Chapter Five: Decision Making
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Summary: AU/Canon Divergent~ Set around the middle-end of season 2 of Bad Batch and heading in between season 3 ~ After fleeing from a mission, Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor sustain heavy damage and crash land on a remote and uncharted moon. There, they discover a girl whose completely alone and who has remarkable abilities. To their surprise, Silver forms a strong connection with the clones, especially Rex, which leads her on a journey of discovering who she really is and what her true purpose means.
Rating: T, SFW
Days had passed since that night in the forest clearing, Silver's relationship with the three clones just went uphill from there. After that night, Silver started coming around everyday to see Rex, Wolffe and Gregor. She got to know them all quite well, and they all started forming their own relationships with one another. For the first time in a long time, Silver didn’t feel so alone anymore.
“Hey Silver, can you pass me that one part? It's the one next to the spanner.” Gregor asked from under the ship. “Yeah of course!” Silver jumps to grab the part and passes it to Gregor.
“Here you go!”
“Ah! Thanks hun. I really appreciate all your assistance this past week on the ship's repairs. You've been a fantastic asset to it getting fixed” Gregor exclaimed as he started putting the part back into the ship.
“Oh it's no trouble at all, I've really enjoyed helping you and learning all about the ship! I have found it quite interesting, and I have learned so much.” Silver bends down and peeks her head under the ship slightly to get a glimpse of how Gregor was putting the part into the ship. Her long dark hair slips to the one side of her head as she bends downwards to watch. She quickly blows small strands out of her pale freckled face “So, how many more repairs are left to be fixed on the ship?”
Gregor grabs the edge of the ship and quickly pulls himself out from under the ship, wiping his hands off and chuckling to himself “Well, that was actually the last part, if all goes well, we should have no issues taking off. I’ll run the maintenance check with Rex when he gets back, and then if it all passes, we should be ready to take off in the next day or so.” Silver’s green eyes widen at Gregor's remark, get ready to go?! She had gotten so accustomed to having them around the past little while that she almost forgot that they were only here because they crashed.
Silver felt her heart growing heavy at the thought of Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor leaving. She had grown quite fond of them in the short period of time that they were stranded here. The more she thought about it, the more Silver’s thoughts started to trouble her. She didn't want to lose them. She didn't want to be all alone again.
“Hey Silver, how's the repairs going with Gregor?” Wolffe’s question quickly pulled Silver from her mind. She was so caught up in the thought of them leaving that she didn't even realize Wolffe had walked over to them. “Oh, h-hi Wolffe, uh- yeah, the repairs are going well-” Silver hesitated before Gregor cut her off.
“Ha! Well? I'd say they are going better than well! They are finally finished” Gregor cackled loudly as Silver just stood there processing everything still.
“Finished? That is great- I will let Rex know, and we can get the maintenance check under way. Hopefully, by tomorrow afternoon, we can get off this rock.”
Silver stared at Wolffe with furrowed brows and worried eyes. She didn't know how to process all of this. She didn't want them to leave… “Tomorrow afternoon?” Silver’s voice cracked out quietly.
“Uh-Yeah, we have to get back to our base. We were finishing up a mission when we crashed. We were supposed to check in multiple rotations ago, but our comms have been down. It’s been long overdue, and our base is probably wondering what has gone wrong or happened to us.”
Silver ponders over what Wolffe just explained when Rex makes his way over, he had just got back from getting water from the cove when he calmly walks over to the three of them, clearing his throat, he makes his presence more known “What's all the commotion about over here?” Wolffe and Gregor face Rex, giving him their full attention. “We got the ship all up and running. You and I just need to run a maintenance check to make sure everything is operational. If all goes smoothly, Wolffe thinks we should be able to head out by tomorrow afternoon.” Rex nods over what Gregor just told him, but he feels a sudden conflict in himself. Of course, he was relieved the ship was fixed now, but he couldn't help the concern that washed over him. It was no longer him, Wolffe and Gregor, what about Silver?! He peers over to Silver, she had strayed away from them as they were discussing the maintenance check and he could see worry written on her face as she paced casually and fiddled with her small hands.
Rex was deep in his own thoughts when Gregor grabbed his shoulder slightly
“Alright Rex old boy! ready to run that maintenance check?” The sudden gesture and question got Rex’s attention abruptly. “Huh? Oh- uh, yeah Gregor i'm ready. Let's get on board and get things sorted.”
Gregor nods before heading up the steps onto the ship. Rex follows behind him, quickly pausing to look back at Silver before getting onboard.
*****
Rex’s POV
As Gregor and I entered the ship, my mind was still caught on Silver. It hadn’t crossed my mind what would happen to her once we got our ship all repaired. When we leave, Silver will be all alone again. I thought to myself. I started to grow more concerned for her the more I thought about it.
“Rex, are you ready to get this done? Rex-” I could hear Gregor's voice in the background but I was so preoccupied in my own thoughts that I didn't realize he was even talking to me.
Gregors sudden abruptness finally startled me out of my deep thoughts.
“Hey REX!!” Gregor shouted, emphasizing my name and snapping me out of my mind
“huh- oh, sorry Gregor..y- yeah, i'm ready. Let's get this done.”
Gregor and I began running the tests and ensuring everything was operational for us to travel, especially in hyperspace. The last thing I needed was us crash landing a second time.
The air felt a bit tense on the ship, and Gregor and I were quiet- which is unusual, especially for Gregor.
With my thoughts driving me crazy, I finally decided to break the silence.
“Hey Gregor, I've been thinking-” Gregor cut me off, “uh-oh, that's never a good thing..” he responded before letting out a loud chuckle. I furrowed my brows at him and shook my head. “I'm serious, Gregor..”
Gregor looked at me, giving me his proper attention now before I continued.
“I was thinking, when we finally leave this moon. Did it cross either you or Wolffe’s mind what may happen to Silver?”
Gregor paused at my question, the realization hitting him as his eyes widened. “Ah, Rex. I didn’t even think of that. That's a good question.” I paused at his reply before calling Wolffe into the ship, “Hey Wolffe! Get in here, we need to discuss something.”
Wolffe wasted no time responding to my request as he came right on board to join us. “What is it, Rex? Is the ship still not in order?”
“No. no, everything is running nicely, Wolffe. The maintenance check is going well, we're waiting on one last report to clear, and then we should be good for take-off tomorrow. But that's not why I called you in here.”
Wolffe gave me his full attention. Confusion evident in his eyes. I sighed deeply before continuing.
“Gregor and I, we were just discussing what would happen to Silver when we leave. We were so caught up in fixing the ship that…It hadn't occurred to me that when we leave, we'd technically be leaving her behind..”
Wolffe took a minute to process my comment. Realizing I was right. Silver would be left behind. His eyes closed and he shook his head “You're right Rex, she would be… what do you suggest we do?” I thought over wolffe’s question deeply. My brother’s giving me their full attention while they wait for my suggestion on what we should do. I had an idea, but whether or not Gregor and Wolffe got behind the idea was the main question.
I sigh deeply before pitching my thoughts to them, “okay.. Hear me out, but. What if we brought Silver with us when we leave?”
Wolffe and Gregor look at each other, both of them smirking before looking back at me and nodding in agreement. “What? Really?” disbelief in my voice. I thought it would have taken more convincing.
“Sure why not? I've gotten kind of used to having the little spitfire around. Not many people have the guts to try and sneak up on me and take me out.” Wolffe chuckled quietly at the remembrance of his and Silver’s first encounter, “I’d say she's already become like a part of this squad in the short time we've been stuck here. We can't leave her behind all by herself again.”
Wolffe’s remark caught me off guard. He typically wasn't the sentimental type, but I guess Silver had broken through that tough exterior of his a bit.
“Yeah I agree too, Cap. I, too, have grown quite fond of having her around. We can't leave her here on this rock. Plus, us four running through the galaxy together? I don’t know. it sounds like a good time.” Gregor chuckled at his own remark while running his hand over his head, shooting me a sly smirk and winking.
I sighed as relief flooded over me…which also caught me off guard. Relief? Was I THAT concerned that Silver was going to be left behind?
My brows furrowed at my own thoughts, I had grown quite attached to Silver while being here. Especially after our moment in that forest clearing. I had never really had an encounter like that with someone. But all I knew was that, at that moment, I just wanted to take all of her pain away.
Pulling myself from my thoughts, I finally replied to Gregor and Wolffe. “Alright, it's agreed then. Silver comes with us!”
End POV
*****
After running the maintenance check and getting confirmation from the diagnostics that everything was operational and ready to go. The three of them stepped off the ship.
Once off the ship, Rex saw silver sitting on the ground, legs crossed but slightly pulled into her chest. He paused in his tracks to take a moment to just really look at her, Silver was smaller in stature, and her frame was delicate but strong. Her long dark brown hair flowed down her body in waves. Her complexion was on the paler side, and small soft freckles dotted her face in the sunlight as it beamed down on her, And when she looked at you, you were met with her deep green eyes. Eyes that held the life of the forest she lived in them.
Rex quickly gathered his thoughts before approaching Silver. The second silver saw Rex walking over. She stood up to meet him.
Silver stood in front of Rex and looked up at him. Her deep green eyes met his golden ones. She expressed a small little smile when she realized Rex was just staring at her. Silver let out an innocent little chuckle, bringing Rex back to reality.
“Silver-” Rex paused, looking into her eyes again. Silver smiled sweetly at Rex before he continued “Silver- Wolffe, Gregor and I all talked about it and well. Now that the ship is all fixed we really have to leave by next rotation and get back to our base. We've been gone for too long and there will be people who will be wondering what happened to us.” Silver’s facial expression dropped at Rex’s words and she started fiddling with her hands again.
“But, we all had a discussion and we were wondering. Would you come with us?”
Silver’s eyes lifted to Rex again and her eyes widened. She pauses for a brief moment, taking in what Rex just asked her. She felt conflicted, she started to get attached and grow a deep care for the boys. But, at the same time this moon was her everything. It's all she knew and has ever known. It's where her family lived and were buried. Silver wanted to go but was scared to leave her home for the unknown.
Silver took a few moments to really process Rex’s question. For the first time in her life, she felt truly divided. Silver looked at the ground, watching her feet slide into the dark soil of the moon as she tried to decipher these unknown feelings.
“Rex.. I would love to go with you three but-” Rex suddenly cut her off mid sentence before she could mutter the words that he deep down, feared to hear. “Hey, we aren’t leaving until the next rotation. You have some time to think things through if you feel you need to. I know this isn’t a decision that you can come by lightly, I know this is your home, but please think about it?”
Silver pauses and stares up at Rex, taking in what he just requested. Her brows furrowed lightly as she looked up at him. She gave him a small nod before turning and walking away to gather her thoughts on her decision.
*****
Sorry about the long delay in posting Chapter 5, I took a small hiatus from writing, but here it is, finally! I hope you enjoy. We're starting to get a bit more into the story now ( it's kind of a slow burn 😅), but enjoy!
Tag List: @523rdrebel @yubnubhub @sunn1es
If you'd like to be added to the tag list, just let me know! Happy reading!
