Chapter Text
Now – Wrecker POV
Wrecker groaned as consciousness slowly returned, his eyes fluttering open to a blurred, swaying world. For a moment, he was disoriented, unsure of where he was or how he had ended up here. The pounding in his head made it difficult to focus, his thoughts sluggish and fragmented.
It was only as he shifted, attempting to push himself up, that a sharp, searing pain radiated from his throat, causing him to cry out in alarm. Or to try to. He barely recognized the whisper of a voice that made it to his ears. Instinctively, his hand reached up to his neck, discovering that his black had been torn, and that under it, was a very painful bruise. What had happened? That's when he remembered falling with a nexu.
Glancing down, Wrecker's eyes widened as they landed on the unmoving bulk of the dead creature beneath him. Kriff, he must have taken the beast down with him. A surge of pride momentarily cut through the haze of pain, but it was quickly overshadowed by a growing sense of unease.
Where were his brothers? Had they seen him go over the edge? Panic flared in his chest as he realized he was alone, stranded in this kriffing ravine with no idea how to get back. Wrecker swallowed hard, wincing at the agonizing throb in his neck, and tried to call out, but his voice still came out as little more than a strangled rasp.
The clone trooper tapped his comm unit and hastily activated the distress beacon, praying his brothers would pick up the signal. Now if he could just figure out what had happened and how he was going to get out of this mess.
Wrecker's brow furrowed as he struggled to recall the details of the fight, but his memories were hazy and fragmented, like trying to grasp at wisps of smoke. All he knew was that he was hurt, his neck throbbing with every breath, and he was alone. Where were the others? Were they safe?
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Wrecker carefully shifted, trying to see if he could spot any sign of his brothers. His heart leapt as he spotted familiar figures rapidly descending the rocky ravine, their climbing gear glinting in the fading daylight. At least, the last question had been answered.
*-*
Earlier – Hunter POV
The squad was moving cautiously through the dense jungle of Cholganna, their focus on the mission at hand. But Hunter couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something is out there, watching them.
He raised a hand, signaling the others to be on guard. "Stay alert, squad," he murmured, his voice low and tense. "I feel something out there."
The others tensed, weapons at the ready as they scaned the treeline. Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from the foliage, and a massive nexu bursted forth, its yellow eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.
"Take cover!" Hunter barked, his squad scattering as the beast charged straight at them, its jaws snapping.
Crosshair's rifle cracked, his precise shots raking across the nexu's flank, but the creature, undeterred, turned toward him instead and crouched, preparing to pounce. Wrecker stepped forward, his rotary cannon thundering as he laid down a punishing barrage of fire.
"Keep it distracted!" Hunter ordered the burly clone, his own weapon unleashing a hail of bolts to try and draw the nexu's attention.
Wrecker had let out a boisterous laugh, his face alight with the thrill of battle. "Come on, you overgrown loth-cat! Is that all you've got?"
As the squad continued their assault, the battle slowly pushed them toward the treeline. Through the comm, Tech's voice had rung urgently. "There’s a ravine up ahead!"
But Wrecker was already passed the trees, out of their line of sight.
Hunter shouted "Wrecker, watch out!" but it's too late. He barely had time to pass the treeline before he’d seen the nexu falling into the ravine, its massive tail slamming into Wrecker and sending him tumbling over the edge with it.
"Wrecker!" Hunter cried, his heart in his throat. "Wrecker, can you hear me?"
There was no response, only the echoes of the nexu's dying roars and the ominous silence that followed. Hunter turned to the rest of the squad, his face grim.
"Gear up. We're going down there."