Across the Stars

Chapter 10

Rex redoubled his grip on his D-17. "Can't say I've heard of you." Rex hated being assigned to distract the enemy, in this case a towering, armored figure that just murdered the president of the planet, but there wasn't any arguing when you were communicating with hand signals.

Each clone was carrying their weapon with only one hand with the other and resting the other by their leg, Hod and Rex each holding their other hand over the other holster. Razor had already told Rex to keep the General's attention away from the others for as long as he could.

[Bolt, you have any smoke?] Razor signed.

Grievous took a few steps toward Rex, keeping his blaster trained on Shira. Rex planted his feet more firmly. He would not move.

[Yes.]

"I'm the worst nightmare of your republic."

[Then give us cover.]

"Your Jedi" Grievous practically spat the last word out as if it was the most awful thing he could imagine.

Hod started signing. [I'll grab little sister]

Rex almost forgot to respond to Grievous. Mandalorians and Clones adopted family members more quickly than others, but for Hod to have so quickly claimed Shira as a member of the family was surprising. "Thing about nightmares is, you always wake up."

[Window, the balcony below. On my mark,] Razor responded.

"Who says this is a dream?" Grievous growled.

[3. 2. 1]

Bolt swung a hand into his utility belt, pulled out a cylinder and threw it on the ground. Razor, now with both DC's in hand laid down cover fire on the droids in the entrance of the room with one and nailed Grievous in the knee joint with the other. While Grievous howled in pain and surprise Rex swung the butt of his blaster into the head of the general, causing him to fall to the ground. Rex jumped over the fallen form of the General and nailed the other droids in the doorway before spinning back around to the window.

Hod had turned blasted a hole in the window and grabbed Shira around the waist. Shira only was surprised for a moment before she wrapped her arms around Hod's shoulders and ran with him to the window. She didn't hesitate before jumping out in Hod's arms. Rex reached the window next and jumped out just as Shira and Hod hit the balcony below and rolled into the fall. Rex rolled onto his knee and raised his blasters to the window, trained on anything that came out.

Razor was next to make the jump, tucking and rolling mid air before completing the roll back on his feet.

"Show off." Hod said, having gotten himself and Shira back on their feet and his blasters pointed at the 6 and 9, Shira training her blaster on the 3. Bolt was the last out the window, not bothering with a roll and just bending his knees to absorb the shock from the jump.

Once they had all made it to the balcony Razor fired 2 shots into the window of the room below the balcony. Rex and Bolt were the first in the room, scanning for any threats. The rest followed on their heels.

"What is this place?" Hod asked in disgust.

"President's Bedroom" Shira replied from the middle of the circle the clones had formed around her again.

"Ugh. Forget I asked."

The room was practically stuffed with pillows and blankets. The president lived in as much luxury as was humanly possible. A 30 foot portrait hung from one wall of Devon looking heroically off into the distance.

Shira ran over to a computer terminal.

"Shira, we don't have time" Hod called out.

"I have to finish locking down the system, I only signed out in the terminal room, I can lock down the system fully from here and it will make it so nothing can get back into the system without my code." Shira turned to Hod. "Please. 1 minute is all I need."

Hod sighed but didn't argue. He turned to watch the mirror with Rex, as Razor and Bolt monitored the door. Shira's hands flew across the keys, frantically locking everything done.

"There! Done!" Alarms started playing throughout the palace, telling everyone who hadn't already evacuated to do so.

"Move out!" Razor yelled. The team rushed towards the door.

A blaster shot rang through the room.

Shira screamed, and for a terrifying moment Rex thought she was hit.

But as he turned around he saw Bolt standing with a smoking hole in his chest, General Grievous standing on the balcony with a smoking blaster.

Rex heard Bolt let out a ragged breath and watched in horror as he collapsed to the ground.

"No!" Hod yelled moving to rush towards him, before Razor grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Live det! Run!"

Rex looked in Bolts hand and to his surprise saw that he had somehow pulled out a detonator and armed it.

As Rex turned and pulled Shira away, her hand outstretched towards her fallen protector he could hear a quiet sob come from Bolt's direction.

"I'm coming home vode."

Then a wave of sound and heat chased the survivors out of the room.