Right now

Prompt: Solitude | Cuddles

So, for Day 3 of Commander Fox Week, I chose to use the prompt, "Cuddles". Before I had discovered Commander Fox Week, I had already planned on writing this fic and I figured that i would fit the prompt.

I hope you all enjoy!

<>Start<>

Fox didn't know if Commander Tano was innocent.

On one hand, Admiral Tarkin seemed confident that she was guilty and, logically, it made sense to Fox; she had been the only one in the cell with Turmond, the sound for the speaker in Turmond's cell wasn't working, it appeared that she had been using The Force to hurt Turmond (though Fox would admit he wasn't the most knowledgeable about using the force, since he didn't have a Jetii), she had broken out of her cell and taken her lightsabers back, and three of Fox's men had been found dead from a lightsaber.

On the other hand, General Skywalker and Rex seemed positive that she was innocent, that Tano would never do what she had been accused of.

Fox didn't really know Skywalker personally, mostly only through Rex's word. Rex had always talked about how Skywalker was different than others; he was always leading from the front and he cared about them. When he had stood in front of Fox, furiously demanding to be let into Tano's cell, Fox hadn't seen the man Rex had always spoken so fondly of; he had seen a man that had looked ready to take down anyone in his way, regardless of what Fox and his men had been explicitly ordered to do. He probably would've gotten away with it, too; he is the Chancellor's golden boy, after all. It's not like I was afraid of him for that or anything, I didn't finch away. So, Fox wasn't really sure he could trust Skywalker's judgement; he seemed too emotionally compromised. For the most part, however, Fox trusted Rex's judgement and Rex believed wholeheartedly that she was innocent. What if he's too emotionally compromised, though? Just because he remained calm, level-headed, and didn't make me fear for my life doesn't mean he's right. He's close to Tano; it could be blinding him to the truth.

Whether Tano was innocent or not wasn't Fox's primary concern at the moment, though; his three dead mean were. No one else had the time to pay their respects and see them off, remember them for who they were. Well, I don't actually have the time, but my men getting an ounce of the respect they deserve is all I can do for them now.

So Fox walked to the facility to say the words and see the three off: Sketch, Ghost, and Throwpillow. Four of a squad were gone. Their fourth member, Duke, hadn't even made it to the war. According to Throwpillow, Duke had cared too much about his vode and had talked back to the Kaminiise one too many times. All of them are gone, leaving behind only—

"Commander Fox, sir!" A voice behind Fox called to him. Fox stopped walking and turned around, barely managing to suppress his flinch. He'd known this would happen; he'd just really hoped it wouldn't.

A younger trooper was jogging to catch up to him. Fox knew he had gotten off-duty about half an hour ago.

"Yes, Trooper Morale?" Fox asked the younger man as he stopped in front of him.

Morale averted his eyes for a moment, lightly tugging the sleeve of his civvy-issued shirt before standing straight and staring Fox in the eyes. "Is it true, sir? That Commander Tano killed..."

As Morale trailed off, Fox was eternally grateful for his helmet, which kept his face hidden. He moved his eyes to the ceiling and steeled himself for this.

"At the moment, it is believed Commander Tano killed three clones," Fox replied, hating that he had to keep his tone and words impersonal. If he showed he cared too much, he'd be taken away. And then who would protect my vode?