Chapter Text
‘Scariest of moments hitting when a loved one goes missing.’
There were explosions all around. Nowhere safety to be found. The devastating sounds, the cries of those dying. The remaining ones loudly crying. It was surely a sad sounding song, written in a poetic form. For all alike; the winners, the losers, the beggars and all those choosers.
It was all part of the war. Or so they said. Be prepared for all the possibilities in store. That did not matter when the one with a piece of you heart was missing. Nowhere to be seen. The despair, the open cries, having believed in all those lies. A heroes death for serving the cause.
Only forgotten was the other side of the coin:
Those remaining behind, surviving the very war.
*
Boil was beside himself.
Back in the barracks of the ship ready to break orbit. The last of the survivors having been boarded.
There had been no sign of Waxer anywhere among them. All their dead in the morgue. Boil having checked each and everyone himself. The toll to heavy to even fathom, but that wasn’t what had upset this trooper.
As the most important on was still missing. Nowhere to be found.
Waxer.
Boil had looked everywhere when the dust settled and the enemy defeated. But Waxer was not there. Having been part of a special ops squad. Their target to infiltrate the base before the rest of the troops arrived to blow the thing up.
Simple enough plan, right?
Only the enemy had gotten wind of said plan and having shown up before none of them were the wiser. Most of the special ops squad having been wiped out before they even made it to the base.
And when the battle was over and the recovery of the bodies started, one was still missing.
Waxer.
Sure, the others had tried to console Boil.
But he was hearing none of it. Panic, worry first, then hurry and soon after, grief. All those emotions pounding inside of the soldier hell bent on finding his partner. Alas it had all been for nought.
And here he was, the lone trooper, without a partner.
*
A week had passed since the devastating battle.
New ones already planned, the soldiers ready to stand for duty and honour, half forgotten the blows and lost of the previous rattles. It was easy to forget, when no one close was lost or then it was simply a matter of adjusting one’s mindset.
For Boil though, that would never work.
Alas duty was duty and prepared for the next mission was without an option. Well, perhaps desertion. But no, not that, it was never an option.
And so, life moved on. For the soldiers all. Vod’e An.
*
Another week, another mission, another set of sad and bad nights spent alone. Life went along. Right?
But, nothing so bad, something too good would not emerge.
“Boil! Boil!!”
Boil stopped in his tracks on his way to the mess hall a heavy sigh exhaled as he did so.
“Boil! Wait up bro!”
Wooley finally caught up with his friend.
“What is it?”
Boil wasn’t in the mood. He never was anymore. Having been alone ever since…
“I have news for you.”
The other clone seemed so pleased it started to annoy the hell out of Boil.
“What is it?”
Clipped, curt, with an angry glare. Boil was clearly annoyed.
He did not want to listen to any more gossip or other kind of bullshit. The same kind his friend would most likely trying to distract him with. It was happening all the time, his friends worried of Boil becoming a bitter man. Not far from the truth for sure. But deciding to give his friend a chance.
“We have signal.”
Boil’s eyes flew wide open.
“What signal.”
“It’s Waxer’s frequency.”
Wooley had a smile on his face, having been happy to be the one to deliver the news to his friend.
“What?”
Boil could not believe what he was hearing though.
The search having ended after two days after the battle had ended. They usually never did search longer as ordered from high up the food chain. They were clones after all. Expendable soldiers. What was there to look for?
“Yeah, they are prepping the shuttle now.”
“I want to be on it.”
“I figured you would.”
The two rushed to the hangar bay. Ready to get to their missing soldier.
*
“Closing in on the signal now.” The pilot informed the small strike team. “It’s a downed enemy shuttle. No signs of anything else.”
“Life signs?”
“One.”
The small barren planet in view as they shuttle closed in. Making a quick landing.
The rescue team bounced out before the ship was completely landed. Boil among them.
Reaching the craft quickly enough, they could see the enemy droids and someone else there too amongst the rubble.
“Waxer!” Boil shouted and rushed to the slumped body in the midst of the mechanical parts. Checking the pulse, the faint but steady beat there found. “Over here!” He shouted to the medics immediately making their way to the two clones.
Without too much effort Waxer was moved out onto the hover stretcher and rushed to their shuttle. The medics working on him while Boil stood watch. Leaving the planet and back to their base the medics kept on working on the trooper now safe.
It took some time to get back while the medics concluded their work. Boil having slumped into a seat in exhaustion. Having not really slept in such a long time. The medic approached him with good news in kind.
“He will be alright.”
That was all Boil needed to hear. Making over where Waxer was sleeping, sedated for the time being aiding in his recovery. But he would be alright and that was all Boil needed to know.