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wanderinginksplot · 2 years

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Gar Cyare Chapter Five

More Alpha-17/fem!reader fic! If you missed the last one, check your settings and make sure you can see adult material (marked for discussion of a makeout session and a brief mention of sexual arousal). Or if that makes you uncomfortable, message me and I can give you an overview of the important content.

Word Count: 8,900 😰

Warnings: mentions of parties, alcohol consumption, and hangovers.

Make sure to check out the author's note at the end of the chapter!

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*The Next button will take the reader to the next SFW chapter. To access the NSFW chapter, follow the instructions at the end of this chapter.

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Ba'balut (On Patrol)

There was no question that the ARCs-in-training knew how to throw a party.

In contrast, there were many questions about how they had managed to pull it off, but that was another matter entirely.

“I don’t understand,” Alpha vented to you, tucked away in a corner of the room. “How did they get this much food? It’s all contraband on Kamino. And the alcohol! I haven’t seen so much kriffin’ alcohol since the last time I went to 79’s.”

“What’s 79’s?” you asked, speaking loudly in a bid to be heard over the throbbing music.

Alpha had been right: the party was wildly beyond what you had thought of being possible for a handful of ARC trainees to manage. There was food everywhere - good food - and you had gleefully loaded up a plate in celebration of eating something other than nutrient mush. The alcohol was plentiful and the drinks were strong. The music was so loud that you vaguely wondered whether the stilt supporting this section of the city was going to shake itself loose and leave you toppling into the sea. And then you stopped wondering about that because you were starting your second drink of the evening and even the thought made you dizzy.

Alpha acted like he hadn’t even heard you. “This is ridiculous. They’re supposed to be professionals, highly trained to handle any assignment the GAR can throw their way. And this is how they’re acting?” A scoff paired nicely with the irritated way Alpha shook his head. “How did they pull this off?”

“Alpha, seriously? Look around the room,” you instructed. “There are more instructors than I’ve ever seen in one place and all of them are drinking like they’re trying to drown. I think they probably helped the ARCs get what they needed for this.”

“How did they even afford it?” Alpha bit out. “Even if they convinced those utreekov bounty hunters to get them what they needed, no one is buying that much alcohol and footing the bill. Especially not them. They’d hunt down their own mothers if it meant an extra credit or two in their pocket.”

“You’re missing the biggest detail out of all of this,” you told him. “Frankly, it’s astonishing. You need to focus.”

With a deep frown in your direction, Alpha leaned closer. “What are you talking about? What am I missing?”

You took a burning sip of your drink and tilted your head to the side, smiling flirtily up at Alpha. “Even as we speak, you’re missing out on a chance to dance with me.”

Admittedly, you knew that had a remarkably low chance of working. You liked to dance and the room was full of proof that you weren’t the only one, but Alpha literally made a living by teaching tough men how to be tougher. He had admitted to being intense and he was always stern. None of those were traits that lent themselves well to dancing.

Or so you had thought.

The instant the invitation left you, Alpha took the cup from your hand, drank from it, and set it aside. You stared up at him in shock, but he was already motioning you onto the dance floor and you walked in front of him in a pleasant daze.

Alpha was a much better dancer than you would have given him credit for. Of course, your shock at the fact that he danced at all was an indication of your doubt where he was concerned, but you were still thrilled. While others may have started dancing a short distance away from you and gotten closer, Alpha stood confidently close from the start. You were in constant contact while the songs shifted. The music worked its way through genres and eras as you and Alpha worked your way around the room.

The time passed pleasantly until you were breathless and your cheeks hurt from smiling. You stopped and Alpha followed your lead, following as you walked around the periphery of people dancing.

“What are you doing, neverd’ika?”

“Looking for my drink.”

“I don’t know why,” Alpha told you. “Even if you find it, we’re getting you a fresh one.”

You paused at that. It had always been standard procedure for you in public to get a new drink any time you had taken your eyes off of your current one… but you trusted these people. Didn’t Alpha trust his brothers, his vode?

As if he had read your mind, Alpha explained, “Too many people around here. We can’t be sure that your drink would be safe and I won’t take risks with you. Besides, what if someone sneezed on it?”

You huffed at him. Throw away your meal once because Neyo didn’t know how to cover his mouth and no one let you live it down. There was only so irritated you could be, though. Alpha made a good point… and when his eyes sparkled with good humor, how could you be expected to resist his charm?

Alpha insisted on getting drinks for you both while you chose some of your favorite foods to share with him. Drift appeared beside you before Alpha came back, and you watched in horror as he reached out to take a nuna leg directly from the table and eat it.

“There are plates for a reason!” you reminded him loudly.

Drift grinned, wiping grease from his chin. “Yeah, the reason is because some people don’t eat fast enough.”

You laughed despite yourself. “Are you having fun?”

“Of course! Are you?”

The two of you chatted back and forth about the party for a while, but when Alpha returned, Drift said, “Looked like the two of you were having fun earlier. Enjoying the dance floor, Captain?”

“How did you pull this off, Drift?” Alpha asked, managing to turn a fairly curious question into something accusatory. “Why aren’t the Kamiini shutting it down? What do you have on them?”

“Why, Captain!” Drift exclaimed, pressing his hand to his chest. “Are you accusing me of doing something irresponsible?”

You snorted loudly enough that Drift heard it over the music and winked at you. Alpha was much less amused. “Do I need to remind you that lying to your commanding officer is generally considered a bad thing?”

“I’m not really lying…” Drift hedged. “Just avoiding the question.”

Alpha grunted at that, carefully picking at some of the food on your plate. He ate it deliberately, savoring it before he made intimidatingly direct eye contact with Drift. Nonchalantly, Alpha asked, “But will you be able to avoid the consequences?”

“Oh, you were asking about the party!” Drift said, chuckling nervously. “Sorry, Captain, must have misunderstood you. The Kaminoans aren’t stopping it because it’s their party.”

“Excuse me?” you asked. You had to express your disbelief somehow, and that seemed more polite than blatantly calling Drift a liar.

“Technically speaking, this is a party that the Kaminoans put on to celebrate the end of the repairs,” Drift told you and Alpha.

Alpha gave a slow nod. “I knew the final repairs had been made. Surprised they’re doing something as frivolous as throwing a party about it.”

“Apparently, they got the impression that someone wanted a party to bring everyone together and celebrate the work that has been put in on it.” Drift’s eyes flitted nervously to you as Alpha heaved a sigh and you glanced between them. “Someone sent by the Senate to write a report on the way we clones are treated.”

“Did you directly use her name?” Alpha asked, tone long-suffering.

“No, just hints and implications,” Drift admitted. “Nothing that could be traced.”

“Well, you learned that, at least.” Alpha shook his head. “Sorry, neverd’ika.”

“It’s fine with me,” you said, smiling when both men were surprised. “If I had thought about it, I would have suggested that the Kaminoans do something nice for you. I… probably wouldn’t have requested a party, but the men certainly seem happy.”

“They are!” Drift looked relieved that you weren’t angry. “I think I’m done here. Do you two need anything? Another drink? Some more ice?”

“No,” Alpha told him, voice so firm that Drift seemed to understand that he wasn’t talking about drinks or ice. “You’re not done explaining yet. Why would the Kamiini put so many resources into a party? There must be half the training budget in alcohol alone.”

“Well… maybe not everything came from the Kaminoans.” Drift guiltily shifted his feet. “They provided the basic funding and we… improvised.”

“Improvised,” Alpha repeated.

“Yeah, improvised. See, the Kaminoans didn’t specify what kind of food they wanted us to get. Or how much of the budget could be spent on food and how much could be diverted to… other things.”

Alpha stepped forward, hissing something into Drift’s ear. The room was too loud for you to hear the question itself, but Drift’s face paled as he rapidly shook his head. “Oh, no, nothing like that, sir! Just transport costs for the food and drinks. Of course, I also told some of the instructors about it and they were willing to chip in so they could get some… uh… specialty beverages ordered in. Not often Kamino gets enough of anything to be considered a bulk order.”

“That better be true,” Alpha warned, stepping back far enough that he didn’t hit Drift as he folded his arms across his broad chest.

“On my honor, Captain,” Drift said cheerfully.

Alpha’s snort was loud enough to drown out the music for a moment, and you started to laugh. Drift shook his head at both of you. “I know when I’m not wanted!”

“Wait,” you pleaded before Drift could take more than a few steps toward the crowd. “I still don’t get it. Why take such a risk to bolster this party in particular? Just because it was happening, or is there something special I’m missing?”

After giving that a moment of consideration, Drift explained, “Consider it a pre-party. Probably the closest we’re gonna get to having one of our own.”

“That doesn’t really answer the question, though,” you pointed out. “This is the closest who is going to get to having a party? And for what?”

Drift beamed at you, throwing his hands wide open as if offering the entire room a hug. “ARC graduation, of course! This is our gift to ourselves for surviving everything the captain inflicted on us.”

You were knocked speechless at that, and the lack of conversation threatened to stretch into something uncomfortable. Before it got to that point, Alpha clapped Drift on the shoulder. “And my gift to you is that I won’t take it easy on any of you men in training tomorrow morning. You haven’t graduated yet.”

“Yes, sir!” Drift agreed, offering a salute in Alpha’s direction. “I’ll be around if you need me. Enjoy the party!”

When he had melted into the mass of people eating and drinking, dancing and chatting, you were left standing with Alpha. Eventually, Alpha heaved a sigh and handed you the drink he had gotten you, long-forgotten in the wake of your conversation with Drift.

“Let’s find somewhere quieter to sit down.”

That seemed like a good idea, so you followed Alpha through the crowd. He did most of the work, of course, his height and the breadth of his body carving a wide furrow through the party. All you had to do was trail behind him before the walls of people came back together like the waves behind a boat.

Alpha led you to a seating area tucked around the corner from where the majority of the party was taking place. You were far from alone, clusters of cadets dotting the area, but the noise level was far more manageable than it had been anywhere else.

You settled into your chair, sipping absently at the drink. With more than a little amusement, you noted that Alpha had mixed the drink to be far less strong than the ones you had been drinking before. Still, you set the cup down on the table before you had made a noticeable change in the level of liquid inside.

“Talk to me, neverd’ika,” Alpha rumbled abruptly.

You shook your head slightly - not as a refusal to do as he had requested, but as a lament for your own thoughts. “I don’t know why I’m so surprised to learn that the ARCs are going to graduate soon.”

Alpha shrugged. “They’re the first group you really knew. You wouldn’t have paid much attention to the typical ARC training cycle before them. Not that it would have done you much good.”

“What does that mean?” you asked, toying absently with the cup.

“This… wasn’t a standard training cycle, not by any means.” Alpha scrubbed a hand over his head in a way you rarely saw him do. “This cycle was extended by a lot. Mostly because of the attack and the aftermath, but there were some other factors involved.”

You frowned at him, but before you could ask exactly what those factors were, Alpha cut you off. “Point is, normally the ARCs don’t take as long to train as this group did. The extra time we took made sense considering everything that happened, but orders came down. They say we need to get back on track.”

“Who says that?” you pressed. As far as you were concerned, the ARCs had already resumed their training far earlier than was wise. You would have considered it a good idea to have the ARCs continue their training on Kamino for at least a few more weeks.

“The higher-ups,” Alpha told you vaguely, sighing when you shot him a sharp look. “The GAR, the Kaminoans… even the Senate sent General Ti a message asking when the battalions could expect to get their men back.”

“They didn’t!” you gasped.

“It was phrased better than that, but all the karkin’ politeness in the universe won’t hide the impatience when a general wants their soldiers back under their own command.”

“ARCs aren’t under any one general’s command.”

In his driest tone, Alpha said, “Thank you for the education, civvie. You’re right, but the ARCs tend to be attached to a specific unit. Usually it’s the one where they started or where they were just before ARC training. They normally get sent all over the place, sure, but they can request to work with a specific unit or general if they want.”

“Normally?” you asked, picking up on his unexpected use of the word. “When wouldn’t an ARC go wherever they’re needed?”

“Only in certain circumstances,” Alpha told you thoughtfully. “One of them is if an ARC-trained trooper takes on a leadership role in a unit. In that case, the scenario flips. Most of the time, the ARC is with their own unit, but can be called into service elsewhere if needed. That’s what’s gonna happen with Drift when he goes back. He’s a captain now.”

“Drift got promoted?” you asked, trying to hide your own surprise. Those efforts disappeared entirely as you repeated, “Drift?”

“Yeah, I think he may be blackmailing someone,” Alpha grumbled, making you laugh.

Your laugh faded slowly and you took another sip of your drink while you tried to figure out how to phrase your next question. Unfortunately, even a weaker drink wasn’t enough to save your mental acuity, and your thoughts came out in a long-stretched strand. “How long..? What day- When is their graduation going to be?”

Alpha lifted an eyebrow at you but didn’t make any comments about your current state. “Day after tomorrow.”

“What? That’s so soon!” You lifted your cup for another drink of whatever mystery concoction the ARCs had thrown together, but Alpha gestured for you to pass it to him. When you did, he handed you his in return. Obligingly, you drank from his cup and felt your expression shift. “Water? Alpha, why are you drinking water at a party?”

He shrugged. “Never seen you at a party before. Thought you might get a little crazy. I figured I would keep things under control if you did.”

“Under control?” you asked suspiciously, drinking more water when Alpha pointedly glanced from the cup to your face. “How exactly would you have done that?”

“The usual,” he replied easily. “Scare cadets, threaten ARCs, distract Kaminii. Get you out of here if necessary.”

“You would talk to a Kaminoan to keep me out of trouble?” you asked, eyes prickling like you were going to start crying. Then you took another drink. You must be worse off than you thought if you were getting teary over something so minor… as much as you could call Alpha being willing to talk to a Kaminoan ‘minor’.

“Yeah.”

You grinned at him. “I think that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Alpha smiled, the expression blooming slow and true across his face. “What do you think, cyare? Do you think you’ll be happy here with just me and Limit and the kids for company?”

“Of course,” you told him immediately, reaching across the table to lay your hand palm-up in the space between you. Alpha covered it with his own. “I’ll miss the ARCs, of course. They’ve done more for me - for us - than I can really thank them for. But I know they have different things they need to do, other places in the galaxy where they can do more good than they can here. But, in the end, you’re all I need.”

“Not need,” Alpha corrected, squeezing your hand gently. “Remember? You told me that just after you got your cast removed. You don’t need me around; you want me around.”

“Exactly,” you agreed. “And I’m gonna want you around for a long time.”

It was too dangerous to kiss him the way you wanted to in such a public location. Stars, it was a bad idea for the two of you to be holding hands as openly as you were. But you were tipsy enough and so lost in your own feelings that you convinced Alpha to round the table so you could lean against him and contemplate the galaxy for a few minutes.

---

There was no question that the ARCs-in-training knew how to throw a party.

In contrast, you had many questions about your ability to survive the aftermath of that party, but that was another matter entirely.

“Neverd’ika.”

You frowned, eyes still tightly closed against the light in your room. Stars, why was it so bright? You always kept the lights turned down as low as possible. Had something gone wrong with the automatic shutters that kept the room dimmed despite the large window?

“Neverd’ika, I need you to sit up.”

The sound of Alpha’s low voice rumbling through you made you wince - any sound did - but your aching brain was soon absorbed in trying to unravel the mystery of the night before. You had gone to a party for the ARCs - no, for the end of the construction. The ARCs had just taken it over before anyone had the chance to realize what had happened.

A heavy sigh rang through the room and the mattress dipped slightly.

You groaned and rolled the other way, pulling the sheets up to your chin and curling your body a little tighter, bracing yourself as if the pain were a physical attack you could ward off with the right defense.

“Neverd’ika, I’m serious.”

Alpha hadn’t stayed with you the night before. You couldn’t blame him overly much, especially considering how drunk you had been by the time you had left the party, but that hadn’t stopped you from being bitter about your empty bed that night. Well, in the thirty seconds it had taken you to fall asleep, anyway.

“I have caf and pain meds.”

That was enough to make you turn over, blearily opening your eyes. Alpha was indeed sitting on the edge of your bed, one hand holding a mug and the other cupped as he held something. You began to sit up and Alpha gave you a warning look.

“Easy and slow, guur’gal,” Alpha warned.

“Gurgle?” you asked, the dryness in your mouth hiding the horror you were feeling. “Why are you calling me gurgle? Did I throw up last night?”

“No, but you will if you sit up too fast,” he warned. “Take it slow and you’ll be okay.”

You sat up slowly, head pounding so hard that it made you feel unsteady and verging on miserable. Alpha was still sitting on the bed, so you slid over until you could use him to prop yourself upright. You reached for the caf, but your stomach lurched and you paused.

“There’s an order to these things,” Alpha told you, putting on his best instructor voice. “Water first. Drink it slowly.”

He passed you a glass of water. It was lukewarm and somehow the best thing you had ever tasted. When you had gotten down about a third of it, he handed you two capsules.

“Pain meds. Take ‘em one at a time or you could make yourself gag and there’s no stopping what will happen next.”

You did as he instructed, swallowing convulsively when the second capsule adhered to your tongue. It had been good advice and you went back to sipping the water.

“Now some caf,” he ordered, handing you the mug. The heat felt wonderful against your hands and you cautiously drank some. It didn’t have anything to cut the strong taste, but it was the perfect temperature and didn’t upset your system, hitting your stomach and spreading that delicious warmth through your entire body.

Alpha took it back from you before you could start to drink it in earnest, passing the tepid water back to you. “Finish this off and lie back down.”

“What time-”

“I left you plenty of time to get ready,” he interrupted, having anticipated your concerns. “You can go back to sleep for about half an hour. I’ll wake you up and we’ll try out some food.”

You groaned, moving carefully back to a comfortable position. You let your hands fall somewhere above your head, wincing sharply when your comlink connected with your forehead. Alpha sighed and worked gently at the band until it slipped free of your wrist, leaving it bare and you far more comfortable than you had been.

Before you could slip back into sleep, you mumbled, “What’s gurgle mean?”

Alpha chuckled. “Not ‘gurgle’. Guur’gal. It’s Mando’a. Means someone who likes their alcohol.”

“That’s not me,” you assured him, keeping your eyes closed. Sleep was beginning to pull at you. “I’ve decided I don’t like alcohol at all. Not if this is what it does to me. I’m giving it up. Never again.”

Alpha hummed something that could have been anything from a skeptical agreement to a weather report. You were asleep before you could begin to process it.

“Neverd’ika.”

You groaned. “Give it up, Alpha. I feel awful, even with the painkillers. I think I’m just going to stay here today, sleep it off.”

When an answer didn’t come immediately, you thought you had won… but then Alpha’s softest voice said, “Today will be your last chance to watch the ARCs have a training session. This will be their last one. The ceremony is tomorrow morning, then they ship out.”

Sleep was lapping at the edges of your consciousness like the waves of Kamino did Tipoca City’s supports. It was rising higher every second, threatening to wash you away entirely. The soft temptation called to you, promising to ease your pain and leave you feeling refreshed and ready to say goodbye to the ARCs.

It was an enticing prospect. You had never felt quite as bad as you did then…

But you had worked over the past few weeks for this. Well, not this, specifically. You hadn’t known that the ARC graduation would be approaching as quickly as it did. But you had realized through some hellish combination of overthinking and overplanning that it would be a good idea to work ahead slightly. You had done a little extra over the last few weeks - not an easy prospect considering that Alpha frowned upon you pulling long shifts - and gotten about a day’s worth of spare work done in case you needed to skip a shift for some reason.

And you couldn’t think of a better reason than spending the day with the group of soon-to-be ARC troopers who had saved your life and sanity on several different occasions.

You groaned again, deep and heartfelt, but it was accompanied by a struggle to shift your weight up and onto your hands as you levered yourself up off the bed. Through incredible willpower and stubbornness, you turned to plant yourself in a sitting position - ignoring the way the room seemed to spin from the motion - and tore the sheets away from you.

When you looked over at him, Alpha looked quietly amused, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he silently handed you a mug of caf made precisely the way you preferred it. You hummed in grateful pleasure at your first sip.

To your shock, the unpleasant dryness faded from your mouth and you were left feeling oddly… okay. The dizziness had faded and your head no longer ached. “Wow.”

“Exactly,” Alpha said, satisfied with himself.

The lingering unhappiness from having to get out of bed threatened to spill out at him, but you smiled at him instead. “Thank you, Alpha. I don’t think I would have made it through that if you hadn’t helped.”

“Glad you’re feeling better, neverd’ika, but no need to thank me,” he brushed off uncomfortably. “Lots of trial and error went into that. Just glad I could share it with someone who needed it.”

“Have you been making trips to all of the future ARCs? Sharing your wisdom?” You took a sip of caf to hide the smile threatening to break out across your face.

“Kriff that. Those-” Alpha cut himself off, scowling even deeper when you gave a soft snort at his response. “First off, troopers have an enhanced metabolism and process alcohol faster than a nat-born. Secondly, if they did have hangovers, that’s their own problem, not mine.”

You smirked into your mug, sputtering slightly when Alpha deliberately jostled the bed as he stood up. “But it will be my problem if I’m late for their last day of training. Get to the ARC area when you can.”

By the time you dressed and got there, the ARCs were already deep in a training session. You slipped in the doors as quietly as possible, sitting by the wall so you wouldn’t distract anyone.

The first time you had come here, rushing to deliver a message from General Ti, it had seemed like there were ARCs everywhere. They had been doing everything from running to boxing, all of them unfamiliar to you. But the more you had spoken to them and gotten more comfortable in the previously intimidating section of Tipoca City, you had realized that there were only five troopers training for ARC status.

That seemed like a concerningly small group to you, but Alpha had given you an incredulous look when you brought it up to him. “How long have you been writing that report of yours, civvie? And you still haven’t gotten to ARCs? Classes are small, no more than five troopers - sometimes fewer. How many ARC troopers do you think there are in the galaxy? ‘Concerningly small group’. Tell you what: when you start writing about ARC training, come find me and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

It was one of the first times Alpha had ever volunteered to spend more time with you, and the memory still made you smile.

“Hey, Captain said you might stop by,” Neyo said casually as he crossed in front of your seat. “Glad you survived the morning.”

You laughed. “Yeah, I heard your metabolism helps you avoid the hangover. Lucky.”

“Not entirely,” he hedged. “It hit Monnk pretty bad this morning, but he got through it.”

“Poor guy,” you mused, searching the room for Monnk. He was sparring with Bacara and holding his own. “He seems to have recovered okay, though. Alpha said something about not taking it easy on you guys today. I’m glad he wasn’t serious.”

“Oh, he was.” Neyo grabbed a pair of gloves and started back toward the group. “But Monnk was fine after he booted his breakfast.”

Neyo nodded at you and jogged back to the group, putting his gloves on, then began sparring with Drift. Faie was partnered up with Alpha. By this point, Alpha was shouting orders at them, encouraging the men or lamenting their skills in turn… keeping pace with Faie’s fists all the while.

There were times like these when the temptation to overthink rose sharply in you. You could feel it in the back of your mind: Alpha was so at home here, being harsh with these troopers. How could he be the same man who sat on the edge of your bed and coached you through a hangover that morning, only a few hours earlier? Could any one person have such different facets of their personality, or was he lying about one of them?

As you were pushing away those doubts, Alpha managed to turn in your direction, smile, and wink, all while blocking Faie’s punches and tossing a few of his own in return. Faie’s pace sped up, blows raining down against Alpha’s forearms and turned shoulders. Eventually, one of his hits slipped past Alpha’s guard and collided solidly with his face.

You gasped, leaning forward in your seat, but Alpha just shook his head sharply. “You can hit harder than that, Faie. Do we pull our punches here, men?”

“No!” the ARCs cried, the denial reverberating through the room.

Faie’s arms moved with such speed that it was fully impossible to anticipate where the hits would land. At least, it was impossible for you. Alpha seemed to be managing, blocking and dodging every one. The other two groups were the same: punches and occasional kicks blocked before being returned by the other person, none of them landing.

Until Faie snuck past Alpha’s block a second time.

The sound of his knuckles connecting with Alpha’s chest was loud in the quiet room - the men fighting in an eerie silence - and you could hear the slight shudder in Alpha’s breathing as he absorbed the hit.

You were standing before you could begin to track what had happened. “Alpha!”

All of the men turned to look at you… except Alpha himself. A split second later, Faie swore and whipped back around, only to find Alpha’s curled fist hovering just before his face. “How many times have I told you men? Never allow yourselves to be distracted, especially in the middle of a fight.”

Faie sighed so heavily that you could see his shoulders move beneath his workout clothes. “Did you deliberately let me hit you?”

“Yes,” Alpha confirmed. “I knew neverd’ika would say something and you would get distracted. Besides, it was a good way for me to find out whether you actually were punching with full-force, and you were. Good.”

“So we can let our opponents hit us?” Bacara asked, clearly skeptical.

“Well, since most of your opponents will be clankers, no,” Alpha instructed. “But occasionally, you’ll find it useful to show a little weakness. When the enemy moves in to exploit it, you have an opening to attack them. Maybe even ambush them, depending on how well you’ve planned it.”

Drift’s eyes were dancing. “A little weakness to hide your full strength. I like it.”

“But that’s getting close to psychological warfare,” Neyo argued. “We’re not allowed to do that. We’re supposed to work on battlefields, leave the psych stuff to the intelligence officers.”

Alpha’s expression hardened. “I’m training you men to stay alive, not to follow orders. And if you believe there’s no psychology on a battlefield, you haven’t been listening to what I’ve told you. Everything plays into the enemy’s strategy: weather conditions, geography, their army’s access to food or power sources. If you disrupt their supply lines, you stand a good chance at victory. If you ruin their morale, you’ve already won.”

The men glanced at each other, faces sharpening with eagerness and a fierce pride in themselves and each other. Alpha must have noted that change as well, because he gave a satisfied nod. “You men are going to be just fine.”

In the flurry of activity that made up the ARCs’ last day of training, you didn’t really get to speak with them until dinner that night. All of the ARCs were at the table in the mess hall with you and Alpha. The Bad Batch was attending a nighttime training, but Limit had been able to leave the medbay and join you.

“So how does this ceremony go tomorrow?” you asked, poking suspiciously at your food.

Alpha shrugged. “The General will make a speech, the men will salute, and they’ll be shipped off to their first assignments.”

That sounded… anticlimactic, but when you said so, you got a droll stare from almost everyone at the table.

“It’s the GAR,” Faie pointed out. “What did you expect?”

“I’m not sure,” you said with a shrug. “Something that shows how grateful the Republic is for your service and how we all want you to stay safe.”

Alpha’s snort was echoed by about six others and you found yourself ducking your head a little in embarrassment. “Not everyone has those ideas about us,” Monnk said kindly.

“No one has those ideas about us,” Drift muttered, grunting when Bacara threw an elbow into his ribs.

“We need to go,” Neyo announced, shoving a forkful of food into his mouth and standing up from the table. The others did the same, finishing the last of their meals before getting ready to leave.

“Where to?” you asked, befuddled. “I thought you were done training?”

“Not quite,” Alpha told you. “Go ahead, troopers. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Wait, no-” you said, terror suddenly tightening your throat. If they left directly from the ceremony, you wouldn’t get another chance to see them. There was more you hadn’t said, hadn’t gotten the chance to…

“Udesii, neverd’ika,” Alpha told you. The word was unfamiliar, but soothing somehow, especially coupled with the calming tone that Alpha was using. “We have to go, but you’ll see them again. We’ll come get you and go to the graduation together.”

“What is- Where are you going?”

“I can’t tell you anything specific,” Alpha admitted uncomfortably. “Let’s just say there are certain rituals we do the night before an ARC graduation. All of the future ARCs and their trainer have to participate.”

That didn’t make you feel better. “Rituals?”

Alpha made a frustrated sound. “That isn’t the right word. They’re more like… traditions. Superstitions. The men believe they keep the ARCs safe in the field. I have to go. Are you-?”

“I’m fine, Alpha,” you assured him. “Go. Have… fun? Just be safe.”

Alpha nodded, sneaking a kiss to your cheek as he ducked unnecessarily low to pick up his tray. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

When he had left, you turned to Limit. “ARC traditions?”

Limit shrugged. “I’m not e- even an official trooper. Let alone- let alone an ARC trooper.”

“What does that mean, not an ‘official trooper’?” you asked, not realizing how peevish your tone was until Limit shifted in his seat, clearly nervous.

“Y- yeah, you know- you know this already,” he said with a vague gesture. “Because I’m-”

“Limit, if you say ‘defective’, I’m going to get very cranky,” you warned.

Limit’s mouth slowly closed and you sighed, feeling guilty. “Come on, you and I are going to spend some time together. I’ve got a few holofilms I think you might enjoy.”

You didn’t sleep very well that night.

Alpha had said that he would come get you so you could say goodbye and attend the graduation ceremony, but you were terrified that you would somehow oversleep and miss everything.

When you heard a soft knock at your door, you paused your pacing and went to answer it. If Alpha was surprised to find you awake and already dressed, he didn’t say anything. The future ARCs were all standing in the hall behind him. Each one was wearing full armor and carrying a bag over one shoulder, helmets tucked under their other arm or dangling from their free hand. Despite the early hour, all of them looked alert and ready for anything.

“We’ll be the first ones in the hangar bay,” Alpha told you as the group started down the hall. “It’s usually a small ceremony. As soon as General Ti comes in, it starts. As soon as it ends, the ARCs leave. So if there’s anything you want to tell them, you need to do it before the general gets there.”

You nodded, glancing around at the troopers. “Are you all excited?”

“Ready to get back out there,” Monnk told you. “We’ve been away from our brothers for a long time.”

You just forced a smile and nodded at that. You suddenly realized that these troopers - the ones who had protected, supported, and befriended you - were going back to fighting in the war. A war with casualty rates that were disconcertingly high. Not only that, you realized, but these troopers were the ones who would take the riskiest assignments. They would be forced to think on their feet, outwit the most brilliant minds the CIS had planning their side of the war. Other than the commandos, perhaps, the ARC troopers were the ones who faced the most dire situations.

Your throat tightened with fear for these men, along with a terrible sense of powerlessness. You couldn’t do anything to protect them. In fact, if they were injured or worse on an assignment, you didn’t have GAR security clearance in the right segment to even learn about it. Every time the holonews reported on casualty numbers, you would wonder if one of these ARCs - one of your friends - was among the dead.

When you reached the hangar bay, the outer door was already open. With the incomprehensibly large gap in the seal that protected Kamino from the elements, the breeze from the sea was welcomed into the hangar. It danced around you with a pleasant salt smell, helping ground you. A lone transport ship was waiting in the open doorway, ready to whisk your friends to a nearby ship that would ferry them to their first assignments.

The men rested their bags in a pile near the bottom of the ship’s ramp, ready to be slung back over their shoulders as they left.

“We only have a few minutes, neverd’ika,” Alpha warned.

You nodded, facing the future ARCs. All of them watched you with expressions ranging from pleasantly waiting to outright smiling. Even so-serious Faie was wearing a mildly affectionate look for you.

And, of course, you didn’t know what to say to any of them anymore. While you and Limit were watching a holofilm the night before, your mind had been thoroughly occupied with this moment. The beginning of a dozen half-rehearsed speeches tumbled through your mind, but you couldn’t force any of it past your lips.

Instead, with all of them watching you, all you could muster was a broken, “Thank you.”

A warm weight against your back made you glance up. You found Alpha standing beside you, one hand resting comfortably between your shoulder blades.

With the solid reminder of everything you had gained here, you managed to expand a bit. “You helped me. You saved me. I’ll never forget that. I’ll always be grateful. If there’s anything I can do for you, anything… please contact me. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Thank you.”

You went down the line - Neyo, Faie, Monnk, Bacara, and Drift - offering every trooper a hug and a kiss on the cheek. You were careful not to overstep, knowing that physical affection wasn’t enjoyed by everyone, but each of them willingly wrapped you in their arms and accepted the kiss you pressed to their cheek.

When you had finished, you stepped back, offering them a watery smile. You had promised yourself that you wouldn’t cry, but you weren’t sure it was a promise you would be able to keep.

“If I had the choice, I would do all of it again,” Bacara told you, echoed closely by the others.

“I would have figured out a way to throw a punch at that supervisor of yours, though,” Drift added, grinning broadly.

You laughed despite yourself, and Alpha’s thumb stroked back and forth across your skin. To Drift, he only grumbled, “You’d have to wait in line.”

“I’m glad things worked out,” Faie told you, jerking his chin at Alpha so you would be sure to catch his meaning. “You’re good for each other.”

That was surprising coming from Faie, but you hid your surprise with curiosity when Monnk stepped a little closer. Conspiratorially, he said, “Don’t let the captain get away with that kind of osik again. I’m worried he’ll get stupid without us around to keep him in line.”

“Don’t worry,” Neyo assured him. “I’ve already taught the kids a few things about what to do if he starts up again.”

“I’m still your commanding officer - for the next few minutes, anyway,” Alpha reminded him, scowling in a way that managed to lack its usual edge. “Do I need to remind you that you haven’t graduated yet?”

As if on cue, General Ti swept gracefully into the hangar. Commander Colt was following behind her, his distinctly painted helmet tucked under his arm. The ARCs stepped into a quick, neat line to the right side of the transport’s ramp, each one snapping a salute as soon as he was in place.

“At ease,” the general told them as she crossed the room.

General Ti moved opposite them, on the left side of the ramp. Alpha stayed beside you, Commander Colt coming to stand on his other side. To say you felt out of place was an understatement and you vaguely wondered if there was somewhere else you were supposed to be standing, but the general began to speak.

“Gentlemen,” she started, her smooth voice flowing over your battered nerves and making your shoulders ease slightly. “It is no secret that you have not had a typical training cycle. What was intended to be a six-week course that trained you to become ARC troopers has stretched twice that length and you have learned so much more.”

“Typically, graduation ceremonies are a chance for me to advise ARC troopers on the challenges they will face in combat. You, however, have already experienced much of what is awaiting you in the galaxy. What is more, you have already proven yourselves capable.”

General Ti surveyed the men, a soft smile on her face. “You helped defend Kamino in our darkest hour. You repelled Separatist invaders who sought to destroy everything we have built. You protected Republic assets, particularly the ones that cannot be replaced.”

You shifted uncomfortably, somehow getting the feeling that the general was talking about you in that last part. Alpha’s hand - having dropped from your back when the general and commander walked in - found yours. Your joined hands were hidden in the folds of his kama, but you suspected no one in the room would begrudge you the contact even if you were open about it.

Ridiculously, it was only then that you realized no Kaminoans had bothered coming to the ceremony.

“In short, you men are the perfect embodiment of the values that we look for in an ARC trooper. We look forward to seeing what incredible things you do for the galaxy, but never forget the crucible of your training.” General Ti clasped her hands in front of herself. “You should be proud of the things you have already accomplished, just as we are proud of you for accomplishing them. Captain?”

Alpha released your hand, scooping up a small stack of neatly folded fabric from a nearby crate. He moved to the front of the line, General Ti and Commander Colt just beside him.

He stopped in front of Neyo. “CC-8826, Neyo.”

“Neyo, your steadfast dependability is your strongest asset,” General Ti told him. “Mind that it does not influence your ability to improvise. The ability to adapt is imperative, and you are well able to do so.”

Neyo saluted, accepting the cloth from Alpha. Something about the way it moved made you realize that it was his kama. It was plain at the moment, but Alpha had explained to you that the men were free to paint or otherwise personalize their kamas just as they did with their armor.

Alpha moved slightly down the line. “CC-4317, Faie.”

“Faie, you are well known for your pragmatism.” General Ti tilted her head slightly, her long lekku swaying as she considered him. “Mind that your adherence to the rules does not supersede your own judgment. You are capable of making your own decisions, and encouraged to do so.”

As Faie saluted and accepted his kama, Alpha went to the next trooper. “CC–4792, Monnk.”

“Monnk, your loyalty shines bright in your every action.” Monnk smiled slightly at the general’s praise. “Mind that it does not lead you to follow someone unworthy of that devotion. Your instincts will tell you when someone returns your loyalty. It is your duty to listen to those instincts.”

Monnk saluted, taking his kama, and Alpha moved. “CC-1138, Bacara.”

“You have a creative mind, Bacara,” General Ti told him. “You can find a new solution to any problem you encounter. Mind that you do not waste time attempting to create a clever solution when a simple one will do. Your brilliance lies in helping your men, and you do that quite well.”

Bacara saluted, taking his kama with a reverence that made you smile even through the tears that you were fighting.

Alpha stopped in front of the last man in the line. “CT-6476, Drift.”

“Ah, Drift,” General Ti said with fond exasperation. The rest of the room gave a quietly understanding chuckle. “You have a great deal of spirit. You will be the soul of your men, inspiring them to go further and work harder than they would otherwise. Mind that it is because you are leading them, not striving to fill a role you no longer hold. Be an inspiration.”

Drift saluted, taking the kama from Alpha with a shadow of his typical grin.

“Men,” Commander Colt announced bracingly. The ARCs, already standing at full attention, somehow managed to straighten even further. “I charge you to serve the Grand Army of the Republic. I charge you to follow the orders you are given. I charge you to protect your brothers. You are officially… ARC troopers.”

All of the troopers saluted the commander, along with the general and the captain standing behind him. General Ti offered an elegant nod in return while Alpha and Colt saluted in return.

“Dismissed!” Commander Colt said, dropping his salute at the same time Alpha did. A moment later, the new ARC troopers did the same before moving to collect their bags.

Each of the ARCs managed a glance back at you. Faie gave you a half-salute, touching his fingertips briefly to his hairline. Bacara nodded at you while Neyo gave a small wave. Drift even blew a kiss in your direction. The most confusing, though, was Monnk. He tapped his finger on his wrist, cocking an eyebrow at the same time.

Despite the lingering befuddlement and the sheen of tears that were threatening to leak down your face, you beamed at all of them. “Be safe,” you murmured, counting on the fact that they would be able to read your lips.

And then they were gone.

You held it together while the transport took off, fading quickly into Kamino’s gray clouds. You held it together as Commander Colt nodded at you and General Ti thanked you for coming. When they had left and you were alone with Alpha, you started to cry in earnest.

Before the first tear could roll over your jaw to drip onto your clothing, Alpha had wrapped you in his arms. For a man as tough and stern as Alpha tended toward being, he gave magnificent hugs. He was warm and safe, holding you just tightly enough while leaving you room to breathe. He hummed softly for you. If there was a tune to the humming, you couldn’t hear it, but the sound comforted you just the same.

Eventually, your tears slowed and Alpha shifted his grip to stroke a comforting hand up and down your back. “Are you all right, neverd’ika?”

“Yeah. I’ll miss them,” you admitted freely. Alpha nodded, giving your shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Why was Monnk pointing at his wrist?”

Alpha’s brows furrowed for a moment, then his face cleared as he realized what you meant. “He was reminding you that you need to get your comlink back.”

“My comlink?” Your gaze automatically traveled down to your wrist, and you were startled to see that it was bare. Since you got the replacement after the Separatist attack, you hadn’t taken off the comlink for longer than it took you to shower. The sight of your bare wrist was unsettling, somehow. “What happened to my comlink?”

“Let’s make this a fun memory exercise,” Alpha said, making you smile. You had heard him do the same thing to his ARCs when they asked a question they already knew the answer to. “What did happen to your comlink?”

You grumbled a little despite your internal delight at Alpha’s teasing, just enough to keep up appearances. Alpha kept his gaze on you, steady with confidence that you would answer.

"I had it recently," you mused, trying to puzzle an epiphany from your own mind. "At the party for sure."

You distinctly remembered that you had thought about leaving the comlink behind since it looked out of place against your outfit, but had decided to bring it. After all, parties could be attacked just as easily as anything else.

"I think I was wearing it the next morning," you said, though the upward lilt of your voice made it partially a question.

Alpha caught it. "You think or you know?"

"I think," you admitted. "It's an educated guess, but I'm not certain."

"Good guess," Alpha told you eventually, cracking a small smile. "You had it yesterday morning. I took it when you hit yourself in the face with it."

That sounded vaguely familiar and you groaned. "Okay, that makes sense. What did you do with it?"

"Took it with me to training. The ARCs asked me to get it from you and the chance came."

You waited as patiently as you could, but Alpha seemed content to leave it as a half explanation.

"What did they want with it?"

"To give you a present."

He handed the comlink back to you. You resisted the urge to ask if they had planned to give you back your own comlink as a present. Instead, you spent your time studying the communicator. You didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Until you looked at the list of known comlink frequencies.

There were a few more frequencies than there had been the last time you went through it. Five more frequencies, in fact. They were neatly labeled Monnk, Neyo, Faie, Bacara, and ‘Favorite ARC’ (which you assumed was Drift).

You didn’t realize you were beaming until you glanced up at Alpha and saw that he looked pleased as well. “They told me they wanted to give you a way to contact them. Those are their personal comlink frequencies, not tied to the GAR in any way. They told me to remind you that you can contact them if you ever need anything.”

“That’s so sweet of them! I’ll have to send a message thanking them.” You released a bittersweet sigh. “They’re good men.”

One of Alpha’s brows arched. “Just be sure the power doesn’t go to your head, neverd’ika. You have more dangerous people willing to help you than most people in the galaxy. Except maybe Skirata.”

“Who?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Alpha glanced at the door of the hangar bay. No one had come in yet, but it was only a question of time. You and Alpha reluctantly disentangled from each other. Alpha cleared his throat. “The kids wanted to see you after the graduation. Are you doing anything for the rest of the day?”

“No, it’s the weekend,” you explained pointlessly. Alpha smiled but didn’t tease you for telling him something he already knew.

“Let’s go, then,” he suggested. You paused for a moment to put on the comlink before you left, but Alpha gently took it from your hands and looped it around your wrist himself. When he had fastened it, he glanced up at you. “Good?”

“Perfect,” you told him with a smile as you left the hangar bay.

---

Author's Note - Okay, allow me a bit of housekeeping:

First, sorry this chapter is late! I tried to post it last night, but I forgot it's horrendously long.

Second, guur'gal is a Frankensteined term I made up by combining two other Mando'a words.

Third, Alpha's hangover method is completely made up. Please don't try it (but if you do, let me know if it works)!

Finally and MOST IMPORTANT, the next chapter will be NSFW and posted on my NSFW sideblog, @somedaylazysomeday. I will add a link from this chapter to that one, but remember it is 18+! Read at your own risk. There is virtually no character development and certainly no plot in it, so you won't be missing anything if you skip it.

Thanks for reading! You can find other works on my masterlist or sign up to be added to my taglist here!

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