Tw: Overworking oneself, mentions of abandonment.

"Ouch!" Karina yelped after hitting her head against the metal she was working on. She pushed herself out from below she ship, putting her tools away.

"Hey, Karina," her coworker cheerily greeted her. "How's it going? You manage to figure out what's wrong yet?"

"The pilot scraped the landing gear off entirely. That's why it won't turn on," she told him, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "A quick diagnostic test would've told the pilot that."

He hummed, nodding along. "You taking your lunch break soon?"

"Soon," Karina vaguely answered. "Why?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to eat with me." He grinned widely. "I could give you a tour of the cruiser after."

"Oh, Deto." Karina frowned, "I'm sorry, but I'm too busy right now. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Maybe." Deto grabbed one of her tools. "Are you doing okay with learning all this? It can get pretty complex."

"I think I'm doing alright." She rubbed at her head again. "But if I have any questions I'll be sure to ask you!"

"My door's always open!" Deto smiled and tossed the tool back. "Not literally of course, but you get what I mean. Say, aren't our room right next to each others?"

"I think so," Karina thoughtfully said.

"See you around then!" Deto said, waving as he walked away.

Karina buried herself back in her work, trying to figure out how to reattach the landing gear. She needed to figure this out. If she didn't, the Republic wouldn't need her. She'd be cast aside.

"Mechanic?"

Karina hit her head on the ship again as she slid out from under it. "Yes?"

Wolffe stood there, head cocked. "Do you know what time it is?"

"No," Karina confessed. "Isn't it lunch time?"

"It's past midnight." He sighed heavily. "Let's go. I'll walk you back to your room."

"I'll be fine." She packed up her tools and began to carry them back to her room. Wolffe followed her silently. "I said I'm fine."

"I'm going this way," he said.

Karina didn't respond. She turned a corner, expecting to see her room to the left.

It wasn't there.

"Lost?" She could practically hear his smug smirk.

"No," Karina lied. "I'm just taking the long way."

Wolffe shrugged. "See you tomorrow then."

He began to turn away, before she shouted, "Wait! Maybe I am lost."

"Kamino's big. It all looks the same. I don't blame a nat-born for getting lost." Wolffe guided her down the corridors.

"Nat-born?" Karina echoed.

"You didn't come from a tube," he explained.

They walked in silence for a minute before she asked, "What are we doing on Kamino? Isn't that where clones are raised?"

Wolffe flexed his fingers against his kama as he mulled over her words. "Raised isn't exactly the right phrase. Trained would be better. But yes, it's where we clones are created."

Karina stared up at him as she patiently waited for him to continue.

"My battalion was massacred pretty early into the war," Wolffe said. "We don't have a lot of forces anymore. We're here to pick up more troopers."

"And that requires a long time? We've been here a week." Karina furrowed her brow in confusion.

"I have to train some of them," Wolffe grumpily said. "Some of the ones I train will be joining us."

"And that's a bad thing?" Karina curiously asked.

"They're annoying. They have a lot of questions. Kind of like you."

"Isn't it your job to answer those questions?" Karina reasonably pointed out. "And I don't appreciate being called annoying."

"I wasn't saying you're annoying. I was saying you ask a lot of questions." Wolffe slowed as they reached her room. "Good night."

"Good night, Commander. Thanks for helping me to my room," she gratefully said.

"One last thing." Wolffe paused as he considered how to say the next part. "Never mind."

"No! Tell me!" Karina pleaded.

Wolffe was usually a confident man. It unnerved him that he was so awkward right now.

"Your face," he stiffly said.

Karina touched her cheek. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"No. You just have a different face then what the cadets here are used to. They might bother you a lot."

"Thanks for the warning." She opened her door. "Is that everything?"

"Yes. Good night."

"Good night," she replied and stepped into her room.

"Hey, Karina," Deto warmly said in the morning.

"Oh, hello, Deto," Karina responded with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Deto asked. "Maybe we could go down to the mess hall together."

"I actually haven't." Karina wiped her hands on her pants. "Sure."

"Great!" Deto beamed with excitement. "Let's go then!"

They walked down together, grabbing trays of Kamino grade slop. They settled at a table together in the corner and sat across from each other.

"I'll never get used to this," Karina said as she gagged.

Deto shrugged. "The rations they serve on the cruiser usually aren't bad."

"That's something to look forward to." Karina forced down another mouthful. "So, how long have you worked in the GAR?"

"Just over a year," Deto told her. "I was fired from my last job and needed some money, so I joined."

"Do you like the job?" Karina questioned.

"It's alright." Deto shrugged. "There's not a lot of pretty girls." His eyes flicked up to hers. "But the few that are here are gorgeous."

Karina choked on her meal. She cleared her throat. "Oh?"

Deto stared into her eyes. "Yeah."

"Ma'am?"

Karina was so grateful for whomever had just spoken. "Yes?"

A trooper sat with them, grinning widely. "I'm Sinker. It's a pleasure to meet you. Well, it's nice to meet you while you're awake."

"What?" Karina blinked.

"I'm sorry for touching you while you were sleeping!" Sinker blurted out.

Karina's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Sinker. What are you doing?" Wolffe demanded as he put his tray down at the table as well.

"Commander, it's good to see you!" Karina pleasantly said.

"It's good to see you actually taking time for a meal," Wolffe replied. "I'm afraid I can only stay for a couple minutes. The cadets have been very hyper recently."

"How come?" Sinker asked, shoveling his food into his mouth.

"How should I know?" Wolffe huffed. "They're always wild."

"So were we when we were their age," Sinker reminded him. "And remember what we got up to?"

Wolffe suddenly stood up. "I need to go." He pointed at Karina. "I will be back for lunch."

Karina nodded. "I really don't need you to-"

"I will be here at lunch," Wolffe reiterated. "I don't usually make time in my day to care for others. Take the opportunity while you can."

Karina pursed her lips. "I feel so honoured."

"He made me do wind sprints the last time I was sick," Sinker murmured. "I'd take this in a heartbeat."

Wolffe hurried away, and Deto glared at him.

"He seems rude," Deto remarked.

"That's just Wolffe," Sinker fondly said. "He's had to put up with us for a long time."

"Still, I would've told him off a long time ago," Deto insisted.

Sinker snorted. "Sure."

"Whatever." Deto picked up his tray. "I have to go."

"I should get back to work too," Karina reluctantly said. "Someone 'accidentally' removed the weapons system from a ship. How does that even happen?"

"See you around!" Sinker called as she left.

"Karina."

Karina glanced up in alarm. "Yes?"

"It's time for lunch." Wolffe's voice was heavy with disappointment. "Have you taken a break since you've gotten here?"

Karina stared for a minute. "Do you actually want an answer?"

Wolffe sighed. "Let's go."

Karina followed him to the cafeteria and room the tray she was handed. They got a table on the corner, and began to eat.

"Ma'am?"

Karina looked up, expecting to see Sinker, but was met with a clone she hadn't seen before. "Can I help you with something?"

"What do trees look like?" he quietly asked.

Karina's heart broke for the young man who had clearly been on Kamino his whole life. "They're beautiful. They're different colours depending on which planet they are."

He smiled. "I can't wait to see one."

"What's your name?" Karina asked.

"Coda." He held out a hand.

Karina shook his offered hand. "I'm Karina."

Wolffe shooed him away. "You're supposed to be in training."

"Sorry, sir." Coda nervously ducked his head.

"Why don't you eat with us?" Karina suggested.

Wolffe shot her a dirty look. "He has things to do."

"I'm sure he could spare a couple minutes." Karina waved Coda down to sit next to her.

"Only a couple minutes," Wolffe grumbled.

Coda smiled. "Sorry, but I should get going. My brothers are waiting for me. I just wanted to ask you quickly."

"Bye, then," Karina said.

"Thank you!" Coda said as he sprinted away.

"He seems nice," Karina commented.

Wolffe made a sound in the back of his throat.

"What's that for?" Karina raised an eyebrow.

Wolffe grimaced. "I have a gut feeling about him. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe he's just irritating me in training."

Karina slid out of her seat. "I'll see you later. I have to get back to working."

Wolffe scowled as she left.

Now he felt lonely at the table.