Chapter Nineteen: Common Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own either Star Wars or Mass Effect. They're just two of my favorite franchises and I wanted to play in the sandbox.

Shepard was late. In the time Rex had known her, she was never late. His day had been spent running drills on the Resolute with the rest of the 501st, their routine procedure as they readied to depart Coruscant. He received a message that she may be late, due to an unexpected meeting with Senator Amidala. When he returned to base to shower and change, news of the security breech at the Senate and the resulting explosion finally reached him. Worry began to settle into his gut, knowing she had been there.

By that point, the situation was under control, so there was no need for immediate action. The details overheard in the locker room, painted the breech as a prank rather than an attack, however as his calls to her went unanswered, the spark of concern grew. He knew if the catastrophic had happened, someone would have contacted him, but the pit of worry still wouldn't fully abate. He had to see her to know she was okay.

The door opened and a large group of troopers filtered in, most going straight to the bar. As the crowd dispersed, he saw the familiar faces of the Normandy team looking around. Rex felt relief, knowing Shepard was likely with her old team. They clearly still had trouble distinguishing between the similar faces of the clones, so Jesse jumped up and retrieved them. More specifically, be made direct line toward Dr. T'Soni and offered his arm to escort her to their table in the back while the others followed. Torrent Company greeted the Normandy team energetically. Everyone was genuinely pleased to reunited for the evening though anxiety returned to Rex at Shepard's absence.

Fives and James immediately went to the bar to order the next round. Jesse continued his attempts to woo Dr. T'Soni. They both seemed to know he didn't stand a chance, but the Liara provided an interested ear to his stories while he enjoyed her fair company. Tup and Kix settled into conversation with Garrus and Kaidan, picking up where they left off as they swapped stories about their best shots, close saves, and near misses. Reluctantly, Rex reluctantly turned back to the table after giving the door a long last look.

"Not to worry, Captain. Shepard will be here soon." Kaidan said, noticing Rex's worried expression.

"You heard from her?" He asked.

"Yeah. She called the ship about an hour ago to tell us where to go. Said she got caught up at the Senate, but would be on her way shortly."

He suspected being 'held up' was an understatement, but knowing she was on her way gave him a measure of relief. Fives and James returned with the next round. One tray was filled with bottles of ale and the other with several bottles of liquor. Glasses were promptly filled, passed, and swiftly consumed. They sat and joined in the banter and they all shared a hearty laugh. James looked across the bar when the door opened and whistled as a devilish grin spread across his face.

"Hey, Captain," He said to Rex and pointed toward the doors. "Shepard's here."

Rex turned in his chair. His body suddenly surged with lust and adrenaline. He expected to see her as he always had in casual, functional attire, whether her fatigues or civilian clothes, with her hair pulled back in either a regulation bun or ponytail. Tactile and practical, as she once said.

Instead, she wore a black leather dress that hugged every one of her curves and displayed her muscular arms and legs. Her fiery red hair, though pulled away from her face, hung loose in a cascade of curls that tumbled over one shoulder. His eye traced across her exposed, defined collarbones and the hollow her neck, then further down to the crescents of her breasts tantalizing him from the top of her dress. The piercing nature of her green eyes was intensified by dark shades of purple. Her already enticing lips beckoned him closer as they curled upward in a smug smile. Her shoes were so tall he wondered how she could walk in them. Impractical as they were, he couldn't help but appreciate the way they changed the shape of her legs and sway of her hips as she moved with predatory grace through the crowded bar.

"If you don't go get her, I will." Fives declared from across table.

The statement propelled him to his feet and he closed the distance between them. A navy officer in a gray uniform was trying to persuade her to the bar. She declined with a smile, politely slid past him, and into Rex's grasp. He immediately pulled her into a kiss, in part because he was caught in a heady frenzy of lust, but he also sought to make it clear she wasn't just another one of the Matron's employees. She was exclusively with him.

"I can see why you're late." He hummed in her ear.

"You like it?" She purred back, letting her lips linger against the thin flesh of his neck.

He pulled her hips firmly toward his to show just how much he enjoyed her appearance. "I can't wait to take you home."

"You guys just gonna fuck right here, or what?" A woman abruptly asked from behind.

"That would be Jack." Shepard blushed lightly and turned, "Jack, this is Rex."

"Pleasure to finally meet you in person." He extended a hand.

"You were right, Shepard. They are pretty cute."

With a wink she breezed past them and sat at the table, where she was eagerly welcomed by the clones. After grabbing the nearest bottle and pulling from it, she joined the conversation. Fives was immediately enamored. Shepard caught his eye and nodded for her to join him at the bar. As she ordered a drink, he stood close and spoke quietly.

"Please tell me your friend is single."

She chuckled, "Oh yeah. Jack is definitely unattached."

"Can you give me any advice?"

Her drink arrived and she thought as she sipped from the glass. "Be confident, but don't get cocky. Just...be yourself."

"That's is?"

"Look, you're an ARC Trooper, you know how to read a field. When it's too early to take a shot or when it's just right. Same concept." She shrugged.

"Okay." He adjusted his pauldron and took a nervous breath.

"And you can thank me because I already told her about you and she's interested. So just play it cool." She playfully pushed his shoulder.

"Really?" An boyish grin crossed his face before he cleared his throat and calmed himself. "Thanks, Shepard."

She handed him the fresh bottle the bartender delivered. "Oh, and don't try to keep up with her. She won't be impressed and you'll need your stomach pumped."

Fives returned to the table. Shepard stood back and smiled fondly at the two families enjoying each other's company. Kaidan joined her.

"Hey Shepard. I'm glad we were able to do this. These are good guys."

"Yeah, they are." She agreed.

"How did mission 'I can't tell you about it, but need to borrow Edi' go?"

"As of now, successful." She replied quietly.

He nodded slowly, "Should I notify the council?"

"Not just yet. The situation needs monitoring for a bit."

"And I take it you need a pretext to stay longer, now that you're contracted to the Republic."

She looked at him sharply.

"The Council will remain suspicious of your loyalty until you come home." He shifted, turning a shoulder to the table and talking quietly.

She matched his volume, "They don't care about what happens to the Republic and if I quit now, they'll assume I've defected to Palpatine's pocket. I'll loose my citizenship and never be able to go home. I just need more time to figure this out."

"They maybe consider telling them about the implants. If there's a greater threat, that you can stop, they might consider letting you stay with their support."

"Kaidan, have they ever listened to anything I've had to say?" She sighed.

"The Council has their issues and they've never given you much leeway, but they're at least a devil you know and they're suspicious of Palpatine already. It's an ally you might need so far from home."

She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. The resources and mobility that came with her Spectre status could be an advantage, even in the Republic. With the right evidence, she supposed it was possible. Regardless, it wasn't what she wanted to think about that night.

Rex looked at her and smiled. He held a hand out to her and beckoned her back to the table. She gladly returned. With no open chairs, he pulled into his lap and rested a hand on her hip. The blades of his fingers drifted unconsciously across an exposed shin or arm, sending shivers up and down her spine. He relished in triggering a reaction from her. She felt his breath on her bare arms when he chuckled every time.

Her body relaxed against his. Draping an arm across his shoulders, she turned her focus to him. Although he looked at ease, there was still a thread of tension in his face. He seemed nervous, but she couldn't understand why. His eyes studied her face. He began to say something, but a sudden question from Tup pulled her attention back to the conversation.

"Shepard, you seriously missed a bottle with training rounds?"

"Oh come on, Garrus." She chided playfully. "Do you have to tell everyone that story? You can't talk about how we climbed exterior of the Citadel tower while facing an army of indoctrinated Geth and Krogan? Or the time we took down a thresher maw on foot to get Grunt laid?"

He chuckled, "Well sure, but I didn't out shoot you those times."

"I'm never living down that damn bottle, am I?"

"It's unlikely." He smugly replied.

She shrugged and smiled incredulously at her best friend. It was a ribbing she could love with. She'd take it to her grave that she missed on purpose.

"Okay, I need you guys to listen up." Rex announced with a serious tone and paused until everyone was quiet. "An important event occurred, which requires our immediate attention. As of zero hundred hours local time on Terra, today is Shepard's birthday."

She immediately blushed deep crimson and looked at the faces of her friends as the loudly cheered for her birthday. James arrived with a tray of flaming shots to celebrate the occasion.

"Alright, which one of you has been conspiring?" She playfully accused of her team drawing a pointed finger around the table. "Fess up now and I'll make it a swift death."

"Come on, Captain! How old?" Jesse asked loudly.

"Older than you, younger than Liara." She jeered back, "That's all you need to know."

Uproarious laughter filled the table. They downed their shots and the party resumed. When Rex excused himself to the 'fresher, James took the opportunity to talk to Shepard.

"Happy birthday, Lola." He said quietly.

She returned a reluctant smile. "If we had been with anyone else, I'd have been furious."

"Yeah, I know." He replied and pulled from his glass. "I know this is usually a hard day for you, but I can't take all the credit. Rex really wanted to do something special for you and we just happened to be all together."

"Did he mention anything else he has planned?"

"If he did, I'd have been sworn to secrecy, so you're on your own." He grinned, "But I doubt you'll be disappointed."

The table conversed loudly and enjoyed the change of pace. Drinks were consumed, stories were swapped, and scars were shared. Periodically several would go to the bar for a round or challenge one another to one of the many bar games available. Music with a heavy base line throbbed for a sparsely filled dance floor.

Fives took her advice and, as the time passed, he and Jack began to form a connection. Shepard noticed the way he would look at her when she wasn't pay attention. Whenever her hand grazed his skin, a faint pink flashed in his cheeks. Little by little, the guarded biotic relaxed with him as well. She subtly postured herself toward him and noticed, but didn't rebuke his arm, when he loosely put around her back, resting his hand on her hip.

"If you're really lucky, you'll get to see Shepard dance before the night is over. It's hilariously bad." Jack joked to Fives.

She shrugged unphased, "The galaxy couldn't handle me if I was a good at everything."

"The night ain't over yet, Shepard. I'm getting your ass out there, one way or another. In the meantime, I want to see how you move."

Fives paled as Jack grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. He nervously followed as she led him to the dance floor. She immediately started dancing to the rhythm of the music in fluid motions, while he just stiffly shuffled his feet and tried not to look foolish. Shepard and Rex watched the display from the table with amusement.

"Should we go help him?" He asked.

"He might be beyond saving." She answered with a chuckle. "And Jack wasn't kidding, I'm a disaster on the dance floor."

He shifted closer, "I've heard anyone can dance. You just need the right partner."

Her eyes narrowed, "Funny. Vega said that to me once, too."

"Look at it this way, you can't be any worse than Fives." He stood and extended his hand.

With great trepidation she accepted and followed him, doubting they'd get many more opportunities to enjoy a night out as a couple until the war was over. To her surprise, he confidently pulled her close, though her posture was stilted and she unconsciously jockeyed for control. Her feet moved in tiny steps, often stumbling into his.

"Jean, look at me." His gentle baritone voice instructed and she immediately met his eyes. "Let me lead you."

He firmed his grip on her lower back, drawing her closer as he coaxed her to relax with the smooth motion of his hips and shoulders. Her doubtful inner voice was muted by the warmth and smell of his skin. His eyes never left hers. With each tentative step, she surrendered control and leaned into trust. The tension in her spine eased as her body synchronized with his. Eventually, she found confidence in yielding to him.

Rex watched the insecurity fade from her eyes. It was replaced by the same fiery passion that made her so inescapably intoxicating. That fire which drew him from the depths of his despair in that very bar mere months earlier. She transformed into a liquid fantasy in his arms, instinctively shifting and turning at his slightest physical cue, set to the throbbing beat of the music. Her muscles coiled and flexed under his hands, exactly as they did while they made love. Together in their own intimate world, he felt more connected to her than he ever had before. Their growing bond was irreversibly rooting within him.

"I never want to be without you." He softly declared. "Once the war is over, I will follow you wherever you want to go, for as long as you want me."

"And here I worried I was pushing you to fast." She replied calmly, though her heart was pounding in get chest.

"Time is precious to me, especially time with you. You are my future, Jean." Lost in her eyes and forgetting their surroundings, he kissed her with deep intensity.

"Get it, Shepard!" Jack shouted from the table, followed by cheers and laughter from the rest.

Rex pulled back and Shepard buried her face in his shoulder, utterly mortified. He wrapped his arms around her for comfort and playfully mentioned how delightful it was to meet the infamous Jack.

Shepard tried to leave the dance floor, leading him away as well. Rex let her get to arm's length then pulled her back into his grasp in dramatic fashion. He hadn't spent two months secretly learning to dance to have her embarrassed back to the table after ten minutes. As she melded against him again, a devilish grin flashed across her face. Uncaring of the ridicule they'd probably face later, they continued dancing until Shepard's aching feet and legs couldn't take anymore.

It was well past midnight when the Normandy team reached their limit and called Cortez for a ride. The clone troopers likewise walked with a sway as the group filtered out the door. Outside, the night was comfortably warm as the banter continued. Jesse was doing his best to close the deal, while Liara smiled and resisted his charms. Jack and Fives stood off to the side. It was clear they were trying to find an acceptable place to spend the night together.

"I'm fairly certain Fives is trying to find a way to sneak Jack onto the base." She commented quietly.

"I hope he doesn't." Rex sighed in reply. "He'll get caught and I don't want to deal with the paperwork."

Taking pity on them, she called the love struck trooper over. After transferring him the access code to her ship, she laid down the ground rules.

"Stay off my bunk. Don't break anything. Clean up when you're done." She instructed in a parental tone.

He beamed and embraced her tightly. Filled with amorous vigor, he ran to Jack and threw her over his shoulder without a word. Bounding to the nearest cab station, he pushed through the group of troopers waiting for a ride. Jack laughed hysterically as he dropped her inside before climbing in himself. The shouting protests of his disgruntled brothers went ignored. He pulled the door closed wearing a roguish grin and off they went.

Shepard received hugs from her team and wishes of good fortune. Everyone of them was reluctant to depart without her. Cortez arrived and it was time to go. She walked them to the shuttle for one last goodbye.

"We'll be in touch." Kaidan said, the last one to step off the deck. "Watch her back, Captain!"

Rex nodded dutifully, taking her hand. "You ready to go home?"

"Yes, my feet are killing me." She groaned.

In a move from the vids, he swept her into his arms and carried her to a waiting cab. The ride to her apartment was brief and he spent the entire time kissing her neck as a hand drifted up her inner thigh. Hers drifted along the waist of his trousers, dipping just low and firmly enough to tease restrained groans from his chest. Despite being the middle of the night with long day ahead of them, it was clear neither was in the mood to sleep.

The door to her apartment had no sooner closed, than he resumed his seduction, nipping and biting his way down her body. His nimble fingers opened the buckles of her shoes, slid them off, and tossed them aside. Shepard sighed loudly with relief as her feet flattened on the floor and the tendons and muscles of her legs returned to their preferred posture. His strong hands massaged up her legs as he stood.

She turned her back to him and pulled her long hair over one shoulder. He found the teardrop shaped zipper tab and slowly pulled it down, exposing her hot skin to the cool air. He smoothed his right hand across her bare back, sending an intense shiver down her spine. His lips carassed the delicate curve of her neck while his hand slid inside her dress and rested on her firm stomach, pulling her firmly against him. Wrapping his other arm around her, he simply enjoying the fact he had this woman in his life to love and who loved him back.

Pulling off his own shirt, he kicked off his boots. With her hand in his, he walked backward until he felt her bed behind him and sat. The blades of his fingers drifted up and down her smooth legs, tracing up the hem of her dress until they grazed her heat. Her hips shifted toward him, craving more of his touch, which he gladly obliged in the circular motion that always made her melt around him. He savored her confident expressions of pleasure. It was an aspect of an intimate relationship he never thought about until he experienced it the first night they met. Watching her unravel at his hands was electric. As it did then, every delighted sigh and sensual moan fueled his own gratification. He intended to ensure they were both left completely and utterly satisfied.

Shepard basked in the afterglow. Rex continued to surprise her with his ability to bring her shuddering ecstasy. Never in her life had she been with a man that was a balance of inexperienced enthusiasm, practiced stamina, and attentive generosity. She inhaled and exhaled a sigh of deep satisfaction. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she enjoyed celebrating her birthday.

Still, a gnawing thought that she had been ignoring ever since receiving her Spectre orders, refused to be set aside any longer. She had been telling herself, failing to convince herself, that the mission was separate from her relationship with Rex. That because they were both professional soldiers, keeping it from him wasn't a problem. There were bound to be certain details that couldn't be disclosed, especially if they were going to be working in the same battalion. At the same time, this felt different. This wasn't a GAR assignment she couldn't talk about. She was sent by her government to act against his. She felt no conflict in her actions themselves, but not telling him felt wrong.

She told Rex she was at the Senate the prior day and, knowing her as well as he did, he undoubtedly knew the event had drawn her in. It was only a matter of time before he started asking questions and she refused to lie to him, whether outright or by omission. Rather than wait until he put the pieces together, making the truth all the more complicated, her only real option was to face it head on. She sat up in bed and rested her arms on her knees. Although she wanted to put it off for another day and curl into him one last time before they returned to the cold, harsh realities of war, sleep would elude her until she told him.

"What's wrong?" Rex asked from the edge of the room divider.

She looked at him without answering, but her expression questioned how he knew.

"You get a wrinkle between your eyebrows when something is bothering you. I've noticed it a lot these last couple days." He sat on the bed and gave her a concerned look.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed, "I have to tell you something, but I need you to hear me out completely."

He nodded and focused on her in an attempt to keep the dozens of worst case scenarios flashing though his mind at bay. When she looked at him, her eyes were a mixture of confidence and fear. Whatever it was, she didn't want to say it, but had no choice. Nervousness stirred in his gut in anticipation of her words.

"The security breech at the Senate yesterday..." She began but paused for a wavering breath. "It was Edi and I. We did it."

"What? Why?" It wasn't a confession he anticipated.

"It was the only way to complete my Spectre mission."

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"Meaning, I tasked Edi with accessing the archive and modifying my sector's coordinates, so we can stay hidden beyond the Outer Rim. You have to understand, the Reaper War brought us to our knees. We may have some technological advances, but we cannot withstand another full scale assault."

"Shepard, the Republic isn't your enemy." He implored.

"I know that, Rex." She gently countered. "It isn't the Republic that has them worried, that has me worried. The Citadel Council is concerned about the Supreme Chancellor's intense interest in the Reapers and their tech. Paired with the nearly unrestricted and increasing reach of his power, they wanted protective measures to be taken, at least for now. Trillions of lives are relying on them to make the right call. The last person who had this level of interest in the Reapers with limitless resources and influence nearly cost us everything."

"The Illusive Man." He had to concede their logic made perfect sense.

"Yes. If Anderson hadn't made it to the beam before me and slowed him down.. .if I hadn't made it at all..." A dark expression ghosted across her face. "Yes, we survived but the price was still catastrophic. We're vulnerable. We can't afford to ignore the empirical evidence of our recent history. If the war ends and the balance of power is restored to the Senate, then okay. The archive has an error. It can be easily fixed. But if it doesn't, if the worst happens...that's my home, Rex. I have to protect it. Put yourself in my place and tell me you'd have done differently."

"I wouldn't have." He quickly replied.

"I can't explain it, but everytime I'm with the Supreme Chancellor, every instinct in my body is screams fight or flight and I don't know why. All I know is not to ignore that feeling." She paused. "Are you going to turn me in?"

"No, I'm not. I can't even be angry with you. It was a mission. You completed it without anyone getting hurt. I almost feel better knowing it was you and not the Seppies." He paused for a breath. "And, I know the feeling you're talking about."

Her gaze leveled and her spine stiffened. "What happened? When?"

With some reluctance, he explained the private meeting he had with the Supreme Chancellor the prior week. As he described the creeping haze he experienced during the conversation, he watched her brows furrow and knit together in thought and concern.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I was worried you'd do something risky and stupid if I told you." He replied with a tone of levity and a knowing arch of his brows.

She rested a hand on his cheek, "Oh honey, by now you should know I'll do risky stupid things with or without your input."

"Yeah, I realize that now." He sighed. "Thank you for telling me."

"Thank you for understanding why I had to do it. "

"Your execution was quite elegant, actually. How did you get her into the building?" His curiosity was genuine.

"There are deactivated droids all over the wards. I found an R2 unit that wasn't too dented, gutted the interior, and installed a remote transponder. After Edi downloaded the program files to a hard-drive, she ghosted credentials off another R2 unit and went to work. The only hiccup was that Skywalker was with the Chancellor. I had assumed he'd be with you on the Resolute all day running drills."

He nodded slowly. "But why disrupt the comms with...There must have been other options."

"I'm sure there were, but you have to admit spamming the Senate with ten zetabytes of porn probability wasn't a situation the troopers were trained to handle on Kamino and further delayed their response time, giving Edi more time."

Rex laughed, "No they weren't. It was the talk of the base too. Most of the 501st was disappointed they missed it. You've done this before haven't you."

The budding incorrigible smile grew across her face. "Edi has too. Just keep it under your bucket, okay?"

He took her hand and placed it on his heart. "I give you my word by all I hold dear, I won't tell anyone. Though a little persuasion might help seal the deal."

"Oh, so it's blackmail, then?" She flirtatiously replied, turning her body and toward him. "I've been a bad influence on you."

"Just a little." He rumbled in a dusky tone.

Tossing the sheets away, she eagerly pulled him closer. That night made clear to her something she had questioned since the night they met. Between his unexpected understanding of her mission, to his vow of confidence, her inner romantic began to win out to her outer, cynic realist. She and Rex were meant for one another.

Fives never imagined being with a woman could be like that. His only other experiences were with the employees of Matron Kal'lah. Although they catered to the needs and preferences of each individual trooper, to give them as genuine of an encounter as possible, in the end it was a business transaction and any personal interest only lasted only as long as the credits. Admittedly, he had a jaded opinion of the establishment when his own naivety got the better of him early on.

After enjoying the company of a particular raven haired woman he began to develop feelings for her. Her name was Rema and she was from Corellia. Through a series of unfortunate events, she ended up in debt to the wrong people and was working in the brothel to pay what she owed. All she wanted was to be free and settle down with a nice soldier with warm eyes. Unfortunately after several months of visits, he learned it was all a story, a fantasy she crafted for her regular clients to enhance their connection. He wasn't heartbroken by the experience, but it put that world into perspective for him. Everything was for sale, except the truth.

But Jack was different. She was honest and bluntly so. Heeding Shepard's advice, he was himself, not that he really knew what he was doing as he spent hours flirting with her but she responded in kind, so he must have been doing something right. Dragging him to the dance floor was unexpected, but being humbled so effectively seemed to help his cause rather than harm it. Not long after she suggested they spend the night together.

Once they arrived at Shepard's ship, they wasted no time in tearing off each other's clothes and doing what they went there to do. Although she may not have been overly patient for his inexperience, she was at least assertive and instructive rather than belittling. She knew what she wanted and told him how to do it. Much to his credit, he was a quick study and it wasn't long before he took the lead and had her calling his name in praise. His skin still occasionally stung from the numerous scratches on his back. A delightful reminder that it hadn't been yet another vivid dream.

Just as the sun was rising, they parted. To his surprise, Jack seemed reluctant to leave, despite declaring she didn't believe in love or relationships. Her voice wavered slightly as she demanded he stay alive or she'd kick his ass. He gave her his message address, if she wanted to write to him. Although she dismissed the probability, with the way she looked back at him before getting into the shuttle to return to the Normandy, he suspected she was bluffing. Alone in the cabin of Shepard's ship, he smiled to himself and sighed contentedly as he replayed the night in his head.

"So..." Shepard asked playfully. "How was your night?"

His head snapped around. There weren't many people that could sneak up on him.

She leaned against the open doorway with her arms crossed. A smug smile was plastered on her face.

"How long have you been there?" He asked, feeling warmth creeping up his collar.

"Long enough to see the bite marks peeking out of your glove and hearts swirling around your head." She chuckled in reply. "I'm glad you guys hit it off so well."

"Yeah. Thanks, Shepard." His cheeks flushed as he gestured around the room. "I'm done in here. All back in order, as instructed."

She scanned the small room and verified her bed appeared untouched, nothing was broken, and the cabin was freshly cleaned. Nodding with approval, he left the ship to attend to his duties.

Shepard made her way to the bridge. Being anywhere else during departure felt unnatural. As expected, General Skywalker was there, talking quietly with Admiral Yalaren. She wasn't entirely sure she'd be welcomed, as she was neither an officer of the Grand Army, nor a clone. Fortunately, when Anakin made eye contact, he nodded subtly and continued his conversation. She stood out of the way at a window and watched ships come and go from the docks. Two stalls away, she saw the Normandy preparing to leave. A surprising lump formed in her throat and her eyes watered slightly.

"Good morning, Captain." Skywalker said quietly as he joined her. "Happy belated birthday."

"Good morning, General and thank you." She softly replied.

The docking clamps released from the familiar frigate and she slowly backed from the stall. After swinging around, she pulled away to await hyperspace lane clearance

"I can't help but sense apprehension in you." He watched her jaw flex at his observation. "Are you having any regrets?"

"No, not at all, actually." She cleared her throat. "Watching her leave is just an out-of body experience. I can tell you exactly where Vega is standing. What commands Joker is entering at the helm. I can tell you that the engineers are watching the radiation levels on the initial thrust as Edi prepares the FTL calculation. The sounds, the vibrations, the smell. I feel all of it as though I'm there, but I'm not. It doesn't make any logical sense. It's just..."

"I understand what you mean." He empathetically said. "I used to podrace on Tattooine before the Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found me. Whenever I see a race on the holos, it's strange to be watching not racing and I sometimes find myself reaching for controls that aren't there. Are you worried about them?"

She took a deep breath as the Normandy disappeared into hyperspace. "No, I'm not worried. I trust them. They know what they're doing and how to watch out for one another. I may not be there, but I'm still with them, just as they are with me here." She tapped her chest.

"For not believing you're sensitive to The Force, you talk a lot like a Jedi." He mused. "The Council told me of your dream and the Sith Lord searching your mind. They have tasked me with training you to resist it."

"That sounds ominous."

"It's an unpleasant process and we don't have the luxury of time."

She took a measured breath and turned to him. "Okay then. Let's get started."