𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑽𝑶𝑰𝑪𝑬 ~Kix~

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂 𝓔𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽

"Calypso?" Kix asked as he laid eyes on the woman as he followed his men to their barracks on Coruscant. His jaw dropped at the sight of her. She smiled. Jesse nudged him with a grin and walked on with the rest of his men. They had just finished debriefing after the mission of umbara. Calypso gave him a wave. She stood with her sister, Cosette, as they waited for the men to return. "Where's Hardcase?" Cosette asked and Kix's expression fell almost immediately. "He's uh..." Kix began. "He didn't get to finish our last mission." Kix replied. Cosette pailed. She looked from Kix to the other men who walked by. "No..." She muttered. "You're lying." She said quickly. "Why would you lie?" She added. Calypso placed a hand on her stressed sister, trying to calm her. Kix was silent. All he did was shake his head. Cosette stepped back, pulling herself out of Calypso's grasp. "I can't do this." She said before running off. Calypso looked at her as she ran. She would have gone with her, but she could tell Cosette needed to be alone more then anything else. She turned back to Kix who still looked at her as if she were impossible. "Hello K-I-X." She signed with her small fingers. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "I came to see you." She signed back with a growing smile. "Yes, but why?" He added. "I love you."

"Can you believe it?" Jesse said to the men as they stripped their armor off. "It's like those princesses followed us." He added. "They couldn't have picked a worse time." Tup spoke up. The loss of not only Hardcase, but several men still weighed heavy on their consciousnesses. "The princesses are here?" Fives spoke up suddenly. "Yeah." Tup replied. "Didn't you see that mute one waiting for Kix after debriefing? I'm sure the oldest one is here too." "What about Courtney?" Fives asked and the men shrugged. "How should we know?" Dogma replied. The weight of everything was weighing on him the most. If he hadn't of trusted a fallen Jedi maybe they could have avoided some casualties. But sadly, that was not the case. "Where are you going?" Jesse finally spoke up as he noticed Fives slipping out of the barracks in his blacks. "Nowhere." Fives replied but everyone knew exactly where he was going or more importantly, who he was going to see.

"PRINCESS COURTNEY!!!" The door swooshed open and the clone was quickly silenced. "WHAT?" The woman screamed before realizing who had been knocking at her door and her face paled. "You can't be here." She replied quickly and Fives instantly frowned. "Why not?" He asked but Courtney pulled him into her room regardless. Fives always found this woman to be particularly difficult. The door closed behind the ARC trooper and Courtney ran her fingers through her brunette hair in a panicked fit. "Courtney what's wrong?" He asked and the woman's eyes looked at him. "I'm engaged." She said as she quickly flashed him her hand with a shining diamond ring on her finger. Fives' jaw dropped and his skin paled. "You're what?" "I'm engaged." She said flatly. "To who?" "Who do you think?" Courtney replied. "It's that Agamar prince isn't it?!" Fives asked, anger tainting his voice. "Yes." Courtney replied with a sigh. "And before you continue to get upset, he didn't give me much of a choice." Fives hesitated for a moment. He looked at Courtney, really looked at her. He could see the soft pain behind her eyes. She truly did not want to go through with this but was forcing herself to. She wanted to keep her people safe and he could respect that. It didn't mean he didn't love her anymore. He would always love her. But he would have to let her go. He sighed. "I understand." He finally said. "I just wish it could be different." He added as he stepped closer to her. "You know I do too." Courtney replied as she gently took his hands in hers. "But I have to do this." She replied slowly, her eyes meeting his. "I know you do." He replied and stepped closer, close enough the princess could feel his breath on her chest as she held his gaze. Their eyes searched each other's for a few moments before Fives finally leaned down to connect their lips in a fierce and final kiss. "When," he breathed against her lips. "When did he give you the ring?" "He came while I was studying before you returned." Courtney replied. "We are to be wed whenever he decides it to be convenient for him." Fives sighed. The sorrow in the woman was almost too much for him to take. He lifted one of her hands to his lips to press a small kiss to her delicate fingers. "I love you, my princess." "I know."

"Queen Caroline Canto of Atla," the chancellor introduced the young woman in a silk gold gown with a matching golden diadem and keen green eyes. "Has come before the senate to appeal for peace and protection from the senate." He added and the queen nodded, she was given the floor to speak. "My kingdom has been ruthlessly attacked by the separatists." She began, her formal voice echoed through the senate, startling even herself at the mere authority it held. "To offer in return for your consideration, Atla offers its own soldiers for the ongoing war and our resources to the people of the republic." "Does anyone hold a rejection to the queens request?" The chancellor asked to the many other senators who peered down at the blonde queen. "Will Atla continue to remain loyal to the republic after the war has ended?" A senator asked as he stood staring down at the queen. Caroline nodded. "Unless given a reason not to be, Atla will remain loyal to the republic." There was silence. No back talk for the queen. "If there are no further questions and no rejections, I will see to it that the kingdom of Atla is granted the alliance needed and welcome them to the republic." The chancellor added before looking down at Caroline and giving her a nod. Then just as swiftly as the hearing began it ended, the chancellor abjured the meeting and the senate was dismissed.