The Republic fleet bound for the planet Jabiim represented one of the largest military concentrations the Republic had ever assembled during the war.
The 501st, 212th, 104th, 327th, 91st, and 41st Legion were all converging on Jabiim's war-torn surface.
Some might argue this force was excessive.
But given how every Avenger had emphasized Ultron's extreme danger, combined with the ongoing Separatist presence on Jabiim and the planet's raging civil war, the Republic was deploying maximum strength to what could very well be a trap.
Inside the 501st Legion's flagship, some of the unit's most notable soldiers were either preparing their equipment or trying to rest before they reached their destination.
Most were polishing armor, adjusting weapons, or simply attempting to close their eyes and find some peace.
While most were understandably nervous, one clone was particularly distressed.
The lone trooper stared at his datapad, his expression growing increasingly anguished as he continued scrolling through the casualty reports until...
"Kix."
Hardcase's voice broke through the clone medic's trance, causing the trooper to look up at the heavy weapons specialist.
"You're only making yourself feel worse staring at that thing," Hardcase said, exhaustion evident in his eyes.
Kix clenched his jaw and looked back down at the datapad—he couldn't seem to stop himself.
"The numbers keep climbing," Kix said in a hollow voice. "They've been doing nothing but climbing for hours."
"They probably won't stop, you know," Jesse pointed out in a subdued tone. "That attack... what happened on Coruscant... the entire planet was hit. Plus all the other systems with Jedi and clone forces deployed."
"How the hell did this happen?" Fives said from his bunk. "This Ultron bastard just appeared out of nowhere and attacked dozens of star systems simultaneously. Where did he get those kinds of resources?"
"Most locations were hit-and-run strikes," Echo said, consulting his own datapad. "Except for a few strategic targets—Coruscant being the primary one—most coordinated attacks lasted between ten to thirty minutes. The Republic capital endured several hours of sustained assault."
"What were the other long-duration targets?" Hardcase asked, servicing his rotary cannon.
"The Separatist capital of Raxus," Echo revealed. "Several of our major military installations, Hutt Clan strongholds in the Outer Rim, and Mandalore—though they mainly hit Concordia's moon and other worlds in that system."
"Sounds like a complete shitshow," Fives couldn't help but comment. It was one of his new favorite expressions, picked up from Colonel Rhodes.
The phrase was colorful, simple, and perfectly descriptive.
"Indeed it was."
"So what's our play here?" Hardcase asked. "This Ultron is hitting multiple targets simultaneously, right?"
"Well, Jabiim's the priority target right now," Jesse pointed out. "Intelligence indicates this psychopath's flagship is in-system, and he's slaughtering both our people and the Separatists."
"If it were just Separatists getting hit, normally I'd celebrate news like that," Fives said. "But now—Kix! Seriously, you're never going to sleep if you keep staring at that damned datapad."
"Sorry, but I can't look away," Kix shot back intensely. "The casualty count keeps rising."
The other clones shifted uncomfortably after hearing this.
"I thought they had the casualty assessments under control," Hardcase said, and Kix shook his head grimly.
"No, these are confirmed fatalities," Kix explained. "More bodies keep being discovered, both on Coruscant and throughout other Republic systems."
"What's the count so far?" Jesse asked apprehensively.
"Clone casualties..." Kix's expression darkened significantly. "Nearly eight thousand across the entire galaxy."
All the clones drew sharp breaths upon hearing such a devastating number.
"Damn," Fives muttered in disbelief, slumping back against his bunk.
"And that's just preliminary numbers," Kix added solemnly. "Still climbing. Civilian and local militia casualties throughout affected systems are well over one hundred thousand. The Jedi Order lost approximately three dozen, probably more."
"Even Jedi died?" Hardcase muttered, rubbing his forehead. The thought was genuinely unsettling.
Every clone understood that Jedi weren't invincible despite popular perception. They died like any other trooper or living being.
But when you served alongside Jedi like Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, it was difficult not to believe they were unstoppable.
The mere thought of losing their general and commander—both of whom many in the 501st considered genuine friends at this point—made Hardcase visibly shudder.
He preferred not to dwell on such possibilities.
"What was that other thing Captain Rogers mentioned about their war back on Earth?" asked one of the 501st troopers.
"Uh..." Another 501st clone racked his brain for a long moment before saying, "FUBAR?"
The original clone scoffed at the mispronunciation.
"No, no," Dogma muttered thoughtfully. "I think it's... SNAFU! Yeah, that's it."
"What does it mean?" Jesse asked curiously.
"No idea," Dogma said with a bitter laugh.
"Figures you'd remember that," Kix said dryly.
Before the other clones could comment further, their barracks entrance opened and Commander Tano walked in.
She was accompanied by Peter Parker, Barriss Offee, and Clone Trooper Denal.
Each carried several boxes and trays...
"Pizza delivery!" Denal announced cheerfully.
The clones erupted in enthusiastic cheers, many sitting up eagerly as pizza boxes were distributed throughout the barracks.
"Thank the Force," Hardcase said loudly, grabbing two slices and passing the box to Fives. "Thanks, Parker."
"Hey, what about us?" Ahsoka protested playfully, already holding her own slice. "Barriss and I helped carry these up here too."
"Sorry, Commander—it was Denal's idea," Hardcase said shamelessly.
The clone in question visibly puffed up with pride, patting his helmet which bore Ahsoka's distinctive Togrutan facial markings.
"You're just jealous of my assignment," he said smugly.
"What's the occasion?" Fives asked, taking a bite of his slice.
Barriss cleared her throat softly.
"We thought... this would be an appropriate moment for some comfort, given what's happened and what's about to happen," the Mirialan Jedi said gently.
The mood grew more subdued as the clones were again reminded of the Coruscant attack and the mounting casualties that continued arriving in devastating waves—losses that honestly felt increasingly overwhelming for the clones as time passed.
The Republic capital had been attacked right under their noses, and no one had seen it coming.
No one.
"All right, guys, enjoy the pizza," Peter encouraged, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Just try not to think about the heavy stuff right now, okay?"
He began creating web hammocks for himself and several others throughout the barracks.
There was a brief moment of contentment in the space as everyone focused on the wonderful Earth food called pizza.