Prologue: Darkness Beckons
Boom… Birds erupted from the low hanging branches of the wroshyr trees, filling the air with shrieking madness and hysteria. Boom… Limbs of trees and bushes began to tremor at the force of the vibrations delivered brutally by the downfall of the AT-TE’s six feet.Boom… The thunderous steps produced by large metallic war machine set the marching beat of the clone company behind it. Boom… Each step was accompanied with the loud grinding of gears and shifting metal as the tank made its way through the thick jungles of Kashyyyk, paving the way for the troops. Boom… Boom… The Captain stepped off to the side cast a glance back over the men under his control. One hundred and twenty brave souls ready to die for Coruscant, to die for the jedi, for the Galactic Republic. He dipped his head at each trooper that passed him, acknowledging them as brothers.
Behind his heavily marked helmet and visor, he closed his eyes. He listened to the troops as they marched tirelessly and quietly towards the war. Boom… Boom… He concentrated on the AT-TE, feeling the quakes it set forth beneath its mighty hulk. He nodded with each step it took, timing the beat. He waited for two more steps before opening his eyes.
“Kote!” He yelled vigorously.
Several of the nearby troopers nodded at him, but kept marching like the trained professionals they were.
The Captian removed his helmet and began to run back to the head of the company. Several quick strides later, he was back at the front. He grasped one of the rungs on the end of the AT-TE and climbed to the back, turning his revealed head towards his men. He stood tall, held his helmet above his head in a clenched fist.
“Kote!”
He quickly bent down and keyed a small console, causing a panel to slide open. Inside rested a snare drum and sticks. He hoisted the drum and replaced it with his helmet. He turned and faced the company again, this time striking up a beat, the regular booming footsteps keeping him in time.
“Kote!” He began to tap at the drum. Letting his trained wrists start up the song.
He took a deep breath, letting the drum fill finish before he started to sing.
Kandosii sa kar'ta, Vode an.
Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.
The few rows of men who could actually hear the Captain joined in, adding their voices into the chorus.
Bal kote, darasuum kote,
Jorso'ran kando a tome.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.
Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an.
Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.
Bal…
The song began to spread through the ranks, each and every soldier began singing the familiar song they all heard during their development and training on Kamino from Jango Fett and other drillmasters.
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r.
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la trattok'o.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!
Once the first round of the song was over, each soldier was singing loudly, marching with the beat. All of the soldiers at their rifles held at attention, a tradition they would do as they were marching to Vode An.
With each fall of the AT-TE’s foot, came the thunderous landfall of the troopers boots against stone and dirt. Each trooper’s step combined with his brothers’ almost droned out the singing. Almost.
Kandosii sa kar'ta, Vode an.
Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.
Bal kote, darasuum kote,
Jorso'ran kando a tome.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.
Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an.
Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an.
Bal…
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r.
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la trattok'o.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!
At the end of the song, every soldier slammed their rifles against their armored chest, sending a righteous clap into the air.
After the rampant chorus that filled the open space above the company, a triumphant and deafening silence captured the air, only interrupted by the crashing stomps of the AT-TE and the firm crunch of earth underneath the clones’ feet. The troops, morale immensely heightened by the singing, stepped in line with each other, camaraderie drifting between them.
The edges of the Captain’s lips curled in pleasure, proud of the men who served under him. He hoisted a hand to his forehead, acknowledging those behind him as they marched up the hill towards glorious battle.
He pivoted on his rear foot and walked across the metal surface, his steps echoing on the hull of the tank. He slid up next to the cannon on top and tapped the gunner on the shoulder. “How much longer Chief?”
The Chief sat forward in his chair and tapped a few buttons on the console until a holographic display projected itself from the console. “We’re about two klicks out from the beach head sir. Master Vao Shin commed not long ago. She said that the Separatists are making another push on the FOB. They need us, badly.”
The Captain nodded shortly. “Alright, I think the boys are well rested. Time to double time.”
The Chief grunted in response, then returned his view to his controls, scanning the horizon for any threats. The Captain leapt down from the gunners perch back to where he was on the rear of the tank. “Alrighty boys, looks like it’s up to the 242nd to go bust another Jedi out from the grasps of the clankers. Nothin’ to it though, right lads?” He yelled to the mass of soldiers.
Many of the men cheered in response, raising their fists and weapons up into the sky. sending another wave of pride over him. “The FOB is two klicks out. That’s a walk in the park, right? Right! The General’s position is secure, for now, but we don’t know how long that will remain, so we’re gonna double time it all the way there. Once we clear the hill, the AT-TE will provide artillery cover for us as we flank the enemy, and once that’s done, we will fall into ranks under the General. Any questions? No? Good! Ready men? Char—”
A flash of red light cut the Captain off mid sentence. He looked back and forth, scanning the hillsides for any disturbance. When none was found, he looked back to his men, shocked to see them crouched and aiming down their weapons, looking around frantically. At first he was confused. It was just a flash of light, nothing that would aggravate a company of trained clone troopers. That was until he noticed a red glow coming from below his gaze. He peered down to see a red beam of light protruding from his chest by about a foot. It was then did he notice the heat pouring out from his heart, which was trying to push blood around the obstacle, to little avail.
The Captain dropped to his knees and looked back across his men, who were now engaged in a skirmish for their life. Four cloaked… things had emerged from the forest and began charging through the ranks, brandishing red light sabers. They began slicing at the troopers legs and arms, attempting to kill or incapacitate them. He fell down onto his chest, the heat still ever present, sapping the energy from his body. He had heard the discharge of the primary battery of the AT-TE, but it sounded so distant, almost like a memory it seemed. The shockwave from the shot rolled him off the back of the tank onto the ground, knocking the wind from his one good lung.
His head rolled into a position which he could see one of the sith approach him slowly, his men being massacred behind the new threat. The being approached him slowly, stepping on each of its four legs. There was a slight glow from where he assumed the head was, and he barely felt the weapon withdraw from his back. The wound immediately cauterized from the immense heat, but his body was broken. His vision began to fade. He hardly saw the saber float right infront of his face, the warmth from the weapon giving him a slight bit of ease, now with nothing to worry about in life. All he saw before his eyes shut forever was a purple horn, the red light casting an eerie glow underneath the veil of the cloak. The yellow and red eyes staring deeply into his as he faded away from the galaxy.
The cannon continued to fire before the Chief was struck down by one of the four-legged sith. Soon the holo-communicator began to pulse blue as the image of a human presented itself. “Chief!” It called out, “Chief, are you there? Where are the reinforcements? We are being over run! “Chief! Captain! Someone!”
