Team Skywalker:
Anakin found Obi-Wan in the comm center, talking over orders with Cody and a holo of Admiral Yularen. From what he caught of the end of their conversation, everything had already been arranged and there was nothing left for Anakin to decide.
He was fine with that, considering that was generally the normal state of affairs anyway when there was actually time to pre-plan events. (People had been ignoring or dissing his opinion for years so he rarely bothered to give one anymore.) When it came to seat-of-the-pants thinking, though, Anakin liked to believe he had the most inspired plans and generally just did them rather than waiting for begrudging approval.
As the discussion about Rex's new legion came to an end, a comm came through from the hangar control center.
"The Mandos and Commander Rex have finally departed and the hangar doors are closed. We're ready down here for the jump."
"Understood," Cody replied in a nearly identical voice to the one they'd just heard.
Obi-Wan gave the order to the bridge crew of his three Venators to jump to lightspeed only a moment before the other clone belatedly added, "And team Skywalker just won the bet."
Anakin smirked over at Obi-Wan as his former Master scowled and the ship shifted under their feet from the jump before settling. "I told you she would figure it out as soon as she saw those helmets."
Obi-Wan's scowl deepened.
Cody laughed.
Yularen's hologram looked confused as the transmission flickered and switched to long-range. "What bet?"
Cody was nice enough to explain. "General Skywalker bet General Kenobi that Commander Tano would finally figure out that Cap... uh, Commander Rex loves her within half an hour of her seeing him again. General Kenobi said it would take at least a day. Us clones have been joining one team or the other in the bet with the winners getting the losers' dessert ration at the next victory meal. Except for you, I think Rex is the only one in our entire fleet who hasn't heard about the bet, and we left him in the dark on purpose so he couldn't influence the outcome."
Yularen didn't look impressed, as usual. "Yes, well, I don't tend to gossip with the soldiers." His tone was chiding.
"Of course not, Sir." Cody sounded properly chastised, but Anakin could feel that he wasn't even remotely repentant. Obi-Wan and I have been a bad influence on our men, no question. Go us.
"Which team did you go with, Cody?" Obi-Wan asked, an extra emphasis on the 'did', his arms crossed as he raised an eyebrow at his second-in-command.
Cody winced and shrugged slightly. "I was with Skywalker on this one. Sorry, Sir."
Anakin shot a grin to the clone as Obi-Wan huffed. "I want to see proof before I admit defeat."
"Of course, Sir." Cody commed Hangar Control back. "Hey, the General wants proof. You got any?"
"Yes, Sir. It's on the security recording for Bay 1 starting at 11:23. We all agree that it's enough to win the bet."
"Thank you." With a few quick button pushes, Cody pulled up the holo recording from Bay 1 and rewound it back to fifteen minutes ago. The men watched in silence as Ahsoka ran to Rex and practically leapt on him, her arms wrapping around his neck. Anakin's eyebrows rose, even though he'd been expecting something like this. She's never hugged me like that, that's for sure. Which is a good thing, of course. Cause that would be hella awkward.
His eyebrows rose even higher when she kissed Rex on the cheek and the clone responded by nuzzling her lek. Whoa. That got steamy fast! Rexter's got good instincts, got to give him that.
Pretty sure I don't want to see them getting any more familiar than that, though. I'd rather not wear a permanent grimace. It's bad enough that I know exactly what they can get up to if they want.
Stop! Stop picturing them naked and writhing!
Oh stars. I'm never getting that image out of my head now. Sometimes I wish the Force wouldn't send me pictures all the time.
Padmè! Think of naked Padmè!
He nearly sighed out loud in relief as an image of his wife took over from the unwanted one of his little sister getting it on with his best friend.
The recording didn't come with any sound, but he could see them talking, their eyes locked together and her hand on his chest. Their body language alone was definitely enough to win the bet. Anyone with working eyes could see that the Togruta girl had decided that Rex was hers now and that she was claiming him.
And no one in their right mind would try and get between a Togruta and their chosen mate; especially a Jedi trained one with lightsabres and a much better than average connection to the Force.
Unless they were suicidal, that is. Or somehow had missed the galaxy wide knowledge that Togruta females can and will go feral if their mates or offspring are threatened.
Cody turned off the holo as they started to walk away side by side, Ahsoka definitely in Rex's personal space bubble.
Silence reigned for a few uncomfortable seconds. And then Obi-Wan sighed. "You win, Anakin. Clearly."
Anakin grinned. "Thank you, Master. I look forward to the extra dessert after we defeat Grievous shortly."
"Don't get too cocky, my former Padawan."
"Of course not, Master." Anakin was still grinning. He had a very good feeling about the upcoming battle. And seeing Rex finally get what he'd been pining for for three long years just warmed his heart to no end. (Even though he'd specifically told Rex he'd skewer him if this had occurred any sooner than Ahsoka's sixteenth birthday, which was the earliest a Jedi could possibly be Knighted and the universal age of consent for all humanoid sentients.)
Yularen's holo was frowning up a storm, which Anakin and Obi-Wan finally noticed.
"Something on your mind, Admiral?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes. There is. I'm not sure how you can condone this, General Kenobi. As a Jedi, she is not supposed to act in such an inappropriate fashion. And as far as Commander Rex is concerned, he should be demoted or even sent for reconditioning for acting in such a way towards a Jedi."
Apparently, Yularen is suicidal. Anakin opened his mouth to set the older man straight, but, astonishingly, Obi-Wan beat him to it.
"Admiral, you are conveniently forgetting everything we just did BECAUSE Ahsoka is no longer a Jedi. Ahsoka is free to attach herself to whomever she wants now and we can't stop her. Not to mention that we'd have to be bloody stupid to try. And as far as Commander Rex is concerned, the clones ARE allowed to fraternize with civilians during their off duty hours, as all of the shenanigans at 79's can attest to. And since Ahsoka is now a civilian, there's nothing you can do to him about returning her affections unless their relationship interferes with his duties, and I can guarantee that neither of those two would ever let it come to that."
Yularen was still scowling. "Technically, what I just witnessed qualifies as just that. He was must certainly on duty while they were embracing."
Anakin narrowed his eyes at the hologram threateningly. "Are you seriously going to try and discipline my best soldier for a minor infraction that lasted only a couple of minutes and hurt nothing except for slightly delaying our jump to hyperspace?"
The Admiral glared right back. "I should." Anakin's hands curled into fists, anger at the other man's obstinate idiocy taking over. Fortunately for the Admiral, he noticed and backed down. "But... Since we just went to all the trouble of filing new orders for him and the 332nd I won't, as long as I don't see any more evidence that he is being remiss in his duties."
"Then we'll make sure you never see it," Anakin all but growled. He shot a look at Cody and the clone nodded back subtly, understanding immediately that Anakin wanted him to pass the word to all of his brothers that any security footage of Rex and Ahsoka doing anything even remotely inappropriate would either be erased or be conveniently unviewable thanks to technical difficulties.
"Very well," Yularen said, not stupid by any means as he saw that he wasn't going to win this one. "I'll leave this matter in your hands, Skywalker. They are your people, after all."
"Yes, they are," Anakin said firmly, finally relaxing. And they always will be.
Yularen moved as if to leave, but then he turned back. "Just one last question. I know Togrutans mate for life once they pick one. What are you going to do if they want to get married? Clones aren't allowed to do that."
Obi-Wan shrugged. "We'll deal with that if and when it happens, Admiral."
"How?"
"We don't know yet," Anakin lied.
Yularen's holo image raised an eyebrow in disbelief but only nodded and then disappeared from beside the holotable.
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged glances, since they'd already talked about this very scenario. The short answer was that they would have to make Rex 'die' unless the Senate could be persuaded to grant the Clones more rights as sentient beings.
Obi-Wan sighed, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Cody, the bridge is yours for the next half hour."
"Yes, Sir."
"Anakin and I are going to the mess hall if you need us."
We are? "We are?"
Obi-Wan smiled faintly as he moved towards the door. "Yes, we are. We need to eat now while we still have the chance, and you and I need to have a long overdue talk."
Uh oh.