Tracker

"What is it?"

"We are on the ship, general. Commander Wolffe is safe. We are just waiting for you."

Behind the hushed voice of General Secura, Dageer could hear the sound of lightsabers clashing, sick coughing, and footsteps. It was clear that the Jedis were having to fight for every step of the way back.

"Blow it! Blow it now!"

Dageer hesitated for a moment, and glanced at Commander Bly. The clone nodded, and so, Dageer took a deep breath, and pressed the switch.

At first, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the entire fortress shook. Bits and pieces of it started collapsing, revealing a cloud of fire and smoke beneath.

"They are out, sir!"

Dageer shifted his macrobinoculars to the exit of the fortress, in time to see General Secura and General Plo Koon running. The series of explosions that brought the building down followed in their heels.

Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones that escaped the fortress. Ventress and the metallic abomination got out too, followed by a dozen commando droids.

"Take off! Commander, take off!"

Dageer was able to hear the Jedis even without using the communicator. He quickly relayed the orders to the pilot, and the ship got off the ground, the lower ramp still opened.

While the ship was lifting, Dageer knelt, doing his best to not fall and fire at the clanckers at the same time. It wasn't easy. The commando droids were quite far, and were agile enough to dodge almost every laser. The fact that the clones were firing from a moving ship also didn't help.

Red lasers hit the ramp in several spots, some even ricocheting in the inside of the ship. Since it was hovering twenty meters above the ground, the seppies also had difficulties aiming at the clones. Most of their shots hit the underside of the ship, leaving scorch marks and nothing else.

"General!"

Seeing the two Jedis approaching, Dageer stopped firing, and grabbed one of the support poles with one hand, and stretched the other.

Although she was on the ground, twenty meters below Dageer, at this moment General Secura turned off her lightsaber, and jumped.

The seemingly impossible jump was easily completed by her, and she landed softly on the ramp, ignoring Dageer's hand. Once there, she pulled out her lightsaber again, and started deflecting lasers.

General Plo Koon was the next one. He used the Force to push back Ventress and the monster that was with her, and jumped up. Right when he landed in the ramp, however, his injured leg gave up, and he stumbled backwards.

Before he fell, though, two hands held him, and pulled him back. The Jedi nodded briefly, acknowledging Dageer's and Tech's help, and turned to the Separatist below.

After seeing the two Jedis escape, Ventress had ordered the commando droids to stand down, and stop firing. Dageer could see hatred burning in her eyes as she looked at them. The being next to her was angrily swinging his two lightsabers at the ground, leaving deep, burning scars on it.

"We will get you next time, Jedi scum. I will enjoy killing you both, slowly. And you, Dageer, sweetie... I hope the destruction of your legion was painful. I wish I could have been there, and killed that Jedi general of yours with my own... Arghh!"

Hell Squad wasn't able to listen to Ventress' hateful words. When she started talking bout the 303rd, Dageer couldn't hold himself back anymore. He pressed the trigger of his blaster, only releasing it after the weapon started overheating in his hands. The six clones behind him did the same.

No matter how good she was with the Force, Ventress was caught by surprise. She had assumed the clones would listen quietly, but she hadn't thought of the impact her words would have on Hell Squad.

A laser hit her thigh, making her kneel in pain. Her two lightsabers waved around, deflecting the dozens of blue lasers coming for her. It was only after the monster next to her intertwined and helped, that she was able to get up.

Listening to the sick coughing, and the cackling laughter, her hatred for Hell Squad and Dageer grew bigger. Time after time, the clone had escaped from her hands, and ruined her plans more than once.

Cutting in half a commando droid next to her, which had been stupid enough to try and assist her, Ventress glanced at Dageer. The ship was getting farther and farther up the sky, but she could still clearly see them.

"I will kill you, clone. And I will make sure to make you and your squad suffer and despair."

Up in the ship, Dageer ignored Ventress, and pressed a button inside the cargo compartment, making the lower ramp close. Ventress wanted to kill him, and he would welcome her to try at any moment. She had caused a lot of pain to him, and Berro wasn't the only brother of his that she had killed. She might be a Sith, but he had confidence in Hell Squad.

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"How is Wolffe doing?"

"The medical droid is taking a look at him, general. He should be awake in about twelve hours. According to the droid, his wounds aren't too deep, so he shouldn't be still unconscious. Apparently, there was some kind of damage to his mind."

Hearing Commander Bly and the two Jedis talking, Dageer frowned. He was very familiar with Wolffe's condition.

"It was Ventress, sir."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was tortured by her, she didn't use just the normal tools. She killed my men in front of me... And she used the Force. She got into my mind, to the point where I didn't know how I was, and on which side."

General Secura frowned. Jedis never used their powers to torture and break the mind of the people, but she knew it was possible.

"Is that why she hates you so much, commander? Because you didn't tell her what she wanted?"

Dageer sighed, and looked at the sleeping Commander Wolffe. With his wounds dressed, and after treatment, he clearly was better, but his eyebrows were furrowed, a sign of the nightmares getting worse.

Without him realizing, his hand touched the scar on his face, making the Jedis exchange a curious glance.

"I don't know what I told her, general. All I remember is pain and darkness. And, I don't mean to say we can't trust Wolffe, but I don't think he will remember it either."

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"They escaped! And now the child will become another Jedi!"

Looking at the ship flying into space, Ventress snarled at General Grievous. She couldn't believe they let the Jedis escape, and, worse than all, she wasn't able to break Commander Wolffe. She didn't know where the Force-sensitive child was.

"Kakaka... Cough! Cough... Cough... The Jedi... Will lead us to to the child, assassin. I am not as stupid as you. Cough! Captain, is the tracker in position?"

"Yes... General."

Ventress glanced at the clancker, and then at General Grievous. Her anger turned into embarrassment, caused by the droid abomination outwitting her, and then turned into joy.

Since they had a tracker on the ship, they would know exactly where the Jedis were going. Thinking about the punishments that she just escaped, Ventress could not help but shudder. And glancing at General Grievous, she was stunned by the intelligence the abomination showed. She suddenly realized that she had to be more careful around it.