The Wolf Pack

Chapter 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

I chuckled.

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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