The sound of his heavy footsteps on the frosted flooring was drowned out by the treading of dozens of boots passing him in the narrow corridor. The lighting in the halls was almost as cool as the air entering his lungs. Fives spent the whole day in the hangar fixing frozen wires in the speeders or reloading blasters and was finally off to the barracks. With blisters on his fingers and a sore back from hunching over broken machines, the only thing keeping his pace brisk was the thought of his warm bunk.
Ever since the information about the retreating storm came, the base was nothing but hustle. Troopers were bustling about preparing the equipment and shifting cargo from one place to another. Even now as Fives was scooting through the corridors, soldiers were passing him hurriedly, nearly brushing against his pauldrons in the narrow hallway. The boredom filling their minds for the past few days quickly drifted away, becoming merely a distant memory.
Fives turned a corner, nearing the weariful distance between him and his bed. He didn't have to pay much attention to where he was going. He'd already memorised every turn of the facility and wouldn't get lost even while sleepwalking. But a few metres away, one person drew him from the lethargic trance. Ahsoka was walking quickly down the corridor. Despite wearing a thick coat, a huge blanket was draped over her shoulders. It was just a plain brown sheet, but with the girl's hasty pace, it trailed behind her, ridiculously resembling a cloak. Fives' lips immediately pulled upward at the sight. He hastened his pace, nearly falling into a jog. A few troopers had to hug the wall to avoid colliding with him as Fives weaved to catch up to Ahsoka. Just when he was one step behind her, he spoke up.
"I knew Jedi were supposed to be modest but that's just low-budget." Ahsoka turned around, surprised by his presence but not the snarky comment.
"That's mean. I'm never judging your taste in clothing." She retorted though a smile appeared on her face as Fives fell into her step.
"You'd only try." He nonchalantly brushed a nonexistent speck of dirt from his pauldron. "There is definitely more than one person to fight you on that."
"You've got a point." Ahsoka chuckled softly. They were walking hand in hand, not bothered that they occupied more than half the width of the corridor. Fives didn't even bat an eyelid when she turned in the opposite direction from the barracks. "Well, thanks to your generous donation I'll be able to buy something more extravagant next time I'm on Corrie." She winked cheekily at him.
The bitter memory of lost credits struck Fives' mind but then he remembered he gained something much more valuable. His lips stretched in a sly smirk which became very audible in his voice.
"You know, I've been thinking-"
"No, I certainly didn't know about that."
"-about the bet." Fives went on, ignoring her jab. "And what if I'll ask you to do my paperwork for a whole year?"
"Then you'll waste your wish." Ahsoka answered impassively.
"How about levitating me into the air with Force?" He prompted, not losing his enthusiasm, but she only rolled her eyes. Fives already lost count of how many times she did it that day. Maybe they could bet on that too. "Come on, why so sulky?" He nudged her arm playfully. "It was your brilliant idea, remember?"
"It was a brilliant idea on condition I win." She pulled on one edge of the blanket as it slipped from her shoulder.
"Sounds like double standards." Fives pointed out. "Then what would you ask for if you were to win?"
"For you to shut up."
"Yup, that's really clever." Fives praised in fake approval. "Now I can understand your bitterness over the loss." Ahsoka huffed out a soft laugh but regained a serious expression before speaking up again.
"Whatever you want me to do, better hurry with it."
"I thought the wish didn't have an expiry date." Fives glanced down at her, slightly surprised.
"No, but my patience does." Ahsoka replied deadpan, causing Fives to burst into laughter. He didn't miss the way her lips curved into a pride smile and a light bounce sneaked into her walk. The blue lights were flickering above their heads but the halls didn't seem as cold as before. "I'm a woman of many talents, I'm sure you'll figure out something satisfying." Ahsoka said casually but for some unspecified reason, Fives' stomach flipped at her wording. He felt heat blazing inside his chest and running up his neck. Yeah, she definitely had a gift for making his heart beat faster.
"Where are you heading to?" He asked quickly, wanting to distract himself from the way her words made him feel. Though there was an honest curiosity behind his question. It was both too late for work and too early for sleepless wandering around.
"To the hangar, I need to deliver this data." Ahsoka briefly took out a small device to twirl between her fingers and hid it back inside her pocket. "And you?" She enquired, looking up at him.
"Same." He answered curtly, not averting his eyes from the road in front of them. With the helmet under his arm, he couldn't look her in the eye without risking giving himself away.
"Oh, what a coincidence." Ahsoka said lightly, shifting her gaze away from his face. Fives hadn't caught even a grain of sarcasm in her voice hence he had no idea whether she was mocking him or not. But he was more than capable of doing it himself 'cause, yeah, that sounded too convenient.
Fives had no valid reason to follow her and he knew that. Well, he did have a motive but it had nothing to do with orders or his duty as a soldier. Willingly returning to the shed after the twelve-hour shift must've bordered on madness, but Fives never considered himself to be mentally stable. He couldn't turn back now anyway. Leaving her after this not-so-convincing lie was an even more suspicious thing to do. He'll have to figure out his purpose in visiting the hangar on the way there. Which wasn't going to last long.
Evening's lights were already switched on in the hangar. Despite many Clones walking around, it was much calmer than when Fives was last there. The steady clanking of tools on the durasteel surface coming from the other side of the hall sounded almost peaceful. They stopped at the entrance and Ahsoka ran her eyes over the hangar. She slowly moved between vehicles and high towers of cargo, searching for the right person.
"Guess he's outside." She muttered under her breath and headed towards the exit. Fives mindlessly followed suit, forgetting that he was supposed to have a purpose of his own. He noticed how Ahsoka on the way swiftly grabbed a pair of binoculars hanging on the handle of one of the speeders. She automatically keyed in the passcode on the entrance door, which opened with a crack - probably caused by the frost biting into every mechanism.
Before stepping outside, Fives put his helmet on however nothing could save him from the chill of evening's air. Frost was pinching at the gaps between his armour and collecting on the smooth surface of his chest plate. Ahsoka pulled up her hood and clenched tighter on her blanket so it wouldn't fly away in the cold wind. She quickly noticed a group of troopers standing nearby and walked up to them. One Clone was giving orders to the rest, so no one noticed them until Ahsoka spoke up.
"Hi Devo, these are the data from the bridge." She handed the device to the Clone whose shoulder was graced with a blue pauldron.
"Thank you, Commander." Devo said quickly as if bemused that he didn't get a chance to properly greet his commanding officer.
"Sure." Ahsoka smiled kindly and waved her palm to the rest of the soldiers, despite their polite salutes.
All this time, Fives silently followed her one step behind as if he was some sort of guardian, occasionally exchanging short nods with passing brothers. It was only when Ahsoka finally stopped at the edge of the hill on which the base was located that Fives positioned himself beside her. She raised the binoculars to her eyes and fumbled with the dials to set the desired focus.
"We're going to patrol that area tomorrow." Ahsoka pointed a finger at the distant peaks before handing him the scopes. As soon as he took it from her, she quickly wrapped her arms around herself and tucked her palms under her armpits. Fives watched her with a raised eyebrow.
"You only gave me these so you wouldn't have to hold them, didn't you?"
"Maybe." She said simply, tightening the hold of her arms around herself. Fives huffed a laugh but raised the binocs to his eyes anyway. Just as he expected, the closeup didn't tell him anything he hadn't already known. Thick layers of snow were covering the hillsides entirely. Even if Separatist units existed, they were deeply buried and invisible to the eye - with or without the scopes. They will have to search the area inch by inch themselves.
Fives crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep, very refreshing, inhale. The setting sun was rose-tinting the horizon and the bottom of big puffy clouds, leaving their tops to the darkness of the sky. Stars started to appear but they still couldn't compete with the glistening of the icy grains on the ground. Mountains were casting long shadows over lower peaks and valleys, taking the last beams of sunlight to themself. It was the clearest Fives had ever seen Hoth. Without the dense fog or snow obscuring his visor, he had to admit it looked quite decent.
"The view is just remarkable." Ahsoka sighed softly. A small smile tugged on Fives' lips - so they were thinking along the same lines. He hummed quietly in agreement.
With the approaching nightfall, the temperature must've already dropped below minus forty, but for some reason, the chill didn't seem as sharp and penetrating. Fives didn't know whether it was due to being locked inside for so long, or thanks to the purple blaze in the sky; it could simply be all about the company making him reluctant to return to the base. With his helmet on, he could shamelessly stare at Ahsoka and pick at the small details in her features. Like the half-melted snowflakes on her long lashes or puffs of mist forming after each breath. He could only wish such moments weren't so rare. Ah, right, the wish.
To be honest, Fives had no idea what to ask her for. None of his concepts seemed worthy whatsoever. He didn't want to throw it away on something as silly as filling in reports - even Ahsoka agreed it'd be a waste. Some part of him couldn't shake the thought that it was his big opportunity, one in a lifetime. A gift that should be used wisely. But on kriffing what, exactly? Deep down Fives knew what he wanted to do, especially when glancing at Ahsoka's full lips, but it was out of the question. Should be out of his mind too. His brain was a helpless fool to project these kinds of scenarios because Fives would never ask her for anything even remotely intimate. Hell, even a favour which would require spending more time together seemed to Fives like abuse. And he wouldn't have been able to live with himself after taking such an advantage.
In the end, he'll probably ask her to clean his stuff, or something equally trivial, just to get the insane ideas out of his head. Doesn't matter that it didn't sit well with him, that bitterness was already poisoning his heart at the sheer thought. It was the right thing to do. Standing with her at arm's length in the setting sun will have to be enough.
"Let's go." A brisk voice snapped him out of his reverie. Ahsoka turned her back at the sunset, shuddering slightly. "It's getting late and we're setting off early. I can accompany you again on your aimless rounds to the hangar tomorrow." She said the words so casually that Fives needed a moment to catch the implication. But once he did, Ahsoka was already two steps before him.
Fives stared blankly at her silhouette for a moment. Despite the thick layer of snow in which Ahsoka sank with every step, there was something elegant in the way she walked. The blanket dancing in the air now looked more grand than ridiculous, but that wasn't the reason for Fives' marvelling. He huffed with disbelief. She truly was the most remarkable person he'd met. Fives shook himself from amazement - he'll be able to wonder at her some more tomorrow; as she promised. Right now, Fives moved towards the base, following his own shadow in the snow.
Fives stopped his speeder right behind Rex's. He had to wipe his hand across his visor to regain visibility. It wasn't snowing, quite the opposite. The sky was perfectly clear, not a smear of cloud on the perfectly blue sky. But when driving two hundred kilometres per hour, blasts of wind were violently throwing powder from the ground onto his helmet.
Fives threw his leg over the seat and got off the speeder. He flexed his fingers to restore the circulation that had been lost while his hands clenched tightly on the handles for the past six hours. His body felt stiff and sore but the worst thing was that all his sacrifices were in vain as there was no sign of the Separatists. Fives had nothing against the peace, nevertheless, he was certain that shooting down some clankers would lift his spirits.
Fives barely raised his head from the navi when a hard slam shook his helmet. He slowly turned around and once again had to wipe snow from the visor, only to see Ahsoka's wide grin. She was casually leaning against her speeder as a gentle breeze ruffled the fur on her hood. Ahsoka didn't even try to pretend she was innocent, all the evidence of her guilt was out there as another snowball hovered in the air beside her.
"Can I help you with something, Commander?" He asked formally but there was a playful undertone which he knew Ahsoka would pick up with ease.
"No need, trooper." She said nonchalantly. "I can handle it." Ahsoka grabbed the snowball in her palm, preparing for another throw. Fives debated whether to get ready to dodge or reach for the weapon himself. But before they managed to start a war, Rex broke their banter.
"We've patrolled over sixty percent of the perimeter." The Captain took out his holoprojector and held it out for everyone to see. "Right here and there." He marked two circles over the map.
"Still not enough to call it a day." Skywalker folded his arms over his chest. His voice was slightly muffled as the thick scarf covered half his face. "We have to get back before the sundown, though. I'd rather not get stuck in this desert at minus seventy."
"Then let's split up." Ahsoka suggested. "I can check up on the southern post." She zoomed in on the map to a facility located on top of a steep mountain. "The communication was severed a few days ago. It's probably due to the storm, but better to be sure."
"Alright." Skywalker agreed. "Take Fives and go verify it. Rex and I will take care of the east side and we'll meet back at the base."
"Yes, master." Ahsoka nodded.
"Don't forget to check in once you get there." General reminded her.
"Have I ever?" She asked innocently.
"I've lost the record after the fifty eighth time." Skywalker retorted, immune to her acting. Ahsoka rolled her eyes but let go of the topic.
"Be careful not to get lost, navigation might get confused due to the weather." Rex warned Fives as they prepared for the departure. Though to ARC's ears, it sounded more like friendly advice.
"I'll listen to the voice of my heart that will lead me back to you, Captain." He saluted with more precision than usual.
"Come on, Fives. We don't have a whole day." Ahsoka called from behind. She was already seated on her speeder and ready to set off.
Fives didn't intend to slow her down. He put one foot on a pedal and started an engine, simultaneously jumping over the seat of the speeder. In a matter of seconds, they disappeared into the snow-white desert.
The road didn't differ much from what they had travelled since dawn. Every inch of the landscape was covered in snow and glistening in the bright rays of sunlight. But there was no way of melting. The air was sharp and frigid, even an enormous lake they passed by was completely ice-bound. Fives kept checking his navigation to ensure they kept on track. When everything looked quite the same it would be easy to get lost.
After a two-hour ride, the mountains became higher and steeper. Not without difficulty, their speeders ran up the glazed hill, engines roaring in strenuous conditions. Fives accelerated, forcing the machine to go through the drifts. The facility remained imperceptible until they reached the very top of the mountain. Big satellite dish projected from between massive stones, casting a shadow over the strangely solitary square. Fives frowned in confusion. He knew that they had arrived uninvited, so it was all the more reason for the guards to greet them with special attention. ARC halted his speeder harshly in front of the entrance, splaying snow all around him.
"Something's off." He shared his thoughts with Ahsoka once she stopped next to him. "Someone should already be here."
The Jedi carefully looked over the facility. Her eye-markings drew together in concern. She dialled a specific frequency on her comm and brought it to her lips.
"Delta force, come in." Ahsoka commanded but there was no answer. "This is Commander Tano, report." Pressure appeared in her voice yet it didn't change the outcome. She gave up on her comlink and muttered to herself. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Ahsoka ignited her saber and pierced its edge into the durasteel wall. She pushed the blade through the surface until it came full circle. With a kick of her foot, she yanked the steel notch out and let it fall with a loud crash. By this time, Fives already had his blasters in his hands, ready for anything they may come across.
The first thing that stood out to him was the prevailing cold. Until a few seconds ago, the entrance was tightly-closed yet the flooring was covered in a thin layer of ice. The usually plain surface of durasteel walls was now speckled with irregular patterns of frost. It was either cost-cutting on heating or there was another crack in the wall. He switched on the torch next to his helmet because although the white lights still shone, covered by the frost they weren't very efficient.
Fives trailed behind Ahsoka, covering her back, checking every corner. He was extremely sensitive to each glint of light or the faintest rustle but the only sound was that caused by their footsteps echoing in the wide hall. He secured another turning when a sharp gasp came to his ears. Fives rapidly spun around to his Commander, his fingers curled around the triggers in advance.
"Oh no." Ahsoka whispered, terrified. He couldn't see her face but the terror filling her voice was enough to set his heart rate on fire. Fives' first instinct was to throw himself into an attack. However, his grip on the guns loosened as he saw that Ahsoka wasn't wielding her weapon; she used her hand to cover the agape mouth as she stood still in shock.
Fives' blood ran cold and, on stiff legs, he took two more steps to see whatever the battered column obscured from him. There were no red trickles - the pools of blood were already frozen. Frost covered the pierced armour on the lifeless bodies lying on the ground. With trembling hands, Fives tucked his blasters back into the holster. He won't need them now; a shovel would be more useful when burying corpses.
Ahsoka crouched next to the fallen clone, her trembling fingers tentatively tracing the unique painting on the helmet's surface. Fives gently put his hand on her shoulder. He knew how much she mourned over each lost trooper, it was one of her traits that he valued so much. But they had to keep going. There wasn't anything she could do for them anymore. She withdrew her palm and got up, however, her gaze didn't lift from the ground.
They headed towards headquarters but the image hasn't changed significantly. Although the first shock has slightly worn off, the increasing number of casualties was devastating. They went in complete silence, disrupted only by the occasional crunch of metal parts under their feet. Droid's corpse smashed into a wall with a loud clunk after Fives kicked it out of his way. He had grown tired of stepping over litter. As much as he tried not to look too much at the reminiscences of the fight, it became especially difficult once they reached the commanding centre. It became obvious what was the main purpose of the attack and for what soldiers gave their lives.
Ahsoka once again had to cut out the entrance herself, as the doors were securely sealed. It took a while before the steel finally gave in and the hatch crashed to the floor. There were no signs of a fight inside the room, the machines were still humming quietly. Fives and Ahsoka quickly set about reviewing the data but found that everything remained intact. However the battle went, it looked like there was no winner. Just cold bodies and metal parts littering the battered corridors.
"Let's go back." Ahsoka said blankly once she finished exporting all the data. "I'll inform Anakin on our way." Before entering the corridors, she took a deep, shuddered breath as if bracing herself to yet again face the route full of death. Fives followed, sparing one last glance at his fallen brothers.
They left the same way they'd entered - through the hole made by Ahsoka's saber. The snow crunched underfoot but it was much more pleasant than the creaking of droid parts inside. Fives was surprised to see a blue sky which, although the sun was slowly setting, was still crystal clear. He expected the same chill and gloom he had felt when walking through the dark corridors covered with bodies. A frigid wind or thick black clouds to pay homage to the lost lives. As if what he saw inside the outpost could affect the weather in the same way it had left a mark on his mind. Yet here, nothing has changed. It was the same blue sky he had seen two hours ago. Hoth truly was a cruel planet, it didn't give a kriff about anyone's death.
He wanted to just get on his speeder when Ahsoka murmured quietly next to him.
"Probe, ten o'clock." Fives discreetly glanced in said direction. A Viper droid was hovering between snowdrifts on the opposite side of the slope. "On my signal."
He didn't have to hear the plan, they've done this far too many times to ask questions. They casually strolled towards the hillside across from the facility until Ahsoka's barely audible 'now' escaped her lips. Fives' hands in one motion drew his blasters and aimed. Ahsoka Force-held the probe in place, allowing him a clear shot to cut off the aerial and transmitter. She pulled the droid and cut it in half with her shoto. Metal parts crumbled to the ground, revealing a red pulsing diode which didn't look very promising.
"You think they already know we're here?" Ahsoka asked uncertainly, looking up at him. Fives didn't like delivering bad news to anyone and this time he didn't have to. A deafening explosion fifty metres behind them was a sufficient response.
The facility shattered into pieces which flung in every direction. Fives bend over the force of the blast. Glowing blaze sprung upwards and the fire tongues licked the peaks of the mountains. Thick dark clouds of smoke stained the blue sky but Fives was more concerned about what was happening to the ground underneath his feet. The world started shaking, the trembling vibrated through his chest and up his spine. His ears hadn't recovered yet from the explosion when an overwhelming uproar reverberated between rocks. Fives felt what was to come with every ounce of his body.
"Run!" Ahsoka shouted, or at least that's what Fives assumed because compared to the roar of snow tumbling at their necks, her voice was merely a whisper. She firmly grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward along herself.
They raced to the left side of the slope. Fives was stumbling over his own legs as he tore forward, forcing his body to a speed it had never known before. The avalanche was at their heels; Fives knew there was no way to outrun the stream. It wouldn't be much longer before the massive wave would take them with its current. He couldn't even hope to reach their speeders since they blew up alongside the outpost. The only thing he could do right now was to try to stay as close to the surface as possible. The strong gusts of air slinging snow at his back told him that the time was up. His only will was to grab Ahsoka and shield her with his body from the sharp rocks and shrapnel hurtling at them. She was at the length of an arm, he almost clenched his hand around her shoulder when the unobjectionable force pushed him inside the niche of rocks and away from Ahsoka. Fives didn't have to think for a fraction of a second, nor look at her outstretched hand to know that it was her doing. Nothing new, she had always been like that; putting the lives of others before her own. Circumstances varied but Fives hated each and every time all the same. Maybe even more so when he was the one being rescued.
Fives helplessly tumbled to the ground inside the cave. He immediately tried to get on his feet and help Ahsoka find a cover too. Her blurred figure was running towards him but so was the heavy avalanche. Fives barely raised from his knees when another wave of unstoppable force hit him and threw him back to the ground. But this time the force was carrying tons of snow which mercilessly crushed inside the cave.
"Ahsoka!" He shouted desperately, trying to reach the girl but she was out of his hands.
His vision was lost when snow completely covered his visor. Fives had no control over the avalanche nor his own body as it was being thrashed around by the blasts. He gritted his teeth from helplessness and pain as his back hit the stony wall. Unable to bear the terrifying whistle piercing his ears, he shut his eyes closed. He rapidly snapped them open as a scream tore through the overwhelming uproar. The shriek was so loud and shrill that Fives expected another avalanche to come. But then, just when the world seemed to collapse around him, everything went silent. And Fives couldn't see past the darkness.