Lip grunted as he pushed himself off the ground, bouncing where he stood he shook his arms, removing the tension in them and feeling the sweat covering him cooling against the evening air. To his right Fourth was already done, eyes distant as he strapped on the armour to his left arm, hand flexing as he tested the vibro blade hidden within his knuckle plate.
To his left Wrench was still already continuing his push ups, gasping for breath through clenched teeth while balancing his armour in a backpack, the straps cutting into his bare shoulders. Further off Cutter sat on a crate, checking the sniper attachment on his DC with far more care than any commando Lip had ever seen, as he always did the evening before a mission.
Putting his hands on his back Lip stepped away, cracking an already old spine that had spent far too much time bent over a gun to be straight anymore. It felt good to finish the final warm up early, it gave him a moment to relax, to think.
Cutter usually said that it wasn't good to think about the mission too much until the very last minute. But Lip had never managed to keep his thoughts away from them, and this one...he shook his head, dread creeping up on him again.
Shaking his head he tried to find something to distract him with. Over on the other end of the camp he saw a worn down regiment of clone troopers saluting a dozen fallen comrades in body bags...that didn't work. By the headquarters a couple of crippled clone troopers sat playing dice...didn't help either. In the distant he heard droid artillery pounding a republic bunker line, as it had for most of the day.
Nothing helped.
And why would it? He had memorized the briefing by now, having stared at the summary long after the official briefing was over, as had they all. Sure they knew how to improvise, sure they had undertaken seemingly hopeless situations before....but never had so much been left to chance! And without any opportunity for a backup plan...it was madness!
Muttering he shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped away from the others, silently enjoying the small wind reaching him. It was always risky walking without a shirt in this place, some of the bugs laid eggs under your skin, others burrowed themselves into your bloodstream...but he couldn't bring himself to put his shirt back, it wasn't like he would need to worry about that much longer...
"Dammit!" Lip kicked at the dirt, angry with himself, fatalistic thoughts would do him no good.
Though that would probably not make any difference...damn! Kicking himself for his stupidity Lip glared down at the ground and continued his little walk, his trigger finger itching within his pocket as he considered feigning some disease. Of course he couldn't more then consider it, he couldn't leave his brothers on their own even if he could fool Fourth...
It didn't feel right, he couldn't help but wonder if the others were right, that jedi were truly suicidal. He had always figured such talk was born out of bitterness and weariness with the war...but now it was hard to tell.
It...didn't sit well with his programming. While not specifically loyal with the jedi they were the foremost representatives of them out here on the battlefield...only chancellor Palpatine held a higher personal loyalty ingrained in Lip. To dislike their decisions left a sour taste in his mouth...he couldn't even imagine how it would feel for the others.
That thought got a snort out of him, no wonder they were grouchy at times...
Then he heard it, a soft whisper, so different from the hustle and shouted orders in the distance. "Breathe..." Looking around in confusion he found himself finding the two jedi in a most peculiar position.
Somehow the pair had found the only patch of greenery left in the entire camp, a small dot of green under a large light post. The rugged grass was flattened under the pair of jedi, both sitting cross-legged atop it, looking so serene that Lip had to look a second time to realise they were actually people and not a pair of statues.
The twi'lek was the one speaking, his eyes closed, he didn't even look as if he was speaking. Then the mouth opened to speak once more: "Sense yourself...every fibre of it...feel your pulse."
"Yes master." Came the curt reply, the woman next to the twi'lek had her eyes closed as well, forehead creased in a frown, and he could clearly see that she was breathing...a little faster than one would expect of a resting person. "And now...master?"
"Feel your heart...your mind...." Boc Fac took a deep breath, his closed eye twitching for but a moment.
Lip blinked, feeling an odd sensation run through him. As if...something ran through him, like a wind that he couldn't really feel. It was warm, calming...though he should have felt crept out by it...he couldn't bring himself to even worry.
"Done...master." There was a slight gasp in the woman's voice, as if she was exerting herself. Eh? Lip was sure he didn't get half of what was going on...yet he continued looking, fascinated.
"Now...the force...the texture of your very being..." The master muttered the words, looking so calm. The force...Lip still didn't understand what that really meant, it was something the jedi and 'normals' spoke of, something resembling a religion. Yet...meh...Lip didn't understand society, part of why he avoided it and stayed in the barracks...though that was extremely easy on posting like these.
"Y...yes master." Lip watched, fascinated by the bead of sweat suddenly running down Weela's forehead while she begun to pant. "I...I feel it."
"Focus on its edges, on the ends...and push inwards, draw it within yourself." Boc Fac smiled widely, for no apparent reason. "Good! Tighten your hold, focus....lock it fast...excellent!" Lip frowned, what were they talking about!? Weird jedi...it was as if they saw something he didn't, kind of annoying come to think of it...
"Y...es master." Weela gasped, her serene look fading as she wavered in her seat, hand straying to the side, ready to catch herself. It wasn't needed however.
Grinning widely the master of the two chuckled. "Oh do not worry try it a couple of times and it will lock fast on instinct, and it will soon become easier. Good work."
The other jedi smiled, her eyes fluttering up as her shoulders visibly dropped. "Thank you master. Will it become less tiring?"
"Yes, otherwise it wouldn't be very useful for you." Boc Fac shrugged, smiling. "Now remember to attempt it a couple of times before night-time, otherwise the journey will be too much for you."
Weela inclined her head. "Yes master, of course...will the stealth be enough to fool Dooku?"
"I believe so." Boc Fac's smile faded, face sombre. "Either way, I believe the risk is worth it. With Dooku captured we can end the war in one fell swoop...anything is worth it."
Lip flinched, the dread once more creeping up on him as he saw Weela look at her master, an odd look on her face. "Master...?"
"Anything." He said with an air of finality.
"Yes master." Weela bowed her head, though she didn't look happy.
Lip, suddenly thirsty, decided to leave for the barrack.
