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Fox kicked his feet up on Riyo’s desk and smirked as she rolled her eyes. The two sat in comfortable silence as they worked on their perspective tasks. He enjoyed the simple peace that being near his love brought. Riyo was truly something special; a smart girl who stood up for her beliefs and didn’t cower away. She was amazing.
Riyo put her datapad down and stood up. Fox tracked her movements with his eyes, watching as she walked over to her caff machine. Riyo grabbed two mugs before filling them up with the hot black liquid. Once she finished pouring the cups, Riyo walked back over and set one down in front of Fox.
“Thank you, Riyo.” Fox smiled, taking his feet off the table and sitting up.
“Of course.” Riyo sat back down and took a sip of the caff. “How are your commanders doing?”
“Thorn is continuously a pain in the shebs. Thire and Stone are doing good, Stone’s off-world escorting another Senator.” Fox updated Riyo; she liked hearing how the Guard was fairing.
“And the rest of the Guard?”
“There was a prison riot yesterday, lost a couple of brothers. We have to tighten security again until we get some rookies. Coruscant is still the same, keeps the men busy, leaves little time for rest.”
Riyo leaned forward and took Fox’s hand in hers. She smiled sadly and maintained eye contact with Fox. “I’m sorry; I wish there was more I could do for you.”
“You’ve done enough, Riyo,” Fox whispered, brushing his index finger along her hands. “You’ve supported me and my brothers more than any other Senator. You aid us and love me. That’s enough.”
Riyo closed her eyes and nodded. “Then I will continue to do those things, Fox.” she declared.
“That’s perfect,”
Fox leaned back, letting go of Riyo and grabbing his mug. He took a sip of the caff at the same time his commlink chimed. He paused and looked down at it, wondering what could be happening that warranted calling him. He set his mug down and signaled to Riyo to stay silent before answering the call.
Fox blinked as Wolffe’s blue visage appeared out of the holocam. “Wolffe?”
“Hey, Fox. I tried contacting you earlier, but you must have been busy.” Wolffe’s gruff voice scratched out of the speakers.
“What’s going on? Has something happened to the 104th? Are you okay?” Fox instantly grew worried for his Ori-vod, “Is it, General Koon?”
“No, the 104th is fine… Fox’ika…” Wolffe paused, and Fox could see the grief in his posture even in the tiny holoprojection. The sound of his nickname worried him; his twin hasn’t called him that since the war started. “Ponds was killed.”
“What.”
“I’m sorry, Fox, we couldn’t save him.” Wolffe looked down, anger growing in his tone.
Fox was confused; he had talked to Ponds just the other day. He was supposed to be away from the fight while the 187th gave a group of cadets a tour and experience on the Venator. Ponds was supposed to be away from the fighting. How could he have been killed? Ponds was the oldest of the batch and the nicest. He was smart and knew just what to say to help people. Ponds was his ori-vod; he couldn’t be dead.
“Fox?”
“How?” Fox asked, his hands shaking. “How… how was my ori-vod killed?”
“Boba and Aurra Sing.” Wolffe answered as if those four words explained everything.
Fox shot out of his chair, startling Riyo. “What did they do?” he growled.
“Boba wanted revenge on General Windu for killing Prime.” Wolffe began to explain. “He infiltrated the Endurance and blew up the reactor. Most of the crew was able to get off. The admiral, Ponds, and another trooper stayed behind as it crashed on Vanqor.”
Fox’s ears began to fill with white noise, the soft buzz growing louder as Wolffe continued to explain. “Aurra Sing and her crew found them and took them, hostage. We received a recording, a threat. Boba wanted General Windu in exchange for the survivors. To show how serious they were, Aurra killed Ponds, execution –”
Fox’s world grew silent; only the buzz in his ears remained. Ponds was dead. He was killed by Boba and Aurra. He was gone. It couldn’t be true; why would Boba even want to kill a vod ? The kid was a clone, just like the rest of them! Ponds was killed because a child decided that he didn’t deserve life.
A sharp pain ignited in Fox’s chest, and tears pricked at his eyes. He couldn’t breathe. He felt a white-hot rage in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t breathe. Gone, gone, gone. His mind supplied the mantra over and over again till it was all he could recognize.
His ori’vod was gone. Ponds was dead. Boba and Aurra killed him, and Fox couldn’t breathe.
“Fox?” the voice echoed in his skull, and Fox stumbled back. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking; he couldn’t breathe. What was wrong with him? “Fox, it’s Riyo; listen to me.”
Riyo? That's right; she was in the room with him. “Fox, I need you to breathe.” Riyo grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest before taking exaggerated breaths. “Follow my breathing, Fox.”
Fox took a stuttered breath, the oxygen struggling to enter his lungs. He felt Riyo’s heartbeat under his hand, and her breathing moves it. Trying again, Fox breathed in, and slowly the oxygen entered, easing the pain that was threatening to consume him.
“There we go, Fox.” Riyo, free hand, cupped Fox’s cheek, and Fox blinked open his eyes. He looked up into her eyes, his vision slightly blurry. When did he sit down? “Just keep breathing.”
Fox nodded, and after a few moments, the pain in his chest was gone, and his vision wasn’t blurry. “W-what was that?”
“That was a panic attack,” Riyo answered calmly.
“What? No.” Fox shook his head. “No, I’m a soldier of the Republic and Marshal Commander; we don’t get panic attacks. We don’t panic.”
“Fox, you aren’t a droid. You are sentient, and all sentients are capable of having panic attacks.” Riyo frowned, not liking that response. “You just found out that your brother died; this reaction is normal.”
“No, I have to be strong.”
“You can be strong whilst expressing grief, Fox.” Riyo brushed her thumb across Fox’s face wiping away a stray tear. “Please, love, allow yourself the freedom of mourning.”
“I-” a lone tear pooled in Fox’s eye before falling. “Just for a few, then I have to work.”
Riyo smiled sadly and pulled Fox into a hug. It was a bit awkward as he was sitting, but Fox allowed Riyo to bury her face in his hair, and he rested his forehead on her shoulder. Slowly the tears fell as his mind shifted to the many memories he had with Ponds.
“
Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum, Ponds.”
Fox whispered. Farewell, brother, and march on to paradise.