Chapter Thirty Six

Friction

Subsurface, Kessel, Far Outer Rim, 30 days after the execution of Contingency Order 66.

Ahsoka Tano was no stranger to tight spaces.

More often than not, a typical mission would involve at least some amount of crawling through ductwork and maintenance tracts, many even narrower than the ventilation tunnel she was now descending. In her view, if she could fit, it was all good. As a Togruta, she was naturally more slender than most humanoids, anyway.

But this was pushing her limit. Being suspended by a wrist-mounted cable restricted her movement already, but the shaft wasn't wide enough to even stretch out her free arm. She knew it was just an illusion, but it seemed that the tunnel became narrower the lower they went. The descent couldn't have lasted more than a few minutes yet, but it felt like hours, and the darkness was almost stifling.

More than once she thought about using her lightsaber to at least knock the edges off the black void, but the narrowness of the shaft – and her close proximity to Rex – changed her mind.

The thought of Rex caused her to look up, even though she couldn't see far enough to recognize him, more than a dozen meters above her. Frankly she was surprised he was able to fit through the shaft in the first place; if she found the space restrictive, Rexter probably couldn't move at all, especially in his new armor.

She hoped it wasn't too uncomfortable for him, and immediately felt a bit silly for worrying about Rex's comfort – a topic he himself probably gave little thought – while they were descending into abandoned spice mine – which could easily collapse on them or be inhabited with any number of deadly beasts – without even the means to escape, let alone defend herself. Not to mention the imminent threat of Imperial troopers, who could be searching these same tunnels that very moment. The fact that Cad Bane was directly below her, some ways down, provided minimal reassurance.

Then again, worrying about things wouldn't be much help either.

A bend in the shaft forced her to clamber as the line continued to extend, and she fell into a half bouncing, half skidding routine, wincing at the friction of roughened pipe casing rubbing against her knees. She was beginning to wonder how much distance the wristcom unit had left; the cable was thin, extremely so, but it couldn't hold that much line. It felt like they had already gone at least a kilometer. And her montrals' natural spatial sensitivity was completely thrown off by the sonic effects of such a long, narrow passage.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she found herself sprawled out over a floor of hewn rock. Ouch. Guess I didn't have to worry about running out of line after all Fortunately her reflexive crouch softened the landing, and she quickly got to her feet, and moved away from where she thought the vent had ended. The sudden stop did throw off her balance for a moment, and she staggered a little as she tried to reorient herself, barely remembering to retract the ascension cable.

Rex hit the floor next, and though his helmet comm was muted Ahsoka imagined a heavy grunt and probably a curse escaped his lips as he landed, though she couldn't see how he actually fared. At least he can see, with his helmet and all. I'm getting sick of this black soup.

She could hear Rex getting to his feet, probably moving towards her. I wonder where Bane went, anyway? The bounty hunter was nearby, she could sense that much. She crossed her hands, feeling for the spotlight switch-

"Not so fast," Bane's harsh whisper came just as his bony fingers clamped harshly over her wrist. Startled by the action, Ahsoka came very near to reacting with violence, only stilling when the gravelly voice continued. "No lights," he warned, before pressing a strange object into her hands.

She scarcely had time to feel relief, let alone turn to face Bane, when she felt a familiar armored figure brush past her, and a familiar voice growling at the unseen bounty hunter.

"Keep your hands off of her, you scum!" Rex ground out through gritted teeth, his words echoing across the chamber. There was an edge of what could only be called jealousy in his voice, and it actually made Ahsoka's heart beat faster than Bane's gesture ever could. At the sane time, she couldn't help feeling put off that Rex had reacted with such force to what was really an innocuous act.

Plus, he'd made Bane angry. "You'll wish it was only me that 'touched' her when you give away our location and she's bein' sucked dry by a cave crawler," he snarled back. Ahsoka winced at his implied warning. I wonder what kind of monsters hang around these parts. Nothing pretty, I imagine.

The tension between two unseen men next to her was palpable, but Ahsoka felt handicapped, unable to focus on either of them. It only took a moment to recognize the oblong gadget Bane had given her was in fact a set of goggles. Assuming they were to alleviate the darkness, Ahsoka quickly fitted the eyewear over her head, stretching the elastic band as far as it could go to reach around her montrals, then tightening the strap.

Kriff I can't see anything more with these than without. She thought these would be for night-vision; why else would Bane have given them to her?

"Infrared," Bane's words came as if on cue, a little farther away this time. "Second mode on the spotlight," he added.

Oh. I guess that makes sense. Again she fumbled for the switch, toggling the 'invisible' light. Immediately the world lit up in a kaleidoscope of blacks and greens.

I guess green beats nothing Ahsoka decided with a grimace. She had never liked night-vision aids, and as long as there was at least a little bit of light, she rarely needed them. But that thought quickly faded as she scanned the perimeter of the chamber.

Or cavern, rather. They must have been within some central node in this mining network. The space was circular, and there were dozens of passage entry points lined up along the walls. The ceiling, at some points vaulting more than ten meters above them, was jagged and rough, and bore the marks of explosives and drills. Ahsoka wasn't particularly versed on mining operations, but she supposed the uppermost parts of the chamber were likely left unfinished after the space was first blasted out of the rock.

The walls and floor, however, were reasonably straight and level, and had been coated with a layer of duracrete for consistency. But years of disrepair had taken their toll, as well. Cracks, some as much as a half meter wide, zig-zagged across the floor, some of them even reaching up the walls in disappearing into crevices in the ceiling. Telltale clues that this old mine wasn't exactly the most stable subterranean structure around.

Still, it's held up so far. No reason for it to collapse now. I hope not, anyway. Ahsoka glanced to her left, to see Rex's imposing form standing between her and Bane. Don't tell me they're still playing a staring contest.

Before she could check, she saw movement to her right, and she turned to see Derik walking unsteadily from beneath the mouth of the ventilation shaft. About time, too.

"Where…" a cough interrupted his question, "is everyone here?"

"Here," Ahsoka hurried to Derik's side, laying a hand on his shoulder to guide him towards the others. "Sorry about the lighting, this place is a bit on the gloomy side, I'll admit."

"Tell me about it," Derik muttered, before looking towards her, actually a little off to her right. "I know Togruta have good eyesight and all, but can you see in here?" he asked, almost incredulous.

Ahsoka snorted. "I wish. No, Caddy's handing out these nifty infrared goggles." She turned to see Bane and Rex still facing each other, neither man daring to remove his eyes from the other. I wish he wouldn't do that; if Rex starts fighting with Bane now all my work could be undone.

At any rate, Bane broke of the silent showdown first. He recognized the last member of the little expedition in short order, and soon Derik was also equipped with a set of infrared viewers, which he fastened with just a little bit of flair. Ahsoka decided not to tell her fellow Padawan that he resembled an old school villain out of a holovid she'd seen a clip of, once, with the long black hair, black nerfhide jacket and 'eye-mask' style goggles. I probably look just as silly, anyway.

She took a moment to examine the cavern again. Almost directly above them, in the center of the ceiling, was the large drill shaft that had once been the primary means of travel to and from this room. Several smaller openings marked utility and ventilation tunnels, like the one they had entered by.

But it was along the walls the real complexity of this subterranean labyrinth was apparent. Even, square passages, about three meters high and wide, were spaced equal distances apart. Just from a quick scan, it appeared there were as many as thirty unique tunnels, some still labeled with cryptic codes and numbers, and likely led to entirely separate networks of tunnels and chambers.

"This is going to be quite a search," Rex spoke in low tones.

Ahsoka glanced at Bane, who looked spectral in the green hue of infrared vision. "Where to first? Don't tell me we have to check each branch."

The bounty hunter gave her a cold look. He really has been sullen ever since I last talked to him. Ahsoka almost said as much, but decided that calling Cad Bane 'pouty boy' would probably be bad form, at this point.

"We have to check each and every tunnel before we know if there's Jedi in it, if that's what you mean."

Ahsoka sighed. "Oh. My bad." I guess there's no easy way to search these mines. Indeed, a blind search was a daunting proposition, and might even take days to complete. Still, she felt determined. If there were Jedi here, she had to find them before the Empire did. She only wished she could contact them with the Force. The fact that they were masking themselves could mean nothing at all, but Ahsoka couldn't shake the ominous feeling that, maybe, there was a Force sensitive pursuer for them to hide from.

But really, there's no proof of that. It's not unusual to conceal yourself, even if no known Force users are after you. It's probably nothing to worry about, I'm sure.

Somehow her certainty felt shallow.

Again Bane's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I've got two lifeform scanners," he announced, retrieving a pair of simple sensor wands. He dialed something into his wristcom, and a small proximity gauge lit up. "We're going to split up, two and two. We'll cover all the ground we can from here, Todo should have the droids combing the other entrances by now."

Ahsoka nodded, welcoming the distraction, and running through the plan in her head. With the droids scanning the opposite ends of these same tunnels, they should be able to cover… well, she didn't really know how much, but it seemed a little less overwhelming. Though she had a feeling that if Bane's droids did stumble across any hiding Jedi, they'd probably be scrapped in short order.

Splitting up also made sense, even though Ahsoka would have preferred to keep the group together. We effectively double our time if we work in pairs, though.

She began to give instructions. "Okay, Rex, you and Derik team up, and I'll-"

"No."

Rex's voice was of course modulated and emitted via helmet comm, but there was no mistaking the clear finality of his simple statement. Ahsoka first stared in mild shock – Rex never outright contradicted her like that – before furrowing her brow in a frown. She understood, and appreciated, Rex's concern, but it only made sense to have one Jedi in each pair, and Derik would never agree to be teamed up with Cad Bane. Besides, I need to spend more time with Bane, to keep working on him. Rex has to understand that.

Ahsoka turned to face the helmeted man, trying to remain patient. She kept her voice to a whisper, not wanting to be overheard by the bounty hunter. "Look, Rex, I know you're worried…" she trailed off as she realized Rex wasn't even looking at her, but rather at Derik.

With Rex's face hidden by his visor, and Derik's eyes by his goggles, it didn't seem like either could do much in the way of wordless communication. But Rex must have found a way, because after a short moment of silence, Derik spoke up. "I'll go with Bane," he said, his voice measured and controlled.

Ahsoka had to keep from gaping at Derik's uncharacteristic volunteering. That doesn't even make sense! Derik's more likely to cause trouble than even Rex; it only makes sense for me to go with Bane. She opened her mouth to protest, but the bounty hunter interrupted her, pushing the other scanner wand into her hand, and rattling off instructions. "Directional, so point it away from you and towards where you want to look. Medium range; if the way's clear it can detect a humanoid a klick out. Synchronize to your wristcom with code zero four two."

With that, Bane backed away, and Ahsoka felt certain he didn't want to be 'paired' with her anymore than Rex did. She gritted her teeth in frustration, surprised and not at all pleased with how decisions were being made around her, and without her consent.

But again, she was prevented from protesting as Bane began laying out additional directions she had no say in. "You two," he motioned towards Rex and Ahsoka, "take the first passage this side of the central shaft. We'll take the tunnel on the left."

Ahsoka scowled. Gee, thanks Rex, now Bane's in charge again? This is just perfect. She opened her mouth once more, but was cut off by Rex this time. "How do we know how to get back?"

"The holomap I sent you earlier will give you your current location. When there's a link active, it'll show where we are, too."

Rex nodded. "Right. Then let's move it."

With that Rex again moved between Ahsoka's line of sight and Bane, and stood still, as though waiting for her move. Ahsoka just stared at him, in disbelief and resentment. His helmeted gaze, which normally she enjoyed meeting, now seemed almost stifling, and she-

"We'd better get moving, Ahsoka."

The deep, familiar voice initiated a rush of conflicting emotions in Ahsoka, as she found herself wanting to hug, punch, yell at and maybe even kiss him all the same time. Instead, she gave him a curt nod, and with a set jaw, turned towards the tunnel.

Rex knew she was angry with him.

To be frank, he didn't really care. Rex would not – could not bear to leave her wandering these infernal tunnels, with no company save a criminal whose intentions were still in doubt, and who would almost certainly abandon her the moment danger revealed itself, if not outright assault her himself. Rex couldn't let her do that.

Admittedly, it was mostly a circumstantial thing. He just couldn't stomach her being alone with the bounty hunter again, after what happened only a few hours ago. The panic and fury that ran through him when he saw her disheveled and soaked in alcohol… it still made him want to retch. Yes, Ahsoka said it was a misunderstanding, and maybe it was, but Rex knew he was not letting her do that, not this soon. Later, when they were sure Bane had cooled off, maybe it would be necessary, but not now. Not here.

Ahsoka was silent, but it was a sullen silence. And uncharacteristic, for good measure. She would normally be eager to talk about almost anything to break up the monotony of a setting like this. The tunnel was decidedly dull, the ceiling and walls were square and at right angles, but roughed and cracked, as well. Heavy cast-iron braces provided additional support every thirty meters or so. A few pipes and hoses ran the length of the tunnel, fastened to the ceiling by simple clamps, though they were broken or missing in many places.

The floor of the tunnel was more interesting, and not in a particularly reassuring way. At some point it had been grated and paved, but years of shifting faults and lack of maintenance had left the surface cracked and jagged, while the paving had disintegrated to little more that coarse gravel, with occasional slabs of crumbly duracrete the only remains of what must have once been a bustling cargo route.

It also bore signs of recent activity, distinct marks and swipes in the the dust that must have been the tracks of some sort of creature, certainly not a humanoid. Rex had never been briefed in depth on Kessel's fauna, but experience had taught him that treacherous worlds tended to harbor very unpleasant lifeforms.

He shot another glance at Ahsoka. She was still clearly unhappy, though she hadn't said a word since they separated from Bane. She also wasn't paying particularly close attention to her scanner, and Rex had to strain to catch a glimpse of the indicator over her wrist. All clear, for now. But she's got to keep an eye on that. Monsters aside, that's our only chance at finding anybody down here.

He took a quick breath, before speaking. "You watching the scanner?"

Ahsoka almost started at his voice, glancing quickly at her comm. It was still clear, of course, and she almost immediately resumed her previous temperament, giving him only a swift glare over her shoulder. "I can take care of myself," she said, in a warning tone.

Rex tried to answer diplomatically. "I know, I'm just trying to look out for you," he paused, then added, carefully, "kid."

He felt some apprehension at her response to the familiar nickname; Ahsoka seemed to bristle, then relax, and Rex hoped she was recalling the innumerable times he had called her by the playful moniker. When she answered, her voice was soft, though not without an element of rebuke.

"I've never asked you to do that, you know."

The sentiment was almost cutting, even though Rex didn't discern any such intent in her mannerisms. It was true, she'd never asked him to look out for her. She'd noticed it, thanked him for it, but it was never something she'd expressed a desire for. It had been his duty, once. Now, it was something entirely different, and for once Rex didn't know how to respond.

His gaze fell, his eyes idly trailing a few of the longer, more conspicuous swaths and slashes in the gravel, dialing up the zoom on a few, looking for clues as to their owner, and finding none.

Unable to settle upon a distraction, he had to answer. He had to tell her.

"No, you didn't, but…" he swallowed. "I want to. I've always wanted to, Ahsoka. I've watched you nearly get killed too many times to not at least try to keep you safe, now that I have the choice."

He turned and tried to meet her eyes, wishing he wasn't wearing his helmet so she could see what he was really feeling. So she could see that he meant this more than he had words to say.

She didn't return his gaze, but she must have sensed his emotions, because when she answered there was a clear hesitancy in her voice.

"Rex, I…" she paused, seemingly conflicted. "I'm not a kid. I'm a Jedi. I'm never going to be 'safe'." She seemed to gain confidence here, and her tone became more forceful. "I know what I'm doing. I may have seemed reckless or foolhardy in the past, but this is different."

"Everything is different," Rex corrected, his own voice becoming insistent. "That's why I think I need to look out for you."

"And I think I've earned the right to risk my life if I think it's necessary! I don't need someone to protect me from everything that might be dangerous!" She put a kick in her stride, as though to emphasize her point.

"I've been coddled enough for one lifetime," she muttered, the words almost inaudible over her tired exhalation.

There's some irony there, Rex noted, but decided not to bring it up. He knew all too well what she meant by 'coddled', he'd heard many, many 'discussions' on it before, between her and her Master. And while Rex couldn't say he ever regretted Ahsoka remaining behind during a dangerous mission, neither could he fault her for becoming exasperated with the General's persistent concern – bordering on obsession – with her physical safety.

There must be a balance, somewhere, he mused, before snorting inwardly. Even if there were, Rex would never find it, now. He was no longer objective in this matter, if he ever had been.

It wasn't that he wanted her to be… 'coddled'. She didn't need that. Ahsoka Tano was strong, capable, he'd seen that countless times. But he'd also seen that strength fail her. He'd seen enough to know she was all too mortal. He'd seen her faint from a deadly virus. Seen her bound and defenseless. He saw her betrayed and outnumbered, wounded and confused, victimized by the men she thought her friends and comrades.

Rex knew he couldn't protect her from every conceivable threat. Besides annoying her, it was simply impossible. But now, after everything that had changed, after everything they had been through, it was equally impossible for him to do anything but fight to the death to keep her safe.

It almost seemed a contradiction. Maybe it was. But Force knew he couldn't help it.

He breathed deeply, before breaking the silence. "I know what it feels like, to have someone run your life for you. Believe me, I've been there," he let a dark chuckle escape his lips, before continuing, "But things are different now. We both have… a choice."

He cast another glance at Ahsoka, still walking beside him with a hint of a sulk on her face. He had to say this. She had to listen. She listened when he told her he'd be there for her, that he'd follow her to the ends of the galaxy if need be. She understood him then.

Rex only hoped she'd understand him now.

Ahsoka showed no indication that she intended to return his gaze, so Rex let his eyes turn straight ahead, trusting the strength of his voice and the reality of his feelings to carry the message he had to give her. Even if it cost him everything else she had promised to share.

"I choose to protect you, Ahsoka. I promise to make sure that you're kept as safe as possible. I will always choose this. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but you said yourself we're equals, now. This is… it's who I am."

This time she did turn her head to look at him, her expression a mixture of indignation and something else, some deeper emotion that he wasn't sure how to quantify.

She pushed her goggles out of the way for a moment, as though trying to get a better look at him, though he doubted she could even see him in this darkness. Her cerulean eyes sparked even more than normal, and if he didn't know better he would have said there were unshed tears in them.

But there was certainly no sign of tears in her voice. "And I will always choose to make my own decisions, no matter how dangerous or crazy you think they are."

She paused again, dropping the lenses back to their place as she began walking again. "But you're right," she conceded, "we are equals. I don't outrank you anymore, but I still need to be able to work with Bane, and I can't afford to have my plans thrown off like this."

Oh, yeah, the bounty hunter. That's what started this, wasn't it? Rex frowned, the sickening feeling returning. "Ahsoka…." he began, trying to come up with words.

She must have taken his hesitation for something else, because there was a flare of anger in her response. "Why, Rex? Why can't you just let me do this? "

Rex gritted his teeth. He had let her, or at least, he'd given her his approval, though not without misgivings. Couldn't she see that?

"It's not that I'm stopping you, Ahsoka. I just think it's wiser to let things play out, before you approach him again like that. After what he did to you-"

"See? That's what I've been saying all along!" She clenched her fists, letting out a huff of frustration."I know this isn't safe, but I have to do what needs to be done!"

Seems we're back where we started. Rex sighed into his helmet, trying to formulate a response while Ahsoka continued.

"This is important, Rex. I can't afford to have you always worrying about me!"

But didn't she just say earlier… Rex's head spun to face her, tilting as he asked, "You… you said you liked it, when I worried about you before."

Ahsoka gaped at him for a minute, seemingly at a loss for words. Her expression went from surprise, to confusion, to frustration, and finally she jerked away from him, her face drawn as she resumed her sullen routine.

Well, so much for getting things cleared up. Rex felt tired, almost helpless, unable to contradict Ahsoka's complaints but equally adamant not to acquiesce to her demands. I can't help it. I can't just not care for her the way I do now.

Maybe there was no answer. Maybe this entire 'relationship' – be it a marriage, 'engagement', an affair, or something entirely different – was just a foolish dream. Maybe he should follow his own advice, and regard Ahsoka only as the friend and comrade she was, and leave it at that. That had worked before. Kriff, he had been bred to be just that. She said it herself, she was a Jedi. Of course it wasn't 'working'. They were never intended to be compatible in any deeper way.

Well, he'd might as well start now, and focus on their mission, rather than the beautiful and angry young woman whom he seemed incapable of comprehending. There was work to do.

He turned his head towards the head of the tunnel, and then he saw it.

What the kriff is that?

His self-pity forgotten, Rex brought the zoom in his HUD to max, as a bizarre shape began to emerge from the shadows just beyond night-vision range.

"Rex?"

He only dimly noted Ahsoka's annoyed address as he continued trying to get a lock on the distant object. At that distance, it's got to be huge. There was no infrared signature that he could detect, nor did seem to register as any known lifeform in his helmet's internal databank. But it was hardly inanimate; no mere landslide could be that active, not too mention completely silent.

"Rex?" Ahsoka's annoyance had given way to an edgy concern. "What is it…"

She trailed off, as both of them stopped dead in their tracks, peering through the darkness in a vain attempt to identify this strange thing ahead of them.

And coming straight towards them.

I've got a bad feeling about this. He glanced towards Ahsoka, giving a curt nod to indicate her scanner. "You getting a reading?"

Ahsoka shook her head, then tensed. "I feel it…" she cocked her head, then hooked her sensor wand to her belt as she drew her lightsaber to her hand.

Rex followed suite, readying his own weapon. He could only get a visual with the rangefinder, and it was simply too dark to discern what this thing coming their way was. No heat signature, so it wasn't warmblooded. There seemed to be a lot of visual 'clutter' around the edges, as if it had multiple sets of legs, but it was far too large to be a-

"Spider!"

Maybe not too large after all. Sure enough, moving at a speed that belied its size – at least three meters in height – was a perfectly enormous spider. Its entire body seemed to sparkle as it came within night-vision range. Long, multi-jointed legs adorned with cruel, jagged hooks and claw-like protrusions clattered against the walls and floor as it scurried forward. Its head was dominated by a cluster of black, beady eyes and a pair of mandibles housing its murderous fangs.

It was a horrifying sight, even by Rex's own standards. The beast didn't match any of his HUD's lifeform profiles, but there wasn't much time to worry about that as the creature charged them.

"Get back!" he shouted, raising his heavy blaster, thinking to take down this alien monster with a quick shot. Ahsoka's lightsaber had already snapped to life, and she showed no sign of an intent to retreat. The giant spider was at point blank range.

Take this, you kriffing creep. Rex fired, and fired again, for good measure. "Got him-"

Or not. To his shock, the bolts simply disappeared into the beast's body, not even slowing its advance. The monster made no sound, other than the scraping and clacking of its clawed legs against duracrete as it lunged.

Rex hurled himself towards Ahsoka, using his full weight to send her almost tumbling in a roll back up the tunnel. Just as quickly he regained his footing, planting himself squarely between her and the monster, firing directly into the cluster of eyes.

His efforts didn't even slow it down. The spider pounced. Rex dove for the wall, feeling the brush of the beast's body as it rushed by. Its jaws slammed into the floor where he'd been standing, its meter long fangs dripping with what couldn't be a healthy liquid.

I've got to take this thing down. Exactly why his bolts seemed to have no effect, Rex had no idea, but every monster had its weakness, somewhere.

The spider sprung back from its attack, keeping still for a short moment, no doubt scanning the tunnel for its prey. Rex seemed to be out of his line of sight, but the same couldn't be said of-

Ahsoka!

Without a seconds thought, Rex leaped from his cover, making a stand only meters from the spider's jaws, between it and where he thought Ahsoka was, though he hadn't taken time to look. He fired again at its eyes, its fangs, looking for a vulnerability of some sort. Every bolt was simply swallowed, and it seemed that this strange cave denizen was invincible to his weapon.

At the same time, however, he found that as he moved, the spider followed, orienting itself towards him as though taking aim. Rex continued to 'guide' the beast, jerking and shifting to the side with sudden movements, keeping his foe's attention on him, and away from Ahsoka. If I can keep it off her, maybe she'll figure out how to deal with it. Surely it can't be resistant to lightsab-

Suddenly he saw movement between the jaws, and Rex instinctively dove for the deck as a projectile of some sort hurled over his head.

It can shoot, too? That doesn't seem fair.

The moment he hit the surface he rolled, ignoring the loud, wet 'plop' from behind him, again slipping just out of the way as the spider again pounced on the ground where he had landed.

When he was back on his feet he managed a quick glance, eyes widening at the gelatinous web that was now spread over his former position, like a translucent net. The gooey material was thick and and appeared to have adhesive properties, no doubt designed to hold down such uncooperative prey as himself.

Any relief Rex might have felt was short lived, however. His narrow escape had brought him almost directly under the spider's abdomen, and he found himself tangled in the creature's legs, unable to maneuver as the gnarled limbs blocked off the width of the tunnel. It was like being caught in a living thicket or forest, unable to move or counterstrike effectively.

Twisting to avoid being crushed, Rex threw his weight into the nearest leg, thinking by brute force to break one of the joints. His armor protected him from the razor-sharp talons along the sides of the bony limb, but the the leg itself was as strong as a wall support. Rather than giving way to his assault, it instead bent at a joint and kicked Rex across the stomach, knocking him backwards and towards the creature's maw.

He could hear Ahsoka screaming his name. Out of the corner of his eye he could make out the glare of her lightsaber, blinding white by night-vision. His fingers clenched over the trigger of his rifle, but the bolts were simply absorbed into the glittering hulk of the spider's abdomen. The seemingly aimless tangle of legs worked in perfect harmony as Rex was 'handed' from one limb to the other, getting banged up pretty hard in the process, before finally being dragged on his back beneath the gaping jaws once again.

Rex tried to flip upright, but was knocked flat just as quickly. The spider bent and crossed its two front legs in an 'X' over his chest, pinning him down. He flipped the retractable vibroblade out of his right hand gauntlet, trying to stab at or saw off the knobby limb. But he didn't have enough range of movement to strike.

Ahsoka was still screaming for him, and he thought he saw the flare of her lightsaber again just before his vision went black and the enormous fangs clamped over his head.

Author's Note: Uh oh...

Again, much thanks to laloga for her help with this chapter - writing conflict is never easy, I guess, and I'm very much indebted to her advice.

And no, this is not a Shelob cameo, though I did watch that scene while trying to get an idea on how to write a 'big spider' (still not sure how I did). In fact, this beastie is a canonical Star Wars monster, believe it or not. But if you think big spiders are the worst our heroes have waiting for them, guess again... :P

And for those wondering what Ahsoka's reaction/response will be to this turn of events, well, you'll just have to wait and see. But you can be fairly certain she's not going to stand around and watch...

Please review!