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First it was just a pinch. Then, it was an eruption of pure fire.
Ashoka and some men from the 501st Legion had meant to take the enemy by surprise. Naturally, the Force couldn’t let taking back the base on Devaron be that easy.
It was in the middle of impaling a battle droid with her lightsaber when Ashoka herself felt like she had been impaled.
An explosion of pain in her lower abdomen told her that she had been shot. No big deal. Just finish this up fast and a bacta patch would have her fixed right up. Blaster bolts are handy like that, cauterizing the wounds until they could be dealt with.
But when she pressed her hand to her side and felt something wet, she started.
Blasters aren’t supposed to make you bleed.
No matter. She thought. Just finish the mission and Kix will take care of it.
It was when the last droid dropped that she really felt the pain. Inhaling sharply, she pulled her hand back to her side and clipped her saber to her belt.
Fives was the first to notice her now- quite-stained tunic. Blood seeped through her fingers as he jogged over, “What in the name of all shavit?” He muttered, “ What happened?”
“I got shot.”
“Okay, but why are you...leaking?”
“It’s blood, Fives, just blood.” She snipped, finding her patience to be wearing thin as her mind started to muddle.
By now the other troopers had started to notice that their Commander hadn’t gathered them to count casualties or go over the game plan, and they started to flock to her naturally.
Upon seeing why their Commander had yet to call them over, some of the boys started to whisper to each other, the others then smacking each other for whispering.
She could sense their apprehension, their panic as each trooper gathered closer to her and Fives.
“Who the kriff still uses metal slugs?” She heard over the sudden overlap of voices.
Kix, thank the Force. She thought, and she could feel similar sentiments echoing through the men.
“What are you doing? Sit her down!” Kix bellowed at Fives, and he and Jesse helped her lean against a downed tank.
Kix started ruffling through his med-pack, turning his attention, if not his actual face, towards Ashoka,
“Talk to me” he demanded, “How’re we doing?”
“We?” Ashoka smiled weakly. She hadn’t realized how dizzy she was until she sat down and the world stopped tipping.
“Yeah, ‘we’,” Kix continued, “personally, I’m doing great, seeing as I don’t have a slug stuck in me, sir .” He added the last bit as a mockery- to see if she was still up for their typical playful banter. She was not.
Her words were clipped and curt, “I’m dizzy.”
“Headache?” He asked, cutting away at the fabric of her tunic
“A bit.” She turned her head away and tried not to grimace as Kix peeled the fabric away from her wound.
“And I’m tired” she added, her eyes already starting to flutter closed.
Kix squeezed her wrist slightly, “Hey, now, no falling asleep on the medic.”
Her face must have been paling, because he hurriedly added, with a sly smile, “No puking on the medic either.”
“No promises.” She quipped back
She turned her head back to face him, “Is it still in there?”
The look on Kix’s face told her the answer before he even opened his mouth, “ Yes ”
“I’ll get it,” she breathed, “Just get me to wherever you need me to be before I do.”
Ashoka had used the Force to levitate plenty of things before- cups, droids, a bantha that one time, this couldn’t be much different.
If I can stay awake for it. She thought dejectedly
Kix and Jesse helped her move closer to the outer wall of the base, by the hanger doors. The base itself was in total shutdown; it would take a while to get the doors open, and they didn’t have that kind of time.
Kix kneeled down beside her, his forehead creased with concern, “You sure you want to do this, Commander?”
Oh, so we’re back to ‘Commander’ now. Jeez, maybe I am doomed.
“I can do it.” She insisted, not at all sure if she could do it.
Ashoka leaned her head back against the hanger door and breathed deeply. Focusing in on herself, she outstretched her hand above the entrance wound and reached out with the Force.
At first, it was easier than she had anticipated. The slug scraped against her skin as she lifted it, but it met little resistance until it neared the top.
Ahsoka’s eyes shot open and she gasped at the sudden sharpness of pain.
Kix straightened up immediately, “What? What happened?”
“Got stuck.” she groaned through gritted teeth
“Do you want me to-“
“I can get it.” She said, slowing her breathing back down, “It’s just going to hurt.”
She exhaled in a bitter laugh, Oh what did I ever do to be so lucky? She mused
She wanted to pull it out quick, like ripping off a bandage, but she knew that would be a bad idea. Instead, she focused her mind on maneuvering the slug’s pointed ends around the shredded tips of her body, careful to avoid any unnecessary contact.
She didn’t realize that she had been holding her breath until the slug bounced off the floor beside her with a high-pitched “ chink!”
She exhaled slowly through her nose, keeping her eyes shut in an attempt to quell the nausea rising in her throat.
…
“Commander? Commander, I’m finished with your dressings”
She peeled open her eyes and turned to look at her friend, who was fiddling with a small pair of medical scissors. Ashoka cracked a small smile, and Kix seemed to relax, if only a little.
“Do you need anything, Commander?” He asked earnestly. He could be quite the ass, but apparently he also knew when to turn the attitude off.
“No.” She answered, softly, still not quite certain if her stomach was going to stay in place
“Sir! Sir,” Ashoka heard Echo jogging up to them, “we got the doors open, sir.”
Her head was pounding at the sound of his footfalls, and she closed her eyes again.
Kix didn’t hesitate to answer for her, “Good work, start taking everything inside and see what you can power up”
Echo wavered for a moment, acknowledged the orders, then jogged back towards the main entrance, repeating what he had been told to the others.
“Commander? Are you alright?” Kix asked softly, once Exho was occupied with his new orders
“Fine; just a headache.” She opened her eyes once more and straightened her back, preparing to eventually stand up, “Shall we?” She asked, motioning to the main entrance
“If you think you can handle it,” Kix teased lightly, not even trying to hide his smirk
“One way to find out.” She said, as she took the hand he offered and pulled herself onto her feet.