Kayla woke as the sun was beginning to rise. The cold caused her to shiver a little and she realized she was alone. Next to her sleeping spot was a thermos with some caf in it. She smiled as she thought of Rex. She quickly cleaned up her sleeping things and made her way in a long line of clones to receive a crate. She passed off the blanket and then was outfitted with a pack on her back that clearly weighed too much for her. She nearly toppled over when it was placed on her with a grunt, but she didn't complain. Kayla gritted her teeth and followed the clone in front of her as they began their trek to the mountains.

It took them hours upon hours to finally reach the base of the mountains and set up camp. Kayla dropped off her crate and received a container of water. She drank a few sips and then dripped some on her neck and shoulders. The clones had already set up camp and were giving out ration bars. Kayla wearily took one and sat a log, next to another clone. She chewed it slowly and soon saw Rex walking along the camp with his helmet off. He spotted her and made his way over. "What are you doing over here? I thought you were with General Skywalker?"

"No, I was just doing what everyone else was doing," she said.

"You carried a crate today?!" he asked her as his eyebrows shot up.

"What? Was I not supposed to? I'm not made of glass, you know. Or what? You think I'm not capable like the rest of you?" she said dismissively to him.

Rex stuttered a little. "That's not what I meant. I just meant you are still a guest and shouldn't be doing work this hard."

Kayla sighed she didn't mean to sound as defensive as she had. "I'm sorry, Rex. I'm just a little tired," she said as she offered him her hand.

"Apology accepted. General Skywalker is looking for you." He turned and led the way.

"Anikan," Kayla greeted as she entered his tent, alone. 

"Kayla. It's good to see you. You need to rest as tomorrow we will be approaching the front lines. I see you found some armor. You planning on joining the GAR?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. I'm just trying to make myself useful to the war effort," she said dejectedly.

"And forget my family,"she thought in her head, although Anikan could sense how she felt.

"Sleep near my tent tonight. The accommodations are better and you won't be tasked with carrying crates tomorrow. I could use your advice since you have different perspective on the battlefield."

"Thank you, Ani," she said.

She left his tent and followed the call of someone handing out tents to the troops. "It's gonna be a cold one tonight! Get your tent and blanket! I don't want no frozen clones in the morning!" the voice called out.

"You're a little 'un aren't you? Here, have two blankets," the clone said as he shoved the blankets and tent into Kayla's arms. She nearly toppled over with the force of his push, but just rolled her eyes as she turned and left.

She found a spot not far from Anikan's tent, but not close either, and began to set up for the night.

Kayla was struggling with the tent a little as Rex walked by. He chuckled to himself as he kneeled down to help her with the finishing touches. "I remember being a shiny and not being able to set up one of these. They ran a simulation where we had to set up the tent with the wind and rain coming at us. I think most of us slept in water that night." He gave her a small smile as he stood to his feet.

"Thank you, Captain. I'm a little out of practice with camping," she said.

The night was uneventful and morning came quickly for the crash survivors. Kayla woke with a stiff body and a sore neck. She stretched in front of her tent as the other troopers were up and breaking down camp. Anikan came to her with a cup of caf and a data pad.

"Good morning, Kayla. I hope you slept well. Here is a map of the terrain. The separatists are at the edge of the mountains here, and will surround the city in a few days. Our forces need the supplies as soon as possible. What do you think about our defenses? We're a little short on vehicles..."

"I think sending a scouting party would be wise. We can fortify the city's perimeter and just hope the seppies don't launch an airstrike until we get back up," Kayla said thoughtfully.

Anikan nodded his head in agreement. It was an easy assignment but they were short on men and vehicles. The city really needed the supplies and it would boost their morale.

"Alright, let's move out. Stay close to either me or Rex while you're traveling."

After grueling hours of walking tough trails, the human convoy of supplies reached the city. There was an air of desperation as the travelers walked into the city. People were carrying supplies to different places, the open air market a hive of activity. Kayla took in all the scenes warily. Large crowds made her nervous. Rex showed up beside her and when he spoke he made her jump. "Looks like a busy day for these people," he said.

"Yeah. I definitely wouldn't want to live here," Kayla said.

They made their way to the Republic outpost. It was little more than a bunch of buildings that looked stronger than the rest in the small town. Kayla held a data pad and took inventory as the supplies were hauled in. Then she made her way to the command center to see if Anikan needed anything else. He was standing in front of a holomap, his hands resting on the edge as he was arguing the  finer points of his plan. "Kayla! Come here, please. We need your opinion. It seems the city leaders are not in agreement on how to best fortify their perimeter."

Kayla's hands began to sweat and she rubbed them on her pants before she took a step forward. She looked the general in the eyes before she looked around the room at the other leaders present. "If you want a city to come back to, I suggest you listen to General Skywalker. Your walls are weak and the separatists are just waiting for the most opportune moment to attack. If you want our help you'll do as I say," she said with more authority than she felt. The city leaders finally were paying attention. She helped them come up with a good strategy with limited resources. That's why the Republic was there in the first place. After another hour, the meeting was finally finished. Kayla was worn out from the day. Anikan sensed her weariness and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Kayla. I don't think I could have done it without your help. Get some rest; we have a big day tomorrow."

In a few rotations the Seppies were defeated. The Republic still managed minimal casualties along with the inhabitants of the city. After a day of recovery the city leaders and generals wanted to hold a banquet as a show of gratitude and celebration for the victory.

"Anikan, don't be so grouchy," Kayla said to him as they walked through the market. She was shopping for a dress to wear to the banquet. "You'll see Padme soon enough," she said slyly.

"You know I'm not good at these types of events. They even invited the clones." Anakin looked at Kayla from the corner of his eye as he said the next part. "A certain clone captain will be there, too."

Kayla felt the heat of a blush creeping up her ears. "That's good. I'm sure he'll enjoy the banquet," she said carefully.

Anikan leaned in and whispered into her ear, "His favorite color is blue."

Kayla chose to ignore Anikan and walked a little faster to the dress shop she had seen on the corner.

Anikan had arranged for Kayla to get ready for the banquet at a city official's house since there wasn't much for females at the Republic base. Half an hour before the banquet was to begin, Kayla was standing outside the hotel where it was hosted. She had on a floor length navy dress with jewels adorning the neckline. She wore a shawl and white gloves to hide the scars and wounds on her hands from battle. Her long brown hair was braided intricately with small jewels placed all over.

Anikan and Captain Rex arrived, along with Commander Wolffe and Obi Wan. Aikan wore his usual dark robes and Rex wore something similar. He looked so different in civilian clothes that Kayla almost didn't recognize him except for his blond hair. The shirt he was wearing was a little snug on his arms and shoulders, attesting to his perfect clone body. Commander Wolffe was able to have his dress uniform, a darker grey tunic than what the ship's crew wore. He had various medals adorning his uniform. His scar making him look severe as ever. 

"Kayla! You look amazing tonight!" Anikan called to her as they arrived. 

"Thank you, Ani. You look pretty good when you clean up," she said jokingly to him.

She greeted Captain Rex and the rest of the company, Commander Wolffe simply grunting at her. Anikan elbowed Rex as he stood there, his mouth slightly open as he took in her breathtaking appearance. He thought she looked beautiful in the teal dress but this blue dress- he had no words. "Close your mouth, Rex, you'll catch fyrefliis," he whispered.

Anikan offered Kayla his arm as he escorted her inside to the banquet. Although Rex knew they were just friends, he still couldn't feel a pang of jealousy shoot through him. He wished they were undercover again so he could escort her to the dinner. They mingled politely with the city officials and military personnel, and were finally seated for dinner. Captain Rex sat next to Kayla, Anikan on her other side. The battalion was seated at their own table with less formal place settings. They were also still in their armor, but managed to keep their conversations quiet. There were so many plates, glasses, and silver stacked and lined up neatly for the formal dinner. Rex looked at the tiny forks completely puzzled. Kayla discreetly laid a hand on his arm and whispered, "Relax, Rex. Just watch what I do."

They listened to speeches and accolades while they ate. Rex paid attention to how Kayla was using all the dishes and different forks. She was so graceful with her movements he couldn't help but admire how she seemed so capable doing anything. He finally dared to ask her, "How do you know so much about all this formal stuff? We were taught basic table manners and not much about other cultures."

"I had training... of sorts, when I was younger," she told him, carefully masking her emotions. Rex knew she was hiding something, but didn't press her for more answers at the moment. Finally, the banquet was coming to a close. Anikan left with Obi Wan and Wolffe left as fast as he could. Rex stayed behind to escort Kayla back to the Republic Base. It wasn't that far of a walk and this time Rex offered his arm to Kayla. She gladly accepted his arm and snuggled a little closer to him trying to keep warm in the cool evening. She could sense adoration and ardor, radiating from Rex. She knew there was an attraction between them, but she didn't know how to handle it. She had been running from her past and locked up her heart.

"I hope you had a good time tonight," she said to him as they walked back.

"I did, but only because you were there. I'm just a soldier and I don't care for accolades and such nonsense."

Kayla blushed at his compliment. "Yes, but it's good for the rest of the Republic to acknowledge your effort and sacrifice."  After another few moments they came to her door. "Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me back, Rex. Good night."

He was gazing down at her beautiful face, entranced by her beauty and the fact she had worn a blue dress to the banquet. She stood on her tiptoes and pecked Rex gently on the cheek before she entered her room for the night. Rex stood there for a moment in complete awe, a blush on his cheeks, and touched his face where she had kissed him. He felt a flurry of energy rush through his chest and stomach. He knew he wanted more than friendship with her, but didn't know what to do.

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