Dear Reader, this is a fairly long chapter, setting the stage. There's a reference to the episode Sphere of Influence. And we see the return of some characters from earlier chapters. Enjoy! CS

Chapter 80 A Small Job

"Plan: to bother about the best method of accomplishing an accidental result."

The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce

"I think a 10- or 12-man team can pull this off," Anakin announced as Obiwan rejoined him and the rest of the men gathered around the holo-projector, which was now showing the OPORD.

Cody added, "That's not including a four-man air crew to get them in and out."

"You can see here on the schematic, the camp is located in a remote, mountainous region, in the shallow valley between these two ridges. The only known vehicle approach route is through the canyon to the north. According to the intel report, 6th Sector dropped a pair of Pathfinders in two months ago to do some limited recon. They used the plain here to the south as the drop zone and cut up through the jungle. It's a bit lengthier than the northern approach, but it provides the best chance of an undetected arrival. The compound itself looks to be pretty big. There are five structures, all connected by these passageways. We could send two-man teams to each structure to set the explosives. We don't want too many troops running around. That increases the risk of them being seen and giving away the entire operation," Anakin went on, then turned to his captain.

Rex spoke up. "The base camp, outlined here in black, is roughly two hundred meters long and three hundred meters wide. It's surrounded by a combination of electrified walls and plasma barriers. There's a rampart that runs along the entire perimeter, and there are guards patrolling it. The main entrance to the camp is here on the northern wall, and there are two other secondary gates, here . . . and here. The recon team was only on the ground for six hours, so they only were able to recon up to four hundred meters from the camp in all directions. On the southern side, they detected no outlying observation posts and no activity at all, although there were some poorly marked trails, perhaps made by animals, perhaps not. They reported that the trails looked rarely used but that they could still indicate some kind of activity in the area. The east and west side of the camp have more of the same faint trails, but again, the jungle was mostly quiet. To the north are two watch towers – one roughly two hundred meters from the camp perimeter, the other about a half kilometer. They're located along the approach route and well-hidden in the canopy. There are four men on duty in each tower at all times. They're well-armed with blasters and rocket-propelled grenade launchers." He paused for a moment. "The northern approach route is a narrow, single-vehicle road. Unpaved, rutted, extremely rough. It's incapable of handling anything other than a small hover-type vehicle. The report says they didn't see much traffic on it. Mmm . . . no mines in the area or any activity that would suggest the placement of mines. They detected no overt activity in the jungle outside the base camp; however, it's reasonable to assume that training is conducted outside the camp and that they run patrols through the area."

"Did they report seeing any patrols?" Obiwan asked.

"No, Sir, but that doesn't signify," Rex replied. "They weren't on the ground for very long."

"A 10-or 12-man team, hm?" Obiwan said thoughtfully.

"It'll be easy to get a small team in and a lot easier to get them out," Anakin confirmed. "They can jump in like on Pylotta, and a gunship will be able to get low enough to get them out with ascension cables."

"It all sounds good," Obiwan stated. "Cody, Rex, carry on. Anakin, I need to talk to you for a minute."

The two Jedi walked out of the briefing room.

Obiwan had already been thinking about how he would finesse his way through a touchy subject. "We have to decide which, if either, of us go with them on this mission."

Anakin appeared somewhat taken aback by his comment. "I wasn't thinking either of us needed to go."

Obiwan's own speechless surprise prompted Anakin to continue.

"We're sending our two best officers," he said. "They're being detailed to the 6th to carry out a mission, so they'll have their own chain-of-command while they're on Kettrun. We don't know how long they'll be there, and our units might get called back to duty while they're gone. If we're handing over our first-in-commands, then we need to be available in case shore leave is cut short." He smiled. "And it always is."

"Well, that was easy. I was afraid you were going to insist on going," Obiwan admitted.

"I know Rex will get the job done," Anakin replied. "Besides . . . he hates shore leave."

The shuttle was not scheduled to depart until 2200 hours the following day. That still left plenty of time to review and fine-tune the infiltration plan.

Between them, Rex and Cody had agreed that the 501st would provide the ground team, and the 212th the aircrew. Rex made quick work of defining his team. He needed four demolitions/explosives experts. That meant Pitch, whose knowledge of explosives was frightening in more ways than one. To round out the four, he chose CT-7104, otherwise known simply as Bads; CT-0820, Fuse; and CT-2662, Blackie. Rex then looked to the defensive and firepower requirements in the event the team was detected. Hardcase, Echo, Fives, and Denal. Bringing a medic was standard practice, and that was Kix. Rex felt it important to get Kix back in the swing of things as quickly as possible, to ensure his ordeal did not make him timid. The last opening was for Top. He'd considered taking Jesse, but if the battalion was called into action, General Skywalker would need Jesse to act as first-in-command in Rex's absence. While he knew that Jesse would not be happy about staying behind while the rest of his squad went on the mission, he also knew Jessie well enough to know that the lieutenant would accept the decision without complaint and comport himself professionally, as always.

For the aircrew, Cody chose BB, whose specialty was insertion and extraction. BB's usual co-pilot was none other than CT-8383, one of Cody's squad mates from ARC school. He now went by the moniker, Ten By – or Tenby – owing to a bit of pilot lingo in which Ten By meant "Loud and Clear" – much like "Five By" meant the same thing among ground-pounders. As jumpmaster for the mission, Cody selected one of his veterans, Strings. And load master/tech engineer was another experienced trooper, Coze, named after his odd pronunciation of the word "because".

The team members had all been recalled to GAR Headquarters where they had received their initial mission briefing. It was almost two o'clock in the morning before the meeting was dispersed with orders to reassemble at ten o'clock that same morning to continue planning.

As the men filed out of the room, Echo turned to Hardcase. "This was the best timing I could have asked for. It saved me a night out on the town with Fives."

Hardcase chuckled.

Leaving the room just behind them, BB piped up. "It really did ruin my night. I was having dinner with Commander Tano."

"Hup, that's fraternization, BB," Tenby warned with a teasing grin. "You'd better watch yourself."

BB smirked. "It's not fraternization. It's called being friendly. I enjoy her company."

"Well, don't enjoy it too much," Hardcase said. "She's a Jedi—well, a padawan—and you know all the rules they have about relationships and that all that osik."

From behind them, Cody's voice cut across their conversation. "She is also in a position of command over you men. This is not an appropriate discussion of a superior officer."

"Yes, Commander," BB replied. "I didn't mean to sound disrespectful of Commander Tano, Sir. I have a great regard for her."

"As do we all," Cody agreed. "Just keep military protocol in mind."

"Yes, Commander."

Cody and Rex slowed their pace, allowing the others to move out of earshot.

"I suppose it was bound to happen eventually," Cody said bluntly.

Rex looked at him with a questioning stare. "What?"

"The men looking at Commander Tano in, uh, a different light," Cody explained. "And maybe her looking at them in a different light, as well."

Rex knit his brows. "You're imagining things. The men see her as one of them, one of the boys—"

"Rex, I know even you aren't that ignorant," Cody pushed back. "Commander Tano doesn't exactly look like a kid anymore, and she sure as hell doesn't look like one of the boys. When the men look at her now, they see an attractive woman. They see her rank, too; but that doesn't stop them from noticing the commander's . . . softer aspects. She's still young, but she's . . . an eyeful."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Rex replied dismissively. "Like you said, she's a padawan. She's forbidden from forming attachments."

"That hasn't stopped her forming an attachment to you," Cody pointed out.

"That's just a . . . passing infatuation," Rex replied.

"So, you have noticed."

"Of course, I've noticed," Rex said, as if he wondered how anyone could ask such an inane question.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What do you intend to do about it?"

"Nothing," came the flat response. "She'll grow out of it. Besides, if I said anything to her, it might embarrass her and ruin our working relationship." A devious grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Besides, maybe BB can divert her attention."

"That's not the solution," Cody snipped.

"It works for me."

"Rex," Cody chastised his friend's flippancy.

"That was out of line, I know. Look, Cody, the men like Commander Tano. They respect her leadership, and you know as well as I do, it wasn't always that way. You know how they felt about her when she first arrived. But she's proven herself, and they'd do anything for her now. I don't want to screw that up." He sighed. "So, if she's got a little . . . thing for me, as long as she doesn't act on it, where's the problem?"

"The problem isn't yours or BB's or any other clone's," Cody said firmly. "The problem is Commander Tano's. She's not allowed to form attachments, Rex. Not to you or anyone else. But if people are encouraging her—or at the very least, not discouraging her—then that creates a problem."

"Commander," Rex began, and his use of Cody's title told the latter that the former was reaching his threshold for annoyance. "The padawan phase is supposed to figure out if the student is suited to be a Jedi. Whatever attachments or attractions she feels, she'll have to work that out for herself and decide whether or not being a Jedi is part of her future."

Cody, feeling a hint of irritation himself, dropped his patient probing for a more direct line of inquiry. "And what about your future?"

Rex glowered. "What?"

"When are you going to tell me what happened on Bertegad?"

Rex could have pretended to be insulted or offended at the question and the presumption behind it; but it was testimony to just how well Cody knew him that he'd had been able to discern whatever subtle changes that had marked the path.

"It . . . sounds like you already have an idea of what happened," he replied.

"Yes, but my idea wouldn't account for the change I've noticed in you," Cody stated.

"Change . . . for the better or the worse?" Rex inquired.

"I'm not quite sure," Cody admitted. He permitted a light-hearted expression to creep into his features. "Does change always have to be better or worse?"

"We're either moving towards something better or away from it," Rex replied.

"Don't be so simplistic," Cody rebuked.

"I'm a simple man—"

"Oh-ho!" Cody burst out in near-laughter. "Now, that is as far from the truth as Rigo is from Coruscant!"

This brought a slight but honest smile to Rex's face. "Maybe you're right."

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

Rex considered. "After this mission, if you still want to know, I'll tell you."

"Agreed."

And even though Rex was not fully convinced that it was a wise decision to open himself up to such scrutiny, still he trusted Cody. And who knew? It might do him good to impart his secret.

Rex looked at the chronometer in his headsup display.

Zero nine hundred hours.

General Skywalker had said to meet him on general docking platform 23E outside of Senator Amidala's private residence.

Here it was: 0900 hours.

And miraculously enough, General Skywalker was on time.

Or perhaps not so miraculous.

General Skywalker arrived with Senator Amidala. Ostensibly, he'd been assigned with the duty to escort her to and from the Senate – an added measure of protection in these days of assassinations, bombings, and poisonings. But today's escort duty had nothing to do with Senate business. Senator Amidala was making a day-trip to one of the nearby planets in what could only be labelled a shopping trip in preparation for her state dinner the following night. She was taking a sizeable entourage of service droids from her household, and she was looking forward to taking a day-break from the business of the Senate.

It seemed that whenever General Skywalker was teamed up with the Senator, his timeliness greatly improved. It could be that Senator Amidala was simply a more punctual person who demanded the same in those who served and protected her.

Or it could be what Rex already knew.

The two were lovers. But even that definition did not seem to do justice to what the captain had sensed and discerned between them. There was a connection that went far beyond any physical or sexual attraction. Rex had always simply attributed the unknown quality to the fact that General Skywalker was a Jedi and very strong with the Force, that possession of such a great power must somehow add an element of the metaphysical to the bond between them.

Rex had no doubt where the general had spent the night and who it was who had made sure he got out of the gate on time this morning.

"Good morning, General. Good morning, Senator," Rex greeted them as they exited their ship.

The smile on General Skywalker's face, coupled with the overflowing peace of his entire presence, told Rex that it had been a good night.

"Good morning, Rex," Anakin beamed back at him.

Padme inclined her head. "Captain."

"We still on for 1000 hours?" Anakin asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Thankfully, my escort duty doesn't include shopping trips," Anakin quipped, "So, I'll be there."

"We'd be glad to have your input, General," Rex replied. "But if you can't make it, don't worry about it. You know there's no better mission planner than Cody."

"That's true," Anakin agreed. "But don't worry. I'll be there. If I can't go on the mission with you, I can at least help with the planning."

Rex hesitated a moment. "Are you sure you want me to go on this mission, General?"

Anakin eyed his first-in-command with a knowing grin. "Are you trying to tell me you don't want to go?"

"Any action is better than no action," Rex replied gamely. "But you know I hate letting you out of my sight, General. You have a tendency to get in trouble when I'm not around."

"Now, that's the truth," Padme injected.

Anakin clapped Rex on his armored shoulder. "I appreciate the concern, Captain. You know we have this discussion every time we're sent on separate missions. I'll be just fine. You're the one heading into danger."

They began walking towards the Senator's ship, Rex falling slightly behind them – both out of respect for their positions, but also out of deference for their relationship.

"I don't like the situation on Pantora one bit," Padme began. She was referring to the Trade Federation blockade of the planet Pantora, a Republic-aligned planet. The blockade was initiated under the pretense, though partly true, that Pantora had not paid the money it owed the Trade Federation, but it seemed clear to Senator Amidala that the real crime of the Pantorans was their siding with the Republic. Padme was savvy enough in the political realm to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Trade Federation had Separatist leanings, that their only reason for maintaining a seat at the Republic table was their unfathomable greed for profit. The fact that Pantora was actually considering an alliance with the Separatists, was actually open to Count Dooku's entreaties, pained the senator in more ways than one. Not only was she a friend and mentor to Pantora's Senator Chuchi; but her own planet had gone through something similar. She was reminded of that now. "It reminds me far too much of Naboo's own scarred history."

"Well, that blockade wasn't that bad," Anakin opined with a lightness that Padme found beguiling, if not a bit lax for the circumstances. "It's the reason I met you, after all."

Padme blushed, fully conscious of the presence of her husband's first-in-command, holding at a discreet distance. She was not surprised that Anakin had spoken so clearly and certainly loud enough for Rex to hear every word. She'd known for quite some time that, if there were one person in the universe Anakin trusted, it was his captain. Sometimes, it seemed he trusted Rex even more than he trusted Obiwan – even more than he trusted her.

And why not? Rex was unflinchingly loyal. He never questioned orders. In fact, from what Padme had heard and, on several occasions, witnessed, Captain Rex was the first one to fan the flames of the dare-devil, risking-taking, borderline insane antics that Anakin very often espoused. He was that unusual combination of level-headedness infused with spirit and bravery; with just enough lunacy thrown in to make him one of—if not, the—most revered clone officers in the entire Grand Army.

Padme liked him very much. Very much, indeed—even if there were times when she felt that the captain had Anakin's ear to a greater degree than she did. Still, she trusted him as much as Anakin trusted him to keep their secret. Rex certainly was not a man to go about gossiping or spreading rumors.

"You certainly have a unique way of looking at things, Ani," she said with a shy smile.

Before Anakin could reply, Ahsoka approached from one of the smaller platforms.

"Senator Amidala! Master Skywalker!"

Padme became all business on the spot. "What is it, Ahsoka?"

"Someone has kidnapped Chairman Papanoida's daughters," the breathless padawan replied. She was referring to the leader of the Pantoran Assembly, Chairman Papanoida who had come to Coruscant in the hopes of convincing the Senate to take action to help his planet against the Separatist blockade. But he had not come alone. A leader who believed in teaching the workings of political craft to his children, he'd brought his son and two daughters with him.

Now, his daughters were missing.

Padme knit her brow and sighed. "I was afraid something like this would happen." She turned her gaze. "Anakin?"

"The Jedi can't get involved. This is a job for the local police," came the quick reply, making it clear that General Skywalker had little interest in getting involved in the situation.

But Padme was not one to give up at the first sign of resistance. "I'm not so sure local authorities can handle it. The Separatists are putting a lot of pressure on Pantora to join them. I'm afraid this blockade may give the Pantorans no other choice."

"Master, if the Jedi can't officially get involved, let me do this on my own. Senator Chuchi is a good friend of mine," Ahsoka volunteered anxiously.

"Eh-alright. With the Separatists involved, I guess it gives you cause to investigate. Go help Senator Chuchi but don't get in the way of the local authorities."

Ahsoka regarded him with questioning eyes. "Aren't you going to help?"

"I said the situation gives you cause to investigate. Not us. I have to go back to the Jedi Temple and make sure the Council doesn't find out about your little expedition."

Anakin's skirting of the rules did not surprise Padme, but it did concern her. "Should you really proceed without the Council's approval?"

To this, Anakin grinned in satisfaction. "We do it all the time. Don't we, Snips?"

"Yep."

"Well, be careful, Ahsoka," Padme warned, then to Anakin with a wry inflection, "I still can't believe they let you teach."

"Hey, sometimes you have to do what it takes to get the job done – even if means side-stepping the rules," Anakin said. This time he turned to Rex for affirmation. "Isn't that right, Rex?"

"You'd never get an argument from me, Sir," Rex replied.

"That's why I like you, Captain," Anakin quipped.

Ahsoka, in a moment of boldness, spoke up. "Well, I know you hate shore leave, Rex, so maybe you'd like to join me in finding the chairman's daughters."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Rex certainly wasn't going to say anything. It was General Skywalker's duty to keep Commander Tano – his padawan – informed on the battalion's activities.

"Ahsoka, Rex isn't going to be available," Anakin said haltingly. "He and Commander Cody are taking a small detail to Kettrun to take out a terrorist training camp."

Ahsoka's gaze went from Anakin to Rex and back again. "When did this tasking come down?" she asked, and it was clear from her voice and demeanor that she was unhappy about not knowing of the mission.

"Last night," Anakin replied. "I was going to tell you about it today."

"Well, I guess now would be a good time," came the terse reply.

For the next minute, Anakin explained the upcoming mission.

At its conclusion, Ahsoka volunteered right away. "Why don't you let me lead the mission, Master?"

"If any Jedi were going, it would be me, Ahsoka," Anakin replied. "But the decision's already been made. I think Rex and Cody are capable of handling this on their own."

"I know that, Master," Ahsoka replied, "But I could protect them—"

Anakin noticed the subtle change in Rex's expression at this statement, the idea that two of the GAR's finest officers needed protection, when, in fact, it was their duty to protect their Jedi officers. Never mind the fact that the Jedi always provided much appreciated protection to their troops; it just wasn't proper to speak of it.

"Ahsoka, there's no discussion on this," Anakin said firmly. "The decision is made. Besides, you volunteered to help find Chairman Papanoida's daughters. Do you want to go back on that?"

Ahsoka scowled. "I'd rather be with my men."

"So would I," Anakin replied. "But we all have to take orders and do what's best for the mission."

Ahsoka looked to Rex as if she were expecting—or at least, hoping—that he would speak up on her behalf and ask for her to accompany them on the mission.

Rex remained impassive and stone-faced.

"Well, it looks like I'm getting left out of all sorts of missions," she said, not even attempting to hide her bitterness. Then, with a strong note of sarcasm, she added, "But like you said, Master, the mission always comes first." She turned an almost accusatory eye to Rex. "A rule that even the best of us forget every now and then." A pointed pause. "Good luck on your mission, Captain."

With that, she returned to her speeder.

Anakin drew in a deep breath. "She's going to be mad at us for a while."

"She'll get over it, Sir," Rex replied. "Isn't it true that the Jedi don't hold grudges?"

"Yes, that's true."

Here, Padme spoke up. "You both forget one thing. She's not a Jedi yet."

Jesse stood on the hangar floor.

The rest of his squad mates stood at the base of the long-range shuttle's boarding ramp.

"You had better take care of them," he warned, looking pointedly at Top.

"You know I will," came the earnest reply. "I wish you were coming with us."

"Don't you think it's more likely that we should be the ones to take care of him?" Hardcase teased, jabbing an elbow into Top's armored side.

"That goes without saying," Jesse smiled.

Rex, coming up behind Jesse, put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll look after all of them. Okay, everyone, get in place. Our window closes in less than three minutes."

"Rex!"

Rex turned to see General Skywalker hurrying across the hangar floor. After that morning's planning meeting, Rex had not expected to see the general again until after the mission was complete. They'd gone over all the details of the incursion, including numerous contingencies, and concluded with a solid plan in place. The general had then gone on to other duties. There was no reason to expect him to come see the team off.

But that's what he was doing.

"General Skywalker," Rex greeted him. "Are you coming with us?"

"I wish I were," Anakin replied. "No, I just came to wish you all good luck. Is everyone onboard?"

"Yes, General."

Anakin strode past him up the ramp and into the passenger bay where the infiltration party was taking their seats. Knowing that the pilots were busy doing pre-flight, he activated the ship-wide intercom.

"I want to wish you all good luck," he stated. "You're going into a dangerous situation. This is a critical mission. I know you will all do your jobs. I want to see all of you come back safely." He saw the subtle nods of affirmation from the men before him. "May the Force be with you."

As he turned to leave, he gave Rex a hard look. Without account, he felt a swell of foreboding – indistinct as to meaning yet familiar enough in content. It was the same sort of premonition he'd felt with regard to his mother shortly before her death at the hands of the Tusken Raiders. Yet, this fleeting spasm of dread had no face associated with it. The sense of pain was murky but unmistakable; only the sufferer and the conditions were obscured. Still, Anakin suddenly feared for his captain.

"Be alert, Rex," Anakin said quietly. "And . . . stay close to Cody."

"Yes, General."

Anakin swept his gaze one more time over the assembled team, now in their seats and ready to depart.

No, they didn't engender in him the same mysterious response as when he looked at Rex. And now, when he turned to Rex one last time . . . the feeling was gone.

As if it had never happened.

No sooner had the shuttle touched down in the Portica's main hangar than Cody and Rex were met by members of General Medge's staff and whisked off to a briefing room, while the rest of the team waited in one of the hangar's adjacent troop lounges.

Upon entering the briefing room, Cody was pleased to see Captain Snap at the table and went immediately to greet him.

"It seems like just yesterday we were at ARC training," Snap said with a warm smile to accompany his handshake. Looking past Cody to where Rex stood, he added, "I'll bet it's taking all your effort just to keep this guy on the straight and narrow."

Cody chuckled. "He's not quite the handful he was in ARC training, but he's still a challenge." A pause. "Has the situation changed since our last holocon?"

Snap appeared a bit hesitant. "The situation itself isn't much changed. But . . . there has been a change in plans."

"Oh?"

Snap moved closer to his two former ARC mates and lowered his voice. "Padawan Commander Ki'weya is being given operational command of your detail."

Both Rex and Cody were stunned, but only Rex verbalized his shock. "What?!"

"The leadership decided it would be a good idea for a Jedi—or, in this case, a padawan—to lead the mission," Snap replied.

"This is our mission. We were tasked specifically to do this," Rex fumed.

Cody put a hand on Rex's arm as a sign to calm down. The commander could easily understand the wisdom of wanting someone with Force abilities on such a mission, and Ki'weya, one of several padawans serving in the ranks of the Sixth Army, was as good a choice as any. He might even be a cut better, given that he'd been on Kettrun since the invasion had started and probably had a better lay of the land than anyone coming in on detail.

"We'll be happy to work with him," Cody said with all the deference to rank and structure that was expected of a man in his position.

Snap's response, however, was not promising. "Um, I doubt that very much."

"Why is that?"

Snap nodded towards the door. "Here he comes now. You'll see what I mean."

Padawan Ki'weya was an Ustrayan – humanoid in most aspects, though Ustrayan anatomy typically exhibited an over-sized bulbous cranium to house an over-sized brain, eight digits on each hand and foot, reptilian-like eyes that glittered in the light, and what was commonly accepted to be the remnants of a dorsal fin, long in the process of disappearance through evolution.

They were, as a race, tall and muscular, extraordinarily fit – having bred the culture-determined undesirable traits out of their gene pool centuries ago—and undeniably beautiful in the eye of another human beholder.

Among them, there had never been a Jedi. Ki'weya was the first padawan to come from Ustraya. He felt the significance of that calling and the attendant expectations. His master, Jedi Master Shyfa, also understood the importance of Ki'weya's vocation as seen from the eyes of his people, for he, too, as a Lodarfin, was the only Jedi from among his people. But that was where the similarities between master and pupil ended.

Master Shyfa was humble, modest, and as a general, devoted to the men he led. Ki'weya was , by nature, boisterous, exceedingly confident, and still at a stage of trying to prove not only his suitability to be a Jedi, but his worth as an indispensable part of any team on which he served. Master Shyfa had made considerable progress in breaking down some of his padawan's un-Jedi-like characteristics; but it was, he admitted in the silence of his own thoughts, a project that would require a lot of time and patience, the war's intervention doing little to help the situation along.

"Come on," Snap said. "I'll introduce you."

But before the introductions could be made, the briefing began. And it became abundantly clear, in short order, why Ki'weya had been included in the mission. It wasn't simply for his Force abilities. Not at all. Ki'weya had been sent earlier, while Rex and Cody were enroute, to conduct a one-man reconnaissance of the compound, much more detailed than previous recon missions. While he'd not entered the place, he'd gotten within twenty meters in a number of spots along the perimeter, and he had good intel as a result.

Still, it seemed to Cody that Ki'weya should be included as a team member, not the team leader. But it wasn't his place to protest. Besides, Cody had a way of still managing to function as leader by steering the decisions of those around him. He would simply have to use the same tactics here.

At the briefing's conclusion, Snap presented his offer once more to introduce them.

They approached Ki'weya, who stood at least thirty centimeters taller than them and was busily pouring over figures on his HOPO.

"Commander Ki'weya, these are the two men who will be commanding the detail you'll be leading."

Both Rex and Cody noticed the carefully chosen words Snap had used, as if to press home to the padawan that there was more than one command position in this mission.

Ki'weya looked up from his figures to acknowledge the newcomers.

Cody gave a nod of introduction, simply stating his name. "Cody. And this is Rex."

Ki'weya nodded once. "Commander Ki'weya."

Commander. Ah. Clearly, there would be no familiarity here. But that wasn't uncommon. Jedi tended to be formal in their manner of address and recognition of titles. And this was, after all, the military.

There was a moment when no one spoke, and then Captain Snap filled the void. "I was at ARC training with the two of them—"

"Yes, you mentioned that before," Ki'weya interrupted. "With glowing reviews, I might add. But I would have known of them both anyway. Your names are . . . associated with feats of greatness throughout the grand Army. I suppose that is to be expected, given your own Jedi generals."

"Thank you, Commander," Cody replied. "We'll try to do the same for you."

"Mm," came the rather indifferent reply. "Well, let's just make sure you do better for me than you did on Pylotta. Rather sloppy affair, wasn't it?"

Before Cody could give a diplomatic response, Rex dove in with his hallmark candor. "Rather successful, too, I would say."

"I suppose that depends on how you define success," the padawan said, leading the trio out into the corridor. "I've got an office set aside down this way." He resumed with, "We can never leave Pylotta, not after setting the population at odds with each other. If our forces were to pull out, that space port would fall right back into Separatist hands. The situation is still highly unstable and likely to remain that way for the duration of the war. A limited assault followed by humanitarian assistance would have gone a long way towards securing the total population's support."

"That may be true, Commander," Cody replied, "But the decision to launch a full-blown assault and leave a delegation behind wasn't made by the clones who carried out the attack. Our troops did what they were sent there to do. And they did it successfully."

"Again, that all depends on your definition of success."

Rex, still maintaining his military bearing, spoke up. "I didn't know you were such an expert on military planning, Padawan." Both Cody and Snap recognized the hint of challenge and sarcasm in his voice; but it went completely unnoticed by Ki'weya.

"I'm an expert at many things, Captain, military planning among them," came the reply.

They came to Ki'weya's provisional office; and here, the padawan opened a holomap of the entire area. "I imagine this mission will be much easier than the one on Pylotta," the Ustrayan began. "There's only one target, the number of enemy might be more but estimates of that number are more accurate based on my reconnaissance, and the mission is strictly in-and-out."

Rex and Cody listened but without much indication of agreement. One thing they had learned over the course of the war was that the tendency to underestimate the danger and difficulty of a situation accounted for the vast majority of failures, great and small.

"It was remarkable how easily I got in close to the place. They're not overly vigilant. A bit too confident and complacent, I would say," the padawan explained.

"Yeah, there's nothing like over-confidence to drive the first nail in the coffin," Rex said, absorbing Cody's subtle jab in the ribs.

Again, Ki'weya was completely oblivious to the rhetorical device.

Cody pursued a more productive mode of comment. "You were a one-man team, Commander. And you're a Padawan with all the skills that entails. This is a twelve-man—now, thirteen-man team. With the aircrew, we're at seventeen. I think that's much easier to detect than a lone padawan."

"Not if it's done right."

Rex bit his tongue at this easy dismissal of Cody's logical conclusion.

At this point, Ki'weya turned to Captain Snap. "Captain, as you are not part of this mission, I have to ask you to leave the room."

"Yes, Commander." Snap looked to his fellow troopers. "Good luck," he said with an inflection that begged no clarification.

The moment Snap was gone, Ki'weya went on with his plan. "This is a computer-enhanced image of the area we'll be going into. Here you can see the compound." He then went over much of the same information Rex and Cody had received in their previous briefings.

During a pause in the padawan's report, Cody broke in with a question. "Do we have any actual pictures or holo's of what it looks like beneath those trees?"

Ki'weya raised his eyes without raising his head, and the expression on his face was one of impatience. "No, we don't," he said flatly. "But from my own personal recollections, I can tell you it's thick jungle with interwoven undergrowth."

"Is it something we'll need to hack our way through?" Rex asked.

"I didn't have to," came the rather snide response. Before either clone could further pursue the issue, Ki'weya continued. "This is what I labeled the East Ridge, for obvious reasons—" which he then went ahead to state "—it's on the east side of the compound. This then, is, of course, the West Ridge. The valley in between them leads out onto these plains, which is what I've recommended as the drop zone. It's about a two-mile jaunt from the mouth of the valley to the compound perimeter. With the terrain and vegetation, it would your detail no more than one hour."

"One hour? To go two miles through the kind of jungle you're describing? If you'll excuse me for saying so, that sounds rather optimistic, Commander," Rex put forth.

"One hour, Captain," Ki'weya stated again with emphasis. "But I'll be there to guide you in, so it may take less."

Cody made a furtive glance at Rex. He could already see the storm clouds forming over the stretch of holographic imagery that separated the two officers from the padawan, and Rex had that look on his face that Cody had seen there so many times before. A stubborn possessiveness.

In an attempt to head off trouble, Cody dove in. "What's the terrain like on the drop zone, Commander?"

Ki'weya visually conveyed his displeasure at being interrupted yet once again, not to mention his condescension at the perceived idiocy of the question.

"It's a plain," he replied. "It's flat."

"Is that all we know?" Rex asked, tight-lipped.

"What else do you need to know, Captain?"

"Well, considering we're going to be parachuting onto it, I thought we might like to know what we're dropping into? Are there any trees? Is the ground rough or smooth? Rocky or loose? Sand or dirt? Packed or—"

Ki'weya heave an exasperated sigh. "There are a few low scrub-like trees. It's not rocky or pitted. It's loose dirt, and at this time of year, it's covered with waist-high, very dry grass that can slice your skin if you're not covered—which shouldn't be a problem for you and your men, given your armor. It can also go up in flames at the snap of a finger, which would give everything away."

"Animals?"

"Animals?" Ki'weya stood with his mouth open. "You mean, wild animals?"

"Any animals," Rex replied. "I'd hate to land in the middle of a herd of gocbins or retterbeasts or any other animal capable of trampling us to bits."

"I don't even know what those creatures are—"

"They were part of the research we did in preparing for this mission," Cody put forth before Rex could follow up with some expression of disgust. "Again, we clones don't have the . . . abilities that the Jedi do; and we thought we were going to be without a Jedi. It was important for us to look up what sorts of creatures we might be dealing with."

This explanation seemed to pass muster, though Ki'weya still appeared annoyed by the entire subject. However, he answered evenly enough, "I don't know if there are any animals in the area. I didn't encounter any. It really isn't anything I'm concerned about. But I'm sure whatever research you did on your own would have told you what animals are commonplace on the plains." A pause. "Now, to continue . . . once we've moved off the plains, we'll head for the East Ridge. As you can see, the tree line only reaches about a quarter of the distance up the ridge. Right below the tree line, the jungle thins out significantly, and the terrain is more rocky and less difficult to get through, though perhaps a bit more treacherous. Still, it's the quickest way. Above the tree line, the ridge is sheer and rocky—"

"Treacherous?" Rex interrupted. "How so?"

"The ground is very rocky. Large, loose rocks. Tripping and falling hazards." A strange smile twinkled briefly across the padawan's face, then blinked out. "Rock slides. But it's still faster than fighting our way through the jungle on the valley floor." A pause. "Now, as to team composition—"

"We've already determined team composition," Cody stated.

"Yes, well, I'm not sure your . . . determinations are what the job truly requires—"

Cody jumped in before Rex could get a word off.

"I'm sure we could discuss your recommendations with General Shyfa and General Medge," he said, reluctantly employing the threat of the ranking officers against the padawan. "We put together this team based on a tasking given to us by Sector 6 and Sixth Army. We appreciate your input, Commander, and we're ready to work with you; but rather than simply tell us what your plan is, you might want to consider the planning we've already done and incorporate the two together."

Ki'weya stared at him a moment. "Commander . . . Cody, I think there's a misunderstanding here. Perhaps General Pehna-qa didn't make it clear earlier, but you and your men will be operating under my direction."

"Yes, he made that very clear," Cody replied.

"Then I don't understand the disconnect between us."

"The disconnect is that we're supposed to be a team," Cody replied. "And my men will feel a lot better if they know that their officers had some say in the decisions being made. I understand your recon mission was a one-man effort; but this time you've got other men you're responsible for." A pause. "Other men that Captain Rex and I are responsible for."

It seemed for a moment that the padawan would simply continue with his own plans. But then he gave a dramatic exhalation. "Very well. Show me the work you've done."

Cody glanced at Rex, saw the expression there, and knew it was going to be a long night.