Rebels on the Run

Chapter Three

You wake up to the smell of something sweet floating into your bedroom. You keep your eyes closed for a moment, allowing yourself to believe that it's some cinnamon pancakes that Ringo and Tayah are bringing to you as a surprise for your birthday. Ahni and Kwol follow behind with the gifts the twins picked out for you, as well as their own gifts for you. Everyone is safe, everyone is alive, everyone is back at the palace on Dohbar where they belong.

The smell of burning and a quiet swear breaks you from your imagination, and reality hits again. Ringo is dead, Tayah is somewhere out in the galaxy, Ahni and Kwol are alone at the palace, and it's another sad birthday for you.

You throw your robe off before sitting up, letting out a sigh before pushing to your feet. It had been cold last night, colder than normal, and you'd given your thin blanket to Howzer so he could keep warm, leaving you with just your robe for warmth. You squint your eyes as you walk out, not being prepared for the glare of the sun.

"Good morning," you say with a yawn, startling Howzer slightly before he turns to offer you a smile, "whatcha making?"

"Uh," he says, glancing back down, "well I was trying to make some sort of...thing."

You hum in response before walking over and sitting next to him. "What sort of thing was it supposed to be?"

"Well, I took a piece of bread and added some of these spices to it," he starts, motioning to the side, "and I added some...syrup. And then I remembered I had something else in my room and went to grab it, only to come back and have this."

There's a black chunk of what looks like former bread sitting in a pan over a fire, and you nod a few times before reaching out and grabbing it. "Would you like to have this, or would you want me to make you something?" you ask, and he gives you a thankful smile.

"It would be nice if you could make me something. I promise though, I will learn to cook." You giggle before popping the burnt bread into your mouth, trying to ignore the intense char flavor as it flakes apart. "Wha-why did you do that?" he asks, looking at you with wide eyes.

"We need to make sure all of our food is used, not wasted. It's not the worst thing I've eaten," you say before reaching out and grabbing another slice of bread. "Did you happen to grease the pan before you put the bread in?"

"Uh," he thinks, "no."

"Well then, cooking lesson number one," you say, "always grease the pan." Howzer listens and watches intently as you show him how to make a slice of cinnamon bread, which is what he claims he had been trying to make himself. When you finish, he eagerly tries it, and you watch as his eyes go wide and a smile comes to his face.

"This is amazing, y/n," he says, taking another bite before holding it out to you, "do you want to try?"

"Thank you," you say, "but I'm fine. You need your strength anyway." You stand up then, stretching briefly before looking at him quizzically. "You wouldn't happen to know what size clothes you wear, would you?"

He shook his head, swallowing a mouthful before responding. "No, we were just given our undersuits by the Kaminoans, and we were all the same size, so it didn't really matter."

"That makes things a bit more complicated," you mumble before trying to think of a solution. "I might be able to visualize it...but I want to try something else. Can you stand up for me?" Howzer does as you ask, and you think for another moment before reaching your hands out. "I'm going to measure you with my hands and fingers," you explain, taking his arm and counting how many fingers around his wrist is, "I can write these down and then compare it to the clothing."

"Are you sure it will work?" he asks, and you shrug.

"Better to try than not." Your hands slowly move up his arm, one in front of the other to see how many it takes to reach his shoulder. He patiently stands for you, letting you work out your idea. When your fingers brush against his collar bone, he feels a slight tingle. "I'm going to have to...feel you up," you quietly say after a minute, giving him an apologetic look. "I need to know your waist and hip size, as well as how wide your legs are, and how long."