#Omega Squad | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mamuzzy · 6 months ago

Text

What is considered child mistreatment in Mandalorian culture (legends)?

I was inspired by this post but I didn't want to ruin a mood with my AcKcHuYaLlY vibes so I made a separate post about it.

While I agree with a sentiment of Cuy'val Dar should have rioted seeing children being mistreated, given they are a very heavily family and child centered culture, I've just recently read a few quotes from Republic Commando which made me wonder...

what is considered child mistreatment in their culture?

Because training children to be soldiers are not one. It is a perfectly normal thing to do for them.

What you will read here about: -- Potential reasons why the Cuy'val Dar didn't refuse the job -- Relationship of a Mando parent and their child: How Munin Skirata adopted Kal and with it giving him a predetermined path of life -- Little detour to the topic of how modernday parents don't include children in the household chores -- Pav-Ti and Ahsoka -- Walon Vau and Dred Priest's approach -- Kal Skirata's approach of training -- Little about Mandos and Jedi -- Sorry (not really), people. I still love Kal. -- I won't tag this as anti/pro/critical fandom fuckery. Only a Sith deaIs in absolutes.

Rest is under the cut.

Why would Cuy'val Dar accept such assignment in the first place?

So why didn't they say no? 1. Loyalty and Respect for Jango Fett 2. In need of money 3. Needed a place to hide 4. It could be HONOUR: If a mando bounty hunter accepts a job, they won't back down from it. That's why they are the best. A mandalorian either completes the job or they die in the process (see: Hard Contact). 5. Child soldiers are nothing out of place.

But the latter is debatable, depending on which bounty hunter you ask. Kal was horrified when he was presented with the facts. Scene from Triple Zero, where Kal realizes what Jango is expecting of him:

Jango Fett indeed didn't tell them the whole truth. I'm pretty sure there would have been people who would have accept it anyway. But I'm also sure most of them were conned this way.

We even know Kal's reason of accepting the job.

He didn't have any outside ties anymore that required his physical presence, so at this point he could just accept a decade long assignment.

And when he met the Nulls, he gave himself a purpose out of this nightmare. Raising these children as Mandalorians.

But where this is come from? From Kal's own buir.

Another quote about how Munin adopted Kal.

Awfully practical people. But also, compassionate. Kal is guided by the same compassion as his buir.

Overprotected children of our modern age

Family centric and child centric views are really distorted today which is about overprotecting kids from literally everything. Even from basic household chores: a parent who is too tired and impatient for their child constantly making mistakes during learning a task, so they simply take it out from the child's hand and doing it instead, because teaching them comes with much more mess to clean up, therefor more work for the parent. Children won't learn that helping out around the house can be a quality time with the parent, because most parents don't consider being together with their children a quality time. This later leads to those awful fights between a teenager who never helps around the house on their own only when asked/ordered. Children are glorified exotic pets, one task from a bucket list or worst, investments. But part of the family? Less likely. Not unconditionally.

PAV-TI AND AHSOKA

If you think about Ahsoka's backstory in the Tales of the Jedi, her mother also brought her on the hunt and made her look when she skinned the animal. Teaching her that death is a part of life and even when they take resources from the nature, they should do it with respect. Pav-Ti was already teaching her to be a part of their small community.

I think Mando culture is the same: they involve their children in their profession from early age. Probably teaching your children how to kill for money is not exactly ethical by our earthling standards. Regardless, they do it together. Little mando'ade won't go to school, they spend their time with the family and learning skills they will need if they choose the same profession and lifestyle as their parents.

PRACTICES OF VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE CUY'VAL DAR

So that's why I think that even if the members of the Cuy'Val Dar had seconds thoughts, training child soldiers are nothing out of ordinary. I can't speak for the remaining non-mando trainers what was in their mind.

But when Dred Priest and Isabeth Beau started their own little figthing rings in the guise of "preserving the old ways", it was really considered fucky even among the other mando trainers Death Watch couple-goals: torture children together <3. Dred Priest despised the clone cadets and they actually died under his care and this is one of the reason why Mij Gilamar killed Priest later in the books.

Walon Vau wasn't introduced to mando values until he ran away from home as an adult, but his abusive upbringing shaped his worldview on how he trained the cadets. Strict codes and harsh punishments. He had his regrets of it later.

From O66, Walon Vau to Kal Skirata

Love has many shapes. Vau wanted them to survive because he loved them. But loving them and treating them good/bad is not the same.

We know about Kal that he taught by experience. He never gave an assignment to his cadets before he first showed them how to do it.

And then we have these notorious parts of him regarding the clones which can be interpreted so many ways but often used as the evidence as child abuse:

And this one also:

(sometimes I throw my brain outtaaa windoooOOooOooOow what people call abusive these days...)

What is my stance about this particular passage? I think he didn't abuse the clones. He wanted them to survive too. He wanted to make it easier for them which was really hard considering the circumstances. He wanted to be a father to the clones like Munin was to him.

We saw the differences between Omega Squad and Delta Squad. The Delta first left Walon Vau behind because they were ordered to do so. Delta left Sev behind because they were ordered to do so. As far as we know, no one deserted from the Empire from Vau's commandos. They remained loyal to the Republic/Empire. Darman could have been with his son and with Clan Skirata but he choose to remain with Niner in the Empire. He remained loyal not the empire, not even Kal Skirata but his brother. Just like Kal thaught them.

What makes them different from the jedi and at the same time so similiar?

The Jedi seek out force sensitive children to teach them how to control this power within them and make sure, they won't use it for personal gain. And later, when they grow up, they will do the same.

Mandos take pity over war orphans (usually that's the case), take them into their clan of soldiers and they teach them a profession and one day, they can do the same.

Both faction are doing it, guided by the same principle: COMPASSION.

Jedi are practicing compassion toward every living, while Mando compassion is just much more personal on the individual level.

Dialogue from Imperial Commando between Arligan Zey and Kal Skirata. I think this baby stealing prejudice comes from that force sensitive children are separated from their parents and all this goes against the family centric view of the mandalorians where family is above all and the children are only safe with their families.

In conclusion...

My personal take after this little research that Mando trainers didn't abuse children, not in their own mandalorian standards. I say this because of Dred Priest who was condemned for actually hurting his cadets, forcing them to fight against each other, and lots of them actually died.

After the failed experiences with the Nulls, the kaminoans and trainers didn't expose the clones to live rounds and bombs until so much later, that's why the commandos and Alpha-class ARCs feel much more balanced in their phyche.

I think Walon Vau abused his cadets but he justified it with love.

Kal made them to do horrible exercises and said a lot of shitty things to the clones (though I think it's kind of like when you call your cat a whore out of affection) but overall he tried to make their suffering bearable.

#mandalorians #mandalorian culture #jedi order #star wars legends #republic commando #repcomm #kal skirata #munin skirata #walon vau #dred priest #mij gilamar #delta squad #omega squad #niner skirata #darman skirata #rc sev #pav-ti tano #ahsoka tano

113 notes · View notes

wanderinginksplot-writes · 4 months ago

Text

Gar Cyare Chapter Fourteen

You and Alpha explore Tipoca City under lockdown.

Word Count: 6,000

Warnings: Descriptions of a city under lockdown, mentions of the previous attack on Kamino, mentions of ambiguous threats, nightmares.

Previous | Next | Masterlist

---

Aran (Guard)

Troopers were everywhere.

Obviously, Kamino had never suffered a lack of troopers, but they tended to be mostly cadets. Sure, there were a few adults present - personnel, Jedi, instructors, ARCs in training - but most of them were cadets.

Now, the recalled troops filled out the ranks until the hallways and common spaces of Kamino seemed ready to burst with troopers.

When you and Alpha had finally left your office, you found it difficult to focus on anything other than your promise to help the Null troopers. If they found a way to decipher the location of Ko Sai’s copy of her notes, you would locate and transmit them.

Your agreement wasn’t entirely out of self-preservation, either. You were invested in this now, though you didn’t know exactly what the unusual troopers intended to do with all of that genetic research. Surely Alpha would have stopped you if they meant to do something that would actively harm the galaxy as a whole.

It was an uneasy state of mind, made worse by the underlying tension of Tipoca City. More than a full day had passed since Dengar fled the planet, and there had been no sign of Separatist ships, but no one seemed willing to lower their guard.

When you and Alpha reached the network of rooms surrounding the original Fett genetic sample, you found a familiar face waiting for you.

“Captain Alpha-17, sir!” Hunter greeted, snapping a salute. The motion drew attention to the blaster at his side, counterbalanced by a sheathed vibroblade strapped to his other hip.

“Hunter,” Alpha returned with a nod. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re not on your way to the medbay, are you?” you asked, worried.

“No, everyone is fine. We’re on patrol,” Hunter explained, sounding a little confused by it himself. “The kaminii ordered us to watch out for the sample. I guess they heard about us doing it during the last attack.”

“Hunter, the motion sensors indicate that you have not proceeded with your patrol as planned,” a voice said, sounding very small and flat through the minuscule speaker of Hunter’s vambrace comlink. “Report.”

“Copy,” Hunter replied, lifting his forearm to his mouth. “Found some friendlies.”

“Slacking, then,” Crosshair said sourly, slouching through the door. He had a blaster by his side and a sniper rifle slung back to rest against his shoulder. When he saw you and Alpha, his expression eased slightly, but he didn’t smile. Instead, he offered a shallow nod in greeting.

“Did the Kaminoans say anything about why they pulled you guys for patrol duty?” you asked.

Hunter shook his head. “They didn’t give any kind of reason. They give orders and we’re expected to follow ‘em.”

“Speaking of,” Crosshair said, glancing around. “I don’t want to deal with the headache if they find out we’re talking instead of guarding the sample.”

Alpha snorted. “Unless the clankers have figured out stealth, I wouldn’t count on them attacking anytime soon. We haven’t seen as much as a ship in orbit. Might as well get comfortable.”

“Alpha,” you chided. “They just want to do a good job.”

Alpha’s gaze softened as he looked down at you. “Sure, neverd’ika. Just remember, not everyone has your overdeveloped work ethic.”

You pursed your lips at him, trying to look disgruntled while also stifling a laugh. “Well, I think they’re doing a wonderful job.”

“Strictly speaking, we haven’t done anything yet,” Tech pointed out, rounding the corner. “The area has been quiet.”

“Any hits on the motion sensors?” Hunter asked.

“Negative.”

“None of the grenades have gone off,” Wrecker said sadly, entering the room from the opposite direction as Tech had. “That means no intruders.”

“You set grenades?” you asked, horrified.

Alpha looked grave. “You boys should know better than to set those kinds of traps in a place where troopers and civilians are actively working.”

“We did not set them recklessly,” Tech countered. “They are calibrated to pick up on the exact footstep tempo of a B-1 battle droid’s marching speed.”

“Even then, they’re set on an extended timer,” Crosshair told you. “If they’re triggered, the area’s holofeeds transmit to our comlinks and we can verify that there are enemy insurgents before they detonate.”

Alpha gave a skeptical hum.

“We’d better get back to our guard rotation,” Hunter said hurriedly. “Just in case the Seppie idea of stealth involves sending in another lone assassin.”

You frowned. “This could go on for a while. If the Kaminoans don’t send anyone to relieve you, call me. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hunter agreed with a respectful salute.

“Did those friends of yours ever find you?” Wrecker asked before he left.

“Friends?” you asked.

“Who was asking you about us?” Alpha growled.

Wrecker blinked in confusion. “There was a group of troopers. They were talking about how they were with you when you found the transmission station. Sergeant… Niner? I think?”

Alpha’s expression relaxed, which made you relax as well. “Yes, Niner. He’s the leader of Omega Squad, who was with me on the station. Did he say what he needed?”

“Didn’t say anything to us at all,” Crosshair said. “They were talking when they came through here. They have a patrol somewhere in the city.”

Alpha walked away without another word. You offered a smile to the kids. “Thank you for letting us know.”

As you hurried off behind Alpha, your smile flickered. You still thought of the Bad Batch as kids - they were still painfully young, in your eyes - but you couldn’t ignore the changes that they were undergoing. All of them had grown taller and leaner. Wrecker had put on more muscle while Hunter and Crosshair’s faces had narrowed as they lost baby fat. Tech was almost as tall as Wrecker and nearly as slender as Crosshair. You had seen the hint of stubble on their faces after a long day.

They were growing up. It was far better than the alternative, but it still made you sad.

“Where are we going?” you asked when you finally caught up with Alpha.

He glanced back as if he were surprised that you were still behind him. “To find Omega Squad. If Niner is looking for me, he might have some additional information about the transmission station.”

“How do we find them?”

“Comms are down,” Alpha reported. You glanced down at your comlink, surprised to see that he was right. “But if I ask the right people, I’ll find out where they are.”

“Who are the right people?” you asked. You had reached a far more populated area of Tipoca City by that point, and you rose onto your tiptoes to stare around the space.

“Colt or the General would be a good start,” he mused. “But you don’t have to wait around. Head back to your quarters.”

“Alpha, it’s one in the afternoon.”

He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll bring you some lunch after I talk with Niner.”

You rested your hands on your hips. “Why are you trying to keep me out of your conversation with Niner? What’s really going on?”

It took Alpha a moment to answer. “I thought I was the suspicious one.”

The joke was a little comfort, but you weren’t going to let it mollify you. “I’ll stop being suspicious when you stop being weird. Talk to me.”

Alpha sighed, glancing around the room to avoid meeting your eyes. “I’m not being-”

“I thought we were a team,” you interrupted, even your quiet voice halting him mid-sentence.

“Neverd’ika, we’re always a team,” Alpha assured you. “We just need to make adjustments based on who we’re playing against. And when the other team has jetiise, I want you to be safe.”

“Not Jedi,” you told him. “Dark-siders. Sith.”

Alpha waved his hand dismissively. “Makes no difference to Mandos. A saber is a saber, and anyone carrying one is an enemy.”

“No one here has a lightsaber other than General Ti,” you countered. “I’m not staying in my room. Didn’t we talk about this earlier? I want to help. I can help.”

The weight of Alpha’s gaze was heavy as he studied your expression. At last, he sighed through his nose and nodded. “Come on, then.”

Colt was in the middle of the busiest section of the city. He was personally checking the credentials of every ship that landed, then redirecting the squads to where they could best serve the defense efforts. When Alpha was finally able to talk to him, Colt directed the two of you to the perimeter of the main Tipoca City stilt.

You glanced up at Alpha as you walked to find Colt. “How did you avoid being assigned somewhere? If every soldier is needed and you’re ARC-trainer qualified, I would have assumed they’d put you on patrol somewhere, if not doing what Colt is doing now.”

Alpha smirked down at you. “Tryin’ to get rid of me, little one?”

“Never,” you assured with a smile. “Just trying to figure out the logic here.”

“Dunno if ‘logic’ is ever a term you can apply to a defense zone,” Alpha mused, “but I was assigned a job. Guarding you.”

“Me?” If you frowned any harder, you wouldn’t be able to see past your eyebrows, but you couldn’t help it. “Why would you need to guard me? Am I under some specific threat no one has told me about? Other than the Null troopers, of course.”

“Not guarding you against others,” Alpha clarified. “Guarding Tipoca City from you.”

He knew that was going to create other questions. You could see the hint of a smile on his face as he relished the way you would have to ask for clarification. You only lasted a few seconds before you gave in. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Alpha shrugged. “Means the kaminii don’t trust you. They think you had something to do with the data leak.”

“I didn’t!”

He gave you a look. “You know that and I know that, but the long-necks don’t want to think they’ve been wrong about you this whole time. It’s easier to believe that you’re secretly feeding information to an outside source than that their private files were sliced and altered. They’re too proud to admit the truth.”

“The general will vouch for me, and so will Colt,” you insisted. “They brought me into the investigation, not the other way around. There’s no way I could have plotted all of this out.”

“They don’t like the general any more than they like you, maybe less. And they’ll assume you tricked Colt.” Alpha gave you a sidelong look. “Besides, it’s a good thing. I’ve been assigned to stay close to you and monitor your movements. Kaminii-sanctioned time to spend together.”

You pouted for a moment, stung by the allegations of disloyalty that seemed to follow you everywhere. But then you realized that you could twist Alpha’s explanation to your benefit, so you did your best to let the hurt and irritation roll off of you.

“Then it sounds like I can’t wait in my quarters while you speak with Niner.” You couldn’t help but smile at the dark expression Alpha was wearing. “You’re obliged to keep me with you at all times. You know, to keep up the ruse for the Kaminoans.”

“Neatly done, neverd’ika,” Alpha admitted grudgingly. “But if I tell you to go inside, I need to know you’ll listen to me.”

“Inside?” you echoed. “Does that mean we’re going outside?”

He gave you a bemused look. “What did you think ‘perimeter’ meant?”

You were working on a sarcastic reply to that when Alpha threw open the door you had come up to. He ushered you through and stepped out behind you as you took in the sight.

You were on a walkway that bordered the edge of the stilt-city. It had to have been immeasurably long to have wrapped the entire way around, but that was presumably possible. Thankfully, the walkway wasn’t literally at the edge - you doubted you could have handled it if you suddenly found yourself suspended thousands of feet above the crashing waves. Instead, it lined the top of the city, placed at the edge where it was thinnest, but still firmly on the ‘ground’.

The walkway was wide enough for three humans to walk side-by-side. If your mental estimations were correct, that meant roughly two Kaminoans could have done the same. There was a border fence along the outer wall, protecting guards from the precipitous drop, but letting them clearly see the danger they were in.

You were staring down at that drop before you knew it, clutching the fence like you were in danger of falling over it if you let go. Alpha stepped to the fence beside you, glancing over with an expression of mingled concern and amusement.

“Didn’t think you were afraid of heights.”

You shook your head slowly, eyes still fixed on the waves. “I’m not. It’s just… I think there’s a certain amount of self-preservation in being wary around really high places.”

Alpha didn’t have a response for that.

It was a typically gray day on Kamino, but you were utterly relieved that it wasn’t raining. The clouds were high in the atmosphere, and incoming ships would be spotted long before they reached any of Kamino’s landing pads. The air was clear and free of fog, and it seemed like you could see to the very ends of the planet. The steely waves below you crashed furiously, and the winds vacillated between whipping around you and leaving you in peaceful quiet.

“I can’t hear the ocean,” you mused to yourself.

Since you had said it in a moment when the winds were quiet, Alpha overheard. “We’re much further up than when we’re on the lower balconies. Each of the stilt-cities is a half-dozen levels tall. And those are kaminii levels. You won’t be able to hear the waves, not unless there’s a bad storm.”

“Stay right there!” a modulated voice barked. “Identify yourselves!”

Alpha was in full armor other than his helmet, so that level of vigilance seemed a bit excessive, but you understood that there was a threat of internal betrayal. You carefully kept your hands on the fence and your head as still as possible, trying to glance over with just your eyes to see the trooper who had spoken.

Alpha had no such qualms about moving. He kept his body still, but turned his head to direct a dry look at the trooper. “Captain Alpha-17.”

There was the distinct sound of a weapon being holstered. “Sorry, Captain.”

A hand tapped your waist and you released the fence. Alpha nodded toward the trooper. “It’s okay, neverd’ika. Atin’s just a little ulyc. He knows me.”

“Atin,” you repeated nervously, turning to face the trooper. It was a bit of a shock to see him wearing armor that was a matte black instead of the standard white plastoid, but you pushed that aside easily enough. He was fully armored, including a helmet. It was impossible to know just where he was looking, but his visor seemed to be fixed on you, so you offered a smile. “Nice to meet you, Atin. You were one of the troopers who found the transmission station with Alpha?”

There was a short pause - nothing obvious, but enough for you to pick up on. “Yes, ma’am. I’m part of Omega Squad, the ones tasked with accompanying the captain.”

“Thank you for bringing him back safely.”

Alpha snorted loud enough to be heard over the wind. “Wasn’t much danger there. Especially nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“Still, I’m glad you would have had backup if there was something,” you told him.

Alpha didn’t smile, but his eyes were warm as he gave you a short nod.

Atin cleared his throat. “Did you need something, sir? Has there been any news?”

“No news,” Alpha refuted. “Unless there’s something you boys need to tell me? I heard Niner was looking for me.”

“Sarge?” Atin shrugged. “He was wondering where you were, but I don’t think he needed anything specific. I’ll check, though.”

Atin strode purposefully down the walkway until he was almost out of sight behind the support pillars and various antennae lining the roofs of the stilt-city. He made a complicated series of gestures to someone you couldn’t see, then came back.

“Comms are back up if you hadn’t heard,” he told Alpha. “But they’re monitored so heavily that there’s a delay. And we’re requested to keep traffic to a minimum, so the messenger systems put in place by Commander Colt are still the primary method of communicating information.”

Alpha nodded thoughtfully. “How many men did Colt put out here?”

“Each stilt gets fifty troopers,” Atin listed, “plus fifty grown cadets to space out the ranks. There are a few higher-trained troopers floating between patrols to keep an eye on things, too.”

“So a hundred troopers per stilt, plus a few extras.” Alpha considered that for a moment. “What’s the assignment?”

“Keep watch on the skies,” Atin said with a shrug. He glanced out over the water again. “Good visibility today.”

You nodded, feeling a little awkward when both men looked at you. “I was just thinking that it’s good the cloud cover isn’t low today. More warning for incoming transports, and less chance of anyone slipping on the walkways.”

The slightest smile curved Alpha’s lips as he inclined his head. “Fair point. The atmospheric monitoring systems should warn about any unauthorized ships coming in, but… If the Seppies managed to breach Kamino’s databases, there’s a chance we can’t trust any security but ourselves.”

Atin glanced at Alpha. “Uncomfortable thought.”

“That’s the bad part about automation.” Alpha rested his hands casually over the hilts of the blasters on his hips. “All of it can be sliced. Trustworthiness comes down to sentients whose loyalty you can trust.”

“That’s a shorter list every day,” a new voice said.

You all turned to find another trooper in black armor approaching, with two more following closely behind.

“Niner,” Alpha greeted simply. “Heard you might have been looking for me.”

“Not really,” Niner said. “Just wondering why they wouldn’t use the trooper who trains the ARCs. Now I think I see why.”

You stiffened slightly at Niner’s nod in your direction.

To your surprise, Alpha didn’t seem bothered by the veiled accusation. “You know how the kaminii are with outsiders. I’m surprised they’re letting Colt do anything other than trail around behind General Ti.”

There was a beat of quiet, broken by Niner’s soft chuckle. “True. While you’re here, have you heard anything new about the transmission station? We’ve only heard rumors. Something about a beroya disguised as an instructor.”

“I don’t know much about it myself,” Alpha admitted, stepping aside so they could all see you more clearly. “But the administrator might be able to tell us more.”

You blinked blankly at him for a second before you collected yourself. “Yes, there was a bounty hunter here posing as an instructor. General Ti figured out that there was an information leak, but the Kaminoans said that their instructors had all been cleared. They claimed that their databases were incorruptible. Apparently, they weren’t.”

“What kind of information do they think the beroya got?”

“Blueprints, training schedules, numbers of cadets per class,” you listed. “Some stuff that doesn’t matter very much and some stuff that really does.”

“All of it matters,” Alpha said darkly. “Especially blueprints. That means whoever it is plans to infiltrate this place at some point.”

One of the troopers who hadn’t spoken yet shifted his weight slightly. “And that they don’t want to be caught when they do.”

Alpha glanced over. “That’s a good point, Fi. You sure you don’t want to throw a joke into it to save time?”

Fi shook his head. You couldn’t see his expression through his helmet, but you could hear the grin in his voice as he said, “A joke should always get to shine on its own, sir.”

A deep sigh was the only response he got.

“Do they know how much information the beroya got?” Niner asked. To your surprise, he seemed to be directing the question at you.

“Not yet,” you told him. “The Kaminoans have locked down all data access terminals while they do a full system audit. Most passwords have been locked out.”

“What about slicing in?” Atin asked.

Alpha shook his head. “Not a good idea.”

“Some of the data is encrypted in a way that deletes it if an outside person tries to gain access,” you explained. “And it’s impossible to tell what is set for deletion until you’ve already activated the system. Hopefully, that’s well-known enough to cut down on anyone trying to infiltrate to slice in.”

“I didn’t know it,” Fi pointed out.

“Maybe anyone trying to steal kaminii secrets will be better informed than you, Fi,” the last trooper pointed out. “They probably-”

“Hold on, Darman,” Niner ordered. “Incoming.”

You turned to look in the direction of Niner’s nod, and a beaming smile broke across your face almost immediately. “Neyo!”

Neyo was wearing his unique helmet, but he pulled it off as he approached. He nodded at Alpha, then at you. “Captain. Administrator.”

“How are you, Neyo?” you asked, searching his face. “How have things been since you left here?”

“I’ve only been gone a few weeks,” he countered.

Alpha chuckled. “You didn’t make it out of here for long, vod.”

You huffed at them both. “It’s been months!”

“Five weeks,” Neyo informed you.

“Fine, it’s only been a few weeks,” you conceded, crossing your arms. “I still missed you. Have you been okay?”

Neyo’s expression softened. “I’m fine. A couple good missions and one rough one. Still less stress than being around you and the captain.”

You laughed as Alpha said something uncomplimentary in Mando’a. Neyo grinned. “How are the new ARC trainees?”

“They’re just as hopeless as your group was,” Alpha grumbled.

“Alpha!” you chided. “They’re interesting. Two of them are from the same batch, which is different. Fives is a troublemaker, but he’s so funny! Echo’s just as mischievous, but such a sweetheart that you can’t hold it against him.”

“I’m sure the captain does his best,” Neyo said, glancing past you. “You haven’t forgotten about us, have you? None of us have gotten many messages on our comms.”

“I don’t want to put you in danger,” you admitted. “But I have sent a few messages.”

“I’m just giving you some osik.” Neyo smirked. “By Drift’s request.”

“Of course,” Alpha said with a sigh.

“How is Drift?” you asked, ignoring Alpha. “How is everyone? It seems like you might have been in contact more recently than I have.”

“I’d be happy to catch you up on everything that’s going on, but I need to get these men back to their posts,” Neyo told you, nodding at the members of Omega Squad. “Besides, I’ve heard that Limit is looking for you. I wouldn’t want him to track me down.”

“Fair enough,” you agreed, “but I want to catch up before you leave Kamino again!”

“I can make that happen.” Neyo looked at you oddly for a moment. Quietly enough that Omega Squad would struggle to hear, he said, “You can hug me if you want.”

You struggled not to laugh aloud with delight. A hug from Neyo that he had basically initiated? You accepted in an instant, wrapping him in as tight a hug as you could manage. He chuckled, patting your back a few times.

When you pulled away, you smiled up at him. “It was so great to see you! I’m going to hold you to talking later. I want to hear everything!”

“Deal,” Neyo agreed.

“Let’s go find Limit,” Alpha suggested. He nodded at the others. “Neyo. Omega. Ordo.”

You tried to turn, but Alpha’s grip was strong on your shoulder as he led you back over toward an entrance. You had walked enough with Atin and Neyo that you ended up using a different door back into the stilt-city, but you recognized the area as being only slightly further down.

Before you stepped inside, you glanced back to call, “Nice to meet you, Omega Squad!”

When you were inside the stilt-city, you glanced up at Alpha. “How long was Ordo standing there?”

“Long enough to see that you have friends here,” he said vaguely.

You deflated a bit. “Is that why Neyo let me hug him? As some way of protecting me? Did you ask him to?”

“I let a few people know to be on the lookout for you and the Nulls,” Alpha hedged. When you deflated, he hurried to add, “But the hug? I think Neyo may have just wanted to. There were other ways he could have shown closeness without it if he was uncomfortable.”

That made you smile all the way to the medbay.

When you walked through the medbay doors, medical supplies were scattered all across the room, stacked in odd places. The cabinets where they usually sat were open and half-empty. It was a mess. You peered around the room, but Limit was nowhere to be seen.

“Limit?” you called. Your voice rose in volume and pitch when you didn’t hear any response. “Limit?!”

“Breathe, little one,” Alpha encouraged, squeezing your hand. “I don’t see any signs of struggle.”

You gave him an incredulous look. “Really? How can you tell past the entire contents of the medbay lying on the ground?”

He chuckled. “Mir’sheb.”

“No cur-cursing in my medbay,” Limit chided, emerging from a side door.

“Limit!” you greeted in a rush. “What’s going on? Where were you? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is- is fine,” he assured you. The deep shadows under his eyes didn’t make it overly believable. “Just reorganizing.”

“See, neverd’ika?” Alpha asked. “He’s fine.”

You made a skeptical noise. “And how long have you been reorganizing? Because Colt said that you were doing this yesterday. It’s been almost a full day since then. Have you left the medbay today?”

“...Yes.”

“Limit.”

He sighed, giving you a mournful look. “There’s a- There’s a lot to do. And the Kaminoans have agreed… They’re letting me resup- supply. I can get th-this place back on track.”

“But that means you have to do a full inventory,” you summarized. Limit nodded. You cracked your knuckles. “Okay, what’s left to do? I’ll need a datapad or a medsupply counter, whichever you’re not using.”

“You don’t n-need to…”

“Give it up, Limit,” Alpha advised. “She’s on a tear today.”

When Limit sighed, you beamed. That was the sound of someone who knew how serious you were about helping.

“I still need some crates-” Limit started.

You plucked the datapad from his hands, scanning over the list to get an idea of whatever inventory system he was using. “Alpha will get them.”

Alpha chuckled behind you. “So this is how natties feel about being conscripted…”

He had already turned to retrieve the crates Limit needed, so he missed the face you made at him. You felt better, anyway.

When he was gone, Limit asked, “How are you ha-handling the lockdown?”

You gingerly extricated yourself from the cabinet so you didn’t bump your head and blinked at him. “Colt asked the same thing last night. I’m fine! Does everyone think I’m going to start panicking?”

“You were injured la- last time there was a s-security threat,” Limit reminded, “but I’m actually more - more concerned about the captain.”

“Alpha?” You frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You were in bad sha- shape during the Separatist invasion, so I’m not- I’m … I’m not sure how much you rem-ember,” Limit started.

“Bits and pieces, really,” you told him. There were theories that you would regain some memories with time, but no such luck.

“The woman who… who tor-tured Alpha w-was here.” Limit had put aside the inventory altogether, his full attention fixed on you. “She threatened him. Threatened y-you. He probably hasn’t talked… talked about it much.”

“No, he’s never said anything.” Even as the words left you, a dozen vague allusions and half-started stories sprang to mind. “Nothing direct, anyway. Is there-? Do you know if there’s any way I can help him?”

Limit shrugged. “He hasn’t said any- anything direct to me, either. I’d s-say having you around makes hi- makes him feel a little better. Just be pa-patient if he’s more irritable or protective than usual. That w-will probably be how it prese- pre- how it manifests.”

“Ill keep an eye out for that, definitely,” you agreed. “Do you know if he’s talked to anyone?”

“I don’t th-think so.” Limit frowned. “Not- not that he would have t-told me if he had.”

“I hope you don’t think that he doesn’t trust you-” you started, but Limit shook his head.

“The cap- captain trusts me as much as he… as he trusts anyone. But if he told some- someone about it, it w-would have been you.”

You were touched by that, but you had to wrangle your emotions back under control quickly. Alpha came back inside and set to work on the inventory, and there wasn’t much you could do beyond help him.

The night, the two of you retreated to the privacy of your quarters. The officers’ hall was much quieter - so much so that you suspected that the walls were literally thicker. You changed quickly, flopping onto the bed as soon as possible. You were exhausted after spending so much of your day trekking back and forth across Kamino, but it had left you feeling incredibly productive.

Alpha was sitting at your desk, making notes in a datapad he had been carrying around. You hadn’t lasted very long before you asked what it was for. He had explained that Colt suggested the officers make notes on who they saw where throughout the lockdown. That could help narrow down who might be responsible for any unauthorized transmissions.

When you had asked if he made notations about the Nulls, Alpha had replied with a smug confirmation.

You watched him in the warm silence of the desk lamp. The light silhouetted him gold, as if he had been gilded into a moving piece of art. You wondered if he would blush if you told him that. Then you wondered why he had been sitting, frozen, for far long that he needed to write down who he had seen and where.

“Alpha?” you asked softly. Alpha controlled his movements well, but you still caught the edge of a flinch at the sound of your voice. “Are you okay?”

“Of course, neverd’ika,” he assured you, a half-second too late. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’ve been thinking about the last attack,” you admitted. “It’s been on my mind all day.”

Alpha stood quickly, and you almost flinched. “Don’t worry about that. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. No matter what- Just… go to sleep, little one.”

And then he disappeared into the refresher, leaving you blinking in confusion. Of all the ways you expected that conversation to go, being ordered off to bed like a child hadn’t been among them.

Despite your irritation, you must have fallen asleep, because you woke up tucked between your sheets, blinking confusedly into the darkness. An instant later, you came to full awareness of what had woken you up: Alpha was muttering and thrashing beside you.

You had never seen him have a nightmare, though you knew he had them occasionally. He had talked you through how to handle the possibility a half-dozen times, but your hand still hovered over his shoulder for a long moment before you remembered his warnings.

You retreated from the bed, rounding to his side. You were close, but still out of his arms’ reach when you put on your most soothing voice. “Alpha. Alpha, you’re having a nightmare. Alpha, you need to wake up.”

The repetition of his name and the entreaties to wake up didn’t seem to affect him at all. With a grimace, you drew to your full height, took a deep breath, and snapped, “Captain Alpha-17!”

Alpha sat upright in the bed, doing his best to be at full attention even while he wasn’t standing. His chest heaved with desperate breaths and you could see beads of sweat glistening on his tan skin.

His expression was blank at first, but slowly relaxed into one of mild confusion. The moment his personality bloomed in his eyes, Alpha looked around. You knew he was searching for you, and you carefully shifted your weight so he could hear you. “Am I okay to get closer now?”

Alpha’s mouth opened, but all that emerged was a weak whisper. He settled for a nod. You sat on the bed, and Alpha folded his legs to make room for you. He seemed unsettled by your close study of him, but his breathing slowed and the tension slowly drained from his torso. That was enough for you, at least until he decided he wanted to talk about it.

“How bad?” he rasped eventually.

You shook your head slowly. “Not very. I woke up just before I got you up. You were mostly restless. A little talking, but nothing I could hear clearly. How do you feel?”

“Fine,” he brushed off. He glanced down at the bed, smiling wryly. “Sweaty.”

You stood, beckoning for him to do the same. “Go take a quick shower. I’ll change the sheets.”

Alpha hesitated. “You sure, neverd’ika? I can help.”

“It’s fine.” Alpha grabbed a new pair of pajama pants and headed for the ‘fresher, but halted the moment you spoke again: “I wish you would trust me to help you, Alpha. I can’t do that if you won’t talk to me.”

With a ducked head, Alpha stepped into the refresher, closing the door behind him.

By the time you had stripped the sheets from the bed and replaced them with a new set, Alpha had finished his shower. When you settled onto your pillow, Alpha was climbing into the other side of the bed.

With the lights off, the two of you lay in the silent darkness for long enough that you wondered whether either of you would go back to sleep at all.

Alpha turned toward you - you couldn’t see it, but you heard the sound. “I do trust you.”

Guilt and regret twisted in your stomach. “I know.”

You slid your hand across the surface of the bed, blindly searching for his. At the same moment, Alpha’s fingers collided with yours as he felt around for your hand. You shared a quiet chuckle as you held hands in the darkness.

“I don’t like this,” Alpha said eventually. “I can handle… being in danger. It’s all I’ve ever known. But you- I can’t think straight when you’re at risk. Sometimes I think that’s all the galaxy could do to hurt me. You’re the only good thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t accept the idea that something could happen to you, something I couldn’t stop or kill.”

He squeezed your hand at the end of his admission and you smiled up at the ceiling. “Thank you.”

A breathy laugh shuddered from Alpha’s lips. “Don’t thank me, neverd’ika. I was half a step away from locking you in your quarters all day.”

“I’m a little surprised you didn’t,” you admitted. “That’s why I left here before you this morning.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered,” he replied, amused. “I could throw you over my shoulder and haul you back here from anywhere in the city. We both know that.”

You snorted, squeezing his hand back. “Maybe, maybe not. I’m quick.”

The conversation faded after that. Alpha fell into sleep faster than you could remember him doing in the past, his hand carefully cradling yours until he had fully drifted off.

You didn’t last much longer, but you did your best to commit every detail of the moment into your memory. Despite the ongoing threat of invasion, this time with Alpha was tantalizingly close to perfection.

---

Author's Note - So. I'll admit that I don't love this chapter. I wanted to show a little bit about how Kamino was handling things this time around, but I know it felt like a lot of meandering across the city. I promise, the narrative gets tighter from here. Thank you for reading anyway!

For those of you who don't read my non-fic posts, I've been sick the entire month of July. I'm getting better now, but I was sick enough that it severely impacted the amount of writing I've done. I try to write a few chapters ahead so I can go back and connect some dots before things get posted, so missing those few weeks of writing is a disappointingly big deal. I'm trying to post a chapter of this fic every month, but I may have to rotate some things around in the coming months, depending on how much recovery work I can do in the next week or two.

Tl;dr - got sick, couldn't write, posting schedule may be a little funky for the next month or two. But I promise, I'm not abandoning this story and I don't have another year-long hiatus planned.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you as soon as I can with another chapter!

#star wars #star wars the clone wars #star wars legends #star wars republic commando #star wars fanfiction #captain alpha 17 #alpha 17 #reader insert #reader insert fic #alpha 17 x reader #alpha 17 x you #alpha 17 fic #the bad batch #omega squad #null arcs #commander neyo #clone oc limit #limit

39 notes · View notes