Across the Stars

Chapter 6

Rex looked around the quarters and couldn't keep his jaw from opening in surprise. He had never seen beds like this before. He placed his helmet down on a table by the side of a tall wood door. He walked over and sat on the bed and found himself giggling when it bounced up and down.

His laugh was interrupted by a high speed weaponized pillow to the face that sent him falling all the way back on the bed. Rex growled playfully and picked up two pillows from the bed. He turned to face Hod, the pillow offender, and raised both pillows. One in a defense position, and the other held like a sword.

"Oya'cye! Kyr'am! Mare'cye! Darasuum! Oya! Oya!"

Life! Death! Revelation! Eternity! Let's live! Let's hunt!

The Mandalorian battle cry was repeated by Hod, then Bolt as he couldn't resist grabbing pillows and joining the fun. The three brothers wrestled and threw pillows at each other with so much glee, for a moment, there wasn't a war, there was just 3 brothers having a pillow fight.

Razor was shouting at them and ordering them to stop, and for a moment Bolt and Rex paused the gleeful fight. But then Hod threw the pillow in his hand directly at Razor's face. Hard.

"Come on Ori'vod. Scared you'll lose?"

Razor blinked twice. Then smiled ruthlessly. Oh boy. Rex thought. They were all going to be destroyed.

The next 5 minutes were a blur of pillows laughter and Mando'a phrases with the occasional curse thrown in when a pillow hit particularly hard or when a brother found themselves pinned to the ground.

Rex heard a laugh through the room. Happy and light, and not that of a brother. Rex froze, which earned him a pillow to the face by Bolt. Rex shoved the pillow away and stood, snapping to attention. Bolt grinned lopsidedly at Rex, confusion dancing in his eyes. Razor was the first to turn and see what Rex was standing at attention for. Shira.

Silence fell over the room. Razor seemed to have ice fill his whole body. In the blink of an eye every trooper was standing crisply and at attention, pointedly not looking at the pillows now beneath them in a mess. Each brother braced themselves for the verbal rebuke they were so used to for not being the soldiers they were supposed to be. Rex found himself tensing his muscles, bracing for the physical consequences of this moment of fun.

Shira stopped laughing, and her mouth opened in a slight "o." She waved her hands in front of her "Oh no, please don't, I'm sorry I interrupted, I just wanted to make sure that you were all settled in." She stepped forward and Rex flinched, he couldn't help it. I have got to get that under control. Soldiers don't show weakness. A flicker of sorrow passed over Shira's face. She stopped moving forward and drew herself together visibly. "Please, I didn't mean to...you don't have to..." her voice trailed off as her eyes searched the ceiling, as if looking for the words there.

Hod was the first to unfreeze. "Sorry senator, we're just used to..."

Images and phantom pains flashed before each of the clones.

Shira nodded slowly. "Don't worry, you don't have to explain. I hope in time you'll come to trust that I meant and mean what I say." She made eye contact with each of her protectors. Then she smiled. "I assume the rooms are suitable then?"

Bolt's shoulders lowered, grateful for the change in subject. "Honestly senator? Best I've ever had. Bet the same is true for the rest of us."

Shira smiled, but Rex could see that it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm glad you like them. I'm just down the hall, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me." Shira nodded her head and then took her leave closing the door behind her.

Bolt and Hod sagged with relief, it took Rex a deep breath and mentally counting to 5 before he would allow himself to shake off the fear and move again. Razor didn't move, his jaw was set tightly and he looked straight ahead.

"Well, I guess the senator wasn't just putting on a face earlier." Rex turned to face Bolt.

"Yeah, I think she means it." Rex replied.

Hod nodded. "She's definitely something." He stretched and started removing his armor. "I for one, am looking forward to a night in this bed." Hod barely made it forward before he was snoring and fast asleep. Rex and Bolt chuckled at their brother, able to just shut down like turning off a light switch.

Rex and Bolt managed to get all their armor off and into their blacks before laying down, but Razor didn't move. His eyes fixed on the door.

Soon Bolt was softly snoring, almost in harmony with Hod, but Rex found he couldn't sleep. He stood and walked over to Razor, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything okay vod?"

Razor didn't move, if it weren't for his breathing Rex could have sworn he was a statue.

"Why?"

Rex cocked his head, confused.

"Why what?"

"Why care? Why care about us? We're all cannon fodder to the others. Why does she care?"

Rex felt a twang of sympathy through his gut. Razor had already lost too many close brothers, and he had placed the blame on the senators. When they treated him like garbage, it was easy to. When they didn't, Razor didn't know where to channel the anger, the sorrow, except at himself.

"It isn't your fault, Razor." Rex said quietly.

This made him move. He turned his head slightly and hissed under his breath, "Then why am I here, and why are they gone?"

Rex found himself unable to respond. He had lost other brothers at Geo, but none that he had been particularly close to. He had just been another shiny, but he performed well enough that they finished his ARC training, Razor had been a commando from the beginning, and though the war was only 3 months running, it had already taken everything from him.

"Blaming yourself isn't gonna bring them back."

Silence was all he was greeted with. Rex turned and headed back toward the bed.

"Rex."

Rex turned to find Razor facing him, a rogue tear slipping down his cheek.

"You had better make it through this war. I'm not writing your name on my armor if you kick it."

Rex smiled. Then snapped into attention. "Sir yes sir."

That earned a shadow of a grin from Razor.