I do not own Star Wars.
The sun rose slowly over the W'brasi Mountains on the planet Beta Gabriel. Down in the valleys, where the morning light had yet to reach, thick fog from the night before still hovered, winding its way between the trees and over rocky outcrops still in shadow. There were no settlements in the mountains, but in one valley, hidden from sight by low hanging branches, stood three blaster cannons ringing a rock formation that provided natural cover from the north, west, and east. It someone looked closely, they would just be able to make out about forty-two tarps hidden under grass and foliage. This was Renegade Company's camp.
Muffled cursing broke the morning silence, and a man wearing a black bodysuit and clutching an armful of white armor tumbled out of one of the camouflaged tents.
Shades sat up and shook leaves from his hair. As he began strapping on his armor, the rest of the camp came to life. Clones began emerging from other tents in various states of dress. Excited, hushed chatter filled the air. Word had been sent by Suugun Company that the Separatist convoy they had been waiting for had been spotted and was heading in their direction. Finally, after two weeks of waiting and scouting the surrounding valleys, something was going to happen. Shades scarfed down some ration bars along with a gulp of water and moved to join Fib under the shade of a tree in checking the charge of his DC-15.
"Looks like those lazy Seps finally decided to show themselves," Shades grunted as he scrubbed at a particularly stubborn burn mark on his DC's handle. "It's about time, too. I was starting to wonder if they were planning to show up before this kriffing war was over."
"Yeah…"
Shades glanced up. Fib was obviously distracted, his dark brows pulled together in a frown as he stared at the rifle and cleaning rag in his lap, not really seeing them. A half-eaten ration bar lay in the grass next to him.
"You gonna eat that?"
"No."
Now Shades frowned. "Come on, you need to eat something. I'm not going to carry you if you faint from hunger."
"I'm not hungry."
"Seriously, Fib, you should—"
"I said I'm not hungry!"
Shades raised his hands in surrender, scowling at the medic. "Fine, whatever. I hope you pass out and a Sep tank runs over you."
With that, the sergeant stood up and moved away in the direction of General Edrasi Nyine and captain Thorn, who stood before a projected holomap of the surrounding terrain. Edi raised a hand and beckoned him over without lifting her head. Shades sighed. He just didn't seem to be able to escape Force-users and their strange habits today.
As he joined his Cos, they moved aside so he had a clearer view of the projection. The Separatist forces were marked in red, the Republic's in blue. Shades could see the Sep convoy making its way painstakingly around a steep sided mountain.
"We're engaging the enemy here," said Edi, indicating a spot in the projection. "Good natural cover and the convoy will be strung out, forced to go single file, so it will be hard for them to run. The perfect sight for an ambush." She flashed Shades a wry smile, which he returned.
Thorn took up the narrative. "Sergeant, we want you and three other men to serve as lookouts from this ridge. We'll need real time holofootage so we can time this just right."
Shades nodded in understanding. "Do you have any men in mind, sir, or may I choose?"
"We'll trust your judgment." With a brisk clap on the back, the captain turned back to studying the projection. Edi caught Shades's eye and tilted her head slightly, indicating that she wanted a word in private. Curious, he followed her over to a stand of trees, out of earshot of any of the men. Shades noticed Thorn glance in their direction before returning his attention to the map.
"Something's bothering Fib," said Edi as soon as they were alone.
Shades nodded slowly, suddenly reluctant. There was no point in lying to Edi, and he didn't want to, but it felt wrong to betray his brother's confidence, even to such a close friend. He glanced over to where he'd left the medic. Fib was still under the tree. He had the contents of his medical bag spread out in front of him and was carefully studying each item before stowing it away.
Maybe Edi would know what to make of last night. I'm out of my depth.
Of all the people in Renegade Company, Edi and Shades were the only ones that knew that Fib was a Force-sensitive. They'd made sure to keep it quiet. Edi had explained to him the dangers if someone were to find out. He shuddered at the idea of what the Kaminoans would do if they got their hands on Fib. And remembering his own initial reaction to the news, Shades agreed that it was best that the other clones didn't know. He thanked the Force every day that he and his brothers had been lucky enough to get Edi as their general. He hated to think what would have happened to Fib if a less understanding or compassionate Jedi had discovered what he was and what he could do. So they kept it a secret, known only to the three of them.
Shades suspected that Captain Thorn might have guessed something, but if he did, he never mentioned it. He was a solid captain and a good man.
In the end though, he decided not to tell Edi what had happened last night. It wasn't his call to make; it was Fib's. He wasn't going to betray his brother's trust. It meant too much to him.
"He didn't sleep very well." Not a lie, but not the whole truth.
Edi stared at him for a long moment. Shades kept his face carefully blank and wished he had put his helmet on. She knew he was holding something back, but she didn't force it. Yet another reason why he loved her. Finally she sighed and gave him a little smile.
"You'd better get your men ready, Sergeant. Wouldn't want to miss your date with the convoy."
He grinned and gave a smart salute. "No, sir, that would be a tragedy."
As Shades jogged back to retrieve the rest of his gear, he tagged Onyx and Lynch and relayed their orders. Then once he had his kit, he wandered back over to where Fib had just finished packing his medical bag.
"You in the mood for some sightseeing?"
Thorn surveyed their new position with a deep sense of satisfaction. The old camp had been packed up quickly, with very little left behind to indicate that one had ever been there. It had been a difficult trek to the ambush sight, but they'd made good time. Now the blaster cannons had been reassembled, two on this side of the pass and one on the other, the men were in position, and they'd soon be in contact with Sergeant Shades's recon party.
Sergeant Shades.
Thorn remembered when the boy had first been transferred to Renegade. He'd been sent from the 26th Fast Infantry Division, under the command of General Tai Bogard and Commander Marc. He'd been a mess, angry and resentful, snapping at the least provocation. Thorn had lost count of the times Shades had gotten into fights with his fellow clones.
Edi's presence had had some calming effect, but the boy had remained distant, and he'd been downright wary of Thorn, never allowing himself to be in a room alone with the captain.
Thorn had done some digging, and it hadn't been long before he'd found out that Shades had experienced repeated instances of physical abuse from Commander Marc. Thorn remembered the man from training. He had a terrible temper, and when aroused, lashed out at the nearest person. Shades had been an easy target, a rookie who didn't have many friends and wasn't particularly liked by the other officers. Thorn had never found out if General Bogard had known about the abuse, but if he had, he'd never done anything to stop it.
Thorn was sickened by the idea of one brother laying his hands on another in violence. And the idea of a Jedi turning a blind eye and letting it happen was enough to reduce him to dry heaves. Weren't Jedi supposed to be the defenders of the weak and oppressed?
He'd done his best to help the boy, and so had Edi. Thorn had never told her what he'd found out, but she seemed to have guessed all the same. It had been gratifying beyond belief to watch Shades make real friends. He was a good kid, fiercely loyal and with a drive to succeed, no matter the odds. Thorn had never been prouder than the day he made the boy a sergeant.
But there had still been problems. Shades lost his temper easily, and even when he controlled himself, Thorn could see the resentment and pain roiling beneath the surface. Then Fib came along and things got worse. Something about the medic seemed to rub Shades's raw nerves and got him fighting mad in next to no time. Things came to a head with the fight in medbay, and Thorn was at the point of desperation. The captain had come to the end of his rope, literally. It had come to the point where he couldn't afford to cut the young sergeant any more slack.
So he'd been beyond shocked when things hadn't gotten worse. In fact, he could exactly pinpoint the fight in medbay as some kind of turning point for Shades. Thorn didn't know why or how, but the boy had become less angry. The man that had once driven him crazy had become some sort of positive force for him. In fact, the more time he spent with Fib, the more pronounced the change became. It was as though by his very presence, the medic was healing Shades, reaching into him and soothing away all the dark emotions that had clogged his mind and heart for so long.
It reminded him of something that Edi had once mentioned, something called soul healing, where a Jedi healer could use the Force to ease and erase a being's negative emotions. He'd told her that it sounded an awful lot like mind influence, and she'd smiled at him. "In a way it is," she'd responded. "But it's much deeper. Mind influence is only a temporary thing, affecting only the surface. Soul healing takes time, dedication, and sacrifice of oneself for the needs of another. It's infinitely harder and unimaginably more rewarding. And it lasts. Only the greatest healers are capable of it."
Of course, it wasn't like Fib could ever do something like that, but he seemed to do Shades a world of good. And for that, Thorn was thankful. He only hoped that the young medic could find someone that would do the same for him one day.
Thorn came back to himself when his helmet comm beeped, indicating that there was an incoming call. He blinked twice rapidly to open the link. "Thorn here."
"Shades here, sir. We're in position. Stand by for audio-visual feed."
"Standing by."
An instant later a window opened in his HUD, showing an aerial view of the pass that they convoy would have to travel through to get to its destination. He could just make out sunlight glinting off the first repulser truck in the convoy. Right on time.
"Good job, Sergeant. Stay put and keep sending us images."
"Yes, sir. Shades out."
There was movement to his left, and General Nyine came into his field of view. She cocked her head inquiringly. "Well, Captain? What's the news?"
"Shades and his team are in position, sir. We have live feed, and I can see the convoy. Droids are always predictable."
Edi grinned, her lips pulling back to reveal her teeth. There was a feral gleam in her eye and an answering thrum of excitement shot through Thorn's veins. The fight was about to begin.
"I'm going to check on the forward gun emplacements one more time. You can never be too careful. The last thing we need is a repeat of Cato Nemoidia."
Thorn winced at the embarrassing memory and waved Edi off. He was just turning to look for Lieutenant Shmolt, when his handheld hypercomm began beeping. The captain frowned. That device was only to be used in the most dire emergencies. It was a direct link between the field commanders and the Supreme Chancellor.
Better answer it.
Shades squinted through the magnification filter in his HUD, then checked to make sure the hovercam was still in the air. The small metal spheroid hovered high over the pass, diligently recording the convoy's progress.
So far, so good.
Next to him, Fib shifted, squirming in his prone position before settling again. The man had been moving around endlessly for the pass half hour. Normally, Shades would have put it down to pre-battle agitation, or even plain old restless muscles. But, as always, Fib defied normal. He didn't get jittery before battle, he got focused, and it had only gotten worse when Edi started teaching him to meditate.
Fib moved again, this time jostling the other clone. Shades bit back a curse, thankful that Onyx and Lynch were stationed further u the mountain side, and turned to glare at his brother. It was a wasted effort; Fib couldn't see his face through the helmet, but Shades made sure to project his annoyance at the other man. He'd feel it.
"What?" Fib grumbled.
What? What indeed. He has some nerve.
"Do you have bugs in your armor, because that's the only reason I can think of for you to be squirming around so much. Stop moving before you fall off the side of the mountain. If you do, I'll laugh."
All he got was an irritated sigh. Stillness descended for a few brief seconds before Fib shifted again. Shades slammed his rifle down on the moss covered rock they were lying on.
"Okay, what is it? Something's bothering you, and if you say it's nothing, I swear, I will strangle you with your own spinal cord. So out with it. What?"
Fib lay quiet for a second, then propped himself on his elbow to face the irritated sergeant. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's just a… feeling. I can't pin it down, but it's been bothering me since last night."
Shades's heart sank. He'd privately been hoping that Fib had gotten a dose of itching thorn and that was the reason for his restlessness. But it wasn't. The Force was talking to him.
"Does it have anything to do with that dream?"
"I don't know." He sounded frustrated. Fib absently picked at some loose moss on the rock. "Maybe if I had more training I'd get what it was trying to tell me. The Force is always so vague, it's hard to get anything certain out of it."
"Sounds like Intel." Shades laughed weakly, attempting to crack a joke. All he got was a grunt.
Silence fell again. Shades checked on the hovercam again, noting the convoy's position and sending the update back to the main unit. A large avian circled high in the air, on the lookout for a morning meal. Shades carefully maneuvered the hovercam into the shadow of an overhang. The last thing he needed was the cam to be eaten by some bird.
Fib sat up abruptly, yanking off his helmet. He looked at Shades, and his eyes looked like they had that night: wide and frightened.
"Something's wrong."
Thorn reached down and grabbed his handheld hypercomm, holding it up in his right hand and triggering the device's reception.
A cloaked and hooded figure appeared in washed-out blue over the projector plate. Shifting the device slightly, Thorn stared into the holographic cowl and barely—barely—recognized the face of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Something had obviously happened to disfigure the chancellor's face. Thorn wondered vaguely if there'd been some sort of attack, but it was no concern of his. He waited.
"Captain Five-three-nine-one." Even Palpatine's voice was disfigured; it was deeper now, more menacing. There was no hint of warmth or compassion at all. "The Jedi have betrayed the Republic. Execute Order Sixty-six."
Please review.
mad'ika