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Rex and Ahsoka moved in tandem, retreating through the streets as they fired on the squad of stormtroopers chasing them.
They had been getting supplies in the small village, when one of the troopers had started harassing one of the vendors. Ahsoka, brave, stupid, Ahsoka, had stood up to them, and they tried to take her into custody. Now they were in a full on fire fight, desperately fleeing to their ship.
Rex shot with deadly aim, felling troopers with each shot. Finally, they got through the last man, and he fell to the ground.
“Rex, let’s go!” Ahsoka called, running to the ship. But Rex’s gaze was locked on the final trooper that had fallen. In a daze, he walked forward. The armor had paint on it. He had never seen a stormtrooper with paint on their armor.
Rex knelt down, and with trembling hands, removed the trooper’s helmet, and nearly puked when he saw his own face staring back at him. In the distance, he heard armored boots running towards their location, and Rex pulled himself to his feet and into the ship without thinking, his eyes still on the fallen clone.
As the ship’s ramp closed behind him, Rex slid to the floor and looked at his hands. He was still holding the trooper’s helmet. Did I know him? Rex thought. Did I kill a brother I knew? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ahsoka enter. She must have gotten them into hyperspace already, then.
“Rex, what happened?” she asked, concern lacing her tone. He never froze up like that, and she knew it.
“It was a clone,” he said, voice flat. “I shot at my brothers again. ”
“Oh, Rex.” Ahsoka walked over to him and slid down the wall to sit next to him. She began to rub his back, and he realized absently that his shoulders were shaking and tears were running down his face.
“I should have died with them,” he whispers, not intending for her to hear. But apparently she did, because her hand stopped rubbing his back and she forced him to look at her.
“ No, Rex, don’t say that-” he jerked out of her grip.
“I didn’t ask you to save me, Ahsoka,” he snarled. Then he froze, his mind catching up to his mouth as he realized what he said. He looked at Ahsoka, and his heart broke further. He had never seen her look like that, not even after the Order. Then, there was grief, but she had never looked this broken .
“Ahsoka- Ahsoka I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean that,” he said, desperation bleeding through his tone. He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away and began to back out of the room.
“No,” she said. “You’re right. I-” her voice broke. “I’m sorry for taking that choice from you.” Force, he had screwed up so much. She sounded so small. He hadn’t heard her sound like that since Ryloth. “I’ll go.” And before he could get a word in edgewise, she fled the room.
Rex slid back down to the ground, hating himself for a completely different reason than before.
Ahsoka didn’t speak to him beyond what was necessary on the way to the next planet. They picked a planet, she let him know when they would land, and that was it. He tried to apologize, tried to let her know how much he regretted what he had said. But she locked herself away from him, and he couldn’t bring himself to push.
They landed on some backwater planet Rex didn’t even know the name of. As always, Ahsoka landed the ship a few clicks away from a town.
“We have enough credits to stay in town for a few nights. We can try to find work here; Imperial presence is limited.” Rex nodded. He closed his eyes and took a breath, finally having worked up the courage to apologize.
“Okay, Ahsoka. I-” but when he looked up, she was gone.
They settled into their motel room for the night, a dingy little thing with one bed, a desk, and a refresher.
“I’ll take the first watch,” he volunteered.
“Okay,” Ahsoka said. “Goodnight.” Without another word, she climbed into the bed and fell asleep.
Rex sat down and buried his face in his hands. He hated this. They were all they had left, there shouldn’t be this weird tension between them. A while later, he heard the covers shift behind him, and felt her eyes land on his back.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice, though soft, practically thundered through the quiet room.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Ahsoka.” Rex turned and faced her. The moonlight shining through the window landed right on her face, illuminating her eyes as they seemed to stare into his soul. His heart twisted when he realized they were damp.
“Yes, there is,” she whispered, and turned over again.
Rex woke to sunlight streaming in the window. He stretched and let out a sleepy, “Good morning,” expecting Ahsoka to respond. But he was only greeted with silence. He sat up and glanced around the room. She was nowhere to be found.
Sleepiness gone, Rex shot out of bed and ran to the refresher. That’s where she must be. But she wasn’t in the refresher, and her bag of meager belongings was gone. Belatedly, his eyes fell on the desk, where a small pile of credits and a piece of flimsi lay.
No, he thought. With shaky hands, he picked up the flimsi and began to read.
Rex, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for so many things, but mostly for leaving you like this. We both knew this would have to happen eventually, I’m just sorry that this is how it ended. But I knew you would never leave me, and I had to go before I lost my nerve. You’re all I have left, Rex, and I have to make sure you’re safe. And safe, for now, means not with me.
Go, find your brothers. I know you want to, and I know I was keeping you from that. You can do it, I know you can. Use these credits to start, or to find a job, or to do anything you want. I’m leaving you the ship, too. Take it and go wherever you want to go.
And don’t worry about me. I’ve been on my own before, I can handle it.
Force, I’m gonna miss you, Rex. Thank you for everything. Thank you for teaching me, thank you for watching my back. Thank you for being there when I needed you the most. You’re the best Captain and friend I could have ever asked for.
-Love, Ahsoka
P.S.- My emergency comm codes are on the back, if you ever want to call.
His shaky breaths and sobs echoed throughout the empty motel room. And for the third time in as many days, Rex cried.