Across the Stars [Star Wars|Anakin Skywalker]

69

"Take off your helmets! You're shooting clones! They're not the enemy!" Rex shouted, "We're not the enemy!" Rex yelled at the opposing side. "Cease fire! Everyone! You're shooting your own men!" Natalia yelled. "What?!" Dogma gasped, he didn't believe what he was seeing, he dropped his helmet in defeat as he realized he killed some of his brothers. Rex dropped to his knees and put his head in his hands, Natalia dropped as well as she covered her mouth in shock, "He set us up!" Is the only thing screaming in her mind, she killed some of her soldiers, the men that entrusted their lives into her hands, and she betrayed them and murdered them. "He set us up!" Screamed in her mind as she watched the clones hauling their wounded brothers, "This is all my fault." She whispered to herself, she pushed herself off of the ground and looked up at the command center, she wanted to kill Krell desperately now. 

"I don't understand, why did those clones attack us?!" One of the troopers shouted, Natalia walked up to Rex and sighed, "Sir! We've found the team leader! It's Waxer, he's still alive!" The medic told Rex and Natalia, they looked at each other and pressed forward with Dogma following. Rex walked over to Waxer and crouched down, "Waxer." Rex started as he removed the injured clone's helmet, "Tell me who gave you the orders to attack us?" Rex asked, Waxer gasped for breath "It- it was General Krell." He said before coughing, "He sent us to these coordinates to stop the enemy, we thought they were wearing our armor. But it was... It was you." Waxer finished, a tear fell down his cheek and his life ended, Rex was suddenly enraged, he soon figured out what happened, "What do we do?" Natalia asked him, but he didn't know. "I'm so sorry, Rex." Natalia said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off, for a second Natalia thought Rex distrusted her as well. Rex walked over to the platoon and they formed a square.

"We all know who's responsible for what happened out there, what we don't know is why. Something has to be done, what I'm proposing is highly treasonous. If any man chooses to opt out, do it now." Rex told everyone, the men all stepped forward, they were with him, Natalia did too. "From this point on, we are now entering uncharted territory. My orders are we arrest General Krell for treason against the Republic." Rex said, Natalia gasped at Rex's orders but she could sense the whole battalion was in with him, so she said nothing. They walked to the command center and Natalia could sense the thick cloud of worry and fear hovering the platoon, but there was also a cloud of excitement. Rex put on his helmet, preparing for a fight. First they went to collect Fives and Jesse, they gave them there weapons back and they all marched to the command center, "I can't believe we're doing this." Natalia thought to herself. The clones walked in and ran around the perimeter, surrounding Krell. "General Krell, you're being relieved of duty." Natalia said as she walked into the center of the room. "It's treason then." Krell said as he turned around, Natalia grabbed her lightsaber and pointed it at him. "Surrender, Master." She said, "You are committing treason, General." Krell said, "We blame your actions." Natalia said, "My actions?" He asked, "For ordering our troops against each other!" Rex yelled. 

"Oh... That. I'm surprised you were able to figure it out, for a clone and a FEMALE Jedi." Krell said, Natalia gritted her teeth and the blade went closer to him, the clones raised their blasters in caution as Krell started walking around, "Be careful, he has the Force as his weapon." Natalia warned her men. "Surrender General." Rex said, "You are outnumbered." He said, suddenly Krell used the Force to push everyone back, but Natalia remained standing, "You tend to forget I too am a Jedi." Natalia said through gritted teeth, "You dare attack a Jedi!" Krell yelled, the clones started firing and Natalia hit one of Krell's lightsabers with hers. Krell sliced many of the clones and continued to strike Natalia's lightsaber brutally, "I will not be undermined by creatures bred in some labratory!" Krell yelled at Rex, he jumped out of the window and landed gracefully on his feet, Natalia too jumped out of the window and landed on her feet, she went after Krell as the clones came running out of the building. Krell was running as the clones continued firing at him, she ran behind him and tried to slice him from the back but Krell blocked her attack, she got pushed upwards and landed on her feet a couple meters back. "Blast him!" Natalia shouted at the clones as she ran after Krell. 

"You can't escape the Republic!" Natalia shouted at Krell, "No one can!" She yelled, Krell ran past clones and he sliced them as they desperately tried to fend him off. "You should've listened to the ARC trooper from the beginning, Captain." Krell said with a laugh, "He was right! I was using you!" He said as he still continued laughing, he jumped from a tree and attacked more clones, Natalia was close behind him, "You've all been my pawns!" He said, "Get him!" Rex yelled. He still continued his attack on the clones, he turned his lightsabers off and began fighting them with his hands, he grabbed one clone and snapped his back over his knee, he screamed in pain before his life ended painfully. Natalia turned off her lightsabers too and began a fist fight with Krell, he punched her stomach and sent her flying into a tree, she was still conscious but she couldn't move. "Force the General toward me, Captain Rex!" Tup, "What?! Why?!" Rex asked, "Just trust me!" He yelled. "Okay guys listen up, circle the General and lure him towards Tup!" Rex yelled through his comlink. The clones circled Krell and they started moving. Rex grabbed Natalia's still body and draped it over his shoulder as the pressed forward. 

"Hey ugly! Come and get me!" Tup yelled at Krell, he laughed and lunged for Tup, but he tripped on a vine and was swiped up and shaked around by a strange creature, he cut off the creatures tongue with his lightsaber and it angered the creature, one of his lightsabers was knocked from his hand as he was thrown around, soon Krell fell to the ground and his lightsaber was thrown from his hand, he sat up and was stunned by Tup, "I stunned him sir!" Tup said as Rex walked over, he kicked Krell's body over, "Good work, Tup." He told him. Natalia had come to and could walk again and they started walking back to the command center, they had Krell in binders. "Throw him in the brig." Natalia instructed, she glared at the unconscious Krell as two men marched him toward the brig.

"What do we do now?" Natalia asked, but Rex shrugged, "Let's pay him a visit." Rex said while cracking his knuckles, they headed over to the brig and visited the now conscious Krell. "Why General, why kill your own men?" Rex asked, "Because I can. Because you fell for it, because you're inferior." He told Rex, "But you're a Jedi! How could you?!" Natalia yelled at Krell, "A Jedi?" Krell laughed, "I am no longer naive enough to be a Jedi!" Krell said evily, "A new power is rising, the Jedi are going to lose this war and the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside, in it's place is going to rise a new order, and I will rule this part of it." Krell said, "You're a Separatist!" Rex said, he was disappointed and angry. "I serve no one's side, only my own, and soon my new master." Krell said, "You're an agent of Dooku." Rex guessed again, "Not yet, but when I get out of here I will be, after I've succeeded in driving the Republic of it's order, the Count will reward my actions, and make me his new apprentice." He said, "How could you do this?! You had my trust! My loyalty! I followed all of your orders, and you made me kill my brothers!" Dogma yelled from his cell. Krell replied with a laugh, "That's because you were the biggest fool of them all Dogma! I counted on blind loyalty like yours so my plan would succeed!" Krell said with a laugh.

"That will never happen! You're a traitor, Master, and you will be dealt with as one." Natalia said as she squinted her pale eyes. "You never learn, the Umbarans are going to retake this base and when they do I will be free." Krell said as he sat down on the ground. They all walked out of the command center to see explosions in the air, "Captain! We've fixed the transmitter, it looks as if it were sabotaged, we got a transmission from General Kenobi, they've taken the capital, but the remaining Umbarans are heading here." The clone reported to Rex, "Get everyone on the perimeter! Get everyone prepared for a full scale attack." Rex instructed, "Yes sir!" The clone said as he saluted Rex. "Krell sabotaged the transmitter, he's been against us since the beginning." Rex said darkly. "If the Umbarans get to him he'll turn over all of our intel, the defense codes! Everything!" Fives yelled, "He'll strike a crippling blow to the Republic." He said. "Something has to be done, we can't have the possibility he might escape." Jesse said, "As long as Krell is alive he is a threat to every one of us." Fives explained, Natalia nodded in agreement.

"I agree." Rex said, they walked back to the brig and let out Dogma. "Turn around and step toward the wall." Rex said as he pulled his blaster out, "On your knees." He said, he held his blaster and was ready to fire, Jesse opened the door, making Krell exposed to Rex, Krell laughed. "You're in the position of power now, how does it feel?" Krell taunted, "I said on... your... knees." Rex said darkly. "It feels good, doesn't it?" Krell asked as he got onto his knees, "But I can sense your fear, you're shaking, aren't you? What are you waiting for? The Umbarans are getting closer." Krell said, "I- I have to do this!" Rex said, but Krell was right, he was afraid. "You can't do it, can you?" Krell asked, "Eventually you'll have to do the right thing." Krell said, it was silent until a blaster shot filled the air.

Dogma pulled the trigger.