When Kara realized they were almost on top of the General, she lifted her hand in a closed fist. Then she projected an urge to stop to the squad. Once they had stopped, the sounds of blaster fire and lightsaber were obvious.
"Is that the general?" Tiny asked.
Kara tore her gaze from the canyon rim to regard the trooper, "Yes." She looked back up at the canyon rim, "She has troopers with her, at least five." She crossed her arms as her fingers twitched.
"Sir?" Blaze asked, sounding worried.
Kara clenched her arms against another twitch. "There's something up there," she announced. "Something important."
"What do you mean?" Blaze asked.
Kara glanced at him, then back at the cliff, "There's something up there. I can't tell what. We need to check it out. Secondly, we have blaster rifles, getting them up high could work in our favor, and give us an idea of what's going on."
"Not sure we can climb that," someone said.
"Maybe not," Kara said.
There was a soft groan, "Sir permission to reclassify jet packs as mission critical?"
"Are you volunteering, Chip?" Kara asked.
"Yes sir." It was amazing how much someone who appeared fully grown could sulk like an eleven-year-old.
Kara pointed to hide her twitching lips, "There's a ledge that feels deep enough, should keep you from getting shot before you're ready to shoot back."
"Hand me that blaster rifle," Chip muttered. Kara glanced over to see Tiny hand off one of the long rang weapons. Chip slung it over his shoulder and nodded to Kara, "All right General, I'm ready."
Kara reached out and lifted Chip. This time she made sure it was a smooth if fast ride.
"Tell me," Kara said as she sampled the mixed mood of the squad, "Is he insane, or just that loyal? That's the second time he's let me fling him through the air today."
"Both, maybe?" Someone, she thought it was Rusty, replied. "He's stubborn though."
"Given that he's gone this long before he chose a name, I'm not surprised," Kara mused.
"He's loyal," Tiny said. "You gave him a name."
"I know that's important, but I'm not sure I understand why." She blinked, "But there is time for that later."
Blaze released a string of invective that had Kara looking at him in shock, "What?" Kara asked.
"Chip's report," Blaze replied.
"I-" Kara stopped, hand dropping to her belt. The familiar holder for her comm was missing. She closed her eyes, feeling her shoulders drop and her cheeks burn, "Oh kriffing hells."
"Sir?" Blaze asked.
"I forgot my commlink," Kara admitted.
They were definitely staring at her in judgement now.
Then one of them took off his helmet, revealing himself to be Mash.
"Here sir," Mash said, holding it out, "you need to hear this."
Kara took the helmet, feeling stunned, "Should I wear it?" She finally asked, stunned by the weight in her hands.
"Comm's clearer that way," Mash said.
Kara pulled the helmet on, feeling clumsy and young.
"Trooper, please repeat what you just told us," Blaze said.
"Yes sir, I've got a tank and five droids." Chip announced. "There were three droidekas, but they've left. There seems to be a path down into the canyon on the other side of this bend but I can't confirm. The tank is positioning itself on the rim but is not yet in position. That's all I can see."
Kara pulled the helmet off and handed it over to Mash, "Thank you, Mash."
"You're welcome, General," Mash replied as he shoved the helmet back on.
There was a moment when Kara felt as if something profound had happened. Then she turned to Blaze, "All right, we've got a tank up top and droidekas possibly heading towards the General. I know how to handle the droidekas, I'm sure General Secura does too. That tank though."
"We have demolitions," Blaze said, nodding towards one of the others. "Fallback, what do you have?"
"I think I have what I need," Fallback said, "feel better if we'd gotten a rocket launcher though."
Kara frowned, "That wouldn't be easy to fit on a bike though. If you get up there, can you at least distract that thing enough to give us a chance, do you think?"
"I can do that," Fallback replied.
"All right," Kara nodded, glancing through the group, "I think at least one other should go up there. Do we have another rifle?"
"We do," Blaze said, "Shy was the best shooter though."
"Got anyone else good?" Kara asked.
"I'm a little rusty," one of the troopers said, half raising his hand. Kara noted that he had three rust red stripes running vertically beneath each ear marking him as the trooper called Rusty.
"All right, Rusty," Kara said, she glanced at the pair, "I can get you up to join Chip, same way I lifted him. Are you willing to do that?"
The troopers were still for a moment, then Fallback turned and lifted a pack off of his bike, "I'm ready sir."
Rusty took the rifle that Hopper offered him, "As am I."
Kara nodded, "Here we go." She lifted Fallback up to join Chip, and then turned to Rusty, "Don't start anything until Sergeant Blaze gives the word." Then she sent him up to the ledge as well.
"What's our plan?" Blaze asked.
Kara glanced around at the seven men surrounding her, then looked at the speeder bikes, with their weapon systems. Then looked at the outcropping of rock that kept her from seeing the fight. Finally, she looked at Bones. There was something familiar about the set up and she took a moment to try to call up the memory. Finally, she knew what they could do. If her troopers were as good as they seemed, this plan would work, perhaps even better than the first time.
"The General has injured troopers over there," she said. "We've got a medic. Give me your best shot with a blaster, and we'll get Bones over there to do what he can. We have speeder bikes with weapons. Let's use them. They won't be as heavy as a gun ship or a fighter, but I bet they'll make a dent."
"Good idea," Blaze said.
"I'm good with a blaster," Bounce offered.
"Then you're with me," Kara said.
"That tank's almost ready to start firing," Blaze said.
"Is Fallback ready to go?" Kara asked.
"He says so," Blaze replied.
"Then mount up. Once the explosions start up there, I'm going." Kara said, "If it were me, I'd get two of those bikes going before I do, and the other three follow, but that's just me."
While the last minute prep got underway, Kara took a moment to crouch down, close her eyes and breath. The Force rose around her, surrounding her like a warm blanket as she opened her mind without intent. It filled her with calm that she would need to keep things together for however long this battle would take.
When she opened her eyes, everyone was ready so she stood up, brushed off her hands and turned to Blaze, "Sergeant, give the order."
Blaze saluted, then tapped his helmet, "Fallback, light it up."
Kara turned to Bones and Bounce, "Let's go. I'll worry about deflecting the blaster fire, you worry about running and shooting back." Then she jogged away, amused when she heard both men swear before following. An explosion sounded just as Kara rounded the corner and could take in the scene. There were droids all right, more than she felt comfortable guessing at from a glance, and all of them focused on the Twi'lek with the green saber who was fiercely guarding an overhang that might also qualify as a cave. Someone was shooting out of the cave, but the shots were irregular.
Kara ignited her saber as two of the bikes shot by and opened fire. She saw the Twi'lek twitch for a moment, but then Kara was focusing on reflecting bolts as she advanced. This wasn't really the place for Form V, so Kara improvised, using the mix of styles that she had cobbled together after one too many mass firing situations where the Shien wasn't enough. Somehow, she got her two troopers over to Secura as the bikes reappeared to reign more havoc on the droids.
"General Secura?" Kara asked as she fell in beside the other Jedi, "I'm Kara Saje, Jedi General with the 425th. We're your ride out of here."
Secura nodded as Bones headed over to the men she was guarding. "How will we get out?" Secura asked.
"Once we get these droids taken care of, we'll call down a ship," Kara said. "There's a plan, if you'll just trust me."
Secura focused on deflecting several bolts, then she glanced at Kara, "You are my ride, I will trust you."
Kara let out a relieved breath, suddenly aware that it was possible that a senior Jedi could argue with her about their rescue plans. As she mechanically blocked more fire, she wondered what expression Master Windu would have for a report reading "The senior Jedi refused to stick to the previously agreed upon plan, so I rendered them unconscious and extracted them to the Retrieval."
If she ever did send that report, she'd have to do her best to deliver it in person, with a hidden holocam.
Then Fallback started throwing down explosives that not only wiped out at least half the droids, but caused a rockfall and suddenly the fighting was done. Kara lowered her arms and carefully turned off her lightsaber, aware that she was shaking.
"Sir?" Blaze asked, walking over to her.
"Sergeant," Kara managed, "report?"
"Two wounded, and we lost a bike," Blaze said. "Fallback reports topside is all clear."
"Send for the gunship," Kara said, "let's get everyone topside, but leave the bikes. We still have to go back to the landing zone."
"Yes sir," Blaze saluted.
Kara turned to find Secura kneeling beside one of her troopers, holding his hand and talking softly. Bones was bandaging the abdomen of one of the others while Bounce was collecting the scattered armor and weapons into a pile.
"Corporal," Kara said, "how are we doing here?"
Bones glanced up, he had a streak of blood on his left cheek. "They're ready for transport." He hesitated, "Can you lift this man onto the stretcher there? The others will be able to walk out, but I don't want him to move until he gets a full workup in medbay."
Kara nodded and glanced at the stretcher, making sure it was ready for its load. Then she reached for the Force. It came to her as it always did, and she carefully lifted the trooper and shifted him onto the stretcher, doing her best not to jar him. Once that was done she sagged slightly.
"You're good at that," General Secura said.
Kara glanced up and managed a smile, "Master Honso wasn't good at lifting large items. Once he realized I was, he left it to me. People, crates, a Kowakian monkey-lizard; I had a lot of practice."
"I heard about what happened," Secura said, offering her hand. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Kara blinked against sudden tears, "Thank you."
"Sir, gunship ETA is twenty minutes," Blaze said, providing a welcome distraction from the grief that threatened.
"Then let's get topside," Kara said. She turned to grab the stretcher only to find that Hopper and Mash were carrying it across the canyon, with Bounce and Tiny helping the other two troopers behind it. Secura and Blaze were the only two not heading for what Kara now saw was almost a road leading up the cliff side, but they followed her when Kara headed over.
They were almost two thirds of the way up the path when something grabbed Kara, yanking her out of her thoughts with a metallic arm around her throat.
"Jedi scum," the droid declared as it tightened its grip.
Kara slammed her elbow back on instinct and nearly shrieked as she collided with its metallic torso. Then she threw herself backwards, using the Force to assist her in sending the droid crashing down, just missing Secura and Blaze. Freed by the droid's fall, Kara rolled to her feet, finding the droid doing the same.
The action was instinct from twenty-five years of hand to hand and self-defense lessons, with a scream of rage she landed a perfect right hook on the droid, sending it careening off the path. Then she screamed as her hand and wrist announced how painfully unhappy they were with her actions. She went to her knees, cradling her hand to her chest as it throbbed.
"Kara," that was Secura, kneeling beside her, "are you okay?"
"I think I used too much punch and not enough Force," Kara muttered as she began to flex her fingers.
Secura chuckled a little, "Next time, you'll remember the difference." She glanced up and shifted to the left, allowing Bones to kneel as well.
"I'm alright," Kara said, even as she let Bones take her hand. "Just jammed it, I'm sure."
"Uh-huh," Bones said as he tested her joints while Kara hissed, then he reached into his bag.
"What are you jabbing me with now?" Kara asked.
"Painkiller." Bones said, "Anti-inflammatory."
"Yes to the second, no to the first," Kara said, "I need to keep my head clear, and I've yet to meet a painkiller that didn't either knock me out or otherwise impair my thinking abilities. I promise, once we're off this rock, you can drug me to your heart's content, but until I'm on the Retrieval it's not happening."
"Sir," Bones began.
"I will knock you off this path if you try to give me a painkiller," Kara said firmly, "and let General Secura catch you."
Bones stared at her for a long moment, then switched hyposprays, "Yes sir," he said before jamming the spray into her forearm.
Kara wined through her teeth to keep from swearing at the medic, then allowed him to help her stand.
"Let's go," she said, and stalked past the small crowd.
The gunship arrived with no further excitement, until everyone realized that Kara wasn't getting on board.
"Sir?" Blaze said.
"I told Captain Zip he had until I got back to the landing zone," Kara said, "it was part of his orders. I'm going back to the landing zone, Sergeant. Since we need to take the bikes back, I'm riding one of the bikes."
It took her a few rounds with both Blaze and Bones, but in the end, she was heading back down the path with seven of her troopers to head back to the landing zone. This time, she rode with Blaze, hanging onto him with one hand and with her head on his shoulder as weariness really began to seep in, but they made it back to the landing zone to find it was almost packed up.
"Sir," Captain Zip said when Kara got down.
"Captain," Kara said. "Contact the Retrieval to come collected us. General Secura is secured. Her people?"
"We found all of them," Zip replied. "Once the bikes are loaded and you get on board, we'll be ready to go."
Kara nodded, "All right, let's get out of here."