Liera spent the next five hours helping the medics to ensure they didn't lose any more men. They failed, of course. Some of them were just far too injured for intervention. The most she could do for them was help them pass gently, without pain. They lost sight of Pulse for a time and it was only later that she found out he had tried to take his own life. Her heart froze and her blood went cold in her veins. It was only due to a patrol changing their route that anyone was able to stop him before he could pull the trigger. The loss of Adzic made him inconsolable and it cut into her soul to see the grumpy corporal sedated and strapped down so he wouldn't hurt himself.
"Miss, we need you over here!" She shook off the grief that threatened to overwhelm her and focused on saving the men who could be saved. She would mourn the loss of these bright spirits when the battle was over.
After a quick nap someone commed and asked her to report to Kenobi in the hangar. Master Unduli had gone missing. Rolling out of bed she put on her armor as quickly as possible and headed for the hangar. She gave Kenobi and Skywalker a small, tight, smile and stepped into the transport ship.
"Liera." She looked over at Kenobi. "Master Unduli was following Poggle's trail to an old abandoned temple. During her holocall she was attacked and we lost communication. We're going to need your help finding her." She nodded.
When they landed she practically threw herself out the door. She felt mild amusement and concern from the men and gave them a look of disapproval that must not have been very heated since one of the men had to stifle a chuckle.
They entered the dusty temple and Skywalker ordered the men to spread out to search for any clues. Stepping further into the ruins she sat on the ground and closed her eyes. The first spirits she felt were Skywalker, Kenobi, Cody, and Gearshift. All who sang with the force. Although she had only spoken with Gearshift twice she had memorized all of the clones force signatures and names. The next spirits she felt were those of the other clones, all focused on their duty. She vaguely heard Kenobi and Skywalker talking but she pushed that perception away and focused solely on her mind.
Down below, right beneath their feet, there were small flickers of… something. It felt sentient but… not. Every once in a while there would be this pulse and the small flickers would pulse in time with them. Gasping when a hand touched her shoulder she looked up into Kenobi's worried eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Help me up." Once on her feet she walked over to the stone lid that had been moved. "There's something down there. Whatever they are they're small and semi-sentient. I think it's part of the Hive mind. So be prepared for the enemies to be a lot smaller than the Geonosians we've been fighting up until now…" She stopped, folding her arms across her chest. "Could they be some type of larvae? Does anyone know the growth stages of Geonosians?" Kenobi was looking at her, his eyes lit with curiosity.
"I don't think anyone has seen or heard of Geonosian young. Are you sure that's what you sensed?" She nodded as the men spread out further.
"That is one ugly bug." Turning she looked over at Kote before following his gaze up to a stone sculpture above the large doorway. It was a Geonosian with a strange hooded carapace.
"I haven't seen one that looks like that before." Skywalker said thoughtfully.
"I don't believe anyone has. It could be the Geonosian Queen." Liera shuddered.
"The Bugs have a Queen?" Skywalker asked with a hint of disgust.
"Hmm. Rumored. But we haven't found any proof of her existence." Stepping up next to the two of them she looked up at the sculpture and frowned.
"I think it's highly probable they do have a Queen." They looked at her and she looked at the two of them before explaining. "They're a Hive. Research into all hive minded sentient species have shown that at least eighty-four percent of hive minded species are sexually diamorphic with the females having the ability to metamorphose into a sole fertile queen." She received a blank look from Skywalker and a considering one from Kenobi. "You have to take advanced biology and genetics courses to become a healer." Skywalker still looked confused, although there was now an appreciation in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Just don't ask me about astrophysics or navigation." She mumbled bashfully.
Kenobi walked over to the large opening and looked down the stairs. "It's this way." Kote ordered the men forward and they all headed down the stairs into the dark.
Skywalker and Kenobi lit their blue lightsabers and she chuckled. "I think this might work a little better." Flicking on her own lightsabers she held Haven out to Kenobi. The man looked at her in surprise but respectfully took the saber. Liera already knew that her adegans approved of the man, otherwise he wouldn't have felt them resonate with her when he gave them back months ago. Turning she held out Guardian to Skywalker, feeling that it would be better suited to his personality. Guardian was the more aggressive of the two and fiercely loyal.
"No, you should keep a weapon for yourself." She smiled but respected his choice. Guardian hummed with approval as she held up the blade to light their path.
"Miss, please move back here." She looked up at Kote and felt his steady determination. It was not a request. Stepping back she let most of the men move ahead of her, leaving a few for the rearguard. She knew her place as a healer and as someone who was not a part of the chain of command.
As they walked she felt outward with her senses, feeling for any signs of life. Everything down in the tunnels was so dead, dark, and dry it made a shiver run down her spine. She had never been afraid of enclosed spaces, or the dark, but the idea that there was something in their with them that she couldn't identify had all of her senses on high alert.
"This leads to a dead end." Kote stopped and knelt next to a lower opening in the wall. "This one goes down the furthest. Sir, I'd say that's our best bet." Kenobi knelt next to the commander and looked into the darkened space.
"I'll go first." Said Kenobi. Crawling through the tunnel was not Liera's idea of a good time. If something were to happen it would be far too easy to become trapped. Once she was on the other side she let her senses wander while they waited for the others. She snapped back when one of the men put a hand on her shoulder.
They followed the tunnels, going deeper and deeper into the earth. She wasn't sure how long they'd been walking when Kenobi's comm chirped and a holo of Master Unduli appeared.
"If you're following me you must leave this place! Just get out! I repeat; fal-" The call cut out suddenly and Kenobi put the comm away.
"She must be close by. Come on!" Kenobi called, preparing to rush ahead.
"Wait!" The man halted at her cry, as did the soldiers. They all turned to look at her, tensions high.
"If we rush we'll get lost and separated! That won't help Master Unduli. Let's be smart about this." Kenobi and Skywalker frowned at her but she stood her ground. "Give me Haven." She held out her hand for her lightsaber and Kenobi handed it back to her obediently. Taking point she sent out her senses and felt the same small pulses she'd felt from above. "There are enemies ahead. If we'd have rushed we would have walked right into an ambush." She gave Kenobi and Skywalker a disapproving look. At least one of them had the good grace to look abashed.
"This way." She set a quick pace but it wasn't the blind dash the other jedi would have set. It's what ended up saving their lives.
They entered a large chamber and she stopped, motioning the others to wait. "I can sense them but…" A spine tingling screech from above alerted her to the presence of the enemy and she dove out of the way as they launched themselves at her position. Stunned when full sized Geonosians attacked she kicked out at one before slashing it with her lightsabers. It didn't even hesitate to launch itself at her again.
"Kenobi!" She yelled, eyes wide with terror. "They're already dead!" Decapitating one of them she watched it's body fall and felt a rush of relief. "Central nervous system!" Seeing the clones struggling she dodged passed two Geonosians, leaving them in a stumbling heap, and stopped next to the commander. "Kote, catch!" She tossed Guardian at him and without thinking he grabbed the weapon and ignited it. The man only had a moment or two to show his surprise before he started cutting off heads with his jedi.
"Aim for that column! Everyone back into the tunnel behind us!" He called, pointing out a central support pillar. The men turned their attention to the column as they retreated back into the previous tunnel. The room collapsed in front of them, a billow of dust making her cough as she leaned against a stone wall.
"What were those things?" Skywalker asked breathlessly. "They just kept getting up again."
"I've heard stories of a Geonosian Hive mind so strong, so powerful, it can keep its connection to its warriors even after death." Skywalker's eyes went wide.
"That's impossible." Liera shook her head.
"No, it's not." She unhooked her canteen and took a sip of water to get the dust out of her mouth. After spitting she wiped her mouth and pushed off the wall. "Parasites. The larval stage of Geonosians must be some kind of parasite that can hijack a sentient's central nervous system. If you send electrical impulses through the brain you can make a corpse twitch." Skywalker was looking at her with fascinated horror. She hugged herself and shivered. "It's vile." While Liera respected all life she had never been particularly fond of insects. Even if some of them were fascinating, even beautiful. Things like worms or centipedes made her skin crawl.
"So you believe the stories are true and the Geonosians have a larval stage that can control dead sentients?" She let out a shuddering breath.
"If they work the way I believe they do then they can probably control the living as well. We have to inform the medics. If they can control other sentients then no one who leaves the planet can be considered safe." A dreadful silence followed her words and she felt terrible for the shock and fear that ran through the clones. They already had such little control over their lives. Bodily autonomy was sacred to the clones, to think that someone could just take it away at a moments notice…
"Miss." Kote held out Guardian to her and she smiled. Reaching for his hand she curled his fingers around the weapon. She could feel how much her dear friend liked the commander and knew he would need it. Normally Guardian only liked those who had at least some affection or sense of duty toward her, someone who would protect her, but it seemed to like Kote in general.
"Hold onto Guardian for now. You'll need it to protect your brothers… and Obi-wan." There was a mild feeling of embarrassment and fierce protectiveness before the man's emotional shields snapped back into place. Liera tried to hide her smile but was pretty sure she failed.
"I've tried to call for reinforcements but we're too deep underground. Hm. Normally I would send someone but if you're right about this then anyone we send is a potential victim that will be turned against us. We should all stick close together."
"I agree, Sir. Miss." Kote turned back to look at her and she bit her cheek when Kenobi noticed the lightsaber at is hip. There was a look of surprise then curious consideration. "Can you stop those things if they infect one of us." Liera frowned.
"I… may be able to. I can try to disrupt the electrical signals it sends and draw it out but that could be very dangerous. Please be careful, I don't want to have to try." There was so much that could go wrong. She'd rather not risk it.
"We'll be careful, Miss. Can any of you sense General Unduli?" The commander turned back to the group at large. Skywalker blinked at him for a moment then muttered something under his breath. Kenobi looked at him, mildly exasperated and amused.
"Her presence is faint, but she's in that direction." She pointed in the vague direction of the jedi master. Kote looked at his mapping system and found a tunnel that would lead them toward her location.
"This way."
[Cody]
The lightsaber now on his belt, normally where Obi-wan's would be whenever the lovable di'kut lost it, pulsed with the force. The moment his hand had closed around it in the middle of the fight he had felt it's near sentience probing his mind. It was unlike Haat'buir's green lightsaber or even the Dha'kad'au. Whatever it found inside him it rang with approval and urged him to fight, to protect all he held dear with both of his hands. It was very liberating.
At the front he checked the mapping system again and made a turn. One more tunnel crawl later and they entered a slightly wider corridor.
"The air is warmer here, we must be getting close." Obi-wan whispered, just loud enough the sound wouldn't travel up the tunnel.
"Ugh. Forget the heat, it smells down here." Skywalker coughed and Obi-wan warned him not to be so loud. Cody just thanked the filtering system in his buy'ce.
They saw light coming from the end of the tunnel and the jetii thumbed off their lightsabers. They slowed and crept around the edges of the jagged doorway. The scene that met them made him shudder involuntarily. A group of broken and shambling Geonosians were surrounding a giant, fat, slug like bug that he assumed was the queen that had been talked about earlier.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Cody wished Skywalker hadn't said that. Things tended to get worse whenever those words fell from the walking disaster's lips.
"That must be the queen." Obi-wan said as Liera came around and peeked into the room. Hew eyes glowed faintly and he could sense her doing something with the force.
"Any sign of Luminara?" Turning on his scanner he surveyed the room carefully.
"I see her. She's suspended near the throne."
"Perfect. What about Poggle?" Skywalker asked. Cody pursed his lips.
"He's speaking with the queen." Skywalker's expression shifted and Cody had to bite his tongue.
"Good. You take the soldiers, I'll take the queen." Of course he would. Selfish utreekov.
"Must you always rush into things?" Someone tried, and failed, to hide a snort. They all knew that Obi-wan was just as likely to rush headlong into battle as Skywalker was.
"Oh no. You don't actually want to talk to it, do you?"
"As a matter of fact I do." No… really? Cody sighed in the privacy of his helmet. "Anakin, Don't you wonder why they took Luminara captive? Why not just kill her?" Skywalker rolled his eyes.
"She's leverage, she's a hostage!" For once he was inclined to agree with Skywalker. Would wonders never cease?
"Leverage for what? No, there's something going on here and these… zombies are connected to it." Obi-wan said with stubborn finality. Even Skywalker seemed to know when he'd lost as his shoulders drooped and he finally caved to his former master's whim.
"Sir, I-" With a sudden sharp spike in the back of his mind the world before his eyes suddenly fell away. He was standing behind a pillar, watching Obi-wan and Skywalker talking to the bug queen. She had her corpse minions take away their lightsabers and threatened to mind-worm them. When the talk broke down and the generals made their move Cody and his brothers turned on their lights to startle and confuse the bugs. But of course it didn't work. The corpses couldn't really see them. They just kept coming and they had to break more pillars to cave the room in. They lost one brother to the cave in and one later running toward safety. He could feel the force thrumming with uncertainty and grief.
"-ody!" Someone hissed his name close to his ear and he realized his helmet had been pulled off. The two of them were back down the tunnel and away from the faint light of the queen's chamber. He looked into Obi-wan's worried eyes and gripped the man's forearm to steady himself.
"I'm back, Sir." Obi-wan relaxed and smiled at him in relief. Cody had to force down the urge to pull his jetii closer. "I know what the queen wants. Or at least what she'll say if you go into that room." The man's eyebrows rose. "She wants revenge, to use the jedi as hosts. The initial plan doesn't work… we lose two brothers." Obi-wan's grip tightens on him. "Those creatures are blind, flashing them with light isn't going to stop them."
"But it should stall the queen." Cody shook his head.
"No, they can function independently. We need to get in, grab the General, and get out without being noticed. Or take them all out at once." He saw the pained look in Obi-wan's eyes and sighed. Without thinking he tilted his head forward and pressed his forehead against his jetii's. He felt a spike of surprise before the man began to calm down again. "I know you want to preserve life whenever you can. But we don't have that option right now. We need to save General Unduli, she is our top priority." Obi-wan swallowed hard but Cody could feel his growing acceptance in the force.
"If you two are done over there we have a problem!" Hissed Skywalker. Obi-wan practically sprang away from him, like a cadet caught doing something they shouldn't. Cody sighed, gently pried his helmet from Obi-wan's grasp, and slipped it back on.
"What's the problem General?" Creeping back down the tunnel to where the others were hiding he saw Liera and Gearshift with their heads together.
"Commander. It looks like they're planning to use General Unduli to infiltrate the Jedi and take over GAR." Obi-wan's eyes rose as Gearshift explained.
"How do you know?" The man shifted, his helmet turning slightly toward Cody for approval. He nodded. Obi-wan already knew they were force sensitive, and he'd already explained their abilities. Under the circumstances his dini'la jetii probably just forgot.
"I can understand and speak Geonosian, Sir. I can understand and speak most languages as long as I'm exposed to it long enough. Except when I don't have the proper anatomy for it." Some languages were more than just spoken word, after all.
"I see." An awkward silence descended and no one spoke for a long moment.
"This is ridiculous. Get me close enough to the queen to touch her and I can stop the mind worms." That sudden statement was startling enough that everyone turned to look at the young healer. "I just need to disrupt the electrical signals she's giving off. Rather than shut them off completely and have the larvae become independent I can scramble the orders so they'll attack each other instead." Bright purple eyes shone in the darkness, determined and stubborn. Cody could now see why his little brother was so enamored with her. She was just as straight forward and crazy as he was.
"Know any tricks to keep from being detected?" She chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head.
"No. I'll need a distraction." Cody let out a slow breath.
"Looks like you'll get to speak with the queen after all." Skywalker looked between him and Obi-wan for a moment before silently throwing up his hands.
They all got ready to move and his dini'la jetii walked into the chamber as if this were a social call with tea and biscuits. Stars the man was infuriating. The banter between Obi-wan and Skywalker was similar to his vision but there was a different feeling in the air. Already he could feel things shifting around him and the strain from before was slowly melting away.
Following closely behind Liera, in case she needed some back up, they hid behind a pillar as Obi-wan began to speak with the giant bug. He was surprised the thing spoke Basic, even if it was still difficult to understand with the odd screech of rage thrown in. Liera tapped his arm twice to get his attention and he turned his attention to her. She motioned with her hands and he understood what she was getting at immediately. They snuck past the distracted corpse guards while Obi-wan tried to 'negotiate' the Geonosian queen's surrender.
When they were right next to the throne he laced his fingers together and braced himself. Liera put her foot on his hands and a hand on his shoulder. The moment she was ready he threw her with all his physical strength, only bolstered a little by the force. She flew in a graceful arc, flipping backward and landing behind the queen's crown like carapace. The queen began to shriek horribly and all the bugs started to go crazy.
Cody pulled out the lightsaber he'd been loaned but didn't turn it on, not yet. Suddenly everything went quite and there was a low thrum in the force that he sore he could actually hear. The corpse guards froze before they started to flail around. The next moment they were intent on attacking each other and Liera was stepping away from the dazed queen. She dropped down to the ground as Skywalker freed the captured General.
"That was a bold move. Was the talk letting me be infected really necessary?" Liera looked startled and quickly went to check on the General.
"We should do this outside, who knows how long those bugs will stay focused on each other." Skywalker tugged Poggle along while something squirmed in Obi-wan's hand. "Sir! Is that a mind controlling worm?" Why? Why did his jetii have to be so daft?
"It is, I wish to study it. It could prove helpful if we do find some of our men have been infected." With a disapproving tut Liera pulled out a small container and held her hand out for the worm. Obi-wan handed it over and he saw the look of utter disgust on her face before the worm went limp and she stuffed it into the container.
"You hold onto it, Kenobi. It's your science experiment." She couldn't get rid of the thing fast enough it seemed. Well, they now knew two of the healer's weaknesses. Flying and bugs.
"Let's move out!" He called, motioning a retreat with his hand so the brothers farther away could see. As a group they left the chamber, with their captive in tow. Poggle tried to screech something but Gearshift screeched and clicked back at him. The Seppie leader stared at the brother in confusion.
Cody was the last to leave the room. For a moment he wavered between being a proper Commander and doing what his Buire had always taught him. With a muttered curse he chose to be Kote and do what was best for his brothers and his cyare. Raising his carbine he quickly aimed and took the shot. A hole opened up in the middle of the Geonosian queen's head and he felt a wave of satisfaction. Liera was the only one to stop and turn back to look at him. He caught her eyes and saw a flash of confusion and concern. She must have felt the death of the queen.
"Go!" He commanded. She ran after the others.
"Pyro, set some charges. I want to bury this place when we're safely on the surface!" He didn't even listen for an affirmative. Drawing the lightsaber he cut down the corpse guards that had stopped fighting one another to follow them. With a shove of the force he pushed them all far back down the corridor and turned to jump up into the vertical shaft that would lead them to the surface.
When they were finally out he motioned for Pyro to detonate the charges They all felt the ground shift and buckle beneath them but it didn't give way. "Fill the hole!" He called to Gearshift. In tandem they used the force to throw as much rubble down the vertical shaft as they could. He was only mildly surprised when Obi-wan and General Luminara aided them. When the shaft was well and truly blocked he let himself collapse onto the ground for a short rest. His hands were shaking. Gearshift looked no better.
"Let me help. Kenobi, you see to Cody." He looked up when his name was spoken and saw Liera kneeling next to Gearshift, doing something to him to help quell the shakes. Obi-wan knelt next to him and placed a hand against his chest plate.
"Hm. It's not too bad. You haven't exhausted yourself. It's more like an adrenaline shock. It's been too long since you last used that amount of power, hasn't it?" Reaching up he gently wrapped his hand around Obi-wan's wrist, giving off a feeling of gratitude. The man looked at him, eyes widening in surprise, before his ears turned slightly red and he carefully pulled away. Safely hidden inside his bucket a broad grin had worked its way across Cody's face. There was hope after all.
The trip back from the ruined temple was a little tense. Liera went to every man and delved deep to see if anyone had somehow been infected. She said they were clean but they should be scanned anyway. Thankfully it had been declared safe enough to land the Negotiator. Which meant they had the medical equipment needed to scan for the damn worms.
Submitting to a scan, along with every brother who had set foot on Geonosis, he was cleared of the mind worm and allowed to crash in his own bunk. Although on the way out of medical he saw Helix and Vent arguing, which didn't fill him with confidence. If their two chief medical officers were arguing that heatedly over scans then it meant something was terribly wrong. He hesitated but knew there was nothing he could do for the time being. Not while the two of them were still arguing. All the medical jargon would go over his head. He'd wait for the report and search them out later. After a few good hours of sleep.
[Liera]
Once the scans had gone through and she knew that everyone was safe, or as safe as could be, she finally allowed herself to process. Marrow saw the look on her face and sent her to her quarters to rest. With a sigh she complied.
Inside her room it felt empty and desolate, much like the desert around them. She could feel the lights of the troopers around her but they were all so far away. Stripping out of her armor and undoing her hair she flopped down onto her bed in just the black bodysuit. She stared at the ceiling for long moments and shivered. She couldn't be alone right then. She needed to be near someone. Kix was busy helping the vode, Jesse and the others were busy with their own tasks…
Closing her eyes she let her senses wander until she found what she was looking for. Eyes snapping open she got up from her bed and left her quarters. She received some surprised looks from troopers she passed, which was fair. She was walking around in only the black bodysuit after all. But no one tried to stop her as she wandered the halls of the Resolute.
Stopping in front of the right door she pressed the button and frowned when it didn't open. She hesitated for a moment before knocking.
The door opened and the look on the Captain's face was one of surprise. It must have been the look in her eyes, or maybe her emotions spilling out into the force, but he took one look at her and pulled her into his quarters. With a sigh of relief she let herself be pressed against a broad chest, laying her forehead against his collarbone. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and cradled her head, letting her feel safe enough to break down. The silent tears came as her body trembled from grief. So many lives lost for nothing and it weighed heavily on her mind.
"Hush. Calm down, our white medic." His kind voice next to her ear was soothing as he held her tightly.
"My heart hurts." She managed to choke out through her sobs. Rex inhaled sharply in surprise before his hold shifted. Picking her up easily he took her over to the bed and eased her down onto it gently. As if afraid she might break.
"Don't worry, just rest." He murmurs to her as he settled onto the bed and pulled her to him, fingers gently stroking her hair. "I've got the watch."
By the time she stopped crying she was too tired to move. The steady warmth and safety of someone she trusts with her life was enough to lull her to blessed sleep.
[Rex]
He watched her carefully as her eyes slowly closed and her breathing finally calmed. Letting out a relieved sigh he shifted the blankets so the both of them would be covered and tucked Liera against his side. It had been a long fucking day and he was already exhausted to the bone. But seeing her there, next to him, safe and sound… it eased a tension in his chest he hadn't noticed before. A protective arm twines around her waist and gentle fingers stroke a slender hip through the black bodysuit. This wasn't like comforting a cadet when they had a nightmare, or helping a shiny who was torn apart by grief. It almost felt like something… more.
Rex isn't sure when he fell asleep, just that he had. There's a flurry of knocks on the door to his quarters before the door opens on its own. Jesse rushes inside, feeling slightly panicked in the force. "Captain! We can't fin-" Rex lifts his head to glare sleepily at the ARC trooper. The man stopped dead just inside the room, eyes going wide. Next to him he felt something shift. Confused he turned his attention away from Jesse and toward whatever it was beside him.
"Jesse? What's wrong?" Voice thick with sleep, long hair mussed, and eyes half lidded, Liera looks over his chest and toward the ARC. Rex froze for a moment in surprise before forcing himself to calm down and relax.
"I, uh, no-nothing's wrong. Don't worry, little sister." With a sleepy smile she nodded at the shocked trooper before laying her head back down on Rex's chest, falling back to sleep almost instantly.
"What the shab Rex?" Jesse dropped his rank altogether and his voice lowered, eyes flashing dangerously. Rex inwardly cursed, knowing that Kix and Jesse have adopted Liera as a true sibling. All that was really left to do was say the adoption vow to make it legally binding. "If you don't have a good explanation for this vod there are plenty of people who would be more than happy to kick your shebs!" He hissed angrily.
"Shut up! Don't wake her up again." Carefully pitching his voice so Jesse can hear him he glances at the woman asleep on his chest. "She came to me crying, vod. She needed comfort and to feel safe. That's all. You know what happens to force users around too much death, and she cares a hell of a lot more than some people." Hell, even he was surprised she'd come to him. Kicker, Kix, Jesse, even Fives or Echo. She could have gone to any of them for comfort. Although if he was being honest he'd admit, at least to himself, he was secretly pleased with her choice.
Jesse's eyes narrowed and he pointedly looked over at Rex's hand resting over a feminine hip. He felt his face turn warm but refused to move his hand, that would make him look like he felt guilty about it. Which he didn't. Carefully he gave a one shouldered shrug, so as not to disturb the healer further. Jesse's eyes narrow further and the glare he received could peel the paint off armor. "We'll talk later." He gave the ARC trooper a sharp nod, hearing the threat in his tone loud and clear.
Normally he would have reprimanded Jesse for talking like that to a superior officer but he knew, as they all did, that when it came to family military rank had nothing to do with it. He would let Kix and Jesse bitch and interrogate him all they liked. For now he just wanted to rest.
A small, contented, sigh escaped pale peach lips and Rex couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face. He shifted a little so they were both more comfortable and let himself drift back to sleep.
Mando'a Translations:
Di'kut- Idiot
Dha'kad'au- My Mando'a word for the Darksaber.
Dini'la- Crazy
Buire- Parents
Cyare- Beloved
Bucket- Slang for Helmet.
Shab- Fuck
Shebs- Ass