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The elevator doors slid open at her approaching presence, allowing for her to step inside of the small space with her hands linked together at her back.
Captain Rex caught the door before it could close and entered in after her, falling into place at her side where he typically stands. He wasn't all that sure as to what to say. There was no way to tell what she was thinking. The doors slid shut in front of them, cutting the pair off from the outside and leaving them isolated on the inside.
Her hands then fell away from their tight grip at her back and she let her fingers grasp his, developing into a tight hold on one another's hand "When I heard that Krell was put in charge.." she began, keeping her eyes on the ground "I thought that was it. I thought I'd lost you"
"You didn't" He assured, surprised by her words "you won't"
The elevator sent them rising up towards the command center "I shouldn't think that way, I know it" she soaked in the warmth of his hand, knowing that they weren't going to get much closer than this "especially considering that I'm the one who's always telling you not to worry"
"Why don't we just mutually agree to be worried about each other?" he asked lightly.
"I think we're both already ahead of the game on that one" she looked over to him warmly, but the light in her eyes dimmed once again to how they were before "I... should've been here"
"You were where you needed to be"
"Ha! Right" she rolled her eyes irritatedly, and to Rex's disappointment, she pulled her hand away to cross her arms "Where I needed to be was here, because then Umbara would've been taken the right way, and with the least casualties"
Rex bit his bottom lip "we don't know that for sure" he replied, not doubting her capabilities in any way, but having had firsthand experience with the Umbaran's made him doubt the entire operation as a whole. No matter which General was placed in charge, it was going to take a miracle to secure this dark planet under the name of the Republic.
"I would've made sure" she muttered.
"This is what we clones were made to do" Rex reminded her, and the same old rhetoric from him heated her skin.
"To die? Hm?" she placed her hands on her hips, becoming more aggravated "you know, you say we a lot. It makes me wonder when you're going to start talking to me as you instead of on behalf of the entire grand army of the Republic" he backed down at that, thinking back over their previous conversations. It was just apart of vernacular. He wanted more than anything to talk to her as himself, and pretend as if his face wasn't plastered on millions of other soldiers.
The slightest bit of guilt gnawed at Dakota's gut, but she had to push it down when the elevator doors opened up, revealing the command center of the airbase. General Krell stood facing away from them at the window "Master Ky, what an unexpected surprise" he greeted coldly.
"Master Krell" she stepped in "I see you have captured the airbase with success... although the heavy loss of soldiers is a bit disheartening"
"As I've said to you before, that's what these clones were manufactured to do" he turned to see her, and she sucked in a sharp breath at the similarities in this discourse compared to Rex's that took place mere moments before. The Captain closed his eyes, already well acquainted with Krell's view on this issue.
"Manufactured" she echoed, speaking to both Krell and Rex at that very moment "what an interesting choice of words"
"Wasn't it you, Master Ky-" Krell pointed, stepping closer. She didn't waver her stone cold gaze from his "-who first visited the clone facilities on Kamino along with Master Kenobi? You said so yourself to the council that they were made for the war"
"I made an error with my wording" she replied plainly "and I regret that"
"General Skywalker had spoken very highly of this battalion before he departed" Krell rubbed his chin "and yet I've been met with nothing but a high result of retreats, insubordination, and complete disregard for my command. For instance" he motioned to the window that looked down on Fives, Jesse, and the squad of clones who remained on standby "Captain Rex, I ordered for those clones to be terminated-"
"I ordered for them to stop, although they weren't going to go through with it to begin with" she interjected, assuming full responsibility "They are my soldiers, my responsibility. All of them have fought valiantly for the Republic, so forgive me for not believing that they would act out of line without proper reasoning"
Krell narrowed his eyes at her, curling up his fist in order to hide his true anger.
"Generals" one of the clones at the computers called out, halting the conversation "We're receiving an incoming transmission"
Dakota went to the table, waiting for the clone to appear on the hologram display "The Umbaran's have stepped up their offensives" the Sergeant formed into view, clearly in the middle of a battle on the other side of the planet. Dakota raised her eyebrow up with slight suspicion as she listened to his update "We're holding them off, but their squadrons have ambushed one of our platoons, seizing weapons and uniforms. We believe they may be planning to launch a massive attack"
"Thank you, Trooper" she nodded, and the transmission dispersed "I am reassuming command of the 501st legion, and your services are no longer required" she informed General Krell without skipping a beat "Your effort to achieve victory is appreciated, but you may return back to the Temple"
Krell didn't say anything to that. His eyes grew a shade darker "Let's go ready the men, Captain" she nodded to Rex, heading back towards the elevator.
"Yes sir" he obliged, staying close behind her.
"Don't forget, General Ky-" Krell called out. She looked at him from inside of the elevator "-the Umbaran's have stolen clone armor to disguise themselves as the enemy"
"Yes I heard" she acknowledged as the doors slid shut. They began their descent back down to ground-level "Did you notice the transmission?" she asked Rex after a moment, her eyes hard "communications were jammed earlier when I was flying down here, now... they're not"
"I feel that something is really wrong here" Rex admitted "but I just can't figure out what"
She brought her fingers up to her chin as she pondered. He patiently studied her profile, waiting for her to speak. All he ever wants is to understand what she's thinking, especially in that moment "What I said earlier... I didn't mean it" she expressed apologetically "Sometimes I just get so frustrated, and- and then I say things that I regret" her shoulders sunk gently, remembering the argument between her and her sister "Of all the lessons I've learned in my life, controlling my temperament is one I haven't quite mastered"
"Don't worry about a thing, honestly" he reached out "If anything, I'd rather face your wrath than have to deal with General Krell"
"Really?" She replied with mock disbelief.
"Well... now that I think about it, maybe not" he joked.
She chuckled "that's what I thought"
He smiled back at her, glad to see that her frown had disappeared. She took his hand again in hers "Let's take Umbara, together"
"If that's your order"
She gave another warm smile, lifting her hand up and placing it soothingly against his cheek just before the elevator door slid open.
Their soldiers were on the other side, waiting around for the next order to be given. Kix stood up and approached the Jedi General "Kix, Tup, get all who you can. We're moving out" she twirled her finger "Captain Rex will explain the situation"
"What about Fives and Jesse?" Tup asked.
"Bring them, of course" she continued walking "I'm sure Fives is itching to fight"
~
"Stay alert, the Umbaran's are in possession of clone armor. Undoubtedly they're preparing for an ambush" Dakota informed the soldiers around her, leading the team through the fog of the landscape towards the coordinates that were given to her by General Krell. At any second, blaster fire could erupt from the desolate shadows. She kept one hand at her hip just above the lightsaber, ready for anything that would pose a threat to the battalion.
"General, have you gotten in contact with General Kenobi about the stolen armor?" Rex asked, holding his pistols out in front of him as he walked.
"Unable to reach him" she said, maneuvering through a collection of winding trees "which is odd considering that the transmissions were working just fine up in the airbase tower" she stepped over a thick vine that stretched out over the ground.
"Watch out, sir!" Fives called, quickening his pace. She paused on the other side of the vine, glancing back to the ARC Trooper. He pointed out the Vixus, a widely dangerous plant-like creature with sprouting tentacles and a jagged-toothed mouth that waited eagerly for its next meal "those things are dangerous. See?" he picked up a nearby rock and tossed it towards the epicenter of the tentacles.
The creature opened its horrid mouth at the rock, revealing its sharp fangs to the group that passed cautiously by "Aww" Dakota tilted her head to the side at the monstrosity "it's kinda cute" she admired "Anyway, stop distracting me Fives" she quipped.
"Yes sir, sorry sir" he said with a smile.
That's when Dakota sensed movement in the trees ahead, they were coated by the grey fog. She paused, holding up her hand to motion for the battalion to halt. Rex followed the signal, dropping down lower "life forms in the distance, it must be the disguised Umbaran's" she said under her breath, glancing around the trunk of a small tree.
"I say we strike first, we'd have the advantage considering the angle that we're coming in at" Rex advised.
"Sounds like a plan, Captain"
The first blast rang out across the battlefield, indicating that the fight had commenced. 501st troopers swarmed the land and through the brush, relentlessly firing their weapons at the disguised enemy. Bullets emerged from the shadows, hitting the trunk of the tree that covered Dakota "I'll need to get closer to do some real damage" she peered around the vegetation as she spoke to Rex, scanning her eyes along the fog "I can't see anything from here"
"Fives and I can cover you" he said between blaster shots.
"No that's fine" she pulled the double-saber from her belt "I can work my way to the back and we can box them in. Do not stop until they surrender, or if we exceed in casualties"
"Yes sir"
She broke away from her position and disappeared into the thick fog. Blind bullets whizzed by her ear. After about a minute, an outline of a clone soldier formed in the ominous haze. He stood firing at her battalion "there you are" she muttered to the enemy as she reached for her weapon.
The green saber unsheathed at her back and she swiftly stalked towards the disguised Umbaran. The soldiers ear pricked at the familiar sound of a Jedi lightsaber igniting to his right. In a flash, she was on him "Gen-!" he could barely get the word out before her saber pierced through his chest and out from his shoulder blade. A pained shriek escaped his lips.
Her eyes widened in utter horror. That was a clone voice. A clone was inside of the stolen armor. She exhaled shakily, catching the soldiers limp body as he fell against her. Ice seeped into her blood as she held him for a short moment, her mind rapidly trying to process just what had happened "oh my God" she quivered, shakily aiding the trooper gently to the ground "oh my God" she repeated, recognizing the artwork of a Twi-Lek girl painted on the soldiers helmet "Waxer..?" she trembled in shock.
She rested him against a small boulder, painfully looking down at his impaled chest that was caused by her own lightsaber. Blood oozed from the wound. Her fingers clutched the weapon tightly, turning her knuckles white "y-you? It's you?" her face contorted with guilt as she covered her mouth.
The battle was still raging on around her at an endless pace. Clones were fighting against clones. It didn't make any sense.
"How could this-.." she looked down to her hands "what have I done?"
"G-general?" Waxer called weakly, his head hanging limp.
"I thought you..." she gritted her teeth and removed his helmet, dreading the pained expression on his pale face "I- I'm... so-sorry, I-" her trembling body could hardly allow for the words to come out. A rocket fired over their heads, colliding with the ground several meters away and spraying up dirt and fire. She flinched at the bomb and tapped the communication link on her wrist "S- stop!" she ordered hoarsely "we're killing our own..."
The team eventually came to their own conclusion. Captain Rex had sprinted across the battlefield while waving his arms in a panic to signal for both sides to stop attacking. They were friendly firing on their own army.
Dakota sat in front of Waxer on her knees, not knowing what in the hell she should do "this is my fault" she ghosted as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Through the fog of battle, a familiar soldier emerged and ran towards the Jedi "Kix" she backed away wobbly from Waxer, allowing for the medical clone to come in. He dropped down in front of the critically injured platoon leader "save him, please..." she begged, her voice small.
"Was he shot, General?" Kix asked, getting right to work.
"No..." she hugged her arms to her torso.
Kix froze, looking over to the Jedi who stood beside him with immense guilt. The mark piercing through Waxer's chest was not a bullet wound. Realization fell over him. He didn't know what to say.