Chapter 122 - Taking the Hill

"Keeli, you should head back with the others. The men need to see you in battle."

"With all due respect, general, they will see me when we take this damn hill."

Seeing Commander Keeli and Ragout go back and forth with their argument, Dageer had to intervene. After all, there was still a battle raging outside.

"General Ragout. I've known Commander Keeli for quite some time. Unless you give him a direct order, he won't let us have all the fun. And he can help a lot."

"I don't know... wait, let me talk to my master. If he says you have to stay back, you will stay back, understood?"

"Yes, general."

While Ragout was talking to General Di, Commander Keeli approached Dageer.

"Dageer, thanks for coming after us. I am sure it was difficult, considering Hell Squad is two trench lines further than the rest of our forces."

"Helping my commander is amongst my duties."

"Thanks anyway. And, Dageer... I didn't see Kuvu outside."

"He didn't make it."

"He was a good soldier."

"Yeah. He was."

While the two highest ranking officers of the 303rd were talking, Cell made his way inside the crashed Laat with his hologram map open.

"Commander Keeli! Good to see you."

"Hello, Cell. What is it?"

"We need to move, commander. The AAT held pretty strongly, but if it stays under fire like that, its armor will soon be gone."

"Come with me. General Ragout probably made his decision already."

The clone commander put back his helmet, and stepped outside of the gunship as if he hadn't almost died inside it minutes before. Dageer picked up the DC-15A he had left on the floor, and followed his commander.

The bright sunlight blinded him for a second, but his eyes were used to it. The battlefield was still the same mess he had left behind, with the difference the clone vanguard was now closer. Dageer adjusted his macrobinoculars, and saw they were almost in control of the fifth trench. Commander Keeli went straight to Ragout, who was talking in his comlink while spinning his lightsaber.

"General. Have you come to a decision?"

"Hufff... all right, Keeli, you will be coming with us. Dageer, get Hell Squad together. Shirli and Rocky, you will also come with us."

"Yes, sir!"

"Dageer, send the wounded back. We will leave when they are on their way."

"Yes, sir."

Dageer walked over to the AAT, and ordered Tech and Brain to leave their new toy. Then, he put as many wounded as possible in the tank. The rest would have to walk, but their injuries weren't so bad. Finally, he called Captain Narza, who had been leading the attack.

"Captain Narza, do you copy? We have Commander Keeli. I repeat, we have the commander."

"I hear you loud and clear, sir. It is good to hear Commander Keeli is all right. From where are you coming back? I will send a platoon to secure the way."

"Coordinates 267D. The AAT we stole will be coming down with the injured. Commander Keeli and Hell Squad have a mission uphill."

"Copy that."

In command of the AAT was Lieutenant Guard, who had a nasty arm injury, but insisted on holding his blaster with the other hand. Not that anyone tried to stop him, as having a weapon was the only way to guarantee one had a chance to live on a battlefield. Just before Dageer sent the clones off, Commander Keeli walked over to them.

"Guard, give me your comlink. I lost mine at the crash."

"Here it is, sir."

A red laser hit the ground between the two clones, making them turn their heads to the source. The droids were getting more accurate, and now that there were so many clones, the chances of someone getting shot were growing.

"Go. Use that tank to blast as many droids you can, then leave it behind."

"Yes, sir. Let's move!"

With the tank gone, so was a great part of the protection the clones who stayed had. All the time they were taking the clones out of the crashed gunship, Tech and Brain had been blasting the nearby droids. Hell Squad had to move to the last trench line before the droids realized they wouldn't get blasted anymore.

"All troops, this is Ima-Gun Di. Start to push up with all we have. Another blow and the Separatist will be crushed. May the Force be with us."

From all comlinks came the voice of the jedi the 303rd had learned to respect. Even with such a short message, all clones became more motivated, and doubled the effort they were putting in the offensive. The fifth trench remaining defenses crumbled in seconds, and the Republic army continued without stop. General Di's padawan pointed his lightsaber to the seventh trench.

"Let's go! We are almost there!"

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"Ohhh nooo... bzzzt!"

The B1 battle droid fell to the ground slowly, his vocal controls falling as it shut down. Dageer stepped on the droid body with his DC-15A ready to the next one, but this was the last clancker on the bunker.

"Continue, don't stop!"

A loud clanging latter, and a B2 unit dropped to the droid in three smoking pieces. Ragout turned around looking for his next target, and found nothing but clones.

"Was that the last one?"

"I think so, yes. The hill is ours, general."

The padawan turned off his lightsaber. His young face had been serious all the time till now, but when he heard Commander Keeli's words he relaxed. He exited the bunker, and looked at the long line of dead droids. They had lost Shirli to get there, but the hardest obstacle to the capture of Dantooine had been eliminated. Now, the Republic army could build a base from where they could coordinate all the invasion. Ragout picked his comlink to inform General Di of the good news.

"Master, we took the top of the hill. We won!"

"We won this battle, my young padawan. There is still a long way before Dantooine is on the Republic's side. But you are right. We won."

While master and apprentice were talking, Dageer and Commander Keeli were strengthening their foothold on top of the hill.

"Admiral Dao, sent down the troops and supplies. We need that base ready before nightfall."

"Captain Narza, hurry up and take the sixth trench. Then send all the AT-TEs to the top of the hill. We need to make sure the clanckers can't get it back."

"Commander, sub-commander, you should see this."

Rocky called both Dageer and Commander Keeli to the opposite side of the bunker. There, an opening let them see the path they would have to take until they had conquered the planet.