Cody slowly moved forward, knowing he was alone with his closet man a good thirty meters away. He had an odd number in his squad, so he had opted to not have a partner. He knew any moment now he could run into a droid scout or squad and for some reason that scare him today. He tried to shake off the foreboding feeling, but it was always there.
Something moved in front of him and he froze, gun ready. Everything was quiet, too quiet, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end as out of the storm stepped not one but three magna droids.
"I have three magna droids in vector five," Cody spoke calmly as the droids slowly moved around him, their weapons ready. Cody moved back and one of them leapt at him. "I'm under attack!"
The only answer he got was static. Cody shot at the droid, blowing its head off, but he knew from experience that the droid was far from dead and there were still two more. A second one jumped in, tackling Cody. He was able to get his gun around and blow out its chest but not before he felt the burn of the droids weapon on his chest. He grabbed the stick and threw it at the first droid as he struggled to get free of droid number two. It landed true, dropping the droid as the weapon sliced through the droids chest. One down, two to go.
Cody was able to get free of the second droid, but as he stood, droid number three struck. It swiped across Cody's back, slicing though his armor. Cody cried out as he fell. The second droid jumped at him, but Cody got his pistol out in time to blow off its head. Cody turned to the last droid, pistol ready, but the droid kicked it away, snapping Cody's wrist. It grabbed Cody by the neck, lifting him up as one more figure moved out of the snow.
"If it isn't Kenobi's pet clone," Dooku smiled evilly. "I was going to let Ventress play with you, but my droid is having more fun. I think I'll let her have that little brat Skywalker calls an apprentice."
"You won't win," Cody gasped as he struggled to get free of the droids iron grip.
"The same lame lines as your general. Pity, I thought you were smarter than that. Oh, well, what more could you expect of a clone?" Dooku sneered. "Finish him."
With that, Dooku left, leaving Cody and the droid in the middle of a snow storm. The droid dropped Cody as a voice filled Cody's mind," Sound the bugle now, play it just for me. As the seasons change, remember how I used to be. Now I can't go on, I can't even start. I've got nothing left, just an empty heart."
The droid stabbed its one clawed foot into Cody's leg, his red blood mixing in with the white snow. The voice continued to sing," I'm a soldier, wounded so I must give up the fight. There's nothing more for me, lead me away... or leave me lying here."
Cody fought the pain back as he tried to reach one of his men. He realized the voice that he was hearing was his own. Sound the bugle now, tell them I don't care. There's not a road I know, that leads to anywhere. Without light feet I will, stumble in the dark. Lay right down, decide not to go on."
The droid finally moved so that it was over his chest. Cody's entire body hurt and he could see was bleeding from all over his body, but he didn't know where the wounds had come from. A strange voice, not his own, female, filled his head," Then from on high, somewhere in the distance, there's a voice that calls remember who your are. If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow, so be strong tonight…remember who you are. Ya you're a soldier now, fighting in a battle, to be free once more! Ya that's worth fighting for!"
Cody nodded, grabbing hold of the droids weapon as it stabbed down ward. He shoved it back up, running the other end through the droids chest before he stabbed it through the head. The droid stumbled back, then fell. Cody gasped, he was still alive! He tried to sit up, but fell back as a wave of pain hit him. He was alive, but for how much longer?
