Star Wars: Good Soldiers Follow Orders

I. Master and Padawan

Explosions rupture the ground. Anakin quickly shields his face with his arm against the spray of pebbles and shrapnel. Dirt coats him from head to toe; he tastes it in his mouth. It's a tad difficult to stay clean when war makes its way to a desolate planet. It reminds him of Geonosis, though less red and with normal-sized bugs. It reminds him of Tatooine too, which he immediately dismisses.

Through the hazy cloud of kicked up dirt, white plastoid stands out starkly despite the grime that clings to them. No amount of blaster burns and grit can hide the brilliant blue that marks them as the 501st. Anakin's men.

The Clones tussle tooth and nail against the battle droids. Blue plasma punches through metal flesh. Hands tear heads off mechanical shoulders. An occasional fist connects with a solid jaw. Pride swells in Anakin's chest. These are professional soldiers, yet they're still people. And people do whatever it takes to survive. They do whatever it takes to win.

A firm yank on his arm pulls Anakin down behind a boulder. A familiar dirt-streaked, war-worn helmet greets him, the Jaig Eyes glaring as strongly as the black T-visor.

"Daydreaming on the battlefield, sir?"

"Just planning our next move, Captain," corrects Anakin, touched by his second's concern. "What's our status?"

"We've engaged the enemy head on as ordered, General. We've met heavy resistance, but we're pushing through to their location."

Anakin nods as a plan solidifies in his mind. "Let's get some men to flank from behind. We'll keep the enemy occupied here. Once they're surrounded, we'll reposition the tanks and push in with everything we got."

As an uninhabited moon in a neutral system, Ultos is the perfect place for the Separatists to build a secret base. Luckily for the Republic, they couldn't hide from Quinlan Vos. He reported to the Council that Separatists built a droid factory. Not to the same scale as the one Anakin, Padmé and Obi-Wan found on Geonosis, but a threat all the same if the Separatists could grow an army undisturbed. Not if Anakin and the 501st had anything to say about it.

Anakin ducks as an explosion too close for comfort rains debris upon them.

"Orders, sir?" prompts Rex once the tremor settled.

"You're with me. We'll let Ahsoka and Jesse lead flank." He scans the fray. "Where is Ahsoka anyways?"

Rex juts his chin toward the thick of the fight. "Tried to keep an eye on her, sir. She's a bit... eager."

She has me for a master after all, he internally sighs. I wonder if this is how Obi-Wan felt. "She can handle herself, Rex, but thank you. I'll go find her. Update Jesse, will you?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

With an affirming nod, Anakin leaps back into the battle. A myriad of droids fall to his blade as he cut his way to his padawan. He can spot her green lightsaber flashing in the distance. Battle droids drop like flies around her. As he moves closer, he can see the determined set of her jaw and the flash of excitement in her eyes. She most likely picked that up from his own bad example. Yet she remains focused on the moment and defends the men around her. Ahsoka hasn't been under his tutelage long, but is already displaying growth. Again, pride bloomed in Anakin's chest.

"Having fun, Snips?" He soars over a super battle droid and slashes it to bits from behind. He stands back-to-back with Ahsoka, watching her vulnerable side as she watches his.

"Just picking up your slack, Skyguy," quips the Togruta, a bit breathless. "What were you doing back there?"

"Giving Rex the plan. How about I take the heavy lifting while you take Jesse and some men around to flank?"