Wars Amongst the Stars: Rebellion: Vol. 2

Chapter Fifteen

The Captain pats Keen on the shoulder, walking over to the mounted gun. Ezra sits in the seat, fake shooting invisible targets. He glances up nervously as the shadow of the Clone looms over him. "Uh, sorry. Um, I'm in your seat."

He leans over the boy's shoulder, pointing at the controls, "The traverse controls are over here on the left, and the elevation's on the right."

"Really?" he asks, genuinely excited, "So, um, what was it like to fight in the Clone War? "

"I don't think the fighting ever got to Lothal. I tell ya, war was never dull. The General I fought with was among the greatest of the Jedi."

Keen looks over, as she walks past on her way to talk to Kanan,  "And he was a complete loser."

The Clone side-eyes the Jedi, rolling his eyes, "I trusted him with my life more times than I can count. And I tried my best to keep that trust."

"All right," Sabine says, walking out of the Phantom. "With any luck, we can get outta here soon."

Keen had stopped to listen to the Mandalorian, turning around to look back at the boy, as he argues, "We can't just leave Rex, Wolffe and Gregor here."

"Well," the Captain shrugs, "the Empire is here because of us. We'll deal with the consequences."

"Wait," the Lasat growls, "Listen. You hear that?"

The group quiet, listening as a thudding noise resounds across the barren planet. Wolffe squints in the direction of the thudding "Enemy contact .24," he nods.

Keen grabs a set of macrobinoculars from her bag, looking in the direction Wolffe indicated. The Jedi lets out a low whistle, as the binoculars focus.

"How many legs they got?"

"Looks like four," Gregor replies.

"Four? Well, how are they not falling over?"

Ar'iabel lowers her binoculars, passing them to the Clone, while commenting, "Why don't you look at the size of 'em and tell me?"

He grabs the macrobinoculars, holding them to his eyes, "Huh. Reinforced armor plating, heavy cannons and antipersonnel blasters." Rex hands the binoculars back to the Jedi, his right hand running over his beard, with a "Hmmm."

"I'm glad you guys are so excited," Ezra calls down from the higher platform, "but those giant death machines are on their way to blow us to bits!"

Rex turns, pointing at Wolffe a platform below him, "Set vector two-niner-zero."

The Clone Commander salutes, climbing back inside the control booth.

"Wait, you're just gonna turn and run? Just like that?" Kanan demands.

"Well, if you've got a better idea, Sir, now's the time," Rex says, climbing into the mounted gun.

"I thought you clones loved to fight," he grumbles, crossing his arms.

"I do love a battle, but on my terms." He turns his head, shouting down to the room below, "Gregor, drop the joopa. We gotta get moving." Big Bongo falls from its place where it was tied, crumpling to the ground in a loud thud. Rex turns his head, barking an order to Wolffe in the control booth.

"Copy that." The AT-TE turns completely around, headed away from the Imperial Walker, and toward the oncoming sandstorm.

Keen's smiles, the Imperials shooting from behind. "What's that face?" Ezra asks.

Ar'iabel chuckles, "Anakin would hate this."

Rex glances at her from where he's returning fire, "You're right about that, General."

Sabine steps out of the Phantom, wiping a gloved hand over her forehead, wrench in her hand, "Kanan. I'm not sure how far we'll get, but I think she'll fly."

"Good enough for me," he pulls his comm from his belt, "Zeb, we're going now."

"Too late," the Clone Captain informs him, "The Walkers are already on top of us."

"He's right, Kanan. They'll shoot us down," Keen tells him, gesturing to the Walkers quickly approaching.

"How will going into that storm be any better?"

"Well," Sabine starts, "the storm will scramble the scanners. We'll all be blind."

"But a Jedi won't."

Kanan seems to consider the Clone's statement before sighing, "All right, everybody inside."

The rebels follow Kanan into the room, Rex standing from the gun. A bittersweet smile spreads across his face, "Sir, yes, Sir."

Keen is the last person to enter the tank, trailing directly behind Wolffe. She shuts the door firmly behind her, leaning against it.

"We're not gonna be able to hide in this storm forever," Ezra comments.

"Those things are practically impervious to blasters, but they have one weak point in their armor, the neck," the Mandalorian adds.

Gregor considers the statement for a few seconds, "One well-placed shot from the main gun should destroy it."

"That's all we might get, one shot."

"I don't know how we're supposed to shoot something we can't see. I don't even know where the enemy is," the Lasat grumbles.

"You don't always have to see something to know where it is. If you're willing to trust me, I can get us that shot," Kanan says.

"I always trust my general."

Kanan closes his eyes, and Keen can sense as the Force pools around him. She's distracted by her focus on him, and doesn't sense the cannon bolt from the Walker approaching the door. She doesn't know it's there until she's flung across the room. Her head whacks against the floor, falling unconscious almost immediately.