19 BBY
Unknown Regions, Outer Rim
An angry C1 droid rolled through the halls of the cruiser, grumbling to itself while clones passed it, sending the droid scared glances before they gazed towards its nonchalant owner. Jaika ignored her cross-wired droid as she continued to step through the halls, while sending nods to various clones who passed her. "I'm so tired." She groaned to herself, as her legs started to ache from the constant battling. She never got the chance to have a break, once she returned from one battle she was sent to another. Jaika could barely process any of it, she couldn't even tell where in the galaxy she was.
The war had never been as chaotic as it was in that moment. Barely anyone was left on Coruscant, as the Jedi were flown to each corner of the galaxy. It was exhausting, Jaika was beyond tired. She did not even have enough time to process her emotions, and considering how the war continued to take lives, it started to weigh down on people and cloud their judgement. It was safe to say that the Jedi's tactics were starting to become a lot more experimental.
As Jaika continued through the corridor, a pair of arms quickly grasped her before she was pulled into a room. The door closed behind her, leaving Alpha alone in the corridor, as he swiveled his confused head at what just happened. The droid sighed before he parked himself outside the door.
The girl instantly sensed who she was with as she gazed up and looked back at Obi-Wan, who was leaned against the shelving units that were filled with clone armor. He smiled back at her, while she raised an eyebrow at him. "You might want to give me a warning before you do that next time." Jaika suggested, as she could feel her heart still hammering in her chest from being grabbed. Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head to the side, looking down at her. "Now why would I do that?" He questioned, as Jaika shot him a tired glance. "Do you want bruises?" Jaika questioned.
The man went silent as he thought for a moment, while Jaika sensed his growing amusement. "Well, If you're offering--"
Jaika sighed, "I'm leaving." She groaned, as she turned to the door. A hand instantly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back, before she was caught in Obi-Wan's embrace. Obi-Wan held onto Jaika, as he traced his finger along her jaw. When his finger reached her chin, he tilted her head upwards, making her eyes meet his. Their close proximity made Jaika's breath catch within her chest, as she gazed up at Obi-Wan. "Are you going to behave now?" Jaika questioned, as she eyed the man.
"With you, never." He smirked, before he tightened his other hand around her waist and leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Jaika had to refrain from rolling her eyes at him, before she closed her eyes and returned the kiss, draping her arms over his shoulders as she pulled him closer. While one of his hands held her by the waist and kept her close, his other cupped her face. Obi-Wan moved with grace, as he was gentle whenever he was with Jaika. He knew he did not need to be, but the Jedi still felt the need to be soft with the girl. Outside of the room was the hard reality of the agonizing war that they could not escape from; in the few moments that they had away, they were gentle and quiet, to take a break from the never-ending violence which ensued around them.
The war had taken so much from the both of them, as they were both filled with unnatural levels of stress. Obi-Wan was a member of the Jedi Council and was a General to the 212th, so he had a lot of expectations and hardships to juggle; while Jaika suffered the constant burden of loss, as she was always thrown into the battlefield, and faced the many consequences of that, be it her own capture or the death of those around her. The two of them had to live in a nightmare state, while they faced situations that could break a soul, while being expected to turn their emotions off.
Neither of them could do that. Although they were both great Jedi, they both have a track record for not following the rules. So in a way to cope, they both sought each other out in a way to manage their stress. Of course they wished to be able to share more meaningful connections, but they both knew that they would only be together for a small amount of time. So they took what they could in the time that they were given.
Jaika stepped away from Obi-Wan, who looked down at her, his eyes filled with admiration. Jaika smiled up at him as she drew her hands away from his shoulders. "You realise we're approaching an active warzone, don't you?" Jaika asked, as he smiled back at her. He gently lowered one of his hands, grasping her hand into his.
"I know. Thankfully I will only be needed on the bridge." He shrugged, while Jaika chuckled as she shook her head to herself. Obi-Wan was quick to pull her towards him once again, as he brushed her hair behind her ear, before he cupped her cheek into his palm. He reconnected their lips once again.
A distant chime rung out from Jaika's wrist communicator, which was quickly ignored by them both. Only when it rung a second time, Jaika stepped away from Obi-Wan and pressed the button with a sigh. "Jaika, you're needed in the hanger." Anakin's voice spoke through the communicator. She let out another sigh before she met Obi-Wan's gaze. The man sent her an encouraging smile, which calmed her dread as she thought of the upcoming mission. The girl raised her arm to speak through the channel, "On my way." She answered, her voice tired and unenthused.
A distant knocking on the door caught the girl's attention, as she listened to the metal scrape against the door from the outside. Alpha was trying to get her attention. Jaika sent Obi-Wan a glance, which he quickly understood, before she walked towards the door and walked out of the room where she looked down at Alpha, who rolled backwards. "I know, Alpha." She droned, as Alpha beeped back at her, questioning the low mood that she was in.
Obi-Wan walked out of the room a couple of minutes after she did, and sent her an encouraging smile as he placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. They knew he could not say goodbye or wish her luck properly, even in front of the clones. Jaika nodded back at him as he turned and walked down the halls towards the bridge.
Jaika sighed as she gazed down at her droid, who looked back up at her. "I'll be fine, I promise." She answered, as she sent Alpha a small smile. The droid let out a dissatisfied hum as they walked towards the hanger, exchanging small talk. Once they entered the hanger, Jaika was overwhelmed with the smell of burning oil and grease, The never ending choruses of troopers marching together nearly deafened her as she walked to the centre of the hanger where her brother stood with R2.
As she approached Anakin and the fighter pilots, he turned to her with a skeptical expression. "There she is. Nice of you to join us, where were you? I was looking all over for you." Anakin questioned, as Jaika stopped beside her brother. She gazed up at him, as he looked down at her in question. The troopers beside them peered between each other with either awkward or amused expressions. "Maybe you didn't look hard enough." Jaika shrugged.
Anakin continued to brief the details of their airborne mission, as they were tasked to take out the main Separatist cruiser that Grievous was on. If they managed to destroy Grievous and his forces, there was a chance that the end of the war could draw near. Jaika knew it was an important mission to defeat Grievous, as she wanted to see his head and burn it maliciously in the same fire that her friends were burnt in. "Let's go." Anakin concluded, as the pilots ran off to their fighters.
"Jaika, you will be leading the silver squad, while I take the blue. We can flank his squadron from both sides." Anakin proposed, as they neared their Jedi fighters. Jaika watched as the mechanics unstrapped the fueling systems to the fighters, while R2 and Alpha were lowered into their ETA-2 fighters. A ship that Jaika found herself flying in on the daily. If she was not in the trenches, she was in the cockpit. "I'll see to Grievous's demise myself." She accepted, earning a smirk from Anakin as he climbed into his yellow starfighter.
She turned to face her blue and silver fighter, before gazing over her shoulder as she looked upon the two squadrons. The girl smiled to herself, while Anakin's squad were V-Wings, Jaika got to lead the Y-Wings. Jaika turned back around as she climbed into her fighter, fitting the headset over her ears as she closed the hatch.
Reaching her arm up, she flicked various switches as different monitors beamed into life in the cockpit. She flicked one more switch and activated the engines, as they roared into life. Jaika peered towards Alpha, "You ready to collect Separatist souvenirs?" She edged, as Alpha looked back at her and rocked excitably from his place. Alpha let out a long chain of excitable beeps, making Jaika's eyes widen as she peered towards her droid in concern, after he expressed his plans. "Okay Darth Nihilus, that was a bit too detailed."
Jaika flipped another switch as she activated the communication channel with her squadron. "Let's show General Skywalker that this is the better squadron." Jaika spoke, earning a group of cheers over the radio. The girl smiled as she ascended out of the hanger with the other fighters in tow. They followed after Jaika as they neared Grievous and his fleet from the right side, while Anakin's squadron neared from the left.
Many cannons turned from their place on top of the cruiser, as a large cluster of vulture droids swarmed out from their place inside the ship. Jaika smiled, "This is where the fun begins." as she started to dive towards the droids, her squadron quickly situated into a V-formation. Once Jaika was close enough, she blasted at the droids, as she spun out of the way of their attacks. A couple Y-Wings accelerated ahead of her, as they fired down at the cannons that were situated on top of the cruiser.
She dived her fighter as she flew underneath the ship and released more blasts onto the under-belly, accompanied with the other half of her Y-Wing squadron. As they continued their attack, a squad of Tri-Fighters honed in on them, as they released their fire onto Jaika's squad. The Y-Wing's from behind her fired their ion cannons, destabilizing a lot of the droid fighters.
Once they cleared the fighters, they flew back up to the top as a flock of buzz-droids flew towards them. "Kriff. Buzz-droids." She cursed, as the small droids started to crawl around the wings of the fighter. Jaika steered the fighter into extreme angles in an attempt to knock some of the droids from her fighter, but they did not move due to their tight grip. She watched as a droid crawled over the hatch, staring down at her before inspecting the other wing. "Alpha, show them who's boss." She instructed, earning a happy chirp from the droid as the C1 droid unleashed his wrath upon the tiny droids.
As the unknowing droids approached him, Alpha stuck out his mechanical arms and spun his head, slapping the droids from the wing. Jaika watched as the buzz-droids let out small screams before they floated back towards the fighter, making Jaika let out a tired sigh. "Time for phase two. Give it to them." Jaika announced, as she pressed a button on her monitor. In an instant, the locks that held Alpha down unlocked.
Alpha activated his rocket and blasted towards the droids, spinning his head as he slapped them before activating his pulser and electrifying the droids. Jaika watched with a proud smile as Alpha unleashed hell onto the buzz-droids, as he slapped, shocked and literally ripped apart any droid that looked his way.
Once all of the droids were defeated, Alpha flew back to the fighter and returned to his compartment. "Lieutenant, we are picking up on an incoming vessel." One trooper announced over the radio, making Jaika frown. She observed the battle in front of her, as they continued to swerve between Separatist attacks as they fired back at their ships. "Then we have to make every move count." Jaika responded.
She opened the flaps attached to the wings of the fighter and accelerated through the battle. She chased after a Tri-Fighter and blasted it, as she flew above the Munificent-Class cruiser. "Permission to release the blitz, Lieutenant?" One trooper requested over the radio as the cannons continued to fire back at the air fight. Jaika flew towards the bridge of the ship and fired her ion cannons at it, making the cruiser shake. "Permission granted." She answered.
Without any further hesitation, the Y-Wings released their bombs onto the cruiser, as explosions scattered across the fleet. Jaika watched as the ship started to crumble as a hole was torn open through the centre of it. She continued to accelerate through the fleet and blast the remaining Separatist fighters. "Are you trying to out-do me Jaika?" Anakin asked over the radio, as his squadron approached her bombsite and aided their attacks.
Jaika smiled, "Is it working?" She asked earning a chuckle from her brother. Her monitor in front of her suddenly flared up and released an alarm, drawing her attention. She looked from the monitor to the site before her as she watched an escape pod shoot itself from the wreckage as it steered away from the fight. "It's Grievous." She seethed.
Her fighter dived as she closed in on his escape pod. Before she could release the many blasts that would end his wrath, a huge fleet of Separatist forces jumped into the system and started firing at their fighters before some cruisers started to turn towards the Venator.
"Everyone, fall back. Now!" Anakin demanded. Jaika did not defy him as she quickly accelerated away from the battle and back towards the Republic cruiser. The many fighters swarmed through the hanger doors. Jaika's fighter was the last ship to fly through the hanger doors before they closed, and without another second to waste, the cruiser jumped into hyperspace.
Jaika let out a heavy breath as she took off her headset and opened the hatch. She jumped from the fighter as Alpha was released. Her droid plopped himself down onto the ground beside her and beeped up at her, making her kneel down to his level. "Yes Alpha, you did well. I'm proud of you." Jaika smiled, patting his head as the droid let out a content purr before she stood up.
The Jedi was quick to follow Anakin to the bridge, as they approached the briefing table. Obi-Wan stood with his arms folded over his chest, while Admiral Yularen peered down at the readings, while Rex held his helmet under his arm and observed the recording of the fleet jumping into the system.
Jaika placed herself beside Obi-Wan, while Anakin stood next to Rex. "He called for backup." Anakin groaned in frustration as they watched the recording as Jaika's fighter approached the escape pod, before the cruisers appeared and caught the pod. She was so close. "It was still a success. Your squadrons destabilized his fleet in record speed. Our forces are becoming stronger while the Separatists are starting to weaken. If we plot carefully, we can ambush them." Admiral Yularen announced, while showing footage of the battle. Obi-Wan smiled down at the recording as he watched Jaika's squadron bomb and rip apart the fleet. He expected to see a smile on her face, but he looked upon an unfulfilled expression instead. "A success? Grievous got away, his reinforcements arrived and we were driven to retreat. I would hardly call that a success." Jaika snapped, earning surprised glances from around the table.
Anakin did not say a word, as he sent his sister a side-eye; the usually quiet Skywalker decided to switch roles and share her frustrations this time. Admiral Yularen shot her an unreadable look, "What do you expect us to do, Lieutenant?" Admiral Yularen questioned, as he raised an eyebrow. Jaika gazed from Obi-Wan, to Anakin and Rex as they all observed her with curious glances. Jaika looked back to Admiral Yularen, "We follow him. That fleet can't be hard to track. Search every system, every route for that cruiser. It must be captured." Jaika answered.
Rex smiled as he watched Jaika talk back to the Admiral. He had not seen Jaika talk with this much confidence before, as she spoke like a General. Moments like these made Rex wish for Jaika to become a General, as he believed she was wasted in her current rank. "Follow them? Jaika, that would take months, you do realise that?" Anakin revealed, as she glanced towards him.
"Of course I realise that Anakin. Which is why we need to do it. Capturing Grievous could bring the end of the war." Jaika answered, irritated that Anakin believed she did not realise the scale to her proposition. Obi-Wan gazed between the two siblings, as he let out a sigh. "I think what Anakin is trying to say, is that it would take a commitment to track him, some of us may be needed in other battles." Obi-Wan explained.
Before Jaika could answer, the table in front of them lit up as a projection of Master Yoda, Master Windu and Master Mundi appeared. Jaika was quick to calm her irritation under the presence of the Jedi, as she took a step back while Anakin and Obi-Wan turned their attention towards the Council members. "Apologies for the interruption, but your presence is needed in the Temple." Master Windu announced, making the three Jedi frown. "What happened?" Obi-Wan questioned in concern.
"Discovered a lost Jedi transport, Master Plo and the Wolfpack has. Believe it is in relation to Master Sifo-Dyas, we do." Master Yoda answered, while the three Jedi shared a couple of confused glances.
"We will be there as soon as we can." Obi-Wan answered, as they bowed towards the Council members. Once the call had ended, Jaika felt an instant relief. Even though she was not directly in their presence, she could still feel their oppressive control weigh over her. From beside her, Anakin let out a sigh. "Looks like we'll have to continue this search later." Anakin sighed, as he stepped away from the table.
Obi-Wan turned away also as he and Anakin began to walk away from the table towards the door. Jaika turned her attention back to the table, as she watched the recording of the fleet's arrival replay over and over. "Jaika, are you coming?" Anakin called out, as the two Jedi stopped right in front of the doors and looked back at the young woman.
Jaika let out a heavy breath as she watched the recording, letting it burn itself into her memory. The girl quickly thought of the current situation. Yes, it is rather big that Plo had found something related to the older Jedi; but it was also quite important that they had managed to weaken a Separatist fleet using only 2 small squadrons. Jaika believed that the Council did not need all three of them to return to the Temple to discuss and make theories on a Jedi who is still dead. She believed there were more important tasks at hand, she had priorities.
As she thought of the prospect of returning to the Jedi Temple, her skin crawled. Ever since Ahsoka left, a strange feeling crawled within her stomach every time she walked through the spacious halls. It felt off. It felt as if there were someone waiting in the shadows, ready to catch her out. Jaika could no longer trust them, not since they failed Ahsoka. They had been so blinded with pride that they refused to help those who were in need, as they continue to inflict danger onto those around them. She could not bring herself to sit in that suffocating room, while the Council tackled their egos and took part in a measuring contest to see who's theory is right. Jaika could not do it.
Gazing to her side, she met Rex's eyes as he looked at her with curiosity. Jaika quickly turned around and faced Anakin and Obi-Wan, who looked back at her with expectant gazes. Neither of them knew her true feelings towards the Jedi, not even Obi-Wan. "You go. I'll continue the search." Jaika answered, earning a smile from Anakin as he sent her a nod. Obi-Wan frowned, as he took a step forward. "Jaika, the Council requested us.."
"Three Jedi are not needed to discuss theories. Like you said, some of us may be needed in other battles. This is my battle, I'm staying here." Jaika answered with her full chest. Obi-Wan gazed back at the girl, while Anakin looked at his sister with a proud glance. Obi-Wan knew there was no persuading Jaika, she had made her decision and she was going to stick with it. "Alright. But please, be careful." He requested, as he stared at her. Jaika shot him a small smile, "Always am." She responded.
Obi-Wan took her answer and walked through the door, seemingly not wanting to expose either of them in front of everyone. Anakin took this as his chance to approach Jaika, while Rex stood beside Anakin as he prepared to leave for Coruscant. "Stay here Rex, you're now under Jaika's care." Anakin answered, as the Captain gazed towards the girl. Jaika smirked up at her brother. "I'll look after them. Maybe I might even steal them from you." Jaika mused, as she shrugged.
Rex smiled from beside Anakin, who rolled his eyes at her joke. "Good luck. And don't miss us too much." Anakin joked with a wink. Jaika glared at her brother and punched his arm, making him withdraw it with a groan. "I'm just saying...remember, we're connected. I know everything." Anakin justified, as he joked around in a spooky voice. Jaika rolled her eyes, while Rex looked between the two twins in confusion. He had no idea what was going on.
"Likewise, Ani. Now watch that mouth, unless you want Obi-Wan to find out about your politics lessons with Senator Amidala." Jaika threatened, as Anakin gulped while his skin paled. Rex smirked, as he caught onto Jaika's threat, despite not understanding the context to her and Obi-Wan.
Anakin gave her a dissatisfied glance, "Fine. It's a deal." He answered as they shook hands.
~☆~
Days had passed and they were still traveling from system to system in search for General Grievous. They had spent days searching and they've found nothing. Jaika let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned against the briefing table, scanning through different maps, as she tried to track the Separatist vessel.
The doors to the bridge swept open as Rex walked in, observing the quiet room. Many troopers were in decompression, as they had gone days without rest to search for the General. Jaika was one of them, as she had not left the bridge in days; and she clearly had not slept either. Rex watched the Skywalker girl scroll through different data bases with frantic eyes, making his eyes gloss over with sympathy. He knew what she was doing, or at least, what she was trying to do.
"I admire your investment in finding Grievous, Lieutenant. Have you found anything?" Rex questioned, as he placed his helmet down on a nearby counter before he turned to Jaika. The girl peered towards the man, before she quickly directed her attention back to the scans. He watched as her face creased as it contorted into dissatisfied frowns, she was repeatedly unsuccessful. "Nothing." She muttered.
Rex approached her and was quick to notice her bloodshot eyes as they moved at a fast rate while she read the information. The Captain gazed down to her astromech, who let out a mellow beep. "I cannot thank you enough for willing to stay and search." Rex spoke, as Jaika continued to search through different files. An officer approached the Jedi and passed her a data pad, which she gratefully took as she began reading through that. "Of course, Rex. It's the mission." Jaika answered.
He raised an eyebrow, "It's not just the mission, is it?" He questioned. Jaika paused, as her eyes glossed over with sadness. The Jedi quickly blinked away her feelings as she continued her search, though she knew that Rex had seen her falter. "I just want to find him, Rex. If we find him, we can end the war." Jaika spoke.
Jaika frowned as she withdrew her eyes from the data pad, as she thought of her ideal outcome of the mission. They could easily put an end to the war by getting rid of one tyrant, the death of Grievous will kickstart a chain reaction. All these years, all of those lost in battle could be avenged if they won. Jaika's eyes started to water as they began to sting, so many people had fallen in the last three years. So many good people killed. Jaika sighed, "So many lives had been lost, so many worlds destroyed. We've lost some good men, Rex. Some of those men were people I could have classed as friends, people I can truly rely on with my life. I don't want to lose any more men, any more friends." Jaika expressed, before she peered towards Rex.
The man looked back at Jaika with a sympathetic gaze. He quickly acknowledged the anguish in her eyes before she quickly blinked it away, masking any trace of her previous emotions. Her actions bewildered Rex, as Jaika managed to strip herself of any emotion in a split second. Rex was no empath, but it did not take him long to work out that Jaika had started to condition herself into a harsh coping mechanism to deal with her pain. Rex knew better than anyone, as he constantly caught the glimpses that the other Jedi did not see. The Order forbade her from registering her emotions and facing her grief; so she was forced onto another mission straight afterward. Jaika had never been given the opportunity to express her true emotions.
Rex looked back at the girl with sincere eyes, "I agree, Jaika. Believe me, I know. I've lost brothers to this war, the men that I was in the same training facility with, who I grew up with. I want this war to end more than anything. Even though my sole purpose was to fight in this war, and its end could lead to unemployment; I could not ask for anything more than to see the men who killed my brothers, serve their time." Rex expressed, before he sighed as he ran his hand over his buzzcut. "I promise you, Jaika. The war will end, the galaxy will return to its prosperous serenity. The Separatists will not win this war." Rex assured.
"This war has taught me a lot. I am now more aware of my capabilities, I guess I'm more confident; but most of all, I've learnt who I can and cannot trust. There are so many people who I would have trusted with my life at the beginning of the war, but now...It feels like there's a gaping hole that had been carved out of my chest. I always have to second guess myself when speaking to people." Jaika expressed, as she leaned against the table and focused on the holograms. Rex observed the girl with a frown, as he acknowledged her actions, she actively avoided Coruscant. "You stayed here for a reason, didn't you?" Rex revealed, as she met his gaze before nodding gently.
"There are Jedi that I can trust, but I don't trust the Jedi. They've been corrupted somehow.." Jaika spoke, as she thought of the Order. The act of war often depended on violence, and when every Jedi is fighting; the council is filled with violent Jedi who have blood on their hands. Violence is often filled with anger, which made Jaika think, are the Jedi even following their own teachings? The ones that they drilled and conditioned into the Jedi from a young age. Rex acknowledged her conflicted eyes, making him place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You can trust me, always." He promised, as his eyes glossed over with integrity.
Jaika met his gaze, as her confused eyes morphed into ones of appreciation as she smiled back at him. "With no doubt Rex. And I hope you know that you can trust me too." Jaika answered.
"After everything you've done for us clones, I will always trust you." He answered, earning a smile from the girl. He meant what he said, he could trust her blindly. Rex never doubted Jaika, but after Umbara, he viewed her in a completely different light. Before, he viewed her as one of the more sympathetic Jedi who valued the clones, but after she risked her life and her place in the Jedi for the lives of the clones, he viewed her as one of them; almost like a sister that they never had. He was sure many clones across different battalions thought the same, especially Fives.
Rex observed Jaika, as her tired yet committed eyes stared back at him. He knew she would not rest until she found Grievous. He knew she wanted to distract herself to avoid facing her grief, and even though he outranked her as the Captain; he decided as a friend, to not push her. "I shall leave you to your search. If you need help, don't hesitate to call for me." Rex offered, earning an appreciative smile from the Jedi as he left the bridge.
~☆~
A couple more days had passed, and Jaika had not moved from her place on the bridge. Jaika sighed as she ran her hand down her face. She was close to the tipping point. She needed to resolve this, she needed to find Grievous. If she manages to put an end to the war, it could also put an end to all of the Republic conspiracy.
Fives' death had affected her, not only because she viewed him like a brother; but because he tried to help the Republic, who failed him. He tried to investigate a malfunction which could potentially affect all clones and crumble the Republic Army from the inside, and he was framed and killed. Jaika did not want to believe that the Republic were trying to cover something up, but after each passing day, she thought about it more.
He spoke about secretive plots, deception and being framed. All things that Jaika could not have guessed the Republic would involve itself in. The girl could not sleep since his revelation to her. After he told her that there was a plot against the Jedi, the girl had not stopped looking over her shoulder.
She could not forget how Tup tried to attack her, as his mind was instantly erased from his presence; as his conscience was alienated and distorted. Jaika could not forget that feeling, when she could no longer feel him. But more importantly, the way he looked at her. It was as if she were a droid, or a war criminal. Tup glared at her with an unforgiving murderous intent. It was not even like Jaika had said something to upset him, it was as if he did not know her at all. Even after he murdered Master Tiplar, his presence was corrupted and distant. It was strange.
Jaika wanted to connect Tup's behavior to the plot that Fives had managed to unravel, but it did not make sense. Surely, if the clones were coded to snap and kill the Jedi, then Tup would have tried to kill Anakin too? The thought made Jaika frown as she recalled that day. Anakin was stood beside Tup before he attacked her. He was right in front of him and the clone did not react, it was only until he looked back at her and Master Tiplee that he reacted and snapped. So surely if his behavior was linked to the plot then surely Anakin would have been at risk too? Just because Anakin is Tup's General, would not mean that he was somehow exempt.
The doors to the bridge swept open as a couple of clones walked in, plotting various ideas to track down Grievous. Jaika watched as Jesse approached Admiral Yularen with a couple of ideas as he handed the older man a data pad. Jaika's eyes drifted from Jesse towards Kix. That's when something inside of her mind clicked. She recalled Fives mentioning how he spoke to Kix the same night and had told him information about what he had found. Maybe he might have some answers? Jaika sighed, she had to try.
Jaika stepped away from the table and crossed the room to the small group of clones. Jesse peered towards the Lieutenant while Yularen observed his findings. "Kix." Jaika called out, making the medical clone turn to her in attention, while he held a scanner in his hands. "Can I talk to you in private?" She requested, as his face morphed into a mixed expression of surprise and anxiousness.
The clone did not say a word, as he nodded in response. Jaika smiled before she took a step away as he followed her out of the bridge and down the hall into a nearby room, which happened to be a supply room. Once the door closed behind him, he gazed towards the Jedi with a timid glance, unsure what the following conversation could entrail.
Jaika sat down on a bench as she looked up at him, before he slowly sat on a bench opposite her. "Is everything alright Lieutenant?" He questioned with a frown. He was never really that close to the Skywalker girl; of course they held an equal respect to each other, as he admired her compassion towards him and his brothers. But they were not close by any means, they've only had a few conversations.
He watched as her face contorted into a slight frown as she thought on her words. Jaika looked into his eyes, "Fives spoke to you that night, didn't he?" She questioned, as his eyes widened. Kix felt his lungs grow tights as he looked back at the girl. His surprised eyes morphed into ones of question, as he frowned while looking back at her. "Uh, yes. How did you know? What do you want?" He stammered, as he thought back to that rushed evening.
Jaika looked up at him with desperate eyes. "I need you to tell me what he told you." Jaika requested, making his eyes widen ever so slightly. Never in his years serving under the Jedi, had he ever seen any Jedi look at him with such sorrow. He could see a million emotions briefly flicker in her irises. Kix knew that his General had put the entire Fives situation behind him and moved past it as if it had never happened; while Jaika seemed as if she was still experiencing it. She must have known something.
Kix took a deep breath. "He told me that he was framed, I'm not sure by who. And that the Jedi and the entire clone army were in grave danger, but he did not go into detail. He was in a rush, he was in a bad state. I told him to turn himself in, but he was adamant that he couldn't. He mentioned something about being mixed up with people who go all the way to the top, that the highest levels were involved in the conspiracy, but he didn't say what it was." Kix explained, reciting every piece of information that he could remember. He looked back at Jaika as she took in his information. "I'm sorry Lieutenant, Fives was in a rush, he seemed more focused in getting me to contact the General instead. I wish I could be of more help to you." Kix apologized, as he started to stand up.
"No, Kix. You helped a lot. The things you told me and the things he told me, they fit together, kind of." Jaika answered, making Kix pause. The clone looked at the girl before he sat down again; only this time his eyes were glued to the Jedi as he looked at her with an eager gaze. "Wait, what--He spoke to you?" He questioned, earning a nod from the girl.
Flashes of Fives holding onto her in the warehouse crossed her mind, as she remembered the terrified look in his eyes. "He told me that Tup was killed, he did not say by who exactly, but he was disposed of. Fives found out something that he wasn't meant to, a master plan of some sort. One which exposed that there are spies from the Separatists and the Republic feeding information to make the Republic crumble. He spoke of a sinister plan to deceive people." Jaika explained, as Kix's eyes widened.
"They killed Tup?" He questioned, his voice filled with shock as he could not grasp the information that he was told. He could have never had guessed that the Kaminoans would allow one of their troopers to be disposed of, even if they had experienced a meltdown like Tup had. Jaika met Kix's gaze, where she instantly acknowledged the betrayal in his eyes. She could sense his sadness drift from where he sat as he took in the news.
Jaika let out a deep exhale, "He told me that there was a plot against the Jedi." She explained, as a look of recognition flashed across his eyes. Kix sat up in his seat as he pondered in thought. "He mentioned that the Jedi were in danger to me. That's the common denominator. But what is the cause?" He questioned, as he rested his head in his hands.
The Jedi frowned as her mind landed on a theory. She cringed as she did not want to accept it, but something pushed her to the thought. "Look, I don't want to jump to conclusions Kix. But Tup did kill Master Tiplar, and he tried to attack me. It was only when Fives investigated Tup's behavior that he managed to uncover that plan. Do you think they could possibly be related?" Jaika questioned, while Kix met her gaze with an unsure gaze.
"Fives said his proof was in the head of every clone. Surely it could not be a plot that could affect every clone in the Grand Army?" Jaika thought, as she sunk back into her thoughts. She remembered the way he pointed to his head, as he spoke about each clone being controlled. Ever since she visited Kamino, she had been aware of the inhibitor chips that were coded to keep the clones in line and to make them comply to orders. Surely the Kaminoans would not knowingly jeopardize their own coding to attack the Jedi. It seemed uncharacteristic.
Jaika gazed towards Kix who was lost in thought. The Jedi let out a sigh, "Whatever it is, Fives was clearly framed and killed. He was assassinated. We need to find out why." Jaika proposed, as Kix nodded in agreement as he got lost in endless possibilities. The Jedi started to lose herself in her thoughts too. Jaika could feel herself itch, she had to do something. She carried the burden of Fives's suffering, the arrows which could lead to discovery. She cannot fail him again.
She quickly stood up, making Kix look up at her. "Krell told me on Umbara that the Jedi will fall. There's a chance that this plot is years in the making. I have to look into this." Jaika revealed, making Kix's eyes widen. As Jaika went to walk past Kix, he quickly caught onto her arm and stopped her in her tracks. Jaika gently peered towards the clone as he slowly released his grasp. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that, Lieutenant. Like you said, Fives was assassinated. It's too dangerous, you're needed on the front lines. I can be replaced if it goes wrong. I will do it." Kix planned.
Jaika's eyes glossed over with admiration. "You're not replaceable Kix, you're now the most important trooper in the entire Grand Army of the Republic." Jaika answered, making the timid clone flush as his tanned cheeks faded a shade of pink. The Jedi smiled at him, as he looked back at her with grateful eyes. "Thank you, Lieutenant. You've cared for my brothers." Kix thanked.
The girl looked at him with a flattered smile. "If you're going to do this, Kix. You need to be careful. You're about to make a lot of enemies, so you need to be ready. I will need you to keep me updated whenever it is safe for you to do so. Are you ready for this?" Jaika requested, making the clone nod at her.
"For Fives." Kix promised, holding his hand out for Jaika to take. The Jedi looked from his hand to his eyes, as they wore a burning sincerity. Jaika felt her chest lighten as she held onto an ounce of hope that maybe Fives's death was not all for nothing. She hoped to do him justice, to clear his name.
Jaika placed her hand in his. "For Fives."
(6987 Words)