« Move ! » She shouted.
The clones immediately obeyed, although they did not know why or to who. The young woman kneeled next to the wounded soldier and ran her first test. She asked questions, fast. She had answers fast. She excepted them to obey; the situation did not let room otherwise.
The clone soldier suffered a shot in different places: right should, stomach, right side of the abdomen, left upper leg and left foot. His head hit the ground from the fall, but his helmet took most of the damage. He was bleeding heavily. The woman gave her orders: take off the armour, prepare blood transfusion, the painkillers better be ready… the clones did not know what else they could do, so they obeyed. They were good at doing that.
A clone arrived, blue stripes on his white and black armour.
"Field Medic "Six"." He said. "I've got this."
"Obviously, you don't." The woman said.
She suddenly froze.
"Heart attack! Make space!"
And she started the heart massage.
"Prepare to shock him!" She ordered. "Come on, human! You're meant to fight, so do it!"
One of the clone was ready to shock. Everybody stepped back. Shock. Again. didn't work. The woman started the massage again. Suddenly, the wounded clone took a deep breath. The woman started the emergency treatment again.
"Come on! We don't have time!" She shouted at the clone bringing the stretcher. "Unless you want another dead brother, you'll hurry!"
She could feel the looks on her. She did make a scene. Coming out of nowhere to help a clone survive his wounds in the middle of a republic base. She didn't care if she was currently sitting in a cell or in a senate sit. She did her job. The man, as she heard, survived. Her mission was complete. This one at least: a doctor's mission is never truly complete. There will always be injuries, always be illnesses… Especially with this war. She didn't believe there was a war going on until the droids showed up and started to shoot everyone. Then the republic battle ship arrived, the clones cleaned up the enemy… She heard, of course, of the clone army. But to see these men in action… That was something completely different.
The interrogation room's doors opened. Two men and a clone in full armour came in. The men and the girl were, what the woman heard, to be "Jedis". In these part of the galaxy, there were not a lot of them. To see three of them in one day… Quite the achievement, indeed.
"I am Master Windu of the Jedi Council. This is Master Kenobi and Padawan Ahsoka." The black skinned human said. "We would like to know who you are."
"What about him? He doesn't count?" the woman said, pointing the clone with her finger.
"This is Commander Cody." Master Kenobi answered. "you are, obvisouly a Nautolan?"
"The head tentacles give it away, hum?" The woman sighed.
A child could have guess that. Was this Jedi making fun of her or was he truly that innocent? If he was… well… Isn't he precious? Anyway, it was hard to hide her big black eyes, her massive, highly sensitives, head tentacles and her grey skin with blue and green markings.
"My name is Rima." She said. " 'Was born and raised on the planet you and your metal friends just ruined. I was the town's medic, still am. But with no one to heal and no town to live in, the title sound a bit hollow."
"We received reports from one of the field medic." Master Kenobi said. "He claimed you handled the life of Captain Rost competently, given the circumstances."
"Where did you learn to deal with situations like that?" Windu asked.
"War of course. 'tis not because they aren't a galactic war that war doesn't exist. Some years ago, the planet got divided in four. Three countries fighting each other for land, and all the rest trying to survive. I was with these poor sods. Delivering children while patching up a half-dead man is what I do. And if my people follow orders, they might just survive the next wave of cold too."
The two Jedis looked at each other. Master Windu stood up and left.
"Where is he going?" Rima wondered.
"I may have a proposition for you, Miss Rima." Master Kenobi said, ignoring her question. "The man you saved, Captain Rost, belongs to the 501st Legion; under the command of my former apprentice Anakin Skywalker. His men could use a field medic with your exceptional skills."
Rima looked at him carefully. The woman could not figure the man's thoughts, and it bothered her. Was he being honest or was he planning something? If he did, why would he bother to trick her? On a galactic scale, she was a nobody. The woman reached for the amulet around her neck. What should she do? The jedi assured her they will let her go to wherever she wanted, and not bother her any further, if it was her wishes. But Rima had a sacred mission. She made an oath to protect the ones who needs her skills. Injuries, pregnancy, sickness, poison… She could help with all of these things… not that an army made of human male would need a midwife anytime soon. But obviously, the boys she met on the field were completely clueless when it came to heal injuries in a hurry. The heart of this Captain Rost stopped, and she alone knew what to do. That was not a reassuring observation.
"You want me to work for your apprentice, when you know nothing of me?" Rima asked. "Is that wise?"
"Doctor Rima of a city named "Raykar". Saved three thousand, nine hundred and fifty-five lives during the civil war on her planet; delivered four hundred children after the war, help countless lives survive the cold wave last year…"
"You know more that you admitted, Jedi."
"I just asked around. You're not the only survivor. And the ones who don't know you personally, knows you by name. You are a war hero."
"And look what good it did. War. Again. Besides, if your men are all males, I don't think you need a midwife."
"Indeed. But I need someone who value life. Too many of these men think of themselves as expendables. Too many of my brothers and sisters in the Order treats them as such. I know I used too."
"What made you change?"
"A brutal battle. The lost we suffered almost cost us a key-planet in Republic Space. But that's not the reason. Before being slaughtered by the droids, I did not realise that lives were so… fragile. That we might not survive this war. So, I swore to myself I'll never be so careless with the lives under my command ever again."
Rima could not sense lies. Perhaps he was lying, but was good at hiding it. The woman leaned on the table to observe Commander Cody. Could she work with and on people sharing all the same face? People who were born to fight – and die? People who knew nothing else but the army and the war? At least she won't have to worry about men following orders. Apparently, they were good at it.
"If I was to accept your proposition, what would my mission be?"
"We won't put you in immediate danger: a medic like you needs to stay alive. You will be assigned to a war ship's medical bay, if not to a medical station under my apprentice protection... When that happens. If that happens. Either way… your job won't be an easy one."
"With respect, if either of us wanted easy lives, neither of us would be sitting here." Rima replied. "Where do I sign?"
Star War: the clone Wars, Lucas films, etc...
Rima, Six - OC
I hope you enjoy, more coming soon!