@clonemutual HEY UHHHH THIS SUCKS SORRY IF I GOT SOME CHARACTERIZATION WRONG I TRIED MY BEST I PROMISE. (Also it sounds kind of gay but it’s platonic I swear Whisper is just super affectionate and shit i’m sorry)
Captain Whisper smiled, patiently repeated the sign while Rashe watched intently, brow scrunched up in concentration.
“I’ve never seen Rashe this excited to talk to a brother he hasn’t met before.” Commander Fish commented lightly, glancing over at the General. “Your battalion’s reputation precedes you, my dear.”
Captain Whisper jerked his head in Fish’s direction at the tone of the word “Dear”, his eyes narrowing sharply. Lyra Dane looked up from the holomap at Fish’s comment, nodding absently before returning her attention to her work.
“I can’t take credit for it,” Lyra replied with a shrug. “It’s all Whisper. He’s the nice one.”
Commander Fish glanced back over at Whisper, who was scowling now as he signed something rapidly to Lyra, punctuating a few specific gestures with his eyebrows knitting and furrowing.
“What’d he say?” Fish asked, looking between the Captain and the General.
“Um… says hi.” Lyra answered offhandedly, waving him off. “Fish, look at this.”
Fish leaned over her shoulder, squinting at the spot on the map.
“What is that?” Fish asked, tilting his head to the side.
“A star. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to be.” Lyra muttered back. “It’s also supposed to be all the way over here.” She pointed to a blank spot on the map.
“Only one way to find out.” She turned back to Whisper and Rashe. “Whisper, Rashe, hold down the fort. Fish, come with me. We need to gather the rest of our men.”
The two Jedi exited the bridge, leaving Whisper and Rashe standing side by side, watching the hyperspace trails dance around them. Rashe had always liked hyperspace. He thought it was beautiful, the way the streaks of light passed by the ship, traveling through space and time, like a world between worlds.
A tap on his shoulder pulled him out of his reverie, and he turned back towards Whisper. The mute Captain signed something, a little too quickly for Rashe to catch, one eyebrow quirked up in question.
“Err, I’m sorry sir. Could you repeat that?” Rashe asked, focusing back on Whisper’s hands. The Captain tried again, slowing down his movements, a little more deliberately with the motions. Kriff, he should’ve practiced his Handspeak more. It was rare that General Dane and her men were assigned to work with Jedi other than her former master Plo Koon, or the General Chase, but this particular mission required Fish and his unique Mandalorian heritage, and Lyra’s Chiss descent was an added bonus for this diplomatic mission. Rashe had tried to learn a bit of Handspeak before the mission, wanting to familiarize himself with the language of Tiptoe Battalion’s men should one of them become injured and need his help. He’d taught himself the basics, enough to ascertain important information like “What hurts?” and “Where were you hit?” and the like.
Whisper, thankfully, had been incredibly patient with Rashe from the moment they’d met, had been kind when Rashe fumbled around a greeting in Handspeak, greeted him back with a brotherly clap to the shoulder and a dazzling grin. They’d spent most of the hyperspace journey so far with Whisper quietly listening to Rashe tell him stories about his own brothers, horror stories that only field medics could come up with, and learning Handspeak.
Rashe watched as Whisper slowly repeated the movement, ended them with a nod to Rashe’s face. “What happened there?”
“Oh,” Rashe mumbled, suddenly self-conscious. “Ah… there was a leak in my growth chamber.”
Whisper nodded his understanding, pointed to his bone-white hair and winked. Rashe chuckled, some of the tension already melting away.
“Yeah, I guess we both had leaks.” He chuckled. Whisper smiled, appraising him lightly before narrowing his eyes, noticing the discomfort in Rashe’s voice.
“You okay?” He signed, his brow knitting in concern. Rashe nodded, resisted the urge to fiddle with his gloves.
“Yes sir.” He replied automatically, turning back to the windows. “Just wish I wasn’t fucked up.”
Whisper tugged on his arm, humming worriedly in the back of his throat. Kriff. Rashe hadn’t meant to say that. He hadn’t even known the Captain long, he didn’t need to hear this.
Whisper tugged on his arm again, insistently, and Rashe relented, facing him again. He watched as Whisper took his hands, holding them up between the two of them pointedly before dropping them. He nodded once, circling his hand over his face, a serious look crossing over his features.
“Haven’t gotten that far in my lessons yet, sir.” Rashe tittered nervously. Whisper smirked, repeated the motion. Rashe frowned. “Spell it?”
Whisper’s smirk only grew, his hands firmly planted at his sides. He lifted his hand one last time to repeat the motion a third time before General Dane and Commander fish returned to the room.
“We’re about to come out of hyperspace.” Lyra reported. “Rashe, my lead medic, Canvas, would like to have a word with you, if you’ll come with me.”
Rashe shot one last look at Whisper before trailing off after General Dane.
“Um, sir?” He asked. “What’s this mean?”
Lyra turned towards him, watched as Rashe repeated the motion. The corner of her lips quirked up, and she brushed past him, continuing down the hall.
“It means ‘beautiful’, Rashe.”
