Nostomania

Jake sat staring at the Geonosian sun, the LAAT still parked as Clank heaved the last of the boxes from their camp into the back. Barren, Mute and Cody stood not to far awya outside the ship talking, as did Teesh and Ada, both out of ear shot. Rusty and Tac struggled to carry the last huge box, almost falling over before Clank could jog over robitcally to help. Jake could only chuckle weakly at the act, either way, it was almost time for the to finally get back on track, no more dumb imperial side quests. 

Racket stood guard outside Adas ship, while Scythe and Golem were no where to be seen, probably somewhere inside Codys ship, talking crap about...well everyone.

The sun floated in the middle of the sky, the rocks beaming a suprisngly cool red as Jakes eyes wandereed the area, he was tired....very tired. He hadnt slept in a bed for nearly a damm month, and much to the boys displeasure, the sand he had slept in yesterday morning was by far the most comfy place he had slept. Wanna know why? because LAATs...are made of metal, not very comfy, if you Jake.

Ignoring his frustrations Jake lifted himself off the floor, Rusty pracically immdiantly sprinting over to come and help, the B1s limbs shaking as sand kicked up behind him. Supporting Jakes right side, the shirtless teen shambled his way outside, deciding to see the progress of the transfer, he wanted to help, but surviving what Tac calculated to be a "3,994,012 to 1" chance of being shot by a high powered blaster turret, literally everyone told him to sit. And so he did.

"Uh sir...are you in good shape...i dont want your parts failing on us" Rusty squeaked out, the B1s head snapping to looking at Jake.

"I could be better..but uh, ill be fine" Jake said, a small smile tugging at his lips, he ignored the fact that Rusty said "Parts" but he found it funny how the droid referred to him in droid terms. The B1 had called Jake, "broken" "malfunctioning" or "leaking" plenty of times during is nearly 3 hour sit session in the LAAT after waking up from the treatment bestowed by the ever worried Barren.

Speaking of which, the Clones where walking towards the boy, all of them. Jake gave a frindly wave with the arm that wasnt around Rustys back, his skin shivering uncomfortably in direct contact with the sun, no wonder he never took that shirt off.

"Hey kid..feelin better?" Cody asked as he walked up, his feet kicking up some sand as he stopped infront of Jake, Mute and Barren on his sides. 

"Meh...my chest kinda stings" Jake answered casually wincing as he poked his large chest wrap.

"Dont touch that?!" Barren said in a small panic, stepping forwards, Cody holding his arm out a bit to stop him. 

"Well no shit it stings you got shot....your lucky to still be intact" Mute said with a chuckle, crossing his arms.

Jake gave a deadpan look, just sighing. "Yeah yeah..Tac has been on my ass about it, saying its not logical..i dont know" 

"Tactical Droids arent the brightest.." Cody mused.

"But..arent they called Ta-"

"upp upp upp" Cody cut him off. "Never over estimate a clanker" Cody said with a low chuckle, Jake eyes narrowing slightly, not amused.

Mute was quick to change the subject. "Beside that..look kid....me and Barren..and Jammer...have to thank you for everything youve done, whether you think or not you kept my battalion alive, sacrficing Bucket to do so..." Mute sighed as Jake stared on, his arms limp at the memory "Sadly...this may be the last time we see eachother" Barren shifted his feet as Jake proccesed his words, the boys eyes widening.

"Wait..What?" Jake asked confused, looking up at the Clones face.

"Weve decided to go with Cody...to help our brothers in the fight against the Empire..." Mute explained, his face mimciking the one a teacher would have telling a student they like they got a bad grade. 

Jake paused for a moment..he sighed, nodding his head. "Well" Jake threw his arm up, wincing slightly as the bandages tugged at his chest. "Thank you..for all your help" Jake gave a small smile, his eyes peering at the three Clones.

Mute nodded, Cody already turning and putting his helmet on, walking to his ship. Barren stared through his helmet, giving a small wave, before walking away. Jakes arm fell to his side, the droids, Teesh and Ada walking up behind him.

"Whats going on?" Ada quipped, looking to Jake.

"Their going off to help their brothers i guess....they deserve that." Jake explained slowly, his gaze never leaving Mute as he walked into the ship, the clone putting his helmet on. Nearly a minute later, the ships engines blasted sand and roared as it heaved itself into the air, before flying off.

...

"Damm..." Teesh said aloud...staring where the ship went, beforing turning around and going into the LAAT. Jake stared into the sky for a few moments, eventually turning around, Ada and the droids following.

"So uh...now what?" Rusty asked Jake, its steps trudding along the sand.

Jake stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at the LAAT, his eyes snapping to Ada as she shot off with her Jetpack to her ship.

"I....I dont know buddy....we'll figure it out" The droid nodded, and jogged into the ship, closing the doors, the B1 barely being able to move it as it creaked, Untill Clank walked up and moved the entire in with one hand.

"Show off" Rusty teased, waving the B2 off, the latter just chuckling deeply. Tac didnt care all that much, and went to pilot seat to prepare takeoff, with racket huddling in the corner, powering down. 

The LAAT whirred as Tac began to set up its systems. the engines of Adas ship began to glow. Jake sat on the floor as Teesh crouched next to him, the lizard sighing with slight hiss.

"Kid....thosssse Clonesss where destined to leave, they jusssst found a good excusssse" Teesh muttered, Jake looking up at him with a glare.

"Im ssssseriousss" He said glaring back. "Thessse...Clankerssss asss they call them, were gonna make em leave jusssst by exisssting" Teesh said sitting down, leaning against the inner walls of the ship, the droids holding on as the LAAT began to float.

"i guess your right....but they seemed so nice" Jake complained, staring into nothingness.

"Yeah well.....never trussssst a Clone kid...trusssst me...they will alwayssss betray you" Teesh said strenly, his mouth curling into an instictive snarl, before he propped up and went to get rations, leaving Jake to stare at the lizard, contemplating his words. 

The Ships blast off into the upper atmosphere, the metal on Jakes back eventually rapidly heating an then cooling as the ships broke the barrier of the planet, Tac voice could fainlty be heard, something about plotting directions, but Jake didnt think about that. The boy sat, still shirtless and the bandages clinging to him, his mind raced, he didnt have much to do, and that was bad. He was thinking, R4...his family...dad?..mom?...why when how...killed by droids? Yes or No? Naboo is a yes...but is it? Gideon is a snaeky one but..no he watched it happen, the sparks the fire the screams of..of....

Jake eyes shook within hi sockets as he stared a hole throuhg the ships floor, Clank stomping over to check on him.

"Sir...i detect high stress levals...your breaths are of increased pace" 

Jake stared up at the droid, a bead of sweat hitting the floor, he closed his eyes and looked forwards, breathing in...and out. He heaved himself up, but Clank was quick to grab the boys arm and drag him up as gently as a Battledroid could. Jake gave a small smile, but his attention was dragged away as tac approached him.

"The navicomputer has been set for naboo..however our hyperdrive has been damaged....Ada wishes to speak with you" Tac stated with a nod.

"Thanks bud" Jake said patting the droids shoulder. "Check on Teesh for me will ya" The droid nodding, and walking into the storage, followed by a curious Rusty as Clank just watched Jake disapear into the cockpit. 

Jake sat down and melted into the relatively comfortable chair, he sighed as he pressed a button and straightened himself, Adas form showed on the low resoulution on the hologram. 

"Hello-" ada paused for a moment, looking at him.

"Uh..yeah?" Jake asked with a confused gaze.

"yes..well...Tac said you wanted to speak" Ada spoke up, Jake gaze only further become more confused.

"Tac told me you wanted to ta-...that sneaky droid" Jake muttered..before sighing.

"Let me guess....still not happy with me?" She said corssing her arms.

"Well no shit" Jake said with a deadpan stare, before leaning back in his chair. "Killing people is wro-" 

Ada was quick to cut him off, her frame standing up as she raised her voice, her helmet somehow portraying anger.

"YOU dont know!!!..WHAT THEYVE DONE TO ME..." Jakes pupils tightened at the volume "DONE TO US!!..MY PEOPLE!!" Ada screamed, smashing her hands into her console, quite sobs coming from benetah her helm.

Jakes breath shallowed as he stared...

"...Still........you cant just murd-"

"OH Shut IT!!" She yelped, her voice crackling. "Your no stranger to killing...." She muttered.

"Yeah....i know..but..." he paused, his mind racing to spout the right words "but if we kill them...we will be just as bad as them"

"I dont care" Ada stated softly. Jake just gazed at her holographic image.

"Im....sorry" Jake said aloud, Ada looked up at him.

"I shouldnt have pryed...its..its just im trying to get my mind off of everything thats happened..R4...Bucket....so..so many dead..a-and for what?!" Jake exclaimed, throwing his hands up slightly.

"for nothing...i guess" Ada said shrugging, her hand going up into her helm, presumingly to wipe away tears.

Jake scoffed lightly in a joking manner "Guess so..."

The two stayed staring at the other for a bit, the olny noice the almost hearable words from the droids from Jakes ship. Ada sighed as she went to speak.

"Tac suggested we do soemthing fun, to ease us up...." 

Jake thought for a moment, he remebered the whole talk session about Mandolorians and weapon culutre Teesh told him, and using his three braincells made a plan.

"We could go shooting, ya know, rocks and stuff...in space"

Adas face was covered but her body showed intrest.

"That..sounds fun" she nodded, her ship stopping its course and turning to face Jakes LAAT, which had also stopped. Teesh came climbing up and sat in the copilot seat, closing the cockpit doors behind them.

"Why?" Jake asked with a head turn.

"The droidssss want to watch...and i cant breath in ssspace..." Teesh said smiling, giving a small wave to Ada, the girl waving back.

Ada turned her ship and slight glow was the split second signal Jake got as twin bolts erupted from her wing cannon, a nearby asteroid blowing into dust. Jake smiled and readied his ship, the LAATs front cannons fired twice, first chunking a rock in half, and then blowing up one of the pieces, the other floating away from the force. Jake and Ada shared a small chuckle as they watched the explsoions, Teesh snarled in delight as activated the LAATs wing beams manually from his panal. the green beam cutting clean through several rocks.

"WOoooaaah!!" Jake said raising his ahnds up, the boys face filled with a grin. Ada chuckled at the action taking her gaze off space to look at his hologram for a moment. 

The fit a glee wore down as they sat there in empty space, sontemplating what to do next, well....that was obvious.

"You still up to go with us...to Naboo?" Jake asked, staring at the Mandolorians holo image.

"heh...of course" Ada said calmly, Jake leting a sigh of relief he didnt know he had. 

"Well....letsss ssset the na-" Teeshs words were cut as a B1 droid floated past there view, flaoting between Adas and Jakes ships as they faced eachother. 

"RusSTy?!" Jake exclaimed, the B1 just waving as it floated. the boy sighed loudly, we went to look at Ada but realzied her image was gone. a few seconds of confused staring and a knock on the glass made Jake jump up, his face straining slightly as he pulled he banadge wrapped arm. Ada was floating in front of his ship, Rusty being held by his leg, the droids arm flaing around in slow motion. Jake just chuckled as she disapeared from view.

hearing the hiss of the LAATs doors close, Jake and Teesh went down, Ada patting Rustys back as the droid clung to the walls.

"Sweet...sweet floor" 

"Rusty...you...your just stupid sometimes man" Jake admitted, getting a snort from Teesh.

"uh huh! I know!" the B1 replied almost o happily. Ada ignored the droids comment and walked over to Jake, the teen stared for a moment, Ada rasing her hand to pat his shoulder, before quickly hugging him. The cold metal made Jake shiver as he was ya know..not wearing a shirt. Jake gave a gentle pat on her back as she pulled away, clearing her throat.

"To Naboo?"

"To Naboo" Jake repated, Rusty celbrating in the background as Teesh just stared at the two with a cocky smirk. Tac nodded, and typed into his datapad, and Clank moved around slowly in celbration witn Rusty. Racket still deactive in the corner, did nothing.

After some transfers, navi-computer in putting, and a refreshing water from storage, Jake planted the coodinates, and his and Adas ships blasted full speed into space.

Now they just had to fix their hyperdrive...

hopefully.