Bala Hunter

THE LIEUTENANT



THE BEGINNING
Bala was born on Concord Dawn in 25 BBY. Her biological parents,which remain unknown, had left her tucked in a blanket inside a crate.Two Mandolorians had been looking for a place to settle that day and happen to come across little Bala.They looked inside the crate and found a note saying, Her name is Bala.Please take care of our little girl. The baby had night black hair and was sound asleep.The two Mandolorians took her in and taught her the Mandolorian culture.Over the years, she began to grow.One day, she learned about the war with the Republic and Separtist.She thought it over, and decided to wor for the Republic as a mercenary.

She told her parents, and her father told her that she had to be trained first.For  three months, she trained,learned,and worked toward her goal.Finaly, she set off for Coruscant at the age twenty three. Coruscant

Coruscant

A night on Coruscant was a sight.Tall buildings rose high up in the sky with lights covering their metal walls and dazzled the ground far down below.The lights shined as thousands of land speeders drove past them.Below,  infinite concrete walk ways criss-crossed each other.Huge holo signs layed in random spots as they advertised diffrent pproducts.An assorment of various types of species looked like tiny insects from where Bala looked.She never dreamt of such colors and scenes on Concord.She could only imagine it when forests and lakes surrounded her.

Bala   had  her black hair tied up into a tight bun and wore her red and black Mandolorian armour as she drove in her land speader toward the Republic military office.Her helment sat beside her on the passenger seat with it's black T-shaped visor staring at her.Her blue, piercing eyes scanned the towering buildings as she drove past them.As the minutes soon turned into hours, she finaly caught sight of the military office.It was smaller then most of the skyrocketing towers,which Bala was thankful for since she feared trying to manuever around all those floors.She saw the landing pad and could see a gaping hole coming out of the other end to form an enormous hallway with pillars holding the walls up.Several Republic gaurds stood there casually in blue armour with thier rifles held low.

She tapped in the commands on the conslole and slowly started to land.She opened the side door,closed it,and strode over to the security.She came up to one of the them and said, I have a scheduled appointment with Mr.Gerval of the Republic recruiting office.

The guard she spoke to nodded and replied, Please show me your ID and we will escort you up to his office.   She looked down at her belt and flipped  open one of her patches that was secured onto her belt.She grabbed her ID and held it out to the guard.He took it and examined it. Right this way,Mrs.Hunter.  He and the other guard beside him guided her toward the office.A blue rug  was layed out to welcome them and stretched toward the other end of the huge halway.Red carpet covered the entire floor.They escorted her up three floors and and after ten minutes of endless walking they stopped in front of a door.One of the guards grabbed his ID and held it up to a scanner on the side of the door.It beamed green and slid opened,revealing an appartment sized room with a tall,wide window surveying the city's buildings.A couch layed to one side of the room with a glass table in front of it.A few paintings and portaits hung on the walls and papers that showed achievments.Two chairs and a long wooden desk laid in front of them and a man standing behind it with his back turned to them,gazing at the city's landscape. He turned around,showing his short cropped brown hair and tannish skin.His eyes were a stormy gray and had a small mustache hovering right above his upper lip.He wore a white uniform with no particular medals but an insignia and emblem on his sleeve and in front of his shirt.The two guards snapped to attention with thier backs as straight as a tree and thier rifles up in the air. 'At ease,' he told them. His voice sounded hard, but also a bit old.

Mr.Gerval, Bala nodded politelty.He nodded and told her, 'Take a seat.'  The two guards turned on thier heels and marched out of the room. Bala walked over and situated herself into the seat. 'So, Mrs.Hunter,' he began coldly, 'you wish to work as a mercenary for us?'

'Yes,sir.'

' Do you wish  to mainly serve to bring down the Separtisits or simply work only for the money?'

' Both.'

'How do you feel about Jedi commanding you?'

I feel  fine and  and that thier my surperiours who I trust will try to lead me and the battalion of troops to a successful victory,  she answered,feeling a litte uncomfortable to the question.

Would you feel fine if you were one of the few women who worked and fought for the Republic?

Yes,sir.

He paused,looking as if he ran out of questions.His hard grey eyes examined her face.Finaly he said, Theres paperwork that you are needed to fill in before I have you put into a company.

She nodded and he gave her a holo pad and stlus to write with.Inside,she  had let out a sigh of relief,for she was afraid she would be turned down the offer.After a few minutes,she handed the pad and stylus over to him and waited patiently as he started to type on his computer.He examined the holo pad and said, Alright, you have been assigned to the 257th battalion or,what it's commonly reffered to,Titan Company.You will meet with it's officers at  15:00.

Thank you,sir, she said.She smiled and got up to shake hands with him.They shook hands and Bala turned to leave.She was then escorted back down to the landing pad where she got back into her land speeder and drove off into  bright,shiny night of Coruscant.

THE ASSAULT ON GAFTIKAR-PART ONE
A few months after meeting up with the company's  leaders,  Republic generals told Titan Company that they were being sent to the planet Gafitkar,a Separtist world that is said to have a droid  base getting ready to attack the rest of the world.

Tittan Company then got onto the cruiser,the Warren.They all got into the cruiser and made thier way towards the Separtist plantet.

'Once i settled into the cruiser's barraks, a question that had first came to my mind when i first met the battalion's men came back to me again.I  went over to one of the troopers,Sergeant Stalks,and asked,'What do you plan on doing when the war is over?'

He looked at me for a moment with an arched eye brow.Right when i was starting to think it was a c'ruel question, esspecially for these men, he answered, I dont know.But even if it does,I will keep serving the Republic untill my age  starts to affect my service.-Entry from Bala's journal.'

Once the cruiser's admiral,Admiral Malick, annouced that they were going  to exit out of hyperspace in the next hour,Am then gathered up his men and had gotten a hologram of an aerial shot of the droid base they were being sent to.He discussed with his men the plan and started to divide groups and jobs.One platoon was to land at the southern side of the base and take out what ever targets there were siletnly.After that, they would take up  positions inside the forest.

Another platoon  was to land at the northern side of the base.They would charge up to the base's entrance,spread out  along the wall but still hide behind cover in the woods, and hold thier position there untill they signal the platoon positioned up at the hill to amush the droids from both sides of the wall.Once that has happenend,he platoon positioned at the southern side of the base would climb up the walls and go take out droids inside the base.

Bala was assigned to platoon bravo,the platoon that was going to to land at the southern side of the Separtist base.She nodded and asked wat the objective was (Am said he would tell it after he was done with the plan).He said the plan was to go infiltrate and destroy the droid base,but before doing so they would capture thier data.Am then dissmissed every one and ordered them all to prepare for the assault while he discussed the plan to the LAAT pilots.

Bala went to her loker and began pullling out ammo clips,grenades,bacta, and extra food provisions in case the fire fight is long and the men begin to get sick because of lack of food.As she started to finish up putting every thing in her pack,Admiral Malik annouced,Jumping out of hyperspace.

Bala quickend her speed getting things in her back pack.She then jumped up and sprinted for the hangar with her helmet at her side and her  bag on her back.Once she got to the hangar,she searched for the familiar faces of her assigned platoon.She finally saw one of troopers,Lier,and jogged over to them.She put her helmet on her head and waited for the other platoons to arrive.

About ten minutes  later,platoons Alpha and Delta finally arrived to the hangar.Am wished everyone good luck on his helmet speeker and climbed into the LAAT compartment.Everyone soon started to do the same  once the LAAT pilots told everyone they were ready to board.

Once everyone  and every thing was prepped and ready for take off,Admiral Malik's voice boomed through out the hangar. We are now in the planet's atmosphere.Gunship pilots,you are cleared for take off.Good luck Titan Company.



THE FIRE FIGHT
Bala suddenly felt a little jerk as the gunship lifted up as it made it's way out of the cruiser's hangar.The LAAT flew out of the hangar and the crew inside the compartment veiwed the land scape as they  flew over it.The land was covered in dense forests and patches of lakes.Other gunships were scattetered every where around them.Bala and the others inside the LAAT admired the veiw untill the blast of the familiar sound of cannon fire filled the air.Immediately,one of the gunships around them burst into flames and started to descend down to the surface.

As the gunship's  doors slid closed, the pilot's voice broke out inside the compartment, ''Ugh,those droids caught sight of us from below.Good thing no fighters are out here.If things get too rough,I'll open the hatch and you all will have to parachute to the surface and make your way to the southern side of that base.

You all understand?

Acknowledged,pilot.We'll keep that in mind.



Bala and others around her began grabbing thier parachute packs and shouldering them on to thier backs as the sounds of cannon fire blasted outside.She  looked around herself and noticed one  of the men looking down.Behind his helmet,a tiny droplet of water, that could have only been a tear, dropped and slid down his armour.She walked over to him and tapped him on the shouler.Hey,trooper.Clear your head.You got some thing on your chest?

He looked at her and nodded. My brothers were on that ship.One of them was Cord.He and I were in the same batch back on Kamino,and he had even saved my life on Geonosis.I had  swore I would repay him one day,but now I won't even be able to talk to him in the barracks.

Bala could only manage a nod.She couldn't bring her self to become sentimental in a time like this,otherwise she woud be endangering her life and those around her because of those thoughts.I know it's hard to let go when it comes to the death of those you care about,' Bala manged to say,but right now we gotta keep our minds to the task and win this war for the brothers who died fighting.''

Right, he replied.

She nodded and walked  back to her spot inside the cramped space in the LAAT compartment.The gunship shuddered as the cannon fire continued in the air.Landing zone in bound, annouced the pilot.'Get ready to jump, lads.

Roger that,

Everyone started to put thier parachute packs up and began getting thier weapons and supplies out.The click of weapons being checked went through out the gunship.Bala had gotten her pack back out that was  filled with extra ammo clips and medical supplies.She picked up her twin blasters from thier shealthes and checked them.Suddenly, a red light beamed inside the LAAT;the signal that the gunship was landing.

Everyone began getting on either side of the comparment and readied their weapons.It was so quiet,that  all every one could hear was each other's breathing and the sound of the gunship landing.The light inside the gunship changed green,and the gunship's hatches slid open,revealing the battlefield that awaited them.

* * *



Once the hatches slid opened,blaster fire was every where.They leaped out of the LAAT and dove for any source of cover.Bala raced towards a tree and crouched behind it.Blaster fire shot from every direction.Troopers laid sparwled out on the ground, motionless.Others were crouched down liker her and fired in the direction the blaster fire was coming from.She looked towards the direction of the base and saw nothing but other trees.A blster bolt shot out and missed her helmet only by a centimeter.She dodged and began firing with her twin blasters.

A large explosion sounded from some where  and banged through out their location.Bala looked and saw that an LAAT  had been hit  in the air.....And was going to crash land right on thier position

SPREAD OUT AND FIND COVER!Bala yelled though her helmet.

Everyone scattered and tried to get as far away from the crashing LAAT as possible.Bala sprinted for a tree and dove for cover.She looked and saw the LAAT hit the ground with a deafening  BOOM.The ground shook and pieces of the gun ship flew in all directions.

Bala got back up and sprinted farther down towards the droid base.A peice of the gun ship landed right behind her,causing  her to fall on the ground.Her ears were left ringing.She had gotten back up and ran for cover.Blaster fire still continously fired from every direction.She fired back from behind a tree.She went behind the tree and looked around herself.

The remains of the LAAT littered all around the forest,with sparks clinging to them.Patches of fire laid burning,making the trees look like torches in the afternoon light.She looked down on the ground and saw troopers laid sprawled on the ground,motionless.Others were skattered around the  woods,firing back at the droids.

Static suddenly cackled inside Bala's helmet.Am's voice began pouring through her com,sounding pained and hoarse.Bala,this Commander Amadeus.Half of Platoon Alpha's gunships were taken out during the fight up there.Our troops are being pinned down at the moment.Respond.

Bala sighed with relief before replying to the the message.Troops.Alive.She said the words three times over in her head to reassure herself that this battle was not lost.

Bala here,commander.Our troops are pinned down as well by heavy blaster fire.We have extensive causualties.We are skattered every where.Im afraid its going to take us longer then we had hopeed for us to reach that wall.

Copy that.Tell every one to regroup and and charge to the walls,Am   said.

''Roger,

Bala was just about to comm everybody on her helmet when a BOOM  caused her to go air borne.She flew through the trees and hit with a hard THUD on the ground.Then, everything went dark.

THE SIEGE
When Bala woke up,she was on her back,looking up at the trees.Her shoulder was throbbing with pain.The sound of blaster fire went off along with the shouts of orders.Her vision was hazy for a moment,then began to clear.Her head felt as if some one had thrown her up against the wall several times.She shook it off and sat up.Her shoulder immediately electrified with pain.

She gritted her teeth and did her best to  ignore it.Her helmet was left sitting beside her.A trooper jogged over and crouched beside her.Take it easy,he said. The bacta is going to take a little bit to  heal that shoulder of yours.

Blaster fire continued to ring out in every direction.Her brain  and muscles screamed GET UP!GET UP AND FIGHT!

She controlled her nerves and asked,How long have I been out?

 ''About four hours.Sergeant Stalks managed to carry you to shelter before the tanks started to fire  on our position.We were able to take them out. At the moment we're pinned down by droids.Almost to the wall.

Bala only nodded when in her mind she picutred every one having to get to cover while she laid there doing nothing.The very thought made her want to crawl under a rock and cry in shame.Lazy chakkare,she scolded herself.

The Titan Company corps man jogged  back to the front in search of other injured that were in need of medical assistace.She sat there against a tree and was forced to listen to the sounds of combat that sounded from all around her.She looked down at her red Mandolorian armour.It was covered with dirt and grime and was scorched by blaster fire.She smiled. My first battle scars.

The throbbing of pain in her shoulder began to go down a little.Bala reached for her helmet and slid it over her head and grabbed her twin pistols.She got got up and sprinted for the the  front line.Trees were knocked over and patches of fire laid all around them.Blaster fire continouly banged through out the forest.It was exacly how Bala saw it before she  had gone unconscious.

Once she made it,she saw that the wall laid just one hundred meters from thier position.She looked up at the wall and saw turrents placed there,raining blaster fire down onto the forest floor.Then droids laid in front of her.All held thier ground and fired at Titan Company.She un shouldered her bg from her back,amazed that it was still there, and brought out a spare magazine and a couple of grenades.She loaded the magazine into her twin blasters and fired at the droids that laid in fornt of her.She grabbed a grenade and threw it.It hit and brought down one fourth of the droid wave,creating a crater between thier ranks.

At that point,the droids  were forced to fall back a few feet.Titan Company took the oppurtunity and charged towards the droids.Bala grabbed  another grenade and threw it as she charged with the others.The explosion created yet another crater and took out a chunck of thier force.Blaster fire came from the droid flanks and began to make them fall back and give up even more ground.Eventually,they were only meters away from the wall.One by one, the final wave to protect the Separtist base was elminated.

Bala commed Am and annouced,Commander,we have reached the wall.Repeat,we have reached the wall.Do you copy?

Static cakcled in reply for a few moments.Instead of Am replying it was Devis's voice that filled her helmet.'Commander  got hit hard by a grenade.He's getting worked on right now.We are about two hundred meters away from the other side of you.You'll have to scale the wall by your selves im afraid'.

Got it,

Everyone then prepared to scale the wall.One by one,all five cables connected to the wall.They then all then began climbing up the base.As Bala climbed,she realized that she was exhausted like those around her.She never felt so tired because of grief and physical pain in her life.She shook it off and pressed herself harder as she climbed the wall.

They then finnaly reached the top and then began setting up positions to cover those those that were making their way up behind them.The inside of the droid base was massive.Tanks and droids formed ranks.A control center was placed right below them.A tower  laid to one side of the base next to what must have been thier landing zone.Cannons formed up along the top of the walls.

About a spit second of rest was all Bala got before the army of droids spotted them and  started to fire at them.Blaster fire went through the air once again.Bala fired back with her twin pistols.Fortunately,because they were up on the wall, it was harder for the droids to hit them all acurately.Bala picked up one of the last grenades and threw it.The greaade exploded and took out half of the droids below.Titan Company then began to go down from the wall and into the base.

They all took up positions and fired at the droids.As Bala fired her twin pistols,she spotted the command center;it laid right beside the wave of droids.A plan began to form in her mind.She then spoke to every one on her helmet speeker.Troopers,cover me!

She jumped  up and bolted for the command center.

* * *

Bala never ran so fast in her life.

But to her,every thing was going in slow motion.The  droids fired at her,having thier blaster fire miss her helmet by only an inch from her helmet.She summoned every sappling of her strenghth to make herslef go faster.After what seemed like hours,Bala reached the command center.

She looked around at  all the consoles,looking for the Separtist data with her head down.She found it aand took the data chip and slipped it into one of her pockets.She got back up on her feet and fired her twin blasters back at the droids.The droids were then picked off one by one untill none were left standing.

Bala contacted Am and reported,Commander,Bala here.The Separtist base has been taken and all hostiles have been elminated and we are in possesion of the data.We will begin placing detonators shortly.Do you copy?

A moment passed,and Am replied with a pained voice.Roger that,Bala.We have taken out the droid force and are being picked up.We'll let the pilots know that you'll  need evac before that base is turned into rubble.

Copy that,commander.

Bala helped the troopers with placing the explosives on  the walls.A little while after putting them all in place, gunships began to come in veiw.Bala was so exhausted and relieved that she almost collapsed.She witnessed so much death and expierenced  so much combat that it left her mentally scared. Thats what I'll feel like after every battle.And thats what these men will always feel after every battle.The Republic knows this,and yet they barely get a day off.

Bala shook away her thoughts and quickened her pace towards the LAAT.She jumped up into it's compartment and grabbed hold of one of it's handle bars.The gunship lifted and began making it's way towards the cruiser.Once they were almost near the upper levels of the atmomsphere,a massive explosion banged loud enough for almost the entire planet to hear.

Every one looked towards the direction where it came from and saw a mushroom cloud where the droid base once stood.They all kept thier gaze fixed on the black smoke as it went up into the air untill they could no longer see it because of the clouds.It was silent in the gunship after they lost sight of the burning base.Although no one mentioned it,Bala knew why.Thousands of lives were sacrificed because of some thing that has now been reduced to nothing,but ash.

THE BATTLE OF RAXXU
A couple of weeks after Titan Company had been deployed to Gaftikar,the Replublic was sending them to a planet known as Raxxu.The planet wasn't known for alot of Separtist activity but was known for it's natives.They never took either side, but had favored the Confedarcy then the Republic.Now, it was said that they were buying droids for security in case the Republic comes,and even had already built a droid factory.

Titan Company had been ordered to wipe out their droid factory and capture  the Separtist general,General Mur'vall Alrick.Every one knew that the success in this task was very vital for the war effort.After the breifing of the assignment,Bala looked around at the faces of the troopers.Thier eyes ånd facial features said every thing about what they thought about this: Why can't this war just end?

Lines streaked across under each man's eye.Mouths almost formed frowns and exhuastion  made thier bodies slakening.She looked over at Am and saw that his face was etched with worry.His battalion had lost it's hope.

I know the battle of Gaftikar took it's toll on every one,Am began.but every day our brothers are sent across the galaxy to fight even bloodier battles.They sacrifice their lives for this wretched war when they are given the choice to run away from from thier service.Those brothers will never be forgotten.Lives are  spent and sacrifices are made every,single kriffing day.We must honor those men by returning victorious after every deployment.Am I understood?''

'SIR,YES SIR!' They all said in chorus.

Good.Now, lets discuss how we will win.

Am brought up a hologram of  an aerial shot of the droid factory they were going to attack.Unfortunately, there wasn't much vegetaion like Gaftikar.All there was was sand.In Bala's peripheral vision,she saw a few heads tilt down.It must have reminded them of Geonosis,she thought.

Am told them all that thier defenses were high  but scattered.Sadly, the Raxxu people most likely knew thier land and knew how to fight in desert like conditions,which made taking them out was going to be difficult.In the hologram,there seemed to be a ray shield at the factory's entrance.Beyond it,laid the inside of the factory.It's buildings towered high above the walls.Droid drop ships were laid in a corner beside fighters.Droids patroled around the base with tanks.

Am then said that alot of Titan Company's force was going to be concentrated where the shield was.Other platoons were going to have to be skattered around the factory so that they could occupy other security that could be near the entrance.Once they had destroyed the ray shield,the gun ships would evac the other platoons with the help of aerial bombers.The gun ships would then land troops inside the base.

Once the breifing was finnished,he dissmissed everyone  to thier barracks and summoned his platoon leaders to discuss where they were going to land during the assault.Bala walked over to her quarters with her helmet at her side.She began getting out of her Mandolorian armour and hung it in her  closet.She placed her helmet at her bed side and got into her sleep clothes.

She collapsed  on the bed and was so exhausted that she didn't even bother pulling the covers up  and immediately fell fast asleep.

Bala woke up to Admiral Malick's voice that boomed through out the cruiser.We are now over the planet.Titan Company report to the hangar  to be deployed to the surface.Gunships will begin making thier descent in ten minutes.'

Bala leaped out of bed and began getting her Mandolorian gear on.She got her helmet from her bed side and slipped it on to her head.She sprinted out of the room and bolted for the weapon locked room.She rushed inside and found her locker and grabbed every thing.She grabbed her belt and twin pistols,her pack,and stash of grenades.Once she was finnsished she bolted out and rushed  towards the hangar.

After she arrived,Am,Devis,Iron,and the other platoon leaders were already there.She jogged over to Am and said,Reporting  in,commander.

He nodded. You'll be with me and Lieutenant Iron at that ray shield.I'll  be needing you and a couple of EOD experts planting detonators along the wall near the ray shield.

Got it,

He  nodded back  and walked over to his platoon leaders.A few minutes passed and soon the rest of Titan Company was gathered around the hangar.Gunship pilots,prepare for take off',Admiral Malick announced.

Pilots then began to go over to thier gunships.Bala jogged over to one of her platoon gunships and waited for the pilot to open it's compartments' doors.A moment passed and the hatch slid opened.Bala and eight other troopers got in the LAAT compartment.They began putting thier stuff up and slid thier helmets off as they waited for the LAAT to leave the cruiser's hangar.Bala held her helmet by her side and examined the scars on her armour.She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked behind her.A clone with a red,slid back mohawk said,So, I heard you were there at the southern wall during that assault on Gaftikar.That true?

'Affirmative', Bala replied.

He shook his head.I was with Commander Am during the landing party.I looked and saw one of those shab gunships get blasted out of the sky and land on your platoon's position.After that,one our gunships crash landed right next to us.That's how I got this.

He turned and craned his neck where Bala could see a wicked scar curve from the back of his neck to the the edge of his cheek.Bala wasn't sure if she was more surprised to hear the trooper use Mandolorian curse words or see the scar he had recieved.

The blast from that crashing LAAT had caused every one to fall.When I fell,a piece of it had  scraped my cheek all the way around my neck.The wound was so deep that I had to be carried to the back where they were taking care of the other wounded.I blacked out and next thing I knew, I was in the med bay with sticthes.After hearing the number of losses, I'll never forgive my self.

Bala placed a hand on his shoulder. Undessi,ner vod. Calm, brother.

He nodded and smiled.Name's Kote. He held his hand out to shake.

Bala's parents taught her the Mandolorian language and remembered that word instantly.Kote was the Mandolorian word for glory.

She  shook his hand and said,Bala.

Pilots,your clear for take off, annouced Admiral Malick.''

The gunship's hatches slid closed and it lifted.The only source of light was the little yellow light from the beacon signaling  it was not time to land.Every one slipped thier helmets back on and gripped the handle  bars.The LAAT made it's way out of the hangar and toward the planet's surface.

VOICES IN THE SAND
After a few minutes of flying in  space,light finaly streamed throught the cracks of the gunship's hatches.Bala shoulders tensed as she waited to hear the sounds of cannon fire like she had  while in the gunship on Gaftikar.Instead,only the roar of the other gunships was the only thing they all heard.The gunship's hatches slid opened and Bala's shoulders relaxed.Before them spread nothing but hills of sand.The humidity and the view of the planet's surface made it look lifeless.How can any race survive here? Bala wondered.

After a few minutes of flying,the droid factory came into view.It's massive walls laid to the left and right.Raxxu people and droids looked like tiny insects that were scattered all around the factory.The hatches slid closed and a red light beamed red.Get ready lads, one of the troopers said in the gunship's compartment. Lets blast these arrutise sky high.

AYE, the others all said in chorus.

The sound of weapons being checked sounded through out the LAAT.Bala grabbed her pack and shouldered it on her back.She slid her twin pistols into thier holsters and grabbed her DC-15 blaster.Blaster fire suddenly boomed outside the gunship.The assault had begun.

Every one began getting on either side of the hatches  with their weapons ready.Every one could hear the purring of the LAAT landing.O'YA! Bala yelled out.

O'YA!  Every one replied.''Let's go. ''

A moment passed,and the hatches suddenly slid opened.In front of them laid a sand hill.Behind it, they could make out the walls of the droid factory.Blaster fire could be seen in every direction they looked.Wisps of sand hung in the air and clung to every one's armour like a blanket.The humidity made Bala sweat right whn she stepped out of the gunship and in front of the hot, blazing sun.

They leaped out and sprinted toward up the sand hill.Troopers had thier rifles and blasters out,ready to fire.Once they all made it to the top,they saw other platoons of troopers  in fromation,firing thier weapons at the the massive wave of droids.

The sound of thier metal marching almost sounded louder then the booming of combat.Miles away,laid the entrance to the factory.A humongus raid shield stood between them and the inside of the droid factory.Bala and the others looked below them for a few moments and began charging with thier weapons aimed and firing at the waves of droids.

Bala could only see the walls of the factory,sand,bodies of white armour either running or laying on the ground,and continous blaster fire.Since she didn't have a clear shot, she lowered her DC-15  and  grabbed a grenade from her belt.She primed it and threw it as far as she could at the waves of droids.It hit and a firey explosion could be seen from where they were running.Droids flew in all directions.The grenade created a crater and smoke curled from it.The droids continued marching and fireing their weapons.Once Bala's platoon had reached the front line that been created,another explosion went off, but  instead it was seen in  Titan Company's ranks.

Bala had no time to see it.All she saw was a burst of flame and half a second later she was up in the air.Her ears were still ringing once she hit solid ground.Part of her body was buried in sand.Trooper's bodeis were sprawled out all around her.She lifted herself up and could see that the front line had been broken.Troopers were standing in front of her,firing thier weapons.

A voice filled with static at first filled her helmet. Bala,this is Am.I see where you are at,but Iron and I are pinned down behind a hill.Get up and get moving to my position.

It took a moment for Bala to register those words.The fall she toook left her mind fuzzy.Copy that,commander.On my way.

After she responded,she heard a low groan right next to her.She looked and saw one of the troopers that had also been hit was trying to move.Blood seeped out from below his armour.Every muscle in her body told her that she needed to pick this man up and and run with him toward Am's position.She knew it was insticts,and her father always told her that you should always trust them,esspecially in combat.

The droids continued to advance toward her and the troopers around her.She got up and picked the groaning trooper and slung him on her shoulders.His weight nearly crushed her but she managed to push all her leg muscles to he limit.She looked around and saw Am and Iron at the hill they said they were located at.It far,but she told herself she would run as fast as she could. A wounded warrior on your shoulders isn't going to keep you from completing the task your given,she told herself.

She summoned all the speed in her body and sprinted towards the Am.Blaster fire shot at her feet and missed her by inches.She felt one hit her leg,but her mind and body was too focused that she barely noticed it.She immidiately knelt down and brought the trooper off her shoulders.The pain then started to creep up her leg but she ignored it.

Am and Iron were on thier stomachs on top of the hill,firing at the droids.The trooper groaned again as he was laid up again the sand hill.Blood continued to pour out of his armour.Bala  slund her pack of her shoulders and brought out a vial of bacta and slid the hemet off the trooper's head.Her heart sunk when she saw  the familar slid back,red colored mohawk.It was Kote.

A gash that was opened on his face presented his flesh.Blood dripped from his neck.He gasped for breath and his eyes kept fluttering.Bala didn't need a med bay droid or X-Rays to know that this trooper wasn't going to live much longer. Not....Going...To.....Make it, he sputtered out as if he was reading her thoughts.Blood began to drop from his mouth.Bala lowered her head and closed her eyes,and prayed.Nu kyr'adc, shi taab ecaaj'la.' Not gone,merely marching away.

It was a breif  little speech Mandolorian warriors spoke to fallen comrades.Bala's father told her all the Mandolorian warrior customs before going to Corosaunt.Kote smiled and his eyes closed.They stayed  that way forever.

Bala's hands clenched and suddenly she felt as if the sounds of combat weren't even present.This man could have lived on Mandolore and be a farmer.Instead,he was born in a glass tube filled with bacta and forced to fight with out even given a saying of what he wanted to do.And here was one of those troopers before her.Slumped up against a sand hill after being killed from an explosion  caused by the thing hat he was,literaly,MADE to fight.The very thought made Bala's temper rise.Curse the Republic and curse this wretched war.

Bala got up and brought her pack back on her shoulders.She looked and she never realized that Am and iron had been looking at her.'Thank you,ner vod,Am said.She nodded and brought her twin pistols out.She looked towards the sound of the blaster fire and saw that the broken front line managed to stop the waves od droids from advancing,but having a difficult job of holding their ground.

You needed me,sir?'  Bala asked.Am nodded.Your jet pack.I need you to go up and cause confusion in the droid's ranks.Throw a few grenades.Iron and I will cover you.Once you run out of fuel,get back over here and then the platoons should be able to charge up and gain some ground.Understood?'

Aye, she replied.

THE SAND STORM
Bala brought her wrist up to her face and pressed the commands on her keypad.Anger,exhaustion,and greif circulated all in her mind.It took  all her mental power to push it to he far reaches in her mind just so she could focus on her task.

The battle continued to rage on all around them.Troopers were firing at the droids and were buried in the sand.Grenades were thrown and hit each side.Craters were formed and bodies both white armour and metal flew up in the air.Once Bala finished putting the commands in,she squated and waited for the jet pack to shoot her up in the air.

Her father had taught her how to use  a  jet pack in battle.Bala had unhappy memories of herself going off and falling on to the hard ground and doing it over  and over again untill she finaly did it right.While the she recalled the lessons she learned and how to target accurately while in the air, She couldn't help but remember  the conversation she had with Kote who now was slumped up against the hill,eyes closed and looking as if he was peacefully sleeping in his clone trooper armour.

While still deep in her thoughts,the jet pack suddenly roared to life and made her soar in the air.She quickly got her mind focused and manuevered herself to where she wouldn't be awkwardly trying to balance herslelf in the hot,humid air.Once she was balanced,she aimed her twin pistols at the droids and fired.A couple were hit and went down.Eventually,the droids started to aim at her intsead of the troops in front of them.Thats right,you sha' buir.Try and get me.

Bala grabbed her grenade and threw it had a group of droids.The grenade exploded once it reached the ground and pieces of metal went in all directions.It created a large,empty space inside the droid's ranks.The platoons noticed this,and began throwing thier grenades and began charging.She doged blater bolts and continued to fire at the droids below her.Bala's heart raced with exitement and adrenaline.Am's plan was working.

Just when she began to think that might actually be able to finaly reach to the droid factory,the sound of sand and wind roared.Bala looked and saw that a sand storm was making its way towards them.Bala fired off a few more shots and made her way towards Am and Iron's location.She dropped and ran behand the hill where she found Am's left shoulter pad was marked by a blaster bolt.

Sir,are you alright? She asked.

''I'm fine. Just a scratch.

A sand storm is heading this way.I suggest you order  the men to preapre for it

On it. Am began calling platoon leaders inside his helmet.While he did,Bala cotinued firing at the waves of droids.As she did,it her hit her that she never noticed Iron.She looked and was shocked to see that he was laying on his back with his helmet off.His armour was coverd in scars and burt marks. 'Iron was hit by a grenade,' Am eplained when he saw that she was gaping at Iron. I was able to put bacta in him which stopped the pain and caused  him to slip unconcious.He should be fine.

She nodded and looked back at the in coming sand storm.It was only miles,collecting sand coming ever closer every second.Blaster fire continued to rage in the air as the droids and troopers pressed on.Bala continued firing her twin pistols,but kept an eye on the sand storm.Alright.The plan is  to charge during the sand storm.That way while the droids will have a difficult time trying to manuever themselves through the storm we will have a perfect opputunity to take them out, Am said,almost sounding relieved.

Roger, Bala replied.

The sand storm was now right on top of them.Bala could feel her heart pound even harder with fear.If Am is wrong,then the battle is lost.The sand storm had then reached them, and Titan Company battled thier way through the ripping winds of sand.

* * *



At first,nothing could be seen except the huge cloud of sand that surrounded every one.Then the bodies of metal marching suddenly appeared.Blue and red blaster bolts erupted into the air once more.No one from either side dared threw a grenade,for each side feared that they might hit one of thier own.

Bala was afraid that her Mandolorian armour might not be suited for sand conditions.Before they were inside the sand storm,she already had a difficulty of over coming the intense heat from the desert's awfull climate in her thick Mandolorian armour.

CHARGE! A platoon leader yelled.Bala could make out bodies of white armour quickly get in fromation as they battled the on coming droids.The droids were then only a few feet away from them,and at that moment all the troopers ran forward with thier rifles and blaster fireing and hitting the droids accurately.Bala's heart soared.Am was right;they aren't made to fight in a situation like this.

Bala ran with them and fired her twin pistols to her left and right.She ran up to a droid and unshealthed the knife that was hidden inside her gaunlets.She stabbed the droid and threw it to the side.Blue oil covered her knife and her helmet.She continued firing her twin pistols at the droids and continued to rampage them all.The sounds of the sand storm and blaster fire deafened them all and made it impossible to hear any thing on the comm.

Troopers to her left and right fired thier rifles and held thier ground.Suddenly,out of no where,a humanoid from emerged from the sand and knifed a trooper.Bala,too shocked,watched as four more emerged and did the same.More and more came out from under the sand and brought out thier custom made weapons and fired them at the troopers.They were all covered in ropes of white cloth.Perfect clothing for desert conditions.A trap.Those chackare wanted us to charge on them during the sand storm before we even landed.

Bala fired her twin pistols and threw a grenade at the Raxxu people.She barrled role toward one and knifed it in the gut with the hidden knife in her gauntlet.He yelled in pain and fell inot the ground,clutching his stomach.Bala aimed and shot him with her twin pistol.He twitched and immediately stopped moving.

She looked around and saw that the troopers pushed the Raxxu people back.The droids  couldn't be seen in the sand storm,for all Bala could see was flashes of red and blue blaster bolts.The sand continued to rip across her armour and threatend to knock her down on her side.Bala fired her twin psitols at the Raxxu people and charged toward them.Blaster fire kicked at her feet as she coninued to fire.The Raxxu people began to run but was knocked back on thier stomachs every time they tried.

It was when weapons began to cease firing when the and storm began to die down.Bala heart soared with hoope and joy.She grinned and turned back to Titan Company's ranks.O'YA!' She yelled at the top of her loungs.O'YA!'' They shouted back.They all ran forward towards the droid factoy and the remaining waves of droids.Once the sand storm cleared,only a few platoons of droids were left standing.Titan Compny fired thier weapons and threw countless grenades.The droids went down one by one and not a single trooper  yelled in pain.

They continued to fire untill there were no more droids.They all ran toward the droid factory's ray shield and stopped at its entrance.Bala looked at the massive doors and at the walls that lined up left to right.The troopers stood thier for a second,catching thier breath,and began froming a perimter in front of the ray shield.Am jogged up to Bala and said, Now's the time to use those charges.Unfortunately,we only have two remaining EOD experts left thanks to the sand storm.

Copy,I'll begin setting up the charges.

Once Am walked away,a question Bala had to know popped into her mind.Commander,what was the orginal number of the EOD experts?

He turned around and looked at her for a second.His T-shaped visor showed no emotion.No eyes,no mouth.Just a face that could never be read.'Too many to be lossed,' he answered.

THE CAPTURED FACTORY
Bala  began setting up the charges along the wall.A few minuets later, the two EOD experts came over  and started planting charges.Not a word was said as they planted he charges.The two experts had thier heads laid lowed when they walked.Bala didn't to ask.Am's answer to her previous question said it all.It was so quiet, they  could hear the officers and sergeants barking orders.

Once they were finished,they began wireing up to the charges and putting timers on them all.After that,Bala contacted Am to let  him know that they were set.The platoons jogged behind a hill that was about fifty  miles away from the ray shield. 'Everyone ready?' Bala asked Am. Affirmative,  he replied.Bala got out of the 'the clicker,' as they all called it,and pressed the button.A deafening exposion boomed far from them.The ray shield was  covered in fire for a few seconds.The walls around it began to crumble down.

Once the dust from the falling debris was cleared,the  inside of the droid factory laid open in front of them.Thety all sprinted down the hill and into the factory.Everyone began to set up positions and clear the inside of the factory. Clear! A trooper called out.They then began to walk around the factory.Only the remains of blasted droids were the ony thing they found,that  and bodies of the Raxxu people.

This isn't right, Am observed.Intel says that there is only one species on the planet.Some one inside thier ranks decided to turn against their own.

That or intel was wrong about only one species,  one of the troopers said, Corporal Core.The inside of the droid factory that contained the actual droids were all found destroyed.They then found the command post.Bala's mind was so focused that she never gave a thought ogf the past battle, as if it really never happened and she was only helping these troopers with securing the factory.

AGH!  A trooper yelled in pain. A blaster bolt had sounded from some where inside the command post.A trooper fell and a hole had been pierced into his armour,smoke curled from it and rose out of his suit.Blaster fire immidiately went out in all directions.Get down! A trooper said.A grenade went off and exploded.The  attackers ceased thier firing.Bala rose from her spot and looked around.

Five bounty hunters laid spawled out around the room.Smoke rose from thier bodies.Beyond them laid the  Separtist general,Mur'val Alrick.His hesad features were just the same as the one Bala saw in the hologram.His black hair was cropped up to where it was right above his ear,his body plump as a pig and a gray beard covering his mouth.A trooper went over to check his pulse. He's breathing, he announced.

Bala heaved a sigh and sat down behind a wall.Suddenly,seeds of pain that were planted inside her injured leg exploded,making Bala grit her teeth as she made an effort to not scream in agony.She wanted to,though. To scream in anger and cry privately for the all the men she knew were now buried in sand,now to be never remembered by those they to protect but only remembered by their brothers.But she didn't.Instead,the pain went locked up inside her with the anger and sorrow.

She looked up into the night sky.Its stars gleamed from above like fire flies.The form of an LAAT flew above them and started to land.A gun ship landed near them and its hatches slid opened.Bala got up and walked toward it with the others and got into its compartment.It lifted  with its hatches still opened.Everyone had thier heads hung low,for the day and been fought hard, and knew that the next could be worse,and every day they lived they would only see death.For comfort, they looked up into the stars and pondered thier thoughts while  the gunships soared in the night sky from the burning droid factory.

A NEW BEGINNING
ONE YEAR LATER AFTER THE BATTLE OF GEONOSIS

PLANET COROKE

Bala sat crouched behind  the remains of a rock.She fired her DC-15 rifle and looked for a place that was served as cover and was closer to the waves of droids.Titan Company troopers were struggling to hold thier position.Jedi General Arligan Zey stood deflecting blaster bolts between Am and  Devis.Others were on  both around the general and behind over,firing  hier weapons or throwing grenades.

Bala stayed crouched in her lieutenant clone trooper armour.Four months ago she had decided to join the the GAR's ranks and beame a trooper.Am,Iron,Devis, and a handul of others from Titan Company managed to covince them to let Bala in.Ever since then, she had been fighting battle after battle for the Republic.

The fire fight continued untill Y-wings appeared over h droids' ranks.Missles  rained down them and a an explosion engulfed wave after wave.The explosion boomed and created a mushroom cloud into the planet's higher atmosphere.

Yells of joy came from the troopers around her.Air support was one of the things all clones loved and prayed for during every deployment.To them it represents days of rest in the barracks where there isn't death but comfort,sleep,and food.Gun ships then began to land around them.Troopers picked up the wounded and carried them.Bala strode over next to Am,Iron,Devis,and General Zey toward  an LAAT.

The general's braids hung low.His robes were soaked with water and covered with dirt.His face was etched with age and his mouth was covered in a beard.They boarded the gunship and flew towards the Warren  in the planet's atmosphere.The hatches slid closed and they all stood in silence as the rain and thunder sounded from outside.

Commander Am, General Zey began.  I have seen you and your fellow officers in combat and I couldn't help but notice how good you all are as a team.

Thank you,sir, Am replied.

As you know,I am head of the Special Operations Briagade.After watching you all in combat, I would like to make an offer to you.I would like you and your fellow officers to join the brigade as commandos?

Silence engulfed  the insde of the LAAT.Every other trooper turned thier heads around to hear the conversation.Everyone waited for Am's reply, holding thier breaths in the dramatic suspence.Sir,with all due respect, even if I and my fellow officers accept the offer, there will be no one to lead the battalion.My men need me.

Actually,commander, if you leave, a clone commander from Kamino would be dispatched to the Warren and other clone officers.You four would be sent to Kamino to train as Republic Commandos for five months.You would then be deployed with numerous other battalions and other commando units.Now, if you refuse, I understand, but I would then have  to look into other battalions for others I would choose.

Am stood there.Bala knew it was going to be a while for him to think about it.Devis and Iron walked away from them and came over to Bala. 'You really think he will turn down the general?'' Iron whispered. ''I mean, it's obvious Zey is fond of us.'

Maybe, Devis said slowly. The comandos are hard, though.I heard a rumor that they get an averadge of three hours a sleep per month.

'Pffff,osik.Thats just the ammount  us regular GAR get during deployments.Other then different armour,weapons,operations, and training their no different from we are. We are all brothers, no matter what. '''Devis and Bala both nodded. All clones were born from the same gene,making them all brothers.Even if they some how got adopted by some one, they all remained  related.''

Am's voice finaly sounded in the tense LAAT. General, I accept your offer  go transfer to the Special Operations Brigade.My four officers and I will begin making preparations for leaving as soon as we get back to the cruiser.

THE FOLLOWING DAY

Bala slung her pack over her shoulders.Her belongings were all inside,including her Mandolorian armour.(not even the high Republic millitary officials could make her get rid of it.)She took one last look at the barracks before stepping out of it.This was where she slept with the men that she had watched both die and fight on the front lines and had fought with them.They were her brothers,even if she wasn't born in a glass tube and cloned from the same gene like they all were.It was based on the Mandolorian number one rule for families: family is more then blood line.

Bala walked away from the barracks and made her way towards the hangar where a Republic drop carrier was waiting.Once she made it to the hangar, she was surprised to find all  of Titan Company was assembled in parade formation.They all stood in ease position with thier hans behind thier backs, looking straight ahead.Once  Bala had made her way down, a trooper on the front row barked, 'Attention! Officer on deck!'

They all immidiately snapped to attention. At ease, she ordered.They all put thier hns back behind thier backs.Am,Devis,and Iron soon came walking with thier helmets at thier sides like she had.'They wated to give us a good good bye,' Devis explained. They want us to do the Vode An with them one last time before we took off.

Bala had  done the Vode An with Titan Company plenty of times before.It was a Mandolorian warrior tradition, and every clone that was bred on Kamino knew it,eve if thier training sergeants weren't Mandolorian.''Alright. Lets do this,''   Bala  said with a smile.They slid thier helmets back on and joined the others.As the others did the same,Bala went over to the second row of troopers and got ready for the Vode An.

Everyone placed a shoulder on the person to thier left.A trooper counted down before they all started.Once they did,everone marched in place and slammed thier fists  on the person to thier right.It went on continously, even if some one accidently hit the other person's face they kept doing it.The only time it did stop was when the chant was over.Untill then, they would never stop doing it.

Kote!

                      Kandosii sa kar'ta, Vode an

                     Corscanta ad'en mhi,Vode an

                    Bal kote,darasuum kote

Jorso'ran kano a tome

                    Sa kry'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an

Kandoii sa kar'ta,Vode an



                  Coruscanta a'den mhi,Vode an

Bal....

                Motir ca'tra nau tracinya

                  Gratt'ua cuun hett su  dralshy'a

                 Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o

                Sa Kyram nau tracyn kad,Vode an!

                

                  Glory!

Indomitable heart, brothers all.

We,the wrath of Coroscant,brothers all.

And glory,internal glory,

We shall  bear its weight together.

Forged like the saber in the fires of death,brothers all.

One indomitable heart,brothers all.

We,the wrath of Coroscant,brothers all.

And...

Those who stand before us light the sky in flame.

Our vegenance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorous soul shall kneel.

Those who stand before light the sky in flame.

Our vegenance burns brighter still.

Every last traitorus soul shall fall.

Forged like the saber of death,brothers all!

TRAINING- ARRIVAL
FIVE DAYS  LATER

Bala stepped out of the landing platform.Before her laid the pad of  Tipoca City. LIghts twinkled and rain slammmed down on the ground continously.Thunder striked on the wather and boomed around  her.She walked down and the others trailed behind her wwith thier helmets at thier sides.Three Kamioans  and a man in   gold Mandolorian armour stood waiting.

The man looked about to be in his fortys.He had no hair and had bags under his eyes.His cold,piercing blue eyes looked tired.Bala,Am,Devis,and Iron stopped in front of the four of them with Am in front and the others lined behind him. Welcome, said one of the Kamioans. 'I am chief scientist Ko Sai.This is scientists  Ori'al and Teron.And this is Sergeant Kal Skirata.He will be training you for the next five months.'

Bala stood at attention with her helmet at ther side like every one else, but she could feel the Mandolorian sergeant staring at her.He has good reason to,Bala thought.After all, you dont see a woman in clone armour every day.

Am nodded.     I am Commander Amadeus.This is Lieutenants Devis,Iron,and Bala.General Zey had ordered us to be transfered to the Special Operations Brigade as commandos.   ''We are aware,' replied Ko Sai  matter of factly. Come.We will show you to your barracks.

The Kamioan turned around and began walking toward the doors.All four of them followed.Sergeant Skirata stood for a second,still looking at Bala intently with a face made of stone.He then turned around with his helmet at his side and began walking with the Kamioans.One of the Cuv'yall Dar, Devis murmered. Yeah, said Iron. Fett himself chose them all to train  special forces.

'Rumor has it that Sergeant Skirata adopted the nulls.'

As Devis and Iron discussed,Bala looked around at all the bacta.There  were infant sized children to grown men in glass tubes filled with bacta.She looked below and saw clones running around on a course.Sad.These men  were made soldiers the moment they were born.



They continued walking around the commando facility.They soon reached the end of the tour and Sergeant Skirata walked them over to thier barracks.As they did,he began to talk to them about all the training they were going to recieve-covert,assassination,recon,etc.- things that people like Am would except battalions like Titan company to rely on during certain deployments.

  ''I must say, you four aren't the first to be transfered, but you are the first to have a female in your group.

Indeed we are,sir, Am replied.Bala, because you all will be training with a new batch, they're going to be eyeing you alot.They give you problems, let me know.Understood?''  Kal said to her with concern etched in his voice, sounding so much like a father.

But he isn't, any more at least.Poor man, I bet he was a father but Fett made him abandon his family.

'Yes,sir,'Bala replied.

Kal nodded and walked away, singing softly what sounded like Mandolorian  chant. Alright, lets make some friends with our vode, Am said.'Lets try out the mess hall first.'

They walked together in silence in clone issued off duty dress uniform toward the mess for lunch.They walked through the doors and saw rows of tables with countless clones sitting at them.A few heads popped up to see who it was coming through the door and the rest kept eating.They walked over to the counter where a human male was serving what looked to be meat poured over with gravy.His face was marked with age.His blue eyes were lowered and looked tired.His pale,dry skin had lines of wrinkes.He wore a blue suit and had two gloves on both hands.

All four of them stood in front of the counter with thier trays lowered.The old man scooped out meat and plopped it on to thier trays.Once Bala was served, she went over to an abandoned table- that way some one would most likely sit with her then sitting with her squad.She layed her tray on the table,sat, and  surveyed the mess hall for the faces of her own squad.Like her, they were all also sitting by them selves at a table.As she ate, she recalled the previous deployments she had went on with Titan Company as a regular lieutenant.It didn't matter when or where she was at, she always had flash backs of things that is to be forgotten and not remembered.

It's never like those memories where they make you want to laugh.These memories only left her filled with sorrow and anger.She would have to fight back tears when the  memory of seeing one of her fellow troopers die right in front of her.Then she would have to fight back yells of rage from remmembering the anger and hatred she felt when ever she saw the enemy, or when she made a tactical error and got countless men killed for her actions.

All the memories were cleared when a clone slid in to sit in front of Bala.She looked up in awareness of his presence.His hair was cropped, Fett style, and had side burns sliding down of the sides of his cheeks. Hi there, he greeted her, I'm Ge'tal.I couldn't help but notice that your  a bit.....Different.'

Red, Bala thought.She chuckled. Yeah,I'm different, Ge'tal.I'm Bala.I got transfered from the GAR with my boss and my fellow officers.   Some thing tells me you weren't born in a glass tube and kept a secret because of your gender,'' Ge'tal said smartly. I started out as a mercenary, she admitted,'then I got close to my vode and deicded to join into thier ranks.'''

He studied her for a moment.He nodded and they both continued eating.After finishing her meal, she got up  and thanked Ge'tal for the talk.Bala dumped her tray and waited outside the mess for Am,Iron,and Devis.A minute or so pass and the rest met each other at the exit. So? She asked.How did it go?

Made friends with Norax squad, Devis said.Thier nice lads.

''I made friends with a few men, not an entire squad,though, Iron said. ''Good,' Am said,nodding his head.  Let's get settled in the barracks for the night.''

TRAINING-DAY 1 OF 150
Bala was awoken by the sound of explosions.

Her eyes snapped wide open.She scrammbled out of the bunk bed along with every one else.This wasn't actions based on thier surroundings-this was instict.It was once  unrecognize by thier minds untill their muscles and brain expierienced it so much that they grew  use to it.And they say this is a new batch of clones.That says alot.

Bala got into her commando gear.The kataran armour was heavy on her body.The clone trooper armour that she wore was already heavy enough.Her muscles screamed as she ran for the training room with every one else.The explosions continued on,and continued t make her ears ring with pain.Once they arrived, the explosions stopped immediately.

ATTENTION! A clone called off.SERGEANT SKIRATA ON DECK.''

With difficulty,she managed to control her breathing and snapped to attention.Skirata walked towards them in his gold Mandolorian armour with his helmet at his side.At ease, he ordered tiredly.Everone's shoulder relaxed.Listen up.We got new guests,as you may all already know.And they aren't any ordinary guests.Four officers out of the GAR have been transfered  to the Special Operations Brigade and are to be trained with you all.One of the four officers is a woman.How the shab she got in, I don't know.But she will be treated like as one your own vode.She didn't spend one fourth of her childhood in a tube, but she is brave enough to join into the GAR's ranks.If one of you decide to play as the chak'are and  be sexist, then you can count on me that your shab'ese isn't going to be safe.Do I make myself clear?

SIR,YES SIR, every one replied. Bala was touched by the effort Skirata was doing for them,esspecially her, to fit in with the new training commandos.She only hopes that she too can get along with these men.

* * *

GET DOWN! A clone yelled. An explosion slapped the dirt filled ground with fire.Bala and everyone else dropped for cover.It had been going on like this  for the last hour.Bala's muscles ached and screamed for a break.She ignored the throbbing pain of a cramp she had gotten during the simulated training exercise.UP! One of the training sergeants yelled.Everyone crawled back up and began jogging on the dirt road again.

Bala was impressed at how the Kaminoans managed to build the technology that created the land scape.Some how, they made it where a collisium sized room could switch to a different land scape.This one pictured a desert.What made the training even more realistic was that they managed to set the temperature with the correct terrain.Bala continued to jog in the heavy set rig of kataran armour.It weighed down on her shoulders and made breathing difficult when doing some thing physical.If these men can do it, so can I,she thought bitterly.'GET DOWN!' Once again, an explosion hit the ground.Bala dropped down with her helmet in the sandy earth.AGGGGH! A clone yelled.

Everyone's attention was focused on the yell of pain, for they all knew, one of thier brothers was hit.

A clone,Bala didn't know who, laid sprawled on the ground.He laid thier motionless as a pool of blood collected on the sand.A flash back entered Bala mind as she remembered the day a Titan Company trooper,Kote, had been laying right beside her in his own pool of blood, dead after an impact from an explosion.

Stop it.That was the past.Focus on the present to keep  yourself sane and those around you  farther from harm's way,she told herself.The land scape shuddered and the room was replaced  by it.A clone went up to him to check his pulse.He lowered his and muttered, Dead.Cor'ik, you will be remembered.  Everyone lowered thier heads in a moment of silence.Two droids held a strectcher as they walked over to the dead cadet.They picked him up,still in his kataran rig, and was set onto the strecher.They walked away and the training simulation continued on, as if nothing happened.

Everyone knew this was going to test thier mental state.When a comrade dies, theres nothing you can do, other then call in evac to pick the body up or simply carry the corpse.During a fire fight, you could be where you can't go out and drag the body away.You try and be heroic, you end up endangering the rest of your platoon or squad.The only thing you can do is move on.That's the harsh reality when being a soldier- the heroics civilians see in holo vids are rarely attempted and are usually failed.

The training instructors had switched the land scape to a dirt road but instead of sand and a blazing sun there was only nightfal,lush forests, and rain pounding on to the ground.It was a sign of sympathy,for they knew tears would be disguised of the tiny droplets of water that patted thier commando armour. As they continued on jogging through the wet,dark night, Bala silently prayed.

Nu kra'dyc,shi taab  escla'jalla. Not gone,merely marching away.

TRAINING-DAY 98 OF 150
Am,Bala,Devis, and Iron stood there patiently in commando armour inside the elevator with their DC-17 blasters  lowered.They were being set to train in a simulated field where it is set up to look as if they are being deployed right into a fire fight.This would be thier first try to show the training intructors that they were ready to work as a team in the field.Bala only hoped that she herself wont slow her team down,otherwise her squad will be looked as weak and ineffective.'Ready,guys?' Am asked.

Yes,sir.  

Thier mission was  simple:capture the enemy's flag.Thier only problem was that they had to get past the droids.After that, the next squad would come in and do the test themselves.The doors to the elevator finaly slid opened and before them revelaed the Kamionoan simulated battle field.To the left and right,droids were placed high above.Small walls layed around the area,randomly.Yards away laid thier goal: the enemy's flag.



The four of them sprinted off toward cover.The droids immidiately began shooting and nearly hitting accurately.Out of Bala's peripheral vision,she could see Devis and Iron covering her right and left,which meant Am was shooting at the droids positioned high above.Bala aimed up at the droids and shot her DC-17.

They crouched behind the wall and tried to get a good view of thier surroundings.Alright, charging isn't going to work since there isn't enough coverage,Devis said. Bala shot off a few rounds at the droids and took a look in her direction.There weren't many droids and she could see a few walls to serev as coverage, bu it would be too far from thier objective.She surveyed a bit more untill some thing caught her attention.Six droid turrents were set up right below the flag and were,some how, unattended.If we could some how use those to our advantage....

I got some thing,  Bala reported,'Look below where the flag is.There are six turrents and none of them are manned,nor do they look like they can operate by themselves.If we could go around to a side of the field, we couldmake our way toward them.Once there, two of us could cover the two others while they go for the flag.'''

While Devis and Iron stood firing thier blasters, Am tried progressing the information in his mind.Bala shot off a few rounds at the droids and Am said, We dont have any other choices.We'll run for the left wall and continue on toward the objective.Devis and I will get two of the turrents and cover you and Iron as you make your way toward the flag.Clear?

Copy, Devis replied.

Ready when you are, Iron said. Bala nodded.

Hunter,take point.We'll move on your call.

Aye,

Bala turned around in crouched position to face the left wall.She took two deep breaths and held up her hand.She counted down from three with her fingers.Three...Two...One.She signaled them all to move out.They all ran toward the wall.Bala fired her weapon to her right as she covered Am and the others behind her.

As soon as got up and and was firing to her right,she could see the very thing that put a flaw into her plan.A post had been build and streched up to about twenty feet from the ground.Inside,a gun emplacement manned by a droid was standing,getting ready to rain chorus from down below.Bala's heart sank with doubt and saddness.If this was real, I would be leading my team right to thier deaths.

She shook the thought off.No time for self-pity.Get your head back into the real word.Use your failures as your reminder not your distraction.

SPREAD OUT! She ordered.Everyone skattered and fell into cover behind some walls that were near the wall.The gun emplacment that was up in the post was now firing blaster bolts and raining chaos on to all of them.Droids were now beginning to surround them and they all struggled to to keep them off but managed to keep them back.She fired a few rounds at the post and looked around her.A dozen rows of walls laid in front of the cylider shaped building that contained the flag.A few meters away from it laid the turrents.Perfect, she thought.

Guys,listen.I want all of you to run for cover right in front of the flag.I'll distract the gun emplacment while all of you make your way across.

Firefek,thats a stupid idea- Devis began.

No,Am said  solidly.'She's taking point.I'll trust her with this one'''

Bala nodded.Go on my mark.Three....Two....One....MARK!

All three jumped up and rushed across the field with blsater bolts kicking at thier feet.Bala rose and fired at the gun emplacement spontaneously untill she ran out of a full clip of ammo.By this point,The droid at the post was now focusd on her position,making it think there was an entire group over there.

She looked and saw that Devis and Iron had succesfully gotten ahold of two fo the turrrents while Am made his way up the steps to the flag.She knew she had to make  her way across in order for the training intrusctors to say that the mission was a complete succes done correctly.If she stayed her with her shebs alone they would all be accused of leaving a man behind.

She crouched with one leg up in sprint position,ready to dash for cover.Adrenaline poured through her veins.Three...

Every scenario that could possibly happen came through her mind: getting hit by a blaster bolt and making the test failed.

Two.

A random grenade coming out of no where hits her,injures her badly,and gets shipped out of Kamino and out of the entire GAR.

One.

The test is stopped by one of the drill instructors and they come out to say to that they left a man behind.

After the final scenario, she jumps up and dashes toward Iron and Devis.

Blaster fire nearly hits her accurately.Instead of seeing the simulation room,she sees trees uprooted and fires on the forest floor.She sees bodies in white clone armour and blood almost every where.She smells the heavy scent of some thing being burnt. She hears men barking orders and cries of pain.She sees men every where with weapons and shooting at some thing hidden in the forest in front of them.This isn't a simulation,she thought.This is a flash back showing a fire fight I had been in before I was transfered here.

She shakes the memory off and slides in front of a wall.Pain washes over her arm and she realizes hat she was hit in the shoulder by a blaster bolt.She ignores the acheing of pain and looks for her squad.Devis and Iron are still at the two turrents and Am is pinned down by droids.Run.A voice inside her mind spoke.It wasn't hers; it was the voice of training:the drill instructor that told what her body needed to do.And it has kept her alive.

Run toward the flag but stay behind cover.Cover Am as makes his way toward the enemy's flag.

She stayed crouched and had her DC-17 raised.She ran toward Am in crouched position and had her sights trained on the doids that were keeping him from reaching the squad's goal.She fired and managed to get their attention.Am took the oppurtunity and raced for the flag.Bala crouched behind a wall again and fired at the droids.Out of her peripheral vision,she saw Am grab the flag.Every droid stopped dead and they all stood there like stones,motionless.

They did it.They proved not only to thier training insructors that they were fit enough to be Republic Commandos,but also proved to each other they could trust one another in the field.

TRAINING-DAY 150 OF 150
GRADUATION OF THE CADETS

Today was the day.

Today would be the day that she proved to herself that she could do any thing.

Today was the day she would set off with her fellow comrades on a new journey that will take them far across the galaxy.

Today would be the last time she would do a PT run in the wet, dark world of Kamino.

Today was the day  she wouldn't be stepping into a replica of the Republic Commando kataran armour.

Today was the day she would step into real armour.

Today would be  the very last time she would ever wear cadet fatigues.

Today was graduation.

The word echoed in  silence as they stood there in parade formation.Each row was formed by each squad.Bala's squad was the thrid row.They were simply known as Ghosts Squadron.Sergeant Skirata picked the name for them during training since they always seemed never belong with the cadets;they never seemed to fit in.Out of all the acclompishments they made during training,socializing wasn't one of them.

They all stood there in thier white kataran rigs as they waited for thier training intructors.After what seemed to be ten minutes of waiting,training intructors from each batch came out from two doors.They all stood shoulder to shoulder on the stage with Skirata at the center at the podium.Bala could read only one word of emotion that could only be on her former training intructor's face: pride.

I and the fellow Cu'val Dar would like to proudly annouce that you all have graduated.Each squad will head out to a cruiser some where in the galaxy.There you will be deployed with a battalion.You will do this through out your entire career as commandos.You have been trained to be the best of the best,so the Republic expects you to be the best.You will do missions that clones rarely do, Skirata said proudly.He slammed a fist to his heart and yelled, Sa krayam nau kad,vode an! Forged like the sabers of death,brothers all.

SA KRAYAM NAU KAD,VODE AN! Everyone replied.A hanger door lifted,revealing the outside of the Kamino facility.For once,light streamed out and and warmed everyone's faces as they marched singing Vode An.Every word echoed around.It reminded Bala of her last day at the Warren where she performed the chant with Titan Company.It was five months ago,but to Bala it seems like decades.

They all marched toward the rows of Republic drop shuttles that waited for them to board and take them to a cruiser.The sun shine warmed everyone's face as they marched shoulder to shoulder singing a song that they will always remember in their hearts and minds,for the song reminds them of the brothers that stand right next to them and the brothers that no longer live.



MISSION:FERRIKA.CRUISER DAUNTLESS.423rd REGIMENT.
FIVE DAYS AFTER GRADUATION CEROMONY

Bala stood right behind the ramp that led down to the hangar from inside the Republic drop ship shuttle.Troopers in in white armour stood at attention in two collums in front of the ship.In the middle stood the cruiser's admiral,Admiral Dreks.His hair was night ball and was shaven right above his ear.He stood with his hands folded behind his back and his jaw and eyes set straight ahead.His blue eyes looked so sharp they almost looked like ice.

She stood in her white commando armour with her helmet at her side.Her black hair was tied up in a tight bun which was tied very closely to the back of her head.Am,Devis,and Iron stood behind her and had thier helmets by thier sides as well.Bala walked down the ramp first and was followed by the rest of her squad.They all stoped in front of the admiral,stood at attention,and saluted.Admiral Dreks nodded and saluted back.

Welcome aboard the Dauntless,commados, the admiral said sternly,his voice having a faint drawl in it.

Hello sir, greeted Am.This is my squad.I'm Seregant Am.This is Devis,Iron,and Bala.

He nodded.We will be making our arrival to the planet Ferrika in about two days.I suggest you four starts settling into your assigned barracks.

We'll do so,sir,Am replied.

They walked away and made thier way toward the barracks.Once there,they all unpacked in silence and went to sleep.

TWO  DAYS LATER

Bala stood in her armour with her helmet at her side.Devis and Iron stood between her in the same pose.They were waiting for Am and the Admiral,who were discussing landing points with the gunship pilots.The three stood in silence.Months of hard self discipline made them cold as stone.But it wasn't cold enough to beat thier comradeship.

While they stood there,other  clones busied themselves on the bridge in thier gray working uniforms.Bala always admired the bride of any cruiser she aboard on.It's windows showed a perfect view of the endless void of space,showing starts twinkling in the darkness.Behind it,clones would operate the controls.Then a mini-shaped bride would cross the from one head of the bride and to the other end where they were at.Below it,clones would be working at computers that controled all the parts of the cruiser.

After a few minutes of standing,Am and the admiral walked through the sliding doors.All three of them snaped to attention with thier backs straightend and thier eyes looking dead ahead.'At ease,' Am ordered. We will now discuss the plan with you all.

He pressed a few button to the holoprojector they stood behind and a  hologram suddenly popped up.In the hologram,there was a base with no walls but thousands of legions of droids.A few companies were patroling and the others were scattered around the place.The base looked to have three stories and two other buildings laid behind it to it's left and right.Bala's heart sunk once she saw a familiar shape on top of the two buildings:anit-air cannons.A flash of anger immediately entered her mind and dissipated just as quickly.

The planet's natives have been trading their oil with the Federation before the war even started,but they don't participate much in it.As you can see,dropping  right in front of the base wont be possible because of their turrents,there for we will have to land  out of thier firing range which intel estimates is about one hundred twenty miles away.You and the battalion will land that far north from the base.

Two arrows popped up showing them and the 423rd Regiment.The green showed them and the white showed the others.You will land with the 423rd Regiment,Am continued.But you will travel to the base on your own.Your job is to get to the west side of the base and enter silently,so before you board an LAAT, make sure you put silencers in your packs.You will then enter the buildings with the turrents.Ignore the main base structure.Once inside them,you will all place detonators along it's roof top and pull out when you are finished.Air support will then come in to destroy the base and come in for exfil.Understood?

Yes, sir, they replied.Good.You all have approximately seven hours to prepare before you are deployed to the planet's surface.Dismissed!

All three of them stomped thier feet and rotated on thier heels to the right and marched toward the set of doors.Once they left they exited the bride completely,they allet go of the the tension in thier backs.They walked in silence and toward the cargo hold.Bala went over the plan in her head and prayed that no one in her squad will be leaving the planet in a body bag.

SEVEN HOURS LATER

Chagres?

Check.

Silencer rounds?

Check.

Extra ammo clips?

Check.

Health supplies?

Check.

Good.Ghosts are ready to roll.

They all finished up cheking thier ordance inside the LAAT's compartment.A few of of the 423rd Battalion's troopers were inside the the squad.They kept thier distance from the commandos since all they had ever known about the commandos since Kamino was that they were the outisders who did the outside jobs.Although Bala wasn't gentically engineered like the clone commandos,she was still looked at as one of them.

Bala stood in her Republic Commando armour with her helmet at her side.Here black hair was tied tightly behind her head.She was tired.For the past seven hours she had done nothing but pack the suplies they would all need when they were safely down to the surface of the planet.Thankfully,five months of training taught her how to mentally shut the exhaustion out and push harder.It wasn't some thing she has particulary mastered yet,but it has managed to put her where she is today.

She stood there pondering her thoughts when sudenly the Admiral's voice boomed inside the hangar.Gunship pilots,make your way down to the planet's surface.Good luck,troops.

The LAAT's hatches slid closed on either side.Bala slid her helmet onto her head.On Kamino,the replica of the Republic Commando armour didn't have all the systems that they used when on te field.When they were all showed and taught how to work it,she was amazed at how how many systems fucntioned inside the armour.The helmet itself had a seal to it and the armour was built to endure any terrain.The basic GAR armour is made the same way as well,but the Republic Commando armour can actually do operations in space because the armour is pressurized.What Bala was must impressed about was the HUD icons.One would show her health and then her squad's health.Another would show a scanner that would show where life forms may be at.What she most enjoyed was the armour's communications systems.You can block out from the conversation around you and talk privately to your squad with out a soul hearing you.

After a few minutes of flying in space,light began to stream through the gunship's hatches.Bala peered through the cracks and could see dense forest of tangled limbs and leaves.''Looks like we got a great source of cover,Devis said. Yeah,a good thing to,''Am said.They flew for about six more minutes when a red light beamed inside the compartment.The gunship pilot annouced,Approaching drop zone.Get ready,lads.

The others around them began grabbing thier rifles and DC-15's up above them and shouldering thier pakcs up other thier backs.The sound of the LAAT's engines roaring began to slow as they slowly began to land.Good luck down there, the pilot said.You to,ner vod.Replied Iron.The inide of the gunship suddenly turned green and it's hatches slid opened.

Everyone leaped out and circled around the LAAT.Numerous others began to land and troopers came out from their compartments.Soon,gunships were scattered all around the field.Area secured, a trooper called.All the thoughts Bala had been ondering when she was in the LAAT had dissipated the moment they had landed.Her mind was now  wired and set onto training and instincts.This didn't come out of no where;this happened because she had done it numerous times.

'Ghosts,lets move,Am said.Our ETA to the west side of the base is estimated to be about several hours and thirty minutes.During that amount of time,we'll be counting on the 423rd to stall the Separtist forces.Let's get  moving so that thier fight will be short as ours.'

They supplied them selves with a few extra ammo and soon dissapeared into the thick jungle as shadows.

MISSION:FERRIKA.114 MILES SOUTH WEST OF DROID BASE.ETA: 6:34:18
They continued to tread on through the thick jungles of Ferrika.Bala's armour was covered in scratches from twigs and thorns.Splotches of mud dotted her armour.Rained poured down and slapped the ground.Lightning streaked the sky and boomed from far away.Rain was some thing Bala used to cherish before she transfered  to the Special Operations Brigade.The basic GAR trooper armour didn't have the cooling systems that the Republic Commando's were equipt with.In the GAR,they would be easy targets to heat exhaustion because of the armour plates and suit  underneath.The Republic Commandos could just switch on the cooling device and look fresh after doing a mile run in the desert.But the wieght of the armour was another story.

They continued to walk through the jungle in silence and scanned the area for any movement.Bala had her DC-17 raised and trained onto the right of the squad's flank.A rustle of leaves and the sounds of twigs snapping suddenly filled in the air.Am held up a fist signaling the squad to a hault.Check the thermals,just to make sure it's only an animal, Am ordered.Bala tapped in commands and her thermal heat signature device replaced the woods.Off in the distance a few yards away, a large,red figure layed crouched and had it's back hunched over and turned away from them.False alarm,sir.We're clear to move out.

Copy.Lets double time it Ghosts, Am said.

They then began jogging at a steady but non slow pace toward the west side of the base.Soon,the minutes turned into hours and the timer on Bala's HUD read 4:53:47  'Sir,we have been jogging for two hours now.I suggest we check our position to make sure we are heading in the right direction,   Iron said.Am slowly came to a stop and held up a fist to bring the squad to a halt.Checking location, Am told them.

As they waited,they took up positions in the area and created a large circle,with Bala watching the back.She had her DC-17 raised and scanned what laid in front of her.The rain continued to pour down but the clouds suggested it was going to stop in a matter of minutes.Okay,we are now sixty four miles west of the droid base.Intel said thier patrols are set up from it's inside to fifty five miles.Keep your eyes peeled for contacts.Hunter, cover our six.

Yes sir,

Lets move,Ghosts Squad.

* * *

Bala was now beginning to grow tired.

She might have done countles push ups,sit ups,and mile runs back at the commando training facility,but the wieght of the armour was always a two hundred-pound-sack of metal put on to her body.She can manage for a while untill it became a challenge just from collapseing onto the ground.Instead of doing so,she would just tell herself to suck it up and keep moving.

Bala watched the squad's rear as they silently began to move in closer to the base.The sound of metal marching suddenly filled the air and everyone immediately came to a halt and got  on to the ground.Looks like we are now fifty five miles away from the base.Lets do our best to keep quiet.Everyone,slowly crouch.

Bala got back up with her knees bent and her back hunched over.She had her DC-17 raised and trained ahead of her.No one bothered to watch the squad's rear,for only thier footsteps would be the only thing they could see.On her HUD,she could see the timer ticking down with every passing  second.It read 4:02:37.Bala could only imagine what the fire fight is like at the front.She could smell the stench of death and destruction,the sounds of blaster fire and the yells of pain of the wounded.She can see the waves of droids,marching continously and firing straight at her.Stop it,she told herself.The battalion will be able to  deal with thier job.Do your part and focus on your task.

Shab, Am suddenly said over the com. Halt.

Everyone stopped and Bala could see why.Ahead of them,yards away, were countless waves of battalions of battle droids standing. It strayeched far and wide from the left and right.Behind them,Bala can barely make out the twinkling lights of the base.Theres no way we can get passed by that forced.They must have decided to double security once the battalion attacked, Devis said.

We aren't hopless yet, Am told them. We can use guerillia warfare tactics and evade them all.

Only one small flaw with that, Bala said. Our silenscer rounds are only made for living beings,and they are most likely going to be inside the base.If we use live rounds that will attract more attention.

It's our only chance of making it to the base,though, Iron said.

Am  heaved sigh audibly.'Alright,we'll do this.Spread out in even space horizontally.We will throw our grenades at the same time.Then,run back into cover and fire at them from there.That way sending help will take too long. Understood?'

Yes sir.

A moment of silence passed then Am said,If it doesn't work, at least we made it this far together.

No one replied to that.They all got up and walked in crouch.After seeing she was a yard away from Iron, she stopped and got a grenade ready.Ready,ner vod? She asked. Are you?

I don't know.

Iron laughed silently under his breath.They all waited for Am to tell them to throw.After a few minutes, he said,Throw grenades on my mark.Three,two,one,MARK!

They all threw thier grenades and the fires of chaos erupted inside the forest.

MISSION:FERRIKA.FIFTY FIVE MILES WEST OF DROID BASE.ETA: 3:56:49
After throwing the grenade in her hand,Bala immediately turned and ran.A deafening roar sounded behind her and made her ear ring.Pieces of wood were thrown at her with sparks clinging to them.A huge,thick tree fell and landed right beside Bala,making the ground shake.She stumbled and dug her feet into the dirt and ran as fast as she could with her heart beating out of her chest.A  piece of wood hit her in the back and made her tumble to the ground.Her back  screamed in pain and began to ache.Her ears were still rinigng as the woods behind her continued to blaze with fire.

Bala's vison suddenly turned hazy and she  was forced to crawl.Her mind and body was in panic mode; a condition in the mind of a soilder that should never be there during times in combat.



She shook it off and got back up.The ringing in her ears gradually stopped as she looked what was left behind her.A fire had risen to the stop of the trees.Sparks covered the ground and floated to te sky above as smoke started to blanket the woods like a fog.Bala scanned the area for her squad mates and saw that they were all behind cover just seven yards away from her.She jogged over to them and ignored the acheing pain in her back.Iron waved a hand as he beckoned her to come over.Am laid in a crouched position with his hand laid on the side of his helmet.Devis was beside him,also in crouch position with his DC-17 raised as he scanned the forest.You alright? Iron asked. Affirmative, she replied.

Am took his hand off his helmet and rose from the ground. Just got word from Commander Desmer at the front.According to his reconnicance teams,the enemy is falling back to thier base and regrouping with more heavy artillery to push the battalion back.They estimated it will be an hour until they arrive to the base.

Devis got back up and said,'That means it's time to move.We still have a long ways to go from here and to the droid base.' Am sighed.Theres no doubt  that the bonfire that we just created is going to attract attention.The only way to bypass extra security is if we mangage to evade them all,which in this case is going to be difficult.We'll have to go around but it will take us a bit farther from the base.It's our only option.

Bala only nodded.Let's move,ghosts, Am said as he then began to jog.Devis folled behind him along with Bala and Iron.

Bala ran with them and looked at the timer on her HUD display.It read 3:51:24.Still got time.

They all jogged toward the droid base and went around the blazing fires.They couldn't see the sky because of the drifting smoke, but the rain had stopped.The smell of burning wood and wet earth filled the air.Ahead of them,Bala could see the winkling of lights from the base.After running for ten minutes,Bala started to hear blaster fire and explosions off in the distance.And then the boom of cannon fire.Bala nearly jumped right out of her skin after hearing the sound.She aruptebly stopped and the image of the gunship being engulfed by fire inside itself appeared in her mind.Bodies littered the ground and a gunship went down in the disatnce.Her mind was dazed.Hunter....Hunter?.....Hunter!  The image dissapeared and Iron stood in front of her.'You okay? You stopped and I almost ran into you.'

'Yeah....Yeah, I'm fine. Just....Just had to catch my breath.'

Alright.Let's move,ner vod.

They started jogging again and continued to do so for the remainder of the time.Blaster fire,explosions,and cannon fire boomed in the distance.Bala's mind had no thoughs,nor sent signals to her body.She was a droid made of flesh.No thoughts,no emotions,and no feeling.Just a body made of metal that had gears and a data chip for a brain.

After jogging for twenty minutes,the sound of metal marching was then being heard not far from them.Hold.Set a perimeter, Am ordered.Bala jogged over and crouched behind a bush.Devis went in front of her to her right and got on to his stomach in front of two boulders.Iron went in front of her to her left and crouched behind a tree. 'Looks like a patrol.Don't engage and just let them pass.  The humming of tanks and the sound of metal maching could be heard from all around the forest.Bala had her DC-17 raised and trained onto the patrol.Her index finger hovered over the trigger as she made an effort not to fire a shot.Even with five months of special forces training,it never got rid of the basic infantry soldier inside her.

Bala counted ten droids and two tanks  as they made thier way toward the other end of the forest.A few minutes passed and the sounds of metal marching started to fade away.Clear, Am called.Lets move.

Bala got back up and then began to run with Iron and Devis at her left and right.Bala looked up at her timer on her HUD display.It read.3:18:32.Just a little while longer.....

Like shadows they all ran toward the droid base inside the thick,dense woods of Ferrika.

MISSION:FERRIKA.ONE MILE WEST OF DROID BASE.ETA: 0:6:47
Come on,''  Am coughed. '' We're almost there.Keep moving,squad.

Bala ran behind Am with Devis and Iron trailing behind her.After encountering four patrols-two of whom they didn't engage-, they were covered in dirt and scorch marks.They ended up being in a fire fight for thirty minutes and another for two hours.A fire had sparked up and almost engulfed them all,leaving them gasping for air as they continued to run toward the droid base.

Bala was now on the brink of collapsing.The positive voice that told her to keep pushing inside her mind was now silent.Her lungs were burning from breathing in smoke and her legs screamed in agony.Her back still ached from the previous fall she had taken.After a few minutes of running in pain,the twinkling lights suddenly  came into view and could be seen much closer.An imense wave of relief and exhaustion washed over Bala as she fell to her knees with her elbows bent on the ground,breathing heavily.She took off her helmet and popped the seal to it and threw it across from her.She  gasped for air and coughed,ignoring the fact that the security would hear her.

Devis and Iron jogged over to her with Am staring at her with his T-shaped visor. You're not looking good,ner vod, ''  Devis said.  I'm sorry.I just....Got to the point where I couldn't run any more.''

Am nodded. I would stop here for a breather if Commander Densen and the rest of the battalion weren't having to fend off the droids and thier reinforcements.   Bala got back up with her breathing back to normal.Slightly embarassed,she grabbed her helmet and slipped it back on.With her DC-17 raised,she said, '' Ready when you are,sir.

Alright.Stay low and close behind me.

They all crouched and trailed behind Am.The sun hung high in the sky with only dots of clouds.It's light made the water shine on the grass and leaves.Am raised a fist and held a hand to his right,signaling for Iron to come up to his right flank.Iron went over and had his DC-17 trained ahead of them.Going to make a quick call th the commander to tell him we have arrived.

They all sat there for a minute in silence untill Am told them, 'Alright, the battalion is going to fall back deeper into the woods and  hold them off until we can get rid of these turrents. Bala,you and Devis will take out the turrent ahead of us. Iron and I will head around to the other. Once we have the charges set, rondevu here.

Copy,   they all replied.

Am and Iron got up and and started to make thier way around the.Bala and Devis got behind two trees that were ten feet away from each other.They then crouched down and began to move slowly toward the building.After a few minutes of walking,Bala began to make out   a figure beyond the trees. 'Got visual on a target,' she annouced. 'Make sure it's living so that we wont have to use live rounds,  Devis warned. No kidding, she replied silently.

Bala stopped to activate her thermal heating device.The natural colors of the forest were then replaced by blue and red high lights.To her relief, a big red dot with legs stood there with a data pad,typing away.  We're good.Putting in silencer rounds.  She quickly deactiviated the thermal and scanned her belt for the pack she needed that held the new batch of ammo.In seconds,she was reloading a new clip of rounds.

Moving up.

Copy.

Bala looked past the tree and trained her DC-17 on to the being.She sighted up,reconignized the small incline of the head,and fired.A small dart silently whizzed at the speed of light at the target.Not a speck of blood could be seen as the man fell to his knees with his planted into the ground ground.Suddenly, figures popped out and ran toward the corpse.Just as quick, several little darts were fired and had hit accurately before Bala could say any thing on the comm. Tangos down.Lets hurry and move those bodies out from the open,'  said Devis.

Bala sprinted quietly toward the bodies and moved them to a secluded area in the forest.In minutes, they were both standing to the left and right to the entrance of the building.Twilight began to dissipate as night started to darken the planet. Bala scanned the door.Metal...No windows...Not even a knob.....Stang,theres a an ID checker right beside the door and those corpses are laying some where in the woods.

' Shab,the kirffing thing is sealed.We'll have to go loud,  Bala said irratebly.

'Affirmative,  he replied in the same tone, 'I'll cover,you get a charge set.'

Bala slung her pack off her shoulder with Devis scanning the land behind them.She found a charge, pciked her pack up and placed it back on her back, and then started to plant it.With a few typing of numbers and then a timer set to ten seconds,she and Devis race walked behind cover.Soon, a loud boom that was muffled by the clatter of metal could be heard all around the base.

Bala and Devis raced up to the building with guns blazing as cries of surprise could be heard.Smoke blanketed the inside and started to escape.Without a word,Bala and Devis sprinted up the stairs with Devis taking lead.They were then up on top of the roof.The turrent layed mounted with a console right next to it.All of a sudden, a deafening boom rang into thier ears and made the metal roof and ground below them shake.Her ears rung as she tried to search for the source.To her horror,she realized that the turrent had fired.

She looked up instinctively and saw a gunship decsending down from the air to the  surface.A fire had engulfed the inside of it's compartment and started to crawl under it.It then exploded and  it's debris  littered the sky.

Bala's mind went blank as she played the horrific moments over in her mind.Men's lives were lost because she and her squad were too late to do thier part of the job.

She snapped out of her daze as Devis tapped her roughly on the shoulder.He pointed at the turrent and made an exploding gesture with his hands.Bala nodded in acknowledgement and slung her pack off and began rummageing in it for the charges.As she started to plant them,her hearing gradually started to go back to normal.Out of her peripheral vision,she saw droids coming up to the building toward them. Devis,get the rest planted.I'll hold off the droids.

Roger.

With the silencer rounds replaced by live rounds, she fired down at the droids that started to swarm the building.She ducked as a blaster bolt whizzed just inches from her head.She crouched behind a crate and fired the rest of her clip. Almost done, Devis told her. She reloaded another clip and fired a few shots down at them.Out of the corner of her aye she could see a few going behind the building's corners and to it's entrance.She grabbed a grenade,primed it,and threw it over.She bolted out from behind the crate as an explosion boomed behind her.She quickly descended down the steps and fired at the droids that began to pour in.The smoke left from the previous break in clouded her vision.Blaster bolts fired off toward her as she made an effort to dodge them all. Hurry the shabla up,Devis! She snapped as she fired half a clip of rounds at the intruding droids. Just....About.....There! He exclaimed. Stay on the roof! Bala told him as she started to prime a grenade.She threw it and sprinted up the stairs.An exploding boom sounded below them as they jumped off the roof.

Sergeant Am,Iron, we have the charges set.We are two minutes away from the RV point.Where are you?

Static cackled in reply for a few moments. We are making our way out of the building with droids trailing  after us.Go ahead and blow the turrent and call in for extraction.

But,- Devis started to say. ''Do it! Thats an order.Sergeant Am out.'' Devis cursed a string of Mandalorian cuss words as the comm from Iron and Am's helmets filled in with static. Get ready to blow it, Devis muttered.

Bala only nodded and started to tapp away commands as they started to jog down to a halt.Bala looked back as a firey explosion boomed out  into  the night sky.A fire blazed  brightly as a cloud of smoke rose with sparks floating up in the air.A second explosion boomed and made the ground shake as the other building reduced down to nothing but a pile of rubble and debris.

In a matter of minutes, the forms of gunships could be seen and heard as they made thier way down from the cruiser.Bala looked back and saw blaster bolts lashed back and forth deep in the woods.  'Let's move, Bala told  him.