Beta Company Barracks, Centax 2
Commander Ahsoka Tano steps into the room where my squad is sitting, waiting for our briefing. Null-7, or Mereel, stands up, and offers Tano his seat.
“Victory Squad, your next mission is to recon for the invasion we will commence. We will be attacking Teth, in search of Rotta the Hutt. Your Jedi for this mission will be Master Tisha Santorini. That is all you need to know. Go gear up, and good luck.”
“Yes sir!”
I say, saluting as I stand. We move into our rooms, and begin to gather our gear for the journey to Teth.
“Why do we need a Jedi? We’re perfectly capable of doing recon ourselves.”
“That’s the way they want it, we’ll have to put up with it.”
We finish gearing up, and walk into the hangar, where CT-0424, Flyboy, helmet off, is polishing his “baby”. His face is scarred and rough from Geonosis, and his eyes show a burning hatred for anything Separatist. He wears a flame across his chest, a battle droid burning in the midst.
“So, I’m stuck with you again, I guess.” He says, not turning.
“Yeah, this time it’s Teth.”
“Okay, hop in. Just let me get in.”
We step into the troop bay and Flyboy fires up the engines. We lift off, and ascend to the ship above us.
One day later…
“Alright, guys, out ya go. Don’t forget to wipe your feet when you come back.”
We jog toward the RV zone, where General Santorini landed.
“General. We are ready to begin recon.”
“Very good, Seven-Five. Follow me.”
I switch to squad comm.
“It’s Ky’ram.”
“Don’t get your shebse in a bind, ner vod. Generals do it all the time.”
Sixer says.
I switch out of comm, and watch as General Santorini leaps up a stone wall, and looks over the ridge.
“Here is a perfect spot to recon. You can see for miles up here.”
“Squad, cables.”
We attach our cable launchers to our Deeces, and lean back. Four cables propel from four launchers, and hook onto the ledge.
“Ascend.”
The cables pull tight, and four commandos speed up the wall.
“Alright, let’s get shelters set up. Grab the tents from your backpacks, and Uno, grab the extra one they gave you.”
“Yes sir.”
In ten minutes, five tents are set up, and a fire illuminating the ridge.
“General, permission to begin recon?”
“Proceed.”
I pull my binoculars from my belt, and begin probing the area.
“Squad, I’m not alone, grab your binocs and start observing.”
“Aw…come on, Sarge.”
“Do it.”
“Yes sir.”
My squad joins me on the ridge, and begins to scan the landscape.
“Sir, I got something.”
“What?”
“A monastery, over there. And there’s a ship landing.”
“What kind?”
“Looks like a…solar sailor…Dooku!”
“Let’s take him out!”
Tisha says, igniting her lightsaber.
“General, we’re only here on recon. Not to kill anyone, only if they attack us.”
“I…I guess you are right.”
“Let’s contact Centax Base.”
---“Centax Base, this is RC-1875. We have Dooku here. Begin invasion.”---
---“What of the recon?”---
---“Sending.”---
---“Received. Sending a Laat/i. Coordinates.”---
---“Received. RC-1875 out.”---
A Larty lands at the ridge, and we step in.
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“What happened next, Buir?”
“Well, ad’ika, after that, we went on many more missions. But they’re boring. Let’s skip to the near end of the war.”
“Okay…”
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“Victory Squad!”
“Yes sir?”
“General Skywalker would like to speak to you now.”
“Yes sir!”
General Skywalker walks toward us, and I catch a gleam in his eye that is very different from what I’m used to seeing.
“Gentlemen, Operation Nightfall is in effect. Order 66 has been issued. Before you try, I’m not a Jedi any longer.”
“What of your Padawan, Ahsoka?”
“She’s joined me. Now, we’re attacking the Jedi Temple, and executing the traitorous Jedi.”
“And our job is?”
“Take as much data from the data center as you can, and change a code signal to what Appo will send you.”
“And if we encounter any Jedi?”
“Take them out.”
“Yes sir!”
We jog toward a speeder, and a clone looks back, waving.
“I’m taking you guys to your position!”
“Very good. Squad, let’s hop in.”
My squad sits in the speeder, and the drives accelerate. As we approach the Temple, a high-pitched whine resonates in between the buildings.
“Sixer, that you whining again?”
“No sir…hey!”
“Sir, missile dropping, right on top of us.”
“Everybody out!”
We jump out of the moving speeder as it explodes, but Rancor slows in getting up.
“Rancor?”
“I’m fine sir.”
“You better be. We’ll set up a sniping post for you on the balcony, a demolitions post for Sixer, and Uno will be hacking. I’ll be defending the door.”
“Yes sir!”
We kick down the door, an old, shabby, wooden one, and move into the data center.
“Uno, go. Sixer, use that side of the balcony as a demo post. Rancor, use the other side as a sniper position. I’ll get here. Our strategy will be, if we see any Jedi moving toward us, Rancor begins sniping, I’ll start firing, and if that doesn’t stop them, Sixer will fire an AA round, hopefully killing them. If not, vibroblade them.”
“Yes sir.”
They move to their positions, and wait for Jedi to find us. One Jedi looks over, and spots Uno.
“Stop! That is a restricted area! Even to clones!”
“Begin firing.”
Sniper and blaster rounds fling themselves toward the Jedi, only to be deflected by the Jedi’s lightsaber.
“Sixer, now!”
A chunck is heard, and an explosion envelopes the Jedi.
“Taken care of. Uno, update?”
“75% done, sir.”
“Alright. Stay alert.”
Uno finishes hacking the data, and we rush out of the Temple, just as a massive explosion tears through the massive structure.
“Everyone okay?”
“Yes sir.”
“Yes sir.”
“Yes sir.”
“Alright, then, let’s bang out.”
A Larty lands, the one piloted by CT-0424 Flyboy.
As we step in, I switch to squad comm, and announce to my men that we are headed to Mandalore.
“Just drop us off at barracks, Flyboy.”
“You got it. And I got a question for you. Why did the Jedi turn on the Republic?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t concern me, so I don’t worry about it.”
As we arrive at the barracks, I say,
“Let’s find an empty Larty.”
“Found one, sir.”
I send Uno into the cockpit, and the rest of us step into the troop bay.
I comm Ky’ram, and ask him,
---“Can you meet us at Centax 3? We’re deserting.”---
---“Sure, ad’ika.”---
“Alright. Uno, take us to Centax 3.”
“You got it, sir.”
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“What happens next, Daddy?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow night. It’s past your bedtime.”
“Okay.”
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