CAPTAIN MARVEL [✓]

Chapter Ten: Suffered

"Alright, the explosives and LT are in place, sir." Echo said as I levitated one of the detonators to one more box of the Liquid Tibanna. "Alright, they're in place. We need to connect them."

"There's no time. I got a signature of almost a dozen droids outside the base." Hevy said as I sighed. "Okay, well, let's at least connect one of the explosives to the LT." I said as Hevy went to connect the two. We heard a pounding sound outside the base and I immediately began to get into a fighting stance.

"There's no time, Blondie. Let's get going." Rex said as I looked back at him. "But, Rex, if the droids come through before we can connect the detonators, we're all going to die."

"Sir, there's a problem with the detonators! They're not connecting." Hevy said as I began to pant in fear. "We don't have time. We have to go." Commander Cody said as he opened up the vents and Echo and Fives began to climb through.

"Blondie, Hevy. Come on, we're out of time." Rex said as he lightly grasped my shoulder. I sighed softly before levitating my lightsaber to me and going down the vent after Fives went through. "Hevy, come on! Let's go!"

"Sorry, sir." I heard Hevy say and I immediately looked up the shaft. "HEVY! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

"I can't do that, Blondie! Someone's gotta detonate this bomb." I heard him say as tears began to form in my eyes. "Hevy, please! Please, come on!"

"It was an honor working with you, Blondie. Captain." Were Hevy's last words before I heard a grunt and saw Rex climbing down the shaft. "Rex?"

"He locked the vent from the outside." Rex said in a saddened tone as tears streamed down my face. "No. No.."

"I'm sorry, Kid. But we have to go." Commander Cody said as I nodded. "Okay.." We all crawled out of the ventilation system and it led outside of the outpost. I looked up at the outpost and I could still sense Hevy, but his life was fading. This caused me to shudder before I felt a hand on my back. I looked to see Fives and the others looking at me.

"I know it hurts, Kid. I know how you feel." Commander Cody said as tears covered my vision. Before I knew it, the outpost had blew up and my heart stopped when I couldn't feel Hevy anymore. I don't know who's arms I ran into, but I didn't care. I need to hug someone.

"It's alright, Blondie. It's alright." I heard Rex say, so I guessed I was hugging him. Maybe this is what it's like to lose someone. This feels a lot more worse than how I felt riding with the Shadow Squadron and losing almost half the team. I know I just met Hevy, but it felt like we were old friends and I lost him after seeing him after a long time.

Maybe this is how some people feel when they felt they could have done more to save someone. I had pulled away slowly from Rex when I heard the sound of gunships approaching and Rex and the other clones had began to wave their arms to get their attention.

I cried even more when I saw Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi. The clone troopers helped Commander Cody and the others onto the gunship before Rex grabbed my forearm and pulled me onto the gunship with him.

"Thanks.." I mumbled before the doors of gunship closed. I leaned against the doors, and slid into a sitting position, tears slipping down my face as I did. "Are you alright, Shiny?" I heard Master Skywalker asked as I looked up at him.

"No. No, I'm not okay, Master. I'm not okay because we lost someone! We lost a good man! The troopers lost a brother and I lost a friend! He gave his life to save us! I had the power to save him, but I couldn't! It hurts!" I shouted as I sob quietly. I don't remember anything else after that because I had shut my eyes.

I remember I woke up and I realized I was laying down and instead of seeing Rex, Ahsoka, or Master Skywalker, I saw Master Kenobi sitting down near where I was laying. I sat up slowly, catching his attention.

"Ah, you're awake." Master Kenobi said as I nodded. I blinked my eyes, though they were kind of dry because I had shed so many tears. "Are you alright, my dear?"

"No. I just..wish there was more I could do to save Hevy." I admitted as I looked down at my hands. "I mean, he was right there. I could have hit that switch myself and he would have been alive. But I couldn't."

"I understand how you feel, Valerie. But as Rex and I said before, that's the art of war. We lose the people we care most about and it cost us in the field. I know it's hard, but sometimes, you can't let the fear and sadness of losing someone you care about affect your emotions. Or you will end up crossing over to the Dark Side of the Force. And it is not a pleasant place. Your father learned that the hard way and now look where's it got him. I don't want that for you, and I'm sure no one would want that for you. You just have to clear your mind." Master Kenobi said as I nodded and he outstretched his arms. I got up from the cot I laid on and had hugged him tightly.

I always saw Master Kenobi as a father to me. More of a father than my real father would ever be. He cared a lot about me and I was grateful that he did. But deep down, I wished that my father hadn't have switched over to the dark side. He could have been here for support, could have helped me through this dark hour. But for now, I appreciate Master Kenobi for his affection.