Of Avalanches and Other Minor Accidents

Ahsoka's breath comes out in little puffs as she struggles up the mountain behind her master. From time to time she glances back over her shoulder, as if to check everybody is still there. The clone's plastoid armour is almost indiscernible against the bright snow that covers everything, and she can hear their strained breathing while wading through the drafts.

The only splash of colour against the white backdrop are the specks of blue on the veterans' armour, distinguishing them from the rest of the rookies who trail at the back of the trek.

Ahsoka blinks when a snowflake lands in her left eye and turns back around to catch up to Anakin. "Master," she begins, trying not to sound like a whining child. "How much longer?"

"I don't know, Ahsoka," Anakin manages between two deep breaths. "Kriff, we should have been there by now."

Glancing back once more to where her men are struggling through the snowdrifts that cover the path, Ahsoka offers, "I could go ahead and scout out the perimeter, maybe determine how much longer until we reach the base."

She watches as Anakin's gaze falls onto the clones, a slight frown marring his forehead. "That's a good idea," he nods after a moment. "But I'll go. You stay here and take care none of the men get themselves into trouble." With trouble, he is referring to the 300 feet drop to their right where the path falls away to form a deep chasm, Ahsoka is sure. Or maybe he means the steep slope to their left that is constantly sending down rocks and packs of ice and snow. Or maybe - "See you in a minute," Anakin interrupts her thoughts, then turns around and soon is swallowed up by the drifting snowflakes.

"Where's the general off to?" Rex asks from behind her, a little out of breath. Ahsoka feels sorry for her troopers. With little to no baggage besides their clothes, she and her master are having a far easier time wading through the snow than their soldiers, who are weighed down by armour and equipment.

"Scouting out the perimeter," she replies and turns around to face him. "We should have been there by now."

"No reason to worry, commander. We're probably just slowed down a bit by the gear. I'd wager my DCs we're still on track." "Careful, Rex," Ahsoka smiles, touched by his attempt to ease her agitation. "That's GAR equipment you're bartering away here."

Shooting another glance towards the drawn out line of clones who are slowly catching up to them, she adds, "Anyway, Master Anakin is going to have a look ahead, and he told me to make sure none of you boys get yourselves into trouble."

"If you say trouble," Rex begins, leaning casually against the rocky wall behind him. "Do you think he means the drop, or the avalanches, or -" "Just take care no one falls behind," Ahsoka interrupts him with a grin. "I'll handle of the trouble part."

Turning around, she resumes her climb up the mountain, sometimes using the force to push the snow drifts out of the way and to the side, clearing a path for the clones behind. Master Anakin's footprints are already covered by freshly fallen snow for the most part, but still visible. The fact they are there eases the nervous feeling in her chest, assuring her they are on the right track - even if it's near impossible to get lost if the only possible direction they can take is straight ahead.

After an unpleasantly steep section of the trail Ahsoka turns around to Rex. "Rexter, run a quick check if everybody's still following. In the meantime, I'll clear a path."

"Yes, sir," comes the smart reply, and then she hears him speak to the troopers through his helmet. Focusing on the snow banks ahead, Ahsoka taps into the force and begins levitating them to the side. Bit by bit, she works her way forward, and in the silence of her mind she thanks Master Yoda for all those annoying sand levitation lessons back on Coruscant.

She is so engrossed in her task she doesn't even really register the low rumble from above. A sudden shout of "Commander!" has her flinch and a surprised gasp escapes her when out of nowhere she is tackled from behind and thrown face first into the heap of snow she has only just begun to move.

The snow is cold, even on her naturally cooler skin. It spills into her collar, bites into her cheeks, and her first reaction is to rear back, but there is a weight on top of her that keeps her pinned. Strong arms are wrapped securely around her middle.

"Rex," Ahsoka groans, the stripes on her lekku tinting when she realises the position they are in. "What are you doing?!"

"Pardon me, commander," his voice filters through his helmet and he rolls off her. "But you seemed a little preoccupied." Ahsoka takes a deep breath as she flips onto her back, a frown on her face and ready to vent her anger at being shoved head first into the snow when her eyes fall on the path section she has cleared just minutes ago.

"No," she groans at seeing all her work undone. "Where'd that come from?"

"I'd reckon from above, commander," Rex offers helpfully, pointing up the steep cliff the little avalanche has come down from. "Kriff it," Ahsoka sighs, not even moving to get up as she stubbornly levitates the snow off the path once more. "Thanks, I guess."

Rex only nods. He has only just picked himself out of the snow when a clone appears next to them, hands propped on his hips.

"Having fun without us?" Fives quips, his visor facing first Rex and then Ahsoka. "That's a low blow, commander."

"Yeah?" Ahsoka grumbles, removing masses of snow from inside her collar. "Well, being covered in snow isn't exactly my idea of fun." "It was a necessary evil," Rex defends his actions before offering her a hand. She accepts it and lets herself be pulled to her feet.

"How are the men?" she asks, shaking the last remnants of snow from her parka. "All in order, sir," Rex answers. Ahsoka nods. "Good, then let's proceed."

After the accident, Ahsoka abandons the idea of jedi-clearing the snow away and instead opts to just stomp through it. They have been marching for a good five minutes when Rex speaks up again. "Commander -" She turns around when he stops suddenly, the same moment she hears the faint rush of snow from above. Before she can jump back or even look up, a clone is flying at her, knocking her down for the second time that day.

"Kriff it, Rex," Ahsoka curses under her breath. "Will you just -" She stops herself when a blue painted bucket pops up above her. "Everything alright, commander?" He asks, mild concern colouring his voice. Ahsoka blinks.

"You're not Rex," she then addresses the trooper lying on top of her, arms wrapped around her midsection.

"'fraid not, sir," Fives pipes up happily, and despite the situation Ahsoka has to laugh. At least there is no snow in her collar this time. "Alright, get off me," she grins, raising her eyebrows at him expectantly. "Would that I could, commander," he replies, "But we're currently buried under tons of snow."

"At least three feet, sir," Rex supplies helpfully from the sidelines, then barks a sharp order at Kix and Hardcase to start digging. "I was wondering why you were so heavy all of a sudden, Fives," Ahsoka muses aloud. "Considerably more so than Rex."

"Sir, please," Fives replies in a hurt voice. "Bodyshaming is beneath you." "Oh yeah?" Ahsoka quips and wiggles a bit to try and get out from beneath the loads of snow that is covering everything but their heads. "Know what is beneath you?"

There is a scandalised gasp from Rex' general direction and Fives raises his head as far as he can to peer down at her through his visor. "Commander!" he manages in a shocked voice and Hardcase has to stop digging because he is laughing so hard.

"Don't worry, sir," Kix sighs, pushing aside heaps of snow. "I'll get you out of there in no time at all."

"It would seem that the men have a knack for pushing you out of harm's way," Kix muses as he trudges alongside Ahsoka. She has surrendered the first position to Rex and now contents herself with watching his back as he stubbornly forges a path through the snow. "At least today."

"It would seem so," she replies slowly, absentmindedly rubbing her side. "And I'm grateful, but I think I've had enough saving for today. Plastoid is sure to leave a bruise or two."

"Yeah, it's pretty solid," Kix nods. "Anyway, you have any problems after today with bruises, cracked ribs, squashed lungs, you come see me, alright?" Ahsoka, who was ready to wave his offer aside just moments ago, can't help but laugh. "Alright. Though I'm sure it's not quite as bad."

"Damn right!" Fives voice echoes from behind. "I'm not that heavy!"

"Shut up, man," Hardcase scolds his brother the same moment Rex turns around with a sharp "Quiet." One finger points up to where now tiny bits of rock are tumbling down the mountainside. "Don't worry, commander," Hardcase whispers loudly. "I got your back!"

"Oh no, please," Ahsoka murmurs. "I don't think I can handle anyone having my back anymore today." "That's just 'cause you don't know what you're missing!" Dogma pipes up from behind. Four heads swivel his way. "Dogma!" Ahsoka and Hardcase exclaim simultaneously, and their voices echo for the longest time, thrown back by the walls of rock surrounding them. "Shut up!" Rex barks in a voice as low as possible from the front, the same time Kix breathes, "Oh no."

There is a low rumble high above, snow and tiny rocks start trickling down. Ahsoka looks up to see only white. "COVER!" Rex yells and they press to the side of the mountain just moments before the avalanche hits home.

When Ahsoka opens her eyes again she can't move an inch, pressed to the rock by not one, but two bodies clad in Phase II armours. Not that she can see anything - everything seems to be black for one reason or another - but it sure feels like it. Hilts of various weapons are digging into her stomach and chest and she's almost positive they will leave bruises. "You okay, commander?" Kix' voice asks right next to her left montral. "No," Ahsoka groans, trying to push the medic back a bit. Her left hand is resting on his chest plate, her right wedged in between the hilt of her lightsaber at her side and someone's leg. "Get off me, both of you." "Sorry, commander, can't do," Hardcase mutters from above, his bucket lodged uncomfortably between her montrals. "Get your head out of there!" she snaps. "You're giving me a headache." "Sorry, sir," Hardcase apologises. "It seems to be stuck." Ahsoka groans against the troopers chest.

"How'd you manage that?" Kix asks incredulously. There is a short silence during which Ahsoka wonders if Hardcase is ever going to reply, then he says, "Incoming transmission from Coric, sir. It seems about half the trek has been buried by the avalanche. The rest of them are digging us out as we speak."

"Any losses?" Ahsoka asks . "None, sir." She sighs in relief and tries to wriggle into a more comfortable position. Sandwiched between two hard sets of plastoid armour and the even harder surface of the jagged stone wall behind her, her whole body is beginning to ache.

"Uhh, commander," Hardcase begins. "Could you please... My neck... -" "Oh, of course." Ahsoka wants to nod, but then thinks better of it - it would probably twist his head right off and she'll be stuck with it between her montrals forever.

She settles for meditative breathing exercises instead, hoping the others will get to them before they run out of oxygen.

Finally, they are pulled out of the snowdrift by Tup and Rex. "Hardcase?" the captain asks incredulously once they are out in the open. "What are you doing?!" "Err-" the clone in question begins from where he is kneeling over Ahsoka, hands braced on either side of her head. The padawan has plopped down into the snow as soon as they have been dug out, her whole body aching.

"Never mind him," she now says, voice muffled from Hardcase's armour in front of her face. "We're having a situation here." "Yes, I can see that," comes the dry reply.

"Have you gotten through to the others yet?" Ahsoka asks. "Most of them, yes," Rex nods, even though she can't see it. "We were kind of hoping you could help with the rest."

"Gladly," the Togruta answers. "As soon as you get this bucket -" She raises a hand and raps her knuckles against Hardcase's head. He huffs in protest. "- out from between my montrals."

"Kriff, Hardcase," Tup begins, half awed, half exasperated. "How in the galaxy did you manage to get stuck there?"

"I don't know," Hardcase sighs. "But it seems to be permanent."

"Well, just take it off and leave it there," Rex commands, ready to throw his hands up in exasperation. "That is, if that is alright with the commander."

"Sure thing, Rexter," Ahsoka agrees despite the fact that the helmet wedged between her montrals gives her headaches. "Anything to get that clone off me." "Hey," Hardcase protests, even as he works to take of his bucket. Soon enough his bare face is looking down at Ahsoka with a mocking frown. "No offence, Hardcase, but I've had enough body contact with the likes of you for today." She sits up, rubbing her stomach with a groan. "Your armour is starting to take a toll on me."

"It's a bit like pulling weeds," Jesse comments as they pull the last soldier out of the white mess. Ahsoka dumps a heap of snow she's been levitating on his head. "You've never in your whole life so much as touched a single weed, Jesse. Shut up," she commands, and then they are on their way once more, everybody feeling a bit worse for wear.

Ahsoka hurts all over, Rex is unusually grumpy and has given strict order to switch each and every communication to the com channel inside the helmets to avoid triggering any more avalanches, Hardcase keeps mumbling that his ears are freezing off, and Jesse is complaining about snow inside his armour. Ahsoka can hear him, because of the bucket still lodged between her montrals.

"This is so unsettling," Kix, who is walking directly behind her, whispers to Tup. "It's like he's looking at us." "I know, right?" the trooper whispers back. Ahsoka sighs and pulls the large hood of her parka up and over the helmet.

"This looks so weird," Tup whispers to Kix. "Like the commander has the biggest head in the galaxy."

Annoyed, Ahsoka reaches up and turns off the com in Hardcase's helmet. They march on in blessed silence for some time, but once again stop when Rex suddenly raises an arm, one hand on the blaster at his side.

"What's wrong, Rex?" Ahsoka asks, catching up to him. She follows his line of sight and squints. Through the steadily falling snowflakes, she can barely make out a dark figure hurriedly making their way towards them. A familiar presence tingles through the force and washes over her. She nods at her captain. "No worries, it's just the general."

Sure enough, not a minute later Anakin is standing in front of them, cheeks flushed red and hair a wild mess. "Good news, troopers," he says. "We're only half an hour walk from -"

He trails off when his eyes fall onto Ahsoka. His eyebrows slowly climb up his forehead.

"Snips, I understand that you are overly fond of GAR equipment…" he begins. "But don't you think this is taking it a bit far?"

A/N.: I've had this thing sitting on my laptop for quite a while now, and I almost forgot about it. I think I originally wanted to make it longer but then lost motivation which is why I never got around to posting it. So here it is! Tell me what you think.

Love, planless