Revised September 14, 2013.
"Whatever Happened to Captain Rex?"
Chapter 11
Rex came to slowly, feeling like his consciousness was shrouded in fog. His mouth felt totally dry, and his tongue felt unpleasantly cottonlike. His limbs felt totally weighted down, and he didn't have the strength to move them. He tried to open his eyes, but they refused to cooperate. Last time he'd felt this shabla awful, he'd woken up in a medcenter, pumped full of painkillers. He'd broken a number of bones, the most he'd ever managed to break at one time. His squadron had been on the receiving end of a particularly nasty barrage of artillery shells. He'd lost a number of good men that day, and more were lying badly injured in beds all around him. He had that same feeling of being drugged up now, except he had no memory of being evaced out of a battle someplace. Rex took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. He inhaled cold, musty damp air, where he expected to smell the familiar anti-septic smell of a Republic medical facility.
Rex tried again to open his eyes, but his heavy eyelids refused to cooperate. The musty smell reminded him of the monastery at Teth.
Teth!
Rex fell headlong into a flashback of Teth. Dark, bitter memories came flooding back at him with a rush of adrenaline. In his mind's eye, he saw Torrent Squadron barricading themselves inside the monastery.
Through a bleary, drugged, pain-filled haze, Rex saw the door of the monastery implode in. Super battle droids came in, like something out of a nightmare, wave after wave, systemically cutting down all of Torrent Squadron. Rex relived every death, watching his brothers die. He heard their pained cries as they were hit, and crumpled down to the damp, musty stone floor to die.
No! Rex's mind began to rebel, trying to reshape the reality. He had replayed, and relived, this scene so many times in his mind. He'd come to the guilt-ridden realization that he should have set explosive charges by the door of the monastery. The roof would have come down on the battle droids when they broke through the door, and many more of his men would've been spared.
Maybe it's not too late! Rex realized with a sudden rush of adrenaline. I can still set those charges! Adrenaline pumping, Rex scrambled to his feet, throwing himself upwards with a battle cry. His battle cry immediately mingled in with a cry of pain as Rex's shattered leg collapsed under him.
Ahsoka was sitting outside, knees drawn up to her chin, when she heard Rex's blood curdling cry. She rushed back into the cave, and saw Rex curled up into a ball, eyes squeezed shut. He was clutching at his leg, his face drawn tight with pain. He was in so much pain at the moment, that he couldn't think or focus on his surroundings. Ahsoka felt his distress, and force-leapt to Rex's side to get there faster. She grabbed him by the shoulder, intent on offering him help as soon as possible.
Rex felt somebody jump on him. He was still completely lost in his flashback on Teth. Someone was attacking him! Ventress! Instinct took over and Rex reached for his blasters. Rex reared up wildly, grabbing Ahsoka. He drew one of his blasters, and shoved it right up against Ahsoka's forehead.
"Rex!" Ahsoka shouted.
The clone captain's finger trembled on the trigger, a micro-second from firing.
"Rex!" Ahsoka shouted again.
Rex opened his eyes, blinking rapidly.
Ahsoka reached out to him with the Force. He was blocking her out. She couldn't get through to him.
"Rex!" she shouted again, "Rex! It's me, Ahsoka!"
She tried again to reach him with the Force, but his mind was completely shielded.
"Rex! It's me, Ahsoka!"
Ahsoka saw recognition sink into Rex's eyes. His hand shook wildly and then he tossed the gun away. He fell backwards against the cave floor. Ahsoka was still pinned tightly against his chest by one of his arms.
"Fierfek! I almost killed you!" Rex shouted, angrily.
Rex lay back, and put one hand across his eyes, as if the light was suddenly too bright for him. He was breathing raggedly. Ahsoka was still lying across his chest. His face contorted in a grimace, and he gritted his teeth. He began to clench and unclench his hands again. Rex tried to stifle his groan, but couldn't quite manage it. She wondered if he was even aware that he was holding her splayed across his chest. Ahsoka knew more painkillers were out of the question, but, there was another way she could comfort him, if he would allow it.
"Rex," she said gently, "I know you're hurting. You're badly injured. Let me help you, please. I can only help you if you let me in. Please, let me do this."
Ahsoka gently placed one hand on his forehead.
She reached out to him with the Force, but, she felt that odd shield up in his mind again. How does he do that? Figure that out later. He's in terrible pain, right now.
"Rex, let me help," Ahsoka reached up with her other hand, and ran it across his scalp. Rex shivered at her touch. She reached out to him with the Force, again. With her other hand, she kept massaging his scalp, and then brought her hand forward, working the relaxation points on either side of his temple. She felt Rex relax under her hands. His pain filled eyes met hers, and finally he nodded his head. She reached out to him with the Force again, and finally connected with him. She drew her breath in sharply. It was not what she expected at all. Connecting with Rex was not like connecting with other non-Force users. But, it also did not feel like connecting with fellow Jedi.
This connection was different than any connection she'd ever felt before. She didn't know quite what it meant with regards to a Force connection. She worked with Rex, going deep down into his leg, showing him how she calmed down the muscles that were spasming out of control. Rex learned very quickly.
She took Rex's pain and shared it between them. Rex initially resisted, but, through her gentle persistence, finally relented to equal sharing. Once they were sharing the pain, she was able to show Rex how to compartmentalize the pain so it was not so overwhelming. She was even able show Rex how she used the Force to take pain and use it as an ally. Ahsoka had never been able to share anything like this with anyone outside the Jedi order.
It was strangely intimate.
Ahsoka felt a twisting binding interconnection between her and Rex. The longer she held the connection, the stronger it became. She was puzzled by this connection between her and Rex, but thrilled by it at the same time.
As Rex's pain eased, she felt his entire body relax. He still didn't seem to be aware that she was splayed across his chest.
She reached her hand down and grabbed Rex's hand. After a moment's hesitation, she felt his strong, much larger hand, completely intertwine with hers. They were completely connected. She opened her eyes. Rex was looking at her with his beautiful brown expressive eyes.
Ahsoka removed her hand from his forehead, and gently ran it down the side of his face. Rex's eyes widened in surprise at her touch, but he didn't object. Ahsoka continued to explore the lines of his beautiful, exotic face with her hand.
Rex continued to watch her curiously. He seemed amused. When she gently cupped his cheek with her hand, he leaned slightly in to her touch. She pulled herself up his body a little bit so that she could more easily explore his face, careful not to touch his injured leg at all. When her body dragged across his, he sucked in his breath sharply. But, she could tell it was not from being in pain. She saw passion flare in his brown eyes, and it gave her a great sense of satisfaction.
Ahsoka smiled, supremely pleased with his reaction. The other clones gave her heated looks, but, not Rex. He always barked at the men when they looked at her that way, although, he'd find some other excuse to yell at them. She traced the outline of each of his eyebrows. He closed his eyes. She leisurely explored the blond stubble on top of his head. By scooting up on his body, she had placed them face-to-face. It had gotten to the point where Ahsoka had been going out of her way to show off some of her better attributes around Rex. Frustratingly enough, he never seemed to notice. Ahsoka had begun to think the man was made of stone.
Rex's eyes were staring at her with an intensity she'd never seen in them before. She leaned toward Rex, bringing her face closer to his. She hesitated just a few inches from his face, trembling and afraid. She knew she was about to cross a line from which there was no turning back.
Rex watched her carefully. Ahsoka hesitated, so uncertain, about making this final leap. Rex just watched her curiously, patient as always.
He was allowing Ahsoka to decide on her own if she wanted to cross this line.
The moment seemed to hang between them suspended in eternity.
Rex's comlink beeped, startling both of them. Ahsoka and Rex just stared at each other, frozen in what they were doing, unsure what to do about it.
The comlink beeped a second time, sounding louder than it had ever sounded before.
"Rex, come in. This is General Skywalker."
The clone captain just stared at his comm like he'd never seen it before.
"Rex, this is General Skywalker, come in. Rex, are you there?" Anakin's voice sounded genuinely worried.
The clone captain awkwardly shifted his arm, having to move Ahsoka (still on his chest) before he could get his comm to his lips. "Rex here, General." It was the first time Ahsoka could ever remember hearing Rex sounding less than composed when he answered a comm.
"Rex!" Anakin exclaimed, "are you alright? I was getting worried when you didn't answer the comm. What's your status? Where's Ahsoka?" Rex could hear background sounds of a starfighter's engines being pushed to their absolute limits. He could hear the sounds of shields absorbing heavy fire.
"She's right here, sir," Rex glanced down at Ahsoka still splayed across his chest, not showing any signs of wanting to move or get up. "Status: Mission complete. Factory is destroyed. We found shelter near the RV site. Standing by."
"Excellent work on the factory, Rex," General Skywalker said, as the sounds of discharger shields and laser fire intensified, "Whoa!" There was a pause and Rex could tell the space battle was absolutely intense. "I'm sorry we can't get down there to evac you out. Obi Wan updated me on your medical situation. Hang on a sec." There was the sound of engines screaming way past the point of design specs. "Hang in there. We'll get you out as soon as we can. Ah! Blast. Have to go. Skywalker out." The comm cut out abruptly.
The call from General Skywalker had immediately cut through the previous pleasant bubble surrounding Rex and Ahsoka. The clone captain bodily lifted the commander off his chest using just his upper body strength, and set her aside as if she'd just fallen there by accident. "Commander," he said stiffly and formally, and then turned his face away.
"Rex," Ahsoka said, in a voice that clearly said 'we should talk about what just happened.'
The 501st captain gave her a stern look and just shook his head, making it clear that the matter was not up for discussion.
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