Hey guys it's able, life and work can throw some wrenches here and there so dunno when the next chapter will be ready. No rest for the wicked :)
Stay safe out there.
Arantara's Stratosphere.
19:30 Hours.
Fifty-thousand feet.
At this height, Asher and his team would be breathing pure oxygen so they wouldn't black out during free fall.
The tube connected to his helmet fed him the oxygen, and the men did their last second pre combat checks.
This high up, the droid radar would detect nothing. They'd fall too fast and had too little metal to ping, to his knowledge such an insertion existed in the GAR doctrine but hadn't been done outside of training.
After all the war just started.
Normally the Commandoes or ARC troopers would do this, but when Mace Windu ordered Asher to create a capable fighting force he'd done so in excess of the requirements.
As such, the Airborne specialization had been earned by every man under Asher's command.
Asher took a deep gulp of pure oxygen, and the men did their last second pre-combat checks.
Blaster power packs were checked, grenade launchers were reloaded. The one man with a rocket launcher prepped his ordnance and shouldered it.
Asher had ditched his aid bag, kama and pauldron. Trading it for a chest harness that held pouches for grenades both flash and thermal. The rest of the men had a mix including breaching charges.
Asher had affixed his macrobinoculars for night vision, as had the rest of them. The squads had attached IR lasers to their weapons as well.
The red light on the back of their helmet crests glowed like small stars under the night vision's gaze, satisfied he pushed it back with a click.
Jace checked his aid bag, he'd be the only true blue medic on this drop with Asher's squad. He'd been quiet since earlier, had barely said a word as they prepped their gear before the flight. But The Medic Captain knew his head was in the game.
Sergeant Kidd took a knee at Jace's bag, eying it carefully as a second opinion. He'd be the medic for the second strike team.
The newcomer, Sergeant Trace was in charge of the second team, they'd be going for the Core ship designated "Bravo" while Asher and his team took care of "Alpha".
Asher tapped Jace's shoulder who turned to be checked by his Captain. His hands pulling at loose straps and making sure the harness was snug. Asher gave a thumbs up and Jace moved to do the same, putting hands onto Asher's parachute harness.
Jace gave a nod and the two clones fist bumped.
The plan was simple, insert via HALO jump, hopefully land altogether on the core ship. Breach the inside quietly and set charges on the reactors, from there they'd do the same on the second and then scrap the droid factory.
If they were lucky they'd get out before the clankers knew what hit them.
"Give me an up when you're set." He said into the comm.
Each man gave a thumbs up starting with Jace, Asher nodded in affirmation.
"Two minutes until drop." Showtime's co-pilot, Will, announced.
Will was the more level headed of the two by far, he'd gotten his name because he kept a written will on him after knowing he'd be in the cockpit with Showtime.
As such, his higher level of professionalism was needed for tonight. None of the strike teams could tolerate Showtime right now.
The bay lights dimmed and turned to red which flashed three times. They were nearly over the drop zone.
Asher stood at the apex of the rear ramp, slapped his armored thighs and brought his hands upward like an overzealous priest.
The men lined up, two up front and four deep with Jace at the head right behind Asher.
The rear ramp lowered and the air rushed out of the gunship all at once. The roar and whipping of the wind hitting them all with the force of a punch. Just over the horizon the sun dipped low in a shallow crest of light that glinted off his visor.
Asher set the countdown on his HUD to ten seconds, the timer being synced to their helmets.
Nine seconds.
Maker it was cold, he shivered but steadied himself.
Eight seconds.
He took a breath through his nose, trying to calm his racing heart.
Seven seconds.
He cracked his knuckles.
Six seconds.
He muttered a prayer, not to any god, but for his fallen brothers to watch over him.
Five.
Four.
Three.
He lowered his posture, a lazy runner's pose.
Two.
One.
He ran off the ramp into the free fall.
Reha checked the wounded clone, he wasn't a priority like the rest had been and was only awaiting on his ride back to one of the ships.
"Here you go Sergeant, Papa Palpatine's finest packed lunch." She joked holding a pack of ration cubes.
"Ah thanks ma'am, my favorite." He muttered, grabbing a cube and chewing it.
"Let me know if you need anything." She smiled, resting a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about me ma'am," He smiled gratefully, taking a swig of water.
She stood and moved to her master who watched the stars with a keen eye.
"Is everything alright master?" She asked.
Rig Nema turned to her pupil, hands folded behind her back.
"My dear Padawan, all is as well as it can be, though I feel like we should be with our Captain."
"Do you think Asher can do it?" She asked.
"Young one if it is the Will of the Force then he shall."
Reha stood next to her teacher and eyed the night sky.
"It's beautiful." She whispered.
"Indeed it is." Master Nema smiled.
Rig Nema gently placed her hands on Reha's shoulders.
"You should get some sleep young one, you don't know when you'll get any next."
"I mean no disrespect master but, as long as you're up, I'm up."
Her master smiled, and only nodded.
"I think I will watch the stars for a bit longer, then I will try to retire."
Kincaid walked up.
"General, commander?" He asked.
"Yes Lieutenant." General Nema asked.
"All quiet for now, I suggest you both rest before-"
Distant booms froze Kincaid.
"Kriff." He whispered.
"What is it?" General Nema asked.
"Incoming!" Kincaid cried.
The Clone Lieutenant dove on top of a casualty while the other medics did the same.
Both Jedi jumped onto the sand, covering their heads.
The shrill whistle of the shells screamed above before slamming straight down.
Artillery slammed into their position kicking up sand and rocks, unlike earlier that day it was right on top of them.
It didn't seem to end, a crescendo of indirect fire that shook the ground, Reha grit her teeth as the noise ripped at her hearing.
When it finally did, all she could hear was ringing.
Her master was in her dazed gaze now, she couldn't hear what she was saying. Master Nema's hands went all over Reha's body checking for wounds.
As the Jedi Padawan's hearing slowly trudged back into focus she could only hear one word being yelled all around her.
"Medic!"
Asher opened his chute at around eight hundred feet. Upon the canopy's opening his body was jerked upright and he winced at the sudden change of posture.
The past fifty thousand feet had been a rush he couldn't describe, and as he steadily fluttered to the ground he took some grateful breaths.
He slid his macros over his visor and saw his target quickly approaching.
The Separatists had spooled up their deflector shields as soon as the Republic entered the atmosphere. They could orbital bombard it yes but it would take time they couldn't spare.
The Clone's body buzzed with static as he passed through the shields, the core ship just beneath him.
His feet planted on the hull and he fell as he'd been instructed long ago.
Plasteel thumped against metal as he squirmed out of his harness.
Sluggishly he stood, ripping off the adapter and hose that connected the oxygen tank to his helmet. The respirator system clattering to the ground.
The rest of his men joined him shortly after, falling to the ground in heaps with grunts and curses.
"That… was awesome." Jace muttered taking a knee.
Asher chuckled lightly and pulled his chute, piling it as neatly as speed allowed.
He adjusted the zoom on his macros, the whole compound and droid factory was abuzz with movement. The clankers were none the wiser to their presence.
Tanks lined up in formation, droids taxied out in fresh ranks out of the factory.
The 501st and his men could manage what was coming now. But if the onslaught persisted? Numbers beat skill eventually, they'd go black on ammo and fighting a droid hand to hand was… Ill advised at best.
"Everybody good? He asked.
"I'm up." Was prattled off one after another.
"All up sir." Jace reported.
Asher knelt and radioed Trace.
"Sword-two this is Archangel-five how me over?"
"Archangel-five this is Sword-two I read you Lima Charlie over."
"Roger Sword-two, Charlie Mike with objective. Stay safe vod, Archangel out."
Asher stood, he could see the IR lights attached to the second strike team across the landing area.
"On me gentlemen, let's turn this place into a scrap pile."
The top of the core ships were dotted with towers that contained living quarters for the Neimoidians and as such, Asher had briefed his men to expect wet targets rather than metal. The stupidity of the droids would be out the window against organics.
They had landed on the apex of one of the towers, a catwalk beneath them that would lead into the living quarters.
The strike team attached their magnetic cables and rappelled down slowly. Minimizing noise was a pain in the shebs when your boots slammed against metal but it was clear security was lax this high up.
The Medic Captain was first on the ground, carbine up, all was quiet as the rest of the men gently stepped down.
"Door." He whispered into the comm.
He moved forward, his steps light until he reached the apex of it.
"Cord, slice it." Asher ordered.
"Sir." Was reported back.
Cord was Dice's best from his pool of slicers, no door too tough to crack.
"ETA until unlocked, two minutes." Cord said inserting a cable into the panel.
"Stack up." Asher ordered taking the head of the breaching squad.
Jace came behind him, two more taking their spots in the four man stack. The rest of the squad moved to pull security, weapons at the high ready.
"Thirty seconds." Cord reported.
Asher reached back with a free hand and squeezed Jace's thigh a gesture repeated all the way down the line and sent back forward, Jace giving Asher's shoulder a rough shake.
They were ready.
"Ten seconds."
Asher pumped his fist twice and the door whooshed open.
He moved in, checking his corner as they advanced through the fatal funnel. Jace canting the opposite direction and checking his own corner.
They took the room and there wasn't a soul inside.
"Hallway clear." Jace announced.
Cord came in, datapad in hand.
"Got a detailed map of the place, should give all the ins and outs. And a work roster, there's a maintenance crew on night shift here."
Asher only smirked.
"Let's move." The Captain said, the rest of the team moving inside.
It was like walking on eggshells, moving down the halls, carefully slicing every corner. They couldn't be too careful doing this, just because the organics were mostly gone didn't mean the droids didn't patrol.
"Control room is a few levels down, maintenance shaft can take us there."
When Asher peeked the corner he saw two Neimoidian soldiers, backs to them as they tapped away at a maintenance console.
His fist went up immediately and the men froze.
Two fingers and a cutthroat motion and Jace drew his knife.
Asher did the same, and they both stalked up to the unsuspecting Seperatists.
They chattered in their native language, oblivious to the Clones creeping in.
Asher pointed to the one on the left and then himself.
Jace nodded and gave a thumbs up, moving to the right.
The Clone kicked the Neimodian behind the knee, bringing him downward. Asher clamped a hand over the alien's mouth and jammed the blade at the base of his skull, severing his brain stem.
Jace had done similar but his knife found purchase in the side of his foe's skull.
They both lowered the Neimoidians to the ground, wiping the blades on their uniforms.
Killing an organic was… different to say the least. Dropping droids was child's play but this? It felt… odd.
"Think anybody will miss them?" Asher asked as Cord walked up.
"Negative sir, they're the midnight to two shift, won't have relief sniffing about until then."
Two hour window before suspicion? Good as gold.
"Get the shaft open, we'll hide the bodies in there."
Cord unlocked it easily with a keycard on one of the Neimoidian's belts.
The darkness of the metal tunnel was foreboding, the hiss of pressurized gases and the whirr of machinery beckoned them in.
"Get those frogs in here and let's get this done." He said.
Reha couldn't breath, choking on dust kicked up from the artillery barrage. Distant metallic lumbering came from beyond their position to the rear.
She'd heard talk of the 181st Armor Division coming, the 501st hadn't come down with heavy armor.
It gave a spark of hope as she tightened a tourniquet on a bleeding stump. The Clone she was doing it to was whimpering, desperately trying not to scream.
As the intervention cut off blood flow he let loose a shout and a string of curses.
"I've got you! You're okay! Don't look at it!" She soothed.
The bleeding at the stump stopped and Commander Sul thanked the Force it had.
"I need a litter over here!" She shouted.
"I've got you!" Came the reply, she didn't know who said it.
The Clone beneath her gasped and his groans and whimpers tore at her soul.
A gloved hand desperately grabbed her forearm.
"I'm done for aren't I? I'm going to die!" He cried.
"No no no trooper you're okay!" She encouraged, "Keep your eyes open, can you tell me your name?"
He took some shuddering breathes, her hand going to his neck.
"My name… my my…" He sobbed, "Oh maker it hurts! Give me something please!"
"I'm sorry I don't have anything…" She admitted.
He gave a defeated cry, his arms moving wantonly as he sobbed. He couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Trooper please, tell me your name, don't think about it."
It took him a second to collect himself, his writhing and the noises he made left just enough strength to say it.
"It's Gage… my name is Gage." He whimpered, his cries echoing through his helmet.
"Gage? That's a good name." She laughed despite her racing heart.
"It hurts ma'am oh maker it hurts!"
"I know I know, listen to me, I'm going to get you out of here."
His head sagged back into the dirt, his breathing a ragged gurgle as he cried.
Reha had to do something.
She closed her eyes, screaming all around her as she focused. It was a mass casualty event like they'd drilled over and over but this wasn't like the simulations at all. Her muscles screamed in protest, her breathing was shallow and filled with exhaustion, her shoulders sagged and her hands shook with adrenaline.
Sweat coated her from head to toe and despite being surrounded by friendlies she felt desperately alone.
"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." She whispered, finding herself in the endless flow of the universe.
She didn't have painkillers for him, only a medical belt. But she did have the Force and for this it would be enough.
She found the emotions coursing through him, the agonizing pain that coursed through his being and slowly ebbed it away with the Force. Her people's ability to influence what other's felt enhanced with what she'd learned.
Reha felt his pain, the sensation of a ruined leg almost breaking her concentration. A stray tear coursed down her face but she took a shuddering breath and grounded herself.
Slowly his crying gave way to soft breathing. His pain was gone, at least for now.
"You still with me Gage?" She asked through grit teeth.
"Yes… ma'am… w-what was that?"
She pressed her lips together firmly and kept up her efforts.
The sharp jet of pain lingered but she bore it for him. She couldn't stand to hear him cry. It was almost too much, the worst thing she'd ever felt. She wanted to scream her throat raw, to vomit, to cry out for her master as she bore his pain for him.
"Relax Gage," She grit her teeth,"Someone's coming."
Heavy boots thundered ever closer as Nero jogged up.
"I got you brother." He announced jabbing a hypo into the man's neck.
Gage sighed as the drugs attacked the stimuli of pain immediately and Reha breathed deep as the agony she'd taken for him ebbed away into the exhaustion she'd be fighting all night.
"How does that feel?" Nero asked.
"I-I-It feels good." Gage stammered, "My leg… my leg."
"It's gonna be okay ner vod, we're gonna get you out of here okay? The pain is gone."
Nero splayed out the litter and made it rigid, he used the quick release and the troopers armor slid off him easily, leaving him in his body glove.
Nero tore the helmet off and Gage's pained face was something Reha would never forget.
The Witch Doctor Platoon's medic got as close to the man as possible, his knees brushing his casualty's sides.
"Ma'am? You alright? I need you to get the litter under him when I roll him."
She snapped out of it, shaking her head.
"Yes of course." She said, grabbing the litter.
Nero rolled Gage onto his thighs and Reha set the litter beneath the wounded clone.
The Clone medic gently rolled the man onto the litter and strapped him in.
"You still with us vod?" He asked.
"I'm still here." Came Gage's slurred reply.
Nero nodded and moved to the head.
"Ma'am get his feet."
Reha moved to position, grabbing the handles and squatting low.
"Prepare to lift! Lift!" Nero shouted.
They rose and jogged to the CCP.
All around them Clone medics treated casualties. Asher's medical platoon on the line, Witch Doctor, had personnel all over. Tourniquets were applied, syringes of drugs jammed before they were discarded. Screaming and sobbing egging them forward.
A pair of medics attempted to lift their charge, burns lining his casualty's body, plasteel armor melted onto his skin.
As soon as the man at the legs grabbed their brother's ankles the skin peeled off like meat fresh off the spit.
The screaming only got louder.
"Kriff!" The medic shouted, ruined flesh coating his hands.
"We need a litter!" One of them roared.
"Two mikes I got you!" Nero shouted, "Keep him stable!"
The CCP never felt so far away.
As they neared, Reha saw bodies lining the ground, some alive, but off to the side and out of sight of the patients was the collection point for the dead.
A dozen tarp covered bodies lined the sand.
She hoped for them it had been painless toward the end.
"Got another one!" Nero announced.
Cutter was the gatekeeper for the CCP, the mass casualty event had bogged everything down.
The First Sergeant eyed Gage from head to his remaining toes.
"Urgent, get him in." He commanded.
Reha nodded and they moved deeper into the CCP.
In the low light, Kincaid had popped chemlights for every category of patient. Red for urgent, yellow for delayed and green for minimal.
Off to the side and unmarked save for a single orange chemlight was the expectant area.
She hated that spot and that category.
Hate was against the Jedi code but her disgust with the expectant triage category was something she couldn't shake.
Troopers with wounds too great to treat left to die. Their brothers comforting them into the afterlife.
"Over here!" Kincaid called.
Reha and Nero moved and set him down.
"Break break break! I have a nine line MEDEVAC request."
"Roger Shaman Main, send it over."
Reha lowered Gage and knelt, checking the tourniquet, the bleeding had been stopped.
"Gage, you still here?" She asked.
Silence.
"Gage?"
She shook him, hands going to his collar bones before they went to his neck, searching for the carotid pulse.
It was there.
"Ma'am..?" Came the soft response as his eyes fluttered open.
"You still with me trooper?" She asked.
His eyes were glassed over and hazy, but the look he gave was steadfast and strong.
"To the end ma'am." He responded.
She nodded and gave a shaky smile.
"I have to go trooper, but you hold on okay?" She commanded, "That's an order."
Gage's laugh was laced with the euphoria of combat painkillers.
"Yes ma'am."
She gave his shoulder a squeeze and ran out into the night to find the last casualty on her mind, the one coated with burns.
If she had to, she'd bear his pain too.
She just hoped that Asher succeeded so that nights like this could end.
The strike team moved down the shaft, crawling where they needed to, scaling down ladders with the same amount of caution.
"How much further Cord?" Asher asked.
"It's a big place sir, but we're almost there." The tech clone announced with a glance at his datapad.
Asher sighed, this was only the first ship.
"Left here." Cord announced.
Asher cut left, at the end of the cramped hallway was a dead end but he could see the entrance panel.
"Cord get that camera up here." Asher commanded.
Cord squeezed past Jace and withdrew a snake camera. He gently peeked the panel and ran the cam through.
The tiny camera's console booted up and Cord looked left and right.
"Clear." He said.
Asher nodded as Cord cleared the way, the Medic Captain gently pushing the panel off the wall and setting it down.
He pulled security on the hallway, carbine up as the rest of the strike team exited. The last man hefted the panel and clicked it back onto the wall.
"Control room is down the hall to the right."
"Let's move."
They reached the apex of the door, and Cord knelt at the door console.
"Got cameras on the other side, Neimoidians, minimal crew."
"How many hostiles?" Asher asked.
"Four."
"Fangs out gentlemen." Asher commanded, drawing his knife.
Three others, Jace included did the same.
"Door opens, flash it, use the blades to keep it quiet."
"Sir." Came the chorus of replies.
Asher drew his pistol in conjunction with his knife. One man pulled the pin on a flash grenade and held the safety.
"Ten seconds." Cord announced.
The door slid open and the flash was tossed in. The blinding light stunned the Neimoidians as they cried out in confusion, the Clone's advanced swiftly as the targets tried in vain to cover their eyes.
It was like time moved slower, every step he took to advance felt heavy, limbs filled with lead. His heart rate thundered in his ears as his vision focused entirely on his target.
The galaxy came back into focus as he tackled his foe.
The Neimoidian gasped as the air was knocked out of him by the clone, the blade entering his throat as the Medic Captain clamped a hand over his mouth.
Feebly the alien pawed at his armor until he grew still with a muffled gurgle.
"Clear." Asher announced.
Each of the three that breached with him repeated the same.
Cord shut the door and locked it and moved to the control console.
"Sword-two this is Archangel-five, HVT Alpha is set over."
Silence was the answer until it beeped.
"Archangel-five, Sword-two, just cleared the control room of frogs. Setting it to overload now over."
"Roger that Sword-two, meet at rendezvous in five mikes over."
"Roger that Archangel-five, Sword-two out."
Finally it was calm.
Reha was exhausted, muscles and joints aching as she threw back four tablets of painkillers. They'd packaged the casualties as best they could, and the air MEDEVAC had gotten Gage.
She'd never been this tired in her life, not during training, not after hours of lightsaber drills, not after hours of medical classes.
Her forearms screamed with every flex of her fingers, her back and shoulders aching from carrying wounded men.
The burnt clone from earlier died just as he was flown out, and she could feel the defeat in the medics that had treated him. The pair sat off to the side, visors staring blankly at the sand.
She wanted to comfort them, but remembered the hard lesson that Asher had imparted to Jace and refrained.
Kincaid plopped down against a rock wall, ripping off his helmet as he panted. He pulled his canteen and poured some on his head and drank greedily.
"Lieutenant?" She asked, walking to him.
"Ma'am." He moved to stand.
"Sit, just sit." She ordered tiredly.
Reluctantly he relaxed.
"When's the last time you got some sleep?"
He shook his head and shrugged.
"Not since yesterday night."
"Get some sleep." Reha said, kneeling next to him.
"No no, if they're up I'm up." He said, eyes darting to his medics.
"Kincaid, you're coming undone and you need to rest." She stated.
"No no I don't." He affirmed.
He pulled a packet that rattled from his belt, uncapped it and poured himself a single bright yellow pill.
The clone downed it dry before she could protest.
"What was that?" She asked, brow knit with confusion.
"Caffeine pill, better than caff and twice as strong."
"That stuff is awful for you."
Again he shrugged, his pupils dilating as the caffeine rush hit.
"It is I'll admit but it's the only thing keeping me standing right now."
Reha couldn't judge that, her eyelids were heavy, sleep beckoned but she couldn't do it now, not after the artillery.
"Can I have one?" She asked without thinking.
He blinked at her, nodded and poured one into her hand which she chased with water.
Her stomach was empty, and it hit almost immediately, suddenly Reha Sul felt alive again. Her heart beat fast in her chest and her fingers began to twitch with the sudden rush of energy.
Rig Nema strode into view, her master didn't look tired at all.
"Padawan, I see you're picking up a nasty habit." She teased, holding a steaming canteen cup.
"I uh… I'm sorry master." Reha sighed.
"Don't be my Padawan, this cup is full of caff." She smiled.
Kincaid chuckled dryly.
"You did wonderfully Lieutenant, Captain Asher chose well." She intoned to the Clone.
"Thank you ma'am, glad I am matching his trust." He smiled warmly.
"I heard that you and the rest of the higher ranks are all survivors that he rescued." She stated, sitting next the Clone.
Kincaid's smile faltered at the mention of the past.
"Yes ma'am he was just a Private then, our line medic. Not in my platoon though no, his was wiped out and by that day he was the only medic still standing."
"Bravo company correct?" She asked.
"The Battered Nine of Bravo." He scoffed, "That's what some of the new blood call us, but it would be zero if it wasn't for Asher."
Both Jedi listened as the Clone began his tale.
"I was wounded, shots lining my chest and he got me treated, all eight of us that are in charge now were down hard. When we got overrun Captain Asher defended us, killed a Geonosian with a rock of all things. They're the ones that gave him that beauty mark he's got." Kincaid sighed as he traced the pattern of Asher's scar with a finger.
"They hurt him bad, blood was leaking out of his helmet, and he was set to go out and fight them off for as long as possible."
Master Nema nodded and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I am sure you and the rest of the men trust him greatly."
"No hesitation ma'am, I owe him my life."
Reha glanced toward the droid line, where the factories and core ships sat.
"Do you think he can get this done? The factory and the ships I mean?" She asked.
Kincaid chuckled.
"Respectfully ma'am, it's not a matter of if, only when."
With that, the clone stood.
"I'm going to check on my men."
He strode off, leaving the Jedi to their thoughts.
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