Star Wars The Clone Wars: M.I.A. On a Lost Planet#Wattys2016

5

The next morning Mako was the first one up. He stretched his legs by walking around outside. Around him the air was cool and dry making the wind sting his face as he trekked around the city. The first sun was just beginning to rise and was soon to be followed by the other two. After covering almost the entire city's perimeter, he began to notice a pattern. The outer houses were in good shape, but the further in you went the more broken down the houses became. This didn't really lead him to any conclusion as to what had happened, but he was interested all the same. In fact he saw it had nothing to do with the quick departure of this race. He now saw that he was again nearing the shelter and decided to wake Kael and Crash up.

Inside the room was still dead quiet with both men asleep on the floor. Kael had rolled onto his back, the injured arm held out to the side and away from his body, the sling having been disposed of earlier the night before. Crash was still sleeping on his stomach with one arm curled around his head. Mako nudged Kael in the side with his foot. The younger man's eyes shot open, and he instantly glanced up before recognizing Mako. With that he stood at attention as Mako woke Crash, who was a bit more slow to the pitch. He rolled over onto his back, blinking in the light coming from the high windows.

Once both troopers were up and awaiting orders, Mako said, "At ease men."

Kael and Crash relaxed before either one said anything.

"Sir, are we going to search out Calso today?" Kael asked.

"No, today we are going in search of Vire. You mentioned yesterday that we should hire her. So we will."

"Yessir," replied Kael, feeling slightly pleased Mako was trying this. Crash said nothing in the conversation, but he did pick up his helmet which was resting next to Kael's and Mako's, under the bench. He put it on then removed it tapping the top of it a bit and then putting it back on. Mako turned his attention toward the pilot.

"Trouble with your systems?"

"No, Sir, just a bit slow," Crash answered after turning the audio on. Mako nodded and took his helmet from under the bench, and then he picked up Kael's "bucket", as clone helmet were nicknamed" and tossed it to the rookie. Kael barely caught the helmet with his left hand and turned it so he could view the inside without putting it on.

"Nothing, I guess it's just going to stay dead," Kael said dejectedly.

"So it seems," Mako answered. With that he motioned for them to move out. "Let's go find us our bounty hunter."

"So you weren't in the Battle of Geonosis?" asked Kael in surprise as they hiked uphill following the invisible path that ran past all Vire's traps and that led to her shelter.

"No, the 514th was not chosen to assist the Jedi on Geonosis. However we have served under General Reel ever since General Lee went rogue," said Mako over his helmet comm. All three had audio muted and were chatting over a private link so that no eavesdroppers could hear their conversation.

"So what was your first battle?"

"The defense of Ress, a world that had no sentient species or creatures on it. It is only Republican controlled because it's trees produce the largest amounts for the base ingredient in plastiod. When the Seppies tried to burn the place with an airstrike we had to intervene," Mako answered.

"If the tinnies used an airstrike then you couldn't have been on the planet," Kael replied wincing in pain and wishing he had left that sling on instead letting his injured arm be slack at his side.

"We countered with our own airstrike," said Crash cutting in.

"That's where Crash earned his marks, in the Defense of Ress," Mako continued.