One Hundred and Three

"And you never thought to tell me this earlier, because?" Rex's voice, although quiet had a level of measured anger she had never heard before.

Gem looked down at her hands clenched in her lap and fiddled with her sleeve, suddenly a loose thread had become imminently more fascinating. The silence between the two was unbearable.

He wasn't going to slap her back and say well done.

Not this time.

This time she had gone too far.

"I don't know what to say Rex. Other than I didn't want to place you in a situation which may have been consid - "

"It's-been-four-and-a-half-weeks," he pronounced each word emphatically as if to emphasize their importance and the magnitude of what she had told him.

What she had done.

Gem them noticed his left hand begin to shake, she had seen it on occasion in the past.

"Rex, what's with - "

He caught her line of sight and stood quickly.

"I will never forgive you for this Gem."

She jumped up from her chair, "No, Rex. I – please wait - " her voice raising an octave.

He swiveled back around to face her with such ferocity she was startled and stood riveted to the spot.

"Haven't I only ever been supportive of everything you undertake? All this, this nonsense at the Jedi Library delving back into your mothers past? I have never questioned your judgement. Because I love you and tell you everything." His face had turned a deep shade of crimson, and Gem knew this was as serious as it got with him. He was right. Rex had never questioned any of her motives, she knew he would support her in anything she undertook.

But not this time apparently.

"I love you too Rex it's just I didn't want to place you in any danger knowing what we had done."

"Fek Gem! Don't you trust me?"

She moved forward and he allowed her to touch his arm.

"Rex," her voice immediately sounded older, "I trust you with my life! It's the Republic I don't trust."

"The Republic that created me?"

"There are things happening, questions being raised Rex, things I don't even understand."

It was true; there was a level of heightened intensity, urgency filling the corridors of the Republic Parliament.

Senators who had been appointed for years were suddenly retiring and being replaced with more overly zealous politicians. Even Olphina had been coerced into donating more of Oriis' credits to support the war, a decision the two woman had clashed bitterly over, bringing with it tension to their initially strong friendship.

Even Gemma's position within the governing body was under scrutiny.

So there they stood, until Rex moved up close to her ear and said in almost a whisper.

"I would have never have done this to you."

Gem closed her eyes and swayed, the words of anger from the man she adored hurt more than any physical wound.

They cut her to her very core.

She was speechless and folded onto the couch after the door hissed quietly behind him.

.