#keed

Keed would die on duty. He would die the heroic death, trying to save a brother, or to save his general again. It would be unfair, but it would be expected.

Gift would cry, but only in private. He would keep his head high in front of everyone, and would do everything to make sure Bones doesn't feel lonely and doesn't just chew on his own emotions.

Bones would feel numb at first, because he just lost his younger brother. They both did. Everyone was so used to Keed acting like the "grown-up", being an ARC and all serious and wise all the time... And his death would just brutally remind them that he was - had always been - their little brother. And none of them could protect him.

It would definitely create tensions, but because they both feel responsible and both think they could - should - have done more. IT leads to a sort of weird argument where Gift tries to talk but can't, and Bones on the contrary starts blurting out everything he ever thought about Keed and their relation and the Jedis and their role in that war and and and...

And it goes on and on until he runs out of breath, out of words, out of rage. And Gift remains silent, but he gives him a little smile, and it's terribly sad. Gift's sadness is genuine and Bones can see it. It breaks them. But they hold on.

Keed still live through them, through their values, and they want to honour their little brother the best they can. SO they promise to keep an eye on each other, to always be there, ready to protect, ready to defend.

They still have each other.

Bones would die during a rescue mission. He had a bad feeling about this one, he told Keed, and it's the last thing he says before he dies. Keed has to break the news to Gift and it's.

No one ever saw Gift crying. No one ever heard Gift screaming. But that day, everyone around froze as Gift cried for his fallen brother.

The next day, Gift seems "normal". He talks - though his voice is softer - he checks on everyone; he even tries to crack a few jokes. But his eyes are empty, his words devoid of any emotion. He feels nothing. It is as if the life has been sucked out of him, and all that is left is a vessel, a pale copy of who he used to be.

He cries every night, and Keed cries with him, because he doesn't know how to comfort him. They try to talk but every time it ends up with them crying until Gift falls asleep.

Gift has nightmares. He never did before, that was "Bones' thing". But ever since he died, he sleeps terribly and keeps on waking up to there horrific images of his dead brother. He's haunted by all the thoughts, all the possibilities, he cannot sleep because of that.

Keed feels his brother slipping away, waking up a bit more shallow everyday, a bit less...alive. He's still here, but that spark that something that made Gift Gift...

It died with Bones.

And now it's gone. And Gift knows it, and he wants to hate himself for it, but he can't help but think that Bones took a part of his soul with him, so no matter what they would always be together. They would always have that balance, until they meet again.

Keed realises that he lost his two brothers that day, and it's killing him from the inside. That's the most powerless he has ever felt.

Gift would die in the middle of a joke, caught in an embush. His death is almost instantaneous. Clean shot, no time to breath out, no time for a punchline.

No time for goodbyes and tears, either.

Bones stares as Gift's body collapses on the ground, and a minute later everything is chaos and dust, soldiers scream all around, calling for backups, warning about the shots, ordering everyone to hide and stay low.

Bones has to watch his brother's body from afar, unable to even hold him, to bring him back. They evacuate the zone and he can't even bring his brother back with him. He doesn't remember a lot when he wakes up in the medbay, but Keed tells him he had to be stunned because he almost broke another clone's arm trying to get back to Gift's body.

Bones doesn't talk for two weeks. Not even to Keed. He's kept in the medbay for a week, then in custory for another week. Keed negociates his release with the jedis, and offers to keep an eye on him until things get better.

When Bones learns about this,he fights with Keed. He is devastated and bottles up so much, and he doesn't understand how Keed can act - and be - so detached from what happened to Gift. Keed tells him that he feels sad too, but that they are, sadly, replaceable. Keed doesn't say it as in "it doesn't matter", he says it as in "i knew it could happen. To him, to you, to me. To any of us. Because to them, we're nothing more." Keed is... resigned. He saw so many brothers fall, so many bodies left behind...he honestly feels disconnected, he can't quite process the whole thing. It feels like a fever dream.

But Bones feels so angry, tensions keep growing between them until another huge argument here Bones cut ties with Keed and decides to desert.

They don't speak to each other for years. Until Order 66 happens. Bones hears about it and decides to try and find Keed to save him, but it's too late. He's caught in an ambush, and the last thing he sees is Keed's helmet dropping on the floor.