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The fire burned brightly at the camp's perimeter, casting a warm light against the night sky. It was a rare luxury. Just days ago, a fire would have been unthinkable, practically a written invitation for an attack. With the Seppies gone, having fully retreated, Rex had allowed it. It wasn‘t necessary, they had heating in their shelters, but there was something about a fire that was different, a different level of warmth, of comfort.
As Rex stared into the flames, his thoughts turned to the planet they found themselves on. Despite everything, he couldn't help but acknowledge the dense forests, the towering trees he‘d never seen the likes of. In another situation, he supposed it would be nice. But now, all he could see were the scars of war on the landscape, the topography he‘d spent hours reviewing, the stats he had in his head. He might not remember the name off the top of his head months from now, but he‘d remember the details.
Thinking about the planet's beauty felt almost pointless. He was born and bred for war, it was all he knew. Still, the vague notion that someday the war might end occurred every now and again, in quiet moments like these. Then, perhaps, he could visit a place without the constant threat of battle looming overhead. But for now, duty came first, he was a soldier through and through.
The camp around them was mostly quiet, their shelters lined in neat rows. Some of the troopers still sat outside their designated shelters, had been enjoying the fresh air and the limited sun earlier that had filtered through the tall conifers. Some were still lounging about, seemingly unconcerned about the drop in temperature or the night falling around them.
Rex had made sure to spread the word about the Commander's plan. There was something in the works for the men, though he wasn't entirely clear on the details, only that it involved a fire.
A handful of shinies had joined them, though he supposed they weren‘t anymore, fresh off their first battle. They were currently engaged in lively conversation with Hardcase, who was in the middle of sharing one of his infamous stories.
Glancing toward the nearby shelter where a group of troopers had settled, Rex called out, "Appo, you coming?"
Startled, Appo's hand instinctively reached for his helmet before he realized he didn't need it. "Uh...no, Captain, I'm good," he replied, still groggy.
The other two troopers were already fast asleep, using their packs as pillows, oblivious to the invitation. Rex shrugged, turning his attention back to the crackling fire. How the men chose to spend their downtime was ultimately up to them.
Fives and Echo were deep in conversation in front of the fire, and it didn‘t take too long before they were squabbling about something, though they did keep their voices down. Jesse and Kix were seated a bit away and Jesse was unpacking a bottle from his pack.
Eyeing the bottle warily, Kix asked, "That jet juice?"
"Yeah, got it from—" Jesse began, but Kix interrupted with a raised hand, preferring not to know Jesse's sources.
"As long as it's safe this time," Kix muttered.
Grinning, Jesse reassured him, "The boys have perfected the recipe since then, no worries, Kix!" He slapped the medic on the back, but Kix remained visibly skeptical.
"This is practically their top-shelf stuff. Cost me several of the good ration bars," Jesse boasted, earning a warning glance from Rex.
"I didn't hear that," Rex cautioned.
Jesse shrugged. "Didn't say they were mine."
Rex winced inwardly but chose not to lecture Jesse on using ration bars, the good kind or otherwise, as currency. Not tonight, at least.
"Hey Cap, you know what the Commander wanted? Said she had something fun planned," Hardcase asked, moving closer to Rex.
Rex shook his head. "Not a clue. She just told me to round up anyone interested and meet her here."
"The boys probably think it's another one of those holofilms the General tried playing last time," Echo said dryly.
Fives grimaced. "Yeah, he meant well, but I've never been so bored."
"It wasn't that bad," Rex defended.
"You were asleep in five minutes," Fives countered, getting a smile from Rex.
"Exactly. You know what they say, adaptation may be crucial to your survival," Rex quipped, earning a half-hearted chuckle from the group.
Rex heard a rustle behind him and turned to see Ahsoka making her way towards them, two large bags slung over her shoulders. She was wearing in an oversized sweatshirt layered over her typical battledress, one he'd only seen her in during downtime on the Venator, where she seemed to always get cold in hyperspace. She seemed determined to settle in by the fire, making herself comfortable.
As she drew closer, she flashed him a warm smile and glanced around. "Is this everyone?" A touch disappointed, if he was reading her right, as if she had hoped for more of a turnout.
"Yeah. Might have something to do with last time's mandatory fun," Rex attempted to explain, and Ahsoka rolled her eyes in agreement.
"Ugh. That holo was such a stupid choice, and I told him that too," she grumbled, setting down the bags. After a moment, she seemed to perk up. "Did someone get the sticks like I asked?"
"Yes, Commander!" Hardcase chimed in cheerfully, presenting the bundle of sticks he had gathered earlier. He brought them over for her inspection. "These alright?"
She took them from Hardcase, setting them down next to the bags and gave him a smile, “They‘re perfect! Alright everyone, come grab a stick and let‘s gather by the fire!“ The guys were eager, curious as Ahsoka unpacked the bag. Apparently it was something to eat, which raised the excitement level to another level.
She opened a bag, pulling out a soft white something and skewered it on the stick, passing it around for the others to follow. From her explanation, they were starmallows, and they were meant to be held into the fire until they were toasted.
Ahsoka moved around the fire, supervising the whole event, explaining everything from the color to the consistency they were supposed to have. Rex thought they must have been good judging by the looks on his brother‘s faces.
When Ahsoka noticed he was hanging back, she wasted no time in practically dragging him to the fire, putting a stick into his hand. "You aren't getting out of this," she told him firmly, grabbing her own stick.
He followed her lead, watching as her starmallow reached the perfect shade of brown before she blew on it and popped it into her mouth.
"Are they safe for you to eat?" he asked skeptically, taking his own starmallow from the fire. He still wasn't entirely sure what he was dealing with here.
"Sure. It's mostly sugar and some gelatine," she replied with a casual shrug, even as he eyed her warily. He had heard her make similar assurances before, only to suffer the consequences of indulging in something she shouldn‘t have later.
"What's gelatine?" he asked.
"It's made from animal—you know what, just trust me, it's safe. Just try it," she urged.
He hesitated for a moment before pulling the starmallow from his stick. Its exterior remained firm, but as he pulled it apart, the inside seemed to melt. He supposed that explained the mess on Hardcase‘s face as he was eating them with enthusiasm straight from the stick.
Carefully, Rex took a bite. It was unlike anything he had ever tasted, and he found himself taking another bite, then another, as Ahsoka's smile brightened at his reaction.
"Not bad," he conceded.
"Not bad? Just wait till you've had a s'more!" Her enthusiasm was infectious.
As Ahsoka unpacked the rest of the bags, more starmallows, boxes of wafers, and chocolate, Rex found himself intrigued. He tried one of the wafers, finding them a bit dry and crumbly. More flavor than a ration bar though, and sweeter. And then there was the chocolate, something he had only tried twice before. Once, when Senator Amidala had offered him a piece during a visit to the Senate, and the other time when the General had handed out several bars as a treat after a grueling week-long campaign, where they had been up to their shebs in mud for days.
He had no idea what a s'more was, but Ahsoka wasted no time in demonstrating how to assemble them. As the others eagerly followed her instructions, Rex lingered back, observing as he often did. The men watched in awe, hanging on Ahsoka's every word, as if she were explaining the newest feature of a blaster rifle. Some of the others seemed to catch wind of the festivities from a distance, and Ahsoka waved them over, including the usually reserved Appo. Before long, half the camp had gathered around the fire.
Rex watched with amusement as Fives' starmallow unexpectedly caught fire. He managed to put it out it with a quick blow, and immediately popped the charred treat into his mouth. Fives' face lit up with surprise as he yelped.
Echo rolled his eyes at his twin. "Serves you right, that was for the s'more," he chided.
"It was burnt anyway," Fives protested with a grin. "Still good though." He was still fanning at his mouth.
After waiting for the initial excitement and rush to ebb, Rex finally gathered what he needed and began assembling his own s'more. The supplies were rapidly disappearing, but he managed to make one just in time. As Ahsoka joined him by the fire, holding her starmallow and a single piece of chocolate, he found himself offering his s'more to her without a second thought.
Her smile in response to his gesture warmed Rex's heart. "I can't eat that, but thank you," she explained softly.
He nodded. Of course, he hadn't considered the wafers. She seemed content, nibbling on the chocolate as she watched the men chatting and laughing. Jesse had taken the opportunity to pass around the bottle, thankfully it wasn‘t much with all the men present. The sound of their laughter and banter filled the crisp air. Rex couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment spread through him as he watched them, noticing how relaxed and lively they seemed, safe for the moment.
"This was a good idea, Commander. Thank you," Rex said quietly, glancing at her as she beamed at him.
"You're welcome," Ahsoka said warmly. She nudged him. “And you can drop the titles. We‘re friends, and we‘re off duty,“
He quirked a brow at her, “Yes sir,“ he quipped and she snorted, shaking her head.
Rex hesitated before tentatively suggesting, "Maybe... we can do this again? For them?" He immediately regretted his forwardness. He had no idea how she had managed to requisition the supplies, nat-born food wasn't typically budgeted for. He didn't want to overstep.
But to his relief, he saw her smile and nod, seemingly pleased that her idea had been so well received. It touched her to see everyone at peace, safe, just as it did him.
"We used to do this at the Temple sometimes, as younglings. I figured they'd enjoy it. Nothing like a fire and s'mores," she explained, a hint of nostalgia in her voice before meeting his gaze.
Clones didn't have many things to call their own. They had few traditions and fond memories. And it wasn't often that nat-borns were willing to share that piece of their world with them. It moved Rex more than Ahsoka could ever know.
In this moment, with the laughter and camaraderie, they were able to forget, if only for a moment, the weight of war and the darkness. A reminder to take a moment and live.
#^#^#^#^#
12 years later
As everyone slowly gathered around the fire that Rex had built up earlier, now burning in the center of their makeshift seating area, Echo glanced up at the sky. Shielding his eyes from the glare of the fire, he noticed the telltale signs of snow. The air carried the distinct chill of winter, and he couldn't help but shiver slightly, pulling his jacket tighter around him. The change in weather from Pabu, where he‘d spent the last several weeks, was still something he was adjusting to, but he knew he would warm up by the fire once everyone had settled in.
Echo couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the new base, how fast they had gotten it up and running. Despite his personal preference for warmer climates, knew that played little in consideration of a new safe location. Security came first. Despite that, he had to admit it was nice.
It felt somewhat surreal to see several of his brothers gathered around the fire again. It wasn‘t often that they were all able to gather like this, with exception to places like Fydia or Pabu.
Giving Howzer a nod of acknowledgment as he passed, he watched as he took a seat on the other side of Wolffe. Gregor already seated next to him, attempting to coax Wolffe into putting away his datapad, with no success. It wasn‘t until Howzer snatched it away that Wolffe gave in, albeit with a scowl.
A blur of movement caught Echo's attention, he did a double take before he quickly reaching out to snag the hood of a jacket, unzipped and flapping open.
"Lemme go! Echo!" the small whirlwind protested. Despite her despite her squirming, Echo leaned down to zip up her jacket. "It's cold outside, Kara," he chided gently. The little girl huffed and fidgeted, it was taking him a moment to coordinate the zipper. The latest update on his arm prothesis was still giving him an issue or two. Kara was barely holding still enough for him to ensure her jacket was properly zipped and the hood settled around her lekku and montrals before she darted off towards Gregor, clutching a bag of starmallows over her head.
Echo chuckled softly, amused by Kara's antics as she turned on her best tooka eyes, knowing full well that none of his brothers stood a chance against her. He often found himself in the same predicament.
"Gregor, can you help me put this on the stick? I'm not allowed by the fire by myself," she pleaded.
Gregor smiled at her and began to help her put a starmallow on her stick, but as she tugged on his hand, pointing toward the fire, he gently shook his head. "You'll have to wait for your dad, kiddo," he explained.
Kara's amber eyes briefly welled with tears until she spotted Wolffe sitting nearby. Without missing a beat, she redirected her plea. "Wolffe, can you help me? Gregor said I have to wait, but I don't wanna," she implored.
Echo couldn't help but hide a smile as he observed Gregor's bemusement at the antics of the four-year-old. Initially, Wolffe shook his head in refusal, but Kara seemed to see through his stern expression, and predictably, he began to crumble. Howzer snickered, earning a brief glare from Wolffe before his attention was fully captured by Kara.
"I...uh...I'm not sure I know what I'm doing," Wolffe admitted, but Kara wasn't having it.
"But you know how to do everything!" she protested, tugging on his hand with determination. Something flickered on Wolffe's face in that moment, and he nodded, rising to his feet and accompanying her to the fire. It was clear to Echo that Wolffe had no idea what he was doing, but Kara had him so thoroughly wrapped around her little finger that he was determined to learn on the spot, no matter what it took.
Echo took a seat on the other side of Kara. Watching as she and Wolffe focused on the flames, Echo couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm sure Wolffe's a fine teacher, but let me show you the trick to getting them golden without burning," he offered, glancing over at Wolffe, who nodded in silent gratitude for the assistance.
Kara turned to Echo, her eyes widening. "Have you done this a lot?" she asked, her attention now fully focused on Echo. Meanwhile, Wolffe stood, briefly exchanging words with Rex as he approached and taking the bag, freeing Rex up.
Echo nodded. "A few times. Your mom taught me, believe it or not," he shared, guiding her hands gently as they turned the stick slowly over the fire.
Rex settled down next to Kara, and she beamed at him before refocusing on her starmallow. "Echo says he's done this lots of times," she told Rex.
"He has," Rex confirmed, smiling. "Started without waiting for me, eh?"
Kara glanced at him, her expression matter-of-fact. "You were way too slow, papa," she declared, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Rex raised an amused brow at her response, chuckling.
Echo pulled the stick out of the fire, announcing, "I think we're good." But before he could say anything else, the starmallow was pulled off the stick and popped into Kara's mouth faster than either he or Rex could react. Her hands flew to her mouth, reacting to the heat.
A pang of nostalgia washed over Echo at the familiarity of the action, even as Kara turned to Rex with teary eyes. "Kara," Rex soothed, checking her face and allowing her to cuddle against him. "You have to blow on it first next time, okay?" She sniffled and nodded, hiding her face against his shoulder.
Echo shared a knowing glance with Rex, who shook his head with a wry smile.
As Kara sniffled again and wiped her eyes, a sudden realization seemed to dawn on her. She remembered the bag of starmallows still lying over by the others, and Rex was all but forgotten in that moment. Then again, Kara didn't get to see most of her uncles that often aside from Echo and Wolffe regularly. She had been glued to them all day, and Wolffe, who she had seemingly adopted as her favorite uncle, had been absent for months.
"Where's Ahsoka?" Echo asked, as Rex added more wood to the fire.
"She had to take a call. She'll be out in a minute though. She wants to show Kara how to make s'mores," Rex explained as he added more wood to the fire.
Echo smiled at that, albeit a bit bittersweet. It was difficult sometimes to reminisce about the war, but the memories of the two times they had been able to build a fire and enjoy s'mores with their former commander were some of his favorite. He couldn't dwell on them for too long, though, as the familiar ache in his chest would tighten. So he focused on Kara as she animatedly engaged Gregor, Howzer, and Wolffe in preparing their own sticks.
"It burned my tongue. So you have to wait before you eat it, okay?" Kara advised Wolffe earnestly, her expression serious. Rex watched with a mixture of pride and amusement as his daughter took charge.
Wolffe's gruff exterior melted away as he offered a comforting pat on her back. "Tough as they come, aren't you? We'll get it right this time," he reassured her.
Howzer held up his stick for her inspection, earning a nod of approval from Kara and a smile from the former captain. Meanwhile, Gregor sifted through the bag Rex had brought, examining the ingredients with interest.
Just then, Ahsoka was approaching, and Kara caught sight of her, dropping her stick in her excitement. Wolffe barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground as Kara yelled, "Mommy!" and ran into Ahsoka's open arms.
"Hey, you behaving?" Ahsoka asked, rubbing her nose against Kara's, who giggled.
"I burned my tongue," Kara huffed after a moment.
"Did you?" Ahsoka said sympathetically, glancing over at Rex and back. "You were supposed to wait a minute."
Kara nodded. "Papa told me after," she admitted.
"To be fair," Rex said with a cough, "she ate it faster than Echo and I could even hope to react."
Ahsoka shared a smile with Rex before refocusing her attention on Kara. "If you show me where the bag with the chocolate is, I can teach you to make s'mores," she offered.
Kara's face lit up, "Chocolate!" she gasped, excited. Then, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What are somemores?"
Ahsoka laughed. "I'll show you," she promised. Getting to her feet, she held out her hand, and Kara eagerly pulled her over to the bag near Gregor. "Echo can help, he knows how," Ahsoka called out. Echo moved to join them, along with Rex, as they sorted through everything.
Once Kara got the hang of it, she was more than happy to teach the others, ever the tiny perfectionist. Echo couldn't help but chuckle as she lectured Gregor, probably one of the few who knew how to cook, and cook well, on exactly how the marshmallow needed to be prepared. As predicted, the s‘mores were a hit, not only with Kara, but Wolffe, Gregor and Howzer all seemed to enjoy them as well.
Kara and Echo had taken over the s'more assembly line, giving Rex and Ahsoka a rare moment to steal a break.
As Rex sat there, smiling at the scene in front of him, he felt Ahsoka settle down beside him. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he felt a warm rush of contentment.
"I saved you one," Ahsoka said, holding up a s‘more, her eyes sparkling with affection.
Rex couldn't resist the urge to lean in and steal a kiss, seizing the opportunity while the others were distracted, just for a moment, just a fleeting moment of intimacy. "Thanks," he murmured softly as they broke apart.
Ahsoka licked her lips. "Seems like you were sneaking chocolate," she teased.
Rex shot her a mock-innocent look, his smile widening. "No idea what you could be talking about," he replied, his eyes crinkling with affection as he accepted the s'more from her.
Taking a bite, Rex couldn't help but feel grateful for this moment of in the chaos of their lives, cherishing the simple joy of being together with the woman he loved, watching their daughter interact with his brothers.
The darkness of everything in the galaxy often loomed so large, casting its shadow over everything. Through the trials, the pain, and the seemingly endless challenges, hope could sometimes feel like a distant and fragile thing. But it was in the small moments of light that made it possible to carry on.
Kara chose that exact moment to throw herself bodily onto both her parents' laps, all sticky hands and enthusiastic squirming as she latched onto them. Rex and Ahsoka shared a fond glance as Rex wiped the smear of chocolate off his face, and Ahsoka laughed softly as the three curled together.
It was in the shared laughter around a campfire, the warmth of an embrace from a loved one, and of seeing their legacy in their daughter, that they found solace. And in the end, that was all they could do, keep moving forward, holding onto each other, and to keep fighting.