Chapter Thirty-Four: Captives of Vandor

I'd been exposed to true cold only a few times in my life. Corellia had a mild temperature, despite its chilly nights. Tattoine was a damned desert and Nal Hutta was the same temperature but humid. Zygerria and Kadavo were both warm. Even Concordia or Kamino weren't too bad. They could get chilly, but there was nothing like the cold I felt in that moment.

I wished I could say I'd forgotten what the surface of Vandor had felt like, but it would be a lie. When you grew up in mild climates, the cold moments really stuck out to you.

My breath steamed in the air, swirling like a dancing image until it hit the ice-crusting viewport above me. I shifted, my body aching. A touch to my forehead produced blood that was already sticky from the cold.

"Apex," I muttered, tapping my wrist comm groggily. There was no connection. "Anakin," I tried, opening the channel to Republic signals. "Obi-wan? Rex? Anyone?" No answer.

With a groan, I leaned down for the emergency release hatch, the mechanism complaining as much as my muscles. With a light shove, the icy window fell away, leaving me exposed to the brutal wind.

"Wonderful," I muttered, dragging myself from the cockpit. I was in a valley, peaks of snow on all sides. My fighter was almost completely submerged in snow, the drag track behind me showing a fresh dusting. I hadn't been out too long, considering how heavily it was snowing.

With another aching touch to my bleeding hairline, I jumped off the wing and into the snow. It crunched below me as I tried to dig out a wing in order to try and get the communications up again. I pried open the exposed panelling, trying to keep snow from getting inside and shorting it out.

As I worked, I heard a light beeping. "What the hell?" I whispered to myself, looking up. Up on the mountainside, floating around the rocks, was a probe droid. "Osi'kyr!"

I ditched the starfighter, racing through the snow as well as I could manage, considering each step sunk me up to my midcalf. I spied a small cave, ducking into it just as the probe droid lowered to my level. The droid floated around my ship, beeping continuously in the droid code. But what was it transmitting to?

It was definitely looking for me, thoroughly examining the wreckage before turning in a circle to scan the whole area. I ducked behind a snow-covered rock, hearing it beep. It whirred quietly, the noise drawing closer.

With a light curse under my breath, considering the droid likely had a thermal scanner, I hurried further into the cave, drawing my pistol. It's beeps echoed at the mouth of the cave, its eye lighting red as it scanned. I slid my pistol over the rising side of a stalagmite, aiming at its center eye. When its scanner turned to me, I fired.

Sure, the Separatists would know I was alive, and my last location, but they wouldn't know for sure what took out the droid, since I didn't let it see me.

I approached sizzling mechanism, turning it over to open it up. I found what I was looking for, connecting my wrist gauntlet to it. Sure, it was more annoying without Apex to do it for me, but it wasn't impossible. A few logarithms and bypassed security codes brought me the information I wanted.

Unfortunately, the droids didn't function like a normal battle droid. They didn't function on coordinates. They functioned based on reconnaissance and information retrieval. Thus, they worked on a ping that functioned through their constant whirring and beeps.

Therefore, I'd have to follow a beeping beacon, rather than know any legitimate coordinates. I put the program into my wrist comm before stepping hastily from the droid. On its destruction, other droids, both probe and battle, would converge on the location of its last data transfer. I had to move.

Wishing I had something more than my simple light armor, I took off in the snow again, careful to walk along stronger patches of ice, to not leave as obvious of footprints. It didn't take long for the bitter wind to nip at my bones, my arms encircling my chest, my teeth clenched.

Thankfully, it was likely that wherever the probe droid had come from was close by, considering how fast it had arrived. Then again, I didn't actually know how long I was out for.

"My gears don't like how cold it is," I heard a battle droid drone, immediately ducking behind the closest rock formation. I slowed my breathing, diminishing the amount of puffing vapor I released from my mouth.

"Not to mention our communications are barely functioning with the coming storm. It's hard to follow the coordinates to the downed droid," another responded. My eyes lifted, seeing the sky darkening in the distance, rolling in with the gusting wind. Wonderful.

I listened to the squadron of droids crunch through the snow, passing where I was hiding. I could have taken them out, considering it was a scouting squad and they would have been caught off guard. But I was more interested in staying hidden for now.

There was a darkness in the Force. It was foreboding. Telling me that something had gone terribly wrong.

When I was sure the droids had passed, I scurried from my hiding spot, mentally willing the chill to stay off my skin. The up-side of droids looking for me? I now had a clear trail back to wherever they were coming from. Which meant a ship.

And it meant that it wasn't far, since the droids were responding so quickly to the probe's destruction. I followed their heavy footsteps carefully, bridging over the top of a peak.

"By Ka'ra," I muttered, seeing the facility built into the stone mountain base below. I ducked back behind the rock as a shuttle dipped over the peak to enter a towering hangar. There was my entry point...if I could get to it without being shot.

I was lucky, though. Visibility was low in the valley, considering the rising snowfall and wind. In addition, the sun was setting, the glow coming through the thick clouds lessening with each passing moment. Yet, as it got darker, it got colder.

I had to get inside fast, or I would die out here.

If the droids were smart, they would be watching the area with thermal scanners. But...were the battle droids ever really that smart?

Determining that death by blaster was better than freezing to death, I took off down the slope. I was careful to duck behind cover as often as possible, but even my ability to see the facility below was minimal as the snow whipped past me faster.

My body trembling, I came to a cliff, peering down at the open hangar. My arms encircled my shaking torso, willing it to stay warm. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure if that was something someone could do with the Force. It certainly didn't seem like it, considering that my fingers were so numb, I started to doubt they existed.

I took a determined step towards the side of the cliff, since I'd have to climb down, when I heard a faint cracking. My muscles tensed, the Force tickling at the back of my mind. Run, it whispered.

I didn't, instead turning with a shocked curiosity to the slope behind me. Avalanche. It took only moments for the snow to sweep me off my feet and throw me from the cliff. I would have screamed if the breath hadn't been knocked from my chest. I'd never been in an avalanche before...I'd only heard stories.

But my body started moving to save me, even if it took some time for my mind to catch up. The snow moved and rolled almost like water, my legs and arms kicking as if I were trying to stay afloat. It kept my head up enough that I could suck in a much needed breath of air. I tumbled as the avalanche slowed, my shoulder hitting rock, a horrible pop sounding.

And then suddenly it stopped. Snow covered everything, pressing on me from all directions as it settled. I took in a slow, deliberate breath before it all hardened, earning myself some room for my chest to breathe.

I should have panicked, considering I wasn't even sure which way was up, but I kept still and quiet. My lips pushed some saliva forward, my eyes closing while I waited. The spit rolled down the right side of my lips and fell into the snow. I was on my side then. I knew which way was up.

"What was that?" I heard a battle droid ask somewhere above me. My hands stilled as I moved to scoop away snow.

"Just an avalanche," another responded. "Squadron Delta got taken out yesterday."

"But what if it was that bounty hunter the probe reported about?"

My muscles coiled, flexing beneath my skin in apprehension. The second droid let out a shrill sound that I think was its laugh.

"Then she's dead. Don't worry. There's a squad looking for her right now."

They chattered a bit more, but I stopped listening to focus on not suffocating instead. With the slightest of movements, I made myself a pocket of air so I could breathe. I didn't know how far down I was, since the droid's voices had been rather muffled.

Still, I knew they had left when the chatter faded away, leaving me to figure out how the hell I was going to not die today. I shifted in the slight area that I could, wiggling my arms against the pressure of the snow. Breathing slowly, I thought back to Obi-wan's teachings. To Qui-Gon's comment about me being a fast learner.

I stretched my fingers as best I could, willing the snow to move. It didn't move this time. My air was low, my desperation rising. I wasn't going to die on this stupid planet. I wasn't going to die without seeing Boba get out of prison. Without making sure Obi-wan and Anakin were okay. Without seeing Fives and Echo become ARC troopers. Without hearing Rex call me that stupid nickname again that I hated, but also made my stomach flip each time he said it.

My fear made my arms shift, my fingers clenching. Was the snow moving or was that me trembling?

With a grunt of frustration and fear, I tried to push my arms forward. To my surprise, they moved. The snow pulled off of me like an explosion, shooting skyward. I was left lying in a gaping hole of snow, everything freezing, but my mind buzzing with the power that had surged through me.

"Did you see that?" a droid's voice spoke. That prodded me to break my daze and clamber out of the hole. My shoulder burned my armor having dented and cut into the skin. Still, it wasn't dislocated, which would have made this whole escape plan a lot harder. I hurried over the snow and climbed up the rock ledges that surrounded the facility.

Ducking behind piles of stones, crates, and keeping my back to the rising metal wall, I found my way to the edge of the hangar. Droids bustled about inside, others looking at the place I'd come from.

I wondered what reasoning they'd put behind the hole I'd left. I still hadn't fully figured it out myself, after all. I flinched back, obscuring myself at the sound of engines. Droid shuttles landed in the hangar, my breath catching as the bay doors opened to reveal a troop of clones, Rex among them.

"Take them to the lineup," a droid ordered. "Count Dooku already has the jedi, and doesn't need the clones."

"Lineup for what?" one of the others asked. Stupid droids. I lifted my brow at myself. More like stupid programmer, actually.

"Execution."

That got my attention, my head tilting to look past where I was hiding, seeing the droids nudge the clones forwards with their weapons. I had to stop it. Not to mention that I had to save Obi-wan and Anakin, considering Dooku apparently had them.

Knowing Dooku was inside...and considering he'd somehow sensed me during my Force vision, I was careful with my emotions. I closed my eyes, clearing my mind as I built a wall around myself.

He would probably still sense me, since Windu had sensed me so long ago-before I even had any type of control over my abilities- but hopefully when he did, it would already be too late.

Opening my eyes again, I scanned the room. I only had my two pistols. None of the clones were armed, obviously. So I couldn't save them here. Not in a crowded hangar.

I slipped inside with a determined huff of breath, reveling in the way the wind was blocked in here. The droids weren't looking for an intruder, since they thought I was still somewhere out at my crash zone, so it was easy enough to sneak in. My gaze settled on a grate a few feet above me. Bounty-hunter's best friend.

Climbing up a few crates, I somehow avoided suspicion as I slipped into the vents, pulling it closed behind me. I watched through the slotted metal as the battle droids escorted the clones, along with Rex, out of the hangar. I had no idea where they were going, and since I was trying to keep myself somewhat disconnected from the Force to avoid detection, I couldn't follow my senses.

I moved through a few intersections of vent, spying a computer system below me. Pulling the gating away quietly, I ducked my head down to see that the hall was clear. Of course, who knew how long that would stay.

Landing softly, I sent a silent thank you to the universe for the probe droid having found me. I used its algorithm to log into the system, considering it would need access to offload data. Maneuvering through the system, I searched for reports of clones.

Nothing.

With a small sigh, I looked for mentions of execution.

"There you are," I whispered to myself, seeing the destination on a map. Before leaving the computer, I looked for where the jedi were. A separate room. It looked like a torture chamber.

Great.

"Reports say that the probe droid was destroyed," a droid's voice sounded from around the corner. I closed down the computer quickly, climbing back into the vent. As the droids passed below me, I set the grate back in place silently.

"That means that bounty hunter is still out there."

"I guess so. But what would she do?" I lifted my brow as they gloated, half tempted to jump down and destroy them. "She couldn't take us all."

It was right of course. Which is why I let them pass before continuing on my way to rescue the clones. The longer the droids and Dooku didn't know I was here, the better.

Even when I disconnected myself from the Force to stay hidden, it wasn't hard to notice the tension and fear in the room as I crawled through the ventilation shaft. I peered through the meshed grates, seeing clones set in lines. They were on their knees, hands held up on their heads as battle droids trained guns on them.

"Face the wall," a droid ordered to the group that contained Rex. It looked they'd arrived only just before me. A desperate looking clone glanced between his captain and the droids, his caramel skin shining with sweat. Rex shook his head slightly, encouraging his younger to not do whatever he was thinking.

The clone didn't listen, turning quickly and backhanding the nearest battle droid. I wanted to cry out from where I was, struggling to remove the grate and jump in. But then I'd just tell the droids where I was and then no one would be saved.

The other battle droids turned and immediately fired, executing the rogue clone. He fell in a heap, the look of desperate fear permanently plastered on his still face.

"Adenn beskar'ad!" Rex yelled, his expression pulled in distress. He moved to fight, but stopped helplessly when the guns were turned on him. He yelled a bit more, maybe to keep up the morale of his men. But I wondered if it was more because he didn't know what else to do.

Still, I used his commotion to finally give up on being quiet and kick out the grate. I leapt down after it immediately, hiding behind the steaming mechanisms at the far end of the room.

"What was that?" one battle droid asked, turning away from the clone he was guarding. I hid in the shadows, watching through the piping.

Rex's face held the smallest blossom of hope beneath the deep resignation in his eyes. I remembered always hearing the clones mutter about their duty to the Republic often including death, if need be. Every clone in that room, while terrified, was resigned to their fate. Their concerns laid with their mission and with their generals. Not with their own lives, even if their very biology told them to fight until their last breaths. They would if they could...but they couldn't.

Right?

The battle droids brushed the clatter of the grate off as the mechanism's whirring, turning back to their execution lines. One prodded Rex's back harshly with the muzzle of the gun, pushing the captain towards the wall with his brothers. The look of hope melted from his face.

My heart ached. I was terribly attached to him-something I had yet to figure out. He was a clone, yet so unique. It was like my very soul was drawn to him, even on some of our earliest meetings.

I refused to say to myself that I loved him. Cared for him. That was better. Anything was better than love.

Love was distracting. Dangerous.

It got you hurt.

My gaze lifted as I pushed down my emotions into the deepest pockets of my soul that I could find. Above the center of the room, dangling from a thick chains, was a massive crate. How convenient.

I drew my pistol, settling my wrist over the warm pipes to steady my shot. The chains that held the heavy crate converged above it in a metal contraption with a ring above it. I aimed for that, slowing my breathing and waiting for Rex to finally give in and move to the wall. The stubborn captain refused for some time, but under the threat of both his and his soldiers' lives, he gave in, standing at the wall.

From my angle at his side, I could see the hard look on his face as his golden eyes bore into the wall. He was angry. But sad. So sad. Something...the Force, maybe...told me that the sadness wasn't for him.

Maybe it was for his brothers. Or for the jedi he'd failed to protect.

Or maybe...just maybe, it was for me. After all, he thought I died in that crash.

I took a slow breath before squeezing the trigger. The blaster shot was impossibly loud in the quiet room, but nothing was louder than the crack of metal above the droids. They all turned, firing their blasters at me, but I ducked behind the machines and crawled in the darkness, trying to avoid being shot.

The chain creaked angrily from the damage before the links broke entirely, sending the crate crashing to the ground, crushing a large number of the droids.

Then all haran broke loose.

As I leaned out from my hiding spot, drawing my second pistol and firing from both hands at the remaining droids, the clones leapt in. They were quick to defend themselves with the droids distracted. Some went at the droids with fists, while others dove after the weapons the defeated droids had dropped.

The mechanisms beside me hissed under the blaster fire, grinding to a halt. Somewhere in the facility, something was bound to stop working.

As smug as that made me, it also told me that more droids were likely to arrive soon.

A super battle droid approached me as I dove out of the way of its fire. I lifted one arm in my crouch, taking it out with three shots to the chest. The fighting was over. Droids laid in piles, some of them still sparking from what protruded from beneath the crate I'd dropped on them. I emerged slowly, holstering my pistols and raising my hands as some of the clones reacted on impulse, turning their weapons on me.

"Stand down," I heard Cody say from somewhere in the room. My eyes found him. He looked pretty beaten up, his scar accented by soot and bruises. He held his side slightly as he forced himself to stand tall, giving me a nod.

He turned away to help a few of the injured clones while another familiar face approached. Rex had some cuts and bruises on his face, but otherwise, he seemed fine, more or less. His face was shifting quickly through various emotions. I saw surprise. Relief. Happiness. Yet he seemed like he was fighting tears.

My brows furrowed as he slowed before me, his hands twitching at his sides. "Su cuy'gar," he said, his voice almost breathless.

I couldn't help but smile. "Are you saying you doubted me, Captain?"

Finally, the man grinned, his expression lifting in humored relief. "Never," he whispered, aware of those around us.

I opened my mouth to respond, likely with something snarky. Or maybe I'd have said something endearing. I felt warm, just looking at him.

And then I got far too warm. Hot. Boiling. Like my skin was aflame. I buckled, hearing screams in my mind.

"Kida!" Rex's voice was warbled through the visions that blurred my vision. His hands came to my shoulders immediately as I took short, quick breaths. I chased the visions away, but I knew full well now that Dooku was aware of my presence.

"I'm alright," I breathed, straightening slowly as Cody and the rest of the men approached. "We have to get everyone out of here."

"I agree," Cody announced, doing his best to not show the slight limp in his step. "But the Generals have been captured as well."

"I know." The group glanced at me with surprise. "I heard what the droids said in the hangar," I explained, glancing at Rex.

"You were there?" the captain asked softly, his brows knitting in thought. "And you came for us first?"

I regarded the man for a moment, watching all of their faces. They respected me for my choice, but I could feel their inner conflicts. Had I followed duty, I should have gone after the generals first.

Well...duty be damned.

"No one is getting left behind today," I said finally, my tone firm. "I know where Obi-wan and Anakin are. I intend to get them next."

"I'm going with you," Rex announced, Cody stepping up beside him with a nod.

"Me as well." The commander turned to his men, ordering them to collect what weapons they could. "Getting out of here won't be easy," he said, looking back at me.

"No," I admitted. "But reinforcements were already called prior to your capture. They should be here soon, if they're not fighting the fleet above us already."

"We need to send out a message," Rex surmised, tapping his bruised chin.

"Waxer. Boil." Two men in 212th yellow stepped forward. I recognized them both, giving them each a smile. They returned it gratefully. "Lead the men to the control center. Take it and hold it. Get a message to the Republic that we're down here."

"Yes sir," they responded immediately.

"I'm going to get some men to take with us for the Generals," Cody said, stepping away.

"Quickly," I added as he moved. "Reinforcements will be here soon."

Rex waited until we were alone again to ask his question. "How did you get here?" I glanced at the clone, looking him up and down, assessing his minimal injuries.

"I walked."

"From…"

"The starfighter that hit a mountain," I completed with a smirk. "A probe droid nearly got me, but without it, I never would have found the base."

He was quiet for a moment before chuckling. "Thank Ka'ra for near-death experiences, then."

I smirked. "They teach you a lot." My smile melted as I regarded the clone before me, my heart tugging. Something in the Force told me to tell him how I felt. Almost as if I wouldn't get another chance like this. I chose not to believe it. It was my anxiety speaking. The fear that stirred beneath my calm demeanor. I was about to face Dooku.

Of course I was scared.

"I'm glad you're okay," I allowed in a small voice.

"I am because of you, Cyare." He said the nickname with a small smile now. As if he knew it would make me fight off a blush, but also react with sass. He was trying to make me more comfortable...ease my anxiety...while also trying to rile me up. He was a walking contradiction, this man.

I rolled my eyes. "Again," I whispered, careful to not let the other clones hear. "You don't have any gett'se."

He chuckled, low in his throat as I walked past him, leading the way to the door. Cody was waiting there, ready to deploy the men. Those who had survived-which was most of them, thankfully-had gathered up weapons from the fallen droids. Many of them were battered, but all of their revealed faces, their helmets having been taken, were painted with determination.

"Time to go," I announced, my hands resting on my holstered pistols. The doors hissed open, revealing a troop of droids.

"Ah!" one cried, jumping back in surprise. "Blast them!"

The squadron was defeated in a matter of seconds, considering the hellfire we rained on them. The clones were a force to be reckoned with. They had an impeccable sense of duty, sure. But when things were made personal...clones fought with such fervor, I could have sworn they were the old warriors of Mandalore that Jango used to tell stories about.

As we made our way down the halls, the alarms started to sound. I supposed our little decision not to be executed had been made known.

"We need to split up," I announced as the sound of droidekas approaching echoed down the halls.

"Where are the generals?" Cody asked, ducking past some blaster fire to move beside me.

"This way," I called, running into a side hall, remembering the map I'd seen earlier.

"Remember," Cody called as one squadron and Rex followed me. "Hold the control center. Get through to the Republic!"

"Yes sir!"

Cody joined us as we hurried through the metal corridors, the sound of gunfire echoing after us as the other clones took up the fight. I followed my mental map, but my suspicions only rose as we hit very little resistance on our way.

Any droids we came across seemed almost shocked to see us, making easy targets. We barely even ever had to take cover from returned fire.

"Does this seem too easy to anyone else?" a clone I didn't know asked. I glanced at him before looking to see Rex and Cody share a look. They thought so too. And so did I.

The Force tickled at the back of my mind as we approached the door to the chamber I knew held Anakin and Obi-wan. And Dooku…

It was almost like they were waiting for us. For you, the Force whispered. Was it the Force? Or was it the voice I'd heard in my dreams and meditation that sent chills down my spine?

I took a steadying breath beside the small band of clones while Cody worked to open the door. My fingers twitched around my pistols, methodically fiddling with the trigger. Rex's golden eyes glanced over me, a twinge of worry rippling from him in the Force. I did my best to block him out as the door hissed open.

The room inside was cavernous, metal pillars arching over our heads to the ceiling that came to a peak. Anakin floated in the center of the room, suspended in binders around his wrists and ankles. He looked worn, but a fire burned in his eyes. Anger rippled off of him.

I could feel his conflict. The Jedi training told him to not give into anger. Still, what he had seen had caused him to want to murder Dooku where he stood.

And where he stood...was above a crumpled Obi-wan. What looked like steam was drifting off of the downed jedi, his bearded face exhausted and twisted in pain. He was barely conscious, but I knew in that moment that Dooku was biding his time well. He knew how to keep the jedi awake.

"Hands up," Rex announced, leading the group into the room. I descended the stairs into the cavern with them, pistols drawn and aimed at the sith lord.

Dooku didn't even flinch, lifting his head with an expression that only conveyed mild annoyance. Still, his eyes flashed at the sight of our little band, weapons trained on him.

"I said," Rex said again, his voice hard. "Hands up."

"Very well," Dooku allowed, lifting his hands. But he only lifted them to the height of his chest before thrusting them outwards.

I didn't even get the chance to scream for them to move before the electricity hit me in the chest. We all stumbled backwards, but the agony ended in seconds as Dooku relaxed his fingers, before clenching them again at Obi-wan. The jedi let out a terrible cry as more electricity poured over his body. I flinched, the Force letting me taste the slightest bit of his pain in my mind.

It was what I'd felt before…

Pain that burned deeper than anything I'd ever felt. Torture that wasn't just of the body, but somehow, seared the mind, too.

There was a slightly metallic taste in my mouth as I staggered to my feet. As if I'd just taken a firm bite out of an ozone layer of a planet. I shook myself slightly as the clones rose again, our weapons raising.

"Enough, Dooku," I called, finding my voice. To my surprise, it shook. That didn't happen a lot…

Dooku ceased in his torture of Obi-wan, who had lost consciousness. Anakin struggled in his restraints, looking positively murderous...an expression Dooku shared at the moment as he turned to me.

"Give up," I tried again, succeeding in keeping the tremor from my voice. "You've lost." To my dismay, the dark lord chuckled at me. I'd never been in his presence before, but I'd heard of his darkness. Now, in that moment, I felt the power of the dark side billow around him. It was terrifying. Strong.

But something whispered from it. It called to me. Begged me to come closer. It whispered secrets. Answers to questions I never knew I had.

Dooku watched me, his acid-yellow eyes intense. Finally, he moved, walking towards us with confidence. "Enough of this," he growled.

We aimed our blasters, but no one had the chance to get off a shot.

MANDO'A

Osi'kyr- oh shit!

Ka'ra- stars, ancient Mandalorian myth, ruling council of fallen kings

Adenn beskar'ad- merciless droid

Haran- hell

Su cuy'gar - hello; lit. "you're still alive"

Cyare- beloved

Gett'se - balls

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm sorry about how long this took me to update. I struggled a lot with writing this chapter for some reason, and life has been getting in the way a lot.

Still, I hope you enjoy. More to come soon (some is already written, so it shouldn't take as long this time)!

As always, likes, reposts, reviews, shares, are all welcome!

-Ryder