BATTLE SCARS [✓]

× Chapter Forty-Two: Scout ×

"Master Kenobi!" Obi-Wan turned from Cody and Rex, seeing Mal run up to him. "Ah, Maleshei..good to see you."

"Mind if I join you guys?" Mal asked while looking from Obi-Wan to Rex and Cody. "Well..maybe it's not the best idea.."

"Because of Grevious?" Mal asked, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Precisely."

"I'll stick close. I promise. I just..need to get out the ship. It's been a rough couple of weeks and I need to get back in the field." Mal said politely, Obi-Wan looking to the clone officers before he turned back to Mal.

"Alright, Maleshei, if you're confident that you want to help us, then you can. But, be careful and stay close." Obi-Wan reminded, Mal nodded and she ran off to pack her bag. "Do you think she'll be alright, sir?" Rex asked.

"She'll be fine, Rex. I have faith in her."
-

"Any sign of Grevious?" Mal asked while looking from the open field to Obi-Wan who had just lowered the scopes from his eyes. "No. But we did find his ship. Have Captain Rex and a few other men scout ahead."

"Yes, Master." Mal acknowledged, jumping off the walker she stood on. As she landed on the ground, Rex came flying up to her on his speeder. "Rex! Hey!"

"What do you got, Mal? Any sign of Grevious?"

"Nothing yet, but Master Kenobi needs you and a few men to scout ahead and see what you can find." Mal informed, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "Alright. I'll see ya there."

"Will do, Rexter." Rex nodded one last time before taking off, a few other men following him when he got close to the group up front.
-

"The engine's still warm, sir. The ship must have been here no more than an hour." Cody informed Obi-Wan when he climbed off part of the ship's engine. "No sign of Grevious either. By now, he's probably scattered in another part of this planet. Ship's log says that an escape pod left the ship just before crashing." Mal explained, approaching them both with Waxer, Obi-Wan's Lieutenant.

"Meaning he could be anywhere?" Rex asked while also approaching them with Jesse, one of his men. "Not necessarily."

"What do you mean, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked, Mal looking towards the line of trees ahead. "See that smoke over there? And that huge hole in the treeline?" Mal pointed out, Obi-Wan nodding.

"What do you know that can do that? It could be Grevious." Mal suggested, looking back at Obi-Wan. "It's worth a look. Rex, take Jesse, Hardcase, and Kix and check it out."

"Yes, sir." Rex walked away, Mal staring as he did, hoping she could go with them. "Go ahead, Maleshei." Mal looked up with wide eyes, Obi-Wan giving a nod of approval and Mal nodded, racing over to the speeders.

"And remember.." Mal heard, freezing in her tracks as did Rex and the others. "If you spot Grevious, contact us immediately. Do not engage."

"You got it, Master." Mal acknowledged, hopping onto the speeder near her. Mal, Rex, and the other men took off, leaving Obi-Wan to smile proudly at them.

"Rex and Mal are smart." Cody commented, smiling slightly in the distance.

"Yes. Always thinking with their feet." Obi-Wan complimented, smiling from his Commander back towards the the treeline that the Padawan and the clones had disappeared through.
-

"Anything yet?!" Mal asked while riding up beside Rex. "Nothing yet! I got nothing on scanners!"

"Alright! Well, let's keep moving! We might pick something up!" Rex nodded, driving ahead, still trying to get something on the scanners. Little did they know that assassin droids were posted on a hill ahead and one had it's sniper trained on Rex, the shot meant to go for the head. But, fortunately, when the shot came, it had struck Rex in the chest, sending him flying off his speeder and to the ground.

"REX!" Mal looked with wide eyes as he lied unconscious on the ground. Mal looked back up, seeing the two assassin droids running off and glaring at them. "HARDCASE, STAY WITH KIX AND REX! JESSE, ON ME!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Mal and Jesse sped off, chasing after the droids who were about to make a break for it. "Take the one on the right! I got the one on the left!"

"On it!" Jesse took the droid on the right and Mal grabbed her lightsaber from off her belt, ignited it, and jumped off her speeder, cutting off the droid's head as she landed. "Should have never missed." She mumbled, stopping the moving speeder with the Force and watching as Jesse came racing back to her.

"You alright?" He asked, Mal nodding. "I'm fine. Let's hurry back."