Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Sky & Co.
Anywho, sorry for taking so long with this next chapter. I'm currently in college for cosmetology and there's definitely a lot more bookwork than I was expecting... So it may be a while before the next update.
Big thanks to Delta808th, Kelana-ti, Meydral Skirata, and guest reviewers! Thanks so much for your patience, you guys are just plain awesome. :)
So I thought about it, and the end of this chapter definitely needed some work. Hope ya'll like the updated version!
"You... what?" Kix asked with raised brows and Fives fought hard to keep his expression composed. Tup kept glancing between the two of them uncertainly.
The ARC sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. They're not going to give... As Kix and Tup were two troopers that Fives had served with the most, he knew very well just how tenacious and hard-headed the two of them could be. Especially when they teamed up like this, which they'd been doing a lot since Umbara.
"Fine."
"What do you mean, 'fine'?" Tup questioned, tilting his head to the side. Kix's eyebrows shot up even higher, if that was even possible.
Fives rolled his eyes at the two of them, "Does anyone else know that you two are here right now?"
"Yes, but I don't see why that matters," Kix replied, the suspicion very clear in his gaze. "I've always thought, since we're brothers, that there's no need for secrets. What exactly are you hiding from us?"
Fives flinched. Very few people besides Sky could get that reaction out of him. For being a quiet medic, Kix was quite able to scare the osik out of everyone, especially when he was trying as hard as he was now.
The other reason that Fives flinched was from guilt. Because the medic was right. For most clones, their brothers were the only family they had and there shouldn't be a need to keep things hidden amongst themselves. The problem was that Fives was also well aware that there were clones out there like Dogma, men who followed the rules blindly without taking the time to consider if said rules were actually in the right. And the ARC couldn't risk having a brother like that learning about his aliit, as much as it pained him to keep his connection to Sky and the kids a secret.
But Kix and Tup weren't like that. They'd had their chance to prove otherwise on Umbara and, along with Rex and the rest of the firing squad, had chosen to think for themselves. I know I can trust them.
"I know this seems dodgy-"
"It doesn't just seem dodgy. It is dodgy, Fives," Kix interjected, his suspicious expression turning to a hard glare.
"Kix is right, Fives," Tup added. "This isn't looking very good right now..."
Are you kidding me?! "I'm not thinking of turning traitor, if that's what you think." He really couldn't blame them for thinking that way, especially since there were at least two clone traitors on record at the moment. Even so, the very fact that they were thinking it about him hurt. "I... oh, just get in there and I'll tell you everything, alright?" Fives nodded his head toward his quarters.
"Oh. Uh, is it some classified mission then?" Tup asked, exchanging yet another look with Kix, who had ceased glaring.
"No! Just get in there. Please," Fives gestured again, this time impatiently.
"Okay Fives, hold your eopies," Kix responded in kind, nudging Tup into said quarters.
Fives followed with another exasperated eye-roll before following his brothers in, making sure that the door was properly closed and locked behind him. Now, how in the manda am I going to tell them that they're uncles? More importantly, how the haran am I gonna convince them not to tell anyone?
"This is the dumbest thing I've ever done."
Skylar chuckled at Lyle as the lieutenant tried to make sense of the Mando gear she'd given him. She'd offered him help at least twice, only to be turned down both times. He's a lot more stubborn than I originally thought. While that fact was particularly funny to her, it was a habit that she knew she'd have to break him of eventually.
But not at the moment. The two of them were currently in her office at Arca Barracks, preparing for their first meeting with one of her informants.
Lyle gave her an irritated glare as she chuckled and Skylar quickly composed herself. "It's only seems dumb because you're frustrated, ner vod'ika. There's nothing wrong in asking for help-"
"But I shouldn't have to. I've practically lived in armor my whole life, yet I can't make heads or tails of this stuff." That wasn't entirely true, though. Lyle had quickly figured out how to put the armor on, but it was the HUD in the buy'ce that was driving him crazy. The programming was more sophisticated and much closer to that used by the commandos. Regular troopers rarely got the chance to use kit like that.
Skylar fixed the lieutenant with what her brothers called her 'you better shut up and listen now' glare, "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted..." That got the scarred clone's attention. Until now, Skylar had only spoken to him with the utmost respect as he was ranked higher than her. But her patience was wearing thin and she was tired and her back ached. "I..." Calm down, Sky. Just 'cause you're pregnant doesn't mean you can lose your cool with your boys. Now is not the time for raging hormones... She rubbed the small bump of her belly anxiously, "Sorry for snapping Lyle."
He pulled the helmet off, holding it upside down in both hands as he looked down into it, "It's understandable, Skylar. Both of us are on edge right now." That was the understatement of the year. The two of them were running on very little sleep and Sky was beginning to feel extremely guilty for even thinking of doing this.
But there was no way in Corellia's nine hells that she was going to back out of helping Lyle. I'll deal with Fives' wrath later. I've got to do this.
She sighed, "How about we just forget you wearing armor for right now? I'll just have Katarcca meet us at the Kragget instead. That place is full of people I know and I know for sure that they'll be conveniently blind and deaf as long as we're there."
"Do all of your missions go like this?"
"You mean, do I normally fly by the seat of my pants? Yes."
Lyle shook his head, disbelief showing clearly on his face, "What the Force have I gotten myself into?
"You do want answers, right?" Skylar asked, this time not bothering to ask for his permission as she helped him remove the rest of the armor.
This time around, he accepted her help without complaint, "Yeah, but is it that important? I mean, the fact that criminals are missing from the Underworld isn't affecting my brothers on the front lines, so far as we know. Do we need to focus on this right now?"
He's doubting himself. "I think we do. And I know you still still believe it's important, otherwise you wouldn't be here, Lyle. What do you really think about all this?"
Lyle reached down to slip off one of the armored boots, and then handed it to her, a thoughtful expression on his face before he finally answered her with a slow shake of his head, "It's too far-fetched, Sky."
"I'm a barbaric, bounty-hunting Mandalorian warrior in the employ of the Grand Army of the Republic, Lieutenant. I doubt anything you could come up with would be crazier than that."
"Well... Dooku's basically royalty which means that he's got quite a bit of money. As do many of the Separatist dignitaries. Now, normally, syndicates like the Black Sun refuse to work for anyone but their own... But what if Dooku and his cronies made them an offer they couldn't resist?"
Skylar placed her index finger on her chin, thoughtful, "It's feasible, for certain. And, if you're right, that means they could be planning something. Something big."
"Then the sooner we get to the bottom of whatever this something is, the better."
"My thoughts exactly."
After making sure the door of his quarters was sealed behind them, Fives faced Kix and Tup's questioning looks head-on.
As usual, it was Tup who broke the silence first, "Okay, so if you're not a traitor-" The former rookie uncrossed his arms and held up his hands in a peaceful gesture at the glare Fives was giving him, "I know you're not, ner vod, just let me get this out." He lowered his arms to his sides, "If it's not that and you're not on some top secret mission, then what the haran is going on?"
Fives froze. Literally. Although he'd already made the decision to tell Kix and Tup about Sky and the kids, he now found himself absolutely terrified of the very idea. Get a grip. They're not going to turn on you. He took a deep, calming breath, trying to steady himself. "You know that my last assignment was working with Sergeant Cordav, right? Well, you see, Sky and I-"
Kix's stare, which had softened at first at Fives discomfort, became nearly hard enough to cut through ice. Like any good medic, he'd quickly picked up on the details. Namely, the affectionate way in which the ARC had said the woman's nickname. "Sky. She's your girlfriend, isn't she? That baby's yours."
Tup's jaw literally dropped.
"It's a distraction none of us need," Kix continued stubbornly. "Especially with the way the war is going. And especially after what happened on Umbara. You can't afford to lose your focus Fives. And we won't always be around to look after your shebs when your head's parsecs away-"
"They're not a distraction, Kix!" Fives yelled in frustration and both Kix and Tup took a step back, watching him warily. The ARC pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply, trying to force himself to calm down. This isn't going the way I wanted it to. I've got to make them understand, somehow. "I've lost..." He cleared his throat, squeezing his shut in an effort to fight against the sudden pricking feeling in his eyes. Crying over lost brothers wouldn't help him plead his case to the two living ones standing in front of him. Why the heck am I getting so upset? The answer was pretty simple once he thought about it. I haven't seen my family in several months. "I've already lost my original squad, Echo's gone. And I've already lost more brothers than I care to count."
Both Kix and Tup were hanging onto his every word now. They knew the pain of loss all too well. Even Tup, who hadn't been off Kamino long, knew exactly what the ARC was talking about. But what he was about to tell them was something they had no knowledge of whatsoever, "I probably would have given up a long time ago if it weren't for my wife and kids."
"Wife?"
"Kids?"
At that moment, the comlink on Five's gauntlet chirped. He activated it, thinking that Rex was calling to see where he'd gone off to, but it was Tea's little form that sprang to life on his wrist.
"Hi Daddy!" The little Togruta's excited face beamed up at him until his daughter noticed Kix and Tup standing off to the side and watching her with nearly identical and almost unreadable expressions. "Oops. Ummm... hi?"
osik = crap
aliit = family
manda = heaven
haran = hell
ner = my
vod'ika = little brother
buy'ce = helmet
Tsad Droten = Republic
vod = brother
shebs = backside
Please R&R.
