Give Me Love

chapter seventeen

Normally at this time, you would be waking up to get ready for work. The rising sun could just be seen under the outlook of the hangar, the night sky of coruscant glistening with lights. The city was still sleeping, but the hangar was alive with clones in blue and white armor rushing around, carrying boxes and loading ships and marching around in groups, the clank clank clank of their blasters against plastisteel deafening to your still-sensitive ears. You were immediately lost in the crowd, unsure of what to do and where to go. A low, panicky feeling of being swallowed began to cloud your senses, and you searched for Anakin. He was right beside you.

"Stay close," he urged you in front of him with a hand to the small of your back, and began walking in time with you to the largest ship in the middle of the hangar.

As you walked, you noticed the different persona he put on around the clones. Almost like he was born for the role, his head lifting, already tall stature towering over you and the rest of the clones, steps long and purposeful-- strolling, but at a quick enough pace that told others to get a move on. He regarded each clone that came up to him with equal respect and dignity, ordering them around with quick commands and sometimes a joking remark.

It was fine for a maximum of two minutes, and then the problems started to arise.

"General Skywalker, left ion-thruster 224 of the Resolute is malfunctioning. Can you take a look at it?"

"Replace the entrance chamber and slap the top a couple times, sometimes the grids become loose."

"General, the shipment of rain gear didn't come in last night. Only half the supply is on Zephyr-IV."

"It's a desert planet, Bow, it's not going to rain. Don't worry about it."

"General Skywalker, the bombers have been fueled to max input."

"Good. All in the ventral docking bay?"

"Waiting for your command, sir."

"You haven't started loading them? What are you waiting for-- load em up!"

"Right away, sir."

Anakin stopped a distance away from a group of clones struggling to get a couple of large walker-droids under control, but the machine's spidery legs were too quick and they were knocking over boxes of supplies.

"Hey! Power down those AT-RT's before you load them in. Make sure they're strapped and secure," he shouted at them. The distraction only resulted in one of the clones getting kicked over into a pile of blaster bullets.

He watched them for a moment and then turned to you, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I should take care of this." Then to someone behind you, "Rex, get Y/n onboard the Resolute. See that she gets to the command center and that Yularen doesn't try to kick her out."

As you were walking away, he called out again. "And make sure Hawk gets that ion engine working!"

Rex, the captain of the 501st, was someone you had only heard about a few times before when Anakin discussed some of his battles. He regarded Rex with the utmost respect, always smiling when he talked about his bravery and heroics. "Fiercely loyal," is how he had described him, and you already knew you would like the soldier.

"First time out?" Rex asked as he led the way to the huge flagship. You nodded when he looked, disappointed that your nervousness was so clear to see. "Don't let this scare you. It may look a little busy and out of control, but General Skywalker knows how to handle it."

There were a couple crashes from behind you, and more yelling from Anakin.

"Seems like it," you laughed a little too quickly, glad when Rex took your hand to help you up the steep ramp of the ship. His armor was cool against your hand, his touch light, and his eyes calming. They were the cool, collected, and slightly apologetic eyes of a man who's only ever known chaos, and thrives in it.