A/N: I'm marathon posting tonight. Sorry for all those who may have to find their place again.. *Cringe* Thank you all for reading. Your kindness means the world to me.

Love you, Rubble!

The air was warm now. The water had drained away. Cody hadn't cried in a long time, in fact, in the midst of the battles, and all of the brothers he lost, all the pain he had seen; he couldn't remember the last time. It was as if something had snapped in his head, and there was no longer a need for tears, no matter how much it hurt.

But now, they dripped off his face; for an entirely different reason. He couldn't control his body's reaction to the torture. He drew in a ragged breath that ended in a coughing fit.

Metal hands had come from the walls, pulling his armor off piece by piece. His protection. He was left in black fatigues, and even they were now shredded. Blood ran down, dripping into his eye. He flinched, trying to screw his eyelids tighter. The cold floor felt nice.

"I'm sorry. Your friends caused this."

Cody had stopped giving answers hours ago.

He couldn't stop his shivering. At least Evelo had been 'kind' enough to cauterize most of the wounds. The man missed his helmet already. But the floor still felt cool against his overheating skin.

"It's their fault. We should hate them, Electus."

Cody sighed rather than forcing another painful exhale. He pressed his torn back against the wall. The General had come back – he had kept his promise. The Jedi had kept a promise that Cody himself had nearly forgotten after so many years.

MEMORY~ The battle raged around them. Fires rose towards the pink sky, explosions coming from every direction. They were outnumbered – there were so few of them left. They had already lost too many men, good men and good soldiers who could never be replaced.

Cody fired off several shots, droids falling to the soft dirt in sparking heaps. The General would be arriving in a gunship. He wouldn't have any idea what was waiting for him. It wasn't safe; there were too many… Cody had only been Commander of 7th Sky Corps for the past five months, and in that time had only had ten missions with General Kenobi.

But death was the price of war, and war was the price of freedom.

A green light shone on his wrist comm. He tapped it with one hand before shooting at a wave of approaching clankers.

"General!"

"Commander Cody?"

"The landing zone is hot – abort mission!"

"How many are with you?"

"There are only five of us left, sir." Cody was backed up against one of the destroyed gunships.

"Where is the closest clearing?"

"Wh- Fifty klicks south."

"Be ready."

"No offense, sir – but it's too dangerous!" He yelled over the gunfire.

"Every life matters, Commander… I won't leave you behind, that I promise."

Cody pulled himself from the scattered memory. He groaned as agony seared through his torso and arms. He held onto the thin thread, all that was left of reality and the conscious, waking world. He trusted his General.

I did my duty.

Rest, Cody.

Yes-sir.