A Good Feeling

A Good Feeling


Lady Septime led her Clone troops through the narrow pass, as ordered by Commander Wolfe.  Though her youth was forged in Peaceful pursuits under then Master Jedi Dooku, she had grown and matured in the shadow of war.  But she rejected Dooku's dark fall, siding with the desperate Republic for which she stood.

The soldiers marched in a slow, casual patrol.  Jakku was a quiet planet in a sector not heavily involved in the war, but it was strategic, nonetheless.

Septime sighed from the long patrol.  Most of the perimeter was desert wasteland, with scavengers picking at military graveyards stocked with old equipment, abandoned ships and vehicles, all sorts of junk and relics.

Jakku was simply strategic for some reason, and though Septime considered every assignment and position important, the whipping sand of the mild storm approaching made her wish a little that she was still a warrior maiden for Queen Amidala.  The sand would always get everywhere.

Sand got in her long brown hair, and she finally decided to put her helmet back on.

"Good beans, General" Captain Halleck smiled.  It was his way of giving out a mantra of good cheer.

"If there's one thing I know absolutely nothing about..." Septime raised an eyebrow "It is agriculture."

Halleck chuckled, but their moment was interrupted as Clone Trooper Yousa reported "General!  I'm picking up multiple signals to the East.  Movement, but not life signs.  Could be droids!"

"Out here?  Why would they be out on Jakku.  There's nothing for them to do!" Septime frowned.

"Killing us is always a thing, I guess" Yousa corrected her "Best to be careful"

She nodded as they slowly moved with evasive maneuvers, using the cover of the rocks and small sand dunes.  Sure enough, they found the small droid outpost.

"They're so close to our base!" Yousa commented to her Jedi commander "How could they have slipped by without us noticing them?"

"They're getting craftier all the time-"

Captain Halleck fell, struck by a blast to the shoulder.  There were more droids than previously thought as several clankers dusted themselves out of various dunes and other hiding places.  In moments, the droid outpost turned all its available troops to attack the Clones.

"Halleck!!" She called out

"It's just a scratch" the Captain grunted "A nasty, stingy scratch that hurts."

"LIGHT THEM UP!!" Yousa open fired.  She had the rest of the platoon form defensive lines while Septime helped Captain Halleck to safety.

"Stay here, I'll hold them off" the lady Jedi ran to be next to Yousa.

"Get the rest of the platoon back to base, and help the Captain!" She told Yousa.  The droids tried to surround them, but the clones skillfully kept them at bay for the moment.

Lady Septime charged at the front line of droids, knocking them down, forcing the droids to fall back.

"ALERT THE BASE, YOUSA!!" She ordered as the Clones made a careful withdrawal back through the pass.

"Commander!" Yousa grabbed the Captain and helped, but looked to Lady Septime in the hopes she would follow.  But she held her ground and made the droids focus on her.  As the platoon retreated further, Yousa and Halleck noticed another sand storm whipping up around them and where Septime was fighting.  The Jedi was now using Jakku's uncomfortable weather to her advantage.

Yousa was the last to leave the pass as Sand completely whipped around everything within.  Septime vanished in the storm and kept fighting, her saber hum still bleating against droids frazzled by the storm.

But that was how Lady Septime survived day by day, whether the day was dreadfully dull or at the height of danger.  She used the environment to her advantage, and always put the welfare of her troops above her own comfort and safety.  She took every moment, and turned the possibility of sacrifice into a fighting chance for life.  Halleck and Yousa wondered if she would return to base, but the humming of her blade was sounding off even from the distance.  With each droid being struck down in the sandstorm, they had a good feeling about this.