The Debutante and the Soldier - Complete

Ch 8

After the injured had been tended to, Kayla headed to the mess hall. She saw Rex and immediately looked away. She grabbed her tray of food and sat down at an empty table, keeping her head down. When she was halfway through her dinner she felt Rex's  shadow looming over her. She warily raised her eyes to look at him and he didn't look happy. "Rex?" Kayla said.

His brow was furrowed and his hands were clenching and unclenching. "What you did today was reckless. You could have gotten yourself killed and I'm transferring you to another battalion."

Kayla stood up from her chair so quickly it scraped against the floor. She pointed her finger at him and said, "You have no right to say that to me! I'm putting my life on the line same as your brothers-

"But you're NOT my brother!" Rex shouted at her.

Kayla slowly closed her mouth as Rex closed his eyes and took a breath. Rex had never shouted at her before and he usually didn't shout at anyone. Kayla's eyes were glassy with tears as she looked at him and said in a stern voice, "You are not my commanding officer. I answer to Anikan and the Republic. If you don't want me here, then fine, I'll transfer myself." Kayla stood for another moment as she said softly, "I thought we had something special, but you've shut me out. I don't know how to reach you, Rex and it's killing me." She looked down as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Rex clenched his jaw and said firmly, "You don't need to put yourself in danger. Go back to Coruscant and live your life." And then he turned away from her and stormed out of the mess hall. Kayla couldn't think. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She sat down and rested her head in her hands as she thought of what to do next.

Kayla left the mess hall and went to speak with Anakin. "I'm sorry, but I can't be here any more. Things aren't what I thought they would be," she said to him sadly.

"Does this have to do with you and Rex?"

Kayla looked at Anakin and said, "I don't want to say. But I wish him well."

Kayla was transferred to Coruscant and began training with the GAR to become an officer. They took into account her flying and combat record and she was quickly promoted and stationed on a Venator-class star destroyer.  She was head of communications, not a job she really wanted, but it kept her close to the front lines. She was able to keep tabs on the 501st, "Order 66." Kayla didn't know what it meant, but her ship was part of a transmission relay to the rest of the fleet. Then chaos broke out on her ship. They were far from Coruscant, close to the outer rim, when a Jedi on her star destroyer stole a shuttle and escaped. The gossip was the Jedi had betrayed the Republic and all Jedi were to be executed on sight. Kayla knew in her heart that it couldn't be true. She listened to the comms coming in, sifting for any clues as to what had really happened. She was with another female when she heard the news. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. A crew mate, Lisa, asked, "What's wrong?"

"I just heard the Jedi temple was attacked. All the younglings were killed by a Sith Lord."

Lisa shook her head in sadness. "That can't be! What about the guards and the Jedi temple guards?"

"I don't know. But that's what's been reported. And the supreme chancellor was attacked! This is crazy." Kayla immediately sent a message to Anakin's ship, asking for Rex or Obi-wan. She gasped as she heard they had both been killed.

Lisa asked, "What's wrong now?"

"Obi-wan, a Jedi general I worked with, is dead. And someone else I knew...I'm sorry, I have to go."

"What? Where are you going? Kayla?!" Lisa called after her.

But Kayla couldn't hear her through her tears as she ran down the halls. She ran to the shuttle bay and boarded one. "I've got to get out of here," she said to herself.