Hello readers Once again I must apologise for my lack of activity but hopefully now that i'm all settled in, I'll be able to update more frequently Now on with the story. Also a warning there is apart of this chapter that is pretty brutal, I'll write in where to skip.
Chapter 17
Third Person POV
It had been decided that Ahsoka, Obi Wan, Anakin, and Arcee would accompany Optimus to locate and rescue Jack but on their way to the ship a seemingly random clone ran up behind them.
"Sir!" He said
"Yes solider?" Obi wan asked "How may I help you?"
"I'm Captain Collins." He said saluting. "I'd like to ask where you are going."
"We are going to rescue my padawan Jack Darby." Obi Wan said
"Jack?!" Collins said "Sir I request permission to accompany you!"
"Request denied." Obi Wan said "I'm sorry soldier."
"Sir please." Collins said Begged
"I see no reason why he shouldn't come." Optimus said
"Are you sure Optimus?" Ahsoka asked
"Yes." Optimus said
"Very well." Obi Wan said
"Thank you sir." Collins said saluting before climbing onto the ship.
When they reached the battle cruiser Optimus assumed his holoform and placed himself on the bridge, closing his eyes to let the matrix guide him to the key and to jack. he didn't move for ten minutes but finally his eyes burst open, he had found him.
"He is being held on this planet here." Optimus said pointing to a planet in the Dega system.
"This might be tricky." Obi Wan said "That planet is ruled by anarchy, the people there have no love for the republic."
"Do you know Jack's exact location on the planet?" Anakin asked
"No." Optimus said "His location will become clearer once we reach the planet."
"Collins." Obi Wan said "I'd like to know why you were so desperate about coming with us."
"It's because of what commander Darby did for me." he said
"What did he do?" Arcee asked
"He saved me from myself." Collins said
"In what way?" Optimus asked
"Sir." He said turning to Obi Wan, "Do you remember the battle of Oflin, when you and commander Darby were separated?"
"Yes." Obi Wan said "You were with jack correct."
"Yes sir." Collins said "This is what happened."
Flashback Collins POV
I couldn't believe this. Me a highly trained soldier was being ordered around by a child. I know he was a jedi but he hardly had any experience at all and still he was in command. I knew almost all of my brothers here felt the same way. We had been separated from General Kenobi by heavy fire. Currently we were held up in an abandoned factory trying to come up with some sort of plan.
"We need to find a way to get back to my master quickly and quietly." Jack said "The problem is that there are a lot of us, but we can't risk splitting up."
"I don't see the point." I said
"Excuse me?" Jack said
"Collins stop." Traps said
"No!" I said "We're going to die so I'm going to say what I want! This kid is the only reason that the ships are still waiting, not us, we clones are nothing more than cannon fodder, we're worthless."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Jack yelled. using the force to fling me into the wall and hold me there
"Sir what Collins said about you was out of line but-" Traps started.
"NO." Jack yelled "NOT WHAT HE SAID ABOUT ME I WANT HIM TO REPEAT WHAT HE SAID ABOUT HIM AND HIS FELLOW CLONES!"
"I said that we clones are nothing more than cannon fodder, we're worthless." I repeated wearily
"Don't you ever say that." Jack said
"But it's true." I said "There are thousands of us, we're all the same and replaceable."
"That's not true." Jack said
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!?" I yelled "I'VE SEEN COUNTLESS BROTHERS DIE IN THIS WAR, AND NONE OF THEM ARE EVER EVEN MENTIONED BY ANYONE ESPECIALLY THE JEDI! WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO REMEMBER THEM! THE JEDI USE US THEM THROW US AWAY WE'RE JUST LIKE THE DROIDS!"
"You really think that?" Jack asked
"YES!" I said
Jack just stared at me for a few minutes, then lowered by slowly to the ground, and began to speak.
"Traps, is the best sniper I've ever met." Jack said pointing to traps, "He also loves spicy food, the hotter the better. Nitro knows every form of combustion there is, he can a bomb out of practically anything, but he can't stand spicy food. Shane, can climb a 2 mile high cliff in under 10 minutes without climbing gear, and he also loves to listen the sounds of oceans from different worlds. Seeder over here doesn't understand why Shane loves oceans so much, to him there just big things of water and nothing else. Remmy is a great cook, and the best scout I've ever met."
Jack went on to list the skills of every clone present and no two had the exact same skills or interests.
"And finally, there's you Collins." Jack said "Your greatest skill is your ability to hack into separatist computer systems. And you love desert planets. Do you see where I'm going with this?"
I shook my head, What was Jack trying to say?
"If clones were just like battle droids, then you would all have the same exact skills, same interests, same everything. But you don't." Jack said "That means that you are all individuals with your own minds, dreams and fears."
I just stared at him open mouthed.
"That means that there is only one of you." He said pointing at me "In the entire universe. That means you have value. Never let anyone tell you different and never say it about yourself."
"But some of the jedi I've met looked at us clones like garbage." I said
"Then those jedi are idiots who are not only unworthy of the title of jedi, but they are also not worthy to scrub mud from your boots!" Jack said "And about that crack about the ships only waiting for me, that's wrong to."
"Sir?" I said not even realizing it but during his speech everyone of us had come to respect him.
"Now come on we need to get back." Jack said
"But we can't get back." I said "It's hopeless."
"Listen soldier." Jack said walking up to me again "You know as well as I do there's the mission. And the reason why you take the mission."
"Honor and duty." I said
"And Family." Jack said
"What do you mean sir?" I asked
"As I said my master is the only one on those ships waiting for me." Jack said "All of the clones are waiting for all of you. Which is why we need to do whatever it takes to finish this job and get back safely. Is that clear!"
"YES SIR!" We all yelled out saluting him.
"Good." Jack said "now let's come up with a plan."
End Flashback
"That is why I needed to come on this mission." Collins said finishing his story. "Jack saved me, so it's about time I returned the favor."
"You said it yourself Optimus." Anakin said. "Jack's a natural leader."
"Yes." OPtimus said as the ship dropped out of hyperspace.
"Optimus can you locate jack's exact location?" Obi Wan asked
"Yes." Optimus said "He is located here."
Optimus pointed at a facility in the middle of nowhere.
"Let's go then." Ahsoka said
Jack's POV
"Well jack." Vince said to me "Looks like we'll have to cut our time together short. Your friends are here."
I was too weak to talk so I just smirked at him In response Vince stabbed me with the electric prod again.
"AAAHHHH!" I yelled
"Don't think this means you've won jack you will be captured again and I will break you!" Vince said before activating his lightsaber, "And just so you know that."
After he said that he slashed downward, I yelled and then fainted from the pain.
Ahsoka POV
Taking the facility was easy with the help of Optimus and Arcee.
Suddenly we heard a scream of pain
JACK!" Arcee and I yelled running in the direction of the scream. When we broke down the door of the cell jack was in, we all stared in horror
Skip here
The floor was covered in blood both dry and wet, Jack had multiple gashes all over his body, some of which were still bleeding and others were oozing pus of some kind, his right leg was sticking out at a weird angle, clearly broken, the fingers on his right hand were bent out of shape, But the worst part of it was that Jack's entire left arm had been cut off at the shoulder and was lying dead on the floor. The wound was bleeding profusely, it looked like it had only happened moments ago.
Continue
"RRRRAAHHHHH!" Arcee yelled punching through the wall
"Arcee." Optimus said in his most commanding voice "Anger won't help jack we must get him back to the ship Collins and Obi Wan managed to retrieve Jack's lightsaber and key key to vector sigma but no one really noticed.
The ride back to coruscant seemed to take years. The med droid on the cruiser managed to stabilize jack and a bacta tank was already prepped for him. I didn't say anything I just stared down at jack's face, tears flowing down my cheeks, I just sat there remembering everything the two of us had been through together, the good, and the bad. When we finally made it back to coruscant, jack was immediately rushed into the med bay and placed in the bacta tank. All of jack's friends from earth were there but Miko and Raph were kept away so they wouldn't see what Vince had done to him, The guards tried to keep June out but they quickly realized their mistake, we heard the whole conversation.
"Sorry mam but you can't go in there only jedi and the autobots are allowed right now." One guard said
"I AM HIS MOTHER." June yelled her voice practically drowning in venom. "NO ONE KEEPS ME FROM MY BABY NOT EVEN YOUR JEDI COUNCIL SO IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, YOU WILL MOVE OUT OF MY WAY!"
The guards immediately let her in.
"Oh no." June whispered when she saw jack floating in the bacta tank, after that she just broke down in tears, Padme and I rushed to comfort her but we knew nothing we said would help.
"How long before jack regains consciousness?" Optimus asked Barris, (She had begun working in the med bay recently)
"With the amount of blood he lost on top of his injuries it could be weeks." Barris said
We all waited, eventually the autobots had to take Raph and Miko home, and after promising june and arcee that I wouldn't leave jack for a second and that I would contact them the instant he woke up they left too. So now it was just me, X and Collins. We tried to persuade him to go back to his other duties but he wouldn't hear of it, he stood guard over Jack with X. Padme, Anakin and Obi Wan visited as well even master Yoda came once, but each time they asked if Jack had woken up yet I would just shake my head. No he hadn't.
But finally our patience paid off. After two weeks Jack finally woke up, everyone was there June was crying tears of joy that her son had finally woken up. Everyone was happy, everyone except Jack.
"Jack what's wrong?" I said placing my hand on his right shoulder.
Jack looked at all of us with a horrified expression on his face and said "I can't feel my left arm."
And done, Jack had been rescued but the question is will he be okay? Find out next time! I will do my best to update other stories as well please don't be mad at me.
Until we meet again!
PrimusPrime Out!