The Varactyl Squadron Commander (A Star Wars: The Clone Wars Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Forty-Two

"W-w-wait!" JC shoved Champs out of the way so she was facing the entity head-on. Now that she knew for a fact that the clones were in danger, she'd be damned if the droid let something happen to them when there might've been something she could do to prevent it. "W-what do you want from me?" The glowing tip of the general's lightsaber was alarmingly close to her face, so close that the droid was thankful she didn't have any skin that would've burnt to a crisp and hurt like a bitch if the weapon made contact.

"JC, no," Risk stated and clamped a hand on her shoulder to pull her away. "You're not giving into that...that thing," The emphasis on the word might've been a little stupid considering their dangerous circumstances and just how near they were to possible death, but didn't care. The robot was one of a kind in the eyes of the clones. Plus she meant everything to Commander Rino, he didn't want to even think about how the woman would react if something were to happen to her oldest friend.

"I can feel the stir in the atmosphere; my crown is in jeopardy and the only one strong enough to bring it back to its former glory is myself. This piece of rotting flesh won't last me a century and I can tell you aren't a normal droid. Someone created you to last a while, to be sturdy and capable of any sort of danger, so you're going to do as I say and you're going to do it now you or I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand," The possessed man spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. It wasn't truly a threat, it was a promise. And JC didn't doubt that blood would be spilled if she didn't do what was asked of her. They knew they were outmatched- a possessed jedi against two clones and a robot. It didn't matter how much training they'd had before hand or however much juice she had left in the flamethrower in her chest, they were goners nonetheless.

"T-that won't be necessary," JC continued firmly and shrugged off the clone's firm grip.

"Now hold on a second," Risk began. "If you really are some ancient queen, how do we know this won't be causing more damage than good? How do we know helping you is the right decision?" Anakin laughed.

"Oh darling, you don't have a choice in the matter. If you and your friends die, those plans won't leave the planet and will be showcased to the entire Separatist alliance to be mass-produced. Hundreds of thousands of those hideous clones you call your brothers will be massacred and the Republic will ultimately lose the war. As much as I'd love to slay you all and bathe in your blood, I'm feeling generous. After all, it's going to be my first day as Twar's queen again since the planet became Naboo's sister. I might as well show a little mercy."

She had a point, and a damn good one at that. There really was no other options in their arsenal. Despite not having real eyes to convey emotion, JC knew that the two men could feel the evil glare she was giving them that said Shut up. Do anything stupid and I will kick your ass. "W-w-what do you need me to do?"

Anakin smiled and clapped his hands giddily.

"You don't need to do anything, just stand there and think happy thoughts about our long, prosperous future together." He responded with a little too much enthusiasm for anyone's liking.

"But Molindi-"

"I-I-I KNOW, RISK!"

It was a long debated concept, the idea of droids having real emotions and being capable of feeling anything remotely similar to loss, pain, happiness, despair. But from the crack in the droid's voice, there was no doubt just how heart-broken she was.

She'd been with the girl since before she joined the army, since before her parents died over a decade prior. Ten years. She'd practically watched the child grow up, raised her when her mother and father were killed in action. The nights they'd spent together watching holo-movies and JC's soap operas, eating blue ice cream til the girl's head hurt and gathering enough inside-jokes to strangle a rancor. Each promotion, each upgrade, every up-rise and downfall- the droid had always been there to celebrate when she was happy or pick the girl up from the ground when she was sad. It was as if Molindi was her own daughter, her best friend.

"I-I-I..." JC paused, then took Risk's hand and looked into his eyes. "H-h-her favorite color is blue. S-s-s-she likes to s-s-sing when she thinks no one is around b-b-but if she's in a group and someone starts singing first, she-she-she'll join along. H-h-her birthday is on Life Day and n-n-no matter how many times s-sh-she tells you she doesn't want to celebrate it, sh-she's lying. H-h-her favorite food is jogen fruit and-"

"JC-" Risk tried to stop her, but she just shook her head and continued to speak frantically.

"A-a-and she loves animals. I-i-if you ever get the chance, t-t-take her to the nearest z-z-zoo you can find. She-she's always wanted to go to one b-b-b-but had never gotten the chance-"

"JC, stop-"

"NO!" The droid shouted again and squeezed his hand tighter, her words desperate and painful in every sense of the term. "P-p-please, someone needs to know these th-things wh-when I'm gone. S-s-someone needs to take care of her. Th-the fastest way to m-m-make her feel safe is a h-h-hug. I-I-I know that she might think its weird and r-r-r-r-random at first, but trust me, she'll get used to it. She's been a h-h-hugger all her life and a-absolutely loves romantic comedies, so if she e-e-ever asks about a movie night, you need to be w-w-warned-"

She was caught off guard when the clone pulled the droid into a tight embrace, one filled with nothing but pity and admiration that stopped her mid-sentence. It was sad to think that she would never feel Molindi's arms wrap around her middle and squeeze her tight, but at least JC wouldn't be the last person she ever hugs in her life. Not knowing what else to do, the droid returned his show of affection and pressed her metal head against his chest.

"T-t-take care of my little girl," She whimpered."Please, take care of her. You guys are all she has left now."

"We will," Risk struggled to keep the moisture from his eyes and Champs himself could feel a tug at his heart he hadn't felt before. "I promise you we will." With a metallic sigh, the droid let go of the clone and took a step back.

"Then that's e-e-enough for me."

A split second later, she was gone.