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imabeautifulbutterfly · 1 year

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Upside Down - Chapter 34

Summary: Iz makes an interesting discovery; Nerium finally starts her training with Quinlan; Pepper begins to question her choices; Anakin let’s an incident with Padme affect his thinking.

(This chapter follows the incident of the Zillo Beast, and runs concurrently with the ‘Senate Spy’ episode of the Clone Wars. Just in case I’m following the chronological version of the Clone Wars, not the aired version.)

A/N: Hello lovelies,

Oh how lovely to be able to write again, to have a routine and a schedule. LOL. I will hopefully be able to upload on a more regular basis, at least once a week in rotation, however, it’s not a hard and fast rule.

I hope everyone is enjoying their 2023 so far, and it’s going the way you hope.

Love oo

Italics - flashback

Bold - Comms

Warnings: mentions of possible treason, corruption, grief, teasing, flirting, kissing, feelings of not good enough, feelings of doubt, force use, dark side of the force, sensation of being choked, sensation of being trapped, disbelief, fainting, mentions of being trapped, mentions of waiting to be rescued, medical staff overwhelmed, mentions of distancing oneself emotionally and physically, mentions of trauma, implied poisoning, questioning of trust, anger, I think that’s it if I miss any please let me know.

AO3 Link | Words: 5,266 | Previous - - - > Next

Upside Down Master List | Main Master List

SPY

Izani stood before the Jedi Council, this was a first for her. Ever since Api passed away, she was given the promotion of Marshall Commander of the Senate Guard. It threw her at first but the Guard had suffered a great many casualties after the Zillo beast incident, the Senate stressed how much they respected her abilities. What was needed now was stability, and she could provide that; at least she hoped she could provide it.

“Sure, are you about this?” Master Yoda

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. Most of the Senators who have been threatened had some form of connection with the Banking Clan, and yet the only Senator not to receive a threat of any kind has been …”

“The Banking Clan” Master Kenobi offered

Izani simply nodded her head, “The only way we will know for sure is if we send in a spy, someone to work alongside Rush Clovis.”

“Was there someone who had in mind?”

She shifted in her stance as she thought about how she wanted to reveal personal information about a Senator’s life, “There is someone who …” she cleared her throat, “is familiar with Rush Clovis.”

“Someone? Care to be specific?” Master Windu could feel the apprehension coming from the Marshall Commander in front of him.

“Well before I came here, I did reach out to this particular individual” Izani was doing her best to be careful about what she said with regards to Senator Amidala, she had several ties with the Jedi Council, she’d been mentioned in the news numerous times with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi.

“How did this individual answer?” Master Mundi did his best to be wary of the woman standing before them. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, it was that her loyalty wasn’t necessarily to the Republic, rather to the Senate. After all that’s who she reported to, that’s who she protected. Only reason she was before them now, was because they had a common concern.

“They were not inclined to take on the assignment, and pretty much told me to stop asking them. We all know the Banking Clan is in a tenuous position of doing its best not to play favourites between the Separatist and the Republic. Yet, we have Senators and their families being threatened to sway their votes. The only way to know for certain …”

“Have someone work alongside Rush Clovis” Master Kenobi finished her thought, he stroked his chin as he tried to remember all the bills the Banking Clan had put forth lately. “Perhaps, this is not necessarily about a new bill that is to put on the floor.”

“Different idea, you have Master Kenobi?” Yoda focused his attention on his padawan, there were times when his movements were the spitting image of Qui-Gon Jinn.

“What if this is simply not about the Banking Clan, but what if this had to do with Senator Clovis directly conspiring with the Separatist.”

Izani nodded as she followed Master Kenobi’s thinking, “That would actually make sense.”

“More, you have discovered?” Yoda asked the Marshall Commander.

“In a way, there was a security feed I came across of Senator Clovis speaking with an individual, despite our best efforts, the identity of the individual has alluded us. However, as the Jedi Council has more resources, you may be able to identify the individual faster than we can.”

“Do you have this security feed?”

Izani nodded, tapping a few commands on her datapad, the screens on the windows slid closed before a holorecording began to be displayed in the centre of the room. It clearly showed Clovis in deep discussions with an individual, the face was blurry, but the clothes were clearly visible.

“Do you have any possible idea as to who the individual may be?” Master Windu inquired.

“From their clothing, they appear to be from Cato Neimoidia, however that is all we could determine.”

“What is the name of the individual you asked to spy on Senator Clovis?”

“Senator Amidala”

“Leave with us, this concern” Yoda answered

“We will speak with Senator Amidala, and determine if Senator Clovis is in fact conspiring with the Separatists”

Izani bowed before heading out of the Council Chambers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

It had been several days since she met with the Jedi Council, with no news, not that she expected to hear anything since they now took over the case.

It was weird sitting at her desk, Api’s desk, regardless of how many times she reminded herself Api wasn’t going to come in and tell her in his own subtle way to get out of his chair. She’d never hear another one of his quirky jokes. She rubbed the stress out of her eyes, running her hands through her hair. There were times she could see Api standing there in her office, smirking at seeing her behind the desk, something she had resisted for a really long time.

“You look good behind the desk”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever”

“Don’t you want the desk?”

“What and have the responsibility of all this?” Iz motioned to the mountains of datapads on the desk, “Subbing for you for the week is more than enough.” She stood from the desk stretching out her back and arms, “Alright.” She shook out her arm, “I am officially handing over the keys of the kingdom back to you. This pile here” she pointed to the first one, “completed and signed off case work. This pile” she pointed to the second one, “in transition, read most of them, they just need your sign off. And this final pile here, are ones I haven’t gotten to yet.”

“Busy little bee”

“Yeah, amazing what can happen when someone actually focuses on their work.”

“You saying I don’t focus”

“Hey … those words never came out of my mouth”

“No, you just implied it. Alright” Api motioned for her to move away from the desk, “I guess it’s time for me to ‘focus’ or whatever.”

“Don’t be such a child.”

“I’m not a child, you’re a child” he mumbled under his breath.

Izani chuckled a little to herself, wiping away the tear that had appeared. She let out a sigh of defeat, as she did her best to focus on the report in front of her.

She felt as her anxiety was rising, maybe it was because she was missing Api, didn’t help that she hadn’t been able to see Fox in the past few days, and having zero communication with the Council wasn’t exactly making her feel comfortable with the Jedi per say, especially since she didn’t enjoy the idea of having her case taken from her either.

“How did it go?”

The voice pulled her out of her musings, as her eyes focused on the Red Coruscanti Guard armour, she couldn’t help as a smile spread across her lips at seeing Fox standing there.

“Let’s just say I’m glad it’s done.”

“They didn’t believe you?” He asked as he strode into her office, the door closing behind him.

“Oh they did, so much in fact they took the case from me.”

Fox stopped in his tracks, shock donning his face, “They took the case from you?”

Iz simply shrugged, “What are you going to do?’

“You didn’t fight it?”

“Against the Council of the Jedi? Are you nuts! They probably would have used some Jedi trick just to get me to agree. If they want it, let them take it. I still have something up my sleeve.”

“Meaning?”

“The Senator from Malastare”

“What about them?”

“They said that everything was a lie, and before I could get more information, they were killed on Malastare during the beasts rampage. Yet, somehow I don’t think they were talking about Rush Clovis, corruption is one thing, but they way they spoke, the fear they had, that was something more than corruption. That was outright terror. Something terrified him. Something big.”

“A.K.A. You’re not done” Fox stood beside her, as his hand rested on her shoulder.

She simply nodded, as she looked into his eyes, “Not done.”

He leaned down, pressing his lips against hers, “Good” he mumbled against her lips, as his hand gently held her neck, his thumb stroking the side of her chin. He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, getting lost in the sensation of her. She shifted without breaking contact till she sat on her desk as Fox stepped in between her feet, taking the opportunity to go a bit further, and would have, had it not been for the beeping from her comm.

She pulled back, letting out a disappointed sigh, as Fox’s forehead rested against hers, they both looked over to the relentless comm. Wishing for it to stop only to hear it beep again.

Izani pushed him back enough to reach for comm, “Marshall Commander Izani, here”

“Commander Izani, Master Kenobi here, could you please make your way down to conference room JT984-Alpha.”

“I’m on my way”

The comm chirped indicating the end of the communication, she let out a sigh, her hand still on Fox’s chest, she focused on his eyes a hint of mischievous there, “Sorry, I gotta go”

“I understand Marshall Commander. Perhaps, we could schedule a meeting later, to go over some interesting developments.”

She smirked as she sat up again, Fox not moving away, instead caging her in with his arms, “Interesting developments?”

“Hmmm” he hummed, “There are a few things that require your … delicate attention.” His finger trailed along the edge of her ear, moving down the side of her neck, and down her arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“I’m sure to provide all the attention these developments require, unfortunately, I do have a meeting to get to.”

Fox stepped back, a coquettish smile on his lips, nodding in understanding, “Wouldn’t want you to be late for your meeting” he unclipped his helmet from his belt, placing one final kiss on her cheek before putting it on. “Commander” he bowed.

“Commander” she smirked back at him, shaking her head at seeing him sway his hips for her before he exited the room, going back into his normal walk.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Feel the force, Nerium. Let it flow in and around you.”

“If you tell me to feel the force one more time…” This was my first official day training with Quinlan Vos, and all he had to say for the umpteenth time was to let the force flow. “I don’t see how this is going to get me closer to you telling me everything.”

“Give it time, now stop yammering and focus”

I let out a huff of annoyance as I closed my eyes.

My body began to feel weightless as I focused on my breathing like Quinlan taught me. It wasn’t long before I felt my mind calming down and clearing.

Just as my mind was about to shut off, images began to flash in my mind one after another, scenes I hadn’t witnessed before.

Rex stood with his armour, clean and pristine, a few more notches on his helmet, shining in the light of Coruscant commanding a group of men at the barracks of the 501st. Rex image wafted away, only to see Wolffe sitting at his desk was reviewing a datapad, yet there was a smirk on his lips as he glanced at a holopic on his desk, a image that depicted Lief sitting on his shoulders laughing, as Mafs held a box of their possessions on the day they moved in with her sister, now that their apartment was not livable. Wolffe’s smirk was replaced by Plo’buir stroking his tusks as he sat in the Jedi Council room listening to a report. The Jedi Council room disappeared, a refresher came into view, with Vi hovering over the vacc tube vomiting. Her face was flushed as she wiped her mouth, a few seconds later she moved towards the sink, splashing water over her face. She began counting on her fingers, closing her eyes rubbing her forehead. Vi’s image was replaced with Fives laughing and joking with Echo as they walked down the street of Coruscant.

The images disappeared one by one, until darkness began to surround me.

A coldness trailed down my back, seeping into my chest, into my heart; the ice running through my veins paralyzed me instantly. Breathing was becoming difficult, as the ice gripped my lungs, I needed to run as far away as possible from the darkness. From the cold.

My breathing began to quicken, the coldness gripped my heart, squeezing it. I did my best to take in a deep breath, I needed to calm down. As breathing evened out a warmth flooded my body. Regardless, the darkness wasn’t ready to let me go, instead fingers wrapped around me, squeezing me, keeping me there.

Something was telling me not to give up, not to give in, the answers I were seeking, the reason behind everything was just there beyond the darkness, all I had to do was fight harder against the darkness. The bands wrapped around me began to loosen and crack under my defensive actions.

The warmth inside me began to grow, like a balloon being filled, ready to burst. I took in one more sundering breath, and pushed as hard as I could against the grip. The fingers that had wrapped around me so tight preventing me from moving had now fallen away. There amongst the darkness, I could see a glimmer of light. It was warm and inviting, that small glint provided a sense of security I had only felt in Rex’s arms.

With all my might I pushed myself to the light, at the same time doing my place to drag it closer to me, hoping to close the distance. Under the strain the small glint began to crack until it cracked until a bigger streak peaked through. With each push the crack broke more and more, ebbing away the darkness, until it completely disappeared, leaving only a bright light to encapsulate me completely.

Now with the darkness gone, I could finally breathe, the ice running through my veins were gone, the grip on my chest had evaporated. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, the air was clean and fresh. Refreshing in every way possible.

As the adrenaline eased off, the sounds of waves filled my ears. As it sloshed around me, warming me up, I opened my eyes slowly, starring down at the pool of water, it shimmered gold all around me as I sat there.

There was a cloud like substance all around me, it felt similar and yet foreign at the same time, almost as if it was a dream I had from long ago.

The clothes I was wearing had changed, it was no longer the comfortable clothes Quinlan had given me, it was now a white dress that flowed in the breeze. I couldn’t help think about how much Rex could do with a place like this; a safe place, somewhere refreshing, somewhere far away from everyone. I couldn’t help let out a laugh, when I felt someone was standing there staring at me. I looked up to see Rex standing there, his armour was different, it seemed like an older model, the kind I saw when I first arrived on Coruscant from Onderon.

Even through the helmet I could tell he was looking into my eyes, and for some reason it made me giggle knowing he was there with me, I wanted to send my love and warmth towards him. I closed my eyes for a second, and just like that he was gone. I looked around, searching for him. Calling out for him, but he was gone.

I stood walking around, hoping for something, some sort of direction or even instructions as to what this place was; when I felt someone behind me. Turning slowly to see a woman I had never seen before.

There was a smile on her face, her hair flowed all around her. She seemed like a pleasant woman, someone I could be friends with, if … if this wasn’t all in my mind. At least as far as I could imagine it was in my mind.

“I didn’t think you’d find me, but you’re here.” her voice was melodious and yet it sounded far away, almost a distant echo.

“I believe you’re mistaken. I don’t know you.”

“You wouldn’t. You were barely a month old when I had to give you away.”

“Excuse me?” I shook my head, “I don’t know who you are, but I was born on Onderon, my father and mother are from Onderon. She’s … well she’s … Who are you?”

“I am your mother.”

I shook my head again, taking a step back, “No. No. That’s … my father wouldn’t have …you’re lying!”

“Nerium. Just breathe.”

“No. You’re lying. It’s a lie.” I started looking for a way out, “I want out! I need out!” I kept pacing back and forth, looking for an exit, running further away from her, she couldn’t be telling the truth. My father said I was his … that I was … no!

“NO!” My eyes opened to see Quinlan sprawled on the other side of the room knocked out, by some force. The table that had been beside us was crumbled, everything was tossed and turned over in the room. My body felt sweaty and drained; I wanted to crawl over to him to check if he was alright, if he was still alive. However, the moment I moved, the room went dark, everything shut down around me, as the room tilted on its side.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kix shifted as he sat at his desk on Coruscant, after the Zillo incident things were in disarray, who survived, who was still missing, who needed medical attention. General Skywalker, had insisted everyone receive a full physical before going back to active duty. As much as everyone hated a full physical, it was a way to make sure everyone was still able to fulfill their duties.

“Pep, has Lt. Violet Lirx, shown up for her physical yet?” Pepper looked back at him a quizzical look on her face, as he chuckled, “Vi”

“Ohhh” she giggled as she moved beside him, her finger playing against his nape, as she stood beside him acting nonchalant, “I didn’t realize who you were talking about for a second. So weird to hear her full title.” She kept trailing her finger over a spot she knew particularly would drive him insane, the reddening of his ears were a clear indication it was affecting him.

He shifted his neck, doing his best to focus on his work, he couldn’t lose focus now, not when they were on Coruscant and everyone was watching them. Well keeping more of an eye on them than on the Triumph.

“You really need to stop” Kix closed his eyes, thinking over the medical texts he studied back on Kamino, however that didn’t work.

“What’s wrong? I’m just looking over your work.”

“If you continue to play this game, you’ll have to deal with the consequences” he glanced up to look in her eyes, “Are you prepared for that?”

Pepper smirked as her finger now trailed over to his ear, caressing it gently, “My dear, I have no idea what you are referring to, I’m simply doing my best to help you, and on that note, no. I do not believe Lt. Violet (a.k.a. VI) Lirx has been in for her physical despite the fact I commed her several times.”

All flirtatious thoughts ran out the window as soon as she said that, “Are we sure she’s alright? Maybe she was more injured than she realized?”

“Fives spoke with her yesterday, but even then it was brief. It seems everyone has tried to reach out to her, but she’s sporadically comming people back. I think the incident really shook her up, emotionally and mentally, after all she was trapped in the debris for a good two days. I think what’s worse is that she hasn’t been able to really deal with what happened.”

Kix let out a long sigh, full of empathy and pain for her, they weren’t exactly close per say, but he had grown to respect her, and appreciated how much she cared for Fives, for all of them, he ran his hand over his face, “All the more reason we need to have her come in, so we can assess her mental well-being as well. I know she was looked after by Neri at the hospital, but that was a quick overview of her physical well-being, and even Neri stated in her assessment, she needs to speak with someone.”

He stood from his seat, moving around the desk, pacing back and forth; with all the chaos going on, he hadn’t been able to follow up with everyone as he wanted. To really sit down and have a one-on-one discussion. “Okay, this is what we’re going to do. We will reach out to her one more time, express the urgency of needing her to come, give her a deadline. If she doesn’t contact us, we will get Fives and Nerium to contact her, and maybe let Neri do the physical.”

“Do you think she’s in danger?”

“I don’t know” Kix moved his neck from side to side hoping to relieve the tension that had been built up there, “And I won’t know unless she communicates with us. Let’s keep this between us for now, just in case.”

Pepper simply nodded, she hadn’t realized how serious the situation could have been and the guilt was beginning to build. Vi had said after the rescue she was fine. In truth she had been so focused on keeping her mind focused on trying to save those who were severely injured and pushing the stress and anxiety from that day out of her mind, she just let Vi slip through the cracks. She was lost in thought, when she felt Kix’s hand on her shoulder, “Hey cyar’ika it’s not your fault” he caressed her cheek hoping to calm her down.

He could see the guilt building up within her, as her breathing quickened, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

“If I had done a better job … if I had just …”

“Hey look at me” he held her face, forcing her to look into his eyes, “We can’t save everyone and we can’t always be there. We need to find out how she’s doing first, before we can jump to conclusions right? For all we know, she’s swamped with her duties. Let’s wait to see if she adheres to the deadline, if she doesn’t we’ll send Fives and Neri. Agreed?”

Pepper simply nodded, as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was bad enough, every day her family sent data streams indicating she should leave the GAR, that she wasn’t able to handle it, she’d never be good enough. Now with this, was she proving them right? Should she leave? Maybe someone else would’ve realized the danger Vi could’ve been in, no doubt Nerium would’ve for sure.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anakin rushed into the med clinic with Padme in his arms, he made sure they docked on top of the hospital when they came back from Cato Neimoidia. He didn’t want to waste any time in getting the treatment she needed.

Even though she had received the antidote from Senator Dod, there was still a concern regarding side effects from the poison she had received. As soon as he entered the clinic, the staff swarmed them, taking her to a private and secure room. He was forced to wait outside pacing back and forth until he heard news, it was probably one of the longest hours of his life.

“General Skywalker?”

He turned to see Kix, he was thankful and grateful to have his medic there on hand, “Kix, tell me the news”

“Senator Amidala is fine, the poison wasn’t in her system long enough to cause any sort of permanent damage. She’ll suffer from a cold, for the next few days, fever, chills, coughing, but otherwise, the antidote did it’s work and neutralized the threat.”

Anakin let out a huge sigh of relief as he took in the information, his hands resting on his hips, nodding along, “Will she be able to go home?”

“I’ll make sure they keep her here for at least two days to confirm there are no side effects, but if her fever is kept down, and her symptoms don’t worsen, I believe she could go home then.”

“Thank you, Kix” he squeezed his man’s shoulder, appreciating Kix’s quick and honest assessment. Anakin moved towards Padme’s door, when he felt a hesitation coming from Kix.

“Something troubling you, Kix?”

“It’s … the ceasefire. It’s over isn’t it?”

Anakin took in a deep breath, “I can’t say one way or another, Kix. What I can tell you, is that there will probably be an announcement regarding that topic in a few days, maybe sooner.”

“Understood, sir.”

He simply nodded before heading into Padme’s room, “How are you feeling?” She smirked, covering a cough that came on suddenly, Anakin rushed to her side, grabbing the cup of water on the table beside her, “Here, sip it slowly.” He held her up as he passed the cup, watching her like a mother nuna.

“If you keep staring like that, people are going to talk”

“About your beauty?”

She couldn’t help smiling, shaking her head at his antics, “Really, I’m fine” she held on to his hand, giving it a squeeze before she rested back against the pillows, “You need to go and report to the Council.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright alone?” Before Padme had a chance to answer Anakin’s comm beeped, he let out an annoyed sigh, without having to look he already knew who it was.

“They’re looking for you” she gave him a soft and sleepy smile, “I’ll be alright. Promise.” She squeezed his hand one more time, he nodded placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

“Let me know if you need anything”

Padme simply nodded, as she adjusted herself one more time, before falling asleep to the sounds of Anakin’s feet exiting the room. Sergeant Gregar Typho stood outside the door guarding the sleeping Senator, “You will stand here by yourself?” Anakin eyed the Sergeant carefully, he seemed like a respectable and trustworthy man; he was quite useful on Cato Neimoidia.

“Senator Amidala’s personal bodyguard will be arriving in the next two minutes, as well the Senators’ Guards will be coming shortly, I believe the Marshall Commander herself will be arriving shortly.”

“Alright, keep your wits about you. Please make sure to contact me if anything, and I mean anything seems amiss.”

“Will do, General Skywalker.”

Anakin took one more look at the closed door, before he headed towards the Council chambers with the holodisc, ready to lay out Senator Clovis’ misdeeds. As he walked towards the chambers he couldn’t help but rejoice at the idea of making the Senator pay, was it wrong that he wanted to see the man squirm? Was it because he wanted justice for the Republic or was it because he hated the fact Padme had to be friendly with Rush? Either way, he wanted to see him suffer; he knew he shouldn’t feel that way, he shouldn’t be looking forward to such animosity, but he couldn’t help it.

Before he even realized it he was standing in the middle of the Council chambers, going over everything he discovered regarding Rush Clovis, he must have been more distracted than he realized. He was brought back to the present as Obi-wan shifted in his seat.

“Confirmed, you have, Senator Clovis’ association?” Master Yoda kept his eyes on the young Jedi Knight standing before him. He was a passionate and caring Jedi, although his attention towards Senator Amidala had always been one that caused him concern.

“It is clear the Senator is working with the Separatists, otherwise why would he have access to their factory?”

“Hmmm” Master Windu cupped his chin as he analyzed the information Skywalker had brought before them, “I believe it would be best to leave Senator Clovis alone for now”

“Excuse me!” Anakin’s voice raised higher than he had expected, however he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Are we really letting this man … this Senator who we know is working with the Separatists go free?”

“It’s not as simple as you think, Anakin” Obi-wan spoke up, hoping to calm his padawan’s frustration.

“Not as simple?”

“The mere fact the Senator in question is from the Banking clan, proves it is not as simple as we think” Master Mundi stated.

“He could use his connections as a member of the Banking clan to justify the reason he was there on Cato Neimoidia” Master Billaba clarified, “We weren’t privy to their conversations, nor did we have anyone record their conversation.”

“What about the attempt on Senator Amidala’s life?”

“Unfortunate as it was” Master Iluminara answered, “The animosity between the Trade Federation and the Senator from Naboo is a long entrenched one, he could easily claim it was a separate incident and nothing to do with the reason he was on Cato Neimoidia.”

“Not to mention he was able to administer the antidote, in fact saving Senator Amidala’s life” Master Windu finished.

“Yet, we know he was conspiring!” Anakin reaffirmed

Yoda nodded in understanding, “Act against Senator Clovis we cannot, of what we discovered regardless.”

“Be mindful of your emotions, young Skywalker” Master Mundi chastised, “We must act in a way beneficial to the Republic. Though unpleasant the situation, we must view it from all sides. We are keepers of the peace, not vengeful warriors seeking to punish those we think have wronged us.”

Anakin bowed before the Jedi Council, “Of course, Master. Forgive my outburst.” He stood, facing the Council once again, the turmoil within him calmed down, “I will follow the Council’s decision.”

“I fear this information confirms what we have felt in the force” Master Plo stated with a heavy heart, “The ceasefire is nothing more than a charade, a way to keep us distracted, allowing the droid factories on Geonosis to start up again.”

“The ceasefire is over” Master Windu’s voice rang throughout the chamber, everyone’s disappointment was felt through the force, “Prepare your troops, young Skywalker, we will be advising troop movements within the following few days.”

“As you command, Master Windu” Anakin bowed one more time, exiting as quickly as his legs could carry him, he was doing his best to remain calm while in their presence.

He understood why they couldn’t act against Senator Clovis, but the fact Padme had to suffer, had to be near such an odious man, and there was nothing he could do, angered him. Made him feel weak, powerless, a waste of an existence. He needed more power, he didn’t want to feel weak like he had when he was slave, unable to stand up to the corruption or evil deeds he saw. He knew it was wrong of him to feel the want for more, it was wrong to think Clovis deserved to die, but he couldn’t help it. Just like before, his feet were moving him before he even realized where he needed to go.

As he walked along the corridors, it registered in his mind where he was heading, to one of the abandoned training rooms. He definitely needed to vent his feelings and the best place to do it was far away from everyone.

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clonemedickix · 6 months

Text

Rating: M

Word count: 6.8K

Pairing: Captain Rex, OC General Lara Lin, Torrent Company, Marshall Commander Cody

Warnings: implied and actual recreational drug use, noncon drug use (by a naughty friend), time spent at a bar, drinking, nakedness, hidden tattoos, general Halloween fun, scary movies

Excerpt Summary - The Torrent Company boys decide they want to experience some of Earth’s finest scary movies but are unprepared for the fallout.

If you’d like to be tagged for more fanfics, click here.

If you’d like to read more about General Lara Lin, click here.

The men of the 501st and Dragon Company were due some R & R after their last mission. General Skywalker and General Lin released them for shore leave from the Resolute and Talon, and told them they didn’t need to be seen for three days. The men and their Generals went their separate ways, looking forward to unwinding as well, though it would be brief. Generals Kenobi, Skywalker and Lin were all expected back at the port in two hours, set to leave for a short leadership conference that would take roughly a day.

Jesse nudged Kix and said “What are we gonna do for three days?”

“Volte was telling me the General has these really wizard movies from Earth she let them all watch on the way out to the last mission. Scared the pants off of them. He said he felt sure the General would lend them to us if we wanted to give them a try. They’re ‘horror movies’ from her home word,” Kix said. He sounded quite interested in seeing them, so Jesse thought on it for a moment, then called back to the rest of the squad. “She evidently told them it’s some special time of year back on her home world, when they celebrate dark, scary stories and such, and kids dress up like monsters and beg for treats.”

“You guys up for trying some of General Lin’s scary movies?” The gist of his tone a challenge, wondering if they were man enough to watch. “I’m not dressing up as anything but you’re all free to shower me with treats,” he said with a laugh.

Hardcase immediately piped up with “I’m in! Maybe we can find some Mantel Mix and watch in the barracks, spread a sheet on the back wall. I hear you have to use a different type of projector to watch her stuff.”

Fives and Echo nodded; they had experience with the General’s technology. Fives said, “Yep, Earth shows are in what she calls 2 or 3D - dimensional - and not holo projected. But they sure are more colorful and clear to watch.”

“You know, some of that stuff she has from Earth is actually pretty rough to watch,” Echo warned. “Fives and I have seen some of it and they can get pretty intense…”

Hardcase sputtered out a laugh. “Oh come on Echo! We’re soldiers. There’s nothing we can’t handle!”

“Okay… I’ll head over and get her IPad and the projector. I’m sure she’ll be happy to let us borrow them.” Echo and Fives peeled off from the rest and headed to the Dragon Cave to get the stuff while the others walked to the 501st barracks, which was a row up from the modified container the General occupied with her faithful attachés, Fives and Echo.

“What are you going to pick for them to watch, Echo? I can see the wheels turning already,” Fives said with a chuckle. The General had some truly freaky stuff in her movie collection, and she’d watched many of the shows with Echo and Fives, grinning like a gargoyle as they jumped at the many scares during the course of the movies.

“Hmmm… Event Horizon, definitely. Maybe that Silence of the Lambs show? Oh and The Shining, that one is super freaky. I bet Hardcase will lose it over the crazy dude with the axe.” Echo’s eyes were gleaming at the thought of scaring the wits out of his brothers.

“Gotta put something funny in there too, though. What about that Thor: Ragnarok show? It’s got good action and is funny.” Fives was dropping his armor as fast as he could in their small bunk room, calling out suggestions while Echo rummaged in Lara’s cabinets.

“Yeah that’s a good show too. Man, I can’t find her stuff. She must have the IPad on her. Wonder when she’s gonna get back?,” Echo’s frustrated voice complained from her office. He’d searched her bunk, her small chest of drawers and now her desk, only managing to find her projector and speaker.

“She went with Rex and General Skywalker to report in at Command for the mission summary. I’m sure she’ll be back soon, if she and Rex didn’t take some long detour,” Fives added with a soft eye roll.

The door snapped open and the people in question strolled in, clearly in mid conversation about something. Lara arched an eyebrow, seeing Echo riffling through her desk, the projector and speaker lying on the flat surface. “Whatcha doin there, Echo?,” she asked in her typical curious drawl.

“Volte told Kix you showed them your horror movies on the way out to the mission and it scared them, so now Jesse and Hardcase want to prove they can’t be scared by your shows. I was looking for the stuff; I didn’t think you’d mind us using it.” Echo shrugged. He knew she wouldn’t mind; he’d be even less surprised if she suddenly volunteered to come watch with them.

“Ohhh…,” Lara said with a bright smile. “Oh definitely, here let me get you the iPad.” She dropped her backpack to the floor and opened one of the chambers up, pulled the tablet out and handed it to Echo. “I wish I could watch with y’all but I have to go to that leadership meeting with Kenobi and Anakin.” She looked regretfully over at Rex, and then said with a mischievous look, “You should watch some of those with them, Rex. I don’t think you’ve ventured into the scary movie genre yet, and they’re sure to need supervision.”

“How scary can it be after the things we’ve seen on the battlefield?,” the Captain said with a shrug.

Lara laughed. “Oh, it’s a different sort of scary than war. Trust me. It’s more…. Cerebral. Food for the imagination.” She smirked at him playfully and said, “I’ll be back tomorrow evening. I’ll expect a full report on what you watched.”

“Hey General, which ones do you recommend?,” Fives called out quickly.

She stopped and thought for a second. “Event Horizon is my favorite, so definitely that. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a very oldie but goodie. Silence of the Lambs, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, The Shining, House on Haunted Hill… Oh and 13 Ghosts!” She paused, thinking again. “That’s quite a few… that should be pretty good for a start. Watch IT and Event Horizon last.”

Rex was shaking his head, knowing the things Lara suggested were probably going to raise hairs on his men; her other-worldly ways sometimes showed through in disturbing tastes. “I’m going to have to get all the of the men therapy after watching that stuff aren’t I?”

“Hey you’re tough soldiers…weren’t you just telling me how nothing phases you or some such?” She smiled and nudged his shoulder with her own. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back to snuggle with you and make it all better.” She flashed him a playful smirk. “I’ve got to go. You boys behave.” With that she turned and left the Dragon Cave, heading back to the Command Center to meet with Generals Kenobi and Skywalker for a short trip for the GAR leaders.

Echo finished setting up the iPad with the projector and speaker while Fives and Hardcase hung a sheet across the back wall of the 501st bunkhouse. Jesse, Kix and Rex were settling into chairs they’d pulled up around the projection system, and Kix was passing around Mantel Mix and fizzy drinks.

“We can watch this stuff all night tonight and then tomorrow we can go party at 79s. Best of both worlds, right guys?,” Kix said.

“Straight up!,” Jesse said with a laugh.

Rex was leaned back with his feet crossed at the ankles. He’d much rather have been with Lara on the leadership trip, but Skywalker had told him it wasn’t necessary. Even Cody hadn’t been invited. He still had some worries about what these movies were going to be like, but couldn’t deny he was somewhat excited to watch. Everybody needed a little thrill every once in a while.

Echo and Fives had decided to start with what Lara would call a ‘softball pitch’ and show them Thor: Ragnarok first. The boys of Torrent squad had never seen any of her movies at all, so it would ease the rest of the men into the format, plus it was a good movie anyway. The clones were startled at the color and richness of the 2D images; holographic shows and messages washed things out terribly. The movies were beautiful, realistic in that you felt you could reach out and touch the actors. Hardcase particularly loved the action and bright explosions. They all thought Fenrir the wolf was cool and Jesse wondered aloud what Commander Wolffe would have thought of the giant shaggy beast.

“He’d probably want one he could ride into battle too,” Rex muttered. The men all laughingly agreed.

They next switched pace and moved to Silence of the Lambs. It was such a dark, tense story, and the men groaned when Lecter got away at the end. Cannibalism was taboo even in their galaxy. Hardcase leaned over and impersonated the fff fff ffff fffffff in Echo’s ear after menacingly murmuring how he’d like to ‘eat his liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti.’ Hardcase had no idea what Chianti was, or fava beans for that matter, but he felt the line was pretty cool, as Echo swatted at him to get away. The chase at the end of the movie through the dark house as Buffalo Bill tried to trap and kill Clarice had the men on the edge of their seats, and Kix cheered when she finally unloaded her gun into the creep.

Fives picked the next movie in the line up - he chose Hellraiser. The men were all more and more confused at what the humans of Earth considered edgy entertainment. This frightening dude with pins in his head… holy kriff! The men were moving from tension over the plot lines to worry about what they were going to see next.

Echo transitioned them straight from Hellraiser into Nightmare on Elm Street. This one had an interesting premise; that you could be terrorized and chased, even killed within your dreams. It was concerning, even frightening to think about, but Hardcase frankly loved Freddy Kruger having knives for fingers. He wanted a glove just like it. The men all laughed, agreeing that Hardcase would be more likely to harm himself and his nethers with a glove like that, and then decided to take a stretch break and refill their snacks and drinks.

They let Kix choose the next title, as he ran through the list the General had recommended. “Hmmm. How about, ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes?’” Echo tapped it and started the movie. The suspense in the movie, seen through the eyes of children, gripped them all hard. They were all creeped out when the spiders attacked the boys in their room, the waves of insects sending chills up the soldiers’ spines. The men weren’t strangers to the concept of spiders; they were happy when the movie ended, and Jesse immediately volunteered to pick the next.

“What about… 13 Ghosts?,” he said musingly. “What even is a ghost,” he wondered aloud.

“Oh, the General said that was a good one. Scary but also kind of sad in parts. Like, we will find something to root for,” Fives said in explanation.

“She said a ghost is a remnant of a human’s spirit that remains behind after they die. On Earth, they can have good purposes or bad, and the bad ones work at scaring people,” Echo explained patiently.

“Put it on then!,” Jesse said bravely. Ghosts weren’t really a concept the clones had been raised with. The thought that something remained after death, that could terrorize and instill fear, really got to Kix and Jesse. Kix was especially captivated by the premise, since he felt himself haunted by the men he couldn’t save. The small undertone of pathos in 13 Ghosts actually struck home with him, and Kix felt rather conflicted about the movie. He wondered how his buddy Volte felt about some of these shows.

The men moved on to House on Haunted Hill, and had to admit - that one got to them. Lots of jump scares, so much tension; the men actually flinched in their chairs and at one point Rex stood up like he was going to defend himself. All of his squad laughed at his reaction, but they weren’t much better. The movies were starting to get to them, making them nervous and flighty, and they could see now what the Dragons had been talking about when they said the General’s movies scared them.

“Okay guys. Short break, and then we have three more that the General personally recommended. The Shining, It, and Event Horizon. She said save them for last,” Echo said with a smile. The men took a refresher break and then settled in for the home stretch. They were already tired from their movie marathon, but were enjoying themselves.

The Shining straight up scared Jesse and Hardcase. The two little twin girls standing at the end of the hall, calling “Come play with us” had the men staring with wide eyes and wondering what fresh hell little Danny had landed in. Hardcase called out “Run, Danny!! They’re not real!,” and threw Mantel Mix at the screen in frustration. When Danny’s father Jack went to room 237 and found the female ghost in the bathroom, Jesse dropped his drink and snacks, pushed his chair over backwards and hit the floor with a flop that made everyone stop and laugh. Echo paused the movie quickly so they could clean up his mess. The man had been happily into things when the beautiful, tall, naked girl was on screen but he patently didn’t appreciate her becoming an old, drowned, rotting corpse. They slogged their way through the terror of Jack’s mental breakdown and his chasing his family through the hotel, crashing through the door with an axe.

At the end of the movie the men were all silent for a moment, and then Kix piped up, “We better hide any axes from Hardcase.” The men burst out laughing at that.

Hardcase chuckled and then rebutted, “I see that more as a Jesse thing. Him beating a door down and then saying ‘Heeeerrre’s Jesse!’” The men agreed that might actually make more sense.

Everyone settled in for IT, and were slowly, progressively horrified as the movie went on. The tension and the creep factor had them all sitting with their arms crossed defensively across their chests, jaws clenched as they did their best to maintain a brave air of control. But some of the jump scares in the movie got to them, and Fives, who’d seen the movie before, found himself laughing at his brothers with glee at their discomfort. He couldn’t wait til they saw the finale of Event Horizon. It would hit more close to home for them, as it was a movie set in space.

When IT finished and rolled credits, the men all stood, shaking their heads. Jesse looked over at Echo and gave him a wry look. “This is what they call ‘entertainment’ on Earth? Some of this is kriffed up!”

“Yeah, they’re hard on the imagination. But there’s a lot of good, pure entertainment on her IPad, too.” Echo smiled. “We saved the General’s favorite for last. Let’s see how you handle that one.”

The men once more got comfortable for the final movie. This time, Kix, Jesse and Hardcase dispensed with the chairs and settled in on the floor with pillows and a couple of their thin bunk mattresses. Their interest was piqued as they realized the movie was set in space, and spoke of things they could relate to, such as light speed and exploring other galaxies, and mysterious space ships that return from cryptic, secret missions. The clones were immediately sucked into the story, following the crew of the Lewis and Clarke as they worked to recover the Event Horizon and determine what had happened to the derelict ship.

The mystery started to deepen as the ship came alive. When the first torn and shredded, frozen body floated past the sight of one of their crew, Kix sucked in a breath in horror. What could do that to a body? The scientific theory behind the movie was entirely plausible to the clones; they were familiar with the principles governing the humans in the movie: the need for air, the laws of gravity. What they couldn’t wrap their minds around was, what had happened to the crew? It was a horror they faced in their daily lives; they depended on the safety and security of their ships to keep them alive. When it became more and more apparent that the ship itself was haunted and alive with a terrible evil, it sent chills into their souls. And when they realized what had happened to the crew, driven insane by the evil the ship had brought back from another dimension, killing each other in an orgy of horror, they all collectively gasped and covered their mouths in shock. The Lewis and Clarke crew started to all slowly go insane themselves, starting with the Event Horizon’s creator, Dr Weir. The culminating awfulness of him ripping his own eyes out, as he prepared the ship to return to hell left them all speechless and sick to their stomachs. But the jump scare at the end, leaving them questioning whether Stark had in fact escaped or not… Kix stood and had to leave the room to clear his mind.

For sure the men realized the General’s collection of Earthen horror was nothing to sniff at, and they all retired to bed, illuminated in ways they never thought they’d be. Jesse and Hardcase lay in their beds quietly, memories of the movies flashing across the screen of their minds as they tried to relax and get some sleep. Rex went to his own bunk, shaking his head at the rather awful imagination of the humans on Earth. He’d merely thought he’d seen it all in war; clearly he had never ventured into horror such as those humans had.

The next day, the men lounged until it was time to head to 79s. They had all slept in various stages of poorly, images of the movies coming back to startle them awake. Rex woke, feeling completely unrested and affected by all of the things he’d watched the previous evening. For sure, that last movie was going to be with him every time he went to space on a mission now. ‘Damn it, Lara!,’ he thought to himself. ‘Showing us that stuff, knowing what it was gonna be like.’ He was going to have to talk to her about these people of hers and where their minds were.

The squad got to 79s as a group, moving among their brothers smoothly, finding a large booth with a free table, and getting drinks ordered. A couple of beautiful Pantoran females wended their way through the crowd to the men’s booth, Jesse and Hardcase making room for them to sit. Those two were always welcoming of pretty ladies. Rex saw Cody at the bar and moved over to chat with his friend, while the men sat drinking at their table with the attractive Pantorans. The Captain had no idea they’d brought spice with them, nor that the men were passing it around to enhance their fun while he was away from the table.

When Rex finally made his way back to his men, he picked up his drink to finish it, completely unaware that Fives had spiked it with the spice they’d all been sharing. At first, Rex had watched his men laughing and joking, thinking they were really feeling their drinks tonight. But soon, he was guffawing right along with them, chuckling at their illicit humor, eyeing the women a bit lasciviously. A small part of his mind sent him a panicked warning, that he shouldn’t be looking at anybody else…what if Lara got back and saw him? But he couldn’t help himself, they were just so beautiful, and he was feeling so good….

The bar tender called last rounds and announced the joint was shutting down in thirty minutes; Cody saw Rex and the rest of Torrent Company stumble to the sky taxi pad outside to leave, all of them weaving unsteadily. Well well - they took their shore leave seriously, he thought to himself. Even Rex was eyeing those Pantoran beauties in a way that had surprised him. Maybe he should check on them when he got back to the base, make sure they got to their barracks okay. Maybe he should reserve that memory of Rex with his arm around one of those girls for a later date as well….

The brave men of the 501st stumbled back to their barracks, all mostly supporting each other as they walked unsteadily along the road. Kix hit the button for the door and they spilled into the building, moving for their separate bunks. By this time, the spice was making them see and hear things that weren’t there. Jesse stumbled to his bunk, then needed to emergently hit the refresher. Echo walked over to an empty bunk and flopped down on it, hearing whispered voices in his head. He started to hug himself, rocking his body a little and whimpering. Fives sat down on the floor of the barracks and stared up at the light fixtures, as if they were the most captivating things he’d ever seen, like a moon. A moon he needed to gaze at, a moon he needed to praise - the most beautiful moon he’d ever seen! Hardcase was sitting on his bunk, his face in his hands. He looked over at the pile of laundry on the foot of his bed and slowly picked up a pair of briefs, spreading them over his face, his nose and mouth poking out of the crotch hole. In his fuzzy mind, he saw not fabric, but a mask of skin. He started speaking lowly, in a menacing voice, murmuring, “Hello… Clarice.” Kix sat in a chair in the center of the room near Fives, who was softly howling at the light fixtures by then, and spun around quietly, taking in the strange horror of the room and channeling Dr Weir. Rex also sat down in a chair, his mind a whirling mess of color and noise, seeing the chaos of the men all tripping before him, images of the horror movies rushing back to the forefront of his thought.

The door behind them snapped open, and Cody walked in with General Lin beside him. He’d run into her as she returned from the short leadership meeting, and she was headed to the Dragon Cave to rest and clean up. Cody mentioned how Rex’s group had been acting at 79s, and his intention to check on them. Lara felt some mild concern and curiosity, hearing that even Rex was seemingly affected by their excursion to the bar, and volunteered to accompany Cody for a wellness check.

When the door to the Torrent Company bunk room opened, the two leaders both froze, taking in the sight before them. A naked Fives sitting in the floor, howling at the lights on the ceiling. Jesse poking his face through the door of the refresher saying, “Heeeeeere’s JESSE!,” and leering at the rest of the group. Echo was staring at them a little sightlessly, seeing twin girls in little jumper dresses rather than the clone Commander and his General. He started talking to his index finger in a strange little voice as the girls called to him, saying ‘Come play with us, Echo!’ Hardcase was sitting on his bed with a pair of underwear over his face, moving his head around and saying, “FFF FFF FFFFF!” Rex suddenly felt like he’d seen too much, and his hands gripped at the arms of the chair like he was strapped to it, shouting ‘Oooohhh my GOOOODDD!”

Lara’s eyebrows couldn’t have gone any higher. “What in tarnation?! What the hell have they gotten into now?” She watched a moment longer, and suddenly laughed, pulling her phone out to record this nonsense for posterity and blackmail. “This calls for some good theme music!,” she murmured as she thumbed through the apps in her phone, settling on the Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams Are Made of These.’

Cody was staring, petrified in horror and confusion. He’d thought they were pretty blitzed when they stumbled out the door, but this… this was not normal. “This looks like a bad spice trip, General.”

She giggled, watching as Fives sat on his haunches, throwing his head back and crooning, “Aroooooooooogh!!!” “This is some good shit, Cody. I wish I’d been there to watch them at the bar. I’m so keeping this for blackmail down the line.” Lara panned the iPhone around the room, snorting as Jesse peeked back at her with wild eyes from the refresher. Hardcase had her laughing outright with his briefs over his face. This was CLASSIC, she thought with amusement. Rex was still staring at the general activity in the room, shoving his body against the back of the chair like the noise and lights were overstimulating. Kix was slowly spinning in a circle chattering away about taking the ship to hell. Lara looked over at Cody and grinned at him happily. “See THIS is why we don’t do drugs, class.”

Cody shook his head in wonder. “Those Pantoran girls Jesse and Hardcase were mooning over at their table must have slipped them some hard stuff. I wonder if Rex even knew what happened.” He walked over and jerked a blanket off a nearby bunk and threw it over Fives, who whipped his head around with a snarl and growled, “I’m a WOLF!” Cody jumped back a little in surprise at his vehemence.

Lara put her phone down on a foot locker, making sure it had a good wide view of the room, and moved over to Rex, standing directly in front of him and waiting until his eyes managed to focus on her dreamily. Rex smiled groggily and slurred, “Hey there, beautiful…” Lara laughed softly in reply.

“Hey there, handsome. Come on, up you go. Let’s get you out of those clothes and into a bed.” She coaxed the Captain out of the chair, prying his fingers gently off of the arms and nudging him towards a bunk. It didn’t matter whose it was at this point, so long as she and Cody could get them settled and asleep so the spice could wear off.

Rex giggled drunkenly and let her push him to the empty bed. “Ohhh look, Cody! The General is undressing me! Shhhh… I don’t think anybody is supposed to know ‘bout us, Gen’ral…,” he muttered unevenly. “Hey, that tickles… want to know where else I’m ticklish?” Lara smiled and shook her head as she pushed him down to pull his boots off. “Wanna climb in here and keep me warm?”

“Not tonight, lover boy. Be a good Captain and shush. Sleep now. You’re gonna feel this in the morning, and if you don’t remember, I will gladly provide proof,” Lara said, her voice thick with gleeful amusement. Thankfully, Rex settled down and started snoring almost immediately after she’d covered him with a blanket.

Cody was nowhere near as gentle with the others. He shoved, pulled and cajoled Fives to a bunk and under cover, working to ignore his protests about how wolves didn’t sleep in a bed. He yanked the underwear off Hardcase’s head and pushed him down on his back, laughing ruefully as the man grumbled about whether the lambs were still screaming. “You’re going to be screaming tomorrow if you don’t go to sleep, trooper.” Standing up he pondered which clone to go after next and asked Lara in an exasperated tone “What the hell did you let them watch, General?! If I didn’t know any better I’d say they were all crazy, the spice notwithstanding.”

“They wanted to watch scary movies from Earth, Cody. Who am I to refuse them some good entertainment and suspense, especially since it’s Halloween back home. Watching movies like that is a Halloween tradition. I didn’t expect them to go get roofied after watching all that stuff!” Lara giggled as she moved over to Kix, who was still spinning slowly in his seat, murmuring “Where we’re going, we don’t need eyes to see…” Lara chuffed a laugh out and said, “Come on Dr. Weir, time for bed.” She hauled the medic out of the chair and shoved him toward his bunk, repeating the process of getting him in some semblance of comfort and pulling a blanket over him. “At least this stuff didn’t turn them into assholes that don’t cooperate. I’ve seen people on Earth take some hard stuff that turned them into looney tunes that fought like they were in a battle for their lives, scratching, clawing, kicking and screaming. This is pretty docile, honestly,” she drawled to the clone Commander over her shoulder. Lara wandered over to Echo next and grabbed his hand, covering little Tony for a moment until Echo looked her in the eyes. “Tony says dull boys need sleep. Be a good boy and lay down, my Echo.” She pushed him gently back and helped him get his clothes off and settled.

That left Jesse in the refresher. Cody had already moved to try and herd the clone out of the room, but Jesse shut the door in his face and laughed rather sinisterly. Lara walked over to stand next to Cody and her eyebrows shot up as she heard Jesse’s voice call in a high falsetto “We all float down here…” Lara looked over to her friend and said, “Oooohhh he’s bringing out the big scary guns now. I hate that damn movie.” She stepped over to the door and called through the small crack, “Jesse, if you don’t drop the IT script now, I’m sedating you. I’m not playing.” He cackled darkly in reply. Lara looked at Cody with resignation and shook her head. “On three, Commander - we’ll open the door and move in to tackle him. Ready?” Cody nodded sharply, settling himself for the sack. “One… two…”

She didn’t get to three. Before she could complete the count, the door shot open and a fully naked Jesse appeared before them in all his tanned and tattooed glory. Lara’s eyes flew open in surprise, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’, and all three of them froze, staring at each other for a crystalline moment of confusion, suspense and hilarity. Then Jesse broke for freedom, sprinting past Lara and Cody like a prize winning Olympian heading for the finish line. He ran through the barracks, past all his sleeping brothers, down a hall that made a loop, and ended up back in the same room he’d just left. Lara and Cody chased after him, Lara with a blanket, struggling to run while laughing hysterically. “Jesse!!! Quit running! Don’t look, Ethel!!!” She could barely get words out, she was laughing so hard while half-heartedly chasing the naked clone.

Cody snatched the blanket from her hands and rounded the last corner to see Jesse standing in the center of the room, the clone’s wild gaze snapping back and forth in panic as he tried to decide what to do next, legs splayed, hands up as if preparing for his next break. Lara was singing “Here he comes, boogity boogity, there he goes… boogity boogity, and he ain’t wearing no clothes!! Oh yes they call him the streak…” She burst out into peals of laughter, whooping as she saw Cody do a flying tackle with the blanket out, enfolding Jesse in it as they both hit the floor. Lara staggered over to the two men, tears of laughter spilling down her cheeks, out of breath from both the chase and the situation.

The clone Commander was wrestling the naked Torrent Company man beneath the blanket and looked up at Lara a little helplessly. “General, if you have some of that sedative on your person, it might be a good time for it.”

“Nah, Cody, he’ll be fine.” She leaned down and peeked beneath the blanket, having guessed which lump was Jesse’s head rather than his firm butt. “Hey trooper… you ready to get some sleep? You going to play nice?”

Jesse quit struggling, looking back at the General a little vacantly. “Those movies were a trip, General. I don’t think I want to see anymore.”

Lara snickered in response. “Okay, Jesse, no more scary movies for you. Come on.” She held out a hand to him, and helped him up as Cody dragged himself off the floor behind him. The two put the now exhausted clone to bed, covering him up with the blanket Cody had just been chasing him with. Lara reached over and patted his butt with a smirk. “Sweet dreams, Jesse. Man, I sure hope I got THAT on camera!” She shook her head, looking at Cody salaciously. “Can you imagine? I’ll have Jesse doing anything I want for months, just to keep me from bringing it up!”

“I think you have enough material for a successful blackmail for the rest of their lives, Lara.” He surveyed all of the snoring, slumbering men quietly and let out a sigh of relief. Cody knew they were all going to wish they’d died in their sleep in the morning, both from the hangover and from the confused vestiges of memory they’d have, none of them quite sure what they’d done, or how they’d ended up in bed.

“Don’t you know it, Cody,” she said with a mischievous tone. She stepped over to Rex, leaned down and kissed his temple softly, whispering something private, but most likely loving, in his ear. Straightening she turned, and she and Cody left the barracks. “Well, that was an adventure, Commander. Care for a little breather of whiskey at the Dragon Cave before bed?”

“As long as there’s no spice or video recording involved,” he replied wryly.

“I would never do that to you, Codes,” she said with a grin. “Come on. Hard work with crazy people deserves a little refreshment.” She reached over and squeezed his shoulder with a smile, walking with him the short distance to her living quarters. It would stand empty tonight, since Fives and Echo were both passed out in the 501st barracks. But she and Cody would forever have some glorious dirt on the rest of the squad. Lara was sure the image of Jesse running by her, bare ass buck naked, would remain burned into her retinas for the rest of her life, but hey - what a nice image to have seared into your memory.

She and Cody toasted each other with a little clink of their glasses over her desk. Cody took a sip and sighed, gruffly gasping out, “That’s some smooth stuff, General. What is this?”

“It’s my Scotch - type of whiskey distilled on Earth. Aged for fourteen years, in a rum cask so it’s got a sweeter flavor. I love this stuff.” She took a healthy swig of it, pursing her lips as she savored the taste of the alcohol. She lazily pulled her phone out of her pocket, opening the small handheld device and flicking through programs with her thumb until she pulled up the video she’d taken within the barracks. Cody watched as she giggled softy to herself, sipping her whiskey while viewing the chaos on the small screen. From where he sat, he could just see the image of Jesse running by, all parts a-flapping as he streaked by the camera, Lara and Cody following behind like two zoo keepers running after an escaped animal. Lara chuckled deeply, then turned and propped her elbows on her desk, placing the phone on the surface and looking at Cody with bright eyes. “Cody. I think tonight is the start of a truly beautiful friendship, and one of the best damn Halloween’s I’ve ever seen.”

“I thought we were already friends, General,” Cody said with mild surprise. “And, I’m not sure what ‘Halloween’ is. Is that some Earth holiday?”

“Yes! It’s one of the best holidays they have. It’s said there, that on All Hallows Eve - Halloween now - the veil between the living and the dead and all manner of dark creatures is thin enough to allow passage from one dimension to the other. Spirits and ghosts, goblins and ghouls come out to play for just that one night, and it’s celebrated by decorating your home with creepy things like spiders’ webs or ghosts, skeletons and such. It’s a truly fun night, for kids. They dress up like scary monsters or their favorite scary movie character and go around asking for candy.” She smiled wistfully, then turned back to the Commander with a mischievous grin. “And we were already friends, of course, but now we are even better friends, because you and I have the dirt on Torrent Company, and that’s a powerful position to be in.” She winked at the clone commander and raised her glass for a clink.

“General, that whole squad and most of your Company are already sunk so deep in ‘dirt’ as you call it, hiding your relationship with Rex, that it would take a construction crew to dig them out of the hole. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure anybody would be very surprised at seeing what we witnessed tonight, other than finding Rex involved in it. The others, though - I’m not sure people will even blink too hard at it. Most will laugh. Eventually even those boys involved will find it a heroic adventure that only adds to their persona.” He shot Lara a small one sided smirk, taking another sip of his drink. “This ‘Halloween’ of yours does sound intriguing. I hope the men get as much out of it as you did.”

Lara laughed softly at his rebuttal. “Maybe so, maybe so, Cody. But rumor is one thing. A video is forever. And when people find out about Jesse’s special tattoo…,” Lara sat back in her seat with a smile. “Now I’ll forevermore know how ‘Lucky You’ is spelled in Aurebesh,” she said with a grin and arched eyebrow. “Can’t get much more out of one night than that!”

Cody laughed and finished his whiskey off with a long drag and then gasped a little as it burned its way down his throat. He placed his glass on her desk and picked up his helmet, then looked at Lara with a smile. “Well, General, it’s a been a night to remember.” He turned to leave and then thought better of it, rounding back to say one last thing. “Be sure to tell Rex since he was passed out, I took you on a damn good date with lots of nakedness, heavy breathing and good times involved with blankets. I can’t wait to see him trying to puzzle that one out at mess hall.” The Commander gave her a wink and proceeded to the exit, her laughter following him to the door. Before he placed his helmet back on, Cody smiled back at Lara, his friend, giving her a small two fingered salute. “Happy Halloween, General.”

“Happy Halloween, Cody,” she said with a smile of her own.

@523rdrebel @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @villanousace @mythical-illustrator @theogfulcrum22 @king-chaos-world @sunshinesdaydream @starrylothcat @anxiouspineapple99 @sev-on-kamino @mire-draws-things @the-bad-batch-baroness @cloneloverrrrr @mandos-mind-trick @padawancat97 @dukeoftheblackstar @wolffegirlsunite @isthereanechoinhere96 @jediknightjana @wackylurker @moonlightwarriorqueen @wizardofrozz @multi-fan-dom-madness

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Beautiful dividers by @dystopicjumpsuit and me 🙃

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for-the-sake-of-color · 1 month

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for nihlus and kix i think? or maybe mary ann and jett

[Color Palette Ask Game] by @thoughtfulrobot

My Dearest Blorbos <3 TYSM!!!!!

not sure how well this one came out, hard palette, but was fun!

#star wars #star wars clone wars #star wars oc #kix #clone medic kix #oc x canon #ask game #oc ask game #my art #nihlus tag #nihlus brek

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dystopicjumpsuit · 9 months

Text

Martyrs and Kings - Chapter 10

Do I Know You?

Rating: Mature/18+/Minors DNI

Pairing: Kix x archivist/historian OFC

Wordcount: 3.8k

Warnings: fluff; suggestive dialogue; angst; Star Wars politics; Bad Batch Season 2 spoilers

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Maree was profoundly grateful for her high neckline the next morning. Kix had been thorough in his attentions, with the result that her chest, shoulders, and thighs were covered with small marks and bruises. In fairness, Maree had given as good as she’d gotten, and Kix’s torso was similarly adorned. Luckily, all evidence of their rough night was hidden from the disapproving eyes of the Neimoidian administrator who checked them into the Imperial Military Records Archive.

“We don’t often receive visitors from the general population,” he said. “This is highly irregular.”

“Uncommon, perhaps, but hardly irregular,” Maree replied. “You’ll find that the paperwork is all in order. My assistant is extremely conscientious.”

“Hmmph,” said the Neimoidian, shooting a suspicious glare at Kix. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

“I doubt it,” Kix said mildly.

Whatever darkness had plagued him the night before seemed to have receded for the moment, and Kix was in notably better spirits today. This was possibly due to the three more times they’d had sex after reaching her hotel room. Maree, on the other hand, was feeling the effects of the lack of sleep, and her patience was dangling by its final thread.

“Is there a problem with our credentials?” Maree asked. “I’m sure the NRGL Archive would be happy to corroborate my identity.”

“That won’t be necessary,” the administrator sniffed. “You are quite well-known to us, Dr. Finnall. It’s your guest whose credentials are in question.”

Maree suppressed her irritation. “I understood that he had already passed the mandatory background check when we received approval for his visit. Is there some further requirement that we were not informed of?”

“No,” the Neimoidian said begrudgingly. “But you will need to sign this waiver accepting full responsibility for any damage or wrongdoing he may perpetrate in the IMRA.”

Maree signed the document without hesitation, and at last, the administrator waved them through. Next, they were scanned for weapons and other contraband, and finally, they passed through a row of New Republic Defense Force peacekeepers.

“Heavy security for a bunch of dusty old relics,” Kix commented.

Maree nodded cordially at the guards. “There’s more in the IMRA than just personnel files. This archive contains weapons schematics, documentation on banned research, and other sensitive information that is in high demand on the black market. I have security clearance for my work, but even I can’t access some of the classified records.”

They passed through the entrance into a vast chamber with towering ceilings. Data terminals lined the walls, and numerous researchers milled about. This section of the IMRA was accessible to researchers and students without security clearance, but in order to access the restricted records, Maree had reserved a private office for their work, and she led Kix quickly through the echoing hall.

“Why do you need security clearance?” Kix asked curiously.

“I am a senior research faculty member, so the scope of my responsibilities is quite extensive. While I am available to assist individual citizens like you, I spend a significant amount of my time supporting the New Republic Judiciary in their efforts to prosecute Imperial war criminals.”

Kix looked surprised. “I had no idea. Are there many war criminals left from the early Empire?”

“Not so many. Most of them have died of old age, if they haven’t already been apprehended. But it’s often helpful to have a team of researchers whose specialties span the full history of the Empire. It provides important context, and given the Empire’s penchant for nepotism, it can help us trace connections between early Imperials and those who came later.”

“That sounds like important work,” Kix said thoughtfully.

“It is,” Maree said. “Though I sometimes am frustrated to see all of our effort go to waste when the New Republic offers an Imperial amnesty in exchange for giving up a few secrets.”

Kix drew a breath to respond, but before he could, a voice called, “Dr. Finnall!”

She turned to see an unfamiliar young Mirialan man hurrying towards them.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“It is you!” he puffed. “I recognized you from your keynote address at the Galactic Military History conference last cycle. My name is Orys Brenko. I’m a graduate student at the University of Coruscant.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Brenko,” Maree replied mechanically. Could the man not see that she was occupied?

“The honor is mine, Dr. Finnall,” he said. “Your book on the battle of Scipio inspired me to study military history. The description of Commander Thorn’s last stand was so vivid. Before I read it, I never knew how compelling history could be. I was reading it on the hovertrain, and I was so caught up that I actually missed my stop!”

Kix merely stood and observed in impassive silence, his gaze flicking between Maree and Brenko.

“That is very kind of you to say, Mr. Brenko,” Maree said with a geniality she was far from feeling. She itched to get started on Kix’s project, but she couldn’t bring herself to snub the enthusiastic young man. “Are you studying the Clone Wars?”

“Er, no,” Brenko said, abashed. “My focus is the High Republic era.”

Of course. She didn’t roll her eyes, but it was a near miss.

“A fascinating period,” she said diplomatically. “I would love to stay and chat, but I’m afraid I have a prior engagement. Good luck in your studies.”

“Oh, yes, of course!” Brenko stammered. “B-but, before you go, would you mind signing my datapad? I have it loaded with all of your publications, and it would mean so much to me.”

Maree blinked. This was a first. She’d never been asked for an autograph before. In spite of the gaucheness of Brenko’s request, Maree was impressed with the young man’s dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. When she’d been a graduate student, she hadn’t had the bandwidth to read anything other than her assigned coursework. She was surprised Brenko had made time in between his studies to read her extensive body of work, especially since their areas of study had very little overlap.

“I don’t have a stylus, sorry,” she said. “Out of curiosity, why did you choose to concentrate on the High Republic era when you are so obviously interested in the Clone Wars? We could use more passionate researchers who focus on that era.”

The young man’s face flushed a dark green under his tattoos. “My parents would only agree to pay for my schooling if I chose a marketable course of study. As you know, the Clone Wars are…”

“Not exactly marketable,” Maree finished. “A pity. Well, if you ever happen to be on Hosnian Prime, please feel free to stop by my office at the Archive, and I’ll sign your datapad. But be warned, I’ll probably try to poach you for my own research team.”

Brenko’s mouth dropped open and his datapad clattered to the floor. “Th-thank you, Dr. Finnall! I will!”

Maree excused herself as Brenko stooped to retrieve the pad, and she and Kix resumed their walk. Brenko stood back and watched them with an awestruck expression.

“I had no idea I was sleeping with a celebrity,” Kix murmured under his breath.

“Shove it,” she whispered. “It was much more awkward for me than it was for you.”

“Do you have an official fan club I can join?” he asked with a perfectly straight face.

“Maybe you should talk to Brenko about setting one up. You’d have two whole members,” she retorted.

They reached the office and closed the door behind them. Kix immediately crowded Maree up against the desk, burying his face against her neck and trailing kisses toward her ear.

“Dr. Finnall, would you sign my ass? I was so inspired by the way you wrapped your legs around it while I was pounding into you last night,” he teased.

“Dick,” she laughed, swatting the back of his head.

“You’d rather sign my dick? That’s fine, too.”

“Mmm, there’s certainly enough room,” she said, stroking him through his trousers with a languid sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small blinking red dot. “Dank farrik, Kix, there are security holocams in here. Behave yourself.”

“Sorry, Doc, I couldn’t help myself,” he said, fluttering his eyelashes. “You’re just so inspiring.”

She laughed again, pressed her lips against his and dipped her tongue into his mouth, then pushed him firmly away. They had work to do, and she had a sinking feeling that Kix’s cheerful mood wouldn’t last long once they got started.

“Stop distracting me,” she said as she powered up the holoprojector.

Kix frowned. “Wait, I thought these records are classified. What about the security holocams? Do the guards have clearance?”

“The system has an override built in. If a classified record is being displayed, the holocam feeds are turned off automatically.”

“Good to know,” Kix said with a smirk. “Just in case I’m feeling inspired later.”

“Incorrigible,” Maree muttered.

She spent some time searching the archive inventory for the troopers on Kix’s list. It took longer than she expected, but at last she crowed in victory as she located the records for the Republic Star Destroyer Tribunal. As they waited for an IMRA droid to retrieve and deliver the data chips Maree requested, Kix’s stomach rumbled. Maree checked the chronometer on the wall and realized it was already mid-afternoon.

“Should I order lunch to be delivered from the cafeteria?” she offered. “Or if you’d prefer, we can walk over. It’s inside the Archive, so we won’t have to go through security again.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being mobbed by your legions of adoring fans?” he asked.

“I think you mean ‘fan,’ singular,” she said. “But that is a fair point. We’ll get delivery.”

She pulled up the menu on the holoprojector, and they made their selections. When Maree apologized that she couldn’t offer him anything better than cafeteria food, Kix merely shrugged.

“I’m used to it. It’s probably better than what I’m used to, actually.”

He shifted and put his feet up on the chair across from him. The office was austere, and it lacked any of the comforts with which she had filled her own workspace. The hard plastech chairs were making Maree’s legs fall asleep, so she stood up to stretch and walk around the joyless room. Kix watched from his own seat.

“So,” he said conversationally, “come here often?”

She snorted. “More often than I’d like.”

“Not a fan of Coruscant?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I went to university here. That was long enough for a lifetime.”

“So not your vacation destination of choice, then.”

She shook her head. “Work. Always work. It seems like that’s all I ever do lately.”

“Doesn’t the New Republic offer vacation leave?” Kix asked.

“Who has the time for that?”

“Too busy saving the galaxy from war criminals?”

“Ah yes, the glamorous, exciting life of a professional nerd,” she said. “How could anything else compare?”

“You could always run away and become a pirate,” Kix joked.

Maree laughed. “My mother would kill me.”

“The Ranger?” he asked.

“She retired last year,” Maree said. “Spends all her time tormenting Eema. Honestly, Baba might enjoy the challenge of hunting down my hypothetical pirate crew. I think she misses the action.”

The door chimed, and a service droid entered with their food delivery. They divvied up the food and started to eat.

“It must be hard to transition to civilian life after she spent so many years fighting,” Kix said.

“Was the transition hard for you?” Maree asked.

“I suppose you could say that,” Kix said quietly.

“I bet you’d get along well with Baba,” Maree said. Kix looked startled, and Maree cursed her clumsiness. “If you ever met, I mean. Which you probably wouldn’t. Because she and Eema live on Adelphi, and I’m guessing you don’t get out that way much. But if you did, I bet they’d like you.”

Ugh. Stop talking, you idiot!

Kix blinked, and a slow smile crept across his face. “You want me to meet your moms?”

“No!” Maree said, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. “Not unless you wanted to.”

He poked around in his food, probably hoping to find a bite with flavor. “I never had a mother,” he mused. “It must have been nice to have two.”

His voice was stark with longing, and Maree’s heart twisted.

“It was,” Maree said softly. “It is. They’re pretty amazing.”

“They sound pretty amazing. No surprise they raised an amazing daughter,” Kix said. “I hope I do get to meet them someday. If I ever make it to Adelphi.”

Oh. This man is dangerous, Maree realized.

The data chips were delivered just after Kix and Maree finished eating lunch, and they got to work immediately. Maree loaded the chips into the holoprojector and began sorting through them, organizing the information in some way that made the most sense to her. Kix took a moment to admire her focus, even as he braced himself to uncover the final few pieces of the puzzle they’d been constructing over the past weeks. She was supremely competent, and he felt a stab of guilt that he’d monopolized so much of her time when she was accustomed to doing far more valuable work for the New Republic. She hadn’t said a word of complaint; in fact, he suspected she never would have mentioned her service to the Judiciary if he hadn’t asked.

Once she had the information laid out to her satisfaction, she began reviewing the files with him. They worked through several individual troopers and units—Kix’s closest brothers; members of the 501st, the 212th, the 104th. Many of them survived into the Imperial era. A surprising number went AWOL after Order 66. Kix was horrified to learn that one of his close friends had had a mental breakdown and executed his entire squad within days of the order. After that, he requested a short break, ostensibly to stretch his legs.

He went into the refresher and splashed his face with cold water, then dried himself carefully, making sure no telltale droplets remained in his hair or beard. When he looked in the mirror, every one of his brothers stared back at him. Kix could feel the tide of panic rising in his chest. He closed his eyes and stood silently for a few moments, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth until his heart rate stabilized.

When he returned to the office, Maree was waiting with two bottles of water she’d procured from some unknown source. He smiled, remembering the other times she had offered him water when he was clinging to the ragged edges of his control. She seemed to sense his distress even when he thought he was hiding it well, and he felt a small pang in his chest as he realized that her first instinct was always to take care of him. It was an unfamiliar experience, and it made him want to curl up in her lap and bask in the attention like a pampered tooka. She watched to make sure he drank some of the water, and then she rubbed her hand between his shoulders comfortingly. He leaned into the contact with a sigh.

“I’m ready to keep going, if you are,” he said.

“I’m not in a hurry,” she said. “We can take as long as you need.”

“Thanks, but I can handle it,” he replied.

“All right." She patted his back one last time and returned to her seat at the desk. "In that case, the next entry on the list is the experimental unit you requested, Clone Force 99. It looks as though four of the members defected immediately after Order 66.” She paused, and her eyebrows snapped together in surprise. “That’s unusual. Most of the mass clone defections didn’t happen for some time after the Empire took power. Scholars have theorized that the inhibitor chips were either designed to have a limited duration, or that the energy required to control the clones’ actions simply fried the chips over time.”

“Why do you suppose these clones defected so early?” Kix asked.

“It’s difficult to say. They were experimental, so it’s possible that their physiology was different enough from regular clones that the chips were incompatible with them. Though at least one of the squad members seems to have been affected. CT-9904, Crosshair, did not defect with the rest of his squad.”

“Is there any record of them afterward?”

Maree frowned. “Yes. The four squad members who defected were taken into custody on Kamino several months later. They were reported to have been killed when Tipoca City was destroyed.”

Kix’s mouth went dry. What the kriff? When did that happen? How had he not known about Tipoca City?

Maree was still speaking. “... unconfirmed accounts that the team was still active for some time after. At least one member was claimed to have been killed on Eriadu, which certainly throws doubt on the validity of the original report.”

Licking his lips, he tried to keep his voice steady as he asked, “What—what about Crosshair?”

Maree scrolled further. “Ah, here it is. Crosshair was promoted to the rank of Commander and continued to serve the Empire until—oh.”

Kix leaned forward. “What is it?”

“He killed his commanding officer on a mission,” she said. “He was arrested and sent to a military prison compound. That’s the end of his file, I’m afraid.”

Kix nodded absently, his eyes unfocused. Truth be told, he hadn’t much cared for the churlish sniper, but Kix knew what a military prison compound meant for clones, and he would not wish such a fate on any of his brothers. Something she’d said nagged at him.

“Did you say four squad members defected?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Echo fled Kamino after kidnapping a young child. My gods, this squad is incredible! How have I never heard of them before now?”

So Echo stayed with the Bad Batch even after the war. Kix was glad to know the ARC trooper had found a place to belong after everything he’d been through. It was a strange detail about the child, though.

“What child?” he asked.

“It doesn’t say,” Maree said. “But at least I know what thread my research is going to follow for the next few months.”

Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity and excitement, and for a moment, Kix simply watched her work. She tapped a few quick notes into her datapad before returning her attention to the holorecord and scrolling a little further. Her nose scrunched up slightly as she read.

“Fascinating,” she whispered.

Exactly the word I was searching for, he thought. Fascinating. Enchanting. Bewitching. Enticing. Adorable. Irresistible.

She noticed him staring and abruptly stopped scrolling with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Sorry,” she said. “Sometimes I get lost in the zone.”

“Not at all,” he said. “You really care about all this, don’t you?”

“I do,” she replied simply.

Kix glanced at the security holocam and noted that the red light was no longer blinking. Impulsively, he stood and strode around the desk. Maree automatically rose out of her chair as he approached, and he reached for her, drawing her close to him as his lips crashed down on hers. He kissed her deeply, holding her face in his hands. He never wanted this moment to end. At last, their lips parted, and he rested his forehead against hers as she took a deep, stuttering inhale. She looked at him with dazed eyes.

“What was that for?” she whispered.

“I felt inspired,” he said, hiding the truth behind a cocky grin.

Her eyes crinkled as she laughed quietly. Suddenly, he didn’t want to know anything else. He didn’t want to be in this stuffy, miserable hole of an office learning about tragedies that unfolded half a century before. He just wanted to take Maree back to her hotel room and spend the rest of his artificially shortened life making love to her. She smelled like tea and honey and spiced biscuits and home, and he wanted to sink into her and disappear forever.

“Only one more data chip to go,” she said. “Shall we finish up and head back to the hotel?”

Kix buried his face in her hair and breathed deeply. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

He pressed one more kiss onto the top of her head, then returned to his seat as Maree pulled up the contents of the remaining data chip. Unfortunately, Maree had unknowingly saved the worst for the last: the final report of the 332nd Division.

“The 332nd never completed their mission to deliver Maul to Coruscant after the siege of Mandalore,” Maree said.

Kix gritted his teeth, and his fingernails bit painfully into his palms. “What happened?”

“Several years after the end of the war, Imperial forces located the wreckage of the Star Destroyer Tribunal on a remote moon,” Maree said. “Most on board were killed; however, military records indicate that there must have been some survivors, as the clones had been given proper burials. As we know from our earlier research, Commander Rex survived, and it seems likely that he was the one who buried the fallen. We also know from later history that Maul survived. Given his track record, it is probable that he was responsible for the crash.”

“Is there a list of those who were killed?” he asked.

“Due to the amount of time that had passed by the time the crash was discovered, and the impossibility of genetic testing to tell the clones apart, all aboard were listed as killed in action.”

He felt sick. He nodded his acknowledgement, unable to speak. Jesse really was gone. He’d known it was true, of course. Jesse would have died decades earlier, even if he’d survived the war. The clones’ accelerated aging would have seen to that. But somehow, knowing exactly how his brother had died made it so much worse, so much more real. Once again, the crushing weight of helplessness and grief smothered him. He was only dimly aware of Maree loading the data chips into a secure case to be returned to the archive.

Soon, he felt the pressure of her hand on his as she guided him out of the building and into the half-light of a Coruscant dusk. Maree hailed an air taxi and nudged him into it, sliding in beside him. She murmured directions to the driver—Kix didn’t hear what she said. The lights of Coruscant rushed by in dizzying streaks as they flew toward their destination. Maree was silent next to him, but she slipped her hand into his and interlaced their fingers comfortingly. Kix tightened his grip on her, clinging desperately to the steady contact that felt like the only solid thing in the chaotic galaxy around him.

---

Chapter 11

Tagging: @blueink-bluesoul @secondaryrealm @spicy-clones @wings-and-beskar @523rdrebel @goblininawig @merkitty49 @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @arcsimper5 @starrylothcat @clio3kantarella

#clone medic kix #sw tcw fanfic #bad batch spoilers #kix x oc #post stasis kix #dystopicjumpsuit writes #martyrs and kings

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