A Pain Lost In The Stars - Complete

Chapter 2

Three hours later…

Kix woke up from someone shaking his shoulder slightly. Opening his eyes he gasped seeing Cody kneeling over him. 

"Kix, are you alright?" Cody said in concern, he helped the medic sit up. Kix nodded, he winced when the room spun. Coric smiled from where he was beside Jesse, the said clone staring blankly at Hardcase's body where Echo, Fives and Rex were. 

"I'm good. Should you be out of bed? Commander?" Kix asked climbing to his feet, he had to steady himself on Cody who looked at him in concern for a few minutes. "Coric was kind enough to discharge me but I couldn't leave without checking you over" Cody said in a gentle whisper. He wasn't going soft, he just had a soft spot for Kix. The medic nodded, coming to stand beside Helix who smiled at him. 

"Kix, did Obi-wan yell at you? I need the truth" Cody asked the medic who went to shake his head but the look Coric was giving him made him nod. Cody sighed into his hand muttering something about generals as he patted Kix's shoulder in thanks and left the medical bay. Passing Anakin on the way out.

"General, Is everything alright?" Rex said, coming to stand in front of the general. "At ease, Captain. I just came to check on all of you" Anakin said, directing Ahsoka into the room. The padawan smiling coming to stand beside Fives and Echo. The batch twins smiled at her. 

Anakin raised an eyebrow at Kix who shook his head not answering. It was concerning the general how separated Kix felt in the force. Almost like he was missing something. Ahsoka had left a few minutes ago to get some rest. A good thirty minutes had passed in silence. The medical staff worked in between the silence and moved around the mourning clones who didn't move unless forced out of the way.

"Men, let's give Hardcase the best send off" Anakin said, intimidating Rex's voice, the captain smirked which brought laughs all around. Well almost, Kix was impassive. Anakin was about to say something to the medic when the alarms sounded on the Venator-Class Star Destroyer. At the same time Kix's communicator went off, the medic answered it. 

"Kix here"

"Kix, thank god. I need you on the ground. Wolffe is down. I repeat Wolffe is down" Cody's frantic voice came through the communicator. 

"Where are you?" Kix asked while packing a bag. He was the field medic for both 212th and 501st due to Helix being on medical leave but still helping out. Helix was recovering from a severe injury. 

"Hangar bay 3. Meet you there?" 

"Yes commander. On my way" Kix ignored the looks from the 501st. He took a deep breath allowing Coric to tighten the bandage on his head before he picked his helmet up. He was about to leave when he took a step back and faced the 501st. "General? We could use your expertise" Kix said bluntly to Anakin who only nodded. 

"Men? You can either stay here, I won't judge if you need to remain or come with me to the battle. To save some more brothers'' Anakin looked at his men. Rex contemplated what to do before he turned to his brothers. Fives, Echo and Jesse nodded looking back at Hardcase and saluted the man. Kix smiled slightly catching Anakin's eyes, he walked toward Hardcase and dropped something in Hardcase's hand. It was a small bead. Jesse gasped, it was one of Kix's medical beads for his brothers to keep them safe.

"Kix!" Cody's voice came over the commlink more in urgency. "On the way, Commander. I hope you don't mind a small group from the 501st coming with" Kix replied. "The more the merrier" Cody's sarcastic reply came over the link. The others chuckled as they reached the hangar where Cody was waiting with Obi-wan and ignoring the general. 

"Glad you could join us, Anakin," Obi-wan said with a smile gesturing for the 501st to get in with his padawan. Kix remained silent at the back of the shuttle. "Got to keep you on your toes master" Anakin replied from beside Rex.