Chapter 333 - Deserve Their Trust (1/2)

Dageer was talking to Ragout while gesturing to some of their broken vehicles when he heard a commotion. Turning to it's source, he saw a BARC speeder flying towards them at speeds much higher than it should.

Frowning, Dageer lowered his macrobinoculars, while the soldiers around him aimed their blasters at the vehicle. After so many unorthodox tactics from the Separatist the last couple of days, they were scared easily by anything out of the usual.

”Hold your fire! It's one of ours, and he is wounded. Get a medic! Burner, help me stop the speeder before it crashes into something or someone!”

Having said that, Dageer jumped on a speeder himself, mimicked by Burner. Together, they zoomed towards Zap, and positioned themselves one on each side of him. With a little bit of trouble, they managed to slow it down, and eventually stop it. Dageer had already noticed several black spots on the BARC Speeder, certainly caused by lasers. The driver wasn't in a much better shape.

A few dozen clones, including Hell Squad, encircled them as Dageer and Burned lowered Zap. He was barely breathing, having been hit three times. One of the wounds wasn't so bad, only injuring his shoulder, but the other two lasers had hit him right in the back. By the looks of it, his lungs had been perforated, and several organs were completely scorched. It was a miracle he was still alive.

The medic looked at him for a second before shaking his head to Dageer. The Commander nodded slowly, before patting Zap's head, to wake him up from his stupor.

”What happened, brother? Where were you attacked?”

”Garrison... Wiped out. Sixty thousand... Droids... At least. Garrison...”

Zap didn't hear Dageer, his eyes unfocused. He kept repeating the same words, over and over again. Clearly, he had relied on them to hold on for so long, even if he was mortally wounded. He didn't even realize he had arrived at his destiny.

”I know him, sir. Zap was assigned to the outpost in sector GH-11 ”

”That is almost a hundred kilometers behind our lines. How did they get attacked and we didn't hear of it? How did the seppies reach them even?”

While the others were discussing, Dageer and Ragout were still kneeling besides Zap. The Jedi put a hand on his friend's shoulder, and calmed him down with the Force.

”Pass... Message... Warn you... Commander. Don't let... Death for... Nothing.”

In a last moment of lucidity, Zap grabbed Dageer's forearm, his words barely audible. After that, his grip lost strength.

”I won't, brother. Don't worry.”

...

”What are you thinking, general?”

Zap's body had already been carried away, and the troopers had dispersed, leaving only Hell Squad and Ragout.

”It's pretty obvious. The Separatist managed to sneak a sizable force behind our lines. Somehow, they captured our bases and outposts before they could send out any kind of distress signal. Fortunately, Zap managed to escape and survive long enough to tell us this, otherwise we would be engaged in battle only to then be attacked from behind. Pincered, we wouldn't have any shot at survival, much less winning.”

”Our chances are still low, even if we know about their attack. What can we do? We don't have enough troops to resist one army, whatsoever two.”

Cell's words sent Ragout into deep thought. Neither he nor the clones were used to fantasizing and lying to themselves about their own destiny. If they were going to die, then they were going to die, plain and simple. But they would only admit defeat when there was no other option.

”Come. The Christophsians swore to fight alongside the Republic, for the liberation of their own planet. It's time they live up to their promises.”

---------------------------

Reluctantly, Omé let the Jedi and the clones who followed him enter his home. Over the past days, the Togruta had been trying to meet him frequently, but he had managed to avoid it. Until now.

Unfortunately for him, this time Ragout had threatened to cut down his door if he refused to let them in. An uncharacteristic behavior by a Jedi, but, hearing the coldness in his voice, Omé had no doubt Ragout wouldn't hesitate to fulfill the threat.

”Master Jedi, what can I do for you?”