Star Wars Fanfic - The Padawan Path

Chap. 32 - Designs

Roy's return to the 194th was quite a sensation. He was young, and he had the luxury of treating clones like his peers. After all, Roy himself was older than all the clones in terms of age.

Everyone who knew him came to meet him. Those with whom he had fought side by side from Gala to Geonosis. Hammer himself had to get strong so as not to cry from emotion, but the mockery was something he couldn't get rid of. Especially from Commander Tukk himself, whose joking attitude had not changed at all.

The reunion with Mayday was the most emotional. Those who nearly died in the catacombs of Geonosis fist bumped and looked at each other, grateful that they were both still alive to fight once more.

However, Roy himself wanted to hear from his friends and brothers about everything that happened in those four months that he was unconscious. Reading the records reports is one thing, but listening to the experiences is a completely different thing.

Generally speaking, the Legion was fighting on numerous Outer Rim worlds, and often made raids on the Mid Rim. But no story was more heartbreaking to hear than of the pyrrhic victory at Khorm.

Told by Tukk himself, the clones' faces were obscured as their commander narrated the events in worrying detail. The battle of Khorm was brutal, even though most of the clones were unaware of the dark secrets hidden in the bowels of the planet.

Even with the presence of 4 Jedi generals and three navies, the Separatist forces were overwhelming, and would not give up the agrocite mines under any circumstances. Plo Koon themselves, Kit Fisto, Taught Khorm-a and Pablo Gill, led the three clone armies to the almost impossible victory.

THE 194th fought side by side with the Wolfpack. A separatist device was manipulating the planet's climate, and the clones on the ground had no air support. Capturing an agrocite processing facility allowed them to establish an outpost to recover, but the situation was only beginning to worsen.

When they noticed the climate control device, an advance party led by Plo Koon and Kit Fisto themselves entered hostile territory to deactivate the device, leaving the outpost in the hands of the rest of the Jedi... Then she appeared.

The ultimate murderer. Fury incarnate. Assaj Ventress emerged from the storm and devastated the camp like the diabolical hurricane that she was. The Jedi faced her, but could do little to stop a swordswoman of such caliber. General Pablo fell wounded before the fury of Ventres, and Master Taught saw his fateful end that day. Just like thousands of clones who were no match for the brutality of the crimson lightsabers... Sergeant Collin was one of those clones.

Eventually, the Republic managed to take control of the planet, but the assassin was able to escape. Both legions had to be reestablished with a large amount of reserves due to the losses, and it took General Pablo a week to recover from the thrust that Ventres managed to land on his forearm. That will explain the blindfold Roy saw him wearing at the station.

The Padawan remained silent. Collin was a great friend and an incredible soldier. His serenity was soon shared by those around him. Brothers in arms and blood who suffered their loss, as well as that of all those who found eternal rest that day. All while a thought etched itself into the Padawan's mind like hot steel on flesh.

¨This war must end as soon as possible.¨

Still, the time with the boys lasted only a couple of hours, when a clone arrived at the barracks, looking for Roy and Commander Tukk. Apparently the general wanted to see them on the bridge as soon as possible.

Neither of them was kept waiting, and they left for their destination as soon as possible, while Tukk told the Padawan about the rest of the smaller-scale campaigns in which the 194th was involved. All in relative victory, something that would help the young man regain his composure a little.