The Mandalorian Jedi

Part Two: Chapter Three

I wanted to grin, to run up to him and hug him but I was smarter than that, so I didn't loosen my grip on my saber, I continued to hold it in front of me and slowly reach towards the other one as I stared into the familiar eyes that belonged to millions of men across the galaxy. I ignored the slight shake in my hand and the carefully hidden memories that started to emerge just at the sight of him. I tried to push the image of dozens of clones lying dead at my hand out of my mind. Given the lump that started to form in my throat and shake in my hand growing I would say I failed.

"You're alive." I wasn't expecting the relief in his voice or the slightly lopsided smile, identical to the one he had given me as we ran through blaster fire together. We had remained friends, Tripp and I, long after Norah and I had rescued the captured clones. We had played Sabacc together countless times while Ahsoka and Rex looked over our shoulders and loudly declared we were most definitely both cheating. I had taught him a few basic lightsaber moves much to Mace's disapproval and the jealousy of many other clones. For a while he had been to me what Rex was to Anakin and 'Shoka, or Cody to Obi-Wan. I had always wondered what had happened to him, if I would ever see him again and that praying to the gods that I never would because I knew I would never be able to forgive myself for having to kill him. I waited for him to pull a blaster on me. For my subconscious flick of a wrist that would send the shot spiralling back into him. It didn't come.

He didn't speak again, waiting to see what I would do. We stood there for a few minutes. I tried to figure out what he would do if I retracted the glowing blade in front of me. I let myself think back to that night for a second. None of the clones had hesitated in following their orders. It hadn't mattered to them whether they lived or died. It clearly mattered to him and so, ever so slowly, inch by inch, I lowered the saber. I kept it in my hand, the blade still thrumming, but it was enough to let his posture relax slightly.

"General." He said it again and this time I winced at the title.
"I'm not a General, Tripp." I think he would have said something if he hadn't noticed the guilt in my eyes as I continued looking at him.
"Of course, Sir."
"Tripp. Please. Stop. I'm not your General, your Sir, your Commander. Not anything. I stopped deserving those titles a long time ago."
"Right, of course-" he cut himself off before adding anything to the end of that sentence. What once would have been an easy conversation was stilted and tense. The wrong move and one of us was dead at the others hands. After another moment he spoke again,

"I thought you were dead. How the hell did you get out?" I let myself think for a moment, deciding how to respond but there was something about being here, in this alley with him that forced the words out of my mouth before I could stop myself,
"Oh please, my death has to be way more dramatic than being shot. That's far too generic." Of all the things, I had not been expecting to be making jokes that day but I couldn't help myself. I mean it was Tripp for kriff's sake. Mutual sarcasm was the basis of our relationship,
"Right. Swirling cloaks, over the top lightsaber fight, whole bunch of enemies killed in the process?"
"You can't forget the dramatic music."
"Please tell me you don't carry speakers around for when an Inquisitor happens upon you."
"That's a good idea actually, maybe I should invest in some. Wire them into my lightsabers." Tripp snorted and I grinned. Grinned. Kriffing grinned. I hadn't done that in a very long time.
"What happened to your inhibitor chip?"
"I'm not sure... I don't really remember that night, I remember trying to kill someone. Hearing your voice telling me I was just as real as anyone else, just as important. I guess that broke me out of whatever control I was under long enough for me to rip it out. Fives was right, all along. I just wish we hadn't been to cowardly to see it." It was enough for me to turn off my saber and clip it back onto my belt. I don't know who moved first but within seconds we were gripping each other as though we were each other's lifeline.

We stood there for minutes, too scared to let go and face the real world again. Eventually Naakla got bored and growled, butting her head against my leg. I chuckled slightly and let go, wiping away a tear I hadn't even realised I'd shed,
"You need a haircut and a shave. You look like osik."
"I missed you too."
"Ach ne'johaa." He raised an eyebrow and I gave him a pat on the shoulder, "I might have too. Just a bit."
"Sure General, sure. 'Just a bit' my ass." It wasn't until then that I realised why that name made me feel sick to my stomach. Tripp noticed the smile fall off my face and frowned,
"I know that you think just because the war is over you're no longer a General but you are. To me, to so many others."
"It's not that. I just... I have killed so many of your people, my friends. I murdered them. I told you all so many times that you were more than just puppets to be used and discarded but when the time came... I didn't hesitate for a second, Tripp. I didn't give anyone a chance, I just slaughtered them. How can I possibly be a General when I massacre my own men for something out of their control?" My voice was shaking by the end of it. The guilt I had barely realised existed was flooding to the surface. I had never quite recognised the toll those deaths took on me, both the ones that night and in the days and weeks following. The sadness in Tripp's eyes only made it worse but he swallowed down any emotion he may have felt and took a deep breath,
"You did what you had to do. If you hadn't killed them, they would have killed you. I know saying that doesn't exactly help but it's the truth. Those weren't the men you fought alongside. They were just an extension of the Emperor and nothing more."
"I just wish there was something more I could have done."
"You survived to fight for a better future. You were their General, the one person who stood by them when no one else would. You earned that title a thousand times over and they wanted nothing more than for you to carry on fighting for a galaxy worth living in."
"That was very inspiring, you been practicing that?"
"...Maybe... we need to go." I frowned at the abrupt change in tone and the sudden grip Tripp had on my arm as he dragged me out into the bustling streets ahead, swinging Naakla into his arms as he went.

He flicked the hood of the cape covering his broken armour up over his head and I followed suit. Tripp didn't scare easily so I figured it was best to assume the worst. After almost an hour of weaving our way through the crowds we finally came to a halt in another, even smaller, stuffier and more disgusting back alley.

"What the hell was that?"
"Sorry. I forgot about the whole on the run thing."
"Meaning?"
"How do you think I found you? There's a bounty on your head. A massive one. They know you're alive now and they're going to be coming for you in droves. You need to hide."
"Yeah, I had a plan for that actually. I'm thinking we might need more than just two of us though."
"I'm sure I can figure something out. What are you thinking?"
"Oh just breaking into a highly secure, secret, Hutt facility. Nothing too big."
"I wouldn't expect anything less. I think I know some people who can help."

Osik – Sh*t

Ne'johaa – Shut up