Scott Lang examined James Rhodes' battle-damaged armor with obvious concern and disbelief: "My God, Rhodes, what kind of hellish battle did you survive?"
Rhodes replied with evident fatigue and frustration: "That was against an incredibly powerful bounty hunter named Durge. According to intelligence, he's a member of the Gen'Dai species. They possess a unique distributed nervous system and circulatory structure that makes them resistant to most conventional physical attacks. The nerve clusters throughout his body provide him with extraordinary reaction times and phenomenal regenerative capabilities. I even deployed high-explosive micro-missiles directly into his body, but still couldn't kill him. He's essentially an ancient monster that refuses to die. Can you repair this damage?"
Scott assessed the armor's condition professionally: "My repair skills definitely aren't on Tony Stark's level, but I can at least ensure your armor remains functionally operational."
Rhodes had returned the previous day aboard a severely damaged Republic Star Destroyer, accompanied by numerous wounded clone troopers along with Jedi Masters Luminara, Ahsoka, and Barriss.
The brutal engagement with the bounty hunter called Durge had been extraordinarily challenging, but miraculously, Rhodes had not sustained injuries as catastrophic as initially feared, and his armor systems had maintained basic functionality despite the punishment.
However, while they had survived the encounter, the battle against Durge served as a harsh reality check for the entire Avengers team. Sam Wilson and Rhodes in particular were acutely aware of their vulnerability in this galaxy. If their equipment sustained critical damage, they would find themselves extremely exposed in combat situations.
Currently, Scott and Hope could provide basic field repairs and maintenance for their gear, but only to a limited extent. The problem was that they were now millions of light-years from Avengers headquarters, operating in deep space without access to the specialized materials and sophisticated equipment necessary for comprehensive repairs. Learning to adapt their Earth-based technology to function reliably in this galaxy would be a difficult and ongoing process—a daunting challenge facing all the Avengers.
Another constant priority remained locating their missing teammates scattered throughout the galaxy.
Fortunately, the Jedi Temple had not only generously provided essential resources and logistical support, but increasing numbers of clone troopers had also volunteered enthusiastically to assist in the search for the remaining Avengers.
The team felt genuinely grateful for this assistance. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and several other Jedi Knights had become true friends, helping them gradually adjust to the slightly surreal reality of galactic civilization and space warfare.
Captain Rex and the 501st Legion had proven to be the most welcoming among the clone forces. They were currently stationed at a technical maintenance facility within the Jedi Temple complex, where the Avengers could repair their equipment while gaining a deeper understanding of the advanced technology and operational principles governing this galaxy.
At Obi-Wan's invitation, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson had boarded the Venator-class Star Destroyer Endurance to travel to their next mission destination. During the hyperspace journey, they had been training the clone squadrons in advanced hand-to-hand combat techniques at Rex's specific request. In exchange, Aayla Secura had been instructing Steve in fundamental lightsaber combat principles.
This productive mutual exchange of knowledge came to a temporary halt with the arrival of Anakin Skywalker.
Anakin announced: "Navigation coordinates have been locked in, and we are currently en route to the planet Orto Plutonia." After delivering this information, he noticed the large gathering of clone troopers and asked with obvious curiosity: "Uh... did I miss something particularly interesting?"
"Captain Rogers and Sam have been demonstrating their world's extensive combat knowledge and tactical expertise," Obi-Wan explained with evident appreciation.
"Really?" Anakin asked with genuine interest and enthusiasm.
Rex confirmed: "Yes, General. He taught us numerous close-quarters combat skills that we've never encountered before."
Sam asked with obvious impatience: "Where exactly are we heading?" He had noticed that several clone troopers were carrying heavy winter gear and cold-weather equipment.
Anakin gestured to Rex, who immediately produced a handheld holoprojector displaying images of a frozen tundra landscape covered in snow and ice.
"Orto Plutonia," Rex reported immediately. "Our current mission objective."
Obi-Wan provided additional context: "It's located within the Pantora system and serves as a protectorate world of Senator Riyo Chuchi."
"Chuchi," Sam repeated the familiar name, crossing his arms thoughtfully before asking with uncertainty: "Haven't we heard that name before? Why does it sound so familiar?"
Steve reminded him: "When we first arrived in this galaxy, she was on Naboo accompanying Senator Amidala—the young woman with blue skin."
Sam's memory was triggered, and he then asked Anakin directly: "So why did you specifically request our participation in this mission?"
Anakin replied with characteristic directness: "We asked you to join us because we've been remarkably fortunate every time we've visited new planets. We've encountered some of your missing teammates on worlds we've visited, even when we weren't actively searching for them. It was especially fortunate that we discovered Hope van Dyne on Maridun. So I thought we should try our luck again and see what happens."
Upon hearing this explanation, both Avengers present nodded appreciatively, expressing their gratitude to Anakin for consistently keeping the search for other Avengers members as a priority consideration.
"Thank you for your continued assistance, Anakin," Steve said with sincere gratitude. "We will do everything possible to help you complete this mission successfully."
"No problem at all—we are friends and allies."
Soon, after traveling through hyperspace for several hours, the Star Destroyer dropped out of lightspeed and approached its destination, with most of Anakin's forces now equipped with heavy winter survival gear.
Multiple personnel began boarding the LAAT/i gunships for planetary descent, and Steve, Sam, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Rex, and Domino Squad were assigned to the same transport along with Anakin's astromech droid R2-D2 and Senator Amidala's protocol droid C-3PO.
Sam asked with practical concern: "So what exactly are the Republic and Jedi hoping to accomplish here?"
"The Pantoran people are members of the Galactic Republic," Obi-Wan explained. "Republic outposts are stationed on both the primary planet Pantora and its moon Orto Plutonia. However, we've received no communications from the Orto Plutonia base for several days. We were dispatched to investigate the situation, and if this represents an invasion by Separatist forces, we have orders to neutralize the threat."
Steve asked a logical follow-up question: "What if everything turns out to be normal? Could there be some other explanation?"
"Highly unlikely, sir, because that moon is completely uninhabited," Rex replied with confidence.
Sam remained silent for several moments, then said with characteristic pragmatism: "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough. Let's go see what we're dealing with."
The gunship began its descent through Orto Plutonia's atmosphere, allowing the crew to experience the planet's bone-chilling cold even through their heated transport.
Anakin began issuing tactical assignments: "Captain Rex, have your men conduct a comprehensive survey of the surrounding area before nightfall and deploy as many sensor beacons as possible throughout the perimeter."
C-3PO, who was positioned near Steve and Sam, asked R2-D2 with obvious confusion: "Why would the Republic establish an outpost on such a desolate world?"
R2-D2 responded with a series of electronic whistles and chirps.
C-3PO translated with bewilderment: "Chairman Cho requested this deployment? But why would anyone want a military presence here?"
Speaking of the Chairman, another LAAT gunship landed not far from their position, and a familiar young Pantoran woman accompanied by three elderly males of her species approached their landing site, escorted by two clone guards for security.
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