"Commander Blue." Krik turned his attention back to the Clone at his side. "Rally your men and prepare to advance. I will lead the charge and try to draw the majority of the fire. We just have to push on slowly until the AT-TE walkers are in position."
“Aye sir.” Blue responded. He barely had time to get his words out before the general was busy cutting down droids. “Alright 117th we’re advancing. Major Pierce I want those anti air cannons either captured or destroyed ASAP. Everyone else push further into the city.”
“First Company is on the job sir.” Pierce’s voice rang back through the comm followed by a string of Mandalorian profanity aimed at the Separatists. The battle sure hadn’t dampened the Major’s spirits yet.
Blue popped up from his cover and shot down three battle droids before advancing. He took cover again behind a duracrete building that was mostly reduced to rubble. The sounds of explosions rang all around him. Two other clones that were following him were shot down by the super battle droids advancing down the street directly in front of him. Blue leaned from behind the wall tore through the nearest one with his DC-15 Blaster Rifle before retreating behind the safety of the crumbling building. He was joined by Lieutenant Kai who slid into cover barely being missed by the advancing machines.
“Sir there’s no way my platoon can link up with the rest of 1st company under this heavy fire.” The officer stated. He turned to his right and fired into the hole that lead inside the building itself. The droids were advancing from several sides.
“We landed to close, most of the Battalion is cut off from each other. I want you to find Milo and the third Company, they should be closer. Support them and then push to the anti-air cannons to link up with Pierce.”
“If you say so sir.” Kai ran back into the fight and gathered his men. The platoon followed their officer through the building that Blue was taking shelter behind. A few of them were hit but the majority broke through the enemy lines. The Commander attempted to peak out into the street but had to retreat before an enemy rocket took his head off. A chunk of wall exploded and peppered his army with dirt and grime.
“Captain Cut, you’re with the General. He should be somewhere towards the front by now.” Blue said over his comm-link. He heard an affirmative click through his helmet. Apparently Cut was too busy getting shot at to answer verbally.
******
Sergeant Deuce cried in agony as Bacta pulled his shoulder armor piece off to inspect his wound. They were close to one of the anti-air cannons, a mere twenty yards to be exact. The large weapon was constructed as a tower, the same as the other cannons surrounding the facility. It stood a reasonable distance away from the enemy shield that protected the center of the compound. The gun at the top of the three story-high tower rotated at the top and shot down a gunship that had gotten entirely too close.
Specialist Boomer was keeping them covered as best as he could using his DC-15 but he had lost his rocket launcher earlier and two rolling Droidekas had started to advance on their position. They were in the lobby area of what must have been some kind of business office on the planet before the construction of the Separatist military base that was now present in the city. Bacta had Deuce leaned up against a durasteel desk as he treated his wound. Boomer was taking cover at the front of the room behind the wreckage that was once the building’s main entrance. The shielded droids slowly advanced toward the three clones as their weapons released a volley of red energy bolts.
“Blasted clankers!” Bacta barely heard Boomer yell over the sound of the battle. The extremely too close for comfort cannon tower deafened his ears each time it fired a shot.
“Karabast hold still you whining protocol droid.” The medic yelled as he wrapped a bandage around Deuce’s wound. The usually charming sergeant was too busy passing out from pain to protest. When he was finished, the medic set the other clone down on his back in order to let him get as much rest as was possible under this much fire. Bacta poked his head over the desk and retreated back down instantly, barely dodging a barrage of red energy.
Boomer turned to fire at the advancing droids once more to fire but was thrown back from a gigantic explosion. His wind was knocked out of him as he landed flat on his back. His vision went blurry and he could only barely make out the silhouette of a super battle droid now standing over him. He reached for his discarded weapon but it was too late.
The droid fell on top of him with six burning holes in its back. An armored boot kicked the droid off of Boomer and a hand reached down to help him up. The clone took the hand and slowly stood as he regathered his strength. The anti-air gun that once stood twenty yards away from the building he was standing in was replaced by a massive pile of debris.
“One down, eleven to go.” The voice next to him sounded like a clone. Boomer looked to his side where the man was standing.
“Where did you come from?” Boomer smiled under his helmet when he finally recognized his rescuer.
“Over there.” Major Pierce pointed back at the rubble that used to be a gun tower. “Figured you boys can use some help, and you might even want this back.” The Major handed Boomer his rocket launcher. The specialist smiled again before the two of them turned to check on Deuce and Bacta.
When they reached their comrades, the glow from the energy shield disappeared.