When the Cavalry Comes.

XVII

Cavalry was one of the first awake in the barracks. Probably due to being one of the only ones not hung over. Tup was awake too.

"I take it that you're not part of the gang hitting the refreshers early to puke their guts out?" She asked. Tup shrugged.

"Don't care much for alcohol. Feels too much like an allergic reaction too me."

Cav winced, remembering the rigorous allergy testing she had went through after getting a bad rash from something a off world trainer brought with them.

"Ouch. That's not fun." She commented.

"Yeah." Tup sighed. "You heading to the mess?" Cavalry shrugged.

"Eventually. I was going to go find some towel or something to fold under these." She motioned to the crutches under her arms. "They start to hurt after a while."

"Oh. Well. Good luck." The hallway split and diverged. Cavalry caught sight of white and blue montrals exiting a room that was distinctly not hers and rushed to catch up with her friend.

"So spill." She said, falling in step with the jedi. "How's the captain?" Commander Tano paused for a beat.

"Uh... hungover, currently. I was going to the infirmary to grab him some pain killers. I just needed to move and stretch my legs. " Ahsoka stared straight ahead, the strips on her lekku darkening a few shades. Cav's grin widened.

"Wow. You managed to put up with a hungover clone without blasting them or them blasting you? I'm... actually, considering it's you and Rex, I shouldn't be surprised," Ahsoka shot her strange look. Cavalry shrugged. "Most clones are temperamental when hungover, and all clones are terrible patients." Ahsoka snickered, before letting out an all out laugh. Cavalry joined her, and the girls giggled together until they had to lean on one another for support.

"You can say that again. Kix had to practically stun Rex to get him to come to the medbay after our incident with the trandoshans." The Commander snorted. Cavalry gave her a sly grin.

"Ooooh, is this where you guys pulled the sappy confession in the rain?" She poked. Ahsoka's chevrons on her montrails and lekku turned the color of Cav's blacks.

"It wasn't in the rain... it... he... Uhhhgggg." She groaned, pinching her brow in frustration. They approached the infirmary and Cavalry followed her in. Kix looked up from his desk as they drew near.

"Let me guess. Painkillers for Rex's hangover and a checkup on the foot?" He smiled, already knowing that he was right. The girls nodded. Kix passed Ahsoka a bottle, and had Cavalry sit down on a stretcher as he examined her foot. She set the crutches off to the side as he tugged off her boot and unrolled almost an entire roll of bandages. She didn't flinch when he manipulated the joint of her ankle, and a quick scan revealed the bone to be almost completely healed.

"The fracture seems to be healing well. Any stiffness or abnormal aches from it?" He questioned, rewrapping the bandages around her foot. Cavalry shook her head before stuffing her boot on. Commander Tano gave her a lopsided grin. Kix gave a rueful shake of his head.

"I'd recommend a couple more days with the crutches, but you should be good by now. I swear, between Ahsoka's jedi antics and your clone stubbornness-" He was cut off as the ship suddenly lurched violently to the side, lights dimming as alarms blared. Kix let loose a slew of foul words in mando'a that would have made Fives splutter like a drowned cat.

Cav would have to remember those words.

Ahsoka took off through the halls as the lights flickered again. Cav picked herself up off the wall she had fallen against.

"What was that!?" She yelped as the ship lurched once more. Medical implements went flying.

"Nothing good. Go get the rest of your barracks up if they're not already. I think we're under attack." Kix ordered. Cavalry saluted and moved to obey when there was a sharp crackling sound and they were plunged into darkness.

Not good.

"Here." Kix tossed her a flashlight. "Go!"

She stumbled through the corridors as the gravity seemed to flicker. She threw open the doors to the barracks and was met with the controlled chaos of seventy other clones suiting up. Most already had their helmets on and were using their HUDs to see. Cav stumbled to her bunk and yanked her hair up before jamming on her helmet and blinking twice to activate night vision and listen for orders.

There was static for a few seconds before officer's voices came through, relaying instructions. Cav grabbed her knives and blaster as they made their way to several designated areas and swept them for any enemies.

The gravity and dim emergency lights continued to flicker, making them all stumble and yelp as they were blinded.

"Starboard block is clear." Jesse's voice crackled over comms and out loud.

"Make your way to stabilized rooms. The grave generators are failing and there's go na be a lot of debris in the air." Skywalker's voice came.

"Sir yes sir."

Cav limped along, her ankle starting to ache. She regretted leaving the crutches behind now. They entered the stabilized safe room and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Minutes later she saw blue and white lekku in the doorway. Ahsoka and Fives were arguing about something before she gave him the order to hold the room. Cav fidgeted with the handle of a knife, feeling the subtle shift in gravity as the room's stabilizers tried to keep up.

The lights flickered, then died, then flickered once more.

The doors were wrenched open and the Captain as well as Commander Tano stumbled through.

Then the lights for the final time. Gravity too. Cavalry yelped and grabbed at the wall and the air around, desperate to find some purchase so she wouldn't go tumbling through the room.

"Cav!" A hand grabbed her shoulder. Neon. He had found a handle and pulled her towards him.

"Everybody quiet!" The captain roared. The room descended into silence immediately. Complete silence.

Cav watched through her helmet as realization dawned across face after face before it hit her.

There was no sound of the air recyclers.