Bat Squadron: The Rise Of Darth TS

Chapter 27

1ABY
Utapau

Bat was limping through the cave, dragging his leg behind him as he continued to run. He was nearing a cave exit. He could hear the sounds of screams and blaster fire and the reflection of sunlight off of a cave wall.

​"Our line's been broken! Fall back! Fall back!" Troy was screaming from the front of the trenches as he was helping Kodi over the trenches to run back.

Bat emerges from a cave along the pathway in the sinkhole leading down to their base. He grips his side as he watches the troops run past him in groups.

​"General!"

​"It's the general!"

​"General Spacespawn!"

​"Bat!" Bat could hear from the troops as they run past him, a few slowing to stare at him or frantically scream at him to warn him.

​"Go! Go! Fall back! Fall back!" Chip screams as he was helping soldiers out of the trenches.

​"Commander!" Troy yells and walks over toward a yellow marked B1 battle droid.

​"Roger roger?" The droid asks.

​"I need you and your troops to stay here and hold off the imperials for as long as you possibly can!" Troy yells at the battle droid commander.

​"Roger roger." The commander nods.

Chip leaps down behind the trenches and joined the flood of retreating soldiers. Troy follows as he pushed a trooper in front of him as he watched the droid commander turn around and start ordering the walking scrap piles.

​"Chip!" Bat yells as troops pushed past him.

​"Bat!?" Chip yells in surprise as he was getting closer.

​"Where'd you come from?!" Chip asks.

​"The...cave..." Bat says and turns to point but he couldn't find the cave entrance anywhere.

​"Huh? You alright sir?" Chip asks again.

​"Yeah...fine...what happened? Why are we retreating?" Bat asks as he was starting to join the flood of other troops being pushed back to the base.

​"We aren't retreating. We're just falling back. You should know the difference." Chip tells him.

​"What's the plan?" Bat asks.

​"Fernanda is leading a few bombers up there while the droids hold them off so we can set up down there and hit them while they come in." Chip explains.

​"What? Fernanda?" Bat asks.

​"Yes sir." Chip says.

​"She's out there?"

​"Yes sir."

​"What?" Bat asks.

​"Sir, she'll be fine. Just trust her." Chip says, placing his hand on Bat's shoulder after he turned to head back up to the battle field.

​"Who's she flying with?" Bat asks.

​"Uh...Brains." Chip says staring at him.

​"Say that again. Did I hear you right?"

​"Yes sir, Brains."

​"You let him in the same fighter as her?!" Bat screams.

​"Sir, she knows what she's doing." Chip tries to reassure him.

​"We're running low on fuel, we're going to head back to base." Ninone contacts Fernanda.

​"Copy that. Kat you still with us?" Fernanda asks.