False Dichotomies

Bonus: Opening Shots; Negotiations

The wonderful Jennzabelle on AO3 was the first person who asked about interactions between Estai and the vode of her battalion, particularly first meetings and how the vode reacted to certain interesting features of Estai. My brain leapt at this idea and proceeded to write about 42,000 words of just pure random scenes with Estai and the 143rd with literally no over-arching plot because my brain makes no sense to me. I've split that into a few chapters for your convenience. It is mostly fluff and fun but there is a nice little sprinkling of angst here and there because this is the Clone Wars. Hope you enjoy!

Bead can't say for sure how he feels about it, honestly. General Tholme's never shied away from discussing his padawan, the girl who should be their commander. "I'm afraid, Captain, it's likely the Council will make every effort to keep her from the war. You will probably never be allowed to know her," Master Tholme had admitted once, after another difficult mission. All their missions are difficult. Their battalion has grown used to operating as one or two companies with the rest supporting some other battalion halfway across the galaxy. They can barely call themselves a battalion with how rarely they come together.

He's wondered a long time what makes General Tholme's padawan different to every other padawan in this war. He's wondered why she's so stalwartly protected by the High Generals when no other padawan has been.

Months have passed and the missions they go on grow steadily more dangerous to continue justifying their lack of padawan-commander. His batchmates boast about their adorable commanders, bemoan their immaturity, and grapple with keeping cadets (because that's what the padawans are, they're cadets, and General Tholme has never hidden his relief that he never has to bring his cadet into battle) alive in warzone after warzone. Bead, as much as he's occasionally jealous of his batchmates, gradually realises he's the lucky one.

And then, suddenly, everything changes. Their mission is assigned last minute, right at the end of their shore leave. It's the most normal mission they've ever had. There's no sneaking around, no intelligence gathering, no backing up their general as he wades into the seediest of businesses or Separatist strongholds. It's a straight up space battle. The whole battalion has been assigned, together, and they'll operate under General Tholme and-

Wait. And?

General Tholme and Commander Estai.

That's her. That's General Tholme's cadet. That's the padawan Bead never thought he'd get to meet. They're getting their padawan-commander.

The news spreads through the Fervent faster than any other piece of gossip Bead's ever seen, and that's saying something. The vode gossip mill works overtime as it is, but this info gets around a whole lot faster usual.

Bead's known for all of ten minutes by the time Po is at his door. The chime goes off three times before Bead manages the short distance from his bunk to the door release.

Po, as the 143rd battalion's chief medical officer, was likely informed of the new addition to their battalion even before Bead. It's always crucial to ensure the CMO has thorough and up-to-date medical files on all those with the battalion.

Po pushes right through Bead to get inside his bunkroom. "So we've got a padawan-commander now," Po says by way of greeting. She's such a kind and caring vod, always checking in on how her vode are feeling rather than jumping straight down to business. Oh, wait.

Bead watches his vod pace up and down the bunkroom. It's too small to pace properly, given Po's managing about two steps before having to turn around and go back the other way, but she's giving a good go of it anyway. He counts out the timing and manages to slip past his vod to sit on his bunk, comfortably out of the way so Po can keep doing what she needs to do. "I don't like it much either, but you don't see me trying to wear grooves into someone else's floor."