Chapter Thirty-Two: Cataalda Base: Missions

"Is that my shirt?"

Kaila glanced over her shoulder at Poe. She gave a quick nod. "I've been on my ship for..." She paused to do some calculations in her head. "...About two months, except when I was detained by the First Order or on a planet that had recently been through a battle and barely had running water. I haven't had the opportunity to clean anything other than running them through the sonic." She tossed a pair of pants into a bin. "I'm not losing this opportunity to get cleaned up."

Poe slipped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. "You could have borrowed a pair of pants too."

"You really think so?" Kaila laughed, looking down at her own pants. "They'd be shorts on me."

"I'm not that short!" Poe protested.

"You're pretty short." Kaila turned her head and kissed Poe on the cheek, sighing softly. "Leia said no, didn't she?"

"She said no..." Poe hesitated. "And I said no. Kai, Babe... I know you're worried about Ezra, but we just don't have enough troops or enough information to mount a rescue. Are you going to do something stupid like go after them yourself?"

Kaila pulled away, picking up her laundry and walking towards the door. "I know I keep a pretty distant attitude when it comes to the military... But I am still General Hera Syndulla's daughter. I know better than that. If you guys say no, you've got good reason for it. But you're going to have to have a talk with Snap."

"Snap?" Poe repeated. "Why would I need to talk to Snap?"

"I ran into him on my way to your quarters. I told him what was going on." Kaila opened up the door, walking into the corridor. "If anyone was going to care it was going to be him. He seemed pretty concerned."

"Why would you tell him that?" Poe trailed after her. "I don't get it."

"His mom and stepfather are in Wraith Squadron, Poe! He deserved to know!" She stopped and sighed, looking around. "Okay, I've never been on this base for longer than an hour. Can you tell me where the laundry unit is?"

Poe strode ahead and took the basket from her. "You shouldn't have worried Snap without reason."

"There's a lot of reason!" Kaila retorted. "You know if the only Jedi on that mission is in trouble, everyone else probably is too. And it's his family. Not to mention Norra Wexley and Wedge Antilles are two of the most decorated officers in the Rebellion and New Republic. You know I don't just want to go after Wraith Squadron because of my family. Wexley, Antilles, Ackbar, Janson... Do you want me to go on with the veteran pilots who went on the mission? With the number of losses the Rebellion has suffered we need them."

"Press that door release," Poe said, gesturing to a door. "I know where you're coming from. And I know where Finn was coming from. He was just as mad at me as you are. But there just isn't enough information. There's a lot of moves to make."

Kaila opened the door and walk to the washing unit. Poe dutifully stood to the side as she put her clothes into the unit. She then stripped off her pants and threw them into the unit. She closed it up and set the cleaning cycle. Kaila hopped up onto another unit to watch as the cycle began.

"I get it," Kaila insisted. "I don't need you to coddle me."

"You just seem angry."

"I am angry." Kaila grabbed Poe by the front of the shirt, pulling him between her legs. "But at the situation. Not at you. Not even at the General."

Poe kissed her forehead. "I've never dated someone I'm serving with."

Kaila pulled back. "You know I highly doubt that, right?"

"That is different than dating. A serious relationship..." Poe stroked a hand over her lekku. "...I've got to get used to this."

"I'm not really used to... Serving." Kaila played with Poe's collar. "I've been on my own for a long time. It might take me some time to get used to taking orders."

"You're a Jedi." Poe leaned in. "I thought they were all about orders."

"Ezra wasn't really an 'order-y' Master." Kaila nuzzled her nose against Poe's. "So you're going to have to give me some time to get used to being ordered around... Commander."

Poe groaned. "I think I like that a little too much."

Kaila laughed softly and gave him a long, smooth kiss.

"Looks like I'm interrupting something," a gruff voice said from the door.

Kaila pulled away from Poe and gave a shriek. "Gramps!"

Poe jumped back quickly, straightening himself out. He saluted. "Admiral."

Rex brought up a wrinkled hand, waving Poe off. "At ease, Commander."

Kaila threw her arms around Rex, hugging him tightly. Rex hugged her back. "Look at you, Munchkin. Just as beautiful as ever." He looked down at her bare legs. "Are you sure I'm not interrupting something?"

"Just my laundry." Kaila looked over Rex carefully. He looked good, but there was a frailty to him. Of course, he had long surpassed his life expectancy, due to the intervention of the New Republic and Kaminoans. "How are you doing?"

"Not too bad, not too bad... Just got back from a tune-up on Kamino. Give my chronometer a little turn back." He raised his bearded chin high. "I look good, don't I?"

"Of course you do, Gramps." Kaila kissed him on the cheek. "I've missed you."

"It has been a while." Rex glanced over at Poe. "Any news you want to tell me, Munchkin?"

Kaila pulled back, standing next to Poe. "Well, Poe and I... We're... Kind of... Together now."

"Really?" Rex nodded. "You don't say. Never would've guessed." He narrowed his gaze on Poe. "You know I've fought in every war for the last sixty years, boy."

"Yes, Sir," Poe's voice sounded slightly strained.

"And I couldn't go with Wraith Squadron, so I promised Hera and Ezra I'd look after Kai. She's family."

"Gramps..." Kaila said, a note of warning in her voice. "Being a thirty-four year old Jedi Knight, I don't really need to have someone protecting me from boys. I can take care of myself. Besides, it's Poe."

"I know it's Poe..." Rex said warily. "And you're kissing him in the laundry unit without any pants on."

There was a long, awkward silence. Rex then laughed and punched Poe in the shoulder. "Just funnin' with you, boy. You've been crazy about our Munchkin since you were a kid. And I know how important those necklaces you've both switched are. Make sure to tell your Daddy. Kes'd like to know you're settling down."

Despite the clone's advanced age, Poe was grimacing and rubbing the spot Rex had hit. "Of course, Admiral."

"What's going on, Gramps?" Kaila questioned, looking at her adoptive grandfather suspiciously. She placed her hands on her hips. "You're acting weird."

"I just walked in on you kissing Dameron while not wearing pants," Rex pointed out. "That's going to make you act weird."

"Gramps," Kaila stressed.

Rex sighed. "Okay, something might've come up when I was getting my annual tune-up. I've taken it to General Organa. But you kids just got back from a two and a half week long mission. You're supposed to have at least three DONA."

Kaila looked to Poe. He nodded. They walked passed Rex to the door.

Rex sighed. "Munchkin, if you're going to ignore regulation and talk to the General... Pants?"

Finn stared at the frozen message of Zeroes. He scowled and pushed the holographic projector off of his desk.

Rose frowned deeply, placing her hands on Finn's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to go after the Silencer."

"Not a strategic use of resources," Finn grumbled. "That's what Poe said. Not a strategic use of resources. If even a quarter of the FN Corps is on that ship, that's more soldiers than we have in the entire Rebellion right now."

"You've got to admit, that could be pretty dangerous. Bringing in enough people to outnumber us." It was Poe replying.

Finn and Rose both turned to see Poe standing in the doorway with Kaila. Immediately, Finn got up. "What's going on?"

Poe shook his head. "Don't know. But it's something. We need to find out. We've got to talk to the General."

Kaila stepped into the room. "Listen, Finn... I'm not really happy my plan was rejected either. But something's going on. If it's got Gramps rattled, then..." She paused. "Gramps is the one who brought it to Leia."

"Who's Gramps?" Finn asked, looking to Poe for explanation.

"Admiral Rex," Poe explained.

Kaila was pacing, her lekku twitching. "If Gramps is the one who brought it to Leia, he must have just found out about it. He was just on Kamino for his Rejuvenation Treatment. If he found it out on Kamino, then they must be doing something."

"The cloners?" Finn blinked. He remembered something he heard while they were on the mission. "Where's Ben?"

"Back on the Ghost, I think," Kaila replied. "He was feeling a bit... Uncertain... About staying here."

Finn snorted. He couldn't say he blamed Kylo Ren for being wary of being around the Rebellion. "He said something to me when we were on the mission." He sighed, shaking his head. "It didn't register at the time. We have to go see the General."

Rose jumped up. "Then let's do it!"

Finn looked over at her, frowning. If Rose were to come with, Ben's identity would be revealed. "Actually... I think you have to stay here."

"Why?" Rose demanded.

"It's a long story." Finn braced her arms. "I'll explain later."

Rose frowned deeply at him. "I don't like this."

Finn sighed deeply. "Neither do I."

Leia rubbed her temples as she looked at the gathered crowd of young rebels. They were going against orders and continuing to push themselves. They'd all been ordered to take time off, but they were still here. Had Leia ever been that young?

No, she'd been younger.

She saw so much promise in them. Poe was her natural successor in the Rebellion. She'd been trying to convince Kaila to take a more active role for years. Finn would rise through the ranks quickly. And Rey... She would bring a rise to the Jedi once again.

But there was also Ben. He sat in the corner, scowling. What was his place in this going to be?

She could see the weariness of Rex's face. He'd been old when Leia had met him. The last standing veteran of the Clone Wars. Even with the treatments to give him something resembling a natural lifespan, he was too old to take active missions. But his experience was invaluable to her.

"What did you tell them, Rex?" Leia asked.

"Nothing except he brought something to you," Kaila replied. She was dressed in Rebel issue clothes. Nothing like her usual garb. It made her look so much like her mother. Hera would've also taken command in this situation. Leia missed her. "But we were able to piece it together. He found something out on Kamino. We all know what the Kaminoans do. And there's only one thing that would scare Gramps enough to come to you about it."

Finn glared at Ben. "Not to mention what your son told me on our mission. You want to tell everyone, Ben?"

Leia turned her attention to Ben. He knew. Of course he knew. That had been what had worried her and Rex. They had no idea who had ordered the clone troopers. Just that the Kaminoans were creating a full-scale army.

Ben stood up. "While I was still with the First Order, I dealt with the Kaminoans. General Hux and I had fundamental disagreements as to our troops. He wanted to continue with the stormtrooper program. With troops like FN-2187..." He gestured to Finn. "And now the rest of the FN Corps, it's clear indoctrination is sloppy. I decided to undermine him and order a clone army."

"A clone army?" Leia repeated, not believing what she was hearing from her son's lips. "The First Order is going to have a clone army?"

Ben shook his head. "No. No one in the First Order knows about my dealings. I ordered a clone army. I paid them through back channels. They're built to my specifications."

"What kind of specifications?" Rex's words dripped with contempt.

"The Kaminoans have obviously refined their techniques in the last sixty years," Ben replied. "The aging process is much more fine-tuned, as evidenced by the fact they've been able to keep you alive for decades past your lifespan. I was told it would take six months to create fully-grown clones. Afterwards, the aging process would be exponentially decreased. One year for every ten."

"Any special orders put into them?" Rex stood up, squaring off against Ben. The clone trooper's height had decreased with age, but he was still intimidating.

"No," Ben retorted. "I didn't have any need for that. I just wanted soldiers."

Leia continued to rub her temples, thinking. She needed to think fast. This was a development she hadn't been expecting. "Is there any way the First Order could find out about the clone army?"

Ben seemed to think about this for a moment. He shrugged. "I suppose it's possible that General Hux might be able to decode my communications. Which he probably tried to do, seeing as I left. He'd want to figure out where I would go. What strengths I might have."

"I don't like the idea of using clones," Leia replied. "But I like the idea of the First Order using them even less. Time is of the essence here. This has become our top priority."

"So what do we do?" Poe asked.

"It's not a we situation," Leia replied. "Ben, you were dealing with the Kaminoans. I need you to go through with your deal, but in our favor. Work with Lieutenant Finn."

"Me?" Finn pointed at himself. "Why me?"

"Because you've been trained for twenty years to lead troops into battle. These clones will need a leader. You two will take the Phantom III. It's small, but fast. Make arrangements to have the troops brought here. Finn, you want to go after the Silencer... Kaila, you want to help Wraith Squadron. We need bigger numbers than we do now if we're going to do any of that. I don't like the idea of using clones, but... This is a chance for us."