 | 
| |
| 
| |
| 
| |
| 
Atop a sky scraper in the middle of a Screecher infested world, the Utaru Clan seeks haven for at least a few days before they continue their journey to escape Bondo III, and return to the cursed planet with legions of Clones behind them.
| |
| 
The remains of General Zen’s squad: R.P. Officer Tim Rolando, Captain Bronze, and the Jedi General’s droid unit, K1-R4, and their temporal brother-in-arms, Waxer are alone for miles…but then again, no one is alone on Bondo III.
| |
| 
The names of the troops he lost under so little time repeated over and over and over within the Jedi’s mind. Tormenting him, scoffing him, and screaming his failure as a leader.
| |
| 
A close friend of Tim, Lieutenant Rojo was infected by the Screechers, and within a few seconds, he was gone. Just like that, his best friend is dead.
| |
| 
Then there was the squad’s sniper, Acc. He was shot within a matter of minutes because of Zen’s command, because of Zen’s failure.
| |
| 
Finally a brother, a comrade, and a friend, Boil was with Waxer since the beginning of the war. Suddenly within the blink of an eye, he was infected by the Screecher hordes. He lost someone who was more than a brother, more than a comrade, more than a friend, he lost Boil.
| |
| 
Again and again the memories of the past played over and over again, torturing all of them relentlessly without hope of an end.
| |
| 
The screams of the Screechers below the sky scraper could be heard echoing through the night like a vibro-blade through the waters of Glee Anslem, the clanging and the crashing of the dead walking through garbage and feeding on flesh made more noise than a pack of Rancors on Felucia.
| |
| 
Their weapons were each low on ammo, both of them with an average of twenty blast flashes each, and no ammo was within reach for miles.
| |
| 
Waxer’s body drained energy as an infection began to develop in his arm missing a hand, the armor nearly melted into his skin and bone marrow.
| |
| 
Seeing that at last, they were able to speak without the threat of Screechers interfering, Zen broke the silence at last, his voice shaking with emotions.
“R1, scan the area for any personae with a body temperature below boiling. This will determine where we will go after dawn.”
| |
| 
Using its heat sensors within the dome of his head, R1-K4 responded with a series of beeps and woops, “[There are no heat signatures will body temperatures below boiling with a 5-mile radius.]”
| |
| 
Sighing with disappointment, Zen decided to change the subject with hopes that his clan will forget about the horrors for at least a couple of hours.
| |
| 
“Men, I think it is best that we move farther down south, the Screechers will suffer under the extreme temperatures and that may slow them down. This will give us enough time to avoid trouble, and develop a shop where we can rebuild.”
| |
| 
His men were silent. Zen could feel their anger towards Zen, his failure as a leader, costing the lives of three soldiers held dear to all.
“Guys…I understand that you all are very angry at my past actions. I too am…disappointed at the commands that I gave, and the decisions that I made,”
| |
| 
“My mind is…fogged, I no longer know know what I am to do under stress. My mind is not focused…”
| |
| 
The Jedi began to sob, “…I have lost so much under so little time,”
| |
| 
“This war, the survival fight…I cannot take much more of it.”
| |
| 
“But I must. I must force myself. But I cannot do it alone. I need you all to help…to clear my thinking for the sake of all of us.”
| |
| 
“We are all going through this,” Bronze stated, “We are all suffering as you are. This is not war, Zen, this is not a battle between the dead among the living. This is survival, and we are losing the fight for it. Rojo, Acc, Boil, they were the lucky ones. I would most rather die than to continue to live in this sarlacc pit.”
| |
| 
Suddenly, R1 begins to scream beeps and shrieks and whistles,
| |
| 
Waxer and Tim rush for their guns as they all understand why the droid was beeping so loudly.
| |
| 
Zen’s hand rushed for his weapon, igniting his light saber and brandishing it.
| |
| 
“How are they close?!” Bronze growled, considering that were hundreds of feat in the air, “We are in a star-ending skyscraper for the Force’s sake!”
| |
| 
“No matter, they’re here and we need to focus guys, come on!” Tim groaned, raising his rifle, “Waxer, you got my 6?”
| |
| 
“Yeah, I got you, Bronze, check my 6, Tim, get Zen’s,” the 212th Officer ordered,
| |
| 
Suddenly, the four soldiers stood waiting, the dawn was rising from the hill of buildings, the sounds of growling and scratching growing louder and louder by the second.
| |
| 
“Tim, put out the fire, although the heat is more lethal to them than us, we don’t want to risk burning down the building, taking us with all the other Screechers.”
| |
| 
“Yes sir.”
| |
| 
| |
| 
Just as the fire went out, the screeching went louder at the blasted edge of the roof, Waxer and Tim moved towards the sound, ready to back away at any moment.
| |
| 
The sound of Tim’s footsteps were blocked out by the screams of the dead rising from below.
| |
| 
Tim Rolando stood there at the edge, fearless and ready for combat…ready for survival.
| |
| 
“What the Hoth?!” Tim yelled, he backed away from the edge with his grip tighter on the rifle, “They climb now! They climb now!”
| |
| 
“I thought that were just walking up the stair cases but they’re climbing up the pillars and ledges! They’re coming!”
| |
| 
“They’re coming!”
| |
| 
Just then a tremor reached Zen’s mind, understanding that the threat he sensed was the incoming Screechers before his eyes, he batted the though away as he raised his weapon for a fight.
| |
| 
But like the others, this fight was destined to be a failure.
| |
| 
“Ugh, no, no!” screamed Bronze as a Screecher passed on its sickness,
| |
| 
“Kill me!”
| |
| 
“Kill me pleassssscrrrreeeeaaaacccchhhhh!!!”
| |
| 
Just then, Zen rammed his blade into Bronze’s chest, killing both screechers with one stroke.
| |
| 
“I’m so sorry, so, so, sorry.” Zen sobbed, once again he failed, and he no longer could stand himself…
| |
| 
After he pulled his friends through this circumstance, he was now going to leave them for the sake of their survival.
TO BE CONTINUED……………
| |
