Clone Wars Chronicles: Volume 2

Chapter 7: Return to the Cave

Sorry for the delay (almost five months...), but here's another chapter! It's shorter than the others, but hopefully, I can make up for that in the next chapters. 

Back at the cave, Drifter and Cull carefully set Rex on the ground.

"He needs medical assistance, as do you, sir," Edge said.

"I know," Ahsoka said quietly. "Drifter, can you examine Rex here?"

Drifter nodded. "Hopefully, unless the pirates show up."

After removing Rex's helmet and chest plate, Drifter looked at his injuries. Meanwhile, Cull set Ahsoka's arm and wrapped it. He also used bacta on her lekku to help with the bruising.

Drifter stood, sighing. "It's very likely he has some internal bleeding. The electrocution and the impact from the crash punctured something. As for you, Commander, your head tails are bruised and your arm is fractured."

"How long does he have?" Ahsoka asked quietly.

"Maybe a few hours without medical attention. He should be fine if he gets treatment."

Ahsoka bit her lip, thinking through their options. After a few moments, she said, "I think you guys should take one of the speeders to go look for help. We can't risk moving Rex in his condition and since most of my gear is gone, I can't survive for long in the cold."

"I agree," Syne said, standing. "Though I hate to leave you two on your own."

"We'll be fine," Ahsoka assured him. "I think it's better if you guys can look after each other out there. Are you all okay with this?"

One by one, the troopers nodded. So did the pilots, though they had remained quiet during the discussion.

"Good luck," Ahsoka said, smiling.

"You too, Commander," Edge responded.

Ahsoka watched as they left the cave, hiding her fear. Something still didn't feel right.

"The explosions will go off any minute," Obi-Wan warned Anakin as he stopped in front of him. "We need to get out of here."

Anakin nodded wordlessly, scanning the area for droids. "The way looks clear." He inwardly winced at the coldness of his own voice.

Obi-Wan looked at him for another moment, his scarf and goggles masking his expression, but Anakin could feel his sadness and frustration.

Remembering the explosives, Obi-Wan turned to his men. "Let's get out of here."

"Jolon, it looks like they're moving out from their camp," Jett reported, his eyes focused on the floor of the ship.

Jolon folded his hands under his chin, his gaze cold and calculating. "I care more about capturing the Jedi than the clones. Send a ship for Kenobi and Skywalker. I'll send another for Tano. I doubt she and her group have made it back to the camp in this storm."

"Yes, cousin." Jett bowed his head, his grip on his tablet tightening. It would've been unnoticeable to most, but Jolon saw.

Jett would be a problem later on.

Jolon would wait, though. Jett was still useful, after all.

For now.

Once they were a safe distance away from the explosions, Anakin practically ran over to Obi-Wan, ready to beg him to let them go looking for Ahsoka.

Obi-Wan interrupted him before he had the chance to say anything. "I trust you to make the right decisions, Anakin. Be careful out there."

Anakin stared at him while he registered what he had just said. "Thank you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan gave him a single nod.

Anakin took off, running to the nearest speeder without hesitation. He closed his eyes, trying to sense his padawan.

Come on, Snips, give me a sign.

The bad feeling in Ahsoka's stomach refused to go away. She huddled close to the heating lamp, but the temperature was dropping rapidly. She'd already put Rex back in his armor to try to keep him warm, but with him still unconscious, it was hard to tell if it was working.

Ahsoka sighed, staring out the entrance of the cave. There was so much wind and snow she couldn't see past a few feet. And, the cold was making her thoughts fuzzy and unfocused.

That was when the ground began to shake. Ahsoka jumped to her feet, trying to shake away the fog in her head. She knew that feeling well: an explosion.

Hopefully, it was the Seppie base being blown up, and not their own.

Ahsoka hurried to the mouth of the cave, looking in vain for any sign of fire. At least the ground had stopped rumbling.

Unfortunately, Ahsoka knew what bombs could do to the ground's stability. She really hoped no one would fall down a ravine or sinkhole.

Knowing it was a poor decision, Ahsoka stepped outside of the cave, uselessly raising her hand to keep the snow out of her eyes. She kept her injured arm pressed against her body.

Ahsoka didn't fully know why she had left the cave, but she wanted to see what was out there.

The wind howled loudly, making it impossible to hear anything else. She wouldn't have even been able to hear a speeder.

That was why she didn't notice the cracks forming beneath her feet until the ground opened.