Across the Stars

Chapter 13

They reached the outer wall of the palace as the sun was starting to rise over the mountain, turning the sky a soft pink. Rex hated that sunset. It was one Hod and Bolt never got to see.

How many more brothers would die before this war that had barely started was over? Brothers with no mothers to care for them, and with no fathers to watch over them. Brothers who died in quickly and violently, who had pain was their first and their last friend.

Rex was roused from his thoughts by a gentle hand placed on his shoulder. Shira. Razor stood a few paces ahead scanning the launching bay on the west side of the palace, where they had determined would be the easiest place to infiltrate. Rex raised his own hand and placed it over hers. He nodded once. There would be time to mourn Bolt and Hod later, right now he needed to focus.

They stood at the base of the palace, and about 30 feet above them they could see the lip of the docking bay with their shuttle on board. If they could reach the shuttle and get of planet they could broadcast a message for help, and Rex and Razor had already planned to make the jump to hyperspace after they had sent the message, whether Shira wanted to or not, they needed to get her to safety.

Rex and Razor pulled out grappling attachments and fixed them to the end of their blasters. Shira walked over to Rex and nodded. She didn't have a grappling attachment for her light blaster, and so she would have to make the ride up with Rex. Rex had his hands raised and held tightly on his blaster. Shira bounced up on the balls of her feet and wrapped her arms around Rex's neck in between his arms. She tucked her head into the grove between Rex's head and shoulder.

Rex was again grateful for the helmet in concealing the blush that rose in his cheeks from her nearness. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his and hear the steady rhythm of her breath in his ear.

Rex flipped the switch on the extension and the line started to creak as it pulled them up. As they reached the top Shira lifted her head and shifted in Rex's arms, twisting so that she was holding on to him with one arm wrapped around his neck and back while reaching up with the other for the lip of the launchpad. Once she had a grasp she fully let go and pulled herself over the edge. Rex was then surprised to feel her hands on his arms pulling him up. He was again reminded how different Shira seemed to the other senators. She would get herself up the wall, then turn around and get everyone else up too.

The three made a break for the shuttle, sprinting, before they heard "Hey! Stop!" In a mechanical voice. Shira turned and almost without looking nailed the battle droid with a shot from her blaster. As they reached the ramp of the ship they continued to race for the cockpit. Rex had the ship beginning to lift of the ground almost before Razor had even gotten on and closed the ramp.

Razor swung himself into the copilot seat and started raising the shields, meagre though they were, his hands flying across the ship flipping switches and pulling levers. Shira was in the corridor desperately trying to get the long-range communications online. She was muttering and hitting buttons with force as if she could make the system go faster by mashing the buttons hard enough.

Rex's attention was pulled away from the muttered words in the hall by a warning beep from the panel in between him and Razor.

"We've got a bogey on our six!"

"Evasive!"

Laser fire started to light up the night sky, it was too close. This ship wasn't made for dogfights, or any fight in that matter.

"Come on...come on...Yes!" Shira called out from the hall. "This is Senator Shira Letza of Brentaal IV requesting assistance, we have encountered separatist..."

Shira was cut off by the shrieking sound of tearing metal as the ship took a direct hit from behind.

"We're going down! Brace yourself!" Rex desperately pulled back on the yoke trying to slow the descent into the nearby trees, but in the end it was a bad crash. All three went tumbling around the ship in a tangle of equipment and limbs, but miraculously Rex and Razor seemed to have avoided hitting anything hard enough to have seriously injured themselves.

Rex stood and shook his head. He could hear a ship landing next to them.

"Get her out of here!"

Rex looked over and ice filled his veins. He could see Shira's extended hand laying out in the hall, and a small pool of blood. "Shira!" Rex gasped. He ran over and scanned her body looking for what was causing the flow of blood and realized with dread that there was a piece of shrapnel that had gotten lodged in her shoulder.

"Rex, we have to move. Get moving, I'll grab the med kit and be right behind you." Rex nodded and scooped Shira bridal style up in his arms being careful to have her wounded side facing away from him.

The sound of Rex's heartbeat filled his ears, drowning out almost anything else around him.

The snap of a twig caused Rex to wheel around.

He blinked.

Wake up, oh please please wake up.

There in front of him stood General Grievous, with Razor hoisted in the air by his throat, letting out strangled gasps for air.

He froze, his eyes glued on Razor. An eerie silence fell. Grievous let out a low malicious chuckle and tightened his fist. Rex stiffened and clenched his jaw so tight he felt a pop. He shifted Shira in his arms and placed a hand on his holster. Grievous tilted his head in warning, then shook it in mock disappointment.

Razor strained against Grievous' grasp. This only made him tighten his iron fist. Razor's strangled gasps echoed throughout the forest. Keeping his eyes fixed on the Rex, waiting to see what he would do. Grievous started to clamp his fingers tighter around Razor's throat. Razor punched at his captor's arm, his fingers desperately searching for a grip to loosen the hold around his throat. When that wasn't working, he kicked his legs trying to find something to push against, to make the pain stop.

"Razor," Rex breathed.

Razor's movements became less pronounced, he was dying, his desperate coughs and gasps for air becoming softer and softer. He managed to move his gaze to his little brother and sister.
A tear rolled down his cheek. He stopped moving.

"Run..."

At this last word Grievous finally stopped playing and clasped his fist together so tight the bones in Razor's neck gave way. He tossed him aside like a toy he had grown tired of playing with.

A guttural scream ripped through Rex as he pulled out his side arm. The critical places where he could hit Grievous fatally wouldn't work, the armor would make it so even a direct hit would only slow him down, and he only had one shot. Aiming carefully, he pointed his blaster towards the joint in Grievous' hip, it wasn't made of the same metal, so he could take it out, effectively crippling Grievous and giving him time to get Shira to safety.

He pulled the trigger.

Grievous roared in surprise and pain as he collapsed to the ground.

It would have to do. Rex turned and sprinted into the forest only turning around once for one last glance at his fallen brother, before he ran away from Razor's crumpled body.

"I'm sorry vode."