"Anyone got eyes on the Commander yet?" Hyker asked over comms as they approached the barricade protecting the Separatist base.

"Nothing, what about you?" Rex's voice asked over comms as he waited alongside Anakin and Ahsoka and the rest of the 501st along with some of Tack Battalion ready to strike as soon as Commander Thorn's position was located.

"Nothing." Hyker sighed before switching comms. "Anything Fives?" He asked desperate to get this over and done with to get back and protect the Capital. The stress of not having the Commander by his side was starting to become too much for him to handle, let alone the looming thought that perhaps they were searching for a corpse instead of the breathing Commander.

"Scabs thinks he's found a large energy field that's drawing enough power to suggest that someone is being detained there." Fives informed as he looked over the holo-image Scabs was showing him at that moment. "My guess is that it could be the detention level." Five suggested as he continued to analyse the holo-map he was being shown.

"Are you sure Fives?" Wolffe asked over comms as he shared a slightly worried glance at Hyker as they both looked at the holo-image Fives had just sent over. "Because we can't be wrong with this. We have one shot." Wolffe emphasised, the amount of worry for the safety of his wife showing clearly through his voice as he spoke to one of his many brothers.

"Brother, I'm sure." Fives stated back with so much certainty it made Rex proud so say that he was a part of the 501st.

"I trust Fives' judgement." Anakin stated over comms after hearing the whole debate. "If that much energy is being diverted to that level, they must be keeping something or someone important down there from getting out." Anakin said unwaveringly as he took a similar stance as his former master.

"Or keeping us from getting in." Mik interrupted abruptly. "We have to be sure! There is no point in us walking blindly to our deaths!" Mik emphasised as he stood beside an anxious Hyker and a worried Wolffe. "Look, Hyker, I know you want to find her, but we can't risk the safety of the Capital. Rose wouldn't want us to." Mik stated firmly as he turned to Hyker trying to get some sense out of the man.

"So, you suggest we leave her here to rot?!" Wolffe snapped at Mik, his eyes holding only sorrow and rage.

"We all will make this trip sooner or later Wolffe." Mik muttered sympathetically. "It might be time for you to accept that. We all have." Mik stated as he gestured to the surrounding soldiers of Kithom.

"I am not leaving her." Wolffe snarled, his grip on his blaster only tightening the longer they continued this convocation.

"We are sure." Fives interrupted calmly as he reobserved the holo-image. "Scabs?" He asked looking to Scabs for complete conformation.

"Bróðir, sá ir sinn. Iak vita sá ir."  Scabs replied strongly through the comms no sense of doubt lacing any of the words he spoke to his brothers.

"It's your call Hyker." Anakin stated as he took over the comms. "If you think this is it then we'll move, but you have to be sure." He said reassuringly as he awaited the go ahead from Hyker as he did not want to make a move on this base without having the best Kithomen fighters fighting beside him.

At first, only static came over the comms as Hyker contemplated the possibilities. If he got this wrong, then a whole lot of men would've died for nothing and then there was also the possibility that Rose wasn't even there. However, Hyker knew that he had a duty to his men to find their Commander and a promise to fulfil to Wolffe to find his wife. "Hyker, do you read me? Is this a go?" Anakin asked again after he gained no response from the Lieutenant.

But Anakin was still met with complete radio silence from Hyker. "General." Rex stated as he started to notice Anakin's uneasy from the silence he was being met with. "Let me try." Rex offered to which Anakin sighed slightly before giving a small nod of his head knowing that Rex had a better understanding of Hyker.

"Do what you can Rex." Anakin stressed before switching comms to allow Rex to speak to Hyker directly.

"Bróðir." Rex said his voice no more than a slight noise in the light wind on Kithom. "Iak vita, iak vita fram. Men Þer eiga á gøra sjá." Rex emphasised, he himself understanding the onslaught of thoughts and possibilities that would be racing through Hyker's head whilst he tried to decide. Rex knew all too well how difficult it was to decide on leaving a man behind, and he only wished in those moments that he too had someone to reassure him that he was making the right decision. But this was war, and it will always be brutal. "Hon munu vilja Þer á gøra sjá."  Rex urged hoping that Hyker would continue on the course planned.

Again, only static came through the comms as everyone waited in anticipation for Hyker's reply. "Tack, move to position." Hyker's voice finally responded. "We blow it on my count." Hyker ordered firmly as himself and his men moved into position.

A brief sigh of relief flowed through the men after Hyker had finally made the decision to continue with the path planned. But like always, this was war, and that relief was only temporary.

"You heard him men, move out." Rex relayed to the rest of the 501st. "We'll meet you on the other side Hyker." Rex confirmed before turning back to Anakin to get a sense of the thoughts going through Anakin's head.

"I hope he knows what he's doing." Anakin confided in Rex as they both stood side by side watching as they waited for the first part of the barricade to be blown to pieces.

"He does General, I'm willing to bet my life on it." Rex stated confidently. "And so is Wolffe." Rex mentioned before turning his attention to the first barricade.

At the mention of the 104th Commander Anakin halted his doubtful thoughts of the Lieutenant. It was clear to everyone within the Republic that the 104th Commander trusted these soldiers with his life, and the judgment of Commander Wolffe was definitely one to be sworn by. "Then that's good enough for me." Anakin nodded before igniting his lightsabre, Ahsoka following her master's actions swiftly after. "Let's go!" Anakin ordered as soon as the blast from the explosion of the first barricade was heard.

At Anakin's words, the 501st along with Tack Battalion and the Wolf Pack. Set to their task of infiltrating the Separatist base. Swiftly and silently, using the explosion of the first barricade as a distraction, each battalion started to scale the rather large barricade that was currently blocking their entrance into the Separatist base. "We're going to want radio silence as soon as we get over this wall." Anakin whispered as he started to scale the barricade in front of his legion. "Like Hyker said, we don't know what could be waiting for us so best to keep a low profile until then."

"Copy that." Hyker replied. "Wolffe? Do you copy bróðir?" Hyker asked after not hearing from Wolffe in sometime.

"Yeah, I copy." Wolffe replied begrudgingly. "Let's just get this over with." Wolffe stated eager to get his wife back.

(In the base)

"You know, they'll come for me." Rose grunted breathlessly as she glared at the droids currently standing guard watching her bleed out. "But then again, you're droids." She laughed as she hung her head whilst she dangled from her current restraints. "You don't understand loyalty." She spat as blood dripped down her chin.

"You really shouldn't be talking." One of the battle droids stuttered as it stood there watching the Commander slightly worried that she would make some sort of escape.

"Try and stop me droid." Rose laughed as she readjusted herself whilst in the restraints.

"Ah, it seems that our current guest still has some fight left in her." Count Dooku announced as he stood outside of her cell slightly disappointed that the Commander hadn't broken yet.

"Oh god." Rose moaned as she glared at the Sith lord. "Are you here to try those Jedi mind tricks on me again? Because I distinctly remember those not working the multitude of times you've tried." She smirked as she watched the Count become slightly irritated by her resilience to the force.

"Perhaps a visit from a minion of the Growth might open your mind Commander." Dooku suggested smugly as some droids brought down a rather grotesque looking creature towards Rose's cell. "I do believe you are familiar with one of these aren't you Commander?" The Count rhetorically asked as he watched all fight drain suddenly from Rose's body.

"Ah a Rathe. I'm impressed Count, that one must've been hard for you to catch considering I slaughtered most of them." Rose mentioned as she started to discreetly readjust herself within her restrains so that she was ready to defend herself against the creature.

"Indeed, it would seem that the Growth isn't too pleased by that Commander. Perhaps this reacquaintance would be beneficial on both parts. I mean after all, they do like to feed on Kithomen flesh." The Count stated before he opened the ray-shield and threw the Rathe into Rose's cell.

At first, the Rathe stood stunned by the sudden movement of its body. The sight of its flesh slowly peeling away from its body was enough to make you feel sick. Not to mention the rather bone chilling noise the creature emitted as it started to sniff the air surrounding it. However, the creature was in fact blind and relied on its sense of smell and its hearing to guide it towards its prey. Suddenly the creature stopped sniffing as soon as the smell of Rose's blood filled its senses. A type of black sludge started to seep from its mouth, almost as if it was salivating from the smell of Kithomen blood. Its neck made a sickening snapping sound as it whipped its head around in the direction that the smell seemed strongest. Rose, noticing that the Rathe was now seemingly glaring straight towards her, gripped the chains above her restraints tighter to prepare herself for the incoming attack. Suddenly, the Rathe lunged at Rose's hanging body. Its claws nipping her side slightly before she had managed to swing herself out of the way of its attack.

Using the momentum of her swing, Rose hoisted herself up slightly using the chains above her to swing forward as the Rathe lunged again only this time, Rose managed to wrap her legs around the neck of the Rathe trapping it as she squeezed her legs tighter to try and make the Rathe fall unconscious.

"It seems you are enjoying this interaction Commander." Count Dooku taunted as he watched the fight from the other side of the ray-shield.

Rose, having now managed to get a chain loose, gripped tighter onto the snapping and struggling Rathe whilst glaring down the Count locked her legs together around the Rathe's neck. "If this is the best you can conjure up Count." Rose taunted as she grinned a bloody grin before using the strength in her legs and forcefully snapping the neck of the Rathe, killing it instantly. "I'm extremely disappointed." She grinned as she loosened her hold on the Rathe allowing it to slump to the floor in a melting lump of rotten flesh.

Suddenly, the base shook almost as if it had been hit by an earthquake causing a multitude of alarms to start blaring around the base. "It would seem you have some guests Count!" Rose called over the sound of the alarms mocking the Count as he walked away from her cell in slight defeat.

"I want you to find me those responsible for this." Count Dooku seethed at a droid as he stormed towards the main hub of the base.

"Roger Roger." The droids obeyed before marching off in the direction the explosion had emitted from.

"I want all droids on all corridors and exits." The count ordered. "It would seem that our little guest has acquired some unwanted visitors."

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Translations:

Bróðir, sá ir sinn. Iak vita sá ir = Brother,  it is her. I know it is

Bróðir, Iak vita, iak vita fram. Men Þer eiga á gøra sjá. Hon munu vilja Þer á gøra sjá = Brother. I know, I understand. But you have to do this. She would want you to do this. Make the call brother.

Hello!!!!!

I know that a lot of you was commenting for an update and I am so sorry it has taken this long for me to update but I really wanted to write this as a whole chunk which is why it has taken so long! So! there will be a few chapters released within the next few days, I hope everyone had a good Christmas!

Enjoy these next few chapters, and as always a massive thank you to everyone who has commented and voted! and those who have only read the story it really means a lot. ☺️