A/N: Today's is just an instrumental, I couldn't find anything that fit this chapter, but I thought this might be a nice touch for it.
The Wolfpack and the the 501st legion have been assigned to work together for the foreseeable future as Plo-Koon has been called back to Coruscant. And since Nya is nearing her Knight Trials, she has been given temporary leadership of the Wolfpack. The two battalions are on their way to the world of Khorm as they have received word from Republic Intelligence agents that Asajj Ventress and her forces have occupied the world in order to strip it of its resources.
So the two clone battalions and their Jedi make their way to the icy world of Khorm. Which means extra layers for Nya to combat the chill of the planet. The Jedi Council was against her going, but the GAR and the Senate wouldn't hear anything. To put it in their words, she could 'suck it up and lead or do nothing'. Well, being the extremely stubborn Mandalorian that Nyathera Kryze is, she decided, against better judgement, to go.
No matter how many people tried to talk her out of it. The rather long list includes, Plo-Koon, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Bail Organa, Ahsoka Tano, Wolffe, Sinker, Boost, Comet, Captain Rex of the 501st, the entire 501st, the entire Wolfpack, her mother, the Wrens, the Jedi Council, and Satine and Korkie Kryze. If they thought convincing a Jedi was hard, or convincing a Mandalorian was hard, they got the double dose of stubbornness.
And despite nearing the planet, Wolffe and Anakin are still attempting to convince her to stay on the ship... It isn't going well for the two men.
"No."
"But, Nya-"
"My answer is still no, Anakin."
"Nya, come on."
"Nope. I'm going."
"But-"
"No."
Both of the men sigh. And Wolffe says,
"Why won't you listen to reason?"
Nya shrugs. "I am listening. I'm just not going to do it. If I don't go, I can't protect the Wolfpack. Besides, if I do get hypothermic again, Kix and Nevo will just keep me from dying."
Kix speaks up, "I don't recall ever saying I would do that if it's your own fault."
Nya gives the 501st medic a deadpan look and says, "You treat Anakin when his di'kutla stunts go wrong."
Kix gets a sheepish look on his face and Nevo grins. The Wolfpack medic has come to appreciate the wit his Jedi Commander possesses. And how her tenacity and selflessness often make her go head to head with Wolffe, who possesses his own stubbornness and temper. Which can often create rather... interesting situations. Especially on the battlefield.
"General, Commanders," one of the deck officers of The Cuyan says as he comes up to the group, "we're approaching Khorm and preparing to drop out of hyperspace."
Nya nods to the clone officer, and says, "Vor'e, Watcher."
"You're welcome, Commander Nya."
Watcher leaves the group to go back to his post and the group attempting to persuade Nya to stay aboard The Cuyan all sigh and accept defeat. The Mandalorian Jedi walks forward a few paces and watches the swirl of hyperspace from beyond the bridge window.
"Well, we tried," Anakin mutters. "I always forget how stubborn Nya is until I have to argue with her. Atin dala."
"I heard that."
"Of course you did."
Nya shakes her head, and within a few moments, The Cuyan comes out of hyperspace. The iced over world of Khorm sits in space below them as Nya gives her orders. Then the Jedi and the clone troopers head to their respective hangars. The battle is about to begin.
Once the cruisers are in the atmosphere, the Jedi and clone troopers board the LAAT/is and the tanks and fly down to the freezing planet. It's a firefight from the very beginning. The Khormai people have been enslaved to Count Dooku, and so fight against the Republic. And they are being aided by the Separatist droids led by Ventress.
Nya, Anakin, Rex, and Wolffe land on the surface in a tank and begin their march. The Separatists seem bound and determined to keep them from getting anywhere near the cities. As well as the leader of the Khormai, Unger Gout, who is the one who enslaved his people.
The battle begins harshly. Both sides clash together in the din of blaster fire and the sound of blaster fire on lightsabers. To the clones, the sound of a lightsaber igniting is a comforting sound. To most, it might be a sign of violence and a sound that inspired fear, but to them, it was a sign that their friends has their backs and it was a sound of hope. Well, to be more accurate, the Jedi have the clones' fronts as the good generals and commanders don't fight from the back.
The battle that day is long and hard, but there is no sign yet of Ventress. So the clones and their Jedi make camp. And Sinker and Boost self appoint themselves as Nya's personal heaters. Which irritates the woman to no end.
The battles over Khorm continue to rage. And finally, Asajj Ventress has made herself known as the Republic forces close in on the capitol city. Nya and Anakin are the first to see her, as she jumps down from the wall of the city to the ground. Anakin rushes to engage the Dark Side assassin, while Nya continues to fight with the 501st and the Wolfpack.
Tuning out Anakin's battle, Nya is oblivious to the state of the duel with Ventress, until a cry of pain reaches her ears. But it isn't Anakin's voice that cries out. It is instead, one that she is innately familiar with, as the owner of this voice is the man that holds her heart, and whose heart she holds as well. This voice belongs to Commander Wolffe.
Nya immediately turns, and she sees Wolffe on the ground, his hand over his eye.
"Sinker, Boost!"
The two Wolfpack clones stop fighting and run to their Jedi commander.
"Get Wolffe away from the battlefield. I'll handle Ventress since she apparently bested Anakin."
"Sir, yes, sir!"
Sinker, Boost, and Nya run over to where Wolffe is. The two clones take their commander by the arms, and begin to take him to the baar'urs. And Nya faces off against Ventress.
The two regard each other for a few moments. Sizing up their opponent. Nya knows that Ventress is a formidable duelist. Ruthless, vicious, confident, and not afraid to take risks. The Dathomirian is also extremely agile, and well versed in using the Dark Side of the Force. All of those skills combined make her a formidable opponent, not one to be taken lightly.
And similarly, Ventress knows that Nya is a Mandalorian. A race of people famed for their skills in combat. And while never having personally engaged the Mandalorian girl, Ventress has seen her fight. And she holds true all the rumors of Mandalorians Ventress has ever heard. Tenacious, decisive, creative, and confident, with all of the skills needed to back everything up.
One thing that both of these women know, is that neither of them are going to go down without a fight. And so help the man, or droid, that gets in their way.
Ventress is the first to attack. A leap through the air, her blood red lightsabers coming down hard in a strike against Nya. The Jedi lifts her own sunset orange blades and blocks Ventress's attack. The two's lightsabers clash over and over again. Their krrrshing sound and the flashes of light make it glaringly obvious that the two have engaged in battle.
When a clone or a droid attempts to interfere, the woman on their side takes care of them. Ventress slashes her droids, and Nya Force pushes hers and Anakin's men away. And then the duel is back on. Red against orange in a flurry of blows and parries, strikes and blocks.
When Anakin gets to his feet, he goes to help the clones capture the city. After all, the man has fought Ventress and fought alongside Nya. He knows better than to try and help Nya. Getting back at him might end up being the thing that draws Nya and Ventress together. And a duo like that, hell bent on revenge, scares even Anakin Skywalker.
And as the Khormai people have no real interest in fighting, the battle is all but over once Unger Gout is killed. By a clean shot fired by Captain Rex, of course.
When Ventress sees the droids retreating, and she sees that it has been a Republic victory, she withdraws from her fight against Nya.
"I will see you again, and perhaps we can finish our duel," the assassin says.
"Count on it."
Ventress smirks at Nya, before running after her droids. The Mandalorian woman then runs to the staging area where the baar'urs are located. And where she knew Wolffe was headed last she saw of him. When she gets to the tent, Nya ducks inside and is immediately met by Nevo.
"Commander Wolffe is on the far right side. And I'll be around to check you over after you... well, work your magic on him. If I don't get to you down here, Walker will see to you on the ship. Good luck."
Nya smiles at the head baar'ur and says, "Vor'e, Nevo."
Nevo nods to her, and Nya walks over to the far right side. The only bed occupied is the last one. And no one is even standing around. The occupant of the bed is turned on his side and facing away from Nya. Even if she didn't have the Force though, she would have been able to tell that the man lying on the bed was Wolffe. His distinctive grey painted armor making him stand out.
The Mandalorian Jedi places her hand on Wolffe's shoulder, and takes a seat on the bed.
"Wolffe."
The clone commander doesn't even look up. Nya rubs her hand down his arm to his hand. But Wolffe jerks his hand away as soon as their hands make contact. That action makes Nya frown. So she stands up and walks over to the other side. When Wolffe goes to turn as he sees her walking around, she reaches out and catches his shoulder.
The man stills, and ducks his head. He keeps his face hidden from Nya's searching eyes. She sits on the bed again, and gently places her hand on the back of Wolffe's elbow.
"Wolffe, what's wrong? I... I want to help you. Gedet'ye, duumir ni."
"No," the clone commander mumbles.
"Why?"
"You just can't."
Nya's shoulders drop. The woman bits her lower lip, and traces the symbol painted on Wolffe's pauldron. A gray wolf head, the symbol of the Wolfpack. On Mandalore, the Mandalorian wolves are regarded as the symbol for family, loyalty, and intelligence. As Nya remembers, she says,
"Wolffe, please, let me in. Why can't I help?"
"Because you're too close already."
"What?" Nya breathes, her voice breaking.
Wolffe finally looks up, and Nya sees his eye has a patch over it. Her hand drifts to the man's cheek. Her thumb traces the scar already across his cheek. The two don't even notice when Nevo draws the curtain around the bed, blocking them from the view of others.
Wolffe's uncovered eye shines with tears he refuses to shed. Nya's eyes shine as well. Both refuse to shed even a single tear. The clone and Jedi commanders stare into the other's eyes for what could be hours before a tear finally slips from Wolffe's resolve. And after just one has fallen, more begin to fall from his uncovered eye.
"When the Kaminoans find out what happened, they'll decommission me," Wolffe chokes out.
"What happened?"
"Ventress. She got my eye. And... Nevo said it went so deep that it will have to be removed when we get back to the ship. And a Kaminoan will already be there when we get there."
The blue eyes that were only seconds ago gentle and kind, turn hard and angry. The blue darkening to nearly black in rage. Nya's free hand curls into a fist. And she only barely manages to keep the anger out of her voice when she says,
"They won't take you back to Kamino. If I have to smuggle you to Mandalore myself, I will. But those Kaminiise aren't going to lay a hand on any Wolfpack member. Not on my watch."
Before Wolffe can respond, Nevo walks through the curtains. He says, "It's time to go up to the ship, Commanders. General Skywalker and the 501st are already on their way."
Nya turns to look at Nevo. She nods, and says, "Are Sinker and Boost around?"
"Yes, they are."
"Good." She turns to look back at Wolffe. "They're going to take you and the baar'urs up to the ship while I get the rest of the pack. Got it?"
Wolffe reluctantly nods and Nya stands. She strides out of the tent, and gives her orders to the two Sergeants. They salute, and immediately get to it as Nya gets to work organizing the rest of the Wolfpack. The men are loaded up and then flown to The Cuyan. As soon as the medics, Wolffe, Sinker, and Boost land in the hangar, they are off to the med bay. Thankfully, the Kaminoan hasn't arrived yet.
In fact, the Kaminoan doesn't arrive until Wolffe is already under and Nya is overseeing the unloading of gear. Normally, this job would fall to Wolffe, Sinker, or Boost. However, Sinker and Boost were given the assignment of guard duty of the OR that Wolffe is in, and Wolffe is having his eye removed.
Even if Sinker or Boost were free, Nya still likely would have overseen the unloading of the gear. Working gave her something to focus on. And until the Kaminoan arrived, the Mandalorian girl knew she needed to keep a clear head. And sure enough, not long after the last LAAT/i has landed in the hangar, the clone corporal called Comet walks up to Nya.
"Comma- er, Nya, a Kaminoan scientist named Zuh Ma is here. And she wants to speak with you."
"Of course, Comet. Would you mind taking over supervising for me?"
Comet shakes his head, and Nya gives the young clone a bright smile before walking over to the Kaminoan ship. The Kaminoan that Comet named as Zuh Ma is waiting at the bottom of the boarding ramp.
"Commander Kryze."
Nya nods stiffly in greeting. "Can I help you? We are on a bit of a tight schedule if we're to pick up Master Plo from Coruscant before heading to our next post."
"Of course, I will not be here for long. I am only here to retrieve CC-3636 and-"
"He has a name. And his name is Wolffe. As you are on my ship, I ask you to treat my men with respect. If you are unable to do that, your shuttle is directly behind you."
The clones within hearing distance of the two freeze as Nya interrupts the Kaminoan scientist. Never have they heard someone stand up to the Kaminoans. Especially not for them.
Zuh Ma sighs. "I will be on my way after I retrieve... Wolffe."
Nya's eyes take on a steely glint. "Then your visit will be a short one. Commander Wolffe is currently in surgery having his eye removed, and as soon as we are on Coruscant, it will be replaced with a mechanical eye."
"I don't think you understand, Commander. CC-3636 is now defective. We will gladly provide a replacement if that is what you are worried about."
It takes every ounce of Nya's self-control not to gut the Kaminoan where she stands. The Mandalorian Jedi takes a calming breath and reminds herself to think. Nya forces herself to relax, and says,
"I don't think you understand me, Zuh Ma. Wolffe is not going anywhere but Coruscant. He is not defective. He is injured. But that does not mean that he cannot do his job. Wolfe is staying here on The Cuyan. So I'll thank you to leave."
"I am a Kaminoan scientist. I outrank you! You cannot do this!"
Nya glares at Zuh Ma. "Actually, I can. Right now, this ship is under my command, which mean what I say goes. Besides, experience outranks everything. And I know for a fact, that throughout my life, I have gained enough experience in battle, that I outrank you by a long shot. So I will only ask you politely once more. Please get off my ship."
Zuh Ma glares at the woman, who glares right back. Unyielding. Unafraid. And then the Kaminoan remembers what she had heard about Nyathera Kryze. She's Mandalorian. And Mandalorians never back down. Even if you hammer them into the ground, they will stand back up. Alone or together. They don't stand down until they're dead.
So Zuh Ma turns around and boards her shuttle again. Taking with her the clone troopers who escorted her. And a triumphant smile takes over Nya's face. "Oya," she murmurs, before turning around and leaving the hangar. Comet has the hangar under control, so Wolffe is now her priority.
After docking on Coruscant, and picking up Plo-Koon, Nevo receives a gift. A mechanical eye for Wolffe, paid for by an anonymous donor. The head medic has a suspicion that is eventually confirmed by Nya. It was paid for by Senator Bail Organa, who happens to be one of the three to four senators that Nya didn't mind working with.
Nevo oversees the med droids that are installing Wolffe's eye as Plo commands the bridge, and Nya thanks Bail for Wolffe's new eye. And his only condition is that she help him with the Clone Rights bill that he and many other members of the Delegation of 2000 are working on. The Mandalorian accepts immediately.
And as soon as Wolffe is out of surgery, Nya is in the med bay with him. She doesn't just sit there though. Nya goes through her reports to the GAR and revises them. When she sees Wolffe lift his head slightly to look around, the Mandalorian Jedi puts her datapad down to watch him.
"How does your eye feel?" she asks quietly as Wolffe looks at her.
"Weird. I got used to only having one. But... I can see."
Nya nods. "Good. And, you know, I don't think the Kaminiise are going to be coming and getting you anytime soon. I may or may not have gotten short with the scientist who came to take you to Kamino."
Wolffe looks surprised. "You didn't tell me about that."
Nya laughs. "I wasn't supposed to. Nevo said I wasn't to tell you until your eye was replaced."
Wolffe laughs. "Thank you."
"I actually enjoyed it. Several of the boys have been coming up to me and telling me what I did was 'awesome' and 'cool' and 'amazing'." Nya shrugs. "I just told her to leave."
"But knowing you, you no doubt told her exactly what you thought and didn't care whatsoever about insulting her or correcting her."
"Yeah. I think Comet got it on recording, so if you want to watch it, talk to him."
Wolffe nods, and then reaches up to his eye with a grimace. Nya quickly places her hand over his as he isn't supposed to touch his eye for at least 48 hours.
"You can't touch it yet."
"It hurts," Wolffe nearly growls, and Nya gives him a sympathetic smile. "How am I supposed to fight like this? Do anything without a real eye?"
Nya gives him a bright grin, which in turn makes the hardened clone smile back.
"You're one of the most resilient people I know, Wolffe. If anyone could do it, you can. Solus tuur ca'nara."
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"My motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time, right?" -Rafael Nadal
Translations-
Di'kutla - stupid
Cuyan - survivor
Vor'e - thanks
Atin dala - stubborn woman
Gedet'ye duumir ni - please allow me
Kaminiise - Kaminoans
Baar'ur/s - medic/s
Oya - cheers, hoorah
Solus tuur ca'nara - one day at a time