Chapter 17: Watch

When she'd finally been cleared for field duty by a medic that had merely met a Cathar before, she instantly insisted on being on the next ship off-world with her Master. It was typical really. Not just of her but of her people. One could argue, of her universal genus category. Though, getting out to the outer rim took quite some time which Master Plo used to drill his Padawan in forms II, III and VI. At first with only one lightsaber and then with both before finally reaching her chosen technique. She could feel Wolffe through the ship. He'd occasionally come closer and enter the viewing gallery the training room had. She felt his focus come to her and it was invigorating. Impressing Master Plo was enough encouragement to practise hard but knowing Wolffe had chosen to go out of his way to watch her, was different. It was like her heart was a hyperdrive and the navicomputer was programmed with his coordinates. She just wanted him to hold and praise her. She knew she couldn't have that though, no matter how much it tempted her.

She left the geranium on the venator as she went to the planet's surface with her Master and the clones. Hypori. For some reason she knew the name of the insignificant planet but couldn't quite remember what was so important about it. Again it was an attack on Techno Union activity. This time, a droid factory which they knew was making standard battle droids. Masters Plo and Fisto were on the main factory. Both the devil dogs and the majority of the wolfpack were with them. The rest of the wolves and the Cathar were on a mission to take down a secondary hideout intelligence said the Techno Union had. Considering that Hypori came under CIS' jurisdiction, despite having no sentient life, and had a droid factory on it, Doryn hadn't a clue how this intelligence had become known. She was a little sceptical but in the end she had to follow her orders. Orders and intel were how they would win the war, though she kept checking in the Force. She kept reaching out for any sign that she should abandon the mission. Despite finding no reason to go back to Master Plo, she continued to check. She had to be sure. She couldn't continue to be a useless failure of a Padawan.

Of all his brothers, Wolffe was glad it was Comet, Wildfire, and Sprint that'd come along. He knew he couldn't trust Mortar to not shoot her in the back and Boost would've spent the entire time flirting. Of his brothers, he was pretty sure the group he was with wouldn't make any untoward comments about his obvious soft spot for the Cathar. Well, Wildfire might make one but he'd been sure before to make it less conspicuous than Wolffe managed to make his feelings. Though, he was certain that the assumption was that he was just concerned as she was the General's Padawan and she was often Wolffe's responsibility in the General's absence. He was sure nobody knew that he wanted to follow her even to the edges of the known galaxy. Maybe even beyond that. Such poetic sentiments were completely foreign to Wolffe, so he had no idea how to define his urge to stay with and protect her under any and all circumstances. His urges felt stupid considering the woman they told him to protect was so much stronger than him. Still, he felt them.

A day of travelling over rocky terrain had led to Doryn learning more about the clones with her. As much as Master Plo encouraged her to get to know them even more, she couldn't help but regret some of the things she'd learnt that day. The distraction of small distant oceans hadn't been quite enough to save her ears. Wildfire and Comet grilled Sprint on him using his left hand to wipe. It took Doryn telling them that they should really be using paper and Wolffe's subsequent guffaw to make them shut up. The worst bit of that conversation was overhearing that Boost didn't wipe. Never. It was truly horrific and Doryn had to make herself focus on the smell of the dirt and ocean so as to not visibly gag. Though, it made the ghastly smell that usually radiated from him make sense. There's only so much that sweat can stink and he always smelt much worse than his brothers, even when they'd all been equally deprived of essential hygiene equipment.

As the sun, apparently also called Hypori, went down, the temperature followed suit. With nothing around them but rocks and barren soil, there wasn't really anything to trap the day's warmth but their bodies. Wolffe wondered how much warmer Ryn's fur kept her. Her fur on the surface was somewhat cool against his skin when he'd held her before but actions that split the beautiful golden ocean of hair let him learn that the skin underneath it was warm. Having made off at first light, the night coming meant that they'd been travelling a long time. When flying in Wolffe guessed that a rotation was probably a little over a standard day. The planet was somewhere between the sizes of Coruscant and Kamino. He was pretty sure that a rotation on Coruscant was about the same as a standard day. He knew that Kamino's rotations were more than a standard day from the disconnect of the rise and fall of the sun, and the sleep schedule the cadets were made to keep. Especially when the first years of his training had been based on Kamino's rotation time. Not that he noticed a difference with the amount of sunlight. The storms had blocked it so often in those early years that the only real change was getting to sleep sooner.

Wolffe noticed as Doryn's sure steps became a little shorter and slower. She lead the clones in a curve which deviated a little from the straight line they'd been travelling in. "Right, let's set up camp here." She looked like a tooka strolling around Coruscant's underworld and curling up in the pile of rubbish it considered most comfortable. He knew it was probably a Jedi thing more than a cat thing, but he couldn't make himself think of her as much more than his contrary little tooka. "We're not tired." He lied back. Earlier on the ship, he'd gone to attend to more of his duties which just so happened to take him through the room that let him watch her train with the General. Though, General Plo had been waiting for him. He realised that he'd been caught watching but hoped that she hadn't realised him checking in on her. He truly hoped she didn't know that he'd been making sure she was okay. This worry and hope suddenly shifted to the General when he told him that she was resting. The General seemed to figure something but only told Wolffe that she was taking rest before the mission. Knowing the General was only giving him updates on her health should've put him at ease, but he was only meant to worry about her health on the General's behalf. He hoped that he didn't suspect his feelings, more than he'd hoped Ryn didn't notice his feelings.

"I can feel your fatigue, Commander. As well as that of your men." She spoke flatly. She didn't even have to check if he was lying to know that he was. She knew they'd been awake for two standard days and they were only humans. "Dank jedi." He grumbled under his breath. Doryn figured he thought he'd be unheard. Of course, her ears missed nothing. Normally, she'd let it slide but the day of travelling hadn't made her particularly able to let his words flow off of her like water off of the waxy topside of a leaf. "I'm a Cathar too." She snipped back at him. She couldn't believe that this was the same man she'd touched herself over. The same man she'd cum to thoughts of.

She heard Wildfire's breath stop for a few beats. She realised that she may've pushed it a little but Wolffe had been the one to start it. Really, she could absolve herself of any blame for this situation occurring. Though, she did remember that Wolffe had been awake for quite a while. Also, that she'd probably just bruised his pride a bit by telling him he needed to rest and then indirectly calling him a liar. As annoying as she could find slinking around the point instead of coming straight out with it, it was also like she was with another of her kind. Mainly as a way to remind her that not being around her own people was for the best. She'd felt the urge to claw out Wolffe's prosthetic eye so many times in such a short period that it became apparent that if she'd lived with another Cathar that only one would survive the night. But she could last a night with Wolffe without one of them having to die. By this point, she'd done it quite a few times. The warmth that followed him in the Force certainly had aided in his survival. Wildfire, Comet and Sprint instantly got to work as Doryn turned to Wolffe and crossed her arms as he stepped toward where she stood. She looked into his eyes and shook her head at him. As he went to speak she lifted her index finger with her palm facing him in a silencing motion. "Wolffe, no. Whatever we are against I will need you all rested for." When she tucked her hand back into her crossed arms, she expected further protest from him. At least a hint of disagreement but there was none as he set his pack down. Doryn also got to setting hers down and helping.

Wolffe didn't want to admit that she was right. Not only about him and the boys being exhausted but also about the spot. It had to be a Cathar thing. The General had never been so specific with where to set up camp or seemed so sure that it had to be in one place rather than another. The little breeze was blocked by larger rock structures and the area looked like a weirdly shaped 'rock-nest'. In the medical centre, he'd noticed she had a habit of waking up in a makeshift nest of her sheets and pillow. Certainly a Cathar thing. Not that he thought any less of her for it. If anything the opposite. The little individual oddities about her just drew him in further. Every new quirk tugged him closer to the ocean floor. At this point, he was too deep for much of the surface's light to reach him. The worst bit, he wanted to be drowned by her. He swam deeper to the light below him. He didn't mind his lungs filling with water as he made out a figure of light coming closer. It was her and the gold of her fur shone. She lit up the surrounding ocean but he kept his eyes on only her. The way her fur rippled with her movement. The way her short hair surrounded her head like a red sun. Her mossy green eyes found his and he couldn't help but gaze at her worshipfully. As she touched his face he struggled for breath. Her soft touch became suddenly sharp. Like for a moment her fur had become short needles which pierced his skin before returning to its usual soft texture.

"Wolffe! Wake up." Doryn shouted as she pushed him onto his side. Slapping him across the face hadn't woken him, though, she hadn't had the courage to do it hard enough. When hitting his back, she hadn't had the same lack. This time, she was desperate in her attempt to make him stop choking. She knew not on what, only that she had limited time to save him. She wished she knew how to properly help him. She wanted to know what to do. Instead, she desperately whacked against his back. "Wolffe, please." Her final plea was followed by his coughs. Though, nothing came out. It was as if he'd choked on nothing but his own saliva.

He woke up to her frantically whacking his back, as if to dislodge something. He realised the sound and pain were his chesty coughs. He sat himself up and felt her hands on him as she offered support. He finally stopped coughing and held his breath for a second before breathing in deep and slow. She rubbed her hand up and down his back firmly but not forcefully. "I'd offer you a drink," She paused awkwardly for a second before continuing, "But after that, I'm a little worried you'd choke on it too." Her voice was comfortingly soft to Wolffe's ears. Even without her hand still rubbing his back a little and her other hand on his upper arm, her voice alone would've been the most comforting thing he'd ever gotten to experience. He couldn't help chuckling a little at what she'd said. What made it funnier was the fact he knew it was unintentional comedy. "I'll be alright." He thought about it for a second before adding, "Thanks." She patted his shoulder before getting up and moving back to where Wolffe assumed she'd been before having to help him. After that, he was sure he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. So he noticed that she didn't sleep either. She just seemed transfixed by the fire that was still burning. He'd assumed that she'd been sleeping as well until he saw her in that position. When sitting down, she'd shifted slightly to the left, as if she was getting herself back perfectly onto her warm spot. She'd been awake for a while. "I can keep watch if you want to sleep." He offered.

It took her a second to ground herself back in reality as she processed his words. She let out a little questioning hum as she turned her face to him. "Oh, um. No, it's okay." She shook her head a little as her flat expression became a small smile. "You can get back to sleep." She turned back to the fire and expected him to do as she suggested. She'd learnt that humans needed longer periods of sleep and not naps spotted throughout the day. Though, after prolonged periods of being awake like this mission, she could sleep for 18 to 20 hours straight. "I thought we all needed to be rested?" Wolffe questioned, using her earlier words against her. She knew he was right, that she needed to be rested too but she couldn't sleep. Something felt wrong. She kept trying to feel for it but all her mind kept going to was forest. A homeworld of trees and a strong prideful people that were meant to be together. It's not like she knew of any sith that were wookie or Cathar, and she could deal with a bounty hunter alone. As she opened herself to it further she realised it was a mirror. A girl that was meant to be surrounded by her people but she was alone. A girl in deep pain from losing her Master.

She sighed. He deserved to know why she was being a hypocrite and she trusted him. She told herself it was just that and nothing more that got her to open up. "The force is trying to tell me something. I can't sleep until I understand it but I don't get it." Wolffe got up and Doryn's eyes followed him until he sat down next to her. He gave her a look and a small nod as a sign to continue. She didn't want him to know that the Force was actually mocking her for her shortcomings, so she got a little creative with what she decided to emphasise and exclude. "I'm originally from the forest. My people live in trees and are pretty opposite to the Jedi in how they feel things. I don't remember any of it, I was too young to, but sometimes I miss it. In a way. I can't miss something I don't remember. The Force is showing me the forest and the feeling of Cathar community, and I don't know what it's trying to tell me."

Wolffe sat there quietly and watched her face as she paused and struggled through it. Her eyes moved but he didn't even notice a hint of white in the corner. Just green. He thought on her words as she said them and when she was done, he tried to help. He didn't like the lost look she had on her face. He much preferred when she was snipping at him. "Well, you're in the Wolfpack now. Might be your Cathar community." He watched her smile again. It was only a small one but it was better than the look she'd had before he'd opened his mouth. All he'd said was the truth but maybe she'd needed someone else to say it to see it properly. "Maybe." She said back gently before finally looking back to the fire. She didn't say more and Wolffe had no idea if there was anything he could say. The silence made him a bit uncomfortable. He probably was too used to his pack being loud at all hours, but it wasn't just the lack of noise that got him. He wasn't ready to be done with it. So, since she didn't seem to intend on sleeping after working out the Force, Wolffe took it upon himself to act.

She heard him fiddle with his armour and heard it disconnect. She turned back to him again to see him laying his chest plate on the ground. She remembered a couple of times in the medical centre waking up to him sleeping in a chair by her bed. She tried to tell him to share her bed if he insisted on staying but he would tell her that she needed to heal and that the bed was only made for one person. She even tried telling him that he'd be comfier than the bed so he'd be doing her a favour if he joined her. He'd still turned down her request then. Though, now he'd taken his plastoid chest plate off, he was fair game. She shuffled a little closer to him and looked at his chest and then his face. "Only if you promise to sleep." He said, as if he were bargaining with a youngling to make them eat their vegetables. She nodded and moved closer to him. He raised his eyebrows and gave her an expectant look. "I promise I'll try to sleep." She finally said. She knew it wasn't what he'd wanted to hear but it was close enough for him to lay down and invite her onto his chest. She quickly took the offer and snuggled into him comfortably. He let his arm lay around her but made sure that his hand rested midway on her back. She wished he'd let it rest on her hip but she didn't want to push him when she was already getting exactly what she wanted.

It didn't take long for Ryn to fall asleep and, against what he'd believed before, Wolffe also managed to fall back asleep.