Death's Choice
By Ammie Hawk
Disclaimer: Does anyone still read these? If they do, still don't own anything.
AN: Okay, so this is a really short chapter, I know, but I felt it was necessary, so here it is. Anyway, please enjoy, or not, it's up to you.
Chapter 8: Interlude
Rex frowned as he made his way into the mess for late-meal. He was tired and frustrated, and he wasn't the only one. The day had started off fairly normal, but then around midday there had been a surprise inspection. So he, as well as hundreds of others, had to stand around in full tactical gear for several hours. He had missed second-meal, and now all he wanted to do was eat, get his son, and go to bed.
Only, when he arrived at their usual table there was no sign of the boy at all. Kote and all of Echo Squad were there, as were Fordor and a couple other CCs. The rest of Gamma Squad was still trickling in behind him.
"Kote, where's Harry?" he asked as he sat down opposite the brunet.
"I don't know," the other frowned. "I've been running drills all day. Thought he was with you."
"I've been standing in inspection all day," the blond shook his head.
"He wasn't in class today," Fordor interjected. "Maybe he spent the day with Boba. They sneak off together often enough, it's really not that unusual. I'm sure he's fine."
"Boba and Prime left earlier today in Slave I," Alpha said as he sat down, obviously having caught some of the conversation. "I didn't see Harry with them when they left, but I did see Prime fight the visiting Jedi before he left."
"Harry's probably with Ninety-Nine," CC-1010, Fox, held up his hand. "Are you telling us that there's a Jedi here?"
"Was," Alpha shrugged. "He left shortly after Prime did. Why do you think we were being put through our paces all day?"
"Look, that's all truly fascinating," Rex cut in impatiently, "but can we get back to the fact that my son is missing? Because Ninety-Nine is over there," he jammed his thumb over his shoulder, "and Harry is not."
"Rex," Kote's calm voice caught everyone at the table's attention, "you need to calm down. There are only so many places he could be. We will gather everyone, divide the troops, and search the entire facility if we have to. Alpha, please find a way to contact Prime, see if Harry snuck aboard his ship. I don't think he would do that, but we should cover all bases. You have your orders, fall out. Rex, you're with me."
With that being said, he pushed to his feet. The blond sat for just a moment longer, glaring at his tray, before following after him. The others at the table watched them leave before looking at each other.
"Look at little Kote," Fordor snorted quietly, "thinking he can order us around."
"He gets a pass," Alpha shrugged. "He's the dad. Alright, men, you heard him. Move out. We have a tooka to find."
888888
Kote made his way down the hall in search of somewhere private to speak with Rex. None of the others needed to see the blond like this. After a few minutes, he finally found an unoccupied storage room and pushed the other inside.
"Rex," he began once the door had closed behind him.
"What are we doing in here, Kote?" the other turned to face him, his arms crossed over his chest, and Kote knew he'd be pacing if the space wasn't so small. "We should be out there looking for Harry!"
"You need to calm down first," he took a deep breath, barely managing to take his own advice. "You're no use to anyone like this."
"Calm down?!" Rex snarled. "My son is god only knows where, and I seem to be the only one who gives a shit about it. Don't you dare fucking tell me to calm down!"
"He's my son too!" the brunet snapped, finally losing the control he'd been carefully maintaining, as he took a menacing step forward. "So don't you dare say I don't care."
"You're sure as hell not acting like it," the other shot back, refusing to be cowed.
"No, I am doing what we were trained to do, Rex!" Kote's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am doing my damnedest not to panic because things went wrong!"
They stood there, silently glaring at each other for several moments. Finally, Rex broke the staring contest and looked away. His shoulders drooped, changing his stance from defiant to almost defeated.
"I just want him found," the blond said, a slight hitch in his voice. "I need to know he's safe."
"I know," Kote sighed, reaching out and grasping the other's upper arms in a gentle hold before bringing their foreheads together. "Believe me, I know."
They stayed like that for quite awhile, just drawing strength and comfort from the other.
"You know," the brunet said quietly, "since Harry got here, we've been in this together. That's not going to change. Hell, Rex, we adopted him. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have done that if I didn't care."
"I know," Rex took a shaky breath. "I just… I'm scared, Kote. I mean, I haven't seen him since first-meal and he's not with any of the normal people we leave him with. And with the long necks lurking around all day…"
"I understand," Kote reassured. "I really do. I'm scared too. And just because we haven't seen him doesn't mean no one has. And just because he's not with one of our brothers, doesn't mean he's not with someone we trust. One of the trainers could have kept him out of sight when they realized the long necks were on the prowl today. Or, hell, he could've snuck onto Prime's ship. He'll get in trouble for it, but you and I both know Prime won't let anything happen to him. That is his grandson after all."
"You're right," the blond couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him.
"Of course I am," he smirked. "The point is we don't have enough information yet, so there's no need to panic. However, if nothing turns up, and he doesn't somehow find us first, I'll lead the mutiny on the long necks myself."
"You'd really mutiny?" Rex pulled back, giving him a mildly dubious look. "You? The perfect soldier? The one who's been on the fast track for command since he was decanted? Mutiny?"
"For our son?" the brunet cocked a brow. "I'd rip the entire galaxy apart."
888888
Jango sighed as Slave I settled into hyperspace on their way to Geonosis. He didn't particularly want to be on this trip. He'd rather be back at his apartment, that he'd just returned to after a rather bad bounty, spending time with his son and maybe even his gran—Harry too. And while yes, Boba was with him, Harry was not. And while he had wanted nothing more than to find the younger boy and take him as far away from the Jedi as he possibly could, he knew he couldn't draw attention to the boy. So he had been forced to leave him behind, counting on Kote and Rex to keep him safe, and hope that the fucking Jedi got the hint and either died or left the planet.
There was nothing more he could do for Harry at present, so he settled in to wait.
It was a couple hours into the flight that the ship's comms began going off. He frowned at the panel as he reached over to see who would possibly be calling him. It was Skirata's code, probably wanting to bitch because he found out about the Jedi. Well, he had nothing better to do, as he'd just sent Boba to fetch his datapad and start on his lessons, and he had a few choice things to say as well. They may as well commiserate together, right?
With that thought in mind, he connected the transmission. Only, the person who appeared in the holoprojection was not his fellow Mandalorian.
"Seventeen?" he frowned at the younger male. "How did you get this comm? Is everything alright?"
"Prime," the clone nodded, but there was something off in his tone. "I borrowed the comm from Trainer Skirata. And quite frankly, sir, everything is not alright. Harry is missing."
"What?!" fear clenched his chest, and he was glad his son was not in the cockpit. "Where are Kote and Rex?"
"Should be searching for him now," Alpha shrugged. "If Kote managed to calm Rex down. He told me to comm you to see if he possibly snuck aboard the Slave."
"I haven't seen or heard him on board," Jango shook his head. "But I'll check, just to be sure. Is the Jedi still here?"
"No, sir," the other frowned at the seemingly random question. "He left about half an hour after you did. Would he be able to help? Should I try and get him to return?"
"No!" he snapped, before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "No, you need to focus on the search. Be sure to go through my apartment thoroughly and remember he and Boba like the vents."
"Of course, sir," the younger man nodded in understanding.
"Oh, and Seventeen," he locked eyes with the other, "keep an eye on Kote and Rex. The longer he's missing the more likely they are to do something stupid. If necessary, lock them in my apartment. You know the bypasses and overrides. And keep me posted."
"Yes, sir," Alpha saluted before ending the call.
Once the projection faded, Jango slumped heavily back in the pilot's seat. He allowed himself but a moment to mentally freak out before pulling himself back. He had to keep it together, not just for his sake, but Boba and Harry's as well. Hell, even for the clones'.
Okay, deep breaths. He could do this. It was very likely Harry was still back on Kamino and would be found any moment, to the relief of everyone. It had happened often enough with Boba when he was that age. He would wander off and fall asleep somewhere, giving Jango mini heart attacks in the process, but would always turn up eventually, whether he would stumble in himself or be stumbled upon. This was probably just one of those instances.
But he couldn't shake the feeling that that wasn't the case this time. The Jedi's presence set his teeth on edge and he had a suspicion he was involved in this too. Jedi were, after all, known throughout the galaxy for stealing force-sensitive younglings, and Harry definitely fit that description. Though, if he found out that Jedi did do something to his grandson he would make him live to regret it.
Ammie: So I know this chapter is rather short, but after the events of the previous one I couldn't just skip his family's reaction. Anyway, on to a few other points, I plan for Harry to be close to a lot of the clones, but not all of them, that's kinda ridiculously impossible as there are millions of them, but if there are any in particular that ya'll would like to see him get to know and interact with, I'm open to suggestions. Just know that I already have plans for him to be close to Domino Squad, so don't worry. I will more than likely do the interactions in flashback form or in a side fic.
Secondly, I am planning for Obi-Wan to have a prominent role in this fic, even with his rocky start. Anyway, I do plan for him to have a SO, I'm just not quite sure who it should be at the moment. (Not Satine, I don't like them as a couple) I can add him in with Rex and Kote, which is what they want, or I can give him someone all his own. I'm leaving the choice to ya'll.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think.