Chapter 5! I wasn't joking when I said I wanted to update frequently! I'm excited to give this to you guys! Please enjoy, and don't be shy about reviewing.
"Dialogue"
Rex's thoughts
'Silent conversation'
Chapter 5
"Commander Tano, you were looking for me?"
Commander Ahsoka Tano looked up from the vertical clear grid display and waved me in. I quietly set my helmet down on the circular planning holo-table and moved over next to her.
"Hey Rex! I just wanted your opinion. Master Skywalker left me with some homework."
She waved her hands up at the grid. Tiny red and blue dots formed up what I recognized as battle plans for enemy squadrons and those of our own.
"How's it coming? General Skywalker might want to know. He did just get back with General Kenobi and Senator Amidala."
Commander Tano spun around and I almost startled at her soft grip. I had to look down to see her and when I did I almost did jump. She had both hands clasped around my forearm, looking up at me. Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and humour.
"Will you fact check me real fast? Y'know, since I'm so new at this?"
She must've mastered the lothcat look or something because her eyes looked wide and innocent up at me. I can't exactly say no, can I?
"Sure, kid. What's the objective?"
Commander Tano's face lit up and she wildly tapped her little buttons to set up the imaginary battlefield.
"Okay! So, I'm the blue guys, the good guys! Us I mean. And if you'll do the red ones?"
She kept glancing between me and the board with a touch of hesitancy.
"Sure, bad guys right?"
She nodded, making her lekku and the silka beads that made up her padawan braid bounce. With a final touch, the stage was set. It was a mock setting of a space battle over Ryloth. Funny, I didn't know she did a trial of this before the actual events… I didn't pause long to guess at the slight oddity.
"My first squadron is going to make an attack run on the Separatist Command Ship."
Commander Tano poked the buttons to start the simulation. Her blue dots moved into a standard Republic formation and moved a ways into the middle of the board between several large dots. My side of the buttons lit up. A what-ifs board, or so I'm told.
"I launch all fighters."
I narrated my move and touched the appropriate buttons. Dozens of tiny little red dots floated across the screen into something of a formation the droid army was likely to pull.
"Well okay then, I widen the attack range and the squadron tries to blast through."
The tactic works pretty well, getting Commander Tano pretty far past the initial swarm of fake enemies. I didn't take my turn yet, instead turning to the petite Commander.
"Commander, you've left your cruisers vulnerable…"
Her eyes went wide.
"Did I? But it's important to take out the command ship, but…"
I put in my next move and watched the little red dots deal serious damage to one of the Commander's larger dots.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
I wiggled my eyebrows at her with my own fair bit of cheekiness.
"Anything is fair in war, kid."
She pouted for a moment, and was interrupted by the Jedi Generals arriving at the bridge.
"Captain Rex! I thought you'd meet us in the hangar bay!"
General Skywalker marched in, followed by the Senator from Naboo and his old Master, General Kenobi. You're right. I would've…in another life. General Kenobi didn't let the conversation get much farther than that.
"Well, he is here where we need him, right Anakin?"
A faintly annoyed nod from his former padawan but Kenobi just kept forging on.
"We've got to arrange a transport for Senator Amidala back to Naboo, if that's where you came from Milady?"
General Kenobi addressed the last part to the aforementioned senator. With all the poise I'd ever seen she smiled at General Kenobi.
"That's right, I came straight from Naboo. What's puzzling to me is that I got my coordinates straight from Chancellor Palpatine himself and it spat me out into your mess!"
She made a pointed glare at General Skywalker. Now that I know what to look for it's hard to miss. I'd often played guard for some of General Skywalker's less appreciated gestures of attachment to the senator later on and it hadn't been hard to pick up on the fact that they were a couple.
"Now wait a minute, it wasn't a mess! We had it completely under control until you flew in!"
Skywalker protested hotly with a touch of teasing. Ahsoka coughed lightly next to my elbow and General Skywalker finally noticed his padawan.
"Oh, Ahsoka! How'd the homework go?"
General Kenobi shook his head lightly in the background, bending over to share some witty comment with the senator. She stifled a laugh and then turned to Ahsoka.
"My, you never did introduce me to your padawan, Master Skywalker!"
Her large brown doe eyes seemed to do similar things to General Skywalker as the lothcat look had to me. Women. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"It was kind of hard to at the time, don't you think?"
Skywalker's tone was somewhere in between pleading and light teasing. It was refreshing. Amidala rolled her eyes at him and crossed the short distance to stand in front of Ahsoka.
"I'm Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. I'm sure you've heard of me…"
She leaned towards Ahsoka in a conspiratorial manner.
"But who knows what they've been saying about me these days!"
She winked at Ahsoka who snickered behind a hand, and straightened under her Master's glare.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Senator. I'm Padawan Ahsoka Tano."
She bowed deeply as was the Jedi custom and I just caught Amidala's eyes sparkling.
"Ahsoka! What a beautiful name! Can I call you Ahsoka?"
Ahsoka nodded eagerly and smiled widely as the senator reached down to grasp Ahsoka's hands.
"We'll get along famously, now won't we? You can call me Padme."
Her warmth seeped into the gray room and the worries in my head seemed farther away even just for her simple kindness to a friend.
"And you're Captain Rex. Anakin has told me you are likely the reason he's still in one piece."
I hadn't even realized she'd turned her attention to me. I straightened under her gaze. She didn't seem to even catch her slip in formality. Before anyone else could grasp the slip General Skywalker was already speaking.
"Now come on! I told you that in confidence! He's not the ONLY reason!"
I couldn't help myself, I smiled and could feel the kid Commander still at my elbow choking back laughter. General Kenobi's crisp Coruscantii accent slid through the mirth.
"Oh, Commander Cody! Come to join the party?"
Cody had stopped in the doorway, looking in. He didn't have a chance to get a word in edgewise. The senator was already over by him with a smile that smoothed even the lines on Cody's face.
"Commander! So you're the one who keeps Obi-Wan sane!"
An indignant snort from General Kenobi was her only reaction. General Skywalker just snickered and started tapping at the holo-table.
"Rex, would you move your helmet?"
The reminder that there was still a duty to perform brought Cody back from his embarrassed dodges of the senator's admiration. He politely nodded his way in and stood next to General Kenobi. The senator trailed in after him and found her way back over to Ahsoka. I scooped up my helmet and settled it into the crook underneath my arm and between my hip.
"This lines up rather well, doesn't it Anakin."
Kenobi's dry humour didn't seem to get through to General Skywalker.
"What d'ya mean, master? Not much to really 'line up' as you say."
He was focused on the holo-table and not on General Kenobi. With an exasperated sigh, General Kenobi seemed to wrestle Skywalker's attention to him.
"Cody and Rex can just drop Senator Amidala off on Naboo while they go about outpost inspections. They are due for another one."
He raised one eyebrow pointedly. The senator had the decency to look interested and poked General Skywalker underneath the table.
"Sure, Master! That sounds like a great plan!"
He practically ground it out, much to Amidala's displeasure.
"That sounds perfect, Master Kenobi. When do we leave?"
Cody grimaced at me from across the table. His expression told me all I needed to know without him ever needing to say it out loud. 'And this is what they call volun-told.' The quirk in Cody's expression conveyed a snarky add on. 'As opposed to volunteering, if you were confused.' I gave a slight shake of my head and snapped to attention when General Skywalker addressed me.
"That won't be too hard for you, right Rex?"
"No, sir! Consider it done!"
General Kenobi interrupted Cody's eager agreement.
"Hold on there, Cody. You don't have to leave immediately. It's been something of a harrowing adventure for our senator here."
In my past life, or whatever you want to call it, we waited a couple hours before dropping the senator off. Those hours are ones the Domino squad doesn't have. We'll have to leave earlier. Senator Amidala was in the process of trying to advocate to leave a little earlier though it didn't seem that her heart was in it. Sorry Senator...the greater good will have to come above couple time.
"If I may Generals, I think the Senator would probably rest easier on her own homeworld."
All fell silent with my interjection and General Kenobi seemed to consider my observation.
"You're right, Rex. We don't know when they'll call us into action again anyways. Might as well get things done sooner."
General Skywalker seemed just as deflated as Commander Tano did. The senator hid her disappointment well.
"Cody, if you'll requisition a shuttle and depart as soon as the senator is fit?"
General Kenobi turned to business and proceeded to start pulling up recent engagements on the center holo-table. Cody saluted and promptly left. General Skywalker followed the senator out and a beep told me where Commander Tano had gone. She'd done her next move on the board. Her little dots had circled around and pelted the red dots. Her attack on the dots halved the enemy forces. General Kenobi nodded in my direction and I took the hint. I left the command center and headed towards the hangar where Cody was most likely getting that shuttle prepped and ready to go. Senator Amidala joined me on the way down. Sidling in from a side passage where I caught a glimpse of General Skywalker.
"Down to the shuttle, Captain?"
"Yes, Senator."
I responded as aloofly as I could manage. Their affairs weren't my problem. Not yet at least. The walk to the lifts to take us down to the hangars wasn't long, or I thought it wouldn't have been, but the senator stopped at every single trooper she saw on the way there, learning their names and how long they'd been in the field. It reached a point where I made a face at any trooper who started to talk for very long. Finally we had made it all the way down to the hangar. Cody stood by the shuttle, patiently waiting for us to arrive. I quickened my pace and crossed the bay. The protocol droid the senator had could be muttering about being left behind in the shuttle.
"Senator."
Cody was polite and stepped to the side to allow the senator to ascend up into the craft. I started to follow but Cody didn't let me get very far.
"No offense, Rex, but I'm flying."
"No worries, Cody. I didn't want to fly to begin with."
I smirked at Cody and proceeded up the ramp into the back area where the Senator had made herself comfortable.
"Captain! Are we going to get underway?"
Cody followed me up the ramp and headed towards the cockpit.
"Yes, milady. That we are."
Cody smoothly transitioned the ship into a flight mode and I settled into a seat across from the senator. The only sign that we had left the hangar was a slight pressure difference and a nearly indistinct shudder as the ship left artificial gravity. I settled in for the ride.
"Captain, I've been asking your men questions, but I've been neglecting you...when were you promoted?"
I grinned despite myself. It was very like Senator Amidala to be seriously invested in others.
"A little before General Skywalker took over command of the 501st, Senator."
My reply was also somewhat basic but she didn't seem to mind.
"He seems awfully fond of you. I'm sure you keep him out of many messes?"
"I end cleaning up most of his messes, or getting into them right along with him, ma'am. It's my duty to make sure he gets out of those messes in one piece."
Memories of those 'messes' flitted through my mind. Both those that had already occurred and those that hadn't. The senator nodded quietly and pulled out a datapad.
"3PO, I won't be needing you for the next little bit. You can shut off for the moment."
The senator addressed the fussy protocol droid that I'd been ignoring. It sounded offended that anyone would ask it to turn off, but ultimately gave in and turned himself off. All was silent between us for a long while until I had a distinct impression.
"Senator, can I ask you something personal?"
Senator Amidala looked up from where she'd been idly scanning through the datapad.
"Of course, Captain! Ask anything you'd like. It's only fair."
I probably shouldn't ask this. It's too soon. The only thing I'll do is make things worse…
"Thank you, senator. I need to ask you to promise not to tell General Skywalker or anyone else about me asking. Is that too much to request?"
The senator seemed rather surprised, but her political face quickly slid into place.
"I don't see why not."
She let a smile grace her features and purposefully opened up her body language to remain open and inviting. I hope I don't regret this.
"How long have you and General Skywalker, y'know…"
I trailed off. Senator Amidala didn't even show her true emotions.
"Master Skywalker and I what, Captain?"
Her tone was slightly accusatory and had an edge of danger to it. This was one lady I probably shouldn't cross.
"You're a couple, right?"
Though her face didn't show it, her eyes certainly did. Fear and shock flashed through.
"That's absurd! Where did you get that ridiculous notion?"
I bowed my head in deference. Ha! So it's true. Even she can't deny it all the way.
"Apologies, senator. It was just an observation. I'll let you read now."
I pulled out my own datapad and slowly scrolled through some more requisition orders for supplies and troops for the 501st as well as recent reports for the outposts we were inspecting. It didn't take long before Cody announced we'd reached Naboo and we'd been cleared for landing by the Theed palace. Just as in the hangar bay of the Resolute one could hardly tell the difference. Cody, ever the gentleman, set us down softly and I went to help the senator unbuckle. She stopped me halfway through.
"Ah, Captain, as for your...inquiry, why don't you send me a message from here?"
The senator handed me a datapad and I started to refuse the technology.
"No, Captain. You keep it. Even if you don't message me, I think it'll be good just to have on hand."
She unbuckled herself and met Cody coming down from the cockpit.
"Thank you for the safe delivery, Commander. I look forward to seeing what you men can accomplish."
She went back to the annoying protocol droid and activated it. He immediately started in on a rant about not being needed. I didn't pay any heed but went to the cockpit. There were two seats. Each one could fly, but I chose the one that wasn't inherently designed to fly. Cody did say he was going to fly. Cody marched back in and settled into his chair.
"You ready to go, Rex?"
"Yeah. I'm more than ready."
"Alright, which outposts are we inspecting this time?"
He pulled out a personal datapad. Not unlike the one I had in my hand. I tucked the Senator's into a convenient ledge in the space next to my leg. Gotta stow that somewhere it's NOT gonna blow up…
"We have several, Cody. But I think we should do the Rishi Outpost first. Something tells me we need to give them a wake-up call."
I voiced my opinion before Cody could tell me we were going to go to any other outpost. I could practically feel Cody smirking at me as I set the nav-computer.
"Alright Rex. If you say so."
The ship smoothly ascended through the atmosphere and continued in a steady direction. The stars blurred together as we entered hyperspace. I just hope we get there in time.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay safe!
~Shadowlight17