51

happt valentine's day batchers! enjoy a chapter for the holiday! ♥️ 

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Kalth moved into the bunk room with the guys.

It was hard to say who seemed the most awkward about this – Crosshair, who made continuous snide remarks about a new unwanted roommate; Tech, who had never been very good with change; or Kalth himself, who looked exceedingly out of place among the Batch.

Each morning, he came out bearing a frustrated scowl, muttering about loud snoring and bright screens from Tech's computer keeping him up. But according to Echo, this was all just a bluff. Kalth was sleeping hard.

Saedii envied him.

She woke in a cold sweat each night, choking on invisible hands that gripped at her throat. Hunter and Omega, who were both in Saedii's room with her, were always there to comfort her as she shook off the lingering nightmares. Waiting patiently as Saedii gripped her necklace and tried to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming.

A few days after Saedii had gifted Kalth his lightsaber, the two sat outside at the tables, watching as Wrecker gorged himself on breakfast. The thin form of Gungi's lightsaber was clipped to Kalth's belt – a fact that thrilled Saedii, though she tried not to show it.

As she nibbled on the end of a sitari cake, there was a shout from across the yard.

Everyone looked up. Kalth went rigid as the forms of Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka emerged, walking intently in their direction. Anakin's intense eyes were directly on Saedii and Kalth.

Saedii stood, taking a step in front of Kalth, whose hand was lingering over his lightsaber. Guilt and anxiety stained out into the Force around him. A desire to fight.

"Anakin," Saedii began, ready to defend Kalth if she needed to.

But Anakin's eyes were only for her. In two long strides, he closed the distance between them and embraced her.

Surprised, Saedii went still in his arms.

"Thank you," he said, low and earnest. "Rex told me what you did for Padme and the twins."

Her body relaxed. He didn't sound angry. Just relieved. Slowly, she hugged him back, sensing that he needed it more than she did. "It was nothing."

"It wasn't nothing." He pulled back to look at her, so she could see just how serious he was. A faint glimmer of fear were in his dark eyes – the fear of a father who'd nearly lost his children, of a husband who'd nearly lose his wife. "I can never repay you for what you've done."

"You don't have to," Saedii insisted.

He lowered his voice again. "I know it couldn't have been easy."

It wasn't, but there was no use telling him that. He already felt guilty enough. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Gently, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. A brotherly gesture. "Thank you, Saedii."

When the two stepped apart, Anakin's intense eyes slid over Saedii's shoulder to Kalth lingering behind her.

Kalth took a nervous step back. Wrecker, who'd been standing close by, took a half step in front of him.

Ignoring both of them, Anakin surged forward.

"Skywalker, I –" Kalth began.

And stopped as Anakin placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

It looked like all the tension melted from Anakin as he let out a long breath. As he looked at Kalth's tortured eyes and said, rather gently for him, "I'm glad to have you back, brother."

Shock filled Kalth's face before he could help it. The hand that had drifted towards his lightsaber dropped.

"We're all glad to see you," Obi-Wan added, smiling. "And glad that you're safe."

Ahsoka stepped around him, going to Saedii. The two embraced – the first time they'd truly seen each other since Nal Kopak. Her clothes smelled heavily of smoke and fighter fuel from whatever mission she'd been on.

"Thank you," Saedii said to her. It didn't feel like enough – two little words to encapsule all of the emotion Saedii felt. But it was the first real chance she'd had to thank her friend for her part in freeing Saedii from those tombs.

But Ahsoka seemed to understand. One thin hand reached up to cup Saedii's cheek, and she said warmly, "I'm glad you're safe. We missed you."

"I missed you, too. A lot."

When Saedii looked back, Obi-Wan was shaking Kalth's hand. Some of the earlier tension had returned to Kalth's face, but he still grasped Obi-Wan's hand in his. Still murmured his thanks.

Several Clones were watching this reunion. Their faces were filled with such hope as they stared at the five Jedi, such confidence, that for a moment, Saedii let herself think that everything would be alright.

"We would like to call a meeting. If you two are feeling up to it," Obi-Wan said. He sounded grim. "We have much to discuss."

That little flicker of hope in Saedii's chest went out. Whatever news he had, it wasn't good.

Kalth looked to Saedii for guidance.

Saedii hesitated.

Was she ready for this? It had only been a few weeks since she'd been rescued. A few weeks spent trying to piece herself together – a task that on the best of days felt nearly impossible.

Could she really handle this?

"You can say no," Ahsoka told her quietly. At Saedii's side, Wrecker edged in closer, as if he could shield her from this decision she had to make.

"It's alright," Saedii told them both. Even as her heart hammered at her ribcage, she took a very determined step forward. "I can handle it."

At her proclamation, Kalth stepped up to her side. A very silent statement that the two of them were a package deal. Obi-Wan nodded his approval.

Wrecker waved as Saedii and Kalth followed the three Jedi back to the tower. It was a strange feeling, walking together as a group. It eerily reminded Saedii of the few times that she and Plo had teamed up with other Jedi and their Clone battalions. Walking across the flight deck between Plo and Master Adi Gallia had made Saedii feel close to invincible.

While she didn't feel nearly so powerful now, the comfort it brought her, following in the footsteps of Ahsoka and Anakin, was nearly the same.

Kalth took in the tower with a stony expression. His eyes took in the fussing form of C-3PO at the door, who insisted on them all removing their shoes, before sliding to the decorated door of the twins' room, painted with little cartoon figures. One hand twitched into a fist at his side, and he swallowed.

At the top of the tower, a little high-pitched voice screamed in delight. Kalth tensed at the sound.

Inside Anakin and Padme's living quarters, Leia laughed as R2 chased her around the room, beeping playfully at her back. Padme watched with gentle amusement, arm in a thin brace.

On the couch, bouncing and cooing at the form of Luke in her lap, was Cere.

Saedii had visited the Jedi Master several times over the past few days. While AZI had assured her that Cere was alright, this was the first time that Saedii had seen her out of bed since she'd been injured.

At once, Saedii went to her side.

"Hello, little one," Cere said, smiling as Saedii took the seat beside her. One hand drifted up to run along the side of Saedii's face. In her lap, Luke reached out towards Saedii, too. Climbing into her lap so that he could tug lightly on one of the braids that spilled over her shoulder.

"Hello, Saedii," Padme said. "Hello, Kalth."

Kalth looked startled. "Uh, hello."

"Would either of you like some caff?" Padme pulled two metal mugs from the cupboard, pouring from a steaming carafe before she'd even gotten an answer.

Saedii nearly smiled at the bewildered look Kalth turned on her. "Thank you, Senator."

"Padme."

"Uh...thank you, Padme."

When she handed Kalth his steaming mug, Kalth tensed again. Mouth parting as if he wanted to say something. But Padme nearly touched his shoulder lightly and gave him a gentle smile. A silent but firm way to tell him he was forgiven.

Once everyone was adequately supplied with caff, Padme said, "Come on Luke, Leia. Let's go outside and give Daddy privacy."

The twins both rushed forward, following after Padme like little ducklings. R2 beeped happily at them as they disappeared, and in the hall C-3PO's voice called, "Wait for me. I can assist you."

In the vacuum of silence that followed, Kalth nervously eyed the room at large, as if anticipating an attack. He didn't look for too long at Cere, who's middle was still heavily bandaged. Before he could help it, his guilt had leaked into the Force.

"Come, little one," Cere said to him, patting the place at her other side. "Take a seat. You're among friends here."

Kalth's expression grew bitter. "But I –"

"You have nothing to apologize for."

A little shudder rippled through his shoulders. Still scowling, he moved slowly to Cere's right side, where he sat on the extreme edge of the seat.

Obi-Wan and Anakin watched the exchange placidly. Ahsoka, sipping from her mug of caff, collapsed into the far end of the couch, leaning back with a sigh. From the condition of her clothes, she had been gone awhile.

"We wanted all of you to know," Obi-Wan began, leaning against the counter, "that, thanks in large part to the information provided from Master Junda and the efforts of Padawan Apperion, we have begun searching for the younglings that were rescued from the Temple last year."

At the mention of his name, Kalth looked up.

"Ahsoka was able to track down the path of Petro Visra and Byph Binry," Anakin reported.

Kalth straightened. Expectant. "So where are they, then?"

Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked down. Softly, Ahsoka answered, "They have become one with the Force."

Something cracked in Kalth's expression before it hardened, turning cold. He nodded brusquely.

Obi-Wan saw through his façade. "There will be others that survive. Our hope is that you can provide us with a list of the younglings you were able to get out of the Temple. The three of us will continue searching."

"We've already sent a scouting team out to Bracca. In search of Padawan Kestis," Anakin added.

"Cal?" Kalth actually looked interested in this. Saedii remembered that they had been friendly back at the Temple, too.

Cere nodded. "Cal was alive when last I saw him. It is my fervent wish that he is still, even after this time."

"And if he survived, so could others," Ahsoka said.

A divot carved between Kalth's eyebrows. Emotion, tightly bottled behind the unreadable mask, bubbled in his eyes. A searing desire to help. A fear of truly knowing the fate of anymore younglings who'd never had a chance.

Somehow, Saedii knew where his thoughts were. She knew that he was desperate to find the younglings he'd saved. But she also knew that he was afraid to find more dead children at their end of their search. After everything they'd been through, how could they possibly deal with more death?

Cere must have sensed it, too. Reaching out, she brushed against the back of his hand. A motherly sort of touch.

"What do you need to know?" Kalth finally asked, hesitant.

"We want to know what you remember from the night at the Temple," Obi-Wan said.

As much as he tried to hide it, Kalth's face went pale. "I don't remember much. What I do remember, it's not...most of it doesn't make sense."

"How about you start with the names of the younglings? The ones you remember?"

Saedii met Kalth's eye and gave a little nod of encouragement.

He swallowed. "Biette and Tuca. They were the first I got out to Master Beq."

Anakin turned a look to R2, who gave a soft beep of understanding. Saedii knew that he was recording this for later.

"The older ones were easier to move. Most of them, Master Beq was able to get into a transport – Daeva, Katooni, Ithi, P'vok, Sorea, Rhena." Kalth's lips pressed together. "A few though – Hyr and Lenno didn't...they wouldn't leave the..." His jaw worked. "You don't need to look for them."

Obi-Wan gave a gentle nod to that.

"The Padawans wouldn't go. They wouldn't leave their Masters. I couldn't get them...they wouldn't let me –"

"Just focus on the ones you did get out."

Kalth looked down at his scared hands. "The little ones were the hardest. We had to carry them out, one-by-one. They were so scared –"

He broke off. By the glazed look in his eye, his mind was lightyears away, back in the youngling quarters in the Temple. Saedii couldn't even imagine what he must have seen. What he'd had to do.

"It was chaos. There were troopers everywhere. Dead bodies in the hallway. Some of the Temple Guards tried to help, but they were killed, so I had to leave Master Beq. Told him I would distract –"

Cere's hand tightened on his. "You were very brave, Kalth. Just as you are now. There's no need to relive that night. All we need are the names of those you saved."

His eyes flashed up to hers, tortured and angry. In a harsh voice, he spat, "We didn't save many of the little ones. We just didn't have enough time –"

"Who did you save?"

"Kenna."

One of the youngest – only an infant in swaddling clothes when Saedii had last seen her. Saedii remembered holding her by the fire one night while she'd listened to a story from Master Nu.

"Qor."

Just a toddler. No more than three.

"Sulla. Ny. Andromeda. Meek. Telphis."

More toddlers. If Saedii's math was right, they would have only been two during Order 66. No more than babies.

"And Grogu."

Another infant – one that had been around longer than Saedii. He used to like playing with Saedii's braids when she'd pulled him into her lap.

"He was the last before Master Beq fell," Kalth said sadly. In her head, she did the math and realized why he'd grown so somber. Counting Zatt and the two that Ahsoka had tracked down, that meant that nearly twenty made it out of the Temple.

And only sixteen survived.

Out of nearly sixty younglings.

The realization was sickening. The younglings were their most precious resource, fiercely guarded for millennia. Every single person in the Order would have gladly laid their life down just to save any one of them.

By the hanging of Kalth's head, he was dwelling on this number. On all the ones he hadn't saved.

"You and Kelleran must have put up a hell of a fight. From what I remember, the fighting was intense at the Temple," Anakin said.

Kalth didn't have anything to say to that.

"You should be proud of yourself," Obi-Wan continued. "We are proud of you, for those you were able to save. Thanks to you, nineteen of our children lived to see another day after our Order fell."

Ahsoka took a hearty sip from her caff. "Sixteen younglings will be a lot to track down."

"Sixteen younglings and a Padawan," Cere reminded her.

"Two, actually." Saedii suddenly remembered what Wrecker had told her, of the young Padawan that Hunter had saved three years ago. "The Batch saved Caleb Dume on Kaller."

"Master Billaba's Padawan?" Ahsoka looked at Anakin. "He was a few years younger than me. I knew him well."

"So did we," Saedii said, looking at Kalth. He nodded at that.

"I've heard rumors of others, as well," Obi-Wan said. "Master Yoda and Quinlan Vos were said to have escaped on Kashyyyk. Reports place Master Khandra on Anoat after the fall, and Master Selyse in Mos Eisley."

"We tracked Master Ka-Moon Kholi on Troithe, once," Kalth supplied. His hand brushed along a faint scar along the side of his neck. "He got away."

Saedii had a feeling she knew where he'd gotten that scar. And why.

"There were other Temples that might have had more survivors," Cere reminded them. "Brothers and sisters on undercover missions. I have faith that we are not the only survivors of our order."

"I have faith that we will find them," Obi-Wan added confidently.

For the first time since Saedii had been freed, she felt hope, too.