"We need to move before those fighters come back!" Rex yelled over the din of battle. He heard Kix yelling his name across the field. Gritting his teeth, He charged though the blaster fire. "Jesse take right flank! Dogma, the left!" He roared. Another mortar soared over his head, and he dropped. Rolling, he came up on his knee and returned fire, practically scuttling the rest of the distance on his hands and feet. He rolled again to avoid fire before coming to his feet, sprinting the rest of the way to where Kix and general Krell stood. Well, Krell stood, Kix kept running out from cover to drag injured troopers back. Cavalry hobbled around on her broken foot, providing aid where ever she could. 

"The capital's defences are too strong. We need your help." Kenobi's voice crackled over a hologram. Rex popped a few more shots off before coming to stand by Krell. 

"Resistance from the Umbarans has been greater than anticipated. We're holding our ground at the moment." Krell reported. 

"We've gathered intel on an airbase to the west. It is resupplying the capital's defences-" Kenobi was cut off as a warning was shouted. One of the mortars from the fighters hit nearby, sending out a deadly explosion of blue-green fire. Rex returned fire half-heartedly. " If you could capture that airbase, it would sever the capital's supply lines, allowing the rest of our forces to move in."

"I'll see to it that the airbase is placed under our control." 

"Remember, General Krell, the entire invasion depends on your battalion." Kenobi reminded. Krell nodded ended the transmission.

"Captain Rex, have those coordinates mapped, and all troops ready to move out immediately." Krell growled, seemingly oblivious to the battle raging around him. Not knowing entirely what to do, Rex saluted him. 

"You heard the general, wrap it up boys." He yelled, and the men gathered the wounded and retreated back to the plain they had taken with general Skywalker. They followed along the east side of the ridge, and came within sight of the compound. Rex, Fives, and Krell stood on a small outcropping, overlooking the airbase. 

"The base is heavily guarded. At least three tank divisions, plus guns. . It might be best to-" Rex started. Krell cut him off.

"We will advance along the main central gorge to the base. It's the quickest way there. Kenobi is counting on us." Krell interjected. "We will engage their forces in a full forward assault." 

"The gorge is narrow, sir." Rex tried to reason with the shrewd general. "We'll only be able to move our platoons in single squads. Perhaps..." He was walking close to the gundark's den now, and he knew it. "Perhaps a closer recon will tell us if there's a more secure route." 

Krell rounded on him, the sack of skin on his neck flaring out angrily. "Kenobi and the 212th are holding out from taking the capitol while they wait for us to take out this base. We don't have time for a closer recon captain." He sneered. Rex's mouth fell open behind his helmet. 

"Sir, yessir." He stuttered out, falling back to his training, like he always did when he was confused. Krell scoffed and left. Fives sidled up next to him, and they looked out over the base together. 

"Ori'vod, I got a bad feeling about this." He whispered, like the general could still hear him from across the field. 

"I know Fives, I know." Rex whispered back. There had to be a way... He pulled up a holomap of the surrounding area. Finally, Fives tugged on his arm.

"Let's go." Rex nodded and followed him. They approached the opening of the gorge. The troops formed up around Rex, and he relayed his instructions. Holding his helmet under his arm, he rested his foot on a stone. 

"We'll assemble the squads into two divisions. We'll move straight up this gorge towards the airbase at the far side." Rex relayed. The men's reaction was a surprisingly sane one. Mutinous, and even could be considered borderline treason, but sane nonetheless. 

"The casualties are going to be high."

"Is Krell trying to get us killed?"

"I wasn't sure that Krell was crazy before, but now I'm positive."

"We had to retreat from the capitol because Krell pushed a flawed strategy, and now this?"

"I don't know. Could be fun." Hardcase chuckled, hefting his heavy rotary gun.

"I, for one, agree with the general's plan. We're running out of time, and this is the best option." Dogma cut in, leveling angry glares at his brothers. 

"No recon? No air support? We don't know what we're up against." Jesse yelled back at him, twirling his helmet around his finger. "They have weapons we've never seen before!"

Rex sighed. He had to end this, and end it fast. "A few of general skywalker's plans seemed reckless too, but they worked." He said firmly. Fives, who had been leaning casually against the canyon wall stood upright suddenly. 

"Yeah, but general skywalker is usually leading his men up in the front. Not bringing up the rear like general krell. A full forward assault would leave us too exposed." He yelled. Rex shot him a look, but his Euk vod didn't back down. Uneasy murmurs rose up in the ranks, and Rex couldn't blame them. This plan was going to get them killed. For what must have been the thousandth time, he wished Ahsoka was there. She and Skywalker would never sit for a plan like this, and if they were forced to, she would have something just right to say that would put the mens' minds at ease. His suppressed a small grin. That would be my girl alright. He shook himself out of the revery. 

"Fives." He called his brother over, away from the men. This was one of the times where he needed all the diplomatic skills that he had. "It... It would help if you eased their minds." He said finally, meeting Five's eyes.

"What? And coax them into going along with another one of Krells suicide missions? We lost a lot of men that time." Fives said incredulously.

"I know, he's not Skywalker. But he is our CO." Rex resisted the urge to grit his teeth.  "He's a recognised war hero for force's sake."

"He may have had some victories, but have you seen his casualties? He has the highest of any jedi general in the GAR!" Fives snarled, getting up in Rex's face. 

"That's the price of war, Fives. We're soldiers, and we need to be ready to fight, or even lay our lives down for the success of the republic." Rex intoned solemnly. He turned to leave.

"Is that what you believe, or is that what you're engineered to think." Fives grabbed his arm, looking up at his Ori'vod. 

"I honor my code., That's what I believe" Rex said flatly.  He left Fives standing there. Oh Ahsoka. Where are you when I need you the most? If only you could be here now...

A/N ~ Sorry for the wait, I had writers block. On the other hand, thanks for all the compliments about how good I am at writing. It means a lot to me. I also am working on another project... But that's for later. Wow. Almost 3K reads, and 200 votes. Happy Star War day! May the Fourth be with you. The clone wars ended today, and it was so sad. I wanted to write fuzzy feels again, but I can't Mon Cala (timeskip to the end of) this arc. It's too important for Rex's character development and bla bla bla author stuff bla bla story arc bla bla bla... Yeah, you get the picture.