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Chapter Twenty Nine: Alterations

Satahl listened to the way the men were outraged at the plan. She sighed, stepping up next to Rex. "Listen, men. I don't like it either, but I have your backs even if Master Krell doesn't. My men and I will lead the way with Captain Rex, and we'll take the airbase as a single force."

Though some seemed concerned at how young she was, most seemed comforted at the idea of having a Jedi with them, no matter the age.

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Satahl noticed how Krell's aggression influenced her men. His heavy force presence made them all irritable, despite her attempts to use her own presence to keep them cool-headed. It was worse now that she was irritated, Krell once again hiding back while she, the 501st, and her own men went through the gorge single squads at a time.

She let out a little grunt of frustration as she tripped. Even she was exhausted, since she had actually been fighting on the front lines. She hadn't dared speak up against Krell's plan, a nasty bruise still bright on her cheek against her pale skin from earlier. She could've sworn that her two squadrons were going to fill General Krell with plasma when he had hit her.

Dogma and Tup pulled her to her feet. She gave them as soft a smile as she could manage, however much pain radiated from the bruise on her face.

"Sir—"
"No, Tup. Stop asking."

Tup sighed, and she could hear the worry in his voice.

"Sir, you need a break. If you'd just let one of us carry you for a bit—"
"I said, no, Tup. I know you guys are worried, but Master Sunna entrusted this mission to me and I need to do it right. It's my first solo mission."

The next sigh was Fives.
"Sir, we get it. But you need rest. Can't complete a mission if you're dead weight."

"I'll rest when I'm dead." She grumbled, knowing that Fives was right. Hell, Guilttrip might even sedate her eventually. Satahl can't pull on the Force forever, she knew that, but she felt some kind of morbid determination to keep going and finish the mission.

"Sir! Look out!"

She was tackled to the ground by Echo, a tank round exploding right where she had been standing. She hadn't even caught the Force's warning, so distracted by her impending sedation.

"Scatter!" Rex bellowed, troopers running every which way as the caterpillar tanks sprung from every direction. Satahl saw Guilttrip about to get fired on as she scrambled to her feet. She hurried over, scooping up the medic and force jumping up into one of the trees.

"Commander! Hevy's still out in the open!"
She let out a small curse, jumping down onto the tank that Hevy was firing on. She jammed her lightsaber into the cockpit, or at least tried to. She hit a ray shield, cursing, she moved her cut and tossed in the thermal detonator, leaping off and hitting the deck as it exploded.

Satahl plucked her commlink off her belt. "Rex, thermal detonators work, but the cockpits are ray shielded! We need rocket launchers. I can't keep them all at bay though I'm..." she sighed as she continued, "I'm too exhausted."

It didn't take long for a plan to come around after they ran out of detonators, having used them to blow up a pair of tanks.

Then it only got worse. Spider tanks came out of the woodwork faster than Satahl could react, hiding with her men. She was sure that Krell would tell them not to fall back, despite the carnage around them. Hevy fired another shot from the rocket launcher, then looked over at Satahl. "Sir, we won't have rockets forever. And I don't think they're working."