Shattered Stars (TCW)

Chapter 25 -- A Strange Mission

The clone army is composed of millions of identical men, each with different personalities and skills. However, some are easier to pick out of a crowd. Jedi Knight Taska Rokanh and her companion Commander Lark will soon discover that some things must not follow protocol.

Taska was drawn out of her early morning meditation by a beep from her comlink. She frowned—her men knew better than to disturb her. She answered the call, allowing a small hologram to take shape on her bedside table.

"Master Shaak Ti!" She smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hello, little one," she said. "I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation hour."

"It's not a problem, master," Taska replied, shrugging it off. "What do you need?"

"I have an assignment for you," Shaak Ti said.

"Really? Usually if my commander's injured we're both off for at least a few rotations," Taska claimed. Ace had been admitted to the medbay nearest to them, on Agridorn, for burns and smoke inhalation following their most recent mission.

"I know, but this won't take very long, and you'll all have a few days off afterward. It's nothing more than a simple recon mission."

"Thank you for your consideration," Taska said. "But that still doesn't make sense. Aren't most recon missions executed with lone clone squadrons?"

"Yes," Master Ti sighed. "There are special circumstances here, though. I want to send you with Experimental Clone Force 99 to a Separatist base on Chaemia. They've had some... issues, of late, and they're on probation right now. They practically begged me to let them back in on the action, and so I put them with the most calm and responsible Jedi I could think of," she smiled.

Is she trying to butter me up? "What kind of issues have they been having?"

"Problems with following orders and protocol," her master informed her. "I'm sure you'll be fine. It really doesn't take much to keep them in line. Would it help if I let you take one of your own men with you?" She asked, seeing the displeased look on her former apprentice's face.

"I think that would be best," Taska replied. "I'm sure we'll complete the mission without incident."

"Thank you, little one," Shaak Ti smiled once more. "They'll be landing at your base in about two and a half hours. I have landing bay fifteen reserved for them."

"Good," Taska nodded, reaching to end the call. "Rokanh out."

She immediately dialed another frequency into her comm. "Lark?"

"Yes, General? What do you need? I was just about to visit Ace and Tiller down in the medbay," Lark responded.

"You can still do that, but please make it quick," she sighed. "Our rest and relaxation is going to be cut short. I need you to join me at landing bay 15 at 0830."

"Full gear, sir?"

"I think that would be for the best, Commander."

"Understood. Lark out."

* * *

Lark joined his general in front of landing bay 15 five minutes early, a pack with extra rations, a bedroll, and tent on his back.

"So, what is this mission, General?" He asked after offering a lazy salute.

"I got some more information while I was getting ready, apparently we're supposed to be retrieving some information from a Separatist base on Chaemia," she frowned. "They've been attacking cargo ships full of rhydonium and stealing it, but they haven't been doing anything with it."