𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘

𝟎𝟏𝟓. 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭

015. WARNING THE EAST

∘₊✧───────────────────────────✧₊∘

ACE HAD BEEN AGAINST THE IDEA OF LEAVING HIS POST, BUT WHEN THE COMMANDER SET HER MIND TO SOMETHING, IT WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP HER. He'd learned a long time ago to concede just a bit of control in order to maintain the situation. Unfortunately, the situation was far beyond his control.

He cautiously poked his head around a corner, before quickly recoiling as the clatter of clankers could be heard just down the hall. He lifted a fist so that his team knew to hang back as the roaming droids passed.

"Stay alert," Ace warned in a harsh whisper under his breath before motioning for his team to follow. He'd only taken a few steps before his ear twitched at the sound of armor knocking against itself. He glanced over his shoulder and silently sighed at how tense his troops held themselves. He specifically called out Bits who held his blaster close to his chest as if afraid he might lose it. "Loosen up, Bits. You're rattling."

Burst quietly chuckled under his breath, but even quiet for the large clone was louder than the captain liked. "You might just snap yourself in half, orikih."

The tension in Bits's shoulder shifted from a behavior of nervousness to one of anger. From his reaction, Arimiya could tell whatever had been said in Mando'a hadn't been flattering.

Her brow knit in confusion as she turned to face the team medic. "What did he say?"

"Orikih?" Skid asked for clarification but didn't actually give her time to answer. "It means 'tiny.'"

Burst either didn't notice Bits's frustration, or cared more about getting under the younger clone's skin, so he showed no hesitation as he slapped the back of Bits's armor. "I'd hate for Skid to be the one to put you back together again. Seriously, loosen up, mate."

Bits rolled his eyes from beneath his helmet, readjusting his blaster to release his building nervous energy. "This place gives me the creeps."

Burst nodded his head in agreement after the beat of silence that he used to look around the area. "That makes two of us."

"The sooner we warn the Jedi Masters, the sooner we can leave," Ahsoka hissed under her breath to remind them of their goal.

Ace nodded in agreement, signaling for the team to move on, but sighed at the soft rattling that Bits failed to conceal. "One last time, loosen up, soldier."

"Alright, alright," Bits's tone grew defensive as he tried to ease the tension from his shoulders. "I'm looser than the Woodoos, I'm looser than all the ends of this assignment. I'm looser than a—"

He was interrupted in the middle of his rant as they turned the corner and clone crashed into clone. 501st blue and 212th orange clashed against 107th black. Ahsoka and Arimiya narrowly stepped back in time to avoid the collision, and facepalmed at the lack of stealth displayed from those that prided themselves on their covert operations. It certainly didn't help that Bits dropped his blaster and released a shrill shout of alarm, immediately followed by Burst's boisterous laughter.