Stranded... out there

[stockingfeats]

Disaster. Your plane crashed, your boat holed, your guide has left you stranded in the depths of the wilderness. Certainly, your surroundings are beautiful in their way, but we all know that nature is long on majesty and short on mercy. And unlike those guys on the Discovery Channel, there isn't a Motel 6 around you can pop into.

1. Desert. Whether it's cacti and hardpan, or dunes and sidewinders, you'd better find an oasis fast. And take care... it gets cold at night.
   
2. Jungle. Ah, the rainforest, that thriving hotspot of biodiversity! ...and just as many toxic compounds as there are species.
   
3. Tundra. Doesn't matter if it's Farenheit or Celsius, the thermometer is too many digits in the negative. But hey, at least there might be penguins.
   
4. Mountains. You might be hungry and windburnt, but the view is unmatched. Watch that first step, it's a doozy!
   
5. Savanna. Lions and termites and baobab, oh my... Never mind looking for food, you might be food if you aren't careful. And stay out of trenches with too many wildebeest.
   
6. Deep forest. The woods are quiet, dark, and deep. Do you know how to tell edible puffballs from Destroying Angel? Better learn quick.
   
7. Deep space. Maybe the ship has lost its engines and is drifting towards nowhere fast, or maybe it's a space station long abandoned, but you know what they say--no one can hear you scream.
   
8. Island. Let's face it, it would be nice, if it had been your idea to be here. Where did the Swiss Family Robinson find all that stuff, anyway?
   
9. Motel. Never mind, there is a Motel 6. No, wait--Motel 5? Oh boy. You really wish they hadn't left the light on, because nothing it reveals is something you want to see.
   

Problems:

1. Weather: It's turning for the worse and you need a place to hide.
   
2. Hostile wildlife: Whether it's looking for lunch or wants you off its patch, this is going to be a problem.
   
3. No luggage ...or anything else, including food, water, or shelter.
   
4. Hurt: Perfect time to practice making splints out of sticks!
   
5. Other! Listen, it's a big world, it has lots of ways to make you miserable.
   

adapted from the Lost in the wilderness meme @ memebells

Comments

[yourfavoritecaptain]

And Anakin is probably giving Rex more than he thinks, but only because if he can tell clones apart from gestures and microexpressions even the smallest expression from Anakin shouts to him. And Rex keeps such things to himself anyway.

Rex stays still. "Yes, Sir." He swallows. "I'm sure we will be." Slowly his gaze goes to the stars outside the window. "We just find out which way the separatist station is and head the other way. Easy as anything." He forces a bit of a smile.

[turnedforher]

He'd be a little embarrassed to know how much he does give away, but his face is expressive even if he tries to hide it.

"Oh come on, we could sneak in and steal one of their ships." It's flip. "Life support is intact, and we've got almost a week of air before we need to start worrying about the recycler." So five days before things were dire. "We don't have that much in rations but we do in water. We'll be bored, but fine."

[yourfavoritecaptain]

Rex takes a deep breath and exhales hard. "Not like we'll have to eat each other." He tries to joke. "And uh... if that's what you'd like General." But he knows Anakin isn't serious. He's not either."

"I'll keep an eye on the recycler. Might not be a bad idea. Otherwise, I can keep sending out beacons and you can set up the checkerboard."

[turnedforher]

"Nope." He knows Five's professionalism enough to know the man will probably drop down to half rations without Anakin having to order it. Anakin himself will as well, and they'll both keep an eye on them.

That will stretch their water out too. It's going to be a long few days of being hungry and Anakin always gets cranky over that - something he's sure hasn't escaped Rex's notice.

"Checkers yeah. Thrilling." He'd probably find something, eventually, to liven up the boredom. But not now.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

Rex smiles and cocks an eyebrow. He hadn't been serious, but why not.

"I bet you can't beat me, sir."

[turnedforher]

It was a distraction, no matter how jokingly suggested.

"Maybe. But then we'll have to break out the Dejarik set." Because Anakin was so chaotic that checkers wasn't his game, but the other? He was pretty decent there.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

"Whatever you say, general. " He chuckles and sits down at the table pulling himself away from the beacons for a time. He'll be alerted if there's a response anyway.

"Clones get limited recreation anyway. "

[turnedforher]

They both will be, and Anakin's senses are outside the ship anyway - things live in space. Many more rumored.

"You know if there's anything I can help with, you can ask." Should ask, he means. He knows how strict and regimented the cadets' lives are. He doesn't like it but he's not in a position to do much. But after, after he might be able to.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

"Help, general?" Rex seems genuinely confused.

[turnedforher]

"Getting anything for you, our men, your friends. Supplies, R&R materials, leave time. You can ask me for help getting it, and I'll do my best." Anakin kept setting up the board, although he's almost more playing with the pieces as he puts them down too.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

A blush creeps to the surface, even visible through his dark skin. Rex shifts a little and looks down and to one side.

"Uh yeah, yes sir." He's just to used to this kind of treatment, even from the general that's always been good to him.

[turnedforher]

The number of times Anakin has seen Rex with a reddened face that isn't due to near-heat exhaustion or still bleeding bruises is...almost zero. Which meant it look a minute to clock what was going on.

And he doesn't want to embarrass Rex. No matter how much Anakin plays it off or tries not to address is, the power imbalance is something he's never managed to put away from his mind, and he knows Rex hasn't either. He isn't sure if Rex is bothered by it - or if he's aware how much it bothers Anakin, and how much it factors into how Anakin will fly at people teeth first over his men.

"Good. All of you deserve good rec facilities. We'd all be lost without your efforts, you deserve good facilities to rest and recover." Rather than simply putting the chips down, Anakin has taken to attempting to roll them into place, rolling them on their sides with a spin so they fall over. He's...more successful than not, but only just.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

Rex studies the game pieces in front of them. "The ah... Rec facilities are more than adequate, Sir. Most of us don't know what to do with ourselves with too much down time anyway." He shrugs.

[turnedforher]

"I understand. I worry about the men who are recovering from injures." He doesn't want them to try to rush back into battle before they are healed and risk their lives.

It's something he's worried is already happening.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

"You know most of them are too informed to use the rec facilities anyway." He says. "If they.." he breaks off. He doesn't talk about how very low the threshold to decide an injured clone needed to be 'decommissioned' was anyway.

[turnedforher]

"I know. But the war will end Rex. And I worry about you and the others." Since the Jedi had learned about the 'decommissioning', Shaak Ti had gotten involved and put a stop to the practice, but he knew that had only recently happened.

[yourfavoritecaptain]

"I know the war will end. And...." He doesn't say it much. "I'm worried what will happen to us too. Most of us don't expect to still be around by the time both sides are done. And if you ask most of us, we'd say that was probably best." It's something clones talk about to each other, but not to Jedi.