My Unfortunate Fate

chapter 73

Life-changing revelations are not to be expected.

"The droid army has overrun our main production facility," Master Windu claims. "It won't be long before the Separatists take Anaxes and therefore compromise our entire reserve fleet."

Anakin and I contemplate this, but our deliberation is cut off by a disruption entering the room: Captain Rex and Commander Cody.

"Pardon the interruption, General," Cody says firmly," but Rex here has a good theory on why we keep...losing."

"Please, Captain," Windu urges.

Rex takes a stand and begins to explain, "The droid army uses analytics to predict our strategy. The first time we use a tactic, it's very effective. The next, less so. You see, the more we use a certain tactic, the less effective it becomes." He steps aside and nears Commander Cody. "They learn our tendencies and use that data against us. To counter them, we're constantly working out ways to vary our attack."

Master Windu argues, "But the losses we are experiencing on Anaxes are not commonplace."

"Exactly. Their counterattacks are so specific; it's my strategy the droids know, my playbook."

"My concern is that Rex is one of our best," Cody sustains. "If the droids can learn to defeat him, we may all be vulnerable."

It is puzzling that the Separatists know Rex's exact strategies. Captain Rex is consistent, but he also knows how to subvert the enemy's expectations as to what he's going to do next. That's usually what makes his plans most effective, and right now, we are taking losses due to effortless Separatist manoeuvres. It's deeply troubling.

"What do you propose?" Windu asks.

"We propose that Rex and I take a small squad behind enemy lines. There's a Separatist Cyber Centre which relays all battlefield intel to their command ship. If we're going to find anything, we'll find it there."

I worry that our squads won't be advanced enough to take on such a daunting recon mission, but I don't voice my concerns for two reasons: Master Windu, who outranks us, is eager to defeat this algorithm, and I don't want to offend Rex or Cody—nor any of the soldiers in their squads.

Windu gives Rex and Cody his approval, and they thank him but hesitate to leave.

Anakin decides to speak up. "Rex, is there anything else?" he asks.

Hesitantly, Rex responds, "No, General," and then he and Cody turn around and leave for their mission.

I don't think I'm the only one who feels a haunting eeriness surrounding this whole ordeal. It almost seems personal, but nothing is certain until we learn more.

***

While Windu and Obi-Wan began to discuss some technicalities of prototype weapons the Council considered using on the battlefield, Anakin and I managed to escape the four-hour-long conference/lecture we'd been having with Master Windu.

In all honesty, I'm glad we aren't supposed to chime in on High Council affairs because it makes for an easy excuse when we don't want to deal with it.

Besides, there's a much more interesting topic on our minds. Commander Cody called in a rogue clone squadron to aid their mission. Until now, I didn't even know rogue squads existed—other than the commando corps, but they were a specialized unit. The squadron—referred to as Clone Force 99—has not been trained for elite combat like the commando corps, rather each member specializes in a skill caused by genetic mutations during their development.

"I heard they played rough, just not like this," Anakin remarks as we witness their arrival.

The squad's lone shuttle skids across the tarmac platform with no concern for its current occupiers. Some men have to run out of the way to not get hit by the ship. Others call out to clear the way for the shuttle to pass.