A Soldier's Secret

Part 19

My speeder nearly crashed against the back wall of the hangar as I raced the storm. The blast doors settled shut seconds after I raced in, and I pulled myself from the speeder moments before it came to a halt near the wall

"That was a close one!" The maintenance guy said "I'm glad to not have a wrecked speeder on my hands" 

I scoffed and walked away. The blizzard thundered against the doors and I sought the relief of the barracks. It was getting to be dinnertime, and most of the clones were in the mess.

I crept through the door and heard tears drip. Cody sat in his bunk, tears falling from his face. His helmet lay discarded beside him, and I grabbed it

"You're going to want this" I offered it "Now is not the time to show weakness"

"What?" he hiccuped. I continued to offer the helmet

"If they see you like this, we'll have more than just two missing troopers on our hands" I snarled. He threw a half-hearted punch, and I grabbed it, forced his hand open, and put his helmet in it "Put it on, Commander Cody. You have to be strong for everyone. I know you're probably sick of it, but we can't be weak while Rex is missing" I say 

"What do you know about where I am?" he tried

"I've watched everyone I love die, Cody. I watched my best friend fall to his death, knowing I could have helped. At least Rex and Sonic are still alive" I growl "They need an authority figure. So give them one"

Cody took a shakey breath and nodded, putting his helmet on "You'd better head to the mess" His voice had some of the still and calmness that he usually commanded of himself

"I might follow some of your orders, but not that one" I scoffed. He laughed and walked away. I sat down and checked for sap crystals, finding my stash gone. I must have eaten them all over the last few months. I sighed and flopped backwards on the bunk, a hand on my stomach. It wasn't protesting, which was nice. I closed my eyes and drifted off.

When I woke, nothing had happened. The base was still. Too still, like on Umbara. I stood up and looked outside, feeling the chill. Were the blast doors open? 

I couldn't tell if something was wrong, so I climbed into the vents. The chill was harder as I moved toward the command, but I still found nobody.

What was going on?

I moved to search the mess hall. There were always people in the mess hall. When I arrived, it was empty. I swear a tumbleweed rolled by. 

Time for the big guns

The PA in command.

I crawled, and I saw a corpse. Then another

The pile was growing as more lost their grip. A bomb from our storage tumbled down, taking another with it. It was only us as the explosion roared and the fire caught. Dying screams echoed up the gorge with the scent of burning flesh

I can't get caught in memories. I have to keep moving.

The number of corpses got larger

Joined by droids

Until I found them

Standing in a clump, with their blaster aimed forward. Ahsoka and Skywalker were nowhere to be seen.

"I told you" A hissed voice cooed "Bring me the one you call Cedar" I crawled forward to the next vent opening and saw Cody at the front of the group

"In your dreams" He spat

"Oh, Cedar's already in mine" The hissing voice chuckled. I moved to the next opening and saw why no one had fired yet.

Ahsoka and Skywalker were trapped in the massive arms of a Separatist, his red lightsaber not even an inch from their throats.

I thought for a moment

Dropping right onto him might have him kill them

I could drop in behind the pack

Risk getting them killed

I crawled to the middle opening and kicked the vent open

"So, you want me?" I snarled, then dropped into the hall