Shattered Stars (TCW)

Chapter 28 -- The General

A company torn apart! Taska Rokanh has just left the Jedi order, leaving her company of clone soldiers feeling lost and hurt without her guidance. Will they continue to serve the Republic faithfully? Will any general measure up to the standard she has set?

"Attention!"

"Greetings, gentlemen," the man's voice boomed as he strode into the room. Ace's HUD locked on his face, illuminating the wrinkles under the pale man's eyes. He was certainly older than many generals he had met, but his eyes were frighteningly steely. "I am General Avetri Lago. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you will call me General Lago, General, or sir.

"To me, it does not matter if we are in the middle of a battle or performing maintenance on the ship, I make the final decision. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The men called.

"Now, I've already been given the specifications for our first mission. It's an easy one," General Lago's head slowly turned to observe each of the troopers. "I would take my own men, but I think it's important that we all get used to working with each other, don't you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"CC-3135," he said, and Ace took a moment before remembering that was his designation.

He straightened further. "Yes, sir?"

"You have a name, commander?" The question was asked with no intonation.

"Ace, sir."

Lago gave a light scoff. "Alright, Commander Ace. I'll be working most closely with you, I imagine. Meet me on the bridge in 10 and tell me everything you think I'll need to know about your men. The rest of you are dismissed!"

The hangar of the Noble had never been so quiet, and Ace was surprised to not even hear Lark muttering his opinion about their new general.

"I'll see you on the bridge, sir," he nodded before giving another salute and heading for the door.

* * *

The twelve-hour ride through hyperspace had never been so agonizing. Half the time was spent sleeping, the other half preparing. Once Ace decided he could no longer pace the entirety of the ship without receiving judgment from the general, he made his way to the mess hall.

Almost as soon as he sat down, Lark slid a tray in front of him. He looked up, helmet still on his head. "I'm not hungry."

Lark sat down, removing his own helmet. "We hit dirt in less than an hour, Ace," he said sternly. "Eat."

"I thought I was supposed to be the one looking out for you," he grumbled halfheartedly.

"We watch each other's backs," Lark replied quickly. "Please, just eat, because if you pass out I'm not going to be the one covering your sorry shebs."

A laugh bubbled unexpectedly in Ace's throat. "Alright, fine. Thanks."

* * *

"We're coming out of hyperspace in 3... 2... breakout," one of the cruiser pilots said.

"Men," Ace's voice boomed around the hangar where the 38th and 53rd battalions were organized. "It's been a long war. It may be longer still—" where am I going with this? "But we will always endure! We are brothers, and as long as we watch out for each other, this war will be won. For the Republic!"

"For the Republic!" His brothers echoed.

The words painted on his armor burned. He wondered if they were a lie.

They touched down on a planet full of canyons and densely packed rocks, the terrain seeming deceivingly barren. Ace was all too quick to realize how many of the crevices were just big enough for a commando droid to hide in.

They dropped by twos into a narrow canyon, making their way through the stratified rock to a Separatist base. They marched on for a while in silence, Ace's head swiveling as the rock pillars reminded him all too much of the trees on Choc Ceveh with that stupid snake. He hated not being able to see everything.

"Wait, General!" Vis cried suddenly, kamas swirling as he pushed his way nearer to where the general and Ace were standing.

"What is it?" General Lago asked, impatient. "We don't have much time."

"General, I can't explain this exactly, but," Vis said, pulling off his helmet. Ace noted the way General Lago was surprised by his eyes. "I noticed something. I think this is a trap. If we go any further, we could be ambushed. I'm sure of it."

"You're sure that we could be ambushed?" The general scoffed. "Soldier, we could be ambushed anywhere at any time. I'm not going to compromise this mission just because you got the heebie-jeebies."

"Sir, please," the ARC trooper pleaded. "It's not just a bad feeling, I know what's going to happen."

"It's true, sir," Ace stepped in. "Vis has always been a bit different. He has, I would say, certain advanced senses, and his feelings about certain things have helped us in the past."

General Lago frowned. "Not to say that I don't trust you, trooper, but I don't know you. I'm not sure if I can take your word at face value yet, and the longer we sit here trying to figure this out, the less time we have to complete our objective. We have to keep moving."

Ace could feel ice spreading into his bones. "Yes, sir," he said, forcing the words out of his mouth. He sent a silent prayer to the Force. Don't let it end like this.

"I'm scared, Ace," Vis said through the inter-helmet comms. "I don't think this is going to go the way we want it to."

"I know," Ace said, his stomach and heart sinking with the sun. The shadows did nothing to ease his nerves. "Just... stay close?" Against what he knew was probably right, he selfishly wanted to make sure that his batchmate survived above everyone else.

Don't let it end like this.