The Kenobi Saga Book One:The Clone Wars

9. Allies

AN: Here's the second chapter I promised but now we aren't celebrating 160, not 170, not even 200...This story now has 233 readers!!! Thank you all so much!

Over the general's last two trips off-world Solitaire and Lore-Val had fallen into a routine. Solitaire would wake up before the sun, and make his cot before putting it away in the closet. Then he'd come back to the living room and work out. By the time he'd finished and taken a shower Lore-Val would be up and stumbling around the kitchen getting something resembling food together for breakfast. So when Lore-Val was up while he was still in the middle of his first set of pushups he was worried.

"What's wrong?" Solitaire asked, standing up and pulling on the top of his blacks.

"Nothing," Lore-Val told him, nearly buzzing with excitement, "I got a new game for us to play."

Solitaire nodded, starting to pull on his armor, "Breakfast first?"

"Of course. Do you want breadroot patties? I think we have jogan jelly for them."

"Sure," he followed her to the kitchen, still putting on his upper armor.

Lore-Val placed a few patties on two plates and started digging through cabinets to find the jar of jelly. She found it and Solitaire watched with a grin, as she struggled to open it. With a quiet curse in Mando'a she held the jar out to Solitaire for him to open it. He laughed at her, taking the jar.

"What's this game you're so excited about?" He asked opening the jar and passing it back.

"It's called cu'bikad. You get knives and move them across the cube- it'll make sense when you see it."

Solitaire nodded, not even remotely understanding what she'd just told him.

"It's like dejarik," she told him, passing him his breakfast, "Actually, no. But it is a strategy game, you'll get it quick."

"And who taught strategy to the Duchess' daughter?" Solitaire asked, taking a bite of his patty.

Lore-Val put down her own patty, watching her plate, "Ettan. He was my guard, back home," a wistful smile tugged at her lips, "When I finished my lessons for the day, we would play cu'bikad, or cards together."

"What happened to him?" He asked carefully.

"He was on the first ship that went to get Obi-Wan off the surface. It...it was destroyed by Darth Maul's soldiers," Lore-Val bit her lip, she took a deep breath and whispered something in Mando'a.

Solitaire watched her, something in his chest tightening. Crap he just adopted a child, didn't he? Blame responsibility, or his Fett genes, but at that moment he claimed this girl. Yes his job was to protect her, but now he was going to be her friend too.

AN: I hope you liked this chapter. I really love the clones so I hope Solitaire is on brand as one of our boys. I can't tell you how thankful I am for the support this story has been given. I don't ask this to be needy, but I'd really appreciate feedback on this chapter, is there anything you'd like to see? Especially with Solitaire and Lore-Val or anything else really.

Ok, that's my rant. I'll see y'all next week :)