Eighty Five

Chancellor Palpatine clasped his hands together and stared out the enormous window, his thoughts interrupted by the gentle buzz from the speaker device on his desk.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Sire, the 501st are heading to the surface of Dagro as we speak."

"And," he stopped for a second before continuing, "Captain Rex?"

"He's leading the unit along with Commander Tano."

"Good, good. That'll be all, thank you Admiral."

A sinister smile crept across his mouth as he turned in his chair and continued to stare, out the enormous window, lost in his duplicitous thoughts.

.

1300 hours.

Ion requested a Code Red, immediate evacuation, only ever used under duress.

It was a matter of pride.

No one ever wanted the red mark next to their name.

Rex had requested one on the previous mission to Niobus.

The loss of men, the new medic critically injured, and all internal comms cut. Pinned down in a trench with only a downed AT-AP for cover, Rex had thought through all the scenarios and had concluded as a last resort to call in the infamous CR.

It never eventuated.

A squadron of Z-95's were sent in to provide air cover for the larties after Commander Jet lit up the foundry producing the dirty credits. Niobus had been a monumental failure in the captain's eyes, a mission the 501st should never have been a part of.

He had followed through back on Coruscant. Determined to get answers, Rex marched down to Ordinance and the Engineers to find out what had gone wrong with their buckets.

They could find nothing.

No explanation as to why his unit alone, had lost all communication on the short wave frequencies.

But now it was some hot shot team of commando's needing extraction.

None of the Cuy'val Dar trained units would request a code red, especially Ion, unless they were desperate. Climber and his team were renowned for taking the tough assignments and the fact that there had been no further communication with the men on any frequency, emergency or other, raised the captain's suspicions.

It was time, to find out just what the fek was going down, dirt side.

.

Rex was on closed comm to the men. She knew by the way he held his head that he was dishing out orders, dividing them into teams. Ahsoka was happy that their relationship was back on an even keel, and she was now emotionally stronger and refocussed on returning to her calling as a Jedi of the High Order.

She had made her decision and was at peace with herself.

Or so she thought.

The static red light started blinking, she could sense the adrenaline surge from the men, and on green, they alighted from the hovering larties and began the three klick run to the warehouses in absolute silence.

Rex raised his hand and halted the men behind him.

With several hand gestures, half the squad split to set up a perimeter around the two warehouses. Rex was crouched down next to the commander.

"We're half a klick out. I'm sending Coric and four men to check out the warehouse on the right." She nodded her head in agreeance and continued to stare at the smaller structure in front of her, the one Ion Team were last reported to be in.

"Sir."

"Coric. Take Jess, Tup, Thermo and Whisk and check out that warehouse. Be wary," he shook his head, "it's too quiet for my liking." He watched for a second as they took off at a jog towards the building.

"Didge," the sniper made his way up to the front of the group. "I need you in a position that can cover the strip between the two buildings, say," he scanned the area, "there," pointing to a smaller communications tower at the southern aspect, "think you can manage that?"

"On it sir," Didge sprinted off between the two building and promptly disappeared. Rex was glad of his inclusion to Torrent. He was more than a damn fine sniper, Niobus had proven that.

Satisfied he had covered most contingencies, Rex turned to the men remaining. "Kix, Appo, GJ and Tucker, you're with me and the commander. Keep your buckets open at all times. We could have a hostage situation in one of these buildings."

"You ready captain?" He had dealt with the men, and now it was her turn to take the lead and give the order to proceed.

"Let's do this."

They ran in defensive formation, scanning the surrounding area and covering each other's back as they smacked up hard against the side of the warehouse wall. He raised his hand and spoke clearly down the comm.

"On my mark. Three, two, one. Mark."

Appo opened the door and Rex covered Ahsoka as she entered behind him. The warehouse was piled high with large crates.

"Kix, GJ, sweep left. Tucker, Appo, take right. Commander, follow me. Eyes on the prize gentlemen."

.

"Captain this is CT-5597."

"Copy that Jesse."

"Sir, we've done a clean sweep and we are negative for Ion, repeat we-are-negative for Ion."

Rex blew out a breath. Something was off about this mission. "Secure the building and await my order."

"Acknowledged, captain. CT-5597 out"

He looked at Ahsoka, when something caught his eye behind her head. Rex noticed a small detonation devise on the wall flashing red.

It was Republic issue.

He quickly scanned the area to where another was hidden at the base of a crate. Counting the blinks he ascertained the detonation time. Ahsoka followed his line of sight.

It was too late for her to respond.

"Run for it," he yelled, "it's gonna blow. Everyone clear the warehouse, repeat, clear the warehouse!" Ahsoka turned in disbelief when he grabbed her arm, and with every muscle screaming, flung her forward out of the direct line of fire.

.

"Well done Trace," Climber turned and watched the warehouse go up, the orange flames illuminating the afternoon sky. "Mack, let the fly boys know we're ready for our lift now."

"Sir, I have Intrepid on the blower. They say Torrent is down and waiting to pick us up. Commander Tano is CO."

Climber stared at the other commando, "give me those macros will ya?" He then searched the buildings, "fek," he swung back to the smaller warehouse, seeing four men in white as they ran towards the building on fire.

.

Rex's head was thumping, everything felt muffled. "Commander?" he said as he closed his eyes and tried the comm. "Kix? Appo, call in. Torrent call in," his voice raspy.

There was nothing but static coming down the line.

Rex attempted to move, but he was pinned down under something heavy, "argh," he grated as his head pushed back into the ground again.

This was not supposed to be happening. He had made a mental note to 'play it by the book,' from now on. No more gung ho reckless missions. Gem had upted the anti, the bar had been raised.

It was time to grow up.

He swallowed hard before he began the transmission.

"Mayday, mayday. This is CT-7567. Mayday, mayday. This is CT-7567, anyone copy?"

The only thing responding was white noise.

Rex attempted to look around amongst the debris; he knew he was in deep oisk.

He blinked a few times to illuminate the area immediately surrounding him. His helmet responded initially before it returned to half charge to keep life support going before all power went. He was completely covered, transparasteel beams supporting the durocrete from completely crushing him.

Rex could move both his legs, it hurt, but at least he wasn't paralysed.

His training then kicked in and he systematically went through his body, trying to ascertain the physical damage this time.

There was no light, where ever the blast had thrown him, he was completely buried.

As he worked up his body his hand felt something hard protruding from his armour. On his left side, Rex was impaled by a piece of 3 inch ceiling beam.

'Fek.'

He knew that he would be hemorrhaging internally and it would be only a matter of time before he eventually bled out.

Rex was annoyed by the lack of communication from his team. Not knowing their status frustrating beyond words.

Were they all buried as well? Was Ahsoka safe?

Ahsoka.

The questions kept coming.

Why had they been brought into a warehouse that was rigged to blow?

What had happened to Ion and just who in the fek set the dets raining?

Rex closed his eyes, a wave of helplessness washed over him. He had been injured many times before, but he never thought he would go out like this; alone, buried under an osik load of durocrete.

This is it.

He then thought a little further down the track.

Gem.

The baby he would never see.

His body began slightly shuddering with disappointment and fear. A small cry escaped and it frightened him, he quickly stopped himself.

What if someone hears me?

No, he needed to be heard.

Summonsing all that remained, his last reserve of resolve, Rex continued to talk down his comm.

"Mayday, mayday CT-7567," he couldn't stop the silent tears, "mayday, may...

.

"What the fek was that?" Coric yelled, "did any of you see anyone leaving that building?"

"That's a negative lieutenant."

"Whisk, Thermo and Jess, start removing debris and Tup you come with me."

"I can't raise the cap. It's doesn't look good Coric," Jess said, fear creeping into his voice.

"Let's just see what we are up against first." Coric took charge, deciding against bringing in the men Rex left at the perimeter just yet. If they were under attack, he didn't want them walking into a trap. "Didge, did you see anything," he asked as he scrambled over the debris.

"That's a negative lieutenant."

"Well, keep your eyes peeled; I don't want anyone sneaking up on us while we are looking for the commander."

"Copy that sir."

.

Jesse dropped to the back of the group.

All his instincts and training made him want to run full pelt and pull every piece of debris off singlehandedly. But something was stopping him from continuing forward. He had that feeling, in the pit of his stomach, but this time, he didn't have someone's breathing to listen to and calm him. He flicked through to a private channel on his HUD, "Kix? Kix, can you hear me vode, Kix?"

Nothing.

"Fek it, Kix talk to me." His legs began moving slowly because they were trained to do no less, but his heart was racing so fast he thought it would explode like the dets out from his chest. "I can't do this again Kix, KIX? Can you hear me brother?"

"Hey Jess, keep up. Jess! JESSE!" Coric yelled at him, bringing him out from his emotional slump.

All the while Didge kept a close eye on them down his sniper attachment, determined to scan the area for the hut'uun who set off the detonation devices.

Then, he saw them.

The four commando's came jogging into his sight and he stopped them with three perfectly placed pulses at their feet.

"Whoa," Climber held up a closed fist.

"State your unit."

"We're Ion, coming in."

"Five oh first. What the fek were you doing, lighting up the warehouse?" Didge was angry. The captain was in there and he hadn't heard anything from Whisk or the others as to their status.

"What the fek were you doing, down here anyway?" Climber was as equally angry that he had ordered the explosion of the warehouse without knowledge of another unit in the area.

Didge scrambled down the communications tower like a man possessed and stormed over to the group of commando's. They may have been larger than him, but fueled with rage, he felt twice their size. He flung his rifle to the ground, followed quickly by his helmet before he launched himself onto the first genetic freak he came across.

"Stand down soldier – [oomph]!"

The sniper showed no restraint. Systematically punching the commando he knocked to the ground.

"You just buried the commander and captain Rex you worthless piece of modified Fett osik!"

Didge felt hands pull at both sides of his gardbrace and was unceremoniously hauled to his feet by the two other commandos. Scrambling in between them, he was held back until the captain, stood up and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand

Looking at it he commented quietly, "you just hit a higher ranked officer son."

"I'd do it again." Didge was defiant.

"You've got quite a rep, you lot from the 501st," Climber studied the young trooper.

He wasn't impressed about being struck, but liked the tenacity of the sniper, protecting his own at any cost.

He would expect no less from his own.

"Like doing things your way I hear, including moving in without sta-TING YOUR PRESENCE IN A HOT ZONE!" There was no mistaking his anger.

"What are you talking about? We were sent here to extract you after you ordered a CODE RED." Didge then had the presence of mind to lower his tone. "We were dispatched from Ground Zero six hours ago," before he added, "sir."

"We never requested a code red," Climber continued confused. "Our orders were to collect the intel and blow the warehouse. We have only just asked for pick up."

They stood off, the lumbering commandos and the lone sniper.

"My unit is in that warehouse. If you would be kind enough to let me go, I would like to join my brothers in seeing if you haven't blown them all to smithereens, sir." His malice was unmistakable.

Climber nodded his head for the other two to let him go. Didge then walked over and picked up his deece and helmet, glaring back at the men as he did.

"OK, let's move in and see just what the fek we've started," Climber said to his men who followed the sniper wearing blue to the smouldering building.

.

"Over here, [cough], I'm over here." Ahsoka could hear someone calling out her name. She had been flung hard against a crate which had miraculously saved her from being crushed by the debris following the blast.

They couldn't hear her, still yelling her name every ten seconds.

It's what they did. For two standard minutes the men would continue before they would call out another name, repeating the sequence until they found someone alive.

Time was imperative.

Ahsoka knew if she was going to be heard she would have to make more noise. Moving her slender right arm under the crate she found something metallic and began banging it hard against another piece of transparasteel, repeating it in steady intervals.

"Over here Coric! I hear someone over here!"

She could hear them above her, removing pieces of durocrete along with metallic beams in attempt to locate her. Ahsoka continued, never breaking the pattern until the fine dust fell over her face, and the brilliant light from their helmets shone in her sensitive, blue eyes.

"Commander, are you hurt?"

"No, no, I don't think so. Have you accounted for everyone?"

"GJ and Tucker are dead sir. We haven't found Kix or Appo yet."

"And the captain?" There was a second's silence, when time seemed to just stop.

"We haven't been able to locate him yet sir."

Ahsoka's heart sank and her face prickled with the thought of the captain, her captain, lying somewhere under the rubble.

"Well, we need to find everyone a-sap."

"Here, let me help you up sir."

Ahsoka allowed Thermo's strong arms to haul her up where she took in the site.

Dust, smoke from a small fire still burning, the warehouse had been completely leveled. It was a wreck and she quickly shook the fear that something bad had happened to Rex and joined the search for her men.

Ion jogged in, behind the young sniper.

"Sir, Captain Climber."

Ahsoka swung around, her eyes wild. "DID YOU BLOW THE WAREHOUSE?"

"Yes sir, but we were not aware there was another unit in the vicinity."

"But we were sent to find you! YOU called in a code red."

"That's a negative sir. We didn't call in a code red. We are not sure why you received orders to that effect."

"Believe me when I say that I will get to the bottom of this captain, but right now my priority is finding my men."

"Ion are yours to command sir."

Ahsoka thought for a second, the well being of all the men her priority, not just the ones they were looking for. She required intel about the drop zone. "Is there any enemy activity in the vicinity captain."

"Negative commander."

"Good," they continued to stare at one another, the commando's helmet menacing with the eerie blue light shining through the visor. "Well, don't just stand there, start looking!"

The men moved out, removing rubble and yelling names, and with the light diminishing, they knew that if they were to account for everyone, it needed to be done before night fell.

Kix and Appo were retrieved from under a small amount of debris close to the periphery, the medic unconscious and Appo grizzling in pain over a suspected broken pelvis. Jesse took great satisfaction at jabbing the hypo in, a little rougher than he normally would.

"That fekking hurt," he bellowed.

"Sorry sir," was Jesse's bland reply. He had rallied after they found Kix, but with time ticking, the anxiety began building all over again for his CO.

Ahsoka called the other half of Torrent in from the town perimeter and, with all bar one accounted for, the race was on to find the captain.

Not once did they falter.

They continued for three hours until the cry came out.

"Over here, I have him! I have the captain!"

.

"Hold on Cap, Coric is coming."

Rex was barely awake, grey and shaking from shock and loss of blood. Tup removed his bucket and Rex took in a shallow breath of fresh, cool air.

"The, the commander?" he whispered.

"She's ok sir."

"Dead?" His voice barely audible.

"GJ and Tucker sir."

"AAarrrrr," Rex let out a disappointed growl. Tup watched as Rex attempted to lick his lips.

"Ion?"

"We have them. They set the dets sir. They didn't know we were in the vicinity. They never called the CR."

Rex closed his eyes and thought for a minute. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, he was cold, even in his suit, he knew what that meant.

"Hold on sir, the medics are coming." Tup turned and yelled to his brothers scrambling across the rubble to get to him, "get over here now! Hurry up, for feks sake!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," yelled Coric as he stumbled and threw himself into the area being cleared around the captain.

He took one look at Rex.

'Fek, he's not going to make it,' he muttered.

"What do you mean he's not going to make it?" Tup hissed. "You gotta do something?"

Coric shook his head and scanned the captains pinned body. "I, he's. He's lost too much blood," he stammered as his looked at the red innocently oozing over the captains white armour. "Is Kix awake yet?"

"No sir."

"It's internal, he's gonna bleed out," Coric was in disbelief, Rex was invincible in his eyes.

"Take out the beam, then we can move him," Tup offered.

"If I take out the beam, he'll be dead in less than a minute! It's the one thing keeping him alive," Coric felt the panic rise.

"No he won't," said a quiet voice from behind.

Whisk stepped forward, "we are gonna take the beam out and do a DPL."

"We don't have any blood to transfuse."

"Yes we do. Look around, we have all of us. Come on, we can do this."

Coric knew what he meant, "Tup, remove your vambrance, we may need to set up a direct transfusion."

Tup did as he was ordered; the four commando's keeping their distance while the men in blue worked fast.

"Get me two bags of saline and empty them. I need the fine tubes, not those ones! The thinner ones, that's them. Also a needle and a scalpel. On three we go OK."

He looked up to see Coric swallow hard and nod. "You sure this is gonna work?" he asked nervously.

"No. But it's the best he's got. OK, three, two, one, go," his head bobbing as he counted down.

In unison they lifted the beam through his armour then frantically began removing the broken breast plate and body suit. Blood was oozing faster than Coric could pack it when Whisk stated, "the renal artery is severed. I am going to clamp it. How you looking Tup," he shouted over his shoulder.

"Here if you need me," he replied.

"Us too," Whisk quickly looked behind him. Men were standing with the arms bare, ready to donate anything to save their captain. He turned back to Rex, whose fate lay solely in his hands.

Whisk was methodical.

He worked fast, but there was a level of calm about him.

He incised an area just below the wound and fed in the delicate medical tubing. They all watched in silence as he attached it to the emptied saline bag. The young medic then filled it with Rex's blood before he attached a canula to the other end and lifted it high, over to Coric who allowed gravity to feed it back into the critically injured man.

"OK, we don't have much time." Whisk turned and looked at the commander. Covered in a film of fine dust she looked eerily pale, her blue eyes appearing darker than normal. "If Ion doesn't need that code red sir, we'll take it now for the cap."

She nodded and turned to the commando unit. "Call in the larties, I want evac in under five standard. Get your men to pattern a stretcher to lift the captain out, we need - ."

"If you don't mind sir," he stood in front of Torrent, "we look after our own," Jesse stated.

Ion sat separated from the group and the 501st began to makeshift something to bear the captain to the transports. They watched as the men dragged the dead to a separate area and stood guard over their bodies.

Two men had died to save them, two men had died over a bureaucratic mix up by HQ.

They felt the loss and the enormity of the brass' mistake.

Being commando's they had little to do with regular troopers. They watched in silence as Rex was raised from the ruins of the building and moved slowly over to the awaiting larty.

"This was a major Republic cock up captain," Climber said as he walked alongside his injured counterpart.

Rex, barely alive, still managed to mutter out a few carefully chosen words.

"kick - your fekking - shebs." The commando smiled and squeezed his hand gently.

"That'll be one fight I won't mind losing Rex."

He stood aside as the stretcher was fed into the larty along with the two medics that had just saved his life. Ahsoka effortlessly jumped up and held onto a support above Rex. "Captain, if you wouldn't mind overseeing the evacuation?"

"Copy that Sir," he turned and looked at the men glaring at him.

It usually didn't bother Climber; being unpopular amongst the regular grunts was part of the course for a commando.

But this time was different.

This time he felt the gravity and anger directed solely at him. He too was upset at the turn of events. Climber gave his own a nod before he bellowed to the remaining 501st.

"You all heard the commander, let's move out."

.

"They won't move sir." The sergeant on duty knew what the young trooper was saying.

These soldiers looked more menacing in their armour, covered in dust, dotted with scorch marks and the tell tale brown that was oxidised blood.

Their blood.

None of them spoke.

Each time they heard the automatic doors open, they would stand or crane their heads for news on their captain.

"Can you stop doing that?"

"What?"

"That tapping thing, it's annoying." Jesse was wired.

"What? This?" Thermo moved his thigh against the seat, his armour had been clicking away for the past twenty minutes.

"I swear vode, if you don't - ,"

"At ease Jess." Ahsoka could sense the level of anxiety of all the men, waiting.

After four hours and several ignored requests to move, Coric delivered the news on their captain.

"He's alive."

A collective sigh.

"His heart stopped twice during the surgery, but they managed to get him going again. He's in ICU bacta."

Ahsoka stepped forward, "well done Coric," no one more relieved than her.

"Nothing to do with me sir," he said as he turned, "Whisk here is the real hero. I wouldn't have had the guts to do what he did." The young medic from Kamino stopped and looked at the men in their various states of dishevelment.

"I'll make sure that HQ know what you did today Whisk," she smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. Although tired from watching the surgery, he stood a little straighter, "right after I kick some collective SHEBS OVER THE MIX UP WITH ION," her voice grew strong.

It was what the men needed now, a leader going in to bat for them and they responded in kind.

"HOO-AH," reverberated throughout the medical wing of the ship, Ahsoka smiled and turned to see Jess crumple a little into the corner of a bulkhead.

"Jesse?"

"Sir," he quickly moved and put his helmet back on. She knew what he was doing, disappearing back into his silent and ubiquitous world, deflecting and burying illegal emotions.

"Everything OK?"

"Yes sir, thank you sir. I'm just going to check on Kix, he's out of bacta and back on the ward.

Two hours later, after a debriefing even the most senior of officers would have rather forgot, the commander went to check on the men. Climber had joined her in the meeting and together they let the HQ know, in no uncertain terms, exactly how they felt about the situation that had unfolded on Dagro.

They would be arriving back on Triple Zero in three hours and she wanted to account for the wounded, one in particular.

As she sat next to the bacta tank and the naked man suspended in the liquid, she looked over at the men on the ward. Asleep and slumped in a chair next to the injured medic was Jesse. Cradling his bucket in his lap, she noticed the small lines that had etched their way onto his face.

Lines of battle, lines of disappointment but noticeably the lines from regret at a life denied them.

A life in peace.

These were no longer the young men she was commissioned to fight alongside eighteen months ago.

Nor was she, for that matter.

Ahsoka carefully placed a grey medical blanket over Jesse's shoulders and left his Force signature to finally rest and find that peace, for as long or as short as that would be.

.

A/N" Sly, thanks for making a few suggestions that really pulled this chapter together. Your advice, and friendship is always appreciated. Ms CT-782