Chapter 2 - "The Mission"

The six clones came to a stop outside the airbase. Jesse lowered his DC-15A, glancing over his shoulder to Jak. "Contact Hawk," he barked as Lash and Wick shouldered their blasters, dropping to their knees to secure the area. Jak nodded, lifting up his comlink to try and reach the squad's evac.

Calex drew close to Jesse, glancing around nervously. "What next, sir?"

"Mission's pretty much done now," Jesse replied with a shrug. "Hawk will pick us up and drop us off at the staging area, where we'll rendezvous with the general and Captain Rex. Then we'll get our next orders and carry them out." He could see Calex shift a little and answered before he could even ask. "No, I don't have any idea what our next mission is. Probably just finish taking the capitol with the main force."

Calex nodded and turned back as Jak approached. "I just contacted Hawk, sir. He's inbound on the gunship now."

"Good." Jesse turned and moved towards Wick, flanked by Calex, Jak, and the sixth man of the squad, Korto. "Anything?"

"Negative. At least, nothing out of the ordinary. No droids marching, no techs. Honestly, it's a little unsettling. There's no movement." A brief pause, then, "Almost like we're all alone here."

A distant explosion thundered, and Jesse chuckled. "Then emthat /embrings you back to the war."

Wick nodded absentmindedly, before clanking of metal sounded behind the troopers. "That isn't good," Lash muttered, turning around with his blaster in hand. "Behind us!" he shouted, and the clones all whirled around.

Two platoons of battle droids were exiting the airbase corridor, blasters gripped tightly in their clawed hands. "Look, clones!" the lead droid, a sergeant marked in green, announced. "Blast them!"

Before the droids could open fire, the clones squeezed the triggers of their blasters, filling the air with blue laserfire. The blasts tore through the first row of droids, including the sergeant. With shrieks the droids popped apart, stray limbs adorning the deck. "Find cover!" Jesse yelled, backing away as he fired repeatedly with his carbine. More droids collapsed before they realized it was in their best interest to also seek cover from their enemies' fire. The droids backed away until the laser blasts became scarcer, and fewer droids fell.

"That evac better get here soon," Wick yelled, "or else there'll be nothing left to save!"

Jesse couldn't agree more. Peeking from behind cover, the squad leader opened fire. Two more droids fell before another peeked out, firing wildly. One stray shot caught Lash in the arm. Grunting in pain, he doubled over, gripping the pocked armor and examining it. "How bad is it?" Jesse asked, dropping down on his knees and glancing in Lash's direction.

"Not too bad," he got out, peeling the plate back. The body glove beneath was broken and the skin scorched, but Jesse had seen much, much worse.

"Yeah, Kix can fix that up with a bacta patch back at camp." Giving the trooper a nod, Jesse added, "You'll be fine."

Lash responded with a nod of his own, before he glanced up. "Look, sir-our evac has arrived."

Jesse turned around to catch sight of a LAAT gunship hovering over the empty landing pad. "Good old Hawk," he muttered with a grin. "All right, men, ready up. Get onto that gunship!"

Jesse climbed back to his feet and opened fire at the droids, buying his men time to move towards the gunship. The LAAT settled down on the pad and the doors opened, revealing four blue-striped 501st Legion clone troopers. Blaster rifles clutched tightly, the troopers opened fire, and one of the droids screamed something before his head was blasted off. Calex helped Lash to the gunship first, covered by Jak, who was providing fire as he moved slowly behind his two brothers. Then Wick and Korto moved behind them, and Jesse finished the escape, climbing into the gunship. "All aboard!" one of the troopers manning the gunship shouted into the ship's comm, and the doors latched closed.

"Wick," Jesse said, causing the clone in question to glance up.

"Sir?"

"Do your thing." Wick let out a chuckle as he reached to his belt and removed the detonator's trigger, squeezing it hard. An explosion sounded in the not-so-distant airbase, and they heard a whistle through the comm.

"Beautiful sight, boys," the pilot Hawk's voice sounded.

Jesse let out a breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief, as the other troopers spoke amongst themselves. Letting his blaster dangle at his side, Jesse reached up with his left hand and removed the helmet over his head, revealing a face that bore the same Republic emblem as his helmet, albeit positioned slightly different. "Tough fight, huh?" the rescuing trooper asked, lowering his blaster.

"Yeah," Jesse said softly, looking at his men. "Tough fight."

Once Hawk had landed the gunship, the troopers had spilled out, dispersing in different directions. Korto and Calex helped Lash to the medical center, where he would be treated by the Republic medical droids on the scene. Jesse dismissed Wick and Jak to the mess hall, their barracks, or wherever they needed to go before he made his way to the command center. Inside, hunched over a holotable displaying a blue-hued map of the Devaronian capitol, were Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex, his helmet removed and cradled under his right arm.

"General Skywalker," Jesse greeted, nodding to Rex. "Captain."

"Jesse," Rex responded with a nod. "Welcome back."

"I trust the mission went well?" Anakin asked, arms crossed.

"Yes, sir. We destroyed the airbase, with no casualties. Lash was blasted in the arm, but he's being patched up." Placing his helmet on a bench, Jesse glanced over, arching an eyebrow. "How about your mission?"

Anakin and Rex exchanged a glance before Rex spoke up. "It . . . could have gone better."

Oh. "I see. What's our next move then?"

It was Anakin who took over for Rex. "Rex and I will lead the 501st back to the main capitol. General Kenobi is pushing along another route, and he should supply us with fresh troops. The 212th will give us a good shot at taking the capitol from the Separatists."

"Your mission is different, however," Rex cut in. "You'll take a small squad to a neighboring city. A few Devaronians have decided the conflict is a good enough cover to allow them the time they need to become their own personal warlords. One of them, some revolutionary named Gor Salax, has taken over this city and led an attack on one of our patrols. Killed 'em all. He's taken the locals all captive, and we need to get in there, free the locals, and dispatch Salax-in any way that is presented to you."

Jesse nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Who'll be going with me?"

"Kix and four other troopers will join you and the men who helped you destroy the airbase. That is, assuming they did their job well?"

"Very well. Aside from a few attitude adjustments, I'd say they're all great soldiers." At the mention of "attitude adjustments," a grin split Rex's lips.

"I take it that'd be Wick?"

"You know it, sir."

Anakin gestured to both clones. "Look, you two can hash out your theories on adjusting Wick's attitude later. Right now we've got a battle to win." Grinning, he turned to Jesse. "Kix is waiting for you at the medbay. I think he's patching up your injured man."

"Understood, General Skywalker. We'll keep you posted," Jesse replied, clamping his helmet over his head and turning on his heel, striding from the command center.