AUTHOR'S NOTES
Hi all, hope you're all enjoying the story so far. This one's quite a long chapter and has a fair bit of action! Please let me know what you think in the reviews!
Hope you are all doing well :)
FLORRUM - HONDO'S COMPOUND
"So that's Hondo's fortress? " Jacen asked, almost sounding a little disappointed.
Ahsoka couldn't help but chuckle as she observed what was left of Hondo's base. They had managed to find a small vantage point on a nearby hill, serving as a useful place to take cover and formulate a plan. Unfortunately, what was left of Hondo's base was dug into the rocks with only a small entrance, making any sort of reconnaissance difficult.
"I did tell you it was destroyed by Grievous. What were you expecting?" she replied as she focused her attention on numerous small figures moving in the entrance area. They weren't lucky enough to have any macrobinoculars at hand, and the bright sky wasn't making it any easier to see, but she'd been in worse situations before.
"I don't know, something a little more than, well, that . Should be easy enough for us to sneak into at least."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Ahsoka stated, finally turning to face him while still deep in thought, "there's only one way in and out. Hondo's no fool, he's chosen his base well."
"So we wait until dark, then try sneaking through the entrance?" Jacen suggested as he met her gaze.
"Too risky, we'll probably be spotted by a sentry. Especially if they are expecting us to arrive with some Kyber crystals soon."
Jacen could only sigh, knowing this was definitely going to be far more difficult than they had both expected. "This isn't going to be easy."
"You can say that again." Ahsoka muttered, once again focusing on the small figures near the entrance. There were far too many of them to be able to sneak by unnoticed.
"They will probably be keeping Kendar inside the main complex," she continued, "I was kept in one of the prison cells here before, so they're probably still functional."
"Might be the only thing functional in that mess, but it's still going to be hard to get past those guards." Jacen responded, concern etched into his tone.
"Come on, what happened to all that enthusiasm earlier?" Ahsoka teased, "I'm sure we can handle it."
"Can't you like, use the force or something?"
She couldn't help but laugh at that one, "That's a good idea, I'll just use the force to teleport Kendar to us!" Ahsoka joked, rolling her eyes playfully.
"Seriously?"
"No!"
"Well, we could always climb the cliff face besides the base?" Ahsoka suggested after a short period of silence. "There might be some ventilation shafts at the top that we could climb into."
"That could work," Jacen mused, "but there would be no way to get back out with Kendar, and we have no equipment for the climb either."
"Which means we will have to free climb." Ahsoka muttered slowly.
It was a dangerous prospect, climbing an unstable cliff with no equipment with a fall that would result in almost certain death. It didn't help that Florrum was particularly dry and hot, meaning that the cliff would be even more unstable.
Ahsoka trusted herself to make the climb, having done an arguably more difficult climb at the Citadel on Lola Sayu. She was less certain about Jacen, having injured himself slightly earlier.
His silence was almost confirmation that he wasn't looking forward to the prospect of climbing, she didn't even need the force to pick up on how anxious he had become in such a short space of time.
"Perhaps it's best if we wait for nightfall? Then we can get some rest and make a decision." Ahsoka suggested, finally rising slightly from her prone position on the hill, whilst still being wary of the pirates not too far away.
Jacen rose with her as they both started to walk down the hill and towards their trusty Skalder mounts. "Maybe it would be best if you waited here, just in case things take a turn for the worst?" Ahsoka continued quietly.
" What? I'm not letting you go in there alone! If you get captured they'll kill you, especially when they find out you don't have the crystals!" Jacen stated firmly as he stopped walking, lightly grabbing Ahsoka by the shoulder to turn her around.
"Listen, I don't doubt your abilities, I've seen first hand how good you are." he continued as he stared into her eyes intensely, "But I know how these situations work. I spent years of my life running bounties and coming into contact with lowlifes, and these engagements often turn hostile. And trust me, if things get heated it's gonna be a lot more difficult without a lightsaber. You need me with you to watch your back."
"But you're injured! You're not going to be able to make the climb." she replied quickly, causing him to break eye contact.
"It's not that bad, trust me. I can make it."
She sighed, still not satisfied but understanding his logic. In these types of scenarios, Jacen definitely had the most experience and so it would be foolish not to bring him along. But she also couldn't let him be hurt. Hondo could be cruel, and his moods were often unpredictable.
"Fine." she replied with a sigh, accepting that for now there was no other option, "We'll set up camp further away from the compound. I'll take the first watch, you need to get some rest."
It didn't take long to find somewhere to rest. The Skalder were fast enough to put some distance between them and Hondo's base, with it still being close enough to make a rescue at nightfall.
They'd found a nice reclusive area, elevated from the ground with a nice view of the surrounding area. Perfect for spotting scouts from Hondo's base.
Unfortunately, Florrum just happened to be one of the worst planets you could ever end up on. There were no trees, meaning no wood for fires. The ground was littered with sharp rocks, making it far too uncomfortable to even consider laying on to rest. And it got cold. Awfully cold.
Once the night started to creep in, Florrum's temperature plummeted. Unfortunately, neither of them had prepared for such extreme temperatures, and all they had was a small fusion lamp to provide light and a miniscule amount of heat.
Ahsoka sat in silence, trying to warm herself up with the heat from the lantern as her teeth clattered slightly.
Her thoughts dwelled on Anakin, still wishing that she had left on slightly better terms with her old Master. It was a small memory that would constantly reveal itself, usually when she was trying to rest or just enjoy the quietness. It was something that she knew would probably bother her for the rest of her days.
The Chancellor had informed her that Anakin was being redeployed to Ringo Vinda, but that was all the information that she had been able to gather. The Council, being as helpful as ever, had decided not to update the Chancellor during their meeting.
Ahsoka could only hope that Anakin would be fine. She still felt guilty for leaving him behind with the Order, with no one to confide in anymore about his personal issues. But she also understood that her choice was the right choice to make. How could she serve an Order that didn't even trust her?
Breaking off from her thoughts and back to reality, she stared at the half-eaten ration bar in her hand. The unappealing and tasteless substance she had grown accustomed to during the war. It really was the last thing she wanted to eat right now.
"You've been staring at that for far too long." Jacen said, making her jump slightly. He slowly started to sit down beside her, hesitating briefly with a wince of pain, something that didn't go unnoticed.
"And you should be resting." she replied simply as she took a small bite out of her ration bar, "You should let me take another look at it."
"It's not that bad-"
He stopped talking when Ahsoka met his eyes, a knowing look etched across her features.
"It's just a scratch, nothing to be worried about." he added, breaking eye contact as he stared out towards the horizon.
She regarded him for a moment, continuing her gaze, "You're going to have to do much better than that," she stated playfully, before turning much more serious, "Either way, I need to take a look at it. Your bacta patch will need replacing too."
Jacen sighed, knowing this wasn't a fight he was going to win, and reluctantly nodded his head.
With that, Ahsoka stood up to pick up her backpack, then walked around to Jacen's side.
"Where are you injured?" she asked gently as she knelt besides him and opened up the bag.
"Just my back, and my ribs too, I think. Uh, you don't have to do this, I can check them myself later while you rest." Jacen stuttered as he quickly met her eyes.
"I know, but I want to help. Besides, I'll be able to see the damage more clearly from back here."
He remained silent, just nodding again in response. He slowly started to remove his jacket, then his shirt came next along with a quiet grimace. At first she thought it was due to the cold, but then she saw the source of the pain.
There was a deep gash in his back, surrounded by numerous smaller grazes and cuts. Luckily, the wound wasn't bleeding too badly, most of it having been soaked up in the back of his shirt. Nevertheless, it was still a mess and needed cleaning up.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked with a frustrated tone, inspecting the wound as best she could without causing any irritation.
He dropped his head with a sigh, "I- I don't know," he said with a grimace, "I didn't think it was bad. It doesn't hurt."
Ahsoka sighed as she shook her head, the sight before her pointing to the contrary.
She pulled the canteen of water from her backpack, once again rinsing the wound with fresh water to clean out any dirt that had gotten trapped inside. Luckily, she had been taught enough lessons by Kix to know how to dress a wound like this.
"It wouldn't have been any trouble, you know. You should have said you were in this much pain."
He kept his head down, choosing to just remain silent and allow Ahsoka to continue.
She then pulled out a fresh bacta patch and tentatively pressed it onto the wound. Her hand slipped however, placing on just a little too much pressure. His body immediately tensed and she heard him let out a painful wince.
"Sorry! My bad- eager hands." she whispered as she reminded herself to be even more careful. "This isn't really my area of expertise."
"Ah- Ahsoka- you're doing- amazing. " he muttered under heavy breaths.
Ahsoka allowed a small smile, despite being in her serious 'commander' mode.
She glanced over to his ribs, not noticing any obvious wounds that needed attention. She still needed to check for broken bones however.
"I- I, uh, need to check your ribs now." she stammered, feeling herself blush slightly at the thought of having to feel around more of his body.
"Okay." he murmured, slowly lifting his arm to allow her to inspect his side.
She couldn't help but feel a slight bit curious, having never seen him without his shirt on. He was in pretty good shape physically, with a quite toned body. She could feel her face heating up, and she knew that she needed to get this done quickly.
She checked over his ribs best she could, as with no sophisticated equipment at hand she could only trust her instincts and what she could actually feel with her hands. Luckily nothing felt broken, and she was actually quite proud of how she had cleaned him up.
"You should have told me earlier," she repeated, briefly making eye contact again, "If we went back to the ship I could've gotten this cleaned up straight away."
"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't want to hold us up, and honestly I didn't realise how bad it was."
It was a poor excuse, as he was clearly in a lot of pain, but she allowed it to slide this once. It was thoughtful of him to try and continue on, although she would have happily stopped to patch him up had she known it was this bad.
Ahsoka checked over the ribs one last time, and then quickly applied a small amount of bacta spray to help with the healing. It would have to do for now, they could do a proper scan once they got back to the ship.
This time, she made sure to be prompt, not wanting to touch him for any longer than needed before things escalated too far.
"All done, just need to replace that bacta patch now." Ahsoka stated as she gently took a hold of his arm, peeling off the patch before he could try to object.
The wound had healed nicely, just as she had expected, although it would need a fresh one applied to ensure it remained free of infection. She pulled out a new patch and carefully placed it over the cut, being as gentle as she could this time to try and limit any discomfort.
Once again, she moved her hand quickly away once she was done, only for it to be intercepted this time by his firm grip.
Her shocked eyes met his intense gaze, brown eyes locked onto her own.
" Thank you ." he managed with a slight whisper, continuing to hold on to her arm.
She continued to stare back, her eyes unfaltered despite the sudden shock of contact, the two now sat closer than they had been in a long time.
His eyes were full of emotion, too much to tell and not helped by signs of fatigue. But she could feel clearer emotions through the force. A strange mix of doubt, pain, warmth and - hope?
She quickly broke eye contact, severing the connection as her muscles quickly tensed. He released his grip almost immediately due to her sudden discomfort, allowing Ahsoka to quickly get some much needed distance.
She stood up quickly, "You need to get some more rest, it's going to be a long and difficult climb."
"But it's my turn to take watch?"
"You need to let those wounds heal," she commanded firmly and somewhat coldly, "you need the rest more than I do."
With a sigh, he reluctantly nodded, "Alright, but only a little longer, you need to make sure you're well-rested too if we're going to make that climb."
With that, he trundled back to where he had found a relatively comfortable place to sleep, leaving Ahsoka to stare out at the horizon with her thoughts. Alone.
CORUSCANT - MINISTRY OF SCIENCE - COURTYARD
The vast amount of smoke rising from the Science Complex was one of the first things Obi-Wan noticed upon exiting the one of the many large underworld ventilation shafts that led straight to the surface.
Speeding towards the landing zone, or at least what was left of it, he could make out the silhouettes of his 212th Division. At least he could always trust Cody to be timely and well organised, the Commander having already secured a landing zone for his General and any additional reinforcements.
Almost carelessly landing the air speeder next to a Republic Gunship, Obi-Wan quickly jumped onto the ground below and unclipped his lightsaber from his utility belt as he made his way towards Cody, armed with his usual DC-15 rifle.
Oranged armoured troopers from the 212th had already raised their weapons and begun combatting the small droid force in the complex. The Clones were unleashing an unholy amount of firepower upon the helpless B1's, tearing them to shreds. The only resistance that seemed to be much of a threat now were a dozen Commando Droids entrenched in the damaged walls of the Complex.
"Push forward men, I'll draw their fire!" Obi-Wan shouted as he ignited his saber, instantly jumping into the frontlines to draw any fire towards him. The Master at Soresu, he was able to deflect the blaster bolts with relative ease, slowly drawing the Commando Droids out of their cover as they focused their attention on Kenobi.
"Concentrate your fire on the nearest droid!" Cody ordered the moment the droids were out of cover. An overly eager rookie, Hazard, quickly stood up from cover with his Z-6 Rotary Cannon, bringing the droids down one by one, quickly joined by the other troopers who began to unleash fire on the Commando Droids.
It wasn't long before the droids were turned into scrap metal, the victorious Clones emerging from their cover and forming up beside Obi-Wan.
"General." Cody stated formally, snapping to a quick salute. "We arrived as soon as we could, Sir. We weren't expecting such strong resistance."
"Indeed," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, "it's most intriguing how this many droids were able to infiltrate the facility unnoticed." He then attached his lightsaber back onto his hilt, "Were you able to contact the Council for support?"
"Yes, Sir, but I'm not sure if our transmission went through. I believe we're being jammed from the central spire over there." the Commander replied, pointing towards the tower in the middle of the Complex.
"Well, we'll have to make use of what forces we have. We can't afford to let those Kyber crystals fall into Seperatist hands."
With a nod, Cody ordered his men behind him, and the small fireteam began to make their way into the Complex.
It was just a small squad, mostly made up of veterans from the war. Boil was probably the most experienced after Cody, closely followed by Crys, the team medic. Trapper and Wooley were also among the more experienced Clones in the team, them both having survived Ryloth and the second battle for Geonosis.
There were also three rookies among them, Razor, Hazard and Sparrow, the three of them having just been freshly transferred to the legion from Kamino. Despite being fresh to the field, Cody had high hopes for them, as they had all excelled at their training.
"How could droids have infiltrated Coruscant so easily?" Boil questioned, disgust in his voice as he kicked a shattered droid body on the floor.
"You would've thought we would have learned to tighten security after the last attack." Crys said bitterly as the group walked by clone bodies on the floor.
"Enough small talk." Cody interrupted coldly, "I need you all on high alert. There could be an ambush waiting for us at any moment."
"I agree," Obi-Wan said, "I think it's best if we split into teams. Cody, take some men to scout the perimeter for more droids. I'll take the rest to the central spire and secure the crystals."
"Sir." Cody acknowledged with a nod, "Trapper, Boil, Hazard, you're with the general. Rest of you form up on me. We'll regroup here at twenty-three hundred."
Obi-Wan's Team
"Sir, I might have established a connection with the fleet, but it's still weak." Trapper stated as he adjusted his commlink, the other attempts having been unsuccessful.
"Very good, try and put us through." Obi-Wan replied as his small fireteam continued to walk towards the central spire. Luckily, they hadn't encountered any more resistance yet, with the remaining droids most likely garrisoned inside.
"I have the admiral on the line, I'm patching you through now, Sir."
"General Kenobi? Do you read me?" came the stoic voice of Admiral Block, Obi-Wan's Fleet Commander aboard the Vigilance.
"Yes Admiral, I read you. What's the situation?"
An audible sigh came down the comms, "It appears we've been attacked, but to what extent is still unknown."
"Certain districts have been assaulted simultaneously, either with explosive devices or small forces of elite droids. The Coruscant Guard are regaining control of the situation, but we're gaining reports of small skirmishes breaking out in the streets." Admiral Block continued, "I am dispatching more units across these regions to maintain control and order, as the civilian casualties may be quite high. Evacuations are underway, but it will be hard to move so many civilians at once."
"That's not good, not good at all." Kenobi muttered, "What regions have been attacked?"
"So far, just the Eastern Spaceport and Senate Complex, as well as the Science Centre you are currently stationed at. We've lost communications with the Judiciary Detention Centre too, and we're still trying to regain a signal."
"They're attacking the prison too? What would they want to achieve from that?" Hazard whispered to Trapper, earning a punch in the shoulder from Boil.
"You don't think the droids are trying to liberate criminals do you?" Boil asked sarcastically, quieting down due to a glance from the General.
"Admiral, dispatch some troops to secure the prison at once." Obi-Wan said as he began to walk again with haste, "and I need to speak to the Jedi Council urgently."
"Of course, General, I'll put you through." Block replied as the comms crackled to a halt, not long to be replaced with the voice of Windu.
"Obi-Wan, I trust you've secured the crystals by now?"
"Working on it," Obi-Wan replied, "although I might need more reinforcements to safely escort them to a secondary facility. It appears the Chancellor's plan has gotten out!"
The group came to a stop outside the Spire, Boil running straight to the control panel to try and get the door open.
"Indeed. I'm on my way to the Senate Complex now to secure the area, so you'll have to make do with the troops you have until I can reinforce you." Mace replied, the connection faltering.
"Sir, I'm losing the signal," Trapper grunted, frantically adjusting the comms to maintain the connection.
"Mace, there's something dark at work here, and I believe the crystals are a part of the equation. We need reinforcements immediately!" Obi-Wan explained, despite knowing he would have to wait. As important as the crystals were, defending the lives of civilians took priority above all else.
"I'll see what...can do…will send...to your location if-" Mace stammered as the connection began to fail.
"I've lost him." Trapper said with a defeated tone, "I'll try to regain the signal."
"Don't bother, he's aware of our situation. We're on our own for now."
Obi-Wan then turned to Boil and Hazard, who were appearing to be having some difficulties with the door.
"No, that one goes there!" Boil argued, pushing the rookie out of the way as he moved one of the panel wires with little success.
Hazard cursed under his breath, "Di'kut, I told you that wasn't going to work!"
Boil gave him an annoyed glance, causing Hazard to feel a little guilty "N'eparavu takisit."
With a sigh, Boil stood up from the panel, "Trapper, I need you to slice this panel for us-"
"No need Vod, this will be much quicker." Hazard stated as he pulled out a thermal detonator.
"Counter-offer." Obi-Wan said with a slight hint of frustration as he used the force on the control panel, causing the door to slowly open. Despite the helmet, Boil's mocking look hadn't gone unnoticed, and Hazard's shoulders dropped in disappointment.
"Relax, Vod." Trapper said as he patted his brother on the back, "You can destroy the door next time."
The revealed corridor was in a different state to what Obi-Wan had previously seen. The lights were out, giving an eerie and mysterious vibe to all the Clones, even unsettling Kenobi slightly.
Obi-Wan unclipped his lightsaber, igniting it. He raised it towards the darkness, mainly as a light source, but also as a form of defence. There were probably more droids hiding in here, or possibly something much, much worse. The Clones also turned on their headlights as they raised their weapons towards the darkness before them.
"You think there's anything in here, Sir?" Hazard asked the question that was on everyones' mind.
"I'm not sure. I'm sensing something. Stay on high alert, but remember, there could still be some Clones in here so check your fire."
"Copy that, so no explosives Hazard." Boil replied smugly.
Hazard gave him a punch to the shoulder, not afraid of the veterans like some rookies were, "Ne'johaa!"
As the group delved deeper into the facility, the sense of dread only increased among the troopers. Whilst they were bred for war, there weren't many Clones that actually enjoyed night-ops. They were often the cause of many casualties due to ambushes, often not helped by many Jedis' open approach tactics. That was especially true here, with almost no cover if they were to be attacked.
"Trapper, try contacting Cody for support." Obi-Wan said with a slight hint of trepidation, "Perhaps he'll be able to- behind you!"
Before the Clones had even had a chance to react, their General had quickly jumped to protect their flank, deflecting a series of red bolts that would have otherwise been lethal.
The element of surprise lost, the Commando droids quickly began to retreat, but Obi-Wan got to them first. He carved through them like a knife through cake, turning the droids into scrap metal within a few swift strikes.
"Thanks General," Trapper exclaimed breathlessly, having literally just dodged death. "Vor entye."
Obi-Wan didn't have time to respond due to more Commando droids charging at them, however this time they had lost the advantage. The Clones ran to the sides of the walls, trying to get as much cover as possible as Obi-Wan leaped to the front again to try and draw their fire.
Hazard was able to miss multiple bolts just in time, "Jehavey'ir!"
"Take them down! Tra'cyar mav!" Boil shouted as they filled the corridor with a series of blue lasers, quickly answered by the droids returning fire.
Boil's first shots had found their target, bringing down one of the Commando droids almost immediately, only for it to quickly reassemble.
"They're magnetised!" Trapper yelled, "Focus fire or we'll never bring them down!"
Two stray blaster bolts landed close to Trapper's head, bringing his attention back towards the entrance, "Watch our flank, they're behind us again."
Not wanting his men to get caught in the cross-fire, Obi-Wan jumped to cover their flank, allowing the Clones to continue firing on the droids deeper in the hallway.
"I'll deal with this!" Hazard yelled, the heat of the battle blocking his judgement as he jumped out of cover, "Cover me!"
" Trooper, have you lost your mind! " Boil shouted, quickly firing back at the Commando droids as Hazard charged up his rotary cannon.
Trapper joined Boil in providing covering fire, "Jare'la! Get back to cover!"
Able to unleash an unrelenting amount of firepower on the droids, Hazard quickly knocked them down one at a time, filling the hallway with blue light. Unable to contain himself and the excitement of the moment, he continued pushing on, chasing down the remaining droids despite the others' crying for him to slow down.
But it was too late, as a rogue blaster bolt found its mark, striking him straight in the chest and bringing the trooper down.
"Hazard!" Trapper screamed, unleashing more fire on the remaining droids.
Obi-Wan, having been successful in defeating the droids on his side, quickly turned his attention to the limp body of the fallen Clone.
"Kadale! Baar'ur! He needs help!" Boil shouted to Kenobi.
"Form up on me! Sword and Shield!" Obi-Wan ordered, the two Clones quickly taking cover behind their General.
"Copy that, focus fire." Boil muttered as the two executed the Sword and Shield mannoveur, a tactic able to make use of the Clones' firepower and the defensive capabilities of a Jedi.
The remaining few droids quickly fell one by one, the short skirmish ending in a victory for the small squad. However there were no celebrations, as Trapper quickly rushed to Hazard's side, closely followed by Obi-Wan and Boil.
"How is he?" Obi-Wan asked first, immediately concerned for his trooper.
"Sir, it's pretty bad. I'm no medic but I've seen enough wounds to know a fatal one. He needs immediate medical care."
Boil sighed as he knelt beside the fallen Clone, "Di'kut, what were you thinking?"
Hazard only let out a weak grunt in response, a clear sign his condition was worsening.
Obi-Wan stroked his beard, an ever-so-slight feeling that they didn't have time for this delay. As important as the health of his men was to him, the Kyber crystals were still the current priority. If they were stolen by the Separatists, the damage done could be more catastrophic than any other war in Galactic History. Especially if they managed to weaponise them.
"Try contacting Cody, we need Crys over here to properly assess the damage." Boil commanded, gaining a nod from the General.
"Agreed. Trapper, Boil, I need you both to stay here until Cody has arrived. Make sure Hazard gets the medical attention he needs."
"But Sir, what about you? You'll need our help." Boil answered quickly, standing up.
"I can deal with this. We can't leave him on his own." Obi-Wan said as he motioned to a quickly worsening Hazard, "Get to extraction, and see to it that we receive reinforcements as soon as possible."
Boil hesitated, but then relented, knowing the General's orders were final. "Yes Sir, we'll reinforce you as soon as we can."
"Good man, and may the force be with you." Obi-Wan replied with a slight bow of the head in respect, before running deeper into the facility knowing that there was now no time to waste.
ANAKIN'S FLAGSHIP (RESOLUTE II) - REX'S QUARTERS
Rex sat alone in his bunk, helmet off and in his hands. He stared into the visor, his reflection staring right back at him with tired eyes. The battle at Ringo Vinda had been tough, and this was one that Rex would be happy to put behind him.
They had lost so many, it was almost surreal.
But then Rex would snap back to reality, as he always would, knowing that this was the purpose of the Clones. His purpose.
'We're just expendable .' he thought to himself, immediately feeling an overwhelming sense of shame.
General Skywalker had been a great leader, and dare he say, a friend . But despite his full confidence in his Commanding Officer, he couldn't help but question his own purpose in all of this.
Sure, he was safe now. He was provided with food, somewhere to sleep, and a small amount of credits to spend at 79's whenever himself and the boys ended up on Coruscant.
But what about when the war was over. What would happen to the Clones? What would happen to him?
He dropped his helmet, it hitting the steel floor with a thud. He couldn't help the tears that slowly formed in his eyes, allowing them to drop down his face for a few seconds before reluctantly wiping the small streams away with his hand.
His thoughts dwelled on Tup, one of his closest brothers. What would happen to him now? Even if a cause for his aggression was found, it didn't mean he was safe. The Kaminoans would likely conduct tests on him, or he would be court martialed and executed for murdering a superior. Rex wasn't sure which was worse, but the thought of losing another brother brought more tears to his eyes.
Suddenly, his beeping commlink snapped Rex back into reality, picking up his helmet and placing it firmly back on his head. He cleared his throat, then answered the comm.
"Captain Rex here." he stated quietly, a slight groan in his voice.
"Sir, the General is asking for you. He's on the Bridge."
"I'll be right there." Rex answered swiftly, ending the call.
'Di'kut!' he thought to himself. He was late to the briefing.
He took a deep breath, and then exited his quarters to go and meet the General.
By the time Rex had arrived, Anakin had already started the briefing and was huddled around the holotable with several Clones from both the 501st and Doom's Squad. Commander Doom himself was there, giving Rex a wry smile as the Captain removed his helmet. It wasn't like Rex to be late, something he would no doubt be questioned on.
"...and the entire system is now under Republic control due to your bravery on the field." Anakin continued, giving a brief customary nod to Rex as he walked in, "As a precaution, the Council has ordered to leave a garrison to ensure the planet remains safe from any further droid skirmishes. This will be overseen by Commander Appo, who will maintain security until a separate division can be assigned for this task."
Rex couldn't help but sigh at the mention of 'Commander', the role having been long in the hands of Ahsoka beforehand. Due to his heroics and natural leadership at the battle of Umbara, Appo had been promoted to Commander after Ahsoka resigned from the military. However, Rex still held more authoritative power, still commanding the entire legion. Appo was now more of a 'back-up' Captain.
The change of emotion in Rex's features didn't go unnoticed either, with Doom giving the Captain a questioning look.
"I'll see that it's done, Sir." Appo replied with a firm nod, placing his helmet back on, "I'll prepare my men now if that will be all?"
"Very good, Commander, take a full company with you as well as whatever heavy weapons we have left, just in case."
Appo left with a nod, taking some men with him and allowing Rex to step closer to the table. Anakin met his eyes briefly, clearly noticing the hurt in them over the 'Commander issue'.
"Sorry I'm late, General. I got caught up with some reports." Rex muttered, avoiding Skywalker's piercing eyes.
"Don't apologise, Rex. You didn't miss much. We're being redeployed to Coruscant immediately."
"Can't wait." Doom muttered quietly, not exactly excited at the thought.
"At least we should get an update on Tup soon," Jesse said, breaking the slightly awkward silence that had followed, "Then we can all drink some Tihaar in 79's just like we used to! You joining us, General?"
"Not this time, I've got to report to the Council. " Anakin replied with a hesitant sigh, "Jesse, you need to prepare yourself for the chance that Tup might not- well , might be absent for some time."
"The General's right, Jesse." Rex agreed, "We're still not sure what happened down there."
"But we know Tup!" Jesse argued, "He wouldn't willingly kill a Jedi! We all saw him, what he was like! Something was controlling him, and it had to be a virus! "
"Then I'll do my best to speak on his behalf to the Council," Anakin replied, "Although I can't guarantee it will work out like you're hoping it will."
"Thank you, General. But I'm telling you, Tup wouldn't do that willingly."
With that, Jesse left with more of the Clones, leaving behind Rex and Doom, the latter being deep in thought.
"General Skywalker, if I may, what will happen to myself and my men?" Doom asked with a slight hint of fear in his voice. The last thing he wanted was to be put on maintenance duty from losing almost an entire Clone division.
"Relax, Commander, I'm not going to have you sweeping the streets of Coruscant." Anakin replied with a laugh, having clearly read his mind. "Although- I can't guarantee your current position." he said slowly.
"I fully understand, Sir, any demotion would be well justified." Doom replied formally.
"Not a demotion - but , there aren't enough Clones left under your command to continue as a separate division." the General continued slowly.
"Sir, I don't understand your meaning?"
"I'm going to request to the Council that the remaining Clones in your unit, yourself included, are transferred to the 501st. You will continue as a Commander of your division, but will act under my command as a, well , more of a special forces unit. Only if you agree of course?"
"Sir, I'm- overwhelmed! I would be honoured to accept. Vor'e." Doom replied, glancing at Rex who was offering his hand. Doom shook it firmly, smiling at the Captain.
"Welcome to the 501st, Vod." Rex said, returning the smile.
"Hold on, let's not get too excited here. The Council has to accept this first" Anakin said with a laugh, "Although I'm sure I would be able to use some influence with the Chancellor if I need to."
"Thank you General!" Doom exclaimed, now shaking Anakin's hand.
"My pleasure, your talents will be invaluable to the legion. Go and inform your men, I'd like to have a word with my Captain."
"At once, Sir." Doom said with a nod, giving Rex another smile as he walked away from the table.
There was a short silence, as Anakin just simply stared at his Captain, who had now started to become more unlike himself again.
"Rex, are you okay? It's not like you to forget about a briefing. If there's anything I can do to help?"
The Captain sighed, then finally regained his composure, "Thank you Sir, but I'm fine, just lost track of time that's all."
"You sure?" Anakin probed, "It can stay between us."
Rex hesitated, "Sir- I just, was thinking about Tup, and- uh- Commander Tano." he said quietly, "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
Anakin nodded, allowing Rex to continue, "I just feel as though it's wrong to have a new Commander. What if she comes back?"
Anakin sighed, continuing to look directly at his Captain, not wanting to show weakness at the mention of Ahsoka, "Rex, I know it's hard to accept, and trust me I'm still struggling myself. But- she's not coming back, Rex."
Rex closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath, "I know Sir, but a part of me is just hoping that maybe, just maybe, we might be wrong."
Putting on his helmet to hide the tears forming in his eyes, Rex gave a slight nod of the head to his General, before leaving the bridge to get some much needed space.
FLORRUM - HONDO'S COMPOUND - BAR
Hondo Ohnaka sat with his legs up, drink in hand. Today was a good day for himself and his crew. They'd hit a stroke of luck recently, having intercepted a small freighter carrying an impressive hold of cargo.
Pure, unrefined spice, as well as a small armoury of military grade weapons. A fine haul that would no doubt bring in a good profit. And his men had captured that rotten Ithorian, which would hopefully follow up with the Kyber crystals he had been so desperately after. Just one of those things would raise his reputation and wealth to what it used to be, but this was a crate full. A whole crate!
Hondo relaxed in his chair as he took a large drink from his Pirate Brew, only to be interrupted by one of his lackeys.
"Cap'n, one of the sensors in the vent system was just triggered," the Weequay spoke into Hondo's ear, "and the systems are showing two lifeforms inside."
Hondo let out a sigh, standing up from his seat. "Why does something always have to spoil my mood?"
"What should we do, Cap'n?" a pirate asked as more Weequay started to gather around their leader.
"They're after the prisoner. Set up an ambush for them, but remember, I want them alive. "
15 Minutes earlier
The climb so far had been manageable at best. Ahsoka, far more experienced in situations like this, had naturally taken the lead with Jacen following just behind.
"You hanging in there?" Ahsoka asked, trying to keep as quiet as possible. There was no telling if there were any sentries guarding the top of the cliff.
She panicked a moment due to his slow response, but glancing below her briefly settled her mind. He was still there, but clearly terrified.
"Yeah- I'm, uh, still here." he said, glancing down to the ground far below him, "For now at least."
"Not much further to go, just follow my lead."
Ahsoka carefully tested each rock before putting her full weight on it. Free climbing had never been something she had particularly enjoyed, especially when it was like this. Their vision had been limited due to the darkness of the night, and the rocks weren't exactly stable. What made it worse was the fact she was absolutely exhausted .
She'd allowed Jacen to have all the rest, stubbornly taking up watch for the entire time they had set up camp. He'd been angry with her at first, but at least his condition had improved. He needed the rest far more than she did.
She was snapped back to reality at the sound of breaking rocks, and quickly looked back towards Jacen.
He didn't even have time to react, the rocks breaking as he tried to vault himself up, sending him into a quick descent to what would be certain death.
"Woah- what's...happening?" he asked between pants for breath, realising that he was now floating in the air.
Glancing up to Ahsoka, he saw her with an arm outstretched. She was visibly straining however, having to hold onto the cliff with one hand whilst holding all of his weight with the other.
"I've- got you." she stuttered breathlessly as she pulled him back towards the rocks, letting go with a deep sigh of relief the moment he'd established a grip again, "That was close."
"Wow, I- how did you even-" he trailed off, trying to catch his breath, "Thank you."
"Looks like you owe me again." she replied with a smile, "C'mon, we're almost there now."
The rest of the climb went by without incident, mainly due to the pair being far more cautious.
Ahsoka was the first to reach the top, immediately laying down to help haul Jacen up. He grabbed her hand firmly as she pulled him up, laying down on his back the moment he was on solid ground again.
"That- could have been a lot worse." he muttered in between erratic breaths, "Let's not do that again."
Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh, "Was it really that bad? I mean, apart from you nearly falling, I'd say it was pretty fun!"
"Fun?! We've still got to get Kendar out of there! Now that will be the fun part."
The two sat back up, Jacen wincing slightly as he got back on his feet.
"You okay?" Ahsoka asked, back into 'Commander' mode.
"Yeah, it's nothing, let's keep moving." Jacen replied quickly, ending the conversation there. He moved towards one of the ventilation shafts, Ahsoka not far behind.
"Hopefully we should be able to just slide down one of those," he said, pointing towards a vent, "then we can extract Kendar, maybe stealing one of the pirate ships to make an escape?"
"Sounds like a plan," Ahsoka said enthusiastically, "just remember, we don't want to be noticed. No blasting anyone unless we absolutely have to."
Jacen smiled, checking his blasters had the safety switched on, "Don't worry about me, let's just get Kendar and then get out of here as quickly as we can."
Having been able to find a control panel for the vent, the two had managed to slip inside, leading them into the core of the complex. Luckily, the vent was just large enough for them to navigate inside as Ahsoka led the way through the maze of corridors.
"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Jacen whispered as he followed closely behind her on his hands and knees. He couldn't help but feel heated up at the position they were in, with a direct view of her rear side. He tried to focus on the floor below him instead, not wanting to get distracted right now.
"I'm not sure, I'm losing the connection I had." she whispered back as they continued through the vent.
"Connection?"
"The force. I could feel him just then, but I've lost it now. I don't think he's in this area anymore."
Jacen sighed as he hit his head on the top of the vent for what must have been the tenth time now, "I don't think I can do this much longer, I'm too tall."
"Don't worry, there's a hatch just ahead. We'll continue down below, but remember to stay quiet." she murmured, pushing open the hatch and dropping down to the floor below, taking a brief look around. "It's clear!"
Jacen dropped soon after, pulling out his blasters, "Should we split up?"
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, we should- wait, get down."
She quickly pulled Jacen to the side, pressing him firmly against her as they leaned into the wall, shortly before two Weequay pirates walked into the corridor.
"What do you think this prisoner is worth?" one of them began as they started to walk down the hallway.
"No idea, but Hondo seems to think it's gonna be our biggest score yet!"
"He said that about the last job, but look how that turned out."
"Well I have high hopes for this one, I've never seen the Cap'n so worked up about something."
"Why'd he move that stinkin' Ithorian to the old cells anyway. Should've just ransomed him off straight away."
"Guess he was just bored of waiting for the contacts to show up, but it won't be long until the torturers break him for the information, then all that wealth will be ours! "
The two Weequay started to chuckle as they walked straight past Ahsoka and Jacen, their voices fading as they walked through another corridor.
Ahsoka let go of him almost immediately after, her skin turning a darker orange when she met his eyes, "We need to keep moving, Kendar might not have long left."
"Yeah, but where do we go?"
Ahsoka reached out to the force, but there was nothing . "If I remember correctly, I think the prison cells are this way." she said, pointing towards the corridor the pirates had previously emerged from.
The pair sprinted down the corridor without delay, Ahsoka taking the lead as they crossed through numerous doors and hallways. Eventually, they came to an area that somewhat resembled a prison room.
The damage from Grievous' attack had pretty much destroyed the majority of Hondo's base. However, the prison hallway had been able to remain mostly intact, apart from some damage to a couple of the cells.
"He's in here." Ahsoka said briefly, motioning towards a cell with a closed door.
Jacen quickly stepped towards it, "Right, I'll get to work on the panel. Cover me."
"Don't be too long."
Ahsoka cautiously looked around both sides of the hallway. They were clear, for now at least. Luckily, Jacen didn't take too long at the door.
"I've got it- I think," he said hesitantly as he pressed some controls.
The door slowly started to open, and Ahsoka peered inside. "I can see him," she whispered, "let's get him outta here before another patrol shows up."
She briskly walked inside the cell towards Kendar, only for a rapid red beam to enclose around her, stopping her in her tracks.
Ahsoka hit her fist on the energy wall, "Ray shield."
"Quite right, my dear."
Ahsoka turned around, coming face to face with none other than Hondo himself.
" Hondo, " she almost growled, noticing that they had captured Jacen and were holding him at gunpoint, "let us go at once!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know I can't do that, Ahsoka. Besides, this isn't the first time you have tried to deprive me of something that is rightfully mine!"
Ahsoka stepped closer towards the ray shield, pressing her finger against the energy wall, "The crystals are not yours to take."
"Enough of this, are we not friends . All I want is my Kyber crystals, and you can be on your way."
"Sure thing," Jacen interrupted as he struggled against the grip of one of the pirates, "they're on our ship. Let us go, and we'll bring them back for you."
Hondo shook his head as he focused on Jacen, "You know, I find that very hard to believe. Tell me, why would you be sneaking around the ventilation shafts if you had planned to go through with our deal. Now that isn't profitable for anybody ."
"Hondo!" Ahsoka shouted somewhat aggressively, regaining his attention, "If the Republic hears of this, they'll shut down your little operation here for sure! You've overstepped the line this time around!"
"A threat? You're not in a position to be making threats to me, young one." Hondo chuckled to himself. "Well, if you don't have the crystals with you, then I'm sure I'll be able to ransom you off for a good price. I have many contacts that would pay very good credits for a Jedi, a live one at that!"
"Well then you're out of luck, because I left the Jedi Order. Looks like you'll be out of pocket, again. "
Hondo just simply shook his head again, "I'm afraid that changes nothing, my dear. A very young and beautiful Togruta such as yourself will still fetch a high price on the slave market. Even more so without the risk of Jedi interference."
Jacen kicked against the pirate at that statement, breaking loose from his grip, only to be quickly beaten back down by the other Weequay marauders. "You can't do this." he grunted as he was knocked to the floor.
"I'm afraid I can, my boy. I gave you a chance, yet you tried to cross me! Hondo! "
Ohnaka then looked towards his crew, "Take him to a cell, and make sure he's… comfortable ."
"No!" Ahsoka yelled as she pushed against the ray shield, only to be knocked down to the floor.
"Ahsoka-" he trailed off due to another hit from a baton, knocking him unconscious. The pirates roughly dragged the body away, leaving a small trail of blood behind, something that made Ahsoka furious and terrified at the same time.
She stood back up, staring Hondo in the eyes with a newfound anger, "If you hurt him..."
"That all depends on you . Do as you're told, and the boy will live." Hondo interrupted, before pressing a button on his wrist pad.
Electricity charged through Ahsoka's body, bringing her to a whole new level of pain. She screamed and fell, her vision beginning to fade as she hit the hard, steel floor.
