Hey everyone! Hope things are going well where you are.
LizzyLuna75: These juicy details are going to take a while to come out, but there are some this chapter. And if there's any reason to have a typo, brain injury is a pretty good excuse.
haze47: Thank you! Here it is!
Ct-7567 Rex: I'm glad to introduce you to the wonderful world of semi-decent fanfiction! I hope you continue to enjoy!
(quick edit and thanks to nw150 for pointing this out, changing all references to Padme as Senator to Chancellor and better marking of scene transitions)
Echo's story made Ahsoka cry, though she had been already teary eyed at his sudden appearance. It was not a great first impression for the group of four odd clones that had come with Echo. They'd been introduced as the Bad Batch and Echo's new squad.
"Are we going to 79's or what?" The big clone, Wrecker boomed.
"79's?" Ahsoka asked with a pointed look at Rex. "The place Rex never let me go to?"
Rex cleared his throat.
"General Skywalker and I both agree that you are old enough to accompany us to 79's." He said with a stiff air.
"Thank you for your permission." Ahsoka said dryly.
Fives, who seemed to be punch drunk at Echo's being there, raised his hand as if answering a question.
"I call buying the Commander her first ever drink!" He said.
Echo groaned and Jesse glared at Fives.
"Sorry, but I've had drinks before." Ahsoka interjected.
Fives and Jesse looked so horrified that Ahsoka wished she hadn't said anything.
Rex sat back in his chair, watching Commander Tano. She was surrounded by clones, all vying for her attention. Most were from the 501st naturally, but the 212th and 104th had plenty of members eager to see her. Even Wolffe had come and Rex knew that Wolffe disliked 79's as Rex himself did. Wolffe had even tolerated a hug from the Commander.
Now the grizzled commander sat next to Rex with a Corellian whiskey.
"She doing alright?" Wolffe asked.
Rex nodded.
"Where'd she get those bruises?" Cody asked from Rex's other side. He'd come over after giving the Commander his regards. He sipped at his Tatooine Sunset with a furrowed brow.
The commander was wearing an outfit that exposed her arms, revealing more dark bruising.
"I don't know." Rex admitted. He'd tried asking a few questions but she'd brushed them off. The injuries were a conundrum to Rex.
"If I know the Commander, she wouldn't let anyone push her around." Cody said.
"She was in the undercity." Wolffe said. "If she was desperate-"
"No." Rex cut him off. "She'd always defend herself."
"Then what happened?" Cody asked. "She get into fights?"
They fell silent as they watched her. Rex frowned as a very drunk Fives planted a kiss on a laughing Ahsoka's cheek. Rex almost got up to grab him, but several vod'e dragged him away with shouting and smacks on the back of the head. Ahsoka was still laughing and took a swig from her glass. Rex noticed how Ahsoka didn't flinch at the alcohol. She'd been drinking for a while.
Wolffe noticed too.
"She's too used to that." He growled. "I have half a mind to take the Wolf Pack down to the undercity."
Cody snorted.
"What are you going to do, arrest every bartender down there?" He asked. "Take down anyone who looks like they'd fight her?"
Wolffe didn't respond.
"Plo'buir won't be happy." He finally muttered.
Rex didn't even raise an eyebrow at Wolffe's casual reference to General Plo as buir. Once the war was over, it seemed every member of the Wolf Pack used the term.
Echo had disentangled himself from the crowd and wandered towards Rex's group.
"No drinks tonight, Echo?" Rex asked.
Echo gave a sad smile.
"Can't anymore. It messes with my circuitry."
He sat down and leaned on the table. Rex gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"What about you?" Echo asked. "Designated flier?"
Rex opened his mouth to agree when Cody cut him off.
"More like if he drinks anything stronger than blue milk he loses it."
"Cody!" Rex snapped. Cody's teasing nature, which had become more subdued over the years, tended to come out full force after a few drinks.
Wolffe gave a bark of laughter.
Echo blinked and raised an eyebrow.
"Loses it?"
"We once broke open a bottle of Corellian wine and one glass in he was crying in the corner."
"It was one time, Cody!"
"One time because you never drank in front of anyone again!"
Echo's eyes were shining and his shoulders were shaking.
"I guess even our indomitable Captain has a weakness." He said. "Don't worry. I won't tell Fives."
Rex felt himself relax, though his cheeks were still a little warm.
"He seems a little preoccupied at the moment." He commented.
Fives was still getting knuckled by Jesse. Ahsoka was now locked in an arm wrestling contest with Ridge. The clones around her were cheering loudly for her, including Wrecker. The large clone had taken a shine to the Commander.
"I'm surprised Wrecker's still conscious." Echo commented. "He's had a lot tonight."
Rex raised an eyebrow. He supposed Echo was right; early on in the night Wrecker had hefted a keg of spicebrew, roared 'GET CRUNK' and proceeded to chug the entire barrel.
"He's big." Rex said. "He can handle it, can't he?"
"Proportionally, Wrecker has a below average tolerance for alcohol." A clipped voice said behind them.
Hunter and Tech had approached. Tech seemed completely sober, while Hunter was grinning. The expression was odd on the Bad Batch leader.
"What do you mean by that?" Rex asked.
"Wrecker indeed can ingest a large amount of alcohol. However, when compared to others of his size, his ability to tolerate it is below average." Tech said.
"That's surprising." Rex said with a blink.
"Not really." Tech said "Size doesn't really affect one's tolerance, at least proportionally."
Rex shrugged. He still found it impressive that Wrecker could handle all that spicebrew. Rex turned his attention back to his commander She was now engaged in another arm wrestling contest with Wrecker. The large clone was laughing as, despite Ahsoka's effort, his meaty hand refused to budge. Ahsoka yelled something and Fives came quickly to her aid. After a moment, when Wrecker still didn't move, Jesse and Ridge came to help. More clones were close behind, all shoving against Wrecker's massive strength. Wrecker was laughing so hard he was nearly thrown off balance. Despite the efforts of Ahsoka and at least five clones, he didn't move.
"Echo!" Fives called. "Get over here!"
"I don't think so." Echo called back. "I'm part of his squad."
"You were part of the 501st first!" Fives protested. "We have claim on you!"
Echo just raised his arms and shook his head.
"Sorry, I'm staying out of this one."
Ahsoka grit her teeth and closed her eyes. Rex saw what was going to happen before it did. Wrecker's hand jolted backwards and slammed against the table. The clones behind her lurched forward and fell apart, laughing.
"Hey!" Wrecker shouted. "You used the Force!"
"So?" Ahsoka said. "You used your muscles."
"That's not fair!" Wrecker said. "Nobody else has the Force!"
"Nobody else has your muscles."
Wrecker blinked and let out a roar of laughter.
"I'll give ya that!" He chortled. "Next time though, no Force!"
"Then no muscles." Ahsoka said, folding her arms. "You didn't complain when I was using all of my men."
"Wasn't all of them." Wrecker mumbled.
"So you shouldn't complain when I use all of the assets I have at my disposal." Ahsoka finished.
Rex was surprised to see Ahsoka use the Force like that. The Jedi were taught not to use the Force for frivolous purposes; at least, that's what General Kenobi told General Skywalker constantly.
"I still think you cheated." Wrecker said.
"Let me buy you a drink. Will that make it better?" Ahsoka asked.
Wrecker paused.
"No, he is not drinking any more." Tech called.
Rex raised an eyebrow at how authoritative the smaller clone sounded. Wrecker deflated.
"Come on, Wrecker." Hunter said. "You know what you get like. Besides, I don't think any of us could carry you out of here."
"The only person who could carry him, is him." Echo said with a smile.
"I'll owe you a drink next time." Ahsoka said.
Wrecker seemed placated by this. A few more clones had lined up to challenge Ahsoka themselves. Rex leaned back in his chair. He soaked in her presence, relishing the fact that she was here, she was safe. No more staying up till midnight tearing through the Holonet for Undercity records. He had been terrified of the day that something would actually show up regarding a young Togruta woman, but he had been desperate for any news. General Skywalker had always assured them that she was fine, that he could feel her however distant. It was hard to take the General at his word. Rex wasn't Force sensitive. He wasn't even close. He didn't have an inkling of what it was like. While he knew the Force was real, having seen and felt the effects of it many times, it was hard for him to accept that General Skywalker could just feel that she was fine. Well, fine as in alive. He had always felt General Skywalker wasn't telling them something.
Now that was over. Those nights of worry over one of the people he had sworn to protect were gone. He found himself just staring at her.
Wolffe noticed his gaze.
"She's grown up." Wolffe said gruffly.
Rex looked at his brother.
"What do you mean?"
"She's not exactly that 14 year old we met on Christophsis, is she?" Cody said.
Rex shook his head. He had noticed she'd grown up. The moment she had stepped off that transport, he had seen it. It was strange. It had only been a few months but Rex had suddenly become aware that she was an adult. No longer a child to be mentored. Even as that child she had wielded extraordinary power he had never understood. She was an equal now.
"We're going to have to start looking out for boys." Cody said with a smirk.
Wolffe let out a low growl. Rex knew that Wolffe saw Ahsoka as his vod'ika, sharing General Plo as an adopted father. Cody saw her the same way. Most of the clones did, Rex included. Right?
Except, that feeling when she had come back. It was as if he was being introduced to someone new, someone completely different from the girl that had left. And this new person, this woman, instilled a new feeling that both frightened him and drew him in. He had known, that moment when he had seen her, that their relationship wouldn't be the same again.
Rex stepped out of the 'fresher, leading a pale Jesse.
"Feeling better, vod?" Rex asked.
Jesse just gave a weak nod. Rex was glad that they were at least home before Jesse had gotten sick. Rex steered Jesse into his room and helped his drunk brother into bed.
"S'not fair." Jesse slurred. "Fives didn't get sick and he drank twice as much as I did."
Rex just patted Jesse's shoulder and left his brother to sleep off the night's fun. The night had ended fairly early for them. Rex knew it was time to go when Fives trudged up to Echo and simply pressed his face into Echo's shoulder. That was always a sign Fives had too much to drink. From one second to the next he would go from loud and boisterous to suddenly sullen and quiet, and very clingy. Fives had refused to let go of Echo, even when they had gotten home. Echo was now lying resigned on one of Tech's inflatable bedrolls with a very drunk Fives still hanging off of him.
Rex made to go to his own room.
"Rex?"
Rex turned around to see the Commander standing in her doorway.
"Commander." He said. "I thought you'd be asleep."
"I forgot to do something." Her voice wasn't slurred like Jesse's, but it was still off. She wasn't as obviously drunk as the others, but Rex knew her well enough to see the difference. He went to move aside to let her go past when she threw her arms around his neck.
Rex blinked.
"Commander?"
"I hugged everybody else, but I didn't give you a hug when I came back." She said. "Sorry."
Rex realized what she was talking about. At the bar, she had greeted every clone with an embrace. He raised his arms to awkwardly pat her back. She was hanging on to him a lot longer than she had the others. Rex attributed that to the drink.
"You smell nice." She muttered.
"What?"
She didn't say anything, just continued to hang off of him. Rex decided that he had misheard her.
"Commander." He said, trying to remind her that she really ought to go to bed.
"Just give me a minute." She said. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Rex said. "We all did."
It felt like a repeat of the conversation they'd had when she had first come back.
"No, I mean I missed you most. Out of everyone."
"Even General Skywalker?"
"You don't annoy me as much as he does." She muttered.
"Thank you?" He said.
"Mmm." was all the response she gave him.
Rex was surprised with how nice it felt with her arms around him. But it was late, and she was drunk. She'd probably regret enough without staying up much longer.
"Commander," He said again.
"You're as bad as Grif." She mumbled.
Rex frowned.
"Who?"
"He was my manager down in the undercity." She said. She was currently pressing her face into his chest, making her words barely audible.
"Manager of what?"oh you had a job.
"The manager of-" She trailed off. "My job."
"Your job." He repeated.
She nodded.
"He wasn't happy when I decided to leave, tried to stop me."
A thought came to mind that twisted Rex's stomach. He pushed her off to arm's length, so he could look at her. "Commander, is he how you got those bruises?"
"No. Yes? Kind of." She said.
"Kind of?" Rex let some of his frustration and worry bleed through. "How can someone be 'kind of' responsible for injuries?"
She didn't say anything. He tried a more straightforward approach.
"Commander, how did you get those bruises?"
She suddenly met his eyes with a surprisingly focused gaze.
"It's in the past. It doesn't matter."
Rex wanted to protest that it did matter. He, along with General Skywalker and several others, wanted to know who had been attacking his commander.
She just frowned at him and shook her head.
"It doesn't matter."
"General Skywalker and I, Chancellor Amidala, General Kenobi and General Plo, all the boys, we're all worried about you. I-"
He cut off as she suddenly hugged him again, shocking him into silence.
"That worked better than I thought it would." She said into his shoulder. "That's good to know."
"Commander-"
"Goodnight, Rex."
She let go, patted his shoulder, and turned around. She wasn't stumbling, but her gait lacked her normal grace.
He watched her go and dragged his hand down his face when her door closed.
At least they had a name now. Grif. That was at least something to go off of.
Rex looked up from his book as the door to the apartment slid open. It was Ahsoka.
"Hello Commander." Rex greeted her. "You're later than usual."
"Hi Rex." She said as she came in. "There were more complications than usual today."
Rex frowned.
"Nothing too bad, I hope."
Ahsoka shook her head.
"Just a few more threats than normal." She said. "And Anakin is getting more paranoid."
Rex shrugged.
"Understandable. I can't imagine it's easier having your wife threatened all the time."
"No." Ahsoka agreed.
She walked over to the couch and plopped down, putting her chin in her hands.
Rex eyed her over the top of his book. She hadn't quite found her routine yet. Mornings were fine. She encouraged Jesse and Rex to go early into work and she joined them to take advantage of the GAR's training facilities. From there she'd join General Skywalker and Chancellor Amidala and perform her duties as bodyguard. She didn't have much to do at home.
Rex, in the days following the end of the war, had experienced a similar problem. He found himself suddenly with a lot of time on his hands, time he didn't know how to fill. Rex was lucky in that he had discovered a love of books quickly. Now he spent most of his free time reading or scouring the Coruscant markets for new additions to his collection.
Jesse had decided to fill his time with exploring Coruscant, which was how he had met the woman he was courting. He now spent most of his time with Rhys.
Fives faced a similar problem as Ahsoka. He hadn't found his balance yet.
Rex continued to watch his Commander as she stared into space, got up, made a loop around the room, and ended up at the back of his chair. She peered over his shoulder.
"You finished that other book?"
Rex nodded.
"I finished it last night."
"What's this one called?" She asked.
"Correllian Nights."
Ahsoka cocked her head.
"What's it about?"
"An explorer during Corellia's early days." He said. "It's a historical fiction."
Ahsoka scanned over the page he was on. She seemed thoughtful.
"Did you read much growing up, sir?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"Not stories, no. Plenty of studying, but we weren't encouraged to read stuff like this." She sounded wistful.
Rex looked up at her. He had a little more experience with stories. The Mandalorian trainers would tell them tales of old Mandalore, and he knew that younger troopers were regaled with battle stories from the front.
"Do you mind if I read over your shoulder a little?" She asked.
"No, sir." He said.
He held out the book a little further out to give her a better vantage point and tried to find his place on the page. After a moment he moved to turn the page. Ahsoka made a disgruntled noise.
"Sir?"
"Sorry, I wasn't done."
Rex blinked.
"Sorry, sir. We were taught to read at advanced speeds on Kamino."
"Could you slow down?"
Rex looked at her sheepishly.
"I don't know if I can, sir." He admitted.
She deflated a bit, then perked up.
"Do you think you could read it outloud?"
Rex stared at her. He wasn't a performer. He was positive he was sure to do whatever he read outloud a disservice. But her eyes were shining with the idea.
"I'll give it a try." He said hesitantly. "But I can't promise it'll be any good."
"Go on!" Ahsoka encouraged. She went back to the couch and sat down. "This way we'll be going at the same pace."
"That's true." Rex said "Would you like me to start over? I'm only a few pages in."
"If you want."
Rex flicked the pages back and began to read aloud.
The words were heavy on Rex's tongue. He was sure he was doing a very poor job of it. He kept making mistakes, stumbling over words he had read a thousand times. He was pretty sure that he sounded exactly like he was giving a report and he knew how much Ahsoka hated those.
But she didn't tell him to stop. She laid down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Rex made it through a couple dozen pages before glancing at her again. Her eyes were closed. Kriff, he'd probably bored her to sleep. He faltered on the next sentence, letting the words trail off.
"What are you doing?" She asked. "Don't stop."
He picked up the sentence again.
After a few more dozen pages, the words began to flow more smoothly. He fell into a rhythm and attempted inflections, trying in his limited way to bring the words to life. He found himself enjoying it, though his mouth started to get quite dry after a while.
He glanced up at the chrono on the wall. Kriff, had it been that long? It'd been two hours since he started and he noticed for the first time that the light was nearly gone from the sky. His mouth was completely dry.
"Commander." He said after the next page.
"Hm?"
"Would you mind if I got myself a drink?"
She lifted her head.
"How long have we been-" She trailed off as she saw the chrono. "Oh!"
Rex got his drink. He winced as the cold water hit his empty stomach.
"Maybe we should take a break, get something to eat." He called to her.
"Isn't it Jesse's night?" Ahsoka asked.
"I guess he forgot." Rex said, returning to the room.
"I don't want to make anything." Ahsoka said with a groan.
Rex considered her as he sipped his water. He didn't particularly want to make the effort either. Besides, out of the three, Rex's culinary skills were the least developed.
"We could go out to eat." He suggested.
Ahsoka glanced at him.
"That sounds nice."
The evening air was crisp as they stepped out of the apartment. The commander had tried and failed to get Rex out of his armor; he still didn't feel right not wearing it and he didn't actually have civvies. Rex's comm chirped.
"Rex here." He said.
"Rex? Oh, good. Is Ahsoka with you?" It was General Skywalker's voice.
"I'm right here, Master."
Rex thought with a twitch of his lips that it was odd that she called him Master still while protesting the use of Commander.
"Can you come and stay with Padme for a while?" General Skywalker asked. "We've located the source of one of the threats to Padme and I need to go investigate."
Ahsoka hesitated with a glance at Rex. Rex stifled a twinge of disappointment.
"Of course, Master."
"Great, thank you! How soon-"
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
The comm clicked off.
"Kriff." Ahsoka said. "I'm sorry, Rex."
"It's alright, Commander." Rex said. "These things happen."
Ahsoka paused.
"I bet Padme will have dinner ready over there." She said. "I doubt she'd say no to feeding you if you came along."
"Commander," Rex said uncertainly. "That seems-"
"Oh come on, Rex." Ahsoka said. "She likes you."
"All right." Rex said with a smile. "I'd have to fly you over there regardless."
"I can fly a speeder!" Ahsoka protested.
"Fives made me promise not to let you drive it." Rex said sheepishly.
"That's rich coming from Fives." Ahsoka muttered.
Rex can actually hold his liquor fairly well, he just bottles up his emotions too much. He was constantly on the edge of a breakdown during the war and that came out when Cody gave him something to drink. He'd be okay now, though if given enough alcohol he'd start hugging people. I have a few sad headcanons about Echo: he's partly powered by an internal battery, so he doesn't need to eat much and alcohol will mess with him. Which is why he's still so skinny. The Bad Batch in order of Alcohol Tolerance from least to best: Wrecker, Hunter, Crosshair, Tech. Tech can drink anyone under the table.
The clones needed things to do outside the army, and for some reason reading felt right for Rex. (Also the idea of him in reading glasses kills me. My dad, who my mom calls her Rex, is adorable in his) He likes adventure novels and historical fiction. Cannot handle a romance scene to save his life.
Anyway, wear your masks, remember to review, and have a great two weeks!