Ahsoka was surprised, but at the same time somewhat relieved. She had just told Kix and Jesse that she had left the Jedi Order, and also would not be rejoining the army, when an obviously upset Fives barged into the room. Upon reaching the young Togruta, Five's asked her a question pertaining to the matter she was there for,

"You're leaving?" Ahsoka, as mentioned before, was a bit relieved, knowing that she would not have to tell Fives the painful truth, as he had obviously already heard. However, it did not ease her conscious that Fives was visibly heartbroken at the news. Out of all the troopers she had befriended, she found she had grown exceptionally close to the ARC Trooper before her; be it his natural ability to adapt to any situation, or his warped sense of humor, she found he was as much of a brother to her as the others. Which is why Fives was probably going to be one of the hardest ones to explain her decision to. But first, she had to learn how he found out. She did have a pretty good idea, though.

"Was it Fox or Tup?" The Arc Trooper, still reeling from the news, stiffened at the mention of the Shock Commander's name. Since Fox was partially responsible for the ordeal Ahsoka went through, his name had garnered a bad rep in the ranks of the 501st. There was even a plan in place by a select few in the legion that if Ahsoka was found guilty, they would make sure Fox paid dearly, as well as "That karking waste of space Tarkin." Upon seeing his brother's reaction, Kix felt it best to relieve himself, and Jesse as well, from the situation by leaving the med bay, while pushing the injured clone in a hover chair. Through gritted teeth, Fives addressed Ahsoka.

"That Nerf-Herder Fox? I wouldn't trust his word as far as I can throw him!" Fives was practically seething at this moment, but calmed down as he began to tell Ahsoka how he found out about her decision. "Rex and I were walking to the barracks when Tup told us you were hear." Fives actually smiled a little after that. "I was so glad you were back," his face then fell, "Until Tup told us that you were leaving." Ahsoka looked to the ground in shame; the last thing she wanted to do was hurt her boys, but that was exactly what she was doing by leaving. While still avoiding eye contact with Fives, Ahsoka decided to add some form of clarity to the situation.

"I just have a lot of things I need to sort out Fives." Even though he was still hurt, Fives simply nodded, fully understanding what Ahsoka was talking about. Resting his hand on her shoulder, Fives offered a caring smile as Ahsoka looked up to meet his gaze.

"Just be careful out there," he said, "I don't want get a call that you need us to save your rear again!" Both laughed at the remark, glad that they could part on amicable terms. After the laughter had subsided, Ahsoka reached up and cupped one of Fives's cheeks, and leaned up to kiss the other, shocking the trooper immensely as a deep blush crept onto his face. Ahsoka offered a small chuckle; she felt she might have to keep a record of how many troopers she made blush today. A thought then came to Ahsoka's mind.

"Did Tup tell you Fox apologized?" The question earned a shocked reaction from the ARC Trooper as Ahsoka gave a smug smirk at his speechlessness. "So, maybe you should go easy on him, Fives." Fives, after of few moments of just standing with a dumbfounded look on his face, shrugged his shoulders with a small smile on his face.

"No promises." Fives face then became very somber. "You might wanna go talk to Rex." Ahsoka froze at this; out of all the troopers in the 501st, she was the closest to Rex, as he was with from her very first day as Anakin's Padawan. Ahsoka offered a curt nod. "I saw him going toward the barracks after Tup found us. I think he might be prepping the boys for your arrival." Offering a grateful smile, Ahsoka left the med bay in search of the 501sts' Captain, who she found was just leaving the barracks. Both froze, unable to take their eyes off the other. The tension was broken as Rex finally spoke.

"I'm really gonna miss you kid." That was it; he wasn't going to beat around the bush because, as Ahsoka figured, it would be just as painful for him as it was for her. Unable to take it anymore, Ahsoka flung herself forward so her arms were latched around Rex's middle. Rex then brought his arms up so they wrapped gingerly around her shoulders. A gloved hand then came to rest on the back of her head. What Rex did next, really caught Ahsoka off guard; he brought his head down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. At first shocked, Ahsoka hummed in contentment at the affection gesture. After a few moments, Rex pulled away. Confused, Ahsoka's curiosity was quelled as her captain stood to the side with an arm outstretched in the direction of the barracks. "Come on," Rex encouraged, "they're waiting for you." Ahsoka smiled softly as she began the final trek toward the barracks.


One more goodbye! AND IT'S A BIG ONE! Tune in next time to see what it is, and as always, HAPPY READING!