Captain Rex felt judged by the encrypted hologram of Captain N-11. Ordo. Ordo had answered the call, agreed with slight hesitation to encrypt the channel and was actually agreeing to help them, as long as the Jedi wasn't there. Plausible deniability the Null ARC had stated, General Skywalker had asked if Ordo would help Blitz, and after getting a firm yes, the Jedi had accepted that.

"You're sure that was what the amended GAR medical codes stated." Sergeant Kal Skirata asked, a nasty grimace on his face. If the rumors were to be believed, he had trained a company of Commandos and the Nulls.

The Nulls were absolute legends on Kamino.

"Yes Sergeant." A civilian born human in the GAR. Rex wasn't sure how he felt about that, even if the man was mandalorian. "Authorized by the Supreme Chancellor." Despite being a sergeant, it seemed like he was in charge. Something else that was bizarre.

Various mando'a curses filled the line, Rex listened with fascination. He hadn't heard much besides Basic.

"Blitz, anywhere you particularly want to go?" Kal finally asked.

"I can get you pretty much anywhere." Dudley added. Kal eyed the boy.

"I know a few places on Mandalore, or you can come to Coruscant. The Galaxy is yours, son." Kal told him.

Rex had to force himself to be quiet, Blitz should be able to stay with the GAR. The Republic was a good thing. A tiny voice in his head asked, 'Then why did the Republic try to kill him?'

"Can I join your crew Dudley?" Blitz asked, he was aware the Dudley had carried him out of the battle and made sure he got medical treatment. His blaster even beat the Jedi to the medical droid. To a soldier, that stuck.

"Of course," Dudley smiled, "I want you to know strait up front that you can leave at any time. If you decide you want to become a farmer on some distant Rim world, I'll do my best to make it happen."

"I'd like to speak to you in person, if that's alright with you son." Kal had a reassuring smile on his face, "You too Dudley, the rest of your crew as well." The smile became shark like when the old NCO turned to Dudley.

"Absolutely Sergeant, though it may be a few days. My cousin is a force sensitive, Jedi stuff." Dudley explained, slightly nervous.

"One of my sons may drop by if that's the case." Skirata acknowledged, "Blitz, Rex; ret'urcye mhi. Dudley."

The holocam switched off.

"Though I get the sense he doesn't like me very much." Dudley stated.

Clank-clank-clank

Sergeant Topper cursed. "Heavy-One-One, redirect fire to point bravo." There was a slight pause in the AT-TE's firing, before the mass driver cannon re-orientated. A Separatist AAT exploded, sending a handful of B1 droids flying. Not that it mattered much, a dozen of the tanks still hovered on, forward cannons firing.

One droid got up, still apparently active, rejoining the wall of droids marching too them.

Clank-clank-clank

It seemed to be an endless stream of droids. "Sergeant, we're going to have to fall back. The tank's main gun is overheating." The AT-TE pilot called out over a secure channel. Topper raised his decee, cracking off a handful of shots before ducking behind a makeshift barricade.

"Copy." Without the Enforcer, two squads wouldn't hold the droids long, "Fist squad fall back to secondary positions, second squad stand to!" Twelve troopers raised out of cover, pulling triggers back until their blasters overheated. Underneath their gloves, the troopers' hands burned.

There was a cry of pain, Klick had been hit in the calf with a blaster bolt. The first squad trooper had been running to a point of cover further back. The droids sensed weakness, several machines concentrating fire at the fallen trooper.

In Topper's HUD, Klick's vital signs went blank.

Clank-clank-clank

"Second Squad, requesting immediate artillery support." Topper reported, "Position mark twelve, push sixty meters north east!"

"Acknowledged second squad. Understand artillery already engaged. Repeat, no artillery support available."

The AT-TE fired its smaller cannons, the battledroids slowed down a bit. The heavy walker backed up into a narrow street. The plaza GAR forced had engaged the enemy at was an advantage for the numerally superior CIS forces. The narrow street on the other hand…

The street was one of three ways to get to Talon base, where heavy artillery cannons sat behind nice fortified walls. Tanks and troopers had been deployed to slow the advancing droids down until reinforcements landed from one of the Venators in orbit.

"Running low on ammo." The Enforcer's main gunner commented, "Eight rounds left."

The mention of ammunition had Topper checking his belt, a single energy cell left. Plus, the half empty one he had in his DC-15A. The trooper shuddered, it was an event strait out of his nightmares. An endless stream of droids, not stopping no matter how mand you killed. Killing clankers until your blaster ran dry and the damn things kept coming, until the blaster you scavenged from a fallen brother went dry, until the gauntlet vibroblade went dull, until the trooper physically couldn't go on. Waking up, out of the dream as he fell in the nightmare.

It was a vison common among troopers.

Clank-clank-clank

"You talked with Skirata?" Malcolm asked, "Really?" Dudley wasn't sure if Mal was scared or excited. Maybe both?

Dennis shoulder checked Mal, "Sorry about that Blitz. He isn't usually like this."

"It's alright?" Blitz floundered, he was not used to teens. Or non-clones in general.

Captain Rex crossed his arms. "I heard you guys volunteered to help with the landing?"

Gordon answered, "Our VCX is a lot tougher than a larty. So, we'll drop the first team to try and hit some of the lighter triple A units."

Dudley frowned that they had decided something without them, even if that was what he would do. It was a good plan too, deploy some shock troops to clear an area for the larties to hit the force attacking Talon from the flank.

"They're even fitting the ship with some proton torpedoes." Dennis grinned, "Unfortunately not proton bombs, the VCX has torpedo tubes, not a bomb chute."

Dudley nodded, "Should be fine. How many troopers are we dropping into combat?"

"A squad, plus Rex and I." Anakin Skywalker commented as he walked up to the VCX, and the group of teenagers beside it. Several blue painted troopers carrying heavy weapons and packs.

"It would be better if we had some ODSTs." Dennis muttered. "Clearing landing zones are their jobs."

Rex almost asked, but there was a battle to fight. He could ask about ODSTs later.

"Yularen to Skywalker, second squad needs immediate assistance." The Admiral's voice came over the General's wrist comm, "Routing coordinates to you now."