Alternate Start (ARCHIVE)

Chapter Twenty Eight: Altercations

"This is horrid."

Fives growled, sitting down with his brothers. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Guilttrip inject a stim into himself, then pull his helmet off. He looked like he was going to keel over, pressing his hand to his forehead with a small groan.

"You alright 'Trip?"
"Y— Yeah. Headache."

Ladybird sat down next to him, lightly rubbing his back. "Kix work you a bit too hard?"
"N— No I'm just not used to doing that for so many people in such a short time. But it's good to know I can be useful."
"Okay... just be careful Trip'ika."
"I will ori'vod."

"—can't just throw your men at things and hope it works!"

Every clone's head turned to look at Commander Cahlay, who's voice suddenly cut through the quiet. She was apparently yelling at General Krell, while Captain Rex was trying to get her to calm down. General Krell narrowed his eyes.

Rocks and leaves floated around the commander, even her padawan braid lifted alongside her veil.

"You can't tell me you don't feel it either! Every time a man dies I feel their life force go out! I know you feel it too, so how can you just throw their lives away?!" She spat. Fives, despite the distance, noticed how it almost looked like light vanished as it got near her vestigial eye sockets, as if they radiated darkness.

Krell jabbed a finger at her chest, hard enough that she stumbled back a little, lips twisted in an enraged snarl. "Because I do what must be done, padawan!" He spat the word like it was an insult. "I do not focus on their vanishing lives, because I understand what must be sacrificed!"

"Is that why you send them marching to their deaths while you hang back in safety?!" She yelled back, every member of the 201st present stood up, fearing that Krell may strike their young commander. "Is that why you berated and dehumanized Captain Rex to a mere number, as if he were an emotionless droid, for trying to do what was in his mens' best interest? If it weren't for our medics, we would have lost far more! It's almost as if you want us to fail!"

"You will temper yourself, foolish girl!" Krell snapped back. Fives tensed, glancing at Dogma and Tup. Both clones looked borderline murderous at Krell insulting Commander Cahlay. She turned around to start stalking off, most likely trying to keep herself from harming him.

"Oh yeah? I think you got your entire battalion murdered on purpose. You have one of the highest casualty rates of any general. Who's really the fool?" She spat, not allowing him a moment to answer before she stormed off into the woods.

This was going to be a long day.

—
-
—

"They need rest!"

Oh little gods here we go again, Droidbait thought, hearing the tell tale sound of another argument between the commander and the general.

"Sir, Commander Cahlay is right. We've been on the move without stop for—"
"Your men can make it, Captain!"

Droidbait glanced back. They had injured, who needed to rest so that the medics could properly treat them. As it was, Ladybird was carrying Guilttrip so he could rest and not keel over mid-step again.

"I don't want to hear complaints again!" Krell snapped. "Double time men!"

Captain Rex drifted back a bit, falling in step with Domino and Ladybird. Commander Cahlay fell back too, fiddling with her padawan braid in frustration. She looked at Droidbait. "Lieutenant? I think the council was right."

Droidbait nodded. "I think so too sir. Tactics like this set men up to fail or die."
"Droidbait, from now on defer to me when he gives you an order. We have reason to believe he's untrustworthy."

Rex looked confused, tilting his helmet at the commander like she had just sprouted an extra head, in the universal angle for Are You Insane. She sighed. "We're here to provide backup and monitor Krell." She mumbled in a secretive tone. "The council and my master have reason to believe he's planning to defect to the Separatists. These tactics only confirm it."

He didn't quite jump, but he definitely stiffened. Satahl looked forward. Droidbait cued himself in on the repetitive soft sounds of his brothers marching, the soft mumbling of Guilttrip in his sleep. He caught a couple of names, specifically Oz and Ringo. It reminded him, when he finally glimpsed the tears on his cheeks, that Guilttrip was a shiny, no matter how many men he had just saved by some miracle.

He had overheard Kix and Ladybird talking, with Kix softly demanding to know how the hell Guilttrip had saved Freebird, who supposedly had fatal internal injuries. Demanding to know how it was possible that Freebird was unstable one moment, and then almost entirely fine the next, leaving Guilttrip light-headed and unsteady on his feet.

Satahl glanced back at Guilttrip, mumbling something to herself. He barely caught the tail end of what she mumbled.

"—force exhaustion... di'kut, shouldn't have pushed himself so hard." She grumbled.

He started to ask what she meant, but decided to ask later.

—
-
—

It was only ten minutes later when all hell broke loose. A flying creature of some type swooped down and snatched up Cutup. Satahl acted quickly, a distant snap sounded as the bird plummeted out of the sky, the commander catching Cutup with the force while Krell sliced a second one of the creatures in half.

"Anyone else want to play with the animals?!" He snapped, only for him to once again anger Satahl.

She stormed over, pushing Cutup towards one of the medics and jabbed a finger at his chest. "You need to fuck off!" She snapped, the kaleeshi curse making everyone freeze in their tracks.

Even Krell looked taken aback for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. "What has Paladin Sunna been teaching you? You will not disrespect a Jedi Master like that, Padawan Cahlay!"

"My master taught me how to give a kark about my men!" She snapped back. "Cutup could've been killed, and your only response is to—"

The sound rang through the forest. Satahl took a step back, slowly reaching up a hand to touch her cheek. Krell turned on his heel and continued to walk, leaving the boys of the 201st to rush over to their commander and make sure she was okay.

Tup reached out a hand, "Sat'ika, are you alright?" She trembled, swallowing hard. Her voice came out a shaky whisper.

"Keep walking men..."

•—END OF CHAPTER—•

Haha...

Krell's gonna die