Author's Note: Don't you just hate it when life gets in the way? I know I do. Fortunately, life got out of my way just in time for ROTW's 3-year anniversary. That's right, we're 3 years old today. So, happy anniversary everybody! To celebrate, here's a new chapter!


-Chapter 112: Sergeant Dokker's Clone Trooper Redemption Company-

Location: Toola

"What is worthless to some is priceless to others."

Returning to Coruscant, the Titans geared up and Theris recuperated while Corsair made to indulge one of their findings to the Jedi. In the Temple war room, Mace, Obi-Wan and Anakin, along with Kit and Aayla who were present via hologram, stood around the holotable.

"You claim to have valuable intel for us, Corsair. Does it concern The Wraith?" Mace questioned.

"Maybe inna roundabout way." Corsair replied as he jacked a data chip into the table.

"Well... better than nothing I suppose." Obi-Wan mused.

"We'd all prefer something concrete." Anakin remarked.

"Oh this 'ere's concrete, mate. Just not 'Wraith' concrete." Corsair replied as he pulled up the data on a planet. "Orron Three, an agriworld in tha corporate sectah. Our info'mant says tha Seppies have been real busy movin' lahge quantahties a' foodstuffs off world. Says it's one a' their biggest suppliahs." He stated. The Jedi studied the planet with interest. They'd been keen on the Orron system for a while now. Considering Corsair's new information, it seemed to collaborate with their earlier findings... save one little detail.

"Why would the Separatists centre so much activity around Orron now?" Kit wondered. "They've been so busy with defending their holdings in the Outer Rim."

"And attacking our positions in the Mid Rim." Obi-Wan added. "Something does seem suspicious about this activity." The Jedi dealt on the possibilities for a moment before Corsair offered a scoffing chuckle.

"It's a bloody miracle y'all are still Generals." He remarked, prompting every Jedi to look his way, Anakin and Mace frowning. "Ain't it obvious? They're stockpilin' resources ta feed an army!" Corsair stated. "Now I know they prahfer droids, but I hear tell that technicians, maintenance crews, scientists, leadahs, supah-soldiahs, they all need ta eat." He sarcastically explained. The Jedi brushed his tone aside and focus on the truth of his words.

"Corsair's right. They must be preparing for something." Obi-Wan finally concurred. "But we don't know what."

"Perhaps we can help to that end," Kit suggested, "Aayla and I investigated the kyber crystal thefts and discovered a trail that goes cold once the thieves left the Outer Rim for the Unknown Regions." He revealed.

"They're leaving known space..." Anakin realized. "They must have something waiting out there."

"A veiled threat if ever there was one." Mace agreed.

"Ya want my advice? Hit Orron an' hit 'er hard. Ya take out their foodstuffs an' tha Seppies' plan grinds to a screechin' halt." Corsair offered. "Ya don't hafta hold it, jus' smash it an' rip 'em a new one. An' if ya try that, Tha Wraith's bound ta show up." He added, almost teasingly so. The Jedi nodded in understanding. Perhaps this would be an opportunity for them to score two objectives in a single motion.

"We thank you for this information, Corsair." Mace thanked with a nod. "Will the Titans accompany us to Orron Three? We'll keep you informed of our departure plans."

"Only ta handle Wraith if 'e shows." The mercenary replied as he pulled his data chip. "Any warfare stuff, that's yor mess. I ain't cleanin' it up." The Jedi nodded in acceptance and Corsair took his leave, the five alone to grapple with the notion that the Separatists were planning something.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan said aloud.

"You too?" Anakin quipped, though he was serious about his negativity as well.

"Then we can all agree that something must be done about Orron Three and quickly. If only to delay their plans." Mace decided. "Master Secura, Master Fisto, rendezvous with me on our orbital station over Chandaar. We should plan a much deeper examination into what the Confederacy is doing in the Unknown Regions."


In the halls of the Temple, Corsair strode along with a singular purpose in mind. He'd return to the Titans and get them ready to move, but not until he'd called on one last Jedi. Sure enough, she wasn't far from the war room, calmly waiting in a simple sitting area.

"'Soka!" He called out, catching her attention. "Got a moment?" With a sigh, the Togruta Padawan rose and approached him.

"What do you want?" She curtly asked, indicating her distaste for this as she crossed her arms. Corsair smirked, mimicked her move, and then continued in a low voice.

"What'd I tell ya 'bout that anger a' yors? I wasn't jokin' when I advised ya ta hide it whenevah yor in public. Though I undahstand why yor angry right now. That argument you an' yor boyfriend had sounded rough." He replied. Ahsoka froze and Corsair could see the flicker of conflicting emotions in her eyes. She was startled, but also afraid. Her face didn't show anything, even as she tried to press on in indignance.

"W-What're you talking about?" She asked, clearing her throat and miming confusion. "I don't have a-"

"Yeah, yeah. Save it girlie an' trust me; I know." Corsair interrupted. "I know yor Wraith's girl now an' I know you two are kriffin' each othah every chance ya get; tha first time was obvious enough when tha two a' ya rushed to tha nearest pharmacy tha mornin' aftah an' came back out with a bloody preggers test." His casual divulgence of such information had Ahsoka on edge, her eyes darting back and forth to make sure they were alone. The fear she'd kept at bay now spread to her fully as she realized that someway, somehow, Corsair had learned about her and Wraith. "By tha way, make him wear protection from now- ooooh, wait. I guess you two won't be doin' anythin' anymor' since ya basically broke up wit' him." If that was intended to hurt, it didn't and Ahsoka shrugged it off in favor of attempting to control this.

"First of all, you're wrong about all of that!" She stated. Her eyes darting around once more, she leaned in and continued in a whisper. "Secondly... I-I didn't break up with him!" She hadn't. They'd had an argument and parted on sour terms, nothing more. Corsair chuckled, her acceptance of his remarks another point in his favor.

"Are ya shor he knows that? 'Cause it's likely all 'e saw was you choosin' anothah man ovah 'im. Or should I say boy? Lux ain't what I'd call a man. Hell, 'e can't even walk without those implants a' his." The Titan remarked, and Ahsoka swallowed nervously as she realized Corsair knew about Lux as well. "He ain't smart eithah considerin' he actually thought teamin' up with bloody Death Watch was a good idea." That bugged her so much she had to find out more.

"How do you know what happened on Carlac?" She hissed. Corsair fixed her with a blatantly casual stare.

"'Soka, who d'ya think told Lux 'bout those peace talks?" He queried, making a little reveal of his own. "Bettah yet, who d'ya think gave 'im tha holotracah?" It took Ahsoka mere seconds to realize the truth.

"...you..." She gasped with widening eyes. In a bar, on Onderon, Corsair had met Lux and provided him with everything he needed, setting up the situation that had resulted in the events of Carlac. "But... why?"

"Why? Oh, a few reasons," Corsair continued, "ta derail any chance those talks had of endin' the war that's currently linin' me an' my crew's pockets, ta kriff with Wraith, but also ta see if this relationship ya have... sorry, had goin' on wit' him was based on love, or lust." That statement gave Ahsoka pause and she questioned why Corsair would even care about that. His ability to blackmail her seemed extremely obvious so this new angle caught her quite off guard. "So... which wuzzit?" Corsair wondered. Ahsoka did not respond, her head swirling with the sudden gravity of Corsair's information. Suddenly finding herself a point where she was unsure, Ahsoka didn't know how to reply. Once upon a time she knew without a doubt that she loved Wraith and he her. But now... now her questions outnumbered her certainties.

"I... I don't have to answer that." She finally said, hoping that would be the end of things. But Corsair's cocksure grin said otherwise. It was a cocky expression she was starting to loathe and Ahsoka wished she could wipe it off his face.

"Yor wonderin' what 'e's up ta right now, aren't ya?" He pried, sounding very certain of his words. "Ya do realize that there's a VERY attractive female Lethan Twi'lek servin' as the Admiral of tha Dominance who jus' so happens ta be ATTRACTED ta Wraith, don't ya? If he really does think things 'tween you two are ovah, then who d'ya think he's gonna take an interest in?" Ahsoka knew all about that and a spark of jealousy ripped through her. Wraith would never... would he? "There's a reason why female Twi'Leks have a reputation for bein' a damn good lay, an' I'm speakin' from experience 'ere. Matter a' fact, I'd luv ta spend' a night with tha Admiral myself..." Corsair mused. Ahsoka shook her head in disgust, shaking off his lewd intentions.

"Could you not be so crude all the time?!"

"Oh, sorry. Is tha thought yor boyo ain't havin' ya fo' dinner everytime ya meet gettin' to ya?" Corsair retorted with a smirk and a knowing wink. Ahsoka's montrals unconsciously darkened until their blue stripes were pretty much black, her face flushed at Corsair's insinuation.

"I-I have to go. Excuse me." She muttered, pushing past him as she made a beeline for her room.

"Yeah, go an' try contactin' him howevah you two do that. He's prolly wit' the Admiral by now." Corsair mused as he drew a cigarra from his vest and lit up, "Lucky kriffah." He added under his breath. Ahsoka ignored his remark as she sought to get away from him. Corsair was just an onslaught of information, demanding answers without giving her time to process everything. It scared her just how much he knew about her and Wraith, and the notion of blackmail seemed very real given who Corsair was.

But what made matters worse were her own issues.

Ever since they'd parted ways, Ahsoka had been experiencing a subtle ache, one that was definitely physical in nature. It had grown over the days of separation and, no matter how hard Ahsoka tried to suppress it, it seemed to only expand and take an even greater toll on her mind. There were days when it seemed like her body was rebelling against her. She wasn't even going to try and contact him, as Corsair suggested. She just wanted to forget about him.

As stubborn as ever, Ahsoka was bound and determined to ensure that Wraith was the one who changed his ways and apologized. She didn't want anything to do with him right now and had worked hard to ensure her thoughts did not stray out of line. Ahsoka even refused to admit that she missed him, or give any similar thoughts any form of leverage or credibility in her life.


Later that day, elsewhere in the galaxy...

Chandaar was the capital of the Kingdom of Cron, an aging territory that had existed in the galaxy since the war against Xim the Despot. Situated only a few sectors away from the Anduril System and the Unknown Regions, right in the southern most part of the Tion Cluster, the Cronese Kings had been affiliated with the Galactic Republic for thousands of years. These days, though, their allegiance was slowly waning and their lingering notions towards the Confederacy prompted the Republic to install a naval base over the capitol of Chandaar. Simply designated 'Chandaar Station', the Cronese Kings permitted the act... but many wondered how long they would tolerate it for.

Mace Windu arrived in a T-6 shuttle, one that mirrored the ship Kit and Aayla had taken to use in their quest. The same Jedi met him as he departed the shuttle, awaiting him at the bottom of the boarding ramp. After a brief greeting, the trio got down to business.

"Tell me everything you've learned so far." Mace requested as they started walking.

"The Separatists that attacked the Sedawan intercepted them on their way out of the Auril Sector." Kit began.

"Then they must've stolen Adegan crystals." Mace noted, earning nods from the green and the blue Jedi.

"Somehow they knew to intercept a Jed transport on an exclusive mission for the Jedi Order, knowing where they would be and when would be ideal to launch their heist." Aayla continued. Mace pondered that.

"While a security leak is worrisome, I fear more for what the Separatists would do with such crystals." He decided. "History tells of Sith superweapons being powered by kyber crystals. If Dooku has gotten his hands on one, we must deal with it before he can use it."

"There's more." Aayla interjected, causing Mace to raise an eyebrow. "The Separatist unit was led by the new female super-soldier. She identified herself as 'Banshee'."

"But Master Tiin told us there was another super-soldier who accompanied her. Someone who was not The Wraith." Kit added, startling their fellow Jedi.

"There's a third?" Mace wondered incredulously.

"Perhaps. But given his injuries, he could've been seeing double." Kit suggested. Mace shook his head.

"Saesee is strong. If he told you he saw more than one, I believe him." He stated. "And that gives us something to truly worry about."

"How should we proceed, then?" Kit asked.

"We need to know where the crystals were taken, more than we need to know the identity of a third super-soldier." Mace replied, dozens of battles having honed his ability to order needs by importance. "Have you uncovered anything that might be of use in that regard?"

"After we returned Master Tiin and saw him to the nearest medbay, we tracked the thieves to the edge of the Outer Rim. There the trail grew cold. We had not the means to properly bypass the Confederate scanners in those sectors. That's why we think they made for the Unknown Regions, as we explained during the briefing." Aayla told him.

"Might we be able to follow them?"

"We might not need to physically follow them in order to determine their destination." Kit said. "Aayla and I believe that they would've had to log their moves with nearby stations as a means of updating their progress. Before leaving the Outer Rim, they would have to transmit data to a processing outpost like a checkpoint or a gateway." He reasoned. Mace dwelt on that for a moment, his chin in his hand as he pondered the possibility.

"And you believe that outpost would have the information we need?" He queried. Kit nodded.

"Their destination, what they were carrying, yes. We believe so." He answered.

"Where might this outpost be located?"

"Extrapolating their path, the only world on the edge of the Outer Rim and that close to the Unknown Region is Toola. It's a strong Separatist holding and, given their possible route, seems like a prime place to set up an outpost." Aayla answered, drawing a holoprojector from her belt and displaying the data for Mace. The conclusion was sound, but there was one thing he didn't like.

"It would be suicide to send any sort of team that deep into Separatist territory without reinforcements." He said in a grim tone.

"I know." Aayla agreed as she tucked her device away. "But Kit and I were searching around before your arrival, Master Windu, and we found a unit that volunteered." Mace turned to her in surprise.

"Volunteered?" He repeated. "Who would volunteer for something like this?"

"We're about to meet them." Kit answered and the Jedi stopped before an open area in the hangar, a Nu-class shuttle approaching from the outside. It was a variant with a dorsal fin and an expanded underbelly to acccomodate cargo. Everything about the approach seemed normal, until the shuttle made it inside the hangar, retracting its wings and went to land... without deploying the landing skids. Several crewmen in the area jumped back as the shuttle slid across the floor, a violent screeching accompanied by sparks filled the hangar as the shuttle slowly slid to a halt, spinning around so the aft faced the startled Jedi. They were ready to either move or slow the ship down, but it came to a halt before either of those steps were necessary. Crewmen quickly began checking over the ship as the rear hatch slid open, one of the ground crew running over and calling inside,

"Is everyone okay?" In response, a Clone stepped out, bearing the gear of a pilot. His helmet and shoulder armor was painted completely black, save for a simple smiley face painted in white right on the face of his helmet.

"Ah! Valet service! Good!" He remarked, pulling off his helmet and draping one arm around the crew member. His face was like every other Clone, save for the phrase 'caution, contents fragile' being tattooed in Aurebesh along his forehead, his brown eyes bright and wide. "Listen; find a bay for her, give her a good wash and wax, and what are your rates on detailing?" He instructed the beleaguered ground crew as he led him away, more Clones filing out behind him.

"Wha-"

"Nothing absurd mind you, just some flaming skulls and-"

"MADCAP! Front and centre!" One of the Clones by the shuttle shouted. 'Madcap' looked over his shoulder.

"Coming your leadership!" He replied. Leaving the bewildered crewman, he offered a single clap on the shoulder. "Get back to me on that, will ya?" He requested before running off to join the company. As Madcap rejoined the Clones, the Jedi quickly appraised them all, getting an idea of what they were in for.

Madcap stood by the side of a Clone sergeant, who bore black shoulder armor and a matching black helmet, arrived first. The forehead of his helmet sported white lightning bolts on the right and left sides while his armor sported a closed, downwards fist with lightning coming off of it. He seemed like a standard-issue Clone and also appeared to set the motif for the rest of the men behind him, though each one sported a slight variation to their armor. Directly behind him, another Clone bearing a helmet with a small Republic emblem on the left side of his head and a white Sabacc ace card on the right, pulled it off to reveal a face with a confident grin and a crooked nose that had obviously been broken before. The Jedi assumed it was from some previous barfight.

Beside him stood a particularly brawny, ornery-looking Clone, his head completely shaven and bearing several scars while his eyes brown bore hints of a subtle malice. His expression was sullen and he obviously wasn't like the others. His shoulder armor was adorned with a trio of painted scratch marks, six of them forming an 'X' across the forehead of his helmet slung under his arm. Across his back was a fairly large pack, seemingly part of a collapsed weapon system of some sort. The next Clone sported bleach-blonde hair that ran in a strip across his head until it ended in a knot in the back, and casually flipped a vibroblade in his hand. His black helmet sported the design of an ornate knife that passed through the right side of his visor and was mirrored by the identical tattoo on his face.

The final Clone bore the armor of a scout trooper, also painted partly black like the rest of the Company. What stood out to the Jedi was the scar running through his left eye, not unlike Plo Koon's Commander Wolffe. It didn't seem to bother him as his black helmet bore a bright white 'X' that etched out the left side of his visor, as though he bore it with a sense of pride.

The sergeant stepped forward and saluted with acute military precision.

"Redemption Company reporting for duty, sir!" He stated.

"At ease, Sergeant." Kit replied, the Clone obeying. "Master Windu, this is Sergeant Dokker and his unit; the aforementioned Redemption Company." He introduced, allowing Mace to comprehend the volunteers Aayla and Kit had chosen.

"That was quite the landing, Sergeant." Mace mused.

"Madcap may not always stick the landing, but I've watched him fly through heavy enemy fire and never get scratched, sir." Dokker responded.

"High praise."

"I could say the same for all of my men, General." Nodding in understanding, Mace posed the question both Kit and Aayla had.

"Why 'Redemption' Company?"

"Well, you could call us 'Death Wish' squad." The Clone with the broken nose remarked.

"Never mind that, Packit." Dokker hushed over his shoulder. "All of these men have either been courtmartialed or sent to prison. Most others see them as failures... I don't." He told the Jedi.

"You're trying to redeem them."

"In a way, General."

"Very well." "General Fisto will be your point of contact and will brief you on your mission."

"And what of my role?" Aayla inquired.

"You will return with me to Coruscant and prep the Star Corps for an assault on Orron." Mace responded, surprising Aayla.

"How many of us will there be?" She asked.

"You and myself, two more armies." Mace stated. "We want to be able to destroy these manufacturing plants swiftly and efficiently."

"Then let's sort out my infiltration, and I'll leave you two to your hit and run." Kit affirmed. "We need to find a way to get Redemption Company to Toola in a way that won't raise any suspicions." Mace already had a few thoughts on that. It might take some work, but he believed he knew just the mode of transportation.

"I think I know a craft we can procure..." He said.


Hours later...

The IPV-2C stealth corvette. Last seen during the Battle of Christophsis, it had been used by Anakin Skywalker to breach and defeat Admiral Trench's blockade around the planet, killing the Admiral in the process... so the Republic believed. The prototype had worked wonderfully and the corvette had been updated and made ready for any special operations, since cloaking technology was so expensive another model of the ship could not be constructed.

Since it possessed a modular hull, the corvette was retrofitted with a hyperdrive and excess cargo space was removed for this mission, making the ship significantly smaller in size, while most of the original twenty-eight cloak projectors were kept in order to maintain the ship's ability to disappear from all sensors and scanners. It seemed like the ideal craft for a company of Clones who excelled at rapid infil/exfil missions behind enemy lines; considered suicidal by some but actually preferred by this lot.

En route to Toola, Madcap piloted the craft as Dokker sat with the rest of Redemption Company, trusting the slightly unhinged Clone with his usual duty. The Clone with the knife tattoo shuffled a deck of Sabacc cards like a nervous habit, his distant expression denoting uncertainty and worry.

"I don't like this one, Sarge." He finally commented, the last of the cards sliding into his hand. "Not even the Jedi know what we're looking for."

"Typical, really." Snorted the scarred, ornery Clone. "They're fine with sending us into kriffing meatgrinders."

"That's not what this is gonna be, Hellcat." Dokker stated. "It's reconnaissance, and it's up to us to find it, Edge." He told the other Clone. "We'll be in and out without a hassle."

"I hope so." Edge muttered.

"Buck up, brother, this'll be smooth-sailing, take my word for it." Packit declared as he rubbed his nose. "We got a good ship, hot intel, I can't imagine anything going south."

"Aaaaand you jinxed it." The Clone missing an eye joked. Edge's expression fell again.

"A little positivity wouldn't hurt, Tango." Dokker reprimanded.

"Sorry Sarge, didn't mean anything by it." Tango apologized, earning a scoff from Hellcat.

"So long as we have each other's backs, we'll clear this mission like we have all the others." Dokker said, trusting his unit to be as competent as they'd always been. "Tango, I want you up front on scanners. As soon as we drop out, we need to know if there's Seppies to worry about."

"There always is." Hellcat grumbled as Tango made his way forward.

"Let's focus on what we do know," Packit suggested, "Sarge, we're obviously gonna need to slice something."

"Right. That's your angle. We're gonna go in fast and hard, buy Packit enough time to download what we need, then we'll get the hell outta there." Dokker explained, laying out their usual plan of action.

"Simple enough." Packit agreed. "Just like we always do."

"That's the idea. We don't give the Seppies a moment to breathe. We're in and out before they can blink." As the sergeant finished speaking, the cockpit access opened and Madcap called out over his shoulder,

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking; we're approaching our destination so please take your seats, strap in, and close your folding trays." Dokker moved to the cockpit as Madcap prepared to drop out of hyperspace, Tango already manning the scanners beside him. The blue tunnel slowly morphed back into stars until the corvette emerged and the icy world of Toola appeared before them.

"Sure does look like a snowball, even from up here." Tango mused, adjusting the systems.

"Good thing I wore long underwear." Madcap remarked.

"Go dark and take us in, nice and easy." Dokker instructed.

"'Fly casual' is my middle name!" Madcap jovially remarked as he powered on the cloaking systems. From the outside, the hull of the ship shimmered as the field powered up and rippled across the hull, gradually removing it from view until it had vanished without a trace.

"Systems are green." Tango reported, checking things over in case Madcap didn't. "We're completely invisible."

"Wouldn't it be fun to buzz the Jedi Temple like this? Or maybe even Five-hundred Republica?" Madcap wondered. "I mean, everyone would be going about their business, and then whoosh! Where'd that repulsorlift backdraft come from?" He continued with a chuckle.

"Eyes front, Madcap. Focus on the mission." Dokker stated as he reigned in the crazy pilot. Madcap did so, but continued to chuckle to himself about the insane notion he'd contrived.

Located in the Kaelta System, Toola's oblong orbit around its star meant that the planet endured a long winter that lasted most of its standard year. As a result, Toola was a world of windswept ice plains, glacial-capped mountains and frozen bodies of water. But that didn't stop it from being a merchant hub and sporting a thriving civiliazation near its central spaceport: Ithaqua Station. Dokker knew this from the briefing and figured the Separatists would want to build a communications outpost beyond Toola's civilization. Although, given the planet's alignment with the CIS, Dokker wouldn't be surprised of such an installation existed within the midst of the planet's capitol. That would drastically complicate their mission, and the sergeant sincerely hoped that would not be the case.

The corvette cruised through Toola's atmosphere, unannounced and unnoticed by any of the planet's scanners. "Tango, status report."

"Nothing yet, Sarge. Picking up plenty of signals, but nothing we're looking for." The scout trooper explained.

"Madcap, fly us out into the open, away from any ports or cities." Dokker directed, wanting to get away from any interference. "Tango, boost the signal range. They might be operating on a different channel and bandwidth than the usual posts." Tango did as asked, broadening their range as Madcap maneuvered them away from the populated areas. After only a few minutes of venturing deeper into Toola's frozen terrain, Tango picked up a signal.

"Got something." He announced. "High security broadcast, definitely not on a regular channel. Looks like we found it, boss."

"Isolate it and track it. Madcap, follow that signal." Dooker instructed.

"Time to get my inner Anooba on! Awrooooo!" The pilot howled in imitation as he banked hard towards the coordinates Tango was uploading, causing all the Clones to lurch with his sudden movement. A few minor grumbles were heard from the back, but Madcap ignored them as he continued flying. The pilot made a beeline for Tango's detected signal, a mound of hard-packed snow at the foot of a mountain appearing unnatural and possibly manufactured. It seemed likely to Dokker that their outpost was underneath all the snow, perfectly hidden from view. The sergeant wondered if the installation might even be underground and that the mountains were used as both a relay point and a source of cover.

"Tango, any exterior threats?"

"A small cluster of electrical signals. Could be a patrol or a perimeter watch." Tango replied.

"Well then... what's say we let them know someone's here?" Dokker mused, donning his helmet. "Madcap, take us in."

"On it, Triple-chevrons!" Madcap dove low and brought the corvette down at a sharp angle, levelling out at the last second before they crashed into the ground. Tango quickly threw on his helmet as well, thoroughly jerked around by Madcap's wild flying. A squad of droids appeared in the snow before them and Madcap didn't hide his joy as he ploughed into them. "Steeeeerike!" He whooped as droid parts clattered across the central viewport, moments before the corvette started to skitter across the ground. Madcap cut power and the craft began to slow, eventually coming to a halt as the snow built up and slowed his approach, the bow just Peking over the top of a hill. "Last stop! Everybody off!" He called out, jumping from his seat.

"Well, I'm pretty sure they know we're here." Tango remarked as he stood. Nodding, Dokker advanced aft where the rest of Redemption Company had donned their helmets and were ready to move out. Madcap triggered the boarding ramp and all six Cloens stormed out into the snow, Tango taking point with a hand-scanner as he tracked the signal that would lead them to the outpost.

"Alright everyone! Remember where we parked!" Madcap called out as he brought up the rear.


Redemption Company, exercising a swift and ruthless sense of efficiency honed over multiple missions, found the outpost and barged in much to the surprise of the droids inside. They mounted a swift defence and jammed the entry corridor full of B1 models with E-5 blasters at the ready. The six Clones quickly took cover behind some crates as the droids laid down suppressive fire.

"The longer it takes us to find those terminals, the sooner those droids could wipe their servers." Dokker stated as he pegged several droids with his DC-15A.

"Then we need them gone, now." Packit agreed, firing off a few rounds from his DC-15S. "Want me to roast 'em?" He asked.

"Save it for later." Dokker replied, knowing just the Clone for this job. "Hellcat, you wanna slag some of these clankers?" The Clone pounded his fists together in acknowledgment before moving to the front. Reaching behind him, Hellcat pulled his pack over his shoulders, all of it unfolding around him to form a reciprocating quad blaster. The four barrels charged up before cycling back and forth as Hellcat opened fire on the droids, heavy-duty rounds tearing through the B1 models. "Alright boys! Let's give him some cover!" Dokker ordered, charging around his cover with his blaster rifle at the ready. Packit followed, as did Tango, Edge, and Madcap, all of the lighting up the droids with their DC-model blasters... except for Edge. Throwing knives quickly tore through droid armor and circuits, shredding their extremities with the same ease as a blaster. Using Hellcat as a walking buffer, Redemption Company blasted their way deep into the base, leaving shattered droid chassis's in their wake. Arriving at a T-shaped junction, the Company found a door to their right, but another squad of droids was arriving directly in front of them. If they couldn't get inside, they'd be boxed in and surrounded.

"Signal's comin' from the other side of that door, Sarge!" Tango announced.

"They've likely got it hardwired." Hellcat growled.

"How about we knock and pretend we're delivering spare parts?" Madcap suggested. A hail of blaster fire cut off any immediate response and the Clones booked it down the corridor, stopping before the door.

"Hellcat, Packit, cover fire on me! Edge! Pop that door!" Dokker ordered. As he and Hellcat attacked the incoming droids, Edge reached for his belt and withdrew one of the Sabacc cards he'd been shuffling, its edge shiny and sharp in the light. With a flick of his wrist, the card whistled through the air until it became imbedded in the door controls. A spark of electricity flared as the controls short-circuited, prompting the door to shoot open. "Flush it out!" Dokker ordered.

"Heh heh, 'flush'." Madcap chuckled as he burst inside the server room with twin pistols blazing. "Ya hear that, clankers? Sarge-and-in-charge says you're Bantha poodoo!" The droids didn't have any time to react as Madcap blasted them one by one, aided by Tango and Edge. The knife-wielding Clone quickly drew one of the blades strapped to his forearm and started bisecting and beheading droids as his brothers blasted them. His knife cut deep, passing through metal and electronics as droid heads and pieces of droid heads hit the ground. The room was clear when they finished, Dokker, Hellcat and Packit arriving to droid remains and no further resistance.

"Nicely done, boys." Dokker complimented before they got down to business. "Packit, got a slice?"

"I'm all over it." The Clone set down his pack and produced a set of code slicers, making for the nearest access terminal. Dokker started to issue directions.

"Hellcat, you and I will hold down this entrance. Madcap, Tango, Edge, secure any other entrances. I don't want another droid setting foot in here until Packit's finished." A quick nod later and the trio moved to obey. Hellcat took up position by his door as Dokker turned to Packit. "We need every transmission from the past few weeks. Incoming, outgoing, priority, all of it." The first of Packit's slicers was wedged in the terminal's access port and his fingers were speedily running over key inputs like a seasoned Clone technician.

"Might take me a hot minute but I'll find them." He promised.

Having found another door, Tango led the way as Madcap and Edge followed, their weapons at the ready. They swept the hall right and left, anticipating further droid reinforcements. Surely their actions would not go unnoticed. Tango asked Edge with covering his six, Madcap swinging his pistols around in a wide arc so he might get a bead on any given position. Their progress was slowed when a door down the hall slid open to reveal more red-painted security droids.

"Look! Clones!" One of them cried. "What are they doing here?"

"Shoot first, ask questions later." His squad leader advised, all of the droids opening fire on the trio with their E-5 blasters. Edge was quick to whip a throwing blade towards them, the knife whistling through the air before it became embedded in a droid's head, dropping him instantly. Madcap couldn't pull his triggers fast enough, blitzing the droids and not caring if he missed. A future bolt would get them.

"Spot on!" He remarked, nailing a droid in the chest. "Spot check!" He called out, peppering a droid's chassis with rounds until one took out his neck joint and dropped him. Another had a limb blown off but was still standing. "Oops, missed a spot." Madcap mused as he corrected his mistake and blew off its head. Despite their losses, the droids refused to retreat, Tango realizing they needed cover. That suddenly gave him an idea.

"Edge, kill the lights!" His fellow Clone understood what he was asking, wishing to exercise a tactic Dokker had devised on a previous mission. Drawing a series of cards from his belt, Edge's unfailing accuracy promptly extinguished all the overhead lights, leaving the Clones and droids in total darkness.

"Was that an idiot's array?" Madcap wondered as black filled the hall. Edge did not respond as he lowered his rangefinder, the device shifting to night vision and allowing him to acquire his targets.

"What happened to the lights?" A droid wondered.

"I dunno." Another replied with a shrug. Edge promptly took him out with a throwing knife.

"OM-Seven?" The first one asked. Edge quickly downed him next.

"Where'd you go?" One by one, the puzzled droids were targeted and downed by Edge, a variety of knives and cards rendering each droid offline.

Meanwhile, Dokker and Hellcat were having their own troubles as further droid reinforcements attacked the entrance they were guarding. Dokker alone used his DC rifle to keep the droids at bay, while Hellcat tore into them with his fists. His quad blaster had been damaged during the fight and the Clone was reduced to using his fists as a means of combating his opponents... something he was perfectly alright with. His armor had been especially reinforced on Dokker's recommendation, knowing Hellcat's penchant for flying into adrenaline-fueled bursts of rage in which all soldierly combat strategies vanished in simple favour of using his fists and brute force. Unfortunately, it did not clear out the droids nearly as quickly as a pair of blasters would.

"Packit! How's that download?" Dokker shouted over the din of his rifle.

"Lotta files Sarge, gimme some more time!" The team's scrounger responded. Then he fished out a pair of cylindrical sticks from his pack. "Here, these should hold 'em off." He suggested, tossing Dokker a pair of plank gas grenades.

"Where'd you get these?" The sergeant wondered. Packit shrugged as he went back to hacking.

"Somebody in bomb disposal owed me a favor." He answered. Plank gas was a special chemical that ate away at skin and metal, corroding the latter within seconds of contact. Dokker believed it would easily clear out the droids, but he did not want to risk him and Hellcat getting a dose of it as well.

"Hellcat! Get clear!" Dokker commanded, priming the explosives. But the Clone was so lost in his rage-filled stupor he did not heed his orders. Dokker grumbled, knowing he'd have to pull him out. "Dammit Hellcat!" He muttered, leaving his cover and grabbing the Clone by the shoulder to reef him back, tossing both grenades at the droids. The sudden, forceful move shook Hellcat out of his stupor and he retreated willingly as Dokker grabbed his rifle and pulled them into the server room, sealing the door behind them amid a hail of laser fire. The twin grenades unleashed a green gas that filled the hall, the droids quickly collapsing as their legs crumbled into powder.

"Thanks." Hellcat mumbled to Dokker, the sergeant offering a simple nod of acknowledgement.

"Well, we're not getting out that way. Plank gas lingers for a good while."

"At least it'll keep the droids out." Packit said as he popped in his second code slicer. As he finished, Tango, Edge and Madcap filed in from the other side.

"Status report." Dokker asked.

"We've sterilized the hall, your sergeantness! No more of those pesky clankers!" Madcap beamed.

"At least for the time being." Edge grimly added. Having overhead Dokker's words about losing their exit, Tango piped up with an alternative.

"There's another way out through here, Sarge. We can loop around." He reported, having scoped out the hall during the firefight.

"Nicely done, lads." Dokker applauded. Now they could get out of here. "Packit?"

"Just wrapping up." The scrounger replied. Dokker nodded and charged his rifle with a fresh cell.

"Secure our exit, boys. We're almost home-free!" All the Clones followed him into the hall, Tango taking point to secure the darkened rear access hatch where dozens of droid bodies lay as Madcap, Edge and Hellcat moved further down the hall. Surprisingly, the two melee-specialists took point as another squad of droids rounded the corner, Hellcat's fists slamming into them as Edge took a more refined approached and severed limbs while spearing heads with twin knives. Madcap came up last and pegged the droids that his teammates weren't occupied with.

Meanwhile, Packit quickly finished the last of his downloads and crammed the stolen data into his pack, shouldering it and bolting for the exit as he drew his blaster.

"Got it! Let's go!" He shouted to Dokker.

"Redemption Company! Let's get the hell out of here!" Dokker called out as the three advanced on the droids at the end of the hall. Blasters, knives and fists made short work of the company and Redemption Company was soon sprinting through the halls, retracing their steps as Tango took the lead with his scanner. Dokker and Edge held off another crew of droids that came up behind them as the rest of the brothers bounded through the exit door they'd blown open, emerging back out into the snow and cold of Toola.

"Quick, to the ship before any perimeter defences come online!" Packit called as they continued to sprint. Their stealth ship was plainly visible with the ramp lowered and the interior lights on, illuminating a stretch of snow to guide them back.

"Aw, who left the lights on? That drains the battery, you know!" Madcap complained. His brothers ignored him as they made their way onto the ship. "Single-file now, let's keep things orderly." Madcap casually instructed.

"Madcap! Get in the cockpit!" Dokker rushed, shoving the pilot ahead. He did as told and scrambled for his seat, the rest of Redemption Company taking their places in the passenger bay as Madcap fired up the engines.

"This is your captain speaking, welcome aboard Republic space flight number zero-zero-one, nonstop from Toola to Chandaar." The pilot announced as the corvette began to lift into the air. Redemption Company took his antics in stride, all of them grateful to have made it out in one piece.


En route to Chandaar...

His helmet removed, Dokker ran a hand through his damp hair in an effort to look presentable. The hasty nature of this mission was enough for him and all of Redemtpion Company to work up a sweat, their hair not nearly as pristine as it had been before they donned their helmets. But considering he was about to speak with a Jedi General, Dokker knew he needed to look his best as per military protocol.

With Packit having decoded some of the information with a portable kit he'd pulled from his pack, Dokker moved aft into one of the unused compartments to make his call. Edge and Tango were engaged in a game of Sabacc while Hellcat was dozing and snoring, the sergeant figuring it was best to leave his men to their downtime. A holoprojector in his hand, Dokker held it out as the render of Kit Fisto appeared befor him. The Nautolan smiled in his usual cordial manner before addressing him.

"Sergeant Dokker. How fares Redemption Company?"

"The men are well, sir. We've completed our infiltration and are leaving Toola behind." Dokker reported a precise tone.

"Excellent news." Kit warmly praised. "Job well done, Sergeant." Dokker nodded. This particular Jedi was a good one, he reasoned. Most Jedi were better than Krell, anyway. "Have you been able to acquire the data we seek?"

"We believe so, General. We've downloaded several dozen call logs from the outpost we discovered." Dokker answered.

"Very good. Have you given it a preliminary examination?" Kit inquired.

"Briefly sir. Using the parameters suggested during our briefing, a ship designated The Revenant made a transmission in regards to making for the Unknown Regions with a shipment of crystals." The Jedi grew thoughtful, holding his chin in hand.

"And did they include a final destination in their transmission?" He queried.

"All they have listed is that they would rendezvous at 'Point Omega'." Dokker revealed, the name obviously a code but one unknown to him. Obviously it was also unknown to the Jedi, as he asked,

"Can we find out where that is?"

"No sir, there was nothing else included in the log. No coordinates, nothing." Dokker negatively stated. "Unless we were to find the actual ship ad check its navcomputer, there's nothing more we could glean."

"I see. You've done well, Sergeant. Return to Chandaar and we'll go through the data you've recovered." Kit said in closing.

"Understood, General." Dokker affirmed with a salute.


Author's Note: Hopefully y'all enjoyed that. More Clones is never a bad thing, right?

So, three years to the day. I still remember typing that first sentence for chapter 1. It seems crazy to think there's over 700 people who favourite and follow this story and even more people who haven't! And at almost 600,000 views, this is absolutely crazy! Thank you all for, well, everything. For the kind words and high praise, for the critiques and pointers that keep me grounded and in check, for the suggestions and ideas that keep me going... overall, for your general support. Thank you. Thank you all so very much.

And now, we look forward to another year... but what will this year hold? Well...

-Wraith and Ahsoka, will they or won't they reconcile?

-Wraith vs Savage and Maul (finally!)

-Events and situations that are guaranteed to blow your socks off!

-Revelations to make your eyes as wide as dinner plates!

-the true nature of The Wraith (nothing is as it seems)...

-and the truth behind Wraith's shocking origin!