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Chapter Text

Spots danced before her eyes as the blinding myriad of colors finally began to fade. Her head felt as if someone had split it in two and shoved something inside her body, something that was too large for her small frame.

Letting out a groan of pain she collapsed to her knees, unable to keep herself upright any longer.

Reaching inward to her own mental scape she felt a wave of fear at the savage shreds of what used to be her shields.

Another wave of pain wracked her body, lighting her nerves on fire.

Something moved nearby but she couldn’t sense anything alive and sapient.

“Hey, is that a Jedi?” Said a mechanical voice nearby.

“It is! What do we do with it?” An identical voice asked.

“Uh… orders are to capture the Jedi!”

“Roger, roger. Hands up Jedi!”

It was the last thing she heard before darkness overcame her senses.

[Fives]

Laying at the top of the canyon, flat against the rock with a sniper rifle in hand, he ran his tongue over his teeth. His orders were to watch the clankers and report their movements but if he caught sight of the elusive Separatist general he was to take them out.

With prejudice.

The Captain had been the one to give the order, after the slimy bastard had caught and executed two of their patrols. This Seppie general seemed to have some sick fascination with sending his enemies video footage of the torture and execution of their troops. The patrol had been made up primarily of shinies, fresh off Kamino.

Rex was blaming himself.

::On your six.:: Came a familiar voice.

Even if all of their voices had been exactly alike, in both tone and cadence, Fives wold still be able to recognize Echo anywhere.

As his closest vod crept up next to him he never let his eyes stray from the scope of his rifle.

::All quiet?::

::Yup.:: he said, popping the p just to hear his vod make a slightly strangled noise in the back of his throat.

Fives snickered and didn’t even need to see his vod to know he was rolling his eyes.

::How’s the Captain?::

Echo let out a small sigh and shifted until he was close enough to touch but not enough to hinder either of them if they had to move quickly.

::He’s running himself ragged with the General gone off on that secret objective.:: His vod said, voice sounding tired.

Fives grimaced. It was never a good time when their general was off doing stars knew what while Rex was left wrangling the entire 501st. It was better when Cody or Kenobi was around. Cody just had this way of knowing everything while Kenobi kept everyone feeling calm and secure.

Fives liked his general, he did, but sometimes he could be a real-

::Movement.:: Echo said calmly, holding up the macrobinoculars. ::Four degrees right and two down.::

Fives shifted and swung the rifle where his vod had indicated, hitting the zoom without thought.

What came into view was a small troop of clankers. At first it just seemed to be a regular patrol but then he realized they were dragging something behind them.

::Haar’chak!:: Echo cursed, body tensing.

Fives didn’t say anything, too busy tracking the patrol’s route through the winding canyon. But he definitely shared the sentiment.

Pulled along behind a pair of clankers was the form of a small, pale clothed, Jedi.

::We need to contact the Captain and stage a rescue.:: Echo practically hissed beside him.

Fives thought about it for a moment. ::Do it. I’m going to follow them and keep an eye on the General.::

Echo put a hand on his pauldron as he pulled the rifle away from his face and got his hands beneath him.

::Not without me.:: He looked up at his vod and could practically feel the sheer determination radiating off him.

::Wouldn’t have it any other way.::

As two of Rex’s ARCs he and Echo knew all the tricks in the book. It was no trouble to discreetly follow the noisy clankers as they dragged the Jedi through the canyon and into what appeared to be a cave system hidden among some rocks. It was impossible to see from above and they now knew how the bastards had been evading their patrols.

::Captain’s mobilizing. They should be here soon. Orders are to get the General out if we can or wait for reinforcements if we can’t.::

He looked at Echo, who looked back at him. No words needed to be exchanged between them. Both of them knew they wouldn’t leave a Jedi General to be tortured and killed by the insane Seppie leader.

They made their way further into the cave system, Echo mapping out their path for a quick exit.

After ducking a couple of patrols they and listening in on the chatter between the clankers, they learned that this was only a small outpost.

“The General ordered us to keep the Jedi secure. They’re on their way now. Has the Jedi woken up yet?” Said one of the clankers with a colored stripe that marked them as a squad leader.

“Not yet. But the thermal readings are high. So it’s not dead.”

Fives clenched his hand into a fist and had to bite down on his anger so as not to give away his position.

“Well that’s good. The General would be angry if the Jedi died before they got here. Keep checking their vitals in twenty minute intervals.”

“Roger, roger.”

The clankers turned away from each other and stared walking in opposite directions. He and Echo followed the one that had been ordered to check on the general, keeping to the shadows for the time being.

Coming into another cavernous area Fives spotted five clankers on guard, not including the one they had followed. They were clustered around an enclave that was set up like a cell with a barrier and everything.

“The Sergeant told me to check on the prisoner’s vitals. The General will be mad if it dies before they get here.” The clanker said to the others.

“That would be bad!” Another agreed before walking over to the control and inputting whatever code they used to shut it down.

Fives didn’t even need to look at his vod to know the plan.

The moment the shield dropped he dashed forward and tackled the first clanker. An EMP grenade sailed over his head and landed in the middle of the other clankers, taking them all out at once. Fives shoved his blade into the damned things neck cables and wrenched it violently. It spasmed for a moment then went limp.

::That went better than expected.:: He said as he stood and slid his blade back into his gauntlet.

::Don’t jinx it.:: Echo replied tersely as he went to check the terminal for any information.

Fives shrugged and turned toward the cell. At first he thought the Jedi was still unconscious, since they hadn’t moved, but as his eyes fell on them he spotted two bright points of light and froze.

The most beautiful shade of violet he had ever seen watched his every move, pupils dilated to near pinpricks.

He took a step closer and heard something between hissing and a groan of pain. Holding up his arms slowly to show he had no weapons he switched to the external speaker. “Sir. We’re from the 501st, we came as soon as we saw you’d been captured. Are you injured? Do you need assistance?”

The Jedi’s hiss stopped as a deep frown furrowed their pale brow.

And stars did they look pale. It was no wonder the clanker had been ordered to check their vitals if they were this bad off.

Fives took another step forward and heard a low, defensive, growl. He stopped again and looked over his shoulder at Echo. His brother just shrugged slightly but the cant of his helmet was concerned.

::If they were drugged they might be confused. Maybe they can’t recognize us as friendlies?::

Fives thought about it for a moment before he reached up and popped the seal on his helmet. Echo cursed at him over the internal comm but he ignored his vod.

Lowering the helmet he smiled. “It’s alright, Sir. I’m one of the-”

The wave of scent hit him like an anti-tank round. It was thick, sweet, and so very, very;

Omega.

Chapter Text

[Fay]

The sound of earthenware shattering against the ground had many heads turning in surprise. Standing in the middle of the outer rim cantina, frozen stiffly in place, was a dark haired Alpha woman in long brown robes. At her feet lay the broken pieces of the bowl and cup she had been taking with her back to her seat.

“Fay?” A tall slender figure with their hood drawn up to obscure their face materialized next to her, reaching out to gently touch her arm. “What is it? What’s wrong?” The beta scent that came from the figure was muted but concerned, though their masculine voice betrayed none of it.

The woman looked up at him, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, and the smile that graced her youthful face was a thing of rare beauty.

“A gift from the force.” She said as she wiped at her face with the corner of her sleeve. “My Padawan has returned.”

[Yoda]

Trying to find serenity inside the Temple was becoming more difficult the longer the war wore on. Seeing even the brightest of youths and the most steadfast of elders with their shoulders bowed as if the entire galaxy rested upon them, brows furrowed with worry… it was not a sight he had ever wished to see.

Letting out a small sigh as he released the negative feelings into the force the ancient master walked his favored path in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Coming to his usual clearing he was met with cheerful greetings. It seemed a crechemaster was attempting to teach zeir younglings how to better shield their minds in a place where they were less likely to disturb others meditations.

Although it seemed as if the younglings were having a tough time of it at the moment.

“Maybe I might be of some help, yes?” The younglings brightened at the suggestion and turned pleading eyes upon their crechemaster. Yoda chuckled when an exasperated look was thrown his way, though he could sense Crechemaster Zaiyeh’s more subtle amusement in the force.

Sitting down with the younglings as the crechemaster began zeir lesson he found himself distracted by a sudden ripple in the force. Judging by the flinch from Crechemaster Zaiyeh and the sudden spikes of emotion from the younglings he knew they had all felt it as well.

Something in the depths of Yoda’s mind, something buried but never forgotten, began to shine like a beacon in his mind’s eye. In that one moment he could feel nothing else as emotion not his own flowed into him through a channel he’d thought broken long ago.

When he finally opened his eyes once again, uncertain when he had closed them, he was met with the curious and anxious stares of the younglings. When they realized he was once again coherent they clambered over one another to ask him if he was alright and what that strange presence in the force had been.

“I will be fine, younglings. Only startled, I was. Something very interesting has happened.”

The younglings asked him what it was and he let out another chuckle.

Placing a claw against his chest he smiled, feeling a sense of rising hope within the force. “The return of one we thought lost.”

[Liera]

Floating in the embrace of the force the young healer pushed the distracting sensations of her body away and turned her focus inward. Her first instinct was to reach out for her master, the deep well of compassion and kindness that had seen her through her darkest days. Reaching for her bonds she had to hold back her grief when she realized that all but two of them had snapped, the edges of the others darkening and crumbling at the gentlest of touches. Whatever had entered her mind and destroyed her shields had also severed her ties with all but the strongest of her bonds.

But there was nothing she could do about it now. She would need the help of a second experienced soul and mind healer if she wanted to address the damage and her grief.

Revitalizing the two bonds she had left she felt their intense focus and sharp surprise before it shifted to joy and welcome. Their curiosity flowed into her as they prodded the newly strengthened bonds and she couldn’t help but pull their presences in closer, letting them feel an echo of her pain. It was a warning and a cry for help all at once.

She felt their alarm and a sense of urgency before her connection became too much to bear and she had to let go.

She didn’t know how long she lay there, cradled in the force as she carefully wove healing throughout her body, but eventually something outside of her inner mindscape called for her attention and she slowly began to wake.

Two bright sparks of life were moving closer to her position sporadically, stopping and starting at odd intervals.

She was uncertain whether they were friendly or not and it was ultimately that uncertainty that had her choosing to force herself awake.

Before she even opened her eyes she cataloged the various issues with her body, trying to judge how mobile and able to defend herself she was.

‘High fever, aching limbs, abdominal cramps, hypersensitive nerves, bruises, no breaks or sprains, no concussion, able to touch and call upon the force.’ Well. At the very least she could dull her own pain and tamp down any discomfort she was currently feeling, even if she couldn’t focus enough to deal with every symptom.

The fever alone was making it hard for her to think and the extra strain on her nerves was sending her mixed signals. She would have to rely more on the force than her own body if it came down to a fight.

The two life-forces finally came to a stop nearby, close enough to be concerning. Opening her eyes she frowned in confusion.

It appeared she was in some sort of cave, the area around her a half circle of smooth stone that she suspected had been carved by flood waters over a long period of time. Across from her was a glowing barrier that made her bite back a hiss as the brightness made her already sensitive eyes sting. She blinked away the bright spots, trying to clear her vision of them, and nearly missed the moment the barrier came down.

The two life-forces flared with a mix of emotions, primarily a righteous kind of anger and a sense of duty so strong it rivaled that of some Jedi Masters.

Taking in their form once she realized the barrier was gone she felt a bolt of alarm shiver down her spine. The armor the figure was wearing was like that of a Mandalorian but it was missing the distinctive feel of beskar.

Their focus was solely on her as one of the figures stepped closer, speaking in a tone that wasn’t all that dissimilar to the mechanical voices she had heard before she passed out.

In the back of her mind she felt something shift. It was as if some kind of being, separate from herself yet part of her, was rising up and taking notice of the figure.

‘Trapped.’ It hissed. ‘Wounded, vulnerable.’

She only realized a moment later that the hiss had not only been in her mind but aloud.

The maybe Mandalorian quickly held up their hands and her eyes followed the motion, ensuring that they were empty of any kind of weapon. Of course if they were a Mandalorian they were never truly unarmed, even without a weapon.

That same being that was her-yet-not-her was practically screaming at her that everyone who came near who was not her master or padawan-brother was a threat. Yet as she tried to probe the new sense she realized it was not the force.

This was an entirely different set of instincts she had never experienced before.

Speaking once again the figure watched her, yet did not come closer. She frowned in confusion, trying and failing to clear her mind further as she was swamped with all kinds of chemical reactions.

Whatever was happening to her she was nearly powerless to stop it, even as she used every bit of medical knowledge she had to treat her symptoms.

But no matter what she tried it was like the figure was speaking through a thick veil of fog, making it hard for her to understand them.

The figure stepped forward again and her focus sharpened. Letting out an uncontrollable growl she tried to warn the stranger away. If they came any closer she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from attacking them out of desperation to escape.

After what felt like an eternity the figure reached for their helmet and pulled it off, revealing a human or near-human underneath. Although still a little wary she felt herself relaxing a little at the realization.

She took a deep breath to try speaking to the armored individual and froze. A strong scent like warm spices and wind off the sea, with an underlying richness beneath it all, met her nose and she let out a sound somewhere between a whine and a gasp.

The same moment she registered the scent, and the fact that she shouldn’t be able to smell someone from so far away, the her-that-was-not-her in the back of her mind perked up. Before she even registered what she was doing she found herself up on her knees, letting out an inquisitive chirp the likes of which had never crossed her tongue before in her life.

A sound met her ears and for a moment she thought it was the armored being. But as it got louder she realized the sound was coming from herself. One that was physically impossible for her species the last time she checked.

It was the sound of purring.

[Fives]

The scent that hit him all at once was like a punch to the gut and he found himself gritting his teeth as he breathed through the sudden flaring of instinct that wanted to consume his mind. Quickly he threw his arm out toward his brother and made a hand sign that would stall him from doing anything until Fives could explain the situation.

When he finally had himself back under full control, only losing it from sheer surprise, he turned to his brother. “Don’t take off your helmet.” He warned.

“Me’vaar?” Echo demanded, looking between him and the Jedi worriedly.

“Omega.” He said simply, trying not to let that fact color how he treated the Jedi yet knowing there was no getting around the issue.

The Jedi made a sound that sent his heart to racing and he knew Echo’s attention had been grabbed as easily as his own. Even without the scent it was obvious that something was not quite right with the Omega Jedi. They were far too immersed in their more base instincts to even speak at the moment. Reduced to inquisitive chirps, defensive growls, and a rumbling purr that was turning him to putty on the inside.

“Okay. Alright. I still think they’ve been drugged so they’re probably not in their right mind. We’ll just have to find a way to smuggle them out that won’t turn them hostile. Otherwise… we might have to knock them out.” Though his brother’s tone was neutral Fives knew he was more concerned than he let on.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine, I, uh, just needed a minute.” He knew his face was a little flushed. It was hard not to be at least a little affected by the scent coming from the Omega Jedi.

“Okay… so what do we do about the General?” Echo asked.

“I, uh, don’t think they’re a General.” He said, noticing the long braid that had fallen over the Jedi’s shoulder.

“Osik! If they’re a Commander then where is their General?”

Fives shared a grim look with Echo and shook his head slightly. “We can find out once we’ve gotten them out of here and they are in a better state of mind.”

“Right, right. So, how are we going to convince them to come with us without a fuss?” Echo asked, concern tinging his voice.

Fives understood why he was worried. Unlike a vast majority of the galaxy the clones had been raised to treat Omegas as more than just breeding tools. They were the core of any family and an important figure in any clan. Mandalorians believed that Omegas could be just as strong as anyone else, if not more so. The idea that someone would harm an Omega filled him with an urge to protect, if only because the Omega Jedi seemed currently unable to grasp what was going on around them.

Slowly, so as not to startle them, Fives went down on one knee, keeping his empty hands up to show he was not a threat. Once he was certain he wouldn’t be attacked he lowered his eyes and titled his head to present his vulnerable neck to the Omega in a show of trust.

Echo sucked in a breath of air, noticeable enough that he could hear it through the vocoder of the helmet.

He could practically feel the Omega's eyes on him, or perhaps they were using the force to try and sense whether or not he was a threat. After a moment they rose and came toward him. He kept his eyes lowered, even if he wanted to get a closer look at them to make sure they weren’t injured.

The Jedi stopped in front of him, close enough to touch, and Fives held his breath as they leaned forward and scented him. He almost yelped when they shoved their nose against his neck but forced himself not to move, in case he scared them.

This close he could get a sense of their actual scent without all of the distracting pheromones. It was like… jungles after the rain, sweet flowers, and a hint of something comforting he couldn’t quite place. He shuddered and forced himself to keep calm, to not reach out and pull the Omega closer.

They made an inquisitive noise before practically draping themselves over him, their purr returning with a vengeance.

He could almost swear he felt it through his armor.

Fives flailed and looked over at his brother.

“Well… at least they aren’t hostile.” He said with a bit of a shrug.

“…mir’sheb.” He grumbled, glaring at Echo.

The Omega whined pitifully when he tried to get to his feet and he froze. He had no idea what to do when a Jedi clung to his armor like he was their only lifeline.

Echo’s helmet suddenly snapped over to the one entrance of the cavern. “Hostiles incoming.” He warned.

Fives let out a low growl, his own Alpha instincts rising with the Omega in such close proximity. Especially one that didn’t have all of their faculties and was clearly in need of help.

Without thinking about it too much he put his arms around the Omega’s back and under their legs, scooping them up into his arms and holding them against his chest. It was deceptively easy. Apparently their robes did a really good job hiding just how small they actually were.

Thankfully the Omega didn’t turn hostile again and instead reached up to wrap their arms around his neck, tucking their head under his chin and breathing deeply again. Unfortunately this meant Fives couldn’t put his bucket back on, and boy was he going to regret not doing that in a moment.

He looked at his brother, expression grim. “You lead.”

Echo gave him a curt nod and the two of them quickly slipped into the darkest parts of the cavern, preparing to escape or fight.

It was just their luck.

General Tylluk of the Separatists waltzed into the prison, issuing orders to the group of clankers that surrounded xem. The lot of them spread out, checking the bodies of the scrapped guards on the floor. “You useless pieces of trash! You let the Jedi escape!” Xey raged.

Fives felt his fingers twitch with the need to grab his blaster and put a hole right between the bastard’s eyes. He wanted revenge for all the vode who were tortured and killed for xeir own sick amusement, not just the shinies.

The Omega in his arms stiffened and he heard a low growl replace the silence that had befallen them the moment the Seppie General had waltzed into the cavern. He glanced down and saw their glowing eyes narrow as they glared at General Tylluk.

They began to squirm, trying to push themselves away from his chest and put their feet on the floor. The growl only rising in volume.

“Sst, no!” He whispered as quietly as he could into their ear. “You have to stay hidden!”

They turned to look up at him, vibrant eyes aglow with a fierce inner fire that made him swallow whatever else he had been about to say. He felt mesmerized, as if time was standing still.

They growled again before shifting their body and suddenly twisting out of his grip in a move that would have been impossible for anyone who wasn’t a Jedi. They landed on the cavern floor, almost going to all fours as they crouched silently.

Everything about the way they stood and strode into the cavern could be called ‘feral’ and ‘predatory’ as they let out a vicious hiss towards the enemy general.

“Give. B-back!” It was hard to understand them beneath the growling and hissing but Fives was certain that he’d heard correctly.

“Jedi.” The seppie said as xeir attention was grabbed by the advancing figure. “Well, none of these buckets of bolts told me you were an Omega.” Xey said with a smarmy smirk. “Stupid machines, if they had told me I would have come to play with you sooner.”

“Give th-them back!” The Jedi practically snarled, their scent turning sharp with anger and upset.

“Oh? Do you mean these?” The enemy general asked before pulling out two lightsabers from behind xeir back. “I don’t think you’ll be getting these back, little Jedi. They belong to me now.” Xey chuckled as the clankers turned their attention to the Jedi, weapons at the ready.

“I think I might even keep you alive to serve me. Send the Republic dogs a few holos of you choking on my knot to remember you by.” A truly malicious smile crossed xeir face as they spoke.

Fives was practically vibrating with rage. Everything that came out of xeir mouth was despicable and disgusting. The urge to put a bolt between the Sep’s eyes was so strong he swore he could hear the grip on his blaster groaning under the strain of his clenched hand.

Yet from the moment the lightsabers had been brought out the Commander had gone still. The kind of still he had only ever seen when General Kenobi or Koon took to the field.

There was something distinctly otherworldly about it that just made you want to hold your breath and wait to see what kinds of miracles they could pull out of thin air.

Echo caught his attention and he glanced at his brother. -Protect Commander. Reinforcements incoming. Hold here.- He signed.

-Affirmative.- He signed back, slipping his bucket back on as discreetly as possible.

“Disable the Jedi, only use stun bolts. I want them alive!” The Seppie general ordered.

“Roger, roger.” The clankers said as they trained their weapons on the Jedi.

The Jedi didn’t even acknowledge xeir words, their eyes glued to the lightsabers in the Sep’s hands.

-On two.- Echo signed.

Fives shifted his grip on his vibroblade and tensed, ready to move.

-One. Two.- Both of them dove out of their hiding spots, Echo throwing another EMP grenade to take out the group surrounding the enemy general as Fives shot the two closest to teh Jedi in the domes, destroying them instantly.

“Tch, clones! Get them!” Xey ordered, glaring at Echo.

From the corner of his vision Fives saw the Jedi bolt forward and his attention shifted.

They moved like the wind. Like they were made out of pure air, even as their body seemed infused with pure ferocity. They wove through the clankers, ignoring them entirely, and came up right beside the enemy general.

Xey tried to pull xeir blaster but the Jedi’s hands shot forward, catching their wrists. A shot rang out and for a moment his heart was in his throat. There was a terrible scream and Fives’ blood ran cold.

For a split second he’d thought the Omega had been shot.

Then the enemy general fell to the ground, xeir hands not looking quite right and arms hanging limply as xey snarled and cursed in pain.

“What did you do to me you little bitch? What witchery is this!” Xey screamed.

The Jedi gave xem no mind, focusing instead on the lightsabers in their hands. Frowning they switched which lightsaber was in each hand before a contented smile crossed their face.

Finally looking down at the Seppie general they let out a low growl and thumbed the switches. With the same snap-hiss as General Skywalker’s lightsaber both of the hilts in the Jedi’s hands erupted with light.

Only… only these were made of pure white light.

With a move so swift he wasn’t even sure he’d caught what they did the Jedi beheaded the Seppie general. It landed next to the body with a squishy thump.

Letting out a sound of pain the Jedi turned off their lightsabers before crumpling to the ground, panting and sweating.

He was by their side before he even knew he’d moved, one hand on their back and checking for any wounds.

“Fives!” Echo called out in warning.

Looking up in time to see a clanker aim in their direction he threw himself over the Omega to protect them.

He braced himself for pain, even with armor he knew that this close the bolt would eat through the cheap plastoid.

Yet… no pain came.

Chancing a look his mouth fell open in shock as the bolt sizzled mid-air a mere foot away from his back.

“You will not hurt them.” A shudder ran through him as their voice, clear as a bell, practically kissed the shell of his ear.

The bolt suddenly reversed and sped off toward the clanker, blasting it into a wall.

Fives got to his feet and helped Echo finish off the last of the clankers, who were struggling and disorganized without orders.

“Thank the Force that’s over.” Echo said with a huff once the last metal body collapsed to the ground.

Fives chuckled and knelt next to the Omega, who had curled in on themselves.

“Hey, are you alright?” He asked, reaching out to gently roll them over.

The Omega let out a low whine and Fives winced at the hole in their leg.

“They’re injured!” he called over his back at Echo.

They placed their hand over the wound and let out a hiss of pain.

“Hey, no, don’t touch that.” He said gently, prying their hand away as delicately as he could.

They let out a growl and wrenched their hand back before placing it over their injury again.

“I can’t get them to let me tend to it.” He told his brother.

Echo came over and knelt next to him. “Let me hold their arms while you give them bacta. They’ll probably be distressed but we can’t let the injury fester. Who knows what kinds of bacteria are on this damned planet.”

Fives nodded and pulled out the emergency bacta patches as Echo got a good grip of the Jedi’s arms, just below the wrists, and pulled their arms out of the way.

“Uh…” Echo said intelligently as they both stared down at the Jedi’s leg. “Wh-where did-?”

“I think… I think they healed it themselves.” Fives said, awe coloring his voice.

The Omega yanked their arms back and Echo let them, holding up his hands as they snarled.

Once they finished doing whatever it was they’d done to fix their leg the Omega looked back up at him and nodded.

Fives swallowed and slipped one arm beneath their back and one under their knees, lifting them up again.

They snuggled into his chest, head tucked under his chin, and shivered as if cold. Their breath evened out and they sagged, laying limply in his arms, and it was obvious they’d passed out.

“…shab.” Echo said quietly, almost reverently.

It was at that moment the two squads sent to assist them came barreling into the room.

They all stopped dead in their tracks at the sight. “Holy shit.” Someone muttered.

Fives couldn’t help bursting into laughter as he rose to his feet, the Omega Jedi cradled against his chest.

“You can say that again, vod.”

Chapter Text

[Fives]

Walking into camp with the Omega- Jedi commander clutched against his chest the ARC trooper twitched under the almost physical weight of the collective attention of the 501st. He knew they had been expected, he’d watched Sergeant Broka contact command ahead of them to report their success, but it didn’t look like they’d taken the warning about the commander seriously.

Any vod without their helmet immediately scented the air as the group came closer and quickly retreated, forcing their scents to remain calm and dropping their eyes to the ground even as their pupils dilated in interest. A few of the shinies even had to be held back by their ori’vode or commanding officers as they struggled with their instincts momentarily, never having been exposed to an unsuppressed Omega before.

Next to him Echo straightened and fell into the more predatory walk of an ARC, knowing that if someone made an aggressive move now Fives wouldn’t be able to stop himself from putting them in the dirt. Not with a wounded Omega- Jedi in his arms.

Entering the medical tent he spied the captain waiting next to Kix, reading a report on a datapad. The blonde vod’s head snapped up and he twitched as if he was about to move toward them. Fives let out a low warning growl before his thoughts caught up to him and he realized that he was safe. The Omeg- Jedi was safe.

“Shab, vod’ika, what happened?” Kix asked as he readied his scanner and hurried toward them.

Fives swallowed the snarl that wanted to claw its way out of his throat and forced himself to remain calm. This was his pack. None of them would dare hurt an Omega, let alone a Jedi commander. Especially not Kix. The man might smack them upside the head for acting recklessly and getting themselves injured but he was also one of the most caring vode he’d ever met.

A natural medic if ever he’d seen one.

“Don’t know. We saw the Commander being hauled off by a patrol of clankers and staged a rescue. But when we finally found them they were like… well like this.” Echo said, waving a hand in Fives general direction. “The Commander has been running on pure instinct, could barely speak earlier and didn’t recognize us in our armor.”

Kix stopped a couple feet away and looked between Fives and the Om- Jedi. Softening his features and relaxing his stance the medic gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m going to scan them, alright? I need to make sure they aren’t in any immediate danger.”

Fives nodded in understanding, even as his shoulders sagged with relief that Kix hadn’t tried to take the Jedi away from him. “I don’t know what you’re going to find, if anything.” He said as he looked down at the probably unconscious, hopefully just sleeping, commander.

Kix’s brows wrinkled in confusion but he didn’t say anything as he ran the scanner over the Jedi’s body. Stepping back he looked over the results before frowning, fiddling with the device, and stepping forward to make a second scan. “Hm. I can’t tell much from this alone. There aren’t any broken bones or injured organs but their pheromones are all over the chart…” He fiddled with the device again, giving it some good old fashioned percussive maintenance before calling it quits. “I’m getting nothing from the scans. I’ll have to do some tests.” He looked up at Fives and motioned to the examination table. “Set the Commander down there, I’ll need to draw blood.”

Involuntarily his hold tightened around the Jedi nestled against his chest. They were so small in his arms, so fragile looking, and after their distress earlier he almost couldn’t bring himself to let them go.

Rex gave him a look that was half reprimand and half understanding. But still Fives hesitated.

His brother’s hand on his shoulder and reassuring nod finally allowed him to set the commander down on the medical bed and step away. Echo remained in contact with him until they were both standing in front of Rex, far enough away that Kix could do his work.

“Tell me everything that happened.” Rex said, crossing his arms and looking between the two of them.

“What the kark? Pink is new…” Kix held up the blood sample to the light, squinting at it. Yup. Pink blood.

Guess that meant the commander wasn’t exactly human. Although with their coloring he hadn’t expected them to be baseline human in the first place.

“Focus!” Rex said firmly, drawing his attention back.

“…sorry, Sir.” He said sheepishly as he tried to gather up all his thoughts so he could report what had happened.

He started where Echo had come to relieve him on the ridge, then their infiltration of the enemy base, find the Jedi, and… how exactly he learned they were an Omega. He winced as Rex gave him a narrow eyed glare for his lapse in judgment but let out a sigh and let him continue the report.

He explained the confrontation between the Jedi and the Seppie General as best he could with Echo chiming in to fill in details he hadn’t seen during the clash. But both of them hesitated when it came to the fight between the Jedi and the enemy general.

“I… have no idea what they did to the Sep.” He admitted. “I looked at xeir corpse and… xeir hands looked… mangled.” It had been kind of disturbing.

Echo flinched next to him but didn’t dispute what he’d seen. The grotesque way the fingers had been bent at different angles, all of them wrong, had both of them feeling a little off kilter.

“When the Commander stepped up to confront xem… xey just dropped. It looked like xey suddenly lost the ability to stand and I didn’t see xem raise xeir arms to defend xeirself either.” Glancing at Echo he thought the both of them had figured out why but it was only a theory at the moment. “Then the Commander took back their lightsabers and lopped the Sep’s head off.” It had almost been anticlimactic. “Then the Commander just collapsed.”

Rex was quiet for a moment. “Is that all that happened?”

“Not… exactly…” Fives wasn’t really sure how to describe the next part. Everything after that had been so surreal.

“Fives dove to protect the Commander from enemy fire when a clanker shot at them. I had a better view of the incident than he did.” Echo shook his head, a look of awe entering his eyes. “The Commander stopped the bolt in mid-air. Just- held out their hand and made it stop. Sent it right back at the clanker too.”

Fives nodded at his brother and picked up where he left off. “After we dealt with the clankers I checked the Commander for injuries. They’d been shot in the thigh, it looked pretty nasty too.”

“What!?” Kix yelled from the other side of the medical tent. “Why didn’t you report that first!” He snarled as he turned to examine the Jedi further.

“Because of what happened next. The Commander put their hands over the wound and it disappeared right before our eyes.” Echo said, voice filled with awe. “Like they’d never been shot in the first place.”

The silence that followed this statement was deafening.

A loud beeping startled him before he realized it was Kix’ medical equipment.

“Oh, that must be the blood test resul- what the shab?” The medic looked at the readings, looked at the Jedi, then looked at the readings again.

“What is it?” Rex demanded firmly.

“The results indicate the Commander is going through their presentation. But…” Kix tapped at the screen a couple of times before frowning in confusion. “But this says that their age is somewhere between twenty-four and twenty-eight standard. This can’t be right.”

Just as Kix stepped closer to the unconscious Jedi their eyes suddenly shot open. Their scent became sharp with unease and confusion, making Fives twitch towards them before Echo grabbed the back of his armor to keep him in place.

Violet eyes that seemed to glow with some otherworldly light bore into the 501st medic, making Kix visibly shiver. Fives wondered if the other Alpha was feeling the same heavy weight he’d felt when those eyes had turned to stare up at him back in the Seppie base.

“H-heal-er?” Came a quiet croak from the Jedi, their expression scrunching up with confusion. “Not… s-same-?” Their voice cracked and they coughed, the unease spiking and making the hair on the back of his neck tingle unpleasantly.

“It’s alright.” He found himself saying. “He’s going to help you.”

Violet eyes shifted and he straightened when their gaze landed on him. There was a flash of recognition and the unease in the air began to lessen as the Jedi let out a relieved breath.

“I need you to remain calm.” Kix said slowly. “I’m going to administer a stabilizer and a pain killer. Do you understand me?”

The Jedi looked back at Kix and after a moment they nodded.

Kix moved fast, jabbing them with two hypos in quick succession then waiting a moment before checking the scans.

“…what the shab?” The medic half choked, a look of consternation on his face.

“Thank you.” The melodic and refined voice that came from the Jedi sounded very reminiscent of General Kenobi, and completely threw them all for a loop.

Kix looked between his datapad and the Jedi. “How-?”

A faint smile graced the Jedi’s lips as they slowly sat up. “I’d say ‘with the Force,’ but I assume that would be insufficient.” They said with a small chuckle.

At Kix’s narrow eyed look they let out a quiet laugh. The sound of it had Fives relaxing enough that Echo finally let go of his armor.

“I’m a Jedi Healer.” They stated simply. “Senior Padawan Liera Buraaisuh, she/her, at your service.” They- she, dipped her head forward in what was unmistakably a bow before looking around the medical tent again. Her eyes locked with Fives and a brilliant smile crossed her face. “You’re the one who helped me.” Her scent sweetened with gratefulness and acceptance, sending a shudder through his body.

He had to force himself not to swell up with Alpha pride and preen at her recognition.

“Just doing my duty, Commander. And I wasn’t the only one there, Echo was crucial to the mission’s success.” He motioned towards his brother, not wanting to leave him out.

“Beg pardon?” She asked, pale brow creasing slightly with concern. “I think you may have me confused with someone else. I’m not a commander.”

“Is that because you’re a medic, or, healer?” Rex asked. The man didn’t even twitch under her direct gaze as she turned to focus all of her attention on him.

“Jedi are forbidden from holding military titles.” She said evenly. “It is written in the Charter that was created during the Ruusan Reformation. The Army of Light was disbanded over two hundred years ago.”

Silence descended as they let that information sink in. Honestly Fives wasn’t as knowledgeable about history as Echo so he turned to his brother, hoping for an explanation. Echo’s eyes had widened like saucers and his eyebrows were almost kissing his hairline.

“Sir… what year is it?” His brother asked.

“255 ARR, why?” Her head tilted slightly, the long soft pink hair shimmering slightly under the artificial lights.

“Sir.” Echo said, voice almost too loud in the quiet of the tent. “The year is currently 979 ARR.”

Kix stared down at his datapad, looking conflicted.

“But that’s…” The Jedi swayed for a moment, their distress rising again before it suddenly calmed. “No. The Force is telling me you aren’t lying…” Shaking her head she looked at each of them, expression grim. “So then, have the Sith returned? I can’t imagine the Senate allowing Jedi the use of military ranks unless we were once more fighting against the Sith.”

“You… aren’t surprised?” Rex asked.

“Oh, I am.” She admitted easily. “But I already knew something was wrong the moment I woke up here.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “The only beings I still have Force bonds with are my master and my brother-padawan. Everyone else is…” Dead. She didn’t say it, but they all knew what she’d been about to say.

Thinking about it, that brought up a pressing question. But before Fives could open his mouth Echo was already speaking. “Wait, you’re saying you’ve been in some kind of stasis for over seven hundred years but your master and your brother are still alive?”

The Jedi let out a small laugh, though there was a hint of sadness to it. “Master Fay is immortal, she doesn’t age and never will. While Yoda is from a very long lived species. I’m not surprised that little gremlin his still alive after all this time, he’s always been impossible.” She said with a small roll of her eyes.

Fives couldn’t help it, it was just too much all at once. The moment she started talking about High General Yoda, he cracked up. It was hard to breathe, especially since he was doubled over from laughter. “H-high G-g-general Y-Yoda i-is a g-gremlin!” He wheezed.

It was too bad no one else was laughing too because it was honestly hilarious to think of the dignified older Jedi as a gremlin. After a quick elbow to the side from Echo he got himself under control and gave the captain a sheepish grin.

“I’m guessing he’s a revered Master now, unless he’s still pulling his usual pranks.” There was a smile in her voice and the distress from earlier had all but dissipated from the room. “Medic…” She frowned slightly as she turned to look up at Kix. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch you name… any of your names for that matter.”

The medic blinked for a moment before he gave the Jedi a polite smile. “Kix.”

“Medic Kix.” She nodded in acceptance. “I wanted to ask you about my symptoms.” Her voice turned serious and her eyes seemed to sharpen slightly. “Ever since I woke up I’ve noticed that I’m overly sensitive, especially my sense of smell.” She crossed her arms over her chest as a thoughtful look came over her. “My species aren’t known for our sense of smell. We rely more on the Force, our sense of touch, and our vibrissae than we do on our sense of smell or eyesight.”

“Vibrissae?” Looking back at his datapad he tapped it a few times before pausing. “Oh, I see. I’ll be sure to make a note on file about not touching your hair unless absolutely necessary.” He took a moment to tap something else out on the datapad and a moment later Fives got a small update on his armor’s comm pad. It was a general warning about the Jedi’s hair and how it was a sensory organ that should not be touched unless directly ordered to by either the Jedi or a medic.

Fives gave Echo a confused look and his brother signed that he would explain later.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” The Jedi smiled before the slight frown returned. “Now about my symptoms?”

Kix shrugged, looking a little lost. “I’ll need a little more detail than that. What does it feel like? Is it overwhelming?”

The Jedi turned to look around the room again and her eyes fell on Fives. “I can smell… spices.” She declared. “Spices, ocean breeze, and… chocolate?”

Fives felt his face going warm as Echo turned to look at him in surprise.

“I can also smell herbs, metal, and… ozone?” She tilted her head slightly. “But they’re much clearer than I’ve ever experienced, and they seem to… come and go, sort of.” She turned back to Kix. “The scent of herbs is particularly strong in here.”

Kix cleared his throat and Fives noticed that his skin had turned faintly red as well. At least he wasn’t the only one feeling a bit embarrassed.

“That would be us you’re smelling, Sir.” He explained simply. “Whatever happened to you seems to have jump started your presentation. It is fairly rare to present past puberty but I don’t know a lot about your species so I can’t say whether it’s normal or not for you.”

“My… what? Presentation?” She sounded so lost and confused.

“Your presentation? The… the awakening of your second gender, Sir? You’ve presented as an Omega.” Kix explained.

“I… have no idea what that is.” She said seriously. “Is that something… bad?”

Wait… what the kark?

“No!” Four voices said at once. The Jedi startled slightly, looking around the room in surprise.

Kix cleared his throat. “No, Sir.” He said calmly. “It’s perfectly normal. Most species of human or near-human have secondary genders. I… shab, I’ll see about bringing up the introductive medical texts.” Kix started tapping at his datapad quickly as the Jedi watched him.

“From your reactions I’m assuming that… Omegas? Are something more on the rare side of the spectrum.” She said lightly, though her violet eyes were sharp with intelligence.

“It is for us clones, Sir.” Echo said thoughtfully. “They made sure of it.”

“I’m sorry, Clones?” She asked, again looking surprised.

Fives blinked in confusion. Surely she could see how they all shared a face. Did she think they were all nat-born brothers or something?

“Yes, Sir.” Rex said quickly, his tone carefully neutral. “We’re clones, created to serve the Republic as soldiers.”

A wave of sadness and the scent of pain crashed over Fives body and he sucked in a breath at the same time as Echo and Rex.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t realize… you all do look remarkably similar now that I’m relying on my eyes again.”

Similar. Not ‘the same.’ Not ‘exactly alike.’

“What were you using before, Sir?” Kix asked, curious.

“The Force, of course.” She said with an amused smile. “Each one of you has a unique spirit and aura in the Force that reflects your souls. And more than most Jedi I can see the colors of your souls clearly.” She turned her eyes toward him again and Fives swallowed hard. “I think it’s why I didn’t attack you when I wasn’t completely myself earlier. I could tell you genuinely wanted to help me and were concerned for my wellbeing. You feel… safe.”

Fives was pretty sure he’d stopped breathing for a second there. “O-oh, thank you, Sir.” He was also pretty sure his face was the color of one of those deep red fruits Ahsoka liked so much.

“You don’t need to thank-” The tent flap was pushed open suddenly and everyone turned to look as Ahsoka stopped in her tracks, nostrils flaring and the pupils of her eyes widening in surprise. Her eyes locked onto the other Jedi and her face turned dark orange.

“Uh, hi.” She said shyly.

[Liera]

As a young Togruta entered the tent Liera gave them a polite smile. “I am Senior Padawan Liera Buraiisuh, she/her.”

“Uh, Comma- I mean! Padawan Ahsoka Tano, also she/her.” The younger padawan said, fidgeting in place as if embarrassed. “Can I… is it alright if I come in?”

The blonde, who seemed to be in charge of the others, exuded a fierce pride that was directed at the young padawan. There was a scent coming from the blonde that she couldn’t quite identify but it felt… approving to her somehow.

“Of course you can, I’m certainly not in charge of who can come and go.” She said with a small chuckle, motioning the other padawan inside.

As the Togruta smiled and came closer Liera twitched slightly as another scent came to her awareness. After a moment she realized it was the other padawan. “Oh! I can… I can smell you.”

Padawan Tano stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide in the way a young one’s might when they were uncertain they were in trouble of not. “Um, sorry?” She said, seemingly by reflex.

“Oh, no, don’t mind me this is all very… new. It’s not a bad scent, it’s like…” she had to think for a moment to find the words, “sun kissed grass, the earth after it rains, and smoke from a campfire. It’s very comforting.”

After everyone went quiet and still, trying to process what she’d said, Liera realized she may have made a blunder. “Oh, was that rude of me?” If she’d said something that made them uncomfortable she wanted to apologize and correct her behavior as quickly as possible.

“I wouldn’t say it was rude,” said the blonde, “it’s just something people don’t usually talk about. Someone’s scent just… is.” He explained with a small shrug.

“I see. Thank you… Oh, I never asked for your names.” She’d meant to but had been side-tracked by Medic Kix’s explanation. It seemed that her attention was a little scattered still.

The blonde gave her a polite nod and stood straighter, almost at attention. “I am Captain Rex of the 501st Attack Battalion. With me are ARC Troopers Fives and Echo. All of us go by he/him.” He said, motioning towards the two who had helped her escape from the… prison? Dungeon? Somewhere cold and nasty.

“Thank you, Captain Rex. I’ll be sure to remember your names for the future.” Focusing on them even closer she memorized their presences and matched names to auras before finally noticing their strange armor. “Excuse me, but… am I wrong in thinking that you’re Mandalorian?”

Everyone looked and felt surprised but the thing that distracted her most was the smell. There was something… heavy about it. If she had to guess she’d assume they were upset about the comparison. There was a flash of anger and sadness in their spirits but they were surprisingly adept at keeping it out of their auras.

“Why do you ask?” Captain Rex asked her, his voice once again falling into a near monotone.

“Your armor. It’s very similar to beskar’gam, so when I first saw you I thought you might be mando’ade.” The mando’a rolled off her tongue, the language still remembered from the time of her first master, something she could never bring herself to forget.

Captain Rex seemed to accept this. “We were trained by them but they never accepted any of us as fellow Mandalorians.” There was a slight strain around his eyes and she had the urge to reach out and soothe the hurt she had caused by bringing up poor memories.

A quiet coo left her and she flinched back in surprise, hand going to her lips.

Had that sound really come from her?

Everyone in the tent had frozen in place and was staring at her. It made her cheeks burn pink in embarrassment.

Captain Rex cleared his throat and gave her what she thought might have been a reassuring smile. “Thank you, but I’m fine. We’re more worried about you and your condition.”

“My… condition?”

Next to her Medic Kix held out a datapad. “Sir, I have those modules downloaded for you. You can read them at your leisure while we try to find out what happened to you.”

“Thank you, Medic Kix. I appreciate it.” Taking the second datapad she set it down next to her before turning back to the Captain. “So, what now?”

Captain Rex shook his head. “I think that will be up to the General, Sir. You said your master is alive, right? Master Fay?”

“Master Fay!? Really?” Padawan Tano interrupted excitedly. “She’s super famous! Does she really not have a lightsaber?”

Liera smiled at the younger padawan. “Master Fay told me she has one, since she had to use it during the days of the Army of Light, but it’s kept in the Temple. She said that after all the destruction caused by the war with the Sith she never wanted to pick up a weapon again, and to my knowledge she never has. She’s a Healer through and through.” A mischievous grin crossed her face. “But that doesn’t mean she’s powerless. You’re never without a means to defend yourself-”

“-when you have the Force.” Ahsoka finished for her with a smirk.

Liera chuckled. “Nice to know that old adage will always be relevant.” She shook her head in amusement. “How about this one?” She smiled at the other padawan. “The Temple is my cradle.”

Padawan Tano frowned, her nose crinkling slightly. “I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.”

“Oh.” And here she thought it was something everyone was taught in the creche from the time they could form coherent sentences. “The Temple is my cradle, the Force my lullaby, and the Jedi the family that rocks me to sleep.” She recited.

The other padawan looked surprised, though there was a bright smile crossing her face now. “I like the sound of that!”

“I was taught this saying in the creche, I thought it was taught to every clan. I guess it was presumptuous of me to think everyone would know it.” A pang of sadness went through her when she reached out to her bonds reflexively to share the feeling of amusement with her clan mates and realized, once again, that they were gone.

“Oh, well, every clan has their own quirks, ya know?” Padawan Tano said quickly, her aura spiking with concern.

In fact everyone’s aura was spiking in concern.

“Is… something wrong? You all seem anxious.” She said carefully.

“You, uh, just, your scent, it like- Rexter?” Padawan Tano turned to look up at Captain Rex with wide eyes.

The Captain pinched his nose and let out a heavy breathe. “I think… that this is something you should talk with Kix about. Privately. Now that we know you’re not in any danger and we have the name of your Master so we can contact them.” He turned toward the other three and motioned at them. “You two need to return to your posts. Commander, do you know when the General is going to return?”

“Soon, I think. Master Skywalker is getting closer so I think they’re on their way back.” Padawan Tano answered, reaching out with the force for confirmation.

“Good. You can come with me to contact General Fay.” He said decisively.

Liera winced. “Before you go, Captain.” She interrupted.

The man turned to regard her with a slightly raised brow.

“Be sure not to refer to Master Fay as ‘General.’ I… don’t see her liking that too much. If you have to refer to her as any sort of title keep it to Master or Healer, if possible.”

The man gave her a curt nod of acknowledgment before he ducked out of the tent. Behind him Padawan Tano turned to give her a polite bow, which Liera returned, before she darted out after the Captain.

Next to her the medic rolled his eyes. “Like a tooka kit.” He muttered, making Liera snicker in response.

The last out of the tent was the man called Fives, the one who had cradled her after she'd been wounded. He seemed almost hesitant to leave but after the medic glared at him he hurried on his way.

“Alright, now that the distractions are out of the way.” The medic looked down at the scanner in his hands for a moment, fiddling with it almost absentmindedly. “Let’s have a talk and a quick lesson about biology.”

Liera could sense his mix of steadfast desire to help, resignation, and willingness to teach. It brought a smile to her face as she picked up the datapad from earlier. “Of course. Perhaps when we’re done you can show me to the worst of the wounded? I can do a lot better than any kolto.”

“…bacta. What we have now is called bacta.” The man let out a small sigh. “I think I’ll have to add some history modules to your datapad as well.”

Liera nodded. “Any new knowledge you can provide would be appreciated. I’ll do my best to catch up. If I’m going to stay here for the time being I want to help as much as I can.” She paused and gave him a sheepish look. “Do you think I’ll be allowed to help?”

Medic Kix smiled. “I don’t see why not. As long as your medical knowledge is up to standard. But first things first; Alphas, Betas, and Omegas- and how their biology differs.”

Liera settled in for a lecture. She had a lot to learn about this new world.

Chapter Text

[Fay]

As she strode into the ship she wasn’t surprised to find messages from Knol and Nico. She glanced back at Jon and gave him a grateful smile. As she’d hurried to complete their mission he had filled in the other two about her news and the plan to go fetch her wayward padawan. Of course, some of the details might have been a little muddled.

As she prepped the ship for launch she hit the comm and waited for one of them to pick up.

Silent as a wraith Jon took the co-pilot’s seat and helped her with the last of the pre take-off procedures. By the time they were finished and waiting for permission to leave her comm was flashing.

“Master Diath.” She greeted politely.

“Fay, what was this message your shadow sent? Something about your padawan returning from some extended mission? I had no knowledge that you’d had a padawan in recent years.”

Fay couldn’t help but to chuckle. “My last padawan was lost to me seven hundred years ago, give or take. She was sent on a rescue and retrieval mission to an abandoned temple to find a missing master. Then she went missing herself. But her bond never snapped as it would in death, it only lay dormant. I knew she was out there, somewhere, and that the Force would reunite us at some point.”

The silence on the other end of the line might have made it seem like the man didn’t believe her, but she knew he was just thinking over her words very carefully.

“Are you certain it is your padawan?” He asked, his voice soft despite the polished accent.

“I am. There is no one in the galaxy that could recreate the kind of spirit my padawan shines with. Her spark has always been particularly bright in the force, like a small star.” She knew her voice had grown fond but it was hard not to. The young wounded child she had taken in all those years ago had become like a daughter to her, one who shared her love of life and healing.

“I see. Where shall we meet you then?”

“Always so decisive, Master Diath.” She smiled. “I’ll send you the coordinates. I have a general sense of where she is. Once we get closer I can pinpoint her exact location.”

There was a faint sniff of mock offense on the other end before the man chuckled. “We’ll meet you there as quickly as we can. Safe travels, Fay. You as well, Jon.”

“May the Force be with you.” Jon said, just loud enough that Nico could hear him.

“And with you.” With a beep the call ended and the two of them were left in silence.

Anticipation filled her as another faint echo of her padawan’s emotions brushed against the back of her mind.

‘Hold on, padawan mine. Just hold on.’

[Liera]

After hours of lectures from Kix, and breaking him of the habit of calling her ‘sir,’ Liera finally had a basic understanding of what had happened to her body. She could feel in the Force how every word the man spoke was true, and how this new place she found herself in was fundamentally different from where she’d started.

You heard tales during your Initiate days at the Temple, fantastical yarns that were not meant to be believed. Stories about Jedi traveling through time, speaking with ghosts, or slipping through the cracks of the universe and finding yourself in a universe that looked like your own, but was just so subtly off that it was eerie.

There was nothing subtle about this at all.

Apparently her body had undergone a complete… metamorphosis, so to speak. A new reproductive cycle that seemed to be the same for most mammalian species in the galaxy, and even some avian or reptilian as well. At this point in time everything seemed to be broken down into categories when it came to the biological quirks she’d now… acquired.

Omegas, like she was, were on the more rare side of the spectrum. They had exceptionally high fertility rates, the ability to have multiple young at once, and had certain pheromones that could be used to help regulate the emotions of a small population. Apparently these small populations were based on a familial hierarchy and known as Families, Packs, or Clans, depending on size.

The other two types were Betas and Alphas, who both had important roles to play.

Betas made up the majority of most Packs. They had multiple roles to play and had an average fertility rate amongst themselves. They were able to ground both Omegas and Alphas. To pull them out of their worst symptoms, called Instincts, and anchor them until they could self regulate again.

The last were Alphas, which were also highly fertile and more on the uncommon side. They seemed to take on more active and aggressive roles, as well as leadership positions. Their abilities, for lack of a better term, included bringing their Pack together. Some kind of psychological resonance that made those around them fall in line. It kind of reminded her of how certain insect and insectoid species could emit certain pheromones and command others of their hive to attack or defend when threatened.

There was also a mention of something called an Alpha Voice, which seemed able to force others to conform to their commands. When she’d looked to Medic Kix for an explanation he’d grimaced and laid out what the modules weren’t telling her.

“An Alpha Voice can force you to comply, although I’ve heard that the stronger your will the easier it is to resist. I’m not sure if it works on Jedi. You’d have to ask High Jedi General Kenobi, he leads the entire 3rd Systems Army and is an Omega, like yourself. I’m sure he could explain some of the things that aren’t really put in the modules because it is common knowledge that gets overlooked.” He shook his head. “But the farther away from the Core you go, the less respect there is for Omegas. They are often targeted by slavers for the sex trade or just taken for the breeding pens. Even on resource rich worlds in the mid to outer rim Omegas aren’t seen as more than property or second class citizens.”

“But you’ve all been very respectful towards me.” There was no question that the Jedi Order would treat an Omega the same as any other, perhaps with more specialized training to help prepare them for more dangerous missions.

“Mandalorians treat Omegas as equals or even superiors, they hold them in high regard because they can bear so many children. Family is a central part of what it means to be Mandalorian. They also don’t care about secondary genders when it comes to letting someone learn to fight.”

“Which you all picked up on, being raised by Mandalorians.”

The medic twitched and she could see the swirl of negative emotions around him. “Trained, not raised.” He corrected gently, voice low.

“…I see.” The sad part was that she kind of could understand. The lives she could sense around her were clones created for war. How that had come to be she didn’t know, although she certainly wanted answers. But she could see how someone without the force might not consider them sentient beings in their own right, no matter how despicable the very idea was to her.

When one fought evil one had to understand how evil operated. Like knowing how a disease spread through a body in order to heal it.

After a few moments of awkward silence Kix went on to explain that Alphas made up the bulk of the Grand Army of the Republic. He also mentioned that Padawan Tano and her master, a General Skywalker, were also Alphas.

“Am I going to cause any problem for you all?” It was a serious question. This was a war zone and from what she’d read about scents, scenting, and pheromones, it looked as if any distress she felt could be perceived by those around her; even if she was pretending to be calm outwardly. Much like how she could always see what someone was feeling in the force regardless of how they tried to hide it.

Kix gave her a reassuring smile. “There shouldn’t be much of a problem, although everyone might be a bit distracted for a while. But that has more to do with an unfamiliar Jedi Commander being around than the fact that you’re an Omega.” He said with some amusement. “But if anyone gives you a hard time, for any reason, you tell myself, Captain Rex, or any of the other officers. We’ll set them straight. We’re trained to control and work with our instincts. Anyone telling you they can’t control themselves is lying, scum, or addled.”

Liera chuckled. “If you’re not busy, I know I’ve taken up quite a bit of your time already, could you point out the officers to me and introduce me to the other medics? I don’t want to step on any toes.”

“…I sense a but.” The medic said dryly.

“But nothing short of the Force itself is going to stop me from going to help the wounded.” She paused to think about her statement and let out a small sigh. “Or a very well argued and logical reason.” She amended.

Kix let out a small cough that sounded suspiciously like laughter. “Well, you seem to be in perfect health, so I’ll allow it. But I reserve the right to force you to rest if I think you’re pushing yourself too hard.” He scowled. “If you even utter the words ‘I’m fine,’ I will immediately send you to a bunk.”

Liera felt a grin spreading across her face. “Oh no, who is the terrible patient?”

“Every Jedi I’ve ever spoken to.” The man said with a disgruntled look and discontent in his aura.

She was also fairly certain she was starting to be able to discern what different scents meant when it came to the medic. Right now the herb scent smelled as if it were aged, molding maybe. A sure sign of discontent but not anger. Anger from the medic smelled like a burning bush and the one time she’d smelled it off him had made her want to recoil, to duck her head and curl in on herself. It was… an odd realization considering she had never been easily cowed before now.

“Ah, at least that much hasn’t changed since I… went to sleep.” Or whatever had happened to her. She still wasn’t certain. Her memories from just before were a little fuzzy still.

Kix gave her an amused smile. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the officers and show you to the wounded. Getting up and about will be good for you.”

Liera stood and looked down at herself with a grimace. Her clothes had been absolutely filthy with mud and blood, not to mention the hole in her pant leg where she’d been shot. Kix had sent someone to find her clothes but all they had were extra ‘blacks,’ the undergarment worn beneath their armor, and medical tunics that made her look like a child with how they dwarfed her small frame.

She plucked at a sleeve that had been folded many times over and let out a sigh. “Do you think my tunics will be clean and dry by now? I don’t look very dignified like this.” At least she had her belt with Guardian and Haven. The soldiers had expressed their understanding about Jedi and the importance of their lightsabers and had kept her lightsabers nearby.

“We can stop by there first and take a look. But unless you want to ask Commander Tano for an extra set of tunics I’m afraid we have nothing even close to your size. Our general is even taller than we are.” Kix explained simply.

Liera sighed in resignation. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not fussy about my appearance, isn’t it?”

Kix just laughed and held the tent flap open for her, his eyes dropping to the ground for a moment as she passed.

It was an observation she would observe in every soldier they passed and it made her wonder at it’s significance. She would have to ask the medic when they had another private moment. She didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by asking something that could be taboo.

For now she focused on greeting the officers, memorizing their force presences, and putting names to faces… in a manner of speaking.

[Fives]

Grumbling as Echo helped him to the medical tent, his leg one stiff ache and his knee swollen to a concerning degree, he cursed his own foolishness.

“If you weren’t so distracted Jesse wouldn’t have been able to put you on the ground so hard.” His brother said mildly, looking all innocent. But Fives could see his smirk beneath the concern.

The traitor.

Coming up to the larger medical tent they both saw a group of vode milling about, some of them blocking the path in and out. Fives let out a small growl to catch their attention before speaking. “Shift over, shinies! Don’t block the entrance.” He was not in the mood for this kind of shit right now. Not with how his knee was burning with agony.

Scrambling out of his way, knowing their place compared to an ARC trooper who’d been with the 501st long enough to be part of the Captain’s squad, the lot of them lowered their eyes and let the two of them enter the tent without a fuss.

The moment he stepped inside Fives understood why the shinies had been loitering outside.

Dressed in what had to be a set of medical tunics, folded over multiple times in the sleeves and pant legs so they would fit, was the Jedi Commander he’d helped rescue.

‘The Omega who smells like rainy jungles and sweet flowers.’ His instincts helpfully supplied before he shoved them down and away.

She turned, setting down a couple of blankets, and her eyes locked with his. A brilliant smile crossed her face before it fell into a concerned frown. Something in the air grew heavy and the scent of flowers turned dusty, dry and wilted. “Fives,” she said with her melodic voice, “what happened? You were fine earlier, I could have sworn.” As she spoke she wove through the throng of medics and injured vode as if she had always been a part of their frantic dance.

It was just as mesmerizing as he first time he’d seen it. How she moved with the gracefulness of a gentle breeze and the surety of a gale force wind that could not be stopped. Although this time it wasn’t nearly as predatory.

“Training accident.” His brother supplied, thankfully keeping quiet about how exactly the accident had happened.

“Have a seat right there.” She pointed to an empty bunk and Echo helped him hobble over to it. He had to keep his leg straight as he sat down, letting out a low hiss of pain. “Alright, let’s have a look at it.”

For a moment Fives thought that meant she wanted him to take off his lower blacks so she could see it directly and had a moment of internal panic. He might make a lot of jokes and be a snarky bastard, but it was different when it wasn’t another vod. Especially when it was a Jedi Commander with beautiful violet eyes and soft looking hair that he wanted to run his fingers through.

“Just hold as still as you can. I’m going to use the force to see what’s wrong.” Fortunately she didn’t seem interested in getting him out of his blacks. Unfortunately she stepped right into his personal space, between his legs even, to place one hand against his chest and one against his forehead. She closed her eyes, her long pink lashes brushing against her impossibly pale skin.

His heart rate sped up, beating like a drum behind his rib cage, and he wondered if she could feel it beneath her delicate hand. What was he thinking- of course she could! She was a Jedi. She could probably sense his emotions and all that other magical stuff Jedi just pulled out of nowhere.

There was a faint hum and her eyes popped open to gaze back at him. “It’s nothing too serious. Twisted knee and a sprained ankle.”

“But… that could keep him off duty for days.” Echo said with concern.

“You don’t need to worry about that.” The Commander said, looking up at Echo with a reassuring smile before turning back to Fives. “This is going to hurt a bit, I need to keep some energy in reserve in case there’s an emergency, so I can’t numb it for you and also fix it at the same time.” Her voice was firm as she spoke but her scent was calming. “However it should be over quickly. Are you ready?”

Fives swallowed and gave her a nod. He was an ARC trooper, he had endured a lot of pain. If this helped him get back out there quicker he’d take it.

“Alright then.”

As a warmth began to spread through his body he shivered. The Commander’s violet eyes began to glow and there was a sudden sharp pain in his knee. He almost jerked away in surprise but the steady hands against his chest and forehead held him in place. A moment later he sighed in relief as the pain vanished entirely.

Stepping away from him the Commander smiled. “Try walking on it now.” She ordered.

Fives hopped up off the bed with a grin, knowing without looking that it was completely healed. He’d seen her fix a blaster shot to her own thigh while she was half delirious, he had faith that she’d healed him just as well.

“Cheeky.” The Commander said with a small laugh, the scent of flowers and jungle rain brightening and drawing him in. Out of the corner of his eye he could see other vode stop and turn toward the Commander as well, soaking in the scent of amused-content-pleased Omega before going back to whatever it was they’d been doing.

“Thanks, I try.” He said with a chuckle before Echo smacked him in the back of the head as discretely as possible.

“Thank you for the assistance, Sir.” His brother said with a polite nod, eyes dropping to the ground in a show respect and deference.

Fives realized then that he’d been staring her in the eyes this whole time, unable to look away from them as if something was drawing him in, and a wash of embarrassment went through him. He lowered his eyes as well. “Right, thank you, Commander.”

She let out a small huff of frustration. “Not you as well.” She muttered. “Liera. Healer or Padawan, if you must use titles. None of this ‘Commander’ and ‘Sir,’ I’m not a soldier.”

Fives held his breath for a moment and dared to look into her eyes once more. “But you are a warrior, aren’t you?” It was insubordinate but he could see the sudden interest in the vode nearby who were pretending to work but really just eavesdropping.

The Comman- Healer Liera just laughed, grinning widely at him. “You’re not wrong. All Jedi who aspire to become a knight are warriors. Maybe once your General returns he’d consider sparring with me. I want to see if anything has changed since I’ve been… away on my extended mission.” She mused.

“I would spar with you.” Someone said nearby, trying to be quiet and failing.

Healer Liera turned to them with an amused cant to her head. “Are you sure about that, Maji? I may be small but I fight dirty when it comes to close quarters combat. I bite.” She warned playfully.

Fives mouth went dry at the very thought and he had to physically shake himself to keep from thinking of a scenario where the Omega would be close enough to bite him. Now was not the time, and unless she showed interest in him first he would remain respectfully distant. Though not un-friendly.

“What if I just put you in a headlock, uh, Sir?” A second voice piped up from somewhere.

“Hm, I’d probably just slip out of it. I’m more flexible than most near-humans, after all."

The scent of Alpha interest in the room doubled and Healer Liera stilled, frowning as if confused by something. She looked around and opened her mouth to speak when Kix appeared, glaring at everyone.

“Back to work, you lot!” He barked, hovering around the Jedi like an angry and protective hawk-bat. “Fives, if you’re all fixed up, get the hell out of my med tent.” He growled.

Fives flinched and his eyes found the ground again. “Yes, Sir.” He knew his place in the hierarchy of the 501st and it was certainly not above one ornery medic. Even if they shared a squad Kix was third in the battalion when it came to the vode.

As he and Echo left the tent he stole one quick glance back at the Jedi. She was looking up at Kix, her arms crossed over her chest and a small furrow in her brow as she spoke quietly to him. Her eyes darted over to catch his for a split second before she was focusing back on whatever it was Kix was telling her.

Outside Echo let out a loud huff. “Keep acting like that and Kix is gonna sic the Captain on you for remedial lessons in etiquette.”

It was a very polite way of saying he was going to get his ass kicked.

Fives shrugged. “Worth it. If the Captain injures me I get to go back to medical.” He said with an unrepentant grin, just to be snarky.

“Then Kix would make your life a living hell.” Echo retorted.

“Eh, still might be worth it.” He grinned.

“You’re an absolute-”

He didn’t get to hear what Echo thought of him in that moment as a commotion rippled through the camp. A runner tried to dart past him but he reached out to grab their arm and stall the vod for a moment.

“What’s going on?” He demanded.

“The General is back and on his way to medical. I was sent to clear everyone out.” He said in a hurry.

Which was code for- sent to tell everyone who was idly hanging around to look busy or catch shit.

Fives let them go with a nod. “If we see him on the way we’ll try to stall him a little.” Though he couldn’t promise they’d be successful.

The vod gave him a grateful nod and dashed away.

Fives wondered, again, when they had all become so wary of their own General but didn’t dwell on it. “Come on, vod, lets go be heroes.” He joked.

Echo just rolled his eyes but fell into step next to him, like always.

Chapter Text

[Liera]

As the two soldiers made their way out of the tent she turned to look up at Kix, crossing her arms over her chest in concern. It was a bad habit, one that she really was trying to stop, but at the moment she was too busy being confused to notice. “Did I do something… inappropriate?” She asked quietly, voice low so it wouldn’t carry.

The medic let out a small sigh. “Not you, him.” He said quickly. When Liera just gave him a blank look Kix continued. “Fives was being disrespectful and insubordinate.”

“He was acting the same as everyone else, as far as I saw.” She still wasn’t certain what she’d missed. She had seen and felt more than just Fives being colored with intense physical interest in her. It wasn’t that new. Being a Jedi didn’t deter others from being sexually attracted to her appearance. If anything it tended to attract even more interest due to the ‘mystique’ and supposed celibacy of the Order.

It was like they thought that baby Jedi grew on trees or something.

“He was speaking in a flippant manner and wasn’t lowering his eyes.” Kix patiently explained.

In a flash she realized that he was right. Every other soldier she’d talked to had lowered their eyes at least once during her conversations with them, and often focused on her collar or her hair when speaking with her. But Fives had looked directly in her eyes and had only stopped when Echo had prompted him.

Her eyes darted back to Fives retreating figure and she caught sight of his mischievous eyes once more before Kix spoke again,

“He wasn’t showing you the proper respect for your status.” When she just raised a brow the man gave her a very worried look. “It should be instinct, you just… know who is above and beneath you in the the pack. Who to look to for leadership and who to take care of.” He let out a small, exasperated, sigh.

Liera blinked and let out a small hum of consideration. “But I’m not part of your… pack.”

Kix’s lips pursed. “You’re a Jedi, which makes you our superior officer. On top of that you’re an Omega, and I already explained how we see Omegas. We’re trained to treat our superiors with proper respect.”

Liera sighed. “Where I’m from it’s considered polite to look someone in the eyes when talking to them, unless you’re otherwise occupied. It may… take me a while to adjust.”

Kis placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s alright. We had to help General Skywalker get used to the idea as well. We know the Jedi are raised to treat all secondary genders with equal respect.”

“Kix? I need your help with this!” Someone called for him from the back of the tent and he pulled away.

“We’ll talk more soon, Healer Liera.”

“Of course, Kix. I’ll be over with Brace if you need me. He said he would go over the datawork and show me how to fill out all the proper forms.” She hoped they had a section for ‘healed with the Force,’ otherwise some poor quartermaster somewhere was going to be quite confused by their supply numbers.

About twenty minutes later there seemed to be some sort of commotion outside. Sensing the Captain and Padawan Ahsoka, along with a strong presence that felt like a supernova in the force, she turned toward the entrance to the medical tent.

Striding inside as if he was in charge was a blonde young man with a scar over one eye and missing part of an arm. Considering how the Padawan was standing next to him, feeling excited and bubbly, she had to guess that this was Ahsoka’s master and the general in charge of the 501st.

“Oh, the General’s returned. He doesn’t usually come into the medical tent unless the Commander, the Captain, or General Kenobi are hurt.” Brace said conversationally as he noted her work and smiled. “Wow, you write very thorough notes.” He mumbled, poring over the datapad.

Sensing someone questing in the force she felt the exact moment the general noticed her presence. It was like being stared at by a creature many times ones own size. “I think I’ve been spotted.” She said with a fake whisper.

Brace snorted in amusement. “The General probably wants to meet you, yeah. Go on, we can continue with this later. I have enough to file most of these now.”

With a polite nod she stood and made her way across the medical tent, greeting the men by name as she passed.

As she came closer she heard the tail end of what the blonde had been saying to Kix. “…be the judge of whether this ‘Padawan’ is actually a Jedi or not.” He said while crossing his arms.

Stepping forward to speak she was suddenly overwhelmed by an imposing wave of smells that almost had her retreating. It was like desert flowers, strong sandalwood incense, sun baked earth, and something she almost thought might be the scent of burning tar beneath it all. She let out a gasp and a slight cough, bringing her hand up to her face and ducking her head for a moment to try and clear her nose.

Kix looked at her in concern and turned back to his general. “Sir, she’s still recovering.”

“I’ll be alright in a moment, Kix.” After clearing her nostrils she finally looked up at the tall blonde. “I just need to learn to filter better it seems.” She gave a polite smile and the proper bow from a padawan to a knight. “Knight Skywalker, I am Padawan Liera Buraaisuh, Healer Knight in training.”

The young man studied her for a moment, his nostrils flaring slightly. “Padawan Buraaisuh.” He said with a frown. “What are you doing all the way out here alone? Is your Master nearby? Were they also taken captive?”

She blinked in confusion. “My master is safe, although I’m afraid she’s not in the system at the moment. However she is on her way here as we speak.”

Next to the tall blonde Padawan Tano jumped on the balls over her feet in excitement. “Skyguy! Her master is Master Fay. The Master Fay! I can’t wait to meet her!”

The knight crossed his arms over his chest and something in his scent shifted as his eyes took all of her in. “I’m going to have words with your master, young one.” He said, shaking his head. “Famous or not, your Master shouldn’t have left you on the battlefield alone to get captured. Especially when you’re clearly an Omega.”

The air grew suddenly tense as everyone around them seemed to freeze in shock. Even the man’s own padawan was gaping up at him as if he’d said something completely outside the realm of etiquette.

Liera thought it may have been the mention of her ‘designation’ as an Omega, since Kix said both the soldiers of the GAR and the Jedi ignored such things.

No one seemed to know how to respond, the force around them ringing with discontent.

Standing taller she looked the blonde knight in the eyes, which seemed to take him aback for a moment before his eyes narrowed.

She could sense something… almost dark or corrupt about him that made her shiver internally. “I do believe it is a social faux pas to refer to someone older than oneself as ‘young one.’ As for my designation, I don’t see how it is anyone else’s business how I conduct myself in the field.” She said lightly, trying to remain polite as best she could.

Yet as their eyes remained locked something seemed to come over the young knight. His chest puffed slightly and he stepped closer as if to loom over her. His scent was stronger now and made her want to back away in disgust. “You’re out of line, Padawan.” There was a faint tinge to his words that she might have referred to as a growl if it had gone further than the very base of his throat. “Answer the question. What are you doing out here alone?”

Rather than allow herself to be intimidated she planted her feet and stared the knight directly in the eyes. “This isn’t the place to have a delicate conversation.” She looked around at the soldiers nearby who were in the middle of their convalescence and noted how agitated they all were. Taking a deep breath she made her body relax from her stiff stance and carefully softened her voice. “Why don’t we calm down and speak somewhere else? I am not an enemy, Knight Skywalker. Although if it makes you feel better…” reaching for her belt slowly she unclipped Guardian and Haven before holding them out to the man. “I will disarm until you feel I can be trusted.”

The blonde stared down at her lightsabers, blinking in confusion for a moment before he carefully took them from her hands. Suddenly he let out a startled yelp and nearly dropped them.

“General!” “Master!?” The captain and padawan turned to her in surprise and some suspicion. Liera stood calmly under their assessing gazes.

“I- I’m okay. Just… what kind of crystals are these?” The knight waved off his second in command and student before turning to look at her with wide eyes. Like those of a curious child.

Liera smiled gently. “They are Adegan Crystals, Mephite from the Adega System. They are considered near-sentient due to the way they interact with force sensitives. If they like someone they will hum or sing, if they don’t like someone they will scream or bite.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “If someone has ill intentions for me they will fight back.”

The knight looked slightly disturbed before he turned and held them out to his padawan. “Snips, what do you think?”

Padawan Tano hesitantly picked up Guardian and her expression brightened. “Oh.” She said, nearly breathless. “It’s singing!” A moment later white light erupted from the blade and she could hear Guardian humming in acceptance. It was clear that her lightsaber liked the young padawan. “Oh wow! I’ve never seen white lightsabers before!”

“They are the color of someone who follows the will of the force and has an inclination for healing. Master Fay’s lightsaber was white before she gave hers up.” She explained simply. “Guardian seems to like you.”

“Uh… who?” Padawan Tano asked, looking mildly confused.

“Guardian, you’re holding them in your hand right now. The one in Knight Skywalker’s hand is Haven.” She chuckled before looking back to the knight. “Now that I’ve been disarmed, I am at your service, Ser knight.” She bowed again, her long hair falling over her shoulders in long shimmering waves, exposing the back of her neck.

There was a spike in concern-disbelief-protectiveness-interest around her and the scent of spices grew.

“Back to your duties!” Snapped the Captain, making her flinch and stiffen before relaxing once again.

Her breathing became slightly ragged and her hands, folded in front of her, began to shake slightly. As she remained in place, waiting for the Knight to accept her surrender, she felt as if danger was looming ever closer. The desire to hide her neck, to run away, to hiss and bite anyone who came close- she took another forcefully calm breath.

The distress in the Force also grew, as the soldiers around her became agitated.

“Skyguy, c-can we go now?” Padawan Tano said, her voice trembling slightly. “We need to debrief Padawan Liera, right?”

There was a beat of silence before the eyes on the back of her neck left her. She almost sagged in place with relief. Something about that gaze felt like oil in the force, ready to ignite into a raging flame.

“Rex, grab two of your best, I want guards with us.” The blonde knight lowered his voice. “Make sure they’re Betas.”

Another spike of emotion, this time indignation-offense that simmered down into bland neutrality and acceptance. “Of course, Sir.”

Liera had a bad feeling about all this. Something wasn’t right with this Knight. As she followed him out of the tent and into the rest of camp she realized what was bothering her about his presence…

He reminded her of Master Paldrel.

[Yoda]

Entering one of the smaller communications rooms the elder Jedi Master smiled at the young one who was working that day. “Sorry to disturb you, I am. Perhaps you might aid this old master, hm?”

The youngster immediately perked up after noticing his presence. “Master Yoda! Of course, what can I help you with?”

“I heard that we received a request for Master Fay’s comm codes. Fulfill that request, we could not. But believe, I do, that help them in her stead I can.”

The youngster took a moment to think over his words before nodding. “Right, of course, Grandmaster. I’ll try contacting the 501st. Just a moment.”

As their presence in the force became focused Yoda reached out along his remaining bonds and frowned slightly. It appeared his padawan-sister was feeling discomfort and distress. He sent along as much comfort as he could before the young one was able to establish contact with Skywalker’s battalion.

“High General Yoda, Sir!” The trooper on the other end stood at attention the moment he recognized who he was speaking to.

“At ease, trooper. I understand you wish to speak with Master Fay, but unavailable she is. Speak in her stead, I shall.”

The trooper stood there for a moment, processing his words just as the young padawan had done moments before. “Yes, Sir. We have someone here claiming to be a Commander of unknown origin and wished to corroborate her identity. She claimed Gen- Healer Fay as her Master.”

It was interesting how the trooper faltered on the title. He had no doubt it had something to do with his padawan-sister. “Claim that Senior Padawan Liera Buraaisuh, she is?”

“Yes, Sir, that is correct.”

“Identify her I can, if see her I might. Know Padawan Liera personally, I do.”

The trooper seemed to relax ever so slightly. “I’ll relay that information to the General, Sir. Shouldn’t take a moment.”

Yoda leaned on his gimer stick, a smile crossing his face. It would be good to see his padawan-sister again after so long. His own Master had always said that the Force wouldn’t have taken her away but left their bond intact if there wasn’t a greater purpose. He could see now that his master had been right.

Perhaps the Force was trying to tell them something, sending them one of the Order’s brightest and most passionate healers.

[Fives]

He’d been standing guard near the comms hab, a subtle reprimand from the Captain no doubt, when one of the shinies came bolting out as if a Kaminii was on his shebs. He had no idea what that had been about but he felt something clench in his gut.

He hoped it wasn’t more bad news.

Not ten minutes later the General, the Captain, the Commander, and the Ome- Healer, appeared coming around a set of tents, the shiny from earlier leading them.

As they got close he straightened and gave the group a quick salute. Behind the safety of his helmet his eyes followed the healer, his concern from earlier coming back in full. As she passed him she looked up into his visor and he could have sworn that her violet eyes met his. She smiled and gave him a nod but didn’t stop.

“Fives, Echo, come in here and stand guard. Bolt, Eaves, keep watch.” The captain ordered, motioning for the two beta vode to take his and Echo’s places.

“Sir!” They said as one, Echo’s scent turning slightly curious before being carefully stifled once more.

Stepping into the hab he stood guard on one side of the door, with Echo taking his place on the other side. Standing in the center of the room in the bright blue holo was High General Yoda, looking as serene and elderly as ever. Fives glanced at Echo and felt a grin slowly spreading across his face.

This was going to be fun.

“Master Yoda, you asked for us?” The General said, trying to look calm.

“Heard, have I, that a wayward padawan you have found.” Came the strange speech from the little green Jedi.

“That’s right, Master, she claims to be Master Fay’s padawan.”

“Know Master Fay’s padawans, I do, speak with her I would like. Prove her identity I may be able to.”

A snort from the healer had everyone turning to look. “Already know, you do, that I am who I claim. Feel me through the bond, you can, little brother mine.”

Fives heard Echo choke and he had to bite the inside of his cheek not to laugh. The look on his General’s face was priceless. It was like someone had smacked him with a fish.

“Older than you, I still am.” Came the slightly disgruntled response from the Grandmaster of the Order.

“Troll you still are.” The healer said with a roll of her eyes.

Shab, Fives couldn’t breathe, he was going to laugh out loud and catch shit for it if he wasn’t careful.

“Wait, wait, wait! You’re brother and sister? What?” Their General looked like he was about to have an aneurysm, his eyes were as wide as saucers.

“Of course.” She said simply. “Yoda was Master Fay’s padawan before me.”

“Recognize your own lineage ancestor, you do not. Saddened I am to hear this my great, great, grandpadawan.” The High General said with drooping ears and a slow shake of his head. Yet something about the way his shoulders were shaking slightly had Fives not believing he was as sad as he claimed to be.

“Wow, this means I have an entire lineage to meet. You’ll need to introduce me some time soon.” The healer said with a bright smile.

The room went silent with dread and sadness as the General’s scent turned foul. Even with the filters Fives could smell the searing burn.

“Not possible, that will be. Fallen, has my padawan, and lost is my grandpadawan.” The High General’s body did sag this time, and he looked every inch his age. Which, if the healer was to be believed, was over seven hundred years old.

“Oh, Yoda… I’m so sorry.”

“Apologize you should not.” The elder Jedi said softly. “Here you were not, and here you would not have been regardless.”

“Have you been to visit a mind healer yet?” Fives glanced at Echo in confusion. His brother just shrugged.

“Not a private channel this is, personal that information is.” The High General said firmly.

“So that’s a no. I’m going to be speaking to Master Fay about this, and you better expect a check-up when I return to the Temple. No buts, no laters, and no running off.” The healer’s eyes narrowed. “I will find you. I always do.”

There was a disgruntled grunt from the Grandmaster. “Older and wiser I am now, find me you will not.”

“We’ll see.” The healer relaxed her stance as her expression softened. “It’s good to see you, Yoda, and I’m sorry I’ve been missing. I’m not even sure how it happened. One minute I was in the old temple, looking for Master Yyrraal, and the next thing I know I’m waking up in a cave full of droids with a fever and headache the size of an Ilhaveiiah tree.” The room was quiet as everyone took in this information. But all Fives could do was stare at the healer.

The soft word that had come from her lips was unlike anything Fives had ever herd before in his life. There was something musical about it, the way her voice went light and airy. It was very pleasant to listen to.

“Hrm. When you return to the temple, speak with the Council on your behalf I will. Knighted you would have been had you returned, knighted you will be.”

A smile crossed the healer’s face. “Thank you. I am more than ready. Although I have a feeling that even if I wasn’t you would still be needing my help.”

The old Jedi nodded. “Two is better than one.”

“Grandmaster? I’m sorry, but I have to cut the transmission short. We’re receiving a lot of calls right now.” A voice said from somewhere behind the High General.

“Stay with the 501st for now, you will. Your help they may need and safe you will be. With you soon, Master Fay will be. May the force be with you.”

“And with you, padawan-brother.” The healer bowed deeply before the holo finally cut out.

The room was silent for a long moment, before the Commander finally broke it with a bright grin.

“Wow! I didn’t know we were in the same lineage! This is so cool! I’ll even get to meet Master Fay!” The excitement on her face was plain to see and he had no doubt that if his helmet had been off he’d be able to scent her joy as well. “Oh! I guess with Master Yoda recognizing you, and even saying you’re gonna be knighted, that we can give you your lightsabers back! Right Skyguy?”

The General let out a huff. “Yeah, it’s nice to know that you’re not some kind of Sith spy or something. Here, I’m sure they missed you.” He said as he unclipped the two weapons from his belt and held them out to the healer.

“Thank you, Knight Skywalker. I’m certain they’ll be happier being back where they belong.” Spinning the weapons in her palms she clipped them back to her belt without looking. “Now, if I’m no longer a prisoner to be interrogated, can I go back to the medical tent and see to the men?”

Everyone looked to the General who hesitated. “Fine. But I want Bolt or Eaves to stay with you at all times.”

Fives could see the captain’s eyebrows raise and the Commander’s eyes go wide. The General had just named two of the five Betas in their entire battalion, the ones who had been set to guard her earlier when they thought she was a threat.

“Sir.” Rex’s voice was carefully calm, and Fives would bet all the credits he didn’t own that the captain had gone ‘neutral scented’ as well. “Are you suggesting that Commander Liera is in danger from the men?” A shiver went down his spine at the carefully contained anger in the captain’s voice. From the corner of his visor he could see Echo hunching up, trying to make himself seem smaller. The same thing Fives was doing.

“What? No, no! You guys wouldn’t hurt someone like that!” The General was quick to reassure.

“So it’s me you’re still worried about.” Hearing the healer’s voice sounding carefully calm he couldn’t help but to glance up. From the angle he was standing he could see how her vibrant eyes glowed in the low light, sharp like a vibroblade. “Are you concerned that I’ll be a distraction or otherwise cause some trouble with your men? I can understand being protective, Knight Skywalker, but I am no danger to these men. All force healers take oaths, on top of the ones we take as Jedi Padawans.”

“What, something like, ‘do no harm?’” Ahsoka asked, looking between the two of them with a frown.

“I can’t swear to do no harm, I’m on the path to knighthood. As a knight there will most certainly be times when I will have to cause intentional harm to another living being. But I do have a code of ethics I follow.”

“It’s not about hurting the troopers!” The General said angrily. “It’s about fraternization!”

Fives had expected an angry or even upset response from the healer. But that wasn’t the reaction any of them got.

She laughed. She laughed so hard that she was nearly doubled over by the end of it as the General’s face started turning more and more red.

“I- you- what!?”

“Sk-Skywalker, wh-where d-do you think J-Jedi y-younglings come from?” Came the question through gasps for air.

“Uhm, what?” Ahsoka asked, looking just as confused and gobsmacked.

After a few calming breaths the healer straightened and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I asked where you thought Jedi younglings come from. At least one third of all Force sensitives are offspring of other Force sensitives. What are they even teaching nowadays?”

“B-but what about the rules on Attachment?” The General asked, looking a bit paler than usual.

“Attachment and sex are two very different things, Knight Skywalker. If you cannot tell the difference then I think you need to go back and study some remedial biology and sexual education modules.” There was an amused smile just at the corners of her lips that Fives had the sudden urge to taste. He forced the thought away as quickly as it came, but he wasn’t sure that it’d gone unnoticed when his brother glanced his way.

The captain let out a choked off cough that might have been a laugh before he stepped forward. “I think we should take this somewhere else. The comms hab should remain clear unless there’s an emergency.”

“Rex is right! Besides, we have to get ready for the next attack. Just… stay in the medical tent for now. Rex will have someone set up a tent for you.”

“She can always stay with me, Master. My tent fits two.” Ahsoka offered brightly.

Before the General could respond there was a chuckle from the healer. “You just want to pick my brain about Jar’kai, don’t you?”

Ahsoka’s grin grew almost feral. “Is it that obvious?”

The healer laughed. “I’d be more than happy to share a tent and talk about lightsaber forms with you. But most of my time will be spent healing.”

“I understand, I’ll try not to bug you too much if you’re tired.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” The General grumbled.

No one paid him any mind as they all filed out of the comms hab, the healer and the commander happily chatting away with one another.

Chapter Text

[Liera]

While the first day was a little rocky with misunderstandings things had been looking up ever since Ahsoka offered to share her tent. The younger padawan was very good about filling her in on the state of the galaxy, at least as far as she knew, and about the changes the Order had gone through over the years. In exchange Liera told her tales of her and Master Fay’s many adventures, as well as the offer to show her the starting katas for Jar’kai.

“You’ll have to decide if you want two full length blades or one full length blade and one shoto.” She explained as she showed the togruta how she held her lightsabers. “I chose two full length blades because the balance suits me and my personal style.”

“What forms do you use?” The younger padawan asked her, eyes sharply focused on the unlit hilts in her hands as she smoothly transitioned from one movement to the next.

“I use a mix of Ataru and Soresu.” Liera said with a small grin. “As a healer I need to find the fastest and most efficient way to reach the injured as possible. While my small frame and lack of power makes Ataru non-viable as a pure combat form I can use it to great effect crossing dangerous terrain. On the other hand my Soresu is used as a defense whenever I’m protecting a patient or myself. The added benefit being that it is a very energy conservative form, allowing me to put most of my energy into healing.”

“Wow! That’s kind of like my Grandmaster, then!” Ahsoka said, swinging her legs absentmindedly. “Master Obi-wan is really good! I hope you get to meet him.”

Liera chuckled and let her arms drop. “I think I would like that. I do want to meet more of our lineage if I can.” Hopefully she wouldn’t be meeting a certain lost lineage member across a battlefield. She didn’t think she could handle that.

Shaking her head to clear it slightly she looked over at the teenaged girl and had a very fun thought. “This tent isn’t really the best for doing lightsaber forms. Why don’t we go outside and show off a little?” She let her voice drop into a fake whisper. “If we’re stealthy about it we won’t give your master another near heart attack.”

Ahsoka broke into a fit of giggles as she jumped off the bed and summoned her belt to her. It was a very controlled use of the force. The padawan froze and gave her a searching look, suddenly looking guilty.

Liera tilted her head and gave her a curious look. “Are you alright?” There didn’t seem to be any warning in the force and she wasn’t in pain.

“Oh, I, was just expecting a lecture or something on misuse of the force, I guess?”

Liera snickered. “You won’t get that from me. Your control was perfect, instinctual, and did no harm. In fact I’m a little jealous of your ability to call something to you so easily. It must have taken a lot of work to get that good so quickly.”

The teen looked at her with wide eyes, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. “I- wow! Okay. Most of the masters and knights I’ve met, except for Skyguy, are all ‘you can’t use the force frivolously’ and all that.” There was a faint hint of dying grass in the air, discontent and confusion, as the other padawan led her outside.

Liera frowned slightly. “Well, personally, I think some of them are taking it a bit too far then. The force is all around us in motion. Every breath of life, every gust of wind, all of it is part of the force. And while the Jedi are gifted with the ability to tap into the energies that make up the force it doesn’t make us any better or worse than anyone else. Using the force to pull an object to you would be the same as an avian species flying to the top of a shelf to grab something. It is a part of us.”

As they passed by Bolt, who had switched off with Eaves earlier, she smiled and gave him an acknowledging nod. It had been the one thing Knight Skywalker had refused to budge on. No matter what anyone said. And since he was in charge, well… Liera now had a small squad of guards who would take shifts hanging around to ensure nothing ‘inappropriate’ happened.

As if Knight Skywalker thought he could control her movements. It was equal parts laughable and concerning.

“But the older masters in the Temple said that using the force for all the little things makes us rely on it too much.” Ahsoka said with a confused air.

“They aren’t wrong. If you use it for everything and begin to believe it makes you better than someone who can’t, that’s when it starts to become a problem.” She said seriously. “But you live around non force sensitives, who you often rely on to back you up, so you already know that those without the force are your equals. Equal but different. The lesson about frivolous use isn’t a bad one, but I think it might need to be taught a little differently if it’s causing confusion for you like this.” The more she learned the more she thought that the Temple had become too isolated from the rest of the galaxy.

“I bet Skyguy would agree with you on a lot of things, once he stopped being all…” Ahsoka flailed her hand expressively, her face scrunching slightly to match her frustration.

Liera hid a grin behind her hand. “I understand. This is a stressful situation for him. I’m sure once Master Fay arrives it will help him settle down a little.” She reassured.

As they walked things seemed to get a lot noisier. Ahsoka grinned and sped up, forcing Liera to jog to keep up with her in her excitement.

They slowed again as they came to an open area among the tents and Liera paused when she saw the troopers arrayed around a large circle, where two of them were grappling one another on the ground in only their undersuits as the others cheered.

She started walking again once Ahsoka turned back to find her, giving her a curious look. She followed the teen as she elbowed troopers out of the way with a laugh. Once they noticed her presence, however, most of the men parted in front of her, giving her only a cursory look before they finally noticed Liera.

Some of them froze slightly, eyes wide, before their gaze dropped to the ground. Others smiled and gave her a cheery nod or wave, their eyes either somewhere around her boots before they turned back to the fight.

Standing next to Ahsoka, who was cheering on both participants one named Hardcase and one named Bucket, she got a feel for the beings around her. In the force they were all colorful with the strong and healthy flames that marked them as non force sensitive. Although she had never really seen such controlled flames before. Each of them must have a very strong grasp of their own personality and a tight control of their emotions. It was still a far cry from Ahsoka’s glowing orb next to her, though the edges were a little hazy and the colors were in a state of flux. As the padawan got older and her personality solidified further the colors would become a lot more sable and the orb would lose the haziness with training. Liera had no doubt that one day the orb would solidify into a beautiful sphere of light.

“Commander! And, er Healer?” Someone called out, pulling her away from her musings. One of the troopers jogged around the inner edge of he circle and stopped in front of them. “Is there something we can do for you?” The man asked, looking between them, his eyes dropping momentarily before flicking up and staying somewhere around her collarbone.

“Hey Kicker! Padawan Liera was gonna show me some Jar’kai, and I thought the vode might like to watch too.” Ahsoka said with a wide grin.

The man blinked, then blinked again more slowly, before he shrugged. “I don’t think anyone would mind, Commander, but are you sure it’s a good idea? The General is…” The man seemed to be looking for a way to describe whatever was afflicting their leader currently and couldn’t seem able to quite articulate what it was.

Liera smiled and stepped forward slightly. “If Knight Skywalker wishes to make a big deal about it I will take the blame. I’m not sure he’s realized it yet, but I am not his padawan or someone under his care. My decisions are my own.” She was also not part of the army, regardless of how the Senate had conscripted them. So Skywalker had no right to try and restrict her freedom.

The man stiffened slightly and looked uncomfortable, his scent turning faintly sour as he glanced at Ahsoka.

“It’s fine, I’ll share the blame too. It was my idea, after all. And we, uh, need to assess her skills so we know, er, how much protection she’ll need if the Seppies attack-?” She tried, giving a falsely assertive smile.

Liera let out a small laugh. “That sounds like something a proper Commander would think of. I am, after all, an unknown factor. It would be better to see what I can do and how it might affect those around me before we are potentially thrown into a battle we aren’t prepared for.”

The trooper took in a deep breath before letting it all out. “Alright, that’s sound enough reasoning Commander. And I think a demonstration would help boost morale as well.”

Ahsoka let out a quiet “yes!” that wasn’t as quiet as she thought it was and pumped her fist in the air.

“Let me just get everyone’s attention.” The trooper said before turning back to the open ground. “Attention!” He barked, stopping the others instantly.

In the force it was like a simultaneous flicker of color, rippling through each of them. The color overtook their natural personalities for a split second, likely because of how strict their training and control was. “At ease!” As everyone began to relax they looked at Kicker in mild disgruntlement or confusion, except those who were at an angle to see her and Ahsoka standing behind him. “Go ahead, Commander.” He said as he stepped back.

Ahsoka’s spirit flashed with nerves and the smell of earth around her turned stagnant. It was obvious she was a little anxious to speak in front of the troopers, though Liera didn’t quite know why.

Focusing in the force she sent a wave of calm and reassurance toward the younger padawan. But it seemed that Ahsoka wasn’t the only one who noticed. Around them the troopers breathed in deeply and seemed to go slack, eyes half lidded and their presence in the force going soft around the edges.

The younger padawan gave her a surprised look before it turned into a grateful smile. “Hi guys! Do you want to see some cool lightsaber moves? Cause Padawan Liera and I were talking about different forms and she said she didn’t mind showing everyone her Ataru and Soresu.” She said, hands clasped in front of her.

“Hell yeah!” Someone cheered before there was a yelp of pain. The troopers started to laugh at the unfortunate man who’d been slapped upside the head before another whose name she didn’t yet know turned to grin at them.

“Go for it Commander. It’s always fun to see more cool Jedi tricks.”

With a near unanimous agreement the circle was vacated and Ahsoka ran ahead to wait for her, practically vibrating with excitement.

When Liera joined her in the center of the circle she took a careful look around to make sure she knew what the boundaries where, and if there were any obstacles in her path. All around them were the tents, although there was a particularly large tree nearby that could be useful. She looked at the other padawan and smiled. “Are there any rules you wish to impose?”

Ahsoka’s nose scrunched slightly in thought. “Just don’t hurt anyone or yourself, I guess? The troopers never leave the circle, if you do you lose the spar. But if you’re using Ataru you’ll probably want more space.”

Liera nodded. “I can see a few places that I can kick off of, but I’ll try to stay in this general area. Sound fair?”

“Sounds fair to me!” She agreed. “Oh, are you just going to do katas or can you do a blade dance?”

Liera tensed for a moment before relaxing and Ahsoka gave her a worried look. “I can do a blade dance but I’m not sure we have the space for it, unless…” She looked around again with a small hum. “Okay, the troopers need to take a step or two back from the circle. I’ll feel better with a little more margin for error. I’m not a blademaster.”

Ahsoka nodded and turned to address the troopers. “Okay guys! You need to take two big steps back!”

Without a word the troopers did just that. The circle expanded a little more and Liera nodded in thanks. “Alright Ahsoka, go find a good seat.” She pulled her lightsabers from her belt and flipped them over in her palms, listening to them sing with anticipation. “Oh, and don’t let anyone go any higher than the tent posts.” She smirked when the togruta gave her a wary look. “Just trust me.”

Taking a deep breath she let the force flow through her limbs and settle just beneath her skin, filing her to the brim with warmth and light. The moment Ahsoka passed the point Liera had mentally drawn she opened her eyes and slid into the opening stance.

‘Guardian, Haven, let’s dance!’

[Fives]

“Hurry up, Tank! I want to get a good look!” On their way back from their guard shift Fives and Echo had to stop as two newer troopers bolted out from behind a tent, not looking where they were going.

“Woah!” Echo said, catching the first and righting him before he could trip. “Where’s the fire?”

The younger vod hunched in on himself a little, a common reaction ever since they’d come back from ARC training. “Oh, well, we heard the new Commander was giving a combat demonstration at the sparring circle. We didn’t want to miss the chance to see the new Jedi, Sir.”

Echo released the vod and gave him a questioning glance. Damn. His brother knew him all too well.

“Sounds interesting, do you think we could tag along?” He asked.

The younger vod’s eyes went large before he smiled. “Of course, Sir.”

“None of that protocol kark, we’re off shift right now. Just Fives and Echo, alright vod’ika?” He said motioning to himself and his brother.

The two younger vode relaxed and the four of them made their way towards the sparring area. On the way he learned that the two of them were Tank and Dredge.

Tank because he had a bit of an obsession with them, and Dredge because he’d once fumbled his weapon and had to dredge it up from a bog.

Poor Dredge. Not the best way to earn your name. But the vod seemed proud of it regardless, since his batch mates had been the one to give it to him.

A flash of white somewhere above made him stop and he didn’t need to look to know Echo had done the same. Next to them the two vod’ike had reached for their weapons, scents turning wary-defensive.

Movement caught his eye and he tracked it, weapon aimed at the open sky above them before his hands went slack along with his jaw.

Flipping in mid-air, as if her feet were touching solid ground, was the Om- healer. She landed, light as a feather, on one of the tent poles. The wind brushed her long hair and it swept out behind her, shimmering in the light of the two white lightsabers in her hands. With what looked like no effort at all she kicked off the post and spun as she fell, her lightsabers tucked close to her body in a way that made his heart reach for his throat.

As she disappeared beyond the tents and gathered bodies Fives didn’t even think, he just ran.

By the time he got to the front of the crowd the healer was back on the ground, or at least that’s what he thought at first. When he finally got a better look he realized with a start that she was still a foot off the ground.

“Since when can Jedi fly!?” Someone asked, voice cracking slightly with surprise. “Commander, can you fly!?”

“What? No! That’s like a super advanced force technique!” Commander Tano squawked back, looking just as stunned as everyone else.

But Fives wasn’t really listening. His focus was once more drawn to the Omega, her mere presence holding him completely enthralled.

With a series of backflips, the last one seeing the healer jumping at least eight feet in the air and doing a half turn at the top, she finally came to a stop poised on the tips of her feet. As the white light receded into the hilts she gave an elaborate bow to her captivated audience

Everyone burst into cheers and excited chatter as the commander rushed over to her fellow Jedi. From where he was standing he could see the commander flailing her arms and talking quickly, looking more excited and happy than he’d seen in a while.

“Vod!” As a hand clapped against his back he startled slightly and glared at his brother. But Echo just leaned closer, his expression serious. “Reign it in, you’re slipping.” He warned quietly.

Realizing that he was losing control of his own scent he sucked in a breath and quickly pulled it in. Not that it stopped the brothers nearby from giving off small wisps of amusement and understanding.

Flushing he turned to look back at the two Jedi and caught violet eyes looking in his direction. A bright smile crossed the Ome- healer’s lips and Fives’ heart began to race before he lowered his gaze respectfully. He’d learned his lesson earlier when Kix got after him for it.

The commander said something else before noticing them and beaming. “Looks like she’s calling us over, you gonna be okay vod?” Echo asked him with an all too knowing look.

Fives gave him a small pout. “I’m fine!”

“If you say so.” Echo snickered as the two of them headed toward the two Jedi.

“Hi Fives, hey Echo. Did you just get off your guard shift?” The teen asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Yes, Commander. We were on our way to the mess tent when a couple of brothers told us there was a demonstration.” Echo turned to the healer and smiled. “That was really something, Si- er, Padawan Liera.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it, Echo,” the healer said with a small laugh, “it’s not all that unusual to me. But I’m coming to understand that things are quite a bit different than they used to be.” Looking between the three of them she let out a small sigh, her scent turning mildly distressed.

The commander looked at her fellow Jedi and didn’t seem to know quite what to say. So Fives intervened before the silence could become too awkward. “Have either of you had anything to eat yet?” He blurted. “We’re on our way to the mess anyway, you could always come with us, if you’re hungry.”

Both Echo and the commander gave him blank looks and he winced a little internally.

Thankfully the healer brightened. “Actually no, I completely forgot to grab something before. If Ahsoka and I are going to spar I should probably eat first. If my master thought I was skipping meals she’d be cross with me.”

“I’d say ‘after you’ but I don’t think you know where the mess is yet, right?” He joked.

There was a small snort and her scent brightened like fresh rain. “I think it would be best if someone else led the way, I’d be more likely to find trouble than sustenance.” She joked.

“I’ll show you, it’s not that far.” The commander said easily, turning on the spot and pointing in the direction of the mess.

“Lead on then Ahsoka.”

It took them a bit longer to get to the mess tent than first anticipated. A lot of brothers had questions they wanted answered and the healer was far too kind to shut anyone down. So it was up to Fives and Echo to glare at their brothers and make them back off long enough for the Jedi to escape. The commander helped a little too, complaining loudly that she was hungry and giving him a small smirk when some of the ori’vode of the battalion started rushing them off to eat.

Grabbing their food they looked for a place to sit and Fives found himself with a small problem. Somehow Echo and the commander, without saying a word, had both conspired to have him sit next to the healer. He gave his brother a small look of betrayal but got rolled eyes in response.

“So you haven’t been a padawan for very long then?” The healer asked as she poked at the rations curiously.

“No, just over a year and I half, I think. It’s hard to keep track with all these different planets and everything.” The commander smiled. “But I’ve got a few beads already!” Reaching up she ran her fingers over the chain that represented her braid, looking proud of her accomplishment. As well she should.

Fives looked from the commander to the healer’s braid, which was made out of her hair. “I don’t know much about padawan braids. How many beads do you need to stop being a padawan?” He asked.

Both of the Jedi looked at each other before they started to grin. The healer turned to him with an understanding smile. “It doesn’t work that way. The beads are recognition for certain milestones in learning, either traditional or personal. You become a knight when your master, the force, and you all agree that you are ready to face the trials of knightood. Or if the Council deems you ready, in place of a lost master.” Bringing the braid from over her shoulder she holds it up so the beads catch the light. “Each of these represents an experience.”

“Ohhh, so it’s like painting your armor.” Echo said with a flash of understanding. “When we survive our first real battle we earn the right to paint our armor. Some choose not to, but most of us paint our armor based on something that helped form who we are.” He pointed to the hand print on his armor. “The first time we met the Captain he’d just killed a Rishi Eel with a single shot to the eye. He called us ‘shinies’ and told us we were ‘shiny and new’ just like our armor. Then he left a hand print on my armor, blood from the dead eel. That was the same day we… we lost our other squad mates. We survived the mission and the Captain took us into his battalion. Since then I’ve always had this hand print on my armor.”

It wasn’t easy to talk about. Even now they both felt the loss just as keenly. But they kept going. Because they were soldiers, and because it would have been what Hevy, Cutup, and Droidbait would have wanted.

The healer let out a small rumble from her chest and the scent of rain deepened to something very calming. “I’m sorry that you lost your brothers. It’s never easy to lose someone you care about.” As she spoke she touched one of the beads on her braid, one that was striped in shades of gray.

Fives leaned over to get a better look at it and sucked in a breath when her eyes caught his.

“Did you want a closer look at them? I don’t mind, just make sure not to tug on my hair.” Running her hand under the long braid she held it out for him, offering it up for his inspection.

“Uh-?” He said intelligently, looking over at the commander to see her reaction. But the teen just shrugged and nodded.

Well if the commander and the healer both didn’t find anything wrong with it…

Tugging his glove off first, he didn’t want the delicate looking hair to get caught in the creases of the armor plates, he reached up and let the braid rest on his palm. Down the entire length of it were seven separate beads, each with their own colors and pattern. The first bead was a deep blue, it was darker than 501st blue but pretty close. The second was pure white. The third was a washed out pale blue that seemed to shift color to a pale green in the light. The fourth was the gray one he’d noticed first, something about it seemed very… sad. The fifth was a blazing red-orange. The sixth was a vibrant light purple that reminded him a little of the healer’s eyes. And finally the seventh bead was a mix of dark reddish brown and green.

“What do they mean?” He asked, his voice reverent as he ran his fingers down the long braid. It was the softest thing he’d ever touched in his life.

“The first was given to me by my former master when I agreed to be his padawan. The second is for finding my lightsaber crystals. The third was for visiting my planet of birth and learning about their culture. The fourth… the fourth is for surviving the death of my master.” The scent around her dropped suddenly, smelling soggy and a little sour. He felt the sudden urge to pull her close to his chest, to comfort her, but knew that it wasn’t really appropriate. Instead he shifted so their thighs were touching, hoping the warmth and closeness would help her feel a little better. She smiled at him and tapped his thigh gently, her scent picking up and becoming less sad. “The fifth was for personal healing and choosing to remain a Jedi in the face of my grief. The sixth is for when Master Fay offered to take me on as a padawan and finish my training. And the last one is for helping Master Fay stop a Darkside plague from escaping a planet when some treasure hunters managed to crack open an old Sith tomb.”

Fives heard something clatter and glanced over to see Torque with a completely gobsmacked look on his face. It was then he noticed the hushed silence and all the, very unsubtle, looks they were getting from every vod within earshot.

“I’m sorry about your first master.” The commander said after a moment. “If you want, I can visit the Hall of Remembrance with you once we get back to the Temple.” She offered with a small smile, no doubt hoping to cheer up her fellow Jedi.

The healer let out a sigh. “You won’t find his name in the Hall of Remembrance, it was stricken from the record and moved to the Hall of Justice.”

Fives didn’t know what that meant but it looked like the commander certainly did. She straightened, her expression aghast and scent turning muddy with a hint of acrid smoke.

“What kind of crime could get a Jedi Master’s name moved to the Hall of Justice?” She whisper-hissed, not that it would do any good with the near silence around them.

The healer looked right into the commander’s eyes, squaring her shoulders as she did so. “He turned to the Darkside and willingly Fell.” There was a faint tremor in her voice that had Fives pressing closer. Without thinking about it he let go of her hair and reached around to rub her back, like he would any brother who needed comfort. She relaxed slightly and gave him a grateful smile.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up, that memory must be a very painful one. Would… would you like to meditate with me later?” It was obvious the commander wasn’t sure how to offer her support.

“I would like that very much. But first we should probably finish eating. If we take too much time Knight Skywalker might realize we’re skipping out on those learning modules of yours.” Now that she was calming down her scent was returning to that interesting mix of rain, flowers, and the thing he couldn’t put a name to.

“Psh, Skyguy won’t be too upset about it. I think he forgets I have modules sometimes. Unless Master Obi-wan is here to remind him. But I don’t really want to disappoint Master Obi-wan either. He’s got the worst disappointed scent ever! And he gets these big sad eyes, they’re just awful.” The commander complained.

All around them the mood started to pick up as vode slowly began to talk amongst themselves again.

As Echo asked the commander a question about her education modules, and offered to help if he could, the healer placed her hand against his side with enough pressure to feel it through the armor. He turned and looked down into violet eyes and his breath stuttered in his lungs.

“Thank you, Fives. For the comfort, and for caring.” She said with a look of gratitude.

All he could do was nod dumbly before she turned and joined in the conversation.

Oh force… he had it bad, didn’t he?

Chapter Text

[Liera]

As the days passed she slowly found her footing in a universe where things were governed by scent and instinctual hierarchy. Although she never felt the need to bend to the whims of the troopers, none of them would ever use their one advantage over her, she did find herself in a place of service once again. If it wasn’t for the war that had spread across the galaxy this would feel the same as any other mission. Heal the wounded, clean up, train, meditate, and repeat.

The only major difference was the people she was now surrounded with.

First off, it had been rare for her and her master to work beside other master-padawan pairs who were not part of the Service Corps or their own lineage. So there was a bit of a learning curve when it came to interacting with Knight Skywalker and Padawan Tano.

Ahsoka was a delight as a fellow padawan. She was attentive, hard working, quick witted, and genuinely kind. Despite her padawanship having a rocky beginning she seemed stable enough for someone so young and in the midst of an ever changing battlefield.

Knight Skywalker, on the other hand, had not stopped being a thorn in her side. At every turn he was either fussing over her like she was a child or insinuating she was enticing the troops. As if she could control what someone else found attractive on a whim.

Contrary to Skywalker’s belief that she was seducing the troopers, Fives was the only who held that kind of pointed interest in her. But unlike what Skywalker thought, Liera could see how the man’s attraction had quickly shifted from purely physical to a budding affection and acceptance of her as an individual. He was comfortable to be around and she liked his attempts to try and keep morale up with his silly, yet harmless, pranks.

Non-force sensitive sentients always seemed to assume that Jedi were celibate, that they believed that any shared physical affection was an attachment, and thus forbidden. According to Ahsoka it sounded like they’d begun to believe it inside the Temple as well. But those beings were incorrect. Sex and even long term companionship was not banned. Heavily scrutinized if one appeared to be shirking their duties, but not banned. It seemed that even the words had taken on a new less nuanced meaning to what she had been raised with, and what Master Fay had taught her.

Unfortunately for the Council of this time Liera was someone who broke their new stricter interpretation of the Code without even consciously trying. From birth her species created strong bonds of kinship with both family and tribe. It was essential to their continued health. Trying to block her from making bonds was agonizing and nigh crippling. It was like having her spine removed. So of course one of the first things her broken mind would do would be to latch on to those around her and form bonds with them. She wouldn’t be walking around otherwise.

None of the bonds were particularly deep yet, she refused to deepen them without permission, but they were there. She was pleasantly surprised to find Kix agreeing to allow her to anchor herself with him when she asked though. But then again he was a medic, a very practical one at that. And despite what Skywalker might think, Kix had no interest in her besides friendship. She’d seen him with the lieutenant, she knew exactly where his affections were focused.

Spending time in the medical tent of the 501st she heard a lot of stories about the ‘creative’ plans that Knight Skywalker employed, and how they always seemed to work out. She shook her head and called him out for being insane.

“What, we’re not going to find you doing any crazy stunts?” Adzic asked teasingly.

“If you want to count Ataru as ‘crazy stunts’ then I suppose you will.” There were a couple of chuckles and she smiled at those listening in. “But I won’t be the one running headlong into disaster unless I know for a fact my presence will preserve life.” She said firmly. “I am a healer and while I am also a Jedi the rules are a little different for me. If I go and injure myself or am killed- then who will look after the wounded in my place? I have a much higher rate of saving the fatally wounded by intervening with the force.” There was no way to sugar coat it, and she refused to lie.

After a long moment of silence someone piped up from the other side of the room. “Good! It’s nice to know at least one of he Jedi is a sensible being.”

“Oya!” Someone else called back, making everyone else cheer and laugh.

“I just hope you all won’t hold it against me when I don’t try to join Knight Skywalker and Ahsoka at the front.” She says quietly once they’ve all calmed down again.

“Nah, it’ll be nice to know one of our Jedi is safe. And besides! You’re a baar’ur, which means you’ll be more focused on saving vode!” Summit said, meeting her eyes determinedly for a moment before they fell away again.

That was another thing she was still getting used to. The lack of eye contact.

But what she lacked in being able to judge someone’s intentions through their eyes she made up for it by sensing their emotional state in the force. The scents that permeated the air and followed each individual were subtle, according to Ahsoka, so it was difficult to differentiate by scent. Even though there were a few she was certain she could identify in their armor by scent alone now.

“I’m an Alpha, I hear it’s different for Omegas.” Ahsoka’d admitted with little prompting. “But if I had to describe them…” she’d paused for a moment, nose crinkling with thought, “I’d say the smell warm and really… salty?” Then she’d shrugged. “I’d wait to ask Master Obi-wan what he thinks. I’m not so sure Skyguy is up to questions right now.” Her expression had turned pained for a moment before it was hidden beneath a mask of neutrality.

No. She would not be asking Skywalker any questions. Not when her neck and back prickled every single time he was in the same space she was. Not to mention the underlying scent of burning tar that no one else seemed able to catch.

Sitting with Fives and Echo in the mess they were quickly joined by Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase. According to them they were all part of the first squad for Torrent Company, and were quite happy with their placement.

“Torrent is certainly a fitting name for how you’ve described the tactics you employ.” She’d said dryly, watching them over her cup of caf with a playful glint in her eyes.

“Those are fighting words, Sar’ika!” Hardcase said with a wide grin.

“Sar’ika?” She asked, more amused than anything.

The troopers went quiet as she looked around the table. There was a mix of embarrassment, shyness, and a little guilt.

“I apologize for my vode, Healer Liera. It’s not very polite to give others nicknames without their permission.” Jesse said with a narrow eyed look at Hardcase.

Liera smiled and set her cup down. “Oh, I’m not worried about that, lieutenant. I’m just curious what it means.”

“Sar’ika, short for sarad’ika. It means little flower.” Kix said with a huff. “I can think of a few reasons why they would call you that. But if you prefer to be called something else I’ll spread the word.”

“It’s fine, Kix. I like it, it’s very cute.” She looked over at the heavy weapons trooper and smiled. “Thank you, Hardcase.”

The poor man’s face darkened with a blush, even as his face split with a pleased grin.

“Ugh. He’s never gonna shut up about it now.” Fives griped next to her, shaking his head but giving off waves of amusement.

“Should have been faster on the draw, Fives.” Jesse said teasingly. “What nickname would you give her?”

The man next to her went carefully still and she turned to catch his eyes as they stared into her own for a moment.

“Ka…” he started before pausing to consider it a moment longer, “Sav’ika. Saviin for violet, like your eyes.” He explained, presence warm.

She ignored the first aborted attempt at a nickname and gave him a bright smile. “It’s certainly fitting. I wouldn’t mind being called that either. Although I do wonder just how many of the men actually know my eye color.” She said playfully. After all, only the upper ranked troopers would look her in the eyes at all and even then it tended to be fleeting.

Half the table let out a sound of surprise, while the others just gaped at her like a fish or choked on their meals. She felt a little bit bad for that last part and leaned over the tble to press two fingers to Hardcase’s wrist, clearing his lungs.

“Thanks Sar’ika.” He rasped.

“Don’t worry about it, it was my fault in the first place.”

Of course nothing fun could last forever.

She sensed him moments before she began to smell the acrid scent of burning. It was obvious he was already angered by something and a shiver of dread went up her spine, making her sit up straighter in her seat.

“Liera? Are you okay?” Fives voice sounded concerned but she couldn’t answer him. Her throat felt tight and raw. As if she were choking on oily smoke.

“Liera? Check in with me vod’ika!” Kix ordered, voice quiet but firm as he stood and reached across the table to check her pulse.

She didn’t know what he would get from it, besides the fact that it was racing wildly beneath her skin.

“You!” The voice of Skywalker cut through the chatter of the mess hall and all cheer died. “What are you doing in here? I’ve been searching for you everywhere!” The man growled, stalking along the tables with one fist clenched.

Jesse stood and saluted the man, the Jedi, who was quickly coming closer. “Sir, is there a problem we can help you with?” He asked bravely, though she could sense his hesitation.

“No, this is Jedi business. You men can get back to your meals. Padawan Buraaisuh has to come with me.” He said simply, practically dismissing Jesse without a thought.

She bristled at the implication, even as cold sweat rolled down her back. Her hands were shaking now. This was just like-

“Padawan, are you listening to me?” Skywalker’s voice overlapped with another, one older and deeper.

“Sir! You need to step back, I think she’s having a panic attack.” Was that Kix? It had to be Kix. His scent-presence was a mix of composting herbs and stark concern.

“What? What happened to my the padawan?” A voice echoed in her ears. The presence was closer now, anger, concern, and guilt warring within.

“…lease stop.” Her voice came out like a whimper and she was forced to swallow twice to clear her throat. Shakily she reached up and grasped Master Fay’s bead, the one she had infused with her calming presence. Taking a deep breath she turned to look up at Knight Skywalker, and it was Knight Skywalker. Not a certain other being that stalked her memories. “Please stop, Knight Skywalker. I c-can sense your anger from here and I am t-too sensitive in the force to handle your emotions at this time.” Thankfully her voice came out much clearer this time.

“I- what?” A flash of surprise overtook the anger as the knight scrutinized her carefully, reaching out with the force to poke at her shields.

She curled in on herself, whimpering in pain, and the overwhelming presence vanished instantly. “Oh kark!” The man breathed. “I, uh, I didn’t… know.” He said lamely, the guilt spreading further and mixing with embarrassment as he seemed to realize they had a not insubstantial audience.

“I don’t believe I’ve had a moment to explain, have I? And my files have probably been archived and will be hard to access.” Although that was not an excuse to allow his emotions to overtake him she had a feeling that pointing it out now would just complicate matters. There was something wrong here but she knew she was far too weak to help the knight, not without employing tactics that went against her code of ethics as a healer.

The man took a deep breath and his shields tightened. It felt as if she could breath again. “Okay, I’ll try to keep that in mind from now on. But I do need you to come with me. You’ve got a holocall from your master.” He said in a far more even tone than before.

She wasn’t fooled. Even with his shields she could see the roiling ball of emotions inside him. But for now she would just have to look the other way. “Thank you for coming to fetch me, Knight Skywalker.” She inclined her head at him politely before turning back to the table and smiling reassuringly. “I’ll be back as soon as the call with my master is concluded. Hopefully you’ll all still be here by then.” She teased lightly, pulling away from Kix and standing up from the table.

“K’oyacyi, Lie’ika.” Kix muttered. She would have to ask him what it meant later.

[Fay]

As she waited for the young knight to bring her padawan she centered herself and focused on their shared bond. She felt the flash of panic and concern and did her best to create a buffer between her current padawan and her former one. Yoda was dealing with much at the moment and he had long since stopped listening to her when she told him he had taken on too large a burden.

When her padawan finally appeared she smiled, glad to lay eyes upon her once more. “Maeli iea ilha eihl, Ie’fei?” She asked the young woman in her native tongue.

“I’m fine, Master, thank you.” There was a gently caress along their bond, like a long distance hug, and she smiled.

“I sense that is not all, but I will leave any judgments for when I finally see you in person. How have your accommodations been so far, dear one?”

The woman brightened considerably, even as a hint of grief echoed down their bond. “I’ve been treated very well by the troopers, Master. Medic Kix in particular has been very kind in allowing me to spend the majority of my time in the medical tent aiding the wounded. As for Knight Skywalker, he has graciously allowed me to bunk and train with Padawan Tano. I think we are becoming fast friends, which is a joy considering she is my great something-or-other niece.” There was a flash of mischievous amusement and Fay laughed.

“I am pleased to hear it, dear one. We are not far now, a couple of days out. But I wanted to ensure you weren’t pushing yourself too hard.” Already she could sense her padawan’s diminished presence. There was something wrong and she was pushing far too hard, exhausting herself. But why she was doing it she had no clue. She had taught her padawan better than that.

Liera winced. “I… am not pushing myself too hard, Master, I assure you. Although there is some… discomfort leftover from how I arrived.” Fay’s eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing her padawan, before she let it go.

“We will be having a private discussion once I land, dear one. But for now I see no reason to meddle in whatever schedule you’ve been following at present. You are more than ready to be knighted, after all, and I trust you to take care of yourself to the best of your ability.”

Her padawan’s smile brightened and she ducked her head slightly in pleasure at the praise. “Thank you, Master.”

“I must go, the window for communications is closing. We’ll be there in a couple of days. May the force be with you, Ie’fei.”

“And with you, Master!”

Shutting down the comm she nodded to Jon. The man nodded back before inputting the sequence for the next hyper jump.

It would not be long now.

[Fives]

After the weird osik that went down in the mess hall Fives set off on a quest. He knew that Jedi were different from what could be considered ‘normal nat-borns’ but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about how the Ome- Healer had reacted to their General.

Kix had been worried when she’d gone off to receive the call from her master and it had taken both Jesse and Echo to calm him down. They all knew from experience what battle shock looked like and for all that she was a Jedi it was obvious Liera had some past trauma she was reacting to. Why it was the General who had prompted I they didn’t know. Although the fact that she could sense the General’s anger and that it was too much for her to handle said a lot.

Finally finding the vod he was looking for he waited nearby for him to finish his hushed conversation. Once the other vod walked away he quickly stepped forward.

“Graft, yeah?” He asked, hoping he was correct.

The vod looked him up and down, taking in his appearance, before his eyes dropped slightly in deference. “Yes, Sir, I’m Graft.”

Osik. Sometimes he forgot he’d been promoted to ARC and what that meant in terms of heirarchy.

“I’m not here to hassle you, vod. I’m looking for something only a special kind of quartermaster could find.” He really hoped the man caught his drift and didn’t think this was some kind of crackdown on the regs.

The vod’s eyes flicked up to his for a moment and Fives held still, trying not to bristle at how off it felt. Then the eyes dropped and he let out a sigh of relief.

“I think I can find something for you, al’vod. What is it you’re looking for?”

Fives glanced around, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Stepping closer he lowered his voice to be sure no one else could overhear them. “I need something soft, a blanket of even a pillow will do. Something that can- can hold scent for a long time.” The vod’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and Fives felt his face growing hot. “It’s not for anything weird!” He said quickly. “Just… for comfort.”

There was a long moment of silence before the vod let out a small snort. Fives glared at him but the vod just grinned in return. “There’s been rumors that a particular ARC vod is smitten with the new Jedi.” There was an underlying hint of amusement and mischief in the vod’s scent and Fives wanted to groan in embarrassment. “Don’t worry, al’vod. I’ve got what you’re looking for.” Turning the vod let out a series of whistles and a shiny poked their head out of a nearby tent.

“You’ve got shinies working with you?” He hissed.

“Relax, vod, I’m no shiny. It’s just easier to get around when everyone thinks you are. So, what am I fetching Grift?” The new vod said with a cheeky grin.

“You know my name is Graft, you mir’sheb!” The man grumbled. “Grab one of the yellow packages, small one, and be careful no one sees you.”

The vod in unpainted armor gave a mock salute and disappeared back into the tent before returning with a small discreet pack. “The package is resealable and won’t let any scent escape. So it’ll be easy to take across camp without anyone being the wiser.”

Taking the package he nodded. “Vor’e, vod. I owe you a favor. Just let me know what I can do in return.”

Graft grinned. “Always useful to have an ARC owe you one. Good luck, al’vod.”

Slipping the package under one arm and walking away he kept his gait neutral and made his way to the temporary barrack he shared with Echo and the rest of Torrent. Getting to his own bunk without being bothered he opened the package and felt the fabric inside. It was almost like running his hand over the Healer’s braid- velvety soft. Stripping out of his armor and unzipping his blacks he sat with his back to the room and held the blanket in his lap.

During training every vod had been taught how to reign their scent in so they didn’t cause any territorial disputes amongst themselves, not that they would anyway but the Kaminiise and Nat-borns didn’t know that. The added benefit of that training was that they also knew how to push their scent outward. Normally a vod wouldn’t just do it for no reason. But when it came to comforting one another, claiming a little privacy for themselves, or pulling a vod out of crisis, well…

Breathing deeply he focused on being calm. He wasn’t doing this because he was a horny Alpha, those thoughts were far from his mind. He was doing this because someone he liked was having trouble and needed the comfort. So he kept his scent carefully calm as he rubbed the blanket against his skin to soak it in his scent.

In a lot of cultures this could be seen as him staking a claim, though usually that would be done with something soaked in far more aggressive pheromones. But Fives knew the Jedi thought differently, just like the vode did.

“Fives, what are you doing?” Jumping slightly he looked over his shoulder at Echo and relaxed again.

“It’s, I’m, uh…” How did he explain?

Echo rolled his eyes and sat down on his bunk, sniffing the air for a moment. His eyes fell on the pale purple blanket and a look of understanding came over him. Before it shifted to a ‘why are you like this?’ look. “Vod.” He said, tone serious.

“It’s just for comfort!” He defended. “Just calming, nothing else.” He reassured.

“Hmm.” Echo eyed him carefully “Okay, then why don’t you ask Kix to help out? He’s taken Padawan Liera under his supervision and she finds him calming too.”

Fives let out a low growl of discontent before stopping himself short, face turning red.

“Yeah, thought so.” Echo said dryly.

Fives let out a sigh and ran a hand over his hair. “What are you going to do?”

Echo shook his head. “Nothing, vod. I’ve got your back. Just… be careful. Lek?” He leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together in a kov’nyn.

“Lek.”

“Good. You finish doing that,” he pointed at the blanket, “I’ll keep watch. Might want to hurry up though, Captain was finishing up his meeting and looked ready to hit the sack.”

“Thanks vod.” He could always count on Echo.

“Kih’parjai, now get to work.” He chuckled.

Fives nodded and in no time at all the blanket had been thoroughly drenched in his calming scent. Now all he had to do was smuggle it out to the Healer and hope that the Commander didn’t say anything about it.

He’d just finished stuffing the blanket back into the package and sealing it when the Captain came into the tent, headed straight for his bunk. Echo looked at him and motioned he should escape while he could.

“Tough debrief, Captain?” Echo asked as he stood and made his way over to where Rex had practically collapsed onto his own bunk. The man let out a grumpy grunt but Fives didn’t hear his response as he quickly donned his armor and slipped out of the tent.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to give it to the Healer without making a fool of himself. Piece of uj cake! He’d be in and out in no time.

Chapter Text

Sitting cross legged on the ground in the tent she shared with Ahsoka she took in a slow and measured breath before letting it out again. She knew that she was skirting the line of her Master’s teachings but there wasn’t much anyone could do about it at this point. She had been working in the medical tent and knew from looking over the inventory that there was nowhere near enough medicine to go around. The last thing they needed was a sickly padawan who wasn’t even sure medicine would help at this point.

Beads of sweat gathered on her brow as she fought down the aches and fever that just would not cease. There was no reason for her to be sick and if this sudden ‘illness’ was what she suspected it was- then she really didn’t want to let it overtake her.

Not with the way Knight Skywalker had been acting since she arrived.

Something in the Force told her he would not react well to her predicament and the moment she showed an iota of weakness or loss of control he would pounce at the chance to further lock her away and keep her separated from everyone.

Coming out of her meditation she felt a familiar presence and turned her focus outward curiously. When she recognized the presence as Fives she couldn’t help smiling. She wondered what he could be doing and frowned slightly when she felt two spikes of frustration. One defensive and the other worried.

Getting up from the ground she wiped at her face with her sleeve and took a deep breath to calm herself before heading outside to see what the problem was.

“I’m sorry, Sir, but I can’t let you past this point unless you are with the Commander.” Summit was saying, his presence and even his scent a kind of forced calm that was just barely keeping himself and Fives calm.

“I’m only-” As she got closer Fives stopped speaking and his eyes immediately snapped to her, before falling somewhere around her waist. Likewise Summit turned to look at her before his eyes landed squarely on her shoes.

Interesting. She’d noticed that the more she interacted with, and got along with, the men of the 501st the more they were willing to raise their eyes. Not high enough to look her in the eyes, but enough that she knew they were at least looking at and addressing her when they spoke.

“Summit, Fives, whats going on out here? I could feel you both from inside the tent.” She said calmly as she came closer.

Fives shuffled on his feet, looking a little nervous, while Summit let out a huff. “ARC Trooper Fives is being insistent that he sees you, alone, but the General was very clear in his orders. No one is to enter the Commander’s tent without the Commander present.”

She knew there was more to it than that. Probably something along the lines of ‘none of the Troopers are allowed to be alone with the Omega, ever.’ It made her want to roll her eyes.

“I understand the orders, Private.” Fives nearly growled, the sound sending a shiver up her spine. “I wasn’t trying to enter the tent. I just wanted to speak with the Com- Healer.”

She’d forgive him the near slip, seeing as every trooper was getting used to the idea of a Jedi who was not in their chain of command. “Well I’m here now, so there should be no trouble.” She said while allowing her calm presence to spread outward and ease their agitation. “Why don’t we go talk over there,” she pointed to a location nearby that was close enough Summit wouldn’t complain but far enough they could speak privately.

When Summit looked to protest she turned to him and spoke evenly, yet firmly. “I promised everyone that they could speak with me about medical problems with no shame or judgment, and that it would be confidential. And even if this isn’t a medical concern, Fives is my friend. And for Force’s sake if Knight Skywalker tries to interfere with my personal interactions or relationships any further I will be bringing it up to the Council when I return to the Temple.” She declared firmly.

That said she turned and grabbed Fives by the arm, tugging on him insistently and leading him over to the spot she had pointed to nearby. She hadn’t wanted to snap at the poor trooper, he was only doing his job, but she was feeling more than a little irritable.

Turning to look up at Fives she took a breath to speak and the sudden scent that flooded her nose made her pause. The chocolate part of his overall scent had deepened into something rich and inviting, while the ocean breeze and spices had brightened.

She leaned toward him slightly to catch the scent better before realizing what she was doing. It made her flush with warmth as she released his arm. Stepping back with a polite smile she hoped her cheeks weren’t as pink as she felt they were.

Fives was staring down at her in awe, his chest rising and falling deeply and shoulders taut as if he was forcing himself to remain still.

She cleared her throat. “Fives, you wanted to speak with me?” She asked, hoping to shock him out of his sudden silence.

The man blinked before grinning sheepishly. “Right! I, uh, wanted to give this to you.” He said as he held out a yellow package. “You can’t open it out here.” He said quickly when she finally took it. “I… well I saw how upset you were earlier and I thought… I thought maybe I could do something to help. So…” He shifted slightly on his feet and licked his teeth in a way that she thought might be a nervous gesture.

Holding the package to her chest she could feel the give in it and guessed that it was fabric of some sort. Whether it was clothes or something else she wasn’t certain but either way it didn’t matter. Fives had seen how she was struggling and had gone out of his way to get her a gift he thought would help her. “Thank you. You’re very kind, Fives.” She said with approval and gratitude.

Fives stood up a little straighter and she could practically hear the way his presence sang with joy. Actually… now that she was paying attention... It took her a moment but when she finally recognized the sound her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Fives, are you… purring?” She asked quietly.

The sound cut off abruptly and the trooper’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, I, uh… sorry.” He said as he ducked his head shyly. “I’m just happy to help, and uh…”

She chuckled. “I’m not upset. I’ve just… never heard something like that before. It wasn’t unpleasant and there’s no need to apologize.”

“Oh.” He said shyly, before the sound returned.

Feeling more settled than she had been while meditating she almost surprised herself when a soft rumble rose from the bottom of her throat, near the top of her chest. Right. She could purr now too. She’d almost forgotten about that with the mess of everything else going on in this strange universe.

Fives’ purr deepened for a moment and he tensed to step closer, his focus solely on her. But she could feel the way Summit was staring at them from near the tent and she subtly held up her hand to stop him. The man blinked before the purr disappeared and he was stepping farther back, eyes drifting back to her waist. He cleared his throat quickly. “Right. I have some things to do before my next shift. You have a good day, Healer Liera.” It was a little stiff, perhaps, but she understood the sentiment.

“Have a good day Fives. We’ll talk more later.” She said warmly before turning to head back to her tent, letting her focus shift so she could sense Fives as he turned and walked away.

Now… why did that make her feel so anxious? Something about him walking away made her feel almost unbearably cold. It was an odd sensation, to say the least.

“Sir.” Coming out of her musings she realized that Summit had intercepted her trip back to the tent. “I apologize, but I need to inspect that.” He motioned towards the package in her arms and she felt a sudden sharp indignation rise in her chest.

Taking a deep breath she slowly let it out again, noting that Summit smelled of calm seas, mild spice, and something mildly nutty. “For what reason?” She asked as soon as she felt more calm. It wasn’t like her to let her emotions run away with her, regardless of how passionate she was. Being frustrated or worried was fine, taking it out on others was not.

“…Sir, please just let me do my job.” There was a note of concern in his presence that had her deflating a little.

“Summit, I understand that Knight Skywalker has given you explicit orders and that you feel you must obey them. But I am going to tell you right now that I am not a part of this army and I have no intention of being a part of this army. Unless what I am doing is illegal under Republic Law, then I am entitled to my own privacy as a Republic Citizen. Now, unless you believe I have been given a bomb that is going to hurt a lot of people I will ask you to leave this be.”

The man stiffened, his presence a muddled mess of anxiety and concern. But Liera would not be backing down from this. She hadn’t been this scrutinized since just after her former Master’s death and it was not bringing up any good memories. “If Knight Skywalker has an issue with it then I will take the entirety of the blame. I do not need protecting- I am a Jedi.” She reminded him gently.

The man swallowed and his shoulders drooped, eyes moving even further away from her in submission.

She moved around him slowly, focusing on him to make sure he wasn’t going to try and stop her. Force and Stars she felt like a brute, bullying the poor man for the orders given to him from someone he could not disobey. But everything was grating on her nerves and her skin felt stretched over her bones. All she wanted to do was go back inside and try to meditate until her fever receded again.

As the tent flap closed behind her she let out a whoosh of breath, feeling relieved for some reason she could not explain. Heading over to her bunk in the far corner she sat down on the edge of it and looked over the package curiously. It was tightly sealed and other than its bright color was very nondescript.

Opening the package she froze as the scent of warm spiced chocolate and salt wafted out of the opening. She took a few deep breaths and let out a soft sigh of relief when the feeling of tightness in her body eased. Slowly she pulled out the luxurious pale purple blanket, marveling at its plushness. Holding it up to her face she rubbed her cheek against it and melted into the soft warmth.

She doesn’t even notice when a purr starts in the back of her throat as she turns to her cot. Looking down at the single blanket and pillow something about it irks her and the purr ends abruptly. It wasn’t right… there was just something missing she couldn’t name.

Pulling the purple blanket with her she flops over onto her cot and curls around it, almost sulking.

That was how Ahsoka found her fifteen minutes later. The younger padawan walked into the tent and froze, her nostrils flaring before she frowned, crinkling her nose. “Uh… did one of the troopers stop by-?” She tried to ask as she looked around the room as if she could find whoever had come into the tent.

Liera realized then that Ahsoka could smell the blanket as well and chided herself. Sitting up she gave the teen a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka, I should have realized it might be uncomfortable for you.” She lifted the purple blanket and held it up for the teen to look at. “One of the men gave this to me to comfort me, since they saw me get upset earlier in the mess tent.”

The teen came closer and inspected the blanket with her eyes. “That was nice of them. But, uh, I think we should probably keep it from Skyguy.”

Liera felt her mood drop. The fact that a padawan felt she had to hide things from her master to keep him in a good mood rang so many alarm bells in her mind. “It is just a gesture of kindness from a friend. But if it would cause Knight Skywalker… distress, then we’ll keep it between us.” Thankfully her working with the troopers in the med tent meant that she apparently was beginning to smell like one of them, if a little different.

“I’m sure he won’t notice.”

Thankfully Knight Skywalker was too busy with the clean up of the enemy forces to notice the difference in her scent. Being in the medical tent for long periods of time also meant that she rarely saw him, since he was usually at the front of any assault. So unless he was injured she had no reason to meet with him.

However, it seemed the troopers themselves were far more discerning and could easily tell each others scents apart. Which meant that the moment Kix saw Fives he dragged the man away for what had to be a very stern lecture. Whatever the ARC trooper had said seemed to give the medic pause and he eventually relented.

Rex was not as easily swayed. In fact he took her aside and tried to apologize for his subordinate’s ‘inappropriate’ actions. To which she quickly assured him she was more than fine with it and had accepted the gesture as one of comfort between friends. But it seemed that even with her intervention Fives was punished with extra duties.

Rex also got after her for bullying Summit but relented when she explained just how little she cared for Skywalker’s treatment of her and how disrespectful and infantilizing she was finding this treatment. “I am a Senior Jedi Padawan, Captain Rex. A Healer who has been put in charge of others lives both off the battlefield and on it. Does that sound like someone who needs babying and protecting?” She’d asked him calmly, forcing her frustration into her mental box to be dealt with later.

To his credit the man had looked a little embarrassed as he sighed. “No, no I think you can take care of yourself.”

She relented, letting her voice soften. “I am not Padawan Tano. Who, while being a brilliant student and a talented warrior, is still only a teenager. I am a grown woman, and I do not appreciate being treated like a child.”

After that it seemed to be the end of the troopers treating her like spun glass. Although there was still a feeling around them that was deeply psychological that had them constantly on the look out for her, as if making sure she was okay before they could relax. Kix explained it was just their instincts, and that as she was an Omega they would still feel the need to keep an eye on her.

“As long as no one tries to stop me from doing my job or confine me for my ‘own protection’ I don’t mind. I can tell when someone is keeping watch because they respect me and when someone is watching me because they are wary of me.”

Days passed and things were going well. She felt as if she had finally found an equilibrium with the men and that she was making progress with understanding the universe she’d found herself in. But… the fever wasn’t going away. Neither were the cramps and aches, or the itchy tight feeling of her skin.

Kix noticed it immediately when she came into the medical tent one morning. He pressed the back of his ungloved hand to her forehead and frowned in concern. “Are you sick? Have you been working too hard?”

She leaned into the coolness of his hand and let out a sigh of relief before catching herself and stepping back. “No, I’m not sick. If I was I could just heal myself with the Force.” Which was the truth. “As for working too hard, this is a walk in the garden compared to what I’m used to.” She chuckled.

Kix’s brow furrowed and he took a deep breath, no doubt to lecture her, then froze. He quickly exhaled then inhaled again, clearly trying to catch her scent. “Kark a Kaminii on Taungsday!”

She stepped back in surprise at his sudden outburst and was about to ask him what was wrong when she felt it.

A burst of color and life that entered her perception and swept through her mind.

Without another thought she turned on her heel and dashed out of the tent. She could hear Kix calling her name, following her as she dodged and ducked around the men of the camp. There were exclamations of surprise and some sharp pangs of surprise, even concern, but she couldn’t stop to reassure them. Not now.

She arrived just as the ship was settling and the ramp began to lower. Pushing past the throng of gathered troopers she ran full force, planting her feet on the edge of the platform and vaulting over the stairs, missing them entirely. The men behind her shouted but it was drowned out by the presence walking serenely down the ramp.

She was barely able to slow her speed before she slammed into the woman, wrapping her arms around her.

“Hello, my darling Ie’fei.” A gentle voice said with amusement above her head. A hand ran gently, ever so gently, over her hair and she had to hold in a sniffle.

She smelled of clean linen, lavender, and soap from the Temple.

“Master Fay. I’m so glad you’re here.” She melted into the woman’s hold for a moment longer before slowly backing away. She had to tell her the truth. If anyone deserved to know the truth then it was this universe’s version of her master. “Master Fay I… I’m not who you-”

“Shh.” The woman placed her finger delicately against her lips with a small smile. “I know, dear one. But you are still my little star. I am just glad that you are well.” She slipped her hands into her sleeves before a small frown crossed her lips. “Or perhaps not well, Ie’fei, what have you done to yourself?”

Liera opened and closed her mouth in confusion, not quite understanding what she had been doing wrong. “Master?”

The woman let out a small sigh but it was quite fond. “You need to let go of your hold on the Force and let it happen, Ie’fei. Holding back is draining you to exhaustion. And there’s no stopping the cycle at this point.”

Liera blinked at her dumbly for a long moment before realization hit her. “You mean I’m- really? But I thought Kix gave me something to stop it from happening?”

“Whatever the medic gave you has already metabolized and is days gone by now. You are going into Heat and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Not without damaging your body.” And from the stern look on her face that was not something her master would allow to happen.

Liera swallowed nervously. “Is it… I won’t lose myself completely, will I?”

“I apologize for the interruption, but I couldn’t help overhearing.” Turning when a voice she didn’t recognize called out to her she spied a middle aged human male with black hair and deep brown eyes. “I am Jedi Master Nico Diath, and I believe I can answer your question a little better.” He spoke with a refined Coruscanti accent that reminded her of the Diplomatic corps, yet his spirit didn’t have near the same amount of patience she’d commonly seen from their numbers.

“Thank you, Nico. I do believe you could speak from experience much better than I could explain from learned understanding.” Her master said with a smile.

“A Heat isn’t as overpowering as most propaganda and lurid holos would lead one to believe. While there is certainly a strong compulsion you will still retain your wits and your will. I’ve only experienced two Heats where I lost myself. One was from a strong concoction of drugs meant to scramble the mind and the other was a sickly Heat where I shut down to protect myself.” He didn’t give any details but she could tell from the flickering lights in his spirit that both instances had been highly unpleasant, if not downright traumatizing. But he was a Jedi Master and had no doubt already seen a mind healer.

“Thank you for explaining, Master Diath.” She said with a polite bow. “That eases my mind quite a bit.”

Master Fay smiled and placed a hand against her cheek, bringing her attention back to her. “There, you see? There is nothing to fear, Ie’fei. Let go.”

Taking a deep breath she released the tension in her body and unraveled the Force that she had wrapped tightly around herself. Almost immediately she felt a rush of warmth through her body and flushed as she suddenly realized just how Force be damned horny she was.

Nico gave her an understanding smile that softened his features and made him look a lot less stern. “Do you have somewhere safe to go through your heat?”

She thought about the tent she shared with Ahsoka and shook her head. “No, I’ve been sharing a tent with Knight Skywalker’s padawan, Ahsoka Tano. I wouldn’t want to… impose.”

The man let out an amused snort but nodded. “I have safe rooms on my ship for guests that can lock from the inside, would one of them suffice?”

“Yes, that would be-” before she could finish speaking an angry presence appeared and she gasped at the coldness of it. Instinctively she hid behind her Master, knowing deep to her core that the woman was ‘safe.’

“Ah, Knight Skywalker.” Master Diath turned to regard the angry blonde, standing at his full height and projecting a sense of authority. “It is nice to finally meet you. How is your former master doing?”

Skywalker stopped, Ahsoka on his heel, and gave the group a respectful bow. “Masters. I didn’t realize you would all be coming together.” As he spoke his suspicion and anger bled off into the Force, leaving the man calm if a little confused. “Master Kenobi is doing well, they just finished mopping up after their campaign and should be returning to Coruscant soon.”

“That is good to hear.” Master Diath looked past him and smiled at Ahsoka. “Is this your padawan?”

Sknywalker smiled brightly as he stepped aside so that Ahsoka was more visible. “Yes, this is my padawan Ahsoka Tano! Say hi, Snips.”

The young togruta smiled and bowed deeply. “It is an honor to meet you, Masters.” Her tone was respectful, but also filled with awe.

“Ahsoka, how wonderful. I will enjoy getting to know the younger generations of my lineage. But I am afraid we have a medical issue to deal with first.”

Both Skywalker and Ahsoka looked startled by this. “Medical issue, Master? Are you alright?” Ahsoka asked before her master could.

“Oh, I’m fine. It is my padawan I am worried after.”

Alarm from the teen in the force and suspicions-concern from Skywalker. His presence hit her like a runaway speeder as he tried to examine her in the force and she groaned in pain, pressing her forehead against her master’s back to try and hide in her calming, shielded, presence.

“That is quite enough, Knight Skywalker. You are causing my padawan discomfort.” Just as suddenly as it appeared his presence was gone again.

“I- she- your padawan is going into Heat!?” Skywalker asked incredulously. Loud enough that the troopers behind him were now quite aware of her condition.

There were flashes of interest and excitement, some lust even, but it was drowned out by the sheer number of troopers who were giving off concern for her wellbeing.

“She is. Jon, would you and Nico take Liera to the ship and get her settled? I need to speak with Knight Skywalker for a moment.”

Looking between her master and Skywalker she decided not to protest and just go with the two other masters.

As she got closer she could smell Master Diath, who was like sweet melon and grapefruit, and Master Jon, who smelled of peppermint and lemongrass. Both were giving off waves of calm and faint concern for her in the force. She glanced back at Master Fay but the woman just smiled at her, sending her reassurance, before her focus returned to Knight Skywalker.

Liera turned away and let Master Diath take her aboard his ship.

Chapter Text

[Fay]

The young Knight stood before her, bristling in the force and smelling… off. Not that she was actively trying to smell the younger Alpha, but he was giving off a very strong scent of discontent and confusion.

“How long has this been going on?” He demanded, turning towards his own padawan with a frown. “Snips, did you know?”

Padawan Tano quickly shook her head. “No! I knew she was feeling a little sick lately, but I thought that was cause she was working too hard!”

“My Padawan is skilled at controlling her own body with the force, she has been suppressing her Heat since I first sensed her presence.” Fay explained simply.

“B-but that’s been weeks!” The Padawan said in shock, her scent becoming concerned.

Crossing her arms inside her sleeves she nodded. “Besides myself, there have been very few healers of her caliber in our Order.” And it was a blessing to be able to teach her. “Her inborn strength and intuition in the living force is not something that can be taught. It is an intrinsic part of who she is.”

“She’s been walking around camp like that?” Skywalker asked, jaw clenched and eyes hard.

Behind her she could sense Nico’s indignation and knew that if he had not been concerned for the younger Omega next to him he would have turned around to give Skywalker a piece of his mind.

“Like what, Knight Skywalker?” She kept her tone carefully calm yet firm. Her presence alone was enough to remind the young man that he was in the presence of a Master.

Skywalker clenched his hands into fists, not a good sign about his current mental state. “In Heat! It’s a good thing I set a guard detail of Betas on her so nothing inappropriate happened. She shouldn’t have been allowed to roam around like that unprotected. We had to rescue her from a Separatist General, Force knows what would have happened to her otherwise.”

Next to him Padawan Tano’s eyes went wide, even as she winced. A deep sense of shame and guilt suddenly colored the air around her and she smelled distressed. It was clear she didn’t have the same mindset as her master. Which was a relief.

“I will ask this only once, Knight Skywalker, that you watch your words where it comes to my Padawan. Liera is her own sentient, not a child to be coddled, nor a liability to be mitigated. I am of a mind to inquire where you’ve gotten such odd notions about Omegas considering your Master is one of the most decorated of our Order currently.” Obi-wan wouldn’t have allowed those kinds of thoughts to fester in his padawan, former or not, if he knew about them. Neither would any Jedi Master, unless they had Fallen. But the chances of Obi-wan Falling were as likely as Master Vizsla coming back to life and taking over the war effort. “My Padawan is well aware of herself and her effect on others, being so finely attuned to the Living Force. She would be the first one to submit herself to a figure of authority if her condition became untenable.”

Skywalker froze at her stern yet chiding tone, his brow furrowing. She could sense a deep well of confusion within him and a faint feeling of darkness. Suddenly, like a spark catching on dry tinder, his anger flared. “You’re not even concerned she was at the mercy of a Separatist General?” He bit out, his scent turning acrid.

Master Fey drew herself up to her full height and stared the Knight down. He was puffing up with Alphan pride and bluster, yet she could feel the guilt and disgust churning inside him like a toxin. Her voice dropped lower, though it never reached the point of being an Alpha Voice. “Do not question my care and concern for my Padawan. I spent seven hundred years waiting for her return.” She let her voice lighten once it seemed like her point had been made. “I trust her to take care of herself. She is not helpless. You do her a disservice by underestimating her. I would lay down credits on her defeating even seasoned masters in a fight, if her ethics and morals didn’t get in the way of her use of the Force.”

Skywalker looked at her sceptically but she noted that Padawan Tano was nodding her head in agreement.

“In any case, as I am opposed to confrontation I will shelve this discussion for now. However, I will be bringing up these notions of yours to your Master and the Council.” Turning away from the knight in a clear dismissal she smiled at the Padawan. “Padawan Tano, when you have the time it would bring me great joy to get to know the newest member of my Lineage. I often meditate in the early afternoon, you are welcome to come and join me if you are free. In the meantime, I need to ensure my Padawan is settled. I bid you both a good day.” With a small bow of her head she turned and headed into Nico’s ship.

She had much to think about, none of it good, but Liera came first. The report to the Council could come later.

[Liera]

It was so hot. Hot and humid like the jungles of her home planet.

Opening her eyes in the near-dark room she turned to look at the tattoos running up her arm. Being reminded of her home planet had her running her fingers gently over the dark markings on her shoulder, remembering the bite of the needle as it entered her flesh and the burn as the ‘ink’ shut off her natural bioluminescence. A small gasp left her and she groaned, her fingers tightening around the fake cock in her hand. Pressing it further inside of her channel she felt the rising crest deep in her abdomen. But just like every time before the pressure cracked and bled out again, leaving her feeling unfulfilled once more.

She had no idea how long she had been in the room desperately trying to get herself off and failing.

It was maddening.

Unlike what Skywalker seemed to think, and ugh did she not want to contemplate him at the moment, she was actually quite experienced with sex. Master Fay had never tried to limit her experiences in that way, only cautioned against selfish attachment. Which had led her to quite a lot of fun places where she could test the boundaries of her sexuality.

In the end she had learned that she preferred to be fucked and that her partner had a humanoid cock. The types she was attracted to most had a couple of important traits in common. One, that they were physically strong with an athletic build. Two, that they could take charge and were commanding without going over the line. Three, that they had an honorable soul and were someone she could trust for the short time they were together. And four, that they accepted the fact that she was both a Jedi and a woman who really, really, wanted some rough sex. Bonus points for being willing to roleplay or run a proper scene. After care was, of course, not optional.

She knew her own body inside and out, both as a woman and as a healer. But yet! Here she was being completely at the mercy of her new biology with no way to assuage the deep burning desire in her core.

Leaving the toy where it was she curled up and reached for the one thing that had been helping keep her on an even keel the past couple of weeks. Only for her hand to close around nothing as she remembered the blanket Fives had given her was back in Ahsoka’s tent.

Fives. The moment she thought of him her mind latched on to an image of his smiling face, his eyes alight with mischief as he teased his brothers. She wondered if his eyes would darken or brighten with lust, and whether or not his rough hands would feel good on her thighs…

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she let out a small whimper as she felt more slick leak down her legs. Force she needed to come soon or she was going to go insane.

The door chimed and she startled, clamping down on the toy cock still inside her and letting out a moan before pressing her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound.

“I’ve come to check on you, Ie’fei, and leave some items outside your door. Are you remembering to drink water?” The sound of her master’s voice through the intercom was soothing.

Pulling herself together she slipped the toy cock out of her body and set it on the towel nearby. Even hornier than she’d ever been before she still preferred to be somewhat sanitary. She was still a healer. Slipping on a simple robe she made sure she was properly covered before going to the door and opening it. “Yes, Master, I’m remembering to drink water. Although I am running a little low.”

It took a lot of her concentration just to keep her voice and presence steady.

“Hrm. Your scent is still very strong and I can sense your frustration.” Her master frowned, her delicate lips turned downward slightly in worry. “But I’m afraid there is nothing anyone can do, you will just have to endure until it runs its course.”

“Can I-” Biting her lip she glanced at the floor before looking back up at her master. “Can I make a request?”

Master Fay gave her a reassuring smile and nodded.

“There is a purple blanket in the tent I shared with Padawan Tano. It was gifted to me by… a friend. I feel uneasy without it.” It was odd to ask her master for the equivalent of a comfort item, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Or the wonderful scent that had seeped into its fluffy fibers.

“I’ll go find Padawan Tano and ask her where I can find it.” Lifting the basket of items she held them out. “I’ll leave you alone for now, but I will check back again in another twelve hours.”

Liera smiled and took the basket of items before freezing in place. Twelve hours-? Her master had visited three other times, which meant that thirty-six hours had already passed. She had already been inside the room for a day and a half.

“Everyone must be so worried about me…” She muttered.

Master Fay let out a small chuckle. “They have someone standing by the shuttle in shifts, just in case the ‘Generals or Healers need anything.’ Some of them Nico was able to scare off, but many of them are too stubborn to budge.”

Liera felt her heart swell with joy and let out a chuckle of her own. Unfortunately the motion sent a wave of sensation through her body and she could feel her control slipping. Biting her lip for a moment to gain control she let out a slow breath. “Thank you Master, I’ll see you again in twelve hours.” Stepping back inside she quickly closed the door, not even bothering with the lock.

They were all Jedi of strong morals and character, there was no need for her to lock them out.

Sitting on the floor in the middle of her nest of blankets she looked through the basket and was surprised to find a small note from Kix, along with a small report on all of the patients she had been helping. Almost all of them had been discharged from the med tent with Kix’s seal of approval.

It was a very kind gesture and she couldn’t help send a wave of gratitude down their bond, before quickly closing it off again lest he feel her other more unpleasant emotions.

Grabbing the water pouch from the basket she pulled the top and drank deeply. She could feel how dehydrated her body was becoming from constantly producing slick and she frowned in concern. If her Heat didn’t calm down soon she might have to take drastic measures.

As her cunt throbbed with need, reminding her that she was woefully unfulfilled, she let out a small whimper and reached for the toy again.

She didn’t know how much more of this she could take.

[Fives]

It had been nearly two days now and no matter how much Kix or Rex reassured him Fives still felt antsy. The new Jedi had appeared out of nowhere and then suddenly Liera was going through a Heat and no one was allowed on the Jedi’s ship. In the back of his mind, the part he always considered his Alpha brain, he couldn’t help but feel like the Jedi were keeping him from his Ome- friend. His friend.

Shaking his head to clear it of the worst knot-headed thoughts he tried to focus on his current task. From the looks the vode around him were giving him- he wasn’t doing a very good job at it.

His comm chirped and he glanced down to see it was from Rex. “Sir?”

“Fives, report to the med tent immediately.” The seriousness of the Captain’s tone had him freezing in place. Had something happened to Liera?

“Yes, Sir.” He cut the comm and looked at the vode he’d been working with.

“Go on, we’ve got this.” Attie said, making a shooing motion at him.

Without a second thought he was up and making his way quickly to the medical tent.

When he arrived Brace was working near the front of the tent. He took one look at Fives and hurried over. “The Captain and Kix are waiting with Healer Fay. Not sure what you did, vod, but I have one suggestion- grovel like your life depends on it.”

Swallowing down his nerves he nodded at Brace in thanks before making his way to the back ‘office’ part of the medical tent. Inside, just as Brace had warned him, was Kix, Rex, and Liera’s master. In her hands was the blanket he had gifted to Liera and his inner Alpha wanted to snarl at the fact that another Alpha was touching the gift he’d given to his Ome-

“Fives, I presume?” The Jedi asked calmly, turning towards him with a knowing look that made him shiver. There was something about the other Alpha that just felt More. Like Liera but a hundred times stronger.

“Yes, this is Fives.” The Captain said, his entire body tense with a mixture of anger and disappointment. Next to him Kix was also glaring daggers.

Fives swallowed hard and forced his knees to lock in place. Otherwise he’d be falling to the ground and showing his neck in submission. Two of his pack’s leaders were pissed at him. It was not a comfortable feeling.

“Excellent.” Holding up the blanket the Jedi’s expression softened. “You’re the one who gave my padawan this blanket, correct?”

Something told him she already knew he was the one, so he nodded. “Yes, Sir. I noticed that Healer Liera wasn’t feeling well and thought she might like something for her…” he glanced at Rex and Kix, both of them still looked upset, “comfort.” He wanted to say for her nest, but he wasn’t sure if that would go over very well.

The Jedi nodded. “Thank you. My padawan has never experienced a Heat before and this blanket has been helping her immensely.” Stepping closer she held out the blanket. “She asked for this specifically, but I noticed that the scent on it is almost completely gone. I was wondering if you would be willing to reapply it.”

The looks of surprise on Rex and Kix’s faces were priceless, but he was sure he looked just as gobsmacked.

“I…” He looked at his superiors and hid a wince when Rex let out a loud sigh.

“Gen- Healer Fay, are you not… upset?”

The female Alpha blinked before letting out a small chuckle. “No, I’m not upset. My padawan has always been free with her affections and free to do with her body as she wished when not on duty. It is her choice, always. Someone showing her affection and care is not going to make me swell up with indignation.”

Fives could see how her words affected his vode. They shared a look that spoke volumes before turning back to the Jedi.

“That’s good to know, Sir, but… why did you also ask Kix and I to this meeting if it’s not for disciplinary action?”

The Jedi let out a small sigh. “When I checked in with my padawan last I asked for a blood sample. I have my suspicions but I wanted to ask Kix his opinion, as the attending healer when she was first brought in.” Pulling the blood sample out of… somewhere, she held it out to Kix. “I think my padawan might have a rare trait amongst Omegas.”

Taking the blood sample Kix quickly scanned it and poured over the data the moment it came up. “Fierfek! You’re right. This is a problem. If we don’t deal with this quickly it could result in a health crisis.”

Fives stiffened, a low growl rumbling through his chest.

It only stopped when his Captain, the leader of his pack, gave him a quelling look. “Kix? What’s the problem?”

Kix looked between them all, his expression souring.

The Jedi shook her head. “I can answer that. Liera’s Heat will not be satisfied with fake knots. She needs the influx of hormones from an Alpha, or her Heat will continue to get worse until her body shuts down to protect itself.”

All sound ceased after that, except for an odd rushing sound in his ears. Liera needed a knot. She needed an Alpha. Him. She needed him. The thought had him stumbling in place as all the blood rushed straight down. Fives didn’t think his cock had ever been that instantly hard in his entire life.

“Did you have a suggestion for how to move forward from here?” Kix asked the Jedi, his mouth a thin line.

The Jedi’s eyes bore into Fives. “I had hoped to ask someone close to her for assistance. But only on a volunteer basis. Liera’s ability to feel emotions from others is exceptionally strong. If someone is only helping her out of fear or duty she will refuse them. But if there’s someone who cares for her and wishes to help her, they will be welcomed.”

“Let me do it!” The words came out of him so quickly he worried they were gibberish.

All eyes turned towards him and he straightened his back.

“Fives.” Kix growled, eyes narrowed.

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” The Jedi said with a small knowing smile. “Will there be any problems if Fives comes with me?”

Rex stared down Kix, who looked ready to blow a gasket, before answering. “My only concern is General Skywalker. He is adamant that there should be no fraternization.” His lips pursed in distaste.

“If I had him temporarily reassigned as an extra guard on our way back to Coruscant, would that help?”

Rex frowned in thought. “That would work. But if you’re taking Fives you should take Echo as well. It will look more legitimate.”

Fives couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Were they really trying to undermine General Skywalker?

“Just give me one moment.” Pulling out her comm the Jedi turned away. A moment later High General Yoda appeared, frowning. “Yoda, it’s as I thought. Liera is not a standard Omega, and I’m going to request a couple of specific troopers accompany us back to Coruscant. For safety and security reasons I can’t divulge any more information, you understand.”

Grandmaster Yoda’s mouth became a thin line, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Understandable, that is. I will authorize you to take any troopers you need with you. Send them back to the 501st as soon as possible, we will.”

Master Fay smiled. “Thank you, my dear padawan. I will keep you informed of any changes. May the force be with you.”

“And with you, Master Fay.”

Switching off the comm the Jedi turned to them with a calm smile, though her eyes were sparkling with mischief. “It seems that we will be taking Fives and Echo with us to Coruscant, as suggested by Captain Rex. I have been assured they are highly trained ARC troopers with stellar records. The added protection for us wayward Jedi is quite welcome.”

Kix let out an incredulous snort and the captain had to look away for a moment to cough, hiding his laughter.

“Fives, I expect you and Echo to report to Nico’s ship within the hour. We will leave as soon as you are both on board. For now I will return to my Padawan and inform the others. May the Force be with you all.” She gave them a polite bow of the head before tucking the violet blanket back in the packaging and hiding it somewhere in her robes.

Once she was gone the Captain and Kix turned to him. Both looked equally upset with him and he realized that he was still in danger, regardless of what the Jedi had said.

“Of all the irresponsible things- a scent blanket!?” Kix snapped, incredulous. “How you even got it past the guards-”

“Easy, Kix.” Rex said, though his scent was no less aggravated. “Well, do you want to explain yourself?”

Stars, that disappointed look was the worst. He wanted to cringe out of his skin at the low growl in the captain’s voice. He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t lying.” He said quickly. “After that whole situation with the General in the mess tent, I thought she might need the extra comfort. I didn’t do it with any intentions other than that.” Had he wanted to? A little. But he knew it wasn’t his place.

The captain let out a sigh, even as Kix’s brow raised in disbelief. “You couldn’t have done it alone. I’m assuming Echo helped you.”

Fives kept his mouth shut, refusing to get his vod into trouble with the captain they both admired so much.

Kix let out a small growl. “You should have told me! For all we know having the scent of an Alpha in her nest, even if it was just for comfort, is what set off her Heat.” Rex put a hand on his shoulder and Kix took a couple deep breaths to calm himself. “There’s nothing to be done about it now. You’re lucky Healer Fay is so understanding.” His eyes narrowed. “You better take good care of her. If I find out you didn’t, there will be hell to pay vod’ika.”

Fives felt a growl work it’s way out of his throat, his fists clenched at his sides and his eyes narrowed. “I’d protect her with my life, she won’t come to any harm with me.” He swore, even as his inner Alpha railed against the idea that he would hurt the Omega. Accidentally or otherwise.

“Good.” Rex said, stopping the discussion in its tracks. “I’m going to contact Echo and give him your new marching orders. Go grab the rest of your kit and say any good-byes you need to.” He didn’t say ‘just in case,’ but it was a close thing.

There was a faint knock outside and Kix frowned slightly. “Enter!”

Jesse quickly ducked inside and after a quick scan of the room he hurried over to Kix. “Cyare.” He said with a subtle purr, his scent faintly sweet and voice gentle. Calming in the way only very, very, few vode could be. “Me'vaar?”

Kix pulled Jesse closer and nuzzled into his neck, the tension slowly easing out of his body. “Cyare.” He rumbled. “Ner mesh’la Om’ika.”

Fives averted his eyes, giving the Alpha and Omega pair a bit of privacy. He didn’t begrudge them their closeness, they had been together long before Fives had joined the 501st. But somewhere in the back of his mind he wished for that kind of closeness with someone. Liera’s face flashed across his mind but he shut that thought down quickly.

She was a Jedi, Yoda’s sister of all things, and a Healer. ARC or not, he was just a Clone. He couldn’t let her wanting his help mean anything other than an expression of friendship.

At the end of the day it was better not to dream at all than to have his dreams shattered. He would do what he could for Liera and thank the Force, or the Stars, that he was granted this much.