, sir."
"Grab your guns, boys. Let's go get that ARC trooper."
*X*
The clones approached the complex from the south, using dusty outcrops as cover so as not to be spotted. Though Mars still felt exposed, they were a lot better off than they were on Geonosis.
As they neared the structure of interest, the details began to become clearer. Two triangles sat up on top of the complex, a gap between them. It was clear that the building sunk down into the gulf, likely where the entrance to it was. An ambush from the top would be rather effective if it came down to battling the pirates.
The squad stopped a little ways off, peering at the base from a distance.
"Doesn't look like there's another way in there." Slate observed. "What's the plan, Bravo Lead?"
"That gully right there, it's either their main or only exit." Mars explained. "Here's what I'm thinking: We'll take out the guards from above, draw the rest out. Then we can slip in and collapse the entrance behind us. Then we free the ARC trooper, get his gear, and blow a hole in the back. Then we make a run for the shuttle."
"Sounds like fun." Jem decided, cocking his blaster.
"Let's do it." Sunny nodded.
"Bravos, follow my lead." Oh-Nine instructed, slipping out from behind the last of the rocks between them and the complex.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Slate muttered to himself, though his voice was loud enough for the others to hear his doubts.
"Shhh. We're on enemy territory, Seven-Six."
An initial scan of the area revealed that no pirates stood on the top side of the gully. But nonetheless, the commandos stayed low as they approached it, blasters at the ready in case they were to be spotted somehow.
They were at the edge of the gulf within a couple of long minutes, crouching as they peered over into the bottom of it. Along with a couple of speeder bikes, a load of junk was scattered about the entrance to the complex. Yeah, pirates alright. Sloppy. Mars surveyed the gully for signs of life, jumping back away from the edge as a blaster bolt zipped towards the clones.
"Intruders!" Someone cried. "They've come for the ARC trooper. Go alert Hondo. Get some men out here immediately!"
"Well, we got the right place." Slate remarked.
"Bravos, return fire!" Mars ordered, leaping up from the ground. "Stick to the plan!"
The others rose up beside him, firing down at the few panicked pirates who had revealed themselves. One slipped inside the complex's entrance, shouting for Ohnaka to send reinforcements out.
Armed Weequay fighters began to pour out into the gulf, but the clones were efficient. The first few pirates fell like flies, their bodies blocking the entrance. The others quickly adapted, grabbing their deceased companions to use them as protection as they funneled out of the structure.
One of the other commandos gasped as he took a minor hit. Mars heard the clone's blaster fall to the rock.
"Sunny, bacta patch." He snapped as he glanced back. "Jem, toss a thermal detonator down there to distract them."
"Coming right up, Lead." Eight-Three obliged, the beeping of a thermal detonator sounding as it was activated.
Oh-Nine watched the explosive fly past him, down into the gulf below. The other side of the gully lit up a fiery orange as the detonator went off, the side of the rock formation collapsing in on the pirates. Cries of alarm rose up. Most of the pirates began to either pull the wounded from beneath the rubble of the explosion or race up towards the main plateau to face the soldiers on even ground. A few hopped on the intact speeder bikes and took off, vanishing into the distance in their cowardice.
This was the commandos' chance.
"Let's move, Bravos!" Mars commanded, dropping the short distance into the gulf.
He heard the others drop down behind him and follow him in their race to the entrance of the complex. They had a lead on the disoriented pirates, many of which hadn't noticed the clones racing past them. As the soldiers slipped inside and began to make their way down the hall, Sunny tossed a thermal detonator over his shoulder at the door.
The explosion came, the commandos stumbling so as not to fall over as the complex shook around them. They paused at the corner of the hall to make sure the job had been done as hoped. Sure enough, where the entrance had been was a giant pile of debris.
"Well, that's that." Slate commented.
"Let's keep moving. Look for any sign of the prisoner level." Oh-Nine ordered. "Keep an eye out for Ohnaka too."
"Copy that, Bravo Lead." Sunny assured him.
They started through the complex at a slow pace, compensating for the energy spent in the dash from the top of the gully. Two-Seven limped despite the bacta patch he'd applied to a minor wound on his leg, but he didn't complain. It was deadly quiet inside the pirate base, the only sounds coming from the squad itself. It was unnerving, but Jem was the only one to voice it aloud.
A clatter around a corner ahead of them caused Mars to come to a halt and raise a closed fist for the others to do the same. They listened for a moment, hearing muffled cursing. It definitely didn't sound like the voice of the ARC trooper they were trying to rescue; there was a pirate up ahead.
The squad leader gestured for the others to quietly move forward. They paused at the corner, taking a moment to concentrate on the silence around, to hear if the pirate still remained where they knew he had been a moment ago. He could hear breathing just around the bend, answering the question.
Mars leapt around the corner, blaster raised. "Drop your weapon! Hands in the air!"
The defenseless pirate before him wore a red coat. He was the one that their advisor had warned them about; the leader.
"Ohnaka." Slate growled, the other clones recognizing the pirate as well.
"Aha! I knew the Republic would send some others to rescue their friend." The pirate seemed rather pleased to see that he was being invaded, causing the clones to exchange glances. "I can get a better profit off of five men than one."
"You're not selling us to anyone, Ohnaka." Mars warned, jabbing his blaster at the Weequay's chest. "Take us to the trooper your men captured and you will go unharmed."
"Straight and to the point. I like that." Hondo pushed the blaster away from his chest, unphased by the hostility. "But you do not need to be so unwelcoming. You are guests here, I will take you to your friend."
"That's why your men were shooting at us." Jem muttered under his breath, sarcasm laced into his voice.
"We're not paying your ransom." Slate informed the pirate.
"Of course not. The Republic never does." He shook his head in apparent regret. "They don't understand the profit in business."
"Let's move." Oh-Nine ordered, fingers tight on his weapon.
He walked behind the Weequay as the pirate led the commandos through the complex. The air was tense between the group, and the only one who spoke was the pirate. Mars wondered what his goals were, what he was trying to do. It felt like he was leading them into a trap, though he very well could have been complying out of well concealed fear. It was difficult to tell.
It was almost embarrassing how far off they had been from the prison cells. They crossed nearly the whole base on their journey to recover the ARC trooper. When they finally reached the doors that would lead to the cells, Ohnaka discovered that he'd misplaced his key.
"Seriously." Jem sighed, unimpressed.
"Set some charges." Mars gave a jerk of his head towards Sunny.
"Right away, Bravo Lead." Two-Seven complied, setting a charge at the base of the door and powering it up. He glanced at the others, backing off. "Best stand back."
"Wait, wait, wait." Hondo interrupted. "Don't you know how much it will cost to fix that?"
"I'm sure you'll find some way to pay for the repairs." Slate pointed out dryly.
With a roll of his eyes, Oh-Nine grabbed the back of the pirate's jacket and pulled him back, away from the doors. He nodded to Sunny, a silent order for the yellow-armored commando to detonate the charge.
Two-Seven pressed his thumb down on the button of the detonator, the Weequay shielding his eyes as the door was blasted down in a loud bang, smoke filling the air as pieces of the door and surrounding area flew through the air.
Mars grabbed the pirate's arm and practically dragged him through the smoky doorway, into the hallway that contained the cells of whatever prisoner's the Weequays had gathered. The lights in the new hallway had been disabled, the wiring clearly severed near where the door had been. He switched his helmet over to night-vision mode so he could see through the dark hallways. He kept a firm hold on Ohnaka as they moved through down the corridor.
"How am I meant to show you where your friend is if I cannot see?" The pirate asked purposely.
Oh-Nine sighed and slipped his helmet off, blinking in the newfound darkness. He shoved the armor piece into the Weequay's hands. "Take this."
He heard the pirate mumble to himself as he took off his own headpiece, then an exclamation of impressed glee as he slipped the helmet over his head. His voice sounded a little different, affected by the voice module. "My, my, this is some expensive equipment! This will sell for lots on the black market."
"You're giving it back." Mars retorted bluntly. "Now take us to the trooper."
"Yes, yes, of course." Hondo waved him off, starting down the hallway. He sighed. "You soldiers have little patience."
"Hold up real quick, Lead." Sunny chirped up.
The squad leader gritted his teeth. "What now?"
He heard the commando grunt as he lifted something up and hefted it over his shoulder. "Can't leave the ARC's armor behind."
The group began heading down the hallway, finally, Mars staying on track by listening for Ohnaka's footsteps ahead of him. It was almost eerie, the darkness and the silence. Part of him regretted handing his helmet over to the pirate, but they had to get him to cooperate one way or another. Who knew how long the collapsed entrance would keep the bulk of the pirates trapped outside for? Best not to give their leader time to stall.
"Aha, here we are!" Hondo exclaimed, loudly fumbling with some attachments on his belt.
"You have the cell key, but not the key to the prison wing?" Jem remarked. "Oh boy. You're really something."
Oh-Nine heard the cell door slide open and could see the blue light of the cuffs used on the trooper. That light lit up enough for him to actually see. He almost sagged in relief when he made out the face of the ARC trooper in the dim light. But that didn't mean the trooper could see, the light probably blinding to him with it so close.
"Who's there?" The voice of the other clone was slightly older, for this was a soldier with experience over hundreds of battlefields.
Mars gestured for the others to stay back, stepping into the cell. "We're commandos, sent to rescue you by General Skywalker. Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here."
"They sent commandos?" The ARC trooper asked disbelievingly. "Delta Squad?"
"Bravo, actually."
"Oh, so you're those shinies I kept hearing about back on Kamino."
"Er, yeah." He replied, then turned back towards the hallway. "Ohnaka, how do I disable these wrist cuffs?"
"Those, my friend, are force cuffs. They are just like any other binders." Hondo explained. "But I do not have the key."
"Surprise, surprise." Jem muttered.
"How did you even have the cell key?" Slate questioned, exasperated. "Pirates are the most disorganized beings I've ever met."
"That's enough." Mars barked, ejecting the knife in the wrist of his right armpiece. "I'll take care of it myself."
He froze as he felt the cool steel of a blaster press against the back of his head. He knew who had done so at once. Ohnaka.
"I am afraid that it would not be profitable for me to let you all go. In fact, the Republic would not risk sending any other men and would have to pay an even higher ransom." Hondo informed the other members of the squad. "If you do not put your blasters down, your leader dies. I do not want to kill him, but...business is business."
You have got to be kidding me. Of course he was playing allies the whole time. He sighed as he made out the quiet sounds of the others reluctantly placing their weapons down on the floor, not wanting to put his life at risk any more than it currently was. We weren't supposed to get captured by pirates.
Oh-Nine stiffened at the sound of something hitting the helmet that Ohnaka wore. The blaster dropped from the back of his head and he turned around, just able to spot the motionless form of the pirate laying on the floor in the dim light. The bundle of the ARC trooper's armor lay beside him. The squad leader smiled, shaking his head lightly. Sunny took their almost-captor out by throwing his armload at him.
"Well done, boys." The cuffed clone complimented. "You're not bad for shinies."
"Thank you, sir." Sunny proudly replied.
"Don't forget your helmet, Oh-Nine." Slate advised.
"I'll grab it on the way out."
"Copy that."
Mars approached the ARC trooper, squinting through the darkness as he held up one of the cuffs. He located the key slot, stuck his suit's knife in it, and fiddled with it until the cuff popped loose. He did the same for the veteran trooper's other arm, retracting the knife back into his armor with a sigh of relief.
"Sunny, give him his armor." He ordered, stooping to retrieve his own helmet from the head of the unconscious Weequay pirate.
As he slipped his helmet on and his sight was restored, the ARC trooper began to suit up in preparation for the departure journey. He noted a tattoo in the shape of the number 'five' on the trooper's right temple and the light beard that he sported.
"The name's Fives. ARC trooper of the Five-Oh-First."
"You can call me Mars." Oh-Nine returned the introduction. "I'm not sure if your armor supports seeing in the dark like ours, but the trooper in the yellow is Sunny, the one in blue is Slate, and the one in red is Jem."
"Ah, no, my helmet isn't like yours." Fives informed him. "I don't suppose you had anything to do with the lights going out?"
"A little bit." Jem admitted.
"Unintentionally." Slate added.
The ARC trooper finished putting the last of his armor on, respectfully pausing to let the squad leader take point. "Ready when you boys are."
*X*
"Jem, get to the shuttle! We'll cover you. Fly her around back to pick us up." Mars ordered as the group of clones burst through a smoking hole in the side of the complex.
"Stay alive long enough for me to pick you up." Eight-Three shot back, picking up his pace to race past the others.
The blue of Slate's armor really did match that of Fives's own. If their armor models weren't so different, Oh-Nine figured he'd probably mix the pair up. He supposed that the ARC trooper wouldn't have been bothered too much, for they had rescued him, after all. But then again, the commandos had just met him. They didn't really know the experienced soldier all that well.
Pirates raced around the side of the complex, firing upon the small group of clones. Jem didn't pause to look back, continuing on toward the shuttle as ordered. The others fired back at the Weequays, providing him the cover he needed.
"Stay back." Mars called to Fives. "Our armor has deflector shields, we can take some hits."
"And I thought I liked the sound of the night vision." The ARC trooper remarked.
The pirates spat insults at the clones, mocking and sneering at them for their service for the Republic. Apparently Ohnaka's opinion on it wasn't that bad after all; he was a rather respectable pirate, even if he had turned on them.
Oh-Nine grunted as his shoulder jerked back, nearly throwing him off balance, as his armor took a blaster shot. He was thankful for the deflector shields and the extra toughness of the material, elsewise he'd be laying in the sand in agony.
He turned to glance at the others over his shoulder at the sound of one of them swearing in pain. "Blast. There's too many!" It was Sunny, his yellow and white armor riddled in black impact spots.
"Hold on!" Mars called back to him. "Hang in there, Two-Seven!"
"Sunny, back off. I'll cover you." Fives moved forward to take the commando's position, firing from twin DC-17 pistols. "I hope Jem's reached the shuttle by now!"
Two-Seven obeyed the ARC trooper, falling back and giving himself a bacta injection. Just before he could move forward to retake his position, Fives cried out and flew back, a smoking hole in his chest.
Oh-Nine stared in horror for a moment, then snapped himself out of it. "Get him some bacta!"
"On it, sir!" Sunny scrambled over to the fallen trooper's side.
The sound of the shuttle passing overhead caused the squad leader to glance up at the sky for a brief moment. He stumbled as his stomach took a blast, then returned his attention to the pirates. Slate's own focus was on the men who'd captured Fives. Between the two of them, the pirates fell- but still not fast enough. They'd have to make a quick escape onto the ship if they were to get offworld at all.
"Everyone in! Let's get out of here." Jem called from the hatch of the grounded shuttle.
Mars turned to make a dash for the ship, but was thrown to the sandy rock when his head jerked under the impact of a blaster shot. His helmet went flying, skidding across the ground, while he stared at the incoming pirates, one hand pressed up against his aching head. How do I get out of this one?
"Mars!" Slate hollered from behind him, racing to his defense. "You alright?"
"Yeah. Just a bit dizzy. Lucky our armor is so tough." He accepted the hand his brother extended down toward him, heaving himself to his feet. He scooped up his helmet and blaster, heading for the ship once more. "You first. I'll cover you."
"Sorry, Bravo Lead. I have to decline that request." Seven-Six rejected the offer. "You go. I can take a few."
"Okay, fine. We don't have time to argue about this." Oh-Nine consented, picking up his pace.
When he reached his ship, Jem had vanished up to the cockpit. Sunny was assisting Fives on board. The squad leader turned and began firing back at the remaining pirates as Slate dashed for the hatch.
His eyes widened as one of them threw a thermal detonator. It landed on the ramp that led inside the ship and he grabbed it, tossing it back despite the rapid beeps of warning coming from it. Several pirate bodies went up with a boom. The rest decided to fall back to the complex, giving up on the chase.
Slate made it to the ship safely and they climbed aboard, joining the others in the cockpit. Jem began closing the hatch, the shuttle beginning to rise back up into the air.
Mars didn't mind that the injured Fives now inhabited his seat. "You alright there?"
"Yeah." The ARC trooper assured him, though his voice was subdued with lingering traces of pain. "Thanks for the rescue."
Sunny had already begun scratching away at the burn marks on his armor, his helmet off and in his lap. "It's what we do. Glad to help you out, brother."
Oh-Nine rested a hand on the back of the yellow-armored trooper's seat and addressed Eight-Three. "Punch it, Jem. Let's go home."
*X*
General Skywalker was awaiting their arrival in the hangar on Kamino. He looked as powerful and proud as the rumors said. The scar on his face showed his battle experience and made him appear almost threatening, but he smiled at the clones as they approached.
"Glad to see you made it." The Jedi greeted them. "I've been looking forward to your return."
"It's good to be back, General." Fives returned, his strength having been restored. He held his pointed helmet under one arm.
"How'd it go?" Skywalker asked.
"We survived." Jem assured him.
Mars's eyebrows shot up beneath his helmet and he turned to glare at the commando. That is not how you speak to a Jedi, Eight-Three!
But the Jedi chuckled in response. "How are they, Fives?"
"They're reckless, but they're some of the finest men I've ever fought alongside." The ARC trooper told him. "I would gladly fight beside them again."
Skywalker turned an appreciative gaze upon the squad. "Good job today, troopers. I'm sure you'll get on just fine in the war."
"I hope so, General." Mars responded. "But we still have a long way to go."
"Then I wish you luck."
"Thank you, sir."
With a nod of farewell, he said,"May the Force be with you."
As the Jedi turned to head back further into the facility, Fives hesitated. "Bravo Squad, I hope our paths cross again. It was an honor to fight alongside you."
In response, the four clones saluted him.
The ARC trooper smiled, then returned the gesture. Then he gave them a final nod of respect and turned to follow Skywalker.
A/N: This ignores the fact that Hondo's complex has actually been destroyed, which I didn't realize until halfway through this chapter. The timeline is also a little off, with Fives being promoted to ARC trooper sooner than he was in canon.