☆ 𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄 ☆ 𝐂. 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐑

twenty nine

A couple of weeks had passed since Kitra had returned to the Rebellion. The familiar warm feeling that sprung from the ground of the Rebel Base reawoke Kitra's passion for the cause. The girl had forgotten the welcoming and comforting aura within the base, despite the desperate times.

Although not everything in the base warmed Kitra's heart. Ever since Cassian and her brought Wolffe back to the Rebellion, Kitra had felt uneasy. She felt assured when she was told that he would only be staying for a few more days before he goes back to the planet he was based on; but his presence still sent her nerves spiraling.

It had been almost twenty years since it happened, and although she was very young, there were things that Kitra saw that she could not forget. The girl wished more than anything that she could just forget everything that happened that night and move on to help the Rebels win their fight; but everything within her stopped her from doing that. She just couldn't forget it.

Over the years, Kitra had grown to accept what happened and through a long process of healing, she had started to move past what happened, as she managed to bury those memories deep within her mind. However coming face to face with a clone managed to undo years of self acceptance and therapy, making the painful images and cursed screams crawl back into her mind.

Kitra was certain that by now most of the Rebel base knew that she was a Jedi, and she was more than sure that Wolffe did too. The girl didn't regret saving him from the fatal Stormtrooper blast, as she knew that the Rebellion needed him; she just wished things played out differently during the rescue, which would have included her not using the force in front of him. Now because of that, Kitra noticed that the old man would send a glance her way every time he saw her.

Wolffe had not done anything, and he didn't seem like he was planning on attacking her; or at least that's what Kitra could feel from his energy aura. If he were to attack her, Kitra was confident that she could protect herself due to her developing strength in the force, and also his old age; which made the girl grateful that the clones had an accelerated aging factor. But that did not make her trust him any more, as the girl was always on edge and ready to spring into a defense mode whenever she saw him.

Letting out a sigh, Kitra leaned against the hanger door which exposed the dark cave to the vast forests outside. The girl stood, observing various mechanics that busied themselves on the airbase. Before Kitra could think of possible missions that the various ships could be going on, a hand suddenly placed itself on Kitra's shoulder, startling the girl out of her thoughts and making her jump away from her position.

Kitra's adrenaline spiked as she quickly turned around to face a slightly surprised looking Cassian. The Rebel pilot did not expect to receive such a reaction from the girl, as he was previously made aware of how hard it was to sneak up on the girl; which made the man grow curious as to why he succeeded. "Is everything okay?" Cassian asked.

Kitra nodded, while she fixed a few strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face; in an attempt to make herself look nonchalant. "Yeah...why wouldn't I be?" Kitra answered, as she looked around the area in an attempt to look natural.

Cassian narrowed his eyes slightly as he analysed the girl in front of him. "You've been acting different lately, like you're on edge. Are you sure you're alright?" Cassian answered, as Kitra avoided eye contact with him, making Cassian frown slightly. Kitra let out a hum as she nodded to him.

The rebel shot Kitra a suspicious glance, "You know you can talk to me, right?" Cassian reminded, taking a step closer to Kitra, as his stoic voice lost its facade and was replaced with one of sincerity. Kitra met Cassian's eyes, feeling somewhat surprised as she had not heard the man talk in a tone like that before, or at least not since the aftermath of Otavon XII.