It's kind of weird to walk around a warzone when everyone you look at knows who you are.

Hevy wonders if this is what it's like to be a Jedi, or someone much more high ranked. He can practically feel the eyes of the whole battalion on him everywhere he goes, just like he had on the ship during the first few days after the chip reveal.

On his way to visit the medbay tent and see Del he catches men eying him curiously as he walks past, glancing at him quickly and nudging companions when they think he isn't looking. Everyone knows Domino squad, now, and while most brothers are content to watch and wonder from a distance there are some that have no problems with marching straight up to Hevy and asking him for details.

Hevy tries really hard to remain patient with those men. It makes sense that they'd still have questions, and that they'd want updates. After the sixth time he's stopped, however, he can't help but grit his teeth. He doesn't have any updates. The only thing he knows is that the situation has been put on hold until the Geonosis campaign is over, and it's annoying to have to explain that over and over again.

It's difficult to keep his frustration under control, because every single time he thinks about the chips his blood starts to boil. The mere mention of them makes him clench his fists in anger. When men groan in disappointment and irritation at not receiving any news sometimes Hevy wants to yell, because do they not think he's just as anxious for things to be fixed?

Fortunately, most of the men are much more polite and understanding. It's the ones that complain that grate on Hevy's nerves. He uses those confrontations as practice for keeping his temper in check, for making sure his head stays clear as he talks.

Fives has told him time and time again that one of Hevy's weaknesses is that he lets his strong emotions cloud his judgement. Frustration makes him reckless, desperation makes him clueless, anger makes him blind, and so on. Hevy had known that already, but he hadn't cared enough about it to change anything until the day Del dropped him to the ground within seconds of their match during their first sparring session.

It was a humbling experience, to say the least.

Hevy, at least, thinks that he's improved a lot since then. Even though the temptation to go off at the ruder men is strong, Hevy forces himself to think before he makes a move. Sometimes that means he has to pause for an awkward second, but hey, at least he's trying.

Hevy comes to the conclusion that the men who are abrupt and impatient are the most afraid. He can empathize with that. The unknown is a scary thing. The destruction of what little free will they have is worse. Hevy has his chip out, but there are millions that don't, and they can't do anything except wait and ask for updates.

Those thoughts help him to calm down, just a little bit. It's still hard, but most of the confrontations occur without incident.

Del looks glad to see him when Hevy finally arrives at the medical area. The sergeant is propped up under a tarp that's been set up to keep the injured out of the sun. Hevy takes his helmet off and grins as he sits down next to him.

"How're you doing, Del? What's the verdict on the ole' leg?"

Del snorts. "Sprained a ligament near my knee, apparently. It wasn't too bad at first, but I made it a heck of a lot worse by running around on it after."

Hevy winces sympathetically, eying the large bacta patch on Del's knee. "Is that gonna be enough?" he asks. Del's expression sours.

"No. There's no way. The bacta has to seep down to the bone in order to start repairing anything, and it's not working nearly fast enough."

Hevy sighs.

"It's only been a day, Del."

"One day is a day too many," Del groans. "The exterior bacta won't be enough, anyway. I'll probably have to be submerged to recover fully—either that, or just wait for it to heal naturally. Regardless, I won't be coming with you to the factory."

Hevy frowns. "I'm sorry, Del."

Del shrugs. His expression is annoyed, but also resigned.

"It could have been worse. I'm upset that I can't be there, but I know you guys will get the job done."

"We'll do our best," Hevy reassures him. "Don't worry, sir."

In the brief moment of silence that follows, Hevy's eyes drift to the sleeping figure on the thin cot a few feet away from Del. Hevy frowns.

"How is he?" he asks Del grimly. Del follows his gaze and sighs.

"Flak… is in a lot of pain," Del answers. "They've been knocking him out pretty quick after he wakes up each time, so I can't really say. The painkillers don't do much to help. He's a lucky one, though. If anyone can pull through it'll be him."

Hevy nods in solemn agreement. It had been a relief to find out that the surviving Juggernaut had gone back for the pilot after the Separatists had retreated during the initial charge. There's a light blanket covering the pilot's legs so that the worst of the damage is hidden, but even in drug-induced sleep his breathing is slightly uneven. Hevy winces in sympathy.

"What are they doing for him?"

"Not much, as far as I know. I don't think there's much they can do. From what I can tell, it's pretty bad. I don't know most of the details, but it's sounding like he needs proper medical facilities, not a simple field patch-up," Del says.

"Is it bad enough that he won't be able to fly?" Hevy asks quietly.

Del shrugs. "I don't know."

"It could be worse, though," Hevy points out in an attempt to remain optimistic. "He could be dead."

Del shakes his head.

"For a pilot, not being able to fly is just as bad."

He's right. Hevy takes a deep breath and hopes fervently that Flak will be able to recover.

His wrist comm goes off then, chirping too cheerfully for the sober atmosphere. Hevy picks it up quickly.

"Hey, Hevy. Where are you?" Cutup asks.

"With Del," Hevy answers. "Why? Do you guys need me?"

"We will in a minute. Can you make your way over here soon? It's not super urgent, but we need to talk about some stuff."

"I'll head over," Hevy replies, and shrugs in apology at Del. The sergeant waves the apology off as Hevy hangs up.

"You're fine, Hevy. Go prepare. You'll need it."

"Thanks, Del," Hevy says, offering him a smile. "Someone else will come by to visit later. I promise we won't leave you alone with the medics!"

Del chuckles tiredly as Hevy makes his way out.

"You'd better not!" he calls. Hevy waves at him and starts to make his way back to the rest of Domino.

Fives sits Domino squad down as they crack open ration packets for a late lunch.

"Alright," he says quietly, glancing around to make sure no one is near. "Let's go over the briefing of what we know should happen next."

The camp around them is alive with mechanical sounds as clones go about making repairs and preparing for the upcoming battle. No one overhears as Fives recounts his memories of the march on the droid factory. Hevy listens carefully. He doesn't want to miss a single detail.

Fives tells them about the arrival of General Unduli and her padawan, which the 501st as a whole already knows about. The 212th and the 21st have been relocated elsewhere on the planet, while the 501st and now the 41st are tasked with taking down the primary droid foundry. Fives also tells them about the march right up to the front doors, about the padawans sneaking in through the tunnels, and the supertanks. When he's finished, Cutup raises his hand tentatively like he's still a cadet in a classroom.

"So… the Commanders get buried, and there's nothing we can do to help them?" he asks worriedly.

"General Skywalker and General Unduli were able to get them out last time," Fives replies. "I really doubt we've changed anything enough to make that not happen." Cutup nods in acceptance, but he's still frowning.

Hevy takes a deep breath. "I was worried about marching right up to the front door at first, but as long as there's no turrets I think we'll be okay. There's some cover scattered around. The only time we'll be completely exposed is if we go across the bridge, and we may not even get that far."

"Stick together and watch out for bugs, and we'll be fine," Echo tells them. "And… run fast when the supertanks come out. We won this, before. It shouldn't be a problem now." He glances at Hevy. "A Z-6 will probably be useful. They're gonna throw a whole lot of clankers at us."

Hevy grins. He loves the Z-6. It makes him feel powerful, like he could take on a whole battalion of droids by himself.

"I'd be happy to bring one along," he says gleefully. Echo chuckles.

All across camp, heads start to turn upwards as the sound of ships breaking atmosphere are heard in the distance. Hevy glances up as well, squinting to search for the gunships. They're tiny black dots in the sky above, but getting larger with every second.

"That would be the 41st," Fives says. "I'd start gathering equipment. Once they drop off men and heavy cannons we don't have that much time before we march."

Hevy nods in understanding, getting quickly to his feet. He needs to go double check the power cells in the Z-6 before they go. He can feel a low simmer of adrenaline pumping through his veins already, psyching him up for the battle only a few hours away.

He doesn't love battle. It's dangerous, of course, and the risk of losing a brother is always a background worry. He does, however, love the thrill, and the success of tearing droids to itty bitty pieces, so he can't help but be a little excited.

He's got a good feeling about this.

Fives is impressed at the speed at which the 41st disembarks from their ships and unloads all of their equipment. All of the battalions are fast, but to drop off and load heavy cannons in a matter of minutes is frankly quite impressive. There is an interesting aura to the green-painted men that emanates order and control. Fives has no doubt that those are traits the men have picked up from their General—just as the 501st tends to be reckless and determined like General Skywalker. Many battalions pick up little qualities from their Generals, and Fives finds it fascinating to observe.

He's waiting patiently for the others to finish getting ready, seated on an empty supply crate with his rifle held loosely in one hand. There's not much to do but wait now that everyone's arrived. Fives taps his foot on the ground and watches little puffs of dust rise up in a poor attempt to keep himself entertained.

"Should I bring droid poppers? What about thermal detonators?" Droidbait asks him curiously as he rummages around through another supply bin. "If we're marching through parade-style, they might not be nearly as effective as we want them to be, though…"

"Bring droid poppers, but not thermal detonators," Fives advises. "Less explosives is better. We'll be close together, so if something goes wrong there'd be a lot a casualties." Droidbait nods in agreement.

Hevy is doing last minute checks on his Z-6 a few feet away, with Cutup seated next to him looking faintly bored—either that or anxious for the upcoming battle, because he's fidgeting restlessly. Echo, like Fives, has finished preparing. Nax is helping Coric pack his medical supplies into his backpack.

Everyone is ready to move out. The waiting is getting frustrating, and the anticipation is making men antsy. Fives sighs heavily and glances over to the side in the distance, where he's certain General Skywalker and Commander Tano are doing briefings for various squads. He's surprised when he notices two figures running towards them, darting through the dust. It takes him a split second to realize that the first figure is Commander Tano, and the second is…

Oh.

"Heads up, guys!" Hevy cries out quickly. "The Commander is headed our way!" He's seen them coming, too, and in an instant Beta squad is getting to their feet as the Commander approaches, her companion a step behind her. They aren't supposed to be here—by this time, they're supposed to be on their way to the tunnels, if Fives is remembering right, but they're stopping here for some reason instead.

"I wanted to ask about Del and Flak before I left," Commander Tano says quickly, looking at Coric. "I hadn't heard anything yet, and I didn't have time to stop by."

Coric frowns.

"It's not good, sir. Del will have to get sent back to the Resolute so he can get put in bacta. So does Flak, but he's… significantly worse off, sir. As soon as the 41st are done unloading we'll get him out of here."
Commander Tano takes a deep breath and hangs her head. After a brief moment she sighs.

"Okay. Thank you, Coric. Listen, men, good luck out there. Barriss and I are—"

She keeps talking, explaining the plan that she assumes they don't know. Fives isn't listening. He's glad his helmet is on, because he's openly staring at the other padawan in surprise.

The last time he had seen Offee had been on the holonet a few weeks before he died, and she'd been taken away from someone else's trial in handcuffs.

Force. He hadn't really spent time to think about that whole situation until now.

Ahsoka's trial had been stressful for the entire 501st. Speculation had spiralled out of control almost immediately, as it's prone to do. Many of the men had argued loyally in the Commander's favor, particularly the ones who'd served beside her, like Fives. There were plenty others who believed the evidence against her, arguing just as fiercely that she deserved whatever punishment the trial saw fit to give.

Her decision to leave, despite being proven innocent after it was all over, had shocked them all badly. Fives had hardly believed it. He'd watched the Commander become a fine warrior as the war dragged on. He hadn't understood her decision then, feeling angry and slightly betrayed as many others had.

He understands it much more, now. After all, he'd practically gone through the same thing. He hadn't seen the similarities in their situations until now. Both of them had been hunted down, had tried to speak the truth only to be ignored and silenced. No one believed them.

Yeah, Fives definitely understands her decision much more clearly now.

He remembers stopping at 79's once it was all over, once General Skywalker had sent the official announcement to the battalion, and getting absolutely wasted because he was so confused and sad and sick of it all.

Barely a week later they'd been sent off to Ringo Vinda, and Tup had killed a Jedi. Fives had shoved Ahsoka's incident to the back of his mind in favor of the massive chip debacle. He hadn't included the details of Commander Tano's trial when he was telling Domino squad about what he'd been through—there were more important things that had taken priority in the moment. All things considered, it isn't a monumental event in the war, and Fives hadn't known—still doesn't know—if they'll even survive long enough to get there.

He wishes he'd told them more details now, because Barriss Offee is standing in front of them, wide-eyed and young—nothing like the furious young woman he'd seen on the Holonet before she'd been dragged away under heavy guard. Nothing like the woman who'd betrayed a close friend in an attempt to fix a broken system.

Fives looks at her and is speechless. What changes? Why does she decide that her only option is to turn to terrorism? When does it happen? He wonders if this is something they can fix.

She'd claimed that the Jedi were responsible for the war, and that the Republic was , Fives had listened to her words and frowned, fresh out of Umbara and thinking that she might very well have a point. Such thoughts were treasonous, of course, but Fives had been full of treasonous thoughts after Umbara. A lot of them had. He'd brushed those thoughts away eventually, though, because there wasn't anything he could do about it. He'd countered her words with his own loyalty and trust in General Skywalker.

Now, her words, combined with what he knows of Krell and Palpatine and the chips, makes him wonder if she was onto something, just as he had been before he was killed. Perhaps not all of the Jedi are responsible for the war, but there are plenty of traitors in the midst of the Republic. Fives doesn't know what happened after he'd died, but he's fairly certain that he'd gotten a glimpse of the beginning of the end. The Republic had indeed been failing.

This isn't that Barriss, though. This Barriss is still loyal and faithful, trusting in her Master unconditionally and ready to fight for the Republic. She offers Beta squad a soft smile as Fives snaps back to the present, clenching his teeth as a thousand more questions suddenly make their way into his head. Commander Tano is introducing them quickly, not individually, but as a squad to save time.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Beta squad," the other Jedi says gracefully, and dips into a little bow. Cutup offers her a friendly smile.

"Good to meet you, too, Commander. You ought to stop by sometime and come catch a round or two of sabacc with us and Commander Tano!"

Barriss blinks as Commander Tano giggles.

"I'm afraid I never learned to play," she informs them, just a little bit confused. Cutup chuckles.

"We'd teach you, sir. We had to teach Commander Tano, too. If you're ever around when we have some free time, let us know. We'd be happy to have you!"

"Perhaps I will," Barriss replies evenly, glancing at Commander Tano, who only grins back. "I hate to cut this conversation short, but we should probably get moving."

Commander Tano perks up. "Oh, right. The factory isn't going to blow itself up. Be careful, men! We'll be back soon!"

"Be careful!" Fives manages to say as the two of them go sprinting away, and then they're gone. Fives catches Droidbait and Cutup staring after them worriedly.

"They'll be okay, guys," Echo says before Fives can speak. "I promise. And who knows, maybe something will change for the better. They'll be fine."

"I hope so," Cutup mutters quietly. "I really hope so."

Fives forces the distracting thoughts out of his head and makes an effort to unlock his jaw. They'll be moving soon, and he needs to have his entire being focused on the battle to make sure they all get out of there unharmed.

They march on the factory. It's a little odd, because even though they're marching in massive columns there's men from both battalions all around. Hevy doesn't really mind it too much, but it's strange to see green armor from out of the corner of his eye instead of blue when he glances back.

Fortunately, just because they're in parade-style doesn't mean they have to march, which Hevy is grateful for. The column reminds him of Kamino and boring formal events enough as it is.

Beta squad is about halfway down the first column. Hevy can't help but wish that they were closer to the front—and not necessarily because they'll be closer to the action, this time. He has to be extremely careful with his Z-6 because of the rows of men in front of him. It'll limit him during the battle, for sure, but it could be worse. He's glad they're not at the back.

If he cranes his neck he can see General Skywalker and General Unduli at the front of the column, lightsabers deactivated but in hand. It's comforting to see. Hevy knows that the Generals will do their best to defend the men.

Droids, bugs, droidekas, supertanks. Fives had made sure they'd all known the order. A lot of stuff is gonna get thrown at them in a very short amount of time, but Hevy isn't worried. He takes a deep breath.

Droidbait is to his left, and Coric to his right. Hevy glances at his batchmate.

"Ready for some more tally marks, 'Bait?"

Droidbait tilts his head. "Of course, Fives. I'm gonna get so many tally marks that I'll be solid blue."

"Oh, is that the goal?" Cutup mutters from the row in front of them, glancing back. "You know, if you make the tally marks longer and thicker you could practically do that already." Nax and Echo are next to him, and Echo snorts at the comment.

"Aw, shut up, Cutup," Droidbait says in mock-offense. "That's cheating." Hevy snickers.

"Shut-up Cutup," he repeats, slightly gleeful. "I like that. Rhymes, and everything."

"Hey! Watch it, Hevy!"

"Alright, alright. Focus please, guys," Fives chimes in exasperatedly from behind them. He's on his own, sandwiched between another 501st squad and a few 41st. "We're getting closer to the factory."

He's right, of course, so Hevy gets one last chuckle out and tightens his hold on his weapon. The walker marching next to their column lets out a mechanical whirring sound as its pilots prepare for battle, and all around Hevy men are growing tense.

They march their way towards the bridge that leads up to the factory. The doors are visible in the distance, and as Hevy watches they start to slide open, revealing a horde of battle droids behind it.

"Here we go," someone mutters behind him. Hevy does a final check over his Z-6 and places his finger near the trigger pointedly. The column continues forwards as the droids step into the light, raising their blasters.

There are a kriff-ton of droids. Someone breathes out a quiet curse, and Hevy can't help but agree.

The moment the blue and green lightsabers flare into existence, it's begun. The droids open fire, and the chaos begins.

The column spreads out instinctively as men search for cover or better vantage points—or, like Hevy, just want to get a shot off without hitting any friendlies. The column isn't really needed anymore, anyway—it was mostly to get the Sep's attention, and it's looking like it worked. The walker next to them fires, and a group of droids get blasted to bits.

For a long, frustrating moment, Hevy can't do anything to help. Beta squad is falling into place beside him, firing all the while. Hevy could shoot, but there's still a chance that he could hit someone else. Men are still darting for cover, and the Jedi are there, too, slashing and hacking their way forwards. Hevy leans towards Fives.

"I'm moving closer!" he calls out, a snap-decision that makes Fives glance at him.

"I'm coming with you!" the ARC replies without hesitation, following Hevy as he races forwards towards the next bit of cover. Fortunately, his run takes them behind General Skywalker, so they make it without incident. Hevy grins in approval as Fives settles into place right next to him, already shooting again.

This spot is much better. They aren't at the front, still, but Hevy can see larger pockets of empty space that he can afford to fill with blue blasterfire. He pops out of cover just long enough for his Z-6 to whine in greeting as it mows down four droids in quick succession.

"Remember, watch the towers!" Fives shouts over the sound of a walker firing again. "Don't forget about the bugs!"

Hevy nods in understanding, then has a sudden idea, whirling around to face the nearest rock pillar that stretches above them. If he's ready for them the moment they emerge, he's sure he can do some major damage.

Sure enough, as the Republic presses forwards, the first Geonosians start to skitter out from the rocks, raising weapons in preparation for their ambush. Hevy doesn't wait for them to fire the first shot. He lets them have it the moment they come into sight, and shoots three down before they even know what's happening.

"Geonosians, behind us!" he shouts to the nearby men, and shouts in triumph as other men start to look upwards, too. The ambush is ruined, so the Geonosians come out at full force, bright green sonic blasts erupting from their guns. Hevy keeps his Z-6 pointed up into the sky, keeping up a steady stream of fire on one of the pillars so that the bugs are pinned and can't swoop in closer.

There are other pillars, though, and other targets, too. Even though Hevy has one section pinned, more bugs emerge from the rocks on the other side of the passageway. Hevy catches a glimpse of one carrying a shouting man high into the sky and feels his gut twist. There's nothing he can do to help.

He becomes aware of Droidbait at his side eventually, firing at the droids while Hevy takes the bugs so both of their sides are protected. They're working together for a long moment when suddenly Droidbait yelps and throws himself to the side, shoving Hevy away in the same motion. Hevy isn't expecting it, so he hits the ground much harder than usual. The Z-6 goes clattering across the rock, shaken from his grasp from the impact.

The sonic blast that hits right where they'd been standing makes Hevy's ears ring. As he pushes himself up, his first instinct is to look for Droidbait. He's a few feet away, similarly climbing to his feet and shaking his head in discomfort. Hevy's second instinct is to go for his weapon again, so he dives for it, reaching out with both hands.

It's too late—he's become a high-priority target now. He'd been providing effective cover and keeping the Geonosians from getting close, but the second he stops they descend with a fury. The men can shoot some of them, but not all. His fingers brush against the machine gun, but he feels something clamp around his shoulder and yank him away before he can get a good grip on it. Hevy cries out and feels something else clamp around his other shoulder, and then there's an abrupt sense of weightlessness.

The Geonosians are trying to carry him away.

Panic seizes him in the moment of realization, because his feet are off the ground and they're carrying him higher and higher, wings buzzing from the effort. There are two of them. Hevy thrashes in their grip and they lurch a little, but their grips on his shoulders only tighten. He hears someone shouting his name in horror below.

Hevy twists again, throwing up his arms to beat uselessly against the Geonosian exoskeletons. It doesn't do anything, and Force, Force he's starting to hyperventilate just a little because his feet are dangling in empty air and he doesn't know what's going to happen—are they taking him somewhere or are they just going to get high enough and then just… drop him—

They're high. He's too high already and they've only been carrying him for a few seconds.

The bright blue blasterbolts that fly past him, narrowly missing his own feet, are what save him.

Sort of.

The Geonosians aren't hit, but they are spooked, and for an instant their grips loosen. They dip dramatically in the air. Suddenly Hevy has to make a choice.

He doesn't know how high up he is, but it doesn't look good. That much he knows. He also doesn't know what'll happen if he doesn't escape now. This might be his only chance.

He thinks he could survive the drop.

He hopes.

He makes another snap-decision, this one out of desperation. Hevy twists with all his strength, and suddenly he's falling for the second time since they arrived on this cursed planet.

For a moment, he's free. Suspended in midair, heart beating wildly as the battle rages below him.

Then gravity takes hold.

Hevy falls.

Cutup doesn't see him land. He screams in horror anyway, because Force that was a long fall. Hevy had to be five, maybe even six stories up before he'd been able to get free. Cutup is already running when Droidbait's panicked voice sounds over the comms, barely audible over the continuing sounds of battle around them.

"Hevy's down, Hevy's down, he fell—I couldn't—no, no, I kriffing couldn't react fast enough, he—oh Force. Guys, please—"

Cutup forces his way back through a squad of brothers trying to push forwards and ignores the confused looks they send him. He sees Droidbait the moment he pushes free of the crowd, kneeling next to a motionless figure and ripping a helmet off so he can check for breathing and a pulse.

Cutup's heart stutters painfully in his chest.

He's running so fast that his armor scrapes against the rock when he throws himself to his knees next to Droidbait, eyes wide as he looks over Hevy's still body. Droidbait lets out a tremulous breath, pulling back just a little.

"He's breathing okay," he says quickly. "I don't—I don't know what to do, how do we—"

Fives comes charging towards them from out of the dust, Echo hot on his heels. The ARCs take over so suddenly that Cutup and Droidbait pull back a little, letting the more experienced men get closer.

Hevy's eyes are closed. There's no blood, as far as Cutup can see—none on his face, and none leaking out from his armor, either. That's a good sign, he thinks… but it's eerie to see Hevy's face so blank of emotion. It doesn't… look right. Cutup can't really explain it.

"There's inward damage here for sure. There's no way a fall from that height would leave him with something," Echo says quickly. His voice is fairly controlled, but Cutup knows him well enough to hear the way it trembles. Echo is afraid. "I don't think it's a head injury." The ARC is ghosting his fingers around Hevy's skull. "Don't feel anything here."

Cutup swallows, struggling to breath, and exchanges a helpless glance with Droidbait. Droidbait's hands are shaking. Cutup wants to comfort him, but he can't bring himself to quite yet, still too paralyzed by his own fear.

He hears shouting from farther ahead of them—something about droidekas. Fives looks up sharply for a moment.

"We can't stay here," he hisses. "Once the Generals and the rocket troopers take care of the droidekas the factory will release the supertanks. We've got to move."

"Fives, we've got to be careful!" Echo hisses suddenly. "Hevy could be severely injured. If we move him we could make things worse!"

"It's either we make things worse running for our lives or we stay here to die when the rockets start to come down," Fives snarls. "Echo, come on!"

There's a beat of silence. Echo is shaking his head, but he lets out a weak sound of worry and clenches his fists.

"Alright, alright! Let's get him out of here, come on. I've got his legs—"

They hoist Hevy up in between them. Cutup winces as a particularly large explosion sounds at the front of the battle.

"You two—" Fives suddenly says, and Cutup scrambles to his feet.

"We aren't staying here," he growls. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. We're coming with you!" Droidbait nods in determined agreement. Fives nods as well.

"Let's go, then," he says. Droidbait scoops up Hevy's helmet and they start to run.

They've got to get Hevy to the medics, as soon as they can. None of them care that they're technically abandoning the battle. This is more important, and Cutup wouldn't be able to focus on the fight anymore anyway. His mind is a constant stream of denials and worry, because Hevy has always been practically impossible to keep down, but he looks so lifeless now, limp in between Fives and Echo.

When the first missiles from the supertanks start hitting the ground far behind them, Cutup almost stumbles from the way the ground shakes at the impact. He worries for Nax and Coric. Domino had just left, albeit with good reason, but they'd abandoned the rest of Beta. Cutup grits his teeth and hopes that they'll be okay… and not angry, hopefully.

When the second wave of missiles strike, Hevy stirs and lets out a weak groan. Cutup gasps in surprise. Fives lets out a sigh of relief, but he doesn't stop running. Hevy looks around blearily, head lolling back.

"Wha…" he begins. "What's goin' on?"

He shifts weakly, making Echo curse as he nearly loses his grip on Hevy's legs.

"You're gonna be fine, Hevy. Don't move too much, okay? Do you remember what happened?"

Hevy nods jerkily. "Kriffin'... bugs," he says, and cranes his head to look at Echo curiously. "Echo… didn't know you were there."

Echo probably shoots him a strange look under his helmet. "We're all here, Hevy. Listen, we don't know how badly you're injured. We think it's internal. Can you tell us what hurts?"

Hevy blinks slowly. He works his jaw faintly, as if considering the simple question very hard.

"Dunno," he finally says. "Don't really… hurt."

"The kriff does that mean?" Fives says. Hevy swallows, eyes widening as he regains a little more consciousness.

"Can't feel my legs."

"Sorry," Echo grunts. He adjusts his grip a little. "It was the fastest way to carry you. If you can last a few more minutes—"

Hevy lets out a stifled gasp.

"No, Echo. I can't feel my legs."

And then there is a long moment of heavy, painful realization.

The medics and injured who'd stayed behind stare at them with wide eyes when they come charging into the otherwise empty camp. A medic is the first to approach them, snatching up a first-aid kit as he runs close.

"What is it?" he asks frantically. "What's wrong? What do you need?"

Cutup's mouth is dry and there's a ball of lead settling in his stomach. He can't answer. He glances at Echo, who seems similarly frozen. It's Hevy himself who has to speak up, voice completely flat.

"Nothing," he says. "Unless you can do anything for a spine injury right here and now."

Cutup's innards twist violently as he speaks. He's shaking now, too. He doesn't want it to be real.

The medic stops dead, hands hovering over Hevy's chest.

"Oh," he says simply, and turns to Fives. "He needs to get back to the ship. We don't have the equipment to help him here, but the faster you can get him to a facility that does, the more likely it is that he'll recover."

"What do we need to do?" Fives asks, tone dark with a strange mixture of determination and fury. "Are there any pilots who could take us back to the cruiser?"

Several other clones have been slowly coming closer out of curiosity as the situation unfolds. One of them perks up as Fives speaks.

"I'm a pilot. I'll take you back to the cruiser," he says immediately. Cutup almost wants to hug him out of gratitude, but there's no time. The moment the pilot darts for his ship Domino squad bolts after him.

No one had said a single word about Domino accompanying their injured squadmate. Cutup nods thankfully at the medic as they pass, and thinks that the simple gesture isn't nearly good enough to convey the level of gratitude Cutup is experiencing in that moment.

Hevy… is not doing very well. Cutup is afraid for him. It's almost like he's in shock, refusing to make eye contact with anyone and face absolutely expression.

Cutup doesn't want to know what's running through his head right now.

They pile into the gunship. The pilot closes the doors and the gunship hums to life.

"Everyone in? I'm calling ahead to alert the medics on duty that you're coming. Hang on!"

He hits the accelerator. Cutup's eyes widen as the gunship shoots up and forwards, banking around sharply almost immediately after takeoff.

It's… a quiet flight.

No one knows what to say.

Echo tries, once. He takes a deep breath, as if pulling himself together, and says, "Hevy…"

"Don't," Hevy snaps immediately, cutting across Echo's words like a whip-crack.

That's the end of that.

Cutup's mind is whirling. A spine injury can cause temporary paralysis, but permanent paralysis is just as common. If he's permanently paralyzed, all the technology in the world won't be enough to save his legs. If he's temporarily paralyzed, he might have a chance… but it would take a while to heal. Cutup clings to the thought that it might not be quite as bad as they're all thinking.

If Hevy can't fight anymore, what are they going to do without him?

The medics are waiting when the gunship lands at the Resolute. They swarm the ship and pluck Hevy away from Echo and Fives. Fives immediately goes after them, so the rest of Domino follows. Cutup is still fighting through disbelief and horror, but his feet follow automatically anyway.

Here at the hangar, finally, someone attempts to stop them, claiming that it might be best if they leave Hevy with the medics and return to the battlefield. Fives shoves past the unlucky man so violently that Cutup almost feels bad for the guy—the man is only doing his job, after all, but he agrees with Fives in the same moment.

They get stopped in front of the medbay by none other than Kix himself, with a grim look on his face as he watches them bring Hevy in. Why he isn't planetside right now, Cutup doesn't know, but it's good to see a familiar face. Fives snarls at him when he bars their way.

"Kix, let us in."

"It won't do him any good," Kix tells them sharply. He crosses his arms stubbornly. "You'll just get in the way. If you trust us, let us take care of this. I promise you we'll do what we can, alright?"

Fives backs down reluctantly. Kix glances at them all.

"I'm sorry, you guys," he says quietly, and then turns to enter the medbay. The door slides shut behind them with a gentle hiss, and for some reason the soft sound makes Cutup clench his jaw in annoyance.

There's a moment of silence, again.

Fives tears his helmet off and throws it against the wall with a frustrated shout, slamming a fist into the same wall a moment later. Cutup flinches involuntarily, stepping back and slowly sitting down with his back against the far wall of the hallway. Droidbait joins him a second later, wrapping his arms around himself. Cutup shuffles a little closer to him so that their elbows are brushing. Echo just stands there silently, head lowered in defeat.

Cutup tries to keep his breathing even and watches as Fives storms away, fists clenched in helplessness and swearing with every breath.

This was not the way it was supposed to go.

A/N: BEFORE YOU KILL ME PLEASE KNOW SOMETHING IMPORTANT AHHH DONT KILL ME DONT KILL ME IM SORRY: Hevy's arc is one of the most pivotal in this story, and it's only just beginning now. DON'T PANIC AND DON'T SHOW UP AT MY DOOR WITH PITCHFORKS PLEASE! Trust in the Force, my friends!

It was interesting to be in Hevy's thoughts again. It's been a while since I explored his mind, sorry about that! Since he has such a massive part to play in upcoming chapters I felt it was okay to focus on the others, but now I'm realizing I haven't spent enough time in Hevy's head yet. My bad!

Soo... I may or may not have completely forgotten that Fives was actually alive during the temple bombing and Ahsoka's trial. That's literally the only reason I haven't mentioned it until now. Whoops!

The 21st of August is Domino's 1 year anniversary! I kind of want to do something special, but I have no idea what. Eh, it may or may not happen. I'm excited regardless!

Next chapter will be an important one. Stay tuned! And to those people who yell at me for having too many cliffhangers... I'm sorry? Can't help it. You'd better get used to it, if you aren't already...