Chapter Twenty-one: Defending the Homestead

"Kida," he said, his voice gentle towards me for the first time since landing on the planet. "Are you alright?"

I didn't respond, my mouth slightly open as I tried to focus my thoughts, searching frantically for what the force was trying to warn me about. Finally, I shook my head. "I don't know. Something's...wrong."

"Wrong?" Suu asked, looking at me curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought you said she wasn't a jedi," Cut said slowly, his gaze on me hardening.

"She isn't," Rex reassured, but I could hear the wavering in his own voice. The uncertainty as I lifted my tired body from the floor, ignoring the remainder of my drink and looking out into the moonlit fields.

"They're screaming," I breathed, their voices echoing through the force in terror.

They all moved to question me, but then the screams of Shaeeah and Jek pierced the air, all hell breaking loose.

Cut raced to the door to the sound of his children screaming. Their voices echoed through the fields of crops, the kids finally emerging with panicked expressions on their faces.

"Shaeeah, Jek," Cut said, his daughter racing into his arms as Suu hurried out to scoop up their son. "What's wrong?"

"Monsters," the girl whimpered back. "They're chasing us."

Suu walked back into the house, protectively holding her son and clicking her tongue. "What monsters, honey? Where?" Shaeeah moved past Cut and behind her mother's legs, her gaze lifting to watch me scan the horizon seriously.

"In the crops, Cut," I said gently. "There's lights moving."

"They hatched from the big egg in the field," Shaeeah tried to explain. Cut looked worriedly between Rex and I before snatching up a pair of electrobinoculars, scanning the horizon.

He groaned worriedly. "This is not good. I count twenty."

"Cut," Suu spoke evenly to not frighten her children more. "What's out there?"

"Commando droids," he responded lowly, my nerves lighting up. Wonderful.

"What are they doing?" Rex asked immediately, his voice perking up. He knew what to do in this situation. This is what he did every day.

Cut didn't respond, hurrying into the house and brushing his wife's shoulder. "Suu, get the kids upstairs."

She obeyed immediately, holding Jek and calling to her daughter. "Come children, come now."

I stood silently, wishing I hadn't stripped off my weapons and armor before coming into the house. Cut closed and locked the door, hurrying around to shut everything.

"What weapons do you have?" Rex asked, trying to stay in control. He certainly was a captain to a fault. Cut opened a cabinet, revealing a nice display of far too few guns. "We'll catch them in a crossfire. You take that corner-" Rex started, but Lawquane cut him off.

"No, Captain," Cut said smoothly. "With respect, you're not in charge here."

"I-I can be useful," Rex argued. I'd never heard him stutter more in my life than I had that night.

"Sir," Cut sighed. "You're injured. And you have only one good arm."

"But I can fight!"

"So can I," Cut responded easily. He may have deserted. But he had Mandalorian blood coursing through his veins. Pride. Courage. "Rex, I need you to be the last line of defense for my family."

"Do as he says, Rex," I finally spoke softly, understanding how he felt. I hated being unable to do things due to injury. Still, if he fought with us, he may get hurt more. Or killed. "I'll stay down here with Cut. We'll watch each other's backs."

The captain sighed finally. "I'll take care of them."

"Thank you," Cut said genuinely before looking at me. "I don't have any more guns," he said gently, offering me his pistol. It would leave him with only a long-range rifle.

I lifted my hand, shaking my head. "Secure your house. I'll get my pistols from your barn."

"It's not safe out there," Cut tried, but Rex answered him from the stairs, holding the pistol Cut had given him.

"She'll be fine. She's better at this than any of us." I looked up at him in surprise, shocked to see his facial expressions soften. "Stay safe."

"Yeah...you too."

Rex moved up the stairs after Cut's family while I quietly slipped out the back door, hurrying through the moonlit night. Inside the house, Cut was locking all the doors behind me, the lights flickering off.

I pressed my back to the side of the barn, hearing the mechanical whirs of the commando droids as they pushed through the last line of crops. Turning my head sideways to see the last shutter close on Cut's windows, I waited in silence, the shadows stretching under the moonlight as they walked forward. Lowering my body to a crouch to remain in the shadow of the barn, I watched silently, seeing the first line of commandos pass by me. They were damaged from their crash, their movements sparking and disjointed.

Good. Maybe we'd survive.

A few of them walked to the back of the house, others wandering the front, looking for a way in. I wanted to yell out and warn Cut, but as I slipped into the barn, I was met with my own problems.

The Eopie were panicking as I landed deftly from the window in the darkness, the glowing eyes of two commando droids scanning the area. I dove behind one of the benches, my gear only a few feet from me-between myself and the commandos.

I watched their feet shift awkwardly from beneath the bench, waiting for the right moment to leap forward. Or maybe I was waiting for the courage to muster.

In that moment, a series of blaster shots went off from Cut's house before silencing again. The commandos in the barn turned abruptly, taking a step to help their unit take down Cut. I took the opportunity to roll forward, sweep up the DC-17 pistols, and fire at the two droids. The first I hit in the face plate as I found my footing again, slipping out of sight in the darkness while the other searched for me.

It had its own blaster, which despite its malfunctioning parts, still seemed rather deadly. I waited for it to round the corner, lifting my pistol to my side and aiming where I knew its head would emerge.

It came around, my finger pulling the trigger easily and downing it. As I stood, three more crashed through the barn door, sending it flying from its hinges. I rushed forward, diving below the flying door and landing near their feet.

A few fast pulls of the trigger left them nothing more than scrap metal. I contemplated putting my armor back on, but more blaster shots from Cut's house made me forget the thought and run towards him.

I hurried up to his now open front door, seeing commandos emerging from the hatch in his floor. I took out one with my pistols, taking them by surprise from behind. One turned and fired at me, making me duck behind the door frame.

A crash came from inside, followed by Cut's pained yell. "Rex! They're coming for you!"

I turned and chose an alternate route into the house, bursting through his window and taking out two of the commandos that were ascending the stairs. "Get up, Cut!" I yelled at him as I ducked below the sweeping arms of another commando before riddling it with blaster fire.

He let out an angry grunt, pulling the wooden frame off of himself and throwing it into the droid that was advancing on me. He then picked up a chair and whacked the next over the head with it.

Upstairs, I heard blaster fire as Rex engaged the commandos that had made it past us.

A droid caught me from behind knocking one pistol away, the other pinned in my hand between my chest and its metal arm. I struggled as its mechanics whirred, tightening around my chest and cutting off my breath. Gritting my teeth, I shifted my head as best I could, twisting my pistol upwards and firing.

The shot singed past my collar bone, but hit the commando in the optics. I fell to the floor, my shoulder burning, but looked up as Cut punched a droid only to yell in pain. Why was that a thing clones did? I felt like I saw it happen all the time.

Then again...it was very much like Jango and Boba to straight up punch a droid in the faceplate without any thought to the fact that it was metal.

The droid lunged forward and grabbed his face violently, the two twisting back and forth in their fight. I moved forward to help, but was batted back by my own opponent. My pistol flew from my hand, my mind cursing everything in the room as I floundered for some ground.

The commando had its own weapon, lifting the blaster to fire at me. My hand found one of the pots Suu had used to cook their dinner. I held it in front of me like a shield, the metal getting hot under fire, but protecting me nonetheless. My back to the counter, I was aware of Cut being thrown in the wall, Rex falling through the ceiling beside him.

My fingers reached behind me, finding the kitchen knife Cut had used to cut up the creature he'd hunted. I twisted it in my hand, dodging sideways around the still-firing commando.

Rex was grabbed around the neck by Cut's attacker, his grunt strained and filled with pain. Thankfully, Cut found Rex's blaster and took out the last commando easily.

I leapt atop my own, batting its blaster away with the pot and wrapping my tired legs around its shoulder joint. It whirred and complained, its iron grip hard over my muscles while it struggled to release itself. It was no use. I pushed its head to the side and drove the kitchen knife between the wires and mechanisms there, wrenching the blade sideways in the spot Jango had taught me about.

A weak spot that the manufacturers used for when they needed to repair the head. The joint disengaged, the head popping off easily with a fizzle before we both dropped to the ground in a heap.

"Dad? Daddy?" I heard Jek's voice from above us as I panted on the ground, pushing the commando away from me. "Daddy?"

"I'm okay," Cut responded, looking up from his place on the ground. Rex stood beside him, the captain's hand on his neck tenderly. I was sure the commando's grip had been nothing less than brutal. "It's over," Cut breathed, standing finally.

My body was tired. Exhausted. I forced my heart to slow down from how it was racing, finding my own shaky feet. "Are you alright?" I asked them both, despite my gaze being on Rex.

Rex grunted as he finally released his neck, small bruises already forming from the commando's grip. "Yeah. You?"

"I'm fine." I looked around the demolished room as Suu descended the stairs slowly with her children. "We should...get rid of these." I stooped tiredly, pulling the kitchen knife from the commando's neck joint, oil spilling over my hands. The knife safely away in their sink, I began dragging the broken parts of our attackers out the front door and towards the barn.

"Rex," I heard Cut say gently. "Sit. We can handle this."

Cut joined me shortly as he started helping drag the dismantled droids to be hidden in the barn. As we piled them, Cut searching for tools to further dismantle them, Rex appeared in the doorway.

"I can help take them apart," he said slowly, his voice quiet. He silently stood beside Cut as they worked to make the droids into smaller pieces-easier to hide that way.

"Looks like you had your hands full," Cut mentioned, his eyes peering at the droids I'd taken out in the barn, all of them sporting burned holes in their faceplates. "You're a good shot."

I only smiled tiredly at him before heading out of the barn and back to his house. Inside, the kids were drinking something warm that smelled like earthy spices. Suu had more mugs waiting as I entered.

"Thank you for your help," she said gently.

Shaeeah and Jek, despite the fear they'd sported before, seemed happier now. "Yeah," the girl exclaimed while her brother nodded along. "You were really cool!"

I knelt down to their level, smiling. "Not as cool as you two. I don't know many people who can outrun commando droids. Especially kids." I found myself rubbing their heads affectionately. "You guys are going to be unstoppable when you get older."

They both giggled while I moved away, sweeping my blasters onto a high counter and storing away those that belonged to Cut. I shifted the fallen ceiling into the corner, righting the table and resetting the chairs around it.

"You don't have to do that," Suu tried, but I shook my head at her tiredly.

As I carefully replaced the boards of the broken window, I muttered to her, "Please let me. I don't know what else to do." For some reason I was lost. Usually when I finished a fight, I left the area to avoid getting killed or arrested. I didn't stay to clean up the mess.

And I knew that if I stopped moving-if I stopped keeping myself occupied for even a moment-my mind would wander to Rex again. To how he'd held me in the bunker on Naboo and how his gentle touch made me not resign myself to dying for the first time. How sad his eyes were when I left Padme's employment. How he'd looked at me when I visited him in the medbay on Coruscant. How he'd listened to my stories about Jango. How his lips felt when they brushed my cheek.

How I wondered what they'd feel like against my own lips.

I shook my head as Suu's hand lightly touched my shoulder, stilling my movements. "You don't need to do anything but sit down," she said softly, her fingers pushing me into one of the chairs I'd just set back into place. "Here. Drink."

She put a warm mug into my hands, lifting the rim to my lips slowly. The drink tasted earthy with some spice, as well as a hidden kick beneath it all. My eyebrows arched at her over the edge of the mug as I took a grateful swallow.

Suu offered me a toothy grin. "I added a little extra to yours, since you didn't get to finish your glass earlier." She picked up her own mug, tapping it quietly against mine before turning to her kids. "Alright children. You need some rest."

"But mom," Jek started nervously, fidgeting in his seat. "What if the monsters come back?"

"They won't," Suu reassured, kneeling down before her kids. "Your father, Rex, and Kida took care of them. They're gone."

"But what if there's more?" Shaeeah asked, her hand lacing with her brother's.

"Then we'll protect you again," I finally said from where I sat, taking another long drink from the mug and enjoying the burn of the liquor. "Besides, there won't be anything more to worry about come the morning. When we leave this planet, so does the war."

"You're…" Shaeeah's small voice sounded as her mother started herding them towards the stairs. "You're leaving?"

I lifted my eyebrows at her. "Of course. Rex and I are only staying the night to let him heal. A battle wasn't safe for him." I glanced out the broken window. "Though we got one anyways."

"You can stay with us, if you want," Shaeeah started, her mother hushing her gently.

I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, ad'ika," I found myself saying. "But we don't want to overstay our welcome."

Suu regarded me for a brief moment before leading the kids upstairs. I sat in silence, listening to the floorboards creak above me as they moved around. Outside, the barn echoed lightly with the clanking of metal as Cut and Rex disassembled the commandos.

I leaned back in my chair, guiding my mind away from the captain and to the apparent vision I'd had through Cut's grief. I closed my eyes, and for the first time, willed the force to show me something. I didn't try to feel a mind around me. I didn't try to understand anyone's intentions or read a room delicately. Nor did I try to move anything by sheer will.

Instead, I thought back to what I'd seen Ahsoka do while she meditated in Padme's company. I turned inward, visualizing the force like a strand of wafting light before me. It curled and beckoned for me to follow it. In the darkness of my own mind, I reached out, my fingers finding surface on the seemingly wispy presence, curling and grabbing hold.

At first, it was blurry. Muffled. But as I let myself relax and trusted the force to guide me, the images cleared.

They flashed before me. Images. Sounds. Faces. Feelings.

The first thing I saw was Jango's scarred face cast in a light blue glow. He stood before a hologram of Count Dooku.

"A jedi arrived on Kamino," my mentor explained. "He suspects me of the attempt on Senator Amidala's life."

"I told you to be cautious," Dooku responded darkly.

"I was," Jango snarled, clearly frustrated, worry rippling off him in waves.

"Clearly, not enough." Dooku sighed dramatically. "Nevertheless, your contract is not completed. Come to Geonosis. My plans are merely beginning."

"As you wish."

As the hologram dissipated, I was shifted sideways in the force, nearly losing my balance as images flashed by. Jango fighting Obi-wan in the never-ending rain of Kamino. Concussion charges detonating in an asteroid field. Slave I flying over massive Separatist flagships that were sprawled across the deserts of Geonosis.

I heard sounds amongst the images. Sounds that didn't belong.

"I truly...deeply...love you."

That sounded a bit like Padme… The roar of a crowd. The screeching of an Acklay. Hundreds of lightsabers igniting. The thunderous stomp of an army of droids.

I flinched as I watched Jango's head fall, the image flickering to Boba crouching beside it, desperation and anger on his face.

I was wrenched sideways again, a chill coming over my body as I found myself standing in an endless tundra. I saw creatures made of fur brutally killed and sprawled in the snow, surrounded by the remains of droids and clones alike.

A gust of wind blew snow across the image, replacing it with a female Pantoran I recognized from my time with Padme. Chuchi, I believed her name was. She stood before the creatures, declaring peace. Obi-wan, Anakin, and Rex all stood behind her.

The snow was replaced with vibrant flora, the plants practically glowing-Felucia. Explosions went off behind me, making me duck. Sugi raced past me, defending Obi-wan from an attacking pirate. Embo joined the fight alongside Ahsoka and Anakin, aiding the farmers in protecting themselves from the thieves.

I was on a moon, my eyes lifted to the sky to watch an attack flare rise in the air. I turned my head to see three clones, two of which looked terribly familiar. Echo and Fives.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a couple of shinies." I turned to see Rex walking towards me. I stepped out of his way to watch him put his bloodied hand on Echo's chest plate. So that was where he got that mark from. I wondered how long ago this was.

My head started to ache with sorrow as the images continued to shift, hearing the rattling sound of an explosion. "Hevy!" I heard someone cry out, my chest hurting with their pain.

The images faded, leaving me in a bunker I didn't recognize, staring up at an idolization of a warrior. He looked Kaleesh, the figure holding up a severed head in brutal victory. Each statue looked less and less like a Kaleesh, and more robotic. The clicking of metal passed behind me, making me whirl.

Something was lurking in the shadows, scuffling around, but I couldn't see it. It was obscured slightly within the force. Suddenly, with a terrible snarl, it launched at me. The creature was Grievous, his six arms reaching for me. I fell backwards with a yell of fear, flashes of jedi he'd killed flashing before my vision.

I saw his collections of lightsabers. His displays of padawan braids. He'd killed so many innocents. Children.

When I dared to open my eyes, I was standing in a long room with massive windows. At a raised desk at the far side, sat Dooku, his eyes closed in meditation. My feet made no sound as I stepped closer, wondering why the force would guide me here. Was this another vision of the past? What were all these visions trying to tell me?

Dooku's presence was dark, but something else loomed in the room. No one was there, but I could feel its presence. Dark, foreboding, and far more powerful than anything I'd ever felt. And unlike Anakin's untamed and often unused power, I could tell that this entity was well-versed in the force.

Yellow eyes snapped open and stared around the room, Dooku's brows furrowing. "I know you are here," he said aloud, standing.

I took a hesitant step back. Who was in the room? What was I supposed to be seeing?

"I don't need to see you to fight you," the dark master growled, his red lightsaber igniting. He leaped over his desk, barreling down on me. I sidestepped, wondering if someone was behind me, but he altered his course.

I screamed as his lightsaber came down on me, legs giving out and my eyes screwing shut.

I felt my surroundings shifting, but I didn't open my eyes, listening to the sounds passing my ears.

"A new power is rising. I've foreseen it."

"Anakin, something wonderful has happened."

"I was beginning to believe I knew who you were behind that mask, but it's impossible. My master could never be as vile as you!"

I opened my eyes at that, but saw nothing but swirling darkness. Confusion. Sorrow.

I felt rocked sideways as waves of pain billowed over me. I did my best to push it away, now fighting the will of the force. It was too much. The sorrow the war had brought. The death. What it was yet to bring.

It finally all fell away as I felt the strong presence of Rex beside the calm signature of Cut. My vision settled to show the dimly illuminated barn, the two clones still working on dismembering the droid parts.

"Thank you again," Cut started, disrupting the silence. "For protecting my family."

Rex paused for a moment. "Of course."

"Though, Kida would have likely kicked your ass if you hadn't," Cut joked, drawing a surprised chuckle from the captain.

"Probably."

"Rex," Cut continued. "I don't mean to push, and if you want, I won't bring it up again. But I know how you looked at my family. And how you looked at Kida." I drew in a sharp breath as Rex looked straight ahead at the wall. Cut tried to backpedal. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer if-"

"No," Rex cut him off with a shake of his head. "You're right." My lips opened slightly in shock. "It's just...the rules. They're law. I took an oath."

"When you were a teenager."

Rex chuckled. "She said the same thing."

Cut was quiet for a moment, watching the captain work. "You love her," he said out of the blue, almost knocking me out of my concentration. Rex seemed equally as surprised, but didn't say anything, merely staring at the farmer with wide eyes. Cut chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Just...as a piece of advice, Rex," he cut his brown eyes sideways at his brother. "We're hard to love. Especially in a war like this. If you find someone who can love you in all this...especially someone like Kida...don't wait forever."

Rex cleared his throat. "What do you mean? Kida doesn't-"

"She barely ate at dinner. I don't have to be a jedi to know how she feels," the farmer cut him off. "Speaking of which," he sighed. "What's with her force sensitivity?"

Rex lifted his brow. "Her what?"

"Come now, Rex, don't tell me you haven't noticed."

The captain sighed through his nose. "She always seems to see something coming just a moment before the rest of us. She knows people. Reads them like an unlocked holopad." He sighed again. "I didn't want to believe she's force sensitive, but I started to think it when our Generals started to act weird around her. My brother, Cody, mentioned there was a tension between her and General Kenobi during the last mission she ran with the Republic."

Cut hummed, but still regarded Rex with soft eyes. "Have you considered leaving with her?"

"Deserting?" Rex seemed repulsed. "I could never. My duty is to the Republic."

"Fine," Cut allowed. "Then what about asking her to stay?"

"I couldn't do that. She doesn't want any part in this war."

"She might if you asked her."

Rex floundered. "She doesn't love me."

"You act as if you don't deserve it."

Rex didn't respond, my heart breaking. His silence was answer enough. "It doesn't matter what I think," he said finally.

I was ripped from my visions by a hand on my shoulder, my trained body immediately gripping the hand and moving to break the arm. I stopped as my vision refocused on my present situation, seeing a panicked Suu in my grasp.

"I'm-" I started, letting her go. "I'm so sorry."

She stretched her arm and gave me a look. "That was fast. You remind me of how Cut used to act."

I lifted my eyebrow. "Defensive and a bit of an ass?"

She laughed, but slowly sobered and shook her head. "Lost." She moved to the staircase, gesturing for me. "You can sleep up here. The kids are sharing a room tonight after all this."

I finished off the mug of tea, my chest blossoming with heat at the welcome warmth of the added liquor. Putting the mug in the sink to be washed and snatching up my pistols, I slowly followed the Twi'lek, the ache making itself known in my tired limbs.

Suu showed me to a small room with a single wide window, the thin curtains floating gently in the soft breeze. "It's not much, but it's better than a barn bench," she offered, giving me a smile.

"It's wonderful," I said softly, taking in the hominess of the room. I hadn't slept in a room like that for weeks, having been on jobs and not making it back to my apartment on Coruscant.

"We only have the one," she explained. "So Rex and you will have to share."

The bed was certainly big enough, so I gave her a small smile. "I'll rest now," I responded. "Rex is still disassembling the droids. I'll switch out with him when he needs to sleep."

Suu frowned at me, clearly being on Cut's side when it came to my relationship with Rex. Still, she didn't fight me, giving me a nod and a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Anything I can get for you?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine, Suu. Thank you." She smiled at me, handed me an oversized shirt that I assumed was Cut's, and left the room.

I sighed through my nose. The door closing slightly behind me, I put my pistols up on one of the dressers before shedding my dirty clothes and boots. Left in my underclothes, I donned the oversized shirt that smelled like grass, soil, and fresh soap.

I crawled into the soft covers, reveling in the feeling of a padded mattress. I wanted to sleep. More than anything, I wanted to sleep. I had a full stomach. Had a work out that I never had actually wanted...and a good night cap of a drink.

All things considered, sleep should have come easily.

But my mind raced with what the force had chosen to show me. The presence I'd felt in Dooku's lair panged in my mind, making me realize that this war was bigger than any of us knew. Something was looming ahead of us, obscured in shadow. And whatever it was, it was hurting creatures all over the galaxy.

And then there was the conversation I'd heard between Rex and Cut. Love. Did I love Rex? I hadn't dwelled on it. I knew I felt attachment, but when I reached that with most people, I ended up cutting them off. It was safer that way. Especially since Jango.

I turned over grumpily in the bed, knowing that if my mind kept racing, I'd have no sleep before I had to give up the bed to Rex. Still, my thoughts continued to swirl as the moons slid across the dark sky.

Author's Note:

Sorry about the delay on updating. I had some trouble getting through a block on this chapter. Enjoy!

-Ryder