In Command (#1 Post-Order 66 Series)

In Command - Part 8

He shuddered in her arms, and she squeezed him tighter, whispering in his ear as she let one of her hands cradle the back of his head. "You're ok. I'm ok. It's all ok. You're here now. It's over."

She felt him slump into her arms. She gently eased him up and back into his bed. Without being asked, she got under the sheets with him, pulling him close enough to where he could lay his head on her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked quietly.

"You were there this time," he said.

"I know. You were yelling my name when I tried to wake you."

He flushed a little at that and was silent for a few moments. "Did you have two lightsabers?" he asked.

She was quiet for a moment. "No, no I only wielded one. Wasn't ambidextrous enough to use two like Ahsoka did."

"What color was it?"

"Ice blue."

"Can...can you tell me about when you found your kyber crystal?"

She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him, a hint of surprise tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Why do you want to hear about that?"

"Or a story from your childhood. Just...anything. It'll help my mind wander."

She thought for a moment. "I was a youngling. They sent us to Ilum for the Gathering, and I was terrified. I'd already gone twice and hadn't found my crystal yet. A third trip being needed was rare, and I was starting to worry that I'd never hear its song. I thought maybe there'd been a mistake and I wasn't meant to be a Jedi after all. I walked through the cave and again, saw all of my friends finding theirs, excitedly squealing when they had pried it loose. I wandered deeper into the cave to hide in shame. I was back in a particularly dark section when I heard the faintest sound. I don't know how to describe it really, but it was as if I'd heard my favorite piece of music for the first time again, except there was no music playing. But I had that feeling, you know? The one you get when you hear your favorite song ever where your body just tingles and itches and wants you to move, and you just feel warm all over? That's what it felt like. I stopped crying, wiped my nose on my tunic, and made my way down a passage I'd never walked before, and at the end, there was a faint blue glow. The blue was lighter than that of the other blue sabers I'd seen, closer to the shallow waters on Naboo's beaches rather than the dark blue you see in the depths. It was...mine."

"Do you still have it?" he asked sleepily, his eyes starting to drift closed again.

She hesitated a moment, but that was all it took for his soft snores to start before she could even answer his question. "Goodnight, Rex," she whispered, snuggling further under the covers to join him in slumber.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You can't come with this time. The place is too exclusive. You'll never make it past the door."

"So I'm just supposed to let you go into an Imperial officer's club by yourself? Unarmed?"

"Yes, that's exactly what you're going to do," she stated, clipping her earrings in place in the mirror.

Rex leaned against the doorway to her bedroom, his face contorted into a scowl. "You have to understand what a bad idea this is. Surely you get that."

"What choice do we have? I need the information he has, and this is how we're getting it. Plus, an officer's club might open up other listening opportunities not usually afforded to us. Think of the intelligence I could gain by being around a bunch of drunk officers!"