In Command (#1 Post-Order 66 Series)

In Command - Part 3

A loud voice behind them made her jump. "Neighbors! How nice to finally see you out! We've been wondering how you were doing." They turned and faced the man that was speaking to them. He was tall with close-cropped black hair that was graying at the temples and a beard that perfectly framed his face. He wore purple dress robes with golden fringe that made Rex self-conscious about his simple jacket and tunic that he'd selected, hoping he wasn't underdressed. A slender woman with dancing green eyes was draped across his arm, wearing an emerald gown that matched Senna's in silhouette but had significantly more ornamentation. Rex's voice was caught in his throat, and as he struggled to remember how to interact with humans, Senna stepped forward, engaging them.

"How lovely to meet you both! My husband and I have been busy getting settled. The move was difficult, and I never realized we had so many things until we started to unpack them." She smiled engagingly, releasing her grasp on Rex's arm to receive them. "I'm Valla and this is my husband, Lon. We recently moved from the countryside. We gave the farmer's life a try, but I just don't think it suited us. Well, maybe Lon, but I couldn't stand the dust." She clasped both of their arms in greeting as they introduced themselves as Brak and Zea. Brak's dark eyes hadn't left Rex's face for most of the interaction. Senna noticed, reaching behind to pull Rex forward, bringing him into the conversation.

"You know Lon, you look terribly familiar," Brak said slowly. "I'm having trouble placing it, but I swear – "

Rex felt his stomach knot. Brak's words didn't match the look on his face. He must know. He knows he's a clone. They have to run. They have to –

"He looks like a clone," Senna stated matter of factly. "As kids, everyone always said he had one of those faces that everyone seemed to recognize, and when the war started, it somehow became even more common." Smiling, she placed an affectionate palm on his cheek and stroked her thumb across his jawline.

The feeling of her palm against his face sent a flurry of thoughts through Rex's head. They hadn't rehearsed any kind of intimacy, although it had always been assumed that they would need to show each other affection since their identities were that of newlyweds, but they'd never discussed it. Probably should have.

He also realized no one had touched him like that in a very long time. He liked it.

"You two grew up together?"

"Yes on Naboo before heading off to separate universities. My mother-in-law used to always speak of how she suspected there was a descendant of Mandalore on her side of the family, and we thought she was joking until we met clones during the war and someone first commented on that Lon looked like a clone. I've never seen the resemblance myself, but it gets commented on enough that I've always wondered if he shares some DNA with the Mandalorian that was the origin of the clone army."

Brak's eyebrows unknitted and he appeared to accept the story, slapping Rex on the back. "You just might! With the Mandalorian exodus after the siege, we all may have a little bit of that blood running through our veins in a few generations. Since there are hardly any clones around these days, I suppose I've forgotten what they look like." He laughed and Rex forced a laugh with him, slipping an arm around Senna's waist.

The two couples turned and started walking together, the women walking next to each other and Senna leading the conversation. Rex was surprised and also relieved that she was carrying on so that he could focus on the surrounding crowd and not giving away his internal struggle. She engaged him enough with questions and statements to where he didn't appear rude or distracted, but not so much that he had to be an active participant.

"So you said you two grew up together. How long have you two been married then?" Zea asked.

"Oh we're still newlyweds technically," Senna said, staring lovingly at Rex.