Resurgence of the Crystal
Chapter 13: The Special Operations Squad
AN: I know I'm a week late from updating, but I'm back. Sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter makes up for it. More characters are to be introduced.
Thank you, kiyzinmaung2002, amazingkingxman, and Fluffyfox0 for following and favoriting this story.
Ekram stared up at the ancient gold statues that stood between the polished pillars of the massive hallway with bright, curious eyes. He'd never seen anything so luxurious before.
"No need to gawk at everything, blondie."
Ekram whipped his head around to see Rafe walking behind him, accompanied by Yuki. "What took you guys so long to catch up?"
Yuki averted her gaze to the floor. "Well…"
"Doesn't matter," Rafe said. "Just keep your head down, blondie."
"Huh?" Ekram asked. "Why?"
"Because nobody wants you here. You, me, Ember—we're not wanted here. We're outsiders to them. They don't even think we can wipe our own asses."
Ekram glanced around at the robed Jedi, who were all giving him and Ember looks of skepticism. "You're right…" he said, the corners of his lips dropping into a frown. "I'm not wanted by anyone."
"Then let that be your strength," Ember said, grabbing Ekram's attention.
"What do you mean by that?"
"There are trillions of species in the galaxy. Do you honestly believe a single person cares about you?"
"Wait, Ember, that can't be true," Yuki interjected. "We care about each other, right?"
Ember glanced back at Yuki. "Those are just our expressed emotions, which is someone's greatest weakness. In the end, when it's just us, we care more about our survival over anyone else's. That's just the nature of things."
If she truly believes that, then why did she save me from the Death Watch?
"We're here," Arakan said, stopping behind a silver door at the end of the hallway. "Yuki, watch over Rafe."
Rafe opened his mouth, probably about to say a snarky insult, then closed it.
"No need to worry about Rafe now, Master," Yuki assured Arakan. "He's with us now."
Ekram was suddenly reminded of the torture Rafe endured just to keep him safe from the mercenaries. Now that he thought about it, Rafe seemed to have killed that mercenary without any remorse, yet Ekram wasn't the least bit afraid of him. Will we ever be enemies?
"Get moving, brat," Arakan said, grabbing Ekram's attention. "The Council's not going to wait all day. We're wasting enough of their time as it is."
"R-Right!" Ekram stammered, drowning out his forced determination. "Yes, sir!"
Rafe rolled his eyes as he let out a low groan.
"Good luck!" Ahsoka said.
Ekram followed Ember and Arakan into the Council chambers.
Arakan stood in the center of the Council chambers, surrounded by the twelve seated Council members. They all had skeptical expressions plastered on their faces, but the casual way they leaned back in their red seats told Arakan that they didn't deem Ekram or Ember as threats.
"Who are these two?" It was Mace Windu who spoke up.
Of course he'd be the most skeptical. Let's just get this over with, then… Arakan let out a heavy sigh before speaking. "I found them while we were on Concordia and allowed them to stay with us."
"And what would be the point of that?"
"We're going to need everyone we've got for this expedition. Rafe, Yuki, and I can't do it alone."
"That's what the clones are for," came Mace Windu's stern reply, opening the furnace in Arakan's heart. The way Windu talked about how expendable the clones were infuriated him. "We don't need the help of two small children."
"How dare you call me a child?!" Ember yelled, lunging for Mace Windu.
As much as Arakan wanted to see her cut that authoritative look off his face, he couldn't allow it, so he grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back. "Just stand back and shut up."
Ember growled in annoyance, but didn't struggle out of Arakan's hold.
"This mission was authorized by the Supreme Chancellor," Arakan pointed out, "and since I'm Rafe's master, I should get to decide who goes on this mission." And it's not like any of you would risk your lives for Rafe.
"A Jedi matter, this mission is," Yoda said. "Concern the Chancellor, this does not."
"So you'd rather us go into uncharted territory and risk losing great casualties over bringing allies you don't trust just because they're not Jedi?"
"You found these two on Concordia, you said, Master Arakan?" Plo Koon asked.
Arakan nodded. "Yes. They helped us escape from the Death Watch." He wanted to add on to their achievements and further explain how they could be helpful, but didn't want them to be seen as liabilities to the Jedi. They were only kids, after all. They shouldn't have to get dragged into this war.
"How exactly can they help you?" Kit Fisto asked. "Are they Force-sensitive?"
"No," Arakan said. "But the girl can fight, and the boy is very intelligent. He can come up with an effective plan instantly. We're going to need all the intel we can gather for this expedition."
There was a tense moment of silence as all of the Council members looked around in deep thought. Arakan had a feeling he knew what they were all going to say, but he didn't care. He was going to take Ember and Ekram with him no matter what.
"I think the more you take with you, the better," Obi-Wan said.
"I agree," Plo Koon said.
Several nods came from other Council members.
"It's settled then," Mace Windu sighed. It was obvious he wasn't in agreement. "You two will accompany Arakan and his squad on the expedition." He leaned back in his seat, as if he was relieved this meeting was finally over. "May the Force be with us all."
"What's taking them so long?" Rafe asked as he paced back and forth along the hall with crossed arms.
"Well, this is a unique matter, so the Council might not know what to do," Yuki pondered. "We just need to wait and let Master Arakan handle it."
"Right, that went very smoothly last time."
Rafe's doubtful sarcasm made Ahsoka's anger rise, but she still somewhat agreed with him. He proved he was on their side numerous times, especially since he saved her down in the Underworld.
"Ahsoka!"
She snapped her body around to see Anakin walking briskly towards her, the crease between his eyebrows telling her he wasn't happy.
"Where have you been?" Anakin demanded.
"I was with Yuki and Master Arakan," Ahsoka explained. "We had to rescue Rafe."
"What happened to him?"
"He was captured by some mercenaries, but we managed to rescue him and escape."
"You guys weren't hurt, were you?" Anakin sounded concerned now. "Master Arakan protected you, right?"
"Don't worry, Master," Ahsoka reassured Anakin. "We're all fine." Although, Rafe was pretty roughed up. But he does heal fast.
Anakin sighed, sounding relieved. "That's good to hear. You all did the right thing by going on your own instead of coming back to the Council." Anakin's gaze shifted to Rafe. "You look like you got roughed up pretty good."
"It's not as bad as it looks," Rafe said.
"What did a bunch of mercenaries want with you, anyway?"
Rafe averted his gaze away from Anakin. "Money, I guess."
"Well, you're all in one piece. That's the important thing." Anakin looked ahead at the entrance to the Council chambers. "What are you guys doing over here, anyway?"
"Master Arakan is speaking with the Council to persuade them to get our friends to come on the expedition with us," Yuki explained.
Anakin's eyes widened in curiosity. "Friends? You mean like more Jedi?"
"They're these brats we found on Concordia," Rafe said.
Ahsoka had to bite her lower lip to force herself not to smile. She didn't know why Rafe's dry humor was so amusing. Probably because she'd never heard anyone speak like he did before.
Anakin's eyes narrowed. "So they're a part of Death Watch?"
Ahsoka opened her mouth to reply, but Rafe interrupted her.
"They're just two kids trying to survive like me. If you lot can take me in and train me, then why can't they be taken in?"
Anakin looked out of the window to his right side, deep in thought. "This expedition you guys are going on, it's about that crystal of yours, right, Rafe?" He looked back to Rafe.
"That's what I'm aware of, yes."
"Then I think it would be wise to bring as many allies with you," Anakin said. "You're most likely going into uncharted territory, so who knows what you'll encounter out there."
Ahsoka lowered her head. Speaking about the upcoming expedition really excited her, but she knew she couldn't go. She was needed with Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"Why the long face, head tails?" Rafe asked.
Ahsoka met his gaze with hollow eyes. "It's nothing… Good luck with your expedition. I hope you find the answers you're looking for."
Before she could walk away, the doors to the Council chambers opened, and Arakan, Ember, and Ekram walked out.
"Master Arakan," Anakin greeted. "How was you're meeting with the Council?"
"Some of them approve of these brats tagging along with us," Arakan grunted.
"That's good news, then, isn't it?" Ahsoka asked, a little confused as to why the cloaked Jedi Master seemed upset.
Arakan looked at her and nodded. He then turned his attention to Anakin. "You have a well-trained apprentice, Anakin."
"Well, she learned from the best," Anakin said with a cocky smirk. "So, when are you leaving for the expedition?"
"A few days. I need to pick out a squad of clones to take with us."
"Right… You don't have your own squad of clones… I'd offer the 501st over to you, but the Council will never allow that." Anakin looked off to the side, then back to Arakan, his blue eyes flashing. "We've got some new recruits. Why don't you oversee their training and determine which squads you want to bring with you."
Arakan eventually responded after remaining silent for a few seconds. "That's actually not a bad idea… I'll oversee the clones' training. But they have to be proficient in long-distance communication. We're going to need a widespread formation with different forms of communicating certain situations if we want to pull this mission off."
"Master Arakan, they're clones, I assure you, they can pull almost anything off," Anakin assured Arakan.
"If you say so," Arakan grumbled, then walked off, followed by his two apprentices.
Ahsoka could only smile with pride. It never ceased to amaze her how effortlessly Anakin could come up with a plan on the spot.
"That man is a complete mystery, huh?"
Ahsoka looked up at her master. "Yeah… But I'm glad he's on our side…" She thought of Rafe and Yuki and everything they went through down in the Underworld. "I'm glad they're all on our side."
Arakan was walking up to his starfighter, but stopped when he heard someone call his name, and turned around to see Anakin. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm coming with you," Anakin said.
"I'm going alone. You need to stay here and watch over Ahsoka."
"She'll be fine."
"Why do you even want to come?" Arakan asked, getting annoyed. He didn't like wasting time.
"Because that apprentice of yours, Rafe… he reminds me of myself when I first joined the Jedi Order." Anakin's eyes exuded nothing but sympathy and sincerity.
Arakan sighed, seeing no other way to get Anakin off his back. "Fine. You can tag along. But we're just going to observe the clones' training and how effectively each squad works together."
"You got it!"
And with that, the two Jedi boarded Anakin's light freighter—the Twilight—and took off into the skies.
Kamino was as rainy and wet as ever. Arakan could barely see out of the freighter, but it wasn't really a bother since his eyes were so attuned to shitty weather conditions.
Several Aiwha flew out from the roaring waters below. Arakan knew they were the only creatures that inhabited Kamino besides the Kaminoans, so he wasn't worried about being ambushed.
They landed on a landing deck and exited the freighter, pulling the cowls of their cloaks over their heads to provide cover from the ice-cold rain.
A Kaminoan was already standing behind the entrance when they walked inside.
"It's a pleasure to see you, Master Jedi," she greeted. "I am Taun We. What brings you all the way out to Kamino?"
"We're here to observe some of the clones' training," Arakan said, getting straight to the point.
"Actually, would it be alright if we can get a tour of this place before we do that?" Anakin asked. "And please excuse my friend here, he's a little… unsociable."
Arakan just kept his gaze on Taun We, but he wanted to glare at Anakin for opening that charismatic mouth of his. He was only here for one thing and he didn't want to waste any time.
"I can arrange a tour for the both of you," Taun We said, nodding her head slightly. "Follow me."
Arakan followed behind Anakin and Taun We as the tall Kaminoan guided them through the large facility. He just silently observed the identical clones as they ate in the mess hall, performed basic studies on computers, practiced their aim with a blaster on the shooting range, as well as their hand-to-hand combat.
"If I may ask, why are you interested in the individual squads' training?" Taun We asked.
"We just want to see how much they're improving," Anakin quickly responded, then turned around and winked.
Arakan just internally groaned. He appreciated that Anakin wasn't completely open about their true motives, but he wasn't fond of how charming he was trying to be.
"This is where we run all of our battle simulations for each squadron," Taun We said as they entered through the doors, revealing a massive room filled with nothing but metal barriers, and the black-tiled floors inclined and declined in several different areas. She turned around to face Arakan and Anakin. "What kind of clones are you looking for?"
"Reconossaince," Arakan said. "Those are the kind of people I work best with."
Taun We nodded. "Very well. I can get you a squad of clones down here for you to observe."
"Hey, Arakan, are you sure you want to bring a bunch of cadets with you on this expedition?" Anakin asked in a low whisper. "I mean, sure, they're most likely trained for what's about to come, but are you sure they're going to be ready when they're fresh out of training?"
"This was your idea, genius," Arakan pointed out. "It's not too late to lend me a small squad of the 501st."
"You already know I can't do that."
"Then keep your mouth shut and watch."
Soon enough a squad of ten clone cadets entered the room.
"We're going to need a lot more than just ten clones," Arakan said.
"It's not like they can hand over a hundred clones to you, Master," Anakin said. "And besides, aren't you just doing reconnaissance? Your job would just be harder the more people you have, right?"
Arakan sighed, agreeing with Anakin. "You're right. I guess a squad of ten will do…" He looked down at the clones below him. "Run a practice simulation."
Taun We looked at him. "With all ten of them? We usually run these simulations with only five clones."
"They need to be able to work together. Now run the simulation," Arakan urged.
"Very well. Start the Citadel challenge, version THX, variable 3347."
Several stun blasts were suddenly shot from the blasters along the walls of the Citadel and from the droids that approached the clones, who took cover behind the metal barriers.
"Deactivate the droids."
"What do you mean 'deactivate the droids'?" Anakin asked. "That's the whole point of this exercise."
"This is going to be my squad, so I'm going to train them my way," Arakan said with narrowed eyes, silently daring Anakin to argue.
But the young Jedi knight conceded. "All right. I understand. Nothing wrong with being unorthodox. Anything can happen out on the battlefield."
Arakan looked back down at the clones, who were making their way to the Citadel. "You're right. Which is why they need to be ready for anything."
The droids stopped shooting, clearly confusing the clones.
"What's going on?"
"I thought this was supposed to be difficult?"
"Then you better not fail this time, Dash."
"This is command. You must break through enemy lines and take the tower."
"Comlink just relayed orders to—"
"We all heard the orders, Link!"
"Stop calling me that, Fang," Link snapped.
"Stop repeating every order!" Fang snapped back.
"Hey, yapping squad, why don't you start blasting?!"
"What squad are you supposed to be, then?!"
"I like that. The yapping squad. Maybe we can yap these chrome domes to bits."
"Enough with the jokes, CT- 3290!" Dash exclaimed. "Let's get a move on!"
CT-3290 just chuckled. "Jokes… Joker, that's not a bad name."
"Let's push forward to the Citadel!"
The arguing squad of clones started moving in towards the Citadel in the far center of the arena. They focused their fire on the blasters up in the far corners of the walls.
"Don't break formation, you brickhead!" Fang yelled, but the clone just kept pushing forward, neutralizing most of the stun blasters.
"Just follow my lead!"
"He's clearing a path. I'm moving in."
"Wait, Flash!"
"Don't worry, Flash, I'll keep you covered!"
"Not you too, Crusher."
The two clones chased after the other squad, followed by the remaining three clones of their squad.
"Ace, watch out!"
Said clone whipped his head to the side, widening his eyes as a stun blast flew towards him. But before it could make contact, the stun blast was shot away. "Thanks for the assist, CT-1100."
"Oneshot. The name is 'Oneshot'."
A stun blast flew towards Oneshot, who ducked at the last second, avoiding the attack.
"Right, because you only need one shot to get yourself killed," Ace said, rolling his eyes.
"Push ahead," the last clone of their squad said, suddenly appearing behind them.
"Don't scare me like that, Ghost." Ace ran ahead with Oneshot, followed by Ghost, and they regrouped with Crusher and Flash.
"Everyone! We need to follow orders!" Link called out. "This doesn't look like an ordinary practice test."
"Blast it, Link, will you shut up about orders already?!" Fang exclaimed. "Last I checked, you're not in charge."
"They're teamwork isn't very good," Anakin commented.
"I can see that," Arakan said. "And they don't even have battle droids to worry about."
"Why did you even want two individual squads working together? They can't even work together in their individual squads."
"Because I need two squads of clones for this expedition."
Anakin looked back down at the clones. "Do you think they're going to make it?"
"Let's find out," Arakan said. "Activate the battle droids."
The battle droids from the top of the towers started shooting automatic rounds, and the droids that approached the clones on foot started shooting as well.
"Now they give us a challenge?"
"What's the matter, Fang?" Dash asked. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
"Damn it! I can't shoot anything from here! I'm pushing ahead!"
"Wait, Brick, we need to follow orders!" Link said after Brick and Dash ran ahead, but was then shot by a stun blast, knocking him to the floor.
"I told you to stop blabbering about orders," Fang told Link, but was then stunned as well before he could regroup with Dash and Brick.
"The one they call Link never adapts to the situation," Anakin commented. "And Fang just starts arguing with him. They're total opposites."
Arakan remained silent.
Brick continued to push ahead, shooting down every droid in his path.
"Hey, big guy, behind you!" Crusher called out.
Brick turned around to see two droids approaching him, but before he could shoot them, they shot him, followed by Crusher.
"It looks like Brick prefers to do things on his own," Anakin said.
"When you abandon you're teammates like that, you all end up dead," Arakan said.
"Crusher!" Flash cried, flipping sideways over both of the droids and shooting them down with his blasters.
"I'm alright, buddy," Crusher reassured Flash. "Just keep going!"
Flash ran behind a barrier to his left, taking cover.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Dash asked accusingly. "Hide with your own squad."
"At least I still have a squad," Flash retorted. "Three of your guys are already taken out."
"Well, I'm not gonna be next!" Dash got to his feet and ran ahead, shooting any droid that was in sight.
"Break left!"
Dash looked at Flash. "What?!"
But before Flash could explain further, he was stunned along with Dash.
"Poor communication will also get you killed," Arakan said, the disappointment in his voice growing more noticeable.
"It looks like we've got a clear path," Ace said, peeking above the barrier he and Oneshot were hiding behind. "You go, I'll cover for you."
"Don't be stupid," Oneshot said. "I'm a better shot. You go."
"No, you."
But before either of them could decide, they were both stunned by two droids, and they grunted as they hit the floor.
"I'm really not so sure about these guys, Master Arakan," Anakin said. "You can't argue like that on the battlefield. Well, let's see how the last two do…"
Arakan narrowed his eyes when Joker's blaster was shot out of his hands.
"CT-3290, catch!"
Joker caught the blaster Ghost threw to him and took out the approaching droids, while Ghost took out a knife and charged at the droids behind them, but was eventually shot down.
"I guess we were all blown to bits, huh?" Joker chuckled, then collapsed to the floor when he was stunned.
"Please don't waste your time, Master," Anakin said. "I can talk to the Council—"
"Losing faith in your squad will also get you killed," Arakan interrupted. He narrowed his eyes as he continued to look down on the clones, who were starting to recover. Ruhk... Thalo... is this what it felt like for you?
"Computer, end exercise for Alpha and Camo squads," Taun We said, then pressed a button on the computer. "99, please send the cleaning crew to the training ground."
"Yes, Mistress. Right away."
"Come on, Master Arakan," Anakin said. "Let's go."
Arakan took one last look at the retreating squads.
"We almost had it this time," Fang grumbled.
"Well, considering we had an advantage in numbers, we should've made it," Link pointed out.
"If only Camo squad wasn't getting in our way…" Ace muttered, earning a chuckle from Oneshot.
"Sorry for the mess, 99," Ghost said.
99, an old, hunchbacked clone, looked up at Ghost. "Oh, it's no problem. I'm sure you boys will get 'em next time."
And with that, Arakan left the training room.
Arakan managed to sneak off to the clones' dormitories, where he was currently listening in on their conversation.
"Don't beat yourselves up so bad," 99 reassured the clones. "Most clones pass the final test."
"Yeah, but not all of us, right, shortie?" Fang chuckled.
"Come on, guys, if we just follow orders, then maybe we could pass," Link said.
"I think it went rather well," Joker said offhandedly, leaning against his pillow with his hands behind his head.
"Quit joking around!" Fang yelled up at him.
"Hey, would you lot stop arguing over there?!" Flash yelled.
"And this is the one time we can get some rest, so I don't want to listen to you bad batch arguing," Ace added.
"Care to repeat that, Ace?" Brick asked in a dangerously low tone, then hooked his right fist into Ace's cheek.
"That's it! Get 'em, Brick!" Dash chanted.
"Teach that know-it-all a lesson!" Joker added.
"Hey, get your hands off Ace!" Oneshot said, getting in between Ace and Brick, but only ended up catching a punch from both of them.
Arakan sighed before approaching the clones. "All right, that's enough! Knock it off!"
All of the clones just stared at him, visibly confused by his sudden appearance.
"If you would all focus on fighting droids rather than each other, you might stand a chance out on the battlefield," Arakan continued.
"Sorry, Master Jedi," Brick said.
"Don't apologize. Words are meaningless. Your enemies are programmed to kill you. So put your words into action and pass the damn test."
"You expect us to pass with these rejects?!" Dash demanded, pointing at Alpha squad.
"I expect you all to work together."
"And how do you expect us to do that?" Fang asked.
"Are you stupid?" Arakan asked in annoyance. "You learn each others' strengths and weaknesses, both on and off the battlefield. Listen, I need two individual squads to take with me for a future reconnaissance expedition, and I need everyone in those squads to be able to work together. I'm going to make sure you all pass." Arakan turned on his heel and made his way out of the barracks. "Training starts in an hour."
Arakan made his way up onto the balcony, overlooking the training grounds, but stopped when he saw a tall Togruta in dark brown robes standing behind the railing. "General Shaak Ti?"
Said Jedi turned around to face Arakan. "Master Arakan. How is your search for a squad of clones going?"
Arakan stood next to her. "Cut the bantha crap. You know how it's going. If I don't take them under my wing, they're not going to make it out of here. They'll just be another bad batch."
Shaak Ti looked down at the training grounds, which the clones just entered. "Well, I admire your determination to help them. How much work do they need?"
Arakan just crossed his arms. "Just start the program and you'll see for yourself."
The program started and the clones were off, hiding behind barriers and shooting the droids that approached them.
"Wait, why are their two squads in training?" Shaak Ti asked. "Why aren't they training individually?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"Dash, you flank left, I'll flank right!" Flash called out.
"You're not the boss of me!"
"Come on, guys, we're all on the same side," Joker said, then chuckled. "Get it, the same side, huh?"
"Just push forward to the Citadel!" Brick said, then ran ahead.
"They seem to be doing all right," Shaak Ti commented.
"Throw something unpredictable at them and they'll fall apart," Arakan said. "I need them to expect the unexpected."
"Joker, behind you!" Dash called out.
Joker turned around, but was too slow to react, and was stunned.
"Man down! Man down!" Ghost shouted, running over to Joker. "I think he's injured!"
"Just leave him!" Fang said. "We're almost there!"
"But—"
"Move it, soldier!" Brick shouted.
Ghost took one last look at Joker before running ahead to the Citadel.
"Hey, I think we're gonna make it this time," Crusher said.
But right after those hopeful words left his mouth, an alarm started ringing.
"I think you spoke too soon, mate," Flash said.
"That would be putting it mildly," Arakan said, approaching the clones. "You broke formation, disobeyed orders, and most importantly, you left a man behind."
"We're sorry, sir," Brick said.
"You want to feel sorry?" Arakan pointed at Joker. "Feel sorry for the brother you left behind and is now dead." He used the Force to pull Flash's blaster out of his hand. "Understand how it felt for Joker." Then, one by one, he started stunning each clone. "Come on, go help your brothers."
The clones just looked at each other, then were suddenly pushed away with the Force.
"Run it again."
Ekram opened his eyes, rolling on his side. He saw Rafe breathing heavily on the floor. "Rafe?"
No response.
"Rafe, wake up," Ekram said a little louder, but still got no response. He got out of the bed he was sleeping in and knelt next to Rafe, shaking his shoulder lightly. "Come on, Rafe, wake up."
When he got no response, Ekram ran out of the dormitory and down the hall. He stopped to make sure nobody was watching him, then made his way to the female dormitories. Before he could even figure out which one to look for, there was a dagger being held in front of his throat.
"Twitch, and I open your throat."
Ekram internally sighed. It was only Ember. "Ember, it's me, Ekram."
Ember dropped her hand, releasing Ekram. "What are you doing all the way over here?"
Ekram just remained silent, still trying to catch his breath.
"Well, you are that age, I guess."
"What?! N-No! You've got the wrong idea, Ember!" Ekram stammered, holding his hands up. "Something's wrong with Rafe and I was going to get you and Yuki."
Ember looked away, and to Ekram's surprise, she actually looked scared.
"I'll go get Yuki," she eventually said, then walked back into her dormitory. She soon walked out with Yuki.
"What's going on?" she asked, rubbing her droopy eyes. She then caught sight of Ekram. "Ekram? What are you doing over here?"
"Just follow me."
Ekram then led the two to Rafe's dormitory.
Rafe was standing in the middle of what looked like a graveyard. The blazing red sun burned his pale skin, but there was a different presence that bothered him. He looked around to see several tombstones, then walked over to one and glided his fingers over it.
Suddenly, crimson ashes appeared from the tomb, revealing a dark creature, the only describable feature about it was their skull-like mask and their glowing yellow eyes. "Who dares awaken Darth Karnage?"
Rafe just glared up at the Sith. "Who the hell are you? And where the hell am I?"
"This is the Sith home world: Korriban," Darth Karnage said. "But now, it's just a graveyard for the most ancient and darkest of Sith Lords."
"Funny. I was told the home of the Sith was Morriband."
"It was known as Korriban in ancient times."
"Just tell me what I'm doing here," Rafe demanded.
"You're here to learn the truth."
Rafe scrunched his eyebrows together. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You are now in possession of the Ruling Crystal," Darth Karnage explained. "With it, you have the power to control any Force user, but with great power, comes a great cost."
"Which is?"
"The cost of your own life force."
"So the more I use the power of the Crystal, the more I drain my own life."
"Yes."
"How do I destroy it?" Rafe asked.
"You need to destroy it where it was created," Darth Karnage said. "In the deepest depths of the Sith Temple here."
"Well, it's good to know the Sith can be of some use to me."
"Be careful, boy, that Crystal will be your undoing."
Rafe ignored the Sith's warning and walked away.
"Why's he sleeping on the floor?" Yuki asked.
"He said his bed is too soft," Ekram said. "But I think he's having a nightmare. Look at how much he's sweating."
Yuki knelt next to Rafe and placed the back of her hand against his forehead. "He's as cold as ice."
Ekram looked at Yuki. "Is this normal?"
"I don't know."
"Just wake him up," Ember said.
"Wait, let's not be rash," Ekram said, growing worried. "What if he can't be woken up?"
"Only one way to find out." Ember walked over to Rafe.
"Hold on, Ember," Yuki said, holding a hand out. "What exactly are you going to do?"
"I'm going to wake him up." Ember then lifted her leg up and stomped the bottom of her foot on Rafe's chest.
Rafe suddenly lurched forward like a missile as soon as his eyes shot open, gasping for air as if he were drowning.
"Ember, that's too far!" Ekram reprimanded.
"He's awake, isn't he?" Ember said.
"Rafe, are you okay?" Yuki asked softly.
Rafe looked at her. "Yeah…" He glared up at Ember. "You're gonna regret that, fire face."
Ember just closed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"So, what happened?" Ekram asked. "Were you having a nightmare?"
Rafe looked at the floor, recollecting what he just saw. "Well, I wouldn't really call it a nightmare…" He looked up at them, eyes narrowed in determination. "But I know how to destroy my Crystal."
Arakan watched the clones fall yet again as he stunned them with a blaster. "You all still don't get the lesson, do you?"
"Well, our orders are to get to the Citadel, so I think we understand the lesson quite clearly, sir," Link said.
Arakan pushed Link back several feet with the Force, not even bothering to look at him. "Wrong." He looked at Fang. "You're always arguing with him, so what do you think the lesson is?"
"Well, I'm not exactly sure since it's not getting to the Citadel," Fang said.
Arakan clenched his fist as he felt his anger rise, but restrained himself from attacking Fang the same way he did to Link. "Do any of you have the damnedest idea of what I'm trying to teach you?" he asked the clones.
They all just looked at each other, muttering "I don't know's" and "Not sure's".
"It's so obvious," Arakan growled. "Teamwork!"
"You mean, we have to rely on each other to get passed enemy lines to make it to the Citadel?" Dash asked.
Arakan suddenly used the Force to lift each of the clones up in the air. "Have you all learned anything during your time training with each other? Teamwork doesn't mean relying on someone. It means using your strengths and skill sets to achieve a common goal. And in this case, you have to combine your efforts to make it up to the Citadel." He released his hold on the clones and they dropped to the ground, all panting. "Now run it again."
Ghost was lying awake in his bunk, his hands clasped together over his abdomen. He'd been recollecting all of the times he and his brothers had to attempt to make it to the Citadel, but no matter how many times they tried, no matter how many times General Arakan harmed or lectured them, they couldn't do it.
So what are we doing wrong? All of the other squads have passed their tests flawlessly, so why can't we do it?
Ghost turned on his side, letting out a tired sigh. But he wasn't tired. All he could do was think about what they could do to pass the Citadel test.
He got out of his bunk and walked out of the barracks.
"That you, Ghost?"
Ghost turned around to see 99. "What do you want, 99?"
"You're not going AWOL, are you? Your squad needs you."
"To me, it seems like they'd rather fight each other than droids," Ghost said. "At this rate, we're never going to graduate."
"Well, remember what I said earlier, most clones graduate," 99 reassured Ghost, but it didn't do much.
"Not bad batches like us. We're all too stubborn to properly function both individually and as a squad in the military."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up so bad, Ghost. I know you boys have what it takes to pass. You just have to work together."
Ghost shook his head. "That's the problem. We can't work together. I honestly don't understand why General Arakan is so adamant about passing us."
99 took a step closer to Ghost. "Maybe he sees something in you guys. I do."
Ghost turned fully to face 99. "And what is that?"
"Leaders. ARC troopers, perhaps. You boys have what it takes."
"I'm no leader, 99," Ghost scoffed. "Every time I tried to get my squad to do something, they just ignored me."
"Then maybe you need to show them that you're capable of leading them like General Arakan wants you to do."
Ghost averted his eyes to the floor. He too believed that actions spoke louder than words, but his squad only barked and never backed any of their words up.
"You boys will be fine," 99 assured Ghost. "I believe in you all. You're my brothers, after all." He then walked off, leaving Ghost alone with his thoughts.
Arakan was overlooking the training grounds, which was completely empty since it was the middle of the night and everyone else was asleep. At least, he thought everyone was asleep, but he was proven wrong when he heard someone call his name from behind.
"Master Arakan? What are you doing up at this hour?"
Arakan didn't even need to use the Force to sense that it was Anakin who spoke. "Just needed to clear my head," he said.
"Is everything all right?" Anakin asked, walking over next to Arakan and leaning on the railing.
"They're not going to pass."
Anakin looked at Arakan with a puzzled expression. "What?"
"The clones, they're not going to pass at this rate," Arakan repeated.
"You can't give up yet. You did everything you could to help them."
"And they still can't make it to the Citadel," Arakan sighed, tightening his grip around the metal railing until his knuckles whitened.
"Well, all you can do is trust in the Force."
Trust in the Force…
Arakan didn't like putting his hopes in prayers. He believed that you had to do something to get what you wanted.
"Don't worry, they're going to do fine," Anakin assured Arakan, then walked out of the training grounds.
The clones took the elevator up to the training grounds, looking surprised to see Arakan waiting for them when they arrived.
"General Arakan, what are you doing here?" Link asked.
"Yeah, aren't you supposed to watch us fail?" Joker added.
"I'm here to watch you pass," Arakan said, which seemed to surprise the clones even more as they stared at one another with raised eyebrows and narrowed eyes. "I have been hard on you all, I'll admit that, but that's because I need to know that you all have what it takes to survive on the battlefield. You're all very different and similar in many ways, so compliment your strengths and weaknesses and work as a team to get to the Citadel."
The clones looked at each other rather warily, and to Arakan's surprise, seemed to be in agreement.
"The General's right. We can only do this together," Flash said.
"You got that right," Crusher said.
"Any orders you want to repeat, Link?" Fang asked.
"Not today," Link replied.
"We all know what we need to do," Ghost said.
"Let's win this thing!" Brick shouted, earning battle cries from the rest of the clones.
Arakan walked closer to the Citadel and used the Force to jump all the way up to the balcony above, meeting up with Anakin and Shaak Ti.
"That was quite the speech you gave them, Arakan," Shaak Ti mused.
"Yeah, they look more determined than ever," Anakin commented. "I have high hopes that they're going to pass this time."
Arakan just kept his eyes on the ten clones.
"Start the Citadel challenge, version THX, variable 3747," Shaak Ti said, and suddenly, several stun blasts were being fired from the droids.
"Move!"
The rest of the clones moved in sync with Brick, all hiding behind the barriers.
"All right, our squad will take the right wing, you five take the left, then once we make it to the Citadel, we'll regroup. Watch each others' six. Let's do this!"
The rest of the clones roared in approval and separated.
"Fang, on your left!" Link warned.
Fang looked in said direction and shot the droid down, then turned to give Link an ingratiating smile. "Thanks, brother."
Link smiled. "No problem, brother.
"Hey! Leave the praising for later!" Flash called out. "We've still got the Citadel!"
The two separate squads grouped up, taking cover between the walls of the Citadel.
"All right, prep the ascension cables," Ghost said. "Let's scale this thing."
The clones all went to find their ascension cables, but something wasn't right.
"Hold on. Where are the cables?" Ace asked.
"They're not on our belts," Link pointed out.
"And I thought things were getting easier," Joker groaned.
"What now?" Flash asked. "We can't scale the face without them!"
"We can't complete the test if we can't make it up to the Citadel," Dash said. "We'll fail, for sure!"
"What happened to their ascension cables?" Shaak Ti asked, sounding suspicious.
"Their missing ascension cables isn't the problem they need to solve," Arakan said.
"What did you do, Master Arakan?" Anakin demanded.
"I gave them the chance to prove that they're among the best; that they're ready for anything that comes their way on the battlefield."
"So, this is it?" Crusher asked hopelessly. "We get this far and can't even finish?"
"No, not exactly," Oneshot said, grabbing the other clones' attention. "You see those guns up there?"
"Yeah. How are they going to help us get up to the Citadel?" Fang asked.
"We can use them as leverage to scale the face."
"Use the guns?" Dash exclaimed. "Are you crazy?"
"Trust me. I know weapons," Oneshot reassured the clones. "Ace and I will draw their fire, you guys blast them."
With determined nods, the rest of the clones blasted the guns that scaled the face of the Citadel, while Ace and Oneshot took cover behind a barrier, drawing the guns' fire towards them.
While Ace and Oneshot provided cover, the rest of the clones used the now-defused guns to scale the face of the Citadel, eventually making it to the top. Ghost grabbed the greenlit pole and waved it in the air, silently cheering with the rest of his brothers.
"We did it!"
"Yeah!"
"I knew we could do it, boys!" Joker said.
"Hell yeah! We made it!"
"Arakan, your actions have brought out the best in these cadets," Shaak Ti noted. "I haven't seen such adversity since Domino squad. They will make a great team under your leadership."
Arakan accepted Shaak Ti's praise with a nod, then left the training grounds.
"Congratulations, you've graduated. At ease."
The squads of clones planted their feet shoulder-width apart with their hands resting behind their backs.
"ARC trooper, here I come!" Flash declared.
"In your dreams, pal!" Dash said.
Arakan, who was standing off in a concealed corner, spotted Ghost approaching the clone called "99". He couldn't help but feel a warm sense of pride calm his usually enraged mind. Ghost didn't speak much, but when he did, he got things done. Arakan was sure he would turn out to be a well-respected leader.
"You were right, after all," Ghost told 99. "About everything."
"I heard you were all leaders out there," 99 said.
Ghost shook his head. "No leaders. We're all just one, united team. And that includes you, 99."
A grateful smile graced 99's lips. "The army's lucky to have a clone like you, Ghost. You'll make your brothers proud."
Ghost returned the smile. "Not as lucky as I am to have a brother like you. If it weren't for that speech you gave me last night, I might have given up before the test even began."
99 looked at the floor, frowning. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, then… Ghost ships out and 99 stays here…"
Ghost placed a gentle hand on 99's shoulder. "We'll see each other again. I can promise you that."
99 smiled, then watched as Ghost regrouped with the rest of his squad.
"So this is the famed Jedi Temple, huh?" Ace mused.
"Don't get too attached," Oneshot advised. "You're gonna be on the battlefield most of the time."
"Looks more like a monument than a Temple," Joker said.
"I guarantee it was a monument in ancient times," Link said.
Arakan just let the clones go on with their banter as he led them inside the Temple, where he was greeted by his two apprentices, Ekram, Ember, and Ahsoka.
"Master, you're back," Yuki said, sounding excited.
"No need to point out the obvious, softy," Rafe said.
"So, these are the clones that are accompanying us on the expedition?" Ekram asked, his blue eyes darting between each clone. "Don't you think we'll need more?"
"We'll have more," Arakan reassured him. "Just let me handle it."
"Why isn't it already handled?" Ember asked. "What the hell were you doing all this time?"
Arakan closed his eyes, restraining himself from glaring at Ember. "I had to test these clones to make sure they had what it takes to keep you brats alive out there." He looked at Rafe. "Now we just need to figure out where we're going."
"About that, I might have an idea," Rafe said.
Arakan raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"The Crystal was created on Morriband. And it needs to be destroyed."
Arakan was now confused. This entire time he'd been trying to discover what that Crystal was, and now Rafe was saying it needed to be destroyed. Was he really just wasting his time? "Why?"
"Because it's not just an ordinary Crystal," Rafe continued. "It drains the users' life the more they draw from its power. What that power is exactly? I don't know. And I don't really give a shit, either way. All I know is that we can't let it get into the wrong hands."
Arakan glanced down at Rafe's lightsaber. Does it really need to be destroyed? What will happen to the boy if we do manage to destroy the Crystal? And the cost of its power is a drain on your own life. Thalo's and Ruhk's corpses flooded Arakan's mind, but he shook them away. No. I'm not going to let this brat's life end for some just cause. Not again. There has to be another way.
"Everything okay, Master?" Yuki asked, breaking Arakan out of his thoughts.
"Everything's fine," Arakan assured her. He looked at Rafe again. "How did you find all that out about your Crystal?"
Rafe averted his expressionless eyes to the ground. It was clear he wanted to hide the information. "...I had a dream," he eventually said. "A Sith named 'Darth Karnage' told me about it."
Arakan didn't trust a Sith one bit, but he knew Rafe had that dream for a reason. It could've been the Crystal guiding him to its creator. That was the most logical theory after hearing what Rafe said about the Crystal.
He shook all of the possibilities away, then stood in front of the clones and his apprentices. "Next week, we set out for the expedition to Morriband! This is possibly the first expedition for a kyber crystal in the history of the galaxy, so we're going in completely blind. We need to prepare in every possible way. While we're just going to be scouting to see what we can find, our top priority is to keep casualties to a minimum. Understand?"
"Yes, Master!"
"Yes, General!"
"We are officially the Special Operations Squad of the Jedi Order and the Grand Army of the Republic. So prepare for war."
To be continued
AN: I did not expect this chapter to turn out this way. I originally planned to focus the chapter around Rafe's dream, but figured it would be too drawn out and unnecessary. And I could've just easily grouped Arakan and the others with the 501st, but didn't want to be lazy. This is my story and I love creating new characters to fit the plot. I hope you all like the clones I created.
And I know this chapter could be seen as a copy of the Clone Wars episode "Clone Cadets", but I tried to incorporate some of my own ideas, like Arakan taking responsibility for the clones and personally training them.
As for Darth Karnage, I guess it's said that he actually exists in the Star Wars universe, so I decided to add him in because the plot is finally focusing on Rafe's Crystal. I hope you are all liking these characters of mine because there's going to be some more introduced in the next 20 chapters or so.
And I know I haven't really introduced what powers the Crystal gives Rafe, but there needs to be a cost. So Rafe can either be super overpowered at the cost of his life, or he can just refuse to draw on its power. But what's war without consequences, right?
As always, thank you for reading. See ya!