A Word from the Author: Hey everyone, it's jediclonecowgirl, with the fifth chappie of "Escaping on Christophis". I know, that I haven't updated this story in MONTH! Writers Block is sometimes worse, than a cold. Let's get this party started, shall we?

Padmé began to look at Rex. He was panting, since they had been going away from the gunship, so the droid armies of the Seperatists would not get to them. She had negociated with Rex, who was the one to take the backpack, with supplies. She had volunteered, but Rex had rejected that. That had been worse, then playing the diplomat between Anakin and his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi. It had truned out, that Rex took the backpack Padmé did not really like this, since Rex was already injured and this backpack had been easy enough to lift for her to carry it, but Rex had stayed stubborn.

"I think Anakin is rubbing off on his men. Especially his Captain.", Padmé thought.

Padmé wanted to stop Rex, or just take the backpack, but she didn't. Still...she insisted, that she kept supporting him. Rex only response had been, that she did not have to do this. When was this clone going to get, that she really wanted to?

"He said, that he is going to make it, but I am not so sure about this. I must say it's strange how he manages to hang on, but even clones have their borders. How long will it take until Rex's border is reached? If he keeps on doing this, he will just pass out and what do I do with him then?", Padmé thought.

Padmé looked at the clone with a worried face. Rex had his helmet on, so Padmé didn't see his face and she wasn't sure, if the clone was even looking at her. She was sure, that Rex's knees would've buckled by know, if she wouldn't be supporting him.

He was carrying a big heavy backpack with supplies and he had an injured leg an injured arm AND an injured side. She could hear Rex panting through his helmet. Padmé wondered, how he managed to hang on. It was probably the way he grew up on Kamino again. Padmé wondered, if clones were also bred reluctant to have help and thinking, that their life wasn't worth anything.

"I almost asked Senator Bourtoni about it once. I always wanted to ask someone about this, because I feel sorry for those men. They start their training at the age of two, they handle fire weapons at the age of four and the lucky ones get their first kiss at the age of eleven. They don't get drunk, they don't go after women, they are born to fight and die for us. Without any freedom or glee. We scramble them up on the field, fix them up and send, what's left of them back to the frontlines. If one of them dies, we can get a new one, but they are also living beings. I might not say this in the Senate...only Anakin knows, that I think like this...like him. He is always doing, what he can to look out for his men and, as far as he told me, this is also rubbing of on Ahsoka, since she, as Anakin puts it, sometimes force-heals clones, when she thinks no one's watching.", Padmé thought.

Padmé felt Rex sweating and she knew, that the clone was barely able to stand anymore. She wanted to tell him, that they should take a break and hoped, that this did NOT end, with the two of them negociating again.

"We should take a break now. The droids will probably be needing days to find us again and, if we are so far away, we could relax as well.", Padmé said.

"We should at least go a few more minutes Senator. Just to be sure.", Rex said.

"No Captain. Just put down that backpack and rest. That's an order.", Padmé said.

Rex slid off the backpack and sat down on the ground, but then he spoke up again.

"Is it really safe to sleep here in the scenery of Christophsis? What, if we get attacked?", he asked.

"You just rest now Captain. I'll stand guard.", Padmé replied, pulling out her blaster.

Rex didn't think about resting and let the senator standing guard. He pulled out one of his blasters.

"I will. I can't let you risk your life and especially not for me.", Rex said, trying to stand up, but Padmé made him sit again.

"Captain, why do you always want to do the difficult or dangerous things, even, if you are injured and, why are you so reluctant to let me help you?", Padmé asked.

"I'm just a clone senator. I'm meant to be expandable.", Rex sighed.

"Not to me. To me no clone is expendable. Neither you nor anyone of your brothers.", Padmé said, resting a hand on Rex's shoulder.

"Now take your bucket off. I want to see your face.", she said then and Rex did so.

Padmé did not have to be a jedi to sense the warm wave, flooding through Rex's chest and then she saw a small smile crossing Rex's face. Apperantly it was rare, that clones were told, by people of higher ranking, like senators or jedi, that they weren't expendable to them.

Ending Word: It's been long and I am sure no one will read this anymore, but I am terribly sorry, that this story was stopped for so long. I will try not to get writers block again. Now all I have left to say is bye bye and may the force bewith you.