Another Helmet [Star Wars: The Clone Wars]

||Chapter 6||

PANIC!

Normal beings would panic. Run in all different directions, throw things down, knock eachother over as they ran. Not us. "Everyone back to the ridge!" Commander Enacca shouted. We all ran as fast was we could. Hundreds of us. All running for our lives. As I ran I saw medics trying to get the wounded up and out of there. I heard a few say "Just leave em'!" All I could think of though was to get to the ridge. To get to Safety. An animal instinct took over. Making me run faster than I ever knew I could. I finally reach the ridge. I leap down and roll, hitting the giant root of a tree. As I see the hundreds of men pour over the ridge. I look and I see Meerel, Brennen, and Jed huddled up against a tree stump with their heads between their legs. Bracing for it. Rivet and Knox are nearby too. But I don't see the Commander. "Anyone see the Commander?" I yell. Looking up, seeing those red beams, almost on impact with the ground. 'Why are they so slow?' I think to my self. "She's not here." Someone yells back. I crawl my way up the ridge. And I look around, and I see her. It looks like shes hurt. She's not moving. I vualt over the ridge and run for her. I hear someone behind me, "Your gonna kill yourself!" I ignore it.  I  finally get to her. Her ankle is twisted in a way it reall shouldent be, wrapped around a root.

I walk over to the root, and try to pry her leg from it. But to no avail. The only thing I can think of to do is to shoot the root, hoping it cuts it. So I point my DC at it and fire. Praying it doesent go all the way through and hit the Commander. But its my only choice. After the bolt went through. 'Thank Manda that worked." I roll her over, she's still breathing! So I roll her to where I can use momentum to pick her up over my shoulders. She's quite light though, so it comes with ease. Unlike lifting a fully armored trooper. I balance her over my shoulder and make for the ridge. Im about 10 meters away when the beams impact with the ground. Causing a massive explosion, the force of which blew me head over heels, tumbling towards the ridge, the Commander still on my shoulders. Debri and dirt fly everywhere. Hiting my armor as I tumble, throwing me into another trooper. Tumbling to the ground, finding it difficult to get up. I notice the Commander is a few meters away from me. 'She made it, hopefully' The shockwave from the blast sent everything anywhere near it flying at deadly force everywhere. Sending Troopers, flying everwhere. Its insane, debri is still falling from the blast, smoke and fire is everywhere. Dead troopers are everywhere. I finally get up on my knees, and realise I can't hear anything. Its all blurry noise.

Medics are running everywhere trying to help wounded men. Some, debri found its way into the joints of the armor. Cutting through the fabric that lay underneath. Shreading bone, and severing limbs. As hearing slowly comes back to me I hear shouts, "Get me some pain killer!!" "I need help over here!" "This guys done for..." I look and I see Meerel and Brennen, Hudled over someone. A trooper. I walk over, stumbling a few times, and I see they got the helmet off the trooper. It's Jed!

I start to run, collapsing next to Brennen. I notice a piece of metal sticking out of Jed's chest. Blood pooled around it. Meerel is screaming for a medic. "MEDIC OVER HERE! WE NEED A MEDIC NOW!!" Brennen has just got his hands on Jed's arm. Shaking his head. The tone in Meerels voice gets more shakey, more desperate. A mix between a cry and an angry yell. "GET A MEDIC OVER HERE! PLEASE!" A medic finally rushes over, his head making a sweeping motion over Jed, he then takes out a scanner. He pats Meerel on the shoulder, shaking his head. "Its to late Lieutenant. Im sorry, he's gone." Meerel takes off his helmet. His eyes bloodshot, and tear stains all down his face. He has this look on his face that I can only describe as a perfect mix between seathing anger, and grief.

He grabs the medic by both arms. Shaking him wildly, "You don't say that! Theres all sorts of shab'la things you could do for him! Medical science is way to advanced for a 'Its to late.'" The medic begins shaking his head "Im sorry Meerel, theres nothing we can do. No matter how good a medic is. Theres no saving a corpse." Meerel then screams in rage, shoving the Medic aside. Collapsing next to Jed. Brennen starts shaking. And Meerel just looks at Jed. His breathing getting heavier. The anger building in his face.

I look towards him and say "Im sorr-" "Shut up." Meerel says, cutting me off. I look over Jed. Patting his shoulder. 'Im sorry old friend.' And so then I get up and walk away. Towards the Commander. Whom is being swarmed by Medics. My head is really fuzzy, Im having a hard time taking everything in. I walk over and one of the medics says, "She's fine. Shes just got a broken ankle, and some internal bruising. But she'll live." I nod my head and walk over to where Rivet, and Knox are. Their both talking about something, shaking their heads. "He lives!" Rivet says as he walks over and slaps my shoulder. "Never thought we'd have to see your sorry looking face again." Knox jests. I just make a little grin and nod. Both their faces frown and Rivet asks, "Whats wrong Vode?" I pause. The realisation finally dawning on me that Jed is, dead. I tear rolls down my cheek, and I say "Jed died." Both of their jaws drop, hang their heads, and say nothing. "Im really sorry man." Knox says patting my shoulder. "Theres nothing we could have done." I say. Trying to make myself feel better. I sit on a root, taking off my helmet. Taking everything in. The buildings are destroyed. I see atleast a hundred dead troopers. Many more wouneded. And thats just on this side of the ridge.

A medic walks up to me with a scanner and I try and make him go away by shaking my head and waving my hand. He then says "No no no, let me look at yah." I shrug my shoulders. His scanner waving all around me. "Minor bruises. Few abrasions to the face. And a concussion." He reaches in his pack and thows me a small vial of liquid. "Drink this, it'll stop the headache before it comes." I pop the seal and drink. It tastes, minty. I hear LAAT's flying above. When they land medical teams rush out with streatchers and bactas. Running to the wounded. I look at one of them and a trooper who has a similar armor set up to Meerel, except with a Captain insignia walks out. Looking over everyone. "Torrent company, your headed back to the cruiser, Razor company is taking over here."

I pick up my helmet and walk over to the LAAT. I look over to the Captain, and say, "What were those things? The red beams that did, all this?" He pops off he helmet and looks over at me. "Its a new CIS experimental weapon, designed not just for concussive ordinance. But to destroy a particular chemical. One they were working on in these buildings. They didn't want us getting our hands on it." Everyone just has a questioning look on their face. The captain walks up to me, and holds out his hand. "The name is Rex by the way. Captain, Rex." I shake his hand, and give him a nod. "Now load up," he says, "Razor has got it from here."

My platoon loads in to our assigned LAAT, I count and notice now only 20 men are left. Meerel stalks in with Brennen. Helmets on but I can still feel is rage. A Torrent company medic walks over with the Commander leaning on him. She flashes us a small smile. And the medic says "She demanded that she head back with you guys." I smile inside my helmet. And we make way for her. The LAAT feels a lot bigger. Without the original 36 men who were here. 16 dead. And it makes it worse that I knew them. Because now I will miss them. The LAAT takes off and I feel a small ounce of safety. All the sudden I feel someones gaze on me. I turn to see the Commander looking at me. "Your the one who came and got me arent you?" I nod my head, "Just doing my job ma'am." She looks down. A small smile on her face. Then she looks up and says, "Thank you." The rest of the ride to the cruiser was in silence. But not because of what we lost. But out of knowledge we would have to do it again.

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HEY GUYS! Hope you liked this chapter. Let me know if you think it moved to fast. BUT WHY JED DIE!!!! It made me so saaad!! But, just preparing you guys, and I felt it really brought the scene a little more personal, feely, emotional stuff. And I know you guys are saying, "Their genetically breed soldier designed to handle all sorts of battle stress." Yeah well, think about it, Jed was someone that Brennen and Meerel trained with since birth. So... Yeaaahhh... I think they were justified in their reactions.

ANY WHO!!! Tell me what you thought! Criticism always accepted. Vote, share. And let me know what you would like to see next! THANKS!!!

-Randmfrogman-