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spacefinch · 1 year

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Warning: here be Star Wars fanfic:

I wrote this for a school assignment a few years ago….

Star Wars: Sato's Story

By Finch

[Atollon. Phoenix Squadron’s base of operations.]

Sand. Dust. That was all that my nephew Mart and I could see outside the ship’s viewport.. The entire base was on lockdown thanks to this blasted sandstorm.

"How much longer until the storm lets up?" Mart grumbled. "I hate being stuck inside."

"I am not sure. But in the meantime, I have a story I would like to tell you," I said.

"A story, huh? Is it about the ‘glory days’ you and the older pilots talk about?”

"Not exactly," I replied. "Do you remember me telling you that I used to be in the Republic Navy before you were born?"

He nodded.

"For years, I thought I knew who I was: Commander Jun Sato, one of the best Republic military tacticians to hail from the Outer Rim," I began. "But nothing could prepare me for the day my career— and my life— changed forever…"

✦

It happened during the last days of the Clone Wars, more than sixteen years ago. The Separatists were invading Mykapo, our home planet. But there was no way I was going to let that happen.

At the time, I commanded the 719th Battalion alongside Jedi General Quon-Li and Admiral Styan Haringer, an old friend of mine. We had plenty of resources: hundreds of clone troopers, a fleet of Venator-class cruisers, and state-of-the-art starfighters and bombers. To say I was confident in our ability to win would be an understatement.

Before the battle could begin, though, we had to devise a plan of attack...

"Since time is of the essence, I will make this short," Haringer said as we all stood around the holotable in the Firebrand's (the command cruiser's) war room. He began all his mission briefings this way, even the excruciatingly long ones that bored me to death when I was a cadet. Thankfully, this one was on the short side.

The plan we discussed was as follows: Our Venators and light cruisers would move to outflank the Separatist ships and open fire, cutting off escape. At the same time, a squadron of bombers would attack the Separatist command ship, with a fighter squadron serving as escort. The battle in space would keep the enemies distracted long enough for our gunships to deliver our ground troops to the planet’s surface and take care of the battle droids there. Not much different from the other battles we had fought. Except this time, I would be flying alongside my pilots, rather than giving orders from the relative safety of the cruiser's bridge.

"You don't have to do this, Commander. I am certain the general can lead our squadrons on his own," said Haringer, with a familiar look of concern in his eyes. It reminded me of the old days, when I was still learning to command. He’s still looking out for me, I thought. I can take care of myself, though.

"It's not that,” I replied. “Mykapo might just be another planet to you, but it is my home, and I will do everything I can to defend it.”

“And I will do everything I can to defend the Republic,” he responded.

✦

A few minutes later, our two fighter groups— Dragon Squadron (composed of six-winged ARC-170s) and Nighthawk Squadron (composed of Y-wings)— were ready for battle.

"This is Dragon Leader," Quon-Li said. "All wings, report in." He spoke with a deep, gravelly voice that was a characteristic of his species, the Mon Calamari. His fishlike features made it seem as though he was most comfortable underwater— which was true— but he was also a gifted pilot.

I listened through my flight headset as the Dragon pilots called in. After that, it was my turn. "This is Nighthawk Leader, standing by," I said, from the cockpit of my YT-2400, the Sato’s Hammer.

✦

“Hey, that’s the freighter we’re in now!” Mart exclaimed, interrupting my story. “That is so cool! Was R3 there, too?”

Hearing his name mentioned, Mart’s old astromech droid turned his conical head to look at us.

“Yes, he was,” I said. “Now, let us continue the story.”

✦

"Nighthawk Two, standing by!" That was Lieutenant Galt. By far one of the most enthusiastic clones in the 719th. And another good friend of mine, as well. No matter what mission we were on, he always kept everyone’s spirits up— often by starting a friendly competition to see who could shoot down the most droid starfighters.

One by one, the rest of my pilots called in.

I had commanded and fought beside these men for three years. Following Quon-Li's example, I had taken time to get to know them, not just as soldiers, but as friends. Which meant I trusted them with my life.

"All right, men, you know what to do," I said. "Attack speed!"

✦

Even with Dragon Squadron covering for us, the other bomber pilots and I had our hands full. Vulture droids came at us from every direction— like a swarm of angry hornets, only much larger and angrier.

Fortunately, we all made it through the first wave of enemy fighters in one piece. I wasn't planning on letting my guard down, though.

That soon proved to be a wise decision. Compared to the rest of the Separatists' defenses, that first wave was just the practice round.

We succeeded in destroying the Separatist’s flagship, but not everyone survived the attack run. Many good men were lost— including several from my own squadron. In spite of the losses, though the battle was a victory for both the Republic and the people of Mykapo.

✦

As cleanup dogfights concluded, the rest of my squadron suddenly changed course. That's strange. I never ordered them to do that.

I spoke into my comm: "Nighthawk Squadron, this is your commander speaking. Get back here AT ONCE!"

I expected to hear at least one "Yes, sir!" or other acknowledgement over the radio. But there was no response. This doesn't make sense. The comms are working perfectly. And it's not like the clones to ignore a direct order.

Two seconds later, I saw where the Y-wings were headed. Toward the ARC-170s, all of which were chasing a small starfighter.

Not just any starfighter. Master Quon-Li’s ship. And unlike the Hammer, Jedi starfighters weren’t designed to sustain heavy damage.

I tried contacting the fighters again. “All units, break off your pursuit, now. This is your only warning.”

This time, I did get a reply. “Negative. We have orders to terminate the Jedi,” came Galt’s voice.

This can’t be. These men would never do such a thing.

“What? Why?” I could barely contain my shock.

“He’s a traitor. They’re all traitors.”

I had only known Quon-Li— and a small number of other Jedi— for a few years. I didn’t consider myself an expert on their ways. But I had seen them in action. I had seen their dedication and loyalty to clone troopers and civilians alike. They would never betray all those people.

The next several moments felt like an eternity. Before, my goal had been clear. Lead my squadron into battle, defeat the Separatist invaders, and liberate my home.

Now, though… Now I was faced with a choice. I could choose to go along with the clones. Remain loyal to them. But then, I would be letting them kill Master Quon-Li. Did I really want that?

Or I could save the general. But that would mean turning on my own men, and by extension, the Republic. By doing so, I would be dishonoring the commitment I had made when I joined the Navy.

This was not just any decision. Not like deciding what to eat for breakfast or what to do when I was off duty. This was a matter of life and death.

I weighed the options in my mind once again. Side with the clone troopers— who were loyal to the end— or side with the general, who always did what he believed to be right. Time is of the essence, Jun, I told myself.

I made my decision.

“R3, raise deflector shields to maximum level,” I said. The droid immediately did as he was told. At least he still listened to me.

I gripped the controls of the freighter and banked hard, heading straight for the Republic starfighters. Most of the fighters remained focused on the Jedi starfighter, but a few broke off from the group and began to chase me.

If they thought that would drive me away, their assumptions were soon proven incorrect. I stayed on course, tilting my ship to dodge the incoming laser fire. For three years, these pilots had regarded me as their friend, and now they treated me as the opposite. What happened to them? How could they do this?

I opened a comm channel to Quon-Li’s fighter. “This is Commander Sato. You need to get out of here, General,” I said, trying to hide the growing fear in my voice. As if I could hide something like that from a Jedi.

“I’m trying. But my fighter doesn’t have a hyperdrive. I won’t be able to get far,” Quon-Li answered.

Blast it! How could I have forgotten about that? I scolded myself. Out loud, I said, “My ship does have a hyperdrive. If I can get close enough, you can dock with it.”

“It’s risky, but it might work,” the general replied. “Just make it quick, Commander.”

A laser blast from one of the clone fighters scored a direct hit. Warning lights flashed across the Hammer’s control panel. The deflector shields had been compromised. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the hull was breached.

I didn’t want to fire on my own squadron, but I had no other choice if I wanted to stay alive long enough to help Quon-Li get to safety. I aimed both of the Hammer’s turret guns and fired. The repeated blasts vaporized two of the pursuing fighters and sent three others spiraling out of control. I blocked out the thought of the lives ended. The lives I had ended.

I pulled my ship up alongside the Jedi starfighter. “Stand by on the docking port, R3,” I ordered. “I will handle the rest.”

Quon-Li moved into position, turning his fighter on its side so it could attach to the docking port.

R3 beeped questioningly at me.

“Not yet,” I said. “We have to get closer.”

And the sooner, the better. I closed the gap between the two ships.

“Get the docking port open, now!”

But before R3 could get it open, two proton torpedoes hit Quon-Li’s starfighter. One second, it was flying next to mine. The next, harsh light filled my cockpit viewport as the fighter burst into flame.

“NO!” I shouted.

The fighter was gone. Master Quon-Li was gone. I’ve failed.

I felt anger boiling inside me. Anger at myself for not being able to save the general. And anger at the pilot who had shot him down. Part of me wanted to make the clones pay for what they had done. Make them regret the day they turned on their own leader.

No. The clones wouldn’t just betray the Jedi. They were bred to be loyal— both to the Jedi and officers like myself. Something is amiss.

R3 turned to look at me and whistled. His one camera-eye remained as always expressionless, but I could tell what he was probably thinking in that computer brain of his. And I appreciated his concern.

“I’m fine,” I said, partly answering R3, but mostly trying to convince myself.

A light on the Hammer’s communications panel began flashing, signaling an incoming transmission from the Firebrand.

“Put it through, R3,” I said,

Immediately, a blue-tinted hologram of Admiral Haringer materialized over the panel’s projector.

“Commander,” he addressed me.

“Admiral, what is going on?” I demanded. “Why have the clones turned on their own general?”

“Actually, it is Quon-Li who was the traitor,” Haringer replied. “And the same can be said for all the other Jedi.”

This was almost exactly what Lieutenant Galt had said just minutes earlier. And it still didn’t make sense.

“You’ve known the Jedi for much longer than I have,” I said. “You know they would never betray the Republic.”

Haringer didn’t answer, but narrowed his eyes.

“At least tell the pilots to cease firing at me,” I said. “I tried telling them myself, but they don’t seem to be listening.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” It was a completely reasonable request.

“By order of the Emperor himself, all traitors to the Galactic Empire must be punished. That includes you, Sato,” the admiral said.

The Emperor? This was worse than I had thought. Much worse. Ever since the war began, I had started to see that the Republic was beginning to fall from its former glory. I just hadn’t realized how far it had fallen.

“Now see here, Admiral,” I said in a tone I rarely used when talking to a superior officer. “I am not a traitor. If anyone deserves to be called a traitor, it is you.”

Up until this point, I had respected Haringer. I had admired his loyalty to the Navy. Loyalty at any cost. Now, though… Now I realized that loyalty at any cost came with a price. A price that meant sacrificing one’s integrity and morals— sometimes even one’s own friends. Haringer was willing to pay that price, but I was not.

“I have my orders,” Haringer replied. “And it is not my place to question them.”

“Then we are enemies now. So be it,” I said, and ended the transmission.

✦

The clone pilots were fast fliers. They followed my every move, trying to cut off my escape. But their attempt was in vain. They may have been skilled, but I was more so, having more flying experience than they.

Earlier this day, I had been flying alongside these men. Now I was flying away from them. Away from my battalion. Away from my homeworld. Away from everything I had known.

The question is, where do I go from here?

Then it dawned on me. I no longer had friends here, but I did have friends elsewhere in the galaxy.

“R3, set a course for the Alderaan system,” I said. “Quickly, if possible.”

Minutes later, the Hammer made the jump to hyperspace. There was no turning back.

✦

Epilogue: Atollon.

For a few moments, neither one of us spoke.

Then, Mart broke the silence. “I’m sorry about your friend, Uncle,” he said. “It must have been hard for you to lose him.”

“Yes, it was. But I’m over it now. Mostly,” I said, looking at the red-orange sky outside the cockpit window. The sky. The sandstorm’s finally died down, I realized. Which reminds me…

“Why don’t we go outside and watch the sunset?” I suggested. “I know where we can find a good view.”

“Good idea,” said Mart, following me to the Hammer’s boarding ramp. “Come on, R3. You need some fresh air, too,”

Sixteen years ago, I thought I had lost everything. My career, my home, one of my closest friends. But in the time since, I had met new friends— a new family— during my path as a member of the Rebellion. A path that I never would have taken if I had chosen differently during that battle.

#Star Wars #Star Wars rebels #commander Sato #mart Mattin #the clone wars #fanfic

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kit-fisto-obsessive · 1 year

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Captain Rex Is In Trouble

Chapter 5: Bacta Tank Blues

AO3

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Summary

“Why isn’t he getting better? What’s wrong with-”

“-infection spread to the blood-”

“-transfusion-”

“-getting worse-”

Notes

Hello everyone. Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger uwu

Rating: T

Warnings

Medical Stuff, Medical Procedures, Angst.

“-aptain? Captain, can you hear me?”

“C’mon Rex’ika, don’t die, you can’t die.”

“We need to get them to the ship. General can you-”

“-careful Wolffe!”

“-nother landslide-”

“-vere head trauma-”

“-needs bacta-”

“-kywalker is coding again! Get the paddles!”

“Stay with us Rex. We need you.”

“Why isn’t he getting better? What’s wrong with-”

“-infection spread to the blood-”

“-transfusion-”

“-getting worse-”

“C’mon Rex’ika. You gotta keep fighting. We know you can.”

“We’re waiting on you ARC trooper.”

“-wait. It’s up to him no-”

“-Rex, vod’ika, wake u-”

“-lease, we need you. Don’t know what I’ll do if-”

“-Rex-”

“-vod’ika-”

“-Captain-”

Rex woke up choking. He was drowning, he was-

Bacta. He was in a bacta tank.

Why was he in a bacta tank?

There was a mask over his nose and mouth and a tube down his throat. He could breathe just fine. He was fine. He was-

“Let’s get you out of there Captain.”

The straps keeping him afloat tightened around his chest and under his arms as he started to rise, his head breaking the surface and the noise of a medical wing flooded his ears. Machines beeping, humming electronics, the sound of someone being scanned. His feet hit the floor and he realised it was him that was being scanned, trying desperately to blink fluid out of his eyes.

Rex’s knees crumpled, his legs shaking, but as the hoist slackened two firm bodies fit themselves under his arms to keep him upright. He began to cough, his throat constricting around the feeding tube.

"Just try and relax Captain. We're going to take that out right away for you."

The mask covering his nose and mouth was removed and then came the revolting feeling of a nasal cannula being removed. He could feel the thin plastic tube slide up the back of his throat, through his brain and out through his nose with horrible clarity, and as soon as it was clear of his mouth he was bending double, vomiting bile and half-digested and foul smelling liquid nutrients into a metal bowl someone had hastily shoved in front of him. He blinked bacta and tears out of his eyes when he was finally finished, spitting the last of the vomit left in his mouth into the metal bowl, and then someone was cleaning his face with a soft cloth.

“It’s okay Rex, we’ve got you.”

That was a familiar voice, someone he knew but… fuck he couldn’t figure out who. What the fuck happened? The last thing he remembered was… what was the last thing he remembered?

Fire and lava and sulphur and then… blaster fire. Thunder. Darkness.

What the fuck had happened to him?

He blinked dazedly when the cloth was removed, the white light of whichever medical wing he was in stinging his eyes. Directly in front of him was a jedi healer he didn’t recognise, a deep brown mon calamari with wide kind eyes.

“How’re you feeling Captain?” the healer asked.

“Like shit,” Rex slurred, leaning sideways into whoever the hell was holding him up. The grip shifted and two familiar laughs filled his ears.

The healer chuckled too, and Rex struggled to focus on him. After a few seconds he swam back into view.

“A little disorientation is plenty normal, as is the dizziness and nausea,” he was saying. “But no pain? No headache?”

Rex thought for a moment, doing a mental catalogue of his extremities. His limbs felt heavy and his head full of fog, but nothing actually hurt. Not even the tube he could feel running from his cock and down his thigh under the tight medical shorts he was wearing. That was a problem for later though.

“No,” he said. “I’m- I’m okay.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, not yet,” the healer said, smiling ruefully.

“We warned you he reacts badly to bacta tanks,” Cody said.

Cody. It was Cody holding him up. Cody and… Wolffe? Rex remembered his voice, or maybe that had been a dream.

“You did,” the healer chuckled, as Rex tried to figure out where the hell he was. When he was. This room had no windows, and Rex couldn’t see any clocks. Well, Rex couldn’t see much of anything, his vision swimming in and out of focus as his head span.

“Alright. I’m going to leave you to get cleaned up. If anything starts to hurt, have Commander Fox or Commander Cody send for me. I’ll be back in a bit to see how you’re doing with that nausea and dizziness. I’ll send a cleaning droid for the floor.”

Rex tried to nod, but fell sideways into Cody as the dizziness became overwhelming and his stomach turned.

“Thanks Healer Vebb.” It was Fox on his other side, not Wolffe. That probably meant he was somewhere on Coruscant then. “We’ve got it from here.”

“Okay, just let me disconnect your catheter. I’ll take it out when I come back.”

Healer Vebb ducked down and then there was the cool sensation of a hand just above his knee and a light tugging sensation in a place he really didn’t enjoy feeling it, and then he was standing up and walking away.

Rex leaned forwards and closed his eyes, praying that his stomach and head and possibly the room too would stop spinning. Someone's hand, Cody’s he thought, smoothed up and down his back. He dimly heard the door close and tried to blink his eyes open, staring down at the floor. It was covered in bacta and- yup- some vomit that hadn’t made it into the bowl.

“C’mon Rex’ika,” Fox murmured. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

They shuffled him towards a little adjoining fresher slash wetroom. There was a little privacy curtain and- thank gods- a stool, so he wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of his brothers holding him up in the shower and helping to clean bacta from every singular crevice on his body. They plopped him on the little shower chair and started trying to help him take his clothes off, retreating with a huff when he slapped them away.

“Fine,” Cody sighed, catching Fox by the elbow. “We’ll be just out here if you need us.”

Fox scowled but followed after him, pulling the curtain closed so that Rex was left alone. It took a while to peel the tight fitting vest off, specially cushioned to stop pressure sores where the restraints had held him suspended in the tank. After he peeled it over his head, stopping to catch his breath when it was halfway off, he made a start on his shorts. That was even more difficult, what with the catheter sticking out of his dick and taped down the inside of his thigh.

He managed to get them off though, and then contemplated the catheter itself. He could wait for the healer to come back and take it out, or…

He twisted the valve and waited for the small stream of water to stop, then grit his teeth for the next part. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, easing the tube out as he did. His toes curled in discomfort, but it was over quickly.

Cody sighed as Rex tossed the catheter onto the floor, and Rex ignored him. It wasn’t his dick, he could keep his dumb opinions to himself.

He reached up and slapped the wall a few times, his eyes closed. After a few tries he found the shower controls and turned them on, breathing out in relief as a heavy stream of water started to beat down on his head and shoulders. He leaned back against the wall and exhaled, letting the heat soak into his exhausted body.

Water showers were a rare luxury for Rex. He mustn’t be in any clone facility, and that coupled with the jedi healer in his distinctive blue uniform meant he was probably… huh. He was probably in the temple healing wing which… the only other time he’d been aware of a clone being taken to the jedi healers was Ponds after that run in with Aurra Singh.

So either he’d been very nearly dead or…

Oh.

Mustafar.

The kids.

The lava.

Anakin.

Rex’s tears mingled with the water streaming down his cheeks.

“How long was I out?” he asked, his voice raspy with disuse and overwhelming emotion.

“Two weeks,” Fox said softly, just loud enough for Rex to hear him over the rush of water.

Rex closed his eyes.

“The kids? Torrent?”

“All fine,” Cody replied. “Torrent and the rest of the 501st are in the barracks. Kid’s are all happily in the creche.”

“And… Anakin?”

“Alive,” was the only thing Cody said.

“What- what happened?”

Silence.

“Finish your shower,” Fox replied eventually, his voice tired and sounding so, so drained. “We’ll talk after.”

Rex swallowed.

After a few seconds, he scrubbed his fingers through his- ugh he needed a haircut. His roots were probably showing too. Not that it mattered, not now.

He cleaned the last of the bacta from his skin, leaning hard against the wall when he had to get off the chair to clean his ass crack. Man, that shit got everywhere.

Once his head stopped spinning, Rex hit the controls again.

“Towel?”

“Here.”

“Clothes?”

“Here.”

Fox’s hand passed a set of white patient’s robes through the curtain and Rex took them. A long sleeved shirt, boxers and leggings with a lighter version of the traditional jedi robe. Rex pulled on the underthings and left the robes loose, realising it was a dressing gown and not some fluffy cotton version of the Jedi uniform. As he swept the curtain back the room span again, and then Cody was sliding an arm around his waist and helping him shuffle back into the other room.

The floor was clean, the bacta tank draining steadily and there was a bed in the middle of the room. Rex hadn’t even noticed it before. Cody helped him onto it, and he leaned back into the pillows with a pained groan.

“How you feeling?” Fox asked, swiping his hand over Rex’s forehead. Rex slapped his hand away, grumbling under his breath.

“Little better,” he said. “Not quite as dizzy.”

“Right,” Cody snorted. His hand rested on Rex’s shoulder, holding him firmly. Fox seemed to want to touch him too, the hand Rex had slapped away twitching periodically towards him. Rex sighed and grabbed it, squeezing gently. He’d been unconscious for two whole weeks, apparently, so he could cut the two of them a little slack.

He knew how it felt. He remembered how neither he or Fives could really let go of Echo when he woke up after the injury that led him to lose his legs. They’d needed that reassurance- the physical evidence that his skin was still warm, that his heart was still beating.

And it was nice, to have them holding him. To know that he was still here, with them.

There were two chairs in the room. Fox squeezed his hand briefly before letting go and dragging one over. Cody clambered straight onto the bed beside him, the pecking order of ‘who gets to cuddle Rex first’ had been set in beskar years and years ago. Rex tried to smother the sigh of relief as he leaned into Cody’s side, his warmth seeping into Rex’s aching muscles. Once Fox was situated in his chair Rex reached for his hand again. His calloused palm fit snugly around Rex’s, fractionally smaller, hand, and his thumb brushed comfortably over Rex’s knuckles.

Rex took a deep breath.

"What happened?” he asked, failing to hide the tremor and the fear in his voice completely.

Cody and Fox glanced at each other, both their gazes loaded with concern.

“What do you remember?” Cody asked. “You had a really bad head wound.”

“I remember the cliff, Anakin falling and- and his legs. Then being buried but…” Rex swallowed, “after that, it's all black."

Fox nodded.

"You managed to get caught in this little air pocket between two big chunks, protected you both from the worst of it,” he said quietly.

"You were lucky,” Cody murmured, “so lucky."

Rex bowed his head, blinking tears out of his eyes as he suddenly remembered the last thought that had flashed through his brain before he’d finally blacked out. That his luck had finally run out. Seems he’d been wrong about that, for better or worse.

“Anyway,” Fox continued as Cody’s arm tightened around Rex’s shoulders. “Hardcase, Jesse and Fives got the kids to the extraction point while… while Kix and Echo stayed behind. They doubled back with Wolffe and Plo, a few others.”

“I- I remember!” Rex said, “I remember their voices.”

“Yeah, Wolffe said you were fading in and out of consciousness,” Cody said. “Saying stuff but not really making any sense. They got you both out of there, thankfully. Wouldn’t have been able to do it without Plo though.”

Rex nodded. He steadied himself before asking his next question.

“Anakin? Is he- how is he?”

“Not great,” Fox said softly. “He’s still unconscious too. They still don’t know if he’ll wake up.”

"What's the damage?"

"He lost both legs below the knee,” Cody said, rubbing Rex’s shoulder. “Third degree burns to most of his body… not too many broken bones, you shielded him from that. It’s probably what saved his life."

“Took quite the hit to the back of your head though,” Fox added. “A few hits, actually. There's a duralite plate in the back of your skull now. It was too pulverised to be fixable.”

“Nice,” Rex murmured. He felt the back of his head gingerly. There was no scar of course, but he could feel the edges of the metal plate and a few of the pins. Weird.

“Not nice,” Fox said. “Really bad, actually.”

“Really really bad,” Cody added. “It took ages for the swelling in your brain to go down.”

“When the hospital ship brought you back to Coruscant, it turned out your lungs were damaged from all the volcanic gases. Anakin’s too but… yours were really bad. You stopped breathing and…” Fox swallowed, wiping away tears with the back of his hand. “It turned out there was a chunk of rock in your lungs, you managed to breath it in somehow. It got infected and it spread to the bloodstream and…”

“We nearly lost you,” Cody whispered. “You only started to get better a few days ago. When your lungs started working by themselves again they could finally put you in the bacta tank, and you’ve been improving steadily ever since. It was- we- fuck-”

“It’s been a rough few weeks,” Fox finished for him as Cody pressed his face to the side of Rex’s head, his tears hot on Rex’s cheek. “Wolffe was here up until two days ago, barely left your side through the whole thing. But the pack was needed to go dig ‘Cara and his boys out of a siege situation.”

“Mundi again?” Rex muttered, “what is that dick doing?”

“Beats us,” Fox muttered. “Incompetent prick. Anyway, I sent Wolffe a message telling him you woke up. He says it's about time, you lazy bastard.”

“Of course he did,” Rex said, smiling despite everything. “Asshole.”

Cody laughed wetly against his hair, then leaned over to kiss his cheek. Rex squeezed his hand as Cody composed himself, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his off duty reds.

“And Torrent?” he asked, leaning against Cody’s side.

“They’re all fine. Tired and worried about their captain, but fine,” Fox said. “I sent Kix a message too, and he passed it on. He and Sophi are going to come and see you later. You’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the rest of them though.”

Rex nodded, smiling a little.

“I want to see him,” he said, “I want to see Anakin.”

“We can take you to him-” Rex started to shift his legs over the edge of the bed, “-after healer Vebb clears you.”

He looked up, about to protest, but then he met Fox’s firm gaze. He noted Fox’s slightly bloodshot eyes, the puffy dark skin under his eyes and the stubble that covered his jaw. Rex also noted how his own head was starting to spin again, and so he swung his legs back onto the bed and flopped back into the pillows. Cody squeezed his shoulder comforting and, after a little more glaring, Fox’s lips twitched up into an amused smile.

Rex settled back against Cody, wriggling down so he could rest his head on his big brother’s shoulder. He yawned and Cody started to rub up and down his arm. He snuggled into Cody’s warmth and his eyes fluttered closed, suddenly and quite completely exhausted. One moment, he was listening to Fox’s quiet typing on his com and the next, he was startling awake as the door to his room slid open.

“Sorry to wake you, Captain,” Healer Vebb said as he strode in, smiling widely. He was mon calamari, Rex was pretty sure he couldn’t not smile, but the cheerfulness was reflected in his eyes too so he probably was genuinely happy. “How are we feeling? Has the dizziness faded?”

It took Rex a few seconds to blink the last of his nap from his eyes and process his thoughts enough to decide that yes, the dizziness was a lot better, as was the nausea.

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, yawning as he shuffled upright.

“No headache? Any pain at all?”

Rex shook his head and for the first time since he got lifted out of the bacta tank, it didn’t cause the room to spin, nor a wave of nausea to rise up his throat. Healer Vebb nodded, and started scanning Rex. That done, he nodded to himself and shone a light in Rex’s eyes, then gently felt the back of his head where the metal plate was.

“Alright. You’re doing really well. Do you have any questions for me?”

“I want to see General Skywalker.”

At the mention of Anakin, a little of the light faded from the healer’s eyes. His lips twitched into a bittersweet smile.

“Of course you do,” he said kindly, “we’ve already set up a bed for you next to the General. As long as you promise to use it when you need to, that’s fine. But you’re still healing so it’s completely normal to feel weak and easily tired. When you get tired again, and it’s going to happen a lot over the next few days, you need to lie down and let yourself sleep. Okay?”

“Okay,” Rex said.

“Now, if the commanders wouldn’t mind stepping outside for a few moments, I can take out your catheter.”

“I already did that,” Rex said.

“Of course you did,” Vebb sighed, “I’m going to start stapling those things in, I swear. What if you’d needed to go back into the bacta tank? What if you’d hurt yourself? You humans are so precious about your genitals, but you’ll rip plastic tubes out of them without a second thought!”

It sounded like a rant that the healer had gone through many times before, and Rex fought off a blush as both Fox and Cody laughed at him. He didn’t know why, he knew both of them were guilty of the exact same thing.

"What if you'd needed to go back in the tank?" Vebb continued. "You wanted to be awake through me sticking it back in? Or had you planned on swimming in your own piss for a few days?"

Rex blinked.

"I hadn't thought of that," he admitted.

Healer Vebb stared at him, then sighed.

“And I'm guessing you won’t accept a hoverchair either?” he grumbled.

“Sorry,” Rex apologised, a little meekly.

“But not sorry enough to take the damn hoverchair?”

This time Rex couldn’t help the flush that heated his cheeks as both his big brothers laughed again.

Healer Vebb took a final reading with his scanner and then sighed.

“Fine. The commanders know the way, just know that we see a lot of stubborn Jedi and people who pass out in the corridors for not following the recommendations of their healer aren’t treated with much sympathy.” Vebb glanced knowingly at Cody. “Master Kenobi is a repeat offender. There’s a blackmail book of holos somewhere in Healer Che’s office. Don’t let yourself be added to it, Captain.”

“I’ll try my best,” he said. Healer Vebb smiled at him, and Rex was maybe imagining the fraction of approval in his eyes. He hoped he wasn't though.

Vebb left and Rex was finally able to shuffle off the edge of the bed. His knees wobbled as he stood, keeping his hand resting on the edge of the bed just in case. Fox was there too, hovering protectively, and Rex used him for balance as he took a few experimental steps.

Healer Vebb hadn't been joking about feeling weak, but Rex had expected it. One of the downsides of the advanced healing caused by their rapid cell recycling, all clones' muscles atrophied much quicker than baseline humans too. It was by and large his least favourite bit of being in a bacta tank, not including the permanent drowning sensation. Bacta worked by causing rapid cell regeneration, and while that was fine for normal humans, for clones it just meant the muscle atrophy was even worse.

Rex had been unconscious and bed bound for two whole weeks, and in a bacta tank for a few days on top of that. He felt as weak as a newborn tooka kit as he tried to stand under his own strength. You know, the ones that are still blind and can't even shit without their mothers licking their assholes for them.

As much as he probably could have used the hoverchair, Rex knew that the more he used his already overexerted muscles the quicker he would get back to normal. The upside of having such rapid cell recycling, he could build muscle just as quickly as he could lose it. Plus he knew that he could lean on Cody as Fox as much as he needed too.

Cody slotted himself under Rex’s arm and Fox the other, and together they slowly made their way out of the room and out into the corridors of the temple healing wing. Once out of the small room Rex could see through the windows that it was night time on Coruscant. The hallways of the healing win were lit, dimly so as not to disturb the sleeping patients, but it was still easy to see. They had lights low to the floor, just like they did on hospital ships, so that people could walk around easily but hardly any light was getting through the windows that looked in on the wards.

Rex found himself leaning more and more heavily on Fox and Cody both as they walked. Well- Rex shuffled, Fox and Cody walked. Sweat started to bead on his brow and eventually, much sooner than he’d thought, one of his legs folded beneath him as he tried to put weight on it.

Fox and Cody caught him, moving in easy sync to take almost all of his weight.

“Stubborn shabuir,” Cody muttered, as fond as he was exasperated.

“I've not moved in two weeks,” Rex grumbled, “let me use my legs.”

“You're using our legs right now, idiot,” Fox said, but Rex could hear his smile.

With Fox and Cody basically carrying him, their trio began to move a lot quicker. It wasn't long before they began to move from the larger wards to where the smaller, more private rooms were located. Soon they were at the door to Anakin’s room. Just as Fox was about to tap the access pad the door slid open, and two healers walked out. Another mon calamari, this time pale pink, followed closely by a blue twi-lek.

They paused slightly upon almost running into Rex, Fox and Cody, but recovered quickly. They nodded at Rex as they moved past, the mon calamari smiling softly. There were pale purple bags under their eyes, Rex noticed, and they looked sad.

“It’s good to see you awake, Captain,” the twi-lek said. The ghost of a smile graced her lips, and then the two of them were walking down the corridor away from them, conferring quietly over a datapad.

“Who…?”

“Healer Eerin and Head Healer Che,” Fox answered.

“Ready?” Cody asked.

Rex swallowed, suddenly nervous. He didn’t really know why, he knew whatever was inside the room would be bad.

Something about crossing the threshold would make it real though. What if it was worse than he was imagining? Would Anakin even look like Anakin anymore? The fire- fuck, the fire.

He took a deep breath and allowed Cody and Fox to carry him through the doorway and into the room. Right in front of the door was an empty cot, presumably for him. His eyes continued to sweep around the room until they found the second bed.

Anakin’s face was partially covered by a breathing mask, and a bacta patch swathed across his right cheekbone, but other than that he didn't look… awful. Pale sure, and his hair was patchy and odd looking where it was growing back. Rex had been expecting worse.

It didn't make it any better, actually. It made it worse. Rex had seen Anakin in much worse states before, more times than he cared to count, and on each of those occasions he remembered Anakin's smile, his laugh, the way he'd kept going despite everything. Now, Anakin looked almost healthy, and yet he was so still. He could be asleep, but he wasn't. He was in a coma.

Rex's eyes moved from Anakin's face and down his body, over the sheets and to his lower legs. Or the space where his lower legs should've been. Instead the sheets were conspicuously flat just after where Anakin's knees were. Even below the covers, his thighs looked oddly bulbous from all the bandages and presumably the swelling.

Behind that, crammed into three chairs tucked away in the corner where they wouldn't get in the way of the healers, were Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and even Padme. Ahsoka looked thin, and Rex longed to reach out and sweep his hand over her montrals and cup her sallow cheek. Judging from the dark bags under her eyes she needed her sleep, so he left her be. Obi-Wan and Padme had matching bruises under their eyes. Both of them were usually so well put together, even in the heat of battle Obi-Wan barely had a hair out of place, but his beard was unkempt and his hair tangled.

Padme was similarly disheveled, and it broke his fucking heart. Even in her sleep she looked to be in pain, tucked under Obi-Wan’s arm and Ahsoka curled against her chest.

“Can I-” Rex swallowed back tears and started again. “Can I sit with him? Is there- is there another chair?”

“Yeah,” Fox murmured, squeezing his waist, “let me go get one.”

Rex leaned all his weight on Cody as Fox ducked out from under his other arm. Suddenly something was wrapping tight around his midsection with a strangled sobbing noise, squeezing all the breath from his body. So much for not waking Ahsoka.

“Rex, you’re awake,” she said into his chest.

“Hey kiddo,” he whispered, pressing his face between her montrals and breathing her in.

“Careful ‘Soka,” Cody murmured, “he’s still delicate.”

As her arms slackened a little around his chest, Rex tried not to miss it too much. It helped that she stayed, pressing her tears to his shirt and her shoulders shaking.

“I’m here, it’s okay,” he mumbled, and the tears he’d been holding back since he woke up finally overwhelmed him. He didn’t care.

After a few long seconds, and still much too soon, Ahsoka pulled back with a sniffle. He barely had time to thumb the tears from her cheek before she was being replaced by Padmé. Even smaller than Ahsoka, she somehow hugged him even tighter. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, tears streaming down her exhausted face.

“It’s so good to see you awake again,” she whispered, her voice cracking in the middle.

Rex folded forwards to press his forehead to hers, something he’d never shared with her before. She seemed to understand the meaning of the keldabe though, because she let out a half stifled sob and cupped both of his cheeks, holding his head against hers until their tears mingled. Another kiss to his cheek, more firmly this time, and she was replaced by Obi-Wan.

Another first. Rex had never hugged, or been hugged by Obi-Wan. After everything they’d been through together, they weren’t particularly physical with one another. A clasped hand here and there, but they tended to show their affection for one another through shared looks, rolled eyes and teasing Anakin together.

Anakin, Obi-Wan’s little brother and Rex’s best friend, who was unconscious in the bed they were embracing beside. Anakin, who Rex had given his all to save and still, he might never wake up again.

Obi-Wan pulled back, and it was him who pulled Rex into the keldabe.

"Thank you," he whispered into the space between them, "for giving him a chance. Kix told me what you did."

Rex wanted to protest. To say he should've been faster, he should've gotten moving again quicker after pulling Echo up, he should've been able to stop it all together. But that wouldn't help anyone, and he knew it wasn't true all the same. Instead he shared breath with Obi-Wan, Cody still holding him up with an arm around his waist.

Obi-Wan pulled away when Fox came shuffling back in, a stack of chairs in his arms. Three, because all three of them were staying. Ahsoka took them from him and started to arrange them around Anakin's bed, still careful to give the healers access.

His arms free, Fox wound his arms around Padmé's back and tugged her into his chest. She settled against him with a kind of familiarity she hadn't had with Rex, and Fox rested his head on top of hers. Rex watched them for a moment, aching for her, and then Cody and Obi-Wan were easing him into a chair by Anakin's bed.

Ahsoka settled in the chair next to him, grabbing his hand tightly and sniffling. Cody and Obi-Wan sat next to each other so that Obi-Wan could lean against his partner, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stared at Anakin. Fox eased Padmé into a chair, opposite Rex on the other side of Anakin's bed, then eased down next to her. Like Rex and Ahsoka, they were clutching each others hands.

The six of them sat around Anakin's bed, all staring at his face as if he might wake at any moment. Together in silence, they waited– all of them knowing that the moment they hoped so desperately for might never come.

[previous] [fic masterpost] [next]

#captain rex is in trouble #madz writes

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voidartisan · 2 years

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I cannot beleive that Clone Wars had an entire arc set on a water planet with a dominant marine species called the Mon CALAMARI

#i like a pun as much as the next person #but that is truly horrible #tcw #the clone wars #sw #star wars

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nieithryn · 2 years

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I have hit a snag in my portrayal of Bant Eerin, and would like Thoughts, if anyone has the time to lend me them.

In theJude Watson Jedi Apprentice Star Wars novels (*tips my hat to @tachiisms*) and other earlier Legends canon, Mon Calamari are amphibious but still air-breathing, and Bant nearly drowns as a side-effect of this: in Legends, they find breathing underwater to be uncomfortable, and if they get frightened or are young, they can drown due to the effort it takes.

However, in The Clone Wars we see Mon Calamari speaking underwater, and Mon Calamari and Quarren alike living well beneath the water with no implication of needing to go above water if they do not desire to. Indeed, they seem most at ease in the water, more like a true amphibian.

I'm not sure how to resolve this, even with my mixed canon. It would negate a multi-episode arc of TCW if I go with the Legends version. But going with the modern canon would mean I would have to re-interpret or somehow resolve an important part of Bant's past (as well as Obi-Wan's, and Siri to a lesser extent).

So. Anyone got thoughts? My base idea is to accept modern canon, but try to make the Legends situation still work (ie, the oxygen in the water wasn't high enough, but she couldn't surface for real air either?), or work with some of my Jedi Apprentice-based friends (....Liesl I'm sorry for all the questions you'll get) to try and come up with something that would fit the spirit but change the specific circumstances.

#not such a stranger (ooc)#(I was gonna answer an ask from 4 years ago and tbh this occurred to me and I need to know before I answer lol)#(Yes I've got inbox stuff 4 years old....yes I'm gonna answer it anyway)

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beasanfi1997 · 6 months

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Mon Calamari Arc Story was the best in the First three episode of Clone Wars season Four because we see Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, Padme and Yoda meets Ackbar After Anakin and Ahsoka meets Chewbacca and Tarkin

After the Battle of Endor, i really Hope that Ackbar see again Ahsoka and they were shocked that Lee Char died in the arms of Luke and Leia and even they were sad that Anakin dies, but sadly, thirty years later, Ahsoka sense Ben kills Ackbar over D'Qar....

Ezra too will meets Ackbar After the Battle of Endor and they talks about Anakin sadly and thirty years later, Ezra too sense Ben kills Ackbar over D'Qar

#star wars #star wars the clone wars #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #admiral ackbar

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tacticalhimbo · 7 months

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y'all ever think about how it's funny that

the opera that anakin attends with palpatine is a mon calamari ballet… called squid lake, but then start thinking more about it and how there's so much thematic significance in that one off detail?

like how the whole story is practically anakin's relationship with padmé?

that a young prince, siegfried, falls in love with princess odette. odette and her companions transform into swans under the spell cast by the evil sorcerer baron von rothbart. their days are spent gracefully gliding on a lake, only to return to their human form at night. the only thing that can break the spell is true love, and rothbart will do anything in his power to stop it. and that anything happens to be marrying the sorcerer's daughter, who has been manipulated to be a mirror image of odette and thus trick the prince. the curse isn't broken because his love for odette is no longer true, she's doomed to be a swan forever and drowns herself. then he realizes he effectivlely killed her and drowns himself, sealing their love in the eternity of death?

and how that almost mirrors everything that happens between padmé and anakin leading up to the events of revenge of the sith? everything into his arc as darth vader, where the anakin everyone knew and loved had chosen his own 'death' through accepting the dark side? and how the last bits of anakin truly died when he learned that he, in effect, had killed padmé by force choking her?

because i think about that constantly, actually-

#txt #star wars #meta post #<- kiiiinda?? it's a stretch but i'm putting it in my tag anyway #meta analysis

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ceapa-mica · 1 year

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The Choices We Make | Chapter 4: In The Ghetto

{cross-posted on ao3} {masterlist}

<- previous chapter next chapter ->

Pairing: Imperial!Crosshair x Tholothian!OC

Warnings: angst

Word count: 2866

a/n: Welcome back and Happy Bad Batch Day! In case you haven't noticed, social injustice plays a big role in this fic. And as Star Wars fans we all know what atrocities the Empire is capable of. This chapter really sets up the coming story arc. Enjoy!

The entrance to the apartment building was down a seedy looking alleyway and looked more like a dirty gray duracrete block than an actual building. Zaree and Crosshair were relieved to have made it to the address without any unlucky incidents, and that at least the Kjoris' doorbell was functional, unlike the few street lamps in the alley. The dull and dingy exterior indicated exactly what the building looked like on the inside - gray concrete walls with graffiti and floor tiles covered in so much dirt you could barely see them. The building didn't even have an elevator, just a rickety old staircase that groaned and shivered, every once in a while a creepy bug skittered across their path. The stench wasn't any better than outside, in fact it was worse.

A door flung open as they arrived at the fourth floor on the Kjoris' doorstep, and a little Mon Calamari boy, who Zaree knew as Baxel, jumped into her arms with a squeal of joy.

"Zaree is here! Zaree is here!" he cheered, hugging her waist tightly. Crosshair wrinkled his nose. Kids made him nervous, he didn’t know how to act around them. Of course he didn’t let it show and put on his usual scowl.

Fortunately the apartment didn’t share the same odor as the stairwell, instead it smelled salty due to the small glands Mon Calamari had on their skin, which released an essence to keep their skin moist outside of water. The air was thick and humid, but that’s not surprising since the apartment was just one room, with no door to separate the small ‘fresher from the living space. Mon Calamari liked that much humidity in their homes, whereas humans and Tholothians alike found it uncomfortable. There was also something else that made only Crosshair uncomfortable, and that was the crying of an infant coming from the ‘fresher.

“Mom and dad are working. You can wait for them here if you like, they’ll be home in about three hours… maybe longer.” Baxel offered, gesturing to the old sofa in front of the holoprojector that was showing some kids tv show.

“Thank you, dear. Actually we’re here for something that might help me find your brother.” Zaree explained.

Baxel looked up to Crosshair, cocking his little head. “Woah! You’re tall! Can I sit on your shoulders?”

"Not happening." Crosshair replied with an annoyed expression.

“Bax! What did I tell you about opening the door for-” A Mon Calamari girl with the infant on her arm came out of the ‘fresher. She didn’t look older than twelve. “Zaree, hello! You’re here for the records, are you? And you brought a friend?”

“Good to see you, Kalu! This is my friend Crosshair, and you’re correct. We need your family’s financial records regarding the social payment.”

“I’ll go seek out the holofolders. Would you…?” She basically put the baby, that wore nothing but a diaper, in Crosshair’s arms. He looked absolutely horrified and tried to hand the infant to Zaree as they sat down on the sofa that felt way too well used, but she made no attempt at taking the baby from him.

“This is not what I signed up for.” Crosshair gritted with lots of suppressed anger behind his words as to not scare the baby that had stopped crying and now fumbled with his shirt’s collar.

“Muri seems to like you.” Zaree smiled, thinking how handsome Crosshair looked with a baby on his arm. “She should be at that age where she starts teething, that's when they cry the most.” she added, earning an exasperated sigh from him.

Baxel showed off the only toy that he owned - a tooka plushie that could use a good wash. Crosshair tried to ignore the kids and raised his brow at the kids show on the holoprojector and then looked around the apartment. Five bunk beds lined the walls, and the baby had its own crib. A small kitchenette was at the other end of the room and the dining table didn't have enough chairs for a family of six, not even a high chair for Muri. Crosshair wondered why these people kept making children despite not having enough space for them all.

Suddenly a tiny hand touched his chin and he looked down at Muri who stared at him with big curious eyes, cooing as if intrigued by the stubble on his chin. Probably because Mon Calamari didn’t have any hair and the baby girl only knew the moist skin of her relatives. “What are you looking at, womp rat?” he said in a voice as tender as he could manage. Zaree chuckled as she watched them. She got a glimpse of something that Crosshair was hiding deep inside and it warmed her heart.

Kalu had searched the messy holobookcase and found the holofolders next to the cookbooks. There were three of them, and as it turned out each had hundreds of pages.

"Let me know if you need anything else. Would you like a cup of caf? We also have water and…. formula."

"No, I'm fine, thank you! How about you, Crosshair?" Zaree asked, searching through the records for the month the Republic had fallen. That's when the payments supposedly had stopped.

"Nothing for me either, kid." Crosshair said, dodging the infant's curious fists whilst shooting daggers with his eyes towards Zaree as she searched for what they were looking for.

Crosshair briefly looked at the records and his enhanced eyesight discovered the record Zaree was seeking.

"You're probably looking for this." He gave her the holofolder and she read through the months incomes and expenses. A wrinkle had formed between her eyes and she bit her lip. "That's it, that's what we're here for! This month and every month after that social payment appears in the records, but the same amount simultaneously is an expense for the Imperial Army?! Made on the same day they receive that social payment… Kalu, do you know if your parents were ever informed about this… what's it called… security fee?"

The girl sat down next to Zaree and looked over the records. "No, they said that there wase's an expense they had never approved of,and I remember they made so many comms to figure out what's was going on, but nobody gave them definite answers." To Crosshair's relief, Kalu took Muri from his arms to cradle her in her own arms.

"How is this legal?"

Kalu shrugged. "I really don't know much about that money stuff." She stood up and put a sleeping Muri into her crib. "I wish I could help you more, we miss Lyle so much! He- he just wanted to figure out why this happens. Once Muri is a bit older I will find me a job so I can help support us. Mom and dad work two jobs each and don't make as much as Lyle did. Working on the sky levels of Coruscant you get a higher income than down here. He's so lucky, y'know. I have never been to the sky levels. Is the sunlight really warm on your skin and the sunsets so beautiful?"

"You both work on the sky levels?!" Baxel asked in astonishment. "Can we go there together one day?"

"If your parents approve I could give you a tour." Zaree offered.

"Awesome! But we have to take my sisters too!"

A sudden beep from the locking mechanism came from the apartment door and Oura Kjori came in, carrying a flimsi bag with groceries. She looked stressed and there was a sadness in her eyes indicating that something must have happened.

"Mom!" Baxel jumped up and down in excitement and then hugged her waist just like he hugged Zaree earlier.

"You're home early, mom. Is everything alright?" Kalu asked with concern in her voice.

"They sacked me. My boss said they need to lay off workers in order to not go completely bankrupt." She finally looked up from her groceries to find Zaree and Crosshair on the sofa.

"Oh, Zareena! You're here because of Lyle. Did you find my son?"

"Umm no, I'm sorry Oura. I hope it's okay that we took a look at your financial records to understand what Lyle has been working on."

Oura sighed and held back her tears. "Hey that's okay, really. Anything that helps you find my son."

"Were you ever informed about this so-called security fee?" Zaree asked.

"No, we only noticed after not having enough credits at the end of the month and we had to go without food for days. I looked at the records and there it was - a transaction we had never approved nor had been informed about. The thing is, everyone I know has the same security fee showing up in their records, it's not just our family, but all of us. Our friends and neighbors, even the guy who owns the little grocery store down the road. A few lucky ones had savings in the beginning to put food on the table, but after half a year they used most of it up. Lyle’s income has helped us to put food on the table, but with my darling son gone and getting sacked… I hope we make it through this month."

"I really wanna help you. Help you find Lyle and to find a way to get rid of that security fee." Zaree searched her satchel bag for her wallet and stood up to put a fairly large amount of credits on the dining table.

"I have savings. I eat at the mess hall and sleep in the maintenance room, so I barely have any expenses and saved a lot of my salary. Please take this. Should get you through a few months combined with your income."

"Zaree, I can't accept-"

"For the kids. Oura, please." Crosshair watched the scene with interest, but said nothing.

"You're serious, you actually care what happens to us! Maybe it would be a good idea to gather some friends and neighbors. Together we might be able to do something about it."

"There's clearly something the Empire doesn't want you to find out, otherwise they would have informed you about this fee."

"Or maybe it's just because they live in an unsafe neighborhood." Crosshair said, checking the chrono on the wall. "We should get going. Staying away for too long may raise suspicions."

"Why did you bring an Imperial soldier with you?"

"He's my friend, he won't tell a soul about our little excursion, I promise."

Oura eyed Crosshair suspiciously. "I want to hear that from him."

He let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine, I'll keep everything that happened today to myself. I never left the facility and I don't know any of you."

Oura nodded. "Fine, I'll accept that answer. For now. Take care on your way back."

"Do they have to go?" Baxel complained.

“It’s late and way past your bedtime, Bax.” his mother reminded him.

They said their goodbyes and Crosshair and Zaree walked back to the elevator to the upper levels at a brisk pace. They just wanted to be out of that place as soon as possible. They took a deep breath of relief as soon as the elevator doors shut behind them.

"Why did you give them your savings?" Crosshair asked.

"Because I have more than I need and they have nothing. The least I can do is support them financially. You heard Kalu and Oura, Lyle earned enough credits to keep them fed through the end of each month, even with the security fee."

He thought about what she had just said. He had never wasted a thought about what it was like to have credits. He didn't get a salary. Food, shelter and equipment was all provided by the Empire. Then a thought struck his mind. "Why do you live at the headquarters? With that salary of yours you could afford a small apartment for yourself."

Zaree shook her head. "The rents on Coruscant are insanely high. I couldn't afford anything more than Lyle's family can. The headquarters are a much safer place than the lower levels and have everything to meet the basic needs, y’know."

"Huh, that makes sense, I guess."

The fresh air of Coruscant's sky levels filled their lungs, and never had Crosshair been so relieved to smell the emissions of speeders and… there was something else - a stall where a delicious smell came from.

Zaree took a deep breath. "When's the last time you've eaten some non-Imperial Army issued food?" Crosshair couldn't exactly recall when he last tasted food that actually had any taste. Zaree approached the stall and beckoned him over. "Check this out! Ever had nerf kebab?" Crosshair shook his head. The delicious scent made his mouth water and suddenly he realized how hungry he was. "Two, please! The larger one for my friend."

Nerf kebab was basically spiced meat on a stick with pieces of pepper and zucchini in between. Crosshair wasn't sure how to eat it and waited until Zaree took the first bite.

So no fork it is…

It felt like an explosion of taste in his mouth that made it hard for him to keep up a neutral facial expression. He hummed in contentment, wolfing down the meat unlike anything he had ever eaten before. Zaree watched in amusement as he did so. Yet again, for another short moment, the softness in his eyes had returned… until the stick was empty. At this point she had only eaten half of hers.

"You want another one?" she offered.

"No, save your credits. That was… good. Thank you."

Zaree grinned. "I know a perfect diner, the food there is even better than nerf kebab. I should take you sometime."

Crosshair didn't look her in the eye. "I don't think that would be a good idea. If anyone found out I go off base without being on shore leave… It's too risky to do that. I just tagged along today to keep you safe down there."

Zaree thought for a moment. "If you can't go to where the food is, then the food comes to you. I'm no soldier, in my free time I can come and go as I wish and go buy some."

The lingering taste of the kebab made him consider agreeing, but his reason kept him from doing so.

"I'll think about it."

They had to climb a lot to get back inside the military complex undetected. It was even riskier in the dark because to remain undetected they couldn't use any flashlights. They took the same way they had come from and Crosshair was relieved when they finally arrived in front of the maintenance room.

"Crosshair…Please don't tell any soul about our little… adventure today. I'm serious."

"That would get us both in trouble. Relax, your secret is safe with me."

Zaree sighed. "Last time someone said this to me, they broke their promise." she spoke with hurt in her voice. "Now go get changed. We can't let the Imps see you like this."

Crosshair had almost forgotten about the civvies he was wearing. He had gotten used to the fabric quicker than expected. He had to admit that they were a lot more comfortable than his armor, but they also made him vulnerable. He quickly changed into his usual outfit of blacks and armor. As he came out of the maintenance room he saw Zaree looking at a holo pic with a tear running down the brown skin of her cheek. He didn't know how to comfort others, so he cleared his throat and she immediately closed the small holoprojector, shoving it back into her pocket and wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"I need to go." he stated.

"See you at breakfast?"

A corner of his mouth quirked up in response and he left, wondering why she was crying. Was she missing someone? It was just another puzzle piece in a long line of puzzle pieces. She intrigued him and nursed the emptiness in his heart. He wanted to ask her so many things, but the words never left his mouth. He wasn't much of a socializer, never had been. She was no mission, nothing he could solve with his blaster rifle. Building a friendship was harder than he thought, but so far it felt like it was worth it. He even looked forward to accompanying her to the stinking lower levels again to spend time with her and to keep her safe, obviously.

As Crosshair was lying on his uncomfortable cot that night he spent a good hour thinking about her, about this whole situation with the Kjori family. He knew the Empire liked to keep their secrets, just like the Republic did. At least the Republic had cared enough to grant them a small payment that had now become meaningless. He had a feeling there was more to this, and that was exactly what worried him. He knew the Empire didn't like people asking too many questions. He could only hope that there was an easy way out of this, but when had anything in his life ever been easy?

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a/n: Crosshair with a baby… He- He's just… I have no words okay. Now what makes Zareena sad and how will that meeting with the family's neighbors go? Stick around for the next chapters and find out!

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