"It will be done, my lord."

CC-5052 heard the static as the transmission ended. Felucia's jungles seemed to fall extremely silent. Several birds turned to glare at him. Did they know? Could they tell what he was about to do?

5052 pushed the thought out of his mind. They were just Felucian birds, what did they know?

"Bly!"

5052 turned and saw a familiar sight.

Aayla Secura strode down the hill, exotic blue skin marrying her to the fungal flowers the AT-TEs lumbered through. In one hand she held a lightsaber. In the other, she held a bluish rock.

He straightened and saluted her. "Yes, General?"

The Twi'lek paused, giving him a quizzical look. "Bly, is something wrong?"

Beneath his helmet, the clone paled. "No, general, why?"

Aayla shook her head, lekku swinging, and a slight smile on her rose lips. "You just haven't saluted me like that since Quell, when we first met."

Reluief flooded 5202. She hadn't really noticed anything. "What was it you wanted to say to me General?"

"Oh, yes," she said, lifting the rock she was holding. "I found this."

"What is it, General?"

"A piece of extremely concentrated poison," she said, brows knotting. "The droids are moving the toxin in this form to ease travel. A chunk this size could poison a small lake for years."

5202's face wrinkled in disgust. "Blasted droids. What do you plan to do, General?"

Aayla closed her eyes, looking weary and old. "I don't yet know Bly. I just know it's what they're doing. I was hoping you would have an idea."

The clone pondered the statement. "Tell you what, I'll call up Galle. He usually knows how to remedy these kinds of situations."

The twi'lek smiled at him, some of the weariness melting away. "Bly, what would I do without you?"

Beneath his mask, 5202 had to avert his eyes. She trusted him. She trusted him with her life. He couldn't look at her in the face.

She seemed to notice something was wrong. "Is there something you need to tell me Bly?"

"No, General." He would have said more, but he was trying not to choke on a sob.

The general gave him a look of concern. She was probably considering pressing the issue. But she decided not to. Instead she marched to a small rise, where there was a break in the foliage. Looking out over the low growth, he seemed serene, almost like part of the land itself.

5202 noticed that he had followed her to the rise. Several of his comrades had followed too. They formed a semicircle around her back.

She did not seem to notice, as though lost in thought.

To his right, something must have spooked a bird. With a shrill cry, it fluttered from its hiding place ad disappeared.

The Jedi glanced upward, her caramel eyes tracking the bird as it flew.

And Bly knew.

She was distracted, unfocused, vulnerable.

He shouldered is weapon and took aim.

Then he squeezed the trigger.

She probably never saw it coming.

The shot hit her in the back, spinning her half-way around.

The other troopers opened fire, peppering Aayla Secura's body with shots.

She fell to the ground, landing in a clump of mushrooms.

5202 knew she was dead.

But he kept on shooting.

He shot until his finger ached.

He shot to make sure that he would never have to look into the face of the friend he had betrayed.

He shot to make sure that the twi'lek's caramel eyes would remain shut.

Because he knew if those eyes ever looked at him again, he would die of shame.

And because he kept shooting, the other troopers, did the same.