A Soldier's Secret

Part 7

I hate being famous.

Word had gotten out that I received praise from General Kenobi and the fact I was a "Tree magician" who was revered by General Skywalker. Now, everyone was asking me questions and all the scouts hated me. What a life! Rex has a seizure, I become famous, and they're serving something I don't like in the mess hall, meaning the whole three hallways around the hall reeked of it. I retreated to the bunks, where more questions overcame me.

"Leave the kid alone! He doesn't need us asking all those questions. Getting singled out after a battle is stressful." A clone cut in. Never was I so glad that I had others around me in my life, and I sat on my bunk, facing the wall. I didn't know him, and he didn't make himself known to me. They mostly wrote me off after that, accepting I was a bit weird because I didn't socialize. They came and went, but I ignored them. I didn't want to know anything about them or get attached.

Not like I was with Benny

I cannot have a repeat

I can't let anyone die?

No

Let them die

I cannot let my brothers die

But they're already dead

I have no purpose

I let my head thud against the wall, and I closed my eyes. Some of the others in the room laughed when they saw me do this, but it was quiet, they assumed I had fallen asleep. They had a quiet respect for me, the tree magician who saw two battles and got praised by two Jedi. Everyone shuffled around, and some chatter continued, but most died off as some left the room and others went to bed. Complete silence encased us later, along with complete darkness. 

A bell ruined the heavenly image of sleep. Snowball's bell.

"Stupid cat" Someone mumbled. Someone else stood up and locked the door. Snowball scratched at it for a few minutes, then started mewing. Then started making a horrible screeching sound, before his bell jangled again as he walked away. I was again, glad, that other people were in the room. I felt myself actually drifting off, and I fell to my left, onto the bed. Some mildly suppressed snickering ensued, but it stayed mostly silent in the dark room. I got my first real sleep since the cliff, that night.

I regretted it in the morning. I suppressed yawns over my coffee and moved slowly, and it wasn't until noon when a planet came into sight that I felt real energy pulse through me. I lurked near the command centre, wanting to overhear any snippets of information. I hid from Error, who walked in their usual manner, calm and controlled, with a tiny bit of haste thrown in. An alarm sounded a few moments after, a loud, screaming claxon that echoed through the ship. I covered my ears and winced, the scream of it rattling through my head. It stopped soon after, and the ship came to a grinding halt.

"What's going on?" Someone shouted. Error, followed by Rex and a few clones I didn't know, burst out of Command and marched toward me

"Cedar, come with me" He demanded, and I followed. 

They filled me in on the fact that a traitor was aboard, and whoever was behind it had nefarious intentions with the other clones in the room. They trusted me, apparently, because I hadn't been exposed to Krell or Slick yet. My job was to intercept Slick and stop him from rendezvousing with Krell by sidetracking him. Easy enough.

"Any idea where he is?" I asked. Error shook his head, and I went to leave

"Cedar," Error stopped Cedar before he left, "Be careful, if Krell gets on board, let me know immediately."

"Okay. Vents it is" I walked back into the room and yanked the vent cover off the wall, climbing inside and replacing it behind me "See you in a bit"

And I crawled away, into the maze of ductwork.

It took me a solid five minutes to find Slick, who was grinning smugly as he leaned against the hangar door. He watched the doors slide open, and a ship lowed inside. When the bay doors closed again, the ship's doors opened, and a Jedi who I can only assume was Krell stepped out

"Rex! Do not go to the hangar! I repeat, do not go to the Hangar!"

"Why?" He asked

"Because someone I can only assume is Krell just came!" I hissed, then opened the channel and tried to get a better view.

"Let the useless one out. He can summon his batch" Krell hissed. Slick nodded and moved to the ship. This was a chance. I grabbed my blaster and aimed for Slick, nudging the nozzle of the gun between the vent grate, and fired. The shot caught his neck, and he collapsed.

"Cedar, who did you just kill?" Rex whispered

"Slick" I murmured. Error, without his helmet, stormed into the Hangar and shouted at Krell, who grabbed his lightsabers and moved toward Error, who was now flanked by Rex and the other clones I didn't know. I punched the grating stopping me from getting out, and climbed, slowly and silently, down to the ground. Rex's eyes flicked momentarily to me, and he gave a tiny nod. He knew what I was going to try. Krell said something.

"I'm done, Krell. You've killed my troops, ordered suicidal attacks, and caused countless deaths" Error started. Krell was silent, and I came up behind him, holding my breath as I pointed my gun at his head. I was out of his reach by close enough to ensure death when a shout came from behind us

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!"