Chapter 98 - Aurra Sing

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After the small conversation that General Di and the crime lord had, Dageer suspected that the situation at hand would get heated pretty soon. His suspicions were confirmed when the jedi just nodded at him and immediately started to ran. Not much later, guttural screams could be heard from Jabba's chamber.

In their way, General Di explained his talk with Jabba quickly and concisely, never stopping running. There was something that he said that bothered Dageer, but he wasn't able to pinpoint what it was.

He was lost on his thoughts, but not enough that he wouldn't pay attention to their path. So, when a guard appeared, Dageer instantly fired his pistol. Even though he was running, it was difficult to miss the large frame of the pig-man, and his laser opened and cauterized a hole on the left leg of the guard.

The guard fell down, screaming loud enough to startle the Blixus on Scarif. It was a sorry image, but Dageer showed no mercy. When they passed by the guard, Dageer fired a round in his forehead, stopping his pain once and for all. In Dageer's mind, an enemy killed was an enemy less. Showing mercy to an enemy was the same as putting his brothers and himself in danger.

His way of thinking was both unique and normal at the same time. Aside from clones, only pirates and bandits would be so merciless. It was unique because for most, wounded equals to out of the fight. To the clones, however, fighting despite injuries was just normal. It wasn't uncommon for a clone to die because he insisted on fighting with injuries that should have kept him to the bed. But his thinking was also normal because there were millions of clones in the galaxy that thought just like him.

If anyone heard that, or saw what happened, they would call Dageer 'crazy' or 'murderer'. General Di's reaction wasn't that exaggerated, but he still frowned hard.

"Dageer! Why did you do that?!"

"General?"

"When we were in Mon Cala, before you were sent down, I told all the clones that you couldn't treat living beings the same you treat the Separatist's droids! Remember?!"

Dageer remembered. Just before he and the two regiments from the 303rd were transported to Mon Cala, General Di made a small speech. He said that the clanckers from the CIS were one thing, but if they ever fought the quarrens, then they couldn't do what Dageer just did. Of course he didn't tell the clones that they couldn't kill their enemies, otherwise he would have gone against all the fundamentals of a war.

"General, with all due respect, now is not the time to have pity. When you were going against the guards to rescue Ragout, you killed them because there was no other option, and because you needed to do that to rescue your padawan. Now I am doing my mission, which is to make sure we get out of here safely."

Subtly, Dageer had thrown to General Di the blame. Of course he didn't mean to do that in a bad away, but he felt - he knew - that with the jedi tried to stop the clones from doing what they were created for, all their respect for him would be lost. In a way, Dageer said what he said to show General Di what attitude he should take. It was a very arrogant thing for a subordinate, or a soldier, or a clone to say, and Dageer was making a gamble. Either the general would understand what he was saying, or he wouldn't and Dageer would be heavily punished.

His gamble paid off. Or so it seemed, because the jedi said nothing else. Soon, they arrived at the hole that General Di had cut, and found Brain waiting for them with half of his body stuck inside and the other half outside.

"Let's go! We already saw the guards at the front gate running in. It won't be long before they arrive."

Dageer and General Di passed through the whole and saw Brain, Metal, Commander Keeli and Ragout waiting. With a single command from General Di, the group started running towards the bounty hunters's ship. It was at that moment that things went really wrong.

From the darkness of the sand dunes, five metal cables shot out, wrapping around the legs of Dageer, Brain, Commander Keeli and Ragout. One of them was aimed at General Di, but he dodged just in time. However, the others who weren't so fast all fell face-first in the rough sand of Tatooine.

Dageer rolled and spat the sand that entered his mouth. While looking carefully at the four figures approaching, he tried to untie the cables around his ankles. A feminine voice full of malice came out of the darkness.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetie."

Dageer ignored the woman, and continued to untie the cables with one hand while holding his DC-17 on the other.

"Well, I warned you."

Blue streaks zapped in the cable, coming out of the darkness all the way to Dageer. Instantly, he felt incredible pain, as electricity hit every part of his body starting from his legs. His body twisted, and he screamed in pain.

After the woman turned off the power, Dageer was just barely conscious, everything on his body aching and his vision clouded.

"Dageer!"

"Sir!"

"Sir! You, stop!"

Ragout, Brain and Metal yelled at the same time. General Di turned on his lightsaber, and made a signal for the clones, ordering them to stay quiet.

"Who are you?"

"Rarararara!"

Step by step, the curvy figure of a woman walked out of the dark, followed by three IG-88s and a Nikto, the same species as General Di.

"Sweetheart, don't you know it is rude to ask that so bluntly. You will never find a woman interested in you, if you keep doing so."

"I have neither time nor will to joke with you, bounty hunter. I will ask again. Who are you, and why did you kidnap my padawan?"

"Nahh, you are not funny. Listen, jedi. You wanted my name, Aurra Sing it is. Now the reason why I captured your young padawan... rarararara! Of course it is because of money!"