Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co.

Okay, I'm planning on updating this fic every Friday. There may be an extra chapter (maybe two) every so often, but I'm not too sure when those will be.

Just a little bit of info. The twitchy nutter phrase from last chapter was one I came up with on the spot, but the rice, plate, and snowstorm phrase is a pretty common saying down here in the South. My brother uses it quite frequently.

Big thanks to ZabuzasGirl, Fidgeymugato, Me, Kelana-ti, Depthcharge2030, Janizary, TheStoopeds182, DarthZ, and MandoJedi for reviewing! Wow, nine reviews. That's the most I've ever gotten for a first chapter. You guys are just plain awesome!

Okay, I'm done rambling. On to the story...


Teanna woke to somebody's hand touching her cheek. She opened her eyes and glared at the culprit. Culprit. That word she'd learned from Uncle Dover just the night before. And she kinda liked how it sounded. Like a fancy word for criminal. Not that her father was a criminal, of course.

Daddy just chuckled and ran his fingers lightly over her right lekku, making her twitch. "Daddy," she whined. "Stop. I was sleeping."

Fives chuckled again, obviously trying hard to stay quiet, "Sorry, Squirt. But I kind of need you to be up right now, ad'ika."

"What for? Daddy, I don't wanna get up. Five more minutes."

"Stop whining Tea," her daddy said gently. "We don't want to wake your mama."

"Okay, Daddy," she said with a yawn, wiggling out of her mother's arms and crawling onto her father's lap. She laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, "Why do I have to get up, Daddy?"

"You and I are going to make breakfast this morning." Something about Daddy's voice wasn't right. He's not telling me everything. As he stood, she straightened, her dark hazel eyes boring into his brown ones. His eyes were tight and she couldn't help but feel scared, "Did someone else die, Daddy?"

He sighed, "No, Squirt." Daddy balanced her on his left hip and headed into the hallway. As soon as the door was closed behind him, he started walking slowly toward the galley.

Teanna waited patiently, knowing that Daddy would tell her when he was ready. Daddy and Mama promised me that they would always tell me the truth. She didn't have to wait long.

Daddy sighed, "Tea, your mother and I have another mission."


Fives watched with dismay as his little girl froze, her expression turning into one of fear and horror. He kissed her diamond mark, "We'll be okay." This was why he'd decided to let Sky sleep a little longer. Yes she needed to now about the mission as soon as possible, but the ARC Trooper knew that it would kill his wife to see this particular expression on their baby's face. Just like it's killing me right now. I don't want to leave. But what choice do I have? He still couldn't believe how fast he'd gone from independent soldier to overprotective dad.

"Wh-when do y-you leave?" Tea whispered, her eyes still wide with shock.

He almost didn't have the heart to tell her, "In a few hours. Uncle Hew, Uncle Top, Uncle Doz, and Uncle Kot are on their way here. We'll be leaving with them and you'll go home with Uncle Gabe, Aunt Deena, and Briika."

"What about Uncle Jinx, Uncle Dover, and Uncle Quirk? Where are they going, Daddy?"

"Back to the Barracks, Squirt."

Suddenly the little Togruta wound her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life, "You c-can't go, D-daddy. You can't l-leave m-me," she cried.

If it weren't for this di'kutla war... Fives was one step away from deserting right then. Tea was his daughter. She needed him. And here he was, putting her second place to a mission. He shook his head. But I can't leave. I can't leave my brothers. They're my family too. And, like his wife, he wasn't one to walk out on his family.

"Shh, ad'ika. I promise that your mother and I are coming back to you, okay?"

Tea became very quiet, "Uncle D-Devrin said the s-same thing."

Fives really didn't know what to say to that, so he settled on reiterating his promise, "Tea, I will do everything I can to come back to you. I love you, ner ad'ika."

"I l-love you t-too, D-Daddy."

This di'kutla mission had better be worth it...


"Ba'vodu! Ba'vodu!" Little Tea yelled happily as she ran as fast as she could toward Beta Squad. Kot had no idea what she was saying, aside from the fact that it was some Mando word. He'd been picking up a few phrases of the language here and there, but there was apparently still a lot to learn.

Sky's little girl ran right up to him, throwing her arms around his armored right leg, "I missed you, Uncle Kot."

Beta all wore white armor with no markings, one of the very few squads that still did so. Which meant that they were identical at first glance. How the heck did she know that it was me? The commando placed a gloved hand on top of her little head, right between her montrals, "I missed you too, kid."

In truth, he really had been missing the little Togruta. She was always so full of energy, so alive, that just being around her was... well, he'd actually found himself thinking about what it would be like to have his own kid. Someday. Tea and little Briika have shown me that there is a reason for all this bloodshed. Kids like them need protection. Teanna's already been touched by the war and she shouldn't have been in the first place. I can only hope that Briika never knows what it's like... Who am I kidding though? Gabe and Deena are completely Mando now, just like Sky. Well, at least the girls will grow up knowing how to defend themselves...

Kot couldn't help but chuckle as the little girl's attention quickly turned to his squadmates. His closest brothers now. I wonder if my attention span was ever that short.

And of course, because he wasn't really paying attention himself, Skylar about knocked him flat. She wasn't even wearing her armor, dressed in fatigues, and he couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't wincing. Running into Katarn armor like that without any protection hurt.

"Don't do that, Sky!"

She laughed. "Don't tell me that you've already forgotten all that I've taught you. Always keep your guard up, vod'ika." But there was a smile on her face and in her voice as she lectured him. And he was at a complete loss. No one had ever greeted him like Tea and Sky had.

That's when he noticed the hollow look in her eyes. She's missing Dev. Without thinking he pulled off his helmet, clipping it to his belt before he pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry, sis. Are you going to be okay?"

Cordav buried her face in his neck, "Yeah. I've still got you guys. I'll be fine."

"Where's your boyfriend?" Doz questioned, Tea now in his arms.

Skylar pulled out of Kot's embrace, a slightly sheepish look on her face. I wonder what that look's for? All of Beta looked to the woman for an answer, but it was the little girl who spoke up.

"Daddy is in the ship with Tor," Teanna spoke up matter-of-factly.

And Kot was completely dumbfounded. Skylar and Fives are... married? Yeah, he knew about Gabe and Deena. But he totally hadn't been expecting anything to happen between the Mando sergeant and the ARC Trooper. Even if it was obvious from the first time he'd met them that there was something between them.

All of Beta was shocked to silence, except for Hew, "When did this happen, Sky?" There was a pause and Cordav opened her mouth to speak, but Beta's sergeant didn't give her a chance, "And when in the manda were you planning on telling us?"

Her cheeks flushed, "The day a-after Dev-" Sky shook her head, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you boys right away. I wanted to tell you face to face."

"You should have told us sooner, S'ika," Top said gently, but firmly.

Doz was shaking his head, "I don't know why you three are getting your armor twisted up in knots over this. If you ask me, you're all being di'kute. We should be having a big party. I mean, Sky and Fives are married now. I'd say that's cause enough for celebration." His eyes went wide, "I knew I should have picked up some fireworks."

Tea's hazel eyes were wide, her little lekku twitching in excitement, "Fireworks? We're gonna have real fireworks?"

Of course, that only made the five adults start laughing hard. And, just like that, all tension was forgotten. If more people could be like this, maybe we wouldn't be at war.

Hew shook his head, still chuckling, "Mission first. We'll celebrate when we get back home."

Tea's excited eyes were completely focused on Beta's sergeant, "So that means we're still gonna have fireworks, right?"


After Tea had reluctantly went down for a nap, Skylar sat next to her husband as Hew briefed the two of them on the new mission from Zey. Tor, Gabe, and Deena were also in attendance. Briika fast asleep in her father's arms. The baby was almost three months old. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed. Absently, she placed a hand on her stomach, lost in thought. I know that Fives and I already have Tea, but it would be nice to have another ad'ika. It was just an errant thought and not likely to happen anytime soon. Their daughter was already a handful as it was and Sky just didn't think she'd be able to stay away from the battlefield for nine months.

That, and she knew what Fives would say if she brought up the baby talk. That they'd just gotten married, that the time wasn't right. Both of us are soldiers in this war. We've just found a balance with Tea and there's no way that we could properly care for a newborn too. She'd just have to wait until the war was over. However long that is...

Sky was jolted out of her thoughts by Fives' elbow digging gently into her ribs. He'd learned that tactic from her, even though he was gentler. Whenever she elbowed him she usually didn't hold back, much. He gave her a look that told her that he knew she hadn't been paying attention. She gave him a loving, innocent smile in return.

Which succeeded in making him turn bright red. She chuckled quietly.

"You lovebirds done over there, or do we need to leave you two alone?" And, of course, that was Doz.

Cordav blushed, "Sorry guys. What were you saying, Hew?" Said sergeant gave her a slightly disappointed look. The kind of look that she'd given her brothers many times over the course of their training. And she immediately felt guilty. I worked hard to drill all that training into them and here I am, doing exactly what I told them never to do. Focus, Cordav. I've gotta be the worst kind of hut'uun ever.

Hew cleared his throat, "As I was saying... General Kenobi left for Iridonia two days ago. He was supposed to check in yesterday evening, which was when he was supposed to arrive on the planet."

"Let me guess. The Jetiise haven't been able to get a hold of him." Statement. Not question.

Top shook his head, "Nada. Absolutely nothing."

"Which means that either Maul killed him, or-" Top began, only to be cut off by Doz.

"Or he's on the run with Maul on his tail and can't afford the luxury of a little chat with the Council."

Kot cleared his throat, "What I don't get is... How is Maul even still alive? According to the reports that I've read, the general cut him with his lightsaber. In half. How could anyone survive that?"

Skylar shifted, uncomfortable. She'd already gone toe to toe with a dar'jetii before. She had a feeling that a Siit, especially one of Maul's supposed caliber, would be much worse. "I guess we'll find out, Kot'ika," she replied, making sure to keep her voice confident. Her aliit needed her to be strong. Which meant that she couldn't afford to show any doubt. That didn't stop her from thinking it, though.

What scared Cordav even more was that Fives, her husband, would be exposed to the same danger as the rest of them. That thought was extemely selfish on her part, but she couldn't help it.

Fives seemed to have intuited her thoughts. His wrapped an around her shoulders and she found herself relaxing in his embrace. As long as we stick together, we should be fine.


ad'ika = little one

di'kutla = stupid, idiotic

ner = my

ba'vodu = uncle

vod'ika = little brother

manda = heaven

di'kute = idiots

hut'uun = coward (in this case, a hypocrite)

Jetiise = Jedi (in the plural)

dar'jetii = Dark Jedi (literally 'no longer a Jedi')

Siit = Sith

Please R&R.