When the Cavalry Comes.

L

Cavalry groaned, dust and oil streaking her face as she staggered into the mess after a long day of helping the mechanics, which more or less translated into carrying stuff back and forth for them while they worked. Still, the machinery was comforting in a way she couldn't put perfectly into words. Cold, stoic, calm. Running with an absolute precision seen nowhere else but in a machine.

Fives was there, at a table with Kix, Dogma, and Appo. Dogma and Appo were getting ready to leave, however. Fives waved her over.

"If I sit with you, you're not gonna smack me for selling you out to Kix, are you?" She asked, holding her tray of rations. Fives snorted.

"I should, but I needed it anyways." He patted the seat next to him and she plopped down, groaning slightly.

Kix gave her a soft smile. "Sore?" Cav shrugged.

"Kinda. Started the day off with one of Dogma's sims, which were a nightmare as is, and then I was stuck cleaning oil out of hydrospanners forever. And I think I'm growing again, which is a pain."

Fives and Kix both winced. Growing pains were no stranger to clones, the accelerated aging leaving several clones curled into balls in their cadet bunks as their bones grew faster than their skin and muscles could keep up. Fives patted her on the shoulder. "Think you're gonna need new plates soon?" He asked, looking at her rough hewn armor.

"Hey, I can almost fit into some of yours, the smaller ones, at least. I'll probably have to trade in my grieves and vambraces soon, shinguards too. The skid plates are too long but fit lengthwise, and the plackart fits lengthwise but my waist is too slim for them." She listed off, ticking the pieces of armor off her fingers as she looked down at her kit.

Kix laughed at this. "Oh the pain of having an utterly unique body in an army of clones." He stirred his protein cubes. "Well, on the bright side, if you take after your ori'vod and make ARC they'll get you armor that fits perfectly."

"Kix, if she makes ARC I'll eat my pauldrons." Fives says without looking up. Cav freezes. Kix gives Fives a murderous look and kicks him under the table. "Ow! Kix, oh." Realization dawned on his face as Kix jerked his head towards Cavalry. "Cav, that is not what I meant in the slightest I..." he hesitates.

It stung. "You don't think I'll make ARC?" Her voice was flat as she studied him. Fives sighed, turning fully to face her.

"Will you hear me out?"

"Talk fast." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Cavalry, Vod'ika, don't get me wrong, but I seriously doubt you'll make ARC. You aren't a clone, and in the Kaminoan's eyes, you're only here because Fett insisted. I think you are amazing in your own right, and when the war is over I have zero doubts that you'll be snatched up my some highly specialized recon or operations unit. You may even be assigned to CF99, an experimental squad in the works." Fives said, running a hand through his hair.

"But I won't make ARC?" She wouldn't look at him, pushing food around her tray listlessly.

"I seriously doubt you will." Fives said softly. "Alpha 17 is a tough son of a hutt, and believes that we're the best human-variant fighting force in the galaxy. Mandalorians are already the strongest human varient and we're genetically modified beyond that... practically infallible. The other trainers too, are incredibly tough. And maybe it's the selfish ori'vod part of me that wants to see you safe, because even I almost didn't make the cut. Over 70% of the troopers sent to ARC training die, 50% in the first month. And I firmly believe that you are the strongest mentally out of almost all of us, but that type of uphill battle would break you." He reaches out like he's going to hug her, then stops.