Hey this is a story Idea I've had in my head for awhile now, I'm not sure if I will continue it or not but hey there's always a chance. Hope you all enjoy the story and please leave reviews and comments.
I do not own neither Star wars of any kind nor Command and Conquer. They belong to their respective owners and what not time for the story!
Chapter 1
The Terran
On the rebel command ship in an undisclosed location we can find the crew of the Ghost chatting with Admiral Sato about what they should do next. As they all discuss what their next move will be, a young man by the name Ezra Bridger is looking around the room and takes in all those around him first is Sabine Wren, a young Mandalorian woman with dyed blue hair that's green at the tips. Next in line is Zeb the big hairy and quite frankly smelly Lasat that has become a good friend despite both he and Ezra having their numerous issues and arguments with each other. He couldn't help but smile and chuckle a little at that thought, which brought the attention of the crew's ace pilot and basically the mother of their little rag tag team.
"Ezra did you have something to say to offer the plan?" Hera whispered to the younger man.
As he looked at her he shook his head. "No, I'm just amazed we've made it this far and I believe we'll make it through this."
She smiled down at him. "Yes we will, now all we have to do is figure out our next move."
He nodded in response to the older Twi'lek who had the usual features of her race, the two head tails along with coned like ears and green skin. The next person Ezra took notice of was his own master Kannan, a brown haired human man who was the group's father figure. He and Hera both did their best to keep them all out of trouble but trouble seemed to find them no matter where they went.
As Ezra was thinking about how both Kannan and Hera tried but often failed to keep them out of trouble his master must have taken notice through their connection because he received Kannan's patented glare all he could do was shrug and stick his tongue out at him. With a shake of his head and a smile on his face he turned back to Admiral Sato but as he did they both caught Ahsoka, a former Jedi one that had far more training than Kannan. All she did was offer a smile and a nod to both of them, probably remembering her own master and how he no longer is here to share in such adventures.
The next person that Ezra took in was Captain Rex a former soldier of the Clone wars now an active member of the Rebellion against the Empire, His age was showing in his white beard and bald head and he still wore parts of his clone armor mostly the chest piece and has been an invaluable member to the team. His teaching of blaster was the best but that line of thought brought Ezra to the last member of their little family and he would never call him the black sheep of their family but he wasn't like him or the others.
His name is James Gray and he wasn't like anyone else he had ever met even to those that call him a friend and an ally. Whenever someone has to pass by him or talk to him, you can see that they are tense, nervous and jittery almost as if he's a bomb that's about to blow but not once since meeting the older man did he ever show signs of being hostile to them. All he really knows about the man is that he's a Commando in the GDI and a Terran but outside of that nothing. It was weird no one wanted to answer his questions about who the GDI are and why being a Terran seems to make everyone scared. It could have to do with how the man is dressed, after all you don't see fully armed and armored individuals often unless they're all white and black.
Out of everyone on this ship frak in the rebellion that he has met no one was dressed like him. Covered from head to toe in body armor that would make Rex's own look sad and pathetic. His helmet covers his head with a blue visor that takes up most of where his eyes and upper nose would be along with what looks like rebreather attached to the bottom right where his mouth is. Next he chest armor is a combination of metal and padding that protects from both blaster fire and slugthrowers the same can be said about his pants along with a great many pouches that contains ammo, grenade and medical supplies.
The Terran took notice of the young Jedi's gaze on him with a simple tilt of his head he spoke. " What's up Ezra I thought you were interested in Sabine?"
With a bright red face the young man began to sputter and deny it with all his might. " w-what! NN-no that's not it!"
With a large grin on his face the older man continued. " Don't get me wrong kid, I'm flattered but I lean towards the opposite gender and those my own age." With a wicked smirk he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh at the young Jedi.
As poor Ezra tried to counter what he was saying the others in the room heard what James said as well and began to laugh at Ezra's embarrassment.
"Ah! It's not like that, I do like Sabine, not like that's a secret but I was wondering why everyone is usually so tense around you I don't get it. You always act friendly and kind and are very helpful and help those around the ship when you don't need to."
As Ezra spoke those in the room grew quiet and tense not only that but all eyes focused on the commando who could only look on in astonishment.
" Wait Ezra, are you serious right now? I mean you have to be joking, how do you not know?" As he continued to look at him James saw truthfully that Ezra had no true idea who he was and what that meant. " Ezra, how much do you know about the GDI?"
"Not much really truthfully I hadn't heard about you until I met Kannan and the rest of the Ghost crew. The only one who would talk a little about who you are and what the GDI are was Sabine and Ahsoka."
Once Ezra finished James looked around the room at all of their faces with one clear expression across his face, "Really". "None of you told him about me nor my government? Really? I can't believe this." But as he said that he thought about where the young boy comes from. " Hm, maybe I can, Lothal was a pretty out in the sticks kinda place and to my knowledge never saw any action during the Clone Wars. Tell me if I am wrong here Rex, Ahsoka." When neither of them refuted him he came to a better understanding of what's going on.
"Hm, where would be best to begin? I guess I should start with what the GDI is." As James began to explain the younger member of the Ghost crew. The other's listened intently as well as many on the bridge.
"T
he first thing you should understand is GDI used to stand for Global Defense Initiative and became Earth's or Terra's if you want, super government. Yet that wasn't its intended role."After James said that many on the bridge became confused.
"What do you mean by that?" The first to ask the question on everyone's mind was Zeb.
As James turned to him and gave the Lasat a glance all he could do was sigh. As he spoke he felt the urge to just stop. He may be a citizen of the GDI hell he is a Commando, but how do you explain to a people who have only understood war for only four years and oppression for nearly twenty just how bad things such as these can get. As he looked at all those present he couldn't help but shake his head at just how little they all understood.
'Where does one begin to explain Terran history? We spill more blood than those Mandaloirans on a near daily basis.'
"Okay I'll say this once the GDI was a sanctioned military force by at the time an organization that was devoted to trying to keep the peace, prosperity and the advancement of Earth stable and avoid another world war."
" So if I understand correctly the GDI was never supposed to be your people's government? Then what was it made for?" it was the youngest Jedi in the room that asked the question on all their minds.
"The GDI's original purpose was to put down tyrants and dictators and combat multinational terrorism. That was the original purpose but with the introduction of an alien element to our world the GDI slowly became the only standing government world wide out of necessity not out of the idea of unification."
Now that came as a surprise to all within the bridge even to some that have known of the GDI and James personally for years. But one thought came to the minds of all on the ship, what could have forced a people to become united in such a way? They all wanted to ask but knew doing so would be a mistake, if there is anything the entire galaxy can say about the Terrans is that they keep their secrets close and keep an army that would have easily crushed both the Republic and Separatist during the Clone Wars.
"Of course it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows from there, between a foe that wouldn't stay dead no matter what, the ever changing environment becoming more and more hostile to us, and the loss of nearly the full planet. Those are the things that define us as a people and form the bonds we share as Terrans, we who have experienced death and destruction on a scale the wider galaxy could never understand."
'After all, between fighting NOD back on Earth for decades and then the Scrin for centuries we are the only ones who could understand the devastation we have experienced and keep at bay.'
Everyone felt conflicted about what James had said but none more so than Sabine who felt insulted by his words, that no one in the galaxy could understand the pain and death the Terrans have. After all her own people used to wage wars that brought the galaxy to their knees, they even continued to fight amongst themselves until they brought ruin to their own world. Not to mention what the Empire has been doing for the last decade or so. Unable to keep her ire at bay Sabine began to counter what he had said.
"So is the suffering the entire galaxy going through not enough for you and your people to help us? Fight alongside us to regain our freedom and peace, to help those that are being enslaved by an empire four times your size that will attack you sooner or later! AND WHAT ABOUT US MANDALORIANS WE HAVE FOUGHT FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS LONGER THAN YOU! Our world is nothing more than desert from our own wars. How do we not understand the death and devastation you have felt and dealt with?"
At the end of Sabine's rant against James and his people all on the bridge could see the conflicted look in his eyes. What they saw was sadness and empathy but also an overwhelming rage that he seemed to hold back.
Those attuned to the force could feel his rage at the younger woman and quickly realized he was beyond angry. Unlike the rest of the galaxy the Terran people have a very weak connection to the force almost like it isn't even there. So for a force user to sense so clearly how the older man was feeling was both a surprise and greatly worrisome.
As James looked at the girl who stared defiantly back at him all he could do was take calming breaths to keep his temper in check. As he thought more the angrier he got, how could these people ever understand,if it wasn't for the GDI being a blockade the Scrin would have long ago swept through the galaxy killing all in their path.
"Hera you explain but don't go into too much detail. Understood?"
With a small sigh. " Yes I understand."
As she turned to look at Sabine she saw that her family looked on in confusion in the manner that James had addressed her. 'Damn him for bringing me into this, he knows I don't like talking about my time in the GDI.'
"Sabine, what you have to understand about the GDI and what James is saying is that they have fought a foe that makes the Clone Wars look like a small spat of children fighting. Also that, despite how many may feel, the GDI can't just attack the Empire, they have their own problems to deal with."
As she said that Hera couldn't help but have flashbacks of her time as an ace pilot for the GDI and the endless dog fights against the Scrin. A shiver ran up her spine just thinking about the numberless drones that came from their ships. That's not even bringing up the mothership that could demolish an entire city on its own.
"Sabine, if the Republic had fought what the GDI had, it would have lost and we would all be dead. Now with the Empire it could hold for a time but not indefinitely, as James has pointed out in the past the Empires vehicles are mostly used as scare tactics instead of strong military assets. Don't get me wrong they still pack a punch but the GDI's own vehicles are far more powerful and versatile, and that is without mentioning their air power. We all know the Empire is making new tie fighters and the rebellion is using old x-wings and y-wings and both have been used for a long time now yet the GDI's Firehawks are another thing entirely. They possess both great maneuverability and intense firepower in the form of missiles, bombs and a chaingun. I've seen the weapons of the GDI and these same weapons are what makes the Empire hesitant to attack them, if the Empire went to war with the GDI the war machines of the Empire would get blown to pieces and torn apart as if they were childs play."
"Yet the GDI faces a foe that can leave them destroyed and broken and barely clinging to life, Sabine I have seen with my own eyes the devastation the GDI faces on a near daily basis. If the Republic or the Empire fought what the GDI had then we'd all be dead."
As Hera spoke you could see her eyes darken just thinking about her time in the GDI military and how it truly affected her. Many in the room felt a chill run down their spine at the mention of an enemy that could leave the GDI devastated and all in the bridge turned their attention towards the sole commando of Terran origin on the ship.
"James?" Hera spoke barley above a whisper.
He turned his head to her and gave a light hum. "Hmm?"
"How is it you are fine? Let alone sane?"
"Haa, now that is a good question and one I don't have an answer for, the best I can give you Hera is I'm used to it or a better way to say that is we Terrans are used to it, after all we've been keeping those monsters at bay for close to 500 years. We are used to the casualties and the sheer destruction that comes with fighting those addicts." As he said this he turned to Sabine.
"Your people may have an impressive track record of war and death, you even turned your own home into nothing more than a giant dustball. But you haven't done much else for over a thousand years just like the rest of the galaxy, while we Terrans have been fighting each other at first for half of that then the latter half, an enemy that is near impossible to beat. So in the end no Sabine none of you understand what it is we fight against on a daily basis, none of you understand the devastation and destruction we see every time we fight."
At those words Hera couldn't help but shudder and fall back into another flashback to her time as an GDI pilot.
. . . Line Break . . .
"Listen up all air squadrons, we have a large target aiming for Hearth City. It needs to be taken out before it reaches the city, is that understood?"
"Understood command, we'll head for it now. You heard her, everybody let's get a move on."
Everyone of the airmen and women responded with a yes sir. As they all closed in on their target they soon came to realize the target they had was a mothership but unlike the ones that had fought the GDI before, this one was bigger and far more heavily armored with gun emplacements all around it to counter fighters that got near it.
"SHIT WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" one of the many pilots exclaimed
Hera at this time was one of these pilots and she had seen a great many engagements against the Scrin and had seen many new and more monstrous forces come from them in her short time in the GDI but not once had she seen a ship this heavily defended.
"Damn it looks like the addicts are showing us their A game today, shit listen up we got hostile aircrafts defending that mothership and they are keeping a tight formation around it. Good news: we have plenty of AA emplacements all around the city to help us. Bad news, those will barely do anything to the big one, this is what we'll have to do. I want all Hurricanes along with Firehawk fighters to take on enemy aircrafts, as for those with air to air missiles, focus all your fire on the mothership! I want Paladins ready to intercept all the fire they can, make sure to fall back to the Archangel if your in need of repairs "
It didn't take long for both forces to clash. It wasn't even a minute in, yet it was total chaos, ships on both sides taking and exuding fire and hundreds of them crashing and burning out of the skies. Many on the side of GDI gave their lives to make an opening for the strike team to get close and launch their missiles at the armored mothership.
As for Hera during this engagement she was in her Hurricane chasing down Scrin Stormriders and knocking them down with ease, yet unfortunately the enemy had many PAC ships with them and it was making maneuvering hard.
" Come on, come on, I just can't lose this guy" As she checked her rear Hera saw 4 drones chasing her alone with 2 Stormraiders.
"Dammit I just can't shake them" As she desperately tried to lose her pursers an idea came to her and with a quick thrust plunged her Hurricane into a nosedive straight towards the AA guns, as she dived further plasma flew past her at incredible speeds and clipped one of her wings making her a gun short.
"Shit, I don't need this right now, come on just a little more." With her ever increasing speed she raced towards the ground as fast as she could and with mere seconds to spare she pulled back on the stick as hard as she could pulling out of the nosedive. And with that she heard the wonderful gun fire of the AA's going at it against the Scrin ships.
Hera couldn't help but sigh to herself. "That was too close now back towards the Archangel."
As Hera flew back to the aerial repair station she encountered a few more enemy ships and took them down, but as she continued to fight her way back the young ace couldn't help but notice that a great many of her friends were now unresponsive on the radio. It didn't help that she could do nothing but bear witness to even more GDI pilots giving their lives to try and make a path for the Firehawks. Yet it seemed to be a futile effort, no matter how many are sent against them it feels as if they are throwing stones trying to stop a river.
As the battle rages on Hera makes it to the repair ship and begins to have her craft mended.
"How are you holding up Syndulla, it looks like it's getting bad out there."
"I'm holding on though this has been one the worst battles I've seen so far." And she wasn't wrong, it wasn't just the air but the ground as well being met with such a ferocious attack that it caught the GDI off guard. That's not to say though that the GDI faltered easily; they gave just as much as they took when defending this world.
As the GDI slowly lost ground in both the air and surface the Scrin crept ever closer to Hearth all those that were not Terrans began to feel despair creep up within them. They Swore an oath to the GDI when their people asked to join and serve with those that made do on their promises, yet as they watched on in desperation and sorrow they all came to the single realization about the Terran people. Among these many different species who came to this realization Hera was the only one to ask whether or not her thoughts were true.
"Serge?"
"What's up, Syndulla, your gun's almost fixed and you'll be able to get back into the action in a moment or two."
"How do Terrans deal with this? How do any of you remain sane, the sheer destruction that's being wrought here would leave even Mandalorians in shock.
All she got in return was silence for a few moments until she heard the crackle of her radio start.
"We deal, we preserve and we fight with all that we have. We stand outnumbered and outmatched. The Scrin have technology we could only dream of and out gun us in both space and on the planet, yet we have developed technology that sets us on equal footing as them. They fear us Hera for it is only us that have managed to push them back and keep them at bay."
As the young pilot listened to her seasoned commander she could only look on in amazement as she bore witness to the will that the Terran people have. An impossible battle to win yet despite the numbers the Terran pilots managed to open a path for the firehawks, that leads to the oversized mothership. As she looked on Hera took notice that it wasn't only her who felt awed by what she had the pleasure to witness, all those of non Terran origin had begun to lose morale and began to feel defeated yet instead the exact opposite happened for the natives of the GDI. They fought harder and faster, taking risker moves in both air and ground, they fought as though possessed by demons and with stoic heroism that rivaled the Republic of old and those that guarded the Galaxy for thousands of years the now near extinct Jedi.
"You're good to go, kid get out there and give them hell!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
And once more Hera entered the fray of battle dodging plasma fire from Stormriders and unleashing her own attacks upon the enemy air.
"Come on, I got you now."
As Hera began to follow her own target she took pot shots at them, startling her opponent into making erratic movements to try and lose her. The Stormrider began to dive into the thickest part of fighting in hopes of shaking the young ace pilot. Yet Hera was not known for her stubborn and sometimes bullheaded personality for nothing, so with no hesitation she pushed the throttle and shot down like a meteor after her target.
As she nosedived after her intended target she could see all around her, fighters exploding and being torn apart on both sides with no end insight she took this in within a matter of seconds after all the smallest distraction and it would reward her with a one way ticket to the force. It didn't take long for her to make her way out of the chaotic dog fight and in line to take her target out.
Once she was ready Hera let out a torrent of lead upon her enemy and watched as her turrets ripped apart the enemy ship from the wing splintering and detaching to the main body of the fighter collapsing in on itself. With a wipe of her brow the young ace couldn't help but feel tired from the chase and combat all around her. With a quick nod of her head she began to turn around to re-enter the ensuing dog fight behind her, yet fate had different plans.
"All aerial unit's begin fallback procedures to the closest base or carrier; this is a direct order to retreat from this fight; the
Scrin Alpha Mothership now resides over Hearth and a build up of energy suggests a large-scale attack."
As Hera heard this she couldn't help but feel despair as she and her fellow pilots failed to stop the Scrin. So with a heavy heart she began to fly off to the safety of a GDI carrier but before she could get far.
"ALL PILOTS BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
With a deafening boom Hera turned back and took in the sight of a bright white light and then the shock wave hit. As soon as she was hit by the shock wave Hera's fighter lost all control as she desperately tried to restart her systems as the ground grew closer and closer.
"COME ON DAMMIT WORK! WORK!"
In sheer desperation she began to punch her controls feeling a sickening pit form in her stomach and tears began to fill her eye's, only one thought filled her mind.
'I'm going to die.'
As the ground grew ever closer the young pilot just closed her eyes and braced for what would be her final moments. With the blare of alarm from her systems and the sputtering of her engines the next thing she heard was the crash of her ship into the ground then all disappeared.
It was several hours later when she awoke with a start, her vision blurry, head hurting and unable to feel her leg she looked around and came to a startling realization that she was still alive. With a sigh of relief she looked at her control and pressed a button to remove the glass between her and the outside world. As the glass moved slowly Hera grabbed around and began to pull herself out of the now unusable Hurricane and as she climbed out and took in the outside world she froze.
Despair and devastation was all she could feel now once she saw the cost of her and her fellow pilots' failure to stop the mothership. The once beautiful Capital City of Olympia Hearth lay in ruin, the once mighty and strong walls that kept out the local wildlife and kept those within the walls safe now lay destroyed and torn asunder. If she looked closer she could see the interior of some of those walls. Yet as she continued to look around she bore witness to the once sparkling towers of glass now shattered and broken, some towers now leaning against others with their base broken or flung off from the sheer power of the Scrin Alpha Mothership. Dust covered everything making the once vibrant city look dull and dead as though it had been a ruin for decades instead of a bustling and gorgeous city it was no more than a day ago.
Sobbing and in denial all the young woman could do was fall to her knees and cry and scream her heart out.
"Th-this isn't fair! WHY, WHY DID THESE GOOD AND INNOCENT PEOPLE NEED TO DIE! H-how do the Terrans deal with this?!"
As the young woman continued to cry and yell for answers she would never receive she caught sight of a figure moving her way. Through the smoke and dust flung about in the air she sees an armored figure walk slowly through the dust filled air.
"Hey are you alright?"
"What?" Hera responds in but a whisper of her voice.
"I asked"
. . . Line break. . .
"Hera I asked if you're alright?"
"Hmm? Y-yeah I'm fine."
As she said that she knew it was a lie after all, how could one easily forget the horrors of that day.
"No you're not, I'm not sure where you were but I caught glimpses of it."
It was Kannan who spoke as he walked up to her, took a knee and gently grabbed her hands. Looking her straight in the eyes and all she saw was compassion and worry.
"Ah, I'll be fine in a bit."
"Hera what was that? What did we see? It wasn't just Kannan but Ahsoka and myself that saw whatever that was."
With a sigh the twi'lek pilot could only muster a light whisper.
"It was a battle I was a part of, before the Rebellion back when I was in the GDI."
"You were remembering Hearth weren't you? Hera you need to let that go, it was a bad situation for us outnumbered, outgunned and caught with our pant's down."
With yet another sigh Hera turned her head towards James and askes one simple question.
"James how do you, the Terrans and the GDI handle this? Why do you even still fight when it seems all hope has been lost?"
With a stern look on his face James looks the younger woman in the eyes, the very same eyes that once were tear filled and full of despair.
"We have no other choice but to fight Hera, for if we don't who will?" As James spoke he began to walk around the holotable towards the window that gave way to the vastness of space.
" The Republic? When the GDI first entered the Galactic stage more than fifty years ago all the Republic had was planetary defense forces that couldn't even stop pirates. Even when the Clone Wars began the Republic was so corrupt and pathetic it sent the Jedi out to fight their war. Those oh so famous Jedi were the worst leaders We Terrans have ever seen and we have had both good and bad."
As James spoke many in the room could see those that fought in the Clone Wars didn't take too kindly to what he had said and yet the Terran commando wasn't done.
"If not the Republic, then who? We could have turned to the Mandilorians yet before Satine they were beyond foolish in how they acted and proved their inability to think rationally by turning their home into a tomb world where they have to live in domed cities. But that's not even the worst yet, when Satine finally came to power and proved that the Mandalorian people can think about things other than war and conquest, she was so much of a pacifist she couldn't see the embers for rebellion beginning and it eventually cost her everything including her life."
As the Terran continued to speak the young Mandalorian now began to feel her own anger rise at the man she could call a friend despite her own issues with him and his people.
" And now we have the Empire controlled by a madman who is pure evil, we are not desperate enough to ask for aid from one who would sooner stab us in the back and kill us when crippled. After all one of our founding principles was to end tyranny but in this case survival of the Galaxy outweighs the evils of the Empire. And last but not least the Rebellion."
As James brought up the rebellion all turned to him with eyes weary and angered by what he has said so far.
" Your lot can hardly hurt the Empire in your current state. You are not ready to face the Empire head on yet, you can barely handle the hit and run tactics you all do now. Maybe once you beat the Empire then and only then would you be ready to fight against the monsters we fight now. But I don't see that happening for a long time and we can't commit to a war against the Empire that would leave us vulnerable to our own enemy."
"So Hera you tell me." As he said that he began to look around the room. "Anyone of you tell me at what point we could have passed the burden on our shoulders to anyone, ANYONE in the wider galaxy."
As James looked about the room, not one person there could give him an answer and as he looked on he couldn't help but shake his head in disgust, he began to turn away to head back to his own quarters or the Observation deck; it was usually quiet there.
As James left all those in felt a collective sigh get released from both their anger at the commando and at the truth he stated, Hera especially felt bad for asking such a stupid question. Though she does regret asking it has been a question that has lingered in the back of her mind since her time as a cadet in the GDI. As silence filled the room it was broken by an old war dog.
"Well that could have gone better." With a slight chuckle Ahsoka looked towards her old friend and with a shake of her head she agreed. "You're not wrong, that most certainly could have ended better." As Ahsoka looked around she took notice of the young Mandalorian woman looking at her with a certain look. "Sabine, do you have something you want to ask?" The young woman's eyes widened as though she didn't expect to be called out but shortly she relaxed and took a deep breath before she began her inquiry.
"Ashoka you've known James the longest here alongside Rex right?" With a nod of her head to confirm Sabine's answer the younger girl got to the main point of her question. " Do James and by extension the GDI along with the Terran people really feel that way about us? I mean I know we haven't been at the best or in a place of peace but, it just feels like the way they think is twisted and wrong to a degree."
Once the question had been asked all eyes turned towards Ahsoka and Rex and neither particularly felt any pleasure from their gazes. As the two exchanged a glance it was Ahsoka that decided to finally speak. " Sabine you have to understand something and the same goes for everyone in this room, the Terran people have known war since the earliest days of their history, their past is drenched in blood and while the galaxy had nearly a thousand years of peace they have had over a thousand years of war. They have faced horrors that would leave many within the Empire and Rebellion frozen in fear."
As Ahsoka spoke she began to walk around the room. "Not only that when the Republic finally did face war once more, the tactics and skill employed by the Jedi left many of our forces devastated when another plan could have saved so many lives. Not to mention very few of the Republic's own people joined in the fight to keep the galaxy unified. When you think about it from that perspective it is easy to see how the Galactic Republic left a bad impression on the GDI."
With a small sigh Ahsoka looks out to those in the room with her and gives a small shake of her head. " I will go speak with James and hopefully calm his mood, as for your question Sabine I will answer with this. What has the wider galaxy shown the GDI to give them a favorable impression upon it?" With those final word's she left the room to go find the one man she has known aside from Rex for decades and considers to be one of the few people she can consider family.
It didn't take the eldest Jedi on the ship to find her intended target still dressed in his commando gear and staring out into the vastness of space he seemed imposing and powerful. If one knew him however they would see just how tired he is, a small slump in his shoulders, the tilt of his head and it was all she needed to understand how tired he is. Quietly walking up to him and slipping her hand into his own she squeezes his hand as he reciprocates the action, as they hold hands the woman leans into the man and stares out into the endless darkness of space.
"How are you feeling? I know Sabine pressed a nerve and don't lie I don't need the force to tell me you are in a bad mood."
With a quick glance to the woman on his arm he speaks in near a whisper. " I will live, Sabine and her attitude is nothing new, just tiresome. I'm worried about the future Ahsoka. The more we push and build the Rebellion the easier it gets for the Empire to focus on us and to find us."
"I understand how you feel but we are doing good even these small victories are worth it every little bit helps us get closer to victory and the fall of the Empire."
"I know, I know but things are not going well for the GDI."
With that one sentence Ahsoka is shaken the only time she has heard James say those words was when the Scrin invaded last and nearly broke through the GDI's blockade to the rest of the Galaxy. It was also during that time she thought he had been lost to her, with a small glance Ahsoka looked at a large scar on James's that runs down below his armor.
"Does that mean they are back?"
A small nod was all he needed to give and with it confirmed her worst fears.
"When will you have to leave?"
"I don't know it could be any day now I'm just waiting on the call and once it comes in I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back from this one. Last time they devastated us nearly breaking through, this time it may even be worse than before there are already reports of skirmishes with new and far more advanced fighters around our territories. From what I've been hearing they have upped their game or they have finally gotten serious with us."
Both continued to stare into the void both worried about the future they face from foes on all sides.
"Well if this is our last remaining day together then let us spend them with each other and those we consider family."
With a small smile on his face and a nod of his head James agreed with her words.
"Then we better get back to the others"
"In time first let us enjoy this one moment of peace together like we used to on Earth in blissful peace and company."
As she finished her words Ahsoka turned to the man she cared for most as he did her and with a near whisper he agreed to her request as they both leaned in to share once more a passionate kiss filled with a promise to return to one another once more, to not let the dangers they face stop them or slow them down in returning to each other's embrace