being an adult is fun. Its great even! You can make what feels like the right decision and then 30 minutes later get information that makes it one of the worst decisions of your life.
For Jesse, finding his footing within the 501st had been more of a challenge than it was for most soldiers. Maybe Kix was right, it was because he was thick headed and stubborn. Or maybe Cadaver was right about him having piss poor decision making skills.
It took him a little over a year to make the decision to stop standing in his own way and start acting like a respectable damn soldier. Motivated heavily by the prospect of not ending up under another vod's boot, he had no intention of digging the baren hole that his social status laid in any deeper.
That required moving up in rank. And that required making allies. Jesse was no stranger to hard work and mental exercise. But learning how to socialize, especially with vod that already held a poor opinion of him had been difficult.
But he had done it. Had won over Appo and Hardcase and even the ARCs. Had been recommended for further training on Kamino. Had earned his rank as an ARC and was currently on the fast track to moving into a higher leadership position.
He had grown, a lot. He hadn't become a different person overnight. The shinys still whispered about how surly he was. The bridge crew still gave him a healthy berth. But there wasn't anymore animosity.
That's why, staring down at Ahsoka's little shiny, curled up on the training mat in a puddle of his own sweat, trembling in his thighs. He felt an annoying spark of sympathy. He didn't understand the kid. Not really.
Jesse had always been self motivated. He could at least rely on that positive trait. Quick had none of that. He was soft. Undisciplined. Stagnant.
He was standing in his own way though. Jesse could see that. Hell, anyone looking could see that. Ahsoka was practically carting him around on a lift and he didn't have the good sense to realize what an exceptional opportunity that was.
The shiny was too stubborn for his own good.
And Jesse knew a thing or two about that.
With a deep, weary, sigh. Jesse planted his helmet back onto his head and toed took a step foreward.
"Can you walk?"
Quick hesitated, glances suspiciously up at Jesse from his reddened sweat burned eyes.
"You taking off with 'soka's shiny?" Fives asked.
"Yep," Jesse responded through the monotone of his helmet.
"I'll comm her." Vere said, backing away from where he'd been waiting for the shiny to catch his breath so he could continue with his "training".
"Get up." Jesse ordered with far less patience this time. And Quick did. Rising unsteadily on his shaking legs.
Fives had wandered closer, observing the vod gasping for breath. "What are you gonna do with him?"
Jesse shrugs. "Hose him down. hang him up."
Fives brows furrow, "He's here for training. Rex's hoping the extra training might finally teach him some discipline."
Jesse scoffs, "All he's learned is compliance. Discipline comes from within. He's empty on the inside."
"So what are you gonna do about it?" Five's brow was raised now.
Jesse shakes his head casting his visor over the now fully standing shiny, slick with sweat, squinting against the burn. "Nothing. Can't build from a lack. Maybe this lesson isn't for him. Maybe Ahsoka needs to learn that not every clone is made from the same stock."
"So what? We just cast him into ship crew?"
"If he lasts that long."
It was dramatic. He knew that. Fives knew that. The whole conversation had been theatrical. But it was important. Quick needed to understand how truly alone he was in his sour ass attitude. Ahsoka was going out of her way to coddle him. The rest of them couldn't afford to. He couldn't be convinced she was a common enemy.
Choosing a natborn over a vod would be seen as betrayal in any other context but Torrent had to do something about Quick before he actually did get himself blown to shit.
He was a resilient little shit if nothing else. Between the extra training that Ahsoka and Rex were both putting him through. And the way that Ahsoka toted him around on her own schedule. He'd grown some stamina for sure. Managed to put some muscle on those legs. Managed to outpace anyone from his own batch, and half of the officers as well.
Though since he was being trained by heavys and scouts he might not realize it yet. Might not realize how strong he's become. Jesse wasn't exaggerating when he said the kid understood compliance. He had that in spades. Could run until he collapsed with not a single huff or complaint.
But even as his body developed his mind remained closed tight. Resentful and listless. He did as he was told and no more. It reminded Jesse of Specialist training. Of hours spent on his belly, peering down the scope of a rifle, rain pelting him until he felt nothing.
But he'd been trained specifically to do more with his mind than just close it. He'd been trained to think, remember, recall, to expand his mind until he could exist within it and only within it without feeling contained.
There was nothing in Quick's mind. His bucket rattled with nothing but the orders rolling around in it.
And none of them could fix that. None of them could train Quick to actually care about anything. Only he could make that decition.
As promised Jesse led Quick to the showers and promptly left him there.
--
Kix sat across from him reclined back with a skeptical look on his face. "You can't be serious. Jesse you aren't exactly built to be an Ori'vod."
Jesse shook his head, "I'm not taking him on. I just-. There's something in him that I understand."
Kix's brow was raised high enough to almost touch his hiarline. "And you think you can help him?"
Jesse shrugged. "I don't know."
Kix sighed. "And what do you want me to tell you?"
"When I decided to...change." Jesse struggled with the words.
"When Ahsoka almost died, and then Rex almost died. And then you decided to step up and become an ARC. I doubt that'll help you with him. He hates both of them."
Jesse scoffed. "Ahsoka didn't have anything to do with it."
"Sure."
"She didn't"
"You went from avoiding her like a disease to being on of her go to ARCs. You think that's a coincidence?"
"I didn't decide to become an ARC for Ahsoka."
"But you didn't do it independently of her either."
"Yes-"
Kix cut him off. "The 501st is the only division that regularly keeps ARCs in it's ranks for ground assaults and long term engagements. Every other factions ARCs come and go independently. You could have to. Could have decided to leave the 501st."
"I stayed for Rex."
"Rex doesn't lead the ARCs on solo missions. Rex doesn't train Torrent's ARCs. Ahsoka does. You know your one of her men. AND now your down here trying to figure out how to help her fix that shiny."
Jesse nudged Kix's arm. "An alliance with the Alverd'ika is a side effect of getting in good with the ARCs."
"Right, and I'm sure you weren't at all motivated by Rex's plan to make sure she had a constant ARC guard after her several near death experiences."
"Well, he might have asked me if I wanted the position."
"And you don't think he was motivated to choose troops that he knew had a loyalty to Ahsoka?"
"She's my Commander. Of course I'm loyal to her."
Kix smirked. "Quick's not."
"Quick is a fool."
Kix only looked more self satisfied. "All I'm saying is that you tried to fight it. But she got to you."
