A/N: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Chapter 14: On the Wings of the Keeradaks

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

Trapped.

On an unsanctioned mission to rescue ARC trooper Echo, General Skywalker, Padawan Leia, Captain Rex, and the Bad Batch travel to Skako Minor, headquarters of the Techno Union.

After a harrowing encounter with the natives, our heroes infiltrate the city of Purkoll, only to find themselves surrounded by Wat Tambor's forces…


Purkoll, Skako Minor. 19 BBY.

"Hey! Hunter, hold them off. I'll check on Rex, Lena, and Echo." Anakin yelled to Hunter as the young Jedi Knight sliced another aerial battle droid. Hunter nodded as he, Crosshair and Wrecker continued the battle. Skywalker found the Rex and Leia kneeling before Echo. He felt anger and horror at the sight of the captive clone.

They heard his steps when he ran to them. "Situation is almost under control out there. How's it going on here?"

"I'm still trying to decrypt Echo's cerebral interface." Tech reported as he kept playing with the keyboard, gesturing to Echo. "Until I do, we cannot disconnect him from this computer system."

"How is he, Rex?" Anakin then asked the clone captain.

"He's too weak to walk" he answered as he stood up. "Very disorientated. Doesn't even remember how he got here. He remembers being at the Citadel, but that's about it."

"Any word on the extraction squad?" Anakin then asked. Rex shook his head.

"We called it in, but no word back." he replied. Both Anakin and Leia turned to see the Bad Batch still fighting the overwhelming droids.

"Well, that's no surprise." Anakin said, folding his arms. "We knew when we got into this we'd be on our own."

"Then it's gonna be get more difficult to get out of here." Leia told him just as Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair entered, firing at the incoming droids.

"There are several squads of droids closing in." Hunter warned the rest. Both he and Crosshair quickly closed the doors and began sealing them. Crosshair then used his sensors to observe the situation outside.

"Enemy approaching. Droids... lots of 'em." he reported.

"How long can you hold them off?" Skywalker asked while Leia took out her lightsaber.

"How long do you need?" Hunter asked back.

"Tech, how much longer?!" Anakin turned to Tech.

"Not yet. I need more time."

"Hurry up!" Leia demanded then.

Meanwhile, outside the lab, the mass columns of D1 droids made way for Wat Tambor and his two assistants.

"We have them completely surrounded, sir" one of the droids reported to him.

"Good." Tambor nodded. "Prepare the Organic Decimator."

Just as the two Skakoans activated the Decimator, Anakin Skywalker then appeared on screen before him.

"Tambor."

"If you are calling to beg for your release, Skywalker," the Emir told him. "you are wasting your time."

"I don't beg, Tambor." Anakin corrected him. "But I'll bargain."

Wat Tambor scoffed. "We don't want your credits. That clone was purchased from the Separatists after its capture. It is a research tool and legal property of the Techno Union."

Both Leia and Anakin could feel each other's disgust and anger when the Skakoan emir addressed Echo as if he was some object not a living person.

"Now, honour the neutrality your Senate provided us and surrender at once!" Tambor demanded.

"Your neutrality is a joke! You're working for the Separatists!" Skywalker countered. Meanwhile, one of the Skakoan scientists told Tambor that the Decimator was ready.

"Excellent! I'll show you, Skywalker, why neutrality in this war is more lucrative for the Techno Union." he threatened the Jedi Knight. "Bring in a test subject!"

At the gesture of the Skakoans, the D1 droids brought in a captured Poletec who tried to resist, but the droids' grip was too strong.

"The Techno Union develops many technologies here." Tambor continued speaking. "And we offer them to the highest bidder. As you are about to see, the Organic Decimator will make a great limit for a droid army to use against clones."

"Stop this! You can't do this!" Skywalker protested as he guessed what would happen next.

"Oh, but I can, and I will." Tambor answered back calmly. "The Techno Union owns everything on this planet, including those primitives. Activate."

Once activated, the Decimator, levitating above the floor, released energetic tentacles, using it to search for organic matter. It did not touch the droids, but when it reached the Poletec, it released all of its tentacles on the poor native. Both Anakin and Leia watched in horror as the poor Poletec vaporized in front of them.

Leia then felt anger and hatred towards Tambor increase within Anakin's mind.

"You can surrender, Skywalker, or you can be my next test subjects." Tambor threatened, pleased that his machine killed an innocent life. "The choice is yours."

Anakin did not answer back only to break the communications device, abruptly ending his call with the emir.

"Send in the Decimator." Tambor ordered. In a minute, he and the rest watched as the Decimator began breaching the door with his laser.

Meanwhile, Tech was still pressing on the keypad until he finished. "I've got it. We can unplug him now."

Not hesitating, Rex and Tech approached Echo and began unplugging the wires. When the last one was unplugged, Echo collapsed against the controls. Leia could sense the pain the clone was feeling.

"Rex?" he called out to his captain.

"What is it?" the clone captain asked with concern, kneeling in front of him.

"I got a big headache." Echo coughed. Rex only chuckled in response.

"Better to feel something than nothing, old buddy."

Leia caught herself smiling a bit too when Anakin interfered with a serious tone. "It's a touching reunion, guys, but we need to get out of here, now!"

"There's an exhaust vent that leads to the cooling systems right there." Echo coughed, pointing upwards.

"They've breached the front door. It won't be long before they're through the second." Hunter alerted everyone.

Using the computer interface, Echo opened the vent door.

"Great. Now how do we get up there?" Leia asked. She suddenly felt Wrecker approaching her from behind.

"Oh, I can help with that" he said and suddenly grabbed her. Before she could react, Wrecker threw her up into the vent.

"A heads-up would've been nice!" Hunter scolded his comrade before Wrecker threw him up next. Crosshair went next. Tech had Echo on his back, with Rex following them. Wrecker then turned to Anakin since they were the last ones.

"It's okay, Wrecker. I've got this." Anakin assured him before jumped up high, reaching the vent. Now, it was Wrecker's turn, but instead of escaping, he approached the control room and took out explosives.

"Wrecker, what are you doing?"

"I'm putting an end to Tambor's little science experiment." Wrecker answered with anger, throwing explosives at the controls and the chamber.

"Time's up, hurry up!" Leia cried when the Decimator was entering the lab. Anakin stretched out his hands and Force-lifted Wrecker up. The Decimator already released its tentacles, slightly hitting Wrecker.

"Whoa! Whoa!" the clone commando yelled as he was struck by them. "Oh, no! What is that thing? I don't like it! I don't like it! It's trying to get me!"

He quickly reached the vent and Leia immediately closed behind it. Outside the laboratory, meanwhile, Tambor and his lackeys stood, waiting for the Decimator to finally deal with the Republic task force. The emir, a member of the Separatist Council, grinned to himself. He would be the one who killed General Skywalker. Of all the Jedi, this young Jedi Knight was a bane and tumor to all of the Separatist leaders. Not to mention he would partially have his revenge for capturing him on Ryloth and for having all his trophies, the planet's riches, taken away from him. Suddenly, they heard the sound diminishing as if the droid was deactivating. This baffled the Skakoans.

"What happened?" Wat Tambor addressed one of the D1 droids. "Why did it shut off?"

"No organic targets were detected, sir. No organic targets were detected, sir."

Outraged, Tambor shoved the droid away and looked through the breached hole. His two assistants take a peak when he saw his laboratory filled with explosives.

"Oh n…"

The blast from the explosion threw Tambor, the Skakoans and the droids after destroying the Decimator. Knocked to the ground, Wat stood up, groaning in pain. He rubbed his head when one of the droids kneeled to his left side.

"Orders, sir?" the droid asked only for its head to be knocked out by an enraged Tambor. He then stood up and when the droids managed to open the pathway into the lab, he immediately entered, his scientists following suite. Seeing the state of the lab, the emir went hysterical.

"They took it... Techno Union property! They've ruined years of research. All of it gone! Find them!"


While Wat Tambor raged, Anakin, Leia and the clones were moving through the ventilation corridors as quickly as possible. With Echo in a poor state, they had to slow their pace.

"Huh. This ventilation corridor acts as a cooling system for all the computers in the facility." Tech noticed. Leia, as if to confirm it, shivered.

"How did you know it was up here, Echo?" her mentor asked.

Echo chuckled. "Well, they got access to my memory, and I got access to the Techno Union database. All their plans, inventory, building schematics... everything."

"You mean you can find us a safe way out of here?"

"Well, there is a way..." the clone spoke with hesitance. "but you're not gonna like it."

Echo was right. The escape route was a long, but narrow pipe high above the ground. Tech looked over the edge. The planet's surface was not seen due to the thick clouds below.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Leia muttered.

But Echo insisted. "I'm telling you, there's a landing pad on that other building."

"So, you think there's a ship there we can steal?" Hunter asked.

"Well, I hope there's a ship we can steal."

"Let's hope this trip isn't for nothing." Anakin told everyone before ordering to move on. Sensing Leia's distraught, he gently took her hand. Leia, meanwhile, was shocked, but felt comfort that he did it.

The company walked down the pipe, trying to maintain balance. Wrecker, however, was having issues with this.

"Oh, boy. I can't even look."

"Just keep walking, Wrecker." Tech told him, but it was fruitless as the muscled clone commando panicked.

"Uh-oh. I looked" he panicked. "Ahh! I think I'm gonna be sick. Not gonna panic."

"Hang on, Wrecker. We're almost there." Hunter tried to assure him.

Leia then heard Wrecker muttering to himself. "Gonna be okay. Breathe. Breathe."

Just then, D1 droids appeared on the other side, and instantly fired.

"Turn around! Go back!" Anakin yelled.

"We're surrounded!" Leia told him as more droids appeared behind them.

In the crossfire, Crosshair, the squad's sniper, slipped and almost fell only to be caught by Wrecker.

"Anybody got a brilliant idea?" Leia yelled.

"I do have a brilliant idea." Tech answered, taking out his datapad. "When the locals attacked us, I recorded the creatures' distress call. Which allows us to call those flying creatures to us."

Before anyone could say something, a high-pitched sound echoed through the air, causing Leia to cover her ears. Soon, four Keeradaks appeared.

"How do we get on them?" Leia inquired.

"How else? We jump!" Tech answered. One by one, each of the team jumped on one of the four Keeradaks. However, it wasn't the time yet to relax. Both Anakin and Leia groaned in frustration when the D1 droids unleashed their gliders and flew.

"We have to shake those droids!" Rex yelled. "How do I steer this thing?"

The clone captain immediately got the answer; he didn't have to steer. The Keeradaks flew towards some rock peaks and maneuvered. The D-wing droids, flying at a high speed, collided with the rock faces.

"How are you holding up, Echo?" Rex then asked the captured clone.

"Never better, sir!"

Some time later, the Keeradaks landed back at the Poletec camp. They were all immediately surrounded by natives while the chieftain spoke.

"Their leader is impressed we tamed the Keeradaks, but he wants to know why we returned here." Tech translated.

Anakin sighed before speaking. "Tell him we had no choice. Tell him... that we wore out our welcome in Purkoll."

Suddenly, a blaster shot nearly hit one of them and a couple of D1 droids were seen. The clones reacted quickly by firing back, taking down some while one droid escaped, flying off back to Purkoll. Once it was gone, the chieftain spoke.

"You have broken your word!" he raged in his native tongue. "You have brought war to our home! Our people will suffer because of you!"

Once Tech translated, Rex stepped forward, taking off his helmet. "You're right." he agreed. "Tell him he's right, Tech. Tell him we didn't plan to drag his people into war. But look what the Separatists did to one of our people!"

The Poletecs gasped in horror when they saw Echo and the state he was in.

Rex continued. "They took away his freedom, his humanity. They tried to turn him into a machine. The Techno Union claims it's neutral, but they have chosen sides. Now your people have to choose."

"Couldn't have said it better, Rex." Anakin complimented his clone captain. "Let's hope it works, because I see forces coming... more than we can handle alone."


Back on Purkoll, Wat Tambor and the two Skakoans stood outside, waiting for the droids to return. The escaped D1 returned, landing right before them.

"Report." Tambor ordered.

"The clones are hiding among the natives."

"Take the reinforcements and bring back my experiment" the emir demanded, pointing his finger. Nodding, the droid flew off with another squadron of D1 droids and two tri-droids. By the time they reached the village, it was already dark. To the droids suspicion, they found the village empty. No one was seen. The huts were empty.

Suddenly, the heard someone growling and before the droids knew it, a boulder rolled down the hill, crushing some droids on the way. Blaster shots fired, hitting more droids. Those that remained, looked up and saw their targets up on the cliffs.

Anakin and Leia deflected their returning shots with their lightsabers. The clones fired while the Poletecs attacked the distracted droids from the other sides, with Wrecker roaring as he charged at them. The tide of the battle was on the Republic side when the tri-droids finally arrived. Standing on their feet, the two Octuptarra droids fired their guns.

"Rex, Lena, we've gotta take out these walkers." Anakin told his padawan and captain.

"Don't worry, General." Rex said, nodding. "The boys and I can handle it."

"Still showing off, huh, General?" Echo then asked, chuckling.

"You know me, Echo." Anakin said, shrugging.

Both Anakin and Leia ran off, jumping onto the first Octuptarra. Following Skywalker's example, Leia sliced the signal receivers.

"Lena, now!" the Jedi Knight then yelled to her and the two jumped off. Using the Force, Anakin pushed the tri-droid against the second one, knocking it down along with itself. The remaining droids flew off, while the Poletecs cheered, proud of their victory.

The next day, in the morning, everyone prepared to leave the planet. The Poletecs were bidding farewell to them. Leia felt proud, but also sad. It reminded her so much of her days during the Galactic Civil War, when, after the destruction of the first Death Star, more and more worlds joined the Rebel Alliance in their fight against the Empire's tyranny. Against the Emperor. Against Vader.

Speaking of him, Leia watched Anakin shaking hands with the Poletec chieftain.

"Thank you for helping us in our fight." he said, only for the chieftain to speak back in his native language.

"He said the Jedi will always have an ally here on Skako Minor." Tech translated. As they went up the gangplank of the Marauder, Rex felt Echo putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Rex. Thanks for coming after me."

The clone captain only smiled. "That's what brothers do. I'm just sorry it took so long. Hopefully, it's gonna be just like old times."

"Yeah. Just like old times." Echo nodded.


Back in Purkoll City, the Techno Union leaders have once again learned that their droids have failed.

"Aw, the loss of the clone is a devastating blow to the Techno Union's profit margin." Tambor scowled.

One of his scientists approached him. "Should we inform the Separatists of our loss?"

Tambor, however, shook his head, while waving his hand off. Though, he did fear of what would happen when Dooku would learn of his failure safekeeping the captured clone. Their project helped the Separatist cause well. Predicting the clones' moves, Admiral Trench would conquer Anaxes very soon, and if so, then the Separatist Council would consider using it across the galaxy in the war against the Republic.

"All in good time" he told his subordinate. "We must find a way to recoup on our investment. What I need you to do right now is prepare my ship for planet Nelvaan."