Narrator: Kidnapped! During a Separatist invasion of the planet Kiros, thousands of peaceful colonists were abducted by Zygerrian slavers. Determined to find the missing colonists, the Jedi travel to Zygerria... home to the galaxies most notorious slave empire. Despite her repeated requests, Jedi Master Mace Windu has ordered his former Padawan Jedi Master Dakota Ky to remain on the cruiser as Anakin, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka continue on with the mission of finding the colonists.
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She stood alone at the front of the bridge, soaking in the blue rays of deep hyperspace as the attendants on the cruiser worked quietly around her. The 501st was in route to the planet called Zygerria, located far out in the outer rim, away from the eyes of the central Republic. It's suspected that that's where the missing Togruta colonists were taken. It was now only a matter of time.
In her mind, she grumpily turned over her Masters words that instructed her to remain on the ship while the rest of the team infiltrates the Zygerrian planet. She knew better than to speak out against her Masters wishes so she remained silent, keeping her tongue in between her teeth until it nearly bled.
The bridge doors slid open and Ahsoka Tano strolled in, decked out in a traditional blue Togruta ceremonial outfit to play the part of a captured slave. Obi-wan and Anakin were disguising themselves as Zygerrian soldiers as well to blend in. Those two were down below preparing the ship for departure "look at you, kid" Dakota complimented, turning away from the window to see her friend "I'd where that myself... although that may be cultural appropriation"
"I'm sure you could pull it off.. but I think you'd prefer one that comes in the color black" she replied.
"You know me so well" Dakota shrugged humorously, but her smile faded as she once again realized that they'd be going on the mission without her. Knowing that she wouldn't be by their side seeped under her skin like a parasite.
"I wish you were coming along today" Ahsoka sighed "being around all those boys gets old really quick"
Dakota's eyes squinted slightly as she crossed her arms "Can't argue with Master Windu's orders... although there are times where I wish I could"
Ahsoka nodded, raising her eyebrow "I find myself arguing with Master Skywalker far more than agreeing with him" she admitted.
"Well that's because it's Anakin" Dakota reminded, lifting her pointer finger "he's still a young guy himself, he's learning and growing just as you are. And Master Windu..." her voice trailed off "he doesn't allow room for arguments or disputes, his word is law. But... it's not a bad thing"
"What do you mean?"
"When I was a Padawan, I needed someone to whip me into shape" Dakota explained "I was mess, and I'll admit that. But Master Windu didn't let me lose sight of what it was that I was striving to achieve, he didn't let me fail"
Ahsoka glanced down to her feet "I can't tell you how many times I've failed under Master Skywalker's teachings"
"Would you say that you learned from those failures?" Dakota questioned, placing her hands to her hips.
"Yes... I think I did"
"Then did you really fail?"
The bridge doors slid open, revealing the Clone Captain who dawned Zygerrian armor in replace of his usual clone protective armor. He would be tagging along with Anakin, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka down on the planet in pursuit of the missing Togruta colonists "Commander" he called to Ahsoka respectfully "it's time to depart"
Dakota looked back to Ahsoka and placed her hand on her shoulder "May the force be with you" she wished "I'll be up here waiting for you when you find the colonists"
"Yes Master" Ahsoka nodded and broke away, walking past Captain Rex and out the open door.
"Why don't you dress like this all the time, Captain?"
Dakota extended her hand out, referencing to his Zygerrian disguise.
"I'm not crazy about skirts, sir" he felt the fabric of the attire's brown skirt between his fingers and gave a disapproving glare.
"Fair" she shrugged, crossing her arms "I um... I'm sorry I can't be with you on this mission... again" she apologized quietly, out of earshot of the other clones who worked in the main bridge of the cruiser. A subtle murmur had settled over the quiet area, drowning out the noise of the ship that prepared to emerge from hyperspace "I feel like I'm never there where it truly counts" she blinked slowly, thinking back to Umbara.
Hardcase had died, many more had perished, and two of her finest soldiers were nearly executed while she was wasting time away on Coruscant. Not a day goes by where she doesn't think about her failures as a General on Umbara. It made her damn near reluctant to let her Captain go on without her.
"We all have jobs to do" Rex replied in the most encouraging tone that he could muster "mine is with General's Kenobi and Skywalker and yours is here, watching over us from up above"
"If that's the case then-" she rubbed up and down her arm as she spoke "-if you need me just look up" she smiled subtly and warmly.
He gave a shaky, flustered breath "W-will do"
In that moment, the cruiser exited hyperspace, displaying the planet ahead of them through the large windows. Rex turned and left upon arrival. She took a single step after him as if unable to let him go, but the door closed and he was gone again. Her breath exhaled sharply and she spun back to the window with a slight sense of distraught.
She knew that she shouldn't be thinking like this, she couldn't. They both knew going into this relationship of sorts that their jobs and obligations must always come first. Rex stopped outside the door and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling less now that he wasn't standing at her side. He looked back at the door where she stood alone on the other side. The barrier now separated them.
She crossed her arms at her chest, as if needing to hold herself together "come back to me" she whispered, staring out the dark window.
In that moment, the bridge doors slid back open. Rex stood motionless in the doorway. She turned over her shoulder to see him. He gave the smallest smile and nodded his head, silently telling her that he'd be alright. Her face softened as she acknowledged him "Captain"
"General"
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"We have enemy ships coming out of hyperspace!" A clone attendant informed from the radar computer. The tone in his voice was urgent.
Dakota went to the window and peered out, unable to see anything from their position. Her eyebrows furrowed together with concern. If enemy fighters were coming, they would certainly be catching the Republic off-guard. It had been several hours since Anakin, Obi-wan and the others had left for the slave trade planet below. Since then, their contact with them has been scarce "they're coming in from behind!" the Clone continued with persistency.
"Strengthen the rear shields-" Dakota pointed to the two soldiers who manned the ship's deflector shield controls "-and spin to face them, quickly!" she ran to the bridge doors instantly, ready to dive head-first into the action "and deploy our fighters, Faus" she ordered lastly to the clone and took off swiftly down the hall, not wasting another minute.
Jesse appeared at her side, falling into step a pace behind "Should I ready your star-fighter, sir?"
"You read my mind, Jes" she nodded, making her way hurriedly to the hanger where alarms buzzed in the chaos. Clones ran across the floor, scrambling to prepare their fighters for battle. The enemy Separatist ships had emerged from hyperspace and began their assault against the Jedi cruiser. Dakota remembered how the Separatists were working together with the Zygerrians, so their arrival now wasn't the biggest surprise.
She slid over the front hood of her star-fighter as the cockpit door opened up. The clone attendants barely had any time to prepare her ship before she was slipping inside the hatch and igniting the ignition "Jesse, you're in charge here, try and contact Generals Skywalker and Kenobi" she ordered from the pilot seat as she strapped on the safety belt.
"Yes sir" he saluted. He stepped back as her engines fired up.
"Hawk, you read me?" Dakota pulled the microphone down to her chin while flipping a few switches as her star-fighter rose up into the air. A clone waved orange cones up to her, signaling that she was clear for take off.
"Yes sir, glad to see you could make it to the fight" the pilot clone responded over the radio, right in the middle of a fight of his own out in the cold emptiness of space.
"You know I never like to miss a party" she soared from the hanger and jettisoned outside to join the space battle. Jesse stood at the bridge and watched as her star-fighter disappeared into the chaos "Form on me, men. We'll need to take out the heavy cannons on that droid cruiser before they take out ours" Dakota ordered as the republic fighters positioned themselves at her sides.
They followed in sync, evading the blasts with skill and sleekness. Dakota had gotten better at piloting during this war. After fighting so many battles with Anakin Skywalker out in space, it's not hard to pick up a trick or two. She twirled her star-fighter in a spiral, then pressed her thumbs to the trigger and destroyed the incoming spider droids "all clear, make for the cannons" she instructed, checking around to make sure that no fighters were coming their way.
"General, over there, 5 o'clock!" Hawk said over the radio. Dakota looked from her window, spotting a handful of droid ships closing in on them from the shadows of the battle.
"Alright guys just kidding the coast isn't clear, tighten up, we've got another wave coming in" she shifted her steering handles and drifted to the right, getting a better angle with her ships guns.
The enemy ships flew over top of them.
A sea of plasma bullet's swarmed Hawk's vessel. His distressed complains could be heard over the radio "I'm on my way, Hawk" she looped back and flew against the firing towards the enemy fighters that were attacking Hawk. She destroyed three of them but the other two managed to slip away and retaliated heavily against her small ship "I'm taking heavy firing..." Dakota did her best to avoid their plasma. Fire erupted from the engine of her fighter.
Hawk was now clear, but the droid cruisers were relentlessly firing on the Jedi cruisers. One of them had already been completely destroyed, leaving its debris to rain down on the planet below "Admiral Yularen, get our cruisers out of here, they'll destroy them!" she yelled into the radio "and to the rest of you out here.. get back to the cruiser or follow them away into hyperspace. We were ambushed and severely outgunned, we've lost this battle, but I'm not going to lose anyone else"
"Are you on your way, General?" Yularen asked over the comm.
"Yes, I'm entering hyperspace now, go!"
But.. she wasn't. Her hyperdrive had already been fried while assisting Hawk. She watched as the rest of her fleet shot away into the starry abyss of the cosmos. It was almost beautiful to see them escape to live another day. Dakota sat back in her seat as the shadow of the droid cruiser consumed her.
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A/N: hi everyone! i'm sorry for the slow updates recently, im working two jobs to pay for college and... as you can imagine.. that takes up quite a bit of time. i'm getting myself into a routine that leaves more time for writing, so expect updates more frequently now! thank you all, i love you guys so much!