22 BBY, Month 9
Rylann
The next day, Rylann woke in her room at the Jedi Temple wondering if everything that had transpired before was a dream. She leaned on her arms as grogginess clouded her mind. Images of the Death Watcher, Kenobi, Shaak Ti, and Cross filled her mind. The kiss entered her thoughts only for her to push it out. Kicking off her blankets, she stumbled across the room into the fresher to get ready for the day.
She brushed her growing hair, pulling it over her shoulder to braid but paused. Her eyes darted to the curling iron she hadn't used since she was a young padawan, fresh to the training. Back when she cared for the cause a lot more. And now she did. Whatever it took to end this war so that Cross could be safe. And she wanted to look good for him.
She held the iron in her hands, looking between it and her reflection in the mirror before making a decision to curl her hair for the first time in probably five or six years.
After curling, she pulled the top half of her hair into a bun, leaving the bottom half curling down her back in waves. Rylann let out a long sigh, thanking the Maker she was done. Her long, thick hair took way too long to curl. Let's do that every blue moon, Rylann thought dryly, glaring at the iron that had burned three of her fingers along with the tip of her ear.
Rylann finished getting ready before making it out of her room to find Hunter waiting. He coughed as she approached. He eyes her hair, clearing his throat. "You going somewhere?"
"No, why?" Rylann asked, crossing her arms over her chest, heat rising to her cheeks.
Hunter shrugged, readjusting his headband. "I don't think you've ever curled your hair before. And you are wearing a lot more perfume than usual." His nose twitched at the last statement.
Rylann had forgotten he had overwhelmed senses. "Sorry, Hunter. Do you need me to be less trigger happy with the citrus?"
"Please," he said, taking a step back as they started walking down the hall.
Rylann's mind pondered last night, the almost dying, the kiss—it had to be real right? Or maybe after waking up from the drugs she had been imagining things. Maybe her time with Cross was a fever dream.
"You good? Your heart rate just picked up," Hunter asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Rylann nodded, gulping. "Yeah, just recounting the details of yesterday." The romantic details.
Hunter nodded as if understanding. "Remembering things like that can be scary." He must be thinking that she was mulling on almost dying. He paused, thinking over something. "Speaking of the crazy who tried to kill you, Tech stayed up all night trying to hack into the document."
Rylann's interest piqued. "You mean the clone lifespan or—"
"Conduit," Hunter stated, looking on ahead as they exited the temple. "I don't know about the lifespan thing."
"I gave the Dr. Pro'oz documents to Shaak Ti," Rylann stated, brushing a curled strand over her shoulder.
Hunter halted beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her as well. "Pro'oz? As in Sergeant Pro'oz?"
Rylann wracked her brain for a moment before she recalled the brother and sister duo who had stood up for her when a brat was annoying her. "Oh the kids from Corellia?"
Hunter raised a brow as they continued to walk down the streets of Coruscant. "First, why call them kids when they are your age? And second, I have only met the girl."
"Josepha or something, right?" Rylann asked, racking her brain. She saw her face but the name was not coming.
"Joseta," Hunter replied immediately. Rylann felt a tug in the force as his emotions were uncovered for a second. She felt confusion, but then a hint of curiosity rolling off of him.
"How do you know her?" Rylann asked, trying to meet his eyes.
Hunter refused to look at her. "We are staying with the 501st and she's there."
"She's pretty cool," Rylann nodded. "Stood up for me."
"Yeah, we talked a bit," Hunter said, vaguely. "Then she played ping pong with Wrecker and then Captain Rex challenged her to a game of Jakku Hold'Em."
Rylann fought a smirk. She didn't want to read into anything, but she found it funny that she felt sadness rolling off of him. Was he sad that they didn't spend more time together? Or sad that he didn't get to play Jakku Hold'Em? He was always good at that game because he can read bluffs really well.
They stopped at the shuttle bus station right as the bus pulled in. Hunter helped her onto it, following her inside.
"So, you said that Tech worked on hacking into Project Conduit all night?" Rylann asked as she weaved in between a group of kids in uniforms.
Hunter sighed, wiping his eyes. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep because I could hear him string out curses and sighs."
"Wow, it must be a hard one to crack if it frustrated even level-headed Tech."
"Yeah."
The bus jostled down a few blocks before stopping again. Rylann glanced at Hunter. "How is he doing?"
"Tech?" Hunter asked, raising a brow as the bus started off again.
"I—It's been awhile since I've been around him, but he looked really thin—more so than usual," Rylann said, pausing. She recalled how he often wouldn't finish his food. "Has he been eating?"
"I don't k—" Hunter froze, eyes meeting Rylann's sharply. "Wait, I don't think he ate last night since his head was in his datapad again."
"How often does this happen?" Rylann asked as the bus slowed to a stop in front of the GAR headquarters.
Hunter shook his head. "Too often for it to be healthy."
Rylann sighed, stepping out of the bus. "I'm worried about him."
"I'll keep an eye on it," Hunter said, walking towards the GAR HQ at her side. "But, for now. Prepare yourself for some interesting news."
【 ⌖ 】
"What do you mean that Kenobi's sister donated blood to the project?" Rylann asked, pinching the bridge of her nose as she plopped down on a sofa in the 501st recreational center. "I didn't even know Kenobi had a sister."
Tech adjusted his glasses as he set the datapad aside on the side table. "She apparently was General Windu's padawan before she disappeared."
Rylann's heart skipped a beat as she met his gaze. "Wowowow, you mean as in the one that turned to the darkside?" Rylann pictured the face of the girl she had a vision of, now noting the resemblance to Kenobi. "Why was this kept from us?"
"Not our business," Crosshair said, walking over with a drink for her and him. He slid into the seat beside her. Rylann tried to calm her racing heart, but it wasn't fast enough because Hunter looked between them, eyes narrowing.
"But, why would she be connected to Conduit?" Rylann asked. "And how is Omega connected?"
"Omega? The girl?" Crosshair asked, sitting up straighter.
"She's on the list of Proto-Clones, but why did the Kaminoans say she is a part of Conduit, too?"
"So, we know that Marssa Kenobi's DNA is a part of it and that Omega is partially involved, but there is another name that I was able to pull," Tech said. "Pre Vizsla."
Rylann frowned, crossing her arms on her chest as she leaned back into the cushion of the sofa. "Who is that?"
"He's the governor of a Mandalorian moon," Tech replied, scrolling through the datapad. "He is a publicized pacifist and ally to Duchess Satine."
Hunter frowned, scratching the stubble that grew on his chin. "But what does it mean?"
"No clue," Tech muttered.
"Josie!" Wrecker exclaimed, jumping up to meet an approaching female. It must be Joseta Pro'oz, Rylann asked.
"Oh, hey, Wrecker!" the girl said as the big clone wrapped her into a bone-crushing hug. She stumbled out of the embrace, smoothing out her wrinkled uniform. She saluted Hunter and Rylann. "Sergeant! Commander!"
Rylann waved, offering a smile but Hunter stood up, saluting back. "Sergeant Pro'oz."
Joseta chuckled sheepishly as she sat across from Rylann and Crosshair, beside Tech. "Just Joseta is fine."
"Just Hunter is fine, too," Hunter replied, sitting by Wrecker on the third couch.
Crosshair looked at Rylann only to fake vomit. She elbowed him.
"What are you guys working on?" Joseta asked, peering down at Tech's tablet.
Tech hid the datapad to his chest. "Top secret, I'm afraid."
"Oh," Joseta said, deflating. "I get it, though. My mom does the same thing. Secret missions, secret senator stuff...same thing."
An awkward silence echoed throughout the room. Rylann took this time to examine the woman. She had straight, choppy bangs and her dark hair pulled into a tight bun. She did like colorful things, because her earrings looked like neon glass.
"I like your earrings," Rylann stated, hoping to get the subject off of Project Conduit.
"Oh, thanks!" Joseta touched the studs. "I got them to go to a Dey Gelo concert."
Rylann's jaw dropped. "No. Way." Rylann had always loved Dey Gelo.
"Isn't that the band you listened to on your birthday?" Tech asked.
"Yeah, and you saw Dey Gelo live?" Rylann asked, meeting Joseta's eyes.
Joseta nodded. "Once, but it was so lit! It was for his Melody Mansion tour."
Rylann's jaw dropped. "Dude, I saw the gold and orange posters and couldn't find one on the datanet cheaper than a thousand credits."
A grin made its way onto Joseta's face. "Luckily, they were sold cheaper at the concert venue. Wanna see it?"
Rylann inhaled, eyes widening. Excitement surged through her body as she shot up to follow Joseta. "You have it here?"
"Yeah, I do."
Rylann followed Joseta to the door for the barracks, immediately hit with a strong masculine smell. A door to the side slid open revealing Captain Rex.
"Commander Tetra!" Rex said, saluting her. "I'm glad you're recovering." And he exited.
"Oh, are you the jedi that was hurt or something?" Joseta asked, turning to Rylann as she continued walking backwards.
Rylann chuckled. "Yep. That's me."
"I am glad you are alright," Joseta said, before opening another door, letting her in.
"Me, too—" Rylann paused, eyes taking in the glittery, gold poster with neon colors splashed on it. "Oh goodness. That is beautiful."
Joseta neared it, pointing to some scratches in the gold paint. "It got scratched up because I was too lazy to find a frame before it was too late." She stepped aside, eyeing the art. "But yeah, that's my poster."
Rylann's eyes roamed the room, settling on a stack of books on her desk. Not just datapad books but actual books. "Do you like to read?"
"Oh yeah," Joseta said, nodding. "Anything between fictional and scientific reads."
The word science brought her conversation with Hunter to mind. "I know this is a random question, but do you know Dr. Pro'oz?"
Joseta chuckled. "Besides me? I'm a medic." She showed the medic badge on the arm of her khaki uniform.
Rylann laughed. "I meant an author of an article about clone aging."
Recognition flickered in Joseta's brown eyes. "Oh, you're probably talking about my dad."
Hope shot through Rylann. "Wait, he wrote those articles? Could you send me his contact information? I have a friend who is sick—"
"I'm sorry, but he's dead."
Rylann blinked in shock. She could sense Joseta's grief rolling off of her. "No, I'm sorry. I should've been more careful, I just got excited."
"It's okay." Joseta turned to pick at the corner of a book on her desk. "He was a radical like my mom but crazier. Got him killed."
"Seriously?"
"Well, that's what my family and I think," Joseta clarified. "His death was attributed to a vehicle crash, but my dad always walks."
"Interesting." Dr. Pro'oz must have been on the right path for him to get killed as bad as that sounded.
"I hope your friend gets better, though." Joseta said, offering a smile. "I know a little bit about clone anatomy from Dad, but not enough to help."
Rylann nodded. "If you happen to know how to make clones stop rapid aging, that'd be great."
"It's sad, isn't it," Joseta said suddenly. "Dad said they age two times faster than we do. I can't imagine losing friends like that."
Rylann couldn't imagine losing her friends like that either. Or Crosshair. Especially Crosshair.