"I quite frankly don't understand how you managed to wear out the comm relay so quickly," Tech commented as he rummaged around in the access panel on Senna's arm. "Wait...are these...did you try to modify this on your own?"
"Noooo..." Senna lied, and Tech glared up at her through his goggles.
"There are clearly scorch marks here. You shorted things trying to do that one handed."
"Maybe you didn't ground everything correctly in there the first time."
"Senna."
"Ok, fine I tried to make some mods and fried the capacitor. You don't need to rub it in."
Tech smirked as he turned her wrist to get a better view of the damage before standing and striding over to a set of drawers, rummaging around for some supplies and tools. Senna watched him for a few moments before catching sight of a flash of blonde hair in the doorway.
"You're not as sneaky as you think, kid. Why don't you come say hi?"
Omega shyly peeked around the edge of the doorway. "Tech said not to bother you too much while he repaired your arm."
"Did he now?" Senna shot a look over at Tech and he shrugged.
"I wasn't sure how much attention you wanted on your limb. Echo always lets her watch, but I didn't want to assume."
Senna smiled before winking at Omega. "Come on over and keep me company while your brother fixes me up here."
The young girl bounced over, sitting next to Senna and leaning over to inspect the inside of her arm. "It looks like you've got a fried capacitor."
"You would be correct," Tech replied, returning to the table with a soldering iron and new components. "Our Jedi friend here learned the hard way that doing self-modifications isn't the best idea."
"What were you trying to do?" Omega asked.
"Was trying to boost the strength of the relay a bit for when I'm on more remote planets. That way the computer in there can get access to databases from further away and I can tap into comm signals without need to hook my commlink up to a power coupling. At least, that was the hope."
"Would you like me to make that upgrade once I do the repairs?" Tech offered.
Senna bit back her pride. "Sure, that would be great."
Tech simply nodded, going to work on the limb. "Be sure to let me know if I hit anything that triggers a sensory response."
"Will do." Senna turned her attention to the young girl hovering over the table. She'd spent a little bit of time with Omega the last time she'd visited and had been impressed by her ability to pick up skills quickly and her eagerness to learn. Hunter had told her that Omega really wanted to be involved in the fight, even if only in a limited capacity, and Senna found that admirable if not a bit worrisome. War is all she's known outside of Kamino. It's been her life for the most formative parts of her existence. It made her sad, but she also knew that young people like Omega were what she was fighting for, for them to have a future in which the Empire didn't exist.
There was also something about the young clone that Senna couldn't quite place her finger on. Every time she was around Omega, there was some itch in the back of her mind that she just couldn't seem to scratch. She'd put it aside the first few times she'd been around the girl, assuming it was just her not being used to being around children, but as time went on and she got more comfortable, she still couldn't shake the feeling. Even now, as she watched Omega hover over her arm, asking Tech various questions, she felt the tingle in the back of her brain. It didn't feel like a warning, but just something slightly out of reach.
"So you came in with Rex?" Omega asked.
"Yeah. He and I are looking for the same person, so we thought it best to team up."
"Are those his Jaig eyes on your ring finger?" Omega asked.
"Yup. Those are his." Senna tried to keep the heat out of her cheeks as she felt Tech glance up at her.
"How come the two of you weren't together before now?" Omega pressed.
"We...uh...well-"
"Omega, do you have some time to come help me out down in the garage?" Echo's voice buzzed from the comm on Omega's wrist.
"Yeah, be right there Echo!" The young girl hopped off the seat next to Senna, waving goodbye as she headed out to help her brother.
"She's growing like a weed," Senna noted, turning back to Tech.
"It truly is astounding to see a normal human growth rate, particularly after we only spent time around other clones growing up," Tech replied. "A very different experience from ours."
"In more ways than one," Senna commented, and he hummed in response. She chewed her lip, and Tech took notice.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, and when she raised an eyebrow, he gestured at her mouth. "You chew your lip when you're thinking of something, normally something troubling or requiring a lot of thought."
"You know, Hunter's the one with the enhanced senses, but you seem to be the more observant one," she laughed.
"You're deflecting."
"Fine. How much do you know about Omega's genetic background? I know she's enhanced like you, but has her enhancement ever manifested in front of you?"
"We never were able to find any information on what exactly her enhancement entailed. To the best of our knowledge, she's always been special because of her DNA, but no, we never have determined exactly what the intent was in her creation."
Senna nodded, still gnawing on her lip. There's something about that kid. Changing the subject, she turned to study Tech. The last time she'd seen him, he'd still been grieving the loss of Kestia, the queen of Naboo that he'd fallen in love with while protecting her. Kestia had sacrificed herself to allow them and other resistance members to escape Naboo, and Senna had spent a good amount of time with Tech until he had started to recover slightly. He was up and about when she'd finally left, but it had been apparent he was still carrying the weight of Kestia's death with him. Now, he seemed more his old self, but she could still see a sadness in his eyes at times or the way his shoulders would occasionally slump when he thought no one was looking.
"How are you, Tech?"
"I'm perfectly adequate. The Marauder's hyperdrive has been on the fritz again, but I think with some minor modifications, perhaps we can avoid future issues with it. I may even be able to improve the overall engine efficiency if-"
Senna rested her right hand on his, stilling his movements. His eyes met hers from behind his goggles and he set the soldering iron down as she gave his hand a squeeze. "How are you?" she tried again.
He sighed, readjusting his goggles. "It still hurts. A good amount. Knowing Kestia died on her own terms the way she would have wanted to does give me some solace, but Maker, I...I miss her. All the time." Senna stood, careful to keep her arm level as she walked around the other side of the table to sit next to him. She slipped her right arm around his waist, pulling him towards her and resting her head against his shoulder.
"I know you do, Tech. I'm sorry I can't take that weight from you."
He laughed softly, and Senna didn't miss the way his eyes were glistening behind his goggles. "It's nice to have felt that way for another person, and I treasure the short time I had with her. She changed me in ways I may never fully comprehend, but I also know she'd hate it if I allowed the grief to overwhelm me for too long."
"She would," Senna agreed. "You didn't allow her to linger in her grief when she lost people, and I'm sure if she were here, she wouldn't hesitate to turn that back around on you."
He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "She absolutely would." He met her eyes, leaning his head against hers slightly, and she leaned forward, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Alright, let's get me put back together," she said, knowing Tech wouldn't want to dwell on the sentimentality of the moment for too long. She retreated to her seat, extending her arm back out towards him as he picked up the soldering iron once more. "So where's that grouchy brother of yours?"
"He and Iden are off on a mission together. I'm sure he'll be sorry he missed you."
"That doesn't sound like the Crosshair we all know and love," she teased.
Tech chuckled. "Perhaps, but he's changed. Still broody and unyielding, but Iden's had quite the effect on him."
"That's still going well I take it."
"Quite. They're good apart but together, they're a force to be reckoned with. She brings out a side of him none of us were ever able to elicit. I'm glad to see it." He pulled the damaged capacitor out, holding it up to the light to examine it. "You did quite the number on this, I must say."
"What about Sabé and Typho? Those two ever pass through?" Senna asked, ignoring Tech's commentary on her ruined hardware.
"On occasion. We've seen them a handful of times since you left."
"That's good," she said quietly.
Tech raised his eyes for a moment to watch her. "It would seem things have shifted between you and the captain since you arrived. Did you manage to get that fixed?"
Senna sighed. "I wouldn't necessarily call it fixed, but it's better. I think. I know things don't just change with a flip of the switch, and I'm still going to have to work to earn his trust again, but it at least seems like that's something we're both interested in pursuing. I wasn't sure for a while there."
"And when you find Wolffe? Then what?" Tech asked softly.
Senna shrugged. "I hope he and I continue on, wherever that leads."
Tech hummed, and Senna raised an eyebrow at him. "What, no opinion?"
"Does it matter what I think?"
"I'd welcome your thoughts."
Tech considered it for a moment. "I'm pleased to see you together again. I know the few times we saw Rex since you'd left, he was a different person. The same honorable, determined captain of course, but there was very clearly a piece of him missing. I never would have dreamed of trying to convince you to come back because that was your decision to make, and I respect that, but I do think the two of you work better together, even if there's danger. You're different as well. It was clear you were lonely when we met you on Naboo, and that you were carrying the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders. Now, you can tell that he's carrying a little for you and vice versa. You balance each other, and I think that is a strength that shouldn't be discarded." He sighed. "After my...experience with Kestia, I can say that I value the time with those I care for a little more. So I'm glad to see you not wasting time trying to keep yourself away from the person you so clearly love."
Senna nodded. "I'd like to stay with him. I've spent the last year and a half looking over my shoulder, and to be honest, I haven't felt pursued by an Inquisitor. Gadge on Naboo was by chance. She had no idea I was there."
"Also, technically not an Inquisitor."
"True." She sighed. "Maybe I was wrong about how they track Force sensitives."
"You couldn't have known."
"No, but if I was, what a waste it was to leave and miss out on that time. I could have helped the rebellion more directly. I could have been with him." She ran her fingers through her hair, leaning back as Tech adjusted some wiring to make room for the additional components that would give her the upgrade she desired.
"I find it isn't helpful to dwell on the past," he said. "Otherwise, I'd never have forgiven myself for missing Crosshair's chip still being in, and I'd still be wondering what I could have done differently to save Kestia."
"You're right."
"Of course I am," he teased, carefully soldering the components in place. "There, that should do it. Next time you're on a remote planet, give it a test and let me know how it performs." He closed the maintenance panel on her arm as she flexed her fingers experimentally.
"Thanks Tech."
"Any time. Now, let's go find the others."
The two of them strode down the corridors of the base, heading for one of the main recreation areas. The room had likely been used for storage at some point, but the space had been cleared and was now littered with mismatched seating and tables, a matted area meant for working out, and plenty of other salvaged items. The ceiling was retractable, and had been cracked open to allow some of the sunlight to trickle in through the thick green foliage that covered the roof. Several vines hung down into the room, and the humidity tingled on Senna's skin pleasantly as she and Tech entered the room. While the Jedi temple had always been more well furnished and elegant, Senna couldn't help but be reminded of some of the common areas that she, Anakin, and the other Padawans had frequented, playing games and exchanging stories until late into the night. It was the spirit that elicited those memories, she decided, the drive for the common cause that gave way to a sense of camaraderie that she loved.
Rex wasn't hard to pick out in the fray, standing next to Wrecker and Hunter conversing quietly near some couches while Echo sat fiddling with a datapad. Senna and Tech made their way over, and Senna couldn't stop the fluttering in her stomach as Rex's eyes locked with hers and he smiled. I know it's not all fixed yet, but Maker this feels right. They'd spent the night wrapped up in each other on Rex's ship, whispering and making up for lost time. Senna could still feel the marks he'd left on her collar bone, now hidden by her tunic, and she flushed at the memory of the feeling of his teeth against her skin. It feels like we're teenagers and this is all brand new. The clones paused their conversation as Tech and Senna approached.
"Get everything all fixed?" Hunter asked.
"Yep, and I talked Tech into giving me the upgrades I wanted. Better than new." Senna wiggled her metal fingers experimentally in front of them, her arm glinting in the dim lighting. "How are things going over here?"
Rex sighed. "Trying to figure out who around here might know about some of the more classified Imperial bases. Unfortunately, not many ex-Imperials with the exception of perhaps-"
A loud laugh that sounded like a drunken farthier whinnying interrupted them, making Senna jump out of her skin. Whirling, she came face to face with the culprit.
He was a clone, no doubt about that. He shared the same golden eyes Rex had and an equally charming smile as he ran his hand over his slicked back hair. "Well, what do we have here?" he asked, studying Senna. His voice was gruff but creaked on certain words like a gear long overdue for some grease.
"Who's this?" Senna asked, noting the mischief sparkling in the clone's eyes.
Rex grinned. "Senna, meet Gregor."
Senna's eyes widened. "Wait, you're the commando that got blown to bits on Abafar!"
He giggled again. "One and the same."
"When did you meet him?" Rex asked.
"Never did. Just heard about him when R2 and his friends got back. Some of them came in for a tune-up and wouldn't stop beeping about this captain that saved them." She gave him a onceover. "You know, you seem to have faired alright for getting blown to hell."
"What can I say, guess I'm just a lucky guy." Senna didn't miss the way Echo rolled his eyes in the corner.
"Gregor here is one of the few that might know some of the locations," Rex said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "He trained Imperials at one of their more covert bases."
"You had clearance as a clone?" Senna asked. "That seems highly irregular."
"Didn't have a clearance but heard enough chatter to gather clues about where some deployments were happening. You know the Imps, they love to talk."
Senna's eyes widened. "Great. Well, what do you know?"
Gregor flashed her a grin. "The one I heard the most scuttlebutt about revolved around a base built into a mountain. Rumor is that there's plenty of science and engineering going on there, maybe even some clone studies."
"Cloning? I thought our program was scrapped in favor of the recruited shinies," Echo said, rising from his place on the couch.
"That's what I thought too, but from what I could tell from the bits and pieces, it's not clone soldiers they're looking to make. Not sure what else they'd be working on, but that's what I know," Gregor shrugged.
"Any other clues you can give us besides 'built into a mountain'?" Senna asked. "Doesn't narrow it down much."
Gregor stroked his chin as he sorted through his memories. "I'd guess it's mid-rim since the transit wasn't supposed to take more than a rotation or two. There was a lot of complaining about the local fauna. Some sort of snakes and a thing called a 'clawbird' that a lot of soldiers griped about. Sounded fairly warm from what I heard, maybe tropical. That enough to go on?"
Tech adjusted his goggles. "I can start a search with those parameters to see if I can narrow down a list of candidate worlds. After that, we can perhaps monitor chatter of our patrols to see if any strange sightings have been reported of Imperials coming or going in a sector they shouldn't be. If we can find a likely location, we should be able to travel there and scan various mountain ranges for any anomalous EMI patterns, heat signatures, et cetera."
Gregor nodded. "Sorry I'm not more help, but the commandos in my charge at least had enough sense to not outright name the place."
"It's alright. This is a good start," Rex said. "Hopefully, once we get there, we'll be able to tap into the main system and find where they've got Wolffe stashed before his court martial."
"Rex," Gregor said gently, "I'd be shocked if he gets a court martial."
"But-"
"I know, but we're not in the GAR anymore. We're barely considered human. The Imperials don't look on us favorably, even if we did hand them the entire damn galaxy on a platter." He huffed, rubbing the back of his neck and eyeing Senna's lightsaber. She'd already noted the small scar on the right side of his head, knowing that meant his chip had been removed, but she still couldn't help but flex her fingers nervously. His eyes saddened.
"I wasn't under the command of a Jedi when the order was given, but I do live with the regret regardless," Gregor said softly, almost as if he were apologizing. All of the mirth had gone out of his eyes, and Senna's heart broke at the grief that had taken its place. Closing the space between them, she rested her hands on his shoulders.
"They fooled us all, Gregor. Even if you had...followed the order, I know it wouldn't have been you. You're here now, and that's what matters."
The clone flushed a little before unleashing a nervous giggle. "Perhaps. Hope the info I gave you pans out to something."
Senna turned to Rex. "Alright, let's say we do find this planet. I want to take a small squad in. We'll need help navigating, so a slicer would be helpful." She glanced at Echo and he nodded in affirmation. "I imagine taking Tech makes sense as well since he'll have to rig up the scans of the planet. The things we'll be looking for won't show up in normal scans. And then of course, you and I." She turned to Hunter. "What do you think?"
The sergeant tapped his foot as he considered it. "I think that's a good crew to take. You don't want a large team infiltrating an Imperial facility with that high of security. Wrecker doesn't exactly blend in, and I'm not sure I'd be much help. I'd send Crosshair if he was here for eyes in the sky, but unfortunately, he's out in the field with Iden. I think the team you have is all I'd send you with."
"What about him?" Senna asked, thumbing at Gregor.
"Ah, I think I'd better stay here, love," Gregor chuckled. "I'm not much good on a stealth mission, and besides I think five would be a crowd. Even four may be pushing it."
Senna nodded, her teeth digging into her lip as she thought. "Alright. Take the Marauder?"
"Certainly," Tech said. "I believe it's much more maneuverable than the ship you and Rex arrived in, and I'm familiar enough with its systems to be able to make the necessary scanner modifications quickly."
Senna glanced at Rex, and struggled not to grin at the way he was looking at her. The pride pouring out of his eyes warmed her from the inside out to where she felt she must be surely glowing. Maker, I love him. "Alright, it's settled then," she grinned.
---
Senna sat on the ramp of Rex's ship, her long legs stretched out in front of her as she rested back on her palms, watching the sun set over the jungle's greenery. A warm breeze tugged at the tendrils of hair that had come loose from her bun, gently tickling her cheeks. She heard footsteps approaching and turned her head as Rex emerged from behind the ship, a bottle of blue spotchka in one hand and two glasses in the other.
"Thought I'd find you out here. May I join you?"
"Who would I be to turn down such company?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes, clambering up on the ramp to sit next to her. "Where'd you get the spotchka?"
He raised an eyebrow as he poured a glass and passed it to her. "Gregor's been making this stuff since before the war ended, and he swears up and down he's got the recipe perfected, but I've always been a little skeptical. First time I tried it, I thought it could burn a hole in my armor. I had the sense to stop after a few sips. Jesse and Fives, however, overdid it and then puked their guts out for at least the next half a rotation. I really thought he'd killed them, but that was enough for most of the 501st to swear off the stuff permanently. I think Kix kept some with him in case someone needed vomiting induced, and I'd heard rumors Cody used it as paint remover for when the 212th were painting their armor."
She gave him a skeptical look as she took a careful sip, immediately spluttering as the liquid burned the back of her throat. Her eyes watered, and glancing at Rex, she felt like he was enjoying this small bit of vengeance for all the caf she'd made him. He took a small drink as he watched her, managing to swallow before letting loose a few coughs. "Markedly improved," he wheezed, and Senna chuckled, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"You've changed since I last saw you," she said quietly.
"How so?" he asked, turning to look at her as he took another ill-advised sip of the harsh liquor, managing only a slight wince this time.
"You hardly ever used to talk about the brothers you lost."
She felt him pause for a second as he considered her observation. "Time and separation help. I miss them every day, and I'm grateful for the ones I still have. It's hard, but I've started to want to talk about them more lately. I don't know if it's just I'm at that stage in my mourning or if I'm eager to tell their stories so they're not forgotten and just written off, but they were heroes. All of them."
Senna slipped her hand into his. "They were, and I'm more than happy to listen to all of the stories you have about them if you're comfortable sharing that with me."
"Why wouldn't I be?" he inquired, eyebrow raised.
"Rex, I'm not so foolish as to think that everything's fixed after one night. But," she said, raising his knuckles to her lips. "I'm very willing to continue working on it."
He turned, placing a kiss to her temple. "You know, that's the odd thing. For me, it almost does feel fixed. I can't explain how hard it was to carry that anger inside, how exhausting, but moving past that with you yesterday and last night, it was liberating to just let it go." Rex slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him and placing another kiss against her lips. Senna melted into him, her right hand flying up to rest against his cheek. "I'm tired of being angry with you, Senna. And I believe you when you say you're ready to give this another go. I know I should probably be more cautious, but the most frustrating thing about you leaving was I understood your motivations. It was never a lack of trust, it was a lot of anger and pain and missing you so desperately, but it wasn't ever that I didn't trust you. When you came back, I kept you at arm's length for fear of getting this close to you again and then losing you. I won't lie, some of that fear is still there. A small part of me is still afraid the minute you get the location of this base, you'll go off on your own again."
She smiled grimly, nodding in understanding as her face fell. He's still afraid. "I won't. I promise."
"I know. It's just a fear that I'm working on fighting right now. Very small, but still there."
Senna sighed, resting her head against his shoulder once more, and she felt him press his lips to her hair. His thumb rubbed at the etching on her ring finger.
"I have to ask, where'd you get the paint?" he asked quietly. "It matches my armor perfectly."
Senna chuckled. "Echo. When we were on Naboo, he told me I should paint the etching 501st blue since the Jaig eyes were obviously for you. So, before I left this place, he gave me the paint. He said he had it from when he and Fives were promoted to ARCs, and he'd kept it for touch-ups and as a memento. I tried to refuse, but he insisted on giving me some." He huffed and she glanced up at him. "He also was the one to push me to come find you."
"Sounds like I owe him."
"I think I would have gotten there eventually on my own. I was struggling when I was there. Echo just helped tip me over the edge."
Rex met her gaze. "That wasn't all though. Something else changed your mind."
Senna's teeth were digging into her lip once more, and Rex brushed his thumb along her lower lip before pressing a kiss to her mouth. She smiled against his kiss before breaking apart and resting her forehead against his. "You know, I'd swear you're Force sensitive if you weren't a clone. You read me better than anyone I've ever met."
"That's because I love you. Now, what was it?"
Senna snuggled into his side as the last rays of the sun disappeared below the horizon, the brilliant oranges and pinks slowly fading to purples and blues. "I knew that no matter how far I stayed away, you'd still go charging into danger. You're a soldier and a good man, and I know despite your misgivings about the rebellion at times, you'll do what needs to be done to do the right thing. I mean, karking hells, I found you getting chased by a squad of stormtroopers on Takodana." She giggled at the memory and saw the hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "I guess I just figured you're going to be in danger with or without me, so I'd rather be running into trouble with you than without you." She studied the way his fingers slotted with her metal ones, warm calloused flesh enveloping delicate metal digits. "I know you never met Kestia, but she was very like you. Brave, smarter than she gave herself credit for, always well-intentioned if not a little reckless. And I had to watch what her death did to Tech. All those days I spent with him, I thought about how I'd feel if one day I just found out you'd been killed, and I realized I was wasting time not being with you. So, I decided to see if I could track you down and try to play it by ear to see if it was the right call. I had planned to try and gradually ease back into things, but as fate would have it, you almost got yourself killed, so there was really no easing into things after I pulled you back over that cliff on Takodana."
Rex slipped his arm around her shoulder, holding out his glass towards her. "Well, in that case, here's to fate and facing the danger together."
Senna swallowed the lump in her throat and thehappy tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she picked up her glass andclinked it against his. "I'll drink to that, Captain."