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Captain Rex led his small squad back from patrol to the temporary base on the planet Kiros. The team had seen no signs of the missing civilians while out. This mission was becoming stranger and stranger by the moment. He removed his helmet and spotted the two 501st Generals standing with Commander Tano through the bustle of soldiers decked in white armor.
Anakin still had a frustrated look on his face. His co-General observed his strained profile quietly and mentally noted his everlasting frown "Obi-wan is taking too long up there" he said through gritted teeth.
"Relax" Dakota met his gaze "He's speaking with the Zygerrian military leader, I don't think they're sitting around and having tea"
"What if he needs our help?" Anakin spat back.
"Then we'll help him" Dakota crossed her arms as Captain Rex approached with Jesse and Tup following behind him.
"Generals, we've returned from our patrol. There's nothing to report" he said while standing up straight in front of the superior officers. Ahsoka glanced down to the ground with slight disappointment.
"I'm getting the feeling that they may have transported the civilians off-world" Dakota brought her fingers up to her chin "it would explain Admiral Yularen's bio-scan which returned with negative results"
"Where would they have taken the colonists?" Ahsoka asked.
Dakota turned and glanced up to the top of the tower where Obi-wan was "Maybe Obi-wan will find out for us"
"Wait, guys! Listen!" Anakin motioned swiftly, waving for everyone to gather around him again. The comm link on his wrist had suddenly beeped to life. Dakota stepped closer beside Ahsoka. They were now able to hear Obi-wan's conversation with the enemy Military leader. He must have activated his comm in secret to allow for the Jedi below to listen in without being detected.
"Smart old man" Dakota whispered to herself with a small smile.
"You are no doubt aware that your droid forces have been destroyed and that you are surrounded" Obi-wan's voice filled their ears. He was in the middle of his conversation "Do the honorable thing and give up now, D'Nar. I promise you will receive fair treatment"
"You've broken through my defenses. You think you've won.. think again" the Zygerrian leader retorted "I have planted bombs all over the city, no one will survive. Now, surrender"
Dakota shot her green eyes up to Anakin at the mention of the several bombs located throughout the city.
"If you are not bluffing then I must concede" Obi-wan sighed "but, you'll have to make considerations. First, you release the colonists"
The Zygerrian tsk'd eerily "Here is my counter offer, Jedi..."
At that, Dakota flinched and stumbled away as a surprise explosion ricochetted from one of the empty homes and sent shockwaves across the Republic basecamp. Several clones were blown from their posts and flung into disarray. Smoke engulfed the area, leaving little to the eye. She waved her hand in front of her face to clear some of the fumes "some counteroffer" she coughed, blinking in the smoke "What the hell?" she held up her hand to block the flying debris. In that moment, their job became a lot harder. Through squinted eyes, Dakota could just barely see Anakin and Ahsoka.
"We have men down!" Ahsoka yelled out from the chaos.
"Where's Kix?" Dakota called, running to the first Clone that she spotted laying helpless on the ground "it's alright, stay with me!" she bent down beside him and felt his pulse.
"General Ky!"
"Rex" she looked back, recognizing his voice "are you okay?"
"Yes, you and the Generals were closer to the detonation than I was" he ran up to her.
"Well lucky you" she replied sarcastically and returned her attention to the injured clone, but she instantly realized that he was no longer breathing. His chest exhaled shallowly for the last time under her hand "he's.. dead" she closed her eyes briefly before standing up "There are more bombs like this all over the city, we need to find them before any more can be triggered"
"What are your orders?" Rex stood ready and waiting. Dakota eyed the burning home as well as the frantic soldiers who worked to save as many of their injured brothers as possible.
"Skywalker, Ahsoka" she tapped her comm link "-that lunatic said he has more bombs, find them"
"Already on it" Anakin responded "are you alright?"
"I'm fine" She lowered her arm and turned to Rex "you and I will stay here to help the others. I know that Anakin and Ahsoka will take care of the remaining explosives"
"Yes sir"
"Be careful" she placed her hand on his shoulder momentarily before breaking away and running towards the next person that she could help.
~
A support beam attached to the roof of the decimated home creaked, signaling that it was about to fall. The wood cracked and plummeted to the dirt, threatening to crush the clone who laid with a broken leg. He wailed in fright and prepared for the impact, but the heavy beam found itself levitating in the air mere inches above his head "Sterling!" Dakota yelled to the clone as she held her arms out in front of her, using the force to keep the beam up so that it couldn't hit him.
The clone named Sterling ran from he was waiting and hauled the injured trooper out from harms way. She then allowed for the beam to fall "that's everyone over here" she informed "what about over where you are, Rex?"
"Clear over here" he said on comms "all missing personnel are accounted for. The others have been... killed"
She tapped her comm off in a disheartened manner and ran her fingers through her dark hair. The regiment had been performing search and rescue while the two other Jedi Generals had been out diffusing the remaining bombs. She wasn't sure of their progress, she just knew that it was pretty bad here. Fifteen had been killed and almost thirty had been injured "Commander Cody" she approached him.
"General"
"Set up a perimeter with whoever you can. If more droids come, we'll be vulnerable to their attack.." her voice faded when she noticed that the droids had already arrived on the scene. All of them marched together down the dirt road with their blasters raised. Destroyer droids rolled up to the front and expanded their circular protective blue shields in preparation to fire "forget that order" she stepped past Cody and removed the saber from her belt "blast them!"
"All men, concentrate fire at point 06!" Cody commanded, signaling with his hand.
She ran forward, swerving around the oncoming traffic of red bullets. Droids were able to ambush them from the south because of the explosion, and with Anakin and his Padawan out locating them remaining bombs, taking out the enemy here wouldn't be nearly as easy. Dakota trusted Cody to cover her as she leapt into the air, bringing her double-saber down on the first mechanical victim.
He electronically cried as his body dismantled. She extended her hand and force pushed one into another one "Rex, use the speeders and box them in from behind!" she ordered into the comm. He didn't reply but she knew he was on it.
Moments later, three speeders wrapped around from behind and perched at the back. Rex used the cannons to fire on the enemy squadron. Dakota flipped and twirled effortlessly around the bullets as if it was a dance. No amount of programming could delay their demise at the blade of her sword. She remained calm the entire fight. One by one the droids fell at the combined force of the Clones and the Jedi.
All that was left were the three destroyer droids that hid inside of their shields. One of them fired at Rex's speeder and he jumped off, narrowly missing the explosion of his ride. The droid then fired on him. Dakota quietly approached at its back and stuck her saber inside, igniting it straight through the core. It deactivated at once and fell apart at her feet "I thought I said to be careful, Captain" she held out her hand to Rex "that was an order, not a request"
"There's nothing wrong with living on the edge a bit" he took her hand and she helped him to his feet "I learned from you, General"
"At least I'm good for something" she quipped.
"We've taken care of all the bombs" Anakin alerted from the comm link on her wrist.
She nodded in acknowledgment "Good work, and we've taken care of the droids, now-" she tilted her head back to see the tower "-I'm going to go drop in on our friends little tea party, want me to bring you and the kid back a hot cup?"
"I'd prefer that slaver in chains!"
"Even better"
Up in the tower, Obi-wan Kenobi was in the middle of an intense hand-to-hand boxing match with the Zygerrian military leader, and he appeared to be losing from the looks of it. D'Nar had the Jedi in a chokehold as he sneered with intense hatred in his voice "now I will take revenge for my people, Jedi" he raised his fist in Obi-wan's bruised face.
"Sir, you have an urgent transmission!" the nearby tactical droid approached D'Nar, holding a transmitter in his robotic fingers. A second tan battle droid appeared in holographic form from the device.
"Sorry to interrupt sir" he greeted in his monotone electronic voice.
"What is it?" D'Nar questioned impatiently, tightening his grip on Obi-wan's neck who struggled against his strength.
"Uh... the Jedi have disarmed your bombs!" the battle droid informed awkwardly.
"Yes" Dakota emerged from the elevator in the floor, rising up into the room with her double green saber unsheathed and glowing at her back "we have"
"What?!" D'Nar snapped as he dropped Obi-wan from the chokehold. He then grabbed the detonator from the tactical droid and dashed to the window that overlooked the city.
Dakota cocked her head to the side as a smile tugged up on her lips "Please, D'Nar. Have a look. Be my guest"
"It certainly took you all long enough this time" Obi-wan climbed back to his feet and brushed the dust from his robe. He used the force to crush the two battle droids in the back of the room and he then nreached out to retrieve his blue lightsaber "Well, shall we discuss your surrender... again?" he directed his question at D'Nar and ignited his lightsaber.
"I still have one bomb left, Jedi" the Zygerrian bolted from the window and grabbed the tactical droid, not wasting any time in tapping a number of buttons on the back of the droid to activate the final bomb built inside of it.
"Sir, how could you?" the droid whined as its bomb was activated. D'Nar then shoved the droid forcefully in Obi-wan's direction.
"Obi-wan, look out!" Dakota warned half-heartedly, although by then the droid had already landed heavily on top of him which she knew. He glared irritatedly at her from underneath and pushed the droid off from him.
Dakota stepped forward and used the force to send the ticking time-bomb droid out the window where it exploded once the countdown hit zero. Obi-wan moved swiftly to try and capture D'Nar but he had already escaped down the elevator and out of reach. The Jedi sucked his teeth in frustration and shook his head.
"I knew you shouldn't have come up here alone" Dakota muttered as she crossed her arms and stepped away from the shattered glass window. Remaining droid parts were plummeting to the ground below.
"You weren't that much help either" he fired back.
She kicked the head of a lifeless droid away as she walked to her old friend, it skidded across the polished floor "you're never grateful" she half-joked, pausing beside him.
"Once we have D'Nar in custody and the Togruta colonists back, I'll be happy to share my gratitude with you and with anyone else who wants it" he hooked the lightsaber to his belt.
"Done deal" she offered her hand for a handshake. He narrowed his eyes humorously and took her hand to accept "now, let's update Anakin. He's anxious to capture this guy"