One afternoon Sivvy was carrying some small logs to a wood pile in a separate area from the main compound. She stepped lightly down a narrow path when two helmetless troopers stepped out of the bushes. One stepped in front of her, blocking her path. At first she thought it an accident then saw his smirk. "Need some help with your wood, little lady?" he asked.

She gripped the logs to her chest realizing helping her was not what was on his mind. "No. Thank you."

She had forgotten the second trooper who came up behind her until he laughed "Hahah! I think he wants you to help him with his wood!" and fondled her butt.

She let out a screech and instinctively moved away from the man behind her. As a result she bumped into the trooper in front of her who then wrapped his arms around her.

Through gritted teeth he quietly growled "C'mon, let me help you with that."

She resisted, angry, and spat "No!"

He responded with a rough sweep of one arm that knocked the wood to the floor.

She was released from his grasp momentarily but the man behind her grabbed her skirt and said "Why don't you show us some of what you have under that long prim skirt-"

He pulled her towards him and couldn't get away without her skirt ripping. It was the only one she had left after her home had been destroyed. I'd be naked without it! We haven't even made new thread yet!

The man in front then took advantage of his position and strength and cupped her breasts in his gloved hands. "I'm more interested in what's up here" he said

She screamed "I said NO!" and tried uselessly to push him away, but her efforts seemed useless because he was so much stronger and covered in armor. The men laughed at her futile efforts. Her eyes went to the logs wondering if she could grab one to hit him with it. She knew she was at a disadvantage and the trooper could easily disarm her. She wished she had just run away when they first stepped out.

"WHAT IN THE MOUNTAINS OF MUSTAFAR IS GOING ON HERE!?" yelled captain Rex, emerging from the path. His eyes swept Sivvy up and down and noted her frazzled state, and the fear in her eyes. "TROOPERS, BACK TO CAMP! NOW!"

To her utter astonishment her two assailants immediately complied and ran off back to the base. Sivvy knelt and began to pick up the armful of wood again. Rex saw her hands shaking.

He rushed to her side, uncertain how to comfort her. He said "My deepest apologies, ma'am. I will make sure they receive the strictest disciplinary action." He squatted, the tips of his kama gathering some dust, and handed her the remaining pieces of wood. "Especially after how hospitable all of you have been. We have rations, but your baked goods and stews are the best food these men have had in months, possibly ever" he smiled. "Our armor is meant to protect us from harsh conditions, but the blue blankets all of you knitted warm our hearts not just our limbs."

"You saved our lives, Captain. You saved our home, our animals. Our crops were flattened by the machines, but your men deserve the stew! Without all your hands what remained of the harvest would have been lost."

They both stood and Rex asked "May I help you with that…before I return?"

"No no, you have work to do" she said, her smile returning. She took a deep breath to calm down and he waited with her patiently and feeling torn inside. He was turning a blind eye to the hanky panky that was going on between his soldiers and the women. They had an open and free philosophy when it came to sex. But if the men could not respect the ladies consent he would have to put a stop to it. But how?

He took his helmet off. "Would you like me to walk with you?"

Sivvy brightened, but said "No, as I said, I know you have plenty of work. I will be ok."

Their eyes met and his golden-brown eyes lingered on her hazel ones. Despite what had just happened, his attention was quite welcome. The birds chirped in the distance and broke Rex's gaze and he nodded. "Well…OK ma'am, if you're certain…Whatever you wish."

She nodded, the small batch of firewood was secure in her grip. "Thank you, Captain. Again."

Rex nodded, put his helmet on and walked back into the wooded path back towards the clone trooper camp.

Rex stood in a tent with General Skywalker and dressed down the two troopers. "Your behavior was completely unacceptable! How dare you harass our host! How many of these ladies have you…eh…molested?"

The two guilty men shared a glance.

"I'll know if you're lying. So speak truthfully" said Anakin cool, but angry.

The first trooper said "Th-th- there was one other woman, b-but she she approached us!"

Rex walked up to the trooper who spoke and nose to nose asked "How do I know that's true, soldier?"

"The first woman, I swear up and down, sir. She approached us!"

Rex glanced at Anakin who sensed no lie.

Rex said "If she consents that's…." Rex shook his head. "It does not excuse what I just saw! I will NOT tolerate this!" His scolding was so loud it set some pigeons outside into flight. A few of the men lingering about paused their activities before getting back to work.

Back in the tent, the first soldier said "Sir. Just…" his eyes bounced to Skywalker and back to his Captain "...it was just a bit of fun."

"It was NOT fun for Miss Sivvy." Rex stepped back "I hope your fun was worth losing your trooper status!"

Rex stormed out of the tent as the guilty troopers were lead away in cuffs to be held in a makeshift brig.

Rex stood rubbing his temples with one hand. Anakin came up behind him and placed a reassuring hand on Rex's shoulder. "The minute you told me the only survivors were women I knew this might happen."

"I'm just wondering how many ladies have been, eh… bothered by my men. That nonsense with Fives and Echo was embarrassing, but not violent. They didn't assault a perfectly innocent woman."

"Honestly, I think this was an isolated incident" said the Jedi folding his arms into his sleeves.

"Even if their crime was unique, how do I stop the men from pursuing these ladies. We won't be here, they can't just…" Rex didn't know how to talk about romantic entanglements. He was made to battle, not to fall in love nor mitigate infatuation.

"Frankly, there are no regulations against sex between consenting locals and clones. But what you witnessed was not consensual. We need to make an example of them. That's all."

Rex shifted uncomfortably, aware Anakin's relationship with a certain Senator was bending the Jedi code regarding romance. As a result, Anakin's opinion may be a bit more lenient than Rex was comfortable with. But Rex was also uncomfortable with his own attraction to Sivvy. I wasn't there to protect her. I shouldn't have to be. These men should not be doing that! His eyes drifted to the path on which he had found his men harassing Sivvy. "Yeah. I can't let them abuse their power that way."

"She alright?" asked Anakin.

Rex nodded "Yes, I think so. She didn't say much, but I didn't leave until she stopped shaking. Until she seemed calmer."

Anakin looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the two harassers in the cage which was set up.

On the other side of the compound Echo sat under a tree on the edge of a lake reading through the latest regulation manual. He finished the manual and heard the birds chirping. Echo was thoroughly enjoying his quiet rest and looked back to his datapad and started to look up the local flora and fauna. He got lost in all the details about how many species were likely flying around him, their different calls, their different patterns, behaviors-

"Um, hello, Mr. Trooper?" a young woman broke Echo's concentration, and daydreaming. He immediately hopped to his feet and threw an eye on his helmet.

"Uh, hello...Miss?..." he responded.

"I'm Renilynn. What may I call you?" said the young fresh-faced woman stepping through the vines and over the bushes to get to where he was perched.

"Oh, uh..." he rubbed the back of his head. Their nicknames were really only for their brothers and commanders. Outsiders all called them by their numbers. "I'm...uh...you can call me Echo" he finally decided.

"Well, Mr. Echo, I was supposed to meet my friend here, but I can't seem to find her. We were going to go for a swim."

Echo nodded "Sorry, I haven't seen anyone else. I was just reading."

"Oh!" she smiled "about what?"

He smiled and said "About the birds. About their calls, and colors..." he stopped talking, afraid he would bore her. "But I guess you know a lot about all of that already since this is your home."

She smiled even wider and giggled. "No, actually I don't. I just get up out of bed when I hear them and pay attention when they go quiet."

Echo was charmed by her answer and chuckled. He looked at his datapad and said "I see."

"So, since I can't find my friend, maybe you'd like to swim with me?" she said casually, removing her apron.

"Oh...ma'am, no. I uh..." he swallowed as she removed her bonnet. "I don't have anything appropriate to swim in. They don't issue us swimsuits."

"Swimsuit? Oh no. We swim in the nude. C'mon. The sun has been beating down on the water all morning. It's probably very warm!"

"If it got out-" Echo started but was interrupted by a long celebratory hollering.

The sound was familiar to him and he looked at Renilynn waiting for the noise to subside. It was quiet at first then louder as it approached.

"wooooOOOOOOOO!" screamed Fives, running like a madman straight down the dirt path behind Renilynn, stark naked, then did a cannonball into the lake. Hot on his heels was Renilynn's friend, in the buff, who followed Fives into the lake in a big splash.

"As I was saying" said Echo "If it got out we would likely be disciplined."

Renilynn stripped her clothing off and walked back to the path. She stopped and smiled over her shoulder at Echo. "C'mon. It'll be fun!"

Echo then peeled off his armor and blacks faster than he had ever done. He blushed when he stole a few glances at her unclothed body and she laughed at how shy he was. They both slipped into the lake where Fives was playfully splashing Renilynn's friend.