Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.4.3

As soon as Jinx got the green light from Dogma, he and his squad were out of the hangar, barreling towards the surface of Lokori. As he descended, he made contact with Caleb on the ground. "Caleb, it's Jinx, we're headed your way. How close are you to being done?"

"Not too far," he replied. "We still need to get everyone back on the gunship. I'll let you know once we're clear."

"Thanks," he told him before switching to the group channel for the starfighters. "We're almost ready to go. Double-check your targeting systems while we're still flying down."

The clones affirmed the order, but the astromech droid, R2-D2, started beeping at Jinx in a less than friendly way.

Jinx stared out the windshield at the droid. "It was just a reminder, if you've already done it, that's great. Jeez, just trying to be helpful."

One of the other pilots chuckled over coms. "Don't bother, Commander. That metal menace grumbles at just about everyone, other than General Skywalker and Commander Tano."

"What's so special about them?" He asked, not meaning to offend, but genuinely curious (and jealous).

"The general's had that droid for years, now," someone else answered, "And everyone around here likes Commander Tano, even the droids. Especially since she's been gone for so long."

Jinx shrugged, then thought of something. "Well, Commander Tano ordered this strike, so if the droid really does like her, he'll cooperate."

R2-D2 chirped, quite offended, at his pilot.

"Whatever," Jinx retorted and returned his focus back to the controls. "Your personality chip must be fried or something."

More chuckles came from the rest of the squadron, but Caleb came back online. "Jinx, we're off the field. Bombs away."

He activated his targeting system as he replied. "Thanks, Caleb. See you back in the hangar." He closed their connection, reopening the line to his squadron. "All right, boys, let's make this quick. Form on me, and let 'em have it!"

They tightened up and steadily advanced towards the base. The towers were a smoking pile of rubble now but the base was mostly intact, save for a few chunks here and there where extra shoulder cannons had been fired.

Jinx just aimed for the center of Scarlet Haven and spammed the trigger. This job didn't need to be clean, it just had to destroy the base. They could make more than one run if they had to.

All of the shots hit their target though. Why wouldn't they? It was a building after all. Once the run was complete, Jinx pulled the fighter around to get a look at the damage. "How'd we do?"

"Not bad," one of the others judged. "We could do another fly over for good measure, but most of it is down."

"We're not taking chances," Jinx reminded them. "This place has to be leveled by the time we leave. One more go around, and pick your targets."

He narrowed in on a room or two that was still standing on one of the sides. Another thirty seconds and the only thing left was a metal pole standing among the burning remains of what was no longer Scarlet Haven.

Jinx opened up the line to the command center. "Jinx to the command center, the mission is complete. Heading back your way."

"Copy that, Commander."

~

When the two gunships with the injured Jedi came back, Kix and his team were already waiting for them with stretchers, vital scanners, breathing masks, and a multitude of other emergency equipment that they might need. Once Ahsoka's squad helped lay the Jedi on the stretchers, the medics started swarming around them and pushing them to the infirmary. Kix started ordering the others around, and before long the extraction squadron was standing around, finally able to take a breath.