Chapter 218 - A Memorable End

General Di watched the thermal detonator land, and blow up. The last troopers, including Commander Keeli, were thrown in the air, and landed harshly on the ground. None of them got up.

The Jedi sensed a wave of peace coming from Commander Keeli as the clone looked at the detonator before it blew up. And now, seeing the lifeless body on the ground, General Di felt anger.

He remembered the moment he was told that a war was going to start, and how he and the other Jedis were supposed to lead troops. Cloned troops, all from the DNA of a single bounty hunter. He, like many others, objected fiercely. After all, Jedis were peacekeepers, not warriors.

And, when he met Commander Keeli, in a cruiser above Geonosis, he despised the clone, although he knew it wasn't his fault. He felt it was cruel to create people just so they could fight, and he thought it was even worse that none of the clones contested that decision.

However, after hundreds, even thousands of battles, his opinions changed. In fact, since when he first landed on Geonosis, and watched all the death and destruction around him, all the lives being lost, he felt different. The clones weren't just emotionless killing machines like he first assumed, but were real people. Each and every one of them had feelings and desires. And he soon learned that they wished for one thing above all else. And that was to keep their brothers alive, no matter the cost.

In that very first battle, he witnessed clones giving their lives for others not once, not twice, but hundreds of times, over and over again. He could sense their fear and regret as they died, but also their determination. And, deep down, he realized that clones and Jedis weren't so different.

As he got to know Commander Keeli, Dageer, Brain, Dab, Tech, Metal, Three-four, Cell, Rozal, Sharp, Fondor, Shield, Berro, Narza, Timer, and thousands of other 303rd clones, he stopped thinking about them as soldiers. They became people he wished to protect.

And now they were dead. All this time on Ryloth, he had pushed away the anger and grief that came with their deaths, but now that Commander Keeli was gone, and only he was left alive, amidst the bodies of so many, he let it free.

An explosion of Force left his body, sending tens of droids flying. He looked back to Commander Keeli once again. His helmet had disappeared, and he could see his face. There was a slight smile on his lips. He smiled himself. He wouldn't let his death - their deaths - be in vain.

Running forward, General Di spun his lightsaber faster than eyes could see, creating a nearly impenetrable blue circle that sent every laser back to the droid who fired it.

When he got near the enemy force, he hacked at them wildly. Droid after droid fell, cut in dozens of pieces. Even the tough metal hide of the B2 super battle droids could do nothing against his lightsaber, even more now that he was putting all his strength behind it.

In all but a few minutes, hundreds of droids were dead on the ground, their bodies still smoking where the lightsaber slashed them. However, even more were coming forward, in an inexorable stream that wished nothing but to kill the last symbol of Republic presence on Ryloth.

And now General Di was starting to get tired. He panted hard, and watched the droids surround him. Even more C-9979 Landing Crafts were getting near, ready to drop more clanckers to join the battle.

Maybe as some weird show of respect, the droids stopped firing, and just aimed at him. They knew he couldn't fight anymore. All they needed to do was press the trigger, and General Di would be done for.

However, before the droids fired again, a blue laser hit a B2 unit, killing it straight away. General Di was just as surprised as the droids when he saw Commander Keeli get up, holding his DC-17s. He thought the commander was dead.

"Commander Keeli!"

"I'm not finished yet, sir!"

General Di laughed out loud, and retreated until he was next to the clone, cutting down any droid on his way. The two stood back to back, and both felt comfort in the presence of one another. They were going to die, but at least they were going to die together, and fighting, just like how the clones liked.

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Commander Keeli opened his eyes, dazed. He was certain he was going to die when he saw the thermal detonator land next to him, but he somehow had survived. His brothers weren't so lucky.

Looking around, he realized two things. First, he didn't have his helmet on. It was on the ground, the visor broken, and a crack extending from one side to another of it. Secondly, he realized that while he was the last clone alive, there was still someone facing the droids.

A solitary Nikto stood tall, even though he was surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands, of droids. His lightsaber was pointed at the clanckers, a sign of defiance against the overpowered enemy.

At this moment, Commander Keeli was glad he had survived the explosion, because he could help his general one last time.

Getting up, he killed one of the B2 super battle droids, and heard General Di yell his name. His head was still buzzing, but he felt grateful when the Jedi retreated to stand next to him. That was a good way to die.

"I'm not finished yet, sir!"

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General Di and Commander Keeli fought bravely for the next few minutes. But there were simply too many droids.

"We can do this, general!"

"Ugh... Let's make the end memorable!"

A smile touched both of their lips as a laser hit Commander Keeli's right shoulder, sending him stumbling back. Before he could regain his balance, two more lasers hit his chest. He fell to the ground, his eyes wide open. His blaster pistols fell out of his hands. Life had already left his body.

General Di only heard Commander Keeli scream in pain before he himself was hit. Burning pain came from his stomach, where a laser scorched through his skin and organs. Still holding his lightsaber with one hand, he did his best to deflect the incoming lasers.

It was at this moment that he heard a voice through his comlink, which prompted him to look up.

"This is Republic blockade runner O9-O9. We have broken through!"

Several sh.i.p.s flew over his head, towards where the Twi'leks were escaping. Droids on the ground fired at them, but their puny lasers did little to the sh.i.p.s.

"The Twi'leks... Will live to fight another day..."

Letting out a victorious yell, General Di threw himself at the droids, waving his lightsaber. The clanckers might have destroyed the 303rd, but for General Di, they had won.

Several lasers hit his shoulders, back, and chest. Strength left his body, and his hand went limp. His lightsaber fell, and without him holding it, the blue light disappeared.

General Di knelt on the ground, looking at his precious weapon and companion. He stretched his hand, trying to reach it, but never did. When his body hit the ground, a small cloud of smoke appeared, as if something much bigger than a person had fallen.

"The supplies have arrived at the drop point!"

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Many, many kilometers away, Dageer was walking next to the Blurrg which carried Brain. Suddenly, he saw Ragout, who was in front of him, stop.

The padawan let out a gurgling noise, and tumbled down. Kneeling, Ragout put his head on the ground, and sobbed.

At the same time, Dageer felt something. More accurately, he felt something missing. A presence that was always with him, but he never noticed, had disappeared.

Slowly, he leaned on the wall of the canyon they were in, and slid down. His mind was in shock, and he didn't know what to do.

The clones around the two, seeing their leaders fall like that, knew what happened. Many sat on the ground, saying nothing. Others punched the rocks, scaring the Twi'leks with the sudden brutality. Those who were too wounded to walk sat atop the Blurrgs, without reaction. Many troopers just stood still, looking at nothing, their minds blank.

Touching his face, Dageer realized there were warm tears streaming down it.