Hey everyone!

First off, I am SO sorry. Sorry that updates have been sporadic, that I haven't updated in a while, that my chapters are so short, etc.
The world is in such a weird place right now and I'm trying to learn how to live in it. I won't keep you though. Here is the long awaited chapter!

Chapter Six: Rookies - Part One

"Rex. Say...how's General Skywalker's padawan?"

Cody tried to not make his attempt at conversation too obvious. I had been buried in a datapad, waiting for the ship to carry us to Rishi. And the beginning of my plan. I couldn't do it without the two ARCs I'd learned to trust over the course of the war. Fives and Echo were stuck on Rishi and after Echo, Fives had finally told me what had happened to his squadmates. I'd lost too many brothers to feel the pain accurately, but for Fives, it was crippling. I ignored Cody's prod at spending time with Commander Tano and responded indifferently.

"She's learning fast. She needed help with a simulation. She did well."

Cody seemed to want to say something more, but a beeping sound interrupted him. We were coming out of hyperspace. Saved by the bell!

Cody started pushing buttons and I started worrying. What if we hadn't gotten there in time after all? I don't remember the exact timing of last time well…

"Rex! Stop zoning out."

Cody's voice brought me back to reality. The gray rock of a moon loomed up in front of us.

"We're here."

Easy part is over. Now we've just gotta survive this a second time.

I reached over and hailed the command center. A clone brother, face exposed, answered the comm. I couldn't help but breath my relief into the rapidly cooling temperature of the shuttle. Thank the force.

"This is Sergeant O'Niner. Please submit your access codes for processing."

At this point, Cody took over the transmission. Surely a multi-tasking skill I envied.

"Thank you, Sergeant. This is Commander Cody of the 212th and Captain Rex of the 501st, here for surprise inspection on the Rishi Moon Outpost."

Sergeant O'Niner snapped to attention and stumbled over his next couple words.

"Sorry sir! The landing pad is open and ready. The deck officer will meet you down there!"

Cody acknowledged the Sergeant and I shut the transmission off. The ship's engine changed tones as it flew into the atmosphere. There was only one landing pad and the area around the outpost was barren. Nothing but a few rocks to hide behind. Huh...nothing metal out there...I started scanning the surrounding area for anything unusual or metal outside of the outpost. Nothing. The ship touched down gently and Cody started collecting his gear.

"C'mon Rex, let's get this over with."

"K, just give me one second."

I unstrapped and picked up the senator's datapad. The GAR issued datapads had a mode that allowed you to fold the pieces down into a smaller rectangle to fit in belt pouches. Luckily for me, so did Senator Amidala's. I slid it into the barely accessible pouch underneath my kama and switched out the GAR issued datapad, leaving it sitting in the crevice. Cody was already in the process of lowering the landing ramp by the time I'd gotten out of the cockpit. I had to chuckle to myself. We never warned outposts about inspections. It offered too much room for cover ups or other precautions by bases that wouldn't be functioning properly.

"Do I get to be in charge this time?"

I winked at Cody before sliding my helmet on, bracing myself for the rigid cold that came from the moon's atmosphere. The ramp went down and Cody tilted his helmet at me.

"Sure, why not hotshot."

I could tell he was grinning. A trooper with an enhanced visor waved his hands at us from near the doors and I started towards him. We'd no sooner gotten over to him when his commlink lit up so that we could hear it.

"Meteor shower inbound. We've raised the shield but you'd better get the officers in here!"

It was Fives. The blast doors slid open to reveal Sergeant O'Niner. The deck officer saluted and went back to doing his duty while the Sergeant escorted us in. I tensed up, this was uncharted territory. We made it all the way to the observation deck before things went haywire. The droids must've seen our shuttle coming in and had changed their plan of attack. Almost imperceptible to the unaccustomed ear, a faint screech of metal that sounded like a vent cover caused me to startle. Blaster fire rang out and Sergeant O'Niner dropped.

"Scatter!"

The troopers, who'd been dutifully monitoring their screens, ducked down behind anything at hand. Helmets slapping on and hands reaching for nearby weapons. I rolled next to a trooper I didn't recognize. That wasn't hard to do though, seeing as they were all as white as the day they'd come off Kamino. A laserbolt barely missed my arm and I pulled farther into the cover.

"Rex! Commando droids!"

Cody's yell attracted the attention of said droids. He was in the hallway and had to duck into a convenient crevice to avoid getting shot. Colorful Mando'a curses sprang from the lips of the trooper next to me. I tried to avoid whipping around to face him. It was Fives. No mistaking it. One of his squadmates cried out in pain and another familiar voice cut through the haze.

"Droidbait!"

I leaned around the console and unholstered my pistols in one motion and started opening fire on the commando droids. Cody, from his more advantageous spot quickly took out the ones getting too close. One clone recovered faster than the others, and Fives popped over the console, immediately joining us in our defense. A trooper covered one dragging the trooper I assumed was Droidbait. They hunkered down just in front of Fives while his squadmate checked the other for vitals. If I could've seen through the helmets I'm pretty sure I would've seen shock and palpable anxiety from Fives. The other trooper, the one who'd covered the first one, ducked down to take a breather. I spared a moment from blasting the commandos to look back at them.

"He's alive."

The trooper, Echo, breathed out in relief.

"Don't relax yet, trooper! We've got to route these droids!"

I addressed all of them and instantly joined Fives in the defense again. A quick count in my head, I had Fives, Echo, Cutup, and Droidbait all hunkered down behind this console with me. That meant Hevy was with Cody.

"Rex! They're thinning out!"

Cody called over the laserfire and I set my mouth into a grim line. I had to keep them alive for longer. Hevy got hit but didn't keel over. He just hunkered behind Cody and did his best to help provide some ground fire.

I've got to make a move or none of us are going to get out of this unscathed.

I dove over the consoles, coming face to face with one of the commando droids, quick reflexes honed over years of war kicked in and I moved before I was aware of what I was doing. Three Commando droids later and Cody had joined me rushing them. The rest of the troopers provided cover except for Fives who was with me the second I went over the console. I hadn't even recognized him helping me until the blasterfire was just ringing in our ears. The sparking remains of the commandos was all that could be heard and everyone was on guard. Fives was checking O'Niner and Cutup was with Hevy. Wasting no time, I ran over to the all clear signal and killed the switch.

"Whoa, Rex! What are you doing?"

Cody started freaking out at me as I rapidly pressed the buttons and to hardwire it on the not all clear.

"Something tells me we won't make it off this rock alive if we don't act fast, Commander."

I finished up my work on the signal and then went to what I was guessing was the command droid of the attack force. I pulled the head away from the body and connected it to a terminal. The last orders flickered alive on a small hologram.

"Clear the Rishi Outpost of all hostiles. The Republic must not learn that Kamino is the primary target. The outpost must fall. Leave no survivors."

And it fizzed out. Cody appeared by my side, idly fingering the buttons, but not pressing any.

"Rex? What was that?"

I turned to survey the now carbon scored surveillance room. Five troopers were huddled around Droidbait as he slowly came to.

Six? There are usually only five to a squad…

Echo was easing Droidbait into a sitting position as they surveyed his injuries. A proximity alarm somewhere went off. Snapping back to reality, I went over and activated it. Just as I'd thought. The Separatists were sending an entire legion to the planet just to contain this one base.

"They must really want us gone or something!"

That was Hevy. He'd left his squad and brought an unfamiliar trooper with him.

"Sirs, I'm Hevy and this is Nub. The rest of the men are Fives, Echo, Droidbait and Cutup. We're prepared to defend this base with our lives!"

The rest of the troopers gathered up and snapped to attention. Cody immediately started issuing commands out to optimize defensive positions. I lit up my internal comms to Cody.

"Wait, Commander. We can't hold this position."

Cody stopped mid sentence.

"What do you mean?"

He said it softly, but outside of the internal comms.

"We can't hold this position against an entire Seperatist attack force. Our best option is to wire this place to blow and hold out somewhere else."

The Rishi troopers tensed and Nub watched us like a bolo ball match.

"Alright, Rex. Then you tell us what to do..."

On the internal comms he continued.

"But you better have a plan."

The warning was for me alone. I nodded my head in Cody's direction and turned to face the entire motley crew.

"Alright men, we may have a chance to win today if you all follow my orders exactly. Here's what we're gonna do."

I hope you all enjoyed! Next part will be up as soon as I can write it! Be kind and review!

Also, just remember that although the world has gone to crap that there are things we each can do to make the world a better place. Be that better person.

-Shadowlight17