𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑽𝑶𝑰𝑪𝑬 ~Kix~

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝔂 𝓣𝔀𝓸

Courtney's return to Coruscant was unfortunately not as warm and well received as she would have thought. When she finally found her sister Caroline who was in the business of departing for Atla the two did not have the most pleasant conversation. "You did what?" Caroline snapped at her younger sister with wide eyes of furry. "Courtney, honestly, how have you become so careless?" she asked. "What will stop Agamar now from raging war on Atla?" The queen asked as she brought a bag of luggage to a protocol droid that Padme had provided her with to assist with her departure back to her home world. "Finnian will not wage war on Atla." Courtney replied with an attitude. "His own people hate him now because their eyes have been opened." She replied. "They won't listen to a king who keeps the truth from them." She added. "Courtney," Caroline said, her eyes full of disappointment. "What you have done is extremely selfish." "Are you serious right now, Caroline?" Courtney nearly shouted. "Selfish?!" She added. "You're the one who made the rule about 'the princesses no longer have to marry those they were arranged to if they don't want to'." She replied. "Why even you refused to marry the man who was promised to you!" Courtney added. "And you dare to call me selfish?!" She added. "You did this so you could come be with that clone, didn't you?" Caroline asked. Courtney didn't respond. "Well he's not here." Caroline told her. "He and the rest of his battalion left a while ago for Ringo Vinda." "When will they be back?" Courtney asked. "I don't know." Caroline said. "Probably not for some time." She added. "I think it best that you return to Atla with me where we can forget all of this ever happened." Caroline said. Courtney could tell there was a double intent behind her sister's words. "He went with them, didn't he?" Courtney asked. "Your clone captain." She said. "He is also gone isn't he?" She asked and this time Caroline was silent. "We need to return to Atla, Courtney." Caroline insisted. "Well you can." She told her. "I will stay here."

The return of the 501st to Coruscant was not as swift as Courtney would have hopped. They returned late one night to which she noticed she couldn't find her beloved Fives. She stopped one of the men wearing the familiar blue armor in the halls of the GAR facility. She knew this clone, it was the beloved partner of her little sister Calypso. "The clone named Fives," She began as she approached him. "Where is he?" Kix's face grew dim and Courtney found herself fearing for the worst. "He's not- he's not dead, is he?" She asked slowly and Kix shook his head. "He's not, but he's being rather difficult for the GAR to help." he replied. "What do you mean?" Courtney asked, her eyebrows were knitted into confusion. "One of our men turned on us mid battle and shot one of the Jedi Generals leading us." Kix informed her. "Fives defended him, as any clone would, but the clone who turned was taken to be investigated on Kamino, the cloning facilities. There the medical staff are experts on all things clones and would be able to figure out what made the clone turn on his own general." Kix added. "Fives went along, claiming that he wanted to help his brother and figure out what had happened to him. But things have gone south. The clone who turned has died and Fives seems to be following in his footsteps. He is refusing to be helped by the kaminoans and has escaped the cloning facility." He informed her. "That dosen't sound like Fives." Courtney told Kix. "I agree." He said. "I believe something else is going on but exactly what, I'm not sure." He explained. "I'd need to do my own research." he added. "In the mean time I suggest you stay here and wait to hear from him." He told the princess. "If he has truly successfully escaped he will find his way to you."

"K - I - X," The mute princess signed the name perfectly as the clone medic returned from the news of Fives. He was obviously worried and disheveled. "K - I - X what's wrong?" She signed and the medic sighed. "It's Fives." He replied. "He's gone." "Gone how?" Calypso asked, signing the words carefully. "He's dead, Calypso." he replied. "What?" Calypso signed, her eyes widening in a sign of sudden panic. "How?" She continued. Kix sighed again, his eyes watering at the memory. "There was something- wrong- with him." Kix said slowly. "What?" "I don't know!" Kix said a little harshly, scaring Calypso and causing her to step back away from him like a cowering animal. "Sorry... I'm sorry... I'ts just- Something happened to him and it's something I can't explain. I have to do my own research and figure it out." He told her and Calypso nodded at his words. "I owe it to him to know what happened." He added. "Which is why I'm leaving."

"Fives?" Courtney called out the name she had known so dearly. "Are you here?" She added. Fives had left her a message after two days of waiting to hear from him. He left a note on her bed in her quarters at the senate building where she had been staying to wait to hear more news about him. The note had said simply, "Courtney, Meet me at these coordinates. I'll explain everything. -Fives" the air was deathly silent for a long time as Courtney grew more and more anxious as the seconds passed by. "I almost thought you weren't coming." The voice of a man brushed away all her anxieties as she looked over to see Fives, crawling out of the darkness, wearing a uniform she did not recognize. "Fives!" She said happily, a smile bloomed on her lips as she ran to him. "Hello princess." He replied as she threw her arms around him in an embrace. Fives chuckled happily at the sight, at the pure warmth that was Courtney Canto in that moment. She looked up at him, wide blue eyes, and kissed him. The kiss was fierce. It was punctuated by a time of great separation and desire for each other. But it didn't last long. "Courtney," Fives said as he pulled back. "I can't stay long." "What do you mean?" She asked, obviously not happy from that bit of information. "There's something- wrong." "What? What is? What's wrong?" "The clones... all of us... theres something wrong with us. We all have these chips- it's what happened to Tup - the chancellor did it - Kix knows." "Fives you aren't making sense." Courtney said as she shook her head. "In here!" Familiar voices called from outside. "This is where he said to meet him!" Another added. "You need to go." Fives quickly told Courtney who scoffed. "You were gone for so long and now you want to leave me again?" "It's not ideal but it's the cons of loving a solider." He replied. "But you need to go before you are spotted. General Skywalker and Captain Rex are here, I'm going to tell them everything." Fives added. He pressed one last short lived kiss on her lips. "Now go."