Clone

Chapter 55

Slate caught the movement of the second assassin out of the corner of his eye. There was no way he could take out the droid by himself. The ray shielding was too impenetrable and the commandos were diverted by the first droid. Bly didn't see the sudden movement behind him, but it was eerily reminiscent of what he had done for Aayla on Felucia. Slate threw himself in the line of fire. He'd noticed there was a mining mobile mining vehicle suspended above them on a cable. He spun his body around and fired his blaster upwards, taking down the cables directly above the droid. The heavy mining barque came crashing down and the shields crumpled. With an explosion of sparks, the second droid died.

Slate collapsed at the same time, the shots from the droid burning into his spine. The pain was intense and he knew immediately that even the armor he'd been given wasn't going to be enough to protect him. He lay still, trying not to move, but seconds later, he was surrounded. His helmet was being tugged off and he cried out in pain.

It was almost a familiar feeling, since he'd been shot so many times by the Nulls.

But, this time was different.

His legs were numb and his upper body was on fire. He was dying. The certainty hit him.

The commando Esok, immediately took charge, quietly and calmly calling out instructions to the others. Slate heard something about 'spinal damage.'

"Go," Slate rasped out, and then stopped, choking on blood.

"Commander," Esok said firmly, "stop talking. Relax, OK?"

"No," Slate could still move his arms and he tried to push Esok away with what strength he had left. The others pinned his arms, stilling his movements. "Go," He coughed again. "Dying." He made eye contact with the clone medic, daring him to dispute it. "Esok." The medic looked up and met his eyes and Slate saw the truth there.

"No, you're not dying," Bly disputed, "get him stable enough to move so we can get out of here."

"Empire," Slate implored.

"Shut it," Esok growled, "I outrank you. We're not leaving you."

"Esok," Slate implored again.

Dalso and Bly looked toward Esok waiting for him to make the call. As the medic, he outranked all of them in this matter.

"Fek," Esok said, "fek, fek, fek." He reached quickly into his medkit and injected Slate with two strong hypos. "I'm giving you something to ease the pain, Commander."

Slate's eyes drifted shut.

"Move," Bly said harshly to the others, and they left the factory at a run, headed toward their ships.

# # #

They narrowly escaped the Imperial Star Destroyer, jumping into hyperspace just as the other ship was coming out of hyperspace. Slate was correct. They would not have made it if they had stayed any longer.

Knowing he was right didn't make leaving a brother behind any easier.

# # #

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

It was hot.

Steamy hot.

Bly wrapped his arms around Aayla from behind and wondered if he'd ever get used to the heat. It was sticky. He sighed.

"Too hot for you, still?" Aayla murmured in sympathy.

"Sorry, you're the one who is pregnant, I shouldn't be complaining," Bly said. He wiped at the sweat on his forehead and returned to his work on the field. When they'd first landed six months ago, they'd been in a seaside community. But, they'd to move around the planet so often and now they were in the middle of the plains. It was hot. Way to farklin' hot.

He looked around at the others.

Dalso, Jarg, Esok and Cort were leading a team of villagers through a series of practice drills. They lived under constant threat of discovery by the Empire and always wanted to be ready.

For the moment, Naboo was being left alone while the Empire harassed other places, but they lived under no illusion it would always be that way. When the Empire came back to this planet, they needed to be ready. They were already coordinating with other planets through coded transmissions thanks to Jang. Kal still wasn't letting his boys take an active role in training or visiting the planets, but the boys were lending a hand with technology and encryption and Bly knew he likely couldn't keep his sons out of the fight forever.

A foot kicked hard against his hand and both he and Aayla laughed.

"Your son is restless. He's anxious to come out and meet you," Aayla said, leaning her head back into his neck.

"Our son," Bly murmured, planting kisses along her neck, "and I don't know if I'm ready to be a father."

"It's a little late for that now," Aayla teased in a soft tone she only ever used with him.

Bly groaned. Even gently beaded with sweat, Aayla tasted so sweet. How did she do it? This far along in the pregnancy, they were limited in what they could do, but maybe they could still…

"Bly," Aayla laughed, "if you don't stop that, I'm going to push you down right here in the field and make a scene."

Bly considered her words, trying to think if there was a downside to her suggestion. He paused and looked around. No one was looking their way.

"No, Bly," Aayla said, "I was not serious."

He sighed in disappointment.

She laughed again and he loved the sound. There was a time when he never thought there would be laughter again in his life.

Another kick under his fingertips brought him back to the present. "Young Slate is active today," he murmured, stroking her belly fondly. He sighed, and then thought of the man their son was named for, thinking of the vod who'd saved his life.

"He was a good man," Aayla said, putting her hand on top of his, "who gave us a chance to go on. Neither of us would be alive without him."

Bly stroked his wife's belly, feeling the reassuring movements of his son, and knew he would impart those lessons about what a difference one man could make.

"I could use… a cup of tea, I think," Aayla said, gripping her hand in his, "and I think you should join me."

"Tea," he repeated.

Aayla smiled at him in a way that had his blood boiling.

"I've developed a great fondness for tea," he said. He released her hand and hurried to set the shovel back in the tool rack.

He tugged her back toward the tiny shack they'd been given as their temporary home.

They'd survived Order 66.

It was time to celebrate life.

# # #

A/N: And, so, "More Than Just a Clone" is finally finished. According to Wookipedia, the beginnings of the resistance movement started out on Naboo. So, the implication here is Bly, Aayla and the commando squad are involved in the training the early resistance cell on Naboo and other planets that are starting to organize against the Empire. Thanks for reading.