Coruscant
988 days ABG
Captain Rex followed the instructions on his datapad and entered the small apartment complex. He was dressed in his best civvies. Didn't want to frighten the locals given what had recently happened. His blonde hair also helped. They were still going through the aftermath of Fives' death and his supposed attempted assassination of the Chancellor; Rex was conflicted over that allegation and now it was meeting after meeting with both Jedi and GAR Senior Officers.
He avoided the Guard as he walked through Coruscant, barely able to look at them at the moment. He would be happier when the Battalion left the planet and got to back to getting rid of more Clankers. He could cope with that. He had already prepared a grievance to be lodged on Fives' file, once the Inquiry was complete. He had an idea what the outcome would be and he didn't think he would agree with it.
It was one thing to be expendable, they had grown up with that but to be made a scapegoat just because you're a clone and some shabla chip failed. That wasn't right.
He was at the door, his thoughts causing the time to pass quickly. He lifted his arm to ring the door chime, hesitating.
He wouldn't be very good company tonight.
He was on the verge of turning around, when Maze opened the door.
"Ah! there you are, Rex!"
He must have made more noise than he thought, or they have a camera system. He hadn't seen one. He had been preoccupied.
"Come in!"
Maze was also dressed in civvies, looking relaxed, apart from the tight lines around his eyes and the specs of grey in his hair. We all had less time than we should have, he thought. It was there to haunt him at times that, and some of Fives' words.
"I…"
Maze pulled him in.
"Do you want a Caf or something else to drink?" Ms Devro's voice came from the kitchen area as did a delicious smell. His stomach rumbled in response.
"Yessss! Got 'em all!" A youngling's voice rang out from another part of the room. "Look Maze!"
They both looked to where the voice came from. There was a young boy playing with clone figures and droids; he had some kind of battle scene set up and a cannon. The Clankers had all collapsed.
"Great Del. We'll come and set up another one." Maze replied and nodded at Rex. He followed him.
The young boy looked up at him in awe, his eyes going wide.
"Captain Rex." He almost breathed the name.
Two cafs appeared next to him and Maze.
"Hope there's enough sweetener in it. I assumed no milk."
"Thanks!"
"Right, what do you think Rex? Is that how Clankers fight?" Maze asked.
He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
Essie whispered in his ear.
"No it's fine, really." He knelt down to be nearer to the boy. "So what do you have here little 'un?"
Essie smiled at Maze, before going back into the kitchen.
"Maze! Can I borrow you for a minute?"
He rose from the floor, "Duty calls." And went to the kitchen.
Rex could hear them whispering, probably about him but he didn't care.
"So are you ready?" He asked.
Del nodded.
"This is a formation they use. Let's see if you can blast the Clankers!"
He was surprised at how enthusiastic he sounded with the game.
Del lay behind his cannon and he slowly raised the elevation to aim it at the Clankers. He carefully pressed the button. The missile hit one in the middle, it collapsed in a heap.
"Well done! Bang on target!"
They quickly dispatched the rest.
"Come on you two. It's ready!"
Rex could smell it, a rich aroma of nerf and spices.
"Hope you like it!"
"I'm sure I will, Ms Devro."
"Essie."
"Essie." He replied.
"Okay! Tuck in." He stared at the dishes in front of him, normally he was not shy at getting his portion but this was different.
Maze picked up Rex's plate and put a portion of each dish on it. "There's plenty and cake. She always makes plenty." He smiled at Essie.
"It's not the finest cooking. I'm not a trained chef."
She almost apologised for what Rex thought was a banquet set out on the table.
"Anything is better than ration bars." He nearly said Ms Devro again but he cut himself off.
Del was chattering away to both himself and Maze; he struggled to keep up with the lad.
.
It was a couple of hours later when they finally sat down and the young lad was in bed. He had tried every ruse in the book to stay up, reminding him of some of his more troublesome troopers.
"Here!" Maze pushed a glass of dark brown liquid into his hand.
Rex stared at it.
"Tihaar! A present from Sergeant Bralor." Maze had never had a problem with her or Tay'haai, or even Vau really other than he was a little too cosy with Skirata now and there was something going on.
Rex took a sip. It was strong.
"Thank you for all this." He waved his hand around.
"Anytime." Replied Essie, leaning into Maze, who had his arm around her shoulder.
Rex envied their closeness.
"He's a good lad."
"Yes he is. But then I'm biased." Replied Essie.
"Has he…..and you recovered from the kidnap attempt."
He saw Maze pull her closer.
"Yes. I think so."
Maze's eyebrows pulled down for a fraction but left it at that.
"That was a bad business."
"And this with Fives." Added Maze, "if you need anything Rex. Just say."
"I suspect Fives' memory will be forever tarnished with this, which isn't right. He was a good soldier, he and Tup put their lives on the line numerous times. It was all he ever wanted to be."
"What's wrong is that the chips have been put in your heads in the first place." Declared Essie. "I told the Kaminoan ambassador as much at our last meeting. She wasn't happy."
"You never told me she was there!" Maze interrupted.
Essie shrugged, "lt didn't seem important."
His look said we'll discuss this later.
"I've got a grievance already written up to go but it probably won't get anywhere. Just sit on Fives' file." Rex continued. "Has the Oola been repaired?"
"Oh yes and they're opening again soon." Replied Essie.
"Did they catch the perpetrators?"
"The Guard didn't."
He looked at the two of them seeing the glance between them.
"Mum and Dad…..they were both slaves. Dad's an ex-fighter for the Hutts. He still knows a few people. Sometimes…." Essie started to explain.
"Understood!" Declared Rex, "none of my business. Hope the lads behaved themselves when it happened and didn't prompt it."
"No. It was nothing to do with them and they helped to clean up."
They chatted a little about the war, the strategies.
"I've just got a few things to check and get ready for tomorrow. You boys talk. If you're hungry there's some of Sol's pastries and Rex, please take some with you. My Mum always thinks I'm going to starve." She rose and went to the bedroom, taking her datapad with her.
"Is she truly alright?" Rex asked, as she left the room. Maze watching her go.
"She sometimes has nightmares."
"We can all sympathise with that."
"Yes. We can."
Rex sipped his Tihaar; it really was good. "So have you thought about what to do after the war?"
"Yes. But no definite plans. Both the General and Nat have offered me an out but there's too much uncertainty at the moment."
"Yeah. I met a deserter once and his family. But I still don't think I could do it."
"They bred that loyalty into us."
"Like a lot of things."
They sat quietly for a few more seconds before Rex drained his glass and rose, "Well. I have to be going. This has been…good. I appreciate it."
"Anytime!"
"Can I ask something?"
"Of course!"
"Can I just see the little 'un again." asked Rex.
Maze raised his eyebrows in a question.
"Remind myself who I'm really fighting for."
Maze rose and took him to Del's room; he opened the door quietly. Del was fast asleep on his back, snoring gently. He had been busy since going to bed.
Rex saw the clone trooper doll in the young lad's hand. It had blue stripes down its armour as an approximation of his own, even down to the Jaig eyes on his helmet. Rex smiled.
Essie came to say goodbye. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek; he felt his ears burn, as Maze watched.
"You're welcome here any time you know!" and pushed a box full of pastries into his hands.
He nodded.
Essie watched as Maze and Rex, clasped forearms, elbow to wrist, before he left; it wasn't very often she saw Maze do that.
Once the door had closed, she asked. "Do you think he'll be alright?"
"I don't know…..but if anyone will, it will be him."
She slipped her arm around his waist.
"What did you have to do earlier?" He asked.
"Something for work — a message to Den. He says he's going to bring it up at the Senate."
"What was it?"
"He's had me checking some financial aspects…it's all in the public domain, if you know where to look. People just don't read it."
"But you're hopeless with numbers." interrupted Maze, which he followed up with a grin.
"I can still see where they don't add up and follow a trail." She retorted.
"And?"
"Some of the requisitions and orders that have been made are way in excess of current requirements."
"Someone bloody fiddling?"
"Could be. But it didn't look like it, the orders were made, accepted and production started but they haven't got through to the frontlines. It's been going on for months. He's going to the Senate to demand a full audit."
"If equipment is going astray, so he should."
And Skirata needs to be careful.
.
ARCA Barracks
995 days ABG.
The General was up to something, Maze decided; he had been doing a lot of Holonet searches himself, alone. It started after the last time he spoke to Skirata and now the General was worried. Maze didn't like that, especially when Skirata was the cause.
Maze had seen Skirata's grandson, who looked remarkably like the little clone cadets on Kamino. Not like Del who looked like an amalgam of Essie and Perrive. Luckily more like Essie.
But that baby was definitely a clone's child. Darman and Tur-Mukhan immediately sprang to mind but Maze knew enough about the gestation period of humans unless….. The rapid aging accounted for that.
Poor bugger! Thought Maze. Rapid aging and dumped on Skirata.
But Zey wasn't looking at that.
Maze checked the access made from SOB terminals; he scrolled by the usual assortment of Porn channels by the Commandos.
Then unusually Hospitals, med centres, local councillors surgeries and a POW detention Centre by the General.
Maze retraced it and who it related to.
"Oh!" He said out loud.
Skirata's daughter, with separatist affiliations. That put a different spin on this.
Maze cleared the history. He was still keeping well out of this. The General could deal with it.
Zey requested to see Vau and Delta; Maze delivered the request and made himself scarce. He knew the General had a bee in his bonnet about Skirata and now his daughter but why pick Vau and Delta, he supposed it could be to check how cosy the two of them were. He would.
Could be interesting!
.
997 days ABG
They had gone through the monthly accounts again; sometimes Maze could not believe the amount being spent, especially after what Essie told him. He wondered sometimes how the Republic afforded it.
Maze, of course, made them add up. He enjoyed the creative accounting.
"Excellent work again Captain."
"Yes sir. I heard that Senator Skeenah had demanded a full audit of the Wars expenditure and was putting it to the vote in the Senate."
"I heard that too, Captain. But this" he pointed at the datapad, "means we can get through any audit they throw at us, eh?"
"Yes sir."
"We've already lent the Central Republic Audit Office some expertise because they think there's been a leak at the Treasury. Lieutenants Jaing and Mereel will be assisting them tomorrow."
"Good to know sir. Is there anything else you need?"
"No Captain. I'll be meeting with Sergeant Vau in a few minutes thank you."
As Maze passed Delta in the corridor, he wondered if Ms Wennen would be involved in this treasury business; from his investigations, he knew Ordo visited her regularly when he was back at base. He needed to get the admin droid on point again. He trusted the General with his life, he already had but he didn't trust the Sergeants Vau and Skirata. They were up to something.
.
998 days ABG
Maze headed to the freshers, he'd had too many mugs of caf and not enough breaks; this was effectively Omega's floor but he was desperate as he turned into the corridor. Vau was standing outside the fresher, with the Strill, flopped down next to him, dribbling on the floor. Maze wrinkled his nose by habit because of the smell. Everyone knew what the Strill was and what it did on Kamino. It was the talk of the bunks for days.
Vau stood in the corridor, his face impassive but looking as if he was on guard and there was the unmistakable noise of someone fighting or being beaten in the freshers.
He was on guard.
Maze stopped and looked Vau in the eyes. There was no emotion. He dropped his chin in a nod.
Maze looked at the door and listened.
Vau's eyes never left him.
Technically, he was their superior officer but if this was an argument between Mandalorian sergeants, or whoever, they could deal with it amongst themselves. He was having none of it. It could be anything. One might have looked at the other in a perceived 'funny way'.
Maze had learned from one of the best how to 'turn a blind eye.'
He turned on his heels and headed to the other fresher.
One side of Vau's mouth lifted in a sardonic smile.
"Good choice Captain." He murmured, then slowly returned his gaze to the door, then dipped to scratch the Strill's head.
.
Maze sat down with Zey to check through the pile of datapads he routinely carried with him now. After his interaction with Vau, he had followed the cleaning droid as it diligently scrubbed the drops of blood from the corridors floor and from the fresher where Maze had checked later after seeing Vau.
"Is there a problem with Vau and Skirata, sir?" Maze asked.
"Not any more Captain. Let's look at these logistics."
.
Nat's Gym
Later that day.
Maze walked through the gym to the changing rooms to drop off his bag, touching Essie on the shoulder as he passed; she smiled and continued going through the moves with her class. He could see a few new faces. He smiled, remembering not to show his teeth too much and continued to the lockers. He was conscious of the ladies stopping their workout and a number of eyes following him. He heard Essie clap and shout at them.
"Eyes front ladies! Ignore the eye candy!"
He frowned, unsure of what she meant by that. He'd ask her later after he finished his workout. Full body today. He needed it after what he saw earlier. Dumping his bag he headed to the strength area; it was empty, he was lucky, there was only him allowed in when the ladies were training and if he caused a problem for any of the new ones, he could be asked to leave.
It worked for him.
He loaded up the barbell.
.
Essie's class finished and he'd been training solidly for 30 minutes; worked up a good sweat and was now concentrating on his pecs. He needed to increase the weight before he continued.
He wiped his face with his towel and slugged a few good mouthfuls of water, debating which exercise to complete next. He looked around for Essie, he needed someone to spot for him at the weight he was thinking of. He would have to do another set until she came back.
Then he noticed them.
The two curvaceous female nautolans, purple, with large, dark, fascinating eyes leaning on the wall several feet away.
"Ladies!" He nodded and smiled. They giggled, their tentacles swayed. Maze shook his head. He took another slug of water to keep hydrated.
He stared back, he had always been fascinated by their eyes; dragging his own away from them, he climbed onto the adjustable bench and started his decline press ups. Counting each one carefully, working slowly, rhythmically, ensuring he worked each muscle to its maximum.
"How many do you normally do?" A silky voice purred at him.
"One hundred and then some!"
He resumed counting.
"That's a great many." The other one said, the differences in their voices are only slight.
The two had moved to stand next to him watching closely.
He pushed himself up springing up to his feet before standing.
"How can I help you ladies?"
The one on the left focused on his left pec; the one on the right his right pec. They touched him.
"Ooh. That's hard!" Said one, giggling again.
"We have a bet." Said the other one. "That you can't do that with one of us sitting on your back."
Maze knew he shouldn't, but the comment hit his competitive streak right in the centre.
"I'm sure I can!" He heard himself say.
"Prove it!" the other one said.
He put himself in position, feeling the nautolan sit on his back and started the exercises.
Now this was going to be a good workout.
Essie watched from the corner; she had been dubious about letting those two in on the self-defence classes but Nat had convinced her that everyone should be allowed that freedom, especially the ones that work in the more dangerous professions. Apparently they were sex workers from a new establishment some levels below. She didn't ask how Nat knew them but Sol had been glaring at him a lot recently; she was keeping out of it. They had been together a long time but still had their ups and downs and Nat, despite his scars, was good looking, or because of them.
She watched Maze; he was basking in their attention. She felt a flare of jealousy again. It had been ignited by that Support Officer and flared up periodically. This was one time.
"Essie?"
"Yes Dad?"
"They're not doing any harm. Just flirting. He needs to practise."
She frowned at him.
"He hasn't had a normal upbringing…."
"And this is normal…." She interrupted.
"They're just reacting to his pheromones. See their tentacles."
She watched closely as they undulated. They were nothing like lekku.
"I know you want to go charging in but just let him prove himself."
Essie watched, she had lost count of how many he had done now but the sweat was pouring off him.
"Mammy!"
She turned to see Del run towards her, followed by Sol, who glared at Nat, who in turn ignored her.
Essie glanced up at him. He shook his head and walked away, while Sol had disappeared.
Del hit her knees, she ruffled his hair and bent down.
"You had a good time?"
"Yeah, ice cream with Mama Sol."
"Good." She saw Maze had stopped but the nautolans were still there. "Let's go rescue Maze."
"Maze!" He shouted as he ran towards him.
The nautolans looked towards Essie, who was walking slowly towards them. They backed away from Maze, putting distance between them.
"We weren't doing anything!"
"I know." Answered Essie, before popping a kiss on Maze's cheek, while Del tried to put his arms around his legs.
"We're just going."
"Oh, I thought you were staying for a workout."
"No. We've got to get to work."
"See you next week!" She shouted as they left.
"And you need a shower!" she turned her attention to Maze.
"Noooo. You like me like this— it's the pheromones!"
"You knew?"
"Of course! Studied all types of beings on Kamino."