Ninety Seven

Rex was furious.

Gem could tell by the silence that he was dealing with the loss of his commander.

She knew the past they shared and she also knew he was standing at the top of the Jedi Temple that afternoon.

More powerful than any words, she had been privy to their invisible bond and unspoken goodbye.

They had been each other's firsts in so many ways, but Gem would never understand the depth. Rex had taught Ahsoka how to take charge of an army, to demand their respect as a leader. Culminating in the physical consummation of their relationship, in the darkness they had secretly taught each other the intimacy that could only be shared between two.

It was this invisible Force that had spurred Gem to learn more about the Jedi, to understand her mother now she was one herself.

Obi-Wan had sensed it the night Piia was born. She had unwittingly passed it on to her daughter, like a virus it multiplied and ingratiated its way into the very essence of her being.

It was now her curse to bear as well.

He hadn't said anything since arriving back at the apartment. Placing his helmet down, Rex immediately went to his daughter, jostling her gently against the plastoid.

Gem was in the small kitchen making a light meal when he surprised her, leaning up against the door frame.

"There you are?"

"She's asleep," he said quietly.

"That didn't take long."

Rex waited; with Piia asleep in the other room, there was no distraction, no avoiding the tension that filled the apartment.

"Is there something you would like to discuss with me?"

Gem got in first and he smiled, the captain had been outmanoeuvred.

He straightened and lent forward to snatch a piece of cheese before he quickly put it in his mouth.

"Well, if you're asking, then yes, I do have a few things I would like to discuss."

She knew by his tone he was after answers concerning Ahsoka.

Gem placed the knife down and leaned against the bench, hoping that what she was about to say would be taken in the faith that it was given.

"I gave her money Rex. She has nothing, so I gave her money ok? They left her penniless and alone," before continuing under her breath, "it's my mother all over again."

Gem kept looking at the platter of food she had now lost all interest in eating. Rex moved in slowly behind her and placed his arms around her waist.

"Thank you," he said, "she would have appreciated that. Ahsoka may be alone Gem, but not for long. I expect she will head back to her home world and seek out what family she has left. Believe me when I say she will be fine. It's Skywalker I am more worried about."

"And you?" She swiveled around in his arms, her eyes glassy, "do I need to be worried about you Rex?"

He sighed and let her go, stepping back and leaning against the bench behind him. Gem's heart sank. She would always feel insecure where Ahsoka was concerned. Why? She would never know.

"The five hundred and first lost a brilliant commander today, and I won't deny I will miss her friendship, I will. But I haven't lost a friend Gem, she has her own destiny to follow. Mine is here with you and Piia." Gem felt ashamed for questioning him and turned back to the fruit, wiping away an errant tear.

"I gave her the coordinates to the house on Oriis as well."

"Argh Gemma," he growled and moved fast, pulling her hard back into him, nuzzling her neck, "that is why I love you," he breathed in her ear, "thank you. That couldn't have been easy."

"I'd do anything for you Rex, you know that," she whispered back, his hand had wound it's way up to cup a breast.

"Hmmm, anything?"

"Rex, I'm tired."

"You're always tired. Come on," he pleaded, "Piia's quiet. I need you as well." She smiled and relaxed, allowing him to kiss her, gently at first until it became apparent that his need was not going to be deflected again that evening.

Their breathing became desperate as their mouths were interlocked, Rex holding her head firm against his when they both heard the sound from the other room. Rex lightly laughed and slapped her bottom quickly.

"I'll get her, you bring the food," he said and left the kitchen for the little girl demanding a captains attention.

He was growing restless and the extended down time on Coruscant didn't help. Gem wasn't unrealistic in knowing that he needed to fight, the lure of a family secondary to his intrinsic needs.

Then there was Piia.

Only with her in his arms did Rex seem to come back to them, albeit briefly.

The four month old would gurgle and smile a toothless grin, dimples dotting her cheeks and melt the armour with unadulterated love.

The time he enjoyed most was after he would strip down and lay her on his bare chest. The soldiers always enjoyed skin to skin contact, their lives devoid of human touch until they were old enough, or brave enough, to initiate it themselves.

There they would both sit; Piia curled up, her legs tucked neatly underneath her, comforted by his warmth and familiar smell.

It ran both ways.

Gem would watch Rex sniff her dark hair, closing his eyes and drinking in her scent, committing it to memory.

"Here, let me put her down."

"No, it's ok," he whispered, his eyes half closed, "she's good."

Gem smiled.

Piia had him.

Hook, line and sinker.

.

"Sir."

Rex was busy tapping away at his data pad.

Anakin had them it seemed, on permanent cool down. Rex knew there was more to his general's restlessness but was busy keeping own his men occupied to allow it to concern him.

Torrent were spending their days with extra training in the gym and down on the range, with hours of grueling target practice. Jesse had been selected along with Whisk to head into R&D, tasked with the science engineers in developing new weaponry. It suited the tattooed clone, he was always one to think that little bit further outside the box and Rex knew it was a perfect platform for Jess to stand out from the others.

Fives was AWOL – figuratively speaking. He would only appear when necessary; report in, eat, stir up some sort of osik then mysteriously leave. It was annoying, but Rex knew he had a bigger agenda; he knew he had only two missions remaining before his plan would come to fruition, privately hoping that the ARC would succeed and leave as he wished he could.

As Ahsoka had done.

Ahsoka.

He blew out a long breath.

He just assumed the Jedi would look after their own, as the soldiers did. No, the loss of Ahsoka from the Order would be something Rex would never get used to; to not think about it would mean he had accepted that they were right, and that was something he would never allow himself to admit. In a way, he was glad she had left, the Jedi Council, the fekking war along with the bogus murder charge below her dignity, she deserved better. Things were changing, the war had been dragging on too long.

They all sensed it.

"Ehem. Sir."

Rex finished and looked up. "Finn, sorry."

"Not to worry sir. The little issue down on level three just won't go away. To be honest sir, I can't make heads or tails of it," it was the first time Finn had come back to the captain with a problem he couldn't fix. It was what Rex liked most about his staff corporal; he looked after all the stuff the captain found tedious; the incessant flimsie work, the supply requisitions and roster dilemmas. He trusted him implicitly.

There had never been a problem Finn couldn't sort out, until now.

"The sergeant is adamant that it requires your immediate attention."

Rex pushed the chair back from his desk and clasped the flimsie that Finn held. He quickly scanned the document and without moving his head his eyes shot up and silently questioned his corporal, who in return, only raised an eyebrow.

"I'll deal with this Finn. Let Hoops know I am on it."

"Affirmative sir."

Rex watched Finn swivel perfectly and leave his office. Rex placed the supply req down and sighed.

He hated confrontations.

.

The captain walked through the barracks.

'This can't be right,' he thought to himself as he continued preoccupied, unaware of men saluting and stepping aside as he did.

He then turned his mind to Piia, and was distracted slightly, running head first into Commander Cody.

"My apologies commander."

"Mind on other things captain?" Cody laughed. He was right, he just hadn't been officially told. Rex needed to remedy that.

One problem at a time.

This was just some pin-head in supply's miscalculation.

He was programmed, no bred, to be able to work through any situation.

On the battlefield.

Back on Triple Zero the men craved continuity and Rex was no different. It was an oversight by the Kaminoan's; a fundamental aspect of human nature they negated to delete from their DNA.

For the average person, change in their environment can cause anxiety or frustration. The clones however, knew what to expect from their training. They never doubted their ability to fight, it was the one standard when they left on assignment.

They established meaningful relationships within their designated units, but if a member of that group modified his behaviour, the tables suddenly turned.

The captain was determined to find answers, and he knew exactly where to start.

He swung into the gymnasium and without breaking stride called out, "Kix, over here."

The medic jogged over to his captain and stopped, wiping the sweat off his face with the towel flung carelessly around his shoulders.

"Sir."

"Ordinance has a discrepancy with some medical supplies," he said as he handed over the details for Kix to read for himself.

Rex saw it; the medic swallow and hold his eye a little too long.

Kix knew he had been caught out.

He nodded and handed the material back to Rex.

"What are you going to do?"

He wasn't even going to try and hide it.

'Fek!'

Rex had been banking on this being an administrive cock up.

He knew this could mean the end for his team medic.

And best friend.

"What are you going to do, sir?"

Kix repeated the question.

Rex remained rigid to the spot, his jaw clenched again. This was something he wasn't prepared for, no amount of training could guide him through this battle with the medic.

"I've assigned Coric on the next hop out with Appo. You're on permanent stand down until further notice."

"WHAT? You can't do that!"

I won't be there to save them! I need to be there!

Rex moved forward fast, pushing Kix hard up against a wall.

"What I want to do is put you in a fekking tank until you get all that osik out of your system," he hissed in his ear. Then aware of men staring at the two he loosened his grip, "what were you thinking Kix?"

"I – I don't know," he stammered, ashamed. He looked away, not wanting to see the disappointment in his commanding officer's eyes.

"How long will it take?"

"I can stop. Now. I can stop."

The men need me, they can't go without me!

Rex ignored him, "how long will it take?"

Kix couldn't answer, so Rex did it for him.

"You have three days starting now, and I will have you tested. Got it?"

Kix nodded, his mouth dry, the altercation had brought the need forward an hour.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" There was no doubting Rex's anger.

And desperation.

"Yes sir."

Rex gave him on long, last stare before he turned, scrunching the evidence in his right hand and left.

It didn't seem like it at the time, but Kix had just been given another chance.

Unlike those on Umbara.

.