The Wolf Pack

Chapter 56

Wolffe marched down the pristine white corridors as he made his way through the medical station. General Plo Koon had skipped debriefing alongside Skywalker to head straight for their hospitalized Padawans. It fell on each Commander's shoulders to make a report on their side of the story and the interrogation of Poggle. Wolffe was sure Rex had been able to feel his desperation as well as any Jedi in the room, he kept giving his brother knowing looks every few minutes as the meeting continued on and on. Finally, his anxiety had won, General Kit Fisto had relented and allowed the man to go check on his Commander.

Marshal Commander Wolffe had never been this anxious, this nervous about anything in his life, but as he approached Kriari's hospital room, he started to feel nauseous. Behind the door was not only his General and closest thing to a father figure he'd ever had, but also the woman he loved.

The woman who had allowed herself to be possessed because she couldn't bear the thought of killing her comrades. He had seen the security footage, and he had been both touched and outraged by her selfless stupidity. Ahsoka had spoken with Kriari already, who had apologized for nearly murdering her while under the influence of the Geonosian queen. Ahsoka had called her stupid and laughed it off before warning her that if she ever put herself at risk like that willingly she would beat her ass to a pulp.

Wolffe was Glad Ahsoka had been able to lift her mood a little before he got there, but as he pondered whether to go in or not, the door opened to let General Plo Koon out.

"She's waiting for you, Commander," said Plo in that monotone but gentle voice those closest to him understood as him trying to soothe someone's anxiety. "She's been through quite a lot, so she needs all the support she can get."

Wolffe said nothing and for the first time in his life he looked down at his boots, uncertain and more than a little lost for words.

"Surveillance is off in the room, I asked for my padawan to be given privacy while she recovers, and I might forget we ever crossed paths outside her door."

Wolffe could not believe what he was hearing. A member of the Jedi council was looking the other way as his Padawan and his Commander bent the rules a little too far. This told Wolffe all he needed to know: Plo Koon was worried. He understood Wolffe was the only person who could help Kriari right then, and for her sake he was willing to overlook the fact that they were both breaking almost every rule.

"Thank you, Buir."

...

Kriari heard the door hiss open and shut once more. She knew who had come in, she wanted to look at him, wanted to run to him, hug him, but she was exhausted. She was still a little cold from her near freezing to death experience, and there was not enough tea in the galaxy to make her warm.

She was also extremely ashamed of herself.

She had simply given up, instead of compromising and killing a few clones who had been possessed, she risked her knowledge being acquired by the enemy, which would have gotten hundreds of thousands clones killed. She had been so tired, so mentally exhausted and emotionally drained that she hadn't even cared much when the possessed clones had caught her.

She had told this to her Master, she kept no secrets from him. But his response had not been the one she had been expecting. Plo Koon had not looked down on her, had not demoted her, had not given her any kind of reprimand, he had simply told her "Kriari, my padawan, you are still a child".

She didn't feel like a child, she was eighteen, she had been at war far too long to be anything other than a soldier, still, the hug her master had given her as she cried her eyes dry into his chest had given her some of the comfort she had been missing.