A/N: Rex is my favorite character from The Clone Wars, and I felt like I should write something about him after seeing Twilight of the Apprentice. If you haven't seen that episode yet, don't read this; there are major spoilers. This will also possibly tie in to a future fanfiction, but that won't be for a long time.
She's Gone
She was gone. She was really gone.
Rex didn't want to believe it, but he knew it was true. Ezra had said she'd gone up against Darth Vader himself, the leader of the Inquisitors, at the planet Malachor. She had sacrificed herself in order to save Ezra and Kanan from him, and had died, though neither of the two had actually seen her death.
It was obvious she had, though. The Rebellion had not received any kind of contact from her since Ezra and Kanan's return a few days ago, and they had both said that a Sith temple on the planet had exploded with her and Vader still inside. If he hadn't killed her, then that explosion definitely had.
Rex remembered their last conversation, wanting to go with her, but respecting that it was Jedi business.
In my book, experience outranks everything.
Then I definitely outrank you.
May the Force be with you.
He had had a bad feeling about her going to Malachor without him then, and the Jedi's return without her had only confirmed it.
After fifteen years without contact from Ahsoka, they had found each other again, only to be separated so soon afterward, let it be from duty to the Rebellion or death itself. This was among one of the hardest things he'd gone through: one of the last living people he'd served with the most and been the closest to, to be ripped from his grasp forever. Again.
Death was an inevitability for everyone, Rex knew that better than most; he'd seen it happen countless times during the Clone War to hundreds of thousands of his brothers. When he'd first experienced it, the pain had been almost unbearable. As the war had progressed, however, he'd grown used to death and the thoughts that everyone he knew could be killed at any time. Even a Jedi. Even Ahsoka. Though he didn't like it (shab, he hated it), he knew it happened, and could only accept it.
The Ghost crew, who had also been close with her, was also in grief, so at least he knew he wasn't alone in his pain. They didn't speak of it together though; it was still too painful to talk about what had happened to her when they had to stay strong for the Rebellion's sake. Kanan and Ezra, though, perhaps had the worst of it, as they were the last ones to see her alive. Kanan, who had been blinded on Malachor, continually kept himself busy learning to cope with his new handicap. And Ezra...he seemed so different from the last time Rex had seen him. Before, he was the kid with the wisecracks, the optimism, the enthusiasm to keep everyone going. Now, though...he seemed to close himself off from others, isolating himself from his own emotions. He sometimes seemed like he felt nothing at all. But Rex could tell that he was in immense pain and anger. It worried him. The kid was too young to have all this baggage put on his shoulders; he was too young to feel so much hate for people. He didn't want Ezra to turn out like...other Jedi.
Rex couldn't be angry about Ahsoka's death. He couldn't blame anyone about it; she had willingly made her decision knowing the full repercussions of it. He could only accept it, and grieve when he had the time. Her death had left one more hole in his heart to cope with. In time, he'd heal from it, but he knew he'd never be the same again.
A/N: Now, before you guys go all, "Ahsoka's not dead! She's seen at the very end of the episode walking back into the temple," I already know that. However, none of the Rebels know that (I believe it's known as dramatic irony), and I have absolutely no idea whether or not she'll be back, or if she actually is truly alive, and that's not her spirit or something (I try to keep to the canon world in my fanfiction).
Please read and review, and happy Easter!