20

It was very late by the time Saedii crawled out of bed and changed into something more comfortable. An old pair of someone's sweats – Tech's she was pretty sure, based on the fit – and a threadbare fleece that read CT-9901 on the front. Balling up the dress, she tossed it into the corner of her room. Never wanting to look at it again.

The house was quiet as she pulled the door open. Everyone else had long-since gone to bed. That was good. Saedii wasn't ready to see anyone yet.

She wasn't sure who she was more mad at – Aren or herself. What he'd said yesterday hadn't been fair, but what she'd said to Hunter had been way worse.

Hunter, the man who'd taken her in, who fed her and protected her and helped nurse her back to health after losing her arm – he may not have been her biological father, but he'd cared for her like his own child. Had given her a home when she'd been sure she'd never find one again.

How could she have said that to him?

Saedii wrapped her arms around herself. She needed to apologize to him. But she didn't know what to say. How to say it. She hoped some fresh ocean air could help clear her thoughts.

The night-darkened house was still around her. Down the hall, Wrecker's snores were louder than usual – echoing so that is sounded like a herd of yarbecks were galloping through Phee's house.

On the second floor, the door to the balcony was cracked. Saedii paused as she heard a voice on the other side of the door say, "You're up late."

Hunter.

What was he still doing awake?

"So are you," someone else said, and Saedii immediately recognized Phee's voice. Smug and arrogant as usual.

"It's three in the morning. Did you and Tech just get back?"

"We did." There was a scrape as one of the chairs pulled back. "Did you know that your brother's a maniac on the dancefloor?"

A gruff chuckle. "Never would have guessed that. You bring out a side of him I haven't seen before."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

In the brief silence that followed, Saedii crept a little closer. Just enough so that she could see out the windows, to where Hunter and Phee sat across from each other at the table. It was a cool night, with a gentle breeze shaking the lights over the balcony, which were turned off.

The two of them sat in near-total darkness, except for the faint glow of the moon behind them. It gilded along Hunter's face like silver, reflected off Phee's hair like frost.

"You usually stay up this late?" Phee asked, crossing one leg over the other.

"Not if I can help it."

"Then why tonight?"

He let out a low breath. "Saedii was upset when she got back tonight. When she's upset, she can't sleep. I figured I'd wait here for her in case she wants someone to talk to."

As if she couldn't have felt any worse. Saedii wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"I figured she might be," Phee said quietly. "I saw her at the festival. It looked like she and Aren got into a fight."

"A fight?" Hunter seemed surprised.

"The vendor nearby said it got pretty heated. Something about the war."

A very serious expression pulled at Hunter's face. "What did he say to her?"

"I didn't ask, but before you get all protective, you need to know that Aren's not a bad kid. He lost his mom to the war, so whatever he said, he didn't say it out of a place of malice."

"I hope so, for his sake. Crosshair was ready to put him in an early grave."

Phee gave a little shake of her head. "You know, you lot sure are protective of those two kids. You treat them like they're your own."

Hunter straightened in his seat. "What's your point?"

"You're like a father to them, that's all. It's sweet."

Saedii didn't miss the way Hunter's gaze went down to his lap. "I'm not their father. Omega was created in a lab, and Saedii – she already had a father."

"No, she had a Master. And from what little I know of Jedi, they weren't always the most paternal type," Phee said quietly.

"Not her Master. She talks about him a lot. She loved him."

"Even so, he's gone. Now, she has you."

He gave a bleak chuckle. "Hell of a downgrade if you ask me."

Phee tilted her head, reading whatever emotion was on Hunter's face. That smug smile gentled. "Whatever she said to you tonight, she didn't mean it. Kids say a lot of stupid stuff at that age. It's just what they do. Don't take it personally."

Hunter was quiet. Saedii wondered what it was he was thinking about. It couldn't have been pleasant based on the sadness and regret that stained the Force around him.

"She's a former child soldier who's had more than her fair share of death and tragedy. On top of that, she's dealing with teenage hormones. Cut her a little slack," Phee urged.

"I'm not upset over what she said," Hunter started. "I just can't help but wonder if I'm enough to help her. If she wouldn't be better off with someone else."

Pressure built in Saedii's chest at this confession. The thought of leaving Hunter – of not being around the Batch – was enough to make her breath catch. She didn't want to live without them.

To Saedii's surprise, Phee laughed. "That's a load of shit. That girl loves you. She wouldn't fight with you if she didn't."

"Still, I feel like I'm doing this all wrong. Like I'm not doing enough."

"Every parent feels like that at some point. It's only natural."

"I'm not her father."

"Yes, you are." Phee laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Being a parent is more than sharing blood. It's showing up for your kids, caring for them. Loving them even when they make it damn near impossible. From what I've seen, you do all of that and then some for Saedii and Omega."

Saedii stepped a little closer, trying to get a better view of Hunter's expression. His head was tilted towards her, though his attention was on the water. Thinking.

"They're lucky to have you," Phee insisted.

"Maybe." He didn't sound convinced.

Almost hesitantly, Phee prodded, "You know, Pabu wouldn't be a bad place for you lot to start over. Saedii and Omega – they could grow up here. With you. Safe, away from the Empire and the war."

Saedii frowned at that. She didn't want to live on Pabu. And she certainly didn't want to abandon Rex and the Clones.

"As a father, you couldn't ask for anything more for your daughters."

Hunter didn't answer, reaching out behind him instead to grab what looked to be a steaming kettle and two mugs. With steady hands, he poured what smelled like caff into each, sliding one of the mugs in front of the empty seat on his left.

Phee held up a hand. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm heading off to bed."

"It's not for you."

Hunter's head tipped back in the direction of the door. Of where Saedii was hiding, just out of sight.

Crap.

Of course he'd heard her. His heightened senses would have picked up on her footsteps as soon as she'd left her room.

"You wanna come talk?" Hunter raised his voice ever so slightly, just enough for Saedii to know he was now talking to her.

Sheepishly, Saedii crept onto the balcony.

At the sight of her, Phee's smile returned and she got to her feet. As she passed Saedii, she reached out to pat her shoulder affectionately and say, "Goodnight, you two."

There was a soft scrape of wood on stone as Hunter pulled out the chair for her. Saedii couldn't meet his eye as she sat down. Her stomach churned and her throat burned, needing to say something. But she didn't know how to start.

He handed her the mug of caff. It was hot in her hands and the steam misted against her face, smelling of warm roasted caff beans and with the faintest trace of vanilla.

She waited for him to say something. Anything. But Hunter didn't seem to need to fill the silence. Instead, he sat and took a sip from his own mug, leaning back in his chair. Watching the silver line of the horizon.

The silence was too much.

"I'm sorry," Saedii blurted. Needing to get it out.

He glanced at her out of the side of his eyes. "It's ok."

"No, really. I –" Saedii swallowed at the knot in the back of her throat. "I'm really sorry, Hunter. I was angry and I took out that anger on you, and that wasn't fair. I should have never said that. You didn't deserve it."

"I know you didn't mean it," he said gently. Slowly, he reached a hand out and ruffled the top of her head. "It's alright. I'm not mad at you."

Some of that churning in her gut died down. Enough that Saedii finally felt like she could take a sip from the mug in her hands. The caff burned a warm trail all the way down to her belly – a nice contrast against the chilled sea air.

"You want to tell me what happened? I haven't seen you that upset in a while," he began hesitantly. Almost like he was afraid that she'd snap at him again.

It made her earlier guilt return. She didn't want him to treat her like a bomb ready to detonate.

"It wasn't a big deal," Saedii admitted miserably. "Something Aren said. I shouldn't have let it bother me that much."

"What did he say?"

Saedii looked down at the reflection in her mug. "He said I was no better than the Separatists. That I was a terrible person for my role in the Clone Wars."

Hunter's expression didn't give away much, but the Force around him grew charged with anger. "How'd you get on that topic?"

"A friend of his found out I was a Jedi. Asked if I killed anyone. I didn't want to lie."

"You shouldn't have to," he insisted. "You were in a war. You did what you had to."

"I know that. But the way he was looking at me – it was like I was some kind of monster. A freak." Saedii pushed some hair out of her face. "I don't know why it bothered me, but it did."

He smiled sadly. "I know what that feels like – for people to look at you and think you're different, even when you know you're just like them."

Of course, he did. Hunter and the rest – they'd been ostracized from the other Clones. Called "defects" and the "Sad Batch" because they were just a little bit different.

"I get it. It's a terrible feeling," he added quietly. "I'm sorry that he made you feel that way."

"It's ok. I don't even get why I was so upset," Saedii admitted. She made a face. "I didn't even want to go on the date, but for some reason, hearing him say I was a bad person really hurt."

"You're allowed to feel angry sometimes. And sad. It's only natural."

But it wasn't. Not for Jedi. She should have had better control on her emotions. Plo wouldn't have been angry if he'd been in her shoes. And he certainly wouldn't have taken out anything on her.

As if he could guess the direction of her thoughts, Hunter said, "Don't feel bad for your emotions. You're only sixteen. You're still learning to process them."

"Master Plo wouldn't have been pleased if he'd seen me lose control like that," Saedii pointed out.

"Well, I'm not your Master. And I say that it's alright to feel angry every now and then."

Saedii looked up, noting the tense in his jaw. She remembered what he'd said earlier to Phee. About him and Plo. "You're not a downgrade, by the way. I'm glad that I have you."

That tightness around his face softened. He smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, kid."

The two fell silent, taking a moment to sip from their caff. To watch the way the silver light played along the water. Tiny black dots peppered the surface – the forms of sleeping birds enjoying the gentle night currents.

"What Aren said to you," Hunter suddenly said, "What he implied. He has no right to judge you for what you've done. Out there -- it was them or us. You did what you had to to survive."

Saedii blew out a breath. She knew that, of course. But hearing him say that helped to absolve her from any of the lingering guilt over her argument with Aren.

"You saved lives, kid. A lot of lives. Aren may never understand that...but I'm proud of you for it," he said gruffly.

For the first time since her date, Saedii smiled. "Thanks, Hunter."

It felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from her chest. She breathed in deeply, feeling the heavy sea air inflate her lungs, catching the faintest whiff of the coffee in her hands. That anxiety that had plagued her was quickly replaced with a peace.

Her eyes felt heavy. She glanced at Hunter next to her, close enough that his arm brushed against hers. Very slowly, unsure how he would react, she leaned over until she rested her head on his shoulder.

Hunter didn't go rigid. Didn't flinch. Just reached up and patted her shoulder, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Sitting like this reminded her of the times she'd rested her head on Plo's shoulder or Wolffe's, on nights when she'd been too tired to stay awake. Or when she'd needed just a little extra comfort.

Wrecker was usually the one she went to when she needed a shoulder to sleep on or a hug. Hunter always seemed a little awkward when it came to stuff like that.

But not tonight. Tonight he seemed just as comfortable sitting here as Saedii was, curled into his side with her mug in her lap. Almost like he needed this just as much as she did.

Saedii suddenly felt comfortable enough to admit, "I was having a lot of fun. On my date earlier."

"Were you?" Hunter sounded pleased.

"Aren was easy to talk to. I really wanted him to ask me to dance."

His hand tightened affectionately on her shoulder. "You'll have another chance."

"I'm not so sure. He looked really mad."

"Then you find someone else. Someone who won't make you feel bad for surviving."

She snorted. Right, because she had so many suitors lining up at her door.

The distant lapping of the waves was the only sound as the two fell into comfortable silence, sipping on their caff. This time, Saedii didn't feel the need to say anything, enjoying instead the soft sounds of the ocean and the sleeping island. Gradually, her eyes began to close.

Under her shoulder, Hunter straightened, turning back towards the balcony door.

Saedii opened her eyes just as hurried footsteps reached her ears. In the window, there was a flash of grey armor. The sounds of two sets of booted feet slowing to push open the door.

Tech and Echo appeared in the doorway. Both were in their armor, except for their helmets. Leaving their grim faces exposed to the moonlight.

At the look on their faces, Saedii sat bolt upright.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked seriously.

"We have received a transmission from Rex," Tech announced.

Echo's attention was firmly on Saedii. She didn't like the tightness around his eyes. The tension in his jaw.

"What happened?" Saedii asked. In her mind, she thought of Teth – of Anakin and his children, of Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, of the hundreds of Clones taking refuge.

Tech's eyes slid to Saedii.

But it was Echo that answered, in a brittle tone, "It's Wolffe and the rest of the 104th. Rex might have found them."