Chapter 134 - Captives

Dageer would have liked if the clones could all follow the same path that the droids did, to enter the outpost. But doing that would cl.u.s.ter all the clones together, and they would be an easy target for the Dwarf-Spider droids and their laser cannons.

So, at some moment, the 303rd would have to spread out. Dageer could only hope that Dab and the others had found all the ion mines, or at least most of them, otherwise it would be a massacre.

As he stepped into the snow, Dageer was searching every corner of the path ahead with his eyes. He didn't want any of his brothers to step on a mine, and he certainly didn't want to step on one himself.

It was when the clones were three hundred meters away from the outpost that the droids opened fire. As they had practiced thousands of times, the clones split, and advanced while returning fire.

With his every time better accuracy, Dageer shot down a droid after another. The droid lines up the walls were being cut down faster than the clanckers could replenish them, but the 303rd was also suffering many casualties. The main culprits were the Dwarf-Spider droids, that could strafe a whole area in one blast. Although the clones were focusing their lasers on the spider droids, their armor could take a lot.

At the same moment that one of the Dwarf-Spider droids finally died, an unlucky clone also detonated one of the ion mines that hadn't been found.

Three other clones were caught in the blast, which were quite few, considering the 303rd still was closely packed together. The second blast, the electromagnetic pulse, was almost harmless, only putting a few detonators out of use.

Hear the screams of the wounded was always terrible, even more so when one couldn't do anything about it. War was horrible, and it showed no mercy. Missing limbs, gaping wounds, soldiers bleeding to death... all of that was still better than the silence of the dead.

After Kuvu's death, Hell Squad didn't get a new medic. A part of it was because they always had some 303rd trooper tailing them. Dageer was, after all, the sub-commander of the 303rd. The other reason was that deep inside, Hell Squad thought that having another trooper that wasn't part of their squad would slow them down. That was arrogance, but they had earned the right to be arrogant.

So, when they heard the injured crying, Hell Squad kept their heads down and carried on. They didn't like it, but their job was to attack.

Another two or three ion mines exploded before the vanguard reached the walls of the outpost. They killed a dozen men when combined, but the number of troopers that reached the walls was more than enough.

"Just like Thule, right, Dageer?!"

By his side, also flattening himself against the wall, was Commander Keeli. Dageer shook his head.

"All I remember of Thule were two crazy men going against an entire base by themselves. At least this time we have more men."

"I am glad we brought more hooks this time. On three!"

A row of about twenty clones, including Hell Squad, put their DC-15As on their backs, and pulled out hooks. Quickly, they started climbing, and breached the outpost using the windows.

As soon as they let go of the cables, more clones started climbing them. In a few minutes, an entire section of the wall had been taken. It might also have something to do with the fact that two jedis were helping them.

...

Dageer was organizing some clones to move the dead droids out of the way when Tech came to him.

"Sir, General Di asked you to go to the prison area."

"What is it about?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Shield, Fondor, get this base clear. We won't advance anymore. Let's wait for the Galactic Marines. They will take it from here."

The Galactic Marines were another elite legion, lead by Commander Bacara. Their general was jedi master Ki-Adi-Mundi. Both general and commander were known for their aggressiveness and relentlessness in battle. They were the legion assigned to Mygeeto, but since the 303rd was close, the Senate decided to send them as the first wave. The results weren't great, as the clanckers had to remove some troops from the sector before they could breakthrough.

The prison was just a small bunch of cubicles, hardly enough for someone to survive. Dageer doubted that the droids actually wanted anyone to live. They didn't take prisoners.

What he discovered when he entered, however, was that he was wrong. There were not one, but three prisoners, all clumped up in one single cell.

General Di and Ragout were talking with the prisoners. They were one human, a rodian and a duros. When General Di saw Dageer, he introduced the prisoners.

"Dageer, those are Bonde Lee, Onaconda Farr and Terato. They are Republic senators. Senators, this is Sub-commander Dageer."

The rodian, Onaconda Farr, nodded to Dageer. His dark blue eyes seemed to have stars on it, and although the senator was a prisoner bot long ago, he appeared very calm. The others weren't as calm as him. Bonde Lee, the duros, was sitting on the ground and grabbing his head, while Terato, the human, was talking without a pause.

"Thank you so much, master jedi. I don't know what those horrible droids would have done to us if you did not come. I own..."

General Di just ignored the blabbering of the senator, and turned to Senator Farr. When Terato saw that he was being ignored, he slowed down and eventually started muttering to himself.

"Master Di, we really need to thank you. I didn't think the Republic would send a jedi for us."

"The Republic didn't. It was entirely coincidental. In fact, I wasn't even informed you were captured. That is why I need you to tell Dageer the details."

"Ohhh... We were going for a meeting on Naboo, when our ship was attacked by that Separatist sc.u.m. All our escort was killed, and we were captured."

"Do you know what they wanted with you, senators?"

"No. We were brought here, and they said nothing more. In fact, where is here? It is so cold."

"You are on Mygeeto. And in the middle of a Republic invasion."

"What? That is not even close to our route! Why would they bring us here?"

"That is what I want you to tell me, senator. Meanwhile, you better get some warm clothes."

When he heard Dageer say that, the duros, who had been sitting on the ground quietly, suddenly got up, yelling.

"Why? We need to get out of this planet now! Now!"

Dageer frowned. Bonde Lee's eyes were shifting from his face to the entrance, to the others. That were the eyes of a terrified man.