Chapter 142 - Escaping...?

A small piece of doorway flew over Dageer's head, after being destroyed by a red laser. Dageer crouched, and returned fire. Two B1 battle droids fell to the ground, their chests busted open.

Dageer walked slowly, and bent down to pick the magazines from their bodies. He was starting to get low on ammo. It had been about ten minutes since Cell had freed him, and he was now able to walk by himself, albeit slowly. However, as he started to exercise, his paralyzed muscles started to get better.

"This way."

Cell had made his way inside the building, so he was able to find his way out easily. Seeing no more droids coming at them, Dageer finally had the chance to ask Cell how he found him.

"Finding you was easy. The problem was getting to you. I had to do this damn climbing..."

"Climbing? Oh, no. You escaped right from the cell, right? You crazy... That was dangerous. Thank you."

"You are welcomed."

Dageer knew that Cell was bold, but not so much. Climbing could only involve escaping from the cell through the open end of it, the one that was an abyss. Cell must have gotten out through it, then climbed horizontally until he got to the temple. And only then he had done the 'easy' part, which involved sneaking into the prison and freeing Dageer. It was a miracle he hadn't died.

"Do you know where are the others?"

"Yes. They have been separated from the rest ever since that woman brought you in. However, we should be able to get to them pretty easily, they are only in another area. I think they were also being interrogated..."

Cell looked down when he said that. He looked ashamed, and Dageer knew why.

"Cell... It was Berro's decision. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have been able to split through Ventress' fingers and rescue me. By doing that, we now have the chance to free all of our captured brothers. Berro... He died as a soldier, and one of the best."

"Yes, sir."

His voice was rough, but Dageer was sure Cell understood what he meant. Clones died all the time in this war, and there would be a time to mourn, but not now.

"We need to leave before Ventress discover we escaped. Wait... how much time have passed since you fired the first shots?"

"Ten minutes or so. She is not here. That is the only reason I got so far. A few hours ago, she took a big portion of the clanckers and left. To where, I don't know."

"Uhmmm..."

That made things easier. However, he could not help but wonder where Ventress was, and what she was up to. The rogue jedi - or whatever she was - was cunning and dangerous.

At this moment, they finally arrived at the exit of the prison, and Dageer pushed Ventress to the back of his mind. He had more important issues.

Before he was the huge temple, surrounded by snow and mountains as far as the eyes could see. In the night sky, stars were closely packed.

Dageer looked left and right, but saw no droid. It appears the prison was far enough so that only the ones inside heard of his escape.

"Finally something is going right for us. Cell, where is the armory?"

...

Two shadows slipped behind and unaware droid patrol. Using the cover of the night, Dageer and Cell waited for the patrol to get away, then started to hack into the control panel of the armory. As one of the most import buildings in every military camp, the system protecting the door wasn't easy to get past, but Dageer had learned a thing or two from Tech.

He used the butt of the E-5 to dislodge the control panel, revealing a myriad of wires. He looked for a while, then started disconnecting and connecting wires. Cell was on lookout, and stared at the droid patrol nervously.

"Sir, they are coming back."

"Just a few more... ugh... seconds."

A few more steps and the droids would see them. Cell gripped his blaster tightly. The moment the droids saw them, he would fire. It was always best to hold the initiative.

"We are in! Quickly!"

With a 'swoosh' sound, the door opened. Dageer quickly put back the control panel, and it hanged precariously. Anyone who wasn't blind or stupid would see that it had been broken, but the droids were almost ways the latter. The clone duo slipped inside, and the door closed behind them.

"Wait. I think I heard something... bzzz..."

"Nah... the cold must be freezing your circuits, F6-F4. Bzzz... You should use some oil... it's amazing."

"As if the assassin would let us..."

"Shhh! Bzzz... Quiet! Keep walking."

...

"That was close."

"Come on. We don't have time to waste. Be careful."

The armory could be described as the most secure building in any military base. Without weapons and armor, any operation was a suicide mission.

It was no surprise when they saw dozens of guards spread along the armory. Crates were laying here and there, so at least they had a bit of cover, but the moment a fight broke out, they would be flanked by the droids outside.

"What do we do, sir? I see twenty-eight seppies, with the possibility of more where we don't have eyes."

Cell looked over one crate and counted the droids. If they had grenades and the rest of Hell Squad, it was possible to break through with brute force, by with just the two of them, it was impossible.

"Are you able to sneak past them?"

"I'm not that good. There are at least three of them in an open area where they can see everything. Two more up the platforms, with eyes on the whole. They have no blind spot."

Frowning, Dageer reloaded his blaster. They needed their armors, and if possible their weapons, or else they would freeze to death outside. And they needed to secure the armory, otherwise the unarmed clones would be slaughtered.

"We will have to take care of this the old-fashioned way."

"Ahmm... sir?"

...

The sounds of blasters firing broke the silence of the night. Two droids belonging to a patrol fell in the snow. The remaining four turned around, trying to identify the attacker. A few seconds passed, and another droid was taken out, but the patrol finally identified the position of the attacker.

"Over there! Fire!"

They sprayed the region with fire, and the red lights momentarily showed a clone, before disappearing on the night. The droid leading the patrol turned on his communicator.

"Sir, we are under attack by clones. There is a rebellion!"

"I will send support. Hold your position."

"Roger roge... Ahhhh!"

Inside the armory, a droid sergeant issued a series of orders, and two squads worth of battle droids left the armory, going outside.

When the sound of the metallic steps vanished, the lid of a crate was lifted.