#Captain Rex x Jedi!reader

[vizslasaber]

FRIENDLY FIRE ──── i.

summary: after landing on the umbaran surface, you butt heads with your fellow general—but get along swimmingly with your temporary clone captain.

pairing: captain rex x female jedi!reader

word count: 3.9k

warnings: combat/action, mentions of injury + death, krell being a bitch, reader with a name instead of y/n because i hate it

a/n: it’s back!!! previously i posted this series on my main, @brrmian, but i changed that blog’s username and have mostly shifted over to fanart and general SW content. i’ve decided to dedicate this new side blog’s content entirely to fic writing under my old username, posting reader insert on here and everything else on ao3! this fic will be updated sparsely but definitely more often than it was on my main. i’ve changed a few things regarding the plot of this series specifically, and i like it a lot more now!!

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You hadn’t wanted to leave the Temple behind—you still don’t, even lightyears away from the Core.

When the Jedi Council had first made you aware of the plan to have you and a Master you’d never met capture an Umbaran airbase with troops that were not your own, you had put up something of a fight. What right, you demanded, did the Chancellor have the right to simply pull a Jedi from their sacred duty for a trivial air-to-ground assault?

The Council had either not wanted to answer this question or had not known how to, so now you stand on a transport gunship with two clone troopers and an intimidatingly tall Besalisk Jedi Master by the name of Pong Krell. Both of you are holding onto the grab handles hanging from the ceiling; you’re gripping the handle so tightly your knuckles are slightly pale, but Krell looks perfectly steady.

Of course he is, you think bitterly. He has four arms.

The atmosphere of Umbara is breathable but strangely thick—fog seeps through the blast door openings, and the lights inside the gunship’s passenger bay seem to have dimmed. Your lightsabers bump against your hips and you wince slightly as sounds of frantic gunfire reach your ears.

This will be your first campaign.

You have seen death before, on missions as a Padawan before the war—but never on this scale, if the reports of your already-knighted friends from the Temple are anything to go by. You only hope that you will be assigned your own battalion soon, so you don’t have to go running around replacing wayward Generals.

It’s hard, standing at the side of an imposing Master, not to feel like a Padawan. The skin behind your right ear burns with the memory of the braid that had been there just last week, waiting to be sheared off as you prepared for your ascension to Knighthood.

While your battalion assignment is pending, Master Windu told you as you stood in the center of the Council Chamber, the Senate has requested that we send two Jedi Knights to replace Skywalker on Umbara.

Master Krell is already on-world, assisting Master Kenobi, but he will need another Jedi’s help if he and the 501st are to take the capital in Skywalker’s stead, Master Plo explained, his hologram flickering as he called in from some faraway world.

All due respect, Masters, you remember asking as you willed yourself not to tremble, but why me? I’ve never been anywhere near the front. I wouldn’t be much help.

Believe in your potential, we do, Master Yoda said. An opportunity for you to do good, the Force has given you.

And that, it was decided, was that.

Even now, after meditating on your anxiety for practically the entire journey through hyperspace, your nerves feel impossibly frayed. The transport jostles, but you only sway slightly, arm already holding onto an overhead handle for balance. There’s a shiny new military-issue commlink attached to your right vambrace. A morbid thought, of calling in a medevac for injured soldiers with this very communicator, crosses your mind—but you let it dissipate.

The gunship suddenly makes a sharp dive, and your stomach swoops—you must be about to land. You spare a glance at General Krell, who has now let go of the grab handles and has crossed all four of his arms over his chest. For a moment, you’re almost tempted to ask how he manages to stay so balanced while the ship is moving, but then the blast doors slide open and the gunship lands in shadowy darkness.

The first person you see is Anakin Skywalker. He’s around your age, maybe a bit younger—despite having been knighted several years earlier, as one of the first Padawan victims of the Jedi Military Integration Act. Your Master, ever traditional even when the Order began to stray from its centuries-old teachings, did her best to keep you apprenticed for as long as possible, but even that eventually proved futile.

In the end, you and Anakin are practically of the same age, and yet he has infinite more experience than you. Uncertainty wheedles its way into your chest and slips a pin into your lungs; you’re holding your breath as you follow Krell off the gunship.

Being far shorter than the Besalisk, you have to jump down. When you hit the ground, you shiver at the misty atmosphere, watching as bioluminescent specks of dust fly up underneath your boots.

As the two of you approach, you hear the troopers of the 501st legion mutter amongst themselves, but you push it aside and focus on the pleasantries.

“General Krell. General Neridian,” Anakin says, smiling graciously. “My thanks for the air support.”

“Indeed, General Skywalker,” Krell replies, bowing politely. “The locals have proven to be more resourceful than we anticipated.”

“We managed to get here in one piece, though,” you add jokingly, and Anakin smirks, his eyes twinkling. You gesture to the troopers unloading the gunship behind you. “And we brought ration resupplies.”

Anakin nods appreciatively, then raises one eyebrow after a moment, looking slightly confused. “But—that’s not the reason for your visit.”

“No,” Krell admits. “The Council has ordered you back to Coruscant, effective immediately.”

“What?” Skywalker demands. “Wh-why?”

“The Chancellor...” you pause, searching for a word, before you settle on, “insisted that you return. The Council had no say on the matter.”

“That is all they would tell us,” Krell adds, though he doesn’t sound displeased.

“Well, I—I can’t just leave my men!” Anakin protests, and for the first time you notice the trooper standing at attention beside him.

He’s identical to all the clones you’ve met, of course, except for one detail—his hair is blond. You wonder vaguely if it would be polite to ask him whether or not it’s natural as you survey his armor. The pauldron on his left shoulder indicates a position of command, but he carries a sense of individuality in the Force that, despite your inexperience with working with them, you’ve come to realize every clone has. His helmet is painted with a distinctly Mandalorian sigil, but it’s not one you recognize.

His gaze is pointed directly ahead; he makes no eye contact with you. Probably just as annoyed at the change of plans as Anakin is, you realize.

Krell moves to speak, jolting you from your thoughts. You recognize Anakin’s agitation, however, so you calmly move to intercept.

“The Council would not just leave your troopers to fend for themselves—not that they aren’t perfectly capable of doing so, of course,” you add, which merits the barest hint of a smile from the trooper standing beside Anakin. “It’s just… well, the Senate needs a Jedi to be at the head of every campaign, and I guess they figured subtracting one of you would mean—”

“—adding two other Jedi,” Anakin says with a snort of derision. “Yeah… sounds like the Senate. But you guys’ll probably get it done faster anyway.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, sir,” interjects the trooper, and Anakin looks to him. “We’ll have this city under control by the time you’re back.”

“Generals, this is Captain Rex, my first in command,” Anakin says fondly, and you see something like pride show itself in Rex’s eyes. “You won’t find a finer or more loyal trooper anywhere.”

“I don’t doubt it,” you affirm earnestly.

“Yes, that is good to hear,” Krell agrees, then places a large hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “I wish you well, Skywalker.”

Anakin simply nods at him, then stops beside you and says, “I hear you passed the Trials.”

You gesture to your hair, now void of a Padawan braid. “Apparently so,” you reply. “Funny, I didn’t think you were one to get swept into the rumour mill.”

A grin, boyish and bright, springs to Anakin’s face. “Nah, I’m always one for good gossip.” His expression turns softer, then, and he puts a hand on your shoulder. “Seriously, though… congratulations.”

“Thank you,” you say, but he’s already approaching the gunship and taking hold of one of the grab handles. The ship is off within seconds, and you can’t help but feel apprehensive as it flies away, up into the fog.

Taking a moment to gather yourself, you turn to Rex and offer a polite nod. He returns it, then says, “It is an honour to be serving with you, Generals.”

“The honour is all mine,” you return graciously, and Rex looks like he’s about to say something else, but stops when Krell begins to speak.

“I find it very interesting, Captain, that you are able to recognize the value of honour,” he begins, then—almost as an afterthought—adds, “for a clone.”

Silence.

Your eyebrows shoot up, and as Rex stares at Krell in shock, you feel your armored chest tighten—with frustration or shock, you don’t yet know.

“Stand at attention when I address you,” Krell snaps, turning to face the other troopers, and as Rex obliges, you narrow your eyes and step forward.

“Master Krell,” you start, your jaw tightening, “I do believe it would be far more... prudent to show respect to the soldiers who have so graciously agreed to undertake this mission with us.” You tilt your head questioningly, sending your ponytail swaying. “After all—we are the ones who just arrived.”

A ripple of white-hot anger moves through the Force with lightning speed, but it’s gone before you can take time to process it. Now, all you can feel is something akin to gratitude, trickling like a cool waterfall from where Rex stands, back straight and eyes ahead.

“They agreed to nothing,” Krell counters, and you blink as his wide upper lip curls back to reveal a row of dangerously sharp teeth. “Do not forget, young one, that we are the Generals they serve under at present.”

“I...” you pause, momentarily at a loss for words, then clasp your hands behind your back and force your jaw to unclench. “I haven’t forgotten that. But I also haven’t forgotten that the only way to succeed in this endeavour is to work together.”

“And with what experience do you so kindly bestow this advice upon us, Knight Neridian?” Krell asks, and the question is like a bucket of ice water down the back of your robes.

You swallow, and search for the words to say, but none come. Cheeks burning with shame, you stare determinedly at the ground.

The tension in Krell’s Force signature disappears, as sudden as the crack of a whip, and he draws in a deep breath. You look up as the pouch-like piece of flesh under Krell’s chin grows in size and he begins to pace.

“Nevertheless,” Krell brushes off, acting as though none of your words register with him, “there’s a reason my command is so effective, and it’s because I do things by the book.” He walks past a soldier in an ARC Trooper uniform who has the number five tattooed on his right temple. The trooper doesn’t move as Krell passes him, but you can see a vein on his forehead bulge.

“And that includes protocol,” Krell puts in. He turns to you. “Have all platoons ready to move out immediately.”

You bristle. “I—I thought we were to make decisions together,” you protest, raising your chin defiantly.

Technically, there’s nothing to defy, seeing as you hold equal rank with Krell—but the Council specified in their briefing that this was supposed to be a learning experience, an introduction to combat before receiving your own battalion. And something about Master Krell demands respect, or at the very least obedience, despite the fact that you’re starting to want to do everything you can not to give it to him.

Krell simply huffs and turns around, his yellow eyes flashing, and walks away, leaving you surrounded by a platoon troopers.

You frown after him. “Well, now I know why Master Venn wished me good luck,” you mutter, mostly to yourself. Some of the troopers snicker, but you hardly notice.

Your former master, Esya Venn, had pulled you aside just before leaving. The look on her face had been nothing short of concerned, but you’d shrugged it off in the moment, even when she’d told you to be careful, Padawan. She never told anyone to be careful—it was simply a reflex to think twice about your actions around Esya.

But now you understand.

Scrubbing a hand over your tired face, you take a deep breath and turn to Captain Rex. “Shall we set off?” you ask, and he nods, promptly putting on his helmet.

“Move out, soldiers!” he shouts, starting down the path after Krell. “Come on, let’s go!”

You give Rex a grateful smile, and though you can’t see his face, you know he’s returning it. With one last glance at the battalion, you hurry to the front and fall into step next to General Krell.

It’s silent for some time. Krell doesn’t deter, no matter how dark it gets, and after a while you begin to grow uncomfortable next to him. The anger you’d felt in the Force earlier is dormant, but certainly there, and it makes chills erupt down your spine.

"I’m going to check on the Captain,” you say, and Krell only nods when you turn around and quickly find Rex, who’s walking about two meters behind where you previously were.

The Captain salutes briefly. “General.”

“Captain,” you reply politely, before glancing back at Krell. “I can’t help but notice that there’s—” you pause for a moment. Do these troopers know enough about the Force to have conversations with you about it?

Knowing Anakin, you realize, they probably do, so you clear your throat and continue. “I get a strange feeling from Master Krell,” you say quietly.

Rex’s shoulders relax just slightly. “How so, sir?”

You bite your lip and shake your head. “I don’t know, exactly,” you reply, then gesture vaguely in front of you, where Krell is half-visible in the murky fog. “The Force around him is unclear. It’s... hard to explain.”

“Hard to explain, as in it’s a Jedi thing?” Rex guesses, and you grin widely.

“Yes,” you say. “It’s a Jedi thing.” Reaching up, you curl a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“I may not be a Jedi, sir,” Rex says after a moment, “but I think I know what you mean by strange feeling.”

“Quicken that pace, battalion!” Krell suddenly shouts over his shoulder, and you jump. “This isn’t some training course on Kamino.”

You sigh and raise your voice, turning to the troopers. “What General Krell means,” you call, pointedly shooting a glare at the Besalik’s back, “is that we must continue to make good time. Keep up the good work.”

Krell gives no answer, but you feel a ripple of frustration coming from his direction. There’s another thread in the Force, one of gratitude, but you can’t tell where exactly it’s coming from. You latch onto it nonetheless and file the feeling away for later, letting yourself make an easy pace just ahead of Rex.

“He certainly has a way with words,” you hear one of the clones say, and when you glance behind you out of the corner of your eye, you can see that the source is someone with similar armor to Rex’s. Another ARC, or someone of similar rank.

There’s a sigh. You think it’s from Rex. The troopers obviously don’t know you’re listening, so you direct your gaze ahead, keeping your pace steady.

“He’s just trying to keep us on schedule,” Rex explains, voice hushed and sounding a bit sheepish.

"By raising everyone’s ire?” the other trooper grumbles.

“Either way, he’s in charge,” Rex protests. “And we’ve got a job to do.”

“She’s in charge, too,” hisses the trooper, and you purse your lips, knowing he’s pointing to you.

Another sigh, again from Rex. “Just—treat them both with respect, and we’ll all get along fine.”

You’re about to turn around when your neck stiffens. It’s an instinctual reaction, like the Force tapping you on the shoulder—one that you’ve learned to interpret as a warning. Less than a second later, a loud screech echoes above your head.

“Ready your weapons!” Rex shouts, at the same moment you draw one lightsaber.

Faster than your eyes can process, a winged creature swoops down and grabs a trooper—but you don’t need your eyes. The cyan beam of your lightsaber casts a glow on the shadowy ground, and you jump upwards, landing on a large plant that allows you to swing from a vine and graze the blade across the wing of one of the creatures. It falls to the ground with another screech before flying away, relatively unharmed.

One to go.

You’re about to grab hold of a second vine and swing towards the other creature, but a flash of blurred blue and green makes you pull back—Krell beats you to it, landing on top of the creature and wrestling it to the ground.

“Wait—stop!” you shout as he draws his lightsabers, but it’s too late. He’s already skewered the creature mercilessly, and it lies dead on the ground, life blinking out of the Force in an instant.

You jump off of the large plant, landing on both feet, and hook your now deactivated lightsaber onto your belt. “Why did you kill it?” you demand, pushing past several onlooking clones.

“It is nothing more than a violent inhabitant of this area,” Krell dismisses, and you feel your jaw drop.

“But…” you start, at a loss for words. “The Code decrees—”

“The Code,” Krell says coldly as he turns to stare at you, “allows for self defense.”

You draw yourself up to your full height, switching off your lightsaber with a snap-hiss before hooking it back onto your belt. “That’s not what—”

Krell’s lightsabers deactivate loudly, cutting you off, and he returns them to either side of his belt before turning away and continuing on the path. “Anyone else want to stop and play with the animals?”

No one answers, but you feel your fists clench as if of their own accord.

This is going to be a long night.

Umbara’s plant life is fascinating. Observing the bioluminescent life forms is the only thing that serves a proper distraction from both the grumbling clone troopers and the pit of apprehension in your stomach. You’d been walking for twelve hours, give or take, and every time you’d tried to suggest a break to Krell, he’d snapped at you.

This can’t be allowed, you think bitterly, skipping over a glowing pink tree root, boots skidding on the dark purple ground.

You chew on your bottom lip and glance at the clones behind you. They are understandably worn out, and even with the extensive survival training Master Esya drilled into you as a Padawan, you were starting to get tired, too.

“Sir,” says a voice from behind you, and you jump, expecting in your exhaustion to see Krell—but it’s just Rex.

“We’ve been keeping this pace for almost half a rotation,” Rex points out, sounding vaguely nervous. “The men are... starting to tire. General Krell is...” he tilts his head, expressionless visor unreadable. “You know.”

You muster a smile, hoping you look at least a little like Master Enya, and nod.

“I know, Captain,” you say, and he shifts slightly, as though his blue-painted pauldron is uncomfortable. You can’t blame him. Running a hand over your ponytail, you blow out a breath and frown at the puff of air that appears in front of you. “Let me talk to him. Tell the men to start searching for a good spot to camp for a few hours.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch Rex giving an affirmative thumbs up to the troopers behind him, but by then you’re already approaching Krell, clasping your hands tightly behind your back.

“Master Krell,” you start, and Krell turns his head just a bit. “I’ve told the men to scout for a place to rest. I reviewed the mission plan on the way here, and we can spare three hours without being delayed, possibly more—”

“The men don’t need rest,” Krell interrupts, and you feel your cheeks flush with anger. “They need resolve to complete the task at hand.”

“Apologies, Master,” you say, squaring your shoulders as frustration heats your neck and face. You breathe deeply. There is no emotion, only peace. “But I don’t think the men will be on their best game when we reach the capital if they don’t take some time to gather themselves.”

“That they need to ‘gather themselves’ is a sign of weakness,” Krell cuts in, stopping and turning to face you with a sneer. “That is not what these clones were bred for.”

Not far away, many of the soldiers bristle at Krell’s choice of words, but you keep your focus on the yellow eyes staring you down for the second time that night.

“They weren’t bred to be mindless droids, either,” you argue, crossing your arms over your chest and making sure to keep your voice even. “And in case you’ve forgotten, even battle droids need to recharge. If we march on the Capital without any sort of break first, I promise you, this mission will not go as planned. Exhausted and underfed soldiers are a guaranteed disadvantage.”

Krell studies you, a sneer forming on his lips. “I see you take after your Master’s incessant need to get the last word on anyone she disagrees with.”

You scowl. “I beg your pardon, but Master Venn is—”

He ignores you, cutting past where you stand and walking away. “Do what you wish, Neridian,” he dismisses, then walks away to stand by a glowing tree.

A sigh escapes your lips, and you close your eyes. It’s becoming harder and harder not to snap at him—but you know what the Order’s teachings require of you. Emotion, yet peace.

You grimace as Krell retreats to the back of the line, then turn back to the troopers nearby and give Rex a nod. The captain returns it in what you hope is a grateful manner, then calls for the men to make camp at the top of the ridge your group has been climbing.

By the time you gather all the troopers together, the battalion has put together a hasty campsite, with half the troopers having fallen into a fitful sleep and the other half keeping watch while eating as many rations as the limit allows. You frown and approach the trooper you heard Rex talking to earlier, his Force signature familiar from when you were eavesdropping. His helmet is now sitting in his lap, being meticulously cleaned with what little supplies the battalion has on hand.

You study the soldier. He has a tattoo on his right temple, and upon studying it, you realize it’s the same ARC trooper who’d been glaring at Krell when you stepped off the gunship. You wonder what significance the number five has to him.

Taking another step forward, you clear your throat. “Trooper,” you begin, and the soldier looks up curiously before abruptly shooting to his feet and snapping off a salute. You wave a nonchalant hand. “No need for that. I only wanted to ask a favor—can you gather troopers to stand watch? Six at a time, tops, and make sure they take turns so everyone can rest. That includes you.”

“You got it, sir,” says the trooper, and you smile.

“Sorry, I don’t believe I caught your name...” you say, then, and the trooper blinks.

“Oh, uh—it’s Fives, sir.”

“I see,” you reply, gaze flickering to his tattoo and back again. “Thank you, Fives.”

You retreat to your own tent soon after, shrugging off your vambraces and arranging them neatly next to your bedroll. This wouldn’t be the shortest sleep cycle you’d had, what with the nature of your apprenticeship at the temple—but not the longest, either.

From what you can hear inside your tent, the camp is silent. Slowly, you poke your head through the canvas flaps to find exactly six men—as you’d requested—sitting in the center of camp. Farther away, at the outskirts of the circle of tents, sits Master Krell’s hulking form. In spite of yourself, you frown.

“General?” asks a sudden voice above you; letting out an involuntary yelp, you scramble backwards before stopping at the sight of Rex standing near the entrance to your tent.

Embarrassed, you stand up, brushing off your cream-coloured robes. “Sorry,” you say sheepishly. “I could swear I’m not usually so jumpy, I don’t know what—” you look up and stop short.

Rex has removed his helmet.

His blond hair isn’t a surprise this time around, but close up, you’re struck by how tired he looks. There are smile lines at the corners of his eyes, but his face is cast in exhausted shadows.

You wonder if a full night’s sleep is something he’s ever had, or if the training regiments on Kamino prepared him and his brothers for this kind of halfhearted sleep cycle. Curiously, you study him.

Rex’s eyes are golden-brown in the dying light of this shadowy planet. They’re the same shade as all the troopers in the immediate vicinity. And yet, as you stare into them, something in you stirs as your Force signature brushes against his—something you know you’re not supposed to feel.

“Er, General,” Rex repeats, jolting you from your faraway thoughts. “I just wanted to let you know—the scouts are detecting a clear journey from here on out. We have approximately four hours to kick back, as predicted.”

Hurriedly, you turn away and clear your throat awkwardly. “Very good, Captain,” you mumble. “Thank you. You’re—erm, free to go and rest.”

For a moment, Rex looks surprised, but he composes himself seconds later. “Thank you, General,” he says. “But I—”

“Not up for debate,” you interrupt, holding your hand up. Bemused, Rex blinks, so you shoot him a reassuring smile. “You said it yourself: the soldiers need rest. You’re a soldier, yes?”

Rex opens his mouth, probably to say something about him being a Captain, but you lower your hand to rest it on his shoulder. The kind gesture seems to quell him, so you continue. “Don’t exclude yourself in that. Rest well, Captain.”

When you turn and reenter your tent, you don’t catch the way Rex’s eyes linger on the closed flap for far longer than they should, heat prickling up his neck as the remnant of your touch burns itself through his pauldron.

“You too… General.”

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[arctroopertinky]

Look Towards the Future Ch2: Killed in Action

Captain Rex x Jedi!Reader

Words: 7.1k

Summary: You and Rex keep reminding each other of things neither of you can identify.

Warnings: References to death / Panic attacks / unnamed character death / major character injury

A/N: The second of six chapters that exist on AO3, I will keep uploading the chapters to Tumblr about once a day

AO3 Link / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter / Master List

The evening hours pushed forward as you wandered your way through the Resolute, you had a small bag on hand containing all of your possessions. Growing up in the Jedi Order, you were taught of the dangers of material possessions, and were highly encouraged to limit what you owned to maintain better control of your emotions and impulses. Even with this small bag barely over halfway full, you still owned more than most Jedi, and you suspected that many looked down upon you for this. But, if they did, nobody said anything about it, and that made you uneasy.

But what made you uneasy in this moment was your inability to find your quarters on the Resolute, and the sight of countless clones all around you. You wished you could be alone, but you knew that each of these clones had a job to do, and a duty to the Republic to do their job. There was no wishing away these clones when they saluted you as you walked by. When they spoke amongst themselves, forcing you to hear their identical voices. You tried to block it all out, tried not to remember your clones. The ones you failed not too long ago. Each time you looked a clone in the eyes, you saw one of your own men. Each time you heard a clone speak, you heard one of your own men. Men you could never see again. And it didn’t help that you got no sleep the night before either. You spent your entire first night in the 501st studying the battle plans for your first mission with the battalion. You knew that sleep was important before a fight, but you didn’t want to fail this battalion, You didn’t want to go through that again. You couldn’t.

Ahsoka, who was dismissed from the lengthy meeting with Rex, Anakin, and Admiral Yularen, spotted you walking aimlessly. She noticed that you ignored the troopers who saluted you, and examined that you appeared distressed. Your hood was up but there was no hiding your face. When your eyes spotted a clone, you sharply looked down, the floor beneath you looking mighty interesting to you all of the sudden. Your upper teeth caught your bottom lip, refusing to let go as your lip discolored slightly and wrinkled. Your eyes were dazed and glazed over as they refused to focus on what was in front of you. The dark circles under your eyes were obvious and prominent, you looked absolutely exhausted.

Ahsoka politely approached you and gently placed her hand on your shoulder. You flinched at the contact, then slowly moved your head up to meet Ahsoka’s kind gaze. Your eyes were wide and your mouth hung open slightly, your bottom lip red from the biting. There was no hiding from Ahsoka Tano.

“Master y/n, I saw you walking and I just wanted to check in on you.” Ahsoka removed her hand from your shoulder and you turned to face her, removing your hood. “Are you having a hard time finding your quarters? I can help you, I believe your quarters are located near mine.” She offered.

“Oh…” you had to stifle a yawn. “That would be great actually, thank you.” You replied. “But please- don’t call me Master… just y/n will suffice.”

Ahsoka’s mouth widened into a toothy grin. “Of course, y/n! Follow me, I think I know where your quarters are.” Ahsoka began to lead the way. Her pace was a bit fast for your liking, but you could tell it was just because she liked you and was excited to help. Ahsoka’s demeanor brought a slight smile to your face. One that was genuine, but quickly disappeared when you caught sight of more clones.

While you followed Ahsoka you made sure not to walk next to her, but somewhat behind her. There was nothing more you wanted right then than to just disappear as clones from the 501st continuously stopped Ahsoka in her tracks to greet her, and to unfortunately try to greet you too. In response you simply kept your head down or nodded your head without saying anything. Many clones took notice of this, and gave Ahsoka a confused look. In response, Ahsoka simply lifted her hand up, silently telling the troopers to not worry, and not to take any offense to your coldness. As you continued walking you focused on blocking out the images of your old troopers that appeared in your head.. They haunted your mind’s eye and tormented your walk behind Ahsoka. You began to see flashes of your old Captain on the field, off the field, training for the next battle. It all began to overwhelm you, until-

“We’re here! These are your quarters, right down the hall from mine!” Ahsoka exclaimed, bringing you out of your trance. You turned to face the sound of a door sliding open to reveal an empty room, simply furnished with one bed and a small dresser next to it. The walls of your room matched the rest of the Resolute. It was boring and simple, but it was your room and you would have to make do. At least there was a small refresher which was accessible next to your bed.

Ahsoka looked proud of herself. “Where, there you have it. If you need anything from me, visit my quarters.” Ahsoka pointed up the hallway to a closed door. “Please don’t hesitate if you want to talk about anything.” Ahsoka placed her hand back on your shoulder. “We’re all here for you.”

“Oh…!” You weren’t exactly sure how to respond, but you felt a slight smile creep upon your face once again. “Th-thank you, Ahsoka. I-I’m grateful.” You stuttered, mentally punching yourself for your awkwardness. You rubbed the back of your neck with your hands as you led yourself into your new quarters on the Resolute. Ahsoka let you get to it, knowing to give you the space you needed to finally relax. Once you heard the door shut behind you, your body immediately began to release tension. You sluggishly peeled off your shoes before throwing them into a corner.

It was just you and your quarters, no Anakin, no Ahsoka, no clones, no Rex. You noticed that the Captain tended to stare for longer than you were comfortable with. You could tell it wasn’t anything malicious, but you were still confused as to why he took so much apparent interest in you.

Thinking about it began to give you a headache, you rubbed one of your temples with one of your hands, while allowing the other to toss your bag onto your bed. You plopped down onto the mattress, sitting up while you untied the string on your bag to allow the top to furl open. You carelessly stuck your hand into your bag in hopes of finding your water container to help relieve your headache. After some searching, your hand touched something that stopped you in your tracks. The familiar sensation of the item made your heart drop. Your fingers gripped the item as you slowly lifted it out of your bag. Once the item came into view you knew exactly what it was, a broken piece of your old Captain’s helmet, all that was left of it after the incident, all you had left of him.

This was the first time you’ve really searched through your bag since placing the helmet piece into it all those weeks ago. You jumped at the sight of the item and dropped it back into your bag, a light clinking sound accompanying its landing against your other items. You jumped to a standing position. Your breath quickened into shallow heaves. Your vision unfocused and your quarters turned around you. Your fingers grasped your hair and began to pull. Images of your Captain started to haunt you once again, flashing in and out of your mind at a nauseating pace. After a moment of absolute panic, you were able to ground yourself enough to think of a way to calm down.

Your limbs shook as you nervously sat yourself back onto your bed. You lifted your bag and casted it aside onto the floor. You removed your lightsabers and your belt and placed them on your dresser. As you crossed your legs and rested your hands onto your knees, you attempted to take a deep breath in. It was shaky and uneven, but you forced your lungs to fill until they couldn’t expand anymore. Then, you let the breath out, and felt your heart rate slow slightly. You repeated this until it became automatic to you. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Again and again. Then, the relaxation took hold, and you felt yourself losing the material world.

You were meditating, your physical body meant nothing to you in this state. You could sense that your quarters no longer existed around you either, just a soothing darkness. It was just you and your mind. You called out into the darkness to see what would respond. After some minutes you felt a familiar presence, one that was… off, but provided you sense a serenity nonetheless. You reached your hand out into the darkness to unveil more. But more darkness responded.

You felt… disappointed. This presence you felt was something you missed without completely understanding it. But, the meditation relaxed you nonetheless, it helped you feel more like the Jedi that you were expected to be. You thought you felt well enough to retreat from your meditation, until you felt a sudden presence overwhelm your senses.

You let out a yelp in response, your voice echoing in the dreamlike realm. The presence felt similar to that of your old Captain, and it felt terrifying, you felt that he was terrified.

“Rory?!” You yelled into the abyss, but you saw nothing, your eyes were telling you that you were alone, but you began to hear his pleas.

“Y/N!” You heard your Captain scream. He sounded as though he was in pain, he wanted your help. He NEEDED your help.

“RORY!” You screeched. “I can help you! Just tell me where you are!” All you heard in response were his agonizing screams. “Rory, please!” You still heard no coherent response from your Captain.

“Hey!” The screams, what sounded distant at first, started to become louder and louder. Your arms were locked in place in fear, overwhelming you greatly in the darkness.

“Hello?!” They were louder now. You were too scared to yell, but you felt something bubbling up within you.

“Y/N!” This time it felt as though someone was right in front of you. The sensation was enough for another scream to burst from within you.

“RORY!” You belted. The intensity of it all took you out of your trance. All of the sudden you were back in your room, you felt sweat pooling together all over you. Your breath was untamed. Your eyes were unfocused as your pupils danced around your quarters. You were out of control, until you heard a voice.

“Hey! Are you alright? Who’s Rory?” The voice captured your attention away from your nightmare. Your focus came back to you and your pupils relaxed to allow you to see the source of the voice, and it was Rex. He was standing only some steps away from your bed, leaned slightly towards you. He had a tray full of food in his hands, presumably from the Resolute’s mess hall. His face wasn’t very close to yours, but close enough to allow you to spot the details in his face. His eyes were full of concern for you as they examined yours, his eyebrows were angled in a distraught way that wrinkled his forehead. You had no idea how long he’s been here.

“Captain…? How long… have you been in my room?” You managed to ask in between breaths. This clearly caught Rex off guard.

“Oh, uh��” The Captain shot his posture back up as he promptly took a couple strides back towards the door. Embarrassment infected his face as he lost his composure. Gone was Rex’s Captain-like demeanor. All that was left in front of you was an embarrassed and stuttering man. “I-I just, was walking down the hall w-when I heard someone screaming. I-I didn’t intend to intrude o-on you, I just-”

“I understand.” You interjected, placing your vision downwards, refusing to look the clone in the eyes. “Thank you for your concern, Captain.” You forced yourself to weakly smile for the Captain’s sake. “But I would truly rather be alone right now.”

Despite how uncomfortable it made you, you then allowed your eyes to settle onto Rex’s in an attempt to convince him that you were okay. You felt guilty that he had to hear you in that state, that you were the reason he had to drop everything to check in on you. The last thing you wanted was to be a burden to another clone. Luckily, Rex seemed convinced after an uncomfortably long moment. He still looked concerned for you, but his expression softened slightly as he seemed to respect your wishes nonetheless.

“I understand, General. I apologize for the intrusion.” Rex stated as he saluted you, before turning to walk out the door. Your smile faded as you stared at his back as the door hissed open to allow him passage back outside, and snapped shut again. You rubbed your eyes with one of your hands as you started practicing your deep breathing again in hopes of fully relaxing. Rex’s distraction largely helped you enough to calm you down, but your heart rate was still elevated slightly.

As the beating of your heart continued to slow to its resting tempo, you thought about what had just transpired just minutes ago. Your panic attack, your horrific visions, Rex being in your quarters. He would never have been there if you didn’t yell like you were in danger, if you were actually acting like the Jedi you were supposed to be. Ever since the incident, your emotions have been… heightened to say the least. The order clearly noticed this, hence the reason you were assigned under Anakin’s watch. Your emotions have affected you greatly but you didn’t want to be a burden and share the load with others, you’ve already done that enough.

You noticed a lightly colored spec out of the corner of your eye, and you looked over to see that it was the tray of food that Rex was holding earlier on the floor by your door. Suddenly you felt extremely embarrassed, did he forget his food? Or maybe he brought the food for you? And oh no, he definitely heard you say Rory’s name, didn’t he? Those thoughts made your head spin, your face became hot as you approached the tray and took it into your hands. You still haven’t had dinner yet, you knew that you were hungry, and it would be wrong to waste good food. Especially since you had no idea how to find Rex to return the meal. You brought the tray back to your bed, and as you ate, you felt your mood improving as you finally had your first good meal all day. But, there was still an itching thought in the back of your mind. You have been trying to avoid clones as much as possible since you lost your battalion. But Rex’s kindness, or at least his consideration towards you, made you feel conflicted. Instead of instantly kicking Rex out of your room, you welcomed his presence more than you would have expected and you didn’t know why. Either way, you had to continue to study the war plans. You finished up your meal, and got right back to studying. You couldn’t fail these clones.

- - -

Rex made his way through the residential halls towards a data room. During his travel his brothers would salute him, to which Rex would return the favor but would not slow his pace towards his destination.

Yes, he brought the meal specifically for you. In the moment he thought it would have been a good excuse to have been coincidentally walking through the halls to coincidentally walk past your quarters and coincidentally have the chance to talk to you. He mentally kicked himself for his stupidity and his strange need to speak with you. The first day he saw you he saw something in your expression that drew him to you, despite the fact that he didn’t have the words to describe it. He saw it in your quarters too, after he rushed in when he heard you scream. You just looked more scared, and alone. The way you looked was something he was familiar with in a strange way. He barely even knew you, but he, for whatever reason, knew that he wanted to get to know you. But what he did back there was an obvious overstepping of your boundaries. It was not his business to enter your quarters without an invitation, and he felt guilty even thinking about it. Of course he intended to knock on your door like a normal person, but when he heard you yelling, he felt he had no choice but to enter just to make sure you weren’t hurt. He just hoped that you weren’t upset, and that you at least enjoyed the food he left you.

Either way, he heard you yell a name he was not familiar with, but considering your affiliation with the Jedi and how many millions of men were in this army, he had a hunch you were referencing a clone.

The door to the data room was wider than what was provided in the residential halls. The hiss the door secreted before it opened was deeper, but the door whipped opened just a quickly despite the heavier weight the contraption had to bear. Rex peeked into the room, and luckily, it seemed as though he would be alone. Rex marched in, head and eyes moving independently in order to locate the data book. Once he found it Rex put in his password provided to him by the Republic, and the book glowed to life, its blue hue shining against the white of Rex’s armor.

Rex prepared himself to type, but then paused, and hit his palm against his forehead as he rolled his eyes. He had a name, but not an identification number. Rex grumbled to himself as he continued to press his palm against his face, agonizing over his mistake. Sometimes it was easy for Rex to forget that he and his brothers were not born with these names. Despite the fact that millions of men looked just like him, their names gave each of his brothers another character, another personality.

“Something happen?”

It was Cody.

“Cody?” Rex stepped back, trying to act natural. “When did you get here?”

“Just now, but I’ve been here long enough to see that you need some help. Can I?” Cody inquired, eyeing the databook.

“Actually, yeah.” Rex began, “have you ever met another trooper who calls himself Rory?”

Cody took a moment to think, his eyebrows furrowed as he was deep in thought. “You know what? I think I have before. What, do you need to know his numbers?”

“I think I do.”

“Do you want to tell me why?”

Rex hesitated.

“That’s something I’ll have to talk to you about later.” Rex replied. Cody side eyed his brother with a curious suspicion, but shrugged his urge to ask more aside as he leaned in next to Rex and typed in the identification number.

“I won’t push you, but I better hear about this at 79s if the story is as interesting as I’m hoping it is.” Cody laughed. Giving Rex a big pat on the shoulder. But he was already extremely focused on the data book in front of him. Considering his options, Cody removed himself and walked out the door to return to his duties. Rex, now alone, was fully able to focus on the screen.

Rex methodically read over every bit of information that this trooper had to offer. His date of birth, his training notes, his battalion and who he led into battle. All until his eyes found the end of this clone’s story. ‘Killed in action.’

Rex’s eyes grew wide as he read those three words over again. Suddenly his face felt hot and he looked away from the screen as regret began to boil in his chest. Maybe Rex was (once again) overstepping your boundaries here. Clones he has never heard of died all the time, and it’s not like any of this was his business, he did not know you, and you did not seem interested in getting to know Rex or his brothers. It was already a bit much that he thought about you enough to visit your quarters, why was he making your past his business? Why did he care like you were an old friend? Rex looked back at Rory’s file, but decided not to read any more, and shut the machine off before swiftly exiting the data room.

- - -

You woke up to the sound of your alarm. Your body was mangled from sleep as you unfurled yourself and reached up to turn off the obnoxious sound. When you sat up you wiped the drool from your cheek and picked up your datapad from off the floor. You must have fallen asleep while studying, the datapad was still on and your room was still a mess from the day before. After Rex left your room you studied for the rest of the day and into the night, hopefully you got enough sleep, as today was the day of your first mission with the 501st.

Most of your morning was a blur as you found your body walking out the door, then suddenly forcing down a quick breakfast, then suddenly standing in a dropship flying over a battlefield, hearing that a plan was being explained by Anakin, but you couldn’t make out the words. Your head was angled slightly downwards as your vision refused to focus. This was your first mission back, you studied the plan and the planet for countless hours, counteracting the benefits of studying with the detriment of losing sleep. You thought you prepped the best you could for your new battalion, but you clearly were a bit tired and stressed out of your mind.

Rex noticed this as he stood with you, Anakin, and Ahsoka. “Assist the natives of the planet, drive back the Separatists, and ensure their freedom,” Rex heard Anakin say, but part of his focus was on you. He watched as you looked at nothing in particular, as your thoughts panicked around each other in circles. Rex considered getting your attention, but to do what? Wish you good luck? Provide some other gesture of comfort to you? He felt a little nervous even thinking about it. Although you didn’t think much of Rex entering your room the evening prior, Rex assumed that you did, and he worried about how you thought of his actions. Rex hesitantly weighed his options, but was mentally interrupted by Anakin.

“Y/n, did you get all that?” Anakin, inquired. You looked surprised as you blinked your eyes upwards to the General.

“I- Of course, Master Skywalker.” You forced. But Anakin was clearly too focused on the fight ahead as he let an excited smile corrupt his face. “Great! Then I’ll let you take it from here.” Without warning Anakin leaped from the dropship as it was beginning its descent. Ahsoka, yelling about how Anakin never let her go first, promptly bounded to the sky and dived towards the battlefield. Your eyes grew wide at the carelessness of the other generals. You heard Fives and the other troopers laugh and holler at their generals’ bold dash towards the battlefield. Rex lifted his hand sternly to notify his men to stop the noise, and he looked at you as his brothers quieted down.

“Are you… ready for this, General?” Rex inquired, clearly sounding concerned. Your head turned to meet his helmet, calculating what to say next to satisfy him. But, nothing came to mind. As your dropship landed, the rumbling noise of dozens of other dropships infected your senses. You stepped towards the edge of the dropship, peering out into the battlefield. You took a deep breath to try to calm some of your nerves against the chaos of the war. You failed tremendously, but you had to say something to these clones. You turned towards them, the wind lifting your hair and your robe in its wake. Blaster shots were heard in the near distance, signaling that they were missing out on the fight. You had to go now.

“I am, and I hope you all are too.” You half-lied, preparing yourself to sound more confident. “Let’s go!”

You heard the battle cry of the men behind you as you leaped from the dropship into battle. You were greeted by a planet supposed to be covered in lush greenery and thick forests, but you were met with an empty field, the deep green grass you thought would be beneath you was desecrated, dirt mounds littered the battlefield. Your battalion arrived in the middle of a firefight between the citizens of this planet and Separatist forces. Luckily to got there when you did, the citizens were slightly losing their fight for freedom. You had to sprint over some dead civilians in order to make it to the heart of the battle. Anakin and Ahsoka were far from you but you were able to locate them easily by spotting their lightsabers if you needed to.

The battle was intense. Blaster fire and explosions could be heard from all directions accompanied by yells and screams alike. Not one second went by where a trooper or a citizen wasn’t running past you to get closer to their target. All hell had broken loose, but for some reason, you weren’t afraid. Despite your lack of sleep from the night before, the battle reinvigorated you. As you deflected blaster shots back at your opponents, it reminded you of how things used to be for you in this war. How you, your captain, and your battalion would charge into battle without a care in the world, destroying the Separatist threat wherever the Republic sent you. As you cut down separatist droids, you remembered the pride you felt as you celebrated each victory with your men, how you would spend time with your captain afterward, and-

Then you tripped.

You broke your fall with your knees and elbows, feeling the sore pain bubble up as you tried to shake your dizziness. As you waited for the dizziness to dissipate your teeth grit together and your eyes remained shut tight. Once you could focus, you strained your neck to look behind yourself, to see that you had tripped over a fallen trooper. Suddenly the confidence that the battle had gifted you quickly disappeared, and what replaced it was an acute feeling of horror. You practically threw yourself at the clone in order to save him. “Trooper!” you yelled. “Are you alright?! What are your injuries?!”

No response.

You gripped the trooper’s helmet tight as you struggled to remove it. After a moment of strain, however, you managed to free the trooper’s face from the confines of his helmet. But what you hoped to see wouldn’t come. Despite your nervousness towards the clones as of late, you wanted nothing more than to see their eyes full of life looking into yours. But all you saw were the lifeless eyes of the man beneath you, staring into nothing as his head slacked over. Then, you noticed the blaster shot wound burned into his neck. He was dead.

“No…” Your eyes began to water as you took the trooper’s lifeless body into your arms, silently sobbing and soaking the trooper’s face with your tears. You did not know this trooper, but knowing that maybe, just maybe, you could have done something different to save this man’s life ate at your soul like acid.

You continued to mourn the clone until a blaster shot only just missed you and burned the ground next to your leg. Your eyes locked onto the scorch mark on the Earth, and you felt a burning anger bubble within you. You let the trooper go, his limp body accepting the Earth as you turned to pick up your lightsabers. As they ignited, your eyes shifted to look at a small company of battle droids. Rage infected your eyes as your senses tunnel-visioned on the droids. You began to walk, then run, then sprint towards the company. Your ears refused to hear anything other than your footsteps, your labored breaths, and your blood beating in your body. Those droids were going to pay for this, and you were going to kill them.

You were too furious to be subtle, you dashed in front of the battle droids with your lightsabers ready. If they said anything about your arrival, you did not hear it, you were ready to pounce. With your passion equipped, you demanded the force to relinquish the droids’ blasters from their grasps. You swiftly put one of your sabers away and put your hand out in front of you. As your fingers clawed the air, you closed your fist, expecting blasters to come flying towards you. But nothing happened.

You snapped back into reality with a gasp. Your eyes grew wide as shock filled your body, paralyzing you as the battle droids realized your presence. You stared at your closed fist, scrambling to understand what had just transpired. The droids looked at you with their heads cocked to the side in pure confusion. After a moment, they all aimed their blasters at you in unison. You pulled your second saber back out in reaction and prepared to block the shots.

But you couldn’t feel the force. You knew all too well what it felt like to anticipate blaster shots, but right then and there, you felt lost. Your senses were completely blind as the first shot fired from one of the blasters, just missing your head and zooming past your ear. You gasped as dozens of shots suddenly came flying at you. You tried to deflect the shots as best you could, but you only were able to connect a pathetic percentage of them with your sabers. Even then, the shots that bounced off your sabers flew in wildly different directions, not even close to your targets. Rex, not too far from your current location, twisted his head quickly in response to a blaster shot zipping past him, and saw you struggling against dozens of battle droids.

Suddenly you were hit. Your shoulder sharply bounced back in response and you yelped out in pain. With one arm down, you continued to try to make use of your other one against the shots coming towards you. Deflecting some, but many others kept narrowly missing you. You were hit again, this time in the hip, another burning sensation began to resonate in that area as you fell to your knees, waving your lightsaber around at a weakened pace. The battle droids kept marching closer to you, you strained your eyes on the company, thinking this was the end, until you heard a collection of clinking sounds bounce near the droids.

The EMP grenades sparked to life under the feet of the battle droids, causing them to seize for a brief moment, before most of them collapsed to the ground. The remaining battle droids turned to look at Rex, Fives, and Echo bounding towards you. A ringing took over your ears, so you couldn’t hear anything, but you did see a battle droid point towards the clones, with shots following the order. One by one the troopers took out the company, you saw as they all began to fall, each in quick succession from the last. The ringing in your ears became louder and louder as your adrenaline wore off and the pain from your wounds became more intense. Then you felt a hand grip your good shoulder, the ringing suddenly stopped and you were once again surrounded by the sounds of battle around you. You looked away from the droids to see that Rex was kneeling down right in front of you. His hand held onto your good shoulder tightly as his helmet sat almost uncomfortably close to your face.

“General y/n! Can you run?! We need to get you out of here!” Rex yelled.

Worry spread across your face. “I… I don’t know.”

He let your good arm sling over his shoulder, and your whole body shook as you got up on one of your feet. The leg with your injured hip would not allow you to stand, however. You managed to lift the knee up, but right when you attempted to extend it to the ground, the pain was too much to bear. The best you could do was keep your good foot on the ground, and keep the other knee bent to avoid some of the seething pain in your hip.

“This will have to do!” The captain stated. “Let’s go!”

You and Rex ran in tandem with each other. It helped to keep one arm over his shoulders, but in order to run faster and keep you upright Rex had to wrap his arm that was closest to you around your side. The two of you made a good distance together, dodging stray blaster fire and explosives. But the running caused more and more pain to well up within you. It became extremely difficult for you to keep pace, and Rex could tell as your hopping became more and more sluggish, as your breaths became more and more labored. He turned his head to look over at you, and he saw your gritted teeth and tightly shut eyes.

Suddenly you could no longer hold yourself up, Rex felt your arm sliding off his shoulder as you descended to the ground beneath you. Behind his helmet, Rex’s expression warped to that of fear and concern for his General. He practically dived to the ground to help you.

“General! We have to keep moving!” Rex pleaded. But you couldn’t budge. Rex grabbed your arms to try to get you up again, but each attempt led to a yelp from you that stabbed Rex’s heart at an intensity he did not expect. You tried to speak but the pain was too much to bear. Rex hesitated for a moment, listening to your groans in pain and the battle around him. He realized that you were not moving on your own, and there was no way he was going to leave you behind. He looked down at you, and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

“Shit…”

With a heave, Rex picked you up into his arms. He lifted your back into one of his hands, and your legs into his other. You let out a pained noise, but Rex did not wait. The moment he confidently had you in his grip he began racing towards a dropship. At first, your hands kept to themselves, resting on the base of Rex’s shoulders. But eventually, they found their way wrapped around his neck to keep yourself stable as Rex sprinted across the uneven terrain. Rex was clearly screaming something into his comms to Kix, but it was hard to hear much of anything, the ringing in your ears was persistent once again, and you were in a world of pain. But, there was something about your current situation that took you out of the moment. As Rex belted into his comms and carried you tightly, you quietly peered up at him. Of course, you couldn’t see his face, but you felt a sense of comfort from being held, from being cared for. Even if it was just because you were injured in battle, this situation you found yourself in with the captain sprouted a familiar feeling within you. A good feeling, something you haven’t felt since…

“AGH!” You felt one of Rex’s shoulders bolt forward. He almost dropped you, but managed to keep hold on your limp body. Rex got shot, and it looked like it hurt.

Rex’s breaths turned into pants as he got close to where a dropship had recently landed. His steps, which slowed when he made contact with the blaster shot, gradually got faster and faster until he returned to the same rapid tempo it was before. Rex was way more shaky now, so your arms were now wrapped around his neck even tighter, and you laid your head onto his good shoulder, next to the crook of his neck, praying for the nightmare to be over. Although engulfed with sweat, Rex’s scent comforted you a bit. While it was distinctly his at the end of the day, some notes within it reminded you of Rory, and for some reason, it helped you feel calmer, despite the chaos occurring around you.

It took all of Rex’s strength to hoist the both of you into the dropship, Kix was impatiently awaiting your arrival, bacta patches in hand. Rex almost dropped you as he placed you onto the ground, sitting you up against the wall. You groaned at the contact with the hard steel, your head was pounding and sweat pooled from all over you. Kix visually examined you quickly before he got started.

“General y/n, we’re going to have to remove your robe so I can assist you.” Kix stated. Rex observed as Kix helped you remove your robe, you bared your teeth tightly as you shifted and moved your wounded areas. Once your robe was off, Rex realized that he had never seen you without it on. Your broad shoulders were accompanied by a top was form fitting, sleeveless, and cropped above your naval. Your pants, however, were loose fitting but cinched at the ankles, and swayed with the wind that passed through the dropship. Rex found himself not only transfixed on your outfit, but on some scars that littered parts of your exposed flesh, mostly concealed by your clothes. When Rex realized he was staring he quickly opted to look around aimlessly with his hands on his hips, praying that you didn’t notice a thing as his face turned red at the thought. Luckily he was wearing his helmet.

“Rex.” Kix started, “I need to examine your shoulder as well.”

“My what?” Rex turned to see bacta patches covering your wounds now. You still seemed in no condition to fight or even stand, but you certainly looked better already.

“Your shoulder, Captain.” Kix was a bit more assertive now as stepped towards Rex, another bacta patch on hand. “Have you forgotten you’ve been shot?”

“Of course not Kix.” Rex states with a slight annoyance. “General y/n is clearly in more need of help than me, I’m doing fine.” Rex lied, clearly hiding pain in his voice.

“For fucks sake Rex, just take off your armor.” Kix ordered. Rex sighed and reluctantly took off his helmet, praying his face wasn’t noticeably red. Then he moved to remove his injured shoulder from his blacks, seething in pain in the process. Then, Kix walked around Rex to face his back. The bacta patch felt cold to the touch as it hugged Rex’s wound, causing Rex to shiver a bit in reaction. As Kix worked on securing the patch to Rex’s skin, Rex snuck a peek at you, and saw that you’ve been looking at him. Locking eyes, you quickly looked away, eyes opting to instead rapidly scan literally everything in your surroundings except for Rex. Rex wasn’t quite sure what exactly to do here, so he simply looked ahead silently as Kix promptly finished up attaching the bacta patch to his shoulder. In the distance, cries of joy could be heard by clones and civilians alike, the battle was won.

- - -

Kix made quick work of the both of you, but once he felt satisfied enough, he excused himself before leaping from the dropship to go assist any injured clones or civilians who needed assistance. Immediately after, Echo hopped in the ship with your lightsabers in hand.

“General, I believe these are yours.” He stated, clearly proud of himself. Your eyes widened and you quickly sat upright with the realization that they were left behind, and you took them gratefully. You were still in a bit of pain, but the bacta was diminishing it by the second.

“I- thank you, Trooper! I don’t know what to say! I…” You trailed off. You were grateful, but still felt awkward about being with clones again.

“Don’t worry General y/n, it was no problem.” Echo assured you. He then saluted you and Rex before returning to the battlefield to assist his brothers. You noticed and observed as Rex carefully pulled his arm back through his blacks, before realigning his armor and re-equipping his helmet. Then, he politely acknowledged you before turning to exit the dropship. The setting sun contrasted Rex’s silhouette, causing an orange shine to compliment his form.

“Wait…!” You quietly pleaded, hating your almost desperate tone. Rex turned around, his lifeless mask facing you once again, hiding any facial expression you could read.

“I… I just wanted to thank you, Captain.” You stood up, only slightly struggling in your attempt. “I never would have made it out of there without you and your troopers’ help, I owe you my life.”

Rex did not hesitate. “You owe me nothing, General y/n. You are one of us now, if I see one of my own in need, I go to help them. No questions asked, no debt owed.”

You took what Rex said to heart, and you gave him a slight smile. “I appreciate that, Captain.” Without the force, you could only hope that he was smiling behind his mask as he saluted you. This time, as he turned to exit your presence, the smile on your face did not fade because it was fake. No, your smile turned into a frown as you looked downwards at your lightsabers sitting in your hands. Why were you unable to use the force so suddenly? It almost got you and the troopers that came to save your life killed. It was something you would have to get to the bottom of, before any clones get injured on your account.

[bunny7567]

I got you - chapter 3

Pairing: Rex x Jedi!ofc

Word count: 4.8k Warnings: canon-typical violence; description of injury; implied ptsd; implied emotional abuse; mentions of death, an attempt at a medical aid scene that probably sounds like it was written by a 5 y/o

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The air was cold as they walked through the canyon, something that Lexie had not expected since Erosh-4 was supposed to be in its warm season for another 30 rotations. They had been walking for over an hour now, and were halfway to the rendezvous point where Anakin’s main troops were about to engage the Separatist forces any moment now. They needed to pick up the pace, the terrain of the canyon had slowed them down more than anticipated.

She glanced behind her at the 49 clone troopers that were following at a steady pace, then shifted her gaze to her right, where Rex was walking by her side. She looked through the Force around her. There was very little anxiety coming from a couple of men, but mostly she sensed confidence and determination. They were all soldiers, they knew what they had to do and they had the experience. Lexie, however, didn’t.

She was nervous, really, really nervous; she had tried to voice her concerns to Anakin about leading the platoon by herself but he brushed her off. He had more confidence in her than she did. She was so worried about the mission that she had basically ignored the attempts at conversation that Hardcase and Jesse tried to make while on the gunship that brought them to the drop point. Instead she kept going over the plan in her head: trek through the canyon, surprise the Separatists by engaging from left flank as Anakin and the other platoons engage from the right, take back the important Rippinnium refinery that the Republic cannot afford to lose.

It was all straightforward, Lexie just had to follow the plan and she would prove to herself she was capable of being a general and, most importantly, she was deservedly of being a Jedi Knight. She forced herself to appear confident and calm, but all she managed to do was seem cold.

“General”, Rex’s helmet-modulated voice called her attention. “Our scout pilots have spotted a patrol of droids near where we would exit the canyon. I recommend we hike up that lower slope and find an alternative route to the rendezvous point”, he said, pointing to their right.

“That would take too long and we’re already behind schedule. Besides we can easily take on a few droids”, she said, trying to appear confident.

“Sir, I really think…”

“Captain”, she interrupted him, raising her voice a little. She couldn’t have the men question her authority right from the start, how would that look? She was the general here, she had to act like it. “I appreciate your unsolicited input but we cannot afford to lose any more time. We will not alter the plan. Am I understood?”, she said sternly.

“Sir, yes Sir”, he replied. The surprise he and the troopers around them felt at her outburst was clear to her through the Force. She was acting like a completely different person than the one chatting and joking with the men in the mess hall just the previous day.

But she was doing the right thing, wasn’t she? She was a general, she had to be assertive. And she had to follow the plan if she wanted the mission to succeed.

Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. The platoon was ambushed just as they came out of the canyon. They were severely outnumbered, the amount of droids and Defoliator Tanks in front of them did not match the intel they had been given. Shit.

They were forced into defensive action, blaster bolts fired from every side as Lexie ignited her lightsabers. Adrenaline had kicked in and she charged at the droids, slicing through the first row. She was focused, she was doing well, she was in tune with the Force. But then the first clone was killed and the pain and fear she felt through the Force as he died struck her like a punch in the stomach, making her stop dead in her tracks. And then another clone followed, and another one, and six more at the same time as the cannon of a tank fired into the group on her left.

The force of the blast had thrown Lexie to the ground. A strong hand gripped her forearm and pulled her back to her feet. Rex. He was saying something to her, but Lexie’s ears were ringing and the Captain’s voice sounded all muffled.

“What?” she yelled.

“We need to retreat, General, we’re too exposed”, Rex repeated, urgency present in his voice.

“What? No. No… the mission. W-we need to push through”, she protested.

“The clankers have us outnumbered Sir. We cannot get past them. We have to retreat”, Rex said as he fired his blasters towards the droids.

“No Anakin is counting on us. I need to get to him, I need to help him”, Lexie said, fear clouding her mind as she remembered how she did not make it to him back on Geonosis, how he got hurt. Because of me, because I wasn’t there to help him. She wasn’t thinking clearly anymore.

“General you will be killed. We will all be killed. Look around, half the men are already dead”, Rex raised his voice. He could tell she was in shock, she looked disoriented and scared. He gripped both her shoulders and shook her slightly. “We need to go now!”.

All Lexie managed to do was give a short nod in agreement. Rex pulled her after him as he gave the retreat order, heading back to the entrance of the canyon. Lexie felt a sharp pain in her left thigh, was she hit? She couldn’t tell and couldn’t stop to check. She could barely feel it anyway over the pain of the men that were getting gunned down around her, it was everywhere in the Force, surrounding her. Why was she feeling all of this, why couldn’t she tune it out, focus on anything else? All the death around her was unbearable.

Once they reached the canyon Lexie looked at the troopers around her. Jesse was in front of her, he seemed uninjured. Hardcase had been hit in the shoulder, but he was still able to use his Z-6 rotary blaster to shoot at the droids that were following them. Kix was right behind her with an injured trooper she couldn’t remember the name of, his arm draped around the medic’s shoulder as he was helping him walk. This isn’t right.

“Where are the others?” she asked, although she already knew the answer.

“There are no others Sir” Kix replied with a sombre voice.

“We have to keep moving, General”, Rex said as Lexie briefly stopped upon hearing the devastating death toll of her platoon.

All those men dead because of her, because she failed, because she was not cut out to be a general. I should’ve listened to Rex, I should’ve fucking listened.

Lexie followed the Captain as the small group ran through the canyon. The droids were still behind, but the tanks had not been able to follow. They needed to shake them. And they also needed to find a way out of the canyon in order to comm for a medevac, no gunship could get to them where they were now.

“Do we have thermal detonators?” Lexie asked the Captain, a good idea finally forming in her mind.

“We do Sir, what are you thinking?”

“Half a klick ahead there’s that portion where the canyon narrows. We could use the detonators to cause a rockslide. It should stop the droids and buy us some time”.

“I like the sound of that”, Hardcase said from her right, a detonator already in his hand.

At least this plan worked. Lexie sat down on the floor, knees to chest, her back against the durasteel wall of the gunship. The pain in her thigh was now throbbing as the adrenaline was wearing off. She thought about calling Kix over but he was busy with the injured trooper – Denal, she thought she heard one of them say – and she knew she could wait. Hardcase had also been hit, he should get checked by the medic before her. She wasn’t sure she deserved medical attention anyway, not after getting all those men killed.

She was a failure, she had been careless, arrogant, she should’ve listened to the Captain. Why had she not listened? And why had she felt the deaths of her men so deeply? She had been around death before but it didn’t feel like that. It had overpowered her, filling all her senses as if there was nothing else left in the galaxy but death.

“General”, Rex’s voice finally reached her. He had kneeled down next to her and his hand was on her shoulder. She looked at him confused. “I’ve been trying to ask you if you’re alright. You look pale, Sir”.

“Oh. Apologies Captain, I was lost in thought. I’m fine”, she lied, she was dizzy.

“There’s scorch marks on your robes Sir, were you injured?” he asked.

“It’s nothing. Just a scratch probably”, she tried to dismiss it.

“Could I check, Sir?”, he insisted. Lexie nodded and the Captain slowly lifted the bottom side of her robes to allow a visual on her injured thigh.

She had taken a direct hit. The left upper part of her trousers was burnt, the wound underneath was deep and wide and she was bleeding. “Kix, get over here now” Rex yelled over his shoulder, his palm pressed on her thigh, trying to keep pressure over the injury.

The medic rushed over, having finished patching up the other clone and ignoring Lexie’s insistence that he should check Hardcase’s shoulder first. Rex moved out of the way in order to allow Kix to assess the General’s injury. He procured a tub of bacta gel from his medic’s backpack and applied a thick layer over her injured thigh, causing Lexie to wince at the sharp, burning pain. He placed a bacta patch over the wound, wrapping gauze tightly around her thigh in order to keep it secured.

“Is she going to be ok?” Rex asked. He had moved to Lexie’s right side and kneeled down again next to her. Is he actually concerned about me?

“She’ll be fine”, the medic replied to Rex. He then turned his head to address her. “The bacta will stop the bleeding and start the healing process. You’ve lost some blood Sir, and might feel a bit dizzy, but I don’t believe it was an amount that should greatly concern us”.

“Thank you, Kix”, she said, trying to ignore the overwhelming feeling of déjà vu she got while looking at the two clones crouched over her.

The medic got up and went to check Hardcase’s shoulder, but the Captain lingered at her side. His helmet was still on so there was no way to see his expression, to gauge what he was feeling, but she could feel that his eyes were on her. Is he angry with me? He has to be, I didn’t listen to him, I got his brothers killed.

She dropped her gaze from his visor and moved her head so it was now facing forward. She had to get a hold of herself, she couldn’t allow it to start crying in front of him and the rest of the men. She closed her eyes, trying to push away the pain and the death and the guilt. She couldn’t show emotion; she was a Jedi. Master al’Prani never showed emotion, he was always calm and cold. She had to be cold too.

She heard the shuffle of his armor as he eventually got up and walked towards the rest of the troopers, and Lexie was finally able to let out the breath she didn’t realise she was holding.

Back aboard the Resolute, Lexie had plenty of time to compose herself, as the battle for the Rippinnium refinery was still raging on. She had gone straight to her room, ignoring Kix’s protests that she should stop by the medbay first. Rex had been correct, the room was identical to the one she was given on the base, albeit more cramped and with a smaller bed. Lexie was sat on the floor with her legs crossed, trying and failing to meditate. She didn’t know how long she had been sat like that but was pleased when she finally managed to push all her feelings down, much to the detriment of the skin around her fingernails which she had been relentlessly picking at.

A small signal sounded, letting her know that there was someone outside her door. She got up and pushed the button to open the it, coming face to face with Rex. He wasn’t wearing his helmet and his golden-brown eyes looked straight into hers. That nagging feeling returned to the back of her mind, Maker what was it about him that made her feel like this?

“I’m sorry to disturb you Sir, but General Skywalker is back and he wants us in the briefing room”, he said matter-of-factly. “He and the men succeeded in retaking the refinery”.

“That’s good to hear. Lead the way Captain”, Lexie said. She was just as confused about the layout of the Resolute as she was about the base on Coruscant. She should ask someone for a map to have with her permanently on a datapad.

As they walked in silence Lexie’s anxiety started to return at the thought of facing Anakin. He had entrusted her with his men and she had failed to keep them safe. She also failed to get to him again, to provide him with the help he probably could’ve really used during the battle. Her hand unconsciously lifted to her chest, her fingers rubbing across it.

She noticed Rex watching her and she abruptly stopped her hand, crossing her arms over her chest. The last thing she wanted was for the Captain to figure out how anxious she really was. She already felt embarrassed enough by her slow pace, limping slightly due to her injured leg.

When they reached the briefing room, they found Anakin talking to Admiral Yularen. He was tired and angry and he frowned as he saw her enter.

“What the hell happened out there?” he snarled.

Before she could reply Rex took a step forward and started speaking. “We were ambushed en route to the rendezvous point, Sir. It must have been around 400 battle droids, as well as at least a dozen tanks and we suffered heavy casualties. We had to retreat back into the canyon, but thankfully, due to General Khalla’s quick thinking, we were able to escape the droids pursuing us”.

Lexie was shocked to hear him sticking up for her. While he hadn’t technically lied, he had left out the details that would make her look bad and she could not understand why he would do it.

The way she saw it, what she did was unforgivable. She had been so focused on proving something to herself that she had failed to recognise her lack of experience. She wanted so much to be perceived as a strong and capable leader that she simply ignored the sound advice coming from someone with a lot more experience than her, someone who had only wanted to keep the platoon safe. Someone who should hate her now, not defend her and even praise her for “quick thinking”.

Anakin wasn’t convinced by Rex’s account of the mission, but decided to trust his second-in-command. If that was the version of events Rex wished to present he would not argue with him about it, not in front of everyone in the briefing room anyway. And maybe he was also to blame, he had pushed Lexie too much and too fast. Obi-Wan did tell him that he should ease her into her responsibilities, but, as usual, Anakin had chosen to ignore him.

She was very anxious, he could sense it. But was that all there was? Was she worried about the responsibilities that came with her new position? Was she struggling after the events on Geonosis? He still didn’t know the full extent of what had transpired during that first battle. He had read the official reports as well, but he also heard the whispers about Lexie’s former master, about the reason he refused to take command of the clones. He knew that Lexie and al’Prani weren’t as close as other masters and their padawans were, but was it possible for her to share the same views on that subject?

No, that didn’t sound like her, not the Lexie he knew; he shouldn’t think like that of his friend. He would give her the benefit of the doubt. This time.

Lexie was so relieved when she finally walked out of the room. The mission debrief lasted longer than she expected. She had stayed silent for the entirety of the meeting, listening to the events of the battle she had failed to reach. Her fingernails dug into her arm when the casualty report was read, an overwhelming feeling of guilt filling her mind.

She kept replaying the mission in her head, the way she behaved, the way she had spoken to Rex, the way she had marched all those men to their deaths. Why hadn’t she listened to the Captain? She had made eye contact with him a couple of times during the meeting, trying to understand why he would stick up for her.

He could’ve said it was all her fault, he could’ve told Anakin that she wasn’t cut out to be a general. Lexie could not figure him out. His stoic demeanour was frustrating, she saw nothing of help on his face, nothing that would betray what he thought about her or explain his support for her.

She would’ve liked to talk to the Captain privately after the meeting, but Anakin apparently had the same thought, asking him to stay a few more minutes once the debriefing came to an end, and so she hurried out of there, deciding to head back to her private room. That was the plan at least, but things weren’t going according to plan today.

She got off the turbolift at the wrong level, but by the time she realised that, she had been walking along the cold, metal corridors for a few minutes and had no idea how to retrace her steps. The guilt was becoming too much and she realised she was about to start crying. The last thing she needed was to break down in the middle of a corridor where someone could walk by and see her.

She saw a supply room ahead of her and walked towards it as fast as her injured leg allowed. Tears started flowing immediately once the door slid closed behind her. “Fuck!”, she screamed as she kicked one of the metal shelves in front of her.

“Are you alright General?”, a voice came from her right side, startling her.

Lexie’s head snapped automatically in that direction, her eyes landing on Echo, who was stood between the shelves holding folded bedsheets and a pillow in his hands. Shit. She quickly turned her body away from him, wiping the tears from her face.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I… what are you doing here?” she asked over her shoulder.

 “Fives spilled muja juice all over my bed, I needed new sheets”, Echo replied, slightly lifting the items in his hands. “Are you sure you’re alright Sir?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m great. I just… I… really kriffed up… all those men are dead…”, she said, the last words coming out with a sob. She placed a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes tight, her body shaking slightly as she quietly cried.

Echo wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. He and Fives had been among the forces lead by General Skywalker, but have been told what happened by Jesse and Kix. The two of them were understandably angry, they had been within earshot of the General and the Captain and heard her insistence that they follow the plan even after being informed of a droid presence outside the canyon, and Kix had been close enough during the ambush to hear her initial refusal to retreat.

To make matters worse, they all knew the story of the Jedi who had refused to take command of a squad of clones, calling them “science experiments”; it had quickly spread within the clone army after the Battle of Geonosis, and the men had now made the connection between said Jedi and their new general. Speculations were being made about Lexie’s views on the clones, and they weren’t painting her in a good light.

Echo didn’t want to believe it; she had been so nice to him just the other night at the 79s, but what his brothers were describing had made him worry. However, seeing her cry right now, he could tell she felt guilty, there’s no way she would react like this if she hated clones right?

Lexie heard the shuffling as Echo placed the items he was holding on a shelf, then moved closer to her. His hand reached for her shoulder but she jerked away at his touch. She didn’t think she deserved his compassion. She took a couple deep breaths to stop crying and wiped the tears from her face before turning to look at Echo.

He was confused and uncomfortable, he wanted to say something to comfort her but had no idea what. He chastised himself internally for acting so familiar with her, he probably made her feel worse.

“I’m sorry, General, I overstepped”, he said embarrassed.

“What? Oh…” she replied, her hand going to the shoulder that he had just briefly touched. “No, no, it’s fine. I appreciate the gesture I just…” she trailed off. She wrapped her arms around her chest, she felt too vulnerable.  

How could she even explain to him all the conflicting emotions that she was feeling, all the guilt and shame and anger. All those men were dead because of her, because of her arrogance and stupid need to prove herself. And now she had allowed herself to cry in front of a trooper.

It had been years since anyone had seen her cry, and even longer since someone had tried to comfort her while she did. Echo’s friendly gesture had startled her, making her think of what Master al’Prani used to say to her the few times she had cried in his presence: “Jedi don’t cry, Padawan. It’s a sign of weakness. Pull yourself together!”. His cold words sounded in her brain like a mantra.

She shouldn’t be feeling so much emotion, she was making a fool of herself. She should be calm and collected. She pushed everything down trying to regain control of herself and of the situation.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone”, she said with a level voice.

“Of course, Sir”, Echo replied.

Lexie hurried out of the supply room, while Echo lingered a bit, wanting to give her plenty of space. He picked the sheets and pillow back up and left the room, but was surprised to see Lexie was still in the corridor, leaning on the wall next to the door.

“I um… I’m not sure how to get back to my room”, she said with a slight grimace. As if I haven’t embarrassed myself enough already.

“Would you like me to escort you back, Sir?”, he offered.

“No, no. I know it should be the next level up, just not sure where the turbolift is”, she said looking around.

“You need to follow this corridor all the way, then turn left, then a right on the second corridor that intersects with it, and then another left. And it’s two levels up you need to go, Sir”, he tried to explain, gesturing with his free hand.

Lexie pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and let out a long breath. “I think I’ll take that escort actually. Only to the lifts though, I should be fine once I get to my level”.

“Of course, Sir”, Echo said and began walking down the corridor. He had to stop after a few steps and wait for her to catch up, feeling embarrassed he had not noticed she was injured.

They walked down the first corridor without saying anything, but the silence was making Lexie feel very uncomfortable. She decided she could try and make some conversation, it had been easy enough to do and surprisingly pleasant the other night at the 79s.

“Have you had the chance to talk to your brothers since that night at the 79s, make sure they don’t throw you at more women the next time you all go out?”, she asked trying to sound light-hearted.

“No, Sir, I didn’t have the chance”, Echo replied a little taken aback.

“I mean you don’t have to do it at all if you don’t want to. I was just curious. Sorry if it was too intrusive”, she said, suddenly realising how invasive the question was.

“It’s alright Sir, I don’t mind talking to you about it. I was just a little surprised you remembered it”, he explained.

“Oh come on, I was not that drunk”, Lexie chuckled.

“No, that’s not what I meant Sir. I apologise it sounded like that”, he said embarrassed. “It’s more that I didn’t think you would’ve paid that much attention to what I said”.

“Yeah that’s worse actually. Why would you think that?”, she asked frowning.

“Well… you’re a Jedi and… and our general, I didn’t think you would pay much attention to one clone trooper”, he tried to backtrack. He didn’t know if he should tell her that it was because a lot of his brothers believed she might share the same views on clones as her master did.

“Oh, well you were wrong”, she said, not entirely convinced. She could sense there was something he wasn’t saying. “I actually really enjoyed our conversation that night. I do feel a little bad about keeping my identity a secret. Although I can’t take all the blame, it’s not like you even asked for my name”, she said with amusement.

“Um right… I’m sorry about that Sir, I just wasn’t sure what to do or say. Never actually been in that situation before”, he said with a small embarrassed chuckle.

“Yeah that was painfully obvious”, she laughed a little.

They were almost at the lifts when the door to a room on their right opened and two clones in officer uniforms walked out mid conversation.

“…General Khalla’s master hated clones, would it really be that surprising if she hated us too?” one of them said. Their eyes went wide in shock as they saw Lexie in the corridor and they snapped at attention.

“General, Sir, we weren’t… we didn’t mean…”, the other tried to explain but wasn’t sure what to say.

Lexie lifted a hand to stop them and resumed walking towards the lifts, her eyes on the floor.

“General…”, Echo said as he caught up with her.

“Does… does everyone know about my master?” she asked. She thought the Jedi Council would’ve tried to keep something like that under wraps.

Echo was reluctant to reply. “Well… we clones talk to each other about stuff like that, about how… about the way nat-borns treat us. And, well, with those kinds of comments coming from a Jedi and right at the beginning of the war, it kind of spread among us. I heard about it back on Kamino, before I even graduated”. Apprehension was clear in his voice as he talked, but Lexie also felt pity directed at her.

“And now all of you think that I must also hate clones”, she said, more as a statement than a question. She wasn’t even surprised, not after today, not after the way she had acted.

“Well… I can’t speak for the others, Sir, but I can tell you that I don’t think that”, Echo said after a brief hesitation.

“Thank you, Echo”, Lexie said with a small smile. “You should get back with those sheets, Fives will think you went all the way to Coruscant to get them”, she tried to joke.

She stepped into the lift before Echo could say anything else. She needed to be alone. Back in the privacy of her room she laid in bed and allowed herself to cry, sobbing into her pillow. How had she kriffed everything up so badly? She got all those men killed and she had acted so horribly that now everyone thought she was a clone-hater. On the scale of bad missions she’s had, this has surpassed everything. How could they ever trust her again? How could she convince them that it wasn’t true what they thought? Her tears dried after a while, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing else but to sleep, however the guilt and shame she felt would not allow it.

[ersatz-ostrich]

Captain Rex x Jedi!Reader: Droid-Crusher

This is the first chapter of my oneshot book, which was originally posted on Quotev. You can also find it here on AO3.

[A/N]: Here we are with our first oneshot—starring the one and only Captain Rex! I hope it isn't too bad for my first oneshot in this book. The next oneshots will get better as I go, I promise!

Summary: You are a Jedi Knight battling droids on the field with Captain Rex, Anakin Skywalker, his Padawan Ahsoka Tano, and the rest of the lauded Torrent Company. Unfortunately, during a skirmish against some B1s and Commando droids, you lose your lightsaber. The circumstances don’t leave much room for you to comb the battlefield for your lightsaber, so you decide to get creative.

       Warnings: None, canon-typical violence.

The chaos poured from all sides of the battlefield. You were utterly surrounded by the cacophony of blaster fire punctuated by deafening explosions and the sounds of blaster bolts hitting their targets. Before you was a sea of battledroids, waiting to be turned into shrapnel. 

Grinning at the army before you, you ignited your lightsaber and dove at the wall of Separatist droids. 

The battle reaches a deadlock. Clones from one side battled droids from the other, but neither could gain much ground.

“General, we can’t afford to lose men in the opening phase of the attack! I need you to take out that cannon on the ledge.” The voice of Captain Rex, commanding and sure, crackled onto your comm. 

“Copy that, captain. I’m on it.” You start towards the ledge, rending a path of molten metal on the way. The ledge was a small piece of work—you had to figure out how to get up while being shot at. Eyes darting around, you found that your best bet was to hoist yourself up a lower ledge, clear the gap between the two pieces of rock jutting out between that ledge and your destination, and leap on over, using a little bit of elbow grease and the Force. 

Your robes were a blur as you scaled the shorter ledge, leapt from one shelf of rock to the other between the adjacent ledges, and landed with a whoosh at the top of the highest ledge, where the cannon was releasing a barrage of fire down onto the roiling battlefield. 

Blood pounded in your ears as you dashed towards the mountain of metal that was the cannon. You readied your lightsaber for the strike that would end the torment from above for your troops. Like those of a predator, your eyes were fixated on your target—perhaps too fixated, for you failed to notice the shout of a B1 from your peripheral and the charge that was flung your way. The charge’s beeps tore you away from your objective, forcing you to think fast. 

Years of training kicked in; you harnessed the Force to redirect the charge’s path from straight at you to the cannon before you. There was one small problem, though—you had been standing too close to the cannon when the charge detonated. 

“Oh n—” You couldn’t even finish your sentence before your reflexes fired. You leapt back from the radius of the explosion and the flying shrapnel that would surely turn you to ribbons without your Jedi training, but the impact still knocked the wind from your lungs and sent you plummeting over the edge of the outcrop and back into the battle below. 

You scrambled to save yourself, cushioning your fall with the Force and tumbling to a stop among numerous bewildered battle droids. 

“Wow, a Jedi!” Exclaimed one B1 with as much interest as a droid could express. “Wait, a Jedi?!” That interest didn’t last. You found their blasters aimed at you, which was not an unusual sight at this point. Your hands searched for the lightsaber you had been holding moments earlier, but you only found air. Without time to search for your lightsaber, you had barely a second to act before you were turned into a charred mess. 

It was at that moment that you spotted it. 

“Blast ‘em!” One droid shouted, and the blaster fire began. But you were gone in an instant, leaving them to shoot at the scorched earth where you had just stood. “Huh?” The droids were puzzled. They looked around amongst themselves, wondering where their target had gone off to. The coast seemed clear, but—

CLANG!

The droid fell like a tree, head disconnected from its durasteel body. You stood behind the droid, chest heaving, with a heavy rifle—taken off a fallen clone trooper, no doubt—held aloft. You swung around the rifle as hard and fast as you could muster, the hefty barrel connecting with your next victim's durasteel face. 

"Whoaaaa!" The droid cried in nasally but emotionless droid-speak while its head spun around rapidly. Unable to spare another second in the midst of fighting, you kicked the addled droid to the ground and unceremoniously ripped its head off, thus putting the clanker out of commission—permanently. You grabbed the fallen droid's abandoned blaster and continued to shoot, knocking out droid after droid until an unlucky shot from a Commando droid knocked your pilfered rifle from your gloved hands. Cursing under your breath, you charged into the crowd of droids while the rest of the Torrent Company provided cover fire from behind you, slack-jawed.

"What are you doing, Y/N!? That's suicide!" A familiar voice crackled over your commlink. Captain Rex shook his head in disapproval as he spoke into his commlink, watching from the opposite side of the charred battlefield while he blasted his way through the oncoming droids. 

"Don't mind me, Rex. I'll be fine!" You replied enthusiastically, blasting a droid with its own weapon. "I'll be done with this mob in no time—" 

CLANG!

You grunted, dodging a Commando droid's vibroblade, whirling around and repeatedly beating it with some poor B1's durasteel arm. Unable to process the given circumstances, the Commando shot blindly, blaster bolts flying everywhere. Continuing to beat the clanker, you gripped the Commando's free arm, which was still clutching a blaster and firing uncontrollably, and twisted it with all your might. The sickening screech of motors and metal resisting your strength grated at your ears until finally, the arm finally snapped off, sparks of electricity flying everywhere. 

"Die!" You yelled, firing a blaster bolt through the droid's chest using its own rifle. Satisfied with your painstaking handiwork, you rose to your full height with a satisfied exhale. "That should do it." Without further pondering, you continued to dodge blaster bolts, tackling B1s and dismantling Commandos limb by limb until they fell to the ground in fragmented robot parts, fizzing with electricity. Suddenly, as you made your way through the droid battalion, a stray blaster bolt whizzed past your arm, barely missing the sleeve of your sand-colored robe. Another shot from a lucky droid hit you in the shoulder blade, striking you down. Just as you rolled over with a groan, you were met by another vibroblade to the face. You barely avoided having your face cleaved in half by rolling to the side, but unfortunately, the hilt of the clanker's sword hammered into your head. The hit made you feel dazed, and before you knew it, the droid had closed in for the final blow…

You awoke on a stretcher, floating you towards an awaiting medbay. The bright sun intensified your pounding headache and the memories of the battle that had just subsided were just beginning to flood back.

"Y/N!" Rex appeared in your field of vision beside a medic—Kix, of the 501st—as your stretcher approached the medbay. "Thank the Force you're alright." You flashed him a weak smile.

"See, Rex? I'm just fine."  You tried to sit up, but your spinning head forced you back down onto the stretcher. Your mouth felt dry, like you had also taken a mouthful of sand when you fell. “Correction—” Rex watched on as Kix examined your wounds, clucking over the bruises that bloomed over your face and torso while patching up your few gashes and grazes with bacta. Kix put you on bed rest for your concussion and severe bruising, shooing away any curious troopers who had seen a bruised-up Jedi Knight being transported to the medbay, and promptly leaving to treat the dozens upon dozens of wounded clones waiting for his arrival. After Kix had disappeared, Rex peeked into the medbay once again, spotting you pensively sipping water and cradling your head. He made a move to enter the crowded ward, but his brothers beat him to it—the rest of the Torrent Company came rushing in, knocking him through the wide doorway of the medbay.

"Y/N! You're okay!" Tup exclaimed as the clones surrounded your bed. 

"Still fully operational here." You groaned and grinned tiredly. "This headache is killing me, though."

"We saw you beat up those droids with your bare hands!" Hardcase gushed.

"Did you see Y/N beat that Commando with a B1's arm?" Fives asked.

"And then shoot it with its own rifle?" Echo added.

"Wizard!" The clones declared in unison, their laughs and cheers filling the silence of the medbay. 

"Now then, boys. Why don't we give our Droid-Crusher here some space and let her rest?" Rex cleared his throat and approached your bed. You swore you could hear some of the clones snigger. 

"We'll be outside." The group saluted and exited the medbay. Finally alone, Rex turned to you and sighed, collapsing into the chair by your bed.

"So...Droid-Crusher?" You ask with a lopsided smile. Rex shrugs.

"Cody will be so jealous when he hears you took down more droids with your bare hands than he did." He remarked with a chuckle. "I'm sure he'd agree that you are a real droid-crusher, though. Didn't you see the trail of broken droid parts and weapons you left on the battlefield? The boys were terrified, even Commander Tano and General Skywalker."  The way Rex described your rampage with a twinkle in his amber eyes and a small smile on his face captivated you. “I’m glad one of the boys was able to blast that droid before it put you out of commission for good.”

"As am I, captain." You paused. "What did I miss?" 

"Nothing much. We took the Trade Federation fortress at the cost of a couple of men." You frowned bitterly at the news.

“So I missed all of the action?"

“I’m afraid so, General.” Your face fell.

"Now I'll be on bed rest for who knows when. I'll be so…useless.” The realization hit you, and your hand flew to your aching head. “I lost my lightsaber, too…" Rex, however, was quick to disagree.

"You're not useless, Y/N. Next to Generals Skywalker and Kenobi, you're the most resourceful Jedi I've ever met. That's why you're a Jedi Knight, Y/N. You earned your title 'cause you've got that fighting spirit. It's great that you wanna be out on the battlefield, but it'll have to wait." He reassured, resting his hand on yours. You fixed your gaze on him. "You did good out there, Y/N. You made us all seriously proud—especially me." 

“Thank you, Rex. That…means a lot to me.” You replied, feeling unusually…nervous. Your face was hot, your eyes darted everywhere, and suddenly, you were aware of every breath you took.

You knew you were stepping out of your comfort zone, if not outside the Jedi principles you were raised on.

He inched a little closer and you felt yourself gravitating towards him, bringing your hands to his face and inching ever nearer until your lips brushed against his cheek and a rosy blush began to bloom on Rex's face. 

Following the brief kiss, muffled cheering was from the medbay's entrance, accompanied by the thump of plastoid armor hitting the steel floor. Appearing from behind the curtain was Cody, grinning widely, and the rest of the Torrent boys, who had been eavesdropping from behind the medbay doors. Fives clapped a flustered Rex on the back while Echo rushed to tell Anakin and Ahsoka.  Hardcase, Jesse, and Tup cheered from the other side of your bed, ecstatic to have witnessed you coming through with your feelings. And Cody, having finally met the great Droid-Crusher, watched on with amusement. 

"I heard there was a new Droid-Crusher in the GAR, so I got here as fast as I could..." Cody began. "...but I see that Rex ol' boy is a bit preoccupied with her here." Rex hid his goofy grin behind his embarrassed grimace. Standing up swiftly from where he was positioned at your bed, he patted your hand and slipped something from under his kama beneath your pliant fingers. You felt every scuff, the cool metal, the switch–

Speechless, you stared at the lightsaber in your hand, then at him, then at the lightsaber, then him again.

“Let’s just say I found it in the rubble...but I don’t think you’ll be needing it that much, eh, Droid-Crusher?”

Congratulations! You made it to the end of my first ever Star Wars oneshot. Hope you enjoyed it and that you rebagel if you did :)

[questforgalas]

I’m in desperate hoe need for some Rex x Jedi!reader fics, please send recs my way

[lugiastark]

I'm a pretty experienced fanfiction reader, but this is the best work I've ever read. The main character is an amazing, complex character with her own story, Rex is what you expect him to be. The rest of the characters are just as canonical and interesting. I highly recommend everyone to read it.

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This blog is 18+ ONLY! Please go away if you are younger than 18. Nearly all of my works contain adult themes, including smut. I exclusively write for clones but may expand to other SW characters in the future.

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Key: ✧ smut | ꥟ angst | ✵ fluff, etc.

501st

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[starry-crossing-zone]

General Storyteller - Rex

Summary: After the Battle of Kamino, Rex finds you surrounded by clone cadets. Length: 1.4k Warnings: Post-Battle; Lots of Teasing; Rex's Flirting is Improving

The battle of Kamino had yielded heavy and unfortunate losses, but the Republic managed to repel the Separatists in the end. Rex, after promoting Echo and Fives to ARC Troopers, sought out the generals. He walked over to where Jesse and Hardcase were relaxing, assuming they would have an idea.

“Has anyone seen the generals?” Rex asked, resting his bucket against his hip.

“General Skywalker’s at the south end of the city, but I have a feeling that you’re not asking about him,” Jesse quipped, causing Rex to narrow his eyes. “She’s with Kix in the infirmary.”

“You know how she always turns into a mother hen after battle,” Hardcase reminded his captain, leaning back against the wall. He elbowed Jesse with a mischievous grin. “She’s probably giving shinies heart attacks.”

“Well, if she can make our esteemed captain blush, what hope do the shinies have, Hardcase?”

Rex, tuning out the rest of their conversation, turned and made his way to the infirmary. Due to the overflow from battle, it had expanded into the mess hall. But Rex assumed that a Jedi would be easy to spot among the clones and Kaminoans. But when he didn’t spot you, Rex made his way over to Kix, who was setting another trooper’s ankle.

“Kix, have you seen the general?”

“She’s in the other room,” Kix stated, pointing to his right. “You won’t be able to miss her.”

Rex raised an eyebrow, but continued on his way. Stepping into one of the wings of the infirmary, Rex paused when he spotted exactly what Kix was talking about. You sat at the end of the room, smiling and talking with all of the young clone cadets gathered around you.

“And then the bridge started to collapse,” you retold dramatically as you carefully bandaged up a cadet’s wrist. “The Separatists planted detonators along the bridge and lured us onto it. And the tactical droid tried to blow us all up.”

“How did you escape?” one of the cadets asked, sitting on the edge of his seat.

“Well, we started running. Anakin and I pushed your brothers to safety with the Force because all of you and all of your brothers in every corner of this galaxy are important to us.”

You gently poked one of the cadets on the tip of his nose to emphasize your point. He blushed bright red, reminding you of another clone, and looked down at his feet bashfully while one of his brothers grabbed his shoulders from behind.

“And no good leader and certainly no good Jedi would say otherwise,” you added, looking out around at the clone cadets. 

Rex was quite sure that the meaning behind your story was not part of the approved Kaminoan curriculum, but he couldn’t help but smile at his younger brothers’ reactions to your story. You smiled and finished up with bandaging a cadet’s wrist before continuing with the story.

“But then we had to run to safety ourselves. Now, Anakin was lucky enough that he was standing close to the edge. So, he escaped easily. But I wasn’t so lucky because a lingering detonator went off right behind me, causing me to lose my balance.”

“What happened next?” a cadet gasped.

“Shhh!” one of the other cadets shushed his brother.

“I’m getting to it,” you promised them with a chuckle. “As I was saying, your brother, Captain Rex, grabbed a long gun—right out of Mule’s hands, mind you—and shot a cable at me.”

“Did he hit you?” one of the cadets asked quickly.

“Do you think I’d miss, Cadet?” Rex called out teasingly.

“Captain Rex!” the cadets called turning around to see him walking towards them.

They all jumped to their feet and stood at attention. Rex stopped in front of the crowd of his young brothers and dismissed them, urging them to sit down again. He turned to you as the cadets got settled again. And even though Rex felt a familiar heat start to climb up his neck, he moved to take a seat on one of the beds. Clearing his throat as you offered him a soft smile, he nodded.

“You were saying, General.”

“Right, Captain,” you mused before turning back to his brothers. “No, Captain Rex didn’t hit me with the cable. It landed in front of me and I held onto it as the bridge tumbled down. And with some help from some of your other brothers, he pulled me up to safety.”

“Captain Rex saved your life?”

“Yes, he did,” you stated without hesitation.

“To be fair, you’ve saved mine a number of times, General,” Rex spoke up, causing you to smile.

“Yes, shall I tell all of you one of those stories next?”

The cadets cheered but Rex got back to his feet and motioned towards the door. You nodded and slowly stood up, causing the cadets to sigh and whine. Giving them a kind smile, you kneeled down so that you were eye level with all of them again.

“I must go back to being a general. But you should try and find General Kenobi, for he’s an even better story teller than me. But which battalion is the best in the GAR again?”

“The 501st!”

“And don’t you forget it,” Rex added, causing his younger brothers to grin.

Bidding the cadets goodbye, you stood up and walked with Rex out of the infirmary. The two of you moved in silence for a moment before Rex turned to you with a soft look.

“You survived the battle alright, General?”

“I should be asking you that question, Rex. This is your home. All of your homes.” You sighed and added quietly, “I’m sorry we didn’t defend it better.”  

“Kamino was always a target to the Seppies,” Rex stated, turning to look forward again. “But thank you, General.” Clearing his throat a bit, Rex turned forward once again. “And thank you for looking after the cadets. They were bred for war, but they were never trained for it to happen in their own home.”

“Of course,” you returned, nodding politely. “I have a soft spot for children. I believe my master’s habits rubbed off on me.”

“It’s not a bad habit to have.”

“Well, and clone cadets are adorable. In a way, the clones and the Jedi have a lot in common. We were raised communally as well. It’s a setup most citizens find unnatural, almost.”

“Well, your people can move things with their minds. My brothers and I all share the same face. They might not be far off,” Rex quipped, causing you to chuckle.

Stepping into the lift together, you stood side by side as you made your way back to the upper floors of the facility. No doubt that Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan were looking for the two of you. Placing your hands on your hips and turned to Rex with a mischievous smile.

“What were you like as a cadet, Rex?”

“Top of my class, of course.”

“Of course,” you agreed teasingly, causing Rex to tilt his chin up. “But don’t tell me that you were always this stoic and brooding.”

“Brooding?” Rex repeated, earning a laugh in return.

“Come on, Rex. You must have broken a few rules in your time on Kamino.”

“I would assume as many as you did when you were a padawan, General.”

“My master was on the Jedi High Council, so I had an image to uphold.” After a moment, you added with a grin, “But also more time unsupervised. And, well, Anakin was a poor influence on me.” Your smile softened as you turned back to Rex. “Perhaps I’ll tell you some of those stories one day, Captain.”

“I look forward to it, General.”

Stepping off the elevator together, you and Rex shared a smile before Commander Cody called out to the two of you. Rex winced when he spotted Cody’s knowing look and you pulled on a more professional expression in the presence of the marshal commander.

“General Kenobi requested your assistance with moving some of the larger pieces of debris,” Cody told you. “He’s in the eastern part of the city.”

“Thank you, Commander Cody, I will go meet him.” Nodding to Cody, you turned to Rex, who returned your burning gaze. “I’ll see you later, Captain.”

And with that, you walked down the hall and away from them. You couldn’t help but glance over your shoulder at Rex. Staring after you until your figure disappeared around the corner, Rex ignored Cody’s stare and smirk. Rolling his eyes, Rex brushed past his brother.

“I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” Cody called after him, causing Rex to wince.

“Stow it, Cody.”

[starrylothcat]

Hey hey! Love your writing!

I wanted to ask for some nsfw headcannons for Wolffe, Cody, and Rex. Where their F!Jedi reader keeps force projecting different sex scenes of them together during a briefing; with the boys trying to keep it together during the briefing and their reactions/what they say to her after.

I also just wanted to say, that you are one my favorite TCW/TBB writers on Tumblr!

Distractions - NSFW Headcanons with Cody, Wolffe, and Rex

Summary: You decide to spice up a pre-mission briefing meeting by projecting naughty visions to your clone, knowing you’ll pay for it later.

Warnings: NSFW, 18+. Absolute filth. Smut. No real plot. Dom vibes from Wolffe and Cody, slightly rough handling but everything consensual. Fingering, oral, PiV sex. Reader a Jedi, not described in detail.

Pairings: Cody x Fem!JediReader, Wolffe x Fem!JediReader, Rex x Fem!JediReader

WC: Around 2,000 total (bullet points)

A/N: Let me tell you, the squeal I squealed when I got this ask! Thank you for this filthy request, anon! And thank you for your even kinder comment, I was having some self-doubt in my writing lately and I’m glad that you are enjoying my silly little stories, it means a lot to me and I love writing for y’all!

This is pure smutty goodness below the cut, I hope it’s what you envisioned. I had fun writing this for sure! I kinda got carried away with Rex, oops. Enjoy! 💛

✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.*

💛 Cody 💛

He is a tough man to crack.

He’s always the Marshal Commander, taking his duties seriously on and off the battlefield.

You started innocently, visions of you kissing up and down his torso, slowly taking off his armor and blacks, fondling his cock, whispering how good of a girl you’ve been and that you’re ready to please your Commander in any way.

Cody didn’t even look at you, though you saw his hand twitch slightly at his side.

You smiled to yourself, projecting a more enticing scene into his mind.

This time, you were sucking his cock, his gloved hand wrapped in your hair, mumbling how amazing your lips felt around him, how much he was going to reward you later for being so good to him.

Still, nothing. Though his jaw seemed tense as he listened to Obi-Wan go over battle plans.

You knew you were playing a dangerous game, an exceedingly dangerous game, one that you will be thouroughly punished for later.

The thought shot a jolt of pleasure straight to your core, upping the ante again, needing him to crack.

The next image was of you, laying on his bunk, pleasuring yourself, two fingers deep inside your sopping pussy, your other hand pinching and tweaking your nipples writhing and moaning in pleasure, getting off completely fine without his assistance.

Since my Commander can’t be bothered to help me, I have to take matters into my own hands…

You held that teasing, lewd image in his mind, and you could almost feel the blade of his stare pierce straight through you as he finally made eye contact across the room.

It was a simple gesture that said so much, and you knew you had him.

After the meeting, you went straight to your personal quarters, knowing he wouldn’t be too far behind.

As your door hissed closed behind you, it was open again, and Cody had you pinned to a nearby wall so fast you barely had time to register what was happening.

Cody was deadly silent as he crushed his lips to yours in a bruising kiss, teeth and tongue clashing as his armored body pressed into your robed one.

You smirked against his lips as he pulled away for air, your lungs burning. “Cody-“

Cody growled as he flipped you around, your face pressed up agains the wall, tugging down your robes, revealing your ass to him and your glistening pussy.

He gave your ass a solid smack, his lips against your ear, heavy and commanding.

“You’re not getting away with this.”

You sighed in both pain and pleasure, hearing the clunk of his codpiece hitting the floor, his fingers gripping your ass hard as he rubbed his rigid cock at your entrance.

“Is this what you wanted?” He husked, “to be filled by your Commander? To beg for this cock? Oh, mesh’la, you’ll be begging.”

You let out a whine as he teased your dripping entrance with his cockhead, already thinking you maybe took it a little too far with your visions, knowing he was a man true to his word.

It was too late now.

“Cody, please, I need-“

Smack! Another slap to your ass, his other hand wandering between your folds.

“Only good, obedient girls get this cock. After that stunt in the comm room, you have a lot to make up for.“

He swiped a finger over your clit, causing you to cry out, your body twitching, unable to move much between the wall and his solid form behind you.

He roughly rubbed your clit, pushing two fingers into your entrance, immediately finding the spongy spot that made you see stars.

“You’re soaking, mesh’la, so needy for me.”

You could feel your release coming quickly, choking out his name as his other hand groped at your breast.

Cody knew you were close, feeling you tighten around him, your high pitched moans giving you away.

Cody removed his fingers right as you were about to reach your peak.

You whimpered, trying to lean back against him, desperate for your release, for anything.

Cody spun you around again, pressing his gloved fingers soaked with your juice to your lips.

“If you’re good, I’ll let you cum. You haven’t proved yourself to me, though. Now be a good girl, and clean me up.”

You licked his gloved fingers clean, tasting yourself and giving him a little show of what you could do with your tongue, if you let him.

Cody’s eyes darkened, slowly pulling his fingers out of your mouth, a line of spit connecting your lips to his fingers.

“On your knees, mesh’la. Like I said, you have a lot to make up for.”

🖤 Wolffe 🖤

The image you projected was absolutely filthy.

Your hands were pinned behind your back by his large hand, the other pressing between your shoulder blades keeping you down on the bed as he pounded into you from behind.

You were shamelessly moaning his name like a dirty Holofilm star, crying out for him to go harder, faster.

You stood at attention, casually glancing at him, noticing a bead of sweat forming at Wolffe’s temple.

You could sense he was trying his best not to leap over the holomap and ravage you in front of everyone.

You decided he had enough of the first fantasy, briefly closed your eyes, projecting another scene into his mind.

You were on your knees in front of him, your mouth open as he shoots ropes of cum all over your face, greedily lapping it up, kissing up and down his still-hard cock, begging for more.

Wolffe’s eyes flashed at you, his cybernetic eye and scar making him look more dangerous than usual, his eyes narrowing.

Got him.

You were enjoying watching him keep it together, a vein bulging at his forehead, his neck tense as he stood at attention, listening to Master Koon’s hologram.

You knew you were in for it after the meeting.

That was the entire point.

Wolffe was practically kicking down the door to your personal quarters after the meeting, pinning you to your bed, his mouth ravaging yours, moving down to suck and bite at your neck, hard.

He had your wrists held above your head with one hand, his grip like iron.

There was no escape.

“What was that?” He growled as he continued the assault on your neck, his hand tightening even more around your wrists that were wiggling to get free.

You whined as his hand that was digging into your waist moved under your robes, up toward your breasts.

“Answer me, mesh’la. Or you won’t get what you so obviously want.”

His gloved touch left a trail of fire on your skin, sending goosebumps across your body and a jolt of arousal straight to your pussy, your panties wet at the anticipation.

“You looked bored during the meeting.” You smirked at up at him, breathy pants leaving you as he touched you. “Thought you could use some entertainment.”

Wolffe’s gaze darkened at your teasing tone, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

Without warning, he ripped open the front of your robes, yanking down your breast band.

You yelped as he attacked your breasts with this lips and teeth, leaving more marks for him to gently kiss over later when he was through with you.

“Do you want my cum, mesh’la? Is that what you want?” Wolffe grunted against your flushed skin as he switched to your other breast.

You gasped a yes, his teeth expertly nipping and tugging at your sensitive bud.

You writhed, your wrists still restrained above your head by his strong hand.

“I’ll fill your mouth to the brim, and you’ll swallow every drop, isn’t that right you filthy girl?”

You nodded, almost delirious just at his mouth on your nipples. He hadn’t even really started touching you yet.

“And then I’ll fill that pretty pussy of yours, but only if you behave. Will you behave for me?”

“Y-yes!” Your voice cracked, needing him to fuck you until you couldn’t remember your name. 

“Yes…?” He stopped, his predatory gaze locking on you.

“Yes…Commander.”

“Good girl.”

Wolffe continued ravaging your breasts, your mewls filling the room.

“Please, I want your cock inside me, I want you to cum so deep inside me, Wolf-Commander. I’ll be good, I promise…”

Wolffe released your wrists, your hands finally free.

“You haven’t been good though, you knew that the second you invaded my mind with those visions.”

Wolffe sat up, and began removing his armor. You forgot it was even still on.

“I’ll make sure you’re properly punished for such distractions, and then I’ll decide when you’re ready for my cock.”

You shivered at his promise as he climbed over you, just in his blacks, the outline of his rigid cock straining against the fabric.

“I dunno, Commander. You seem to be all bark and no bite.” You teased, knowing you were getting yourself into even more trouble.

A dark chuckle reverberated in his chest, ripping your pants and panties down your legs, tossing them to the side.

Wolffe grasped your thighs, biting down into the soft flesh of your inner leg, earning a loud yelp from you as his tongue eased the first of many marks he will leave on your body.

“Be careful what you wish for, mesh’la.”

💙 Rex 💙

You had him sweating and fidgeting as Rex tried to keep a straight face in the briefing room.

Rex was attempting to listen to the mission report, but your vision in his mind was proving to be quite the distraction.

You were on his face, his hands grasping your thighs as he feasted on your pussy from below.

“Rex, oh kriff, more, please, I need your big cock, I want you to ruin me.”

Rex gave you a desperate look from across the room, slightly shaking his head.

You ignored his pleading glance, changing the vision.

Now, you were splayed out on his desk in his private Captain’s quarters, his cock driving deeper and deeper into you, your back arching as you rubbed your clit, cumming over and over again around him.

His desk was dripping with your juices, your breasts bouncing almost comically as you cried out his name, hamming up the vision to see Rex squirm.

Rex suddenly coughed, everyone in the room looking at him momentarily.

You rocked on your heels, hands behind your back, pretending to listen as the pre-mission brief continued, completely innocent.

Finally, the meeting ended.

You exited the room, Rex quickly walking past you.

“My office. Now.” He hissed quietly, before being called over by Anakin to discuss further plans.

When Rex opened the door to his office, you were sitting at his desk, waiting for him.

“You have a lot of explaining to do, General.” Rex strode up to you, placing his hands on his desk, leaning over toward you.

You loved it when he used his serious Captain voice on you.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Captain.”

“You know.” His voice dropped an octave, husky and gruff, just how you liked it.

“You’ll have to elaborate. I can’t read minds.”

Rex stood up straight, his expression unreadable. You continued to sit in his chair as he walked around the desk and over to you.

Rex leaned down again, placing his hands on the armrests of the chair, caging you in.

For a moment, you thought he was actually upset with you. You felt guilty, maybe you did take it too far in the meeting.

You opened your mouth to apologize, but Rex spoke first.

“I think you can, mesh’la. How else would you know those visions are what I think about doing to you every waking moment?”

His lips were hovering centimeters from yours, a quiet gasp leaving your lips, your body quivering at his statement.

Oh, he liked it.

His breath fanned over your face, feeling your panties dampen, his usual soft eyes glazed over with lust.

You leaned forward to close the small distance, wanting to taste him, but he pulled away, avoiding your kiss.

“Mmm, mesh’la. You’re not going to get what you want so easily.” Rex purred in your ear, his gloved hand snaking up your neck, tilting your head to the side.

He placed a hot kiss right below your ear, lazily licking your neck.

“Rex…” you sighed, grasping at his shoulder pads, his teeth grazing your skin, his lips pressing to the side of your jaw.

“You want something from me?” He removed himself from you, kneeling between your legs.

“I’m not sure if you deserve it. I could write you up for what you did back there.”

Rex hooked his fingers under your pants, pulling them down your legs. You lifted your ass, helping him remove your lower clothes.

“Yeah? What would the report say?” You shuddered as Rex began lavishing your bare thighs, teeth and tongue sucking and nibbling as he slowly made his way up to your aching apex.

You could feel Rex smirk against your skin.

“My General coercing me into questionable situations. Inappropriate use of Jedi abilities.”

Rex stopped right at your core, aching and throbbing for him. You could feel his breath on your pussy, desperate now for any friction.

You let out a frustrated whine as Rex kissed your inner thigh, ignoring where you needed him most.

“Rex…”

“Patience, mesh’la. You need a lesson in discipline, it seems.”

Rex brushed his nose against your clit, your hips instinctually bucking up toward him, your hands grasping at his buzzed hair.

You groaned impatiently as he gently kissed your labia, touching you everywhere but your clit.

“You’re not going to get what you want so easily.” He rumbled into your core, a finger now teasing your entrance.

You panted, knowing you asked for this, that you deserved this, but you could still protest to his teasing.

“Captain, please…” You begged, shifting your hips, hoping he would press his finger knuckle deep inside you.

Rex continued to just tease your entrance with his finger tip, slowly circling, not quite pressing all the way inside.

“Kriff, you’re so wet. Do you want me to fuck you on my desk? Do you want to cum over and over again on my cock?”

You nodded, heavy pants the only sound able to leave your lips as he finally pressed his finger inside.

“Use your words, is that what you want?”

Rex’s lips were brushing over your clit, the teasing almost too much.

“Y-yes! Please, Rex, I need you inside me!” Your words came out as a garbled cry as he suddenly sucked on your clit, adding a second finger to your pussy, stretching you so deliciously you thought you might cry, pleasure shooting up your spine.

And his cock wasn’t even inside you yet.

“You’ll get my cock, mesh’la, don’t worry. But first, I want you to cum just like this.” Rex added a third finger, his tongue and lips circling your clit, your vision white from the pleasure as you squirmed and writhed in his chair, totally at his mercy, your orgasm building quickly.

You came apart on his fingers, shaking and sobbing his name, pleasure coursing through you as Rex’s fingers and mouth worked you through your first orgasm.

“You’re so beautiful when you cum.” Rex’s pupils were blown with desire, licking his lips as he cleaned you up, his baritone voice was laden with desire, his control now gone.

You barely had time to come down from you high as Rex easily lifted you onto his desk, removing his codpiece in a flash, pulling down his blacks far enough for his flushed, dripping cock to spring free.

“And you’re going to cum again, and again, and again. Are you ready, mesh’la? This is what you asked for.”

Your answer was a cry of his name, his hands gripping your hips as he slammed into you, starting a devastating pace, fucking you exactly like you showed him in your vision.

Your last coherent thought before being so thoroughly fucked and blissed out by your Captain was that you should definitely tease him like this more often.

Tag list: @littlemissmanga @maybethatfanfictionwriter @secondaryrealm @sinfulsalutations @anxiouspineapple99 @secretthegriffin @idontgetanysleep @starqueensthings @dystopicjumpsuit @wings-and-beskar @dreamie411 @aconstructofamind @coraex @multi-fan-dom-madness @freesia-writes @kashasenpai @sunshinesdaydream @din-miller @clonemedickix @wizardofrozz @pb-jellybeans @wanderer-six @blueink-bluesoul @the-cantina @king-chaos-world @wolffegirlsunite @dukeoftheblackstar @523rdrebel @sleepingsun501 @sunshinesdaydream

[kometqh]

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

501st x F!Jedi!Reader General Skywalker clearly wasn't a reliable source of intell, having pointed you and Rex's squad into the icy tumbra of a long deserted planet, however, it was due to his calculated mistake that the Clones were able to reveal your deeply hidden desires. Being stuck in a cave with numerous handsome, attractive men was not on your to-do list, yet you weren't complaining. Word Count: 3028

Warnings: Unedited, random brain rainbow vomit I had whilst practicing writing techniques <3 It's somewhat (quite) spicy towards the end. There is a lot of fluff throughout most of it! A/N: This is mostly just Tup, Rex and Fives x reader as this was a very spontaneous fic T_T pls forgive me.

"General Skywalker said this would be an easy mission," Fives hissed under his breath, the deep, reverbrating sound of his voice lost underneath the wolfish howling of the wind, clusters of snow beating at his helmet. This was supposed to be a quick and easy diplomatic trip, but where did he and the 501st Legion find themselves? Somewhere on a deserted, icy, snowy planet. "My toes are about to fall off!"

"Yeah, he promised us there'd be clear blue skies and hot weather. A beach even!" Echo added on, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. Rather than being on a hot, sandy beach, the brothers had found themselves treading through waist-deep snow, their fingers and toes turning into icicles, their blasters heavy in their grasps. 

"I thought this was supposed to be a diplomatic trip, Captain," Fives continued, his voice becoming white noise as Rex all but ignored his brother, gracing him with an occasional hum or grunt, to let him know he was listening. But he wasn't hearing. Rex was also unhappy with the circumstances, but it was his job to do this kind of thing. It's not like the clones could refuse not going on a mission, not going head-first into a battle, so he definitely would have appreciated General Skywalker's honesty, over trickery. 

The weather was only getting worse, the wind and snow beating at the men cruelly, the blue paint on their armour completely disappeared under the clusters of snow that had latched themselves onto the clones. 

He paused in his tracks, scanning the area through his optical goggles. He spotted something. Something dark, something round. His men stopped behind him, eerily silent as they anticipated their Captain's next words. 

Rex, turning to face his brothers, couldn't help the way his shoulders visibly relaxed as he relayed the news, "I see a cave entrance just a couple yards ahead, boys! We will seek shelter there!" He exclaimed, waving his arm, signalling for them to keep going, to keep following him. 

In the very back, just behind Tup and Jesse, a lone, female Jedi guarded their backs, one hand hovering protectively over her weapon, the other shielded away in the pocket of her coat. A backpack hung onto her shoulders, the leather material soaked and cold, receiving most of the onslaught of the weather. 

Her mind was wandering, body craving to feel the heat of a hot sun glazing against her bare skin, just as Anakin had hinted to. But instead, she was stuck walking through a blizzard, her body cold and tired.

She had also been excited to spend some quality time with the boys from the 501st, whom she had been recently often paired with for missions. The sight of them all relaxing and enjoying their time on the beach, with their tops exposed, tan skin glistening under the sunlight.. Yeah, that would have been a sight worth seeing.

A sudden, much harsher gust of wind jolted her from her thoughts, clumps of snow quickly settling against the icy skin on her face. 

Her robes, too, were soaked, struggling to maintain the warmth in her body as she did her best to follow the path created by the clones, snow crunching under her winter boots. 

She too wasn't made aware of the true conditions of the mission. She couldn't tap into the force either, to predict or to feel some kind of warning of the mission ahead. What was Skywalker thinking? He was lucky none of her men had fallen! The moment she'd get back, the moment her eyes would land on him, he would be wise to run for the hills. She could imagine the fear in his eyes as she comically choked him out, swaying the male back and forth in a fit of anger.

Relief flooded the squad as one by one, they made their way into the cave, it being cleared by their Captain and medic, Rex and Kix. 

Quickly setting camp, the clones hovered around their makeshift fire, some huddled close together, others snuggling under individual, soaked blankets. The snow had penetrated all of their supplies; food, water, tents and blankets. All they could do was hope that the fire would last long enough for the storm to pass, for their blankets to dry out and warm up. 

"What the hell was the General thinking?" Fives muttered, his eyebrows furrowed. He rubbed his bare hands together until they were warm enough, and then he shifted closer to the fire. 

His feet stung, the feeling just barely coming back to him after that gruelling tread. He was sure if his feet didn't fall off yet, then something else soon would. 

You exhaled a heavy sigh, a blanket resting over your shoulders as you extended your palms out towards the fire. Rex had been kind enough to lend you his blanket, noticing that your robes and skirt were practically drenched from the weather. Sure, you weren't dressed for the beach, but you also weren't dressed well enough for a blizzard. 

You were lucky to have been warned, or rather told, by Master Kenobi of the true conditions of your mission. If you hadn't been, your troops wouldn't have had enough time to prepare for the weather. 

Looking over your squad, you made eye contact with Tup. A worried frown ghosted over his rough features, the creases that you hated so much appearing on his forehead. 

Slowly, you made your way over to the trooper, one hand outstretched.

"Tup? Are you okay?" You asked, resting your hand over his shoulder. As if startled, the man looked to you, his brows quirked in surprise. 

"G-General? Why do you ask?" He questioned, gaze flickering down to your hand, before coming back up to stare into your eyes. A soft, pink hue dusted over his cheeks, and your heart fluttered at the sight. Sure, he was sweet and kind, he was the shyest of your men. He was almost like a puppy, his chocolatey brown eyes so deep, so sweet, you had lost yourself in them again. 

He was the only man who gazed into your eyes long enough for you to drown, a soft smile erupting on your face as you fought your best to not reach up and caress his cheek in your palm. 

"General? Are you listening?" He asked, his gloved hands reaching up to shake at your shoulders, gently. 

Your lashes fluttered over your eyes, taking in a deep exhale, you shrugged. Were you really okay? 

Taking a moment to respond, your gaze flickered up, noticing how wet his hair was. 

"Tup, d'you want me to dry your hair?" The words tumbled from your mouth before your brain could finish processing their meaning. Tup's eyes widened into saucers as he stood there, frozen. You had never been so caring to your men, at least, not like this. 

Remember that pink hue that dusted his cheeks just a moment ago? Yeah, now that's turned into a beetroot blush, the colour painting his ears, his face and neck in a deep shade of reddish-purple. Would it be okay for you to display such blatant acts of affection? Wouldn't that be against the rules and regulations of the Jedi council? Against the regulations of the GAR? If so, would his brothers snitch?

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to-" You started, your mouth quickly dropping into the shape of an 'o' as Tup interrupted you.

"General, I would love for you to dry my hair." He said with a soft smile, scratching at the back of his nape.

Realising it was too late now to back out, you gave a small nod of your head before taking his gloved hand in yours, the leathery material scraping nicely against your soft skin, as you led him closer to the campfire. 

Motioning for Tup to sit down, you stood directly behind, and, above him, reaching to remove your dry blanket from your shoulders. You didn't have a towel, so a blanket should be a good enough substitute. Your hands reached to remove his hairtie, sliding it over your hand to rest on your wrist, your fingers quickly making their way to masssage Tup's scalp. 

As he leaned his head back into your soft hold, Tup couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped his lips. Your fingernails grazed softly against his skin, tugging gently at his soft curls, sending eletric shivers down the male's spine. 

But it was when your hands slid from his scalp, over to his nape and shoulders, applying soft but firm pressure against his tired muscles that the involuntary groan escaped his lips, rumbling deep from within his chest. 

Your body stiffened, stopping your ministrations as a familiar spark shot through your heart, right down to your abdomen. 

Your eyes, wide and unblinking, stared into Tup's as the colour red flushed his cheeks once more. His eyes searched yours, a worried glint dancing across as he waited for your reaction. His lips stuttered as he was about to apologise, provide an excuse, tell you it was okay if you didn't want to continue. 

But the words fell short on his tongue as the corners of your lips tugged upwards, your hands applying the slightest bit more pressure to his sore muscles. 

A grunt was stiffled in his throat, his eye fighting hard to stay open, looking anywhere but at your face. He didn't want to make you uncomfortable, give you the wrong idea-

None of his brothers did. 

Though a lump formed in his throat as Tup looked around the cave, noticing the numerous lingering gazes of his brothers as they sat there, watching your movements. He could almost feel the jealousy vibrating off of Rex in waves, his gaze hardened as the corners of his lips fought to stay straight. 

A smirk tugged at Tup's lips, as he noticed Jesse squint his eyes at him. Deciding to add fuel to the fire, Tup groaned again when your hands pressed against a particularly tense muscle in his shoulder. 

"Woah, General, where did you learn this?" He asked, a familiar warmth blooming in his abdomen as your nimble fingers danced across his shoulders, tugging at the black suit he wore, exposed now as his armour rested beside a sleeping bag nearby. 

"Oh, you know, just learned bits here and there when I was stationed with Commander Wolffe," You chuckled, wetting your lips with the tip of your tongue, "That man was full of knots in his shoulders." You added, feeling Tup's shoulders relax more and more, until you had mentioned Wolffe. That's when his posture straightened, from a relaxed lean, to a pin-straight sitting up position. 

He tilted his head back to look at you, a curious yet worried glint in his golden eyes.

"Were you and Commander Wolffe close, by any chance?" He questioned, his breathing paused. 

If you were Wolffe's girl, then he knew the 501st couldn't, wouldn't pursue you. 

Or, if you weren't, then they knew at least they could ask the Commander of his previous.. Experiences, with you. 

Slowly, you caught onto Tup's drift, and your gaze travelled around the room. Some of the men were fully facing the two of you, legs spread, eyes laser-focused as they listened to your conversation, the cave suddenly, and eerily silent.

A shiver travelled down your spine, and a gentle smirk tugged at your lips.

"Oh, just you know, the occasional date here and there.." You said, shrugging your shoulders nonchalantly. Your smirk threatened to grow as you heard someone scoff, and you looked up to see Rex rolling his shoulders, a scowl on his face.

"Date? Isn't that, like, forbidden?" Fives questioned across from you, leaning over curiously, his eyebrows raised, resembling the blue markings on his helmet. 

A giggle escaped your lips as your hands returned to Tup's hair, suddenly remembering why you were giving him a random shoulder massage. You reached over to grab the blanket Rex had given you, placing soft curls between the two valleys of softness created by your hands, which were hidden underneath the soft cushion.

Your hands brushed through Tup's soft hair, gently dragging the strands through the dry, fuzzy material of your blanket. 

"I don't mean a romantic date, Fives, though I wouldn't be opposed to one." You mused, softly tugging at the locks. "I don't particulaly agree with the 'No Attachments' rule. But that doesn't make me less of a Jedi, or does it, do you think?" You questioned, your gaze softening, a small scowl now tugging at your lips. 

"Of course not, General," This time, it was Rex who spoke up, albeit too fast for his liking, "You're one of the most dedicated Jedi I've had the pleasure of working with," He stated, soft footsteps making their way closer and closer to you, "Plus, it is human to wish to form attachments." He whispered that last part, now standing directly above you as you twisted Tup's hair into the towel.

Your heart fluttered at the proximity, warmth enveloping your pinkening cheeks.

"Is it now, Rex?" You asked, looking up at him. Your heart palpitated at the close proximity, your hands gliding down to caress Tup's shoulders. Your gaze stayed unwavering, unbreaking as you looked into Rex's deep, honey-gold eyes. The Captain suddenly shifted, breaking eye contact as he stepped back a little. 

"I-I believe any of us s-should be able to form attachments," He paused, his gaze flickering from your eyes to your lips, and back to your eyes, "Romantic ones, especially." A chorus of 'Yeah's' and humms of agreement followed, catching your attention as you looked around.

The atmosphere in the cave seemed to have completely shifted, the sound of howling wind drowned out underneath the loud beat of your heart. You swallowed a forming lump, looking between Rex and his brothers, Tup now stood by your side, sandwiching your body between his and Rex's. 

Gloved hands came up to softly caress your shoulders, fingertips lightly tugging at the edge of your collar, grazing the skin underneath. 

"What do you think, Commander?" He whispered into your ear, hot breath fanning over your skin.

"Of?" You prompted, turning your head lightly to look at Tup. 

"Of close relations between Jedi and their Clones?"

Your eyes widened, feeling a familiar heat rush over your body, and you took inhaled a slow, deep, shaky breath. As you looked between Tup and Rex, the latter had made his way closer to your body, his hands making their way to your hips.

The sound of soft footsteps reached your ears, and you saw Echo, Fives, Jesse, Kix, Dogma and Hardcase making their way closer to the three of you, looking completely entranced by the conversation. You hadn't casted any spells on them, have you?

Your breath hitched in your throat, shivers overtaking your body as someone nuzzled their nose into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply, exhaling with a shaky sigh. As they spoke, your heart fluttered with recognition. 

"General, answer the question." Fives whispered, his voice gravelly and deep, one gloved hand gently grasping your chin, twisting it to face him. His gaze flickered to your lips,  just mere inches from his own. He could almost feel the taste of you on his tongue. Oh how he wished to kiss you, right then and there. He was so sure you'd let him, too.

Sure, maybe you did fantasise about the men from time to time, when your thoughts weren't preoccupied by ongoing battles and Jedi duties. How you wished to be allowed to form a connection deeper than General and Trooper, but did they?

"I- I.. I don't k-know?" You questioned, a soft whimper escaping your opened mouth, before you knew it, his lips crashed against yours, his hands latching themselves into your hair, pulling you closer, if physically possible.

The kiss was, to simply put it, sweet. His goatee rubbed nicely against your chin, his lips melting together with yours, as if they were always meant to. His tongue prodded at your bottom lip, asking for permission. Slipping in, it danced with yours, hot breaths mingling together as you felt something press up against your front.

Rex.

You had almost forgotten you were trapped between Rex and Tup, too engulfed with the sudden kiss Fives had engaged you in.

The smell of pine and smoke invaded your nostrils, their scents overwhelming, flooding your senses as Fives became rougher, his hands tugging at the roots of your hair. With one hand, you grasped the side of his face, thumb rubbing soothing circles into his rough skin, your breath hitched as a groan escaped his lips.

"Okay, that's enough I think." Kix spoke, the kiss abruptly interrupted as he pulled Fives away by the scruff of his neck. 

"General? Are you okay?" Rex's voice was soft as he neared you, his breath fanning over the sensitive shell of your ear. 

Inhaling a shallow breath, you grasped his biceps with both hands.

"Call me Y/n.." You whispered, hazily meeting Rex's stare, his eyebrows raised, eyes wide.

"R-Right.. Y/n, d'you want us to continue?" He questioned, bringing a hand to gently clutch your chin. 

Your eyes widened as you took in the situation around you; eight men surrounded you, watching. Waiting. Ready to pounce, the moment they received your permission. 

And receive it, they did.

With a brisk nod, you allowed your eyes to flutter shut as Rex closed the gap between the two of you, his lips rough but warm as his body pushed roughly against yours, your back meeting Tup's chest in a close embrace. 

Your hands rested against Rex's chest, feeling the soft material of his shirt underneath your thumbs. His chest was warm and firm under your touch, the feeling of his heart racing beneath your hand had your own chest swelling with joy. A sigh left your lips as you felt a pair of lips press open-mouthed kisses against the expanse of your neck, a new pair of hands rubbing up and down your hips, encouraging you.

You weren't dreaming, were you? You weren't about to wake up, were you?

Your questions were answered as you felt Rex bite your bottom lip, his hands tugging at the roots of your hair.

No, this definitely wasn't a dream.

And if it was, it wasn't one you wished to wake from.

[jessyhazy]

Ohw I love it!!

So good 🫶🏼

For What It's Worth - Part 5

Rex x Reader

Summary: Rex prepares himself to leave you behind as the battlefield calls, but his superiors have something else in store.

Warnings: reader is afab, reader isn't present this chapter, Rex is shipping out, Fox continues to be a bro, General Skywalker is easily manipulated, I play fast and loose with military protocols, mature sexual content in later chapters, minors: get out

Tag List: @bambiswriting @jessyhazy

If anyone would like to be added to the tag list, please comment below or message/ask directly.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Rex could not figure out for the life of him why briefings had to be so early. 

Not that this one was unexpected, the 501st had been planet-side for a week. The boys appreciated the leave, and The Resolute was in need of a distinct number of special repairs after their last run-in with the Separatists. 

General Skywalker (who, to be perfectly honest, was more the cause of the repairs than the seppies were) and General Koon gave the briefing, and even though Rex knew it was coming, his heart still sank at the thought of leaving you.

You had made remarkable improvements in the last week, now able to limp around your apartment like a champ, at least for short amounts of time. Your doctor was very pleased, but had expressly forbid you from going back to work before two more weeks of recuperation and at least one more physical. You were most irate.

For his part, Rex had been spending all his time at your apartment, helping you around your home, learning how to use kitchen utensils and a cookbook (he only burned something beyond recognition twice), and running errands to the shops in your area. You had somehow gotten ahold of some civvie wear for him, and he was barely noticed on the streets. Alentia was grateful to be able to go back to her own job, and Rex couldn’t remember enjoying a leave more. 

He’d never experienced domesticity before. He’d never cooked for anyone or run down to a corner store for snacks, or spent a week curled up on a sofa. You were going to have to record the soap opera you’d gotten him into. He didn’t think he could miss it if Sirin and Jera actually got together.

In a week, all by yourself and barely able to move, you’d shifted his world beneath his feet. You’d made him think maybe he could have something simple and sweet after the war. Maybe something that made it all worth it in the first place. He’d caught himself staring into jewelry stores with a full heart and entirely empty pockets several times, wrenching himself away with reminders that it was too soon, and his position was too precarious, and right now he could offer you too little.

And for now, well, he supposed that little daydream was over. These briefings usually ended with a mission plan laid out and orders to give the boys. A ship out date, a plan of attack, and a certain trooper named Fives to find and drag out of 79’s were all looming in his very immediate future.

He didn’t want to go. For the first time since he’d donned it, his armor felt far too heavy. 

Standing at silent attention next to Commander Tano, he caught Commander Wolffe’s (non-cybernetic) eye. His brother raised an eyebrow and jerked his head at the battle plans the generals were pouring over. 

Okay, so maybe he’d been a little more quiet than usual. 

“...should be enough to establish an outpost,” Skywalker finished up. He raised his head and glanced at all the senior staff. “Does anyone here have anything to add?”

The room was silent. Perhaps it was the early hour, or perhaps they all knew that Anakin Skywalker would do whatever he damn well pleased, comments or no. Admiral Ularen stifled a yawn, and the general nodded.

“Alright, you all have your orders, we depart in two days. Dismissed.”

Rex grabbed at his datapad and made sure that the briefing had downloaded to it. He’d review the details later, after he broke the news to you. 

He had just turned to leave when General Skywalker’s voice sounded out again, “Captain Rex, would you stay behind a moment?”

On instinct, Rex turned on his heel and stood at attention, “Of course, sir.”

Anakin smiled, “At ease. Could you follow me, please?”

They left The Resolute’s bridge for the officer’s break room just down the hall. It was seldom used, though sometimes Rex and a few others would finish paperwork in the dead of night right next to the caf machine. 

When the door opened, Rex’s blood froze. Commander Fox sat at the table, sipping dark caf out of a disposable cup. He looked perfectly at ease. 

Anakin had already pulled out a chair, “Have a seat, Rex.”

As he did so, Rex stared daggers at his brother. There was only one possible explanation for his presence here, and if his hunch was correct, if Fox had done what he suspected, it was all over. His relationship with you, his position, his rank, his hope for a future. All because of fucking-

“Commander Fox is wanting to steal you for a few weeks,” Skywalker said cheerily. 

…What?

Rex turned his head to stare at his brother, then back at his general, “I…pardon me, sir?”

Anakin shrugged, “As he’s been explaining it to me, anti-clone sentiment has been growing on Coruscant. The Guard has been keeping track of several attacks on civilians that may be linked to the movement, and a rally is apparently being held sometime in the next couple weeks.”

Rex’s stomach started to untangle itself. He was apparently not in trouble. But all of this still didn’t explain why Fox would want to steal him. What Fox was even doing here.

“The Commander tells me that the Guard is spread too thin. Between the threat of the rally and continuing to protect the senate, the chancellor, and the streets, he doesn’t have enough officers of experience and rank to coordinate the guard. Since the 501st is the only legion planet-side right now, and since you have real conflict experience, not to mention an excellent reputation for doing more with less,” Anakin smirked at that. “Fox has asked if I’d be willing to leave you here, under his command, until we return from our newest mission.”

Rex tried to keep the utter shock off of his face. He turned to Fox, who was smiling pleasantly, nonchalantly. His thoughts turned to you for just a moment, sitting on your couch, saddened by the knowledge that he’d come back and tell you he was shipping out. Then he remembered he was sitting next to his commanding officer, a loveable shithead with the talent for reading thoughts and feelings, and he shook the image away.

“What about my men?” He turned to his general. “It’s not…it wouldn’t be right to leave them without someone they can turn to.”

Anakin snorted, “What am I, invisible? The 501st will be fine for a single mission, Rex. Commander Tano and Jesse will act as their immediate superiors, while Commander Wolffe, General Koon, and I will supervise the coordination of all the troopers.”

“I…but…”

“We aren’t forcing you, captain. You can join the mission as planned or you can stay here and assist Fox with the Guard.”

Rex was reeling. He could stay on Coruscant. With you. He could stay until you were better, until you could walk entirely under your own power and cook for yourself and…

He cleared his throat, “What…” he began, turning to Fox this time. “What exactly would this assignment entail?”

His brother tried to hide his smirk, but Rex saw it for what it was.

“Nothing you haven’t done before,” Fox gestured with his hands. “Help me coordinate troopers and prioritize special persons of interest who may be under threat. The victims of the previous attacks, the chancellor, senators like Organa or Amidala.”

Rex very deliberately did not look back at Skywalker as heard that last name. The pieces had fallen into place, “I see.” He paused for just a moment. “Well, if this is the best way I can be of service to the Republic, then I accept my assignment.”

Skywalker clapped his hands together, “Excellent! I’ll leave you two to hash out the details. I have some other business to attend to.” He placed his hand on Rex’s shoulder as he turned to leave. “Good luck, captain. I know you’ll make the most of this mission.”

Rex tensed, but Anakin left the room without another word. As soon as the door was sealed, Fox let out a low chuckle.

“Other business he says,” he folded his arms. “Like Amidala isn’t just getting home from a midnight session as we speak.”

Rex narrowed his eyes at his brother, “What the hell, Fox? Why would you go all the way to Skywalker spouting some story about how you can’t handle the Guard-”

“Thought you’d be excited,” the commander shrugged. “You get to stay in the same city as your girl, go home to her when your shift’s over, make sure she’s okay for a little while longer. And…I wasn’t lying. The Guard is spread too thin, and the chancellor won’t give me any more troopers for the moment. I know what you can do, Rex. I’ve seen the mission reports. I saw a win-win, and I took a stab at it.”

Rex shook his head, “You told him Amidala was under threat, didn’t you?”

“Sure, I’m not above a little emotional manipulation to ensure my men don’t get swarmed. I work with politicians every day, Rex. I’ve picked up a few things.”

“Is she even in danger?”

“Of course she is,” Fox rubbed his eyes. “When is that woman not in danger? She stands for more controversial causes than every other senator combined. No sense of self-preservation, that one.”

“She and him have that in common.”

They laughed together, and the rest of the tension in the room dissipated. Rex looked at his brother, grey hair starting to sprout up amongst the black, and wondered if he looked as equally tired.

“Thank you,” he murmured, and Fox smiled.

“Bout time. I only got you out of shipping off to the battlefield.”

They stared at each other a moment longer, and Rex felt a rush of gratitude for his brothers, for the only family he’d ever known, “You didn’t have to do it, by the way.”

Fox broke eye contact and stared down at the floor. When he spoke, his voice came out smaller than Rex had ever heard it, “At least this way, one of us can…” he paused, shook his head, and met his brother’s eyes again. “At least this way I can live vicariously through you.”

Rex exhaled, slowly, “You’ve never acknowledged it before. That there was something between you and Ularen’s-”

“She was my secretary, before Ularen’s last one had a mental breakdown,” Fox’s jaw had gone tense. “I…ran into her a few days ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Rex thought he had problems, but he couldn’t imagine…

Fox just stood, and fiddled with his belt, “It doesn’t matter anymore. There was nothing I could do for my…situation-”

“So you did something for mine.”

For just a faction of a second, Fox looked like he might cry. But he simply squared his shoulders, and nodded once stiffly, “Take the rest of your leave, report to guard headquarters after your troopers ship out. I’ll give you a full briefing then.”

Before Rex could respond, his brother had his helmet back on and was already out the door.

He stood there for a minute… two… three… ensconced in the surprise of his new reality. Then he slowly brought his comm up, and typed a message to Jesse.

Rex: I’ve been assigned to a different mission. You’re up. Start looking for Fives NOW.

His heart was weighty, but his steps were light as he left The Resolute and took a speeder home. You were waiting.

[vizslasaber]

FRIENDLY FIRE ──── ii.

SUMMARY | The mission continues, and with it, your growing suspicion of Krell’s authoritarian methods. But the troopers relying on you—including Rex—lead you in the right direction: one of unyielding kindness, even when it’s hard.

PAIRING | Captain Rex x female Jedi!reader

WORD COUNT | 3.7k

WARNINGS | Combat/action, mentions of injury & death, Krell being a bitch as usual, gender neutral use of the term “sir,” gratuitous use of Mando’a, and one (1) curse word. Also, a Shakespeare reference because I’m a historian & couldn’t help myself.

A/N | Yay, chapter 2! As you'll probably notice, I changed the reader's story a little bit, and I like it better now as it adds more tension to the plot. Enjoy!

< PREVIOUS CHAPTER

SERIES MASTERLIST | TAGLIST | NAVIGATION | AO3

For once, you’re glad to have woken up early. It gives you time to get in a pep talk you know will motivate the men rather than bring their morale down, as you know Krell’s speech—which he gave upon arrival—would have done.

“Alright, men,” you call briskly, brushing a loose strand of hair from your face as you pace back and forth in front of the battalion. “You would all do well to remember that it’s not just the safety of the Republic relying on our success—the other battalions have placed their trust in us. Generals Kenobi and Tiin will stop approximately two kilometers outside the capital city, waiting for us to get close enough to begin our initial assault.”

You glance at Rex, who’s standing beside you, and nod for him to continue.

The Captain steps forward. “We’re about elevens klick behind them right now, and fifteen klicks from the capital,” he says. “We’ve got to make good time—and it’s going to be hard, what with the enemies we’re sure to meet along the way. The native population doesn’t play around, and neither do their weapons capabilities. Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” comes a unanimous shout from the rest of the troopers. They start to disperse, packing up camp faster than your eyes can follow, and you nod to yourself in satisfaction.

“Rex,” you start, then hesitate as he turns to you with a raised eyebrow. “Is it… are you alright with forgoing titles? I always seem to forget to use them.”

Rex looks almost torn—likely between protocol and what you’re asking—but eventually nods. “Of course, sir,” he says, then blanches. “I mean…”

“It’s okay,” you assure him. “I just don’t want to feel bad if I slip up.” He smiles slightly, one corner of his mouth quirked upwards. “As I was saying—do you have a chief medical officer that I can talk to?”

“Yeah, that would be Kix,” Rex tells you, then frowns. “Is… everything alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry.” You adjust one vambrace, looking out at the men, then at General Krell on the far side of camp, who’s been surveying the battalion tempestuously since you began to speak. “I just… wanted to ask him something. About battlefield medicine.”

“Are you a medic?” Rex asks, shifting his helmet to one hand.

You grimace at the clinical, militaristic term. “Something like that.”

Rex looks doubtful, but motions to a trooper with an intricately buzzed haircut who's putting supplies into a pack. "Kix—get over here!" he calls, before nodding to you and leaving as he puts on his helmet.

"General," the trooper greets with a crisp salute, and you notice that his pauldrons have the universal sign for medic painted on them in a bright, obvious red. "How can I help you?"

"Actually," you say with what you hope is a courteous smile, "I was hoping to ask you the same question. You're the battalion's CMO right?"

Kix tilts his head. "Yeah..." he says. "I'm not the only medic, though. Got a whole team of 'em. We specialize in what we do, sir, train for it our whole lives, so I don't want to be rude, but—"

"Don't worry about that," you cut in, shaking your head. "I'm not a medic—I haven't been trained in combative tactics—but I am a healer."

"So, like," Kix pauses, searching for the right word as he does so, "a Jedi doctor?"

You snort. "That's... one term for it, yes." You watch as Kix moves the weight of his medpack from one shoulder to the other. "Force healing is an ability that a Jedi is born with. Not every Jedi can become a healer—using the Force to reverse the effects of an injury is not something that can be learned."

There's a pause as Kix nods slowly. "Reversing the effects," he echoes, fascinated. "Even bacta can't do that—it just speeds up the healing process. Sounds like we could use your help."

"Yes," you say. "That's why I wanted to speak with you." You let out a sigh, remembering one of the first things your master told you as a Padawan. "But it's not all-powerful. Just like bacta can only heal what is able to be healed, Force healing cannot create a life force where there isn't one. If someone is near-death, trying to bring them back would render me unable to defend myself from exhaustion."

"Right," Kix replies. "So no resurrection."

"No resurrection," you affirm, smiling. "But I can help. And I know triage."

"Oh, that's even better!" Kix exclaims, then holds out his wrist comm. "Here—we've got a medic frequency—" he waits for you to scan his comm to yours, and when the happy little chime sounds, he pulls away. "Thank you, General."

"Of course," you say as he turns to leave. "And thank you, Kix."

The battalion falls silent and prepares to move out—but just as you’re double checking your armour, a cold, sharp presence casts a shadow over you. Turning around, you make eye contact with General Krell, who's now standing just a short ways from where you and Kix were talking—like he was listening.

“Conspiring with the soldiers, General?” Krell sneers, putting a mocking emphasis on the last word. You raise an irritated eyebrow.

“Conspiring?” you repeat, glancing at the hastily assembling troopers. “They're hardly the enemy, Master Krell. I only want us to win this campaign as quickly and smoothly as possible." Before you can reign in your impulse control, you add, "And continuing to let the troopers rest will get us there faster."

“Rest is a luxury we cannot afford!” Krell snaps, and you jump in surprise at his excessive volume. He leans forward, acrid breath forcing you to resist the urge to cough. “The other battalions are far ahead of us, and you think we have time.”

“We do,” you reply calmly, despite your quickening heartbeat. “The men are keeping a good pace, especially with this difficult terrain. Fifteen clicks isn't far, especially with the supplies we have.” You purse your lips. “Now, I suggest we set off. Talking will slow us down as well, Master—and as you so wisely pointed out, luxuries are not something we can ask for.”

You walk away, then, and feel a rush of satisfaction enveloped in a Force signature that you’re almost positive belongs to Rex. Resisting a pleased smile, you let your hands drift to where your lightsabers are clipped to your belt before moving to walk beside Rex.

“Captain,” you greet, taking notice of the way Rex’s shoulders tense just slightly. “Shall we?”

“Yes, General,” Rex replies, voice clipped. He motions for the battalion to follow, and soon the two of you, along with a still angry General Krell, are leading the troopers through the unwelcoming terrain of Umbara.

The journey is precarious and—as much as you hate to admit it—tiring. Hours pass, and soon you’re almost to the checkpoint Rex had pointed out on the map, situated just outside the city’s heavily fortified border.

You stop for a moment, leaning against the glowing trunk of a colossal tree, and fidget anxiously with the tabards of your tunic.

“Sir,” Rex says, and you turn around. “We’re ready to bring our forward platoons in. What do you suggest?”

“We should continue with Anakin’s original plan,” you say quietly. “A surgical strike on the outer defenses—we must take great care not to needlessly damage any of the city’s buildings. I'd prefer minimal collateral damage when we’re done.”

It is a plan you’ve been turning over in your head since you’d landed on the Umbaran surface. Hopefully—and assuming there were no hindrances—it would succeed. Despite being overly idealistic, and sometimes a little too impulsive, Anakin is nothing if not a strategist—when he wants to be.

“If I may,” sneers Krell from behind you, and you set your jaw. “I do not think that General Skywalker’s futile plan will be necessary.”

In spite of yourself, you clench your fists at your sides. “And why not?” you grit out, not bothering to turn around as Krell comes to stand at your side, towering over your figure.

“Captain Rex and his insolent men have already brought it up with me, and I explained this to them as well. I hold the authority here, and I am ordering all platoons to execute a full-frontal assault,” Krell continues, seemingly unfazed by your irritated expression. “We will travel along the main route to the city and force them to yield.”

“Force them to—” you cut yourself off and draw in a deep, calming breath. There is no emotion, you remind yourself vehemently. There is only peace. “Master Krell. With all due respect, we can't just storm in there with no plan. Casualties will rocket if we try something that impulsive. I just don't think—”

“Need I remind you, General Neridian,” Krell interrupts scathingly, “that you are only one week into Knighthood? We may be of equal military rank, but I am a Master, and therefore hold precedence over your commands.”

“This isn’t about me or you,” you hiss, swiveling to face Krell as your patience is finally pulled taut. Ignoring the shocked stares you know the troopers have fixed on you, you cross your arms. “It’s about this campaign. It's about our mission, and it's bigger than us. So I suggest we agree to disagree, and carry on with General Skywalker’s plan—”

Krell clicks his tongue. “Losing your temper already?" He asks, and you could swear he's taunting you, waiting to see when you'll do something mortifying like raise your voice (but then again, he's done it several times already and it's only been a day). "How unfortunate. Perhaps the Council should not have been so adamant that you face the Trials so early."

You blink and take a step back. He's right, and you know it. You're one of the youngest Padawans to face the Trials in generations, as are all your peers, thrust into a rushed end to your training at the beginning of the war. So many of your friends—Darra, Galene, Ferus, and of course, Anakin, the most tenacious of them all—seem to have risen to this unique challenge with their heads held high. But all you can seem to do is flinch away from the ugly parts, the parts that remind you of just how unprepared you are for these new and daunting responsibilities.

Unclenching your fists, you swallow the bile in your throat and try to stop your hands from trembling. “The Council,” you say, voice tight, "made their choice. And so must I make mine." You turn to Rex, who's standing just behind you and gripping his helmet with both hands. “Captain—prepare the troops. We’re going with General Skywalker’s plan.”

“I…” Rex’s knuckles have gone white with how hard he’s clutching his helmet, and he looks strangely helpless. “I’m sorry, General, but—the regs state that General Krell outranks you due to his status as a Jedi Master.” He presses his lips together and averts his gaze from yours, cheeks red with what you know is anger. “I’m afraid that General Krell’s orders do indeed… take precedence over yours.”

Beside you, Krell looks more satisfied than you’ve ever seen him. The Besalisk turns to the battalion and crosses his upper set of arms over his chest.

“Troopers!” he barks, and the soldiers stand at attention simultaneously. “Prepare to move out!” He presses a button on his wrist comm, and a holomap flickers to life. “You will take the main road straight to the capital. You will not stop and you will not turn back, regardless of the resistance you meet. We will attack them with all our troops—not some sneak attack with a few men.”

You close your eyes and clasp your hands behind your back. There is no emotion, there is peace.

It feels less like a mantra and more like a meaningless, empty chant. Peace, you think despairingly, looks to be farther than ever.

"Sir." Rex clears his throat, making you look up to see him watching Krell like one might survey a blown fuse at risk of setting fire to a building. "Sir, General Neridian is right. This is practically a suicide mission. I don't think—"

“What you think, Captain, is irrelevent. You have my orders, and you will follow them explicitly,” Krell growls, then leans forward, turning to the Captain. “Do I make myself clear, CT-7567?”

Your eyes widen in shock and you glare at Krell, crossing your own arms over your chest to mimic Krell’s stance. “It’s Rex, General,” you snap. “Captain Rex. That’s how he introduced himself, if you've forgotten?”

Many troopers turn to you, and you can tell—even under their helmets—that they’re clearly surprised at your derisive tone. You ignore them, turn on your heel, and storm away, but not before you hear Rex mutter, “Crystal, General Krell.”

The path is lit with some form of concentrated bioluminescent light, making it easier for you to see where you’re going. The clones have the advantage of night vision built into their visors, which makes it hard not to envy them. That alone, that feeling so unbecoming of a Jedi is enough to make you feel a sting of shame, not unlike the feeling that so often came with a scolding from Master Venn when you were still a Padawan.

You wonder for the millionth time if you’ve been forced into Knighthood too soon. Of course, there is nothing to do about that now—every war needs warrior, after all—just like there was nothing you could do when Master Venn told you the news just one week years ago.

She was grim when she told you, and your stomach goes cold with the memory of how she delivered the news, like she was handing you your own death sentence. Now, you know why.

And some have greatness thrust upon them, you think bitterly, remembering how often Master Venn made you read ancient poetry as a Padawan, the kind so old it's still stored on dusty books instead of firmware.

“General.”

You turn to find that Rex has fallen into step with you and smile. “Captain,” you acknowledge. “Forgive me. I was just…” you clear your throat. “Lost in thought.”

Rex—now wearing his helmet—nods and turns his gaze to the path ahead. “Thinking about the plan?”

“No,” you admit sheepishly. “Just about—” you gesture vaguely to your surroundings “—all of this. This war, this strife.” Shaking your head, you fidget with the one of the lightsaber hooks on your belt, clasping and unclasping it. “How fast I've been thrown in, and whether or not it’s necessary.”

“Hm.” You can hear the frown in Rex’s voice. “If it’s any consolation, we clones have mixed feelings about the war, too.”

You raise an eyebrow and turn to look at him. “How so?”

He gives a one-shouldered shrug and turns his head away. “Just that… well, I’d rather do without all the lives lost, but... without it, we wouldn’t exist, would we?”

Frowning, you consider this. “I suppose you’re right,” you concede. “But it is the will of the Force that you came to be. And,” you add, shooting Rex a sly smile, “the galaxy would be very different if you hadn’t, hm?”

There’s a moment of silence, during which you get the feeling that the troopers behind you are listening to your conversation. Rex seems lost for words, until he clears his throat. “Me specifically, sir?” You nod, and Rex adjusts his helmet. “I—I don’t know. I’m just one man, aren’t I?”

“That may be so, Captain, but you’ve made more of a difference than you think,” you inform him. “I think I’m correct in assuming that you’ve saved General Skywalker’s arse more times than he alone can count.”

Behind you, someone lets out a surprised laugh, then tries to cover it up as a cough. You smile at Rex and continue.

“And even without that, you’re responsible for many of the Republic’s victories in this war.” You shake your head. “The smallest insect feeding off of a single flower’s nectar has an impact on the entire garden. In the Force, we are all an entire world, a whole galaxy. Never assume that you do not make a difference.”

You feel a ripple of shock, gratitude, and something else—something you can’t quite place—flow through the Force. It’s a refreshing change from the tension and stress of the mission, and you’re just about to open your mouth to thank Rex when—

A white-hot warning flashes in the Force, and there’s a split-second warning as you scan your surroundings for the threat. Then—

“Get back!” you shout, and the troopers in your immediate vicinity immediately scramble off of the path.

They’re just in time—the sheer force of the explosion is enough to knock you off your feet and send you flying backwards. You land on something hard and feel all of the air get knocked out of you.

“Mines!” someone shouts. “Nobody on the path move!”

You freeze as you realize that the surface you landed on is, in fact, Rex—specifically, his armour. Your back is pressed to his chest plate, and you can feel his nervousness as though it is your own, but neither of you move for fear of setting off another mine.

Your cheeks burn when Rex finally leans forward, void of his helmet—it must have been knocked off it the blast. He's close enough to your ear to whisper, “Left. Slowly.”

It sends chills down your spine, but you shake them off. Drawing in a deep breath, you oblige, easing left and onto your knees, so you’re kneeling beside a disoriented-looking Rex. He looks shaken, but quickly gathers himself and cautiously stands up as he scans the area for his helmet.

“Oz is down,” you hear one of the medics say grimly. “So is Ringo.”

Rex spares you one last glance before swooping down to pick up his helmet, brushing the dirt off the visor. He moves to inspect the dead troopers. “Can you sweep ‘em?”

For a long moment, there’s silence as the medics gently move the bodies aside—you respectfully avert your eyes, feeling the sting of grief from the other troopers—and set them down on the side of the path. You hear Kix declare happily that there are no injured despite the two casualties and smile to yourself.

There’s no time to bury the dead troopers, so you settle for approaching Rex and placing a hand on his tense shoulder, over his pauldron with fading and scratched blue paint. “Nu kyr'adyc,” you murmur. “Shi taab'echaaj'la."

Not gone, merely marching far away.

Rex turns his head, and this close, you can see his wide eyes through the visor of his helmet. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, then raises his hand and places it over yours. It lasts for a split-second; the next thing you know, he’s pulling away, talking quietly to Fives and Kix.

“Come on, men,” you call to the rest of the battalion. “We need to—”

Chills fly up your spine and you stiffen, just as a loud, shrieking sound engulfs the path and—BOOM! More troopers go flying into the air. There are shouts of Basic, Mando’a, and Umbaran, and the firefight begins, during which you realize—

An ambush. You draw one lightsaber to deflect an oncoming barrage of blasterfire, but it's not enough, and there's no cover afforded to the terrain.

“Shit," you mutter under your breath as you switch on your shoto saber, calling on your knowledge of Jar'Kai to deflect the bolts with both blades. You raise your voice and call over your shoulder. "We’re fully exposed! Retreat to the forest!”

“We can’t, General!” shouts a voice, and you turn to see a blue-painted helmet accented with a small red arrow: Fives. “They’re coming from all directions—” he grunts and fires another blast “—we don’t have any cover!”

You feel your blood run cold. There’s no way for you to retreat—and it’s all Krell’s fault.

“We need them to follow us!” Rex answers, standing with his back to yours as he fires his blasters rapidly. “If we can draw them out, we can see them—and if we can see them, we can hit them!”

“Good idea,” you breathe, even though you know it’s too loud for Rex to hear you. Raising your voice, you lift one lightsaber so the other troopers can see the path. “All squads, pull back now!” You close your eyes for a moment to call on the Force, then propel yourself upwards and leap through the air so you’re at the back of the group. “I’ll take the rear! Cover me—sword and shield maneuver!”

The troopers obey, and soon you find yourself at the center of a tight semicircle formed by clones, all firing mercilessly on the Umbaran soldiers. You bite your lip and shift to Soresu to parallel the blasterfire more easily, deflecting the barrage as quickly and efficiently as you possibly can.

Just behind you is an AT-RT walker, defending your flank. Beside you is a trooper with intricately painted markings on his helmet, firing a rotary cannon and shouting, “Ha-ha! Where you goin’? Get back here, you wimps!”

You grin at his sheer audacity. “Careful there, trooper,” you admonish playfully, deflecting another blaster shot.

“They’re falling back!” Fives shouts, then, and you can hear the smile in his voice. The troopers all holster their blasters while you hook your lightsaber onto your belt.

“CT-7567, do you have a malfunction in your design?” You turn around and raise your eyebrows as Krell approaches Rex, looking furious. “You’ve pulled your forces back from taking the capital city. The enemy now has control of this route. This entire operation has been compromised because of your failure!”

You feel your hands start to shake. “Master Krell,” you say, trying your best to remain calm, “I gave the order to pull back, not Rex. We were completely surrounded and couldn’t risk losing any more men.”

Krell, looking furious at worst and disgruntled at best, saying nothng. Seizing the opportunity to walk away, you turn on your heel and breathe through the anger, urging yourself to keep going, trying to find a quiet place to rest and meditate for just a few minutes.

And you do. Closing your eyes, you lean against the firm trunk of a glowing tree, wiping sweat from your brow. It’s quiet, and you can hear the steady chirping of crickets (or something else) in the phosphorescent grass.

“General Krell,” says a trooper’s voice. It’s more firmthan Rex’s—Fives, you're pretty sure. “In case you haven’t noticed, Captain Rex just saved this platoon. Surely you won’t fail to recognize that.”

Blinking in surprise, you start to return to the group, wondering if this is an argument you’ll be able to break up—but the hum of a lightsaber being drawn makes you stop in your tracks.

“ARC-5555,” Krell growls. “Stand down.”

You feel your mouth go dry and approach the other troopers. Krell is standing with his back to you, but you can clearly see the green blade of his lightsaber from where you stand, hovering next to Fives's neck. If only Esya could see this, you think, horrified.

Don’t make any sudden moves, your Master’s teachings remind you. He could strike, and then you’d be responsible for the death of yet another man.

Just after the tense conversation between Fives and Krell, the Umbarans returned, sparking yet another firefight—this one with more casualties than the last. You were forced to retreat with the platoons, exhausted and spent.

Now, you sit on the ground, leaning against a fallen tree trunk in a brief moment of rest while the troopers drive away a small squad of Umbarans. In your hand is a pocket holotransmitter, refracting a cluster of blue light in the form of Esya Venn.

“I feel your discomfort from here, young one,” the older Theelin Master is saying, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

“Impossible,” you scoff. “You’re all the way on Coruscant, there’s no way.” There’s a moment of silence, during which the hologram flickers. You add, “And I’m not so young anymore, you know.”

Esya smiles wanly—you notice the shadows under her normally bright eyes with a pang of sadness—and shakes her head, her long colorful hair swishing lightly.

“You're still young to me,” she says softly, gently. "And you're avoiding the subject."

“I’m fine, Master,” you sigh. “Really.”

"You must not know me as well as I thought," Esya replies primly, a hint of a smile showing through her stern expression, "if you think you can lie to me like that."

You sigh again, frowning down at the flickering hologram. "It's just..." you shake your head, staring off into the foggy distance. "I'm concerned about Master Krell's tactics. They're aggressive, nothing like what you taught me of strategy, and they don't take into account the fact that we need to strive for as little casualties as possible—on both sides."

"Hm." Esya crosses her arms. "I have heard of Master Krell's... unconventional style. Is there anything else that concerns you about him?"

"I mean—everything, really," you admit, lowering your voice. "He has a blatant disregard for life that I haven't seen in a Jedi in, well... ever. He refers to the clones by their birth numbers, not their names, and he sees the native fauna as just—objects. Nuisances." You place the holotransmitter on the ground in front of you and shift your sitting position. "I fear that, to him, no life is sacred."

"If that were the case, I do not think the Council would have granted him the rank of Master," Esya says, but she looks thoughtful, like there's something she isn't saying. "Who is the commanding officer?"

"His name is Captain Rex," you say. "He's Anakin's first-in-command. I think he's just as worried by Master Krell as I am, and..." you trail off, unsure how to voice your next thought.

"What is it?" Esya prompts, light eyebrows raised.

"There's something about him—about Rex," you say finally, reluctant. "It's like the Force is trying to tell me something. That—that he's important. But I can't figure out why." You huff, fighting back a frustrated scowl. "I wish the Force would just tell me. But the answer is so—so elusive."

"As is everything since the start of this war," Esya replies, shaking her thorned head. She fixes you with a fond expression. "But, Padawan... you must remember that the Force is not your enemy, but your ally. If you open your eyes, it will show you the way."

"Yes," you murmur, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. The sounds of talking from the group's position behind you make you frown. "I have to go. May the Force be with you, Master."

“And with you. Always,” Esya replies before cutting off the connection seconds later.

You stand, tucking the transmitter into your pocket, then make for the rest of the group and move to stand beside Captain Rex. He's observing General Krell talk to General Kenobi via comlink.

“The capital city’s too fortified,” General Kenobi is saying grimly. “We still need your battalion to help us take it.”

“Resistance from the Umbarans has been greater than anticipated,” Krell replies. “We’re holding our ground at the moment.”

You swallow, averting your gaze to your boots. Holding our ground… what does Krell think is happening? Surely he hasn’t failed to notice the heavy casualties your battalion is sustaining.

“We’ve gathered intel on an airbase to the west,” General Kenobi replies. “It is resupplying the capital’s defenses.”

Taking a step forward, you cross your arms over your chest. “Should we attempt to take control of the airbase, then?”

Turning to you, General Kenobi nods. “Yes,” he answers. “Doing so will sever the capital’s supply lines, allowing the rest of our forces to move in.”

“I’ll see to it that the airbase is placed under our control,” Krell says decisively. It sends a wave of nausea through your stomach.

“Remember, Master Krell; Knight Neridian,” Kenobi says, mouth pulling into a tight frown, “The entire invasion depends on your battalion.”

Krell nods and severs the connection, then turns to you. “Neridian, have those coordinates mapped when you’re finished here, and make sure all troops are ready to move out immediately.” He walks away, leaving you alone with Captain Rex.

You watch Krell retreat with a feeling of incessant dread. “Right, then,” you say to Rex. “What do you say the odds are that we finish this thing his way?”

“Good question, General,” Rex says, and you can hear the smile in his voice as he watches the Umbaran sky darken with more eerie purple clouds. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

NEXT CHAPTER >

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Look Towards the Future Ch9: Trust

Captain Rex x Jedi!Reader

Words: 11.3k

Summary: A long mission for multiple battalions is in full swing. Both you and Rex fail to trust each other with your worrying thoughts. The two of you feel a disconnection your hearts yearn to correct. More confusion ensues.

Warnings: Reference to alcohol / a lot more half-truths / references to death / swearing / Fives being an idiot / Maybe the slightest sexual reference / But nothing all that explicit / Pining without realizing

A/N: Hello all! Thank you for your patience as I've been dealing with Carpal Tunnel and a new semester. As promised, here is the next chapter, please enjoy and leave any thoughts you might want to share <3

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The forest was dense, covered in lush greens that ranged in all sorts of different tones and shades. The sky was a bright baby blue, unfortunately mostly covered by the thick forest that you found yourself in with the rest of your battalion. But, you didn’t mind, the mossy woodland you were surrounded by was nothing less than stunning.

Anakin and Ahsoka weren’t there yet. Right when everyone had to get to their own dropships, there wasn’t enough time to say goodbye, or at least bid each other good luck. You were all rushed to your ships to get down to the planet. At least you’d see them at the bottom, but somehow you got there first. And what’s worse, you were surrounded by hundreds of men you had never met before. And they weren’t just from your current battalion, multiple battalions were called on for this mission, and their presence made you that much more nervous.

You weren’t exactly sure how to act in front of all of these clones. You didn’t feel the need to run away and hide anymore (definitely an improvement). But, how were you supposed to act now? You weren’t very familiar with any of these clones, and unfortunately Rex took Anakin’s dropship, so you were without him for comfort or direction.

So, you utilized distraction as a tactic. You looked down to a patch of moss that was against the tree you were standing by, and you began to observe it deeply to pass time. The vibrant, but deep color was almost hypnotic, the way it looked as though it belonged in these woods, but looked almost unnatural at the same time kept you captivated. Without really thinking about it much, your foot began to press against the moss. It was only soft for a brief moment before your foot was stopped by the force of the tree it grew on. You did this a few more times, pressing against the moss, and releasing your strength from it over and over again, getting a sense of its depth without getting a closer look. Soon enough, the chatter of troopers around you slowly began to fade.

Then, you noticed a tear in the moss, revealing its brown and slightly yellowed underside. You took the edge of your foot, and began to peel, curiosity settling in as your source of comfort…

“General?”

You let in some air in the form of a light gasp, grasping the fabric at your chest as you looked up.

It was Echo.

You were quick to try to act natural, clearing your throat despite the fact nothing was blocking it, putting your fist against your lips to try to sell your amateur talent.

“Y-yes?” You prayed nothing was wrong, despite no indication that anything was awry.

“I just wanted to say hello before the mission began.” He explained. His face was hidden behind his helmet, forbidding you from seeing his expression, his intention. It made you feel more unsure, as though you were talking to nothing.

“Ah.” Was all you could think to say at the moment. “Hello, Echo.” He was one of the only clones of this battalion whose name you knew. You wished things were different.

You became confused after Echo did not walk away. You forced a slight smile upon your face to avoid giving your concern away.

“Is there something I can help you with, Echo?” You asked, finding it difficult to keep your eyes on the visor of his helmet, unable to discern where to place them against the black void of the reflective material.

“Well, you’ve been standing here by yourself the whole time we’ve been waiting for the others to arrive.” Echo started. He then shifted himself slightly after a brief moment of silence. “May I ask you a question, General?”

You stopped forcing your smile, allowing the corners of your mouth to fall into a slight frown. You didn’t know where this was going.

“Of course.” But, you didn’t want to be rude.

“Excuse me if I am being too forward here. But, how come you aren’t speaking to any of us?” Echo took off his helmet, you weren’t prepared for the platonic intimacy as his eyes pierced you. “Are you doing alright?”

“Y-yes…! I-I am fine.” Fuck, you were stuttering. You forced another smile upon your face. “I just, don’t know any of you yet, except for-”

“Except for Rex?” Echo finished for you. His interruption didn’t annoy you, but you were definitely surprised that he knew how to finish your thought despite him spotting you with the Captain just the day before...

“Y-yes.” You began. “He’s the only one who I have really gotten to know so far.” You couldn’t help but allow your eyes to wander away from the trooper. “I hope that can change at some point.” That last sentence came out as almost a mumble, you heard yourself saying it before you even realized what you were admitting to the trooper. Such a simple phrase, but something you weren’t sure you wanted to burden a stranger with.

“I agree.” Was all that Echo said in reply. The words didn’t hit you as hard as you’d expected. You assumed that he was simply agreeing to make you happy, to avoid hurting you with a truth you had invented in your head without much proof. You eyed the trooper without much effort, allowing yourself to then look to the ground, expecting him to make his way back to his brothers within the moment.

But he didn’t.

Confusion bubbled within you more and more as the sight of Echo’s armor in the very corner of your eyes became more known to you as the seconds drew out into minutes. Was there something wrong? Should you say something? You turned your head to the trooper, mouth opened slightly in preparation to ask Echo a question you weren’t sure how to phrase.

“How do you like the battalion so far?” Echo was the first to speak, stopping you in your tracks, jaw slightly slacked open in surprise at his words. “I hope that everyone is treating you alright?”

“Uh, yes! Well…” A jumble of words began to spill from your mouth before you could logically put them together into a sentence. Your mind wandered to when you were trapped in the leveled village, after your attempt to locate the mines failed. You remembered how some clones reacted to your helplessness, how they sneered at your uselessness. But that wasn’t something for you to burden poor Echo with.

“Well enough.” Was all you said in reply, unable to put much emotion into your falsified response.

“Well enough?” Echo echoed, clearly taking note. He cocked his head to the side.

“Mhm.” You replied back, hastily nodding your head up and down as you forced a closed-lip smile upon your face. It hurt those muscles to keep it up for even another second.

Echo looked over to you, his eyes stared you down, threatening to swallow you whole. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Echo relented and turned his head to face straight, looking away from you, and breaking the one-sided tension he likely never knew was even occurring. You forced yourself to not let out a sigh of relief as you felt your own head look forward.

You once again found yourself waiting for Echo to dismiss himself.

And yet… he never did.

“Echo!” You heard a clone shout excitedly in the distance. The two of you whipped your heads to the source of the noise to find Fives making his way towards you. A pep in his step revealed his excitement to see his dear brother before the mission. Once Fives was close enough to his brother, they clasped hands with a hardy grip, before they hit their foreheads together as they smiled wide, laughing away any nervousness they felt from the upcoming mission.

“Jesse was wondering where you were.” Fives said to his brother as they disconnected their foreheads. “What are you doing here by yourself?” He inquired.

Echo smiled as he lightly gestured towards you. “I was actually speaking with General y/n.” Fives’s eyes immediately found yours, prompting you to look away quickly as you felt your breath hitch in surprise.

“Oh yeah?” You heard Fives say. You had to prevent yourself from sulking, immediately expecting nothing good to come from this conversation.

“Yeah, I want to help her feel more welcome here.” Echo began. “We can’t let Rex be the only one of us who gets to get to know the new General.” It was clear to you that Echo was being truthful in his statement. But there was something else under his words, something you could only pick up subtly. But, the feeling was too quiet for you to take notice for long. You simply allowed it to roll off your back, to wait impatiently for the other trooper’s response. You then sensed the urge to look back to Fives, who was already staring back at you. He was smiling. Good sign.

“Do you want to hang out with us before everyone else gets here?” Fives asked you, tilting his head slightly backwards to indicate where his group was waiting. “I promised that I was going to drag Echo back there whether he liked it or not. But you shouldn’t have to stand here by yourself.”

“Umm…” You weren’t exactly sure how to respond as your fingers automatically began fidgeting with the fabric of your robe and your feet began favoring each other. Fives simply looked upon you as he awaited an answer, clearly not noticing your nervousness as a slight smile continued to lift his lips.

Huh. A lot of kindness today…

You were about to tell the two troopers to leave you here, until you heard multiple pairs of footsteps approaching you. Fives and Echo clearly had noticed this as well, as they both looked over to the source of the noise just as you did. Many clones were approaching you, with Jesse being the only one you were familiar with. All the other clones were men you KNEW you had seen before in the 501st. But of course, you didn’t know them like you knew the men from your old battalion. A pang of homesickness hit you for that realization.

“We were just about to come find you!” Fives stated with delight towards his brothers, opting instead now to face them instead of you.

“We got bored.” Jesse replied almost too matter-of-factly. “Both because we’ve been waiting for you, and for the last dropship.” He then spotted you, his eyes widening slightly as though he were fearful of his ignorance to your presence. “General.” He acknowledged as he nodded his head in your direction. The other unnamed troopers behind him noticed this formal interaction, and followed in his footsteps, all nodding and quietly stating your presence.

You wished that they could just say hello. Maybe they should take a page out of Rex’s book… or Echo’s, apparently.

Then the verbal chaos began. Half a dozen voices began to ring in one of your ears and out the other, all speaking a different menagerie of words, and all almost overwhelming you just the same. You wanted to become a part of the chaos at first. In fact, you were almost able to force yourself to speak up. But then the thought of your old battalion popped into your head once again. You remembered the informal and friendly greetings your men would effortlessly give to you. You remembered how they spoke to you. How you spoke to them. How you felt like one of them. And how you don’t feel like one of them now.

You looked around, witnessing the joy and brotherhood that the troopers in your presence experienced right before you. None looked at you, all dedicated to their own conversation, until your eyes caught Echo, who was looking right at you. He wasted no time to delicately wave you over to his small pod of brethren, to which you immediately shook your head as you forced a closed-lip smile upon your face. Echo smiled back to you in understanding, a pinch of uncertainty and pity clearly invading his face before he turned back to his group. You wanted to punch yourself for refusing access to potential friendships, but you were already too convinced that you weren’t completely wanted there. Despite your reasoning, you felt guilty and regretful for saying no. But you didn’t want that to be obvious.

- - -

Rex allowed the wind to wail in his ears as he felt it try and fail to disturb his short buzzed hair. Its rhythm was never consistent, seemingly only smacking Rex in the face when it thought the time was right. His body was positioned towards the sky, his eyes closed, deep in thought as the conversation his General and Commander were in was merely a muffle in the back of his mind.

If it wasn’t obvious already, he was thinking about you.

Despite his best efforts, his mind was still stuck on what he and Echo had discussed the night before, about how it feels to... like someone. At this point, Rex had put so much of the mental energy he should have been saving for the upcoming mission into re-reminding himself that he was not developing romantic feelings for you. Right when his mind began to consider the possibility, he quickly came up with an excuse as to why it wasn’t true. Honestly, sometimes Rex had to dig deep for a reason not to believe it, but he chose to ignore its occasional difficulty. It would’ve just been another fact to point towards something Rex didn’t want to believe. But Rex had a hard time ignoring an itch he felt in the back of his mind, urging him to give the possibility a chance. He felt the want to do so. It drove him crazy, no matter how hard he tried to ignore its existence.

Rex looked to his friendly superiors, he saw their smiles and their laughter, but he was so lost in thought that only a muffled portion of the sound hit his senses. The realization hit him hard. In reaction he cleared his throat and pushed his shoulders back to seem normal again, praying that Anakin and Ahoksa looked as clueless to Rex’s current state as they seemed at a glance.

Rex saw a change of scenery in the corner of his eye, and looked back out to the planet to see that his dropship was gently landing. Then the ship hit the ground with a thud, powerful enough to upset the balance of Rex’s boots against the floor. The wind finally stopped beating against his ears, allowing for Rex to hear the multitudes of conversation that were now occurring all around him. The soldiers from his battalion were mingling with those from the 212th and 104th.

They all seemed to really be enjoying themselves before the mission. That was good, this mission wasn’t going to be short. They’re going to get ample time to speak to each other for a while at first, but that’ll eventually change. Rex put one foot in front of the other to get off the drop ship, his back foot stuck in the dropship for quite a few seconds as Rex got a handle on the new earth he found himself on, hearing the blades of grass and long dead leaves beneath him crunch and fold under his weight. But, once his other foot hit the ground, his immediate thought was to find you.

His eyes looked around the crowd like a lost puppy as his fingers gripped his helmet that was at his side harder without him even realizing it. He left his two comrades behind without even relieving himself. He just knew that he had to find you, as though merely seeing you would help his mind find release from his agonizingly crowding thoughts. He walked through the crowd, sometimes pushing past his unaware brothers in an attempt to find you. The garbled speech that was occurring around him only sometimes made sense in his mind as his focus continued to be zeroed in on you.

Then Rex reached a part of the earth where no man stood, an eye of the storm of sorts. He relished in the para-social privacy he didn’t think he was going to achieve. But there was no time to enjoy the lone moment, his eyes spotted you on the other side of the empty space, standing with… some of his brothers?

His initial thought was a positive one, that maybe you were getting to know his brothers. But then he noticed the look of sadness that infected your face, and that thought quickly washed away, replaced by worried ones instead. Before Rex could fix himself up before approaching the group, he was unfortunate enough to have had Jesse notice him. He smiled and simply waved Rex over, the movement catching the attention of the other troopers in the group, who all looked over to their Captain, including you.

“Well, look at who finally decided to show up!” Fives joked, extending an arm out to the Captain. Rex rolled his eyes as he walked over, smirking at the trooper before clasping Fives, connecting their arms as his hand held onto Fives’s forearm, and Fives held onto his. The brotherly interaction took Rex away from the moment, but only for a short amount of time. Once his eyes found you again, the smile that he didn’t even realize was on his face melted back into a frown he couldn’t help but show. Hopefully no one would comment on it.

“Why the long face, Cap?”

Shit.

“Just thinking about the mission, is all. Don’t worry about me.” Rex replied, looking over to discover that Echo had asked the worrisome question. He then looked to you, who was already sneaking peeks. Once your eyes locked you averted yours quickly, acting as natural as possible, but your widened eyes gave you away. Something was wrong.

“Re-Captain.” You said, clearly trying to make yourself look composed. Your pupils twitched as they tried to look at Rex, another piece of proof for Rex that something was amiss.

“Y/n-...” Rex sighed, disappointed that he made the same mistake of referring to you by your first name during a mission, but also surprised at the same time…

“General.” Rex couldn’t help but let one of the corners of his mouth jerk into a smile for a short second. Despite everything, it felt nice to see you. Why?

Rex cleared his throat in an attempt to ignore his dizzying thoughts, covering his mouth with his free fist to make it seem all the more natural.

“Well…” Rex began, as he observed the lasting smiles that ruminated on his brothers. “You all seemed to have had an amazing time while you were waiting for me.”

“Just chatting our asses away until we’re given orders like we usually do.” Fives said sarcastically, followed by everyone in the small group chuckling, except for you. Rex noticed this and immediately acted.

“Well I hope my brothers didn’t make your ears bleed, General.” Rex joked nonchalantly to you. “They typically do that.”

That joke prompted a moderately harsh, but still playful punch hit into the side of Rex’s shoulder by Echo.

“Hey!” Fives exclaimed in between laughter. “If Echo didn’t get lost over here, we wouldn’t have had to ‘torture’ General y/n, as you would put it.”

“Oh yeah?” Rex responded automatically and without thought, a pang of anxiety hitting him as he remembered the conversation he had with the trooper just the night before. He looked to the trooper, whose hands were now held up defensively.

“Well excuse me for trying to get to know our new General.” Echo replied sarcastically, clearly not noticing the concerned look that Rex couldn’t help but give his brother. He didn’t even think to, but he looked to you next, only to see that you were already looking at him, with a confused face covered in even more concern than what Rex thought was possible in that moment. The realization hit him in the chest, prompting him to fix his expression, turning it into a smile that he hoped you couldn’t see through without your ability to use the force. His eyes told another story, however, as they looked into yours. They asked a question that no one else could hear but you.

‘How are you?’

Rex was extremely concerned with Echo’s intentions at that moment. But, he still wanted to check in. He cared too much not to.

You looked off to the side for a moment, a frown still infecting your lips. You looked back, a look of unsureness clear in your eyes. But then you smiled, it being big enough to crease the sides of your eyes without separating your lips, and you nodded slightly.

Rex kept up his fake smile, just as you were, and he nodded in pretend understanding. You both had demons you wanted to keep away that day. It was something Rex understood as a soldier, and as a man. But he wanted to know more. He wanted more of your trust.

Rex took one step towards you, his mouth opening with anticipation to see what words would come out of it. But right when he vocalized the first word, he heard your name being called from somewhere out of his sight.

You both looked towards the source of the sound, to see Anakin and Ahsoka waving you over.

“Sorry!” Ahsoka yelled. “We just need to talk to you about the mission before we head out!”

You quickly whipped your head back to face Rex, your eyes wide in surprise. Your head faced the General and Commander once more, but your eyes couldn’t decide where to look. You gave Rex one more glance before mouthing an apology, before you jogged over to the two superiors. Rex was left alone to his scrambled thoughts, almost confused about what had just occurred. He stared as you left him to join the others, observing the smile they gave you as they welcomed you to the trio, making sure they were making you feel at home as thoughts raced in the back of his head.

“Rex?”

He felt a hand push against his shoulder.

“W-what?” Rex jumped in reaction to his senses suddenly coming to life. He took a quick step to the side, and cocked his head quickly to see who it was, his eyes blinking rapidly for a moment.

It was just Echo.

Rex let out a huff of air loudly, his eyebrows raised in slight relief as he planted a palm over his heart.

“Echo… you scared the hell outta me.” He stated in between heaves.

Echo let out a chuckle. “Sorry Rex, but…” His expression soured a bit, before he leaned in close to Rex’s ear “You’re staring.”

Rex looked at Echo without moving his head. Echo slightly motioned his head towards you. Rex looked back at you, and swallowed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rex replied as he straightened his expression as much as possible. Echo pulled away from the side of Rex’s head.

“I think I understand more than you want me to, buddy.” Echo replied. There was a hint of care in his voice. Rex noticed that despite all of the chaos occurring in his head.

“What do you mean?” Rex probed, eyeing Echo quickly.

“Come on, Rex. Quit playing dumb. You know I’m talking about her.” Echo said plainly.

Rex opened his mouth, letting out a small noise as though he were going to begin defending himself. But before anything more than a peep could come out, his eyes caught onto you again, and all he found was silence once more.

But he had to say something, this train of thought that Echo had taken an apparent liking to was going too far already. Rex straightened his posture out, and looked Echo in the eyes.

“What do you remember of our… conversation, last night?” Rex asked as he kept his tone as unwavered as possible.

Echo let a small smile infect his lips. “Trust me, just because I was drinking, it doesn't mean that I can’t remember anything because of it.”

“Then you’d know that I was simply just curious about how… those kinds of feelings felt. That’s all.” Rex tried to get his commanding tone into those last two words.

“Yeah, you said you were ‘just curious’ last night too.” Echo echoed. Echo turned away from Rex for a moment, looking at something in the distance that was calling to him, but Rex didn’t want to break his eye contact with Echo in fear that he’d never be able to regain it if it were to be lost.

Echo looked back to Rex and sighed. “Look, Rex, Fives is unfortunately summoning me, probably to watch him do something stupid before the mission starts. But, can I tell you something before I go?”

Rex shrugged, trying to keep up the Captain act. “Go ahead.”

“I can see why you like her. And I can see why she’s comfortable around you. Your support has really been helping her crack out of her shell.”

“Hm.” Rex grunted in reply, resisting the urge to turn his head to look at you.

“And I hope that she can one day become more comfortable around us as well.” Echo continued, gesturing towards his brothers.

Rex looked at you, you had a smile on your face as you conversed with Anakin and Ahsoka, but Rex could see the sadness that infected you, causing a familiar slight furrow to be visible in your eyebrows.

“You just need to give her time.” Rex said, slowly turning his head back towards Echo. “She’s uh… she’s been through a lot.” Rex couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Word certainly has been getting around.” Echo said regretfully. Rex’s eyes opened widely.

“What kind of words?” Rex couldn’t hide his concern from his brother as he peered over at you quickly, before looking back at Echo as he leaned his head closer towards the trooper.

Echo was careful to lower his volume. “An entire battalion getting wiped out was one thing. But when General y/n joined our battalion only a few weeks later, some of us began to put the pieces together…” Echo trailed off for a moment. “Maybe that’s why there was never an official statement about the brothers we lost. So she could recover without everyone knowing what had happened to her.”

“ECHO!” Fives yelled in the near distance. Prompting a sigh from Echo that contained a bit of joking frustration.

“I guess that’s my queue.” He said as he slowly turned away from his Captain. Echo took one step away from Rex, but then stopped in his tracks. “Just, one more thing, Rex?”

“Hm?” Rex’s eyes were on you now as he gave up his ocular focus on Echo.

“You’re not the first one of us to fall for a General.”

Rex's eyes grew wide in an instant as they stayed locked onto you. Luckily you didn’t seem to notice as you continued your conversation with Anakin and Ahsoka.

“It’s not like tha-” Rex looked over at Echo, just to find that he was long gone, already far enough away to direct attention towards himself if he were to call for the trooper.

The Captain was alone once again. All he could do was sigh as he desperately defended his beliefs to himself.

It wasn’t like that at all with you. He was sure of it.

- - -

You felt your feet almost drag behind as more emotional weight was added onto you by the second. First, you still couldn’t use the force, which was already causing you constant stress whether you were thinking about it or not. Secondly, you were really missing your old battalion, and having that close connection to the soldiers around you. And now? The mission was fresh in your head after discussing the specifics of it with Anakin and Ahsoka.

Now, it was time to debrief the rest of the squad, and finally head out.

You stood next to your fellow Generals as you waited for everyone to gather. You kept your arms crossed over each other in an attempt to seem more put together than you actually were. It took a lot of concentration to keep your face straight, but you were determined to maintain it.

Troopers gathered close to their respective Generals, with Rex joining in with the same behavior. But instead of standing with his brothers, Rex opted instead to stand next to you, with the four of you creating a half circle, facing your troopers who were standing close together. As the talking lowered, you felt a strange tension coming from Rex, one that anyone could feel if they were looking for it. You didn’t want to admit it was there, so you simply kept your thoughts to yourself. You kept your eyes forward to maintain your professional demeanor, trying to ignore the feeling of the pistol Rex gifted you as it squeezed against your waist and belt.

Eventually, the chatter quieted. Anakin was the first to speak from your battalion as the booming commands from other generals were heard in the near distance.

“Alright boys. If you did your homework, you should know why we landed in such a remote area of the planet, and so far away from our target for this mission…” Anakin’s voice faded to the back of your mind as you couldn’t help but go over the mission in your head as a distraction from your distressing thoughts.

This planet was quite populated and advanced, but it was decided to land in such a remote location to avoid detection. This planet was under extreme Separatist rule, and was home to one of the largest battle-droid construction factories that the Republic knew of. This planet was also one of the easiest to sneak onto, both due to the amount of uninhabited land, and lack of security in those areas. The planet had not been under separatist rule for too long, they clearly focused on production, rather than security first.

The factory was not in a habited town, but it was quite close to one. So, the plan was to get there on foot, without any mobile vehicles and without any communication devices activated to attract unwanted attention. Once the mission began, the battalion was going to be cut off from the rest of the Republic until it was completed. The thought made you gulp air, isolation wasn’t going to keep your mind at ease.

The sound of dozens of comms being shut off jumped you back into reality. You used only your slightly widened eyes to look around you, and you saw all of the men around you focused on the top of their wrists. You took a moment, but was quick to realize what you should be doing. You swiftly raised your wrist up to the same height as your chest. And you raised your other hand up to shut your comms off, trying hard to ignore the persistent shaking in both of your hands as the sound shut-off queue sounded off.

You immediately put your arms back to your sides in hopes to continue maintaining a put-together look as you opened your ears back up to the speech.

“For this mission; we need to be stealthy, we need to be quiet, and we need to be careful.” Anakin continued, followed by the collective groans of a concerning number of troopers. Ahsoka was quick to interject.

“But! Once we get to the factory, we’re going to rig it with explosives.”

Some agreeable murmurs immediately filled the crowd. You found this bunch of clones similarly humorous to the ones you once called yours.

“The explosives will be timed, so they will only go off once we escape the planet. They won’t even know we were here until it’s too late.”

You appreciated it that this time, you were the ones with the explosives, not the enemy. That was one less thing for you to worry about during this mission. But if only you could use the force in the first place… you wouldn’t have been having those thoughts at all.

You suddenly had the feeling that you were being watched. You turned your head slightly towards the suspicion without much thought, and your eyes were met with Rex’s, who were clearly looking at you for some time now.

A look of flustered panic set into his face and his eyes immediately whipped back to the crowd. His eyes stayed locked onto what was in front of him, his eyelids seemingly unable to relax as they stayed wide.

You looked at him for another moment, one eyebrow raised high in concerned confusion. He was clearly thinking about something that was worrying him, but what could it possibly be? Was he worried about the mission?

You hoped that it wasn’t about the mission. If Rex was concerned, it was just another aspect of the mission for you to worry about on top of your inability to use the force. You compelled yourself to look forward, just to see that the speech was over and clones were just starting to prepare themselves for the trek ahead. You looked to the Captain, who was already facing away from you, anxious to make his leave.

“Rex.” You said without thinking about it first. A twinge of regret hit you as Rex began to turn, not having a plan as to what to say next as his eyes hit you. He had a look of anticipation on his face. Patient, yet almost bursting with something more, something you could only almost recognize. It frustrated you a bit to not know, but the situation at hand helped you forget.

“Are you nervous about the mission?” You asked him, satisfied with your on-the-spot question.

“What?” Rex asked in return, a look of unsureness now infecting his face with a hint of inattention. Your satisfaction quickly faded away, an anxiety quickly filled the hole.

“Oh… w-well…” You paused for a short moment to think of what to say next. “You seem w-worried… and-”

“Oh!” Rex interrupted you, but didn’t seem to notice that you didn’t finish you thought as his eyed widened. “Y-yeah, just thinking about the mission, is all…”

“Are you sure…?” You asked him lightly, praying for a more truthful answer than what he was providing.

“Yeah… yes!” Rex’s lips curled up into a smile, one you recognized all too well to be fake. “Don’t worry about me, I just want everyone to get home safely, including you.” Rex took a quick look around, you couldn’t tell for what. “I need to go get some things put together before we head out.” He was already walking away at this point. “I’ll see you in a little while?” He asked as he barely looked back.

“Yeah, but…” That was all you could get out before you gave up, Rex was long gone with the wind, leaving you confused and troubled by his display.

- - -

You took your first steps besides Anakin and Ahsoka, the three of you leading the silent charge towards the droid factory after bidding the other battalions good luck as they set themselves on their own path to the factory. You felt Rex’s absence from the front of the parade heavily. He should have been up there with the three of you, but he lagged behind slightly, walking with a group of his brothers you understood that he was close with, but wasn’t engaging with them.

You would hear Echo ask Rex a question, to which he would barely reply with more than a few mumbled words. Fives or Jesse would crack a joke, to which Rex wouldn’t even reply at all. You kept your eyes forward to avoid attracting unwanted attention, but you couldn’t help but yearn for a connection with the Captain. You waited for any queue to allow you to naturally slip into conversation with him. But what was your in?

“Are you okay?” You heard Ahsoka ask your side. Your ears immediately perked up as you looked to the Commander, completely forgetting to wipe the concerned look off of your face.

“Oh, uh…” You struggled to come up with a good lie for a brief moment, Ahsoka kept a smile on her face, but you could tell that she sensed that something was wrong. “I’m just… nervous for the mission, that's all…” You looked back forward, a lump formed in your throat as you prayed that she bought your excuse.

“Ah, I get nervous before missions sometimes too.” Ahsoka said in response. “I find that it’s helpful to talk it out, do you want to try? I’m all ears!”

You looked to Ahsoka, debating on what to say next in your head. “Um, no, I-I’m okay. I think I just need a distraction…”

“Feel free to break off from formation. We’re not close enough to the factory yet for there to be any Separatists in this part of the forest.” Anakin chimed in, looking over to you. “Also, It’s pretty fucking boring being in front.” He smiled mischievously as he eyed you, prompting you to smile a bit in return for his kindness. “Enjoy yourself before things get too serious.” He ended with a wink before looking forward once more.

You nodded silently before allowing your pace to fall behind Anakin and Ahsoka. You left their charge slowly as you made your way to Rex’s group, praying that you’ll flow in naturally.

“I’m telling you Echo, the war rations don’t taste nearly as good as you think!” Fives exclaimed. “In fact, I’d go as far to say that they taste like shit.” Chuckles can be heard in the group that you tried to blend into, followed by a clump of arguments brought by clones you both knew and wished you did.

“As always, you’re being too dramatic Fives.” Echo replied with a tease in his voice. “I think they taste good.”

Fives let out a hardy laugh. “There’s no way you actually think that they taste good!” Fives quickly turned to another clone that you did not recognize. “What do you think, Tup?”

The trooper with a teardrop tattoo chuckled at being singled out by Fives. “Oh, I don’t know Fives. They taste good enough for me to eat them, isn’t that enough?”

“Absolutely not!” Fives whipped his head to Rex. “What about you, Cap? Do you agree with these idiots?”

You watched as Rex turned his head to Fives, the back of his head now the only thing visible to you as the other troopers stood in the background. You watched as he shrugged his shoulders a single time.

“They get the job done, don’t they?” He replied without any humor in his voice. Fives’s nose crinkled in response to Rex’s comment.

“Yes, but-” Fives threw his free arm up into the air in joking defeat. “Considering that we are going to have to eat this slop for the next while, all I’m saying is that they should make them taste better! I’d rather eat my own shit sometimes!” His comment was followed by an uproar.

“You don’t actually mean that!” Jesse said with a laugh. A wide smile grew onto Fives’s face as he couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore.

“I do! And I might do just that to prove a point!” More laughter ensued, you couldn’t help but shake your head in response to the bothers’ silly antics, and a small smile invaded your face.

Fives’s eyes then caught onto your movement, finally noticing you.

“What about you, General?” Fives asked, prompting every participating clone to look over to you. Rex included, a confused and worried expression now littering his face as surprise raised his eyelids slightly. “Do you actually like how our rations taste?” You didn’t like how many eyes were on you, but there was no slipping in unnoticed now. You had to say something.

“W-well.” You began with a stammer. “I think they’re pretty alright.” You shrugged your shoulders as an awkward smile strained your face. There was silence for a brief moment. A length of time that would have been perceived as normal by anyone else. But for you? It felt like an eternity, especially with Rex’s eyes in your peripheral vision calling for your attention.

But then Fives broke out into a brief laughing fit.

“There’s no way that I’m the only one who hates them!” Fives pleaded as he looked around at his brothers in defeat. “Am I the crazy one here?”

“Maybe you are!” You replied jokingly. Once you had realized what you said, you almost gasped. What you said came out so naturally, but if you had given yourself the chance to reconsider, you doubt you would have said anything at all just to remain under the radar…

“Yeah Fives, you're outnumbered here!” You heard Echo tease. “Get with the program!” Laughter erupted the group once more, causing you to join in with a quiet chuckle. “Maybe actually try to enjoy your meals, instead of shoving food down your throat at every chance you get! More laughter from the clones, and your chuckles got louder too.

“Yeah, maybe you’ll actually taste the food this time!” You found yourself joking again, followed by more laughter from the clones, the hardest of which luckily coming from Fives himself. You enjoyed the feeling this gave you. You felt as though you were actually fitting in with a battalion again.

But then you realized that Rex was still staring, his existence entering your conscious awareness once more. Your eyes bounced back to his, meeting instantly. He wasn’t smiling at first, a concern still burned in his eyes, still too far from your grasp for you to understand it. The wide smile on your face shrunk a bit, but still lingered as the humorous conversation was still fresh in your mind.

You looked at each other for a brief moment, your expressions unchanging. But then a warm smile crept onto the Captain’s lips, crows feet forming in the corner of his eyes.

“Having fun?” He asked smoothly, not breaking eye contact. It almost made you too nervous to speak. You nodded quickly in return.

“Yeah…!” You looked back at Rex’s brothers for only a small moment, finding that you didn’t want to break eye contact for long as you brought them back to Rex with no problem at all. “They actually seem pretty funny to be around. They remind me of my old battalion…” You trailed off as sadness took you over, your eye contact wavering as you took turns favoring Rex’s eyes and the ground. You finally settled on looking at the ground, turning your head back forward to watch as your feet took one step in front of the other.

“I’m sorry…” You heard Rex say. You looked back to him to see a look of pity, the last thing you could have wanted. His pupils dance slightly, making microscopic movements every second, but never leaving your eyes. It was at this moment you realized that Rex had brown eyes. Why did this surprise you? You weren’t sure, you have seen thousands of these eyes thousands of times, and you’ve had many chances before to study them at a close proximity. But at that moment, you realized that Rex’s eyes were different compared to the pair you had descriptively known before. Unlike Rory’s, the bottom of Rex’s irises had a darker shade of brown. The specks of both darker and lighter color in Rex’s eyes were different as well. You found studying Rex’s eyes just as hypnotizing as when you would look at Rory’s. Now, you knew another way the clones were different, a fact that you would keep to yourself, a fact that comforted you strangely enough.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The words were muffled against your distracted mind.

“Hm?” Was all you could say in response, you were completely swept into his bronze world.

“Your battalion?” Rex asked once more. You refocused almost immediately, finding Rex’s eyes still on you, full of the same care and pity that he had before you lost yourself, but he seemed just as relaxed as you were just a moment ago.

“Oh…! Um…” You looked away from Rex, now looking in front of you as your eyes danced around and your fingers fiddled with each other nervously.

But, something urged you to share… you felt a WANT to share.

“Sure.” You said as plainly as you could, shrugging your shoulders to add to the facade. You took a brief but deep breath in, and let it out louder than you intended to.

“Well…” You rolled your eyes in thought, thinking of what you wanted to share first as you felt Rex’s unwavering eyes still on you as you walked forward. Then you felt the words bubbling up your throat like beautiful word vomit. “Saks and Gamble were always an interesting pair. They were both troublemakers in their own right, but Saks always knew how to efficiently cut through the enemy. Gamble was a fantastic fighter too, but…” You chuckled to yourself as your eyelids softly closed, the smile never fading completely from your face once you were done. “I guess you could say that at times… his success on the battlefield was a ‘gamble.’ Hah!” You heard Rex laugh along softly next to you. You looked at him and were met with a slight smile, and his eyes still on you.

“Yeah? What else?” Rex asked. You felt more words pour out of you smoothly.

“I mean, then there’s Freak, he always found the most unconventional ways to get through battle, and honestly everyday life. He was a strange guy, but I loved him for who he was. I loved everyone for who they were. If only they were here now…” Your heart was met with another push of sadness, Rex clearly noticed this, his eyebrows furrowed together and his lips parted slightly, as though he knew what he wanted to say in the moment but hesitated for a reason unknown to you. You looked at each other in silence once more.

“But it doesn’t matter!” You were quick to say to smother the silence as you looked forward once more. “Where was I…” You continued, wanting nothing more than to change the topic back to something more positive. But you couldn’t think of anything to say. Too many clones swam through your mind all at once, all calling for your attention. Especially one, but you weren’t sure how to talk about him.

“What about the trooper who led your battalion? He was called Rory, right? What was he like?” Rex lightly probed, as though he knew that Rory was the trooper you had stuck in your mind. You sighed again as sadness struck even harder than before.

“Well, he…” Your eyes stuck to the ground as you thought hard of what to say next, of what you were willing to admit. “I was definitely the closest with him- naturally! And, uh… he was the right man to lead his brothers into battle, right up until the end.” You paused, Rex’s eyes burned into the side of your head relentlessly.

Pleasant memories flashed through your mind. You let out a long sigh as you let them stay.

“He was kind, and considerate, and always put the safety of everyone else above his own, even if that meant that he wasn’t going to get home.” Your eyes lost focus as you honed in on your thoughts. “But he always ended up fine. He knew his way around a blaster like it was nobody’s business, he was relentlessly talented on the battlefield, definitely one of the most capable soldiers I have ever met. But he was an even better friend…” You stopped to think once more, that last word almost felt unnatural as it left your lips.

“He sounded like he was important to you.” Rex interjected before you could think of anything else to say. You looked to the Captain once more, welcoming the warm feeling his attention provided you.

“You have no idea.” You replied with a whisper, understanding that you knew way more than Rex likely ever would. You really missed Rory. Your shoulders sagged as your posture sank into yourself, sadness was taking hold and you didn’t have the energy to stop it. All you could do was think about your last moments with your old Captain before he…

Then you felt a hand lightly grasp your shoulder. You almost gasped at the contact before looking up with slightly widened eyes to meet Rex’s gaze once more. Just as soft, just as caring.

You almost forgot about Rory at that moment.

“You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?” Rex asked softly. You were slow to respond as you drowned in his eyes once more, observing the colors and how they differed from who you knew before.

“Really…?” You asked absent-mindedly.

“Really.” Rex echoed in response.

“REX.”

Speaking of Echo.

Rex turned his head slightly back towards his brothers, you did the same to see Echo looking frustrated, and Jesse and Fives playfully strangling each other with their free arms.

“I’ve called for you three times!” He quietly yelled to the Captain. “Help me get these two off of each other! They’re being ridiculous!” Rex groaned and rolled his eyes before he readjusted his head to look back at you.

“Thanks for opening up to me.” Rex said to you. You nodded slowly as a response struggled to find you.

“Yeah…”

But then you realized that Rex was leaned in slightly closer to you, more than what was normal for the two of you. You cleared your throat upon the realization, covering your mouth with your fist and taking a slight step away from the Captain to give yourself space, the contact that his hand has with your shoulder ending abruptly. Rex was slow to realize what had happened, but he finally did. It also seemed that his throat was clogged as his head returned to its natural position on his shoulders, his eyes struggled to stay on you from that moment on as his free hand suddenly had to scratch his cheek. You didn’t notice any movement from him in some time as you spoke, he must have been like that for a while.

Rex took one more look at you, awkwardness now infecting his pity, but you could still see the care in his eyes despite how distracted he looked now, his eyes darted between you and the chaos that ensued behind you.

“I should uh, go take care of that…” He said as he used his head to signal towards his brothers. You nodded quickly.

“Yeah, no problem! Go help Echo.” You said with a manufactured smile. Rex nodded back, before quickly turning around to intervene.

You looked forward as you heard Rex’s commanding tone take over as he scolded his troopers. His voice faded into the background of your attention as you thought of what just transpired. You once again found yourself feeling appreciative of his care and attention. Well… maybe you felt a bit more than just that. It was strange, that feeling was still so familiar, still on the tip of your tongue, it almost reminded you of when-

You suddenly felt a large force pushing against your back, causing you to take multiple uneasy steps forward. Luckily, you were barely able to stop yourself from falling over. Once you had regained your balance, you were quick to look behind you, confusion completely riddling your face, and making you forget what you were pondering before.

Of course, when you looked behind you, you saw an energetic Fives next to an apologetic Echo and a furious Rex. Fives back was facing you as he smiled a idiotic smile. But he eventually noticed the looks on his brothers’ faces, before his head whipped to you, and his smile was quick to drop halfway.

“Sorry General!” He yelled way too loud to you with a wave that was asking for forgiveness. Due to your surprise, all you could think to do was give Fives a thumbs up with an awkward smile on your face. But once again, it wasn’t forced. You honestly enjoyed Fives's stupid antics enough to find them humorous. However, what you found even funnier was Echo punching Fives in the stomach immediately after. Echo clearly punched hard enough for Fives’s armor to do little to muddle the pain, causing Fives to double over for a moment, spouting incoherent complaints to his brother as everyone around him laughed, including you.

- - -

The day set into night way faster than you’d expected. Honestly, you thought that you’d simply be putting one step in front of the other, not able to find many opportunities to speak with Rex, Anakin, or Ahsoka. But against your educated guess, all of those things ended up not being true. Thanks to the lack of security in your current area, the formation was allowed to be more liquid than any of you expected, troopers swapped from group to group with ease, without much worry of catching unwanted attention from the Separatists forces. What you least expected to occur was that you would find yourself talking to Rex and his brothers, CONSISTENTLY. After Echo and Rex were able to calm Fives down, you found yourself in a group that wasn’t able to keep their mouths shut. Words ran like water as you found out more about the battalion you had found yourself shoved into by the Republic. And you loved it. You learned names you had never learned before, you heard hilarious and horrifying stories alike about these men. You felt like you were making friends out of these clones again, and you loved it.

Eventually everyone had to set up camp for the night. No matter if there were Separatist forces patrolling the area or not, it wasn’t safe to travel in the dark, especially while you had to keep any use of light to a minimum.

But, luckily for you, you found yourself sitting around a campfire with the same clones you had gotten to know, including Rex, who was sitting by your side. A bit more unfortunately for you? Fives was sitting next to you, as rowdy as ever. But, he made it entertaining enough.

“And then-! He threw up all over the floor…! Right next to some stripper’s shoes…!” Fives barely managed to yell out between heaves of laughter as his hand clutched his chest. You looked at Echo, whose face was beet red.

“IT WAS ONE FUCKING TIME!” Echo yelled back defensively, throwing his arms up into the air before crossing them together, hugging himself like a child.

You chuckled along with everyone else at Echo’s expense, who was desperately coming up with embarrassing drinking stories about Fives to get back at him. Unfortunately for Echo, everyone seemed to already know about Fives’s embarrassing drinking stories. He wore them like a damn badge of honor.

“What about you, General y/n?” Jesse asked you. The laughter died down as the focus was removed from Fives and Echo’s antics.

“Hm?’ You sounded in response, honestly unsure of what the trooper was referencing.

“Have you ever had a drink before?” He asked. Innocent enough question to ask a trooper, but it was a bit more complicated when the question was targeted towards a Jedi. Drinking wasn't banned, per say, but it definitely wasn’t encouraged, enough to the point to which it was frowned upon to do so. You could say that you were… experienced, due to your time with your old battalion, but do you tell that truth to these men here? Do you provide them with another half-lie?

“Hey, we won’t tell the other Jedi here.” Fives reassured you mischievously. You guessed you took too long to respond. Everyone silently looked to Anakin and Ahsoka, both of whom were sitting not too far from where you were. Anakin looked up from his preserved meal, blinked a few times, then shrugged his shoulders before looking back down at his food.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t really care for that rule, on top of many others…” Anakin mumbled that last part in frustration before focusing on his meal once more. Then all eyes were back on you again, you could feel Rex’s more than anyone else’s.

“Well…” You dragged that word out slowly as you looked at your food. “I have drank before. But-!” You cut yourself off when you caught everyone’s eyes on you, prompting you to quickly look down at the floor. “Nothing too crazy.” You finished quickly.

“Ah.” Fives responded simply. “We need to fix that.”

“Don’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do.” Rex was quick to interject, his commanding tone proudly displayed for all to hear. Fives put his hands up in sarcastic defense.

“Hey man, she’s her own woman. I’m just offering her a night of fun with the best drinker this battalion has ever known!” He stated proudly as he pointed his thumbs at himself. Rex simply rolled his eyes and grunted in response, turning back to his preserved meal in clear frustration. What did he care?

You eyed Rex for just a moment, him too focused on his meal to notice you were looking. His eyebrows were furrowed together and worry lines spread across his face. You wish you could use the force to understand what he was thinking. You hadn’t known Rex for that long, but you never expected him to be this unreadable. Clearly so stressed and in thought about something, but not letting it be known to you. Strangely enough, you wished he trusted you with that information more than you expected to.

You turned back to your own food as the conversation ensued, changing to another topic entirely. You listened as much as you needed to, trying to only allow your worries about your Captain poison the back of your mind. Of course, the thoughts overtook you at times, but jokes and comments from the troopers helped you pop back into reality periodically, forcing those thoughts to retreat temporarily.

Eventually, each fire was doused out to signal that it was lights out for the battalion. Usually, campfires would be burning all night, keeping those around it warm while they slept. But the risk of catching the attention of the enemy was too important to maintain maximum comfort. While it was extremely unlikely for anyone unexpected to be this deep in the forest, it was imperative for the battalion to remain secretive at all costs. So, everyone had to bundle deeper into their sleeping bags for the time being.

You slid into yours with ease, sighing as the fluffy texture of the bag’s interior comforted you, the sensation taking you away from your thoughts about Rex as your eyes closed in brief delight. You laid your head against your pillow, and immediately turned to your most comfortable position. As long as you were close enough to the battalion, you were allowed to set up your sleeping back wherever you liked. Obviously, you felt unease at the endless possibilities. You only felt close enough to Rex, but he set up his sleeping arrangements too close to his brothers for you to be comfortable with setting up close to him. A-and of course, offering to keep him company at night would be a strange thing to do… So, you set yourself up in a bit of an isolated spot. But were you close enough to Rex, Anakin, and Ahsoka in case something were to arise.

You looked back out to your surroundings once more, immediately catching Rex in your eyes. He was getting comfortable in his sleeping arrangements as well, chatting with his brothers when a conversation was brought to him. You observed the crease in between his eyebrows and the worry lines on his face. His brothers couldn’t see his mind was racing, but you could.

Then Rex laid down after bidding his brothers a good night. He sunk deeper into his sleeping bag, before turning himself to face your direction, luckily too focused on the fluffiness of his pillow to notice you staring. You took that as your cue to focus on getting some sleep yourself, closing your eyes in hopes of it taking you sooner rather than later. There was too much on your mind, Rex, the force, your old battalion… You just wanted the chance to finally relax after a long day, and sleep was most likely your only way out.

But you could feel the two of you facing each other. So close, but yet so far at the same time. You felt this connection too intensely to simply ignore it, it was haunting every corner of your mind as you tried to quiet it desperately. You hoped that this second instance of sudden disconnection wasn’t going to become a trend, especially after the progress the two of you had made together. But, why did you care anyway? He could have been worried about anything, especially considering the eventual danger that the current mission would bring. But still… you had this nagging thought that whatever Rex was thinking so intensely about, you were somehow involved. And that scared you. You didn’t want to lose the first friend you’ve gained since…

Well, you didn’t see a point in going over what happened in your head again. At that rate? You’d get no sleep at all. You tried to distract yourself, but Rex was once again the only thing your spinning mind could think about. But, you managed to drift off as you thought of the pleasant interaction you had with him earlier that day. The fuzzy feeling he gave you in that moment returned to you to push you towards unconsciousness, its existence barely bothering you in that moment. That was something for future you to ponder about.

- - -

Rex tossed and turned in his sleeping bag for what felt like an eternity. Every time he opened his eyes in frustration, the large moon of this planet was in a completely different position, its pastel-yellow face almost mocking the Captain, a cruel reminder that he was losing time, time he needed to get a good night’s rest, necessary for him to function as the Captain of his brothers and comrades.

His mind was still racing ever since his talk with Echo at 79s. Every little thing that Echo brought up about how it felt to… like someone, kept repeating in his head over and over again. The mere thought that those feelings were possible for Rex to feel filled his mind was frenzying thoughts. And it didn’t help that you were still on his mind as well, parallel to those dizzying thoughts he tried so hard to silence. He found himself thinking about the interaction the two of you had only hours before, when you were speaking to him about your old battalion. The memories filled him with a warm knot, one that Rex didn't want to end, one that drove Rex crazy.

Rex was well aware that he was acting strange around you. No matter how much he had hoped that you didn’t notice, he knew for a fact that he was acting that way for a reason and couldn’t help himself. He hated understanding that, and he hated the fact that he had to fight with himself the entire day to maintain the confidence that he wasn’t falling for you to the point of exhaustion. Once everyone was settled in for dinner, Rex had a hard time thinking of anything at all; his brain was completely fried. But, of course, the one time you’re brought into focus, he knew exactly what he wanted to say in an instant. Why was he so short with Fives anyway? Yeah, he can be obnoxious at times, but it’s not like he’s the type to actually hurt anyone. And besides, you could make your own choices about who you spent your free time with. If anything, it should have made Rex happy to see you befriending his brothers. But it didn’t at that moment, and it made Rex worried.

Was he… jealous?

Rex’s eyes opened wide at the thought. He was quick to sit up, his legs crossing over each other as the tips of his fingers rubbed his temples. He resisted the urge to let out a frustrated groan as his mind began its sprint to a nonexistent finish line.

Jealous? There was no way Rex was jealous. You were just making some new friends- which is great! Rex was only upset because Fives brought up alcohol, and there’s no way anything involving Fives and alcohol would ever end well. That was it. It had to be.

Rex took a shallow deep breath in, before letting it out impatiently with a quiet huff. He dropped his head back down to his pillow, covering the top of his face with the palms of his hands, before letting them drop back down as he turned to his side. He was facing you once more.

You were clearly asleep, but your eyebrows were furrowed together slightly, showing remnants of unpleasant thinking as you drifted off to sleep. Rex felt guilt rise in his gut, he silently hoped that your stress wasn’t due to his inability to keep his head straight.

He watched your shoulders rise and fall once more, the breath leaving through your gently parted lips in the form of a cloud that he could only see through his mind’s eye. He then turned away from you, opting instead to lay on his back, hoping that the position change would distract him enough to let him finally rest. He looked back up to the stars once more. But, instead of thinking about the far, far away objects of light, you were still on his mind. He resisted the urge to look at you again, fearing he’d never get his eyes off of you long enough to sleep. But the sudden desire to connect was not something he could as easily control. He wanted to reach out to you, to discuss all that has happened and has been happening. He wanted to explain everything, from the weird knot he had begun feeling in his gut, to his sudden desires and anxious thoughts that surrounded the concept of you.

Rex thought he could trust you with his scrambling thoughts, but he knew that he didn’t trust himself enough to present it to you correctly. He feared that any small misunderstanding could blow his whole friendship with you up in an instant. It felt terrible to keep those thoughts a secret, but he couldn’t risk anything going south with you. He only just got you.

At that moment, Rex decided that figuring out his new feelings on his own was the best option. He wasn’t going to ask his brothers, he wasn’t going to ask Anakin and Ahsoka, and he definitely wasn’t going to ask you for help. He wasn’t going to allow anyone to think that his feelings were anything inappropriate. They weren’t, he just had to do some digging…

The stars disappeared from his sight as Rex tried once more to sleep. He retreated back into the darkness, images of you flashing through his head as he took another pathetic deep breath in, letting it out as quietly as possible to avoid waking anyone.

‘I’m sorry, Y/n.’ Rex thought to himself, hoping that you somehow knew he was thinking of you. ‘I just need to understand what’s going on with me.’

Rex opened himself up to the darkness, hoping that sleep would take him soon.

[bunny7567]

I got you - chapter 12

Pairing: Rex x Jedi!ofc

Word count: 7.2k Tags/Warnings: NSFW 18+; drunk sex; piv sex, face-sitting; some degradation; fingering; cumshot on the back? idk how to say this; heavy drinking; Fives and Lexie find out they have something interesting in common; she's not a bad person I swear, she just has anxiety; there's some angst in here too; also can you tell I'm an only child who always wanted to have a big brother?

A/n: so we finally get to the smut. It's the first proper sex scene I've ever written, hope it's good. It's definitely not word for word the fantasies I have about what I'd want this character to do to me... definitely not that. I am simultaneously really excited to see if people will like this chapter and also want to hide under a rock after I hit post, weird combination.

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chakaar - scumbag, bitch, bastard vod'ika - little brother, little sister mesh'la - beautiful

~~~

Coruscant was still recovering from the Zillo beast rampage as Lexie was slowly making her way to the barracks. Echo and Fives were supposed to return from their ARC training tonight, so she finally felt like she had something to look forward to. It had definitely been some eventful few days. From joining Mace Windu’s forces on Malastare, to the frustrating negotiations with the Dugs, to fighting the nearly indestructible Zillo beast, it had been one bad thing after the other.

But thankfully the 501st had a few days of much needed rest, and Lexie was all caught up with her reports and ready to go out and celebrate with the new ARCs like they had planned. She made more of an effort tonight, she was wearing the new, white crochet blouse she’d just bought the previous day, over a blue bandeau top, with high-waist, leather-like shorts. Her blue hair was pulled back in a ponytail, secured by two braids that started from her temples and her makeup was more sparkly than usually.

She felt a bit insecure, especially with the looks she got from some of the other Jedi as she was leaving the Temple, but she tried to reassure herself that it was a nice outfit, and good for a night out.

However, her insecurities were also coming from the fact that she’d have to see a certain Captain she’s been sort of avoiding, something that filled her mind with uneasiness.

They had spoken very little on the way to Malastare. Rex had been nervously waiting for her after the briefing, and had asked to talk to her privately. The two had walked in silence until they reached an empty corridor, and awkwardly stood facing each other until Rex found the words he had been rehearsing since the previous night in the break room.

“General, I need to apologise to you”, he started.

“No, it’s fine, Rex, don’t-”, she tried to interject.

“No, I… I am very ashamed of my behaviour. I had too much to drink and I… I wasn’t thinking properly. I am sorry and I promise it’ll never happen again”, he continued, trying to sound as professional as he could.

Lexie couldn’t help the way her heart sunk as she heard the words, it really hurt hearing them. The way he’d gently caressed her face, the fact that he’d almost asked to kiss her, it was all she had been able to think the entire night. But he hadn’t meant it and now she was sure of it.  That sounded about right though. Of course he didn’t share her feelings, he hadn’t actually wanted to kiss her. She felt so stupid that she had allowed herself to entertain the idea that maybe he did love her back. She swallowed hard before pushing all her emotions out of her mind.

“I understand, Captain. Thank you for your apology. Let’s just try to forget it ever happened”, she said in a forced calm voice.

Rex had only nodded, avoiding looking into her eyes. He knew he’d break if he did, he’d keep talking and end up backtracking on his apology and admitting how much he wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to make her his. Instead he just left, and he continued avoiding her. He was relieved that she wasn’t as upset with him as he worried she’d be, but the tension between them was undeniable. He had really kriffed up and he wasn’t sure how long it’ll take for their friendship to recover.

While on Malastare, things had gotten a little better. The tension was still lingering in the air between them, but they managed to fight side by side, to have each other’s backs, and even to casually chat while on the flight back to Coruscant. It still felt awkward, but both of them had decided to pretend that the night in the break room never happened, for the sake of their friendship.

Once Lexie reached the base, she made her way to the hangar and joined Jesse, Kix and Hardcase who were already there waiting. She had timed it well this time and was on time to see the shuttle arrive on the landing platform and watch as Fives and Echo disembarked and made their way towards them, helmets tucked under their arms.

A bright smile appeared on her face as she watched them proudly walk into the hangar, dressed in their new ARC trooper armor. They had even found the time to customise it and she looked them both up and down, her gaze then landing on the smug smile on Fives’ face. She hated to admit it but her friend looked good, really good. They stopped at attention in front of her and saluted, a gesture which she returned on this occasion, before dropping the formalities and hugging them tightly.

“You look amazing, mesh’la”, Fives whispered in her ear.

Lexie rolled her eyes fondly before stepping out of the way so that the others could greet their brothers. She cursed at herself when she realised that his comment had actually made her blush, something that Fives noticed, bringing him a great deal of satisfaction.

“So, what do you think?”, Fives asked as he gestured to his armor.

“Hmm, not sure, give us a twirl?”, Lexie replied in a playful tone. Fives obliged.

“You look the part, let’s see if you can play it too”, Jesse said with a laugh.

“You jealous?”, Fives quipped.

“Of you?”, Jesse scoffed.

“Echo. Fives. Good to have you back”, Rex’s voice sounded from behind, making Lexie instantly tense as she felt his presence.

She moved to the side, a little outside of the group, letting the men catch up. Her eyes kept drifting to Rex and the smile she had carefully crafted was beginning to falter as the conversation progressed and he did not once look in her direction.

Lexie moved her gaze back to the two friends she had really missed but felt her stomach turn a little as she met Echo’s eyes. He was looking between her and Rex with a questioning look. Echo was always so perceptive of her distress, of course he immediately noticed the tension. She swallowed hard and tried to look away but it was too late to pretend that everything was fine, as Echo moved closer to her.

“Are you alright, vod’ika?”, he asked quietly.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”, she answered automatically. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she fully processed his words and looked up at him, a smile slowly returning to her face. “Vod’ika? You know I’m older than you right?”.

“Eh, feels right like that”, Echo replied, gently nudging her with his elbow. “If you don’t mind, of course”.

“No! I-I don’t mind at all… it actually means so much”, she said quietly.

Lexie suddenly felt overwhelmed by her emotions and for a second she thought she was going to cry. Echo really did feel like the big brother she’d always wanted, and hearing him call her his little sister filled her heart with a warm, joyful feeling. She let out a small chuckle and Echo put an arm around her, bringing her in for a side hug.

“So… come on, what’s going on? You seem really tense”, he pressed.

She glanced back towards Rex and caught him abruptly looking away from her.

“It’s nothing. Just been some stressful few weeks”.

“Alright. I’m here if you want to talk about it”, he said, releasing her from the hug.

Their attention was caught by a sharp whistle made by Fives.

“Are we going or what?”, he asked with a grin.

“Yes! Let’s go”, Lexie said, allowing a grin as big as his to appear on her face.

The 79s was crowded, mostly with troopers in the 501st blue who could finally enjoy some downtime after months of deployment. Fives practically sprinted towards their usual booth, making sure to snatch it before a couple troopers who were heading towards it could sit down. A few curses in Mando’a were mumbled by the other men as they walked away in search of another table.

Lexie made sure to slow down, falling in step with Rex. She really wanted to sit next to him tonight. The two of them were the last to reach the booth and the Captain stopped to allow her to sit down first before taking the seat next to her. She looked at him and offered a small smile which he returned. This is good. We’ll have some drinks and laugh and by the end of the night everything will be back to normal.

The first round of drinks was ordered, Jesse insisting they all tried some new cocktail he had the last time he was there.

“It’s really good, it’s called Red supernova”, he said.

“Yeah, but a cocktail vod?”, Hardcase asked making a face.

“It’s good, trust me”, Jesse insisted.

“It really is but it’s definitely not new”, Lexie interjected.

“Wait really?”, Jesse asked.

“Yeah, it’s what I was drinking that first night we met”, she replied with a chuckle.

“When did you even start liking cocktails?”, Fives asked Jesse.

“Sivra made me try it last time I was here”, Jesse replied.

“Who’s Sivra?”, Echo asked.

“The drop-dead gorgeous Mikkian I rescued from humiliation after Rex just left her on the dancefloor”, Jesse replied smugly. “Still can’t understand what the hell was wrong with you vod, but your loss”, he continued, addressing the Captain.

“You just left a girl on the dancefloor? And since when do you even dance? I’ve only seen you do it once, when Lexie dragged you with her”, Fives asked with a laugh.

“She wasn’t really my type. And I wasn’t on the dancefloor, we were stood close to it, talking”, Rex tried to excuse himself.

“Banthashit! since when are pink-skinned women not your type, vod?”, Hardcase quipped.

Lexie’s felt a pit form in her stomach at that comment but she forced herself to keep a smile on her face. She turned her head slightly to see his reaction.

“I wouldn’t say they are, no”, Rex replied, feeling uncomfortable.

“Really? So most of the women you hooked-up with don’t have pink skin?”, Hardcase pushed. “Cause I definitely remember you leaving this place with two different pink-skinned Twi’lek girls in the past-”.

“And there was that Mirialan as well, what was her name? Astri?”, Jesse interjected.

“Could we not go through my dating history right now?”, Rex said defensively, earning more laughs from his brothers.

Lexie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, moving closer to Fives who was on her left. She felt like such an idiot for ever allowing herself to believe that Rex might like her back. I’m not even his kriffin’ type.

She was now sat so close to Fives that their legs were touching.

“Missed me that much, mesh’la?”, he leaned closer to quietly say in her ear.

His hot breath on her skin made her shiver and she turned her head to look at him. “Maybe I did”, she said matching his sweet tone.

They were interrupted by the droid waitress that arrived with their drinks and Lexie eagerly reached for hers. The group toasted the new ARC troopers and she downed most of the beverage in one go. Curious eyes flickered to her.

“Whoa, slow down. Are you okay Lex?”, Fives asked, placing a hand on her leg.

“Just really needed a drink after the whole Zillo beast disaster”, she said, choosing to mention only one part of what was bothering her. She could feel Rex’s eyes burnt into her side but she refused to turn her head and meet his gaze.

“What actually happened? We saw the damage from the shuttle, looks like the place has been bombarded”, Echo asked.

Lexie let out a scornful laugh. “Do you want to fill them in on that? Cause if I do I will end up saying some things about the Chancellor that I will definitely regret”, she scoffed, finally looking at Rex.

“Look, I know you don’t approve of what happened, but that thing had to be stopped”, Rex tried to argue.

“That thing was sentient. And the last of its kind”, Lexie said with indignation. “It should not have been brought to Coruscant in the first place. The Chancellor is-”.

She abruptly stopped herself, grip tightening on her glass. The Chancellor was fully responsible for all the death and destruction that the creature had caused and Lexie was angry and frustrated with the Jedi Council for going along with it. But she had already had this argument with Rex, an argument that had ended with him warning her that she sounded treasonous, and she didn’t want to pick it up again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Let’s just change the subject. I’m sorry I brought it up in the first place”, she continued, pinching the bridge of her nose. “So, Fives, Echo, what kinds of trouble did you get into during training”.

“That’s just rude, why would you assume we got into any trouble?”, Fives faked being offended.

“Because we’ve met you”, Kix chimed in with a laugh.

The conversation shifted back to their ARC training and more drinks were ordered for the table. The twins did actually get into some trouble and the group laughed as they recalled the events.

As she was now feeling a bit more relaxed, Lexie shifted a bit closer to Rex again, her knees bumping his thigh. The three drinks she’d had in close succession were starting to affect her a little, making her feel a pleasant buzz and lowering her inhibitions. She leaned closer to him in order to have a more private conversation.

“Are you having fun, Captain?”, she asked.

“I am, General. You?”, he answered with a level tone, leaning towards her as well.

“Are we okay, Rex?”, she blurted out. “Because I am sorry for what I said after the Zillo beast was killed. I know how much you care about the Republic and hearing me criticizing it must’ve been quite disappointin-”

“Lexie”, he cut her off. “I think you misunderstood me. I wasn’t accusing you of anything, I was just trying to protect you”.

She looked at him with a confused frown.

“I understood where you were coming from, why you got angry, and I even agree with you to some degree. But we were in public, and I noticed General Windu was watching you. I was worried you’d get in trouble”, he continued, keeping his voice low.

“Oh”, was all she could reply. She hadn’t noticed Mace Windu had been watching her, she really could’ve gotten into trouble if he had heard her criticize the Chancellor so openly. A warm feeling stirred in her chest. “Thank you… for always looking out for me, Rex”, she said quietly.

“That’s what friends are for, right?”, he said with a half-smile she didn’t realise was a little forced.

A few drinks later, Lexie was on the dancefloor with Fives, Echo and Hardcase, jumping around together to the lively music of the club. Jesse was at the bar, trying to sweet talk a Chalactan woman who didn’t seem too impressed by his charms, while Kix had just returned to their table and was sat next to Rex. She didn’t have any luck tonight in getting the Captain to dance with them so far, but she also didn’t want to push too much and ruin the progress they had made in repairing their friendship.

Hardcase was now dancing with a Mirialan woman that had been trying to get his attention for the past three songs, which had prompted Lexie to just drag him over to her and introduce him. She liked playing “wingman” to her friends every now and then.

When she returned to where they had been dancing she noticed that Echo had gone to their table, leaving only Fives waiting for her with a sly smile on his face. She flashed him a smile of her own and they continued dancing together and singing along to the songs they knew, his hands coming to rest on her hips as they swayed in tandem to the music, while her arms rested around his neck. After a few songs they both decided to take a break from dancing and return to the group at the table.

“I’ll be right there”, Lexie told him before making her way to the fresher.

As she was heading back to their booth, weaving through the bodies of sentients, her eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar Tholothian woman on the other side of the dancefloor. Gemma was dancing with a trooper from the 212th, looking gorgeous in a gold dress that perfectly complemented her dark skin. Osik. Panic flooded Lexie’s senses as she hurried back to her table, keeping her head down. She wasn’t sure if she had seen her.

As she got to the booth, she jumped over Fives, landing between him and Echo, using the former as cover, as she melted into the seat and tried to hide. Rex shot her a confused look from across the table.

“You good, vod’ika?”, Echo asked her. She managed a weak hum of agreement.

This was bad, really bad. With all the missions that they’d had ever since she joined the 501st, she did not have the time to think about Gemma. She had wanted so much to apologise after seeing her that night all those months ago, and even came close to contacting her after Erosh-4, but had decided against it since she was not in a good headspace at that time. But after that came deployment after deployment, and her conflicting feelings for Rex that fully occupied her mind, and Gemma simply slipped away from her thoughts. She felt so guilty and ashamed it was making her nauseous.

“You're in trouble, Gemma's here”, Jesse announced as he returned to the table.

“How do you know about Gemma?”, Lexie exclaimed, panic clear in her voice.

Both Jesse and Fives looked at her with a confused look on their faces. “I was telling Fives-”, Jesse started saying.

“Well... so you're not dead after all”, Gemma’s voice sounded. She had approached the table and was stood next to Jesse, glaring down at Lexie.

Lexie felt all eyes turn to her as the conversation between Kix, Rex and Echo came to an abrupt stop.

“Gemma, h-hi...”, she started.

“How... how do you two know each other?”, Gemma asked, looking between Lexie and Fives. The look on her face was of horrified shock.

“Fives is part of my battalion”, she replied.

 “Oh, of course! That makes perfect, perfect sense”, Gemma said with a forced, sarcastic laugh. “Because where else would Fives learn to treat a woman in such a despicable way if not from you?”.

Lexie could feel Rex’s eyes on her and guilt and embarrassment were filling her mind. What will he think of me now?

“That's not fair Gemma”, she said quietly.

“Oh it's not fair? And you deserve fair? After everything?”, the Tholothian sneered.

“I'm sorry, I really… I-”

“You're sorry? You treat me like complete shit but you're sorry and it's ok?”, Gemma interrupted.

 “Gemma, please. You cannot put all that on me and you know it”, Lexie tried to protest.

“You are unbelievable”, Gemma said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I'm not sure what's happening but I feel like I should-”, Fives tried to pipe in.

“You should what? Throw some empty promises around, leave and never call? Just like you taught him, right Lexie?”, Gemma continued in a contemptuous tone of voice.

“Gemma, come on...”, Lexie tried to reason with her.

“No! You know what? You two... you two are perfect together. Absolutely perfect” Gemma said with spirited gestures of her hands, raising her voice. “So why don't the two of you just fuck each other and leave the rest of us alone?”.

With that, Gemma walked away and Lexie watched as she headed to the exit of the cantina. She wanted to run after her, apologise properly, but she felt frozen in place. Everyone at the table was watching her and she was so embarrassed. Her eyes flickered to Rex who was looking at her with brows furrowed in confusion. She leaned forward and let her forehead rest on the table with a thump, squeezing her eyes shut. If only her Jedi abilities allowed for her to open the ground and let it swallow her whole.

“What just happened?”, Kix asked with a bewildered chuckle.

Lexie sat back up and let out a long breath. “What are the chances you guys could pretend that nothing happened and not ask me to explain?”.

“Zero. Now spill. How do you know Gemma?”, Fives asked her.

“Wait, how do you know her? Please tell me you didn’t…”, Lexie returned his question but could not bring herself to finish the sentence.

“I hooked-up with her a few time. Why?”, Fives said.

A horrified look was plastered across Lexie’s face and Jesse let out a snort, as he was the first one to put two and two together.

“No… don’t tell me you both…”, he tried to unsuccessfully say between laughs.

She looked at Jesse who was laughing then at Fives, seeing the wheels turn in his head.

“You didn’t…”, Fives said with an amused expression, looking at her. “You also slept with her?”, he asked loudly.

Lexie let out a groan and put her face in her hands. “It’s actually worse than that”, she said, voice muffled by her hands. She rubbed her temples for a little bit before straightening. “Maker just take me now”, she mumbled, looking up at the ceiling.

“Okay, you really need to explain”, Echo said from her right.

“I mean I don’t really need to, I could just leave”, she said as she stood up.

Fives pulled her back down by an arm. “Oh no, you’re not getting out of this that easy”, he said with a chuckle. “Spill”.

“Ugh, fine”, she groaned. “Before the war started, Gemma and I were in a sort of friends with benefits arrangement. Or, that’s what it started as anyway, but she became too attached and I didn’t know how to deal with it so I kind of just… completely ghosted her”, she explained, squeezing her eyes shut and scrunching her nose as she said that last part.

“How long was that going on for”, Jesse asked as he sat down next to Rex.

“Uhm… about 11 months”, she admitted, looking down at the table.

“11?! Lexie that’s basically a relationship”, Kix exclaimed.

“Yeah, I know, I…”, she stumbled over her words before reaching for Echo’s glass and downing the alcohol in it. “She did know I was a Jedi, alright? From the beginning. She knew I couldn’t do attachments. Yes, I should’ve put a stop to it when I sensed the feelings she was developing, but I let it keep dragging on for a few more months. I did like her, I just never felt the same as she was feeling… and then, when she eventually told me she wanted more I didn’t know how to reject her without hurting her so I panicked, told her I needed some time to think about it, but then I just went MIA on her”.

“I would not have pegged you for a fuckboy, Lex”, Fives joked, nudging her with his elbow.

“N-No! no, it was not like that”, she turned to him, lifting a finger to empathise her point. “I wanted to talk to her, I just needed some time to figure out how to let her down gently. But then I was called for the Battle of Geonosis, and I got injured and I was in a coma and then I pretty much immediately joined you guys… I… I feel really fucking awful about it…”, she trailed off.

Fives put an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath. “Come on, it’s not that bad. We’ve all messed up with girls”, he tried to comfort her. Jesse piped in with some agreements.

“I’d say the coma and the war is a pretty good excuse for not contacting her”, Kix added, offering her a small, supportive smile.

“Well, I still feel like a complete chakaar”, she said with an embarrassed chuckle.

“You’re not. Don’t be so hard on yourself”, Echo interjected.

Lexie’s eyes flickered towards Rex and she felt a pit form in her stomach. He was avoiding her gaze, focused on the glass in his hand. She realised he had not said anything during the entire conversation. How much had she fallen in his eyes tonight, she wondered. She doubted he liked her anymore.

“I need more alcohol”, she mumbled as she got up, shuffled past Fives and headed to the bar.

Fives shot Rex a pointed look, silently urging him to do something, but when he realised the Captain was not going to go after Lexie, he got up himself and followed after her.

“Are you okay, mesh’la?”, he asked, coming to stand next to her at the bar.

“Could’ve done without all that humiliation earlier”, Lexie replied after she ordered whiskey for the two of them.

“It really wasn’t that bad. I’ve had worse”, he offered leaning on the bar and facing her.

“Yeah, like what?”, she asked, mimicking his body language.

“I had a drink thrown in my face after hitting on a woman I had already slept with but completely forgot about”, Fives said with an embarrassed chuckle. “Now that was bad”.

“How do you even do that?”, she asked with a laugh.

“It was a drunken hook-up in the back alley, and honestly I didn’t even pay that much attention to what she looked like, I still had you on my mind”, he replied nonchalantly.

Lexie choked on the drink she’d just received from the bartender. “What?”, she managed to ask between coughs.

“It wasn’t like that. Or… okay, maybe a little. It was that night after we first met so I was mainly worried that I’ll get reprimanded for hitting on a Jedi. But, I guess I was also thinking what a shame that you were a Jedi, because, come on, you’re hot. Would have loved to go home with you that night”, he said before taking a sip from his drink. The wide-eyed expression on Lexie’s face was bringing him a lot of satisfaction.

“You really are a bold one”, she said with a nervous laugh, trying to feign some composure.

“I try”, Fives replied with a shrug and a disarming smile.

Lexie felt her cheeks burning so she looked away, trying to laugh it off. Her gaze wondered back to their table and, to her surprise, she noticed that Rex wasn’t there anymore. She looked around a little but could not see the Captain anywhere.

“Looking for Rex?”, Fives asked her, watching her intently.

“What? No”, she replied automatically.

“He’s upstairs”, he said, gesturing with his head to the platform of the first floor. “He said while you were in the fresher that he’s gonna join Commanders Ponds, Fox and Cody at one point”.

“Good for him”, she replied trying to sound unbothered, while struggling to resist the urge to look in the direction he had pointed to.

“What’s going on with the two of you?”, he asked bluntly.

“What do you mean?”, she countered.

“Lex, come on. I’ve been watching you tonight, you seem really tense around him”, Fives said.

“You’ve been watching me?”, she asked in a playful tone, taking a step closer to him.

“You’re deflecting”, he remarked, following her lead and leaning closer.

“There is nothing going on”. She finished her drink, eyes not leaving his. “Let’s go back to dancing”, she said.

Fives chuckled and shook his head slightly. He downed the remainder of his drink before grabbing her hand and guiding her to the dancefloor. Lexie wasted no time wrapping her arms around his neck, while he placed his hands on her waist. She felt his fingers slip through the holes of her crochet blouse, slowly caressing the skin underneath. The touch sent a shiver up her back and she pressed herself closer to his chest.

For the next couple of hours, Lexie danced, needing to forget about everything, only stopping every now and then in order to do more shots. She got Echo, Kix and Jesse back onto the dancefloor after dancing exclusively with Fives for four songs, and the group danced and jumped around to the music together, until Kix left with the Chalactan woman that had rejected Jesse earlier that evening. Hardcase had long gone home with the Mirialan he had been dancing with, leaving Lexie with only Fives, Echo and Jesse.

She’d steal glances towards the platform of the first floor from time to time, catching Rex looking at her on a few occasions. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking and it was really frustrating her. She watched as he and Cody left after a while, before Echo and Jesse decided to also call it a night, leaving her with just Fives. But she didn’t mind, she wanted to keep dancing with him and the feeling was reciprocated.

A song they both liked started playing and the two of them began singing along to the lyrics. I just want you to make a move/So slow down, sit down, it's new. Lexie took a step back and Fives grabbed her right hand, twirling her to the music. She let out a genuine laugh. She lifted her right hand, hooking her fingers under his chestplate at the base of his neck, and pulling him closer to her as she continued singing the lyrics of the song. You just told me, want me to fuck you/Baby, I will 'cause I really want to.

Fives’ eyes darkened and he turned her around, Lexie’s back now pressed on the hard plastoid of his chestplate. His hands came to rest on her hips, his grip strong, and she placed her right hand over his. She brought her left hand to the back of his head, gently pushing it down closer to her face.

“Wanna get out of here, mesh’la?”, Fives said in her ear, his lips grazing the skin as he spoke.

The song ended and Lexie stepped away from him, her heart thumping in her chest. All the alcohol she’d had tonight was starting to make Gemma’s suggestion sound like a really good idea. She’d not had sex in months and Fives was hot, and right there, and he wanted her, she could sense it. Without much thought she took his hand and pulled him towards the exit.

Back at the base, Fives walked Lexie back to her room. Despite all their flirting tonight, he didn’t actually believe anything would come of it. He did like her, he considered her a good friend and found it very enjoyable when they flirted or when they danced together, but she was a Jedi, he respected her and did not expect anything just because of some suggestive conversations they’d engaged in.

Once they got to her private room, Lexie opened the door and took a step in, turning to look at Fives who had stopped in the doorway. She took in his presence, his eye-catching new ARC trooper armor. Maker he looks good. He was leaning on the doorframe, his eyes, a little unfocused from the alcohol, roving down her body. Lexie felt a pressure building in her core. She shouldn’t do it, but the alcohol in her system had lowered all her inhibitions. Kriff it. She reached her hand, hooking her fingers around his belt and pulling him inside the room.

His hands were on her in an instant as he dove in to capture her lips in a hungry kiss. Lexie wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself close to him. Her left hand found itself in his hair, pulling gently at it, causing a low moan to escape from his lips into her mouth. The sound went straight to her core as she felt a tingle of pleasure sweeping over her body.

Fives deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking entrance in Lexie’s mouth, which she gladly welcomed. His right hand travelled down from its place on her hip and grabbed her ass, as he took a few steps, pushing Lexie into her desk.

Lexie broke free from the kiss just for a few seconds in order to swiftly take off her blouse, throwing it behind her on the desk. Fives’ left hand came up to cup her breast over her bandeau top, kneading at the soft flesh. His lips returned to hers, then moved slowly across her jaw and down the side of her neck.

One of his legs slotted itself in between hers, drawing out a moan from Lexie’s lips as the plastoid pressed against her core. She instinctively rolled her hips into it again, chasing more of that pleasurable feeling. She felt Fives grin against her skin. She needed this, she needed the release from all the tension of the past few months.

“Take the armor off”, Lexie whispered in his ear.

“Are you sure?”, he asked in between kissing her neck.

“Yes… If you want to”, she said.

“Hell yeah!”, he exclaimed.

He grabbed a hold of her hips and took a few steps back, pulling her after him, before turning and pushing her on the bed. He started to hurriedly unclasp the upper part of his armor, discarding the pieces on the floor. Lexie shifted in bed in order to take off her shorts. The sight of her in just the bandeau top and underwear was too much. Fives stopped what he was doing and lunged at her, taking off her top and exposing her breasts. He caged her in on the bed, towering over her as he started hungrily kissing and licking her stiff nipples, eliciting a few whimpers out of her at the delightful sensation of his warm tongue.

“You’re so kriffing hot, Lex”, he said, lifting his head and allowing his eyes to proudly trail over the marks he had sucked on her chest.

Fives took off his gloves so he could properly feel her soft skin. Lexie tugged at the top of his blacks, stopping his attention to her breasts for just a moment so that he could assist her in taking it off. His mouth returned to her chest, trailing kisses and leaving small bites down her abdomen, his goatee slightly scratching her skin. He planted a sloppy kiss on her clit through the fabric of her lacy underwear, before moving it to the side so that he could lick a long stripe along her folds. Lexie let out a breathless moan.

Fives raised his head from between her legs and looked at her with lust-filled eyes. “You taste so good, mesh’la. I want you to sit on my face”, he said in a low tone of voice.

Lexie liked that idea and eagerly nodded. Fives pulled her underwear down her legs before hooking an arm around her back, lifting her up, and moving to take her place laid on his back on the mattress. She straddled his chest and kissed his neck, before moving up and hovering just above his face. Fives’ hands grabbed her ass, hurriedly lowering her wet pussy to his mouth. His tongue tentatively licked up and down her folds, eliciting a gasp from Lexie as she tried to brace herself on the wall in front of her. He let out a low moan as his tongue started circling her clit, causing her thighs to slightly clench around his head.

Fives’ tongue dragged around and over her clit a few times before moving it to circle her entrance and slipping it inside her. Her hips started to slowly move as he fucked her with his tongue, a warm, tingling sensation gradually raising in her body, and she moved one of her hands to tangle it in his hair. As he felt her getting closer he replaced his tongue with one, then two of his fingers, moving his lips back to her clit. A few more movements of his fingers, accompanied by him sucking and licking at her clit and Lexie arched her back as the orgasm washed over her, prompting a sigh to escape from her lips and coating his face with her release.

She got off of his face, turning and leaning against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. Fives sat up, reached a hand to the back of her neck and pulled her lips into his, not giving her any respite. He was too worked up now, he needed more of her. Lexie moaned as she tasted herself on his lips, the fire inside her core reigniting. Her hands started exploring his chest, gliding over his toned muscles.

“You’re overdressed”, she breathed as her hands reached down and fumbled to unclasp his belt.

Fives chuckled and got up, quickly shedding his kama, the last of his armor and the lower part of his blacks. Lexie’s eyes went wide as she watched his hard cock spring free from the fabric. It was long and thick and she felt her core clench at the sight.

“Like what you see?”, he asked with a teasing grin.

“Very much”, she replied, meeting his eyes.

He got back on the bed and captured her mouth in another sloppy kiss. Lexie parted her lips, allowing his tongue to enter and twist around her own. One of his hands groped her breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers. His hands then moved to her waist and effortlessly turned her around. Lexie found herself on her hands and knees as Fives leaned over her and kissed the back of her neck.

He then shifted on the bed, moving behind her, and dragged the tip of his cock through her wet folds. Her breath hitched as she felt it catch at her entrance. Fives’ hands grabbed her hips as he slowly pressed himself inside of her. The stretch was a little painful at first, but the burning sensation was swiftly replaced by pleasure after he pulled out and slammed back into her a few time.

Lexie tightly shut her eyes, low moans escaping from her mouth. His pace grew quicker and his grip of her hips tightened. His unrelenting thrusts, paired with the haze of the alcohol were beginning to be too much, and Lexie lowered herself to her forearms. She burrowed her face into her pillow as Fives hit a spot deep inside of her that made cry out.

Fives wrapped her ponytail around his hand and pulled her head up from the pillow. “Oh no, mesh’la. I want to hear you scream”, he growled.

She followed his request and let out a loud moan that echoed through the room. Lexie started pushing back, meeting his punishing thrusts. Pressure was quickly building in her core and her walls clenched around his cock. Fives mumbled some curses under his breath and quickened the pace, his thrusts getting sloppy as he chased his release.

“Who knew you could be such a little slut?”, he said between grunts. Lexie’s walls clenched tighter around his cock at that remark. “Oh, you like that huh? You do, you like being called that. Well why don’t you act like a good little slut and cum all over my cock then, mesh’la?”, he continued in a low voice, pulling her ponytail harder.

A thought entered Lexie’s mind, one that she had been desperately trying to ignore. Rex had the same anatomy as Fives, this was exactly how he would feel inside of her. In this position, not being able to see the man who was fucking hard into her and only hearing the low grunts he would sometimes make, she could even pretend that it was the Captain behind her. That thought was the last thing she required. The pressure released and a wave of powerful bliss washed over her body. She let out a loud cry before her body melted into the mattress.

The sounds she made as she orgasmed were music to Fives’ ears. He only needed to thrust into her a couple more times before quickly pulling out and spilling his cum on her lower back. He fell to the side and rolled on his back as he tried to catch his breath. Lexie lowered her hips to the bed and turned her head to look at him. The strenuous activity they'd just engaged in had sobered them up a little, and, as they came down from their highs, realisation hit as to what they've done.

“Maker…”, Lexie groaned, hiding her face into her pillow.

Fives got up from the bed and went into the fresher, returning with a damp towel so that he could clean his release from Lexie’s back. She mumbled some thanks before Fives laid back on the bed, pulling her to his chest. They laid like that in silence for a few minutes, with him slowly stroking up and down her back, processing the turn of events that their night had taken.

“So… that was uhh…”, Fives started, sounding tired.

“A mistake?”, she continued.

“A really good one, though”, he offered with a chuckle.

Lexie let out a small laugh and brought a hand to her temples. “Ugh. I don’t even want to think about how many rules we just broke”.

“It sounded like you really enjoyed breaking them though”, he teased.

“Don’t get cocky. It was good, I’ll admit. But it can never happen again”, she said as sternly as she could, although the amusement was still clear in her voice.

“I know”, he assured her.

“And you cannot tell anyone. Please. I’m sure you’d love to brag that you managed to fuck the Jedi but-”

“Lex, come on”, he cut her off. “I wouldn’t speak about you like that”, he said, a little offended.

“I’m sorry. I…”, she said quietly.

“I actually care about you mesh’la, you’re one of my best friends. You do know that, right?”, Fives continued.

“I do now”, she replied half-jokingly.

Fives chuckled and shook his head before yawning. “And don’t worry. I wouldn’t have said anything anyway. Rex might actually kill me if he found out I slept with you”, he said, a trace of guilt present in his voice.

“Don’t exaggerate. Like, sure, he’d be disappointed you broke regulations, but I doubt he’d care that much”, Lexie said with a snort.

“It’s not because of regulations Lex, it’s because it’s you”, he replied weakly, half-asleep now.

“What do you mean?”, she asked, brows furrowing in confusion. There was no response. “Fives?”.

She tilted her head and saw that the ARC trooper had fallen asleep. She glanced at the digital clock on her desk. Maker it’s late. Lexie yawned, the alcohol catching up to her, and she settled more into his side. She could think more about it tomorrow but for now exhaustion was filling her mind and it pushed away the curious comment that Fives made.

[ghostymarni]

I had the HONOR of drawing Goldie, including her in my prompt <3

@jetii has me swooning for the captain every time she drops new chapters for Event Horizon

[blxkstar]

Come join the Rebellion against the empire!!!

I made a playlist for the Star Wars Rebellion! Please come check it out!

[questforgalas]

The Bad Batch and Rex Reuniting with Their Jedi Partner After Order 66

I go absolutely insane for Jedi x Clone relationships, and thinking about a Jedi reuniting with their clone after Order 66 gives me the ultimate rollercoaster of emotions so here ya go (wow it feels good to get the writing juices going again)

G/N reader. I made myself cry with all of these, you're welcome

You were a Jedi shadow who occasionally accompanied the Bad Batch on missions. You were with them on Kaller when Order 66 happened but you got away with Caleb. Once Caleb is safely away from the Empire, you make your next move to get any information you can, and the only contact you trust at the moment is located on Ord Mantell. Cid offers you asylum and a place to lay low while you figure our your next move

One day while you're trying your best to reverse the many health code violations in Cid's bar, you feel a presence in the force that hits you like a punch in the chest as 4 clones in black and red armor enter the parlor

Hunter calling your name as you leapt over the river haunted you since Kaller

Seeing him standing in front of your made you unable to breathe

He sensed you the moment he walked in, whether it was your scent or your heartbeat you weren't sure, but he turned his head to you slower than you've ever seen him move before

The small blonde girl next to him noticed him stare, and she followed his eyesight, spotting you across the bar. "Is that a friend?" she asked

He didn't answer, just took a step forward like in a trance, but stopped immediately when he saw your hand instinctively hover where you hid your lightsaber

Slowly he raised his hands like placating a cornered animal, "They didn't activate, sweetheart. You're safe with us. You're safe with me."

You sensed it in the force, the truth in his words

He resumed his slow walk to you, the Batch holding their breath behind him

When he was an arms length away, you jumped into his arms, wrapping yourself around him and nuzzling your face into his neck. You felt him squeeze his arms around your waist, finding the crook of your neck, taking all of you in

No tears were shed. Just relief - slow, long breaths you've held since Kaller leaving you both

You stayed that way, wrapped in each other's arms, nuzzling as close as you can get

"Alright, you four, follow me. Clearly, these two need a minute," you hear Cid say from the safety of Hunter's shoulder

Four pairs of feet shuffle past you, a soft pat on your shoulder gives a warm, brief greeting, Echo most likely, before you're both left basking in each other's warmth

"I've got you, sweetheart. We'll figure this out together," he whispers in your ear. You snuggle closer in response

Wrecker wasted no time shoving through the group as soon as he saw you standing on the other side of the bar, eyes wide with shock

"Maker, what're you do..."

He immediately halts when he sees your hand reach for your hip

Of course, the last time you saw him was Kaller, he should've known you'd be suspicious

"It's ok meshla, ours didn't activate. Our chips are defective. Tell them Tech, tell them they're defective." You watch as he looks back at Tech with pleading eyes, body practically vibrating with his need to hold you

Without moving your hand, you move your eyes to Tech's who gives you an affirming nod "He's telling the truth. Our inhibitor chips failed to activate, and we are currently deserters of the Empire"

You didn't hear that last part though as you rushed to Wrecker who met with you equal enthusiasm halfway across the parlor

You were only crushed into his chest for a second or two before he was peppering your face with kisses

You felt yourself freely laugh for the first time since Kaller, playfully shoving him back so you could take in his face

He cupped your cheeks with his big hands, bringing your eyes to meet his

"Maker, I thought I'd never see you again, meshla. I'm so glad you're home"

Home. He was home, and you had no plans to leave ever again

He didn't notice you at first, too caught up in trying to figure out who Cid is

He continued on with his brothers, convinced this was the place for the Jedi contact

While he continued bantering with Hunter and Wrecker, you caught the eyes of Tech which widened when he saw you, but he remained quiet for Echo to discover for himself. His reassuring nod though told you all you needed to feel safe

You waited for the group to stop arguing, but when you saw things hadn't changed and no end was in sight, you couldn't help but laugh

Your laugh, as brief as it was, stopped him short

His back was to you, frozen, and he didn't turn around at first

The rest of his brothers turned in your direction, and Hunter's eyes darted between the two of you, warm smile on his face

What you didn't see was Echo close his eyes, telling his mind to stop playing these cruel tricks on him like it had been since Kaller - hearing your laugh, your soft singing on the marauder while they traveled around

When he finally turned around towards the source of the sound, he dropped his helmet

You gradually make your way to him as he remained frozen on the spot

The rest of the Batch shuffle to make room so you can get to him

As you get closer, your smile slowly grows with each step, tears welling

His eyes never leave yours, remaining wide and unblinking as if you're a mirage that's going to disappear

Finally, you're a hands length away from him, and you slowly raise your hand to rest on his cheek

As soon as skin meets skin, he releases the breath he'd been holding, and leans into the touch, closing his eyes and relishing in it

You let out a happy sob at the sight, your Echo back with you

Faster than hyperspeed, he snakes his arms around you, crushing you into his chest

His hand holds you in place while his scomp rubs soothingly up and down your back

You're full crying now, burying your face in his neck, thanking the Maker for not making you lose him a second time

"Shhh meshla, I've got you. I'm here. I'll always be right here. I'm not losing you again"

You can thank his observation skills and need to take in every detail of a new environment in order to study it for him spotting you right away

You were a bright spot compared to the many health code violations hiding within the bar

You waited on the other side, making your own observations, ready to reach for your lightsaber if needed

"No need for that, darling. Our inhibitor chips did not activate. They appear to be defective, possibly due to our mutations, and we were able to escape the Empire. Hence, why we are here"

You ease at the information, walking to meet Tech in the middle of the parlor

When you're close enough, you see something gleaming in his eyes. Happiness? Pride?

"You don't seem surprised to see me" you say to him, reaching for his hand

"Statistically, once you made your escape from Hunter on Kaller, and knowing your capabilities, I knew it was improbable that you would fall victim to Order 66. Although, finding you in a less than reputable bar in the Outer Rim is certainly a surprise"

Oh Tech, your Tech. So matter of fact and to the point

His explanation makes you laugh and shake your head

Not able to wait any longer, you grab him and pull him towards you

He softly smiles down at you as he cups your chin, bringing your lips to his

"What's the probability of us being separated again?" you ask him without pulling apart

"Very low. 0% in fact" he says before softly kissing you again

You reunited with the boys on Ord Mantell and stuck around with them as they figured out the new galaxy. Once you all sprang Crosshair free of the Empire, you removed his chip, and you stayed by his side the whole time as you waited for him to wake up

Every form of meditation in the galaxy could not calm your nerves

Crosshair's chip was removed 2 days ago and he'd been unconscious ever since

You never left his bedside, only eating and drinking when Echo or Omega brought you food and water

You'd laid your head down to rest some time ago when you felt his hand stir, yours laying on top of it

You shot up, holding yourself still as you watched him wake - groaning as his eyes adjusted and he took in the room

Slowly, they made their way to you, and you both froze

Every cell in your body wanted to throw your arms around him, but you gave him time to take in his new reality

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes"

The laugh that came out turned into a sob as you squeezed his hand

You're patient, spending the next few hours working through his guilt, helping him voice his insecurities, his doubts, his self-hatred, ready to combat each negative notion that dares make itself known

Hours later, you're both sitting in his med bed, leaning against the wall with your head on his shoulder

He has his arm around you, rubbing circles along your arm

After months of explosive run ins and uncertain truths, you bask in the quiet between you both

Whenever the tears escape, he quietly wipes them away, shushing them with soft kisses in your hair

In the night, a quiet confession

"I fought it. Every time I raised my rifle or pistol at you, I fought it. I could feel myself hesitating, yelling at myself in my own head"

You squeeze him tighter to you, nothing to say but letting him know that no matter what he reveals, you only want him closer

He brings you into his lap, legs curled over his, tucking you into his neck

"Thank you for never giving up. Thank you for fighting for me, even when I wouldn't fight for myself"

He places a gentle kiss in your hair before he tucks you further into him, resting his head on yours, letting the peaceful night settle around you both

You were a Jedi shadow in love with a certain captain and who occasionally accompanied the Bad Batch on missions. You were with them on Kaller when Order 66 happened but you got away with Caleb. Once Caleb is safely away from the Empire, you make your next move to get as far away from the Empire as possible

the blaster hole in his pauldron makes me so emotional ok anyway

it would take awhile, weeks even months before the reunion would happen with both of you trying to lay low as long as possible

Rex had the advantage of the Empire thinking him dead, you weren't so lucky

You only used the force once after the events, after you found yourself safely heading towards the outer rim, to reach out and search for Rex's signature

Once you felt it and felt it hadn't changed, unlike the other clones you knew, you immediately cut yourself off from the force going into hiding

It broke your heart cutting yourself off from him, but you knew it wasn't safe for him to be near you - and you still had a lot of questions

Later, settled on a backwater planet far from the Empire's reach and with the galaxy continuing on, you risk a short connection with the force with one thing in mind

You feel him, faintly, but he's still there and he's still your Rex

Months later, one day when you check on him, his signature is the strongest it's been since the war

You're too curious and too lonely, you hold onto it, knowing what you're risking, but follow it through the forest and to the clearing a few kliks from where you've established home

A small, abandoned farm greets you. A ship waits not far from the homestead, and two figures stand just by the porch. He shares the face with millions and is all the way across the clearing, but you'd recognize him anywhere

He's with another clone, and softly you reach out with the force to check their signatures - both unchanged, both not filled with hate and confusion like so many of the other soldiers after the war

It only took two steps into the clearing before you saw him stiffen and whip his head in your direction.

Of course he could sense you without you even opening yourself up to him.

You keep walking. He doesn't take his eyes off of you

Suddenly, like his brain needed a minute to catch up, he breaks into a sprint to you, the clone left behind laughing as he watches the stoic captain appear to finally lose it

You don't see him approach you since tears blocked your vision as soon as you saw him start running

Half attempts to wipe the waterfalls from your cheeks are halted when your feet leave the ground and you're crushed into a hard chest, arms wrapping around you tighter than a force choke

Pulling back, you're both crying and laughing, not fully believing this is actually happening

You try to wipe the tears from his cheeks, he pushes the hair that's fallen in your face away

Words are being whispered, whatever can be kissed is kissed

Eventually, you both manage a deep breath, and Rex brings his forehead to yours

For the first time since the war ended, you feel a calm in the force you never thought possible again