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The Jedi Cruiser made it through the republic blockade and down to the surface of Gavern.
Anakin turned to Ahsoka as they were getting ready to leave the cruiser. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?" He couldn't help asking.
She flashed him a grin. "And let you have all the fun?"
Anakin shook his head. "Fine, but stay close to me."
Ahsoka glared at him.
The world of Gavern was green and beautiful. The natives of Gavern were human, but they had longer lifespans than the average human.
Anakin couldn't help but think Gavern looked like the landscape he had seen in his dream.
A clone scout ran up to the Jedi. "Sir," he said. "There is a building up ahead. Its a separatist factory by the looks of it."
So, the reports were right, Anakin thought. "OK, men," he said to his troops. "Keep your blasters set to kill and stay alert. We don't know what the separatists are up to."
The Jedi and clones neared the building. Anakin saw droid patrols stationed around the enormous black building.
The separatists must have been planning this for a while, Anakin thought. Buildings of this size don't go up overnight.
They may have had the element of surprise if Ahsoka hadn't stepped on a branch. The crack echoed around the area and one of the droids spotted them.
"Look, Jedi!" it shouted.
"Fire!" ordered another.
The clearing around the factory erupted in blasterfire.
"Rex, call in the reinforcements," Anakin ordered. "We have got to destroy this factory!"
The air grew thick with smoke and Anakin soon had to rely completely on the Force to tell where the next shot was going to come from.
I thought the separatists were making super-weapons, Anakin mused. But all that is here are a bunch of battle droids.
The droids kept coming. Anakin was growing tired, but he set his exhaustion aside and kept fighting. He felt clones dying around him by the dozen and the ground was littered with droid parts.
He swung his lightsaber up to block a shot that was headed for Ahsoka's head. "Please, try to stay alive at least until reinforcements arrive," he called to her. "I'm getting tired of having to save your skin."
Ahsoka grinned at him and it felt like old times- until what he had said sunk in. Anakin turned away and the fighting resumed.
Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead. Anakin glanced up, expecting to see the reinforcements, but what he saw was not backup.
Several vulture droids were engaged in combat with republic gunships, but what he saw was a lone hyena bomber, sending something spiralling down towards them.
Bomb, Anakin thought in alarm. "Everyone down," he shouted to his men.
The clones threw themselves out of the way as the object slammed into the ground. It was a large sphere-like object, with the separatist symbol on the side.
That doesn't look like a bomb, Anakin thought, just as it sent out a huge pulse.
Immediately, the clones blasters malfunctioned and Anakin and Ahsoka's lightsabers deactivated.
The Jedi and clones stared in shock as the air cleared. Anakin was almost unaware that his lightsaber had fallen out out his hand, and received another shock when he tried to pick it up and discovered that his right hand, his mechanical one, wasn't working.
The droids raised their blasters and began firing again- their weapons obviously worked fine.
"What happened!" shouted Ahsoka, running up beside Anakin.
"Apparently the separatists have a new toy," Anakin replied, staring at his useless right arm. The pulse had obviously been created using the substance in Gavern's soil. Anakin figured that mixed with another chemical, it could create a pulse strong enough to render the republic's weapons useless, but leave the separatist weapons intact.
Anakin sincerely hoped it was temporary.
"Fall back!" he yelled to his remaining troops.
The clones obeyed, scrambling back to the gunships. Anakin snatched up his lightsaber and he and Ahsoka followed.
"Well, that changes our plans," Anakin said when they were in the relative safety of the defenceless gunship. "A forward assault won't work. We'll have to find another way to destroy the factory."
The gunships set the troops down several kilometres away from the factory.
"Master," Ahsoka said. "I think I have an idea on how to destroy the factory." When Anakin nodded, she continued. "The droids won't be expecting us to attack so soon, not when we have no weapons. If someone can sneak past the patrols with a pack of charges and locate the reactor room, they can blow up to the factory from the inside out."
"Good idea, Ahsoka," Anakin said approvingly. "I'll leave right away."
He saw her frown. "Master, you only have one good arm and I can fit in places you can't. Let me go."
Anakin stared at her. "You're kidding. There is no way that I'm letting you go into droid-infested territory defenceless and alone. Rex can do it, then."
"We have the best chance of completing the mission if I do this." Ahsoka said. "If this weapon makes it off world, it could wipe out the republic military."
"No."
Ahsoka raised an eyemark. "Do you not trust me enough to do this?"
"It isn't that..." Or was it? I don't trust you not to get yourself killed...
Anakin sighed. "Please trust that I'm doing this for a reason." He silently pleaded with her to understand.
No such luck. Instead, he received a flat stare that plainly said: If you don't trust me, why should I trust you?
Anakin watched in exasperation as Ahsoka walked away from him. Half of him wanted to go after her and tell her everything, the other half wanted to go inform Rex about the mission. He chose the easier option.
It took him a while to find Rex in the mess of clones and gunships. He finally found the clone captain trying to fix his blaster.
"Rex, I- actually, Ahsoka- had an idea of how to blow up the factory," he announced.
Rex looked up. "Yes, sir, I know. Commander Tano already told me."
So, Ahsoka had been here already. "Do you know where Ahsoka is now?" Anakin tried to keep his voice causal.
Rex gave him a quizzical look. "Sir, you sent her to destroy the factory, remember? She left on a speeder bike a few minutes ago."
Anakin closed his eyes in frustration. Go figure that Ahsoka would do the exact opposite of what he told her to do.
"General?"
Anakin glanced at Rex. "I'm fine, captain."
But he knew a Padawan that wasn't going to be fine...
Please review! I think you can guess what is going to happen next time...