Grief

[Atka Talin]

GRIEF


-Copy & PASTED-

-------------------------------------------------------

Prologue

Lights of supercharged energy flew over my head. Leaning around the now battered rock which served as my temporary haven, I blind fired a round at the masked enemies. The mission was supposed to be a simple scout-and-report.
Wrong. All wrong


We had brought our speeders up outside of scanner range. from there we had crawled for hours, around rocks, up dunes. We had just come into sight of their base, and had analyzed every inch of the damn building for hours. Patrols walked the perimeter, turret cannons swinging around to look at any blind spots. We had just about decided to wrap it up and begin the crawl back to the speeder bikes when the force ripped me a new one.

"Gree-AAAAARRRR!" Screamed a Tusken Raider off to our right. My partner, Ty, barely missed the raider's scrap metal weapon. A wave of burning hot sand flew into the sky, getting the attention of the bandits we had been spying on. They called orders and swung their weapons towards us. The Tusken, deciding it best to try again, swung his club at Ty, hitting him in his stomach.

He uttered a grunt of pain as the force of the swing pushed him over the side of the dune, straight towards the bandit camp. The Bandits, now aware of intruders, let loose. Bolts ripped holes in the ground around us. I grabbed for the club the figure was clutching, struggling with him, and tumbling over the dune, just as Ty had. I managed to get my wrist mounted vibro blade under his throat, and the sandperson lay still. Now for the bandits. Overwhelming odds meant to hightail it back to the speeders. Grabbing Ty by the shoulder plates, I hauled him in the right direction, and we ran for where we had left our transport. As we crested the hills, we saw two things. Two this day, that moment still haunts me. On the other side, to the east, a sandstorm, flow blown, raging and charging like the riders of the apocalypse. To the South east, a tribe of sandpeople, and to the north-east were the caravan of troops the bandits had been waiting for. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place, all right.

The sand blew around us, engulfing us. so strong that infra-red was blurred. The heat from the sand, and the speed of the storm, made it near impossible to see. Shadows of people shambled through like the living dead. I grasped onto my brother's armor, praying to whatever higher force to see us through. Somewhere in the storm I lost my rifle, but I made sure to secure my sidearm. In the shuffle, we stumbled into tangos. I took out the first one, Ty the second. they continued coming. Who knows how long we stood there, back to back, firing at enemies? Eventually our vision cleared, slightly, just to the point to get in between glimpses of people. We found a boulder, and took cover. Instantly, the combatants found us. Our cover was blasted with the dark marks of blaster bolts. Somewhere south it seemed the Tuskens and bandits were in a conflict. I didnt care. My squad mate was in trouble. I stood up from behind the boulder, downing two more bandits, then running with Ty towards freedom. So close, but always out of reach.

Without warning, a blaster ripped through Ty's leg, just above the knee, severing the tendons. He crawled forward, blood trailing in a snake like trail, soaking into the dry earth. I tried to pick him up, but the storm had sapped my energy. I could only beg him to make it. Bolts flew around us, one striking the crawling trooper in the chest. Figures sneaking in and around, preparing to finished their weakened prey. Ty may be injured, but I was not. I angrily fired at the enemy, rage engulfing my sight. The shadows slipped farther back into the sand.

"Ty...," I pleaded to him "get up, we're almost out. You can do it!"

"Atka...haha..brother..its ok...its up to you now..i'll be o-ok...," Ty said as I held him close. Blood seeped into the sand...as if his life force were trying to refresh the barren planet.

"Atka, you must listen...Get out...while you can. You can do it..my brother... may the force..be with you.."

It was then and there where I learned hate. The demons that were reaching in and out of the sand, towards Ty...it angered me. Adrenaline surged through my veins. Suddenly Ty's grip became slack, and he died in my arms. My brother. As the sand washed over us, I swore to myself, I would not allow a loved one to die by my own failure to act appropriately. In the blinding heat of the desert planet's twin suns were once again blocked by a wave of sand. I let go of Ty, to let the force take my brother. I slowly stood, and the demonic shadows surged once again. If this were a ring of hell I had fallen into, I decided I might as well get acquainted to my hosts. I charged toward the nearest enemy, blaster blazing.


(I know its not very personal, yet, but I wanted to show the sense of loss Atka had faced, and his swearing to become a guardian of those he cared about.)

{Sidenote: Derpderpderpderpderpderp}