"Oops," said the cadet.
Blitz didn't curse. It was a very close thing, because it hurt. A lot.
"Does it hurt?" The cadet asked.
"Like a killbox full of rancors," said Blitz.
The cadet's face scrunched up, thinking hard. His small hand didn't let go of the handle of the knife.
A knife that was currently stabbed through Blitz's leg. And actually, it might have been more of a short sword than a knife. It was a bit large for a knife.
Would the trainers arm cadets with swords? Blitz wondered.
Of course the answer was yes.
He wanted a sword. They hadn't gotten anything bigger than a decent knife when he was a cadet.
"Wouldn't the rancors kill you?" The cadet asked.
Full of questions, that one.
"Only after severely injuring you," said Blitz.
"I think the death comes with the severe injury, actually," said Colt as he approached.
Oh, so he was done with the others then. Good. Maybe he could call a medic before Blitz burst into tears from the agony.
Colt crouched down next to the cadet and examined the wound.
"You do this cadet?" He asked.
The cadet, still holding the handle, shook his head no.
"It's always looked like that," lied Blitz.
"Huh. Never noticed before," said Colt.
Behind his back, where the cadet couldn't see but Blitz could, he signalled a nearby trooper for a medic.
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Care and Comfort - Winter Edition 6
Read on AO3
Title: Camp Out
Summary: You make a blanket fort for the cadets with the Rancor Commanders.
Words: 1249
**********
“What exactly is the purpose of this again?” Blitz asks.
He drapes a blanket across a rope strung across the planetarium and secures the edges with some light weights. Scattered across the nursery the volunteers who’d joined you on Kamino after that battle that had left dozens of little clones without their growth tubes are setting up more little blanket tents. Colt, Havoc, and Hammer are helping as well.
It’s been a little over a year since the battle, and the younglings have grown so fast. They look like three-year-olds now, and very soon they’re going to start their training. You have anywhere from a matter of weeks to a matter of days left with the littles and you intend to make the best of it.
“To have fun,” you reply.
“We never had fun when I was a cadet,” Blitz mutters.
“So that’s why you’re such a stick in the mud,” Havoc says, grinning.
“Stow it,” Colt says. “A lot of things are different now from when we were cadets.”
Blitz mutters and goes to hang another blanket. You lean into Colt’s side and give him a smile.
“Thank you for agreeing to this. I know the Kaminoans probably didn’t like it.”
Colt’s arm snakes around your waist. “I didn’t actually tell them what we’re doing. I just said it was a nighttime exercise.”
You laugh and hug him. “Better to ask forgiveness than permission, eh?”
“Haven’t heard that one before. I like it.” Colt bends down to rest his forehead against yours.
“Ug! Will you two stop making googly eyes at each other and help?” Havoc calls.
You hear chuckles from some of the volunteers.
You lift your head a little and catch Colt’s lips in a lingering kiss. Several people cheer and a couple make exaggerated gagging noises. You break the kiss and turn to stick your tongue out at Havoc.
“Oh, very mature,” he teases.
You turn back to Colt to find him staring at you with a dazed little grin on his face.
“Come on, cyare,” you say softly, using the word he calls you when you’re alone. “We’ve got work to do.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Colt says.
It doesn’t take long to finish setting up the room. Colt, Havoc, and Blitz leave to pickup the cadets while Hammer fiddles with the planetarium’s controls.
“What night sky do you want?” the commander asks.
“Alderaan,” a couple of volunteers call out.
“Hoth,” another person says.
There are calls for Kashyyyk, Corellia, Sullust, and a few more for Alderaan.
“Sounds like Alderaan wins,” Havoc says, looking over at you.
You shrug. You’re the unofficial official leader of the volunteers, so you try not to cast a vote unless an executive decision or a tie-breaker needs to be made.
“Alderaan it is,” Havoc says, setting the controls.
The holoprojectors in the half-spherical room hum to life. The room is filled with the image of a grassy plane on Alderaan with Appenza Peak in the distance. It appears to be spring and clusters of wildflowers dot the landscape.
“Can you change the season?” you ask Havoc. “It’s winter in Aldera now.”
With a few quick taps, Havoc changed the holoprojection. Snow now covers the ground. Havoc makes a couple more adjustments to the system and spotty clouds appear in the sky. Occasional snowflakes drift down.
You smile. “Perfect.”
The Rancor commanders arrive a few minutes later followed by the cadets you and the volunteers have been taking care of. The little boys look around in excitement at the tents and scenery. The commanders join you and the other volunteers at the front of the room.
“We’re going to simulate a camp out tonight,” Colt says. “We’ll be naming constellations and sleeping rough, so everyone find a partner then sit down outside your tent.”
Most of the cadets choose one of their brothers, but your delighted to see some of them gravitate toward the Rancor commanders and volunteers. One little boy with light blue eyes makes a bee line for you.
“Will you be my partner,” he asks.
You’re about to say yes, when Colt grabs your hand.
“Sorry, cadet. She’s mine for this exercise,” he says.
The little boy doesn’t seem deterred. “Then can she be my partner for the next exercise?”
You give Colt’s hand a squeeze. “I don’t see why not.”
Colt gives a little huff, but doesn’t contradict you.
The cadet nods, then runs over to Blitz and grabs his hand before the commander can protest. You slip your hand from Colt’s to go help a couple of the more shy cadets find partners, and to settle some disputes over who gets to partner with who.
As everyone settles, you make your way back to Colt and find him sitting in front of a tent in his blacks. You’ve seen him without his upper armor when he’d helped in the nursery—none of the babies liked to be held against cold plastoid—but never completely out of armor. Your cheeks are hot as you sit next to him. If Colt notices, he doesn’t say anything.
“Alright, cadets, settle down,” Colt calls. “Who can name a constellation in the Alderaanian sky for me?”
Hands shoot up and Colt points to one of the boys.
“The Queen,” he says.
“Right. And who can find the Queen?”
The cadets all look up at the projected sky, which is more than half obscured by clouds. It takes a minute, but a couple of cadets finally point the grouping of stars out.
“Found it!” they say.
“Good job. What’s another constellation?”
“The Rose of Alderaan!” several youngsters shout.
“Raise your hands,” you remind them.
Several hands go up.
“Alright,” Colt chuckles. “Find the Rose.”
The boys stare and stare at the stars overhead. You start snickering. Colt grins at you.
“What’s funny?” one of the cadets asks.
“It’s the wrong time of year to see the Rose in this hemisphere,” Havoc finally says.
The cadets all groan.
“Okay, okay. Settle down. What’s another constellation?” Colt asks.
Once they’ve named and identified all the constellations, the commanders start a brief lecture on cold weather survival. Your volunteers slip out of the room and return a couple of minutes later with snacks; a cup of hot chocolate and a s’more for everyone. The cadets chatter excitedly at the unexpected and unorthodox treat. You make sure Colt, and the other commanders get snacks too.
As everyone eats, the volunteers take turns telling campfire stories, some scary and some funny. As the hour grows later, the cadets move into their tents and curl up under their blankets. The adults all make the rounds to make sure the cadets are settled for sleep.
Once you get back to the tent you’re sharing with Colt, you stretch out and pull a blanket around yourself. A moment later he slides in beside you and curls his arms around you.
“You’re done so much for the cadets, cyar’ika,” Colt murmurs. “I can never thank you enough.”
You turn so you’re facing him. “I’m just glad they’ll have some happy memories to recall. Sometimes I just want to wrap Blitz in a blanket and hug him when he gets all grumpy.”
Colt laughs. “I think we all could have benefitted from having someone like you and your volunteers in our lives when we were younger. But we didn’t turn out so bad.”
“You didn’t turn out bad at all,” you say, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose.
**********
This is kind of a sequel to Colt x Reader from the main Care & Comfort series.
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