- CASTLES CRUMBLING (A.S.) -

- 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 -

if i was dying on my knees, you would be the one to rescue me

"THIS REALLY WASN'T a good idea!"

Regina ducked as another clump of debris flew through the air which was thick with smoke and dust; visibility was getting quite limited. The fighting had been going on for quite a while now and the droids' retreat had turned into something more of resistance against the Republic troops. 

"You didn't have a better idea," Anakin called back to Regina, blocking a blast that was sent in Regina's direction. She sent him a grateful look before turning her attention to her surroundings. The visibility really was bad; she couldn't even see ten feet in front of her though using the Force she knew some characteristics about her surroundings. Not that total reliance on the Force was always a good idea. Sometimes you had to use your eyes.

"There's a stone outcropping over there!" Regina pointed to the nearest clear spot about eight feet from them. Without responding, Anakin leapt toward it, taking Regina with him. Bounding into the small cavern, Regina and Anakin switched off their lightsabers and were immediately plunged into darkness. Between the residue from the battle and the interior of the cave, very little light was allowed to come into the cavern.

But despite the darkness, Regina knew that she and Anakin weren't alone.

"General?" asked a familiar voice. Regina turned her head in the direction of the speaker, using the Force to identify who the figure was.

"Clipper?"

"Yes, sir." 

Regina sensed others in the room, maybe twenty other clones.

"Who else is here?" she inquired. Her ARC trooper began listing names off—including Breaker—many of which Regina identified. She had to assume that the ones she didn't know—Fives, Tup, Jesse, and others—belonged to the 501st. In fact, she knew that this was the case because she felt relief fill Anakin as their names were brought up.

"We've got cover. What do we do now?" Anakin asked Regina quietly as soon as Clipper finished. She didn't let satisfaction fill her.

"If we don't get out of here, we'll die," Regina said to him. She heard the clones shift uncomfortably around her.

"Always the optimist."

Regina ignored Skywalker.

"We need to stay together. They'll pick us off if we split up. We need to regroup and find Blue, Rex, and the others."

"We can handle that, General," came Sham's voice. Regina grinned.

"You can always count on Sham, General," Breaker spoke up. Then came a sharp sound followed by a humph. "And me too, sir," Breaker added hoarsely. "No need to get aggressive, Sham. We're all brothers here. Except the generals, of course."

Regina smiled but ignored the banter.

"We'll head north, back to the last place we sent off Blue. Hopefully Rex will be with him by now." 

"What makes you think they'll be there?" Anakin questioned, though not rudely.

She looked at him, his silhouette showing in the faint light the tunnel entrance permitted.

"I just know."

"All due respect, General," came an unfamiliar clone voice. "But when you say that, it means we go with it."