When the Cavalry Comes.

XXXVII

They were gone. Cav stood numbly at that holotable until Fives had made his way back. He gently pulled her by the shoulders to a storage closet and wrapped a protective arm around her.

"Hey, firecracker. Can you look at me?" He asked. Cav looked up at him, her lower lip beginning to tremble a little. Fives gently reached up and removed her helmet, seeming to know exactly what was going through her head. "Ok. Here's what we're gonna do. You don't always get to do this, but we're gonna do it this time. Pent up emotions don't help anyone." He brushed a piece of hair that had fallen out of her braid away from her face. "You get ten minutes, ok Cav? Ten minutes to break down, fall apart, scream, cry, and curse the universe. After that ten minutes we're gonna work to fix this."

Cav nodded, crumpling against her big brother with a strangled sob. She had failed them, failed the chancellor. Captain Rex and Tano where who knows where going through who knows what and it was all her fault.

Fives held her firmly, letting her break down on his shoulder. After a certain amount of time, Fives pulled her away from him so she was sat more or less in his lap, her knees slung over the side of the box they were sitting on. She didn't mind the closeness, not with Fives. Her ori'vod pulled a stained rag from his belt, the one he used to clean his blaster, and began to wipe the tears from her face while being careful not to get grease on her.

"Ok. There we go. Feeling a little better?" He asked. Cav shook her head, another wave of tears starting. Fives swiped them away gently. "No more of that." He scolded gently. "We need to think with our heads now, not our emotions. Give me a sitrep of the entire mission from start to finish, as if it were someone else's mission. Can you do that?"

Cav sniffed and slowly pulled herself back together as she nodded.

"Yes sir." She croaked. Cav took a deep breath, collecting herself before beginning in a shaky monotone.

"At 0900 hours this morning, the impromptu strike team was given the news of General Kenobi's desertion and betrayal of the GAR. There was a scuffle in the infirmary wing as the strike team was gathered and left Coruscanti airspace by 1000. On the way to the location of the general's betrayal and subsequent attack that resulted in the kidnapping of the Chancellor of the Republic, a plan was devised aboard the strike team's craft, the Twilight, by ARC Lieutenant Fives and Trooper Cavalry."

Her voice had begun to shake, so she paused and swallowed thickly. Fives took her hair out of it's braid and began to redo the whole thing.

"Keep going, Cav. You're doing great." He said. Cav nodded gingerly so she wouldn't mess up the coiled braid that went around her head like a crown.

"The plan was as follows. The strike team of six would be split into three pairs. One pair to run point from the temporary command center, one to gather intelligence from local sources, and one on the ground actively hunting. A staggered comm system secured the mission from being torn to shreds by means of splicing into a line." Another deep breath and swallow.

"At 1400, the pair running point received word on the whereabouts of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, who had disappeared in his own search to find the Chancellor of the republic. This lead to the realization that the attackers may be using the vast sewer system under the city to escape. Contact was lost with the ground team not long after." Her voice began to lose the shaky edge, becoming just a flat, emotionless drone. Fives kept petting her hair gently.

"And then what, Firecracker?" He asked.

"The information team took it upon themselves to move in on the ground team's last known location, where the body of Corporal Jesse was found. The second member of the ground duo was Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano, who was taken by Jesse's killers. The information team tracked the attackers until they came to a dead end, where they too were attacked. It's believed that Captain Rex was wounded and taken as well. His partner, ARC Lieutenant Fives, suffered a blow to the head but escaped relatively unharmed. The whereabouts of Captain Rex, Commander Ahsoka Tano, and General Anakin Skywalker is unknown, although it is believed that they are all being held in proximity to each other. Scout teams are searching the sewers and have found evidence of the attacker's being there but no actual hideout as of yet. That concludes my report."

"Very good, Vod'ika. Hey, look at me." Fives murmured. Cav obeyed, feeling numb and empty despite the tears welling up again. "Repeat after me, ok?" She nodded. "This was not my fault."

"This was not my fault." She whispered.

"My plan was perfectly sound."

"M-my plan was perfectly sound."

"It will all turn out ok."

"It will all turn out ok."

She slumped forward and hid her face in his neck, clinging to him in a rare show of physical affection. Fives chuckled lowly.

"Hey, the ten minutes is long past." He half chided. "But it's ok, Cav. You did everything perfectly for your first time leading a mission like this."

Cav sniffed. "I'm sorry for melting down like this." She whispered. Fives rubbed small circles against her back plate.

"'S ok, Firecracker. Some times you just need your big brother." He said. Cav nodded into his neck.

"I feel bad for stunning Kix." She said. Fives laughed a little more.

"Bah, he never gets enough sleep. A little forced nap never hurt anybody." He said. "Feeling a little better now?"

Cav shook her head. "Not really." Fives scoffed.

"Oh come on! I don't know how to do emotions I'm trying my best here!" He groaned, making Cav pull away and giggle a little at his dramatics. It wasn't much, but it made her smile.

"Ok. We need to go get an update on what's going on and talk to Cody. Then I'm pulling the senior officer card and making you take a nap." He said pointedly.

"I'm not a cadet who needs naptime, Fives!" She protested.

"Cav it's been a long and stressful day for you and you've done amazing. Like a said earlier, a little forced nap never hurt anybody." He said. Cav huffed but nodded, grabbing her helmet and sliding off Fives's lap. He offered her a hand as he opened the closet door. "C'mon, time to face the music for a little while longer."

A/N - *In Bo Burnam voice* I'm sorry I've been gone but look I made you some content!

In all seriousness though, I really am sorry. Also! Secret project preview being released soon! If you want to see a little bit of my own original writing go check it out when I post it!