Author's Note: So, in short, I feel like a jerk for not updating this story in forever (or close enough). Sorry about that. *runs off to hide under a rock*

and Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Star Wars

After strapping themselves in for the flight to Dakrai, the clones remained silent, each of them trying to focus on ridding themselves of pre-mission nerves.

Chopper opened his pack and began recounting the thermal detonators he had packed. "Try not to jump into any ditches, Sketch. I might not be able to save you again." He said nonchalantly with an amused smirk that he hid as he ducked his head to reach further in his bag.

Punch chuckled. "And if you do, make sure it's not full of mud this time."

"Hey, you know I slipped." Sketch said, even though he knew it was pointless to try and defend himself. His mishap on one of their first missions together was something his two brothers refused to let him live down.

Punch cut in, "I know what I saw, and I saw you make a perfect dive into that mud hole."

"It was rather spectacular, wasn't it?" Chopper grinned at the memory of his brother falling face first into a muddy ditch and emerging with a generous head to toe layer of the muck. "Of course what made it even better was that he was trying to impress that group of girls walking by."

"I did not-" Sketch threw his hands in the air. "Fine, if I say that I did jump will you let it go?"

Punch looked at Chopper before answering. "What's it worth to ya?"

"If you drop it and we get out of this mission, uh… drinks are on me," Sketch said after a second of thought.

Jester asked as he leaned into the conversation. "Hang on. I haven't heard this one yet."

"And you're never going to hear it." Sketch countered before either of the clones could say anything.

Chopper ignored Sketch and looked over to their sergeant. "Permission to tell the story, sir?"

"Permission granted," Chis laughed. He was glad to see Chopper's mood lighten considerably since he had asked the clone about his first visit to Dakrai. Even so, he made a mental note to have Punch keep an eye on him when they split up.

Chopper and Punch were more than happy to tell the others about Sketch's ditch diving adventures. Sketch, in turn, was more than happy to bring up a few stories about the two, much to Chis and Jesters' amusement.

Gus sat apart from the others only half listening to his brothers trying to work off pre-mission jitters. The data pad in his hands displayed several files containing information for their mission. He chose one that he had downloaded earlier when they individually looked over the mission information. It was a larger, more disorganized set of files consisting of most of the previous intelligence that had been gathered on Dakrai. It wasn't that he didn't trust the well organized and stream lined information they had initially given him or that he was looking for anything specific, he just liked having the whole story.

Only glancing up when the rest of his squad broke out in roaring laughter at one of Jesters' stories, Gus continued to scrolling through the information for anything else that looked interesting. Coming across the medic records, he was about to close the files and join the others when a familiar name and serial number near the bottom of the screen caught his eye.

Out of curiosity Gus opened up the medical file and began to scan through it. "Hm. Let's see what they've got on you, Chopper," he muttered under his breath. Coming to the end of the short file, he found the scout report that was mentioned in the one he had just finished."...one clone was found not far from village that looked to be recently wiped out...well that's interesting."

"What's interesting?" Sketch said from his seat next to Gus as he craned his neck to see what was on the screen.

"Huh?" Startled, Gus jumped slightly. Closing the files before Sketch could get a good look at what was on the screen he slipped the data pad into his bag and settled back into seat. "Something about the mission. Nothing important," he said, and shrugged the matter off.

After Sketch turned back to talking with Jester, Gus looked over at Chopper who was sitting across from him and engaged in conversation with their sergeant.

As he talked with the sergeant Chopper eventually caught on that Gus was staring at him. He finished pointing out something on the map Chis had pulled up before turning on his brother.

"What?" Chopper asked, barely bothering to conceal his annoyance, as he leaned forward.

Gus leaned in as far as the seat restraints would let him and spoke in a low voice "Not that I really care; but, your last time on Dakrai…" Unsure if he should bring up what he had just discovered in the files with everyone else present, the clone let the end of his sentence drift off to see if his brother would fill in any details.

Choppers eyes narrowed dangerously as he hissed back in an angry whisper, "Drop it, Gus. Or so help me-" he cut himself off and sat back, glaring at the cockpit door.

Gus clenched his jaw and withdrew to his own seat, muttering darkly to himself about having to work with a brother who was 'deficient.'

"What did you say?" Chopper's head instantly snapped back around, the tension in the ship doubled.

Punch, Sketch, and Jester looked up from their conversation and exchanged looks. Jester ducked his head and pulled his cleaning rag out of his bag to polish is blaster again. Punch and Sketch pretended to ignore the growing tension by busying themselves with mission preparation.

Sergeant Chis inwardly sighed. He wasn't in the mood to deal with childish behavior. The safest thing to do would be to keep his head down and let it blow over like the others had learned to do. Unfortunately, he was their sergeant and had to address the issue for the sake the squad being able to function as a coherent unit.

"Gus. Chopper." The sergeant caught their attention just enough to cut off any further argument between the two. "Either work this out between the two of you or learn to get over yourselves. This recon mission is vital to the war and if either of you compromise it in any way I will have you court marshaled. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Gus and Chopper responded together, snapping to attention as best they could while still restrained to their seats.

"Entering the atmosphere, hang on." The pilot said from the cockpit.

The minute of turbulence brought their minds back to the mission at hand.

It wasn't long before the pilot spoke again. "Landing point coming up. Prepare for drop off."

"You heard him boys." Sergeant Chis said while undoing his restraints. Once free, he put on his helmet and slung his pack onto his back.

The squad followed suit as Chis continued, "Because we didn't have time to work out recon parameter back on the ship, "Chopper and I have located an outcropping of rocks that should provide us more shelter than just the open jungle to get ourselves together."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone stood at the ready as the ship maneuvered through Dakrai's upper atmosphere. Once they were closer to the planet's surface the door slid open to reveal nothing but darkness save for sporadic flashes of light that streaked by as they neared the drop off point.

"Switch to night vision." Chis commanded, even though it seemed like the obvious thing to do.

The squad confirmed their switch. It the place of a black abyss, they could now make out the outlines of the trees that formed Dakrai's extensive jungles rushing below them.

"Oh, and watch your backs down there." Chopper said, breaking the pensive silence. "There are things down on this planet that will jump you the second it knows you're not paying attention."

The squad nodded their thanks for the heads up.

Slowing the small ship down over a small clearing, the pilot called back to them, "See you boys in three weeks."

The ship barely had time to settle into a stationary hover over the long grass, before Sergeant Chis and his men disembarked. The pilot took a head count and gave a quick nod to their already retreating backs as he pulled the ship out of the jungle.

A.N. I've already started working on the next chapter, so it won't be so long before you hear from me again. :)