So Much For Shore Leave

CHAPTER ONE

My ears rang as another high-pitched blaster shot whirred past my head. I quickly rolled forward to avoid the electrical explosion from behind me when the blast made contact with the elevator control panel, sealing myself and the rest of Torrent Company in the tight hallway with the opposing battle droid squadron.

"Guess we're not taking that way back!" shouted Fives over the chorus of blaster shots down the hallway. He, Jessie, Kix and Rex were pinned down with their backs against the wall, the only thing protecting them were their barricade shields and my dual lightsaber blades deflecting more shots than I thought possible. The quarters were so tight for this type of combat, every deflection had to be precise and calculated as to not endanger the squad and inflict maximum damage on the droids. The situation was growing more hopeless by the second as the cluster of battle droids split to make way for two Droideka's speeding towards us.

"Alright," I said under my breath as the Droideka's stood up and pointed their blasters at us. "Brace yourselves!" I shouted at the men and let go of my dual-saber, using the force to let it encircle me, deflecting every blast from myself and my men. I exhaled and gathered up enough force energy to push every battle droid in the hallway back, knocking most of them over. I grabbed my lightsaber and charged the Droideka's, cutting them both in half before they could get off another shot.

"Let's push forward men, cover the General!" Rex exclaimed and waved the rest of Torrent Company on. We had quickly gained control of the hallway and continued to cut through the droids with myself and the clone Captain leading the charge. Rex and I were always able to fight in sync, his duel blasters and my dual-saber were practically unstoppable in an all-out battle. We pushed through another wave of battle droids and climbed a flight of stairs to the next level. Only two more floors and we will have reached our target.

Suddenly the entire building began to tremble and the floor quaked beneath my feet. "They're starting the prototype up again!" Jesse yelled from the rear of our group, clutching the rails of the stairway for support. I gritted my teeth and looked up towards our destination. A voice crackled over my Com-link.

"Everything under control up there, Shaara?" General Anakin Skywalker asked, blaster shots firing in between his words. Another, more powerful tremor shook the building and I grabbed onto the railing to hold myself up.

"Oh, you know, General..."I said, catching my breath and my balance "...it's about as under control as usual." I winced as a loud explosion came through over the link. "It sounds like you are faring well down there."

"Ahsoka and I are holding them off for now, just take care of the ones in your way and secure the device." I heard the General and Ahsoka's lightsabers cutting down droids, a loud crack of thunder pierced through the air, my hair started to stand up on my body. "And, Shaara....please hurry."

"Yes Anakin, we'll have the device in no time. Over and out!" I seemed so sure of myself, although the task at hand was becoming more difficult by the second. We had been deployed to Chandrila after a distress call was received from its Capital. The Separatists had infiltrated the city and had taken control of a prototype weather machine that was developed by Chandrilan scientists. The device was designed to increase crop and resource production during wartime, but once the Separatists heard of the invention of such a device, they sought to use it as a weapon of terror and control. And from the way things looked when we arrived, it was damn well effective.

The Chandrilan Capital was engulfed in a terrible lighting storm, with hail and ice pelting everything outside. Earthquake tremors were erupting throughout the city as our forces laid siege to the Separatist battalions. My squad was sent to the Capital building to regain control of the device and eliminate all opposing targets—a plan that sounded easier before we crash-landed on the planet's surface thanks to the electrical storm knocking out our equipment.