( Winters POV )
It was a long walk back to our HQ at WhiteHaven. We managed to catch up with the rest of the Frost Bite Legion further up the path.
Well....what was left of it anyway.
Even though we got every soldier out of that fight, we still suffered great losses during the retreat.
I was tired, as were Haxsaul Bravo and Techno. We were low on ammo, grenades, and our stomachs were starving. It felt like we hadn't eaten in days.
But I'm not sure I could eat without thinking about Havoc. My squad felt broken and incomplete without him. He was the one who made us stronger, stick together, and work harder!
The worst part was I wasn't able to get ahold of his Code Tags.
(A Code Tag is given to every clone that manages to graduate from the training academy's on Kamino.)
The Tag identifies every clones number, generation, and the made up names they gave themselves.
If and when a trooper falls into battle, someone collects their Code Tag and brings it back to be scanned. Then the code is sent to the Kaminoans to be logged into their systems.
They keep a record of those that are still active and those that are KIA.
Without Havocs Code Tag, he wouldn't be remembered for his sacrifice. No one will know that he even existed.
This war....has taken so much from us. So many brothers have been lost during this conflict. To this day I can still remember the names of my brothers who were killed in battle.
Specter, Condo, Ash, Pike, Spinner, Blindside, Neto, Tango, and now......Havoc. All these loses, and for what?
Come on stay focused. I reminded myself. You have a duty to perform. We have to finish the mission, and we have to protect this planet. Whatever it takes.
While growing up on Kamino, one thing I learned while in training, is that every time you get knocked down-you get back up.
A soldier only loses a battle if he chooses to stay down and admit defeat. I don't except defeat. I'm a fighter, and I will keep on fighting until I breath my last.
************
We made it to the capital. The rest of the men who escaped the battle were being attended to my medical units. Some clones were on stretchers, some were being bandaged up, and some were being........buried.
( WhiteHaven: Capital City of Draco 1 )
The four of us walked up to the front gates. They weren't open yet so we decided to make ourselves comfortable for the time being.
I took a look around the whole area. Everyone was tired and beat from that last battle. Our numbers were decreasing and we have no reinforcements at our disposal.
By the looks of these clones, my brothers, I don't think we could withhold another attack from the clankers.
Suddenly the two front doors to the city began to open. All the clones 'including me and my squad,' rose to our feet and entered into WhiteHaven.
The city was large, bright with white and gold colors. Streets were filled with people, markets were surprisingly still selling goods, and I saw a few clones patrolling the area.
These clones never left the city. They remained here to provide additional protection and security for the citizens of WhiteHaven. But a small battalion of soldiers, isn't much of a defense.
Me and the boys entered into a small courtyard surrounded by flowers and a stone fountain, which stood in the center.
More wounded clones filled the area. Two were sleeping in one corner while one was being attended to by Draconian woman.
The people of Draco 1 were very tender hearted people. Very kind, loving, and very bold in spirit. Their hazel skin which brings out there beautiful white hair, their light blue eyes, red and gold clothing and face paint.
Out of all the native species I've met throughout this war, the Draconian's were by far one of the most beautiful and caring people in the galaxy.
(I made the hair grey by accident, but there hair is white. Pure white. Ha ha)
I took off my armor because it was making me sweat a lot. But I only removed my helmet and my upper chest plates. The rest below my waist I left alone.
I then sat down in front of the stone statue, which represented the design of a Hornet Dragon. 'Very sacred to Draco 1 and used as a pet for the Draconian's. But treated with great respect!'
Off in the distance I saw a few children approach me with a few baskets in hand.
The first one was a small boy, and in his basket were wild red berries. A very nutritious fruit here on Draco 1. The second was a little girl and in her basket was a white cloth soaked with cold water. She used it to pat on my face and neck to keep me cool. Finally the third child, 'another girl,' had a gift in her basket.
It was a necklace. A chain necklace connected to a smooth stone, with a word printed across.
'Greydoni'
In Draconian it means 'Strong Leader.'
Even though I didn't feel strong and I was only the leader of a squad, I smiled and took it with much gratitude.
"Thank you" I said to them as they took care of me.
I put the necklace on and wore it with honor and content. I then started eating the wild red berries as the second girl kept patting my head and neck with the cold cloth.
The berries were very good. Honestly I could sit hear for hours eating them.
But while I was relaxing for the past ten minutes my short break suddenly ended when a clone officer stepped into the courtyard.
"OFFICER PRESENT, ATTENTION" one of the clones escorting the officer shouted.
I stood up as tall and straight as ever. A few other clones stood at attention as well. But the wounded remained where they were. The clone was about to shout again but the officer stopped him by placing his hand on his shoulder.
He walked in and told everyone else to relax and restore their strength. I still remained at attention as he approached me.
"Relax Sergeant, that's an order" he said in his commanding tone of voice. I then obeyed and sat on the stone fountain.
"Leave us-we'll be with the commander shortly."
The clone escorts did as they were told and left us. They stood at the end of the entryway with their blasters in hand.
I thanked the children for there kindness and sent them off to help the other wounded. They obeyed and took their baskets with them, leaving me alone with the Officer.
"You look like Hutt Slarp brother" he said with a smile.
I squeezed the cold cloth over my head before responding to the Officer.
"Well I feel worse then I look Fender."
Fender sat down beside me and took a wild red berry for himself. 'Well help yourself Fender,' I thought to myself.
"So... how bad is it? The front lines" he asked?
"It's Bad. The Seppi's have taken the planes. All of it! We took heavy losses and managed to keep only two Walkers intact." Fender signed in disappointment to my report.
"One Walker is in perfect condition however the second one took heavy damage. The main turret is shot, the tactical sonar is burnt out, and the back legs are locked up."
"That means we now have three left" Fender replied. I looked at him with a confused look.
"What do you mean three? I told you two came back with my division."
"Yes, but only one came back intact with mine."
My eyes grew wide with shock. "WHAT!" I shouted. "You had over five walkers stationed with you, where are they?"
"Gone. Destroyed. The clankers led us into an ambush. We thought we had them on the run but they had three more battalions waiting for us on the other side of the rockies."
"How many dead?"
"At least a thousand. Seventy six are either wounded or missing. We barely made it out alive."
I stood on my feet and walked to the closet pillar in the courtyard and pounded my first against it in a fit of rage.
Fender stood up and approached me placing his hand on my shoulder.
"So many have died in this war Fender. To many. The Kaminoians may have engineered us to follow orders and fight, but they never trained us on how to handle loss."
"I know" Fender replied. "But I would rather feel emotions then feel nothing at all like a droid."
I didn't say anything for the moment because I was still trying to calm myself down. So much had happened today and all I could think about was how helpless I felt. Especially after losing Havoc.
"We maybe soldiers, but we are also living beings with a soul!"
Fender was right, and I knew it. We might be clones and we may have the same face, but we are all different in our own way. The difference between us and the clankers is that we bury our dead!
Before I could say anything else to Fender his comlink went off on his wrist. He answered it and received a message from HQ.
"We'll be right up. The commanders waiting in the war room. We're to report to him immediately."
"Well he's not gonna be happy when he here's the news I have to bring to him." I said with a tone of annoyance. "Actually he's never satisfied with our performances wether it's good or bad. I'm surprised he's even in command."
"Be carful how you speak about him Winter!"
"Why should I" I asked in a whispered tone? "He's the one who got us into this mess in the first place."
"He's still the commander of our forces here, and we follow his orders"
"Our orders are to defend Draco 1 from the Separatists, not serve the commanders personal gain. You know he's doing this just to please the council so that they will grant him the rank of master."
"Look...can we talk about this later? He's waiting for us right now as we speak."
I signed in frustration, but eventually started following Fender, 'reuniting with his escort.' We then made our way towards the Temple.
************
We entered into the main gate of the Temple, accompanied by two clone escorts.
Fender and I walked through the halls and came across so many beautiful rooms, that I soon loss count of them all.
The two of us came across other troopers either patrolling the hallways or carrying out smaller duties through out the temple.
We finally reached the war room located in the main study. It was a large and massive area filled with many books, a few pieces of furniture, beautiful carpets, paintings, and a small fire place.
In the center of the room stood a large console projecting multiple fronts throughout the land. Hovering over it was the commander himself. He was dressed in a white Jedi robe, with a large gold belt strapped around his waste, and covered with a white cloak.
He had dark skin, long braided black hair, a thick beard, and a scar over his right eye. Jedi Knight Duran A'kazz! His eyes were locked on the battlefields set before him. As soon as we approached him he turned his gaze to us.
Fender and I stood at attention.
"At ease men. Gather round, we have much work to get done" A'kazz said.
We gathered around the console and took our helmets off placing them under our right arms.
"CT3341, why is it that you are here at the capitol and not at the front fighting the enemy?!"
I could tell from his tone of voice that he was filled with tension. This is just what I needed, more complaining from him.
"The front was about to be overrun sir. There was no use in defending the area. The clankers numbers were growing and we were losing to many men. We had no choice but to pull back." I responded trying to hold back my own frustration.
"That maybe so Sergeant, But.....Your orders were to remain on the planes until further notice. Now, the enemy has a clear path to the capitol!!!"
"Not anymore sir!"
A'kazz gave me a confused look.
"What do you mean?"
"My squad and I were able to block off the enemies advance towards the capitol. We were able to set charges in the canyons using the rocks to stop the droids from advancing. It will take them days, perhaps a week or two for them to get through."
A'kazz looked a bit surprised. His eyebrow lifted up a bit and then he placed both his hands on his hips.
I felt proud of myself after revealing to him that I was not as dumb as he thought.
A'kazz remained silent for a few minutes before replying back to me.
"You managed to stop the enemies advance completely, with rocks?"
"Not completely sir, but yes, we managed to stop there advance. For the time being" I said. A'kazz sighed.
"Well... at least you did something useful. Looks like you didn't screw this up after all then. Good thinking trooper. But next time, Follow My Orders!"
"Sir!"
That's the closest thing I was ever gonna get to a thank you. He then turned his attention to Fender.
"CT1141 report on the right flank!!"
"We've got lines crumbling all across the right sir. Admiral Trench has mustered up more reinforcements in the valleys towards the east." Fender pushed a few buttons on the console revealing a map read out of the east area of WhiteHaven.
"To the North of the Draco planes 'where Winter was stationed,' the droids have more then a dozen AAT Tanks, Spider Tanks, and HDT's. The whole place is completely in Separatist control.
To the east, our boys from the 731st were hammered hard by Hyena bombers. Not many of our men survived the bombings. To the south east, five thousand battle droids are marching straight through the Rocky Mountains. Accompanied by more then twenty to twenty five Persuader Tanks. Maybe more. The capitol is the only strong hold we have at this moment. If it falls, we lose Draco 1."
The commander was quiet for a moment. This whole situation was worse then I ever imagined. All our fronts have collapsed and the droid army now had us completely surrounded.
"How many Walkers do we still have intact?" A'kazz asked.
"Only three sir. Two are operational but one is badly damaged. The men are repairing it but it will take awhile." Fender replied.
A'kazz tightened his fists and then slammed them both on the console. A few sparks flew from the damaged areas.
"The enemy is growing rapidly like wildfire and we can barely contain the flames" he said raising his voice.
"Sir" I spoke up. "We need reinforcements from the Republic. At this point we don't have enough men or heavy units to defend this city!"
"NO ONE IS COMING CT3341! We are on our own with the forces we have left. We cannot and will not abandon this planet. It's recourses are to vital to the Republic."
"What about the citizens general? Aren't they more important to the Republic then the materials they carry?! Or are they expendable just like us?"
Fender looked at me with wide eyes thinking I was crazy. The commander gave me a glare from both of his eyes. He then walked right up to me until our noses nearly touched.
"I don't like your attitude CT3341! Let me remind you that I'm in charge here, not you. We are here to defend the Republics resources by order of the Senate. We will do our duty and defend this planet to the last man standing."
"With all due respect sir, we're not just here to protect recourses or materials. We are here to serve and defend the people of the Republic. Isn't that what the Jedi are suppose to stand for?"
Fender was getting nervous every time I spoke out of line. A'kazz was also getting tired of my rebellious behavior as his face tightened harder.
"CT3341......!"
"Winter. My name is Winter sir, not a code." I spoke sternly.
A'kazz's glare turned more intense as I heard him tighten his fists again. His teeth began to show as he let out a light growl. But before he could do or say anything else to me, Fender stepped in.
"Sir, please forgive the Sergeant. He's had a long day like the rest of us. Plus he's tired and hasn't had any time to rest." A'kazz glared at Fender. "If you would allow him and some of his men to rest and relax, I'm sure they will be ready the next day to fight and follow orders."
A'kazz glared back at me. I kept my eyes straight, not once staring back into his eyes. He then let out a grunt and answered Fenders request.
"Very well. Sergeant Winter," 'he said with mockery,' "you and your men have the rest of the day to rest and recuperate. Tomorrow morning I expect to see BETTER behavior from you. Because if you challenge me like that again, you will be court marshaled from this division. Are. We. Clear!?"
I didn't say anything at the moment but I really wanted to sucker punch him in the face. But what would it gain?
"Cristal. Sir." I said with a calm yet stern voice.
"Your dismissed both of you! Report back here early in the morning."
We marched out of the room with our helmets still off and entered the hallway. After reaching the first floor and realizing that we were alone, Fender grabbed my arm and pushed me into the wall.
"WHAT THE GRIFF WERE YOU THINKING WINTER? TALKING TO THE COMMANDER LIKE THAT. You're VERY LUCKY I was there to help you!"
"I DIDN'T NEED YOUR HELP FENDER, I WAS PERFECTLY FINE ON MY OWN. All I did was speak the truth and you saw how he reacted. He doesn't care about these people, he only cares about pleasing the council and the Senate!"
Fender pointed his finger at my chest.
"This is NOT the time or the place to be picking fights with each other-especially NOT TODAY." I began pacing back and forth across the open area we were in.
"We need to work together on this Winter. Despite the fact that commander A'kazz isn't the best leader we've got, he's the only one we've got. To win this battle we need to stand united together!"
"How can we fight together when our Jedi commander is fighting for the wrong reasons, treats our brothers like grunts, and leads us into battle tactics that take more lives then save them?!"
Fender knew I was right. He placed one hand on his waste and the other on his head. Of course he knew I was right, after all the years we fought together he knew I had more brains then A'kazz did.
But as much as I hated to admit it, Fender was right about one thing. To win this battle we had to work together and stay together. If one of us breaks away, then we all break away.
The droids were getting closer to our last standing position and the last thing we needed was a dividing skirmish to break out among our ranks.
I sighed and sat down on one of the chairs in front of me. Then I placed my head in my hands.
"War gives us two choices in life. Either we learn from our mistakes-or we repeat them." Fender explained to me.
We both looked at each other as he kneeled in front of me.
"Don't let other people's mistakes control the choices that you make Winter!"
*************
I was given a nice room to sleep in by one of the Draco families. They were very kind to me and they provided all that I needed.
Food, blankets, a bed, and a nice open window for air. The view was amazing. I could see all of downtown WhiteHaven from here.
The Meldoens, 'the family that invited me into their home' were very caring towards me. They took me in when I first came to Draconia.
The parents names were Damaris and Rhoda. They had two children, a boy and a girl who's names were, Persius, and Pasha. Persius was 7 and Pasha was 18.
They all took a liking to me and treated me like family. 'Even though we weren't blood related or the same species' they still showed me great kindness.
Rhoda said it best, "del niah devara kiah, mel sae, dena farvakiah de muza."
"A stranger is just another family member you haven't met yet!"
I laughed deep down inside the more I repeated that proverb to myself.
Truth is, I knew nothing about my brothers until we started bonding at the start of the war. Same thing with the Jedi. They knew nothing about us, and we knew nothing about them. Yet we became close like family and fought side by side together. At least those who treated us like men and not droids.
But maybe Fender was right. Maybe I was tired and taking all of my frustrations out on the wrong people.
But when you spend hours and days fighting in battle, and you lose one of your own men under your command, of course you'd be frustrated. You would also feel sad, helpless, angry, and hopeless. But sometimes you gotta push through it all. So that you can still focus on the ones you can still save!
It was getting late and I wished the Meldoens goodnight. The moon was bright outside and I was about to wind down, until I suddenly heard a knock at my door. I told whoever it was to come in.
The door opened and Pasha stepped into the room. She carried a few things in a small basket for me. 'Just like those three kids did in the courtyard.'
The basket had a few flowers and in the center was a small glass container filled with purple fluid. Pasha told me it was medicine that would help me sleep better at night.
The flowers she said were also great medicine for cramps, headaches, stomach cramps, and fevers.
"Das kornada. Bludoa enkar die, odo zae"
"Sleep well. If you ever need something just ask" Pasha said.
"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness" I replied back to her.
She placed the basket on a small nightstand next to my bed, curtsied and then proceeded towards the door.
But after a minute had gone by I noticed that the door didn't shut. I turned and saw Pasha looking at me. She hadn't left the room yet.
I was about to ask if something was wrong, until she walked back towards me, knelt to my level, and kissed my cheek with her soft smooth lips.
My heart jumped at full speed and my cheeks turned redder then fire.
She then gazed into my eyes, and I stared into hers. Then her eyes started to water. A tear fell from her left eye.
"Zede Oloka. Varvaden Edocani elomodan. Becoca den nala fae va."
"Thank you. For protecting my family and my home. Please be careful tomorrow."
Before I could do or say anything to comfort her, she darted out the door wiping tears from her eyes. Even when the door closed I could still here her crying on the other side.
I took my armor off and then laid on the bed. My eyes stared into the stone ceiling above me, the noise from outside city soothed my mind.
I could still feel the kiss mark Pasha left on my cheek. It felt like a rain drop had fallen from the clouds landing on a dry tongue for the first time in days.
And what she said before she left— it hit me hard. Suddenly I get a heavy weight placed upon my shoulders.
This is what made my job as a soldier very difficult.
Every soldier feels this way I'm sure. The weight of responsibility, the duty they must perform, the heaviness of loss, and the fear of letting other people, 'including themselves' down in failure.
Sometimes the best way for a soldier to discover who they are, is when their backs are against the wall and they keep on fighting.
I'm gonna keep on fighting. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win this battle and keep these people safe. Whatever it takes!
Because it's not about being a good solider who follows orders. It's about doing the right thing and knowing the difference between right and wrong.
We may be soldiers, but we must never forget that we are Living Beings First.
HEY GUY'S!!!
Wow, I loved writing this chapter. And I believe it turned out pretty good. Again I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as I have writing it.
Once again thanks for reading my first book. Leave a like or comment below and let me know what you think about this chapter.
Until next time. Have a great day and God Bless!!!