If I'm Laden at All

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where….

'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' – The Hollies

Echo leaned against the ledge of the computer console, a brow arched wryly and a funny smile playing about his face.

It wasn't that Rex was late. Not really, anyway. Rex was never late for his shift on the bridge. It's just that usually he was five minutes early, and it was now a minute past his start time. If it was either Ahsoka or Fives, he's assume they were getting some caf before wandering in for their turn at watch, finishing a conversation, or maybe just taking a quick run to the refresher before settling in. But not Rex, who liked to be an example to the men serving under him – or in this case, the men he was working with. This was the third time Rex was not early, or at least not precisely on time.

Echo glanced idly at the chrono on his wrist. Not quite three minutes yet – the door slid open, and Rex appeared in the archway.

The two men stared at each other for a moment. Rex looked blank. Echo looked amused.

"What?" Rex said, after a moment, when Echo didn't leave.

Echo shrugged, straightened himself, stepped forward and said, "You and Ahsoka, huh?"

Rex blinked, then a certain flush bloomed across his face.

Echo grinned, clapped Rex on the shoulder once, then headed for the galley, managing not to laugh until the door closed behind him.

Rubbing his eyes, Echo leaned back in the chair far enough to tilt it onto its back legs.

It was good to be planetside. Fresh food, fresh air, solid ground under his feet. Little chance of anyone shooting at him. Safe, peaceful planets were the best.

Still, the holonet terminal beckoned before him, glowingly; he'd been staring at it for hours, trying to collate various pieces of data. Dates of disappearance against the date of a skirmish in the Outer Rim between an armed freighter and an Imperial scout ship. That against the dates of sale of various ships that met the freighter's description. Documents of transported goods between various Outer and Mid-Rim planets by a group that might fit the description of the man, the woman, and the boy wanted by the Empire.

The boy was on Ventress' list. The parents were apparently working as smugglers now, having been former employees of a small freight company working off Corellia. It was amazing they'd lasted so long, under the radar - if it really was the right family, and they really had made it out of the skirmish with the scout alive.

If they had, they wouldn't have much time to ditch the freighter and their cargo, and either try to switch ships and run, or just go to ground. He pressed his fingers into his eyes again and felt them tear up from the light of the screen. It was a puzzle. He enjoyed this aspect of the work more than the others, and usually volunteered for it. The other three found it tedious. It could be, at times, he supposed, but finding bits of information that matched up and gave them a clue, even a direction to point their search in, gave him an enormous sense of satisfaction.

Ventress' list had begun to run cold several months ago now. They'd gotten several kids and families out from that lead. It was bizarre, taking information from the former Separatist Commander, but none of the information had been bad or led them into a trap.

A soft noise alerted him. Very faint, a vague scuffle against the floorboards. He lifted his arms, dropped the chair onto all four legs, and twisted to the left, a hand coming down quickly to grab at the figure lunging at him.

Roo let out a high pitched squeal that turned into a giggle as Echo rumpled her ear flaps, pulled into pigtails high on her head and fastened with blue bows. It was one of the perks of spending time on Alderaan, seeing the kids. Roo-Roo Page, the Gungan girl they'd extracted from Naboo, was seven years old now, curious about everything, and had a habit of knowing more than she should. Echo wasn't sure if it was some skill of the Force, or if she was just nosy and good at overhearing things.

She bounced up closer, peered into the terminal's monitor. "You be researching?" she asked, turning her head to look up at him briefly, then back to the holonet. "Slicing?"

"Trying to find out if a family got away from the Empire."

Roo put her hands on the edge of the table, looked at the screen for awhile. "I'ma thinking they did."

"Oh?"

She nodded, distractedly, and Echo began to lean towards it being a Force skill. The expression on her face was a miniature version of Ahsoka's when she was trying to sense things beyond normal ken, different only due to differences in the shape of her face. Roo drummed her fingers on the tabletop once, then leaned back, seeming to snap back into reality.

"Isa didn't surprise you when Isa came in, did I?" she asked, plaintively. "Master Ahsoka says wesa have to practice stealth."

It was so normal to her, Echo realized. Plucking knowledge out of the air that would take him hours to track. He still had to confirm it. Though at least he knew he could put off checking salvage manifests until later. If she was right, they'd be in one piece, not many. She was more worried about whatever lesson Ahsoka had tasked her with, as important as it was. Being what they were, they needed to know how to hide.

"Yeah, well, I've got amazing powers of super hearing," Echo told her, leaning down conspiratorially. "You should try sneaking up on Fives. He's supposed to be helping Rex fix the speeder."

Roo's eyes went wide, then she looked at the doorway. A sneaky look crossed her face. "Really?"

"Really."

Roo grinned. "Isa'm glad yousa're staying!" she exclaimed, then ran out the door.

He watched her go. It was a Jedi thing, he decided. It had to be.

He hadn't told anyone yet he wanted to remain on Alderaan.

He could still work from here, send information on to Rex and Ahsoka. He could make use of Alderaan's network, Alderaan's archives, libraries, databases. It was a matter of time, now, before Fives finally finished getting antsy and headed out on his own to explore. Rex and Ahsoka finally getting themselves sorted was only a catalyst for a feeling that had been building for some time.

They were free. Free to pursue their own wishes. Echo wanted quiet. Somewhere he could work and study and learn things. He thought of Roo and the kids. He could even pass on some of what he learned. Maybe it wasn't the same kind of knowledge Ahsoka could give them, but there was more to learning than the Force.

He'd seen a lot of the galaxy already, though it was often between bursts of battle. A little quiet time was deeply appealing. He could teach. He would teach them how to think for themselves.

Maybe he'd go out again someday. He'd always be around to help if there was a particularly difficult mission coming up. But he wanted that quiet. Some of that peace. Just for awhile, much in the way Fives was beginning to make comments about places he'd like to go, things he'd like to do, things he'd like to see. Things not in the plan Rex and Ahsoka followed so diligently.

He was developing his own plans.

Maybe it was time to strike out on his own.

Fives stretched, feeling his back crack as he turned sharply from side to side. He rolled his head around, loosening the muscles in his neck, then stood. If no one had made dinner yet, he'd see if he could heat something up.

He cast a glance at the empty bunk above his. The quarters the three clones had shared was just his now. It still felt strange, empty. He wanted to be annoyed with Echo, but couldn't bring himself to be.

He understood why he'd left. They were free agents now. That was part of being free to make your own choices, it seemed. They didn't always match up with others' expectations.

Fives yawned and headed down the hallway, freezing as he reached the entrance to the galley, then flushing red and trying not to stutter and interrupt.

Rex was sitting at the table, a plate of food forgotten in front of him, because Ahsoka was standing behind him, arms wrapped around his shoulders. Fortunately, the back of Ahsoka's head obscured anything else from view, since it was on an even height with Rex's. One of his hands was resting on one of her montrals.

He skittered away, fled back to his room, trying to scrub the image of his older brother kissing his girlfriend out of his brain. He was happy for them and all, but it was a bit weird seeing someone who looked just like you kissing someone who was practically your sister. Clearly, Rex did not share that sibling-like image of the Jedi. Fives tried, then failed, not to say, "Ew." He was going to have to start thinking of Ahsoka as sister-in-law instead of just sister. It was too creepy otherwise.

A few more minutes. He'd give them a few more minutes, then hope they had been preoccupied enough to not hear him.

He leaned against the back of the door. Sighed.

He thought of green eyes and strawberry colored hair, and wondered how well Ghorman was dealing with Imperial occupation.

Maybe it was time to leave home and strike out on his own.

(But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother)

The two ships docked together, a soft shudder running through the hull of the Drake as Rex and Ahsoka stood at the hatch. The pressure seals worked against each other, then, with a sucking sound, finished attaching. The doors hissed open, the clinical white of the Imperial ship standing in sharp contrast to the softer, grey-brown hues of their home's interior.

A figure stood on the Imperial side of the hatch, one arm on the control pad. On the floor not far behind, another trooper, just as anonymous, lay sprawled, dark oval eyes seeming to stare up at the ceiling. The man before them reached up, and with a quiet snick, his helmet came off. The clone had a long scar running down his face.

Rex stepped forward, Ahsoka just behind him. She hovered slightly. He looked down at her, met her eyes, nodded once. She quickly headed down the hallway, sparing only a quick glance for the man on the ground, leaving Rex to deal with the rest.

He was holding his helmet in his hands, looking into the face of it as though it were an alien thing, something monstrous and bizarre. His face seemed hollowed out, not from lack of food, but from worry, from exhaustion. Deep lines had carved themselves into the grooves of his face. He seemed older than he should, even with the rapid aging they were all subject to.

"We've all got to draw the line somewhere," Cody said tiredly. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, ran a hand through his short hair.

Rex reached out, pried the helmet carefully out of his old friend's fingers. "You don't have to fight anymore," he told him.

There was a shuffle from behind. Ahsoka emerged, awkwardly, into the hallway. A large, muscular man was attempting not to lean against her, but he limped whenever he stepped forward, lurching. There were bruises over his face, and an arm hung limply at his side. One brown eye peered out beadily from where it was swollen shut. Two others, one a battered looking woman in charred clothes, the other a little boy in her arms, moved haltingly behind them. They froze when they saw Cody, in his dirty white armor, still standing.

The woman's arms tightened around the child. The man stiffened, and Ahsoka paused, saying gently, "It's alright. He won't hurt you. He's helping us. You're safe now. We're getting you out of here. You're safe. Your family is safe. It's okay."

The man shuddered, head hanging. He winced as tears slid down his face, and his wife stepped up beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. They walked forward together, the woman stepping over the unconscious trooper quickly. The boy wrapped his arms around her neck and hung on tightly as they limped their way past Cody and Rex, Ahsoka guiding them into the hold of the Drake. The boy's wide dark eyes never left Cody's slumped figure.

"Come on," Rex said, putting a hand on Cody's shoulder to steer him forward. "You're a free agent now, Commander."

Cody looked back down the sterile corridor.

"No more," he said distantly. "No more, no more, no more."

Ahsoka pressed her lips lightly onto Rex's shoulder. He was still awake, the feeling of worry rippling out serenely around him, like a stone tossed into a smooth lake - calm, but disturbed.

"They'll be alright," she said gently. "And Cody is out, now."

Rex shifted restlessly. "It's getting harder and harder to find people. Old brothers keep dying. Force-sensitives keep getting hunted down too fast. We can't keep up."

She lowered her head, pressed her forehead against his shoulder. It felt reassuring, his solidity, and he emanated a thin curl of reassurance from the contact with her as well. One of his hands came up to lace fingers with one of hers. It wasn't as much as she'd always hoped; twelve younglings at home on Alderaan, of various strengths in the Force, and now one more family to stow away somewhere safe. Three more people safe. She was amazed they had lasted as long as they had, on their own, hiding their son. They were incredible people.

And Cody, who had done more and lasted longer in a situation that would have broken most men, could finally rest.

But Rex was right. The Empire kept growing. Their victories were so small. It was hard not to feel overwhelmed, helpless. She squeezed his fingers. All they could hope for was that feeling of ripples spreading. The hope that one person could affect the lives of many.

She would not give in to despair.

"It will end someday, Rex. Nothing lasts forever." She traced the outline of his face in the darkness. "Not even the Empire. We'll keep fighting. It might not be much, but we'll keep fighting."

"I just worry it's not enough."

"I know. So do I."

He pulled the blanket tighter around them.

I imagine that the further along in time we get, the harder it is to find people – the Empire locks down on things, its bureaucracy settling into place, the military becoming settled – the less likely anyone is to find Jedi/Force-sensitives who have escaped, either because they're dead or so deeply hidden. And more and more clones would either be dying or replaced, eventually with non-clone troopers filtering in, making it more difficult to extract anyone there, either. The times are still changing.

As for Roo, Gungans speak with a Gungan dialect. Dialects, however, are learned, so I'm assuming that Roo's speech patterns would be closer to standard Basic, since she's predominantly around standard-accent/dialect speakers instead of all Gungans. So her Gungan accent is lighter than ordinary.

And yes, they've settled on Alderaan.

Always,

~Queen