I do not own Star Wars:The Clone Wars or any of the characters used in this story.
I Consider It An Honor
"...sometimes compassion is the greater part of honor." - Rachel Vincent
"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Clone Captain CT-7567 aka Captain Rex yelled as the Republic transport wobbled and shook, heading straight toward the desolate plains on the distant planet of Ryloth.
"Kid, are you—"
"Yes, Rex! I'm holding on! Don't you trust me?" Came the interruption, yelled over the sounds of a ship about to crash.
"No" was the blunt reply.
"Thanks."
Then suddenly the whole world was a twist of plastoid, metal, and and a jumble of eight clones and one jedi as the transport bucked and jolted, did some more flips, and then came to a grating halt on the dry desert floor.
"Every body okay?" Called out Padawan Ahsoka Tano as soon as the world stopped spinning.
"Injury report?" Called Rex, steading himself on the crushed remains of the transport after they all climbed out.
"Kix here. Basically clear."
"Dogma. A few scratches and some cuts here and there."
"Echo's here. I'll live."
"Coric. A bad wrist. Sprained I think."
"Fives. I'm okay."
"Where's Hardcase?" asked Ahsoka, concern suddenly showing clearly in her voice." And how about the pilot? Hawk wasn't it?"
"Hawk's dead sir." Came the reply, from Echo, who emerged from the wreckage. "And I can't get at Hardcase. He doesn't look like he's injured, but he's unconscious, from a bump on the head I think, and trapped under a piece of metal. Possible concussion."
"I'll get him while you tend to your men." said Ahsoka, heading for the mutilated transport. After lifting the large sheet of durasteel that the clone was trapped under with the Force, she emerged from the wreckage pulling Hardcase behind her, when suddenly the whole ship groaned and shifted.
"Commander!" Called Captain Rex suddenly yelled frantically, fear clearly showing in his voice as his head snapped up from putting Coric's arm in a makeshift sling. "Get out of there! It's gonna blow!"
But, hearing the warning half a second too late, Ahsoka's first reaction was to Force throw Hardcase away from the ship before she heard an explosion behind her, was thrown forward, and then everything went black.
"Commander! Commander Tano! Can you hear me?!"
Ahsoka groggily half opened her eyes, trying to forget the pain that suddenly assailed her whole body. She located all the different places on her body where it hurt the most. Bad headache. Scratch that. Very VERY bad headache. Most likely a few broken ribs from the way it hurts to breathe deeply. Force, my side hurts. She then tried to place the deep, masculine, slightly accented voice that was consistently calling her name. Who's voice was it? Rex? Fives? No, it was Kix, the medical clone. It's funny how she can always tell the clone's voices apart.
"Yes, I... I can hear you Kix." she answered, and finally managed to fully open her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered open and she saw black spots before her eyes for a few seconds, and then saw a fuzzy Captain Rex and Kix above her.
"What happened?" she immediately asked. Her head was pounding and she felt like she was going to throw up any second.
"You got a big piece of shrapnel in your side when the ship exploded." Said Kix. "A few broken ribs and a nasty bruise on one of your lekku from when you landed on the ground, and some burns here and there. The worst burn is on your right leg. We've patched you up as well as we could with what supplies we have. You've been unconscious for about twenty minutes."
Ah, a bruised lekku. That explains the horrible headache. Wonderful. thought Ahsoka cynically. But, "I think I'm gonna be sick..." was all she managed before suddenly twisting sideways and throwing up on the ground. She gasped in pain as the muscles pulled on her injured side that she had momentarily forgot, and saw more black spots before her eyes. She coughed painfully and threw up on the ground again after the spots cleared. Her headache grew worse.
"Take it easy, Commander. You're wounded on your side, remember? Here, let me help you." Kix, with the help of Rex, gently turned her on her side so she didn't have to twist her body to move when she threw up. She gasped as pain ripped through her side again. After emptying her stomach a few more times, she managed to sit up, but not with out biting back a very sharp hiss of pain.
"I think I can sit up now." she said and finally got a full view of their surroundings. They were about 100 meters away from the explosion sight. She was sitting under the shade of a rather large clump of trees, and out of the hot, dry Ryloth sun. Dogma, Echo were quietly talking, and Fives was wrapping Coric's arm in clean bandages and placing it in a sling. All the clones were tossing concerned glances her way. She took stock of her surroundings and saw that they were surrounded on three sides by humid sandy desert, and behind was a tall dusty rock cliff, casting a tall cold shadow over them.
"Thank you Kix. Is Hardcase okay?" She forgot her own pain briefly when she saw the still unconscious clone leaning up against a tree nearby with a sizable bandage on his forehead.
"Yes, Commander, Hardcase is fine. He's going to have one heck of a headache, but he's alive, thanks to you. But why did you risk your life like that? You could have been killed. And he's just a clone!" Captain Rex spoke for the first time and Ahsoka turned her head to look at him in the face. She studied him briefly, and then shrugged her shoulders and calmly stated,
"Because, Rex, he's a man. And a good, hardworking, loyal one at that. And I value my men. He's worth a lot to me. You all are." She spoke the last words slightly louder so as to reach the ears of the other clones. "You daily risk your lives for me, and I thank you for that. And I am willing to risk mine for yours. It is all my privilege to do so." This time the last part was spoken a little more softly, and with deep feeling behind the words. She truly WAS thankful for all these loyal clones. These were not human robots, or duplicates, but individual, good, trustworthy men that she could rely on with her life.
"No offense Commander, but we were created to protect the Jedi. You shouldn't put your life on the line for us. It's our duty to protect you." This came from Echo, who was fiddling with a broken communicator and listening in on the Jedi's conversation.
"No Echo, as my friends, my soldiers, and as my brothers, I can consider it an honor to protect you." Ahsoka was feeling deep gratitude towards these men as she said these words, and after smiling at the dumbfounded clones, she suddenly turned back to the shocked Kix, and promptly demanded to be helped up.
"Sir! Yes Sir!" Kix snapped to attention, saluted to her, then put his armored arm around her torso and gently helped her up from the sandy ground. She grunted and bit her lip as her bandaged side flared red hot pain. She coughed a few times again, and immediately felt the extra support on her other side from Rex. " Tha...thank you Rex, Kix." She tried to support her own slight frame, but realized that in her weakened state she couldn't, and her weight sagged against the two men.
"Can you stand?" Kix asked, as he felt her sag against him. She looked extremely tired.
"No, I don't think I can. I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what? It's rather understandable isn't it?" Fives had that mischievous streak of humor creeping back into his voice now. "You only saved a man's life, survived a crash, have a huge gash on your side from a piece of shrapnel, have three broken ribs, a big ugly bruise on your head, and very painful looking burn on your leg. And your saying I'm sorry? " Fives voice was laced with sarcasm and Ahsoka started to giggle. But unfortunately her laughter was short lived when her breath was caught in her throat and she was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness. She would have collapsed had Rex and Kix not regained their hold on her and caught her before she fell.
"I don't think you can walk in this condition. Do you mind being carried?" Asked the Captain, but not waiting for permission, promptly picked her up in his strong arms. Much to her chagrin and embarrassment. She squeaked in dismay as her side was briefly nudged, and then blushed when she saw the other clones grinning at her obvious discomfort of being held by a man that was some one other than her Master. She scowled at Rex, and then muttered a "thank you" to the smirking Captain. But she couldn't help but admire the chiseled features of the clone's face above her own. Ahsoka tamped down on that very un-Jedi like thought, but still filed it away for further enjoyment at a later time.
"Kix, wake up ole' sleepyhead Hardcase, and then we can get moving. I think I see a cave in the cliff where we can take cover. Dogma, collect what supplies are left. Coric, help Dogma. Fives, Echo and Kix, grab your blasters in case of trouble. Hardcase! Snap to it trooper! Cover us from the back." Captain Rex snapped out the orders with practiced ease . He glanced quizzically at Ahsoka when she suddenly started in his arms.
"Wait! Where are my lightsabers?!" Searching, and then feeling nothing where the sabers would normally hang on her hip, she was suddenly frantic and was very rapidly starting to recall all the lessons and lectures from Anakin, Master Kenobi, and Master Yoda. All telling her that her lightsaber was her life, it was the symbol of a Jedi, and she must never lose it.
"We have to find them!"
"Calm down, Commander. they're right here. They fell off when you were blown away from the explosion. I kept them for safe keeping while you were unconscious." Kix calmly handed the Togruta her lightsabers and smiled at the quiet sigh of relief that emitted from the young girl as she re-clipped them onto her belt.
"Thank goodness. Thank you Kix."
"No problem Sir."
"Alright, alright. Enough of this Kix. Quit flirting with your Commanding officer! Back to your work!"
"Flirting Sir?! Flirting?! I was simply returning her weapons Sir! I mean no disrespect sir, but I was not flirting!" A still sputtering and enraged Kix soon stormed off to load his blaster muttering a few swear words in Huttese that Anakin had taught him.
"What was that you said trooper?" Called the suspicious voice of the Captain.
"Nothing Sir, nothing..." Came back the all too innocent voice of Kix as Rex scowled at his back,and then dismissed the medic. He turned his attention back to the rest of the chuckling clones, silencing them with a grim glare. As the group started moving away, Ahsoka smirked mischievously and placed her feminine arms around Rex's neck with exaggerated coyness. The image of awkwardness, Rex cleared his throat as a bright blush crept it's way up his neck. It was to be one of Ahsoka's most treasured memories forever.
"You comfortable Commander?"
"Yes, Coric. As comfortable as I was when you last asked three minutes ago." Ahsoka glanced up at the clone standing next to her and smiled at his sincere concern. Her soft smile widened into a grin when Coric blushed to the tips of his ears and smiled rather sheepishly." Thank you for your concern Coric. If I need anything, I promise to tell you." All was quiet for the next few minutes as the the clone kept watch over his wounded commander, and Ahsoka examined her lightsabers. She soon laid down her sabers, satisfied that they had sustained no damage, and then tried with no success to fix her comlink. Both clone and jedi were rather on edge, each silently hoping Rex and the rest of the men would hurry and come back from exploring the cave they had spotted earlier. It's too quiet Ahsoka thought to herself. Much too quiet. She suddenly sensed urgent danger behind her, and painfully jumped to her feet and ignited her lightsabers just in time to deflect the two laser shots heading for Coric.
"Separatist battle droids!" She was soon returning the shots back to the group of about fifteen droids. Ugh! Where was Rex when she needed him? Coric was shooting next to her and the droids were soon diminished in number. She finally returned a shot into the last droids chest. She felt like she had been fighting for hours, although only couple minutes had passed. The dull throbbing headache that she had ignored earlier, suddenly turned to hard steady pounding in her head, and she put one hand to a montral, and the other hand to her side that was now shooting intense pain through her whole body. Coric caught her just in time as she slumped toward the ground. She was breathing raggedly and she felt all her strength suddenly drain from her. She vaguely saw Captain Rex and the rest of the troopers jogging towards them when she sagged in Coric's arms, fell away from the pain, and slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
Pain. Pain, pain, Pain! Force! Was all she could feel is pain? Where was she? Where was her Master? MAN her head hurt. Ahsoka groaned and slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight. Grimacing in pain as a throbbing in her side joined the pain in her head. She felt a shadow being cast over her body and blocking the cursed sunlight out. She could barely make out the blurry shape of a tall man standing above her. She blinked several times and blearily asked,
"Mas...Master?" Her words slurring a little bit as the pain in her side momentarily worsened, and she just managed to hold back a gasp of pain.
"No, Commander, sorry. I'm not General Skywalker. It's Kix. Do you remember what happened?" The concerned voice of the medic hazily made it's way into Ahsoka's fuzzy brain.
"Water. Please." Ahsoka croaked out feebly, suddenly realizing how thirsty she was. She hadn't drunk anything since the crash on the transport, and her throat was parched. She drank very deeply from the canteen full of water that Kix handed her. Feeling the cold liquid slip down her throat made her feel like she was in seventh heaven, the cool water soothing her sore throat and slightly lessening her headache. What happened? She repeated Kix's question in her head. Droids... droids, and then... OH yes, and then a headache. A SPLITTING headache if I recall correctly. I remember that really well. She grimaced at the memory.
"Commander?"
Ahsoka's eyes snapped open and she looked at the concerned Kix, silently reprimanding herself for ignoring the clone.
"Yes, Kix. I remember. What happened while I was out?" Her headache now lessened to a bearable throb, she reached her hand out and with the help of the medic pulled herself to her feet. Steading herself against his shoulder, she looked at her surroundings. She was in what, a cave?
"Well, sir, we were just heading back from the cave when we heard a commotion from where we left you and Coric. We ran the rest of the way to where you were just in time to see you collapse. We only just brought you back to the cave about ten minutes ago. How are you feeling?"
"Oh, my head feels like a bomb exploded in it, my side feels like its on fire, and my chest is quite sore, but otherwise I think I'll live." Ahsoka answered sarcastically, then smiled at Kix. " Thank you." As an afterthought she added, "You know, that's the third time I've said thank you to you in the past twelve hours." All the clones heard this and chuckled at the smirking medic and the grinning Jedi. Ahsoka slowly limped over to the entrance of the cave, one hand gently resting on her wounded side, and peered into the fading sunlight, scanning the dusky horizon. Rex walked up behind her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder.
"You sure you're okay Commander?" He asked concernedly.
"Yes Rexter, I'm fine." She answered. "Just a little tired." This last statement was punctuated with a large drowsy yawn. Rex chuckled and deftly turned her back towards where she had been laying a few minutes prior. "Get some more rest Commander. You'll need it. Oh, wait. Kix needs to change your bandage." Ahsoka grimaced at the last comment and sat down on the thin blankets. She glanced around the cave. Everyone except her, Rex, and Kix were sleeping, or quietly talking, occasionally glancing her way.
"Commander? You ready?" Kix's voice brought her eyes back to the medic. Smiling grimly, she answered.
"Bandage away, trooper." She grimaced as the medic gently started to unwind the bandage from around her mid-torso. She bit back a small cry of pain as the last bit of bandage came away from her skin. She glanced down at her side curiously, but immediately regretted it. The wound looked as bad as it hurt. It was all red and puffy on the edge of the gash, and the surrounding skin was inflamed and very sensitive to the touch. Kix quickly and efficiently cleaned the wound, but to the poor padawan it felt like someone was punching her side. She gasped and felt like she was about to up the small amount of food that was left in her stomach. Rex came over and started to gently massage her upper back. "Too tight! Too tight!" She gasped out as Kix pulled the bandage just a tad bit too tight around her side. She saw black spots before her eyes, and she threw up on the hard cave floor next to her. She heard Kix distantly calling to her, and heard something like "Answer me Commander! Commander! Ahsoka!" She was rather shocked by the familiar use of her first name, especially coming from a clone.
"Re…Rex " She managed to gasp out as the black spots slowly cleared from her vision. "Hurts, it hurts Rex."
"I know sir, but just hold on a little bit longer, just a little bit longer. Kix, water." Rex grabbed the nearly empty canteen of water the medic quickly handed him, and supported Ahsoka's back as he trickled the water down the dry throat of the nearly unconscious Togruta. She choked at first but then the water made it down. Her breathing grew steadier, and she grunted in pain as she eventually sat up again.
"I'm sorry I caused you so much pain Commander," Said Kix apologetically. "But I needed to bandage the wound tightly. I'm sorry sir." He looked a little flustered and looked at her almost nervously. Ahsoka coughed a few times more, then looked at Kix and smiling crookedly, answered,
"Don't apologise Kix, you did what needed to be done. But you could have warned me." She winked at him as he burst into a relieved grin.
"Guys! I did it! Finally!" Ahsoka's excited voice broke the silence in the dark cave. She was sitting near the fire the clones had made in the middle of the cave, and had been tinkering with a comlink for the past hour and a half; without any success. That is, until now. Her loud cries woke up all the clones who were sleeping and brought Rex running to her from where he had been doing sentry duty, with his twin blasters out of their holsters and at the ready.
"What is it?! An attack?" Rex came rushing in very alert and ready to shoot anything that moved.
"No, Rexter! It's just me. I finally fixed the comlink! We can contact Master Skywalker now!"
"Oh. Don't scare me like that kid." Rex looked relieved, and turned to move back to the entrance of the cave. "Well, what are you waiting for? Contact General Skywalker."
Ahsoka nodded excitedly and flashed a grin at all the clones who were now watching her. Guess all those lessons from my Master finally paid off she thought as she called Anakin. The comlink sputtered in her palm several times before a hazy blue image of the Jedi master flickered to life.
"This is Skywalker here. Ahsoka!" The Togruta smiled in relief. It was wonderful hearing her master's familiar voice. Wow, I actually managed to fix the darn thing she thought.
"Ahsoka! Where've you been?! Why didn't you contact me? Are you okay? What happened?" She chuckled at the barrage of questions her threw at her and simply answered,
"I'll tell you when you pick me up. Coric's got a sprained wrist, and the rest have all got their share of cuts and bruises."
"What about you Snips? Are you okay?" Came Anakin's suspicious question.
"Oh, I've got a few bruises here and there, and a small scratch on my side, but otherwise I think I'll live. Nothing to worry about master." She answered innocently. Anakin's eyes briefly narrowed at her.
"Mmm hmm. Nothing to worry about. Well, I'll be the judge of that." He smirked at her and she childishly stuck her tongue out at him. After sending him the coordinates of her location, she said goodbye and cut the conversation. She looked up, and saw six grinning clones looking at her.
"What?" she asked, giving them a defensive look.
"Small scratch, few bruises. That's an interesting way of describing your injuries." Replied a amused Fives. Ahsoka gave him a scowl and simply stated that she didn't want her master to worry, and that Anakin should be arriving any minute, so he better get ready to go. Fives shook his head and silently laughed.
"Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir." Ahsoka rolled her eyes as he smirked at her and moved off to help Kix load up the remaining supplies. The small group soon heard the distant sound of a republic transport. Rex supported her as she slowly limped to the cave entrance. She activated her lightsaber and used it like a beacon, waving it so the transport pilot could spot their location. The ship eased it's way down and soon Ahsoka saw the tall form of her Master making his way towards them.
"Nothing to worry about, hmm?" He commented when seeing the way she weakly leaned on Rex. He dismissed her for the moment as he told all the other clones to get to the transport and wait for him. He glanced at his padawan when he heard small squeak of pain when Rex shifted her arm that was over his shoulder. He turned back to her.
"Small scratch?" He asked, when he caught sight of her bandaged side. She blushed slightly, the tips of her lekku's turning dark blue. Anakin dismissed Rex, and watched as Ahsoka tried her best to look as healthy as she could. He could tell that her injuries had taken a toll on her. Ahsoka swayed unsteadily and Anakin deftly caught her as she slumped toward the ground. He soon was jogging back toward the transport with Ahsoka wrapped in his cloak and in his arms. She buried her aching head her Master's chest and heard four whispered words from her master as she slipped into a deep sleep.
"Let's go home Snips"
There we are! Let me know your thoughts in a review!