Shattered Stars (TCW)

Extra Scene -- A Little Friend

Taska Rokanh and her legions of clones have just returned to their cruisers after a long and difficult battle. All must find a way to stay cheerful as the horrors of war weigh on their young minds.

"Ace!" Taska said, and ran to catch up with the commander.

"General," he nodded.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for leaving you without cover back there, I don't know what happened," she said.

"Nothing to apologize for, sir, I assure you."

"Still, I—What is that sound?" Taska interrupted herself, swivelling her head back and forth in the middle of the hallway. "Listen."

Ace tilted his head quietly, and once a squad of shinies passed, he could hear it.

It sounded like crying.

"Someone crying, General?"

Taska closed her eyes for a moment, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. "No. I've heard clones cry before, and you don't sound like that."

"Well, what else could it be, general?"

"Faulty equipment, maybe?"

"Oh, Tuner would have already blown a fuse if that was the case," Ace smirked. "No, this ship doesn't make sounds like that."

She took a few steps away, tilting her head at a door. "I think it's coming from these barracks."

She knocked and the door slid open almost immediately. "Yes, sir?" A shiny asked, giving a salute.

"Could we have a look around these barracks, trooper? There's some strange noises we've noticed, and we just want to make sure everything is up to snuff," Ace explained.

"Uh, I haven't heard anything, sirs," the shiny said nervously.

A particularly loud whine made its way to their ears.

"Anything you want to tell us, kid?"

He sighed, reaching under his bunk to pull out a small ball of fur.

The loth-cat—loth-kitten, more accurately—unceremoniously flopped onto its belly once it was in the shiny's hand, letting out a quieter mew once it was settled.

"A tooka?" Taska asked coolly, amusement ghosting her expression.

"Uh, yes, sir. He was, uh, all alone when I found him on patrol, and I didn't want to leave him there alone," the clone stated professionally, though Ace could practically see how nervous the kid was.

"I see. And you are aware that having animals on board a Republic cruiser is against regulations?"

The shiny hung his head. "Yes, sir."

"Though he does seem awfully attached," Taska added thoughtfully.

"And a kitten could be trained not to get underfoot," Ace offered, quirking an eyebrow at the shiny's confused expression.

"Sirs?"

"I don't think the Noble has a mascot yet, does it?" Taska pondered.

"No, sir," Ace played along.

"Trooper, you will be allowed, for the time being, to supervise this... kitten and make sure it behaves and stays safe while it's on board. Can we trust you with this responsibility?"

"Yes, sir!" He said enthusiastically, and the cat jumped.

"Alright," Taska said, now smiling. "We'll leave you be, and make sure that the ship has the... necessary equipment for a pet."

As they turned to leave, a squad burst in through the barrack door.

"Sirs!" The leader yelled clumsily after he nearly smacked into Taska.

"General!" The others behind took the cue.

"No need to be formal, we are the ones intruding in your barracks, after all," the general excused. "We were just leaving."

"Wildcat! You got to keep him?"

"Yeah, the general's letting him stay," Wildcat laughed.

"Tuner and Mopup are gonna hate that thing," Ace muttered as soon as they stepped out of the room.

"Probably," Taska concurred. "But it just made him so happy."

"You're going soft on me?" Ace jokingly exclaimed.

"Ace, I've always been soft," she scoffed. "Honestly, I probably do let you all get away with too much."

"Hide your sabacc cards, boys, the General's gonna start cracking down," he smiled.

* * *

In just a few days, Jumper, as he had come to be called, had made his way around nearly the entire ship, earning the affections of the clones on board.

Well, most of them.

"WILDCAT!" Tuner bellowed, storming into the mess hall with the ball of bright orange fur clutched in one hand. "This—this beast is a hazard!"

Jumper gave a plaintive meow of protest.

"You're hurting him!" The younger clone jumped up, gently prying the cat from the mechanic's hands. "What did he do?"

Tuner fumed. "I was trying to repair a circuit near the training rooms that wasn't letting the lights come on, when your precious pet decided to jump on my face!"

The clones sitting nearby barely maintained their composure, hiding their laughs with coughs and gloved hands.

"It's not funny," Tuner insisted. "I was dealing with live wires, someone could've gotten hurt."

Wildcat relented and apologized on both of their behalves.

He felt understandably betrayed when he found Jumper, not a week later, happily curled in Tuner's lap.