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"The Clone Wars began to enter an unprecedented stalemate after the last events occurred. With the victory on Teth, and the aid of Jabba the Hutt, the Republic regained some of its dominance with access to the routes controlled by the Hutt syndicate, which gave us some relief amidst all the fighting occurring in the confines of the Outer Rim. But even with the turnaround, Dookan was still persistent in gaining the loyalty of several planets sworn to the Republic. After three major conflicts for the Republic and the Separatists, the war completely changed the level of play for both sides. Now it no longer mattered who had the biggest army, and fought to gain planets. The main focus of both began to be based on tactics and strategy, the main objective of which was to gain the loyalty of neutral planets that could be of great importance in the fights that would follow. The greatest minds in our army, among them several Jedi, made it their main mission to gain the loyalty of the planets, competing with Count Dookan, and using various resources and means of negotiation, where any wrong choice resulted in threats of invasion from the Separatists. We could not be too careful. We began to put our trust in several strategists, who gradually managed to win the loyalty of several planets that had certain doubts about who to ally with. In other words, a new chess game had begun between the Republic and the Separatists, where the neutral planets were the vital pieces of the game, ready to be taken at any time. Always visible, in an ambiguous loyalty, between both sides. A while ago, the Republic discovered several rumors of a mysterious Separatist weapon that left no survivors, and in this, I was dispatched alongside Jedi master Plo Koon to the Abregado system, to investigate. What I could not imagine was that all this investigation would result in a fight worse than I had ever seen, where I could see even more of the efforts to destroy the Republic, and which put all my skills to the test. A test of fire above anything I had ever faced before..."
The cruisers were approaching the Abregado system, full power to the engines. Three cruisers, with several officers on the ships monitoring every movement, every remnant, every sense through the system. The rumors about this weapon were growing, minute by minute, and I wondered what advantage Dookan might have over us. We faced several battles in the name of security and order, but still, several planets were suffering various sieges amidst the struggle for planetary loyalty. Many in the Outer Rim were being subjugated to brutal occupations, while the Republic faced several battles that lasted months, with the armies suffering a stalemate with each passing day. Many clones were succumbing in battle, while I stood somewhat fearfully in the midst of recent events. The last few days had me somewhat in doubt about right and wrong. Having a lightsaber placed in front of you made your life flash by like a flash, wondering if it had all been for nothing. Ventress seemed to have put some doubt in my mind about the recent conflicts. Both sides want to believe they are right. For everyone, there were heroes between the Republic and the Separatists. But deep down, what I needed to know was which side I would be on in the future. Because with each passing minute, the morality of several was diminishing, with each moment of the war. But why was I considering the words of someone working with Dookan in my mind? I think it's because deep down, the doubt was about actions in the war. I look around, and I keep seeing newcomers. I look at myself, and I see more than a clone. A person. All my training has led to this conflict. But what do I do when the losses pile up, battle by battle? In Teth, I began to try to hold on to the answer that I so desperately want to follow: Hope. My hope, in doing the right thing, will motivate me to do whatever it takes to ensure that I can make a difference, both on the fields and off.
The thought that goes through a soldier's head a lot are the traumas that he lives with. The feeling of loss can never be erased just by fighting after fighting, because even if we tell many that we are moving on, deep down what we feel most is the pain of a death closer than anything we can imagine. Sometimes what I tell myself is that I have to live one day at a time, always visualizing my efforts to defeat the enemy. But many believed themselves to be the heroes of both the Republic and the Separatists in the midst of such battles. My main thought as we entered the Abregado system was what we might find about the supposed Separatist weapon, but deep down I had a feeling that there might be certain deaths that we didn't want to happen, but still, it is something inevitable. To be honest, I think this was my first mission that was not on planetary soil. After many weeks of fighting in dangerous places, I was now on my first mission on a cruiser, but that didn't mean that we couldn't go into battle at any time. I could see the silhouette of Master Plo staring at me as I stood without my helmet, watching the galaxy that surrounded me with each passing minute.
(Plo) - I sense a certain concern in your mind, Ratchet. What's bothering you?
(Ratchet) - Honestly speaking, all these last few days. I'm a little happy that we got some relief amidst all these battles, but I'm having some doubts about all our actions.
(Plo) - And what would that be?
(Ratchet) - Have you ever had doubts about whether you were really doing the right thing? Like you have an idea in your head, and you want to follow it, but still, thinking of the worst that could happen? I feel a little insecure. Although my blood always boils for a fight, I can't stop thinking about everything that has happened to me lately.
I could notice Master Plo looking at me, as if trying to find an answer to the question I had asked, although he seemed a little worried by what he might say. Jedi might be guardians of peace, but finding the answers that many want can be a bit complicated because of everything that happens to us. Even a Jedi might have certain doubts, but still, a slight chuckle could be heard from Plo Koon.
(Plo) - Ratchet, answer me: How do you see your companions around you?
(Ratchet) - Like my brothers. I would give my life for them without even hesitating.
(Plo) - Now answer the next question: How do you see the Jedi? What view do you have of them?
(Ratchet) - As guardians of peace. The greatest warriors the galaxy has ever seen, including me.
(Plo) - But sometimes, our oath as peace keepers can be shrouded in doubt, and we don't even realize it. When we find ourselves with a choice, we have to choose between what is important, or whether to let our emotions guide us on this journey. We all have the doubt of right and wrong, but still, we follow our beliefs that we are doing the right thing, even though we may not realize it. Sometimes we have to sacrifice what we love most to ensure the success of our actions.
(Ratchet) - I find myself trying to make various sacrifices, always aiming for the lives of my brothers. Although many are divided on our actions, what I think about most is fighting, to protect those I love the most. With each passing day, the battlefield becomes somewhat complicated, and I try to adapt to each situation I find myself in, but still, I can see the spark inside me that yearns for something a little more than expected. I like to think that we are the heroes, that we are not corrupted inside, but it is hard to think like that when I see certain things that make me worry inside.
Deep down, I wondered if he was reading my mind, wondering about what had happened between Ventress and me, and how she had messed with my head because of her notions of right and wrong, but still, I felt like I needed to say something before it all went downhill, but all he did was put his hand on my shoulder, which made me a little suspicious.
(Plo) - You have your problems, but it's up to you to try to find the right choice to solve them, and whatever is bothering you, I feel you will find a way that you can find the answer you are looking for.
Those words made me a little emotional, but still, I felt that I needed to hold on to the hope that we would achieve a victory against the Separatists, and ensure that all those who were against the Republic would be defeated once and for all.
A few hours later, we finally arrive at the Abregado system, aiming to carry out the investigation behind the victims left behind by the Separatists. Could the rumors of this new weapon be true? Because deep down, this was sounding like another story to try to put fear into our men and the Republic. Lately, our struggles were at a stalemate that many believed would not change anytime soon. Therefore, all of our resources, including strategies to get allies that could turn the game in our favor. The Senate was in charge of being able to use diplomacy so that we could get the loyalty of planets that felt threatened, but they had several Dookan agents on the inside who aimed to prolong the war at all costs. The sense of right was fading amidst promises that slowly became empty, and yet I aimed to complete my duty at all costs. But what could give us the chance to fight the Separatists as equals, when Dookan seemed to be one step ahead of us in every respect.
As Master Plo set about communicating with Ahsoka, I continued to stare at the horizon of starry immensity around us, slowly wondering what the next steps in all this would be. I looked at several of my brothers, as the reflection of the past few days flashed through my mind, as if it had been years since the initial battles. A novice like me, managing to survive all this would already be a miracle. My helmet could hide the deepest of my fears, but the trauma of everything I had lived through would never be erased as long as I lived. I didn't even realize it, but the figure of Master Plo seemed to be staring at me, and when I least took the time to look, he had his back to me.
(Plo) - Ahsoka asked about you during our broadcast.
(Ratchet) - And what did you tell her?
(Plo) - That you were fine. That although this was your first mission that was not on the battlefield, you were prepared for whatever might be thrown at our fleet.
(Ratchet) - Next time, I will tell Ahsoka that I appreciate her trust in us.
(Plo) - You can't be too careful, my dear Ratchet. It takes time to fully understand the enemy.
After our short conversation, I looked out the cruiser window, and still, it seemed to be a half-finished mission. A few minutes later, as the search was going on, the scanners began to pick up what seemed to be some sort of movement coming closer to our cruisers, and a certain fear began to pulsate through my heart, as if it was trying to tell me something important.
When I looked out the window again, nothing could describe what I was seeing. It could have been just a cruiser, but it was something worse than that. It seemed to be not just a normal cruiser. It was a ship bigger than anything I had ever seen before. Multiple cannons. On all sides of the ship, and certain equipment that I myself was in some honesty unaware of. At that moment, an ice seemed to fall over my body as if I were on an icy and inhospitable planet, but the feeling of fear simply increased to a point that I could no longer describe what I was feeling. Was it panic? Shivering? Or all the other negative emotions rolled into one? What I was seeing was the weapon of the Separatists. The weapon they had developed to change the level of play in the war. The worst of all evils. Malevolence. Its presence seemed to shake every soldier in the cruisers, including me. That was the biggest ship I had ever seen in my life. But the worst thing was not the ship. It was that I could feel a certain presence inside the ship that seemed to be making my whole body fall apart. It was as if I could feel whoever was in the Malevolence looking at us as if they wanted to transmit fear to our side. At one point I could feel who was in command: General Grievous. One of the most brutal commanders of the Separatist Army, who left no survivors against anyone who dared to face him. With various abilities that destroyed any army at once. Many clones have heard reports of Grievous killing several soldiers at once, while claiming to have killed several Jedi at once, and collecting any memento of the fights he faced as his trophies, be it weapon, amulet, even the lightsaber of anyone he ever faced. But at a certain point, I never expected to have to go head-to-head against the most ruthless and barbaric general in Dookan's army. But there's a first time for everything. And a terrifying first time, because deep down, I didn't want to be Grievous' victim, much less die at his hands.
The Malevolence was closing in on the planet in the Abregado system, while the presence of the Separatists was leaving the commanders confused about the next step in the plan to be executed against Grievous. I could see Master Plo staring at the ship, as if thinking about how to resolve the situation they were in, even more so now that things seemed to have gotten complicated in our minds. What was going to happen in this problem we found ourselves in?
(Ratchet) - I have a very bad feeling about this.
(Plo) - And you are not the only one.
You know that feeling that every time you get closer to death, you feel an urge to do anything you want, even for a brief second? It was a feeling that was almost impossible to perceive. For an instant, I could feel my gaze crossing with Grievous', as if he knew how many soldiers they had on the ships, as well as being calculating and ruthless, but the amount of fear that could be felt was one to a thousand, while many continued to stare at the ship that was getting closer and closer.
(Plo) - I wonder what they are doing?
Suddenly I could notice a certain energy coming from the ship, which made me even more nervous inside. Gradually, the nervousness only increased, and my biggest thought was the fact that we were facing the threat and no one knew what to do. At a certain moment, the energy was simply shot towards us, as my eyes widened, minute by minute, until out of nowhere, the energy simply hit all the cruisers, and for a certain moment, the ground shook in an unimaginable way, almost as if it was consuming something from the inside out.
-We have lost all shields!
And that already symbolized fear to me. Whatever had hit us simply knocked out all the shields and shorted out our ship's systems, and possibly the others as well.
(Ratchet) - I knew something would go wrong!
The ship just kept giving trouble, while many in the cruisers watched, increasingly nervous, while I waited for the next command to be given to us. Suddenly, the cruiser started firing in our direction, hitting us hard and damaging the ship's systems, almost blowing it up. I could see one of the cruisers exploding, and I could even see the wreckage of the cruiser almost approaching the ship and hitting it. Honestly, everything had just gotten worse, and I didn't even know what to do about it.
(Plo) - Everyone to the escape pods, now!
And so, with my heart pounding, I ran to one of the capsules, which had me and another group of clones: Boost and Wolffe. Deep down, I needed to think that the worst would be over by then, but still, I needed to stand by for whatever might befall me or anything else. In a sudden moment, Master Plo entered the capsule, and we were ejected so that we could save ourselves. During the escape, one of the capsules simply exploded when it hit the debris, and so it became very clear what kind of trouble we were in. Grievous seemed confident of his victory. And in the background, what I could see most was the destruction of the cruisers. Drifting in space, with a Separatist cruiser out to destroy us. Sometimes fear is something imperceptible, but still existing, and it can manipulate certain events that harm a person in the future.
The feelings about war are kind of mixed for me. Being a soldier doesn't always mean making the best choices. The best decisions. Every second that counts, every fraction of time that exists, results in decisions, where every choice has an indescribable consequence. This is because any decision in the field results in the survival or death of a soldier. A comrade. It has only been a few weeks of combat, but still, it is making a deep impression on my mind as a whole. The trauma endures, the memory lives on, and the feeling becomes profound when we see how much war takes away our comrades.
(Ratchet) - Do we have any chance of making contact with any fleets in the Outer Rim?
(Boost) - I don't think so. The communication systems are damaged.
(Plo) - Then we'd better act fast!
Our hope lay in the communication system of the capsule. Even though it was damaged, we needed to try to get it to work, so that we could be saved in the trouble we were in at the moment. I could see the vacuum of the surrounding space, shrouded with the wreckage of the cruisers, and wondered what else was lurking, but the answer already seemed pretty obvious. The Malevolence could still be lurking, and again, the answer to my question could already be obvious. Grievous was lurking at all times with his ship, and now, he seemed to have the upper hand with all of this. I looked at the concern of my companions, but Master Plo seemed to be managing to keep his cool in the midst of all the trouble we were in.
For those who may be wondering what we face each day of conflict, I answer that sometimes we don't always have the upper hand, but still, maintaining optimism and a ray of hope is the most important thing in war. Even when all seems lost, the light that guides us is what will show us the path to victory. I have thought this way since my training. And I take it with me every day. Every battle.
A few minutes passed, but I still sensed danger all around. The Malevolence was still in the system, and Grievous seemed to want no witnesses left. One important thing in the Clone Wars was both the strategy and the information that the sides could have. Everything turned into a game of espionage and twists in the political and puzzling game between the Republic and the Separatists, but still, all caution was in short supply amidst the conflict of interest in this whole unfolding of events.
I could feel Master Plo's figure staring at all of us, as he brought one of his hands to his face, making me a little nervous.
(Ratchet) - General? What are you thinking about?
(Plo) - I can still feel General Grievous' presence around us.
(Boost) - So, what do we do now?
(Ratchet) - The most important: fixing the communication system of the capsule. Is there any chance that we will be able to use the navigation system or something?
(Wolffe) - Negative. All the other systems have also given trouble. Our chances of survival seem to be a little slim.
(Ratchet) - Don't talk about probabilities! Not now!
(Plo) - Calm down. We'll find a way out of here.
(Ratchet) - And what do you suggest we do?
(Plo) - For the moment, let's wait.
Although I was extremely worried, Master Plo didn't seem to be showing any nervousness or fear. This made me a bit worried. The Jedi, although they could keep their cool at crucial moments, were always prone to having problems balancing the Force. I wish I could have the calm that the Jedi have, because my worry was so enormous that I could hardly describe it. I continued to look outside the capsule, as I watched the Malevolence in front of me, in a somewhat fearful and suspicious tone. This was my first mission that was not on the ground of a planet, and it could still be my last. Deep down, fear was the recurring factor in the soldier, which awakened abilities that even he did not know or believe he had. I just needed to have a little confidence in it all. And so I set about helping to repair the ship's communication system.
Some time later, Wolffe spent watching the window while I fixed the communication, together with Boost.
(Boost) - How long do you think it will take?
(Ratchet) - It depends. I am doing my best to fix all of this.
(Boost) - Well, I have already done a check here, and I can tell you that our situation is not very favorable. Now hand me that key that is there on your side?
Following my companion's request, I handed the key to Boost, while the two of us tidied up all the wiring and the other damaged systems of the capsule and communication. Master Plo continued to look around, while Wolffe tried to get the navigation system working, but still, we had nothing at the moment.
After a while, Plo started to stare at the three of us, while we looked at each other, a little worried. Deep inside, I wondered what to do about it all.
(Plo) - We will get out of this. I'm sure the Republic is doing its best to rescue us now.
(Boost) - I don't know why you believe that. We are clones. We were made to be discarded.
That was the thought I hoped I would not have to hear again. Disposable. Replaceable. Always these thoughts, repeating themselves every time someone spoke. It kept my confidence up, and although many were still divided about my actions, confidence in the so-called Republic Army grew with each day of the war. Many saw us as saviors as time went on, but some still had fears of a squadron of clones protecting the allied planets. But we were the squadron that did what was necessary to protect the Republic and anyone who was threatened, no matter the consequences. When I least expected it, Master Plo faced us again, as we processed some of our thoughts about being adrift in the Abregado system.
(Plo) - You are soldiers. You fight for the good of the Republic. I value your lives more than the mission itself.
Every Jedi I meet seems to value the safety of the clones, and yet, I feel motivated with every battle I face. Then we go back to fixing the ship's wiring.
(Wolffe) - Sir, there is another capsule approaching.
Suddenly I spotted the capsule that Wolffe had spoken about, a little suspiciously. It might have some survivors, but we needed to find out what had happened to its crew members.
(Wolffe) - If we had the energy, we could contact her.
(Boost) - How about we wave when the hatch appears?
In a rather unexpected moment, Master Plo used the Force to try to turn the capsule's hatch towards us, to find out if there were any survivors inside. Optimism pulsed in my body, until we saw the hatch. Destroyed. I could see a body almost sticking out of it, lying lifeless, which increased a certain fear in my veins. There were no survivors left from the capsule that was near us, and I was beginning to feel that the same was going to happen to us.
(Ratchet) - No, no, this one goes here, and this one goes there.
I pointed at the wiring to try to help Boost fix it, and make the connection to the systems, to see if we could perform some kind of miracle.
(Boost) - Are you sure? We just need to make things worse.
(Ratchet) - And how could we make things worse?
(Plo) - Those who look for trouble should not be surprised when they find it.
(Boost) - I think the trouble has found us, sir.
(Ratchet) - What if we connected these two cables here? - I pointed to the cables in front of me, hoping that we would get something.
That said, we connected the cables that were loose, and in a fraction of a second, the power was back on, in the blink of an eye. The communications system was back up, and with that, Wolffe looked at the ship's systems, half-confident.
(Wolffe) - I am picking something up.
-This is pod 1-9-7-7! We are under attack! Does anyone read you?
(Wolffe) - It's another pod of ours.
The thought crossed my mind as I realized that the siege was closing in on us with everything. Grievous really had dispatched his henchmen to eliminate any evidence or witnesses to the Malevolence's actions.
-I repeat: We are under attack! Can anyone hear us?
(Plo) - The signal is weak. They must be close by.
The signal began to fail, almost in a bursting tone, as we tried to recover the remnants of the transmission from the capsule containing survivors, while we heard what sounded like the rattling of a metal or something completely strange in the room.
-They've connected to our ship! They've connected to our ship!
Fear coursed through my body, kind of paralyzing me in ways I couldn't even imagine. The transmission was getting weaker and we felt that something worse was going to happen.
-Our position is mark 12 at point 2-6.
(Wolffe) - We have visual contact.
I started to see what Wolffe said, and there was something docked to the capsule, as if something was being welded to it from the outside. I could see what looked like Battle Droids, welding on the window of the capsule, which I was a little afraid of, but which turned out to be something even worse than I imagined.
(Plo) - Capsule 1-9-7-7, do you copy?
-The Droids are hunting the survivors! They are cutting the ship!
When we looked again, the capsule had been breached, and the bodies of the two clones that were in the ship simply drifted out into the Abregado system, dead from lack of oxygen. I looked around, and felt something even worse approaching. The droids seemed not to have noticed our presence yet.
(Ratchet) - Yeah, it's really gotten worse now. - I spoke with great regret, as I sensed what might be our inevitable fate.
A few minutes passed as we continued to look around outside, and the Droids who were still watching the capsule they had breached. Wolffe, Boost, and I were still having some difficulty figuring out how we were going to get out of this, because although the power to the capsule had been recovered, it was no guarantee that we would get out of it unharmed. Our hope lay in the rescue attempt that the Republic was supposed to be working out while we thought of something that could help us through it all. Master Plo Koon's position was somewhat thoughtful in many ways. Even in danger, to see a Jedi manage to remain calm in despair and fear was a bit surprising to see in the midst of it all. As I watched the window, my stomach churned as I thought about the plan we should come up with in case something went from bad to worse again. But nothing was on my mind in this situation. I was hoping that we would not be found in this dilemma with the Malevolence. I looked through the debris from the cruiser and thought that we would not be seen by the Droids. But it was a mistake I never thought I would make.
(Boost) - I think they saw us.
And these words already showed the emotions I was feeling. It wasn't even a battle that I was facing, but when it comes to facing unfavorable situations, we are forced to improvise amidst the chaos of war.
I could see the Droid mechanism undocking itself from the capsule they had just breached, and it began to move again, making it very clear that their next target was us. As I saw the mechanism approaching, it became increasingly clear that this time, we were screwed, now more than ever.
(Plo) - Time to go!
Master Plo stood up from his chair, while we stared at him in a somewhat confused way in reaction to what he had said.
(Wolffe) - Brothers? Where are you going?
(Plo) - Out! Destroy the enemy! I can withstand the pressure for a short time. Put on your helmets!
(Ratchet) - If you are saying that.
(Plo) - It is a complicated situation, but there is still a possibility that we can survive.
(Ratchet) - Fine by me.
Boost and I grabbed our weapons, ready to face the imminent threat that was looming from all of this. As we put on our helmets, the mechanism docked itself to our capsule, realizing the danger we were about to enter into all of this.
(Plo) - Wolffe, keep the communication signal open. It's the only chance we have for someone to find us.
(Wolffe) - I just hope someone is looking for us!
Then Boost, Plo and I exited the capsule from the back of it, at the same time as the Droids were preparing to cut the glass of the capsule and kill us all.
-Yeah, looks like that's the last one. Let's finish the job. - I could hear one of the Droids claiming victory ahead of time, sensing danger in my veins, again and again, coursing through me at every moment.
Climbing on the outside of a capsule was something I had never thought of doing. But we had the element of surprise. They didn't know we were on the outside, which gave us a chance to ambush them where they least expected it. When we reached the top, we came face to face with the old cans that were trying to breach the capsule, which already gave me a certain sense of joy at being able to fight back after all this. When they least expected it, the Droids who were in charge of the operation to eliminate the witnesses and survivors of the weapon looked at us, in a way that took them by surprise.
-Hey, what's a Jedi doing here? - The droid that was looking at Master Plo was quite perplexed by our sudden appearance, and this I can say in a completely unique way, that this would be interesting.
Within a second, Master Plo activated his lightsaber, which made the Droids stand at attention, and started shooting at us at the same time. Seeing him reflect all the shots from those junks was a power that I was very grateful to have to witness. Giving cover fire to Plo Koon, Boost and I began to fire, starting a crossfire between both sides, as I struggled not to get lost in the lack of gravity around me. In one swift movement, Master Plo leaped and sliced one of the Droids in half, while the other three who were still firing, focused on Plo, who began to deflect the shots again. Using the Force, he pushed one of them hard into the machine, destroying it, but still having two old cans shooting at us.
We continued firing, until the remaining Droids used the jetpacks that were attached to their bodies to fly up to the mechanism, in which I ended up with completely difficult aim, to hit them.
(Ratchet) - It's hard to aim like this!
-Time to crush them!
The mechanism began to squeeze the capsule, aiming to kill everyone inside and outside of it, which gave me a certain fear at that was hard to describe. As we continued shooting, I could hear Wolffe's voice saying something important in all this.
(Wolffe) - It's Ahsoka! She must be close by!
(Plo) - Don't lose that signal, Commander!
This has already lifted my optimism about the whole thing a bit, and yet I was trying to continue the crossfire on the junk. Suddenly, the capsule began to be crushed again.
(Wolffe) - Losing the signal! The pod won't hold for long!
(Plo) - Ratchet, your turn!
(Ratchet) - I got it, boss!
Then I felt Master Plo levitating me, using the Force, which was kind of an indescribable feeling that I was feeling. But I couldn't say much. I was launched behind the mechanism, which surprised everyone, and in this, I prepared my weapon for the attack.
(Ratchet) - Take that, you old can!
And without hesitation, I shot at the Droids, destroying two of them, which gave Master Plo the opening so that he could separate the mechanism in our capsule, and we could have some relief from all this. At that moment, he pulled me back into the capsule, as the mechanism exploded, pulling us apart a bit by the debris, which made me even more worried.
After all that, all I could think about was the mess I had gotten myself into. If being adrift was bad, imagine being out of the capsule. My oxygen was already limited, but now, the situation had worsened in a way I had never witnessed before in my opinion.
(Ratchet) - Yes, sir, it looks like we are in trouble now.
(Plo) - Your sense of humor is improving.
(Boost) - I never wanted to say I told you so, but I never believed that someone would come looking for us.
I could see Master Plo bringing one of his hands to his chin, as he stood somewhat thoughtful about our problem regarding Malevolence. I wondered what else he was thinking about the rescue that should be getting closer and closer, even though it seemed that hope was more and more bound to fade in such a situation.
(Plo) - Sergeant, why were you so sure that nobody would come to get us?
(Boost) - We are just clones, sir. Made to be expendable.
And again the thought plagued my mind. Disposable was something we were not. To me, the thought of being disposable was something that could perplex anyone in this whole thing.
(Plo) - But not for me! I said that I valued your lives, that for the good of the people and the Republic, and that's something I don't intend to admit.
Suddenly I saw a light coming towards us, and I could see a ship approaching, and I was somewhat relieved to see that the ship that had arrived was General Skywalker's ship, the Twilight. And when I saw it passing in front of us, it was a miracle I had long awaited. The tow cable was launched and our capsule began to be pulled by the Twilight, as I wondered how much oxygen time remained before we were rescued. Every second was crucial, and when we looked, I was already inside the ship, safe. I climbed down from the capsule, completely exhausted by the latest events, wondering if the worst was over.
(Ahsoka) - Come! Hurry up!
I could see Ahsoka and Anakin running towards us, and with a certain relief in my body for the rescue. But I still sensed that something was still wrong in all of this.
(Ahsoka) - Is everything okay, Master Plo? Is there anyone else in the pod?
At that moment when Master Skywalker's apprentice asked this, I saw him using the Force in an attempt to free Wolffe from inside the capsule, as I removed my helmet, after our struggle for survival against General Grievous' Droids. A medical Droid approached Wolffe, while Anakin watched us, with a certain grief and great concern on his face.
(Anakin) - Are they going to be okay?
-The suits offered some protection, but they need to go to the medical frigate to recover. I will stabilize them now. - The medical droid looked at Wolffe as he thought of ways to fix things.
(Ahsoka) - Your men are safe now.
(Plo) - Tell me. Did anyone else survive?
(Anakin) - We can't find anyone else.
(Plo) - The hunters must have finished with the others.
(Ahsoka) - I'm sorry, Master Plo.
We were the only ones who had survived. The Battle Droids had killed everyone in the other pods, but by some miracle, we had survived a painful death drifting through space. Now we needed to escape the Abregado system, and get back as quickly as possible to rendezvous with the Republic ships as soon as possible.
I sat there trying to get some calm and relief after what we had been through against those old, drifting tin cans, which brought a certain question to my mind: had Grievous' ship really just gone, just like that? Because if it had, I would already be more than grateful for everything I had been through out there. But still, this feeling just kept going through my head that something would go wrong at any moment. But still, I kept waiting.
A few minutes passed, and suddenly all the ship's power went out, out of nowhere. At the time, I thought we were drifting again, which made Wolffe stand up, somewhat afraid of what had happened.
(Boost) - What happened to the lights?
(Wolffe) - They've cut the power. That ship must have come back! We have to get to the bridge!
Wolffe tried to walk, but almost fell, with his fall being prevented by the medical Droid, who put his hands on him to prevent this from happening.
-You are very weak. I'll go see what's going on. - said the medical droid, who decided to go to the bridge to see what happened.
The suspense was only increasing. I could feel every vein and part of my body freezing, but still, trying to keep some courage in this very complicated situation. I hoped that the Malevolence could pass right by us, because that would make our escape easier. I looked at my companions, and felt that they could think the same thing about what was transpiring around us. I couldn't see anything, but still, I could feel the ship almost scraping by on our side. I hoped, no, I wanted them not to see us.
But it seems that I was very wrong. The ship's power had been reconnected, meaning that Grievous had discovered our presence, and was now going to put the Malevolence after us. What could be worse? Dying on the battlefield or drifting away? If I had to choose one of these, I would take the first option. The Twilight made a turn, and even though I couldn't see what was happening, I could sense that the Separatists already had their next target set.
The ship began to make several turns, which implied that we were passing through the debris field that was left by the destroyed cruisers. The Malevolence should have locked on to our position by now, and should they use the ion cannon on us, we would have no chance to escape, even after all our attempts to try to be rescued. As the ship continued to make various maneuvers, I could hear the ion cannon on top of us, with her firing getting closer and closer, which made things even more complicated for our side. Twilight kept shaking as the ion cannon shot got closer and closer, which made me even more fearful of what we were up against again. In the midst of what appeared to be yet another risky maneuver, the ship jumped into hyperspace, which left me completely relieved that we had finally managed to escape. Another complicated day, and in the end, I survived. This whole Malevolence thing made it very clear that what we had faced was only the beginning.
"After escaping the Abregado system, Jedi generals Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and Master Plo Koon informed Republic forces about the Separatists' new weapon, commanded by General Grievous. Escaping from there has already put me somewhat at ease with that. Escaping from the evil clutches of the Separatists was the first step to ensure our survival. But what was to come next was something that would put us in front of danger once again. To be a little honest, in trouble like this, I was already missing having someone shoot at me again... "