charming

"Awww, sir, you've got to be kidding me," one of Rex's clones complained. "We're working with them again?"

Rex wasn't happy about it, either. He liked being the big cheese. Or having bigger cheeses who knew more than he did. How the hell Commander Racho had gotten that much rank was a mystery. It burned more than one clone's ass.

"Trooper! We are here to follow orders, not question them!" he called.

"Aye, sir!" several responded.

"Maybe we can arrange a friendly-fire incident," Rex told them in an undertone. He didn't like the way Racho talked to Afir. It was as simple as that for him. That the rest of the guys didn't like him made him feel a little better. That the officer's corps thought the man was a flawed product made him worry. Constantly.

There wasn't time to do more than tap Rex lightly on the breast plate. He knew what she meant by it.

"All right, guys, hold on. We're going straight to hyperdrive," she warned them. Rex watched her jog up through the main body of the ship, obviously headed for the cockpit. He made his way a bit more slowly.

"Your guys up to this mission, Captain Rex?" Racho asked, halting his progress.

"We've been running the outer rim for a while now, Commander," Rex answered. "We've got it covered."

"Yeah, but you've done it as an army-or under one of the jedi generals. It's going to be a little different this time."

Rex tucked his helmet under his elbow and moved his tongue over his teeth. "Yeah, how's that?" he asked. As far as he was concerned, Racho's men and his men were two separate bodies. He hadn't been ordered to place himself under the other's command and he would be damned if he did so willingly. The guy ran through men like they were coming off an assembly line.

"We're going to be taking orders from a group of women."

Rex's eyebrows shot up. "Your general's been a woman for a while now, Commander, sir," he countered. Politely.

His guys hid their snickers well.

"You know that we're picking up more. That's why she's in a hurry. Luminara Unduli and Bariss Offee from Ilum, Siri Tachi, and that Soara Ontana."

"Three jedi knights or master jedi, one padawan," Rex noted. He'd met Unduli. Worked under her. She'd learned fast to be one hard-nosed bad-ass. He had heard of the last one. Apparently Ontana had been kicking in doors and taking names the hard way for a long time. She was one of Afir's favorite younger jedi. Siri Tachi was a good one, too. Rex had seen her when she'd conferred with General Kenobi on Lebroko. The generals trusted her. That was good enough for him. "What's the mission template?"

"Nobody seems to know yet," Racho shrugged. "Something ya'll couldn't handle on your own."

Rex didn't snap the man in half. He didn't hit him. He didn't clench his fists. His mouth didn't even get open before someone else replied for him.

"Actually I requested this op. I have some inside information as a result of being a previous guest at the home we're breaking into and taking for our own," Afir announced. "It seemed rude to leave you guys penned up on Malastare so that I can kick in doors with Rex and his guys."

"Why so many?" Rex asked.

"Men or jedi?" Afir wanted clarification. She was meticulous about everything, not missing a detail. And unless he was the sole focus of her intensity it tended to frustrate him that she refused to just answer and let the discussion lead where it would. She was the outlines and bullet-points type. He was the man with the big picture and plenty of magazines.

"Both." He declared.

Unduli would be bringing her squad of men into the mix. Ontana ran a group of commandos. Tachi had an entire attack squadron. It looked to be a nightmare TOE-wise. At least the clone in charge of Unduli's forces outranked Racho. Rex would trust Whinder with his life - - with Afir's life.

"The palace we're overtaking covers fourteen square hectares of land." Afir popped open a model. "All the way around it are multiple guard shacks and God only knows what booby traps. Soara and I have both been guests at the prison complexes. She endured a stay at the mine facilities, here. I had the dubious honor of being a political prisoner. Here." She pointed to two edifices with their own fencing and guard depots.

"Looks like loads of fun, ma'am," one of Rex's guys called.

She smiled over her shoulder at him. "We're going to have to land on the other side of the planet and make our way in groups to the convergence zones. The attacks have to be coordinated so that the prisoners and workers aren't executed before they can be liberated."

"What are we looking at?" Rex asked. "Is there someone specific we're trying to free?"

Afir met his eyes. "There's a group of clones that disappeared several weeks ago. Nearly the entire 18th Company. Their commander was found dead, along with several others. It looked like they'd been tortured. We need to know why. What did they know that was worth the time and effort it takes to kill strong, healthy men - - slowly? Their op tempo had been nothing special. Their missions no different than hundreds of other missions."

"Our guys?" Rex narrowed his eyes. His head shook back and forth. "I haven't heard anything..."

Racho snorted. "Nobody would, would they? We're clones. Expendable."

"That's not true, Commander," Afir countered. She was going to find a way to get rid of this guy just as soon as she could. She'd already recommended him for promotion to one of the prison worlds or listening outposts. So far no go. Mace Windu had laughed when she threatened to leave him in chunks for the council to put back together. They didn't know how much she meant it. He was a bully. An arrogant, self-centered braggart. Obviously some wires had gotten crossed in his formation and training.

Afir turned to Rex. "Somebody kept it quiet. I don't know who. I don't know why. I am sure somebody had their reasons. I feel just as betrayed as you. If I'd known that they were in there..." She paused, her fists tightening at her waist. "We know they're there now. We've got a plant. We're going to get them out or die trying."

Racho snorted. "Expendable," he muttered.

"Follow me," Afir told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. She had started to choke the shit out of him, but decided that was the dark side clouding her judgment. Rex watched them walk off.

"If you can't be positive in front of your men I will relieve you of command. Until this mission is over your options are 'yes, master,' or 'no, master' and that is it. Do I make myself clear? I'm not sure what attitude you think you're projecting, but I'm sick of the comments. I am sorry that you feel your brothers were wronged. I do, too. But that's the way it is. And in case you haven't noticed, there are going to be more jedi than usual working to counter the situation. So shut the hell up and get in line or I'll send you back to Kamino to inspect the shinies' first armor-re-weave attempts. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am, master jedi, ma'am," the slime called sharply. His crisp salute made Rex want to punch him. The look on Afir's face when she turned around said that she wasn't impressed or reassured.