#post order 66 rex

[rexxdjarin]

Captain's Log: Chapter 9

Classified

Series Summary: The galaxy is in turmoil. The Republic has fallen, giving rise to the sinister reign of the totalitarian Empire, led by the insidious Emperor Palpatine. The millions of valiant clone troopers of the former Grand Army of the Republic are now blindly sworn, against their will, to protect a regime they once sought to destroy. After being saved from a terrible fate by his former-Jedi ally and close friend, Ahsoka Tano, seasoned veteran CT-7567 Clone Captain Rex remains loyal to the pillars of Democracy, freedom and truth that shaped the former Galactic Republic. We follow him now struggling to deal with the personal aftereffects of survival and finding his place in the galaxy alongside the only person he has left. You. The love of his life.

[previous] [next] part of Captain's Log series post on ao3

Pairing: Captain Rex x Fem!Reader (she/her pronouns used) Word Count: 15k (I know I'm sorry lol) Series Rating: Explicit (18+ only, Minors DO NOT INTERACT) Chapter Summary: Our dynamic duo becomes a trio. Surprising help from the inside reveals that some clones haven't forgotten where their true loyalties lie while others cannot help what they've become or how far they'll go. Chapter Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Smut, p in v sex (use protection irl plz), sub!Reader, soft!dom Rex, Daddy!Rex if you squint, Language, Violence and Interrogation Tactics, Political References and Propaganda Mentions, References to Canon Plot, Political References, Canon Typical Violence

The ship’s docking tube door hisses open and through the fog steps Rex and his heavy plodding blue and white boots. I exhaled a deep breath I didn’t even know I was holding and pushed myself off the wall I was leaning on, arms folded and hips leaning to one side.

He’d only been gone a couple of hours, meeting up with Cid at her Cantina to get some supplies and waiting for our new crew member to arrive for pickup. But even in those few hours, I worried about him. Anything can happen planetside these days. I didn’t like the idea of having to sit around waiting for him, but someone had to stay hidden with the ship and Cid wouldn’t trust anyone but another clone to hand this kind of intel off to.

As the fog of coolants at different temperatures mixed in the air, Rex’s smirking face appeared, a flicker of warmth in his big brown eyes as if he was staring at dappled sunlight. A spark to him I hadn’t seen in such a long time spread immediate joy through my bloodstream, through every nerve ending, my heart bursting and pounding something that can only be described as love sickness throughout my entire body. 

Before I could walk forward to embrace him and kiss him so hard it knocked the wind out of him, a second nearly identical silhouette passed by him inside our cargo hold. The clone we were sent to pick up was a brother whose name I didn’t recognize. Wasn’t at all familiar.

Gregor. A clone commando. 

Well ex-clone commando now. Not even sure if Rex was all that familiar with him. 

He stood upright in the doorway, just a tad taller than Rex. Maybe it was the commando boots. He had jet black hair, buzzed almost as short as Rex on the sides, but long and slicked back on top. His eyes looked just a twinge lighter like he’d previously been somewhere that bathed them in a harsh sun’s glare all the time. He had high cheekbones and a chiseled jaw, just like they all did. But something about him…he was almost dashing in a way. Stepping into the ship, he had a presence about him that could only be attributed to a natural magnetic sex appeal. Would’ve probably given even Fives a run for his credits. He was good looking and, hell, if I could get in contact with any of my friends, I’d set him up with one of them for sure.

His eyes widened and his dark brows raised, cocking his head as if to take me in as some mysterious creature before him. “Well, well, well, Rex…I didn’t know they’d send you with an angel to pick me up.” He said smoothly, running a weighted, heavy palm across the back of his neck.

He came only with the armor on his back, which seemed to be incomplete, no shoulder pauldrons, nothing lining his biceps and not a stitch of color expertly painted atop the plastoid. Not even a helmet. It looked odd. The new Imperial clone armor was truly inferior in every way to the artfully crafted and beautifully unique Republic armor I’d come to know and love. Yet another way to erase their individuality, their comradery and their humanity, I suppose. 

The simmering amber in Gregor’s eyes met mine and he squinted in playful, flirtatious amusement. He’d done this before and something tells me his success rate was high. Very high. Rex cleared his throat to subtly remind his brother to watch himself. Was he a little jealous? “With a mouth like hers? Trust me, she’s definitely not an angel.” He replied with a filthy, taunting smirk. That’s a definite, yes.

Since meeting up with the Bad Batch on Bracca, Rex had become more domineering, needy and watchful over me than he ever had been. Not that I could blame him. The deep-seeded feeling of tremendous loss made him want to hold me close and practically mark his territory over me in a way he ordinarily wouldn’t have before. And I didn’t hate it. Not at all. The possessiveness made heat lick down my spine and smolder in my belly. I guess no longer having to keep things a quiet secret to save our own asses brought out a desire to be shown off in both of us.

I raked my gaze down Rex’s wide frame, wondering if he’d somehow gotten even better looking than he was a few hours ago. “Hmm and if you want anything from this mouth again I suggest you watch it.” I teased, winking at him knowingly. A proud, determined and hungry glimmer darkened his pupils at such a retort and he retreated, licking his lips as he hoisted the bag on his shoulder down to the floor at my feet. 

Gregor let out a slightly hoarse and lilted nervous giggle. “Oh, I see. I did not peg you for the committed type, Rex.” 

“That’s funny. He was awfully committed to getting something out of me the last time I saw him.” I immediately let out a teasing giggle to match Gregor’s. Rex mouth dropped open to speak or protest my boldness, but he was clapped on the shoulder by Gregor. 

Gregor tilted his head back and laughed, “Maker- what a woman. I like her.” 

Rex nodded, rolling his eyes at me in surrender and taking in a deep breath, “I’m glad you like her. Even when she’s getting a bit out of hand.” He joked, walking past me to follow Gregor and taking the opportunity to grab a nice handful of my ass. Oh yeah, so out of hand.

I’d been comming him the filthiest thoughts and sounds directly over our secret channel to pass the time the best way I knew how. Rex and I had both been practically insatiable for days since we’d left Naboo. Something about the promise of inevitable death that really made us both want to be together as much as possible while we still could. Though now with a virtual stranger on board with us, there probably wouldn’t be as much time for that as we both wanted.

I followed Rex and Gregor up the ladder to our cockpit, taking Rex’s hand and sliding onto his lap as we got as cozy in the cabin as was possible for the three of us. I could feel Rex’s thighs flexing under me, a tell tale sign that he had certainly not forgotten my messages from earlier, his cock thickening beneath his codpiece. I turned to glare at Rex, apologizing for firing him up so badly in front of company neither of us were too familiar with. He curled his massive hand around my thigh, glancing up at me with an unbothered look he was desperately hoping was convincing enough to hide the blown out lust in his darkened pupils. 

He was always a terrible liar. I knew him well enough that I could always tell when he was worked up past the point of being able to think straight. 

Gregor watched us both with a smirk on his face, running his hand over his dark hair and kicking his feet up on the dash. “How long’s this been going on for?” He boldly inquired, pointing out the obvious tension in the room. “I had heard a lot about Skywalker’s men when I was being reacquainted on Kamino. You’re some kind of legend, Cap. Guess we clones are not the only ones who noticed.”

“My blondie’s hard to miss.” I joked, running my fingertips through the hair slowly curling around his ear. “Hair’s gotten sorta long. Longer than I ever remember it being.”

He wrapped his hand around mine and tugged me tighter to him, both to hide the growing bulge in his lap and to give him an excuse to hold me. “Want me to cut it?” He offered, his eyes searching my face for unspoken answers, but only finding unfettered lust.

I shook my head, tracing feather light fingertips down the scruff lining his perfect jaw. I hummed in delight, the dangerous seduction darkening my pupils at the sight of my Captain growing more rugged by the day. “No. Keep it long. This little beard of yours too.” He drew his head back in surprise and chuckled, the hand on my back falling lower to rest on the curve of my ass. I leaned into him closely and traced the shell of his ear with my tongue. “I want you to remember how much I like how it feels.” I whispered seductively.

He gripped my ass hard and cracked his neck, taking a deep breath to disguise the twitching I could feel stirring in him beneath my thighs. He kissed my cheek modestly, before grunting “Later.” in my ear sternly. Between the taunting I’d done all day and the physical teasing I was doing now, I knew I was more than in for it with Rex tonight. Which was exactly what I wanted.

“Can’t say I’ve ever been around too many clones in any relationships…and never one that seems quite this deep.” Gregor acknowledged, watching us with curiosity. “The 501st really is a different breed I guess.”

Rex, feeling me desperately trying to egg him on even more, shrugged me off slightly, trying to pay attention to his brother’s words. “Yeah, probably as good as your commandos, I reckon. My boys were the best and we have the numbers to prove it.” He winced, “Well…had.”

Gregor took a deep breath and swallowed, “I’m sorry about your Squad, Cap. You deserve better. We all do. That’s why I ran. It wasn’t right. I’m thankful for the Bad Batch boys coming to get me. And especially Echo's commitment to me. Said he learned that from you.”

Rex’s face lit up, a proud smirk spreading across his face. “Echo is one of my best. He and I are all that’s left of the 501st now. Glad we could help rescue a good one.”

I shifted uncomfortably in Rex’s lap, the wetness between my thighs and the bulge growing underneath them had me more impatient and antsy to have him inside me than I’d felt in months. Poor Gregor was just trying to settle in and I couldn’t wait even another five seconds. I had to have Rex now. I squeezed Rex’s bicep impatiently, looking up at him with needy desperation filling my eyes. To my delight and relief Gregor sat back in his chair and sighed.

“Thank you both. For everything. I’m-” He yawned, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands and stretched. “I’m going to get some desperately needed sleep and watch over the ship. I’ll let you both know if anything goes off.” 

I thanked the maker silently, nodding as I leaned into the crook of Rex’s neck. “We should too. See you in a bit. Let us know if you need anything, of course.” I said quietly.

“Yeah we’ll be in our bunk. We’ve got rations on a shelf behind you here and the freshers down in the cargo bay on your left. Get some sleep, soldier. You’ve had a long few days.” Rex stood up, wrapping my legs around his waist and carrying me toward the ladder down to our room.

“Will do, Cap. Will do.” Gregor nodded, closing his eyes and leaning back into the pilot’s chair.

Rex let out a sigh of relief as he slid both of us down the ladder toward our room. “You’re killing me, mesh’la. Can barely fucking think straight I’m so hard.” He groaned, pressing the panel to our room’s blast doors and watching them slide open.

I giggled into his neck, kissing it softly as he spilled us onto our bed. “I’m sorry, Sir. I just can’t help it when I’m around you.” I cooed, my tone dripping with both play innocence and whispered lust. I blinked up at him, biting my bottom lip and pawing at his chest. “Been thinking about having you all day.”

Rex ghosted his hand up under my shirt, “I know. You were determined to make it impossible to get through my mission, you little brat.” He teased, pulling my shirt up over my head and onto the floor beside our bunk. He ran his thumb around my hardened nipple and leaned down to wrap his lips around the bud. “That wasn’t very good of you. Should punish you.” His fingertips slid down to circle my navel.

I let out a shaky exhale, the desperate need for him making my body ache. “If that’s what you think I deserve, Sir.” I whimpered, resting my hands on the nape of his neck and softly stroking the growing length of the soft blonde curls there. I was trembling as his warm tongue circled over the bud repeatedly, goosebumps erupting on my skin. “I’m…so needy.” I whined, rolling my hips against his thigh.

His eyes darkened at the contact and his hand brushed past the band of the lacey underwear I put on just for him to reveal when he got back. At the feeling of the lace between his fingers, he groaned softly, the warm breath of his exhale cooling over the trail of wet skin his kisses left behind. “I can tell, my naughty girl. You put these on just to drive me even more fucking nuts hmm?” He asked, the scolding tone to his deepening voice sending more warmth pooling up between my folds.

I nodded and tapped on his shoulder pauldron lightly, “and this is driving me crazy. Off. All of it. Please?” I asked, “I want to see you too.”

He sat up and pulled my hips into his lap, slowly removing each piece of armor and making me watch as he did it, the armor clattering onto the floor beside our bunk. I bit down on my forefinger, swirling my tongue around it as I imagined it was him between my lips instead. He nearly tore the top of his blacks off his back and smiled, smirking as my eyes roved over his torso hungrily.

He leaned over me carefully, his fingertip trailing up my torso to hold my chin as he leaned in to kiss me tenderly. His tongue slipped past my lips and twirled with mine in endless looping shapes. I looped my arms over his shoulders and gripped his rippling back muscles, his free hands smoothing down my sides. “There…you see me. Now I want to see you.” He whispered against my lips as he pulled away.

He sat back on his haunches, tearing my panties down my thighs and practically growling at the sight of me completely bare before him. “Been a filthy fucking girl all day.” He shifted closer, pushing my thighs apart around him with his hands. Slowly, his thumb slid down my folds, collecting the wetness and circling my opening. “Look how fucking wet you are. Unnf…you feel so fucking good. Don’t think I have it in me to punish you when you feel this good.”

I rolled my hips forward, desperate for more of his touch where I was craving it all day. “I didn’t touch myself all day. I waited for you. Because I need you.” I smiled, reaching out for him and grabbing onto his free hand. “You’re just so big and strong…I can’t do it like you. I want your cock, not my fingers. Please Rex. Please?” I pouted up at him, circling the back of his hand with my thumb.

He collected my slick on his thumb and brought it between his lips, making direct, almost threatening eye contact with me as he tasted me on his tongue. He huffed out a brutal, unrestrained moan and closed his eyes in delight. “Is that how you beg for me? Hmm? I know I taught you better than that.”

I whined, the coiling pressure that was steadily building in my lower belly all day becoming way too strong to bear at this point. “Please, Captain. Can you fuck me? Please? I need you.” I asked, correcting myself as politely as I could muster, “I’ve wanted you all day and I can’t take it anymore.”

He chuckled softly, “That’s my mesh’la. Much better.” Pride sparkled in his darkening amber eyes, the irises shrinking as the lust expanded his pupils. He leaned forward slightly, sliding the bottoms of his black body glove off his legs and with one hand, began twisting soft pressured circles against my clit with the pad of his thumb. “I think you’ve suffered enough without me all day, haven't you?” He cocked an eyebrow at me, expecting a response.

“Mhm. Been aching all day. Need you to make it better, Sir.” I muttered softly, rolling my hips toward him more trying to force him to press harder, work faster. Anything to get a bigger burn going to counteract the painful pounding swelling in my core. “I’ll be good. Anything you want, my love, anything.”

He twisted looping circles on my clit faster and harder, giving into what I asked for. With his other hand, he stroked up the length of his cock, throbbing with need I’d been responsible for all day. He pumped it in his hand, sliding the drops of precum from the tip down the shaft. My eyes went wide at the sight of him, hoping desperately that he’d just spear me with it and finally end the brutal ache inside me.

I moaned as the pleasure began building at his touch, my eyes fluttering closed as the sparks of pleasure ignited. When I opened them again, Rex had brought his length down to just above my parted legs, sliding himself between my drenched folds and tipping his head back in ecstasy. He moaned from deep in his broad chest, letting his hands travel up my thighs and holding them for leverage as he slipped himself against me.

“Is that good, Rex?” I asked teasingly, egging him on more than I should when he was in charge. He opened his eyes, the sound of his name snapping him back to reality. He winked at me before slapping the throbbing tip against my clit roughly. My mouth dropped open and I gasped, the rush of pleasure too much too soon.

“Ah, ah. What are you supposed to call me?” He instructed, lifting himself off of me again and waiting for my correct response before granting me any semblance of pleasure again. His weighted palms gripping the meat of my thighs felt just as good as him touching my center in the overexcited state I’d been in all day.

I gulped and drew in a deep breath, meeting his eyes with my own to address him properly. “Captain or Sir.” I responded with a mewl, biting down on the back of my knuckle to help contain myself enough to behave.

He returned his cock to the warmth between my folds and guided the tip deeper within them, circling my opening with the weeping, swollen tip. “That’s better. Now flip over, cyar’ika. Gonna take you how I want to remind you what happens when you don’t behave.”

I nodded and obeyed his command, rolling myself over and lifting my ass high up in the air to give him better access. “Like this, Captain?” I wiggled my ass playfully, and looked back at him glaring at me like he was ready to pounce.

His palm met the plush of my ass with a swift slap and I yelped at the sting, the delightful pain a distraction from the burning pressure inside me begging to be dealt with. “Yeah, just like that. Show me that pretty pussy you got all wet for me. No waiting anymore, pretty girl. Need to feel you all around me now, ok?”

“Okay, Captain. Anything you want. I need you too. Inside me, please.” I begged, watching him from over my shoulder and giving him the subtle permission he had asked for to just skip all the foreplay and start in on me now. My knees were trembling more from the anticipation than from the position they were in to hold me up.

Suddenly, both his palms gripped my hip bones and pulled my ass toward his lower torso. He kneaded my ass in his hands and growled loudly, the unbridled lust finally breaking the last bit of control he had left to hold him back. With a deep breath in and back out, he lined himself up to my fluttering hole and pressed himself inside slowly. I moaned loudly, curling my fingers into the sheets as the size of him stretched me open the way I had needed since he left me hours earlier.

In a quick jerk, Rex’s massive hand pressed into my lower belly, tucking my hips up and back into his and letting out a delighted hiss. “Fuuuuuck…feel that? How I fill you up so good? Right there, mesh’la. So fucking deep.” He grunted as he rested his hand onto where his cock pressed deep into my belly. It felt so good I could barely breathe and I shut my eyes to let the overwhelming feeling of fullness wash over me.

“Rex…” I cried out a choked gasp, tears starting to stream down my face from the feeling of him piercing into me so powerfully. He pinned me down beneath all the weight of his rock hard muscles and mouthed passionate kisses up my spine. His cock consumed every empty inch of me, the blood in his veins pumping into him so hard I could feel the race of his pulse pounding against my walls. It was an erotic euphoria unlike any other I’d ever experienced and it wasn’t stopping.

With each shallow withdrawal of his hips, the muscles inside me screwed tighter, gripping onto him and the feeling he provided for dear life. He could barely bring himself to pull out, the grind of his hips pressing him deeper within me felt too good to stop. He curled his arm around the plush of my hips and ghosted his fingertips in twisting circles against my throbbing clit. 

His other palm curled around my neck, turning my face to meet where his hovered lazily over my shoulder. He leaned forward to bite my lower lip softly and open my mouth to let his tongue slip inside. Hot exhales and dripping tongues filled the minimal space between us and he smirked devilishly at the desperate haze of lust overtaking me. “Keep that pretty mouth open for me. Don’t want anything stopping me from hearing those sounds you make. Does my cock make you feel good? Tell me mesh’la. Talk to me gorgeous girl…”

“Yes, Sir, it’s s-so good.” I whined as his harsh thrusts slowed, but his hips circled against my ass and sent the blunt tip prodding into a beautifully sensitive spot. I felt sparks of pleasure zip through my core and my vision blurring as the numbing flow radiated outward in surges. “I love it, I fucking love it. More- please, Captain, please more.” 

“That’s my good girl, fuck- asking me so nice…” He whispered harshly in my ear, his grip on my throat holding me close to him, the scruff on his jaw brushing my cheeks a welcomed burn. I couldn’t control my muscles anymore, my walls contracting around him and my opening fluttering around him to pull him deeper. “Stars, mesh’la you feel so fucking good, you’re gonna drain me. Is that what you want? You can have it…fuuuuck- anything you want I’ll give it to you.”

“I want…need you to fill me. Please come in me, Rex. I want to feel it in me tomorrow.” I turned to look up at him through lust heavy lids and moaned his name as he took me apart thrust by thrust, giving me only a harsh grunt and several aching whines in response. Each jolt of his hips plowed me deeper and deeper into the mattress beneath us. He guided his hand down the length of my arm and reached for my hand, my fingers tangling with his and holding tightly.

“I’ll pump this little cunt with everything I have. You deserve it. Want to watch you walk around tomorrow with me dripping down your legs, my filthy pretty girl. Can you do that for me?” His hand around my throat slid up my neck and fisted into my hair, pulling my face up for him to grip. “I know you can. You’re such a sexy little show off. Makes me so proud to call you mine.”

My eyes rolled back at the pure possession that was him claiming me like this. I dug my fists into the sheets underneath me, holding on for dear life as I braced myself to let him completely overtake me. The throbbing of his cock inside me was stuttering against my vice grip around him, letting me know just how close he was to spilling all of himself. He grunted loudly, huffing in deep, almost gasping breaths and plowing three bone-shattering thrusts down into me. 

My entire body shifted so far up the mattress I wouldn’t have been shocked if his strength had knocked the ship clear out of its path in the hyperspace lane. I let out a high pitched cry, as the brutal pressure that was built up in my core burst. “REX!” I moaned loudly, a beautifully blissful numbness blooming outwards slowly and tightening around him so much he moaned too.

“Mesh’la…that’s it. Let go.” He cooed in my ear, kissing up my neck as the wave of my high just kept coming stronger and stronger. My body tensed as the tingling feeling cascaded across all my limbs and all I could actually feel was where Rex and I met. His fingers affectionately tangled with mine and our centers joined while he maintained his brutal pace, desperately chasing after my high toward his own. “Let me see that pretty face when you come for me.”

I could feel his eyes exploring my face as it contorted in pleasure; my lips dropped open, my jaw slack, eyes closed and brows lifted. His fervent whispers of loving encouragement mixed with enduring curses of tortured ecstacy as he sent me hurtling past the point of climax and into uncharted territory. It felt like everything slowed but the pounding in my core and the prodding of Rex’s cock to meet it. My body writhed underneath him, his free hand holding my waist steady and carrying me through it.

With a few more solid thrusts deep inside me, I felt his warmth flow into the uncoiling heat in my belly. Rex’s grip on my waist loosened as he emptied himself in me, my ears filling with sounds of our wet, sticky climaxes mixing together. His cock twitched at least three times, followed by white hot ribbons of his spend painting my inner walls. His gruff moans in my ear faded to exhausted whimpers as his climax explosively ripped through him. 

The sound of him moaning my name filled my ears as bright spots of static clouded my vision. He was all around me, inside and out, wreaking havoc on my overtired body. I laid underneath him, spasming in the undertow of both of our hardest climaxes ever and panting loudly. Rex was peppering soft kisses up and down my neck and jaw, his fingertips tracing slow, loving touches on my skin. I was barely holding on, the blissful exhaustion dragging me closer and closer to unconsciousness.

“I…love you…” I whisper, closing my eyes and feeling myself go under as I started to catch my breath, but too tired to move a single inch. Just as I felt myself drifting away happily, all my muscles slack and relaxed I felt him roll over beside me, tucking my body into his. He hummed so soft and deep, full of warm contentment and he muttered,

“And I love you, my mesh’la. So very much.”

--

I woke up to the dark, lofty silence of our bunk. We must’ve been drifting for hours in deep hyper space, heading back toward the inner rim waiting for Cid to give us coordinates for another job.

Rex’s warm body rested beside mine, his arms and legs clutching me tightly, never wanting to let go of me after going at each other like that. The intensity of our orgasms this time around was so stunning I wasn’t sure if either of us would even remember how to move.

But fuck, I had to pee. And maybe I should check on Gregor.

Slowly, I rolled over Rex, my legs straddling his still very naked thighs and resting my chest on his. I looked up at him snoozing away, his strong jaw finally unclenched for once and his plump lips drawn in a very satisfied permagrin. Yeah, he was very, very happy. How could he not be?

I reached over and kissed his cheek very delicately, taking extreme caution not to wake him. After how hard he’d gone, he needed a deep sleep to recuperate. I brushed my fingers along the curling blonde hair on his temples and grinned. He was so beautiful and handsome and passionate and strong. 

And he was mine. No matter what.

I slowly swung my legs over the side of the bunk, testing my ability to stand as I gingerly pressed my feet on the chilly metal floor. I wobbled a bunch, very nearly falling onto my face, before I gripped the bed behind me and chuckled softly. Damn Rex for going so hard. My inner thighs were practically creaking with soreness as I walked into the refresher to pee. I examined my thighs and smiled at the finger shaped bruises dotting my hips and waist. They’d match Rex’s exact grip like perfect puzzle pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left his fingerprints the bruises felt that deep.

I took a deep breath and stood up, splashing water on my face and smoothing my hair down. Gregor didn’t need to see just how much Rex had demolished me. I pulled Rex’s red fatigues top from where it hung on the bathroom wall and slipped it on over my head, the length of it long enough to hide the small sleep shorts I slid on underneath them. I giggled and blushed thinking of how taken aback Gregor would be comparing what I looked like now to how I did when he first met me.

Speaking of him, I could hear someone humming through the echoes of the ship and smiled to myself. It was so comforting, the melodic tone deep and resonating inside the metal hull. I opened the refresher door and headed up the ladder peaking into the small cockpit. 

Gregor was laying back in the pilot’s chair, feet crossed up on the dash and his arms locked behind his head. He’d taken off his armor, the white plastoid piled in a heap on the floor behind the co-pilot’s seat. He seemed more at peace here than he’d probably been in months. Which I was about to disturb.

“Your voice is nice.” I muttered, pulling myself up into the cockpit and making my way over to the co-pilot’s seat. He turned toward me and opened his bright brown eyes slowly. His gaze widened as he saw the state of me and he grinned with knowing amusement.

“Thanks. Needed some way to block out the noise.” He chuckled softly, arching an eyebrow and shaking his head to himself. He watched with mock disapproval as my face blushed seven shades deeper than it was.

“I’m…so sorry. We just-” I coughed, tucking my knees up into my chest and folding my arms over them. “How much did you hear?” I asked, hiding my face behind my arms to avoid the embarrassment of knowing we were definitely heard.

“Plenty.” He huffed, fiddling with the edges of his black underweave top and raising his brows suggestively at me. “You animals.” He joked, getting way too much enjoyment out of my utter mortification.

“We aren’t used to sharing our ship, you know.” I retorted, tossing one of his plastoid gauntlet plates at him. He laughed, catching the piece with ease and waving away the shame and shrugging.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to hearing it. Maybe not quite that intense, but…” He pointed out, running his hands through his hair and quieting his giggling. “Won’t make fun or get in the way. Just warn a guy first.”

I shot him an apologetic and thankful smile, cuddling deeper into Rex’s top and inhaling the warm, musky smell of him all around me. Before I could ask Gregor something else to change the subject he spoke again.

“How do you know..?” Gregor asked slowly, trailing off and gazing out the transparisteel starshield at the cosmos he was still more than grateful to see. His light brown eyes blinked slowly, sighing as he fiddled with his hands in his lap. Sure, this particular brother was really very charming and handsome and smooth, but what he was asking was the same thing they all asked about. Love. 

What was it like? When do you know you feel it? How can you ever know when someone is yours?

“Oh…when did I know…it was him?” I replied, lifting my head from where it rested on my knees and back up toward Gregor.

“Yeah…h-how do you know when you’re in love like that? When did you feel that with my brother?” He asked, the careful longing words of a man who had probably never felt anything like what Rex and I had before.

I remembered it vividly. The lack of answers. From his comm, from the holonet, from Fox, from anyone I asked. Zygerria. That’s when I knew. 

“It was during a mission. A long one. Rex left for the Kadavo system, I didn’t know the details. He couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me. No news, good or bad, for nearly two full rotations. No one knew if he was alive or dead.” I shuddered as I recalled the few chilling details I’d managed to coax out of him.

Gregor’s eyes explored the changes in my body language, studying what realizing one was in love looked like.

“He was in an enslavement processing facility with General Kenobi. They tortured him. I know because I saw the scars. He couldn’t hide those. Not from me. I’d never seen injuries like that.” I gulped, still able to feel the scarring and his electrically burned skin under my fingertips. “But he came home to me. He ran to my apartment as soon as he could. Ran. He was in pain physically and mentally. Yet, I was all he thought about. I hugged him so tight I could feel his heart beating so fast. I just knew. The way we held each other. He’s everything to me. I would’ve taken that torture for him.”

“You’d do that? For a clone?” Gregor asked incredulously, like he’d never met a natural born person who had ever shown him that kind of equal care and treatment. I wasn’t surprised, but it still made me sad nonetheless.

“For a man.” I corrected, meeting his gaze with the same fierce one I showed during Senate meetings toward any of the life forms who dubbed them as less than human. “The man I love. That fear I felt not knowing where he was, if he was ok. I knew then that he was special. I wasn’t afraid that he couldn’t handle anything that came at him. I was afraid that he’d never make it back to learn how I felt. The second I started thinking about the kind of life I wanted to give him, the things I wanted for him before I worried about myself…I love him, Gregor.”

He looked out into hyperspace for a long time, quietly mulling over my words in his head. He didn’t speak, just adjusted in his chair and focused on breathing. Finally, he turned to me and huffed softly, “you’re the nicest nat born I’ve ever met. Didn’t know anyone outside the GAR talked about us clones like that. Like we matter. Thanks for that.”

I smiled and rested my hand on his forearm, the black duraweave fabric slick and new, like he hadn’t been in this piece long. Maybe it was new. But he didn’t look like a shiny or talk like one. Whatever happened to him, wherever he came from…he’d seen things. Enough to come to the realizations he had. “Don’t thank me for doing the bare minimum. It’s just the right thing to do.”

He smirked and shook his head, exploring my face like he might vaguely remember me from somewhere. “You’re really good for him, you know. He’s a soldier. A fucking great one, probably one of our best. He’d go down for what he believes in, to save others, if he didn’t have you. And he deserves better than a soldier’s life. We all do or…did. If we do come across others. If we want to convert some more defectors, the two of you are a pretty good promise of what life could be like if you leave the Empire, if you leave fighting behind.”

“I don’t think Rex will ever stop being a soldier. And I don’t think I will ever stop loving him for it. We both are as committed to the fight as we are to each other. I did work for the Senate, you know.”

“Men show you what they’re made of when they’re facing certain death.” Gregor giggled nervously, turning back to where Rex was sleeping down below us. “He won’t admit it. But Rex is braver than most, even amongst clones. In a way, death is the easier option. He endured pain and torture because surviving honored his loyalty to you. I’m not surprised. He’s…different. I don’t get why he never made Commander.”

“He did. Before…”

“Oh. That wasn’t in his file. Guess it never fully went through huh?”

“No. Let’s just say he’s lucky the Force is looking out for him.” I said, knowing full well I meant Ahsoka. About Rex mentioning how much he worried about her. I didn’t blame him. If things were as bad out there as they seemed, I hoped she had gone far away from the Empire’s presence. As far away as you could go.

“The Force isn’t the only one looking after him.” Gregor said suddenly, leaning over to dig in his bag for something. He pulled out a datapad and tapped into what looked like the Imperial holonet, his credentials luckily still working.

“What do you mean? Someone else inside knows he’s alive?” I asked, frantically running through every possible person in either of our lives who might have an inkling that we had survived. “Who?”

Gregor pulled up Rex’s file on the Imperial network, the same one Tech helped Rex and I hack into a few rotations ago. He was listed as missing in action, but presumed dead and the entire Siege of Mandalore wiped from his record. He was still Captain Rex, not Commander.

“Don’t know. But someone is covering his tracks. I know Rex said Senator Organa pulled a few strings for you, but I don’t think he’d be able to access military records. This had to be another clone.”

“Someone who knows Rex well enough to want to help him. That’s only a handful of brothers.” I stood up to grab the datapad that Tech gave us and walked directly into a groggy Rex. He had stripped down to only his black bottoms, with nothing covering the width of his rippling chest. I smirked remembering exactly why he was so tired and naked right now. His arms looped around my back and he nuzzled his face into my neck. “Did I tire you out, Captain?” I giggled, caressing the nape of his neck.

“Yes, mesh’la. How are you not exhausted?” He chuckled, placing soft kisses along my jaw as I let him lift me off my feet. He pulled back, staring at where Gregor sat waiting expectedly to finish our conversation. Rex smiled sheepishly, before setting me down and leaning on the arm of the pilot’s chair next to where I sat. “Sorry Gregor, what’s going on?”

Gregor giggled, flipping the datapad his direction and placing it in Rex’s hands. “One of our brothers has been cleaning up after you, Rex. Any ideas who?” Gregor ran his hand over his dark hair and down his chest, unclasping his armor.

Rex’s eyes glossed over the info on screen, his other hand thoughtfully scratching through the facial hair growing along his jaw. He hummed, tapping through the screens on the datapad and searching for any CT numbers who might’ve signed off on it.

I rested my head on his bicep, my eyes darting between his handsome, pensive face and the seemingly unlimited information at his fingertips now. Someone was looking out for us. One of the clones we probably both knew somehow. In my heart, I hoped it was Fox. I missed my friend. Bringing him caf in the morning, venting to him when I was missing Rex while he was gone, the numerous times he’d sent a Coruscant Guard detail to walk me home from a late night at the Senate building. I missed him so much and hoped he was alright.

“There’s nothing to indicate a clone has touched this, which meant they weren’t supposed to be doing this. It’s possible whoever this is has either removed the chip or is coming to their senses. They might want to get out. Maybe this is a sign?” Rex asked out loud, looking between Gregor and I for responses.

“Not sure I’d go that far, but you’re not wrong. These were changed against protocol. Any men of yours with a certain knack for breaking rules?” Gregor asked, subtly hinting to Rex that he absolutely read up on the 501st and their reputation for wreaking havoc to get results.

“All the men I really knew are gone, Gregor. I buried what was left of Torrent Company myself. The rest of the 501st serves the Empire now. I already checked. Every night I look up the names of every brother I can ever remember fighting with me. Most are only referred to as numbers now.” He sighed deeply, looking down at his boots and handing the datapad back to Gregor. “They’d consider me a traitor even if they did care I was alive. It’s not anyone from the 501st.”

“What about Fox?” I asked, watching Gregor’s eyes widen in shock. “He’d definitely notice I was missing from the Senate and go looking for me. Plus he knows about me and Rex.”

Gregor ran his hands over his face and bit his lip nervously. “I don’t want to scare you, but Fox is not the man you once knew. He works directly under Palpatine now. He was always beside him on our weekly training calls at the facility I escaped from. I don’t think he’d be able to break ranks without being noticed.”

My heart sank. Fox hated the Chancellor more than anyone. More than a few times he’d expressed annoyance at the constant running around and back breaking treatment he was subject to to please the man. Poor Fox always looked brow beaten and absolutely exhausted. I questioned him often, worrying that what he was going through was more than just being overworked. Yet, anytime I pressed him about the cuts or new bruises he wore, he denied any abuse and even lacked any recollection of the events that caused them. If that same Fox was blindly following the Emperor now, then that was indisputable proof that the chips were widespread and working properly at the highest of levels.

Rex felt my demeanor change and nudged my hand with his own, curling our fingers together on his thigh to reassure me. “So if not Fox, then who? Any word on the other major clone commanders? Did they all..?”

“Follow the order? No. Not all of them. Most of them, yes. But there was an issue within the 104th…”

“Wolffe’s men?” Rex asked, turning to look out at the hyperspace lane and calculating something in his mind. Probably trying to recall when the last time was that he saw Wolffe.

“They’re not Wolffe’s men anymore. Wolffe’s gone. Been MIA since the order was issued. Something happened. But Wolffe was one of the few clones who refused the order. He just wouldn’t do it. Last I heard he escaped custody while en route to the Citadel for processing.”

Rex grinned, chuckling softly to himself and sending the humming of his deep voice rippling through me. “Sounds like Wolffe, that stubborn dinii.”

I’d only met Commander Wolffe once. The interaction was…awkward to say the least. He wasn’t soft, supportive and nurturing like Rex was. He was very much the opposite; grumpy, domineering, demanding and closed off. Yet women threw themselves at him, which I wasn’t shy about pointing out. I figured he was too cocky, careless and impersonal. Needless to say, he did not like being stereotyped and cold shouldered me for the rest of the night.

But he had to have something sweet in there. His men worshipped him, his many (many) sexual partners raved about him to anyone who would listen and his General loved him like he was his own son. Rex swore he had a bigger heart than any of them, he just would never admit it.

“Wolffe’s probably in hiding somewhere. Could’ve been him messing around with the GAR records to protect me. He was always a good big brother like that.” Rex finally spoke, squeezing my hand a little tighter as he thought about how his older Commander class brothers took care of him like one of their own. Wolffe especially.

“I suppose. He’s been gone as long as you have though. Not sure his clearance codes would even work anymore. He was going to get reconditioned if he didn’t get away.”

I shuddered. The idea that the Republic consented to reconditioning clones who violated some kind of stupid law made my blood boil. The morally right thing, at least as far as law breaking went, was to send them to prison to answer for what they did. Instead, they erased their memories and reset them like they were a droid with a bad motivator or a starship past its prime. It was dehumanizing and vile. The thought of someone as esteemed, talented and valiant as Commander Wolffe being subject to that. It was just so cruel and unthinkable.

I stroked Rex’s bicep and hummed softly, “Baby? What about Cody?” I sat up, reaching for the pad in Gregor’s hands. “He was your best friend. He would do anything to protect you.” I typed his info into the Imperial database and his file popped up instantly. Yet something about his record was different than the others we looked at. Marshall Commander Cody was still in high command within the Empire. His file included a list of accolades and achievements post-order 66.

“Cody..” Rex sighed, reading the info in his file and cringing. “It says here that he successfully executed the order. He’s as involved in the Empire as any of them.”

“My commando unit worked alongside the 212th. He was the CO we were closest with…last I heard he was arguing with Imperial command about poor strategy. Yeah he was one of them, but he didn’t seem…thrilled to be there.” Gregor thought aloud, looking over mission photos on the pad with me.

While Cody looked menacing and cold in the photos, the look in his eyes told a very different story. He looked dejected, detached, distant, and not at all the driven, focused and charming commander we all knew him to be. The look of deep pain and regret, I knew that look. I knew because I saw it in Fox every day for years. It was something that the average person, who didn’t really pay the clones any attention, would never notice.

“It was him. Cody is the one who did it. Look at him Rex..” I ghosted my fingertips underneath the deep set brown eyes and glanced at Rex with exasperation written all over my face. “Really look at him.”

“He’s miserable. I see it. But why would he do this? As far as he knows, I died in the Tribunal crash with the rest of my men.” Rex reasoned, massaging his temples between his thumb and middle finger and sighing.

“Maybe he doesn’t know anything, but he’s holding out hope you survived and is trusting that you’re missing right now for a good reason.” Gregor turned back to the ship's dashboard and checked the navicomputer. “Changing your file around is a pretty good way to signal you subtly. He’s at least thinking about you. That’s not normal behavior for a clone with a functioning chip.”

As Gregor worked on checking on the ship, Rex turned to me and rested his forehead on mine. “Mesh’la…if there’s even a chance he might need our help we have to go.” His brows furrowed as he concentrated on all the thoughts of strategy and success rates of a rescue mission this risky in his head.

I leaned forward and kissed his lips softly, resting my palm on his chest and stroking his curling hair between my fingers. “Of course we do.” I whispered as I pulled back, brushing my cheek against his as I slid down into his lap. His hands gripped my sides and rubbed up my back soothingly.

“I know you must be tired of running and missions…and I’m sorry. I wish it was easier. That we could run away. But I can’t stop being who I am. If we could save Cody, he could help us fight back.” He rambled excitedly, hopefully, and with all that fiery determination lighting up in him. That passion in him that I loved and admired so much.

“Don’t ever apologize, Rex. I’m by your side. For all of it. We’re doing this together. Just tell me what you need me to do, baby. How can we find him? Where do we start?” I cooed, watching a gentle and grateful smile cross his face.

“Imperial Inspectorate HQ on Coruscant. Imperial chatter says all clone commanders are to report there for a briefing in 0600 hours. Cody should be there.”

“Imperial Inspec…what? Never heard of it.” Rex exclaimed, the puzzled look on his face signaling the fact that so much had already changed in the former Republic and he’d only been gone a few months.

“It was formerly the Republic Center for Military Operations. Place should be familiar to you…your Commander almost blew the place up.” Gregor giggled, adjusting the ship’s steering and turning off autopilot as the navicomputer signaled we’d be arriving soon.

I knew he was referring to the incident that led to Ahsoka leaving the order. The bombing she was framed for. The Military Ops Center was where they held political prisoners and Jedi, in a pinch. Ahsoka had been one of the first lifeforms to ever escape and it did not go unnoticed by anyone exactly how she’d done it. Clones were killed the night she got away and anyone outside the 501st was not quick to forget it.

Even though Rex and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was innocent, not many others understood what happened that night. Barriss Offee was said to have been the actual perpetrator of all of it. She admitted it in open proceedings in front of Jedi and Senators. Ahsoka was acquitted of all charges, but many, even clones, felt she had some hand in the incident. Her closeness with Barriss and the lack of hard evidence that a second force user was present the night the clones were killed led conspiracy theories about her to run rampant on the holonet.

That was only one of the many reasons Ahsoka left. Rex and I knew her heart and trusted her word the way we did our lives. How could we not? She’d saved Rex from a terrible fate and risked her own safety to bring us together as we were now.

Rex and I looked at each other and said in unison, “That’s not what happened.” Gregor raised his hands in surrender and grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, bad joke?” He turned back toward the view before us as the ship dropped out of hyperspace and the familiar sight of my home planet loomed large ahead. “Whatever happened to her anyway? She…wasn’t technically a Jedi. You certainly don’t seem like you executed the order, Cap..” Gregor eyed us both suspiciously, like he could tell there was something unspoken between us that we weren’t telling him. It was a little too soon for us to know if we could trust him with something that secret.

“That’s a long story…for another time Gregor.” Rex replied, standing up to turn the chair around and slide in as the ship’s copilot. “Besides, we’re here and we need a plan. How the hell are we going to get into an Imperial prison?”

“Carefully.” Gregor replied with that signature clone smirk and eased us into Coruscant’s crowded transport lane, behind rows of waiting starcruisers, liners and ships alike.

I sighed, looking between the two brothers lost in thought while they navigated the ship into its landing cycle and groaned, “we’re breaking into an Imperial Prison, aren’t we?”

“Yep, definitely.” They replied, Rex turning to look at me with an apologetic shrug and Gregor a defiant wink.

I settled back into the dropdown chair that we’d never had to open before now and slid my pack into my lap, looking through its contents to take stock of what else we might need. “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid you’d say.”

–-

If the state of Coruscant was any indicator as to how the galaxy was doing under the new Empire, then I was afraid to see what other less wealthy planets might look like now. The entire planet was covered in military personnel, the flashing lights of Coruscant Guard transports tailing every new ship that entered the atmosphere.

We were lucky Gregor knew how to scramble our ship’s signature quickly or we would never have been permitted to enter the lower levels. There was no way in hell two renegade clones would’ve made it past security checkpoints on the surface level. Our old pirate freighter looked passable enough to be just a simple supply ship importing goods from off-world.

Rex somehow knew of a safe platform to land on and hide our ship and we were off, stalking around the Coruscant underworld on foot until we found the Imperial Inspectorate HQ. Or rather their sewage drain pipes leading out of the massive facility.

One good whiff of the lovely entryway had me seriously second guessing how much trouble we’d get into if we just knocked on the door instead. “We really have to go in this way?” I whined, scrunching my nose as our boots padded into the echoing metallic pipe.

Rex chuckled, flicking on his helmet’s light source and holding his beloved dual blaster pistols up for protection. “...unless you’ve got a better idea, cyar'ika…” He nodded me forward, the blue jaig eyes on his helmet looking eerily similar to the way his eyes scrunched up in amusement whenever he smirked at my lack of field experience.

“Place is a dump…” Gregor laughed, fitting himself with one of the spare blasters our ship’s former owners left in our bunk. “Get it?” He pointed to the ruddy water passing by our boots while we inched deeper into the bowels of the prison.

“Oh brother…” Rex scoffed, letting me walk ahead of him slightly with his lights leading the way now. I drew my own blaster from inside my leather coat pocket and pulled the hood of my cloak up to protect myself from the mystery liquid dripping down on top of my head. Gregor and I weren’t afforded the luxury of helmets like Rex was.

“Fives would’ve loved you.” I giggled, picking up the pace slightly as the first crossroads in the drainage system appeared up ahead.

“And if we ever do actually find Cody he’d probably slap you for that.” Rex shook his bucket and jumped over a particularly filthy pool of sludge before grabbing onto my shoulder to steady himself. “Bad enough we have to even come back onto this overcrowded, scrap pile of a planet. These lower levels were always miserable.”

I punched Rex’s shoulder pauldron softly, “hey! I came from this miserable lower level, remember?” I smirked up into his dark visor, giving him a warning teasing look that I knew he wouldn’t miss.

He rubbed his shoulder, feigning a more serious injury and looked down at me, “you were always the only fucking thing worthwhile on this planet.” I opened my mouth in shock, expecting to have to rebut, but instead closing it to smile as my face blushed. He shouldered me forward gently, stopping to rest his hand on the metallic side wall of the underground tunnel.

“If you two are done with the trip down memory lane, you might want to look up.” Gregor rolled his eyes, directing our attention to a high-up deposit point with a ladder that extended only halfway down the shaft. “That’s our way in.”

I looked up with calculated intrigue and scowled as I tried to figure out how the hell I’d ever make it up there. “Unless you think I’ve mysteriously gained jedi abilities overnight, there’s no way I could jump that high.” I waved my arms wildly, watching Gregor and Rex exchange glances.

“Angel, I could lift twice your weight with one hand. Rex and I could definitely give you a boost.” Gregor explained, flashing a toothy grin and smoothing his hand over his now wet hair. He flexed his biceps and stretched, motioning for us both to stand beside him. I took a deep breath and stepped into where they joined hands, looking up at the small opening I needed to catch onto.

On the count of three, they hurled me upwards, sending me up the tube with perfect aim. I scrambled in mid air like a distressed tooka until I felt my palms latch onto the second lowest rung on the ladder. I clamped down tightly, using all my upper body strength to reach for the next step and the next. My dangling feet finally found purchase on the bottom rung and I looked down for the first time, Rex and Gregor’s heads both cocked in amazement up at me.

“Well don’t just stare..c'mon let’s go.” I hissed, walking up the ladder toward the entry hatch, probably magnetically sealed above us. In an instant, Rex was behind me, the familiar touch of his gloved hand supporting my back. I kept crawling forward, my face now only inches away from the access panel.

“How are we going to get past the access panel without an astromech, Gregor?” Rex asked, hurling his body to the side to allow Gregor a place to grab onto. The sound of clattering armor beneath me meant Gregor had finally joined us and left the filthy drainage tube behind, for good hopefully.

“I mean…we can’t just blast it…either of you know anything about overrides?” Gregor cringed, looking between Rex and I and only finding scowls.

I thought about the many things I shoved into my pack before I remembered. I had an old droid spike that I took with me from the Senator cruiser I stole. “Rex, open my pack. I think I packed an old droid spike in there. Probably from a rusty old C1 mech, but it should work right?”

I felt Rex fishing around in my bag, until he found what I was talking about and whooped softly behind me. “Look at you…being all clever.” He handed the spike to me and returned his hand to a place a little bit lower on my backside.

“This is all well and good, babe, but what the hell am I supposed to do with it? I don’t really know how to hack anything.” I stared at the old, rusty metal part in my hands and then at the access port in the wall. I thought back to the very last time I’d ever seen one of these droids use this. I guess if you just put it in and felt around for the lock mechanisms, you could probably figure it out, right?

Gregor opened his mouth to speak, only to quiet again as I pushed the spike in and turned until I felt the gears clicking in a way that just felt right. I repeated the action over and over until the doors above our heads whooshed open.

“Stars- I fucking did it…” I laughed, removing the spike and gripping it in my teeth as I hauled myself further up the tube and through the opening quickly. The room I entered was filled with junk and spare parts, probably not far from an incinerator room. Luckily we chose the right door.

I looked around in the dimly lit room for any security droids or scanners in the room, but didn’t see anything. The Empire, and especially fellow clones, should know better than to leave any room, even the junk unattended.

“How’s it looking up there?” Gregor called up as Rex hurled himself up in a flip over my head and landed surprisingly quietly on two feet. I blinked in shock, for some reason stunned at my biologically superior boyfriend’s athletic prowess in action.

“Looking pretty good…” I grinned, stepping closer to Rex who was scanning the room with his helmet. I rested my hand on his bicep and waited for him to finish his scan before he tore his helmet off to wipe the muddy water off the front of it. “Very good.” I insisted, pushing up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He smiled shyly, the lightest flush coloring his cheeks. He twirled his blasters in his hands and pocketed them in one motion.

In another second, Gregor was beside us in the center of the room. The blast doors before us weren’t sealed and didn’t require shotty mech work to get through them. “I take it we’re good to move forward with the plan?”

The plan. Or whatever we could scrape together that resembled a plan. First step was to the intelligence center to find out if there was anyone in this prison that we might want to free. Our clone friends, political prisoners or even Jedi. Second step was to find out where the Commander’s meet up point was happening and intercept Cody if we could find him.

The biggest problem was that the whole plan was contingent on a ton of If’s. If we could hack into the network and get the intel. If there was anyone here we’d want to free and how we’d do it. If there was even a supposed Commander’s Conference here at all. Maybe this was all just a trap.

“Ready as we’ll ever be I guess.” I groaned, drawing my blaster and stepping toward the doors. Before I could move, I was pulled backward, spinning around into Rex’s arms. Both his hands cupped my face and he pressed his lips to mine, kissing me so passionately I felt my legs wobbling and my mind blanking. He pulled away, resting his forehead on mine.

“For luck?” I muttered, brushing his cheekbone with my thumb. He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, his lips curling into a content smile.

“For love. We don’t need luck.” Rex replied, his weighted palms easing down my shoulders and patting my ass to motion us forward with Gregor rolling his eyes behind us.

“Saps.” He muttered, pulling his cloak over his face as we entered the hallway. I shrugged and pulled my own hood up, following Gregor’s lead as Rex brought up the rear.

“We should probably find better disguises.” I mentioned, moving swiftly down the empty, gray hallways of the dark prison. There was very little light in the hallways, which only helped us, but was intended to keep prisoner’s from knowing the difference between night and day. An especially miserable form of torture.

“Don’t think we’d be able to find stormtrooper armor small enough for you, angel. Not unless this prison happens to have any cadets hanging around.” Gregor commented, bolting quickly around a corner and into a hallway filled with cell block doors.

“Well they certainly wouldn’t have cadets covering the detention block.” I hissed, looking down the long corridor at rows and rows of cells probably filled with people I stood by and supported for years. “Where’s the network room, Gregor?”

“Down the end of this corridor to the left. Hopefully we can find at least some kind of helmet, so I can get away with being an escort to you two. I prefer that to sneaking around.” His eyes flitted into the few small openings of each cell block door we passed, trying to get a glimpse of whoever might be inside.

Shouts from behind the doors increased as each prisoner on the detention level heard us outside and, judging by the things we were saying, could tell we were not Imperials. I could almost sense Rex’s apprehension, hoping to every star system in the galaxy that we didn’t hear Ahsoka’s voice from behind one of these doors. Even though we could more than use her help right now.

Suddenly, blast doors on the right side of the hallway opened and two sharply dressed troopers stopped dead in their tracks. I froze on sight, all the training and tips I learned to fight back going right out the window. “Hey! No visitors allowed in the Detention Level. What are you doing down here?” The two voices spoke, the familiar sound of their brother’s voices making both Rex and Gregor sigh with regret.

The two shinies approached the two men who far outranked them no matter what army they served under. “Just wanted to see what you’ve done with the place. Been a minute since I’ve seen the inside here.” Rex scoffed, leaning up against the wall and tearing down the flag of the Empire from its fixture in the metal wall to look at it in his hands.

Following Rex’s lead, I improvised, “Is that any way to speak to a Commanding Officer, boys? What kind of strength does our Empire have if you cannot respect your chain of command?” I chided, straightening up and doing my best Senator’s impression, something I’d gotten good at after working alongside them for so long.

Gregor straightened up and waited for the men to salute as they should. “We’re here for the Commander’s Briefing.” He stated plainly, like a directive. Nobody moved.

The shinies looked at each other in confusion and then up and down at us. “If you’re both Commander’s then where are your uniforms?” They both raised their blasters thinking they had us. Slyly, Rex traced his hands down to his holsters on either side, trying not to draw attention to himself. With both hands on the hilts of each blaster pistol, he whipped them out as fast as I’d ever seen and raised them to their faces.

With a deep growl of contempt, Rex’s graveled voice spat, “You’re wearing them.” and blasted the both of them with blue stun blasts. The men collapsed in a heap and Gregor snorted at their stupidity.

“That was good, Rex. Now let’s drag them down the hall to the network room, so we can change.”

Gregor and Rex dragged their two unfortunate brothers down to the network room at the end of the hallway. With everyone getting ready for a large briefing upstairs, the room was unguarded save for a few droids milling about. The network console in the center of the room flashed the unmistakable signet of the Empire while waiting to boot up for the next user.

I searched the dash for a place to input a security key and froze at the realization that my Senate staff clearance code might not work anymore. Gregor, who was now fully suited up in a Commander’s formal grays, stepped up beside me.

“What are you waiting for? Type in your codes. You had access as a Republic Senate staffer, right?”

“Yes,” I stated, moderately annoyed at his constant questioning. “I’m just not sure how good they’ll be. Senator Organa said he transferred me to his personal staff, I’m not sure if the codes needed to be renewed or something.” I rubbed my arm nervously, pulling up the aurebesh keyboard and plugging in the passwords I’d used a thousand times before.

Rex stepped up beside me, leaning his now ungloved hands on the table and nodding me forward. “Guess we’ll just have to find out. Worse comes to worse…we run.” He shrugged, the gray uniform broadening his shoulders even more than normal. It really was a fucking shame he was never promoted to Commander. Everything about the uniform, the position of power, his brilliant strategic mind suited him. Except for the hat, which hid too much of the blonde locks that made him stand out amongst his brothers and that I personally loved so much.

At his usual smirk of encouragement, I confirmed my password and waited the agonizing seconds it took to load the all clear entry signal. We all held our breath, exhaling at once when the monotone beep confirmed we’d gotten in. My codes came through.

“Thank the fucking Force.” Gregor sighed in relief, his light eyes panning over the info scrolling across the screen. The info about the conference popped up almost instantly and I reached forward to select a running log of who had checked in already. The list of registered attendees had small green indicators next to the CT numbers of troopers who had already reported in and red indicators next to those who had not.

“What’s Cody’s CT number?” I asked, running my eyes down a list noticeably shorter than I’d guessed it would be.

“CC-2224.” Rex stated without a second thought, his own eyes scanning through the numbers too. “Commander class.” Each Commander had their original Kaminoan ID holo displayed along with a long record of their military achievements and former battalion number. Most didn’t look all that different from the GAR’s usual files. Almost as if they hadn’t been touched since.

Finally, my finger hovered over the number we were looking for and I pulled up the file. This file was completely different. The list of accolades accumulated here were far more recent than those of the clones we’d already seen and the hologram of Cody before us wasn’t of him in his original phase armor like the others. This Cody was donning stormtrooper armor and standing beside none other than Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin.

“Admiral Tarkin?” Rex scowled, taken aback at the info laid out before him. “I rescued him from the Citadel years ago. Last I saw him was at Ahsoka’s trial. And he wasn’t on our side.” He huffed, the muscles in his jaw tensing as anger broiled up inside him.

“Looks like Cody was promoted. He serves directly under Governor Tarkin now. And they’re due to arrive today. Could be here already.” Gregor thought aloud, realizing this info hadn’t been updated since the night before.

Both Gregor and Rex looked at each other and then turned to me. “We’ve got to go look for him upstairs. He could be here right now.” Rex exclaimed, clearly distressed and looking at me as if he needed my permission. I knew what it really meant though. If they had any shot at finding him, they’d both have to go up into the briefing without me. Meaning we had to separate, which was the absolute last thing Rex and I ever wanted to do. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, gripping the holotable for stability.

If he left me here and something happened, neither of us could ever forgive ourselves. We promised each other we’d never separate for any reason. Never. For some reason, the crushing weight of fear was collapsing down on top of me all at once and it was taking everything in me not to cry.

He realized instantly what I must’ve been thinking and his hands wrapped around my waist, hugging me to him. “Don’t worry, ok? We’ll be fine.” He assured me, running his hand through my hair and kissing my forehead. I kept my eyes closed because if I opened them, I’d start crying and he’d never leave.

“Meet back here in an hour.” Gregor stated, turning on his brand new black boots and walking off to let us have some privacy.

“Go.” I whispered softly, slowly pushing him off me. “Be safe. And keep your comm channel open. I want to be in constant contact with you.” I felt his fingertips grazing my forearms as he slipped away, following Gregor’s footfalls back into the hallway.

“We’ll blend right in. I love you. I’ll be back for you, mesh’la. Promise.” He called out, the words echoing as he faded away.

“I love you too. I’ll see you soon.” I called out after him quietly, opening my eyes to an empty room filled only with the beeping and droning of binary droids and mechs working.

“Not if I see you first.” His voice suddenly rang out over my comm and I jumped, not expecting a response. I just laughed softly to reply, turning back to the holotable and starting to scroll through any other info I could find on the Imperial holonet now that I was here.

The Detention Block was surprisingly not filled with anyone I recognized, no Senator’s, former Republic or Separatist, and certainly no Jedi. This made this impromptu rescue mission of ours just a little bit easier. Having to make only one pick up was less risky than breaking a prisoner out and running them back through the sewage drain systems.

I checked in on the whereabouts of my friends and colleagues, none of them seeming to even show up at all, much less cause any incidents for the Empire. Which was actually somewhat disappointing. The friends I knew should be standing up to oppression like this, not cowering as it took over the entire galaxy.

I suppose not everyone was ever as bothered about the state of the world as I was. Most people I had worked with, even some of my friends, were from well off upper or surface level families who got into the Senate for the cushy job benefits, the off-world travel and the prestige. Though they were sympathetic to the suffering of others, they didn’t know it. Not like I had. Growing up with barely enough to survive in the Coruscant lower levels was a hard upbringing and seeing the upper level Senators doing such amazing work on billboards and online seemed like a decent way out.

Little did I know most of it was an act. Nearly every Senator not associated with Bail or Padme was a blood sucking leech on Republic society. Either profiting off of the suffering of their own people or secretly funding the very exhaustive war. At least I was helping expose and rid the underworld of actual crime. The lack of decency around me only made me want to push harder to get into an important role in the Senate. Which all seemed for nothing now. I was right back where I started, a scrappy underdog in a battle for something far bigger than myself. Ironic. Maybe it was always meant to be this way.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something interesting. A number. CT-9904. I wracked my brain trying to remember where I’d seen it. Then it dawned on me. The Bad Batch. Wrecker had this number etched onto his chest plate next to all the other boys.

I opened the file and up popped a pretty menacing looking Crosshair, the only member of the batch I hadn’t met. The file was filled with details on something called Project War Mantle. I tried to open it, but the entire project was sealed. However, the notes on each individual mission log were not. I played the first one and it was someone by the name of Vice Admiral Rampart noting the effects of chip removal on Crosshair.

“Most clones we tested the chip removal on showed dangerous and erratic behavior and were terminated. CT-9904’s chip removal has been an outlier. He exhibits total loyalty to the Empire with no undesirable effects and has forsaken his old squad and the Republic completely.”

“Interesting findings. And what of the testing of the termination order?”

Tarkin’s voice. Without a doubt.

“On those we tested, it has been successful, but CT-9904’s leadership skills are proving useful. His unyielding belief in the Empire seems to be keeping remaining clone troopers in line.”

“Excellent news. Would be a shame to let such superior soldiers go to waste. But need I remind you, Vice Admiral, that if there is even a whisper of dissent or rebellion amongst the remaining troopers, I am on strict orders from our Emperor to move forward with the eradication procedure. Ensure that CT-9904 plays into our hands and follows instructions or you and your vision for our Empire will receive the same fate as the rest of the former Republic’s army.”

“Yes, understood, Sir. Thank you, Governor Tarkin.”

I gulped, shutting off the audio recordings and scrolling through the list of clones, human men, who had participated in the trials. Nearly all of them were marked as terminated. The select few that had passed rigorous loyalty tests were now identified as In Training and multiple holorecordings of clones suited in black armor like I’d never seen before were undergoing what looked like torture tests.

Each man watched as simulations of civilians cried out for help while Galactic Empire propaganda played overhead. The men who caved to the cries for help were dragged aside while the ones unaffected sat unmoving and glossy-eyed, like they were in some sort of trance. The screams on the recording were not just civilians either. In the background, voices exactly like my Rex’s were crying out for help too.

The clones in the experiment were being repeatedly taught to leave any fallen troopers behind. A sentiment that was against everything the men I knew ever stood for.

I shut it off, rubbing the tears from my eyes and jamming a holodisk in the projector. This was evidence and Bail needed to see it. Needed the atrocities I saw to be confirmed to prove to the Rebellion that the clones needed to be saved. That no man, nat-born or otherwise, should ever be subject to the indoctrination and brutality I just saw.

I shuddered imagining what Rex would’ve done if he saw that. I hoped to all the stars in the galaxy he’d never have to.

The holodisk ejected back into my hand and I stuffed it into my pack. All I could think about was getting out of there with the evidence, and Rex and Gregor, safely. The sight of all those innocent clones being brainwashed further, the idea that Crosshair was supporting it willingly, Tarkin’s threats to kill them all if they found evidence of clones rebelling. There was too much at stake for just the three of us to deal with alone.

No, the Rebellion had to know. The Senators, with whatever power they had left, had to listen to this. Listen to us.

I stood up, spinning around to head out of the room and toward the drainage pipe entrance we came from when I ran directly into another lifeform, hard.

“Hi Sunshine…”

Suddenly, I was face to face with the bright red helmet of one of my dear friends. Commander Fox.

I stood wide-eyed, looking up into the black visor where I knew the eyes of my friend should recognize me. “Fox…” I muttered breathlessly, reaching for his chest plate and getting almost close enough to touch it. A black glove shot up and gripped my wrist roughly.

“Senator’s aren’t permitted down here. And certainly aren’t permitted to do what you were doing.” He spat, the cool, sarcastic and witty tone that I was accustomed to completely gone from his voice, just like it had been the day the Order was activated. “You fucking traitor.”

“Fox…this isn’t who you are. You’re being used. There’s a chip in your brain. In every clone-” I began to explain slowly and gently.

He tugged me forward into his chest and glared down at me. “This is exactly who I am. This is what I was born to be.”

I scowled up at him, “No, Fox. This is what they made you to be. It’s not who you are. He took that choice away from you. Just like he tortured you before.”

He shook me and let out a chilling and sick laugh, “You should never have come here. Because I know exactly who you are. And I know why you came. There’s nothing you can do to stop the Empire. You’re coming with me, Sunshine. My brother can’t save you now.”

Before I could even think about turning to run, he stunned me and all the lights went out.

–-

Everything was fuzzy. I groaned softly, a numbing pain all over my body and finding myself barely able to move. I blinked repeatedly, the fog in my eyes starting to dissipate. I was in a dark cell, my body shoved onto a flat platform with nothing but a small sink for water in the corner. I struggled to stand, my knees wobbling as I stepped forward. Just as I moved toward the sink, my cell doors slid open.

Fox stepped into my cell with the hum of an Interrogation droid following behind him. He didn’t look any different, but his demeanor was all wrong. There was nothing about him I recognized. No warmth, no jokes to cope with his pain, no quiet compliments. He was stone cold, focused and terrifying. My mind rushed toward Rex and Gregor, praying they weren’t found out, even if I was. He stalked toward me, my weak knees collapsing underneath me and I fell on the floor in a heap.

“Where is he?” Fox boomed, standing over me with his fists held behind his back. “Where is CT-7567?”

“Dead. He’s fucking dead.” I lied, pushing the very real tears I wanted to cry for an entirely different reason forward and coughing. I pushed myself up to my knees in front of him and glared up at him with what I hoped looked like the most misery I could ever muster. “How dare you ask me about him.”

Without a word, Fox knelt down before me, his helmet face to face with mine. He raised his hand to my jaw and squeezed, turning my face from side to side. He tutted menacingly, “I’m not asking. I’m ordering.” He let go and shoved me back, “Don’t lie to me, cyar’ika. I know you too well. You’d be a fucking mess without him. You wouldn’t have any fight left in you if he really was gone.”

“Then you don’t know me as well as you think, Fox.” Fox waved the Interrogation droid forward and started to corner me.

“Well…if you won’t talk to an old friend, then I guess I’ll have to make you.” He hissed angrily, as I shuffled away from him, with nowhere to go but the corner I woke up in. I scrambled against the cold metal wall, wishing I had something, anything I could use to fight him off with. My bare hands would be useless; all the clones were just too strong for me.

And I couldn’t hurt him anyway. Somewhere inside was my friend and it wasn’t his fault this was happening to him. It was the chip. The Fox I knew seemed completely lost to it. He was out of his mind and beyond his own control. All I could think to do was try to jog his memory.

As the Interrogation droid closed in I cried out, “Fox, please. Don’t. You know how this feels. I know you do.” Fox stopped, holding out his hand and keeping the droid hovering over his shoulder. “When he used to make you fight for him and you’d come to me bruised and bleeding…I helped you. Do you remember, Fox?”

He muttered quietly, “that’s- I don’t answer to that name anymore. I’m CC-1010.” His hands were balling up in fists, like Rex’s did when he was fighting anger or fear inside. His arms were shaking like he was trying with all his might to fight off the urge to follow an order he didn’t want to obey.

I crawled toward him, slowly and calmly whispering, “yes, you do. You’re Fox. You’re my friend. 

I care about you. I helped you when he did things to you that hurt…things that you couldn’t remember.”

Fox shuddered, his head lolling and his gaze falling to the floor, “m-milk and two…two sugars. You like it..sweet.”

I slowly stood up, nodding as tears brimmed in my eyes. “Yes, Fox. M-my caf order. You like yours black or however you can get it.” He stood motionless, his shoulders rising and falling as he did nothing but shake and breathe. Carefully, I reached up, placing my hands on the rim of his bucket and pulling it off him. The sight before me shattered me into pieces. The same gut wrenching pain I felt when I saw Rex for the first time after the Order.

His hair was a graying, curly mess, frazzled and unkempt. His cheeks, chin and forehead were covered in cuts, bruises and what looked like shock marks. As if he was hit with a bolt of lightning. Maybe several. He always looked tired, but this time was different. The dark circles under his eyes were deep and purple, combining with a black and blue shiner over his left eye to make it look like he hadn’t slept in months.

But his eyes themselves frightened me most. Normally warm and kind in the face of unspeakable cruelty, his pupils were dark and gloomy. Yet, they were dilating, the deep amber fading in and out constantly. He wasn’t looking at me. He wasn’t looking at the ground. It’s like he was far away, drifting in and out of consciousness.

I rested my palm on his cheek, the way I always did to connect with him when he needed it before. To wake him from the daily nightmare he lived under the Chancellor’s orders. The vulnerability, the need for softness and care. That was Fox. The way I knew he really was. The way I seemed to be making him recall.

“Fox…what did he do to you? Talk to me, I can help you. But…you have to let me go.” I offered, wiping the dripping tears off my cheeks. His eyes slowly traveled up my frame in front of him, the pupils narrowing and opening over and over. He blinked hard like he was trying to clear a fog from his eyes. Finally, his eyes met mine, blankly gazing at me and cocking his head like the right thing to do, who he really was, sat just out of reach.

“H-help-” He muttered so softly it was barely audible before suddenly his eyes darkened again and his frayed brows furrowed at me touching him. His painfully forceful grip latched underneath my arms and he lifted my entire body off the ground, pushing me roughly onto the platform. The Interrogation droid buzzed as Fox moved aside, motioning his directive with two fingers pointed on me. “Scan her for base vitals and then put her under.”

The droid’s red scanner ran over my body quickly, calculating all the information it was gathering as it floated toward me with the anesthetic needle ready. “NO! FOX! PLEASE DON’T!” I pleaded, fighting and kicking him, but unable to move him away from restraining me. The droid beeped to signal the scan was complete and rattled off my vital information.

Fox just growled as I fought as hard as I could. He was probably hoping I’d tire myself out soon. The droid inched closer until I was backed into the cool, metal corner of the room again, the outstretched needle inches away from pricking the side of my neck. “Tell me where he is, sunshine. No use struggling, you won’t win.” The sinister tone of his words made me sick, my stomach roiling and flipping in knots in a way I’d never felt before. The overwhelming need to puke from the stress of the situation, the fear of the unknown and who knows what else.

I felt a slight prick and a searing heat cascading through my bloodstream, the noise of the droid's mechanical voice echoing in my ears.

“Species. Human. Type. Female. Temperature rising. Heart rate slowing.”

My vision was fading again, the darkness of unconsciousness circling tighter and tighter until I could barely see anymore.

“How much longer?” Fox’s gruff voice demanded impatiently.

“Heart rate level adequate for interrogation. You may begi- Warning. Warning. Warning. Additional lifeform reading detected. Additional lifeform reading detected.”

“Piece of shit clanker. There’s no one else here, but me. Re-scan.” He shouted.

“Rescanning….Rescanning…Rescan Complete. Additional lifeform is detected internally. Age approximation 8 weeks.”

No. 

It…it can’t be. 

I tried to cry out, but the drugs were too strong. 

8 weeks ago. On Saleucami. Only 2 days after the Order.

“What?” Fox said incredulously.

“Biometric Parental Genetic Match Found. Paternal Match. 50% Jango Fett. Species. Human. Shall we continue the Interrogation, Sir?”

And now he knows. They all will know. I gave him up without even trying.

“Well, well, well…the Captain lives. Looks like we’ll have much to discuss when you wake up.”

And with that I went out.

–-

Mando’a translation note:

dinii = lunatic

NOTES: sorry for the long wait…summer time is busy and work has been a nightmare. but i'm here now :) and more exciting stuff soon :)<3 I love all of my readers so much and I cannot thank you enough for your support in helping me love and find writing again

taglist (please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed):

@literallydontlook @moonstrider9904 @thefact0rygirl @pinkiemme @galacticgraffiti @queenquazar @ashotofspotchka @kaminocasey @fett-djarin @zinzinina @pedropascalsx @captainrexi @starwarsmeninhelmets @rexandechosandwich

[ominouspuff]

Downtime with the disaster lineage

[varpusvaras]

After rescuing Leia from the Death Star and getting back to the Rebel base:

Rex: .....

Cody: What are you thinking about?

Rex: I'm just- there's just something really familiar about her

Cody: Who? The Princess?

Rex: Yeah! It's like- I swear at several points it feels like I'm talking to a miniature Fox

Cody: ........now that you say it-

Leia, in the distance: What are you?

Han, muffled: .....an idiot sandwich

Leia: Correct. Now stay out of my way, or I'm going to put you onto the menu!

Cody:

Rex: It's uncanny

Cody, wholly starting to believe in reincarnation: Yeah

Rex: Cody I'm scared

[foxprints]

After months of waiting patiently I'm FINALLY able to post my contribution to the @rexsokazine !! I'm incredibly honored to have been invited to participate in this zine as a guest artist.

Everyone running the event was so kind and understanding and I'm very grateful for that, especially given the fact that I had one thing after another happen last year. Thank you guys for such a good experience 💛 and thanks to all of the other participants for helping to make such a gorgeous final product!! 😍

[chocomars]

i can be your angle….or yuor devil

based on this post

[weregonnabecoolbeans]

Me: Why do i love making myself sad by thinking about the clones and order 66 and the jedi so much?

Also me: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is my favourite movie of all time.

[kometqh]

𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐀 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

Captain Rex x Reader Every waking moment you had to yourself, you spent on trying to remember. To remember his touch. His voice, his warmth. His face and his eyes. But how could you when after so many years it's become nothing but a blur? And each time you're close, each time your mind drags back pieces of the puzzle together, you're interrupted. Word Count: 1,462 Warnings: Angst A/N: This idea came to me whilst listening to Once Upon A Dream from Sleeping Beauty and I couldn't help myself but vomit words onto screen, I hope whoever reads this enjoys this because I loved the idea TT

The city lights from below twinkled and burned brightly like the stars in the dark sky above. A miniscule smile rested atop your lips, a familiar gleam sparkling in your irises.

The cold autumn breeze flew past you, ruffling your unruly hair into an even more so, larger mess. 

A blue, old scarf a size too big hugged and entangled your shoulders, floating up and down with the cold. Your fingers twiddled with the loose threads, feeling the coarse material between the pads of your fingers. It was a gift from him. The man from your dreams. 

You used to love him. You used to miss him. You used to wait for him.

You used to walk with him,

Once upon a dream.

His hands used to be warm, his gaze so smitten. 

That look in his eyes, was so familiar a dream.

His voice used to be so soft, his touch so tender. 

Those visions of him, you knew they were seldom true.

His embrace endearing, his kisses slow and passionate, as though you were the most delicate flower he had ever the pleasure of finding. 

His love was your hope, like that of a sprouting seedling in a vast desert. His scent was your calm, like the sound of rain pattering against glass. His voice a lullaby to your dreams.

And now all you had left of him was the old, scruffy, pale blue scarf. 

And you loved it as much as you loved him and he loved you.

The faint scent of his cheap cologne still lingered. You had done your best to find the brand, but failed. How hard was it to find the same exact cheap cologne? Very, you had come to realise.  

The Empire destroyed everything. It took him away, it destroyed his memory.

"Y/n?" His voice asked, but it wasn't his voice. This one had a husky timbre to it, as though he hadn't felt anything but the familiar burn of a cigar against his lips in a long time. It wasn't the same.

"Hunter?" Your voice came out soft, quiet as though he had interrupted an intimate moment you were having.

He took a long moment to continue, his gaze sturdy and focused on your figure.

"Someone's here to see you." 

His eyes met yours as you shifted around, a brow raised questioningly. His shoulders stiffened, his breath catching in his throat. He knew what you were about to say.

"Tell them-"

"It's urgent," He interrupted, putting emphasis to his words, swallowing harshly as he felt his throat tighten, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," He paused again, this time his gaze dropping to the wet concrete beneath his feet, and suddenly he was all too aware of the loud pattering of the rain against his hair and the concrete, of the rough and short beats of your heart echoing in his ears, "Trust me." His gaze rose back to yours.

With a shake of your head, you pulled the scarf tighter around yourself. This was one of the few bits of time you had to yourself, that you could spend on thinking. Thinking of him. 

Amongst the many missions and bounties, your mind always failed to remember him. The faces of his brothers, the different tones and accents and timbres, they all mixed and matched together until it was all a blur. At first, you were happy to be surrounded by Hunter and the Batch. But now you could barely remember the face of the man from your dreams.

The door creaked shut behind you, the sound of rain muffled by the all-too loud music of the bar below. You hated it. You could never focus with it on.

The heavy scent of alcohol lingered in the air, like a poisonous fog ready to fill your lungs and taint your blood. Your chest felt stuffy every time you were forced to be in the vicinity of the awful stench. 

Hunter's heavy boots thudded against the concrete floor, his head hung low as he kept a fast. steady pace, refusing to give you enough opportunity to question him, enough chance to prod him where you needed to get your answers.

He wouldn't give in so easily even if you tried.

Not tonight.

Though it seemed you hadn't felt the need to ask. 

Not tonight.

Your mind was in a different plane, a different galaxy. A distant past.

The hallway seemed to narrow down the longer you walked, winding around corners and staircase openings like a never-ending labyrinth. You were slowly becoming sick of it. Why was this building so dauntingly tall? 

The walls seemed to be crumbling down and wailing for repair with each crack that extended down hallways, staircases and rooms. Grimaced faces were painted on the sickly orange walls, freshly patched spots grasping to hold the structure together as the building shook with the volume and vibrations of the music.

Hunter hated it too. But he could bare with this for a moment longer. For you.

His throat dried up as the door came into view, and his ears heard the way the pace of your heart picked up as he spoke, "They're behind that door."

His hands fell to his side, smearing the sticky sweat on his armoured thigh, and his steps slowed down, his own heart matching the pace of yours. You must have known by now, right?

"Who is it?" You asked as you came to an abrupt stop, just inches away from the door. You looked up at him, your eyes searching his. The two of you stared into each others eyes, silently communicating through the miniscule, atomic-like movements of your irises.

It wasn't hard to know what you were thinking. Nor what Hunter was.

Who is it? He imagined your voice to be soft, velvety like freshly cleaned cushions, the unsure tenderness of it warming his heart.

Go ahead and find out. You imagined his voice to be gravelly, like waves crashing against a sandy shore, the hum they left behind sending shivers down your spine.

With a soft sigh, you turned away from his towering frame.

Lifting a shaky hand, you turned the knob. 

The door creaked uncomfortably, like the wornout strings of an old violin. 

A gentle, dimmed light flooded the hallway, painting it a sickly shade of yellow. Was this a hotel or a pigsty?

You could almost taste the years worth of dust on the tip of your tongue.

The doorknob felt rough and weak under your touch, the dragged wood pressing against the pads of your fingers. 

With a heavier push, the door managed to pull open, screeching in protest until it came to a final stop. 

Your chest stopped heaving up and down as the air was caught in your throat. 

A sudden lightheadedness hit you, eyelashes blinking rapidly as you tried to get a tighter grasp on the doorknob. For a moment, you scrunched your eyes shut, and fought away the dizziness that clamped around your temple like a pair of metal tongs. 

When your eyes opened again, you felt a pair of arms get a hold your waist. 

Was someone hugging you?

Maybe, you thought and as you slowly looked down, you noticed a pair of armoured arms wrapped around you. Hunter's arms. 

Did you fall?

You couldn't feel your legs. 

As you looked up again, it all dawned on you.

The man from your dreams.

At first, you only saw the faded maroon poncho. It was overly large, and clearly didn't fit. It looked old, tattered as loose threads stuck out at odd angles.

And then you glanced down. White armour clung to his legs, embracing his feet and shins and thighs.

Your gaze wondered up, spotting the helmet seated atop a bed behind him. Blue streaks dancing down the expanse of the white coat of paint. It lingered there, pricking at your heart strings as though wanting them to snap one by one. 

It hurt.

Your chest was burning. 

Your throat tightened, the painful drags of a wail tugging at your voice chords.

The arms around your waist tightened, a familiar head of ashy, chestnut brown hair tickling at your skin.

Where were you again?

Your eyes fluttered, blinking erratically as you fought to look up. Your mind couldn't let you.

You couldn't- 

You couldn't rememeber his face.

A hand flew to your gaping mouth, covering the strangled whimper that erupted from deep within your chest, tearing at your throat as slowly, slowly you allowed your eyes to look up.

It hurt.

Did he always look so familiar? So.. Awfully perfect? So familiarly strange? 

His warm, honey gold irises were locked onto you, wide and unblinking and disbelieving. 

New wrinkles and aged lines dragged at his tanned skin, painting the picture of an abandoned, weary, scarred soldier, an abandoned and forgotten man. 

His hair was still that beautiful blonde, his sun-kissed skin and chapped lips still brought out that awfully familiar, but long forgotten feeling in the pits of your stomach.

It's him. 

It's-

"Rex?"

[is-that-sand-in-my-waffles]

There is one rule in the Star Wars universe and its that the more trauma someone goes through, the hotter they become.

[rabb1ttrash]

classes have been kicking my ass but have this 

[coline7373]

The saga of the dead cacti...

For @bitwhizzle, for her pursuit of Rex & Cody taking selfie.

[rexxdjarin]

Captain's Log: Chapter 8

Remnants

Series Summary: The galaxy is in turmoil. The Republic has fallen, giving rise to the sinister reign of the totalitarian Empire, led by the insidious Emperor Palpatine. The millions of valiant clone troopers of the former Grand Army of the Republic are now blindly sworn, against their will, to protect a regime they once sought to destroy. After being saved from a terrible fate by his former-Jedi ally and close friend, Ahsoka Tano, seasoned veteran CT-7567 Clone Captain Rex remains loyal to the pillars of Democracy, freedom and truth that shaped the former Galactic Republic. We follow him now struggling to deal with the personal aftereffects of survival and finding his place in the galaxy alongside the only person he has left. You. The love of his life.

[previous] [next] part of Captain's Log series post on ao3

Pairing: Captain Rex x Fem!Reader (she/her pronouns used) Word Count: 14.2k (i think im physically incapable of writing short stuff lol!) Series Rating: Explicit (18+ only, Minors DO NOT INTERACT) Chapter Summary: A call from an unexpected ally reveals a truth no one expected and a loss that is difficult for both Rex and Reader to cope with. The only way to make peace with it is to see her for themselves. Sometimes hope is a dangerous thing. Chapter Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Smut, Oral (fem!receiving), p in v sex (use protection irl plz), Dirty Talk, Language, Dealing with Major Character Death, Dealing with Grief and Guilt(SAD!), References to Canon Plot, Political References, Canon Typical Violence

The inside of our cockpit was illuminated blue by the scrambled transmission playing from our comm channel. Every member of clone force 99 was crammed inside the space meant for two, including an overtired, bleary-eyed Omega, who Wrecker cuddled close to him with his wide bicep. 

Tech and Hunter leaned on the walls of either side of our ship, listening intently to the message we’d received from someone they didn’t know. Echo sat in the co-pilot's seat and I sat on Rex’s lap, both of us occupying the pilot's chair. The message was playing on loop, all of us tirelessly trying to unscramble its meaning without the help of an astromech. 

The voice was garbled and the image of the person speaking just a blur of whirling data until we could figure out the code that kept it hidden. But with the coordinates it came from and Echo’s vast knowledge stored in his implant, he knew who it was from. As did I. The only person who could possibly know I was missing. 

“Finally! I’ve got it! Echo enter in the following…” Tech hurriedly explained, showing Echo characters on a screen. His scomp link clicked and shucked the gears into place until the holo recording finally popped up clearly. 

The message was for me. 

“This is your colleague and your faithful friend Senator Bail Organa. I don’t think I have to inform you that the Republic, and the galaxy as we know it, has fallen. In the past few days, I have tried to make contact with any surviving Republic senate staff, family and friends with little success. By now I’m sure you’ve gotten mixed up in something far bigger than yourself. Don’t worry. I haven’t told a soul about your absence. I’ve taken the liberty of filing the clearance paperwork that permits your transfer to a new job. Working as a private aid for me here on Alderaan. It gives your commandeering of my senate cruiser and your disappearance from the Coruscant chambers a believable explanation. After everything that’s happened, I need to make sure I stay in contact with the few people I can trust. You, and whoever you’re likely traveling with, are welcome to meet me at my home, the Royal Palace here on Alderaan, within the next rotation. I’ll provide you with food, supplies and a place to regroup while we discuss everything that’s happened and our next steps for survival. The Republic isn’t all gone yet. Not as long as those who remain loyal to it live to fight another day. I hope this message finds you well and that in a few days I hear from you, my friend. May the force be with us all.” 

I sat up, numb with shock that Bail was looking for me. That he survived. That he needed my help. That maybe there were others there who would refuse the formation of a dictator-led Galactic Empire. 

“Do we buy his story? Do we trust him?” Hunter asked, looking at me, Rex and Echo for reassurance. 

“He’s a close friend and a freedom fighter. I’m sure he doesn’t like what’s going on with the Empire any more than we do. I think I want to go see him. Hear him out. Just to be sure.” I explained, remembering all the times he’d broken rules and defied Republic law to do the right thing. He was a noble man with a good heart. But even so, who knows the trauma he went through. Watching the galaxy fall apart could change even the best of us. 

“We’ll go with you.” Echo offered, placing his hand on my shoulder. “You’re going to want support right?”

Rex stood up and placed me on my feet, grabbing my arms and shaking me slightly. “Cyar’ika…listen…I want to believe him. I do. But we don’t know what he’s been through. We don’t know how he’ll react to a group of clones landing at his house. You all can’t go with us. Your path is…different from ours. You need to take care of Omega. Get her somewhere safe and get yourselves off the grid.”

“Rex…come on, we could be useful.” Hunter offered, reaching a hand out to him. He swatted it away, a bitter seriousness written all over his face.

“No, Sergeant. I mean it. What her and I need to do…we need to do alone. We can’t attract too much attention. Infiltrating and finding survivors…brothers…I can’t put you all at risk like that. I can’t lose anymore of you.”

“Rex.” I whispered, watching him wince at the painful memory of the crash he still didn’t have the heart to tell his brothers about. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder. 

I looked around the room at the identical faces of brothers who collectively did not want to let another beloved member of their family walk away. But if they ever stood a chance at a normal life, they had to take that now. Where Rex and I needed to go for information, they could not follow. It would be far safer for us to contact them if we needed to than it was for five rebel clones, a little girl and a missing junior senator to travel planet to planet rescuing the helpless. 

“Rex and I will go alone. There are others out there. We need to find them and give them the chance at life that we’re giving you.” I finished my thought, looking apologetically at Echo especially, who would follow both Rex and I to the ends of the universe if we said the word.

“And I want to tell any surviving brothers of a safe place they can go where their family will be to take care of them.” Rex smiled, looking around at the faces of the brothers (and now sister) he hadn’t known long, apart from Echo, but had become just as close to him as his own men. They meant so much to him. Their survival as a family unit even more so, considering the decimation of his own.

Hunter sighed, standing up to shake Rex’s hand, “Okay. I can’t say I’m happy about letting you go on your own, but I understand. Take care of yourself, Captain. I think I speak for all of us when I say…well- we want to see what getting old looks like on one of us.” He laughed softly, his piercing brown eyes exploring Rex’s face the same way Omega did when she first met him. 

“And take care of her. Though, I think we all know it’ll be the other way around.” Echo smiled, his fondness for both of us deepening the crinkles by his eyes and allowing him to smile and truly mean it for the first time in a long time. I bit down on my lip to hold back tears because no matter what, Echo is who I would miss most of all of them. And it’s no secret why.

Tech and Wrecker walked over to both of us to say their goodbyes, with Omega now right behind them standing on her own two feet despite her exhaustion.

“If you ever need to contact us, you can use the data pad I gave you. You’ll know how. I won’t miss it. Promise.” Tech said, his eyes meeting mine nervously as he removed his goggles to attempt wiping away a few tears inconspicuously. 

Wrecker wailed, “Awh, why do you have to go?” stepping forward and scooping me, Rex and Tech in a giant hug. “I mean I know why, but it still sucks.” He groaned, trying not to suffocate us all with his desire to hold us close enough to him that we can never leave. 

“They’re not going to make it anywhere if you crack their ribs first.” Tech sarcastically joked, pushing Wrecker’s arms off us with all his might and still not moving them an inch. Omega joined in the hug, wrapping her arms as far around each of us as she could reach.

“I wish you didn’t have to go too.” She muttered, tugging on my shirt and looking up at both Rex and I sadly. The sadness on her face hit us both harder than anyone else. All she ever knew was people leaving her. Each of her brothers walked out the doors of Kamino onto a transport, most never to be seen by her again. Even the Bad Batch boys got to leave for special missions at some point. Omega always stayed behind. It felt terrible making her relive that lonely feeling all over again. But at least she had the boys now, and we’d both rather her be alive to feel our absence than any other alternative.

I looked around the cockpit at all of them, wishing on every star above that they all stay together and that this wouldn’t be the last time. That by the light of the force, we will see them again.

We took off, dropping them all at the hiding place of the Marauder, making sure we synched up all our comms to similar frequencies and agreeing on a secret channel we’d use if we ever needed to find each other again. Deep down, I knew we would. 

There was something brewing in both of us, especially Rex. A fight for greater survival was imminent and Rex was going to lead the way, with every person he ever met following in the impossibly great footsteps of the man they could always trust.

The Republic was gone but the clones remained. And Captain Rex had more than enough fight left in him. 

—

“You know that cloak isn’t exactly a great disguise.” I joked, pointing out the obvious. Rex was still totally recognizable. No civilian looked quite that broad and alluringly handsome underneath scratchy burlap cloth. I’d managed to convince him to hide at least the helmet, which was a far too distinct hint at exactly which clone he was. 

Even though Bail’s message assured us that Alderaan was safe, we still wanted to watch our backs here. Neither of us had ever been to this planet since everything happened and by now you can never really know who’s watching or whose eyes you can trust to conveniently forget what they’ve seen. 

We landed our ship in the lush, dense woods surrounding the tall white stone of the Royal Palace of Alderaan. The last time I’d visited it was late summer and far too hot to wear as many concealed layers as we’d needed for our disguises now. This time around the temperate air of Alderaan’s spring carried with it a cool mist raining down from the ice capped mountains still thawing from their winter. 

“It’s a good enough disguise. They’re supposed to be peaceful here. Besides, Senator Organa’s a reasonable man. I think he’d at least listen to what we had to say before…” Rex trailed off, reading my scolding expression and knowing to shut up. 

“He’s not going to hurt us, Rex. I know him. So do you. At least a little. He wouldn’t have sent us that message if he didn’t trust us.” I assured him, stepping past a large trimmed hedge marking the entrance to the palace grounds. 

“I think he’ll trust you. But he’d be well within his rights not to trust me.” Rex said, drawing his right pistol as we walked further into the grounds. 

“Well I trust you. Which means he will too. He trusts my judgment. We can explain everything to him. We’ll need to if we want his help.” I brushed quietly along the length of the hedges, keeping out of sight from the lanterns that dotted the marbled stone pathway.

The Royal Palace Gardens were beautiful. Every kind of flower from every planet in the system grew here along with plants and vegetables used to feed those on planets that needed food. Alderaan was an extremely charitable and giving planet. They had eradicated all homelessness, poverty and virtually any suffering on their peaceful planet years before and took to helping others on their path to peace. 

In fact, if you’d lived here your whole life you might never even know the galaxy had been at war for so many years. Most of the residents probably had never even seen clones in real life, apart from maybe on the holonet. Rex wouldn’t be recognized quickly so long as he kept the cloak on. But here, in the palace, no one was even keeping watch. Any guards were probably inside, if they were even working at all. 

“I don’t understand how royalty can feel this safe, completely unguarded. We broke right in. There is ya know…empirical chaos going on only a few planets away.” Rex said incredulously, scoffing at such naive and poor defenses. 

“They don’t believe in war or battle here. It’s perceived as completely safe here.” I commented, “I know that makes absolutely no sense to you.” I shrugged, finally coming upon the massive fountains and flowerbeds that stood right below Bail’s balcony and living quarters. 

“It’s completely insane.” Rex scoffed, gesturing broadly to the stars above us. “They stay this unprepared; this is the first planet they’re going to take over. I just can’t imagine not wanting to fight.”

“I know. Peace often seems too fucking impossible. That doesn’t stop us from wanting to believe in it, right?” I smiled, stopping to reach my hand out for his. 

He took it and sighed, “Yeah I know. I just don’t think you get there without having some fight in you. You’re proof of that.” He kissed the tops of my knuckles and turned to look up at the balcony. “That’s where he is I’d guess. Now, you know the plan. I’ll stay down here and wait. You go up there and talk, see what he has to say. If anything happens, you signal me three times on our comm channel. If I don’t hear from you in an hour, I’m coming up to get you. We’ve gotta be smart about this. Always need a good exit plan.” 

I looked past the brim of his hood and into the worry clouding his eyes. This was risky even if I did trust Bail, but we had to meet up with him. Figure out what he knows and see if he can do anything to help us. Rex knew that, but selfishly and probably more wisely, he still worried. 

“I’ll be alright. I promise you, baby.” I whispered, stepping close enough to brush noses with him. I rested my hand on his cheek and kissed him slowly and passionately. “For luck.” 

“We’re gonna need it.” He chuckled, shaking his head and softly urging me forward. “Go on. I’ll be here when you need me. Make me proud, soldier.”

I laughed as I walked toward the palace wall, “don’t call me that.” He winked in response as I shot my grappling hook up at the balcony ledge and hit the trigger on my gun. I soared upwards quickly, reaching the railing in seconds and hoisting myself over the side. 

“I was beginning to fear the worst had become of you.” Bail’s familiar voice rang out from somewhere beyond the white curtains at the mouth of the balcony entrance. Slowly, he walked into frame looking no worse for wear than he usually did, but with plenty of concern filling up his dark eyes. “I was more than sure you were okay. I trust your abilities and do not underestimate you. But stealing a Senate ship and lying about coming here, now you’re a real rebel. We should all be so proud.” He chuckled walking toward me to place his hands on the balcony railing, overlooking the sprawling gardens, fountains and trees down below.

“I learned it from the best, didn’t I?” I joked awkwardly, meaning that I had spent enough time covering for Senator Amidala to know when it was okay to break a few rules. Bail did his fair share of undercover relief work during the Clone Wars too, but he was always just covert enough to avoid ever being detected. Being showy wasn’t his style the way it was Padmé’s.

“I am relieved to see you’re alright. Many of our friends were not so lucky. The clones’ betrayal was unforeseen and tragic. Many Senator’s aides like yourself died trying to protect others, like the Jedi and…the younglings. But something isn’t adding up, is it? Things are not as they are presented to us.” He started, looking over my face with knowing interest and hoping my reactions would show I agreed with him.

“No, they aren’t. The Empire.” I scoffed darkly, scowling as I imagined the horrible things I watched the clones carry out that day, the terrifyingly unhinged reaction in Wrecker, the free will being torn from their minds like the flip of a switch. It was all his fault. The Chancellor’s doing. Somehow the order, the chip, Fives’ death…the Chancellor was the common denominator. 

For now only Rex, Ahsoka and I knew this much. It was probably wise to keep it this way, so instead I spoke of politics. “We’ve discussed this. You know as well as I do that his powers overreaching our own can only mean one thing. Our Chancellor is a dictator, Bail. The Republic is gone. Free will. The right to choose. Gone. From our hands, the clones’ hands, our people’s…it’s all gone.” 

Bail stood staring at me silently, his dark eyes glinting with understanding and a bit of anger I’d never really seen before. “You’re right. No Chancellor has ever had this much power. Not in our history, certainly not in my time or yours. But you speak as if you know something I don’t. I know you were close with the Coruscant Guard, I’m sure this must be even more difficult for you. I remember how much you fought for their right to citizenship and freedom. I’m sorry. I can’t fathom how it got to this point. Their betrayal…doesn’t make sense.” He muttered, shaking his head and closing his eyes as he too probably imagined the horrors he’d seen at the hands of clones. 

“You…know it was against their will, right? They did not choose to do this. They were made to. Someone…maybe even the Chancellor himself…planted bio-engineered chips in their heads. It was Palpatine’s order that they were forced to obey. He overpowered millions of them, just like he did all the rest of us.” I shook with rage, Bail staring at me like I was certifiably insane. 

“Chips? I’ve heard of brain implants…cyborg types. But genetic chips? That’s…a bit out there.” Bail said moving forward to touch my hand. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Bail, I know it sounds crazy. But please trust me. I have proof. I swear to you.” I pulled Tech’s datapad from my pocket and showed him all the brain scans of the clones, the chip's location and the structure of the chip itself. “This is from four different clones. Same spot in all of them. I’ve seen what the chip does first hand. We all did. It’s twisted, dark stuff. The Republic should’ve never approved such technology. Not if they knew this would be its purpose.”

Bail took a closer look at all the scans and inspected them closely, before setting them aside to grab my hands. “This is where you ran off to. To research this? You can’t have done this alone.” 

He tilted his head quizzically, trying to piece together what he knew of my life before and how it applied to my behavior now. He knew I had a boyfriend. Someone I was seeing. He knew I’d take off work or leave early during certain times just to see him. I’d always thought I was careful enough to vary the time I left from the time his cruiser landed on Coruscant, but apparently not. Because when Bail turned to look at me the unthinkable left his lips. 

“You love one of them, don’t you?” Bail asked, a suspiciously worried glance looking back at me. “All this time, it was a clone…do I know him?” He questioned, turning out to look down from where we were perched high on his balcony. 

“You do.” I responded, swallowing thickly and feeling my hands start to shake. Bail stood rigid, his body propping him up more like an erected statue than a man. He looked frazzled and exhausted, like he’d aged decades in just a handful of days. He turned his face to look down into my eyes, a subtle smile crossing his normally stern, fatherly face. 

“There’s only one whose absence I’ve noticed. The Republic, well those of us who remain loyal to it, remember him fondly. Widely regarded for his cunning wisdom, and respected as a gifted, noble leader. A wonderful choice.” Bail guided his hand along the stone wall, glancing for signs of a reaction from me that could confirm his suspicions. I stood frozen, unsure of precisely how much I should give away. 

I could trust Bail. I always felt I could. Yet, I couldn’t confirm anything yet. I wanted to hear how much he knew. To gather any information I could to determine if I could trust him. 

Noticing my silence, he continued, “Well these days when it comes to the Empire, those of us interested in…rebellion…know that missing in action doesn’t usually mean dead.” He rested his hand on my shoulder and gazed into my eyes with the same fiery hopeful determination that I always saw in Padmé. “Tell me it’s him. The Captain you both knew.”

I gulped, looking out onto the Alderaanian Royal Family’s palace garden. Rex was somewhere amongst the carefully trimmed hedges and beautifully tended to flower bushes. If I gave the sign, he’d come for me, just like we planned for in an emergency. But from everything I gathered, Bail already knew he’d lived. Somehow he knew. If he was talking of Rebellion then we weren’t in danger from him, we were in danger with him. He wasn’t going to give us up, but he did expect something from us. And I don’t know if that’s what I want. If that’s what either of us want. Selfishly, I want Rex to myself. For us to continue on our little missions alone. Bail could probably help get us in places, but maybe it was for the best that he not know who else was involved with me or why.

I shook my head, unable to meet his gaze anymore. He tutted softly like a disappointed Father. A sound I hadn’t heard in a long time. “It’s ok. I suppose I understand the hesitation. You want to protect him. I know what that’s like now, watching over the people you love. You both must be careful. You’ll find the remnants of former Republic senators who were once sympathetic to the clones are now terrified of the lot of them. Of the dangerous power they possess. Those in the Galactic Empire seemingly have no interest in helping clones and have no hesitation when it comes to…exterminating those left.” Bail sighed, sitting down on the bench to our left.

“Exterminating them? They’re human beings…that’s…genocide.” I said, horror straining through my voice, anger bubbling in my chest.

“Yes. But let’s not forget that the Empire was formed through the very same means. The Emperor and his puppets have no issue doing so again. I don’t know what you’re up to, but you both better prepare yourselves for the worst. I didn’t know what it meant. I thought it was fringe conspiracy theory but…there’s talk of using those inhibitor chips you speak of as kill switches. To snuff the life out of all of them at once.”

“Like droids.” I whispered, sadly remembering the sorrow on Rex’s face as he realized the irony of them being as expendable as the Separatist army. “If the chips are removed…then that no longer works.” I explained, recalling what Tech had taught us on Bracca. The chip controls the brain and can command any clone to do anything the Emperor asked. But once removed, they are biologically normal again, apart from their rapid aging. We knew this was the goal already. The kill switch concept was just the final push. The rapidly approaching expiration date for our plans to work. We had to extract them for whatever few brothers we could before this plan was put in place. 

“Ahh removing the chips. That is how he survived isn’t it? That’s very clever.” Bail closed his eyes, smiling softly as he placed his closed hands in his lap. “I didn’t know that was possible.” 

“It’s the only option. Otherwise they’re doomed for eternal enslavement. To them, that’s a fate worse than death.”

“Dying for the Republic was their duty. Although I never agreed with their lack of say in the matter, they found sacrificing their lives for freedom to be a great honor, no?”

“Freedom of choice is life’s greatest honor, Senator. Fighting for other’s freedom but not their own, being created solely for someone else’s purpose, the chips in their heads stripping them of any independent thought…they never had a choice. They didn’t have rights to their own lives. Dying for a cause is not an honor when their lives never had any meaning. It was as wrong to force them to fight for us then as it is now to force them to serve the Empire. Removing the chips sets them all free to live the lives they were always denied.”

Bail stood up with his eyes closed, his expression solemn and he reached forward to hold my shoulders. “You’ve come a long way from the little girl running intel to us from Coruscant’s criminal underworld. I’m very proud of you. What you say is very noble and very wise. I wish the Republic had shared your ideals when they voted on the creation of this army all those years ago…” he sighed, looking up at the moon illuminating the balcony and glimmering across the babbling fountains in his gardens. “Might’ve saved the universe from all the atrocities and horrors we’ve endured.”

“Seeing the love of your life come home each time a little more broken than when he left does that to you. They do not deserve the suffering we put them through. We all owe them. Freeing them is the only thing we can do that comes close to repaying them. Would your Rebellion stand with me if I spoke to them?”

Bail nodded his head, “I’m not sure how many of them share our passion for this. I’m not even sure many believe that the clones weren’t in on it from the beginning.” 

The idea that they had somehow willingly chosen to go along with fascist genocide made my blood boil. As if my Rex would EVER do something so unspeakably horrific. If they didn’t believe the news out of my mouth…

“What if they heard it from him?” I asked, secretly hoping he’d be up for explaining everything to people I trusted. 

Bail’s eyes widened, “he’d be willing to take that risk?”

I laughed, “You senators haven’t spent enough time around clones, have you?…he’d do anything for his brothers.” I glanced over the courtyard hoping to find some glimpse of him waiting for me to come back to him safely. If I took much longer, he’d get too worried to sit around and wait. Rex was always a man of action. If that action was giving a speech to convince senators to support us in our fight to save his brothers, then that’s what he’d do. 

Bail hummed softly, understanding that if Rex would be willing to come out of hiding then this situation was as severe as we say. “They’ll at least listen if we vouch for him. I cannot yet speak to their ability to trust any clone enough to give him our support. These aren’t the outspoken senators we once knew. They are moving in secret. It’s all we can do now.”

He walked back inside his living quarters, opening a cabinet to hand me some water and food he had more than enough of to spare. I smirked, trying to imagine Padmé sneaking around to support a resistance effort. Totally something she would support. 

“If you’ve somehow managed to find a way for Padmé to move in secret then I’ll be impressed.” I joked, taking a bite of bread for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, Bail stopped in his tracks, dropping the supplies he was gathering to the table and glaring at me with dismay. “What?”

Bail’s eyes closed and a single tear slid down his cheek. “Maker- you don’t know, do you?” He muttered sadly, collapsing into the chair at his dining table. I blinked in confusion, sitting down beside him and holding my arm nervously. 

“Know- know what? What do you mean?” I asked, a sinking feeling pulling me down further into the chair. Like Alderaan’s gravity suddenly made me ten times heavier than I really was. 

Bail Organa, the most stoic, proud and respected man in probably all of Galactic politics, emitted a shaky breath and a miserable whimper. “Padmé Amidala is dead.”

It felt like a rocket hit me in the chest, paralyzing me from taking in any breaths. Dead? How? How could she be dead? I felt tears beginning to pour and my body portrayed my shock even faster than my sobs could come. My mentor, my friend. Dead. I sobbed into my hands, Bail’s hand patting my back and pulling me into him like a comforting parent as I wept loudly. 

“How…? When?” I asked, sitting back down in my chair and holding Bail’s supportive hand. He explored my face pensively, like he simultaneously knew everything and nothing all at once. Before he could answer, padded footfalls landed on the balcony, drawing his gaze away from me sobbing in front of him. 

The white curtains framing the opening blew in with the wind, carrying with it the unspoken secret figure Bail knew was traveling the galaxy with me. The moonlight illuminated behind him, concealing the details of his identity in shadows behind the cloak he wore. The hood covered his face, his helmet stashed at his hip in a bag to cover it's undeniably unique markings. He loomed in the opening, both blasters drawn and legs parted, as he tuned into the sound of me sobbing only a few feet away. He scanned the room for droids or signs of any other people before stepping forward and removing his hood. 

“Senator Organa, sir.” Rex spoke gruffly, still maintaining a formality he no longer needed to, but abided by out of respect anyways. His eyes were focused on me, shifting over the sight before him trying to make heads or tails of the situation. “What’s going on here?” He asked tentatively, desperately wanting to rush to my side to comfort me, but unsure of how his movements would be perceived. Was he seen as a threat here or a friend? Too upset to care about breaking the tension in the room, I stood up and bolted into his arms, resting my head on his shoulder and sobbing. 

He immediately soothed me, his palm gently stroking the back of my neck to tuck me further into him. I pulled back and looked up at him with nothing but sorrow and pain glazing over my eyes. He scowled even heavier, the pain I was feeling made him upset too. “What happened?” He asked again, impatience filtering into his deep voice. 

“Padmé Amidala is dead, Captain. I understand you knew her well. I’m so sorry.” Bail repeated, the tone of his voice softening into silence as he watched Rex’s expression break into heart wrenching sadness too. 

Rex’s heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in his pulse under my fingertips. His grip on me tightened as we both collapsed under the weight of the truth. The sadness dragged us both to our knees, threatening to drown us in loss we couldn’t seem to ever escape from. 

Bail let us sit there. I don’t even know for quite how long. But we sat on the palace’s floor and cried in each other’s arms. Her influence on our lives, on our jobs, on our relationship, on our galaxy. I wouldn’t have my job without her. I wouldn’t have explored even the idea of a relationship with Rex without her pushing me toward it. I wouldn’t have even half the strength, tenacity and courage I had to battle and continue on if not for the lessons she taught me. Her belief in me and the infectious power of her faith in the tenants of the republic made me who I was. Without her, how could the galaxy go on? 

And Rex? Rex knew enough about her kindness and her compassion through Anakin. His General, his brother, one of his best friends in the universe. He had told endless stories about the quiet encouragement (and a ton of convincing of her husband) she’d given him to take the risk for me. To actually have something of his own. It was conversations with her while waiting for Anakin to come back from some wild scheme that helped him realize he was a whole person and he deserved to do things he wanted. She took time to teach him about political concepts that escaped him. She and Anakin together, even with all the trouble they’d put him through to keep their secret hidden, had made him a better leader and an even greater man. 

We’d already begun to process the idea that General Skywalker was probably gone. There weren’t many Jedi left and one that great would’ve died trying to save the galaxy from the horrific circumstances we found ourselves in. But nothing could’ve prepared us to lose Padmé too. This was a hit we had not anticipated and it hurt worse than anything that had happened to us since the order was given. It was like darkness had finally penetrated the galaxy’s brightest star and took the last light of hope, freedom and justice with it. We were truly living in the darkest of times, with the beacon of good that was Padmé Amidala no longer here to show us the way out. 

“How did it happen?” I spoke finally, holding Rex as he buried his face in my shoulder. I watched Bail slump in his chair, like he wasn’t fully prepared to discuss it himself. He ran his hands through his dark yet graying hair and exhaled slowly. 

“We do not know for sure. Something happened sometime during the Jedi Purge. We think sometime during the Order…maybe she had gone to help her Jedi friends. She and…Skywalker…were very close. It’s…possible she went to help him in the end.” Bail muttered, wincing as Rex’s body trembled at the mention of his beloved General’s name. He pulled back, wiping his face quickly on his cloak and staring up at Bail. 

“He wouldn’t have gone down without a fight. And they would’ve wanted to be together.” Rex muttered, nodding up at Bail in acknowledgment. Bail’s brows shot up in surprise and he sat back, studying the intense sincerity all over Rex’s face. 

“You knew?” Bail asked him incredulously, getting up to grab us glasses of water. 

“Think I was about the only one they actually told.” Rex admitted, fiddling with the bag holding his helmet still attached at his hip. 

“You kept their secret all these years? To protect them?” Bail asked, kneeling down to our level and handing us the food and drinks as a gesture of comfort. 

“I would’ve died to protect that secret.” He said, chin up and shoulders proud, the way he always looked to me. The honorable man I knew, that those who spent little time around clones rarely ever saw. 

Bail reached a hand out to Rex and patted his shoulder. “I understand. Trust me. I do.” He explained, looking away toward a different far off part of the palace he had grown up in. As if he himself was protecting something unseen and unknown to us. Something about what Rex said had changed Bail’s demeanor because he had gone right back to the statuesque regal man that accepted me on the balcony an hour ago. “You’re a good man, Captain…forgive me, we were never formally introduced. I’d prefer to address you by your chosen name.” Bail offered, proving to Rex in just one sentence that this was someone we could both trust. 

Senators didn’t usually care to learn the names of their clone protectors. If they knew them too personally, it would be too hard to think about sending them out to their deaths day after day. Treating them as people instead of Republic war property would force them to confront the moral injustice they contributed to from the day they co-signed the GAR’s creation. It was dehumanizing and bothered me so much it led me to seriously question my participation in the galactic senate at all. 

Had it not been for Padmé sharing my beliefs that the clones deserved equal treatment I’d have quit years ago. Bail shared our beliefs too. He even initially voted no on the army’s creation out of moral principle. Ironic that now he was faced with the task of protecting the very men he believed should never have been made. 

Rex stood up, awkwardly offering his hand to the Senator, instead of the usual salute. Bail didn’t see him as a rank or title, but rather his equal as a man. 

“Uhh…my name’s Rex, sir. You can call me Rex.” Bail shook his hand politely and smiled warmly. 

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you you’re among friends here, Rex. You both look exhausted. Stay here for the night and we can talk more about rebellion tomorrow.” He offered, motioning down a hallway where I remembered guest rooms being. 

I picked myself up off the floor and joined Rex’s side. “Senator…we can’t stay in any one place too long. We don’t want to put you at risk being here.” Rex gripped my waist tightly, as if I could be torn away from him at any moment. Bail was right. He did look exhausted and upset, but was too proud to admit he needed the help we were being offered. 

I ran my hand up Rex’s chest and stared up at him with pleading softness in my eyes. He sighed, looking around the palace to scope out an exit strategy. “I suppose we can stay one night. To process. Stay somewhere safe for once.” Rex nodded, finally agreeing to Bail’s offer reluctantly. 

“There’s no place safer.” Bail smiled kindly, starting down the guest hallway and motioning for us to follow. I held Rex’s hand as we crept down the hall in a slow huddle, our soft footsteps barely making sound. Bail seemed familiar with smuggling people into his home. It must’ve been happening frequently enough that safe rooms were set in the spare bedrooms filled with indistinct clothing, the finest toiletries to get cleaned and bacta patched up with, and enough pillows and blankets to supply all the clones I could name.

Bail showed us to an empty room and left us alone for the night, promising he’d have plenty of things to send us on our way with tomorrow morning. As the doors closed, I turned on my heels and threw myself into his arms. We’d been through enough trauma for one day. All I wanted was him.

His large hands gripped the back of my shirt tightly as he held me in his arms. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.” He muttered in my ear, “saw you crying, cyar’ika…didn’t know what to think.”

“I was just…upset. And I’m so, so scared. If she couldn’t make it, how the hell are we going to?” I whispered, biting down on my lip to keep from letting the sadness overwhelm me for the second time today.

He pulled away, lifting up my chin to look in my eyes and flashing that cute little smirk. “Shh. It’s alright. No more tears now. Just let me see this perfect pretty face of yours…and we can get through anything.” The pads of his thumbs smoothed over my cheeks and I blushed as he stared deeper into my eyes with that familiar craving warmth flowing through his brown eyes.

I knew what he wanted. Honestly after the giant bomb that was just dropped on our laps, just being with him and blowing off steam sounded better than anything else. And somehow I think he knew that too. That just being together was what made us both feel better. “Rex.” I giggled softly, “how do you always know what makes me feel better?”

“Because I know you.” He responded, running his hands down my arms to reassure me. He pressed a soft kiss to the inside of my wrist, lips plush as he ghosted them across my skin, hot breaths contrasting the tepid draw of his tongue tracing patterns along the pulse in my veins. Slowly, his fingertips followed his lips, peeling back the layers of the clothes he knew I was itching to get out of.

“Be with me. Here. Just us. You and I.” He muttered between kisses now trailing my arms length and across my collar bones. He helped slip the shirt up over my head and guided my hands with his down his already shirtless chest. Pulling my exposed chest into him, he floated his calloused hands beside the swell of my rib cage, heaving slowly with each bated breath. His honey brown eyes, still pooling with sorrow, followed the path his hands traced, only to flick up at my face as I sighed out in soft delight.

“I am with you. I always have been. Always will.” I rested my palm over the part of him where I lived, where no wound could ever reach, where the scars the world left him with would always heal, where the soul of a man created to be just like the rest proved his worth soared well above the call of duty for which he was born. In that precious warrior’s heart where he’d given love my name and carried it with him as his battle cry. Fight hard, love harder and on and on until the day is won.

And he always did. He never stopped coming home. Where others met death or fate far worse, Rex survived. Even when it hurt more to live than to die, Rex came home. For all that he suffered, he deserved a love powerful enough to help him heal. I’d fight as he did, every passing second of every grueling day, to give that to him. To love him. And I wouldn’t fail. Because he never did.

My hand caressed the back of his neck, my thumb stopping to massage circles into the taut muscles and I cupped his perfect cheekbone in the other. My fingertips slotted into the dips, curves and lines on his face like I had carved them all myself. I could feel his arms trapping me in his grasp, pulling my far smaller frame against his broad one. He covered the small of my back with just one of his strong hands and the other gripped tightly to my hip bone, his thumb hooking into the layers of clothing still hanging unneeded there.

“You’re still wearing too many clothes, ya know. Bare it all for me tonight, ok?” He asked, his voice such a gentle whisper he seemed to surprise even himself. “I just want…want you to feel how much I love you. You’re all I want to feel right now.” He pressed his forehead to mine and sighed deeply, the cold truth weighing heavily on both of us.

“I’m only following your lead, baby. My pants come off when yours do.” I retorted, bumping our centers together and making him audibly huff out a pleasured exhale. “Take me so slow tonight. I want to feel nothing else but you. I love you, Rex.” I said, tipping my chin forward to press the softest kiss on his lips and inhaling his breath as a reminder that we were still alive. Both of us are still here.

“And I love you. That’s what we have to hold onto. No matter what. I can’t lose this. I’ve lost enough already. We- we both have.” He said, shuddering as the words left his lips and brushed against mine. He crashed our lips together, as if swallowing the thought in a kiss would make it less possible. With every gasp for air, the flood of emotion resurfaced between us. The atmosphere around us filled with nothing more than the purest whispers of devotion and accelerating panting sounds as both our desires for the comfort of each other took over.

Lips dragging against lips escalated to tongues synchronously dancing in amatory rhythm. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and clung to him for the support I needed. As if on instinct, he lifted me off my feet. With one wide hand gripping my back, he scooped me up with the other to intertwine my body around his. My eyes were shut, neglecting my surroundings to focus only on him, to let him overwhelm all my senses. Every kiss felt like the dragging on of hundreds of days we’d been forced to spend apart. 

Those days were over, but the familiar uncertainty of his survival in war was being replaced by soul crushing loss in the supposed peace now happening around us. As if the cold clutches of the dark side that now consumed the universe would allow us to live together but only at the expense of the people we cared about. As if in darkness love could only exist if loss had its fill first.

The desperate need for air between us wasn’t just because physically we were taking the breath out of each other, but because loving each other was the only way we knew how to come up for air. The only way we knew not to drown in the depths of pain submerging two lost remnants of the Republic.

He was so soft. Softer than usual. Softer than he had ever tried to be before. He spilled us onto the bed in the center of the room, lowering my back down and not moving his hands from me until he knew my body was supported. He hovered above me, my legs naturally parting to allow his body to slot in between them. I rested both my hands on his face, clutching onto him for dear life as he rolled his hips against the heat of my center.

“I need you. Want to feel you wrapped around me…hear those perfect sounds you make for me…only for me.” He whispered, trailing kisses down my neck and smiling as I sighed at his words. “Yeah…like that. Just like that. Prettiest things I’ve ever heard. Can you give me a little more, mesh’la? I’m feeling greedy…” He smirked, tracing the curve of my breast with his hand as he nibbled gently on my collar bone. He laved over the fresh bite mark with his warm tongue and traveled lower, placing fervent kisses in a neat line down to where his fingers were pinching at the budding hardness of my nipple.

I arched my back into his touch, moaning a gentle approval. “Mmm I like it when you crave me.” His lips quirked as mischief drew a wicked line across them, a teasing thought no doubt crossing his mind. He flicked the bud with his tongue, watching my skin erupt in goosebumps at the motion, before circling his lips around it and tugging. It was subtle and soft, but it felt so good. I whined out loud, my fingers gripping the back of his neck and encouraging him to kiss deeper. His tongue swirled around my nipple and before long he’d moved to pay the other side the same gentle attention. “Maker, I forgot how good you are with that tongue, Rex.”

He tipped his head up from its position on my chest and cocked an eyebrow. “Then I’m just gonna have to jog your memory, cyar’ika.” He laughed, the rumble in his chest a welcome distraction from all the gut wrenching trauma of today. And every day since he’d come back to me. His lips started trailing down the length of my torso, soft lips worshiping every inch of my skin and branding me with overheated kisses.

He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of my bottoms and tugged them down slowly. Lust filled eyes glanced up at me as his kisses replaced where his hands had been. Each kiss dragged closer to where I needed him, my body trembling as heat simmered in my lower belly. His hands massaged at my thighs, pulling them apart to lay himself down between them. “Want to taste this pretty pussy…kiss you here until you’re dripping down my tongue. Is that what you want, mesh’la?” 

I bit my lip and nodded, reaching for his hand and watching his eyes light up at my approval. “Yes, baby. Please.” I brushed my thumb across his cheekbone and scratched my nails softly along his scalp through his grown out blonde hair that was just starting to curl. He turned to kiss my palm, inhaling softly before running his fingers through my folds and circling my clit with a fingertip.

“That’s my girl. So pretty when you say please. So polite.” He cooed, hot breaths fanning over my wet heat. He dipped down and closed his lips around my clit, suckling softly and making a shudder ripple down my spine. Featherlight flicks of the tip of his tongue sent pleasure swirling in my belly. I bucked my hips upward, craving more of the delicious contact and he hummed. Strong forearms curled around my hip bones, holding me in place and preventing me from squirming.

“More, Rex. Lick my clit, just like that.” I whimpered, my breath catching in my throat as he thrust more pressure down on the bundle. The hungry eyes of a man who had not yet gotten his fill were gazing up at me, watching my face contort in pleasure at how he worked me. His hot tongue slid lower, collecting the wetness dripping out of me. His eyes rolled back in his head, his need to consume me leading him to trace the fluttering hole of my opening with his tongue.

I slammed my fist on the mattress as the overwhelming pleasure racked my body with spasms way sooner than I’d expected. “So impatient, greedy girl. Spilling all over my tongue like this. Tastes so sweet…all for me. You’re going to give me so many more. Aren’t you, my good girl?” Rex asked, flattening his tongue and dragging up my slit.

My eyes fluttered closed, tipping my head back against the mattress as he built up the undercurrent of pleasure all over again. “Yeees, Rex. As many as you want. I’ll be good. Promise.” I muttered, trying my hardest to push my hips toward him. He pinned them down with his forearm and spread my folds open with his fingers.

“Leaking little mess for me. Gonna make you drip more each time. Just so I can lick it all up again.” The bed was rocking beneath us from Rex’s hips rutting his painfully stiff cock into the sheets for relief. The coil in my belly was wound tight and painful, the pleasure rebounding faster than it ever had before. His tongue was delving deeper inside me, reaching just deep enough inside my walls to feel how it throbbed against him. He groaned, his nose bumping my clit repeatedly as he dug as deep inside as he could reach. 

I could feel the white hot orgasm coursing down through all of my veins. He brought it on again, the torturous pleasure in my center gushing down to his waiting mouth at my entrance. “Fuck, Rex.” I cried out, my moans breathy and broken as my overworked body gasped for air. Broken sobs of his name left my lips as tears erupted just as my orgasm did. It felt so good I couldn’t help it. He hummed in satisfaction, collecting the drip I felt leave me onto his tongue. I gasped for air, my pulsating walls craving the delicious pressure and friction of his cock dragging against them.

“My strong girl…so perfect when you cum so much for me. Can you cum this pretty on my cock too? Want to watch you when my cock splits you open.” He groaned, his chest heaving as he lifted his chin still slick with my release. He reached down to tug at himself raggedly a few times. The contact made his head tip back and I sat up, chasing after him.

I slid forward to sit on his lap, sliding my slick along the rock hard shaft he couldn’t help but stroke impatiently. I pressed my bare chest to his and felt his arms trail up my back to clutch our bodies together tightly. I rolled my hips cruelly, smiling mischievously as our upright position made every part of our bodies touch. I tipped forward, resting my palms on the plane of his chest and whispering seductively in his ear “Split me open on that perfect cock, Captain. Please. I can always take you.”

He exhaled in satisfaction, more than tortured by my filthy words and salacious hip movements against him. His palms gripped the small of my back, guiding me into place above him. Slowly, he filled my insides to the hilt, making a low groan erupt in his chest. “Mesh’la…still so tight. Even after all I did to you. Oh fuck.” He hissed, slowly rolling his hips to start a building rhythm.

Each stroke was blunt, powerful and relentless. Our writhing hips moved together as one, a slow rocking that pulled him deeper and deeper, imagining that each time brought him closer and closer to splitting me in two from the inside out. Gut deep and pounding against my swollen walls, I tipped my head back and moaned his name in a drawn out, breathy symphony. “Reeeex…”

He groaned loud enough to match, watching me take every inch of him and losing grip on his own sanity to chase the high I was so close to providing him. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, my ears filling with the sound of his harsh, frenzied panting. “My perfect girl…taking all of me. You were fucking made for me. You’re mine. Always mine.” He rambled, his voice gruff and deep with unbridled lust.

“Always baby. Stars…Rex- fuck me.” I wailed, gasping as each roll of his hips forced my walls tighter around him. My thighs burned from twisting my hips in endless looping circles and sinking down on top of him so many times I could barely breathe. The pleasure in my core slowly burned through me like lava, white-hot, unforgiving and all consuming. Never before had he worked me up for this long, torturing me by keeping the remedying high of my orgasm just an arm’s length away. My body was slick with sweat, the slipping of skin against skin making his brushes against me even more frustratingly frictionless.

“Oh mesh’la I’ll never stop…I can’t stop myself you feel too fucking good…” Strong arms curled up my back, his hands clasping onto my shoulders to steady me as his hips snapped brutal jolts up into me. “Watch me. Look right at me. Love how pretty you look taking my cock. You fucking love it dont you? Tell me…” He demanded, his forehead pressed into mine and his eyes hungrily watched my face contort as I took him.

“Yes, Rex. I love it. I fucking love it. I…love you.” I muttered between needy kisses, our eye contact the only thing that remained steady as I gave all of myself over to him, my body resigning to his total and complete control. He smiled in satisfaction as I slung my arms over his shoulders and dug my nails into his rippling back. The drag of his cock inside me brought me sanctity and numbed me of any other feeling but this. Which was all we both wanted. 

He crashed his lips into mine, breaking every so often to exhale in delight as my opening fluttered around him. “That’s right. I know you do. I know you. I…love…you.” He huffed between grunts of exertion, every sound he made ending in a whimper as the swelling of my heat around him made him more unwilling to pull out for even an instant. Our noses bumped, cheeks brushing as we moved as one, letting our dive into pleasure pull us both under. 

I held the back of his neck with my hand as his moved to circle my clit, the perfect amount of pressure making pulses race through all my nerves and taking me just steps from falling over the edge. Every muscle in my body was seizing at once, my core screaming for relief he was so close to giving me. But I didn’t want to feel it alone. I wanted it for both of us this time. I moved my fingertips along his clenching jaw and held his gaze with mine. “Together, baby. Let go for me. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. Always, Rex…cum for me, baby. With me, Rex.” I cooed, watching his fondness for me ignite fiery affection in those deep brown eyes.

The burning tension in my belly snapped as his quick fingers jerked over my sensitive bud faster than before. His tip pricked up against a spot inside me so sensitive that bright sparks blurred my vision and tears immediately pooled up at the corners of my eyes. “There ya go, mesh’la. Fuck you’re right there, I can feel it. So fucking tight. So perfect for me. Mmmf, you’re gonna take me with you.” 

My jaw dropped open as I struggled to emit sound or breathe air or do anything but feel him taking up all the space inside me that had once been empty. Every last inch of me that had ever felt incomplete was filled by him. His name fell from my lips in a repeated satisfied chant, soft and emotional and desperate for him.

I ran my thumb down his chin, pressing us into an open mouthed kiss. Our breathing in perfect synchronicity as we fell headfirst into our high together. His pistoning hips stuttered beneath me, sinking me into his lap and holding me there as we both spasmed in harmony. Inside me his cock stiffened, his body rolling as the power of his orgasm wiped every ounce of energy out of him from head to toe. My walls collapsed to receive him, the squelching wet sounds obscenely filling the room as I pulled him into me and held him there. I felt him jerk forward as he painted my insides with his warm release, a mix of us dripping down my thighs.

“Cyar’ika…fuuuuck…little more…” He grunted, dropping his head to my shoulder as he shuddered, spurting line after line of cum inside my spasming cunt. I ran my hands down his shoulder blades, cradling him in my grasp. 

“Now I’m feeling greedy.” I teased, his pants and whimpers filling my ears as he fucked into me past the point of oversensitivity. The mind numbing tingling sensation spread outward into all my limbs and wiped away any thought that wasn't about him. I could feel him seeping deep into me, our pleasure hitting us so hard it was like neither of us could stop it. 

“Oh Rex.” I sighed, slumping as the violent orgasm finally slowed. The clenching inside me released, threatening to slip me from consciousness with it. I giggled softly in the afterglow, caressing the lengthening hair at the nape of his neck. “Yours. Forever.”

I could feel his lips spreading into a smile against my neck, his arms gripping me into a tight hug. He lifted his head to gaze into my eyes again, always wanting to be face to face when he spoke to me. Because he respected me that much. “And longer.” He said, kissing my forehead and moving to lift me off him gently. I hissed at the loss, already missing the full feeling that overtook me seconds earlier. 

I leaned back on my elbows on the nicest bed we’ve been in in weeks and spread my legs. The slippery mess he left inside me slowly dripped out my opening, making Rex chuckle with amusement. “You look too good like this. All filled up with me. I almost want to leave you this way.” He flopped himself down to join me, reaching down to clean me up with a washcloth he’d left beside the bed.

I grabbed for him, turning my body into his and feeling him protectively wrap himself around me. “Think you finally managed to tire me out, baby.” I whispered, closing my eyes as exhaustion pulled at my consciousness. Rex’s fingertips massaged up the back of my neck and he hummed his satisfaction.

“Sleep, my sweet cyar’ika. I’ll watch over you.” His words carried me closer and closer toward the rest every muscle in my body was craving.

“B-but…you should sleep…too.” I said sleepily, tucking my head into his chest and breathing in the scent of desire and musky sweat on his warm skin.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, you’re so pretty when you’re dreaming…looking at you is better than sleep.” He cooed, his hands traveling up my neck to stroke my hair so softly. I wanted to argue with him. To convince him that the palace was safe. That Bail would never do anything to hurt us. That even after all he’d witnessed and gone through in the past few weeks, he held no grudges against clones. He wouldn't turn his back on the men who had fought and died for the Republic and all its people, not when they needed him most. Rex was safe here. We both were. We finally had a powerful ally. We weren’t alone.

Rex really did need to rest and recharge with me. But he was stubborn and I was far too satisfied to keep my eyes open.

–

“Rex?” I whispered in his ear, my limbs tangled with his while we slept. I gently brushed my knuckles along his temple, leaving a trail of kisses after each touch. 

“Hmm?” He asked, pulling the plush, expensive blanket up over his eyes. I chuckled sleepily, brushing our noses together as I kissed his lips gingerly. “You’re up too early.” He grumbled, the early hours of morning making his voice deep and gravelly.

“I think…I think I want to go see her. On Naboo. Say goodbye.” I muttered, feeling his hands pull me tighter instinctively. I thought about what she meant to us both. How none of this would be possible if not for her influence. The impact she had on people’s lives was immeasurable and irreplaceable. The hundreds of people who had given their lives for her over the years because they knew how important she was. How much of a difference she could make just by virtue of existing. We owed it to her memory to thank her. For everything. For more than she could ever know.

Rex was silent, his fingertips skirting up and down my bare back as his mind probably raced with thoughts of risk vs reward. Calculating how we’d get there, what we might face, if the danger was worth it to satisfy our conscience. “Baby…I know it’s risky. I know it doesn’t make sense but it’s…”

“It’s her.” He finished my thought, his eyes flicking open and resting his forehead on mine. His brow furrowed, his mind deep in thoughts and memories of time he’d spent with her. And his General. “I know. We have to go. No matter the risk. It’s what she would’ve done for us. They both would.” He sighed deeply, closing his eyes again and turning on his side to face me.

“I can talk to Bail in the morning. We’ll see the best way to get there safely.” I shut my eyes, ready to fall back into sleep cuddled up next to him. But instead Rex nuzzled his head into my shoulder and sighed. There was definitely something else on his mind. “What is it Rex? Talk to me…”

“I worry…about Ahsoka. She thought Anakin might still be out there. She swore she could feel something. But Padmé being gone too…this will crush her. She’s out there alone. And she probably doesn’t know.” He sighed, gripping my shoulder for comfort. “She’s too young…”

“We all are, baby. What we’ve all been through- no one should have to deal with. But we’ll do the best we can each day. Say a few words to Padmé for her and hope that someday soon she can go say them herself.”

“Yeah. I hope.” 

–

In all my years of serving the Senate, I never stepped foot on Naboo. I never had time. The planet I served was Coruscant, the only place I lived for all my life. Coruscant was congested, smoggy, exhausting and overcrowded. But I did love it once. The hustle and bustle was exciting for someone like me, who always dreamed of one day living in one of the infamous skyscrapers that touched the clouds. To finally see sky and speeders and sun instead of fluorescents and neon signs and shadowy city streets.

Naboo was nothing like that. I had never seen so much color in my entire life. Everything was flourishing, lush and green. Flowers in every color I could imagine littered the sprawling meadows that surrounded Theed. Even the buildings were ornate, warm and inviting. It was a beautiful planet and it made all the sense in the universe that someone as star shatteringly perfect as Padmé Amidala was from here.

Rex and I absolutely did not fit in. We never would have in the first place, but especially not now. Not after being on the run for more than a month. Bail and Breha did their best to supply us with more clean civilian clothes, rations and such. They suggested we travel as refugees and dress ourselves as such. 

Rex found an old helmet to hide his easily recognizable clone face and kept his most personal prized possession stuffed in his pack. I wore a somewhat tattered brown cloak that could cover my head if I needed. But we still looked foreign, plain and dirty compared to the endless beauty seen on everything from the flora to the faces of the people who lived here.

I did miss getting dressed up. Looking clean and organized and put together for some grand event. Meeting Rex in a closet or an empty room and watching him drool at the sight of me looking so good. I was tempted to do so now, just for the sake of blending in a little better. All of those times together, all that sneaking around was just a memory now. Memories tainted by all the nefarious things going on right under our noses. How naive we all were to believe we were making a difference. Even Padmé. 

I recognized the gigantic green capped roof of the palace she always had paintings of in her apartment. The sprawling cobblestone streets were littered with water gardens, ivys and street vendors selling beautiful jewelry, clothes, fine art and foods. I gripped Rex’s hand as we walked through the crowd of the market we’d stumbled upon. 

At the end of the street was a massive, stone staircase with statues of prominent Naboo kings and queens guarding the entrance. There, sitting at the center, was a monument dedicated to her. A newly carved marble piece that was her perfect likeness from the cascading curls down to the beauty marks on her face. It was her. There was no denying it. And that’s when I realized that this wasn’t a market. It was a celebration of her life. People gathered together to create something beautiful for a person that gave her all to her planet and her people. 

Rex stopped, reaching forward to grab a poster from the side of one of the vendor booths. “They’re celebrating her.” He muttered, handing me the flimsy flier with artwork that had Padmé holding the scales of justice in her hands like she was a goddess sent by the force itself. It was beautiful work. And not far from the truth really. I folded the piece up and tucked it away safely in my pack to hang up in our bunk on the ship. 

“Of course they are. They'll probably dedicate a month-long holiday to her. She was beloved, Rex. The best Queen they’d had in a thousand years.” I smiled, remembering the way she rolled her eyes and blushed whenever someone heralded her as such. She was modest even when she had more than enough accolades and accomplishments to prove she no longer had to be.

“Think Skywalker would’ve dedicated the whole galaxy to her. He was crazy about her. As long as I knew him…he’d put everything on the line, missions, ships, himself…he’d do anything for her. At first I didn’t get it. But-” He reached for the tiniest white flowers which adorned every booth on the street, the petals opening as he handed it to me. He brushed my hood back slightly, just enough to let him see the sunshine light up my eyes.

I felt my own face blushing at the gesture, even under the cool shade of my cloak. I wished I could see his face, the sweet, slight smirk that only ever looked right on him and the nervousness in his eyes as he waited to see how I’d respond to him. “But?” I asked, stepping closer to him and lacing my fingers with his. The foreign armor didn’t suit him like his clone armor did, but the anonymity meant I could be as affectionate with him in public as I wanted to without worrying.

He stepped forward, walking us arm in arm down the street toward the Theed Royal Palace entrance. “But…then I met you. Now I know the feeling. I understand risking everything for the people you care about. You, my brothers, Ahsoka. I finally understand. And I guess I really have the two of them to thank.” He explained, turning his helmet to pan over the street before us. 

The vendor booths were behind us now, the space along either side of the street replaced by thousands of the same white flower Rex had just handed me. Some were old, browning and shriveled from neglect, but great care was taken to replace them by hand with bright, crisp new ones. Just like the one I held. These must’ve been the flowers her people left for her. That filled the streets the day they all laid her body to rest somewhere among the tombs the sprawling palace reserved for people as important as her.

The looming statue stood before us, the waning light of day reflecting off the pristine marble surface. I’d expect nothing more beautiful for her. The artisans and sculptors who lived on this planet must’ve worked tirelessly for days on this. It was her spitting image, donning the garb and heavy makeup she wore as their Queen but holding the symbol of the Republic in her hands. The very same symbol she had all over her office and in honorary medals and plaques she had always kept on her desk. This was how I remembered her. Even without being all done up, this was her. Their Queen. 

“It’s perfect. Not a hair out of place.” I whispered, resisting the urge to touch the work of art. To feel if maybe it could convey her pulse the way it did her spirit. Rex slung his arm over my shoulders and pulled me into him, rubbing my arm comfortingly. 

“It is. He would’ve loved it too. The whole 501st- well hell almost every clone I knew thought she was an angel. For a lot of us, she was the first woman we’d ever really seen, who looked at us back. She was so kind, supportive…she saw us as men. Never treated us any different. Fought for us on her own battlefield like we were lives that actually deserved defending.”

“You should’ve seen how she talked about Anakin. And you. She spoke out, using her every breath to try to bring an end to this war faster. If only so she could bring you all home. Especially her Ani. I’ve never seen love like that before. Not before I’d met her. I don’t remember my parents, Rex. Not really anymore. But I remember Padmé showing me the way. Taking my hand and guiding me forward into a world of caring for others like she did.” I felt the tears beginning to pool at the corners of my eyes, sniffling as I realized she was every bit the parent, the mother I never had. 

“They were unstoppable together. There’s nothing they could not accomplish fighting side by side. She fought at the Battle of Geonosis. My first battle. She could outrank us all.” He laughed softly, looking up at the statue and quieting down. The realization that they were both gone was finally hitting home. His General would never have left this galaxy without her. He was gone and although this funeral, this celebration, was for her. In Rex’s mind, it was for Anakin too. 

I looked around for the continuation of the white flowers swirling in the breeze down the path her funeral procession must’ve taken. A long winding dirt path crossed over the river that ran alongside Theed Palace. To the final resting place, her tomb. The sun was sinking fast over the green domed buildings of the city, painting the sky pastel hues of pink, purple and orange against the cobblestone structures. I turned to Rex, the tears brimming in my eyes glittering in the sunset. I motioned down the path for him to follow. It was time. 

He nodded and walked forward, holding my hand tightly in his as we headed down the path, both of us trying hopelessly to keep it together. At least he had a helmet on, anyone could see the sorrow screwing up my face from a thousand clicks away. There were so many things I wanted to say roiling in my mind. I could barely think. Rex probably felt the same, though he was a lot better with words under pressure than he’d ever admit.

The number of people around us dwindled down to nothing, the beauty of the evening calling people away from the saddest place on the planet and into the arms of loved ones they still had the privilege of holding close. A privilege Rex and I were clearly only afforded a finite amount of. The path we traveled on was freshly worn from the thousands of people who’d walked it to say their goodbyes. It must have been fairly recent that they carried her here. The procession couldn’t have been more than a few days ago.

The worn footsteps digging into the fresh dirt stopped at a modest building with the same stone columns and green capped roof. Two sandstone pillars framed the entry to the closed final resting place of the larger than life person it was constructed to contain. In the center of the entryway was a statue even more beautifully lifelike than the last.

It was meant to be identical to the fantastic, idyllic size of the one on the palace steps. Yet this one felt alive. The determination and compassion carved into the eyes on her face was so real I could almost see her blink. We both stopped in our tracks, completely frozen in place. The image of her before us guarding the way in felt more believable than the idea of her cold, lifeless body hidden away from the world inside.

I stepped forward, unafraid to touch this statue, reaching out to hold what was left of the woman I knew. Although it looked like her, dressed like her, resembled her face, it was just stone. She was no longer as real as she was in our memories. And like that the waterworks came again. I wrapped my arms around myself, letting tears fall as I processed what she meant to me. How going on in life, especially at a time like this, without her will be the hardest thing I’ll ever do. 

“Padme. My mentor. My fearless leader. The Mother I knew. My most compassionate, loving friend. It…feels like I was carried here today on the wings of your spirit. By the light that you taught me to follow. That you taught me to see. To say you’d be proud of what I’ve done for others up to now would be an understatement. I finally understand the gratifying power of dedicating your life to others. The galaxy now is a twisted, dark and warped place. We always knew dictatorship was a frightful thing. I’m almost glad you aren’t here to see what it has become. I wish we’d seen it coming. A life without freedom to choose is no life at all. I know it would’ve broken your heart to watch the Republic go down a path you could not follow. But we, Rex and I…we won’t give up. Fighting for the people that need us…for the people we love is the greatest lesson you could’ve ever taught me. And I’m sorry that fighting to protect him is how you died. It shouldn’t have been this way. Not for you. Not for any of us. Padme, I promise that no matter what we do, we’ll fight for the voiceless. For the rights of the innocent. For every brother Rex has and for every person who believes in the democracy you built…we won’t let that liberty die. I hope that wherever you are, Anakin is with you. I don’t think he could bear to live any life without you, the love of his life. I know I couldn’t go on without mine. I’ll love you always. Goodbye, my friend. May the Force be with you both.” 

I heaved for air, stepping back to look up at the statue again, as if I was expecting her voice to carry out of it in response. Rex walked up beside me, pulling me into his chest and holding me tightly. He knew well enough that right now words weren’t needed. He just had to hold me, be there. To be the proof that good things do still exist out there somewhere. That all the light in the galaxy hasn’t died yet. Not as long as he stood here beside me.

He held me for a long time, letting me sob hard enough to wet his shirt with my tears. His chest was stuttering, the threat of his own tears falling making his breathing ragged and unfulfilling. He tore the helmet off, tossing it at his side, disregarded and unimportant. I looked up at him and for the first time saw him in a kind of pain no one ever wants to witness in the love of their life. His brown eyes were clouded with misery, biting down on his bottom lip to hold back the tears he’d always been too proud to shed. He looked too young, far too young to know loss of this magnitude.

His shoulders fell and he pushed himself away from me, stepping forward and slumping to his knees before her. He pulled his real helmet from his bag and sat it at her feet, his reflection staring back. His ungloved fingers buried themselves in the ground at either side of him, collecting the downtrodden dirt between his fists.

“...I’m sorry, Senator. Padme. At every turn, I have failed you. Your army failed you. The Republic was ours to protect, yet it was us who they used to make it fall. The Jedi are gone and it was by our own hands. It’s my fault. My General, my brother, your husband is dead. Killed by his own men, my men. And it’s my fault. Because a weapon for destruction is all I was ever supposed to be. Our existence was a curse from the very beginning. No matter what, everything I promised you both was always doomed to fail. Because I’m not a hero. I’m just a clone. And I’m sorry that who I chose to be could never be more than that. I expected to lose a lot of men. I expected to die in war, not survive amongst the ashes it created. It should be you both standing here to bury me. I’m sorry I could protect your secret better than I could protect you.” He hung his head, unable to look up at her face anymore.

Without thinking, I fell to my knees beside him. I cradled him in my arms and felt him let loose in my arms. He jerked softly as he silently cried, the guilt of surviving eating him alive. I rested my cheek on his and let the stability of my chest guide his breaths to calm him down. No man should have to live with the doomed fate of the lost galaxy on his shoulders. Not even men built to outlast it all could bear its weight.

His helmet sat at her feet, the dark visor staring back at him almost mockingly as he sobbed on his knees. Suddenly, a misted cloud of fog slipped away, the final light of the setting sun glinted blindingly on the reflective surface. It was like Padmé herself had emerged from beyond to flash a beacon of hope onto the one man who needed it most. She always did have a way of finding the solution to any problem. And it seemed that even from out there in the mystery of the cosmos, she’d found one again. In him. She saw what I did. A man who despite the odds refused to step aside. A man who was once again the Queen’s hope to lead the worthy forward into the light.

He stuck his hand into the ray of sunset, looking back at the source of it and closing his eyes. With a sigh, he picked up his helmet again, tucking it under his arm and picking up a loose cobblestone beside the left pillar. With a knife he dug out of his bag, he carved into the stone, with only that last ray of sun to light his way.

“A secret kept is a promise unbroken. For the light that led the Republic was always with you.” He signed it, The Captain, before tracing his jaig eyes mark very lightly underneath it. The message was cryptic and probably indistinct to anyone who didn’t know well enough. But it was perfect. The secret was their marriage. Rex had kept it always, even past the time of their deaths. The light that led the Republic was the way I had always referred to her in a poetic sense. Her generous yet fierce heart fighting for all the good that was left in the galaxy. But it could also be interpreted another way, by only those who knew enough to understand it.

To Rex, to all the clones really, the light that led the Republic was their General. Anakin Skywalker was the Hero With No Fear, most especially to his men. He cared for all of them, fought with them side by side for years, encouraged them to think for themselves, follow their best instincts, defy the rules and be their own men. Real men. Not numbers. But, as Rex came to find out, in all that time Anakin’s heart was with her. Always. Both heroes to the Republic in their own right had found themselves devoted to each other too. And Rex knew that secret before anyone else. They trusted him with that. For he knew loyalty like no other. Not because he was bred to but because that’s who he chose to be. Their most loyal Captain. 

The message was left on a loose brick tucked into the cobblestone pillar holding up the building housing her final resting place. It was inconspicuous enough to be ignored by most, but the right eyes would find it. Force knows they always seemed to.

As suddenly as we arrived, we had to go. The beauty of the planet from before had seemed to go cold as night fell upon the outskirts of the palace. Rex and I walked hand in hand for a long time in solemn silence, following the dirt path along the length of the river that led back to our ship docked in the outskirts of the swamps.

By the time we reached our ship, the murky twilight of the swamp had us soaked in mist and beyond ready to leave this planet behind for good. Rex removed his helmet as we climbed up the ramp, wiping his eyes with the heels of his palms and guiding us both into the comforting warmth of our beaten up old freighter. Never before had this ship seemed so homey.

–

Notes: I am so, so sorry for the pain and the sad. I cried many, many times writing a lot of this and I genuinely hope this is the last very draining sad bit for a long while for these two.

taglist (please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed): @starwarsmeninhelmets @moonstrider9904 @thefact0rygirl @fett-djarin @zinzinina @literallydontlook @love-like-poetry @captainrexi @galacticgraffiti @kaminocasey @calkestiis @pedropascalsx @ashotofspotchka @pinkiemme @queenquazar @eternalwaffle

[backpackingspace]

Hey can yall help me find a fic? Pretty please? It's one of my favorite and I swear I bookmarked it but I can't find it now.

Its a post order 66 stars wars fic. I think there's two in the series? But the premise is that padme gives birth on the way to mustfar so she and obi ean go on the run and meet up with Rex and ahsoka. Everybody is having a bad time in their grief and lashing out at obi wan who slowly stops talking. Eventually obi wan goes off on a solo mission and ends up rescuing Cody and a few other clones. They continued to go off on missions together and continue to save more clones. Eventually everybody starts to heal and make up.

[sadiecoocoo]

I am going to hurt everyone with my next fic, it’s totally not about if Anakin hadn’t become a sith but was with Ahsoka and Rex when order 66 activated and how he has to try not to get killed or accidentally kill Rex until he can get the inhibitor chip removed, I would never do that :3

[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

[sunshinesdaydream]

Don't Go Breaking My Heart Part 1

Pairing: Rex x Female Reader Rating: General Audience for this part but minors DNI as future parts could be less G rated. Summary: Rex has been busy the whole war and has a wonderful group of people surrounding him. Fives, Echo, Jesse, and Kix conspire to talk him into signing up for the same matchmaking service they used Right to Love. Note: Greatheart(oc clone name)is a name I pulled from a Robin McKinley retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Content Warnings: Anxiety and symptoms of (based on author's personal experience) also other various "neurospicy" situations. Word Count: 1036

Link to Playlist I use for this AU

Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4

Don't Go Breaking My Heart Part 1 of ?

Rex paced the length of his quarters. He should have known better when Echo and Fives approached him with Kix and Jesse.

Fives had a talent for making anything sound reasonable and was the master of the rousing speech. Combined with Echo's strategy, Kix's “you'll do what's good for you” energy, and Jesse's support ... they could have talked him into anything.

But they chose to talk him into signing up for a matchmaking service. It sounded good at the time, he'd already met all of the people the four of them were dating now. Everyone seemed happy, well suited to each other, they even were well suited to the group at large.

And he wanted a person like that himself. He was surrounded by his people, but it still felt like something was missing. Rex knew it was a good idea to do this. He hadn't the time to go out to meet people before and now he saw that while the others may have had fun, it's not what he wanted.

Knowing it was a better idea than trying to go out and meet someone on his own did nothing to stop the familiar roiling in his stomach like a Kaminoian storm, or the tense electric feeling that crawled under his skin and sent him fidgeting and then pacing. Usually he could tame the sensations, in situations he was familiar with. With familiar goals and objectives, things he had trained on for hundreds of hours.

But for Rex, this was completely uncharted territory. The only experience he had was being subjected to his brothers' escapades. He refused to ask the quartet that were going with him to the office for “moral support” and to do the optional questionnaires for friends. He wanted to ask if the friends were optional.

When they all arrived at his quarters wearing civis he immediately said, “Okay, let's go,” He hoped using his “command voice” would cover his anxiety.

But these four in particular knew him too well. Kix grabbed his arm, and pushed him further into his room. Helped immediately by Jesse, who would always follow the medic's lead.

“Something's wrong,”Kix said. “What is it?”

Of course Kix would notice. He could sniff out a distressed brother from the other side of a Venator, let alone the same room.

“Nothing, it's nothing.” Rex sighed. “Let's go,”

At Kix's frown the others moved into a circle around him, Fives stood directly in front of him, hands on his hips.

“If Kix says something's wrong, something's wrong,” Fives said.

“Nothing I am going to discuss,” Rex said, curtly. “Now, move out,”

“That's not going to work,” Fives told him, “We're here as your brothers, not your troopers,”

“Rex, tell us what's wrong,” Echo's hand was on Rex's shoulder.

Rex set his jaw and looked at the floor, fighting the heat rising to his cheeks, and the fidgeting his body reflexively wanted to do.

“I don't know what I'm doing,” he said, quietly.

Jesse barked a laugh, “Is that all? We barely did,”

“And you never took shore leave, always organizing the next deployment,” Kix pointed out.

“Had to fight you to get you to get some decent sleep,” Echo added.

“When you did have free time you spent it with this one,” Fives gestured to Echo, ”Drawing up MORE strategies,”

“Like you were doing anything productive, "Echo answered.

“We aren't arguing about that again,” Kix jumped in.

“The point,” Echo began.

“We figured that already,” Fives finished. “We're going to help you,”

“Maybe Kix and Echo, you...no,” Rex told Fives.

“We will ALL help him,” Echo said, before Fives could protest.

“Later, now we need to go,” Kix looked at his chrono.

“You got this!” Jesse patted his shoulder as they entered the hallway.

They chattered around him on the lift down and the transit to the office, while his stomach turned to full blown nausea. They were already planning a get together.

Rex clenched and unclenched his fist by his side. Civis didn't lend themselves to fidgeting the way his gear had. The ridge on his gloves or the hilt of his blasters he could run his thumb over and no one notice anything off. No one could tell if he didn't make direct eye contact when he wore his helmet.

Kix interrupted the other three, “Can we at least get him through the profile part first?”

The brother at the desk in the lobby of “Right to Love” introduced himself as Greatheart and shoved datapads into the other fours' hands and hurriedly waved them off towards an open conference room.

He picked up one more datapad and motioned to Rex, “Moral support can sometimes be too much. Come with me, there is a quieter space for you,”

Rex nodded and followed.

“They seem... excitable,” Greatheart commented.

Rex took a deep breath and released it, “They always are.”

“They definitely care about you a lot,” Greatheart gestured Rex into a room with a smaller table.

“Whether I need it or not,” Rex answered, a bit more relaxed as Greatheart handed the datapad to him.

“It's pretty long, but there is no rush. After you submit it, we'll send someone in to talk to you. Water cooler in the room,” he said. Then he hesitated, “The questions...just go with what you know. Some of them are open ended, and can feel vague. I know the higher the rank the less time you had for leisure at all, or even thought beyond the war. Take your other life experience and use it for your answers.”

Rex nodded and went into the room, sat down and took a look at the first question. Without the brother's advice his anxiety probably would have hit new heights.

'What are you looking for in a potential partner'

He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. His first thought was wanting to feel steady, comfortable, safe. His people, that's what helped him keep everything in check. It's what he wanted, but closer. Rex thought about their traits, taking the stylus and beginning to answer the questions.

Thanks for reading! Check out more of this AU @tcwmatchmakingau

Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4

❤️Love and Wrecker Hugs!❤️

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[rexsokaficquotes]

“Is there anything I can say?” Rex had asked, already knowing the answer.

She’d stood beside him, arms folded across her chest as they’d watched the landing pad. A bickering Houk and Weequay had been loading cargo into a light freighter named the Adamant, watched by a human woman taking inventory.

Her ticket off-world.

“Don’t do this again, Rex. It’s safer this way, for both of us.”

— ladoone, from Abandon Window