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You stared at the cluster of blinking lights in the snow ahead of you. You hadn't actually thought you would find the bomb. You backed up a couple of steps, making sure to keep blinking lights in view, and activated the comm you pulled from your pocket.
"Sergeant Sinker," a voice answered.
"I'm pretty sure I found the explosives that the droids left," you said.
"Way to go, Berry," Sinker said. “Guys, she found it!”
You could hear Comet and Boost hooting on Sinker’s end of the call. You were guessing they had won a bet as to who would find the explosives first.
"Mark the spot and get out of there," Sinker said. “I’ll let our ordinance boys know.”
"Done and done," you replied. “See you back at the village.”
You turned off your comm and hesitantly approached the blinking lights again. You gently placed the locator beacon Sinker had given you near-ish the cluster (you didn't want to get too close after all), then backed away.
When you felt you were a safe distance, you turned and hastily followed your tracks back through the knee deep snow heading toward the Republic encampment.
After the clones and Republic army had cleared the Separatists off your planet you had offered your services to help them hunt down any stragglers. That was how you had been with Commander Wolffe and his Wolf Pack when they had discovered the droids. During the short interrogation that followed, the droids had mentioned a bomb planted on the mountain that overshadowed your village. The resulting avalanche would wipe out the Republic encampment, and consequently, your village.
Wanting to keep your home safe, and help the troopers who had so selflessly protected your village, you had volunteered to help search for the explosives. Now that you had found them, you were rethinking your choice. You could feel your hands sweating through the thick gloves you wore and it felt like your heart would thunder through your rib cage.
“Who volunteers to search for explosives?” you muttered to yourself as you trudged through the snow. “I’m not an explosives expert. I don’t even like it when balloons pop in the same room as me. What was I thinking?”
“Muttering to yourself again?”
The voice, unexpected and close, made you jump and scream. You clamped your hands over your mouth, despite that fact it was too late to hide your yell, and looked around. Hiking toward you was a familiar figure in gray painted, white armored snow gear. He carried a hardshell backpack and dual blaster pistols were strapped to his hips.
“Commander Wolffe,” you said, recovering. “Why are you here? I thought you were with the others on the northern slope.”
You wanted to kick yourself for being so blunt. You were happy to have some time to spend with Wolffe. He came across as a quiet, stern man, but you’d seen him laugh with his brothers as they ate at the celebration the village had put on. You’d seen him comfort his men when they lost brothers in battle. You wanted to see more of that warmth inside him, beneath the cool, detached exterior he projected.
You sighed to yourself and started back toward the village. Wolffe fell in at your side.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” Wolffe said, rather than answer your question.
“I found the explosives,” you said, your voice hopeful.
He nodded. “Sinker commed.”
The two of you walked in silence for a bit. The last of the droids were been mopped up. The only real thing keeping the 104th Battalion on planet had been the threat of bombs and an avalanche. Once the bomb was defused there was no reason for the Republic troops . . . for Wolffe, to stay.
“I guess you’ll be heading off to another world soon,” you said.
Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Wolffe’s helmet turn your direction. He looked forward again. “Are you so eager to see the back of us?”
“No!” you said. “Not at all. Aside from running the Separatists off our world, you and your men have been a great help. With repairs. With the whole bomb thing.”
“You’re the one who found it,” Wolffe said. “My boys are just going to defuse it.”
As if you needed the reminder. The only thing keeping you from running off the mountain was Wolffe’s steady presence.
Taking a chance, you said, “Would you ever consider coming—”
You were interrupted by Wolffe’s comm going off.
Wolffe answered the call. “Wolffe—”
“Commander, there’s a tactical droid!” Sinker’s frantic voice said.
You could hear the sounds of blaster fire in the background. Your heart started beating double time.
“It’s got the detonator. Find cover!” Sinker yelled.
Up on the mountain, an explosion went off.
“Osik!” Wolffe snarled.
He grabbed your hand and started running through the deep snow.
“There’s a cave,” you said.
“I saw it,” Wolffe replied.
You gripped his hand tighter as a deep rumble filled the air, and you willed your legs to go faster through the deep snow. Your lungs ached with every panting breath of cold air. You didn’t dare look to see where the avalanche was. Your only focus was getting one foot in front of the other.
“Almost there,” Wolffe said.
Your foot hit a hidden hole and you went sprawling face-first in the snow. You shoved yourself up to your knees, then suddenly the world spun as Wolffe lifted you bodily and slung you over his armored shoulder. You clung to the backpack he wore, your breath coming in choppy pants as his shoulder rammed into your diaphragm with each of his long strides.
You had a great view of the wall of snow bearing down on the two of you.
“Wolffe!” you screamed, as the first bits of snow pelted your face.
Darkness engulfed you and a moment later you hit the ground with an “oof”.
The thunder of cascading snow continued for several minutes, during which you lay still and wondered how you were still alive.
“Berry?” Wolffe’s voice came from the surrounding darkness.
“Yeah?”
“Good. I thought that landing might have knocked you out.”
“No such luck,” you muttered.
Light flickered then steadied, revealing the cave around you in the glow of Wolffe’s helmet lights. He removed his helmet and set it on the ground.
“Are you all right?” he asked, kneeling at your side.
You took stock of yourself. Aside from a few bumps and bruises from that landing, and some soreness in your ankle when you’d stepped in the hole, you seemed to be okay. You told Wolffe as much.
“We’re going to be stuck here until they can dig us out,” Wolffe said. He removed his pack and sat next to you. “Do you have any supplies?”
“A little food and water,” you said, gesturing to your own pack. “I hadn’t planned to be up here very long. I was definitely going to be home before dark.”
Wolffe nodded. “I’ve got some supplies. If we ration, we’ll be okay for a few days.”
“You think it will take them that long?”
“Not really. It mostly depends on if they can find us through all the snow.” He tapped his comm. Only static came back. “I might have bumped it, or maybe the snow is too thick. Has anyone explored how far back this goes?”
You looked into the dark where Wolffe’s helmet lights didn’t reach.
“If anyone has, I don’t know about it,” you said.
“I’ll check it out,” Wolffe said.
He pulled a small flashlight out of a belt pouch and handed it to you. Then he donned his helmet and started toward the back of the cave.
Apparently, the cave went pretty far back, or turned, because you lost sight of Wolffe’s light. You turned your flashlight on the wall of snow blocking the cave entrance. Maybe you and Wolffe could start to dig yourselves out from your end. Then if it was the snow blocking his comm signal, he could get a message out.
You started to shiver as you waited for Wolffe to return. You took off your coat and did a quick assessment, making sure to get rid of any snow that had gotten into your layers when you’d fallen. Then you went through your pack to check your supplies. Half a bottle of water, some dried meat, and some climbing gear. Nothing to help keep you warm. But as you'd told Wolffe, you hadn't planned to be on the mountain too long. With a sigh, you sat back to wait.
You were trying to decide if you should go looking for Wolffe when he returned.
“We’re not getting out that way, unless you fancy a cold water swim.” He pulled his helmet off and set it on the ground near you, seating himself by your side.
“I’m not really dressed for it,” you quipped.
Wolffe actually tipped his head back and laughed.
Little tingles of pleasure fluttered in your stomach, and you smiled shyly at him.
“Are you hungry?” Wolffe asked.
You nodded. “A little.”
You pulled out some of your dried meat. Your nose wrinkled as Wolffe unwrapped a ration bar. His eyebrows went up when he spotted you looking at him.
“Your face says you don’t like my food.”
You snorted. “I’ve never seen something so unappetizing. Is that all you ever eat?”
Wolffe shrugged and pulled off a piece, holding it out to you. “It gives us all the vitamins and nutrients we need. It’s small so it doesn’t take up a lot of space.”
“All the high points in food,” you said, taking the piece. It was a little dry and almost flavorless. “Definitely wouldn’t be my first choice.”
You held out a piece of dried meat for him to take. He let out a little sigh of appreciation as he chewed.
“Yours is unquestionably the better choice,” Wolffe said.
The two of you finished eating in companionable silence. Wolffe tried his comm again, and with nothing else to do, you settled against the wall of the cave to wait.
It didn’t take long for you to start shivering again. Wolffe didn’t seem to notice. He’d taken a small took kit from a belt pouch and was fiddling with the comm on his vambrace.
“Why do Sinker and the boys call you ‘Berry’?” he asked without looking up.
It took you a moment to realize he was speaking to you. “Oh, well, I was out picking ice berries when Sinker and the others found me. They were tracking a squad of droids. The droids surprised me and were going to shoot me, but Sinker and the others arrived saved me. Afterward, they helped me gather the berries I’d dropped in my fright when the droids appeared, and walked me home.”
“That’s fitting,” Wolffe said. “It’s similar to how some of us clones choose our names.”
“Can I ask, how did you get your name?” You tucked your hands into your armpits, hoping to warm your frozen digits.
“Alpha-17, the clone who trained me as an Advanced Recon Commando, gave me the name. He said I led my men like a wolf leads his pack in a hunt.”
“I think I’d like to meet Alpha-17,” you said.
Wolffe scoffed. “No. You wouldn’t. He’s a cranky son of a rathtar and would chew you up one side and down the other.”
“Oh,” you said in a small voice.
“It’s nothing against you,” Wolffe said. “He’s like that with everyone, and I wouldn’t want to put you through that.”
“Oh,” you said, a little flush heating your cheeks.
Maybe, even if he didn’t like you the way you suspected you like him, Wolffe cared a little bit about you. Enough not to expose you to a cranky son of a rathtar anyway.
You gave a violent shiver and huddled deeper into your heavy coat. Your torso was warm enough, but everything from the waist down was suffering. You wiggled your toes in your boots and frowned.
“I c-can’t feel my feet,” you mumbled. You clenched your teeth to keep them from chattering.
Wolffe looked over at you. “What do you mean you can’t feel your feet?”
“Well, I s-sort of can feel my f-feet, but my t-toes—"
Wolffe was at your side in an instant, running his fingers over your head and down your neck. “Did you hit your head when you fell?”
“N-no. I’m pretty s-sure it’s just the cold—”
“Why didn’t you say something?” he demanded.
He leaned over, snagged his pack, and pulled it close. He rummaged around, looking for something.
“You weren’t c-complaining,” you said.
“My bodyglove has thermoregulation,” Wolffe growled. “I’m toasty as a Life Day nuna roast.”
“I’m sorry,” you whispered, ducking your head.
Wolffe paused and lifted your chin so you had to meet his mismatched gaze. “I’m not mad at you. I should have paid better attention to your condition.”
He pulled out a heatpac and activated it. Loosening the laces on your hiking boots, he removed them and stuck your feet on the little packet that was quickly warming up. Then he pulled out a silvery square which unfolded into a thin-looking survival blanket which he wrapped around you. Finally, Wolffe removed his bulky upper armor and settled behind you, pulling you against his warm chest.
You started to realize how cold you’d been as your muscles began to relax with the warmth.
“Feeling better?” Wolffe asked.
“Yeah,” you said drowsily.
“Get some rest,” he said. “The Wolf Pack will have us dug out in no time.”
“’Kay.”
* * *
You made an unhappy noise as bright light shone behind your closed eyelids. You tried to burrow under the covers into the warmth of your bed, but it was a lot more solid than you remembered. Awareness started to leak back in as familiar voices filled the air.
“Found ‘em!”
“Commander, we were worried.”
“Took you long enough,” Wolffe said, his voice seeming to emanate from under your ear.
Thank the Force! Wolffe’s men must have finally dug out the cave entrance. However, your cheeks started to heat up as you recalled your position, curled up in the commander’s lap.
“It’s about time."
“Aww, they’re so cute.”
“Finally.”
“Think the commander will mind if we take a holo?”
“I’ll bust you all down to shinies if you keep this up,” a voice rumbled under your ear. “Everybody out.”
Still chatting and chuckling to themselves, the Wolf Pack left the two of you alone.
“Are you toes still all attached?” Wolffe asked as you sat up and reached for your boots.
You wiggled said digits before pulling a boot on. “Yeah, all intact. Thank you for the heatpac.”
Wolffe reattached his armor and started gathering up the emergency blanket and spent pac.
Once you had yourself in order again, you swung your pack up on your shoulders, chewing on your lip. You looked up to find Wolffe watching you, his own pack in place and helmet tucked under his arm.
You might not get the chance to enjoy his company much longer. Firming your resolve, you blurted, “Would you like to come to dinner at my place tonight?”
At the same time, Wolffe asked, “Would it be okay if I gave you my comm code?”
The two of you stared at each other for a moment.
Then you smiled. “I’d love to have your comm code.”
A flush rose in Wolffe’s cheeks and a little smile played over his lips. “What time is dinner?”