NOBLE: The Bad Batch

11: Anaxes - Part 1

19 BBY | Month 1, Day 6
Yalbec Prime | Daylight

Noble's comlink crackles to life, Hunter's voice urgently breaking through. "Noble, come in, we have a problem."

She sighs, not particularly surprised by the announcement, and asks. "Was it Wrecker again?"

"Bingo," Crosshair comms in a gruff tone, and then, loud and agitated, Wrecker's voice comes through Crosshair's comlink. "I DIDN'T KNOW!!!"

Noble rolls her eyes and grabs her helmet before marching down the ramp, chuckling under her breath she lets out a mutter. "Figures."

Before this all took place, it all started with the boys elsewhere...

Hunter, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Tech had ventured out, leaving Noble behind to guard the ship. On Yalbec Prime, these guys spent the time dealing with an insurrection, or, more precisely, an infestation of insects known as the Yalbec.

According to Tech's intel, these creatures had overrun the planet, and Clone Force 99 was sent to clear out a small colony of these wasp-like pests. Noble didn't quite understand the point of it, but she knew most "Regs" couldn't get the job done with their standard blasters. But then again, being the Force Sensitive type, the boys didn't seem to want her involved and get hurt, no matter how long she's been in the group.

By now they waded through the swarm of Yalbecs, Wrecker suddenly exclaims, slicing through the insects like grass as he notices a massive one with similarities to the smaller bugs they've been terminating. Tech looks over, alarmed, and chucks a stun grenade at a male Yalbec, "Wrecker! Don't touch that one!"

"TOO LATE!" Wrecker lunges for the large stinger, laughing manically. 

"Wrecker, no!" Tech tries to reach out, but it's too late. Wrecker has already plunged his blade into the insect before cutting off the stinger.

"That was the queen, Wrecker!" Tech accuses.

"QUEEN?!" Hunter's voice rises in anger. "WHAT HAPPENS-" Suddenly, all the Yalbecs cease their attack, realizing their queen is dead.

"HAHAHA.... Uh oh," Wrecker turns, losing his proudness, seeing all the smaller bugs turning to face him, their attention squarely on him. "Uh, why did they all stop...? Why are they clicking at me...?"

+++

Noble had observed the chaos unfolding at the edge of the cliff where the Marauder had been landed. The male Yalbecs swarming their location after Wrecker's impulsive actions. Realizing the urgency of the situation, she comms. "I have a visual. Wrecker, what did you do?!"

Tech responds, frustration in his voice. "He cut off the stinger of the 'Yalbec Queen' and killed her!"

Hunter quickly assesses the situation as he runs with his men, knowing they need a diversion to give them an opportunity to escape. "Noble, can you do something to create a distraction? We need a way to climb this wall to get inside the ship."

Thinking on her feet, Noble sprints back up the ramp to retrieve her skimboard. "Diversion coming up!" she says over the comlink as she powers up the board.

With determination, Noble flies off the cliff and heads straight for the swarm of male Yalbecs. She exclaims, hollering as if on a rollercoaster ride as she catches the attention of a few. But as more and more notice her, Tech commends. "It's working! Hurry to the ship!"

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad manages to climb the wall and reach the safety of the Marauder. Crosshair stands at the entrance of the Marauder as it lifts off, keeping the ramp open as they watch Noble call out that she is going to return in the next few seconds, to be ready.