Chapter One:
Things seemed off in the 501st that day, they were on leave, that wasn't the strange part, however how General Skywalker had reacted to a quiet com message was, he dropped everything and just, left, he was gone. It left Rex wondering what it was that could have made the General respond in that way, he put the troops on standby just in case they were being called away on a mission early. Things only got stranger when Wolffe came to the 501st barracks and for once he didn't look like his usually grumpy self.
"Rex we need to talk, now…" he looked at the other clones "Alone." He added the general grumpiness back in his voice but his face held, worry? That wasn't like him, they were alone and he let out a long breath.
"What's going on?" Rex questioned, yes today was a strange day.
"Ahsoka's back." Two words, those two words, his heart stopped, "General Plo went and got her and took her to the temple this morning for a meeting with the council." The blonde blinked Ahsoka- no that was wrong Commander Tano… his- no their Commander Tano was… back?
"Does Skywalker know?" he asked and Wolffe nodded confirming the reasoning for the reaction earlier.
"Thanks for telling me." Rex said he knew exactly what he was doing. He waved Jesse and Echo over letting them know he'd be gone for a bit and to com if needed, and to take down the standby order. He left with Wolffe who seemed to sense the others urgency and took them both to the temple, waiting hopefully, to see her.
"God what's it been… 2 standard rotations…" Rex finally spoke and Wolffe laughed
"Almost 3." Wolffe added and Rex in turn groaned "You should have told her."
"I'm not allowed." He shot back
"No, it's discouraged."
"Fine she's not allowed."
"She may be now."
"We aren't having this conversation." Rex grumbled and the other sighed moving to stand in front of him.
"Look Rex, I've known Ahsoka since the day the clone wars started and I was assigned to Plo, she's vod'ika to me, to many of us. She's more than that to you, so for the love of all that is good and light and whatever the Jedi say, tell her."
Ahsoka was wringing her hands together in her gloves, had she ever been this nervous to speak to the council, well yes but she was younger, asking to go to Shili and kill an Akul. She took a deep breath, Plo had left her side already, going in and taking his spot on the council. She could feel Anakin, she could feel him trying to reach her, she pushed back letting him know she was okay, well as much as she'd consider herself right now. The temple guards came into the meditation room, which she was hardly using, and ushered her into the council chambers. She took several moments to look at each of them, ending with Anakin she offered him a small smile and luckily it was returned.
"Ahsoka Tano, are you aware why you were requested?" Windu spoke and her attention snapped to him.
"Something about a mission the Jedi can't do?" she offered
"Mandalore is under siege and the control of Darth Maul." It was Mundi who spoke this time.
"Maul, I thought he died a long time ago…" she offered and looked at Obi-wan he seemed, off, hurt, sad, lost, she pushed out to him and got back comfort but also pain. He was in pain.
"We thought so too however he and some of the Death Watch took over Mandalore," there was a long pause and Windu looked at Obi-wan
"Duchess Satine was killed in the process." The man admitted and Ahsoka felt her heart clench she'd heard the rumors, the stories, the pain, it only confirmed it.
"So you want me to lead this mission and take back Mandalore from Death Watch and Maul…" she restated
"Suited for this you are," Yoda spoke "Faced Death Watch you have, faced Sith you have. Balanced you are, bring balance to them you will." Ahsoka raised an eye marking.
"I'm not coming back… I made my choice I'm not a Jedi…" as soon as she spoke it she felt Anakin's pain but also… something else.
"A Jedi you needn't be, a Jensaarai I believe you are."
"Master Yoda, what's a Jensaarai?" It was Anakin who spoke before she could.
"Jensaarai are an ancient group of force wielders, they are not the light or the dark, their goal it to make sure that the light side and the dark side are balanced and equal. Their members are neutral in this war but do offer council on the Sith presence in this war as needed." Plo spoke "I believe Ahsoka has many makings of one of their own," he added and Ahsoka smiled
"Access to the archives you will have, unrestricted it will be, learn about yourself you will. Contact the Jensaarai council I will, meet with them you should, knight them as their own they may." Yoda explained and Ahsoka nodded processing what she'd heard.
"Ahsoka Tano, are you accepting this mission?" Windu asked and she paused again looking around the room, pausing on Obi-wan, pushing at him through the force and he pushed back letting her know he was grieving the loss of someone he loved. She thought of her tribe, how when one's mate dies the other often descended into madness, their pain could be felt throughout the Force not needed to feel it. How she hated those she cared for to feel that pain, how she wished she could protect it and take it away, how she knew the pain could be felt in the clones too. She knew Obi-wan wanted Maul dead but such would be revenge and that wasn't the Jedi way. She hoped she could relieve some of his pain.
"I accept." Her words sounded deafening in her own Montrals; she was met with a comforting force push from the ginger haired man. "I've been to Mandalore; I know how the Death Watch work, I know how some of their people work." She added more determined "I have some conditions," she wasn't going to be pushed around.
"And they are?" Windu asked
"I want to be able to go on missions, preferably with Anakin, I'd like to get used to fighting again,"
"That is a wise choice, plus it will take time to get clones trained enough to aid you-" Fisto started but Anakin spoke up
"With all due respect Masters, Ahsoka knows the 501st and they know her, I'll leave it up to my Captain to personally choose those he thinks would work best for this mission, she's not my Padawan anymore but I'm still going to make sure she's as safe as she can be, I'll confirm it with Chancellor Palpatine."
"In that case both you and Miss Tano should go to his offices together, he requested you see him if you accepted the mission." Windu stated.
"Meeting adjourned it is, go contact the Jensaarai I will, see if they can be here soon we will, contact you when I know more Ahsoka I will."
Ahsoka smiled she felt, happy, calm, at peace, love, she bowed low to her Masters, Jedi or not they helped raise her.
"Thank you, I won't let you down." She turned and walked out, Anakin quick to follow the doors hissing shut behind them.
"Skywalker seems a lot lighter than he has been." Plo noted,
"Ahsoka leaving affecting him greatly, hopefully her being here will help him." Obi-wan agreed.
The doors had only just shut when he grabbed her, pulling her tight against his chest and letting out a deep breath. Ahsoka felt her eyes well with tears and hugged him in return.
"I'm happy you're back Ahsoka, I'm happy you're okay…" he pulled back "You've grown holy crap." He exclaimed realizing she didn't look up at him as much as she used to, her Lekku longer, her Montrals taller. She'd grown. He broke out into a broad smile.
"I hope it's good to be back… no hard feelings…" she needed to know, his smile fell
"Ahsoka the choice was your own and I understand that, you're still my snips and I'm still your Skyguy. I could never have any hatred or anger towards you." He swung his arm around her shoulders "Come on, we have to go see the Chancellor."
"Sounds like a plan." She smiled Anakin stopped suddenly
"I almost forgot…" he said stepping back and pulling out a pack wrapped in a cloth. "Here," he handed them to her. Ahsoka took the package and unwrapped it; greeted with the familiar sight of her sabers she shook her head and held them out to him.
"I'm not a Jedi." She told him and he pushed them back at her.
"Doesn't matter, they're your sabers, Jedi or not, Master Plo gave them to me." Ahsoka smiled sliding the saber clips and her sabers back at her waist, relishing in their familiar weight.
"Thank you." She smiled and they walked out to the landing platform.
"Look, what's the worst that could happen?" he asked and Rex groaned they were still on this.
"She could hate me, not want to be near me, and not trust me." He told the other.
"All I'm saying is that if she doesn't stay… you should at least tell her, if she does wait for a good moment." Wolffe said leaning against the speeder, looking far too content with himself, Rex turned on him.
"Look enough, regardless of what I felt or whatever I can't be telling her any of that, she was –is- my Commander, it's against her codes and probably buried in ours too so enough of this!" he snapped "Besides I told you that in confidence and I was-"
"Rex…" Wolffe interjected seeing none other than General Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano walking out, she had sabers, her sabers… that was a good thing right?
"I'm not done!" the blonde snapped "I was drunk I told you that because I was upset and now ever sense you just keep telling me to message her, do you understand how insane that would be?! Let's forget for a second that she's a Jedi and our own rules-"
"Rex…" he tried again noticing they were starting towards them, this was gonna be awkward.
"I'm a clone, I'm like a million others, there's no way she'd ever return anything that I'm feeling so will you stop bringing it up every freaking time-"
"Rex?" he turned towards the voice still in the mindset of snapping at Wolffe and rounded on the person
"What?!" he snapped and was met with two blue eyes, blue eyes, orange skin, white markings, blue and white chevron… Ahsoka and she jumped back a step surprised at his outburst. He faltered, looking at Wolffe again who was actually laughing at him. "Thanks for telling me you bastard…" he grumbled
"Oh I tried but you didn't listen." He stood at attention and Rex followed greeting General Skywalker.
"Did we interrupt something…?" Anakin was the first to spoke and Rex was thankful he had on his helmet, he could rather openly stare at Ahsoka, she'd grown, a fair amount, the tips of her Montrals were at eye level with him now.
"No sir, just having a spat about Rex here being unable to hold his liquor on leave." Wolffe commented and noticed Plo coming out and excused himself.
"So, uh… Commander Tano…" he looked at her and noticed the small smile that appeared. "Are you staying?" he asked and she nodded
"I'm a Jedi, Master Yoda thinks I have what it takes to be a Jensaarai member, I'll read more about them later, but I'm staying, perhaps until I complete the Mandalore mission… perhaps until the end of the war, we'll see." Anakin smiled
"I'd prefer it if you stayed until the end of the war Snips, we need all the help we can get. Come on Rex we have a meeting with the Chancellor." He said effectively taking over as pilot of the speeder, Ahsoka called shotgun leaving Rex to sit behind her, he wasn't sure how effective that was as she soon turned in her seat, leaning over the headrest to talk to him.
"Glad to have me back?" there was a hint of worry in her voice and Rex wanted nothing more than to ensure that worry was never there.
"More than you know." He smiled under his helmet and she grinned at him. They made small talk all the way to the senate building and Rex noticed her, sure he noticed her before, before she left, when she first joined, but now he really took the time to. The way her stripes seemed to change colors depending on the mood of her story, or the subtle way her face markings had shifted since he saw her last, the way she was effectively half hanging over the seat, how her Lekku hung, her smile, her eyes. Rex was never more thankful for a helmet than this moment. They came to a stop her body jerking slightly before she effectively jumped out of the speeder, the clone following close behind the pair, he didn't really listen to their conversation, something about hunting Akul. He did however still notice her, or stare, Wolffe would call it staring. The way she walked, with a confidence he had missed since her… sabbatical, he decided to call it a sabbatical. The way her rear Lekku swung slightly in tandem with her hips. So the captain was staring, at his commander… he didn't correct himself this time.
The trio reached the Chancellor's office and was ushered in quickly, he snapped to attention, he had to focus on the conversation now and took comfort in standing at her side not her back.
"Ah Miss Ahsoka, it's been far too long my child, it's good to see you well my dear" the Chancellor said grasping Ahsoka's hand in his own she smiled and bowed to him giving him a proper greeting.
"Thank you, it's honestly good to be back…" she admitted
"I just got word from Master Yoda, he mentioned that you've not rejoined the Jedi but may join the Jensaarai, it's been a while since I've heard them mentioned." He commented and Ahsoka only nodded. "You being here means you've accepted the mission, I understand your conditions and accept them but I have one of my own for you." Ahsoka looked at him
"And that would be?" she asked
"Regardless of your status with the Jedi or the Jensaarai I want you to be promoted to General." His voice was kind but also firm.
"Do you really think that's the best option…"
"If I may-" It was Rex's turn to speak up "I don't know a lot about this mission but it's my understanding she will be leading it alone, General makes sense for you it's a good fit and you've well earned the title." He didn't miss the smile she gave him or the way his heart swelled at it.
"Thank you Captain…" she said softly
"I agree with Rex, you've proven yourself enough to be a fit for the rank." Anakin praised "In addition to that I want to see that her battalion for this mission is made up of those from the 501st, these men know her, they are the best of the best, a lot of them trust her, she'll need all of that for this mission." Anakin paused, "Rex I'm putting you in charge, I'll need you to personally form a battalion between now and then, doesn't have to be this moment, but you know your men I know you'll pick the right ones."
"Yes General of course."
"Well it seems as though things are figured out but do you accept my condition?" Palpatine asked and Ahsoka nodded "Good, well General Tano, allow me to welcome you back to the fight, we're elated you're back you have been missed and your skillset will be needed."
"Thank you Chancellor" Ahsoka said and bowed again, the door opened and all of them turned
"Ahsoka…" Padmé greeted her and Ahsoka smiled happily walking over to the other woman who embraced her just as much as Anakin had. "I hope you don't mind but the Chancellor filled me in before you got here." She hugged the girl again "Look at you, you've grown…" she smiled and the two started chatting, Rex noticed again how bright the blue of her stripes seemed to be, he started making a chart, Ahsoka always had a good poker face but that, that was something he could track.
"Well I'm sure you all have a lot of catching up to do, I'll leave you to it." The chancellor said and the group started walking back towards Padmé's office.
"Generals, Senator." Rex spoke up "I have to get back to the barracks, do you want me to tell them?" He looked at Ahsoka and she thought for a moment
"No I'll come by later it'll be a nice surprise I hope."
"I'm sure it will be." He said and then turned and left.
"So where are you staying?" Padmé asked and Ahsoka blinked
"I really hadn't thought about that…" she admitted and Padmé laughed
"Then it's simple you're staying with me at my apartment any time you're on Coruscant."
"Well that settles that." Ahsoka laughed and they went back to her apartment and ate dinner, strangely normal.
"Alright, I'll be back in a bit I gotta go surprise the boys." She motioned and set off.
"Anakin we should tell her…" Padmé said as soon as the Togrutan woman was gone.
"You're going to have to be more specific."
"About us, you and I… she deserves to know." Her voice was firm the senator tone coming out in full force.
"I know, and we should…" he paused "We will… but not today, she's already had a long day… can we wait till she's settling… or meets with these Jensaarai people?"
"Fine but we are telling her."