Hello! A little new to this fandom, thanks for having me! I'm planning on cross-posting this story on AO3, I'm just waiting for my account to be set up before I do. Once it's done though, enjoy on both platforms! In all honesty, I wrote fanfiction back in year 9 and I was terrible at keeping up with frequent updates, and I can only imagine I'll be worse with uni, so I'm just going to take this one chapter at a time. If all goes well, it will eventually end up as a long satisfying read.

I'm planning on keeping it at T. The main ship is Ahsoka X Rex, though that won't be establised until later down the track. For now, they're just very close platonic besties. This takes place after "Twilight of the Apprentice" from Star Wars Rebels and jumps back to the Mortis Arc from The Clone Wars.

Enjoy!

ONE - The Return of the Jedi

Ahsoka awoke to Vader grabbing onto her shoulders to pull her into a hug, and if she wasn't so disoriented, she might have noticed that he was sans the dark attire that had quickly become the face of the Empire, that there was no longer the overwhelming darkness that shrouded his person. She might even have noticed Obi-wan standing a little way to the side of them, and that might have been enough for her to refrain from acting rashly.

But she was disoriented. She was exhausted from her sleepless nights that had preceded her last confrontation, and high on adrenaline because only moments before, the man before her was swinging his red blade towards her head, pounding her mind with cold, betrayal and unconditional hate, and her arms were straining and shaking from his sheer power as she pushed back with her sabers behind her back.

And so with a sharp cry she pushed him back with the force, called her old sabers from Obi-Wan's grip into her own and swiped down towards his fumbling form on the ground, blades ignited.

But her former master had always had fast reflexes, and his own saber collided with hers, stopping them in the path towards his head.

"Snips! It's just me."

The nickname was like a stab to the gut. But it jolted her awake and out of her trance. Because Vader might be cruel enough to use it against her, but no one said it like Anakin did except well… Anakin.

And all of a sudden, she couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe, because Anakin Skywalker was on the ground at her feet, looking not a day older than she had remembered from the last time she'd seen him running off to save the Chancellor. The last time he was truly Anakin.

She choked back a sob.

She retracted her sabers and pressed a wrist hard to her lips. She looked up at Obi-wan, who had paused from his frantic rush forward, now eyeing her carefully with concern. Obi-wan, who was very much alive, despite being pronounced dead by Bail Organa in the wake of the purge.

Was she dead? Was this the force? She wouldn't have been surprised. She knew, stepping into her fight against Vader, that she was no match for his brute strength and ruthless control of the force. She knew that there was no coming back from that, but somehow she knew that was not the case. Because if she was dead, then why was she still fighting desperately to breathe, her pulse beating hotly in the back of her throat?

No, she wasn't dead, she decided as she shakingly looked around to the familiar planet. She was on Mortis. And judging from Obi-wan's nervous hovering and Anakin's clumsy attempt for a hug, it didn't take long for it to occur to her exactly when she was.

And that might have been worse, because despite everything the force had put her through, despite everything she had lost time and time again, the force was clearly not done with her. And this time Rex wasn't-

Oh Rex, I'm so sorry, and the thought of leaving the last of her family behind suddenly pushed all the other thoughts into the back of her mind. Her promise to make it back to him, her promise to make up for all the time they had lost. Her promise to outlive the Empire with him, to find a quiet farmland and finally give into retirement.

Now he was lightyears out of her reach.

Anakin laughed nervously as he dusted himself off and stood up.

"I was worried for a moment, thought you finally snapped."

Ahsoka didn't laugh back. How could she?

"Ahsoka, are you… alright?"

She gathered her bearings before they realised she was more affected than she should be. She knew why he was asking, knew what he assumed her outburst to be, remembering years ago how she had been used by the Son during her first visit to the planet, about how she died. Still, she couldn't help the twinge of panic that came with his question. Obi-wan has always been more sensitive to the force, and something was telling her that whatever had happened to bring her back here, he wasn't supposed to know. After all, years of experience had helped her become attuned to the force's will as well.

"Sorry Master. I don't know what came over me."

"That's quite alright, Ahsoka. It's been a long day, and Anakin does have a habit of getting on the nerves."

"Hey!"

And Ahsoka couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. If there was any comfort to find from this situation, it was this. A familiarity enough to allow her to truly appreciate her chance to relive this moment. Because where she was from, where she should be, Master Kenobi was pronounced dead, and her Master met a fate so much worse. But not at this moment. She tried to allow herself to relax.

Everything else played out exactly how she remembered, though Ahsoka took much more notice of things. She kept her sense of deja vu and dread tightly shielded in her mind when a gold eyed Anakin stormed out of the sabotaged shuttle growling her name. She didn't miss the fleeting glance the Father gave her when he explained the broken rules of time. She shuddered at what Anakin might have been shown. Did he know what he would become?

She didn't know. All she knew was the pressing and urgent instinct in her to get the kriff out of here.

And they soon did, Because then Anakin was back and he killed the Son and before they knew it, they were flying back to the Resolute with the two masters acting as if nothing had happened.

And then Rex was there, waiting outside the shuttle. Armour sans the scratchy fade of the paintjob that had come with the sandy winds of Seelos.

And for a moment, she had hope, but then he greeted her with a stiff "commander," and it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"Generals, I hear you've got quite the story to debrief," Admiral Yularen said from Rex's side. Ahsoka barely heard him.

She was glad he had his bucket on so she could stare at his jaig eyes, and not his actual ones. She suspected that if she could, she would only see his military respect for her as his commanding officer. Maybe the beginnings of a friendship, but nothing more.

And it wouldn't be his fault. He didn't know what they would be forced to endure together, how well they would come to know each other. How they would mean everything to each other. But force if that didn't make her want to scream

She absently followed her masters' steps off the shuttle and towards the briefing room, and he walked behind her, forcing her to keep the pace in front of him.

She hoped that if her Rex still existed out there somewhere, he would forgive her.

The debrief that came after Mortis was short, she suspected only because she didn't hear a word that was said. Her mind was positively swimming with thoughts, too fast for her to focus on a single one. She breathed, willing herself to focus.

She failed.

If Admiral Yularen didn't call for a recess when he did, she was convinced she would have run out on her accord. Anything to escape the suffocating feeling that was slowly engulfing her and making it hard to breathe. For the first time in years, for the first time since the purge, she was well and truly alone. A part of her was surprised she even remembered the way to her quarters. Of course I remember. This was home. The other part of her could only focus on getting out, her vision already blurring with tears.

She wished she could stay strong, like she had somehow managed for all these years. To be able to have the galaxy deal its absolute worst but still manage to march on. And she had. She had stayed strong for too long, resisting and fighting with everything she was as the galaxy slowly but surely crumbled around her, and she was just tired.

So she keyed in the code to her room, collapsed onto the bed and fully prepared herself for the emotions welling to the surface, waiting to break free.

But there was a knock at the door.

Karking… ugh… She scrubbed at her eyes.

"Come in," and it was Rex. Stepping into her room and looking at her, with an intensity that she almost thought maybe. Please! And then…

"Commander." Oh.

"Captain."

Because that's who he was. Captain Rex. Not my Rex.

Then again, Rex always took pleasure in proving her wrong, and as the doors hissed closed from the lack of motion he did just that. With a grin spreading on his face, he stepped towards her and crossed his arms at his chestplate.

"So… how was Malachor?"

There you have it!

I love feedback by the way, so keep it coming! If you've got plot ideas as well, I'd love to hear them!

See you for chapter 2!