Capítulo 298: Babysitting Troopers
"How is he, Suan-Ta?"
Ragout looked at Dageer, worry in his eyes. The spasms that the clone had just moments ago only added to his concerns.
Dageer was floating in the bacta-tank, almost naked. His entire body was filled with scars, from small circles - from lasers - to long lines, like the one covering his right eye.
Ragout had been present when many of those scars were made, but he couldn't help but wonder how Dageer had made it this far. Even when hit in a vital spot, like the head, the commander had been lucky. The laser had grazed the back of his neck, miraculously missing any major arteries, or his spine. The heat had cauterized the wound immediately, so the same laser that almost killed him saved his life. It was as if something had protected Dageer.
When this thought crossed his mind, Ragout thought back to what his master told him a long time ago. Something about a Force sensitive being on Iktotch saying Dageer was surrounded by the Force. Ragout had dismissed this when General Di talked to him, thinking that the Iktotchi had been senile, but maybe there was some truth in it.
He used the Force to scan the commander, but didn't feel anything. If Dageer had any connection with the Force, it was very weak. And, above all else, it was impossible. Clones couldn't use the Force.
"Master Jedi? Are you listening?"
"Yeah. Sorry, Suan-Ta. Can you repeat, please?"
The tall Kaminoan looked at Ragout curiously, but didn't ask anything. She was far too fascinated with Dageer to pay attention to details.
"I don't know what woke him up, Master Ragout. Our sedatives should have been enough to keep him asleep for weeks. It was sheer willpower. Impressive."
"Not willpower. Anger. I could feel it. It isn't a secret clones don't sleep well. It certainly has something to do with this."
"You are correct, of course. Unfortunately, we were never able to figure out the reason behind the nightmares."
"War. That is the cause. Brutal, unending, war."
Saun-Ta turned around without saying anything, a small smile on her face. If only the poor Jedi knew the truth...
"You can leave him to our care, Master Ragout. In five or six days, we will take him out of the tank. However, it will take at least two months before he can rejoin the combat."
Ragout said nothing, only acknowledging her words with a slight nod. Glancing at Dageer one last time, he turned around to leave the medical bay. He had to talk to Hell Squad. With or without a commander, a special unit couldn't stay still for two months. Like he said to the Kaminoan, this was an unending war. Every trooper was needed.
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One month passed quickly. Hell Squad and Ragout helped take over the planet of Umbara - the natives had allied with the Separatist, and a Jedi Master had betrayed the Republic, causing troopers of the 501st and the 212th to kill each other. The traitor had eventually been killed by a clone, but the battle went down as one of the costliest victories of the entire Clone Wars.
Dageer, on the other hand, waited in Kamino. He had completely recovered, and the previous two months of rehabilitation had become one. Every now and then, he would give the shines some advice, but the spent most of the time anxiously waiting for the ship that would bring Hell Squad to Kamino. He didn't like being separated from his squad, and, above all else, he didn't like doing nothing while his brothers died around the galaxy.
Thinking of that, Dageer left his quarters, and went outside, to watch the endless waves of Kamino. Facing the slight drizzle, he put on his helmet, and just stood there, hands behind his back.
He didn't know for how long he stood there, thinking of all the battles he had gone through, before a trooper called him, saying that General Shaak Ti wanted to see him.
"Understood. At ease."
"Yes, sir."
Before Dageer moved, however, he was surprised by Brain. At some moment, the clone had appeared behind him, and was giving him a salute, helmet under the arm. The commander instantly noticed a new scorch on the grenadier's armor, but Brain didn't see to be hurt.
"Those weeks of rest made you softer, sir. Didn't see me arrive?"
"Ha! We are home, there is no need to be so cautious. Where are the others?"
"I sent them to clean up their armors. We hadn't had the chance since Umbara. The general had to go to Coruscant. Jedi matters."
Dageer's right hand anticipated the commander's next question, knowing that Dageer cared a lot for Ragout. They all did.
"Any wounds?"
"A few, none too serious. The 501st and the 212th had it worse. What they went through..."
Dageer nodded. He couldn't imagine what it had been like for them, to kill their own brothers. The fact that they did it following the orders of a traitor only made it worse.
"Come on."
Together, the two walked to General Shaak Ti's command center. It didn't come as a surprise when they found the Jedi talking to a hologram of General Yoda. Hell Squad had long grown used to having the old Jedi Master give them their assignments. After all, their missions were usually top secret. Even the members of Hell Squad wouldn't know the details until just before the mission. That way, even if one of them was captured - like Brain once was - it wouldn't compromise the Republic's plans. Dageer was an exception, of course. He had already proven that even a Sith couldn't get anything of him.
"Generals."
"Commander Dageer, Brain. I have something I need Hell Squad to do. Master Yoda agreed to my request."
Dageer waited for the Jedis to say what they wanted. Orders were orders, so he would follow them anyway.
"Train a group of clones, I want you to, commander."
Needless to say, Dageer and Brain were stunned when they heard General Yoda. They had expected everything, from fighting a normal battle to going after Count Dooku himself, but not training new troopers.
"General Yoda, with all due respect, but Hell Squad would be better used somewhere else in the galaxy. General Shaak Ti is already in charge of the training."
Dageer left unsaid that soldiers could only learn so much through training. Only real battles, where one put their life on the line, could teach the troopers more.
"Indeed I am, Dageer. But what I want Hell Squad to do isn't stay here for the rest of the war. We have a... unique unit that needs training. The kind that only a special unit like yours can give."
Dageer frowned, but said nothing. Even if he had been ordered to train new cadets, he would still do it without complaining. Orders were orders. The fact that they wanted Hell Squad to take charge of a 'unique' unit meant that they were more than normal clones. That picked his curiosity.
"Delta Squad is in Kamino too. I trust you can see the importance the Republic is putting on this new unit."
The commander nodded slowly. Boss's unit was only behind Hell Squad. If both of them were being taken away from a battlefield just to train a squad of clones, they had to be something special.
"Who are they?"
"Four clones they are. Very difficult to work with, but special still. Call themselves the Bad Batch, they do."
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Reis123
Reis123 The moment many of you were waiting is here. Next chapter, you will get to meet Clone Force 99, aka, Bad Batch. I am pretty sure you will like it.
If you can, leave a review and a comment, I love reading them (when I read this out loud to myself, I sound each time more like a bad youtuber), and remember to stay safe. And, as always, may the Force be with you!
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