What Am I? By Got the Jitters
I know, I know. You're probably screaming at me to stop adding new stories and update the ones I already have! Well, I can't update one of them until I get more reviews and as for the other one, I'm still waiting for inspiration for the next chapter. Never fear though, I WILL update them! But at the moment here's an idea I had that I couldn't wait to put into words. This story will be more serious than the others and unlike my other stories/disasters, was not written with laughter intended. Please don't expect me to update quickly. That depends on the reviews. But I promise not to leave it hanging for more than a month or so. I'm not THAT mean. Hopefully, this story will progress at a normal pace and hopefully you'll like. What am I forgetting? Ah, yes. The all-important disclaimer. I don't own Star Wars: The Clone Wars or any of the characters. Seriously, who on this site does? This IS fan fiction. Will you really sue me if I don't include a disclaimer? Maybe I should try it sometime and see what happens… But I'm just being on the safe side this time. I hope the characters will be in character but if they aren't don't say I didn't try. So enough chit-chat. On to the story!
Clone Captain Rex ran for his life as bombs exploded around him. He was the only trooper left on the battle field. The rest had either been killed, or escaped on the rescue transports that had arrived just in time to avoid a huge clone massacre. Even then lots of clones, including Rex's best friend Commander Cody, had lost their lives in this battle due to those backstabbing Separatists. But there was no time to mourn the losses. He would do that later if he didn't join them first, that is. "REX! Do you read me? Rex, you need to get out of there!" Anakin's worried voice sounded over the comm. Rex had kind of figured that out. He was surrounded on all sides by enemies, without a friend in sight and a squadron of battle droids was between the last transport and him. It was hard to believe that this horrible day had started the way it did.
It was supposed to be a simple mission: get in there, blast a few battle droids, save the citizens, and free another city from the merciless Separatists' iron fist. No complicated battle plans, just straight and simple. Apparently the city had become a Separatist city against their will. Apparently they were going to help the clones blast the battle droids. At least, that was what the city leaders and the Generals had agreed to in secret. This would be easy, Rex had participated in a lot more hard and deadly battles before- right? Rex laughed bitterly. That was what the citizens had WANTED them to think. In reality, this whole battle was a trap. Set by the city itself. Right from the start, things had gone wrong. First, there were WAY more battle droids then what they had been led to believe. Second, Asajj Ventress had been there, despite the city's assurances that no Dark Jedi or Sith was there. She was the one who cut down Cody. Last of all, the very people that the clones had been trying to help turned on them without warning. Cody never had a chance. The other clones were forced to retreat outside the city, where they were quickly surrounded by a droid army. If it hadn't been for the rescue transports, they would all be dead.
Suddenly, a searing pain caused Rex to stumble. He looked down and saw that he had been shot in the side. The wound looked nasty, and he was losing blood fast. Rex pressed his hand to his side tightly and forced himself to keep running, despite the agonizing pain. He was close enough so that he could see the transport in the distance… "Just keep going Rex, just keep moving…" he thought to himself. Darkness blurred the edge of his vision and his legs grew weak. Rex stumbled again and again. Finally he collapsed, unable to go farther. "I always knew I was going to die in battle… Wait, what are you thinking soldier? Get up! You're not dead yet!" Rex scrambled to his feet, searching desperately for some reserve strength. Then something strange happened. He was filled with peace and calmness like he had never known before. His body now surged with strength. But that wasn't the strangest part. The world around him seemed to slow. The bolts whizzing through the air flew in slow motion. Everything was affected, except himself. Taking advantage of this, Rex ran full speed dogging obstacles of all kinds with amazing ease. He reached the transport, but the strange energy that had filled him deserted him as quickly as it had come. It left him feeling twice as drained and exhausted as before. The last thing Rex remembered seeing was Ahsoka's worried face as she pulled him on board.
Ahsoka paced worriedly back and forth across the hall way. Rex was currently receiving much-needed medical attention. As soon as he was stable she could see him. "What if he doesn't become stable?" she wondered. But Ahsoka pushed that though out of her mind quickly. He would get better. He had to. He'd survived too much, he made it to the transport even! Still Ahsoka couldn't help but worry, he had looked really bad when they took him to the emergency room. It was amazing he had survived that battle. Something had happened when Rex sprinted towards the rescue transport, something that only Ahsoka had seen. As she watched helplessly Rex fell and she had feared he wouldn't get back up. But then he stood and ran faster then she had known it was possible for a clone trooper to run. He had reached a speed that only Jedi were supposed to achieve. Even more amazing, he had managed to dodge all the obstacles the Separatists threw at him, blaster bolts, bombs, and droids alike. Ahsoka had never seen anything like it. No normal trooper could do that. But then again, Rex never was on the 'normal' side.
He had always been unique, if that were possible for a clone. Yah, sure he had the same face as thousands of other men. So what if his voice was identical to hundreds of others? Who cares if everyone else says he's a one of an army of thoughtless, fighting, invaluable monsters? Ahsoka didn't. When she looked at the clones, instead of seeing thousands of identical animals brought into the universe solely to work and fight, she saw thousands of different, individual men. Each with his own strengths and weaknesses, talents, and dreams. People could breed clones to look the same, but they could never make each one's personality and thoughts the same. They could come close, but there would always be a clone that looked at the world differently than his bothers. True, some clones HAD become mindless animals, but she found usually that was because of the hard treatment some people gave the clones. The majority still had their individuality and she prayed it would stay that way.
The door opened and a medic came out. "You can see him now," he told her. Ahsoka smiled gratefully at the medic and walked into the room. Rex lay on a white hospital bed with his side bandaged. His dark brown eyes searched around the room and came to rest on her. "Ahsoka…" he mumbled drowsily. She could tell they gave him drugs to help with the pain. She smiled and stepped forward. "High, Rex. How are you feeling?"
"Better. What happened?"
"You lost consciousness. That was quite a blaster wound you got there." Before Rex could reply, a medical droid swept into the room. "We must dress your wound with bacta sir. To get rid of any possible infection," it said in an electronic voice. "Go right ahead," Rex groaned. While the droid worked they continued to talk.
"I heard about Cody," Ahsoka said in a small voice. Rex looked down sadly. "He was a good friend and Commander. He will be missed," he concluded. Clones didn't take deaths as harshly as other people because they had learned to grieve quickly and move on fast. Instead of thinking how the dead person was gone from their life forever, they liked to think about seeing their friends again after death. That was a lot less depressing way to look at death, and it helped save your life on the battle field, but it still didn't help to ease all the pain of losing Cody. He was a dear and loyal friend, always offering good advice and pitching in to help. Instead of remembering Cody as he was when he died, Rex tried to remember him laughing and happy.
"What you did back there was amazing," Ahsoka said, changing the subject. Rex frowned, trying to remember.
"And you were referring to..?"
"That last sprint you made to the transport. How did you do that? I've never seen anything like it from a clone!"
"What do you mean, 'from a clone'?"
"Well, only Jedi are supposed to be able to do stuff like that, using the Force."
"Oh. I don't know how I did it. I just did."
"Maybe we should..," Ahsoka was cut off by Rex's yell of pain. "What's wrong?" she asked in alarm. Rex was twitching wildly trying desperately to peel the bacta bandages off his side. "Off!" he cried, obviously in pain. He was panting, gasping for breath and sweating. Ahsoka touched his skin and felt that he was burning hot. "Take it off!"
Cliffhanger! Though I really don't know if it was effective. Please tell me by reviewing! You can tell me if you squealed in delight upon reading this or glared in hatred of my horrible excuse for writing. It will only take a minute. You know you want to… And of course please keep them rated K-K+. As always anything higher will be deleted, no offence intended.