Dageer looked out of a Republic cruiser's window. Under him, Ryloth was getting smaller and smaller. Soon, the ship would make the jump to hyperspace. Dageer didn't know when and if he would see it again.
Hell Squad stood next to him, three clones on each side. They weren't using their armor, but brown clothes that showed they belonged to the 303rd. Without their armor, the scars on their faces and arms were plain for anyone to see, showing just how much they had been through. From time to time, a trooper from the 212th would pass by them, and look at the group for a second.
When Ryloth was substituted by the blue and white lines of hyperspace, Dageer turned around, and Hell Squad followed. In the end, Ryloth was just another battle in a war that was far from over. A painful battle, that they would remember and regret forever, but still, just a battle.
Walking around the ship towards their quarters, Dageer was remembering what transpired after their crazy climbing plan and the battle on top of the walls of Lessu. As soon as Lessu was captured by the Republic, several Separatist ships tried to leave Ryloth and escape the system. Many were shot down, but some escaped. However, of the almost half a million clanckers on Ryloth, less than half survived. Of course, the Separatist would have no problem replenishing their ranks, but a victory was still a victory.
Dageer saw General Windu briefly after the battles were over, when the Jedi was transporting the captured Separatist leader, Wat Tambor, to a Republic cruiser scheduled to take him to the prisons of Coruscant. Together with the Jedi was Cham Syndulla, the freedom fighter leader. Syndulla just looked at Hell Squad, and scoffed, before leaving, but Dageer could see guilt in his eyes.
Gobi and Yva were nowhere to be seen, and neither was their daughter, Shouta, but one freedom fighter informed Dageer they were okay. Gobi had suffered a slight wound in the battle for Nabat, but it wasn't serious.
Shaking his head, Dageer pushed all his thoughts of Syndulla or the Twi'leks to the back of his mind. He now had something else to worry about.
Now that the Battle Of Ryloth was over, Hell Squad was returning to Coruscant. As the commander of the 303rd Attack Legion, Dageer had to be present when the higher-ups decided what would be done of the few survivors. As the leader of a special unit, Dageer had to be present when the higher-ups decided what would be done of Hell Squad.
"Dageer."
"General Kenobi."
The Jedi was walking in the other direction, towards the command bridge of the cruiser. Surprisingly, although General Kenobi had done everything Hell Squad had, from sliding over an abyss, climbing up a cliff, and fighting a thousand droids, he didn't have a single bruise. Meanwhile, Hell Squad had several light wounds, and at least two broken bones. That went to show how different from the normal folk the Jedis were.
"Listen, Dageer, I just received a transmission from Coruscant, and was about to send a trooper after you. You are to go immediately to the Judgement Room on the Senate Building, as soon as we arrive. They want to sort this out as soon as possible."
"Understood, sir. And... What about General Ragout?"
"The Jedi Council will deliberate on his fate. Usually, when a padawan loses his master before their training is complete, they finish it on the Jedi Temple. But Ragout won't be there for long. In a few months, his training will be complete."
"Thank you, general."
General Kenobi nodded, patted Dageer's shoulder, and continued on his way. The commander gestured to his squad, and went to their quarters.
---------------------------
The Senate building was impressive, to say the least. High towers of a dark shade of red, the building was in the heart of Coruscant. Hundreds of thousands of people walked by and on it every day, and it was were the most important decisions of the Republic were made. As such, of course the security would be tight.
Before Hell Squad got to the Judgement Room, they had to go through four security checks, even though they were clones. The ones responsible for the security were clones who wore long red armor, very different from the normal Phase II ones. Senate Guards. Dageer never understood them. They never talked, and rarely moved, and he had never seen them training. Even clone commandos would train with normal clones for a while, but the Senate Guards didn't.
When Hell Squad finally arrived in the Judgement Room, what greeted them was a giant platform that floated above a hole. On the walls on both sides, protected by blast shields, were people of many different species. Directly in front of the platform, surrounded by Senate Guards, was Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.
He was old, but still younger than most chancellors who came before him. He also had a smile on his lips, and looked like a very easygoing person. However, for some reason, when the chancellor gazed at him, Dageer felt shivers running down his spine. He was a dangerous man.
"CT-4063, named Dageer, commander of the 303rd Attack Legion of the Grand Army of the Republic. Is all that was said correct?"
A fat Twi'lek near Chancellor Palpatine read a datapad in his hands, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Dageer straightened himself, and so did the other members of Hell Squad.
"Yes."
"This audience will now hear Chancellor Palpatine, to decide what will be done of the 303rd Attack Legion!"
The Twi'lek sat down, and Chancellor Palpatine got up, smiling. He was standing far above Dageer, but he stretched his hands as if he could touch Dageer. It was easy to understand why he was elected chancellor.
"Commander Dageer, we are all terribly sorry for the loss of Master Ima-Gun Di and Commander Keeli. However, this is the first time an entire legion of the Republic Army was destroyed, and we can't hesitate. We shall not show weakness."
"I understand, sir."
"Then, the surviving troopers shall be sent to other legions. Commander Cody, of the 212th Legion, seemed to show interest in them. I am sure elite troops such as yours will be of high importance."
Dageer nodded, and the chancellor's assistant, the Twi'lek, got up again, to read another note.
"One hundred and eighty-five clones remain of the 303rd Attack Legion. Of those, one hundred and twenty-three have been seriously injured, and won't be able to battle again. They will be taken good care of. The remaining sixty-two troopers, with the exception of Hell Squad, will be sent to the 212th Legion."
Dageer knew it wasn't his place to ask what would be done of Hell Squad. They were going to tell him next anyways. And that was what Chancellor Palpatine said next.
"Commander Dageer, in accounting to all the missions and tasks Hell Squad accomplished on behalf of the Republic, we thought it would be a waste to bind you to another legion. As per today, Hell Squad will be a free unit. Of course, unless there is some special task, you will fight on the battlefield just like you have done up till now."
"Thank you, sir."
"Unless anyone has something else to say, then I will declare this secession as finished."
None of the audience said anything, and, after waiting for a few seconds, the chancellor sat down again.
"I am sure you will do a good job, Commander Dageer, leader of Hell Squad. After all, you are one of the best of the Republic. You are free to go."
Dageer nodded, and turned around. Hell Squad followed, and he could already sense their questions. He would answer them, but they all knew that a whole new phase for Hell Squad was about to start.
I know some of you hoped for Hell Squad's "independence" to happen for a long time, and now, here it! A lot of battles still have to come, and I hope you will enjoy it!
As always, may the Force be with you!
And don't forget to check the discord!
https://discord.gg/Gdv2arS
All in all, the reunion in the Judgement Room was concluded quite fast. Hell Squad entered the Senate building as members of the 303rd Attack Legion, and left as an independent unit. Still, in their hearts, they would always be part of the 303rd.
"Shield, meet us at the infirmary in the headquarters, and bring everyone. I have to announce something."
"Understood, commander."
Dageer wanted to be the one to tell his legion what their future was, and he wanted every trooper, including the wounded, to hear. Clones were used to being moved around, so becoming part of the 212th wouldn't bother them. However, Dageer knew this would be the last time he saw many of them. He had grown up, trained, and fought with those brothers of his, and he wanted to see them one more time.
...
The troopers received the news quietly. It was what they were expecting, so there was no reaction of surprise. Ragout had also appeared in the infirmary, and that surprised them.
The padawan still had dark circles under his eyes, but he seemed better now. He talked to each of the clones, and just shook Dageer's hand before leaving. Now, their paths would part, since they weren't in the same legion anymore. In fact, they weren't in any legion.
After his brief talk with Ragout, Dageer brought Hell Squad out of the infirmary. Lieutenant Shield ordered the fifty or so clones who weren't wounded - or had already recovered - to follow them. Together, the group took a transport to the Revontre.
Until the troopers were moved to the 212th Legion, and the dissolution of the 303rd was officially sanctioned, they were still members of the same legion. And, for now, they were away from the battlefield.
When Dageer pushed the doors open, he was greeted by loud music and laughter. Countless clones walked around, some drunk, some just talking.
Although the clones of the 303rd were in a large group, only the troopers closer to the door paid attention to them. It was, after all, quite normal to see so many clones together.
However, once they recognized the pattern of the clothes Dageer and the others were wearing, those troopers stopped talking, and looked at them. Slowly, all noise died away, as more and more clones looked for the reason of the sudden silence, and saw the 303rd. Eventually, even the music stopped.
As Dageer walked forward, and the others followed, the clones got up, and stared at them in silence.
Dageer didn't know who started it, but all the hundreds of troopers brought their right hand to their foreheads, and kept their left hand behind their bodies, their back straight. It was a standard salute, one that every clone knew. However, it wasn't directed at Dageer or any of the clones. No. They were saluting not those who were alive, but those who were gone.
Dageer took a deep breath, and returned the salute. His men mimicked him. Seeing that, the other clones lowered their hands in unison, and returned to what they were doing before. From time to time, furtive glances were thrown in their direction.
"Shield, be at ease. We aren't serving right now. Let the men have a good night. For Commander Keeli. For General Di. For the 303rd."
"For the 303rd."
The clones scattered themselves amidst the others. The Revontre wasn't a place to grieve, but to drown your sorrows. They had stories to share, and moments to remember.
Dageer walked straight to the officer rooms on the second floor, and Hell Squad followed him. None of them had any less authority than a captain of the Clone Army.
Entering the room, Dageer saw many familiar faces. Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Commander Fox, Sergent Hound, Lieutenant Thorn, Commander Bly, and Captain Lock were all there.
None of them said anything about the 303rd, and just shook Hell Squad's hands, or hugged their brothers. Soon, they found themselves with a drink in their hands.
"Now that you are a true special unit, do you already have your next mission, brother?"
Dageer shook his head. He couldn't take the image of Chancellor Palpatine out of his head, when the man smiled at him while saying Hell Squad would become an independent unit. The chancellor made him remember his nightmares, for some reason.
Realizing he was daydreaming, and that Captain Lock was still waiting for an answer, Dageer pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind.
"No. To tell the truth, I have no idea what exactly Hell Squad is supposed to do. Although we have been a special unit for a long time, we were always with our legion. The battles we fought were their battles too."
"Sometimes I wonder when this war will be over..."
"Now, come on, Bly. You know it is far from the end."
"Yeah. Just... So many have died already..."
Dageer nodded. Commander Bly was telling the truth. Sometimes, he also wondered when the Clone Wars would be over, and he and his brothers would be able to have a life that wasn't filled with war and death. But such a life needed sacrifices. The 303rd was the first legion to be annihilated, but it wouldn't be the last.
-------------------------
It was only two weeks later that Hell Squad received a mission. By now, most of their wounds were healed, and all that was left were some bruises.
Frowning, Dageer read the datapad he was given. Looking at Commander Fox, of the Coruscant Guard, Dageer closed it.
"What is this, Fox?"
"Don't ask me, Dageer. This came from the higher-ups, maybe even the chancellor himself. He seems to think very highly of Hell Squad's abilities, and he isn't wrong."
Commander Fox shrugged awkwardly, to show he didn't mean to downgrade Hell Squad.
"Uff... It is an escorting mission, Hell Squad can do that easily. The problem is the next part. A trade? Since when did we start negotiating with the seppies?"
"Since we received orders to do so. Look, Dageer, I know Tambor feels kind of personal to you since Ryloth, but General Plo Koon is a member of the Jedi Council. That is why General Secura is leading the negotiations."
Dageer looked at the data again, and sighed. Commander Fox was right. He was only complaining because he didn't like being near Wat Tambor. He had only seen the Separatist once, but he was one of the people responsible for the 303rd's annihilation. However, orders were orders, and he would follow them until the end.
"Yeah, you are right. Still, Fox, I think there is something going on."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. But something about this mission isn't right. I can feel it."
--------------------------
"Master."
"Darth Tyranus, my apprentice. One of the leaders of your little Separatist alliance was captured recently."
"Yes, my lord. Wat Tambor. He will be punished accordingly."
"For that, you have to get him back first. This small negotiations of yours will be a good opportunity to get rid of some of those filthy Jedis. Leave none alive."
"As you wish, my lord."
Count Dooku caught a glimpse of an old face beneath the hood as the hologram disappeared, but a dark mist covered it. He couldn't tell who his master was, but his fear of him was immeasurable. The consequences of when he tried to defy him were...
In the darkness of his room, the cold and murderous leader of the CIS shivered. He would never dare to go against his master. Not again.
Turning on his hologram projector, he faced Asajj Ventress. The woman bowed to him, a creepy smile on her lips. Behind her, several clones laid, dismembered.
"What can I do for you, master?"
"I have a new mission for you."
Hello guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and have a nice weekend!
Don't forget to check out the discord. The more people we have, the nicer it will be.
https://discord.gg/Gdv2arS
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