Sixty Seven

"What is it about her? She comm's you and you jump. I've had it! Say no this time, stay here with me."

"You know I can't say no, it's my job for fek's sake!" Reed began packing his kit. More often than not the bag would stay on the floor beside the bed, he was never in Corellia long enough for him to store it away.

"Yeah, yeah, she saved your life. I've heard it all before." Carriss turned and went back to dressing for dinner. She had only met his young saviour once, and that meeting had been difficult from the outset.

Reed dropped his bag, a mental light began flashing.

"You're jealous?" he said, a slow smile crossing his face.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are. Come here."

"No, we have to get ready for dinner."

"She's got the captain of the 501st wrapped around her little finger! I hesitate to think what Rex would do if I so much as gave her a sideways glance! Now come here."

Carriss moved over, her head down, ashamed at her immaturity where the young representative was concerned.

He moved to kiss her, "ah, no, not now, I have make up on. Hurry up, my parents will be waiting."

"I'm good to go," he answered.

"What? Dressed like that?" Reed looked down, he was still in his armour. "Get changed, you know how my parents feel about the war." She quickly stepped aside and headed out to the lounge.

Reed blew out a long breath. He knew what she was really saying.

Some days he just wished he was back in the barracks with his brothers.

.

Jesse fell asleep almost immediately into the thirteen hour flight. Kix felt uncomfortable sitting in the passenger bay along with his captain and Gem, so headed up to the pit to keep Reed company. Rex moved over and sat next to her. He clasped her hand and lifted it to his mouth and kissed it lightly.

"I'm sorry Gem," he announced, "this isn't what I planned."

It had been a rash decision to bring them along, but the alternative, leaving them behind would have ended in one or both of them paying a visit to the Coruscant Guard, and Rex didn't feel like explaining the actions of his men to Commander Fox yet again.

"Shh Rex, it's fine. I understand." Gem rested her head against his shoulder. She was excited about showing him her home planet and more importantly, introducing him to the laboratory and the work that she and Sionver had begun into reversing the aging process of the soldiers. It had slowed down significantly over the past three months. The brilliant geneticist finding the Kaminoan manipulation more intricate than she first anticipated.

They slept, talked quietly, but mostly kept to themselves, the solitude only interrupted by the drunken snoring of the trooper seated somewhere behind them.

They came out of hyperspace and Rex was at first surprised at the colours of the planet through the view port. It appeared green and lush and memories of Kashyyyk came to mind.

He quickly closed his eyes and mentally recited six names.

The craft lowered slowly and a canopy opened revealing the hidden platform.

Dr Tomas Gem had built the house and the facility underneath, with the intention of very few people knowing its whereabouts. He had become introverted and Gem thought it was just his brilliant mind wandering with age, but he constantly had a fear of being watched. The house he built was a bunker, one he would retreat into and now, after handing the precious information over to the Chancellor, she would never know just exactly what he had spent the last year of his life, locked away in isolation, working on.

Ben, along with Reed and Dr Boll were the only people that knew the houses coordinates and now, another three, but three she could trust with her life, were added to the list.

The ramp opened and the captain followed the representative. They headed immediately inside and were not to be seen for another four standard hours.

.

Reed popped his head out of the pit and smiled. "See Jess. Text book landing."

"Sorry ner vod," he replied contritely.

"No need, nothing I haven't heard before."

"What's the DEP like Reed?" Kix asked.

"Look, it's flight school 101, but the locations are great," he said opening an overhead locker and removing his pack, "and you're not getting shot at."

"Like the sound of that," Jesse replied sullenly as he too, lifted up his pack and slung it over one shoulder.

"I think you're both in for a treat. We're here for four days, before I transfer the captain, and I guess you two, to Kamino."

"You mean, we're not on active service?" Jess couldn't believe his ears.

"I'm not sure what the captain has in store for you, but I plan on getting some sleep and watching a couple of holovids," he laughed and headed out into the warm, early evening air.

.

07:14

Jesse wandered into the kitchen and hesitated to open the conservator. The concept of being in charge of his own destiny outside the GAR was confronting. He knew how to push himself physically and most recently emotionally, but the simple act of opening a metallic door that contained food, food which he could choose to eat or not was too challenging too early in the day. He looked around and grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the faucet, and stared blankly out the kitchen window.

"You didn't sleep late?'

It was the captain.

Jesse turned and stood to attention immediately.

"No need for that here Jesse, you're on leave."

"Sir," he nodded and relaxed. He then watched as Rex placed two mugs on the bench and filled one with caf and the other with hot water, dangling in a herbal infusion. Rex didn't say anything, but simply grabbed another mug and filled it, before handing it to the trooper.

"Sir." He looked at the steaming liquid before he cleared his voice. "Captain. I'm sorry about what I said back on Coruscant. I was out of line and I apologise."

Rex looked at the soldier in front of him then went back to jiggling the bag in the mug. "We all miss Hardcase, Jess." He lifted the infusion out and squeezed the liquid between his fingers before placing it in the sink. "Kriff, I don't have many of the original squad left." Jesse watched as Rex blew out a breath, and knew he was considering his words carefully. "What you do in your personal time is your own business, and I respect that. But, the excessive drinking, that has to stop."

Jesse looked down embarrassed and nodded. Rex looked at the soldier struggling in front of him. He moved towards the conservator and opened it, pulling out a bowl of fruit and a plate of cheese. "Here," he said tossing him an apple, "help yourself, but don't eat it all," he warned. Jesse smiled and watched his Captain leave the room. Turning he looked out the window again and took a large bite of the crisp fruit. It was sweet and he smiled as he continued to watch as Rex headed towards the woman sitting on the edge of the pool, her legs dangling in the water and smile as he handed her the shig.

"Here you are, no caf as requested." He lent forward and kissed the top of her head as he placed the two cups on the ground by her side. Gem took her drink between her hands as Rex headed to the end of the pool and dived in. She watched as he glided through the water, the early morning light dancing on his brown shoulders as his arms lifted with each stroke. He was methodical, never breaking rhythm. Both Jesse and the woman were mesmerised as he continued to plough effortlessly through the water.

11:00

Kix had officially slept in for the first time in his life.

The house was extraordinary and even though there were enough rooms to accommodate everyone individually, the unit medic had decided to sleep in the same room as Jesse. He didn't like the idea of sleeping without a brother.

Unlike his captain.

He hadn't seen much of Rex after they arrived other than briefly as he stocked a plate high with food and balancing two glasses disappeared down the west end of the house. Reed was the one most at home. He knew the run of the place and had given them a tour of the property including the hanger area housing the two ancient speeders.

Kix grabbed some bread and cheese and scoffed it down before opening the door and stepping out into the brilliant sunshine. He squinted and placed a hand up over his brow and looked towards the area where they all had accumulated.

Gem and Rex were in the water. He heard a feminine giggle and smiled at the sight of his captain with a woman in an embrace in the middle, her arms resting carelessly around his neck.

Kix walked over to the two identical men lounging on chairs.

"What time did you all get up?"

"Seven hundred. You're blocking my sun ner vod," Jesse answered without opening his eyes.

"You should cover up, I'm not treating sunburn later on today."

"Once, just once, can you take a day off?"

Kix smiled, ignoring him. "I'm taking a speeder into town, wanna come?"

"Nup. Reed and I have a date with a holovid after lunch."

Kix laughed. Jesse had taken to civilian life quicker than Dooku after a Jedi.

"I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah, later," he replied lazily.

.

"I just have something to show you, Rex."

"Your secret lair," he said with a smile.

She had described to him the area under the main house. Elaborating no more than that, he had stepped into the tiny elevator with her and waited as it travelled underground.

Gem alighted first and he watched as she turned on the bank of lights.

"Whoa," he said walking forward totally engaged, "this is huge. It must be 500 square metres?"

"489, to be exact." He smiled and nodded. It was then he noticed an area in one corner with laboratory equipment.

"Gem?"

"Rex, I need you to listen."

Rex walked around the equipment and stopped to run one hand over his head. He hadn't said anything about what she had described. She had been honest, brutally honest regarding the pregnancy and her intention with the foetal stem cells initially.

"You do want to have this child though don't you?"

He was hurt.

"Yes! Absolutely, no question about it. I was just desperate to help. Rex, please, you have to believe me." He stopped to look into her eyes, he could see that she was telling the truth. Rex looked down at his hands, she knew that look. Somehow the lustre of the past few days had dulled slightly.

"What's this thing do?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I think it amplifies DNA signals."

Rex nodded his head, "a thermal cycler. What's driving all this Gem?" He looked around the empty laboratory space and then back at her.

"You. Jesse, Reed, Kix. All of you deserve a chance at a normal life."

"If we survive the war that is."

"You'll survive alright," she said moving in close to him and placing her arms around his waist, "or I will have something to say about it."

"You're not gonna go all Jedi on me and do something weird with the Force," he laughed.

"No, but maybe," she replied moving in dangerously close, "may – be we could do a little experimenting of our own."

Her eyes glistened playfully. A corner of his mouth moved up slightly. When it came to Gem, he could deny her nothing. "Just exactly what do you have in mind?"

"Oh, let's see. Something anatomical," her hand disappeared in between the front of them, "Mmm, yes, definitely something anatomical."

"Gemma?"

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