I found a way to post a new chapter! I don't know if I'll be able to make a lot more due to athletics and busy days, but I can try! Enjoy this one.

(I wrote this awhile ago. I was only just now able to post this)

Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm

The high pitched buzzes and beeps of medical equipment surrounded Spree as he sat on his bed that was covered in a sterile white sheet and was cleaned and swapped out for a new one daily. Axle was in an identical bed beside him, wearing a loose fitting body glove on his lower body and a fresh bandage over his upper body. Spree was wearing a similar body glove but it wrapped around his pelvic region and up to his shoulders, leaving his bandaged leg exposed. The two troopers were to be let out of the comfortable medical center tomorrow. Their wounds healed quickly due to the added bacta they had received that was supposed to heal patients quicker and more efficiently. It certainly did it's job as the pain in Spree's leg had disappeared two days ago along with the bandage on his chest. The healing would leave a gross looking scar, but the sniper considered those as trophies and memories.

"I win!" Spree exclaimed proudly as he slapped his winning set of 'Star Cards', onto the miniature, checkered table between him and Axle. Patients that stayed in the medical center for more than two days were given child or gambling games to keep them occupied. The point of the game the two scouts-in-recovery were playing was called 'Galaxy Cards' which was a gambling game set on who's set of cards they drew had the largest amount of stars printed on them. Spree had crushed Axle's deck by a total of nine stars, thus allowing him to win for the second time in a row. This of course destroyed Axle's competitive mood and he rolled his eyes as he slapped his losing deck on top of Spree's. Spree kept the smug look of a champion as his fellow trooper laid his head back onto the, also white, fluffy pillow to take a nap.

"Sore loser." Spree mumbled just loud enough for Axle to hear over the soft, constant noise of the medical center. The defeated trooper returned the snipers statement with a rude gesture with his hands and turned to face the opposite direction. Spree put his hands out to the side in an exclamation of innocence. "What was that for?" He asked in a mock hurt tone. Axle pushed his question away by shooing Spree away with another gesture from his hands. "I'm trying to sleep," he mumbled, resting his hands in-front of his face.

"I'm sure you are.."

"I am.."

"Sure.."

"Yup."

"I believe you.."

"I know you do."

Spree sighed and gave up trying to antagonize the cool-headed man across from him. He followed Axle's lead and rested his head on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. The sniper got bored easily when he didn't have a purpose for doing something. Sure, he could stand ten hours of watch duty, but he had a reason to be out there. He couldn't handle staring at the ceiling of a domed building days on end with nothing to do but gamble with other wounded soldiers just because he was shot in the right leg... and broke two ribs... and broke his left ring finger. Despite his injuries, the sniper wanted to be up and running away from the medical center the day he got his chest bandage removed. But the medical officers ordered that he and Axle stay another two days to earn a full recovery before they went back out into combat missions.

The squad that was left was sent out on patrol every day in search of anymore rebel scouts lurking in the area. Because the group were down two scouts, they were not given any other special assignments. The base was also preparing for a major attack, sending out messages for extra troops, weapons, and a possible All Terrain Scout Transport, A.K.A an AT-ST walker. Delta base may be a small base, but it carried some valuable information on the Empire and their classified secrets. The base was designed to be temporary and easy to rebuild just in case of an attack gone-wrong. If the men stationed inside of the base were unable to protect it any longer, they were to retreat with any valuable information and or irreplaceable equipment and set the base to flames so the Alliance couldn't use it even if they wanted to.

According to Captain Walker, in the case of an attack, their squad will be placed at the back of the lines as long-ranged support. (All scouts were trained in long-ranged combat, but Spree was given an even higher level of training to become a long-ranged specialist) There they would be able to see most of the battle and protect the information and the base from any flanking attacks. This was totally fine with Spree as he was obviously fantastic with a sniper. Trips, however, disliked the idea of being far from the most combat and complained about his disliking when the group came in to inform Axle and Spree.

"Seriously? Why can't we be up at the front shooting the rebels up close!?" He asked in a whining tone sounding almost exactly like a child begging for candy. "You'll see them up close through your scope, Trips." Captain Walker replied, his voice shedding off hints of annoyance as he gave Trips a glare that signaled, 'Shut up', ending the conversation.

That was yesterday and now, Spree unknowingly fell asleep, his closed eyes stared at the ceiling and his heads position on the pillow caused him to snore quietly. Axle was also asleep, but was quiet as usual. Both of the men's slumbers were interrupted by a medical officer tapping on a metal pole with a thin metal stick. The shrill, Ka-ting, Ka-ting, Ka-ting, awoke the two troopers and they groggily sat up in their beds still half asleep from their interrupted naps.

"Alright, gentlemen." The white uniformed man began. "We just have to complete one last check-up to clear you boys up." Two more medical officers walked through the door to the building and strolled quickly up to the first officer who had woken them up. "If you two pass this check-up with flying colors, I will be able to let you leave the medical center a day early." The officer finished while he walked up to inspect Axle. Spree watched as one of the other medical officers cruised up to him and started to unwrap the bandage around his injured leg.

The other officer started to press two fingers onto Spree's chest. "Any pain?" He asked while moving his fingers onto another spot on his ribcage. "No, sir. None at all." Spree replied. The officer's cold hands made Spree want to slap them away, but he knew that it'd be better to let the man finish his job. "Here?" He said, poking where a scar from a broken bone was visible. "Nope." The sniper sighed, finally feeling awake from his nap with the help of cold hands and the air he felt on his un-bandaged leg. The officer checked off something on a small device he held in his opposite hand. Spree glanced down at his leg and noticed that the pink scar was smaller than he thought it was going to be. The officer that removed the bandages inspected the scar and also checked off something on a small device he was also carrying.

The three medical officers turned back to each other and shared their results. "Hmm... looks like you'll be getting out a day early." The first medical officer stated almost half to himself. Turning back to the two scouts he continued. "Your gear and equipment is in the next room. Please take all of if back to your barracks and wait until further instruction." The three medical officers heel turned towards the door and walked out, allowing the two, now fully recovered, troopers retrieve their gear and cruise over to the barracks.

Breathing in the sweaty and unvented air of the barracks was like getting used to the smell of your home after you return from a long vacation. Spree sat down on his mat and wished he was back in the cozy, white, hospital bed that was his companion for the past several days after remembering how hard his bed in the barracks was.

As Spree and Axle were getting comfortable, their fully armored squad-mates entered through the open doors. "Get your armor on." Captain Walker said, not bothering to greet the two troopers. "A patrol just uncovered another Rebel scouting squad. The base is almost completely prepped for combat. We're expecting them to hit us sometime this week, and we need to be ready at anytime." Spree had already donned his chest-plate and boots and was currently strapping on his equipment belt. Captain Walker turned to leave the barracks. "And welcome back," were his final words before he exited the grey complex.