Rebel Base

Donca studied the clone, there was something different about him but she couldn't quite put her finger on it and yet the music didn't seem to be working. She leaned across him to switch it off.

A strong hand gripped hers, "Don't!" The raspy, unused voice of the clone trooper warned her.

She stopped dead, "How long have you been conscious?"

"Aah…that would be telling."

"Can I move?"

"Anytime, but slowly."

She pulled back as slow as she could and looked at his restraints; he had freed himself from them somehow, so obviously free for some time.

"A day?"

"A bit longer." He looked at the line still in his arm.

"It's just a weak saline, to keep you hydrated."

He pushed himself upright and stopped to get his bearings; he had been horizontal for a while.

"Why help me? You could have left me to die, just like you killed my brothers." He accused her.

"You should not have been there. You, of all people, should know what the Empire does? It disregards everyone and everything. It takes everything, including freedom. It's worse than the Republic."

"You were a Separatist." there was understanding in his statement.

"Still am, if that's what wanting to be separate from the Empire means."

He looked at the woman, older, careworn. He'd heard her voice numerous times since he'd collapsed but it had all seemed very dream-like; he wavered between realities, between her and Hela.

"You're called insurgents." He replied.

"Hmm! One man's insurgent is another man's freedom fighter." She answered, willing to be truthful with him.

"So I've heard."

"I heard you were expendable."

The clone's face hardened for a split second.

"It's what we were bred for."

"Your brother was taken away."

"Who?"

"Crosshair."

"How did you know his name?"

"You told me. He shot the Imperial."

"Nolan?"

"If that's the Lieutenant's name then yes."

"He shot him, why?"

"Not sure. From what we could see there was an argument—about you."

"Me?" He shook his head, disbelieving.

"You needed treatment but Nolan wasn't prepared to help. He was willing to let you die on the floor. Or where we found you, with the waste bins. Crosshair wasn't."

He stared into space or rather over her shoulder; he remembered his brother helping him after…..something but he couldn't remember exactly what.

"Your brother's helmets are still there, at the outpost but it's empty now. The Empire's gone."

She received no reaction from him.

"Why were you guarding the supplies so doggedly? It was just armour."

"Orders. We were following orders."

"But it was just armour?" She asked again, unable to remove the incredulity in her voice. "There were crates and crates of the stuff and it was replaceable.

"Good soldiers follow orders." He touched the side of his head and winced, feeling the circular raised area on his scalp. His hair was shorter there, it had been shaved.

"Is it painful? I had to relieve the pressure on your brain. Then you were unconscious and unresponsive for time."

"How long?"

"Weeks. Your other injuries have healed, mostly. But you will be weak. You will have lost muscle mass."

Another reason the GAR used Bacta tanks on us. Quicker recovery time, push us back to the front lines with little or no rehab.

"Why did you play the music?"

He changed the subject. It didn't matter, the longer she spoke to him the more likely she could persuade him to help them. She hoped.

"You rambled. The music seemed to help."

"But why those particular songs?"

"Because you mentioned the singer's name, several times. It was a long shot but she seemed to be important to you. Is she?"

"Was." He stared into space.

.

79's

Hexx nudged Veetch, nearly knocking his drink from his hand but he'd had few by now so he was mellow. Hexx was quite familiar for a shiny just off the ship from Kamino.

"Isn't that the Commander?" He pointed to the bar.

Veetch looked over and through the crowd milling around the bar, frowning. "Yes it is."

Veetch was surprised to see him; he thought he had somewhere to be. He could make a guess at where that was but it looked as if that plan had fallen through.

"He doesn't look very happy." Hexx leaned in closer next to him.

Vetch moved away, frowning, the shiny could get a little too close at times, an after effect of Kamino. You soon learned you could spread out a little if you wanted to, the galaxy was large.

"No, he doesn't. I'll just go and check on him."

Veetch rose, keeping his superior in his sights, as he slipped through his brothers enjoying themselves. He had been doing that himself until a few seconds ago. His Commander was still leaning back against the bar, a shot glass in one hand, with his arms crossed. He was looking around the whole of the bar.

Veetch finally reached him and mirrored his stance but without the shot.

"Is it sir or Mayday tonight?"

Mayday turned, and stared long and hard at his subordinate, "Mayday." He conceded.

He breathed out, he didn't have to bring his own bad mood to the party and spoil for everyone else. Veetch had seen him and decided he needed to check on him. All this because he had obviously misunderstood what she said, whenever she said it. He should have known better. His men didn't deserve to have to walk on eggshells around him all the time; Veetch especially deserved some respite from that, after what Mayday had read of his record. No wonder Cody had agreed to the transfer so readily.

Some Jedi did not deserve to command clones.

"So ….is there a problem? Can I help?"

"She's with someone."

Veetch looked around the bar; the few females that were in the bar did all seem to be attached to someone.

"Which one is it? We could try a pincer attack. I distract the brother. You go in for the kill. Just point out which one." His eyes searched the room.

"Hela. She has someone." Continued Mayday.

"Ooooh…..." he leaned in closer himself now, "How do you know?"

"I went to see her. Not one of my better ideas."

"She definitely looked as if she liked you at Dex's." Veetch mentally trawled through his memory of the holodramas he'd seen for a reference. "So this …..person is definitely a significant other." Veetch was impressed with himself that he remembered the phrase.

Mayday stared at his second, long and hard, before replying.

"They were kissing."

"Oh. Do we know who it is? Perhaps we could warn them off?"

Mayday downed his shot. Veetch noted that. He knew.

"Krennic!"

Veetch nearly dropped his glass but recovered himself.

"Kriff! Are you sure?"

"There's not many that wear that karking white uniform and those kriffing shiny boots."

Veetch leaned back against the bar, lost for words for a moment, thinking.

"And they were definitely kissing. I mean, he wasn't forcing her, was he? She's only small. He's not that big but he could still….."

Mayday's face darkened.

"Her arms were around him."

"Oh."

Veetch had run out of suggestions to help his brother, other than ordering another shot. He held up his hand to the serving droid.

.

Hela's Apartment.

"So what are you doing here?"

Hela had recovered from the shock of seeing Zur sitting on one of her settees, in the dark and sat down next to him.

"Been evicted."

"Evicted? Why?"

"They're refurbishing the block for the Republic. The War means some government departments need extra space."

"Refurbishing? How long have you known?"

"A couple of months but then the time just flew by and…..now…."

"Now you've got nowhere to stay." She finished for him, sighing.

"I had nowhere else…can I….?" Zur had his problems and this could only exacerbate it. His image of being totally organised only seemed to reach the professional parts of his life. She could not fault his work. His private life appeared to be another matter entirely.

"Are you alright for credits?"

"Yes but there's just nowhere available at the moment, not that's safe, or reasonable, or even within easy travelling distance of here or the Opera House."

She believed him. The war had changed everything, buildings and places all over Coruscant were suddenly being repurposed for the war effort.

"Of course, I won't let you be homeless. You can have one of the spare bedrooms." She put a reassuring hand on his arm; she didn't know what she would do without him.

"Thanks." He paused, "Did I upset any plans?"

"No." She leaned back and closed her eyes.

"I thought I heard Krennic at the door."

"You did."

"Don't you and he have a 'thing' going on?"

"Not anymore." She stayed leaning back, dropping her head even further back, stretching her neck out over the cream leather.

"Good!"

"Why?"

"Didn't like him and now I won't disturb anything."

"No you won't. But there's no need to gloat."

"Why?"

"Because it's not very nice."

"No, you're right. I'm sorry! Why did he break it off?"

She shrugged.

Zur sat up and pulled a bottle out of his bag. "Want to drown them?"

"Drown what?"

"Your sorrows. Aren't you upset?"

"No, not really. I ended it."

Zur was surprised because that had never happened before.

"I thought…..Celebration then?"

She lifted her head, "Go on then. And some food. We need some food. I'll order."

.

"Whose idea was to move this?" demanded Zur.

"Yours. If you push and I pull we can move it." Hela declared.

"Are you sure? It's really heavy."

"You push those dress rails full of dresses. What's wrong with you?"

"This doesn't have any wheels."

"Ah! We'll manage it a little bit at a time."

"What we need is that nice big muscular clone trooper who walked you home. And that you took to Dex's— twice."

"In your dreams!" She muttered, as she pulled the chest towards her. It was really heavy and barely moved.

"Or in yours?" He asked.

"Don't be—"

"What? I'm not the one who sent him a cloak and tickets for the club, and who's been to Senator Amidala's apartment several times to lobby her and the Jedi. S they can do a show for the clones. And who has just finished with the man she was seeing, which she rarely does."

"All coincidence." Hela pulled again. It moved a little. "Are you helping with this or not?"

Zur crossed his arms, "Not until you tell me about him."

Hela stopped pulling and let out a sigh of defeat, "I admit…..he has been on my mind…a lot."

"Had? or is?"

"Is."

"Right this requires more alcohol and you need to tell me all about it."

Zur grabbed another bottle and they sat on the floor watching the chest remain stationary.

"So?"

"I can't get him out of my mind. I find myself wondering what he's doing at odd times during the day."

"Fighting?" Suggested Zur.

She looked at him and blinked slowly.

"Okay. Sorry. It just sounds like you have a crush on him."

"I don't have crushes."

"No? That's not what I heard. A certain Jedi?"

"I was twelve." She took a sip of the wine. "And how did you find out?"

Zur tapped his nose. "I have my methods."

Hela put on her best unimpressed look and took a long drink of the wine.

"If you want to know what clones like, for your concert, we could go to 79s." Zur suggested.

"What's 79s?" she asked, intrigued.

"It's a bar. Caters mainly for clones."

"For clones? Why would they need a bar for them?"

"Some people don't actually like them. And now they have R and R, and shore leave, they needed somewhere to go."

Like some people on Coruscant don't like non-humans.

"What do you mean now they have R and R? Did they not get it before?"

"No. Then about a month ago, Mar Rugeyan, Senate Head of Public Affairs, decided it would be good if they did."

Hela narrowed her eyes, "How do you know all this?"

"I keep my ears to the ground, eyes to the Holonet. I think it was more a matter of regaining public confidence after the bombings. More soldiers around, more visible. People feel safer. More Holonet news about them too."

"Oh yes. I can see that. So where is this….. 79s?"

"I'm not sure but I could soon find out."

"For tomorrow night?" she asked.

"Tomorrow it is. It's a date."

Hela rolled her eyes dramatically.

.

79s

"I think we're in the right place." Said Zur as their skytaxi pulled into the landing platform.

"You can't really miss it." Commented Hela, as she took in the large brightly lit sign. She preferred smaller intimate venues.

"And there are a lot of clones hanging around."

Hela stared at them, some of them looked the worse for wear, staggering a little as they came out of the bar. She began to worry as one headed towards the edge of the landing platform, before his friend pulled him back; she sighed in relief.

"I have never seen a clone drunk before." She said, "Commander Cody is never drunk."

Zur just looked at her with a smile on his face; she wasn't as sophisticated as she acted sometimes. In fact he was almost certain it was an act most of the time. But he couldn't afford to get sentimental now he was in too deep.

He helped her from the taxi, paid for it and they headed in.

He offered her his arm, "Remind me why we're here." He said, smiling.

"A recce. Intel gathering."

"On what the clones are likely to want for their entertainment." Zur clarified, not his best idea.

"Exactly!"

Looking around he said, "I can make a good guess. Booze. Sport. Scantily clad females. They could all be on their list but not necessarily in that order."

"I can do the booze and scantily clad female, but I'm not sure about the sport."

"Depends what sport you're talking about." He waggled what passed for his eyebrows suggestively.

"Keep those pheromones under control in here!" She warned.

"Yes ma'am." He saluted her, as they walked through the door.

.

"Lost civilians at ten o'clock." Grumbled Wolffe, just before he took a long drink. He'd had enough of civilians on this last deployment, to last his genetically shortened lifetime.

Cody turned to look. "Kriff!" He muttered, "What's she doing here?"

"Who's she?" Asked Rex, he was doing his own recce, and enjoying his first trip to 79s before he let anyone from the 501st loose here, and have to deal with the inevitable consequences. "Oh! Do you think she's following you?"

"No. But she'll see us any minute and then….."

"Codeeee!" Hela's voice carried across the room.

Rex pulled a hand down over his face to remove the grin and replace it with a blank face. He heard Wolffe growl under his breath.

"Now, Wolffeeee." He warned.

"She better not call me that." He grumbled.

Hela zig zagged across the floor avoiding the clones dancing and finally reached the three command clones; she recognised Captain Rex immediately from the Holonet coverage with Anakin, he was always by his side, somewhere and glanced at the other one with the cybernetic eye. It was an arresting sight; the scar did nothing to detract from him, although he glowered at her.

"Hello Cody. It's been a while. I've asked Zur to get you all a drink. Is whisky okay?"

"Thank you ma'am. I'm Commander Wolffe." He held out his hand. "And this is Captain Rex."

Rex side eyed his brother at the sudden change in his manner, but then it was a female and Wolffe had an eye for the females. They also seemed to like him, despite his gruff manner. Rex thought it was the scar.

"Captain Rex, I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope."

"Every last bit. Padme is especially thankful that you have Anakin's back."

"You know the Senator?" he couldn't keep the surprise from his voice.

"Oh yes. We go way back. Back to the Battle of Naboo. I met Anakin there and Ben and Qui Gon Jinn."

"So why are you here?" Asked Rex.

"I just wondered where you all went, you know, when you have shore leave."

They all laughed, well Wolffe's was more of a bark, until Zur finally arrived with the drinks.

"They had trouble with the limon." He whispered to her.

She sat next to Cody and made herself comfortable, "I'll get straight to the point, I'm a singer and I'm interested in what music you all like." she looked directly at Rex, fascinated by the blonde fuzz on his head.

Too short to be dyed, she thought.

"Well er. This is… er… um… okay." Rex offered, waving his hand around.

"This?" Hela asked, her eyebrows rose in surprise, her voice tinged with disgust.

Cody tried not to smile, as confident as Rex was in the battlefield, small talk wasn't his forté.

"What my brother means to say is we don't get a chance to listen to music, not on a battlefield." Wolffe butted in.

Cody narrowed his eyes at Wolffe; he was being especially charming at the moment. He was dangerous when he was charming, it put people off their guard, then the cutting sarcasm hit. He had seen several brothers fall foul of that trick and didn't want Hela to be on the receiving end.

"Don't you have battle songs?" She asked in all innocence, before sucking on a straw; she had heard Padme mention something that Anakin had said about the clones singing.

The clones looked at each other, "Not really." Replied Cody, "But if you could sing for us then we could choose." He was on the offensive now.

That was it, Hela knew from his look that he was hiding something and she bet they had some kind of song. She would talk to him later.

"Yes but there's no band here. It's all synthetic piped music."

"You don't need music." He replied again, liking this banter. He felt Rex and Wolffe's eyes on him, wondering how much he knew about her.

"You'd have to ask them to turn the music off. I don't think the patrons would like that."

"There's some private rooms." Wolffe suggested.

She didn't need to look at Zur to know what his expression was now, sometimes he was overprotective.

"Okay let's get one."

"Best offer I've had all night." Wolffe smirked.

Zur pushed in between them, "I don't think this is a good idea."

"What could possibly happen?" She asked in all innocence.

Wolffe coughed.

Zur leaned closer, "Hela….."

"I'm only going to sing." She turned to Wolffe, "Lead the way Commander."

Wolffe rose and clipped his helmet to his belt leading the way to the 'private rooms'.

When she entered the dimly lit room, she knew exactly what these private rooms were used for, she wasn't that naive but she trusted Cody. And if these men were his friends then she trusted them too.

.

Zur brought more drinks.

"So I bet you're wondering why I want to know what music you like."

The clones looked at each other.

"It has crossed our minds, ma'am." Replied Wolffe.

"It's Hela, and I want to do a concert for the clones."

"That's very good of you," said Wolffe, "But we're not on Coruscant very often, so…."

"No no …..you misunderstand." Rex winced as she interrupted Wolffe, he didn't take kindly to that. "I'll come out to sing for you. In the Outer Rim."

Zur choked on his drink. The command clones were silent.

Hela started her vocal exercises and practised her scales to warm up her voice.

.