The last month spent on Coruscant was a wild ride of ups and downs. The Temple had been attacked, a holocron stolen, young force sensitives threatened by a bounty hunter, and a Senator ended up being a traitorous spy. The sheer scope and span of the war was enough to make her head spin. She felt terribly lucky that she was only a healer and not forced to take on a battalion of her own as a jedi. If she had been in charge of a battalion she would have been tempted to retreat with them to her home planetoid to wait out the storm. A place that seemed to have been all but wiped from the records of the temple archives. She'd found only one entry for her place of birth and it was in her personal records.

Now after all of that they were being called to a planet named Geonosis. Apparently the locals had somehow overthrown the troops stationed there to keep them in line. The feelings of disgust and terror the men of the 501st gave off when they heard the planet's name filled her with dread. If it was somewhere these brave men feared to tread then how would she fare? This was to be her first ground engagement, now that she'd informed Skywalker she had her own armor and was ready to join the fight as a battlefield medic.

Puling out the armor she slipped into the black undersuit and was surprised to find it quite comfortable. Almost like a second skin. She moved her arms and bent in half at the waist to judge her range of movement and was pleased to find herself unhindered. Attaching the armor pieces was time consuming, since she had never worn it before, but she knew where each piece was supposed to go and how it should sit. Thanks to helping many a patient out of their armor in order to get at their wounds and a quick rundown of how it all worked from Jesse.

When she was finished she attached her lightsabers to her belt and snapped it in place. The long draping fabric that fell from her hips was thick but supple, like leather. It swayed as she moved and she found she quite liked it. It really did remind her of the draping skirts worn by her people. Finished her preparations she picked up the datapad she'd loaded with information on Geonosis and headed toward the meeting room she'd been informed of earlier. She had a lot of reading to catch up on.

[Rex]

Eyes lazily scanning the room full of vode he wondered where in the nine Corellian hells his General had gotten to. Glancing over at Kote he could sense his brother's calm patience in the force and wanted to sigh. How his brother could remain so steadfast in the face of a return to fucking Geonosis he wasn't sure. Looking away he scanned the room again and shifted his weight from one foot to another.

If he was being honest with himself it wasn't the absence of the generals or he late start to the meeting that was bothering him. No, he had other things to worry about. Like how this would be the first time Liera would be coming with them to fight on the ground. Sure she'd told them she had a lot of practical experience being a battlefield medic but he knew she wasn't a skilled combatant. Luckily she had the vode to watch her back.

The door at the back of the room opened and he couldn't help straightening, thinking 'finally!' Then he got a good look at who entered the room and his body froze in place. It felt like someone had stolen all the breath from his lungs and simultaneously punched him in the stomach for good measure. Walking into the room with a datapad in her hands, not even looking up from the screen, was their healer.

Now normally her presence made him feel relaxed, calm, even warm on the inside. He would readily admit, like most of the legion, that he was very fond of Liera. But right now all of those feelings were completely swamped by a new more complicated set of emotions.

The armor she wore was obviously brand new and had been perfectly tailored to fit her slender frame. The blue paint curling in strange patterns down her pauldrons all the way to her vambraces marked her as a member of the 501st. So not only was she wearing more armor than he had seen on any Jedi General, she was wearing the legion's colors with pride. Something primal inside him felt damned pleased to see her wearing his legion's color. It was almost dizzying.

Letting his eyes wander over her form he took in her appearance and noted what she was, and was not, wearing. There were gaps in the armor that could be exploited but he understood why she nixed those pieces. Her style was very mobile and flexible. If she couldn't move right there was less chance of her surviving the fight. Besides, she wasn't meant to be on the front lines. Thank the stars. The lack of a helmet he also understood. He had seen the respect she gave the vode and their need to be individuals, how their helmets were the 'face' they chose to present to the world. But the thing that caught his attention most, the one thing he just couldn't look away from, was the way the kama flared outward from her hips and swayed with her as she walked. It was damn near mesmerizing to look at.

A sharp pain in his side made him grunt in surprise. "Fuck, what the hell Kote?" He hissed under his breath, giving his ori'vod a scathing look. Kote spoke quietly, eyes forward.

"Rex, she's a jedi." He blinked in confusion for a moment before his face colored. Of course his brother would notice where his attention had been focused. Thinking about what he'd said, however, made him frown. Unlike Rex, Kote hadn't spent a lot of time in Liera's presence. His ori'vod knew she used to be a jedi and still seemed to be in the mindset that she was a superior officer. Rex wanted to roll his eyes.

"Not anymore." He mumbled. Liera finally shut off the datapad in her hands and looked up. Noticing them she gave Kote a polite and friendly smile, then her attention shifted to him. The look she gave him made his spine tingle. There was something proud, determined, and fiery in her eyes that he definitely approved of.

"Rex… are you-" He was pretty sure that Kote was about to scold him or something but he never got the chance to find out. Generals Skywalker and Kenobi entered the room at that moment, with Ahsoka on their heels.

The briefing was quick and simple. They would be arriving at the planet in three hours and would be advancing on the shield generator in a three pronged attack. Then they would take out the damn droid factory. Their mission was threefold. To stop the production of more droids, to take back the planet, and to capture Poggle the Lesser. The Generals agreed that they would take point on the capture, which was good enough for Rex.

"Adept Liera, I want you with me on this." Surprised their healer turned to General Kenobi.

"Ken-General?" Her apprehension was clear.

"You may be able to help us locate Poggle, which could mean a quick end to this mission." The implication was clear. If they could capture Poggle they could demand a surrender of the Separatist forces on Geonosis, sparing lives. Liera's eyes narrowed in thought before she nodded firmly. Rex bit the inside of his cheek, keeping quiet rather than voicing his thoughts. He'd hoped to keep her out of any major skirmishes but when it came to the jedi they were always in the thick of things.

Once the briefing ended everyone filed out. There were a lot of preparations to be made before they landed on Geonosis. On their way out many of the vode complimented her on her armor, expressing interest in the designs she'd painted. A faint flush of pleasure colored her cheeks as she explained the designs, stating that they were actually replicas of the tattoos she had in the same places. Going from her shoulders all the way down to her wrists. "I'll have to show you all later, but they only appear in the dark or under ultraviolet light."

When everyone had more or less cleared out and Liera seemed ready to leave he quickly walked over to her and caught her attention. "Liera." She paused before turning to him with a bright smile.

"Rex." It was a habit he noticed over time. If someone called her by a title she would respond in kind. But if someone called her by name she would be equally casual in return. He didn't mind when she called him captain, it was a rank he was proud to have earned, but he preferred it when she called him by name.

"Gar beskar'gam cuyir mesh'la." He said, running a finger down one of her pauldrons, intrigued by the designs and wondering what they stood for. Her face turned pink, vibrant eyes wide in her face. She tucked her chin and looked down at her hands. He could feel her shy-pleased-happiness-embarrassment in the force and grinned at her.

"Vor'e." Her voice was quiet, almost breathless. It made his heart skip a beat in his chest. He wanted to step closer and reach out to her, tip her head back so he could see her eyes again. But before he could move his brother appeared next to them, clearing his throat loudly. Rex glared at him heatedly but all he received was a stern look in return.

"Commander Kote, good to see you again." For a moment his brother looked mildly surprised that she'd used the proper Mando'a version of his name. Then he smiled, relaxing more than usual.

"It's nice to see you as well. Do you think you're ready to go out and fight?" He could sense the mild concern filtering through Kote's shields and it just made him feel all the more worried.

"I've been on many battlefields so I have some experience with the chaos. At least this time I'll have vode at my back." Her smile was bright and trusting. "It used to be just myself and… and my master." She let out a small sigh, something in her force signature souring slightly. For a brief moment he could feel her grief, loss, and hurt, before she pushed the emotions away. "I was reading up on Geonosis before the meeting. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to sense the Geonosians. I just hope it's enough to help K-General Kenobi." Rex smiled. She still wasn't used to calling them by their ranks, especially calling the jedi, generals.

"Why do you think you'll have a hard time with the Geonosians?" She frowned.

"Because they're hive minded." She must have seen the confusion on their faces, or read it in their force signatures. "Hive minded species are harder for me to differentiate because the concept of being an individual isn't very important to them. All their thoughts and feelings are on the colony, on the many and the good of the hive, rather than about themselves as an individual. The more close knit a hive mind the harder it is for me to feel the difference between sentients." That… actually made a lot of sense all things considered. They were giant bugs after all. Giant, sentient, bugs.

"Let's hope you can get a read on them then. If not then at the very least the Generals will have decent back-up." Liera shook her head.

"Not if it's a stealth mission. I think Kenobi forgot that I glow in the dark." Rex couldn't help snorting in amusement, which earned him a playful grin from Liera and rolled eyes from Kote.

"You mean your skin is so pale that any light would make you stand out?" Liera gave Kote a disbelieving look. As if she was annoyed he'd think she misspoke.

"No. I am literally bioluminescent. Go turn off the light. I'll show you." His brother looked skeptical for a moment but walked over to the switch and pressed it. The moment the lights were off their eyes were drawn to the woman standing there, arms crossed and looking smug. The light she gave off wasn't very significant, not like a glowrod or a torch, but it was enough that you could make out every detail of her face and parts of her armor down to her waist. It wasn't just her skin that glowed, however. Her eyes were still just as vibrant as ever but now her hair was streaked with thin strands of shimmering light. Almost as if they were alive.

"Well that's certainly something I haven't seen before. A glowing jetti." Kote deadpanned. Liera chuckled.

"Now imagine what it was like when I was a youngling. I was like a nightlight to the others. If anyone had a nightmare they would cling to me as if their life depended on it." From the fond tone of her voice and what Rex knew of her personality she had probably encouraged it. Kote turned the light back on.

"At least we won't lose you in darkness or fog." He teased, poking her shoulder playfully. Liera looked at him with mock annoyance.

"Of course. It's not like you could just reach out to me with the force or, I don't know, follow the blinding white of my lightsabers." Kote stopped dead beside him, body tense.

"It's okay, ori'vod. She's known for a while and hasn't said anything. She's the only one who knows outside of aliit." His brother gave him a heated look. Rex shrugged. Haat'buir had met her already and approved. If he didn't approve of her he would have found a way to remove her from the 501st. Of that Rex had no doubt.

"Actually," a cultured voice said behind them. "I wanted to talk to you both about that." Even Liera looked startled, eyes wide and a hand covering her mouth as if trying to take back her words.

They turned to look at the general, who was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and eyebrow arched as he looked between the three of them, his green-blue eyes piercing.

"Shab." Rex cursed.

[Obi-wan]

Watching the three of them freeze and act like misbehaving younglings was just as amusing as he'd thought it would be. But the fear in Cody's eyes and the guilt coming off the young woman made him feel a little bad. He uncrossed his arms and smiled at them warmly. "I'm sorry I startled you. I hadn't meant to." He took a step forward but stopped when Cody tensed. "Oh, Cody," he sighed, "you have no reason to fear me. Select members of the Council, and other jedi I'm sure, have known about this for some time now." Rex's eyes narrowed and he stared at Obi-wan as if trying to discern whether or not he was telling the truth. Liera put a hand on his arm gently and the captain looked down at her.

"He's telling the truth." The captain relaxed at her touch, trusting her judgment, and Obi-wan hid a smile. There was clearly something going on between them, although whether they noticed it themselves was another matter entirely.

"I'm guessing you were one of the ones who knew, General?" He regarded Cody carefully before sighing and nodding.

"I've known since your first major vision." Cody's eyes widened. "When I was young I would have powerful visions that would take hold of me. They were frightening and it was difficult for me to discern between what was happening then and what might happen in the future. Qui-gon would always tell me to root myself in the 'here and now,' trying to ground me in the present." A melancholic smile crossed his face. "I don't think that advice would work for you, all things considered." He had seen the dedication Cody had for his brothers and how hard he worked to keep as many of hem safe as he could. Ignoring his visions, locking away that part of himself, wouldn't help him. No more than it had helped Obi-wan as a teenager.

"So what you're saying… is that you understand." Cody said carefully. Obi-wan shook his head.

"No, what I'm saying is that I can sympathize. Your visions seem to be far more clear than mine were when I was young. But rather than run from them or try to suppress them you use them to help those around you. We have the lowest casualty rates of the entire army thanks to your instincts and quick thinking." Cody's eyes met his and the man's face flushed. He'd never been very good at accepting praise. It was very endearing.

"I was hoping, now that I've revealed I know about your abilities, that you might be more open with me. I'll take any advantage I can to help end this war as quickly as possible." Cody's hands clenched and he closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep, breath. When he finally opened them again they were filled with a calm determination; a reflection of the brilliant mind within.

"Of course, Sir. Why don't we go to your office and I can fill you in on the men under your care." Rex looked at his brother, disgruntled, but didn't say anything. Liera watched him, eyes bright and a small smile on her face.

"I'll meet you in the h-hangar later when the mission starts." He could still sense her fear of flying but it was tempered by far lighter emotions. It was something he hoped she might teach to Anakin. He would have to talk to her later about it, once the mission was over.

"After you, Commander." He motioned toward the doorway with a sweeping theatrical gesture. It had the desired effect of making the man snort in amusement.

They walked quietly down the halls, side by side, for a time before Cody spoke. "What are you planning on doing about them?" For a moment he wasn't quite sure who his commander meant. The man thrust a thumb over his shoulder, pointing behind them at the room they'd just left.

"I'm not too sure. Liera is not a jedi, what she chooses to do with her life is her own. Besides that, the jedi might frown upon attachments but love and even romantic relationships still happen. It's when those relationships become obsessive or possessive that a problem arises." He sighed. "As long as it isn't against any regulations and they won't be censured I see no reason to make a fuss." He glanced over at the commander. "Unless you think there's something I should do about it." Cody looked at him and Obi-wan got the impression he was a little uncomfortable.

"No, not at this time, General." Obi-wan had to stop himself from sighing again. He had hoped that Cody would be a little more relaxed with him, now that he knew.

They made it to his office with no distractions or interruptions. Sitting down he waited for the commander to join him at his desk. When he finally took a seat they sat there in silence for a moment, regarding each other.

"First I should probably explain what brought this on." A nod. "Master Ti discovered a force sensitive cadet on Kamino, which clued her in to the fact that clones could be force sensitive. The cadet had been having precognitive dreams and calling out to her subconsciously through the force." Cody's eyes widened.

"Who was it?" Obi-wan laced his fingers on the desk in front of him.

"Before I answer that I would like you to do something for me." Cody watched him, expression carefully blank. "Do you trust me, Cody?" He let out a huff.

"Of course, Sir." Obi-wan reached across the table, palm up and hand open. "Would you let me in?" He felt the sharp spike of surprise in the force for a moment before it was back under control. Hesitantly he reached out and rested his hand in Obi-wan's, umber eyes never breaking contact. At first he felt only the barest hint of a presence, the kind of presence he'd learned to associate with those who couldn't touch the force. Then the wall came down.

"Force!" He breathed. Cody chuckled, his presence tinged with fond amusement. To him Cody's presence felt like a pool of cool water, calm on the surface but brimming with life underneath. His emotions ran very deeply and although he projected a detached and calm professionalism he had a very large and caring heart.

Feeling a nudge against his own shields he nibbled on his bottom lip. He was very self-conscious and didn't like to let others in. But Cody had opened up to him, which he was clearly afraid to do, so he felt obligated to return the favor. Lowering his shields he tentatively welcomed the commander in. The sound of Cody sucking in air was almost too loud in the quiet room.

'What the hell, Obi-wan!?' He could hear Cody's voice in his mind and flinched. There was a slew of emotions running through the commander's mind. Alarm, concern, and righteous anger being the strongest of these. A sensation like arms wrapping around him and sheltering him from the worst of his grief made him cut the connection with a startled gasp. It was just too much too quickly. Cody blinked at him in surprise then looked away, a sense of guilt-apology filling the air between them.

Obi-wan cleared his throat, trying to ignore the lonely ache inside him. "You're stronger than I thought. I'm amazed you can keep your presence hidden so well." As if sensing his need to move on and talk about something, anything, the commander nodded.

"Any of the vode who are force sensitive are taught to hide their presence first and foremost. It's why you won't see any of them reaching for the force instinctively. Our first instinct is to hide. It's what we were raised to do." Obi-wan frowned. He'd heard it was because of the Kaminoans but now he wasn't very sure.

"There are those of us who can use the force and hide ourselves at the same time but we're few and far between."

"Like you, Rex, Ponds, and Wolffe?" Cody grinned at him.

"Not sure how you knew about Ponds or Wolffe but I assume you caught Rex and I at some point and just kept quiet about it." He nodded.

"The cadet whom Master Ti found was named Nova, of Meteor Squad. When she brought him before the council, asking to take him on as a padawan, she noticed a few of us who did not seem very surprised by this revelation. Mace brought up the fact that 'a trooper' exposed his abilities when saving his life, and how he didn't want to betray his trust." Cody's expression softened.

"Was the cadet taken as a padawan?" Obi-wan's smile brightened.

"He was. I hope he lives up to the potential future he saw in his dream vision. Temple guards need to be wholly devoted to the Order and defending the temple." Cody looked surprised, not that Obi-wan could blame him.

"Good for Nov'ika. I hope buir doesn't blow a fuse about it." Obi-wan blinked, equal parts baffled and intrigued.

"Buir? Do you mean the Rid'alor?" Cody looked gobsmacked.

"You know about that?" His voice was lowered, as if he were worried they'd be overheard. "How do you know about that?"

"Nova spoke about it during the council session. We know that Jango is the Mand'alor. What we don't know is why he would have any part in the creation of the clones or the GAR. And it doesn't look like he's ready to tell us anything either." Cody smirked, looking pleased.

"Buir isn't really fond of jetii, even now." He shook his head, chuckling. "Don't try to ask me what they're up to either, none of us know the full scope of buir's plans." Obi-wan sighed. "But we're off topic. You wanted to know about the CFS', the Clone Force Sensitives. You won't find that designation in any file, it's only something known to the vode and the trainers." Obi-wan suspected as much.

"At the top you have me, Rex, Ponds, Wolffe, Bly, and Winter Squad. We're the oldest and strongest." Obi-wan had never heard of Winter Squad before. He'd have to look into them later. "In the 212th there's Crys, Gearshift, and Waxer. In the 501st there's Kano and Kicker. There's also Avid, in Parjai Squad, Kajil in the 442nd Siege Battalion, with Swift, Riddle, and Max for the 7th Sky." Considering there were three-hundred thousand men in the 3rd Systems Army that was a surprising number of force sensitives. Including Cody, Rex, and Appo, there were thirteen force sensitive clones in his army alone.

"I can't believe I never noticed…" Oh he knew of Cody and Rex, for sure. But he had never thought that Waxer, of all people, would be force sensitive. It boggled the mind. Cody laughed.

"Like I said, we're taught to hide our abilities first and foremost. I think Waxer has a hard time of it, he's very empathic."

"What abilities do the men have?" If he was going to turn a blind eye and allow them to use the force in battle he wanted to know what he was getting into.

"Rex has an almost uncanny ability to sense danger and can reinforce his body with the force, making him damn near unkillable. Me, I get visions. Both while awake and when I dream." He grimaced. Obi-wan nodded in sympathy. "Gearshift can understand any spoken language, without having to study it. If he hears enough of it he can start speaking it. Crys has Psychometry, that's what buir called it anyway. Kano can freeze things. Just sucks the heat right out of the air." Obi-wan's eyebrows rose slightly. It almost seemed like each of them had some sort of instinctive power that they'd latched onto, rather than learning all purpose skills like the jedi. "Avid can dismantle droids without touching them. Kajil always seems to know exactly where the enemy is, even if they change positions. Swift doesn't need a navigation computer, he always just knows where he's going, Riddle can create duplicates of himself and his starfighter to confuse enemies, while Max can take apart and fix anything mechanical he gets his hands on. Even if he's never seen it before." By the time Cody was done speaking Obi-wan was absolutely speechless. How could so many of them have such varied and rare abilities?

"Did the Rid'alor…" For the first time in a long time he had no idea how to ask the questions he sorely wanted answers to. Cody sat back and watched him for a moment, running a hand through his hair.

"Buir taught us that the force could do anything we set our minds to. There were no limits except when it came to hurting one another or ourselves. If we showed a talent for something he let us pursue it as far as we were able." An affectionate smile crossed his commander's face. "We were taught meditation and the other basic skills the jetii'ad learn, but buir didn't want us to follow the tenets of the Order." Cody looked directly into his eyes with a proud smile. "After all, we're Mando'ade." Obi-wan felt as if he'd been punched in the chest. If the vode considered themselves Mandalorian then what was stopping the Mand'alor from taking the whole army from them?

Cody's expression grew concerned and he placed a hand on Obi-wan's shoulder.

"Obi-wan?" It was rare that Cody called him by name. "I hope you know you have nothing to worry about. The vode are still loyal to the Republic... and I'm… I'm still loyal to you." The look in his eyes was intense and focused. Obi-wan's face felt suddenly very warm. "I-"

His comm chirped and he nearly jumped, startled by the sudden noise. Answering he was given a quick report on their preparations and a new arrival time.

"It looks like we still have work to do, Commander. Do tell the men that they are free to use their abilities." Cody watched him quietly for a moment, eyes sharp and calculating.

"Yes, General." The man stood, gave him one last unreadable look, then turned and left. Obi-wan sat there by himself in the office, a little shaken. What in the force had that been all about?

[Cody]

With a low growl of frustration he slammed the side of his fist into the nearest wall. "Haar'chak!" He was lucky there was no one around to see him at the moment. It wouldn't do for any of the vode to see their commanding officer having an emotional outburst after leaving their General's office. Especially right before returning to Geonosis. Looking back at the door he could still feel an echo of Obi-wan in his mind and let out a sigh. He really wished the stubborn jetii would open up to him more.

Taking a few calming breaths he pulled his presence in, putting his emotions in a box and closing the lid on them for the time being. What he needed to be right now was Marshall Commander Cody of the 212th, not Kote Kurshi'cin. He would deal with the Obi-wan situation later. After he'd had a chance to think things through and let his foolish jetii calm down.

Standing straighter he walked away from the door without looking back even once.


Mando'a Translations:

Gar beskar'gam cuyir mesh'la- Your armor is beautiful. He's talking more about the paint than the armor itself.
Vor'e- Thank you.
Kote- Just to clear up any confusion. Kote is Cody's name in Mando'a. It means Glory.
Aliit- Clan, Family.
Shab- Fuck.
Buir/e- Parent/Parents.
Rid'alor- Partner of the Mand'alor.
Jetii'ad- Children of the Jedi, Jedi Younglings/Initiates.
Mando'ade- Children of Mandalore, Mandalorians.
Haar'chak!- Damn it!