Chapter 214 - The Last Sacrifice (1/2)

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?”