When the Cavalry Comes.

XXIX

"What?" Cav asked, her mouth falling open as Fives debriefed her.

"You heard me. Me, you, and Skywalker are supposed to catch the murderers of General Kenobi." Fives rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Who's in charge of the 212th? How long has Kenobi been dead?" She scanned through the terribly thin file she had been handed.

"No clue, and roughly two days? I think?" Fives slumped in his messy excuse for a desk shoved in the corner of the ARC barracks. "I'm high enough up to have to deal with the kark load of paperwork but not high enough to know what's going on."

"What about the captain and commander? They're certainly more qualified than we are for something like this?" Cav asked. Fives shook his head

"Rako Hardeen, Kenobi's killer, slipped a miniscule concussion bug onto the Commander's armband. It got the info of where he was being held and he was broken out, as well as putting the good Captain and Commander out of commission for at least a couple weeks, if not months. The captain took the brunt of the blast, breaking several bones and is now in critical with internal bleeding and a severe concussion. I don't know about the Commander's position, but I'm guessing it's just as bad." Fives glanced down at his paperwork before unceremoniously slamming his head several times into the desk.

Cav watched the strange ritual without comment.

"So yay. I'm Rex's lieutenant and now I get to be in charge of the kriffing Torrent and struggle with the entire rest of the battalion. While also going on an extended stealth incursion to apprehend fugitives." He grumbled facedown in his paper work.

"And giving yourself a concussion fixes that?" Cav remarked dryly.

"No, but it'll get Kix to give me some painkillers. Make me feel better before I start burning paperwork."

"That's illegal."

"What have I taught you about illegal things?"

"It's only trouble when you're caught." Cav recited dutifully.

"Well done trooper." Fives mimicked the clipped tones of a kaminoan instructor.

"...Fives, where has the completed record copies I gave you gone to?"

"...I plead the fifth."

"We don't have rights, di'kut."

"I saved the copies. Burned copies of the copies."

Cav giggled. "Pyromaniac."

"Child."

"I'm older than you." She pulled out one of her knives and began cutting her nails with them.

"I can drink." Fives's disgruntled expression was fading softly, replaced with fond enjoyment of the banter the two often shared.

"So can I, I can go ask Jesse right now for a drink and he'll give it over."

"I can go to the 79's." Fives leaned forward on the desk, knowing he scored a winning blow. Cav pouted and kicked her legs grumpily over the edge of the cott that she sat on.

"Kix is getting me an ID chit eventually." She muttered.

"He knows the only time those are used are for checking age for various things." Fives picked up his stylus again.

"If I'm registered as a clone in the GAR I can go in. They just won't let me drink." It was a losing argument and Cav knew it. Fives took pity on her and changed the subject.

"Are you ready to go? Skywalker is chomping at the bit until they're given all the clearances to let us go."

"I've got my basic kit at the ready. Anything else I should bring? I've never been on a small group mission before outside of kamino training missions." She muttered.