Akira clipped on his armor, his cerulean eyes particularly alight. They'd been able to spend a few nights together, and now they were going back to the field. Before Akira, Rex hated free time. His mind wandered, and he filled his time with drinking and gambling. Now he dreaded returning to the field. He never knew where he was going or how long he'd be gone, and now he worried about Akira's whereabouts. He was a guard, but bounced between the guard and the frontlines due to the ever increasing shortages of Jedi and clones. Padawan were getting younger, and the clones even younger. The GAR was desperate for numbers, they were pulling anyone and everyone they could.

Rex pulled on his helmet, and Akira holstered his saber. "At least we'll be together for this one."

Rex rolled his eyes. Being on the battlefield with Akira was like fighting with a child; he ran around recklessly, and Rex was always watching him, worried.

They walked out to the transport together, and Akira kept close to him, his shoulder brushing Rex's. It was Akira and Plo for this one. Anakin was staying in the capitol with the chancellor.

Running through the field, Rex tried to keep an eye on Akira in his peripheral vision. Their goal was to clear the field leading to the capitol of the planet, protecting the villages along the way. Among the villages were med tents full of wounded clones. A lot was on the line for this battle, and for the first time in a long time, Rex was particularly nervous.

Akira was wearing his battle uniform, gray plastoid armor over his shoulders and chest, black and gray tunic and trousers beneath, tucked in his combat boots. His lightsaber had never been set aside. It was dusk, the suns beginning to set behind the horizon, and helmet lights were beginning to turn on. They were dangerous, showing the separatists exactly where to shoot, but necessary. Night vision struggled in the dusk, and until then, flashlights would have to be used.

Somewhere in his immediate vicinity was Jesse and Fives, but beyond that he was unsure. He could see Akira's saber ahead, illuminating the trunks around him.

Rex downed several commando droids coming from the high ground, and Jesse jogged by. Kix was dragging off one of the men, his lower leg hanging on by a single tendon, screams tearing from his throat.

Many of the men that had gone ahead of them had fallen back, the space between Akira and Torrent Company growing. Rex was careful of debris on the ground, bodies, pieces of armor, and blasters. Between the trees, the dusk, and the fog falling, he grew worried about the obstacles in their way. The ground was uneven, pocked with small holes that could easily catch boots. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing, joined by the occasional scream or shot of a blaster.

A group of commando droids rolled to Akira and Jesse's position, shots being fired. Rex picked up his pace into a jog, following the glow of the saber. As he grew closer, he saw Jesse falling onto his bottom. The ricochet and the pangs of Akira's saber deflecting shot after shot helped him in the disorienting dark, all the other men far behind.

"Leave me, Akira!" Jesse shouted.

Akira was standing over Jesse, deflecting the shots of over a dozen commando droids. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. Rex blasted a few, coming around the trees to their position. Two were left, and both focused on Rex. Akira knelt beside Jesse. He'd been shot in the thigh.

Rex blasted the two droids and ran over, pulling out his med pack.

"You should've left me, dummy. You could've died." Jesse laughed.

"I'm not leaving anyone, Jesse, ever." Akira said, humorless.

Bang.

Akira's eyes widened, his blood spattering Rex's armor.

One of the fallen commando droids; torso's still had life, and fired the shot, and Jesse shot it before Rex even had the chance.

"Akira!" Jesse cried out. Rex was without words. His mind was fumbling. Akira can't get shot… its impossible. He'd seen Akira dodge impossible shots, some he'd sworn had hit him, entirely unscathed, but here he was, bleeding.

He slumped forward and Rex caught him, shaking his head. "Akira."

His breathing was shallow. "Kix, Rex. I need Kix."

HIs words kicked Rex into gear. He gathered him in his arms, running back toward the others.

"I need a medic! Kix!" He cried, holding Akira close. All of the men shook their heads, many wounded wondering the same thing. Where was Kix?

"The group got split, they're over there!" Someone called, pointing to the opposite side of a long, stone wall.

Akira sucked in a breath, his blue eyes steeped in fear. Rex cradled him against his chest, dodging a mortar blast and dashing behind a tank. He threw Akira over his shoulder, shooting a droid with his pistol and running behind the wall. He set Akira down, propping him against it and taking his helmet off.

Akira was clutching his abdomen, sucking in another breath.

"It's gonna be ok," Rex breathed, pulling a bacta patch from his field bag. "Kix, come in." He said into his comm, tearing Akira's shirt open. It was at the base of his ribs. He spread the bacta patch over it, feeling helpless. That was all he could do. He put his hand over it.

"Its going to be ok, I'm gonna protect you."

Akira hissed, his head back against the wall.

"You're gonna get killed sitting here with me."

Rex shook his head, "no, we're gonna be fine."

Akira took a shaking breath, blood on his lips. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he looked to the horizon. Droids were coming over the hill.

"Rex, you need to go," Akira breathed.

"No. No I'm not leaving you." Rex pressed, firing at an incoming droid.

"You have to. Your men need you."

Rex shook his head, firing again. "I'll die here before I leave you."

Akira coughed, blood spattering his face. "Listen to me." He said, clutching Rex's arm with his bloody hand. "I love you, I love you so much, but you need to go help your men. I'll be ok, I'll be fine, but you need to go, Rex."

"I can't live without you Akira, not anymore."

"I'm not going anywhere, Rex, go!" He cried, pushing him onto his bottom. "Go!" Rex stood and Akira force pushed him, his eyes wild. "Please, Rex! They're dying! They'll all die if you don't go!"

Rex dashed down the hill, firing at the droids.

"Kix come in." He called into his comm. Nothing.

He tried to stay near the wall, listening for droids and protecting it. His men did need him. They were severely outnumbered, with more than half of them fallen or wounded. They were pressed against the wall, with little cover to protect them.

"Kix!" he tried to keep the fear from his voice. He was shaking, trying to keep the droids from the wall and the wounded men that had been dragged before it as well.

"Kix!"

The battle was won, but with significant loses. Rex secured the wounded, and ran up the hill and behind the wall where he'd left Akira.

The hill was littered with fallen droids of all kinds, nearly as many as torrent had taken out on the opposite side. Rex gasped. He'd thought his biggest fear would be Akira's body, but instead all there was was flattened grass and a patch of blood.

"Akira!" He screamed.

Nothing.

"Codes," he called into the com, his voice shaking.

"Rex."

"Akira, was he taken onto med vac?"

"What? I-I'm not sure, was he injured?"

"Yes, yes and he's missing," Rex said impatiently.

"Get on the ship, I'll send out a sweep."

"Cody-"

"That's an order." Cody's voice was firm. "Now."

Rex jogged toward the ship, running up the incline to the lander. Kix was walking toward him, soaked in someone's blood.

"Kix, Kix, Akira-"

"Akira?" Kix's eyes widened, "He's in the med bay, Rex, you have to get in there."

He ran down the hallway toward the med bay, and they were frantically pulling clothes off Akira, his hand hanging over the edge of the gurney.

"Akira, Akira-" he stammered, taking his hand and holding it to his face.

"I'm ok," Akira smiled, blood staining his teeth.

Rex looked up, his chest had more bloody holes.

He'd been shot again. Twice.

"Akira," he whispered panicked, and Akira kissed his hand.

"I'm so proud of you." He smiled, tears in his eyes.

"What?" Rex cried.

"I'm so proud of what you did today. You did the right thing. Protecting the others. You're so brave, Rex. So strong."

"Akira, stop."

"I love you, and I'm so so proud of who you are. Don't you ever let them change you."

A woman entered the room, and rex recognized her from Anakin's injury. A force healer.

"His heart rate is falling fast-" one of them called frantically, and Akira grabbed Rex's hand with surprising strength. "I'll always be here for you." He said, his eyes wide. He swallowed, his eyes unfocusing, and they began rolling Akira away.

"His blood pressure-" one of them shouted, and someone grabbed Rex's shoulders.

Cody.

"Akira!" Rex cried, "I love you."

Rex turned around to Cody, and he pulled him tight against his chest, holding him. Rex wept, and Cody guided him away from curious gazes and into the side office.

"I know." Cody said quietly, his arms holding rex firmly against him.

"I left him!"

"He wanted you to. He wanted you to help save the men, and you did. He's a Jedi."

Rex cried himself to sleep in Cody's arms, and when he woke they were both on the floor, his head on Cody's chest. It was dark, and the lights were off, but kix was sitting at the desk, the datapad in his hand.

Rex sat up, and kix set the past down.

"Kix-" he whispered, his heart pounding. Was he alive?

"He's still alive." Kix assured him.

"Can I see him?"

Kix shook his head, "I've been told no one is to see him. I'm sorry, Rex."

Rex swallowed, "He's ok though?"

"He's alive. That's about it for right now."

He turned around, Master Plo in the doorframe. "Come get a cup of caff with me, Captain."

Rex nodded, following Plo to the mess. Plo got them both a cup of caff, sitting before him.

"I found Akira at the wall."

Rex looked up, his head pounding. "What?"

"Where you left him. I found him there, surrounded by droids."

Rex stared, "what happened?"

He was standing there, leaned against the wall, taking them down one by one. I was stunned to see him alive. I ran down to help him. Once the droids were gone, I helped him down the hill to the ship. We came across a skirmish, one I was walking behind to avoid. Akira blocked shots even then trying to help. He pulled away from me to drag one of the men out of harm's way. He fell, Naturally, and I ended up dragging them both, but he was struck again. The second shot did a number on him, and I carried him back. He told me to tell you something."

Rex leaned forward.

"He told me to tell you that he loves you, and that he's relieved that you did the right thing, leaving one to save the whole. He doesn't want you to blame yourself."

Rex wiped tears from his eyes.

"Rex, Akira felt the same thing I did, in the force. That's how I found him at the wall. We knew that surge was coming. He knew that if you didn't defeat them on that side of the wall, they'd overcome you from both sides. He wanted to hold his end off as long as he could."

Rex shook his head, "why…"

"Akira killed his master. I think he'd rather die than have anyone die on his watch ever again."

Rex shook his head, and Plo squeezed his shoulder. "You're a good man, Rex."

Rex returned to the med bay, and Kix looked up at him grimly. "You can see him, if you'd like. The force healer said only you could."

Rex swallowed, "alright."

Kix lead him back, opening the door.

Rex entered the room. The bacta tank was beeping and many machines were lined up alongside it. There were too many tubes and wires for Rex to count, leading into the bacta tank and into Akira's arms, mouth, and torso. The medic tending to the machines turned to him.

"Anyone else would have been dead on the field… the jedi never cease to amaze." The medic said, turning to him. "I'll give you some time."

The medic left, closing the door behind him.

"Akira," he whispered, falling to his knees before the tank. He doesn't want you to blame yourself…

Rex took a shaking breath. "I love you, Akira. I won't let your sacrifice be in vain."