The thunk, thunk, thunk, of the bombardment almost lulled him into a false sense of security. There weren't really that many tri-fighters who were coming towards the bombers and posing a threat. A few here and there peppered Anakin's display screen as he zig-zagged left and right, keeping them from getting hot on his tail.

He was pretty sure they weren't really trying that hard either. The targeting tone beeped loudly and Anakin pulled on the trigger of the fire control releasing two laser blasts towards the fighter. It erupted in a plume of fire and sparks which showered through the atmosphere. Anakin felt satisfaction and he smiled to himself. Alone in a cockpit, he could be who he had to be and make sure to take care of those who he had been assigned to protect. He could remove from his mind those people on the ground, well underground, who were fighting the dirty part of this invasion. The part that he wished he was in the thick of right now. "Gold two," Anakin snapped on his comm. "Pull closer, there is another wave just ahead."

"Affirmative General," the voice came back through the speaker crackly and distorted. That tended to happen in the magnetic field of planets. Anakin moved to the left, letting the bomber continue its run straight through and headed at break neck speed towards the incoming fighters. It wasn't much of a fight considering there was only a handful of the enemy and he had five of his own flyers who were extremely skilled pilots. He passed through the fighters and threw his fighter into a steep climb, circling back towards the fighters with a twisting manoeuvre. Anakin never let off the thrust and could feel it pushing him into the seat. Good thing these had dampeners, or he would be completely squished flat. Letting the Force guide his hand, Anakin hovered over the first fighter's target mark. He waited for the tone and then pulled the trigger.

He was rewarded with the explosion of the fighter and another fighter straight ahead had been hit with the shrapnel from the first. It was now spiraling down through the atmosphere towards the ground.

Anakin was sure it would make spectacular mark on the planet when it finally hit, but he wouldn't get to see it from this vantage point. "Just like Podracing," Anakin said under his breath, hitting several switches. He used his rudder pedals to bring another fighter into his sights. The tone shrieked as he hesitated to pull the trigger.

"Leave some for us!" a voice crackled through the comm. A smile spread across Anakin's face and he switched on his comm.

"The rest are yours, boys," Anakin said, disengaging the target lock and neatly tucked himself back into guarding the bomber. He hated to take away from the clones what they did so well. It just felt so free to be in the cockpit, flying high above the planet. It was something he wouldn't trade for the world, although he still worried about Ahsoka and Rex. Switching to the scramble channel which Rex used during operations, Anakin listened into the traffic of the infantry which had just broken into the factory. They were deep underground fighting the Geonosians, who were known to protect most of these facilities.

"We're taking heavy fire!," a clone said, maybe Rex, but it was hard to tell being this detached from the battle. "Everyone fall back behind the blast door! We need cover!"

"Hold your ground!" a female voice said with a strength that was born from the force. That was his padawan and he was very proud. She seemed to be doing very well and was having no trouble instructing her men. It was good she was getting the experience she needed and Anakin sighed from relief. She was still alive.

 "Gold Leader," a voice broke in on the other comm. "We are at the rendezvous and will be taking on more ordinance."

"Copy that," Anakin said. "Gold four and five follow the bomber all the way in. Gold two and three, you are with me providing air support." He kicked his fighter into a tight spiral and headed towards the perimeter of the refitting area. "Make this a slow circling patrol," he commented through the comm and started his run.

Suddenly, the planet underneath vibrated so harshly, that he could feel it through the force. A giant plume of super-heated gas shot from the ground. Fire rolled from the vents the factory used to disperse steam. Anakin swallowed hard. Somewhere inside that factory, that was on fire, was Ahsoka, Obi-wan and Rex. He sagged in his seat, manipulating the controls of the comm over the scrambled channel. He was met with nothing but static. Stabbing at more buttons as quickly as he could, Anakin contacted the cruisers above. "Give me a status on the infantry and landing parties," Anakin said in a tight voice that snapped when he talked.

"We've lost all contact with them sir," the clone returned the report. Anakin gritted his teeth and sucked in his breath. This was what he had predicted would happen and now he was stuck trying to figure out just how to solve this problem and quickly.

******************************************************************

Rex's gloved hand clawed at the rubble that encased his body. Just a few rocks more and he would be lose enough to get out. He was buried about waist deep in what used to be the ceiling. There was no sign of Ahsoka and several of the men were busy trying to pry their brothers from the mess. 

No one was looking for her. 

Rex clicked to the command frequency. A static shot screamed through his helmet, making him screw up his face and quickly click off the channel. He loosened two more stones and he kicked his right leg free from the rubble. Then he started working on his left. "I need a report on Padawan Tano, stat," Rex grumbled into the companies' own channel. At least they could still hear each other. Several voices snapped back, but there was no report on her status and he heard several calls for medics which were unrelated to his request.

Freeing his left leg, Rex stepped onto the dusty ground and looked around. His Kama was shot, but he didn't take the time to rip it off. It hung like a dirty rag. Luckily his  armor had  protected him during the explosion. What had happened he wasn't sure, but he did know that he had to find Ahsoka. He had promised that he would look after her and now she was missing here in the factory. Hopefully she hadn't fallen into enemy custody, although he doubted that because she as pretty good with that lightsaber. "Can anybody see  Padawan Tano?" Rex growled again through his helmet comlink with less than military precision. He was too worried to maintain the composure he normally had. He needed an answer. Rex was met with a thunderous silence.

 That wasn't a good sign on the battlefield.

Silence usually meant something wasn't right. Some people already knew it was bad and they weren't responding. Tearing through the throng of men tending to their wounded brothers, Rex headed for where he had last seen Ahsoka holding her ground against the winged warriors who were defending the factory. 

There, gathered in a small group, where about five men, kneeling down around a large rock. They looked as though they were listening. Rex grabbed one by the shoulder and pulled him away so he could get a look at who or what was there.

Lying there under a large boulder, which was on her leg, was Ahsoka. She was speaking, but her voice was quiet and hard to hear over the shuffling feet and clacking Armor of the men.

"QUIET!" Rex shouted and pulled off his helmet. He knelt next to her head and bent close to hear her. He thought he could feel her breath on his cheek, but wasn't sure.

"Tell Anakin," Ahsoka said her eyes wide as she looked at Rex's face, the regret passing over her features quickly. "That I'm sorry."

"Don't talk like that, Mesh'la" Rex said trying to smile with encouragement, although he felt nothing but cold in the pit of his stomach. "I'm just going to check what has happened and see if we can get you a medic over here. Everything is going to be fine. You can talk to General Skywalker yourself." Rex looked at the boulder which was pinning her leg to the ground. The large piece of the ceiling had landed with purpose on her leg and probably had caught her off guard. He knew that she could move things that were much bigger, easily. Things didn't look good for the leg, but if they didn't move it, she might bleed out without them ever knowing that she was hurt that severely. Ahsoka might lose the leg; that would be devastating for a Jedi.

Rex hated to make the call on this one because whoever did, would have to answer to General Skywalker and it was sure to be a rain of anger. "I'm going to need help," Rex said to several of the clones who had been standing around Ahsoka. "We are going to have to pick this rock up and move it. We can't roll it because we might do more damage than if we just picked it up."

"Why can't she lift it herself?" one of the men asked and tilted his head to indicate her. "She's a Jedi."

Rex rubbed his hand over his head and looked at Ahsoka. He would have to get her coherent enough to understand what he needed done. "Just get a medic over here nearby so that they can treat her," Rex finally said and knelt back down next to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka," Rex said shaking her a little. Her eyelids were now droopy and she looked very sleepy. "I need your help. Wake up, I need your help."

"Rexster?" her small voice said as she tried to open her eyes to see him, but looked as though she was seeing him from very far away. A faint smile crossed her lips.

"Yeah," Rex said disregarding faint voices he heard coming from the comlink inside his helmet, which was lying next to his feet. He was pretty sure it was the few men who were behind him. He didn't like it when she called him Rexster when there were other clones within earshot, but right now he just needed her to wake up. "It's me."

She didn't say anything, but moaned rather pitifully and tried to move her head as it lolled from one side to the other. Rex knew she was trying to wake up enough to hear him, but she was going into shock. 

"Help me Ahsoka," he said a little more desperately than he would have liked to sound. "I need you to lift this boulder from your leg. Only you can do it without causing severe damage."

"Huh?"  Her eyes flew open, but closed again quickly. Rex knew there wasn't much time before he lost her completely to conscious thought and then he would have to take his chances with getting her out himself.

"Ahsoka," Rex said again, this time he added a hard edge to his voice. "Lift this boulder off your leg so that we can help you."

She didn't move.

He knew it was bad and his hand reached down to touch hers. She might be slipping away. He had to think of something to save her and something very fast. There would be nothing he could do for her, if the boulder wasn't moved from her leg and quickly. Flipping through the channels on his comm, Rex heard a faint noise. He wasn't sure what it was and it looked to be on the command channel that General Kenobi used, but it was gone too quickly. Rex was going to have to figure this out on his own. There was no one who would come to his rescue this time.

"We are rolling it," Rex said making the call and turning to the other clones still standing nearby. He wasn't sure, but they might be in shock themselves. "Everyone, on this side and push." Rex leaned against the boulder with his armored shoulder and waited for all the men to get around. "MEDIC!" he shouted. His voice could be booming and full of authority when he needed it to be. Rex watched as a medic came their way and knelt next to Ahsoka.

"I'm ready," Rex said and levered his body against the boulder. "Everyone else ready?" The helmet of the other men bobbed in the affirmative and the braced themselves against the boulder. Rex bit his lip and hoped that this wasn't the biggest mistake that he had ever made and that Ahsoka could forgive him for whatever shape her leg would end up in.

"On three," Rex said and breathed in deeply. "One ... two ... three." He pushed with all his might, like he had never done before and prayed that Ahsoka would make it out of this.