Trial by Fire | By : Jade_Max Category: +S through Z > Star Wars: The Clone Wars Views: 15246 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: Star Wars is George's sandbox, which now belongs to Disney; I'm simply destroying the sandcastles and playing with the action figures. I make no money off of this. |
Chapter 2
“So you’re with me and Coil today, are you Traxis?” Blaze fell into step with the trooper as Coil moved ahead to chat up the rest of the small squad that would be practicing together today. Coil, well familiar with Blaze’s method of operation, urged the men a little faster, leaving Traxis and Blaze to fall back a little.
“Yes sir.”
The proper address made Blaze frown but he didn’t correct the other clone; they were with brothers that weren’t flame troopers. While he own squad knew he encouraged his marks to call him by name to create an illusion of intimacy, there was a place and time for it. Now wouldn’t have been right for Traxis to call him by his nickname, especially the first day out, among lesser ranked men. Soon, but not today. “Ever worked with a tandem team wielding bitches before?”
“No sir. I’m exclusively deeces.”
“I pulled mine out last night just to re-familiarize myself with it,” Blaze told him in an aside that wouldn’t carry to the rest of the men. “After our little discussion, I couldn’t stop thinking about what you’d said about yours.” Traxis’ steps faltered and Blaze forged ahead. “But you weren’t always just deeces were you?”
“Uh,” Traxis shook his head and Blaze hid a smile. “Uh no; no sir. I was a heavy gunner before…”
“Ah.” Now was not the time to delve into Teth and pull the rest of Traxis’ insecurities to the forefront for him to manipulate; there’d be time for that later. “And you never gave any thought to bitch training?”
“Wasn’t ever offered it,” Traxis told him with a miniscule shrug, his jaw clenching.
“Would you like some?” Blaze jumped into the opening with both feet. “I can give you pointers on how to handle my bitch and you can give me pointers on how to handle your deece.” His lips kicked into a suggestive half smile. “If you think I need them, anyway.”
Traxis stopped dead this time but Blaze continued onwards, silently congratulating himself for the word play as he joined Coil at the front of the squad. Sergeant Coric appeared through the hatchway to stand before them, his hands clasped behind his back as the men drew to a stop. Traxis rejoined them a moment later, Blaze keeping an eye on him without making it seem that way and noticed Traxis kept shooting him looks.
Ah.
Good.
Perhaps his interest had been clarified then, not dismissed as it seemed to have been the night before? Rook hadn’t been happy with his little meal time shenanigans but Blaze had known his brother was simply irritated at not having thought of it first. He just didn’t have the same panache for mischief that Blaze did; and mischief would be what drew Traxis to him in the end.
Coric’s voice drew him from his thoughts.
“The purpose of the exercises today are to familiarize yourself with the way your new brothers think. Each of you have been assigned from different areas of specialty within Torrent Company to make this small unit. Your job today is to clear a path for the bitches to take for maximum effectiveness. Cover them; if they take a direct hit, these bad boys explode. A kill hit on a bitch is an automatic squad kill and an immediate termination of the exercise. Good luck.”
Coil turned to the men as Blaze glanced at the back towards where Traxis was still reeling a little, inwardly pleased, before sharing a look with Coil – who rolled his eyes out of view of the others and gave a minute shake of his head; an admonishment to focus.
“Alright, standard spread formation,” Blaze’s voice cracked with the authority of command, drawing the other five troopers with them, Traxis included, into attention. “What’s the breakdown look like?”
“Silver, sir,” one trooper on the far left supplied. “Demolitions.”
“Varney,” the one next to him said. “Heavy weapons.”
Blaze waited for a moment before speaking again,. “Any other specialties?” None of the other three, including Traxis, spoke up. He pointed at Varney and the man on his other side. “I want you and you on the left and right, respectively.”
He pointed to Silver and the other as of yet unidentified brother beside Traxis. “You and you, out front, scouting positions but stay within two meters when the fighting starts or you’ll be on the menu tonight. You,” he pointed to Traxis. “Traxis; you have the rear guard position. Should Coil or I fall and the bitch is undamaged, it’s your responsibility to take over. Clear?”
“Sir, yes sir!”
There were speculative looks sent Traxis’ way by the other men in the squad that the Corporal knew his name already but Blaze ignored them. He’d deliberately used Traxis’ name. For all it singled him out, it would also subconsciously remind him that he was worth knowing. Manipulations no one would ever have thought him capable of, but Blaze had long since perfected the art. He knew how far to push and when - and Traxis needed the boost. Not to mention it would work into his own plans. If Traxis felt Blaze was taking an interest, he'd accept the reality of that interest sooner; if he hadn't already.
"Buckets," Coil snapped when Blaze didn't issue the order, the men slapping on their helmets almost in tandem.
The area that had been set aside for practice opened and the point men led off, shifting into the simulated fire zone, their blasters powered down to minimum setting for the exercise. Nothing happened at first as the squad led off, easing into the arena, crates and hardware forming the lines of make believe trenches and caves.
Blaze, his bitch on his back, adjusted the wand settings and checked his HUD. They hadn't needed to come equipped but it just didn't feel right to be without the weight of his bitch on his back even in practice. The men were moving a little cautiously, using hand signals and their internals comm. to coordinate. As expected for a squad out their first time out together. It was just practice, but Blaze had every intention of nailing it, shinies or not. He flipped to a private channel.
"Coil, what've you got?"
"Silver and Ion," there was no disguising the amusement in Coil's voice, "look good. I suspect Ion's a flyer; he knows the signals."
"With a name like Ion?" Blaze snorted. "What else?"
"Varney and Breaker are spreading out; your new interest seems hesitant though, Blaze. You sure he was the right one for rear guard?"
"He wants to get his hands on my bitch," Blaze ran one hand lovingly and suggestively over the long, thin wand, making Coil chuckle, "this is his opportunity."
"Just your bitch, huh?" Coil's tone showed he knew better. "We should have come in with deeces; then you could have traded to handle each other's to see the differences."
Blaze chortled. "Next time." A blinking light on his HUD screen showed the squad was speaking and he quickly flipped back over in time to hear Silver and Ion discussing the best approach as they were exiting the crate and hardware maze into an area with little cover. As Silver stuck his head out, a bolt came screaming in from the far side and he quickly ducked back.
"Enemy fire from the left flank; possibly crossfire situation."
"Heavy weapons on the ridge."
"We can't stay here, they'll box us in."
"Well, we can't go out there, Breaker," snapped the voice showing as Ion, "they'll mow us down in seconds."
Blaze waited as the quartet of troopers discussed and argued, sending Coil an irritated hand signs that said 'sloppy'. He wasn't disappointed though, when Traxis' voice suddenly came over the line.
"Backtrack," there was a conviction in the scared clone's tone that had been lacking in any area thus far that hadn't to do with weapons. "There's an off shoot that could bring us around to get flanking and come out near that left position."
"Go," Blaze ordered immediately. "Ion; Breaker, you're with us. Coil?"
"I know," came the immediate response. "Stay here and act like a diversion. Silver, line me up on the shooters and get me a distance; Varney cover him."
Blaze backed away from the opening, keeping out of sight as a hail of underpowered blaster fire ripped through it. Varney let loose a cuss that made him grin under his helmet and nudged Traxis to follow Ion and Breaker as they moved away.
Traxis shook his head, hefting his deece. "You first sir; rear guard and all."
Good man. Blaze didn't argue the point, simply followed the other
Coil's voice came across the comm.. as they moved, splitting their forces. "I have solid lock on sectors alpha and beta; all unfriendlies in area confirmed eliminated."
The command channel crackled across theirs. "Confirmed. Alpha and beta standing down."
Some of the blaster fire behind them ebbed and Blaze grinned; Coil was always a bit of a show off. My turn.
Following Ion and Breaker, Blaze kept an eye on Traxis, whose movements had grown with confidence as the exercise continued. They came around a blind corner without Ion having checked it properly and were promptly hit with a hail of fire. Ion went down immediately.
"Fall back!"
Blaze, who'd not yet stepped out of cover, put his shoulder to the wall. "Breaker; get me visuals!"
There was moment before a feed link appeared and Blaze tapped into Breaker's HUD video as the other man dove back around cover. It was enough. Blaze grinned. "Solid lock on sectors gamma, delta and- Traxis!"
The other clone had darted forward, straight for Breaker who'd just taken hits to the shoulder and legs, but moved through what would have been Blaze's line of fire - literally. Swearing he cut off his comm. and adjusted his grip; seething as he waited for Traxis to clear the line. He flipped his comm. back on. "Traxis; get out of there, now!"
Traxis ducked to collect his injured brother, firing off a volley of shots that found their marks more than they didn't before practically carrying Breaker out of Blaze's line of fire. Blaze, irritated and wanting this to end, now, adjusted his view and hit the comm. again. "Solid lock on sectors gamma, delta and sierra. Green and yellow emplacements eliminated."
As he finished speaking, Traxis took a bolt to the back, sending him staggering, both he and Breaker going down hard beside Blaze.
Blaze's comm. rippled to life. "Confirmed. Gamma, delta and sierra standing down; green and yellow, hit the showers."
Things went downhill from there. Blaze had missed one section and, as he made to withdraw, took a bolt in the side, right in the fuel tank conversion chamber for the bitch. If the bolt had been any more powerful, it could have punctured the tank, making it explode and taken Breaker and Traxis with him in a fiery inferno. Coil's trio fared no better, falling within moments of Blaze as the attackers charged their position and focused on the flame trooper.
"Exercise completed."
"Tough luck guys." A female voice came across the comm. following the end game instruction and Blaze arched his eyebrows at the youth within it. He'd heard something about having a female Jedi Commander in the five-oh-first, but he had yet to see or meet her. "Good try."
Good try.
Blaze gritted his teeth. His only consolation was that he'd already seen Rook and Bishop and knew they'd lasted all of five minutes. Blaze and Coil, but his HUD chrono, had lasted almost ten. Ten minutes. He wouldn't have missed if Traxis hadn't decided to play hero boy!
Rex's voice filled his ears. "Debrief in five."
Breaker pushed himself off the ground, groaning on his external mic as he reached down to pull Traxis to his feet. "You aren't supposed to get shot when you're playing medic."
"Next time I'll leave it to Coric."
Breaker chuckled and straightened. "Those pack a wallop even powered down. What were they using anyway?"
"The DC-17 with conversion kit," Traxis supplied almost immediately. "They wouldn't have the reach otherwise."
"Hey Ion," Breaker slapped Traxis' shoulder and headed for the other fallen brother who was only now starting to pick himself up. "How're you doing?"
Blaze ripped off his helmet. "You'd all have been a lot better if Traxis hadn't attempted that damn fool stunt."
The trio turned to face him as one and Blaze knew he'd caught them off guard. He didn't care; he'd have nailed this if Traxis hadn't taken such a fool risk.
"Sir-"
"Did I say you could speak, trooper?"
Traxis' snapped to attention as Blaze focused his ire on him. "Sir, no sir!"
"Crossing the flames of a bitch is a good way to get slagged, trooper; it was a reckless risk for little gain that put us all at risk!"
Traxis stiffened further, as impossible as it seemed, as Blaze narrowed his gaze on him, leaning in close, his eyes flashing as he glared into the younger trooper's helm. "Going for the injured is a job best left to medics or until after the area has been cleared of hostiles! Breaker would have been fine where he was until you threw yourself into my line of fire."
"Corporal, I don't-"
"Am I speaking to you, trooper?"
Breaker snapped to attention. "Sir, no sir."
"Double time it back to the others; I want this debrief over with. Dismissed!"
Traxis turned crisply on his heel and marched away as Breaker helped Ion in the same general direction, Blaze taking up the rear as he strode forward with irritation, clipping his helmet to his belt. Coil and the others joined them as they headed for the exit, his bitch brother sliding in beside him, his helmet also off.
"What happened?"
"Traxis," Blaze growled the name, "decided to play hero."
Coil arched his eyebrows and then, unexpectedly, chuckled. "Going to teach him a lesson, Blaze?"
"I think he needs one."
+++++++++
Traxis had not been expecting to be singled out after the exercise, especially after having put himself in the line of fire to try and save a brother. The debrief went off without a hitch, Coric handling it as Rex was working with the next squad, he and some of the borrowed veterans from another Company being the ones shooting at the newly minted and reconstructed Torrent Company squads.
He suspected Commander Tano was with the Captain, as per usual, based on her comments at the end of the exercise. It wasn't her comments though, that stuck in his mind. Blaze had been... well... blazing mad at having to check his fire. It hadn't helped that instead of being able to return fire, his hand had begun to tingle when he'd brought the deece to bear, making it impossible to hold steady.
He lingered behind after Coric dismissed them, the last to leave.
"Something I can do for you, Traxis?"
"You have a minute, Sarge?"
Coric beckoned him over, taking a seat and motioning for Traxis to do the same. "What's on your mind?"
Rubbing his thumb over his fingertips of his right hand, he offered it to Coric. "I'm still getting pins and needles; damn inconvenient when a man can't hold his deece steady enough to fire."
Coric arched his eyebrows but said nothing, taking the hand in his. "Curl your fingers."
Traxis did so.
Hooking his own around the curled finger tips, Coric nodded. "Pull?"
Traxis did, his grip strong and firm; but it wasn't this situation that caused the problem. "If it’s at waist high, sir, I seem to be fine."
Coric looked thoughtful. "Lift your arm and hold it straight out."
Traxis did and flinched when the tingling started almost immediately, his hand beginning to feel disconnected from the rest of his body. "There it is, sir."
"I'd suggest massage but you're not seeing anyone - are you?"
Traxis dropped his arm, averting his eyes. "No, sir." Not yet anyway. And after today he doubted Blaze would continue the idle flirtation anyway. Not after ripping into him on the practice field.
"Well, the series of stretches I assigned you should loosen up the muscles," Coric told him with a small nod. "I had to sew them back together after you were injured so the blood vessels might be still learning the pathways again; just don't overdo it and it'll fix itself."
"I'm not combat ready, sir," Traxis admitted. "If I can't shoot-"
"Torrent Company isn't combat ready," Coric informed him dryly with a wave of his hand as he pushed to his feet. "The Captain and Commander might be doing the odd special assignment but command is aware Torrent Company’s rebuilding. By the time we’re ready, you will be too. Don't worry about it, Traxis; it's a natural part of the heeling process."
Reluctant to accept it, Traxis knew he had no choice except to; Coric was, after all, the most knowledgeable party on his injuries. "Thank you, sir."
"Coric," he corrected with a faint smile. "Or Sarge since I know you prefer it."
"Thanks, Sarge."
"Dismissed, Traxis; grab some grub."
Leaving the briefing room, Traxis was flexing his shoulder, rotating it around, noting at what angles and points the tingling sensation returned. He’d turned the corner from the briefing room without looking and was suddenly grabbed and roughly shoved up against a wall. His head snapped back to connect with the durasteel panel and by the time his eyesight cleared moments later, it was to see Blaze glaring at him.
“I should have done more than just reprimand you, Traxis.”
The growl made his insides churn in a way he was unfamiliar with, the seeming unintentional innuendo in Blaze’s words making it a double threat.
“You and me.” Blaze continued in his softly lethal tone, “Twenty three hundred in the gym. Don’t be late.”
Traxis was released and Blaze stalked away, leaving him reeling. Twenty three hundred... that was after lights out! Inhaling and exhaling to calm himself, Traxis straightened his shoulders. The Corporal had given him an order, likely one that involved some kind of lesson regarding to his actions in the exercise today that could be delivered in private. If he was going to suffer another dressing down, at least Blaze would be delivering it in private this time.
Ignoring the little thrill the idea of being alone with the other trooper brought, Traxis resumed his pace towards the turbolift that would take him back to the barracks. After curfew or not, the Corporal had given him and order and he intended to follow it.
+++++++++
Traxis found himself sneaking out of the barracks later that night, careful not to wake the snoozing brothers, but not seeing the gleam of half lidded eyes from Blaze's bunk mate, Coil. He missed the smirk and the head shake before Coil rolled and fully closed his eyes, already aware of what would likely occur that night.
Moving through the hallways in his bodyglove, Traxis ducked the duty rotation and made his way to the gym; a large, physical training area where weight machines and sparring mats had been set up to help keep the clones at peak performance. He palmed the door open and stepped in, scanning the area.
"On the mat, Traxis."
There was a snap in that order that demanded immediate obedience and Traxis' feet were moving before he gave it conscious thought, looking around again. "Blaze - sir?"
"What'd I tell you about the sir when we're alone?"
Traxis whirled to face the voice behind him and ducked, just in time, as a right hook came at his head. His training kicked in, his left forearm coming up to block and deflect the follow up strike. "Drop it," Traxis returned, deflecting another strike, his finger tips tingling as his hand came up at the wrong angle.
Blaze moved in, striking out at Traxis' torso, twisting and grasping Traxis' forearm as he made to block, spinning the lighter man around and sending him, off balance to the mat. He said nothing, advancing on the scared clone with a menace that Traxis could practically feel.
This Traxis understood; this he could handle. This was punishment for playing the hero and getting the squad 'killed' in the process. For thinking, he knew, like a shiny.
Scrambling back to his feet, Traxis set himself into a defensive stance he hadn't used since his injury. He ducked, only to be caught around the middle as Blaze threw him around, slamming one forearm into his side. He retaliated, blocking the next blow, his own being intercepted by one muscular bicep.
Back and forth across the mat, Blaze worked Traxis in silence, finally clipping him on the jaw on the sore side of his face before grabbing a hold of the bodyglove as Traxis spun, hauling him to a stop.
Traxis, mentally prepared for another recovery roll, was caught mid motion and off guard, the breath slamming out of his lungs as Blaze took him to the mat. He rolled without thinking, to get out from under the other man's heftier bulk, managing to get to his knees before Blaze's hand wrapped around his ankle.
"Going somewhere, Traxis?"
He kicked you, trying to dislodge him and Blaze let him go, both men scrambling as Traxis took the worst of the hits, growing more and more frustrated. Finally, nearing the end of his, some of his old squad mates would say infinite, patience, he snapped at the other clone.
"Why’d you single me out like that today, Blaze?"
"Like what?" Blaze swiped at Traxis' legs in a feint and landed a blow to his chest. "Trusting you to watch my back and letting the others know it?"
"And then dressing me down? What kind of game are you playing?"
"You were out of line, Traxis," Blaze stepped close unexpectedly, slamming both palms into Traxis' chest. "If that had been a live fire exercise, you'd be nothing but crispy armor."
Traxis broke the hold, slapping them away and then landing a quick one two combo before Blaze blocked again. "Your line of fire would have struck Ion."
"I know my bitch more intimately than you know your deece, hero boy," Blaze's eyes gleamed with the word play as he locked Traxis in an arm bar before sending him to the mat with a kick. "Next time wait for orders."
"You didn't give any!"
"You didn't listen." Blaze’s eyes flashed.
"If you wanted to pound on me, Blaze," he returned caustically, acknowledging to himself that the Corporal was right; he hadn't listened. "Next time just do it."
Blaze's smile turned wicked as he upended Traxis, destroying his balance before sending him sprawling. "Pound on you?" he lunged towards Traxis and with a shock and a body slam, pinned him to the mat face down, both arms locking around Traxis', under and over to render him immobile before he laced his hands together behind his neck.
Pinned, helpless, Traxis could feel every inch of Blaze's body against his back; every inch of the other man's throbbing, magnificent erection. One Blaze was making no effort to hide. Blaze slid upwards, making Traxis shudder with both kinds of frustration, and set his lips to Traxis' ear. The breath of his brother feathering across his unblemished skin was doing nothing to help the uncomfortable press of the mat to his front.
"Oh, I want to pound you, Traxis." Blaze thrust with his hips, deliberately no doubt, rubbing his swollen shaft along Traxis' spine and between his ass cheeks, the friction of the cloth between them doing little to mitigate the effect. If anything, it enhanced it and Traxis bit back a moan. "There's just something about you that I find... irresistible."
Blaze held him pinned for a few long moments more, rubbing firmly against him, before levering himself away and leaving Traxis hard and aching and wanting, face down on the mat. He heard the door to the gym close and closed his eyes, bracing his forehead on his hands as he fisted them, one on top of the other, before his face and struggled with the heady knowledge - and the subsequent physical response - that the other man wanted him.
The knowledge that this wasn't an idle flirtation, that it wasn't a game, but that the other man really was interested in him threw him for a loop. He'd thought... he'd thought no one would want him after his injuries, those who professed they didn't matter being nothing more than nice, like Del, or immune to wounds, like Coric. That one of his brothers didn't see him as defective, as less of a man because of his injuries...
He exhaled loudly in the silence and shifted, reaching down to adjust himself with a grimace.
Sleep tonight, would be hard to come by unless he took matters into his own hands. Pushing himself off the mat, Traxis glanced around to ensure he was alone, and then headed towards the ‘freshers that were connected to the gym. They’d be deserted and private, not that it would take long to get himself off. Blaze had painted a mental picture that was nothing if not inspiring.
Several minutes later as he came on a choked, hoarse cry that was Blaze’s name, Traxis collapsed… and smiled.
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