Doom: - Commander. We have eliminated 80.3% of the enemy fighters. And one of their cruisers is about to suffer a critical failure. -

Icarus: - Understood. What is our status report? -

Doom: - We still have 75.9% of our fighters and we have only lost six pilots. Our shields are at 63.7% capacity and we still have 82.1% of our energies. -

Icarus: Got it. Doom unit, the next time you refer to the number of organic deceased do not use the word "only" or something similar. For them death is more complex than for us. -

Doom:-Roger. Roger. -

Icarus: - Contact me with the Mirana immediately. -

Doom: - Affirmative. - The droid pressed some buttons and a projection of the pilot was shown on the commander's chair.

Mirana: - General? -

Ícaro: - Status report. -

Mirana: - My team has already left the battle zone. We descend to land to support the positions of TR-1 and the bulk of the army. -

Icarus: - Understood, squad leader. Proceed cautiously and watch out for the anti-aircraft batteries on the city walls. -

Mirana: - Copied. Over and out. -

Icarus: - Doom unit. Any news from the main front? -

Doom: - Negative. Commander TR-1 has not updated his status. The main forces are concentrated in the central areas of the plains. Our casualties are estimated at 32.4%, enemy casualties at 35.2%. The central fronts of neither side seem to be trying to use any advantage. -

Icarus: - A war of attrition then. Any news on the infiltrated units? -

Doom: - Negative. Since they entered the city we have lost all contact with them. -

Icarus: - Mmmmm... Local communications interference. We can only hope they meet the deadline. How much time left? -

Doom: - Forty-seven hours and twenty-six minutes. -

Icarus: - Everything is in your hands... Commander Boil. -

Meanwhile, in the north of the city.

Boil: - Numa? -

The clone turned around and doubted for a second what his eyes saw. More than eight years had passed since then, but there was no doubt. That skin tone, those brown eyes, the way I call it. There was no doubt that it was her.

Numa: - Nerra! -

Boil: - Numa! -

The last time he saw her she was barely five or six years old, and now she was quite a teenager, but in Boil's eyes she was still that little Twi'lek he found with her brother Waxer in the ruins of Nabat. . "Oh, Waxer. I wish I could see how much he's grown."

The clone and the Twi'lek embraced in excitement. The young woman closed her eyes tightly, trying to suppress her tears without hiding the joy she felt when she saw him. Boil's heart wasn't as strong, and she allowed herself to cry from happiness.

Numa: - You came back. -

Boil: - Of... Of course. I just... I'm sorry for taking so long. -

When they both parted with a hug they exchanged smiles, but Numa wasted no time, and she quickly looked up at the other clone that she once also called "nerra."

Boil knew who he was looking for, and he felt a great pain in his chest just thinking about it. Nume's confused eyes met Boil's stricken ones, and without saying a word, the young woman understood the message very well. "Waxer's not here."

Numa had been born and lived in a galaxy at war. Her world had been the victim of horrors since she was a child, and though there had been a few years of peace, there was always a greater force threatening to destroy her town. The Empire was no different from the rest. Death was something she had lived through many times, but that didn't make it any less tolerable.

But despite her sad faces, this was no time for regrets. Time was not going to stop for them, and a call over her comlink in the morning snapped Boil out of her state.

Boil: - Alpha Unit. What is the situation? -

Alpha: - We have finished with the resistance of the south wall. We have the location of the rebel leader's position and are ready for extraction. We have come across an unexpected "help". -

Boil: - Understood. They process with caution. We have just over a day and a half to return. -

Alpha: - Roger. Roger. -

The call ended, but when Boil turned around, she found a shocked look on Numa's face, with some traces of hate barely visible.

Numa: - Roger, Roger? What's going on? -

When Boil looked around he met more of the same accusatory glares, not only from the Twi'lek surrounding him, but also from the clones they had just rescued. For a second, Boil forgot that once they were all enemies of the a
Separatist Alliance, and none of them were aware of the changes that occurred in the far corners of the Galaxy. But this was not the time for explanations.

Boil: - Many things have changed, but the explanation that I must give you is much more complex than you imagine. We are against the clock and there is many citizens that we still have to save, for the moment... Could you trust me one more time? -

The young woman doubted enough. The dark memories of that time still tormented her mind, like many of those present. The day the droids attacked she lost everything. Her house, her friends, her parents, her home. Putting aside those feelings would not be easy, forgetting them would be impossible.

Numa took a deep breath and looked at the clone with accusatory eyes. She simply hoped that... he wouldn't regret her decision.

Numa: - How can I help? -

At the same time, a somewhat peculiar meeting was taking place near the south wall of the city.

Bly: - Alpha! Just in time. I thought they would never come.

Alpha: - Sorry for the delay. We ran into a group of stormtroopers on the way. Thanks to the help of this unit we were able to overcome them ahead of schedule. -

Bly: A C1 serial unit... huh? Interesting. So this little guy was responsible for sabotaging communications?

The little droid emitted a series of beeps that clearly conveyed his excitement, though some who heard it seemed less pleased.

Alpha: - Don't be so cocky. -

Bly: - With what Chopper huh. Welcome aboard. Tell me... Can you guide us with your master? -

The little metal prankster wasted no time leading the combined groups of Bly and Alpha into the city. Taking narrow alleys and avoiding as much as possible the large avenues where the largest groups of stormtroopers were, although most had moved to the east and north, they did not want to attract attention under any circumstances.

The C1 droid finally led them to a place that was apparently abandoned, which the clone didn't like much.

Bly: - Very good, shorty. Enough games. You said Syndulla owned you, but he's supposed to be a prisoner at City Hall. We don't have time to waste on nonsense.

?????: - It's not nonsense. -

The group turned around when they heard the voice of a young girl. She was a Twi'ler, with green skin and green eyes.

Young man: - Chopper was not wrong. Her owner is a Cyndulla. Although I prefer to call him friend. -

Bly: - Look young lady. We don't have time for this. We have to rescue Cham Syndulla and we are running out of time. I don't know who you are but we don't have time to waste with you.

Young man: - My name is Hera Syndulla. Cham Syndulla is my father. -

Bly was literally stunned. If it weren't for his helmet, everyone would have seen the puzzled face he had. What a faux pas.

Alpha: - I think... we should listen to her. -

Hera: - A commando droid what do you think? That is new. -

Alpha: - It's... complicated to explain. -

Bly: - Okay. I admit my mistake... So... you know why we're here. We only have 48 hours to save your father. Do you know where they are holding him? -

Hera: - Yes. He is inside the town hall, separated from the rest. Come on. I will guide you. -

Bly: No. You should... Hey... Wait! -

The young woman did not give the clone time to stop her. Before Bly could finish speaking, Hera was already running out with Chopper following close behind her.

Bly grumbled and huffed all he wanted, but it was no use. Now they must keep up with the young woman or they would lose sight of her.

The organics of Bly's unit followed their leader closely, and at light steps they were followed by Alpha's group and the Punitive Guard. The alleys of the city were like a maze, and anyone who didn't know them could get lost without much effort. Even so, young Herra seemed to know them like the back of her hand, making it through the city without so much as running into an Imperial patrol.

When Bly and the rest were able to catch up to Herra, she was hiding behind some boxes facing a plaza across the street. Bly wanted to scold her for slipping away without saying anything, but what he saw made him change his mind.

Right in front was a large square that led to the entrance to the town hall. The big problem was the unit of at least a hundred stormtroopers that were deployed guarding the place.

Bly: - Shit. They are too many. We won't be able to catch them in time. If we attack Chan Syndulla's life will be in danger. -

Hera: I know of an entrance, but it's too small for you. If I can sneak inside, I could secure my father before they attack. -

Bly: - Don't even think about it. You already ran into danger once, I will not allow it again. -

Herra: - No. It's through the drain. There is an entrance right in the central courtyard of the town hall. I can get there undetected. -

Bly: - How do you know that? -

Herra:-Let's say that she...she wasn't a very calm girl. -

Bly: - Still. I refuse to let you go alone. There must be another way. -

Alpha: - If I may, I think I agree with the Twi'lek's plan. Time is running out. If necessary, my group can go with her. Our mechanisms are more adaptable to the closed plaes. -

Bly: - I don't know... -

Herra: - I don't want to be followed either. They don't mind, but I don't trust Separatist droids. Not after what they did to my people. -

Alpha: - I understand. And you are right. Common sense would say that we are not to be trusted. But now we serve a new cause. -

Herra: - I don't know... -

Bly: - Look. I understand your reasons. I also had them. But if you want to go on, you'll have to trust them, just as you think I can. -

Herra looked doubtfully at the clone and the droid. The mere fact that the two of them are working together was hard enough to believe. But the commando droid's plan was not without its flaws.

Herra: - Very well... I'll trust... A little. But don't hesitate I'll shoot you if you try something weird I'll shoot you in the head. -

Alpha: - I'll take it into account. -

Bly: - Really? What probability do we have of victory? -

Alpha: - 99.3%. -

Bly: - It must be a joke. -

At the same time, Boil's group was engaged in searching for the remaining resistance members while making their way through the different checkpoints scattered around the city, when a sudden call interrupted the commander with a strategic planning with Boil's subordinates. he.

Boil: - Commander TR-1. What is the situation? -

TR-1: - Commander. Our scouts report that a group from the northern flank of the main force has abandoned their position and is heading towards the city. -

Bill: - What? -

TR-1: - What you overheard commander. They have twenty minutes before a battalion of more than five hundred stormtroopers arrives at their position. -

Boil: - Understood. Over and out. -

Howser: - What is it, Commander? -

Boil: - Enemy reinforcements are coming. We have to withdraw immediately. -

Numa: - No. We can't. Not yet.-

Boil: - Numa listen. I know there are many Twi'lek to save, but if we don't go back right now we won't be able to save anyone and we will be in danger. -

Numa: - No. I can't leave it. I have to save my friend. -