Rex spun his blaster around one finger and holstered it with a sharp click. "Let's move out," he said. "Generals Skywalker and Secura are somewhere at the south end of the main road, Fourth District."
"Yeah?" Jesse stood up, fastening his left vambrace. "Let's hope they stay there long enough for us to join them."
Rex gave him an unimpressed look, even though he'd been thinking exactly the same thing, and turned to the medbay door. "Kix! Let's go!"
The medic appeared, properly kitted up in full armor and reading a datapad. He walked straight to the barracks entrance and out the door without acknowledging the existence of either of his teammates.
Putting his helmet on, Rex asked, "Is he catching up on reading some sort of . . . medical . . . thing?"
"No, sir. He's been debating with a few of the other chief medics all day. They're trying to come to a solution over some problem or other, I guess."
Well, that was all well and good, Rex thought, except when he was supposed to be on a mission.
When they reached the speeder, the medic, who had already climbed into the back seat, leaned forward. "Remind me why I was picked for this team, Rex."
"Because there are Jedi on some sort of stakeout in the streets of Coruscant." Rex looked straight ahead, careful not to watch as Jesse pulled out into the unending flow of traffic. "And, more specifically, because General Skywalker is one of those Jedi."
Instead of acknowledging Rex's very valid point, Kix huffed. "What streets?"
"Once we get out of the city center, there are streets." Rex watched the route for a couple of minutes, then said, "Jesse, take the next left."
"Right."
Rex reached over to smack him upside the helmet, and the corporal snickered and ducked away.
Within a quarter of an hour, they'd reached the Fourth District. Jesse parked in a narrow alley between two tall buildings, Rex pinged the general his location, and the three clones piled out.
When there was no immediate communication incoming, Rex peered out from the shelter of the building to his left. General Skywalker hadn't given any details. Saying "we found them" and giving a vague location was not what Rex would term a proper mission briefing. Truth be told, he didn't understand why the two Jedi were even on a mission during what was supposed to be leave. Sure, Aayla Secura had said something about chasing down a drug runner for Fox, and Anakin had offered to join her – but that second part was what was so unusual. Usually General Skywalker didn't hang around the Temple when the 501st was on Coruscant. Usually, he vanished within four seconds of his feet hitting the landing platform . . . and Rex had a suspicion as to why.
Of course, Rex thought sanctimoniously, he was only guessing. Those theories he'd heard were just rumors. There were always rumors, but he would never believe that the fact that Senator Amidala was off-world had anything to do with the fact that his general was so bored that he offered to take up a stake-out mission. . . something he usually despised.
Okay, maybe Rex did believe the rumors a little . . . a lot . . .
"So, Captain," said Jesse, apropos of absolutely nothing. "The boys have a betting pool going. Want me to put you in?"
"What's the gamble?" Rex said, still watching the street for any sign of life.
"Senator Amidala's scheduled to return here two days before our leave is up. The bet is whether or not General Skywalker will go from haunting the barracks and playing cards with us to full-on disappearing."
Inwardly, Rex signed himself up for an easy win of about twelve grand. Outwardly, he scolded, "Gambling about your superiors, Jesse?"
"Yes, sir," Jesse said factually. "The guys in the Three-Twenty-Seventh say we're just a bunch of old-women gossips, and we're going to prove them wrong."
Kix typed something out and continued to ignore them.
"Yeah, your winning won't change the fact that you are a bunch of gossips," Rex huffed. "You'll just prove 'em right. How many credits do we have left from that sabacc round with Cody's men?"
"Four hundred and six credits," said Jesse. "Me and the others already bet our shares – it's just you left."
After a moment of consideration, Rex let out a put-upon sigh, but before he could answer, a voice from across the street hissed, "Rex! Over here!"
The clones darted across the road to join him, the captain hoping to the Force that his general hadn't heard their conversation.
"Okay, guys." Anakin grinned at them in the dim glow from the next street, then started off, speaking as he ran. "We're closing in. I left Aayla and Bly to watch the gangsters. Their boss is supposed to show up in about five minutes and then we'll take them into custody."
"What about Commander Fox?" Rex asked, keeping pace with him as they ran down the street. "I thought he was in on this?"
"He's waiting outside the drug-runners' headquarters." The general darted down a side road and chuckled. "Said he wanted the relaxing part of the mission for once. He and a bunch of guys are already in position, waiting for us. Once we attack, we'll let their boss call for backup, which'll get most of the reinforcements from the headquarters. And then Fox can move in and deal with mopping up."
"Got it, sir. Ah – what about us once the gangster reinforcements show up to deal with us, sir?"
"We'll deal with them," Anakin said cockily. "Come on, Rex, why do you think I asked for you to bring Jesse and Kix?"
Rex gave him a dry look. "So Kix could help patch us all up afterwards?"
". . . Huh." The general slowed for a moment, then picked up his pace. "I actually didn't think about that. I figured since these gangsters are humanoid, he could use some of his concoctions to keep them out cold until we can get them to prison."
From behind them, Kix said, "I feel so appreciated, sir."
"You know me, Kix," the general said cheerfully. "I always value your assistance."
Rex snorted, Jesse coughed, and Kix choked.
"I do!" Anakin insisted. "Just not when I'm in medbay. Afterwards, I do."
A form materialized from an alleyway just ahead, and Rex skidded to a halt.
Aayla Secura planted both hands on her hips and scolded, "Anakin, I can hear you from down the street."
"Long as the gangsters didn't hear us." Anakin ducked into cover. "We're ready to move in, right?"
"The leader is approaching now," Aayla answered, gesturing them further down the long alley. "Bly will tell us when."
As they neared the opposite end, they heard a sudden scuffle, followed by a shout of, "We've got someone –!" and Bly's shout of, "Anytime, General!"
General Secura sprang up, kicked off the wall, and somersaulted into the street beyond, lightsaber flaring into existence.
"Kark!" yelled someone. "A Jedi!"
Rex burst onto the scene, pistols raised, to find Commander Bly on his knees, a guard on either side of him and several guns pointed at his head and chest.
"Release him," Aayla demanded, pointing her blade at the leader.
The man laughed. "You must think I'm crazy. No, the clone stays here until you all give me your word that you'll leave."
Anakin stalked forward. "You must be crazy to be willing to trust our word."
"The word of a Jedi is always kept," the man answered piously.
"Who says we're gonna give it?"
"No one. But if you don't promise within the next fifteen seconds, I'll execute him."
Rex hesitated, his gaze flickering among the men who had trained guns on Bly, and wondered if he could fire fast enough. Bly sighed, as though bored by the situation, then glanced at Aayla's face and raised an eyebrow.
"Ten seconds!" snapped the man.
When Bly didn't so much as twitch, Rex looked at General Secura. Her posture was relaxed, weight resting on one foot, and she looked perfectly calm. Even her eyes showed no worry, though General Skywalker looked both angry and wary.
"Five seconds!" The man drew his own gun.
Kix stepped into the street behind the leader and stunned the two guards gripping Bly's shoulders.
The leader whipped around, gun smacking the trooper across the helmet. Bly threw himself to the ground and rolled, knocking over another thug, and Rex and Jesse set to work stunning people while the generals leaped forward to deflect return fire.
Only moments later, the gangsters scattered, taking cover behind crates and vehicles and buildings.
General Secura helped Kix to his feet and they all returned to the alley. "Thank you, trooper," she said.
"Kix, ma'am. All set, Commander?"
"Yeah, thanks to you." Bly straightened. "Don't know how they got the drop on me."
"It happens," Kix said easily, ignoring the wary looks Rex and Jesse were giving him. Rex had never seen him take the lead in a battlefield situation before, and the ease with which he'd done it was a bit alarming.
"Aayla, how'd you know Kix was going to succeed?" Anakin asked.
The Twi'lek rolled her eyes. "I learned patience, and how to listen to the Force, rather than charging in all the time."
Ah yes . . . Rex remembered her doing something like that with a probe droid.
"Besides," Aayla finished, smirking a little. "I saw him get behind the leader."
Bly chuckled. "Yeah, he was quick."
Frowning, Rex turned back to Kix. "How'd you get behind him?"
"I walked, Captain." Kix smirked. "Everyone was focused on the leader and on the generals, so no one paid attention to me. Psychology, sir."
Please. Rex knew Kix better than that. "Psychology," he snorted. "You mean you saw a chance and took it."
Kix studied his blaster loadout and pretended not to have heard, while Anakin snickered, probably gleeful that someone had briefly gotten the better of the medic.
Then his comm rang, and he answered it. "Fox?"
"The reinforcements just left," Fox said, sounding disinterested. Or tired. Maybe both. "Me and the boys are moving in. You've got a good thirty men headed your way, General, ETA ten minutes. Have fun. Fox out."
Cody's batchmate had always been blunt and to the point.
Rex glanced out from cover, eyeing the enemy soldiers who lay crumpled on the ground. One of them started to move, so he put another stun round in him.
"Sir," Jesse said. "Thirty guys – plus whoever we have out there in the street still – is a lot. How are the six of us going to handle them?"
"Easy," Anakin said, resting one hand on his lightsaber. "Each of us deals with six or seven."
"Skywalker," the Twi'lek general said, shaking her head. "Our plan should have more structure than that. Perhaps we could lead them in different directions."
"That would be –" Anakin twitched, then reached toward his neck. "Ow, what the –"
At the same time, Aayla started faintly, grabbing at something on her arm.
Rex's focus was drawn by the thin sliver of metal Anakin was holding out. "I think we just got injected with something," the Jedi said, sounding both impressed and confused.
Together, Bly and Rex dashed down the alley, but they found no signs of anyone having been there. Maybe the attackers had been on the roofs? If so, they were long gone by now. After exchanging dark looks, the two officers headed back to the others. Kix was wielding his scanner on both generals.
"Force suppressors," he said at last.
"Oh, come on." Anakin slouched against the wall. "Why couldn't they have used poison or something?"
"Because Jedi can purge poison," Aayla replied pointedly. "With the use of the Force."
"Well, why didn't they just shoot us?"
"Because, sir," Rex said. "Jedi can probably sense lasers a lot better than Force-suppressors."
"Oh . . . yeah." Anakin folded his arms with a huff. "This is not going to be easy."
Aayla perched on a large crate and crossed her ankles. "We can handle it, though, particularly if we stage an ambush and lead them into it."
"Good idea," Anakin replied. "We'll contact the Guard and let them pick the location."
No sooner said than done. Anakin called Thorn at the Coruscant Guard headquarters. Thorn sighed and redirected the call to Fox, who growled. "I literally just finished opening this place up so the Coruscant police could deal with it."
"I know, I know, Commander," Anakin said placatingly. "But you said you wanted these guys alive – including the leader."
"Yeah, I know I did. . ." There was an indistinct mumble that was probably better not clarified. "Okay. Sending you coordinates, General. Lead the gang there. We'll deal with the other thirty guys whenever we find 'em."
"Thanks, Fox. We'll head out as soon as they arrive." Anakin hung up. "Jesse, are our friends out there staying quiet?"
"Yes, sir." Jesse leaned forward, poking his nose around the corner to check again, then said, "Maybe I could stir them up a bit, sir? I have a grenade."
"We are in a city," Bly said. "And Fox wants them alive."
Jesse tilted his head. "Sir, the range is small enough. We could draw them out and stun them –"
"No," said Rex. "Jesse, you ought to understand the system by now."
". . . System?" Jesse pulled off his helmet and scratched his head.
"Even if the grenades don't kill anyone, they destroy the streets. Then the Coruscant police give Fox and his boys grief. Then he gives us grief. Don't you remember the Caf Shortage?"
Jesse nodded soberly, understanding dawning. "Yeah . . . That was bad."
"Exactly. And that was because Fox refused to sign through that supply shipment for the 501st."
"Refused?" Bly interrupted, sounding skeptical. "Fox wouldn't do that."
"He would," Anakin said darkly. "In his defense, it was only caf he refused to send through. . . and somehow he found a technicality that let him do that. We got all the other stuff."
"Right," said Rex. "And he refused us caf because half the 501st went out drinking and then decided to experiment in the CG hangar with explosives."
Jesse squinted. "I really don't remember doing that, Captain."
"That," said Kix flatly, "is because you and Fives and Hardcase were more drunk than anyone else."
Jesse blinked, mildly embarrassed, and mumbled, "I really don't remember doing that, either. . ."
With a loud scoff, Kix went back to scrolling through messages from his fellow medics. Rex rolled his eyes. Bly and Aayla looked politely disinterested – except for the slight smirk on Aayla's face – and Anakin just groaned.
"Yeah," General Skywalker said again. "That was just . . . bad."
Bad was an understatement. The incident had been recorded, mentally and in speech – though not officially – as the Week Without Caf. Many of the troopers wouldn't really have minded, or even really have noticed, except for the absolutely horrible tempers the medics had been in.
As a result, all the troopers in the 501st were now irrevocably convinced that medics were fueled by caf and spite and nothing else. Not that the medics did anything to argue this. They seemed to like having a horrible reputation. Maybe they figured it helped keep recalcitrant troopers in line.
"Ah, I hear the enemy approaching." Aayla Secura hopped to the ground and pointed towards the street.
"Okay," Anakin said. "Ready, guys? We'll lead them in two different directions."
"Right," Rex said. "Jesse, Kix, you're with General Skywalker. I'll go with Bly and General Secura."
Rex looked the other way so he wouldn't have to acknowledge the betrayed look from his general. Then, from the street outside of the alley, the gang leader shouted, "I know the Jedi are out of commission! Surrender, clones, and we'll let you leave! We only want them!"
Aayla raised her eyebrows, then tilted her head with a smile. "I believe they think we are unconscious," she said.
"Poor blighters," Bly agreed, then poked his head out and yelled, "What do you want with the Jedi?"
A short pause. "I don't see how that affects your choice."
"Oh, it doesn't. We're not surrendering either way. I was just curious." With that, Bly sprang out, followed by Aayla and Rex.
"Quick, get them! Stop the Jedi!" Two lasers flew past Rex's helmet as he ran, and the leader yelled his disapproval. "No, NO you idiot, stun them!"
The team of three dashed down the long street, taking cover behind the convenient boxes and barrels that filled the area. Footsteps pounded after them, and stun rounds kept sailing over their heads.
"Horrible shots," Bly said, turning the corner at a run.
Rex grunted in agreement. "How many we got after us?"
"Twenty at least," the general said, casting a look over her shoulder. "The others seem to have gone after Anakin –"
The rendezvous was coming up fast, and Rex risked a look back. "They're gaining."
"Yeah –" Bly vaulted a crate and hit his comm. "Fox, we're coming in hot!"
"I see you," Fox responded. "We've got a nice perimeter laid out. You'll see a building with plexiglass windows – there's some cover there."
"Got it." Bly pointed out the building, which Rex had already noticed, and General Secura increased her speed until the clones could barely keep up. Then, they rounded another stack of crates, and then . . .
Well, Rex wasn't really sure what happened. He just knew he was on the ground and that Jesse was apologizing frantically. Oh, and a lot of people were firing blasters.
"I said go the other way!" General Skywalker yelped.
"We did!" retorted Aayla, scrambling to her feet.
"Ow," said a muffled voice to his right.
Rex turned his head to see Bly flat on his face. "What happened?" Rex asked.
"I think we collided," Bly said, helmet visor still against the duracrete. "Ah, blast it, sounds like the reinforcements looped around."
"Rex! Bly!" Kix shouted. "We've got to take cover, the gang's converging on our location!"
Sighing heavily, Bly shoved himself to his knees. Rex followed his example, glancing around as he did so. He, Bly, Kix and Jesse were crowded behind one stack of crates – the top one had been shot through a few times, but the others seemed impenetrable. Some ten meters away, Anakin and Aayla had taken up cover behind another stack.
Rex's helmet had been knocked off, but he hadn't been hurt, so he didn't pay much attention to it. As he played back the memories of the sudden chaos, he realized that Anakin and Aayla must have rounded a corner at the same moment, run straight into each other, and then the clones had fallen over them and each other. He snorted with sudden amusement.
Bly, who had also taken his helmet off, shot him a surprised look.
"Are they really that clumsy without the Force?" Rex whispered, and snickered again, unable to stop himself.
Bly's lips twitched. "We're under fire," he said, almost sternly.
At that moment, a scrape of armor sliding across duracrete caught the clones' attention, and they turned to see Fox skid to cover beside them on one knee. The CG commander peered out from cover, muttered something, and turned to look at his fellow officers.
Performing a slight double-take, he said, "Rex? Why do you look like you just won the lottery?"
"They're such – klutzes," Rex said.
Fox's gaze slid to the two Jedi, then back. "Yes," he agreed. "I've worked with one or two myself. And –?"
"It's so funny," Rex tried to explain, then pressed a hand against his mouth to stifle the next burst of laughter.
"Everything all right over there?" Anakin yelled.
"No!" Kix shouted back. "I think Rex hit his head, sir."
"No, I didn't."
"Why?" Anakin asked.
"He's laughing over something that isn't – uh, shouldn't – be funny!"
"Kinda is, though, them tripping over each other like that," Bly snickered. "Absolute bunglers, the both of 'em."
Rex almost doubled over.
For some reason, Fox slapped Bly on the back of the head, and Bly's irritated yelp just made everything funnier.
"We have to retreat!" Aayla called. "We cannot deflect lasers, and there is an open building behind us!"
How convenient. Rex got to his feet, still chuckling, and leaned out of cover to make sure nobody was shooting at him. "We're clear!" he called, then paused to think about it and added, "General Skywalker! If we're clear, why can I see myself?"
"Rex, get over here!" shouted Anakin, from behind one of the pillars that stood on either side of the doorway.
"Yes, sir!" Rex stumbled over to join him and leaned against the wall. He was biting his lip by now, hysterically aware that there was something wrong and everything was too funny for him to care. A laser slammed into the carved wood next to his face. The fact that the gangster had missed made him laugh out loud.
Kix and Jesse slammed into the door twice, forcing it open, and dodged inside. Rex and Anakin followed them, and then Aayla.
Fox entered last, dragging a cackling Bly with him.
"Force," growled the CG commander, shoving Bly at Aayla. "Here, General Secura, he's your commander. Kix! What the frag was in that crate?!"
"Well, sir," Kix said soberly. "There were canisters of nitrous oxide."
"Enlighten me," Fox said, glancing around the dim, empty storage area they'd ended up in.
Kix sighed. "Some people call it laughing gas."
