Ghost Squadron ~ A Star Wars: Clone Wars Story

The Outer Rim was known for its mysteries. The expanse of the galaxy had been largely uncharted past a certain range, and there were many unnamed planets that had been deemed as potential hideouts for leaders of the Separatist army due to their remote location. Spies for the Grand Army of the Republic had received vague intel that the Trade Federation had established a droid manufacturing facility on one of these isolated worlds, designated as Terra Romero #1968, and were planning on expanding their factories to other nearby planets in order to scatter the Republic's forces thin across the Outer Rim.

The nature of these planet's possible inhabitants was never considered when Supreme Chancellor Palpatine issued that Jedi General Obi Wan Kenobi lead the 217th Star Corps on an urgent mission to investigate the Separatist's possible stronghold on Terra Romero 1968. With the Outer Rim sieges turning in their favor, the Chancellor requested that this planet be taken in the name of the Republic immediately and at any cost.

Little did anyone know at the time that those costs would be greater than anyone could have imagined.

"Barricade that doorway! Hurry!"

As two clone troopers rolled a small, beaten down ship turbine in front of a pair of doors, Clone Commander Cody peered through a cracked window at the ocean of bodies just outside the facility. His orange and white armor stained with mud and dark fluids, he groaned as he tried to make communication with any other survivors of the brutal blitz.

"…Damn," Cody deactivated his communicator as troopers Grimes and Pegg approached him. The veteran soldiers were too weary to stand at attention, and had removed their helmets to better catch their breath. Being clones of the same man, Cody could easily read their minds by the grim expressions on their faces. It was the same face he was making under his own helmet.

"Sir," Grimes was breathing heavily, hunched over in exhaustion from running, "What were those things?"

"Did you see what they did to Wooley?" Pegg followed, his eyes dilated. Cody had rarely ever seen his soldiers so stricken in fear, but this was no ordinary battle. These weren't droids they were fighting today. "Sir… They tore him apart. Limb from limb. They… They bit right through his armor! No human-like species should be able to do that!"

"Calm yourself trooper!" Cody ordered, putting his hands firmly on Pegg's shoulders to calm him down, "I saw it too. Whatever those things are out there, they aren't human. Or at least not anymore."

"What should we do?" Grimes asked, "Our blaster fire won't even put them down, and there's hundreds of them out there! We're sitting ducks until help arrives!"

"If help even comes," Pegg muttered, walking away to check on the wounded troopers propped up against the wall. Many of them had been slashed or bitten by the beasts outside, and were removing their armor at a frantic pace as they began feeling overheated and nauseous.

"Keep an eye on them," Cody told Grimes, leaving the room as one of his men slumped to the ground, succumbing to his wounds. The commander walked into a small alcove, where a medic tended to the only one on this planet who could give him orders.

"Ah, Cody," Obi Wan Kenobi greeted from the floor, one arm wrapped in maroon-stained bandages. The Jedi stood up, wincing as he gripped his damaged limb, "How are things holding up out there?"

"Not good. We just lost one of the wounded, and Pegg's going to go into shock soon enough. We don't know how much longer the door's going to-

"We've been breached!"

No time to waste, the two commanding officers ran into the main room to witness one of their men being dragged through a shattered window. The clone screamed as many pairs of hands pulled on him in all directions, but his voice was soon replaced by a sickening crunch. Grimes and two other clones began to fire with their rifles at the beasts, but began to fall back as their targets started climbing through the opening and into the building.

Making use of his abilities, Kenobi used the Force to push the beasts back, temporarily stalling them from advancing any further. "Cody! Lead the men upstairs! Take the wounded to the roof!"

"But General!" Cody yelled, pausing from his firing on the creatures, "What about you?"

The loud hiss of a lightsaber partially answered the Commander's question. "I will do what I was trained to do. Now please, get our men to safety."

Realizing the direness of the situation, Cody saluted the Jedi. "It has been an honor serving beside you, General Kenobi."

"Please Cody," Obi Wan smiled, twirling his lightsaber, "This is no time for goodbyes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

As the Jedi ran forward to strike down the incoming beasts, Cody pointed to Grimes and Pegg then to the wounded. "Grab as many as you can and follow me! On the double!"

"Yes sir!"

Quickly, the three clones made their way up the staircase, each with one or two injured men on their shoulders. As they reached the top of the stairs, they could hear the sounds of their comrades' blasters stop down below with Kenobi and his lightsaber the last line of defense left remaining. Finding a small room at the end of a long hallway, Cody slammed the door behind him as Grimes and Pegg laid the wounded down. However, not all of them had made it up alive.

"Oh, no," Pegg stepped back from one of the bodies, "Nighy… He's gone, Commander."

"Must've died on the way up," Cody sighed, checking his rifle's clip. Only twelve shots remained; not nearly enough to hold off the horde until help arrived. He could still hear Kenobi's lightsaber, but he could also hear the raspy moans and growls of beats approaching down the hallway. "How much ammo do you have left, men?"

"Not enough," Grimes said, putting his final clip into his blaster pistol, "But I'll make it last."

Cody looked at his last two standing soldiers, then to the door. "Once that door breaks open, you give those monsters all that you've got."

"But we don't stand a chance!" Pegg threw his arms out in frustration, "There has to be some way out of here!"

"We don't have a choice-

Cody froze.

No.

There was no way that was possible.

His entire body shaking, he slowly raised his rifle towards Pegg as the dead body of Nighy rose up behind him. The clone's eyes were completely white, his irises having rolled back into his head. As the reanimated body let out a gravelly moan, Cody realized just what those beats outside the door were.

"Pegg! Move!"

Cody wasn't quick enough: Nighy's corpse sunk its teeth into Pegg's exposed flesh, knowing into the soldier's face as he fell to the ground. Pegg screamed in agony as Grimes rushed over and released his entire clip into Nighy. He stood back aghast when the body continued to move, even with multiple holes blown in its torso.

"I-I don't understand!" Grimes stammered, dropping his pistol in fear, "Why won't it die?!"

"Agh!" Pegg cried out, pounding his fist onto the mindless corpse, "Help me! Help…"

Thinking quick, Cody fired one shot into the only place Grimes hadn't. Nighy's body slumped down onto Pegg after the headshot, ceasing to move. By then, it was too late.

"Pegg!" Grimes knelt down to check his comrade's pulse, "Pegg, no!"

"Move away from him Grimes," Cody said, raising his rifle, "He's going to turn into one of them."

"You don't know that sir!"

"The hell I don't! Nighy was bitten by one of those beasts out there! If he can become one of them, then so can Pegg! I don't want any more of my men to turn!"

"But what about them?" Grimes gestured to the rest of the wounded, "Are you going to shoot them too?!"

Cody looked at the men, then to his gun. "Only after they've died. If I'm even around long enough for that." As if on que, a large thud hit the door behind the Commander. The beasts were right outside. He rushed over beside Grimes, handing his soldier his spare blaster pistol. "There's half a clip in there. 25 shots. Make them count."

Gazing at the firearm for a long time, Grimes turned his eyes back to Pegg's body. Holding the gun over his fallen friend's head, he pulled the trigger. The shot echoed off the walls of the room, canceling out the deathly moans outside for just a few moments.

"There's one," Grimes nodded to his commander, "It's been an honor, sir."

Cody sighed and slapped his last remaining man on the shoulder. "This is no time for goodbyes, soldier."

The two clones took aim, the metal door nearly ready to cave in from the amount of bodies pushing against it. Hearing shuffling behind him, Cody glanced over his shoulder to see the wounded clones staggering to their feet. None of them were ready to give up yet, and they all tightened their fists for one last stand. Cody smiled under his helmet and muttered the rallying cry one final time as their only protection from the beats fell down in front of him.

"For the Republic."