When the Cavalry Comes.

XXIV

Cav shot upright as the cruiser lurched and the lights flickered, panicking as they went out for a second. Kix was rushing to and fro, yelling at the medics under him to prep for wounded clones and togruta alike. Cav hunched over and pulled the blankets tight around her, caught between her training telling her to join the fight and the trauma of the attack on the Resolute telling her to hide.

She took a couple deepish breaths, suppressing coughs as she slid out of bed and kitted up, hurrying to find Kix. He glanced at her and frowned.

"You aren't clear for active duty yet." He admonished. Cav held up her hands, palms up and flicking her wrists a bit.

"She says she's an extra set of hands if you need it." Fives yelled at Kix as he paused in the medbay from his rush. "Skywalker has made contact, Kenobi too. Purely superficial wounds for both." He reported. Kix nodded and started prepping gurneys, directing Cav to help.

"And the Captain and Commander?" Kix asked.

"Captain Rex has just been found, in a bad shape. No clue about the Commander yet, General Koon is looking for her. I'm no medic but it looks like bacta for both of them." His wristcomm beeped and he swore. "Keep the medbay prepped." He ordered Kix and took off at a deadsprint down the hallway.

Kix tiredly saluted to empty air as Fives left.

"Cav, get the cleaning kits out and thread the suture needles for me please." He commanded. Cavalry obeyed, getting the stuff ready for him. The ship lurched again, then a final time. Tense minutes passed as the two busied themselves with any togruta in critical condition that were rushed to them.

A small child was crying as Kix worked feverishly on some family member. Cav tried to sooth her but she didn't speak her language and her HUD translator couldn't make heads or tails of the crying child's speech.

"Kix, we've got the civilians." A new voice spoke up as a small team of medics from the 104th entered. "The two COs need you."

Kix nodded. "Cav, get some rest. Don't wear yourself out too much." She grunted in displeasure. "You've seen enough excitement for today. I'll send Fives back here if I see...him... oh kriffing-" he cut off as the sound of gurney wheels clattered down the hall. Cav caught a flash of bloody orange skin on the first gurney and blond hair on the second. There was a trail of blood on the floor,  but she couldn't tell from which.

"What's a kid doing here?" She heard behind her as she forced herself back to her bed on stiff legs. "Wonder who he had to kill to get that armor."

"He's not wearing binders though. Can't be a criminal. Jedi, maybe?"

"No lightsaber. Are those knives? Wonder where the kid got those."

She sniffed at their chatter, removing her helmet and studying it.

"The kid can hear." She rasped hoarsely, giving the medics from the other battalion a sidelong stare. "And the kid think's that you can just ask rather than assume stuff about her." She turned her head to cough and grabbed at her hot water mug, only to find that it's gotten cold. Cavalry stood with a grunt and shoved the cold cup of water into the small reheater that Kix used for multi day old caf.

"Sorry... Kid?" One offered awkwardly. He was elbowed by the trooper next to him. She just gave them flat stares over the top of her mug as she retrieved it from the reheater.

"It's Cavalry." She boarder line snarled.

"...Right." They sighed and left her alone, getting back to work. All there really was to do outside of making sure nobody in the ward suddenly flatlined was cleanup. She watched as they packed up Kix's organized kits haphazardly and went to shove them on the shelves. She rolled her eyes with a sneer and stood to help them.