"Let's move," Cody ordered, and the clone troopers immediately donned their helmets while War Machine's faceplate sealed automatically with a soft hiss.
"I can provide aerial reconnaissance," Rhodey offered to Captain Rex. "Let me fly up and establish overwatch positions to ensure the platform is clear before you advance."
"Much appreciated, Colonel," Rex replied, watching as War Machine's repulsors carried him silently into the alien sky.
Rex kept his eyes on the armored figure as he maneuvered around the listening post's superstructure. After several tense seconds, War Machine signaled the all-clear and gestured for the ground team to advance to the station platform.
"Move out," Rex commanded, and the clone squad began their assault on the compromised facility.
As they reached the platform's edge, War Machine descended to rejoin the group and handed Fives an additional DC-15 blaster rifle he had recovered from one of the fallen clone defenders.
"Listen up," Rex said, his voice carrying the authority of a seasoned combat veteran. "Once those battle droids secure this base, they'll have a clear line of attack against Kamino. We cannot allow that to happen. We retake this facility, whatever the cost."
"But sir, there are too many of them," Cutup said, voicing what they were all thinking.
"Doesn't matter, trooper," Rex replied firmly. "No matter what we're facing, we hold this position and complete our mission. That's what we do."
"How do we breach those blast doors?" Cody asked, studying the station's sealed entrance. "Those barriers are designed to withstand orbital bombardment."
"I have a few ideas," Rex said thoughtfully as he examined the security systems.
"I could just blow through them," War Machine offered, his shoulder-mounted weapons systems powering up.
"Save your heavy firepower until they send reinforcements, Colonel," Rex advised. "We're going to need every advantage we can get when the real fighting starts."
"So what's your plan?" Rhodey asked with curiosity.
"Sometimes the old ways are the best ways," Rex replied with a slight grin. "We're going to use their own deception against them."
Rex's plan involved mimicking the approach the commando droid had used earlier—appearing as a returning patrol and relying on the droids' programming to gain entry. The rest of the team positioned themselves beneath the security cameras' field of view, weapons ready for immediate action.
The camera lens extended from its housing, focusing on Rex's position.
"CT-26-7567, is that you?" came the mechanically distorted voice of a commando droid from within the station.
Rex responded in the flattest, most mechanical tone he could manage, attempting to mimic the speech patterns of the infiltration droids.
"Your vocoder sounds damaged," the droid said suspiciously. "Is there a malfunction in your communication systems?"
Rex placed his hands near his throat and repeated his previous response with even less inflection.
"Remove your helmet so I can verify your identity," the droid commanded.
"Roger, roger," Rex agreed, barely suppressing his amusement at the situation.
Rex positioned himself below the camera's direct line of sight and held up the severed head of one of the commando droids they had encountered earlier. War Machine, hovering silently above the security system, watched the performance with professional appreciation while Cody shook his head at Rex's unconventional tactics.
"This is never going to work," Cody muttered under his breath.
To everyone's surprise, the blast doors suddenly cycled open with a pneumatic hiss.
The commando droid behind the entrance immediately recognized the deception upon seeing Rex's actual position, but the clone captain was ready. Without missing a beat, Rex maintained his monotone "Roger, roger" while drawing his blaster and eliminating the droid with a perfectly placed shot. The other team members quickly dispatched the remaining guards.
"Nicely done," Rex said with satisfaction. "Let's secure the facility."
War Machine landed behind the advancing clones and raised a hand to halt their progress at the base of the internal stairway.
"Wait," he said, his armor's sensors active. "I'm detecting multiple contacts above us."
"Your armor can do that?" Echo asked with obvious amazement.
Rhodey paused briefly to process the sensor data. "Nine hostiles, dispersed throughout the upper level."
The assault team moved swiftly into action. War Machine took point, using his flight capability to engage two of the four commando droids stationed in the main control center. The combination of his armor's mass and flight momentum made him an unstoppable force—the impact crushed the first droid's head like it had been struck by a speeding vehicle.
The clone troopers rushed in immediately behind him, taking advantage of the confusion and distraction to eliminate the remaining droids before they could mount an effective counterattack.
"Outstanding work," Cutup said with obvious enthusiasm.
"Don't celebrate yet, rookie," Cody warned, already studying the facility's monitoring equipment. "Echo, get to the observation post and use the long-range scopes. I want to know what we're dealing with out there."
Echo moved quickly to the lookout position and activated the station's powerful telescopic arrays. What he saw made his blood run cold.
"Separatist fleet," he reported grimly. "Multiple capital ships and escort vessels."
"Now I understand why they infiltrated this base," Cody said with grim comprehension. "They're preparing for a full-scale assault on Kamino."
"We need to contact fleet command immediately," Rex said urgently.
Meanwhile, aboard the flagship of the Separatist invasion force, General Grievous—the cybernetic supreme commander of the droid armies and notorious Jedi killer—was overseeing the operation's final preparations.
"What is the status of the listening post?" Grievous demanded, his mechanical voice carrying the authority of countless victories.
"The all-clear signal continues to transmit, General," reported the tactical droid, "but our commando infiltration units have ceased communication."
"We cannot allow that facility to alert the Republic to our presence," Grievous said decisively. "Deploy reinforcements to investigate and secure the base."
Back at Rishi Station, the defenders were rapidly assessing their deteriorating tactical situation.
"They'll be sending reinforcement units any moment now," Cody observed, his gaze fixed on the enemy fleet's ominous presence above them.
"Sir, we have a critical problem," Cutup said urgently.
"The battle droids corrupted all our communication systems when they took control," Echo explained. "They've locked us out of the transmitter arrays. Repairing the damage will take time we don't have."
"We're out of time," Rex said firmly. "The Republic needs to know about this invasion fleet now."
"Company's coming," War Machine announced, his sensors detecting the approaching threat.
A Separatist transport was descending toward the landing platform, its hull bristling with weapons and carrying what was undoubtedly a significant number of battle droids.
"Droid reinforcements," Cutup muttered.
"We can't hold this position against those numbers indefinitely," Heavy stated with brutal honesty.
"Then we destroy the base," Rex declared without hesitation.
"But sir," Echo protested, "our orders were to defend this facility at all costs."
"The situation has changed," Rex explained. "The Republic needs to know what's happening here, and when our all-clear signal stops transmitting, they'll investigate."
"Exactly," Fives said with sudden understanding. "Once the signal goes dark, command will know something's wrong with Rishi Station."
"Whatever you're planning, you need to execute it quickly," War Machine warned, pointing at the battle droids already disembarking from their transport.
"I need explosives," Rex said. "Thermal detonators, proton charges, anything with enough punch to level this facility."
"With respect, sir," Echo said doubtfully, "it's going to take more than a few charges to destroy a station this size."
"You handle the demolitions," War Machine said, checking his weapons systems. "I'll buy you the time you need."
"Can you manage that alone?" Echo asked with genuine concern.
"Fives, Heavy," Rex ordered, "both of you assist Colonel Rhodes. Establish defensive positions and hold that perimeter as long as possible."
"Roger that, Captain," both clones responded simultaneously, rushing toward the armory to gather additional weapons and ammunition.
War Machine left the control center and made his way toward the blast door entrance, where the first wave of battle droids would soon be advancing. Behind him, Fives arrived with his DC-17 blaster rifle while Heavy brought a heavy repeating blaster that would provide significant firepower against the mechanical infantry.
As the sound of marching metal feet grew louder outside the station, each member of the small garrison understood that they were about to fight what might very well be their last battle. But they also knew that their sacrifice could save the lives of millions of clone troopers on Kamino, and for soldiers bred for war, there was no higher honor than dying to protect their brothers.
The blast doors began to glow with cutting torches as the battle droids prepared to force entry. War Machine powered up his weapons systems, the clone troopers checked their rifles one final time, and deep in the station's core, Rex began placing the charges that would ensure the enemy's victory would be a hollow one.
The final battle for Rishi Station was about to begin.
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