This one is definitely rated teen ;)

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Rex

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Rex sat, lit by the wash of lighting from the decorated lamps above, his fingers drumming out the beat of the music spilling from the the live instruments across the room. The dining ware on the clothed table shimmered slightly at the movement and upon realizing this he quickly desisted, his hands slipping to his lap. He regarded his companions with slight embarrassment, but his motions seemed to have been missed and he took it in with a small breath in his favor.

How strange the night, and out of his element he felt, although he did his best to keep the fact hidden as he observed his companions in a curious tempo of thoughts. Beside him sat Appo, newly promoted to Sergeant, and purposely chosen by Rex for accompaniment that night.

The sergeant had a tendency to be a little too straight-laced for the Captain.

Which said much, as Rex himself was a firm believer in the idea that rules existed for reason. But there was a compromise to be made as well, a dance of cohesion of duty and humanity that existed and was wise to be mastered by anyone in a position of command over others.

Rex had hoped that some time with the General who was a widely accomplished and respected leader, yet notorious rule-bender and impulse chaser would help to loosen up the Sergeant a bit.

And an impromptu night on the town had seemed as good an opportunity as any.

He was beginning to have doubts about that now, however, and by the looks of things, so too was Ahsoka.

She sat swirling the pretty drink in front of her absently with its parasole straw at his side. Rex remembered the young commander had lit up swift and vivid, bright as a neon at the invitation to spend the night away from the temple. The opportunity to accompany her master to dine with the Senator of Naboo in the basement bar of her hotel seemingly a force-send. But now she sat mute and dim, an unmistakable sulk clouding her previous enthusiasm and making her fingers ripple the drink. Rex chuckled aloud at the pout on her face, and she looked up from stirring to stick her tongue out at him.

But a ghost of a smile touched her lips after.

Appo watched the exchange raptly, a slight frown forming on his face, but said nothing. Curious but lost, or doubting he had the clearance to speak perhaps. Rex could tell the sergeant was still far from being comfortable with regarding the commander so informally himself. But he seemed to value the insight Rex's interactions revealed about her behavior and he assessed them both closely as he could without being too obvious.

At least to Ahsoka.

Rex was aware, and sought to maintain the image he desired to project for this reason. Not just for Appo's benefit, but all his men. It was a constant dance of propriety and humanity and it seemed like he was tackling it so frequently, he marveled that he hadn't mastered it himself yet. Even so, he felt worlds apart from the man at his side in this regard. Had he ever been like that? He probably had at some point, but it was so far-removed by a time much shorter than it seemed, and a copious amount of happenings.

Rex stole another glance at Ahsoka.

The commander herself had played a large part in that, and it was something he was very grateful for.

Across from them, her master seemed to tune into his padawan's sentiments as well.

"Something wrong, Snips?"

Anakin smirked, chin on his hand. He waved a nearly-empty glass in the other. Beside him Padme slipped her eyes over them all, lingering upon each with kindness and content.

Ahsoka could feel the senator's emotions through the force, her present happiness strong and bright, practically radiating from her. A warm and companionable glow that she cast out and enveloped them all with unknowingly. Even Rex and Appo reacted to it, aware or otherwise, backs straightening, but force signatures softening under her gaze. Anakin was ablaze with it.

"No, Master."

Rex watched the jedi regard Ahsoka with amusement for a moment before standing. He gave a slight bow to the Senator before swiping her empty glass and giving a tease of a salute.

"Alright then. Going to get the lady another drink. You kids be good while I'm gone."

Padme gave a shake of her head as he sauntered away, then took another bite of the food in the pewter bowl before her. It was a deep red soup with a splash of cream and herbs atop, rich and fragrant, still curling smoke. She sipped gracefully, shoulders back and neck tall, but after the small taste she made a funny expression. A lift of eyebrows and a widening of her eyes.

"I'm not sure I like this one." She spoke as though to herself before glancing up at the others. "Should've gone for something a little less showy. How's yours?" She shot Appo a small questioning smile.

Rex saw him start at the direct question, watched him struggle to form a response for a second. The sergeant's eyes flicked between his food and the woman who was regarding him with uncertainty.

"Its...very good, Senator." He responded at last, taking up another bite of his own under her gaze.

She beamed at him, lacing her fingers and glancing across the table. "I'm glad. How about you two? Ahsoka? Captain?"

"No complaints here, Senator," Rex answered. Beside him Ahsoka fidgeted a little.

"The food's great. Can't say much about the drinks, though."

Padme laughed.

A sense of unease seemed to lift from the padawan's shoulder's at the sound, and she finally grinned, large and bright in return, before plucking up her fork.

"When Master promised an exciting night, I have to admit I wasn't exactly picturing this." She gestured with the fork at their surroundings before shoveling a lump of the mashed root dish before her in her mouth and munching with a thoughtful expression.

Padme snorted, and Rex observed that she managed to do even that with dignity.

"Neither was I." The senator glanced around the room, openly suspicious. "Something always happens when he's around. To be perfectly honest, I'm kind of surprised something hasn't happened yet... It must be because you guys are here."

She gave them all a sudden look of such conspiracy and mock-accusation that Ahsoka choked on the bite she had just taken and Rex had to hide a chuckle behind a hand. Appo sat frozen as though unsure whether to apologize in the face of such accusation or accept the dressing down in silence. The joke was lost on him, and though the effect it had on the sergeant made the captain feel like laughing further, it also made him inwardly groan.

He had his work cut out for him with that one.

He was about to let Appo know that it had, in fact, been nothing more than joke but the Senator came to his rescue, placing a hand on the sergeant's forearm and giving him an open grin.

"Which I'm thankful for. Sometimes things can get a little too exciting."

She wiggled her eyebrows and Ahsoka giggled. Appo gave a tentative but relieved smile back and Padme nodded before returning to her soup once more. Rex had always liked the Senator, and her presence and way of approaching things this evening only seemed to endear her to him further. He watched her eat for a short while, an appreciation of her company and previous interaction with Appo lightening his mood greatly.

A sudden scuffle at the bar caught Rex's attention.

He looked over just in time to see Anakin stumble away from an unknown woman at the drink counter a bit, backing away clumsily in his haste. That alone set warning bells off in the Captain's head. Anakin was not a clumsy person by any stretch of the word.

The jedi regained his balance and shook his head as though clearing it, before looking back in the woman's direction. But she was gone, vanished into the crowd, and Rex had lost sight of her as well since his attention had fallen on Anakin for the moments it took him to reorientate himself. Rex watched his general cast one last glance over his shoulder as he walked before shaking his head of it and sliding back into his chair. He slipped the fresh drink in front of Padme.

He looked vaguely ill. Rex peered at him closely.

"Everything alright, Sir?"

Everyone looked up at Rex briefly at the query, before turning their eyes on Anakin with curiosity.

"Did something happen?" Padme leaned in to study his face.

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, as though sensing something amiss and cast a shrewd glance at her master before her eyes drifted to the bar.

But Anakin just shook his head, although he brought a hand up to his temple, palpating the skin there.

"Nah, nothing. Just some...weird..." He wobbled a bit in his seat, and Padme rose and reached out to steady him, catching his shoulders as her chair scraped across the floor behind her. Her eyes darted paths across his face in concern as she tried to catch his focus.

"...Ani?"

The jedi pulled his hand away from his face to regard her blankly for a moment, his eyebrows knitting and he blinked slowly at her, as though trying to claim a fragment of recognition to his gaze.

Then his hand fell to his lap just as suddenly as his other one reached up and cupped her chin in one smooth, swift maneuver, and held it there steadily, balanced upon his fingertips.

Rex watched the two stare at each other for a timeless moment as though in slow-motion, the Senator's eyes widening in surprise. A sudden sense of something feeling very off caused him to spring to his feet.

By the time he had made it around the table, Anakin had pulled the senator into an abrupt and tight embrace, his lips upon hers, kissing her even as she blinked in muted surprise. After a second the realization of what was happening seemed to hit her and she struggled to pull away.

Rex was at Anakin's side then, a firm grip on his arm as he pried him away from Padme. He was a half second ahead of Appo, who jumped up from his seat in time to catch the senator as she stumbled back when the two were parted. Across the table, Ahsoka was rooted to her seat, eyes and mouth wide with shock.

Rex pulled Anakin back to his chair and the jedi crumpled there, as though his energy was spent, shaking his head with disorientation. He blinked up at the man who still held his arms from behind.

"...Rex?" He guessed, then groaned and lurched forward. He would have hit the ground face-first had Rex not been holding his arms. Ahsoka practically leapt over the table and knelt beside her master, although she looked as clueless as Rex.

The captain stood immobile himself and was completely lost as to what to do. He had no idea how to proceed. Remembering the senator, he peered at her over the folded form of his general.

Padme stood, a little shakily, still supported by Appo from behind with her back against his chest and his hands at her elbows. She stared down at Anakin with incredulity before blinking at him for a few moments. Then she shook her head and brought her fingertips to her lips, running them lightly across the surface. Her brow furrowed as she did so, and she pulled her fingers away sharply to look at them.

A scant glint of realization crossed her face and she blinked down at the jedi in surprise before her eyes found Rex.

"He's been drugged."

Ahsoka leapt up.

"Poison?"

Her voice wavered faintly with fear, but Padme shook her head.

"No, it's a drug for making people... more agreeable to...relationships."

"Relationships?" Ahsoka blinked at Padme in confusion for a moment before it seemed to dawn on her what the Senator meant. "...oh."

The padawan gave the large and glamorous bar a sweep with her eyes in astonishment. The splendor of it all now seemed a brilliant display of hidden fouls, tangled in the music, looped in the steps of the patrons. Secrets. Suspect. When she glanced back at Padme, her eyes were large and she raised a hand, encompassing the people in the room with a sweep of it, while staring at her master in obvious puzzlement.

"But why would anyone want to do that to Sky-Guy?"

If the situation had been different, Rex would've laughed. But he was feeling far too uneasy just then. He turned his eyes to Padme, taking her own state in carefully as he did so.

"Senator, are you sure?"

She nodded, tracing a fingertip across her lips once more. "Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending how you look at it, I received awareness classes and training on these kinds of things growing up in a political position. I was exposed to this one as well as several others for the sake of familiarity and immunity. I'd recognize it by feeling on my lips even if Anakin wasn't displaying the obvious symptoms." She took a deep breath then nodded to Appo, who stepped away hesitantly, arms still out in case she was misjudging of her balance.

But she stepped over to Anakin without incident, although a bit clumsily and knelt in front of him alongside Ahsoka.

The togruta peered at her closely. "How did he get drugged? With a drink?"

Padme shook her head. "No. The same way he shared it with me. By a kiss." She spoke matter-of-factly, as though these kinds of things simply happened from time to time. Rex thanked his lucky stars once again that he wasn't expected to participate in or be overly knowledgeable in politics.

Ahsoka almost fell back to the floor. "Someone kissed him?" She glanced at the drink counter again. "It must've been when he was getting your drink.I thought I felt something strange from that direction when he got back." A look of anger clouded her face briefly before she turned to the woman beside her in uncertainty.

"You don't seem to be as affected."

Padme shook her head. "No, I wouldn't be. I've had previous exposure, and I'm female. It's more potent on males."

Ahsoka grimaced, though at the thought of the drug itself or someone wishing to drug her master was anyone's guess. Rex found himself in agreement with her sentiments and had the sudden urge to order them all out of there. That wasn't his call, though.

"With...respect Senator, what should we do about the general?"

He shifted from one foot to the other, his arms beginning to twinge from maintaining the grip on Anakin, more preventing the jedi from falling than restraining him at this point.

Padme rose, wobbling slightly, and Ahsoka sprung to her feet to offer an arm for support.

"The symptoms will fade with time. There's not much to do otherwise...Sleep is best." She brought a hand to her forehead, rubbing her fingers across as though mediating a headache. When she looked up at Rex her eyes were slightly dazed. "Bring him to my room."

Rex nodded and released the jedi's arms in favor of bending down beside him and looping the man's arms over his shoulders. He rose and half supported, half pulled Anakin to his feet. The jedi's head lolled against his shoulder for a second before it snapped up and he blinked at Rex again. Although dazed, he seemed to recognize the captain, and made an effort to use his legs. He scrunched up his face before raising his eyebrows, eyes closed, leaning heavily against the shoulder pauldron.

"Bad day, Rex?" He asked.

"I guess you could say that, sir."

Anakin frowned, still unseeing.

"How many did we lose?"

He was really out of it. "...None, sir."

A small grin broke out on the jedi's face and he gave Rex's chestplate a good-natured but clumsy smack as they began hobbling to the turbolift just outside the hotel's bar. They were getting some very odd looks, which Rex pointedly ignored in favor of keeping them both upright.

"That's a good day then, Rex. A...g'day." Anakin mumbled into his side.

Rex pressed the button to go up as Padme approached with Appo. The sergeant supported her with one arm, Rex's helmet tucked beneath the other, and his own helmet on his head. Rex couldn't see his face but he could tell by the way the sergeant walked that he wasn't too unhappy with the turn of events. It was highly likely the dinner party hadn't been his idea of fun, either.

Ahsoka lingered at the doorway to the bar with a scowl and Rex shot her a questioning look. She gestured for them to go ahead without her.

"You guys get them to the room. I'm going to do a little snooping for our...'forward' friend."

Rex sighed, knowing he had no power to prevent the commander from doing as she liked, but wishing she hadn't made that choice. Like her master, she tended to be a magnet for misadventures, and he'd had enough of those for one night. But, like times before, he nodded in an assent he didn't feel and put his mind where it would be most helpful to the current problem given the options available to him. The doors slid open and they all stepped inside, luckily alone for the trip.

When they reached the floor of the Senator's room, Anakin seemed to be regaining some sense, although his bodily coordination was still hopeless. Rex struggled to steer him in the right direction as Padme and Appo overtook them, and stopped before her room, several doors down.

Padme typed in the key-code and the door slid open to a lavish and perfumed, silk-draped and candle-lit abode. Appo helped her across the room and to a sofa which sat in a sunken half-circle in the middle of the room, then dashed off to get a glass of water at her request.

Rex half pulled, half rolled Anakin onto the cushions beside the Senator which she gestured to with a pat of her hands. Rex helped her position him in way that looked supportive of sleeping, although he tossed and turned against their hands, groaning.

Appo returned with the water and Padme accepted the glass gratefully, sitting upright to drink it, then setting it on the refreshment table beside the sofa and leaning over Anakin to run a hand softly across his brow.

At the touch his eyes opened and he took a minute to find focus in them, before he recognized her at last, and gave her a cheeky grin.

"Hey."

Padme let out a long breath, but with a smile to her eyes. "Hey." She finally said back, her face a mixture of tenderness and amusement. She looked up at Rex and Appo and gave them both a deeply warm and reassuring smile.

"I've got him now. You guys better go...find Ahsoka." Anakin seemed oblivious to anything but Padme and reached up to run a thumb down the side of her face.

Rex could see Appo twitch out of the corner of his eye.

Padme pushed the jedi's hand away softly, though with an ease that suggested it wasn't too unfamiliar of a gesture and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

It fell across Anakin's face and he stared at it in astonishment as though he'd never laid eyes on something of such wonder in his life. He began twirling it between his fingers, watching the shine of the overhead light weaving a path across the surface as he maneuvered it between finger and thumb.

"She's almost as bad as Anakin when it comes to trouble..." Padme continued.

Anakin had wrapped her hair around his fingers and was bringing it his nose to sniff.

Rex watched him a little uneasily, casting a questioning glance at Padme.

"Senator, are you sure you want us to leave him here? We can..."

"Yes." Padme smiled at them very sweetly although her voice was sounding a little strained, and Anakin was grinning and wiggling beneath her, whispering something into her hair. Rex didn't hear what the jedi said, but whatever it was it caused the senator to blush profusely. She glanced down at him before returning her gaze to the men standing before her, eyes growing desperate.

"We're fine. Please..." Anakin wrapped an arm around her back, his fingers walking a path up her backbone "... hurry to Ahsoka!"

It was then that Rex recognized the haste in her voice not as uncertainty or discomfort regarding the situation, but rather...the opposite.

His eyes widened with realization and he stepped back at once. As though in affirmation of his deduction, the senator's gaze became grateful. So very grateful. He struggled not to turn on his heel and bolt from the room in embarrassment.

He gave a quick nod and salute before ramming his helmet back over his head and grabbing Appo's arm, making a quick path back to the turbolift.

He looked back once, and only to ensure the door to the chamber had closed properly. The lift seemed to take an excruciatingly long time to arrive.

Appo was hesitant to go, and kept looking back at the senator's door over his shoulder as they waited for the lift.

"Sir. Are you sure it was best to...leave the General with the Senator?"

He seemed to be battling with himself, judging by the way he shifted from one foot to another. The ingrained duty of following orders, and loyalty to his general vs the natural response of protectiveness he felt towards the Senator who had so recently grasped his arm in aid.

Any romantic nuances had apparently gone over his head. Rex sighed at his luck. The one order the Sergeant did question, he really didn't feel like discussing...

He gave Appo one long, even look that offered no disagreement.

"The Senator's more than capable of deciding what's best for her. If she'd felt the situation would've been handled better otherwise, she would've said so. These were her orders. They aren't for us to question."

Appo straightened a little, appearing visibly chastened. "Yes Sir."

Rex groaned behind his helmet. This night hadn't gone anything like he'd hoped at all.

When they got back to the main floor, Ahsoka was waiting for them, arms crossed and she shook her head at their approach.

"Nothing. No luck. Whoever that creep was, they're gone." She looked up at them hopefully. "How's Master? Are he and Padme doing better? Are they both asleep?"

Rex assumed they were doing just dandy, although he doubted they were sleeping.

"I'm sure they'll be fine."

Ahsoka blew out a long breath and looked around, eyes flitting around the lobby and between the rush of citizens within. The polished floor squeaked beneath her boots a she spun to face them, eyemarkings raised. She flashed them a toothy grin.

"So whattaya say, boys? Down for some games at the arcade room, or wanna try our luck at the bar again?"

Appo turned to the captain in question, and Rex crossed his arms and looked down at her from behind the visor.

"Kid, after this fiasco, none of us is putting a foot in another bar for a good, long time, if I can help it."

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This one is actually one of the oldest tidbits I had outlined, before Tales of Coruscant came to be. I had planned it as a one-shot, but after filling it out a bit, and remembering it took place on Coruscant, I figured it belonged here. And I have plans to bring Rex and the others to cross paths with my other characters eventually, so I wanted him to show up with at least one of his own short tales before I did that.

I hope you guys liked it. Anakin and Padme sure got some love in it. Ha :D

MS CT-782: I really worded that terribly. I have to go back and rethink it. I meant Fetcher's reference of Jango as Mandalorian more as his lifestyle rather than birth place (Ala Karen Traviss' Take on him ) but I did it poorly.

Cozzizzie: I'm glad you like them. I'm getting attached too. When I wrote the first chapter, Trust and Hatch were just an afterthought, someone to help Thorn briefly. Now that I wrote about I like them a lot lol

CaptainReb: Thank you. I hope I don't disappoint!