Author's Note

We have returned! Sorry for the long wait folks, been playing a lot of Fallout. Now I'm ready to get back into business!

New Students And New Friends

Flurry laid her head against the back wall of her cell. She didn't know how long she was here. It must have been a day, at least. Exegol was always dark, and she had very little lights to make out anything inside. It felt miserable, leaning or resting against the harsh cold metal. Sure she got food and occassional snack, but it wasn't fun. And after waking up from her Force-induced sleep, she only began to feel regret. Regret and anger, mainly towards herself. None of the Rebels knew where she was; and now she was prisoner of her own aunt.

The doors opened for the second time today, she had assumed for bathroom checks or getting lunch. Instead, she was grabbed by the cuffed hands and forced to walk down a hall, away from the prisoner rooms. She didn't know where she was going, one assumed she would be tortured for information, maybe going to see her aunt? Instead, her walk led her less afraid and more confused as she traveled up some steps with the guard to another set of halls.

The door opened, and Flurry was guided inside, which she hesitantly stepped forward. After she did, the guard turned around and left to attend his other duties, allowing the doors to close. Looking around, Flurry noticed the room oddly had more life and personality than she would have assumed. Hair tools in front of a mirror, probably some makeup station. A massive hologram projector in the room, for watching old videos on the holonet or reading maps, of what not. Two different beds on two sides, and she notes the bed is very neat and tidy. A few old posters are visible, one she can clearly see is of the old Republic, as shown by the much more bigger looking Y-Wings. There was even two beds, one next to a decorated night stand, and the other with no decorations for a second occupant.

However, Flurry soon freezes when the door opens. A new figure enters the room, one about the same height as her. She slowly turns to look, seeing another presumed female, clad in black pants, boots, and a tank top. Only visible part of her was her fuschia colored skinned shoulders, but her face was covered by a mask; very much like the Inquisitors and her auntie. Slowly the masked figure stepped forward, breathing in the helmet for a moment or two... until her breathing started getting a bit more heavy. And... more heavy. Raspy in fact. It almost sounded like she couldn't breathe, until finally—

"Ack!"

The helmet is yanked off, with a student coughing from a lack of oxygen. "Okay... I'm not wearing any helmet. How does she even breathe with these things...", Luster set the helmet down before turning to look at the newcomer in her room. "So... you must be the new roommate Darth Midnight told me I would have. I must admit, I didn't think I would be sharing a room with anyone."

Flurry just silently glares at her for a moment or two, equally unhappy with their current situation.

"And you are?"

"Luster Dawn. You must be Flurry Heart, Master told me you would be coming here."

Flurry's fists clenched. "I am. Now if you would be so kind, I would appreciate it if you--", Flurry attempted to yank her wrists apart but the specialized cuffs only shock her as she makes an attempt, "ACGHHHH!"

"I wouldn't try breaking out of those. Those binders are specifically designed for Jedi; the more you struggle, the tighter they get," Luster warned before walking past her to take a seat at her desk.

"Oh she's teaching you all kinds of things, isn't she?"

"Well... duh. She's my master," Luster shrugged off, pulling up a text in her device.

"Well you don't have to worry about me for long, I'm getting the hell out of here," Flurry growled, struggling to rip them off again, only to be sent another massive shock that sent her dropping to the floor.

Luster checked before her with a wince as another shock was sent through her body. "Most people wouldn't try the same trick expecting the same result. Just saying."

Yavin IV

Word traveled fast to the different Rebel cells and teams across the galaxy. Everyone, whenever they had a chance, started to conduct searches for young Flurry Heart. But alas, with little to no success. No one knew where she nor Midnight's fortress; not even their operatives hiding in the Imperial Alliance.

Rainbow Dash had finished a hard day of work, taking up one of Sunset's shifts. Thankfully this one wasn't too strenuous, just simple job of repair work on some ships, and checking in routinely with one of their cells on a distant moon. After work, she made her way to the Rebels' lounge, busy as usual. Not too crowded, just the perfect medium of patrons coming and going. Rainbow looked around, finding no sign of Hurricane or Rex anywhere, good, she needed the space. Plunking herself down to one of the chairs, she let her head rest against the back with a heavy sigh.

“Hey Joh! Make it a cold one, Jawa Juice this time,” Rainbow asked.

“Right away,” the bartender replied, getting to work on her drink as he tended to another customer. Rainbow’s eyes drifted to the window, seeing the Separatist shuttles still parked at the same spots. She wasn’t happy to see them again, but she couldn’t find herself to get mad for long, she had bigger fish to fry. Or maybe she was going to get mad again, she didn’t know.

So much had been happening that it was starting to overwhelm her. Having Adagio back, that was one thing. Losing some of the friends she made throughout the six months she was here, was one thing. Having to rebuild her muscles and give up her old sleeping schedule was one thing. Deal with working and living with clones, especially with one of said clones was her former commander, who openly admitted to choosing to try and kill her was another matter entirely. Now the battle droids being a part of the Rebellion adding on top of that? This was becoming too much.

“… okay, I’ll send my reports to Senator Pamlo at 2200,” a voice said, walking by. A Pantoran woman in her mid-thirties was speaking to another politician nearby. “Okay, good day.”

Grabbing her ordered drink, the Pantoran looked around for a spot to sit, finding the Jedi sitting by herself with three empty chairs around her. With a smile she walked over with her heeled boots walking on the ground. “May I join you?”

"Um, sure, yeah, go ahead. Senator Chuchi, right?" Rainbow asked.

"I am," she answered politely as she sat on the chair adjacent to her right. "I've been in and out of meetings since this morning, I needed a break, if only for a few minutes."

"I hear that," Rainbow shrugged. She looked back outside, seeing the shuttles again.

"Quite the change, isn't it? To think we were once on opposite sides, and now a greater evil has brought us together," the senator thought.

"That's one way to look at things, I suppose."

"How do you mean?"

"... I'd rather not say. My friends advised me speaking to any politician regarding stances on controversial topics," Rainbow sunk in her seat.

"Miss Dash, I have heard all differing points of view, I'm sure yours isn't going to be anything that will cease this conversation," Riyo reassured with a smile. "Talk to me, what's on your mind?"

"Okay, well to be honest... I'm not comfortable with the battle droids. I know, I know, we can't pick our allies, and we need the numbers, but I've had to slash these things for over three years. These clankers," Rainbow pointed to outside, "Killed so many of my friends, and good soldiers in the field. Tortured my men and civilians. You don't forget the sight of your friends being hooked to a containment field while their guts are ripped from their insides..." Rainbow's voice shuddered as memories flashed before her eyes.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friends. For all of them," Riyo sympathized with a frown.

"It doesn't end there. I thought all of my soldiers were dead, and then Lyra and Bon Bon return with troopers who should have been dead by now. Troopers who turned on us. I thought long and hard, I always wanted to hold out the idea that maybe they were controlled, and I did learn almost all of them were. But my own commander... he chose to attack me. He tried to kill me. How am I supposed to work with that?"

The senator took a moment to think. In her head, the gears were turning as she processed this seething rant from a veteran who clearly had some trauma she needed to overcome. But as she thought further during a year after the Clone Wars had ended, some ideas started to churn.

“What do you know about the clones?” Riyo asked, setting her drink down. "Out of curiosity."

“Well… not a lot, I guess. I know they were cloned by Jango Fett but he’s dead. Supposedly he had a son, but I never saw him, and maybe some rumors of another unaltered clone but altered to be a girl—I don’t know,” Rainbow gave up halfway.

“Hmm. Well, do you mind if I share what I know?” Riyo asked.

“Be my guest,” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

The senator took another sip of her drink before setting it back down on the table. “The clones from the start of their growth were indoctrinated to follow orders without question. Growth accelerants to make them fully grown for battle, otherwise it would take a lifetime for them to develop. Faster, expensive for the Republic, but they got the job done in more ways than one. When citizens see them, they either see their saviors, or the monsters who enforced corruption in the corporate authority.”

Rainbow’s head straightened a little bit. Where was the senator going with this?

“Life for the citizens in the early years of the Empire wasn’t great, or it was, depending on the eyes. But the clones… their time was coming to a close. They weren’t going to be in service for much longer due to advanced aging. No retirement plans, no housing, funds, nothing that made sure they would be looked after when they were done. I fought, I advocated for a pension plan for them to have something that would keep them safe after their time was done, and the Senate, the Empire, and everyone rebuffed me. After all they sacrificed, and everyone was willing to leave them with nothing.”

She took a sip of her drink before setting it down with an exasperated gasp. “That’s how we repaid them for their service. Leave them homeless.” She set her cup down with a heavy sigh, cupping her face before taking another breath. “They didn’t deserve that. Slip. Samson. Greer. Fireball. Nemec. Howzer. None of them.”

Rainbow was just about to speak—

“Even in the war, their freedoms were extremely limited. After a battle, it was straight to go to another one. No time off, no chance to recuperate or calm down, just off to the next. Sleep and rations do not justify the lack of freedoms provided to them,” Riyo continued on, looking at Rainbow with an intense expression. “And do you remember what happened when any of them stepped out of line? Like Slick or Dogma from the 501st Battalion?”

“…”

“I didn’t think so.”

Riyo took another small sigh before taking a drink. “I know you’ve suffered a lot, Rainbow Dash. And I’m not trying to make you feel like there was nothing to lose from your plight. But it isn’t just you who lost everything. The Jedi, your friends, your family… the clones suffered just as much. I don’t think I can remember how many of their brothers are gone. This Hurricane you’re talking about… he could very well be the last of his family.”

Now Rainbow had to really take a longer pause to think. She was upset, but she hadn’t considered that info before. In fact, there was a lot of things about the clones she hadn’t known about, or things beyond that. She just looked… lost.

Riyo took one last sip before standing up to take her cup to the dishwashing counter.

“One more thing Rainbow. I didn’t intend to make you upset if I did. I don’t blame you, or any of the Jedi or what happened. I just wanted you to think about the clones for a little bit.”

“Well… you definitely have,” Rainbow said, earnestly. “Thank you for your time, Riyo.”

The senator gave a farewell nod and then went to get rid of her cup. Rainbow slumped back in her chair as she thought. And as she thought some more, she looked back out at the platforms. She saw some of the battle droids pulling out their destroyed bretheren that was piled inside, and she noticed a few mechanics talking to them. She waited for a hostile attack to happen, but to her surprise, she saw one of them open their hand to shake. The battle droid shook his her hand, politely even!

As she thought more and more, she looked at them with a smile for the first time. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having clones and battle droids around. And if they're here... well she wasn't going to end things with Hurricane the way they did. Reaching for her handheld projector, she tapped the coordinates to make a call.

Answering the other side was none other than Commander Bubbles who answered.

"Commander. Any chance I can talk to you?" Rainbow asked. "I... I need some help with a few things."

"What's going on?"

"Well... what does Hurricane like these days?"

Following his advice, Rainbow had made several trips. One, she managed to get Hurricane's helmet repaired, and upgraded with a few insulated linings and tech fixes. Second, she talked to a Mandalorian artist who helped give a paintjob that Rainbow personally requested, providing a new shine to it. One she hoped the commander would like.

Walking around, she finally tracked him to another bar location. Rainbow found him sitting at a table with a Twi’lek woman in her late twenties; farmer’s hat, bright light orange officer’s vest, clone trooper boots with faded maroon paint, and sitting by her side at a stool was a cold weather backpack. She and him seemed to get along, and he was smiling. For the first time she saw him smile. She couldn’t recall the last time he did. She was almost afraid if she walked forward, she’d ruin what joy he had. But no.

Keep it together, Rainbow. You can do this. You prepared for this.

She waited for a moment, seeing the Twi’lek checking her wrist for a time. Realizing she needed to leave, she tipped her hat to him before standing up and grabbing her backpack. She waved to him cutely before walking out of the lounge, passing by Rainbow. She held the hidden gift behind her back, before approaching the table.

“… Hey,” Rainbow greeted.

Hurricane froze. He looked back to her, glaring at her before turning to look away.

“Just a few minutes, and I’ll leave you alone. I wanted to give this to you,” she placed the item on the table.

Hurricane peeked out the corner of his eye, seeing her bestowed gift. A Phase I helmet was repaired of damage, but there was a completely new paintjob. Bright light orange and blue stripes, replacing the dark gray color scheme. The shapes of the colors were still taking on the lightning bolt form, although much bigger and vibrant. The visor was still attached with the addition of a range-finder. There were even some new stickers attached to the bare spots; including a Rebel-Tec marking (one of many subdivisions the Rebels had), the Wonderbolt symbol, a pirate sigil of the Arisian birds, and a few other odd brands scattered that he was interested in.

He didn’t know what to say. He damaged it, but the only person who knew about the designs he wanted was just himself, and he only wrote them down on… paper. Rainbow didn’t move where she stood, but waited to have a chance to speak.

“I didn’t realize how much you clones had sacrificed for the galaxy. In the heat of the moment I wasn’t thinking about what you were forced to do, nor the choices you didn’t have. I’m not angry at you, and to be honest, if I was in your boots… I would have wanted to protect my siblings as well,” Rainbow admitted. “I said things I shouldn’t have said. What I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being hostile, I’m sorry for making you feel like you didn’t belong, I’m sorry for everything.”

Rainbow knew he wasn’t going to say anything, but he was too busy trying to take it all in. A few days ago, he was convinced she was completely done with him and everything the two of them had done together. And now?

He stood up, looking at her for a moment. Rainbow was worried for she had said, ready to walk away if she had to.

“O-Or I can just leave, and you won’t have to see me… again,” she winced.

Instead, Hurricane just faced her straight on. He didn’t look mad, upset, or exhausted. He simply smiled at her for the first time. He pulled Rainbow in for a hug, and she embraced him back. Rainbow let out a small sigh of relief, the pain finally washing away. Although no one saw it, there was one small tear of joy that leaked down her face as she hugged him.

“Friends?” Rainbow asked when they finally pulled away.

“Friends,” Hurricane agreed, shaking her hand.

"So... mind telling me who the cute girl was?" Rainbow raised a brow with a smirk.

Hurricane chuckled. "It's not like that."

"I dunno, she seemed like quite the looker," Rainbow gestured to the table, which she was given the okay. "Twi'leks not your type?"

"I have no problem with Twi'leks, I assure you..."

Passing by the bar was none other than Fluttershy who was off to attend some other duties. But seeing Rainbow Dash talking with her old clone commander, and sharing a small laugh again was a wonderful sight to behold. She smiled contently and held back a little squee of excitement. Those two were finally back in the game once again.