Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co.

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"Understood, General," Rex broke off the link with Skywalker as he took a stance to the right of and slightly behind Ahsoka. Her dual lightsabers whirled, deflecting shots back at the droids as he fired his pistols, "Commander, General Skywalker wants us to assist Fives and Teroch. He'll handle things here," he shouted over the din of battle.

"Got it, Rex," she grunted as she charged the droid line. Rex followed close behind, watching her back for her. As soon as they were through, they kept running. Thankfully the clankers were too stupid to be concerned with what looked like just two stragglers.

As soon as they were in the clear, Ahsoka crouched and he followed her lead. They approached the fortress behind the cover of several large moss-covered boulders and the Captain wasn't too happy with what he saw when they were finally within view of the place. Fives, being a complete idiot, was out in the middle of the field and too far from any sort of cover. The ARC was trying to dodge heavy cannon fire while it looked like Jesse and his squad were busying themselves with setting charges at the main gate of the fortress.

"I've got Fives, Rexter. You help Jesse out." He nodded, even though he could care less for the plan. Even though Ahsoka was the one better suited to get the ARC Trooper out of the sticky situation he'd gotten himself into, Rex still didn't like the idea of her putting herself in that much danger. I can't think about it right now. And Commander Tano's proven herself more than capable. She can do this. But he still couldn't shake the proverbial bad feeling.

Ahsoka gave him a brief smile, picking up on his mood, "I'll be careful if you are too, 'kay?" With that, she raced to Fives' position, her green saber and yellow shoto clearly getting the droids' attention. As Rex ran to join Teroch Squad, the sensors in his bucket told him that the droids' heavy cannons were targeting Ahsoka and ignoring the clones completely. I'll be careful if you are, Ahsoka.

Jesse maintained his defensive stance, blaster at the ready, as Rex joined him and his squad, "You're late, sir."

"Yeah, Cap, we're almost done." Rex didn't bother to reprimand Cooper, who was also in a defensive stance, for the lack of respect. Now's not the time to correct a shiny's manners.

"Good to hear, how much left to do?"

Hotshot didn't bother looking up from the long red and white string he was attaching to the seam of the fortress's main door, "As soon as Chip and I get these dets here attached, we're good to go, sir."


Fives had never really worked one on one with Commander Tano before, and he couldn't help but admire how naturally she adjusted her fighting stance to match his. They'd taken cover in a trench he'd literally stumbled faceplate first into moments before, now both ducking as the heavy cannons fired. Then deflecting and returning fire from the clankers lined up on the top of the wall.

"Got any dets on you, Fives?" Commander Tano managed to ask as she deflected yet another shot. Those tinnies' may be the dumbest things in the galaxy, but they sure do know how to shoot, I'll give them that.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered back. Commander Tano just gave him a look at the title, but he busied himself with pulling out a thermal det from one the pouches at his belt. Sky had long since broke him of using 'sir' for a female officer. Come to think of it, she'd broken all of her boys, including the ones that she'd cross-trained, of it too.

"Get ready to throw it on my mark."

"But, Commander, that's out-"

"I'll give you some help. Now, Fives!" He lobbed the grenade and just as it began to arc back down towards the ground, it jumped back up and slammed into the heavy cannon closest to Teroch and Rex's position.


There was the sound of an explosion coming from the wall above them and Rex and Teroch instantly ducked. Fives' voice came through their helmets, "The tinnies' main cannon is down. Commander Tano and I are working on the others. Just thought you should know."

"Thanks for telling us that after it practically explodes over our heads, Fives," Cooper shot back sarcastically. The remark sounded like something Sergeant Cordav would say. Well, Teroch was cross-trained by her. I've got to remember that.

"That's it," Chip's voice came over the link as he and Hotshot took a few steps back. "Done."

Rex nodded, opening the link to Ahsoka's com, "Dets are set and armed, Commander."

"I'll keep the clankers distracted, Rex. Be quick!"

"Yes, sir!" He couldn't help but be amazed at how quickly Teroch bugged out of there. The squad reached the cover of the nearest trench a full three seconds before he did. But then again, commandos, even ones who were formerly troopers, were different from soldiers. On a completely different level that was all their own. But he didn't have much time to think on it as the sounds of battle drew closer to the fortress and Hotshot set off the dets.


I think Hotshot used a little too much, Fives thought as the ground shook so hard from the explosion that he and the Commander were almost knocked off of their feet. Talk about P for Plenty. Clankers came pouring out of the huge gaping hole in the fortress wall and Fives pulled the Commander down with him as he ducked yet again.

It wasn't lost on him that the two of them were much closer to the advancing droids than Rex and Teroch. And even though he could hear the battle that the rest of Torrent was fighting, he had no way of knowing how close the company was, "General Skywalker had better hurry up, or this might just be our last stand, Commander." Sky, Tea, little one. I don't see a way out of this, but I promise I'm not giving up.

"He's not too far. Have some faith, Fives." Easy for you to say. You don't have a spouse and kids waiting for you back home.

The clanking noise of the droids came closer and Fives' heart sank as tinnies jumped down into their trench, surrounding them. This is great. Osik! This is just wonderful.

"Fives! Look out!" Commander Tano pushed him so hard that his back hit the dirt wall and she stood defensively in front of him. Her lightsabers blurring as she blocked shots and he managed to take out a few droids himself. The trench was becoming littered with downed droids and their parts when Fives spotted it. A commando droid's head peered over the lip of the trench along with the muzzle of the clanker's sniper rifle. Aiming right at Ahsoka Tano.

"Ma'am! Duck!" He tried to pull her out of the way of the shot, but her bloodcurdling scream told him that he was too late. "Commander!"


General Skywalker and the rest of Torrent had just engaged the droids from the fortress when Rex heard it. A sound that made his heart stop and his blood run cold. A young woman's piercing cry of pain. Ahsoka! Without making a conscious decision, he took off at a dead run to the trench where she'd taken shelter with Fives, completely heedless of the blaster bolts flying around him. A commando droid at the edge of the trench was pulling itself up to it's feet and he shot it point blank in the chest piece before jumping down into the trench himself. No droids followed him and he didn't even realize that his company was now surrounding the trench. His eyes were on Ahsoka, who was lying still in Fives' shaking arms. She'd taken a sniper round to the stomach. No! No, no, no!

He took her from Fives, ignoring the other man completely as he checked his Commander's vitals. Her breathing was shallow, and her pulse was faint. "Hold on, Ahsoka," he whispered, choking on his own words.

Fives' voice finally broke through the haze of Rex's fear for the young woman in his arms, "General, we need an evac! Now! Commander Tano's been hit! I don't know how much longer she can hold on..."


Fives didn't bother knocking. He opened the door to Rex's quarters and found exactly what he'd been expecting ever since he saw Rex delicately cradling the Commander's limp form in that trench. The Captain, stripped to his bodysuit with his armor strewn haphazardly around the small room, was pacing back and forth. Not even noticing that Fives was standing in his doorway. The scene reminded him of how much of a mess he himself had been when Sky had been stabbed, when she'd slipped into that coma. He cares for her. Why didn't I see that before?

"Rex?" No response. The Captain just continued his frantic pacing. "Rex!"

The blond man finally froze, looking completely disoriented, "Fives? How long have you been standing there?"

The ARC Trooper stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against the wall and folded his arms, "Long enough. You really care about her, don't you?"

"She's our commanding officer," Rex said, putting too much emphasis on that last word. "Of course I care about her."

"I'm not stupid, Rex. But I am a married man. This," Fives motioned with his gloved hand to the seemingly discarded kit and unmade bunk, "is almost exactly the way I acted when we thought Sky wasn't going to make it."

Rex sighed, running both hands over his face, "You're right. I'm sorry, Fives, I shouldn't have lectured you-"

The tattooed clone shook his head, "I'm not here for that, Rex. When Sky was in that medcenter, her family was there for me. I just figured that you'd probably like some company."

Rex turned away and didn't answer, not right away. He sat on the bed, clasping and unclasping his hands and keeping his gaze on the floor. Fives settled on the bunk beside him, just waiting silently. "Why her, Fives? Why Ahsoka?"

"I can't tell you that. All I can say is what you already know, Rex. This is war, people are going to get hurt. Even the people we love."

Rex nodded, still not meeting his gaze. I've never seen him like this.

"What gets me, is that I can't even stay with her. I'm no Jedi, I'm not her master. I'm just a clone captain with a curfew." Fives nodded, remembering when Yularan had given that order. All of Torrent Company, except for those who were already being treated in the Resolute's medbay, had literally swamped the place trying to see how their Commander was doing. The Admiral had declared a curfew to keep the boys from accidentally interfering with the medical droids' jobs.

"Well, it's a good thing you know a Mando-trained ARC trooper, huh?"

Rex finally met his gaze, his own expression one of disbelief, "You'd do that?"

"How the haran did you think I got in here?"


osik = crap

haran = hell

I apologize if the action sequences fell flat. I'm more comfortable writing emotional stuff. I sincerely hope ya'll liked it.

And no, I'm not going to kill Ahsoka. :)

Please R&R.