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Rex watched as Ahsoka let her sabers fall to the ground. The breeze was just strong enough to tug at his kama, making them flap against his legs. The quiet tapping was the only thing interrupting the silence of the desolate moon they had crashed on.
“Commander, we should go.”
She just stood there for a moment, cloak fluttering around her. Her hood fell as she turned and made her way towards him.
“It’s Ahsoka, Rex. I haven’t been a commander for a very long time. And even if I hadn’t left the Jedi order… It’s gone. It’s all gone, Rex.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder, willing himself to stay steady. He tried to focus on her; her slight trembling, her glistening eyes, anything but the helmets lined up behind her. He didn’t know what else to do, so he wrapped his arms around her shaking form. Rex would never be able to comprehend the way the jetiise worked, but he could tell from the way Ahsoka seemed to be not completely there , that she could feel the destruction that he was sure was happening around the galaxy. He was lucky; Ahsoka forced him back to his senses before he could do any real damage. But the rest of his brothers…
His chest ached at the thought.
Rex turned his attention back to the Togruta cradled against him. Her shaking had become wracking sobs. He didn’t think he’d ever seen his commander lose her composure like this before. It was a stark reminder of how young she was. How young they all were.
“Let’s get out of here, Ahsoka.”
~
Blue flashed over fiery red. The very air burned. Grief was all there was. All encompassing and overwhelming grief .
You were my brother.
I loved you.
I loved you!
I-
I love you…
Ahsoka startled awake with a name and a string of numbers filling her head. Coordinates, she realized. Coordinates to...
Obi Wan .
She plugged the numbers into the navigator and sent a quick message to Rex in the other cockpit.
Obi Wan was alive, and Ahsoka was going to find him. She had just found her family again; she wasn’t about to let them go.
~
Obi Wan was so tired . He hadn’t slept in… he honestly wasn’t sure. He felt heavy . But he was afraid to close his eyes and face his dreams. Too much had happened. He had lived his worst nightmares and he had no desire to let his subconscious twist them further.
The baby pressed against his chest shifted in her sleep, startling him. Obi Wan was having trouble wrapping his head around the small bundle in his arms. And the other small bundle in Senator Organa’s arms. And… everything.
He traced a knuckle along her soft little cheek. He could already see traces of Anakin in her, and he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The door slid open before he could decide, admitting one of the facility’s droids.
“An unauthorized ship has requested to land.”
Obi Wan’s heart began to race. They had been found. It was all for nothing.
“Has it been scanned?” He heard Bail ask, snapping him out of his panic.
“There are two life forms aboard, sir,” the droid answered.
“Have you informed Master Yoda?”
“He seems to be in a meditative state and is not responding.”
“I’ll go,” Obi Wan said, willing his voice not to shake. He had not attempted to connect to the Force since landing on the abandoned asteroid. It was too consumed by darkness. He didn’t know how long he would survive without its guidance, but he would fight to his last breath.
He set the girl in her crib, straightened his shoulders, and headed for the docking bay. The small, double cockpit ship touched down right as Obi Wan stepped into the hangar. He approached warily, gripping his lightsaber tighter as the front compartment hissed open. He recognized the figure that stepped out of the ship immediately, and his heart plummeted. Rex . He didn’t know- he didn’t know if he could do this. He knew the clones were...not themselves. But they had fought together. They were his brothers in arms. And—even though it went against everything he had been taught was right—they were his family. The thought of killing one of them hurt far too much for him to deny it.
And Rex . Obi Wan had to act. It made him want to vomit, but he had to protect the babies. He forced himself to light his saber and settle into a fighting stance.
“Master, wait!”
That voice.
He didn’t register his hilt slipping from his fingers, his full focus on the occupant of the second cockpit.
“Ahsoka?”
~
“You’re planning to separate them?”
“Yes.”
“Senator Organa will adopt the girl?”
“Yes.”
“And you want to take the boy to Tatooine? ”
“Yes.”
“And you thought this was a good idea?”
“...yes?”
Ahsoka pinched the bridge of her nose. Rex wasn’t sure exactly what Ahsoka’s reasoning was, but he agreed with her. He had experienced enough over the course of his short life to know how much it hurt to be torn away from family. Those babies had already lost enough.
“Do you realize how suspicious it sounds?” Ahsoka continued, “The galaxy implodes and then Senator Organa and the Queen of Alderaan have a child out of nowhere. There’s got to be someone on Coruscant who knows enough to be skeptical. And Tatooine? Really? Because that is absolutely the safest place to bring a child. Not to mention, considering who their father is, I don’t think anyone would be surprised if they are Force sensitive. They need more protection than a royal title and- and sand. ”
Rex could see her form trembling in frustration. He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping she could feel his support.
“Sorry, Master, I just…” she huffed out a breath.
“I know, Ahsoka. And… you’re right. But there aren’t many options.” Obi Wan scrubbed a hand down his face. Rex was very unnerved by the lack of confidence his jetii companions were displaying. He was so used to them having all the answers. Or at least pretending to have all the answers. Seeing them both so obviously unsure made his chest tighten in a very uncomfortable way.
“I could take care of them.” Rex blinked at his friend’s statement.
“Ahsoka-” Obi Wan began, shaking his head.
“I could! I can protect them! I know how to hide!”
“Ahsoka, it would be too much! You can’t possibly know the first thing about raising a human child, let alone two at once.”
“It is better than sending one into the clutches of the galaxy’s politics and the other to the Huts! They need us , Obi Wan.”
Rex could see the panic growing on Obi Wan’s face. “I-I can’t. Ahsoka, I-Anakin-I can’t . I’m not fit to-to bring up younglings.”
Ahsoka’s expression softened as Obi Wan gasped for air.
“Master, Anakin made his own choices. We can’t blame ourselves.”
Rex could see the tears glistening in General Kenobi’s eyes and took that as his cue to leave. Ahsoka could handle this.
Rex slipped through the door and began to wander aimlessly. He wasn’t used to having so much time to think. Even when not in the midst of battle he was usually surrounded by his brothers. But now… the quiet was starting to get to him. It left too much space for reliving painful memories. He ventured further into the facility, searching for something to distract him from his thoughts. The perfect diversion came in the form of muted voices a little further down the hall. He followed it to a closed door, startling when it opened. A medical droid exited, allowing him a glimpse into the room. Senator Bail Organa stood with his back to Rex, peering into a little crib.
Not sure what else to do, Rex took a few hesitant steps into the room and cleared his throat. “Uh, Sir?”
The Senator whirled around, panic lacing his features. “Captain Rex,” he said, almost choking on the words.
“It’s, Commander, now, Sir.”
Organa’s face hardened into a mask Rex had seen on many politicians during his time on Coruscant. A mask meant to hide all emotion and present a facade of control. A mask that the Senator had never directed at him before.
“Stay where you are, Soldier,” Organa said, voice sharp.
Somehow, Rex had almost forgotten. The chips. The order. The forced betrayal. The Senator’s reaction was proof that no one would look at Rex in the same way again. No one would ever fully trust him. Not even himself.
The tension in the room was growing, and Rex did not know what to do. He struggled to find words that would convince Organa that he was not a threat. How could he, with the chip throbbing in his head, declaring its sinister presence? Ahsoka may have knocked some sense into him, but they hadn’t had time to remove the kriffing thing. Who knew what it would make him do next.
Rex felt himself on the verge of spiraling when a croaky little voice interrupted the strained silence.
“On our side, the Commander is.”
Master Yoda jabbed Rex in the back with his walking stick before he could turn around, making him tumble forward.
“With me, come, Senator. Watch the younglings, Commander Rex will.”
Sounds of objection came from the other two men.
“Worry, do not. Come, Senator.”
With that, the creepy little gremlin hobbled through the sliding door that Rex had definitely not heard open. Senator Organa eyed Rex a moment longer before moving to follow the jetii , leaving him alone with his thoughts.
And two infants.
He stood there for a few moments before his curiosity overcame his discomfort. Trying not to make a sound, he moved to peer over the edge of the cradle.
The children were laying side by side, both asleep. The dark-haired one scrunched their nose and let out a sound of distress. Before Rex’s panicked brain could catch up with his body, his hand was softly rubbing the baby’s chest and the noises quieted. Slowly, as if afraid of setting off a mine, he backed away. He looked at the other child, startled to find their eyes wide open, staring straight at him.
Rex couldn’t help but smile slightly. He had to admit, they were kind of cute.
~
Obi Wan was struggling to wrap his head around the fact that Ahsoka was alive and here. And she was holding Anakin’s daughter . And for some reason, that picture felt right . But it also terrified him. His Grand-padawan was so young. Much younger than he had been when Anakin became his padawan.
And that had ended with the death of thousands.
Obi Wan knew that she wouldn’t just let this go, though. Those babies weren’t going to leave her sight until Obi Wan conceded, he could tell.
“Ahsoka, you can’t do this alone,” he said, suppressing a sigh.
The Togruta bit her lip and turned to look at her clone companion, who had not taken his eyes off the boy in his lap since Obi Wan and Ahsoka had entered the room. Her line of thought was clear: she wouldn’t be alone if Rex was with her.
“ Ahsoka , you can’t be serious.”
“Take the children, Ahsoka and the Commander should.”
Rex jumped at Master Yoda’s sudden interjection and the child in his arms cried out.
After recovering from the unexpected comment, Ahsoka turned back to Obi Wan. “See, Master, Rex and I can handle this.”
Obi Wan could see Rex’s panic growing.
“But I- you can’t possibly- I mean-”
“Rex, we’ll be fine!” Ahsoka interrupted, “I have faith in us.”
Rex seemed to close in on himself. “It’s just that,” he said in a small voice, “I was hoping I could find a way… a way to help my brothers. The ones who are still out there, locked out of their own heads.”
Before Obi Wan had completely processed the clone’s words, he was already speaking. “I’ll do it. I’ll help them.”
He wasn’t sure what possessed him to say it, or how exactly he would follow through, but as soon as it was out in the open, he knew he would stand by it.
“Sure, are you, Obi Wan?” Yoda asked.
“Yes.” He was more sure about this than he had been about anything for a long time. This was good. This was right. This was purpose .
“Then I’ll stay with the children and Ahsoka. I am indebted to you, General Kenobi.”
“The only debt here is to you and your brothers. You have saved my skin countless times. I could not even hope to repay you.”
Obi Wan thought of Cody and all of the men in the 212th. After years fighting by their side, it seemed only fitting to fight for them.
Yoda hit his gimer stick against the floor with a slightly maniacal chuckle. “Coming together, the will of the Force is.”
~
After a few days of preparations, Ahsoka and Rex took the twins to the landing bay to bid Obi Wan farewell. It had become clear to Ahsoka since she and Rex had arrived that her mentor was struggling. The confidence she had come to expect from Obi Wan had disappeared. He had become timid and seemed… lost. She hoped that setting out to save the clones would be good for him.
When they reached the Naboo star skiff, Obi Wan stepped out to say goodbye. After one last moment with the babies, he faced Rex, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“I am proud to know you, Commander Rex.”
“And I you, General Kenobi.”
As Obi Wan turned to her, Ahsoka could see a slight glisten in his eyes. It was impossible to know what he was thinking, but she could imagine. She had experienced the shock of being alone after growing up surrounded by other Jedi, but she chose that. Obi Wan’s life was ripped away from him, and here he was, saying goodbye to the only family he had left.
“I will miss you, Master,” the Togruta said, smiling at Obi Wan.
“We will meet again, young one. Someone needs to make sure you two don’t get into trouble, after all.”
She chuckled at that. “We learned from the best.” The mood sobered as Ahsoka’s thoughts turned to Anakin. It was hard to comprehend that someone she had always seen as invincible could fall. How long had he been struggling? How could he betray the people that loved him? Why was it so hard to hate him like she wanted to?
Ahsoka noticed the empty gaze and shaking hands of the man in front of her. “Obi Wan,” she said softly, “You are doing a good thing here. An amazing thing. And if, during your mission, you happen to get the opportunity, our brother could use some saving, too. After you give him a thorough talking to, of course.”
Obi Wan managed a small smile. “You will do well with these children, Ahsoka.”
“I hope so, Master.”
After a sweet embrace, Ahsoka watched as Obi Wan made his way to the ship. She worried for him, but she hoped he would be able to heal. She hoped to find her own healing. She hoped that Rex and all of his brothers would find their freedom. Obi Wan turned back to them at the bottom of the ramp.
“May the Force be with you both.”
“May the Force be with you, Master.”
As Obi Wan’s ship departed, Ahsoka looked at the bundle in her arms. The future was entirely unknown to her. Her life of certainty had vanished the moment she decided not to return to the Jedi. She would not be a Jedi Master. She would not even be a Knight. But she knew that the Force had a role for her yet, and it started here with Anakin’s children and her best friend.
Their burden was heavy, but somehow, Ahsoka’s heart was light.