Eighteen

Rex was deployed to Naboo – said to be the most beautiful planet in the galaxy. Gem had protested, saying that Oriis was just as beautiful with its large open plains, beautiful oceans and forests as green as precious stones. Her father had a laboratory facility purposely built under their home, which was carved into the side of a mountain. She had promised to show it to him.

One day.

###

Ashoka watched as the blue plumes of deadly virus weaved their way through the safety room doors.

It was too late.

They had been infected.

Rex watched as she turned to look at him

"I'm sorry Rex, I let you down. I let you all down."

The enormity of the situation weighed heavy on her small shoulders.

"Commander, with all due respect, there was nothing anyone could do. We still have the General's out there. They'll find a way out of this mess," he looked at two of his men coughing, 'they always do,' he muttered under his breath.

Within the hour everyone in the room was beginning to demonstrate signs of contamination.

Senator Amidala and Representative Binks had joined them. Rex felt a growing level of anxiety. The thought of his General's reaction to the Senator being infected would not go down at all well.

"Master will find a way to save us, I know he will Rex."

"Hang in there 'Soka," he said moving in and catching her just as she lost consciousness. Her tiny body weight meant that even as one of the last to be infected, she was one of the first for the virus to affect, the only thing holding her from certain death, her religion, her power.

The Force.

###

She heard that he had been infected along with Padmè and the young Padawan. Gem waited patiently. She was hardly in a position to head to the Infirmary and see the Captain without a valid explanation as to why.

She busied herself with correspondence from Olphina.

She sat in on an intolerably boring meeting with the Senator from Corellia.

She ate lunch, nearly choking on the food with worry before she excused herself and sat in her apartment.

Waiting.

The buzzer to her room rang loud. So loud it made her jump. She collected herself and opened the door to see Obi-Wan standing in front of her.

"Skylar, may I come in?"

He looked grave, standing with his arms clasped under his tunic and entered slowly, his head down.

"I believe you are awaiting news from the Infirmary as to the condition of a certain Captain?"

"You know I am Ben," she blurted out.

He didn't need to be a Jedi to sense her anxiety.

"Well, I am happy to report that not only Rex, but Padmè and Ahsoka are all making a full recovery, thanks to both Anakin and my - " his voice trailing off.

That's when he noticed it. She had turned her face from him and her shoulders had begun to crumple.

"Skylar, come here." Obi-Wan moved forward and pulled her gently into him. Quickly placing a platonic kiss on her forehead, he said softly, "you love him don't you?"

She nodded her head. They stood together quietly.

"How do you do it Ben?"

"Do what Skylar?"

"All this fighting, aren't you tired?"

He let out a long breath. "You have no idea," he whispered in her ear, closing his eyes and allowing himself the luxury of travelling back in time, back to when they were both young and free from war and heartache.

"We've come a long way haven't we Gem?"

She moved back and looked at her older brother and smiled.

"That's the first time you have ever called me that."

"Well, if you can't beat them," he replied with a smirk.

"I'll pass on your," he stopped and thought, "warm wishes to the Captain when I see him."

###

There they were.

Rex had woken up and turned his head to see her lying in a bed to his right. He sighed with relief, the last time he saw her she was unconscious in his arms.

A crooked smile left his lips at the thought and her eyes slowly opened.

"Hey kid," he said.

"Rex," she tried to move but the antidote to the virus had left her limbs feeling like pieces of durocrete.

"Don't try to move, it hurts too much." Rex replied at her attempt to sit up.

"Argh, how much longer?"

"Not sure."

Rex felt uncomfortable. Wincing through the pain he slowly lifted the sheet and rolled his eyes. He had a catheter in place and was naked.

'What were they thinking, putting us in a room together?'

He looked around. They were in isolation. Cold, sterile, perfunctory.

He immediately looked for his armour, a small twinge of panic filled him. It wasn't there, nothing was there. The only noise being their breathing and the gentle mechanical beep of each other's heart.

Both left alone in a barren room, with not a hint of anything personal. He scoffed back a small laugh; a Jedi and a clone.

Together they owned nothing more than a light sabre and two hand blasters between them.

"You know Rex - "

"Commander, if you wouldn't mind, we should rest."

It was awkward.

He heard her sigh loudly. He wanted desperately to go back to where they were before the 'incident', before she broke his heart, and before the mission to Saluecami.

It was too late however, it had happened. Now, he had moved on, or so he had thought.

###

'Had he truly been that insensitive?'

"Anakin, you can't have Ahsoka and Rex in the same room recuperating!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, watching them awkwardly through the glass window.

"I can if I want, and besides, it means I don't have to make two stops on my rounds. I can see my first and second in command at the same time."

He seemed genuinely pleased with his stroke of brilliance, completely unaware of how two of his closest companions felt towards one another.

Obi-Wan sighed.

It was because of his lack of sensitivity that he knew there would be trouble with his old Padawan in the future. He was strong in the Force but his ability to use it and see through it bewildering to his old Master.

'Have I taught him nothing,' Obi-Wan thought as he walked from the Bio Security Centre located in the Republic Barracks Medical Wing.

Anakin seemed to only focus on himself and what he required the Force to deliver to him; sheer brilliance at flying and fearless in the face of battle, yes, but completely inept at forging personal relationships that offered no purpose other than to serve him.

###

Rex yawned and awoke to see her watching him.

"Rex, are we ever going to put the past behind us?"

It was a simple question, asked honestly. Rex looked at his large brown hands and slowly clasped them in an attempt to calm himself.

He wasn't used to dealing with emotional issues. He had now found someone new to fill the void, the one Ahsoka had created all those months ago.

In hindsight he was foolish to act on her advances, and he had berated himself daily at his lack of self control.

At the time however, he couldn't see past his own desire.

A twenty something year old's libido had got the better of him. Lust and the need for intimacy in a time when death surrounded him fueled his rationalisation of their relationship.

He was sorry for the turn that their friendship had taken but was at a wits end on how to bridge the gap – she had been trying so hard to remain friends, and he knew that eventually, one day she would just give up.

What he couldn't understand though, was why the pain of her rejection still hurt?

"I hope so 'Soka, I truly do."

He turned to her as he spoke. He saw her attempt at a smile and his heart felt like it was being pulled from his chest at the look of hope in her eyes.

"Sometimes we make mistakes Rex, sometimes we – ," she stopped.

She knew he wanted their friendship back she could tell, it simply wasn't in Rex to hold a grudge.

She knew every part of him.

She could name and place every scar on his body, starting at the bump on the back of his head to the cheeky scar just below his bottom lip. She smiled at the site of it, a reminder from a bar fight not a battle wound. His torso with the numerous blaster scars, and surgery incisions. The more recent manubrium scar he had earned when he had left for Saleucami, angry and pissed at the entire universe for the situation he found himself in after she broke off their affair. He swore black and blue on the larty ride down to the surface, almost throwing himself and his life to wild abandon at being let go by the one he adored so much.

"Baby steps 'Soka, baby steps."

He watched her, tiny and frail in the enormous medical cot.

She smiled and allowed her luminous blue eyes to close, happy that they had taken one step towards building that bridge.

Together.

###

Two more days in isolation and their medical data recorder was illuminated green – fit to leave and resume light duties it read.

The infectious disease medic along with a 2-1B medical droid had come in and drawn the curtain between the Commander and her Captain.

Their respective catheters had been removed, more painful for the Captain and he winced as the droid pulled the fine wire from his urethra. Shaking his head the overwhelming desire to smash his hand into the tinnies chest was only abated by the familiar voice of Kix coming in the room and handing him a set of fatigues.

"Thought you might like these Captain."

"Thanks Kix, good to see you." he said as he unsteadily began to dress.

"You too Sir, I have a repulsorlift chair to get you back to your quarters."

"That won't be necessary medic." Rex was determined to walk out of there.

He moved forward and keeled over into his medics steadying arm. Kix said nothing as he gently lowered him into the awaiting transport.

Behind the curtain, General Secura had delivered some clothes for Ahsoka and the two walked past the soldiers.

"How come she can walk?" Rex, forgetting all protocol blurted out.

"It's called the Force big guy," Ahsoka answered and the two women let out a laugh that echoed loud throughout the sterile environment of the facility.

###

Kix pushed Rex quietly through the medical building and up into the GAR barracks. Men noticed the five hundred and first Captain and verbalised their respect.

"Sir."

"Captain."

Rex nodded his head as they stopped and saluted, he desperately wanted to be away from prying eyes. The one thing this Captain was uncomfortable with was his men seeing him vulnerable, and not even from a decent battle, from an insidious virus they couldn't defend themselves from.

Kix took a turn and Rex commented.

"My quarters are back to the right."

"I know that Sir," was all he replied.

"Well, then why are we heading to the left?" He was irritated and wanted to shower and shave, both his hair and beard uncomfortably long.

"Ah, due to maintenance," he added clumsily, "Sir."

Rex was tired and closed his eyes as he rested his head in his hands, his elbows supported by the arms of the repulsorlift chair.

The elevator opened and she stood there.

"Hello Captain."

Rex recognised the voice and looked up startled.

"Gem?"

He couldn't hold back the smile and held out a hand for her to take.

"I hope you don't mind Sir, but Representative Gem thought you might be more comfortable in her apartment while you recuperate?"

"Thank you" was all he could mutter out as they continued on their way through to the Senate Building.

She opened the apartment and walked ahead of them, turning lights on and heading into the bedroom. Just the small activity of getting dressed and being transported had exhausted him.

"I'll fix you something to eat while Kix gets you settled."

Kix helped lift his brother from the chair and placed him into their bed. He was fussing with the sheets when the Captain slapped his hands away.

"Stop it Kix, I'm fine."

"Sorry Sir." Kix stifled back a laugh and went to leave. He stopped suddenly and took in a deep breath.

"Sir, um I don't know, uh - "

"Out with it medic," the Captain said gruffly, wanting him to disappear quickly so he could finally be alone with her.

Kix stood straight as if to deliver some important intel during a mission.

"Sir. Before you consider going on advanced recon, I would suggest you recalibrate your deece."

Rex unmoved stared at his medic long and hard. He then remembered the virus that had just ravished his body and the subsequent treatment with the antidote. Toxins would have accumulated in his system, some yet to pass.

Kix knew that look, and waited for the reaction that usually followed.

"Understood. Dismissed trooper," was all he replied.

###

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