#tcw umbara | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ninjadeathblade · 3 months

Text

Febuwhump Day Four: Obedience

Warnings: Violence, Pong Krell, it's set during the war on Umbara, injury, death

Word count: 1,823

Author's notes: It took me ages to decide on this and a while to write it. But I haven't written for a more mainstream fandom in ages so here! Take some Umbara angst! (Also, sorry if some of the terminology is incorrect, I focused more on getting the dialogue correct) (btw, you can go find the prompt list at @febuwhump)

“Sir, we've been keeping this pace for twelve hours now,” Kix pointed out to Rex. “The men are getting worn down. We should rest.”

The captain quickened his pace slightly, enough to catch up to Pong Krell.

Kix strained to overhear their conversation.

“General Krell, the top of this ridge will make a good place for the men to make camp,” Rex said.

“The men don't need rest,” General Krell replied. “They need the resolve to complete the task at hand.”

“But sir-”

“CT-7567, are you reading me?”

Kix bit back a protest at the use of his brother's designation.

They had names, all of them.

And even though Kix didn't like General Skywalker's less than cautious plans, at least he would respect that and try to learn their names.

To their general, they weren't all the same.

“Excuse me, sir?” Rex questioned.

“I asked you a question, CT-7567. Do you understand the need to adhere to my strategy?” General Krell asked.

“Sir, the terrain is extremely hostile,” Rex reasoned. “Despite the difficulty of the conditions, the battalion is making good time. These men just need a little break.”

The general rounded on Rex, holding out an accusatory finger. “Captain, do I need to remind you of this battalion’s strategic mission in conquering this planet? Look back. See those platoons?”

Kix looked back at the weary brothers that trudged along behind him.

Already so much fewer than had boarded carrier ships to begin with.

“Their mission is to take this city and take it swiftly.” Kix looked back over as the jedi spoke again. “Time and rest are luxuries the Republic cannot afford.”

What?

More men would die if they didn't rest, was the general insane?

“We are the key to this invasion. The other battalion's are counting on our support. If we fail, everyone fails. Do you understand this?”

The general rose his voice. “Do all of you understand this? Now move on!”

Rex merely looked back at his brothers before wearily tilting his head in the direction of the seemingly tireless Besalisk.

Kix stared at the mist-covered floor as they trudged onwards.

He wished that this battle would be over.

~•~

Kix dragged another soldier into relative safety, thankful for the cover fire provided by Rex, Jesse and Dogma.

He removed the younger clone's bucket. “You're going to be okay buddy. This will ease the pain.”

The clone let out another pained groan as he treated them.

The firefight they'd ended up in was horrendous.

General Krell spoke to General Kenobi about something while the clones fought for their lives.

If it were General Skywalker, then he'd be fighting right alongside his men.

“Incoming, incoming!”

Kix flattened himself to the ground as another explosive blast went off nearby.

They fought their way out once the general was done with his call.

~•~

Rex stood in front of all of them. “Alright, listen up. We'll assemble the squads into two divisions. We'll move straight up this gorge towards the airbase at the far side.”

“The casualties are going to be high,” Kix protested.

“Is Krell trying to get us killed?” Tup added beside him.

“You know, I wasn't sure that Krell was crazy before,” Jesse said. “But now I'm positive.”

Fives spoke up. “We had to retreat from the capital because the general pushed a flawed strategy. Now this?”

Hardcase didn't seem to understand the fuss. “I don't know. Could be fun.”

Fun?!

They'd already lost dozens if not hundreds of men, how could any of this be fun?!

“Well, I for one agree with the general's plan,” Dogma argued. “We're running out of time, and this is the best option.”

“No recon?” Jesse asked. “No air support?” He banged his bucket against the side of his tattooed head. “We don't know what we're up against. They have weapons we've never seen before.”

Rex tried to calm the situation back down again. “A few of General Skywalker's plans seemed reckless too, but they worked.”

“Yeah, but General Skywalker is usually leading his men up in the front,” Fives pointed out. “Not bringing up the rear like General Krell. A full-forward assault would leave us too exposed.”

The men around them all murmured to one another, seemingly agreeing with the ARC Trooper.

“We have to look at other options”

“It's going to be a meat-grinder down there.”

How was Fives the one seeing reason here?

Reckless Fives who had always gotten into trouble, who Kix remembers being brought to their battalion by Rex.

Fives who seemed to be his most often patient aside from Hardcase.

Fives, who had quietened down and started being more rational after he lost Echo.

Fives who had locked himself into a medical cupboard one time so he could cry in secret. When Kix hadn't the heart to tell him that he'd heard the younger clone's cries and that was the real reason he was in the medical bay so late.

Fives, who had never been Kix's favourite, but always seemed to have a plan.

How was his captain not seeing reason but Fives was?

Rex and Dogma looked around.

“Fives.”

Kix sighed as Fives followed their captain.

He couldn't hear their discussion but he could tell it was growing more heated as disagreement built between them.

Jesse turned around, shooting him a slightly worried smile. “You know, we'll probably be okay.”

Probably.

It would be a miracle to get through this while obeying General Krell’s orders.

~•~

Kix whirled around as something burrowed out of the ground.

A trooper beside him let out a quiet curse. “Oh skrag.”

The creature- no, machine - must have been huge, metal limbs clicking as ominous blue light filtered from between segments of its body.

One massive blue window took up the thing's face, shining bright in the dark surroundings.

It erupted into chaos as practically everyone started firing their blasters.

Nothing worked but whatever the thing was definitely had enough fire of its own.

The men made a retreat back to the cover of the trees behind them, trying to escape the mechanical monstrosity heading for them.

Kix watched as a couple of the ATs blew up.

“It's head is ray-shieled, we need rocket launchers!”

Some of his brothers were shouting.

Kix could hardly hear it.

All he could think of was to save as many men as possible.

He darted between troops, checking for pulses or breathing and then rooting through his supplies for something- anything that might help in the slightest.

Kix darted over to a rocket-carrier after the insectoid machine crawled off of him.

“Take it, take it,” the injured man wheezed to another trooper.

“I got him,” Kix yelled over the surrounding hurricane of noise, trying not to wince at the yell made when he dragged the injured clone to safety.

Rex ran nearby him, signalling to whoever had picked up the rocket launcher. “Go. Go, go, go! Keep moving, keep moving!”

Kix did as much as he could.

It didn't matter.

He duly noted that the machine screeched and its rounds of fire went everywhere as a rocket did manage to hit its face.

“Everyone regroup, now! Take cover!” Rex ordered.

“Move it! Move it!”

Kix reluctantly tailed them, looking back at the scattered bodies behind them.

“We're safe for the moment. They'll be coming around any second,” Fives breathed heavily.

Kix made a mental note to check him later.

“Bring up the launchers,” Rex instructed. “Spread detonators along that corridor. Trap them into the bottleneck. We're going to blow these things sky high.”

Kix crouched in preparation, chest rising and falling quickly as his vode goaded the machines towards them and Rex detonated the set up explosives.

They took a mere moment to celebrate their meagre success.

~•~

Kix rushed forward, firing volleys as two insectoid animals hovered over a body. “Hey! Still hungry? Chew on that!”

One of them went down with his blaster shots, Rex killing off the other one. “Everyone, keep moving.”

Kix trained his gun on the animal, wary that it might be faking its death.

“Hey, Kix, leave it.”

He slowly lowered his weapon before tailing his brothers.

~•~

Two more large tanks, sending off volleys at them already.

Kix and Rex helped move a wounded soldier to cover.

“Keep the wounded as quiet as possible,” Rex instructed.

Kix nodded, keeping an ear out as he tended to his most recent patient.

“Alright, you heard the general. Let's go.”

“You can't be serious,” Jesse complained.

“I used to think General Krell was reckless, but now I'm beginning to think he just hates clones,” Fives spat.

“The captain is right. Now let's move out,” Dogma replied.

Fives spoke to Rex. “We can't take them on. We need to find another way.”

“You got any ideas?” Rex questioned.

Ah, Kix recognised that tone.

Rex was tired and stressed and he was beginning to break.

All of them were at their limits but as the commanding officer amongst them, he wasn't allowed to show that.

Rex was playing the role he had to play so that no one else would become demoralised.

Kix assumed Fives shook his head.

“Then this is it.”

The captain sprinted out of cover.

“Okay, let's do it,” Hardcase said, as if they had any other choice.

If General Skywalker were here then they wouldn’t have to follow such idiotic orders.

~•~

Kix looked back and forth between a tank and the trooper he'd been trying to help, dismay striking through him as they'd been struck by a bolt of fire.

One of the tank's feet raised, ready to crush him.

Kix jumped back just in time before quickly darting in to help the clone who hadn't dodged, dragging them. “Help me with the wounded!”

Fives and Rex sprinted over to him.

“We’ve got to get these guys out of here,” Kix called.

Fives moved past him to provide covering fire while Rex helped him move the trooper to safety.

Kix began to walk back towards the battle when a hand clamped down into his shoulder. “Forget it. We have to leave them.”

Kix whirled around, pointing to the battlefield while he addressed his captain. “We can't just leave them, sir!”

Rex shook his head. “You don't have a choice. That's an order.” The captain began to walk away.

“You sound like General Krell,” Kix accused.

Rex halted before turning back to him. “Look, Kix, it's more important to save yourself right now. If we survive, you can patch up the wounded later.”

“We're… We're finished,” Tup sighed.

Kix barely heard the rest of the conversation.

He was a medic, his job was to help those who were wounded.

He understood that he couldn't help everyone but the fact Rex had ordered him?

That hurt.

He wanted to leave this planet, and never see it again.

But if he was going to leave it, it would be with his brothers.

24 notes · View notes