Forty Four
Gem sat down opposite Olphina and watched as she painstakingly poured the herbal tea.
All the time, Olphina was thinking how she was going to broach the subject of her junior politician's recent behaviour with the Captain of the notorious five hundred and first.
There had been rumblings between more senior people about the young woman's behaviour, and Olphina was hardly in a situation to judge, herself being involved with a soldier, albeit a more senior member of the Coruscant Guard.
She smiled to herself thinking of her Commander and his relentless pursuit of her when she first arrived in the Senate Building.
The suave young officer in red with a mop of thick dark hair had taken her eye as well. She would deliberately need his services and he was more than willing to oblige, escorting her to functions, organising maintenance of her apartment when the electronic door mysteriously failed, helping her to her feet one night when her gown had caught in a step. Fox had picked her up in one sweep of his muscular arm. Her eyes had locked on his as he carried her effortlessly.
"Ma'am," he breathed into her face, his breath warm against her cheek, "with your permission?"
He helped her back to her apartment, her ankle twisted and her hem torn. Olphina was flushed and slightly embarrassed.
"I feel so foolish, wasting your time yet again Commander," she said.
"Not in the slightest Ma'am," he said as he asked for the code to her door.
Olphina never made it back to the political benefit that night, her diplomatic services were required, elsewhere for the evening.
He was a patient man and had worn her down with his constant presence until she capitulated – in more ways than one.
"Skylar," she said as she sat on her velvet chaise, "you know you can always talk to me, about anything," she added with a raised eyebrow.
Gem sat and took a sip from the delicate porcelain cup and looked into the steaming liquid as she thought of her alternatives.
Young, orphaned and pregnant.
Not something she had aspired to be at the age of twenty three.
She took in a breath and sighed, placing the tea down on the table and folding her arms across her chest, wincing slightly at the pain.
She was still coming to terms with the physical affects the pregnancy was inflicting on her body.
"I know about you and the Captain, Skylar, it's no secret," she began before Gem interrupted.
"It's no one's business but our own!" She retaliated. "They're allowed to have relationships! In the name of the Gods, listen to me! Rex, Rex told me there was nothing in the regulations that said the soldiers can't -," she couldn't continue any further.
"I'm sorry Skylar, here. Stop crying." Olphina was obviously upset that her comment had elicited such as response.
"I'm not saying you can't see him. Please! Trust me when I say I am on your side. You and the Captains." Her voice returning to the more authoritative tone she was more comfortable with.
Gem collected herself a little and took the offered material that the woman held out. She never knew what it was like to have a mother and had learnt little from her father regarding relationships.
"I'm pregnant," she whispered, the words coming out before she could stop them.
Olphina flopped back into the chair, losing some of the poise she was struggling to maintain.
"Oh," she said a little bewildered, "that does change things." She looked at the young woman hunched over on the chair and smiled.
"Lucky you," she said matter of fact. "I was never fortunate enough to bear a child. Do you have a physician? It was a whirl of questions and before Gem knew it she was explaining everything to Olphina – from the arrival of Rex back from Kadavo through to the argument with Kenobi and finishing with the trip to the emergency room at the local hospital.
"Have you told the Captain? He's the voice of reason here, what does he think about the baby?"
Gem looked up and didn't answer.
"He doesn't know, does he?"
Gem felt her bottom lip trembling again followed by another watershed of tears.
Olphina moved to her side and wrapped a delicate arm around her shoulders. Gem felt the warmth and the wonderful aroma of her perfume envelope her like the mother she never had, and cried even harder.
#
Rex walked purposely through the barracks and tried to comm the apartment.
He was rounding up the team for Kashyyyk and he had to get in contact with her before he left.
'Fek,' he grumbled into his bucket along the length of the corridor, annoyed at the timing yet again.
"Torrent Company call in," he bellowed down the internal comm and switching the wrist comm's of his unit onto active.
One by one, the regular names and number began flashing in his HUD.
That meeting had been difficult.
Rex had left his helmet off, carrying it under his arm as he entered, and therefore had to face both his Commanding officer in Cody as well as the young Padawan. He noticed how both Cody and Ahsoka had looked at his swollen lip, but to their credit, neither commented.
He had to pick a squad to head dirt side. Cody had suggested the regular crew, but Rex had disagreed, siting the need to give the newer recruits of the five oh first a trot.
He then had to learn and work up the new weaponry that the Sep's had developed and then demonstrate it to the Wookies.
"Rex, wait up, please," it was Ahsoka calling from behind.
He stopped and closed his eyes briefly before standing crisply to attention.
"Commander if you would, walk and talk?"
"Continue on Captain," she said as she jogged alongside to match his pace.
"Just need to know things are good between us Rex."
He didn't reply.
"Rex?"
He stopped suddenly.
"Commander, if I may?"
"Out with it Captain."
"Just for the record. We're good. Off the record," he struggled for a second, shaking his head quickly. "I can't be in a similar position as yesterday ever again." He spoke slowly and clearly so there would be no misinterpretation of what he was implying. "You understand that Ahsoka don't you?"
"Copy that Captain," she said quickly and continued on her way. "Now, let's get down to Kashyyyk."
#
Jesse and Hardcase looked at one another.
Their eyes communicating on an entirely different level.
They had both noticed the cut lip and had heard about the sparring session in the barracks gym between Rex and the ARC. What they didn't understand was why they were on cool down while their Captain was taking some shinies out on a run to Kashyyyk.
"Did we do something wrong?" Hardcase questioned as he watched Coric replace Kix as the team medic on the hop.
Kix just looked over at the two and shrugged his shoulders.
"Nah," Jesse was more mischievous. "I bet this is something to do with the hiding he got from Cody after the fight with Fives. Did you notice how he didn't look at any of us, and he's heading down with the Commander. General Skywalker is n-o-w-h-e-r-e in sight."
"Jess!" Kix interrupted, "stop the rumour mill now ner vod before you are on permanent cool down."
"I'm just saying -," he was stopped by both Hardcase and Kix standing to immediate attention. Jesse turned around slowly, wincing at the thought of having said something out of turn about his CO.
"Just saying what, trooper?" Rex said inclining his head and waiting for a response.
"Sir, nothing Sir." He snapped to attention alongside his brothers.
"Hardcase, I need another pair of eyes on this new piece of hardware the Sep's have developed. You're the munitions expert, on second thought, grab your kit."
"Yes sir," the heavy gunner said with a smile lighting up his face
"You two can report to Hanger Bay Twelve where you will join the Diplomatic escort to Alderaan alongside General Skywalker. I'll see you in Kashyyyk after that. Any questions?" Rex looked at the heavily tattooed man and raised an eyebrow.
"Copy that Sir," Jesse replied contritely.
#
"Why then haven't you told the Captain about the baby?" Olphina was confused.
"Well," Gem began, "I need to talk to Dr Boll. We have been working on a certain project together."
"Enlighten me, if you will?"
Gem looked down and thought about what she was going to say. It was time to come clean about the research she and the brilliant geneticist had begun.
"Dr Boll is working on a gene therapy to halt the aging process of the clones."
Olphina sat back in her chair dumbfounded.
"Could you please elaborate further?"
#
Senator Olphina Carr from Oriis was horrified.
She had heard many things regarding the clone soldiers, but was in no way equipped to decipher the information Gem had told her alone.
So, she waited.
She waited until he returned, as he always did at precisely nineteen forty five and let her mind wander, back in time to when she first met her dashing Commander. . .
#
"Commander Fox, there is an entourage arriving in five standard minutes. The Oriians are new to join the alliance so familiarise yourself with the customs so we can afford them the appropriate societal protocol. They apparently have lots of credits to throw towards the Republic, and I'm sure the Chancellor wants them to feel more than welcome here on Coruscant."
Fox quickly brought up the relevant details regarding the planet on his heads up display and scanned the information as he walked towards the Hanger Bay. As the red craft deployed its downward thruster's, bringing it in to a soft landing, he continued to read the Basic flashing in front of him.
Oriis, Region – Core Worlds, System – Oriian, Moons – 2, Grid position – M 11a. Rotation – 24 standard hours, Orbital period – 361 local days. Classification – terrestrial.
Fox memorised all the details of the new dignitary's home world.
Atmosphere – Type 1: breathable, Planet diameter – 10,962 kilometres, Climate – temperate.
Terrain – mountains, forests, lakes and snow fields. Points of interest – Castle Mountains, Junkar Valley, The Overlord's Pass and the ancient Universtiy of Oriis. Native flora – Pye wood, Wispwood and the Remit petal. Native fauna - Gin mouse, okatoo, snocat and the sun wolffe.
The statistics kept flicking through in front of his eyes, Fox relentlessly scanned the data looking for the type of alien he was about to greet when he was stopped by a sound he would never forget.
"Excuse me Sir," the voice was rich, deep and Fox quickly looked up to the beautiful woman standing to his immediate left.
She was fair, with the palest blue eyes, the likes he had never seen before. Her lips were a delicate pink and her scent - it was too much to take in all at once, coupled with the data still streaming through his helmet in front of him. The Commander felt immediately feint and wobbled slightly before his arm was steadied by that of the new Senator's.
Immigrated species – humans.
The last sentence blinked innocently in the front right hand corner of his HUD, flashing slowly indicating all material had been downloaded. Fox collected himself and cleared his throat.
"Thank you Ma'am," and stood to attention. "Commander Fox, Coruscant Guard, at your service."
"Pleasure to meet you Commander," she said, her eyes never leaving his visor.
Even her nails were fascinating, pink in colour with tiny crescent moons at the tips. Fox noticed every detail as if it were part of his flash training.
"It is customary on our world Commander," she continued slowly as she appeared to float next to him, "for people to talk to one another with their eyes."
He continued on, as if hypnotised by her dulcid tone, until he snapped back to reality and along with it, the question she had been asking.
Fox stopped and quickly released the seal of his helmet.
"My apologies, Senator," he said as he lifted the cumbersome white helmet off his head.
"That is much better," she replied formally. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Olphina Carr from Oriis, Commander Fox," she nodded, reiterating his name as she held out a hand.
He was perplexed.
Normally Senators were more aloof when first arriving on Coruscant, treating the Guard and clone army as their own private personnel, which by definition they were, but she seemed different, and the young man in the red armour, was keen to learn more.
#
She hadn't changed for dinner as she normally would when he was coming and Commander Fox had noticed that.
The details, he was especially good at noticing the details, and he immediately knew something was different about her tonight.
She had also sworn to Gem that she wouldn't tell a living soul about her special project with the young Bivalian scientist.
Their task appeared to be one bore of immense morality, but was it true?
Would the men age at twice the normal rate without some genetic manipulation to turn it off?
"Commander," she said quietly.
"Olphina," he said as he placed his helmet down in its usual spot, "is something wrong?" he asked warily.
She was a Diplomat, but at that moment, none of her stature within the Senate mattered.
She simply asked the question that she had been told and thought couldn't possibly be true.
Fox sat and waited for her to finish.
He then rubbed his hands together and said. "Look at it this way Phina, in eight years we'll both be forty. Don't you think that's perfect?" He smiled, but she could see that what she had asked, affected him more than just the number tally.
She could finally see what Gem had.
The Republic were robbing an entire generation of their youth.
A million men, created to age and die way before their time, more likely than not, on a battlefield.
Had they even thought what would happen to the soldiers fortunate enough to outlive the war?
She fell to the floor at his knee, looking up into his eyes he noticed the water beginning to well in hers.
"This is wrong, and you know it."
"It's our reality Olphina. That's all I know."
She then rested her head in his lap and Fox gently stroked the fine gold hair.
Everything she had said was true, but right then, none of it mattered to the young Commander.
Someone cared for him.
And he loved her because of it.
#