CAPTAIN REX

After a short walk, Rex and Cody reached the bridge. Saluting to Admiral Tarkin, they took off their helmets and stopped in front of him. Tarkin watched them for a long moment. His unsettling gaze was almost as if it went right through them.

“Captain Rex, Commander Cody, the probes have found evidence of a settlement on the planet’s surface. In case the occupants are cell of Jedi in hiding, as Lord Vader believes, your legions are being dispatched to investigate. On that note, I have an interesting bit of news that I would like to share with you,” Tarkin said.

But it sounded like he was only implying that he would ‘like to’ because it was bad news. But bad for them, and not for him. Rex knew that as a lower-ranking military officer, he had no right to have such an opinion, but he got the feeling that Tarkin deeply hated Vader, and therefore him and Cody.

“I have received a transmission from the Emperor himself on behalf of the mission,” he continued.

“The–the Emperor?” Cody’s eyes were wide in surprise. “But what could Emperor Palpatine want with such a simple mission?”

“It is not your place to know the motives of the Emperor. But I will have you know that the construction of this outpost is of the utmost importance. The Hutts have accumulated too much power in the galaxy in recent years. It is now vital that Tatooine, where the crime leader Jabba the Hutt is located, is monitored.

“Emperor Palpatine is aware that Vader sent you, and that gives you some credibility in his eyes, but he wants other officers to be given the task. I have you stationed as backup along with the Torrent and Ghost Companies on the Terminator, which will stay on a close orbit to the planet.”

Although every fiber in his body wanted to protest, to disobey, Rex knew that he couldn’t. “Yes sir.”

“Good. Now report to your stations. And you are to leave only, and I repeat only, if the troops on Cialone call for assistance. Am I understood?”

Cody stepped forward. “Sir yes sir,” he said in an unenthusiastic tone.

“Dismissed.” Tarkin walked away to stare out the viewport.

As Tarkin turned away, Rex shot Cody a small smile. Even though his friend didn’t know what he had planned, Rex comforted himself with the thought that although he couldn’t disobey now, he definitely could later.

LUX BONTERI

Following the gentle instruction of the Force, Lux began to slow his descent inside the pipe. Sure enough, a moment later, a hatch appeared to the left. Judging by the scrabbling above him, the others were stopping too.

“All right people, you’re going to hear alarms blaring when the hatch is opened,” he called. “There are laser beams going straight across the opening, and it’s going to hit one of them. So you were warned.”

He hit the button, and the door opened. A shrill alarm sounded, and Lux looked back at Ahsoka. She had her hands over the part of her lekku at eye-level, as if she were trying to block out the sound. He knew that her Togruta sensitivity led to her hatred of high-pitched noises, and he felt badly about it. But it would all be over in a moment.

He climbed through the hatch and darted across the room, entering the password with practiced speed. The alarms shut off, and Lux saw Ahsoka breathe a sigh of relief. “Sorry about that.” Lux ran a hand through his hair. “I bribed Semm with two weeks of my desserts to install extra security in here. And even if it is a little annoying at times, it’s worth it.”

He flopped down into his favorite old rolling chair with its caffeinated tea stain on one armrest and fraying headrest. Then he entered a few more security codes, and pulled up the information that Ahsoka needed for her plan to work. Then he reached into a drawer and pulled out four ration bars. He handed one to each of them.

“You people really don’t notice when you’re missing a meal, do you?” he said, and they proceeded to eat them faster then he thought was humanely possible.

“I guess it’s a reflex we Jedi developed over the course of the war,” Anakin said, his mouth full.

Suddenly a red light on his desk began to flash. It was actually a button, and he slammed it down. “Computer, what sort of anomaly are you picking up?”

The familiar expressionless female voice of his Computer came on. “Life forms approaching from the east. My systems do not recognize them. A live video feed is suggested to determine its species and other information you may require.”

Lux’s fingers flew over the controls. In a minute a video connection with one of the satellite cameras they had orbiting the planet had been established. On a touch-sensitive screen, he zoomed in on a shot of many, many white figures marching from the direction Computer had specified.

“Kesunihé!” Lux heard Ahsoka mutter under her breath. From what he knew, that was not a pretty word in Togruti, her native language.

Anakin went pale. “No! Oh Force no! Storm Troopers! And they’re headed right for us!”