It was brilliant plan time.
Raid, Twitch, Shock, Awe, and that other clone, Diego, jogged towards a group of around thirty men gathered in a semicircle in front of the gunship. Varying from standing, to kneeling, to sitting on logs and the ground, they all were focused intently on a single man pacing before them, helmet off. The five newcomers quietly entered the group as Captain Keeli began speaking.
"Alright troops, I'm sure you've been wondering how we intend on turning the Separatist forces back for a while now. I'm afraid I'm going to be very blunt; we can't."
A stir rippled throughout the assembled soldiers, muttering or shaking their heads in disbelief. Keeli waited for them to quiet before continuing. "Our air support is gone, and Admiral Dao is dead. We've been pushed to the limit with both flanks collapsing one after the other. Many of our brothers have lost their lives, and between critically dwindling supplies and munitions, we can't protect ourselves and the Twi'lek civilians in our charge. We have only one gunship, but it won't be able to ferry us all out before the enemy arrives, so General Di has come up with a plan. We will place it in the left pass with all of our remaining mines and larger explosives, while rigging the canyon to collapse. As the Separatists enter, we'll blow it, leaving them only one, narrower approach. That's where we will make our stand."
"Our stand, sir?" A shiny asked from Raid's left.
Keeli smiled sadly, heaving out a sigh. "Our priority is to protect the people of Ryloth from the CIS, so as Syndulla, his men, and their families scale the cliffs in the back, the General and I will be holding out for as long as possible. I won't order any of you to aid in the defense; we'll be throwing everything away. No retreat." He paused to let the reality of what he was asking of them to sink in. Silence reigned as each trooper pondered the strategy. Raid felt his throat constrict at the thought of not returning to Kamino ever again. No more pranking the other squads, never seeing another sunrise. No more helping Twitch set up his armour properly, no more flight simulations with Shock and Awe.
Raid thought back to the worried faces of the Twi'leks; all of the children under their care. When they had landed on Ryloth, the men of the Garrison had all sworn to protect the planet to their dying breath, on their honour as Soldiers of the Republic. Now was the time to follow through on their oaths. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward out of the crowd, standing stiff and straight. He was joined at his side by Twitch, then Shock and Awe. Every other trooper in the Garrison stepped up and stood at attention. Their Captain looked them over with a look of regretful pride, setting his face in determination.
"You have all fought well, and I couldn't ever express my pride in words. I am deeply honoured to have served with such noble comrades during this campaign and wish it hadn't come to this, yet it has, and what is there left to do but square up our shoulders and put them to the wheel. We will go down with blasters in our grips and make our brothers proud as sons of the Republic!" The assembly let out a shout, raising their fists and shaking them high.
When the ruckus died down, Keeli donned his helmet and gestured towards the troops. "Alright men, prepare yourselves. I've had the Twi'leks divide what they need from our weapon supply. Load up on whatever is there. I want it dispersed evenly while every trooper is armed to the teeth. We're going out with a bang. Shock, Awe, I need you two to get the LAAT into position and place the charges on the mountainside. The ship is already loaded with the explosives necessary. You'll be detonating it from a distance then returning for the battle. Understand?"
"Yes sir!" They replied in unison, instantly dashing for their gunship. The rest of the troops began marching for the centre of camp, Raid in the midst along with Twitch and Diego.
"Not what I was expecting, but still awesome," Diego said.
"Which part," Twitch quizzed. "Dying in a blaze of glory or that we're all so committed?"
"That we're saving the Twi'leks," he responded, giving them a sidelong glance. "This is the best way I think a trooper can go out. It's what we were bred for."
"I'm glad I'll meet my end with you boneheads," Raid joked. "I trained with you, it's only fair we finish our tour of duty side by side."
"Amen to that," Twitch agreed.
"Enough wishy-washy," Diego said. "Let's go get loaded up. Captain said armed to the teeth, and I intend to do just that."
"Hold still sentient," the medical droid begged in an almost exasperated voice. Joystick watched as Shuriken did the exact opposite, swatting its hands away. The trio had found themselves in the med bay of the Resolute not long after their brief conversation with Master Skywalker. Joystick lay back on a bed, cleared to leave yet waiting for Shuriken to be finished antagonising the robotic doctor.
"I can bandage it myself, you know," he grumbled, pushing the droid back. "I am a sniper; I know how to treat my own wounds."
"Just let DX-4 do his job. He can get... unpleasant if you don't; trust me," Vaughn called from his seat beside the doorway, smirking at Shuriken's discomfort. The clone grumbled as he allowed the humanoid droid to wrap his head in a strip of gauze.
"Stop being a butt to the droid, you grump," Dusty taunted. Having finished his check up, he was sitting on a medical table swinging his legs like a little kid. He had already 'accidentally' broken two syringes, four jars, and a lamp, and had found himself all but forced to remain in one place by DX-4 who had threatened to utilise a thing of anesthesia.
"You are clear to leave," DX-4 announced, stepping back from Shuriken. "Now please, get out of my medical bay." Joystick could've sworn it had glared in a robotic way at Dusty, who had just hopped down, spilling the various surgical tools from a nearby side table as he stumbled into it.
"Thanks DX," Vaughn said as they all left. Walking down the halls, they made their way towards the hangar. "I have no idea where you've gotta go now," Vaughn confessed, holding a lift for them to pile in.
"I'm not sure either," Shuriken shared, adjusting his helmet onto his freshly bandaged head. "General Skywalker never said what we should do after getting checked up." Vaughn hit a button as the lift closed and went down.
Joystick cleared his throat. "Speaking of Skywalker, you sure acted odd around him, Dusty. What was up?"
Dusty looked astonished. "What was up?! That was Anakin Skywalker! The best pilot in the Open Circle Fleet?"
"Well, I was the best pilot in the Outer Rim Garrison and you never geeked out about it," he huffed with faux pride.
"Pfft, you're nothing compared to General Skywalker!" Vaughn and Shuriken snickered at the argument. "I can't imagine being able to serve with the Chosen One!"
"It is something," Vaughn admitted as the lift stopped and the door began to open. "The General is a very brilliant man, and also somewhat unpredictable."
"Yes, he is." The troopers were startled when the door revealed the young Togruta padawan.
"Commander?" They all asked in unison, stepping out.
"Call me Ahsoka, it's fine," she waved them to follow her. "I was coming to find you, but you did me first."
"Do you... need something?" Shuriken asked as they walked beside her.
She shrugged. "Not really. I'm kind of bored right now, and since the Skyguy is occupied, I thought I'd hang with you guys." She looked at Joystick, and he realised she was examining his sign from the ship. He was still carrying it around. Ahsoka giggled. "'Kiss my Butt?'"
Joystick smirked, brandishing it proudly. "The last thing for tail-chasers to admire before I blast 'em to bits."
The group laughed a little. Ahsoka turned towards the other troopers. "Do you know how the rest of your unit is doing?" Silence dominated the hall for a brief moment as the question caught them off guard.
"I don't know," Shuriken answered softly. "I hope they haven't given out yet, or worse."
"I hope Anakin convinces the Council to hurry up and send help," Ahsoka said grouchily. "Those windbags can take so long to do things sometimes."
"I hope so too," Joystick mumbled, thinking about his many friends in the Garrison. "I do hope so."
Raid shuffled in place, crouched behind a tall boulder. He checked and double checked his carbine, making sure it was armed and ready. The rest of the Garrison was arrayed across the narrow approach into the centre of the valley.
About thirty minutes ago, Shock and Awe had detonated the gunship, collapsing the only other entrance to the valley. It had made a spectacular boom, and the plume of dust still hung about in the distance. Since then, the Twi'leks had evacuated, taking with them the meager remains of the food and supplies. Jedi General Ima-Gun Di, a Red Nikto, had come with the troops to take their position. While they set up, he meditated in the back. Raid wished he could find such peace. Instead, his gut twisted, and his heart pumped fast. He had been trained since birth for combat, and part of that was accepting that one day he would be laying his life down in defense of others. Still, nothing on Kamino had prepared him for the grim certainty that came with such a desperate deployment.
Diego passed by, muttering something about tinnies slow as hell. All the troops were nervous, knowing this would be a fire fight of thirty-seven men and one Jedi versus an unending army of droids. The delay before the inevitable was too much to bear. It was almost a relief when they arrived. Almost.
What started as a dull thrum in the distance gradually rose in volume until the pounding of the approaching droids echoed off the walls of the valley. Raid bit his lip, quickly checking to make sure the HUD on his helmet was calibrated. Shock scurried down beside him, a carbine in hand.
"This is excruciating," he whispered, crouching down beside him. "They're right there, over the little rise. I kinda can't wait to get into it, you know? Rather fight than await death."
Raid nodded. "You and me both. All of the..." he trailed off as he saw General Di walking over, docile lightsaber in his hand. "Looks like it's time."
"Steady," the Jedi said, marching past them, his brown robes fluttering slightly in the wind. "Remember, we have to buy as much time for the Twi'leks as possible."
"Yes sir," a trooper said from across the way. Raid recognised him as the same shiny from earlier.
General Di stopped just out of sight behind the rocks and trees the Garrison used as cover. All was quiet aside from the tramp of doom. This was it; Raid held his breath, ready for the signal to attack. Time crawled by at the pace of a rot grub, each second taking an eternity to pass. Suddenly, Raid heard a lightsaber ignite, and the voice of their Jedi General rang out, loud and clear, full of bravery and determination: "For the Republic! For the Twi'leks!"
Whipping around the rock, Raid instantly sighted hundreds of battle droids approaching their positions. He pulled the trigger with his gloved finger, releasing a blue bolt of energy which found its mark on the forehead of a B1. The droid collapsed as its comrades began firing. A wave of red lasers flew by, over and to the right and left. The clones all let loose, with no regard for ammunition nor any notions of retreat. Raid judged that Shock held his finger on the trigger, taking advantage of the continuous fire of the carbine, because of the quick bursts of fire flying from behind him. Raid opted for a more accurate method, taking each shot with a target in mind. Dozens of droids were piled up before the first clone trooper went down. Slowly, but surely, Raid noticed his brothers being felled, left and right.
"Shock, we should reposition! They're getting too much-" His sentence died in his throat when he looked behind himself and saw his friend lying on the dirt, a wisp of smoke trailing from him. When had he gotten shot?! He went down silently! Diving beside his fallen brother, he checked his neck for a pulse, ignoring the bolts of red energy streaking by mere inches away. He felt the thump of Shock's heart, meaning he wasn't dead... not yet. Raid couldn't do anything about it though, falling back into cover as the number of allied fighters dwindled. He picked off a B2 with a good headshot before dashing backwards to a new position. The General was twirling and swinging his blue bladed lightsaber nearby, deflecting red bolts back at the shooters. "We have to buy as much time for the Twi'leks as possible," his voice rang in Raid's head. Roaring, the trooper stood and held down the trigger, going rapid-fire on the enemy combatants. He had barely felled three droids when his weapon suddenly bucked out of his hands, impacting the face of his helmet with incredible force. Consciousness was instantly lost as Raid tumbled back, the last sensation he felt was the ground beneath his collapsing body.
"... and that's how it happened." Joystick adjusted a bolt on Mate as he finished retelling his exploits above Ryloth to Ahsoka, who was listening enraptured to his flamboyant tale.
"I don't recall the purrgil," Shuriken said sarcastically, grunting as Vaughn beat him in an arm wrestle atop a crate.
"That's because you were too busy whinging in the backseat," Joystick teased, prodding him in the knee with a wrench.
"Must be fun to fly a fighter like the ARC," Ahsoka said wistfully, patting Mate who hummed appreciatively.
Dusty regarded her curiously. "You're a Jedi, padawan to a top pilot. Don't you fly?"
"I do," she defended, sitting up straight. "I just haven't been let into combat like you have."
"Trust me, little princess, it ain't fun," Shuriken grumbled, rubbing his bicep.
"Don't call me princess, and it would be better than being stuck training all day."
"Whatever." The sniper plopped down beside Joystick.
"Can't you, I dunno, reschedule?" Dusty asked. "I mean, as clones, we can't skip a training exercise, but can't Jedi be more flexible?"
"Pfft, you don't know what ancient order you're talking about," Ahsoka snarked. "They are so stingy and strict sometimes."
"Giving our visitors a sample of what I've taught you, Snips?" Ahsoka whipped around, her three lekku flapping like hair. One of the head-tails smacked Joystick in the face.
"Gah! Watch out for flying snakes!"
"Sorry!" Ahsoka apologised quickly before turning back to her master. "Anakin, I was just-"
Skywalker chuckled, holding up a hand. "Don't worry about it, Snips. No harm done." He cleared his throat. "My outspoken padawan is right though. The Council is sometimes very stringent, which occasionally leads to delays in necessary action. Thankfully, I have learned that Humanitarian aid has reached Ryloth, and the Separatist blockade was penetrated." Joystick, Dusty, and Shuriken smiled, exchanging relieved looks.
"How soon can we be redeployed?" Shuriken asked.
"Yeah, I've got some bragging to do to Awe," Joystick chuckled. His mirth died once he saw the regretful look on Anakin's face. "What happened?"
"We got a message from Cham Syndulla, leader of the Twi'lek resistance. He informed us that the Outer Rim Garrison has been wiped out."
Joystick was speechless, which was an event that never before had occurred. Wiped out?
"How many survivors are there?" Dusty asked, eyes wide.
The General shook his head. "I'm sorry, there were no survivors; not even the Captain or the Jedi Master assigned to the Garrison. They all died in a final defensive, screening the civilian evacuation."
"No..." Shuriken couldn't even finish. Ahsoka looked between the troopers with a mixed expression of concern, sadness, and sympathy. Vaughn looked completely distraught at the news that his brothers had died, though probably never having met many of them.
"I can't believe..." Joystick choked up, thinking about all of his lost friends and companions. Dusty sat back, blinking as if having just woken up for the first time.
"They... they will pay dearly," Shuriken swore in a whisper.