Ahsoka and Rex strolled through the Rebellion's hangar, cautiously following the Twi'lek commander who had said she would take them to General Skywalker. Zipping across their path, all travelling with a purpose, were droids, rebellion pilots, and… children? Rex had to stop abruptly as a small giggling human girl with messy brown braids flying behind her darted in front of him. She seemed familiar, but before he could get a good enough look at her, the girl disappeared behind an x-wing.
He shot a look at Ahsoka. Surely children shouldn't be allowed in such a hazardous place as this? He had seen Shinies get into their fair share of trouble when trying to navigate a hangar, and they were trained for such environments. A kid? But Ahsoka didn't notice his glance. She was staring ahead, wide-eyed, at the man seated on a stack of crates before her. Anakin Skywalker. Something seemed odd about him. Rex couldn't pinpoint it at first. No, it wasn't the faint new scar that stretched diagonally across his right temple, disappearing into his hairline. It also wasn't the appearance of new lines on his face, no doubt caused by the stress of leading a fledgling rebellion against a powerful empire. No...
The General was perched, with his legs crossed and his eyes closed in a pose of meditation. That's what it was. Rex had certainly seen other jedi meditate, but never his general. Ahsoka had once told him that Skywalker preferred fixing ships and droids, working meditation. But, there he was, placid and still.
After a beat of silence, the Twi'lek excused herself, and the General cracked a smile and opened his eyes, as if he could feel Rex's confusion and was amused by it. (Rex belatedly realized that this was probably exactly what was happening).
"Ahsoka," he greeted with a nod, "Rex"
Before either of them could respond, he continued, "You've interrupted me in the middle of something, but I suppose I could use some help with it anyways"
What? He hadn't seen them in over four years, and had only learned they weren't dead very recently. His general had always worn his heart on his sleeve. Rex had expected a more enthusiastic reunion than… whatever this was.
Anakin stood, inclining his head for them to follow him, a glint in his eyes, this time more familiar. Even though he seemed to be acting more like a typical jedi than Rex had ever seen him, that mischievous look was pure Skywalker.
"Ready or not, here I come!" Skywalker exclaimed out-of-the-blue, starting off in the direction Rex and Ahsoka had just came from. He must've been using the force to throw his voice around the large hangar, as Rex heard it echo from all sides. The various rebellion personnel in the hangar looked up at the sound only briefly, returning to their work as if this was a common occurrence.
Ahsoka seemed just as confused at her master's strange, inexplicable behavior as Rex was.
"Master?" she hesitantly questioned "What exactly is going on?"
Anakin looked over his shoulder, walking deeper into the hangar,
"We're looking for a girl about this high," he gestured with his hand at hip level "She's got brown hair and is terrible at holding in her laughter"
Rex blinked, a memory from long ago bubbling to the front of his mind.
"Are we playing… hide-and-seek, sir?" he asked, remembering the first stealth training exercises the young cadets had participated in on Kamino. One would count with his eyes closed, letting the others hide, then say the exact phrase Skywalker had, and begin looking for his squad mates.
"Right in one, Rex. Sorry, but you came right in the middle of the game. We have to finish it before we can get down to business." the General replied, casually lifting up a nearby fighter with the force, checking underneath it. Finding nobody, he replaced the ship on the ground.
A few ships away, a movement must've caught Ahsoka's eye. She turned her head ever so slightly, and Rex followed her gaze. The face and curious brown eyes of the small girl they had passed earlier peeked out from behind a bomber, her hiding place. Skywalker turned towards her also, but at that, she ducked out of sight again. He had clearly seen her, but still exaggeratedly sighed and said,
"I haven't seen her, have you?"
Rex and Ahsoka both opened their mouths, ready to insist that she was right there, but Skywalker raised his eyebrows at them and shrugged.
"No? Well, she must not be here. We should check the mess hall. Knowing her, she'll be trying to steal a cookie"
A bubbling giggle came from where they had last seen the girl. Skywalker spun towards it.
"Aha! Got you, Princess!"
He bent down, spreading his arms, as the girl emerged from behind the ship and barreled towards him. Giggling as the General swept her up in his arms and spun her around, she exclaimed,
"Daddy!"
Rex and Ahsoka simply stood there for a few moments, staring at Anakin Skywalker and his daughter. Skywalker kissed her on the nose, beaming, and turned towards his companions, settling the girl comfortably on his hip.
"Anakin…" Ahsoka trailed off, what was clearly supposed to be an admonition dying on her lips.
"Rex and Ahsoka, meet Leia" Skywalker said, suddenly more serious at the meeting of three people who were very important to him.
"Leia, meet your auntie 'Soka and Uncle Rex"
Leia, seemingly noticing them for the first time, shyly waved before burying her face in the General's chest.
"Your daughter, sir?" Rex asked with trepidation. Skywalker nodded at him before whispering something in his daughter's ear that made her turn around and study Ahsoka, her small mouth twisted into an admittedly adorable mask of concentration
"How?" Rex asked, before he realized that was kind of a stupid question.
"Later, Rex" Anakin replied, his expression darkening for a brief moment.
Rex had suspected after the first few times Torrent company and General Skywalker worked with Senator Padme Amidala in the Clone Wars that there was something going on between his jedi and the senator. However, he remembered what he had been taught about the jedi and attachments, and stayed silent, knowing that the general might react badly to any implication, even good natured teasing, that he was breaking his order's code. Rex had only briefly considered that anything was actually going on between them. He had eventually just chalked it up to an attraction that probably had a complicated backstory he wasn't privy to. After all, Rex had known that General Kenobi and even Commander Tano had briefly had romantic entanglements before, ultimately resulting in nothing. Why would Skywalker have been any different?
He had been different though, judging by the little biter's resemblance to Padme.
Ahsoka five years ago would have been disappointed by the fact that her former master had become a father, and one clearly attached to his daughter at that. He had gone against the Jedi Code. But then, five years ago, so had she. A quick feeling out of her former master in the force a few minutes ago had revealed that the tinge of darkness around his aura, the one that seemed to have always been there, though still present, was much weaker now. Ahsoka expected that Leia had something to do with it, and for that she couldn't be disappointed.
A tentative tap against Ahsoka's mental shields startled her. At first, her eyes flew to Anakin. The only presence that strong she had ever felt had been his. But, as she felt another mental nudge, she realized it was not him. This presence was startlingly bright and young. Then, she locked eyes with Leia. Oh. Of course she would be extremely force sensitive, with Anakin for a father.
Ahsoka sent back her own nudge towards the young girl. Hello Leia. It's nice to meet you.
Large brown eyes widened, surprised at feeling a presence in her mind that wasn't her father's.
"Daddy!" Leia tried to whisper this to her father, but she was loud enough for Ahsoka and Rex to hear easily.
"I felt something!"
Anakin met this with a bemused smile and replied,
"What did you feel? Was it nice?"
Leia pointed to Ahsoka, nodding eagerly.
"Your Auntie 'Soka can use the force, just like you and I can. You must've felt her saying hello to you" He explained.
Ahsoka glimpse Rex out of the corner of her eye, incredulously mouthing "Auntie 'Soka" and shaking his head.
Auntie 'Soka… She liked the sound of that actually.
Leia squirmed in her father's arms, so Anakin obligingly set her down on the hangar floor. She marched the few steps over to Ahsoka and boldly held out her small hand.
"Hello, Auntie 'Soka" She said.
Ahsoka took the offered hand, inwardly chuckling at the girl's manners.
"Hello" Ahsoka repeated, this time out loud.
Ahsoka felt the bond she shared with Anakin flare back to life. It felt wonderful- like standing in front of a heating vent after a long mission on the surface of an ice planet. Anakin's gratitude for her warm reception of his daughter and his pride at the woman Ahsoka had grown up to be flowed through their bond. For a moment, she basked in the feeling of her master in her mind, alive and well.
I wonder where she got her good manners from? She sent through the bond. Certainly not from you, Skyguy.
Hey! I resent that implication, Snips. Her master good naturedly sent back.
For that moment, Ahsoka forgot about the Empire- forgot about the mess that had kept her from her master for all these years. All was right with the galaxy.