Old Memories, Bad Friends

Caleb and Grey waited outside the command bridge, the padawan waddling around anxiously, and the clone surprisingly calm. Grey looked at the soon-to-be Jedi, and sighed. He hadn't known him for a long time, but it didn't take much to understand what was going through his mind.

"Dageer's behavior was... Wrong, general, but he has his reasons. General Ragout also do, but he is better at controlling himself."

"There is something more to this story, isn't there? It wasn't simply a lost battle."

Grey shook his head. As a clone, he hated to talk about what happened in Ryloth, but he figured that if the padawan was going to lead them there, it was only fair that he knew about it.

"What do you know about it, general? What have you been told?"

"Master Di and his troops, the 303rd Attack Legion, stood behind to protect the Twi'lek refugees while they escaped. Master Ragout was just a padawan at the time, and managed to survive."

"I wish it was so simple..."

"What do you mean?"

Now Caleb was looking at him curiously. He had never paid too much attention to this story, but it seemed that there was more to it than he was told.

"Days before the seppies reached Ryloth, the 303rd had already received the mission of protecting it. It was suicide, and they all knew it. After their fleet was destroyed, General Di organized the resistance on the ground together with Cham Syndulla, the Twi'lek fighter."

"The one we are supposed to meet."

"Yeah... I don't know the details. Few survived that battle, and now, only Hell Squad is left of the 303rd. They don't talk about it. It's taboo for them. But I know that General Di wasn't protecting refugees, or at least not only. Syndulla and his rebels had sworn to fight by our side, and they did, for some time. But when losses became too great, they ran. General Di knew that if they escaped too, they would all end up dead, so he stayed behind. And you know what Syndulla did, a few days after the 303rd was annihilated?"

The padawan shook his head, focused on the story. He knew Grey was leaving out many details, but what he said was enough to make him think that maybe Dageer had a reason to lose his cool.

"He blamed General Ragout, Dageer, and the Republic for their loss. He called them cowards, when thirty thousand of my brothers had died. And then he led his people to a massacre, wasting all the sacrifices Dageer and the others made. And now they have to go back..."

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"Ryloth is under the Separatist threat once again, Ragout. Cham Syndulla specifically asked that you and Hell Squad be sent to help. However, beca..."

"Ha!"

General Kenobi was interrupted by Dageer when the commander snorted, a disgusted expression on his face. Several of the Jedis frowned, especially the ones who didn't know him. He was just a clone, who shouldn't even be present in such a meeting. On top of that, Ragout didn't make any effort to stop him.

"Do you have anything to say, Commander Dageer?"

General Billaba wasn't happy from the start, both because her padawan would be under the command of a clone, and also because Dageer and Ragout hadn't even let Caleb explain what their mission would be.

Dageer looked at Ragout with the corner of his eyes, and, when he saw his general nod slightly, stepped forward.

"With all due respect, generals, Syndulla is a coward and a liar. He doesn't deserve the trust and respect you give him. He certainly doesn't deserve ours."

"Maybe, but that isn't for you to decide, commander. We will ask your opinion when we see fit, understood?"

"No, ma'am. The general is too attached to the Jedi's ways to say it, but I'm just a clone, so I have no qualms. You weren't there. We were."

"Commander! That is insubordination! Master Ragout, how can you let..."

"Dageer is a person, not an astromech, Master Kolar. I don't control him. Besides, he is speaking the truth. Go on, Dageer."

Most of the Jedi Council was left speechless by Ragout taking the clone's side. The few that knew the Togruta well sighed sadly. It was impossible to know what was going through his heart, but he was walking a dangerous path. One of anger and rage.

"We went to Ryloth prepared to die, generals. I have no problems with that. But Syndulla left us behind once, and he will do it again if it's good for him. He doesn't think for the Twi'leks or Ryloth. He thinks for himself, and himself only."

All the Jedis went quiet, thinking about what Dageer said. They could feel that he believed everything he was saying.

"Right, could be you, commander. Ask for help, Syndulla has, however. Answer his plea we must."

The clone only nodded. While he felt like most Jedis had no idea of what war was like - although he would never say that out-loud - General Yoda was one of the few he respected from the depths of his heart. It was rumored he was almost a thousand years old, and had seen the Old Republic rise and fall. And if there was one thing clones respected, it was experience, of which the green being had plenty.

"Dageer might be harsh on his words, council, but nothing of what he said is wrong. But if it is your wish that they go to Ryloth, I will follow them."

"You have too much attachment for that planet, Master Ragout. I don't think it is a good idea that you go."

The Togruta looked at General Ki-Adi-Mundi, understanding why he said so. Still, he wouldn't back down so easily.

"If I run from my past, I will never have peace of heart, Master Ki-Adi. But if your worry is whether or not I will be able to control my emotions, fret not. This war is horrible, but it taught me how to maintain my calm under any circumstance."

He looked resolute at the Jedi Council, not forgetting to add to himself that if needed, Hell Squad would help him. Deep down, he trusted them more than his fellow Jedis, although he wasn't aware of that.

...

After a long time of discussion, the Jedi Council finally agreed to let Ragout go too. The news wasn't well-received by Hell Squad, but when Dageer told them that the Jedi would be with them, they stopped complaining. They would follow their general anywhere, even to the place where they lost everything.

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Three days later, The Uncontested landed near Nabat. As the troops disembarked, and vehicles and supplies were unloaded, a small group of Twi'leks went to greet them.

Dageer didn't know most of the people, presumably politicians that had run when Ryloth was attacked the first time. But two faces amongst the others were familiar. Syndulla and Gobi.