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Ahsoka almost doesn’t believe it when she sees him. For years, she’d wanted to find him, missed the one link she had left to her past.
But here he is, just across the street. She knows his presence, despite his lack of Force Sensitivity.
Rex.
He sees her, too. He nods to her, and he turns around. Ahsoka follows until they get to the shipyard, into the very same docking bay she herself has a ship parked in.
Oh. The FL-300 ship was his.
She wonders how he got it.
Technically, this could still be a trap. She hasn’t seen Rex in five years, after all. But… it’s Rex. And she trusts Rex.
She makes her way on board, finally standing only four feet away from him.
“Commander Tano,” he says, and yes, it’s him and it’s sincere and she’s missed him so much .
“Rex I…” she begins. “You… you got old.”
And it’s true. In five years for her, it’s been ten for him, but he looks like it’s been twice that. His face is haggard, and his hair is a little shaggy, rather than the buzz cut she remembers.
But, also, thank you , Skyguy, for teaching her how to talk to people she loves so well . Not. She would love to go up to him and demand that he explain how he nabbed both of his partners, but…
But he’s dead. Obi-Wan’s dead, too. And Plo and her friends at the Temple and the youngling Clan she’s taken for the Gathering and probably even some of her men.
And it once again settles in that they’re all gone.
Except Rex.
Ahsoka doesn’t even realize it, but, somewhere from one moment to the next, she’s run forwards and she’s holding Rex tightly, crying.
“Y-you’re safe,” she says through the tears. “I’ve missed you…”
Rex just makes shushing sounds, stroking her back lek.
“I’m here, Commander,” he says. “I’ve missed you, too.”
Ahsoka laughs, slowly calming and pulling herself back.
“Sorry, Rexter,” she says. “I’m just… happy to see you. A lot.”
Rex just smiles, sadly.
“I know, sir,” he says.
Ahsoka shakes her head.
“No,” she says. “Not ‘sir’ not ‘Commander,’ that…that time’s over. The Clone Wars are over. [And it’s just us left.]”
Rex laughs.
“Old habits don’t break easy, Commander,” he says. “[But I’ll try. What are you doing here?]”
Ahsoka sighs.
“Work,” she says. “Wish I could tell you more, but… I just don’t know who I can trust anymore, Rex.”
Rex nods.
“That’s fair,” he says. “[Let me guess, helping freedom bringers?]”
Rebels.
…What? How did he know?
“I have met you, Commander,” Rex says, obviously seeing the surprise on her face. “…And the Empire has noticed a significant amount of ‘Rebel Activity’ around here.”
Ahsoka laughs.
“Yeah, that’s why I was sent here,” she says. “But… how did you know that?”
Rex sighs.
“The Empire found me,” he says. “I told them you found me and removed my chip, but then you died and I escaped. Officially, I’m exploring for them. No idea how I managed this.”
Ahsoka laughs.
“I’ve told crazier stories and not blown my cover,” she says. “The Empire seems built on incompetence.”
Rex laughs.
“Incompetent?” he asks. “I’d call it sheer stupidity.”
Ahsoka laughs, then she feels her face fall.
“…Sadly, Not always,” she says. “The smart one are… ruthless. So are all of them, really. What Imperials lack in brains, they make up for in their willingness to hurt and kill.”
“Well that’s just facts of war.”
Ahsoka smiles, sadly
“I guess so…”
Suddenly, she hears her Comm beep. She sighs, taking the comm out of her pocket and only then realizing that she’d still been holding Rex’s hands.
She looks at the name, and… It’s Bail. Great.
“I have to take this,” she says. “And I still have a job to do, here. Will you be here tonight?”
Rex smiles.
“Course, si—Soka,” he says. “I’ll see you tonight. We can catch up better. Lighter things?”
Ahsoka smiles without irony, this time.
“I’d love to,” she says, “I’ll be here at 2100.”
“See you then.”
By some miracle, the call was just a check in, and offering aid the Rebels was especially easy. They were getting desperate, but they had a certain level of organization. She only explained the truth to their leader, however, which took about two hours to do, and then she needed to get the information she had actually come here for, but it was done.
And, hey, no surprise attacks by the Empire.
She’s still exhausted when she makes her way to Rex’s shuttle. Not more than she can handle, she’s not her Masters, but… she is very glad she that she can actually sit down when she enters.
“Hope there was no trouble, Commander,” Rex says, teasingly. Ahsoka groans.
“Politics,” she says. “Always and forever… at least there were not unexpected Imperials.”
Rex hmms.
“[They’ve been tightening their grip here, I noticed,]” he says. Ahsoka just waves her hand.
“I’m not too worried,” she says. “[It’s just a result of too much Rebellion. They’ll move on.]”
Rex sighs.
“But at what cost.”
Huh. Ahsoka makes to respond, but all that comes out is a yawn. Rex laughs.
“Being as bad as General Skywalker?” he teases. Ahsoka grumbles.
“No,” she says.
“Uh-huh.”
“…A little.”
Rex smiles, and Ahsoka nuzzles up into his shoulder because, though it’ll never be her nature, she knows how touch-based clone culture is. And Rex is… he’s safe.
“How about we just talk about the good things tonight then,” she says. “[I have a beloved… ]”
Rex looks at her in surprise and… disappointed?
“Oh?” he asks. Ahsoka smiles.
“Here name’s Kaeden,” she says. “Kaeden Larte. She’s a refugee from a planet the Imperials desecrated. And I love her a lot.”
Rex smiles.
“It always did feel like you got a new girl falling for you every mission,” he says. “Let me guess, you met when helping her?”
Ahsoka sighs.
“No,” she says. “I met when running. And I only made it worse. That was when I realized how different fighting would be.”
“It’ll be a long war,” Rex agrees. “With even higher stakes.”
Ahsoka just sighs again, but it comes out a yawn.
“I know that,” she says. “But I do what I can…”
Rex strokes her middle lek, gently.
“And are you taking care of your own needs?” He asks. Ahsoka yawns again, but nuzzles into his side all the more.
“Now I am,” she says. Rex laughs.
“You gonna sleep like this again?” he asks. Ahsoka shrugs.
“Will you stop me?”
Rex is silent.
And, well… Ahsoka has to admit, it’s nice to be close to someone that she knows will always have her back.
It’s some of the best sleep she’s had in a long time.