Living in the Ashes - Part IV

Wolffe stood in the medbay of the Undaunted, watching his Jedi. Plo floated in a bacta tank, healing from the wounds that had nearly killed him. Wolffe's general had been more wounded than he'd let on during the long, agonizing trek from the ruined neighborhood to the spaceport where Wolffe had stolen them a ship. There would be scars, and a need for some prosthetics.

But his general was alive. And the thrice-damned chip was out of Wolffe's head.

"How's he doing?"

Wolffe didn't jump. But if he had, Appo was the kind of vod who wouldn't mention it.

"He's alive," Wolffe said. "He's healing."

"They're all alive," Appo agreed.

Wolffe spared a glance around the medbay. General Fisto floated in his own bacta tank nearby. He too would bear a scar from the wound that had nearly killed him. Several other occupied tanks, and unoccupied ones, filled this part of the bay. The Jedi taken everything from the Halls of Healing that hadn't been bolted down—and a few things that had been—when they'd fled the Temple.

Fox, Thire, and Stone had been incredibly well organized. Wolffe shook his head in wonder. The Corrie commanders had ensured that pilots and navigators and gunners from battalions on leave had all had their chips removed so there would crews to pilot the Venators they'd somehow liberated for the Jedi and dechipped vode to use. Almost as if Fox and his vode had known something like this might happen.

And then Fox, the karking bastard, had announced the entire Guard were staying on Coruscant. Every last one of them. When General Kenobi had tried to reason with Fox, the shabuir had told the general to worry about the Jedi; Fox and the Guard would run interference with the Senate and the Emperor. General Kenobi couldn't even argue, since apparently the Guards had been slipping out of the Temple after having their chips removed and there was no one left to order onto the ships.

Wolffe's eyes roamed farther afield. Vode were crammed into every available space, keeping still and quiet until they'd healed enough from their surgeries to make room for the next vod. Wolffe shook his head again. The Jedi hadn't wanted to leave any vod behind. Even knowing that any brother who still had a chip could turn on them in an instant.

Wolffe was so damn thankful it made his chest ache.

He already owed the Jedi so much, this was just one more debt he'd never be able repay. He hoped his Pack members were okay. He hoped they'd been told about the chips and had been able to get theirs removed. Guilt still ate at him for leaving Comet, Sinker, Boost and the rest behind on Cato Neimoidia.

Appo's hand came down on the back of his neck, a warm, grounding. "Easy, vod. Just breathe."

Wolffe nodded. Blinked back moisture. Slowed his breathing.

"Thanks, vod."

He leaned into Appo, just a quick press of foreheads.

"Heard from Kenobi?" Wolffe asked.

Appo shook his head. "We lost contact with his ship when we jumped. That thing was full of holes. Be a Force-blessed miracle if it holds together until the rendezvous."

"Di'kutla jetii," Wolffe muttered fondly. "Always gotta do things the hard way.

Gree ran.

As soon as he heard the order he'd been subconsciously dreading since second cycle training on Kamino, he dropped his fellow trooper with a stun bolt and ran. Didn't stop when General Yoda called after him. Gree leapt onto a speeder and took off into the forest.

Relaxing every mental shield he'd cultivated since Kamino and refined with General Unduli's help, Gree reached for his general and projected one word: Run!

Gree was as Force-deaf as the next vod, but he could feel his general when she reached back. She seemed to assess his situation, then she vanished from his limited perception of her. Gree nearly had a heart attack. He forced himself to keep heading for the makeshift medical camp where his general had been helping the wounded. He couldn't allow himself to acknowledge the thought that maybe his warning had come too late. That maybe she'd been killed.

He was nearing the camp when he felt the brush of General Unduli's mind against his again.

North.

He turned his speeder bike north and poured on the speed. Every so often he'd feel his general's instructions in his mind and he'd adjust his course accordingly. Gree's comm went off several times, but he ignored it. He couldn't afford to have that awful order repeated. He didn't know if he could disobey that order twice. When his comm went off for the umpteenth time, Gree pried it from his vambrace and tossed it into the surrounding trees.

Stop.

The general's command was abrupt, startling, and Gree wrestled to regain control of the bike before he crashed. He turned around and slowly cruised back the way he'd come.

Here.

Gree turned off the speeder and dismounted.

"Disarm yourself, commander." General Unduli's voice seemed to come from everywhere all at once.

Gree removed his pistols and tossed them into the underbrush. He'd left his blaster carbine back at the command center when he'd fled. Then he removed his bucket and placed it on the speeder's seat.

"I have no desire to hurt you, general," he called. "I just want to know you're alright."

"Our men, and those from the 501st, don't seem to share your concern, commnader."

His general stepped out of the undergrowth a few feet away from him.

"It's an order," Gree said, touching his head. "Something we were programed to do when we were very young. I can only remember it vaguely, but when Lord Sidious gave the order . . ."

"Lord Sidious?" General Unduli asked.

Gree gripped his head with both hands as pain flared. "I . . . can't remember . . . general. I just know . . . I'm supposed to follow . . . orders."

His general was there at his side, pressing warm fingers against his temples. "Do not tax yourself, commander. I would hate for you to force yourself into fulfilling the order, since you're currently fighting it so well."

Gree gave her a shaky smile. He could feel sweat beading on his brow, and it wasn't from the humidity.

"I'd hate that too, general."

"So, what do we do now?" she asked.

"We have to keep you away from other clones," Gree said. "We all have the same training. The same orders. We can't risk your life by contacting anyone but the Jedi."

General Unduli closed her eyes, a frown creasing her face. "Quin, Master Vos . . . he's injured, I think. Dying. I can't tell, his Force signature is fluctuating. And I can't feel Master Yoda at all."

"General Yoda was alive when I left him," Gree said.

"Perhaps he has fled back to Coruscant," the general said.

"It wouldn't be safe, general. All clones have been given the order to kill Jedi. The order says you're all traitors. I remember that much now." Gree frowned. "Maybe we could go back to Gumbaeki's village. Lie low for a bit."

"If Vos's Devaronian friend, Vilmarh Grahrk, is still around, perhaps I can use his comm to see if there's any chatter on the Jedi emergency frequency."

Gree nodded and walked to the speeder bike, pulling his bucket back on. "Would you care to drive, general, or shall I?"

General Unduli called Gree's pistols to her hand with the Force and held them out to him. "I would appreciate it if you would drive, Gree."

When Riot's shift was over, he and Raze headed back to the barracks together. They cleaned their armor, hit the showers, then headed for the mess.

Raze's stomach growled as they picked up their trays of food from the line.

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole nerf," Raze said as they found an open space at a table to sit at.

"You're always hungry," Riot said, digging into his food.

He made sure to slip a couple of protein cubes to Raze when he was distracted by a story another brother was relating.

After that, they headed back to the bunkroom they shared with twenty-eight other troopers. They had a couple of hours before lights out and Riot was restless. He tried to join a game of sabacc, but after losing three hands in a row, he excused himself. Riot wandered over to his locker and started changing into his greys.

He'd been thinking all day about the vagrant he and Raze had taken to the hospital. There had been a spark, almost an electric jolt, when the man had gripped Riot's wrist and held his gaze. The man's regard had been penetrating. It was like there was this little voice in the back of his head that kept telling him to go check on the vagrant. Finally, Riot couldn't ignore the urging any longer.

"Whatcha doin'?" Raze asked, leaning against the locker next to Riot's.

"I'm going to head over to Coruscant Med to check on the man we took in last night."

Raze furrowed his brow in surprise. "He was just some homeless man, vod. We did our duty."

Riot nodded, shrugging into his grey jacket and working the buttons closed. "I know, but . . . I don't know. What if he doesn't have anyone to take him somewhere safe."

"You gonna adopt him?" Raze grinned. "Clean him up, stick him in armor, and see if the Commander doesn't notice?"

"It's not like that," Riot said, shoving his friend. "I just . . . I want to check up on him. He was hurt pretty bad."

"And the doctors'll fix him up."

Riot sighed. "Wer'cuy, vod. It's not like I asked you to come with me."

He pulled on his boots and tucked the cap under his arm before shutting his locker.

"Hey," Raze said, gripping Riot's arm. "The Commander said we can't go out by ourselves. Let me get changed. I'll go with you."

Ten minutes later they stepped out of a cab and walked into the main entrance of Coruscant Med. Riot pulled his cap off and headed for a desk marked 'Information' and manned by a lovely Zeltron woman with dark blue hair and crimson skin.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Riot said. "My partner and I brought an injured man in last night. He appeared to be homeless. Dark skin, bald, looked like he'd been badly beaten."

"Yes?" the woman asked.

"I wanted to check up on him," Riot explained. "Make sure he was recovering."

"Are you . . . family?" she inquired, looking between him and Raze.

"Uh, no. But we're with the Coruscant Guard. I wanted to follow up with the man."

"Maybe see if he can give us a statement on who attacked him," Raze threw in helpfully. "In case he wants to file charges against anyone

"I'm sorry," the Zeltron woman said. "If you're not family—"

"It's alright, Melina," a man's voice said.

Riot turned to see the doctor, Vondar, that had performed the surgery to remove his biochip.

"I'll take care of these gentlemen," Doctor Vondar said. He put a hand on Riot's and Raze's shoulders.

"Of course, doctor," the Zeltron woman said.

"Come with me," Doctor Vondar said, steering Riot and Raze with the hands on their shoulders.

After a few strides, the doctor dropped his hands and walked them back to a set of turbolifts then pressed the call button.

"Here to see the man you brought in?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, sir," Riot said.

The doctor smiled at them. "Call me Jos. I'm off duty. I was just heading out to see Zan, Doctor Yant, perform at a club. The two of you should come along after you check on your patient."

"Thank you, Doctor, er, Jos," Riot said. "But we need to report back to the base. We're just making a quick stop."

The turbolift arrived and they all stepped in.

"I understand," Jos said. "Maybe another time, then."

The doctor escorted them to a room on the twelfth floor in the ICU, telling the nurse at the duty station that they weren't to be disturbed until they'd finished questioning the patient.

"I hope to see you gentlemen around," Jos said, tipping them a cheeky two finger salute as he left, closing the door behind him.

"That was . . . unexpected," Raze said.

Riot agreed. Nat-borns didn't seem to like clones, or just tended to ignore them. To find someone so helpful was refreshing. Of course the Jedi healer, Vokara Che, had referred them to Doctor Vondar, so it stood to reason that the doctor would be a good person.

Riot turned toward the bed and froze, a shock going up his spine. The vagrant was sitting up, watching them.

Raze turned and stiffened too, uttering a soft, "Kriff."

The man in the bed had a bandage wrapped around the left side of his face. From under the bandage, scars wormed their way down his cheek and throat, disappearing into the neck of his hospital gown. The man's remaining eye was focused on them with blazing intensity.

"Good," he said. "I wasn't sure I'd been able to influence you to return."

Something in Riot's head clicked into place, and suddenly he knew the man before him, though he'd only see him in passing.

"General Windu," Riot said.

Raze turned to him, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "Really?"

The general threw back the sheet and swung his legs off the bed. "I need to get to the Jedi Temple. You two are going to help me."

"Yes, sir," Riot said. "But, general . . . the Jedi are gone."

General Windu paused, halfway out of the bed. His face had gone pale "What do you mean, gone?"

"They left. Earlier today. The Chancellor—"

"Is a Sith lord," General Windu said. He stood and swayed a little.

Riot went to the Jedi's side and put a supporting hand under his elbow. "I don't know about that sir, but the Chancellor's declared himself Emperor and branded the Jedi as traitors to the Empire."

"Oh, Force," the general whispered and sank back to sit on the bed. "Anakin? General Skywalker? He was with the Chancellor when I fell."

"General Skywalker was taken by the mand'alor," Raze said, coming to stand at the general's other side.

General Windu stared at him incredulously. Then he shook himself and stood again. "I need to get to the Temple."

Raze was sent to find the general something to wear other than the hospital gown. Riot filled the general in on the Chancellor's take over of the Republic and reorganizing it as the Empire. He told the general about the march on the Jedi Temple by the 501st and General Skywalker, and the mand'alor appearing and revealing the existence of the inhibitor chips.

"And the Jedi just left the Temple?" General Windu asked.

"They didn't have a choice," Riot said. "The Chancellor, I mean Emperor, declared them traitors to the Empire. If they'd stayed on Coruscant, they were too vulnerable to capture or something worse."

Raze returned then with a bundle of clothing.

"S'all I could find," Raze said, handing them over.

The pants and shirt were a little short in the legs and sleeves, but seemed to fit okay otherwise. The shoes didn't look like they fit, but General Windu didn't complain. It would have to do. Within minutes they were walking out of the ward; Riot on one side of the general, and Raze on the other to support him. Riot held his breath as a Gotal nurse approached them as they stood waiting for a turbolift. The general made a gesture with his good hand, and the Gotal just nodded pleasantly to them. When the turbolift arrived, they all stepped inside.

"Have a good evening, doctors," the Gotal said when he exited three floors later.

Doctors? Raze mouthed at Riot.

Force osik, Riot mouthed back.

"I can hear you," General Windu said, a hint of humor in his voice.

"We didn't say anything, general," Raze said, grinning.

"Call me Mace," the general said tiredly, slumping a little in their grips. "Or Master Windu. I'm not a general anymore."

"Yes, Master Windu," Riot said.

"Yes, sir," Raze said.

The turbolift let them out in the lobby. It seemed like an interminable walk from the lift to the doors, and the gen . . . er, Master Wundu seemed to get weaker with each step.

"You two wait here," Raze said, gesturing to a bench outside the hospital. "I'll get us a cab."

Master Windu tried to protest, but Riot guided him down to sit, and the Jedi just slumped against Riot's side.

"You should still be in bacta, sir," Riot said.

"Couldn' wait," the Jedi slurred. "Have news . . . for th'Council."

Riot touched the comm in his pocket. It had stopped working near the end of his shift, and he and Raze had reported to Commander Stone to get new authorization codes. He didn't think it would be a good idea for Master Windu to try to reach the Jedi by comm.

"We should contact Commander Fox," Riot said. "Or Commander Stone. I'm sure they could get a secured message to the Jedi Council for you, sir."

Mace just shook his head. "Need to get to . . . th'Temple."

A high-pitched whistle split the air and Riot scanned the crowd. Raze was waving to him from a cab. Riot stood and lifted Master Windu into his arms then headed for the cab. The Jedi didn't even protest. Raze slid into the cab first and helped Riot get Mace into the cab before Riot settled himself.

"Where to?" the cabbie asked.

"The Temple District, please," Riot said.

"Can't take you to the Jedi Temple," the cabbie said, pulling out into traffic. "It's on lockdown. No one in or out by order of the Emperor."

"We're not going to the Temple," Raze said. "Obviously. We just promised this guy's wife we'd get him home after his latest treatment." He jerked a thumb at Mace.

"Oh?" the cabbie said. "I didn't know clones were social workers now."

"When you end up in the drunk tank as much as this guy, we get to know your face," Riot spun the next part of the tale. "His poor wife has to bail him out at least once a tenday. She's started bringing us sweets when she shows up to take him home."

"Sounds like a good woman," the cabbie said. "The bastard doesn't deserve her."

They fell quiet after that and made the rest of the ride in silence. The cabbie waved them off when Riot told him to bill the Empire for the fare.

"You're good boys, seeing him home," the cabbie said. "Ride's free, on account of his poor wife."

Riot and Raze thanked the man, and he drove off.

"So, where does my long-suffering, baker wife life?" Mace asked from where he rested in Riot's arms.

"Oh, you know, sir. She's in that big building up the way." Riot nodded to where the Jedi Temple was glowing against the night sky.

"I thought you were asleep, sir," Raze said, as they started walking.

"Just a light healing trance," Mace said. "I probably should have stayed in the bacta tank a little longer."

"It's good of you to admit that, sir," Riot said, grinning. "Too bad there's not a medic here to make note of your admission."

Master Windu directed them through the back alleys of the Temple District. Even this close to the Jedi Temple, the glitzy neighborhoods had their darker spots. Riot was sure Mace was deflecting any interest that came their way with some Force osik. There were too many rough types who just turned away from their small group for it to be anything else. As they approached the base of the Temple, a growing feeling of unease settled over Riot. He wanted to turn away, to go anywhere except closer to the ziggurat ahead of them.

"General . . . Master Windu, sir," Raze said quietly. "I don't think we're supposed to be here."

"Good," Mace said. "Means the Force suggestion is still working. I wasn't sure it would if the Jedi were gone."

Riot and Raze shared a look.

"Force suggestion?" Riot asked.

"We defend our home with more than just blast doors and security holocams," Mace said. "Over the generations, the Force has soaked into the stones of the Temple and the Jedi can use it for protection as much as any lightsaber. Let me try something."

Mace stretched out his hand toward the Temple. Gradually feeling of unease that had been growing in Riot lessened and he was able to breathe easier.

"Thank you, sir, for whatever you did," Raze said.

Mace settled back in Riot's arms with a grunt of acknowledgement. The Jedi seemed too light in Riot's grasp and he was about ready to turn around and head back to Coruscant Med. Mace should be in a bacta tank healing, not being carried through the streets of Coruscant, expending energy he clearly didn't have. Five more minutes, and then he'd have Raze run back to the edge of the district and see if he could hail a cab to take them back to the hospital.

As they reached the base of the Temple, Mace tapped Riot on his shoulder. "I can walk from here, soldier."

"It's no trouble, sir," Riot said, readjusting the Jedi in his arms. "Where do we go now?"

"You're right where you should be," a voice said.

A portion of the wall slid back revealing two men in Jedi robes and third figure in white and tan robes with a white and gold mask over his face.

"Master Drallig, Master Jurokk, Captain Ree, it's good to see you," Mace said.

"It's good to see you as well, Master Windu," Master Jurokk said. "We feared the worst."

Mace smiled. "I'm not that easy to kill. I was told the Jedi had fled the temple."

"The Jedi as an order are gone," Master Drallig said. "But we thought it best not to leave our home defenseless. Much of the Archives and Armory are still here, given the short amount of time we had to prepare to leave. The Council thought it best not to let these things fall into the wrong hands."

"I hate to break up the reunion," Riot interjected. "But Master Windu could use a bacta tank."

"Of course," Master Drallig said waving them into the Temple. "We can talk more once Master Windu is recovered."

Notes:

What are these canons and legends you speak of? I only see fodder for story.

A thought: Part of Order 66 states "after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will . . ." blah, blah, blah."

I headcanon that all the clones have a training on Kamino where they see and hear the Chancellor, as Lord Sidious, and receive the contingency orders. But it's kind of a subliminal thing so they don't consciously remember it after the training session is over but may still experience echoes of it in their dreams.

Thus, when Palpatine appears to the clone commanders/troopers by holotransmission, that is their verification that the order comes directly from him. So that's the training that Gree is referring to.

Mando'a:

Shabuir - asshole

Di'kutla jetii - idiotic Jedi

Wer'cuy - forget it