When the Cavalry Comes.

VII

Cavalry gritted her teeth as General Krell marched ahead, yelling for them to keep up. She reminded herself that this was how generals were supposed to act. She shouldn't have gotten lazy with Skywalker like she did.

She flinched reflexively as bat-like shrieks echoed above her. She shook her apprehension off. One foot in front of another. Just put one foot in front of another. Good soldiers followed orders, and she had orders to march.

Fives glanced back at her before quickening his pace to talk with the Captain. The two seemed to bicker back and forth, Fives eventually dropping back with a hard set to his shoulders.

"I don't think Fives likes the General very much." Neon muttered, his voice low and crackling though his annunciator.

"He's no Skywalker, that's for sure." She grunted back, trying not to sound too out of breath. "Then again, we were trained specifically to follow leaders like Krell. If he wants perfection, we give him perfection." She pointed out. Neon scoffed.

"Are you saying you'd rather Krell over Skywalker?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, it is kind of nice to have a General who follows the regs for a change... but I wonder why he isn't sticking to the plan." She flexed her ankles, walking on her toes a couple steps to give her knees a bit of a break.

"I can't believe you. Skywalker has been nothing but- wait, what do you mean not following the plan?" Neon asked. Cav shifted uncomfortably, then lowered her voice.

"Well, we were supposed to advance in two klick blocks, to account for the difficult terrain and so we could scope it out better as we go." She whispered, panting a little. "But we just hit fifteen klicks without stop. We've been marching straight through for hours and only the General knows what's ahead."

Neon sighed. "That is... you're right." Cavalry tried for a joke to lighten the mood, even though she was growing increasingly more uneasy.

"As per usual."  Neon squawked.

"As per usual! Excuse me, how many times have we almost gotten in serious trouble because of your stupid stunts going wrong?"

Cavalry opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the shrieking of the animals resumed.

This time, they attacked. Cavalry blinked and then she was thirty feet off the ground, sharp talons scrambling at her armor as she was lifted into the air. She gave a shrill scream as her arm slipped and she dangled from one shoulder. There was a second scream, one from the animal this time.

A meaty fist slammed into the animal and the next thing Cav knew she was falling. She hit the ground and instantly stifled a cry as something sharp twisted in her foot. Fives had his arms around her. Had he caught her? She glanced down at her ankle and flexed it, wincing.

She pushed the pain aside as Krell himself stalked up to her.

"Anybody else want to stop and play with the animals?!" He roared, stepping on the last creature. It squeaked as it kinda... smushed, under his massive foot. His gaze locked onto Cavalry, who automatically stiffened to attention.

"What  is this... child doing here?" He growled menacingly.

"I am here to take Umbara with the rest of my brothers, Sir!" She replied, her words clipped to a military perfection. The Kaminoans would be proud. Krell, wasn't.

"Are you a clone?" He asked suspiciously. She nodded.

"CT 5745, Cavalry, Sir!" She barked, her still visor gave her the impression that she was staring straight ahead. Krell scoffed, turning to the Captain, who had come up behind them.

"And this is the type of troops you choose for your company?" He chided him, his voice filled with thinly veiled contempt. The Captain's voice was strained, a hint of a snarl in his words.

"Sir yes sir."

Krell glared at him critically as he waved his hand dismissively. "Resume march."

Cavalry stumbled a bit as she fell into ranks. Fives caught her, the ARC lieutenant instantly having her put an arm around his shoulders. It was a little awkward because of the height difference, but her ankle throbbed and would barely take her weight.

"Easy, kid." Whispered words crackled over his annunciator. "Krell has to let us stop soon. We'll get Kix to look at your foot then. You landed on it, didn't you? That's a tough fall. You're lucky it's just your ankle." Fives chattered, clearly trying to distract her. Cavalry picked up a stick from the pathside and began using it as a crutch, hobbling along.

They kept going for hours. Eventually, Fives waved the Captain back.

"Sir, we can't keep this pace forever. The men are getting worn down." He said quietly, making a not at all subtle nod in Cavalry's direction. Anger prickled through her and her eyes welled up unbidden with hot embarrassed tears. She was being a burden. Dragging the whole platoon down. She dropped the stick.

"I'm fine." She said, her words almost level if not for the slight hiss of pain. Cavalry shifted her weight to both feet and tried to take a step. Her ankle gave out and she crumpled, adding to her frustrated and embarrassment. Fives carefully picked her up and set her on his back.

Cavalry muted her external microphone and let out a soft sob, hating herself for not being able to keep going. A few screamed mando'a oaths made her feel a little better, and she guessed Fives heard the last bit despite her muting herself, the way his shoulders shook silently.

The Captain moved to address the General, and heated words were exchanged. Cavalry slid off Fives's back with a grunt, hissing as she hit the ground. Just in time too, because the general was looking back.

"Look back, see those platoons? Their mission is to take the capitol, and take it swiftly. Time and rest are luxuries that the Republic cannot afford." He roared.

"We are the key to this invasion. The other battalions are counting on us for support. If we fail, everyone fails. Do you understand this, do all of you understand this!" He yelled, finally getting out of the Captain's face and addressing the group as a whole. "Now move it!" He growled, the need for yelling gone. You could have heard his command, soft as it was, for miles. They obeyed and moved it.

He did give them a ten minute break when they got out of the trench. Kix made his way over to Cavalry and took off her boot, examining the already swelling foot.

"Congratulations. It's broken." He said listlessly, already splinting it up. He sounded as tired as Cavalry felt.

"Oh yay." She sighed back, hissing as he wrapped it up. "Just what I hoped."