Shattered Stars (TCW)

Chapter 23 -- Not Abandoned

Though the clone army fights valiantly on the behalf of the Galactic Republic, many fail to regard them as true people. Some clones long for their freedom, while others stay loyal to the Republic at the cost of their morals and dignity. Jedi Knight Taska Rokanh does her best to protect and respect her troops.

"What's going on here?" Taska asked worriedly, walking past the barracks to see clones milling in and out, loud chattering coming from inside.

"General!" Ace saluted. "I was just about to comm you. There's a problem."

"What?" She prompted as he hesitated. "What is it?"

"Mags is gone."

"What do you mean? I didn't even see him in the medbay last night—"

"No, he's missing," Ace said. "We commed him when we first noticed he was gone, but then we found his armor abandoned. Everything else, what little personal belongings he had, they're all gone."

Taska's brow furrowed. "He left?"

Ace licked his lips, and it was the first time she had seen him look scared to talk to her. "That's the most reasonable explanation, General."

A long silence followed as the others stopped what they were doing and lined the walls, anxiously watching their leaders.

"Does anyone know why?" Taska asked, raising her eyes to each of them in turn.

Many of them glanced at the floor or each other, silently discussing what they should say.

Zevi sighed and stepped forward. "I know why. He, um, he has someone, outside the army."

"Has someone?"

"A girl."

"Oh," was all she could reply.

"He said that he loved her, that he was gonna find a way to be with her. I can only assume that this is it," Zevi continued, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Ace's eyes remained trained on her.

"What are we going to do now, General?" one of them asked. He wasn't even one of Mags' batchmates, but Taska could hear the concern in his voice.

She put a hand on her forehead before moving it to rest on her opposite shoulder. "There's no way to keep this a secret," she frowned. "I know we might regret this, but put the order out not to pursue. To our troops at least. I don't think—Oh, Force—I don't think any of you want to do that."

The group nodded, and there were only a few who argued. "That's not what we're supposed to do," Aspect protested, and A'den responded with a hand on his chest.

"It's our duty to our brother," he spat. "How could you live with sentencing him to what you know happens to deserters?"

"Well then he shouldn't have done it," Aspect responded, and A'den reared back, Zevi right behind him.

"Enough!" Taska yelled. "Hurting each other will get you nowhere! A'den, you said yourself that all of you are brothers. Don't fight, please. I am your general, and I have given you your orders. Is that difficult to understand?"

"No, General," Aspect quickly responded, backing away.

"No, sir," the other two echoed.

"Back to your stations," she said, hating how hard her voice was, and the way Ace looked at her as she doled out orders. "We are still on duty."

* * *

The ship hadn't gotten to experience even a half hour of peace before Taska received an update, Ace standing even closer to her than normal.

"Sir, the clone channels are reporting that a squad from the 125th legion is in pursuit, since they were closest," one of the clones piloting the ship reported, observing his screen carefully. "They've been able to pinpoint CT-3114's location on Ryloth."

"Mags," Taska heard Ace say quietly, so softly that she was sure only she had heard. "His name is Mags."

"Can you tune into the squad leader's cam feed?" Ace said to the clone, putting on his commander voice.

"Sir, I—"

"Trooper, he asked you a question," Taska interrupted.

"Well, yes, sir, but I don't—"

"I want to see it and I definitely have the clearance, trooper," she snapped. "Put it on."

She heard Ace let out a quiet breath behind her before they both turned to see what was being projected on the holotable.

As the time went on, more clones gathered on the bridge, forming a circle around the holotable. Mag's whole squad was there, along with at least three squads from his battalion. Surprisingly, Aspect also made an appearance, and both Zevi and Taska kept a careful eye on him as he leaned on a wall towards the back of the room.

After 20 minutes, the squad landed. Ace visibly tensed as they ran out of the ship, into the dirt streets of a small town.

Taska forced herself to absorb every detail. On the outskirts of the town, there were several houses with gardens around them, vines growing up the walls. The people there seemed confused as to why clone troopers were in their town, but they weren't fearful or hostile. They simply moved out of the way as they rushed past.

They neared the inner circle, a marketplace surrounded by two story buildings containing shops and homes.

The squad ran up some stairs, rounding a corner before stopping at a flimsy wooden door. Clone's helmets had sensitive microphones contained in them, allowing Taska and her men to hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

"Hey, nothing bad is going to happen, just please, hide in your bedroom, it's going to be fine, just go, go," they heard a clone say, and there was no doubt it was Mags. Taska cringed at the desperation in his voice.

"Enter," the sergeant stoically gave the command.

One of the troopers kicked down the door, and the group could clearly see the woman, who turned out to be a yellow-skinned Twi'lek with markings on her lekku that resembled flowers. She was halfway through a door at the back of the room, and screamed as the troopers burst in.

"It's going to be alright, Aiba, it'll be alright," Mags continued to say, his eyes trained completely on her. He didn't resist as the men arrested him, forcing him to the ground with a blaster at his head.

They all knew he wouldn't be alright.

"CT-3114, you are under arrest by the authority of the Senate of the Galactic Republic for desertion," the sergeant delivered, and Mags didn't reply. He only kneeled there, eyes staring off somewhere in the middle distance. "You will be held accountable for your actions in a trial by the Galactic Republic."

"How could you abandon your brothers like that?" one of the squad members couldn't resist saying.

Finally, they got a reaction—a wide-eyed look somewhere between horror and offense. Taska's heart clenched, and she could practically hear his thoughts. I didn't abandon them... did I?

Ace, who had been leeching anger into the Force this whole time, pounded his fist on the table, the sharp edge almost cutting into him despite his glove. Taska reached out, barely brushing her fingers against his forearm. She tore her eyes from the projection, focusing on pushing calm into the room—and ignoring the bile rising in her own throat.

Ace felt the wave wash over him, dispelling the rage and panic rising in his chest.

Mags' brothers visibly relaxed, though most of them still wore steely looks on their faces.

They watched silently as Mags was loaded onto the ship, his wrists bound like some sort of criminal scum.

Taska was considering asking the video to be shut off when he finally lifted his head, seeming to look straight into the sergeant's helmet cam. "I'm sorry."