"Seriously Rex? Sleepless in Seattle?"
The clones were piled up on top of each other, each fighting for a space on the small couch. Ashoka had suggested starting a weekly movie night to help everyone relax. That idea had lead to Echo and Fives fighting over blankets, Kix threatening to ice both of their heads, Jesse hoarding the snacks, and Cody, Rex, and Ahsoka fighting over a movie.
Some would have given up and called it quits right then and there. But this was no ordinary group of people.
Ashoka smirked at the list of recent searches. "While you were sleeping, You've got mail, and the Runaway Bride? Sounds like someone likes romantic comedies." Jesse and Fives laughed, elebowing Rex in the sides.
Rex scowled. "I thought you were looking for a movie."
"I am! I just didn't think you watched Romantic Comedies." Ashoka scrolled down further down the list.
Cody coughed. "In his defense, me and General Kenobi watched them with him."
"Master Kenobi?" She saw the boys shoulders stiffen. She decided to lay off the teasing. "You should've invited me!"
Rex relaxed. "Next time." He promised, resting a hand on her shoulder.
Fives whacked their feet. "Hey! Are we watching a movie or not?"
"Well, you haven't been giving me any suggestions on what to watch!" Ashoka threw a pillow at his head. He ducked and it hit Echo, who was sprawled out on the floor beside him. He sputtered, getting up on his forearms.
"You're gonna pay for that!" Echo yelled, grabbing the pillow. Ashoka threw up her arms in self defense and Kix intervered. "The next one to throw a pillow gets kicked out." He threatened.
The boys settled back in their spots. "I'll get back at you for that." Echo said lightly.
Ashoka grinned. "Any suggestions for the movie, Echo?"
Echo shrugged. "I guess another Romantic Comedy would be nice." The others nodded.
Ashoka peered at the selection. "Um, how about Father of the Bride?"
"The General said that it was too sad, so we didn't watch it." Cody said.
"Oooh, scroll back up!" Jesse pointed up at the screen. "Click on that one!"
Ashoka frowned as she studied the title. "More than an Order? I've never heard about this one."
"A man torn between the woman he loves and the order that raised him." Rex said, reading the blurb aloud. He squinted at the picture. "Is that...a Togruta?"
The picture showed a Togruta in shadow, her back to the audience, and a man behind her, blaster raised.
"Lets watch it." Jesse said eagerly. "I'll go get the snacks and drinks!"
Kix fixed him with his stare. "What happened to the bowls of popcorn you made?"
"Um." Jesse tugged at his collar and visibly sweated. "Someone….ate them."
"We've been sitting here for ten minutes!"
Sweat trickled down his forehead. "Yea."
Ashoka touched Kix's arm. "Relax Kix. Anakin stocked up on popcorn during the last supply run. Just remember to share next time Jesse." The men laughed as Jesse, red faced, ducked into the kitchen.
"Shouldn't we watch the trailer first?" Rex asked as the clones began to get situated.
Ashoka shrugged. "Nah. Some trailers tend to give the whole plot away when you watch them."
"Or too little." Cody put in. "Remember the trailer for the 'Dead Poets Society'?"
Rex chuckled. "You mean the one where the teacher is spinning the boy around without telling us anything about the plot?"
"That's the one!"
"My favorite way to watch movies with Anakin is to start them, and then watch him scramble to pick a new one after he realizes that it isn't age appropriate. We usually end up watching Disney Cartoons." Ahsoka quipped. Fives snickered.
Echo glanced up at the screen. "It doesn't have a trailer."
"Who cares?" Jesse said, reentering with several bowls of popcorn in hand and two cups. "Someone hit play." He demanded passing around the bowls. Ahsoka and Rex retrieve their cups from his tray.
Rex fished around the couch cushions for the remote as Jesse settled in beside Cody. Ashoka flicked off the lights and he clicked play.
The movie opened up in barracks not unlike the room they sat in. Groups of men in armor passed by an open doorway. The focus moved through the doorway and into a firing range.
BAM! A bullet slashed through the red bullseye of the target. The camera traveled down the barrel of the blaster and up to the face of the helmet.
Rex gasped and sat up. A pair of Jaig eyes above the dark visor stared at his face. Two hands went up to unlatch the helmet and they yanked it off, revealing a pair of warm brown eyes and closely cropped blond hair. His face looked just like the other clones.
Fives sat up. "Rex! When were you going to tell us about this movie deal of yours?"
Rex raised his hands, his eyes wide. "I'm sure that there is an reasonable explanation…." He looked at Ashoka to back him up.
"It's probably just his doppelganger." Ashoka supplied, her eyes fixed on the screen.
Rex dropped them with a grunt. "Thanks for the back up." He deadpanned.
"Captain Rex!" The man spun around and Anakin stood in the doorway behind him, arms crossed.
Ashoka sucked in a breath. " I don't think a doppelganger would have your name and rank." Jesse mumbled. They all ignored him.
"We need you on the bridge."
The clone kept his eyes downcast as he holstered his Blaster. "Yes sir." Anakin nodded and continued on. Rex gathered up his stuff, hooking his helmet to his belt. He turned to leave and promptly bumped into a girl. She stumbled and he steadied her.
"Sorry about that, I-", He paused and studied her face. She was a Togruta, montrals and facial markings that marked her species.
His eyes looked hopeful as he ventured. "Ashoka?"
"Sorry, I'm not Ashoka. I'm the new intern, Amy." The Togruta extended a hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Captain Rex."
His face fell. "Likewise." He moved to leave and the girl caught his arm.
"I just want you to know that- that I never thought she killed those clones." She tilted her face up towards his earnestly. Her face melted away into a girl who looked like Ashoka. The vision tilted her head and laughed, punching his arm.
He slammed his helmet onto his head and walked away.
"I have so many questions." Jesse moaned.
Cody looked down at Echo. "Are you sure there was no trailer?"
He nodded. "The blurb wasn't very illuminating either. 'A man, torn between the woman he loves and the order that raised him.' For all we know, it could be about Skyguy."
The men chuckled. It could've described any of the Jedi's attachments.
Ashoka looked up from the ground she had been studying. "Wait. You call Master Skywalker Skyguy? Does that mean you call me Snips too?" She asked.
The boys glared at Echo. He rubbed the back of his neck. "We're not allowed too." He hedged nervously.
Fives came to his rescue. "What do you make of it, Captain?"
Rex stared at the ground, his gaze pensive. Based on who the camera focused on, he figured he knew who the man and woman were. He didn't know what he thought of it.
He cast a glance at his friend. Despite the clones focus on the actor's similarities to himself and General Skywalker, he knew what part she was replaying in her head. '-that I never thought she killed those clones.'
He chose his words carefully. "It looks as if it's our future playing out."
"I don't think I like this future. There isn't enough me." Fives announced primly.
Echo whacked his head with a pillow. "Sometimes I think you've really gone daft."
Cody grinned. Seeing those two together reminded him of Waxer and Boil.
Kix broke into everyone's thoughts. "Hey, the movie is still playing."
They looked back to the screen. It looked as if it was going through Rex's daily life. He had gone up to the bridge and was watching Master Skywalker speak. He was training, suiting up for battle. He was leading his men into battle. Jesse could barely contain his excitement when the camera focused on his and Kix's helmet. Cody came into focus, talking to Rex.
"It's been a six months. You've got to move on buddy."
"We never gave up on her before when she's gone missing. Why is this different?" Rex asked, firing at a clanker. It went down and he chose a new target. Cody guarded his back, firing at a clanker that tried to sneak up on them.
"Because she chose to go missing. She's not a Jedi anymore."
"She'll be back."
"Rex, you and Wolffe brought her in! You of all people should know that she felt betrayed."
Rex's shoulders slumped. "I was following orders. There was nothing I could do."
Cody swallowed, knowing that he had struck a nerve. He opened his mouth to try and fix it when Rex's comlink activated. "Rex, we need you back at command." Anakin's voice crackled.
"Copy that Sir."
He jogged over to where Anakin stood and boarded the transport together. "You needed me Sir?" He asked, removing his helmet.
"You're being transferred to a new General." Anakin said abruptly.
"Sir?" He couldn't keep the shock of his voice.
"You aren't needed at this battlefront anymore. There is a General on the west front that needs you." He smiled faintly at him. "Frankly, I thought you'd be bouncing off the walls at this commision."
Rex kept his voice even. "What about Kix and Jesse."
"As long as they follow Cody's orders, they'll be fine. This General needs you." He lowered his voice. "We had to convince her to take this post, and since the council insisted on giving her the Bad Batch, I thought a friendly face would be a relief."
"The Bad Batch hate Jedi and they hate me. What part of you thought this would work?"
Anakin rolled his eyes. "The intelligent side that knows you'll be fine." He handed Rex a datapad as their ride landed. "Here is everything you need to know." Rex scanned the information.
"How about my new General's name?" He asked as he stepped out of the transport.
Anakin smiled. "Call it a surprise." He said at the transport lifted off the ground.
"Look who made it back."
Rex closed his eyes. He had been hoping to postpone his meeting with the Bad Batch. He turned around. "It's good to see you again." He nodded to each in turn. Crosshairs, the sniper. Wrecker, their assault specialist. Tech, their tech specialist. Hunter, their hyperaware team leader.
"Heard you're leading us on this mission." Hunter said, barely hiding his distaste.
"Hunter looks like the Kaminoes decided to cross a Hippie and a Ninja with a clone." Fives snickered. "And Crosshair looks like the cat that plays the keys in the 'Aristocats.'" Jesse put in, stuffing his mouth with popcorn.
Echo shushed them.
"Coleading. Our General is supposed to arrive soon." Rex corrected.
"I heard that its a female." Tech murmured, his thick goggles making his eyes look huge.
"So did I."
"That has never served in the GAR as a General before." He continued.
Rex narrowed his eyes. "Got a problem with that?"
"I hope not. It would put a damper on our relationship." A soft voice interrupted.
Rex sucked in a breath as the Bad Batch spun around. Behind them stood a Togruta female. Her montrals added to her height and defined the white pattern curving around her eyes. Icy blue eyes studied the men in front of her with affected indifference. Two lightsabers hung from her belt. At the sight of her, the Bad Batch snapped to attention. Rex grinned as he followed suit.
The clones watching cheered when they saw her. Ahsoka grinned as she studied her. Despite the missing padawan braid and lengthened markings, she would have recognized her elder self anywhere.
"At ease soldiers." Ahsoka Tano said lightly.
"No one told me that the Jedi you were pining after was hot." Crosshair murmured to Rex.
Ahsoka choked, spitting out her drink onto Fives head. He sputtered and Echo slapped a hand over his mouth.
"It's General Tano actually. I am no longer a Jedi." She corrected them gently.
Rex spat out his drink. It was now Echo's turn to sputter. Fives smirked.
Crosshairs face fell. He hadn't been counting on the General having such good hearing. She moved closer to Rex. "It's good to see you again."
He grinned. "Life has been dull without you, kid. Where have you been?"
She waved her hand vaguely. "Here and there. Nowhere for long."
He squinted at her closely. "You still wear that?" He pointed to the diamond choker around her neck.
She touched it lightly and smiled. "No reason not to."
The moment passed and she turned back to the men. "Our mission is to secure Mandalore for the Republic. General Skywalker said he gave me that men suited for the task, but I am asking you. Are you suited for the task?" Her eyes swept the group.
Hunter answered for them, slinging his gun over his shoulder. "When can we start?"
They watched as the group traveled to Mandalore and set up camp in the outskirts of town. A couple missions passed, no casualties. The Bad Batch surprisingly didn't fight with Rex and their General as much as anticipated. The screen cut away to campfire scene. The Bad Batch had disappeared to various positions around the camp. Only Ahsoka and Rex remained close to the fire, mapping out their next points of attack.
Ahsoka stared at the fire. Rex noticed that she wasn't listening anymore and fell silent. The only noise was the snapping of sparks.
"Who survived?" Rex had to strain his ears to hear her. He responded in similar form.
"Just me, Jesse, and Kix. I don't think I can't count Echo."
"Echo? I thought he was…" Her voice trailed off.
"Dead." He finished. "We all did."
She grinned. "I wish I could have seen the look on Fives face when he saw him again." She stopped and studied his face. "No."
Rex swallowed and rested his hands on his helmet. "He died right before we found Echo."
"Oh." Her voice sounded small.
Ashoka covered her mouth with a hand. Fives and Echo sat frozen in their seats. "I died." Fives whispered.
"Hey, it's just a movie. You don't truly know that." Cody said, trying to comfort him. But they all heard the uncertainty in his voice.
"He died in my arms." Rex's voice broke through their speech.
"He said he found peace, that he was going to see Echo." The Captain's voice broke and Ashoka got up. She wrapped her arms around him. He leaned back into her, tears trickling down his cheeks.
"I could have stopped it! If I had only been a few seconds faster, if I hadn't allowed Fives to go on the mission, If I-" He fumbled for his helmet, turning it over in his hands. "He could have seen Echo again….."
Ashoka caught his hands, keeping them still. He fought her grip, spinning around to face her. His helmet fell forgotten between them.
"You don't understand!" He yelled. "In his face, I saw every brother I've lost. Every brother that I could have saved, if only I wasn't too late, too slow, too-me." Ahsoka opened her mouth and he cut her off, gripping her arms.
"Why didn't you say goodbye?" She lowered her eyes and he bent his head, trying to see her face.
"Did we mean nothing to you?"
She pushed him back and he stumbled. He looked up in surprise. "ATTENTION SOLDIER."
He snapped to attention, hands at his sides, eyes forward. His face burned.
"You don't understand what it's like to lose everything." She snarled.
He laughed. It cut the air harshly. "I think we both got that feeling covered."
She folded her arms. "Why don't you go and check on Hunter? I'm sure he would appreciate your input."
The movie suddenly paused. Jesse untangled himself from everyone. "Bathroom break!"
He disappeared and the group sat silently processing the events that had passed.
Then, "Any one want a snack?"
"Kix, I'm dying! How can you eat at a time like this!" Fives howled.
"You nearly die every day. How is this any different?" Kix demanded, disappearing into the kitchen.
Fives held up his fingers and ticked off his points. "Ahsoka is no longer a Jedi, I'm dead, Echo died and came back to life, and Ahsoka and Rex are fighting and you say that this isn't any different!?"
Kix poked his head back out. "What kind of salt do you want on your popcorn, extra salty or normal salty?"
Fives threw up his hands. Cody chuckled.
Ahsoka exhaled, leaning forward. "This is a lot to take in." She said.
Rex nodded in agreement. He lowered his voice. "We can turn it off if it bothers you."
She smiled wanly at him. "And listen to Fives and Jesse's protests? No, I feel as if we need to see this."
He glanced at his brothers who, despite Jesse's demands to wait for him, had already unpaused it. Cody had joined Fives and Echo on the floor and they stared intently at the screen. Kix had returned with normal salt on his popcorn and joined the group. Jesse came in and after making a small fuss, squeezed in beside Kix.
Rex looked back at Ahsoka and rolled his eyes. It was clear that others had come to some conclusion about their superiors. Ahsoka frowned at him and looked down at his vod. She opened her mouth to protest and he touched her arm. Her big eyes blinked at him, puzzled. Then, accepting the situation, she curled up closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Rex smiled to himself and wrapped an arm around her. They then turned their attention back to the screen.
Hunter's comlink opened up and the chancellor appeared on a hologram.
"The Jedi have betrayed us. Execute Order 66, kill the Jedi."
Ahsoka covered her mouth in horror.
Every helmet went up, searching for the lone Jedi in their presence. All eyes locked on her. Then the blasters came up. She swallowed.
She saw Rex standing there, his helmet staring blankly back. And his blasters pointed straight at her heart.
"No." Her voice broke. "Not you too!"
The fire broke out at the same time. She flipped out her lightsabers and began to deflect the bullets desperately.
The movie froze on Ashoka's desperate face. Rex got up and grabbed his helmet. "See you guys later."
Ashoka sat up. "Hey, where are you going?" Rex ignored her as he picked his way around the empty food bowls. She tossed the remote to Cody. "Unpause that, will you?"
The sounds of the fight followed her in the kitchen where she found Rex. He hadn't gotten far.
"Rex, wait." He stopped. She laid a hand of his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
He ignored her, eyes downcast. She turned him to face her, eyes searching his. "Rex."
He looked up and she sucked in a breath. He looked so distraught. "Awww, Rex."
Ahsoka pulled him in for a hug. He held her tightly, chest heaving. "I don't want to watch you die." He whispered.
"This is an romantic comedy. Everything will work out in the end." Ahsoka whispered back, trying to infuse her voice with confidence.
"Sure, and then I'll watch us kiss every two seconds." Rex retorted, pulling back. His eyes widened when he realized what he'd said. Ahsoka held back a smile. "Not-not as if that's a bad thing." He stuttered. "It'd just be awkward, with all of the boys here and-"
Ashoka pressed a kiss on his forehead and his voice trailed off. She pulled back and he blinked at her. Rex hoped that he hadn't been saying anything too important.
"It'll be okay." She whispered. "Do you know why it'll be okay?"
He shook his head, wanting to hear her say it.
"Because I know you. You would never kill me, just like I would never kill a clone." She took his hand, entangling their fingers. Rex watched their hands thoughtfully, twisting them in the light. She squeezed his hand. A smile tugged on his lips.
"You ready to go back?" She asked softly.
He stared at her, taking in all of her features. "It's my turn to kiss you." He murmured.
Her montrals darkened. "Later, hotshot."
He allowed her to drag him back into the room, where all of his brothers eyes remained glued to the screen.
Ahsoka backed up against the wall, eyes wide in panic. She was trapped. Wrecker and Hunter closed in on her, blasters raised. "I don't want to kill you." She said, clutching her injured arm in one hand.
"Neither do I."
Wrecker gasped as holes appeared in his armor. Hunter's eyes widened and he caught his friend as he slid to the ground. "Wrecker!"
He barely had time to respond when a body tackled him. Ahsoka barely got out of the way in time, throwing herself to the ground.
Rex had pinned Hunter to the wall. The clone's eyes widened at the sight of Rex's helmet.
"I bet you got your Jaig eyes for saving some scrum Jedi's life." He spat in Rex's face.
"You don't know anything about me." Rex growled, shoving his blaster into the clones side.
"I know enough to know that you'll follow that girl to hell and back."
Hunter raised his comlink, speaking into it desperately. "Crosshair, Tech, come in!"
Rex smashed his arm against the wall, frying the com. Hunter stared at it in despair and then looked up. "You killed them, didn't you."
It wasn't a question. Rex remained silent.
Hunter barked out a laugh. "I should have known. If you had to choose between us and her, you would choose her." He lowered his voice. "I didn't think that you would put a vod's life above hers." They saw him slowly raise his blaster.
Bam! He fired. Rex reacted in the same moment, emptying his blaster into Hunter's armor. The man sagged against the wall, dead. Rex jerked up his head in time to see Ahsoka fall.
"Ahsoka!" Somehow, he managed to catch her, falling to his knees. She lay limp in his arms.
He tore off his helmet and supported her head. "Ahsoka!" She didn't respond. He gave her a quick once over. Hunter's shot had barely grazed her, but her arm was bleeding from a past shot. He hoped that it wasn't from him.
Rex cradled her body in his arms. "Ashoka, wake up."
Her eyes fluttered. "You came back." She mumbled wrapping her arms around his neck.
He exhaled. "I never left."
Her eyes searched his face, anxiously asking if she could trust him. He nodded and she buried her head into his shoulder. "Don't leave me."
He shook his head. "I won't." Her eyes began to close and he shook her lightly. "Hey, you can't fall asleep. We've got to keep moving." He waited for her to respond. No answer.
Rex grabbed his helmet and hooked it to his belt. He heaved her up in his arms as he stood, Ahsoka laying bridal style in his arms.
Cody whistled. Rex whacked his friends head as the screen went black. "Shut up Cody."
Cody twisted around to glare at him. His glare melted away when he saw Ahsoka curled up beside Rex. He smirked, nudging the others. He imitated Rex mockingly. "Sshut up Cody." His voice cracked on the Cody.
Ahsoka grinned. "I had no idea your voice could go that high."
The rest of the vod watched them quietly. Rex saw the smug looks they exchanged, the twinkle in Cody's eyes. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They thought they were so sly, orchestrating this. The joke was on them.
Rex raised an eyebrow. What are you going to do about it? He challenged them silently. He saw Fives open his mouth, and close it just as quickly. They turned back to the screen as it became light again. The screen blanked on and off to show Ahsoka opening her eyes.
"Ahsoka!" Rex's face came into focus. "You're awake!"
She sat up, rubbing her face. "How long have I been asleep?"
He shrugged, sitting down on her bunk. "Most of yesterday and the today. I managed to get us on a tram. We should be in a entirely new system in a couple more hours."
She relaxed. "That is great news."
'How's your arm?" He pointed to it, a white bandage wound tightly around it.
She tried to move it, wincing. "It hurts, but I'm assuming not for long?"
He nodded.
"Thank you for saving me." Ahsoka whispered.
His eyes softened. "Anything for you. You're worth so much more to me than any order."
He leaned forward, eyes staring deeply into hers. She waited expectantly, her eyes drifting slowly closed.
The sound of knocking broke the moment. The door opened and a boy stepped in. He paused when he saw the two-and Rex's consternation.
The boy gasped. "Oh!"
Ashoka tensed, her hand digging into Rex's shoulder, preparing for him to blurt out that she was a Jedi. She didn't know if he'd able to be silenced without being heard but-
"You're in love!"
They froze, staring at him. Rex cleared his throat. "What?"
The boy was already backing away from them. "I'm so sorry. I should have known. Especially cause you um-" His voice dropped down to a whisper. "Leaned."
Rex stared at him blankly. "Leaned."
"You know, from that movie 'While you were Sleeping'. When someone leans, they um." The boy trailed off and looked at the two pointedly. Neither of them responded.
He tried again. "You know, that grownup thing when they smash their lips together-"
"What did you need?" Rex interrupted hurriedly. Ahsoka pressed a hand to her mouth, eyes dancing.
The boy straightened. "Tram's going into port in ten minutes. Captain wants all the passengers to be ready to disembark, however, if you need anymore time…." He looked at them with speculative eyes.
"Thank you for the information. We'll be ready when it arrives." Rex ushered the boy out and closed the door. He kept his back to her as he locked it.
"I have never heard kissing described that way." She said, legs swinging off the bunk. "It was cute."
"Cute?" He blinked. "You think he's cute."
Ahsoka laughed at him. "You're cute Rexster." She got up and gave him a peck on his cheek. She peered out the window, eyes scanning the passing scenery with interest. "I've never been on a sleeping tram before."
She glanced to find him watching her. His gaze was pensive. She straightened, realizing something.
"Wait, what did he mean when he said you-" Her voice trailed off.
"You weren't conscious when we boarded last night. That boy assisted me in carrying you to your bunk. He has-an overactive imagination." Rex watched her closely, knowing that wasn't what she was asking.
Fives snickered. "I'm sure he does Rex."
Rex looked at his vod. "You want to go Fives?"
"I would, but I wouldn't want to miss the show." He pointed at Rex.
He looked down to see Ahsoka had dozed off on his shoulder. He leaned down. "Ahsoka, you're missing it."
Her eyes opened halfway. "Missing what?"
"The show." Fives quipped. Echo jabbed him in the side.
She sat up and stretched, her mouth opening wide in a catlike yawn. "What did I miss?"
"Just Rex declaring his lo-" A well aimed kick slammed Fives to the ground and Echo took over. "Nothing important."
"Medic." Fives moaned. Kix facepalmed.
The rest of the group turned their attention back to the screen. They had exited the tram and Wolffe had appeared out of nowhere, his blaster pointed at Rex and Ahsoka.
"They ordered you to kill her. You've never disobeyed an order in your life." He said. He sounded curious, head tilted to a side.
Rex's voice was even. "She's worth more to me than an order."
Wolffe rolled his eyes. "I should have known you wouldn't have killed her."
Rex kept his grip on his blasters tight. "So I've heard."
"Plo Koon treated Ahsoka as a daughter. Despite my bringing her in, I wouldn't of been able to kill her either." He looked down and sighed, returning his blasters to his holster. "I won't turn you in."
They sagged in relief, Rex lowered his blasters. Ahsoka voiced what both of them were feeling. "Thank you Wolffe."
Wolffe pointed at them. "That doesn't mean that you drop your guard though. I didn't hesitate to kill Plo Koon and despite his failure, Cody didn't hesitate to fire upon Kenobi. There will be others to try again if they see you."
Ahsoka squared her shoulders. "Thanks for the warning."
She moved to leave and Rex followed her. Wolffe caught his arm. "You know you won't be able to protect her forever."
Rex glanced at Ahsoka, her eyes silently watching them, and back at Wolffe. "I know."
"Me and Gregor are planning on settling down on a planet somewhere when they retire us. You should join us."
"Who's Gregor?"
"One of Gree's clones. I found him a couple of days ago. He's lost most of his wits, he was lost on a mission a year ago. Doesn't know much about what's happened, but he's good to have around."
"I'll think about it." Wolffe released him and Rex disappeared into the shadows after Ahsoka.
Cody sagged back against the couch. "I tried to kill him." Rex placed an hand on his shoulder. "Hey, maybe it won't be the same next time."
He shook his head. "Even if you don't save her life next time, Ahsoka would do everything to keep you alive until she could knock some sense into you." He nodded at the rest of the men. "We don't have that luxury."
"Maybe it was a good thing that I died when I did." Five's voice was small.
"Don't you dare say that, Fives." Ahsoka's voice menaced. The clones looked up at her in surprise. Her hands were clenched into fists. "Each and everyone of you has a place in my heart and it's cruel shame if you die before you're old!"
She spread her hands to indicate them all. "I am proud to call each of you my friends. I promise you, if we are ever in a situation like this one, I will do everything in my power to prevent it." Her words hung on the air between them.
Jesse broke the silence. "Not to ruin the moment or anything, but we're missing the good parts!" He pointed at the screen. The movie had continued playing while they were talking and as a result, Rex and Ahsoka were now kissing.
Cody snatched up the remote and pressed the back button. "We're rewinding this."
Blood rushed to Rex's head and Ahsoka started, her montals darkening. "Oh. You don't have to do that."
"We have to know why you started kissing." Fives explained patiently.
"Medical reasons. You'll understand when you're older." Kix put in.
They exchanged a look. "Shouldn't we have a say in this?" Rex questioned.
Echo shook his head, for once disregarding any rules and regulations. 'It is a romantic comedy."
"Since we're obviously the comedy, we don't want to miss the romance." Fives said, eyes glued to the screen.
Rex sat at a table, his eyes focused on his task at hand. Ahsoka stood behind him, arms folded.
"I don't want you to go." Her voice broke the silence.
"Ahsoka, we've talked about this. I'll just make you an easier target if we stay together. Besides, Wolffe and Gregor need me." He finished oiling his blasters and tucked them into his holster. Pulling out a wipe, he began on his helmet.
She kept her voice causal. "Padme told me that whenever she didn't want Skyguy to leave, she kissed him."
He chuckled, wiping down his helmet. "It's a good thing I'm not Skyguy, huh?"
"Mmm." She trapped his arms on the table and he froze, turning his head to look at her.
"Ahsoka-" He started to speak and she cut him off, pressing her lips to his.
The clones cheered, throwing their popcorn up in the air. Ahsoka felt her montrals darken to a shade of dark blue. She felt something soft press against her cheek. She turned her head to Rex. He looked back her, leaning towards her.
He broke the kiss, leaning back to look at her. "This is not going to get me to stay." He murmured. She looked back up at him sadly. "I know."
"I wish this could be our future." He whispered.
As much as she hated it, she knew he was right. Staying wasn't what their future held. "Me too."
He stood up and pulled her close to his chest. He tilted his head down so their noses touched. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." Rex said softly. She swallowed, dropping her chin down. He brought her chin back up, stroking her cheek with his hand. She leaned into it, closing her eyes. "If you ever need me, don't hesitate to call."
"I won't." She stepped back and squared her shoulders. His eyes softened and she fought the urge to cry.
"'Soka."
"Rexster."
He picked up his helmet, and left. The door swished shut behind him.
The camera panned to a hole in the ground. They saw a hand drop two lightsabers into it and cover them up. A stone slab finished off the opening. On it read, 'Here lies Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano.' A Togruta in shadow was shown walking away. The camera followed her walking, showing her growing, gaining two white sabers. Her figure paused at a window, looking down at a scene. A group of oddly matched people, staring up at a old republic walker. In it stood two men, blasters aimed at the group. A strange face off.
"Whadda want?" One of the men carrying blasters spoke.
A young boy stepped forward, his blue hair waving in the wind. An oddly shaped lightsaber hung from his belt.
"Ahsoka Tano sent us!" The boy's voice carried a desperate note.
The men froze, glanced from one to another. A man pressed forward, slamming their blasters down. He stepped out of the shadows and they saw a man in faded blue armor. A white beard covered his face, but his brown eyes shone with the energy of his younger days.
"Ahsoka Tano. Now that's a name I haven't heard in awhile."
The screen went blank as the credits started rolling.
The clones and Ahsoka sat frozen, each lost in their own thoughts.
Cody was the first to leave, muttering something about it being late.
Kix and Jesse were the next to drop, Fives and Echo following close behind. Soon it was only Rex, Ahsoka, and the heaviness of knowledge. He cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"So that's the future."
Ahsoka shook her head. "No. It's the possibility of the future. Anything could still happen, anything could change."
She stood up and stretched, yawning for the second time that night. Rex stood up and looked at her thoughtfully. "You know, we don't have to wait till we're both out of action to pursue our feelings."
"We don't?" She eyed him.
He closed in, bending his head down. "Nope."
She covered his mouth with a hand. "What about the rest of the torrent company?"
Rex rolled his eyes dismissively. "By the way they were acting, I don't think we'll have any problems. The only real concern is if you will have me."
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I thought you'd never ask."
I couldn't resist shoutouts to some of my favorite movies. I loved the idea of the clones liking Romantic Comedies, especially when my Dad loves them too. :)
Jokes on you Fives, you are a disney cartoon. ;P
I didn't want to create nameless clones to kill, so I chose the Bad Batch. They were interesting to write.
I hoped y'all enjoyed it and please review if you did! The more reviews, the more stories I write.
