The Varactyl Squadron Commander (A Star Wars: The Clone Wars Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Eleven

The first place they went when they were flown back home to Kamino was the medical bay. It was the only logical place to visit they could think of, especially considering their commander's condition. Maybe she'd gone to get her stab-wound double-checked by real doctors, not just Risk. Of course, logic wasn't exactly Rino's strongest skill.

"I am sorry, but there is no 'Commander Rino' in our medical facilities." The greenish-gray, monotonous medical droid working at the front desk informed the four troopers as doctors and nurses walked by without giving them a second glance.

"Are you sure?" Breaks asked, all of them with their helmets off and on their hips, revealing their faces and different hairstyles. It was strange seeing his fellow clones without their helmets on, but at least it was easier for Axel to tell which one was which. Tyson, with his blue eyes and short mohawk that went straight down the middle of his skull. Risk, sporting a pair of brown eyes and the same simple short dark hair as himself. And Breaks, who was as bald as a fish with eyes as green as an emerald. The droid simply nodded.

"Do you know where we could find her?"

"I am sorry, but-"

"Wait." The four Varactyl squadron soldiers turned their heads when they heard someone speak up behind them. Two medics dressed in the usual gray suit medics were commanded to wear approached the group. The one on the right spoke up first. "You said you're looking for Commander Rino?" The squad members exchanged glances before Risk stepped forward.

"Yes, we're her squad. We told her we'd meet back on Kamino and sent her ahead of us with the wounded. We're just trying to find her now to make sure she's alright."

"We were in the same gunship as her." The medic on the left chimed in. "The last time we saw her, she was headed towards the soldiers' quarters. Quadrant B, if I'm recalling it correctly." B Quadrant. That wasn't a surprise. For the higher-ranked soldiers that had the fortune of actually surviving the battles they fought in, they earned a special room away from the lower-ranked rookies. It made sense that they had a more permanent spot for the people higher up on the food-chain.

"Thanks, bud." Tyson clapped the medic on the back and lead the rest of the guys out of the med-bay.

* * * * * * * * * *

"I st-t-till can't believe you managed to get hurt." JC muttered in disbelief. Her cold metal hands gingerly dabbed a freezing wet towel against the long burn mark blistering across Molindi's cheek-bone. The commander knew that a quick soak in bacta would've erased it, as if the blister never even happened. But then she remembered Tank and how floating in unconsciousness wouldn't bring his arm back, but it would save his life. There were other people in this universe who needed help more than she. Molindi refused to waste resources and medical supplies on something that wasn't a big deal. "You've n-never come back from a mission with this many injuries."

"I guess it was about time I earned my battle scars." The commander flinched and a hiss dripped from her clenched teeth when JC put too much pressure on the blister, and JC replied to that with a light smack of her hand to the woman's shoulder.

"M-man up. Or at least woman up." JC continued to dab at the blistering wound.

"Sorry." Molindi apologized sarcastically and rolled her eyes. "It's not like it hurts or anything. I just jump when you're helping me to try and piss you off." JC's engine growled and the droid put her hands on her hips. "And apparently it works."

"I d-don't have to help you, you know. You think I tend to your every n-need because I'm supposed to. I could b-be defiant, y'know." JC folded her arms and turned her head away from her master. "I could be one of those bad d-droids that go rogue. I could be all mean and selfish and j-just leave you behind!" Molindi rolled her eyes again at JC's pointless dramatic act.

"J, you're not allowed to download any more soap-operas while I'm gone." It was strange for a droid to have actual hobbies, according to every other sentient being in the entire galaxy. But not Molindi, she made sure that JC had a personality with likes and dislikes, thought and opinions.

One of JC's favorites was a romance about a young moisture-farmer on Jakku who dreams of following her dreams as a singer. Molindi couldn't remember what it was called exactly, something about love in a desert. Long-story-short, some random alien singer-dude falls for her and signs a record-deal with the woman and all this other junk that Molindi didn't indulge herself in but JC adored.

The droid threw her hands up in the air and let out a loud high-pitched noise that bordered a squeal and a full-on scream of nothing but pure terror. This kind of action wasn't anything new, Molindi had grown up dealing with it. It didn't bother her that much anymore, but it was still annoying at times.

"Oh, M-Molindi! No! You can't! You w-wouldn't be so cruel!"

"Stop being such a drama-queen, then-"

A knock on the apartment door interrupted her thought and another squeal jumped from JC like someone just shot her in the back with a blaster.

"We never get v-visitors!" She yelled in glee. Molindi covered her ears to save herself from the sudden threat of hearing-loss, but immediately regretted the action when her wrist accidentally rubbed against her blister. Not bothering to keep her swearing silent, Molindi cursed at the pain and walked over to the door to let the visitors in. "Wait! W-what are you doing?"

"I'm answering the door?" The woman answered her droid, her words coming out more as a question than an answer. JC suddenly covered her face with her hands and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm completely u-u-underdressed for company!"

Molindi made a mental-note to cancel JC's weekly subscription to 'Love In A Desert' as soon as possible.

* * * * * * * * * *

The shouts and screams the four men heard from outside their commander's quarters put a sudden awkward silence over the group as they waited for someone to answer the door. Tyson, Risk, and Breaks all exchanged looks before a grin spread across Tyson's face.

"At least we got the fun commander." He shrugged and the other two chuckled. Axel didn't respond.

He wasn't sure what exactly to think of Commander Rino. His first impression of her wasn't a good one, that was for sure, with her being so bold and blunt as to assume that they were more similar than his own blood. But she did save their lives back on Abbakinto when she could've left them to fend for themselves against the One-eyes. She cared about clones as people, not just suits of armor, and wasn't afraid to show it. All in all, Axel was as lost about his true opinion of the woman as he was when he first laid eyes on her.

The door opened and the familiar face of their commander looked back at them, the burn on her face turning into a red-hot blister that was starting to gradually get puffy. Although it looked like it hurt, the commander smiled at her guys.

"Hey," she started off pleasantly. "I was gonna meet you guys out at the hangar, I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"Commander Dexton and his guys didn't need help with Unim, so they sent us back early. Said we should get some rest after our 'heroics'." Breaks informed her. She nodded in understanding and her kind grin never left her lips.

Axel noticed that she'd changed out of her armor. She was wearing a new black undershirt, black sweatpants with the white army logo on the left side of her left thigh, and comfy fluffy boots. The clone mentally rolled his eyes. Sometimes the advantages of Quadrant B were completely outrageous. There was no way a regular trooper like him would get clothes so comfortable.

"That's good to hear." Molindi continued. "You guys deserve some rest, you saved a lot of lives today." They all smiled and nodded back at her, followed by another incredibly awkward silence.

"We heard some shouting..." Risk started. The commander sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Just my droid, JC. She has a few screws loose, if you know what I mean." Off from somewhere behind Molindi came a muffled voice, shouting that Molindi was a crazy freak. Rino just sighed and shrugged. "But I'm not the one hiding in the bathroom from my guests. I'm not crazy."

Tyson, Breaks, and Risk chuckled at that and Axel just nodded and glanced at the floor. Once more, they were surrounded by an awkward silence. Just as the four were about to leave-

"Have you four seen the new rec room yet?"