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“I don’t like this plan,” the Togruta crinkled her nose as she stood beside the clone captain beside the beach. “It’s stupid, reckless, dangerous… and it gets more ridiculous the more I think about it!”
Rex’s mouth twitched a bit. Humoured by the female’s whining.
“It’s the best plan so far, Commander,” he offered her a smile and then turned to look back at the bluish-green waters. Ahsoka almost pouted but followed his gaze. “General Skywalker’s plans, aside from always involving falling, involves efforts of putting a minimum to the number of casualties.”
The sun was shining bright, but the white clouds gave cool shades for the whole of 501st and 212th camping by that beach. The breeze was cool, washing a sense of relief as the leaves dance on one another as it blew. It was…a pleasant change to the usual dust and debris of the battlefields.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see the young Padawan nodding slowly.
“I just want to do more.”
Rex found himself nodding to her statement.
“I know I shouldn’t,” the Togruta continued, the captain eyed her with a small frown. “But I want more. I just want to do more.”
Her eyes were fixed to the waves. On the horizon.
“But I understand the importance of staying here with you guys,” she glanced at him with a small firm smile. “I will not take this lightly. However frustrating this wait, is.”
The blond captain stifled a chuckle as she closed her eyes with a sulky expression.
“You’re stuck with us now, kid.”
A beat. And then the two laughed in nostalgia.
“Honestly, I kinda like it here,” she glanced at the captain who was looking at her, paying his full attention. “The smell of the sea, being with you and the boys without having to worry about being shot at…”
“Yet.”
She chuckled at the retort.
“Yet.”
Her blue eyes stared back at his own hazel eyes. Their eyes were locked. And moments like that, as rare as the break they were enjoying, rose a familiar yet strange feeling in his chest.
“I wish we all could…”
Rex frowned, slightly frustrated that the Padawan didn’t continue her words, though he knew full well at what exactly she was hinting at.
He gazed back to the calm waves. Ahsoka did the same. The cool breeze hitting their skin gleefully.
Life after the war.
His mind drifted away to the memory of his short stay with the Lawquanes. He understood Cut. He really did. But they, the clones, were already given faith by the Jedi to perform their duties. He wouldn’t ever bother Cut, though. He understood him, Cut was not a coward. Not in the slightest bit. The brother did what he had to do to survive the seemingly-never-ending war. If anything, he made a new purpose for himself.
His duty is now to his family.
And Rex’s duty remained to his General, the Commander beside him, their men…and to the Republic. He never needs to experience what Cut had to, thanks to the general's compassion and dedication for them. As well as the commander's.
His breath hitched as he felt sudden contact on his fingers. Looking down at his left hand, it was Ahsoka’s slim fingers carefully tracing his fingers with the back of her own fingers.
He wanted to jerk his hand away from her fingers. He had never felt the tight feeling in his chest before. No amount of life-threatening encounters equalled to this. It was… Making his head feel fuzzy.
He was feeling anxious. And confused. Scared, yet…hopeful.
“I wish we could, Rex,” Ahsoka’s fingers stopped, her fingers almost interlaced with his. She looked up to him -- his shoulders were slightly slumped, his face contorted. She smirked a little at his confused expression. “Let’s just try to see through this end of this war together, alright?” her expression softened as their eyes locked on one another again.
The captain felt himself nodding again.
“Yes, Commander,” Ahsoka smiled as the man threw a firm smile at her. “Let’s.”
From afar, the Torrent Company were whooping their fists and smacking one another in excitement. They had been watching the two from a safe distance and had managed to stay as subtle as possible that the two somehow remained oblivious to their snooping.
“I knew it!” Fives whispered loudly to Echo, pushing the other ARC out of delight. The latter frowned but retained his grin. Fives kept on pushing him in glee.
“They’re not even hiding their glances,” their general muttered with a half-smirk as he rubbed his temple in disbelief, still attempting to process the obvious close interaction of his Padawan and his captain.
A clone laughed at him earning an amused smack from Anakin. “Are you serious, general?” Kix continued to laugh when the general frowned sulkily. Beside the medic, Tup was shaking Jesse's shoulders in disbelief as the latter stomped his feet repetitively in exhilaration, eyes shut and a huge grin plastered on his tattooed face.
Anakin shook his head with a chuckle. At the corner of his eyes, he saw his master rubbing his temple in a similar manner as he had done so earlier.
“What is it, Obi-Wan?” the younger man asked and the troopers hushed their excitement down a bit to hear the elder Jedi’s remarks.
Obi-Wan managed a half-glare at his former Padawan. ”Other than the obvious disregard to the no-attachment-rule?” the excitement between the men died down almost immediately. The Jedi Master winced internally as the mood swiftly changed. Cody, seated beside him simply rolled his eyes. “Sometimes, I don’t think you seem to realize how similar you and your Padawan are to one another, Anakin.”
There was a beat of absolute silence before the troopers exploded into another fit of laughter. Anakin furrowed his brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Yes, they are not subtle about it, Anakin,” Obi-Wan raised his brows, holding back a smug smile. “Much like you.”
Cody stifled a chuckle and swiftly got up to walk away from the chaotic scene. He couldn’t stand himself every time General Skywalker flushed bashfully at General Kenobi’s teasing. His professional composure would easily disappear at the temptations to laugh at their playful banters.
However reckless and ridiculous the generals were, he was grateful to experience service under their leaderships.
Because of them, they, his brothers under them, were able to laugh ever so gleefully… as if the war had never existed.