The Negotiator and the Fire Fang

Stranded on Canarath: Crash

"I'll be fine. Thank you Cody." he replied painfully, the panic subsiding. He looked around.

They had landed in a canyon. Crimson walls of terracotta reached high above them, fencing them in. There were no plants to be seen, only the occasional boulder.

Up above, there were white clouds against a pale orange sky. The battle overhead was visible, the tiny shots of lasers like flashes, the capital ships looking like toys from this distance. The fighters zipped back and forth, barely even specks at this distance. It looked so small from here. He focused ahead as a trooper shouted to him.

"One of the pilots is still alive!" he called, leaning over the shattered shield of the cockpit. The ship was twenty feet away from them. It was burning, sending a giant smoke signal up in the sky for the Separatists to follow. He clenched his jaw.

"Move!" the Republic General shouted. The clone listened and backed towards the top of the ship. Kenobi used the Force to rip the cockpit cover off its hinges. The trooper quickly unbuckled his injured brother and pulled him out.

"Of the sixteen on board, including the two pilots," Cody started, "five are dead and three are unaccounted for, including Consult Shan." he said. Something unpleasant stabbed deep in Kenobi's heart.

"Send the uninjured men to find them. We don't have much time. The Separatists will be here at any moment." he commanded. Cody nodded.

"Ice! Serak!" he shouted. Two clones sprinted over. "Go search for the missing." he commanded.

"Yes sir!" Serak replied, saluting. His helmet was gold with a black slash over the right side of the visor, like a single claw mark.

"Gheo landed on the top of the canyon. He can search up there." Ice added. His armor was also gold, as all of the 212th Company was, but was accented with an glacier blue.

"General!" the clone shouted from atop the gunship as he lowered the pilot, called Quest, to the ground. In the distance, two vulture droids were flying at them full speed.

"Take cover!" Kenobi shouted. He whipped out his lightsaber as they buffeted the area with red bolts. He deflected a few and managed to hit one in the wing. It didn't take it down though, just puffed smoke. They flew past, trying to cover enough distance to make a second pass.

"I found the three!" Gheo's voice said from the comm. "Lek and Kero are dead, but Consult Shan survived." A knot tightened in Kenobi's chest.

"Is she injured?" he asked, voice tightened. "She's unresponsive, so I'm not sure the extent of her injuries." he told the general. The vulture droids made a large, looping U and started heading back towards them. Their bombing bay opened.

"Blast it. Everyone move!" Kenobi yelled. The four surviving clones all took off running. Kenobi could hear Gheo's confused voice asking what was going on from the other end of the comm.

"Cody, brace yourself!" the Jedi shouted. He lifted him up using the Force and threw him up to the top of the canyon. The commander landed on his back on the ledge above them.

As the silver droids closed in, Obi-Wan threw up two more of the clones, Cody catching them at the top. The clones were reaching out to grab their final brother when the vulture droids dropped their torpedoes.

Kenobi jumped up at the last moment, the explosion overtaking the spot he had just vacated. His fingers caught the lip of the cliff.

Cody and Sergeant Varo grabbed his forearms and yanked him up. Pain shot through his chest from his broken ribs, causing a cry of pain to escape his throat. He leaned forward, digging his fingers into his thighs as he waited for it to pass.