His feet pounded on the dirt as he ran head long, his chest heaving, the Force going with him and keeping him from collapsing as he tore against the plain before him.
He grabbed at the cylinder on his utility belt and wrenched it from its holding, flicking the activation plate causing the blue beam of pure energy to burst from the hilt.
He snarled as he pounced, swinging his lightsaber through a droid that was before him cleaving it in two.
Blaster bolts shot at him as he deflected with a sweeping arch of blue energy causing them to return fire towards the droids. He watched as they crashed down, crumpled in the dirt, holes glowing in their metal chests.
"Come on, with me!" John yelled waving his lightsaber around his head dramatically, gesturing to the gathering Republic forces. It seemed like the right thing to do in his current youthful and adrenaline soaked state.
"Stop them!" He swung his saber out and pointed it towards the enemy forces that were charging at him in wave upon wave.
Republic blaster bolts flung at the enemy forces mowing them down, hitting them repeatedly, causing bellows of pain and frustration, the sparking and exploding of droids.
John deflected easily the few enemy bolts that came his way, flicking his lightsaber deftly causing the blasts to plow them into the ground.
Troops were falling all around him on both sides as the two forces continued to close with one another.
He sighed and took a few deep breaths, steeling himself for the rest of the action.
He leapt again at a small group of enemies. Swinging his saber out left and out right sweeping through two droids he noticed a third opponent, an officer, who raised her blaster pistol.
He was faster.
He plunged his active blade into her stomach as she fell to her knees, shocked, and then fell over and into the sand and the dirt.
John watched her fall, looking at her face as the life drained from her features. He set his jaw and stared at the cold lifeless eyes.
His emotions boiled up within him. He did not want to be here…she reminded him of Sora.
"GET DOWN!" John turned just in time to see a Republic Omega commando tackle him to the ground, just before he would have been cleaved in two by a blaster bolt.
"Young Jedi, you really need to be more careful." The Omega Captain offered picking him up.
"Thank you." John replied, shaking his head. He went for his lightsaber and discovered it was missing. He searched around panicked, but found it quickly through the Force and summoned it to him.
He scanned the area with young eyes, though they were becoming accustomed to combat, too accustomed. He sighed again.
He had to concentrate and noticed…the enemy running. He did not dare to believe it until a shout confirmed it.
"They are retreating! The enemy is retreating!"
A cheer arose from the soldiers around the area as they were grateful to hold the day.
John smiled and nodded at the Captain, "I trust that you can secure the area?"
The color drained from the Captain's face as he tried not to look insulted, but his feelings positively smashed into John's psyche through the Force.
John panicked for a second wondering what he had said wrong.
"Oh sorry," he blushed remembering. "Sir, I am still trying to get used to the rank system…heat of the moment."
The Captain grinned relieved. "It's OK young Jedi, just keep your head down, I think you will make a good soldier yet."
John pondered that, but decided it was not worth thinking about too hard. "Thank you for saving my life Captain."
He ran off before the man could respond.
Medical Clinic
He approached the medical clinic, entering the main tent where he nodded to the aide who was sitting monitoring the entrance.
She nodded back at him obviously recognizing him, and smiling all the way.
He went through the open tent to the waiting area and stopped up short.
It stank.
It smelled of death and decay. The dead and wounded people, emitted the stench of burned and decaying flesh, John crinkled his nose before moving on, making his way slowly through the cots and the moaning patients.
He wandered for a few minutes, hoping the reason he was here was not in surgery.
But he saw her, well her back, as she was scrubbing down at the out area of one of the triage tents.
He walked towards her, but she turned around curiously at his presence, she smiled as soon as she saw who it was.
He smiled back.
"Hey." She greeted hugging him friendly before letting go.
"Hi." He responded chagrinned. "How are you holding up?" He asked before his mind could go off down a path that he did not want to entertain right now.
"About as well as can be expected, when the Alliance hit us in many places we had to rush forces in a panic. But the Republic did not give us major medical supplies. It's a challenge even doing basic triage, having to use a lot of Force." She explained gesturing around the entire area.
He looked around and frowned being depressed by this information.
"Maybe the Republic will be sending more supply ships soon?" He offered hopefully to her.
She turned back to him staring with her eyes into his, and then barked a harsh laugh her shoulders shaking a bit. "Unlikely, we are a backwater planet on the edge of the battle line. Unimportant and forgotten, leaving us here to fight, and get hurt, and heal, and die."
She bit her lip and sighed, a sad sound, leaning into him slightly. "I am sorry. I will continue to try and do my best." She scowled. "I just wish that this damn siege will end!" She looked at him guiltily "Sorry…but that is more your department then mine."
He frowned, though deep down he was grateful for the distraction and to get back to 'military' matters rather than how screwed they were.
"I don't know…the enemy base and command structure is still shielded…and we do not have enough heavy weapons available to us to punch through." They traded a sarcastic look based on their previous conversation.
She sighed. "Well I have to get back to work…I have twelve patients that look like they are barely hanging on that need attending to. Stay safe for me John o-"
He did not hear the rest of her words as a warning through the Force pierced through his consciousness putting his body on edge.
"Down!" He barked grabbing her by the shoulders from behind and forcing her to the floor.
Blaster bolts pierced the thin material of the tent and crashed into the containers and other medical equipment. Sora screamed in fear and frustration.
He leapt up and grabbed his Lightsaber, turning it on and flinging through the hole that had now pierced the tent.
And into hell, yells and screams of shock greeted him as Republic soldiers and enemy forces rushed to one another.
He deflected a burst of bolts aimed at him and put them right back to their shooters.
He rebounded one behind him right at another droid sneaking up on him, and then leapt.
He dove right into another droid who tried to shoot him, he glanced the bolt right into its leg and then beheaded it with a back sweep from his lightsaber.
He started to run, drawing the fire away from the wounded and the clinic.
He ran until he saw a behemoth rise from the ground before him. An Alliance Juggernaut, their most powerful ground vehicles, two of them.
One fired, flinging large balls of plasma at him, and one at the clinic. He looked over at the medical tent, Sora was there, as were a thousand Republic soldiers. He had to save her…them. He clipped his lightsaber back to his belt and then held his hands out. He desperately called his emotions to his mind to redirect the blast, he did not know if he could do this. But he had to try, even if it meant his own life. Finally the plasma began to move, incrementally at first, before moving to slam into the ground away from the clinic.
The other one he bounded, at the last second, it exploded behind him, the blast wave smashing into him causing him to skid on the ground.
He hurt everywhere, but got up with a grunt. He got up and dusted himself off, the caked on dust that clung to his robes. He felt immensely satisfied with himself that he was able to save everyone, Sora, the soldiers, and himself. He turned his lightsaber back on and charged.
"Target the Juggernauts, bring them down!" He heard over the command net.
An Ion cannon turned and faced one of them and fired, it was stopped in its tracks as the body came to a stop and the weapons unfocussed.
"This is Lt. Zaun, I am approaching one of the Juggernauts need support."
"Coming Lt." His com responded.
He watched as several Republic soldiers began to gather around him in a knot. One of them was carrying a missile launcher.
"Sergeant," He said waving the man over. "Aim right at one of its plasma launchers we need to concentrate on getting those out of commission first."
"Yes sir." The man nodded while acquiring the section. A tone sounded and off the Missile went.
It hit the Juggernaut right on target blowing the weapon into its component pieces. John looked at the wreckage grimly satisfied before waving his saber around again and pointing it at the Juggernaut.
"To me!" He yelled for emphasis.
The soldiers rushed with a yell and a cheer getting into position to try and take the behemoth down that was glooming up before them.
Blaster bolts started to hit the ground kicking up dirt and sand, eventually soldiers started to fall with holes glowing in their chests, their helmets rolling away.
John spun around and faced the Juggernaut, and saw that a turret towards the top of the thing was raining down fire from its position.
He summoned a burst of Force energy and pulled back and across with his hand. The gun went swiveling in that direction and began to fire skyward.
Another rocket finished it off.
John darted to the other canon that was powering up for another strike, dodging blaster bolts as both sides shot towards him. Some to protect and some were attempting to skewer.
He relied on his speed and endurance instead of his developing skills with a lightsaber to try and win the day.
He closed on the Juggernaut's other weapon canon and began to cut it off. After it fell to the ground with a thud he looked around again and saw the Omega Captain take a shot at the cockpit probably trying to kill the pilot. He must have succeeded because the thing lurched suddenly before going into a final stop.
John caught his attention and then gestured around the other side of the Juggernaut. The Captain nodded in reply.
John ran around the other side. He slammed the activation plate for the door home and unleashed a blast of Force energy knocking the three remaining soldiers off their feet.
The Captain came in and fired three quick bursts, the bolts flashing in the pitch darkness.
John joined the Captain as they around the other side and looked at the crippled war machine. All the battle damage and the war scarring of the enemy machine making it look quite beat up and war torn.
The Captain smiled at him, "you thinking what I'm thinking?"
John turned a regarding eye to the vehicle once more taking it in. He smiled when the thought occurred to him. "Why yes Captain, I believe I do."