DESTINY - CHAPTER 22

Rex carried a sleeping T'annon in his arms. Her head lay against his chest as he walked through the dark back to the hut she shared with Reesa.

Because neither Ahsoka nor T'annon would be going on the trip to Cornu Copiae in the morning, they'd said another tearful farewell. It was hard for Rex to think about leaving T'annon, but it was equally as hard to leave Ahsoka behind.

Their goodbyes, along with the Yau Leh'ka ceremonies, had exhausted T'annon and she'd run out of energy like a deflating puffer pig. Worn out, she'd finally fallen asleep.

Rex tapped on the hut wall and Reesa appeared at the door. She looked at T'annon and grinned. "Looks like someone's run out of hyperdrive fuel. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Rex said. "We had a … very good evening."

Reesa reached out and Rex transferred T'annon into her arms.

"We will all miss you, Rex. Some, much more than others."

"I'll really miss T'annon, too. "I know it will be hard for her."

"T'annon isn't the only one it will be hard for."

Rex shuffled his feet and shrugged.

"I wish for you all the blessings of the universe," Reesa said. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you, Reesa."

They gave each other one last look, then Rex turned and began the walk back to his small cot in his small room.

Letting the storage building door slide shut behind him, Rex walked over to the table and dropped his cloak on top. He stared down at the scratched and battered surface, memories flooding into him of the hours he and Ahsoka had spent playing Sabacc, laughing, talking, even crying, around that old, beat-up table.

The ragged deck of Sabacc cards caught his eye and he picked them up. They felt familiar, dog-eared and rough to the touch, a comfort in his hands. He sat them back down, hoping that after he was gone, they'd bring Ahsoka the same comfort when she found them.

Rex used the fresher, then doused his face with water. As he dried off he saw his new tattoos in the small mirror on the back of the fresher door. He slowly raised a hand to the mirror and ran his fingers over the reflection of the markings. The glass was cold to the touch and he let out shiver. He watched as his hand moved from the mirror to his face. He traced the images across his warm skin and the tattoos came alive under his fingertips. They were real. They were his. No one could ever take them from him.

Sitting down on the edge of his cot Rex surveyed the wall of his small room, covered with scores of scratches that marked the days and weeks and months he'd spent in captivity. But as he thought back on everything, he realized that the experience had been much more than being a prisoner. He suspected he might never fathom the entire impact on him. But he knew it had fundamentally changed him. She had changed him. And he was better for it.

Now he was leaving and it was unlikely he would ever see Ahsoka again. He would never be able to touch her again. Or hold her again. Or kiss her again. Suddenly the cost of his decision to leave seemed too high a price to pay. Still, he knew he had to leave. For her sake, as well as for his.

But he couldn't walk away without holding her one more time. He wouldn't leave without returning the kiss she'd gifted him earlier that evening. He wasn't sure this was the best thing to do but, just like Ahsoka, he had too many regrets in his life to afford one more.

Rex rose, quickly walking past the Sabacc table and out of the building, setting a course for Ahsoka's door.

Ahsoka felt him coming. Rex's emotions pushed hard at her through the Force, just as they had earlier in the evening. They broke her concentration, interrupting her futile attempt to find some peace through meditation.

His will seemed conflicted, but his feelings were certain, and they were familiar.

Desire.

She'd felt Rex's desire before and there was no mistaking his feelings now. And he was coming to her.

Ahsoka opened her eyes as her chest tightened in anticipation. She forced her breathing to steady as she stared across the flames of her fire toward the door, waiting.

"Ahsoka," came Rex's quiet voice from outside.

Ahsoka stood, her night gown flowing around her. "Come in, Rex."

Rex entered, letting the heavy tarp close behind him and turned to face her.

Ahsoka's heart raced as she regarded him standing in her doorway. Tall, broad shouldered, lean and powerful. Ruggedly handsome with his blond hair and beard … and his new facial markings. Her markings. Which she'd given him, not more than an hour ago.

Here was the man that destiny had forced upon her. The man that she'd hated with a rage so powerful it had blinded her to the wonder that he truly was. The man that she'd slowly come to know and understand. Then, accept and like. Finally, trust. And perhaps … even love.

Love.

What other explanation was there for her impetuous actions earlier — both the kiss and the tattoo?

Rex's emotions were a riotous jumble of desire and fear, doubt and determination. Ahsoka employed her mental barriers to shield herself from most, but not all of Rex's feelings. The visceral power of his energy flowing into her was breathtaking and she would not give it up willingly.

Ahsoka lifted her eyes to his and realized he'd been studying her while she'd been entranced by him. He stepped around the fire and stopped an arm's length in front of her. A trickle of cold sweat ran down her spine under her night shirt. She wrapped her arms around her chest and a chill made her shiver. She could see tension in his jaw and sense that he was trying to turn emotion into words. She held her breath, waiting for those words to come.

"You're not the only one who doesn't want another regret," Rex said, softly.

Rex took the final step toward her, their bodies almost touching now. Her gaze was drawn to his eyes — his beautiful, wonderful, amber eyes. His expression was earnest and the emotions she felt through the Force were almost worshipful. For the first time in her life Ahsoka realized what it was like to be adored.

Rex lifted a hand to her face, the gentle touch of his calloused fingertips rough on her cheek. Ahsoka place her hand over his, pressing it against her. The last time he'd caressed her like this he'd just regained consciousness, and just as quickly had fallen unconscious again. Not this time.

Rex's eyes darkened as they focused on her lips. His expression mirroring his feeling flowing to her through the Force — he wanted her. She knew without a doubt, because that same want raced through her, quickening her pulse, sending a surge of longing through every cell.

Rex leaned closer, pausing when his lips were only millimeters from hers.

"Ahsoka?" he said, asking for her permission.

"Yes," she breathed.

Ahsoka slid her other hand behind Rex's head, coaxing him to close the distance. His lips gently pressed against hers. They were soft and willing, and she closed her eyes as the kiss lingered for a few moments.

Rex pulled back slightly. Ahsoka opened her eyes and felt the smile on her lips. He smiled in return and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. A soft moan of satisfaction escaped her lips and she closed her eyes, pulling his body to hers.

She breathed in his scent, the same male muskiness she'd experienced earlier in the evening when she'd kissed him. She reveled in the hardness of his body pressed against her, tasted the saltiness of his lips. The heady mix made her heart beat faster. She pulled his lips to hers again.

The kiss wasn't frantic or hurried. It was slow and warm and tender, fueling the desire pooling within her. Rex deepened the kiss and Ahsoka returned his affection willingly.

As she immersed herself in a sea of physical and emotional sensations, she felt Rex's feelings shift again. His desire was still driving him, she had no doubt. But there was another emotion pulsing through him. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but the sense of gratitude and appreciation that accompanied it made it powerful, almost overwhelming. And she wanted more.

She needed to feel him. To drown herself in his emotions and his body. To give all of herself to him in return. To seize this fleeting moment before he would be gone and lost to her forever.

Breaking the kiss, Ahsoka pulled back. Rex gave her a questioning look, but it didn't last long. She tugged at the hem of his shirt and began to pull it up his torso. He easily finished the effort, lifting it up and over his head, dropping it to the floor. Ahsoka gazed at his muscled body, then pushed close to him. The pulse of arousal was intoxicating as she brushed her lekku across his skin. She was gratified when he closed his eyes and let out a low groan as she caressed his chest with her fingers.

Her arousal began to sing within her — insistent, but not frantic. This wasn't only about lust and physical gratification. Yes, those added to her desire. But this moment with Rex was also about acceptance and respect. Trust and gratitude. About pleasing him as much as she wanted to be pleased by him.

Ahsoka's hands dropped to the waist of Rex's linen pants, pulling them over his hips and down his legs to pool by his ankles. His desire for her was prominently displayed and she shivered in anticipation.

Rex reciprocated her efforts by drawing her night gown up to her chest. He held it there while Ahsoka tucked her lekku through the neck, then finished pulling it up and over her montrals. He tossed it to the floor on top of his shirt.

For a heartbeat, Ahsoka took in the moment. She stood naked, in front of a clone, who was also naked. And she wanted this clone — this man. She felt no shame, no awkwardness, no hesitation. Instead, everything felt — right. She had marked him. And he had returned to her bed, unbidden. Drawn to her as she was to him — like the twin stars of a binary pair. Neither of them able, nor wanting, to break free from the other.

Ahsoka reached out and took Rex's hand, pulling him down beside her as she laid on her bedroll among the piles of cushions on the floor. Tugging blankets over them, she drew him closer, their legs and arms entwining as they journeyed together toward ecstasy.