Chapter 137 - Poisonous Flower (1/2)
The droids led the captured clones through tunnels and bridges, until they found themselves on a snow valley. The clanckers didn't hesitate to give some 'incentive' to the clones, so most of them arrived at the valley with a few more bruises than when they left their cell.
They were astonished by what they saw when they got to the valley. Half buried in the snow, a massive structure was being revealed. It was triangular, made of rocks and hundreds of meters tall. And by the looks of it, it wasn't totally in sight yet.
But Dageer's attention soon shifted to the people working on the building. Hundreds of clones were digging in the snow under the watchful eyes of heavily armed droids. Those clones were supposed missing in action, and most likely dead.
”Keep walking, clone.”
A droid pushed Dageer, making him trip and fall in the snow. Without the thermal isolation properties of the Phase II armor, he soon started to feel cold where his body touched the snow. Metal and Cell almost reacted when their commander fell, but Dageer stopped them with a nod.
He got up, and continued walking. Soon, he and the other clones were given a bucket and a shovel each, and ordered to dig. Those who complained were brutally repressed.
”I am the sub-commander of the 303rd Attack Legion. Who is the highest-ranking officer here?”
When he had the chance, Dageer approached one of the clones who were already at the snow valley. It was obvious that the soldier was so tired that he could barely walk, but he still gave Dageer a standard military salute.
”Captain Narza from the 303rd legion, and Captain Hilix from the Galactic Marines, sir.”
”Narza is here? We thought he had died.”
”He is all right. At least as much as any of us can be here.”
In a way that didn't alarm the droids, the clone brought Dageer to the other side of the building. There, Captain Narza and another clone who identified himself as Hilix, were digging in the snow.
”Sir! You were also captured?!”
”I certainly ain't here by choice. It is good to see you are alive, Narza. We were almost choosing a new captain for your company.”
The captain from the Galactic Marines, Hilix, saluted Dageer quietly, and looked at him expectantly. After a few seconds, Dageer realized that the captured clones were hoping for news about the battle raging on the rest of the planet. There was no way the clanckers would let them receive any news from the outside.
”Everything is the same as before. We conquer a city, they take it back. We destroy an outpost, they build another.”
”Ohhh...”
”You have been missing for almost a week, Narza, so you don't know about it, but things are looking dire now. The clanckers have been beating us back to our original bases, and we even lost some of them. I know what you are thinking, but don't expect rescue any time soon.”
”I wasn't thinking about getting rescued. We have you, sir, and Hell Squad, with us.”