gree finds the child among his men, an expression of terror upon her face, clinging to the first hand that she has found. a little zabraki girl ( he has known the species for long enough to have recognition of even the children ), tears bright and blue in those wide dark eyes. of all their brothers she has chosen the hand of jazz, and his expression is no longer clouded by the exhausted grumpiness that has become quite common for him. ' i don't understand a word that she says but she's clearly upset. '
her eyes old only fear, the tears only an indication of a lost childhood. her dress is torn and it has long been covered by dirt that gree suspects that her dress was not the color brown it first appears to be. a classic case of a child of war — a bitter and terrible thing that has plagued all of the planets they have fought upon.
where is the republic for these lost and orphaned children once the planets have been won? gree wonders, now in a kneeling position to greet the girl ( he's picked up a few greetings here and there in the zabraki language ).
' my mommy's gone and my daddy's gone. i can't find my brother. ' the words are a stream and the only words that gree can understand as the girl continues to blabber on ( though it is to herself mainly, as if there is an attempt to comfort herself )
her string of loose sentences only confirm the assumption that was now a natural, heartbreaking occurrence.
' mirell will understand the child. ' simply gree says, offering his hand to the girl.
though gree wears his armor, face shielded behind helmet and visor and all, the girl appears to be comfortable resting against his chest, all too slender arms wrapped around his neck. though communication between the two is quite lacking, the girl easily had found a certain comfort in the eyes of the clone commander, a trust he suspected that did not come easily to her ( from the effects of the war taking away those she had loved. the journey is of no great difficulty, though it is long and foreboding, as gree treks through the districts that separate the barracks from the civilian apartments that mirell has taken up residence in. gree only hopes that he has the ability to help the girl, a terrified and lost orphan who managed to find herself nearly in the downtrodden districts of coruscant, and gree finds it a disgrace not another soul had provided a single kindness in providing help.
the republic sure loved it's war but did not care for the aftermath. and certainly not the victims.
' her horns are among the smallest i've seen.' mirell's brown, slender fingers entangle themselves in the fluffiness of the child's hair as she sleeps an exhausted sleep in the comfort of a bed. gree bites his lip, recalling that mirell has mentioned that at times the horns of zabraks will not grow due to trauma and emotional distress. ' much too small for her age as well. ' the disapproval of mirell is one of embittered grief ( and it is by far from the first time he has seen a member of his species suffer ).
' she's an orphan you suppose? ' there has not been a chance for conversation yet, as she had been placed in the bed upon mirell's immediate insistence.
' it's not such an uncommon thing in this war. ' mirell sighs and it is a heavy sigh filled with grief from years of tragedy and violence. it takes not a moment for mirell to collapse against gree, his dark head contrasting greatly with the stark white and forest green armor. ' but a tragedy nonetheless. '
' what do you think will happen to her? ' gree is a clone, he is not meant to care for small children ( or so that is what the regulations inform the clones of theri duties ). there is little hope for her return to her homeworld wherever that is, quite doubtful in his mind that there is remaining family, and would she even survive the cruel orphanage system that fox has told him about? his arms sling around mirell, their bodies meshed together in warm, if brief, comfort, as they see the tragedy before them. ' she has nowehere left to go. '
poor girl. another victim that will merely pass in the shadows largely ignored by the republic.
' we'll give her a home. '
gree part his mouth in formation of a response to the usage of we but the thought is disregarded and he nods an agreement. whatever the risks may be, he cannot allow this child to go without knowing safety and love.
