Life Of War

Chapter 09

"Troopers, mount up and follow me." The chairman ordered as soon as he reached the rest of us outside.

"What's up, General?" Rex questioned Skywalker as my eyes followed the chairman in confusion for what was going on.

"You're going to have to stay with the Chairman until we can work things out. Protect him at all costs." Anakin told him sternly.

"Mount up! We're moving out!" Rex shouted out to him men as they prepared to leave.

"What about me master?"

"You are to assist Captain Rex on this, they will need your protection as well Lyra" Kenobi told me, I could hear the frustration in his voice from what had gone down in the meeting.

"Yes, Master" With that I followed Rex and the Chairman, knowing that an attack on us would be inevitable. On our snow speeders the large group of us had driven back towards the base but encountered a problem on the way.

"Here they are! Fire when you're in range!" Cho orders out as we ride towards three Talz, blocking our path.

"Sir, with all due respect, we're only here to protect you." I reminded him in a kind but stern manner. Suddenly more Talz appear looking for a fight with us. We are quickly surrounded and sticks are thrown our way as to kill us. "Kriff" I muttered.

"Ambush!" Rex shouted out his warning.

"It's a trap! Kill them!" Chairman Cho ordered. Blaster fire was shot off as the Talz attacked our transports.

"Oh my!" I gasped as a trooper was knocked off his speeder. "Captain!" I shouted as a creature landed on top of his speeder. He had jumped out and landed safely in the snow. Next my speeder was attacked and as I jumped I toppled into the captain. "Sorry!" I called out as he stood to his feet again.

"Are you alright commander?" He looked down at me as I stood up as well, brushing the snow off of my beige jacket. I gave him a curt nod before he ran off shooting the creatures. While he ran off I stood and assessed the situation, but that didn't last long as I was soon dodging incoming sticks.

"Woah!" I rolled out of the way last minute, igniting my lightsaber. Another stick came right for my head but I cut it right down the middle with my green saber. Once again the sticks were focused towards me and it was too much to handle. A stick had cut my arm as I barely managed to dodge it and I let out a yelp of pain.

"Commander, over here!" Rexs voice shouted as I raced over to his cover behind a broken speeder. "We're surrounded, defensive formations!" He ordered his men as sticks were thrown towards the rest of them now that I was out of the line of fire. "Are you alright?" He took a break from shooting to question my safety.

"Yes Captain, it's just a scratch" I tried to find something that I could temporarily wrap it with but had no luck.

"Here" Rex quickly handed me a cloth he had ripped from his snow suit. I took it and looked to him with questioning eyes, he felt my eyes staring at him and answered my unasked question. "I have to keep my commander safe, right? I mean you are the strongest out of all of us" he shrugged as I moved to tie my arm up and prevent more blood from dripping into the white snow around us.

"Chairman, get down!" One of his guards ordered as he stood in the middle of the formation. The Talz had killed the guard and stood over the chairman until his other guard shot the beast down.

"We've got to hold out!" Rex called as another clone was impaled.

"Captain" I warned as the Talz rushed down from the hills to attack us first hand.

"Fall back! First squad, cover the retreat!" He changed the orders as they grew closer, listening to my warning.

"Retreat? We can't retreat from these animals!" Cho argued. A spike was thrown into his back as he fell to the ground he muttered "Savages" I gasped at the sight, making my way over as a Talz stood over him. Rex had used a speeder to knock the creature away, it fell over me as I slid under it on the snow.

"Rex this isn't looking good" I reported as the chairman was unconscious, pulse slowing down rapidly.

"I know, we need to get out of here" he agreed. He picked up the chairman and slung him over his shoulders while shooting any Talz who came close. He threw the man onto the speeder before hopping on himself. I pulled myself onto a fallen troopers speeder before following Rex until we had caught up to the others who had managed to escape.

"Here they come!" Rex shouted as another wave had attacked us. I ignited my saber and cut off the stick of one Talz to prevent them from using the weapon.

"That's not good" I groaned as two troopers fell into a canyon up ahead. Rex had stopped right on the edge as I pulled up next to him. We all piled together on the defensive while the army of Talz closed in on us. Rex began pointing out orders to his men as they took positions. He pulled the chairman to lay in the snow while I protected him by cutting any sticks that came close by being thrown defensively. Rex walked forward steadily as he and his men shot back.

The chairman began to stir awake as I noticed the incoming gunships above us, relief flooding through me. The attack had paused while our troops arrived to aid us. The young senator was escorted by the pair of masters as she looked sadly to the fallen men around us. Clones piled out and took their defensive positions around us.

"Good to see you, sir." Rex saluted his General as I joined the group.

"You okay, Rex?" Anakin questioned.

"Eh, It's just a scratch." He stretched his arm out.

"What about you, Lyra?" Kenobi looked to the wrap around my arm. I simply shrugged in response.

"What's going on?" Anakin voiced his next question.

"We're in quite a mess, sir. Eleven dead, the rest wounded, including the Chairman." Rex reported as I looked down to the man kneeling beside me.

"Chairman, can you hear me?" The senator knelt in front of him.

"Senator, good. You must avenge me. As my final command as Chairman of Pantora, I order you to destroy the Talz." He begged the girl, gripping her shoulder.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that Chairman. The Pantoran Assembly has called you out of order. I am to negotiate peace."

"No. Impossible! Peace? Never! I died for our people." At those words his body falls limp, death overcoming him.

"Senator, now is the time." Kenobi urged the girl. She stood with authority, taking the chairman's cap and a stick from the Talz.

"Protocol droid, come with me." She ordered in a soft voice.

"3PO, get going." Anakin nudged the droid ahead.

"Yes, Master Ani." The duo walked ahead to come face to face with the Talz leader. We stood back and watched the negotiations while not hearing any of it.

~~~

"Well done, Senator." Obi Wan tells her as she returns, leaving the stick and cap crossed with another stick from the Talz, a symbol of peace.

"Yes, most impressive." Anakin agreed.

"Thank you, Master Jedi." She followed us all towards the gunships.

"Now that you have created peace between your people and the Talz, remember one crucial thing." Obi Wan starts to speak.

"Yes, Master Kenobi?" Riyo looks up at him as he paused.

"Make it last, Senator. Make it last. And be an example to others, so not only this war, but every war waged may come to an end as well." He tells her.

"I will, I promise you." With that they both step onto the ship and we take off.

"We need a medic!" Rex had called out as we returned to the resolute. "Over here!" He waved them towards the wounded clones. I started to walk off with Kenobi and Skywalker to give a report on the mission until Rex called me back. "Commander!" I turned to face him.

"Go on, we can do the report without you, you need the medical attention" Obi Wan urged softly. I smiled to him with a nod before walking back to the others with the medics.

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Question of the day: Did you like the episode 'Trespassers' from the clone wars?