Aannnnd the new one. Which is a request, so, let's see how I did, eh?
Okay so... Listen, everyone. I know not all my stories/chapters whatever are gonna be good. I'm human and I can screw up a chapter or something. But if you put in a request, and I do it - at least have the decency to review on that chapter, okay? Thanks
Rohirrim Girl 2187: They would explain it after a while yeah (just enjoying her confusion) Also, do they have vodka as a drink in Star Wars? Maybe xD
So unicornmeat3 wanted another request, but this one is tied in with Chapter 5
As always, read, review and enjoy
Geonosis – a planet of death, blood and memories. And now, it just might be their tomb. But as it happens, an encounter from long ago helps them out. Apparently a powerful entity has taken a liking to them.
"This dust ball again…" she heard them grumble as the gunship descended.
"You were here before?" Ahsoka asked, feeling the shake as the bird landed.
"The 501st was yeah. Part of the first attack…" Rex set his bucket on. "Comm check," he ordered, looking around.
"Jesse, here."
"Kix, over."
"Hardcase present."
"Echo, ready."
"Fives, reporting."
"Ahsoka, done."
"Good. Now remember everyone – we're here only to investigate," the Captain checked his weapons as the doors opened. "Last time we left this place unchecked, a whole lot of bad happened. Brain controlling worms. Try and avoid that."
"Yeah, they are disgusting," Tano shivered, recalling her own experience with them.
"Why do we always get stuck with these crappy jobs?" Hardcase grumbled as they dropped from the ship.
"You're here because you lost the bet. Fives' here because Echo's here, who's here because he wants to see the place. Kix wasn't about to let you all go off without a medic and Jesse came because he was bored," Rex instantly clarified, hearing the rest snicker. "Clear enough?" he looked over his shoulder, a smirk under his bucket.
"Yes sir…" Hardcase muttered, embarrassed.
"Where's the General anyway?" Fives asked as they neared some old ruins.
"He's… busy," Rex settled on. He can't just say 'he's with Senator Amidala' despite the fact most present already knew about their 'secret relationship.'
"Aha," the others muttered back and the Captain's shoulders dropped.
"Let's just keep moving, yeah?"
As they entered the ruins, the soldiers turned on their helmet lights, looking around the place. Abandoned and empty. What else to expect.
"There was a battle here…" Jesse said into the comm-link, moving away some rubble. "From the first attack!" he called, revealing a dusty, dirty but recognizable helmet.
"Brothers died here…" Kix closed his eyes momentarily, letting out a breath. Can't help them now.
"How many are there?" Echo found a few more bits and pieces of the familiar armor.
"Plenty. But at least they're all remembered," Fives held another helmet in his hands.
"That giant rock on Coruscant, right?" Hardcase turned to the others.
"That's the one," the Captain nodded, giving a forearm guard a small look.
"…" Ahsoka has remained silent, only watching. She could feel the slight trembles in the Force, but the boys were holding on very well. However, there was also another tingling on the Force – not dangerous, but not safe either. She turned around, feeling like someone was watching them, but saw no one else around. How strange…
"Found a passage underground," Echo called, kicking away a few stones.
"So that's what Cody was talking about…" the rest moved in closer. Jesse put his hand over the opening, feeling a small air current.
"We better seal it up before-," but Rex didn't get to finish before there was a shake in the ground and a rumble.
"That doesn't sound good," Kix spun around, eyes scanning for danger.
"I got a bad feeling about this…" Hardcase whispered as they all moved into a defensive formation.
There was another rumble, shake and an audible crack. Echo just had enough time to look down to see the crack under his feet before the ground gave in and collapsed.
"Echo!" Fives yelled, reaching for his brother and managed to grab his arm, but was pulled in along with him.
"Kriff!" Jesse was losing ground and was trying to evade the collapse, when Hardcase lost his balance and tumbled into him, sending both of them into the hole.
"No!" Kix shouted, reaching out too far. Rex tried to grab him, but the medic was too close to the hole and the rocks collapsed downwards again, sliding the trio still standing down as well. Ahsoka tried to grab onto anything, but the rock was too weak and crumbled.
"Wake up… wake up…" she heard someone calling for her, but it didn't sound… right. Not like any of her brothers. "Wake up little one," she opened her eyes, only to be surrounded by mostly darkness. There was a bit of light, coming off the boys' helmets. The boys!
"Vode?!" she called, coughing as dust settled in her mouth and nose. Numbness clawed at her and she saw she was lying on her back, under rubble. Again.
"We're here…" came a weak reply and a light shone in her way.
"Jesse?" the Padawan narrowed her eyes to try and see better. She spotted three familiar forms, one being Jesse as he kneeled next to Hardcase and Kix, both covered in rubble as well. On the edge, there were two more brothers – Fives and Echo – but they didn't appear to be moving. Rex seemed to just gain consciousness, shoving off his own pile of rocks.
"Everyone alive?" the Captain asked, shaking his head and turning on his light.
"Can't reach Fives and Echo," Jesse grunted, holding his side. "Hardcase is breathing, but out of it. Kix is getting there," there was a grumble as the medic moved his arms, before getting the help from his brother.
"Ahsoka?" Rex asked, shining a light at her again.
"Here – nothing's broken," she answered and used the Force to carefully move the rocks off her. Wasn't too much and the blonde came to help.
"Echo and Fives are alive, slowly coming to," she added, immediately concentrating on her brothers to make sure their Force signature still pulsed.
"Lemme see them," Kix mumbled, getting to his feet as Jesse pulled Hardcase out.
"Ugh, my head…" they could hear Fives groan as rocks were moved again. "Echo? Echo!"
"He's alive, don't worry," Ahsoka assured, rubbing her head. She tried to recall what woke her… A voice. A strange one at that.
"C'mon Hardcase, nap time's over," Jesse shook his brother until the man blinked his eyes open and let out a pained groan.
"Echo, c'mon brother, wakey wakey," Fives muttered as Kix came over, checking for any injuries. Echo regained himself a few seconds later, shooting up and almost slamming his head into the Medic.
"Anyone feel much pain? Broken bones? Blood?" Kix asked, still a bit dizzy.
"We're fine, Kix. We just need to find a way out of here…" the Captain assured, looking around. They were in a tunnel, deep underground. Recalling what Cody said about this place, coms won't reach the top and it's built like a maze. Fantastic…
They started walking, slowly but steadily, with Kix always keeping eyes on them. But they were severely lost down here, and had no means of contacting anyone for pickup.
"Stop," Ahsoka called, hand in the air. The soldiers did as she said, on edge and ready for an attack. "There… someone down here."
"What, those zombies again?" Fives asked, looking at the others.
"No, with the Queen destroyed, there couldn't be any more," Echo explained, but that didn't stop him from checking around.
"No, not like that…" the Jedi shook her head, eyes open. "C'mon this way."
"Are you sure?" Jesse hesitated, looking down a different corridor.
"Can't get any more lost than we already are," Hardcase shrugged and followed.
"Not, funny," Kix frowned under his bucket but went after anyway.
"Just go," Rex nodded after them, going last.
As they followed the Commander, the corridors grew tighter and they moved in a line by two. The boys were constantly vigilant and Ahsoka felt something down here, but it was leading them somewhere.
And then came another quake as they all stumbled slightly, catching their balance. From behind, they heard rocks cracking and falling, and when they looked back, there was only one thought in mind.
"Run!" they moved as quickly as they could, trying to outrun the collapse. Ahsoka was still following the presence, but it had moved now. It was closer.
"Over here!" she called and turned sharply into a corridor, the others right behind her. Soon after they entered the path, there was a sloop downwards, where they all dropped, sliding and rolling downwards. A few were screaming from the sudden drop, but they were mostly just trying to keep upwards.
"BRACE!" Ahsoka yelled as they neared the ground and crashed onto the hard ground, piling one atop the other.
"Ow…" they groaned and carefully got to their feet. They still felt the rumble, but it seemed the collapse hasn't gotten this far. At least something…
"Where are we?" Echo asked, looking around. They appear to be in a chamber of sorts, with a hole in the middle, allowing sunlight to pass inside. The chamber wasn't too big, but fairly well kept given all the shaking going around. But there was one thing that just… didn't fit with the whole place.
"…Is that wolf?" Fives pointed a finger at the animal, sitting dead center.
"Looks familiar…" Jesse mused, tilting his head. The black-gray fur and blue eyes…
"So I'm not the only one seeing it?" Hardcase laughed, dusting himself off.
"Unless we all got concussions," Kix sighed, shaking his head. Too much excitement…
The wolf then barked and ran forward, jumping onto the Captain and knocking him to the ground, before moving to sniff his weapons. The other were momentarily frozen before laughing or snickering.
"I think I know why this little guy's familiar…" Rex muttered, not even bothering to get up.
"But what's it doing all the way here? Last time we saw it, was in the middle of a jungle!" Ahsoka gently nudged the wolf off her brother.
"Yean and turned into a lady," Rex stood up, looking down at the animal.
"It lead me here…" the Jedi trailed off, watching as the wolf walked a few steps away, before apparently changing into a woman. The same one she saw before - black-gray clothing and hair, with bright blue eyes and wolf-like ears.
"Greetings," she spoke, voice calm and gentle as it echoed in the chamber.
"…Lady…" Hardcase pointed a finger at her.
"From a wolf?" Jesse wasn't sure he was seeing right.
"Wolf-lady?" Fives could almost feel his brain exploding.
"…I don't even wanna know…" Kix gave a blank expression under his bucket.
"Impossible…" Echo just couldn't understand it.
"Still weird…" Rex sighed, feeling a headache coming.
"Hi!" Ahsoka greeted back, waving. "Thanks for the help."
"My pleasure," the wolf-lady gave a bow of her head, smiling.
"How'd you know we were here?" Rex ignored the irrational bit and focused on the important bit. Most of the boys were still confused.
"When first we met, you were most curios. I wished to learn more about you," she explained, eyes going to all of them. "Men with the same face, yet different aura. And a child, with great power and control. Most curios indeed."
"We try?" Kix shrugged, not sure how to react to that.
"Do you know a way out?" Ahsoka took a step forward. "We really need to get back to the others."
"Yes, your family correct?" she looked at the Padawan, a hint of understanding in her eyes. "Please, walk here," the wolf-lady lead them under the hole. Rex had to push Fives and Hardcase forward, since they seemed to still be in shock.
"Hold your hands together, in a circle around me. Do not let go," she said as they gathered around, doing as she told them. Even if it felt weird.
As they connected the circle, the wolf-lady closed her eyes and extended her arms upwards, towards the light. Seconds later, they could see a ball of energy in her hands, glowing white, before it spread outwards, surrounding them in a sphere.
"Don't let go," Fives said as Echo looked in awe, almost trying to touch it.
"Sorry," he said quickly and focused back on whatever was happening.
When the sphere was finished, the lady extended her arms outwards and opened her eyes, which were now glowing. Moments passed and they felt the ground shake again, but this time, they were lifted upwards, towards the surface.
It was a strange feeling to say the least, floating up with the lady in the middle almost glowing. But they ignored that part, at least until they reached the surface. The sphere landed gently on the ground, before it dissipated, and the glow stopped.
"I hope none of you felt uncomfortable," the lady lowered her arms to her side, giving a small smile at them.
"Lady, we're way past uncomfortable…" Jesse shook his head, as they finally released the hold on each other.
"That was incredible! How did you do that?" Ahsoka almost jumped, grinning.
"Rex? Captain, come in," the blonde heard his com. link beep and answered while the lady and Padawan talked about… magic? He wasn't sure.
"Here sir. Ran into a bit of trouble, but we're fine. Ready for pickup," he answered, letting out a sigh. Today had been an interesting day…
"You should join us!" the Commander was still grinning, standing next to the lady. "You're pretty powerful and skillful. We could always use someone like that."
"I am afraid I must decline," she bowed her head. "I am a creature of peace, serenity and calm. I have no place in a war."
"…I get that. Worth a shot, right?" Tano's eyes dropped slightly, but she still smiled.
"Sir, we got gunship incoming," Kix reminded her, pointing at the bird.
"Right, we better get going," Ahsoka turned to the lady, but she was already walking away.
"Wait! What's your name?" she called after her, but the lady just smiled, and turned back into a wolf, running off.
"I don't think she wants you to know," Hardcase smirked and the Jedi gave him a look.
"C'mon, let's go," Kix nodded to the ship as it landed.
"Is no one going to comment on what happened?" Echo asked in disbelieve.
"Just another 501st mission," Fives shrugged, moving past him.
"I just file it under 'weird and unexpected' and that's it," even Rex didn't really care.
"Don't worry kid, you'll get used to it," Jesse lightly nudged him in the shoulder.
"…" Echo stood there for a few more seconds before letting out a long sigh and running after his vode. This is the 501st after all…
Cut! Alright, so, another request down. A few more to go. unicornmeat3 - hope you enjoyed this one and sorry if it's kinda awkward towards the end...
Anyway, thanks for reading, hopefully you enjoyed
Till next time