A.N. ~ sorry for the wait, guys. My computer couldn't get wifi at my dad's house and I came down with writer's block. Again. No more excuses. Anyway, this chapter is short, but at least it's a chapter.

After a couple days' travel, most of the rescued clones had started to recover under the relentless watch of Songbird and her medical expertise. Ridge was one of the more badly injured, but he was on the mend.

Twitch and Read were taking shifts sleeping and eating, vigilant in case of any possible trouble. Their main concern was keeping Steam from strangling one of the men. She was being rubbed the wrong way nearly every time someone spoke, either through ageism, sexism, rescue tactics, or some other touchy subject.

The rest of the girls just did what they could to help, tidying up around Serenity or helping Song with her medical duties. Arrow and Bucky got so bored that they took to cleaning Kayfe repeatedly.

"Better not hear any 'are we there yets'." The captain muttered with a smirk to her second.

"Anybody who says that can get outside and push." Read grinned.

"ETA?" Steam hopped into a seat close to Twitch.

"Eh, nearly three days. I suggest you find something to occupy yourself with." The CO shrugged.

"Agh, right. Hey, Chesh, how did you say you used those swords of yours?" The hotheaded girl called as she sprung out of the chair.

"Mff, go 'way. Sleeping." The small soldier mumbled from where she was sitting with her back to the wall.

"Come on, short stuff. Must be getting bored by now." Steam squatted in front of her sister.

"Go 'way before I move." Translating that would lead to the conclusion of how Cheshire would disappear completely if she wasn't left in peace.

"Okay, okay. I'll go ask So—ah, ah, ear! That's my ear. Leggo!" Songbird had one hand on her hip and the other pinching Steam's ear. She scowled and sighed.

"You go sleep or do something other than harass people. Unlike you, some of us actually want a decent sleep." The medic crossed her arms, watching as her squad mate slunk off.

"You know, I coulda sworn Florrum was a good way off." Twitch grumbled, preparing her guns. The male clones had been moved into the lower maintenance area, hidden while the girls dealt with the pirates that were about to board Serenity.

"No matter, these di'kute are history if they think we're going to be damsels in distress." Steam cocked her '15A.

"We stop them before they come fully on, we ask what they want, and no one fires a shot unless I say so or they start first, got it?" The captain demanded loudly.

"Yes, ma'am!" The eight other girls chanted.

First came a couple of large body guards, who were stopped, followed by Hondo Ohnaka himself, also halted.

"Honestly, didn't our last encounter warn you off, Ohnaka?" Twitch sighed, pointing one of her pistols straight between the Weequay's eyes.

"You killed a lot of my men, little girl." The head pirate crossed his arms.

"And you threatened mine. What do you want?" More pirates appeared behind Hondo, but their raised guns were waved down quickly.

"Well, I was looking for a little profit, but seeing how this is your ship, I think it would be best to leave peacefully."

"Ha! Tell me nobody's buying this." Read snorted.

"This is my second. Don't bother lying, because she'll pick it up quite fast." Twitch warned. "Now, what was that about leaving peacefully?"

"I'm fine, Song. It's only a graze." Twitch tried standing up, but the medic shoved her back down.

"'Only a graze', my shebs. That bolt hit you square in the shoulder. Now pipe down and hold still before I get a syringe." That effectively shut the fifteen-year-old up and she stayed still while bacta and bandages were applied to her wound.

Hondo and his gang had left after a short firefight resulting in losses of his men and health. Though the skirmish was brief, it had managed to injure the captain when she'd drawn fire from her girls.

"I swear, if you don't take it slow, I'll strap you to this bench and make you." Songbird huffed once she was done.

"Hold the threat making for the next people who attack us. I'll be in the cockpit."

"Strong restraints! Maybe even an anesthesia or two!" Song yelled at her sister's back.

"I'll keep that in mind, Spitfire."

"And don't call me that!"

"Your medic's definitely…" Ridge shrugged, sitting at the co-pilot's station.

"Well, the threats were semi-necessary. None of us are too fond of taking things slow. She's probably just wired from dealing with Steam." The hothead had also been injured and presented an impossible challenge to Songbird.

"I'm still trying to figure out why you're all teenagers." The lieutenant scowled. Everyone else was either asleep or in the passenger area.

"Well, all except Cheshire. She's eleven. But age is irrelevant in our squad. All of my girls can hold their own in a fight."

"They're kids." Ridge sighed.

"We're soldiers. Biology is of little consequence. After all, you're only a teenager, right?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Wasn't always in this squad."

"Gonna keep me guessing, aren't you?" The man frowned.

"My first battalion was the 501st." That only raised more questions.

"Home sweet home." Bucky grumbled, looking at the hills of Naboo irritably.

"Hey, we can go hunting later." Arrow smiled. The rescued clones left for the medical bay, escorted by Songbird who was fretting over her work and checking to see if she had missed any injuries.

"She's kind of scary when someone gets hurt." Cheshire commented to Twitch as they watched the medic.

"Yeah. Great incentive to stay in one piece." The captain's bandaged shoulder was a testimony to her words.

Vod, you there? She asked. To her frustration, there was no reply.

Twitch hated being separated from Tail, even during a short scouting mission. Getting to see each other on and off for months was driving her insane.

"Well, you're not happy with something." Read commented. The other girls had begun to leave Serenity to go to their quarters.

"Just miss Tail. The di'kut gets into plenty of trouble."

"And is Tail the only one you miss?" The second leaned toward her friend.

"Zeta Squad in general. Eh, it's nothing. Let's go make sure none of the others explode."

"You know," the older girl spoke as they walked, "it's okay to admit you have emotions."

"Emotions I have. Letting myself act on them isn't alright."

"Whatever you say, emotionless leader. Have fun with your suppressed feelings."

"Hey, Twitch. Welcome home!" Saundra called from the kitchen.

"Hey, Saundra. How are you?" The captain asked.

"Great! Y'know, dinner's just about ready. Mind grabbing Jessie?"

"Sure." The soldier found her adopted sister playing in the living room with a ball, laughing as she toyed with it. "Hey, bud. Dinner time." Twitch picked up the child, who unfortunately grabbed her injured shoulder, drawing out a sharp yelp. "Ow! Ai, why'd you have to go there?" She asked, transferring Jessie to her other arm.

"Twitch? Is that you?" Tsudek called from the top of the stairs.

"In the flesh. Jessie's got a painful grip!"

"What'd she do?" The man came downstairs.

"Grabbed me wrong. We're gonna be late for dinner. Let's get going." The two hurried to reach the table, plopping Jessie into her high chair before claiming their own seats.

"Just in time." The wife commented as she placed a large pot of stew in between them before ladling out helpings. Tsudek was on Twitch's right and Saundra was on her left. Mrs. Lynn passed a bowl of cooked vegetables, a clearly heavy one since her knuckles were turning white, to the soldier.

The teenager twisted to grab it with her right hand, getting raised eyebrows.

"Wouldn't using your left hand first be better?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah, probably. Realized that after it was too late." Tsudek, once the bowl was safely down, suddenly reached over and squeezed Twitch's left shoulder. She barked and swatted his hand away, holding her wound protectively against any further attack.

"Right, and you just happen to have a bruise?" He crossed his arms.

"It's nothing. Just a result of the job." She protested.

"Twitch." The adults glared.

"Okay, okay. I took a bolt in the shoulder."

"How?" Saundra sighed.

"Oh, some pirates boarded our ship and I drew their fire while the others returned it. Just a minor skirmish. Only the pirates lost men."

"'Lost men'? Twitch, did you kill somebody?" The woman asked, eyes wide. The commando's first instinct was to lie and assure her friends she hadn't, but it was time they knew the stakes and faced reality.

"Saundra, I've fought in three wars. Of course I've killed other people. I don't enjoy it, but that doesn't mean I regret defending the other troops I was with."

"What have you done?" Tsudek moaned.

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No."

"This is serious, Twitch! You've gone through traumatizing things!"

"And I moved past them. No."

"This is for your own good."

"Ha! Where have I heard that before. No." Tsudek and Saundra exchanged frustrated looks.

"Why not?" Mr. Lynn demanded.

"Because it isn't necessary and I don't need a stranger poking around my life."

"Councillors help people. They keep their work confidential. No one would know!" The woman argued.

"They would know. Unless you happen to wipe their memories. Still a no. Look, I have a squad to get back to. My second's probably getting a headache. I need to get back." Twitch stood and began walking toward the door.

"You need to leave the army." Tsudek snapped. The captain stopped and turned sharply, wearing a dangerous glare.

"You can say what you like, I am never doing that. Don't ask such a thing from me again."

"Why? Why won't you do it?" Saundra shouted. "Have you ever considered that maybe we don't want to lose our daughter?"

"I have!" Twitch yelled back. "But my brother has nearly died five times! And I have a squad of people that I do not want to leave. I won't abandon them! Civilian life doesn't suit me. I was always meant to be in the GAR, and I'll die as part of the GAR." With that, the soldier shoved on her boots and threw on her cloak before leaving.

"Whoa, are you gonna kill somebody?" Read asked as Twitch stalked into the gym.

"A punching bag." She replied, beelining for the black equipment without another word.

"She's pretty mad, isn't she?" Songbird hissed to the second.

"Yeah. Just needs to blow off steam, apparently. I wouldn't ask her about it. She doesn't usually let her emotions out like this."

"'Kay."

A.N. ~ sorry, not a very interesting chapter. I'm trying to think of a good way to get things moving again. Kinda miss the Clone Wars now. Oops...

MANDO'A DEFINITIONS AND PRONUNCIATIONS:

Di'kut: [DEE-koot] idiot, fool, useless individual, waste of space (insulting or affectionate, depending on tone and context)