Chapter 214: The Last Sacrifice
A very battered Hell Squad arrived in front of General Di and Commander Keeli. Brain had woken up midway, but he could barely keep his eyes open. He had lost too much blood, and smashing your head is never good.
As soon as they got there, Three-four made the others help Brain sit down, and started working on the clone, ignoring his own injury. Commander Keeli glanced at Dageer, and he answered with a positive nod. Brain would survive, although he probably wouldn't be able to battle anymore. Not that it mattered much, because Dageer didn't think anyone could escape.
"Ragout, Keeli, Dageer, follow me. I need to talk to you, alone."
"Yes, general. Three-four, after you finish with Brain, get a good look at this leg of yours. We can't have you out of combat like in Coruscant."
"Don't worry, sir. You should look at yourself, though. You also aren't looking too good."
"And you still have the mood to joke. Haha... Now shut up, and do your job. The others, help the Twi'leks. They seen to be prepared to leave, so make them go faster."
"Understood, sir."
The three that General Di called followed him to a secluded spot. The Nikto clearly wanted to talk to them in a quiet place.
"Ragout, Dageer, I'm sure you saw the troopers running around, preparing."
"We did, master. What is the plan?"
The Jedi didn't answer his padawan. In fact, he stayed quiet for several minutes. Disciplined as he was, Dageer stood still, hands behind his back, and said nothing. However, under his helmet, his face showed a frown.
The clones they passed by on their way were all occupied preparing weapons, checking ammunition, and some were moving fuel barrels. The wounded clones had been moved from their precarious infirmary to the Blurrgs, as if they were about to be taken away from the deathtrap they were in know. Dageer hoped that was the case, because it would mean General Di had an escape plan, at least for those who couldn't fight.
In the end, General Di didn't answer Ragout, but turned to Commander Keeli.
"Would you tell them, Keeli?"
"Yes, general."
Dageer was surprised. He had never heard General Di sound so... tired. Ragout frowned, and walked to his master before putting a hand on his shoulder. The tension in General Di's face eased when he felt the support his apprentice gave him through the Force.
"General Di devised a plan that will let us buy time for the Twi'leks and our injured troopers to escape. We are going to use the Laat that we have to blow up the short passage, so the seppies will be forced to follow the big one. That will give us more time to prepare an ambush. Our hope is that, adding the time they take to move through the path and the time we hold them, it will be enough so Syndulla can take the others and escape to their hideout. From there on, well... it will be on his hands."
Ragout gasped in surprise. He knew they were in trouble, but his young mind never processed the thought of dying. For him, they would somehow survive.
"This... How? Why? Master! What do we do?!"
Ragout was clearly panicking, but his master seemed to not notice. Dageer looked at Commander Keeli, and remembered something he and the commander had talked about not too long ago. And seeing the expression on General Di's face, he remembered another conversation.
Separately, they weren't much. But when he put them together, Dageer could imagine Commander Keeli and General Di having a very similar talk. Half stunned and half angry, Dageer took off his helmet, and put it on the ground.
"Hell Squad is staying, general."
Ragout looked at Dageer surprised. That had come out of nowhere, and he didn't know exactly what the sub-commander meant.
"Staying? What...? What is that supposed to mean, Dageer?"
"No, you aren't, Dageer!"
Suddenly, General Di yelled at Dageer, startling not only him, but also Ragout and Commander Keeli. Some of the clones and Twi'leks gave them surprised glances.
"Look at yourself, Dageer. Look at Hell Squad. You can barely walk. I've seen troopers retire in a better state than you."
"We don't have a retirement option, general."
"Dageer!"
General Di was surprised when Dageer rebuked him. The clone always took what he said quietly. It appeared that he wasn't the only one affected by their situation. Commander Keeli yelled at Dageer, shocked by the lack of discipline and respect the sub-commander was showing. And, meanwhile, Ragout was staring at them dumbstruck.
"Dageer. You are one of the best troopers I have ever seen, and one of the most loyal ones. However, just like I can't send injured troopers to a fight, I can't send you to your death. Me, Keeli, and the others will hold the clanckers back. However, our sacrifice won't matter if the Twi'leks don't escape. And I don't trust Syndulla to do that."
"Master! You can't... No!"
Once again, General Di ignored his padawan. He wasn't willing to look at Ragout, because he knew what he had to say to his padawan would be a thousand times harder than what he was saying to Dageer.
"I need someone I can trust there, Dageer. Syndulla is only worried about his own people. If he needs, he will leave our injured troops behind without hesitation. I know you won't let that happen."
"Then you should go, general. A Jedi has more power than any clone does. Syndulla will listen to you, and probably only you."
General Di smiled. He could sense the panic in Dageer's voice. Although his face was serious, and his voice steady, the Force revealed to him that the clone was looking for every excuse he could to convince General Di to run.
"I don't need Syndulla to listen. I need someone who will aim a blaster at his head, and make him walk. I know that isn't what a Jedi should do, but you are no Jedi, Dageer."
Dageer clenched his fists. He wanted to say something. Anything. However, he knew the Nikto was right. Hell Squad and he couldn't fight properly anymore. Hell, they couldn't even keep their eyes open because of their tiredness. And General Di was right when he said Syndulla wouldn't hesitate to abandon the Republic troops. The freedom fighter leader wasn't a kind man.
"Commander..."
Dageer looked at Commander Keeli. The clone was his last hope of convincing General Di to escape while the clones, and only the clones, stayed behind. However, he knew the answer before he even asked.
"I'm not happy either, Dageer. But you know the general is right. You are the best the 303rd have. I wouldn't trust anyone but you to lead the injured. We need someone to keep the 303rd alive, and that someone is you."
As he said that, Commander Keeli picked up Dageer's helmet on the ground, and gave it to him. Dageer looked at the horn drawn on it, and then at Commander Keeli's own helmet. He closed his eyes, and sighed with resignation.
"Commander... And general. I-I... I understand. Hell Squad will do it's best. I will do my best."
Commander Keeli shook Dageer's hand, a smile on his face. He had made the right choice of sub-commander, and he couldn't be more proud of what Dageer had become, from a simple trooper to what he was now. General Di also had a smile on his face as he nodded at Dageer. He always felt that Dageer was something else, and, just like Keeli, he was proud of Dageer.
"Now, Dageer, I have an even more important mission for you."
"Say it, general."
"I need you to take Ragout with you."
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Reis123 We are approaching the end of Ryloth's ark. There is still a lot more in store, but I hope you are enjoying the novel!
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