The Imperial forces scattered and retreated as the canon roared, Caleb ducked under the barrier as a knife flew at his neck, someone was not happy. Galen and Kota hacked at the enemy and trapped them in no-mans land, they seemed to regroup in the centre before they rushed the Civilianist's line.
Their armour was too thick for just one shot to kill, they guarded their necks leaving only slight glances of flesh on show but by the time the Civilianists had fired the glimpses of flesh were gone. Two, nine, twelve Civilianists dropped like flies as they continued to rush. Knives flew and smashed into the mud as the Imperials pursued the last few Civilianist's left, bodies littered the floor as Galen cut down yet another Imperial behind him a bright vibrant green blade whirled against the treeline, white shells fell around Kota as he cut trooper upon trooper to bits. The dark leafs of the shortest tree were slashed with the last Imperial, as he fell the leafs littered his white and orange-clad form like a piece of art, gone wrong. Kota joined Galen as they hunted for stragglers, across the treeline to the left a squadron of white and blue troopers marched towards them with deadly rhythm to the rear black-armoured shadow troopers landed ships of reinforcements, the canon roared twice and blew one of the troop carriers off into the ruins behind.
"Boy we have to leave."
"No General. We have to hold this position, if we retreat they will have a foothold and most likely take the Solleu River and surrounding settlements."
"Boy, we are out numbered, there is too many of them for two Jedi and however many soldiers survived."
"I said no General."
"Your being stupid boy, why risk your men's lives on a suicide mission! Shout the retreat."
"No. I have to stay."
"Why? All that is here is a hill of dead men."
"They died to hold this place."
"And it will not be in vein! We need to retreat, regroup and launch an offensive."
"In an hours time there won't be any chance of even landing troops here, and we have not got the resources to deploy ships to take them down."
Kota grunted and whirled around the footsteps were getting more rapid and less uniformed, hundreds of footsteps or more. Kota may have been a Jedi in the Clone Wars but never had he risked that type of ratio.
"Boy, you've got to make the choice now, we are as good as dead if we stay."
"I can't leave."
"Why boy? It's just one foothold we will have it back by next month."
"Take the men back to base." Galen conceded.
"Boy, your coming with us aren't you?"
"I will be along."
"RETREAT, ALL MEN TO THE SHIPS, BURN THE BARRACKS." Kota shouted at the dozen men who still stood.
"Carry the wounded onto the transport, head for main base." Galen said softly to Kota.
"I hope you know what you're doing boy."
"So do I." Galen murmured
The ships took off, one filled with wounded and anyone who knew anything about medicine, the other protected it, the soldiers inside of it readied for further battle if necessary. A ship pursued them closely, it was unmarked and supposedly unarmed, they swerved into base camp in minutes, they landed on the small loading access and Kota rushed in to find aid for the wounded.
Galen searched for Caleb, he had felt the boys presence and he would not leave without him, he had checked the ships as they were loaded, no sign of him, so he stayed, looking, hoping and waiting to find Caleb no matter how long it took.
"SURRENDER!" Several troopers shouted at him, he ignored them, searched threw the rubble, decapitated any enemy that got too close and continued to search. Coughing, strained coughing came from the barracks, it blazed with flame as did the office tent. Galen covered his mouth and nose as best he could then rolled into the barracks with his lightsaber alight.
"Caleb?!" Galen shouted. No reply just more coughing greeted him.
"CALEB!" Galen shouted again.
Galen ran threw the main structure diving past flames but some burnt his skin and left horrible red blotches and blisters, he saw the body of a man, the chest rising and falling, the way the man was trying to pry the wall apart, he would have managed it too if he hadn't been so weak. Galens path was barred by flumes of flame, he tried to find another way around but couldn't. Hoping that the man was Caleb he sucked in some toxic air and walked threw, not feeling a thing as he did so, He focused and pushed out with the force, he blew the wall open just three inches above the man, he turned him over and found Caleb staring into his eyes, the boy coughed and Galen bent over and seized him from the redhot floor that had burnt Caleb's side and back. Throwing caution to the wind Galen jumped threw the hole only to fall from the extra weight, he got up, ignoring the red sticky blood that flowed down his leg and into his boot. He tossed Caleb over his shoulders and held him there as he broke into a run.
Cye prowled around the meeting room of the death star. Zoaski sat nervous to the table as Cye just paced.
"I-I-I'm really sor-"
"Shut it." Cye said almost as though he was actually experiencing anger.
"Marek to Kota, respond!" Galen shouted at his ComLink.
"Kota here."
"Send a transport to the university."
"Why?"
"I have wounded."
"Boy we can't afford to."
"I'm not asking, its a order."
"Of course, ETA fifteen minutes."
"Not quick enough, make it ten or lower, fastest ship we have."
"The quickest ship is a A wing, its only one seat though."
"ANYTHING FAST."
"Yes."
"GOOD Marek out."
Galen sat against a pillar holding Caleb steady as they waited together under the smoke filled sky Galen couldn't move and neither could Caleb so they waited over a mile from where they'd started they waited, and waited. Galen grew impatient and commed Kota every few minutes until a Navy, grey and white ship landed uncomfortably on the narrow street.
"Get in Marek." Target said with a smirk.
"Target! Help me with him."
"Aye Sir."
