Poor Cutup, he really didn't deserve to go out like that.
Thank you so much for reading so far! I really can't put into words how much it means to me!
Sorry for any mistakes in the previous chapters, I'm still learning and I'll try my best to improve.
On with the story!
Chapter 3
Felucia, 21BBY
"Get ready! Separatist forces coming up ahead!"
The command screamed over Tav's comm, further adding to his stress. Sitting in the exposed roof gunner seat of a Turbo Tank, he struggled with the rapidly flashing interface of the laser cannon he was operating. He wasn't sure if the weapon was re-calibrating itself or if it was switching to a different fire mode.
Tav truly hated the Turbo Tank he was deployed on. Used to being a gunner aboard an AT-TE, he was constantly running into issues with the now unfamiliar weaponry. As the walker he'd initially been on for the duration of the war was being serviced, he'd been roughly retrained and then practically shoved abord a Turbo Tank, just in time to be deployed to Felucia.
The mission was going horribly in his opinion. Having been ordered away from the main landing force to patrol a nearby jungle, the Turbo Tank, in addition to two walkers which he desperately wished he was onboard, had encountered a formation of droids approaching the landing force. That engagement had simply been unfair to the droids. The clones had almost literally rolled over the opposition with no casualties, only two troopers had been lost during the whole half hour battle. A few klicks further and they'd come upon another mass of droids, this one was far larger and proved to be a great struggle for the Republic forces. Losing almost a third of their number, the clones prevailed but the mood was severely dampened. Having learned that air superiority had been lost, the troops were effectively stranded on the surface. Tav's cannon atop of the tank had decided to shut itself off mid-battle and he had almost resigned himself to death until the unit's leader, a certain Togrutan Jedi, had leaped from ground level up to the tank's roof and began shielding him with her lightsaber. There she had remained, a tiny Jedi expertly deflecting blaster fire until the battle was over, Tav had been in awe.
Commander Tano was an enthusiastic officer, all the clones knew it, and sometimes it came in handy. This was not one of those times. Tav had noticed that the Commander hadn't ordered the trio of Republic vehicles to end the patrol and return the main force on the planet. They'd been told to cover a moderate distance, then head back. When Tav pointed this out, the Commander had simply stated that they would chase down the retreating stragglers of the droids. Not being of a high enough rank to voice his opinion to an officer, Tav had kept his mouth shut and simply nodded.
As he fiddled with the cannon's controls, he heard the lightsaber of the Jedi beside him ignite. A split second later, the air was filled with red blaster fire as droids came into view on the terrain ahead of the tank.
"Gun's still down Commander!" Tav yelled, his desperation mounting.
"Don't worry Tav! I'll keep you covered, just get it working!" She called back, twisting and weaving as her lightsaber slashed in a green arc.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tav saw the large frame of a Separatist tank gliding towards the vehicle column. A second appeared, then a third. One exploded almost instantly as it was struck by the Mass Driver Cannon of one of the accompanying AT-TE's. As the wreck of the enemy tank sat smoldering, one of its comrades fired at the offending walker. The shot missed the canopy of the walker but hit the gunner's position. Tav watched the trooper's body spiral through the air, dimly aware that it could've been him if he hadn't been deployed on the Turbo Tank.
A loud metal clanging from below him told him that the tank was deploying it's troopers, he looked at the AT-TE's and saw the undamaged one doing the same. The gunner-less walker hadn't unloaded, it's crew no doubt suffering from a concussion wave.
As the troopers spilled from the Republic vehicles, Tav overheard a voice coming from the Commander's wrist comm.
"Ahsoka, where are you?"
It was the voice of General Kenobi, a Jedi Tav liked very much. Always a voice of reason, Tav had spoken to Kenobi a small number of times and always left the conversation feeling better than when he had started it.
The General's voice came again, "Ahsoka!? What is your location?"
The little Jedi just ahead of Tav pulled a particularly fancy handspring before replying.
"About six klicks east, Master. We've engaged the enemy and we've got them on the run!"
Just then, Tav's cannon came back online, barking into life and spewing plasma down into the enemy ranks. With glee, he mowed down as many droids as he could, determined to make up for lost time. The Commander's comm continued to transmit Kenobi's voice.
"They're here to extract us, we're leaving!"
Tav's heart soared as he heard this. They were saved!
However, the Commander didn't share his outlook.
"What?! Wh- we can't retreat now, Master! I've broken through!"
The elation Tav felt suddenly turned to dismay upon hearing this, as it meant the unit would most likely continue towards whatever the fleeing droids were attempting to get to, which in all likeliness would be either a base, or a much larger droid formation.
"The droids are retreating." The Commander continued, still valiantly covering Tav.
Sweeping his cannon around in a small arc, Tav brought down countless droids as the second enemy tank disintegrated in a large explosion. The shockwave sent several pieces of debris into the air. Unable to help, Tav could only grimace as he watched a section of the tank's hull slam onto a trooper, crushing him.
Kenobi's voice wafted over, angrier than Tav had ever heard before.
"We're outnumbered, you must evacuate! That is an order!"
Tav thought that would've been the end of the discussion but maddingly, the Togrutan Commander piped up, prompting more delay.
"Master Skywalker taught me never to let up when the tinnies are on the run."
Actually pausing in firing the cannon, Tav looked at his superior officer in disbelief. Briefly considering if he'd died and this was some sort of torture he was reliving, he resumed his task but felt his gratitude at the Commander's actions lessen slightly.
"They are running back here to regroup at the main force! You are putting your troops' lives in danger, young one. You will get on the gunship when we arrive!"
Hearing the General voice his concern for the wellbeing of the troops, Tav felt a surge of pride in the Jedi, thankful that at least some were levelheaded.
He continued churning out fire at the droids on the ground, Commander Tano still in front of him providing cover. On one occasion, she made a wild swing that made him duck down in panic, though even if he hadn't, the lightsaber would've still missed him. As time inched by, he noticed the very faint whine of incoming gunships. Spinning in his seat, he chanced a look behind him to see four of the great durasteel birds screaming towards their position.
As they came closer, Tav expected the order to prepare to exit to be given, however it never came. The Commander continued her lightsaber handiwork wordlessly.
Losing his patience, Tav activated his commlink and was prepared to simply tell the tank's driver to order a full vehicle dismount as the gunships began to land in front of the armored column.
The Commander voiced Tav's confusion as she shouted, "What are you doing?!"
Tav powered down the cannon as the gunships landed, watching the troopers inside of them return fire on the droids as the doors opened.
General Skywalker, a Jedi that Tav wasn't so keen on, stalked out of the gunship, indicating for all troopers to board. The tanks' command crews spilled out of their vehicles from seemingly every nook and cranny. Tav's comm relayed the order to abandon the vehicle.
Without needing to be told twice, he hauled himself out of the seat and slid over the side of the tank. Landing on the stationary wheel, he made the moderately high drop to the surface, his boots absorbing the impact. He sprinted to the nearest LAAT, followed by the crew of the of the other tanks who had fled their stations in record time. He passed Skywalker, ignoring what he was shouting to his padawan. Covering the short distance at breakneck speed, Tav was crammed into the gunship already brimming with troopers. Sandwiched between a Wolfpack member and another gunner from the recently vacated Turbo Tank, Tav felt the gunship lift off just as Skywalker and his padawan boarded.
The rhythmic sound of thousands of metallic footsteps reached Tav's ears, and as the gunship rose higher and higher, he saw an immense formation droids materialize from all directions, converging on the position they had just been in.
The gunship began orienting itself upwards, preparing to head out of the atmosphere and into space, it's doors still open so troopers could continue to pepper the droids below. Tav continued to stare out of the gunship as the droids massed around the abandoned Republic vehicles. At that moment, the Turbo Tank, being battered from all sides by heavy laser fire, detonated. The immense shockwave knocked the flanking AT-TE's on their sides and the fireball was so massive that it came dangerously close to engulfing an accompanying gunship.
Breathing out a shaky sigh, Tav gripped the safety bar above his head as the gunship's doors slammed shut and the blast shields closed. He saw the disapproving look on Skywalker's face as he surveyed his padawan. Tav also looked at her and saw the sheer amount of guilt on her face.
He couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
…
A shorter chapter this time around, sorry about that.
Thank you for reading!
Any and all feedback/criticism is greatly appreciated!