"NO!" Reetha screamed.

Before Ventress' blades could touch Wolffe, she felt her body fly backwards as an immense power hit her chest. A powerful Force blast erupted from in front of Wolffe, pushing him to the ground. The wind stirred wildly, aggressively rustling the trees around them. 

Wolffe struggled to turn around and when he did, he came to realize that he was beneath a white-greyish body standing tall on four paws. "What the-" 

A wolf's howl echoed loudly in the jungle, silencing everyone and everything, demanding attention. Ventress gasped, trying to stand on shaky legs. "So, here you truly are! Shoot them!"

The droids complied and began to shoot. Wolffe saw the wolf recline on its hind legs, then coming down hard on the ground at full force. The earth beneath rumbled and a blaster fire came to a standstill, then shot in reverse back at the droids. 

"NO! Continue firing!" Ventress screeched. "Kill them all!" Relentlessly the droids shot but the whatever the wolf did kept the clones safe. 

"Si-Sir, what's going on?" Wolffe's comm beeped. Wolffe couldn't muster an answer. 

"I- don't know.." 

"Sir, we can't get out of the base! We're trapped in some kind of force field." 

Wolffe finally sat up underneath the wolf. The wind sweeping through his hair as the sky darkened. "Reetha?" Wolffe squinted as the droids we're being fired upon by their own blaster fire. The loth wolf's ear twitched and it's head tilted toward the commander. 

"Hello, ner vod" 

---

"Reetha is that you?" 

"Yes" 

Wolffe was more than intrigued now. As if she sensed the commander's curiosity, Reetha told him to stand behind her and he waisted to time doing so. 

Ventress cackled as she watched the commander ordered his troopers to stand down. "Is this all you got Jedi! Look at them!" she pointed to the clones. "Do you sense it, their fear?" Seeing as the gunfire wasn't making much of a difference, the droids were ordered to stand down as well. 

"Interesting isn't it. Such power forced to be kept a secret. If only you would join my master." Reetha let out a deep growl when Ventress tried to reach to pet her head.

"Why suppress this part of you. Embrace it, use it to save your friends." 

Reetha snarled and bared her canines. Warning Ventress to not come any closer. 

"You are so animalistic now. Yes.. you sense it don't you, you feel it. That ancient and old need to sink your teeth into me, to hurt those who hurt or dare threaten the ones you care about tenfold." 

Ventress ignited her red blades, swinging them dangerously. "Come on you dog! Fight! Show your clones who you really are!" 

Leaping forwards, Ventress brought down her blades forwards in a clean swipe. Reetha jumped backwards, still placing herself between the clones and the crazy witch. 

"Don't waste your time to protect them." She said in a pitiful tone. "They are afraid of you. You feel it too. I would be as well. You are a monster." 

Swinging her blades again, Ventress wanted Reetha to remember this moment, the moment she drove her sabres right through the loth wolfs heart. 

"Reetha watch out!" Wolffe cried out as he saw the nearing red blades. 

A loud cry escaped Ventress. She was shrieking as she was forced on her knees by a powerful force on her wrists. The red lightsabers sank back into their hilts as they violently hit the ground.

"I wouldn't move if I were you" 

A low and dangerous voice boomed is Ventress' head.

"Unless you want to break them." 

Ventress shuddered in wolfs tight hold. Both her wrists we caught in the wolf's mouth, sharp teeth narrowly missing her veins. She knew not to struggle unless she asked for her death sentence. Ventress cowered at the shear towering image of Reetha's wolf form. It was a presence almost as intimidating as Dooku's.

"You wouldn't kill me, even if your life were at stake. You are a Jedi."

Reetha sensed the fear in Ventress' voice while she spoke back. "Yes, I wouldn't. But I would give my life to protect my family. I won't lose another."

Pushing her head down with Ventress still in Reetha's grip, she placed her golden gaze into Ventress' grey ones. "If I needed to kill, it would be of a desperate last resort. I'd take my life in the process as well." Ventress' eyes widened in fear when she realised the seriousness in Reetha's voice, not daring to talk back. "In your case, you wouldn't see your death by my hands." 

What felt like hours of silence to the clones and the droids, were in fact just a fraction of a second in the minds of the two Force wielders. The men watched in anticipation as Ventress was slowly released from the wolf's mouth. Reetha morphed back into her human self, her eyes still trained on Ventress. 

"Get your forces out of this base, and away from this place." No emotion was visible in Reetha's voice. 

Ventress collected herself of the ground, the tremor in her body was still visible. She turned back slowly to the droids. She quietly muttered a few words to a command ranking droid. The droid's head dipped down then began to signal the others. The droid force was moving out of the base. 

"You may have won this time, child." Ventress looked over her shoulders and summoned her lightsabers back. "I will see you again." 

---

Three hours later, the 104th had successfully taken the base. After the fight, stories began to pass among the men. When they saw Reetha pass by, they'd stop or just switch the topic. 

"-the base is under our complete control, General. No deaths, minimum casualties." Plo nodded and the holo-call ended. 

The men in the room went about their work as normal when suddenly, pin-drop silence washed over them and they eyed the door.

"What's going on?" Wolffe asked before turning to see it for himself. Reetha stood innocently at the entrance, not daring to look up. 

Noticing the heavy moment, he ordered the men to go back to their work. "Commander"

Wolffe walked towards the girl and smiled, genuinely. Reetha forced a smile, "I just came to file my report to Master Plo, but I see that has been taken care of." She gestured to the holo-call. 

"Yeah. The General is pleased to hear of our success." Wolffe shuffled on his feet as neither of them spoke. Reetha kept looking at her feet, her face soured. The clones face softened "Reetha, you alright?" He gently placed a careful hand on her shoulder. 

"I'm fine, Wolffe." She shrank from Wolff's touch. He noted her shaky voice. "Thanks." Reetha turned on her heels as walked out from the base leaving Wolffe to worry for her even more. 

---

For the majority of the night, Reetha kept her distance from the entire 104th. The Wolfpack sat quietly, each buried in their own thoughts. 

"How's Reetha?" Comet asked Wolffe as he made it to the barracks. 

The commander shook his head indicating that the young padawan was not taking things well. This only dampened the mood of the men. 

"Have you tried talking to her?" 

Wolffe grumbled "Tried. She doesn't want to." 

Not much conversation passed between the troops since each worried on their about Reetha. Eventually, Wolffe decided to consult the only other clone he knew he could trust. 

Closing himself off in a spare room, Wolffe commed Rex. Rex picked up and mumbled a hello. 

"I have some news, vod." Wolffe declared. "Reetha, is a wolf.." He tried to put it delicately, but it came out more of a question than a statement. 

Rex fell silent at the other end which started to worry Wolffe. "Is she alright? She isn't hurt?" 

Wolffe reassured Rex and began to explain how any why she changed in the first place. After explaining, Wolffe fell into silence. He placed his comm on a crate and began to pace around the room.

"I just don't want her to hide, Rex. I don't know what's going through her mind, I don't know if she's hurt. She's avoiding everyone." 

Rex calmed his older brother's rambling. "Reetha's a naturally shy person. It takes time for her to open up." 

"But this, wolf thing? When did you find out?" 

Rex began recalling the first time Reetha revealed her other-self. "It was for a mission. By then she was already quite acquainted with some of the troops." 

"You mean she wasn't shy? What's so different about us?" The commander winced as he spoke the last few words. He was not angry at Reetha but was just extremely worried about her well being. He wanted her to feel safe with his men and could only hope that she trusted them just as much as they trust her. Rex knew his brother didn't want to sound mean. 

The captain sighed. "I know you're not angry at her, just frustrated. Either way, my men and I are the only other people who have seen her in wolf form. Before us, she's never revealed her true self. She's also been struggling to control her power." 

Wolffe sighed and pressed his fingers to either side of his temple. "How should I approach her?"

"Just be gentle vod and talk to her, or just sit beside her. She hasn't had this emotional comfort from anyone since her former master. Also, she's more afraid of her power than anything else."

"Gentle is not my forte, but I'll give it a shot if it helps her. Goodnight Rex, and thanks." 

---

The night was peaceful and cooling. Loose strands of curly hair blew across Reetha's face, the cool air sending a shiver through her body. She already deliberately missed dinner and refused to talk to anyone since the incident with Ventress. Thinking back to her conversation with Master Plo, she didn't want to reveal her self under circumstances such as this. 

Whenever she's stressed out about a situation, she would always turn to the quiet of the night and let the stars and the moon or moons calm her. It was her personal sanctuary from her worries. Though the calm on her face, she was at a constant battle in her mind. 

The crunching of dried leaves gave the only indication that someone was approaching. SHe reached out in the Force to identify the person then pursued to make no effort to acknowledge them. It was the commander. Wolffe slowed his pace when he spotted Reetha just looking of into the distance. Wordlessly, he sat himself down beside Reetha. 

Above the two, the cloudless night sky shimmered in its brilliance and the beginning of an aurora emerged, spreading into its glamourous display of colors. 

"Aurora Borealis. Rare view." Wolffe tried to spark a conversation without addressing the obvious bantha in the room. Reetha turn her head further away from the commander. The tension that hung between Wolffe and Reetha was strong as beskar, not even a lightsaber could cut through it. 

"I could always see it on Sorgan during the winter months. Nothing new really." the girl finally spoke up. 

Nodding his head tentatively, Wolffe rejoiced on the inside because Reetha finally spoke. "I take it your from Sorgan." 

The padawan smiled but flinched at the sound of him mechanical voice, since his bucket was over his head. Wolffe noticed this and eased his helmet off, gently setting it on the ground. 

"I've, uhm, filled in the reports for today and already sent them to the general. No casualties, only minor injuries or a scraped ankle at most." Leaning back on both of her hands, Reetha hummed. 

Wolffe glanced down at the girl beside him. If she didn't want to speak of today, Wolffe would do the best he can to address it. "Some front we put up today. I knew you were a very capable Jedi, but, wow, you took capable to a whole new level. You were amazing kid." 

"Don't flatter yourself." She chuckled out sardonically. Seeing as the topic had already been laid out in full display, it was no better time to explain. "What happened today was uncalled for and was not supposed to happen." Reetha explained in an oddly calm way that frightened Wolffe. "It was a mistake." 

"You belittle yourself. I've seen you do it. Why?" 

Reetha glared at Wolffe, but not in anger. He deserved to know after how kind his been to her. "Fear. I fear." Wolffe kept quiet, giving Reetha space to speak her mind. 

"My ability is something that a Jedi shouldn't have in the first place. My previous encounter with Ventress only revealed the true nature of what I am. After she told me, I was shocked didn't want to believe the truth. As a result I lost control of myself and let my anger get the best of me. I almost killed Master Shaak Ti and Luminara and put Anakin, Ahsoka and so many others in danger. Truth be spoken, I shouldn't be here in the GAR or in the order." 

Wolffe's eyebrows furrowed, his curiosity peaking by the second but Reetha didn't wait for him to ask. "I was to be expelled. If it weren't for Master Plo and Obi-wan I wouldn't be sitting here and having this 'pleasant' conversation with you."

"Why would the Jedi want to expel you?" Wolffe couldn't keep himself from asking.

Reetha's arms encircled herself, keeping her legs close to her chest as she buried her face in her knees. "I'm dangerous" she shrugged her shoulders. "My training under my former master was not very Jedi like. It was different but a good different. He understood me but everything changed when I lost him. I blamed myself for his death and I refrained from my abilities, only using it when I need to." 

"The general and General Kenobi are helping to train you." the clone commander summed up. "They are helping you to control this ability." 

Reetha swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "I was supposed to talk to you guys about my wolf-thing. I guess it happened at the wrong time." 

Wolffe lunged in front and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Reetha, if you didn't use your ability, I wouldn't be here. You saved me. You saved my brothers and won this fight." 

"Ventress could have gotten under my skin and I would have turned on you guys. If I lost control, I'd have blood on my hands that I'd regret forever."

"But you didn't." Wolffe fought back. Reetha refused to look at him. "Kid, please look at me" 

Reetha relented and faced Wolffe. "Reetha, I may be the worst to have a heart to heart talk here, but I know you would never, never hurt me or my brothers." He made it a point to look in her glassy eyes. 

"Your not like the other Jedi, your better. Your stronger and your in complete control of your ability. Whatever truth you faced, however dangerous the Jedi think you are, I don't see that. I see a strong, young, capable woman who knows herself better than she lets on. General Plo and Kenobi, Skywalker and Soka see that." 

Instinctively Reetha felt Wolffe's emotions by the Force. It ebbed sincererity and passion and trust. "I don't want to hurt you, ever. Any of you." She finally let her tears fall. 

Wolffe rushed to wipe her tears with his gloved hands. "And I know you would never. No matter how much you think about it, I know you'd never hurt us." He brought in the now sobbing girl into a hug. Reetha calmed down after a while "Personally, your wolf gig is amazing. But um, keep that between you and me. The boys don't need to know my soft side, eh vod'ika." 

Reetha chuckled and slapped his shoulder lightly. Wolffe reluctantly released Reetha from the hug but let her lean on him. "Also I think the boys are going to fawn over you. Wolfpack has officially lived up to its name." He nudged her gently. 

"Thank you, vod." 

"Anytime" Wolffe patted her upper arm. "What you say we head back to the base. The boys miss you." 

"Okay." Reetha stood up first and straightened her crumpled attire. "Okay. Let's do this." 

---

As Wolffe said, the moment Reetha made her presence known at the base, she was swarmed with questions of concern. Wolffe warned his men to give her space but she reassured him that she was fine. The troops took their chance to also thank her for keeping them safe during the battle. 

Reetha was taken back by surprise at the clones welcoming affection. Aside from the 501st, meaning Rex and the others who knew about her ability, her true self was not deemed dangerous or feared. She felt a little overwhelmed with the new affection but liked it so much. She was pretty sure that the clones were going to keep fangirling over her. 

One clone from the crowd shouted a suggestion to celebrate this occasion and the others agreed in a unified cheere. Reetha was hoisted over their shoulders and they carried her to the messhall. She squealed while being elevated onto her arm throne. 

From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Wolffe half scared half amused at his brothers reaction. It was like they were adopting a puppy, in a way they were, a very special one. He could only wave apologetically at her. 

The following day, everyone was drousy from the late night party. Wolffe strictly told his men not to drink any form of liquor or alcohol since Reetha was pretty much underage. Morning came and the commander was back to his grumpy self, ordering around tired troopers to clean up after their mess. 

Reetha yawned and approached Wolffe greeting him sleepily. He shook his head amused "Your up late" 

"I slept late." Reetha stretched her arms out. 

The base was now officially under Republic control. Plo Koon arrived with a group of men to watch over the base. "Congragulations on taking this base. I received your report Wolffe, I'm very happy to hear that we suffered no casualties." 

Wolffe bowed his head. "Thank you sir. But we really should give Reetha the credit. Couldn't have done it without her." Wolffe winked at Reetha and took his leave. 

"I see you've made quite an impression on the men." Plo said while looking around the base. He noticed earlier on how the clones were greeting Reetha as they passed her by. 

"Well, I owe it to the men. They made me feel... at home. I kind of revealed my ability to them in the heat of battle." 

Plo hummed, pleased. "So I've heard." 

"Wolffe told you?" 

The Kel Dor shook his head. "Not directly no. Just from the excited men. They really appreciate what you did and took the news well." 

Reetha nodded and smiled. She looked back at the men and her greatfullness only grew as she felt more as part of the pack. "I have wonderful master to thank for that. And a wonderful brother." 

Plo's skin beneath his eyes wrinkled as he smiled. "And I had the opportunity to teach a wonderful padawan." 

For the remainder of her time on the Triumphant, Reetha became more and more used to using her abilities among her men. Wolffe and Plo Koon were always by her side to support her whenever she needed them and the men were more than happy to let her be herself. 

On missions that they went on, Reetha would use her more enhanced senses in her wolf form. If was not surprising at the sheer advantage she provided while working with them. It gave her a chance to learn on the go about herself and how to better control her emotions as a Jedi. 

Her relationship with the 104th became close and well knitted as she made it a goal to know them at a personal level. The Wolfpack finally lived up to its name.

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-so, I am back on this book. I'm back in university- sigh- . I hope you like this chapter. Its not my greatest writing and it feels forced. But this marks the end of her time in the 104th. Also, I feel like my story lines are too predictable and the action sequences, if i can call it that are too plain? idk, let me know. Once again, thanks all for reading and I really hope you enjoy it. See you on the next story.. take care, God bless, byee-