Darker the Night (A Star Wars Rebels AU)

Chapter Ten

*Time jump*

The Clone War has now raged on for ten months, with the Republic suffering heavy losses at the hands of the Separatists.

Caleb and Depa sat side-by-side on a large boulder in a particularly oppressive, uninhabited section of the Felucian jungle, waiting for their next orders from High Command. What remained of their battalion of Clone troopers loitered around, checking their weapons, talking in low voices. It was hot, and the jungle hummed and squawked with life.

Depa was meditating, as she often did when she was conflicted about a course of action. Caleb could not meditate- he was thinking about the loss of life that day. Felucia could not be retaken, that much seemed certain...and the Republic had lost so many good people already. What had the Separatists lost? A bunch of battle droids, nothing more. They still held the planet.

Caleb rubbed the scruff on his cheeks with one hand and tried to think of something other than the dead soldiers he'd seen that day. Ten months into the conflict, there was little else to think about but war and death- seemingly endless death. His thoughts turned to Hera, as they had done more and more through the months since he'd watched her walk out of the Temple, and ostensibly out of his life forever. At first, it had hurt to think of her, because it always reminded him of the fact that he was very unlikely to ever see her again. But now, thoughts of her seemed like a soothing balm compared to the hell they all battled through on a daily basis. He knew he should have tried to forget her. He knew he was doing the opposite of what a Jedi was supposed to do, but there were so many days when those memories of her seemed like the only thing holding him together. So, instead of forgetting her, he allowed himself to think of her- the same way someone living through a drought might allow himself a few drops of water.

Beside him, Depa let out a barely audible sigh. He knew that she could sense his deliberate attempts at distraction and his emotional turmoil, even if he had never spoken the specifics of it aloud to anyone but Ahsoka. She said very little on the matter, however. The war had changed everyone, and his Master now seemed reluctant to admonish him for anything that wasn't a matter of survival.

"You fought well today," she murmured.

"It wasn't enough." He turned his head to look at her; her eyes were open, and she looked exhausted.

"No. It wasn't. But there have been victories, and there will be again."

"What difference does it make?" he asked. "It's hard to remember what the point of this war is supposed to be."

"To save the Republic. To protect the people from Separatist rule." He felt an undercurrent of doubt and unease from her as she spoke. She was no longer so sure that those sentiments held true.

"General, we have a message from High Command," Captain Styles called.

"Let us hope they've decided to retreat," she said to Caleb, getting up from her seat to walk over to where Styles stood.

As he watched her, he saw a flash of green out of the corner of his eye and turned to see what it was. A Felucian bird had just landed on a branch in a nearby tree and was staring back at him. The hue of the bird's feathers reminded him of Hera, and he wondered where she was. The Starfighter Corps had been absorbed into the Grand Army of the Republic, but he'd tried very hard not to think about her being involved in the war effort. Nevertheless, given her talents, it was very likely she'd been conscripted. If something happened to her-

He pushed the thought aside. She was an incredible pilot. She'd be fine.

Depa returned. "We've been called to retreat. The Separatists win this battle, but we live to fight another day."