𝘚𝘈𝘓𝘜𝘛𝘌→𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩

the plan.

CROSSHAIR SNUCK CLOSER to the Havoc Marauder swiftly, and very quietly. He was acting as if every step he took, if it were to be too loud, the droids would know exactly where he was and it would blow the entire mission. As unlikely as it seemed, Crosshair didn't want to be the reason for the mission failing. He took this very seriously, especially since he was given a very specific task. Before Master Obrinth began her meditation, she appointed Crosshair to scope out the queen's castle, and the village. She remembered Anakin Skywalker's vague description of the five clones. Crosshair's skill at moving around without getting caught, made him perfect for the job. His genetic mutation came quite in handy as well, of course, it always did. His vision was enhanced greatly, which is one of the reasons he became a sniper. Due to his ability to see from great distances, he was able to get a estimate on how many droids the group would be dealing with. Thousands, at least. He wished he could just quickly snipe out a few before his departure, but he didn't feel like dealing with the repercussions of doing so that day.

Upon Crosshair's return, Alora was anxious to hear what he had to say. She watched as he removed his helmet, and almost immediately popped a toothpick into his mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her Master was approaching the clone as well. "I've got good and bad news, General." Crosshair said, his voice low.

"Tell me the good news first." Lo'ree quietly replied. She had her arms crossed over her chest.

Everyone had turned their attention to Crosshair now. He looked around, specifically at his brothers, and smirked. "There's only about a thousand droids. Many standing guard around the castle, and a few inside."

"A thousand droids?" Alora came to stand next to her master. Her eyes never left Crosshair's face, she was baffled at his calm expression. "There are seven of us. You call that good news?"

"Two of us Jedi. I thought you were the best?" Crosshair retorted, his eyes now falling onto the shorter girl. He definitely felt annoyed by her questioning him; the maker only knows why.

Before Alora could say something back, Lo'ree questioned him. "What is the bad news, then?"

"The queen is locked up in there somewhere. I don't know where. If we go in and just start shooting droids—"

"The queen could be caught in the crossfire.. collateral damage.." Alora had cut Crosshair off, thoughtfully looking into the distance.
The clone looked at her, an unhappy scowl now evident on his face. He didn't like being interrupted, especially not by a young girl.

"Yes, commander. Nice observation." He finally said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He simply rolled his eyes and walked away, before he could say anything that could possibly get him into trouble.

Unlike Alora, Lo'ree seemed completely unfazed. She was too determined to be scared. She looked down at her former padawan, and set her hand on her shoulder. "You must act as a civilian. Get into the castle somehow. Find the queen. You will give her a safe place to hide, then, once she is hidden, the clones and myself will come take care of all the droids."

Alora Nero's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was her master plan she's been thinking of for hours?
"Act as a civilian? I don't look anything like these people here.."

"You're a newcomer then." Lo'ree replied.

"But, Master— They won't allow newcomers into the castle! Especially not with separatist droids guarding the place!" Alora's voice was frantic. She didn't know why, but she had a terrible feeling arising in her. Something horrible was about to take place.

"Why don't you just sneak in?" Crosshair sneered. He was now sitting down, his legs propped up. "You Jedi are good at things like that, aren't you?"

Lo'ree suddenly had a smile on her face. A lot of times, Alora still had a hard time understanding her master. "He's right, Alora..
You must leave your lightsabers here, however."

Just when Alora thought she heard it all. "What?? But— What if I get caught?!"

"Exactly, Alora. If you get caught, any indication that you are a Jedi, there is no telling what could happen. Trust in me, young one. Trust in the force."

ALORA WAS EXTREMELY overwhelmed once she reached the village. She could feel the amounts of sorrow the population felt. Their queen was captive, in turn, so were they. This war has left parts of the galaxy in shambles. Alora, being a Jedi, got to see it first hand. She walked down a path that, eventually, led to the castle. She looked around as some civilians were out and about. None of them seemed happy. They were all worried. This gave Alora a little bit of a boost; she was now determined to put this planet back at ease. If she was given the opportunity to keep the separatists from taking another planet, she was going to do it.

Getting inside the castle wasn't that big of a challenge for the young Jedi. All she had to do was sneak around some droids. They weren't the brightest, so, it was fairly easy. She went around to a side, with a low window. She jumped, and used the force to lift her the rest of the way. Once her feet touched the floors of the castle, though, was a different story. She immediately had to hide behind a pillar, to avoid being caught by droids. There were hundreds inside. She snuck her way into a nearby room, where she shut the door behind her. A comlink was attached to Alora Nero's wrist, hidden away by her cloak's sleeve. She brought her arm up to her face slowly, pressing the button and speaking clearly. "I am here."

Almost immediately, the voice of Hunter was heard. "We are just outside the village, commander. Once you get the queen to safety, we will be right there with you."

"Copy that, sergeant." Alora's voice was now calm. She wasn't as anxious anymore in that moment. It was time to focus on her job.

She was beginning to feel more like her master every day. She was too determined to be scared.