Author's Note: I've got new content to post, so I've divided what was previously called "Chapter 24" into smaller chunks. The chapter had grown into a behemoth 55 pages, which was more like a mini-novel, than a chapter. So, please be patient, while I get these chapters uploaded. Yes, there is new content at the end of these uploads. I got my writing mojo back. - Diana

Chapter 25

More Than Just A Clone

Bly scowled at him, but refused to be baited. "Imagine," he murmured, "we couldn't stand the Kaminoans for being so cold and heartless while were at Tipoca City. Treating us like products, rather than living beings. And, now... this. Bizarre." He shook his head.

Fi nodded in understanding, "War makes strange bedfellows... Hey! Speaking of which, you and the General-"

Bly narrowed his eyes at Fi, his voice making it clear he would tolerate no baudy references to Aayla, "Careful, Fi."

Fi put his hands up, "Hey, I was just going to ask about... uh, the nature of your... uh, 'relationship?'"

Bly looked Fi straight in the eye, "That was diplomatic of you, Fi, as I'm sure that wasn't what you originally intended to say. Aayla is with me," Bly said firmly, "and, when I say 'with me' I mean that in every sense of the word that one person can be with another person," Bly's voice took on a protective, possessive tone, "She is with me. Got that?"

Fi put his hands up a second time, "Hey Bly, I'm not going after your woman. I'm a happily married man."

"Good," Bly said, still keeping his tone serious, "because I am, too."

Fi's eyes widened in surprise, "You are?"

Bly grinned, "I am."

Fi stared at him for a moment, "I'm impressed."

"Thank you, brother," Bly said, still enjoying the moment, then he added, "I'd like to add that she proposed to me."

"Whoa," Fi said, "kandosi!" [Classy!]

"I won't go into the circumstances under which that proposal happened," Bly said, trying to wipe the smile off his face, "because I am too much of a gentleman to do such a thing."

But, Fi figured out what he was implying anyway, and burst into laughter, "You're kidding?"

"Hey, I said no such thing!" Bly protested, instantly regretting that he ever brought it up.

Fi slapped him on his good shoulder, "Well done, brother! That story will surely go down in clone legend!"

"No, it won't!" Bly protested, cursing himself for having mentioned it.

"OK, OK, I'll keep it between us," Fi said, although something in his tone of voice implied that he was retelling the story first chance he got.

Bly sighed, realizing the damage was done. So, he just grinned at Fi, "We brothers can't help it if we're genetically perfect, eh?"

Fi burst out laughing again, and quipped, "Perhaps we brothers could circulate a thank you note to our resident Kaminoan!"

Bly tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't, as he added: "Yeah, but what would use as artwork on the card?"

They both doubled over in laughter, and were just starting to come up with some very colorful suggestions, when there was a soft knocking at the door.

"Hello?"

Both Fi and Bly quit their laughing, and blushed red, as if they were boys caught doing something they knew they shouldn't be doing. Both their heads snapped as one and turned toward the door of the MedBay. Laseema stood there, carrying a tray, overloaded with breakfast food. Fi immediately stood, and took the tray from her, and then graciously offered her his seat. She shook her head, and stood next to Bly's bedside instead. She extended a hand to Bly. "Hi, we haven't met. I'm Laseema, wife of Atin."

Bly's eyes widened in surprise, "Just how many guys here are married?"

Fi mouthed the words "genetically perfect" to Bly, setting both of them into another fit of laughter again. They both tried to stop laughing, but once they started, they had difficulties stopping.

Laseema stared at them, puzzled and bemused. "Yes, well, I can see the two of you are getting along just fine. I'm going to head back to the kitchen. I already have some things in the oven for lunch.

Bly reached his hand out, stopping her, "No, I'm sorry, Laseema, we're being rude. My apologies. Fi and I haven'seen each other in a long time. Years actually. I forgot my manners, and for that I apologize. Yes, I'm Alpha-17, also known as Bly. As of Order 66, I'm not a commander anymore. So, it's just Bly, now," he nodded toward the tray, "thank you for bringing food. It looks wonderful."

Fi raised his eyebrows. He hadn't realized the most foul-mouthed clone in the RA could also be charming and gracious with the ladies. This was a side of Bly he hadn't seen before. He folded his arms across his chest, and watched with amusement.

Bly smiled at Laseema, and she smiled back, caught up in his rogish charm, "I worked with your husband, and the rest of Omega Squad during the first year of the war. He's a great fighter. You married well."

Laseema smiled warmly at Bly, pleased by the compliment, "Welcome to Kyrimorut. Everyone here seems very excited about your arrival. And, Empire or no Empire, military titles seem to stick around forever on Mandalore. So, in all likelihood, you're still 'Commander Bly' to everyone here, and will retain that title for the rest of your days. Unless, of course, there's another big war, and you get promoted to something else. I'll leave you two boys to enjoy your breakfast," she turned to Fi, "Please bring me the tray back when you're done." She gave Bly one last smile, a warm genuine one that said she had accepted him into the family fold, "Nice meeting you, Commander."

He nodded, "The pleasure was mine."

She smiled warmly and left the room.

After she left, Bly whistled. "Whoa. That's Atin's wife?"

Fi nodded, with a grin.

"I like her. Nice girl. And, you're right, Fi. This place is growing on me," Bly said, still looking toward the empty door where the attractive Twi'lek had exited. He pondered what she'd said about his military title. He didn't mind keeping his title. He'd been saddened about losing that part of his identity. So, Mandalorians retained their formal military titles as part of their identity. Interesting... Yes, well that explained why everyone still called Kal 'Sargeant Kal' regardless of his military status.

Bly eyed the tray of food with appreciation. "What's for breakfast? All that late night trashing of the MedBay made me work up quite an appetite."

Fi laughed again, "Yes, well, cleaning up after you worked up my appetite… " He smiled warmly at Bly, "I can just tell that you and I are going to get into a lot of trouble together around here," Fi looked momentarily saddened, "I've needed a good partner in mischief, ever since I left Omega, and Darman."

Bly gave Fi a sympathetic look, "If it's any comfort, Fi, you two were amazingly annoying together. Hey, is Darman here? I'd love to see him."

Fi looked even more depressed, "Darman and Niner got left behind when 66 hit."

"What?" Bly asked incredulously, "not possible! You guys would never leave a brother behind!"

Fi shook his head sadly, "You know it's not that simple, Bly. It's not like our lives are holofilms with neat and tidy endings! Order 66 hit, and it was chaotic, and suddenly all our leaders were dead, or being killed… by… Niner got up in something, and was Force pushed off a pedestrian bridge on Corrie. He fell a long way and landed right on his spine."

Bly's eyes widened as he listened, but he stayed completely silent. Memories of that awful day were still so fresh and painful in his mind.

"Darman refused to leave his side. He made sure Niner got med evaced out of there. We haven't heard anything from either of them since. They're both stuck on Corrie. All communications lines have been cut off.

Fi put his head down in defeat, "We can't even get a medical update on Niner."

Bly gave Fi a somber look, "I'll help you get them out, brother. We'll bring them home."

Fi nodded, giving him a small, sad smile as if not believing such a thing could actually happen, "Yeah, that would be good."

"You can't possibly believe the Empire is going to win for good?" Bly asked, looking intently at Fi.

"I don't know, Bly," Fi said, dropping his head down again, "they've got everything now. All the ships. The shipyards. Corrie. The whole frakkin' Army. All our brothers," he looked at Bly with despair, and whispered with horror, "they killed all the Jedi."

Bly shook his head with grim determination, "Not all of them."

Fi looked at Bly's mangled arm, heavily bandaged and resting on a cushion. "Given a choice, would you make the decision again? Choose to get shot by your brothers to save a Jedi?

"Yeah, I would," Bly said, without hesitation, "I would die for her. Does it make sense to you?"

"Yeah," Fi said, nodding his head with approval, still gazing at Bly's badly injured arm, "I know a guy like you. Loved a Jedi." His voice then trailed off with sadness. "Anyway, enough of that. You had a hard enough time with Order 66 without me dumping all my stuff on you-"

Bly gripped Fi's arm with his one good hand. He could tell Fi was depressed about Darman, "No, Fi. We're brothers. I'm serious, when it comes time to get them out, count me in. Vode an," [we're all brothers], Bly said, feeling really good to be able to say those words again.

Fi's eyes momentarily teared up, "Yeah, that would be good. It's rough knowing they're still trapped on the inside."

"If anyone could get them out, it would be us, Fi," Bly said, determined to make Fi feel better, "think about it, I'm an ARC, you're an RC," Bly gestured vaguely with his hands," there's at least one or more of those nutty Nulls lurking about-"

"There's six, actually," Fi interjected.

Bly's eyes widened, "Six Nulls? And the place is still standing? OK, six insane super commandos-"

"They're not that bad, Bly. You shouldn't believe all those stories they tell about them on Kamino."

"I saw them, when they were little, scaling the walls of Tipoca City, shooting at the Kaminoans. Not that shooting Kaminoans is a bad thing, but-"

Fi shrugged, "They didn't actually hit them. Come on, we all wanted to do something like that. They were the only ones with the nerve to do it."

Bly rolled his eyes, "OK, six non-nutty Nulls, who somehow all survived to adulthood. The point is, we'll get Darman and Niner out."

"Yeah, that would be good," Fi said, scrubbing at his face one last time with his hands. He quickly changed the subject. Talking about this was just too emotional for him. "OK, hey now, let's eat, OK?"

Fi took the cover off the tray, and showed it to Bly. It was overfilled with an assortment of pastries, fresh fruit, cups of caf, juice, a plate full of fried meat, and another full of scrambled eggs.

Bly took a deep appreciative whiff. "Smells great."

Fi angled Bly's bed up so he could eat more easily. He filled up a plate for him, and held it up for him while he ate. He also cut Bly's meat for him.

"Kind of bites only having the use of one arm, huh?" Fi said, sympathetically.

"Yeah, it does," Bly said, between mouthfuls, "and, I'd appreciate it if you chose another word other than bite."

Fi laughed.

Bly narrowed his eyes at him, "Funny for you, maybe. Getting bit by that thing hurt."

"Well, when you're feeling better, it's only fair that we let you bite it back," Fi said, cheerily, "do you want to bite one of it's six legs, or simply sic your teeth into it's fleshy rump?"

Bly stopped eating, mid-bite, and tossed the remainder of a hard bread roll right at Fi's head. It was a good shot, and plinked squarely off the center of his forehead.

"Ow, that hurt," Fi complained, rubbing at the spot, "and stop messing up the Medbay. We just got it cleaned up from your last barrage of throwing things."

Bly merely shrugged at that, "Then, stop making strill jokes."

Fi bent down to pick up the hard roll. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent it sailing back at Bly. Bly easily snatched it out of the air with his left hand. Bly was about to retaliate when there was a clearing of a throat from the doorway.

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