Star Wars The Bad Batch: The Runaway

Chapter 43 - The Sneaky Senator

Ok, so I've posted this chapter once and then took it down. There's not really anything new to it besides some more detail I added since I actually proofread it before posting to make sure there was nothing I needed to change. You don't have to reread it to understand the next chapter, save for maybe when Padme is explaining the mission as there was one vital detail that I guess I didn't make clear enough the first time I posted this chapter!!

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

By the time Scar and Jace returned, Hunter had calmed down, much to the two teens' surprise. Tech was the first to talk to him after Scar had hung up on the Sergeant. He was barely three sentences in about how Scar was 'getting older' and 'it was inevitable that she'd start being interested in boys.' Yeah, thankfully Crosshair stepped in before Tech could go further, and he was able to convince Hunter that just because Scar was spending time with Jace, it didn't mean that they'd end up being romantically involved. (Of course, Crosshair knew that Scar liked Jace, though Scar probably wasn't even aware of what she was feeling but her brother was excellent at reading people and could tell she at least liked him a little). For Hunter's peace of mind, Crosshair said what he did, as Scar wasn't the only one getting tired of his overprotectiveness. It was funny for a while but now it's lost its humor.

The next morning, it was only Padme, Jace and Scar sitting at the table, the others not having come down yet for breakfast. This gave Padme the opportunity to get to know the female clone better.

At first Padme wasn't so sure about the girl when Jace opened up about his attraction towards her that day after he'd learned about her and Anakin's secret relationship. Well, more like she told him she knew he liked her, and he couldn't deny it. Jace surprisingly opened up to his cousin about his conflicted feelings and they've had a few discussions since then as he worked through his emotions. He liked Scar... he really really liked her. But he was a Jedi, and it was common knowledge that such feelings were forbidden. Jace had to figure out where his loyalty lied, with the Jedi and Republic he swore an oath to serve... or with a girl he's only known for about a month, but he was already smitten with her and it likely would grow into something more if they continued to work together or spend time together like they are now. Padme of course couldn't tell him what to do. She wanted him to have the same opportunity to find someone special, like she did with Anakin, but it would have to be in secret, and she knew better than anyone that it was extremely stressful. Sometimes Padme wondered if it was really worth it, but every time she hugged or kissed Ani all those worries melted away and she allowed herself to enjoy the special moments they shared together.

Padme's only advice to Jace was to think very carefully about what he wanted, and she reassured him that she would support him in any decision he made. This helped Jace and he said as much, though he wished someone could make the decision for him. He admitted that he was hesitant to say anything to Scar until he knew what her thoughts and feelings were on the situation. Unfortunately, Scar was a very hard person to read, and he had trouble knowing whether or not she felt the spark between them. There were times where she seemed to enjoy being in his presence and Jace would grow hopeful that she felt the same way about him that he felt for her, but then she'd throw him for a loop like earlier where Scar seemed to not be able to leave him fast enough.

Luckily, his cousin had concocted a plan that might help the two teens figure out their feelings. Padme had arranged it all before the vacation and she decided that now was the time to put it into action. She waited until the boys had made an appearance (Scar wasn't sure whether or not her brothers would have shown up, she knew they were extremely uncomfortable with the luxurious lifestyle) and began talking.

"Now that we're all here, there's something I'd like to discuss." Padme began, instantly catching everyone's attention. "I know this is supposed to be a vacation for you, but something has come up and -" Wrecker gasped.