Afterglow II | The Clone Wars

8 | Caverns of Darkness

Harsh wind cut across the apexes of the sharp, rocky ravines like natural bullets, sending bits of gravel tumbling down the jagged declines towards the distant ground. The air was thinning at their ascending elevation, making breathing a challenge amongst other things. With each foot that they climbed upwards, the sun sank further into the fading horizon. As a result, cool air was settling in and beginning to numb their raw fingers.

Rex extended his hand down to her and she accepted it, allowing him to heave her up to the next rock platform that jutted out from the side of the slick mountain. She pushed herself up and climbed to stand next to him, their bodies close in order to avoid the narrow edge of the ravine that slipped all the way back down to the valley floor. A misty fog had settled at the bottom, hiding the rest of the Republic forces from their line of sight.

Once they were on more sturdy ground, she pulled up the miniature, holographic map from her comm link in order to get a visual on where they were in relation to the hypothesized cave entrance "not much further, another fifty yards" she pointed to the red dot that represented their destination.

Perspiration clung to her forehead, yet the dwindling temperatures tinted her cheeks and the tip of her nose red. She had tied her raven colored hair back to rid her face from the strands, unknowingly making it difficult for Rex to focus on her for more than a second without contemplating her euphoric beauty.

She could technically scale the wall quicker than him with her agility and usage of the force, but that would mean leaving him behind.

She tilted her head up to look towards a shadow that was imprinted into the side of the mountain. The shadow undoubtedly served as the mouth of the cave in question, she was sure of it. Rex bent down to his knee and laced his gloved fingers together, offering her a platform to use to boost up to the next crevice above their heads. She stepped onto his hands and pulled herself up, clinging to a bit of rock that bulged from the side.

Another harsh wind whipped across the top of the ravine and blistered her skin, signaling that the frigid temperatures of the planet were settling in for the night. The force of the wind nearly swayed her frame right off the mountain without so much as a warning. Rex held her legs steady, his fingers digging into the skin and metal just above her knees. She froze against the wall, shrinking into herself as her hair bristled.

"Almost there" she assured him, as well as herself, once it passed. She pulled herself up, her bionic fingers scratching against the rock. He followed suite, taking the same path as she did and together they reached the next suitable ledge.

Rock chipped off the edge near their feet, and she took a step away, coming shoulder to shoulder with Rex to avoid the potential fall. He inhaled sharply at the sensation of her arm against his. They hadn't said a word to one another about the argument that occurred in her quarters earlier in the day. Business had carried on as usual. There was a hint of awkwardness in the air, but neither of them had made the move to clear it. She looked out over the mountain range that extended into the distance.

Purple consumed its mountainous majesty, contrasting against the grey clouds that hung low in the sky. Night was settling in, with faint stars forming beyond the haze. Dakota drank in the sight, noting the way the mountains peaked and fell, and blended in with the others as the horizon expanded on. Despite the circumstances of them being there, she appreciated the sight.

"General?" Rex called after a minute, desperately not wanting to disturb the content expression that inhabited her features. As she admired the view, he admired her. The bronze of her skin, the dark curls that twirled in the wind by her eyes, the cut of her jaw. Every time was like the first time.