Chapter 19

It had become routine, me being in the clones' barracks, I mean. Every day after morning training, Art, me and whoever else was off duty would sit there and talk or read while Art took the laser gun to my skin. In two weeks, he had managed to cover all of my fore arm and half my upper arm. He had decided, pretty early on, that just a list of names would not do, instead he had taken one of many designs the Pack used for their armour and use it as a blue print for the tattoos. It was easy to admit the entire thing was beautiful, and it made the whole concept of having dead men's names on my skin a little less grimm.

Twitch and Headfirst had made it a habit to stick around in the mornings. They brought coff from the mess with them every time, alongside any sort of gossip that was going around the ranks that morning. After the last battle we'd fought, Headfirst had approached me. He'd had time to think in the med bay, he'd said, and he wanted to apologize. It took a while for him to believe that I hadn't saved him to prove a point, but simply to keep him alive, because that's what Pack does. He thanked me and said nothing else about it, but he made it a point to make me company at least once every time he was off duty. I noticed, but I didn't think he'd appreciate it if I brought it up.

Twitch, on the other side, was the clone assigned to watch me for the week. I'd known he was the medic of his squad, but noth that he also had psychology training. He was gentle in his reminders but firm, he allowed as much interaction as my schedule permitted and -most importantly- he didn't treat me any differently for it. I was still his superior, and he respected that.

Art, on the other hand, made it a point to "forget" I was his CO. He treated me like he did all of his brothers. He sassed me at every given oportunity, he made fun of me when I said something stupid, and he playfully challenged me to a fight every time I sassed him back.

"At this rate, I'll have to make another design for your other arm," he said without taking his eyes off his work. "We're only half way through the list and I think I'll be done with this sleeve tomorrow."

"At this rate, you'll have to tattoo her whole body. The war only seems to be getting longer." Commented Headfirst while doing tricks with his bioblade. "And, no offence, commander, but you are already showing a lot of skin."

I chuckled.

"What? Are my shoulders seducing you, trooper?"

The laughter didn't last long. A trooper came running into the barracks. He stopped in front of where I was sitting and saluted.

"Sorry to interrupt Commander Foreas, but you are needed at the bridge immediately." He said.

I sighed. Break was over, time to go back to the front lines. I nodded without saying anything and put my arm through the sleeve of my robe once again. Art, Twitch and Headfirst said nothing, but they all understood what that meant. The only one who stood to follow me was Twitch, only because he still was meant to be watching me, but we both knew once we made it to the bridge, that would no longer be the case.

We made it to the bridge in no time, there was no time to waste when your superiors summoned you to ASAP. And it proved to be so, because when the doors to the bridge opened, there wasn't only Master Plo and Wolffe expecting me, but also Admiral Coburn and Master Kenobi's holo transmission. A clone outpost in Orto Plutonia had been raided, Master Kenobi and Anaking Skywalker had been assigned to investigate, but they were short one Padawan.

They were leaving in half a rotation, and I was leaving with them. A padawan who had lived her earlier life on Tatooine of all planets. But that didn't matter, an entire division of troopers had been massacred, and we needed to find out who had done it.

…

To absolutely no-one's surprise, Master Kenobi and I would be accompanying the 501st. Commander Cody had been deployed elsewhere with the 212th, so it was up to us to resolve the matter. The doors to the Resolute's bridge opened before us, and Master Kenobi and I entered side by side. Master Skywalker, Admiral Yularen and Rex were there as expected, but so were two other people. They introduced themselves as Chairman Cho, of Pantora, and Senator Chuchi, the moon's representative in the senate.

The government of the moon of Pantora had held sovereignty over Orto Plutonia's frozen landscape for generations, and as such, an attack on a Republic base under their jurisdiction was theirs to investigate as well. Now, while I was a part of the Jedi Order, I had been raised on Tatooine by the Tuskens of all life forms. Let's just say politicians were not my sort of people, especially politicians like Chairman Cho. He was all arrogance and hunger for power under the very obvious guise of nationalism. The man was so full of himself he even undermined his own representative on the senate.

Senator Chuchi, now that was another type of politician. She was young, and naive, but she was also intelligent enough not to argue with the Chairman in front of everybody. I could see the cogs inside her mind whirling at full speed every time she got her hands on a new piece of information. She had the makings of a good leader, a just leader, but she had a long way to go still, just like I did.

We were all briefed on the mission. The GAR had lost contact with the outpost in Orto Plutonia two rotations ago, and its proximity to Pantora raised concerns about a possible Separatist invasion, which explained why we were taking such a battle hardened taskforce like the 501st. The planet was supposed to be deserted and, under those conditions it really wouldn't surprise me. I wasn't scared of death but hypothermia was not something I ever wished to experience. But some people believed Tattoine to be uninhabitable and there the Sand People were, living in the Dune Sea for eons.

The briefing was rather short, since the amount of information we had was limited, so once it was over, both the Pantorans and Admiral Yularen left the bridge.

"Well, my young Padawan, what do you think?" Asked Master Kenobi as the crew prepared for the jump to hyperspace.

"Well, it's a change from Tatooine, that's for sure," I said and tried to ignore the way the Force became disturbed around Master skywalker. "I do not believe the planet is deserted, though."

"And why is that, Child?" he asked, humoring me.

"Because the galaxy once thought the same about the Dune Sea."

…

"Did I say something to Upset you, Master?" I asked, catching up to Skywalker on his way out of the bridge. The Force around him was moving strangely, as if the very idea of something brought only pain.

"I didn't know you grew up in Tatooine," He said in an awful attempt at being casual. "I did too."

"Not a very pleasant memory, I take it. Noted. I won't be bringing it up a-"

"You mentioned the Dune Sea, but that is mostly Tusken territory…"

He stopped walking and turned to face me. The Force around him turned darker still, there was so much pain there.

"Yeah," I said hesitating. "I- My mother left me with one of the tribes for safekeeping. I grew up among them until Master Plo found me…"

All of a sudden, I couldn't feel him anymore. It was like he had shielded himself away from the force, cloaked himself so the only indicator I had of his presence was the fact that he was standing right in front of me. A chill went down my spine, and for a second, I was truly afraid. Who was this man?

"I don't suppose you have very good memories there either, then." His stare paralized me, he was searching for something, in my face, in my eyes, in my soul. "Those savages have a tendency for violence, after all."

For a second, I considered lying. My gut told me to, my instincts told me to, hell, even the Force felt like it was trying to wrap itself around me as if to say "careful now, child".

"No, Master. They raised me as one of their o-"

He didn't even let me finish. "Well, there's a first time for everything. I guess. Even the Sand People wouldn't kill a child. Good to know they can at least do that."

He turned and marched down the corridor at full speed, as if trying to get as far away from me as possible, as if my words had burned him, scarred him, hurt him in the worst way possible. I didn't bring up the subject for a very long time after that. I knew doing so would have consequences.

…

"I don't think I've ever worn these many layers of clothing" I said, carefully securing my lightsaber to the belt around my waist.

"Good thing it's almost impossible to light a fire in those conditions, Commander, or you'd be in quite a lot of danger." Teased Rex beside me as we boarded the gunner.

"Oh, very funny, Captain."

"I heard you managed to burn through Plastoid armour during your last deployment, though, so I wouldn't put it past you to catch fire even in a frozen wasteland like Orto Plutonia, Commander." He continued, managing a few chuckles from the rest of the squad and a grin from both Kenobi and Skywalker.

"How do you burn through Plastoid armour, Commander? The stuff is almost impenetrable." Asked one of the troopers to my left.

"Becoming a meat shield to save a trooper's life, or so I've been told…" Answered Master Kenobi. "A valiant action, but a reckless one nonetheless."

He shot me a meaningful glance. There would be no martyrs under his watch, not if he could help it. I looked down, not embarrassed, I could never be embarrassed of saving someone. But I understood an order when I heard one, and Master Kenobi was as much my master as Plo Koon was, no matter how differently they both operated.

"Then let's hope it doesn't come to that." Said Master Skywalker somberly.

I felt Rex's hand on my shoulder and I turned to nod my thanks. He would have my back, and I would have his.

As soon as we landed, orders were given and a scouting party assembled. Chairman Cho started barking orders at everyone as soon as he set foot on the snow. He even had the audacity to declare himself the highest authority in the planet, and thus the one in charge. It didn't take long for me to get annoyed. I didn't necessarily have a volatile personality, but there was something about arrogance, lack of manners and civility and politics that rubbed me the wrong way.

I went in to secure the base alongside my master. It didn't take long to find out what happened to the troopers who had guarded the post. At the very entrance, a dozen helmets had been mounted on spikes. A warning, a promise. My blood ran cold, the Force around the entire base felt like fear, confusion and anger, and, inside me, grief. But not only me, the troopers that were present were filled with not only sadness but anger and resentment. These had been their brothers, and now, the lives that had been taken from them were on display for everyone to see. I could feel Nax right behind me, how the grip on his blaster tightened, how his shoulders shook the tiniest bit with rage. I turned around and looked right into his visor as I put my hand on his shoulder.

"We'll identify and bury all of them. I promise" I tried to console him.

"Thank you, Commander." he said. "I know our aim is to find a peaceful resolution, but I have to admit that war doesn't seem like a terrible idea at the moment."

And I understood, only the Force knew what I was capable of if I found myself in his boots.