Star Wars The Clone Wars: Cuy'Val Dar#Wattys2016

Eleven

Null was shoved backward by the droid and he raised his blaster to fire on the walking scrap metal when he saw Haley run out into the middle of the room. For the first time, the ARC noticed the sergeant lying on the ground with blood running down the sides of his armor.

"Null! Fall back! " the medic screamed, picking the sergeant up off the ground, hoisting him onto his shoulders. Null quickly scooted back a couple of inches as the droid lashed out with both lightsabers, the sabers making large gashes in the ground on either side of the ARC. As soon as the droid pulled back for another blow, Null fired one last shot at him and then got on his feet and ran back to the hall. Skidding to a halt, his blood still pumped with adrenaline, Null turned to make sure the droid hadn't pursued him and he saw Haley run into the hall as well. Several of the men fired off a couple of shots at the strange droid, driving him back. Null saw something arc through the air into the room. Followed by a bright electrical burst that nearly blinded him. As it faded, he could see the droid staggering, roaring as it fell to the floor. Slowly, Null came to comprehend what had happened as the adrenaline faded from his body as his mind caught up to the situation. 

He suddenly heard the medic's strong voice from behind him. "Bogie, Ari, get in there and place those explosives before that droid can get up!"

"Yes, sir," they said. Null turned to the door just as they ran into the room with the remaining explosives. The ARC was still breathing heavily, his hands shaking a little bit.

"Null, contact the Captain and tell him we need two more minutes," the medic ordered. Null paused to register the man's words, then nodded, tapping his comm.

"Captain," he called.

"What?" the man asked sharply.

"We need two more minutes, our men discovered a second generator."

"Two minutes, no more," the Captain answered. Null could hear question in the Captain's voice, but he didn't pause to ask about it.

"Copy," he said and turned his comm off. Haley was getting up just as Bogie and Ari returned.

"Null, get Sarge. We're going," he said. Null nodded, walking over and hauling Sarge onto his shoulder's before turning. He could feel the sergeant breathing; Sarge was alive.

This is my fault, he realized as he followed the others out, trying to keep up. Blast it, this is all my fault!

Cursing under his breath, Null picked up the pace to keep in line as Haley led them out of the hallway and back to the entrance. For the first time the ARC felt concern at the back of his mind. The medic explained to the men at the entrance what had happened, then Triage took charge and ordered everyone out. Null sloshed through the mud, bending his knees a little more to cope with Sarge's weight.

"Bogie, how long on those detonators," Haley asked as they headed back out into the mud filled tunnels.

The man shrugged, and Ari replied for him. "I've got the detonator trigger, sir, we've got three minutes."

Null looked down a bit, picking up his pace. Who knew how many minutes the sergeant had left?

///

They met up with Captain Jilkes and his men outside the base, close to a mile off with one minute to spare. Immediately, the Captain ordered them to fall back to the five-mile perimeter. They made it to the two-mile mark before the base blew. Null didn't have time to stop and watch, though, too concerned with getting back.

Once they had arrived at the perimeter line, the Captain wasted no time in ordering several of the medics to tend to any wounded. Null quickly found one of the medics, a man named Raze who was missing his right arm and right eye, and explained to him Sarge's condition. The sergeant was made a top priority and taken directly to Haley. Null then walked away, guilt resting in the pit of his stomach still. His mind was distracted by that moment when he had decided he was strong enough to take down that droid and nearly gotten Sarge killed. For some reason, he couldn't help but think how stupid his action had been.