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"Commander?"
Wolffe turned to see Comet hurrying towards him. "What?"
"General Plo's just arrived. He's asked to see you." Comet's expression was faintly anxious, and Wolffe could guess why.
He was in no mood to deal with that. He simply nodded and headed towards the office suites the Jedi used when they were in the Clone Barracks.
Along the way, he passed gyms, the canteen, the big lounge, the small lounge, and one of the smaller dorms. All of them were filled with Clones. They were huddled together, whispering as if that might change the news.
"Did you see the latest debate?"
"Looks like Burtoni is still trying to claim the Clones for Kamino."
"Never happen. The Twi'leks wants to set up bases to protect Ryloth. I hear they're not the only ones. The Republic still wants an army."
"Not everyone. I heard that Senator Taa is getting resistance about a base from that freedom fighter—you know the one?—the one that the 91st helped. He doesn't want any Republic presence at all."
"Yeah, but the Republic has to pay for the war somehow. I heard Burtoni is getting support under the table from the Banking Clan. If they can sell us as a private army, the Kaminoans make a fortune and the Republic can help pay down their war debt."
"You realize we'd only be doing that for Separatists, right? No way any Republic system pays for our help, not when they 'remained loyal'. Why should they pay for an army they already have? No, it'll be the Separatists who have to pay. I'm not protecting any fucking Separatists."
"Better that than being Trandoshan sport. Did you hear that the Malastare Senator suggested just selling us to the highest bidder? Easy way to get rid of us so they don't have to feed us or pay for us to settle somewhere. They can make a little money on the side too."
"Never happen. The Jedi would never let that happen."
"The Jedi have been shut out of the talks from the beginning."
"I hear they're working behind the scenes. Senator Amidala and Senator Organa have been lobbying on our behalf."
"For the dissolution of the army. What are we going to do then?"
"We couldn't fight this war forever."
"Yeah, well…"
As Wolffe passed by, his brothers quieted and tried to pretend they were doing something else. As if there was anything else to be doing.
Wolffe kept his focus on where he was going, also pretending he hadn't heard.
It wasn't long before he reached his destination. General Plo—or Master Plo, as Wolffe would have to get used to saying—calmly waited in the smallest of the offices.
"Ah, Commander Wolffe." The General sounded pleased to see him. "Would you close the door?"
Yeah, this wasn't a conversation that should get out prematurely. Wolffe understood. He hated it but he understood.
Wolffe shut the door, took off his helmet, and then stood straight-backed in front of his commanding officer.
"I suspect you would appreciate if I came straight to the point. You've heard the Senate has been debating the future of the GAR?"
"The men have been following the holonet news." Wolffe wouldn't admit that he'd done the same, secretly glued to every report in the changing winds of each Senatorial rider and concession. "Seems no one's quite sure what to do with us."
"They know what they'd like to do with you." Plo's tone was serious and a little sad. Wolffe could guess why. Some of the proposals had been chilling to the Clones.
"They just can't agree on what that is."
"Not any more." Plo took out a datapad. "That is why I'm here. The Senate will be voting tomorrow on a resolution disbanding the GAR. The vote is a formality as the finalized bill has achieved enough support to pass with ease. You and your brothers will be free to choose your own paths. Let me be the first to congratulate you on your honorable discharge."
"Thank you, sir." Wolffe's tone sounded hollow to his ears, the words tasting like ash. Mechanically he took the datapad from the General but couldn't bring himself to look at it.
Plo studied him for a moment. "You do not seem pleased."
Wolffe wanted to smile for Plo's sake. "I know this is what you and the Jedi wanted for us. I know this is good but . . . I'm a soldier. What am I if I'm not that?"
"Whatever you want to be," Plo replied.
"And if I want to be a soldier? For the Republic? Under the command of the Jedi?" These were impossible things, Wolffe knew. The Jedi had never wanted to be soldiers. War grieved them—a real wound to their souls. They didn't need soldiers like Wolffe. They didn't want them.
"Your desires are not unknown to us," Plo said gently. He hesitated, and Wolffe steeled himself for the lecture. You are valuable, Commander. You are so much more than a throw-away soldier. I wish you could see yourself as I do. I want only good things for you.
Wolffe knew all of that was true—Plo had said variations of them before—but that didn't satisfy him. What point was there to make money, settle down with a family, protect the downtrodden, if Plo wasn't there with him?
"The Council has had many sessions about this. Indeed, I believe all of the Jedi who have fought on the front lines have had their say over the last year." There was a slight huff in Plo's breath, like a laugh. It made Wolffe wonder what kind of conversations the Jedi had been having about Clones behind closed doors.
Whatever humor had lit Plo for that moment dissolved. "The war is over, but our work is just beginning. So many people need help. So much needs rebuilding. Not just properties but entire societies. There's so much hurt. It is clear that the Jedi alone cannot heal what has been broken. If this war has taught us anything, it is that even Jedi need help."
Hesitantly, Wolffe said, "We could be that help."
Plo's brows relaxed in what Wolffe thought indicated a Kel Dorr smile behind his mask. "That is precisely what the Jedi have proposed."
"It is?" Wolffe could feel his pulse pick up, and tried to tamp down on the hope inflating in his chest.
Plo nodded. "I'm afraid that is one of the issues that has held up the legislation for so long, and there are several details that still need to be ironed out, but the Senate has agreed to allow the Jedi to employ any Clones who wish to continue working with the Jedi."
"You mean, we can still fight with the Jedi? The GAR doesn't need to end?" Wolffe asked, voice a little too eager.
Shaking his head, Plo's tone was serious when he spoke, "No, it will not be the same. You would not be a soldier in an army. You would be a peacekeeper. The Senate is very nervous about any perception that the Jedi have an army of our own. The legislation being put before the Senate tomorrow is replete with restrictions and boundaries that limit the area of influence the Jedi can act in should we wish to employ the help of Clones. Your actions will be severely curtailed and scrutinized, I'm afraid."
"That's not any different than now," Wolffe said under his breath. Finding out Palpatine was behind the war had cast a pall over the GAR and everything the Clones had done. Even before that, it wasn't like the Clones had had any say in where they were going or what they could do, and they were always held responsible for the failings of the Senate.
"It is different," Plo said, moving closer so he could put a supportive hand on Wolffe's shoulder. "You have the right to walk away. At any time."
"I could never walk away," Wolffe said before he could stop himself. He realized how true that was. If there was any chance to stay with Plo, he would take it. Considering all the alternatives being lobbied around, peacekeeping didn't sound so bad. He could imagine disaster relief like on Aleen, providing security for political functions, and guarding commercial space lanes. He did all of that during the war. Maybe, if they behaved themselves, they'd finally get a chance to take on pirates and slavers too.
It didn't need to be glamorous or adventurous. He just needed his brothers and a Jedi to follow, and he was content.
Plo gently squeezed his shoulder and then let his hand drop. "If that is your choice, you have a place with the Jedi. We would welcome your help. We will certainly need it."
"I'd like that, and I think a lot of my brothers will take the Jedi up on that offer. Certainly, you're not going to be rid of Wolfpack any time soon." Wolffe smiled, a rarity for him, but he was just so damned relieved. He couldn't wait to tell Boost and Sinker. After months of baseless rumors, knowing what their future would be—knowing that they wouldn't have to leave their Jedi—was Life Day come early.
Plo's expression around his mask again suggested a Kel Dorin smile. "I am pleased to continue to work alongside you as well." He gestured to the datapad. "Please familiarize yourself with the details of the new bill. Every Clone will have to make a choice for himself about his future, and I'm sure there will be questions."
Wolffe nodded, knowing Plo was asking him to answer those questions. He would make sure the men knew what was what.
"It is very important that they all know what they are signing up for if they agree to work under the Jedi and what their rights are."
"I'll make sure they know, sir. But, if I may be so bold, I don't think any of that will be an issue. We've been in the trenches with the Jedi; we already know what we're getting into when we fight alongside you. It's going to be nice to have a chance to sign up for the craziness this time around." Instead of being assigned. Instead of being forced. To have a unit of brothers who all wanted the same thing Wolffe did, and his other brothers happy out in the galaxy doing their own thing. That sounded pretty great to Wolffe.
Plo laughed, as Wolffe had hoped. "You may be assured that the Jedi look forward to continuing our association with Clones. Your loyalty humbles us."
Wolffe shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. Plo was easy to be loyal to. Most Jedi were. Wolffe tried not to think about the betrayal Palpatine had had in store for them—what would've happened if the Jedi hadn't discovered Palpatine's plans in time.
"The men will be glad to be useful," Wolffe said, trying to deflect away from the praise.
Plo inclined his head as answer. Wolffe took that to mean the meeting was over. He glanced at the datapad, now curious about what it said.
"There was one more thing," Plo said, voice soft. Immediately, Wolffe again stiffened to attention, whole focus on his commanding officer. Seeing it, Plo waved his hand. "At ease, Commander. This is not official business."
"Sir?" Wolffe set the datapad down. There was something tense in Plo's shoulders that he had never seen before, and it concerned him.
In contrast to the subtle tension, Plo's words were as steady and serious as they always were. "Before I proceed, I want to be clear that what I would express has no bearing on your desire to sign up with the Jedi once the GAR has been officially disbanded. You may be assured of a position and of obtaining the assignment of your choice. Do you understand?"
Wolffe was a little confused what this could be about, but there was no mistaking how important his answer was to Plo. He nodded.
Some of the tension eased, but there was still a faint anxiety in the General's demeanor that kept Wolffe on edge. "The Jedi have spent the last year in reflection as much as in rebuilding. The war . . . was hard on us." Wolffe's fingers twitched at the weariness that seeped into General Plo's tone, but he kept still. It wasn't his place to offer comfort, though he wished it was. "The discovery of a Sith Lord right under our noses and how easily he manipulated himself into power—it is the nature of the Jedi to question, but now everything is being reevaluated. Accepting a Clone support unit is not the only change we Jedi are considering."
Wolffe frowned. "What kind of changes are we talking about here?"
"I have had my quarters in the Temple redesigned."
"Oh." Wolffe waited but there didn't seem to be anything more coming. "I guess I was expecting something more profound than redecorating."
Plo's expression behind his mask relaxed. "It can be both. I have changed the air filtration system so that now my quarters are friendly to oxygen breathers."
"Why would you do that? Oxygen is toxic to you." Wolffe couldn't hide his alarm at the idea.
"But not to you." Plo reached out to take Wolffe's hand, but hesitated at the last moment. "There is room for you, now, if you wanted it."
His hand remained suspended between them, and Wolffe looked at it dumbly for several heartbeats as he took in Plo's full meaning. When he did, his eyes snapped up to Plo's face. "You mean…?"
Plo dropped his hand. "I have grown very fond of you, Commander Wolffe. And, if I am not mistaken, you may feel the same for me. I think there is . . . value in exploring these emotions."
"You want me to move in with you?" Wolffe's heartbeat was banging so loud that he was half sure he hadn't heard right.
"Well, that may be a bit presumptuous but-"
"Yes." Wolffe couldn't remember if he had ever cut off his General before, but he couldn't let this opportunity slip by. "Yes to all of it."
His ready agreement seemed to take the General aback. "Are you sure?"
"Are you kidding?" Wolffe chuckled nervously, the whole conversation surreal. "I haven't wanted anything else since I met you. If the Jedi are going to trial relationships, or whatever you want to call it, then sign me up."
His immediate and definite answer seemed to leave Plo speechless. Wolffe's resolve didn't waver. Plo had gone to the trouble to redesign his quarters to live with a species that was incompatible with him on a biological level. He wouldn't do that on a whim. Wolffe was just as serious about his own agreement. Nothing mattered as much to him as Plo, and if there was a chance for some version of happily-ever-after with him, Wolffe was going to seize it with both hands and hold on for all he was worth.
He wasn't sure how he telegraphed that, but Plo must have picked up on something. Finally completing his aborted movement, he took Wolffe's hand and brought it to his chest, over his heart.
"You honor me more than I can say."
Wolffe huffed. "I wasn't really looking to honor you."
Plo laughed. "I know." Gently, his fingers curled around Wolffe's in a careful caress. "You make me happy, Commander."
Shifting closer, Wolffe dared to reach out with his free hand to return Plo's caress by letting his fingers trace the skin visible around the mask. "That's the real honor, General."
His throat was tight with emotion. Plo was the first thing Wolffe had ever wanted for himself. He had never thought anything could ever come of it, but here they were. The war was over. The Clones were free to make their own choices. There was still a space for the Clones with the Jedi. And Wolffe made Plo happy.
What more could a Clone ask for?
Gently, Wolffe turned his hand in Plo's grasp and pulled Plo's hand to him so he could kiss the back of it.
"When the GAR is officially disbanded," Plo said softly. "You may move into the Temple whenever you are ready."
"And if I was ready right now?"
Plo looked regretful behind his mask. "As I said, there are restrictions. I am a Jedi first. I always will be."
"And I am currently the property of the Republic." There wasn't bitterness in his tone, not now that the harsh truth came with a caveat—a promise of freedom in the near future. He could see the stricken way Plo reacted to that, but he didn't want to dwell on something negative. He kissed Plo's hand and then released him. "Whenever you can accept me, I look forward to moving in with you." Being with you.
"As so I."
A quiet beep at Plo's belt drew his attention. Wolffe knew that beep. It had called Plo away more times than he could count during the war. He supposed it would always continue to do so. The price of loving a Jedi. A small price if Wolffe was also able to go wherever Plo was called to.
"I shouldn't take up any more of your time. Please go over the datapad, and feel free to contact me should you have any questions yourself."
"Of course, sir." Wolffe again stood at attention, shifting back so Plo could approach the door. Before he opened it, Wolffe said, "General?"
Plo paused and looked at him over his shoulder.
Awkward, Wolffe gestured to the datapad. "The legislation, it's probably the best we Clones could've hoped for, and I know it's only because of the Jedi. Thank you, sir."
Plo turned to give Wolffe his full attention. "You will always have our support, Commander. Never doubt that."
"I don't."
Plo reached out, letting his thumb trace Wolffe's cheek in an imitation of the caress Wolffe had given him earlier. "Until we meet again, Commander."
"Sir." Wolffe bowed his head, immediately missing Plo's touch when he finally turned to leave.
As the door shut behind the Jedi, Wolffe stood where he was. He had a lot to think about, but he would have to get hold of his emotions first. He felt a silly smile tugging at his lips and he did nothing to restrain it.
In a few days or weeks, perhaps, he would move into the Jedi Temple. He would live with the man he loved. He would go out on missions with his brothers, secure in the knowledge that the General he was following valued him and his brothers as more than canon-fodder.
All in all, that didn't sound too bad for a future. In fact, it sounded pretty damn perfect.