The Serpent and Her Men: A Clone Wars Story. (Told Via One Shots.)

Invaluable

At the halfway point of the clone wars, and Quailius and the battalion's relationship. The clones are starting to trust that she doesn't want them dead. But Lupo, Foxhole, and others still have their doubts. After all, she could still be a stuck-up space wizard, right?

A supposed spy for the Republic sends a piece of valuable information. There's a weapon being made in a remote, old warehouse on a deserted planet. And Q and the boys are sent to investigate.

Little did they know they needed a warning from a certain Mon Calamari Admiral.

This is how Quailius got her scars in the picture above. And also how her clones finally learn to trust her and understand how deep her loyalty goes. This is also the first time she refers to any clone as Tensi Sikui, which you'll learn the meaning of later 😉

It's a bounding moment, really. If you can get past all the...

Bombs.

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Quailius POV

The building stood in front of us. It is dilapidated with rust creeping up its metal walls. Lupo walks up to me, "You sure this is the place, General?" He asks.

I pull up the holographic page with the details of our mission. Our intelligence gathers have supposedly heard of a secret Separatist facility here. I read the coordinates again and check our current position on my wristband.

"The coordinates match up Captain. This is the place according to what we've been told." Something doesn't feel quite right. There is a nagging in my mind, as if the Force is trying to warn me of something... But what?

Nevertheless, we head into the building. We are only a small company, 25 soldiers, including Lupo, Foxhole, and of course, Tenderheart. Ross is back on the Potestas, which is nice, because he'd be complaining by now.

We march slowly through the empty hallways. Chills run up my hood. Something is wrong.

As we near the center of the building, an explosion erupts from the ground.

It's a trap.

Me and Tenderheart were the closest. I'm thrown back several feet but manage to keep myself grounded with the Force. Lupo is thrown to my left, and many of my men are pushed back, either falling to the ground or stumbling back and covering their faces. Bits of metal fly through the air, and my hood warns me just in time to duck as one zooms overheard. I rush to Lupo's side, offering an arm to help him up. My men are still getting their bearings when another explosion rocks through the structure. I spin around towards the exit.

"Everyone out, now! This place is rigged to blow." I order. They all scramble to get out of this death trap of a building.

We all run out of the entrance, the collapsing building shuddering behind us. Everyone heads to the gunships to evacuate before the place blows. I watch all my soldiers load, making sure I'm one of the last ones on when I notice someone is missing. I turn to my Captain with horror lacing my voice.

"Lupo, where's Tenderheart?"

His eyes widen and he looks around, searching.

"I don't know. He stays in the back in case any of the injured falls behind." He says with worry. Next to ours is a gunship full of injured clones, yet Tenderheart was nowhere to be found. I close my eyes and focus on his Force signature. Unfortunately, I find it; He's still in the building. Pain radiates through him, and it feels like he's not moving. I hiss and turn to Lupo.

"Captain, you're in charge. Get everyone out of here. If I don't contact you in 10 minutes, don't wait for me. Go." I order. I turn back and run towards the door we all just ran out of. Before I can make it, the front of the building crumbles, debris now blocking the entrance. There's another door several feet up, so I take my chances with a force jump. I underestimate the height and nearly smack into the wall above, but I shorten my jump and thrust my lightsaber into the wall. It melts the metal, and I slide the last few feet down before swinging backward and flipping into the doorway. That probably looked really cool. I glance back at the gunships one more time to see most of them taking off before bolting into the building.

Using the Force to guide me, I search the hallways. Determine to find our medic. No matter what state he's in. Flames slink over the warm metal floor, uncomfortable levels of heat waft over my hood, and smoke fills the air from a few feet up. This is one of the times I curse being tall. I think as I cough.

Luckily, I manage to find Tenderheart near where the first explosion occurred within a few minutes. He's on the ground, unmoving, with a large piece of metal embedded in his left calf. I sprint across the room and kneel by his shoulder. I shake him gently, fighting the rising anxiety in my throat. The Force says he's alive, he'll be fine. Please be fine. I tell myself to calm down as he stirs.

His eyes shoot open and he attempts to sit up only to cry out in pain.

"Easy, I've got you." I steady him, using the Force to relieve some of the pain. I'm more worried about the bleeding, though.

"General? you came back?" He coughs. He seems so surprised. It's a little insulting.

"Of course I did." I  state fervently. "The battalion needs our medic, and even if it didn't, I would never leave any of you behind." He nods in thanks, and I move to his leg. "I need to steady it. You're not going to like this." He clinches his jaw, knowing what's coming. I rip off a section of my robe and tie it around his leg, using most of it as a tourniquet and tying the rest around the metal to stabilize it. He gasps in pain, trying his best not to cry out. I send him an apologetic look.

I come back to his shoulder and slowly help him up, allowing him to put his arm over my shoulders, ignoring the hot, hard, gritty armor touching my hood. No matter how sweaty and gross and-

I fight a disgusted cringe as we both stand. Tenderheart tentatively puts pressure on the leg. He groans through gritted teeth. I activate my comm, Lupo picks up almost immediately.

"General, did you?.."

"I found him. He's injured. The front door was blocked." I look around the room, then remember a working lift I saw in the hallway. "We'll meet you on the roof."

"We will?" Tenderheart asks weakly.

"Yes, we will. Be ready, Captain." I command before switching off my comm.

We make our way, slowly, into the hallway and down to the lift. We ride it to the top of the creaking and cracking building. Tenderheart leans heavily against me, I can tell he's exhausted from the loss of blood. Stay with me tensi sikui, just a little longer. We reach the top floor and hobble out of the lift. Now, the only obstacle is getting to the roof. I spot some stairs and practically drag Tenderheart up. Once we get to the top, I see a gunship already hovering over the top of the building. Tenderheart will never be able to climb a ladder. I ease him down next to me with a frown.

"Ok, you're going up first, then I'll jump up after you." I instruct. He nods, and I focus on calling on the Force. Wrapping my mental grip around Tenderheart and slowly lifting him towards the ship, it's tiring, but I don't have time to rest now. I get him into the ship and sigh in momentary relief as his weight is dropped from my mental grasp. I bend my knees as I prepare to jump, focusing the Force into my legs this time.

But as I go to push of, my foot falls through the paneling. I yell as sharp metal digs into my ankle, piercing through scales and flesh. I attempt to yank my foot out, but that only causes shockwaves of pain to shoot up my leg, my eyes water as I attempt not to scream. I look up, connecting desperate gazes with Lupo, the building shudders beneath me. I know what is about to happen. As I lock eyes with my Captain I send him a silent message.

Go.

And then the roof caves in.

I am sucked into the torrent of hot, jagged metal. Fire pours out in waves as the rest of the rigged bombs explode. I am engulfed in th blaze. Fire slithers over my body, and my scales scream in protest as they are melted. Pretty soon, I'm screaming too. Agony rips through the left side of my hood, sending fresh pulses of white hot pain to my core. All I hear is the screeching of metal and my own screams. All I feel is the heat of the fire. After what seems like hours of anguish, darkness consumes me.

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Don't worry guys, she's....fine.

(Please don't hurt me.)