Shattered Stars (TCW)

Chapter 29 -- Little Talks

A/N: We reached #1 in clonetroopers this past week! We're not anymore, but it still means so much! Thank you to all my readers!

The morale of Clone Commander Ace and his men has plummeted. Ace turns to his distant former general, Taska Rokanh, for comfort in this dark time.

"You are dismissed."

"Yes, General," Ace saluted, and made his way back to the barracks.

"How'd the briefing go?" Lark asked, looking up from doodling a design on the back of his helmet.

"Well, it was General Lago, so," Ace tossed his helmet onto the top bunk before sitting down across from him.

"Be... careful how loud you say that," Lark warned cautiously. "I don't think he'd like hearing that."

" 'M going to use the fresher," the commander mumbled in response, feeling worse than ever that he couldn't help Lark deal with his distrustful feelings and low mood.

Once he stepped into the hall, he ducked into the nearest maintenance closet, clutching the communicator in the pouch on his belt. He sent a pulse to Taska.

"Hello?" her voice crackled over the comm a few seconds later.

"Hey, it's me," he said.

"Hey! I'm glad to hear your voice," she said over the roar of speeders in the background. "How are you?"

"Ah, that's... it doesn't matter. How are you," he dodged.

"Well, it's only been a week, but I do feel a little better. I got a job providing security for a local establishment. And saved some girls from stupid men. My manager was grateful, so she gave me a bonus. Even though rent is high, I should be able to save up enough to buy passage to Saleucami in another week or so."

"That's... good," he said, his voice gravelly.

"But still, what about you? I don't want you thinking even though I'm not there that I suddenly don't care anymore," she insisted. "What's going on? What's your new General like?"

He sighed heavily. "Honestly? He's not good. Morale was already down since you left, but he's just making it worse. He doesn't—he just doesn't care, Taska. Not like you do."

"You sound angry. What did he do?"

Clearing his throat, he admitted, "He lost Vis. We lost Vis. He heard, or noticed something, and the General insisted it was nothing. I didn't like it, but we had to keep going.

"We got ambushed, and he was the first to go."

She gasped. "That's terrible," she whispered. "I never should have left, should I have?" All the happiness that had been in her voice moments before seemed to have drained.

"No, no, don't blame yourself, Taska," he said, the lump in his throat growing larger. "None of this is your fault.

"Maybe we should leave."

A sharp inhale came from the other side of the call, and Ace flinched as he realized the weight of the words that had left his mouth so thoughtlessly.

"Hey, I didn't—don't think too much about it, I didn't mean it—"

"No, I—don't apologize," her voice broke through the static on the line. "It's just," she gave a heavy sigh. "You and your brothers... ah, no, forget it. You, um, you should have a choice."

"What do you mean?" Ace asked carefully.

Taska gave a bitter laugh. "Ace, I hardly know anymore. Listen, I've got to go now. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yes, si—Taska. Take care of yourself, too."

* * *

Ace made his way into the medbay, which was half full with sleeping and drugged soldiers. A'den waved him into his office.

"Did you talk to her?" He asked once the door was closed, uncomfortable with calling his former general by her first name. A'den was the first one of his brothers he had told about Taska's departure, and the only one who knew about the communicator.

Ace nodded tersely.

"Did she give me permission to kill General Lago?"

"Easy, brother. I've already had to save your life once this week," he said.

After they were ambushed, A'den had lived up to his name, yelling at the General for being so careless with his men's lives. Had Ace not deescalated the situation, there was no doubt in his mind that A'den would be the one he was carrying limp over his shoulder that day.

A'den huffed. "I used to believe in the Republic we were fighting for, but when they trust men like him to fight for them, I don't know if I should. I'm not saying that the Separatists are right—" he rushed.

"It's alright," Ace soothed. "I know, I said the same thing to Taska. Sort of."

"What did she say?" The medic asked, grasping for her words like a lifeline.

"She seemed... troubled," the commander said slowly. "But she very clearly said that she thought that we should... have a choice."

"A choice," A'den repeated carefully. "Never really got one of those, did we?"

"No," Ace said, smiling at A'den's wry humor. "You think we should make one?"

He looked into his commander's eyes, rebellious and resolute. "Lead the way."