Chapter Seventy-Seven: A New Hope

Meals on Kamino were usually pretty bland. Though sometimes Jango would bring back something from his travels. They were sometimes foreign treats, which were always cool. Cracknel from Dex's Diner. Meiloorun melon. Kodari-rice. Sijjo Sewi.

And then other times he would bring home basic ingredients from a marketplace he'd visited on some foreign world. The first time he showed me how to make it, he called it uj'alayi. I'd watched it cook with wide eyes, Jango humming gently while he cleaned his armor. Boba played on the floor at his feet.

After a while, I tired of watching bread slowly bake, so I turned to watch them, my back against the warm oven. Kamino was damp as a whole, and despite the amazing air systems of the cloning facility, the chill seemed to always cling to you. I breathed in the warmth, listening to Jango hum a song I recognized.

"I know that-," I whispered, my voice still hoarse. I hadn't been talking much yet. My eyes flickered up to see the bounty hunter watching me expectantly. Nothing about his posture was cruel. His presence was always powerful and firm, but never unkind. Not to me at least.

I wasn't so sure his bounty targets felt the same way.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "I know this song. From Jabba's Palace."

Jango's eyes flickered towards the ceiling in thought for a moment before he nodded. "Yes it is. Good ear." He went back to humming and polishing his armor.

"What does Jabba have to say about you rescuing me? Or am...am I your target? Are you bringing me back to him?"

The Mandalorian stopped abruptly, giving me a scowl. "I've told you that you're free now. I'm just teaching you how to defend yourself before you go." He gave me a stern once over before nodding once and returning to scrubbing his armor. "And Jabba doesn't know. Doesn't need to know. Not unless you get into hunting."

"Hunting...as in your job or like….hunting hunting." I was given another stern look. My eyes dropped to my folded hands. "Got it." I shifted uncomfortably for a moment, giving the strong man a once over. "I know that...I am a companion for your son. But...but why-"

"Why did I rescue you from Death Watch?" Jango interrupted me again. His brows were furrowed, shadowing his serious eyes. "I have no respect for them, nor those that take advantage of those weaker than them. Especially... " he cleared his throat. "Taking advantage of women."

I knew he was trying to politely nod towards the slavery I'd been subjected to. I guess neither of us were brave enough to say it aloud. Or maybe he was being polite, knowing I was still trying to process it all. To cope.

"Why me?"

"I don't know. Something….drew me to you. And you spoke Mando'a, which means you could help teach Boba."

He was covering the sentimental side that was peaking out. The gift I had yet to fully understand whispered gently in the deepest part of my mind. Something had bound us together; I had called to him with my mind, perhaps. He'd seen me as my advantages, yes, but he also pitied me.

Jango was a good man, despite his faults. I couldn't blame him. We all had our issues. All had our struggles. We all choose a side eventually. And sometimes it gets us killed.

I hoped that wouldn't happen.

"Vor entye," I said, bowing my head slightly.

Jango returned the nod, casting a warm smile. His eyes flickered over my shoulder to see the bread baking. His smile turned slightly mischievous as his gaze returned to me. "We have some time to kill, and I think you need to earn this treat, nayc?"

I knew better than to argue, though I cast Boba a scowl when he was allowed to remain in the apartment and play. "What did Boba do to earn it?"

Jango sent me a scolding glance over his shoulder as he led me through the twisting halls of the cloning facility. I had lived there for a short time, but I rarely left the apartment, much to Boba's dismay. He wanted to venture out and see the clones, despite his father's wishes. I feared the bounty hunter, and literally everything else, a bit too much at the moment.

I suppose he knew that.

"I don't think Boba could have earned his way like this."

"Like what?" I asked, brows raised in mild worry. Jango's cheek raised slightly with a smirk, doors hissing open to reveal a viewing floor. "What is this? "I asked again.

"Training." His answer was blunt, and I knew I wouldn't get much more from him without putting in some work myself. That was his method of teaching, I'd come to learn. I shuffled nervously to the railing, peering down into the area below. The closest thing I knew to it was an… arena.

My shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I don't understand," I admitted.

Jango touched my shoulder gently, earning a flinch. He didn't react, letting me calm. I felt his thoughts. I knew I was safe with him. "This is where the clone cadets train, before they can graduate to soldiers."

"And I'm going to be training here?" I looked down over the fighting robots that stormed the shifting ground, overwhelming a team of clone cadets. They looked older than me too.

"It won't be as hard," the Mando reassured. "Unless you take up hunting."

"Do you want me to take up hunting?" I asked, lifting my brow. It was getting easier to talk to him.

"It's your decision. And it's a hard, dangerous life." He looked sideways at me. "Though you are no stranger to that. If you want a change...and safety, this isn't the life for you. And I'll teach you to defend yourself and then set you up somewhere nice and peaceful. Like Naboo, maybe. Or Alderaan."

I swallowed thickly, my fingers kneading my palms nervously. "And if...I wanted to learn how to fight back against the people that hurt me? Make them afraid to do it to anyone else?"

Jango was silent for a moment, watching me. When he spoke, his voice was even and steady. "Then I'd teach you how to defend yourself, and how to defend others. I'd teach you to hunt. To fight. To track. To pilot. To kill. I'd teach you to survive, and to thrive. I'd push you to your limits. You'll get hurt. You'll cause people to get hurt. You will have to kill." I swallowed thickly, hanging on every word. "Do you understand?" I nodded. "Can you handle that?"

I gulped again, my voice hoarse as I gazed over the training course. "I've already handled that. I'd like you to teach me to be good at it." I looked back at him, giving my best begging eyes from Corellia, knowing my cheeks were still hollowed from my time with Death Watch. "Please."

"You don't need to beg," Jango chuckled. "And you're going to wish you didn't. Know that when you sign up, I won't let you get off this speeder until you can at least defend yourself. Got it?"

"Got it. When do we start?"

He laughed again. "Right now."

My breath was hot inside the training helmet Jango had worked with a few of the clones to fit to my smaller head. It steamed up the visor, blurring my vision. Not that my vision would have even helped. The gray and white of the training course was far too familiar now. Jango had me running it nearly every day for the past two months. Training days in here alternated with hand-to-hand and piloting. I was….always sore. Always.

I ducked sideways, knowing the fighting droids-not yet resembling the Separatist armies-would try to flank me. It was too late, my vision blurred by my own breath. I was struck in the side, my training gear lighting up in a hot tingling sensation. I hit the floor, immediately more sore than I was before….somehow.

I heard the disapproving click of a tongue and immediately knew it was Jango. Still, I looked up from the ground to see his scowl, the expression deepening the scars that decorated his skin. "Kida," he said firmly. Like a commander. "You're better than this."

"I know I am," I defended, though I still wasn't confident I could make it to the end of the course. I hadn't made it yet. Not at this difficulty, at least. I'd been trying it for nearly a week. "It's this damn mask. I can't see a-"

"Stop blaming your surroundings," Jango interrupted with a firm tap to my visor. "You wish to be a hunter, no? Protect yourself and others who need you?"

And maybe some revenge, I wondered to myself. I didn't dare voice it aloud. Instead, I simply said, "Yes."

"Then you must learn to adapt. Address your situation and do something about it. Turn it in your favor and win." His hand lifted to gesture at the course as it slowly reset. "If this were a job, you'd be dead now."

I nodded solemnly at my teacher, thinking hard. There was no use asking; I knew Jango wouldn't be offering any more information on how to overcome it. It was my job to figure it out now. My test.

We walked together towards the starting platform in uncomfortable silence. We'd become friendlier throughout my training, but there was still much left to be desired. He was disappointed. Frustrated that his strict nature couldn't allow for him to help me more.

"I made it further than ever on that run, though," I tried shyly, my eyes on they round as he boarded the lift. I stayed behind, knowing I'd be running the course again.

Which meant that the potential solution of crafting a whole new helmet for myself-one with working filtration and anti-fog systems-was out of the question now. That meant Jango expected me to figure this out on the go.

Like a bounty hunter.

You had to hand it to the guy, he really knew how to hammer in a point.

Jango cast me a smirk as the platform lifted, a twinkle returning to his eye. "A new milestone to beat." And then he was gone.

The buzzer rang, signaling the start of the exercise. I rushed forward, blaster in hand as I ducked behind the nearest cover, hearing the rain of shots over my head. Rolling to the side, I blasted down two droids with easy shots to their chests. The next group was taken out with a well-trained toss of a droid popper.

I was working my way through methodically, taking on each new challenge with the confidence Jango said was necessary for a hunter to succeed. I was nearing the last place I had ended the test...in a failure.

And my helmet was beginning to fog already, the haze growing with each exhausted breath. Soon, my vision would be completely obscured. I learned over the barrier, firing at the group of training droids that were threatening to bear down on me.

"You must learn to adapt," I heard Jango's voice in my mind. "Address your situation and do something about it." A droid rounded the corner, partially invisible behind the fog in my visor. I lifted my gun, but it was knocked away. With a roar of frustration, I ripped my helmet from my head, using it to smash the droid's face plate. It crumpled with a hydraulic hiss.

There was a beat of silence as I stared at the helmet in my hands. I didn't have the benefit of the HUD anymore...but I could finally see.

"Turn it in your favor and win."

I pulled two droid poppers from my belt, starting the timers and tucking them into my helmet before tossing them all over the barrier.

"What is that?" I heard one of the droids drone. And then the poppers went off. I sprinted from my hiding spot to skirt along the edge of the arena. It was easier now, since I could actually see where I was going. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the HUD, though.

My helmet exploding with a ball of electricity had caused enough confusion among the droids that flanking them was simple. Chaos was a bounty hunter's best friend, after all.

By the time I heard the buzzer ring that signaled I'd passed the test, my body was trembling with exhaustion and excitement at the same time. Still, as I struggled to catch my breath, leaning over my knees with a burning face, I couldn't help but crack a grin.

"What are you doing?"

I whirled at the sharp tone of Jango's voice, surprised to find him in his beskar now. He'd been in his casuals before...hadn't he? I took a steadying breath, my back straightening nervously. "I'm not sure I-"

My words stopped suddenly when I felt something wrong. Something deeply wrong. I wasn't a teen anymore. And Jango...Jango was-

A gasp ripped from my throat as my father's image flashed between the man I saw in his beskar and a headless, bloodied version. I stumbled backwards as I refocused on his scarred face. It looked older than he should be in this memory.

I realized that's what it was now. A memory. But something was still incredibly wrong about it all.

"It looks like," the ghost of Jango tsked, "You're avoiding your current problem by reliving the past." Ok, since when have my memories been aware of their grounding in the past? "You're living in the times that you learned and recovered from slavery."

"Stop it," I whispered, shaking my head. "Why would you say this?"

The harsh lines in his face softened, his brows lifting as he regarded me as a father. "Ad'ika," he said softly, his gloved hand knuckling my chin gently. "Because it's true. You are better than this. It's time to face it and get out of here."

My heart ached, but it all snapped into focus with his words. He was right, of course. I was trapping myself within these memories while here. Giving myself a fix and a wound at the same time.

It was time to wake up.

"Vor entye, buir," I said softly, nodding my head at him. Jango gave me a small smile as his image melted away, my surroundings blurring as if I'd put my mask back on. I wasn't sure if the Force had connected me to Jango's spirit. Or if that was even possible for someone who wasn't Force sensitive. Or if it was just my own brain trying to reel me in.

Either way, it was right. I hated to admit it, but it was.

To my surprise, my sensations didn't suddenly shift to my waking up in the reconditioning facility. Instead, I found my surrounding concealed in darkness and a heavy mist that seemed to stick to me. There was red and blue bioluminescence that peered through the fog, barely outlining what looked like clone trooper armor.

I knew the place in an instant. It was Umbara.

Something felt strange about this vision too, but not in the way it had before. My memories had been warped and plagued by either the Force or my own mind trying to snap me out of it. This place felt...foreign.

Almost like it wasn't my own mind.

"Get down!" I heard one of the clones scream. I reacted immediately, despite knowing this couldn't be real, and dove into cover beside a few other clones. Glancing sideways, I saw the familiar design of Fives' helmet.

I gave him a sigh of relief and a small smile, but he didn't react. Instead, he seemed almost confused by me before ignoring me entirely. Yet, when I looked down, I found myself no longer in the training gear of Kamino, nor the disguise I wore on Zygerria. Instead, I was clad in my armor, speckled with 501st paint and mud.

"Fives, Echo, Hardcase, Jesse, Tup, Dogma….on me!" I knew that voice. My head whipped sideways to see Rex leading the charge, the clones around me racing after him.

"No!" I yelled, following. They were lost in the endless fog of this damned planet in moments. "Osik," I cursed under my breath. Stopping, I steadied myself, listening for the sounds of the battle around me.

And underneath it all….a heartbeat. A thread of worry. Sorrow. Guilt.

This was Rex's mind. And he was having a nightmare.

The Force had allowed me to invade this space for a reason. I had to help him. I rushed through the fog again, shoving past troopers who were running wildly. I grabbed one of them, dragging him to the ground as the trees behind us exploded into fire.

"Thank you, sir," he said through his helmet's modulator. I didn't let go, though, dragging him against a tree and ripping his helmet off so I could look at his face. I didn't recognize him, but he wore 501st blue.

"What's happening, trooper?" I asked, playing along with the dream for now.

"The Umbarans, sir," he responded immediately, though he seemed confused why I seemed to not know the plan. "They've taken clone armor and are advancing this way!"

Oh no.

I released him and raced after Rex, not knowing which direction he was in. I couldn't pin him down with the Force, considering he was technically all around me. This was his mind, after all.

There were sounds of fighting, so I followed those. It didn't take long for my feet to catch on something, sending me sprawling to the ground. When I turned over in the dirt, I saw the body of a clone. His helmet was off.

I scrambled backwards, tears in my eyes as I recognized him as Waxer. "No!" I heard someone sob out, making me look over my shoulder.

"Rex," I whispered, seeing the captain crouched over a prone clone. As I drew closer cautiously, I recognized the armor as Commander Cody's. Rex was trembling, sobs wracking his body as he held his friend. There was a hole smoking in Cody's chest armor, Rex's pistol thrown to the side.

I wasn't sure how, but I knew that Rex had shot Cody personally before realizing Krell's lie. It seemed my captain's mind was as good at making its host suffer as mine was.

"Rex," I repeated, louder this time, touching his shoulder. He flinched, but I didn't let him pull away. "It's not real. This is a dream. You need to wake up."

There were tears in his eyes as he stared past me blankly. "It was real. It could still be real." He looked at his dead brother. "I've caused so many of them to die. I could cause this tomorrow."

"Stop it," I pushed, pulling his shoulder pauldron to make him look at me. "You have kept so many men alive. You save them by leading them-"

"To their deaths," a voice interrupted from somewhere in the trees above us. I knew the voice. Pong Krell. My nose crinkled in distaste as I searched the misty canopy to no avail.

"He's wrong, Rex," I insisted. "You're-" My words stopped when I looked back to find the ground empty, devoid of both Rex and Cody. The noise of battle had fallen away suddenly, leaving me in an eerie silence. The fog rolled in like waves, drowning me and everything else within it.

I stood slowly, my eyes darting around the half-lit world. The sound of footsteps. The snap of a branch. The crunch of a body being thrown against something hard. Slowly, as I stalked through the darkness, the sounds of fighting began to return in small bursts. Blaster shots rang off with a series of screams, only to be silenced again.

There was the distinct hum of a lightsaber and the sizzling of it making contact with something. Or someone.

"No!" I heard Rex scream somewhere in the darkness. I couldn't find him, finding puddles of blood and lost clone helmets in his place. One in particular looked familiar, grasped between the hands of Fives. It was Echo's helmet, charred and destroyed the same way it had been on Lola Sayu.

"Fives," I whispered, despite knowing he wasn't really here. I stepped closer, only to hear a blaster shot go off. The bolt ripped through Fives' chest plate, a groan falling from his lips as his eyes rolled back. "No!" I yelled, forgetting for a moment that I was within a dream.

I spirited the last few steps to him, catching the clone as he fell forward. His weight dragged me down, his lifeless form cradled against my abdomen. Tears poured unrelentlessly down my face, Rex's emotions threatening to overpower my own.

No, this wasn't real. It wasn't. We were safe.

Ok, well that was a lie. But we weren't on Umbara anymore. And Krell was dead. I breathed through my nose, screwing my eyes shut against Rex's anguished screams. Fives' weight against me dissipated like mist as I grounded myself again.

Finding my feet, I spread my hands before me, willing Rex's mind to move, shoving the fog away. It raced away from me like dust in the wind, revealing the captain's curled form. He looked small. As I drew closer, I realized it wasn't only because of his fetal position on the ground, but because he was only a boy.

I stared at the blond boy I recognized from the hangar all those years ago. "They are afraid of you, you know."

I rolled my eyes, turning to face Krell as he emerged from the barrier of mist that surrounded Rex and I. It seemed Rex's memory of him was true to how he was alive: manipulative and cruel.

I wanted to argue, but that was probably fair. The fact that it came from Rex's mind cut deep, though.

"Afraid of what you are." Krell's lightsabers hummed as he spun them through the air at his sides. I stood between him and the young Rex, my stance firm. I would not be afraid of a memory any longer.

"And what is that?"

The fallen Jedi's face contorted into an evil smile before shifting unnaturally in the dim lighting. He walked towards me, and I refused to shrink away.

That is, until the figure that reached me was my mirror. I took a step back, my breath catching in my throat. Krell's form had changed entirely, leaving me behind. Yet...this version of me was dark, her clothes torn and dirtied. Blood stained her fingers and cheek, but I wasn't sure if it was hers or not. There was a wild look in her eyes, and her irises were yellow.

She drew a lightsaber from her belt, and I recognized it as the agonzied, broken blade of my ancestor I'd found on Korriban. It ignited besider her, casting a red light over the reflective fog. There was a sudden heaviness on my belt, drawing my gaze.

My saber, adorned in the fine work of the Armorer with in-tact kyber inside, hung at my hip. I drew it immediately, the white blade meeting my counterpart's in moments. It seemed Dark Kida didn't waste any time.

Her hits were powerful, rattling my bones with each strike. Yet, I felt her anger as it betrayed her, making her irrational and brash. I sidestepped her next swipe, my blade falling to my side as I regarded her. There were dark shadows under her eyes, her cheeks blowing up with each huffing breath, her skin splotchy. Her yellow eyes were glossy, angry tears forging paths through the dirt on her face.

Was this how I'd looked when I lost control on Umbara?

"My fault," I heard Rex whisper behind me, drawing my gaze. I watched him tremble on the ground, still muttering.

My jaw clenched as I disengaged my saber, tossing it away.

"Fool," the Dark Kida growled, lunging forward with a wild slash of her red blade. I grabbed her wrist easily, the woman blinded by her rage and anguish. If our positions were reversed, I would have kicked out to release myself.

But this Kida wasn't really me. And my steady grip and calm demeanor shook her. Grounded her with the Force.

She tugged at my hold weakly, but made no other move to fight me.

"That's enough," I whispered, still holding her wrist above us, the lightsaber humming angrily.

Dark Kida's eyes opened wider in shock before the hard lines on her face began to lighten. The dark circles receded, her eyes returning to the stormy gray I recognized in the mirror. Her image flickered to one that resembled myself, sleeping back in the reconditioning facility. She was dirty, her eyes hopeless and blank.

I nearly let go, I was so shocked. Was that what I looked like to Rex today?

And then she was gone.

I turned my attention to Rex, kneeling beside the young boy to draw him to my chest. He was rigid at my touch at first, but melted into my side when I held him close. Beyond my soft, calming whispers, I was aware of my mind blanketing over his.

My Force signature grew and grew until it was filling his thoughts and inviting him into my own. The world around us began to fall away, the darkness and mist being chased away by a rising sun.

My heart roared in my ears as I held the young captain, until the roaring was no longer blood rushing in my veins...but water rushing over a cliff. Looking around, I was met by the familiar, welcoming serenity of Naboo.

"Where…" I looked back to see the Rex I knew lifting his face from my shoulder. "Where are we?"

I helped him sit up, watching the man take in the dancing grass and endless skies. "Dee'ja Peak. A city in the Gallo Mountains of Naboo." He blinked at me, his mind still trying to catch up. "We were in your memories...and they weren't good." I looked around again, unable to fight the small lift in my lips. "So I brought you to one of mine. A good one, of course."

He seemed confused still, but I let our conversation fall away, taking in the memory. It was incredibly detailed, and I tossed that up to the influence of the Force rather than the ability of my memory.

Like Rex's dream, there was mist here, but it was nothing like Umbara. Umbara's was suffocating and blinded you. Here on Naboo, the mist was caused by the massive waterfall that flowed down the mountainside. It licked at your skin, cooling you in the warm sun, casting rainbows in the air.

"I was dreaming about Umbara. About Krell."

He wasn't asking, but I answered anyways as I looked out over the rolling landscape below. "Yes."

"And how did you…" he trailed off, but I knew what he meant.

"I have no idea," I admitted. "I was in my own nightmare and when I was woken up...I fell into yours."

Rex cleared his throat and I felt his conflict immediately. He was grateful for the calm that was falling over his mind-caused by me. But his mind-his dreams-felt more private. Almost like I had seen things he never would have admitted aloud.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped," I said immediately, surprised at my eagerness to apologize. That wasn't like me. "I didn't mean to come here. But when I was here….I couldn't just watch when I could help."

His conflict settled a little, but I knew I couldn't cool it completely. That was his choice. Still, he whispered, "Thank you….for ending that."

I nodded, but didn't respond for a moment. When I did, my tone was serious. "What happened on Umbara wasn't your fault, Rex."

The captain stiffened beside me. He looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "If I had-"

"Pong Krell turned against his Oath as a Jedi. He was evil and corrupt, Rex. He killed your brothers. Not you."

"I followed his orders when I knew they were wrong. So many men died there….because I didn't say anything."

I shifted in the grass, grabbing his shoulders to force him to look at me. His pauldron was gone, replaced by the soft fabrics familiar to Naboo. "Speaking up did nothing to stop Krell even when you tried. Pushing more would have gotten you killed."

"Maybe I should have been." When Rex dared to look up after his words, his eyes were glistening with unshed tears. My jaw was tight, my chest even tighter. I knew survivor's guilt when I saw it. I had my own dances with it myself.

I shook my head, giving him a stern look, before smacking the side of his head gently. "How dare you. What would your men do without you leading them?"

"Probably survive well."
"Appo would take over and he stood by and watched Krell even more than any of us," I argued. "And he is not the skilled leader, strategist, soldier, and friend that you are." My hand lifted to touch his face, the clone leaning into it desperately. "What would I have done without you?"

His eyes were sad. "You've been without me before."

"I didn't know what I was missing before I met you, Rex," I teased gently, my thumb stroking his cheek. "And when I have been without you…." I chuckled darkly. "I've only ever missed you. Even when I was sad or angry….it didn't matter. I still wanted to be near you again."

The clone leaned forward suddenly, making me jump as his lips connected with mine. It was chaste and brief, Rex tucking his head against my neck as his arms wrapped around my waist. I welcomed it, crawling into his lap to hold him closer to me.

And we sat there in silence, holding each other while we watched the distant shadows of bogwings flying out from the swamps below. The sounds and smells and feelings were all lovely….and an amazing escape.

But we both knew that was temporary.

"Jango had found the job that brought me to Dee'ja Peak in the first place," I said randomly, offering the information freely. Rex said nothing to stop me, so I continued. "I'd just gotten back from a particularly difficult job. I'd dropped into Kamino because I'd found a gift for Boba while I'd been out. And," I admitted with a shrug, "I needed to see the man I called father."

"What kind of job would be in a beautiful place like this?"

I chuckled. "That's an amazing question. Jango had begged me to take some time off before another job, but I refused. So he offered me a job instead."

"To a paradise."

"Exactly." I cast the captain a smile. "He sent me to meet one of his contacts here. When I got here, Jango commed to tell me that his contact was delayed and would be there within a week's time."

Rex's eyes were dry now and filled with warmth, reflecting the sun like honey. "Was there even a contact?"

"Not at all," I laughed, my smile brightening when Rex joined in. The sound was deep and rumbled deep in his chest. I pushed against him more to feel it before turning in his lap to look out over the cliff again. "But after a week in this place, I couldn't even bring myself to be mad at Jango for tricking me."

"Is this what it looks like in real life?" Rex asked suddenly.

I glanced back at him. "More or less. There's usually the sound of the market and some people, though not many." I felt his hopes dip slightly. "It's a town where people don't really ask questions so long as you aren't making trouble. And they've probably never seen the face of clones," I added, lifting my brows.

"Are you offering a real-life vacation?" he chuckled, though I felt his doubt.

"I am. I'll figure out a way sometime. I used to come here all the time for small vacations after Jango first showed it to me. I'm overdue to go back anyways."

The captain laughed, but seemed to enjoy the fantasy, even if he didn't believe it would ever happen. "I'd like that." In that moment, I promised myself I'd find a way to get Rex and I to Naboo. Alone. We fell back into silence, soft smiles on our faces as we looked over the landscape below.

"No one blames you for Umbara but yourself," I assured him a final time, turning to give a kiss to his cheek.

He held me a bit tighter, pressing his lips against my temple. "Thank you."

"And I need you to know that I haven't given up," I added suddenly, remembering the hopeless look in my mirror's eyes.

"We're going to get out of here," he agreed. I knew he was talking about the slave compound our sleeping forms were in, rather than the blissful memory our minds were sharing.

I nestled in against his chest, leaning my head against his chin. Despite the gorgeous view, I closed my eyes, focusing on the feeling of Rex. In reality, we were only touching each other by our fingertips laced between the wall and the sleeping spaces. His mind was enveloping my own with love and hope. Hope that I'd apparently renewed.

I had Jango to thank for that.

I relaxed into his mental embrace, drowning myself in him. "I know," I whispered back to him, a soft smile on my lips. And I believed it.

MANDO'A

Vor entye- thank you

Nayc- no

Buir- father

Author's Note:

Heeeyyy….sorry it's been so long. I've been off radar for a bit :/ But I'm hoping to get back into the swing of writing! (famous last words lol). I'll try to not drop off the face of the earth for a month again.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for sticking with Kida:)

-Ryder

(Also I know the title was corny)