DISCLAIMER:I only own my OC's every other character is owned by Disney, Lucas and everyone else who has ever written anything for Star Wars. This is for entertainment only. My own and anyone who cares to read it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Rex had never felt so alive; the events of the last couple of days reinforced his belief that he was bred to fight and only came alive when he was in combat or on a mission.
It invigorated him.
He strode along the corridor in the midst of these young people, who he had recently fought with and headed around the corner. He had never intended coming back with them but Gregor had seemed more focused and even Wolffe had howled again, for the first time in years; it appeared to be a turning point for all of them. He wished Jess was here; he would have loved it.
For some reason, the young ones deliberately walked ahead of him as they turned into the corridor, then they parted and he saw the reason why. He thought his eyes were deceiving him.
It was her, she moved forward; he automatically stood to attention, then at parade rest, old habits die hard.
"Commander." He addressed Ahsoka. She looked so much older; the gauche and over confidant youngling, he had mentored, as Skywalker had not wanted her, had matured into a beautiful togrutan female. He had seen signs of this at the Siege of Mandalore and the final evidence now stood before him. "You got old." He said with a hint of humour.
Ahsoka looked at him with the same mischievous spark that she had all those years ago.
"It had to happen sometime, Rex." She was almost as tall as him now and launched herself at him ending with a hug, face tucked into his neck. She was still on the skinny side. He responded with an embrace himself saying, "l'm glad you're still alive."
As she pulled away she returned the feeling. "You too."
"Well I wouldn't be, if it wasn't for these guys." Rex replied, turning to gesture towards the Ghost crew.
"Thank you, for trusting my friend." Ahsoka addressed the Ghost crew, looking pointedly at Kanan.
"It wasn't easy." admitted Kanan, a little shamefaced, glancing at Rex. "it's still not." He looked down. Rex returned the glance, a little apprehensive, at where this conversation was heading.
"Nothing worth doing, ever is." Asserted Ahsoka and they moved off together down the corridor.
.
"You'll need to be debriefed by the Commander." Explained Ahsoka to Rex who needed to be brought up to speed rapidly, on their current situation, their current plans and they headed towards the operations room, where he was waiting for them; Sato already knew of his background.
"You're not in command here?"
"No Rex, I have other...duties." She paused to let that sink in but Rex understood the implication. "Commander Jun Sato is an experienced and intelligent Commander; one of the Rebels best." She added and led him to the ship's operations room, leaving him there with the Commander.
.
Wolffe and Gregor followed the group into the cargo deck; it appeared the rebels didn't have a specific base on a planet, roaming this area of the galaxy as a flotilla of ships, constantly evading the Empire. As they walked, Wolffe noted every little thing on the ship that was not up to code, his code. Every little thing that he could improve on. But then, he thought, why bother, as they wouldn't be here long; Rex would give them some more intel, Imperial movements. They tracked them, of course they did; he could give them some pointers, train a few squads. Yes, they'd help out a bit and then they could go back, repair the Tank, although he did have an idea about the downed Walker, it was bigger and taller, but then they would leave the fighting to the young 'uns. They had done more than their share.
"It felt good, eh Wolffe." nudged Gregor as they walked along, "Being back in action."
"Harumph...yes, I suppose it did. Don't get your hopes up though; they're not going to want three old men slowing them down."
"I didn't see those storm troopers stopping us; in fact we taught them how its done. Didn't we?"
Wolffe grinned, "Yeah, we did that."
He and Gregor tapped their vambraces together, in a salute.
"The young 'uns didn't do too badly either."
"Yeah, it was good working with a Jedi again."
"I meant the big purple guy, Zeb."
"Has he forgiven you for using him as bait?"
"Think so." Sniffed Gregor and shouted forward.
"We okay Zeb?"
Captain Garazeb 'Zeb' Orrelios, formerly of the Lasat High Honour Guard, turned slowly around at the voice of the old clone who had allowed him to be swallowed by an exceptionally large Joopa and covered in kriff knows what, and glared at him with his green eyes; he stood motionless, arms on his hips, an imposing figure that dwarfed those around him. He did not blink.
He was getting a little revenge.
Every commander of troops knew that 10 second stare and as a Captain, he had perfected it and then some. He let it linger, watching the grin slowly fade from the clone's face, until it was nearly gone.
Then he grinned widely.
"Yeah, we're okay G. Why?"
"Just checking." Gregor bounced back. "Is there anywhere to eat around here? I'm starving. We never got to eat Big Bongo."
.
Captain Rex came out of the meeting with Commander Sato, impressed with him, the thought he was a fine example of a professional and dedicated officer. He would be happy to serve with him and his new friends in the Ghost Crew, although he wasn't sure Kanan would ever like him; he would have to watch that. He was still wary of him and he understood the reason, he must have been a youngling when Order 66 went down; he had been lucky to survive, just like Ahsoka.
Ahsoka was waiting for him outside the Operations Room; linking her arm through his and she led him to the Mess Hall for a Caf, and something to eat. She assumed he still had a hearty appetite.
It was almost like old times.
Almost.
They found an empty table, and sat down; a few of the ship's company were sitting scattered around, they acknowledged them obviously knowing Ahsoka. She looked at him intently, then stated out of the blue. "I've never known you to project your feelings, so much, Rex, but today you're full of ...regret?"
There was a question at the end of her statement. She took a drink of Caf and studied her friend.
"Do you want to talk?"
He found he did, but didn't know why or where to start. They had not normally had these types of conversations when they fought together, or very rarely, so he pulled the Holograph flimzi image out of his breastplate and gave it to Ahsoka. She studied the worn image of a couple, one of whom was Rex. Ahsoka raised her bright blue eyes from the image and looked at her old friend
"Her name's Ana, she lives on Seelos, at the edge of the desert. She saved my life." He started by way of explanation.
Ahsoka watched him, over the top of her mug, as she drank her caf, while he continued.
"We spent a lot of time together, when I was recovering; she nursed me. I'd been separated from Wolffe and Gregor, and couldn't contact them."
Ahsoka put her hand on top of his; he had stopped talking and had been remembering.
Ana.
"Are you sure you're okay with this, Rex?"
She had always known there was more to Rex, more than the 'by the book' soldier that she first met all those years ago and subsequently become a friend with.
"We became close, even though we both had our problems. Neither of us are the easiest of people to get along with." A smile tipped up the edges of his mouth.
He stared at the image on the flimzi in the middle of the table where Ahsoka had left it.
"She had a temper; I can be...controlling, need to know everything."
Rex picked it up, folded it carefully into four, along the previous folds and tucked it back in his breastplate.
"We fell in love, Commander, but..."
"It's Ahsoka, Rex. I'm sorry, I've taken you away from her." Ahsoka paused before continuing, "You don't have to stay, you know. You can go back to her."
She knew that these men deserved something better than what the Republic and the Sith Lord had given them, more than what they were going to be offered now. She could at least give them the choice.
Rex looked at his hands, resting on the table, the same ones that had held Ana. That she had held. The ones he had shown his love with, that had killed for her. He was going to do more. He was going to take on the Empire for her. This would be the most important fight of his life. The one to protect Ana.
"No. I have to stay now, I have to fight the Empire to protect her; its my best chance to keep her safe. The Empire are on Seelos now, mining and expanding."
Ahsoka knew exactly what the Empire were capable of when they took over planets, how the people suffered. She thought of Kaeden, Miara and the others on Raada, and the Fardi clan. Then she thought of all the men who she had fought with, who were bred to fight and die, and did so bravely. She pulled herself back from that line of thought; a Jedi should not have attachment but then she was no Jedi and hadn't been for a long time.
"You were always honourable, Rex, doing the right thing, even in the GAR. But perhaps this time maybe you're wrong?"
Rex closed his eyes; he couldn't be wrong but he did miss her.
He didn't want to admit it out loud.
"Rex" Ahsoka's hand crossed the table and squeezed his, "Are you sure? You do have a choice you know."
"This is my choice."