Clone City, Valley of the Queens

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

"This... this is not funny."

With a voice devoid of accent Sal found herself suddenly not at home, returning to her living room after a bathroom break while watching reruns of Avatar: The Last Airbender. If the place had been a nexus or something she was more familiar with she would have been perfectly okay with the entire situation.

Except that this was not a room, not a nexus, and not a cafe. It was a cave. She wasn't a fan of caves. They were gross and earthy and just... well... gross. This cave wasn't drippy or anything, but she still didn't like it. She growled to herself and walked awhile until she found a large French door. Which was weird in and of itself. She wrenched it open and found her feet on green grass.

"Where the hell am I?" She looked around at the enormous valley spread out around her.

This is surreal...

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[random_xtras]

"A fuss?" The newer squad leader gently rubbed a spot on her belly, his carefulness shining through the rough exterior. "Shhh, I'm sorry, cyar'ika."

Celeste pushed out very cautiously, as though she were whispering, and his face lit.

"Howcome you like the blue guy?" Somebody in the pack wanted to know.

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

Sal stared at the clone. "Thrit, that's so unbecoming of you."

Thrit had been, after all, a very precise, semipsychotic sniper at one time.

"And... well... what's not to like?"

[random_xtras]

"He's ben like that ever since he got that fuzzy thing that's stuck to his back," said the other leader who'd been talking to Celeste earlier.

"Whaat?" Thrit looked over his shoulder, then reached back with his free hand and retrieved his tribble. "I left you at home where you're safe."

Then he shrugged and held the purring creature so that Celeste could feel the vibrations.

"Do other girls like him?" came the question from the ranks.

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

Sal chuckled. "What possessed ye t' get a pet?"

Then she answered the question from the ranks. "I... don't know. I guess so. I never really asked."

[random_xtras]

"Ang gave him to me." He shrugged absently, his eyes on her belly and the 'conversation' between tribble and unborn girl.

"I've got a pet too." The other squad leader reached into the pocket of his worn khakis and pulled out a small glass frog, which turned its head and looked around with sparkling blue eyes. "A lot of us do."

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

She smiled wider, and this time the tears in her eyes were apparent. She remembered vividly the night before she was killed back on Kamino, and the question she'd asked Kal then: "What have we done?"

Right now she had an answer. We saved them.

[random_xtras]

Thrit and the other squad leader looked up at her with concern, puzzled by her tears. "What's wrong, Sarge?"

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

Sal blinked, wiping her eyes quickly with the heel of her hand. "Nothing," she said with a grin. "Just happy you're all here and safe."

[random_xtras]

Smiles bloomed all around her, and the men drew nearer and settled down to tell her about what was going on in their lives- all the little hopes and mishaps that most pass through in their childhood.

And Kurt led the best mock hunt any of the men had ever been on, winning their respect. And then carrying his sleeping wife home late that night.