It really was a good thing that they were leaving soon. If Rex saw one more of his detail get into a stupid competition with the Wolffe pack he was going to loose it. His eye was actually twitching as Cricket once again challenged Sinker to an arm wrestle in spite of the fact that he had lost the last five rounds of that exact game.
The only thing keeping Rex sane was the fact that Dagger was not participating in any of the pointless competitions. With the way that she had a way of getting into trouble he really was glad that she decided to sit this one out. In fact, she was sitting next to Rex on a crate in the docking bay they were all waiting in. She was reading intently from her datapad on the Kotep'an family line.
He glanced over every once in a while, every time he found her hunched over the tablet in a quiet concentration. She didn't even look up when two members of the Wolffe pack started wrestling and one of them got slammed through a table on accident. Rex himself would have been concerned would it not have been for both participant's hearty laughter. He rolled his eyes. Rex worked with children, he really did.
There should be a shuttle coming to get them soon. The GAR soldiers were being taken back to their respective units, apparently there was no need for them to accompany the politicians back to where they had come from.
Dagger thought that the Duchess had already left for Mandalore, so she was surprised when she looked up and saw her approaching with Captain Keb and Miaan by her side.
She clicked off the datapad and stood to greet them. She could see her own Captain watching them out of the corner of her eye, "Duchess, I thought you had already left for Mandalore."
"We are leaving soon, but I have a gift for you," the Duchess said, then she gestured forward, "Captain, if you please."
Captain Keb stepped forward and handed a big duraplast case to Dagger. It was similar to the ones that would carry rifles, but a bit wider. She took it from his outstretched hand. The case dipped slightly, as she hadn't been expecting the weight.
She looked between them in question, "Why for me?"
"I saw from Miaan's recording how you fought against the droids. A true show of courage, I know that the Kotep'an blade will serve you well. Maybe this can do even more good for you. Fashioned for a true Kotep'an with traditional colors and is fit for a true Mandalorian. It isn't right for it to sit in disuse any longer," The Duchess took a breath, "Think of it as a thank you for all that you have done and all that you will do."
Dagger dipped her head slightly, "Thank you Duchess. It was a pleasure to serve you. Captain Keb, Miaan, I hope I will see you all again someday."
Miaan smiled from behind his own open faced helmet, "You can count on it Dagger!"
With a quick goodbye they all turned and made their way across the docking bay, leaving Dagger alone with her gift. She turned and set the box on the crait that she had been sitting on, next to Rex. He shuffled over slightly to make room, "What is it?"
"I don't know," she said as she popped the clasps open at the front.
She lifted the hinged top to reveal what was inside. Dagger froze as she saw what was inside of the box. Her breath caught in her throat and she was stuck in her spot, just staring in awe.
Laid out artfully inside was a full suit of Mandalorian armor. Pieces laid out in protective foam as if the beskar armor could ever be marred. The armor was primarily red with accents of purple, the same shade as the gemstones in the hilt of her dagger. The vizor of the helmet started up at her expectantly.
She gently reached forward and pulled out the helmet. She held it up so she had to crane her head up to look into the impenetrable vizor. Dagger was hit with an intense feeling of deja vu. Looking into a Mandalorian's helmet, apparently it was her helmet now.
Rex reached into the case and pulled out a slip of paper. He read it aloud, "When a child of Mandalore is born, their family commissions a suit of armor for when they come of age. The armor is generic and then fitted to the specifications of the warrior. This set of armor was made for Kayda Kotep'an, the lost child of the Kotep'an line. Like the dagger, this suit of armor is one of the last remnants of the Kotep'an line. It is meant to be used, please use it well Dagger. Signed Duchess Kryze."
Rex looked up at Dagger, who had since lowered the helmet but had not stopped looking into it. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you good?"
Dagger shook her head as if digging herself out of her thoughts, "Y-yeah. This is just a lot. I can't believe that the Duchess gave this to me."
He rubbed the back of his neck, "Honestly, me too. That is a pretty impressive gift, but she was serious about carrying on that family's heritage. What better way to do that than wear the family's colors?"
"Rex, I can't even wear this armor. I have to be in this," she said gesturing to the white and blue armor she already wore.
"Then maybe it will come in handy someday," he supplied. She nodded with him, still blown away at the significance of this gift. How could she ever be worthy of armor made of pure beskar?
~B~
Rex had seen a lot of bad things in his life, experienced quite a few of them too. This moment, however, was not one of them. In fact, this was a moment that he was savoring because of how good it was.
Rex found himself wishing that the hyperdrive would break and force them to fly the old fashioned way to the Resolute. Or maybe that hyperdrive stretched time in the other direction. Either way, he knew that this was only a brief pause in the chaos and he wanted it to last as long as possible.
Did it matter that he couldn't move? No. It was just nice to be here all the same. Rex was laying on the hard floor of the shuttle on his back, he had five troopers in various states of armor piled on top of or next to him. A true Torrent Company dogpile.
Rex smiled at his predicament. The troopers were all resting, some even asleep, after a successful mission. Fives was pressed against Rex's right side, completely on his arm, which had gone numb a half hour ago. Cricket was perpendicular to Fives, resting his head on the ARC's side and snoring softly.
On his other side, Jesse laid on his back with his head on Rex's unarmored chest like a pillow. He softly petted his hands over Kix's buzzed hair as the medic slept on him. Kix laid mostly on Jesse, head on his chest and body between his legs.
Rex shifted slightly and turned his head to the left He couldn't turn his head fully because Dagger's helmet was there. She was sprawled out on the floor above him on her stomach. Her helmeted head rested on his shoulder as she faced him.
With the helmet, he was unable to tell if her eyes were open or closed, but with her deep steady breaths he could make a pretty good guess. Rex's face was stuck with a soft smile on it.
His left hand came up slowly and rested on the back of Dagger's helmet, right over the painting that he had made on it. He tilted his head forward into a soft keldabe kiss. Dagger didn't move or acknowledge it in any way. She was definitely asleep and Rex was glad, she needed the rest.
With a soft sigh he pulled away, allowing his hand to rest on Dagger's shoulder lightly. He felt Jesse shift on his chest and tore his eyes away from the blank vizor of Dagger's helmet.
The tattooed trooper looked up at Rex. His voice was low so he wouldn't wake the four sleeping vod, "I saw that."
Rex looked back at him with a neutral expression, too satiated to even stiffen at the comment. Jesse wouldn't be one to judge him, never had been, "And I see you, vod'ika."
Jesse nodded slowly and turned his head back towards the ceiling. Rex followed suit and watched the hull of the ship. He didn't know when it happened, but eventually his eyes slipped shut of their own violation. He passed from consciousness into a peaceful sleep easily. Surrounded on all sides by brothers and a sister. Rex really couldn't remember the last time he had been this content. A good moment indeed.
~B~
Dagger let out a yawn as she stretched. Her head spun slightly after she had stood up from her nap. She rocked up onto her tip toes as she stretched her arms upwards.
She felt someone poke at her armored belly and swatted the hand away, "Get out of here Fives."
The ARC trooper chuckled before ducking away from her arm as it reached out to swat at him. General Skywalker had announced that they were about ten minutes out, so the troopers reluctantly got up from their dogpile.
The soldiers grabbed all of their gear and strapped into their seats for the drop out of hyperspace. Her case of armor sat securely on the ground between her feet. Dagger could hear her stomach growling as she buckled up. She had skipped breakfast this morning in their rush to get packed and ready for their trip.
She hoped that no one else had heard her stomach growling, but the way that Kix and Rex looked at her from either side made her think that was not the case. Both of them took a breath to say something.
Rex was the first to speak, "You should go get some food when we get back."
Kix nodded and nudged her shoulder, "We could get some food to go and you can come back to the medbay with me if you want. I'm sure the Captain would want his office to work on his paperwork."
"Thanks for reminding me," Rex grumbled.
Dagger nodded, "Aren't there things we have to do after the mission? Do we have time to go get food?"
"Nothing urgent, just post mission briefings. Take your time and actually eat, not just inhale it."
Dagger nodded sheepishly, she didn't think that she needed to be told to go eat or to slow down eating. She was just used to eating fast and getting her helmet back on. She didn't want to keep it on as much as she once did.
She held onto the shoulder straps as the ship started its descent on the Resolute. Once they were safely landed in the hangar they all unbuckled and stood with their gear. Rex moved stiffly, she almost asked if he was ok, but decided against it.
He had been doing well most of the day. So maybe the angry expression on his face was just him being tired. She couldn't think of anything else that would have shifted his mood so quickly.
His expression softened slightly as he looked at her. He lowered the ramp for the detail to depart the ship. He gave her a short goodbye before he shooed her and Kix along to the mess hall.
Dagger wouldn't admit that her steps increased just a bit at the prospect of food. Now that it was a possibility for the near future, her stomach was increasing its efforts to remind her of its emptiness.
She walked side by side with Kix to the mess hall, through the line, and then to the medbay, they chatted the entire way there. It was nice to be able to just talk to someone for a while. No mission to be worried about, no hiding. She didn't have to, not from Kix.
They got to the medbay, which was empty, and sat at Kix's desk to eat. She pulled off her helmet and was thankful for Kix not staring at her. She decided it might be a good time to talk to Kix about her face, "You know how you told me I could trust Rex?"
He nodded, "I do."
"Well, I did," she said, Kix paused and looked at her expectantly, "I showed him my face."
"How did that go?"
"Better than I could have ever hoped for. He- he called me beautiful. He wasn't even mad at me for hiding," she explained.
Kix smiled, humming lightly, "I'm sure he did say that. I'm glad it worked out well and I'm proud of you for telling Rex. That was a big step for you."
She ducked her head slightly, "I just don't want to hide anymore. I want to be like you and everyone else. I don't want to have to wear this helmet all of the time. But I also don't want to lose all of my friends, or even my position in Torrent."
"Take all of the time you need to be comfortable, Dagger. I know they will accept you whenever you feel comfortable enough to tell them," Kix replied.
"What would you think if I were to go tell them now?" she asked and held her breath for his response.
Kix blinked at her in shock, "Right now? Are you sure?"
"I don't know," she rested her chin on her hands, thinking.
"I will be behind you, no matter what you decide," Kix said calmly.
"Well first of all, I am going to finish my food, but I'm still thinking," Dagger said with a little smile. It was nice to know that she had Kix's support no matter what she chose. She took her time chewing her food, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to tell everyone what she was.
(Hey everyone, a little bit of a shorter chapter today. I wanted to have a nice wrap of this last arc before getting into the next one, I hope you enjoyed it. I can't believe we are already at chapter 50, its just crazy to me. Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who leaves comments. They always make me so happy to hear what you have to think.)