Authors note: Sorry I haven't posted in the past 3 MONTHS but doing the best I can to get this chapter up hope you like it :)
Trigger warning: Traumatic flashbacks
Jesse, do you even know where you're going? We've been walking around for the past 20 minutes" Hardcase groaned "I'm starving". "Were all starving" Echo remarked, "it should be right here" Jesse announced, lifting his head to look around. "Right where?" Kix said starting to get irritated. "We've been walking around forever, we're starving, and we don't even know where the commander is". "I'm right here" Ahsoka whispered, making everyone jump "I'm surprised none of you noticed". "Great that solves one of our problems but we're still starving" Echo said crossing his arms. "Geez" Jesse huffed "act'n like a Rancor that's been starved". Echo side glanced at him but didn't say anything more. "I saw a spot a few shops down we could go there" Ahsoka motioned behind her. "Lead the way" Rex said. Echo leaned over to Jesse and loudly whispered "cuz you can't do that". Rex snickered which he turned into a cough, and the grin on Echo's face grew wider.
They entered, the place was more of a bar than a restaurant. They sat down Echo, Kix, Hardcase and Ahsoka sat at a table while Jesse and Rex took up seats at the bar. A waitress comes over and takes their orders, Ahsoka looks around until she sees a hooded figure near the dance floor. She watches him for a moment until he turns around and they lock eyes, Ahsoka's eyes widen.
She makes up an excuse and leaves the table to follow him, he makes it out the door Ahsoka only a few steps behind him. Ahsoka walks as fast as she can out the door, "Lux wait!" she yelled making him stop. She slowed to a stop his back facing her "what brings you to coruscant?" Ahsoka questioned. "I'm doing reconnaissance work" he says flatly. "Well…how long do you plan on staying?" she asks, he looks around nervously "I have to leave right now" he said walking away.
She looks around as she walks beside him "are you being followed?" she asked in a hushed voice, "not exactly" he whispered back. "What do you mean not exactly?" she demanded turning them into an alley. He looked over her shoulder Ahsoka followed his gaze then looked back at him "what are you hiding from?" she asked putting a hand on his shoulder, "i'm not hiding from anything" he said glancing behind him "your looks say otherwise". He shrugged off her hand "well I did say I was on a mission" he remarked pushing past her. "What's your problem?" Ahsoka demanded following him out of the alley.
"Was it something I said?…was it something I did?" He stopped and looked her in the eyes as the warmth vanished from his. "It's what you're doing…you're distracting me from what I need to do", Ahsoka crossed her arms. "Then what are you doing?" Lux looked away "I can't tell you". A mix of hurt and regret washed over his face but vanished as quickly as it came, Ahsoka tried to focus on Lux's face rather than the tears that threatened to slip out. "Well" she said in a cold tone "I hope you find what you're looking for" then she walked away leaving him standing there.
She could feel as he watched her reenter the bar, she wiped the tears that pooled in her eyes before heading back to the table. They all saw through her act but Kix was the only one who asked what was wrong. "I'm fine" Ahsoka murmured, stabbing at the meat on her plate. Kix got the hint and didn't push any further, they left shortly after splitting their separate ways Jesse, Hardcase and Echo stayed out while Rex, Ahsoka and Kix went back to the barracks. They said their good nights Kix turned towards the medical bay then looked back at Ahsoka.
"Are you sure everything is okay Commander" she smiled as she spoke but it didn't reach her eyes "yeah i'm fine", he turned his gaze toward Rex. Rex gave the slightest nod before Kix walked away. They continued walking, Rex looked over to Ahsoka, her eyes distant like she was looking at something galaxies away. "So" he said, breaking the silence "what happened with you earlier". Ahsoka's eyes became less distant but still trained on the floor "I met up with an old friend that's all".
A little worry washed over Rex's face, "old friends aren't supposed to make you cry". They reached Ahsoka's room, the automatic door slid open, Ahsoka stepped toward the door then stopped and looked at Rex. "only the good ones do" she stood there for a few more moments before the door shut. Rex stared at the closed door. His eyes became unfocused as his brain replayed pieces of battles like a horrific holo film.
One memory he was surrounded by his brothers drinking and laughing, the next he was in a barren raining wasteland. The same brothers were lifeless on the ground some were mangled, ripped and shredded. Others lay face up eyes clouded over staring into nothingness as the rain ran down their faces imitating them crying. But all of their faces were contorted with torment and misery. A voice rang out HIS voice.
"That's the price of war fives, we are soldiers we have a duty to follow orders, and if we must lay down our lives for victory". One of the bodies started to move into a standing position with his cold cloudy eyes locked onto Rex. "Then when will it stop", Rex walked over to the trooper and put a hand on his shoulder but as soon as he did the trooper crumpled to the ground, something falling from him. Rex picked it up, it was some kind of organic mass encased in glass. Fives voice rang out, "organic chips built into our genetic code to make us do whatever someone wants, even kill the Jedi it's all in here".
The chip began to decay falling apart in his hand then the rest went with it. His eyes refocused on the still closed door "I should know" he whispered walking back to the medical bay.
Ahsoka wakes up to the sound of her communicator chiming, she wipes her face with both of her hands before she turns it on. Anakin flickers to life; the slight bit of relief in his voice that was mostly panic made her alert. "Is everything alright master" now a hint of urgency in her voice.
Anakin looked to something outside the range of the holo before returning his gaze to her, "I need you to send reinforcements to Scipio", he huffed out a slight laugh "negotiations didn't go exactly as planned". Ahsoka nodded and said "we'll be there within the hour master". Anakin nodded, then the holo flickered out. Visions of Fives flashed through his mind as his last words and Tup's rambling rang in his ears. It's bigger than any of us… good soldiers follow orders… bigger than anything I have ever imagined.
Good soldiers… I…I only wanted to do my duty… the mission… follow… the nightmares there… orders. Rex jolted awake drenched in sweat. He took off the top part of his blacks, the cool air refreshing on his overheated skin. He dragged a hand over his face and down his head until his fingers came to a faint scar on the right side of his head. A few days after Fives told him about the chips Rex had his removed.
He stared at the chip encased in glass, when he first looked at it he wanted to throw it on the ground but something made him keep it, like the chip was a part of him. As if throwing it away would make him any less of a clone. The Holo table on the other side of the room chimed. Without a second thought he got up and turned it on, the table was fuzzy for a few seconds long enough for Rex to notice his mistake, before he could move the holo of Ahsoka appeared. She was looking down at a datapad as she began to speak, "Rex Anakin just called and said" Ahsoka looked up from her datapad and paused as she stared at him for a second, he thought the feed had froze until she started talking again clearly flustered "and said he needed reinforcements I…I need you to round up some troops so we can arrive as soon as possible". In the most even voice he could muster he said "right away commander" before turning off the holo.
Ahsoka stood there in stunned silence for a moment before shaking loose the thoughts in her head. Ahsoka arrived at the venators bridge a few minutes later waiting for the signal to jump. "All systems are ready for the jump" one of the deck officers said Ahsoka nodded and they were in hyperspace, their cruiser being the first of five to make the jump. A short while later Rex and R2 entered the bridge, R2 plugged into the table while Rex started talking. "There is a blockade around the planet if we launch the fighters and the gunships we will be able to break through and retrieve General Skywalker and senator Amidala".
The hologram of the blockade blurred for a moment before Obi wan appeared. "Ahsoka what is it that you are doing", "Anakin called for reinforcements to Scipio so we are headed to Scipio". Obi wan squeezed his forehead "Ahsoka you can't just invade a planet because Anakin said he needs reinforcements". "It's not an invasion if we already have forces there", Ahsoka countered. "You would still have to get permission from the senate to 'invade' a neutral world" Obi wan said putting emphasis on invade.
"Master, we both know that the senate would vote to invade why wait?", Obi wan sighed. "Sir were coming out of hyperspace" Ahsoka turned toward the window to look at the fleet of 6 ships surrounding the planet then to Rex, "prepare the fighters and gunships" he nodded before walking out. Ahsoka returned her gaze toward Obi wan "with all do respect master i'm going whether you like it or not" Obi wan grimaced as he inclined his head slightly "may the force be with you". They were in a gunship flying to the surface "Rex can you locate Anakin and Padme". Rex waited a few moments before speaking "General Skywalker is on the landing pad, and the senator is in the northwest spire".
"Let's hope they stay there" Ahsoka said before bringing her com up to her mouth, "Hawk I need you to split up your squad to reinforce us when we get on the ground". "Me and the boys are ready to fly commander" their flight to the ground was mostly smooth until the gunship's doors opened. Clones and different types of battle droids were scattered around the landing platform. Anakin had built a barrier out of scrapped battle droid parts where he and the remaining clones layin for cover, The sound of the gunships made him turn around. Ahsoka and the others sprinted toward the cover while laying down a hail of blaster bolts.
"Glad to see you made it snips" hints of playfulness in Anakin's voice. "So what's your plan", "you stay here while I go get Padme with any luck I can drive Dooku out and into our custody". "Clovis told me how instrumental you were in getting him into power" a smirk rising on Dooku's face. "If I had known", Padme looked over to Clovis "I would have never helped you". "Either you are with us or against us, arrest her". The battle droids moved to grab Padme when she took the blaster from the B-1 and aimed it at Dooku.
He used the force to turn the blaster toward the separatist senator and made the blaster shoot twice. Padme threw the blaster away as she dropped to her knees "are you crazy this wasn't a part of the deal", Clovis turned his head to face Dooku. "What deal, what have you done Clovis". "He has given us the banks" Dooku said walking toward the door, "gone is our debts and gone is any credit for the Republic". The door opened and Anakin stepped through "I don't think so Dooku" he said.
"On the contrary young Skywalker I do", then Dooku force pushed Clovis out the window. Anakin ran through the bits of broken glass still falling, before he could make it to the edge Clovis hit the ground, the sound loud and unmistakable. Padme gasped and turned away. Anakin looked toward her and caught sight of Dooku leaving, "I don't suppose you have someplace to be" Anakin said pulling his lightsaber from his belt, "cuz you're going to be late". He ignited his blade cutting down the droids before they could move, Dooku ignited his blade and rushed Anakin pushing him back as their blades clashed.
Anakin pushed Dooku back toward the window "not as late as one might think" he said then jumped. Anakin watched Dooku's solar sailer swoop underneath him, Dooku gave Anakin a smirk before entering the ship that then sped out of the atmosphere. Anakin extinguished his blade before Padme ran into his arms. She gripped him so hard he might have thought she was using the force. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, "it's okay everything is going to be okay" he whispered.
Padme pulled away to look at Anakin; he ran his thumb across her cheek wiping away her tears. "I...I...i'm sorry Ani I should have known" her voice filled with regret, " you're safe now that's all that matters" Anakin said pulling her close again. Anakin and Padme parted when his comm chimed. "Master, we cleared all the droids and Dooku and his forces have retreated, more gunships are coming to take the wounded first, have you found Padme?" Anakin looked over to her then back to his comlink " yeah snips Padme's alright, i'm okay to thanks for asking".
Ahsoka rolled her eyes "we'll meet you at the docks" Anakin arrived a few minutes later at Padme's side, her expression shaken. The ride back to the venator was unnervingly quiet, the moment they landed in the hanger medics swarmed them asking if anyone was hurt. Anakin guided Padme toward one of them but she protested, "i'm fine" he looked her over, tiny cuts scattered across her face from the shattered glass and bits of it still in her hair. "Fine but" he kept his voice low "you can head to my quarters", "the next hall down from Ahsoka's" Padme interrupted "I know". she smiled, Anakin moved his hand to caress her cheek before he stopped himself, looking at the sea of troops around them then straightened.
"I guess I will see you later senator". Padme flashed him a small smile "one could only hope general", then she turned and walked towards the exit. Ahsoka eyed Anakin from across the hanger as he watched Padme leave once the door shut behind her. Anakin looked around like he was lost before he locked eyes with Ahsoka, she quickly broke it and turned back to what she was doing, he had started moving towards her, eating up the distance between them. She kept her head in her datapad until Anakin was right in front of her.
"Surprisingly good rescue if I do say so" a smirk spread across his features as he crossed his arms. Ahsoka looked up from the datapad to meet his gaze "well i've had a lot of practice over the years". A smirk spreading across her own face while Anakin's flattened. "I'm going to need a copy of that report when you're done with it" Anakin said looking down at the datapad in her hands Ahsoka flipped the screen so Anakin couldn't see it "i'll send it as soon as i'm done". Anakin drew back turning on his heel and exited the hanger.
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