Twenty One


They had arrived at the beach.

There it was, as if it were yesterday.

The sand was an unusual bright orange. She had heard all about it as a child.

Her father would show her pictures and talk about the miraculous qualities of the water on Kayl. She thought it a fancy, but now, seeing it in person, she knew the stories to be true.

The late afternoon sun glistened on the surface of the water, and as small waves lapped the shore line, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

Gemma closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

Slowly she walked towards the edge, Jesse following one step behind.

She knew what she had to do.

She was resolved.

Gem had got him to a safe place. There were enough credits for him to make a start somewhere, and being the type of man he was, she knew he would.

Her job here was done.

Rex was surprised at how it had survived the years.

Overgrown with the lush vegetation, the craft sat silent.

Waiting.

The crimson lines were just visible under dense, green foliage that covered the now hidden entrance.

Nothing had been touched, and a moment of melancholy overwhelmed him.

Through another twist of fate and Ventress' wide flying, they had arrived safely.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

The numbers tattooed on his chest once as a testament to love, had delivered him yet again.

Gemma smiled and turned, "beautiful, isn't it?

And it was.

Jesse didn't waste any time. With a smile ear to ear he began to strip down, taking off his shirt and pants placing them in a pile on the coloured sand.

Clad in his shorts, the only remnant of his previous life, he walked straight into the water where he sunk just below the surface, and revelled in it's warmth.

There, he swam, one perfect stroke after another. Gem watched and for the first time, didn't fight the black dog nipping at her heels.

It was time.

Fortune had smiled on her in getting him this far.

Rex swung the pack off his shoulders and moved towards the old hatch.

It was just as they left it.

Ripping and tearing at the vines with his bare hands, he worked through the uncomfortable sensation of blood trickling down his fingers.

He couldn't wait to get inside and see.

The morbid curiosity in the familiar.

But he stopped cold when he heard the sound from behind.

Startled, he looked in horror as Ventress stood there, both red sabres aglow.

"Thought you could do with some help," she replied raising an eyebrow.

Instead of the usual snide reply he just stood aside and allowed her.

After all, it would be her home for the interim as well.

When Jesse resurfaced he looked around for Gem. Sniffing away the salt water he made his way back to the shore, constantly scanning the beach for his companion.

He moved fast, something was wrong.

Her bags were there.

The panic began to rise as he waited for the water to break. Squinting against the sun setting in his eyes, he saw her hair resting on the surface like an oil slick.

There was no point yelling.

Jesse ran full pelt back into the water grabbing at the tendrils and heaving her limp body back to the surface.

That's when his training, or some other force, kicked in.

Rex walked through the old hull.

This was where it all started.

An innocuous plant that they never found had led him to her and a journey that he would be forever grateful of.

He smiled as he ran his hand along the crate, the one with the black Death Watch symbol burnt into the grain.

He moved into the area that she had designated for herself, and stood silent at the items that had been left behind in her haste.

A small piece of fabric, a hair comb, nothing valuable, but to him they were priceless.

They were the only things of hers that remained.

They were tokins of another time, one when he thought he was invincible and could live forever.

"Rex, Rex are you in here, oh," she stammered, "I'm sorry."

"I'll take the aft for Piia and myself. You and Ventress can fight out your area between you."

"That's fine Rex. Ventress is feeding Piia. Are you," she chose her words wisely, "what I mean to say is, this was a good idea right, I mean coming back here?"

Rex blew out a breath as he held the broken comb, his finger running back and forth over the teeth.

"I don't know what the right thing is anymore 'Soka." Rex placed the comb in his pocket and moved forward to leave when Ahsoka pressed a hand against his shoulder. He didn't dare look her in the eye, keeping his gaze fixed on the delicate, gloved fingers.

He felt it; the warmth radiate from her hand into his chest.

"Rex," she whispered, "let me help."

He shrugged her hand away and they stood looking into each others eyes until he dared speak.

"I appreciate you wanting to help, but taking away the pain would be worse right now. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the hurt, in here, is the only reminder I have for myself."

Ahsoka looked down embarrassed and nodded. The Jedi believed in healing the soul as well as physical pain. She now felt silly offering something before Rex was ready for it.

"The Jedi have a saying Rex, that if one is chosen young, they are needed for a higher purpose."

Rex retaliated instinctively, without checking his tone.

"You can philosophise all you like Ahsoka. No God, good or bad needs Gem more than her daughter. No. It was an act of pure evil with no greater purpose than to destroy that took her that night. Nothing more."

Rex could see the disappointment cross her face and continued, quickly changing the subject, "this will be a good stop. We'll wait a month for things to settle down, then make the move to Oriis."

"Do you really think we'll make it there?"

"Absolutely," he straightened a bit and sounded a little more in control, "we've managed to miss the Republic," he stopped, "what I meant to say is the Empire's trade routes. Not that it matters now."

He was right. Now that the Empire had shown it's face, both the old Confederacy of Independent Systems and Republic routes would be under Darth Sideous' complete control.

Ahsoka stewed on his words for the rest of the day.

The soldiers always did have a brutally honest way of looking at life.

None believed in the here after or any special God. She wasn't even sure if they believed in the Force. She had heard them snigger and make jokes about the Jedi when they thought she wasn't listening. They had their own code, and together they would fight like one. There was no need to rely on something invisible to guide you when a brother had your back.

Trust.

That was their religion.

Jesse sat back on his haunches and waited for her to regain her breath fully.

Holding his throat he whispered, "what the fek was that?"

Gem glared at him as she rolled over and closed her eyes.

He had ruined everything.

Jesse wasn't about to let it go, pulling her back to face him.

She looked at the water dripping off his nose.

Minus the tattoo, Jesse was just like Rex.

She shook her head and replied, "I'm sorry."

She had been wrong in trying to escape.

What sort of punishment was death anyway?

No, her torment would be living a life without two of the most important people in it.

It would be a reminder of the mistake she alone made.

Gem spat out the remainder of the salty water and stood shakily.

"I'm alright," she said hastily as she grabbed a handful of sand. She would place small amounts of it in her wound, antagonising it further and preventing it from fully healing.

The scar along with every God forsaken breath she took would be her penance, her constant reminder of the night everything was taken from her.

"Come on, get dressed. We need to find somewhere to sleep."

.