Orto Plutonia arc - fin

Armor

Fives watched the vid again, flicking the holo from the fight between Kev and Chopper. In the fight, his stance and movement were all bluff and bluster, it was no wonder that Chopper had walked through Kev's defense and beaten him. Not even that badly, Chopper had left Kev with a little pride; no real physical damage, and only one blackened eye swollen closed.

Chopper was a pleasure to watch, pure expediency, pure efficiency, no wasted motions. Fives had caught on to that and now Chopper was doing interesting things when they sparred together; still efficient, but different. They didn't all work against Fives, but they were all well-thought out. Not everything Fives did in sparring with Chopper worked out either, but they both learned and that was the purpose.

Fives pulled his eyes from Chopper to watch Kev on the vid. Fives was seeing uncertainty and hesitation in Kev's stance, expecting... what? He flicked back to the holo from Orto Plutonia and Kev's behavior. His behavior had been decent in following Chopper's lead with the Senator. There'd been a moment of camaraderie between the two men, both slicers, when they'd fixed the communication console. Kev was afraid, but that wasn't unexpected, it was his first battle. He'd done well enough; Fives had counted at least eight Talz neutralized because of Kev, Kev had called out the Chairman's lack of cover. When they'd taken the Freecos uphill to attack the line of attacking Talz, his voice had almost cracked in sheer terror. Why, Kev? Why that moment?

Absently, Fives gave a chuckle in the darkness of the barracks. The three of them made a unique set; Chopper with his droids, Echo with rules and regs, and him with people. Not that he let people see him studying his vids; but he was almost always in armor carrying his helmet at his side.

Fives leaned forward, watching closer at the vid track. "What are you afraid of, Kev?" That he was afraid was obvious though Chopper had caught it first, Fives too angry at the insult to the commander and to Chopper. There's a lesson for you, Fives; anger blinds you.

Fives leaned back in the bunk, the datapad braced against his thighs. They were on Coruscant waiting for Kev to heal up and for General Skywalker to finish business with the Jedi Temple, but this time they were in the regular barracks with the Coruscant Guards. Fives missed that big, comfortable chair and little cushioned stool in the room they'd been in before. He gave a lop-sided grin; he missed the food Ash had brought, missed the chocolate, missed the sabacc game, missed the conversation, missed a hug from a beautiful woman and missed escorting her back to Senator Amidala's apartments. He even missed watching Kev watch Chopper and the woman, Kev getting his first hug, Chopper getting his first kiss and then a second.

Fives sighed, Chopper had checked if another visit with Ash was possible, but the civilian port office said she was on a cargo run – maybe she'd be in Coruscant in a few days. Fives shook he head, they'd probably be back on the Resolute by then.

At the moment, Chopper was in the medunit with Kev. Shortly Fives would shower, put on garrison fatigues and take over. Chopper had asked for the last watch and both Fives and Echo, knowing what was planned, had agreed.

Fives let his mind reflect on what he'd seen through the vids. Why had Kev been so frightened at that particular moment in attacking the Talz? Why was he so frightened and obsessed with Chopper's scars? Why was he so afraid of Chopper? Fives thought back a little more. Why had he pushed the fight on Chopper? That was easy, he was afraid of Chopper and so needed to prove to himself that he wasn't.

Fives grinned, suddenly understanding why the captain had assigned Kev to Chopper's barracks. Kev expressed it differently, fighting instead of withdrawing, but he was very much like Chopper. Someone, something, somewhere had broken him and, like Chopper, he needed to find his center once again.

So maybe he wasn't afraid of Chopper, but of what Chopper stood for. Fives closed his eyes. Now, what was that? Solitude? Being alone?

His eyes glittered with thought and he reached out for Echo's helmet, quickly checking the vids from his brother's point of view, quickly seeing what Echo had seen on Orto Plutonia when the four men had turned their swoops towards the four streams of oncoming Talz. Fives saw what he hadn't seen before, what he wouldn't be able to see from his own helmet. Kev was behind him, curving toward the quadrant where another line of Talz was preparing to charge from the rim of the crater into the circle of Freecos and troopers.

"I don't think so," Kev had said, then that high choke of terror, "look."

Fives looked. In Echo's vid, he saw himself. Behind him rose a Talz from the snow, one of the remaining ambushers, a heavy raised spear in his hands. Any noise he made hidden by the shrill whine of the Freeco's engine, the speed of the swoop lost in trying to compensate for the uphill slope.

Kev hadn't said, "I don't think so, look." He had said. "I don't think so." then had started another sentence … "Look out, Fives."

The Talz went down from Echo and Kev's blasters. Fives pulled Echo's helmet off his head with a thoughtful nod. Was that Kev's fear? Losing part of his squad? That made sense in relation to Chopper; his first squad lost in a crashed gunship on Geonosis, his second in some no-name skirmish. But Kev was a shiny; he'd seen no battle until Orto Plutonia. As far as Fives knew, Kev's first squad brothers were still on the Resolute.

Fives glanced at Echo in the cot. His eyes were closed and relaxed. No, Fives wouldn't wake him for anything short of a Seppie attack. Odd, how, even in sleep, you knew your brothers. Kev had to be lonely for his brothers, in another barracks. Fives suddenly realized he hadn't seen Kru or Marker since Kev had moved into the barracks with them. In fact, he hadn't seen any of Sergeant Zeer's squad. He sat up and brought up the squad schedules on datapad.

"Now that is intriguing," he murmured to himself after searching the entire ship's complement and finding Sergeant Zeer's squad moved to the opposite end of the Resolute with diametrically opposed schedules from Kev, authorized by Captain Rex. Rex didn't want Kev returning to his squad unofficially, in off hours or at the mess. Captain Rex had set Kev adrift on purpose.

"Wha..?" mumbled Echo.

"I'll tell you later, Echo. Go back to sleep. Thank you for saving my life." Fives reached over and ran his fingers through Echo's hair. Echo gave a deeply contented sigh as he curled in his blanket.

Kev woke in the tank, contained, supported by the cool blue gel. Someone was there, outside the tank watching him, but he couldn't make out who it was through the blue gel. He was in pain and closed his eyes again, giving ascendancy to the drugs floating in the tank and in his system.

When he woke and opened his eyes again, Fives was there, his eyes lively as he watched Kev. With his tattoo and his goatee evident, Kev realized the brother he'd seen before must have been Echo. He would have recognized Chopper instantly too; not that Chopper would stand watch for him; unless Captain Rex ordered it or maybe if Fives cajoled him into it.

Or maybe if Chopper wanted a quiet place to view his droid vids and make notes. Chopper might sit in the medical unit then, only incidentally waiting for Kev.

Some time had passed; Fives didn't have crutches and Kev knew he remembered Echo saying Fives would be on crutches. There were also the gentle waves of the bacta, preventing stability sores and providing a stimulating environment for the skin. Visibility was better also, the bacta gel turning into blue liquid. He'd been told they didn't start the waves until at least the third day of bacta tank. Echo would know the exact reasons, the technical details. Kev nodded slowly at Fives from the tank and Fives smiled widely, holding up four fingers. Kev smiled and closed his eyes. Not much longer then. He drifted back into sleep.

Chopper was there when they opened the tank. His hand was the first one reaching for Kev as the tank was opened. Kev hesitated only a moment, but Chopper saw that, stiffened and started to move back, letting the medics do their job.

"Thanks, Chopper," said Kev as he quickly reached out his arm for Chopper's support before Chopper could fully withdraw; partially to atone for putting that stony expression on Chopper's face and partially because he was actually glad to see him, glad that someone was here for him. It was an unfamiliar medunit and, well, they had been acting as a squad on Orto Plutonia.

Chopper was strong and stable support, holding Kev as he stumbled out of the bacta tank. His face remained cautiously stony, but his hands seemed to know where to hold Kev and when to move. Kev didn't know what else to say, but he kept his hand on Chopper as though for support. He wondered if Chopper knew it was for comfort. Kev wondered if it was comfort for Chopper or for himself.

The medics ran their tests as Chopper spoke; the diagnostics all green-lighting.

"We're on Coruscant, Kev. Not the Resilient." Chopper was saying. "Senator Chuchi and General Kenobi were staying for the funeral of the Chairman, but General Skywalker decided to come back to Coruscant for some Jedi business."

Kev moved stiffly toward the bundle of clothing and armor carefully stretching sore muscles in his shoulders, slowly letting go of Chopper's arm. Chopper gave him a quick touch-rub on his shoulder and that felt good. He must have shown that in some way because Chopper gave him a squeeze on both shoulders, his hard thumbs pressing against the back of his head and into the deep, tense muscles of his shoulders. Kev stopped moving, enjoying the touch.

"Do you know what that's about, Chopper? Why the commander had to stay?" Kev was less curious than seeking something to say. Chopper let his hands drop and Kev moved his head, circling his arms to stretch out the stiffness.

"I have some ideas, nothing worth talking about." Chopper moved toward the bench where he'd set Kev's armor and body glove.

Kev sighed at the thought of shiny armor. He'd paint it now, getting back those shoulder strips. Maybe he would ask Echo and Fives to help. Their armor was well-painted, strips straight and sure. He glanced at Chopper's back as the other man began pulling the armor out of the duffel and placing it with care on the bench.

He thought about asking Chopper for a round in the gym to loosen him up, but discarded the thought as he reached for his body glove, sat and pushed his feet into the leggings. He watched Chopper's care with the new set of armor and nodded.

Deliberation. That was a word to describe Chopper. Deliberation.

"My old squad mate, Sketch," began Chopper as he turned to face Kev. "He thought you should have your armor marked." Chopper pulled at his lower lip with his thumb. "I thought it was a good idea, too, Kev, and I told him to mark it. So if you're angry about it, you can take it out on me and I'll remove the design."

Kev glanced over at his the armor. It didn't have the bright shine of new armor but was buffed to a soft gleam like the interior of a shell. "It looks good," he offered softly with a smile. "It's not shiny but well-buffed. Luminous."

"Luminous. A good word for it," said Chopper as he nodded. "It's new armor. But you're not a shiny anymore and deserve better. Sketch told us the best way and Echo, Fives and me stripped off the shine and left the polish."

Kev reached out for a thigh plate and gave a small smile. Your squad brothers usually repainted your armor, if it was damaged that much, when you were in medical. It left Kev feeling bewildered that Echo and Fives and Chopper would do this for him. Bewildered but pleased. They were treating him as if they were a squad and he was with them. He ran his finger along the edge of the cuisse. Like Echo's and Fives' armor, it was seamed in 501st blue along the edge. He smiled, feeling lighter than he had since being reassigned to Chopper's barracks.

Chopper handed him the chest plate and Kev gasped. There was a starburst crack with the gleam of gold and red light escaping, like an egg holding a glowing treasure. Kev touched it and felt the texture of paint in those lines. He looked at Chopper in question.

"It's the way your original breastplate was broken after the Talz hit you. It's not noticeable unless you're within arm's reach." Chopper held out his hand for the piece of armor and took two steps back when Kev handed it to him. The crack vanished as if closing and only the burnished luster remained. "Sketch is experimenting and calls this 'painting ghosts'. Check the spaulders."

Kev picked up one of the pieces that covered a trooper's shoulders. On the arctic set, they'd had double quarter-hand strips in the royal blue of the 501st. He had liked those strips; subtle, beautiful, trailing down the rerebraces to end at the elbows. This set was white.

"Don't just look at it, Kev." Chopper's voice was exasperated, but not angrily so. "Move it around a little, turn it."

Kev did and gasped in surprise then he grinned as the blue strips came into view, fading as he turned the round curved armor. He had earned those stripes. He grabbed one of the upper arm covers and turned it. The strips on the rerebrace moved, as though they were ribbons floating down from the spaulders caught in a breeze.

He laughed. "This is great, Chopper. This is..." he shrugged as he continued turning the shoulder piece. "Absolutely wonderful."

Kev looked at Chopper in his plain, hard-worn armor holding a piece of Kev's armor, taking measure of the man, assessing his qualities. Chopper was a good trooper. He had friends of rank, had civilian friends. He had friends who could work magic with armor.

"Why don't you have painted armor, Chopper?" Kev asked then bit his lip and looked down at his new armor. "Never mind, Chopper. I don't need to know." His voice was light, thoroughly bemused at his new armor.

"One day, Kev. I'll get my armor marked." Chopper almost smiled… ok, he didn't growl or chew his lip. His face actually relaxed. "When I know how I want it marked."

"Oh." Kev wondered if it were really that simple.

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