a/n: Whoaaa, I lagged on this one. Hit a huge wall of writer's block and started EMS school and am now engaged, so I haven't had much time to write for this story. With how much I have on my plate at the moment, chapters for this story will be shorter. In the future, once school is done and my wedding is over, I'll most likely have more time for longer chapters.
Special thank you to my reviewers of the last chapter, Wolfsoldier13, Halifax, and guests! You guys are amazing!
Here is the next chapter of Jate'kara. Enjoy! ~ Echo
Chapter Sixteen: Delta Company
The Battle of Lothal, Part 8
Life around camp was relatively peaceful now. In the days since the hunt, the 66th was able to put its focus on preserving the lives of the wounded troopers rather than worrying about the droids discovering their camp. Yet, the war always did find a way to interrupt said tranquility.
The distant hum of a gunship caught the Jedi's attention. She looked over her shoulder past Green, squinting her eyes in the sunlight. Far off, the small tan body of a LAAT hovered, followed by a series of more gunships. Amongst the flock was the familiar red paint job of a Jedi shuttle.
The Knight shook her head in disbelief and smiled widely, having felt the presence of the Force signature on that vessel.
Green tilted his head curiously, following her gaze to the shuttle. He glanced back to Onika, only to see her sprinting away towards the ship with a laugh. "What's she so excited about?" he asked Lucas, who stood to his left. "I dunno," the captain replied, shrugging. He, too, stopped what he was doing to observe the spontaneous burst of joy.
The shuttle glided down gently in the middle of the clearing, planting its landing gear into the soft grass and mud with a splash. As the engines hummed to sleep, the exit ramp slid out and a hiss escaped the door as it opened. Behind the metal frame was a female Togruta backed by five troopers.
In the last few months, the Jedi Padawan had taken on a more conflict friendly outfit that allowed her a mix of protection and flexibility on the battlefield. She wore a brown long-sleeve crop top, the forearms covered by modified clone trooper armor, and slim light brown cargo pants. Covering her calves were thick-heeled leather boots with an array of buckles on the sides. Attached to her waist was a leather belt similar to the one Onika wore, her double-bladed purple lightsaber clipped on the left side.
Her sienna skin, which the 2nd battalion adopted for their paint scheme, was littered with white tiger-like stripes going across her stomach and chest. The white stripes on her face made up eyebrow markings and a set of "claw marks" on each cheek. Pink lips clashed with her orange skin, and the baby blue markings on her stark white montrals and baby blue eyes stood out from the hodge podge of oranges and browns.
Aloke immediately recognized the Knight running towards her and rushed down the ramp. The two women nearly collided with how fast they were going, but caught each other in a tight embrace.
The clones accompanying Aloke seemed amused by this as they walked past to greet the amassing 66th troopers waiting for them. Green stripes mixed with the sienna clad troopers. The 2nd opted to paint most of their armor plates the orange-red color to showcase white tiger stripes in homage to their leader.
The camp exploded in an outcry of optimism as every available soldier rushed towards the landing sight to welcome their 2nd Assault Battalion brothers. It had been quite some time since the two battalions had the chance to work together. Batchmates were reunited, and others learned quickly of the horrible tragedies and losses the other battalion incurred. A very bittersweet reunion to say the least.
"Are you alright?" Tano asked with a trembling voice. "I felt your pain," she muttered. Onika stiffened at this and let out a shaky breath. "I'm," she paused, uncertain, "Fine."
Knowing what this meant, the Togruta pulled away from Onika, though held onto her shoulders. They were far too close for her to not know there was something deeply wrong with Ka'on. "What happened?" she asked with wide, baby blue eyes. Her montrals, once striped with a light shade of blue, now dulled to bare gray in concern.
Ka'on, taking note of the officers and troopers approaching them, suddenly felt self-conscious. Reading their signatures, she could tell everyone was very confused by the scene. No one was privy to her kinship to Aloke except maybe Ehn'eta. Onika knew the Padawan told her commander almost everything.
"I lost most of my men," the general admitted in a low voice, pulling away from her sister and fighting tears. Seeing how Aloke's face contorted in horror, the shame of her losses washed back. Ka'on felt like she was drowning as the men surrounded both of the women.
"Oni," Tano spoke softly, frowning. It was not admonishing but rather placating. She herself had endured terrible losses during the war, but not to the degree Ka'on had experienced.
Commander Ehn'eta, stepping down the shuttle's ramp, came to stand beside the Togruta. He sported a similar paint scheme to Green, with his arm and leg plates orange and a wide stripe down the middle of his chest. Claw marks adorned his thighs and sienna visor shield. Unlike Green, Ehn'eta wore a black kama in addition to his pauldron.
Nodding respectfully to the general, he looked between the two cautiously. "What's going on?" he inquired, seeing how the other men stared in curiosity.
"Catching up on lost time," the Togruta replied sweetly. Aloke sent the commander a glance that said she didn't want to end her conversation with Onika just yet. Turning back to the Jedi Knight, she sighed. "That explains the darkness I felt surrounding you," Aloke said. Onika hesitated before dipping her head in agreement.
Ka'on tensed as she felt Green walk up beside her. With a sheepish look, she added, "That's not the only reason." Before Onika could finish, Green lightly brushed past her respectfully as Ehn'eta approached him. The ARC brothers gripped each other's forearm in a Mandalorian greeting, Ehn'eta clasping Green's shoulder with his free arm. "Good to see you, vod," he exhaled.
"You too," the emerald-marked commander replied. There were so many things he needed to tell Ehn'eta, but looking over at Onika, he could tell the ladies needed their moment to speak as well. Gesturing away from the growing circle, Green led his brother away from the Jedi. Calling the men over as well, the commander spared his general the many eyes on her and Aloke.
Ka'on sent him a thankful look when he glanced at her. Nodding in acknowledgement, the ARC fell into conversation with his closest brother.
"What do you mean?" Aloke asked, pretending as though she hadn't seen the exchange. There was a different air between her sister and the commander compared to Onika's last report of their working relationship. Much different. In fact, the last time Tano laid eyes on the two of them together, it was very hostile and spiteful; now, the Jedi and clone seemed to regard one another with respect.
Ka'on folded her arms and gazed off into the horizon. Her hair danced in the wind, blonde ends catching on the edges of her cracked armor. Golden eyes analyzed the sky turning pink-orange and imagined billowing smoke rising from the ash-covered earth of war. A sight too often ingrained into her memories these past few months.
"I lost control of it again."
The statement was so casual, so emotionless, that it alarmed Tano. She knew of the raw power Onika was trained to contain within herself, and had witnessed her sister plummet into the abyss before.
It was one of the main reasons, if not the reason, the Jedi Council bonded them when they were toddlers. Aloke's role was to keep her partner on the right path and in a sense to channel darkness away from her and expel it. While Onika was very adept at manipulating the physical realm of the Force, Tano was proficient in the spiritual aspects of it and used her skills to affect people's minds, attitudes, and decisions.
Aloke had feared that this would happen. Their separation from fighting battles so far from one another occluded the Togruta from recognizing the signs of Onika struggling and treating them. But to see Ka'on so open and accepting of the growing darkness within her was surely concerning.
"How bad?" Aloke inhaled sharply, looking from Onika to the men obviously having a good time catching up. She caught Green glancing at Ka'on more than what was normal, the Padawan able to see right through his helmet and read his outward thoughts. From this, she made a mental note to warn him of shielding his thoughts better if he didn't want to be exposed.
"A giant Force push that obliterated about a battalion of droids," Onika admitted modestly. She wasn't proud of her act beyond being able to save her men. In that moment, her only goal was to get Green-the men, out of danger. Aware of her sister reading her thoughts, Ka'on was able to correct that statement before the Togruta got any smart ideas about her commander.
However, the general was a little too late for that. Aloke was already starting to form an opinion about the duo, but that could be addressed later.
"Tell me more about it," Tano encouraged, giving Onika her full attention. Though the young woman did not want to relive the memory, she knew Aloke was trying to balm the pain and prevent another outburst.
Many yards away, the men of the 66th and the 2nd excitedly reunited and shared battle stories of the last month. The boys of the 2nd made themselves comfortable in the camp after their long journey from Muunilinst to Lothal and past the blockade. There would be time for organizing supplies later. The medical teams were the exception, running back and forth between the gunships and their makeshift tents to resupply their stocks.
"You're one lucky son of a bitch, Green," Ehn'eta barked a laugh as Green recounted their crash landing. Though a morbid story, the ARCs always covered their pain with sarcasm and humor to cope with it.
"That I am," Green scoffed and then gestured back towards the Jedi. "You like working with Commander Tano?" he asked, "You guys have done pretty well the last couple months."
Ehn'eta nodded with a smile in his emerald green eyes. He had removed his helmet and clipped it onto his belt to enjoy the crisp air. Though his brother didn't copy him, he continued to converse nonetheless, rubbing the sore muscles in his neck and grimacing slightly.
His bodysuit failed to conceal the jagged scar running from his chin down the right side of his neck, or the faintest hint of the tattooed tally marks on the left side of his neck. It wasn't completely visible, but they added up to thirty, hence his name.
"She's great," Ehn'eta responded, "Learns fast and gets the job done quick." It didn't take a Jedi to feel the jealousy pulsing off Green's form.
"I take it you and Onika still aren't getting along?" the 2nd commander asked, smirking as his brother took a peek at the mentioned Knight. Tano wasn't the only one who noticed how much Green looked at Onika.
"We're," Green paused when he saw Onika and Aloke smiling and embracing once more. He wished he had the working relationship Ehn'eta and the Togruta had, while also envying the attention Onika gave Tano. "Working on it," he finished and turned back to his brother. Ehn'eta still had that dastardly grin that struck Green's nerves. Great, now his vod was getting ideas.
"I guess they know each other?" the helmeted clone stated rhetorically in an attempt to escape whatever mockery was coming his way. This brought Ehn'eta to a puzzled look. "Aloke has mentioned her before when we were on Muunilinst," he said, "Something about them training together."
"Ah," Green huffed, "Onika has never mentioned your Jedi before." He noticed the women working together on their previous mission to the Muun planet, but had no insight on how closer they were.
"Something's bothering you," Ehn'eta stated after a moment of silence, pulling on his helmet. When you grow up side by side with a man nearly identical to you, it's not hard to know when something is up, similarly to how Aloke and Onika read each other so well.
Green didn't hesitate to speak the truth, as he was the closest with his batchmate. Though Ehn'eta was a trickster and liked to push his brother's buttons, the 66th commander has a very strong bond with him.
"I know you're never gonna let me live this down, but," Green groaned and stopped. Glancing back over his shoulder, he felt his heart begin to race faster as the Jedi walked towards them. Stepping closer to Ehn'eta, Green leaned over to say, "My dumbass is letting her fekking get to me."
"The general?" the fellow clone asked with a raised brow under his visor. "What about her?" He had a sneaking suspicion, but wanted Green to confirm it. When the green-striped trooper saw how close the two Jedi were, he whispered in Mando'a, believing it to be a safe language. "Ni guuror kaysh." I like her.
Emerald eyes widened in disbelief as the 2nd commander reeled back slightly. It was too late for further discussion, but Ehn'eta put it on his to-do list.
"You boys all chatted up?" Tano asked, looking at her commander expectantly. Though they were both technically of the same rank, Aloke had taken somewhat of a more dominant leadership role in her battalion, the men respecting her greatly. So, when Ehn'eta answered with a nod, the Togruta smiled close-lipped and held out a hologram display of the capital.
"Good, cause we have a lot of preparation to do," she said. Green gave her an odd look after analyzing the picture. He hoped she wasn't going to say what she was about to, but was thoroughly disappointed.
"Rendezvous with Kenobi's forces is at 1350 tomorrow two kliks from the main gate," Aloke informed, passing the device over to Ka'on for inspection.
"Thankfully we'll have better numbers this time," Onika breathed out, feeling a bit of relief. However, she sensed an angry aura and looked up through her lashes to see, or rather feel, Green glaring at her. Before the woman could challenge him, Tano spoke up. She wasn't oblivious to the emotions swirling between Onika and Green like Ehn'eta was, and wanted to distract the two as long as she could.
"I brought Delta Company," Aloke said, "The other three companies will be here by nightfall. We've also broken through the blockade so Commander Falcon can give air support." Green wasn't swayed.
"Good," Ka'on stated, trying to be positive, "Three battalions and a few squadrons should be enough." An annoyed grunt came from her commander, making the Knight roll her eyes in irritation. Tano was about to prompt Green for an explanation, but he needed no such invitation.
"Who's going to babysit the sick and unarmed men?" was the ARC's curt question. Ka'on, not wanting to go down the bickering road with him again, crossed her arms and mentally asked Aloke to answer him. The Togruta eyed her sister carefully before turning to Green, a blank look on her striped face.
"In addition to Falcon's support," Tano started, earning Green's attention. She now understood the constant tension between Onika and the man once she felt the searing heat from his gaze. Immediately, she was able to read that there was something dark surrounding him. Pressing it to gauge how to continue, the Togruta felt Green jump back in the Force to protect his inner demons.
The man stood back, feeling a shudder pass through him. It was such a familiar feeling to when Onika would look into him with the Force. He hated how personal it was.
"There is a convoy of medical gunships on their way to transport the wounded off planet now that the blockade is divided," Aloke finally said.
Ehn'eta wasn't too sure what had just transpired, but could tell from his brother's body language that he was untrusting of Tano after she approached him. To try and soothe the situation, the fellow ARC stepped forward and clapped Green on his pauldron. "Good news, brother," he said, Green not looking at him, "We can get our vode an out and finish this battle."
The 66th commander was apprehensive, shaking his helmeted head and looking off towards camp. All he wanted was for everyone, not just the sick, to retreat to avoid the inevitable death awaiting them. Even if they were very tactical, three battalions would suffer countless losses against a droid factory army.
Ka'on, hearing his outward thoughts, huffed and looked at Aloke. "I'm gonna go check on the wounded," she said, not waiting for a response. Tano was slightly unnerved by this, only because she knew Green was the cause for Onika's departure. She held back a glare and then looked to Ehn'eta. He simply shrugged and tried to shake Green back to reality.
"I'll join you in organizing the men in a moment, Ehn'eta," Aloke said. The commander gave her a confused look before understanding her implication. He nodded and removed his hand from Green's shoulder, taking off to complete the task.
Green was not too keen on being left alone with a Jedi, especially one that he didn't know. Therefore, he continued to stare off into space and ignore her.
"I would be careful if I were you, Commander," the Togruta spoke. Her voice was not threatening or aggressive. Green could hear a sympathetic tone coming from her. "Oh?" was all he said as he craned his head to look down at the Padawan. Her eyes were an icy blue, piercing and intuitive. Wise.
"My sister may seem innocent and soft, but she's not." The ARC raised a brow at her use of the familial word under the concealment of his helmet. But she saw it nonetheless. "She can get quite combative if pushed too far," Aloke said. Her eyes came to scan the man over, as if reading him. He suddenly felt uncomfortable and shifted his feet. It perturbed him the way she then gazed up and seemed to concentrate on something. The air around them grew thick as the Togruta's eyes widened slightly and she also stepped back.
"You take care of her," she ordered, walking away with a suspicious look on her face. Green felt stuck in the mud. Ever so confused by the magic these Jedi used, he shook his head and tried to analyze what just happened. 'Take care of her' played over and over in his head. Green worried that she might have seen in his mind how he viewed her fellow Jedi. Oh, fek.
""""""""""""
"You look tired."
Onika lightly rolled her eyes as the injured sergeant ate his food. With an unfortunate lack of dining ware, the men used their hands and made an absolute mess. Ka'o found herself slightly amused by the sight of Grayson dropping shreds of meat all over his lap. He picked up the leftovers occasionally, savoring every bite.
"Exhausted would be a better term," the Knight jabbed, rubbing the calluses forming on her palms.
"Maybe if you didn't stay up all night overthinking," Grayson spoke through bites, "You would sleep better." It was not a mocking statement, but one born of genuine concern. He knew she did not allow herself enough time to rest, as the Jedi was always doing something around camp or sitting by his bedside.
"Green seems to do just fine."
The sergeant nearly choked while laughing. He set down his meal and wiped at his mouth with a forearm. Ka'on chuckled and handed over a rag for him to clean up. He took it gratefully and groomed himself.
Onika noted how he winced from agitating his healing wound. Blue eyes gray in pain. Force healing had done its wonders, but the man still had a long way to go. Red estimated that the GAR would pull him for at least a month if not more. Even then, regulation requires physical therapy to be completed before being cleared for active duty. Thus, Onika would enjoy what time she could with the sergeant she came to see as an older brother figure.
"Green was bred to endure sleep deprivation," Grayson said as he finished, "He also has a massive stick up his ass." Ka'on burst into a small fit of laughter. "So please," her subordinate continued, "Do us all a favor and get some rest."
With a playful huff, the Knight held up her hands to concede. "Very well," she laughed, "I'll try." Grayson ushered her away from his bed with fake annoyance and continued to eat his meal. No further discussion was needed between the two, as Onika internally appreciated his care for her wellbeing.
The sun was already down and the stars began to peek out into the night sky as Onika made her way over to the command tent. Gunships were landing, dropping off the remainder of the 2nd Assault Battalion as Aloke said they would. The medic transports were already starting to take away the critically injured back to the Akul.
Normally, Onika would find a secluded spot in camp to sleep, but the Knight decided it wouldn't be too awkward to sleep amongst the officers, especially now that Tano was there. When she pushed back the canvas flaps, the human Jedi found quite a few officers arranging their sleeping positions.
Ka'on acknowledged the men with a nod as she zigzagged her way over to the Togruta in the back corner. She avoided locking gazes with Commander Green, who bore a hole into her per usual. Aloke was scrolling through battle plans on her datapad when Onika sat down next to her. "Here," she said, handing over the device and a spare blanket.
"Thank you," came the human Jedi's response. She graciously wrapped the fabric around herself and began memorizing the attack plan. Though the light from the screen wouldn't help her fall asleep, Onika wanted to be as prepared as possible.
There was no masking the Alpha-class trooper's presence in the Force, considering the man was laying down on a line of crates barely a few feet away from the Jedi General. Ka'on felt her senses prick in alert every time he glanced her way, but she fought to ignore it. He was most likely plotting his next argument with her, and Onika had no intentions of entertaining it.
Sleep eventually conquered the mentally exhausted Knight. She slipped into a deep sleep, the data pad down by her side. In her slumber, the woman was unable to see Green staring at her. Rather than dwelling on their previous bought of bickering, the commander was contemplating how he could possibly continue working alongside her now that he has accepted his feelings.
What kind of fate would unfurl before him now?