Clone Wars: Chronicles of the 607th

Geonosis

CT-7938 ducked as rock and fire rained down on his battalion.

"Blast these bugs!" ARC-9597 shouted as he crouched by 7938. "They don't want to die, do they?"

"Decidedly not," 7938 replied, peeking around the boulder that served as his shield. "Blast, they got us pinned bad."

9597 fired a few rounds from his blaster rifle and ducked as a volley of Geonosian fire flew back at him. "We've got to do something!"

"I know, I know, I'm thinking!" 7938 barked. Gritting his teeth, he leaned around the boulder again to get a better look at the enemy.

At least a dozen bugs were firing down at them from behind a towering rock formation. In order to get a clear shot at any of them, the soldiers would have to forsake their cover...and probably end up dead in a matter of seconds. 7938 leaned back and considered his slim options. There had to be a way out of this mess...

For the third time, he peered out around his boulder at the enemy, at the looming rock formation...and at the way the formation partially curved over the Geonosians...

"Oh, that's interesting," 7938 grinned as he leaned back.

"What?" 9597 demanded. "What do you see?"

"That rock formation arcs over the bugs," 7938 explained, raising his voice to be heard over the blaster fire. "We down that on top of them, we flush them out."

"We flush 'em out, we kill 'em," 9597 finished with a nod. "I like it."

"Everyone, fire on the arch!" 7938 bellowed, lining his sights on the rock formation.

As soon as he fired on it, the rest of his battalion did the same, and to 7938's immense satisfaction, the arch began to buckle and collapse, causing a dozen Geonosians to fly away from their cover. The clones quickly gunned them down.

7938 jumped to his feet. "Come on, men!" he shouted as he ran forward to lead the charge.

With a unanimous shout, his troops leapt over their rock barricades and followed after him, blasting all bugs in their path. 7938 winced as one Geonosian's shot zipped past his head. Funny, he hadn't realized that it was coming until it had passed him. As he gunned down the bug, he reckoned he should be thankful that it had had terrible accuracy. Moving onto the next bug, he shot it in the chest before it could shoot at 9597.

"Thanks, brother!" The ARC trooper said, blasting another bug in the head. "Now, duck."

Instantly, 7938 dove into a roll, and he heard 9597's shots fly over him, followed by a squeal from a Geonosian. Rolling back to his feet, he dashed forward and skidded to a halt behind a rock. As he leaned against his new shield, he glanced swiftly about to get his bearings back. Already, the boys has driven the bugs back and were in pursuit. Excellent. With any luck, the battalion should have the sector cleared in minutes.

9597 looked down at 7938 and chuckled. "Hey, whaddya know?" he laughed. "Looks like we actually did it!"

7938 extended a hand so 9597 could haul him up. "Let's not celebrate just yet."

"Yeah, yeah," 9597 muttered, grabbing the hand and jerking the clone captain to his feet. "Still, quick thinking with the arch."

"Thank you," 7938 said absently as he watched while the last visible Geonosian was shot down. "Looks like that's it."

"Excellent," 9597 replied cheerily. "On to the next sector then?"

7938 smirked behind his helmet, but the smile faded as a movement in the sky caught his attention.

Noticing his captain's gaze, 9597 turned around and flipped his rangefinder down. "Then again, maybe not."

"That's a ship, right?" 7938 asked, pulling down his own rangefinder.

"Gunship, one of ours," 9597 reported.

"Oh, I see that now," 7938 murmured, trying to get a view of the gunship's markings. "Reinforcements, you think?"

9597 snorted incredulously. "When in blazes have we ever been that lucky?"

Within three minutes, the gunship was above them, circling for a place to land. Finally, it landed when it found a spot, and 7938 found himself waiting for its doors to open.

When they did, he finally got his first look at a Jedi.
This one was young, maybe twenty years of age. He had a solid build, and his mud-colored robes clashed against his pale green skin. His twin head tails marked him as a Twi'lek, and the chain hanging off the right side of his head suggested his padawan status. As he stepped off the gunship, the Jedi dusted off his robes, and 7938 noticed the blood lightly splattered on the fabric.

"Sir, the sector is cleared," 7938 reported, raising his hand in salute.

The Jedi's eyes widened and for a split second he didn't speak. "Ah...very good soldier," he eventually managed. "What is your name?"

"My designation is CT-7938," the clone answered crisply.

Again, the Jedi hesitated. "Ah, no, your name," he clarified with a forced smile.

"CT-7938," 7938 repeated, slower this time. "No name."

The Jedi scratched his head behind his left lekku. "Okay, what's your rank?"

This time 7938 hesitated, raising a skeptical eyebrow behind his helmet. "Captain, sir," he replied, touching the prominent pauldron on his left shoulder.

"Ah," the Jedi said, his eyes moving to 9597 and his double-shoulder pauldron. He nodded to the ARC trooper. "That makes you a commander."

If 7938 knew 9597 any, a broad grin had to be on the face of the ARC trooper right now.

"Eh, no, sir," 9597 told the Jedi. "I'm just an ARC trooper; CT-7938 is in charge."

"Oh, I see," the Jedi said in a voice that stated that he did in fact not see. "Well, erm," he stammered, "I am Tofi Diaba, and I have orders to use this battalion to secure sector nine. You will come with me immediately."

"Yes, sir," 7938 acknowledged. "Get the men ready," he added to 9597.

"Sir, yes, sir!"

As 9597 trotted away barking orders, 7938 turned back to Jedi Diaba, who seemed a little less taut now that his orders were being followed. "Do you have transport for my troops?" 7938 asked him.

Diaba looked blankly at him. "Don't you have transport of your own?"

"No, sir, we were dropped here," 7938 informed him. "If we're going to get to sector nine any time soon, we'll need gunships."

Pulling himself up, Diaba jutted his chin out. "Obviously, Captain. I was just about to make the call."

7938 could have slumped his head into his hands. If this kid had ever led any sort of military force, he'd be surprised. However, he kept his composure and managed a polite, "Of course, sir."

"Now, come on," Diaba ordered. "Grab that other trooper and get aboard. We leave immediately."

7938 paused. "Sir, wouldn't it be more prudent to attack with the whole battalion—"

"Do not question my orders, Captain!" Diaba said, sounding more like an offended child than a military officer. "Now, carry them out! Please."

"Sir, yes, sir," 7938 replied, trying to keep his voice level. Turning away, he spotted the ARC trooper and keyed his wrist comm. He grit his teeth. "ARC-9597, report for immediate reassignment."