A/N Kai belongs to the fabulous 22ndKiseki . This was based off an rp we did. Also noted: OC chapter ______________________________________

       A commotion outside interrupted the conversation between the clone and the female that accompanied him. Compared to her counterpart the twenty year old stood out. Her hair consisted of a hybrid of colors, the dominant being orange that transitioned to yellow towards the ends. The colors culminated at the top of her head, pinned into something resembling a bun to keep it out of her face while she worked. Her companion's appearence was relatively tame prefering his natural color over any dye. He had no facial tattoos and looked like any one of his brothers. Besides the design on his armor the only hint of individuality was the fact that his hair was slightly lengthier then the average hairstyle amongst the GAR. The two of them idled taking a small break in between the flood of work since the majority of it was finished. The clone currently had a repair torch grasped in his right hand and had been in the middle of testing it while they conversed, making sure it was prepared for later use. Meanwhile the commanding engineer of the 501st had finished up her repair job and had been gathering her things when she took note of their Captain in the doorway of the hangar. She nudged the male next to her to get his attention, causing his eyebrow to raise as he glanced to her before following her gaze. Upon seeing their commanding officer the combat engineer stood at attention quickly scrambling to his feet. "At ease Wrench. I need you to join the forces outside while a small squadron detains General Krell. We will need the comms up and running after the room is cleared. Kai, take Rolin and Harper and preform general inspections on the AT-RTs. Repair them as needed in preparation for any forces that may attack us once more."

       At this Kai glanced over at Wrench, the two exchanging a similar look before she focused back on their newly arrived guest, confusion flashing across her features. "Rex what's going on?"

       The blond seemed antsy as he went to respond however no words escaped him forcing him to quickly close his mouth. He pulled himself together as his gaze flickered between the two, eyes weary from more then physical fatigue. "Under the generals orders the 501st and the 212th were fed false information that resulted in an exchange of friendly fire and multiple casualties. General Krell will be detained for questioning, then executed as a traitor." As the Captain explained the situation his voice didn't waver despite the hand clenched at his side which suggested he felt otherwise.

       They had both noticed that the orange decorated clones had joined their ranks however when questioned about it they would avoid telling them the cause. Dismissing any rising queries Wrench took note of his commanding officers body language seeing as he was rather tense. Uneasiness washed over him, a voice in the back of his head telling him that this was a point of no return. Executing a jedi as a traitor? Everything in his head screamed that it was wrong. Kai expressed her uneasiness in the small frown that tugged on the corners of her mouth. Not at the idea of Krell being executed but at the idea of the clones being the ones to do so.

       "Yes sir. Just give me a minute and I will join you shortly" came his reply looking back over at his partner. Rex gave a nod of acknowledgement and left to undoubtedly secure more men. Wrench them decided to pick up right where they had left off before the interruption."You need to rest. I'm going to make sure you get some when I get back. Leave some jobs for me as well, I don't want to be bored when this is over" he says adding the last part in a semi playful tone before standing and walking a few paces away and hearing Kai's protest.

       "I've been getting plenty of rest recently." The other began, pausing as she recalled her sleep schedule, counting on her fingers before she continued. "About three and a half hours a night which is about an hour more then four months ago" She stated.

       "It's still not healthy Kai" He replied giving a small sigh knowing they had a conversation that echoed this one during that time as well. "Anyway can I have a kiss? On the cheek just as good luck. Going to need it after facing that besom"

       Kai gave a sly smile before replying with, "You can't do anything about it." Her smile became a small grin as she pondered the answer to his question. She quickly realized what he had called Krell, agreeing with the term however also coming up with harsher words that could describe the four armed Jedi in a more... colorful light. For Wrench however it was a large step. "Hmm" she added deciding to drag this out a little longer before agreeing. Ignoring the gnawing feeling in her gut she stood and made her way over to him, pressing her lips to his cheek. A fierce red exploded onto his face extending to his ears and down his neck. He was always easy to fluster and she no better. "Technically you won't be dealing with him by the way. That was just to help you deal with the comms. We all know how much you love repairing the transmitters and setting up new relays." She smirked.

       This caused the male to roll his eyes, clearing his throat before responding sarcasm dripping in his tone with every word he spoke. "It's my favorite thing to do. Anyway I should get going. I'll be back to bother you later."

       "You better be."

       "I will I promise" Wrench replied scooping up his helmet with one hand. In one swift motion he disturbed the eye contact as he placed the helmet over his head. Once his hands were freed up he grabbed a blaster with his left and his tool kit that had been quickly put together with his right. He was grateful for the helmet, it kept anyone from seeing the color of his face. He was positive that he wouldn't ever live it down if he was caught by one of his vod.

       "I'm going to hold you to that" She says with a firm nod and a small smile to send him on his way. Although she couldn't truly tell she sensed she had recieved a smile in return causing a light blush to dust her cheeks. She watched as he turned and walked out until the white and blue of his armor were no longer visable. Once the color of her cheeks returned to normal she tapped her wrist piece calling for the clone engineers Rex had mentioned earlier to start inspections. She proceeded with her orders following them until an idea sparked in her head. "The umbaran tech could at the very least lighten our workload- eventually" she muttered to herself. Once they figured out how to use it properly that was. "Hey guys do me a favor and continue. I'll be back hopefully with a way to make our lives easier. I'll get Crux to help you out."

       "Yes Ma'am!" Harper called giving a half assed salute as Rolin nodded. The two had been under her command for about a year now so they were to get the job done without too much babysitting. Harper had a thing of calling her ma'am no matter how many times she expressed that she was uncomfortable being addressed as such. It had become an inside jab now and for the most part she ignored it. She left them to it after asking Crux to fill in for her, stepping outside the hanger and looking around at the dark that clung to the perimeter of the occupied space. Quickly she moved on and sat on a crate outside the former Umbaran hangar, gathering the shield generator and tinkering with it until her concentration was broken.
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       Too slow

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       At the sudden commotion of weapon fire Kai reached for her own blaster situated in a holster at her side. Looking up she could barely make out Kix helping out a wounded 212th member. Concern shot through her but this was dismissed quickly. Instead she took off running towards the group of clones who had started to pursue the former Jedi by the time she had crossed the gap between buildings. She took a few shots at the fleeing traitor as they were lead out of the confines of the makeshift base. They were now at the mercy of the environment and of a possibly psychotic force wielder. Somehow the fact that the 501st where in the middle of this was no surprise. Her mind started to be plagued by worse case scenarios watching as the enhanced soldiers managed to outspeed her. She was snapped from these thoughts when word spread that they had captured the Jedi. She let out a small sigh of relief letting the words comfort her and dismiss any negative thoughts she had been having moments prior. She pushed forwards to see for herself, nearly running into Fives as he retreated to make preparations in the brig.

       "Fives" She called causing the other to pause.

       "Hello Kai" The other greeted swerving around her to avoid hitting her. "Can I help you with anything?"

       Not wanting to slow the other down more then she had she cut to the point. "Have you seen Wrench in the chaos that ensued?" She asked unsure if he had recieved new orders with the unexpected escape attempt and joined them in the pursuit, or if he had went up into the tower and acted on his original orders.

       He thought for a few moments before shaking his head. "No but then again there was quite a bit of commotion. Once we get Krell back and put into the brig I'll help you look for him".

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       Once they got back she headed towards the hangar half expecting the other to be there. "Wrench?" She called which only seemed to garner the attention of Rolin.

       "He's not here Kai" The clone said glancing over at her with a small tilt of his head. "If anything he's probably up in the tower fixing the comms."

       "Right. I just didn't know if he had finished and come back here" She muttered, walking back out of the hangar and towards the scene of Krell's escape. Wrench had done it enough times all while being shot at that he should have been able to finish easily in the timespan it took to pursue and capture Krell. A detail she noted on her journey was that there were no more wounded or dead left behind, having been taken by the medics and others who gathered to support them. She put this thought to the back of her mind as she entered the compound, taking the elevator to the top. As the doors opened and she stepped into the room she noticed the air still had energy in it. It was almost electric, the aftermath of the battle that had taken place in the small quarters. Her eyes immediately went to the communications relay only to spot another engineer from the 212th she didn't recognize working on it. At this the nagging feeling in her gut returned with force making her stomach twist although she remained calm. "Hey, do you know where Wrench is?" She asked her voice surprisingly steady as she asked the question.

       The clone looked up and shook his head. "I don't know ma'am. I'm sorry."

       Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Where was he then? Panic quickly took hold of her mind as she spun on her heels and entered the elevator. Once she was at ground level and the doors opened her stride increased to a jog, seeking to find Rex and ask where he had reassigned Wrench to. Instead she nearly collided with Fives once more as he was about to enter. This time she was the one quick enough to avoid the contact glancing at him. "Did you find him?" Was the question that spilled from her lips as soon as they recovered from the near miss.

       When the Arc troopers expression morphed, she knew the answer. The clone's lips downturned inadvertently giving her the answer she had been seeking.

       "I found him. After helping put Krell away I checked the top. When I didn't find him I asked the boys if they had seen him. Apparently he was caught in the initial confrontation when Krell broke through the window. After I went to the hangar, then was directed here back to you. Kix-"

       "How bad is it?" She interjected feeling her panic mix with anger as she contemplated the many ways in which he could be wounded. To think Krell of all people was responsible-

       "It didn't sound good. He took a blow to the abdomen"

       "What do you mean by that?! The lightsaber should've cauterized the wound. There should be no bleeding. If he's trying to escape from the med bay I'll kick his sheb."

       Fives simply shook his head. "I don't know all the details. You'll have to go see him, I have to help Rex with Krell"

       She let out a breath thanking Fives before breaking into a sprint as she made her way to the makeshift med-bay. Her thoughts were whirling as she stepped in not seeing any of the medics she knew. So she took up a seat against a wall letting out a shaky breath. Eventually Kix emerged from one of the corridors looking disheveled and exhausted. As his eyes landed on her he made his way over offering a hand to help her up which she took.

       "I did the best I could" was all he said, voice weary and quieter then it had been before. The anger once expressed had been dulled by grief and driven to the back of his mind by the duty he had to his brothers.

       "Of course you did" She murmured tears welling in her eyes but they didn't fall. She didn't allow them to. "You always do."

       He said nothing in responce letting a small silence fill the conversation before speaking again. "I'll take you to him."

       She thought about it for a moment hesitating briefly not knowing if she wanted to see her partner in such a state. But she swallowed this hesitation and nodded following the medic deeper into the bay. "Can't we evac him and the others off this damn planet so they have access to bacta tanks?"

       "They won't risk it with the blockade. Not until General Kenobi manages to recapture the city. And even if we did we don't have enough ships for all the wounded- or enough time."

       Before she could respond they stopped outside a room. "I have to go help the others" the medic stated although he felt a twinge of guilt for leaving her alone. Kai nodded mutely finding her words caught in her throat. Her eyes landed on an unmoving form on a makeshift cot and she froze. A decent sized piece of fabric, formerly a tarp served as a blanket, covering the clone up to just below his sternum. The tears that welled in her eyes before managed to escape her control, her hands balling at her sides as Kix's voice quietly murmured to her.

       "He has painkillers and light sedatives in his system. I can't guarantee that he'll awaken anytime soon" He said before turning to leave the room to give her time alone with him.

       She made her way over to Wrench. "You karkin- idiot" She murmured reaching for his hand. She gave a few squeezes in a very specific pattern. Morse code.

       "I love you too" Came a weak voice, his eyes still closed as he replied. She blushed sputtering a bit.

       "You knew what I was saying the whole time?!" She exclaimed glancing at him to see his reaction. He gave a tired grin in response staying mute not knowing what to say until she broke the silence.

       "Leave the dying to me next time will you?" She joked, mirroring his weakened grin.

       "Now where's the fun in that? Don't you know me by now? I'm too stubborn to die." He murmured giving a half hearted chuckle before grimacing at the movement. The pain meds made the wound bearable but it by no means meant he couldn't feel any pain.

       "Don't laugh. It only is going to cause everything to hurt more. I know that from experience as you probably remember. You don't forget that type of stuff easily" She murmured recalling the mission a few months back in which she herself had been wounded. "And you better be right. No one else wants to deal with me" As she spoke her tears fell faster. She didn't seem to notice this too preoccupied with their conversation.

       "The guys love you" he protested, reaching to wipe her tears. This took quite a bit of effort and focus but he decided it was ultimately worth it. "Crying doesn't suit you" he murmured quietly, yet loud enough for her to still hear his comment. She rarely cried, in fact he hadn't recalled a time in which he'd seen her do so.

       Once she noticed she was crying she attempted to stop. She wanted to keep the conversation casual. This wasn't a goodbye. It couldn't be. It wasn't so there was no point in treating it like one. Or so a part of her said. Deciding to give in to her denial she kept it as light as she could. "That doesn't mean they want to watch my back on a twenty four hour basis" She argued. "And it's your fault I'm crying. Heal up, don't die and then I'll stop."

       "Fair point" He murmured closing his eyes as he fought off the urge to fall back to sleep. "You know I don't really want to die on this planet. It's not the most welcoming place we've been stationed on."

       "What are you talking about? I thought that the giant Sarlacc was perfectly welcoming. And the sky. Don't get me started on the sky. All the shades of black really blend well. That accompanied by the fact that the sun doesn't come out. It's perfectly welcoming "

       "The more you describe it the more it sounds like my personality" He stated grimly, resignation ghosting his tone before looking to her. At this he felt his words tumble out of his lips. She needed to know. "I love you Kai. I really do. You make me happy and I have fun when I'm around you."

       "Exactly my point" She teased giving a somewhat playful grin her face still tear stained. "You know you don't need to tell me this. There will be plenty of opportunities later since we're dating and all".

       "You're right" He agreed quickly coming up with an excuse to justify his words. "Just thought you deserved to hear it more often anyway." 

       At that she gave a shrug "I beg to differ. But I won't argue since you're high on drugs right now."

       "So you're saying all I had to do to win arguments was be high on drugs? Wish I knew that before."

       "Not all arguments you di'kut. I definetly would've won most of them" she teased.

       "I suppose you're right" He muttered not putting up too much of a fight. His eyelids drooped again and they remained closed but he continued talking. "How are things with Krell?"

       At the mention of the Jedi she frowned. "Well I haven't shot him yet. He's not making it off this planet alive."

       "Good. It's what he deserves." He added. He still felt the volatile reaction of wrongness rise in his mind when he said that, even after all of the things the Besalisk that had done. He dismissed it with a desire to focus on instead. "I want to get off this planet."

       "He deserves to be executed in the most painful way possible" She stated her tone cold without a single hint of sympathy located underneath her words. "Not just because he stabbed you either" she added. Her voice soon changed, softening considerably. "I would love to see the sun again."

       "The more I think about it, the more this place reminds me of Kamino. I guess it's ironic and fitting" He murmured pessimistic thoughts once more filling his mind.

       "Fitting? How so?"

       "Everything that happened and- I was just thinking out loud" He murmured partially being dishonest.

       She caught onto this and sighed, giving him a stern look. "Wrench you're not going to die on this kriffing planet" She stated, although despite her claim salty water once more filled her eyes. He hadn't realize this and instead changed the subject.

       "We've been fighting for two years now. Wonder what will happen to us after the fighting ends."

       "Only two years? It feels like it's been a lot longer then that" She says astonishment crossing her face as the reality of the time frame sunk in. "Hopefully the war ends soon, though it's doubtful. We will find something when it does" She says giving a grin at the thought that crossed her mind. "We could be bounty hunters" she teased laughing at the idea.

       "You'll be saving my sheb more so then you do now" he chuckled once more grimacing and sharply inhaling as a wave of pain momentarily overwhelmed him.

       "Someone has to" She spoke her eyes trailing to the tarp covering before tearing them away and once more looking at his face.

       "Obviously. I get extra holes when no one is" He stated as if it wasn't the cause of his current condition.

       "Remind me to come with you next time" she said with a small shake of her head.

       He gave a small nod in recognition of her wish. "Yeah. Alright. I'm tired now. I'm going to go back to sleep." He then uttered a brief two worded phrase that she strained to hear. "Re'turcye mhi"

        Once she made out what he had said and formed a coherent translation her eyes widened in alarm. "Hey stop being negative for once in your life. And don't you dare even think about that as a possibility. Just stay awake and keep talking."

       He had already fallen asleep the sedatives kicking in. She shook his shoulder careful not to disturb the wound, testing to see if he would awaken. When this failed she let outa shaky breath as she sat down taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. She found comfort in the warmth his hand provided and she sat with him. Occasionally she'd give his hand a series of squeezes, repeating the same pattern from before. I love you. She hadn't got a responce back but the rise and fall of his chest was enough for her.

       Until it wasn't.

       Until his body didn't give any form of responsiveness. And that's when she began to sob clutching onto his hand as if it were a lifeline that could bring him back.

       She cried until her head pounded and her eyes were swollen. Until she couldn't anymore. Until she felt numb.
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Definitions:

Besom- Ill mannered or unhygienic person, someone with no manners (rude)

Vod- brother

Sheb- It pretty much means ass

Re'turcye mhi - maybe we will meet again

Karkin- not too sure what this means tbh but I'm sure there's enough context clues to figure it out

Di'kut - Idiot (can also be in a playful manner)

Kriff - Do I really gotta tell you what this means? F _ _ k fill in the blank ;)

Honestly I figured with all the wounded and dead the medics would be taxed on supplies. Plus with resources in general so scattered about I doubt they'd have time to constantly transport the wounded off planet.