Fox hunt part 4

Fox comes out of an alley as the hover camera passes by. He watches it closely and waits for it to leave. He spots Chuchi coming. He comes out and hurriedly walks up to her, giving her a hug, "Riyo!" he lets go and pulls out the camera and whispers, "We don't have much time." he puts it in her hand, "I want you to show the council this without hesitation. Understand?"

"I understand, Fox. But you must understand..."

Thire and Thorn motion the hidden troops to jump in, along with a Kaminoan muzzle droid. They jump out of their hiding spots and point their blasters at Fox. Thorn shouts, "This is commander Thorn of the Couricant guard, I order you to stand down, trooper!" Fox looks down at Chuchi, then runs for it. Thorn shouts at Thire as he chases, "Why is he running!?"

Thire stops next to Chuchi, "What did he give you?"

She looks up at him as troops ran past, "His helmet camera."

Thire nods, "His evidence." he holds out his hand, "Hand it over. Palpatine's orders."

Fox takes a bunch of twists and turns, but jerks to a halt when he spots a bunch of troops in his path. He turns and runs the other way. More troops. The muzzle droid spots him and flies over. It wraps around his nose and mouth, locking in place, silencing him. As he struggles to get it off, he spots a high point and starts to jump for it. Thorn shouts and points, "Stun him!" a bunch of troops slow down and start shooting stun blasts. Rex tosses off his chest armor and run jumps after him. Rex misses catching his foot by an inch and he falls down. They stop shooting as soon as Fox was in the vent. Thorn comes over and helps Rex up, "You almost got him. What happened?"

Rex brushes off and puts his armor back on in pain, "I didn't build enough momentum. Ow."

Thorn tips his com, "Thire, we lost him."

Thire's voice comes back, "Keep searching. I have evidence to deliver."

Thorn nods, then shouts at the troops, "Keep your eyes peeled men! Fox could come out of anywhere." they nod and run off. Thorn coms the Kaminoans, "The muzzle droid you sent has attached itself to Fox."

"Excellent. Is he caught?" asked Nala Se holding a small device.

"No. But we'll have him soon." he turns it off and looks at Rex, "Why did they insist on muzzling him?"

Rex thinks about it, "Fox bite a Kaminoan once. I don't think they want a repeat." Thorn nods and thay take off in opposite directions.

Nala Se slowly presses a button on the device and the small slits on Fox's muzzle shut. Fox stops crawling and touches it with his right hand. Nala Se places the device in the garbage and walks back into her ship, "We are leaving now."

Fox turns around and drops out of the vent. He spots a crate and runs over to it. In it was a bunch of broken droid parts, clearly stolen. Now on his last minute of air, he grab a small wedge and pries open one of the slits. It works, just barely giving him air. He hears a camera probe coming and climbs in, carefully closing the lid over him. After a few minutes, a buff man comes over, spots a little white light, then takes it to his transport ship, stating, "These a gonna be worth a fortune."

Thire and Chuchi are walking the halls of the senate building. Chuchi protests, "Fox wanted me to show that to the council."

"And you will, Senator, after the Chancellor gets to see it."

"You and I both know that Fox wouldn't say that unless it was extremely incriminating. Why are you giving it to the very person Fox was trying to arrest!?" Chuchi asked jumping in front of him.

"The chancellor told me to hand him the evidence. I can't disobey a direct order, sir." Thire states picking her up and moving her to the side, "Besides, due to how close you two were, you are a witness. Go write a report on everything that happened. If anything is found on the camera, I will let you know."

Chuchi sulks, "If it's not erased first." Thire ignores her and heads to Palpatine's office.

Anakin and Palpatine stood in front of the desk talking, but stop and turn their heads towards him as he walked in. Palpatine smiles, "Ah, Thire, I take it you have good news?"

Anakin crosses his arms and mutters, "Unless Fox is caught, it's not."

Thire hands Palpatine the camera, "The evidence, as you requested."

"It looks like a flashlight." Palpatine comments as he sat down in his chair rolling it in his hands.

"That was the point. It's easier to get confessions when they don't know they're being recorded." he points at the back, "Just take that off and plug it into a computer terminal."

"Shut off the lights." Anakin orders, "I want to see every detail." Thire nods and walks to the other side of the room. While both their back were turned, Palpatine dips the camera's plug in his drink, then lifts it out. Thire shuts off the light and walks back over. Palp plugs it in and a hologram lights up, showing the words, "Downloading" in bright letters. Then the computer frizzes. Thire quickly pulls it out and the camera sparks and smokes. Palpatine sighs, "Must have had a computer virus. I'll have maintenance fix this."

Thire glares at it behind his helmet, "This isn't good." he looks at Palpatine, "We may have to take you to a safe room until Fox is caught."

"Or put down." Anakin comments with a snarl.

"Pity." he stands up and follows Thire out the door, "I was hoping that maybe poor Fox would come to his senses."

Anakin mutters under his breath, "He didn't have any to begin with." Thire calls a few troops to him and then turns to Anakin, snapping, "Fox has more sense than all the clones combined! You will show him respect!"

"Fox had my respect til he killed Fives." he states with a growl, "Or don't your remember that?"

Thire backs down and sadly sighs, "I remember." they make it to the safe room and four troops place themselves on either side of the door as Palpatine walks into the room.

Anakin contacts Rex, "Rex. Be ready to kill if necessary."

Rex coms back, "That won't be necessary, sir. Security cameras caught him sneaking into a crate and being taken to a loading dock. Fox has been off world for twenty minutes."

Palpatine turns his head around with slight worry. Anakin nods, "Okay, Rex. Skywalker out." he looks at Palpatine as the troops head back out, "You should have let me go after him."

Palpatine pats his shoulder, "What good would that have done, my boy? Besides, who will believe him?" he brushes past him, "I know you'll do what's best for everyone, Anakin."

Fox lay curled up in the crate, slowly suffocating. He sees a blue glowing Fives. He lifts his head in confused worry. Fives smiles, "Relax, Fox. I just want you to do a few things. First, kick. Second, don't beat yourself up, and last..." Fives thinks for a moment, "Help as many brothers as possible. They don't have long." he pats Fox on the shoulder as he starts to fade, "I gotta go comfort Echo. I'm trusting you." Fox nods and gives a weak kick. A small Ugnuaght was walking along the row of crates, but stops upon hearing a small thunk from one. He walks up to it and knocks on it. Another small thunk. He pulls it out and dumps the contents on the floor. Fox gets off the floor, very dazed and breathless as he freezes mid-stand at the sound of a blaster cocking. "What's a clone doing in my retail droid parts? What's your number?" he asked pointing a small blaster at him.

Fox slowly turns his head, partly swaying, a white metal muzzle over his mouth and nose with a triple lock strap in the back stuck to his face. The tiny wedge keeping him alive. "Can't breathe, huh." he makes Fox finish standing, "Give me a reason not to shoot you out the nearest airlock." Fox mumbles something incoherent through the hole. He looks at Fox's weapons, "Drop your weapons," then tosses an ankle bracelet at Fox's feet, "and put this on. Then I might let Circuits take that thing off your face." Fox takes off his belt without hesitation and tosses at his feet, then straps on the ankle bracelet. The Ugnuaght takes the blasters and shouts, "Hey, Circuits! Get in here!" A skinny droid walks in and looks at Fox. He shoves the bot at Fox, "Get the muzzle off him. Wouldn't want your new roommate to suffocate on the job."

He walks off and the droid pops a welding torch out of its arm, "Relax, this won't hurt much." it welds through the strap. It pulls it off and lets him breathe, "There. I am Circuits. What is your name?"

"Fox." he states sadly.

The droid nods, "Nice to meet you, Fox. I will set up your sleeping device." Fox nods as it leaves, then picks up the droid parts and puts them back in the box. Tears grow in his eyes as his mind wandered to what Fives had said, wondering if it was just a dream.