Hey everyone! Fives Effect takes a moment to get started, at least slower than Guilty, my other ongoing fic. This is more of another establishing chapter, getting information out and establishing the AU. A shorter chapter, but I hope you all still enjoy!

Ahsoka leaned her head against the Skywalker's window. Padme was instructing 3PO in the kitchen and Anakin was tinkering with something on the caf table. R2 was at Ahsoka's elbow. He had whistled with excitement when she'd first come in and hadn't left her side since.

"Snips, since you've stolen my assistant, the least you could do is give me a hand." Anakin complained.

Ahsoka peeled her forehead away from the window and drifted over to Anakin.

"When's everyone else supposed to be here?" Ahsoka asked.

"Within the hour. I'm sorry you've had to wait here this long. I expected shopping to take much longer." Padme said.

Ahsoka moved bags filled with new clothes off the couch and sat next to Anakin. Padme had insisted they cut the day short and go and restock Ahsoka's wardrobe. Ahsoka was grateful. She'd been used to a certain level of quality of clothing as a Jedi. It had been hard to switch to the undercity norm.

"What is this, anyway?" Ahsoka asked Anakin as she picked up one of the hundreds of pieces scattered on the table.

"It's a comm." He told her. "People use them while babies sleep to make sure they're okay. I'm just upgrading the one Padme got for the twins."

"What would you possibly need to upgrade about it?" Ahsoka asked.

"That's what I've been saying." Padme had come into the room. "Dinner's almost ready and the guests will be here soon. Please clean that up, Ani."

Anakin groaned but began levitating the pieces into a small box.

"My other question is, why do you need one?" Ahsoka asked. "Won't you be able to sense when the babies are upset?" Ahsoka trailed off. Memories of Rex the night before were surfacing.

"That's what I've been saying!" Anakin didn't seem to notice her falter.

"You won't be the only one watching them." Padme said.

Ahsoka perked up. The mind she had been waiting for had arrived.

"Rex is here." She told Anakin and Padme. "I'm going to go meet him."

"He knows the way." Anakin said. He was back on the couch.

"Go ahead, Ahsoka." Padme said with a smile.

Rex was clearly surprised when he saw her waiting for him on the parking pad.

"Hello, Commander." He said.

Ahsoka smiled at him.

"Hey Rex." She said.

She struggled to keep her tone even. He wouldn't want her to act any different because of the night before. She slipped to his side. They walked together in a comfortable silence, save for the string of uneasiness wrapped around Rex. She walked as slowly as she could. Rex matched her pace. He had always matched her pace. Once she had tested him by using the Force to walk at the same speed as a run. He had silently jogged along. She felt bad about it now, but she'd been fourteen and fascinated by his steady ways.

"Commander."

Ahsoka stopped and waited for him to continue. He stared ahead, past her.

"About last night." He took a breath. "I'm sorry."

He was apologizing?

"I should have told you. We have-" He paused. "Intense nightmares. We're used to them."

Ahsoka frowned. 'We' implied Jesse too, but she had felt nothing from the other clone that night.

"I have them too." She told him.

Rex nodded. Ahsoka thought of the long nights she had laid awake in mental anguish in her lonely apartment. The only thing she had wanted was someone, anyone, to be there with her.

"Rex, I don't mind staying with you if you have a nightmare." She said.

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask. I volunteered." Ahsoka corrected.

"Still." He turned to her, eyes serious. "Please, Commander. We've been dealing with nightmares the entire war. Please don't worry yourself about it."

Ahsoka nearly told him that his nightmares kept her from sleeping, but she knew it'd make him feel worse.

"Okay." Ahsoka said. "But I'm always willing to help if you need it."

He granted her a small smile. The unease had faded.

"I'll keep that in mind, sir."

"Enough with the sir, Rex."

"Yes, sir."

"That was nice." Ahsoka commented as Rex drove them home.

"A little too much politics for my taste." Rex said with a shrug.

"Senator Organa and Padme were in the same room. What did you expect?"

"For General Kenobi to not encourage them." Rex replied. "He's usually not brave enough for politics."

"I'm just glad to see him." Ahsoka confessed.

She hadn't realized how much she had missed her grandmaster until she'd seen him.

"I haven't seen him that happy since General Skywalker left the Order." Rex said.

Ahsoka frowned. Obi Wan had seemed subdued to her. Rex noticed her expression.

"You weren't around him after the Mandalore incident." He said. "He- hasn't been the same since. Been driving Cody crazy."

"Oh." Ahsoka said.

She didn't really know many of the details of what happened after Obi Wan had rushed off to Mandalore. She knew Duchess Satine had been killed and that Obi Wan and Anakin had had a conversation that had led to Anakin leaving the Order. She hadn't had time to ask; the Order had shipped her out with her new master immediately. They hadn't even given her time to say goodbye to her men.

There was a surprise waiting for them when they got home. Fives was standing outside the apartment, speaking with Master Shaak Ti.

"Master Ti?" Ahsoka was confused.

"Ahsoka." The older woman's voice was warm. Fives stood beside her, practically glowing with excitement.

"Fives, let's go in." Rex said.

Fives deflated.

"General Ti is here!" He protested.

"Now, Fives." Rex said firmly. "General."

He nodded to Master Ti before going in.

"Goodbye, General!" Fives said.

"Goodbye, Fives." Master Ti said with a gentle smile. "Make sure you are getting enough rest."

"Er, yes sir!"

Then Fives was gone and Ahsoka was left alone with Master Ti.

"How did you know I was here? Or back, for that matter?" Ahsoka asked.

"Master Plo. He thought I would like to know." Master Ti said.

There was a question in their budding force bond. Why did you not tell me?

"I'm sorry, Master." Ahsoka said. "I didn't think you would want to know."

She found herself slipping into her natural Shili accent.

"Why would I not want to know that my former padawan had returned?"

Lots of reasons. Ahsoka thought. Like me calling you a coward in front of the council.

"I was only your padawan for a few months. I didn't think-"

"You taught me much in those few months." Master Ti cut her off. "As much as my other students."

Ahsoka looked down. Master Ti had two padawans before her short tenure with Ahsoka. Neither had lived.

"I'm sorry, Master Ti." She said.

"For what, young one?" Master Ti asked. "For leaving? You did what you believed to be right. I would have any under my care make the same choice."

"That's only part of it." Ahsoka admitted. She felt so young in the presence of the Togruta Master. "I'm sorry for what I said in front of the council."

Master Ti rested a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.

"Sometimes it is a harsh reminder we are given by the Force to correct our ways." She said. "Your words, while spoken with passion, were inspired by the compassion and courage of a Jedi Master."

Ahsoka continued staring at the floor.

"And those words also rang true." Master Ti continued. "I was not doing my duty to those men." She looked into Ahsoka's eyes with surprising emotion.

"You gave me courage, little one, to play my part in the ending of the war."

Some of Ahsoka's shame faded. It was easier to meet Master Ti's dark gaze.

"What part did you play?" Ahsoka asked.

Master Ti smiled.

"Fives can tell you that."

"Won't you come in?" Ahsoka asked. "I'm sure he'd be more willing to tell me with you there."

Shak Ti shook her head.

"I must return to the temple. They have assigned me to the creche, and I cannot leave the little ones for long. I came only to see that you were well."

Ahsoka finally gave her short-lived master a smile.

"I'm glad you did. Thank you." She said with a bow.

Master Ti bowed back.

"You are welcome, young one. Farewell."

"Did she leave?" Fives asked as soon as Ahsoka came in.

"Yeah." Ahsoka said. "She only had time to say hello."

Fives looked disappointed.

"You don't have a chance, vod." Jesse said from the couch.

"That's- I'm not-" Fives sputtered.

"Don't tease him, Jesse." Rex said, though he sounded amused.

"She said something about helping end the war." Ahsoka directed this at Fives.

Something in Fives eyes hardened but he didn't turn away.

"That'd be on account of her saving me." He said. "Couldn't have outed Palpatine if I were dead."

Ahsoka blinked.

"You're gonna have to give me more than that."

Fives rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, she kept Fox from shooting me."

"Why was Fox shooting you?"

"Start with Tup, Fives." Rex said.

Fives' story came out slowly. Ahsoka was horrified to hear what had happened to Tup. The trooper had been shy and reserved, especially compared to Fives. Ahsoka had managed to get him somewhat out of his shell before she left. She now felt it wasn't enough.

It was clear it was difficult for Fives to talk about. He had adopted Tup as his vod'ika.

His voice broke as he described Tup's final moments.

Jesse had come up and put a hand on Fives' shoulder. Fives took a moment before he continued. His daring escape, research, and attempt on Palpatine's life kept Ahsoka rooted.

"So Kix contacted General Skywalker and Rex for me. They met me at this old warehouse I was hiding in. I guess I'd been seen because the Coruscant Guard knew where I was."

Fives said.

"I guess I was acting kind of crazy because the General and Rex didn't really take me seriously."

"He'd been drugged." Rex interjected.

"Yeah, yeah." Fives waved it off. "Anyway, the Guard showed up and well, I panicked and went for Rex's pistol. Fox had his blaster up and he was gonna shoot."

Fives' eyes grew distant.

"And then General Ti was there! She Force pushed Fox's blaster away and the shot missed me. She dealt with everything then. She got me out and mind tricked the Guard into thinking they killed me. Everything's kind of a blur after that. The drugs, you know."

Fives lost some of his animation once General Ti's part was done.

"I woke up in the Jedi Temple. A bunch of Jedi came to talk to me and they believed me. Started making plans to get the chips out."

Fives started to falter. As much as Ahsoka wanted to know the next part of the story, she saw how much it had drained Fives to get this far.

"I've got to get to bed, Fives." She interrupted. "We'll finish this another time."

"Right." Fives said. He seemed relieved. "Can't be tomorrow night, we've got a surprise for you."

"Oh?" Ahsoka said. "I'm looking forward to it."

The next day was more of the same. Namely, Ahsoka trying not to pick fights with senators. It was difficult to hold her tongue when the senators kept referring to her men as if they were objects. It was only Anakin's surprisingly good example that stopped her from getting herself kicked out of the Senate building.

Ahsoka had nearly forgotten about Fives' surprise when she got home. She found three eager clones waiting for her in the living room. Fives and Jesse were wearing civvies while Rex was still in his armor.

"Are we going out?" She asked.

"We have to wait for someone first." Fives said.

He was almost bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Don't tell me Master Ti is coming?" Ahsoka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope!" Jesse said.

Even Rex's eyes were dancing, though he kept his more stoic expression.

It was another fifteen minutes of the clones fidgeting and Ahsoka trying to get the secret out of them for the door to chime.

"Can you get that, Commander?" Jesse said in an almost sing-song tone.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and went to open the door.

Five clones stood outside, though she barely recognized them as such. One was hulked over the others. Another stood shorter than the average clones and wore what looked like spectacles. The third had grey hair and a thin face. The fourth was more like the norm, but with intense tattoos and longer hair. It was the fifth that caught her attention. He was thin, thinner than any clone she'd seen and he looked as if he hadn't seen sunlight for years. Ahsoka frowned at the metal components poking out of his short greying hair. His right arm was definitely mechanical and she suspected his legs were as well. She had never heard of any clone surviving injuries like these.

Then she saw the handprint on his armor and he smiled a very familiar smile.

"Hello, Commander-oof!"

Echo stumbled as Ahsoka threw her arms around him.

If it isn't clear: After Anakin left the Order, the council gave Ahsoka to a new Master, Shaak Ti (probably hoping Shaak Ti could chill Ahsoka out). They served together on Kamino, where Ahsoka got uber pissed about the way the clones were treated, had a come to the Force moment about leading a slave army, and left the Order. So the temple bombing never happens. I also adore the idea that Fives has a crush on Master Ti.

The other idea is that Ahsoka inspires Shaak Ti to be more proactive in her protection of the clones and searches Fives out just in time to save his life as he describes here.

Another note: I absolutely hate miscommunication and misunderstanding between characters. As you see here, I will have the characters at least try to be forth coming about their emotions, as much as their character allows. So don't be expecting much of that.

Anyway, wear your masks, remember to review, and have a great couple of weeks!