The Clone Wars: Cautionary Recon

RAJ-MIR

Echo watches Rex hop off the speeder bike. Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase entering the barn after him. Echo adjusts his grip on his helmet against his hip. He glances at Fives who's shoved his helmet on the mannequin wearing Jedi robes and stands back to admire the look.

Echo meets Rex halfway into the barn handing him a lightsaber. "CT-2552 was carrying this, sir." The tonfa style saber looking comfortable to use in battle. Its handle perpendicular to the hilt resembling a security baton.

Rex takes it looking it over then stares down at the ARC-Trooper still on his knees in the middle of the barn floor. "Echo, run a scan and find CT-2552 in the database."

"On it," says Echo taking out a datapad.

"Care to explain, Soap? Or is that even your name?" Rex says flipping the Jedi weapon in his palm.

The trooper shakes his head. "Sir, you have to take off these cuffs. There's..."

"CT-2552, Captain Soap, was KIA about 30 rotations ago," Echo says scrolling on the datapad, "The Captain and his squad were confirmed killed in action after destroying a separatist communications outpost."

"Is that so?..." Rex says squinting at the kneeling trooper

Echo leans against a support pillar thinking about the graves. "Report states there was one other person with them but there's no other intel."

Captain Rex stands in front of the mannequin bearing Mandalorian armor. His gaze glancing at the dark robes and falling on the Jedi clothes. He takes off his helmet resting it on his hip. "Echo check to see if there's any information about a Jedi being here in the last 30 rotations."

Echo watches the scrolling words on the data pad. "An explosion killed the troopers but there's nothing about a Jedi."

Rex looks back over at CT-2552 who stares back at him. "Watch him, boys."

Rex takes out his imagecaster. There's a faint beep as the transmission connects.

"Ah, Rex," says a hologram of Gerneral Anakin Skywalker. He smirks crossing his arms. "Here to bail me out of these political squabbles?"

Rex nearly smiles back. "Sorry, sir, but we're doing okay out here. However, I needs some quick intel only the Jedi would have on hand."

"Whatcha got Rex," Anakin says looking intrigued.

"I need a name and location of a Jedi but we can only identify what he or she wore as well as the construction of their lightsaber." Rex holds up the hilt with his other hand so the General can see it.

Anakin tilts his head. "Hmm. And the robes."

Rex brings the imagecaster closer to the mannequin in Jedi robes. The under layer cloth is white covered by a dark grey and accented with deep maroon sashes. The robes lacking sleeves.

"I'll get back to you on this."

"Copy that, sir. Rex out."

A beeping noise enters the open barn followed by the whir of thrusters.

"What was that?" Hardcase says turning around with his rotary blaster cannon raised.

"Probe droid," Soap says tugging on his bound wrists, "They know you're here. If you'd let me out of these cuffs I'll-"

"You'll do nothing." Says Rex pointing a finger. "Hardcase. Jesse. Deal with the droid."

The two clones exit the barn but are forced back in by a line of blaster fire.

"They have super clankers out there," says Jesse taking cover to the side of the open door. He returns fire.

"Can't take us all!" Hardcase yells spraying his rotary blaster flanking the other side.

Echo slips his helmet back on conscious of Fives struggling to get his off the mannequin. Rex and Kix join the firefight.

Echo slides into cover beside Jesse. He leans out taking a few pop shots at the line of marching droids. Two droids roll around to the front. Echo tries to take them out before they deploy their rayshields but their armor plates deflect the rounds.

"Droidekas!" Echo says going back into cover as the wood splinters next to his head. "They've got Droidekas!" He repeats.

"Yeah, we heard you the first time!" Five says taking out a few battle droids.

Rex falls back into the barn taking cover beside a shipping crate.

Echo watches Rex disengage the cuffs on Soap's wrists and says, "I hope you know what you're doing, Captain."

The imagecaster beeps. "We're a little busy General," Rex says firing his pistol a few times.

"The Jedi you're looking for was Raj-Mir," Anakin says.

Soap takes hold of the lightsaber that was dismantled on the plaque board. All its pieces screwing and clicking into place as it's drawn into his hand. The design similar to the saber he had handed to Rex.

Anakin continues, "But she was killed by an agent of the dark side before the Clone Wars even began."

"So that's what they say happened to Raj-Mir," says Soap.

Echo watches Soap activate the saber and a red beam shoots out. It's light reflecting off every trooper's armor casting bloody shadows onto the droid onslaught.