Chapter 42 - Fire

Commander Keeli looked at Dageer, who in turn asked him a question.

"What now commander? There is only half a base aiming at us."

"Well... I only planned until this point. I didn't think we would make this far this fast. Either they are worse than we thought or we are much better than we thought. But now is not the time to talk. We have to find some cover, take the stairs!"

They ran towards the stairs that lead downwards, getting some cover behind some containers, but if the droids used a pincer move, from up and down, they wouldn't be able to survive five seconds.

"Dageer, any idea on what do we do?"

"Sir, that might sound even crazier than the ideas I had before, but I think there is an easy way to complete the mission, and maybe even come out alive."

The commander fired a bit from the corner, at least for now keeping the droids below them away.

"I'm interested. What is this way?"

Dageer knelt down and aimed upwards, taking down a few brave, and dumb, droids who tried to charge them.

"You see those red barrels over there? If I ain't wrong they should be tibanna gas. See that they are connected to those vultures? If we blow the barrels then we start a chain reaction."

"Yeah, and probably we will go to hell with it."

"Are you up to it commander?"

"Any doubt? When I count three. One... two... three!"

They got out from behind the containers and fired. The big barrels were an easy target for experienced shooters like them.

At first there was no reaction, even when the lasers hit. However, after a few shots hit the same place, the barrels finally exploded. A wave of heat passed by, throwing them onto the ground.

The tibanna gas burned green, and as the fire ignited the gas inside the hoses, green flowers of fire were formed. When it finally got to Vulture droids, shrapnel flew everywhere, dismembering the droids near. By now no droid was paying attention to Dageer and Keeli, neither they were able to.

Fire started to spread through the whole base, and firefighter droids were trying to put it out, without success.

"Ohoh! Commander, I think we might have a slight problem!"

The fire had made it's way up the C-9979, and even if it didn't blow, even if it just fell it would be disastrous.

"Dageer, let's go back the way we came. Up, now!"

They run up the stairs, and found themselves back into the top of the walls. The droids were too worried about the alredy out of control fire to go after them, so they faced no impediments.

Commander Keeli got to the cables they used to come in and jumped, Dageer following suit. The droids outside had alredy died, but after seeing the fire General Di had tactfully ordered the 303rd to stay their advance.

Dageer and Commander Keeli were alredy quite a distance away when the C-9979 finally couldn't hold on anymore. An explosion bigger than the others sounded and then it fell, crushing the west wall.

The whole air base was on fire, and Dageer was sure that there was no chance any droid survived it. Brain approached them.

"Sir, I think when the general said 'take the air base' he didn't mean set it on fire."

"Hahahaha! You know Dageer, I think this trooper here is right."

"Well commander, I can't take all the credit to myself. If it wasn't because of you I wouldn't even had gotten inside the air base."

General Di approached them, and the clones got in standard military position.

"General!"

"Good job you two. On fire or not, this base won't be able to send any air support to Count Dooku. Any sign of the Separatist weapon?"

"Nothing sir. But I think I now where it is."

"And where is it Dageer?"

Dageer pointed to somewhere behind General Di. There, a black pillar was growing larger by the second.