Chapter Forty Three

Gem awoke during the early hours, her head splitting from the attack from behind, and for what? A gold collar that was merely decorative. She could have been killed for something worth no more than a few credits.

She looked across at Rex, who was asleep on top of the covers next to her. Gem looked at his clothing and then remembered that he had arrived at some point during the night. Fives had got her from the hospital back to her apartment and must have notified the Captain. She smiled. They were a family and she was somehow, a part of it.

Then she remembered the conversation with the Emergency Room doctor and the confirmation of what she already knew to be true.

Unlike the last time, Gem had recognised the symptoms.

The nausea, the fatigue and lack of energy in the tunnel. She had adapted her running regime, siting the need to be back in the office as an excuse for cutting her distance down from twenty klicks to eight. She was healthier this time as well, which had abated the morning sickness somewhat, although nothing could quell the dry wrenching to the aroma of caf.

This was a calculated and premeditated condition by the young Oriian.

She looked again at Rex sleeping and wondered how he would react when he knew the truth.

She had asked for the hormone implant to be removed during a routine Senate medical.

She had a new mission.

Gem had come to the conclusion that Peace was far from the agenda of any politician in the Senate. Too many were corrupt and the senseless war juggernaut kept spiralling further into financial abyss.

She simply had to get pregnant.

She would wait to tell him.

The first person she needed to tell was Dr Boll.

#

Rex had set his chrono for oh five hundred. He knew some of his men would be beginning to rouse and he wanted to get back before they realised his absence.

His only attire was his gym pants and a sweat shirt, the clothes he quickly pulled on when Fives had come to collect him.

He shook his head bitterly at the memory of the past twenty four hours.

There were bridges to mend later that morning. He needed to set things straight with the ARC.

He hated leaving her alone, and he looked at her fast asleep, the Bacta patch still on her head from the blow outside the club. He was interested in knowing exactly what had happened.

An argument with Kenobi?

He needed to know all the facts, and eventually he would.

Just not now.

He was not on leave and his status was listed as active, meaning he had to report in like every other clone trooper on the base.

He silently pulled his boots back on and headed out into the early subdued lighting of the building.

All was quiet as Rex walked the familiar corridor before turning and coming to an uncomfortable halt.

Commander Fox was attempting to surreptitiously leave an apartment on the same level. Rex could make out the feminine hands entwined in the mass of dark hair and couldn't help but smirk at his timing. No helmet and the familiar red Pauldron seemed to have not made it back onto the Commanders shoulder, hanging loosely over his left arm.

Not the normal manicured, collected self, Fox was relaxed and Rex heard a low laugh before he pulled the woman's arms from behind his neck.

Rex had no choice. It was the only way back to the barracks.

He cleared his throat

Fox swung around with such speed and Rex snapped to attention, his line of vision directed somewhere above the higher ranking officers head.

It had only been three seconds, but it felt like three standard minutes to Rex as he waited for Fox to respond, if at all.

"Sir," Rex said officially but quietly given the hour and location.

Fox scanned the man standing in front of him. He had been caught out and was mentally berating himself for his stupidity at leaving approximately four minutes later than usual, but his attention had been somewhat diverted at the last moment.

Rex could see the Commander appeared flummoxed and knew he either had the upper hand or was in deep osik.

"You're out of uniform Captain." Fox stated simply.

Rex could take it on the chin or stand his ground as a senior officer also. He then unconsciously ran his tongue over his cracked lip and remembered why it was there.

He took in a deep breath.

"Begging your pardon Sir," he said intonating his head slightly, "so are you?"

He watched as one corner of the Commander's mouth fleetingly turned upwards.

"Dismissed Captain."

"Sir," he said before continuing towards the link between the Senate building and the GAR barracks.

#

Rex headed straight to the refresher after collecting his kit. Some soldiers were beginning their day, making their way to the gym or Mess hall, happily clipping armour plates in place as they talked amongst themselves.

He also noticed the dark maroon of the Galactic Marines stride through en mass, heading out on another mission and felt the hard slap on his right shoulder as Commander Jet walked past.

"Keep clear of the Bacta Rex," he laughed as he continued on, looking at a data pad that had been handed to him, the sound of their armour loud and familiar, even at such an early hour.

The barracks were a hive of activity. Rex dressed and had a mug of caf delivered by his admin clerk before he sat down at his desk.

He brought the mug of steaming liquid to his mouth and just as he took the first, quite possibly the best sip, he wrist comm beeped.

'Fek,' he muttered to himself as the hot liquid caused his swollen lip to smart.

He was hoping to get one cup in before the day started and more importantly wanted to check in on Gem again before being reassigned.

It wasn't to be.

They were out on another hop.

This time to Kashyyyk.

#

It was early afternoon before Gem's stomach began complaining about the lack of food. She had passed the period of nausea, managing to sleep restfully through the otherwise difficult morning hours hovering over the porcelain bowl in the refresher. Thankfully also, the physical trauma of vomiting meant that she avoided the blistering pain that would have insulted her head at every lurch.

'Things are looking up,' she smiled.

Rex had gone, and for that she was sorry. She was yet to apologise for the way in which they had initially parted.

She remembered their last conversation. The words were ugly and she regretted every single one of them.

She dressed simply, taking off the Bacta patch to reveal a red welt and cleaned up the dried blood.

She went out of her apartment and walked into Olphina who was startled at her young Representatives appearance.

Gem had a lot of explaining to do.

#

"Rex, good. You're here." General Skywalker was happy to see the Captain and invited him into the briefing alongside Ahsoka and Commander Cody.

The Commander looked at his brother and nodded his head once, his eyes instantly drawn to the unattended lip.

There was more to the argument with both Fives and Rex, and he was sure the young woman was somehow involved. He too was tired, the evening with his General and the young Representative hadn't been as relaxing as he had expected.

They stood together, hands behind their backs as they continued to be updated on the situation unfolding on the leafy world of Kashyyyk.

"This shouldn't be a military operation, we simply need to update them about the recent technology we know the Separatist's are using. We are also aware that there is a fraction of Trandoshans that are using this new weaponry and their obvious target would be the Wookies. Rex, you and Ahsoka can take a squad down and fill in the missing pieces to the Chieftan's to pass on to their individual clans."

Rex stepped forward.

"You're not coming along too Sir?" He seemed briefly anxious; Cody heard it in his voice, Ahsoka felt it through the Force.

"Initially no, Chancellor Palpatine has me escorting a political entourage on to Alderaan. As soon as I am done, I will head across and rendezvous with you there. I'll leave you and Ahsoka to work out the logistics with Commander Cody. Dismissed."

"Sir," the two clones said in unison.

Cody looked at the rigid Captain standing on his right through his helmet and sighed.

This was going to be a long morning.

#