Please be aware that some content of this chapter may be deemed M rated
Twenty Three
Gem returned to her quarters and saw the comm link that Rex had given her flashing green – 'finally, a message.'
She quickly picked it up and scrolled through the lines stored.
'Republic taken Geonosis. All well. Rex.'
"Well, so much for anything romantic," she huffed as she flung the small device onto the bed.
She changed into her running gear and headed back to the barracks tunnel for her usual twenty klick run. Moving into the gym she was immediately struck by the extra soldiers training.
"Ma'am, we are a little over run today," Hutch walking over to her scanning the near to full gymnasium.
"That's OK Sergeant, I can come back later," Gem turned to head out the door when she heard her name being called from behind.
"Gem!" He corrected himself. "Representative Gem."
"Kix," she was delighted to see one of the 501st. "Are you all back?" She looked at his bare torso, glistening with sweat, a towel hung loosely around his shoulders. He grabbed one end and smiling, wiped his face on it.
"Nope, only me. Broken pelvis," he said slapping his hips, "nothing a few days in bacta couldn't fix. What brings you down here dressed like that?" He diligently scanned her attire. Tight black running leggings and a matching cropped top, his eyes hung on her bare midriff for a moment too long.
"The tunnel. I usually do twenty a day, but looks like Hutch has his hands full. Kix looked over at the tunnel and they watched as two men alighted. "I think it just became available," he winked. "Come on, I'll run with you."
She usually ran alone, but followed the medic to the computer panel.
Together they bickered about the terrain and conditions for their exercise. Laughing and opening the chamber, he allowed Gem to enter first and closing the hatch quietly behind him they began.
They chatted about Geonosis until she could no longer hold a conversation, and fell into a rhythm next to him. Her thoughts drifted to when Rex ran beside her. Even though they looked the same, down to the closely shaved head, there were subtle differences.
Kix took longer strides than Rex and she had to reciprocate to keep up. It was nice to run with someone but at sixteen klicks, she shook her head and called it quits.
"What? The Cap says you do twenty before you even break a sweat!" Kix laughed as he opened the door.
"I know, I think you run a little faster than what I am used to Kix." She bent forward blowing hard as she got out, the taste of vomit caught in the back of her throat.
"Hey. You OK?" Kix could see the distressed look on her face.
Collecting herself, Gem stood straight, and took the offered water container from him.
"I'm fine, just thirsty." She smiled, but he wasn't at all convinced, the medic in him taking account of her pallid complexion. "Thank you for letting me join you and I apologise if I have cut your regime short."
"Nonsense, it was good to have some company."
"I'll be down again early tomorrow if you want to have a running partner?"
Kix smiled. 'I wish it was more than a running partner.' He nodded and stated simply, "what time?"
###
"You coming vod?" Hardcase was itching to get out of the barracks.
"Yeah, just give me a minute will you," Jesse was pulling a boot on.
Geonosis now a blur and filed with battles fought – battles survived. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see the back end of that shabla place," he stated.
"I know vod, but come on."
"Can anyone join this party, or is it invite only." Fives leaned up against the top bunk with his customary ARC smirk.
Jesse looked up and smiled, "How was Corellia Fives? Show us your manicure ner vod."
"Now, now," he said inspecting his hands, "you know what the climate on Geonosis does to my complexion." With that he moved forward and grabbed Jesse in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles hard against his scalp.
"Koyaci! Good to see you all back. I hear it was hell down there?"
"Yeah, not wrong, damn insects. You know Kix was injured?"
"Lek, I saw him on Sacorria."
"You got hit too?"
"I'll tell you over an ale, or three," he replied rolling his eyes.
"Come on then, it's time to get out of here," implored Hardcase.
"Settle on vod, anyone think you got a girl waiting."
But he did and she was there.
Ever since her arrival on Coruscant, Gemma always felt at home at the Military bar called The Bunker.
Now, Jedi were often seen frequenting the establishment, something the soldiers were sometimes not so happy about.
It was a pleasant bar, pretty waitresses and they often had music and dancing. Sometimes even a brother would head up on stage and play guitar or sing.
It would degenerate later in the evening and more often than not, Commander Fox and his men would have to come and intervene in the wee hours.
But not yet, it was civil and she was there, dressed in a short skirt of glittering gold. Her hair was loose and she drank a glass of wine while casually chatting to Generals Kenobi and Skywalker.
"Well, I'm just glad you're both back safe, even if you had to spend yesterday in bacta Ben." He nodded in the familiar Jedi way and they continued their conversation until she was distracted by a group of men to her right.
"I see you have some company from the five hundred and first?" Anakin smiled and motioned the men to join them.
"Fives, Jesse, Hardcase, what, no Kix?"
"No Sir, he's still recuperating."
Anakin seemed keen to move on, Obi-Wan sensing his anxiety to leave, bid his young ward farewell for the evening.
"Well then, the next round is on me," she smiled as she headed to the bar. Hardcase accompanied her as helped bring back a tray full of glasses. She had a soft spot for him since the episode on the small moon, and he enjoyed the attention she gave him when the Captain wasn't around.
They talked, laughed, danced, and drunk too much Mandolorian beer, sharing the tales of the previous mission.
Their second trip back to Geonosis had been a hard battle. "In short Ma'am, we lost nearly half our contingent, we all crashed, blew up the Sep droid foundry, unearthed Commander Tano, then saved her ship from contaminating a medical station with brain worms." Hardcase kept everything succinct. "Oh, and the ARC fell off a building and had his jaw wired shut until Fleet Command found him."
"How did you know that?" Fives looked cross at the description Hardcase gave of his injuries sustained on assignment.
"Holonet ner vod." They all broke out laughing.
Rex and Cody arrived later in their matching grey officer uniforms. Both looked rested and ready for a night of relaxation.
The mission owed them that in the very least.
He saw her dancing, her skirt glittering in the spot light like a million constellations. Her hair out and wild as she threw her head back laughing at Hardcase, who wasn't too bad on the dance floor he noticed. They ordered a round, downed it fast and picked up another before heading over to join the others.
"Sir," Fives moved aside so the two high ranking officers could join them.
"We're just watching Hardcase making a di'kut out of himself, he's not doing such a bad job of it either," Jesse laughed.
Gemma and Hardcase continued until she caught his eye.
Hardcase noticed it as well, the moment when he had lost his dance partner for the evening. He grinned, grabbed her arm and escorting her off the floor.
"Commander, Captain," she smiled.
"Ma'am," they said, both bowed their heads slightly in respect. Rex was completely mesmerised by her beauty. He liked her hair out loose and uncontrolled. The moment was quickly interrupted by the wrist comm of both the Captain and the Commander beeping simultaneously.
"No way." Rex grumbled as he tapped into the message. "You've got to be kriffing joking?"
"I'll go Rex, you stay here," Cody quickly finished his beer handed the glass to Fives.
"What is it Sir," Fives asked.
"The General's have called an emergency meeting and they want us there in ten minutes." Cody looked at Rex and saw the disappointment on his face.
"I'll have to go too," he sighed looking at her, deflated.
"Gentlemen, about face." Cody commanded. The other men stood to attention and turned their backs on the Captain and his girl.
"You have five minutes Rex," Cody said with a wink. Rex looked at her and swung her into him in one fluid movement, pushing her up against the bar wall.
"I want to rip this kriffing excuse for a skirt off you with my teeth," he said nuzzling himself into her neck. He drank in her scent and let out a low growl.
"Oh, is that the best you can do Captain? I've mentally had you twice since you entered the room." He was nipping at her neck and took some skin in between his teeth and she let out a small whelp. The sound of pleasure was too much as he pulled her head back by her hair and kissed her desperately, grinding himself up against her. She moaned softly into his mouth, allowing his tongue to penetrate her in lieu of anything else.
Cody cleared his throat ending their brief liaison. Gemma dropped her head momentarily wiping her hand across her mouth and straightened her skirt. Rex leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Can I see you later?"
"I'm counting on it," she whispered back.
"Jesse!"
"Sir."
"You're in charge of getting the Representative back to her quarters safely," he ordered and with that, they left Representative Skylar Gem and the three five hundred and first soldiers alone, in a military bar on level thirteen in Coruscant city.
"More beer boy's?" she said cocking her head to the side.
"I thought you'd never ask," Fives replied with a crooked smile.
###
They sat at a lounge drinking, allowing the alcohol to relax their battle weary bodies, helping them forget Corellia and Geonosis. Feeling the warmth of the liquor Gem reached up and traced the outline of Jesse's tattoo on his face.
"Does it hurt, getting one of these?" she asked.
"No, not at all, you just put a bacta patch on it and its fine."
"I want one." she stated simply with a sparkle in her eyes.
All three soldiers stopped drinking and looked at one another.
"I think maybe you've had too much to drink Ma'am," was the ARC 's steady reply.
"Nonsense, I'm up for it, and I want one. Now. Tonight. Where do you get it done?"
"Well there's this guy –" Jesse began.
"Jesse!" Fives was staring at his brother with that 'don't- go- there' look on his face.
"Come on Jesse, you heard the Captain, you are in charge of getting me home safely. I'm calling it a night." She stood up and extended her hand to him. Grinning knowingly at one another, he sprung to his feet and they headed out of the establishment.
Hardcase smiled. "Should we go with them?"
"No way, I am not getting involved with stamping the Captain's girl,' he laughed, "come on, I need some food."
###
"Kix. Kix, wake up. Kix!" Jesse was trying hard to gently and quietly wake the sleeping medic.
Kix eyes opened to Jesse's stale alcoholic breath in his face.
"Osik vod, you reek," he said rolling over.
"Wake up Kix, I need some help."
Kix knew the urgency in his voice, sometimes being a medic was exhausting, especially when it wasn't on the battle field.
"This better be good Jesse or I'll - "
That's when he saw her standing in their small quarters.
She looked a mess, hair bedraggled and her clothes a little disheveled, and obviously unsteady on her feet. He turned and looked at Jesse.
"What have you done?"
###
Fives and Hardcase had finished eating and after their second helping decided to hit the cot. Heading back into the barracks they heard the urgent whispers and immediately knew something was up.
"What the Fek were you thinking?"
"She told me she wanted it done!"
"You should have known better."
"She's here and listening you know!"
"That's gonna hurt, as soon as the alcohol wears off."
"Still here, and still listening." Gemma was becoming frustrated at the conversation that was happening behind her.
Fives looked at Hardcase and intonated to follow, a slight smirk crossed his lips. Hardcase always up for some fun nodded and followed silently as the ARC. They crept up behind two brothers leaning and talking frantically amongst themselves.
Kix and Jesse turned around like nuna caught in a trap.
"Jesse, what's going on," Fives asked cautiously.
They both looked at one another and moved aside to reveal a partly exposed buttocks and a slightly inebriated young politician.
"You didn't?" he said, all jocularity gone from his voice. "You didn't get her inked, tell me you didn't do this to the Captain's girl? You're gonna be cleaning the 'fresher's with your toothbrush for a month over this one ner vod!"
"Hey, keep it down over there," came a sleepy reminder to lower their voices.
"Oh, I don't know Fives, it looks kinda good," was all Hardcase could offer as he checked out her new tattoo. "Best tits and arse in the galaxy," he stated.
"Hardcase!" they all hissed back.
"Well we all thought it on the larty when you cut her shirt open didn't we?" They turned away from their disgraced brother and looked at the woman in front of them.
"I'll get a Bacta patch and some pain killers." Kix exasperated, went to head out to the door when they all heard the familiar voice and froze.
"Gentlemen, what in the Force is going on here?" Rex had returned to do a final check before he intended to pay a visit to the young woman they were hiding from view.
"Captain, it's not what you think," was all Kix could stutter out.
"Move aside men." Stunned, they remained fixed to the spot.
"I said, move aside on the double."
They all looked at one another and parted to reveal the woman's behind, and a pair of 501st blue Jaig eye's staring back at him.
"JESSE!" he roared.
###
Rex silently escorted the woman back to her apartment. He was furious. He swore black and blue that they would all pay for the evenings antics in one form or another, probably in the training room over the next few days, no weeks he reminded himself. Gem had never heard him use such colourful language before and had to trot beside him to keep up with her angry Captain. He punched the numbers into the keypad and the door hissed open.
"I should just leave you here tonight to sober up and think about what you did," he sounded every bit the bold Captain she knew him to be.
"But I want to take another look at your shebs," he softened as he pulled her into the apartment. "What were you thinking Gem?"
"I don't know. It sounded like a good idea at the time. " His arm travelled down to the small of her back, the part just where the buttocks begins and patted it ever so lightly.
"Aarr," she sucked in a breath and his laughter filled the night air.
"Come on, I need you," his voice low, "tattoo or not."
"I'm not sure I can lie down," was her lame reply, miserable about wasting their precious time together.
"I think we can work our way around that, now, where's that bacta patch?"
She stepped out of her skirt revealing the brief underwear and the red area just above them. Rex was more annoyed that his men had seen parts of her that would quickly become locker room fodder.
'What was Jesse thinking allowing a woman in the barracks?'
He shook his head trying to remove the thought along with the anger from his mind.
She was a Diplomat after all.
He ripped open the bag with his teeth and placed the moist patch on the new ink. He actually liked the design, 'now I will always have your six' he mused to himself.
"Oh, that feels good," she drawled.
He looked at the position of her.
Slightly bent over the dining table in nothing but her heels, barely there briefs and a white shirt.
He felt her thighs while she continued to lean, the familiar feeling stirring in between his legs. He then slid his arms up and began to unbutton her shirt while gently pressing himself against her, kissing the back of her neck.
Gemma leaned further into the table for support.
The shirt undone, he pulled it from her shoulders slowly and placed it over the chair next to them.
He continued to kiss and nuzzle her neck from behind. His hands trailed down her flanks until they reached her briefs which he masterly managed to remove with little effort. Again, she stepped out of another piece of clothing.
She was naked bar shoes and the bacta patch. His hands moved around her, one resting on her breast as the other moved downwards towards an area already awaiting his touch. She let out a gentle moan as his fingers found the spot.
He began to massage her. She wasn't sure of whether it was the effects of the alcohol, painkillers or him that made her lose all inhibitions.
His hand let go of her breast and he placed a finger in her mouth and she frantically began to suck, rolling her tongue around it all the while he kept up the methodical rhythm below her belly.
Letting go quickly to unzip his pants, Rex pushed her down so she was leaning on her elbows and positioning himself carefully, he entered her from behind. She gasped at the sensation.
Gemma put all her weight through her arms and lent hard against the table as Rex began a new rhythm. Their breathing became more ragged as they both got closer to losing all control.
"Please,'" she whimpered, as her body clenched, pining for its release. Rex groaned and convulsed against her as she caught up in a fit of spasms, screaming his name over and over again.
They stood there silent, Rex breathing hard against her shoulder, nothing but a bacta patch between them. He playfully bit her shoulder before he slowly withdrew himself and quickly flipped her around to face him.
She felt embarrassed by the way she had conducted herself over the course of the evening, especially how loudly she had cried out his name.
"Well Captain," she said, vainly attempting to gain some dignity, "I believe that is referred to as conduct unbecoming an Officer." It was useless, his eyes smiled into hers as he began to regain his desire.
"I haven't finished with you yet." He said it with such intensity she could barely breathe.
Stepping out of his trousers he hoisted her up around his waist, his hands holding her buttocks tightly against him. Her long legs entwining themselves behind his back as he lead her off to the bedroom, a little giggle escaped her mouth as he flung her down on to the bed, his weight quickly followed.
"Argh." The pain reminding her of her foolish behaviour earlier in the evening.
He laughed again.
It was the most wonderful sound in the universe, and so worth Jesse's month long incarceration on guard duty.
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