#captain rex x jedi oc

[purplefangirl42]

Fazed (Part 15)

Series Summary: With Anakin out of commission and Obi-Wan sent  elsewhere, the 501st needs a new General. Lena Orim has stepped up to  take Anakin's place and has rattled the 501st's usually stoic Captain  Rex. His feelings are not one-sided, which may lead to some questionable decisions.

Pairing: Captain Rex/Jedi! OC (Lena Orim)

Parts: Series Masterlist ~ PREVIOUS ~ NEXT ~

Part 15 Summary: Conversations and heart-to-hearts lead to both closure and pain.

Warnings/Tags: Dialogue Heavy, Mentions of cruel behavior, Misunderstandings, Slight Angst

A/N: Many thank yous to @silcoitus for beta reading for me!

Lena and Rex spent the following few hours talking about everything and nothing. She listened to him talk about the crazy antics that Anakin put him through and gave him tales in return of embarrassing stories from Anakin’s childhood. She told him of the time Blaze had tried to eat Keebo’s spicy cooking and nearly set his mouth on fire, which led him to share the story of how he and Cody had gotten stuck in an air vent as cadets. 

Knowing she didn’t have much more time to spend with him before they went their separate ways, Lena cherished each laugh as Rex remembered something funny and she found herself smiling every time he looked at her. It had been quite a while since she had felt this at ease, and she wanted to make it last.

“You keep telling me things about other people,” Rex said. “You haven’t said much about yourself.”

Lena thought over the conversation and realized that he was right. Most of her stories had been about Keebo, Anakin, Obi-Wan, or one of her men. She didn’t really know what to say about herself, not knowing what would be interesting for him to hear.

“The important things in my life have to do with the people I care about,” she said. “What could I say about myself that wouldn’t feel like I was filling out a survey?”

“How did you get the scar on your arm?” he asked.

“We’re back to talking about scars?” Lena said with an amused smile. “You don’t want to know what my favorite color is or something like that?”

Rex rolled his eyes and gave her a pointed look.

“It’s blue by the way.”

“How convenient that I wear a lot of blue,” Rex said.

“Yes, very convenient.”

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments before Lena reached up and pulled at the loose neckline of her shirt. She pulled it down to expose her right bicep, where a dark line marred the pale skin.

“I assume this is the scar you’re talking about?” she asked. “You aren’t the only one that gets shot off of speeder bikes. I was on a mission a few months ago, and was riding on the back of a speeder when some droids knocked some rocks into our path. I was lifting the rocks so we could get through and one of the droids that was following us shot me in the arm, knocking me off the speeder. The rest of my group managed to escape, but I was blocked by the falling debris.”

Lena saw Rex wince at the mention of her flying off a moving speeder bike so she gave him an encouraging smile.

“While it did hurt a lot, I’ve been through worse. One of the members of the team I was working with managed to get me away safely and he even helped bandage my wound afterwards.”

As she told Rex what had happened, memories flooded Lena’s mind. Memories of wiry arms wrapped around her midsection; of warm, practiced fingers carefully tending to her arm; heavy, intense stares from a pair of eyes the exact color of the man across from her. Lena shook her head rapidly in an effort to clear the images from her mind and pulled her shirt back up, covering the scar.

“Everything alright?” Rex asked.

Lena gave him a small smile and reached out to take his hand. The warm, calloused skin felt good against her own. It was reassuring and real. She could count on him, she could trust him. Rex was more than an idea or a lingering possibility, he was here.

“Everything’s fine,” Lena said. “Just got a little lost in my own head for a moment there.”

“I have a question about what goes on with your head,” Rex said.

“Is it about my hair?” Lena said jokingly. “Because I have questions about yours.”

She heard Rex sigh, which she responded to with a mischievous grin.

“I’m sorry, Rex. What did you want to ask?”

Rex took Lena’s other hand in his, forcing her to face him directly as they sat opposite on the bed. His sudden seriousness concerned her, her grin fading from her face as she tilted her head curiously, awaiting his question.

“Last night, you said something about separating our feelings. You said that you would explain it later. I want to know what you meant, if you’re comfortable explaining it.”

A sense of relief flashing through Lena, a bit brief as it was pushed aside by the concern emanating from the man across from her. She could understand why he could possibly be worried about what she had said with no context.

“How much do you know about what Jedi sense through the force?” she asked. “About how we sense emotions and thoughts of those around us?”

“I know some, but for the sake of this conversation, pretend I don’t know much of anything.”

Lena took a deep breath as she contemplated the best way to explain this to him. It wasn’t usually a subject of conversation with people outside of the order. Usually she was speaking to those who had the ability to feel the world around them already and understood a fraction of what she felt. 

“Every living being is connected through the force, some more than others depending on how the force flows through them. Certain Jedi have special abilities that focus on certain aspects of the force. Some gain memories from items they touch, some have strong connections with animals and nature, and some can accomplish feats that no one has ever heard of before. I have an ability where I can feel the emotions of others as if they are my own without even trying.”

Lena could see a sense of understanding dawn on Rex’s face. She could feel some of the concern disappearing, which eased her mind.

“When I said I needed to separate our feelings, I meant that I needed to ensure that what I was feeling was truly coming from me and not just an extension of your feelings. It would have led to complications and hurt feelings if we acted on those feelings, only to discover that they were truly one-sided.”

“And you’re certain that they aren’t?” Rex asked hesitatingly. “They go both ways?”

Lena smiled and released one of his hands, raising it to cup his cheek.

“I’m certain.”

Rex let out a long sigh and Lena could both see and feel the relief in him. She wondered if he had been worried about that exact thing, that she had acted on his feelings alone. 

“I appreciate you asking, Rex. Never hesitate to ask. Feelings don’t always explain the meaning behind themselves, so if I don’t have the words to go along with them, I could assume the wrong thing.”

Rex nodded and reached up his hand to place it against hers, pulling it forward and placing a kiss on her palm. 

“I suppose the same goes for you. I definitely can’t read your mind, so you’ll have to tell me how you’re feeling.”

Lena laughed softly, pulling her hands out of his grasp and standing from the bed. She stretched her arms up over her head, feeling her spine pop from the movement. She grabbed the dishes and trash they had generated and began to clean up a bit. They still had a while before they would reach Coruscant, but she felt the need to do something.

“Not to put a damper on this pajama party,” she said. “But I’m getting dressed.”

Lena moved over to the drawers built into the wall of her quarters and started removing items, draping them over her arm as she went. She could feel Rex’s gaze on her as she gathered everything, watching her every move. When she had retrieved all her clothes, she walked back over to the bed and plopped the pile down. Rex looked at the pile with a raised brow.

“You wear a lot of clothes,” he said.

“Coming from the man that wears an entire set of armor most of the time?”

Rex shrugged, seemingly agreeing with her before he stood up from the bed as well and walked in the direction of the fresher. Lena stripped off her sleeping clothes before starting on her many layers. She had on only her undergarments when Rex returned, having retrieved the top half of the blacks she had given him. He gave her body an appreciative look, his eyes scanning her entire form.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she scolded. “I’m trying to put clothes on. I don’t need you undressing what little I have on with your eyes.”

Rex held up his hands defensively and sat back down on the edge of the bed to wait for her. Lena pulled on her thermal undershirt and long socks before pulling her pants on, tucking the shirt in. Her tunic, a long-sleeved light brown one, went on and was also tucked in. Her darker colored wrap was next, followed by the even darker overdress. Her belt was the last thing added, and she didn’t feel her wrist bracers were necessary at this time.

“I don’t understand how you could ever be cold with all those layers on,” Rex said. “I just wear the one layer under my armor most of the time and even that is too much sometimes.”

“Remind me to show you how cold my hands and feet can get sometimes,” Lena said. “You’ll probably add another few layers to me yourself.”

Rex reached out and took one of her hands, holding it between his palms.

“I’ll keep your hands warm for you anytime you need,” he said.

Lena leaned down and kissed him softly before pulling her hand away and heading in the direction of the fresher to grab her hair brush. She swiftly undid the long braid and got to work on running the brush through the thick strands. Rex watched her as she worked through a few tangles, and she swore she saw him wince a few times.

“By the way, I never got to ask my question about your hair,” Lena said. “Is it naturally blond like that or do you have to constantly color it? With how short it is, I imagine that would be a lot of upkeep.”

Rex ran his hand over the patch of fuzz that covered his head. Lena knew his hair would be soft curls if he let it grow out, and she longed for the opportunity to do such a thing.

“I actually use a special kind of dye,” Rex explained. “It lasts for a very long time and doesn’t fade. Eventually the roots do grow out, but I have a special supplier.”

“Oh?” 

“Kix is dating this girl who is a hair-stylist. Which is funny to me that she has that job, because she’s a Togruta and doesn’t have any hair herself. He gets the dye from her.”

“Keebo does my hair for me all the time,” Lena said. “It can be fun to experience that when you don’t have it yourself.”

“I suppose.”

“I’ll have to tell Sparx and Blaze about that dye. Their hair takes so much maintenance, especially Blaze’s, since he has to lighten it first before he adds the orange.”

“Sparx?” Rex asked. “Is he one of your men?”

Lena put the finishing touches on her hairstyle and returned the brush to its location. 

“I forget you haven’t met him yet! Sparx is our resident ARC trooper. Both he and Chip have been with Keebo and I from the beginning of the war, even before we officially joined the GAR. He was away for some training, but I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”

“I look forward to it,” Rex said as Lena walked over to where he was sitting. “I’m sure everyone has interesting stories to tell me about you that you won’t share yourself.”

Lena scrunched her nose at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I promise, my stories are not exciting,” she said. “I’m actually very boring.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

Lena leaned in to kiss him again when her comm started to go off on the bedside table. She furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering who would be calling her. Everyone on the ship knew to leave her alone for now and most of the others she would talk to would be seeing her soon enough when they reached Coruscant. She released her hold on Rex and walked over to answer the buzzing comm. A voice she recognized as Senator Organa’s assistant came through.

“Forgive me for bothering you, Lady Orim,” she said. “I know you are on your way back to Coruscant now, but apparently this cannot wait until then.”

“What is it that can’t wait until tomorrow?” Lena asked, annoyance in her tone.

She wasn’t annoyed at the assistant, but at who she knew was likely the cause of this call. There were very few people that would be this insistent to get a hold of her, and she was related to both of them.

“Lord Titus Morell has been calling every few hours, insisting that he talk to you. He won’t tell me what about but insists that it’s urgent.”

Lena rolled her eyes. There was never anything truly urgent that she needed to deal with in her work within the Alderaanian government, especially since taking on the role of the General of the 394th, but Titus always made everything seem like an emergency.

“I’ll send the forwarding information for my office here aboard the Monitor,” she said. “You can let him know that I will speak with him within the hour.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the assistant said. “Again, I apologize for bothering you.”

“It’s not your fault he’s so annoying,” Lena said.

She could swear she heard a cough on the other end, which was likely an effort to cover up a laugh. She ended the call and tossed her comm back onto the bedside table. Turning to face Rex, she gave him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Rex. I was going to suggest we get some proper food and go grab some lunch, but it seems I have duties to deal with.”

“What was that all about?” he asked. “Seemed official. More political than military.”

“I’ll explain later,” Lena promised. “But right now I need to deal with a very annoying, stuffy man. Why don’t you head down to the mess and get yourself some food? I’ll come join you if I finish in a reasonable time.”

Rex watched Lena walk away after they parted ways. There was still so much he didn’t know about her life, such as what kind of business she was currently going to deal with. He was eager to learn everything he could about her, but she seemed to almost be withholding information unless he directly asked her about it. He had a feeling she wasn’t used to having new people in her life that she didn’t spend all of her time with. It was something they would just have to work through together. 

Finding his way to the mess hall, Rex acquired some food to satisfy the gnawing hunger in his belly. The ration packs that he and Lena had shared earlier had taken the edge off, but he needed more than just that to keep himself going. GAR issued meals weren’t the most satisfying, but they were full of nutrients, so he suspected that was more important than tasting good. Lena had mentioned that Keebo liked to cook, especially spicy things, so maybe he would get some flavorful meals in the future.

Rex found a mostly empty table and sat down. There weren’t many men in the mess at this time, but he still wanted to have some space to himself. His wishes were denied, however, when someone sat down across from him. When he looked up, Rex found himself face-to-face with Admiral Yung. He supposed there was no chance of convincing the other man to give him some solitude, so he didn’t even bother mentioning it.

“Admiral,” he said in greeting.

“Captain.”

Despite being in the mess, the Admiral did not have a tray in front of him. He only had a cup of what Rex assumed was caf. With nothing to occupy himself with, he was focused on Rex himself. His gaze was a bit unnerving for Rex, who suddenly felt like he was under a microscope. He remembered his conversation with Lena about Yung being aware that something had happened between the two of them. Rex hoped this wasn’t some kind of sign that he was going to get reprimanded.

“It seems that you and the General have become quite close during your time together,” Yung said, lifting his cup to take a sip of his caf. “I believe she’s fond of you.”

Rex narrowed his eyes, wondering briefly if the Admiral had read his mind. He brushed off the thought and tried to regain his composure so as to not give away more than he needed.

“She is a very kind person,” he said. “And she and General Skywalker are close, so it would be a good thing for us to get along, would it not?”

“Usually, getting along does not lead to love bites on someone’s neck.”

Rex nearly choked on his food at Yung’s statement, coughing to clear his throat before glancing up to meet his gaze.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Captain. I know the two of you are more than platonic,” Yung said. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with anything, I see no issue.”

Rex stared at the other man silently for a moment, surprised by his comment. Lena had said that Yung wouldn’t make a fuss about them, but hearing it from the man himself was a completely different matter.

“I believe non-fraternization rules have their place,” Yung continued. “But if everyone is consenting and there’s no drama that can’t be dealt with like adults, workplace relationships can lead to very fruitful relationships.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Rex said.

The corner of Yung’s mouth quirked up slightly, the most emotion Rex had seen from him in their short acquaintance. 

“I met my wife when we were both serving the Republic. I was military, she was medical. It led to a happy marriage and two beautiful daughters. Though I still miss her, I am reminded of her and the good times we had together when I am working. If you have to be somewhere all the time, you may as well find something to make it bearable.”

Rex nodded in agreement, not really sure what to say. He was surprised that Yung was sharing such a personal tidbit of his life when they barely knew each other. He couldn’t remember any personal conversations with Admiral Yularen ever taking place. They were all business, all the time.

“I’ll let you eat your lunch in peace,” Yung said, standing with his cup in his hand. “General Orim is a kind person, as you said. She deserves to be happy.”

This was not the first time Rex had heard this sentiment from someone close to Lena. The fact that multiple people seemed concerned with her happiness warmed his heart. He was glad that she had such people in her corner. However, it also made him sad to think about the fact that she had been so unhappy that this sentiment was necessary. 

“Good day, Captain,” Yung said before walking away, leaving Rex alone once again.

Rex ate his meal in silence, lost in his own thoughts. He was so caught up in what he was thinking about, that he didn’t notice that he was no longer alone. A pair of troopers sat down at his table a short ways down. Their conversation was mundane, but it was something to help him get out of his own head. Rex bowed his head and covertly listened to what the troopers were talking about.

“You know that chick, Maisy?” 

“The Zeltron guard dog that practically lives at 79’s? Yeah, what about her?”

“My girl is friends with her and they were talking about this guy that apparently is bad news.”

“Is it that skinny guy from the squad of weirdos we worked with that one time? Cuz she hangs out with him a lot, and if anyone would be bad news, it would be that guy.”

“No, not him. Some other guy. Didn’t hear what his name was, but he seemed like a real piece of work. Apparently, he searches for girls that are vulnerable and makes them believe he’s going to make their whole lives better. Then, he just leaves them the next morning, laughing at them for falling for his lies.”

“What an ass. I’m surprised Maisy hasn’t kicked the crap out of him yet. I looked at a girl wrong once, according to her at least, and she was giving me the stink eye for months.”

“Apparently, she tried to get him banned, but the owner said he couldn’t ban clones from the clone bar.”

“Wait, this guy is a clone?”

Rex was quickly getting bored of this conversation. He had heard about this guy before from a few of his men. He had never come across him and, like the men at his table, didn’t know his name. He didn’t want to know him either from what he’d heard about him. Just as he was about to get up from the table, he heard something else that grabbed his attention.

“You don’t think it’s him, do you? He doesn’t seem like the type.”

“Blond buzzcut, ARC trooper, blue paint on his armor, and I’m pretty sure there’s an X in his name somewhere.”

Rex froze as he heard those words. It almost sounded like they were describing him. He had no idea what this guy looked like, but it seemed like the two of them had a lot in common, at least physically. 

“There was a rumor that this guy has a list of ‘conquests’ that he hopes to achieve. It would not surprise me if a Jedi was on the list.”

“You don’t think the General would fall for that kind of thing would you? Surely she’s smarter than that.”

“Depends on how good the lie is.”

Rex couldn’t listen anymore. This conversation was getting dangerously close to slander and he would not have these lies told about him, especially not where Lena could possibly overhear them.

“Do you two think it is wise to talk about someone when they could be sitting right next to you?” he asked, his anger simmering. “Especially someone who outranks you?”

The two troopers stared at him blankly, one of them opening his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted before he could say anything.

“Exactly, you never know who might overhear.”

All three men whipped their heads in the direction of the new voice and Rex felt his heat sink when he saw Lena standing a short distance away. He panicked, wondering how much she had heard and if she had reached the same conclusion her men had.

“Sorry, General,” one of the troopers said. “We didn’t mean any harm.”

Lena wasn’t looking at the man that was speaking to her. She was looking directly at Rex.

“No harm done,” she said. “Excuse me.”

Rex watched in horror as she turned and walked away from him without another word. He couldn’t exactly yell for her to stop or chase after her. Creating any kind of scene would blow their cover, and there was no guarantee she would listen to him anyways. 

He was trapped.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this part! Please reblog, like, and comment! If you would like to be added to the taglist, go here.

Taglist: @jonesandjoanna​ , @photogirl894​, @twinkyssideblog, @baba-fett, @trixie2023

[starry-crossing-zone]

Oh, Captain - Rex (TCW)

Summary: The 501st is getting a new Co-General and Rex wants to be prepared. His brothers, however, dare him to flirt with a woman at 79s the night before. Length: 1370 words Warnings: Unnamed Female Character (Can be Read as OC or Reader); Rex's Horrible Flirting Skills; Fives is a Menace

79s was packed full of clones as usual, though the color scheme of the night was predominantly blue and yellow for the 501st and 212th. They had just finished a battle together in the Mid Rim and returned to Coruscant to resupply before they shipped out again. And in the case of the 501st, they were on Coruscant to pick up their new Jedi general. 

It was the only reason why Rex went out that night in the first place. 

He had to make sure that all of his men were presentable for their meeting with the new assistant general, who had been assigned to the battalion so that General Skywalker could be called away more often. General Skywalker assured Rex that the new assistant general wouldn’t be that much of a stick in the mud, but Rex didn’t want to take a risk. 

“Oh, come on, Rex, you heard the General. The new general’s fun. Have a drink for kriff’s sake,” Fives urged, placing a drink in front of Rex. 

“I’m all set, Fives,” Rex replied, pushing the drink away from him. 

“Who is the new assistant general, anyways?” Echo asked curiously, leaning over. “The Commander didn’t have a name.”

“I bet they’re a brand new Jedi. Young like General Skywalker,” Jesse stated, earning some nods. “He mentioned that they trained together.”

“It’s not for us to speculate,” Rex replied, earning a sigh from some of his brothers. “We need to be prepared. I don’t want the new general’s first impression of us to be that we look sloppy.”

“Oh, relax, Rex,” Cody spoke up, causing the rest of the 501st to perk up. If anyone could talk some sense into Rex, it would be Cody. “You’re going to be fine. Have a drink. We were just in trenches on a dustball for fifteen rotations. Or maybe make a new friend.”

“Like her,” Fives interjected, smacking Rex on the shoulder. 

The entire table turned to watch a humanoid woman take a seat at the bar. A woman alone in a clone bar? It would be about five seconds before she was swarmed. But there was something about her that intrigued Rex. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was just something about her that drew all of his attention without any work at all. 

“I’ve never seen her here before,” Echo stated as the woman ordered a drink. 

“I wouldn’t mind seeing her around,” Fives spoke up before glancing at Rex. “And looks like you wouldn’t either, Captain.”

“Not all of us think with what’s under our codpieces, Fives,” Rex grunted in return. 

“I’m thinking that they are, though,” Jesse pointed out, gesturing to two clones who made their way over to the mysterious woman. “Hopefully her first experience with a clone isn’t one of Fox’s shinies. She’ll never come to a clone bar again.”

Rex glanced over at the woman again before getting up from his seat. Fives looked over at Echo with a shit-eating grin, to which Echo simply rolled his eyes. Rex walked around the bar, nodding to his brothers that he passed, but keeping his gaze on the mystery woman and the two clones that sat down next to her. 

But before they got too far into a conversation, she seemed to say something with a seductive smile and his brothers got up and left her alone without a word of protest. Now, downright curious, Rex found his legs carrying him over to the woman. She turned her head and their eyes met for the first time. His heart seemed to stutter as he took the last few steps toward her. 

“They weren’t bothering you, were they?” Rex asked, causing the woman to smile. 

“No, not at all. I told them that I was just looking for a drink and nothing more. They seemed to do the rest of the math.” She took a sip of her drink, peering over the rim of her glass and practically into Rex’s soul. “Sorry if you were planning on playing hero, Commander.”

“It’s Captain, actually. Captain Rex,” Rex introduced himself, causing the woman’s eyes to widen a small fraction. 

“My apologies, Captain Rex.”

And there was that arrhythmia again. Was this woman part-siren or something?

“You can just call me Rex,” he assured her, causing the woman to smile softly. “And what exactly should I call you, ma’am?”

“Anything but ‘ma’am’,” she quipped, taking another sip of her drink. “You’re making me feel a little too old, Captain.” 

Kriff, he could get used to her calling him that. 

They got to talking. Not so much specifics about themselves, but rather life around them. The GAR, galactic politics, the drink menu. Rex didn’t even realize that he literally didn’t know any basic facts about the woman until she got up to leave for the night. 

“Do you come to this part of town often?” Rex asked, causing the woman to chuckle. 

“Not usually, but I suppose I could make an exception . . . Captain.”

Rex watched her walk out the door before he was suddenly swarmed by brothers, rattling off question after question. Up until Cody, as the highest ranking officer of the bunch, took control of the situation and asked one simple question. 

“What’s her name?”

Rex opened his mouth to reply, but instead winced, causing his brothers around him to groan. 

“He’s hopeless,” Fives sighed, shaking his head. 

“He was hopeless the second that he decided to follow your advice,” Echo pointed out. 

*~*~*~*

Rex walked through the rows of his men, inspecting them one last time while the General and Commander brought aboard their new General. Co-General. Whatever. Either way, Rex wanted to impress them. And that meant that his men had to be in tip top shape. But when he heard the doors to the hangar open, Rex quickly took his place at the front. 

Only to nearly drop his helmet when he recognized the woman walking with Anakin and Ahsoka. And when he heard Fives’s giggle, he could only swallow down a choice set of words.

“And here’s our captain, Rex,” Anakin introduced, causing their eyes to lock for the first time since the bar. “The best of the best.”

“I would expect no less,” she replied with an easygoing and mischievous smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Captain Rex.”

“You as well, General,” Rex practically choked out, trying to not sweat through his blacks. 

“Rex, this the new co-general,” Ahsoka introduced, adding the general’s name. “She was Master Plo Koon’s padawan and served with the Wolffe Pack.”

“Why’d you leave it, General?” Rex directed towards the new general, who smiled at him. 

“The Jedi Council needed someone to babysit General Skywalker and because I value public service above my own sanity—”

“—This whole spiel again?” Anakin complained, causing her to turn to him. 

“You're just upset because Admiral Yularen laughed in your face when I told him what happened back on Corellia when you—”

“—Perhaps we should move on to the rest of the tour,” Anakin stressed, causing her to smirk. 

“Of course.”

Anakin and Ahsoka led the way through the rows of troopers, though she lingered behind them. Looking over her shoulder, she offered Rex a smile that made his heart stop for a moment all over again. 

“I’ll be back to meet the full battalion formally once the rest of my briefings are concluded. If that fits with your timeline, Captain?”

“Yes, of course, General.”

“Great.” She offered him a curt nod before that smirk returned. “And next time we’re at 79s, drinks are on me, Captain.”

The galaxy was testing him today, that was for sure. Rex watched her walk off with Anakin and Ahsoka before slowly putting his bucket back on his head. 

“Fives,” he growled out. “You have exactly five seconds before—”

Fives took off in a sprint across the hangar and Rex took off after him. Echo sighed and shook his head before turning to his comms. Sending Commander Cody a message that Rex did learn that the woman that he was flirting with last night was the new general, Echo couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Fives evade Rex. 

“Well, this is going to be interesting.”

[vizslasaber]

FRIENDLY FIRE ──── captain rex.

SUMMARY | Newly knighted and unaccustomed to combat, you’re suddenly given your first assignment on the shadowy world of Umbara. Waiting on the planet’s surface is the start of a mission filled with death and deception—and the companionship of someone whose smile you never thought you’d fall for.

PAIRING | Captain Rex x female Jedi!reader

A/N | look i'm in love with this man, i simply Could Not help myself from falling in love with him, and i felt the need to live vicariously through reader insert fics, so here we are (don't ask me why they sent two generals in place of one, it's for the purpose of the fic). also, the reader is female, and i've decided some details such as former master (OC) home planet, and name (because i despise using y/n). everything else is up to you!

WARNINGS | fluff, angst because this is the umbara arc, SLOW BURN, star wars curses, death (no major characters), blood/gore, suggestive themes. the whole shabang.

STATUS: WIP | TAGLIST | Last Updated: May 13, 2024

──── CHAPTER ONE

SUMMARY | after landing on the umbaran surface, you butt heads with your fellow general—but get along swimmingly with your temporary clone captain.

WORD COUNT | 3.9k

WARNINGS | combat/action, mentions of injury + death, krell being a bitch, reader with a name instead of y/n because i hate it

──── CHAPTER TWO

SUMMARY | The mission continues, and with it, your growing suspicion of Krell’s authoritarian methods. But the troopers relying on you—including Rex—lead you in the right direction: one of unyielding kindness, even when it’s hard.

WORD COUNT | 3.7k

WARNINGS | Combat/action, mentions of injury & death, Krell being a bitch as usual, gender neutral use of the term “sir,” gratuitous use of Mando’a, and one (1) curse word. Also, a Shakespeare reference because I’m a historian & couldn’t help myself.

──── CHAPTER THREE

COMING SOON!

[omaano]

Rex and Brea for @rexscanonwife ❤️

[jedi-princess-kestis]

"You have been keeping secrets from them, and I think it's time your sister finally found out what you really are."

Thank you so so so much to @dystopicjumpsuit for this AMAZING datafile of Shadow Kline from "Shadows of the Force"! This datafile will be very important to the storyline so be on the lookout for it!

[fandom-friday]

Hello friend Karrde!

I hope that all here have been well and prosperous, or at least not buried in snow like me. I have more offerings again for the rec list! I apologize because this is gonna be a whopper of a list too, totally understand if it doesn't make it in this week.

On the Art side of things:

@pinkiemme has been rocking our world with both Commanders Wolffe and Mayday... such scrumptiousness. But then I saw this panel of Captain Rex and... (crying).

@rexxdjarin again with the thick and healthy series latest Echo and Gregor... the study of muscular anatomy is so on point!

@sunshinesdaydream has given us the adorable duo of Hardcase and Sparks

@spicyclones79s has gifted us Omega & Hunter, Commander Wolffe, and a very sweet Foxio

@ladykagewaki always has my heart with the Bebe batch snuggles But also Ms. Fangirl has shared how to summon Echo (May contain spoilers!)

@cloned-eyes made me smile with Wrecker and his little friends but then sob when I saw Jenot.

Comic Recs!:

@paperback-rascal is back with mercy and co with an interesting neurologic finding on Major 40

Fic Recs!:

@pickleprickle 's Newest fic features an injured Mace Windu in the wake of the Empire's rise in Shattered Sunrise. When I say I binged the first two chapters... go read!

if anyone is in need of a Howzer Fic after @the-rain-on-kamino has just reposted their Exigency series. I didn't get a chance to read it the first time and am making my way through it now and let me tell ya... the love, the longing, the CAPTAIN! oh and the build up to the SMUT!

Hopefully I'll have the other comic pieces gathered together for next week and a few more recs. Till then happy reading!

This is one HECK of a list that's got a little something for every TCW/TBB fan out there! I love all of the artwork, and the fics are phenomenal!!!

(Quick correction: the art of Hardcase and Sparks was a commission done by @cloned-eyes)

As always, THANK YOU for taking the time to pull all these together!!

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 17

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: I HAVE FINALLY RETURNED WITH A NEW INSTALLMENT OF THIS VERY NEGLECTED FIC (sorry). As always, thank you to the outstanding @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading for me!

Chapter Rating: E (18+ MINORS SKEEDADDLE)

Warnings: canon-typical violence, language, explicit sexual content (fingering, cum eating)

Word Count: 8.8k words

It was not an easy night. 

Rex awoke with Lothal’s twin moons high in the sky, casting wild, flickering reflections across the walls from the small water deposit inside the cave. He tried to will the ache in his chest away, hoping he could just doze back off and ignore it, but it eventually blossomed into a searing pain that felt as though it was tearing his upper torso apart. He wasn’t sure how long he tried to ignore it, and he didn’t realize he was groaning quietly until he felt a hand press against his cheek. His eyes flew open to find Senna hovering over him, her features etched with concern. 

“I’m giving you another dose. Hang on.” 

He might have protested if he was more alert, but before he could even think of an argument, there was a slight pinch in the muscles of his neck. The painkiller did its job almost instantly, flooding his body with relief, but it was nothing compared to the warmth he felt at the sight of seeing Senna still there, still with him. 

After all this time and everything I’ve been through, I’ve at least got that going for me.

He let his head rest back against the bag heavily as she wiped sweat from his face with a cool, damp cloth. She offered him more water, and that was when he realized desperately needed to relieve himself. 

Kriff. 

He tried to roll over and stand on his own, but even with the painkiller winding its way through his system, his knee buckled almost immediately when he tried to put weight on it. 

“Rex, stop. What do you need? I can get it.”

He grimaced at her. “Not something you can get, love.” 

Senna was clearly confused until understanding dawned across her face. “Ah. Ok, well I’ll help you stand and get outside.” 

“Sen, I can’t ask-”

“You’re not asking. I’m telling you. I’d have done this even if we weren’t madly in love with one another.” She winked at him teasingly as she quickly pulled her clothes on, but the words she’d said made him almost giddy.

He gave her a pained smile. “I’d somewhat hoped to not ruin the magic just yet.” 

She grinned back at him and shrugged. “Who says it’s ruined?” 

Gently, she helped pull him to his feet, taking all of the weight off of his injured leg, and the two of them carefully started moving towards the mouth of the cave. Rex had always hated depending on people for seemingly routine tasks when he was injured or incapacitated, but somehow, having Senna hold him up and help him was far less humiliating than he’d anticipated. In fact, there was something oddly intimate about it. 

Madly in love with one another.

He was certain he’d never get tired of hearing those words. They sounded so good falling from her lips, he’d almost wondered if he’d dreamt them in the moment. Luckily, he had a massive wound in his chest to ensure he knew he was, in fact, quite awake. 

Rex managed to lean himself against the cliff’s face, bracing one shoulder against the rock, and was relieved that Senna turned away, absently kicking at a clod of dirt to give him a semblance of privacy. He managed to relieve himself with only minimal awkwardness and grunting, finally managing to fasten his pants closed again. 

Feeling triumphant and perhaps overly confident, Rex tried again to stand on his own once more, pressing his palms against the rocky wall, and again, he failed as his leg crumpled beneath him. Senna’s hands caught him immediately as his knee buckled, and she managed to haul him back to his feet.

“Stop being so stubborn and let me help you,” she muttered, pulling his arm back over her shoulders as she dug her fingers under his belt to hold him up. There was only a little heat in her words, but as he looked at her, he could see she was smiling. Everything about them felt natural to him: leaning on her for support, allowing her to help him, allowing her to love him fully and loving her just as much in return. Being with her was easy, the easiest thing he’d seemingly ever done. Of course, Rex understood there would be hard times still. It was inevitable, but at least for now, he relished this moment with her and the newness of it all. He smiled to himself as they limped back to the bedroll. 

Senna managed to ease him down with only minimal grunting and shuffling, offering him a sanitation wipe for his hands from the medpack before lying down next to him and pulling the blankets back up over them. Rex shifted onto his side to face her, propping himself up on one elbow. Her eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled at him, reaching out to gently touch his chest. 

“How are you feeling?”

“The best I’ve ever felt,” he rasped, feeling his cheeks beginning to ache from his smile. 

She rolled her eyes at that. “I’m serious, Rex.”

He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips and brushing a kiss against her knuckles. “So am I.” 

Senna ducked her head slightly, dipping her nose beneath the covers, and even though the dim lighting made it impossible to tell, he was certain she was blushing. After a few moments, she scooted closer to him, close enough that their noses brushed in the dark, and Rex slipped a hand into her hair, cradling the back of her head as he pulled her lips against his. 

Maker, he was certain he’d never get tired of kissing her either now that he’d been given permission to. And the best part was how eagerly she kissed him back, as if she too was basking in the newness of it all, of the fact that she no longer had to keep that part of herself locked away. 

“Careful,” she whispered, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Or else I may have to take you for another ride.” 

He chuckled against her lips. “As if I’d deny you that.” His hands were already moving, slipping underneath the blankets to her waistband, her skin flushed and warm under his fingertips. She groaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped past her lips, teasing her gently. 

“You need to sleep,” she mumbled, her scolding tone half-hearted at best. 

“I’ll sleep when we get picked up tomorrow,” he murmured, slipping his hand into her trousers. Despite her protests, Senna’s legs fell apart to grant him access, and he found the warm wetness of her arousal waiting for him underneath her undergarments. He huffed in satisfaction as he felt her breath stutter when his fingers grazed her soaked core.

“Besides,” he whispered against her ear. “I don’t think I could go back to sleep knowing how wet you are right now.” His fingers gathered her slick, circling her clit, and her hips bucked against his hand. Her fingers dug into his forearm, and she pressed herself closer to him, making it easier for him to slide two fingers into her cunt. 

“Rex,” she whined. 

“I’m right here, love. Tell me what you want.” 

The wound in his chest protested slightly as he worked his arm, plunging his fingers further into her and searching for the spongy place deep inside of her, but the pain certainly wasn’t enough to deter him, not with the way Senna looked right now. Her chest heaved with each high-pitched moan and gasp, and her cunt clenched around his digits. He felt her hips rise to meet his hand, pressing her clit against the heel of his palm, and he applied pressure, watching as the tendons in her throat became more pronounced. She gasped when he found that sensitive place inside her, pressing against it with the pads of his fingers as he pushed a third finger into her. 

The cave’s quiet was punctured by Senna’s whimpers and the obscene wet sounds coming from between her legs as Rex worked to bring her to orgasm. His cock was straining in his pants, but at the moment, he was completely focused on Senna, his own pleasure distant in his mind as she came undone for him. He’d pleasured other partners before, but there was something so very different about watching Senna come undone for him. 

He wanted to see her orgasm so badly, and he needed to be the one to give it to her. 

Her brows pinched together as she stared into his eyes, and he felt her body shudder once more, her cunt clenching around his fingers. He’d dreamt of giving her this pleasure for months, of what it would feel like and how she’d look, but nothing he’d ever imagined compared to this, and he was certain he’d never get enough of it, of her. 

The times they’d been intimate prior to tonight had been laced with apprehension, the looming question of what everything meant hanging in both of their minds. But now, he knew where he stood with her, no more secrets keeping them from fully indulging and letting go. 

And he certainly wasn’t going to be held back any longer.

“Don’t stop,” Senna whispered. 

Her eyes were pleading, begging for release, for pleasure that only he could give her, and he wanted nothing more than to watch her fall apart on his fingertips. He wanted to learn how to perfectly strum every inch of her, to map every place that made her orgasm, to memorize every sound so that he could know exactly how close she was to the precipice. The knowledge that he’d get to do just that, spend as long as he wanted touching and kissing every inch of her unhindered sent excitement coursing through his veins. 

She’s mine, and I’m hers. And I get to touch her like this. I get to sleep with her, sleep next to her, wake up with her in my arms. All of it. 

She was clutching his forearm so tightly, he was certain her fingernails were leaving crescent-shaped indentations in his skin, but when her spine arched and his name fell from her lips, he knew there would be no stopping himself from pulling her over the edge, no matter how much his body protested. His hips jerked reflexively, and pain shot through his leg. He buried his face in Senna’s neck, grunting against her skin. 

“Rex, we can-” she tried, noting his clenched teeth and labored breathing.  

“Shhh,” he whispered. “Let me take care of you. Tell me what you want.” 

“Kiss my n-neck,” she whimpered, relenting to him. “I… I like it when you do that.” 

Rex tilted his head so that he could press his lips against the sensitive place on her throat that he’d made a note of the first night they’d been intimate. Senna’s response was immediate, and Rex’s pulse thrummed with pride as she clenched around his fingers. 

“Rex… fuck, right there. Fuck. I’m close.” Senna was frantically grinding against his palm now. “L-let me touch you. F-fuck let me-”

“No, Sen. This is about you,” he replied huskily, gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest and leg. He wanted to see her come undone again for him, needed it, and that trumped all of the pain he felt. He sucked the skin of her throat, and felt her pulse leap under his tongue. He loved that he could feel her approaching her orgasm, that the signs were already so apparent to him, but he’d always been able to read Senna. 

Now, he was just allowed even more. 

“Cum for me, Senna.”

Her back arched, and he pulled back to take it all in. Sweat beaded along her hairline as her mouth fell open. The tendons in her throat were taut under her skin as she unleashed a stuttering moan. He felt her cunt spasm around his fingers as she suddenly rocked forward, curling over herself and whimpering as she rode through her orgasm. 

“Rex, I-I…”

“I know, love. Let me have it all.” 

She shuddered a few more times, her cunt clenching in tandem with the waves of her climax before she finally slumped against the cave floor, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. When she finally opened her eyes, she grinned dopily at him, reaching towards his belt, but he stopped her. 

“But you-”

“I’m fine,” he reassured her. “That was what I wanted.” He leaned back, sucking her release from his fingers, and Senna playfully growled. 

“See? The magic’s still very much intact. Especially if you keep doing that to me.” 

Rex grinned, leaning down to kiss her. “I look forward to doing that more often. To doing everything more often.” 

He felt her mouth curl into a smile against his lips. “I’m open to trying anything if that’s the sort of orgasm I’ll get.” 

Rex stroked her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. “I’d give you anything you asked for, Senna Aven.” 

She bumped her nose against his before settling back onto her bedroll, her eyes still sparkling as she watched him readjust. Her hand gently grazed the bandage on his chest, smoothing over the edges that were starting to peel up slightly. 

“Maybe we wait for the more physically demanding asks until you get better.” Her voice was soft, and he could tell she was thinking about how he’d almost died. He hadn’t needed to be awake to know how strenuous that time had been on her. The minute he’d opened his eyes, he had been able to see the strain she’d been under, the fear and the desperation that came with him being on the brink of death. He’d felt a certain amount of guilt that she’d felt that way on his account, a guilt which had grown when he’d realized she’d sacrificed some of her own life force to save him. 

But now I carry a piece of her with me. Forever. 

He rested his hand on top of hers, meeting her eyes. “I love you,” he said quietly, hoping the words brought her peace and reassurance that he was still here, that he was hers.

“And I love you,” she whispered back. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come around. I just… I wasn’t sure I could be with you and keep you safe. But maybe I can do both.” 

“We keep each other safe,” he said quietly. “That’s what we’ve done from the start.”

“That’s right,” she agreed with a small smile. “There… there’s something I haven’t told you about me, Rex.” 

He couldn’t keep his eyebrow from rocketing up, and he could see it immediately made her nervous. “It-it’s nothing major. I just…it doesn’t feel right that you don’t know.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “Just before…well, before the war ended, I was granted the rank of Master. I’m a Jedi Master.” 

Rex stared at her for a moment as he turned the new piece of information over in his mind. He was far from an expert in Jedi traditions, but he knew it was no small feat to be granted the rank of Jedi Master. That honor came with multitudes of privileges and responsibilities, none of which the Senna he knew seemed that interested in, so it did surprise him slightly. She was still watching him nervously, as if that piece of knowledge was something she’d long kept secret. 

She has, he thought. It’s the last bit of herself she’s kept hidden from me.

“Did you think that would change how I see you?” he asked, trying to probe for the source of her nerves. 

“Not necessarily. It’s… it’s something that was so new, and then when the Order fell, it didn’t feel right to even mentally acknowledge that. I felt like I’d failed and let the entire Order down, but it is a piece of me. Who I was… am. I’m… I’m a Jedi Master. And I wanted you to know that.” 

He squeezed her hand. “Well, since we’re sharing, I was technically a commander for a short while. I was promoted before Ahsoka and I left for Mandalore, but when I didn’t carry out Order 66, I was verbally demoted to captain again. Not sure how official that became since the ship we were on went down. But-” His mind stuttered as the image of the young Togruta he’d escaped with came to mind. 

Ahsoka. I haven’t told her.

“Rex?” Senna had lifted her head to look at him, clearly concerned something in the memory had wounded him. He smiled reassuringly. 

“There’s something else I meant to tell you. Never found the right time. But Ahoksa commed me.” 

Senna’s eyes widened, and she propped herself up. “When?”

He cringed slightly, embarrassed now at how much space he’d put between them.

I thought it was for the best.

And deep down, in the moment, he’d wanted that conversation with Ahsoka for himself. But now, it felt only right to share that with Senna, someone who cared just as much about the young Togruta’s wellbeing. 

“I had a message waiting when we got back from the capital.” 

She nodded, her teeth digging into her lip as she watched him for a few moments. “How is she?” she finally asked. 

“Safe. On Raada.”

“Yes, that’s good, but how is she, Rex?” 

He sighed, letting his gaze drift up to the ceiling. “Still hurting. Still finding her way.” 

Senna snuggled closer to him, pressing her forehead against his bicep as she ran her fingers along his arm until they interlaced with his own, gently squeezing his hand. 

“Do you think she’ll come back to the fight?” 

His eyes burned slightly, and he cleared his throat hard to keep the sudden rush of emotions at bay. “I hope so. I really do. But I’d understand if she didn’t.” 

Senna appeared to note the change in his tone, and she kissed his shoulder. “She’ll come back, Rex. Like I did. It might take longer, but I do think she’ll come around eventually. And I’m glad she called you.” 

He smiled, turning his head to meet her eyes. “I told her I was with you.” 

Senna raised an eyebrow. “And what did she say about that?”

Rex chuckled. “She liked the idea. I obviously told her things weren’t romantic at that point.”

Senna rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”

“But she knew anyway. And I… I think she liked the thought that I wasn’t alone. That I had someone with me, someone she knew, in whatever capacity that was.”

He felt Senna hum against his skin. “Well, next time you talk to her, you can tell her things worked out. And that I was an idiot. She always did tease me about overlooking the obvious things in favor of making everything more complicated.” 

Rex smiled, managing to place a kiss to her forehead. “I think I can take some of the blame as well. I’d been trying to find the right place and time to talk to you for weeks, and just could never find the right way to start.” 

So instead everything came rushing out all at once. Every draft I’d thought through, unfiltered and anxious. The same thing happened last night. 

But it worked.

“You came around in your own time, and that’s all that matters,” he whispered. 

They drifted off intertwined with one another, both smiling as sleep took them. 

—

The sun filtered in through the cave entrance, bouncing off the surface of the small pool of water and the various rock formations, warming Senna’s cheeks and the parts of her that were poking out from under her blanket. Gently, she shifted, turning her face to look at the sleeping form lying next to her. Rex’s face was peaceful as his chest rose and fell in rhythm with his deep breathing. He had an arm draped over her, and when she shifted, she felt his grip on her waist tighten, a smile playing across his lips as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

“Morning,” he rumbled.

“How do you feel?” she asked, searching his expression for any indications of him being in pain.

He smirked. “All things considered, not bad.” His eyes were playful, but she could see he still was a little uncomfortable. Leaning over, she dug through the medkit for another pain killer dose, but when she rolled back over, he stilled her hand. 

“I’m alright.”

“You’re hurting, Rex.”

“It’s not that bad.” 

She didn’t buy it, and she knew he could see her skepticism. 

“I want to wait in case the pain gets bad,” he said quietly. “Just in case our ride gets held up or we need to move. We’ve only got, what, one more in there?”

Senna sighed. “Yeah. Just one more after this.” She met his eyes. “I just hate seeing you hurt.” 

Rex huffed a laugh, wincing slightly as he reached to cradle her cheek with one hand. Senna leaned into his touch, sighing as she felt the warmth of his palm against her skin. She closed her eyes, placing her hand over his. 

“I promise I’m better than I’ve been in months, even though it might not look like it,” he replied, brushing some hair out of her face. 

She chuckled quietly, turning to kiss his palm. “You’re cheesy, you know that?” 

He shrugged. “I’ve heard that, although never in this sort of situation.” He played with one errant curl that framed her face. “I’d tried for so long to plan this big speech out to tell you how I feel, and you sort of got every draft of that last night. Everything just came pouring out at once.”

She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm. “I’m glad it did.” Her fingers brushed his brow, smoothing over the bandage on his forehead. 

“Maker, you’re beautiful,” he whispered. 

“I’m yours,” she replied, leaning down to kiss him deeply. 

“You sure?” he asked, his hand trailing along her back.

“Yes, for the first time in a long time, I am finally sure about something,” she said, resting her forehead against his. They sat like that for a few moments, basking in the peace. 

While part of her still whirled with worry of what was to come, the most overwhelming thing Senna felt was relief: relief that they were alive, relief that she’d been honest with Rex and herself, relief that he still felt the same, even after everything. 

We’ll make it work. We’ll figure it out. Together.

Senna had the silliest thought for just a moment of the two of them just staying there, in this cave, hiding away from the galaxy and just being with one another. She immediately discarded it, knowing there was no universe in which that was a realistic option, but it was a nice thought, to just be with Rex.

“I should get up and get us ready to move out when Echo gets here,” she sighed after a few minutes. “I expect they’ll be here sometime before this evening.”

Rex tightened his grip on her. “Just a little while longer? I’ve been wanting this for a long time.”

She thought about it and then slipped back under the blankets with him, wrapping her arms carefully over his chest. “Me too, even if I was too stubborn to admit it,” she sighed, tucking her head into the soft spot near his shoulder. “What are we going to tell the others?” 

She felt his fingers run through her hair, twirling her curls over his fingertips. “Whatever we want. We don’t even have to tell them anything if you don’t want to.”

Senna turned to look at him, resting her chin on his chest. “I don’t really care if you don’t. I just don’t want people to think that we…we’re compromised and unable to do our jobs. This work, this rebellion… it’s everything to me, Rex. I want to keep fighting.”

He grunted a little, brows furrowing. “Yeah, well those in charge don’t seem to feel the same.”

“Is this about the Ilum information?” she asked, stiffening slightly. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had the same thoughts, felt the same frustration. Even still, she felt the need to defend the rebellion and its leaders, as if admitting the movement that had given her life meaning at her lowest was flawed would destabilize the ground beneath her feet. She met Rex’s eyes. “They’ve got to make the best decisions they can based on very small pieces of intelligence. If they don’t think it’s feasible, then I have to respect it, whether or not I agree with it.”

He looked at her. “Do we? We risked a lot for that information, and to have it just shrugged away is…I don’t even know. Infuriating. It fits with everything else we’ve provided, so why would they just toss it away?”

Senna wasn’t used to seeing Rex insubordinate, and it shook her slightly. 

We all have our limits, and he’s been through a lot. Especially in the last few rotations. He has a right to be frustrated. 

She sighed, turning to press her cheek against him again. “I know. Trust me, I know.”

Rex stared at the ceiling of the cave for a few moments, and she could tell he was trying to carefully word his next question. 

“All of that, the not having our intelligence valued by leadership who aren’t out in the field with us, doesn’t that…bother you? And make you think that maybe this isn’t all worth it?”

Senna squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady herself as some of the fears she’d dismissed threatened to come creeping back in. “Of course it bothers me, but what other choice do we have? It’s do this or do nothing.”

“Would nothing be so bad?”

“I don’t think I could live with myself.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“You could just walk away from this that easily?” she asked quietly.

“No, no it wouldn’t be easy. This is a fight I actually get to choose to believe in, not like the war. There, I was just lucky my personal loyalties aligned with what I was created for. But…in the same breath, if Organa and the others aren’t going to listen to what I have to say, then I don’t see the point in continuing to risk it all. Last time I was ignored, I wound up shooting my own brothers.”

Senna flinched at the mention of Umbara. Rex had confided in her about that campaign over one of their dinners, about how Pong Krell had lied and manipulated and misled him and his men. She knew it still haunted Rex, so it was understandable that he’d be cautious when he felt like he was being shrugged off or manipulated. 

But this was different. Very different. The rebellion leaders had good intentions and weren’t purposefully sending people to their deaths like Krell. They wanted to make the galaxy better, not purposefully cause harm. 

But if the results are the same, needless risk and deaths, then does their intent really matter?

She dug her teeth into her lip, trying to still her racing mind. Rex was right; doing nothing wouldn’t be terrible for them. In fact, it would damn near be bliss, just the two of them off on some remote planet. They could survive on their own, disappear and never be heard from again, and that thought did have a certain appeal. But it also conflicted with how she’d been raised, and she knew that deep down, Rex felt the same, even if he was saying otherwise right now. Still, it was nice to fantasize about how their lives might look if they abandoned the rebellion and let the galaxy do as it would.

But she loved Rex for his tenacity, for his selflessness, for how much he cared. Those qualities mirrored her own values and intentions in so many ways, and she knew those were what kept them both in the fight, even on bad days.

Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced up and met his gaze.

“I don’t disagree with your frustrations and your reasoning,” she said carefully, “but I have to believe I can drive change by being part of the rebellion. I can’t give up on it yet.”

Rex brushed some hair away from her face, sighing deeply. “I respect that. And that’s one of the many reasons I love you. You’ve got a lot of faith for someone that’s been through so much.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“It’s in my programming,” he joked dryly.

“No, it’s because you’re a good person, Rex,” she replied, squeezing him gently. 

He smiled, and she was almost certain there was a slight flush in his cheeks at the compliment. It was incredibly endearing, and somehow, she felt herself falling even more in love with him. Taking her hand in his, he kissed the top of her head. 

“I’d never give up the fight while you’re still here, Senna. And I won’t ask you to either.” 

Relief flooded through her, and she buried her nose in his chest, sighing deeply. 

“Thank you for understanding,” she said softly. 

“Of course,” he replied. “I meant it when I said I love you.” 

“Good. Because I’m not letting you take that back ever.” 

—

Senna managed to get everything repacked and Rex’s bandages changed one more time before the emergency beacon comm buzzed, alerting them to an incoming call. She felt her shoulders sag slightly with relief as Rex answered and Echo’s voice piped up on the channel. 

“Rex, we’re approaching your location now. You should see us in a moment.” 

Rex handed Senna the beacon as he pulled his shirt back down. The wound in his chest was looking significantly better even with just a day’s worth of healing, and Senna knew it concerned Rex. He’d been watching her carefully all morning, as if he was waiting on her to collapse from the strain. Fortunately, aside from some lingering exhaustion, she really didn’t feel terribly different. She was almost certain that the act of channeling her life force into him had taken a larger toll than the loss of the force itself, but it wasn’t a point she wanted to debate with Rex. She could see he felt guilty, but she hoped it would fade with time, time that they’d have together because of what she’d done. 

No regrets on my end. 

Unfortunately, his leg was still greatly limiting his mobility, so he could do nothing other than sit and watch as Senna grabbed her macrobinoculars and moved to the mouth of the cave, carrying the beacon with her. She scanned the horizon until she finally picked up the approaching ship. It was an Omicron-class attack shuttle that looked like it had been to hell and back. 

Certainly traveling in style, she thought grimly, her mouth pulling into a tight line.

The shuttle landed carefully about a hundred meters from the cave entrance, folding its wings up as it touched the ground gently.

“They’re here,” Senna announced. “I’ll be right back.”

“Not like I’m going anywhere,” Rex huffed from where he sat.

Senna grinned, tossing a wink over her shoulder at him as she made her way towards their rescuers.

The shuttle door opened and a set of stairs dropped to the ground as a group of clone troopers in armor unlike any Senna had ever seen stepped out, walking to meet her. Echo was the first one to her, his scomp arm giving him away even before he removed his helmet. Senna gave him a big hug that seemed to momentarily catch him off guard, but he chuckled, returning her embrace. 

“I’m so glad you’re here. We were in a pretty bad jam,” she told him, patting him on the back congenially.

“You’ll have to tell us all about it once we get you loaded up. There were some Imperial scout patrols we spotted on the way in, and I don’t want to wait around too long. I doubt they’ll give us as warm of a welcome.”

Senna managed to suppress the shudder that threatened to tear through her. 

A few more hours and we might have been up to our necks in Imps. 

“Seems your timing is impeccable,” she joked dryly. “Care to quickly introduce me to your brothers?”

The second clone was lean with armor that most closely resembled the armor that Senna was used to from the troopers she’d worked alongside, although it had clearly been repainted, as they all had. His helmet gave off a particularly menacing impression despite its teal coloring that wasn’t alleviated when he removed it to reveal a face that was tattooed in the pattern of a skull on one side. He wore a red headband that also had a skull depiction that somewhat matched the scarf around his neck. The clone’s voice was surprisingly gentle as he extended a hand to her. “Hunter ma’am…er, General,” he corrected, glancing down at her lightsaber.

Senna’s eyes widened as her hands flew to cover her weapon from view instinctively. Echo gently grabbed her arm. “I didn’t know,” he said quietly. “But it’s alright. We’re friends. I promise.” 

“No one was supposed to know,” she muttered. 

“But Rex does?”

She nodded. 

“Well, your secret’s safe with us,” the largest clone rumbled from beneath his helmet. Pulling it off, he revealed an incredibly scarred face and one milky white eye, but the warmth he exuded almost negated his size and physical appearance. “We’re good at keeping secrets.”

“That’s Wrecker, and that’s Tech,” Echo said, gesturing at the last clone in white armor accented with orange and black. The clone was busy typing something on his datapad and halfheartedly waved hello before pushing his visor back up a little further on his helmet, his goggles reflecting the glow of the datapad’s screen.

“Well, it’s great to meet you. Also, for the record, not a general,” she said turning to Hunter. 

He nodded. “Commander, then?”

“Nope, just a normal technical specialist that also happened to be a Jedi,” she grinned. That statement finally grabbed Tech’s attention as he looked up from his datapad, readjusting his goggles to survey her more carefully with bright, attentive eyes.

Echo let out a chuckle at Tech’s reaction. “I figured you two might get along.”

“As much as I’m enjoying all this chit-chat, we really should get you two loaded up on the Marauder,” Hunter interrupted. “The patrols weren’t too large, but I’d still rather not risk it.” 

“You’re right,” Senna agreed. “You guys are going to have to help move Rex. He’s not in much of a state to be doing anything right now. Also, if you’ve got better first aid on that ship, he could probably use a second look. I’m not well-versed in medicine, but I did what I could.”

“I’ll get him,” Wrecker grunted, stepping into the cave. The massive clone squatted down next to Rex, and the captain reached up to grasp his arm in greeting.

“Good to see you again Wrecker. If you’re gonna pick me up, maybe do it a little gentler this time.”

Wrecker cackled at that. “If you insist, Cap.” Slipping his arms under Rex, Wrecker lifted him bridal style as if he was weightless, carrying him back out towards the ship.

“I probably could have walked on my own, you know,” Senna heard Rex mutter as he was carried past her.

“Yeah, well better safe than sorry,” she called after him, biting back a giggle.

Suddenly, Hunter stiffened next to her, whirling to look out over the plains behind them. Senna followed his line of sight, noting nothing at first aside from the breeze whistling through the grass. It was quiet. Too quiet. 

Taking notice of his brother’s reaction, Tech stepped forward, bringing up his macrobinoculars to look in the direction Hunter was staring.

“It seems we’ve been spotted. One patrol inbound, about a klick out and closing fast. It would appear they have a troop transport and an AT-DP.”

“Great. Better hustle,” Hunter grunted. 

Senna nodded, sprinting back into the cave to grab her bag while the clones crouched down behind a rock formation to huddle up. As she sprinted back to them, she could hear Tech speaking quickly to Hunter.

“I still need time to complete the pre-flight sequence since the hyperdrive’s been misbehaving. Otherwise, I feel our chances of getting out of here will be significantly lower.”

“Then do it,” Hunter sighed. “We’ll keep them busy until she’s primed for takeoff.”

“I think I can help with that,” Senna said. “Tech, can you get my bag aboard?”

The goggled clone nodded, taking her sack and sprinting off towards the ship without another word. Senna unclipped her lightsaber from her belt, and that seemed to serve as the cue for Hunter and Echo, who both slid their helmets back on. Senna’s eyes widened as she noticed that Echo’s helmet snapped into place under the equipment wrapped around his head.

“Ok, I have a lot of questions about that helmet later,” she said with a grin.

“Thought you’d like that,” he chuckled, his voice now modulated through the vocoder.

Hunter drew his weapons. “Alright, take cover behind the rocks. Echo and I will draw them in, you slice and dice. Also, if you’ve got any ideas about how to take down that walker, I would love to hear them.”

Senna’s teeth dug into her lip as she considered it. “Let me think on it a bit and I’ll get back to you,” she said, ducking down behind the rocks.

Adrenaline thrummed through Senna’s body as she felt the rumble of the approaching transport grow louder until it felt like it was rattling her chest, and the ground shook slightly with each of the walker’s heavy steps. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she felt sweat begin to bead along her brow. Hunter and Echo crouched down beside her, training their blasters on the transport and starting to pepper it with fire. Senna drew hers as well from its place at her hip, firing at the oncoming transport. A few return blaster bolts hit the rocks in front of them, and they ducked lower, covering their heads as pebbles and dust rained down around them.

“You got any explosives or disruptor cannons on that ship?” Senna yelled over the noise.

“Nothing big. We were due for a restock when you commed. Just got a few detonators on me,” Hunter replied, continuing to fire at the transport as it began to slow. The walker was now within range as well, and its weapons shrieked as it unleashed a barrage on their cover. Senna covered her face as much as she could as a cloud of dust inundated them, coating her tongue with dirt and stinging her eyes. She coughed and spluttered loudly as the two clones next to her continued to fire. 

“That walker is gonna be a problem,” Hunter shouted over the din.

“Alright, since we’re out of luck with anti-tank explosives, we’re going to have to get that thing close enough for me to do something about it. Our blasters will be useless against its armor,” Senna yelled back, blinking hard to clear the grime from her eyes. 

“I’m assuming that’s when you’re going to get that fancy saber out?”

She smirked. “That’s the plan.” 

Hunter nodded, and she was pretty sure he was grinning under his helmet. “You got it.”

The troop transport skidded to a stop a few hundred meters from their position, and stormtroopers began pouring out of it, their armor glinting in the sunlight. The walker moved into position behind them, steadily bombarding the rocks Senna and the clones were hunkered down behind. Senna tried to cover her head and make herself smaller, and Echo grunted next to her as a large chunk of rock cracked against his helmet. 

“Are you alright?” he yelled over the commotion.

“Yeah, but we’ve gotta scatter these guys a little. We’re sitting mynocks with that walker!” She chewed her lip for a moment. “Hunter, how many of those detonators do you have?”

The sergeant reached into a hip pouch, pulling two out and waving them at her. “These and a few more. Should be enough to be a problem.”

Senna nodded. “Great. Toss these into the middle of the pack when I give the signal. Echo, give him cover fire.”

“What about you?”

She unclipped her lightsaber from her belt, grinning. “Like you said. Time for the fancy saber.” 

Hunter and Echo nodded in acknowledgement. Senna moved to a low crouch and focused on the environment around here. She could feel the troopers across from her, the pilots of the walker, and something else. It felt cold, strange, threatening, but distant. 

No time to examine anything. Worry about what’s in front of you. Focus.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. 

“NOW, HUNTER!”

Hunter stood, flinging the explosives right into the middle of the pack of approaching stormtroopers. Senna leapt over the rocks as the explosives went off with a roar, immediately downing half a dozen of the troopers. Several more were flung in various directions from the blasts while the remaining ones still on their feet scattered for cover. Echo picked off a few that were on the ground while Senna advanced on the soldiers that were still standing on their right flank. In two bounds, she was on them, her lightsaber humming as it sliced through metal, plastoid, and flesh.

She didn’t relish killing, but she did love the feeling of the warmth racing through her, the presence she’d cut herself off from for over a year. It felt right, smooth, as if she was a fish in a current, made to swim through the flow around her. She felt everything, but most of all, she felt like herself, really and truly, for the first time in a long time. 

Turning, Senna reached out with the Force to fling a line of advancing troopers coming from the other direction back against the rocks. Hunter was on them in an instant, pulling a vibroblade from a sheath on his wrist and slicing through any blasters within his reach as he fired with the DC-17 in his other hand. 

“BEHIND YOU!” she heard Echo yell, and she felt one of the troopers behind her raising his blaster and taking aim at her. She dropped the blade of her lightsaber behind her back just as the weapon fired, deflecting the shot back into the stormtrooper’s helmet.

“Not bad for a technical specialist,” she heard Hunter laugh. 

“We’re not done yet!” she shouted back.

“Heads up!” Hunter tossed her two more detonators. “For the walker!” 

Senna nodded, taking off towards the lumbering machine at a sprint. She zig-zagged as she raced forward, leaping between the rocks as the walker fired at her, sending dirt and rocks flying from her footprints, but she managed to stay a step ahead. When she was within ten meters of it, she reached out and focused, channeling the Force around her into a jump. She leapt through the air, landing crouched on top of the walker. The metal hummed underneath her fingertips, but she was already moving again, reaching for the hatch and ripping it open. Two startled Imperials yelled as she dropped the detonators in before slamming the hatch shut and sprinting towards the front of the walker. She dropped into a slide, slicing off the cannon on the front panel with her lightsaber as she skidded by it, wincing as the edge of the viewport scraped her back and shoulders. 

The ground rushed up at her as she slid off the front of the walker, and she managed to roll as she slammed into the dirt, scrambling forward as the mechanical beast exploded, teetering forward and falling. Hunter and Echo grabbed her just as the walker fell, diving out of the way and obscuring them in a huge dust cloud. The durasteel groaned and smoldered, and the ground shuddered beneath them as what remained of the crew compartment crashed down a few meters from them.

Senna could smell smoke and burning electronics as she lay in the dirt between Hunter and Echo, trying to catch her breath and listening for any signs of life from their attackers. There were none, and she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. 

Not bad for being rusty. 

She heard approaching footsteps and opened her eyes to find Wrecker’s massive boot centimeters from her face. 

“Awwww come on!” Wrecker moaned. “I wanted to blow it up!”

“Better luck next time, big guy,” she joked as he pulled her to her feet with ease.

Wrecker helped Hunter off the ground next, and Senna yanked Echo up, dusting off his kama as he straightened. Hunter’s hand flew to the comm button on his helmet. 

“Talk to me Tech. Are we ready to go?” Senna saw the clone’s spine straighten as he dropped his hand. “We’ve got to go. Tech says there’s another speeder inbound, and it’s going to be here in a few seconds. Ship’s ready and I think I’ve had enough fun for one day.” 

Senna nodded, but the chill she’d sensed still lingered. Reaching out, she felt it surge suddenly, curling through her veins. She didn’t know who or what was on that speeder, but a sharp spike of fear tore through her. 

Whatever was coming wasn’t good. 

Echo seemed to notice her discomfort, tilting his helmet at her, but she just gave him a tight smile. “He’s right. We should go.” 

Dipping his head, Echo started sprinting towards the ship. Hunter glanced at her, but followed Echo, seemingly understanding there’d be time for questions later. Senna let Wrecker go ahead, lingering slightly to scan the horizon before turning and running. The cold was piercing now, growing stronger with every passing second, and Senna tried to keep her alarm in check. She’d never felt anything like this, but she’d heard Anakin describe it enough to recognize the sensation: it was the presence of a Dark Force user, and they were strong. 

Senna could now hear the speeder approaching above the sound of the walker burning and the whine of the shuttle’s engines. The Marauder was close, but tossing a glance over her shoulder, she confirmed the speeder would overtake them.

I’d rather meet them in the open, away from the ship. 

And in spite of herself, she was curious. She slowed, reigniting her lightsaber.

Echo and Hunter had paused, noting her hesitation. 

“GO!” she shouted over her shoulder. “I’ll buy you some time, just leave the stairs down for me when you take off.”

Hunter started to argue, but Senna was having none of it, raising her hand. 

“That’s an order, Hunter.” 

“Let’s go,” Echo urged, seemingly understanding something was wrong. Hunter glanced at the approaching speeder, clearly weighing his options before he appeared to concede with a nod. Without further argument, the clones sprinted for the ship just as the speeder disappeared into the dust cloud the walker had created.

Senna turned to face the new enemy, squaring her feet in the dirt as she reached out again.

The speeder was mostly obscured from view by the lingering dust cloud, but she could just make out the silhouette of a tall, armored figure as the engine quieted to an idle. The newest assailant appeared unrushed, observing her for a moment with a strange interest before walking towards her with a slow, deliberate pace. Senna narrowed her eyes, reaching further to try and glean anything, but without warning, her chest tightened, and her breath caught in her throat. She felt darkness reaching back, squeezing her lungs, and she fell to her knees, gasping. The darkness felt overwhelming, consuming, and for a moment, she wondered how Anakin had stood against this feeling so many times and come back seemingly unphased. A chilling voice slithered through her mind. 

Well hello, Master Aven.

“Who are you?” she shouted, trying to keep her voice from shaking. 

Get it the fuck together, she internally chided herself.

The voice intruded into her head once more. 

I am the one who will correct the wrongs of those who came before me. I am the Grand Inquisitor.

The figure extended his arm, igniting a dual bladed lightsaber that glowed red in the dust. Senna’s breath caught in her throat as her fears were confirmed. 

A Sith.

She scrambled backwards in the dust as the Inquisitor slowly began to advance on her. Senna could see his face clearly now; he was a Pau’an, tall and thin with the trademark pale skin and red markings. He wore black armor emblazoned with the Imperial symbol that appeared spotless even with the surrounding dust swirling in his wake. His eyes glowed yellow, and his lip was curling into a grin that revealed sharp teeth. 

“Now now, little one. There is no need to run. It will only prolong things,” he said, finally speaking aloud. His voice was soft and yet threatening in its tone, and it sent another shudder rippling through Senna. Behind her, she heard the engines of the Marauder fire up as it lifted off the ground. The Inquisitor’s yellow eyes flicked to the ship, and he huffed a laugh.

“It appears your friends are leaving you to die. No matter, they will be dealt with in due time.” 

Senna pushed herself to her feet, trying to hide the way her legs were shaking underneath her. Her anger fought for control with her fear. 

“You will not harm them,” she snarled. “I won’t let you.”

The Pau’an raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Oh? I don’t know that you’ll have much say in the matter.”

Rage flared within Senna, winning the battle with her apprehension, and she charged him. The Inquisitor’s grin widened as he deftly blocked her first blow with no more effort than if he were swatting an annoying insect. Senna continued to swing her blade wildly, and he continued to parry her at every turn. As she sidestepped him in an attempt to flank, he thrust out his hand, lifting her off of her feet and flinging her into the rock face with a flick of his wrist. Her shoulder blades slammed into the stone knocking the wind out of her, and she knew she was going to bruise as she fought to refill her lungs with air. 

The bruises are the least of my problems at the moment. 

The Inquisitor was already coming towards her again, glowing red blade at his side, prepared to attack again. Senna huffed frantically, scrambling to get back on her feet. 

GET UP. GET UP. GET UP.

Suddenly, the ground between her and the Inquisitor exploded with blaster fire, and a new cloud of dust was kicked up as the Marauder hovered above them. Whoever was flying had maneuvered the ship to allow Wrecker to shoot at the Inquisitor with the ship’s gun, and Senna could hear him cackling gleefully through the ship’s open door. The Pau’an leapt backwards away from her, deflecting the blasts back towards the ship. Some of the bolts peppered the outside, scarring the hull, but mercifully not hitting anything critical. 

They won’t be that lucky forever.

Senna saw her chance and took it, hooking her lightsaber back on her belt, sprinting towards the open door on the side of the ship as hard as she could. She could see Hunter hanging out of the door, peppering the Inquisitor with fire and dodging the deflected bolts that were slamming back into the side of the ship. 

“COME ON, SENNA!” Hunter shouted. “TIME TO GO!”

Channeling the Force once more, Senna leapt, stretching her arms out towards the dangling stairs. Her fingertips slammed into the bottom step and she held tightly as her legs swung wildly underneath her. Her knuckles creaked from the strain, and she ground her teeth, clinging hard as the ship shuddered and jerked.

“ECHO, COVER ME. I’M GONNA GRAB HER. TECH GET US OUT OF HERE!” Senna looked up in time to see Hunter hook a cable to his belt and carefully make his way down the steps towards her as the ship quickly began gaining altitude. He reached out, grabbing Senna’s wrist and helping her pull herself back up. The ship rocked violently again, and Hunter swore as he gripped the cable holding them and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Senna fumbled to find a handhold on his armor and wound up just clinging to him clumsily as he yanked her up the stairs with him. With one final lurch, they flew through the hatch together and collapsed on the inside of the Marauder just as Echo slammed the door closed behind them.

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @staycalmandhugaclone @redheadgirl @fordo-kixed-rex @wizardofrozz @ariadnes-red-thread @justanothersadperson93 @leftealeaf @kaminocasey @echos-girlfriend @lucyysthings @obihiddlenox @merkitty49 @littlemissmanga @clonecyaree @baba-fett @sleepingsun501 @rexxdjarin @samspenandsword @babygirlrex0504 @ladytano420 @fxlsealarm @runforrestr @djarrex @corrieguards @the-cantina @witchklng @wolffegirlsunite @fives-lover @rain-on-kamino @ladykatakuri @ladykagewaki @arctrooper69 @hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall

[book-of-baba-fett]

Commission of Captain Rex and my OC, Talia Riva from the WONDERFUL @sleepingsun501. more NSFW version below the cut.

Based on this scene in Chapter 4 of Illicit Affairs:

The sun, still low on the horizon, was blaring into Rex’s eyes; this location on the beach placed them right in the path of the sunrise. He grumbled, rubbing his eyes with his free hand, coming into the realization that his other arm was numb, with Talia still sleeping on top of it as she held onto his chest; he slowly flexed his fingers to the best of his ability, but he didn’t risk more movement for not wanting to wake her. He had pulled the tarp on top of them before he fell asleep, but it rested just at her waist, clinging to the curve of her body. She rested sideways against him, the plush of her breasts against the side of his body. Her rosy lips slightly parted as breaths slipped past, her face calm and at a peace he never saw her in; normally her brow was furrowed in thought or with tension, but now she looked almost younger in relaxation. Her hair was waved from the salt air, slightly knotted, but the sunlight brought out streaks of gold in her tresses as they haloed around her head in the sand.

IA Taglist: @stankferrik @nyravioppri @pinkiemme @fivesarctrooper 1 @twistedstitcher27 @frietiemeloen @galacticgraffiti @a-c-lee @ashotofspotchka @itsagrimm @rexandechosandwich @stankferrik @mavendeb @rain-on-kamino @alwayssnivellus @amyroswell @Sailingthehighseas @lucyysthings @manqoz @lady--kenobi @punkpirate82 @rowansparrow @starstofillmydream @sunshinesdaydream @lucyysthings @hotpinkplastoid @fordo-kixed-rex @ilikemymendarkandfictional @babygirlrex0504 @seriowan @samspenandsword @purgetrooperfox @burningfieldof-clover @seriowan @djarrex @justanothersadperson93 @paige6768 @saltywintersoldat @clonecyaree @dinner-djarin @whore4rex @raven--queen @swlover2187 @collectoroffics @immortalhdx @aquaamethyst96 @staryskyforever @paperplanes2211 @saturnsokas

[shinseiokami]

Don't worry about it just choose one

[purplefangirl42]

Fazed (Part 13.5)

Series Summary: With Anakin out of commission and Obi-Wan sent  elsewhere, the 501st needs a new General. Lena Orim has stepped up to  take Anakin’s place and has rattled the 501st’s usually stoic Captain  Rex. His feelings are not one-sided, which may lead to some questionable decisions.

Pairing: Captain Rex/Jedi! OC (Lena Orim)

Parts: Series Masterlist ~ PREVIOUS ~ NEXT ~

Warnings/Tags: NSFW, MDNI, 18+, Smut, Making Out, Vaginal Fingering, PinV, Semi-Unprotected PinV (Implant Present)

A/N: This is a bonus chapter that picks up after 13 fades to black. Told from Rex's POV and the first part is a repeat of the end of 13. This is my first time ever writing smut, so please bear with me!

Rex stared at himself in the mirror, the surface still fogged from the steam of his shower. He had donned the bottom half of the blacks that Lena had given him, deciding against wearing the top half. It had felt warm in her quarters when he had entered, so he wasn’t sure he'd be comfortable wearing the entire set. Although, the clothing wasn’t the thing that he was anxious about at the moment.

Lena had invited him to spend the night in her quarters.

Rex didn’t think that she had truly planned for anything to happen between them, but wondered if her invite had hinted at an interest to take things further. She had seemed open to the idea as long as it meant something more serious. Lena had made it clear that she had no interest in being a one time fling. Rex was more than okay with that, as he had told her. If she was willing to have him, he wouldn’t give her up for anything.

Rex took a deep breath and exited the refresher. He could see Lena sitting at her desk, typing on the datapad that he had brought her. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and he could see her eyes widen as she looked at him. He could almost feel her gaze as it traveled over his torso before focusing on his chest. Her intense gaze fueled a sense of self-consciousness within him.

“What?” he asked, resisting the urge to return to the ‘fresher for the top half of the blacks.

Lena placed her datapad down on the desk and crossed the room to stand in front of him. She raised her hand slowly and he felt a gentle touch on his chest as she lightly tapped on the scar over his heart. 

“Your scar. What’s it from?” she asked, looking up at him and tilting her head.

Just thinking about what had caused the large mark on his chest made his skin burn. While the injury had healed with bacta treatments and rest, the scar was a constant reminder of how close he’d come to losing his life.

“Sniper commando droid. Shot me off my bike on Selucami,” he explained. “Just missed my heart. I got lucky.”

Rex heard a small huff escape Lena and he saw her lift the bottom of her tunic. A large scar marred the pale skin of her right side between her hip and rib cage. 

“I was told the same thing,” she said. “Looks like we match.”

Just as she had done, Rex reached out and gently touched her scar, tracing over the rougher patch of skin.

“How’d you get yours?” he asked.

“Geonosis. Very start of the war. A droid shot me down from the top of a tank I had been standing on. Luckily there was a trooper there that saw me fall and dragged me away to get help.”

Rex said a silent thank you to whatever cosmic force had intervened that day to save her before speaking again.

“Remind me to thank him. Otherwise, I would never have had the chance to meet you.”

Lena laughed before saying, “You can do that when we get back. I’m sure Blaze would love the appreciation.”

Rex fully intended to do just that. He seemed to have a lot to thank Blaze for. 

“What a lucky coincidence that your future commander was there to ensure you survived for him to serve under your command later.”

“The force works in mysterious ways like that sometimes,” Lena said. “It brings people together.”

Rex hoped that was what happened with them. Maybe the force had been pushing them together, connecting them in a way that drew them closer until they figured out what to do about it. Surely, Lena felt the same.

“Like us?” he asked, hoping she would give him the answer he was looking for.

Lena’s lips turned up in a grin and she lifted her hand to rest against the side of his face.

“Exactly like us.”

That had been the exact answer he had wanted. Rex leaned down and captured her lips with his own in a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arm around Lena’s back to pull her closer, keeping his other hand on her side. He slid the hand up from her scar to rest on her ribs, gently passing his thumb over the sensitive skin there. Lena gasped at the contact, but the sound was muffled by their lips molding together again and again. Rex felt a deep rumble in his throat that was released as a low groan when he pulled away from the kiss.

“You tell me when to stop, and I will,” he said, his voice deepening as he spoke.

Rex did not want to stop, but he would keep himself in control if things were going too fast. Lena’s gaze met his own and he could see his desire mirrored in her eyes. Her breaths escaped her lips in short huffs between her words as she spoke.

“You can keep going, but only if you’re sure it’s what you want.”

Rex felt the corner of his lips lift in a smirk before he leaned in to place a more gentle kiss on her lips. He met her gaze once again and spoke honestly.

“Mesh’la, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more in my whole life.”

This time it was Lena that initiated the kiss. She lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck, standing on her toes to reach his lips in a searing kiss. The hand that Rex had rested on her ribs moved to her back beneath her tunic, working in tandem with the other to pull her as close to him as possible. In doing so, he lifted her from the floor slightly, holding her body against him. 

Lena pulled away from the kiss, giggling at the fact that she was in the air. Her lips ghosted over his lightly before she moved them to kiss along his jawline, each touch of her lips gentle and loving. If it wasn’t for the raging desire surging through him, Rex would have found the action endearing. As it was, it only fueled his need for her, his desire to make her his.

Rex loosened his hold on her slightly, allowing her to slide back down until her feet were on the floor again. Lena’s arms remained around his neck, which forced him to look down into her gray eyes. His gaze drifted down to her kiss swollen lips, the sight awakening a need to capture them again. He restrained himself, however, forcing his eyes back upwards. 

“How far do you want to take this?” he asked, his voice husky as he spoke.

Lena removed her arms from around his neck and reached down toward the bottom of her tunic once again. She lifted the hem and started to pull the garment up, exposing her torso bit by bit until she pulled it over her head and tossed it behind her.

“Does that answer your question?” she asked softly.

Rex drunk in the sight of her body, his gaze skimming over every line, blemish, and dip in her skin. Her breasts were still concealed behind her bra, but that was quickly remedied when she removed that as well, revealing herself to him. Rex bent down to place a kiss to the corner of her mouth before moving down to her jaw and then her neck. He left open mouthed kisses as he traveled downward, reveling in the soft sighs Lena let out with each kiss.

He skipped over her breasts, instead choosing to kiss along the skin between them, lowering himself to his knees as he continued on his path. His hands landed on Lena’s hips, holding her steady as he moved down to her navel, placing a kiss on either side. Rex looked up to her face to see that she had closed her eyes and her lips were slightly parted. 

“Please,” she said, her voice quivering, “don’t stop.”

Rex’s thumbs made gentle circles against her hips before he moved his finger beneath the edge of the waistband of her leggings. He pulled them down slowly, leaving her underwear in place. There would be plenty of time to get to that and he had no intention of rushing this experience. 

Once the leggings were removed, Rex resumed his journey down Lena’s body, beginning with a gentle kiss to each of her hip bones. Lena twitched in response to his actions, her hips shifting forward into his touch. A soft gasp sounded from above him, causing his lips to curl into a smirk. He repeated the motion, letting his lips linger on one hip this time before moving to the other one. Out of the corner of his eye, Rex could see Lena’s hand clenched in a fist at her side. Satisfied that he was affecting her this much when he had barely touched her, Rex moved back upward. He placed a final kiss to the space between Lena’s navel and underwear before getting back to his feet.

Lena let out a whine at the loss of his touch, which he silenced with another kiss. Rex started walking backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed, pulling her along with him. He separated their lips for a moment as he sat down on the soft surface. Lena chased his lips with her own, bending down to recapture them as soon as she could. Rex’s hands went to her hips again, pulling her to him.

Lena seemed to get the hint and climbed into his lap, straddling him with a knee on either side of his legs. She settled down against him, her clothed center lightly brushing his crotch. The constricting fabric of the blacks did not allow much room for the movement within, causing him some slight discomfort. Rex needed to remove the obstructive layers, and quickly. 

Using his grip on her hips, Rex lifted Lena up and off his lap to lay her down on the bed. He leaned back and lifted his hips to slide the pair of blacks from his lower half, allowing himself to spring free of the tight fabric. He turned back to Lena and crawled over her body until he was hovering above her. Her underwear was the only barrier between them now, the only thing keeping them from moving forward.

Rex’s eyes searched Lena’s face, looking for any sign of hesitation. Anything that would stop him in his tracks. Finding none, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her underwear and pulled them down her legs. Once they reached her ankles, Lena kicked them away. She was completely bare now; they both were.

Rex leaned down and captured her lips again, slow and lingering. As he kissed her, he dragged his hands down her sides until they reached her hips. He moved one hand further down to drag through the soft curls at the apex of her thighs. Lena let out a gasp as one of his fingers gently grazed over her clit. When he moved a little lower, Rex was pleased to find the dampness gathering near her entrance. 

“Feels like you’re almost ready for me,” he said.

Lena nodded and sighed in relief as he moved his finger back up to her clit again. Rex had no doubt that she had been eagerly anticipating that during his journey down her body. He rubbed slow circles around it, using her wetness to aid in his movements. Each circle he made brought another gasp from Lena’s lips. 

Rex moved his hand once again to replace his finger with his thumb on Lena’s clit. He continued making the slow circles as the now free finger moved downwards to gently brush against her entrance. After a few more circles, he pushed the finger inside. Lena let out a cry at the action, which sent a jolt of desire down to his groin. He surged forward again to kiss her, swallowing the noises she made as he pumped his finger in and out. After a few pumps, he added a second finger. The shift in position made him lose his rhythm on her clit, but he quickly found it again. 

It wasn’t long until he felt her clenching around his fingers, the channel getting tighter with each thrust. He moved from her lips to the underside of her jaw before moving to her neck, leaving wet sloppy kisses as she cried out in ecstasy. Lena’s hips lifted upwards as she peaked, a long, drawn out cry leaving her lips. Rex continued his thrusts to guide her through her climax until she had ridden it out. Feeling her relax as her hips lowered back down, Rex removed his hand, pulling his fingers out of her.

Lifting his head, Rex met Lena’s glossy eyes. A satisfied smile lifted her lips and she let out a soft laugh. She looked absolutely radiant in her post-orgasmic bliss. Rex felt that was a sight he would very much like to see over and over. One he intended to enjoy as long as he could.

“Think you can keep going?” he asked. 

Lena laughed again and lifted her hand to brush gently against his cheek.

“How could I say no to that question?”

Rex placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He then pulled away, only so far that his lips hovered over hers. Their noses brushed against each other for a moment before Lena lifted her head to kiss him again. Rex’s hand lifted to cup her face, his fingers finding purchase in her long hair. He held her head still as he deepened the kiss, his other hand returning to its previous location between her thighs. He gathered some of her wetness on his fingers before moving his hand to his length, spreading the juices of her release over it as he gave it a few pumps to ready himself.

He pulled away from her once again and looked into her eyes. He saw no doubt, no regret, no hesitation. She wanted this as much as he did. Rex shifted his body to cover hers, guiding his length with his hand until it was positioned right in front of her entrance. With a final check of her face for a sign she wanted him to stop, he found none. He pressed the tip against the opening, shifting slightly to correct the angle, before pushing in slowly.

As he pushed himself in inch by inch, Rex watched Lena’s face intently. Her mouth fell open at the sensation of him filling her, a moan escaping her once he was fully inside. He gave her a few moments to adjust, feeling the tightness of her relax slightly as it got used to his presence. She nodded, giving him permission to move.

Rex pulled back slowly, sliding nearly all the way out of her before thrusting back in just as slowly. For the first few thrusts, he kept his rhythm slow and gentle. He knew he had a lot of strength and didn’t want to hurt her by being too rough. He felt her shift beneath him as she lifted her legs to wrap around his hips.

“Faster,” she said as her hands lifted to rest on his shoulders.

Rex complied with her request, increasing the pace of his thrusts. Each time his hips met her body, Lena let out a gasp. Her face morphed into one of pleasure and Rex burned the image into his mind. He never wanted to forget how she looked underneath him, calling his name as he thrust into her.

Lena’s hands moved from his shoulders to his back, fingers digging into his skin. The sensation was almost too much combined with the view of her expression, so Rex buried his face in her neck. As he continued to thrust, he attached his mouth to her neck, sucking at the sensitive skin there. Lena moaned at the sensation and he felt her tighten around him. 

Rex could tell that she was nearing her climax again, and knew that he wouldn’t be far behind her. He felt his thrusts become sloppy and begin to lose their rhythm as he neared his peak. Another loud cry from Lena combined with the tightness of her around him increasing tenfold signaled her release. After a few final thrusts, Rex reached his as well. He pushed himself in as far as he could, spilling his cum inside her as he let out a long deep moan. 

Losing the strength to hold himself up, Rex collapsed on top of her. His breaths escaped him in heaving bursts as he came down from his high. He could feel Lena gently rubbing her hands over his back as he recovered, soothing the spots where her nails had dug into his skin. After he managed to catch his breath, Rex shifted back onto his forearms and pulled out of her. They both gasped at the sensation, tender from their activities. 

Rex rolled over to lay beside Lena, flopping down onto his back on the soft bed. She followed his movement, throwing an arm over his chest and resting her head against his shoulder. He pulled her tightly against him, basking in the afterglow of their mutual release. Not much time passed before Rex felt his eyes drifting closed. He made no effort to fight the embrace of sleep, content to let it wash over him.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this part! Please reblog, like, and comment! If you would like to be added to the taglist, go here.

Tagging those that liked my announcement post: @photogirl894 @baba-fett @punkpirate82

[vizslasaber]

FRIENDLY FIRE ──── ii.

SUMMARY | The mission continues, and with it, your growing suspicion of Krell’s authoritarian methods. But the troopers relying on you—including Rex—lead you in the right direction: one of unyielding kindness, even when it’s hard.

PAIRING | Captain Rex x female Jedi!reader

WORD COUNT | 3.7k

WARNINGS | Combat/action, mentions of injury & death, Krell being a bitch as usual, gender neutral use of the term “sir,” gratuitous use of Mando’a, and one (1) curse word. Also, a Shakespeare reference because I’m a historian & couldn’t help myself.

A/N | Yay, chapter 2! As you'll probably notice, I changed the reader's story a little bit, and I like it better now as it adds more tension to the plot. Enjoy!

< PREVIOUS CHAPTER

SERIES MASTERLIST | TAGLIST | NAVIGATION | AO3

For once, you’re glad to have woken up early. It gives you time to get in a pep talk you know will motivate the men rather than bring their morale down, as you know Krell’s speech—which he gave upon arrival—would have done.

“Alright, men,” you call briskly, brushing a loose strand of hair from your face as you pace back and forth in front of the battalion. “You would all do well to remember that it’s not just the safety of the Republic relying on our success—the other battalions have placed their trust in us. Generals Kenobi and Tiin will stop approximately two kilometers outside the capital city, waiting for us to get close enough to begin our initial assault.”

You glance at Rex, who’s standing beside you, and nod for him to continue.

The Captain steps forward. “We’re about elevens klick behind them right now, and fifteen klicks from the capital,” he says. “We’ve got to make good time—and it’s going to be hard, what with the enemies we’re sure to meet along the way. The native population doesn’t play around, and neither do their weapons capabilities. Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” comes a unanimous shout from the rest of the troopers. They start to disperse, packing up camp faster than your eyes can follow, and you nod to yourself in satisfaction.

“Rex,” you start, then hesitate as he turns to you with a raised eyebrow. “Is it… are you alright with forgoing titles? I always seem to forget to use them.”

Rex looks almost torn—likely between protocol and what you’re asking—but eventually nods. “Of course, sir,” he says, then blanches. “I mean…”

“It’s okay,��� you assure him. “I just don’t want to feel bad if I slip up.” He smiles slightly, one corner of his mouth quirked upwards. “As I was saying—do you have a chief medical officer that I can talk to?”

“Yeah, that would be Kix,” Rex tells you, then frowns. “Is… everything alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry.” You adjust one vambrace, looking out at the men, then at General Krell on the far side of camp, who’s been surveying the battalion tempestuously since you began to speak. “I just… wanted to ask him something. About battlefield medicine.”

“Are you a medic?” Rex asks, shifting his helmet to one hand.

You grimace at the clinical, militaristic term. “Something like that.”

Rex looks doubtful, but motions to a trooper with an intricately buzzed haircut who's putting supplies into a pack. "Kix—get over here!" he calls, before nodding to you and leaving as he puts on his helmet.

"General," the trooper greets with a crisp salute, and you notice that his pauldrons have the universal sign for medic painted on them in a bright, obvious red. "How can I help you?"

"Actually," you say with what you hope is a courteous smile, "I was hoping to ask you the same question. You're the battalion's CMO right?"

Kix tilts his head. "Yeah..." he says. "I'm not the only medic, though. Got a whole team of 'em. We specialize in what we do, sir, train for it our whole lives, so I don't want to be rude, but—"

"Don't worry about that," you cut in, shaking your head. "I'm not a medic—I haven't been trained in combative tactics—but I am a healer."

"So, like," Kix pauses, searching for the right word as he does so, "a Jedi doctor?"

You snort. "That's... one term for it, yes." You watch as Kix moves the weight of his medpack from one shoulder to the other. "Force healing is an ability that a Jedi is born with. Not every Jedi can become a healer—using the Force to reverse the effects of an injury is not something that can be learned."

There's a pause as Kix nods slowly. "Reversing the effects," he echoes, fascinated. "Even bacta can't do that—it just speeds up the healing process. Sounds like we could use your help."

"Yes," you say. "That's why I wanted to speak with you." You let out a sigh, remembering one of the first things your master told you as a Padawan. "But it's not all-powerful. Just like bacta can only heal what is able to be healed, Force healing cannot create a life force where there isn't one. If someone is near-death, trying to bring them back would render me unable to defend myself from exhaustion."

"Right," Kix replies. "So no resurrection."

"No resurrection," you affirm, smiling. "But I can help. And I know triage."

"Oh, that's even better!" Kix exclaims, then holds out his wrist comm. "Here—we've got a medic frequency—" he waits for you to scan his comm to yours, and when the happy little chime sounds, he pulls away. "Thank you, General."

"Of course," you say as he turns to leave. "And thank you, Kix."

The battalion falls silent and prepares to move out—but just as you’re double checking your armour, a cold, sharp presence casts a shadow over you. Turning around, you make eye contact with General Krell, who's now standing just a short ways from where you and Kix were talking—like he was listening.

“Conspiring with the soldiers, General?” Krell sneers, putting a mocking emphasis on the last word. You raise an irritated eyebrow.

“Conspiring?” you repeat, glancing at the hastily assembling troopers. “They're hardly the enemy, Master Krell. I only want us to win this campaign as quickly and smoothly as possible." Before you can reign in your impulse control, you add, "And continuing to let the troopers rest will get us there faster."

“Rest is a luxury we cannot afford!” Krell snaps, and you jump in surprise at his excessive volume. He leans forward, acrid breath forcing you to resist the urge to cough. “The other battalions are far ahead of us, and you think we have time.”

“We do,” you reply calmly, despite your quickening heartbeat. “The men are keeping a good pace, especially with this difficult terrain. Fifteen clicks isn't far, especially with the supplies we have.” You purse your lips. “Now, I suggest we set off. Talking will slow us down as well, Master—and as you so wisely pointed out, luxuries are not something we can ask for.”

You walk away, then, and feel a rush of satisfaction enveloped in a Force signature that you’re almost positive belongs to Rex. Resisting a pleased smile, you let your hands drift to where your lightsabers are clipped to your belt before moving to walk beside Rex.

“Captain,” you greet, taking notice of the way Rex’s shoulders tense just slightly. “Shall we?”

“Yes, General,” Rex replies, voice clipped. He motions for the battalion to follow, and soon the two of you, along with a still angry General Krell, are leading the troopers through the unwelcoming terrain of Umbara.

The journey is precarious and—as much as you hate to admit it—tiring. Hours pass, and soon you’re almost to the checkpoint Rex had pointed out on the map, situated just outside the city’s heavily fortified border.

You stop for a moment, leaning against the glowing trunk of a colossal tree, and fidget anxiously with the tabards of your tunic.

“Sir,” Rex says, and you turn around. “We’re ready to bring our forward platoons in. What do you suggest?”

“We should continue with Anakin’s original plan,” you say quietly. “A surgical strike on the outer defenses—we must take great care not to needlessly damage any of the city’s buildings. I'd prefer minimal collateral damage when we’re done.”

It is a plan you’ve been turning over in your head since you’d landed on the Umbaran surface. Hopefully—and assuming there were no hindrances—it would succeed. Despite being overly idealistic, and sometimes a little too impulsive, Anakin is nothing if not a strategist—when he wants to be.

“If I may,” sneers Krell from behind you, and you set your jaw. “I do not think that General Skywalker’s futile plan will be necessary.”

In spite of yourself, you clench your fists at your sides. “And why not?” you grit out, not bothering to turn around as Krell comes to stand at your side, towering over your figure.

“Captain Rex and his insolent men have already brought it up with me, and I explained this to them as well. I hold the authority here, and I am ordering all platoons to execute a full-frontal assault,” Krell continues, seemingly unfazed by your irritated expression. “We will travel along the main route to the city and force them to yield.”

“Force them to—” you cut yourself off and draw in a deep, calming breath. There is no emotion, you remind yourself vehemently. There is only peace. “Master Krell. With all due respect, we can't just storm in there with no plan. Casualties will rocket if we try something that impulsive. I just don't think—”

“Need I remind you, General Neridian,” Krell interrupts scathingly, “that you are only one week into Knighthood? We may be of equal military rank, but I am a Master, and therefore hold precedence over your commands.”

“This isn’t about me or you,” you hiss, swiveling to face Krell as your patience is finally pulled taut. Ignoring the shocked stares you know the troopers have fixed on you, you cross your arms. “It’s about this campaign. It's about our mission, and it's bigger than us. So I suggest we agree to disagree, and carry on with General Skywalker’s plan—”

Krell clicks his tongue. “Losing your temper already?" He asks, and you could swear he's taunting you, waiting to see when you'll do something mortifying like raise your voice (but then again, he's done it several times already and it's only been a day). "How unfortunate. Perhaps the Council should not have been so adamant that you face the Trials so early."

You blink and take a step back. He's right, and you know it. You're one of the youngest Padawans to face the Trials in generations, as are all your peers, thrust into a rushed end to your training at the beginning of the war. So many of your friends—Darra, Galene, Ferus, and of course, Anakin, the most tenacious of them all—seem to have risen to this unique challenge with their heads held high. But all you can seem to do is flinch away from the ugly parts, the parts that remind you of just how unprepared you are for these new and daunting responsibilities.

Unclenching your fists, you swallow the bile in your throat and try to stop your hands from trembling. “The Council,” you say, voice tight, "made their choice. And so must I make mine." You turn to Rex, who's standing just behind you and gripping his helmet with both hands. “Captain—prepare the troops. We’re going with General Skywalker’s plan.”

“I…” Rex’s knuckles have gone white with how hard he’s clutching his helmet, and he looks strangely helpless. “I’m sorry, General, but—the regs state that General Krell outranks you due to his status as a Jedi Master.” He presses his lips together and averts his gaze from yours, cheeks red with what you know is anger. “I’m afraid that General Krell’s orders do indeed… take precedence over yours.”

Beside you, Krell looks more satisfied than you’ve ever seen him. The Besalisk turns to the battalion and crosses his upper set of arms over his chest.

“Troopers!” he barks, and the soldiers stand at attention simultaneously. “Prepare to move out!” He presses a button on his wrist comm, and a holomap flickers to life. “You will take the main road straight to the capital. You will not stop and you will not turn back, regardless of the resistance you meet. We will attack them with all our troops—not some sneak attack with a few men.”

You close your eyes and clasp your hands behind your back. There is no emotion, there is peace.

It feels less like a mantra and more like a meaningless, empty chant. Peace, you think despairingly, looks to be farther than ever.

"Sir." Rex clears his throat, making you look up to see him watching Krell like one might survey a blown fuse at risk of setting fire to a building. "Sir, General Neridian is right. This is practically a suicide mission. I don't think—"

“What you think, Captain, is irrelevent. You have my orders, and you will follow them explicitly,” Krell growls, then leans forward, turning to the Captain. “Do I make myself clear, CT-7567?”

Your eyes widen in shock and you glare at Krell, crossing your own arms over your chest to mimic Krell’s stance. “It’s Rex, General,” you snap. “Captain Rex. That’s how he introduced himself, if you've forgotten?”

Many troopers turn to you, and you can tell—even under their helmets—that they’re clearly surprised at your derisive tone. You ignore them, turn on your heel, and storm away, but not before you hear Rex mutter, “Crystal, General Krell.”

The path is lit with some form of concentrated bioluminescent light, making it easier for you to see where you’re going. The clones have the advantage of night vision built into their visors, which makes it hard not to envy them. That alone, that feeling so unbecoming of a Jedi is enough to make you feel a sting of shame, not unlike the feeling that so often came with a scolding from Master Venn when you were still a Padawan.

You wonder for the millionth time if you’ve been forced into Knighthood too soon. Of course, there is nothing to do about that now—every war needs warrior, after all—just like there was nothing you could do when Master Venn told you the news just one week years ago.

She was grim when she told you, and your stomach goes cold with the memory of how she delivered the news, like she was handing you your own death sentence. Now, you know why.

And some have greatness thrust upon them, you think bitterly, remembering how often Master Venn made you read ancient poetry as a Padawan, the kind so old it's still stored on dusty books instead of firmware.

“General.”

You turn to find that Rex has fallen into step with you and smile. “Captain,” you acknowledge. “Forgive me. I was just…” you clear your throat. “Lost in thought.”

Rex—now wearing his helmet—nods and turns his gaze to the path ahead. “Thinking about the plan?”

“No,” you admit sheepishly. “Just about—” you gesture vaguely to your surroundings “—all of this. This war, this strife.” Shaking your head, you fidget with the one of the lightsaber hooks on your belt, clasping and unclasping it. “How fast I've been thrown in, and whether or not it’s necessary.”

“Hm.” You can hear the frown in Rex’s voice. “If it’s any consolation, we clones have mixed feelings about the war, too.”

You raise an eyebrow and turn to look at him. “How so?”

He gives a one-shouldered shrug and turns his head away. “Just that… well, I’d rather do without all the lives lost, but... without it, we wouldn’t exist, would we?”

Frowning, you consider this. “I suppose you’re right,” you concede. “But it is the will of the Force that you came to be. And,” you add, shooting Rex a sly smile, “the galaxy would be very different if you hadn’t, hm?”

There’s a moment of silence, during which you get the feeling that the troopers behind you are listening to your conversation. Rex seems lost for words, until he clears his throat. “Me specifically, sir?” You nod, and Rex adjusts his helmet. “I—I don’t know. I’m just one man, aren’t I?”

“That may be so, Captain, but you’ve made more of a difference than you think,” you inform him. “I think I’m correct in assuming that you’ve saved General Skywalker’s arse more times than he alone can count.”

Behind you, someone lets out a surprised laugh, then tries to cover it up as a cough. You smile at Rex and continue.

“And even without that, you’re responsible for many of the Republic’s victories in this war.” You shake your head. “The smallest insect feeding off of a single flower’s nectar has an impact on the entire garden. In the Force, we are all an entire world, a whole galaxy. Never assume that you do not make a difference.”

You feel a ripple of shock, gratitude, and something else—something you can’t quite place—flow through the Force. It’s a refreshing change from the tension and stress of the mission, and you’re just about to open your mouth to thank Rex when—

A white-hot warning flashes in the Force, and there’s a split-second warning as you scan your surroundings for the threat. Then—

“Get back!” you shout, and the troopers in your immediate vicinity immediately scramble off of the path.

They’re just in time—the sheer force of the explosion is enough to knock you off your feet and send you flying backwards. You land on something hard and feel all of the air get knocked out of you.

“Mines!” someone shouts. “Nobody on the path move!”

You freeze as you realize that the surface you landed on is, in fact, Rex—specifically, his armour. Your back is pressed to his chest plate, and you can feel his nervousness as though it is your own, but neither of you move for fear of setting off another mine.

Your cheeks burn when Rex finally leans forward, void of his helmet—it must have been knocked off it the blast. He's close enough to your ear to whisper, “Left. Slowly.”

It sends chills down your spine, but you shake them off. Drawing in a deep breath, you oblige, easing left and onto your knees, so you’re kneeling beside a disoriented-looking Rex. He looks shaken, but quickly gathers himself and cautiously stands up as he scans the area for his helmet.

“Oz is down,” you hear one of the medics say grimly. “So is Ringo.”

Rex spares you one last glance before swooping down to pick up his helmet, brushing the dirt off the visor. He moves to inspect the dead troopers. “Can you sweep ‘em?”

For a long moment, there’s silence as the medics gently move the bodies aside—you respectfully avert your eyes, feeling the sting of grief from the other troopers—and set them down on the side of the path. You hear Kix declare happily that there are no injured despite the two casualties and smile to yourself.

There’s no time to bury the dead troopers, so you settle for approaching Rex and placing a hand on his tense shoulder, over his pauldron with fading and scratched blue paint. “Nu kyr'adyc,” you murmur. “Shi taab'echaaj'la."

Not gone, merely marching far away.

Rex turns his head, and this close, you can see his wide eyes through the visor of his helmet. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, then raises his hand and places it over yours. It lasts for a split-second; the next thing you know, he’s pulling away, talking quietly to Fives and Kix.

“Come on, men,” you call to the rest of the battalion. “We need to—”

Chills fly up your spine and you stiffen, just as a loud, shrieking sound engulfs the path and—BOOM! More troopers go flying into the air. There are shouts of Basic, Mando’a, and Umbaran, and the firefight begins, during which you realize—

An ambush. You draw one lightsaber to deflect an oncoming barrage of blasterfire, but it's not enough, and there's no cover afforded to the terrain.

“Shit," you mutter under your breath as you switch on your shoto saber, calling on your knowledge of Jar'Kai to deflect the bolts with both blades. You raise your voice and call over your shoulder. "We’re fully exposed! Retreat to the forest!”

“We can’t, General!” shouts a voice, and you turn to see a blue-painted helmet accented with a small red arrow: Fives. “They’re coming from all directions—” he grunts and fires another blast “—we don’t have any cover!”

You feel your blood run cold. There’s no way for you to retreat—and it’s all Krell’s fault.

“We need them to follow us!” Rex answers, standing with his back to yours as he fires his blasters rapidly. “If we can draw them out, we can see them—and if we can see them, we can hit them!”

“Good idea,” you breathe, even though you know it’s too loud for Rex to hear you. Raising your voice, you lift one lightsaber so the other troopers can see the path. “All squads, pull back now!” You close your eyes for a moment to call on the Force, then propel yourself upwards and leap through the air so you’re at the back of the group. “I’ll take the rear! Cover me—sword and shield maneuver!”

The troopers obey, and soon you find yourself at the center of a tight semicircle formed by clones, all firing mercilessly on the Umbaran soldiers. You bite your lip and shift to Soresu to parallel the blasterfire more easily, deflecting the barrage as quickly and efficiently as you possibly can.

Just behind you is an AT-RT walker, defending your flank. Beside you is a trooper with intricately painted markings on his helmet, firing a rotary cannon and shouting, “Ha-ha! Where you goin’? Get back here, you wimps!”

You grin at his sheer audacity. “Careful there, trooper,” you admonish playfully, deflecting another blaster shot.

“They’re falling back!” Fives shouts, then, and you can hear the smile in his voice. The troopers all holster their blasters while you hook your lightsaber onto your belt.

“CT-7567, do you have a malfunction in your design?” You turn around and raise your eyebrows as Krell approaches Rex, looking furious. “You’ve pulled your forces back from taking the capital city. The enemy now has control of this route. This entire operation has been compromised because of your failure!”

You feel your hands start to shake. “Master Krell,” you say, trying your best to remain calm, “I gave the order to pull back, not Rex. We were completely surrounded and couldn’t risk losing any more men.”

Krell, looking furious at worst and disgruntled at best, saying nothng. Seizing the opportunity to walk away, you turn on your heel and breathe through the anger, urging yourself to keep going, trying to find a quiet place to rest and meditate for just a few minutes.

And you do. Closing your eyes, you lean against the firm trunk of a glowing tree, wiping sweat from your brow. It’s quiet, and you can hear the steady chirping of crickets (or something else) in the phosphorescent grass.

“General Krell,” says a trooper’s voice. It’s more firmthan Rex’s—Fives, you're pretty sure. “In case you haven’t noticed, Captain Rex just saved this platoon. Surely you won’t fail to recognize that.”

Blinking in surprise, you start to return to the group, wondering if this is an argument you’ll be able to break up—but the hum of a lightsaber being drawn makes you stop in your tracks.

“ARC-5555,” Krell growls. “Stand down.”

You feel your mouth go dry and approach the other troopers. Krell is standing with his back to you, but you can clearly see the green blade of his lightsaber from where you stand, hovering next to Fives's neck. If only Esya could see this, you think, horrified.

Don’t make any sudden moves, your Master’s teachings remind you. He could strike, and then you’d be responsible for the death of yet another man.

Just after the tense conversation between Fives and Krell, the Umbarans returned, sparking yet another firefight—this one with more casualties than the last. You were forced to retreat with the platoons, exhausted and spent.

Now, you sit on the ground, leaning against a fallen tree trunk in a brief moment of rest while the troopers drive away a small squad of Umbarans. In your hand is a pocket holotransmitter, refracting a cluster of blue light in the form of Esya Venn.

“I feel your discomfort from here, young one,” the older Theelin Master is saying, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

“Impossible,” you scoff. “You’re all the way on Coruscant, there’s no way.” There’s a moment of silence, during which the hologram flickers. You add, “And I’m not so young anymore, you know.”

Esya smiles wanly—you notice the shadows under her normally bright eyes with a pang of sadness—and shakes her head, her long colorful hair swishing lightly.

“You're still young to me,” she says softly, gently. "And you're avoiding the subject."

“I’m fine, Master,” you sigh. “Really.”

"You must not know me as well as I thought," Esya replies primly, a hint of a smile showing through her stern expression, "if you think you can lie to me like that."

You sigh again, frowning down at the flickering hologram. "It's just..." you shake your head, staring off into the foggy distance. "I'm concerned about Master Krell's tactics. They're aggressive, nothing like what you taught me of strategy, and they don't take into account the fact that we need to strive for as little casualties as possible—on both sides."

"Hm." Esya crosses her arms. "I have heard of Master Krell's... unconventional style. Is there anything else that concerns you about him?"

"I mean—everything, really," you admit, lowering your voice. "He has a blatant disregard for life that I haven't seen in a Jedi in, well... ever. He refers to the clones by their birth numbers, not their names, and he sees the native fauna as just—objects. Nuisances." You place the holotransmitter on the ground in front of you and shift your sitting position. "I fear that, to him, no life is sacred."

"If that were the case, I do not think the Council would have granted him the rank of Master," Esya says, but she looks thoughtful, like there's something she isn't saying. "Who is the commanding officer?"

"His name is Captain Rex," you say. "He's Anakin's first-in-command. I think he's just as worried by Master Krell as I am, and..." you trail off, unsure how to voice your next thought.

"What is it?" Esya prompts, light eyebrows raised.

"There's something about him—about Rex," you say finally, reluctant. "It's like the Force is trying to tell me something. That—that he's important. But I can't figure out why." You huff, fighting back a frustrated scowl. "I wish the Force would just tell me. But the answer is so—so elusive."

"As is everything since the start of this war," Esya replies, shaking her thorned head. She fixes you with a fond expression. "But, Padawan... you must remember that the Force is not your enemy, but your ally. If you open your eyes, it will show you the way."

"Yes," you murmur, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. The sounds of talking from the group's position behind you make you frown. "I have to go. May the Force be with you, Master."

“And with you. Always,” Esya replies before cutting off the connection seconds later.

You stand, tucking the transmitter into your pocket, then make for the rest of the group and move to stand beside Captain Rex. He's observing General Krell talk to General Kenobi via comlink.

“The capital city’s too fortified,” General Kenobi is saying grimly. “We still need your battalion to help us take it.”

“Resistance from the Umbarans has been greater than anticipated,” Krell replies. “We’re holding our ground at the moment.”

You swallow, averting your gaze to your boots. Holding our ground… what does Krell think is happening? Surely he hasn’t failed to notice the heavy casualties your battalion is sustaining.

“We’ve gathered intel on an airbase to the west,” General Kenobi replies. “It is resupplying the capital’s defenses.”

Taking a step forward, you cross your arms over your chest. “Should we attempt to take control of the airbase, then?”

Turning to you, General Kenobi nods. “Yes,” he answers. “Doing so will sever the capital’s supply lines, allowing the rest of our forces to move in.”

“I’ll see to it that the airbase is placed under our control,” Krell says decisively. It sends a wave of nausea through your stomach.

“Remember, Master Krell; Knight Neridian,” Kenobi says, mouth pulling into a tight frown, “The entire invasion depends on your battalion.”

Krell nods and severs the connection, then turns to you. “Neridian, have those coordinates mapped when you’re finished here, and make sure all troops are ready to move out immediately.” He walks away, leaving you alone with Captain Rex.

You watch Krell retreat with a feeling of incessant dread. “Right, then,” you say to Rex. “What do you say the odds are that we finish this thing his way?”

“Good question, General,” Rex says, and you can hear the smile in his voice as he watches the Umbaran sky darken with more eerie purple clouds. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

NEXT CHAPTER >

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[jedi-princess-kestis]

I'm in the mood to chat! Send me your questions or remarks about my OCs or stories and I'll answer them as best as I can. I'd love to see what you guys have to say or questions you have.

[starryeyed-spacegirl]

Chapter 5 of "Remember My Name" is Posted!

"Across the Galaxy" was a long time coming, but here it is! TBB season 3 is literally making my heart burst from all the cuteness, and I finally felt inspired to get back to my clone fic :')

I hope y'all enjoy this next addition!

oya Manda!

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 15

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: As always, thank you to the wonderful @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading for me! You are TRULY THE BEST TJ!!

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: canon-typical violence, graphic description of injury, language

Word Count: 6.2k words

The night breeze gently whispered in through the curtains in Senna’s office, seemingly peaceful despite the quiet chaos erupting inside. 

Senna had changed into clothes meant for travel and was currently working on backing up all of the data they’d gathered, transferring files from her holocomputer onto her datapad while simultaneously breaking down any and all hardware that she could. It had shattered her heart to disassemble the comm node she’d spent so much time on for the conference, but they were operating under the assumption that their dwelling would be searched, and the comm node would only serve as a clue as to what they’d been doing on Lothal. 

Exhaustion was starting to weigh her down, but the memory of Fisk’s triumphant smirk haunted her, driving her forward. 

He can’t win. I can’t let him. 

She was also still fuming at Rex. He’d been certain that waiting for leadership to send a pick-up was the correct move, seemingly fearful that if they ran, it’d confirm Fisk’s suspicions and give him a reason to pursue them. But every second that ticked by seemed to wind Senna more tightly. Between every breath, she could feel herself bracing for a detonator to go off outside or for a squad of stormtroopers to kick in the door. It felt as though she was in a trash compactor, and the walls were steadily closing in around them. 

In order to settle her mind, she started inventorying her go-bag yet again. The first week they were on Lothal, Rex had walked her through what to pack in it, just in case they ever needed to make a hasty escape. Back then, they’d still somewhat been at odds. He’d been annoyed, thinking she wasn’t taking it seriously enough. In reality, she had thought he was being a bit paranoid this early on in their posting, but more than anything, she was teasing him for sport. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she tucked her favorite spanner wrench into the side of the bag. 

“You’re packing too many tools. A go-bag should only be essentials.” 

“A good wrench is essential, Captain. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find one that feels right in your hand? Plus this one has an extra joint that allows me to manipulate it in tight spaces and–”

“Fine. You can keep the spanner wrench. But then you can’t take your welder.” 

“I’m taking the welder. And you’re more than welcome to try and stop me. But in my experience, they can also be used as weapons. So, you know, at your own risk.” 

She could still hear Rex’s frustrated sigh echoing in that moment, and something in her chest clenched. 

Things were so different then.

Her fingers absently traced the patch over her blaster wound on her abdomen again. She wasn’t certain if it was because Fisk had pressed into it or just the knowledge that it was what had given them away, but it had been throbbing steadily ever since they’d returned home, reminding her it was there. It made concentrating on anything for too long difficult. 

Satisfied that she was as prepared as she could be, her eyes roamed over the room one more time. It looked closer to the way it had been prior to Empire Day, with parts and random hardware covering nearly every inch of the floor aside from a narrow trail she’d left clear to and from the door. Despite the night being unseasonably cool, she could feel sweat trickling down her back in between her shoulder blades, leaving an uncomfortably damp spot on the back of her shirt. She could hear Rex shuffling around downstairs, occasionally banging something closed or swearing under his breath. 

He’s just as nervous as I am. Even if he’s trying to pretend he’s not.

Flexing her fingers, Senna glanced over at the holocomputer’s display. It still had a few more minutes before the back-up was complete. She searched her mental checklist for anything else she could possibly do while she waited, anything to distract her from her fraying nerves. She’d been so busy worrying about everything else, she hadn’t had much time to even dwell on the fact that each second that ticked away was depleting the amount of time she had left with Rex. Senna violently shook her head. 

You can worry about that after you both get out of here alive and without being captured. 

She sighed forcefully, trying to dispel the sudden tightness in her chest.

There’ll be time to grieve what you lost later. 

Burying her face in her hands, Senna unleashed a shuddering breath. 

Nothing to do but wait. 

It had been a long time since she’d attempted to meditate, but as she continued to struggle to calm her mind, she tipped her head back and stared at the ceiling. 

It’s what Master Ti would recommend, even though she knew I hated it. 

That thought made the corner of her lips quirk slightly. She’d complained about meditation so much as a padawan, but her master had been patient. 

“I can hear you thinking, Senna.” 

She popped an eye open to sneak a glance at her master. The Togruta’s eyes were still closed, but her mouth was turned upwards in a knowing smile. Even sitting on the floor next to her padawan, Shaak Ti had an inexplicable grace about her, an elegance even in her simple Jedi robes that intimidated Senna and left her in awe. 

“What are you designing this time?” Shaak Ti asked.

“Not designing. Optimizing,” Senna mumbled.

Her master chuckled. “Do you think it will not still be there when we’re done?”

“No, but I’ll maybe have a solution then, so I can fix it right away.” 

Shaak Ti’s sharp, bright eyes had opened then, gazing at her padawan. “Meditation is meant to be when you commune with the Force, Senna. It’s when you connect to the living things around you.” 

Senna rubbed her face in frustration. “But to me, a ship is a living thing. So is all tech, droids especially. Things that come to life in the palm of my hand. All it takes is power. The electrical kind,” she clarified. 

Her master’s smile didn’t falter as she studied her padawan. “That may be, but the way you commune with those living things is very different from how we connect with the Force. Isn’t it?” 

The young padawan considered it for a moment before nodding slowly. “I guess that’s true.” 

“And would you also agree it’s important to connect with both forms of life if you wish to be a Jedi?”

Senna shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not as good at the other connections. With people.”

“I don’t think that’s true. You’re quite skilled at tapping into a living being’s mental state. Your gift first manifested as an extreme empathy, is that not so?”

“It is,” the young girl conceded. “But people are hard. Even if I can feel how they feel, I still don’t always understand them. I don’t always do the right things or respond the right way.” She picked at a fingernail. “Machines and tech make more sense.” 

Master Ti nodded. “You do excel with tech. There is no question of that. But while all of us excel at different things, does that mean that we should back away from the things that challenge us?” 

Senna huffed a sigh. “I guess not.” 

The Togruta Jedi master smiled. “And since when have you ever backed down from a challenge?” 

The padawan met her master’s gaze and returned her smile. 

Shaak Ti’s eyes crinkled as her smile deepened. 

“Now, let’s try again.” 

Back on Lothal, Senna hugged her arms around herself as she basked in the memory. She missed her master. Most former padawans were still able to access their masters throughout their life, seeking additional guidance or advice when it was needed. But that was a privilege Senna and every other Jedi had been robbed of with Order 66. She would never walk with her master in the temple gardens again, would never share a cup of tea with her. 

But what better way to honor her than to use what she was able to teach me? 

Senna reached for the carved wooden box on her desk, exhaling slowly as her fingers traced the patterns on the outside. 

It’s time. 

Before she could overthink it, she undid the latch, flipping the lid open. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her lightsaber. The memories of Kashyyyk felt as though they were looming, but she squeezed her eyes shut, banishing them to the back of her mind. 

No more. Not tonight. 

Her hand was trembling as she reached for the familiar hilt, and she clenched her fist to steady herself, exhaling sharply through her nose. 

Not tonight.

Her fingers wrapped around the lightsaber, and she lifted it out of the box. The weight felt right in her palm, as if she’d been born to hold this weapon. In a sense, she supposed that was true. Her finger found the switch, and she clicked it on. The blade fizzled to life, casting the entire room in a sheen of light blue. The hum was so familiar and comforting, it almost made Senna cry. She released a breath she hadn't realized she’d been holding as she rotated her wrist, slowly moving the blade in a slow curve. Already, she could feel the warmth of the Force reaching out towards her tentatively, tendrils hoping to embrace her if she’d only allow them to. Closing her eyes, she reached back. 

It still didn’t come easily. The static feeling was still present, and she furrowed her brows in concentration, reaching harder. 

Something’s still holding you back.

Senna powered down the blade, huffing in frustration. She blew a wisp of hair out of her eyes, staring down at the hilt in her hand. In the back of her mind, she could almost hear her master’s warm chuckle once more. She laughed softly to herself. 

Maybe it’s time to give some meditation a try. If nothing else, to amuse my master, wherever she is now. 

Clearing a space on the floor, she sat cross-legged and placed her lightsaber on the floor in front of her, closing her eyes and trying to calm her racing mind. Gradually, she slowed her breathing and reached out once more, searching for the last remnants of the wall she’d placed between herself and the Force to see if she could disassemble it. It had been arduous to put in place a year ago, but necessary. Now, she tried not to grow impatient and frustrated as she reached out blindly. 

It’s not a screw to be loosened or a panel to be removed. It’s not that simple. It wasn’t supposed to be. 

The Force surrounded her, but it felt as though every time she reached towards it, it danced just out of reach. 

What do you fear? 

The question popped into her mind unbidden, in her own voice. Her eyes snapped open. 

“Is it fear?” she asked herself softly.

Nothing in the room stirred. 

What is there to fear? 

It wasn’t hard to come up with a fairly extensive list with minimal thought. 

Not being able to connect anymore. Not in the way I did before. It opens me up to danger. It endangers Rex. 

There it is. 

Senna huffed, rubbing her hands over her face.  

But once we leave Lothal, you won’t have Rex. You’ll just have yourself. 

And that will have to be enough. 

She was tired of running from her past, tired of mourning a life she’d lost. 

It’s time. 

Closing her eyes again, Senna reached out once more. 

Let go.

She felt the life around her, the plants, Rex continuing to move about downstairs…

Wait.

And at least two dozen beings outside of the dwelling, heartbeats accelerating with every passing second. 

 No. 

She gasped and her eyes snapped open. Steadying her breathing, she reached out through the Force again. 

Kriff. 

Senna scrambled from her sitting position, creeping to the window and peeling back a sliver of curtain. Both of the Lothal moons were high in the sky, illuminating the street below. She scanned the courtyard and saw nothing out of place, but when her eyes landed beyond the outer wall of the compound, she caught the unmistakable glint of stormtrooper helmets, crouching just behind the wall, pulses hammering under plastoid. 

It’s only been a few hours. We should have had more time. 

She ducked back against the wall, carefully closing the window and allowing the curtain to fall back into place. Anger and frustration surged through her as she ground the heels of her palms into her eyes. 

Think. 

A soft chime caught her attention, and she saw that the back-up had finished on the computer. 

You’ve got to move. 

She disconnected her datapad with shaking hands before scrambling to snatch her commlink off of the desk. 

“Rex, you there?” she whispered frantically. 

“What is it?” Even through the commlink, his voice was tight. She couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or stress or something else, but right now, she didn’t have time to examine it.

Senna held the commlink to her lips as she tried to shove the datapad into her go-bag with one hand. 

“Keep your voice down. Imps are outside. We’ve got to go now.”

She could practically feel the shift in his voice, the captain re-emerging to command the situation. 

“How many?”

The datapad slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. She swore under her breath before finally managing to shove it into the main pocket of the bag, zipping it closed. 

“Roughly a dozen waiting just outside the perimeter wall. I’m not sure what they’re waiting on, but they’re going to be coming any second. Fisk must have more pull than we thought. I’m done backing up and breaking down except for the computer, but we’ve got to go.”

“You got your blaster up there with you?” he asked. 

She grabbed the weapon off of the floor where she’d kicked it earlier, slipping it into a holster on her hip before she swiped her lightsaber up and clipped it to her belt. 

Only as a last resort.

“I’m armed. Just need to grab my jacket and I’m good.” 

“Alright. Don’t forget to take the detonator when you go.”

They had rigged the house to blow in case they needed a diversion, and it had the added bonus of destroying the holocomputer Senna hadn’t had time to disassemble. It was intended to be another last resort, only drawing that much attention if there were no other options, but tonight, it felt as if any alternatives were quickly disappearing, and they’d need any advantage to get out unscathed. Senna strode over to the holocomputer, punching in a full-system wipe command. She knew she wouldn’t have time to wait and see if it completed.

Her comm crackled to life in her hand again as she carefully removed the detonator from its hiding place in her desk drawer and slipped it into her pocket. “I don’t know if they’ve got us surrounded all the way, but they’ve definitely got at least two squadrons. I see another group coming around the back corner of the house.” Rex’s voice was still steady, a comforting even tone.

“That’ll be the other dozen,” she muttered, her heart beginning to thud in her chest. “Great.” 

Slipping her jacket on, she pulled her bag over her shoulders and picked her way out of the room, glancing back one more time at the place that had been her workshop for the last several months. A pang of sadness settled into her chest, and she tapped the doorframe in farewell. 

Thanks for everything. 

Rex’s voice on the comm interrupted her sentiments. “Is the speeder bike working?” 

“Yeah, it should be good. Have they noticed it yet?” she whispered back into her comm.

“Doesn’t look like it. They’re bypassing the shed and heading straight for the back door.”

She thought for a moment. “They may not know it’s ours since it's detached. If you come up here, we should be able to climb out my bedroom window, and maybe sneak across the roof and drop down by the shed. The roof slants towards the street, so if we stay low enough, we might be able to get over there without being seen.”

He didn’t argue with her this time. “Alright, be right there.”

Senna made her way down the hall on tiptoe, patting her pockets and belt one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. 

Blaster. Lightsaber. Datapad. 

A few seconds later, Rex materialized at her bedroom door, handing her his pack to hold while he pulled his cloak on. She searched his eyes and found the same urgency she felt reflected back at her, but there was also an assuredness that brought her comfort. Rex knew what he was doing, and he was going to execute everything as precisely as he could. It reassured her slightly. 

No wonder he got a command so fast.

Quickly and quietly, they snuck through her bedroom, trying their best to not even allow a floorboard to creak. Their breathing sounded incredibly loud, only drowned out by the sound of Senna’s blood pounding in her ears. Rex crouched by the window, peeking out carefully, and she quietly followed suit, bracing one hand on his back as she peered over his shoulder. He stiffened, but didn’t say anything. 

From their vantage point, they could see the second squad of stormtroopers sneaking into the back yard, blasters trained on the rear entrance of the dwelling. 

“No Fisk,” she whispered into Rex’s ear. 

“Did you see him out front?” 

“No.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s not here. Keep your head on a swivel.” 

Senna nodded, swallowing hard. Rex turned, and she flushed with embarrassment at the realization that he must have heard her nervous gulp, but he reached back, gripping her knee and giving it a squeeze. 

“We’re going to be fine,” he whispered. “Just keep your trigger finger tight and stay close.” He met her eyes and gave her a tight smile. Senna grabbed his hand, squeezing it back. 

“Will do.” 

He paused. “Also, you were right. I’m sorry.”

She stared at him for a moment before breaking into a stifled snicker. “I’ll be sure to gloat at a more appropriate time.”

He huffed. 

Senna patted his shoulder gently. “Even I didn’t think they’d get here this fast, Rex. We’d be in the same spot either way.” 

She wasn’t sure if her words comforted him at all, but he gave her a stiff nod. 

Carefully, Rex eased the window open that led onto the roof. The cool night air tickled Senna’s cheeks, and she shivered involuntarily. Neither squadron had entered the dwelling yet, and briefly, Senna wondered what they were waiting for. 

It doesn’t matter. Just get moving.

Rex pulled himself onto the roof, crouching low and reaching a hand back to Senna to help her out. The tiles were uneven and slippery, and it took another painstaking moment for Senna’s boot to find purchase. She reached back to close the window, but Rex gripped her arm, shaking his head. 

Leave it, he mouthed. 

She nodded, and the two of them flattened themselves against the roof. The tiles dug into Senna’s knees, hips, and elbows with a biting cold, but she ignored it, following Rex’s lead as he slowly began crawling forward towards the outer wall. Every clink of the tile or shuffle of their clothes sent adrenaline dumping into Senna’s system, making her even more certain they were about to be discovered. 

About halfway across the roof, they heard the blast of a detonator as the doors of their dwelling were breached. A few seconds later, the sound of shouting filled the house.

Rex pushed himself to his feet, reaching down to pull Senna up as well. “Better hurry,” he whispered. They ducked low, picking their way across the treacherous tiles as quickly as they could.

Suddenly, blaster fire erupted from the window behind them. A bolt whizzed close enough by Senna’s face that she could feel the heat from it. 

“There they are! Blast them!”

Rex swung around, pushing Senna behind him as he raised his blaster. She fumbled for the gun at her hip just as Rex’s foot slipped, and Senna heard him grunt as he lost his balance. She gripped his waist, trying to steady him, and his fingers locked around her forearm. He had just barely regained his footing when a stormtrooper ducked through the window and took aim at him. Time slowed down as Senna watched two bolts erupt from the muzzle of the E-11, one striking Rex in his right knee, and the other grazing his thigh. He shouted a curse and shuddered against her, his returning fire wildly peppering the wall of the house near the window as he fell, slipping out of her grasp. His forehead made contact with the hard tiles with a sickening crack. A scream caught in Senna’s throat as Rex slid towards the edge of the roof.

No.

Her heart felt like it stopped beating as she flung her hand out instinctively. 

Please no. 

The warmth rushed through her veins, just as it had when she’d confronted Fisk, just as it had for her entire life until a year ago. Time slowed as Rex clawed at the tiles, trying to find purchase. His eyes met hers as his waist slid over the edge.

“HANG ON!” 

Her blood sang, and she gasped, but she had him, she could feel it, could feel him. 

Another blaster bolt flew by her head, and she ducked enough for it to miss, leaving the smell of singed hair in its wake. She focused on keeping hold of Rex as she reholstered her blaster, instead pulling her lightsaber from her belt. Her thumb grazed the power button, and the saber hummed to life in her hand. 

“SHE’S THE JEDI!” 

Yes I fucking am. 

Senna wrenched her arm with all of her might, pulling Rex back up and onto the roof as much as she could. Her senses tingled, and she raised her lightsaber in time to block a blaster bolt aimed at her chest. She snarled at the stormtroopers as she threw the hand holding her lightsaber forward, pushing two of the troopers that had made it out the window off of the roof. Her arms shook as she kept her hold on Rex, pulling him closer in between deflecting blaster fire. Her fighting form was sloppy, and she knew it, but survival trumped technique in the moment. Senna’s saber hummed as she cut a wide arc, sending at least one bolt back through the window. She jerked Rex towards her again, and this time, she felt him land at her feet. 

Another blaster bolt erupted from near her ankles, and Senna allowed herself a quick glance down. Even in his current state, Rex had his blaster raised and was returning fire, blinking blood from the cut on his forehead out of his eyes. 

“Can you stand?” she shouted over the din.

“Maybe.” His teeth were clenched, and she could see a vein throbbing at his temple. She’d never seen Rex hurt before, and it made anger thrum through her. She banished the urge to embrace that rage, that hatred, instead reaching down towards him.“Grab my belt and haul yourself up! We’ve got to go!” she yelled. 

Rex clasped her hand, squeezing it lightly even now. He cursed loudly as he dragged himself to a standing position, wrapping one arm around her shoulders to support himself. Senna slid her free hand around his waist, slipping her fingers under his belt to hold him up.

“BACK UP.”

She began pushing him towards the edge of the roof, continuing to deflect blaster fire while Rex managed to pick off at least two assailants with his DL-44. The stormtroopers were pouring out into the yard now, having realized their targets were already outside. 

“How many did he fucking bring?” Senna muttered under her breath, sweat trickling from her brow as her muscles and joints screamed in protest under Rex’s weight and the strain of keeping her balance on the roof. 

“Dunno, but I can take out a few more,” Rex gritted out. Quickly, he reholstered his weapon and reached into a pouch at his side, grabbing a thermal detonator and flinging it down into the yard. The blast sent the half dozen stormtroopers that had gathered flying, their screams cutting through the night as smoke filled the air. 

Senna was gasping for breath as she held Rex up, trying to tread carefully on foot placement as they backed towards the edge of the roof. The smoke had obscured them from view from the troopers in the yard, but that didn’t stop them from firing wildly at where they thought their two fugitives might be. 

Just a little further. 

As they reached the edge of the roof, the narrow gap between the wall and the shed stretched out below them. Senna glanced down, trying not to think about how far the fall was. Rex’s eyes met hers. 

“Sorry about this,” she gasped.

Without giving herself another moment to think about it, she tipped backwards and pulled Rex off of the roof with her. She heard him inhale sharply, and briefly, she felt wild laughter bubbling up in her at his surprise. 

He’s going to kill me later. If there is a later.

Deactivating her lightsaber in the air, Senna tried as hard as she could to push away from the ground with the Force to cushion their landing. They still wound up in a heap, but at least not any more injured from what she could tell. Rex was groaning and swearing.

“Why don’t you ever just ask me to karking jump?” 

Clipping her saber back onto her belt, Senna ignored his muttering and grabbed him under his arms, roughly dragging him towards the entrance to the shed. The stormtroopers were already running into the alley, shouting at them to stop. 

Just keep surviving one more minute, Senna thought to herself. If you do that enough times, you might live to see another day. 

Once she and Rex were both inside the shed, Senna slammed the door shut behind them, locking it and busting the control panel with her fist to keep it sealed for a few moments. She helped Rex onto the speeder bike, settling herself in front of him to drive. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she reached down, resting her hand against his forearm. They paused for a moment, the only sounds the two of them catching their breath in the deafening silence of the shed. 

“Got your blaster out?” Senna asked.

“Yup,” he grunted into her ear.

Stormtroopers pounded on the door they’d just come through, shouting commands that all blended together into an indecipherable cacophony.

“Alright, let’s see if we can get through this,” Senna whispered, trying to hide the tremor in her hands.

“Another tall order,” Rex said through clenched teeth.

“That’s unfortunately becoming a trend with us,” she muttered.

“This one’s the tallest.” 

She hummed in agreement, unsure of how else to respond. She could hear the sadness in Rex’s voice, and her chest clenched as she realized he was implying there was a chance these were their last moments together. They could already hear the stormtroopers lining up in front of the main door outside, ready to capture or kill them.

How silly all of this is, Senna thought. All of that pushback and wanting to keep him safe, and now here we are. About to die together. And I never–

“You’re surrounded! Come out with your hands in the air!” A smug voice rang out through the door, muffled but still painfully recognizable. Senna’s lip curled reflexively. 

Fisk.

The anger in her shifted to helpless disappointment.

He’s going to win. 

Her mind raced, but no better alternative to their current predicament presented itself. Senna felt her breath catch in her throat, and she fought the urge to scream in frustration.

This might be it. 

She turned around and looked at Rex. There was a pinch between his brows, and his eyes were sad. Even with the blood and dirt smeared across his face, his eyes still burned fiercely as they found hers in the dark. Her heart fluttered.

You never told him. 

But to tell him now that she loved him, to tell him all of the things she’d been withholding felt like a concession, like she’d accepted that they were going to be captured or killed. And that wasn’t something Senna was ready to do. Instead, she grabbed Rex by the back of the head and urgently pressed her lips to his. She felt him stiffen at first with surprise before relaxing into the kiss, reaching his fingers up to touch the side of her face with the same gentleness she’d come to know as inherently him. The same gentleness she’d fallen in love with. Her eyes burned as she stifled the sob welling up within her. 

She wanted to stay there forever, pretending it was just the two of them, but time was short. The odds were stacked against them in almost every way, but she was too stubborn to give up yet. 

“And since when have you ever backed down from a challenge?” her master’s voice echoed in her mind.

She pulled herself away from the kiss, resting her forehead against Rex’s for another heartbeat. 

“Just in case,” she whispered. 

“Sure,” he agreed, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile. “But we’re going to talk about this later.”

She allowed herself a small smile before turning back around. 

“So, I assume you’ve got at least one bad idea,” he said quietly. “You always have one of those.”

“One bad idea is better than no ideas,” Senna countered. Reaching down, she started the bike. “Got any smoke grenades?” 

“Don’t I always?” he joked, grimacing as he reached into his supply pouch again and pulled two explosives back out.

“Alright, as soon as the door opens, toss them under. Maybe that’ll obscure us enough to get through the welcome committee waiting for us.”

“You want a distraction?” he asked. “Why not use the detonator?”

She’d almost completely forgotten about the small remote in her pocket, but adding it to her idea seemingly upgraded it to at least ‘half-baked plan’ status in her mind. 

“You’re absolutely right,” she laughed, pulling the detonator from her pocket. “Alright, big explosion, smoke bombs under the door, drive like a mynock out of hell, and shoot back when they shoot. Any questions?”

Rex chuckled quietly, and the rumble against her warmed her from the inside out. “None from me.”

She took one last deep breath. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

She armed the detonator and pressed the button. The entire shed shuddered and a bright flash briefly illuminated the inside of it as their entire dwelling exploded, completely destroying the place they’d called home for the last few months. Hearing shouts of confusion outside, Senna reached out with the Force to press the button that opened the shed’s main door. The door began sliding up with a groan, and Rex quickly tossed the grenades underneath as soon as the gap was large enough. 

Here we go.

The world around them erupted in blaster fire and smoke as the door slid up. Senna gunned the engine, and as soon as the door was high enough for them to duck under, they rocketed forward. A blaster bolt grazed her left shoulder as they shot out into the chaos, but she ignored it, grabbing her lightsaber and reigniting it again to deflect and blindly cut through as much as she could. There were shouts and screams as Rex’s blaster rang in her ear, the grip around her waist tightening as he whipped the weapon back and forth to cover a wide area with fire. 

Senna felt her heart pounding so hard she thought it would burst through her chest as they tore through the squadron of stormtroopers, running into one head-on with the bike. She heard the sickening thud and grunt as his body hit the front panel and dropped to the ground, leaving a scuff of white plastoid and blood on the bike’s paneling. 

Just survive another minute.

It felt like an eternity, but it was a fraction of a second before they burst out of the smoke, the blaster fire continuing to chase them as they sped away. She didn’t even have time to look over her shoulder at the smoldering wreckage that had once been their dwelling.

“Atta girl,” Rex shouted in her ear. 

Her heart soared. 

Senna tucked her lightsaber back onto her belt as she heard the whine of speeder bikes fire up behind them. Rex turned and shot backwards into the fray. 

“Are we being chased?” she shouted.

“Yup, got three bikes in pursuit,” he confirmed. 

Kriff.

“Alright, let’s see if we can make it out of town and lose them in the grasslands.” 

Senna wove in and out of the city’s streets, the bolts from their pursuers peppering the buildings and the ground around them. She felt the heat of one that got especially close to her shoulder as it winged by and slammed into a wall ahead of them. 

Kriffing transport-grade weaponry. Those pack a punch.

Suddenly, she turned left and saw the edge of the township, the streets and buildings giving way to unpaved grassland. The yellowing grass stood high enough in some places to where they would be able to be hidden from view.

If we can just make it that far. We’re so close.

She heard an explosion behind them and saw the buildings around them briefly illuminate as Rex whooped loudly. 

“Still got all three?” she yelled.

“No, I managed to hit one,” he replied with a tone that could only be described as cheerful. It made Senna smile. “Now we’re just down to the last–“

Rex gasped suddenly, and his body shuddered against her before she felt him go limp. His weapon flew from his hand and clattered against the pavement as they sped onwards.

“REX!” Senna screamed, feeling his grip around her waist loosen. She frantically grabbed his arm to hold him to her while she steered.

“REX PLEASE ANSWER ME!” 

Her pleas were met with silence. 

No. No. No. No. 

She inhaled sharply. 

Think. He needs you to think right now.

Rex had been their rear defense, but now the Imperials were free to shoot at them unhindered. He’d undoubtedly take another blast if she didn’t stop them, or they’d hit the bike, and everything would go to hell from there.

No. 

Senna swung the bike around so that it was facing their assailants, slamming on the brakes. As gently as she could, she eased Rex forward so that he was slumped over the handlebars, and then she leapt from the bike, igniting her lightsaber in the air. 

The first stormtrooper had no time to react as she came down on his speeder, cleanly slicing it and him in two. The second one was further back and had time to respond, firing at her as she charged forward. She deflected blast after blast with ease, her eyes burning and her saber humming in her hand. She felt the anger and hatred seep into her veins, the cold trickle in her blood that she’d felt on Empire Day, and in that moment, did not fight it. 

I’ve come this far. They’re not taking one more person from me. 

“COME ON!” she screamed at the approaching trooper. “COME AND GET ME!” 

She was running straight at the approaching bike now, her hair flying wildly behind her. If the trooper was concerned about a Jedi running full-speed at him, he didn’t show it, hunkering down further behind his handlebars. 

Senna seethed.

Fuck you.

Just as the bike was about to hit her, Senna dropped to her knees, sliding along the pavement. The cobblestones tore at her knees through the fabric of her leggings, leaving her with torn skin and bloodied bruises that she hardly registered. She held her lightsaber skyward, neatly slicing the bike in half along its length. The halves flew over her, searing her cheek as she turned her head and pressed herself against the ground. The bike’s pieces clattered loudly against the street, and the mangled body of the stormtrooper rolled away from her. For just one second, she allowed herself to sink against the pavement, trying to catch her breath before a voice in the back of her mind started screaming. 

RUN! 

Quickly, Senna stood, ignoring the stinging and warmth of her bloodied knees as she listened for more bikes. She could hear them in the distance, but she and Rex would be long gone by the time their pursuers reached this spot.

Senna ran back to her speeder bike. She wanted to check Rex fully, but there was no time. She pushed his body forward so that she would be able to steer, albeit clumsily, and hopped on behind him, caging him in with her arms to hold him in place. Gunning the engine, she reached out with the Force, searching for Rex in it. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt him, still there.

But fading fast. 

“Please hang on, Rex,” she whispered as she turned the bike towards the grass and sped off into the night.

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @gjrain20-starwars @staycalmandhugaclone @redheadgirl @fordo-kixed-rex @wizardofrozz @ariadnes-red-thread @justanothersadperson93 @leftealeaf @kaminocasey @echos-girlfriend @lucyysthings @obihiddlenox @merkitty49 @littlemissmanga @clonecyaree @baba-fett @sleepingsun501 @rexxdjarin @samspenandsword @babygirlrex0504 @ladytano420 @fxlsealarm @runforrestr @djarrex @corrieguards @the-cantina @witchklng @wolffegirlsunite @fives-lover @rain-on-kamino @ladykatakuri @ladykagewaki @arctrooper69 @hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall

[book-of-baba-fett]

Find someone who looks at you the way Talia looks at Rex, and the way that Fives looks at the French fry he stole while his friends were too distracted with each other.

Commissioned this from @pinkiemme and I’m so utterly obsessed; thank you so much Emme, it’s so beautiful 🥺

[rexmeshlasblog]

Masterlist

My requests are currently open. I write fanfics of all kinds. Fandoms that I write about:

• Star Wars (The Clone Wars)

• Phantom of the opera

• DC Comics

• MCU

• Formula 1

• Harry Potter

• Baldur´s Gate 3

• if you're unsure: ask :)

Baldur´s Gate 3

Raphael:

Coming soon...

Star Wars

Captain Rex:

Being in love with you (Captain Rex x Jedi Reader)

Don’t get me wrong (Captain Rex x Jedi Reader)

Stay focused (WIP)

I’d die for you (WIP)

Don’t do this to me (WIP)

I’m also thinking about writing a longer story/fanfic with Rex and an Jedi, but I’m not sure yet if I’m able to do so…

Commander Cody:

It’s easy if you’d do it right (Commander Cody x Jedi Reader) Part 1

It’s easy if you’d do it right (Commander Cody x Jedi Reader) Part 2

Commander Wolffe:

Give up?! (Commander Wolffe x Jedi Reader)

Stay cool (WIP)