When Bacara woke up with a neat incision on the right side of his head, he remembered everything. He remembered his growing paranoia with General Mundi, remembered hearing about the inhibitor chips, remembered speaking the order that took his mind away. He remembered it all, and he hated himself.
Without the chip's influence it was easy to see what a monumental mistake he'd made. What he'd done was treason of the highest order, and he fully expected to be executed for it.
Instead, he languished in prison for months, undergoing no trial, receiving no discipline, answering no questions. If this was to be his punishment, he'd prefer execution. Then finally, his cell door opened for something other than his next meal.
Chancellor Riyo Chuchi stepped through the door, her lavender hair braided into a crown over her head. She looked like a goddess, but Bacara had no reason to believe she'd be benevolent.
She sat down across from Bacara at the tiny table where he spent most of his time, but she didn't speak for a long moment. Eventually, Bacara decided to break the silence.
"Madam Chancellor," he said, with an incline of his head.
"Ah, so you believe that I was rightfully elected now?" she said, raising one eyebrow.
"I don't believe my opinion matters, ma'am."
She let out a small snort at his deflection, then crossed her arms over her chest. "We've almost completed removing all inhibitor chips from the GAR."
Bacara nodded. "Good."
"So you approve?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Chancellor Chuchi tilted her head to the side, her sharp gaze measuring him carefully. "There are those in the Senate calling for your execution."
Bacara nodded again. "I understand."
"You understand that they're calling for your execution? Or
you find this punishment understandable?"
"Both, ma'am."
She pursed her lips and leaned back in her seat, studying him like she had him on a slide under a microscope. Bacara didn't mind. There was nothing she could do or say that he didn't deserve.
"I read your logs," she said eventually.
"My logs?"
"Yes. You kept amazingly detailed logs, Commander, even after the chip was activated. That's some remarkable discipline, there."
The corner of Bacara's mouth quirked up in a bitter half-smile. Yes, he was amazingly disciplined. And what good had it done him? "Thank you, ma'am," he said.
"Some of my colleagues in the Senate are convinced that you're pure evil. That the GAR was just unlucky that a bad apple made it to the top of the ranks. They think getting rid of you will fix everything," Chancellor Chuchi said. "But I disagree."
She paused, as if waiting for Bacara to respond, but he remained silent. What was he supposed to say to that? It was clear he'd committed treason of the highest order. The law was not ambiguous about what should happen to him.
"What I saw when I read those logs was dedication. Commitment," she continued. "Complete devotion to the Republic-"
"What does that matter if I ended up almost destroying the very Republic I wanted to defend?" Bacara snapped.
The Chancellor nodded her head. "You're right, it doesn't erase what you did. But it makes me think that there might be a way for you to pay for your crimes that wouldn't be as wasteful as execution."
Bacara narrowed his eyes at her. "Enough games. What are you getting at?"
She laced her hands together and rested them atop the small table between them. Her golden eyes shined in the fluorescent light, and there was a depth of sorrow there that Bacara thought he could understand.
"These inhibitor chips can't be the only thing Chancellor Palpatine had up his sleeve," she said. "I've been quietly looking into all the things he had his hands in, but there's one thread I've reached a wall with. He was sending resources to an unknown location out in Wild Space, and we need to know where."
"The Unknown Regions?" Bacara asked doubtfully. Beyond charted space, where navigation computers had a habit of going on the fritz and no law could reach. That Wild Space?
"Yes. I need to send a team out to investigate, but we all know that could be a one-way trip."
"So it's to be execution by suicide mission, then?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Consider it an opportunity to redeem yourself."
Bacara leaned back in his seat and eyed the Chancellor skeptically. "There's no way the Senate is going to go for this."
"You're right," she admitted. "It would be top-secret. As far as everyone in the Republic would know, you'd be dead."
"This sounds pretty shady for a reform-focused Chancellor."
She shrugged. "We run all kinds of top-secret ops. My successor would know the truth, of course. But as for the rest of the Senate goes… I don't think execution is fair. I think if more of my colleagues in the Senate had bothered to learn anything about the men serving and protecting our civilian population, they'd agree."
"I know what I did, ma'am. Don't make excuses for me."
Her eyes flashed and her mouth thinned to a line. "Everyone wants to string you up because there's nothing more we can do to the real culprit. But I for one refuse to forget who's truly responsible for this mess."
Bacara's thoughts strayed to the old Chancellor—to his kindly face hiding a bottomless pit of malice. He thought about the twisted pleasure Palpatine must have felt, knowing he'd turn the GAR on itself—forcing them to eat each other alive. A man like that would always have something else up his sleeve, and there was no way Bacara would just sit back and let it happen. Not again.
"I'll do it," he said, eyes flitting back to the current Chancellor. "If the old man had more planned, there's no way I'm letting the bastard get away with it."
Chancellor Chuchi smiled—a warm expression that lit up her eyes. "Excellent."
Riyo looked out at the Senate amphitheatre for possibly the last time of her career, her whole body tense with anticipation. She'd done everything she could, she had every reason to believe the votes would be on her side, but she wouldn't feel at peace until every ballot had been tallied. Then, finally, she could rest.
"Noble colleagues of the Senate," she said, her voice echoing up into the vaulted ceiling, "you know why I am here today. I have spent every last ounce of political sway I possess on this bill, and if it is my sole accomplishment as Chancellor, I will consider my tenure a success.
"You know the choice before you. Will we be a people who punish our own soldiers for something beyond their control? Will we be a Republic that chooses to enslave sentient beings to serve in our military? Will we be a people who use the bodies of loyal soldiers, then sweep their existence under the rug once the war is over? Make no mistake. This is a vote for the soul of our Republic. I know you will make the right decision."
She took her seat as a roar of approval swept through the Senate. Everything she'd done these past four months led up to this day, to this vote, and now all she could do was wait. She'd run a furious PR campaign throughout the Republic, getting public approval for the GAR up from 30% to 80%. She'd lobbied tirelessly, traded away every advantage she had, and negotiated late into the night. Her doctor had warned her she was taking years off of her life, but it would all be worth it if this vote turned out.
Vice Chancellor Ek rose and held his staff aloft. "We will cast our votes now for Bill 145662226367009kt - Clone Rights and Retirement with Amendments 6A, 12DT, and 9C."
Riyo cast her vote, then squeezed her eyes shut. She imagined what she would do if the vote failed. Probably leave the Republic, maybe find a planet that would welcome the clones as equal sentients. She reminded herself that if the bill didn't pass, that didn't mean everything was over. She'd just have to find a different avenue to justice.
Her eyes still closed, the faint ding of votes being cast surrounded Riyo. A rustle of fabric told her that Vice Chancellor Ek had risen to his feet again beside her, and she laced her fingers so tightly together they started to go numb.
"The bill passes with 1677 votes in favor," Vice Chair Ek said. His staff came down on the floor of the Chancellor's pod, the sound reverberating beneath Riyo's feet.
It passed. It passed. It passed.
Riyo leapt to her feet and let out a resounding whoop, not caring who saw. She was almost certain to be voted out of office in a few weeks, anyway. But that didn't matter because the bill had passed.
She pulled Vice Chair Ek into a hug and he stumbled against her in surprise. Then she turned around and gave Maja the same treatment, holding her friend for a long moment, her shoulders shaking in relief.
"Congratulations, Riyo," Maja said, smiling into Riyo's shoulder.
"Thank you, Maja. You made it possible."
The session of Senate wasn't over yet, but Riyo hardly noticed anything going on around her. All she really wanted to do was to talk to a clone—any clone—and tell them the good news. She hadn't had a clone guard since the 21st's assault on the Senate building, so not a single identical face could be found in the entire Senate building. She imagined that would change soon. Senator Organa and the newly-minted General Fox had just completed removing inhibitor chips from every single clone in the GAR, and that along with the clone rights bill would guarantee their continued importance in Republic military and security operations.
Vice Chair Ek led the Senate through the last few orders of business, then closed the session. The Chancellor's pod lowered through the floor, and Riyo hopped up from her seat with a nervous energy.
"What's next on the agenda, Maja?" she asked.
"Rest. Celebrate. Relax," Maja said.
Riyo laughed. "That can't be possible, there must be something-"
Maja grabbed Riyo by the wrist and shook her head. "Really, Riyo, you need to get some sleep. This was our biggest priority for the rest of your term, and it's done now. Let yourself enjoy it."
Riyo pursed her lips, but didn't protest. "Fine. But I need to go to my office first for my datapad."
"Fine by me."
Riyo and Maja headed for Riyo's office, Captain Athel of the Senate Guard following behind. They reached her small office among the other Senatorial rooms, and waiting just outside the doors on one of the padded chairs in the waiting area was a clone trooper in crimson red armor, helmet held at his hip, a brand new Republic insignia-studded General's pauldron on his shoulder.
"Fox!" Maja said.
Riyo stopped in her tracks, her heart in her throat and her eyes trying desperately to make out if the vision in front of her was a mirage or not. It had only been a half year since she'd seen Fox last, but it felt like forever.
"Madame Chancellor, Miss Joyo, Captain Athel," Fox said, nodding to each of them in turn.
"F- General Fox," Riyo stammered. "I thought you'd be returning next week."
"We had a few more battalions to meet with, but Senator Organa suggested I return early while he and his team finished up," Fox said.
"Ah," Riyo said. "That's good. It will give you some time to prepare before your formal promotion."
Fox had been commissioned while on assignment the previous month, and Riyo had been looking forward to being the one to confer his rank in the ceremony.
Fox laughed, a sound rarer and more precious than Haysian smelt. "I don't think it will take me a whole week to get ready for a simple formality."
Riyo giggled, but the sound was nervous and fluttery in her throat. "Well, uh, we should talk inside," she said, gesturing to her office.
Fox nodded, and Maja and Captain Athel made for the door.
"Uh, Maja? Captain? I think I can take this meeting alone…" Riyo said.
Captain Athel's eyebrows raised, but he remained otherwise stoic as he stepped back. "Yes, ma'am."
Maja caught Riyo's eye and gave her a gratuitous wink. "Alright, don't hesitate to call for me if you need backup," she said, making herself comfortable on one of the chairs in the waiting area.
Riyo tried her best to avoid their gazes, and followed Fox into her office.
The door shut behind them, and the Riyo could swear the temperature increased several degrees. She'd thought as soon as she saw Fox again she'd run right into his arms. She hadn't anticipated this heavy, stifling atmosphere.
"D-did you hear about the bill?" she said, still standing by the door.
Fox leaned casually against her desk. Damn him, how is he so calm? "I did. It's being announced to all the clone units as we speak."
"So… you're a free man now. What do you plan to do with yourself?"
He set his helmet down on her desk, then advanced on her, his steps firm and confident. He backed her up against the door, his tall frame completely enveloping her. His eyes burned into hers, leaving no room between them for doubt.
"I think I have some ideas," he said, voice low and hot in her ear.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her, his strong arms surrounding her in the embrace she'd been missing for so long.
He was a general—no longer her personal guard and no longer denied the rights of citizenship—and she was a chancellor on her way out of office. The tension and thrill of the forbidden was gone now, but in its place resided a deep and abiding sense of peace and security. Nobody was going to tear them apart. They had made it.
One of Fox's hands dug into her hair, cupping the back of her skull and tilting her head to the side. His lips trailed from her mouth to her ear, and he pressed her back against the door.
"My Chancellor," he breathed into her ear, his voice heavy with desire and wonder.
She smiled over his shoulder, her arms tightening around his broad back. "Not for long." she said.
She'd burned bridges to get this bill passed. She'd spent every last drop of political capital she had, and there was no doubt in her mind that a new Chancellor would be taking her place soon. Here, now, in her office with the man she loved, she didn't mind.
"No," he murmured, his fingers dislodging the metal ornaments in her hair. "Always my Chancellor,"
She shivered at the words, spoken so fervently, but something about them landed not quite right on her heart. She moved her hands to his shoulders and pushed gently back, creating enough space between them for her to look him in the eye.
She shook her head. "I'd rather be your Riyo. Will you be my Fox?"
A slow smile spread across his face, and Riyo's heart swelled to bursting at the sight.
"My Riyo? I like the sound of that."
"Good," she said, taking his face in her hands. Her fingers slid against the smooth scar tissue where his ear used to be. She brought their faces together, resting her forehead against his. "Because you're stuck with me."
He laughed. "Riyo Chuchi, I've known that for a while now. Even before you were my Riyo, I was your Fox."
Three years later
Pantora was cold. Fox had spent most of his life in the temperature-controlled climate of Coruscant, so the chill easily got under his skin. If he had been wearing his insulated blacks it would have been fine, but in this wool jacket he was left shivering.
"Get ahold of yourself, Fox," Rex said at his side. "You don't want her parents to think you can't handle a little cold."
Fox shot Rex a sidelong glare. "I'm so glad to have such supportive brothers at my back," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Fox had always been more open with his brothers than with civilians, but these past years he'd enjoyed developing his sense of humor and growing comfortable with teasing, mockery, and other such unprofessional behavior.
"I'm just trying to help," Rex said.
Fox glanced across the open courtyard at Riyo's family—her stern and solemn mother and her open, tear-stained father—and he forced down the swell of nerves in his stomach. "Well, it's not helping."
Rex let out a snort and rested his hand on Fox's shoulder, leaning in to give him a good-natured shove. "I'm teasing, brother. I don't think there's a thing you could do that would change how Riyo feels about you."
Fox sincerely doubted that, but he smiled anyway, the thought of his bride raising his spirits. As if on queue, Riyo finally entered the courtyard, flanked on either side by Maja and her sister. Fox's breath stuttered to a halt and his focus zeroed in on her, the rest of the galaxy falling away.
She was resplendent in a maroon-and-gold gown that swept all the way to the ground. It nipped in at her waist and flared out to the ground, the fabric heavy with embroidery but somehow still floating out around her. Her dress was beautiful, but the details were lost on Fox, the intricate outfit only adding to her aura of happiness in a peripheral sort of way. It was her glowing smile, her bright eyes, the dimple in her right cheek, that captured his attention.
She walked through the crowd of onlookers and finally made her way to Fox, Maja and her sister joining Riyo's parents as Riyo took her place at Fox's side. A stiff, ornately-attired officiant cleared his throat, stepping up to the couple with a solemn expression on his face.
"Has the groom's family brought the flour?" he said.
Fox nodded. "We have."
Beside him, Rex, Thorn and Stone carried a bowl of flour to Fox. Fox took it carefully in his hands and held it out to Riyo.
"And has the bride's family brought the water, salt, and yeast?" the officiant asked.
"We have," Riyo said.
Her parents, sister, and Maja carried a bowl of ingredients forward, and Riyo balanced them in her hands.
"With hands and hearts combined, mix the dough," he officiant said, setting a bowl on the stand between Riyo and Fox.
They combined the ingredients and kneaded them together. It was awkward, performing a task meant for one in front of a large audience of people, but Fox tried not to pay any attention to that. He let his hands dig into the pasty dough, his fingers tangling with Riyo's every so often as they worked the ingredients. As they worked, the officiant continued.
"You each bring with you the ingredients to a family, those materials passed on to you from parents and siblings of your own. As one, you will knead these ingredients together, let time mature you, and let the fires of adversity transform you. All these things will come together to create the sustenance of your marriage," he said.
They finished kneading the dough, and the officiant directed them to hold hands over the gooey mass. There was something right and profound about the way Riyo's hands fit in Fox's, their fingers still sticky with dough.
"Riyo Chuchi, from this day forward you will be Fox's wife. You will build a life and a family together, uniting your lines from this day onward. Do you accept?" the officiant said.
Riyo stared into Fox's eyes, and in her expression Fox thought he could see into a bright and glorious future.
"Yes," she said, her tiny fingers squeezing his hands.
"Fox, CC-1010, from this day forward you will be Riyo Chuchi's husband. You will build a life and a family together, uniting your lines from this day onward. Do you accept?"
For a brief instance, the cruel voices of Fox's past returned. You are not worthy, they whispered in the back of his mind. You will ruin her life. You've done too much wrong. But the shining light of Riyo's joy pushed them back, and Fox found his voice.
"Yes," Fox said, his voice only breaking slightly on the word.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Riyo surged forward and kissed Fox firmly on the mouth, and cheers erupted all around them.
Fox wanted to savor the feeling of her lips on his, but the crowd soon rushed forward and lifted the newlyweds into the air, signalling the commencement of what would be a long night of celebration.
The evening was a dizzying blur of congratulations, food, drink, laughter, and painstakingly-memorized Pantoran customs. Riyo and Fox kicked off the feast, then built up a fire in front of their guests for their bread to bake on. Throughout the night they would let the dough rise, then bake it, then serve it to their guests. It seemed an odd custom to Fox, but all things considered it was one of the more low-maintenance wedding traditions out there in the galaxy, and he should count himself lucky. Tending to the loaf also gave Fox an excuse to extricate himself from the guests when he was starting to feel overwhelmed.
Even three years after the bill had passed, and two years after retiring from the GAR, Fox still didn't always feel comfortable around civilians. He couldn't tell when they were joking, wasn't sure where to put his hands, didn't know how to answer their questions. But each time he started to feel like he was drowning under the scrutiny of their many wedding guests, Riyo would catch his eye and offer him a comforting smile, and he'd gain the confidence to carry on.
Once the bread was finally done and cooling on a large decorative platter, Riyo and Fox broke it and passed it out to the crowd, each guest tasting it and commenting on the flavor and what it said about the future of their union.
"Very sweet bread, you're sure to have a long and happy marriage."
"The crust is tough—you'll certainly be able to endure hardship."
"Not much salt. That's a good sign!"
"I don't know how to interpret the future in a loaf of bread," Ahsoka Tano said after she'd taken her bite, "but it tastes good."
"Pantoran tradition states that the wedding guest who takes the biggest piece will get married next," Riyo said with a wink.
Tano looked down at her large hunk of bread, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. Rex snorted and took her by the elbow. "You know Riyo always gives as good as she gets," he said as he led his date away from the bride and groom.
After the bread was eaten, the party began to wind down and the courtyard slowly emptied. Fox and Riyo bade goodbye to their guests, and hugs and tears were shared freely. When Fox felt like he might not be able to stand on his own two feet for much longer, Riyo finally pulled him away from the courtyard and into a small, sheltered alcove.
"Did you get any of the bread?" she asked.
Fox shook his head. "No. Too much going on."
Riyo pulled a piece of bread out from a pocket hidden in her large skirts and held it out to him. "I thought that might happen."
She ripped the piece in two and gave Fox one half, then took an almost-reverent bite of the remaining piece.
Fox chewed on the bread, letting his tongue soak up the flavor. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted.
Across from him, he picked out thin tracks of tears running down Riyo's shadowed face. He held his hand to her cheek and wiped at her tears with his thumb. "Cyare, what's wrong?"
She sniffed loudly and rubbed her nose against the back of her hand. "Nothing's wrong. I just… for so long I thought this day might never come."
He swept away one last tear, then took her by the shoulders, looking down into her dewy eyes. "Me too. When I first heard you speak after your election, I knew right then and there that you were a leader worthy of my devotion. But I never imagined that would come to anything beyond protecting you."
Riyo snorted and nudged him gently with her shoulder. "I don't know if anyone is good enough to deserve your devotion. It's, um… a little intense, frankly."
"I don't think you understand," Fox said, holding her gaze and willing his words to reach her. "What I felt for you, it wasn't just admiration. You made me feel differently about the world, about the GAR, and about myself. You helped me to understand that I was worthy of love, too."
Riyo pulled him into her arms and buried her face in his chest. "Worthy or not, I love you," she said.
Fox tightened his arms around her and nodded into her hair. "Worthy or not, I love you, too."
