Hi everyone, I'm back with another one! Sorry it took a bit of time. Exam period is just around the corner as well, so bear with me. How is everyone liking the Bad Batch? I love it! My favourite is still Echo, he's the closest to home for me. Speaking of, it is making me a little nervous not knowing what's going to happen with them, and Echo in particular, just in case this story ends up not lining up with what actually happened. Oh well, I suppose it's not a big thing. Can't wait for episode 4! Thank you for your lovely comments too! They make my day.

Here's another Rex's perspective for you.

Enjoy!

THREE - Brothers

Rex woke up to a lek in the face and his arm tingling with numbness from its spot under a snoring Ahsoka. He smiled. This had become one of his favourite ways to wake up since he joined the rebellion, a reminder that not everything he knew and loved was left to die in the wreckage of the Venator all those years ago, that he could very much feel Ahsoka's heart beating against the palm she cradled against her chest as she slept. Overtime, he had learnt to cherish these moments, to allow himself to sleep in just a little if it meant he could stay curled around Ahsoka's sleeping form for a moment longer. He had to, with her duties as Fulcrum often leading to her having short-noticed extended periods of time away from base, running all kinds of classified and fate-tempting missions.

But he couldn't allow himself that luxury today. Not with the strict GAR military protocols they would have to readjust to. Troopers should be up by 0600, he remembered. And troopers should definitely not be caught in their commanding officer's quarters.

He attempted to slide his arm out from under the sleeping togruta, trying his best not to wake her. It didn't work, and she muttered in protest, wrapping herself around his arm tighter, awake now but pretending not to be. Her cold feet, which were normally entangled with his, were now pressed into his shins for warmth. He chuckled, having a sudden urge to poke fun at her new height. He could imagine she wouldn't be happy with the regression after waiting so long to hold her elegant growth over his head (quite literally if they counted her montrals, though Rex had always argued that they didn't count).

"Morning littl'un," he teased, unable to help himself. Ahsoka turned and poked a sleepy head up at him to glare. He grinned at her, barely refrained from rubbing it in further by calling her smaller montrals "cute."

"Not a word," she grumbled, pointing a finger in front of his face in warning, before rolling off of him and sitting up to stretch. She smiled coyly at him. "Just so you know, you were way more comfy before."

Rex barked out a laugh. "Speak for yourself. I missed being in this shape." Not that he ever became unfit, but he had grown soft with the lack of rigorous strength and stamina training he practiced as a soldier. To his pleasant surprise, he also noticed that the subtle heaviness he had slowly accumulated in his bones with age was long gone.

"Hey," she turned to him suddenly, already halfway out of bed. "You know we should try sparring again. Now that we're like… this again." She gestured to their bodies. "It could be interesting."

He hummed in agreement, following her off the bunk. He started to collect his armour plates from their stack by the door. Ahsoka hardly ever won a fight against him hand-to-hand in her padawan days, not if he wasn't pulling his punches. But she thrashed him almost every time during their spars back on rebel base, with her forms growing to easily rival his over the years, and his body slowly losing its strength and speed. He guessed they would be more or less evenly matched now.

"I might take you up on that," Rex told her, now fully kitted up. Ahsoka smiled at him and reached forward for one more hug. "I'll find you this afternoon. There are some things I need to do first." Namely the daily reports and orders he remembered having to send through to command. He had some catching up to do if he intended to keep those up.

"Always the diligent captain, Rex," she teased him. He snapped to attention in response, giving her a crisp salute, making her snort. "I'll see you in the afternoon then."

He marched out the door, pretending not to see her shake her head at his antiques on his way out. He couldn't stop the wide grin on his face if he tried.

"Captain, you better not tell me you were cooped up here all night."

Rex looked up from his datapad to see a trooper barging into his office. The action in itself was enough to tell him who it was, only a handful of men would dare such a thing. But the shaved and tattooed head, with his signature accusing glare was what made him smile. Kix always took pleasure in pulling rank on anyone he could in the GAR, loved to chew him out for his apparent "lack of self-preservation." He had always wondered what happened to Kix, who seemingly just vanished one day during a 501st leave on Coruscant.

It was good to see him again.

"What can I do for you Kix?" he asked, saving his progress on the latest report.

"If I had my way? Your shebs in the medbay with a sedative shoved into your kriffing neck." Rex couldn't help but glance at Kix's hands. No hypo hidden in his fingers waiting for the plunge, that was good. If Kix was still anything like he remembered, it definitely wouldn't be beyond him to pull a stunt like that. Of course, it wasn't actually necessary, Rex had just had one of the best sleeps he could remember, including his time as a captain, wanderer and rebel. Given he never actually showed up to the barracks though, he figured he should keep that bit of information to himself.

"And if you didn't have your way then?" he asked instead. Kix sighed at him and shook his head, but thankfully let it go, handing Rex his datapad instead.

"Fives and Echo are back, and they need you to sign them off for temporary placement with the 501st. Apparently you boys have a little errand to run together?"

Lola Sayu. The Citadel. Yes, Rex remembered what was coming. Absently, he replaced his datapad with Kix's and scribbled a CT-7567 at the bottom of the document. They needed a plan for this, if they were going to fight the losses. He'd speak to Ahsoka later.

"Thanks, Kix." He handed the pad back to him. Kix nodded, but didn't look like he was about to leave. "Anything else?"

"Mess hall, sir. You're coming with me, before I decide to mix a nutrient pack with your sedative."

He barely repressed his groan. Kix's eyes were set with determination, and Rex knew that meant he wasn't leaving without him. Stubborn di'kut. He stood up, knowing better than to fight a losing battle, following Kix out the door.

Walking down the corridor was different, now that more troopers were awake. Of course, Rex had seen them roaming around the day before, but he hadn't been able to take it in properly, more concerned on what the kriff was going on at the time. This time though, the sight of them all filled him with a sudden ache in his chest. Shinies in unmarked, unscathed armour stopped mid step with a salute as he passed, and the more seasoned troopers sniggered at their antiques with a push and shove. When he and Kix arrived at the mess hall, he almost couldn't enter. All he could see was a sea of 501st blue. Brothers.

For the first time in years, he was finally home.

And when Fives and Echo stood up from their table to greet him, Hardcase sitting behind them, he allowed himself a wide smile. It was nice to see them back together, where they both belonged.

"Captain!" They came to attention with a snap of their heels, crazy grins on their faces. Kix sniggered at the newly minted ARCs. Hardcase, who still had his mouth full of his rations, noticed them approaching and waved a hand. His grin made his cheeks bulge.

"They've been waiting to show off their new getup," Hardcase called out, and Fives gave him an offended look.

"Oh 'fess up Hardcase, if you looked this awesome you'd show it off too," Fives broke out of his stance to cross his arms. Echo, ever the regs abiding clone, only relaxed at the wave of Rex's hand. Rex couldn't wait for him to grow out of that. "You're all just mad because I'm better looking than your ugly shebs!"

Kix threw his arms up exasperatedly. "We're clones! Clones Fives!"

"Whatever." Fives spun around to face Rex again with a crazy "Fives" smile. "So Captain, did you miss us?"

Did he miss them? 16 years was too long ago for Rex to remember his response to the question, but he was sure he would have made a smart remark. He probably joked about there being nothing to miss to make Fives scoff. He might have done the same again now if it were any other clone.

But before him stood two of his finest men. He'd watched them grow from shinies to battle hardened soldiers who had gone through too much, abandonment, betrayal, sacrifice, loss, and somehow they still let it shape them into better men. They didn't know that they would inspire Rex during some of his hardest years, but he did. He clasped a hand on each of their shoulders and squeezed, offering each of them a smile.

"Of course I missed you, men. And I couldn't be more proud of you," he stated firmly. He wished it would be appropriate to say more. Though maybe it was better that he didn't. Fives already looked on the verge of squirming away at the sudden show of praise.

Echo though, was always the more sentimental of the two, and gave a sheepish smile.

"Thanks Captain," he said softly. "We're glad to be back."

Hardcase, who had filled up his mouth even more now, started spewing puffs of crumbs onto the table as he attempted to speak, earning groans and a "disgusting!" from his brothers.

Rex turned away and glanced at Kix, not forgetting why he was here in the first place. Kix, for all his nagging and ordering around, now looked comically out of place with the captain's show of emotion.

"If I bring a bar back to my office, will I be safe from the medbay visit?" Rex asked him.

"Take two. I know you're not planning on coming out for a while."

Rex laughed. "At least you'll know where to find me, Kix."

He ended up grabbing four bars, just in case Ahsoka didn't make it to the mess before their spar in the afternoon, and headed back to his office. He would have ended up staying in the mess with the rest of the troopers, but he really did have reports to finish. The Battle of Kamino, though some months ago now, had taken a lot of the 501st, and trooper statuses weren't yet updated. And, of course, the fact that for Rex it took place too many years ago made the process much slower.

It was the hardest part of being a captain, no matter how much he fell in love with his rank. The endless status to be updated to KIA, the endless troopers too unfit to return to the front lines to sign off. The endless remembrances to be said, because he'd die before he let a brother be forgotten. Rex knew loss. He had once lost all his brothers, but he didn't think he would be able to lose anyone else. Not this time.

Because there came a time that the KIA was under Hardcase's CT number. Where Fives was unlawfully executed, and Kix had vanished. Where Echo was turned into something unrecognisable, and Jesse's body lay buried on a desolate and uninhabited moon. Dogma would be executed for doing what Rex could not, and Tup would be taken over by what would one day take over all of them. Dogma and Tup, who were not even stationed with them yet.

As long as there was breath in Rex's body, he would do everything he could to not fail his men again.

Just a filler for this chapter, but it's always nice to see the clones interact a little! I'm not sure if I'm that good with dialogue though, so let me know how I'm doing. I love feedback as always. Thanks for sticking around guys!

See you for chapter 4!