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Overprotective Stormtroopers
The techs in medical had just transferred Anakin Skywalker from his prison-cell-cum-mediroom to an actual properly equipped medical room once they received approval from the Council the day prior, regardless of the protest from most of the base personnel; Mon Mothma, whom everyone knew that, while remaining fair to the right of others’ beliefs, held the final word on almost everything regardless of common opinion and her word was that until the man could stand for trial, he would be treated as any other patient would.
Still recovering the most recent round of procedures to repair his damaged body, Anakin had been left to rest with a dim room, a soft blanket, and a good dose of painkillers. And while there were many identical medical rooms on base, some private while others were shared, one did not have to look hard to find the room housing the elder Skywalker; one only had to look for the game of sabacc being played on the floor outside of room A-5 by two surprisingly friendly looking humans surrounded by various snacks.
The two humans, one male Arien, standard Stormtrooper height with red hair and a permanent grin, the other one female Elra, too short to be a ‘trooper but at a height common to Imperial aides, had long brown braided hair and a stern look about her. Both of the two former Imperials carried no weapons, but had maintained their vigil from the moment Anakin’s transfer had gotten approval nonetheless. Their current card game was almost coming to a close, with Elra’s face falling more and more into a frown as her total kept climbing higher and higher.
“Hah! I got you cornered now.” Arien loudly whispered, slapping his hand down on the floor, showing a triumphant total of 23.
With a growl Elra tossed her cards at the other, eliciting nothing more than more quiet laughter, “You cheated somehow, I know you did. Grunts never play fair.”
“Well that’s not very nice. I’ll have you know that I was the best player in my detachment. Once I even…” Arien trailed off uncertainly.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, both turned to look down the hall as someone came around their corner. Upon seeing that it was General Organa, the former Imps straightened, but did not rise from their positions; even though Organa held a permanent disdain for them, the Queen of Alderaan had stopped trying to get any past Imperials she could find thrown into the brig once it became evident that more would keep coming. Loyalty to their fierce commander and a general need to protect one of their own guaranteed that the former Lord Vader would be shadowed in one way or another by the members of his 501st Legion.
Organa came to a crisp stop in front of them, hands on her hips and looking not at all amused at their mess of cards and wrappers on the floor if that particular turn of her lips was anything to go by.
Elra decided Arien wasn’t going to man up and greet the general so she decided to with a brisk nod, “Greetings ma’am.” No small talk, no friendliness.
Leia looked blankly at Elra then jerked her chin at the door to indicate its current inhabitants, “I’m guessing my foolish brother is in there, isn’t he.” Less a question and more a statement, as she could very clearly sense the two ridiculously bright presences within.
Elra looked to Arien, who paled a bit at the prospect of addressing the fierce woman looming over them at the terrifying height of 4 foot 11, cleared his throat, “Er – yes – um ma’am. They are – he is.”
With a sigh, Leia took a step forward, intending to enter the room and bypass these two irritating imperial scum, who by all rights should be locked away already (didn’t they just send off the 3 that had been lurking about last month to a rehabilitation center).
She didn’t get a chance to place her hand on the door control before the two overprotective 501st members jumped to their feet, one trying his best to simultaneously look apologetic whilst blocking her path, the other steadily holding Leia’s gaze face to face. Leia narrowed her eyes at the two dangerously. “Are you actually going to stop me from entering that room?”
Arien and Elra both shared a look and Arien spoke up, his voice steady and firm, “With all due respect ma’am, yes. The commander needs rest, and you know how jumpy he is ever since that incident when they first got him out of that bloody contraption.”
Now that had been terrifying; a delirious, bleeding, seven foot tall magic cyborg experiencing a severe panic attack all while trailing various tubes and IV lines as he tried to escape the equally a panicked surgeons. One person had died in Anakin’s panicked defense of himself, thrown against a wall so hard her rib cage collapsed.
That had been without the force.
Elra tilted her head, adopting a more sympathetic manner, “Besides, I believe the young Jedi needs his rest as well, as no one has been able to extract him from our commanders side since the last operation. He has stood vigil ceaselessly this whole time, and so it is our turn now while they rest. I am afraid we must deny you access ma’am.”
Leia looked from one to the other, the frown on her face deepening, “Well you won’t be needed for long, because as soon as he can stand for more than 3 minutes without passing out he’s going on trial and hopefully being executed, although Councillor Mothma doesn’t like the idea.” She hoped she could change Mon’s mind about that, because it didn’t seem Luke’s would be.
“And we will fight for him when the time comes for it; at that trial, or now.” Arien took a step to his left, bumping his shoulder to Elra’s, the two forming a slightly taller human shield.
Throwing her hands up at their posturing, the fierce general turned around and made to head back down the hall, “You two are as bad as Luke, stupidly loyal to the wrong person. I understand the need to protect someone, but you place your faith in the wrong place; the Empire was evil, that doesn’t mean you have to be as well. I’ll be back later when my foolish brother wakes up.”
Slumping slightly in relief Arien and Elra, shared a giddy look at their success in accomplishing their self-appointed task; they had protected their commander and survived the encounter to tell the med techs about it. Also they to thank them for the snacks they had provided to see them through the night watch until a new set of 501st could relieve them.