In the darkness and quiet of the battered shuttle Amira slowly became aware of two things, she was alive because everything hurt, and she couldn't move because she was pinned. She called out. "Can anyone hear me?"
Hearing her voice caused his adrenaline to increase just a little and he quickened his pace, pushing through the debris toward her. Kneeling in front of her, he asked, "Are you hurt?"
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "That's a ridiculous question."
He found she could make him laugh in the worst situations. "You are right, it is, but no more so than asking a man who's just had half a battle droid removed from his chest how he is feeling."
"It was not 'half' a battle droid, and I told you they teach it in Doctor school."
Relieved to see she was responsive and had her wits about her he extended his hand. "Let's get you out of here."
She tried to move and cringed. "I am pinned somewhere."
He assessed the piece of metal responsible for pinning her leg. It would not be difficult to move it but he warned, "This may hurt."
She swallowed nervously and nodded. "Do it."
The metal moved easily and the pain shot up her leg quickly. Amira grabbed Obi-Wan's arm and closed her eyes taking deep breaths and resisting the urge to scream until the waves of pain subsided.
When her eyes opened again she was calm. Reluctantly, she looked down at her leg. The damage was not as bad as she thought. She looked around the immediate area. "Hand me that med kit over there."
He reached for the bag and set it next to her. "What can I do?"
"I'm going to bandage this laceration, go and see to the others. I'll be there in a minute."
Hastily she tore away her tattered pant leg and cleaned the wound on her lower leg. Then applied a bacta compress bandage to keep out bacteria and stem the bleeding. With her makeshift field dressing complete she crawled forward towards the first of the wounded.
Remarkably, most of the staff had survived with minor cuts and abrasions and a few broken bones. Already they were beginning to move around; attending to each other's injuries and the patients.
Several minutes later, Obi-Wan found her again toward the middle of the shuttle. "The team from the Mercy should be here any moment. I'm going to start getting people outside." She was bent over a wounded staff member and did not acknowledge him.
"Commander?"
Slowly she raised her head to meet his gaze; her eyes brimming with tears. "She's dead."
Looking from Amira to the young woman he asked, "Who was she?"
"Simawea…this was her first assignment." With a shaky hand she tenderly brushed a strand of hair from the girl's face.
"She enlisted in the Army just six months ago. She told me that her parents had not wanted her to go, but on her eighteenth birthday she signed up and left home." She buried her face in her hands and tried not to cry, but her shoulders began to shake and the sobs broke forth.
Obi-Wan moved around to her side and gently pulled her away from Simawea and into his arms. He said nothing just offered the comfort of a shoulder to cry on.
Suddenly overwhelmed by the crash and the death of Simawea, she sobbed into the front of his tunic. "She was just a kid…What do I tell her parents?"
"You tell them she was very brave and that she died caring for the wounded. You tell them that her last moments were spent protecting the lives of others." His voice was soft and sorrowful.
"It's not enough…"
He stroked her back gently and whispered. "It never is."
Almost as if a switch turned off, her sobs ended and she pulled away from his embrace, wiping her tears with the edge of her sleeve. "Thank you General, I'm ok now."
As she moved away to continue to help the wounded Obi-Wan knew that this loss had hit her harder than anything else the Clone Wars had served up and it would be a very long time before she was ok.
Anakin helped a staff member out of the shuttle and looked down at Obi-Wan. "The rescue team is landing now. "
"Good, start getting everyone on board."
Amira wrapped a head wound as Obi-Wan approached. "The team from the Mercy is here. "
With a quick nod she finished her task. "Go with General Kenobi, he'll help you get outside."
As Captain Trimorri waited for the craft to finish its shut down sequence and open the doors he looked outside. His heart felt as if was parked in his throat as he surveyed the damaged shuttle.
As soon as the doors did open he was first off the ship running at full speed towards the crash sight. Members of the trauma team were close behind. As they arrived the last of the injured were being helped out of the shuttle.
His training dictated he needed to see to the wounded first and make sure they were cared for, but the one person he wanted to see most was not in sight. He started the field triage and began directing the transfer and loading of everyone to the rescue ship.
It was several minutes later when he saw her emerging through the side of the shuttle being helped by General Kenobi. His heart nearly burst with the relief. His mouth formed the syllables of her name but the sound was a whisper. "Amira."
It seemed almost an eternity but she limped her way over to him. Without regard for military decorum he pulled her roughly into his arms. "I was so worried."
Tears came easily as she clung to him. "I was scared E, really scared. I didn't think I was going to see you again."
He lifted his head to the sky and issued a long sigh of relief then kissed the top of her head gently. They remained in each others arms for a long moment before he spoke. "Did you have to be the last one out of the damn thing? I thought I was going to lose my mind wondering if you were alive or dead."
She pulled away slightly and smiled. "You could have just asked someone?"
"I was afraid too."
"I think you promised me a proper kiss."
He looked over at General Kenobi who was talking with Skywalker. "Are you sure you want that here?"
She replied, "I don't think he'll notice, but under the circumstances I'm sure he'd understand."
Ewan Trimorri cradled her face gently in his hands and kissed her passionately.
The General did notice, and politely looked away in complete understanding.