Chapter 237 - Force Sensitive

The landing platform had become a battlefield in no time. While Dageer had taken care of the leading commando droid, the Republic wasn't faring so well.

General Plo Koon and General Secura were locked into a fight with Ventress, and it seemed they would be there for quite some time.

"Arghh!!!"

With a yell of pain, a 327th trooper fell dead. The commando droids weren't just more resistant than normal clanckers, but also had much better accuracy. That was the third trooper to fall, and up till now, only two seppies were killed.

With the corner of his eyes, Dageer saw Wat Tabor running towards the Separatist ship, clearly trying to escape. The device they had put on him to prevent his escape had already been removed. Two commando droids followed him, putting their bodies between him and the blue lasers. Unfortunately, all those lasers could do was knock them down, but in seconds, their ridiculously flexible bodies were back up.

"Dageer, we gotta move! Forget Tambor and retreat."

Hell Squad's leader acknowledged Commander Bly's words. He was right. Emptying his magazine, Dageer hit two clanckers right on the head, killing them immediately, and also got several shots on the chest of another, who was quickly finished off by Dab.

Suddenly, Dageer saw two of the droids leave the combat, and turn their aims to the Jedis. They had chosen the right moment, because both generals were locked in a Force struggle with Ventress, and wouldn't be able to dodge.

"Metal, Brain, left!!!"

Commando droids were tough, but even they couldn't survive the onslaught of lasers that Metal's blaster was spewing. That, coupled with the thermal detonator Brain threw, was enough to transform them in a pile of smoking scrap metal.

"Ahhh!"

"Fall back!"

While retreating, Dageer mimicked the commando droids, and turned his blaster to the three figures fighting with lightsabers. Just like the two Jedis, Ventress was also immobile, fully concentrating in her own battle.

Dageer pressed the trigger five times. Two lasers aimed for her back, another two for her legs, and the last for the head. He wasn't ashamed of attacking someone from the back. This was war, and Ventress was an enemy. A very, very dangerous enemy.

Just before the lasers hit her, the Sith turned off her lightsabers, and crouched. Taken by surprise by the sudden lack of resistance, General Plo Koon and General Secura staggered forward, and Ventress smashed her hands on the ground. Apparently, she created some sort of invisible shockwave, because both Jedis were sent flying, and landed rolling.

General Secura seemed like she wanted to give chase to Ventress when she saw the woman run towards the Separatist ship, but General Plo Koon held her back. Together, they couldn't win against her, whatsoever alone.

Both sides retreated to their respective sh.i.p.s, and took off. Still in the lower ramp while it was going up, Dageer could see Ventress flash him a creepy smile. Something about this whole operation was wrong. Dageer got this feeling about a lot of the battles he had been through. It was as if someone was controlling everything from the shadows, but the clone knew that was impossible.

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"Master Plo, are you okay?"

"Yes, thanks to you."

The two Jedis sat on the floor, panting. Clearly, the battle had exhausted them, albeit it was just a short one.

"We will be back to Coruscant soon. Meanwhile, you should let the medical droid have a look at your leg."

Suddenly, General Plo Koon got up. Shaking his head, he looked at General Secura.

"We can't, not yet. I need to rescue Wolffe. He has something of utmost importance."

Dageer and Commander Bly had been talking quietly about their losses in the battle, but when they heard that, both clones turned their heads simultaneously. When they didn't see Commander Wolffe at the prisoner exchange, they had assumed he was dead. After all, why would the seppies give back a Jedi general but keep a clone?

Exchanging a glance, both commanders approached the Jedis. Even amongst clones, there were closer groups of friends. New captains and commanders like Captain Rex, Captain Lock, and Commander Titos had been in the war for a long time, but they weren't part of the first battle.

Commander Wolffe, however, was, and so were Commander Bly, Commander Fox, Commander Ponds, Commander Cody, Commander Gree, Commander Monnk, Commander Bacara, and, of course, Commander Keeli. Usually, Dageer wouldn't be part of such a group, but thanks to Hell Squad's promotion to a special unit, he got to know the commanders outside the battlefield. And, as brothers, ranks weren't important when they weren't in battle.

And, as such, Commander Wolffe held a high importance in Dageer's and Commander Bly's hearts. That wasn't to say that they would leave others behind, but they would try everything they could to rescue the commander.

General Secura got up, surprised by the urgency in General Plo Koon's voice.

"What does he have that is so important? We lost seven troopers in that fight, Master Plo. I am not sure we have what it takes to fight the droids again."

"The Separatist attacked us while we were in space. Since my legion has to keep the battle on Falleen, myself and Wolffe were going to Coruscant with a small group of troopers. We were bringing a Force-sensitive child with us. A human, named Cal Kestis. However, we were boarded, and I was captured, together with Wolffe. The others were killed."

The two clones stood quiet at the side, listening carefully. Like always, they wouldn't say anything unless they were questioned, but both frowned under their helmets. It was General Secura who asked what was on their minds.

"Why would the Separatist propose to exchange you if they knew you would tell us about the youngling? And why they kept Commander Wolffe?"

"Before we were captured, Wolffe put the boy in an escape pod, and sent him somewhere. I didn't let him tell me where. They are probably trying to break him, and get him to tell them which planet it was. However, it isn't the first time Wolffe is interrogated. If we move fast enough, we might be able to rescue him before he gives in."

"I wouldn't be so sure. They had a Sith with him... That woman... She is powerful."

General Plo Koon nodded, and then turned to Dageer.

"You are Dageer, from Hell Squad, aren't you? Wolffe talked about your unit before. That Sith, she knew you. What can you tell us about her?"

Dageer nodded, and took off his helmet, showing them his scar. None of the Jedis were surprised. They had seen worse before, especially since the Clone Wars started.

"She is the one who gave me this, in Mygeeto. Her name is Asajj Ventress. As General Secura said, she is powerful. I and a few hundred others were captured, and she tortured me, trying to get me to tell her what our battle plans were."

Dageer didn't say if he gave in or not. He himself didn't know, because he could barely remember the interrogation, and the Republic had changed their plans entirely after his escape.

"General Di fought her too, sir, and couldn't win. Her methods... I've never seen anything like that. With all due respect, generals, but she is like an evil Jedi, if that makes sense. I almost lost my mind. Wolffe had been through a lot, but I don't think even he will be able to keep his mouth shut for too long."