The Buckets Gone Empty
Chapter Quote-- "A Bucket with a hole in it will always empty, No matter how much water you may have"
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Jake held the bloody TK helmet once worn by a living human, he was of course now dead, beaten to a pulp by Clank along side other troopers, dying in similar ways. The Clones and Droids surprisingly made a great team, the B1s quips and poor yet consistent fire would draw attention from the more lethal Clones, while Tac gave callouts and Clank plus the Droidekka just tanked anything thrown at him, Teesh and Jake using the B2 as mobile cover, as they have done before. The large group pushed past many light patrols, even encountering other Clones...sadly they were already dead. The group was huddled behind a hallway, the Droidekka had been ordered by Tac to scout the rest of the ship for surviving enemies.
Jake quietly peeked around a hallway, staring at the entrance to the hanger.
"Who in the fuck are they?" Jake whispered to Teesh and Mute, who stand behind him.
"Death troopersssss, Empiresss finessst, saw em on the newsss back at home" Teesh explained calmly, his eye slits closing at he mention of home.
"Well, we should be able to take them right?" Rusty squeaked, desperately holding onto his blaster.
"Depends" Barren spoke shakily "if we focus our fire i think it should do"
Mute peeked again, the Death trooper looking away presumingly guarding the door.
"hmmm.." Mute pondered, slowly taking out his blaster pistol as the other watched in silence. Mute quickly fired a bolt, it slamming into the back of the Death troopers head, the trooper stumbling forwards as its armor rattled. Surprisingly, he still stood, slowly turning his head around. Mute stared with fearful awe as Jake began to panic.
"WELL DONT JUST STAND THERE SHOOT HIM AGAIN!!!" Jake yelled, causing Rusty to flinch at his voice and Teesh to look at the boy with a slightly amused face. Mute grunted with annoyance and fired two more shots as he stood up.
One shot missed and the other hit the Death troopers chest, shrugging off the hit the Trooper raised one arm and let loose a barrage of bolts from his rifle, Mute quickly dove behind the hallway corner, but 3 shots rammed into him, one on his shoulder and the other in his side, causing Mute to fall on the floor. Teeshs amused look was gone as the lizard dragged the trooper away from the corner, the other Clones rushing to kneel beside him.
"oh..fuuuuuck" Mute groaned, blood pooling beneath him.
"You require medical assistance" Tac stated before staring at Barren. "Do any of you carry supplies"
"Oh uh yes yes yes" barren said fumbling as he practical threw of his backpack, Jammer staring at his commander with worry. Jake looked behind him with a terrified face, Mute was down, bolts hurled themselves as the Death Trooper continued to fire, walking ever closer.
"That thing is fucking invincible!" Jake yelled out, throwing his hands up.
"Well lets prove it wrong!" Bucket spoke aloud with confidence, Rusty twisting his head to stare at the red colored B1.
"Uh, are you sure?" Rusty asked, Bucket couldn't respond as the blaster fire stopped, the Death trooper turning the corner and staring at the group, Tac was mid way through patching up Mute, the droid looked over and instinctively grabbed a roll of bandages from Barrens bag and threw them at the trooper. They bounced harmlessly off the troopers helemt but caused the solider to flinch, that was the only opportunity needed for Teesh to lunge at the imperial, tackling both of the to the floor, Teesh slashing at the troopers armor as he got pushed off, rolling onto his side. the Trooper let out glitched out speech as it went to aim its blaster at Teesh, but Bucket ran up and kicked the blaster out of there hands, trying to stomp on their face, the trooper catching it and pushing it away, causing Bucket to fall on his back with a distressed yelp.
Jake furrowed his gaze as the trooper stood up, Teesh did as well, Bucket still wriggling on the floor. Jake ran up and landed a punch onto his helmet, the boy recoiling his hand, wincing as he punched the hard surface. Teesh grabbed the Troopers left arm, Rusty coming from behind Jake and firing three bolts into the Death troopers chest, all them of them being absorbed.
"KeeeKukOKkkkQQKkwkouu" Was all the Trooper rambled as he grabbed Teeshs arm and used both of his arms to lift the lizard up and slam him into the floor, Bucket tried to come up from behind and push the trooper, but the imperial was quick to turn and smash his fist into the B1s face, causing Bucket to stumble away.
"Clank! Get over here!" Jake screeched as the Death trooper grabbed the boys throat and choke slammed into the floor. Clank got up from helping the injured Mute and stomped over. The trooper was quick to side step out of the way of one of Clanks slow punches, pushing the droid, it having zero effect as Clank turned and backhanded the trooper, sending the them stumbling back. Teesh was quick to dig his claws into the troopers left arm again, Clank grabbing his right arm. Jake looked up as he finished coughing from before, to see Clank rip off the Death troopers entire arm, throwing it to side, the trooper letting out a long thrill of glitched communication.
Teesh kicked the back of the Troopers knee, causing them to fall over, Bucket rushed behind the Imperial and grabbed their head, and after a short struggle broke the troopers neck. Their lifeless body slamming into the floor.
Jake breathed heavily as Teesh helped the boy off the floor. "Dear lord...wooo...Clank..Bucket, You guys okay?" Jake asked between pants.
"Roger Roger" Clank responded.
"He never stood a Chance sir!" Bucket exclaimed happily.
"I was worried for a bit there" Rusty added. "Also sir, Mutes wounds have been patched up by Tac and the Clones, the Bacta will heal it, but it may take days" Rusty exclaimed, worry present in his robotic voice.
"We don't have that sort of time" Jake mumbled, walking over to Mute who sit with his back on the wall, the other following.
"You good Clone?" Teesh asked, looking down.
"Course, what gave you the impression i wasn't fine?" Mute responded casually as Jammer chuckled.
"Takes more than some stupid Imperial to kill him" Jammer said with pride, rubbing Mute shoulder armor, both clones letting out light laughter.
"Thankfully the injuries weren't to bad" Barren spoke aloud, packing the unused Medical equipment into his white back pack, a small red cross sign on the side.
Jake breathed a sigh of relief as everyone was safe, he looked around the corridor, ignoring the Death Troopers..well dead body, missing an arm and his head looking the wrong way. Jake looked a small directions sign spelling out Hanger, he grinned to himself a bit before turning to the group, Mute slowly getting up with Rustys help.
"We are almost out of here, c'mon, lets get the fuck outta here" Jake called out.
"Roger Roger" was the response from all the droids, Tac quickly tapping a button on the side of his head. The Droidekka rolling next to the group a few seconds later, the group now with all its members began to quietly walk towards the Hanger entrance. The walk was filled with awkward movements from the B1s, as despite Buckets confidence, Rustys timidness was rubbing off on him.
Moff Gideon stared at the hallway with Heat vision binoculars, easily seeing the forms of the Clones, Teesh and Jake huddled at the end of the hallway. He rested his arm as a smirk planted his face, he grabbed his blaster and aimed it up, sending a bolt into the floor right next to corner. Jake jumped as it hit the floor, putting himself against the wall.
"Boy.." Gideon yelled across the hallway, his hands by his side.
"You have something i Want...information" Gideon continued, quietly pointing to his 3 Death trooper guards, the slowly moving to the sides of the outside of the hallway, out of Jakes view.
"Fuck....You!!" Jake called out, readying his blaster with a stale face, one of contained anger, Jammer and Mute snickering at the comment, Gideon wearing a deadpan look and sighing.
"Surrender, and perhaps ill reconsider killing your Clone and Droid friends" Gideon offered.
"Uh, How do we know your not Lying!!" a Squeaky voice came at Gideon as Rusty asked with worry.
"you don't... But you're out of options" Gideon responded Darkly.
"heh..heh, great to know...um.....thank you!" Rusty called out scared, two Death troopers looking at each other and shrugging at Rustys comment.
Mute held his forehead with disappointment "Droids.." This comment was ignored, as Teesh gently grabbed Jakes shoulder.
"Allow me" He snarled, stepping out into the open and letting loose five blaster bolts at Gideon, the Imperial quickly shot a single blast at the lizard. Teeshs shoulder was hit as he stumbled slightly, crawling into cover, but Trandoshans were much more durable than humans, so he was fine.
Gideon took a single step back as Teeshes attack rammed into him, his leg and Chest armor deflecting most of the shots, a few missed and Gideon casually moving his head to dodge another. scoffing, Gideon pointed at the group before walking away.
"Get the boy..kill the rest"
"keeekUOKkkqqUEEEeeee!!" One Death trooper yelled, causing all three of them to charge forwards, Gideons ship flying away back into his Imperial Venator, the large ship slowly turning and blasting away. TK Troopers still in the hanger ran helpless after the ship in the Sky, yelling out in terror not to be left behind, but all of them were left behind, all they could were take the remaining ships and flee.
Hearing their footsteps, Jake and Teesh peeked and open fired at the Death troopers, their blaster bolts harmlessly bouncing off their armor, two of them had blasters and the last one a large electro spear.
"God dammit, they are on the way! Barren Tac, get Mute away!" Jake yelled in a panic, both of them dragging Mute as far away as possible into cover. The Troopers turned the corner, and a huge battle began. Jake ran up and landed a uppercut on one trooper with a blaster, Teesh quickly joining the fight along side Rusty. This pattern continued as each Trooper was targeted by a squad. Jake, Teesh and Rusty attacked one with a blaster, Jammer Bucket and Clank assaulted another, and the Droidekka had rolled into and was dragging away the last Death trooper as he shot blaster bolts into the air.
Rusty tried to shove the Imperial, but was met with an elbow to the chest, letting out a metallic ring, followed by a front kick, sending the B1 stumbling backwards. Teesh landed a claw strike to the Trooper helmet as Jake shot three bolts at the trooper, all of them being absorbed into various areas of armor.
at the same time, Bucket was pushed away by the trooper with a spear, as Jammer shot twice, which did nothing, and punched the Troopers gut, Clank walked up behind the trooper, grabbing their shoulders and throwing them into the wall. Unphased the Trooper got up and backhanded a charging Bucket away as he sent his spear forwards, Jammer stepping out of the way and grabbing it, only to be yanked by the Trooper and punched, sending the Clone to the floor. Raising the spear up to end Jammers life, Clank was quick to tackle the trooper to the ground, the large B2 attempting to stomp on their head, only for them to roll out of the way.
Jake tried to follow up his blaster attack with a side kick, but his leg was grabbed and the Death trooper swinged the boy face first into a wall, blood spewing from his nose as he lay stunned on the floor whimpering. Rusty Yelled out in frustration.
"Leave him alone Meatbag!"
As the B1 ran flailing his arms, managing to smack past the trooper defense, and hitting his face, before pushing him into Teesh, who grabbed the trooper back and with a roar slowly lifted them above his head, slamming them into the floor, Rusty watching in amazement.
"Wow...my ally sure is Strong!" the B1 chirped.
Jake wobbled his way into the standing position, his hatred for what the empire had done being his only fuel, a fuel source that quickly went out as the boy fell over Unconscious from the damage taken, Rusty quickly tried to run over and help him but the Trooper grabbed the droids backpack with a distorted laugh and pulled him away towards a wall, a growling Teesh standing by the battered B1.
lifting himself off the floor the trooper temporarily pushed away Clank to punch Jammer several times, blood seeping through the Clones armor, as the trooper grabbed his neck and slammed him into the floor. Bucket yelped in terror at the scene, opening fire at the Imperial, his blaster shots dealing little, with only one lucky shot getting between the armor at his leg, sending the trooper on one knee, allowing a now confident Bucket to slam his foot into the troopers face. Clank helped Jammer to his feet, the Clone barely being able to keep his footing, the B2 calculated it was best for the Clone to rest, and laid him down.
Buckets kick sent the Trooper practically nowhere, as Bucket tried to throw a punch it was swatted away as the Trooper advanced into solo combat against the now frightened B1.
Rusty and Teesh charged at the trooper, quickly shoving them to the floor, Teesh holding down the struggling trooper as he spoke in static, as Rusty copied Buckets move and snapped his neck. Teesh falling into a sit, panting heavily, Rusty standing up, examining his newly gained dent, before quickly running to Jake. Teesh would've gone with Rusty, but spotted the flailing legs of Bucket, who was screaming in pain as a Death trooper pinned him to the floor, Clank had only now arrived and threw the trooper off of the B1, who remained motionless of the floor, before Teesh could help Clank the trooper tried to run up and punch the B2, Clank smacking his hand away before grabbing his neck, lifting them into the air and crushing it with relative ease, throwing away the lifeless corpse as the blood ran down its grey arm.
Teesh limped to Bucket, staring at the scene, Clank arriving soon after.
"No.....Bucket" Was all Clank could let out in his deep voice, Teeshs face contorting into one of visible sadness. Buckets body lay sprawled out, half of the droids face was ripped off, only wires and the now exposed yellow eye underneath, parts of his main body were dented, his waist supports were ripped out and his left arm was completely gone, while his right arm was snapped halfway through the upper arm, a large oil puddle lay beneath the twitching B1.
Bucket lfited his face up slowly "d-d-diid-id- w-w-we-we-we-w-ee....Ge-get-t-t Hi-hi-him?=--.>?" He managed to croak out.
"yesss...you did well droid" Teesh remarked as Clank lifted the broken B1 into his arms, carrying him towards Jake, who was now being supported by an extremely worried Rusty, Jammer also following Clank towards the group.
Jakes tired eyes widened as he look at Buckets mangled form.
"cmon buddy" Jake spoke softly between coughs "Stay with us"
Tac and Barren arrived with Mute, who was now standing but still obviously hurt, behind them. They had heard the fighting end and rushed to see what had happened. tac was quick to scan Bucket and rushed next to Jake. Teesh and Rusty stared at their friend, Teesh looking away, attempting to hide his displeasure, the peach B1 holding his skinny hands up to rest them on Buckets shoulder.
"Sir....This B1 Un-" Tac paused, looking at Rusty. "Bucket, will more than likely not stay online much longer.
"Cant..cant we save him" Jammer coughed out from behind Clank.
"Negetive..." Tac let out depressingly. "His core systems have been damaged, so has his motherboard, it is...useless to try" Tacs arms swayed by his sides, for the first time since with Jake, the Cold logical machine, felt...horrible.
"Oh...oh no" Rusty let out sadly.
"Bucket..Please" Jake began to say between dry tears, both from his body's pain but from yet another loss.
"Hold on buddy"
Clank shifted the B1 in his arms "Stay...with...us" he let out deeply.
The B1s eyes dimmed before stuttering to life, he looked around, his movements rigid and slow.
"S-sis-sirr...I-I-ii-i..F-fe-fe-feel..Co-cold-d, sos-so,,s-s-so...Cold-d-d" Buckets words tore into even the Clones heads, as Jammer looked away from the scene,The droids staring at the B1, attempting to process what he had said. Barren looked away, in silence, Mute took of his helmet and looked down, Jammer doing the same. Teesh gently patted Jakes shoulder as the teen couldn't bare the wight of his suppressed emotions and cried, Bucket turned to look at him.
"Si-sir.." Jake looked up briefly at the call "I-I-I- Only-y-y Wi-wish-wis i ha-ha-have-e ma-ma-d-d-ed-e you-you p-p-proud-d-dd....." Buckets words were broken, and with his last word the Droids head clanked softly into Clanks arms as his eyes lights dimmed and shut off, his destroyed body leaked oil softly onto the floor, despite the kindness behind the phrase, it served as more proof that to the droids, all that mattered was completing the mission. No matter the cost.
The Droidekka walked slowly to the group, covered in blood, it stared at Bucket, gazing at the droid and analyzing Jakes state. But the droid from Kashyyyk was no longer in there, and the Droid simply turned around and awaited orders.
The walk to the LAAT was slow, and painful, the Bodies of Clones depressingly littered the ships floor, Jake held R4s eye across his neck, more small cracks on it than before, water stains on the boys eyes. The Clones Were able to take another Imperial LAAT, one still greyly colored, while Jake took there red one, Tac set up comms between the two.
But Jake wasn't bothered to speak with them as both ships set off to hover in space, he huddled into a ball in the corner of the LAATS main area, Rusty staring at him, the droids body sadly slumped, Clank gently laid Buckets corpse on the floor of the storage area, it falling over lifeless. Teesh didn't know what to do about Jake, so the lizard just sat next to a sobbing Jake, and gave him a slow, but caring shoulder pat, the boy almost instantly hugged the lizard.
Jakes sobs echoed throughout the ship, He, Rusty, Jammer and Mute needed medical attention, but at the moment, nothing mattered more than the carcass laying in the back of the ship. The wholesome memories of Bucket serving as nothing more than painful reminders of the Droids demise, at the hands of the Empire.
Unbeknownst to Jake, or anybody, this was just another stepping stone to the inevitable.
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So writing this i decided to turn on some sad music while doing so, and godamm, got me almost crying over a fictional robot...still, Bucket will be remembered. Rest in peace, to another of the Fallen.