A.N. ~ been a few days, huh? Well, seven chapters means I should remind you.
The Coruscant Guard is red, the 501st is blue, I don't own Star Wars, and you probably don't, too.
Enjoy the chapter!
"Twitch, how're your ribs?" Tail asked, sitting up. He realized no one was beside him. "Oh, great."
The forest around him was beautiful, with massive trees and deep green shrubbery, though nothing too thick to walk through.
It's way too peaceful...and pleasant. Whoever's doing this must have some nasty trap waiting, he thought.
The corporal checked his shoulder, finding that it was in one piece, not even bruised. He looked around, wondering how to find Twitch and how to do it without getting killed.
§ § §
"Lemme go, you hut'luuuna shabuirs!" Twitch snarled, struggling against creatures that looked like giant purple slugs with multiple long tentacles.
(Slug monster scientists from Sword Art Online.)
"She has a very short temper." One commented to his friend.
"Do you know what she's saying?" The second asked, wearing yellow strips.
"No, but it doesn't sound nice." The sergeant was snapping at them in Mando'a, Twi'leki, Trandoshan, and many other languages, occasionally using Basic when she couldn't think of the right word.
"My, what a creative girl." The first of the two, marked with green bands, murmured.
"Let's go see if we can make her scream like a little child."
§ § §
"In what sense would that be?" Fives hissed, arms crossed and fingers clenching tightly in anger.
"I want to test her reaction to pain and ability to escape."
"You sound like a Kaminoan." The ARC spat out slowly.
"Torturing a kid, even one with Twitch's background, has never been okay with you. What's going on?" Rex demanded.
§ § §
"She won't make a peep." One of the slugs, the one with yellow markings, grumbled. Since the two had brought Twitch back and set a torturer on her, the sergeant had remained on a borderline of psychopathically silent. Not one sound except heavy breathing.
"Are you sure you're hurting her?" The green-streaked one asked the torturer, a small, blue-splattered creature much like them.
"Absolutely. She's just stubborn." He jabbed an electrified prod into her ribs, earning only a short exhale of pained air and tightened jaw.
"Well, hurt her more!" The yellow-striped one demanded.
The teenager was suspended halfway up the wall by rose vines wrapped around her arms and legs, digging thorns into her skin.
The blue marked one grabbed an iron poker that had been heating in a fire. He hovered it over Twitch's chest.
"Now then, why don't we ensure you'll never have little brats to call your own?" He asked.
"Go right ahead. I already can't, though, so you'll just be giving me new scars." That was the first time the young girl had spoken since she'd been captured.
"Ah, yes, it does appear as though you've already been tortured excessively. Quite impressive you're still sane."
"..."
"Great, she's gone all quiet again." The yellow one complained.
§ § §
"What did she mean 'I already can't'?" Fives asked, staring at the screen.
"I have no idea. Clones were always meant to be sterile, so maybe she can't?" Rex suggested, knowing fully well clones actually could have children as he remembered Cut Lawquane.
"Nope, she can't because her womb isn't in her body anymore." The large host mumbled from an information console.
(I really don't know the right name for it.)
"What?! How?" Fives gasped.
"Naboo, during the Infecteds' infestation of Coruscant. She was shot by a person working for someone called 'Jeph'. The bolt hit her womb and it had to be removed. You didn't know?"
"She didn't even hint at it." Rex sighed, looking sadly at his sister on the monitor as she stuck it out through a series of pokes with the hot metal.
"By now, sir, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't help Twitch when she meets you." Fives spat, glaring at the bulky man.
"I wouldn't blame you if you did. However, until then, your continued cooperation would be appreciated."
§ § §
"She won't even moan." The torturer sighed, crossing his two main arms poutingly.
"Why don't we poke her throat? Make her scared." The yellow one suggested.
"Take my tongue, too. I won't be doing much talking." Twitch rasped.
"You are a brave one, aren't you?" The blue one asked.
"..."
"Agh, now she's taunting us." The short tempered yellow one growled.
§ § §
Tail was in a bit of a rock and hard place situation. It was either face the angry grizzly bear, or swim across the lake.
Unfortunately, he couldn't swim. Not all clones could. It was a flaw in Kaminoan training to assume troops would never encounter instances where they had no choice but to do said action.
The trees nearby weren't climbable, the bear blocked his path of escape, and the lake was at his back. The animal advanced and roared.
"Kriff, why didn't I ask Twitch to teach me how to swim when we had the chance?" The scout muttered.
§ § §
The next time a hot piece of metal moved to burn her arm, Twitch wrenched the vines holding her into the way, cutting into her flesh and snapping the restraint.
She grabbed just above the cherry red part of the rod and swiftly forced it to cut her other hand free. She got her feet loose and dove away from the torturer, snatching up a sword.
"Alright, bring it!" She hissed, flourishing the weapon and copying a pose she'd seen Anakin Skywalker adopt many times before he'd fought. Both hands gripped the hilt, her feet were planted, the right slightly in front, and back somewhat hunched.
"An interesting stance." The large invertebrate commented.
"Either fight me or let me out." The sergeant bargained, ignoring his words.
"You've already lost and don't even know it." Twitch dove away from the spot she'd been. A tentacle grasped thin air, missing.
"Saying that when I can hear you is poor judgement."
"Hmm, most would say 'how so?', or 'you're the one who will lose'."
"Most are people who haven't used that card themselves." The teenager pointed out. She whipped around and cut another tentacle in two. The slug howled in pain and she made a break for the stairs.
It was a stone spiral design, medieval, but Twitch was too concentrated in keeping ahead of the creature to take in the craftsmanship. She grasped the sword tightly.
It was a simple blade, long and black. If she knew anything about swords, the girl would be able to tell that this was a hand and a half sword.
Torches lined the walls, but eventually, she found a window. Outside, the light suggested that the time was mid-afternoon. It was ground level, so she cut an 'X' in the glass and side kicked it, then jumped through the frame and ran. The open clearing had her on edge, but she made it into the trees without incident.
§ § §
"That was fast." The host murmured.
"Twitch doesn't like being in closed spaces." Rex replied curtly.
"Or being tortured." Fives added.
"Be angry all you want, this is necessary."
§ § §
Tail dodged the bear as it slammed down with both paws, backing farther into the water. He stopped when it reached his thighs, looking down nervously. The bear swiped at him and he ducked under the surface.
The corporal lost his footing and thrashed wildly to reach air. He froze and let two bubbles slip from his mouth and watched them ascend. He turned himself around and slammed his feet into the muddy bottom, springing up. He gasped in oxygen and realized that the bear was gone.
§ § §
Twitch lay in a thicket, gasping and shivering. She knew she would have to move soon, since she had likely left a blood trail and was probably attracting predators.
She eventually got up with shaking limbs, grabbed her sword, and slinked out of cover, looking around in case of danger. She limped out and continued away from the place where she'd been tortured.
§ § §
A lake wasn't something she hadn't expected to find, but Twitch was glad it's what she stumbled across. The sergeant was just about to stoop down and get a drink when—
"Gotcha!"
"Ah!" She whirled around, bringing up the sword. She couldn't stop it in time, so she turned it, causing the flat of the blade to smack into Tail's shoulder.
"Ow!" He yelped.
"Ugh, di'kut." She sat down, basically collapsing. "What did you think would happen if you jumped me like that?"
"I expected you to stop in time." He sat down beside her.
"Expect me to stop with the weapons I usually fight with." Tail suddenly noticed the blood covering Twitch.
"What happened?" He worriedly took her arm in his hand to get a better look.
"The locals decided to catch and torture the first sentient they happened upon today." The teenager winced and pulled her arm out of his grasp.
"I'd describe them, but you're present." He grumbled.
"Heh, I'm sure that's the reason you don't want to call them..." Twitch proceeded to list a couple of the worst names she could think of.
"In a good mood, as always." He said.
"Just a great one. Meh, they were amateur torturers." The sergeant slid into the water, letting the cool liquid soothe her stinging skin.
"You shouldn't know who's a rookie or experienced torturer or not." Tail murmured, glaring at the rocks.
Twitch had the back of her head in the water, nearly getting some in her ears. She opened on eye to look at her friend.
"There's lots of things I know that I shouldn't."
"Yeah, but this is torture we're talking about."
"This is the past we're talking about; something that won't change no matter how wrong we say it is." The teenager sighed.
"I hate it when you go calm like that. It always makes my arguments sound invalid."
"I live with a bunch of older brothers. There's no way I couldn't learn how to do that."
"Meh."
"Meh, yourself. We should probably get across the lake in case the locals are tracking us. Nice thing about swimming is that it doesn't leave a trail." Tail became still.
"Oh, um, wouldn't going through the forest give us a better chance of finding shelter?" He mumbled.
"Shelter is useless if we get caught. Come on, the water's not that cold."
"I, um...I-I..." The older clone stuttered.
"What?" Twitch flipped onto her stomach.
"I...can't swim." Tail cringed. Twitch burst out laughing.
"T-Tail, there's nothing wrong with that! Plenty of people don't know how to swim. Many sailors don't!" She choked out, snickering.
"Then why are you laughing?" He demanded, cheeks turning red as he buried his face in the crook of his elbow.
"You were acting like a murderer confessing to someone! I didn't know how to swim until I was twelve, either." He looked up in surprise.
"You've been keeping track?" Now Twitch's cheeks turned red and she ducked under the surface for a few moments. She came back up and Tail dunked her. By the time the sergeant was up and done spluttering, their blushes were gone.
"What?" She snapped.
"Since when has any clone's birthday been given a second glance?" He said.
§ § §
"There, see? You're swimming." Twitch smiled as Tail shakily swam in a large circle using the breaststroke. His legs moved right after his arms, sliding through the water like a frog.
"This is kinda fun." The corporal said, twisting onto his back.
"Kinda di'kutla of the Kaminoans to forget teaching you something like this." The teenager swam beside him.
"I guess so. Time to leave?" Twitch grabbed her sword and nodded.
§ § §
"Good shelter." Twitch commented, looking around the large burrow. It was roughly the side of their old barrack, though not quite high enough for Tail to stand at his full height.
"Yeah, but what was here before us?" The scout asked, nervously looking for tracks.
"Something big, strong, and had large claws." The sergeant was examining three long gashes in the dirt of a wall. Roots stuck out of the ceiling here and there, making movement hazardous if one is not looking around.
"Met something like that earlier. Brown shaggy coat and from the ursa family."
"A bear. Fantastic." Twitch sighed, tightening her grip on the sword.
"Better get a fire going. It's almost nightfall." While the teenager collected firewood, Tail broke a hole in the den's roof to vent smoke. They were just about to light the kindling by striking the sword against a stone when they heard snuffling outside.
Twitch spun around and got the sword ready while Tail prepared to throw the stone. The sergeant waited with her back against the wall next to the door.
'Draw it in', she signalled. When the sergeant had admitted to not knowing hand signals, Tail had taught her. The corporal hurled the stone as soon as a large snout appeared, hitting the bear's nose. It roared and stomped in.
Twitch lunged, aiming the sword at its neck. She hit her mark and dug in, only to have it round on her and nearly claw her side open. She backed up, knowing that until the bear bled out, they'd have to stay in one piece.
"You can have the worst ideas." Tail muttered.
"We're still alive, aren't we?" She reminded.
"Barely." They dove out of the predator's path.
"By the way, this is dinner."
"You're probably insane enough to pull that off."
"'Probably'? What have I ever done to make you doubt me?" Soon, the bear collapsed, attempting to harm them if they approached. Eventually, it closed its eyes. It took a long time for the beast to actually die, but once they skinned and removed the meat as well as took the remains away from the den and cooked the food, it was worth the wait and effort.
"Mm, I admit your ideas usually end well." Tail admitted as he chewed a piece of meat.
"Hmm, good to hear."
A.N. ~ the terrible twosome have a habit of turning what tries eating them into their next meal. The hunters refuse to be the hunted, I guess. Next chapter will be a while, but not too long. Hope to see you guys soon!
MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS:
Hut'uunla: [hoo-TOON-la] cowardly (worst possible insult)