Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Outside the Jedi, order people assume that the council is in charge. They are, but there are two higher authorities that even they listen to above all. The Medical Corps and the Creche Masters.

The halls of the temple were quiet, and serene until one wandered deep enough, then they would find where the treasures of the Order were kept. In the heart of the temple was where the younglings were kept. There the halls were filled with laughter and life. Younglings were precious. They were the future of the Order. From one of the creche rooms muffled giggling could be heard. In the room, a tall Togruta woman was trying to get her little ones to settle down for a nap.
“If you do not nap, then there will be no outing,” Her voice was stern but soft. “I know that the Tooka kits are fun to play with but you need sleep,” The children whined in protest but quickly settled down. She paced quietly between the sleeping children, occasionally adjusting a blanket or sleeping kit or child. As she walked around the room she let her force settle around the younglings as it hummed like a lullaby easing them into a deeper sleep.

After a while she started to wake them up, soon the room was full of groggy toddlers and kits. The tooka kits were rounded up by their mama as the Togruta woman gathered the younglings up. She straightened robes, tunics and hair as the younglings slowly woke up.
“Where’re we going, Master?” “yeah, Master Kono!” Came the chorus of questions and demands.
“We’re going to the museum,” Kono said as the voices of the younglings crescendo, filling the room with excitement as they lined up waiting to leave. She smiled as they gathered around her as they made their way through the halls towards the hangar and the waiting speeder with their escort. The younglings were fully awake now all traces of drowsiness gone. They hushed as they turned the corner into the cavernous hangar. The space was filled with the ambient clamor of people at work: loud, rumbling machines and the quieter murmuring of many voices. Huddling close to their Master they clutched tight to her robes as the younglings looked around in awe as they took everything in. Her face lit up when they neared their escort, a quartet of clones wearing armor that was painted with Lime green. The clones were talking to each other but stopped and turned smiling as they greeted the Master.
“Master Kono,” the one in the middle greeted as he nodded. Still smiling she stopped as she crouched gathering the younglings around her, once she had their attention she gestured to the clones.
“Younglings meet, Commander Lek, Copper, Druk, and Slingshot,” as she spoke she gestured to each clone as she spoke their name. “They are our escort.” The clones smiled as they waved at the children, some of the younglings were brave and peeled away from their Master so they could study the clones. One a particularly bold Lasat kit, moved to clutch onto the Commander’s leg studying him as the rest of the younglings quickly followed her lead latching onto the clones. Druk lost his balance as five younglings clambered into his lap, they laughed as he fell, only climbing over him even more. Kono moved to stand next to Slingshot as they watched the younglings. His brothers eyed them faintly smiling at how close they stood next to each other. After a few minutes of roughhousing, Kono clapped her hands catching the attention of the younglings and clones. “Alright, it’s time we left for the museum.” With the help of the clones, they wrangled the younglings onto the shuttle. “Make sure you’re with your buddy” The younglings nodded as they moved to sit with their buddy, once they were settled the shuttle took off towards the museum.

Once they all had disembarked the younglings were herded inside. The adults split off following the small huddles of children. Kono and Slingshot trailed behind the larger clump. As they walked their hands brushed and then twined together making color rise in her cheeks. He tucked her against his side as he smiled at her from under his helmet. The younglings ran ahead around the corner as they bee-lined to a hands-on setup. The younglings joined the small crowd of other children as they began to make what appeared to be slime. As they worked Kono sighed when she saw the mess that was growing on their tunics. "The laundry droids are going to hate me.." Slingshot chuckled as he rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles, their hands were hidden in the folds of her robe. "No, they won't they love the little ones, besides you don't have to deal with an Officer trying to tell you that your armor paint is non-regulation."
The Togruta snorted as he pulled away to gesture dramatically at the smudges and smears of colors that decorated the plastoid plates on his thighs and lower legs. "Always positive aren't you Slingshot", "Only for you Nym" She looked away trying to will the flush in her cheeks down. The younglings gathered around the two of them showing off the globs of multi-colored slime that they had made. Nym gathered the small containers of the slime labeling them as Slingshot tried to wipe the many sticky hands of the squirming toddlers. Once he was partially successful they ran off again heading to the next activity giggling. "Looks like you have some more color," she teased nudging him with her hip as they went after the wayward children. He shook his head as he bumped her back. Slingshot smiled as he picked up one of the toddlers as she tugged at his leg, she giggled batting at his helmet as he placed her into the tunnel that led to the playscape that made its way through the walls in the middle of the museum. The rest of the Creche gathered and began to play as the Clones and their Master watched.

After some time they herded the younglings to a quiet park and they settled down with their snacks. The children chattered away in between mouthfuls or while their mouths were still full. They sat in clusters huddled against their Master happily soaking up the sunlight as they dozed. As they began to yawn, they burrowed into her robes, the force moved lazily around them lulling them to sleep. Their Master hummed as she watched over her sleeping brood. The clones settled down spread out around the cluster and pulled off their helmets as they kept watch. Once the sun began to sink the clones began to wake up the children who whined and grumbled as they woke up. After they were all awake they made their way back to the sky cars. The group was making quick progress to the station when the screams began. The clones straightened and formed a loose circle around their charges as the ground shook with a booming rumble that had the younglings huddle even closer to Kono. Smoke rose up from an intersection just behind them, Nym pulled the younglings close bending over them to protect them from the bits of rubble that began to fall as the walkway beneath them shook. As the dust settled and a headcount was done the clones began to help those around them back to their feet. Nym did the same once she was reassured that the crechelings were unharmed. As she helped someone to their feet, the force suddenly screamed out at her /Danger look now/ she spun around in time to see a man trying to take one of her younglings.

Chapter Text

He was having a rather difficult time as the Twi'lek, Ari, in his arms fought him, screeching she clawed at his arms and face drawing blood. The rest of the crechelings watched frozen for a moment before one let out a war cry, it was a small Zabrak still growing into his horns, he charged the stranger leading the rest of them to attack in an attempt to save their crechemate. Nym went to step forward only to be grabbed from behind by another of the attackers. Growling she flipped the one behind her over her hip. "/Sleep/," her voice was heavy with the force and he fell unconscious. The man holding Ari stumbled back off balance from the onslaught of the rest of the Creche as they climbed and grabbed at him. Ari was sobbing as she fought him reaching towards her Master. The clones moved closer making him growl as he kicked at the younglings who were at his feet making them yelp in pain. "Call them off" He held a knife to Ari's throat as the clones looked to their commander who waved them off, they dropped their guns. "the little beasties too" Nym frowned as she nodded at the toddlers who split off and ran to the clones as they bundled them behind them to safety. They were patted down quickly and at a nod from the medic, she stepped closer to the man.
"Whatever quarrel you have against the Jedi does need not include children, let her /go/" He laughed as he pressed the blade harder against her throat as she sobbed.
"It's not against Jedi.." he trailed off as he studied Ari in his arms."She's going to be a pretty one won't she, I'd get good money just for that...but a pretty Jedi youngling now that is a lot of money" He leered at Nym as he tutted "Don't even think of touching that 'saber, Boss don't want damaged goods and I'd hate to ruin this pretty face" He traced the knife up her throat to her cheek where he pressed it, the point drawing a bead of blood making her whimper. A growl sounded from deep in her chest as she moved her hand away from her saber. Every line in her body was tense ready to pounce.
Gone was the Creche Master, what stood in her place was a predator, anger written in every inch of her. The force was overflowing with her rage. The dry bitter tang of it filled everyone’s mouths causing the younglings to mewl in fear as they hid further behind the clones. “It would be in your best interests to let her go”. A savage snarl tore from her throat as the man moved further away from her as Ari continued to sob reaching for her master. Nym lunged forward as he stepped off the edge of the platform only to be thrown back as an explosion went off. She slammed into a wall and fell limp under falling rubble as the air was filled with the terrified screams of the younglings. The clones moved on instinct and threw themselves over the kids, sheltering them from the debris. The rubble bounced off the plastoid armor with dull thuds as the younglings were shielded beneath them. Once the dust cleared Lek handed the younglings he had clutched close to one of the others and ran to Nym. He fell to his knees beside her as Copper joined him, quickly checking her vitals.