Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.4.1

When the 501st had less than 1 parsec to go, all of the gunships were in place and ready for takeoff. Squadrons were starting to load up, and the many teams were going over their part again, the leaders of the group relaying the instructions Commander Tano had given them. All of the pilots knew exactly where they were going, with or without the coordinates. The Padawan commanders knew what their team was going to accomplish and were running emergency case scenarios over in their heads.

Rex stood by one of the gunships that would be traveling down with his squad and Ahsoka. All of his men were accounted for but Ahsoka was still making rounds, checking in with every team, and talking to the troopers. She paid special attention to the shinies, who were still unaccustomed to her.

The captain smirked to himself. A lot of the rookies were a little overwhelmed by the teenage Togruta, who had shown up and immediately taken charge of the Legion. Their training on Kamino hadn't covered what you were supposed to do if a civilian started ordering everyone around. What was even more confusing is that the orders she was giving were making sense. If the new troopers hadn't heard anything about Ahsoka Tano before the mission, they certainly had by now.

Not to mention that all of the veterans were following her lead and completing her orders to the letter. No one who had met her before doubted a word she said and complied with her instructions just as well as, if not better than, if General Skywalker himself had given them. Even the other commanders, who were Jedi, yielded to Commander Tano.

Ahsoka, who had just finished encouraging a few shinies in O'Mer's group, began to walk over to Rex and his squad. She had left her jacket in the room she had slept in because it provided no protection, and might catch on something during the mission. Besides, she didn't want to damage it. She needed to have a full range of motion for this, so the jacket had to stay on the ship.

She walked up next to Rex, standing by him and looking out over the rest of the hangar. "All of the other teams are ready to load up," she updated him, her face set. "Is everyone from your squad here?"

"Waiting for your orders, sir," he affirmed, and Ahsoka activated her comlink.

"All squadron leaders, check in," she commanded and waited for the responses to come.

O'Mer replied first. "Slave squad, in position."

"Tower squad, ready," Caleb followed, climbing into his gunship with Jesse.

Ahsoka followed her own order. "Extraction team, in position."

From the next hangar over, Jinx lowered the hatch of his fighter. "Bomber squad, ready. Hey," he scolded R2-D2, who was not happy to be flying with someone other than Anakin. "No need to complain."

"Artoo," Ahsoka threatened, "cooperate, or I'm giving you an oil bath after this is over........I don't care if I'm not Anakin, I'll still do it!"

Rex stifled his laughter as the other components of the plan checked in. "Med bay, completing preparations," Kix said, also trying not to laugh.

"Backup squad present," Appo added, although his team technically didn't have to be ready yet.

Dogma spoke into the microphone in the intelligence center. "All teams are in position. Intelligence center on standby."

"The cruiser will exit hyperspace in three minutes," the bridge alerted the rest of the ship.

That was what Ahsoka was waiting for. "All squadrons, load up."

Those who had been waiting outside the ships boarded and the doors closed them in. Ahsoka, of course, was standing right next to Rex. Six troopers were in their gunship, and the other eight were in the second ship that would bring the Jedi back.