Saga Worth Fighting For: Captain Rex/OC, romance/drama. Sequel to The Fighting Kind, Completed 6/29/15,

@Nyota's Heart - Glad you like seeing Rex & Ahsoka as friends! Thank you for the comment! ​

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@gracesonnet - Ha ha, yes, Bender is truly great. In this case, (well, in many cases), Ahsoka definitely needs to learn from Anakin's mistakes. Thanks for the comment! ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-One​

Meanwhile...

Brenna stared at her reflection and didn't know quite what to think.

Out of everything, the body-glove had been the most difficult component to get on. Since it was made to fit over only one body type, it was not nearly as stretchy as it looked. Because of this, it had been difficult to squeeze her hips and bound breasts into the thing, while she'd had more room at her waist and shoulders than was needed. However, Edme and Marliss had been able to alter the looser parts with a few well-placed pins, so that now it appeared to fit her like a second-skin.

Since Rex had still not returned from retrieving Ahsoka, Brenna had enlisted the help of Fives and Kix to help her dress in the armor, and her head was already spinning with the names of all the individual pieces. As she stood before the long mirror in her bedroom, Fives and Kix showed her how to attach the armored plating to the body-glove, while an amused Marliss and Edme looked on from the bed, where they also had Iri.

At first the toddler had been incredibly confused about her mother's transformation into a trooper, though eventually she'd either gotten over it or decided that beating the palms of her hands against the helmet's skull was a better use of her attention. The erratic tattoo lent a strange backdrop to the moment, and as Brenna held her hair out of the way so that Kix could affix the shoulder-pieces – the spaulders, he'd said – she felt a squirm of nerves in her stomach.

It was beyond strange to see herself this way; the armored plating was shiny, glinting in the light that filtered through her and Rex's room, and despite the fact that it had not been made to fit on a body such as hers, it was not as uncomfortable as she'd imagined.

“There,” Kix said, stepping back and surveying his handiwork. “Not bad, if I do say so myself.”

Fives stood beside her; he was completely armored at this point, save the helmet, so he straightened his shoulders and offered his and Brenna's reflections a sharp salute, urging Brenna to copy his movements. It took her several minutes to get it right, but when she did, Fives gave her a satisfied nod. “As long as that looks convincing, you'll be fine, Bren. Though,” he added, thinking. “Practicing can't hurt, especially with standing at attention.”

“Let's try and do something with your hair,” Edme said, rising from the bed.

For several minutes, Brenna was subject to both Kix and Edme working over her, urging her to hold still while they completed their respective tasks. Finally, when her hair was braided and pinned to her head and Kix was helping her adjust the final bits of armor on her arms, they heard the sounds of the clones greeting a new arrival: Rex and Ahsoka had returned. Eager to see Rex's reaction to her current state, Bren reached for Iri to gather the little girl in her arms. At first she was worried that Iri would be uncomfortable with the armor, but the toddler seemed completely fine with it, even going so far as to tap her hands on the plating.

“Mama shiny.”

“That's right, kiddo,” Fives replied with a laugh as he held out an elbow as if to escort Marliss downstairs. “She certainly is.”

It was strange to try and move with the armor. As she shifted Iri on her hip and held the bucket in her other hand, Brenna's body felt stiff and awkward, but she was determined to get used to it. The boots were far too big; she'd had to stuff flimsi in the toes to prevent them from shifting too much, and walking in the kit was clunky and difficult. In any case, she managed to make her halting way down the stairs and into the living room, where the clones, Caith and Tavi were greeting the newcomer.

Ahsoka looked similar to how Brenna remembered her, and she felt a swell of gratitude for the Togruta woman, a feeling that was only in part related to her own rescue. Beside Ahsoka, facing away from the stairs as he spoke to Caith, Brenna could see that Rex already seemed more at ease, and she realized again how much he trusted the young Jedi.

“Hey, Rex,” Fives called out from behind Brenna. “Check out the shiny!”

At the words, Rex glanced over and Brenna had to chuckle as his mouth fell open when he saw her. Though she wasn't wearing the helmet and she was carrying a toddler on her hip, Brenna knew that she looked quite different than her normal state, so she paused and offered Rex a crisp salute, trying not to laugh at his aghast look. Beside him, Ahoska's eyes had gotten huge, as had Caith's and the other clones', but no one said anything as Rex hurried to Brenna's side.

Edme had gone to stand with Caith and Tavi, both of whom were regarding Brenna with something she recognized as mild jealousy. The red-haired woman nudged her husband's side, as if trying to draw him out of a trance. “I'm sure they'll let you borrow it when they get back.”

Brenna did her best to stand “at attention,” and for a moment she watched as Rex stood about an arm's length from her, running his eyes up and down her body until she couldn't stand it any more. “How does it look?”

All he did was blink at her, and she sighed as she added: “That bad?”

“It looks great,” he replied at last, shaking his head as if to clear it and stepping forward to rest a tentative hand on her hip. “It's just...I'm not used to wanting to kiss someone in armor.” His brows knitted as Fives began to guffaw in the background. “It's a bit...confusing.”

“Mama shiny,” Iri said again, proudly, and Rex gave a helpless chuckle as he tousled her hair.

Behind him, Ahsoka approached, her eyes on Brenna in an appraising manner, though there was a softness to her gaze that indicated she was pleased at what she was looking at. “It does look good,” she said as she came to stand beside Rex, her head tilting in consideration. “Will the helmet fit over your hair with it braided like that?”

In response, Brenna handed Iri over to Rex and slid the trooper helmet over her head; it rested over her braid well enough, though she was reluctant to activate the HUD just yet, still having no idea how to use it. Through the visor she could see Rex, Iri and Ahsoka staring at her in wonder. “This is weird,” she said, her voice distorted by the helmet's annunciator. “How in the stars did you ever wear this stuff all the time, Rex?”

“It was never really an issue,” he replied as Iri reached out to touch the helmet's blank face. “I was practically decanted wearing armor.”

At this, Ahsoka shook her head, still regarding Brenna. “I could never manage even a little bit; it's too cumbersome.”

Rex pulled a face. “I don't know how you managed to not wear armor.” He looked at Brenna and thumbed towards the Padawan. “She practically gave me a coronary during every battle.”

“Was that before or after you would rush headlong into a line of tinnies?” Ahsoka was grinning in earnest as she spoke.

“During. It was very distracting.” The former captain and commander shared a laugh, and Brenna watched her husband; it was strange to do so from behind the bucket, but she felt like she could really study him without seeming to. Again, she noted how he looked more relaxed than he had since they'd started planning all of this, and she was glad that Ahsoka had come, for his peace of mind if nothing else. Admittedly, Brenna also felt a bit more confident about the entire endeavor, now; surely the Force – whatever it was – would be with them if they had a Jedi.

“Mama...?” Still in Rex's grasp, Iri tilted her head and furrowed her brow as she studied the helmet, then her face scrunched up like she was about to cry. Seeing this, Brenna quickly removed the bucket and – after a moment's fumbling – attached it to her belt using the small clip on the back.

“It's okay, honeybee,” she said, stepping closer to Rex and their daughter and embracing the little girl even as Iri was nestled against her father's chest. “I'm still me.”

Iri's features relaxed and she buried her face in Brenna's neck, the only place on her that wasn't cool, hard plastoid. Brenna took a breath; it would be so hard to leave her little girl, but she believed – she knew – that Rex would keep Iri safe, and realized that she was grateful that he'd be there for Iri when she wasn't, even if it was only for a short while.

Still murmuring words of comfort to their daughter, Brenna felt Rex's hand slip around her waist, felt the drop of a kiss against her forehead, then she heard him say, not to her, but to Ahsoka: “Thank you, again.”

*​

Two days later, Rex watched as his wife prepared to board a ship that would take her far away from him and Iri, and he wondered again if he was making the wrong choice.

Iri was still in Bren's arms, reluctant to be parted from her mother; as he watched Bren hugging the rest of her family goodbye, his thoughts were not entirely pleasant. Is this what freedom is? A series of decisions and then endless doubts about them?

In that sense, this life felt very similar to his former one, where the burden of command had rested heavily on his shoulders.

A deep breath brought the scent of cool, mid-afternoon air, cutting beneath the mechanical smell of the Shereshoy's engines, and he tried to dispel his doubt. Rex was by his very nature a man of action, so it felt wrong in a way to willingly stay behind when the one he loved marched into certain danger, but every time he examined his choice, he ultimately understood that it was the right one. As surely as he had a duty to protect Brenna, he had a greater responsibility to his daughter – to their daughter – and he'd be damned if he let Iri down. Brenna had proven her mettle to him a dozen times over; she had Fives, Coric, Chopper and Marliss with her, all of whom he knew were capable; she had Ahsoka.

He exhaled again, feeling a little bit better. Ahsoka had never let him down, not really, so it was that he was able to trust her with something more far precious than his own life.

Rex glanced over at Fives, Coric and Chopper, who'd already said their goodbyes to those who were staying behind and were waiting for the others; Marliss and Nala Se were inside the ship already, as were the crates of armor, the weapons, Bren's equipment and any other supplies they'd need. Ahsoka was speaking to Kix and Jesse, laughing at something the tattooed clone was telling her, and Rex had to smile a little bit at the sight, so similar to the days of the War. Things had been hectic since she'd arrived, the days mostly filled with endless debates and planning, but he was glad to know that the former 501st commander had found time with her former soldiers.

Bren was still talking to her family, so once Ahsoka left the clones, he tilted his chin to her in a manner that indicated he wanted to speak to her privately. Once she was near him, he opened his mouth to speak, but she lifted her hand. “You're welcome.”

His jaw closed and he frowned at her. “How...?” At her wry look, he sighed. “Am I that bad of a broken holo-record?”

“No,” she replied with a smile. “Just a grateful one. Despite how you feel right now, I know you're happy. I've never seen you so happy.” Her montrals darkened in a Togruta flush. “You deserve it.”

“So do you.” He paused, not quite believing that he was giving relationship advice to her, but pushed through the feeling because for once he felt like he knew what he was talking about. A little bit, anyway. “If you and Bonteri truly care for one another, what you share is worth fighting for.”

Her dark lips pursed and her eyes skimmed the horizon in thought, then she sighed and looked back at him. “Maybe I'll give him a call when this is over.”

Rex regarded her, searching for a sign that she was saying this simply to placate him; finding none, he nodded once. “Good.”

A bright laugh escaped her. “Thanks for the stamp of approval.”

He chuckled as well, but his attention had drifted away from Ahsoka because Bren had finished saying her goodbyes to her family and was approaching him, Iri hugged close to her chest. “You can't order her to do anything, either,” Brenna said to him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “Didn't Ahsoka outrank you, anyway?”

She was nervous; he could read it in her every movement, hear it in her every word, and again he was thankful beyond measure that Ahsoka would be with her when he could not. So he didn't respond to her teasing, instead reaching for her so that he could wrap his arms around both his girls one last time before Brenna left; he held her as close as he could and spoke into her ear. “I love you, Bren. Be safe.”

In his embrace, she was trembling, but he felt her take a deep breath, then extract one of her arms to wrap it around his neck so that she could kiss him, and for the duration he was lost to her. When they parted, she touched his jaw and held his eyes with her own. “I've lost you both once,” she whispered, blinking rapidly. “It's not happening again.”

Rex pulled back a little bit and took her free hand in his, pressing them both over her jacket, against her heart, and spoke with as much conviction as he could manage. “You never lost me, Bren. I'm right here. I always will be.”

She didn't answer but he felt her body relax, and he kissed her again. When they parted, she handed him Iri, then bent so that she was eye-level with their daughter. “I'll be back very soon, sweetheart,” she said with a smile to the toddler. “Be a good girl for Daddy.”

“Iri strong,” she replied in a proud voice that made Rex smile, despite his sorrow. “Mama be good,” Iri added, reaching out her hand to her mother's cheek. “Iri love Mama.”

“I love you, too,” Brenna said, her eyes shifting between Irini and Rex, though she was already turning to the ship, where the others were waiting. As he watched her, Rex wondered again how she'd managed to watch him leave during the War, how she'd been able to handle letting him go again and again, knowing that each time they saw each other might be the last.

Never again, he thought as he watched her. I don't want either of us to go through this, ever again. Brenna reached the ship and lifted her hand in a perfect soldier's salute that made him smile, but when she disappeared inside the Shereshoy, he pressed Iri as close to his chest as he could, as if the little girl would stop his body from fracturing with worry.

“It'll be okay, Rexter.” Ahsoka's voice made him turn; she was the last to board, and her eyes on him were filled with compassion. “I'll make sure she gets back to you.”

“I know,” he said, then he added: “Make sure you come back, too.”

She grinned, then vaulted up the loading ramp in a single, graceful somersault. Seconds later, the hatch began to close and the whine of the engines increased in pitch; the repulsors began to kick up dust and flecks of grass, so Rex and the others stepped back several meters to allow the ship clearance. In his arms, Iri held very still, her head tilting back more and more as the Shereshoy began to climb into the air, until it was far above those left behind.

Within only a minute, the ship disappeared into the clouds. Once it vanished, Caith, Jensine and the others didn't say anything for a few moments, and it felt like the whole world had gone quiet.

“Mama gone,” Iri whispered, breaking the silence, then she buried her face in Rex's chest, her body trembling with impending tears.

In response, Rex kissed his daughter's head and held her closer. “Not for long, Iri'ka.”

The words were true. Everything would be okay. It would have to be.

 

Yeah, oh, that gave me happy, hopeful feels. Loved the teasing and the assurances and the tenderness.

 

"The words were true. Everything would be okay. It would have to be."

Awwww!

 

@Nyota's Heart - Yay! So glad you enjoyed. Thank you for the comment! ​

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@gracesonnet - ​

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*****​

Chapter Thirty-Two​

Their plan was simple.

As she listened to Fives, Marliss and Ahsoka discussing the finer points, Brenna watched the shredding stars of hyperspace that were visible through the transparisteel cockpit of the Shereshoy, and fought back her trepidation for what was surely the hundredth time.

Their plan was simple, but simple was good; simple had a far better chance of success than complicated. Besides, Brenna knew that if she was going to be infiltrating Kamino with anyone, doing so with a former ARC trooper, a pair of skilled clone soldiers, a Kaminoan and a Jedi was probably her best chance for success.

She just wished that the knot in her chest that refused to dissipate was only due to the uncomfortable binding around her breasts, and nothing else.

“Pre-battle jitters?” Chopper's voice was quiet. Like her, he was seated in one of the pull-out chairs at the cockpit's sides. Unlike her, he seemed completely calm and relaxed: leaning back, arms crossed before his chest, mismatched eyes regarding her with something that was almost amusement. Of all the clones, Chopper was the most laconic, especially with the “civvies,” so it was something of a surprise to hear him address her.

Brenna looked down at the datapad she'd brought along, and toyed with the port-cover. “I guess so, though I hope there's no battle.”

The scarred clone frowned, but she thought it was a contemplative expression, not an unhappy one. “I do as well, but things rarely go as we hope.”

Even though she felt much the same way, his words sent a thrill of alarm through her and her throat went dry. A moment later he seemed to realize this, and he exhaled through his nose, wincing as if he were in pain. “Sorry, Miss Damaris...I don't mean to sound so negative.”

“No, you're right,” she replied, lifting the 'pad and setting it in the Imperial-regulation backpack Fives had provided that held her slicing equipment. “Things don't really work out as we'd like, do they?” She paused and swallowed. “I'm glad I can help on this mission, but...I just want to come back home when we're done.”

Around them, the others were clearly engrossed with the planning, though Brenna had done everything she could by now, so that all she had to do was wait. She tried not to sigh, because although she didn't remember much from the War, she thought that her dislike of waiting was probably the same now as it was then.

Chopper tilted his head and regarded her thoughtfully, then offered a smile that she thought was meant to be reassuring, for all that it looked a bit out of place on him. “I'm nervous, too.”

“But you've done stuff like this before.”

He shrugged and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Yeah, but it never gets any easier.” Another faint smile tugged at his mouth, though this one seemed more genuine. “Didn't the Captain tell you that?”

The mention of Rex made Brenna smile despite her next words. “Maybe. I don't remember.”

“Oh...right,” Chopper's neck turned red and he looked away from her in embarrassment. “I...uh...heard about that.”

The sight made her want to reassure him, somehow, so she offered him a smile and patted his armored forearm with her own gloved and gauntleted hand. “It's okay, Chopper. Things could be a lot worse.”

He did not relax at her light touch, but nor did he recoil; instead, he glanced back at her and nodded once, in confirmation of her words. “That's very true, Miss Damaris.”

She smiled again. “Please, just 'Brenna.'”

Beyond them, the others had grown quiet, and Brenna glanced over to see that they were sliding out of hyperspace; she knew that within a few moments they'd reach Kamino and the entire thing would begin, so she took another deep breath to help quell her nerves. It wasn't working.

Chopper's voice broke through her nerves again, his words thoughtful and – she could tell – quite deliberate. “The others used to call you 'the Captain's girl.'”

Somehow, she was able to laugh outright at this; perhaps it was the indirect mention of Rex, or simply the mention of one of the mundane elements of her life that she'd forgotten, but a tiny bit of the agitation fled her mind. “I don't remember that, Chopper. But,” she added as she shot him a grateful look. “It's good to hear. Thanks.”

His head tilted in a nod as he rose out of his seat, following the others who were already making their way out of the cockpit. “Sure thing, Brenna.”

*​

Even with the temp-controlling properties of her armor, Kamino was chillier than she'd imagined. Perhaps it was the persistent wind and rain that she'd been warned about cooling this section of the planet considerably, but Brenna thought that the stark whiteness of the place added to the cold feeling.

Aside from the fact that it was impossible to breathe normally with her breasts bound within the body suit, so far, things had gone remarkably well. Marliss and Nala Se had remained on the Shereshoy, cloaked from observation and sensor scan, while Brenna, Fives, Coric and Chopper – all in full armor, with her bag of equipment – slipped from the airlock and made their way through a hangar that the clones remembered was only used for loading supplies. Ahsoka, in typical Jedi efficacy, had followed along while somehow managing to remain out of sight; her role on this mission was mostly as a scout, lending her Force-senses to give the clones and Brenna a better idea of what and whom they might be approaching while roaming through the corridors.

They'd lucked out; there was no one around to see the group of them materialize out of thin air, and from the hangar they'd been able to move quickly to the nearest exit, where the plan was for Brenna, Fives, Chopper and Coric to blend in with any clones they came across while Nala Se directed them via a secure comm-channel that Brenna had set up. Ahsoka had already made herself scarce, but wore a slender headset so she could communicate with Brenna and the others via comm while she scouted ahead.

Because of the nature of the Shereshoy's cloaking device, it was impossible for Marliss to make out anything on her own scanners while her ship was hidden from the scanners of others, so Bren and the rest had to wait several, anxious minutes while Marliss brought her ship to a safe distance away in order to let Nala Se contact the group. Once the mission was done, Marliss would have to reactivate the the cloak before she returned for them.

Presently, Brenna was beside Fives, with Coric at their rear and Chopper taking point while they walked down one of the corridors that ran through this place, waiting for Nala Se's signal to activate again and their mission to begin in earnest. Nala Se had given Brenna a vague idea of where the substance could be found, though she was uncertain of the exact location, so they were waiting for her signal and trying to look like they belonged in the meantime.

It was easier said than done.

“There's a squad of troopers heading towards you,” Ahsoka said over their secure comm-channel as the group made their way down a gleaming corridor. “But I don't see any Kaminoans right now. Take the next left, and you should avoid the stormies.”

Chopper's reply was swift. “Got it. Thanks, Commander.”

As the scarred clone led the group down the left-side corridor, Ahsoka sighed over the comm. “I'm not really a commander any more, Chopper. But you're welcome.”

“Nothing to it,” Fives murmured. There was a slight waver to his voice, and Brenna figured that he was thinking of Marliss, though his words were steady. “You're doing great, Bren.”

She didn't feel like it. Walking in the armor was difficult, mostly because she'd never noticed how different the clones moved from civilians like herself. Each fluid step was designed for maximum efficiency, and there was a certain stride that each man had that there was no way she could replicate. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to match Chopper's gait as he walked ahead of her. His posture – as was that of the others – was tense, and it was not wholly due to the stress of the mission.

None of them had really wanted to come back to this place, and she didn't blame them.

It was so bright here, and cold. Fives had helped her adjust the enviro-controls of her armor, but she still felt uncomfortable in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature. Everything was polished, gleaming; everything was white and pristine. Life was created here, but Brenna thought that Tipoca City felt utterly devoid of it.

Brenna didn't care for the irony of searching for a way to prolong the clones' lives in such a place. The sooner Nala Se called, the sooner they could get this mission over with and return home.

“Wait,” Ahsoka said suddenly, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks. “A few stormies broke off from the main group and are heading for you.”

Fives swore slightly, the sound distorted over the comm, but he urged everyone to continue walking, as it would look odd if they stopped for no apparent reason in the empty corridor. “Keep moving,” he murmured just as they saw the stormtroopers round the corner. “Just act casual.”

At once thankful of her armor and self-conscious of the fact that it made her move so awkwardly, Brenna tried to take a deep breath and keep her stride as smooth as possible, hoping to match the clones around her in gait if not in height. There were three approaching stormtroopers, all in the same immaculate, white armor as Brenna and her group, and the overhead lights gleamed off of the plastoid plating. The heavy tread of their boots created a steady rhythm, one that Brenna found herself automatically trying to replicate with each step, and as the stormies drew closer, she knew that this was the moment of truth.

She held her breath. Please, please let this work.

In front of her, Chopper straightened and offered a brisk nod to the stormtroopers as they passed, a gesture that the other clones returned. It was a perfunctory acknowledgment, but the fact that the stormies returned it made Brenna release her breath and shift the strap of the pack on her shoulder. Perhaps they would make it, after all.

Ahsoka's voice sounded in her ear. “You guys clear, yet? I think Marliss and Nala Se are ready.”

Before anyone could reply, the stormtrooper at the tail end of the group paused as Brenna passed by him. “You there, stop.”

In her ear, she could hear Fives swearing over the comm-channel, but Brenna didn't know what else to do but pause, even though her heart had started racing with the stormtrooper's words. Her body was screaming at her to run, to get away, but she thought that it was wiser to comply, for now. Running would certainly blow their cover, but they could maybe still bluff their way through this ordeal.

Too bad she couldn't speak. Instead, she turned and regarded the stormtrooper who'd spoken to her, tilting her head in an inquiring manner and trying to ignore the furious thundering of her heart. The stormie looked her up and down, then crossed his arms before his chest. “Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?”

Beneath her helmet, she caught her breath again because she couldn't tell if he was joking or if the inquiry was a serious one. Thankfully, she was spared from having to reply, because Chopper stepped in. “Shorty's mic is malfunctioning,” he said, injecting exasperation into his tone. “We're taking him to the quartermaster for a replacement bucket.”

“Kriffing shiny...it's the third time this week,” Fives added with a playful punch at Bren's armored shoulder. “Like he's doing it on purpose or something.”

Chopper gave a curt laugh, the sound distorted by the annunciator in his kit. “Hey, it's better than listening to all his dumb questions.”

It was a harsh statement, and for a moment Brenna thought that the scarred clone had pushed his luck, but thankfully he'd seemed to know exactly what to say to allay any suspicions the Imperial might have felt.

“Shiny, eh?” The stormtrooper gave Brenna another look, then shook his head and glanced back at Chopper. “Good luck. They're a hair away from useless, most of the time.” With those parting words, the stormtrooper and his fellows continued on, turning the corner a few moments later and leaving Brenna and her companions in silence.

The moment they were out of earshot, she exhaled and looked at Chopper, whose visor was facing her. “Thank you,” she managed.

He nodded and thumbed the way behind him. “We should get moving.”

“Guys? Brenna?” Ahsoka's voice sounded worried. “Are you okay?”

“We're fine, Commander,” Coric replied. “Just making some new friends.”

Ahsoka muttered something about her name not her title, but Brenna didn't catch it, because just then, she heard Marliss' voice in her ear. “Bren? The Shereshoy's in a safe place, so I'm going to put Nala Se on, alright?”

A moment later, the Kaminoan's voice filled Brenna's ear, lilting and liquid. “What is your current location?”

Brenna glanced around; to avoid the stormtroopers, they'd gotten a bit off-track and she wasn't quite certain where they were now, but thankfully she was not alone. Coric's reply was quiet but filled with assurance. “Level Four, Sector Seven, I believe, ma'am.”

“Very well,” Nala Se said, notes of determination in her voice. “Here is where you need to go...”

*​

Back on Alderaan...

It was only a matter of hours since Brenna and the others had left, but Rex thought that he was starting to go a little mad with worry. Once he'd come to terms with the idea of his wife leaving while he stayed behind with their daughter, he'd prepared himself for an onslaught of the emotion and tried to arrange lots of chores and activities, both for himself and Iri, in order to fill the time until Bren, his brothers and Ahsoka returned home.

Unfortunately, he wasn't really interested in doing any of them.

But it wouldn't do for him to sit around and let himself be consumed with worry, so he'd pushed past his desire to pace back and forth through the house, comlink in hand, and instead turned his attention to other tasks.

It was about two hours before dinner, and everyone was outside, within his field of vision and hard at work even as they were enjoying the last light of the day: Jesse and Caith were preparing a few more sections of energy-fence to be installed tomorrow; Kix was working his way through the final few vilpacas in their paddock, checking for injury or illness, which had to be done rather frequently. After some internal debate, Rex had decided to keep working with Nova, as he was hoping to make her even more responsive to commands; she'd done so well with Iri he thought to try letting his daughter ride the quagga again, later, but for now, Iri was happy with her grandmother.

Edme and Jensine were seated on the brick patio behind the main house; the former was looking over a datapad, while the latter was cleaning an assortment of leather tack, which she'd spread out on the patio table. Both Iri and Tav were helping, to an extent, and every time Rex glanced over and saw his daughter's face scrunched in concentration as she watched Jensine, a little bit of his anxiety fled.

Beneath him, Nova whickered slightly, drawing his attention back, so Rex nudged the quagga's sides with his heels and they moved forward as one. Thinking to work on Nova's agility and her ability to heed even the slightest of his commands, he'd created a makeshift obstacle course in the paddock out of a few rain barrels. First they walked a pattern around the barrels, then he planned to move her through at a brisk trot. Cantering would be next, then-

A faint, buzzing sound caught his attention, and as Rex slowed Nova's pace, he frowned up at the sky, which was still overcast and hazy, just a little bit darker with the evening's approach. It sounded like a ship, but there was no way Bren and the others had returned yet. The noise was too close to come from a casual passer-by, and warning stirred in his gut as he scanned the clouds. He was dimly aware that the others had also paused in their tasks to search for the source of the noise, but the bulk of his attention was fixed on the sky.

The warning thrilled to a sense of alarm when he caught sight of the strange ship, skimming through the clouds and making a direct heading for one of the closer pastures. Assuming the newcomers had speeders, Rex realized would be here within a few minutes after landing. There was no telling who they were or why they'd come, but Rex had a dark feeling that they were not stopping by to chat. No one came out here unless they had a very good reason.

No, this was no coincidence, and he knew that something was terribly wrong.

Immediately, Rex snapped into command-mode. “Jesse, Kix, Caith,” he barked into his comlink, which he'd pulled from his pocket. “Arm yourselves and prepare to defend the homestead.”

With that, he turned Nova and urged her to the edge of the paddock. There, he slid off of her back and raced for the patio, where Jensine and Edme, seeing the clones spring into action, had collected the kids and were watching Rex's approach with alarm.

“What is it?” Edme asked, her eyes wide as she took Tavi's hand. Jensine looked more angry than afraid, but she said nothing as she held Iri tightly to her chest.

Rex indicated the direction the ship had landed. “I've got a bad feeling about this,” he said, not wanting to alarm the kids any more than he had to; already, Iri's eyes were on his, and her expression was frightened. “Unless you recognize that ship?”
Jensine's eyes narrowed. “It's not one I've ever seen before.”

Rex reached for his daughter; she was trembling, so he began murmuring words of comfort as he held her close in order to lessen her fear. Iri buried her head in his shoulder, but her trembling subsided a little bit, which made him feel a bit better, too. It was more than a little ironic that this – whatever it was – was happening after he'd chosen to remain behind, in the hopes of keeping one of Iri's parents safe, but there was nothing to be done but keep going.

“It could be nothing,” Rex said. “But just in case, I'd like you both to take the kids inside. The first-floor 'fresher has no windows...lock yourselves in there and wait for the all-clear-”

“I can shoot,” Jensine interrupted with a shake of her head. “I'm not helpless. This is my home and I'm able to defend it.”

There was no time to argue, so he only nodded once and held Iri a little tighter.

By now, the others were returning from the clones' rooms where they'd taken to storing their weapons. As Rex watched them race up, he noted with satisfaction that his brothers looked as he remembered them from their army days: ready for anything. Another flare of pride rose within him when he saw that Caith and Edme was nervous, but clearly working to fight back their anxiety in order to do what had to be done. It was suddenly very quiet; the ship had probably landed by now, so they had to be ready.

Accordingly, Rex pitched his voice to his most authoritative tone, hoping to inspire confidence in everyone. “Alright,” he said with a nod. “Here's the plan. Edme: take the kids inside and try to keep them calm. Caith, Jensine: stay in the house and guard the first-floor points of entry – you'll be the last line of defense in case...”

His arms tightened around Iri, but he pushed back the swell of apprehension he felt, and continued. “Jesse, Kix: we'll create a perimeter and keep them at bay. With any luck, they won't even reach the house.”

“But if they do,” Jensine added, a glint in her eyes that reminded Rex of Brenna when she was especially determined. “We'll be ready.”

*****​

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A/N: Yep, that's a nod to the OT during Brenna's interaction with the stormies. ​

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Next time: Defending the homestead.

 

I love that "too short" line. Still. Whew, that was close. I wasn't expecting the homestead to be threatened, even remotely. "Ironic" is not the word I'd choose. is, more like.

 

Poor short Brenna Hee hee. (I'm only 5'3" myself).

Poor Rex--can't even relax at home while worrying about Brenna

 

Hey, like gracesonnet - I too would be too short for a stormtrooper - exactly the ame height LOL

 

OMG me too! 5'3" ladies unite!

 

If only I knew how to insert a GIF of that Parks and Recreation guy (or is it Community?) getting super excited

We're height twinsies! (Triplets)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

@Nyota's Heart - Couldn't let Brenna and the others have all the fun, now could we? ​

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@gracesonnet - Rex is a worrier by nature, I think. ​

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Thank you both for the comments! ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Three​

Either Brenna's luck had improved or the Force was most definitely with them, for they reached the sector where Nala Se's compound was stored without incident. Admittedly, there had been a few tense moments while Ahsoka – hiding in a ventilation duct – had to use her Force-abilities to influence the two guards who were posted in this section that they needed to take a break; once the troopers had moved away from the security panel by the door, Brenna exhaled. Filled with a new kind of tension, she stepped into the hallway, her boots echoing on the walls, and approached the panel, Fives, Chopper and Coric on her heels.

It was up to her, now.

As Brenna began rummaging through her bag, she heard Nala Se's voice over the comm-channel. “Once you are inside, I can direct you to the appropriate laboratory; all of the compounds related to the aging process were stored in one place.”

“Right,” Brenna replied, pulling out her datapad; she plugged one end of a connector-cable into her 'pad, then slid the other into the port on the panel beside the door. Her hands were trembling and her stomach was in knots, so she attempted a few deep breaths while she waited for the little 'pad to make its connection. I can do this, she told herself, thinking of Rex and all his brothers. I have to do this.

In a very real sense, many, many lives depended on her.

“You're all clear,” Chopper said, suddenly, as if he could sense her agitation.

There was conviction and kindness in Fives' voice as he added: “We've got your six, Bren.”

Marliss spoke up next, her voice sounding wry even over the comm. “He's right. We know you can do this.”

It heartened her to hear the voices of her friends, so she nodded, took another deep breath, and turned all of her attention to her datapad. Immediately, her body and mind relaxed into the familiar patterns, and she found that the work came to her easily, almost like second-nature, which helped her nerves. As she worked she forgot to be nervous; she was hardly aware of anything aside from the quietly beeping datapad in her hand and the streams of information it was feeding her.

Absently, she removed her helmet and clipped it to her belt, in order to see better, then continued working. Perhaps it took longer than she'd thought, but a few moments after she did so, she heard one of the clones' throats clear. “Uh...Brenna...?”

“Mmm?”

“Bucket.”

Blinking, she looked up to see Chopper – she thought it was, anyway – regarding her with his arms crossed before his chest. The others were silent, but they were all facing her. Frowning at the datapad for one more moment, she then glanced back at the clone. “But...”

The lights above them were reflected back to her on his visor as he shook his head, though he said nothing else. Brenna sighed, but slipped her helmet back on; it was probably wiser, anyway. Once she turned her attention back to the 'pad, she was able to ignore most of the strangeness of looking through the HUD, and within a few more moments, she felt a thrill of excitement, because...

“Oh, thank the Force,” Fives muttered as the panel flashed green and the doors slid open. “I was starting to get bored.”

There was only teasing in his voice, and she found that she was able to chuckle as they stepped inside the next room. A long, dark corridor greeted them, though the moment the door closed behind the group, a series of florescent lights flicked on – probably from an unseen motion-sensor – illuminating the entire stretch of hallway and the rows upon rows of circular-shaped doors along each wall.

“Holy kriffing hell,” Chopper said, his voice barely a whisper.

“You can say that again, vod,” Coric added. “Good thing we have a guide.”

Ahsoka's voice sounded over the comm, also quiet. “You guys are in?” Fives answered in the affirmative, and the Togruta exhaled before she replied. “There's no way for me to follow you right now. I'll hold my position and wait here. If anything goes wrong, contact me.”

“Copy that,” Brenna said as she surveyed the area, adding: “Thank you.”

Like pretty much everything else in this city, the corridor was bright and spare; clean, white walls reached back at least several hundred meters, then curved slightly to the right. Each of the doors along the sides were identical, and there were so many...

However, before Brenna had a chance to feel any more apprehensive, she heard Nala Se's voice over her comm. “Have you breached the laboratory sector?”

She took a deep breath to steady herself before she gave a brief description of the area, to verify again that they were in the correct section, then waited for the Kaminoan's direction. Within moments, she and the others were moving through the gleaming corridor, passing by dozens of doors until they reached one in particular: pale gray with a softly blinking panel beside it, the door looked the same as every other they'd passed, but Brenna's throat went tight at the thought of what lay behind it.

From what Nala Se had indicated, the security codes on the lab doors themselves were not as highly-encrypted as those on the entrance to the entire section; additionally, it was standard procedure to change the security codes to the individual labs once every month-cycle, with a new one being selected from a series of codes that were used expressly for this purpose.

Based on that information, it seemed that the more difficult part of the team's job was over once Brenna had sliced into the first door, but of course, the process was not that simple.

“I have estimated the code that you will need,” Nala Se said. “But it is only an estimation. Should the code be entered in error, the sector will be put on lock-down until the matter can be investigated, so it is imperative that the code be correct. If the sector goes to lock-down...”

She did not need to finish the thought.

“Bren can't slice into this one?” Fives said hopefully.

“Negative,” Nala Se replied. “There are a multitude of fail-safes and programs on these panels; any sort of tampering will immediately trigger the alarm.”

“The panel by the main door was pretty standard,” Brenna added, swallowing. “Difficult, but not impossible. If I had plenty of time, I could probably figure this one out, too, but...”

Fives sighed, then shifted from side-to-side. “Right, right. I understand.”

Brenna took another breath; it was no longer cold, here, because she had started to sweat uncontrollably beneath the body-glove, and it was an effort to force her hands to relax enough to stop trembling. “I'm ready.”

A pause, then Nala Se replied. Brenna was acutely aware of the others gathered around her, that they were all holding stock-still, waiting as her gloved hand lifted and pressed against the numeric keypad on the panel. She said each number back to Nala Se before entering it, in order to confirm that it was correct. It was unnerving how the panel did not seem to indicate whether or not she'd entered anything at all, let alone correctly; she figured that they wouldn't know if it had worked until the entire code had been input, and she was hardly able to breathe for her nerves, for all that she tried to push them aside.

Nala Se said the final number. Brenna repeated it, then reached for the corresponding key on the panel that had been so silent. She pressed once, and her breath caught.

*​

Everyone was in position, and just in time, too. As Rex watched the speeders approach the main house, his hands tightened on his blaster-rifle and he was filled with resolve, because he had so much to fight for. There were three speeders, each one containing two or three passengers, and from his position crouching behind a few barrels beside the paddock, Rex had ensured that he had a clear view of the attackers.

“They're coming up,” he murmured into his comm. “Everyone be on your guard.” A moment later, he nodded to himself as the others acknowledged his words: Jesse was stationed at the wind-pump; Kix was kneeling behind a cluster of bushes beside the main house; Caith and Jensine were crouched within the interior of the house itself, and he knew that each of them was as ready as he was.

Lifting a pair of electrobinoculars to his eyes, he skimmed each passenger's face to get a better sense of what he and his brothers would be dealing with. Standard-thug types, he saw at once: a motley assortment of males and females, mostly Humanoids armed with modified weaponry. Rex scowled to himself. What in the nine Corellian hells were they doing out here? They didn't look like any pirates he'd seen, and it was highly unusual for anyone to come to a Deep Core world like Alderaan to commit robbery.

Then he saw her.

Iridonian female, about a meter and a half tall, tan skin, red hair...

Suddenly, Rex was not on Alderaan any longer; he was back on Loronar, watching the woman he loved be led away by some shabla, chakaar, miserable excuse for a life-form, someone who intended to separate Bren from her family and use her for their own, petty schemes. Fury overtook him as he realized that these di'kutle were members of the Red Star Ring, and that very likely they'd come searching for his wife, either to enact revenge for the death of their leader or to take Brenna away, again.

But he didn't give a kriff about any of that, because all that mattered to Rex was that these criminals had come to his home, to threaten his family, and he'd be damned if he'd let them get away with it. It gave him a tiny measure of satisfaction knowing that they had probably not anticipated encountering a group of trained soldiers, and he decided that none of the thugs would be leaving Alderaan alive.

“Everyone: we're dealing with the scum who kidnapped Bren,” he said into the comm as the speeders slowed their approach by the house. He'd have preferred a handful of dets to toss at the vehicles, but his blaster-rifle would certainly do the job. “As soon as they're clear of the speeders, open fire. There are to be no survivors.”

There was a hiss of static, then he heard Jess and Kix answer: “Understood.”

“You're sure it's them?” It was Caith, and he sounded nervous.

“I'm positive.” Rex watched as the speeders halted and the passengers began to disembark; they were wary as they looked around, perhaps wondering where everyone was. Well, they were about to find out. He took a breath, then spoke again, pitching more authority into his voice. “Kix; you're closest to the speeders, so focus on disabling the vehicles first, in case any of them attempt to make a break for it. Jess; you and I will open fire on the count of three.”

Both of his brothers answered in unison. “Copy that, Rex.”

Just like the good old days.

He took a deep breath. “One.”

The group was too clustered for him to get a clear shot at the Iridonian female, so he aimed for a barrel-chested Human man beside her, resting his index finger lightly on the trigger as he sighted up. The Human man first, then the Iridonian if he could manage the shot. Rex's eyes narrowed. “Two.”

A flutter of discussion broke out among the intruders, and from what limited words he could make out, he thought they were about to split up and start searching the house. They were sloppy but they were well-armed and numerous; they would probably put up a decent fight.

Rex didn't care. They were all dead, anyway. “Three.”

His finger squeezed the trigger, and all hell broke loose.

*​

Thank the Force, Nala Se's code worked.

At first the lab was dark, but the moment that Brenna stepped inside, the motion-sensors caught her presence and activated the lights, revealing rows of gleaming, glass doors set into the walls, behind each of which were shelves containing hundreds of thousands of vials and containers. The entire room was several degrees cooler than the rest of the area, and faint, blue lights were placed within each unit, illuminating the room with a soft glow. Though the ceiling was high, overall it was a small space and Brenna realized at once that herself and the three clones would not all fit comfortably, so she glanced behind her where Chopper, Fives and Coric were standing by the doorway.

“It's a bit cramped...maybe just one of you come in and the others stand guard?”

The clones exchanged glances, then Fives stepped forward and joined her in the room, and they began to survey the area as Nala Se spoke over the comm, repeating the complex scientific name of the compound they were searching for. For a few minutes, Brenna and Fives scanned each shelf, looking for the appropriate item amidst rows and rows of containers that all looked remarkably similar.

Finally, Fives looked up and spoke, his voice edged with excitement. “Over here, Bren.”

“Is it...?” She crossed the room in a few steps, coming to the former ARC's side before one of the glass doors.

“I think so. Third shelf from the top; five rows in.” He read the name of a particular compound aloud, and Brenna's heart leaped when Nala Se confirmed that was the substance they were searching for. At the Kaminoan's word, Fives glanced back at Brenna, the lights of the refrigerated unit glinting in his visor. “You want to do the honors?”

Taking a breath, Brenna reached for the door; there was no lock, so she pulled open the metallic handle and surveyed the contents of the unit. Filled with an innocuous, clear liquid, the vial they needed was so small, barely bigger than her thumb, but there was a line of identically labeled ones behind it, nestled in a container made to hold them upright and stretching all the way back into the cooler.

“How many should we take?” Brenna asked the Kaminoan. “We'll need enough for as many clones as possible.”

There was a brief pause, then Nala Se replied. “The compound is highly concentrated. Only a very small amount will need to be added to the dosage; I recommend extracting six vials.”

Nodding, Brenna pulled out the container that held the vials and began removing them, starting from the back, so that if anyone happened to stop by, they might not notice that any were missing. Fives propped the door for her as she did so, and as she collected the vials, she handed them to the former ARC to tuck in his belt. Once she'd passed him half a dozen, she took another six to place in her own belt, just in case. After a pause and a glance at Fives, she took a dozen more, because it didn't hurt to be prepared, did it? It wasn't like they could come running back here if they needed any more.

Besides, Rex had a lot of brothers.

Even after taking so many, there were still a good amount left, and after she replaced the container and shut the door, it was difficult to tell that they'd taken any at all. The interior of the door was foggy from being open, but there was nothing to be done about that right now, so she looked at Fives again and began handing him some of the extra vials she'd taken. “I think we're done, here.”

“Good,” he replied, patting the pouches on his belt where he'd stowed the vials. “This place give me the creeps.”

“Nala, we're leaving,” Brenna said over the comm. “Is there anything we need to do to the door once we're out? A special closing or locking code?”

“Negative,” the Kaminoan replied, something like relief in her voice. “It will lock on its own.”

Thank the Force.

They moved back to the exit, where Coric and Chopper had been waiting; before they left the laboratory section, Brenna made sure that everyone had six vials in their belt, just in case the group was separated for any reason. There was a moment where she debated getting a few more vials, but she decided not to push their luck any more. Once the door to the lab was secure, Fives took point and they hurried down the corridor, to the exit.

Brenna didn't want to get her hopes up, but as she and the others reached the door that led out of the lab sector, she couldn't help but feel a twist of excitement in her gut. They were so close...

“Guys, hang on,” Ahsoka said suddenly. “Don't come out yet...those guards came back. They don't seem to want to cooperate with my Force-suggestions.”

Fives cursed, but the four of them held still beside the door, waiting. Several long, long seconds ticked by, and Brenna felt her excitement shift to pure, heady fear. They'd come so far; they were so close to completing their mission...she refused to believe that now everything would go awry. It couldn't, it just couldn't, there was so much at stake, so much riding on this moment, and in her mind's eye she could see Rex and Iri, and hear her promise to return to them reverberating with each stilted breath.

Finally, finally, Ahsoka spoke again. “You're clear, but hurry. They're gone for now, but I don't think it will last very long.”

Someone exhaled in relief as Fives activated the door and they stepped through. “How long do we have?” Coric asked as the door shut behind them.

Ahsoka's reply was wry. “As long as it takes them to use the 'fresher.”

“Well, that depends...” Fives began, but he seemed to think better of finishing the thought, instead indicating the way out. “Let's just go. Hey, Mar...?”

Marliss' voice broke in, relieved but determined. “We're on our way back. We'll rendezvous at the hangar in ten.”

Fives also sounded relieved. “Copy that, love. See you in ten.”

For Brenna, the journey back to the hanger was a long stretch, mostly consisting of trying to walk calmly despite the race of her heart and the sweat that was pooling at the base of her back. However, she was also light and nearly giddy with joy, because she was carrying the key to Rex and his brothers living normal lives. She hardly remembered much of the return journey to the hangar, because she kept thinking about his face when he saw her again, when she'd get to tell him that it would all be okay, that his aging would be normalized...

As they reached the hangar and Ahsoka joined them once more, the Shereshoy appeared before them, seeming to wink into existence from empty air. The group boarded quickly, but it was not until the ship was exiting Kamino's atmosphere that the celebrating started. Fives whooped and embraced his wife, kissing her so hard that she nearly fell of of her chair; the other clones clapped each other on the back and hugged Brenna as well; Ahsoka grinned and hugged them all, too.

Nala Se stood a few steps away, examining one of the vials that Bren had provided her immediately upon entering the ship; she seemed wholly absorbed in the task, so Brenna figured it was something of a surprise when Coric approached her and offered to shake the Kaminoan's hand.

*​

The Human man went down with only a startled yelp of pain, but at the sound, his companions broke into action and within moments they'd taken up defensive positions crouched between the speeders. Rex tried to see the Iridonian, but he couldn't make her out among the others, so he just kept firing. He had Jesse had the brief advantage of surprise, so they were able to pick off a few more while the intruders scrambled to defend themselves. Kix's aim was also true, and Rex noted with satisfaction that his brother took out one of the speeders with efficiency, aiming for the fuel tank first and the repulsors next.

Sadly, the speeder did not explode in a fiery ball, as Rex had been half-hoping, but the sudden shots certainly startled the Red Star Ring into another bout of confusion, one that seemed to heighten when Kix turned his attention to the next of the four speeders. Focusing all his attention on his mission, Rex managed to drop two more gang members, then another, and another; Jesse did much the same. Of course, the intruders returned the fire, but dodging the bolts was like second-nature for the clones.

For several minutes, everything was smoke and blaster-shots, and a part of Rex slid back into the routine of fighting with ease; how many hours of his life had he spent doing just this? The fire-fight was similar to many of the battles he'd lived through, and he knew with grim determination that there was no way he was going to lose this fight.

It was cool and blustery, and at first the wind carried away most of the smoke and the scent of burning plasma, but before long it began to clog up the air and Rex lost a little visibility. He did his best not to hit the house, but a few of the Red Star members were not as considerate, and he felt a new kind of anger within him as he watched scorch-marks appear on the Damaris' home.

There! He saw the Iridonian female crouching behind the speeder farthest away from Kix, who was still working to disable the third one. Gritting his teeth, Rex let loose a stream of blaster-fire towards her, but she ducked to avoid the bolts of plasma and they passed above her head.

However, he'd succeed in frightening two other members of the gang, a Twi'lek and a male Iridonian, who broke away from the group and tried to flee. Jesse took them both down with a few, well-placed shots.

There were only a few members of the Red Star Ring left, one of whom was the Iridonian, and Rex felt another surge of fury when she happened to meet his eyes from across the yard. He wondered if she recognized him from Loronar, if she'd even seen him when she'd taken Bren away. Rex did not have the Force, so he could not project his emotions or thoughts onto another life-form, but he tried to make his feelings as clear as possible through his gaze.

You will lose this fight, he thought as he lifted his blaster-rifle to fire at her again. You will not live to see another sunrise.

Of course, he had no way of knowing if she'd understood, but he thought he caught a gleam of fear in her eyes right before she lobbed off a round of blaster-bolts in his direction, causing him to duck as splinters of wood sprayed from the barrels he'd been crouching behind. When he popped back up, he saw that she'd made a break for it, perhaps thinking that it was time to beat a hasty retreat.

Kriff no, you don't.

“Jesse, Kix,” he barked into his comm as she leaped for the nearest speeder, the only one that the medic had not yet disabled. “The Iridonian...take her out!”

Rex fired, fired, kept firing, but she was faster than the others and he only managed to get a shot off on one of the repulsors before she had maneuvered the vehicle out of his line of fire, leaving a trail of smoke in her wake from the damaged equipment.

Rex was a thinking man. Rarely did he take any action without first considering the outcomes, ramifications and any steps needed to accomplish his goal, but he had also learned to trust his instincts, especially in the heat of a fight. So it was that he had no clue what he said to the others, only that he darted from his hiding place and hurried towards the paddock, where he'd left Nova, who had taken to trotting skittishly in light of the sounds and smells of battle from the house.

Getting to a speeder would take too long, and Nova was already saddled. Rex vaulted over the fence and hurried to the quagga, speaking to her in low, soothing tones as he approached. Time was so short, but if she bolted, he'd have no choice but to get a speeder.

“Easy girl,” he murmured as he came over to her. “Good girl. Good Nov'ika...”

Large ears swiveled his way but she did not move, and allowed him to mount her with one, fluid motion. Once he was seated and his blaster-rifle was slung in its holster on the saddle, Rex cast a look in the direction of the smoke that was trailing from the speeder. If they hurried, he knew they could catch the Iridonian.

“Alright, Nova,” he said, urging the quagga for the paddock gate, which was unlocked but closed. He brushed it aside with his foot and then nudged Nova into a gallop. “Let's go get that piece of rankweed.”

With a whicker that he imagined was agreement, Nova took off, and together they raced across the pasture.

*****​

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Rex as a cowboy...never gets old. ​

 

Buya on the success for Brenna and her team!

Woot for cowboy Rex LOL

 

Take 'em all, Brenna! Take them all.

 

Shorty is the best stormtrooper name ever. Love it!

And wow, a full-blown Western shootout at the Damaris ranch. Rex is one scary papa anooba when something threatens his new family. That gang really picked the wrong time, wrong place and they're going down for it. (And oh my, Rex riding off to hunt down a landspeeder on a quagga. I think the cowboy lifestyle is suiting him. )

I was holding my breath during the retrieval of the materials, so sure something would trip all the alarms. Doesn't it always? Kept going "okay, now!" and "nope, not yet... soon the anvil will fall." This fandom has conditioned me.

 

@Nyota's Heart - Don't mess with...Alderaan. It's nice to see everyone kicking butt, sometimes! ​

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@gracesonnet - Brenna's not kidding around. ​

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@Kahara - I was not planning on this story turning into a space Western, but it kinda did. I'm not complaining! Yes, Rex is adapting to life as a cowboy. I think he just needs some jeans and chaps, and he'll be good to go. ​

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Thank you all for the comments! ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Four​

Every iota of Rex's concentration was focused on the trail of smoke left in the wake of his quarry's speeder. He'd lost a few precious moments of the fading light getting to the quagga and leaving the paddock, but Nova was fast, and he knew that she was as familiar with this terrain as he was.

And the Iridonian's vehicle was failing her.

The speeder was close, perhaps only a few hundred meters ahead, and although the Red Star Ring's ship was in sight, Rex was determined that the Iridonian would not be allowed to board the vessel.

In order to give Nova a greater freedom of movement, Rex lifted his body up from the saddle, holding himself in place with his legs and leaning over the quagga's striped neck. As he watched the speeder start to cough and sputter, expelling more smoke, he urged Nova on just a little faster, hoping to close the last of the distance between himself and the one who'd caused Brenna so much pain.

Despite Nova's speed and the failing speeder, the Iridonian was getting too close to the gangsters' sleek ship, and Rex knew at once that his window of opportunity to end this now was fading faster than the daylight.

“Alright, Nov'ika,” he murmured as he lowered himself back down to sit deeply in the saddle. “Make me proud.” Nova's pace slowed just a bit, but he urged her forward, propelling her across the pasture towards the Iridonian's ship.

Rex gripped the reins with one hand and used the other to pull his rifle free of its scabbard, taking care to keep his movements steady as the quagga galloped on. He dropped the reins completely and placed both hands on the rifle so that he could raise it to his eye-level and aim. There was a moment of uncertainty where he wasn't so sure he'd be able to keep his seat, but Nova's gait was familiar and smooth, and he held his balance.

The speeder gave out several meters before the base of the ship, stopping with a cough and a final sputter, and Rex watched as the Iridonian leaped from the vehicle to race for the ship's hatch. A strange, shadowy shape stirred beside one of the landing struts, but Rex hardly noticed it because he knew that once the Iridonian reached her ship, once she was locked inside, he would have no way of getting to her and she'd be able to leave Alderaan.

Rex couldn't let that happen.

As the Iridonian rushed past the strange shadow everything seemed to slow, and suddenly Rex had all the time in the world. He moved his body in tune with the quagga's and aimed as best he could given Nova's pace. The Iridonian's boot touched the edge of the loading ramp. Rex's finger squeezed the trigger.

That was when the shadow seemed to separate from the gangster's ship. In the dusky light, the shadow became a the dark, hulking form of the mountain anooba as it struck. The Iridonian shrieked once, but the sound was strangled when the anooba fell upon her throat, and beneath Rex, Nova gave a terrified whinny and wheeled away from the ship and the predator. By the time he'd managed to turn her around, the anooba was bent over the Iridonian's lifeless body and in the last of the daylight, he caught flashes of crimson staining the ground.

The anooba had finally taken a life and Rex was not the least bit sorry. But still, it wouldn't do to have a predator who did not fear humanoids lurking around the property, so once he and Nova were facing the anooba again – at a safe distance – he switched the setting on his rifle to “stun,” aimed, and fired. The mountain anooba collapsed in a heap and suddenly the evening was very quiet.

*​

It was only a few minutes before the others reached his position, during which time Rex made sure the Iridonian was dead, checked on the anooba's unconscious form, and gave Nova a heaping of praise. The sound of approaching speeder made him tense at first, but when he realized who was coming, he relaxed and lifted his hat in greeting. Dusk had all but fallen and the overcast sky was still a steely gray color. The wind had picked up and Rex took a moment to lament that he'd not had time to grab his coat before he'd taken off.

Jesse was driving, with Kix, Caith and Jensine in tow, and Rex watched his brother pull the vehicle up beside him. Soon, everyone was congregated around Rex and Nova, looking at the Iridonian's body. At first, no one spoke.

Finally, Kix glanced Rex's way. “The others are dead, too. It's over.”

Rex nodded but made no other reply as he knelt beside the Iridonian again. She looked smaller than he remembered, more fragile. It was difficult to believe that she'd done so much damage. Beside her, the anooba's chest rose and fell in its drugged sleep, and he realized that he couldn't kill the damn thing, not now. In a strange way, he felt connected to the animal, and he knew that he did not want it dead like he had before. Perhaps they could just transport it somewhere far away.

He glanced back up at the others, his eyes falling on Caith and Jensine. “The kids are okay?”

“They're a little scared, but Edme said they were doing well,” Caith replied with a nod. “They don't really understand what happened, but she had them engrossed with a portable holo – with earphones.”

That was good. Rex hadn't considered how the sounds of battle would affect the children, but he was grateful that someone else had done so. As soon as she's old enough, he thought, rising to his feet. Iri's going to start learning to protect herself.

He didn't want his daughter to be afraid of anything, if he could help it.

“What are we going to do about...this?” Caith added, gesturing to the ship. “I'd rather not have to explain to anyone else where we got this ship. Something like this could bring a lot more trouble.”

He didn't need to mention the dozen or so dead bodies of the Red Star Ring members either, because Rex was well-aware of the fact that their compatriots might come for them and the cycle would never end. It was best to get rid of any evidence that the Iridonian and her allies had been here at all.

Jensine was standing beside Nova, running her hands along the quagga's form and alternately looking between the quagga, the blaster-rifle slung in the saddle, and the anooba; Rex watched as she seemed to think something over, then understanding and – he thought, he hoped – a bit of pride flared within her gaze. However, at Caith's words, she glanced up at her son. “Put them on the ship and set the coordinates for the sun.”

“Not a bad idea, but it would take way too long,” Jesse said, hand on his chin in thought. “But...we could fiddle with the navacomputer; make the ship leave atmo, turn around and attempt a re-entry.”

“We want them gone, Jess,” Kix replied with a frown.

The tattooed clone grinned and slapped the former medic's shoulder. “I said attempt a re-entry, Kix. Didn't say it'd be a successful attempt. A few adjustments on the angle of approach, and the wind resistance would be too much for a vessel like that to handle. It'd get burned up by sheer friction.”

“As would anything inside of it,” Rex added, though he frowned as well. “The fireworks might cause a bit of a stir among the locals.”

At this, Jensine glanced over from her place beside Nova. “I think it's a risk worth taking, son.”

Son. Rex met the blonde woman's eyes and she gave him a nod; it was a curt gesture, but he saw the approval in her eyes, so he nodded back. “Sounds like we've got a plan,” he said, looking back at Caith and his fellow clones. “Let's get to work.”

*​

Their efforts lasted for the better part of the night.

When it was done, the bodies of every Red Star Ring member were placed aboard the ship, along with the speeders they'd brought, and after a little tweaking, Jesse was able to set the navacomputer on a most unusual course; once they were all ready, he'd bring the engines online and begin the process. The still-unconscious anooba was secured in one of the sheds. It was decided that first thing in the morning, Edme would contact a member of the local animal control unit who would pick it up and transport it to a safe location, and Rex was glad that it would survive, after all.

It was the last few hours before dawn by the time they were ready to send the ship off. Jesse had set a timer on the nav, giving everyone plenty of time to return to the main house to watch the spectacle, so it was that Rex found himself leaning back in one of the chairs on the rear patio with the others, a bottle of ale in one hand and a sleepy Iri curled up on his lap. Normally, he would have wanted his daughter to be in bed at this hour, but she seemed to sense that something important was happening and wanted to be a part of it, so he obliged her.

“You awake, Iri'ka?” he murmured into her ear. In response, she snuggled closer to his chest and heaved a sigh,which made him smile. She'd been so insistent on remaining outside; of course, now she would probably sleep through the entire thing. Rex curled his free arm around her and rubbed at her arm, hoping that she was warm enough in her sweater and beneath the blanket he'd placed over the two of them.

Jesse and Caith sat beside one another at the long, wooden table; Edme and Tav were with them, the little boy apparently sharing Iri's desire to see what had gotten the adults so worked up. Jensine and Kix sat with Rex on the patio chairs, and every adult had a drink in hand, as the occasion felt celebratory in a way. The only thing that would have made this moment better, of course, would have been the presence of Bren and the rest of his family, but Rex took a measure of satisfaction in the fact that his wife would be safe, at last.

No, it was more than a measure of satisfaction. To Rex's way of thinking, he'd done his job; he'd kept Iri safe and he'd defended his home. The understanding moved through him like the gusts of near-winter wind that had caused everyone to bundle up in layers of coats and blankets. Against his chest, his daughter sighed and pressed her body closer to his, utterly relaxed in his embrace, and he thought, this is the way it should be.

Of course, he was still worried for Bren and the others, but it was not as fierce of a worry as it had been, prior to the attack from the Red Star Ring. He trusted her, trusted Ahsoka and his vode, and he found that he had faith that they would return to Alderaan...eventually. Rex was a patient man, but he wouldn't have minded instant gratification this one time.

Everyone was exhausted, but the feeling of excitement in the air increased when Jesse held up the datapad that he'd set up to activate the gangsters' ship remotely. “It shouldn't take more than a minute or so to burn up once it hits atmo again. Everyone ready?”

There was a chorus of “yes,” and the tattooed clone chuckled as he activated the 'pad. “Here we go.”

Rex felt Iri's head lift at the words. They all watched in silence as a bright flare of light erupted from the far pasture and the ship lifted towards the sky, which was still overcast. Moments later, the ship vanished into the thick cloud cover. Rex glanced at Jesse and noted that his brother was counting silently, his lips moving as he stared at the datapad. Finally, Jesse grinned, pressed something on the 'pad and glanced back up.

It began simply. A burst of flame illuminated the clouds, briefly reminding Rex of a destroyed Umbaran supply ship; as the Red Star Ring's vessel began to fracture, torn apart by the friction in the atmosphere, he could see chunks of it come loose and begin to stream through the clouds, appearing as bright points of light before they burned into harmless ashes. There had been some worry as to whether or not the ship fragments would impact the planet's surface, but Jesse had thought that they likely wouldn't even reach the ground.

“I love it when I'm right,” Jesse said, taking a sip from his bottle even as his face was turned up to the sky. The others murmured in agreement; Caith's arm was around his wife's shoulders; Tav had clambered to Jensine's chair and was wrapped in a blanket beside his grandmother; a faint smile was on Kix's face as he watched the display. For a brief moment, everyone was bathed in light that seemed to glow from within the clouds themselves.

“Pretty,” Iri sighed. “See, Daddy?”

“I see it, Iri.” Rex hugged her closer and watched the final pieces of the ship fade to nothing in the atmosphere. It was over.

*​

Back on the Shereshoy, Brenna could hardly wait to get out of the armor, but it was easier said than done. The pieces were numerous and more complicated than she remembered, and she was having trouble figuring out how they detached from the body-glove, which was starting to be very uncomfortable against her chest. However, she was reluctant to bother anyone else, as Marliss and Fives were engrossed with piloting the ship after they'd sent a brief message back home, while Chopper was napping and Coric was deep in conversation with Nala Se.

So she'd taken to one of the cabins and decided to try on her own, at first. But it wasn't easy.

When the light rap sounded at her door, Brenna was twisted almost completely around, trying to figure out how to remove the chest-piece as she stood in the center of the cabin. At her word, the door opened and Ahsoka peered inside, her eyes falling on Brenna and a faint smile coming to her face. “Need some help?”

Brenna looked up at the Togruta and sighed. She knew that pieces of the armor were hanging off of her haphazardly and she probably looked silly, but all she could think about was getting out of the kriffing body-glove, so she nodded. “Thanks.”

Ahsoka smiled again and stepped inside, her brow-lines furrowing as she approached Brenna. “I think I remember some of this,” she said as she began to work at the fastenings on Brenna's shoulders. “At least,” she amended hastily. “I watched the guys do it enough that I should remember.”

There was the faintest edge of nerves to her words, which made Brenna wonder, but before she could ask, Ahsoka spoke again. “Rex said that some of your memories have returned, but I haven't had a chance to talk to you. How are you doing?”

“Better,” Brenna replied as Ahsoka tugged at the fastenings of the armor. “Not everything has come back. Honestly, I'm not sure they all will, but...” She trailed off and thought of Rex, bathed in the golden light of their tent and asking her to marry him. “I'm trying to make new memories.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Ahsoka said, making a noise of satisfaction as the chest-plate fell loose. The Togruta set it on the bunk with a brush of the Force, then gave Brenna a knowing look. “Those shoulder-things are a pain, too. Would you like...?”

“Yes, please,” Brenna replied with a smile. Ahsoka nodded and set to work on the left spaulder, and for a few minutes it was quiet. Finally, as Ahsoka removed the spaulder and moved to set it aside, Brenna spoke again. “Rex has been...wonderful. I couldn't do this without him, and I'm so grateful to you for finding me, and for helping us with...everything. I know he's grateful, too.”

Ahsoka smiled, but did not release the plastoid piece from her grip; instead, she seemed to study it for a moment before she looked back at Brenna. “I've known Rex a long time,” she said slowly, her sienna fingers tightening over the armored plating. “At first, he was a teacher, like my Master, but later...he became a friend. My best friend.”

A faint smile appeared on her mouth and her gaze turned distant for a moment before she spoke again. “I've seen him pleased. I've seen him tired and injured; seen him sad and angry and lost. I've seen him smile – only a few times.” She paused and they exchanged a smile at this, then the Jedi took a breath and continued. “I've seen him broken. But Brenna, I've never seen him so happy as he is with you and Irini.”

Still clutching the spaulder, Ahsoka met Brenna's eyes again, and there was hesitation in her eyes. “He used to...care for me,” she said, slowly, as if measuring the words against Brenna's reaction. “Like...as more than a friend.”

Brenna frowned. She had no idea if it was something she'd known before, or if this was the first she'd heard of it; likely the latter, as the way Ahsoka was practically radiating nervousness seemed to indicate that she thought Brenna had never known. Brenna supposed it made sense that Rex had at one point developed feelings for the young woman he'd fought beside; she thought it was probably something that happened naturally, when one worked and fought and bled with someone they found compatible. Rex cared for Ahsoka, Brenna knew that. She remembered his account of the night of Order 66, how he'd done everything in his power to make sure that his friend, who was stricken and helpless at the time, made it to safety.

Idly, she wondered why he hadn't told her that he'd had a “crush” on Ahsoka at one point, then shrugged the thought away. It didn't matter. Rex had never given her a reason to doubt him, at least in her memory, but even if she couldn't remember everything that had passed between them, she trusted him completely.

Besides, the past was gone. All she had, all anyone had, really, was right now.

Perhaps mistaking Brenna's expression for anger or annoyance, Ahsoka touched the brown-haired woman's arm. “It was a long time ago, and it wasn't...real, Brenna,” she said, her eyes earnest. “It was a crush. That's it. And it was...one sided, at the time.” Here, her montrals flushed as she cleared her throat. “I'll admit, when I first met him I was kind of...caught up with him, too, but it faded as I got older. He's my best friend...he's like a brother.”

The Togruta still seemed a little nervous, so Brenna reached up and patted Ahsoka's hand. “It's okay,” she said with a smile. “I don't think I knew all that, so I'm glad you told me. But...it doesn't matter, now.”

Relief swept across Ahsoka's face as she nodded. “No, it doesn't. But I wanted to talk to you about it, anyway, because-” She paused again and looked uncertain, then seemed to reach a decision. “Rex told me that you guys got married, and I wanted to congratulate you.”

Thinking back to when Ahsoka had first appeared on Alderaan, just before they'd left for Kamino, Brenna remembered how much more at ease Rex had seemed, knowing that the Jedi was coming with them. He trusted Ahsoka, and she thought it was in a slightly different way than he trusted his brothers. Best friend, Ahsoka had said. Like a brother. It made sense, now.

Maybe in another time she'd have been annoyed or upset at the realization that their “secret” was not a secret, but Brenna didn't fault her husband for wanting to share something like this with someone he was close to. In fact, she could probably stand to learn from him, as far as her dealings with her own family were concerned.

Besides, I trust her, too, she thought, then smiled at the Togruta. “Thank you,” she said. “It's...nice that someone else knows.”

Until she said the words, she hadn't known they were true, and she sighed inwardly as she wondered how upset her mother would be upon finding out that Bren had essentially eloped and kept it a secret. She offered another smile to Ahsoka and shifted her other shoulder; they'd stopped working on removing her armor during the conversation, so they continued for a few moments before Brenna spoke again. “I can never thank you enough for everything you've done. Not just bringing me back,” she added as she looked at Ahsoka. “For being such a good friend to him, too. For being there for him when I couldn't be.”

Ahsoka's head ducked in a nod. “I'm glad to help him. Rexter's a good guy.”

“Rexter?” Brenna giggled. I'll have to mention that, later. Most of the portions of her armor were off, so she took a seat on the bunk and lifted her left foot in order to remove the boot. “Ah, that's right...you can tell me all about Rex in the early days. Did you know him as a shiny?”


Laughing, Ahsoka shook her head, then settled beside Brenna, folding her knees and resting her elbows upon them. “I don't think that Rex was ever a shiny, even when he first left Kamino. But, there was this one time, when we were searching for a holocron...”

*****​

​

Next time: Homecoming. ​

 

Enjoyed very much the solution to taking care of the Red Star ring members and the evidence of their ever being there. Also liked very much the way everyone gathered together to watch the display in the atmosphere Jensine calling Rex "son" just put that scene over the top.



~!

The Bren/Ahsoka confidings - wonderful! I like how each shared and reacted to the other's revelations and that Ahsoka can share her experiences with "Rexter"

 

@Nyota's Heart - They've all deserved a bit of fun after being attacked! Yes, Jensine *finally* has accepted Rex as part of the family. It only took him saving her family's home, lol. Glad you liked the Ahsoka/Bren convo at the end! Thank you for the comments. ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Five​

When she returned to Alderaan this time Brenna knew she was coming home, but it was not until the hatch of the Shereshoy lowered and her eyes fell on Rex and Iri again that she knew she'd made it.

Fives had made a brief comm-call to Alderaan once they'd left Kamino to say that everyone was fine and they'd been successful in their mission, but Brenna figured that Rex – and the others – had probably worried a great deal, anyway.

It was around lunchtime. The sky was overcast and blustery, but it was not an unpleasant feeling to be touched by the sweeping winds of her homeworld. Around her, Ahsoka, Marliss and the others were waiting to disembark as well, though everyone seemed to stand out of her way, just a little bit, as if silently agreeing to let her off of the ship first.

Brenna met her husband at the edge of the Shereshoy's loading ramp, and at first neither she nor Rex spoke; he only took her in his free arm and embraced her with a strength that should not have surprised her any longer. He kissed her mouth, then her cheek. He murmured into her ear and the way his voice shaped the syllables of her name told her he'd missed her more so than anything else he could have said. When they parted and she looked at him as she took Iri in her arms, she could see the traces of worry in his eyes even though there was only a smile on his face.

Their daughter was not as laconic in her greeting.

“Mama home!” Iri shrieked, looping her arms around Brenna's neck and giggling happily as her mother laughed as well.

“I missed you, too, sweetheart,” she replied. As she held Iri close, Brenna inhaled the scent of her child and silently thanked the Force that she'd returned to her daughter once more.

“Mama! Mama! See pretty lights?”

As Brenna embraced her daughter, she glanced at Rex. “What's she talking about?”

The rest of Brenna's family had gathered around them, greeting those who'd returned from the mission; at the question, Caith, Jensine, Edme, Kix and Jesse glanced between one another, as if uncertain of what to say, exactly. Finally, Brenna's mother reached forward and embraced her daughter and granddaughter, exhaling as she did so. “We had some unwelcome visitors,” she said as she hugged Brenna. “But we took care of everything. Welcome home, Brenna.”

As she thanked her mother, Brenna glanced at Rex, who was greeting his brothers; he gave her a somewhat abashed half-smile, which she thought meant he'd tell her everything, later.

“You got it?” Kix was saying to Coric after all the clones had clasped arms.

In response, Coric pulled one of the little vials that Brenna and Fives had collected free from the case they'd brought along for this purpose. He passed the vial to the other medic, who studied the object intently before handing it back, where Coric stowed it in the case, which he then presented to Nala Se. The Kaminoan accepted it with a nod.

“Now I have everything I need,” she said in her lilting accent. “I should be able to have serum ready within the week. However, you should be aware that there may be a number of...unpleasant side-effects while the serum does its job.”

“Side-effects?” Chopper broke in; he was standing between Caith and Coric, arms folded across his chest. “What sort of side-effects?”

Nala Se blinked once. “Your bodies will likely react to the serum – not as if it is a cure for an illness – but as if it is a foreign presence that must be...fought. As such, I anticipate that your body temperatures will rise above normal, you will most likely experience muscle-soreness, digestive issues and general fatigue. I am uncertain exactly what will occur,” she added, glancing from one clone to another. “Or how long it will take for your system to stabilize. I recommend that at least one or two of you test the serum before it is disseminated among the others.”

Brenna watched as Rex's brow lifted, but before he could respond, Kix held up his hand. “I volunteer.”

The other clones looked at him, but he only shrugged. “It's worthy cause. Besides, medically...well, it's fascinating stuff, isn't it?”

“I volunteer as well,” Jesse added. “Not so much because I find it 'fascinating,' but because I'm not...attached to anyone.” He paused and glanced between Rex and Fives, then continued. “If something goes wrong-”

“It will not,” Nala Se broke in, her voice pitched to be soothing. “But that is a commendable attitude.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Brenna saw Rex inhale, though he nodded after a moment. “Alright; Kix, Jesse...thank you.”

“Once we know it works,” Fives spoke up, his arm around Marliss' waist. “We'll need to figure out a way to get it to as many brothers as possible. I know a few guys on Mandalore who'd be interested.”

“Me too,” Ahsoka added. “Well, I don't know anyone on Mandalore, but I do know of a few pockets of clones who would probably like to know about this.”

At these words, Brenna noticed Rex's breath catch. Suddenly, he seemed very lost in thought, and she wondered if he was thinking of brothers that he'd known, brothers that he'd like to see again.

Following this, there were a few more minutes of discussion and planning, though eventually Jensine urged everyone into the kitchen where she had – naturally – prepared a rather substantial meal for the travelers. The meal was boisterous and celebratory, but it was not until everyone had converged in the sitting room to share the details of their adventures that Brenna learned the truth of what had occurred while she and the others had gone to Kamino.

Zoea was dead.

Rex hadn't known her name; Brenna didn't remember if she'd told him, but it mattered very little now.

“It's over,” her husband murmured to her. They were seated close together on one of the sofas, Iri nestled between them and totally engrossed in a holo-film Caith had put on to – hopefully – keep the younglings from interrupting with too many questions.

Brenna nodded, but did not immediately reply. Around them, the others were still talking, but her attention had turned inward. She remembered her time with Arcas and Zoea too well; it wasn't fair, really, and she wondered how long it would take her to recover from the trauma, or if she ever would.

But she had her family, still. She had people who loved her, whom she loved back. She had a passion, an ability that allowed her to help others and make the most of her life. Brenna knew that she had so much more than so many in the galaxy, and that, with any luck, the life that she was building with Rex would only get better.

After a moment she reached for her husband's hand. “It is over. But I think something else is beginning.”

*​

Approximately two and a half months later...

Everything hurt.

On top of the hurting was intense, searing nausea, and on top of that was a general feeling of mugginess, like Rex's head was filled with cotton and his body with lead. Moving was pretty much out of the question, but that was okay, because he had nowhere he wanted to go; his mission, as he saw it, was to weather the hurting, the nausea and the mugginess in order to come out the other end a whole man. As he rested in what had been dubbed “the recovery room,” the guest bedroom in the main house, Rex had never been so miserable in his entire existence.

But it was a small price to pay for what lay ahead: the rest of his life.

Once the serum had been prepared, Kix and Jesse had tested it; after about a month, the blood-tests that Nala Se had conducted on them proved beyond any doubt that the cure was indeed working, and that any clones who underwent the treatment could look forward to a normal life-span, provided they could suffer through a month or so of unpleasantness.

Well, it was a great deal more than unpleasant, but he refused to let on just how much to anyone but Brenna, when she would stay with him. Sometimes she would do her work in the room and he would allow himself to drop off into sleep while listening to the gentle beep of her datapad; sometimes she would curl up beside him and lightly rub his chest and stomach, which was soothing; sometimes she would read to Iri – quietly – and they would both fall asleep nestled beside him. Those were the times he liked best, and they were what made the physical discomfort of the past two weeks somewhat more bearable.

Today, he was sleeping. Well, it wasn't sleeping so much as trying to focus on each breath and convince his body to relax, maybe to drift into blessed unconsciousness for a while; Ahsoka probably would have said it was a form of meditating, but Rex had no clue about that. All he knew was that focusing on breathing was better than trying to ignore the roiling in his gut and the soreness in his entire body, which Nala Se said was the result of his cells attempting to fight what they perceived as a threat in the cure. Eventually, the cure would win the battle for his blood and his body would relent.

Rex took a deep breath as another wave of nausea hit him. Victory couldn't come too soon.

It was early afternoon, he thought, for the house was quiet, indicating that those who were on Alderaan at the moment were outside. Once the cure had been proven to work and the former ARC had weathered through it himself, Fives and Marliss had left for Mandalore. Not long after Bren and the rest had come back from Kamino, Ahsoka had left again, though she had plans to return very soon and take several vials of the cure to her contacts.

The room was cool and dim because he was sensitive to light and he'd been running a slight fever – all apparently part of the acclimation process – and it was peaceful. Strangely enough, he didn't do too much thinking these days, as every spare bit of mental energy was focused on not vomiting every five minutes. The cure sometimes made it difficult to keep food or water down, so Kix and Coric had rigged an IV beside the bed for emergencies and every day Brenna would try to get him to eat something simple, like muja sauce.

While he normally would have despised being treated like an invalid, Rex felt like five kinds of osik, too much so to worry overmuch about how he was being treated.

“Rex?”

Bren's voice broke over him like a wave lapping across a sandy shore, and he peeked his eyes open enough to make out her form as she stepped into his room, closing the door behind her. She was alone; he figured that Iri was with the others. She studied him for a moment, perhaps to see if he was awake, so he opened his eyes further and gave her the best smile he could manage. “Hey, Bren.”

Fek, he sounded awful, hoarse and croaky, but she only smiled and approached the bed. She sat on the edge – carefully – and turned to face him, running her left hand over his chest and forehead, assessing his current state. A moment's observation told him that she had something in her right hand, and he wanted to ask what it was, though a ripple of nausea kept him silent.

But her touch was soft and welcome, and he felt his body relax a bit more, because there was nothing better than her, here, with him, even in his sorry state. His eyes closed as she brushed her fingers against his jaw, his lips, his forehead, and he sighed when her hand dropped to his stomach to make the soothing rubbing motions that always made him feel just a little bit better.

“How are you doing?”

Eyes still closed, Rex inhaled to gather his strength before he replied. “...'m fine.”

There was a light chuckle from her, then her hand lifted and he felt the mattress shift as she leaned beside him, resting her body along his own carefully, so not to disturb him overmuch. He sighed when her hand made its way back to his stomach and considered trying to move enough to put his own arm around her shoulders. Moving was generally not advisable, as it only made the nausea worse and aggrandized the soreness. As if in protest of even the thought, the churning in his gut increased from bad to horrible and he was unable to bite back a groan.

Bren murmured his name, then rested her head on his shoulder as he felt her arm shift so that it was hovering just above his chest, as if she were holding something up for him to see. “Can you please open your eyes, Rex?”

He did so and felt his brows knit as he studied the slender little object in her hand. The room was dim but not completely dark, and he could make out a tiny screen of some kind at one end of what appeared to be a stick made of flimsi. “What's...?”

She took a breath. “It's a pregnancy test.”

That made his eyes open wider, and he actually turned to her despite the combined assault from the soreness and the nausea. There was a moment where he was able to tilt his head to give her a querying look, and she replied with a tentative smile. “I didn't want to take it until you felt better, but I couldn't wait anymore.”

He had a vague notion of how the tests worked, and glanced back at the slender object. “When did you take it?”

“Not long ago,” she replied, leaning her head back to his shoulder. “We should know in a matter of moments.”

Rex inhaled again and stared at the tiny display area on the object; the nausea had faded somewhat from his immediate attention, and he found himself counting the seconds as they ticked by. Just as he was about to ask her how much longer, the word formed.

YES

For a moment they were both silent. The thoughts that had been moving through his mind at such a sluggish pace began to race along, and he swore he could feel every beat of his blood through his veins. There was a burning in his eyes that made him blink rapidly and he could feel his breath start to quicken. Still lying against him, Bren lifted her head and regarded him as if searching for a reaction. “Rex...did you see?”

To hell with feeling like osik.

“Yes,” he managed, then he wrapped his arm around her because he needed to embrace his wife. He wanted to laugh or at least smile, but despite his resolve all he was capable of was the one movement of his arm, because even that was enough to make his stomach roil in protest.

But if she knew any of that she said nothing, simply tilted her head up to his and kissed him gently on his cheek. “I'm happy...are you?”

Rex looked at her and opened his mouth to say, yes, of course I am, followed by, I love you so much, but what came out was a far cry from those words. “I'm...going to be sick.”

It was immediate, but thankfully he did not get sick on her. Instead, he just barely managed to make it to the waste-basket set beside the bed for this purpose, and after a few moments of retching, he flopped back down and groaned. “That's not...because of the news.”

She laughed. “I know.”

He took a breath and looked at her again. Now that the edge had been taken off of his nausea, he was able to speak a bit more clearly. “The moment I'm over this...cure, you're getting kissed within an inch of your life.” And ravished, he thought about adding, but decided against it. She probably knew, anyway.

Bren chuckled and leaned against his chest again, and this time he wrapped both arms around her and inhaled the scent of her hair. “I am happy,” he murmured after a moment. “A little terrified, but mostly happy.”

Suddenly there was so much he had to do, to learn, to plan, but for now, being together was enough. They lay in silence for several minutes, then she sighed. Concerned, Rex glanced down at her. “Are you okay?”

“We should probably tell the others,” she replied, a frown in her voice.

Rex furrowed his brows. The nausea was starting to return, but it wasn't bad yet, so he took a breath before he spoke, running his hand across her stomach. “Well...I imagine they'll figure it out eventually.”

“I mean about...us. Getting married.” At first he felt the movement of her body as she chuckled, though she sighed a beat later. “Mom's going to be upset she didn't get to throw a wedding.”

He considered for a moment, then tilted his head down to her, trying to ignore the waves of nausea that were growing stronger with each breath. “Maybe...we could get married again? Is that something people do?”

“Like...have a second wedding for our friends and family?” she asked. He nodded and she seemed to consider for a moment, then she smiled. “I don't see why not. We can keep the first one just between us. I think I would like Iri to see us get married.”

The mention of his daughter filled him with joy and terror, because Iri would have a sibling soon, and he still wasn't quite sure he was up to the challenge. Well, right now he didn't feel up to much of anything, so he tried to set his insecurity aside and focus on the joy instead. A deep, deep breath allowed Rex to push back the worst of the nausea for the time being, while a moment of concentration let him sit up a bit more in order to better regard her.

As she gave him a curious look, he took another breath and met her eyes. “Brenna Damaris, will you marry me...again?”

Immediately, a huge smile spread across her face, and she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to his. “Yes, Rex. I will.”

While he welcomed her closeness, the sudden pressure on his stomach was not a good feeling, and Rex knew that he was about to retch again, so he extricated himself from her embrace as quickly as he could and just barely made it to the waste-basket in time.

Oh, shab. Way to kill the moment.

Once he was done, he leaned back against the pillows, scrubbing his hand over his face as he did so. “Another new memory for you,” he managed, grimacing. “Sorry, Bren...”

A touch at his chin; when he looked at her he saw that she appeared to be fighting back a chuckle even as there was sympathy in her eyes. “I'll take every memory of you I can get,” she replied as she ran her thumb across his jaw. “Even the not-so-great ones.”

“I guess this qualifies,” he replied, though his eyes had drifted shut with her touch. A moment later he was leaning back against the pillows and she was pressed close to his side again, gently rubbing his stomach, and despite being in the worst physical state of his short – not for much longer – life, Rex thought that nothing had ever been better than right now.

*****​

It was important to me to have the cure not be an easy – or quick – fix to the clones' rapid aging. Nothing comes without a price, and I felt that something like this, essentially rewriting their genetics, would come with a high price-tag. But it's worth it.

From this point on, things will progress at a quicker pace, as we have a bit of ground to cover in order to tie up all those plot-threads I've been weaving.

Thank you for reading.

Next time: Dress-fittings

 

Can I SQUEE?! Oh yes. A lot. Delightful, on all counts.

 

“At least,” she amended hastily. “I watched the guys do it enough that I should remember.”
--Lol, Ahsoka. You "watched." Sure you did
...
Rex looked at her and opened his mouth to say, yes, of course I am, followed by, I love you so much, but what came out was a far cry from those words. “I'm...going to be sick.”
--And LOL, Rex. Also, poor Rex. Also, yay Rex and Brenna!

I have so many feelings about these stories.

Man, imagine an alternate universe where Rex and Anakin bond over their secret weddings and secret pregnant wives.
(Darn it, I made myself sad again).

 

@Nyota's Heart - Squee away! ​

​

@gracesonnet - I would love that AU! ​

​

Thank you both so much for the comments! I'm sorry I didn't get to update last week. Life got in the way. ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Six​

Approximately one month later...

Outside, it was threatening to snow; the cloudy sky was heavy and white, and the air was sharp with cold. It was warm inside though, and the brightness of the sky added a pleasant, cool undertone to the light of Brenna and Rex's bedroom, where Brenna, Jensine and Edme were gathered for what was shaping up to be the first of many, many dress-fittings.

“Mom, it's fine,” Brenna huffed.

Jensine continued to tug at the waist of Brenna's dress, frowning as she did so. “You're going to be much bigger come spring. We need to make sure that the dress will still fit you for the wedding.”

There were notes of irritation in the blonde woman's voice, and Brenna wondered if the constant dress-fittings were a subtle way of her mother expressing further annoyance over being kept out of the loop. After she'd learned she was pregnant, Brenna had made a trip to Dr. Bores in Belleau-a-Lir; following the assurance that everything was developing normally, and as soon as Rex had been feeling well enough to join the family for dinner, the two of them had informed the adults that she was pregnant and they'd be getting married that spring.

The kids had been watching a holo in another room at the time, as Brenna wanted to wait a little bit longer before telling Iri that she'd be a big sister, soon. As they'd agreed, neither Rex nor herself had made any mention of the Mandalorian ceremony, which was going to remain their secret.

After they'd shared the news there had been much hugging and kissing of Brenna's cheek, as well as laughter and nudges at Rex's ribs. A flurry of speculation had broken out, and before either Brenna or Rex knew what was happening, Jensine had taken command of the bulk of the wedding planning. It was to be expected.

However, Brenna was starting to wish she'd never said anything at all, especially as her mother kept tugging on the waist of the dress, glaring at the garment as if it had wronged her in some way. “It's just not right,” Jensine said with a shake of her head. “I don't think it will look right on you once you start to show. Maybe the fabric is too silky...”

Edme, who had a few skills as a seamstress, gathered the length of material that made up the skirt and ran it through her fingers. “It's a good, soft texture. It's very flattering.” She smiled at Brenna, who took the expression to be a show of support. “I think it will look lovely.”

Brenna smiled back, even as her mother sighed and stepped aside, surveying the dress with pursed lips. “Hmm...maybe. I have my doubts, though.”

There was still a distinct edge of criticism to her mother's voice that made Brenna want to scowl, because she liked the dress: sleeveless, ivory pale, with several embroidered vine patterns running vertically along the skirt. The cut was such that it would provide her growing belly with enough room several months down the road. It wasn't ornate or overly expensive, but it was well-made and she thought it suited her, and she hoped Rex would like it as well.

Again, she found herself fighting back a sigh of exasperation at her mother, but Edme spoke up before either Brenna or Jensine could say anything further.

“I'm glad you're waiting until the spring,” the copper-haired woman said as she stepped back to admire the full effect of the dress. “It's so beautiful out here, especially then. I love when the grass turns green again, and everything is bright and alive for miles all around.”

Edme's tone was wistful, and a glance at her showed Brenna that her sister-in-law's gaze had turned to the window, beyond which they could make out the mountains. “You have the hydendock trees by your house, though,” Brenna said, thinking of the times she'd been out to the house since her recent return to Alderaan; it was a lovely place, much smaller than her mother's home, but cozy and pleasant. “They'll be beautiful when they bloom later in the spring.”

“They are, but there's something so...open out here,” Edme replied, looking back at Brenna as Jensine knelt to fiddle with the hem. “I love this place. I always have.”

“Yes, but having a wedding right at the start of foaling season?” Jensine muttered, examining the hem as if checking the stitching. “I don't see why you had to wait to get married.”

Brenna's memories of her childhood were still foggy, even though she'd spent hours and hours looking through the old pics and holos that chronicled those earlier days out here. Some things, though, remained in her mind: the scent of sun-kissed grass; buzzing gadflies darting among the quagga; a warm, gentle wind that caressed skin and coaxed hats to tumble to the ground. So, she had no firm memory of spring on Alderaan, but she had a fairly good idea of what to expect when the season turned.

“Because it's cold and miserable right now,” Brenna replied. She grasped a handful of material and gently plucked it out of her mother's hands. “And Ed's right; spring out here is bound to be lovely.”

“Oh, it is,” Edme said with a grin. “Very romantic.”

Jensine sighed and stood back up, crossing her arms and studying Brenna's reflection in the mirror. For a moment the three of them were quiet, taking in the sight, then Jensine exhaled again and looked at her daughter. “I suppose it will work out. Anyway, I always knew you'd make a beautiful bride, Brenna. I just wish your father could see you.”

The kindness in her mother's words was wholly unexpected; they were filled with warmth and affection, and Brenna felt a sudden, burning sensation behind her eyes, because she realized that she was glad she'd have the opportunity to share this experience with her mother, despite any bickering that might ensue, especially since she only had one parent alive. Of Garris Damaris her memories were patchy, but she wondered how much was due to the fact that she'd been so young when he died, and how much was due to the side-effects of the hycosine. I wonder if Dad would have liked Rex?

Brenna took a deep breath. There was pain at the thought of her father, because her memories of him were so spotty, more so than the others that she was still trying to reclaim, and she wished that it weren't so. But it was, so she tried to accept the pain and then let it go with an exhale.

“I'm just glad you found Rex,” Jensine added. “He's an excellent quagga trainer. Done more with Nova than I ever could have; in a couple of weeks, those folks at the midwinter auction won't know what hit them.” The words were loaded with admiration, as if Rex's best quality was how well he interacted with the equines, at least according to Brenna's mother.

“Mom.”

Brenna sighed, but Jensine continued, a trace of mirth appearing in her pale blue eyes. ''But more importantly, he's a good father to Irini and a good man in general. I have no doubt that he'll make a fine husband to you.”

Before Brenna could reply, there was a light rap at the door, followed by Rex's voice. “Bren?”

“No!” Edme called out, hurrying to the door as if to lock it. “Stay out, Rex!”

“It's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding,” Jensine added with a shake of her head. “One of the oldest traditions around.”

There was a pause, then Rex spoke again, his voice bewildered. She could imagine his perplexed expression, and the image made her smile. “Bren? Can Iri and I talk to you when you're...available?”

“Just a second,” she replied, gathering up her dress and preparing to step out of it. Several minutes later, she was back in her pants and sweater and she'd shooed out her mother and sister-in-law. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was Iri, in Rex's arms and giving her a curious look.

“Baby in Mama tummy?” Iri asked brightly while her father stepped in the room.

Brenna looked at Rex, who gave a somewhat abashed smile. “Jess let the wampa out of the cave,” he said, setting Iri on the floor and glancing around the room with caution, as if ensuring that the wedding dress would not jump out at him.

“I figured that was our cue to talk to her about everything,” he added with another glance at his wife. They'd discussed the matter a fair bit, so they each had some idea of what to say to their daughter, but Brenna had hoped to wait a bit longer before sharing the news with Iri

Where the three-year old normally would have clambered up to the bed to nestle in the pillows and blankets, she remained standing, casting inquisitive looks up between her parents. “Mama has baby in tummy?”

The adults exchanged glances, then Brenna bent to pick up her daughter; she sat at the edge of the bed, and Rex took a seat beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Yes, Mama has a baby growing in her tummy,” Brenna said with a pat at her stomach. “My tummy will get bigger and bigger soon, and eventually, we'll have a new baby.”

“You'll be a big sister,” Rex added, a note of pride in his voice. “And I know you'll be a wonderful one, Iri'ka.”

“Yes, you will,” Brenna said, smiling at Iri's thoughtful expression. “You'll be able to show your new brother or sister so much, sweetheart.”

Rex spoke up next. “Do you have any questions, Iri?”

There was a pause, during which Iri seemed to consider her response. Brenna felt Rex tense beside her; they'd discussed appropriate responses to all of the potential questions that Iri could ask, but she knew he still had his reservations about exactly what information Iri would want. Finally, the toddler looked between her parents. “Watch faan-taa holo?”

“Sure, sweetheart,” Brenna replied with a smile. “Why don't you ask Nana to put it on for you?” The little girl giggled and clambered out of Brenna's arms, making a beeline for the door.

Once Irini was out of the room, Rex gave her a wry look. “That was easy.”

Brenna laughed and leaned into his side as she looked up at him. “For now. I imagine once she processes the idea, she'll have all kinds of questions. She's thoughtful...just like you.”

He smiled. The expression was filled with pride and love, and Brenna rested her head on his shoulder, wanting to be as close as possible to this man. She felt Rex's arm tighten around her shoulders, then he kissed her forehead. “Feeling alright?”

Nodding, she shut her eyes and inhaled his scent. “You?”

“Never better.”

There was a pause, then his voice turned querying and slightly apprehensive. “Your mother and Edme were just kidding about the dress thing, right?”

She couldn't help but chuckle at this, so she sat up and met his eyes. “Sort of. I think it's one of those old traditions that nobody knows where it came from but they still follow. Something to do with arranged marriages, which used to be pretty common on Alderaan, from what I understand.”

Rex's brows had knitted at the mention of arranged marriages, but he seemed to shrug off his question in light of reaching up to cup her cheek and kiss her mouth, gently. “I'm sure the dress is beautiful,” he said when they parted. “But I'd marry you even if you were wearing a pillowcase.”

“What about armor? It was a lot more flattering than I thought it'd be...and so practical, too.” She tried to say the words completely deadpan, but lost it when he pulled a face.

Seeing her giggle at his expense, Rex replied with a look of mock-sternness, then grabbed her middle and pulled her down on the bed alongside him, nuzzling her neck in an extraordinarily ticklish way in order to make her squeal in protest, which she did. Finally, after she was gasping for breath he pulled back and shifted so that he was leaning over her. “No armor,” he said firmly, adding: “please,” a moment later.

Brenna smiled and touched his cheek. “No armor. Just a dress.”

He bent to give her a swift kiss, then laid back down beside her, and they were both quiet for a few minutes; the sounds of one of Iri's favorite holos had begun to trickle through the house, and Brenna could hear their daughter and Jensine laughing. She sighed and turned her head to look at Rex, who met her gaze. “Mom doesn't like the dress I picked out, of course,” she said, trying not to sound overly petulant. “But my options are limited...I'm not going to be the same size when spring gets here.”

Rex shifted again, turning on his side and propping his head up on his hand, while he rested his other palm on her belly, above her sweater. “Do you like the dress?”

“It's perfect.”

He shrugged. “Then I think it's your call, not hers.”

“Of course it is,” Brenna said with an exhale. “But I just hate bickering with her over every little thing. I wish she could just...back off sometimes, you know?”

“You still want to go through with the wedding?” His voice was calm, but his eyes on her held a trace of uncertainty. “We don't have to, you know. We're already married...this is sort of for everyone else.”

Even through her clothing his hand on her belly was warm, and she placed her right hand on top of his as she added: “Yes, I do still want to go through with it. I'm really happy that she's – that everyone's – going to be there. Especially Iri; I think she'll have a blast. I think we all will...it's just that Mom drives me crazy, sometimes. Some things don't change, I guess.”

Something changed in his expression; his face turned speculative and he said nothing for a few minutes, instead slipping his hand beneath her sweater and rubbing broad circles against her stomach. Finally, he glanced at her again. “I got a comm from Fives earlier. Looks like he and Marliss made it to Mandalore without any issues; the others there are going to disseminate the cure as much as they can, but there are a few more places that Fives wants to visit. He mentioned Ahsoka, too. Said he met with her on Onderon and passed along some of the cure for her to spread around as well.”

“That's good,” Brenna said with a smile. “Any clone who wants the cure should be able to get it.”

Rex nodded; again, she saw something in his eyes, something thoughtful and – she thought – a little wistful as well. At first she was curious, then she remembered that he'd worn much the same expression when Ahsoka had mentioned providing the cure to as many clones as they could. A name he'd mentioned flickered through her mind: Cut Lawquane. A former soldier, just like Rex, who'd chosen a similar path, albeit before her husband had even known such a thing was possible. Brenna recalled the day after their impromptu wedding, when he'd told her about Cut, and she could see the gratitude on Rex's face as he spoke of the other man.

Cut would probably want the cure, too, especially if he had a wife and children to live for on Saleucami. Contacting a humble farmer in the backwoods of the Outer Rim world would not be easy, especially with the limited range of her equipment. Her mind began to race as she thought over the logistics of such a thing.

“Cred for your thoughts?”

Rex's baritone voice broke her out of her reverie and she blinked at him, then pressed his hand tighter to her stomach. Outside, it was cold and blustery, but the snow-light that came through the window cast him in a soft glow, and she thought, maybe, just maybe, I can surprise him. In the meantime, she cleared her throat. “Do you think Ahsoka would be able to come to the wedding?”

“I hope so,” he replied. “I can ask her.” He paused, then exhaled in a long, slow breath. “She might want to bring a date.”

“That's fine,” Brenna said, shrugging. “Even though it's going to be small, Mom will probably have enough food for an army.”

Because not everyone was certain how the clones would be received by the Damaris' friends and neighbors, the wedding was set to be relatively small in order to limit the amount of exposure to the former soldiers. Only folks that Jensine knew had no love for the Empire were to be invited, and if anyone asked, Rex's mother had simply produced a large number of boys who looked strangely alike, and no, there was nothing odd about it at all.

But all of that was a long way from right now, and Brenna was lying beside the man she loved, so she lifted her hand from his and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him close, kissing him because they had a few, precious minutes to themselves, because she enjoyed it, and because there was nothing else in the galaxy she wanted more.

*​

Two weeks later...

If anything, Rex thought it was even colder in Belleau-a-Lir, at the edge of Lir Lakir, than on the Damaris' ranch in the mountains, but it wasn't too bad beneath his coat and hat. It was a beautiful day for an auction; the sun was shining in the cloudless sky and the cold air seemed to refine everything, making each color brighter and more vibrant.

“Good girl, Nova,” Rex murmured, patting the quagga's striped neck as he ran the brush across her side. In response, she gave a low whicker, but remained standing calmly in the open-sided stall, eyes heavy-lidded in enjoyment of the grooming and the attention from her favorite Human – or so Rex fancied himself.

Aside from the occasional flick of her ears towards a passer-by, Nova seemed unconcerned with the presence of so many strangers and new stimuli, which pleased the former captain. When Jensine had mentioned that she thought Nova would fetch a good price, he'd done a bit of research on events such as the midwinter Belleau-a-Lir consignment auction, and learned that a quiet, well-trained animal was bound to fetch a better price than one who appeared skittish and nervous. Many hours had been spent in training the quagga: ensuring that she would take any rider, listen and follow every command, and anything else he could think of. Nova was no longer concerned with the sound of blaster-fire, and she would happily carry a child just as well as an adult.

Already, it seemed that his efforts were paying off. Several potential buyers had stopped to chat with him this morning, and he had not missed the way their eyes lingered on Nova's glossy coat – winter-thick, but not shaggy or unkempt – and the vivid array of stripes that rippled down her muscular neck, and he'd already had to refill the spec-sheets in the container that was attached to the side of the grooming stall. Even those who did not pause to speak with him studied her, and he was convinced that Nova was the finest quagga present at this auction, even among the others that Jensine and Caith had brought.

Right now there was a young couple standing a few paces away from the Damaris' paddock, glancing over Nova's spec-sheet and murmuring to one another. The man, a dark-haired fellow about Caith's age, glanced at Rex, who offered him a nod but said nothing else. Rex stepped to the side to put the brush back in the grooming kit, both to give them an unobstructed view and show that Nova was just as content on her own as she was with her handler.

“Oh...Maric,” the woman said, her voice a little breathless. “She's beautiful. And it says here she'll take a child rider as well.”

There was a pause, then Rex heard the man reply as he busied himself with the grooming kit. “She is pretty, Clera, but we really should look around a little more...”

Despite his words, his tone was wistful, and Rex smiled to himself. He glanced at Nova, who had finally taken an interest in the couple. Her ears were lifted and pointed towards them, and her nostrils were flaring as she took in their scent; with the morning sun shining down on her coat, Rex knew that she looked impressive and judging by their enamored expressions, the potential buyers thought so, too. Logically, he knew that Nova didn't understand what was happening, but he felt a flash of pride when she arched her neck and seemed to preen, just a little, under their attention.

Good girl, he thought, biting back a chuckle as Nova regarded the young couple. Clera laughed and smiled up at her husband, who smiled back, then murmured to her; they shared a nod, then turned to leave, but Rex had a good feeling that he'd see them again.

“Rex!” The sound of his name made him turn, and he lifted his gloved hand in greeting as Caith and Tavi approached, the former carrying a datapad. “Got the line-up for the auction this afternoon,” Caith said as he held up the 'pad. “We're lucky; all of our quagga have pretty good slots – about an hour after lunch, so buyers should be full and hopefully ready to spend some money.”

“Good to hear,” Rex replied with a nod. With Nova groomed and the auction starting later on, he didn't have much to do now, so he leaned against the paddock fence, Caith joining him a moment later. “How are Jensine and Kix?”

The mention of his mother made Caith roll his eyes skyward. “When we left, Mom was about to start arguing with another seller about the scales being used to weigh all the bundles of wool. So, I guess 'normal' might be a good answer.”

This was the first time that the vilpaca wool was to be sold, so Jensine had asked Rex to oversee the quagga for the most part, while she dealt with the new challenge, and admittedly, he was not surprised to hear that there was trouble brewing.

“Kix is with her, right?” he asked. As long as the level-headed clone was around, Rex figured that everything would work out well, but he was never quite sure with Brenna's mother.

“Yeah. He said he'd make sure no punches were thrown.”

Before Rex could reply, Tavi tugged on his father's arm. “Can I go see Nova, Dad?”

The brown-haired man nodded and his son meandered towards the quagga, who dropped her head and snuffed at the little boy's ear while he patted her side. The men stood by and watched for a moment, then Caith shot Rex an appreciative glance. “You did a really good job with her. Mom's delighted with how she turned out.”

Pleased, Rex nodded, but said nothing for a moment as he regarded Nova and Tavi, the latter of whom was clearly delighted with being snuffed by the striped equine. Nova was good with kids, he'd made sure of that, and while it pained him a little to have to sell her, he knew that he'd done the best he could, and that she would make her new owner happy.

Tavi giggled and patted her nose, the sight of which made Rex smile. He thought, absently, that he'd like a son. Or another daughter.

It didn't matter, really.

As it had done every time it crossed his mind, the thought filled him with an odd mixture of apprehension and joy, as did most thoughts of the child – his and Brenna's child – that was developing within his wife. Sometimes he could hardly believe it was happening; she had only just started showing, and he'd seen pics of her from when she'd been pregnant with Iri, so had an idea of what was coming. The thought of her belly, round with their child...

Rex released a breath, because he suddenly felt unable to contain the feeling of joy that had overwhelmed the apprehension. With each thought of the new life that he'd helped create, other thoughts were fast on its heels; there was so much he needed to do, to plan, to prepare. Sometimes it was enough to make his head spin, though he tried not to let worry for the future consume his thoughts. Instead, he inhaled again and savored the smells of oats, hay, and-

Well, manure didn't smell so great, but the scent was easily ignored.

“Too bad Bren couldn't make it out this time,” Caith said, leaning back against the fence as he watched his son. “She said she had work?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Rex spotted Maric and Clera returning; the young couple was meandering towards Nova in a manner that suggested they were trying to seem nonchalant, so he allowed them their illusion and focused on Caith. “Yeah. She's been up to her eyeballs in freelance work, lately, but it's not always as consistent as she'd like. I know she'd rather have something more stable.”

The situation was a bit tricky, because she wanted to work from home, to be with him, Iri and the soon-to-be little one, but freelance work was sometimes difficult to come by, and she was afraid of having too large a gap between jobs. Rex hadn't been able to find a solution to that problem, yet, but he was considering his options.

“It's tough right now,” Caith said with a nod. “I'm lucky I can do all of my work from home, and Ed doesn't mind the commute to the school. Actually...” He paused and pursed his lips, his eyes scanning the paddock as if searching for something. “Ed and I are thinking of moving out to mom's house.”

Something pinged in the back of Rex's mind; it was like a warning, but of a positive sort. “Are you?”

The bearded man smiled at his son, who had taken to walking along the paddock's perimeter, appearing to examine every inch. “Even with everything you and your brothers are doing, she could still use the help, and it is a family business,” Caith replied, leaning back against the fence and toying with the hem of his shirt. “The three of us love it out there, too.”

There was something in his tone, an unspoken question, and Rex ran his brain through all of the potentials before replying. “You have a nice little place,” he said at last, thinking of the occasions he and Brenna had spent in the modest blue house that wasn't too far from the Damaris' ranch. “What would you do with it?”


Caith met his eyes and grinned. “Actually...”

*****​

​

A/N: We're drawing ever closer to "the end." There's about 9 chapters left, including the epilogues. Thank you so much for reading! ​

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Next time: Brenna's new/old memory.​

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​

 

Squeee!

 

SQUEE! LOL Concise and to the point. So many great feels with this post.

Love Bren's dress and Jensine's genuine approval of Rex. Means a whole lot, because you know her praise doesn't come easy.

Love the idea of Caith and his family moving out there and a house swap with them would be perfect for Bren and Rex and their growing family.

~

Bittersweet reflections about her dad. Thinking that might be the nature of her new/old memory.

 

@gracesonnet - ​

​

@Nyota's Heart - It's been a rough ride. More good feels are to come. I think the entire Damaris family lucked out with Rex! Thank you for the comments! ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Seven​

Before Rex could say anything, a familiar voice drew his attention.

“Excuse me? Are you her owner?” Glancing over, Rex noted that Maric and Clera were standing in front of Nova again, each of them wearing expressions of forced neutrality, as if he had no idea how eager they were.

Ah, civvies. It was kind of endearing, actually, and they seemed like a pleasant enough couple.

As he approached, Rex tilted his hat in greeting. “I'm just her trainer,” he replied in an genial, professional tone. “The fellow behind me is technically-”

“We're all part owners, sir,” Caith broke in, leaning away from the fence. “Every Damaris quagga is family-owned and trained.” He called to Tavi, who trotted across the paddock to meet him, and tousled the boy's hair affectionately. “We're going to go check on my mom,” Caith added with a nod to the couple, who were smiling as Tavi scowled and tried to smooth out his rumpled hair. “Rex here will take care of any questions you have. Enjoy your day.”

“Dad...don't do that!” Tavi grumbled as they walked away. “I'm not a baby, anymore!”

Rex missed Caith's reply, as he'd returned all of his focus back to the couple. For a moment he was a bit at a loss, as he'd never had to do anything even remotely like this, then he shook the feeling away and decided to treat this occasion as he would have any other mission. “Rex Damaris,” he said, offering his hand to Clera, then Maric. They gave their names and he offered another tilt of his hat afterward. “Nice to meet you both. Were you interested in Nova?”

“Nova?” Clera glanced at the spec-sheet; the quagga's names were generally not listed, only any notable bloodlines, along with other practical information. “That's a lovely name. How did you choose it?”

There was nothing Rex could say to that, as Nova had her name when he'd first met her, but the question touched him. How did you give someone a name? He glanced at the quagga and ran his eyes over her form; Nova's name suited her so well. Had it always been so, or had she grown into it? “I'm not sure,” he admitted after a beat. “I wasn't the one who named her.”

Clera gave him a warm smile. “It's still a lovely name. Isn't it, Maric?”

“We're just looking right now,” Maric replied in a business-like tone, giving his wife a look that was only a little exasperated. A moment later, however, he shot Rex a careful glance. “It says here she's good with kids? She seems pretty young...”

“Nova's three,” Rex replied, patting Nova's neck and smiling at the memory of riding with Iri. “But she's quite gentle. My daughter loves riding her, though she's a bit young – I sit in the saddle with her, just in case.”

Clera glanced at her husband, then looked back at Rex. “How old is your daughter?”

“Nearly three and a half.” He paused, and looked between the young couple. “Do you have kids?”

At this, Maric drew himself up and grinned, embracing the now-blushing woman beside him. “Just found out a few months ago we're going to be parents.”

Rex smiled at them both. “Congratulations. That's wonderful news.”

“I'm terrified, actually,” Maric confessed, his voice dropping in pitch. “Cler's handling it like a champ, though.”

The blonde woman gave a light laugh. “It's a little overwhelming at times, but we're happy. It's part of the reason we're here, today,” she added with another, warm look at the quagga. “I used to ride all the time as a girl, and thought it'd be nice for our child to have the same opportunity whenever he or she gets old enough. In the meantime, Maric and I can enjoy riding her.”

Nodding, Rex indicated Nova again. “I know she may seem young, ma'am, but she'd be a good choice for a beginning rider. We've been through a lot, together.”

He'd tried to keep his voice professional, but perhaps some wistfulness leaked through, for Clera cast him a warm look. “You really care about her, don't you?”

Nova whickered and ducked her forehead towards him, as if begging for a scratch. Rex obliged her. “I do,” he replied with a smile as Nova's eyes closed with pleasure. “But that's life, I suppose. You do the best you can and you move on when the time comes.” He paused, then looked between them, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “I just want to make sure that she goes to the right home.”

The couple exchanged glances; Clera's expression was very deliberate, but Rex could still tell that they were trying to play it cool. He liked the couple, though, because they seemed genuinely kind, and he thought that Nova would have a good home with them, which was maybe why he was pushing a little harder than he might have, otherwise. Rex didn't fancy himself a salesman, but he knew that his words had made an impact on Clera and Maric, and he found himself hoping very much that Nova would go home with them.

A moment later, Maric cleared his throat and looked back at Rex. “We should get going,” he said, offering his hand to shake. “But maybe we'll see you in a few hours, Mr. Damaris.”

“I hope so, sir,” Rex replied.

*​

Hours later...

When Rex clasped Maric's hand again, he noted how the other man made no effort to hide his excitement, now.

“That turned into quite the bidding war,” he said as Clera finished signing the necessary flimsiwork before passing it back to Jensine. “You really fought for her.”

Maric nodded; his eyes swept over to Nova, who was back in the grooming stall, happily munching on a few strands of hay from the mesh feeder hanging beside her. “We think she's worth it.”

“I know she is,” Rex replied with a nod, and the other man beamed at him. “And I know you'll take good care of her.”

“We'll arrange for a trailer to pick her up,” Clera was saying to Jensine as the bill-of-sale was exchanged. “It shouldn't take more than about half an hour.”

Jensine nodded and thanked the younger woman, who then turned to her husband and Rex. “We'll take the best care of her, Mr. Damaris,” Clera said as she took her husband's hand, preparing to head off into the crowd. “I'm glad she's coming home with us.”

Rex smiled at her, then indicated the bill-of-sale that she was holding. “Me too. If you have any issues, though, please contact me. And congratulations on your soon-to-be little one, again.”

The blonde woman's cheeks flushed but her smile was very wide. Seemingly on a whim, she reached out and shook Rex's hand, then she and her husband turned and walked away.

Once they were out of an earshot, Jensine clapped Rex's back. “Holy kriffing hell...I don't know what you said to them, but I've never had a quagga sell for that much.”

“I told them the truth,” he replied, feeling a flash of alarm course through him as he recalled his words to the young couple. As far as he knew, he'd only been forthright, if a little too eager...

Jensine laughed and thumped his shoulder again; she was a good deal shorter than him, but her movements were very strong. “I know you did, son. I'm just impressed, is all. You should savor it,” she added as she reached into the inside pocket of her jacked and withdrew a small, leather-bound booklet. “It doesn't happen too often.”

Before he could reply, Rex caught sight of Caith, Kix and Tav, who were approaching, laden with food that they'd collected from some of the vendors. They'd gone to fetch dinner while Rex and Jensine had remained in the paddock to help load the quagga who'd sold, as it was growing late and no one had had time to eat lunch.

Because he was straining to see if Kix had grabbed him a kor vella twist like he'd asked, Rex didn't see the slip of flimsi that Jensine was offering him until she nudged his shoulder. Looking down, he frowned at the paper, which had his name and quite a large number written on it. “What's this?”

Jensine sighed. “It's your share.”

“Of...?”

Brenna's mother gave him a look that was only a little exasperated. “Of the sales today.”

His eyes widened and he glanced back down at the figure again, his mind racing through the calculations. “This...this is too much,” he managed after a moment. “I haven't-”

“You have,” Jensine replied with a lifted brow. “And then some. Rex...every quagga that you practically laid a hand on sold for more than I expected, not to mention that bidding war over Nova that broke out between that couple and those other potential buyers. You made the Damaris family a lot of money, today,” she added, a smile creeping to her face. “And – as a member of said family – this is your rightful share.”

Rex felt his mouth open, but no sound came out, so he looked back at the flimsi again. It was more money than he'd ever seen, let alone thought he'd possess, and he found that he was utterly speechless. His amazement was most definitely visible, because Jensine chuckled and gave him a knowing look. “A young man like you with a growing family has to plan for the future,” she said. “You're very skilled, you know. You could make a living doing this.”

Her arm lifted to indicate the auction, Nova and the other quagga, everything. Rex looked up and around, noting that Tav had paused by a cloud-candy stand and appeared to be cajoling Caith into buying some. All around them, people milled about, buying and selling and living their normal lives, and he realized that he was one of them. It felt...well, it felt pretty damn good.

“I do enjoy working with the quagga,” he said at last, looking back at Nova in her stall, thinking that he would say goodbye once they were alone.

“Good to hear,” Jensine replied with a nod. “Because I'd like to offer you a partnership in the business. It'd be official; you'd get a percentage of all the profit, and if today's any indication, I think it's a pretty lucrative deal.”

Rex didn't answer, at first.

It wouldn't be an easy job, but it was work he enjoyed. It was...fulfilling, he realized. He thought of Clera and Maric, so eager to welcome their child into the world, as well as welcome Nova into their growing family. He thought of Iri, delighted with the quagga; he wondered if it was a love that would continue as she aged. He thought of the hours he'd spent on Nova's back, watching the Alderaani sky.
He thought he was pleased at the idea of not having to destroy for a living, but rather create something, instead.

But he wasn't sure if Bren would want to remain here, even after all that had happened the last time they left. “I'd like to say yes,” he said slowly. “But I'm reluctant to make a unilateral decision without speaking to Brenna.”

Something flashed in Jensine's eyes; he thought it was approval, but it was so hard for him to get a read on her, sometimes. “Nothing's set in stone. You can change your mind if you and Brenna want to make other arrangements.”

That was comforting. Rex glanced at Nova again, then looked back at Jensine and held out his hand; she accepted, and her grip was firm. “Then I accept your offer,” he said with a nod. “Thank you, Mrs. Damaris.”

She rolled her eyes, but he could see that she was pleased. “For kriff's sake, Rex. Just call me 'mom.'”

*​

That evening...

It had taken a little detective work to track down this particular farmer, but Brenna finally managed to get a message to Saleucami.

Once she made sure that the message had been sent without error, she exhaled leaned back against the chair at her workstation, placing one hand on her thickening middle and rubbing the heel of her other hand against her forehead, where she felt a headache forming. In addition to that, her breasts were sore, her back hurt, and waves of nausea were rippling through her at a rather alarming rate, but her self-appointed mission was complete.

All she had to do now was hope for a reply.

A creaking floorboard sounded, and she glanced at the door to see Nala Se's ducked head as the Kaminoan entered her room, holding Iri's sleeping form. With Rex gone to the auction and a pile of work to do, Brenna had asked Nala to watch Iri for a few hours, a task that the Kaminoan had taken on with as much eagerness as Brenna had seen her do anything; her daughter had seemed happy with the arrangement as well, which was the best part.

“Apparently the little one is ready for her sleep-cycle,” Nala Se said, her gray eyes swirling with affection as she studied the child in her arms.

Brenna glanced at her chrono and winced, realizing that it was later than she'd thought. She pushed herself out of her chair, trying to ignore the nausea as she approached her daughter and the Kaminoan. “Thank you again for watching her, Nala,” she said as she lifted Iri from the Kaminoan's grasp. Iri's hair was damp and she smelled like soap. “Did you give her a bath?”

“Much of Irini's evening meal found its way to her face, neck and arms,” Nala Se replied, an edge of concern in her tone. “I thought that cleansing was the proper course of action. Was that incorrect?”

“No, it's fine,” Brenna said, fighting back a chuckle at the Kaminoan's terminology. “Thank you for taking such good care of her.”

Her daughter's face was slack with sleep, lashes resting on chubby cheeks and lips slightly parted. Brenna held her close and slipped past Nala Se and moved to the room that the children shared; Caith and Tavi had returned several hours ago, having left the auction a bit early so that the boy could get home in time for dinner, and her nephew was already in bed, fast asleep after his own exciting day.

Soon enough, Iri was in her pajamas and curled up in her bed, and after Brenna kissed her goodnight, she and Nala Se left the bedroom as quietly as possible. Once they were in the hallway, Brenna smiled up at the Kaminoan. “I heard her laughing from up here...sounds like she had a lot of fun. You're really good with her.”

“I enjoy spending time with her,” Nala replied, glancing towards the kids' room. “She is a lovely child. And you are feeling well?”

This was said with a look at Brenna's midsection. Sighing, Brenna nodded. “Well enough. Being pregnant is much less fun than I remember...”

Her words trailed off as the realization hit her. She remembered being pregnant. The nausea, the exhaustion, the unpredictable moods...it had been the same with Iri, and she was suddenly filled with gratitude that this, if not everything, had been returned to her.

But right now, Nala Se was looking at her curiously, so Brenna cleared her throat and nodded again. “I'm okay. A little nauseous and tired, but that's to be expected.”

Nala Se inclined her head, and while Brenna didn't fancy herself an expert on Kaminoan body-language, she thought that the movement indicated curiosity. “Everything is...normal?”

“According to the doctor, yes,” she replied with a smile. “Everything is perfect.”

“I am glad to hear it.” There was a pause, then Nala Se's head dipped gracefully, almost a bow. “It is late. I believe I shall retire to my quarters. Your mother wished to discuss some of the quagga genetics with me, tomorrow, so I must complete some research in preparation.”

This was news to Brenna, but she didn't question the Kaminoan, only wished her goodnight and then headed back up to her and Rex's room, as she also had a stack of work to get through. While the nausea wasn't bad enough – yet – to cause her to lose her dinner, it was more than enough to prevent her from sleeping at the moment, and besides, she was anxious to see Rex. Since Caith and Tavi had returned before the others, she'd heard a little bit of her family's success at Belleau-a-Lir, but she was eager to hear it from her husband.

*​

Several hours passed, and Brenna was lost in her work for the duration. It was very late when she heard the sound of the speeder approaching, so she shut off her equipment, grabbed her jacket and hurried downstairs to meet Rex, her mother, and Kix. Once she stepped outside, the cool air that hit her face was like an embrace, and a few inhales helped chase away the edge of the nausea that had been plaguing her nonstop the last few days. Morning sickness, my shebs.

The hover-trailer that had been used to bring the quagga to the auction was empty, and she watched as the speeder pulled up into the gravel driveway, its headlights illuminating the puffs of her breath and making her squint in the bright lights until the driver cut them off. Save for the lamps on the front porch and the glow of the moon, it was dark.

Three figures emerged from the speeder, and she recognized her husband at once, despite the fact that his and Kix's silhouettes were practically identical. Jensine led the way, and as she approached, Brenna thought that her mother looked pleased about something that was not related to money. “Hi, Mom,” she said. “I heard it went well.”

“We came, we sold, we conquered,” Jensine replied. “And I'm starving. Rex will fill you in on the rest.”

Despite her brusque manner, her tone was warm and as she slipped past Brenna to the steps, she patted her daughter's arm with affection. Kix followed Jensine inside, his expression indicating he was tired and hungry as well, so she was expecting much the same thing when she looked at Rex.

Indeed, he did look tired, but there was something in his eyes that she didn't recognize, a kind of satisfaction that she hadn't seen before, and she was instantly alert. “Sounds like it was an eventful day,” she said as he took her hand. “Are you hungry? There's still a ton of food from dinner.”

“I could eat.” He kissed her, then put his arm around her waist and they moved back up the steps, though he gave her a speculative look once they reached the front door. “How are you feeling?”

She inhaled, savoring the cool air that filled her lungs. With her jacket on, she was actually the perfect temperature, and she found that she didn't quite want to head inside, just yet. “A little nauseous, but it's not too bad, right now.”

Sometimes, she wondered if spending so much time around Jedi had made him a mind-reader, or perhaps he just knew her that well, because Rex seemed to know exactly what she was thinking as he indicated the porch-swing. “Actually, I'm not that hungry. Would you mind if we sat outside for a few minutes?”

Soon, they were seated beside one another, listening to the gentle creak of the swing, and the wind as it sloughed across the yard. After adjusting her seat – she figured she'd have to start wearing maternity clothes, soon – Brenna sighed and leaned into his side; she felt his arm tighten around her shoulders again, then felt a kiss against her forehead before he spoke. “There was something of a bidding war for Nova,” he said, amusement in his voice. “All of the quagga we brought went for very good prices, so I understand, but there was this one couple...”

When he told her how much the quagga had sold for, she gaped at him. “No wonder Mom was so happy.”

Rex chuckled, then cleared his throat. “She offered me a partnership in Damaris Quagga.”

“That's wonderful,” she replied, smiling. “Assuming you can tolerate working with her, though I think you can, especially since she likes you.”

He smiled at this, but a frown creased his face after a moment. “It would mean...staying here, on Alderaan,” he said carefully. “Would you be okay with that?”

Brenna inhaled and looked at the stars that lay against the inky backdrop of the sky; there were so many, and even more that she couldn't see. She knew that in the past, she'd wanted nothing more to leave Alderaan, but now...

It had been, it was, and it would always be home.

“We're probably going have to move out of this house, sooner rather than later,” she replied at last. “But yes, Rex. I'd like to stay on Alderaan.” Relief crossed his face and he smiled, then pulled her close again, rubbing his hand along her sleeve as if to warm her. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. “I remembered something today.”

His voice was quiet but heavy with hope. “What?”

She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her stomach; it was far too soon to be able to feel any signs of life, but the faint swell was reassuring, even if the nausea was not. “Being pregnant.”

At this, his head turned and he regarded her beneath the faint glow of the porch lights. “Bren...”

“The nausea...that started it. And my breasts are tender...and bigger,” she added, lifting a brow at him. To his credit, his expression did not change, save for a hint of his half-smile, so she continued. “I remember a little more, each day. It's...”

Suddenly filled with emotion, she blinked and leaned back into his shoulder, sighing when he kissed her forehead again. “I was afraid that I would never remember being pregnant with Iri, that those memories were gone, forever. But now, I'm so grateful for this...to experience this again ”

He said nothing for a few moments, then she heard him exhale. “I'm really...glad to hear that, Bren.”

Again, they were quiet. The wind slipped across the stubs of grass beyond the porch, rifling through the scattered trees and pushing a few upper-level clouds across the sky, obscuring some of the stars while they were bathed in the silver light of the moon. It was growing colder by the minute, but she was warm right now, content. Strands of her hair were picked up by the wind but she felt Rex's hand lift to smooth them down.

When he spoke, she heard a drop of wonder in his voice. “Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?”

“It's too early to tell. Why? Do you have a preference?”

“No, I've just been wondering.” He paused, then leaned his head against hers. “How do you give someone a name?”

“What do you mean?”

Rex sighed and rubbed her shoulder again, but this time the motion was almost absent, as if he was lost in thought. “I chose my own name,” he said slowly. “As did all of my brothers. Names were rarely given, but they were often earned. It was a very personal thing. I don't know...how to give a name to a child.”

Brenna shrugged. “Some people pick family names, as those get passed down though the generations; I don't remember exactly why I picked it, but I know that Irini was also the name of my grandmother. Some people find one they like and stick with it, or change their minds a hundred times. It depends.”

There was a weighted pause, then she pulled back so that she could look up at him. “Did you have a name in mind?”

His brows knitted. “I wouldn't know where to begin.”

“Maybe we can come up with a few that we like, and see if any of them fit.” She smiled at his thoughtful look. “We have a while, anyway.”

A half-smile spread across his face as his eyes met hers. “We do, don't we?”

*****​

​

Next time: "Saleucami was warmer than he remembered." ​

​

Thank you for reading! ​

 

Liked the auction, the partnership offer, and SQUEE for the scene and talk on the porch swing! Happy that Brenna is getting back pleasant memories pretty much involuntarily. Seems like when you don't force it they come.

 

Squeeeeee!

 

@Nyota's Heart - Thank you for the comments! Many more good things to come. ​

​

@gracesonnet - ​

*****​

Chapter Thirty-Eight​

One month later...

Saleucami was warmer than he remembered.

As he brought the speeder to a halt, Rex thought it may have had something to do with the fact that he was no longer wearing his climate-controlled armor, or that it was late spring here, and he'd grown accustomed to being in the thick of an Alderaani winter. Yes, that had to be the reason he was so warm; perhaps the temperature also accounted for the increased tempo of his heart as he gripped the controls of the rented speeder and stared at the long stretch of driveway that led to the Lawquane's farm.

“We there, yet?” Iri asked from her speeder-seat, her voice plaintive above the gently humming repulsors.

Beside Rex, Brenna twisted around. The movement was a little awkward because of her growing belly, but she managed easily enough. “We're almost there, sweetheart. Not much longer, I promise.” She cast a look back at Rex, and spoke in a quiet voice. “Are you okay?”

There was concern in her tone, and he could see that she was toying with the strap of the bag she'd brought along. He offered her a faint smile, meant to reassure. “Yeah. Just...it's warm here, isn't it?”

Brenna's gaze softened and she put a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “It's a little humid for me. But I'm excited to be here, at last.”

He exhaled and nodded, trying to shake off his nerves as he did so. Her touch made it a little easier, so he lifted one hand from the controls and placed it over hers, which was still resting on his arm. “Me too. It's just...it's been a long time.”

“A few years,” she replied, leaning back in her seat and resting her hands across her stomach, where he couldn't help but run his gaze across the growing bulge. “Not that long, really.”

Rex sighed again urged the speeder forward, through the gate that had been propped open for his family's arrival. “It feels like a lifetime has passed.”

The driveway wound through the crops, the names of which Rex had never caught, though he remembered wondering. Above their heads, the mid-afternoon sky was bright, with only a few, upper-level clouds sweeping through the atmosphere. Somewhere, very close, he could hear the lowing burble of eopies, a noise that was underwritten by birdsong and the humming repulsors of their speeder. Aside from the dense, cloying heat and the race of his heart, it was idyllic.

Iri and Brenna were both quiet; a glance at his girls showed him that they were each studying the area intently, so he took another breath and shifted his gaze back to the path ahead. Within moments, the speeder rounded a curve and he saw the homestead: a squad, rounded house that had been cobbled together from a variety of sources – starship parts and lumber, among them – and the little barn where he'd spent a number of uncomfortable hours.

At first glance, it all looked the same.

However, as they approached, he could see that the house and barn both appeared sturdier, as though they'd gone through a multitude of upgrades, and it heartened Rex to think that Cut and his family had prospered in the last few years.

They reached the end of the drive, and now he could make out four figures standing at the steps of the farmhouse, watching the speeder and the passengers; once the speeder entered the open area in front of the main house, Cut stepped out of the shadow cast by the structure and lifted a hand to shade his eyes from the sun as if to get a better look. Rex took another breath as he halted the vehicle, suddenly very aware of the dust that had been kicked up from their passage. The sun that was beating down upon his head because he'd forgotten his hat at home.

“We're here,” Brenna announced to their daughter, chuckling as Iri gave a squeal of joy.

Cut approached the speeder, his stride easy, and Shaeeah and Jek hurried after him, Suu following a moment later. He paused a few steps from the speeder, and Rex watched his eyes fall across Brenna, then Iri, before he resumed his pace.

“You must be Brenna” Cut said as he moved to help the brown-haired woman exit the vehicle while Rex unfastened Iri from her seat. “I take it my directions were alright?”

As Rex unbuckled Iri, he heard the smile in his wife's voice as she shook hands with the farmer. “They were great, but we didn't need them, did we, Rex?''

Iri looked up at him with excitement in her eyes and gave him a delighted grin, which made some of his apprehension fade, so he set the toddler on the ground and extended his hand to Cut, who reached forward as well. The shake was quick, but firm.

“I remembered the way out here,” Rex said with a nod to the other man. Between the adults, the kids were surveying each other with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, though Rex thought that would change very soon, and reckoned they'd be chasing each other all across the farm before too long.

Cut smiled. In the stark sunshine, Rex could see faint lines around his eyes, and his skin looked a little more weathered than it had before. “I hoped you would.”

Behind the farmer, Suu cleared her throat and indicated the house. “It is much cooler inside,” she said in her lilting Ryl accent, then she cast Brenna a knowing look. “I remember being pregnant – heat was unwelcome.”

“It's not so bad right now,” Brenna said as she followed Suu towards the house. “I'm about fourteen weeks along, so a lot of the worst is behind me for now.”

Rex glanced down at Iri, who had taken to keeping one hand on his leg as she studied the other kids. At his look, she glanced at him hopefully. “Up, Daddy?”

Rex smiled and picked her up, placing her on his shoulders with ease, with immediately caused Jek to beg his father for the same thing. The other clone agreed with a chuckle, and they turned to follow the women, Shaeeah trotting to catch up with her mother. As they walked, Rex glanced around again. “The place looks good,” he said. “I guess the repairs went well.”

A grunt escaped Cut and he hefted his son on his shoulders, as Jek was considerably larger than Iri. Both of Cut's kids looked so much older; Shaeeah herself was at least a head taller than she'd been before. “Well-enough,” he huffed as Jek let out a whoop of enjoyment. “We have some neighbors who were willing to help out, so they went quickly. Made some improvements to the barn, too. I can show you, if you like.”

“No more droids stopped by, I hope?”

“Thankfully, no,” Cut chuckled, then winced as Jek twisted around to look at Iri on Rex's shoulders. “Hold still, son. He's really too big for this,” the clone added as he shot Rex a wry look. “I'm going to regret it in the morning when my back is killing me.”

Rex nodded, but neither one of them said anything more, in part because they'd reached the house. Within a few minutes, the adults were seated around the dining table, sipping glasses of cool water while Jek and Iri retreated to the former's toy-chest in the living area; Shaeeah seemed to debate for a moment, then slid next to her mother at the table, her magenta-colored eyes alert as they darted between the adults.

Once she was settled, Brenna reached into her bag and withdrew a small, cylindrical case that contained the hypospray, which she set on the table and slid over to Cut. As the clone reached forward to take the object, Rex took a breath. “Like Bren told you, it only takes one dose,” he said in a quiet voice. “We've done all sorts of tests, and it's working perfectly. Side-effects last about a month; you'll be nauseous and sore, and probably not good for much besides feeling like-”

He'd been about to say osik, but the presence of Shaeeah made him rethink the Mando'a swear. However, Cut smirked as he opened the case and examined the contents. “Five kinds of haran, huh?”

“Something like that,” Rex replied, chuckling.

Brenna shot Suu a lifted brow, though neither woman said anything as Cut removed the hypo from the case, turning the cylinder over in his hand as he studied the object. “Strange,” he said after a moment, looking back up at Rex. “I've seen a thousand of these things. Never thought I'd see one like this, though.”

“What is it, Dad?” Shaeeah asked, her lekku swaying as she leaned up out of her chair to get a look.

Cut took a breath and looked back down at the hypospray, resting innocuously in his palm. “It's the rest of my life.”

*​

About fifteen minutes later, Brenna and Suu were still seated at the dining table of the Twi'lek's home; Rex and Cut had opted to step back outside, but Brenna found that she was content to lean back in her chair and sip her water as she, Suu, and Shaeeah chatted.

“You said you were fourteen weeks along?” the pink-skinned Twi'lek asked, her eyes resting on Brenna's stomach.

Brenna nodded and placed a hand on the growing swell of her belly. “The easy phase,” she said in a dry voice, and Suu chuckled. “It's part of the reason I was so glad that we could take this trip now, rather than later.”

“Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?” Shaeeah's voice was curious. Again, she'd chosen to stay with the women rather than go play with Iri and Jek, as if she was trying to assert herself, in some small way, as an adult.

“We decided to let it be a surprise,” Brenna replied. “Though, I think Rex regrets that decision. He's a planner,” she added, reaching for her water-glass again.

Suu smiled. “Cut is much the same way, sometimes.” Her voice dropped in pitch and she folded her hands on the table before her. “He could hardly believe it when we received your message about the cure. I'm not sure he believes it's real, even now.”

“The side-effects are worse than Rex is letting on,” Brenna said, sitting up a little bit and regarding Suu. “He was completely miserable for an entire month; there were days where he vomited nearly nonstop. We had an IV set up, and I tried to feed him muja-sauce and water, very slowly; even then he had trouble keeping it down. And he was in a lot of pain.” She sighed and then felt a smile creep across her face again. “But it was worth it.”

“I've often thought of what I would give to have what you've brought us,” Suu said, her eyes turning to the hypo, her lekku swaying gracefully across her back with the movement of her head. “I'm afraid there is nothing I can offer in return that would be its equal.”

Brenna rested both of her hands at the lowest curve of her belly. “You already did. You helped him when he needed it,” she explained, indicating the door where Rex and Cut had slipped out. “His time here affected him a great deal, more than he'll ever really say, I think, even to me. You and your family helped to make him the man he is, today.”

There was quiet for a moment as the women sipped their water and glanced over at their children, who were now engrossed in a holo-vid. “Cut talked about Rex for many months after he left,” Suu said at last, a half-smile on her face. “I think he enjoyed having another clone around, even if it was only for a night.”

Shaeeah giggled. “It was funny. Like Daddy had a twin brother.”

The Twi'lek smiled at her daughter, then looked back at Brenna. “So, how is Alderaan, this time of the year?”

*​

“Cold, right now,” Rex said, shading his eyes with his hand as he and Cut surveyed the refurbished barn. “The kriffing wind never stops blowing, and it finally started snowing a few weeks ago.” He chuckled and Cut cast him a curious look. “Never liked snow before, but now it's kind of nice.”

The other clone laughed and pushed open the barn door, revealing the dim interior. The eopies were pastured at the moment so the barn was empty, save for a few shafts of sunlight filtering in through the window-slats and the dancing dust motes within them. “Reshingled the roof and upgraded the insulation,” Cut said proudly as they moved through the barn. “Feels nice in here, doesn't it?”

It was pleasantly cool, actually, and Rex made a noise of admiration as he glanced around. “I'm sure the eopies appreciate it.”

They paused at the bench where Rex remembered – all too well – recuperating from his injury, and the scar on his chest twinged with the recollection. As Rex ran his hands along the woodgrain, remembering, Cut spoke again. “The side-effects really last a month?”

Grimacing, Rex nodded. “Yeah. Wasn't a pleasant month, either.”

He frowned and looked around the barn once more, considering. On the public transport to the Outer Rim, he and Brenna had discussed the possibility of Rex remaining on Saleucami for a week or so, in case Cut and Suu indicated that they'd be short-handed on the farm; he'd been lucky during his recuperation to have his other brothers around to help out if need be, and he was loathe to deprive Cut the same courtesy. “If you want, I could stay on a bit and help out,” he said at last, looking back at the other clone. “I don't know much about crops, but I could probably handle the eopies.”

“Thanks, but we should be fine,” Cut replied, reaching to pick up an elongated tool that had toppled over into a pile of hay. “We're in a bit of a gap between harvests, right now, we have good neighbors, and the kids are old enough to help out a little more. Besides,” he added with a knowing look back at Rex. “You have your own family to take care of.”

“Bren and I talked about it. We don't want to leave you in the lurch.”

But Cut was already shaking his head. “I appreciate the offer, Rex, but it's not necessary.” He paused, then took a deep breath; when he spoke again his voice was very full. “You've given me more than I could have ever asked for, anyway.”

Rex had no reply to that, so he only nodded and glanced back down at the bench. After a few moments of quiet, Cut cleared his throat. “Your little girl's beautiful. How old is she?”

“Three and a half.” There was a beat, then Rex looked up at the other clone to answer the inevitable question. “When I met Bren, she was single and Iri was almost two years old. Her father was a clone commando named Tucker. But he...well.” Rex exhaled through his nose, because this part was complicated. “He died just after the War ended, but he wasn't...involved much in Brenna and Iri's lives, before that.”

It was the simplest explanation he could think of. While he still didn't condone Tucker's actions, he couldn't dislike the other man, not completely, not when the commando had given his life so that Rex could return to Bren safely.

Cut nodded, then leaned back against a stall door and shoved his hands in his pockets, regarding Rex with interest. “I have to admit, I never thought I'd see you again.”

“Me too,” Rex replied, glancing around once more. “Even now, being back...it doesn't feel quite real.”

“I'm glad you made it back,” Cut said. “And it's not just because you brought me the rapid-aging cure. Though that's a big part of it.” He cocked his head, curiosity in his gaze. “What happened?”

An inhale brought Rex the scent of hay, of eopies and manure, of sweat and the sweet scent of the summer air that meandered through the open door.

The entire journey out here, he'd gone over his conversations with Cut, again and again. Right now, he wanted to say that he'd been a different man back then, a more idealistic, somewhat harsher man than he was today. He wanted to say that before he'd met Cut, any thoughts about what might be had been few and far between and he'd been quite content with the shape of his life. It was after Rex had left Saleucami that he'd been a changed man. A better man.

There was so much he wanted to say, and yet he didn't think all of it was needed. Cut was a smart man, and there was a knowing glint in his eyes that Rex recognized. He thought that whatever it was he wanted to say, Cut already knew.

“It's a long story,” he said at last, moving to lean against the bench.

Cut gave a low chuckle. “Well, let's hear it. We've got all the time in the world.”

*​

As Rex shared his story he lost track of the time. For a while he was only aware of its passage by the way the light shifted across the interior of the barn, and it wasn't until later on when their wives came looking for them that he realized just how long he and Cut spoke.

He didn't tell Cut everything, of course, like his crush on Ahsoka or the intensely personal details of his relationship with Bren. Mostly he talked about his time in the army, about battles and the more unorthodox missions like Zygerria, Onderon, and Lola Sayu. He talked about Umbara and watched Cut's face grow dark upon hearing what had happened on the shadow-world.

He talked about falling in love with Brenna. It was interesting to watch the other man's reaction to the story, and there were a few times where something like understanding flashed in Cut's eyes.

He talked about the Spaarti clones and Order 66, and watched Cut's head shake in disbelief.

He talked about Fives, Kix, Jesse, Coric and Chopper. He talked about Tup, after which they shared a silent moment of remembrance for his brother's sacrifice.

He talked about finding his way to Alderaan and to Brenna, again, but he was vague about what had happened on Loronar, indicating only that they'd had some trouble with a group of gangsters, which was true enough. Brenna hadn't said as much, but Rex thought she wouldn't want Cut or Suu to look at her any differently if they learned of her experience with the hycosine.

Rex didn't do all the talking, though. Cut also spoke at length; they swapped cadet stories, tales of hard-shebs trainers on Kamino and botched practice sims. Rex lamented the loss of his DC-17s, and Cut admitted that he still thought about his trusty sniper rifle with fondness.

Cut told him how he'd met Suu, how he'd fallen in love with her and her children and wanted nothing more than to be part of their family, and it was Rex's turn to regard his brother with tacit understanding.

“Never thought I'd consider 'father' to be my favorite designation,” Rex said as he leaned back along the support beam where he'd moved to during the course of their conversation. “But here I am.”

Cut laughed. “It's a far cry from 'Captain,' isn't it?”

“It's like nothing I've ever known,” Rex replied, glancing down at his empty arms and thinking about how his daughter filled them. “It's so much harder than I could have imagined. But it's better, too.”

At this, Cut's face changed, smoothed, and he looked a few years younger in the fading light. “Yeah,” he said with a smile. “It is better. Terrifying, sometimes. But wonderful, too.”

In that moment, the sound of Shaeeah's voice caused both men to turn towards the barn door. “There you are, Daddy!” Her head poked through the door and she gave an exasperated sigh as the other two childrens' faces appeared. “Mom's looking for you,” she said to Cut, who appeared to be fighting back a laugh. Following this, Shaeeah turned and yelled out, presumably to Suu. “MOM! Dad's in the barn!”

“Daddy!” The door was pushed open further, allowing Iri to tumble in, Jek on her heels. Rex watched with amusement as his daughter scrambled towards him, her eyes alight with excitement as she chattered a klick a minute about the holo she and the youngest Lawquane had been watching earlier. He dropped a knee and embraced her, picking her up and pulling out the flecks of straw that had somehow found their way into her hair.

“What did you get into, Ir'ika?” he asked, glancing towards the barn door, where Brenna and Suu were entering.

“Eee-ooh-pee,” Iri said, proudly. “Jek show Iri eee-ooh-pee.”

Jek burst out laughing.

Following this, Rex's daughter offered him her widest, most innocent smile and the former captain sighed as his wife approached his side. Beyond him, Cut shot Rex a lifted brow. “And you're going to have two of them, soon.”

Rex was unable to stop his grin.

*​

Because of the lateness of the hour, the Lawquanes invited to host Rex, Brenna and Iri for the night, so that they could leave at first light. Brenna had to admit, the offer was tempting. However, they still had time to make it back to the Qualia spaceport, return the speeder and catch their transport off-planet, so she and Rex politely declined. While the men had been talking, Brenna and Suu had fed the kids; after such a full, exciting day, Iri was already asleep in her daddy's arms, and Brenna hoped that she'd sleep the rest of the way back.

Leaving was a quiet affair. By the lights of the homestead, Brenna hugged Cut, who congratulated her and Rex again; Shaeeah offered her a shy smile and a wave; Jek watched Iri as Rex placed the sleeping girl back in her speeder-seat, and Brenna thought the boy looked a little sad to see her daughter go. Once Iri was settled, Brenna turned to Suu, who was extending a small package.

“Something for the return trip,” the Twi'lek said as the men spoke a few steps away. “Those public transports are not known for their high-quality meals.”

Brenna accepted the package with a nod; the moment it was out of her hands, Suu leaned forward and embraced her tightly. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I can never thank you enough.”

There was no adequate response that came to Brenna's mind, so she only nodded again. Suu stepped back and placed a hand on Jek's head, as he was still watching Iri with fascination. Beside them, Brenna glanced over to see Rex and Cut speaking quietly, and as she slid into her seat in the vehicle, she caught the last words between them.

The dark of the nighttime surrounded them, but both men were standing in a pool of light cast by lights affixed to the house's exterior. Their arms were extended, their hands were clasped around each other's forearm in a firm, Mando'a style gesture that all the clones seemed to know on some instinctual level. Their voices were quiet through the buzzing of the cicadas.

“You have a beautiful family, Rex,” Cut was saying. “Congratulations, again.”

She watched her husband take a deep breath, his hand tightening around the other man's arm. “Thank you. For...everything.”

Cut nodded once, and they parted. He waved goodbye to Suu and the children, the latter of whom returned the gesture with exuberance, and then he slid into his place in the speeder. As they began to head away from the homestead, Brenna turned again and gave one last wave, watching as the Lawquane family grew smaller and smaller, until Rex turned the vehicle around a corner and they were gone.

She exhaled and faced forward, watching the headlights of the speeder skimming the ground ahead of them; Rex kept their speed steady, as the path was winding and dark, and the wind from their passage was cool against her face.

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, until they reached the end of the drive that led to the farm. Once Rex guided the speeder through the gate, he paused the vehicle, glanced over his shoulder to check on Iri, then reached for Brenna.

“Rex, what-”

She was silenced by his mouth on hers, by the strength of his embrace as he pulled her as close as he could. His kiss was not hungry or seeking, there was no desperation behind the action, but nor was it gentle or soft. It was passionate, but not consuming.

When they parted, he touched her cheek. “That was for...arranging all of this,” he said in a thick voice, his head tilting in the direction of the Laquane homestead. When he spoke, she could feel his breath on her lips. “It was such a surprise at first, and then I got so...caught up with coming out here, I'm not sure I thanked you properly.”

Her mouth was still tingling from his gratitude, so she smiled and reached up to cover his hand with her own. “Consider it an early wedding present.”

*****​

Next time: Speaking of weddings...