Author's Note: We're coming into the home stretch as this is the last mission day and then a brief post mission sequence which leads directly into Journey of Revolution by emjalen

We're about 14k away from the end of this story so buckle up; time to turn this up a notch!

Mission Day Six - Part 1

The fast burning clone metabolism was both a blessing and a curse. It was early morning when Rex felt finally to be in control of himself once more, the haze of the alcoholic stupor dissipating with the same kind of whisper that it had struck. Clarity brought with it the memories of the night before but also the urgent need to use the 'fresher; a 'fresher that was behind the closed door to the bedroom where Ahsoka lay.

He waited as long as he could before pushing to his feet from the chair where he'd spent another series of long, sleepless hour; torturing himself with images of what would never be but unable to help himself. No matter how firmly he told himself that Ahsoka was not his to have, the knowledge that she wanted him undid his logic.

Was he fighting against something he should be allowing to follow through to its natural conclusion? Was he fighting them both - for Ahsoka certainly wasn't the one pulling away when things got heavy - for nothing?

His body protested as he gained his feet, the room spinning a little as his stomach threatened to rebel; not a pleasant feeling in counterpoint to the head ache behind his eyes. Pressing personal needs, however, propelled him across the room. Approaching the door, he placed one hand against the panel and knocked, rapping lightly with his knuckles; if she was sleeping, he had no desire to wake her.

"Ahsoka?" he winced at the rawness in his lowered voice, opening the door a crack and cautiously peaking in.

The sound of her breathing reached him before he could spy her still sleeping form amidst the ocean of fabric and pillows in the large bed. Faint light penetrated the room, casting shadows, but Rex couldn't take his gaze off the young woman who'd come to occupy his every waking moment.

She slept fitfully, restlessly, her head turning this way and that on her pillow but, unlike the night before, her dreams didn't appear to be about him this time.

Pressing the door open further, Rex stepped inside, fighting against the need to go to her, his body's pressing and insistent need to go winning out. He crossed to the 'fresher, wincing as his tread sounded through the plush carpet. Casting one last look at Ahsoka's lined expression, he disappeared inside the 'fresher and closed the door behind him.

She was trapped and hands she didn't know were on her body.

They were sliding over her exposed stomach and dipping down over her thighs with a familiarity that made her skin crawl. Attempting to close her legs, she found them stuck, spread, held in place by the open knees of the man in whose lap she sat. The heavy, heady beat of the music in the background was at odds with the darkness that seemed to leave her alone with the male. The hard ridge of an erection against her backside made her shift away only to be gripped tightly, high up on the thighs, and pulled backwards.

An indistinct voice ordered her to move; ordered her to dance.

He wanted his credits worth.

Rex!

The thought was immediate as she cast about for him, struggling against the hold of the one that held her, tearing his hands from her flesh as panic began to set in. She succeeded in breaking free of the controlling hands only to trip up, rolling and falling, the weight of the male coming down atop her and pinning her in place.

She tried to reach for the Force only to find it elusive and beyond her grasp. Kicking out, she struggled against the hold. Finding herself pinned, her movements restricted as a cackle of a laugh echoed about her, her captor enjoying her reaction; delighting in the desire to make her scream.

Rex!

"Ahsoka!"

His touch drew her around, her eyes connecting with the concerned honey of his, and with an inarticulate cry, she somehow propelled herself from her stomach and into his arms. "Don't let him touch me," she gasped, begging as she clung to him, her face buried in the side of his neck, her lips flush against his skin. "Rex; please… I don't want- don't let him touch me!"

His arms folded about her instantly as she shivered, waiting for the strange man to return and make good on his promise…

Nothing happened.

Rex's hands were on her bare flesh, stroking with long, slow motions of reassurance from the base of her neck to her lower back. His calloused fingertips made her shiver, his soldier's hands familiar and calming as his lips pressed against her temple and he murmured against her skin.

"You're dreaming, Ahsoka; no one has touched you," the soothing echo of his tone reverberated within her and had a greater impact than the words themselves, "no one but me. I won't let anything happen to you."

His presence negated the nightmare and reality asserted itself and Ahsoka found sensation returning. The twist of the sheets around her legs had equated to being unable to run in her dream but that was overshadowed by the realization that the imagined comfort of Rex's arms was actually the real thing. She trembled in his embrace as his hand slid under her lek and his fingers rubbed small circles at the base of her neck.

"I won't let anything happen to you," his voice was rough as he repeated the low vow, "I promise, Ahsoka; you're safe. No one can hurt you; no one can touch you."

Swallowing hard, she found her voice. "Except you."

Rex's hand stilled where it was and he lifted his head as she lifted hers. Caught close to his chest, she was sideways in his lap - exactly where she'd thrown herself in her dream. How much of it had been real? Apprehensively, she lifted her eyes to his.

"I would… never do anything to hurt you, Ahsoka."

"You already did."

"When?"

"Earlier… this whole week, I…" she hesitated and couldn't bring herself to tell him how she felt when she couldn't be certain he'd reciprocate. How could he love her when she was his Commander? If she said anything, he'd probably feel obligated to say it back and that would only make it worse. "You keep… pulling away, Rex."

"We have a mission to accomplish, Ahsoka," his tone was kind despite the admonishment, concern lacing his words, "I didn't think…" he paused, shaking his head and trying again. "It's not appropriate; regulations-"

"Don't mean anything here; it's just you and me, Rex. Look at us; what about this is appropriate?"

He frowned, following her line of sight downwards and a bloom of color graced his prominent cheek bones. Ahsoka knew what he saw. Scantily clad with little more than a filmy night dress and his shirt between them. Her arms twined around his neck and laced together at the back. His hands curved intimately around her body. They were curled almost comfortably into a position that would never have been permitted, never would have been possible, on the Resolute.

Despite her challenge and his visible discomfort, Ahsoka was relieved when he didn't withdraw. Her voice shook. "We're on our own. Just you and me. We can't rely on regulations to see us through this; there aren't any. We just... we have to feel our way through this."

As she spoke, Ahsoka curled her fingers against the back of his neck, her nails gently scraping his skin and making him shudder. She felt it, pressed as she was against him and curled in his lap, but didn't stop. Searching his gaze, her mouth went dry and she licked her lips only to stop when Rex's eyes dropped to them. With agonizing slowness, they lifted back to hers and her heart leapt as she caught the banked fires within for a fraction of a second before Rex closed the distance between them.

His lips were warm, soft, and he tasted like the paste they used on their teeth. She caught the barest hint before he pulled away, lifting one hand to cup her cheek, his thumb running over her lower lip. A half smile slowly appeared on his face. "I don't have your advantage at feeling."

"It's not a Jedi thing, Rex. It's about trust. About knowing... knowing you have my back and I have yours. It's... about sharing and understanding and..." love. She wanted to say it; it was on the tip of her tongue, but she choked, trailing off as her throat closed.

"...and being accepted for who you are no matter the circumstance."

Nodding, she agreed for it was true even if it hadn't been exactly what she'd been intending to say. Somehow she was able to ignore the surge of disappointment she felt that he hadn't said what she'd been thinking.

Rex's thumb moved back and forth across her lip with agonizing slowness, her lips tingling from the combined assault of his kiss and now his touch, a knot of heat and want tightening low in her belly. Her tongue darted out to touch the pad of his thumb, stilling it, but Ahsoka found she had no voice.

"You were dreaming."

She nodded.

"A nightmare."

She nodded again, the images and sensations barely shadows of a memory, washed away in the comfort of his presence. Safe within the warmth of his embrace, the nightmare no longer seemed real.

His brow furrowed. "You begged me not to let him touch you, Ahsoka."

A moment's hesitation and she nodded a third time, this time slower, as Rex shifted his thumb to her cheek. The memory of her dream, distant thought it was, seemed to need to be acknowledged even if she didn't want it to be. When she was silent for far longer than she knew she should have been, his expression turned worried.

Her lips parted, but what emerged was barely a whisper as he seemed inclined to distance himself. "Rex-"

She swallowed hard and jerked her head in an affirmative answer to his question, the clench in her stomach no longer anticipatory as his words triggered a deeper connection to the images. Her fingers flexed and she knew she tensed, but she couldn't help it. The very idea that anyone else would touch her the way Rex held her now was… abhorrent. A shiver raced through her that had nothing to do with his closeness.

Rex seemed to be waiting for her to say something and Ahsoka forced herself to speak. "I don't want him touching me."

He tilted his forehead to hers. "I know."

Silence stretched between them as she felt the inexplicable sting of tears when he went no further; when he made no mention of the same. Closing her eyes as much against tears the intent look in his, she sucked in a shuddering breath. "Hold me," she begged softly, "tonight; today. Don't… don't let the nightmares come back."

Pulling her close, he used the hand on her face to tuck her head close to his shoulder. His lips pressed against the closest montral even as his fingers slid down around her jaw to feather the column of her neck in a comforting caress. "They can't hurt you, Ahsoka," he assured her softly. "I won't let them."

Aching with the tender way he held her, Ahsoka adjusted her grip on him, and his grip on her, twining her fingers through the ones at her waist and pulling it upwards. His forearm fit snugly under her left arm, his hand intertwined with hers where it lay over her heart.

This is where I belong, curled against him, safe and protected, it was her last thought as she drifted back to sleep.

It was both the longest and shortest day of Rex's life.

The longest because of his current position; Ahsoka was curled trustingly in his lap, her head against his shoulder, one of his hands cupping her face but caught between her lekku and her cheek. The other was curled around her body, tight against her chest, held in place against the swell of her bosom by her own hand.

It was an inappropriate position, cupping her that way, but when he tried to move, she whimpered, her body tensing. He managed to adjust his position so he could lean against the head board only after many long, agonizingly small shifts. Each time he moved, a sound of distress passed her lips, as if she were afraid he was going to leave. It felt like a blow to his chest, each more painful than the last, every time she did; a persistent ache in the vicinity of his heart.

Fortunately, she would settle quickly as he murmured reassurances to her, brushing his thumb over the softness of her skin at cheek, jaw and lip. Tender and protective like he'd never before felt or expressed, he was held in thrall by the magnitude of actions he couldn't fully comprehend.

It was also the shortest day of his life because he wanted to prolong this; to prolong the feel of her curled against him, touching only him. He knew what was coming later that night and the thought was sickening, creating a fire of a different kind within him. A jealous reaction he only recognized because of Ahsoka's reaction to Zidel. He didn't want anyone else touching her either and, because of that, the hours passed with enough swiftness that he silently railed against the numbers on the chrono, willing them to slow and stop.

It was no surprise when they didn't, but minute by minute, hour by hour, Rex could feel his time with Ahsoka slipping away.

The later it got, the closer it came to the time where she would have to don the last of her costumes and willingly submit and encourage the touch of another man. His hands tightened on her unconsciously and she sighed in her sleep, murmuring his name, pressing the hand at her breast into a conforming cup.

Rex swallowed hard, closing his eyes against the feel, and struggled to remind himself that this was temporary. Today would be the last time he'd ever hold her like this. This would be the last time she would be in his arms; the last time he would be free to touch her without prying eyes.

Once they had the data crystal, a signal could be sent using the encoded frequency he had memorized. The Resolute would land and they'd be collected and go back to their normal lives.

Lives that weren't anything like this last week; ones didn't include the privilege to touch her.

She shifted in his grasp, moving against his lap in an attempt to get comfortable, shivering a little. He stroked her cheek gently, his lips against her montral and sliding slowly downwards, stopping as they brushed the smooth skin of her forehead.

Ahsoka.

For she was Ahsoka.

Not Ahsoka the Jedi Padawan apprenticed to his General or Ahsoka the Commander of the five hundred and first; just Ahsoka and everything her name encompassed. Friend. Commander. Padawan. Partner. She was strong and feisty; sweet and caring; she was the embodiment of everything good and right in his life…

… and he would miss this.

Despite what would happen later that night, everything that had occurred until this moment, he realized with shocking clarity, was a raw sharing and brutal, novel kind of honesty between them. One he'd never been exposed to before; one that he wasn't sure he'd ever be exposed to again. He would miss that most of all; knowing she was holding back because he had to hold back.

It was time to wake her before he knew it, the numbers on the chrono passing mid-afternoon, Ahsoka having curled her knees under his elbow, her complete weight in his lap. His legs were numb, his fingers cramping, but Rex wouldn't have been anywhere else for the world. It felt right to be where he was, protecting her, sheltering her from her nightmares and the darkness beyond them.

That would all change the moment he woke her and Rex found he was loathe to do so. He had to wake her… had to disrupt her peaceful slumber and drag her back into the mire of their mission. Two minutes, then five, passed as he gently stroked his thumb across her cheek bone, listening to her breathe softly.

The mission, he reminded himself silently, but it didn't have the same effect it had thus far. We need to finish this mission; thousands, millions of lives are depending on us. The last was enough to press the necessity into the forefront of his mind and with a soft sigh, he shifted his position, brushing his fingers against her cheek.

"Ahsoka."

Her brow furrowed as her breathing changed.

"Ahsoka," he pulled his hand away from her face, his fingers cracking as he made a fist and released it to get the blood flowing again. "Wake up."

"Mmm… no."

Her sleepy denial made him smile. "Yes."

"No," she turned her head a little towards him, a smile curving her lips. "I'm having the best dream."

Rex chuckled. "Really?"

"Mmm hmm," she nuzzled his shirt, her fingers flexing on his, pressing his hand flush against the filmy material of her nightgown and sliding it in a slow, intimate circle. "Don't wake me."

He stilled, trying to remove his hand, but she refused to relinquish it. "Ahsoka. Let me go."

Her eyes opened slowly, her head tilting back until their eyes locked, and Rex caught his breath at the storm within hers that was at odds with her previously playful comment. "Never," she whispered seriously. "Touch me, Rex."

"I-"

Her fingers flexed on his, stopping him cold, the weight within his palm both soft and firm; pliant yet responsive. "Touch me," she reiterated and he could see desperation in her eyes this time, "I want you to."

"I already am."

Her fingers released his slowly, as if she weren't certain his would stay. Their eyes locked, he left his hand where it was, sliding his thumb down and over in a way that made her gasp. Tenderness swamped him at the vulnerable look in her eyes and he lowered his head, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. A kiss she returned as her now free hand slid around his neck.

He deliberately kept the kiss brief, not wanting to but knowing he had to. This mission was about more than just them and they had to see it through to the end. He didn't like it any more than she did and, as he lifted his head, he stroked her one last time before gently, reluctantly, sliding his hand down to the curve of her waist.

Swallowing hard, he forced the words he didn't want to say past his lips. "It's time. We have to get ready."

"Now?"

Looking to the chrono, he waited as she followed his gaze and felt her sag in his embrace.

The inevitability of that night was upon them and it was time to face it.

He turned his gaze back to hers, lifting his free hand to brush the back of his index finger over her cheek. "You'll be spectacular, Ahsoka," the thumb of the hand at her waist, gently stroked high on her torso, brushing the under curve of her breast and making her shiver. It was the most he would allow himself. "You always are."

"Really?"

Nodding, he offered her a slow half smile. "Really."

She stared at him, clinging a little, before he saw her tilt her chin just so and flash him a grin. "Thanks Rex. I guess… I'd better get ready."

He let her go as she slid from his lap, untangling her legs from the covers and rolling off the bed. Rex, honorable as he was, still couldn't help but watch her as she stood and made her way to the 'fresher.

The length of her bare legs to where they disappeared under the hem of her short, nearly sheer nightdress with the fabric clinging lovingly to the curves of her backside was a visual feast he couldn't resist. The strip of fabric covered her from high on her thighs to the small of her back and then disappeared completely, leaving the strong lines of her back bare to his gaze, covered only by the lek which lay along her spine and the shoulder straps holding the creation in place.

It wasn't until she was gone that he let his head fall back against the wall, the blood rushing into his legs and making his feet tingle and burn with an unfamiliar round of sensations. He welcomed it; it was a distraction he needed as he flexed his toes and got the blood flowing again, the ache in his groin ever present. Why couldn't that have gone numb?

Rex sighed, flexing his fingers, joints crackling as he reassured himself that everything still worked in an attempt to distract from the real issue. From the fact that, bare hours from now, Ahsoka was going to have to get up on stage and perform. Not just perform, but eventually climb down to find her target and, in the guise of a lap dance, search every pocket he had for the data crystal.

She would have to touch the Separatist and the Seppie would undoubtedly take that as an invitation to touch her.

His hands clenched into fists just with the thought and Rex realized his greatest trial was ahead. Tonight was going to be a test of every discipline he'd ever had. For the mission, he reminded himself, for the millions this can save.

It was a rhetoric that was getting old.

Ahsoka closed her eyes as she tilted her face to the shower's spray. The nerves in her belly were only partly to do with the fact that tonight she'd be performing a dance she'd only previously attempted on Rex.

Rex had touched her.

True, she'd woken to find that her own hand had all but kept his an intimate captive for who knew how many hours of the day, but when she'd released him it had stayed. Wrapping her arms about her own middle, she hugged the knowledge close, still imagining she could feel the imprint of it.

A giddy feeling swelled within her that had nothing to do with the impending performance and everything to do with Rex himself.

The feeling lasted until she was washed and emerged to find the bedroom deserted. Stretching out with the Force, she took a step back. Reaching out to the nearby wall to steady herself upon encountering the tumultuous maelstrom that was Rex's emotional stability. Her euphoric feeling of progress melted away under his darker feel.

Conflict was the only way she could describe it and she had to withdraw quickly lest she be carried along.

The casualty of the encounter was her good mood and positive outlook as she forced herself to open her wardrobe and go through the outfits she had left to her; the only ones she'd not yet worn. Her own thoughts turning fully to the night ahead, she shuddered as she considered what was ahead of them before the completion of their mission.

Wishing she had the time to dawdle, but knowing she didn't, Ahsoka pulled the last of the costumes from the hangars and threw them on the bed. Determined to see this through to the bitter end and knowing that - no matter how he felt - Rex would back her up, she set about putting together the last sequence of her charade. A charade that would either prove to be worthy of all the heartache and frustration they'd been through the last week and save millions… or a giant waste of time.

Ahsoka could only hope, and trust in the Force, that it was the former.

Their walk to The Catalyst was a silent one, Ahsoka following along behind Rex as was fit for her station, her eyes looking neither left nor right as she sought the calm that had never eluded her before.

Before leaving the suite, they'd said nothing personal to one another, just a simple check to ensure the other was ready and hadn't forgotten anything. There was no guarantee they'd be able to go back once they'd accomplished their mission and they'd planned accordingly.

Fortunately, having arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs, it was easy to leave with the same. Hers, admittedly, was more than a little different than what she'd arrived in, and Rex dressed from head to toe in black rather than brown. Part of her idly wondered what the men of their company would think, but the thought passed quickly, her attention focused instead on the upcoming hours.

They loomed before her like a chasm, only her determination to somehow see this through to the end driving her to keep pace with Rex's not quite military pace. The specter of what would occur now hung between them, Rex's jaw clenched in its familiar grind as they neared The Catalyst.

Bouncers met them at the side entrance, allowing them entry, one nudging the other. A crude comment about 'taking a ride when the boss was done' made the knot in her stomach tighten; she didn't want to do this.

Rex left her at the dressing room, leaving her to her own devices as she unfurled the shawl that had been covering her, the moment of truth upon her. Lap dances were normally done with the second or third set, the first just a visual enticement to get the patrons to spend their credits.

She would need to dance her first solo and the first and second of three group dances before heading to the floor. Focus on one at a time, she told herself silently as she adjusted the first of her costumes and hung the others. This is the whole reason we're here; after tonight, I'll never have to do this again!

While the thought was reassuring, it was also depressing. The thought of never having Rex watch her as she danced was surprisingly disheartening. Maybe he'll ask me again sometime, she almost snorted at the thought, smiling and shaking her head. Once this mission was over, she suspected that she and Rex would need to have some kind of discussion about what had occurred between them and figure out what to do about it.

One thing was for sure; whatever they decided, she wasn't telling Skyguy anything about what had happened between her and Rex on this mission!