A Soldier's Secret

Part 6

I stayed with the cat all evening, even as everyone else left to get food. Snowball was my silent companion, and I got up to find Rex and give him the cat. Snowball, not wanting to be carried, curled up around my neck.

"Rex" I mumbled into my comm "Want a cat?"

"YOU FOUND SNOWBALL?" He shouted

"More like Snowball found me. Where are you?" I asked

"Med bay," He said "Hell no I'm not letting..." He shouted to someone else, and a laugh echoed through. I turned on my heel and walked toward the med bay, following my nose.

I did actually follow my nose, to the chemical scent of antiseptic. True enough, Rex was there, and the mute clone, along with Error and a few others. Snowball made it very clear, via mewing loudly and refusing to let go, that he didn't want to leave me. The tinny voice screaming family was back too, and I walked away quickly after Snowball was trapped in Rex's arms. I overheard a weird conversation, but whatever they were doing in the med bay was their business.

I found myself seeking solitude. The barracks came with other clones, the med bay had medics, and the halls had Jedi and more clones. So I found myself climbing into the vents for my escape, much like climbing into trees. I crawled away until I was above the hangar bay, which was mostly abandoned, lay back, and fell asleep.

I woke to the darkness of the vent and a screaming back, complaining loudly about the hard sleeping surface. I crawled back to the barracks and climbed into my bunk for the last hour before morning.

Snowball found his way back to me because I woke for the second time to find him curled up on me, purring loudly. My back was still upset, and I sat up to find Rex again, to give Snowball back. Again. It was frustrating, that this infernal cat kept coming back. But I had no idea where he was until I heard a mumbling that sounded like him. He was in the mess hall, his head low over a cup of coffee.

"Morning" I sighed, then pried Snowball off me 

"Good morning" He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. But judging by the fact he had caffeine pills, he probably hadn't. Snowball protested being handed back to Rex. Again. This cat was infuriating. When I moved to leave, Snowball made a loud whining noise and leapt onto my back, throwing me off balance until he moved onto my neck. 

Rex sighed "Snow, leave Cedar alone. He's not Danger" The cat refused to get off me.

"I give up" I snarled, then grabbed Snowball by the ruff of his neck and snarled at him. He made a tiny mew, and I handed him to Rex, and he didn't protest.

Furn, who did a double take, saw me snarl at the cat "Snowball, leave the shiny alone. If Rex needs sleep, come find me" He glared at him as Snowball made more mewing noises "He's not Danger, so leave him alone, now"

I started walking from the hall, humming a tune. Furn and Rex seemed to know it, but they didn't comment. I don't even know where it came from, but I knew something. Rex knew it and was crying about it. I had to experiment with this. I now had blackmail.

My experiment took place over the next few times I was around Rex, who, when I started humming, stiffened suddenly, like I had dropped ice down his back. This was going to be fun.

He avoided me for the next couple of days, like the plague. It was a good strategy, but this was war. A war I would never lose, annoying my superiors.

I was "invited" to join a meeting, because of my quote-unquote "Tree Magic" According to the male General of the 501st. Error was there, and Rex was too. And another clone in orange, who trailed the oldest of the Jedi, whom I assumed had trained the Jedi who called me a tree magician.

"Yeah! So, Cedar has tree magic-" My general began a complex explanation to the other older general, and I smirked beneath my helmet and started humming. Rex stiffened immediately and started trembling, ever so softly. It was nice to watch the "Perfect" Captain show weakness. 

The generals wrapped up, me still humming. Rex was shaking now, and the Jedi walked out after a quick nod between the other clones. I knew the eldest, Obi-wan? Would inquire with me about my "Tree magic"

Rex fell over

"Rex had a seizure," I said, then turned on my heel, and strode past Error, who mumbled "Not again" and I kept going, out the door. 

It was amazing, and I murmured "Let's Go!" To myself. I had succeded in making Rex do something embarrassing. The only disappointing thing was that none of the Jedi were there to see it. 

"Cedar, may I speak with you?" It was Obi-Wan.

"Sure" I turned to face him

"Anakin has some tendency to...Exaggerate... While I do not doubt your capabilities, I would prefer to hear from you" He said

"He was mostly right. I like climbing trees, and I'm good at it. Jumping between branches came with learning how." I said, with a shrug

"He added that your skill led to an advantage in the deciding fight and that you were able to find, report on, and predict their strategies" He inquired

"I did. I could move faster in the trees than the scouts on land. And the guns on the tanks were too long, and couldn't aim in the forest." I said