Hey everyone!

Guess who's updating in the middle of their Philosophy class!

It's me. I'm a bad student.

OwlishBookworm - Thank you! It's my pleasure!

OneLittleSpark18 - Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked your present! And I hope you had a great birthday otherwise! And honestly, I love this chapter, so I hope you love it too!

CameForRexsokaStayedForClones - I'd like to say I love your username. And thank you very much! It has taken a long time to develop!

4thwallbreak - but will the break continue?

Okay, after the romance, back to the plot! And more romance.

I don't think that there's Mando'a in this chapter...

ABSOLVED: CHAPTER 13

Rex woke slowly, something that was unfamiliar to him. He was used to having to be aware the second he was awake. Otherwise it could mean his life.

There was an unfamiliar weight on him. He cracked his eyes open to see Ahsoka curled up on his chest.

That's right. Rex thought. He supposed two nights wasn't enough to cement in his mind that he was married to her and that they shared a bed now.

Ahsoka was still asleep. Rex found himself just watching her content face, wondering at his luck. He, a clone, a creature created to fight and die, was loved by one of the most magnificent women in the galaxy. And she had bound herself to him.

He would live and die to honor their vows.

Rex felt Ahsoka begin to wake. He ran his hand up and down her bare back as she drifted into consciousness. He smiled at her when she opened her eyes.

"Good morning." He said.

She smiled back and scooted up to lay a kiss on his lips.

"Good morning." She said.

Then her smile faltered a little.

"Today's the day." She said.

Rex nodded. The transport with their new recruits would be coming. Their time alone would be over.

"At least we got a honeymoon." Ahsoka said. "I don't know if Anakin and Padme had the luxury."

Rex nodded.

He expected Ahsoka to get up, but she instead sighed and laid her head back down.

"A little longer?" She asked.

"Yeah." He said, curling his arms around her. "A little longer."

Rex was glad they woke up at dawn naturally. It gave them one more quiet moment of respite before they had to be Captain and Commander again.

Their lazy kisses quickly grew passionate. As Ahsoka reached to run her hands through his hair, Rex caught sight of a flash of blue on her forearm. Rex caught Ahsoka's right wrist with his hand and moved it so he could see the jaig eyes. He studied them for a moment before pressing his lips to the tattoo. He felt a laugh rumbling in her chest.

"Full of yourself, aren't you?" She said.

He kissed it again.

"I was just thinking how I need one for you." He said. "Your markings, maybe, right here."

Rex guided her hand to his chest, right over his heart. Ahsoka was silent for a moment.

"I'd like that." Her voice was thick.

Rex held her close for a moment before she reignited their passion with kisses up and down his neck. He was nearly able to forget his worry with her body pressed against his. Even after their passion was spent, leaving tender love as the change, he drew comfort from their bare skin kissing.

The sun had risen far above the horizon before they started hearing the chatter of people outside. Rex felt Ahsoka heave another sigh before she eased herself off of his chest. Rex looked away as the blanket slid off of her frame.

"You can look." She said, teasing. "We're married, remember?"

Rex glanced up. She was facing him, hands on hips. Rex felt odd as he let his eyes linger over her naked body. She winked at him before she went to get her crumpled dress from the floor. Rex watched her pull it on. Kriff, she was gorgeous.

She glanced back at him.

"When I said you could look, I didn't mean that this is a show. Get up, you lump."

"Lump?" Rex asked as he extricated himself from the blankets.

He didn't miss Ahsoka's appreciative glance over his own body.

"Sorry." She said. "Get up, you sexy lump. Better?"

Rex shrugged, though he felt his cheeks warm.

"I suppose."

He picked up his clothes, dressed, and applied the color changing eye drops. Ahsoka had done the same. When she looked at him, he didn't see his wife. He saw Commander Ahsoka Tano, ready to continue with the mission. He couldn't help but feel a pang. Their honeymoon was over.

He let himself become Captain Rex of the 501st again. That's who needed to be here. Not Rex, the lovesick fool.

"The shuttle's supposed to be in at 1200." Ahsoka said. Her voice had changed to be business-like. "It's 1140 now. We should get going."

"Yes, sir." Rex said.

She didn't protest his use of 'sir.' She seemed to understand what was happening as well as he did.

They left the hut together. Rex applied the guise of a newlywed man. It was different from how he'd been the last few days. Similar, but the man he was pretending to be now wasn't a soldier in love, but a civilian in love. The war being over was only a convenience for him.

Ahsoka took his arm with a giggle. That was different too. The woman at his side was not both sharp and soft as Ahsoka was. She was a silly girl who wasn't aware of anything but her newfound happiness. What did she care about the Empire?

They made their way to the cantina, blending in with the other happy couples. Some were here celebrating the end of the war, others were celebrating the new Empire. They'd been asked a few times why they were here. Ahsoka had always responded with a giggle and an explanation that they'd been planning this trip forever and it was only a happy chance that the war had ended right before.

Rex tensed when he saw Hok the bartender's face as they entered the cantina. The Duros seemed nervous. He greeted customers with a laugh and a smile, but there was something in his eyes.

"Oh, Jaiv and Karta!" He said with a grin that didn't quite convince Rex. "Your friends are arriving today, yes?"

"That's right!" Ahsoka bubbled. "It'll be so good to see them!"

"The shuttle will be here soon." Hok said. "Though I'm sure you've enjoyed the time alone."

"Oh, yes!" Ahsoka went on. Rex was glad he had established Jaiv as the strong, silent type. He couldn't- babble like Ahsoka could. "And the hut's been just lovely, Hok! I'm almost sad they're coming!"

Hok gave a light laugh that told Rex that he thought Karta to be an air-headed fool. He almost glared at the bartender before reminding himself that Karta was an air-headed fool. Hok couldn't see the real Ahsoka, which was good.

One of Hok's consoles beeped and he looked over.

"Looks like they're coming in for a landing." He said. "Can I get you a drink while you wait?"

"Oh, no." Ahsoka said. "We'll be going out to meet them! But we'll be back for lots of drinks!"

Hok laughed again, but this time with a more genuine air.

Rex tugged on Ahsoka's arm.

They went back out into the bright sunshine. The air was filled with the sound of the shuttle's engines. There was a designated landing pad just behind the cantina. Rex and Ahsoka watched it land in a plume of sand. The door opened and the passengers began to disembark. Rex watched them carefully. Senator Organa had told them that they would know his people on sight. A family of Ithorians came first, then a gaggle of Gotals. Rex frowned as a group that was half made up of scantily clad Twi'lek escorts came out. He wondered if he was imagining the hollow look in the escorts' eyes.

The next group began to exit and Rex immediately knew that they were who they were waiting for. He and Ahsoka moved as one to meet them at the bottom of the ramp. Rex would have known that this was the group Organa had sent even if their leader wasn't wearing the symbol the Senator had used. The group of five, two humans, a Twi'lek, and two Nautolans, were terrified. Their eyes darted around, their postures stiff. They all but jumped when Ahsoka and Rex met them at the end of the ramp.

"There you are!" Ahsoka said, taking the arm of the first human, a dark skinned man.

The man gave her a bewildered look.

"I don't think-"

"It's Karta, remember?" Ahsoka cut the man off. "Were you drinking on the way over?"

Ahsoka pulled the man into a hug and Rex saw her lips moving as she whispered something into his ear. The man relaxed a fraction and nodded to the other rebels when she released him. They too became more at ease, though they were still frightened.

A terrible thought came to Rex as he looked over the group of recruits.

These people aren't soldiers.

Somehow he hadn't taken the time to think about how prepared the group would be. He was beginning to realize that any civilian recruits they could get would be just that: civilians. They weren't getting ready-made, trained reinforcements.

There wasn't time to dwell on it at that moment. Rex plastered on a grin and took the arm of one of the Nautolans, a dark blue female with teal markings.

"Come on." He said as lightly as he could. "We have to get you a place to stay."
"Hopefully they'll have room." Ahsoka said.

"No-" The man said. "Aren't we leaving as soon as possible?"

"Just because your shuttle was delayed doesn't mean we have to move on." Ahsoka said. "Jaiv and I have already pushed back our reservations."

Rex nearly sighed out loud at the man's naivety. Wasn't it obvious how suspicious it would be if they just up and left after showing up? They were supposed to be here for a vacation.

"You must be tired after your trip." Ahsoka said. "You four go with Jaiv to our hut. You can rest while us two figure out the details."

She tugged the man towards the cantina. Rex jerked his head towards where he and Ahsoka were staying.

"This way." He said.

He let some of his Captain's voice slip through. He didn't want to argue with a bunch of civvies. Luckily that was enough, and the four followed him willingly to the hut.

Rex realized with an embarrassing jolt the state the hut was in. The bed was a tangled mess of blankets and it was obvious what had been happening there.

The Nautolan that Rex wasn't guiding by the arm raised an eyebrow at the bed.

"You really were having a vacation, weren't you?" He asked.

Rex gave the reddish orange Nautolan a stern look. The Nautolan immediately wilted under Rex's gaze. Rex wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.

Rex took a deep breath and opened his bond with Ahsoka, so she could hear what was being said.

"You're Senator Organa's recruits." Rex said flatly, looking each of them in the eye.

They all nodded.

"Though I wouldn't say recruits." The Nautolan man said.

"What would you say?" Rex said. He was suddenly very annoyed with this unprepared group of civvies. "Passive objectors? Displeased with the current state of things? This isn't a protest."

He got no response beyond silent stares. The Twi'lek man, human woman, and blue Nautolan female's stares were scared, but there was a determination there. The Nautolan man just looked defiant. That could be a good or a bad thing.

Rex sighed.
"What are your names?" He asked.

"I'm Hapa." The Nautolan woman said. "That is my brother Cep."

Cep gave a nod.

"My name is Jiut." The pale yellow Twi'lek said in a thick Ryl accent.

"I'm Renaya." The human woman supplied. "Your friend took my husband, Melech."

Rex nodded slowly.

"I'm Rex." He said.

Hapa released a sharp breath. Rex looked at her and she looked down, her tentacles flushing nearly black.

"You know who I am?" Rex asked.

Cep laughed.

"Hapa is-was obsessed with the 501st." He said. "I think she has a crush on that General Skywalker."

"No-" Hapa said softly. "Not General Skywalker. I just- they would air so many stories."

"Half of which aren't true." Rex said flatly. "And the ones that are don't tell you how many died to achieve the victory."

"Oh, I know!" Hapa said quickly. "And it wasn't just the 501st, I admired all the legions. The 501st just got the most attention."

Rex realized that the woman was star struck at his presence. The only time he'd seen someone act this way was when some clones met Senator Amidala. He'd never seen it happen to a clone.

I can relate. Ahsoka sent him. You're pretty impressive.

"Anyway." Rex said, for the group and Ahsoka. "I'm Captain of the 501st, or what's left of it. My partner is Commander Ahsoka Tano."

He tried to ignore the practical squeal that Hapa made at the mention of Ahsoka.

"I thought she looked familiar!" Hapa whispered.

"What we want to know before we bring you back with us," Rex said. "Is why you want to fight against the Empire."

The others, who had been smiling at Hapa's embarrassment, sobered immediately. Hapa looked up, suddenly serious.

"The Empire has let the Zygerrians run amok." Jiut said immediately. A fire burned in his eyes that Rex knew was going to be an asset. "For generations my family were slaves. Only two generations ago were we freed. I will not stand for those slavers to take my daughters and sons."

"A good reason." Rex said. "One that I understand."

"Do you?" Jiut said sharply.

Rex met his gaze evenly.

"I do." Rex said. "More than most. Perhaps Hapa here has heard of the Kiros mission?"

Hapa blushed the inky color again.

"Y-yes." She said. "Though the reports were spotty. Something about a slave mine on Kadavo?"

"Yes." Rex said. "Something like that. Not to mention that most of my brothers are now serving an Empire without a choice. I think that the clones know something of slavery."

The accusation in Jiut's eyes faded. He bowed his head in deference.

"Now." Rex said. "The rest of you?"

"The Empire is a bunch of kriffing specists." Cep spat. "Humans get clearance in days while we have family that have been waiting months to get permission to open business again. I'm not going to stand by and watch my people become second class citizens because their heads can't fit into a trooper's helmet!"

"What?" Rex asked. "What are you talking about? The clones-"

"Are being replaced." Hapa said. She seemed- sad. "There's heavy recruitment for soldiers, but they only take humans."

Rex stood, cold. What was happening to the clones that were being replaced? Ahsoka's worry joined his own.

"I'm here for the same reason as Cep." Hapa said. "The Empire is excluding people just because of their species. It's wrong."

Rex pulled himself back to the present and gave a nod.

"Right." He said. He turned to Renaya, the human woman. "And you?"

She quickly explained that she and her husband were from Naboo. That was explanation enough.

Rex thought of Senator Amidala and her babies and felt sick. He knew she loved her planet. How was she dealing with the fact that the Empire was crushing it?

It took effort to refocus on the present situation. Rex was fair at telling if someone was lying. He had dealt for years with fibbing shinies and Hardcase, though it did help that the clones tended to have the same tells. Rex was reasonably confident that these people were sincere.

I agree. Ahsoka sent him. Hold on, I'm almost there.

A few minutes later the door slid open and Ahsoka came in with Melech.

"We've got you guys two huts." Ahsoka said. "For two nights. We just have to lay low until then, and then we can leave."

"Commander," Melech said. Rex nodded to himself at the show of respect. He would not have these civvies treat his Commander any less than she deserved. "Senator Organa sent us with this."

He handed Ahsoka a holo puck. Ahsoka studied it.

It's set to a secure channel. She told Rex. We'll contact Senator Organa when we're alone.

"Thank you." Ahsoka said. "All right, tell me what you can do."

The group shared confused looks.

"Your skill sets." Rex said. "What you can do for the Rebellion."

Hapa raised her hand. Ahsoka nodded at her.

"Er- I'm a nurse." She said quietly.

"Excellent." Ahsoka said. "We can always use more medical personnel."

The rest of the group were- less useful. Jiut was a merchant, and when asked if he had any less reputable connections, he immediately got offended. Melech and Renaya were grain farmers. Cep was a law student.

"Don't worry." Ahsoka said. "We have the resources to get you trained. For now, go get yourselves settled. At least pretend to relax. We'll be around."

The five seemed to understand the dismissal and filed their way out. Once they were gone, Ahsoka immediately took out the holo puck. She hit the button and they waited.

It was only a few seconds before it activated, showing a tall man in a fashionable cloak.

"Commander Tano." He said. "Captain Rex. It is good to see you."

"You as well, Senator." Ahsoka said.

"I assume you met my recruits." He said. "Though it's a bit later than I expected."

"The shuttle was delayed." Ahsoka said. "They seem trustworthy enough."

"They are." Senator Organa said. "It is enough that they risked themselves to come to you. The Empire has tightened its grip in the Inner and Mid Rim. It was- difficult to get them to you."

"We'll get them to our base." Ahsoka said. "I think we can confirm that we trust your recruits, but I don't think it's a good idea to reveal where our base is yet."

"Agreed." Senator Organa said. "In fact, the less we say, the better."

Ahsoka nodded.

"Tell your leaders that they can contact me through this frequency." Senator Organa said. "If this goes well, we can begin bolstering your numbers more regularly."

"That would be good." Ahsoka agreed. "Thank you, Senator. I do have one question before you go."

"Please." Senator Organa replied.

"What do you know of the destruction of Tipoca City?" Ahsoka asked. "And the fate of any survivors?"

"As of now, only what the Empire has told us." Senator Organa said. "That the Kaminoans were wiped out by a bioengineered virus that escaped their labs, and that Tipoca City had to be bombed to keep the virus from spreading."

Rex felt an odd pang at the mention of the destruction of his home world. He and so many brothers had suffered there, but- it had been home, a home, anyway.

"That's a flimsy story." Ahsoka said.

"Agreed. I'm having my people look into it. I can have you updated when we find out more."

"Please. Thank you, Senator. I look forward to being in contact soon."

"Farewell." Senator Organa said. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you." Ahsoka replied.

The holo shut off and Ahsoka let out a long sigh.

"We'd better go lead by example, then." She said.

"Right." Rex said. Then he paused. "I think- I think they noticed that we're a couple."

Ahsoka smiled.

"It's okay." She said. "People are going to notice. Especially when you move into my quarters back on base."

Rex blinked. He had forgotten about that. Fives was going to be unbearable.

The sound of pounding at the door made them immediately tense. Rex and Ahsoka both moved to either side, pressed against the wall. Rex pulled out the small blaster he had brought and met Ahsoka's eye. She nodded. Rex opened the door, ready to leap out of the way of blasterfire. Instead it was one of their new recruits, Hapa. Her large dark eyes had gone wide.

"They're here!" She said.

"They?" Rex asked, and then followed her pointing finger to the Venator hanging low in the sky.

After a brief, intense, and completely silent argument with Ahsoka, Rex convinced her that a human male asking about the Empire was a lot less conspicuous than a Togruta female asking about the Empire. All the while Hapa looked between Rex and Ahsoka with utter confusion as they glared at one another silently.

Once their decision had been made, Ahsoka stepped forward and put her hands on Rex's.

"Be careful." She said.

Rex smiled at her.

"You know me." He said. "When am I not?"

"Plenty of times." Ahsoka said with a raised eyebrow. "But at least you're not Fives."

Rex squeezed her hands and let go. He nodded to Hapa.

"You five should be fine." He said. "But try to stay out of sight."

Hapa nodded. She had paled, but she wasn't panicking. That was good.

"Yes, sir." She said. "May I stay here until you return with news?"

"Of course." Ahsoka said.

That one will be an asset. Rex thought.

Yes. Ahsoka replied. She has a strong spirit. Now get going.

Rex nodded and stepped outside. He was surprised with the lack of panic around him. There were a few frightened glances up at the Venator, and many couples were muttering, but there wasn't the fear Rex was expecting.

He had to force himself to keep a steady gait as he walked down the cobbled path. It was difficult. How many troopers up there were brothers with chips in their heads? How many were clones without chips, forced to play along for their own safety? The thought made his insides roil.

"Jaiv!" Hok said as Rex entered the cantina. No wonder the bartender had been nervous if he knew about what was coming. "Where's Karta? She hasn't been off your arm since you got here!"

"She's helping our friends settle in." Rex said. "I came to get some more wine."

"Not too much, now." Hok said. "Those storm troopers can get thirsty."

He gave a nervous laugh. Storm troopers? Rex thought.

"Seems like an odd place for them to come." Rex said. "I haven't seen any rebels, have you?"

Hok laughed again and shook his head.

"They're surveying planets for some sort of facility. That's all they'll tell me." He said. "Let me tell you, that would be bad for business."

Rex forced a laugh as well.

"Then I'd better take advantage of the drink while it's here." He said.

He paid for the bottles of wine and left. The streets were clearing of civilians, but Rex could see a few white figures among the others.

A few were heading towards him. Rex tightened his grip on the bottles as he strode forward.

"Hey, you!"

The voice, while directed at Rex, was not that of a brother. That fact made Rex relax a degree. He stopped where he was and let the two troopers approach him.

"Can I help you?" Rex asked.

The two troopers were silent for a moment. They looked him up and down. Rex forced his breathing to remain even.

"The Empire is recruiting." One finally said. He dug a piece of flimsi from his belt. "Do what's right for your Emperor."

Rex accepted the piece of flimsi, biting his tongue. He managed to make what he hoped to be a passably interested face. Lying was becoming far easier. He wanted to snap out that the Emperor had stolen his brothers and killed thousands of innocent Jedi. Instead he just nodded.

"I'll think about it." He said. "Not much of a fighter though."

"The Empire can change that." The first trooper said. "And they'll do more for you than the Republic ever did."

"The Republic did something for me?" Rex asked with a wry smile.

The two troopers laughed.

"You'd do well." The first one told him. "Consider it, friend."

Rex gave a nod.

"Let us know if you see anything suspicious. Especially regarding the blue skin." The trooper said.

He jerked his thumb towards the cantina. Rex forced a smile.

"Will do."

They both nodded to him and let him pass. Rex released a sigh and looked at the flimsi they had handed him. It read "Serve your Empire, Serve your Emperor, Serve yourself. Make the Galaxy great again."

Rex held back a snort. No one who served the Emperor served themselves.

As he returned to the hut, he noticed that the storm troopers were approaching almost every human on the streets. Cep had been right, then. The Empire was favoring humans.

Rex carefully opened the door to their hut, as to not startle Ahsoka and Hapa. Ahsoka was cross legged on the bed, eyes closed in meditation. He knew she had been focusing on seeing and hearing what he did. Hapa stood to the side, wringing her hands.

"That was interesting." Ahsoka said as soon as Rex stepped inside.

"To say the least." Rex replied, placing the wine on the table. "How much did you see?"

"All of it." Ahsoka said. "It's strange that they're only focusing on humans. Especially since the Separatists were a majority of non-humans. You'd think they'd be willing to fight for this Empire."

"Maybe they just don't want the clone armor to go to waste." Rex said. "You can't exactly fit a bucket on an Ithorian."

Ahsoka snorted.

"They're not here for us. We just need to stay calm and not make any trouble" She turned to Hapa. "Let's go to the others. We stick to the original plan."

Hapa nodded. Her blue skin had bleached and she kept running her hands down her tentacles, but followed willingly as they left. The sun didn't seem warm as they walked down the idyllic beach. Rex heard Hapa's breath hitch as she saw the storm troopers.

"Hapa." Ahsoka said. "Talk to us. Tell us something about yourself."

"Uh- um-" Hapa said.

Her eyes were still fixed on the troopers. Rex could see her throat working as she tried to speak.

"Tell us why you know us." Rex said. "Why you were so interested in the 501st."

Hapa took a deep, albeit shaky, breath.

"I'm a nurse. You-you already know that." She said. "I saw the clones like everyone else did: mysterious and a little bit frightening. But-but the organization I belong to sent me as part of a relief team to Ryloth, after the occupation ended."

Her voice got stronger as she continued.

"I met clones face to face for the first time there. They were nice. I worked with the medics, mostly, but I met some of the normal troopers too. I learned that they're people. They were all a little different, but good men."

Hapa trailed off as they passed a pair of troopers, but continued after they were gone.

"Orn Fre Taa did something and suddenly we were being removed. I remember that Captain Howzer seemed even angrier than Chancellor Syndulla."

"Sounds like Howzer." Rex said.

Hapa gave a nervous chuckle.

"I was- upset, to say the least. We were doing a lot of good, and I was leaving friends behind. I wanted to stay in contact, but- they told me it wasn't possible."

She glanced at Rex and Ahsoka, seeming to ask why.

"The average clone trooper wasn't allowed to be in contact with civilians." Rex said. "Not to mention only the higher ups had their own message address. No one ever considered that someone outside the army would want to contact us."

"Well, some of us did." Hapa said. "When I got home, well, I wanted to try and stay involved, so I kept up with the news reports."

"I've seen those reports." Ahsoka said. "They're completely inaccurate. They overstated the abilities of those involved. They don't show how awful it all was."

"An argument could be made that they were accurate in regards to Commander Tano." Rex said lightly. "I think many of the viewers would agree that she is as competent as they made her out to be."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at him.

"It didn't matter how accurate they were." Hapa said. "Everyone loved the Hero with No Fear and his apprentice."

"My question is," Ahsoka said. "Is how the public worshipped Anakin, while still seeing the clones as machines bred for war."

"Well," Hapa said, blushing dark. "You see- and of course I didn't think this, I never did- they saw General Skywalker and Commander Tano to have, well, tamed the clones and kept them in check. Anything good they did was credited to you."

Rex felt Ahsoka's temper flare.

"That's the most insulting-" Ahsoka hissed "Tamed them? They're not animals!"

"I'm sorry!" Hapa squeaked. "I didn't mean-"

Rex put his hand on Ahsoka's arm to calm her.

"It's all right." He said to Hapa. "We know you didn't think that way. Shows how much they got wrong. We were the ones keeping the Jedi in check, or at least trying to."

Ahsoka still fumed beside him. Rex nodded at Hapa for her to continue.

"Anyway, I just watched and kept track. When you were accused, Commander Tano, I was so distressed."

"So was I." Ahsoka said, a slight shade of bitterness in her voice.

Rex squeezed her shoulder.

"And then everything after that- Captain Rex breaking you out, and then his trial." Hapa was babbling now. "And then you disappeared from everything, Captain, and no one knew what had happened."

Rex blinked. He had never considered that his disappearance was noticed by civilians. But what Hapa said made him realize that the sudden vanishing of the captain of the most high profile legion would be noticed, especially right after the trial.

"I was recovering." Rex said. "From an accident."

"Oh." Hapa said. Rex could tell she wanted to ask more. "I'm glad to see you're all right now."

To Rex's surprise he realized they had reached the other huts. Hapa's talking had helped them all ignore the increasing number of troopers.

Ahsoka knocked softly at the door. It cracked open, revealing Jiut's frightened face.

"What is happening?" He hissed.

Ahsoka calmly opened the door wider.

"Opening a door a little bit is more suspicious than opening it normally." She said. "The Empire is here surveying for a project. They're not here for us."

Cep was sitting on the bed.

"Then we leave?" He asked.

"No." Ahsoka said. "Why would we leave? We're tourists. We have nothing to fear from the Empire."

To both Jiut and Cep's credit, they nodded. Jiut still looked frightened, but Cep had taken on a look of lazy indifference.

"Let's get Melech and Renaya." Rex said. "And have a good time."

I would never be comfortable writing smut, for many reasons, but you guys can have a bit of spicy, as a treat. Rex will need time to get used to getting married. I love the idea of him being as respectful as he can, even with his wife who he has just slept with.

The honeymoon is over, they gotta go be awesome again. I really like writing characters that have been soldiers, because they are able to push aside distractions and switch gears easily. It's very useful for times like these.

I hope it makes sense that they're staying here for a few days. Showing up for a vacation and immediately leaving is a bit sus.

That awkward moment when your new rebel recruits see where you have been making love to your bride. I don't write it out, but Rex is internally screaming.

I really like the line Rex says when Cep says they're not recruits. THIS IS A WAR, FOOLS.

Hapa is fun. There had to be clone fangirls. Also, her crush was not on Anakin. It was on both Rex and Ahsoka. (Hapa is like a year or two older than Ahsoka)

Also Ahsoka stop flirting with your husband while he's trying to talk to the recruits.

I love the idea that Hardcase in particular would just lie to Rex constantly to get out of trouble. Rex eventually caught on and it stopped working.

They get a merchant and he's the only completely honest merchant in the galaxy. Oops.

I love Bail Organa. He is amazing. I love him forever. Also no one cared about the Kaminoans so it was easy for the Empire to come up with a stupid lie to cover it up. Most people aren't going to look into it.

Well, the facility we saw in Rogue One had to come from somewhere. Goodbye, vacation Scarif. And yaaay specist Empire! I originally wrote that they approached every human male. And my editor pointed out that they recruited women too. So I changed it to human adults. And then she pointed out that they recruited kids too. And my other editor joked that they recruited babies. And then we realized...they did. So we just left that they were recruiting EVERY human.

I tried to show some of the civilian side of the war, and how the war was depicted. The common consensus was very much that the clones subsentient and anything good that happened was the Jedi. At least that's how I'm gonna say it was.

Okay, that's about everything!

Stay safe, remember to review, and have a good week!