Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything related to it, other than my OC's. Star Wars belongs to Disney.
The dangerous yet breathtaking world of Kashyyyk was filled with large wroshyr trees that towered above and peeked out to the clear blue sky, their thick branches strong enough to support structures, and the sliver-green foliage almost sparkling in the rising sun. Plants opened their pedals to soak up the sunlight that scarcely breached the foliage, the moist ground covered in moss gleaming. Birds chirped loudly, a flock of them taking flight. Two troopers shifted in the underbrush, their camouflage keeping them hidden.
A creek ran down the slight incline. The troopers breathed barely audibly, repositioning their rifles. One held a pair of macrobinoculars, looking for signs of movement in the jungle. Tachs swung from vine to vine. They gave curious high-pitched yelps to the beings, some sitting on the branches, some getting a closer look. A sudden sound startled them and they retreated to the safety of the wroshyr trees.
Twigs snapped and low hanging leaves rustled, alerting the camouflaged troopers to something approaching. Two droids were patrolling the jungle, covered in mud and vines, stumbling on. Their metallic feet crunched noisily against the ground. Their lifeless eyes buzzed, searching. The trooper with the macrobinoculars gestured for the other to get down and lay still. The droids were now inches away, slowly walking past them. The troopers instinctively held their breath until the droids were completely out of earshot.
Tachs cautiously came out from the trees, and yelping again, continued to swing from the vines. The two troopers pushed themselves up smoothly to a standing position. Their advanced plastoid armor was covered in green and brown splotches, providing perfect covering for scouts like themselves. The first one nodded once and they moved, spreading out, making them not as easy to target. Their footsteps were silent.
The air was dead near the bottom of the jungle - no breeze came through. The creek went on with them and lapped against the small rocks. The scouts moved quickly, being cautious as to stay near the shadows of the trees and flora, if more droids appeared.
A hovercraft buzzed overhead, ruffling the foliage. The first one glanced up and ordered the other back. His helmet's visor was designed for a wider view, giving him a better field of vision. The hovercraft descended from the sky, landing with a hiss of its hydraulics. The two droids had doubled back and were boarding the craft.
The beings waited in the shadows until the craft lifted up from the ground and flew off, causing loose leaves to swirl violently in the air for a few seconds. The first one nodded, and they moved forward. They had to get to the city of Kachirho before nightfall and report to their commander of the enemy's movements. The sun was now shining brightly at its peak in the sky. Almost afternoon, the first one guessed. The scouts trudged on again, their breathing getting more labored; the cool heat was finally getting to them.
A few minutes later the second scout stopped and placed his hands on his knees. He pulled out a small bottle from his pouch and popped off his helmet, taking big gulps of the water. The first scout did likewise. "The heat…" trailed off Sicko, the second trooper. The first trooper, Maze, nodded his head in acknowledgement, taking another drink. They sealed their helmets on and continued.
They trudged uphill toward the mountains, the underbrush thinning out, and a worn out path now seen. Beyond these mountains was Kachirho. Soon they'd be able eat and rest, though even those were a rarity during battle. Fatigue made you clumsy and that could mean life or death in battle. A single missed bolt and you're dead, or not being fully aware of your surroundings.
The second scout suddenly slipped on a rock and fell on his back, sliding down the slick incline of wet mud. He frantically grabbed at anything to stop his decent. His hand grasped around a shrub and he gripped tightly. His arm jerked at the sudden pull against his arm and he yelled in pain. "Hold on!" shouted Maze, quickly making his way to him. The shrub was being uprooted. "I can't! It's coming ou-" Sicko suddenly felt himself fall. Wind whistled around him as he rapidly descended. He got temporarily tangled into a mass of vines but tore through them and smashed into the ground. Maze climbed down cautiously, feeling the walls of the black abyss for footholds.
His boots soon touched against the ground and then he dashed to the second scout, checking his pulse; it thumped steadily but slightly jarred. Sicko's eyes twitched open. He grasped Maze's arm, clenching his teeth and struggling to move. He wailed and instinctively placed his hand on his leg, bloodied bone protruding out. Maze took off the leg plate and pulled back the black bodysuit from the area. "Alright, I'm gonna have to align the bone Sicko. Are you ready?" Sicko nodded faintly in response. Maze took a deep breath and then swiftly pushed the bone back into position. It made a sudden crack. Sicko screamed; his body thrashed in agony. Maze held him down. "Hold still…" he said, and searched for his pouch for the medkit. He found it, pulling out a stim, and stabbed it into Sicko's opposite leg.
He then sprayed bacta on the wound before wrapping it tightly in sterile bandages. Sicko groaned and laid his head back on the soil. Light could barely breach the darkness, making for lessened visibility and causing Maze to fumble. He swore, activating the built-in night vision in his visor. He immediately had his finger on the trigger as he saw movement. The abyss was dank and marshy with sagging trees; a pool of water was close. Few dozen beady eyes blinked in the darkness at them. Something slithered, making a slopping sound. It was a completely different world then from the surface. Maze attempted to use the comlink but got no signal.
Sicko groaned again and shifted, opening his eyes weakly. "W-water…" he said coarsely. Maze pulled out his water and put it to Sicko's lips. When he was finished, Maze took a brief sip as well. He looked around warily. "We need to get moving. Can you walk?" Sicko shook his head, "No… too weak. Leg hurts like hell." Maze nodded and considered dragging the other scout closer to the forest, but thought otherwise. They'd be safer in the open.
He gave the other scout his sidearm. "If you see anything expect me, shoot it. Okay?"
"Okay." Maze trotted off into the thick forest, his rifle on full charge, ready to kill anything. He gathered pieces of mostly dry wood and some kindling. He came back with an armload and dropped it to the ground. He made a perfect circle then arranged the wood to its best efficiency. He pulled out his lighter and sparked a fire. It crackled, illuminating the darkness eerily. He took off Sicko's helmet, letting him breathe easier. Maze exhaled and stared at the flames. It was going to be a long day.
The sun was now ready to set. Maze had let Sicko rest for most of the evening, as he would need all of his energy. The faint light that came from the large opening of the abyss was already quickly diminishing. He pushed himself up to his feet and shook Sicko gently. The other scout groaned in protest, mumbling incoherently, then opened his eyes. Maze sprayed more bacta on the wound before helping him up. "We need to move now. Alright?"
Sicko nodded, putting his arm over Maze's shoulder and wincing as more pressure was applied to his leg. "Put your weight on me," said Maze. Sicko did so, almost making Maze stumble, but he stayed upright. Their armor scraped against each other.
Sicko limped along, numb to his surroundings. His breathing was soon heavy and raspy a few klicks in. His head bobbed with their movements. "Sicko?" Maze stopped.
"I'm…fine. Just get us outta here…" Sicko flung off his helmet and vomited. Sweat beaded on his face and neck, dripping off his chin and onto the ground. He wiped his mouth with the back of his plated hand, coughing and shivering with chills. His face was pale, eyes dilated. "Drink some water. Stay hydrated," Maze held the bottle to Sicko's quivering lips and he drank.
The Shadowlands was alive with sounds and movements. Large birds swooped overhead, animals cried out high-pitched screams, leaves rustled. It all made Maze anxious. He checked the charge on his sidearm again for the third time. The local wild life seemed satisfied with leaving them alone for now at least.
The second scout nodded his head and passed the bottle to Maze. He winced and grinded his teeth together as weight went onto his leg, but stayed quiet. "Still hurts?"
"Still hurts," confirmed Sicko, managing a half-hearted laugh. He groaned and grasped Maze's shoulder plate. A long, piercing shriek echoed, silencing the nocturnal animals. Maze brandished his sidearm and heard the familiar click of the safety as he switched it off.
Something slithered closer, taking a direct path to them. The approaching creature hissed out, and then it went silent. Maze held his sidearm steady. The creature suddenly burst out of the dense foliage and lunged. The enormous snake, an Anakkona, bared its teeth and hissed, flicking its forked tongue. Its yellow, reptilian eyes glowered. Maze didn't move. He smacked Sicko in the back of his head to shut him up.
The snake's nostrils inhaled the trooper's scents and circled them slowly. Its scales were coated with a faded blue and green, making it blend in well to the dark surroundings. "Don't move," Maze whispered through the helmet com-link. Even though they couldn't be heard, he didn't take any chances. The snake clacked its powerful jaws, sending chills through Maze's bones.
The snake suddenly lurched at them and Maze fired. The blue bolts ricocheted off its hard skin. Maze pulled Sicko away before the creature could grab him. Sicko wailed as his leg twisted. The snake's ears perked up, following the sound. Its eyes snapped to the injured clone and it slithered toward him. Maze watched from the bushes, waiting for the right moment to spring.
Once the giant snake had his head turned away, Maze burst out of the bushes and jumped onto its back. It hissed confusingly, attempting to twist its head at the scout. Maze tried to hold on, but felt his fingers losing their hold as the snake thrashed violently.
He quickly slipped out his viroblade and rammed it through in between its scales. Green blood leaked out of the wound. The snake shrieked and swiped its sharp tail against Maze. He heard the crack of armor breaking, and he fell to the damp ground.
The green blood continued to trickle down the snake's body but it took no notice. Maze felt his spine being crushed by the inwardly pushed plastoid armor. He pushed himself up and searched frantically for his viroblade as the snake kept his attention on him. Maze found the viroblade and grasped the handle.
The snake lurched forward again with its gaping mouth wide open. Maze held the viroblade up firmly and felt the creature engulf his whole arm and upper body into its mouth. A tearing of skin resounded as the blade sliced through the snake's soft, vulnerable throat. It made a loud gurgling. Then silence. The long body slumped and shriveled up.
Maze gasped as he felt the teeth against his armor release and he crawled out of its mouth, digging his hands into the soft soil. He laid there for several minutes before finally rising unsteadily and limping over to where Sicko's body was leaning against a tree.
He shook him gently. "Sicko? Hey, wake up. Are you alright?"
"Wha-what… happ-ap-happened…?" stuttered Sicko past clenched teeth. Maze noticed the other trooper's twisted leg, and he grimaced. "An Anakkona attacked us. I killed it."
"A… wah-ah… what-t-t?"
"Doesn't matter right now, okay? Right now I need to give you medical attention. What's hurting?" Maze removed the scout's armor plating, running his hands along to feel for any injuries. Sicko wailed. "Everything… M-m-my he-ad is… it… hurts-s-s. An-d my b-bod-bod…" He convulsed and his mouth foamed. An infection.
Maze swore. "No, no, no!" He held Sicko's face and stared into his eyes. "Stay. With. Me."
Sicko's eyes rolled up, and then he stopped suddenly. His hand went slack from Maze's arm and his eyelids drifted closed. Maze shook his head and leaned back on the soles of his boots. The nighttime sounds resumed. He was alone in a jungle he probably would never escape from. The shock hit him hard, but years of training kicked in and he knew he had to keep on moving. Sitting here wouldn't do anything.
He had no tools to bury Sicko, so he would have to leave him. He pulled off his tally number and pocketed it. "Sorry, brother," Maze found his sidearm and placed it in the holster. He cut off his emotions, knowing the mission was still ahead. He would finish it. For Sicko.