Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.3.4

Appo saluted. "Understood, Commander."

She pressed a button on the control panel, and the map zoomed out until it showed up to fifty kilometers around the base. "During the day, the slaves work under guard at a mega-farm ten kilometer from the base, so if a revolt rises during work hours, backup can intercept the slaves before they can escape to the nearest village, forty kilometers away. Fox, you're leading one sniper squadron, on two gunships, down to destroy all droids on-site before they send out a distress signal. Your shots need to be swift and effective, and under no circumstances are you to injure any of the slaves."

Fox nodded, not speaking. There were a few things missing, but he knew the commander would explain in time.

"Jinx, you're going with them as their ace in the hole. The droids are not above using the slaves as meat shields, or as blackmail. If they show any sign of endangering the slaves, step in and use the Force, or your lightsaber, whichever is safer and quicker. Do not give the droids any time to react."

The Twi'lek nodded. "Short, simple, and to the point, just like with Master Gallia."

She nodded. "Exactly. You've done this before with her a few times, so this shouldn't be difficult. Once all of the guards are destroyed, use the extra gunship to transport all of the slaves back to the nearest village, here." She highlighted the location on the map. "I'll send the coordinates to the pilots. Make sure all of them are being taken care of before returning to the cruiser. Unless the other groups work faster than you, you should be the first squad to return. Any questions?"

"No sir," Fox answered, and Jinx shook his head. It was just target practice, after all. Piece of cake.

Ahsoka zoomed in the holomap until it was focused on a singular guard tower, one of the five surrounding the base. "The tower squad is going to be lead by Jesse. I want your squad loaded with heavy artillery, explosives, all of the big guns. Other than destroying the towers, your job is to create as much of a ruckus as possible."

"That won't be hard for him," Fox teased, and a round of chuckles went around the room.

She smirked but continued all the same. "I certainly hope not. Your squad will the first on the ground, and I need you to draw the fire away from the extraction team. That's why I want five men to carry shields as well. While the rest of the squad is setting the bombs, the shields need to cover their backs. Scarlet Haven has a defense system, and by Separatist standards, not a half-bad one either.

"Caleb, you're going to go with the tower squad. However, I don't want you focusing on the towers themselves. Line up the troopers with shields and let Jesse take care of the explosives. I assure you, he is more than capable."

"It certainly sounds like it," Caleb remarked, and Jesse gave him the stink eye before concentrating on Ahsoka again. "When the towers are down?"

She zoomed the map back out so he could see the whole base. "Do whatever you have to do to keep their defenses away from this exit. Draw out as many droids as humanly possible. Caleb, if that means you have to pull them within firing range, do it. However, leave the base intact. We don't want to risk injuring any of the Jedi inside. When the extraction team is clear of the site, I'll signal you to return to the gunships and get back up to the cruiser. I want you third in line to touch back down in the hangar."

"So our job is to give them hell," Jesse summarized. "No problem."

Caleb smirked. "I think I'm going to like this."

"Good," Ahsoka praised. "That's what I like to hear.

"The reason we need you to draw attention is that Captain Rex is leading a team of fourteen other troopers into the base to extract the Jedi. Take two gunships, because they will be coming back with twelve injured and most likely unconscious generals who will not be able to walk. Using the same exit Commander Dume and Jesse are going to avoid drawing attention to," she highlighted said exit, "you will take the stairs down the hall and to the right, down to the cells. If the tower group is obnoxious enough, the droids won't have time to focus on the Jedi. I'll go with them since I know the layout of the base the best." She looked back at Rex for approval, and he nodded at her, excited to get on the battlefield with her again.

Ahsoka cleared the highlights on the map, starting fresh. "We will be second back on the cruiser. When we clear the base, I'll signal Hawk and his fighter squadron to start their descent out of orbit," she explained, as holographic fighters materialized in front of her. "When Caleb signals O-Mer, who will be covering them, you are clear to blow that building to hell. Leave no piece of that slave house standing." She made eye contact with O-Mer. "You've done bombing runs with Master Plo, I'm sure. Hawk keeps his men brushed up on formations, patterns, and drills. I expect the two of you to make quick work of the place."

"I understand, Ahsoka," O-Mer affirmed, and Hawk had a gleam in his eyes that Ahsoka was grateful for. It wasn't every day you got permission to lay waste to a target.

"Kix, I need twelve stretchers in the hangar, ready to operate by the time we touch down. We don't know what kind of condition the Jedi will be in, and one of them happens to be the general of the 501st. Your entire medical team needs to be ready for them before they arrive. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," he responded, already rationing out how many supplies were going to be needed in every unit.

Ahsoka looked to Dogma. "When the fighter squadron confirms touchdown in the hangar, give the bridge the green light. We'll stop at the medical station 8 parsecs away, transfer the Jedi if we have to, and then jump to Coruscant. If this runs smoothly, we'll have the Jedi Council and the Chosen One back to the Temple by noon. Questions?"

There were none. Commander Tano had omitted no detail, spared no soldier standing in the room. Everyone had a job to do, and everyone knew how to do it. No excused now.

She summarized the bulk of the debrief, just to reiterate it. "Free the slaves, knock down the towers, extract the Jedi, destroy the base. In and out, thirty minutes tops. You know your stations, you know your groups. 4 parsecs until we drop out. May the Force be with us."

Everyone left the room swiftly, except for Dogma, each to fulfill their duties. Kix made contact with his medical team and started preparing the operating room for twelve patients. Appo rounded up a squadron and let them know the essentials of the mission. Fox led O-Mer to meet his squadron and to discuss the best positions for the men to take upon reaching the surface. Jesse and Caleb hit off instantly, noting some of the weaponry to take down. Hawk and Jinx went to the fighter hangar to get him acquainted with a 501st starfighter.

Ahsoka and Rex walked side by side until they reached the hallway leading to the gunship hangars. "I'm going to assign pilots to the teams," she told him, pausing at the intersection. "Choose fourteen to come with us, and I'll meet you with 1 parsec to go."

"Nice work, Commander," he praised her, stopping her in her tracks. "I got a feeling this will go a lot better than your first mission."

She snorted, painfully remembering the failure that still haunted her some nights. "I hope so," she replied honestly. "For everyone's sake."