Cody was not familiar with the concepts of farming, but then again why should he? He was bred and born a fighter, hands for picking up and firing a blaster and a mind for strategic planning and killing. Levet had given Cody a couple of tools to rake and dig up the earth so that later they could plant the new seedlings.
Cody never gave enough respect to the farmers he had come across on his many missions. Toiling soil and picking up plants, he had mentally snubbed the "simple" people as he would like to refer them by, weak for not putting defense and artillery as their main priority. Then again, if the defense and army starved, there would be no protection.
As he wiped at the sweat that began to bead along his hair line and drip down his face causing a smear of dirt to trail behind, Cody started to find farming a bit therapeutic. With each shuffle of earth, each toss of rock or clump of dirt all he had to worry about was getting the seed into the ground.
Cody paused and slowly stood up feeling his muscles pull and strain in protest from the unfamiliar exertion he was putting on them. Resting himself on the pole of his rake, he took a breather and watched as Levet till his part of the field with expertise. Turning his head slightly two of the boys from Yayax Squad were getting a very unfamiliar machine ready for something Cody had no idea about and the other two were off in the distance which Cody couldn't tell what they were doing.
"It's not easy, but it frees the mind," Levet's voice startled Cody out of his stupor. The man had not said anything to Cody all morning, only the sounds of squawking of shriek-hawks and the occasional clank of a rock being tossed into their ever grown pile would fill the void.
"I never considered farming as a liberating or enjoyable sort of activity, but I am glad that you let me join you," Cody returned to raking the dirt, slower this time. He noticed that the handle of the rake had turned red with an oozy substance and turned his hand over to see that his wound was leaking badly. Sith, Cody cursed to himself. It had been throbbing for some time, but he had told Levet and Yayax that he would not let it interfere with the work. Well he was a man after all and he would work through the pain. It was just blood and a little throb. A lot of throb.
Levet looked up as Cody once again stopped and saw the bloody stick. "Oisk son, let me see that," Levet threw down his rake and before Cody could protest, his hand was grasped by the clone-turned farmer and Levet started to remove the disgusting, blood soaked wrap. The wound was in desperate need of cleaning and repairing. Blackened crust formed around the edges while red and clear fluid seeped through, beginning signs of infection.
"Son, why didn't you get this treated? Levet admonished.
"I'm not your son," the words slipped out faster that Cody had time to shut his mouth. Pinching his lips shut had the decency to look bashfully at the man who let him join him and his group and took concern on his injured hand.
Giving Cody a stern glare but not saying anything, Levet started to lead the injured man by his wrist, giving him no choice but to follow. Cody almost tripped and fell a couple of times as he fumbled to keep pace with the ex-commander and struggle to get his hand back. "Quit," he heard Levet reproach. Cody recalled a memory when he and General Kenobi were planet side on Corellia.
They were in the middle of a fierce game of chase with a bounty hunter which landed them in the middle of the very busy capital, Coronet City. To Cody, it reminded him of a smaller, but just as crowded and much raunchier version of Coruscant. While he and Kenobi were scouting for the bounty hunter Cody heard a loud wailing sound and being on guard, he quickly swirled around to see a small child practically being dragged by the arm of his parent.
The parent looked completely embarrassed by the child's behavior and as they passed by Cody, he could hear a mortify mumble, "Quit," by the adult. It did nothing to pacify the child. Kenobi had explained to Cody that the child was having a temper tantrum.
Cody felt like having one right now. This commander was being nice to him and he wasn't sure how to make of it. He wanted to heal, but he wasn't ready to be close to anyone, was he?
They reached the edge of the field where the two members of Yayax squad, Dev and Jind were tooling around with the strange machine. They looked up curiously and then their eyes widened at the sight of Cody's bloodied hand in Levet's grasp.
"Dev, get some water and a scrub, Jind you get the first aid kit. Make sure there's a needle and thread."
"Yikes brother, what were you doing to cause that?" Jind asked before hopping off the seat of the machine and racing toward the first aid kit.
"Needle and thread?" Cody gulped. What kind of backwater world uses a needle and thread?
"Yes, your hand is split and needs to be sewn. A good whip stich should do it." Cody had never had to stich his own hand or any of his brothers in the field. It was either a quick bacta patch or there was nothing left of a trooper to stick together. "Sit," Levet commanded as Dev trotted up with a bucket of water and a scrub. Seconds later Jind sat down and placed the first aid kit on his lap, ready to hand any supply that was needed to their leader.
"When we are out here," Levet started to explain as he began to work on Cody's hand, "we can't run back to our house or Skirata's house every time we get a nick, laceration or even broken bone."
"And we've had plenty of those," Dev said as he watched with interest as Levet took the scrub and soaked it in the water and then mixed it with iodine to help clean out any infection or dirt that may be in the wound.
"Yes, well when you are first learning something, there are bound to be accidents," Levet added.
"Like when we first tried out this baby," Jind eyed the machine that Cody sat next to fondly.
"What is it?" Cody winced as the iodine stung his skin.
"It's a plow. Kind of a multi-tool plow. It makes turning up the fields so much easier and when it comes to harvest, you can't live without it," Dev explained.
"Then why are we doing everything by hand today?" Cody asked wearily.
"Because these two broke it," Levet narrowed his eyes at the two men who looked down with embarrassment. Levet took the needle and thread from Jind and looked at Cody. "This will sting."
"Can't be any worse than it is now," Cody tried to keep the pain from his voice. "So how did you two managed to break it?"
"It wasn't our fault," Dev defended. "Well I guess it was sort of." Cody could hear the "humph" come from Levet, but did not look at him as the man worked on his hand.
"Well you know how we were all raised on fast moving speeder bikes and ships," Jind started. Cody nodded. Yes, everything in the GAR was fast and powerful. "Well, the plow is not fast."
"But it is powerful," Dev cut in.
"But it could be faster. You know, get the job done twice as fast," Ah yes, Cody knew where this was going. For commandos, they sure sounded like rookie cadets. It was quite amusing.
"Well some things are just not meant to go fast," Dev gave an embarrassed shrug. "We put airspeeder repulsorlift as part of the engine…" Levet shook his head in disbelief. "It did go faster."
"These two jokers had Cov and Yover on the run as they were chased for about half the field by an out of control plow. They tore up the field not to mention the newly planted crops and the crops that were just starting to come up. It finally died, not before these two having to dive out and the engine exploding. There, you're done. Jind, hand me a bacta patch and the cohesive wrap."
Cody was amazed at how quickly and well-done of a job Levet had done. His hand didn't hurt nearly as bad as he thought and the stich was clean and thorough. "You didn't just learn this as a farmer did you?"
"No," Levet answered shortly. Cody waited for him to continue, but he did not. Cody did not push; it was not his place to ask. "I wouldn't recommend anymore tilling," Levet eyed the plow. "Hum…Boys, is this thing working at all?" He directed his question toward Jind and Dev.
The two camo-clad men looked at each other as if they were communicating telepathically. They turned back to Cody and Levet. "Sort of," Jind finally answered.
Levet gave out a sigh. "It is or it isn't."
"Well we've turned it on and it works, but we haven't moved it from this spot," Dev finished. Cody was starting to get a headache from these two talking. It really was like talking to two young children.
"I think it's time to find out. Dev you come with me, Jind you and Cody get to try the machine." Dev was about to protest, but the stern, "fatherly" don't argue with me look quieted him. Dev moved the bucket toward the back of the plow and started to head toward where Cody and Levet were working earlier.
"No high gearing it Jind. Show him the ropes and get this thing running. We need it for the next bunch of crops," Levet instructed. Turning to Cody he eyed the now wrapped hand, "take care of that hand. Having an extra set of hands is always helpful." The ex-commander turned to leave and follow Dev.
"Levet," Cody called out. Levet turned around and looked at him curiously. There was so much Cody wanted to say, but settled on a simple, "Thank you."
Levet nodded politely and continued walking. Cody turned his attention to Jind who was already up in the driver's seat. "He's a good man," Jind was tinkering with something on the control panel; Cody hoped it was for the benefit of the plow. He didn't want to have to abandon ship as in the story before. He climbed up next to Jind and sat down next to him, surprised at how comfortable the seat was. For a piece of farm equipment, it was far more luxurious seat than any military speeder. He could only imagine what it would be like working.
"I can tell," Cody agreed.
"He kind of took all four of us under his wing when we came here. We didn't know what to do with ourselves; I know for myself I kind of felt panicky abandoning the military. But it wasn't right you know how it went down and all. Brothers firing on brothers, having to hunt down deserters and Jedi, that's what the Empire wanted the four of us to do."
Cody froze as he listened to Jind's simple way of how he felt after deserting. It wasn't right at all, but he had stayed. Why? Because it was an order. But this simple trooper had found a way out before all the bloodshed, before he had to murder a Jedi.
"We were on a transport with the body of Etain Tur-Mukan. Do you know who she is?" Jind reached for a wire under the panel, and twisted it with another.
"No," Cody answered numbly. He didn't know all the Jedi in the order, but the mere mention of a dead Jedi sent horrid visions of him gunning down his own general.
"She was married to one of Skirata's sons. They had a kid too. She died just before getting through a check point and on her way to freedom. I never met her either, but we were told she was leaving the Order to be with her family. That's the kind of gal I would want."
"Wha…" Cody gulped and started again, "what happened to the child and father?"
"The child is with Sergeant Skirata at the home; the father, from what I hear stayed behind to be with one of his brothers' who was injured that night. He won't come home." Suddenly the roar of engine started and a cough of smoke plumed over them. Both Cody and Jind coughed and choked on the suffocating fumes.
"Well it's working," Jind strangled out, waving a hand to clear the smoke away from his face.
"Tell me Jind," Cody shouted over the roar of the motor, "Do you see this as your home now?"
Jind shut off the engine and looked at Cody with more seriousness than he had ever seen the camo-man wear. "This is my home. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I am here with my brothers and found someone to look up as a father. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
Before Cody would reply, the whine of repulser engines could be heard making the men turn to see an airspeeder racing toward them. In the corner of his eye, Cody could see Levet and Dev dropping what they were doing and running toward them as well.
"Expecting someone?" Jind asked.
"I was hoping I had a little more time," Cody dourly answered.
Levet and Yayax-well there isn't too much about them so it's fun to fill in the gaps! ;)
That talk with Rex is coming up soon so don't miss out!
Thank you all for your fantastic reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Please let me know what you think!