Dilemmas and Loyalties Part XI

The LAAT/i entered the docking bay as any other ship would. There was a perimeter set up with several clone troopers lined up. Their DC 17's pointed at the LAAT/i. Some members of the crew were lined up behind them. Commander Duman Len was barely visible. Shuffle headed to the back of the gunship to find Alef Ulo standing over the body of Flinch.

“So what are you going to do?” He asked the Jedi.

“Escape,” he answered, “probably head to Coruscant to find out what happened. Maybe find some members of the Jedi Council to see what is really going on?”

“All of this doesn't make sense,” Shuffle went on. “I see nothing but other troopers armed and ready. No droids at all.”

“All of you can get up,” Alef Ulo called out to the troopers who were sprawled out on the floor.

“I guess this is farewell?” Tic asked.

“I would assume so,” Ulo replied.

“Can I give you this?” Tic raised his hand and offered one DC 15 side arm blaster. “You might be needing this when you get back to Coruscant.

Alef Ulo said nothing. He accepted the side arm. Tic handed him a holster and belt. Ulo quickly took it all.

“My last order to you three is to get off the ship first.”

“What about you, sir?” Tic asked.

“I will be okay.”

“If it means anything,” Shuffle added, “it was an honor to work under your command.”

“It was honor to work with such fine men. The best the Republic has to offer.”

It grew silent as the LAAT/i touched down. The cargo doors swung open. Mynock Squad slowly hopped out with this their weapons in a downward position. Five clone troopers quickly approached them making motions for them to stop and drop their weapons. They complied. Their helmets were removed to ensure that the Jedi was not disguised as one of them.

“Where is the Jedi?” Asked Commander Len.

“In the gunship,” Tic answered stiffly.

“Sargent, you know what to do,” Commander Len stated flatly.

“Sir!” The clone trooper replied.

He rapped on the heads of some of his troopers and provided a few hand signals. The four clone troopers formed a phalanx and quickly headed towards the LAAT/i with their sargent in tow.

“You three are confined to your quarters,” Commander Len continued.

“Since when do we take orders from non-Jedi?” Asked Tic.

“You don't question my orders!”

“Sir, with all due respect,” Shuffle interrupted, “we have not been debriefed on the current situation.”

“You will be updated soon enough. The Jedi are traitors. So we have been asked to take command of all operations until further notice.”

“Sir.” Tic responded. All three Clone Commandos walked to their quarters.

Dilemmas and Loyalties Part II

Mynock Squad and the ARC Trooper were being pressed further back. Each time they hid behind a tree or low outcropping of rocks, their cover was blasted into shreds. Tick was wounded. The armor on his right leg was blasted off and blood tracked everywhere. The ARC Trooper fired away as if he were invincible. The noise they were making was soon to bring reinforcements from either side. Maybe the Seps decided to advance.
“I am going to break comm silence and call for back up,” Tick finally announced.
“I could have told you that,” quipped Shuffle.
As Tick called for back, the Seps pressed on. It was difficult for the clone troopers to retreat further back. The firepower the Seps possessed was powerful enough to keep them pinned. It was even tougher to fire back. This is when seconds felt like hours. Thankfully, the clone troopers wore armor. The heat of the battle was enough to force anyone to quit. Tree bark, rocks, and soil flew everywhere as the Seps continue to lay siege to the out gunned and out manned clones.
“Air support will have to wait!” Tick called out. “The Dawn is busy fighting off Seps.”
“Swell,” continued Shuffle, “I thought we had them on the run.”
“And I am out of cannon shells,” Burn added.
“Here goes nothing,” Flinch chimed in as he cocked his arm to chuck a thermal detonator. Before he could release the explosive, he took several shots to the chest. He was knocked off of his feet and the detonator flew back somewhere behind the clones.
“Fire in the hole!” Yelled Tick. Everyone lunged forward firing ahead as they fell.
The impact sent them flipping head over heels. The ARC Trooper fell directly in the line of fire of Super Battle Droid. Before the droid could turn to re-aim, Burn fired several shots from his DC-16 into it's torso taking it out of the battle.
“Flinch is down!” Yelled Shuffle. No one had time to look back as the Droidekas recharged and took aim. Everyone leaped for cover. It was uncoordinated. They acted like a bunch of amateurs. Shuffle however, knelt in front of Flinch and began firing again. This time, he took out the second Super Battle Droid but received several shots from the Droidekas.
Everyone heard his screams through their comm systems.
All three clone troopers left standing noticed a blur move from left to right and zig zag it's way towards their position. At first, it seemed as if the heat from the battle and the flying shrapnel caused problems with their helmets' optic sensors. After a few nanoseconds of this, they released it was no malfunction. The blur took to the hair and landed inbetween the Seps with such a force, it knocked all four droidekas a few yards from their original position. At the same time, Commander Ulo ignited his lightsaber and shoto. Unlike the average Jedi, Alef Ulo toted two sabers. After Geonosis, he never worked with another Jedi again and found unconventional methods to complete missions. The shoto was much shorter than the average lightsaber.
The weakness behind the droideka are the fail safes that automatically shut off its shield in the case it fell over to prevent a system overload. Commander Ulo took full advantage and use the force to knock them over. He threw his shoto into the air taking out the two droidekas closest to him. With his lightsaber he lunged at the third one, cleaving it in two. The fourth one was taken out by his returning shoto. Once they were down, he switched off both lightsabers and replaced him on the belt of his tunic.
“Commander!” Tick called out.
“I can sense that Flinch is down but not hurt. He will need some new armor however,” Alef Ulo surmised using the force. “Shuffle needs attention but he will live. I need to invest in some of the armor.”
“You said that last time,” Burn commented.
“Commander Ulo, we need to talk,” Tick said as he removed his helmet.
“Commando, stand down!” The ARC Trooper.
“Well, let's take care of our comrades and then we can talk,” Ulo responded oblivious to what was happening.

To be continued...