Me: Well there's a difference between weird dreams and reality. I started writing this after being inspired by the song Unwritten.
Quay: Yub yub. Oy so bored.
Rex: True.
Rexmidnytegreen: But anyways, this story came from a very, very strange dream and I don't own Star Wars: The Clone Wars or some of the characters.
Me: A couple of them I borrowed from a friend and I named a trooper Trail after the death of a sniper in LongLiveTheClones' "Whatever happened to Captain Rex."
Quay: She nor her Co-writer, Rexmidnytegreen, own Star Wars: The Clone Wars only the OCs used in this story.
Chocolate pudding: chocolate chocolate-
Me: Go away you don't belong here! This story is rated a rather, kinda high T. There are hints of things but nothing very descriptive. There's some uh.. well gayness involved somewhere but I can't really say it's relationship related. But you can always skip those parts. It is, by my standards, a horror story.
Story's POV
AN UNKNOWN PLANET IN THE OUTER RIM
A group of 6 tall men, humanoids, entered the jail section of the building. Escorted between them were two men, shorter than the ones escorting them, but strong and smart. The two of them looked exactly alike if not for the fact that one of them had a black buzz cut and the other's head was covered with blond stubble. Down at the roots, the hair had started to grow in black. The two men were bound tightly by their wrists behind their back. The guard in front opened the door to a cell and the two men were roughly shoved inside, one of them letting out a pained yelp as he stumbled and hit the floor. The cell was locked and the guards retreated.
Inside the cell, there were two cots, a bench, a sink, and a toilet. The one who fell carefully picked himself up from the floor and sat on one of the cots. His head drooped.
"Hey." The one with blonde hair said sitting across from him. "Head up. We'll find a way out of this mess."
His brother lifted his head to look at him. "Sir, what makes you think that anyone will come looking for us?" He said. "We're just two clones."
"Because, Rae, no man gets left behind." Captain Rex said, repeating what he had once heard from his general. This time, he hoped it were true.
Rae seemed to think about this for a moment. He was a rookie on his first real assignment, but everything had gone wrong and they were now trapped in this cell and bound tightly by thin wire. Their armor had been stripped when they'd been captured and they were left in nothing but the black body suit worn under the armor.
Rex had set himself to work trying to loosen the wire around his wrists. It was so thin it had begun to cut into the flesh. He doubted that the rookie was in no better shape. After a few long painful minutes, he managed to get one of his hands free. His wrists began to bleed. He pulled the wire off and tossed it aside and massaged his wrists momentarily ignoring the blood.
"Come here." He said. The rookie stood up and walked over to the captain. He turned his back to him so his captain could untie him. He made rather quick work getting the rookie untied. The trooper sighed in relief and sat down again rubbing his wrists. They remained in silence; each had their own thoughts.
Rae laid down on the cot and stared at the ceiling. Rex sighed, sat up, and rested his arms against his knees and just stared at his hands. He remained that way for a while. In the meantime, Rae had drifted into a light uneasy sleep. He trembled on the thin mattress of the cot, then whimpered.
A nightmare. Rex thought. He stood up, sat down next to the young trooper and placed a hand on his back. The trooper jerked awake panting heavily then slowly calmed as he remembered where he was and who was with him. He said nothing.
The trooper felt ashamed. He was showing fear in front of his superior. Rae closed his eyes again and gave a soft, shuddering sigh. Rex rubbed his back for a moment then returned to the other cot. At the sound of footsteps he looked up again.
Three guards stood at the cell door. They were bulky, looked strong, different from the ones who had brought them in. One of them unlocked the cell and the others stepped inside.
They said nothing, but one of them grabbed Rex forcefully by his arm tugging one behind his back and holding his wrist tightly against the small of his back. Rex struggled but that only caused him that much more pain. He was shoved against the wall of the cell. The other two guards drug the struggling rookie from the cell. Rex caught a glimpse of the trooper's face. Fear shown in his eyes. The trooper struggled, but the two guards were too strong for him and they simply picked him up and carried him away.
The one holding Rex against the wall slowly released him. Rex moved to try to dart towards the opened cell but he was slammed hard back against the wall before he'd even taken a step.
"Oh no. You stay here." The guard said grinning wickedly. He threw him onto the cot; Rex landed with a yelp of pain. The guard walked out of the cell and locked it. Rex lay there for a while. His head spun and his shoulder hurt. He rubbed his shoulder wincing slightly at the pain. He closed his eyes. Eventually the captain drifted into an uneasy sleep driven by several nights of no rest.
Three hours after he had fell asleep he awoke to the sound of the cell being opened. He blinked his eyes trying to clear them as the sound of a body hitting the floor followed by a yelp of pain hit his ears. The cell was once again locked.
"Rae." Rex pushed himself off the cot ignoring the pain in his shoulder and gathered his brother in his arms. The trooper clung to him like glitter to glue. The trooper whimpered as Rex carefully picked him up and lowered him onto the bed.
Rae's face was covered in bruises, one of his eyes was swollen shut, and he had tears flowing from eyes. Rex sat next to him and the trooper let his head drop onto Rex's thigh.
Rex rubbed the trooper's back slowly, gently. The trooper tensed glanced up at him with the eye that wasn't blackened. Rae looked down at the dirty floor of the cell. Somehow he felt ashamed, yet he also felt angry that it was him who'd been beaten and not the captain. He found himself feeling better that it was him and not the captain. The captain was experienced, he was worth more than a meat-can.
Rae thought about all the training exercises he'd been through on Kamino, the drills, the flash training, the live fire. It had all prepared him for his first mission, but his first mission had become a road way to hell. So here they sat in a cell, he, beaten to the point he had to submit, the captain staring over him. For a moment he wondered why the captain treated him like he did. He wanted to ask, but as it turned out he didn't have to.
"We're brothers, Rae. No brother gets left behind." Rex said softly. He stared at the wall opposite them then looked out the bars of the cell. Across from them was another cell, but the cell was dark so he couldn't see if there was anyone inside of it.
Rae said nothing, but he drew his legs up, shivering, and let his arms wrap around them. It was cold in the cell. Rex could feel it, but he'd been in space longer than Rae had; he was used to it. There were no blankets in the cell. If it got any colder, they'd have to stay close to keep warm.
Rae felt very tired. He let himself doze simply to ease the soreness of his body. Rex leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
When Rae woke, Rex was gone. He sat up slowly and looked around the cell. He wasn't there. He stood up and walked to the bars of the cell and looked out.
"They're most likely doing the same to him they did to you." Said a voice. Rae turned his head towards the sound. A man with very dark skin very skinny, sat cross-legged behind the bars of his cell which was directly across from them.
"Who are you?" Rae asked.
"Ravi, you?"
"Rae... do you know where we are?" He wrapped his fingers around one of the bars.
Ravi laughed, a dry emotionless sound that echoed through the silence. "No one here knows." He waved his hand to indicate the rows of cells. On closer examination, Rae realized that he could see the man's ribs.
A loud grunt caused him to turn his head to look down the dimly lit hallway. Rex was being half-dragged half-carried down the hall. He was conscious and fighting against his captors, but they still outnumbered him, and they were bigger than him too. Rae stepped away from the bars just as Ravi melted into the shadows of his cell. They threw Rex to the floor of the cell and Rae saw him mouth the word 'ow' as he hit.
Rae looked down at him as the guards locked the cell and then left. "No luck huh?" Rae said.
"Eh." Rex stood up and started pulling back his sleeves revealing several bruises along his arms. So, Rex had defended himself after all.
Rae grunted and looked down at the floor. He was hungry and he still felt very tired. The shamed feeling was back. He hadn't protected himself. They'd been too fast for him, too harsh.
"Not a fan of being hit." Rex said softly. Rae nodded absently.
"But you can't keep it up forever." Ravi said. He was sitting at the front of his cell again.
"I'm not gonna give up without a fight." Rex said looking at the man.
Someone in the cell next to them spoke up. "Fighting will get ya killed in the most horrible ways imaginable. That's what happened to my brother." The man said. He had a distant, far away look as he was lost in memories.
"Then we sit here and do nothing? Not something I actually learned where I'm from." Rex said not looking at him, but returning to sit on the bed in the cell. Rae sat opposite of him and rubbed his eye with one fist.
"Udes vod ." Rex said softly in Mando'a. (Rest brother.) Rae laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a while before he rolled over onto his side and stared at the cell wall.
"Ignore Dahveed." Ravi said. "He has issues."
Rex may have seemed to appear that the bruises on his arms and the ones that had gotten through his defense didn't hurt, but they did. It was manageable pain though. He'd been injured worse and in a lot more pain before. He leaned against the wall in thought. They had to get out of there. He rubbed his shoulder with one hand to ease some of the soreness in it. So far he hadn't come up with any ideas to get out of this prison, but he wasn't gonna just lay down his arms and give up. He was a clone, not a slave. He would fight to his death if need be.
Rex closed his eyes and began putting together different plans in his mind's eye. Based on what he'd seen, however, they wouldn't work. He knew they wouldn't, but it kept him busy to think about this and his mind off hunger. If he didn't think about it, he wouldn't have to worry about it. Planning and working always took his mind off things.
A blood curdling scream echoed through the halls. Rex snapped open his eyes and sat up at the same time Rae did, but Rae's movements were slower as he sat up to look at his captain. Their eyes met.
He'd been asleep. Rex thought, but it was a side thought. The scream, it'd been agonized, one of pain, suffering, with a mix of fear. Definitely a male in pain. Rae seemed to tremble, and he set his feet firmly against the floor and just stared at them.
He's scared. Rex had to remember that he was only a rookie, and while they'd been bred to be fearless, clones were still human. The instinct of fear was natural, in fact, it made them stronger. He looked out at the cell across from them where Ravi was still sitting, unfazed by the scream.
"Someone's been branded." Ravi said simply. His voice held no emotion.
Rex saw Rae tighten, his posture go rigid, spine in perfect alignment and would get stiffer depending on his feelings. Rex did that when he felt upset. Rae stared at some point above Rex's head. Rex felt terrible beyond comprehension.
If only I had told Rae to go with Skywalker instead of me. Rex thought. He frowned and rubbed the back of his hand across his lips. He realized he wasn't wearing his gloves and wondered where they could have been.
"What if we never see them again, Sir?" Rae asked.
Rex hadn't been expecting that. "We'll see 'em again, but they'll miss us, they always do." He said. "We're too lovable to not be missed."
Rae chuckled softly. Rex gave a small smile. He suddenly had that feeling as though he were being watched. Rae twisted his head to look at the wall, there was no one there.
"This place could use a makeover, Sir." Rae said looking up at the ceiling. "Grey is such a boring color. Blue would be much better." He said.
"I agree, Rae. Some posters would be nice too." He said following the younger trooper's gaze to the ceiling. "And one of those chocolate fountains."
"That'd certainly sweeten the deal. And a garden outside. Plenty of berries." He said slowly relaxing and leaning back against the wall.
Rex smiled inwardly glad that he'd been able to ease the younger trooper's mind, or at least take it off of what he was thinking about. He knew it would eventually stray to the situation at hand.
"Rae, I want a list of 50 things that makes you happy by the end of the day." Rex said getting an idea. That would take him most of the day.
"That'd be kinda hard with such dully colored walls, Sir." Rae said looking around again. "Grey makes everything unhappy. Reminds me of a rainy day on Kamino."
"Which was everyday." They both said in unison. They both chuckled, and for a moment, Rae actually forgot their situation. He felt like it was just any other day and he was sitting in the mess with his brothers.
"I've already got two, Sir." Rae said absently. He drew one of his knees to his chest and hooked his arms around it. He stared at it becoming lost in his own world.
Rex smiled and leaned back against the wall again then closed his eyes and let himself doze for a bit.
While the two were lost to their own tasks, Rex dozing, Rae thinking, Ravi watched them. He envied them. They hadn't been here long enough to know that there was no way out, and no way to get out of the pain that he had faced for weeks.
Ravi pitied their happiness, as it would soon be crushed. Their hope would too. He tried to remember when it was the last time he had been happy. It'd been a long time ago. He'd been here so long, he'd lost track of the time he'd been here. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he had laughed.
He picked up the piece of black coal he'd had. He drew on the floor in his spare time. Normally small drawings at the back of the cell, but here he could draw larger ones and wipe them away. He just scribbled absently on the floor while he watched the two of them in the cell across from him. He'd once had a room- he couldn't all this a room it was a cell-cellmate, as many of the men in the facility had, but he'd been killed by the beatings and abuse they endured day after day.
By the end of the day, Rae had come up with 5 things that made him happy. That had been a lot harder than he'd thought it'd be. He sighed and glanced over at his captain who was curled up on his side fast asleep. He seemed to sense that Rae was looking at him and lifted his head to look at the trooper. He sat up slowly with a huge yawn.
"You okay, Rae?" He asked scratching the back of his head.
"I'm hungry." Rae said giving up on the list.
"Don't think about it. It will drive you insane if you do." Rex said leaning his head back against the wall to look at the ceiling again. As if on cue, Rae looked up at it too.
"Do you think we're above or underground?" Rae asked. There wasn't a window, there wasn't any way of telling.
"I'm gonna guess and say above ground. Prisoners are normally held underground." Rex replied after a moment's pause. "We're definitely planetside." The ground underneath was hard packed soil. If they were in a space station, they would have been able to feel the vibration under their foot, and ships were made of durasteel not soil. When the guards had taken them, they'd gone downstairs rather than up.
Rae rubbed his shoulders. They felt sore and painful from the way they had been wrenched backwards. Rae dropped his hands into his lap and just stared at them. After a few minutes of just sitting there, he started to shiver. At first he couldn't tell if it was because he was cold or because of the question that was becoming consistently annoying at the back of his mind.
What if I die here? Somehow it was becoming less of a question and more of a statement. He knew he was going to die here. The temperature seemed to drop and Rae folded his arms over his chest.
Rex looked at him. "Rub your chest. Keep your core warm." He instructed.
Rae did as he was told and rubbed his chest with his hands drawing his knees up as he did. Rex walked over and sat beside the trooper curling his arms around his shoulders. Rae looked up in surprise. Rex didn't feel as cold as he did, and he wondered if he was getting ill. He wasn't showing any symptoms of any kind of illness however.
He burrowed close to his captain. Across from them, he could see Ravi retreat to his bunk and wrap his arms around himself. This was one of the times when Rae wished he had a warm suit on. He wished he had his armor back. He missed his controlled climate, his personal space, his privacy. He'd like nothing more than to curl up with his datapad in his warm bed and read something. Even though he'd been with the 501st for a while, he had never been on a mission, he was still a shiny. His first mission had gone terrible.
He thought of the scratches on his armor. That was a warm feeling and it made him feel warmer. Number 6. He thought. Rae smiled to himself as he let his head rest against Captain Rex's shoulder.
Rex held the rookie trooper against his chest. He could tell that his temperature was dropping. It was freezing, but it wasn't bothering him. Space was cold and he was used to it, armor or no armor. This place was getting just as cold.
Rae drifted to sleep on that warm thought. When he got home he would be a shiny no more. Rex let his cheek rest on the trooper's head and he began to drift also.
When Rex woke, he realized that he had to practically drag himself from his slumber. He felt something cold pressed against him. He looked down to see Rae pressed against him.
Something was off about the trooper. Rex pressed two fingers against his neck feeling for a pulse. His pulse rate was slower than it should have been, his limbs were very, very cold. He shook the trooper by his shoulder. Rae woke slowly and pressed closer to the captain. He was shivering violently.
Rex slowly uncurled the trooper and laid him on the bed. He placed his hands on Rae's chest and rubbed it with firm hands.
The friction from his hands warmed him and Rae slowly stopped shivering, but all his limbs were numb. Rex went from rubbing his chest to rubbing each limb one by one Rae stared at him. and Rex looked up from rubbing one of his legs, his hands still working, and looked at the trooper.
"What? Is there something on my face?" He said chuckling softly. Rae sat up slowly and shook his head then stared down at his lap.
"Nothing, Sir." He said softly. Rae gently took one of Rex's hands in both of his and just stared at it. Rex looked at him in confusion, one eyebrow raised. After a moment, Rae seemed to come to and let go of his brother's hand. Rae stared down at his lap for several moments then sighed.
"Sir, you don't-" Rae began but Rex cut him off.
"Yes I do, Rae. Because if I didn't, I'd be just as cruel and merciless as the people who hold us here."
Rae was quiet. He folded his arms over his chest, and avoided meeting his captain's gaze. He looked up as he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Rex gave his shoulder a small squeeze then sat back down on the other bed in the cell. Once again the two of them fell into a loud silence.
A loud anguished cry pierced the silence. Rex lifted his head to look out the cell bars. Two guards were dragging a struggling male. His shirt hung off him loosely and Rex could have sworn he could have counted his ribs through the thin material. He kicked and struggled against his captors.
Most of his screams were incoherent, but he managed to make out the words, "No, my brother!" He was dragged away, his cries fading into the distance. A few minutes later, another guard came through carrying a dead body draped over his shoulder.
The body was too still the skin looked almost waxy. He was definitely dead. Rex assumed he died from either starvation or hypothermia. He looked over at Rae. Rae had curled up tightly trembling. Rex frowned deeply. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked to the cell bars without turning his head. A guard stood in front of them. He had a stun baton in one hand, a card key in the other. He stared at the two of them with a wicked grin on his face. Two guards flanked him on either side and one step behind him.
The man in front, was wearing a rather snappy suit. It had a tan color jacket with a black shirt and black dress pants. He opened the cell using the keycard and the two clones were removed from the cell, but before they were, both had their wrists bound behind their backs with a pair of binders.
Rex didn't fight this time. He was too worried about Rae. Out of the corner of eye he could see the young rookie. He had his eyes down, but Rex could see the fear in his eyes. He wanted to comfort him, but he was certain it wouldn't be wouldn't be a good idea right now. They were placed in a room - it was smaller than the one they'd been beaten in before - and left there.
The room was empty, smaller than their cell and dimly lit. He stood next to Rae who moved closer to him.
Rae couldn't keep from whispering, "What do you think will happen?"
Rex shrugged. He didn't want to speak. He felt strange, like something bad was going to happen. Rae stepped closer to the captain. The walls of the room were made of durasteel.
The two of them stood for what seemed like several hours, but had only been a few minutes before a man came back. This one didn't appear to be one of the guards, but he wasn't a prisoner there either. He wore a lab coat that made him look eerily like a doctor. Following him was the man from before, but instead of the stun- baton he'd had earlier, he was carrying an electro-whip.
Rex took the step that put him in front of his trembling brother. Rae's breathing quickened. He could hear it as well as feel it on the back of his neck. Rae suddenly felt sick, as though he were going to throw up even though there was nothing in his stomach.
The next few moments were a blur. Rae found himself suspended from the wall by his wrists. His head throbbed as though he'd been hit in it, but he couldn't recall if he had.
Rex was on his knees. His shoulders were being held by two of the guards, one on either side. The man in suit, the facilities, warden his name was M, knelt in front of him. Rex glared at him with ice cold eyes.
"My, my." M said clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Then he gave a cold sinister smirk. "So much defiance in your eyes. Well, we can fix that." He gestured to the doctor who pressed something on his wrist. For a moment, everything was silent. Then a blood curdling scream of agony pierced his ears. He flinched and for a moment he thought it was himself screaming. The voice screaming was his own, but then he realized.
As he met this epiphany, the screams died down and heavy panting met his ears. He only felt a strange pain for his brother. To know that his brother was being tortured right in front of him. Rex stared at the warden with hatred filling his eyes. M stood to his full height, stepped out of the way and gestured to the doctor. The doctor pressed the button again.
Rae had never felt anything like this agony he felt now. He'd had a blaster wound before, but this was much, much worse. His back arched in pain, his head spun. The only question running through his head was "Why?" The pain receded. His eyes stung, and for several moments he didn't know why, but then, two single tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks. He let his head droop; it hit the wall in front of him.
Rex growled, a deep sound in his throat. "You'll regret this." He spat. His muscles trembled with his anger.
"Oh no, I will get away with this. And you'll have to live with it." He said He waved his hand almost carelessly in the direction of the doctor.
Rex jerked his head away closing his eyes. M grabbed his chin in one hand and jerked it upwards to look at him. "Good, you've learned." M said letting one of his fingers travel over Rex's lips. Rex snapped his teeth closed around his fingers. M jerked his hand away the brought it back up with a lot of force against the side of Rex's head. Rex recoiled from the punch that left his mind reeling.
Rae knew he was screaming, but now, the screams felt distant. He drifted slowly to the ground. He was facing the captain, but all he could see was M's back. Both of them were still as statues.
"Rae." A sweet feminine voice called his name. He looked around for it, then turned his head around. There was a woman wearing a black and red wedding dress by the looks of it. A veil covered her face.
"Hello dear one." She said sweetly. Rae looked at her, then to his left. He saw himself hanging there limp, eyes closed, a waxy like look. He looked back at the woman slowly.
"Am I- am I dead?" He asked hesitantly.
The veiled lady chuckled. "Oh no dear one, you are very much alive."
"Am I dreaming?" He asked.
"You may say so dear one." She gently reached out and grabbed his hand. She gently tugged him back over to his body. "Now you needn't worry." She took a step back then began to fade away.
"Wait!" He said taking a step forward. She disappeared chuckling lightly. Rae froze. Something didn't feel right. He looked around him then took a step back that brought him against the wall. He blinked and suddenly he was staring at the grey wall again. He panted lightly. The pain had eased away again and he struggled to lift his head. Next thing he knew he hit the floor hard. His first instinct was to rub at his painful wrists. He let his eyes dart around the cell searching for the woman he'd seen. She was nowhere to be found. All went black and Rae had no idea why.
"You're awake." A voice said. Rae lifted his head then slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing as his back pulled painfully, on one of the beds in the cell. At the back of the cell, Ravi stood sketching something on the grey walls.
"Wha happened?" Rae asked. His voice was hoarse and he coughed as it cracked.
"You were branded. I don't know where your friend is. Probably dead. They brought you here." Ravi said pausing in his drawing for a moment then continuing.
"Branded?" Rae whispered to no one in particular. For several minutes the only sound in the cell was the sound of Ravi's coal scratching against the wall.
Ravi stopped drawing and sat down on the bed across from him. He didn't know what to say, so he remained silent.
"How long have I been out?" Rae asked finally speaking into the silence.
"About 10 hours." He replied. He looked down at the floor lost in memories of his brother. "Ya know, I had a brother. He died here." Ravi said softly.
Rae looked up at him then sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Why do you fight when you know that you will probably die if you do?" Ravi asked tilting his head.
For a moment, Rae struggled to recall his captain and sergeant's words. "We're clones. We were bred to fight and die. Laying down our arms was not something we learned, nor is it anything we're learning now." He said slowly. "Of course it is always important to know when to fight and when not to fight." Rae paused for several moments thinking.
"You're clone troopers? Who fight for the Republic against the Separatists?" Ravi asked suddenly interested. Rae nodded.
"We're from the Five-oh-first." Rae said. "Torrent Company. I'm a sniper for Deek Squad, but I'm only a rookie. This was my first mission before we were captured and brought here."
"Oh." Ravi said. "What was the mission?"
"We were tasked with liberating a Republic planet from the Seppies. We were cleaning up from the battle, and the captain asked me to join him on recon. That's when we were captured." Rae sighed. "To think I had just gotten my armor from being shiny."
"Maybe fate has brought you here." Ravi said tilting his head to one side.
"What do you mean?" Rae raised an eyebrow as he spoke. To him it sounded like something a Jedi would have said.
"To rescue us."
"Maybe, maybe not. I don't know." Rae shrugged his shoulders then winced from the movement. He laid back on the bed and sighed heavily wondering if ending up here really was fate... or pure coincidence?
"I'd heard stories about a clone army, but no one from my planet had ever met one before." Ravi said then was quiet.
SPICE FREIGHTER TWILIGHT, PLANETSIDE UNKNOWN COORDINATES IN A FOREST OF THE UNKNOWN PLANET
Jedi General Anakin Skywalker stepped from the ship. His young Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, was by his side. Following behind him were about 10 clone troopers. In front of them was Sergeant Medic Coric, Captain Rex's second in command.
The weather outside the ship was rather cold. Skywalker wrapped his Jedi robes tighter around himself then turned back to the sergeant.
"Leave a squad to guard Twilight. This place seems quiet, but I think it's in our right mind to be cautious." He said.
Four troopers remained behind with the ship. The remainder followed General Skywalker into the cold forest at a brisk run. The trooper's armor protected them from the cold. Among those remaining six troopers were Sergeant-Medic Coric, Fireblaze, Chris, Flame-trooper Dillon, Bryant, the heavy gunny, and the sniper Trail. The squad took up a diamond like formation. Dillon and Trail were at the back. Coric was at point behind the general and commander. Fireblaze and Chris were behind and to either side of Coric.
The team ended up out of the forest and into a small town. General Skywalker held up one arm closed fisted to signal his team to stop. Coric had his head tilted slightly to one side which let Skywalker know he was focused on something in his HUD, Head-up Display, which was centered in his helmet optics. He gave a crisp nod of his head to the man in front and the team set off again, this time at a walk.
Bryant, the heavy gunner, was armed with the Z-6 Rotating cannon. At the moment, the cannon was strapped to his back and a pistol rested in one hand at his side. His armor was covered in scrapes and dents. Beneath the helmet, lined in blue with black stripes down the cheek plates, was a heavily scarred face. Blue hand-width stripes outlined in a thin line of glossy black ran the length of each arm. His leg armor on the left leg was covered completely in blue with black swirls along the painted plastoid. His right leg had the opposite pattern with the armor covered in black and the 501st blue swirls covering the leg. He was one of the few original members of the 501st from another company. He'd been transferred, upon losing all of his heavy gunner squad including the sergeant, to Torrent Company.
Dillon fidgeted. He continued to check the safety valves on the wand of his flamethrowers, and the mixture in the tank on his back. Armed only with the heavy flame thrower, he had to rely on the sniper next to him and the troopers around him to watch his back should danger occur. He had a sidearm in his holster, but that was only should something happen to the heavy weapon he carried. Beneath the armor, white with blue stripes travelling down the arms and legs, Dillon had a slightly larger build than the average clone trooper. He had a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on the bicep of his right arm hidden beneath his armor. The same design was painted on the right spaulder.
Trail looked at him through his helmet then checked the charge on his rifle. Even though he'd only known the bitch carrier a short while, he did value his skills. He's sparred with the trooper more than a few times and had found he was a formidable adversary. He snapped out the power pack and replaced it in muscle memory. His hands moved quickly, efficiently. He'd done it so many times it was drilled into him as an automatic response. He placed the old power pack into one of the pouches on his belt and checked to see how much tibanna gas was left in the cartridge. All the while he never stopped walking.
Fireblaze shuddered involuntarily. There was something strange about this town. The people stared at them as they walked past. In front of them was a little girl. The little girl was wearing a purple sun dress. Her hair was black and came to her shoulders. She looked to be a 6 year old human from here. She tilted her head to one side as they walked past her. Her gaze never left Fireblaze. He watched her through the 360 degree vision provided by his helmet for a moment. The little girl lifted a finger to her lips then she faded away. Fireblaze almost faltered in his steps. He realized that he was the only one who could have seen the little girl. She wasn't living, she was dead.
Chris glanced over at Fireblaze noticing that he had stumbled. He switched to their private comm channel in their helmets so no one else could hear them. "You okay Blaze?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just saw something weird is all." He replied to his brother by choice.
"What'd you see?" Chris asked. He tightened his grip on his blaster.
"A little girl." Fireblaze checked the charge on his blaster then dropped his other hand to his side.
"Curious." Chris said then turned his attention back to the task at hand.
Trail, behind him looked back for a moment then looked back at Blaze. He'd seen the falter and had looked at his brother concern. Blaze gestured that he was okay and Trail gave a slight nod.
The sergeant, for the most part, had seemed oblivious to what went on behind him. He had many things to focus on. He was trusting the men behind him to do their jobs, and he would do his. As he glanced around town he was sure that all he could see were women. He hadn't spotted any men so far and even then he had only seen about 10 women. He stopped walking as the general held up on fist to signal the man to stop. Coric lifted his hand in an echo of the order. The men behind him stopped.
The few women that were outside working, doing chores and such, looked at them. One of them stepped forward towards the general. She spoke in a tone that said she was serious and concerned. "You have made a dangerous decision to come to our village. Why?"
General Skywalker wasted no time. "We tracked the signals of two of our missing clones to this planet near this village. Do you think you can help us find them?"
She folded her arms over her chest. She was wearing an ankle length dress that was loose on her frame. "The only men you will find here are the slaves to M." She said then she turned away and the other women went back to their chores.
"M?" Ahsoka echoed. "Who's M?"
"I don't know, but we're gonna find out." Skywalker answered his Padawan. "There was almost nothing about this planet in the archives."
Ahsoka nodded then fell into step with her master.
THE PALACE ON THE UPPER SIDE OF TOWN
Rex stared at the floor of the transport they were in. His hands were bound tightly behind him using shock binders. There was a man sitting next to him. His name was Rau Ru, but that was all he knew about him. He wasn't bound, but he was staring at the floor as well with his arms braced on his legs. M sat across from the two of them. He leaned against the wall of the transport smirking at the two men. M reached across with one hand and cupped Rex under the chin forcing his head up to look him in the eyes. Rex glared at him. M clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"You don't learn do you?" M whispered softly leaning closer to the man across for him. Rex jerked his head to the side, but M jerked it back so that it was facing him again. Rex felt something hot and wet slam against his lips and he let out a muffled sound of protest. He managed to jerk away and he glared at him angrily as he panted lightly. M smirked and let his fingers gently caress Rex's cheek.
M pulled his fingers away from Rex then slapped them back across his face with the harsh sound of flesh hitting flesh. Rex grunted in pain. M gripped one hand around his throat and tugged him closer to him so that their faces were inches apart. The other hand came up to rest against the left side of his face.
"You can defy me and suffer the pain, or you can submit and not have to worry about it." M whispered softly. He pressed his lips to Rex's cheek; Rex let out a growl in the back of his throat. He tightened the hand around his throat. Rex grew silent as his amount of air intake was reduced. "Good boy." He murmured and pressed his lips against Rex's again. Rex trembled with fury but didn't move. M let go of his throat and pulled away leaning against the wall again and smirking again.
Rex gulped in lungfuls of air as the transport came to a stop. M stepped out. "Stay here."
Rau Ru turned to Rex. "It does you very little good to fight him. He does the same to me. My advice to you, learn to accept it if you want to live." He said in a deep rich baritone. Rex realized he wasn't half as scrawny as the men back in the cell, nor was he as bruised. He reached out and placed a hand on Rex's back gently then spoke in a soft voice. "This is the proof of that."
Rex blew out a breath. His back stung beneath the thick shirt he was wearing. It was made from some kind of cream colored animal fleece. The pants were made of the same material, and they were both rather comfortable. They kept him warm against the cold weather outside. He tried to recall where his other clothes were, but couldn't quite remember. He couldn't recall anything after the white hot pain that had shot through his back sending waves of pain and nausea through him.-
Rau Ru let his hand drop then went back to staring at the floor. "Remember, speak only when spoken to, and don't try anything funny. It'll end badly. Trust me on that." He said not looking up.
Rex was silent. He absently realized that his cheek stung from when he'd been slapped. His neck ached from where the fingers had wrapped around it. For several minutes he was lost in his own thoughts and didn't realize that M had returned until his head was forced upward once again. Rex diverted his eyes to the floor.
"Good boy, you've learned." M said, his tone took almost a mocking tone to it as he pressed his lips to Rex's cheek then released him and moved to toy with the man sitting next to him. Rex watched from the corner of his eyes how Rau Ru reacted. Rau Ru put up with the kisses, caressing, and touches even going so far as to kiss back as M touched his lips to the younger man.
M pulled away from Rau Ru breaking the kiss and whispered softly in his ear. "Later." Rau Ru glanced at Rex out of the corner of his eyes and saw the mild surprise in his as M walked away. Rex stared at the floor even though he could see that Rau Ru was looking at him.
"Come both of you." M said sharply as he walked towards the door of the transport. Two of his guards escorted him, one of them carried a backpack. Rex and Rau Ru stood; he let Rau Ru move ahead of him. Someone shoved him roughly from behind. He grunted losing his balance momentarily but gaining it back rather quickly. His head was starting to spin from the lack of food and water. Someone gripped his arm to keep him from falling as he was blindfolded and led the rest of the way from the transport.
Rex couldn't tell how far they walked. His feet were cold and sore. The ground beneath them was littered with small pebbles and sharp stones. He heard the sound of a large door opening and then closing after they walked through. Rex was shoved roughly to the floor landing on his knees. A hand pressed against his back keeping him there. He fought the urge to jerk away.
"Stay still." Rau Ru hissed not too far from his ear. Rex froze. He felt scared and confused but he didn't let it show. Someone spoke, a female. Her voice was smooth and rich like honey.
"Ah, you have returned Manson," she paused, "and Rau Ru, but who is the third?"
M's real name was Manson, however he was called M by many as it stood not only for his name, but for Master as well. He rose from his half bow and grabbed Rex by the blond and black hair that had started to grow in the past few days. It was about neck length, long enough for M to wrap it around his fingers. He jerked his head upwards and Rex was hauled roughly to his feet.
"Your name." M said sharply.
"Rex... Sir." He replied hesitating as his voice cracked from how dry his throat was. He didn't like the blind fold. It obscured his vision and all he had to rely on to place things in the room were his ears.
"A new guy I assume." She said. She waved one of her hands absently as she spoke. Though Rex couldn't see it she rolled her eyes.
"A defiant one at that my dear Ivy." M said as he shoved Rex back to the floor. Rex fell to his knees with a wince of pain. He'd fallen heavier than he had wanted to, but he'd had no way to brace the fall either.
Rau Ru watched Rex from the corner of his eyes even as he kept his face close to the floor. He didn't move and for some reason that kind of worried Rau Ru.
"Now now Manson, let's not be so cruel to the new guy. He doesn't know any better." Ivy said in a purring tone. She swept from her throne and approached the men kneeling before her.
She knelt down in front of Rex and gently used one hand to lift his head. With the other she removed the blindfold from his eyes. Rex blinked rapidly to let his eyes adjust to the brightly lit room. Rex stared at her, but nothing seemed to comprehend itself as his head buzzed with dehydration and hunger. The queen gently wrapped her arms around him and gently pressed his head against her chest.
"Oh, Manson, you've starved and beaten them?" She shook her head. One of her hands rested on his shoulder the other against the side of his face that wasn't against her soft pillowy chest. She gestured to one of the maids standing around and she left and returned moments later with a glass filled with water. The maid handed her the glass then backed away. Ivy held the glass to his lips, the other arm moving to support his head and neck. "Drink." She said. Rex did as he was told and drank from the glass of water.
The glass was gone too soon. He sighed to himself softly as she handed the glass off to another maid. Rex felt her soft full lips on his forehead and she gently cradled him against her chest. He licked his lips. His tongue didn't feel as dry, but he knew he was still very dehydrated.
This isn't so bad. He thought to himself. So far anyways. His eyes drifted closed slowly. A strong sharp pain shot through his body. His eyes snapped open; a scream escaped parted lips. The pain eased away and he remembered the binders around his wrists as they became tighter around his wrists. He panted hard trying to gain back the air the scream and pain had driven from his body. His muscles trembled and didn't hold him up as two of Manson's henchmen grabbed him by his arms and held him suspended in the air.
Manson watched them with a smirk on his face. He gripped Rau Ru under one arm and pulled him to his feet then the two of them left for the dining hall. A long table ran the length of the room in the center. The table was being set with dishes of all kinds from meats and vegetables to fruits and nuts. Manson sniffed the air as the scent of the dozens of different foods filled the air.
Two females entered the room from a door that exited off to another hall. One was a 14 year old wearing a hunter green dress with gems around the collar that stopped at the knees. Her name was Clarissa. The other was a 5 year old wearing a long sleeved blue dress. Her name was Patience. She couldn't talk, so her sister spoke for her.
"Hello my dears." Manson said as he opened his arms to his daughters. His elder daughter embraced him and kissed his cheek.
"We've missed you, Daddy." She said.
"I've missed you too my dears." He said.
"Hello Rau-Ru." She said. "'Tis good to see you again."
The man gave a polite acknowledgement but didn't speak.
They stayed for dinner. Rex hadn't been seen until it was time for them to leave. Rex was uncharacteristically shoved into the carriage still blindfolded and bound tightly. He felt strong arms slowly encircle him. They belonged to Manson.
"You've learned your lesson no doubt haven't you?" He purred pulling Rex practically into his lap. Rex didn't answer. Manson pulled off the blindfold. Rex's eyes were distant and he avoided his gaze altogether. Manson rested his chin on Rex's shoulder. "You've learned."
Rex remained quiet lost to his own misery. Deep inside of him he felt a strong anger welling up and waiting to be released. The anger fueled him. He let it fill him and it kept him on his toes. It kept him going. It reminded him of who he was.
The ride back seemed to last very few minutes and Rex found himself locked back in a cell with Rae. They had moved the trooper back to the cell now that Rex had returned.
"Sir…." Rae's voice had trailed off as he saw what condition his captain was in. Rex simply shook his head indicating that he didn't want to talk about it and laid down.
Rae stood slowly only to be hit with a wave of dizziness. He laid back and covered his eyes with one arm as he let out a soft groan. He pulled his arm away as the room finally stopped spinning. "Sir, do you remember the last time you've eaten?"
Rex rolled over onto his side to look at the trooper. "Probably about a week." He sighed. "Stop thinking about it."
"It's really hard not to Sir. The room keeps spinning." Rae closed his eyes. "My head hurts." He reached up to rub his forehead. He stopped thinking and pleasantly let his mind drift. He found himself staring at his own body again. He looked to his right and saw the captain still laying on his back with one hand behind his head the other laying across his stomach. He saw a woman wearing a white dress. It was a different one than she'd seen before. She was smiling and for some odd reason it sent a cold unpleasant chill down his spine. He took a step back.
"Do not be afraid Rae. I am not your enemy. I have advice for you. Find out where you are. You have free reign to move in this form." She purred reaching out one hand palm up to him. "Go and help your friend."
Rae turned around then looked back at his body. He felt unsure about leaving it behind but his will to help his friend was overwhelming. He glanced at his captain then presently walked out of the cell. He traveled through the corridor past many rows of cells until he found himself in a large room. He looked around it. It appeared to be a lobby. There were several adjoining hallways and doorways. Suddenly Rae saw the first woman he'd seen. The one who wore the black dress.
"Rae you should not be here." She said stepping towards him. "You need to go back to your body now."
Rae stared at her. Suddenly he felt scared beyond comprehension. He turned around and suddenly he was face to face with a tall figure. This figure was not human. Rae cried out, and suddenly the woman was in front of him.
"Run Rae!" She said holding back the thing. Rae did as he was told and ducked around them and took off at a full sprint. Everything was dark he couldn't see. He blindly found himself back inside the cell he'd left. The woman in white was nowhere to be seen.
Rae woke on a sharp cry. He sat straight up panting heavily and feeling as though he had actually ran a long ways. Rex was at his side upon him waking. He gathered the trooper in his arms and held him tight.
"Rae, calm down; take deep breaths." He said. He rubbed the trooper's back. Rae did as he was instructed trying to slow his breathing. He buried his head into his captain's shoulder. His body was trembling on its own accord. "It was just a dream," Rex murmured in his ear.
"It wasn't!" He gasped out lifting his head to look at him. There was genuine fear in his eyes. He hadn't told him about the first time he'd seen the lady, but that was because he hadn't seen him since then. He gripped the man tighter. "It was going to hurt her." He said in a lower, softer voice. His voice cracked half way through and he buried his head back in the shoulder of the captain. Rex was confused. He stared at the kid in his arms. He didn't know what to say so he stayed quiet.
"Rae?" Ravi's voice flitted across the hall.
Rae lifted his head slowly. "Yeah?"
"You okay?" Ravi was standing at the door to his cell.
"I think so." Rae said slowly pulling away from the captain. He could feel the effects of hunger and dehydration starting to take a strong toll on his body. His movements were slow and uncoordinated. Rae had wondered how these prisoners were being kept alive.
"Someone's coming." Rex said lifting his head as he sat back down on the other bed.
Ravi disappeared back into the shadows. Rae did the same curling up in a corner. Rex settled himself against the bed with a sigh.
It was none other than Rau-ru. Rex sat up slowly.
"Rau-ru what brings you to our lovely hotel rooms?" Rex said. His voice was dead with no emotion. Rae looked back and forth between the two.
"I needed to check on you." He said flatly.
"On your own accord or his?"
"Mine. You won't get anywhere if you keep up the attitude." Rau-Ru turned and left with no other words.
"Sir, who was that?" Rae asked looking at his captain with curious eyes.
"Rau-Ru. His pet." Rex said through clenched teeth. "Does what he says without question."
Rae almost snorted. He stood up and moved away from the damp cold walls. He sighed almost dramatically. "Well that's what a pet does isn't it?"
Rex watched as the younger trooper curled back up on the hard thin mattress. The rookie's eyes had once been filled with spark, but over the past few days that spark had been driven out of him by the harshness of life, of war. They now held a cold lifeless look. Rae felt he would die here, but Rex was going to do whatever it took to keep his younger brother alive.
"Your dream, what makes you say it was real?" Rex asked. He tilted his head to one side as he rested his arms against his knees. He felt weakened and tired. His head buzzed from fatigue and hunger.
"It happened before, in the room, when I blacked out for a while… There was a… a woman. She was wearing a black and red dress. I don't remember what happened though." Rae said. He reached up to run the palm of his hand over the back of his head. He was silent for a long time. Rex walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Rae blew out a breath then continued. "The second time, there was this thing…" Rae paused for several long seconds. "It was… evil." He said finally no knowing how else to say it. "She- she told me I shouldn't have been there."
Rex was silent then he slowly spoke. "I don't know what to tell you Rae. It sounds like something I've heard before." He sighed then looked up at the ceiling. He leaned back and purposely bumped his head against the wall. Rae sat up and buried his head in his shoulder.
"Rex, I don't want to die here." He said in a soft cracked voice. His eyes stung. The captain looked at the trooper in surprise. He had never said his captain's name without his title.
"I don't want to either, Rae." He sighed hard. "One day we'll get out of here. I know we will. We just have to have faith in our brothers."
The two sat pressed against each other just for comfort. Rae's skin felt unnaturally hot. He pressed a hand against his forehead. "Rae, you're burning up." Rex said softly speaking more to himself than to Rae.
Rae slowly blinked open his eyes. They were bright with the fever. The trooper closed his eyes and he went limp in his captain's arms.
A sudden explosion rocked the foundation to its core. Rex heard screaming. He wrapped his arms around his brother tighter. Locked up as they were it was impossible to get to any kind of cover.
He heard the sound of blaster fire then a very familiar hum. His head snapped up and he carefully laid Rae on the cot before he ran to the bars of the cell and looked out. He couldn't see anything, but he heard everything. Ravi was staring out of his bars as well.
"They have come to rescue us?" He looked over at Rex. There was a spark in the man's eyes that he hadn't seen before. He didn't respond, but he saw a familiar small form in the distance with a green lightsaber, slicing through the locks of the cells and releasing the prisoners.
"Ahsoka!"
She spun around at the call of her name and ran down the hall sliding to a stop at his cell. "Rex! Where's Rae? Step back." Rex did as he was told and she cut through the locks easily with her lightsaber.
"He's in terrible condition. A lot of the men here are. You've a medic with you?" Rex asked. He gently shook the trooper in the cot.
Rae didn't respond. Rex, alarmed, placed two fingers against his neck to check for a pulse. It was there, still strong even through his fever. Something was off though. He knew that he needed to move him, but something told him not to. He knew something was wrong but couldn't place what it was.
Rae trembled. He looked around. He knew where he was, but everything was dark. He twisted his head and saw his body once again, but this time it had a waxy look to it that made it look as though it were dead; Rae knew he was not. Everything around him was dark. There was no movement. The woman in white appeared in front of him.
"You are leaving us Rae?" She tilted her head to the side and stared at him. Rae started then found that he was too scared to move. "It's okay dear one. I'm not your enemy. I can help you." She smiled a sweet charming smile that Rae thought was sincere. It wasn't however. Underneath her sweet exterior inside was a cold dark heart. She held out one white gloved hand to him. "Come with me dear sweet one. I will take care of you." Rae lifted one hand but didn't extend it just yet. He stared at her for several moments. He then reached out his hand slowly.
"Rae no!" He started and snapped his head to one side. It was the woman in black. "You cannot trust her!" She moved between them pushing Rae a few steps backwards. "She will trap you here!"
"Liar! Rae she is lying to you. She wants you all to herself so she can take your body and hurt your family." The other woman claimed.
Rae felt scared and confused. He backed away from both of them trembling. The room changed, he didn't know where he was anymore. He felt scared. The two ethereal woman were still there.
"No! Go away! I want to go home!" He looked back and forth between them.
"Rae please I can get you home." The woman in black pleaded.
"No she won't Rae. I'll get you home." The other said. Rae screamed. He wanted it to stop. He wanted to go home. He wanted to wake up and this all be a dream.
Fireblaze went rigid. Moments earlier he'd been firing and taking down the enemy. He found himself plunged into a strong feeling of cold harshness. Suddenly he wasn't himself. Everything around him was frozen. Moments earlier he'd been firing and taking down the enemy. He found himself plunged into a strong feeling of cold harshness. Suddenly he wasn't himself. Everything around him was frozen. The bodies that were once moving had stopped. As he looked at the chrono on his wrist he noticed that it had stopped as well. Everything had frozen in time. He looked around trying to figure out what was happening. He started. Suddenly in his vision was the exact same little girl he'd seen when they'd first entered town.
"Who are you?" He asked as he stared at her. She stared back.
"Your friend needs your help. He is trapped in the Unknown. The Evil Ones are coming. You are the only person who can help him." She said. Then she was gone.
Time returned to normal. Everything around him began to move as though it had never stopped. Fireblaze was frozen in his tracks. He didn't- couldn't move. Bryant slid to a stop next to him, the heavy cannon in a firing position and spitting out rounds. He shoved Fireblaze none too gently with one shoulder.
"Get moving vod!"
Something clicked in Fireblaze and he raised his DC-15 and sighted up his next target. Bryant slid behind him to replace the cartridge in the heavy cannon. He and the men pushed through the guards and into the cell area. The others helped release the prisoners from their cells. Fireblaze ran ahead sliding to a stop at Rex's cell.
"Captain! I know what's wrong with him." Fireblaze panted slightly as he took a knee next to the cot.
Rex looked at him. Ahsoka had moved on to free more of the prisoners. Ravi dropped to the ground and crawled over to their cell.
"What's wrong with him?" Ravi stood up slowly as he spoke.
"I know this sounds crazy, but he's trapped in between the living and the spiritual. It's a place called the Unknown. We have to get him out before the Evil One gets to him." He said.
"What happens if the Evil One gets to him?" Ravi asked looking at him.
"Very bad things." Rex said as he felt Rae's forehead again. "His fever is spiking, where's that medic?"
"He's working his way down here." Fireblaze was standing at the entrance of the cell firing from there at the incoming enemy. Man after man went down, but none of the clones went down. They seemed to move so fast. Someone had went in search of the two clones that'd been held prisoner armor. Coric pushed through the lines and into the cells. There were very few of the clones and others were pushing the prisoners out of their cells and towards the exit.
"Follow Kayla!" The little girl appeared next to Fireblaze once again. She grabbed his hand. He'd expected to feel icy cold fingers gripping his but his entire body was numb. He looked back, and he was shocked to see that his body fell, laying on the floor. The blaster hit the floor noisily.
"Wha?" He looked to the girl but she shook her head and pulled him along. Everything around him seemed to have stilled as though the entire world had been frozen in time. She pulled him along through several hallways. Fireblaze felt a strong wave of evilness wash over him. He froze in his tracks. He did not dare to look behind him. The little girl trembled in fear, but she pulled him along with her.
"There." She pointed to a door at the end of the corridor. "Fireblaze go help friend. Kayla cannot go. Kayla must hide."
Fireblaze looked down at her. "Thank you, Kayla."
"Fireblaze must hurry. Kayla will protect body as long as can. Hurry Fireblaze, hurry!" She turned and ran as though for dear life. Before she reached the end of the corridor, she vanished.
Fireblaze took a deep breath and reached out to grasp the door handle. He slowly twisted it dreading what he would find behind the door. He held his breath as he pushed open the door. The scream that met his ears was so blood curdling it forced him to cover his ears. He trembled and backed away from the door.
"Help me, Blaze!" Blaze heard the words screamed. He pulled his hands away from his ears. He found that he, himself, were trembling. "Please!"
Rae was being tortured. He lay on the floor, his entire body drawn into a tight ball as the pain filled his spiritual being. There was no one else in the room. Fireblaze could feel another presence but it was far off. Fireblaze pushed into the room and wrapped his arms around the man.
"Rae come on let's get out of here." He pulled him to his feet and tugged his arm around his shoulders. Rae grabbed at him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Come on, let's get out of here." He gently pushed the younger trooper in front of him and out of the room.
"No! No go away!" Rae screamed and fell to his knees clutching at his skull. Fireblaze hadn't felt the presences come up behind them and he spun around fast. There were the two women fighting with each other. One of them broke away. She was the one in white.
Fireblaze grabbed Rae and pulled him back with him. "Stay away, both of you." He held onto his brother. His own body trembled even though his voice was strong and clear.
"Oh I only want Rae dear one. You can go home." She smiled a wicked evil grin. Fireblaze's eyes grew wide as he pulled Rae closer. Suddenly the woman in black was in front of them both.
"I will not let you harm them." She said. Fireblaze was shocked. He'd been for sure that both of them were out to harm them. Rae watched them both. There was nothing but fear in his eyes.
She did not turn around but addressed them both. "Go! I will hold her back as long as I can!" She said.
A door materialized out of nowhere beside them. Fireblaze did not have a choice. He pushed open the door and pulled them both through.
Rae opened his eyes. He was laying on the cot in the cell. He heard a voice. It was so similar to his own yet it wasn't.
"Fireblaze." The voice said. Fireblaze was still laying on the floor. Fireblaze awoke, feeling strangely exhausted as he lifted his head. The blaster fire had stopped. He felt hands supporting him as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He didn't have any strength. A syringe was pressed into his neck and its contents injected.
He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and looked up. Coric stood above him. He reached out a hand. Fireblaze took it and Coric hauled him to his feet.
"Rae?" He asked accepting his helmet as it was handed back to him.
"Just fine." He nodded to where the trooper was now sitting up. Ravi sat next to him, and one of the other troopers were helping him put his armor on.
Rex was already fully armored up, though Fireblaze could see that his armor didn't fit as well as it used to.
"I told you we were going home, Rae." Rex said as he pulled the younger trooper to his feet. "I do believe you still have a list to complete."
"Of course, Sir." Rae laughed and stood up. Ravi stuck close to them as they made their way out of the building. They weren't prisoners anymore. Rae decided that he would leave that list he had yet to write… unwritten.
A/N: Ending word:
Me: Okay that was a great story. Pretty much all of the credit goes to Rexmidnytegreen for this story. I simply kept him sane, edited and wrote a few portions of it. Please, read review, and How did this happen or Why Me has an update next.