011. INTERCEPTED TRANSMISSION

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ARIMIYA'S FINGERS TAPPED AGAINST THE COCKPIT CONTROLS WITH BOTH BOREDOM AND IMPATIENCE. She turned in the co-pilot's seat to look over toward Ahsoka. "Doesn't it bother you that they left us behind?"

Ahsoka simply shrugged. "Master Kenobi did have a point about keeping the group small. It'll be easier for them to remain unnoticed and get information."

Arimiya's eyes slowly narrowed. "You're still on thin ice after the citadel... aren't you?"

Ahsoka nodded her head. "Yeah, Master Skywalker wasn't pleased afterward, and I'd rather not push my luck now."

"I mean... what's the worst that could happen if we borrow a ship and do a bit of recon on our own?"

Ahsoka frowned. "They could put us on a suspension or possibly even look at kicking us out of the order if things go extremely wrong."

She didn't see the downside of either option, especially since she believed that if the council believed that Kenobi couldn't control her then maybe they'd reassign her. Although, the suspicious look on Ahsoka's face warned her not to discuss the matter any further or she may not be able to make it to the planet's surface after all.

She stood from her seat and stretched. "I think I'm going to head back to my quarters—"

"Hold on," Ahsoka interrupted her as she noticed that one of the lights on the console began to flicker. She flipped the switch beneath the light and the hologram flickered to life. The image was distorted but Count Dooku's voice was immediately recognizable.

"General, take care of the south factory where droid productions have temporarily been stalled. I will send my apprentices to take care of the eastern laboratory, the assassin will handle the west, and I will send droids to handle the other disruptions."

Arimiya frowned. "Well now we have to go down there."

Ahsoka hesitated but slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah... Yeah, we've got to go."

"I'll get the guys." Arimiya nodded her head and quickly exited the cockpit.

"I'll get the ship." Ahsoka nodded her head again and walked off in the opposite direction.

The door to the Shadow Squad's quarters hissed open and she stepped inside without hesitation. "Who's ready for some action?"

"Finally!" Burst exclaimed and shot up from his bunk, hitting his head in the process.

Bits, on the bunk above, also shot straight up. The startled look on his face was quite amusing and Arimiya failed to hold in her laugh. Ace raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I was certain that we had very strict instructions to remain on board the cruiser."

"Well that was before we knew about the ambush." Arimiya brushed his comment aside nonchalantly.

The four clones gave one another a blank expression before Bits crawled down from the top bunk. He lifted a finger to draw her attention. "Um... what ambush?"

"The one that Ahsoka and I overheard from the communications within the cockpit," Arimiya explained and then tugged on Burst's arm. "Now come on, we've got to go."

"Couldn't we warn them from here?" Skid asked as if that should have been the first course of action.

Arimiya groaned in frustration. "Sure, but that would only work if the planet's surface wasn't running interference to block our communications."

"They're jamming us?" Ace asked, the concern in his voice growing.

"Obviously." She nodded her head. "They have to know we're here. That's sort of how an ambush works."

"I know that." Ace retorted and snatched his helmet before begrudgingly leading the group toward the hangar. "Did you let Gunnar know that we'd be taking a ship?"

"That's the Phoenix Squadron pilot, right?" Arimiya asked.

Ace sighed. "I'm going to take that as a 'no'."

"See," Arimiya joked, "This is why I keep you boys around."

"Burst, send a transmission to Gunnar," Ace instructed, "Make sure we have clearance."

Burst nodded his head before stepping aside to jump on the comms. Ahsoka ushered the others forward as she gestured to the ship. "We're all set."

"Great!" Arimiya clasped her hands together.

"Now all we need is a pilot," Skid muttered under his breath.

"You didn't bring a pilot?!" Ahsoka asked incredulously.

"I'll fly!" Burst exclaimed and took a seat in the pilot's chair.

"Absolutely not!" Bits shook his head.

"When you fly, we all end up airsick," Skid added in agreement.

"You'll end up airsick either way, Skid," Burst protested.

"Not the time," Arimiya immediately shut them up as she slid into the pilot's seat the moment that Burst stood up to fight.

"You know how to fly this thing?" Ahsoka asked skeptically.

"Yeah, R'avida taught me awhile back," Arimiya shrugged and pressed a few buttons, "Piece of cake."

Ace frowned and took a seat in the co-pilot's chair. As Ahsoka took a seat in the back with the other three, Ace muttered under his breath just loud enough for Arimiya to hear, "I'm pretty sure you crashed that day and she never let you fly again."

"Hush," Arimiya hissed. "We'll be fine. Besides, we know what we're getting ourselves into. What could go wrong?"

"Now that you've asked the question? Everything."

"Have I ever mentioned that I love your sense of optimism, Captain?"

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OBI-WAN STRUGGLED TO KEEP UP AS ANAKIN SPRINTED DOWN THE HALLWAY. His voice hissed as he tried to keep his volume down while still catching the other's attention, "Anakin! Wait! This is a reconnaissance mission. You have to slow down or we're going to be seen!"

"If that's the case," Anakin retorted in a harsh whisper, "then we should move quickly so we're not caught out in the open."

"I hardly see how—"

"Master?" Anakin turned and walked back over to where Obi-wan had face planted. "Why are we stopping?"

"Obviously I needed a rest," Obi-wan rolled his eyes before providing an actual answer, "I didn't notice that this floor tile was misaligned from the rest and lost my footing."

"Perhaps you should be more aware of your surroundings."

Obi-wan frowned at the smug grin plastered to Anakin's face. He stood and dusted himself. "Can we just move on?"

"Age before beauty." Anakin took a step back and motioned for Obi-wan to take the lead.

Rather that reply, Obi-wan shook his head and took the lead. The laboratory was much larger than their group had anticipated. So as to make the most of their limited time on the planet's surface, they had divided into pairs of two. He and Anakin had taken the east side of the lab, Rex and Cody had taken the north side, Waxer and Boil had taken the south, and Fives and Jesse had taken the west.

After walking a short distance down the poorly lit hallway, Anakin stopped. His eyes quickly shifted back and forth, and his head turned to check his shoulder. His voice was a low whisper. "Do you hear that?"

The sound of a lightsaber igniting was accompanied by a red light which reflected onto the walls of the hall. From beneath the hood of the cloaked figure on the left, a pair of glowing red eyes gleamed as if challenging them to approach.

"You see them too?"

"Frankly, I had been hoping that my mind was just playing tricks on me," Obi-wan admitted before detaching his hilt from his belt.

"So much for recon." Anakin's saber glowed as it was ignited.

The three blades waited for the fourth member to ignite their blade before the fighting could begin. However, rather than just one blade, a second emerged...and then a third. At the time, it was unclear whether their opponents were wielding dual-sided sabers or simply each had a pair; however, it was certain that they'd been caught by surprise.

"Obi-wan, I think... this is a trap."

"And what gave you that impression, Anakin?"

"Are you boys lost?" Both of their heads immediately turned to focus on the voice that had spoken to them. The glowing red eyes sauntered closer as their host taunted them once more. The pair of blades striked against the ground leaving a scorch mark that would not be soon forgotten. "We certainly don't mind showing you the way out."

"No thanks," Anakin shook his head and took a step back.

Obi-wan nodded his head in agreement. "Something tells me that your way out includes traveling by coffin."

The cloaked women rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That would be ridiculous... for it insinuates that there would be something left of you to carry out."

Without another word, she signaled her partner to charge and she ran alongside him down the hall toward the pair of Jedi. As if entirely scraping the idea that they were still only on a recon mission, Anakin prepared to defend himself and fight back. However, with limited space to work with while separated from the rest of their team, the best strategy that the Obi-wan could come up with was retreating. He quickly pulled Anakin back beside him, blocked the incoming blow that had been directed toward his head, and ran back down the hall keeping the ship's location at the forefront of his mind.

"What are we doing?!" Anakin shouted, but didn't fight the implied command to run.

"Getting out of here," Obi-wan shouted back, "if it was all just a trap, there's no need to stick around any longer than we have to."

"What about the device?"

"Most likely just a ploy to take advantage of us," Obi-wan explained. He checked his shoulder and frowned to see that they were being followed. "We need to lose them... if separated, meet back at the ship."

Anakin nodded his head to show that he understood. The ship wasn't too far, now if only they could avoid running into any more problems.