Night had ascended across the world, engulfing everything it touched in darkness. Many saw this as the telltale sign to lock up shop and get some nice sleep, but Strider merely saw it as a reason to switch on his helmets light attachment that he'd found in one of the gunships crates.
The clone was currently still hard at work, his hands gripping a wrench tightly as he twisted it around the final bolt on a piece of metal plating. He removed the bolt and placed it with the others he'd removed, before he took hold of the plate and ripped it from its desired spot. The area that the panel had been covering was filled with wires and buttons.
Jackpot.
Strider shoved a couple of wires to the side, determined to find his goal. Once it came into view, he stopped his persistent shoving of the wires, his brown irises locking onto a decently sized relay box near the back of the compartment. It had a few bolts locking it down as well, meaning the wrench wouldn't be getting as much of a rest as it wanted.
Strider pulled the box out of the sea of wires and set it down on the grassy field, resting it on its back so he could unscrew the bolts easier. As he began the job of opening the box, his mind continued to pry up memories. He tried to ignore them, but each memory struck him worse than the others, like a hammer bashing at his helmet. He wasn't completely certain as to why they were just sinking in now, whether it was talking to Twilight or him thinking about them more. But he was positive he wanted them to stop.
"EAT LASER CLANK-AHH!"
"MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!"
Strider pried out a bent bolt from its hole and tossed it to the side. He moved onto another bolt and began twisting the wrench around it. As he did, distant but clear blaster fire filled his ears.
"Super Battle Droids on your right!"
"I've got it!"
"DROIDEKAS INCOMING!
Strider grunted as a bolt refused to turn, he applied more force but the bolt remained stuck. It must of been another bent one. Stupid crash...
"TRIGGER!"
"He's GONE Strider! We need to keep- ACK!"
Strider snarled under his breath, anger rising as he remembered the horrific battle.
"EVACUATE TO THE GUNSHIPS! THE SHIP'S LOST!"
"MATT TAKE COVER!"
"WRIST ROCKET!"
"MATT! NO!!!"
Strider finally couldn't take it anymore.
"RRAH! SHUT UP!" Strider shouted as his anger finally overtook his actions.
Strider shot up from where he was working and chucked the wrench in a random direction, which just so happened to of been at the gunship. It soared like a rocket through the air until it struck a panel and fell into the grass below, hardly leaving a dent, much to Strider's relief. The clone stared at the tool for a few seconds, before his mind began wrapping more images in front of his eyes.
"LOOK OUT!"
"I'll hold them off, GO!"
"NO! I won't leave you!"
"We don't have any other choice! GO!"
Strider was so subjected to his own mind that he didn't notice Fluttershy exit her cottage, the front door clicking gently back into place. She was about to head off towards Ponyville, but stopped once she spotted him.
Fluttershy's happy expression faded as she saw Strider's frozen figure staring into nothingness. She changed her course and began trotting towards him.
"Strider?" Fluttershy asked, concern clear as day in her voice.
The clone remained quiet, not moving a muscle as she approached him.
"Strider? You ok?" Fluttershy questioned, getting closer and closer to him.
Strider slowly walked over to where the tool had landed and picked it up, remaining silent as stone the entire time. He walked over to where he'd been previously working and knelt down next to the relay box again.
"I-I don't know what you're thinking about, but I can tell that something's wrong." Fluttershy claimed, only a few feet away from him now.
Strider started to twist the wrench at a screw, getting ready to pry open the panel. But before he could unscrew the final bolt, Fluttershy said one last sentence.
"I want to help you." Fluttershy claimed, her words echoing through Strider's mind as if it were an empty corridor.
Strider stopped twisting the wrench, Fluttershy's words repeating through his brain. Then, Rust's words shot like blaster bolts across his eyes.
"We always have each others backs Strider."
"I'm all ears Strider."
"We'll make it through this Strider, and when we do, drinks are on me."
"I've got you!
"Keep fighting Strider! We can beat these clankers!"
"I'm always here to help.
Images of Strider's team flashed before his eyes, each one showing them working together against the toughest odds. Taking down droids, blowing up tanks, defending the wounded against thousands of enemies.
"FIRE!"
"WATCH YOUR LEFT!
"Hold on tight! We'll get you out of here!
"I can't keep them back!
"I've got your right!
"If we go down, we go down together, and FIGHTING!"
The memories of him fighting with his brothers transitioning to a building collapsing in on itself, Cosmo getting shot by a super battle droid, Trigger getting blown up, Matt holding the line to save him and other clones, Rust turning to stone.
He was the last member of his team, a single trooper on an unmarked planet.
Right as the memories began to get even worse, they began to slow down their attack on Strider's psyche. Finally, one last image flashed in front of Strider.
"Good Soldiers follow orders"
Then, It all stopped. The screaming, the fighting, the blaster fire, everything playing in the back of his head stopped. It was like someone had just hit pause for a simulation.
After what felt like an eternity, the memories began to fade, being sucked away into some part in his brain. Strider didn't hear the screams, didn't feel the anger, like his mind had been refreshed.
It felt wrong...
Strider watched as his vision faded between each battle he had fought in, to Fluttershy's worried expression.
As his mind finally began to process her words again, his ears began picking up what she was saying, now completely devoid of the noises from the battlefield.
"-o you need water? Please tell me if you're ok!" Fluttershy begged, fear leaking with her words.
"I'm alright, i'm alright." Strider muttered, a headache splitting through his skull.
Fluttershy noticed Strider's hands slightly trembling as well as his heavy breathing. She wasn't buying it.
"You're not. Please tell me what's wrong and I can help." Fluttershy said.
Strider looked at Fluttershy, his vision beginning to blur.
"I said, I'm... fine..." Once those words left Strider's mouth, the clone fell to the ground, his whole body locking up.
Strider's thoughts were scrambled once again, words falling on deaf ears. He tried to get up but his muscles refused to cooperate.
Suddenly, Strider's helmet was taken off and tossed aside. He looked up into Fluttershy's scared eyes, her mouth making motions like she was talking but all he could hear was muffled whispers.
Strider tried to say something but nothing seemed to come out. Fluttershy was increasingly becoming more and more panicked by the second, frantically calling out to what he assumed were some animals.
Fluttershy's face suddenly began to fade away, replaced with nothing but darkness. Only then did Strider completely fall unconscious.