Trees are a sacred thing in life, despite everything they give you oxygen to breathe despite people contaminating the world. They loom over creatures in the forest, their branches holding shade for plants that don't need a lot of sunlight. They give homes to anyone who needs it.

This is the same for a clone, CT-4572 nicknamed Ajax. He walked in the middle of his brothers, their hands holding guns marching until they found a safe place to lay low. His eyes looked around at every strange feeling he seemed to have. Little tousles of hair stuck underneath his helmet for how long his hair is. It was incredibly dangerous especially in General Krell's battalion to have any essence of individualism.

They marched until nightfall before everyone settled down in a clearing, Ajax was on first watch because he was a shiny and shinies in Krell's battalion are always on first watch. He moved in the forest, his armour clanking. He patrolled until the moon was high in the sky. Before he traded with another trooper, Crim he believes he's called, his body shook with exertion and exhaustion. He didn't take off his armour; he laid down on his side, his arms underneath his head and hoped he didn't have to see Krell again. Ajax relaxed his bunched-up tense muscles and closed his heavy eyes. Slipping into peaceful darkness

A shake of a shoulder jolted Ajax awake, his nerves were going haywire. He looked up at his commander, he sat up quickly and saluted him from where he sat on the ground.

"Morning sir," Ajax greeted, his morning voice was a lower tone than his regular speaking voice.

"Morning shiny, we are heading out soon. Be quick with everything," his commander replied in a secluded voice.

Ajax sighed knowing he needed to eat, he looked at his back and realized that he hadn't even removed it from the previous night. I must've been exhausted to pass out without removing everything. He knew that wasn't the reason, in Krell's battalion he would demand troopers to leave in two minutes. Meaning anyone who isn't ready will be punished, by whatever Krell's demand is. They may be jumping into the ocean and must get back up on their own, or the worst decommission by their own blade.

There is not one clone who isn't traumatized to the point where there is no escape, in Krell's attack battalion. It has a very very high casualty death rate of clones, for Krell only thinks of them as a waste of space. Ajax was one of those clones to get punished, he had to stand still in the freezing rain for a day. Afterwards, his body was shaking so badly that he looked like he was having a seizure. He didn't receive comfort or a warm hug from his brothers for it was punishable to help a fellow clone. Ajax nearly died that day, but he learned to stabilize his heart by keeping moving and never stopping even if his muscles clamped up.

Ajax opened his backpack, he grabbed his favourite ration bar, it was the white one. It tasted like fresh flour and sugar. It tasted like dust to others for they are hated. Ajax was very picky with his ration bars, he hated the red ones that tasted something like dried moss. He doesn't mind the green ones, they taste like vegetables. He pulled the helmet until only his mouth was out, and he feasted on the ration bar enjoying his only meal of the day.

There is another thing about General Krell's battalion, they get fewer ration bars for how many casualties there are. Because the Kaminoans think that it's a waste of ration bars if half of the battalion is going to die anyway by the end of the day. They have a one hundred percent success rate because of the casualties. The medics Ajax noticed never use bacta, if you have a blaster bolt you get it cauterized by something very hot. They never give you basic field medic work if you're just a foot soldier. If a patient is on the way to death the medics slice their neck to give them a quick ending.

Ajax heard a loud yell signaling to all other soldiers that time was up and to get to the commander now. He closed up his pack and slid his helmet down. He hurried over and stood in the middle again where his designated spot was.

The commander stood at the front and he was looking at them. "Now, I just got off the call from General Kenobi and Captain Rex, it seems we will be joined by them until further notice on this mission."

Ajax froze, knowing every one of his brothers did as well. They've never joined up with another battalion until now.

Why? What happened to meet with a citizen? Ajax questioned. It seemed to be happening fast. One moment they were marching through the trees and only stopped at a clearing to rest then the next day we needed to meet up with a fellow citizen. The battalion started to move, and Ajax did as well. He heard whispers.

"What do you think happened?" The trooper Crim who traded shifts with Ajax asked.

A clone beside Crim shrugged. "I don't know, hopefully, we can get more ration bars, the older clones are growing skinny."

Ajax winced in his helmet, I wasn't the only one who noticed as well. They continued to march for four hours before they heard blaster shots.

"Let's go troopers."

The commander bolted forward, and Ajax and the others followed right after. Ajax held up his blaster and began shooting the droids. They all moved as one, it was terrifying from the outside perspective. Troopers were falling all around them, Ajax snarled. He ran to a droid and blasted it into smithereens. He knew it was suicidal doing something like that but he's too much of an adrenaline junkie.

A blaster bolt hit the side of his helmet, Ajax flinched badly knowing he might have to take it off. He yelled in retaliation. He blasted a droid in the chest, before taking cover by some 501st troopers.

"What the hell are you doing!" one of the troopers snapped, they had a handprint on their chest.

Ajax didn't reply, his brain was beginning to fog, he looked down at the wound in his arm.

"Oh. That's not supposed, to be there," he mumbled before he faded into the darkness.