Warrior

2

Sal knew that the Citadel had cliffs. She trained in cliffside climbing for a few months with a group of fellow younglings when she was 9. But has she ever climbed without a rope on a cliff right above a pool of lava?

Nope. Never.

"So I can't use my jetpack?" Sal asked Anakin, who was studying the cliff.

"A jetpack would easily signal the guards of our presence. That, in return, will tell the fleet that we are here," Anakin replied while giving Fives a backpack of droid poppers.

"The fleet!?" Sal exclaimed in surprise.

"The reason we had to go into carbonite," Anakin laughed. "They would have detected us."

Anakin gave Sal and empty bag, which she filled with her jetpack, lightsaber, and some blasters. She replaced her normal fingerless gloves with fingered climbing gloves, the GAR issued pair that clones used for climbing. They were a bit too big, but Sal just used a rope to help tighten it.

"Everyone ready?" Obi-Wan asked the group. "We have to keep moving."

"UP WE GO!" Fives yelled before being shut up by both Rex and Cody's glares. "Oops, sorry."

The Generals started climbing first, slowly putting their hands and feet in small grooves on the cliffside. The clones and padawans followed soon after, a tad slower than their superiors.

"Echo," Fives yelled to his brother. "Don't fall."

"Fives why would I fall? And why not?" Echo replied while whirling his head around to look at his fellow arc trooper.

"Because the caves would echo in your memory," Fives chuckled. Echo sighed and continued climbing. Sal watched Echo climb to Ahsoka's position, which was slightly higher than Sal's current spot.

"Hello," Fives said from beside Sal. "I'm Fives."

"Hi, Fives. My name is Sal," Sal replied while continuing her trek.

"Want to hear a joke?" Fives asked.

"Not if it is as cringey as the last, no."

"Why was the bantha flying?"

"I don't know."

"Because it was using the force!" Fives laughed.

"That wasn't a joke, Fives. Plus, I do not think Banthas can use the force," Sal stoically replied.

"They can't? So Rex was wrong. I am more force sensitive than a bantha!"

Fives began making random lightsaber sounds while climbing up. Sal rolled her eyes and knew that some bantha had to be more force sensitive than him.

"I SAID A BRICK, FIVES! NOT A BANTHA, A BRICK!" Rex whisper shouted over to his younger brother.

"Oh. I swear he said Bantha. I have never met one," Fives replied. "General Skywalker says that they are just like us. Slaves to our masters."

"That's dark," Sal replied. "I swear he doesn't tell Ahsoka those kinda things. Ahsoka would complain to me about that."

"Apparently di'kuts like that one seem to be more mature than the Commander," Rex replied while glaring at Fives.

"I am more mature!" Fives protested.

"You are not," Ahsoka laughed from above them. Cody and Echo were with her, probably talking about some kind of new strategy. Rex climbed up to join them shortly after.

"Agreed," everyone besides Fives and Ahsoka replied in unison after Ahsoka finished. Fives frowned and they all continued on.

The cliff was huge. Sal felt her arms and legs aching, some of her muscles shaking due to her newly found fear of free climbing.

I told you this was a bad idea, Sal. Maybe listen to me for once? I don't want to die.

Sal ignored the Father and kept him in his corner.

Obi-Wan made it to the top first, kicking off a few droids, making Cody proud until one of the droids hit one of the shinies in the face. The shiny lost his grip and fell, screaming as he was shocked and thrown into the lava.

"That sounds painful. I can't imagine being burnt to the crisp in lava," Anakin replied with a shudder.

"Don't worry, Master, as long as you keep your grip you will be fine," Ahsoka replied while making her way to the top.

"Um, guys?" Anakin asked.

"What, sir?" Rex replied first.

"Remember the shocking thing that shocked that shiny?"

"What about it?" Obi-Wan asked while hoisting Ahsoka up.

"It alerted the Citadel of our presence. The Seppies know we are here and our position."

...

"Let's get moving!" Kenobi yelled while slashing through some droids as they came in. Everyone was off the cliff, but they were all now surrounded by droids due to the alert sent by the shiny's fall.

"We must get them! They have the code!" Skywalker told the men as a goal to survive this mission. Echo threw a droid popper and the droids started to fall.

"Good work, Echo," Skywalker nodded while looking at his comm, pulling up a map. "We have to go down these halls to this cell block. We must be quiet. We don't want to be the next toys here."

"Sir yes sir," the clones replied while refilling their blasters with new ammo.

"And let's go fast, the droids may return soon," Obi-Wan added.

The group snuck through the halls, some of the cell doors cracked, showing a prisoner being tortured by a prison droid.

"Um, sirs?" a shiny asked.

"What is it, Longshot?" Obi-Wan asked. Sal mentally cursed at herself for not remembering the trooper's name.

"There's an electric wall coming for us!" Longshot yelled while beginning to run. The party ran and hid in the crevice of a group of doorways.

"LONGSHOT!" Cody screamed when the shiny who saved them was shocked by the electricity.

"We have to keep moving," Kenobi replied while patting Cody's back as a reassurance. There was no time for mourning now, it would have to wait until after the mission.

"Let's go, boys!" Rex yelling while motioning forward with his blasters.

"Sir yes sir," the shinies grumbled.

Sal looked back at Longshot's body. A vod that she forgot about. One who sacrificed himself for them. A sacrifice that she wishes will never happen again. Of course, a war doesn't give. A war takes until nothing is left. Sal turned back around and ran to catch up to her group. They had people to rescue.