Title: Shrapnel
Author(s): FelsGoddess
Timeframe: Sometime around Rebel Dream and Rebel Stand
Characters: OCs
Genre: Warfare
Keywords: war
Summary: A challenge response.
Notes: The army knows how to gain a victory but not how to make proper use of it.
American proverb, mid 20th century
Shrapnel flew through the air. A human male landed on the ground, covered in blood. A groan left his broken body. He wasn't dead, not yet. Burns licked his body as another solider doused the flames.
"Did we take the bunker?" the man wheezed as his skin sizzled in pain.
"Yeah, of course. We're the best," another solider quipped as she knelt down to sit beside him. She opened a medpack and began cleaning his wounds.
"Good. Now what?" he asked.
"No idea. We're just the guns. The big wigs have to decide what to do," she commented.
"General Antilles?" he asked, wincing.
"No idea. I hear he's still tangled up with Borelais. Heard he gave the council a run for their money," she responded.
"Martial rule?"
"Probably. Wouldn't work here. This is too big," she responded.
The glow of a lightsaber cut through the dust cloud. A dark-haired man entered the area.
"Who's that?" he groaned.
"No idea," she said. She held up a hyprospray gun and pressed the needle to his neck. "Time for lights out."
He was vaguely aware of the cold metal pressing against his skin. He felt a tiny prick and the world went black.
Trey Sunrider awoke slowly. His eyes felt like they had sand in them. His arms and legs burned. He was sure that a baby Hutt was sitting on his chest.
"Morning," a female voice called.
He slowly opened his eyes. The woman was staring at him. Her brown eyes filled his view. She reached behind her and handed him a cup. He slowly propped himself up on one elbow and drank.
"Where am I?" he asked after he was finished.
"I have no idea," she responded, "After we won the fight, everything went to pieces. Some Jedi Knight appeared, but he was killed. Colonel Taas tried to take lead, but it didn't work. He couldn't organize the refugees and the troops. You've been out for five days, by the way. After day three, the Vong ambushed us, threw us in a slave ship and here we are."
Sunrider furrowed his brow and responded, "You mean Taas couldn't control the situation?"
"Of course not. He's a fighter, not a politician. We needed someone with a smooth tongue to calm the waters here. After that Jedi died, the refugees lost hope," she said with a scoff.
"We're as good as dead, aren't we?" he asked.
"Probably," she responded, "No chance of beating back the Vong. Their warriors believe this is some kind of religious war. Divert from duty and it causes dishonor with their crazy gods. They've been ordered to take us to Yuuzhan'tar."
"Huh?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I heard whisperings that it's Coruscant."
Sunrider's eyes widened in shock, "No."
The woman nodded, "Yeah. You from there?"
"No, Tatooine," he stated, "You?"
"I figured you were, what with your name and all. No, I'm from Alderaan," she said.
"I'm sorry."
The woman shrugged, "Everyone is losing their homes. I can't ask for much."
"If I had known how this campaign turned out, I would have volunteered to go with a refugee vessel," he replied.
"We may have kept the planet had we had the proper leaders."
"That's true. Soldiers are trained to kill, not run a government."
The woman nodded as she stood up. She held a hand out to him, which he grabbed gratefully. He stood up, trying to ignore the shooting pains all over his body.
"Are you strong enough to fight?" she whispered.
"Hand-to-hand? I'll try."
"Good. We are going to die regardless. I refuse to go down without a fight."
"We can't kill them."
"It doesn't matter. I just want to hurt them before I die."
"That the solider in you?" he asked as they slowly walked towards the Yuuzhang Vong guards at the back of the room.
She didn't answer. She gave him a small smile and then charged for one of the Vong guards. Sunrider just grinned and followed.
The End.