Crossroads

Order 66

Note: Rayya will be around 20 years old when Order 66 occured. 

3 years ago...

Rayya's POV 

This is the LAST time I would ever do a favor for Master Windu. Every time he has asked me for a favor, it's been some arduous, difficult task that takes me longer than one would like to complete. It's no different this time around. 

When he asked me to take a squadron of Clones to help quell groups of Separatist supporters on Naboo, I really did not think it was going to be this hard. Then again, Master Windu would have told me to never assume anything, to only trust the Force and have a clear mind going in.  I wish I would have listened to Master Windu's theoretical advice in my head. 

When I arrived with a smal squadron of Clones, at first glance, there didn't seem to be much trouble occuring in the inner city. The dark shadow of the Separatists had spread throughout the galaxy in the past few years, to even the far corners of space. The Jedi Council has been receiving reports daily of violent encounters with Separtists, ranging from protests to full out blaster fights on the streets.  Even Naboo now was tainted by this darkness. Just a few days ago, we had received word that Naboo was crawling with Separtist supporters, including droids and supporters of the cause. Even though Count Dooko was recently deceased, the spread of this regime had not ceased. 

Of course, the moment I thought there doesn't seem to be anything occuring, was the exact moment something actually happened. We were pegged with gunfire from all directions, shoved back into an alley deep in the city. There didn't seem to be any civilians around-- they had lilely grown accustomed to hiding and sheltering in place since the Separatists had arrived and threatened their harmony. 

The blaster fire came from all directions, trapping us. I unsheathed my saber, the bright green Kyber crystal lighting it from within. I did my best to shield us from the gunfire, but there was so much.

"Commander, get on your com and radio to the Council." I shouted. 

The Commander of this small squadron of eight clones was Clone 1232, or as I liked to call him, Fox for short. I never really knew where the name came frm exactly, but I just started calling him Fox one day and it stuck. We had been on most of my missions together-- there haven't been many, of course, as I had only been given the title of Jedi Master a few months ago. I really should have faced the trials years ago, but there had been certain... issues. 

"Master Rayya, the com is dead. There's no signal." He called. 

This was likely an ambush. 

If the coms were dead, then that likely meant that Naboo's communication with any other world had been knocked out. They had no ability to contact anyone for help. The Council had been contatcted by the Separatists posing as terrified civilians, begging for the Jedi's help. To lure us here into a trap.

And I had fallen right into it. 

"Dank farrick." I muttered under my breath. "Alright, Fox-- do you have any of those smoke bombs from the last mission on Correllia?" A plan formed in my head slowly.

"I have one left, Master Rayya." One would do, if I used it correctly.

"Throw it and stay close by me, got it?" I called.

Fox nodded and tossed the bomb out of the alley. It landed right oustide the mouth of the small passageway-- perfect. Within moments, a dense, deep smoke filled the alley and spilled into the city. The blaster fire slowed, the shooters clearly perturbed by the smoke. Or they couldn't see.