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“Sir, we have an incoming transmission” Vaughn reported.
“From General Skywalker?” Admiral Yularen asked. “Again?”
Once again the 501st had jumped to the rescue of the 212th and, more specifically, their general, Obi-Wan Kenobi, saving the day with another downright crazy plan by their own General Skywalker. While both generals were still on the planet discussing their recent victory – or, more likely, Skywalker gloating and Kenobi grumbling about it –, most of the clones had returned to the starship by now. Rex and Jesse had gone to the bridge to report to the admiral while waiting for General Skywalker’s return.
“No, sir” Vaughn said. “From Mandalore.”
“Mandalore?” Rex wondered aloud. “Shouldn’t they contact General Kenobi; isn’t he the Mandalore expert?”
“They specifically used the Fulcrum frequency, sir” Vaughn replied. “They must know their target.”
“Thank you, Captain” Admiral Yularen said. “Put them through; let’s see what their intentions are.”
With a slight sound, the holoprojector turned on. And then the bridge turned quieter than it had ever been.
Standing there, looking serious, was Ahsoka Tano.
The second of silence seemed to slow down to hours, an eternity in which Rex almost felt like he floated out of his body and viewed the situation from the other end of a tunnel. Ahsoka had left the Jedi Order. She had left the 501st. She was on Coruscant, in the lower levels where no clone had ever found her again, not on Mandalore. It couldn’t be her.
But it was.
She had changed since the last time he had seen her. She was older, of course, more mature; her lekku now reaching down her chest, her montrals towering, her face void of the youthful cockiness it used to hold. And yet there was no mistaking her fierce blue eyes, her stance, the smile on her lips as she looked at the clones in front of her, her eyes lingering on Rex just a little.
His heart halted in his chest, his helmet nearly slipping out of his limp hand.
“Ahsoka Tano” Admiral Yularen broke the silence, his usual stern look somewhat softened by astonishment.
“Admiral Yularen” she replied. “I need to speak to General Skywalker urgently. General Kenobi too, if he is in range.”
“They are still planetside” Admiral Yularen said. “I will summon them.” He looked around at the men staring at the console. “Troopers, leave us.”
Ahsoka turned around to watch the men slowly file out of the room, waving at her. Once again her eyes lingered on Rex, the edges of her mouth curving upwards just a bit.
Only when Jesse grabbed his arm to forcefully pull him along did he remember how to walk.
“Captain, are you okay?” Jesse asked him once they were off the bridge, but Rex couldn’t answer, seeking support against the wall as a sudden emotion rose within him, suffocating him until he was gasping for breath.
Jesse grabbed both his shoulders and shook him violently. “Kriff, Rex, keep it together!” he implored, nervousness in his voice.
“S-sorry” Rex managed to get out. “Give me – a moment.”
Jesse did, looking at him with his eyes wide, but the other troopers didn’t, filing around him, anxious.
“Is it true?” Appo asked. “Did the Commander contact us?”
Us, he had said. While Ahsoka had specified needing to speak to the Generals, the look she had given the clones – had given Rex – left no room for doubt. She remembered them. She was still loyal to them.
“Yes” Rex said, pulling himself together. “It’s true.”
The men around him cheered.
“We saw her” Vaughn took over. “She’s on Mandalore.”
“Mandalore?” Kix wondered aloud. “What’s the Commander doing there?”
“She didn’t say” Jesse said. “Admiral Yularen sent us out so she can speak with the Generals, so we don’t know more.”
“Do you think she’ll come back, sir?” Punch asked Rex.
“I don’t know” Rex answered truthfully. “If she would want to return to the Jedi Order, it would make more sense for her to contact the Jedi Council, not General Skywalker.”
He didn’t want to get his hopes up. The longing on his men’s faces mirrored what he felt inside, the wish to see her again burning deep within, flames fanned to intolerable heat by her sudden reappearance. But he was the Captain, and he needed to keep his head straight.
Until General Skywalker suddenly burst out the war room, a brighter smile on his face than they had seen him wear in a long time, and they all fell silent in anticipation.
“Rex!” the General shouted, making a beeline for him.
“Yes, sir?” Rex said with baited breath.
General Skywalker positively attacked him, picking him up and swinging him around in circles.
“Sir!” Rex yelped, while the men around him snickered. “General, what the – ?”
“She’s coming back, Rex!” Skywalker cried out, and at once any embarrassment Rex might have felt disappeared. “She’s coming here!”
The General put him down, but Rex’s legs almost gave out. “Commander Tano is… she’s returning?” he asked breathlessly, his heart stuttering in his chest, waiting for confirmation before he could allow himself to believe it.
“Yes!” General Skywalker cried, and as if waiting for that command, the entire gathered 501st started screaming and whooping.
Rex simply stared at Skywalker, too stunned to join in. “The Commander is returning” he repeated dumbly.
“Yes, so I expect you and your men to be on your best behaviour” Skywalker grinned, before his voice turned more tender. “Ahsoka is coming home, Rex.”
“Sir, yes sir” Rex mumbled, and the General walked away, a spring in his step that he would usually only have when he was about to do ‘that thing’. Rex, for once, understood the feeling. He wanted nothing more than to jump and scream with the others himself.
He turned around towards the still hollering men. “Company, attention!”
Immediately the 501st fell silent, standing at the ready.
“Commander Tano will be here shortly” Rex said, a grin spreading over his face. “Gather all the orange paint we have. We’ve got some work to do.”