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“You’ll pick the field bare, little one.”
Riyo dropped her basket on the ground as she turned to see the origin of the voice. “Father!”
He laughed as she ran to him, gathering her tiny body in his arms and spinning her around. “You’ve grown so much.”
“I am,” she counted on her fingers, “seven!” She held out her hands to show her father how well she’d counted.
“I don’t believe you!” He laughed as he bounced her up and down. “When I left you were only six!”
“I got taller.”
“Yes, you did.” He pulled her close to his chest before setting her back down on the ground. “Tell me, what are you doing now?”
“Picking flowers for the sun queen.”
“The sun queen?” He questioned with a smile.
“Mhm. She likes the orange ones! And yellow, and white, and red. Can I tell you a secret, father?”
He knelt down beside her in the meadow. “Of course, Riyo.”
“She likes the pink ones too.”
“Oh, then we must ensure that there are enough to her satisfaction.”
She nodded fervently. “You get the pink flowers, I’ll get the rest.”
Riyo’s mother watched from the porch as her husband and daughter gathered flowers until the sunset when they came back home with a hoard of flowers and giggles.
Riyo held her fist to her mouth as she yawned, trying to ignore the truth the chronometer held, that it was far past her bedtime. But the datapad in her lap held her attention more than sleep.
The knock on the door was soft, gentle enough that it would not wake her if she slept but loud enough to alert her if awake. Soon afterwards, the door slid open and Fox walked inside, one hand behind his back.
“You’re scheming.” She said as she watched him remove his helmet and set it down on the foyer table, still keeping a hand behind his back.
“I’m always scheming.” He crossed the room to stand behind the couch. “That’s why I’m called Fox.”
“That’s not what Thorn told me.”
“Thorn’s full of shit.” He reached down with his free hand to stroke her hair away from her face. “I wouldn’t trust anything he says about me unless Stone corroborates it.”
Her face broke into a smile. “I’ve got some really bad news for you then.”
“He wouldn’t.” Fox’s mouth fell open in mock surprise as Riyo nodded. “That traitor. I guess I’ll just have to throw this whole plan out then.”
“What plan was that?”
“To woo you away from your datapad and into your bed for some stress relief.”
Riyo set down the datapad and turned around to lay her arms over the back of the couch. “Go on.”
“I’m not sure I can since it started with Stone’s suggestion.”
She tried to peek around his back. “I want to see Stone’s suggestion.”
He gave a mock sigh. “I suppose.”
Riyo let out a light gasp as Fox pulled the bouquet from behind his back. “Fox.” She took the flowers in her hands, raising them to her nose to smell them. “Thank you.” She rose from the couch, caressing the petals in her hands. Orange, white, and a few small pink ones that took her back to her childhood, picking flowers with her father on Pantora. She quickly walked into the kitchen to find a vase, hiding the tears pricking in her eyes.
“Is everything okay?” Fox asked as she lovingly set them into an old vase she had brought with her from home.
She quickly wiped her eyes and turned around to face him. “Yes. Thank you.” With the flowers set neatly on her kitchen table, she crossed the small space to embrace Fox, digging her fingers into the crevices of his armor to hold him tight. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” Fox returned her embrace, tucking her head under his chin as he held her.
She closed her eyes and pressed her head against his chest, breathing in the scent of his armor. Plastoid, blasterfire, and smoke. Home and safety.
“Come.” She said as she relinquished her hold on his back, moving instead to slide her fingers into the crevice between his chest plate and shoulders. “I want to see this on my floor.”
Fox bent down to press his forehead against hers. “Yes, ma’am.”
Riyo paced as she waited for Fox to come.
Thorn had confirmed before she left the Senate that Fox had left for the day, sent away by his commanders after Ahsoka Tano’s trial had ended. But he was not yet home, and the dinner they had discussed the day prior was cooling on the stove.
She stopped to perch impatiently on her kitchen table as she stared at the door, willing him to come home. When the light knock rang out, she leapt from the table to open the door.
Fox stood there, holding a helmet full of flowers in his hand. “Sorry I’m late.”
“I was worried!” She said as she stepped back to let him inside.
“I had to wait for Thorn and Stone to return to the barracks.” He explained. “I needed their advice, away from the men.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve been thinking about the future. The war feels like it’s drawing to a close. I don’t know what’s going to happen afterwards, but, I can’t see that future without you in it after the last two years.”
Now that it was spoken, she couldn’t either. She nodded, waiting for him to go on.
“Riyo, I have nothing to my name but a few credits. But I love you.” He knelt down on one knee before her, holding the flowered helmet before him in his hands. “I can’t buy you a ring, I can’t legally marry you, but I vow to be yours for the rest of my life if you’ll have me.”
She knelt down in front of him, clasping his face in her hands. “Fox, I am yours. I don’t need a ring or a contract for that.” She leaned over to kiss him. “We’ll draw something up, get Stone and Thorn in as witnesses. Have ourselves a little celebration.” She paused as she thought. “Are they free now?”
“Now?”
“Now.”
“I’ll ask.”
“Good.” She took his helmet from his hands. “And tell them to bring the tattoo kit.”
Riyo sat patiently with her hand in Fox’s as Stone tattooed the ringlet of flowers on her finger. Thorn sat beside them with a glass of wine in his hand, watching silently.
“Is that okay?” Stone asked as he wiped away the excess ink and blood from her finger.
“It’s perfect.” She beamed at him.
“Thank Thorn for giving me so much practice.”
Riyo squeezed Fox’s hand before letting go, holding their hands side by side. Where her ring was flowers, the same ones that now sat on her kitchen table, Fox’s ring was a small series of circles.
She looked up at Stone and Thorn. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Thorn grinned as he raised the glass in his hand. “To new beginnings.”
Riyo woke to a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Where do you think you’re going?” She mumbled as she reached for Fox’s arm, pulling him back down onto the mattress and closing her eyes once more. “We’ve only been married for a few weeks, it’s too soon to run out.”
“Ri, it’s nearly seven am.”
“No, it’s not, the alarm hasn’t gone off.”
“All three of them have, actually.”
She opened her eyes and turned on her side to face Fox. “I don’t recall.”
He smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. “I imagine you wouldn’t. What would you ever do without me here?”
“Be late to work, probably.” She pressed a light kiss to his lips before sitting up and stretching out her limbs. “Join me in the shower?”
“How else would I keep our secret?” He asked, tracing his hand along her thigh.
“Like the whole Guard doesn’t know.” She scoffed.
“I’m sure there are at least five men who have yet to be informed.”
“Maybe six.” She proposed.
“That sounds like a reasonable number.” He agreed as he sat up beside her.
“Breakfast is ready.” Fox announced, leaning against the frame of the bathroom door as Riyo did her makeup.
“I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” She said as she cleaned up the sides of her eyeshadow.
Fox smiled. “I’ll wait.”
“It’s nothing magical.” She laughed as he continued to watch her. “You see me put on makeup almost every day.”
“Oh, it’s a little magical every time.” He protested with another smile. “Especially your eyeliner. I’m not sure I fully understand it.”
“Above and below the lashes, that’s all there is to it.”
“I’d stab my eye if I did it.”
“With your steady hands? I think not.” She paused and turned back to return his smile. “Besides, you’d have a good tutor.”
“The best.” He agreed, settling in as she finished.
When Riyo was ready, they shared a quick breakfast before Fox escorted her to the Senate building, dropping her off at her office. For safety reasons.
“I shall see you later, Commander Fox.” She said with a light touch to his hip.
“Yes, ma’am.” He agreed with a little tilt of his helmet.
Then the workday began.
It started for Riyo like any other day. A cup of caf and a glance over her messages, a few meetings and proposal plannings, a check-in from Thorn on renewing her personal escort with Fox for the next month, which was accepted, and another meeting just after lunch. It wasn’t until midafternoon when things were beginning to wind down that things changed.
She was on her third cup of caf when the message came through. She had only just begun to scan it when there was a polite knock on her door and Rys entered.
“Senator.”
“Sergeant.” She greeted him with a smile that quickly fell at the urgency in his body language as he crossed the room to her desk.
“We need to get to a bunker, ma’am.”
She glanced back at the message. “It’s only the Early Warning System. It’s gone off a few times this month.”
“I’m under direct orders from Stone.”
“Let me gather my work.”
“Now, Senator.” He reached down and grabbed her arm. “Grab the datapad, there’s no time for flimsiplast.”
She froze for a moment. “You know something.”
“Get the datapad.” He insisted.
She grabbed it and rose from the desk to follow Rys. As they entered the hallway the lights flickered and a red hue fell upon them as a slow siren began to play. The hall was already filled with clone troopers and senators whose offices were situated in the outer ring of the Senate.
“What’s going on?” She whispered as they moved with the crowd.
“Seppie fleet just pulled out of hyperspace. Grievous is here.”
“The commanders?”
“Fox is with the chancellor, Thorn’s locking everything down once the bunkers are filled, Stone’s rallying the boys around the perimeter. I’ll be joining him once you’re safe.”
When they reached the bunker, Riyo turned around to clasp Rys’ hand. “Be safe.”
“I’ll see you later, ma’am.” He promised as he turned to fight the wave of senators and their escorts to join the fight.
Riyo quickly found Padme and Mon inside and joined their small huddle.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Mon asked.
“Grievous is here.” Riyo explained. “According to Sergeant Rys, he’s brought a fleet.”
“There goes a productive workday.” Padme laughed with a forced smile.
“Think we get the day off tomorrow?” Riyo jested in return.
“I wouldn’t complain.” Mon agreed. “It’s been a long week.”
They fell silent at the sound of an explosion.
“How close was that?” Riyo whispered.
“Close.” Padme said as she pursed her lips.
There was a commotion at the door that fell silent when it shut, gears moving into place as it locked.
A clone moved through the crowd, marking down names on a datapad.
“Hello, Captain.” Padme greeted when he reached them.
“Thank the gods, all my high-priority targets are here.” Thire said as he marked the three of them off.
“Senator Organa?” Padme questioned.
“My escort. You may have to flag him down in this crowd.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Padme said before she moved off to find Bail.
“So,” Mon said once she and Riyo were alone. “We might as well take this time to continue our discussion from this morning.”
Riyo shook her head with a smile. “Always politics.”
But they did once Padme returned with Bail in tow. Despite the muffled explosions, some close and some far. Riyo would’ve had to admit it was calming despite the situation at hand. They worked and they talked until the door slid open.
Riyo watched as the clone talked briefly to Thire at the door before walking in their direction.
“May we speak in private, Senator Chuchi?”
“Of course, Trooper.” She said as she rose from where they were seated on the floor.
As they stepped out of the bunker, Thire was making an announcement. “All senators who have sustained damages to their personal belongings will be provided escort to their offices to gather what they may. Please be patient as…” The door closed behind them.
“Come with me.” The clone said as he set off at a fast pace.
“Trooper, my office is that way.” She said even as she followed him.
“I know, ma’am. Your office is fine. Commander Stone sent me.”
Now worry set in. “Why?”
“Commander Fox is injured, ma’am. He’s in bad shape.”
She followed him up the flights of stairs and through blaster-marked hallways littered with bodies until they reached the Chancellor’s office, where the clone left her.
Steeling herself she entered.
“Riyo.” Stone called, waving her over.
She picked her way quickly through the bodies to rush to him.
Fox’s head lay in Stone’s lap, his helmet off and eyes closed.
She fell to her knees beside them, carefully pulling Fox into her arms, trying not to touch the wound that burned across his chest. “Fox.”
His eyes slowly opened to meet her gaze. “Hey, Ri.”
“Hey.” She tried to smile despite the tears pricking in her eyes. “Rough day at work, right?”
He gave her a pained smile and leaned against her chest, closing his eyes as he grit his teeth in pain.
“Just stay with me, okay?” She looked up to Stone, whose gaze was fixed upon the ground as he held Fox’s hand, his expression unreadable.
“Ri.” Fox said weakly.
“I’m here.” She assured him as she bent down to press her forehead to his, cradling his head in her arms.
“I’m sorry, ner cyar’ika.”
“It’s okay.” She said even as tears streamed down her cheeks, falling onto Fox’s skin. “It’s okay, I’m here, Fox. I’m here. Stay with me. Stay with me, Fox. Please.” Her voice broke as she clutched him, her lips moving in silent prayers to her gods. It wasn’t until she felt a light touch on her shoulder that her voice returned in a heaving sob, bending her over as she clutched Fox’s body to her chest.
She didn’t know how long she had knelt there until another set of hands settled on her shoulders. “You need to leave, Senator.”
“I can’t.”
“Riyo, I’m sorry.”
“I can’t.”
“The Jedi are coming to investigate. You can’t be here.”
“I won’t leave him like this.” She protested.
“We’ll take care of him.” Thorn assured her, gently squeezing her shoulders. “I promise.”
A needle was slipped quickly into her neck, leaving her only enough time to look at Thorn with an expression of betrayal.
She woke to the sound of her office door opening and footsteps entering the room.
Slowly, she sat up on her couch, holding a hand to her forehead as if they would end the headache.
Thorn knelt in front of her, placing a hand on her knee. “The medics tried to save him. I’m sorry. There was nothing any of us could have done.”
She moved before she could think, her knuckles slamming into Thorn’s cheekbone. When she realized what she had done she bent over, hiding her face in her hands with a sob.
Instead of leaving, Thorn moved to sit beside her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she cried.
“I’m sorry.” She said once she felt she could regain a little bit of composure.
“It’s okay, I deserved it.”
She tried to sit up only to find herself bent over in another sob.
Without speaking, Thorn gathered her into his arms, holding her as she cried into his shoulder until her tears were spent.
“Can you take me home?”
Riyo pulled the shawl around her shoulders as she stepped outside onto the porch of her childhood home. The morning mist pulled at her as she walked over to the railing. Her mother still slept, but Riyo didn’t know if she had slept at all since she’d returned to Pantora.
She took the steps carefully, making her way out into the field she had played in as a child. Only a few flowers remained from the summer, poking their heads through the mist. Slowly, as if in a dream, she picked them, gathering a small bundle into her arms.
She left half of them by the porch for when she returned before taking the rest down the stone path into the woods. The mist hung thicker here, the sun not yet penetrating the trees with its warmth. But she knew the path, she’d walked it too many times.
Riyo knelt by the gravestone, clearing off the fallen sticks and debris before she lay the flowers over her father’s grave.
She had not cried in the weeks since Fox’s death, but now she did, laying herself down on the grave as her body shook with the grief of all that she had lost. She did not know how long she had lain there, dead to the world, only that she raised her head to find the sun shining down on her through the tree canopy. She sat up, slowly brushing the dirt from herself as she remembered where she was.
When she felt she had regained her composure, she stood, taking a moment to tenderly arrange the flowers from the heap she had left, and returned home. The other half of the bundle was waiting for her, and she took it in her arms as she slipped back into the house.
Her mother was in the kitchen, preparing a small breakfast, when she walked in. They locked eyes and the look on her mother’s face softened at the flowers in her hand. “Are you hungry, Riyo?”
“I’ll eat later, mom.”
She softly closed the door to her childhood room behind her. It was unchanged save for the helmet resting on her bedside table. Thorn had come by her apartment and pressed it into her hands a few days after Fox’s death.
She sat down on her bed, touching her hand to the side of the helmet. She had just enough. She set the flowers down on the bed beside her and began to slowly weave them together until they formed a crown that she could set upon the visor. When her task was complete, she turned the helmet to face her bed and lay down, clutching a pillow in her arms as she touched the flowers on her ring finger. Her tears spent, she lay there until she fell into an uneasy sleep filled with dreams of the life she had lost.