Author's Note: Because Ahsoka wouldn't leave without saying Good Bye to him. –Ember.

Falling Into Shadows by November Murray

She was lying on his bed in the barracks when he opened the door, casting a pillar of light over her back and onto the wall. He sighed and despite himself a smile tugged at his lips. He closed the door and they fell into shadows together.

Ahsoka looked small on his bed. For him it was only just big enough but that was more than enough for her thin frame, especially curled up as she was. Rex shook her gently with one gloved hand.

"Commander," he said as she blinked groggily into wakefulness. "You'd be in trouble if they found you here," he told her. Ahsoka sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes.

"'m sorry, Rexter," She mumbled.

"Don't worry about me, I've got a pretty good record." He gave her a grin but she just looked away. There were deep circles under her eyes and her usually rosy umber skin was dull and dusty. Even the chevrons on her lekku were paler than normal. "What are you doing here Commander?" He asked.

"I just wanted to say Good bye."

"Good bye?" He was shocked, "Are you saying they won't take you back? Even after you were cleared?"

"I'm sorry, Rex," She said and shifted away, getting up off his bed. He noticed that her lightsabers were still missing as was the beaded Padawan braid. He could hardly believe it.

"Commander wait, General Skywalker will never allow this," Rex wanted to grab her and hold her in place. He wanted things to go back to the way they were, when he was her Captain and she was his Commander, before doubts, before accusations, before the Council interfered, before he'd been forced to choose his loyalty to her or his loyalty to the Republic.

"I'm not a Jedi, Rex." She said softly, "I never was and now… I never will be." Her voice was breaking. "They… offered me everything I used to dream of, Kighthood, respect, family." The last word was whispered and her eyes, dark in the shadows, glanced up at him for a fleeting second. "But it wasn't… it turned out to be something different."

"I don't understand." He heard himself say stupidly.

"Everything I believed… it wasn't real."

"No," Rex balled his hands in fists and unconsciously his voice took on a Captain's commanding tone. "We can work though this. I know you can. You never back down, Commander, never."

"I'm not the person you think I am, Rex. I'm not… strong."

No, he thought, you are. You're the strongest and yet kindest person I know. How can you doubt yourself? "Ahsoka," He lifted his hand to take her arm but something stopped him. His own doubts perhaps. In the end he had chosen the Republic, he had issued the All Points Bulletin. In that moment of doubt Ahsoka stepped away. She opened the door and for a brief moment she was silhouetted in the light of the hallway. That was how he remembered her, standing in front of him, entrusting him with her back, the bright battle before her…

Then she was gone. The door slid shut and he fell into shadow alone.

"Good bye," he said too late.

Authors Note: Now I go curl up and cry.