A/N: Part I of the Anaxes arc. I don't own Star Wars.
Chapter 12: Practice Makes Perfect
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
The battle for Anaxes!
One of the Republic's largest shipyards is under attack from Admiral Trench's Separatist Forces. Jedi Generals Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker along with his Jedi Padawan Leia Organa lead a two-pronged assault on the ground and in the air.
But after weeks of heated battle and mounting losses, the Republic's grip on Anaxes begins to slip away…
Republic military base on Anaxes. 19 BBY.
The mechanics ran towards a damaged LAAT/i that has just landed, avoiding the other spacecraft, land vehicles, the marching clones, and the technicians running around. Just right within the main hangar were the headquarters of the Republic forces. Outside was a beautiful evening as the local sun was descending to the horizon.
"The droids have overrun our main production facility." Mace Windu spoke as the Jedi were observing the holographic projection of the planet, with most of it being covered in red, marking the territory occupied by the Separatists. "It won't be long before the Separatists take Anaxes, compromising our entire reserve fleet."
Anakin Skywalker and Leia Organa turned around and saw both Captain Rex and Commander Cody approaching the Jedi. Leia immediately sensed the worriedness in the two clones through the Force. She looked at her master and from the look on his face, he felt the same.
"Pardon the interruption, General, but Rex here has a good theory on why we keep, uh... losing." Cody addressed Windu.
"Please, Captain." The Jedi master answered.
"The droid army uses analytics to predict our strategy." Rex began. "The first time we use a tactic, it's very effective. The next, less so. In fact, the more we use a certain tactic, the less effective it becomes. They learn our tendencies and use that data against us. To counter them, we're constantly working out ways to vary our attack."
"But the losses we are experiencing on Anaxes are not commonplace." Leia interfered.
"Exactly." Rex agreed. "The counterattacks are so specific, it's my strategy the droids know, my playbook."
"My concern is that Rex is one of our best." Cody said, looking at the clone captain. "If the droids can learn to defeat him, we may all be vulnerable."
"What do you propose?"
"Let Rex and me take a small squad behind enemy lines." Cody began explaining his plan. "There's a Separatist Cyber Center which relays all battlefield intel to their command ship. If we're going to find anything, it will be there."
Windu stood there, thinking for a few minutes. "If you think it will help turn this fight around, get going." He revealed his decision.
"Thank you, General." Rex nodded and he was about to leave when Skywalker called him.
"Rex, is there anything else?" he asked.
"No, General." Rex answered and left, leaving both Anakin and Leia concerned.
Cody and Leia entered the barracks and saw Rex in the corner. He was sitting on a bed, looking at a picture.
"Come on, Rex. Time to move out." Leia said. She stopped when she saw that Rex was holding a picture of a few clones; himself, Cody, Fives, Jesse, and another ARC trooper she did not know.
"Echo, and before that, Hevy." Rex muttered. "There's so many troopers... gone."
"Yeah, regular folk don't understand." Cody interfered, putting a hand on Rex's shoulder. "Sometimes in war, it's hard to be the one that survives."
"That's what I'm worried about." Rex tells him.
"Well, what do you mean?" Leia asked.
"I didn't tell the Generals." Rex began explaining. "They might think I'm crazy. In fact, you might think I'm crazy."
"What is it?"
"I think Echo's alive." Rex answered.
"Who's Echo?" Leia asked, curious about another clone.
"He was an ARC trooper in the 501st. Apparently, he died from an explosion when we were rescuing Jedi General Pong Krell and Captain Tarkin from Separatist capture." Rex told her. "But I think he is still alive."
"That's not possible. He died at the Citadel." Cody argued.
"The way the droids are countering us here, the strategies I'm using, they're all old battle plans Echo and I drew up together." Rex countered. Cody sighed as he sat beside Rex.
"Look, Rex, I hear what you're saying. But it's just not possible. I hope you're right."
"But the fact is, Echo's fingerprints are all over these Separatist strategies." Rex remained stubborn.
"Rex. You have to admit what you're saying is a long shot at best, and most likely, misplaced hope. I need you to be focused on this." Cody told him.
"I-I know, I know." Rex answered. "Don't worry."
Soon, the three left the barracks. At the passageway, they were re-joined by Kix, Dogma, and ARC troopers Fives and Jesse. "So, what squad are we taking in?" Rex asked.
"Clone Force 99." Cody answered, making Leia look confused. She never heard of that.
"I've heard mixed things about these guys. They have a 100% success rate." Kix told the girl and the clones. As they were about to leave the hangar, Commander Appo approached them from behind.
"Commander Luce, General Skywalker requests your presence immediately." He told her.
"Is it urgent?" an annoyed Leia asked.
"He says he has an assignment for you." Appo answered. Leia grumbled. The last thing she wanted to do was to be with her master, or Vader, as she still called him.
"Can I not go with them?" she pointed at the other clones.
"Sorry, Lena. But you must go to him." Appo told her.
Leia sighed as Rex approached her. "It will be better for you to go to your mentor, Lena. Me and my brothers will deal with this quickly."
Leia turned towards the clones and smiled. "Stay safe." She told them as they nodded in response. Moaning in annoyance, Leia followed Appo to Skywalker.
"Lena, there you are," Anakin greeted her as she approached him, right behind Appo.
"Master, why can't I go with the clones on that mission?" Leia immediately asked him.
"I know you want to go, but I have a different task for you." Skywalker answered.
"And what is it?" she asked. Anakin, however, motioned for her to follow him.
"I am your mentor, and so it is my responsibility to continue your training as a Jedi." Anakin began explaining on the way as they left the base. "And to lower the probability of your death. We are going to improve your skills on deflecting blaster shots."
Leia rolled her eyes, but followed Skywalker, nonetheless. She was quite confused when instead of flying remotes she found a company of clone troopers from the 501st.
"Um, master?" she asked Anakin. "Will I not be using remotes for practice?"
The Jedi knight only chuckled in response before answering. "Remotes are lousy. Even if they are designed to simulate battle droids. Droids are predictable, Lena. I want you to be prepared for anything."
"Did you give Ahsoka a similar test?" Leia asked with curiosity, only for Anakin to nod in confirmation.
"Head out to the centre." he instructed her. Still wary, Leia followed his instructions, taking out her lightsaber, ready to ignite it. To her it sounded more like a target practice for the clones rather than a deflecting lesson for her.
"Switch to stun, Appo." Anakin then ordered.
"You heard the general!" the clone commander told the rest of the clones as they adjusted their DC-15S carbines.
"You need to remain calm." Anakin told her as he circled around her and the clones. "Think. Fell the intention of the trooper who will fire first. You should be able to sense the moment before they even pull the trigger."
He then finally stopped. "You ready?"
Nodding, Leia ignited her lightsaber and took a fighting stance. The clones in response aimed their firearms directly at her, but no one pulled the trigger. Even when they heard Skywalker saying "begin", no one shot immediately. It was intense.
Finally, one trooper pulled the trigger, firing stuns at Leia, who barely managed to react and deflect them with her blade. Just then, another clone shot simultaneously. Leia almost panicked as she had to deflect two stun shots at the same time. A third trooper shot, stunning Leia in the rib. Moaning in pain, Leia fell onto the floor, blacking out as Anakin and the trooper ran up to her.
"She'll be alright, general." the clone assured him.
Groaning, Leia opened her eyes as she was slowly waking up. Initially, everything seemed to be blurry, until the sight before her was getting sharper. She immediately saw Anakin and Appo kneeling above her, with her mentor gently holding her.
"That's it, come on. Wake up, princess." Anakin told her. Rubbing her eyes, Leia finally got up.
"Princess?" was the first thing she asked. Skywalker immediately chuckled.
"Why not?" Anakin teasingly asked. "I used to call Ahsoka Snips. Not to mention that it suits you."
Leia rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"How long was I out?" she then asked.
"Almost an hour."
"An hour?!" Leia asked in shock.
"Don't worry, Ahsoka was out for an hour when she was stunned for the first time." Anakin assured her.
"Yeah, CT-0692 really tagged you." Appo added, gesturing at one of the clones behind him. Anakin then playfully punched her in the shoulder.
"Come on." he told her. "Let's go again."
Grabbing her lightsaber, Leia barely stood in a fighting stance while the clones took their positions. The stun still had an effect on her, but she decided to practice.
"Begin." Anakin ordered and it started once again. Leia tried to deflect all the incoming shots. However, she was inevitably stunned once again. Waking up, she saw the Jedi knight looking at her from above.
"Let's go again." was the only thing he said. Standing up, the exhausted Leia began the test once again. Again, she was knocked out.
"Again." Anakin only told her. With no other choice, the exhausted Leia Organa continued her lesson. It seemed like a never-ending cycle until by dawn, Obi-Wan Kenobi came and stopped the lessons.
"Anakin, Lena, our scouts have returned. Master Windu summons us."
Nodding, Anakin then ordered the clones to return to their positions. He then approached Leia who was barely standing.
"You alright, Lena?" he asked.
"I'm fine." the girl answered, barely holding herself.
"Come on, let me help you." Anakin told her as he wrapped her arm around him and helped her walk to the headquarters of the Republic forces.
Legends Lore Notes
The Clone who stunned Leia
In this chapter, Appo mentions a clone trooper, CT-0692. This is not an original character, but in Legends he is known as DV-692, a Jango Fett clone and Imperial stormtrooper of the 501st Legion in service to Darth Vader, who stunned Princess Leia during the Imperial raid on her Tantive IV in the opening scene of A New Hope.
