Earthlings

30 (Part II)

There was only one way to deal with General Krell's treachery. Rex was aware of the chances of committing treason himself, but it was a greater treason to let him off.

The first thing he did after mustering the surviving men was release Fives, Jesse, and Sniper, then arm them. Commander Delvin took a detour to her airbase, presumably to release Veria. Kal stayed with the exterior forces in case Krell resisted arrest. Which Rex was prepared for.

The tower's doors slid open to reveal the General standing at the window, 2 arms crossed behind his back per usual. Rex's platoon surrounded Krell as he declared, "General Krell- you're being relieved of duty."

Krell slowly turned around to face him. "It's treason, then."

Rex pulled out his blasters. "Surrender, General."

"You're committing mutiny, Captain," Krell remarked, stepping forward.

"Explain your actions," Rex growled.

"My actions-?"

"For ordering your troops against one another!"

"Oh... that. I'm surprised you were able to figure it out, for a clone." His words would have stung in the past. But now they infuriated Rex. No Jedi would belittle their men without any remorse. Nor would they kill their own men.

"Surrender, General," Rex demanded as the clones closed in on him. "You're outnumbered."

In response Krell extended his arms to the side, creating a massive wave that slammed the clones back. He ignited 2 double bladed lightsabers as he snarled, "You dare to attack a JEDI?! "

Immediately the tower turned into a battleground as Krell effortlessly deflected lasers before leaping forward to slice a few men in half. Rex stepped back to avoid being next.

"I will not be undermined by creatures bred in some labratory!" Krell spat. He leapt towards the window, shattering it and sending the glass raining down towards Kal's forces.

"Get him!" Kal shouted. His men opened fire, but to no avail. Rex and his platoon left to reinforce them.

--

This, Rita decided, was the first and the last time she'd ever join forces with a Jedi. She was already having doubts about her decision in the first place; Leda was just... a handful.

"Any clues on Krell's location?" Leda asked.

"If I know that scumbag of a master, he'll have left a trail of some kind," Rita replied tartly. "After all, he has 2 double bladed lightsabers, and if those clones attempt to apprehend him somehow as you told me, do you think he wouldn't leave bodies in his tracks?"

"How do you know this? You became a knight when I was 8."

"One day we were on a mission," Rita explained through her teeth. "It was a highly dangerous mission to a war torn planet. Fighting was commonplace between the people of the North and South, and against orders to take no sides, Krell sided with the North. It was a brutal battle, and the South won. But Krell massacred a platoon of South soldiers who'd come to take us as prisoners, leaving their bodies as a trail. When we got captured anyway he weaseled his way out of the prison camps by selling me off to the warden to use however he pleased. I was only 16." She never had to do any work, except to see to the warden's every needs... including things she didn't want to talk about.

"That's terrible," Leda remarked.

"Indeed," Rita replied. "I escaped and went back to Coruscant to find that he'd told the Council I was dead. Honestly, I would have been better off dead, but I survived due to my anger."