Alone

Family Over Anger

Notes: The beginning of this chapter occurs while Fox is walking to Palpatine's office and during the beginning of his confrontation with Palpatine. The POV is Stone's

Stone strolled towards Fox's office, intent on checking up on the other commander before getting some sleep. Stone knows that the previous night's events have shaken Fox up. Stone grimaced at the thought of  Fox losing himself to his grief and guilt. Stone grit his teeth as his thoughts strayed, he has already lost too many brothers to lose Fox because of something he did when it was out of his control. 

Stone didn't give the skittish shinies a second glance when they eyed him questioningly as he approached Fox's door, instead shrugging  and rapping on the door. Knowing he would get no response anyways , Stone opened the door and slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. After a quick survey of the office, Stone could see that Fox was not there. How peculiar, Stone thought. He knew that Fox didn't have a patrol now, no senatorial duties, no scheduled meetings, and the biggest sign is that there is still a huge stack of paperwork that still needs to be completed, so where is Fox?

Stone approached Fox's desk in search of clues and discovered several letters  written on real flimsi, a rare commodity nowadays. Stone glanced at the notes and almost immediately picked out him name and the names of several other commanders. Taking a closer look, Stone could see that the letters were signed from Fox, his short but well known signature swirled neatly on the pages. With his interest piqued, Stone picked up the letter with his name on it and read...

Cody, Wolffe, Ponds, Bly, Thire, and Stone

If you are reading this then I am gone. I am sorry. I have to do this. I have made a lot of mistakes, but this decision is not one of them. I have the chance to make up for my sins. My lack of control has led to a vod's death, for which I will never forgive myself. I hope that this decision will lead to a better world for all of you. My goal is to prevent the deaths of any more vod, which is all I've ever tried to do. Well I guess I failed spectacularly in that area. I hope that you can all find happiness. Goodbye, ner vod, Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum!

Fox

p.s- Stone and Thire; I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished. We have all endured so much and yet both of you have never wavered. I am sorry that I am leaving you so quickly and with so much left undone, but I cannot ignore what I have discovered when I know that I can do something. 

Stone's veins felt like ice and tears streamed from his eyes as the implication of Fox's words sunk in, and he let his head fall into his hands, covering his tear-stained face. Fox was going to try and pull off some hair-brained scheme to try and save everyone. Stone always knew that Fox loved his brothers deeply and did his best to protect them, but he never suspected that he would go this far. Fox indicated that whatever his plan was would most likely end in his death and that idea made Stone shake.

Stone couldn't handle Fox's death, he would break. He already had to put himself together after the repudiation of his batch mates and after Thorn's death, so the thought of Fox's death made him lightheaded and queasy. But at the same time, Stone knew that he couldn't panic if he was going to be able to find Fox and save him before it's too late. Taking a moment, Stone forced himself to take several deep breaths and to wait for his shaking hands to still. Once Stone felt more stable, he pulled out his comm and accessed the command chat.

Stone added: Thire, Cody, Rex, Wolffe, Ponds, Bly to the group chat: We Need to Talk

Wolffe: Stone! What is this?

Stone: I know that you are all angry at Fox, but you need to hear me out because Fox is in trouble.

Rex: ...

Cody: Why should we? That aruetii killed his own vod! Besides, what trouble could he get into on Coruscant? Coruscant is nothing compared to the front lines!

Thire: He says to the battalion with some of the highest shiny casualty rates

Stone: Agreed, the dangers of Coruscant are nothing to joke about, but that is not what I'm here to talk about. Hold on

          Stone sent a PDF attachment to the group (Images of the two notes that Fox wrote)

Wolffe: Karking Hells!

Cody: I don't even know how to respond to that

Rex: What did Fox mean when he said he didn't mean to kill Fives? His blaster was set to kill.

Stone: He wasn't in control of he actions, none of the guard were that night. But we don't have time to unpack all of that right now. I don't know where Fox is and he said that his plan will result in his death. We need to focus here if we are going to save him, which we are, I don't care what grudges you're holding.

Ponds: I agree and want to help but how can we? Most of us are deployed

Bly: Yeah, I'm on a swampy planet in the middle of nowhere, how can I help

Stone rubbed his jaw and growled in frustration

Stone: Please only answer in this chat if you think of some way to help

Cody: Hey, Wolffe. Didn't you low jack all of us years ago?

Wolffe: Yeah, but what's that got any.. oh

Stone felt a rush of hope wash through him as his mind rushed miles ahead, planning all the ways that he could use this information.

Stone: Is there any way to access that tracker now and to patch me into the feed?

Wolffe: Hold on, give me a few minutes

Cody: What are you going to do once you've located Fox?

Thire: Yeah, vod, it's not like we've got the resources to face what Fox described

Stone kneaded his temples as he felt a stress-induced headache set in.

Stone: I don't know, vod

Rex:  Though I don't like it, since the 501st is still on Coruscant, I can send a squad to help you

Stone felt surprised gratitude fill his chest but he pushed it away as he was still skeptical.

Stone: Really?

Rex: If what Fox said is true, then I can't let a grudge stop me from helping to potentially prevent the deaths of more brothers. I owe it to all of the fallen vod and the vod still under my command 

Stone: Thank you, vod

Cody: Well said, vod'ika

Stone: Okay, Operation Save Fox is a go

Bly: Words I never thought would be written

Stone: Stop killing my momentum and spirit, Bly

Bly: Alright, whatever

Wolffe: Alright, I've patched Fox's tracker through to you, Stone

As soon as the message was sent, Stone's data pad lit up with the details to the tracker. After a few minutes, Stone had managed to connect to the tracker software and emit a signal. Stone felt his gut roil  and drop as he locked onto a location: the Chancellor's office.

Oh Fox, what have you gotten yourself into, Stone thought. Stone relayed the coordinates to the group and swiftly ascended from the chair he was seated in and exited Fox's office. 

Stone clenched his fists as he strode down the hall. In terms of the future, all Stone knows is that someone will die soon, he only prayed it wasn't someone he cared about. 

Notes:

Sorry the update took so long, I've been extra busy lately and I've been focused on one of my other fics, Redemption; which is also about Fox. 

I don't know when the next update will be but I hope to keep up with my writing more.

I hope you enjoyed. I would love to hear your comments.