Just a warning, I'm not sure if I will continue this story. This could be all there is, or turn out to be a some-teenth chapter long story.
DarthSukiMomo
"Order 66," The ominous voice crackled over the Clones' comm.
Something, and I wasn't quite sure what, I had never been the greatest with the force since I hadn't had enough training yet, told me to jump. I obeyed the mystery feeling right as blaster shots fired at where I once stood.
"What are you doing?" I cried out distressed. I landed a few yards away. I tried to grab their weapons with the force, but as I already said, I was no Yoda or Anakin. Igniting my lightsaber I hurriedly blocked more shots.
I made sure that the ricochets didn't hit the clones. I didn't want to kill them! The feeling wasn't mutual. One of the shinies hit my arm with his blaster. Not accurate, but it seared and caused an overload of pain.
I'm burning alive!
I quickly cast that thought aside as I dodged more. I tried to create more distance.
Rex said remorsefully," I'm sorry sir, but orders are orders." They kept on firing. Some peaceful mission this turned out to be.
The first time I was asked to complete a mission, a passive boring one at that, but a mission all the same, where I was all on my own for leading. And I get attacked by who I thought to be my allies?
The irony almost made me loose enough concentration to get hit yet again. Under the pressure, I reverted back to shien, or backhand, with my lightsaber. My Master would kill me if he saw me crack under pressure this easily.
I could imagine him lecturing for the millionth time Stop holding it so... wrong. How do you expect to learn a form if you can't even hold your weapon correctly? Jibes would go back and forth care free. But right now, I was fighting for my life trying not to kill my enemy. A lot harder than silencing them with a single deft blow.
I reached for the closest one's gun with my light saber, trying my hardest to hold it 'right'. I just barely clipping the end off. The poor, disgruntled clone looked at his weapon before shuffling back out of the way.
Rex exclaimed in suprise as I managed to force-grab his blaster. Holding it awkwardly in my left hand, I shot at another clone's hands. He cursed as his hand singed. I jumped forward and slashed the gun where it lay on the ground. I could afford no left over weapons.
Only one left.
I deactivated my lightsaber as soon as the blaster had been cut and hit the last one in the stomach with the hilt. I used the force to propel him one way and me the other. I didn't know how far they would go to execute this 'Order 66'. I definitely didn't want to be in a choke hold with Rex or any other clones' armor slowly depleting me of oxygen.
A sneaking suspicion told me that they would go that far. They were made to follow orders at all costs. And this must have been a very high ranking person.
Damn, I was right... They ran suicidally at me to complete this order. Though, none to eagerly.
With all the bravado I could muster, I boomed," Stay back, I will use necessary force! But I don't want to." I had the perfect stance. Right leg slightly behind and to the side of my left. Right hand back holding my lightsaber, and left out in front, slightly curled to use the force. To add the finishing touch, I once again ignited my lightsaber. A flash of green ready to shear any idiot dumb enough to come close.
It worked. They huddled together and murmured. I caught a "If we lost, we still followed orders right?"
I relaxed. What could a group of four unarmed men do against me, when I held a lightsaber and blaster? Well when I held a lightsaber, I corrected myself as I crumpled it with the force. Not required to use the force, it would have been a lot more practical to use my trusty lightsaber, but creating reverence defiantly wouldn't hurt my cause of staying alive.
Bleakly I admitted," I'm sorry, but I can't quite trust you right now." I searched my bag for rope of some kind. Frustration fizzled on my mind until I finally found it. Pulling out a grappling hook, I shrugged. Good enough.
I called one off at a time, ordering them to remove their helmets and to hold out their hands as if already cuffed as they walked up to me. I started with Rex.
The face of a man I had worked alongside many times disturbed me as I tied his hands together like an enemy. Of course I was! He was just firing at me! But no matter how many times I thought that. I still felt like I was doing something evil.
Sorrow gripped his face as he apologized," I really am sorry." I just nodded to him and called the next one. I was afraid that if I responded, I'd loose control and cry.
The other three hadn't yet personalized their looks yet except for one's black eye, and Rex stood out with his bleached, shaved head. It seemed now that I was in control, their 'Order 66' wasn't as important now. I rowed them on the same line and made them sit down with me.
"Tell me about this Order 66," I commanded. My voice scarcely trembled. When they all looked at each other and didn't speak, I elaborated. "Bruise, What is Order 66?"
The clone with the black eye cleared his throat and replied,"In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander, GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander until a new command structure is established, Sir." Then Bruise muttered something to himself.
Though I could die of a heat stroke any minute now, I shivered. With lethal force? Had any other jedi survived? How is it that no Jedi found out this appalling order?
"Am I correct in saying this was issued to all clones?" My speech wavered. How was this possible? I tried to keep my emotions at bay. The last thing I needed was to disgrace what little was left of my kind. Again, they didn't respond and just gave each other uncertain looks. I needed to know now! Impatiently I said,"You... Trigger." I pointed at the far left one who had been first to fire. I scolded myself for forgetting their IDs.
Newly named Trigger hesitated and did the 'who me?' point the best he could with his hands tied. I nodded and he answered," Yes... I'm very sorry Sir, but it's highly unlikely many made it." I winced as he said this and felt the stinging of tears in my eyes. My right lekku itched and almost lost it. I'm facing the fact that probably almost everybody I know is dead and I am distracted by an itch?
"The Chancellor did all of this?" I couldn't believe it. I had always felt a little uneasy around him, but heck, I'm not the most social person around. Chancellor Palpatine had just murdered all of my... family really. That included Master Plo Koon who rescued me when I was only three from being an orphan. Anakin, Obi-wan, and so many more.
"Yes, Sir," The last remaining clone said before I could say his new name.
"Thanks... Koon." I would keep at least one Jedi's memory alive even if were just for four men alone.
"Koon, Sir?"
I realized it was a really out their name considering the others. I whispered," After the man who bought me to the temple when I was three. Rescuing me from being a lone orphan. A great man who probably just died." After that I slipped one tear. I covered my face, not wanting to look weak.
"An honor, Sir." A small sob erupted as I nodded.
Rex quickly said," Let's eat, we'll need need a full stomach to catch more food. My guess is we wont be returning to Corascant anytime soon.
My voice quivered as I said,"Sounds good." I opened their ration for them since I had gone a little excessive with the cuffing thing.
While the ration bar had little taste, It felt good to have any food at all in my stomach. I realized then that I hadn't ate since yesterday and it was well close to sunset. "If we are to hunt, then we should do it quickly," Trigger commented.
Bruise acknowledged then added," Too bad we don't have any blasters." Koon elbowed him as Rex hushed him.
"What? We don't!" He defended himself. Rex firmly planted his forehead in his bound hands.
Embarrassed, I started to fumble the knots I had tied. Koon surprised, asked," Your untying us? We wont let you down!"
All four eagerly agreed. I wasn't sure if I could trust them. But I needed to. I would go insane if I didn't. As I finished Rex's they stood up. Rex offered me his hand and I took it graciously. After all of that Force using, I was ready to catch some Z's. All five of us looked across the dusty plain that supposedly had a city 8 miles South of out position.
Trigger asked," Do you see anything?"
We all answered negative. He said the same as well. I sat down slowly, oblivious of the sharp rocks. "Are you alright, Sir?" Koon asked, his voice filled with concern, as he kneeled beside me. I look wearliy at his hand as he placed it on my shoulder. It was then I fully realized how great my physiical drain was.
I guessed I looked how tired I felt, but that wasn't the reason I sat down. "I'm fine. I'm scoping for life." Koon nodded and stood up. They formed a sort of defensive square. "Thanks," I rasped as I crossed my legs.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. With my senses so inhanced by the Force, I tasted the slight copper bitterness of radiation.
Focus!
Waiting patiently, I hoped that a small animal would jump into my awarness. I was caught off guard by just how many were underground.
"Woah, their's alot of underground animals," I breathed.
Rex asked," Where, Sir?"
"Everywhere," I answered simpily. I looked around. "This soil seems radiation proof or something. They adapted to stay away from it." I grabbed a handful of dirt and felt the gritty, shiny soil.
"How far down?" Trigger asked impatiently.
"Yeah, Viper, how far down," Bruise asked more humorously than anything else. It took me a second then I realized he was adressing me.
"Viper?" What happened to Sir?
Bruise responded," Why course. You gave us names without a second thought.
That was true. Still confused I asked," But why Viper?" What did I have anything to viper? My lekku tighted, were they making fun of me?
"Well sure. To outsiders for a long time, they thought Togrutans were poisenous because your prey would twitch after you killed it," Koon agreed, then added, "Welcome to the broth- siblinghood, Viper."
"We- well, okay. The closest one is right... here." I stood up and walked only two feet.
"How do you suppose we get it? Wha- Hey! What are you doing?" Rex asked as he saw me start to walk away.
Calmly, letting the Force flow through me to the creature, I mummbled," It is alive. It moves." They all looked at each other with 'Oh yeah, duh' kind of emaressed look.
Bruise supported the conversation Rex had left. "How do you suppose we get the things?" They talked back and forth wasting no breaths to go without something said.
"... would take hours." Suddenly a worm like being about a third of the size of me shot out of the ground. As quickley as it came up it shot down. "What the-"
"Shh!" I whispered. I connected with the worn and found intense fear. I guessed it was because of us, but at one meter, it lost all fear. Now that I was aware, there were animals at less than one foot but they were moving as quickly as possible to get back down. But why?
A quick intake of air burned my sides as I realized why. "Get your helmats back on, Now!" I shouted back. After following the creature, I had gotten about twenty feet away. Before they could ask why I started vigorously rubbing dirt on my skin. Fast enough to make it cling, but not enough to cut. That would be the last thing I could want.
"Sir- Viper, what are you doing?" Koon asked as he picked up his helmat.
"Now! Don't you hear the urgency in her voice! I've learned to never underestimate a Jedi's ability. There must be something wrong!" He said all while shoving on helmat.
Trigger rushed to my side. Aparrently he was first for everything. "Is there anything I can do to help, S- Viper?" He asked anxiously. I nodded, still grabbing handfuls of dirt and coating my beautiful skin with blackish brown. I grasped more soil and put it in his hand, too stressed to talk. He got what I meant.
He smeared the loam onto my back where I couldn't reach well. Finally finding words I explained," This planet, is highly radioactive. I sensed a little radation, but viewed it harmless-"
"Yeah, A little radaition never hurt anybody," Bruise said sarcastically. With a jab to the ribs from Rex, he shut up.
"As I was saying, the soil seemed to be a block. I was right. The creatures down there are practically shielded from it, but there bodies haven't adjusted to that litttle of oxegyn yet. So they come up once every... whatever, to get a deep breath." I layed down in the grassy dirt. The grass was the color light turqoise and almost straw.
"But it can't be healthy to breath up here then, can it?" Koon asked.
"It's not anymore healthy to suffocate," I pointed out, Still packing dirt on my face. I grimaced as I covered my lekku. I put my Akul Headdress on lap, and saw my silka bead braid.
Koon inquired," Viper, is something wrong?" I looked up at his face and realized that I was crying.
"No... It's just that now I will never be a jedi knight," I replied pathetically. I twirled the padawan braid.
Focus! Now I could see why my master- my old master, my probably dead master... had always been so impatient with me. "More importantly lets get some food. I'll feel for the next one coming up and get it, Bruise and Trigger, you see if you can find anything other than this... grass stuff," I instructed pushing my fears and sorrows to the side of my mind.
"Yes, S- Viper!" They both called. Jeez, Bruise gave me the name and he couldn't remember to use it right away. I guess old habits did die hard.
"What about us?" Questioned Rex. Good ol' Rex, needing orders.
Sighing, I laughed. I actually laughed. Rex and Koon looked at eachother and I could imagine their confuzed looks. "Your going to travel to the city and collect nessecary suplies. Medpacks, kindling, a tent perhaps?
And Koon, I need you to help me with Crity," I said with the air of leadership. What an unlikely leader. I was just 15 years old. Sure Rex was 12, but that meant somewhere around 24!
"If you go like that, something's bound to go wrong," Koon remarked pointing at all of the armour. Good point... I had thought not to let more than one person go, beacuse if the helmats were ordered off, it would be pretty quick to find out the situation.
"Hmm, What should I wear? I want to be protected from the radiation as well. A clones life is short. I cant imagine it helps," He said with a slow wave of his arm, demonstrating the air.
"You have a jumpsuit under that, right?," I asked. Then half to myself added," That's another thing. Clothes." I looked down at my clothes. Already filled with dirt, and a little chilly for this temprature. I could just imagine a rip appearing. With a louder voice I said," Clothes would be a great nesessity." I winced when he mentioned 'a clone's life is short'.
"Maybe they wont notice armour. Maybe lots of people wear stuff to keep out the radiation," Rex called over his shoulder as he left for the town.
I knew that if I ordered him back, he would. I trusted his jugement, and it wasn't my life to just sacrifice. "Be careful! We'll mark our camp! You come back one hundred percent okay!" I yelled as he was disipearing into the distance. He raised his arm to let me know he heard me. He'd better come back okay. I didn't think I could stand one more loss today.
