Ch. 3: The Unknown

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

Battle for Ringo Vinda!

Republic forces are locked in heated combat with the droid armada on a massive space station that encircles an entire planet. Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Padawan Leia Organa under the alias Lena Luce valiantly lead their men against the onslaught, which has lasted several rotations with neither side gaining any ground. Aided by the twin sister Jedi Masters Tiplee and Tiplar, the Republic now mounts a desperate offensive to break the deadlock.

After her actions on Geonosis, Leia's actions have worsened her relations with Skywalker and the clone troopers, whom she views as lap dogs of the Sith. It is during this bloody battle young Leia will discover the truth…

Ring space station encircling Ringo Vinda, 19 BBY.

Leia followed Anakin and just like him, was using her lightsaber to block the shots coming from the Battle droids as the two led their clone forces through the corridors of the space station. At the same time, Tiplee and Tiplar, the two sisters, led their clones somewhere nearby.

"Push forward!" Anakin ordered with Rex beside him firing at the enemy with his two DC-17 hand blasters. "Stay to my left!" Tup yelled to Fives. Suddenly, one of the damaged droids lying on the ground, used its strength to arm his E-5 blaster rifle at the ARC trooper. "Fives, watch out!" Tup yelled as he jumped at Fives, hitting the wall as the shot missed them, then finished off the droid by shooting it in the head.

"Thanks, brother. I owe you one." Fives thanked the trooper. "I owe you more than one." Tup answered, offering his hand to Fives, which the ARC trooper gratefully accepted. Getting up, the two brothers followed the others and continued to fire with their DC-15S blaster carbines. At the same time, a company of BX-series droid commandos appeared from one of the side passageways and began brutally killing the clones. While they were busy firing at the clones, Leia turned around and attacked the droids from behind, slicing them in half while the clones led by Jesse and Dogma finished off the rest. Soon, they arrived at what seemed to be a control room. The Republic forces quickly finished off the battle droids as Anakin and Leia were rejoined by forces led by Tiplee and Tiplar.

"Don't get too comfortable, the battle hasn't been won yet." Anakin Skywalker told his troops as Fives and Tup took off their helmets. Rex, meanwhile, displayed the hologrammic map of the station. "Master Skywalker, we must get to the command post. Admiral Trench has sent for reinforcements." Tiplee spoke to the young Jedi knight. Leia gulped once the name Trench was mentioned. She thought that she would be having a heart attack if she had arachnophobia once she saw the image of him. Just before the battle, once Skywalker and Organa got note that the Separatist forces on Ringo Vinda are commanded by Admiral Trench, a curious Leia wanted to know more about him. The question was who she can ask about it. Anakin didn't really talk to her, and if he did talk to her, then not that often, while she also didn't have the desire to talk to Anakin, or Vader, as she still called him. She thought of talking to the clones, but before she could she immediately understood that they tried to avoid her as well. Only Admiral Wullf Yularen was kind enough to tell about this Admiral Trench, despite his relations with Skywalker and her.

When she entered the bridge of their flagship, a Venator-class star-destroyer, Admiral Yularen was standing in the middle, commanding the clone deck officers. "Admiral Yularen?" she asked and the Corellian officer in his grey uniforms of the Republic Navy, with the insignia plaque of an admiral the left side of his chest. "So, you're a new reckless Jedi on my ship?" Yularen asked in return instead of answering like 'what is it' or 'yes'. "Um… yes, sir." Leia hesitantly asked. It was obvious that everyone on Skywalker's flagship, and maybe even in Yularen's entire fleet, knew of Leia's actions on Geonosis, thus gaining a negative reputation among the 501st, and the crew. The least Leia needed was for Yularen to ignore her. She didn't like him for he was an ISB officer when she was the senator. Her father, Bail Organa, introduced him to her during a party within the Imperial Palace on Coruscant.

"I hope there won't be any trouble in my fleet." Yularen stated. "No, sir. I just want to ask." Leia assured him, fighting the anger within her. "How can I help you?" the admiral coldly asked. "Well, we are going to Ringo Vinda, right?" she asked, Yularen nodded. "And… from what I heard, the enemy forces are led by someone called Admiral Trench." Leia immediately noticed how Yularen's look changed as if she told her something terrible. "I just want to know something about him. Just to be prepared." She explained. Yularen gave a heavy sigh and motioned the girl to follow him. Leia followed the admiral until they arrived to a computer. Yularen gained access to the database of the Republic Military Intelligence and the screen displayed a portrait of Admiral Trench.

"Gods, that is one big spider." Leia commented, looking at the Harch male with a cane. "Admiral Trench was once a feared commander for the Corporate Alliance, now for the Separatists." Yularen began lecturing her. "He fought in numerous conflicts, but he gained fame during the Andoan Wars, when defended his home world Secundus Ando and then began a counteroffensive against the Andoan Free Colonies. He is one of the galaxy's greatest strategists. His tactics were ruthlessly efficient. He formed the blockade of the Malastare Narrows for the Corporate Alliance, and nearly eradicated the task force that I have commanded. However, we won, and Trench was presumed perished along with his flagship. Sometime during the first years of the war, I encountered Trench once again when he led the Confederate blockade of Christophsis. We used an experimental stealth ship to breach the blockade. In the end we outsmarted him, crashing several torpedoes into the bridge of his flagship."

"But he survived once again." Leia finished for him, still looking at the portrait and began scrolling down the information on the Harch admiral.

Now, Leia was among their forces on the station, getting closer to Trench.

"We must take this post before they arrive." Tiplee continued as she knelt with Skywalker to look at the map. "It's time for phase 2. We're at this position." He pointed at one point of the map. "Tiplar, you'll take your men down this passageway. Tiplee, you'll move along here. They will have to divide their forces to counter us and when they'll do, Rex and I will press through the middle. If we time it right, we'll all coverage on this spot at the same time, and the droids won't know what hit them." He pointed at where the three passageways on the map converge.

"If we're making a run, we'll need backup." Clone Commander Doom stated. "My men are severely depleted."

"Fives, you and Tup take ten of your best men and support Master Tiplar." Anakin ordered while the green female Mikkian nodded. "We're on it, sir." Fives answered. "Lena, you will stay with me." Anakin then stated. Leia had no other choice but to obey. She had to admit, being on the frontlines was better than staying inside her cabin for days. When she was grounded on Geonosis, she first spend her time in the chambers given to her. After they left the planet, she was sent to her new personal cabin on their flagship. While Anakin was fighting the Separatists, Leia spend days in her cabin, not permitted to leave. A clone deck officer usually brought her food and water, but didn't interact with her. Her personal cabin became more like a prison. Soon, she was summoned by Anakin, who gave back her lightsaber and allowed to join him in the battlefield. Though he warned her that if she would disobey him once again, he would send her back to the Jedi temple and maybe even worse, transfer her to the Agricultural Corps of the Order.

As everyone was preparing for another battle, both Leia and Fives noticed Tup rubbing his eyes. "Hey, are you alright?" the ARC trooper asked him as he was putting on his helmet. "Yeah. I… I just…" Tup began to explain. "Come on. This is a textbook battle." Fives tried to reassure him, gently punching Tup into the shoulder. "We've run through this a million times before in training." He continued. "Yeah, I know. I just… don't feel like myself." Tup answered. "What do you mean?" Fives asked concerned, despite the emotions on his face were hidden because of the helmet. Just then, Tup looked at Tiplar her forces, ordering them to follow her. Leia then heard Tup whispering one word with hatred and rage.

"Jedi."

"Tup, what's the matter with you?" Fives asked as he gently hit him again. "Uh, nothing. I'm fine." Tup immediately answered as he put on his helmet. "Come on, brother. Don't want to be left behind." He said. The two then looked at Leia. "What?" they asked. "Um, nothing." Leia answered back, trying to avoid a conflict with them. Since Geonosis, the clones were trying to ignore her, and although she apologized to Dogma, and he apparently, accepted her apology, the other clones looked at her with disdain and distrust. As if she cared. For Leia, they were still her enemies, enemies to her father, enemies to the Jedi, enemies to what she, her father, and the Jedi were standing for, the Republic and its ideals.

The two ran after Tiplar as Leia watched them with confusion and concern. She wanted to follow them, but with Anakin calling her she instead obeyed her master.

After storming through the forces of mostly B1 battle droids and a few Droidekas, the three Republic forces entered what seemed to be a hangar, filled with B1 and B2 droids along with DSD1 dwarf spider droids, Leia sliced another B1 droid and looked at the command post on the other end, presuming that the Harch admiral is in there.

"Increase our defences. We must hold them here." Admiral Trench ordered his super tactical droid that nodded in response and left to execute the order, while Trench overlooked the battlefield below him. Leia, as usual, was beside Anakin while Tiplar entered along with Fives and Tup. "Don't fall back! Push forward!" the ARC trooper yelled to the clones behind him. While blocking the shots from the advancing droids, Leia looked to the left. She saw Tup stopping in the middle of the battle, touching his head as if he was having a headache. "Tup, hey, this is not the time to freeze up. Pull it together. We're almost to the finish line, come on!" Fives told him as he passed him by. Tup didn't answer, just hit his helmet a bit, apparently trying to stay awake. He his behind a column and aimed his blaster carbine at Tiplar, who was injected his lightsaber into one of the dwarf spider droids. However, he hesitated before lowering his DC-17 and taking off his helmet, muttering the word Jedi and smiling malevolently. After destroying the DSD1, Tiplar began defending herself against the advancing B1's. Leia, watching this, tried to interfere, or at least scream for Tiplar, but the advancement of droids made her mostly concentrate on them, while trying to see what will happen.

"Good soldiers follow orders." Tup muttered to himself and with that went straight to the Mikkian Jedi, ignoring Fives' calls. Defending herself, Leia, along with Fives, watched in horror as Tup approached, aimed his blaster carbine at Tiplar's head. She only managed to turn her head and see the blaster aimed at her before being shot.

"No!" Leia cried. "Tup, no!" Fives yelled, while Tiplee cried "Sister!"

It all happened in a sudden, it sounded like an ordinary blaster shot in the battle, but everyone saw what Tup did, even Anakin. Tup, meanwhile, suddenly looked horrified at what he did, while Fives pushed him to the ground to not get shot. Tiplee and Leia quickly ran towards Tiplar's body. "Hold your positions!" Anakin ordered his forces, only for Doom cry out "Destroyers" as Droidekas and B2 rocket troopers arrived and began massively killing the clones.

"We've lost our momentum! Full Back!" Anakin yelled, and the Republic forces retreated. Leia meanwhile was helping Tiplee carry her sister to safety, while looking at Tup with disdain, anger and hatred. "Fives, I don't know what's going on, but you are responsible for Tup. Get him back to the base, I want answers!" Skywalker ordered the ARC trooper, who nodded while holding Tup, who was still resisting.

Admiral Trench watched as the rocket troopers and Droidekas made the Republic retreat. Today the Separatists managed to outstand another Republic offense. However, that didn't concern him now. Confused, and for some reason, disturbed, Trench watched the recording of the battle, particularly the moment when the clone shot the Mikkian Jedi. No, the word 'shot' wasn't right, he executed her.

"The Jedi have redrawn their forces." The Super Tactical droid reported. "Contact Count Dooku immediately." Trench ordered. "I have something he'll be very interested in."

Just then, the hologram of Count Dooku appeared before him. "Count Dooku, the Republic forces are in full retreat." The Harch began. "But this is not why you contacted, is it?" the count of Serenno asked. "No, Count. In truth, the Republic had pushed my droids to the breaking point when they suddenly turned and fell back. It seemed that at the height of the conflict, a clone turned on his Jedi General and… executed her." Trench answered.

"Intentionally?" Dooku asked, trying to hide his shock and concern.

"I saw it with my one eyes." The admiral assured him. "I have studied clones, and fought against them in many battles. This action is unlike anything I have witnessed in their behaviour as soldiers." He stated. "So, there is a traitor in their midst. It's rare, but such things have been reported in the past." Dooku stated.

"Not a traitor." Trench objected. "This was different, it seemed."

"Yes, admiral?"

"It seemed as if the clone could not help himself, as if he was entranced." Trench explained. "Thank you admiral. I will take this under advisement." Dooku answered and with that, the hologram disappeared.

"Master Tiplee, I'm so sorry for what happened to your sister. I should have done something." Leia told her as the Mikkian was mourning her sister. "It is not your fault, child. You couldn't have done anything. Death came from where we did not expect to come." Tiplee assured her, putting her hand on Leia's shoulder. 'At least I expected it to happen,' Leia thought as Anakin approached them two after the clones sealed the doors

"Why? Why would he do this?" Tiplee asked him. "I'm about to find out." Anakin answered and Leia followed as he went towards his clones. Tup was sitting in the corner handcuffed. "How is he doing, Rex?" Skywalker asked. "I'm not sure general. It seems like he just snapped." The clone captain replied. 'Yeah, I think you are sure, you guys are just waiting for your master to give you the order to execute all of the Jedi; men, women and children,' Leia thought bitterly as Rex knelt to Tup.

"Tup, can you hear me?" he asked. "Yes, captain." Tup answered. "What happened?" Rex asked another question. "What do you mean?" Tup asked back, obviously confused, though Leia arrogantly trying to ignore it, stating to herself that he's just bluffing. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Rex asked in an angry tone. Suddenly, Tup was starting to behave as if he was entranced and began muttering the same words while Anakin, Fives, Kix and Rex looked disturbed.

"Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders…"

"What is he talking about?" Kix asked as he tried to return Tup to his senses. "I have no idea." Rex answered the medic. However, once the clone trooper saw Leia he muttered the words "Kill the Jedi" and ran towards her, intending to attack her, but Tiplee used the Force to knock him against the wall. "We need to get him back to the medical bay before he hurts anyone else." Anakin stated and Tiplee nodded.

Count Dooku's Palace, Planet Serenno. 19 BBY.

"My lord, I have received a report that leads me to conclude we may have encountered a grave complication with one of our assets." Count Dooku told his master as he knelt before the hologram.

"Assets?" Darth Sidious asked.

"Yes, sir." Dooku confirmed. "A clone trooper has executed one of the Jedi generals."

"And you believe this is indicative of our programming?" Sidious asked. "I do my lord, but I cannot be certain." Dooku answered, looking up at the hologram. "It is pertinent we ascertain if this is an isolated event, a failure in this particular clone's programming. Otherwise, my plans may be ruined." The Dark Lord of the Sith stated and with that ordered Darth Tyrannus to seize the clone immediately.

Ring space station encircling Ringo Vinda

Leia followed Anakin as he, Tiplee, Fives and Rex entered the medical bay of their base within the station, guarded by clone troopers. Once they entered, Leia saw a confused and shocked Tup strapped into a bed, desperately trying to free himself.

"Fives, what's happening to me?" Tup asked.

"You don't remember?" the ARC trooper asked. "No." Tup answered, even more baffled, as Fives took a deep breath. "You murdered General Tiplar." He stated. "What? No. That's not possible." Tup argued back. Leia mentally scoffed, calling it a 'bluff' as she looked at Tiplee, who was watching Tup with disdain. Leia understood and agreed with what the Mikkian was feeling now, she also lost many people that were close to her. "I would never… I could never." Tup stammered as he continued to object. He once again tried to free himself, only for Fives to grab his arm.

"Tup, you did." He stated. "I don't understand. How could this happen?" Tup desperately asked. Leia watched with tension as the ARC trooper motioned for a medical droid to grab a syringe and inject it into the strapped clone trooper. "What's happening to me, Fives? Ah! No! No!" Tup cried as he began to fall to sleep.

"What do you think happened?" Rex asked Anakin. Instead, Skywalker asked Kix did he check all Tup's scans. The clone medic confirmed that all of Tup's scans were clear, presuming that Tup was having combat-related stress due to a possible breakdown. Leia scoffed to herself in disbelieve again.

"Kix, you should know better. We were designed to withstand any stress." Rex argued. "I agree. We've been through a lot together. He doesn't seem to remember what happened. It's like he's sick or drugged." Fives added. "Well, it could be a virus, a toxin. I can't be certain." Kix answered. Anakin looked at the sedated Tup. "Let's talk outside."

"You mean the enemy could've made him do this?" Anakin asked once they were all in the corridor. "It's a possibility. There've been rumours that the Separatists have been trying to develop an anti-clone virus... biological warfare." Tiplee spoke for the first time since the incident. "Listen, we are not equipped for this type of situation." Kix said. "He'll have to be taken back to Kamino. Only then, we'll have your answer."

Anakin nodded and ordered to prepare a Nu­-class shuttle for the oceanic planet.

Leia stood alongside Fives and Rex, watching as four clone medical officers in their white uniform carried to Tup to the shuttle, while being escorted by some troopers.

"Wait! Wait!" Fives suddenly stopped them as he ran towards the strapped clone. "Tup, it's gonna be fine, I promise. They'll fix you up real good." The ARC trooper comforted his friend. "We'll be having a good drink in no time, eh?" he asked. Instead, Tup once again muttered "Good soldiers follow orders" through his breathing mask. "You are a good soldier, Tup." Fives told him as a clone medic told him that it was time to go.

"Be careful." Anakin told the medical officer. The two Jedi and two clones watched silently as the Nu-class launched itself and left the star-destroyer followed by four ARC-170 starfighters.

"We're tracking clean." The clone pilot within the shuttle reported once the squadron left the star-destroyer. "Calculating hyperspace jump in five, four…"

"Whoa, whoa. Wait, wait." His co-pilot interrupted. "Scanners indicate incoming craft. Abort jump!"

Just then, a HMP droid gunship followed by droid rocket troopers appeared and opened fire at the Republic spacecrafts. The B2 rocket troopers swiftly flew towards the starfighters, gunning down the pilots by shooting through the glass one by one. The HMP gunship meanwhile, launched multiple Pitsoeka sabotage droids on the shuttle. The Pitsoeka quickly dealt with the pilots by casting them into outer space and began infiltrating the shuttle, with the clones inside floating due to the lose of gravity within the shuttle. Without hesitation, every one of them took a breathing apparatus when they heard the noise of the sabotage droids as if they were laughing at the clones like hyenas.

"Can't let 'em in here. Hold the line!" A clone sergeant ordered. Soon, three Pitsoeka droids appeared, only to be quickly shot down by the clones. "Here they come!" the sergeant exclaimed and the first rocket trooper appeared. "Blast 'em!" the clone yelled and fired at the droid, only to be shot. His body immediately flew to the other end while a clone medic grabbed his blaster carbine. He hid as the clone troopers were dealing with the B2 rocket troopers. Once the droids dealt with them, the clone medic, shivering from fear, finally took the courage and began firing at the incoming foes, taking down two, only to be shot from a third one in the chest. With the guard taken down, the B2 droids placed an unconscious Tup into a stasis pod.

"General Skywalker, you are nearing the coordinates where we lost contact with the shuttle." Admiral Yularen stated as he examined the hologram of an Eta-class shuttle approaching the wrecked Nu-class.

"We can see it now. It doesn't look good." Anakin answered via com device.

"Looks like some buzz droids got on the hull and opened it right up." Rex guessed, looking at the wreckage floating in space. "Hmm. Strategically, this attack does not make any sense." Fives stated thoughtfully. "Unless they were after something specific." Anakin argued back.

"Tup!" Rex exclaimed.

"I'm going over there." Skywalker immediately stated. "Were coming with you." Rex added. Soon, the three, with Anakin wearing a space suit, began examining the shuttle, searching for their friend as they examined every floating corpse of a clone.

"Over here. This is Tup's gurney." Anakin Skywalker called the clones. "The restraints have been cut."

"The clankers took Tup? Why?" a confused Rex asked. "They must be responsible for whatever's happening to him." The ARC trooper guessed. "It's possible. All I know is, they went to great lengths to capture him, and that means something." Anakin added.

"We have got to get him back." Fives said. "Don't worry. We'll find a way." Anakin answered. With that, the three left the wrecked shuttle.

Trench turned as he saw the Super Tactical droid leading to B1 droids with the stasis pod. Pleased with the result, the Hark admiral immediately contacted Dooku. "We have captured the clone, Count." Trench reported. "Good work, admiral. Send him to me immediately. Under all circumstances, keep him alive." The hologram of Dooku ordered in respond. "Yes, sir." Trench nodded in response and turned to the droids. "Get him on the next shuttle out of here." He ordered. "But the Republic blockade…" the ST droid was about to protest. "See to it personally, commander." Trench told the droid.

Meanwhile, the Eta-class flew towards the Separatist section of the station.

"It will be just the three of us going in." Anakin spoke to the two clones. "The shuttle will drop us off just short of the main hangar. Then we space walk from there."

"Are picking anything up on Tup's locator?" Rex then asked Fives. "I've got a faint signal, but it's hard to track. It's moving." The ARC trooper replied. "Then we have to hurry." Anakin stated. Soon, the shuttle stopped at the station near the main hangar and the three began space walking. "I've got a better signal of Tup. He's heading this way." Fives pointed. "They're moving him to the hangar." Anakin confirmed.

Soon, the three were holding at the edge of the hangar's passageway and saw a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle standing in front of two large squads of battle droids.

"Are you scopes Jedi-issue, sir?" Fives asked. "Stay focused, Fives." Anakin answered as they used their binoculars to get a better look of the hangar. "I hope everything will go right." The ARC trooper spoke again. "At least we don't have Luce with us." Rex assured him, making Anakin glare at the clone captain. "Yeah… at least she's not with us now." Anakin agreed. "What was she thinking back then on Geonosis?" Rex then asked. "I don't think she was thinking at all." Fives answered with disdain. "She must learn some discipline and respect."

"Concentrate on the mission boys." Anakin interfered and the clones turned their attention back to the hangar. "I wonder what she's doing now." Rex added thoughtfully. Although he ordered his subordinates to be concentrated, Anakin's mind was still filled with thoughts of his new padawan. Since the moment she arrived, Anakin sensed that the girl was filled with anger and hatred, and although she tried to hide it as best as she could, they were directed at him. What made a Jedi youngling to despise and hate him so much. At the same time, however, Anakin didn't really want to deal with having the girl as his padawan.

'If only I didn't do something horrible to her before that,' Skywalker thought. From what Master Yoda told him, Lena was an orphan from Alderaan. But Anakin was never on Alderaan. Sure, he heard about the home planet of Senator Organa, but he never stepped foot on the core world.

"There he is sir." Rex told him as they saw Trench's ST droid and Tup, still in a stasis pod, being taken to the Sheathipede-class escorted by a group of B1 droids. "We'll have to work fast." Anakin stated.

"There must be a hundred droids in that hangar, not to mention the starfighters. This is stretching it even for you sir." Rex argued.

"Rex, you're starting to sound like Obi Wan." Anakin answered. "You got a better idea?"

"Look, I don't doubt you could pull it off," Rex began explaining. "But I'm just not sure Fives and I would be around to see it happen."

"I've got an idea." The ARC trooper spoke.

"Well, let's hear it. Quickly!"

Instead of answering, Fives installed a grappling gun onto his DC-17 hand blaster.

"Grappling gun. Good thinking." Anakin praised the ARC trooper. "Get ready to hold one." Fives told the Jedi knight.

"That's why he's the ARC trooper." Rex commented as the shuttle was starting its engines. Once it flew out of the hangar, the clones fired their grappling guns onto the shuttle and followed along, with Anakin holding Rex. Soon, the three got onto the shuttle as it was leaving the station.

"Is there a problem?" the ST droid asked the B1s piloting the shuttle. "We were experiencing some drag, but the sensors are stabilized now." The droid sitting on the left side reported.

"You were experiencing drag in the vacuum of space?" the Tactical droid asked another question. "Yeah, strange. But it is gone now." The B1 answered.

At the same time, Anakin broke into the shuttle first, igniting his lightsaber, as he saw Tup being guarded by BX-series droid commandos and a pair of B1 droids.

'Scrap 'em!" he ordered the two clones as he took down the two regular B1s while the clones fired at the commandos. He swiftly sliced the droids, before using the Force to hit a droid with another BX, saving Rex from being beaten by it. However, Skywalker himself was punched several times by the ST droid while Rex and Fives finished off the remaining clankers. Once he was hit by the tactical droid again, Anakin cut off its arms and grabbed the droid.

"Hey, now we're experiencing a turbul…" the B1 pilot began to speak again, only to be shot by Captain Rex.

"What's going on? What do you know about this clone?" Anakin growled at the ST. "I am programmed to resist intimidation." The ST droid answered without emotions, only for Skywalker to cut off its head. He then approached Tup and Fives.

"How is he doing?" he asked. "Not well. Not well at all. I think he's dying, sir." Fives answered, his voice filled with concern. "We have to get him to Kamino." Anakin stated.

Republican fleet at the Ring space station encircling Ringo Vinda

Leia ran as fast as she can through the empty corridors of the Venator­-class. She has received a message from Admiral Yularen that General Skywalker summoned her. She arrived as just as Tup was escorted by another group of medical officers as Anakin was talking to Rex and Fives.

"Lena, you're here. Good." Anakin spoke instead of greeting her. He then told her, Fives and Rex that they must escort Tup to Kamino for inspection.

"I want a full report from Kamino." Anakin ordered the three. "If Tup is a victim of some Separatist plot, we have no idea of how widespread it already is."

Leia had mixed feelings about this. On one hand she didn't want to have Anakin, or Vader, out of her sight. On the other hand, if this was somehow related to the Jedi Purge, she could find strong evidence and prove it to the Jedi Council. 'It may sound impossible,' Leia thought, 'But I could try to save the Jedi.'

"Lena."

Leia turned to her master.

"Tup is one the troopers I am close with, and after what happened to Dogma, I'm still have doubts about you. Still, I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself by sending you to Kamino along with Fives and Rex. You must stay by his side at all times. I don't want any more slipups. I hope you would not break my trust, will you?" he spoke to her.

"I'll try my best, master." Leia simply answered.

"Behave yourself." Anakin told her. Leia rolled her eyes in response, but he did not see that as he left. Soon, she joined the two clones along with Tup on a Consular-class cruiser set for Kamino.