Star Wars: A New Beginning/Chapter 9: Confederate Casualties

The Yuuzhan Vong were defeated for the second time, but the battle wasn't officially over. Alpha 360, nicknamed Fordo, and the ARC trooper Strike Squad were sent in to the world of Orto Plutonia, where CC-2343 reported suspicious activity of an unknown source. The gunship landed and the ARCs got out and entered a Clone Wars base called Gild Station. They walked through the frozen corridors to the command room. Fordo looked out the half frozen window into the canyon.


 * "Alpha 373, go set up some sensor beacons and tell the pilot to get the ship into the hangar." ordered Fordo.

373 ran down to the gunship and shouted the orders to the pilot before getting onto and old Freeco bike. He sped off around the perimeter, and was at his last post. 373 set up the last sensor. A shadow came up behind him with a vibro blade. 373 heard something and turned around, and managed to get a message through to the base.


 * "Death Watch!" he managed to say.


 * "Death Watch?" repeated Fordo.


 * "Death Watch." said another voice.

Then, the com went out. Alpha 360 stared into the snowy canyon.


 * "Alpha 210, come with me." he ordered.


 * "Copy that." 210 replied.

The two took speeder bikes to the sensor beacon that 373 was at. The attacker was gone, and only left 373's body with a vibro blade through it, and his Freeco bike. 210 walked over to 373.


 * " He's gone." he said quietly.

Fordo looked over his shoulder.


 * "Let's go." he said.


 * "But what about 373?" asked 210.


 * "He's dead. Let's get going." said Fordo


 * "We should at least take his body." protested 373.


 * "No." answered Fordo.

Anger filled up 210. He yanked the vibro blade out of 373 and charged at Fordo, who turned around and blasted him. 210 fell, only injured.


 * "Why did do that? Just because I followed orders?" asked Fordo.

CC-2009 and several 52nd troopers arrived on Freeco bikes from the base.


 * "What happened here?" asked CC-2009, noticing Alpha 210, who was also part of the 52nd.


 * "He tried to stab me in the back. Anyway, we have a bigger problem on our hands," said Fordo, looking out into the canyon.