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Fox hates the medbay. It’s always filled to the brim and no matter where he looks, he’s met with the sight of his troopers barely holding on. His medics are trying their best but their defeated looks appear to be permanently etched onto their faces nowadays. He can’t even blame them. He’s seen troopers die on Coruscant from injuries they could have walked off in an active battle.
“How’s Flicker?” Fox asks Stitch, falling into step with him.
“Dead.” Stitch replies, barely looking at Fox while he navigates his way through the beds. Most of the beds are occupied by troopers that were trapped in the collapsed building four levels down yesterday. He still hasn’t gotten around to treating all of them and his supplies already ran out.
“What?”
“His wound got infected. We didn’t have enough bacta for everyone when he came in and now we don’t have any at all.”
“What about the reserves?” Fox asks. He watches as Stitch picks a bandage off of Tooka’s chest and puts it on Sky’s leg. He sighs. He knew that it was bad, but he had no idea that it was this bad already.
“Had to use them on Thorn last week. We don’t have anything left, Fox. I sent Blackout and Lilo to the lower levels to get some, or anything really, but we probably won’t get enough for everyone. The next troopers that need to come in may as well go to the barracks, it’s not as if it matters where they’ll die.”
“I’ll ask Palpatine.” the Commander sighs.
“He won’t give you anything.”
“I still have to try, Stitch. These are my troopers.” he argues, making his way towards the exit. He should know better than to come and check on his shinies by now. He also should know better than to ask Palpatine.
At the beginning of the war, when their supplies were running low, he made that mistake for the first time. He knew that there had to be more. He had seen the requisition list and went to the Chancellor with it, expecting it to just be a mistake. He knew better of course, but accusing the Chancellor of he didn’t even know what, would have been far worse than the route he chose.
“Then you’re going to be my patient by tonight. Great,” Stitch huffs, “better hope that Blackout and Lilo will be back by then.”
The Commander walks to the elevator with all the confidence he can muster. He presses the button, standing rigidly straight even alone behind the closed door. He hasn’t found any cameras yet, but they’re all sure that it’s there, somewhere. It’s not as if they could search for it.
He steps out of the elevator at the top floor. Two troopers from one of Thire’s squads are standing in front of the door. He doesn’t acknowledge them as he walks into the office. The Chancellor looks up and Fox still hasn’t managed to suppress the initial urge to bolt. He most likely never will.
“Commander.” the Chancellor acknowledges him with this sickeningly grandfatherly smile that sends a shiver down his spine. One of the few instinctual reactions even the longnecks weren’t able to train out of him.
“Chancellor Palpatine, could I have a few minutes of your time?”
“But our meeting isn’t until tomorrow, Commander.” Palpatine smiles. Fox suppresses the shudder, at least. The red guards are unfazed by this exchange but Fox knows that they’re listening. They probably can’t wait to get their electrostaffs on him again.
“I’m sorry, Sir, the situation is urgent.” he insists, grabbing his own hand behind his back. He digs his glove covered nails into his palm to calm himself down.
“I’m sure it is, Commander.” he says, gesturing for Fox to continue.
“Some of our squads were caught in the building collapse yesterday. The survivors are currently receiving treatment in the medbay, but we don’t have enough supplies for everyone,” Fox explains as Palpatine looks back down to his datapad, uninterested. “The troopers that were injured have proven themselves worthy of treatment. My medics only require minimal supplies for their treatments, Chancellor.”
“How many?”
“Sixteen troopers haven’t received treatment yet, Chancellor.” he tells him, keeping his gaze straight ahead on the Chancellor. Even though he’s wearing his helmet, his expression is blank. He doesn’t want to give Palpatine a reason.
“Medical supplies are expensive and a rarity in wartime, as I’m sure you know. We cannot afford to waste them on clones.”
“Sir, all the troopers are expected to make a full recovery and will be able to return to duty, once they have received treatment.”
“The injuries can’t be that severe then, Commander.”
“Sir, they require medical supplies.” Fox begs. If Alpha were to witness Fox beg, he would make him run a hundred laps around Tipoca City. Before he was stationed on Coruscant, he never thought that he would even be capable of begging. He did what he wanted, took what he wanted and didn’t worry about the consequences. He knew that the longnecks wouldn’t actually decommission him, despite their threats. He was too valuable. But on Coruscant he was nothing. Just the unfortunate clone in charge of the guard.
“Nonsense. They will make a recovery or be replaced by a newer generation of clones.”
“Chancellor, please.” Fox attempts to persuade him, despite knowing better.
The Chancellor’s expression shifts, “the clones are not worthy of my limited supplies.”
“Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir.” the Commander sighs.
“We might have to have our meeting now, Commander. You seem to have forgotten who is in charge.” Palpatine smiles. Fox has barely registered the words when the electro staff hits him in the ribs.
He can only hope that Lilo and Blackout will get their hands on some supplies, he thinks as the electro staff forces him to his knees.