The Story of Talon Chapter 21 Strange Feelings

Ryloth Surface

Zataji charged out of the gunship with her lightsaber drawn and active. Her green saber ready to cut any droid apart. Getting her bearings she looked around quickly. Seven gunships had set down with them and clones was storming out. Jade deflected bolts from a STAP racing towards them. A dozen was approaching from different directions. One of the deflected bolts took the head off the battle droid and the STAP crashed. A few troopers took down another with their combined fire.

She leaped into the air and landed behind a STAP. She grabbed onto the droid who squealed. She motioned the droid and forced it to turned around and fire at another STAP. Swooping around, she fired and destroyed a second and a third. Hearing weapons fire behind her she looked over her shoulder. She quickly span the STAP around and jumped off. The two STAP crashed and exploded. Clones cried out as they were hit by enemy fire. In mid-air she slashed out and decapitated a droid. Landing she deactivated her saber.

"Mount Home, all units report in," Sly said into hi communicator.

An Octuptarra magma tri-droid approached from the open canyon to their south.

"Trooper!" Zataji yelled at a trooper with a rocket launcher. "Take that thing down!"

Two rocket launchers was aimed at the large tri-droid. The tri-droid opened up and the fire hit a gunship that was about to take off. It exploded, killing four clones immediately.

"Fire!" Zataji yelled.

The two rockets hit right on and damaged it badly. One of them hit in the junctions and took a leg off. The large tri-droid collapsed, unable to remain standing.

The remaining gunships was returning to space. Zataji made her way to Sly and Jade.

"Commander," Sly said. "It would be best if we moved out immediately. More droids are probably on their way."

Zataji glanced at Jade before she nodded.

"Get the men ready Sly."

"Sir." He headed off and started barking orders.

Jade looked around to see if they had any injured. A few dead but she didn't see any injured troopers. She sighed in relief.

The clones started gathering up around Sly and the padawan's.

"Well, this was pretty eas…" Zataji started. She stopped when Jade placed her hand on her mouth.

Sly looked with a puzzled expression at them.

"Will you stop saying it was easy," Jade demanded with furrowed eyebrows.

Zataji raised her hand defensively as troopers chuckled. Sly smirked under his helmet. He was quickly growing to like both of them.

Jade removed her hand.

"Okay, okay," Zataji conceded.

"Alright let's move out," Sly told the men.

Ryloth Surface

Edge gently made sure the general was somewhat comfortable as she laid against the rocky surface of the cave wall. General Windu was by her side, breathing slowly. Edge carefully lowered her head onto the rocks.

"Don't worry general. Just rest okay?" He said.

She smiled warmly but weakly at him.

"Thank…you Edge."

Edge nodded and stood up. He joined Spartacus, Slash and Ponds near the entrance. They took cover inside the cave when droid patrols was getting too heavy in the area. They really wanted to find the generals quickly.

Windu turned his head to Talon and looked at her.

"Mace?" She asked.

"Y…yes?" He groaned painfully.

"Are you…are you feeling okay? You'll be fine right?" She asked worriedly. Her tender eyes looking at him.

He gave a subtle nod.

"We will all…get out of here. Don't worry about it." He felt Talon grip his hand tenderly and gave it a squeeze. He squeezed her back carefully. "It's okay."

She closed her eyes and tried making sense of the warmth spreading through her body from her hand. It was nice. It felt fantastic and she squeezed his hand a little tighter. Why was his touch making her feel like this? It felt so good but wrong at the same time. She opened her eyes and titled her head in his direction. Noticing her eyes looking at him he raised his head and met her gaze. She felt a warm spark in his eyes. They blocked out the clones talking near the entrance. She felt a part of him had a rising feeling of awkwardness and they both felt a need to look away. Both noticed a slight blush on the others cheeks.

"General Windu," Ponds approached.

Both quickly averted their eyes elsewhere and Windu turned to Ponds. Their hands quickly parted.

"Commander," he groaned.

Ponds kneeled by his side and place a hand on his chest.

"Are we…ready to move out?" Windu asked.

"General," Ponds said hesitantly. "We are afraid to move you. You might have internal bleedings. "Spartacus are going to try to make contact with the insurgents."

Talon's eyes widened and she stared at Ponds when he had mentioned 'internal bleedings'. Windu could feel she was staring at whim with grave worry but decided against returning the look. He simply gave Ponds a tiny nod.

Ponds rose and looked at General Talon before leaving them both again. Windu and Talon both remained quiet for a moment.

"Talon," Windu turned to her.

She looked at him.

"Can I ask you a…question?"

"Anything Mace," she said honestly.

"Why do you refuse to use your last name? I always found it odd."

She opened her mouth but couldn't get a word out.

"It reminds me of my family," she managed. "You know who they were…are…" Mace heard a steering of emotions in her voice. "Th-they are pure evil. A tribe of Sith. I don't anything to do with them."

"A name don't…define you," Mace said wisely with a soothing tone. A tone she had never heard him use before. Not sense he found her in the facility she was born in, when she was a little girl. Little more than a year old. "It is your actions that define who you are Talon. You have already distinguished yourself in the eyes of any sane observer. You are the first member in your family to break the circle of hatred and darkness and become a jedi and got a Sith." He smiled. "Talon T'racen. A name of hope and beauty."

She forgot to breathe for a second, breath taken by his words she stared at him with a hundred emotions rising to the top.

Edge came over with a bottle of water. He first kneeled by General Windu and helped him tilt his head up. She shook her emotions aside when she saw Edge's presence.

"Here you go, general."

After a few sips of water Edge stood up and moved over to Talon.

"It's okay," Talon said. Raising her hand. "You must be…thirsty Edge."

"Me?" Edge replied. He frowned at her answer. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

Deciding she was drinking it if she wanted to or not he grabbed her head and titled it carefully.

"You are drinking it, if you want to or not. No hero stuff."

She didn't protest and happily felt the water drop on her dry lips and mouth. She emptied the rest of the bottle. She breathed out and smiled. The water felt amazing. Edge got up again and headed back to his brothers.

"Edge?" Talon said.

He turned around.

"Yes?"

She smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks."

He removed his helmet and showed his black hair with a strain of white.

"Anytime."

"Hey, Edge check it out!" Slash called.

Edge marched over and look out at the sky.

"Yeah! That's a sight alright!" He exclaimed thrilled.

Talon and Windu both glanced at them. Curious to what was happening. Ponds hurried back to them and Spartacus stepped into the cave. Talon frowned. Wasn't he off doing something else? Um…oh right-right, getting Syndulla's help.

"Generals, Republic fighters are overhead and gunships are approaching."

Talon felt a carpet of darkness rise from her heart and she sighed in relief.

"We just fired a flare and there coming in," Ponds continued. "You'll both be back in the infirmary before you can say 'Separatist'".

Windu noticed that Talon slowly spelled it to herself and he arched an eyebrow.

"Really?"

She smirked innocently.

"What? He said it."

Windu smirked.

You're impossible, he thought.

"Secure that hill!" A familiar and welcomed voice barked. "I want medics in there now!"

Abyss entered the cave and hurried to them.

"General Windu, General Talon. Don't worry. We will have you back in on Invincible Hand immediately."

Clone medics came running with gurneys.

"The general's leg's broke and I think he may have internal bleedings," Ponds explained to the medics.

Abyss started helping Talon to her feet. Edge came over and helped support her to the gurney.

"You don't look so good general," Abyss said.

"Thanks," she replied sarcastically. "What I always love hearing a man say."

Windu chuckled as he was placed on the gurney beside hers.

"Commander Abyss," he said. "You really do have…your work cut out for you."

Abyss smirked as Talon and Edge both chuckled.