juliatheawzom3274

word prompt 7: last

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Across the galaxy, hid a kit

A fox helped her hide from the fire

She once helped her brother run from the flames as well

No longer do the two meet, no longer does the fox live, this was the last of their time.

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Fox's men accidentally shot Vader. For their mistake, he paid the price. Vader caught him in a chokehold in the Force. Fox gasped and raked at his neck, struggling to breathe. His time was over. In the final moments of his life, he decided to remember the one redeemable thing he's done. No regrets, no surrender, no turning back from the last of his time. 

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"It will be done, my lord." Fox's mind was now blank, completely under total mind control. Something about felt off but at the same time, it was so natural. The holo-image of the now new Emperor of the Galactic Empire fizzed away. Fox stood silent momentarily in the room, his memory from before the call was fuzzy but recalling it was the furthest from his mind. 

Grabbing the blaster from the table, he walked out of the room to be greeted by the rest of his crew. "We have been ordered to hunt down and kill the Jedi for treason against the Republic. Any clone who disobeys this order or helps the Jedi will be marked for treason and subjected to execution." Fox's emotionless command was excepted by the men and they wasted no time getting onto their job. 

A twinge of pain ebbed into his mind, but he waved it off as something sleep-related.

Being a Coruscant guard meant that he knew every single turn and every single corridor of the building. Fox, the commander of the guard was most familiar with the Jedi Temple, having spent his time patrolling the grounds constantly. 

The long hallowed hallways of the temple loomed over the men. It was eerily quiet, despite the thousands of executions going about. Unmistakable sounds of blaster fire would indicate the latest 'execution' being carried out. 'For the good of the galaxy.' Fox would continuously remind himself. 

 His head began to hurt again when a name rang in his mind. Familiar words speaking lost memories of a young and friendly girl. 

The men crouched behind a wall, keeping quiet and stealthy as they peered down the hallways, familiar only to the commander for a reason only clear to him. A Jedi that they identified as a padawan was spotted crouching down beside a huge vase.

 The poor child didn't know that he had been spotted by the clones. Sadly, he moved and was immediately shot down by expert but unaware hands. Fox and his men stood us from their position. 

Long corridors were the most inconvenient. His head began to hurt now. Something felt off, terribly off.

"Sir, a group of padawans were spotted heading to the library. Should we engage sir?" 

Fox only nodded. The small but lethal squad were marching down the hallways when a loud clatter made them stop in their tracks. "Could it be a Jedi, sir?" 

"Could be. You guys head to the library. I'll handle this one." With that, the rest of his brothers left him alone in the bloodied corridor and ran off unawares to face theirs and the padawans untimely death. 

The commander carefully stalked the hallways. Attentive ears strained to find any sound that would indicate a Jedi in hiding. The loud sound returned and it brought his eyes to rest upon it. Sudden feelings of dread and sadness and worry washed over him. The feelings were so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. It left the commander clueless of why he would feel this way. 

'Reetha...' The name whispered in his mind, clear as day. Fox stopped outside the room and pressed his back against it. His willed his feet to move but they disobeyed. Something about the name made his more hesitant to execute his orders. 

He knew that whoever the person was, they would have no way of getting out. Fox quietly promised himself that he'd bring a swift and painless death to the unfortunate Jedi. 

The doors to the room hissed open. Forcing one foot in, he forced himself into the dark room. The only dim light source coming from the huge window in front of him. The pain that constantly made it to his head was now ridiculously painful he had to rip the helmet off his head. 

"I know you're in here," Fox called out into the silence and only silence replied him. "If you surrender, I'll make sure you meet a swift death." For some reason, his mouth began to taste like sand, like he dreaded and did not mean those words. 

More silence greeted the man until a single silhouette of a girl was perfectly framed by the light from the window. Her hands were up in the air and Fox wasted to time to take aim. His fingers on the trigger pulled tightly but not tight enough to fire. The grasp on the blaster began to falter when he saw the girls face. Something about the girl made his actions feel rotten and sick in his stomach. 

The blaster shook as his hands trembled. When his eyes finally adjusted to the dark, he was able to make out the face of the mysterious silhouette, then only did he let the blaster fall from his hands. Fox nearly stumbled on his two feet and his voice began to stutter in utter shock and awareness of the situation. "No. NO, NO, NO!" 

The figure moved closer to him "Fox? Fox, it's me" 

"Stay back! Y-You, stay back from me. I can't hurt you. I cannot." He saw the figure stop just a few feet ahead of him. 

Fox gasped and collapsed on his knees, his hands flew to his head and cradled it. "I- The order. Reetha the order. It happened, it-I couldn't-" Fox's discovery of the Order only hurt him more mentally and physically. Hands flew over his shoulder and he was pulled down into a hug. Sweet assurance was whispered from his friend but his hands still gripped into his hair. 

"Get away from me!" Reetha was pushed off Fox rather roughly. "I'm a murderer. I killed Jedi. I nearly killed you," The whimper in his voice was evident. Although to the clone, the matter at hand seemed impossible, Reetha knew what happened. Slowly, she brought herself to sit beside the cowering commander. She placed a careful hand on his shoulder and another on his forehead, focusing two points to the middle. 

"My mind to your mind..." she whispered. 

"My thoughts to your thoughts..." Fox mouthed the last of her words with her. 

Fox's mind was sent back whizzing through time. A memory appeared in front of him. He saw Reetha, Rex and Fives. Fives was crippled on the ground, dying. Rex was holding him. Beside the two, was Reetha, utter shock as tears streamed down her face. Fox remembered and then tried to reach out to Reetha instinctively but he was pulled into another memory. 

"The chips Reetha. There are all in here" Fives was pacing around in Reetha's room. His health was already at critical levels. "You have to warn them and stop it. No one listens to me but you." 

Fox mouthed the words 'chip' and touched the side of his head that began to pulse. Again he was pulled into another memory. One that would tie everything together. It was his memory from earlier today. The comm unit rang and the commander picked up. 

At first glance itself, he knew that the person was Chancellor Palpatine. He was wearing a hood and his eyes a sickening yellow. "Execute Order 66" The orders echoed into his mind. Voices whispered to him. 

"The time of the Jedi has come to an end." 

"The nightmare..is finally...over"

"Kill the Jedi!" 

"Good soldiers follow orders."

Finally, Reetha came into view in a wispy form. "Open your mind, Fox. Let go. What you are now isn't you..." 

Memories disappeared before his eyes. Tears spilt over his lashes. A warm presence surrounded him. "I'm-I'm so sorry." He muttered. "Reetha I'm so sorry." 

"It's not your fault Fox. I forgive you." Reetha lunged to hug her friend. His hands circled her shoulders and smoothed her hair. "Vod, it was not your fault." 

Fox shrugged her off and helped her to stand. "I need to get you out of here. My brothers will be here soon and they'll kill you." 

"You're coming to," 

Fox didn't answer Reetha but dragged her to the hallways. Shadows were the only indication that the mass murder was still going on. Fox was determined to get Reetha to safety. They both sneaked out of the temple, passing many brutal executions. When they reached the hangar Fox let go of her and urged her to get into Coruscant's underworld. 

"Get on a ship that you can escape on. Get far away from here as possible." 

Reetha nodded but held his hand and pulled him along, only to be stopped. Fox gently moved her fingers off his wrist. He looked at the young girl with sad eyes. "I'm not coming with you vod'ika." 

Reetha scoffed. "What do you mean 'not coming with me?' Fox, if they find out you've helped me, they'll kill you. You have to come with me." She moved forwards to grab his wrist again but Fox blocked her. "No" was all he said. "I'll only make you a bigger target when the Empire starts to hunt us down."

"Fox no! Fox, please. I need you. You're the only family I have left. I don't know what happened to the others. This is the last of our time. I won't leave you." 

The commander's shoulders slumped. This girl was hard-headed as ever. "Reetha," he called her with firm authority but gentleness. "Your family will always be there for you. No matter how far you are. I will be there for you."

 Turning back, Fox gazed at the once glorious temple, now blazing in flames. "Remember Reetha, this is the last of my time. You're still young and there's a lot for you to discover and live for. The Clone Wars is over and you've fought bravely for it. This war now is not yours to fight." 

Fox tried to smile for her but she could see through his small lie. She closed in the few spaces between them and hugged Fox one last time. Fox placed his chin on her head, cherishing the last few moments he'd knew he had with her. "I love you, vod. Don't die on me and stay safe." 

"May the Force be with you, ner alit (my family). Ner vod'ika. (my sister) " 

The two let go only to look at each other in the eyes one last time. Unspoken memories and happiness passing them to remind them of the sweet past they shared. 

Then she disappeared, down into the darker city of Coruscant. There, Fox watched as she ran to safety, knowing well it's the last time he would see her. Fox turned on his heels and put on a facade. He will fake the encounter with Reetha, say that she died by his hands. 

That he murdered her in cold blood. He'd fake her death report. If push comes to shove, she'd be assumed dead. By then Reetha would be a long ways from Coruscant, hiding from the shadow of the Empire. Fox smiled, sad but happy. At least he managed to save her and she saved him. 

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Lay the fox, on cold floor

Dead and gone, eyes of stone

His kit he hid in the edge of the galaxy

Stay alive, stay well, staying away from the plague

"This is the last of our time." 

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kit : a young fox, fox pup