Ask Star Wars: Broken Balance

[Reyn]

Rami looked back at his Padawan with a straight face as she pitched her own idea, that being to simply flee and put all of this ugliness behind them. He understood the appeal. They were in a situation where they had very little knowledge of what was going on. And neither of them wanted to hurt their former friends, even after such a horrible betrayal. Personally the Jedi in him desired to confront his problems and resolve them rather than run and hide. He had the distinct sense that if they ran now they'd be running forever. But still, it wasn't something he could just dismiss out of hand. This was a matter of life and death. His apprentice had a right to some say in the matter.

Slowly the Terrelian raised a hand to run it through his hair as he thought, responding to Risha without making eye contact. "We could... Though that may not be our easiest option. We'd need to escape this cell first... Retrieve our lightsabers... We'd be fools to go anywhere without them. After that we'd need to find a way to get through the blockade surrounding the plateau. And disappearing into the general populace wouldn't be easy. Charros IV is a mostly homogenous population. We'd stick out like a sore thumb. And we'd need to find a smuggler to get us off world..." He sighed and closed his eyes as he scratched his head with both hands, racking his brain as he tried to plan it all out. "The original purpose of the mission here was to destroy the factory and leave, an extended occupation was never intended. But with this change in command... Everything could be getting overturned. The clones may very well intend to completely take over the planet, and then we'd have them hunting us down wherever we moved..." So many variables, and still so little information to go off of. It was infuriating. Finally the Jedi Knight groaned in exhaustion and looked up at his Padawan. His eyes were tired, more so than through years of conflict. He felt like he had aged a decade in just the last few hours.

"Risha... Do you want to run?" He asked her sincerely. Normally he would take charge of the situation, but he was honestly losing all control. He was trying desperately to cope with the current circumstances but was being overwhelmed. He was still thinking like a soldier, believing that fighting their way through the Republic to salvation was their best bet. But Risha had never been a warrior. And he owed it to her to offer her the chance to back out. He couldn't in good conscience command her to kill those she had fought shoulder to shoulder with. If she refused, he would resolve himself to help her escape. Even if he disagreed.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

"Do you want to run?" That was the question to answer. That got the Cathar scratch her chin and wipe her forehead, silent for a minute. For the first time in months, the Padawan was asked what she wanted.

As a Jedi, she had never had too much of a choice. She had grown up at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, not exposed to any other kind of life. She was told to train, because then she'd be able to become a Padawan and a Jedi Knight. That was supposedly a good thing, and Risha (along with all her peers) saw it as such. Any doubts or own desires were supposed to be quelled, otherwise she might have failed her Jedi training. And failed Risha did. If it weren't for the war, she would have ended up in the Service Corps. As respectable and calm of a job it was, it would have been considered Risha's failure. On the other hand, she would have gotten a chance to serve the Republic in a different capacity.

Serve the Republic... Another thing that Risha was supposed to do without question. Again, she didn't have much issue with it; she had been raised that way. Even though going to war seemed daunting, Risha was glad to have become a Padawan. Genuinely, because it showed that her training paid off. She wouldn't have chosen war, but that choice was made for her. And since the Jedi could help the galaxy avoid more suffering and misery, the Cathar wasn't opposed to serving on the frontlines. The enemies were mostly droids, after all (even though Risha had some form of pity for them as well).

But now, after decades, the shy and quiet Padawan was asked what she wanted. Did she really want to flee? Or was it because she was trying to avoid fighting the Clones or the Republic? The answer started forming in Risha's head. "I just... don't want more unnecessary violence... To go against the Republic... Risha hesitated, looking at Rami, as if asking him if for forgiveness for not backing him up. Then she added resolutely: "But I do want to hear from Spike why the Clones did what they did."

Whether it was possible to achieve both remained to be seen...

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Rami just smiled sadly at the Padawan's response. Risha, always the pacifist. A true Jedi indeed. He was glad that despite everything, despite the war and despite this horrific betrayal she still remained true to her beliefs. Some might call it cowardice, but Rami knew better than anyone just how useless persisting in violence really was. Perhaps more death wasn't the answer. Maybe it really was best for them to disappear. For now anyway. They needed to know more. "Okay." He answered her simply, nodding. His voice was soft and distant, but still oddly resolute.

Before anything else could be said a pair of battle droids arrived and deactivated the ray shield to their cell. "Alright Jedi, the Colonel wants to speak to you again. Let's go!" Rami gave his Padawan one more reassuring smile before getting up to follow the droids. Risha was ordered to come along as well. As they were being marched down the corridor towards the elevator another group of droids with some new prisoners rounded the corner. They were clones, three of them, presumably all that was left of Wily's squad. Their helmets were gone and their armor roughed up a bit, but they were alive. Rami knew them each by name. Huck, Frog, and Wily himself. The clone lieutenant's head was shaved on the sides, with his black hair slicked back. He bore a number of scars from the various mad exploits that had earned him his nickname. As the prisoners crossed paths Rami stopped directly in front of the clone lieutenant, staring him down.

"Wily." He said flatly. Wily stared right back at him, unfazed.

"Master Vaan." He said, and then glanced at Risha. "Padawan Sjiara." The fact that he referred to them by their Jedi titles and not their ranks within the Grand Army said quite a bit. Huck and Frog for their part just averted their eyes and said nothing. Rami scowled.

"Any particular reason you tried to shoot me?" He asked with mounting anger. He already knew of course, but he wanted to hear it from the man himself. He wanted some kind of explanation. Wily just scoffed.

"You know why." He replied. Rami grit his teeth in anger.

"No I don't." He said. "I'm finding it very hard to understand actually. I seem to remember you being a good soldier and not a spineless coward that shoots his allies in the back..."

"Alright-" One of the battle droids started to intervene before Rami turned back to it.

"Stay out of this!" He snapped violently. The droid immediately stepped back.

"Okay..." It said quickly in a frightened tone. Rami returned his attention to Wily.

"I trusted you Wily. I would have done anything for you. For all of you." He said loudly, glancing towards the other clones. "Don't tell me you actually believe the Jedi betrayed the Republic? Are you that stupid?" Wily glowered at the Jedi Knight silently for a few moments before averting his eyes.

"I've got nothing more to say to you Jedi." He said coldly. Rami continued glaring angrily at the lieutenant. And awkward silence fell over the corridor, with the droids hesitant to do anything lest the incur Rami's wrath.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

The Terellian only said "Okay" befroe being interrupted by the droids. Yet a single word from Rami was more than enough. Risha knew that her Master had things planned multiple steps ahead. Taking that for granted actually felt better than learning how Rami intended to achieve his plans. So in a sense, the droid intervention only made the Padawan more confident about her master.

Seeing the three clones from the squad that had accompanied the Jedi not too long ago made Risha gasp. The ranks by which the Clone addressed them went unnoticed for Risha. She was a Jedi first and foremost; being called "Commander" never ceased feeling odd. And now she was called as she preferred. So for the moment, the Cathar just stood behind her Master; astounded by the unexpected encounter, but more importantly—by Rami's mounting anger. The Padawan shuddered as her Master snapped; even the droids were intimidated. But not Wily, apparently.

"Master..." Risha said calmly, but with some hesitation, before stepping forth. Hopefully, the interjection would give Rami a chance to snap out of it. She looked at the Clone Lieutenant, who just stood there, watching a nearby wall. "You were going to kill me..." The reality of the situation was finally sinking in. Wily wasn't even trying to deny his intent when talking to Master Vaan. "You were going to kill us both." The Padawan's tone shifted gradually from disbelief and questioning to making a statement.

"How could you? After everything we've..." Risha shook her head in disbelief, thrown off track. "What would Spike say?!" The Lieutenant might not have respected her, but he would respect his superior officers. "He'd never have shot me in the back! Not without letting me explain..." The young Cathar was literally scolding the Clone. And judging by the subtle movements of jaw muscles and clenched fists, he was taking it personally. He wouldn't have it.

"The order came through Spike!" he barked at the former Commander defiantly. "If we hadn't gone to the caves already, he would have..." Wily stopped mid-sentence, looking at the Jedi, and then at the droid escorts. But Risha was a Jedi and knew what Wily meant to say. Her mind finished the phrase in his stead: "... done it himself."

"No!" the Cathar replied in the same manner as Wily did. However, that outburst was a momentary weakness; the Padawan still remembered her training. The anger in her voice made way for sadness and denial, as she backed off. "No. I don't believe you..." The Clone realized that he had already said more than he should have, and resolved to keep silence, turning away from the Jedi. Risha stared at Wily briefly, before turning her gaze helplessly to Master Vaan.

Throughout the exchange, the droids observed the scene quietly. Either they feared Rami himself, or had the orders to bring him in alive. But the moment of silence after Risha's outburst seemed like a perfect moment to resume control of the situation. "Get a move on!" Risha grunted, caught off guard by the unpleasant feeling of the barrel of a gun against her back. Rami, Wily, and the clones would get the same treatment.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

The tension was palpable as Rami stared down the clone lieutenant. Risha would easily be able to feel the malicious intent pouring off of him as he struggled to maintain control. Thankfully her interjection was enough to snap the Jedi Knight out of his fury, and he looked towards his Padawan with a mixture of humiliation and disgust for having forgot himself in front of his own student.

He listened as the young Cathar spoke with Wily, the truth of the betrayal finally seeming to hit home with the apprentice. Rami could hear the hurt in her voice and wanted to say something to comfort her. But what was there to say? She was right. After everything they had been through with the clones, all the times they had saved each other's lives, laughed and enjoyed each other's company. It had all been forgotten the moment the order was given to execute them. Wily didn't even seem to feel guilty about it. And then the real heartbreaker came. Aggravated by Risha's comments Wily let slip that the order to execute them came directly from Spike himself. For Rami that was all that needed to be said on that matter. He knew Spike. The clone was never one to follow orders blindly, especially coming from someone like Dour. If he really cared he would have done something, told Wily to warn them, even defected himself. There was no way he would just go along with this. But he did. Rami could sense the honesty in Wily's words. There was still no explanation as to how such a thing could be possible but he had to accept it. This was just the way things were now, and he had to deal with it.

He didn't resist this time as the droid escort started moving him along again. He simply followed quietly, glancing over his shoulder as Wily and the other clones were taken to their own cell. He then turned his attention to Risha, thinking for a few moments before leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Try not to think about it now, things are going to be happening very quickly soon." He warned her. "I have a plan to get us out of here, but I need you at your best Padawan. You need to be strong." He stood up straight and nodded to her reassuringly, then turned forward and kept walking.

The droids brought them back to Colonel Tafo's office, where the insectoid commander was waiting for them restlessly. "It seems you were being honest with me after all General," The Kobok said without turning to face them as he kept pacing nervously. "Very well. I trust you... For now. Tell me your plan, Republic forces are increasing their bombardment by the moment and I fear our outer defenses will not hold up much longer."

"I think we've earned a reward first." Rami replied to the officer firmly. "Our lightsabers. Return them and I'll share my plan with you." Tafo stopped pacing and looked at Rami. He stared the Jedi Knight down suspiciously for a few moments before nodding to the droids. A few moments later their lightsabers were returned to them and their cuffs removed. As Rami clipped his weapon back to his belt he started speaking. "We already know you're outnumbered. You don't have the resources to completely overwhelm the enemy. Which means your best bet is to take a hostage, one whose life the clones actually value."

"Any suggestions?" Tafo asked expectantly. Rami nodded in response.

"I do. CC-2244, Commander Dour. He's leading the attack from aboard the Acclamator Valiant."

"Impossible, we could never reach that target." Tafo replied with a wave of his hand.

"Not in the open air you couldn't." Rami agreed. "You'll need cover. A smokescreen, or in this case a steam screen." Tafo cocked his head confusedly. Rami couldn't help but grin.

"There are tunnels beneath us filled with ice, and a hole the clones created leading to the outside. This is a droid factory, with access to super heated liquid metal." He began pacing about the room as he laid his plan out. Rami always was a bit conceited, and he did love to play up the theatrics of his unconventional plans. "My suggestion, is for you to seal off all the entrances to the tunnel from this side, leaving only one way for the steam to escape, and then once the wind changes to the right direction dump all of that super heated metal into the tunnels. The steam will create a massive cloud that will mask the advance of your fighters. Then you will lead an attack on the Valiant, and capture Commander Dour." There was a moment of silence as the Colonel seemed taken aback by Rami's words, but then after considering it for several moments he began to nod in agreement.

"This... may be possible... And what of you and your Padawan?" Rami looked at Risha.

"We'll be overseeing the pouring of the metal into the caves of course." He said, and winked to her knowingly before looking back to Tafo. "We need to make sure the operation is carried out properly or serious damage could be caused to the factory." Again Tafo still seemed to be suspicious of the Jedi, and Rami understood that suspicion completely. He was lying after all. There was a long pause as the Colonel considered this.

"Very well." He looked to the droids. "Begin the preparations." The droids saluted the officer before heading off to begin their work. The Colonel turned his withering gaze back on Rami at once. "I hope you know I'll be keeping an eye on you personally to make sure you don't try anything General." He warned. Rami smiled.

"I'd expect nothing less Colonel, now if you don't mind, I need to confer with my Padawan in private. She's uh, new to combat you see and is still very shaken up by everything that's happened." He offered another wide smile. Tafo didn't seem entirely convinced, but after looking at Risha for a few moments nodded and waved them off. Rami would thank the Colonel before leading Risha out of the office and around the corner out of earshot from the patrolling droids. "I imagine you've put the rest together." He said to her as he spied around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "In the middle of the chaos we're going to steal a shuttle and get the hell out of here. Just as you wanted. I know you wished to speak with Spike but I think Wily's words are convincing enough don't you agree? We shouldn't risk ourselves anymore than we already have. The clones and clankers will be too busy with each other to notice us slipping away. We can crash the shuttle outside one of the population centers and go on foot from there, then try and find a smuggler to get us off this rock. What do you think?" It was a long shot, but they had pulled off crazier gambits before. Rami was sure they could do it. All they had to do was keep their cool. They had managed to survive this far today, despite everything. Surely so long as they stayed the course and trusted in the Force they could escape with their lives and live to fight another day.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

The young Cathar was speechless. She needed some time to meditate and cleanse her mind of emotions. All she could muster in response to her Master's encouragement was a gulp and a nervous nod. Then Risha simply followed Rami and the droids to the meeting with Colonel Tafo.

Although the Separatist officer tried to maintain semblance of control, it was clear that he was fighting a losing battle. Even without General Vaan's insight, the clones had already gained all the advantage they needed. Without the CIS fleet in orbit, the 615th Strike Battalion could even employ Base Delta Zero if they wanted to. In that case, victory wouldn't be a question of "if", but "when". The only thing stopping the Clones was probably the backlash that the Republic would get as a result.

Risha's mood lightened up a bit only when Rami had bargained for the return of their lightsabers. The feeling of her hilt hanging on the belt again was even better than having the cuffs removed. Then Rami explained his plan. It was a sound one. Especially for a Separatists, whose military usually had just a few organics at the top of the foodchain. A decapitating strike could work well against the droid army. But would it work against the clones?

A single clone is valuable, but can ultimately be replaced. That's what Commander Dour himself had told Risha during the ill-fated mission to Taspir III. General Vaan knew that. Commander Sjiara had her doubts about it. But the Colonel might have been oblivious to that fact. Remove Tafo, and the droids wouldn't know what to do. But remove Dour, and someone else would take his place. Maybe even Spike... Dammit, Spike. How could you do that to us? To me?

Meanwhile, General Vaan had finished explaining his unorthodox plan. If it weren't for doubts about decapitation strike, the idea would've been brilliant without question. But perhaps it was for the best; Risha couldn't imagine how she'd feel if Rami's plan involved blowing up the Valiant. Despite being deemed a traitor, Risha still perceived the Valiant as her ship. So she just nodded to Rami's wink and listened to the Colonel, her green eyes peeled at him cautiously. But finally, they were allowed to leave the office.

The Padawan hadn't actually put the rest together. She did know that Rami was playing both sides and had a plan. But he had actually considered her suggestion! Risha's pupils widened, and her feline facial features were the epitome of "surprised". They wouldn't have to kill the clones. They wouldn't have to fight against the Republic. The only drawback would be the lack of closure with Spike. And the faint, yet ever growing nudge at the brink of the Cathar's thoughts: "Get off this rock... And what then?"

"I... I think it's the best option we have," the Padawan nodded resolutely. She still had doubts, and would've preferred to talk to Spike. But with all things considered, it wasn't an option. The Cathar looked up at her mentor, as a faint smile started blooming on her lips. For the first time in hours, she had a semblance of hope.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Rami returned Risha's meager smile and gave the Padawan a pat on the shoulder. Slowly but surely they were getting through this mess, one problem at a time. He was well aware a decapitation strike wouldn't create a lasting victory. At the very most it would force the clones to withdraw until order could be restored to their ranks and at the worst they would immediately replace Dour and carry on as though nothing had happened. But then a temporary distraction was all the Jedi needed to make their escape. Who won the battle for the plateau didn't really concern them anymore.

With his apprentice understanding what it was they were going to do they returned to Tafo and set about implementing the plan. The factory, much to the chagrin of it's zealous workers, was shut down so they could use the liquid metal for the steam-screen. The great molten cauldrons were hauled down to the lower levels while the droids worked at sealing off all of the tunnel entrances save one. At Rami's subtle suggestions that one entrance ended up being the one right besides the hangar bay where they had arrived. Colonel Tafo kept to his word, following the Jedi everywhere they went and watching them like a hawk. Rami paid him no mind, he didn't see the Kobok as much of a threat. Instead he took meticulous account of everything in the room. The explosive fuel canisters, the number of battle droids, and finally the ships docked in the hangar. Among them was a Sheathipede transport shuttle, just what they needed.

Everything was falling into place. But something was still gnawing at Rami. The clones, Wily, Huck and Frog. Could he really just leave them here? Even after everything they had done, even with the anger he felt towards them, the idea of leaving the at the mercy of the Separatists felt wrong. Rami glanced from the shuttle to the tunnel entrance where the droids were preparing to pour the metal, to Tafo, and finally to Risha. He bit his lip, thoughts racing. Then it happened. The droids began pouring the super heated metal into the tunnel. The plan was in motion, and the attack would be commencing soon. Finally coming to a conclusion Rami stepped forward and spoke quietly to his Padawan.

"Keep the Colonel occupied. I'll be back..." Without stopping to explain the Terrelian turned and started walking off at a brisk pace. With everything going on he managed to get most of the way across the hangar towards the elevators before Tafo glanced in his direction. The insectoid did a double take upon spotting the Jedi Knight before storming forward.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" He shouted in a thunderous voice. It was clear he was playing no games and the whole plan had just come into risk of falling apart. The Colonel made to brush past Risha, not paying the young Padawan any mind. She would need to think fast if she intended to stop the officer.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

Keep the Colonel occupied?! What was Rami thinking? Had he forgotten that Risha's conversational abilities had never been her forte? Even as a youngling, the Cathar was rather reclusive. The war had changed Risha, but not too much. The Padawan found a few friends among the Clones she had served with... Well, mainly Spike. Still, she never could come across as confident and sociable as Master Vaan. All she cared about back in the day was the study of...

The Force! That was the only way. A subtle move of fingers (to avoid alerting the dumb droids), and the Kobok's chitin leg stepped a bit farther than it was bargained for. Flailing his thin arms, the Colonel fell on the floor, with Risha rushing "to his aid". "Are you alright?" she asked with genuine concern and fear in her voice; admittedly, the fear wasn't for Colonel's health, but of what Risha had just done. The Cathar knelt by the insectoid, trying to sense if her subtle Force Push had left any lasting damage. Tafo wasn't so keen on being examined though. He was still angry, if not a little confused and distracted by his accident. Enough to buy Rami some time to disappear from the droids.

"Paws off me, Jedi!" he pushed Risha aside as he quickly got up. Rami was nowhere to be seen. A couple of super battle droids trained their blasters at the Cathar, who immediately raised her hands. She was still playing the part, and there wasn't much she could do in that position. The Colonel was furious: "Where has your Master run off?! What are you Jedi up to?"

"I..." Risha's eyes darted between Tafo and the droids by her sides. "I think he... sensed something... An intruder or more than one. Must be one of the Clones we served with." The Cathar paused to see the impression she was making. The Colonel still looked at her with clear suspicion, but was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt. "Yes... I can feel them now... But Master Vaan's senses are better, and he must've found out sooner. If the commandos got too close to fuel stroage, all they needed was a single thermal detonator..."

"Droids, keep an eye on her," the Colonel didn't kill Risha outright, so that had to be a success. "I'll go find your Master. If you lied to me, I'll have you shot where you stand."

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Rami glanced over his shoulder as he watched Tafo tumble to the ground and Risha immediately jump to his aid, only to have the Colonel start shouting at her belligerently. The Jedi grinned to himself. Nice work kid. He praised his apprentice privately before slipping into the elevator and hitting the button. While waiting for the lift to reach it's destination the Jedi Knight unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand, at the ready but unignited. This gambit could go very poorly very quickly. As a matter of fact now that he thought about it things were almost certainly going to go poorly. Why had he done this? The Terrelian shook his head, trying to think. It was wrong, it was all wrong. The clones shouldn't have been able to turn on them all like that, even if they were ordered to. Even if they were misled. Even if they had been deceiving the Jedi from the start. It didn't make sense that their plan had gone off without a hitch. People don't behave like this. Not even clones. He had to figure it out. It might hold the secret to his and Risha's survival, and the survival of the Order itself.

When the elevator doors opened Rami found himself in the detention block. Two battle droids immediately turned to face him, clearly confused by his appearance. "Wait a minute..." One of the droids started slowly. "You're not supposed to be here-" Without replying Rami lifted his saber and ignited it, impaling the battle droid through the chest. The other guard yelped in surprise and panic and tried to raise it's own weapon, but Rami was faster. Swinging his blade from one side to the other he tore through the torso of the droid he had impaled and sliced the remaining sentry in half. With an unfazed expression he continued walking down the corridor, searching for the imprisoned clones.

More droids came and began to fire on him, but it was no use. They were too few in number and all clumped together because of the cramped passageways. Rami made short work of the guards, rushing forward while deflecting their oncoming fire and then cutting them down like scrap. It only took him a few minutes to find Wily and the others. The clones were standing by the ray shield, curious to see the reason for all the commotion. When Rami revealed himself their expressions immediately soured, with Huck and Frog turning their backs to him all together and going to sit down on their bunks like no one was there. Only Wily had the decency to face the Jedi.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with obvious hostility in his voice. Did they really hate him that much?

"What does it look like? I'm saving your sorry behinds." Rami replied before jamming his lightsaber into the cell's control panel, causing the ray shield to flicker and dissipate. Frog glanced in the direction of the cell door but neither he nor Huck moved. Wily held his ground too as he continued staring at Rami. He did seem a bit more perplexed now though.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked suspiciously. For some reason he didn't seem to believe Rami's intentions could possibly be noble. That angered the Jedi, bringing a scowl to his face. But he tried his best to keep his cool.

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know who's behind it, or how they did what they did to you. But I know something is wrong." He risked a step closer to the clone, looking him directly in the eyes. "You're my friend Wily. I know this can't be you." Wily seemed genuinely offended by Rami's appeal.

"We're not friends Jedi." He spit the last word like it was a curse. "You're a traitor. And all I know is I want you dead!" Rami stared back at the clone for several long moments, looking for any sign that he was lying, or putting on some kind of act. It was depressing to realize he wasn't. Rami just hardened himself and took a step back.

"Well I don't care." He replied flatly. "I'm still getting you out of here."

"We're not going anywhere with you." Wily said, only for Rami to hold his lightsaber to the man's chest.

"I wasn't asking..." He said coldly. That seemed to get the point across. At the Jedi's direction the clones reluctantly exited their cell and started walking towards the elevator with Rami behind them, lightsaber still ignited. On the way Huck tried to pick up one of the destroyed droid's blasters, only for Rami to quickly order him to leave it. Realizing their position the clones complied, but it was clear they were not on his side at all and would turn on him at the earliest opportunity. And that's when they met Tafo at the elevator. The Colonel was flanked by two super battle droids. The machines immediately trained their weapons on the Jedi and clones.

"I should have known you couldn't be trusted." The Kobok growled. "I don't know what your plan is, but-" He stopped in his speech as he was suddenly jerked off the ground, suspended in mid air. The insectoid officer choked and clutched his throat, and his droid bodyguards looked at him with helpless concern. Wily, for the first time showing some fear, turned to look at Rami. The Jedi had his hand extended and in a choking gesture. His expression was cold as ice.

"You should have known to bring more droids as well." The Terrelian said to the Kobok before clenching his fist, crushing the alien's neck and killing him instantly. He then hurled the body backwards, knocking both B2s into the elevator. Rami rushed forward and eviscerated the machines before the could even get up, then turned back to the clones. "Get in." He ordered in a low, ruthless tone. The clones took only a moment to glance nervously at each other before following.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

While both Rami and Tafo were gone, Risha just stood where she was, with her hands up. The two super battle droids with wrist blasters trained at her made it clear they wouldn't tolerate a single wrong move. What was Master Vaan up to? Why'd he run off and leave her alone in the middle of enemy stronghold? So far, the Padawan had more questions than answers. But more importantly, she was worried about the future. What would happen after they escape Charros IV? Were all Jedi deemed traitors? If so, how many survived? What would happen to the Order?

The doubts and fears kept gnawing at the young Padawan and got her on the verge of trembling. Risha had to summon all her Jedi training to avoid that and maintain a semblance of control. It's so cold... Colder than outside. How is this... The Cathar looked around nervously. The superheated metal was still being poured into the caverns. Yet somehow, the chills pierced through Risha's clothes and fur, to her very soul. The Force... Master...

Something down there had gone terribly wrong. Even the joints of the previously-motionless droids by Risha's sides buzzed as they looked at each other briefly. The Cathar's palms broke a sweat, as she heard the elevator moving up. Something had happened. She knew it, and her guards also seemed to be aware of it. And then...

...​

The elevator doors open. Instead of Tafo, I see Master Vaan... And the Clones? The Colonel's body on the floor? By the Force, was that all just an elaborate ruse?! Suddently, an alarm siren kicks in, and the chills hit me harder than ever. A click of a blaster behind me snaps me back to reality. I don't even have to think. A hilt jumps into my free hand, and my body already ducks to dodge blaster fire that is sure to follow.

The green blade ignites, as I spin around to augment the strength of a wide Shii-Cho cleave that would bisect both my captors and deprive them of their legs. I've seen Master Vaan do it so very quickly once. Unfortunately, my technique isn't as flawless. The armor of a B2 super battle droid proves sturdier than that of a B1 model. The blade passes through the first leg and reaches the second, but is not nearly as fast as I needed and anticipated. I hear a low screech of energy, and...

...​

A high-pitched pained yelp. The sound of an extinguished blade. The soft fall of a tumbling body, followed by a clang of a hulking droid falling on the floor on top of it. Padawan Risha Sjiara, former Commander of 615th Strike Battalion, lies lifelessly on the floor. Even if she is still alive (and were conscious), the upper torso of a super battle droid keeps the Cathar's waist pinned to the floor.

The standing super battle droid turns its attention from an eliminated threat to the new arrivals. So do the other droids in the hangar; even those carrying vats with superheated metal. The last split-second of calm before the inevitable storm...

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Rami stood with the clones in the elevator, the bodies of the slain officer and his guards at their feet. It was completely silent save for the low hum of the moving lift. Rami just stared forward, his expression set in a deep frown and furrowed brow. He had had enough of all of all of this. He was going to get back to the hangar, get Risha, commandeer a shuttle and get out of this Force forsaken place. Then he could find out just what was wrong with Wily and the other clones. Hopefully he could break whatever sort of indoctrination was holding them and get them back to who they really were again. It was a small hope, but he couldn't give up. The clones behind them for their part stood looking at him nervously. They had seen Rami in action before sure. The abilities of a trained Jedi were remarkable. But they had never seen him like this. No one had. Under different circumstances Wily might have been brave enough to try and overpower him in the close quarters of the elevator and take his lightsaber from him. But even someone as brash as he could see that would be a death sentence. He would need to bide his time. Then a thought crossed Rami's mind, and he looked down at the bodies. What would be the first things the droids saw when the doors opened? "Kark..." He cursed himself in a low voice for his lack of foresight. Then the doors opened.

Everything happened so fast. He spotted Risha among the crowd of battle droids, being guarded by two B2s. They raised their weapons to execute her. She sensed the danger, ducked down and ignited her lightsaber, sliced through the first one's leg. Rami thought idly that his apprentice's form was good, but she needed more power behind the swing. He was right. The other B2 was left unimpeded, and fired it's weapon.

Rami took a sharp intake of breath, his heart seeming to stop. He heard the cry of his Padawan, watched her collapse to the floor and the super fall on top of her. There was a moment of quiet where time seemed to slow, all the droids in the room slowly turning to focus their attention on him. Faintly he could hear Wily behind him shouting to take cover. But all he could focus on was his Padawan lying on the floor motionless. Still as the grave. He had been getting angrier and angrier, slowly losing his grip as the situation continued to deteriorate, as his whole world fell apart around him. But this was something entirely different. The emotions swirled within him, impossible to suppress. Despair and heartbreak, shame, guilt... And wrath. Slowly he looked up at the droids, his red eyes suddenly taking on a certain demonic appearance. His whole body shook, teeth gritting hard enough to crack. And then with a bellowing, feral cry he ran forward into the chamber, igniting his lightsaber.

The droids opened fire on him, but he deflected their shots, slicing through them as he made a line straight for his fallen Padawan. Wily and the clones dove for cover as the rain of blaster fire peppered the entrance to the elevator and the walls around it. Fortunately they managed to avoid the initial volley, and with the Jedi now drawing the droids' attention they were able to move. At Wily's direction Huck and Frog pilfered weapons off of the fallen droids and started to return fire. As much as they still desired to kill Rami, now wasn't the time. They had a common foe, they had to deal with the droids first. Meanwhile Rami made his way to where Risha had fallen, cutting through the last of the droids in his path before releasing a powerful Force repulse with a savage shout, throwing the last of the enemies around him into the walls and destroying them. Extinguishing his lightsaber he grabbed the body of the B2 and hefted it off of the young Cathar before falling to his knees beside her and taking the girl in his arms.

"Risha?" He asked desperately, lightly shaking her. "Risha can you hear me? I need you to wake up. I need you to say something kid." He received no response, and could feel something start to run down his face. His heart rate was through the roof, his hands shaking as though he was having another episode. Please don't. He thought. Then he was distracted by a shout from Wily. The clones had taken up defensive positions and were firing at the droids in the hangar as they continued to bare down on them.

"If you want to live you better have a good damn plan Jedi!" The lieutenant shouted before turning his attention back to the fight. Rami's head was cleared only slightly. Enough to realize they were still in danger. They couldn't win this fight. There were just too many droids. He looked into the hangar and spotted the Sheathipede shuttle again. Their way out. The Terrelian picked up his Padawan in his arms and ran towards the clones. Dead or not there was no way he was leaving her here.

"The shuttle!" He shouted to them. "Get to the shuttle!" The clones spotted the Sheathipede and were able to put two and two together. Moving as a squad they fought their way to the Separatist ship, making their way inside. While Rami carefully laid Risha down on the floor. Huck and Frog made their way to the cockpit to start up the ship while Wily held his position on the boarding ramp, firing at the droids to keep them at bay.

"Did you notice the hangar doors are closed?" The lieutenant shouted to the Jedi while keeping up the suppressing fire. For a moment it almost felt like old times again. Rami took one last look at Risha's still face before getting up and going back to the ramp. He looked around for a solution briefly before noticing the fuel canisters left lying in the corner. He tapped Wily on the shoulder, pointing out the canisters.

"Fire on them when I move them into position." He ordered. Wily nodded simply, now clearly wasn't the time to argue. Rami extended a hand and used the Force to lift the canisters up, moving them towards the ceiling. in the meantime the other clones had managed to get the ship running, and it was starting to lift off the ground. Wily raised his weapon and aimed carefully, then fired. There was a great explosion and the ship had to swing to the side to avoid falling scrap. But when the smoke cleared they could see the clear blue sky above them. "Go!" Rami shouted to their pilots as he and Wily made their way back up the ramp and into the safety of the ship. With the droids still firing on them they blasted out of the hole and into the open sky. Not that the situation outside was much better. After initiating Rami's plan the Separatists had no choice but to follow through with it. A giant white cloud of steam was wafting in the direction of the Valiant, and hundreds of vulture droids were screaming towards her. Things were only going to get crazier from here.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

-MUSIC-

In the age of clones and traitors
I was a Jedi
Training at a beautiful temple
Brought up to keep the peace, and things were so simple
Heal and serve as an example
But war had different plans for me
Blood, sweat, and tears getting to me slowly
Eat away at my core, change me softly
One day I may not return, so now I sing

Even if I don't return today
I know I have a good reason
Know the Force will always find a way
There will be peace, so I'm singing
All that I regret, what beside the deaths I truly mourn
It's innocence lost
Innocence lost

Risha Sjiara, Jedi Padawan Learner
Commander, 615th Strike Battalion
Grand Army of the Republic​

 

[Catbert]

Dour's mood lived up to his name. And not only just because he had been forced to order the murder of General Vaan and Commander Sjiara. It had to happen right during the mission, when Lieutenant Wily and his squad went in with the Jedi. Couldn't the Supreme Chancellor have picked a better time? The sudden order messed up the attack plan real bad. Instead of letting Rami do his thing, the Clones were forced to shoot him at the earliest opportunity. So, the AA-guns were still operational, and there had been no contact from Wily. Dour had to assume the worst and continue the mission without the General's foresight. Regardless, the ground forces were already on the way to the plateau. The holographic map on the Valiant's bridge showed all the turbo-tanks, walkers, and artillery units and their positions. One way or another, they'd finish the mission. They had to.

A message signal, much like the one from Supreme Chancellor, distracted Dour. "Commander, Spike here. We've got a problem, sir. There's hot of hot steam coming out of the breach we've made. It's engulfing the lowlands and is moving up." Dour turned away and cast a quick glance through the bridge's windows. He hadn't noticed anything before, because his attention was focused at the factory on the plateau. But now he could see what promised to be a giant cloud of steam. "Prepare another scouting party. Once the cloud cools down, send them into the breach. Once they give an all clear, move in with a larger group. Find Wily's squad, confirm the completion of Order 66 and complete the mission."

Meanwhile, the white cloud of steam was clearly heading towards Dour's Acclamator. By itself, it couldn't harm the ship. So Dour made the only logical conclusion: a diversion. Either the enemy was trying to blind the sensors and escape, or it was a cover for an attack. Either way, Dour had a solution. "Deploy fighters. Have them spread and patrol outside the range of AA guns and scan for incoming or outgoing vessels."

The whole cloud thing seemed quite unconventional. The Separatists hadn't employed such tactics before. It almost seemed like what General Vaan would have concocted. A part of Dour couldn't but wonder if the Jedi had survived and tried to get back at his troops. It was a logical conclusion; but only time and Spike would tell...

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Once they were out of immediate danger the first thing Rami did was rush to the small medical station the shuttle had onboard. It wasn't equipped for serious injuries, but a little bacta couldn't hurt. Rami gathered the supplies he could and went to treat Risha, all the while having Wily standing over him. The lieutenant's brow was deeply furrowed, and it was clear he was trying to puzzle something out. He grit his teeth and raised a hand to his forehead, clearly in pain. "Orders..." He began to mumble. "Orders... Good... Soldiers..."

Rami glanced over his shoulder, perplexed, but quickly turned his attention back to his Padawan. She was breathing, but the blaster shot had hit her in the chest, and what little bacta he had access to wouldn't be able to stabilize the wounded area long term. They had to get her proper medical attention or she would almost certainly die. Then he got another warning through the Force, and heard the lieutenant mumbling ever louder. "Good soldiers... Follow orders..."

Rami leapt to his feet and turned around, grabbing Wily's hand and pushing it to the side as he fired, causing the shot to hit the interior of the shuttle instead. As sparks and a small fire exploded Rami yelled with fury as he shoved the clone up against the wall, pinning both his arms and delivering two knees to his torso in quick succession. Wily grunted but ignored the pain, and headbutted the Terrelian to force him back. He and the Jedi then resumed their struggle over the blaster. In the cockpit Huck looked over his shoulder at the two struggling then scrambled to open the ship's comms.

"Mayday! Mayday!" He shouted urgently, switching to a Republic channel. "This is CT-6135, we have engaged General Vaan and he's attempting to escape via shuttle! Coordinates are-" The clone was stopped from revealing their position as Rami forced Wily's blaster to aim in the direction of the pilots and pulled the trigger. A blaster bolt blew through Huck's head and punched a hole in the viewport. The clone slumped down lifelessly in his seat. "No!" Frog shouted, and immediately leaned over to try and take control of the shuttle. But it was already too late. Rami and Wily had fired several times during their struggle, and much of the shuttle's interior was already on fire. The ship began to lose altitude, trailing black smoke behind it.

Wily grit his teeth and growled like a wild animal as he desperately struggled to turn the blaster on Rami. Finally managing to get off one shot that grazed the Jedi's shoulder. Rami cried out in pain before wrapping his arms around Wily's waist and tackling him to the floor. As the clone lost his grip on the blaster and it skittered across the ground Rami straddled the lieutenant and began laying into him with his fists, again and again, ignoring the descent of the shuttle.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

The V-19 fighters left the hangars of the Valiant, circling the Acclamator and creating a defensive perimeter. Soon, the ship and the fighters were all but engulfed by the steam cloud, and everyone was on the edge. Pilots had to fly by instruments to avoid collisions; the comm chatter diminished. Dour paced around the holo-map.

It all started with a single shout: "Contact!" Soon, the comms were buzzing with clones interrupting each other as they reported multiple hostile contacts. Vulture droids—hundreds of them—flying by the V-19s through the cloud, and towards a single target. The Valiant. Clearly, whoever was in charge of the facility had gone all in on one last gamble.

The swarm of droid fighters opened up on the Acclamator, draining its shields slowly but surely. The gunships followed that distraction: they landed in the hangar bay and deployed commando droids and B2. The fight for control of the hangar erupted, all the while the clones above tried to shoot down the innumerable droid fighters.

Dour wished to join his brothers down in the hangar; yet he realized that he was needed more on the bridge, and would save more of his brothers by doing so. As it turned out, he stayed for good reason: that's when the message from CT-6135 arrived. The news was almost as important as the Separatist attack. It confirmed that the Jedi survived, as well as some members of Wily's team. Since they hadn't reported back, and Spike's men hadn't caught the Jedi either, the shuttle was probably Separatist. It must have escaped from the base under the cover of the cloud.

Even though the trooper didn't manage to report the location, the Clones could eventually track it. Dour would make it a top priority; but for now, he needed to contact Spike. Even amidst the Separatist attack, Order 66 was more important. The factory wasn't going anywhere; but Rami definitely was. "Spike, change of plans. General Vaan is alive. He has escaped the facility aboard a shuttle. Presumably Separatist. The Valiant is under attack, so I can't dispatch a search party. Have your men spread out and find that shuttle. Once they locate Vaan, move in for the kill." The pause lasted a bit longer than usual, before Spire finally replied: "Affirmative... Commander."

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

Frog tried valiantly to pull up on the shuttle's controls, but there was just no saving the ship at this point. All he could do was bring them in for an emergency landing. So focused on self-preservation he completely ignored the Jedi behind him, who was still pounding his superior officer to a pulp.

Wily tried to defend himself at first, bringing up his forearms in front of his face to ward off the Terrelian's blows. But Rami was relentless. He released all the anger that had been building up in him. All the feelings of loss and betrayal, the feelings of failure, the frustrations from his ignorance of what was happening and his fears for the future. He took it all out on Wily. As the ship continued to careen towards the frigid earth below he kept on swinging his fists at Wily's head. Eventually he got enough blows in that he had clearly knocked the clone out cold, his arms falling limply to his sides, but he just kept going. He only stopped when the shuttle hit the ground.

Everyone inside was tossed about like a ragdoll on impact, save for the pilots who were still strapped into their seats. As Huck's lifeless corpse flailed about Frog's head bounced off the console, leaving him unconscious as well. The shuttle carved a deep swath through the snow covered ground, eventually grinding to a halt in a large drift. Slowly Rami got up and inspected his surroundings. No one was moving. Wily's face was swollen and bloodied, and Risha had turned over on her face. Rami quickly rushed to see if she was still breathing. Still alive, thank the Force. The Jedi Knight propped her up in a sitting position against the wall before standing. The shuttle was on fire, black smoke filling the interior. If it didn't explode soon anyone left inside would likely suffocate.

Rami limped to the rear of the downed ship and hit the button for the loading ramp, quickly being buffeted by the freezing wind from outside. He shivered, but wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and got to work. First he would carry Risha's body out into the snow and leave it a good distance from the shuttle, then Wily. Then he went to the cockpit. As he was unstrapping Frog he looked at Huck's corpse. Even after everything that they had done, even after Huck tried to give him away to the others, all he could do was sigh miserably. "I'm sorry..." He said in a small voice, and wiped his eyes before picking up Frog and carrying him out next. Even after that he would go in once more to retrieve Huck's body and lay it down gingerly beside his brothers. He stood up and looked over the three unmoving clones for a few moments. He had hoped to bring them with him, to try and figure out what was wrong with them, but that was impossible now. He had to focus on getting himself and Risha to safety. Slowly he turned his attention towards the plateau. They had managed to make it quite far away from the battlefield. Without coordinates to go off of it should take some time for the clones to catch up. Thinking for a few moments the Jedi raised his comlink to his lips and spoke.

"R3, you still with me?" He received a frightened but determined beep in reply, bringing forth just the smallest hint of a smile. "I need you and R4 to get back to the fighters. Take off and head south, then break off and each of you go in separate directions. R4 will serve as a decoy, and you'll wrap around back to my position, I'm sending you my coordinates now. Understood?" There was a dutiful beep in response, followed by a pause before a question. Rami frowned and looked down at Risha, still in critical condition. "She's alright. Tell R4 she's fine. But I need you to hurry ok?" There was a pause, and then an affirmative. Rami sent his coordinates and promptly switched off the comlink. As the bone-chilling wind began to pick up Rami shivered once more before kneeling down to pick up his Padawan and hold her close. "You'll be alright..." He spoke to Risha, but the assurance was for himself. "You'll be alright..." He repeated, wandering off into the white waste, heading away from the battle.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

Spike looked up through the visor of his helmet. The battle in the skies continued, but he only saw the red flashes through the cloud of steam; occasionally, a wing of fighters flew out, only to turn around and fly back in. It was hard to say in whose favor the battle was going. Either way, Dour had his hands full. It fell on Spike to track down and eliminate the General. A duty he would've preferred someone else to handle. At least there was no news of Commander Sjiara. Even despite her betrayal of the Republic, the Clone Captain hoped that the young Cathar had met a quick end. Maybe Risha hadn't even realized what was happening. It would have been better that way.

Tracking down a shuttle without air support was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But General Vaan couldn't be allowed to escape the area. Even searching him across the planet would be a nigh-impossible challenge; let alone across the galaxy. Spike and his men were already getting on speeder bikes when they heard a low hum that was getting higher and higher by the minute. "It's their ships! After them!" he gestured to a squad of soldiers, whose bikes immediately darted off with a trail of snow behind them, pursuing the fighters. However, the larger part of the company didn't move.

Kriffing clankers! If it weren't for their attack, Dour could've sent V-19 Torrents after the Jedi interceptors. But now Spike had to make do with bikes. As much as he wanted to go after Risha's Aethersprite himself, the Captain wouldn't commit all his resources to a wild bantha chase. For all he knew, the fighters could be a distraction. If so, then it made sense to check other directions. "They can't have gone far. Tusk, take your platoon and go south-east, then circle around. Brick, north east..." Spire gestured to his men, giving each squad a direction. For himself, he picked the direction opposite to where the fighters had gone: "... I'll take north. Stay in touch with the Valiant; if it pinpoints the General's location sooner than us, converge on it. Go!"

The Clone captain pushed the pedal and blasted off into the snowy wastes, his platoon following him in a wide chain. A blizzard was brewing up, but Spike didn't care. He had to find Rami and Risha. Nothing else mattered.

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

​

It was a good plan in theory. With their aerial forces preoccupied the clones would need to send their ground forces to hunt Rami down. They would already be splitting up to cover more ground, and the fighters going in separate directions would further increase that confusion. If Rami did encounter a search party, it would be more likely that that search party would be small enough for him to manage. But that was all in theory, a droid like R3 just wasn't as good at evasive maneuvering as a human. Despite his best efforts a scout trooper had managed to stick to his tail, and spotted Rami in the distance. Wisely rather than attacking the Jedi Knight on his own he turned around to report back to Spike. Meanwhile R3 brought Rami's Actis down in front of the Jedi, opening it's cockpit expectantly. The little droid let out a string of relieved chirps as he saw his owner unharmed, only to take on a more confused tone when he silently set Risha down inside the fighter and strapped her in.

"You did a good job R3, thank you." The Terrelian said with little emotion in his voice as he patted the astromech on the head. "But you're not done yet. I want you to take Risha to the nearest city you can find and try to get her some help." The droid's immediate response was to protest, surprisingly assertively for R3. But Rami was having none of it. "We can't both fit in the fighter and she'll die if I try to take her there on foot. Go on without me and I'll catch up." R3 was furious, twittering away about how it was a horrible plan and Rami would never survive. The Jedi just smiled. "You worry too much. I've gotten out of rougher scrapes than this haven't I?" Again R3 wasn't convinced in the slightest. But Rami just continued to wear him down with assurances and insistences to the importance of keeping his apprentice alive. Eventually the astromech relented, and only asked one more question. What was he to do if Rami never rendezvoused with them? Rami frowned, hesitant. After a painfully long pause he replied softly. "Take care of her." He gave the simple order. He looked down at his Padawan, wondering if it might be the last time he saw her. Slowly a small smile returned to his face. "May the Force be with you Risha Sjiara." With that he nodded to R3, and the droid lifted off once more with the young Cathar onboard, shooting off into the horizon and disappearing into the oncoming snowstorm. Soon it would be upon Rami as well.

The Jedi Knight just wrapped himself up in his robes, pulled his hood down low with one hand, and started walking on into the frozen wastes. As the crushing reality of what he had just done to himself began to come down on him he thought back to his own time as a Padawan, what felt like a thousand years ago now. His hands began to shake, not from the cold, and he shoved them together in his sleeves to try and force them to stop. Choking back a sob he recalled a tune he had once heard on some distant planet he couldn't even remember the name of. A tune a mother hummed to her child as they walked together down a road, passing him and his master as they went about their business. He thought of a mother that he never knew, and a child he'd never have, and began to hum the tune to himself as the raging blizzard swallowed him up in a veil of pure white.

@Catbert

 

[Catbert]

"Report," Dour's voice on the comms was grumpier than ever. Spike could understand why. The whole mission had gone to Malachor the moment Order 66 came down. The plan to infiltrate the CIS facility failed, their Jedi General turned out to be a traitor and evaded termination. Charros IV definitely would be a stain on Marshal Commander Dour's otherwise impeccable reputation. At least the casualties weren't too high yet.

"I've found Wily... And what's left of his squad," Spike examined the aftermath of the crash, and the bodies lying next to the shuttle. "Huck was shot to the head. Frog must've been knocked out during the crash. But Wily..." The Clone frowned under the helmet as he looked at Wily's face—his own face—beaten to a bloody pulp. Then Spike knelt and checked his brother's pulse: "He's alive. But someone did a real number on his face. We need a medevac here."

With haste, the Clone stood up and gestured to a few of his subordinates: "Prep them for transportation ASAP!" With that matter settled, the Clone Captain turned his attention to the communicator again and lowered his voice:"Could it be one of our own? There seem to be signs of struggle aboard the ship." Dour's initial reply was a single word: "Unlikely."

Spike was confused? Who could have done such a thing. The Jedi didn't seem like the scrappy sort; nor did they resort to unnecessary violence. Commander Sjiara also didn't have the strength or guts for such violence. That left Rami (questionable), some third party, or another Clone. Even though he wouldn't approve, the Captain could see why one of his brothers would be willing to stand for Jedi. He would've preferred to arrest Rami and Risha, if given the option. Unfortunately, Order 66 was pretty clear.

"I just got reports from the facility," Dour announced, and that got Spike from his thoughts back into the present. "The second team had no trouble with infiltration. It looks like the Separatist commander had been assassinated. Crushed neck, but no outside damage." The Captain cursed to himself. He had heard something like that was done by the few Dark Side users during the war. Could one of them be involved? Or could it be that Rami and Risha had fallen to the Dark Side? That would explain Order 66.

"So, what are we going to do now?" the Captain asked after some hesitation. "The Chancellor has requested status update from all Marshals. I'll have to report that Vaan and Sjiara escaped, and explain the circumstances. He won't be pleased, I bet," Spike nodded after hearing that. No matter how hard it was to admit failure, a Clone had to obey. "The medevac is on the way to your location. I'll inform the Chancellor you're on Vaan's tail. Find him and the cub as soon as possible."

Spike sighed; that's what his own training and conditioning had been urging him to do anyway. It was just duty when Rami betrayed the Republic; but it became personal when he went to town on Wily and corrupted his own Padawan. That's the only way it could've happened. "I'm on it, Commander," Spike waved his hand in a circling gesture, signalling his troops to get on the bikes. That's when a signal from one of his scouts came in. The hunt was drawing to a close...

@Reyn

 

[Reyn]

In the midst of the howling wind and snow Rami couldn't see two feet in front of him. All he had to guide him was the Force. As he struggled to keep walking, leaning into the gale, he turned up his wrist and glanced down at his comlink. He was transmitting his coordinates to R4, hoping Risha's droid would be able to circle around and reach him to extract him as well. He had no way of knowing if the signal was even getting out there though, because communications were certainly shot in this storm. For all he knew the little droid might have already been shot down. At any rate, he was on his own.

The Terrelian was forcing a cheery grin, humming that old tune. He had gotten so used to putting on a fake, upbeat attitude that he didn't quite know how not to do it at this point. Inside his mind was just about as tumultuous as the blizzard without. Still so many questions unanswered, likely never to be answered. How could the clones have done this to them? How could the Republic have done this to them? He lowered his head, his grin fading. How could the Jedi have let this happen? And how could he have failed his apprentice so spectacularly?

Rami stopped walking. He wanted to just sit down right there in the snow. The misery was weighing down on him like a black hole. Why was he even still standing? What hope could there possibly be left? Then he heard the distinct sound of an approaching speeder bike. Several approaching bikes. They were Republic. The clones had caught up to him, and R4 was still nowhere to be seen. Rami started to reach for his saber but then felt them through the Force. He knew exactly who it was that had found him, how fitting. With a soft smile Rami took his hand off his saber and turned to face the approaching clones. "Hello Spike." He greeted the captain as though it were a day like any other.

@Catbert