Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.4.2

More battle droids were coming, but they were after the squad this time. Caleb moved to intercept them, slicing through their ranks while the shielders took care of the stray shots that Caleb missed. The bombers began setting up explosives around the base of the first tower, using the weakest ones first. The more powerful bombs were for the grand finale.

Jesse double-checked the position of the bombs before yelling, "Clear!" The entire squad started running for the next tower around the perimeter, and in about ten seconds, the bombs went off, destroying the base of the tower, therefore destabilizing the whole structure.

The tower crumbled to bits, leaning in towards the base itself. Caleb used the Force to protect himself from the debris, but the rest of it hit the tinnies he was fighting and did the job for him. He couldn't help but smile. If the whole mission went as well as this, they were going to do just fine.

Caleb moved to cover the squad again since the next wave of droids hadn't come out to meet them yet. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he caught a glimpse of a large squad running towards the side entrance of Scarlet Haven, led by Ahsoka. Grinning, he turned his attention back to his work. The Jedi Masters were going to be fine.

~

One of the reasons Rex liked having a Jedi in command was that you hardly ever had to guess how they felt about a particular situation. If they expressed any emotion, it was normally readable. Ahsoka was being a little more guarded with her expression, but Rex could still understand. A grin played across her lips, but her eyes were burning. The message was clear: We do our job, leave nothing standing, and make it back home with everyone alive. Leave nothing to chance, give the enemy no window to stop us. We do this, and we do it once.

Ahsoka's mind was still running on overtime. Her abilities could handle it, and it felt good to feel her old instincts begin to kick in again. The various thought processes came naturally, but were more refined now, more efficient. Everything she had learned had a purpose, and all of those purposes were clicking into place.

The gunship was halfway to the ground when Ahsoka felt a searing pain on her back. She winced but refused to cry out. It wasn't a cramp, and it wasn't even a memory from the Inquisitor. It felt exterior from herself, even though she certainly felt the pain. Anakin, she realized. She focused her mind and projected to him. Just a few minutes longer, I promise.

When their gunship opened up, Ahsoka stepped off silently, crouching behind a boulder jutting up from the ground. She felt another hit strike her right shoulder blade, and then in her side. She forced herself to focus on the mission. They weren't far from the shield encircling Scarlet Haven, but as close as they could get to their entry point. She closed her fist in a halt above her shoulder, and the squad waited motionless for further instruction.

She desperately wanted to make conversation or joke about, or just relax, even a little bit, but she couldn't let herself, not now. Ahsoka had to keep track of every piece of the mission, however loosely that meant. Caleb's position, especially, was key to the success of the mission. She had to time their entry so that the battle droids would be distracted by the towers, and not focus on them.

Across the way, Ahsoka saw Caleb running to meet a squad to battle droids, and he dealt with them while the troopers moved to take care of the first tower. She felt a hint of pride when he performed perfectly.

Rex, who was also keeping an eye on the battlefield, commented, "He looks like someone else I used to watch."

She smiled, just a little, but it was a bittersweet moment. Ahsoka knew she wasn't that confident, that joyful, that enthusiastic anymore. Sideous has stolen that from her a long time ago. The one peace she did have was that Anakin's pain had stopped. Scarlet Haven must be responding to the attack. Hopefully, they would leave him alone for now.