Hostage crisis

Three clones sat in a circle playing a clapping game they invented with a dozen others watching. Fox enters and everyone snaps to attention and hop into their assigned transports.

Fox jumps onto the lead transport and orders, "Set weapons to shoot. Teams three and four, locate the senators." he taps his com, "After Ziro's gone, give him Camel's number."

The lead clone on the main prison platform answers, "Yes, sir."

Fox shuts it off, "We have eleven minutes to do this."

the bay doors open and the ships take off and hurry to the crisis.

The assassin droid flying the small vehicle with Orm Free Taa watches as four clone transports rush by. It coms Bane, "Four capture and contain ships are heading your way. Six minutes out. Shall I shoot them down?"

Taa protests, "I will not have you shoot down my favorite clones."

Bane answers back with a smile, "Relax. Let them come."

"Understood." it turns back to driving.

After Ziro is picked up, the lead clone turns to Orm Free Taa, lifts his arm and taps a number into his com, "Call this number and let them know everything about the situation."

"Oh, Thank you." he taps his com and speaks into it, "Trooper, the senators are being held hostage in the east wing."

Camel asks from team three, "Which room?"

"I do not know. Please, make sure the Chancellor is safe."

"We will. Do you know what condition they're in?"

"No."

"Understood." he shuts off his com and orders, "Alright, we have to cover a lot of ground in six minutes, or less. Whoever spots them first calls the shots. Search pattern fourteen. Jess and Twit stay with the Chancellor."

the troops nod in unison.

The ships arrive and split up. Camel and his group smash through Palpatine's window and he coms Taa, "All clear." then slides up to a slightly shocked Chancellor, "Sir, are you alright?"

he looks up at him, "Yes, yes, I'm fine." then continues looking at the broken glass with troops romping on it.

He coms Taa again, "Mission accomplished, sir. The Chancellor is safe."

Taa sighs in relief, "Oh good. Well done, trooper." and shuts it off.

The lights turn back on and he orders, "Move, move, move!"

They all head out the doors, splitting up to cover more ground.

Fox and his group wait for Bane's posse to exit the building before pouring out of the ships. They aim their weapons at them, ready to capture on command.

The Chancellor coms Bane, "You were foolish to think you could get away with this, Bounty Hunter. Now lay down your arms and come quietly."

"No, Chancellor, I am afraid it is you who have been foolish... with your senator's lives. One false move and the whole east wing of the senate building goes up in smoke."

Palpatine angrily states in defeat, "You win, bounty hunter."

He turns off the com and Fox and his men jerk forward in defiance. Bane looks Fox in the eye and orders, "Holster them!"

Fox thinks about it, then lowers his weapon, "Stand down."

Bane smiles and poises his hand above the detonator button on his wrist in a taunting way.

Fox's men step out of the way to let them pass.

Fox's eyes lock onto Bane's holstered weapon, fantasizing about hanging it on his trophy wall. Once Bane and his crew had passed them, Fox snaps out of it and orders his men, "East wing now!" and they all bolt in. He coms the other teams, "Bane planted bombs around the senators!"

the clones originally searching speed up their search.

After a few minutes, an explosion was heard and the building shook from the blast. The clones closest to it get showered in rubble and debris. Two get killed. The others get to their feet and run towards it. Two other clone stop to check on the dead ones.

They all arrive in the room and see the massive hole in the floor. A few come over to the hole and peek down. Fox joins in the peeking, "Is everyone alright?"

A clone looks up and sees rubble coming down, "Scatter!"

Anakin's smile at Padme turns to dread as he looked up. Everyone does their best to avoid it. It smashes through the floor, almost crushing two senators.

Fox looks around at the fragile structures, then shoots a grappling hook into a pillar and jumps down. His men do the same and Fox orders them, "Grab who you can."

they nod and quickly grab people.

Fox grabs Chuchi off the ground, "Are you alright, Senator?"

She looks up at him in pain, "I fractured my hip and nearly got crushed under rubble. Other than that, I'm fine."

he states to everyone, "This wing will crumble at any moment." the floor under them shifts as a baring wall cracks nearby, "Move quickly."

Anakin picks up Amadala and jumps onto the floor above. She smiles at him, "Rescued twice in one day. Impressive, master Jedi."

Fox pushes Chuchi onto the floor, then orders Anakin, "General, put her down and help!"

Anakin puts Padme down and jumps back into the hole.

Once everyone is up, Fox leads the way out.

Palpatine stood in his office with Fox and Anakin in front of him, "We are all grateful that both of you arrived when you did. Unfortunately, the bounty hunters got away. Hopefully we may locate Ziro before any real harm is done. Was there any casualties?"

Fox answers, "Among the ten hostages, there is minor burns, a few hairline fractures, multiple concussions, bent plating, and lots of bruises." he lowers his voice and head, "Among the murdered, nine Senators, twenty-eight guards, four droids and two of my men. Sixteen of which died from the bombing, all others were shot."

Anakin looks at Fox before sighing, "I would have saved a lot more people if Bane wasn't on to me. I was inches from shutting off the lock down."

Palpatine asks, "Commander, do you have any ideas on how to catch Ziro?"

Fox stops studying Anakin and stands to attention, "Yes, sir. I will let you know when they're in custody."

Palpatine nods, "I hope so. Dismissed."

Anakin and Fox bow to him, then leave.

Anakin asks after the doors shut behind them, "Would you mind leaving me out of the report? I, technically, wasn't supposed to be..."

Fox looks at him, "Here? Look, sir, I don't honestly care why you were here. What matters now is what lie you're going to tell the council when I send them my report."

Anakin begs, "Please don't put me in the report! I'll do anything."

Fox's com starts talking and they stop to listen, "Commander, we've traced the signal to a landing pad. Ziro removed his tracker."

Fox taps it, "Alright. Grab it and return to base."

"Yes, sir." the com switches off.

He turns to Anakin and crosses his arms, "One condition."

Anakin looks at him worryingly.

"Get me a list of Jedi with the most solved cases. You have twelve days."

"That's it?" Anakin asks as Fox walks away, "I thought you were going to ask for something bigger."

Fox glares back at him, "Forty-three people died and their killers are loose in the galaxy. This isn't a light request." then leaves.