#Captain Rex x original female character

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 20

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A/N: An update while on vacation? Sure why not. As always, thank you to the phenomenal @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading for me!

Chapter Rating: E (18+ minors skeedaddle)

Warnings: explicit sexual content (PiV sex, oral sex, cum eating, fingering), language

Word Count: 8.5k words

“That cake was AMAZING!”

“Wrecker, we’re all honestly surprised you tasted it at all with how fast you ate it,” Hunter teased.

“Yeah, I think you’ve scarred some of those service droids for life,” Senna joked.

“Did you see the one? Wrecker almost took his arm off!” Echo was laughing so hard tears were pricking at his eyes now, and Senna joined him, doubling over in the middle of the hall as they walked back to their rooms. Maybe it was the wine or just the relief of being safe with full bellies, but either way, the mood had lifted significantly among the group. Even Tech was smiling and engaging in conversation rather than ignoring everyone in favor of his datapad. 

Wrecker shrugged. “I was hungry, and they were in the way.”

“Perhaps you should keep in mind that they are also responsible for preparing your food, Wrecker. Threatening them may not be the best idea,” Tech pointed out, and even Rex snorted in amusement at that. 

“Was that a joke, Tech?” Senna teased. 

The goggled clone blinked at her, and Senna swore he was trying to stifle a grin. 

“Take it as you wish.” 

Their laughter echoed down the halls as they returned to the wing of the palace they were staying in, dying off as they all bid each other good night and returned to their rooms. 

“Try to get some sleep,” Echo murmured to Senna, and she shoved him, her face heating. He chuckled, moving off down the hall to his door. 

Rex leaned against the wall as she punched the unlock code into the keypad for their room. “What was that about?”

Senna shrugged, blowing her hair out of her face as the door slid open. “Just Echo saying good night.” 

She didn’t look at him, but she could hear his huff of a laugh, could practically feel his smirk as he slipped his hand into the small of her back, gently ushering her into the room. 

Senna strode to the center of the bedroom, suddenly nervous for reasons she couldn’t understand. She turned to watch Rex lock the door behind them before he met her eyes. The only sound was their breathing as they stared at one another, seemingly unsure of where to start, paralyzed by choice with nothing inhibiting either of them this time. 

Where do I even begin? There’s so much I want. 

And nothing will stop me from taking it. 

It was strange to think that Senna had been afraid of having this, having the person she’d wanted so desperately with all of her feelings reciprocated. The rest of the galaxy fell away outside of the door, and Senna’s entire universe shrank to the size of the bedroom with Rex at the center of it all. 

Fuck, I love him so much. 

Mercifully, Rex moved first, closing the gap between them with a measured patience that sent need coursing through Senna. He cradled her face, and she felt herself melt into his touch as he smiled down at her with darkening eyes. 

“I believe I made you a promise,” he rumbled. “And now I have all night to fulfill it.” 

Senna felt herself tremble with excitement as he leaned down to kiss her, working his lips gently against hers as his hands slid to her waist. It wasn’t until he slipped his hands under her shirt, his calloused palms grazing her skin that she finally felt some of her wits return to her, enough for her to not let him take the lead entirely. Her tongue grazed his bottom lip, and he groaned, permitting her entrance as his grip on her tightened. Senna allowed him to back her against a wall, letting out a small grunt when her shoulderblades bumped into the hard surface. Rex made no apology, instead slotting his knee in between her legs as he pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it somewhere to be forgotten. Senna ground against him desperately as her fingers dug into the back of his neck. She whined as his lips left hers, moving along her jawline to her neck. He left one mark, and then another, sucking bruises into her skin where her clothing would cover as his hands worked at her breastband, removing it as well and flinging it aside. 

His hands were immediately on her breasts, cradling them before tugging gently on her nipples just enough to make Senna gasp. She felt his mouth curl into a smile against her skin at her response, and for whatever reason, some of her competitive edge resurfaced. She pushed him back from her, relishing in his confusion before she spun him against the wall, effectively swapping places. 

“You are far too clothed,” she rasped, pulling at his shirt eagerly. Rex’s grin returned as he helped her slip the garment over his head. 

“Can’t have that now, can we?” he teased. 

“I think I made you some sort of promise too,” Senna whispered as she nipped at his collarbone, her fingers tracing the bandage on his chest. “If it’s not too much.” 

She felt Rex shudder slightly under her touch. “I don’t recall you promising anything.”

“Then let me refresh your memory,” she whispered directly into his ear, nipping at the lobe before she trailed kisses down his neck and chest, sinking to her knees in front of him. Rex inhaled sharply, and when she met his eyes, they were blown wide. 

“What is it?” she asked. 

“I… would you believe me if I told you I dreamed about this?” 

Her fingers found his belt, undoing the clasp as she kept her eyes on his. 

“Sounds like I’ve got a lot to live up to.” 

He cupped her chin, his thumb pushing against her lower lip as he frantically helped her undo his trousers with his other hand. 

“You’ve already exceeded it in every way, Sen.” 

She kissed the pad of his thumb, blushing under his gaze. Rex caught his lip between his teeth as she freed his cock, stroking it a few times. She adjusted such that the head grazed against her bare breasts, dragging her thumb over the head and spreading the precum leaking from the tip over the flushed skin. 

“I’ve dreamt of this too,” she whispered, pressing closer so that she could kiss Rex’s bare hip teasingly. His muscles flexed as he jerked towards her with a sharp inhale. “Wondered what you tasted like, how you’d feel against my tongue, what sounds you’d make.” She blew against the tip, and Rex whined. 

“Senna, please.”

She grinned wickedly. “I thought we had all night.”

Before Rex could retort, she wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock and sucked gently, savoring the taste and warmth of him as she flicked her tongue against any sensitive spot she could find. Rex’s head thunked against the wall as he unleashed a curse, his hand still gently cradling her face. Senna smiled, running her tongue along the bottom of his length, tracing the vein she could feel there. 

“Fuck,” Rex groaned. 

Slowly, Senna worked Rex further into her mouth, fighting against her gag reflex and the ache of her jaw as she took him deeper with each bob of her head, her fingers wrapped around the length she couldn’t yet reach. She’d never taken anyone as large as Rex in her mouth before, but the way he was sweating and moaning was addicting, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever tire of the sight of Rex, muscles flexing, jaw clenched, eyes locked on her as she allowed him deeper each pass. When her nose finally met the curls at the base of his cock, she swallowed, and Rex’s hands flew to her head as he gasped. 

“Maker alive, do that again. Oh gods, please do that again.” 

Every thought she’d have of taking her time flew from her mind as she heard his plea. She wanted to shatter Rex. 

Tears streamed from Senna’s eyes, but a thrill shot through her at seeing her lover doubled over, gasping and whining and begging for her. She obliged, fighting harder against her gag reflex, practically choking herself on him. Rex’s fingers tightened in her hair, but he didn’t hold her down or press her further. His control only made her want more. Senna pushed her face against Rex hard enough to pin him against the wall, and she drove his cock so far into her throat that she knew she’d be hoarse in the morning, but it was worth hearing Rex whimper and feel his control finally start to slip. 

“Sen, I don’t want-”

Senna released him with a gasp, panting as she pumped him quickly. Strings of saliva connected her lips to him still. 

“Rex, I want to taste it,” she rasped. “Please let me taste you. Give it to me.” 

He swore again as she took him to the back of her throat once more before she began to bob up and down, swallowing when she was able to. Her cunt was screaming for attention, and she slid a hand between her legs as her lips went numb around Rex’s length. She glanced up at him through watery eyes and almost came from the sight of him alone.

The captain was wrecked. Sweat slicked his skin as he did his best to focus on her through hooded lids. Broken curses and stuttered praises poured from between his lips as he watched her, and she relished in every second of it. His abdomen flexed in front of her eyes, and she felt his cock twitch against her tongue. She knew she was close to claiming her prize. 

“S-Sen, I-I…”

She wrapped her hand around him, twisting firmly as her knuckles followed her lips, her fingers growing slick with her own saliva. 

“Oh, f-fuck, Senna.”

Rex came hard, coating Senna’s tongue in warm stickiness. She swallowed everything he gave her, flicking her tongue over the tip of him to clean him off until he shuddered.

“S’too much,” he mumbled. “T-too much.” 

Rex leaned down and kissed her, sinking to the floor along with her, but never releasing his hold on her face as he practically pulled her into his lap, panting against her lips. She kissed him back fervently, grinding her soaked cunt against his thigh again, desperate for any friction. 

“That was… so fucking good,” Rex gasped. He pulled her against him, resting his forehead against hers as he fought to regain his breath. His fingers stroked her bare spine. “Was it ok?”

She giggled against his mouth. “It was perfect. I told you I wanted to taste you like that. From the source.” 

Rex’s eyes had darkened again. 

“Well, it’s only fair that I return the favor then.” 

With a strength and swiftness that drew a surprised whoop from Senna, Rex scooped her into his arms, nearly tackling her backwards onto the bed in three strides. His hand cradled her head as she fell against the mattress, panting as his mouth worked down her body, anticipation sending shivers down her spine. His fingers hooked into her trousers pulling them and her undergarments off in one swift tug. He kicked the rest of the way out of his pants, kneeling at the edge of the bed as his lips reached the inside of her thigh. In between panting breaths, he scooped under Senna’s ass, hauling her to the edge of the bed and pulling one leg over his shoulder. Senna shuddered as his breath hit her warm, wet cunt in a huff that almost felt like a sigh. 

“Beautiful,” he breathed. 

Senna’s skin broke out in goosebumps as he nuzzled the inside of her thigh, biting softly against the tender flesh until she whined. 

“Don’t tease,” she gasped. 

There wasn’t a single glimmer of mercy in Rex’s gaze as he looked up at Senna from between her spread legs. “I thought you said we had all night, love.” 

Senna couldn’t tear her eyes away from Rex as he stuck two fingers into his mouth, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he gently withdrew them, running them along the soaked lips of her cunt. She whimpered again, her fingers gripping the duvet hard enough to drain the blood from them. Rex smirked. 

“I’ve looked forward to this.” 

“Well I wouldn’t want you to deprive yourself any longer,” Senna gritted out, her brow furrowing as she tried to bite back another whimper. 

Rex grinned triumphantly before leaning down and licking into her. Senna’s back arched off the bed as his fingers slid into her, immediately finding the spongy place inside her and pressing against it. Rex’s other hand gripped her thigh, holding her firmly in place as his mouth explored her. Sometimes he removed his fingers, using them to instead apply pressure to her clit as his tongue prodded into her. Then, as her orgasm built, he’d swap back, leaving her huffing in frustration until he plunged his fingers back inside of her, sucking at her sensitive bundle of nerves. 

His mouth was heaven, and before long, Senna found herself grinding back up to meet his tongue. Rex relaxed his grip on her hip, groaning into her as she clenched around him. 

“You going to cum for me, pretty girl?” he mumbled into her folds. 

“P-please. Please let me, Rex.”

“I want to taste it.” 

He redoubled his effort until it felt like every nerve ending in Senna’s body was stretched taut, ready to snap. When she glanced down between her knees, electricity licked up her spine. Rex was stroking himself as he devoured her, his cock hardening again in his hand as he worshiped her on his knees. 

“Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease,” she begged. “Don’t stop. Right there.”

The wet smacking sound of Rex devouring her echoed between her pants and moans, and finally, Rex gave her what she wanted, snapping the tension as Senna came with a scream that poured out between her clenched teeth. She rode out the aftershocks, drifting through her haze until Rex’s damp lips pressed against hers once more. 

His knees were pressing hers further apart, and she wrapped her legs around him. 

“Tell me what you want, Senna,” he whispered against the shell of her ear. “I’ll give you anything.” 

This time, Senna had a response. “I want it all, Rex. Everything. I want you. I need you inside me.” She kissed him back, tasting her own release on his tongue. “I love you. Fuck I love you.” 

He rested his forehead against hers as his cock caught at her entrance. Calloused hands cradled her face as he pushed into her, slowly stretching her to accommodate him. 

“I love you, Senna. F-fuck. You feel so good. So good for me.”

Senna’s fingers wrapped around the back of Rex’s neck as she buried her face in his shoulder, sighing into his skin as he bottomed out inside of her. 

“All for you, Rex. All yours.” 

“And I’m yours.” 

Rex pulled her apart slowly, adjusting his hips and noting how Senna whined and writhed beneath him. She should have guessed he’d be meticulous, but his patience drove her wild. Desperation clouded her senses, and she couldn’t understand how he fucked her so methodically, so patiently, carefully crafting her orgasm while she clawed at his back. She came again, trying to muffle her screams in his shoulder, but Rex was having none of it. 

“I want to hear it all, Senna.” 

“B-but what about the others?”

“Door’s got a soundproof setting when locked,” he rasped. “I’m selfish. I want all of your sounds just for me.” 

That was all the encouragement Senna needed as Rex put his hands behind her knees, folding her in half and driving his cock back into her, bringing her another orgasm in a matter of minutes. She had no doubt he meant to make good on his promise as he moved her again, molding her malleable body to his liking. All of the possibilities that had overwhelmed her had also apparently been bouncing around in Rex’s mind, and he seemed intent on checking every box in one evening. He took her on her side with one leg hooked over his hip, he lifted her into his lap as though she weighed nothing, spearing her on his cock, and when she felt as though she couldn’t possibly orgasm again in this lifetime without spontaneously combusting, he rolled her onto her hands and knees, taking her from behind. 

Her cunt was swollen and she knew she’d feel sore in the morning, and her throat felt raw from crying out Rex’s name. Sweat slicked both of their skin, and the sheets stuck to them, damp from their bodies. Even still, she couldn’t get enough of him, and she wasn’t about to tell him to stop. 

“One more for me, Sen. I know you’ve got one more in you,” Rex grunted from behind her. 

“Rex… I…” Senna wasn’t even sure what plane of existence she lived on at this point, floating between bliss and some other world where ‘pleasure’ was an inadequate word to describe anything she felt. And yet, somehow, she felt the coil tightening in her gut again as Rex’s fingers dug into her hips, pulling her back into him. She felt her ass rippling with every thrust, a wet slapping sound coming from between her legs as Rex fucked her.

“You can,” he growled. “Touch yourself for me, pretty girl. You’ll give me one more.” 

Senna slowly adjusted, her body feeling gelatinous, but somehow she managed to prop herself up on one elbow, her fingers finding their way to her swollen clit, rubbing with a practiced pressure that immediately pushed her towards the edge. Her forehead stuck to the sheets, and suddenly, she felt Rex brush the hair off of her shoulder before his fingers gripped her, pulling her up against his chest with one of his arms draped across her collar bone, holding her up. 

“Look at how gorgeous you are,” he whispered into her ear, and Senna’s eyes fell on the mirror in one corner of the room. 

Her hair hung in loose waves, sticking to her sweaty body and Rex’s chest. One hand gently cradled her throat while the other tightly gripped her hip, guiding her along his length. Her breasts bounced with every snap of Rex’s hips, and she could see his cock disappearing inside of her with every thrust, his balls swinging forward to slap against her clit. But the thing that set her entire body ablaze was the way Rex was watching her in the mirror, his dark eyes focused on her face and expressions. He looked hungry, enamored, in charge and at her mercy all at the same time, as if he was taking everything he wanted but would submit at her word. 

His hand slipped from her hip, finding her clit and pressing with just the perfect amount of pressure, as if he’d been touching her like this all of his life. 

“Cum for me, Senna.” 

She nearly passed out, screaming as she soaked the sheets beneath them with her release. Rex’s arms held her up as the room around them disappeared around them in a haze, and she sagged against him, wrung out and undone in every way. 

“I’ve got you,” Rex gasped in her ear as he held her close. Gently, he lowered her down onto the pillows, leaning over her and brushing away the hair that was stuck to her face. Sweat trickled from his brow, but his expression was softer, more tender as he stared down at her. 

“Are you alright?” he asked. 

“No,” she replied. Rex’s brow furrowed with concern. 

Senna planted her palms against his chest, pushing him onto his back and clambering on top of him clumsily. 

“Your turn,” she gasped, pushing her hair back out of her face. 

Rex rested his hands on her thighs, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles. “Sen, you don’t have-”

“Shhh,” she insisted. “I want to.” She felt his cock twitch against her ass with interest. 

“Are you sure you’ve got the stamina for it?” he asked teasingly. 

She glared at him before angling her hips and sheathing him inside of her in one smooth motion, sitting up on his hips and grinding down until she felt him bottom out inside of her. Rex groaned, his grip on her tightening, and Senna huffed with victory. 

“Pretty sure,” she laughed, rocking her hips against Rex and enjoying the way his chest heaved beneath her fingertips. 

She teased him for a while, allowing herself to catch her breath as she slowly raised herself, letting the cool night air hit Rex’s slick cock before dropping herself back down to meet his hips, relishing in his grunts and groans of pleasure. Finally, when her head was a little clearer, she picked up the pace, bracing her hands against his shoulders as she rode him, finding pleasure when the head of his cock brushed the place inside her that had her seeing stars. 

“Senna.”

She hadn’t realized she’d closed her eyes, but snapped them back open to look down at Rex. His lips were parted slightly as he reached for her, cradling her face and running his thumb along her lower lip. She kissed it. 

“You’re so gorgeous,” he whispered, resting his other hand on her hip to slow her. Senna took her cue from him, whining when he began to meet her slow grinding with his hips. 

“C’mere.” He pulled her down so that their foreheads rested against one another. Senna braced herself on either side of his head, dropping to her elbows so that she could graze her nose against his. Her hair hung down, curtaining the two of them in together so that all she seemed able to focus on was his eyes, locked on hers. He groaned quietly into her mouth as he met her hips again. 

“Just like this,” he rasped. “I want to finish just like this. Looking at you like this.” 

“Ok,” was the only response she could muster. Her body felt heated again, burning under his touch but needing more of it. Her breasts rested against his chest as she pressed her lips against his, whimpering into his mouth. 

The room was quiet except for their soft gasps and whines and the rustling of the sheets, and something about the quiet intimacy of it all almost made Senna cry. 

“I love you,” Rex whispered, his voice slightly more strained. “I love you so much.” 

“I love you too, Rex.”

“I-I never… fuck… I never thought I-I’d feel like this… with anyone. B-but here you are. I never stood a chance.” 

She laughed quietly before he punctured it with another gasp when he began guiding her hips to grind himself deeper into her. It felt as though his cock was reaching something so deep inside of her, somewhere no one had ever touched, and Senna cried out.

“I want it all with you, Senna,” Rex continued. She’d never heard him talk like this, but fuck if it wasn’t unravelling everything in her. “I d-don’t ever want to be without you again. I wanted this for so long. So long. And I don’t think I can lose you. Ever.”

“Rex.” 

“Senna.” 

“Rex, I-I… I’m gonna-”

“I know. I know. Me too.” 

“Don’t stop.” 

“I won’t. I won’t ever stop.” 

Rex gasped, swearing as he came, and his grip on the back of her neck tightened. The warmth between her legs drew a stuttering, breathy cry from Senna as her orgasm met his. The two of them rode out their highs, sighing and panting into each other’s mouths until Rex eased Senna down on the pillow next to him. Her leg remained draped over his hip as he kissed her tenderly, cradling her face. 

Finally, Rex relented, laying back on the pillows and pulling the covers over the two of them. They lay facing each other, the sweat still glistening on their foreheads as their panting finally calmed to a normal rate of breathing. Senna traced her fingers along Rex’s neck and collarbone as she looked into his eyes. 

“Well, that was a pleasant upgrade from a cave floor,” she grinned.

Rex let out a deep breathy laugh, letting his fingers intertwine with hers. “I couldn’t agree more. And this bed is better than the one at the inn.”

“Yeah.”

They lay in silence for several more moments as Rex traced patterns on the skin of her hip and she shivered under his touch. Pulling the sheet up to cover her abdomen and chest, she scooted closer to him, resting her forehead against his as his hand drifted across her waist and pressed into the small of her back, pulling her closer.

“Did you mean what you said?” she whispered after a few moments. “About never being without me again?” 

She was glad he didn’t answer instantly, that he took a moment to think about it before smiling at her, stroking her cheek. 

“Yes. I do mean that.” 

Senna hesitated for a moment. 

“How do you think our story ends?” 

It was a question that had been sitting in the back of her mind ever since she’d first considered the possibility of being with Rex. What would their future look like? How would it all end? With the two of them married? With children? It seemed like they should be on the same page in terms of the end goal, but if she was honest, she had no idea what she hoped for. 

Happiness, I suppose.

“How do you want it to end?” Rex asked, rubbing his thumb along her lower lip to deter the nervous chewing she’d started.

Senna sighed. “I don’t know. I want to be happy.”

“Are you happy?”

“Of course. But there are many ways to be happy with someone that you love.” 

Rex laughed softly, letting the thought hang between them for a few moments. “Would…would you want to get married?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Senna met his eyes, her azure irises boring into him. It was something she’d considered of course, but hearing Rex say the words out loud only solidified her desire for it in her mind. She wanted to be bound to Rex in any way she could. Of course, it would take time to be sure. She wasn’t that impulsive. 

In fact, marriage wasn’t something she’d really thought of as a possibility for herself, even after the war. It seemed silly to consider that path when she was so focused on survival and keeping herself hidden. But then Rex had come along, and something about him had always made her certain it was a thing he’d desire if he was with the right person. When she’d first met him, she’d just never thought that she would be that person for him. 

Senna leaned into his touch and nodded. “Yes, I suppose I would. If that’s something you’d want as well when the time comes.”

Rex smiled widely, seemingly giddy in a way that Senna had never seen. “That is very much something I’d want after this is over.” He hesitated, suddenly appearing a bit nervous. “Although…I’m sorry I have no surname to give you.”

Senna giggled. “What makes you think I’d take your name anyway?”

Rex huffed before throwing an arm around her and squeezing her playfully, digging his nose into the spot near her collarbone that he’d clearly noted was ticklish. Senna wriggled in his arms until he finally released her, bumping his nose against hers. 

“Good point, I suppose.” He let his thumb run over her cheekbone, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I…I’d have no issue taking yours. I kind of like the name ‘Aven’.”

Senna’s smile faltered slightly. “I don’t think I’d want to keep that name. I’m no longer that person anymore. In my mind, Senna Aven didn’t survive Order 66. I mean, I did, but-” 

“I understand,” Rex tried to reassure her. 

“It’s just…” The words escaped Senna, and that frustrated her. Her teeth dug into her lip once more, and again, he soothed her nerves again with his thumb, trying to keep her from bloodying her own lip with her nerves. 

“If you don’t stop doing that, I’m not going to have anything left to kiss.”

She smiled. “Sorry. It’s a habit when I’m thinking.”

“When are you not thinking?”

She huffed and rolled her eyes, but couldn’t muster any argument. Instead, she let her hand drift to his hip as she met his eyes. 

“What if…what if we chose our own surname? Something that was meaningful to us and kind of symbolic of us starting over? A new beginning.”

Senna could see him thinking the suggestion over. 

“I chose my own name when I was a cadet,” he said slowly. “So in a sense, it’s a family tradition, I suppose. But this seems so much more important than picking ‘Rex’. It’s something I’d share with you.” He met her gaze. “The person I love.”

She watched him quietly as he thought for a few moments, and then his eyes widened slightly. Rex intertwined his fingers with hers as his tongue darted out to wet his lips. 

“There’s a word in Mando’a, atiniir. It means ‘to endure’ or ‘to tough it out.’ It’s a word I heard the trainers use when I was a cadet, and I think that kind of describes the both of us.”

Senna turned the word over on her tongue, considering it. 

Atiniir. 

Endurance was definitely a word that felt right for her and Rex. They’d endured the war, the aftermath, hell even each other before they’d fallen in love. After a few moments, she grinned at him. 

“We don’t have to decide now. It was just a thought,” Rex said, suddenly nervous. 

Senna smiled at him, and the worried pinch between his brows vanished. “Well, then I wouldn’t have to worry about changing my initials,” she joked. Leaning more into him, she captured his lips in a kiss, and he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her to him. Parting her lips from his, she rested her forehead against his. 

“If we last long enough to get married, I’d be honored to share that name with you, Rex. I love it.”

Rex smiled, stroking her cheek as he held her close to him. 

“And I love you,” he murmured softly.

—

The following morning, Rex awoke to an empty bed, but this time, everything felt decidedly different from Lothal. Senna had gotten up an hour ago, trying to not wake him. He’d felt her watching him sleep for a few moments before she leaned down and kissed him, and after all of her effort to let him sleep, he figured it would only be rude to let her know he was awake. After the main door had hissed shut behind her, he’d managed to drop back off for a little while, dreaming of the night before, of her smile, her laugh, and the way she looked wrapped around him. But now, the dreams were no longer enough, and he was ready to track her back down and feel her in his arms for real. 

Rolling over and opening his eyes, he immediately noticed a metallic glint on the pillow next to him. Rex picked it up, turning it over in his hands and examining it. It was a piece of metallic tubing a few centimeters in length that had been bent at a right angle. It had a small nozzle on either end and in the middle of the bent line, two spacers seated along the tubing that spun as he turned the piece over in his hands. He could see that they’d fused together, which he assumed wasn’t good, but beyond that, he wasn’t sure what the hardware was for. 

What’s she playing at? he thought, his mouth curving into a grin despite his confusion. 

Rex dressed quickly with some clothes he found in the room’s wardrobe that seemed to be the right fit, slipping the piece of metal into his pocket before stepping out into the hallway. He stood still for a minute, straining his ears to catch any clue of where Senna might have gone. After a few moments, he was rewarded with the sound of quick footsteps and a familiar grunt from further down the hall, and he strode off towards the source of the noise.

After wandering through a few corridors, he came upon a wide open room with massive archways that opened to the outside. A cool morning breeze was blowing, whistling slightly through the archways and tugging at the corners of Rex’s shirt. The room appeared to be some sort of training center, with targets at one end of the room, weight training equipment at the other, and in the wide open space in the middle was Senna, her lightsaber humming as she parried an invisible opponent. The cerulean sleeveless tunic she wore rippled like water as she spun, and Rex could see the back of it was soaked with sweat. Her hair was tied back in a long braid that whipped back and forth as she turned on her heel and struck another blow at her imaginary assailant. She grunted and yelled as she attacked, and he realized that was the sound that he’d been hearing from down the hall as she moved through the same sequence again. Rex leaned against the edge of the archway, watching her until a quiet voice next to him made him jump.

“Seems like she’s getting her stuff back,” Echo whispered. “Or at least she’s certainly trying to.”

Rex glanced sideways. Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech stood behind Echo, Wrecker munching on some kind of bun he’d likely gotten from the kitchens. The clones were out of their armor and wearing lightweight clothing clearly meant for them to work out in.

“I think that encounter with the Inquisitor shook her up a bit. It’s been a while since she was challenged on that level, and trust me, she hates to lose,” Rex said under his breath.

“She didn’t lose though. She survived,” Echo replied.

Rex smirked. “She won’t see it that way.” He glanced back at Senna. “I’m not sure her using that lightsaber out in the open is a good idea though.”

“Organa’s aide assured us no one would come down to this part of the castle,” Hunter replied. “We were feeling antsy and were assured this would be a safe place to blow off some steam.” 

“Are you all going to stand there like mynocks on a power cable, or are you going to come over here and make yourselves useful?” Senna called from the middle of the room, her back to them.

Rex snorted and Echo rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as they all stepped further into the room. Senna finally turned to face them, the tiny wisps of hair that had come loose from her braid sticking to her face and neck. She smiled at Rex, her eyes roving over him. He realized it was the most well-rested she’d looked in a long time despite the hours they’d spent wrapped around one another the night before. The sudden image of her on her knees in front of him invaded his mind, and his cock threatened to noticeably stiffen in his pants. He tried to subtly adjust himself, but Senna’s sharp blue eyes flicked down to where his hands were trying to hide an erection, and her lips curled into a mischievous grin. 

“Something on your mind, Captain?” she asked under her breath, bumping her shoulder against his.

“Oh, just the fact that you seem to be walking just fine,” he murmured into her ear. 

She winked at him. “I suppose I am, even if I am a bit sore. Voice is definitely hoarse if that’s any consolation.” 

He smirked at her. “Guess I’ve got more work to do.”

“If you’re up for it,” she teased. Turning to the rest of them, she raised an eyebrow. “Anyone wanna spar with me? I could use the practice instead of shadow boxing.”

“Only if you put the lightsaber away. Otherwise it won’t be much of a fair fight,” Hunter joked, walking over to grab two of the wooden staffs that were leaning against some of the weight equipment. Stepping forward, he tossed her one and she caught it above her head, giving it a few experimental spins to test its balance.

“Deal,” she said, a sly grin spreading across her face as she deactivated her blade, clipping her hilt to her belt. Rex and Echo took a seat against the nearest wall while Tech stood at the edge of the padded flooring and Wrecker sat on a weight bench. Senna squared her feet, taking a ready stance as Hunter let the staff dangle at his side, stalking around her confidently.

Rex leaned over to whisper to Echo. “Care to make this interesting?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I’m betting he doesn’t land a hit on her.”

Echo shot him a skeptical look. “Not a one? I think that’s a little overconfident. It is Hunter, and you know how competitive he can get.”

Rex nodded. “Twenty credits?”

“You’re on.”

Just then, Hunter lunged at Senna. She easily sidestepped him, and his swing flew by her. The sergeant tried to redirect his momentum, swinging the staff backhanded towards his target, and again, Senna lightly stepped back and out of the way.

Rex raised an eyebrow at Echo. “Still feeling good about that bet?”

Echo grinned. “He’s got time. He’s testing the water still to see what she’ll do. I’ve got faith in him.”

Hunter was walking slowly around Senna again, and a smirk was tugging at her lips. She squared her feet once more as Hunter stalked behind her. Her eyes drifted over her shoulder, and she swung her hips to the left just as he stabbed at her midriff, releasing her staff with her right hand to wrap her fingers around his wrist and pull him towards her. Hunter stumbled, off balance as she spun him and stepped forward, knocking him on the floor. His weapon clattered away from him as Senna knelt on top of him, pressing her staff to his throat. 

“Got ya,” she teased, tongue poking between her teeth.

Hunter’s face was blank for a moment before the confident glint returned to his eyes. Shifting his weight, he bucked his hips upward, knocking Senna forward. She flipped over the top of him and onto her back as Hunter whirled away from her to grab his staff. Kicking herself back up into a crouched position, Senna brandished her weapon outwards. 

“Is that all you’ve got?” she mocked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not even close, sweetheart,” Hunter rumbled, and he charged forward. His footwork was no longer sloppy and he had adapted to her parries as he pressed her. She retreated backwards, blocking his blows as he continued his advance.

“See, now he’s got her figured out,” Echo whispered. “He’s matching her footwork and fighting style.”

“We’ll see,” Rex said.

They watched as Senna and Hunter sparred, dancing around one another and testing the other’s reactions. Echo was right; Hunter had adjusted, but Senna still had one or two tricks up her sleeves. She was more focused than Rex had ever seen her, more determined. 

“She knows this is just practice, right?” Echo asked after a few minutes. 

Rex glanced at him. “I told you she doesn’t like losing.”

“Is that all this is?” 

“What do you mean?”

Echo leaned closer, lowering his voice. “It seems like there’s something else here. Not just a friendly competition. I don’t know that Senna’s just fighting Hunter right now.” 

Rex sighed. “The Inquisitor caught her off guard.” His mind drifted back to how frustrated she’d been the night Fisk had tried to assault her, anger crackling in his chest despite the months that separated him from that moment. “And she doesn’t like it when… when someone gets the drop on her.” 

“Who else then?” Echo pressed, sensing Rex was holding something back. 

“An Imperial named Fisk. He was on Lothal. She underestimated what he was capable of. And she almost paid dearly for it.” 

He could tell Echo knew him well enough to pull the pieces together, and he saw a similar anger flare in the eyes they shared. His brother’s jaw clenched as he sat back, watching Senna with a very different expression. 

“I’m surprised you let him live.”

“Oh, if I had it my way, he’d be at the bottom of the darkest hole I could find,” Rex gritted out, his fist clenching reflexively. “But she insisted the mission came first.”

“Damn her sensibility,” Echo joked mirthlessly. 

“Yeah,” Rex agreed. “She’s very protective of me. Perhaps too much so. She was willing… to do far too much to keep me safe.” He picked at a cuticle on his index finger. “She almost wouldn’t be with me because she was afraid it would put me in danger.”

“Danger has a way of finding you, Rex,” Echo chuckled.

“That’s what I told her.” 

They fell silent for a few more moments, letting the clacking of Senna and Hunter’s staff echo around the room.  

“I’m glad she wasn’t harmed,” Echo said quietly. “And I’m also glad someone is looking out for you.” 

Before Rex could respond, a frustrated growl from Senna drew his attention back to the sparring session in front of him. Hunter was still pressing Senna towards the edge of the mat when she suddenly dropped to her knees, rotating back behind him. From her kneeling position, Senna went to hit Hunter in the back, but he leapt into the air in a backflip, striking at her as he passed overhead. She reached up and grappled his wrist again, shoving him back farther than he’d anticipated for his landing, forcing him to tuck and roll upon impact. Spinning on her knees to a standing position, Senna advanced. Hunter was still kneeling as she struck at him, the wood cracking together loudly in the quiet of the room. The sergeant was desperately trying to get back to his feet, but Senna’s relentless flurry of blows kept him off balance until finally, he stabbed at her out of desperation and she dodged it, bringing her arm down to lock his sword arm in place while she brought her staff to his throat again and pressed forward, trapping his kneeling leg underneath him. There was no escape this time, and Hunter grinned as he dropped his staff and raised his other hand in surrender. 

“You got me.”

Echo sighed as he fished around in one of his belt pouches before slipping the credits into Rex’s outstretched hand.

“I saw that,” Senna called over her shoulder as she helped Hunter up. “It wasn’t really a fair fight though. I’m going to bet that style of combat isn’t in the training manuals on Kamino.”

“You would be correct,” Tech said from where he’d been standing. “However, some of us did take it upon ourselves to learn the skill.” Setting his datapad on the ground near the wall, he walked over and picked up a staff, twirling it lightly with his wrist.

“You, Tech? Really?” Hunter asked.

“Yes. Why is that shocking?”

“I guess…you know what, nevermind. It’s not. Have at her.” He walked over to slump against the wall and slid down into a seated position next to Rex, wiping his face on the edge of his shirt. “She’s something else.”

Rex bit back a proud grin, some of the tension leaving him as he caught Senna’s eye. “Indeed, she is.”

Tech mirrored Senna with his stance, tucking one hand behind his back as he brandished the staff in front of him. The two slowly circled each other until Senna feinted left, testing Tech’s response. He seemed unphased as he sidestepped her, maintaining his balance and parrying her test strike. Stepping back, he resumed his defensive position, waiting for her next move. She imitated Hunter, stalking around him with her staff hanging at her hip. Tech maintained his defensive position, waiting for her attack. This time, Senna raced towards him, leaping into the air and swiping at Tech’s off shoulder as she flew over him. Tech dropped to his knees, rolling away from her slash and spinning to face her as she landed. Their battle went on for several minutes as they tested each other, Senna poking and prodding at Tech’s defenses and Tech managing to block every blow. Finally, Senna went for a feint and then charged Tech, swinging as he parried her attack. She continued to press forward until Tech suddenly dropped low, kicking her legs out from under her. Senna let out a surprised curse as Tech changed his momentum, stepping forward to grasp her sword arm as she toppled to the ground. He locked his staff with hers, twisting it so she was disarmed and the wooden rod flew across the mat. Holding her arm to his chest, he knelt on her ribs, panting. 

“I do believe I win,” he said evenly. His expression was neutral, but his eyes were glinting triumphantly behind his lenses.

Rex chuckled to himself. 

Oh, she’s going to hate that.

Sure enough, Senna’s hand that Tech had captured by the wrist twitched, and his goggles wiggled on his nose as she tugged at them with the Force. 

“Don’t you dare,” he warned, standing up and releasing her.

“Oh, come on, just a bit of fun,” she teased as he helped her up. To Rex’s surprise, she gave him a light, playful shove. “Well fought, Legs.”

Echo glanced at Rex. “Does she take instruction?”

“At your own risk,” Rex replied. 

“Yeah, well I want her to be prepared too. For Inquisitors or the next sleamo she encounters,” Echo muttered, pushing himself to his feet. “Would you like to know what you did wrong?” he called out.

Senna turned, cocking an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. “I am a strategist. It’s what I do.”

Her face split into a wide smile, and she bowed dramatically. “Enlighten me then, Corporal.”

Echo stepped out onto the mat, his spine straightening and his scomp arm drifting behind his back while he gesticulated with his biological limb. Rex had to fight back a laugh at how serious his little brother became.

If only Fives could see him now. He’d have teased him relentlessly.  

“You shifted your weight too early and got too close to him,” Echo told Senna, who to her credit, was listening attentively. “He’d clearly been waiting on you to do that the entire time, but you just hadn’t gotten overly eager until that last point. Also, you have a tell for when you’re going to step within proximity. It’s slight, but you shift your weight to push off your left foot more so than your right, and you lean your hip outwards.”

“Giving away all my secrets, Echo?” Tech joked dryly, wiping sweat from his brow on his sleeve. “He is correct though. That was exactly my strategy.”

Senna nodded. “Let’s go again then.”

Rex smiled to himself. 

Atta girl.

—

Senna and Tech went for another half an hour before she bested him, and in another hour, she was beating him consistently. At that point, the clones switched things up, having her fight Tech and Hunter at the same time, and when she won those battles, they had Wrecker start chucking small sandbags at her during combat to just add one more thing to dodge. Echo and Rex gave feedback from the sidelines, providing minor corrections to make her less of a predictable fighter, and Senna took each bit of feedback in stride.

I won’t get surprised again. And it’s been a long time since I felt this… right.

Her blood roared in her ears and her muscles burned, but she loved it. She hadn’t sparred, really sparred since her time at the temple. She’d kept herself locked away for so long, and there was clearly rust there, but her progress was evident. Now, when she reached out, she could feel everything around her without having to strain. She wasn’t completely attuned yet, but what had been a struggle a few weeks ago now felt natural again. 

With time. It’ll come back with time. Just gotta be patient.

By the time the sun was starting to sink lower in the sky, Senna felt her stomach rumble, and called a halt to the combat. They were all drenched in sweat, and she could feel blisters starting to form on the bottoms of her feet, but she felt satisfied. Tossing Hunter the staff she’d been working with to be replaced on its rack, she strode up to Rex, wiping her face on her shirt.

He beamed at her. “Well done.”

The compliment made her face feel warm, and she was glad she was already flushed so he couldn’t see its effect. “Thanks. Still not sure I’m where I need to be.”

“But you’re in a better place than you were this morning,” he insisted. 

“I suppose,” she conceded. 

Reaching into his pocket, Rex pulled out the trinket she’d left on his pillow. “By the way, what is this? I found it on your side of the bed this morning.”

It had been a silly, spur-of-of-the-moment idea, and now it felt even more childish with Rex’s confused expression. Senna ducked her head bashfully, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Well, last time I left while you were sleeping, I don’t think I uuuuh made my feelings very clear. I know it was silly, but I wanted to leave something so you’d know I was thinking of you. In case you got worried.” 

Rex chuckled. “I wasn’t worried. But what is it?” 

Senna took the metal from him, turning it over in her palm. “When I mess up something during a build or repair, sometimes I keep the scrap. Don’t know why, but I kind of like having the mementos. This was a piece of fluid line from the speeder bike on Lothal.” She poked at the ruined metal. “I accidentally fused the two spacers together and messed up the tubing bend a bit, so I just kept it. It was in my pocket the night we had to leave.”

Rex took it back from her, turning it over in his hands with a look of newfound appreciation. He met her eyes. “You’re a bit odd, you know that?”

Senna tipped her head back and laughed at that. “You knew what you were getting into.”

“I did,” he confirmed with a grin. 

Slipping her arm around Rex’s waist, Senna turned to recommend they all go get food, but before she could utter a word, Bail Organa walked briskly into the room with his head aide and two guardsmen. Senna stiffened at his appearance. The senator was nervous and winded, as if he’d half-run here. Rex noticed too. She felt his hand rest protectively on her shoulder. Organa glanced around, clearly glad they were all in one place before he spoke. 

“I’m afraid we have a problem.”

Tag List: @redheadgirl @cyarbika @witchklng @djarrex @arctrooper69 @sleepingsun501 @ladytano420 @rexxdjarin @echos-girlfriend @zoeykallus @leftealeaf @galacticgraffiti @hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall @ariadnes-red-thread @goblininawig @merkitty49 @fives-lover @ladykatakuri @runforrestr @baba-fett @daimyosprincess @obihiddlenox @bucketbunny99 @fordo-kixed-rex @nerdika @amish---paradise @arctrooperechy

[rexxdjarin]

There’s a very important scene in unwritten that I’m planning where Rex brings Mari a really dangerous but rare and beautiful flower, a Felucian Glow Lily, when he returns from a long mission bc it’s symbolic blah blah blah and I’ve been wanting to find a way to draw it and well I did and it came out perfect and I love it so much🤭🥺

Them 🥺🥰

[metalheadfreak1]

The Air in my Lungs Chapter 14

My apologies for taking so long to update this chapter but it's here! Please enjoy! Leave a comment and I will see y'all in the next chapter!

MINORS DNI!!! STAY OUT THIS IS +18

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Congratulations on your milestone! If you are still doing this, can I request a jukebox roulette for Rex with a F! Reader or OC, with the song:

I'm so excited to see what you do with this!

Thank you so much @callsign-denmark !

You are such a sweetheart.

I listened to this song, and then the album and I just love this band! Thank you for introducing them to me!

Alright, so I hope you love my interpretation of this, it might not be what you were hoping for, but I tried.

Love oo

Glowing In The Dark

Warnings: Severe injury, tears, begging, pleading, declarations of love, realities of war, passing out from exhaustion, refusing to leave, surgery, symbiotic relationship, angst, hurt/comfort. I think that's it. If I miss anything please let me know.

Main Master List   | Star Wars Jukebox Roulette |   AO3 Link

The bruises, cuts, and pain that radiated on your face and body, was too much for Rex. He held your hand as you waited for a medic. The fighting had been especially brutal, and the med tent was inundated with casualties, some far worse than yours.  

Tears pricked his eyes as you lay there moaning in pain.

“You’re alright, cyar’ika. You’re going to be alright. Just hang in there. Please.”

He pressed a subtle kiss to the back of your hand, not that he really needed to be subtle, every single person part of the 501st knew you two were together. It was the worst kept secret, and frankly neither of you cared. 

He certainly didn’t, when you showed up in his life you were a light in the darkness. 

Not just figuratively, but also quite literally. You’d fallen into a bioluminescent pond and when you came upon Rex and General Skywalker, with your own elite Commando unit, he thought you were a glowing angel in the dark. 

It was thanks to your ethereal appearance, he survived that mission. The other side, thought you were a ghost, and scared them into dropping their weapons. 

You coughed, and groaned in pain, he squeezed your hand, “Cyar’ika, hang in there. Just think about what we’re going to do next shore leave. You promised me to take me… what was that again, oh right window shopping. Whatever that is. You said we’d spend the day together, relaxing and enjoying the day. So… you need to hold on so we can do that together.”

The warm liquid filling his eyes was getting to be too much, as he subtly brushed them away. 

“Remember the last time we were on Trip Zip, you convinced me to go to a poetry reading. I know I grumbled all night about it, but I’ll gladly suffer through another night of that if it means I get to sit beside you, holding your hand, feeling your body pressed against mine. So please hold on.”

There was a tear that slid down your cheek, as the pain was becoming unbearable. 

“MEDIC!” Rex called again, hoping someone was free. Where was Kix when he needed him!

“Rex…” you softly whispered.

He leaned in closer, “What is it, cyar’ika?”

“I … I …” you coughed again, “ I love … you.”

“I love you, too, but right now save your strength. Just stay awake for me, okay?”

Your head moved slowly, an almost imperceptible nod. 

“Do you remember our first night together? How hard you held on to me, never wanting to let me go? That’s how hard I need you to fight right now. I need you to keep awake, to stay here with me. Please, you’re my light in the dark. I can’t lose you.”

The usually stoic voice trembled out of his mouth. He didn’t want to lose it, he needed to stay strong for you.

With each passing minute and second, he felt his heart screaming more and more for you, begging for you to not leave him. To stay by his side, to always stay. 

“Baby …” his voice was barely above a whisper, the only person who could hear him was you, “don’t leave me. Please. I’ve learned to bear the loss of so many of my brothers, I’ve tried to be strong, to not let it get to me, but … please.” He pressed his forehead against your hand, “Please, I won’t make it if you leave me too.”

His body slowly moved closer, kneeling beside the stretcher you were on, “I’ve learned to bear their passing, the responsibility of their loss, of what it means to be Captain, and … I promise, I’ll bear everything else. I’ll do everything and anything, just please … please stay.”

Tears streamed down his cheek as he felt the grip that had been so strong moments slowly start to wane. 

“MEDIC!” He shouted again, praying this time that one of the medics were free. 

“Vod?” Kix ran over to the tent the minute he heard Rex’s voice, he’d just made it back from the front but as soon as he saw your face, the way your body slowly started to relax, he knew there was no time. 

Rex turned to look at his vod, tears trickling down his face as he clenched your hand against his chest, “Vod, I … I can’t see her glow… where’s her glow?”

“MEDIC TEAM ON ME!”

Within an instant you were lifted away from Rex and taken behind the surgical screen, Rex stayed kneeling on the ground in that very spot, afraid to move, afraid that if he did he’d lose his connection to you. 

Despite everyone trying to coax him to a seat, to rest, to get some food, he refused. He simply waited kneeling in that spot, his eyes closed the entire time you were in surgery.  It was almost six hours later when Kix and his team brought you back to him. You looked better, there was a slight glow to your skin. Despite the fact it had almost been a year since you fell into that bioluminescent pool, you still glowed in the dark. 

“Don’t worry she’ll be alright,” Kix pressed his hand against Rex’s shoulder, “took out quite a bit of shrapnel, fixed a few broken bones, and a perforated bowel, but she’ll be alright. Once we get them onboard the Resolute, she’ll be going straight into a bacta tank.”

Rex crumpled against the ground as soon as he knew you were safe, he was beyond exhausted from the stress and anxiety of almost losing you. Kix, simply smirked, shaking his head as they arranged for him to have a cot right beside you.

Main Master List   | Star Wars Jukebox Roulette |   AO3 Link

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[book-of-baba-fett]

Illicit Affairs - Chapter 22

Captain Rex x OC

Previous Chapter

Chapter Summary: In the final chapter, Talia reflects on how she's grown once receiving positive news from the war front that gives hope to the future.

Chapter Rating: M

Warnings: MAJOR angst, death, grief, alcohol,

A/N: Y'all it's finally here. More notes to come at the end, but thank you for your support in this wild ride. Firs though, a shoutout to @cyarbika for letting me use Kork in this fic, tbh defining how I view 79s, and for holding this plot in for what, a year now lol?? and the biggest love to @galacticgraffiti - you have been my guide for this entire fic, I wouldn't have made it here without your beta reads. ilysm 💜. also thanks for letting me borrow your OC, Eya!

Ao3 Link

Series Masterlist

21 BBY – Coruscant 

Talia had been in bars probably from too young an age; her early missions with her Master often brought them to the seedy corners of the galaxy in search of information. What she lacked was the experience of going out and enjoying a bar, and 79’s was a much different atmosphere than the bars she had been in before. When the doors opened, she was slammed by the bright lights, the loud music, and the thrum of relief and energetic comradery bouncing off every surface.

There were holoscreens illuminating half the walls, clones engaging in drinking games or other friendly bets, beautiful men and women dressed in revealing outfits in the hopes of finding a partner for a night. It was a lot for Talia to take in: the lights, the noise, the energy a near concussive assault on her senses. But once she settled in the booth with the men she had only known a short amount of time yet had already grown to care for so much, it all calmed down somewhat.

         Talia was surprised by how easily they welcomed her, but then again it had beenChurch’s insistence that had brought her out in the first place and Storm’s assurance that had swayed her. She didn’t want to be in the way, thinking that going out with the men she commanded would just burden their night off. But as she sat with them, and they tossed around jokes from the recent campaign, she saw it for what it was: a need to debrief and decompress after the stress. She felt honored that they included her, and even realized how much she needed something like this instead of going to the Temple or even hanging out with her civilian friends who just wouldn’t get it. Talia was still getting used to the title of General, still felt weirdly empty when her hands ran through her hair and she no longer felt her Padawan braid. So, it was nice to have a night where she didn’t have to think about any of it.

The downside to her inexperience in bars was she had no idea what to drink. She followed the boys lead and drank the awful free beer they were served, but decided she couldn’t stomach the stuff. When Storm noticed her displeasure he did her the favor of ordering her a gin and tonic, which he informed her was his usual drink. After she downed it and was already sporting a light buzz, she decided to treat her men to something a bit better than the standard beer, and ordered a round for all of them. She excused herself to a round of cheers, her cheeks warming in a flush from the alcohol. The bartender was more than happy to give her a recommendation for a better ale and recommended a cocktail for Talia to try.

        The feeling of being out of place inched back in as she patiently waited for her round of drinks, tapping her fingers on the counter and trying to blend into the crowd when she was bumped from the side.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry ma’am, the crowd pushed a lot more than-“ a clone’s voice sincerely apologized, only to cut off as Talia turned to see Captain Rex’s face darkening from a flush as he recognized the Jedi next to him. “Oh, General Riva! I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there. And I’m sorry again for knocking into you-“

Talia chuckled at his flustered words, but shook her head, “It’s ok, Captain. It’s crowded in here; I had to fight my way to the bar.”

Rex’s face relaxed at that, a small grin even toying at his lips, “Well, you could just use the Force to part the crowd, be more efficient.”

Talia snorted, then blushed from the embarrassing noise that had escaped her, but Rex didn’t seem to notice. “The men already seem intimidated by a Jedi being here, I don’t need to draw more attention to it.”

“That reminds me, I should probably make sure my boys are on best behavior tonight then,” Rex grumbled, tossing a look over his shoulder at a booth filled with clones in the 501st blue armor. Talia hadn’t worked with them enough to know all their names yet, but she recognized a few from a recent mission. They seemed to be having fun, or maybe having an argument by the way some of them were pointing and shouting at each other. Maybe a bit of both, Talia supposed.

“Don’t dampen their fun on my account,” Talia said, “We all need a break.”

Rex huffed out a laugh and nodded at that, “You can say that again. And you wouldn’t dampen their fun at all; in fact, I’m worried it would be the other way around.”

“What do you mean?” Talia asked confusedly.

“Oh, nothing,” Rex answered quickly, as if he had gotten too close to admitting something he didn’t want to say. “Just that...I think my men wouldn’t leave you alone, that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your night without them bothering you.”

“Oh, they wouldn’t bother me!” Talia insisted. “I liked working with you all on Taanab; Fives and Echo had me cracking up.”

Rex shrugged. “Echo can control himself, Fives on the other hand…”

“Oh yeah, he’s a flirt,” Talia cut in. Rex looked at her wide eyed then laughed. “You think I didn’t catch any of that? I can’t imagine what he’d be like with the influence of alcohol.”

“Again, why I hope they don’t bother you.” Rex muttered, once again casting a glance back at the booth, only to see some of the brothers, including the one in question, watching them at the bar.

Rex sighed and murmured something under his breath then glanced back at Talia. He straightened himself up, facing the bar again, “What are you drinking? Can I get you a round?”

“I already ordered,” Talia explained, nodding her head in the direction of the bartender,  “and I wouldn’t let you get me a drink anyway. In fact, I’m getting you one.”

Rex shook his head, “I can’t let you do that.”

“I insist. You serve under Anakin; I know you must be in dire need of alcohol,” Talia said.

Rex laughed again, still shaking his head, “I’m fine with just the Kork.”

“Wow, you are a horrible liar,” Talia observed, smirking as the Captain attempted to deny it. She wasn’t even using the Force, but after experiencing the stuff herself she assumed you had to lack taste buds to enjoy it. “I don’t see how you guys can swallow the stuff.”

“The fact that it’s free helps,” Rex admitted, “But really General; I’m fine.”

“Nonsense,” Talia waved off as the bartender came back around with Talia’s drinks. She glanced at Rex, ready to take his order when Talia cut in, “Could you get another one of these ales for the Captain? And put it on my tab?”

The bartender was off before Rex could argue, “Thank you, but you don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to,” Talia insisted. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Well, usually it’s the clone buying the girl a drink in here,” Rex offered, a slight smirk on his face. Talia’s face felt warm – a weird reaction, she thought.

“Guess you’ll just owe me a round the next time, Captain,” Talia replied. “I have to say it’s nice to see you on a night out, you seem a lot less... stressed.”

“In truth, this isn’t my usual thing. I was convinced to join,” Rex explained.

“Same here,” Talia added, “Sometimes, our men know what we need more than we ourselves do, I guess.”

“But we can’t admit that to them.” There was that smirk again. Talia tried to ignore the way it lit up his face, how it enhanced how handsome he was. It had to be the alcohol in her, making her warm and encouraging her eyes to linger on his face. 

“And for what it’s worth, it’s “You kind of have,” Talia said, earning a confused look from Rex. “Naboo? The Gala?”

“Oh well… I don’t think that’s fair to count because I didn’t know you were a Jedi.” Rex offered, his hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck. “And you weren’t exactly off duty.”

“Fair, fair,” Talia shrugged.  “But then I was much better dressed for a night out.”

“You look perfect,” Rex said it so simply but stopped himself suddenly, the skin on his neck and cheeks darkening slightly. Talia’s own cheeks burned once more, but she didn’t know what to say in return. Rex also seemed speechless at his own admission, and for a moment they lingered on it, silent but surrounded by the loud music and conversations echoing around them. Talia searched for a witty response, or even hoped some words of thanks would leave her tongue, but instead found herself horrendously lacking any reply. Not from embarrassment or discomfort, but almost because Rex’s words had caught her off guard. Talia felt she should say something to ease the blush creeping in on the Captain as he obviously seemed as surprised by the compliment he had paid her.  She supposed she could offer the same reply back, but felt lame and she didn’t even know why she was at a rare loss for words, but she didn’t get a chance to salvage her own lapse.

 “Captain!” They were interrupted as Fives pushed his way in beside Rex, wrapping his arm over Rex’s shoulder and admonishing his brother teasingly, “Stop flirting with Talia so we can get on with the game!”

Talia didn’t think it was possible, but Rex’s face darkened further as his jaw dropped. His eyes darted back to Talia as he sputtered out “I wasn’t-“

“Sure sure,” Fives waved off, his voice slurring a bit, “you’ll just deny it again. General, looking great as always, but I’m going to steal our captain for a bit.”

“Sorry for holding him up for so long,” Talia answered, her cheeks still aflame. She directed a small smile back at Rex, who looked torn between dying of embarrassment and like he had the temptation to kill his brother. “Have a fun night, hope to see more of you soon.”

“Thanks, you too, Talia,” Rex said as Fives dragged him off. Talia watched them go, her cheeks aching from the smile stuck on her face. It was weird, he had only ever referred to her as General. She liked the way her name sounded coming off his lips.

19 BBY – Coruscant

79’s hadn’t visibly changed much in the time since Talia had first walked through its doors, yet the way she knew it had evolved entirely. It wasn’t an unknown space; it was filled with memories. Its walls echoed with the joy of time spent away from war with friends who she would never forget, some who had grown to be like family… and Rex, who was so much more. Talia knew the workers, had collected bits and pieces of their lives through conversation and they felt as ingrained to the place as the clones who it was built for. As she walked in, Talia smiled in greeting at the large Nautolan bouncer, Eya.  Those who didn’t know them would see them as imposing from their size, the tattoos decorating their violet skin, the spikes protruding from their knuckles and the cybernetic eye that contrasted to the deep black of their organic one, but Talia recognized there was a strange, comforting softness underneath the façade. They were also friends with Storm, who Talia had come to 79’s with that night, and he stayed back to chat with Eya while Talia grabbed a booth, seeking a private space for the conversation she wanted to have. 

The 412th’s last campaign had been relatively easy work, but they had missed the battle on Coruscant, something that seemed to bother the men as they wanted the chance to defend the center of the Republic themselves, but sometimes other duties called first. They were granted leave as soon as the campaign had ended, and Talia felt relief when they approached the planet and she didn’t see much damage on the surface. Coruscant had been her home for as long as she could remember, the whole planet and the temple especially had always seemed so untouchable before the war. The bombing of the temple was a stark reminder of how war could always hit unexpectedly, and she was grateful the siege of the planet hadn’t lasted long.

As the Venator approached Coruscant, they received the news that was the cause for her and Storm’s meeting tonight. Master Kenobi had engaged Grievous in battle on the Utapau system. With Count Dooku dead, the Separatist leadership was fractured, and if Obi-Wan could defeat Grievous, they would crumble and the war would be over. It was strange to hope, considering how many times the General had evaded defeat before, but something felt different this time. He didn’t have Dooku to crawl back to for support, and Grievous didn’t garner the same level of following that the charismatic Sith had. Without Grievous and Dooku, there was no one to step in, no way the Separatists could still fight. 

In other news from the war front, Talia had received word from Rex. Ahsoka’s mission on Mandalore had been a success, and they had captured Maul. Talia had never been more afraid for Rex than she was when she heard what his mission was; Maul had haunted her dreams for too long. She had taken that as a warning that something would happen to Rex on Mandalore, fighting against the former Sith. It would have been too cruel for Talia to lose Rex to Maul, to someone who had caused so much pain and suffering for her already. Especially when they were finally at the cusp of victory, on the brink of what they were fighting for.

Things with Rex weren’t fully back to what they had been, but that was what they had agreed upon. They needed to focus, be on their best without the distraction that they brought to each other. But it was better than the weeks they had spent apart, trying to act as if the other didn’t exist. They still sent each other messages, updating with what was going on in their respective corners of the galaxy, chatting if they had a free moment but truth be told, those were rare to come by. It wasn’t much, and it left a craving for more, but it also gave a promise for what they could have when this was all over. Somehow, Talia knew they would come out of this stronger than they had been before, that Rex and she could build something new off the foundation they had. And it felt like the will of the Force was suddenly on their side, like something would finally move to end this war, to end all the pain that had been inflicted on the galaxy. But to Talia, it would be a new beginning.

Storm joined her, with two gin and tonics in hand, and slowly slid into the booth. They had come here together a few times one on one. Sometimes they said a lot, like in the early days of the war when they took time to learn more about each other in ways they couldn’t just by being in proximity commanding together. Other times, they sat in silence, too weighed down by exhaustion or grief to thread words together. Storm had even confided some of his personal life to Talia, some nice stories about a handsome Pantoran man he would see sometimes on shore leave. Talia had never been able to divulge the same level of information – until today.

“Everything alright, General?” Storm asked as he watched Talia staring thoughtfully across the table, her mind distracted as she tried to ignore the apprehensive twist of her gut.

“Everything’s fine,” Talia said in a half truth. “And how many times do I have to tell you, when I’m here you can call me Talia.”

“Just as many times as I’ll have to remind you: as long as you’re my general, that’s what I’ll call you,” he said as simply as always.

Talia’s gut twisted further, “That’s actually why I wanted to come here today.”

Storm nodded but didn’t probe. Storm wasn’t the type to pry or push people beyond what they were ready to talk about. But he could always tell when someone needed to talk or would be there if they asked. Talia took a sip of her drink and took a deep breath before addressing what she invited him here to say.

“I’m going to be leaving the Jedi Order,” Talia blurted out, a bit more bluntly than she would have liked, but it felt easier to expel the news rather than to linger on it. “This campaign was my last with the 412th, unless something goes wrong with Grievous on Utapau and we still have a war to fight, but I don’t see that happening; all the signs are saying this is about to end.”

Storm’s face was unreadable, but he nodded. “Does the Council know? Does Master Plo know?”

Talia’s gut twisted again at the mention of Plo’s name, in all her thoughts of how this would go, she still had a hard time picturing how her master’s master would react to her defecting from The Order. “I wanted you to know first, I felt like I owed you that after all we’ve been through together.”

Storm nodded once again, but this time, his demeanor shifted. He seemed less tense, like the meaning behind Talia’s words struck a chord with him in a sentimental way. There was also a flicker of mourning in him, or maybe it was just the echoes of Talia’s own feelings for him – how she would miss working with him. Storm settled back in the booth, his eyes meeting Talia’s again as the curve of a rare, teasing smile toyed on his lips.

“Does this have anything to do with a certain blond captain of the 501st?”

Talia’s jaw dropped as her cheeks burned – there was no way… ”How long have you known?”

“Had my suspicions for a while; I knew you had a crush on him,” Storm teased as Talia sat mortified. “And it was obvious he had a soft spot for you. Then I saw him sneak into your tent on Turia, and that confirmed it.”

Talia shook her head in disbelief, “But you never said anything-“

“What would I say? It’s not my business what you do in your personal life,” Storm said simply. “I figured if you wanted to tell me, you would. Which is what you’re doing now. So I assume I’m right then, you’re leaving the Order for him?”

“Yes, well, partially,” Talia admitted. “The truth is, the path of the Jedi isn’t one I see myself walking anymore. At least, not in the confines of the Order. I want more, I need more from my life. And Rex gives me that.”

 “What will you do? Without the Order?” Storm asked.

“I don’t know,” Talia answered, and for once those three words weren’t laced with fear or anxiety. They felt oddly freeing. “There’s so much out there. I could go to school, I could volunteer with shelters like the one we found on Turia. I could visit planets without having to fight a war on them. Hells, I could get a job here at 79’s if I felt like it. I could also just do nothing for a while. I’m not sure what I’ll wind up doing, but I feel like that’s a good thing.”

That seemed to be all Storm needed to hear, because he softly smiled at her in that reassuring way. “Then I’m happy for you, even if I’ll miss working with you, General.”

“I just said I’m leaving – you can say my name!” Talia laughed. Storm only shook his head.

“Technically you haven’t told the Council, so you haven’t relieved yourself of duty. Therefore, you’re still my General.” Storm took a sip of his drink, his eyes flashing as he teased.

“You have to be so literal?” Talia rolled her eyes but still giggled.

“Rex knows if he ever hurts you, he’s a dead man, right?” Storm said seriously, though a crack of a smirk lingered on his lips as he continued, “Though I guess I should give you a similar threat since he is my brother.”

“I can bet a few members of the 501st will beat you to it, maybe even Commander Cody,” Talia shrugged, earning a chuckle from Storm.

The doors to 79’s slid open, and a group of shock troopers marched in, heavily armed. Talia frowned; she didn’t recognize the patterns on their armor as being any of the Corrie Guard members she knew. She glanced a curious glance at Storm, and saw her look of inquisitiveness mirrored in his face. 

She began to ask him what he thought was going on, when a sharp pain pierced her head.

It was an ache that seemed to shake her entire body, drenching her in a cold sweat. Images flashed in her mind of barrages of blaster fire, flashes of clone armor, piercing blue lightning, a Jedi fighter falling from the sky, and a menacing laughter mixed with cries of pain. She couldn’t focus on any of it, feeling too much and nothing all at once. She was vaguely aware of Storm attempting to check on her, his voice muffled by the others that echoed in her head crying out. A comm was going off, its shrill beep adding to the pain in her head. Every hair on her body stood on end, she was overwhelmed by the cold that had seeped into her, chilling her straight to the bone. She couldn’t make out anything, her visions were too blurred, but through all the chaos she could tell something was horribly wrong.She had to push through it, numb the visions and try and warn Storm that something had happened, even though she couldn’t make sense of it. Catching her breath, she looked up to Storm to explain what she had felt.

All she saw was his blaster pointed at her.

It was a beautiful night on Naboo, with the stars shining brightly over the navy sky. The full moon cast a glow over the gorge their spaceship was hidden in, its light reflecting over the river as it flowed through. Rex could see the outline of the palace in the distance, illuminated by lights in its windows and balconies, a symbol of the culture and beauty of the planet. It didn’t seem right that a place of such beauty was the setting for such mourning.

Everything seemed to be in a haze still. Rex couldn’t easily place how much time had passed in Galactic Standard time since the Order. Nothing felt real as he tried to process all that had happened, all that had changed. He never would have thought it possible that the Republic would fall, yet it happened in a matter of minutes with work completed by his own men. He still had blood and dirt caked on his armor from burying his brothers on the moon. He still winced when he moved from the shots that had hit him in his escape, his head still ached in the spot his chip had been removed. The chip that had been a part of him since he was created, the one Fives had discovered, exposed and tried to warn them about but instead was shot over. He had tried to look into it more after Fives died, but he could accomplish little without arousing suspicion. He knew Kix had his own questions too, then Kix disappeared. Rex should have questioned that more too, but he was too numb, too in denial over losing another brother. The idea of it all being connected was too much. Now he cursed himself for his own idiocy, seeing what should have been obvious. If Rex had pushed harder, if he had fought alongside Fives or continued the search after his death, would that have been enough to prevent this madness?

After their escape, finding out news while evading any attention had proved difficult. They knew the fighter they had would be flagged at any Imperial  controlled port, but they needed fuel and to confirm how widespread the Order was. Ahsoka had held on to some small semblance of hope that it wasn’t as bad as she feared, but Rex knew better than to hope. He knew what it was like, to lose control of his mind and identity at a simple phrase. He saw how it instantly changed the brothers he was with and he knew there was no chance any clone could fight it.  Once they had finally landed on some asteroid fueling station, the news was so much worse than they had feared.

Rex had never seen Ahsoka so broken as she was when they saw the news about Senator Amidala’s death. Ahsoka had been muted when they were burying the dead from the Venator, devoid of emotion in a stoicness that fit what Rex knew of the Jedi and how they dealt with grief. But when the report about Padmé played, it seemed to break the thread that had been holding Ahsoka together. She burst into tears, a wracking sob  shaking her entire body, and Rex knew it was more than just from her closeness with the Senator, for he knew that if Padmé didn’t survive, that meant Anakin was gone too.

The final blow was the news broadcast they caught of the Jedi Temple, with smoke billowing from its great towers as the reports broke about the Jedi’s treason. Ahsoka had to watch her old home burn, and Rex watched in muted terror, keeping himself together so it wouldn’t be worse for the kid, but the only thing on his mind was Talia and praying to things he didn’t believe in that she had somehow made it out. 

When Ahsoka asked if they could go to Naboo so she could see Padme’s funeral procession, he couldn’t find it in his heart to tell her no, even if every bit of reason in him was screaming that it could only be a bad choice. He cursed himself even more for letting her go alone, but as a clone he couldn’t blend in. So instead, he kept watch, left alone with his own thoughts as he tried to avoid glancing back up at the palace too often, because it reminded him of a night a lifetime ago, and the woman he met there.

Half the reason Rex was in such a haze was because his thoughts were filled with Talia. When he had been under control of the chip, he had not been Rex anymore - he was CT-7567. But there had been a small portion of his sense that tried to force its way through, a dull nagging in his head. He couldn’t make it out, it was like a rustle in the wind on the back of his mind.  Through the haze of trying to accomplish his mission, to follow the order to execute the Jedi, images of Talia kept entering his mind. The second he woke up after Ahsoka had removed his chip, and he realized the implications of what had happened, those images were brought to the forefront as he feared for Talia. But he couldn’t dwell on it then, he had to focus on surviving. But she was in the back of his mind the whole time, that fear plaguing him whether she was fighting in the same way he was that very moment. Or had it been quick, had she not even noticed before anything happened?

No, he couldn’t think like that. Rex shoved those thoughts deep inside him, because if he dwelt on them too long then the air was too thick and he wouldn’t think of anything else. He would think of the images of the Temple burning, of the Emperor’s speech about how all Jedi would be hunted down, and he would think about how all the messages Rex had tried to send her had gone unanswered.

Ahsoka’s figure appeared out of the darkness, slowly walking back towards Rex and the ship. She didn’t say anything, and he wouldn’t probe her and  ask about it. They had agreed it would be safer for the both of them if they separated soon, rather than risk attention by traveling together. Rex didn’t like thinking about the kid on her own in the Galaxy, but he already had plans in the works that he knew she didn’t want to be a part of and he didn’t blame her. She had fought enough. He had agreed to take her to Naboo, just to make sure she was OK on an Imperial controlled planet. He would drop her off after, but before he did, they had one more stop.

Waves crashing filled Rex’s ears, the thick smell of salt water lingering in his nose. It was hotter, more humid than when they had been here, something that would have been unbearable when they were stranded. In all honesty, at first it was hard to tell if this was the same island; Rex had charted the planet after they had been rescued, but its surface was littered with many similar atolls and sandbars that disappeared as they were covered by the tide. But as the fighter approached, Rex could see the shuttle still crashed on the shore, only in a further state of disrepair than what they had left.

Its durasteel floor creaked under Rex’s footsteps, the hull was weakened by rust and damaged from their original crash, plus the repeated bashing of waves. Barnacles and other traces of ocean life had left their mark in the shuttle, with a coat of sand and grime lingering over what was once a well-engineered shuttle in the Separatist army. Rex approached the cockpit, stopping as he examined the scorch marks still visible from when he had to cut the door open. The cockpit was in equal ruin to the rest of the shuttle, its controls long lifeless and stripped for the communicator they had made to call for help. He glanced at the wall where he and Talia had first kissed, where he had first lost control and plummeted headfirst into their reckless, beautiful, tragic love affair.

Rex exited the shuttle, trudging through the ankle-deep water back to shore. Ahsoka stood in the distance, giving Rex his moment. For what, he didn’t even know. He had avoided her gaze when they first arrived, and just like he didn’t probe her after the funeral, she asked no questions now. Rex supposed she had a feeling there was more to this visit than pure sentimentality, and he guessed a part of her had always known that his and Talia’s relationship went beyond a soldier and a general. 

The beach held no signs of the camp they had set up, it had been washed away by weather and the sea, no memory of what had been. As Rex stood alone, he wondered if he was the only person left in the galaxy who this insignificant spot held any memory for.

As his vision fogged, he wondered why he had bothered to come here, as if he was expecting Talia to be waiting along the shoreline, ready to meet him like they had promised the last time they were together. But that was a promise for a different outcome, a different galaxy. He had hoped being here he could somehow feel her presence, and know she was out there, but he felt more blind than he ever had in his life. And the words ran through his thoughts, words he didn’t want to think but were becoming more and more real by the minute.

Was she gone? Was Talia dead?

He didn’t know whether to scream or cry. He kicked the sand at his feet, a fruitless attempt to get out the rage and frustration festering in him. He fell to his knees, eyes locked on the horizon as he watched the sea, swallowing thickly as he failed to hold in the tears that cascaded down his cheeks. He had done well, holding it all in through everything, but coming to the one place he associated so heavily with Talia, where the memory of her took over his mind, broke him. Half of him wanted to take on Palpatine himself, to seek revenge for Talia, his brothers and all the Jedi. But then another part of him wanted it all to be over, for his fighting to be done. He had done enough of it, and what good had come of it?

Rex wiped his face, and breathed in and out, placing his palm on the ground and clenching his fist around the sand. He had come all this way, for what? To be with the ghosts of his past, of Fives, Jesse and Talia, all whose deaths could have been prevented had he been a stronger man?

He reached into his belt, dug in the pocket of his pouch and pulled out the thin silver chain with the coin-like pendant, his thumb gliding over the raised bumps and lines etched into it. In his hand was the last thing left of her, the only tangible proof that she had been real. Rex considered burying it in the sand, the only memorial that she would get. But he couldn’t find the strength to let it go.

 Should he wait? Spend the rest of his days on this beach, motionless as the galaxy spun on, just for the chance that she might arrive one day? Rex almost chuckled as he imagined how frustrated Talia would be at him if he did that, that she would roll her eyes and make a comment about his stubbornness. Then she would flash him that teasing smile, with that steely glint in her eye and say, “You can’t give up on me that easily, can you?”

The sound of the waves was rushing over him, a faint line of pink tinting the sky as the sun began to set. They had been so close to having it all, so close to finally starting a new life without the war and a hope for what they could really be without all the obstacles around them. Instead it was the end of everything. But as much as his muscles ached and urged him to rest and to grieve, that wasn’t in his nature. As Talia always liked to remind him, he was too stubborn for that. 

Rex collected himself and pushed up from the ground, clasping the chain around his neck; now it wouldn’t matter if anyone saw him wearing it. Sitting in his grief wouldn’t bring back the brothers he had lost, but he could do something for those still out there. And Talia…the harshness of reality had already settled in his mind, but he had to still fight for her, had to believe she was out there. She had survived more hells than anyone should, but he knew she had more fight in her. If anyone could have made it out, it was her. That’s what Rex told himself as he approached the fighter.  Rex still had some fight in him, and he would fight till the last breath to take back what the Empire had stolen from him.

--

Author's note - so how much do you hate me lol.

I know what you're probably thinking - 'wtf iris where's the rest of it' 'how dare you'' 'WHAT ABOUT THE MAUL SUBPLOT??" and to which I say - all will be answered in time. But I really wanted to thank you - because anyone reading this note is someone I basically owe my life to. When I was a kid, I used to write little flipbook pages and had a mini dream of being an author one day. That dream got kicked out of me quickly just through my own insecurities because I would try and write in middle school and hated every word. Then during covid, I was binge watching the clone wars and rebels and reading fic and thought "hey, what the hell why don't I give this a shot" and the ideas of Talia and Rex were the first I had, even before I was publishing any other fics. I posted other ones as a test, just to see if anyone would even bother to read and I was always so lucky from the beginning to have such fantastic support. Some of you have been here from the beginning, some have joined along the way, and you've all been so patient and understanding as I've dealt with blocks. It's cliche but I could not have finished it without having y'all around. I've cried reading some of your comments, and have been so touched when some of you have messaged talking about how much you've connected with Talia. She's so personal to me, I really have a part of my soul in her and I was terrfiied that people would hate her but the responses to her have been so positive and I can't express how much that means to me. I also got so much more love for Storm than I was expecting (but I guess I shouldn't be surprised because who doesn't love a good clone captain) but I also am so sorry to y'all. I won't leave y'all hanging long, in fact things have been in the works for awhile (in fact I was more hyperfixated on those things and that's why finishing this felt so long).

Taglist: @djarrex @justanothersadperson93 @paige6768 @saltywintersoldat @clonecyare @dinner-djarin @whore4rex @swlover2187 @collectoroffics @pinkiemme @twistedstitcher27 @frietiemeloen @a-c-lee @ashotofspotchka @galacticgraffiti @itsagrimm @rexandechosandwich @immortalhdx @queen--kenobi @stankferrik @aquaamethyst96 @mavendeb @alwayssnivellus @rain-on-kamino @staryskyforever @amyroswell @lucyysthings @manqoz @ilikemymendarkandfictional @punkpirate82 @paperplanes221 @saturnsokas @starstofillmydream @wild-karrde @purgetrooperfox @sleepingsun501 @burningfieldof-clover @seriowan @samspenandsword @sunshinesdaydream @ariadnes-red-thread @babygirlrex0504 @arctrooper69 @cw80831 @dhawerdaverd

[fandom-friday]

I'm gonna drop a two-fold recommendation this time.

@Starqueensthings has recently started sharing a beautiful original fic, The Only Exception. It's Howzer x OC June, and only a few chapters but I'm blown away already!

This is the Masterlist:

https://www.tumblr.com/starqueensthings/745589390042087424/foreword-warnings-basics?source=share

And I also want to shout out her edits! They're so lovely and give such life to the characters!

OOOOOH I do love a good Howzer fic, and I've always loved the idea of pairing him with a medic. June seems like SUCH a rich character, and the premise seems like it's going to be AWESOME and hit all of the right notes! And Jesse getting some love also? WE LOVE TO SEE IT. Thanks so much for sending it in!

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)

[221bshrlocked]

i remember...

Pairings: Captain Rex x afab! Jedi Reader

Words: 8579

Warnings: Angst with a happy ending. Mutual Pining. Some mention of blood loss but it’s not graphic. Love Confessions due to anesthesia-like fluids. I make up some random stuff about bacta so just ignore that bit please. Sad Rex. Heated Make-Out Session. Oral (female receiving). Squirting. Oversensitivity. Biting. Slight Dirty Talk. Penetrative, Unprotected Sex (wrap the shlong before you king kong my dudes). Breeding Kink. Creampie. Rex being a gentleman after sex. 

Summary: “You’re s-safe, thank the Force.” His hold on you tightens when you hiss in pain, but you never once turn away from him, wanting to commit every moment to memory. If you survive this, you are sure you will never come this close to him again. But if you die, oh, if you die, then you would have spent your last seconds showing him how much he means to you. 

A/N: This is for @imarvelatthestars​ who is also taking part in the @cloneficgiftexchange​. I hope you enjoy this and I can’t wait for you to read the two other fics as well. Also, hi it’s nice to meet you :) This was originally going to be just fluff but my hands slipped and they went all the way so I hope you don’t mind. P.S. This is the first time I write for our dear Captain so I hope I got his character down correctly. If not, please let me know how I can write him better. As always, reblogs are appreciated. 

It was becoming unbearable, mustering up the courage to fight every day in a war that meant absolutely nothing, that held no benefits for anyone except for those in political standings. The feeling of dread only worsened in the past few months, almost as soon as you were added to the 501st as another General. Count Dooku’s thirst for blood has increased, and you had this fear that it wasn’t only him. No, there was something much bigger playing at hand. 

Perhaps someone even. 

Shaking the dreadful thoughts aside, you scan the grounds quickly to see if any of your men were still alive. As you walk through the carnage, you will yourself to come to terms with the reality of this new life that has been thrust upon you, the recognition that it was most likely worse for your men making you wince angrily before returning to the task at hand. 

“General,” the familiar voice of your Captain shifts your attention behind you, and you nod with an exasperation you’re sure is visible to him as you head towards his equally fatigued body. 

“Any news on whether Anakin managed to get the intel?” You rub the side of your temple as you wait for Captain Rex to focus on you instead of his dead brothers surrounding you. 

“He uh, he didn’t get there in time. He thinks one of the super tactical droids destroyed everything before it self-destructed.” You can hear the disappointment in his voice, and you look into his eyes for a moment to gauge his reaction. Grief swims in his eyes as he returns your gaze, and you hate that you don’t have to look at him to know what’s going through his mind. His Force signature is a cool shade of blue, one that parallels the lines adorning his armor, and your heart clenches when you see how different it is from the normally calming purple hue often surrounding him and setting your mind at ease. You’re reminded once again of just how much of a toll this war is taking on him and his brothers, and you turn away from him out of fear of bursting into tears and making matters worse. 

If only you could comfort him beyond what’s deemed appropriate. 

If only you could tell him how you feel. 

“Don’t worry General, we’ll get them next time.” You hate that he’s trying to make you feel better when it is you who should be offering him supporting words. No words manage to part your lips, and you hum at him as you kick one of the battle droids nearby, trying to distract yourself from pushing past those hidden boundaries and embracing him in an attempt to return those affections he so clearly pushed upon you. 

Just as you walk around him, you sense a strange feeling overtake your mind, and you glance to the side quickly, not really thinking of what you’re doing as you step in front of the Captain and activate your lightsaber. The sequence of the blaster shots drives your anger deeper, and you evade them to the best of your abilities, away from Rex and yourself until they each hit the battle droid attempting to kill you. 

Scanning the area one last time, your mouth runs dry when you turn around and watch pure and utter shock display as clear as daylight on your Captain’s features. Pushing the weapon back into the holster around your hips, you smile at him to let him know that he would always be safe with you, only to tilt your head in confusion when he doesn’t return the gesture. You follow his line of sight and watch as the adrenaline of the battle leaves your body and makes way for a searing hot pain shooting through your side. Pushing your palm against your hip, you take it away and find it laced with fresh blood.

“C-Commander?” 

In all the time you have spent with Rex, you have never once heard him display such unadulterated fear, not when he was near death all those months ago, nor when he thought there was no escape for him and his brothers after a particularly draining battle. 

“Rex.”

You whisper his name as you fall to your knees, but strong arms reach for you before you hit the ground, turning you over and pushing violently against the wound to prevent it from bleeding. 

“Kriff, why- why would you…you shouldn’t have-” He can’t get a single word out, and you try your best to set aside the pain shooting through your body so you can enjoy being in his arms. You feel your muscles give out, barely allowing you to reach up and caress his cheek. You don’t realize you’ve painted his beautiful skin with blood until you see tears rolling down his cheeks and stream a pink line to his chin. 

“You’re s-safe, thank the Force.” His hold on you tightens when you hiss in pain, but you never once turn away from him, wanting to commit every moment to memory. If you survive this, you are sure you will never come this close to him again. But if you die, oh, if you die, then you would have spent your last seconds showing him how much he means to you. 

“Stay with me, mesh’la.” He leans down and rests his forehead against your own, distracting you enough before he lifts you in his arms and runs to the nearest gunship. You clutch onto his shoulder like your life depends on it, unable to hold back from crying as each movement sends throbbing stabs down your spine and across your hip. You can faintly hear his apologies, and you rest your head against his shoulder to distract yourself once again. This close, you can smell his natural scent, and you shiver when you recognize how musky and sweet it is as it seeps through your senses. 

You think you hear him call for Kix, but you can’t stay awake for much longer, the blood loss and your body’s fatigued nature taking over as soon as you get on the gunship. Rex puts you down with ease, but he snaps your name harshly when he sees you shutting your eyes and going limp in his arms again. 

“Don’t close your eyes,” it’s his Captain voice, and you laugh at the demanding tone he’s aiming at you, only to cough violently and clutch at your side when your body jolts forward. 

“I thought I g-give the orders here?” He doesn’t bother to smile at you, and you hate that he knows you’re only trying to diffuse the tension. When you look up at him, you find him frowning down at you, the blue aura around him now turning even darker as he looks around to see if Kix is nearby. 

You gulp as the ship comes to life, and the harder you try to remain awake, the more tired your mind becomes. As you look around you, you find several of the men staring at you with worry etched on their features, and you feel a sense of peace wash over you at the thought of being so important to them. You can no longer keep yourself conscious, and just as you turn your head to the side and see Kix jumping into the gunship, you surrender to a deep sleep filled with midnight blue embraces and loving words. 

A bright light wakes you from your haze, and you flutter your eyes quickly to get used to the blinding rays shining down on you. You try to get up immediately but a hand to your shoulder keeps you laying down, and you look to the side to see Kix whispering calming words to you. 

“You nearly gave us a fright Commander,” he says after a while, and you look around to try and figure out where you are, only to find an extremely uncomfortable and worried Captain standing by your bed. 

“Rex…”

“What were you thinking, hmm?” He snaps harshly at you, making you furrow your eyebrows in curiosity before you turn to Kix. Before you can say anything, Kix walks around and pushes Rex’s chest, urging him to move back and calm himself. 

“You may be the Captain, but I outrank you here. I will not have you yelling at one of my patients. Understand?” His tone is firm, and you giggle at the thought of hearing one of Rex’s men not minding getting physical with him. 

“I…feel weird.” You sigh deeply and look down, only to see several tubes coming in and out of your skin. 

“That would be the Bacta IV. You weren’t doing so well Commander, a simple bacta patch wouldn’t have done the trick.” Kix removes himself from Rex but remains in between the two of you, checking on the needles one last time before moving to the other end of the room. You watch as he makes himself busy, and whatever conscious part of your mind thinks that he’s only pretending so he can give the two of you some privacy. 

“To answer your question Captain, I- uhhh…I wasn’t thinking.” You drag the sheets down your body, suddenly feeling flushed as Rex continues to stare at you with a fiery anger you never thought him capable of. 

“Actually, that’s…n-not true. I was thinking…but- you know what I mean.” You are not making much sense, and when Rex sighs before pulling up a chair to sit next to you, you smile at you and reach for his hand. He takes it reluctantly but never once looks at you. Neither of you say anything for a while, and you slowly begin to fall asleep when he continues to rub your wrist with his thumb. 

“What were you thinking mesh’la…”

It’s a rhetorical question, or at least, you would have recognized that it is had you been more aware and less drugged. You open your eyes and gaze into his own, finding them filled with unshed tears. He looks defeated, and you frown at him while you tug on his hand to bring him closer to you. 

“Don’t…don’t cry. It makes me sad to see you cry Rex.”

He chuckles then and you smile at him, rubbing the back of his hand in return to soothe him a little. 

“I was thinking of you, and- and how it would kill me if I were to lose you. I can’t lose you Rex, I- I would not survive another day without you…I love you too much to let you go.” You’re not sure why the room is suddenly silent. All you know is, Rex’s Force signature has turned a deep shade of red and his fingers stopped drawing patterns on your skin. You think you hear Kix turn around but you’re too busy looking into the Captain’s eyes to register anything that’s not him. 

“Mesh’la,” you want to ask him what the word means, but your eyes grow heavy yet again, and you rest your cheek on the pillow while gazing into his hazel, brown orbs. Before you can say anything else, you fall right back to sleep, completely missing Rex’s reaction to your confession and Kix’s reassurances that you were stable but required to rest further. 

You dream of a time filled with peace, of longing gazes and soft caresses. Your mind fills your heart with hopes and wishes, ones you pretend are not impossible to reach. Your heart, once guarding a close-kept secret, finally feels as light as a feather, and it clenches softly when it hears revelations of a similar love, words yo uneven thought would be reciprocated as desperately. 

It’s this last sensation that wakes you again, except this time, you’re less dazed than before but much more awake. Sitting up quickly, you study the room you’re in and take a few deep breaths to try and collect your bearings. 

“Commander, you’re safe. You’re alive and safe. Breathe, breathe for me.” You look up and watch as Kix guides you through breathing techniques, and only when you’re relaxed and aware of your surroundings do you finally notice the other figure standing nearby. 

“How long have I been out?” You ask as you look down and move the medbay gown to the side to see the wound. It’s fully healed and you throw Kix a quick glance, silently thanking him for everything that he has done for you. 

“Almost 22 hours, sir. It’s quite remarkable actually, most people would take much longer to heal, even with the bacta. Then again, you’re a Jedi after all.” He checks your vitals, not bothering to mention that Rex is in the room. When he’s sure you’re all clear, he steps aside and finishes some reports on his holopad. You look to your right and watch as Rex slowly approaches you, sitting down on a chair near your bedside and slowly reaching for your hand. You’re surprised by the gesture but don’t deny him, looking back to Kix to see if he is aware of what his Captain is doing. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Like a bantha ran me over,” you laugh at your own reply, but Rex doesn’t grace you with a hint of a smile. There is something nagging at the back of your mind, and you narrow your eyes at your joined hands, only to gasp lightly when he rubs your wrist and moves closer to you. If Kix notices what’s happening, he says nothing and turns around to give you some privacy. 

“Do you…do you remember anything?” Rex asks reluctantly, and you get the sense that he wants to tell you something but is holding back out of fear of your reaction. 

“I remember walking through the battle, and…and talking with you. I remember a droid trying to shoot at you but I took him down before he hurt you. And…I remember getting shot at.” You recollect the events of the last rotation to the best of your abilities, and when you stop speaking, you notice Rex’s aura shift to a cool haze once more. 

Kriff, what was it? 

“You don’t remember anything else?” He asks yet again, and you tilt your head to the side in confusion, his tone of voice bordering that of a man who has just lost everything he ever had. 

“I- I uhh…no. I don’t.” You shake your head several times to figure out if he was referring to anything specific. When you turn to Kix to ask him if he knows what his Captain is talking about, you notice an apologetic expression on his features, one that was not aimed at you but his brother. Before you can say anything, Rex lets go of your hands, making you wish you can give him whatever answer he was searching for. 

“I see,” it’s all Rex says before he stands up and pushes the chair back to the wall. You watch as he takes a stance and salutes you, his eyes never meeting your own again as he thanks you for saving him before running out of the room. You don’t turn away from the shut door until Kix walks by and checks your vitals again. 

There is so much you want to ask him, but knowing Kix, you get the sense that he wouldn’t tell you even if you begged. He was good at keeping secrets, always has been. 

“You’re cleared to leave General, though I do suggest you take it easy for the next few days. You may have physically healed but the psychological strain will take longer to get back to normal. Will you be needing any pain medication?” Kix asks as he takes out all of the needles and tubes from your arms, and you shake your head while you look up at him, hoping that you find whatever answer Rex was looking for swimming in his eyes. He avoids your gaze altogether, and you shut your eyes in irritation at the thought of upsetting Rex. 

Maker, what was it?

You do your best to not take your frustration out on Kix as you get dressed, and before you leave, you thank him for taking care of you for the past rotation. He offers you his best wishes before returning to his seat and you make your way back to your quarters in the Jedi Temple slowly, all the while trying to figure out what transpired that made Rex ask you several times if you remembered anything, but more importantly, what you could have possibly said that upset Rex so much and made him leave without sparing you a second glance. 

You keep to yourself as you head to your rooms, searching your mind for any clue as to what has happened after the battle. When you finally make it to the privacy of your space, you remove all of your clothes and go straight to the refresher, wanting to get rid of the blood and grime that has stuck to your skin for the past day. But no matter what you do, you can’t remember anything past the battlefield, and you feel your mind almost collapse on itself when the annoyance of memory loss turns into sheer anger. 

Force above, what was it?

It occurs to you much later than you would care to admit that there was no way you can recall anything if you’re this unstable, and against your better judgment, you make your way to one of the meditation rooms instead of getting some rest as Kix suggested. As soon as you enter the quiet place, you move near one of the fountains, finding the consistent sound of water soothing to your soul. As you sit down, you take a few deep breaths and clear your mind of anything not related to the Captain of the 501st. 

As you initially thought, it’s much more difficult to focus your mind when all you can feel is guilt for making Rex feel so disappointed and sad. You recall back all of the conversations you’ve held with him, especially the ones that lasted for an entire night as you kept watch before a serious battle. You remember the snide remarks aimed at Anakin, and the jokes he often laughed at the expense of Ahsoka. You remember and remember…

But no matter what you think of, you still can’t quite figure out what happened in the past rotation. 

Willing yourself to focus harder, you decide to empty your mind altogether, even of those moments with Rex that you cherished and kept closely-guarded within your heart. 

The Coruscanti sun slowly moves past the horizon but you remain seated against the flowing waters, pleading with the Force to give you a sliver of a hint so you can fix whatever wrong you made against Rex. 

It’s only when your senses finally still do you see a faint dark red pass through your mind’s eye. You zero in on the memory, pushing yourself past your levels of comfort to seek out the desperate aura once again. 

I was thinking of you.

Your voice rings through your mind, not sounding normal to your ears, but you are confident it is your own. Clenching your fists tightly, you seek out the memory until it flashes before your eyes as clear as the searing Twin Suns on a hot Tatooine day. 

I can’t lose you Rex.

A faint sensation passes down your arm to your wrist, and you feel Rex’s thumb halt in its movement the more you reveal to him your secret. You can see his hands shaking as you pull him closer to you, the words spilling from your mouth making your heart skip a beat as realization washes over you. 

I love you too much to let you go.

The last image flashing before your eyes is the look of utter shock that befalls Rex’s handsome features, and had it not been for the soft manner in which he whispers that one word to you in return, you would think he was completely repulsed by what you just confessed to him. 

You open your eyes instantly, wincing yet again when your senses become overloaded with the sounds and scents all around you. Looking around the room, you take a few minutes to come to terms with the reality of what has transpired between yourself and the Captain. 

Maker. 

You had told him what you promised yourself you would never reveal to him. 

In a moment of weakness, your heart decided to reveal its deepest secret instead of continuing to keep it hidden. 

Looking outside the large glass windows, you notice how dark it became outside and curse yourself for taking so long to remember. It would be inappropriate to go to him now.

You look down to your hand and trace the skin Rex has touched all those hours ago, smiling to yourself when you recognize that your heart has already made the decision for you. 

Not caring for how mad you must look, you race outside of the meditation rooms and run through the hallways of the Temple, ignoring the strange and concerning looks from the others still awake as you make it past the gates of your home and towards the barracks of the 501st Legion. It is raining uncontrollably outside, and you nearly lose your footing a few times as you run across the grounds towards the familiar building near the Jedi Temple. You see a handful of men hanging outside the barracks, and they try to call out to you to see if you need any assistance, but you pay them no mind, heading straight to the quarters of the Captain and ignoring how soaked you’ve become in your journey to him. 

When you reach the hallways housing the Clone leaders, you slow down and move past the doors silently, praying to the maker that he was in his quarters and not elsewhere. As you reach the end of the hallway, you come to a stop in front of the large, steel doors housing Rex, and before you can think twice of what you’re doing, you push a few buttons on the pad beside the doors, waiting patiently for them to slide open to you. 

There is a faint sound of frustrated sighs from behind the door, and you nearly laugh at the sudden turn of events, but the doors slide open and reveal an extremely tired and irritated Clone Captain, one that had just gotten out of the showers from the looks of it. 

“Fives, if I have to tell you one more time- kriff, G-General!” His eyes widen in horror at the sight of you, and he walks out to the hallway to see if there are any signs of danger that led you to him. When he finds it as empty as ever, he turns back around and eyes you suspiciously. 

“General, what- what are you doing here?” Rex asks, continuing to avoid your gaze as he moves back to his quarters and tugs you along with him. You realize too late that you probably shouldn’t be found at such an odd hour in your Captain’s private rooms, but you brush the thought aside, knowing that this could not wait for another time. You don’t respond right away though, and Rex studies you slowly before moving to his dresser and taking out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. 

“Here, change into these.” He throws the articles of clothing towards you, but you throw them back on the bed instantly, approaching him slowly to avoid scaring him. 

“Captain.” You try to catch his attention, but Rex is adamant on not sparing you a single glance, moving to the other end of the room and grabbing one of his shirts before putting it on quickly. 

“I don’t mind General,” he attempts to distract you, and you shake your head at him while following him around the small room. 

“Captain, please.”

“You’re going to catch a cold, and I’m not going to hear the end of it from Kix.” Rex ignores whatever you’re saying and rubs his temples furiously, making you wish he would just look at you instead of avoiding you as if you were just another commanding officer. 

As if you hadn’t spilled your heart out to him a day ago. 

Your frustrations nearly get to you, but you quickly come to understand that the man in front of you would continue ignoring your pleas if you didn’t cut to the chase and tell him what you came here for. 

“I remember.” 

Rex stops in his pacing, dropping his arms to his side and looking at the gray wall ahead of him. He doesn’t move a muscle, and your heart skips a beat when the hue around him turns into that familiar shade of burgundy once more, the same one that graced your sight when you told him how much you love him. 

“I remember, Rex.”

You repeat your words and watch as he slowly turns around and meets your eyes in a heated gaze. He continues to remain silent and you take the chance to step closer to him, hoping that he doesn’t get spooked by your revelation and walk away again. 

“You- you remember?” His question is laced with a faltering anxiety that you hate you’ve caused him to feel, and you close the last bit of space between the two of you, smiling at him as you reach for his hand and rub your thumb over his wrist. 

“I remember…I remember everything Rex.” 

He gulps down at you, watching carefully as you extend his wrist up to your mouth and lay the softest of kisses across the sensitive skin beneath your thumb. His sharp intake of breath sends a shiver down your spine, and before you can say anything else, Rex pushes you back against the nearest wall and attacks your lips in a desperate kiss. You moan into him immediately, throwing your arms around his shoulders just as he leans down and grabs your hips to hoist you up in between his rigid body and the solid wall behind you. 

You part your lips in a gasp and Rex takes advantage of your shock, sneaking his tongue into your mouth and devouring you without a care for anything except the lewd noises you are gracing him with. He doesn’t know where he can touch you, but as he feels your nail sink into his neck, he breaks the kiss and moans your name over and over again, giving you but a moment of respite before lunging for your mouth once again. You’re soaking wet, and you want to warn him so he doesn’t get wet as well, but he doesn’t let up once, moving down your jaw and licking the droplets of water sticking to your skin. His tongue feels hot against your already flushed skin, but you can’t find it in yourself to complain, not when you finally had him in your arms, stealing your breath with such needy kisses. You don’t realize you’re crying until he pulls away abruptly and looks at you with concern. 

“No, please…don’t stop. I’m just- I’m so happy.” You try to bring him back again but he’s much stronger than you, keeping some bit of distance between your mouth until he can ask you that burning question. 

“Are you sure I’m not hurting you, mesh’la?”

“No, gods no. I never thought you’d reciprocate my feelings Rex, and- and when I remembered the way you looked at me, I…I ran over here.” Your smile grows when you notice the soft smirk gracing his handsome features, and you lean your forehead against his own briefly to relish in the moment. 

“I love you, cyare…so damn much. I- I thought I lost you back there…couldn’t, couldn’t believe what you did for me. And then you told me why and I nearly lost my mind all over again.” He lays as many kisses as possible across your entire face, making you sniffle each time he reveals to you what was going through his mind. 

“I love you too Rex, have been ever since I joined your legion.” The sentiment manages to put a halt to his words and he looks at you for what you deem is too long before leaning down and taking your lips in between his own again. It’s much less frantic than before, but it is just as deeply felt, and you tilt your head to the side to deepen it further, whining against him when he removes the both of you from the wall and walks back to his bed. 

He lays you down softly and continues to leave a trail of kisses down your neck, swearing beneath his breath when you reach for his shirt and try to remove it off of him.

“Rex, what- oh kriff, what does that word mean?” You manage to ask in between each kiss and nip he marks your body with, whispering his name over and over again when he chuckles at you and sits up to remove his shirt. You bite into your lower lip as soon as he reveals his broad chest to you, giggling like a little girl as Rex throws his shirt aside and drags his hand up and down your body. 

“Why don’t I show you sweetheart?” The Captain descends down upon you possessively, dragging his hands everywhere with an aggressiveness you’ve never seen him display before. He has you whimpering in the span of a few minutes, and with each bit of fabric he rips from your body, you’re left wishing he would put you out of your misery and claim you. 

“Please, Rex.” You beg shamelessly, covering your eyes with your arm when you’re left in nothing but your undergarments. 

“Shh, I got you cyar’ika…I got you.” The Captain coos at you as he traces lines up and down your body, passing his fingers in between your thighs teasingly and laughing when he notices goosebumps erupt across your skin. You peak from above your wrist, only to find him studying you closely and with a hunger unseen on his features before. 

“S-stop looking at me like that.” You turn your head to the side when he drags your arms away from your face and places them above your head, making you wish he wasn’t enjoying making you flustered. 

“Like what?” He’s nearly breathless as he asks you the question, not caring for how wanton he looks as he hovers his lips above your sternum before slowly making his way down your stomach. 

“Like…like-” You can’t find the words to tell him what he looks like, mostly because you know he’ll only laugh and reiterate whatever you say in agreement and cause you to feel even more embarrassed at being the subject of his scrutiny. 

“Like I want to eat you? Like I want to devour every fucking inch of you? Like I want to mark you with my teeth and hands until the whole kriffing galaxy knows who’s making you feel good? Is that how I’m looking at you sweet girl?” He pronounces each question with a harsh bite to your skin, smiling wickedly at you as he descends between your thighs and shoves them wide open to make room for himself. 

“Y-yes…I- oh gods please Rex, just- just…”

“I hate to break it to you ner cyare, but I will never,” he growls his need for you against the edge of your panties, biting down and chuckling when you twitch beneath him and reach for his shoulder, “ever,” his voice is much rougher, and you think that perhaps he will kill you through sheer frustration, “ stop looking at you like that.” You whine his name, and as you try to ask him once more to not be so brazen with you, he shoves his nose into your core and breathes in deeply. It’s absolutely filthy, the manner in which he nudges along the damp material hiding you from him while staring directly into your eyes. You shouldn’t be surprised by how far dilated his pupils are, but as you sink your nails into his muscles, you furrow your eyebrows and will yourself to continue staring at him, wanting to ensure that he wants this just as much as you. 

“Rex…please, touch me.” You slide one of your hands up to his cheek, cupping his chiseled jaw beneath your palm out of fear of having him move away. 

“I am touching you, mesh’la.” Rex raises a curious eyebrow at you, nuzzling into your hand when he feels you settle down and whine in frustration. 

“I need more.” You hope he understands what you’re trying to say, but it seems that Rex wants nothing more than to push you over the edge of irritation, huffing out in laughter once as he leans over and kisses your inner thighs. 

“Like this?” He asks, licking the spot he’s kissed before moving to the space just below your hip and nipping it lightly. “Or like this?” He inquires with a whisper, taking the edge of your panties in between his teeth and pulling them up until he makes sure you’re still looking at him before letting go and smirking at the snapping sound that forces you to jolt your hips into his face. He must be able to see the annoyance etched on your features because as soon as you try to sit up on your elbows and give him a piece of your mind, he drags both of his hands beneath your thighs and hoists them up until you’re perfectly laid out for him. 

“Rex, if you don’t- ahhh fuck,” you throw your head back as soon as you feel the heat of his mouth engulf your wet core. He’s licking you violently through the flimsy fabric of your panties, and when you manage to look down at him through dazed eyes, Rex shoves the material aside and shoves his tongue violently against your clit. You drag your nails across his scalp before you realize how painful it might be, but when you attempt to grab anything else, Rex shakes his head and sucks on your clit before letting go altogether. 

“Don’t fucking stop…mark me baby, mark me so the whole GAR knows who fucks you like the filthy jetii’ika I know you are.” Your eyes widen in shock at his words, amazed that the normally respectful and shy Captain is capable of groaning the filthiest words ever as he goes down on you. You return your hands to his blonde hair, a zap of lightning shooting across your muscles when you feel the buzzed cut tickle your heated skin while he continues to fuck you with his tongue. 

“Rex…oh fuck, you- you feel so good. Please don’t stop…don’t stop Captain!” You don’t mean for the honorific to fall so easily from your lips, and you look down to see if it made him uncomfortable, only to find him staring hungrily at you as he pulls you harder on his face. 

“Is that what you want, cyar’ika? You want me to be your Captain…give you orders and make you cum on my face before I fuck you till you can’t feel your legs?” You know it’s a rhetorical question because he returns his attention to your engorged clit soon after, laying his tongue flat against your bundle nerves as he drools over the fingers resting just below his mouth. You want to watch him as he worships you, commit to memory the desperation filling every muscle of his body as he shows you how much he craves you, but as soon as he eases two of his fingers past your slit and rubs against your walls, you’re shutting your eyes and arching your back at the sudden flash of pleasure that takes over your whole body. 

“Cum for me ner jetii’ika,” the tone of his voice, along with the needy order, are all it takes for you to reach your pleasure, and you dig your nails into his scalp in an attempt to bring him closer to you as you roll your hips back and forth against his mouth. You can’t feel anything except his tongue and his fingers, and you manage to look down through heavy-lidded eyes to watch Rex as he makes you cum. Your body shakes violently when you see his Force signature turn into a bright cloud of red, the shade validating to you the Captain’s feelings as he continues to assault your cunt until you grow oversensitive. 

You try to push him off of you but he is relentless in his mission to pleasure you, wrapping his arms around your hips and pushing down your body until you understand that he won’t be letting you go anytime soon. You feel empty all of a sudden, but then you notice his wet fingers as they grab you through your chest bindings and you feel another wave of ecstasy slowly creep up on you. 

“R-Rex…I-”

“Drench my face, sir.” You’re not sure what it is that coaxes another orgasm out of you, if it is the way he orders you to cum on his mouth again, or the sound of the honorific falling from his lips as he licks and sucks on your clit. You scream his name like a benediction, the sensation he was bringing upon your fatigued body driving you mad with lust. You can faintly hear him moan your name in return, and it’s only when you look down after he’s let up do you realize that you’ve done exactly what he wanted and drenched his face. You should be embarrassed, but as Rex licks at you softly with a lazy smile, you realize that he may have enjoyed this more than you. 

“Oh maker, I- I’ve never…” You try to speak but your voice comes out hoarse, making Rex laugh even harder as he sits up and wipes his face with the back of his hand. 

“That was the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen sweetheart…I want you to do it again.” He drags his gaze down your body as he brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks on them, the same ones that were showing you stars not a moment ago. He looks positively sinful, and you giggle embarrassingly at him before you try to reach for the tent on his sweatpants. 

“No,” he grips your wrist tightly and falls against you, pushing you down into his bed with his whole body before reaching for both of your hands and laying them above your head. You frown at him, unsure why he was denying you the same pleasure he brought upon you. 

“Don’t look so upset, mesh’la.” He winks at you as he kisses down your neck and licks the water droplets sticking to your sternum. You sigh heavily and extend your neck out further to give him more access, the action pleasing him more than you thought it would and making him groan deeply into your breasts. “Believe me when I tell you…if you touch me now, this night will end much earlier than I would like it to.” He sucks bruises across your chest, managing to hold both of your wrists with one hand while the other moves to unbind the wrapping around your breasts. It doesn’t take much to reveal you to his eyes, and when you’re finally freed of the offending article of clothing, Rex growls before ascending upon you, not caring for how rough he’s being as he takes a nipple in between his teeth while he rolls his thumb over the other. 

“Ah f-fuck…Rex, you- your tongue is- oh kriff, I need you Captain…please. I want to feel you, want you to fuck me, hard.”

“Yeah sweetheart?” Rex soothes the love bites with his tongue, swirling the rough muscle around your hardened peak until your chest rises and falls rapidly. He’s memorizing every inch of your skin, and you notice his smile grow deeper when he sees evidence of his claim beginning to appear all over your body. You always imagined him to be possessive with things he enjoyed, but you never thought once you’d be at the receiving end of such dedication, such admiration. 

“Claim me, my dear Captain.” You plead one last time, tilting your head down to try and kiss the top of his head in an attempt to make him lose control. The gesture does the trick, and Rex ascends up your body and takes your lips in between his own, ripping the breath out of your lungs as he sucks and licks into your mouth until you could no longer focus on anything but the sensations he was ringing from your body. You whine and moan for him as he pushes you harder into his sheets, and when you tries to rest his weight on one of his arms, you throw your own around his neck and pull him as flush to you as possible. 

“I want to feel you, all of you.” You whisper the request against his cheek, kissing his jaw lightly in anticipation for what comes next. When you sense his hand moving down your body, you nip across his neck and mirror his actions from earlier, distracting him on his journey just as he did with you not a moment ago. 

“Fuck sweetheart, you’re going to be the death of me.” Rex groans against your forehead as he struggles to pull the edge of his sweatpants down his hips. It becomes very clear to him soon that you weren’t going to let up on marking his skin, and he sighs in irritation before deciding to pull his cock out from underneath the band of his pants. 

“Please Rex,” you urge him with soft pleas and wet kisses, laying your head back to look into his eyes as he pushes aside your panties and rubs your clit with the hard tip of his cock. 

“Are you ready for me, cyare?” Rex asks, furrowing his eyebrows in focus so as to not hurt you. You nod frantically at him, widening your legs even further to allow him to settle more comfortably in between your thighs. 

“Fuck me, Captain.” You breathe against his quivering lips, sighing in relief when the crown of his dick catches at your wet entrance. 

“Yes, sir!” It’s all the warning you get before Rex thrusts his throbbing cock into your cunt, and you watch with fascination as the aura shadowing over the two of you becomes an even deeper shade of red, one that mixed perfectly with his normally blue hue and created a soothing new wave to your eyes. 

Neither of you move, looking into the other’s eyes to ensure that this was actually happening. 

Rex struggles to breathe, and you massage his neck with your fingers before shifting your hips to get closer to him. The movement sends his cock gliding against your clenching walls, and you both moan the other’s name as you feel pure ecstasy take over your spirits. 

“You- you feel…” Rex tries to speak, but he loses focus of the sentence, instead moving all of his attention into committing this moment to memory. 

“Perfect.” You finish his thought, leaning up and kissing his lips once before relaxing back into the mattress and silently urging him to move. When he pulls out of you and pushes back in slowly, you realize that you’ll never get enough of this. 

Enough of him. 

And from the way he was gazing down at you, it seems that the feeling was mutual. 

“Rex, just- I want you to cum. I don’t care about me, I only w-want to feel you cum.” You cross your legs behind his back to bring him deeper inside you, the action forcing a cry from his lips that sounds awfully like your name. You giggle beneath him, pride feeling your chest at being the one to bring him to such pleasure. 

“I- I’ll be damned if you don’t cum on my cock at least once tonight, mesh’la.” The promise is accompanied with a dangerous glint in his eyes, and you gulp nervously at him, shutting your eyes to relish in the feeling of being so full. Each thrust brings about a fresh wave of arousal to your core, and you dig your nails into his back to show him just how good he’s making you feel. The delicious drag of his cock across your tight walls nearly makes you question whether this was all real, not because you didn’t expect him to feel so perfect inside you, but because he was so much better than your imagination. 

His grunts are music to your ears, and you leave a trail of kisses across face the closer he gets to his peak, wanting him to scream your name when he finally cums and claims you. It’s a battle of needs at this point, with your minds telling you to make this last as long as possible but your joined bodies screaming for a sweet release. You can feel every inch of him, every hard vein slide against your fluttering walls the harder he fucks into you. 

There is so much on your mind, so much you want to tell him, but you’re not coherent enough to remotely breathe out a string of affirmations to him, so you instead look back into his eyes and hope he can see right through you, recognize every bit of your heart that has always screamed his name since they day you met. 

“I- I won’t last much longer, cyar’ika.” He manages to confess as he thrusts become harder, deeper, more intimate. You shake your head and whisper your lack of care for what he just said, wanting him to finally mark you as his own and fill you with his seed. There’s something inherently faithful about wanting him to fuck his cum inside you, a sensation you’re aware would scream your devotion to each other but is against every rule set in place for someone like you…someone like him as well, 

But you can’t find it in yourself to care, not when Rex was finally sinking so sweetly into your pussy over and over again until you couldn’t think of anything else but how utterly divine he felt as he joined your bodies with a string of unparalleled pleasure. 

“Ner jetii’ika, I- I’m…oh kriff, where do I-”

“Inside me, please!” You cut him off, swallowing his moans as he shakes above you while bringing one of his hands in between your bodies, the sudden touch of his digits against your oversensitive clit making you arch your back into his chest and part your lips for him. He grunts several times while rubbing your hardened bundle of nerves, swirling his tongue around your own when he feels you clench harshly around him. You shudder beneath him, unable to fathom the sensations he was pulling from you so easily, so exquisitely. Just as you break the kiss to breathe, Rex growls your name in between expletives, shoving his cock into you a few times before finally coming undone. Your pleasure lasts for longer than you thought possible, the feeling of his seed painting your walls and oozing out of you somehow making you feel even more attuned to his pleasure, as if his ecstasy was connected to your own and refused to part from it. He bucks his hips into you with shallow thrusts, resting his forehead against your chest as he slowly comes down from the brief high. 

You’re both too dazed to move a single muscle, and when you try to unwrap your legs from around him, Rex hisses in surprise at feeling your pussy flutter around him one last time. He finally sits up to look at you, and you watch as the smirk on his face grows with each bit of skin he sees adorned with his touch. 

“So…all of that means ‘mesh’la’?” You break the silence and laugh along with him when he finally catches on to what you’re referring to, only to hiss in discomfort when he pulls out of you and leaves you empty. You watch as Rex reluctantly sits up and shoves your thighs apart to look at the mess he’s made of you. You want to shake your head at him, call him disgusting for being so obvious with what he’s done to you, but when you find him biting his lips and staring at you with newfound lust, you realize that teasing him may not be the best idea now. 

“Fuck cyare, you look beautiful.” You giggle as you hide behind your arms once more, making Rex tease you about your shy bedside manner when he was literally fucking you into kingdom come not a moment ago. He gets up and walks to the refresher, quickly coming back to you to clean you up so you don’t have to move much. You can’t help but look at him with adoration as he rubs every inch of your skin. He’s careful and patient with you, taking his time to caress your skin before throwing the towel aside and reaching for one of his shirts to hand you. 

“Why give me a shirt when you know you’ll take it off of me in another hour?” You ask him teasingly, laughing hysterically when he throws it aside and shoves his sweatpants down his thighs. 

Your eyes shift to his cock instantly, and you marvel at how thick and long he is…and the fact that he was already starting to get hard again. 

“To even the field,” he winks at you as he slips beneath the covers and pulls you into his side, wrapping his arm around you before dimming down the lights. 

You sit in silence for what feels like hours, drawing patterns on his beautiful, bronze chest while he rubs your shoulder and back to soothe your body. It’s only after a while that Rex finally breaks the quiet air of the room and looks down at you, waiting until you meet his eyes before he finally tells you what he’s wanted to say for so long. 

“I would rather die than let anything happen to you, ner cyare. You know that right?” He says, matter-of-factly, and you sense a sliver of anxiety fill his otherwise calm aura for a brief moment before it evaporates into thin air. 

“I know darling, and you know by now that the feeling is mutual.” It’s not what he wants to hear, that you are sure of, but you can’t find it in yourself to lie to him, wanting him to know that you care for him just as much as he cares for you. 

“I guess both of us are going to be stubborn about this.” He shakes his head and leans over to kiss your forehead before resting back against the pillow once more. 

“You bet your sweet ass.” You retort immediately, yelping in shock when he pinches your shoulder and sends you closer into his chest. 

“You haven’t even seen my ass, sweetheart.” He snorts at your comeback, glancing down at you for a moment before shutting his eyes and enjoying the feeling of having you so willing and relaxed in his arms. 

“Oh, believe me Captain, I have seen your ass…and I fucking love it.”

[legacygirlingreen]

Something About You || Captain Rex x OFC (Mae Killough)

Pairing: Captain Rex X Original Female Character (Mae Killough); mentions of @leenathegreengirl's PabuVerse characters!

Word Count: 8,800

Warnings: Mention of troubled past (think Henry the 8th vibes honestly). Tooth rotting fluff honestly - they are so freaking cheeky and sweet its painful at times.

AN: Hi friends! Part Two of Rex & Mae's story is finally out! I have already started working on a part three, but for now, I recommend going back and reading part one if you haven't. If you have, full steam ahead! Massive shout out to my dear friend @leenathegreengirl for her amazing art featured in the cover and the full image at the end! Seriously, I cannot thank you enough for bringing them to life! Linked below is Part 1, as well as bit more info on Mae! Anyway without further ado...

PART 1 || Mae Bio || Mae Q&A || PART 3 (coming soon....)

Masterlist

Shimmering, translucent waters stood in stark contrast to the stormy, eerie oceans of Kamino. Rex had never understood why anyone would choose to spend time by the sea until he followed the others down to the beach. The warm, sandy shores, cool shade from swaying trees, and pristine waters that caressed his skin were indulgences he hadn’t known he craved.

Initially, he had donned a pair of stretchy shorts tossed his way by Hunter, only to appease Omega. She had appeared at dawn, eager to reveal the island's delights. Rex found it hard to refuse her, especially since her hair shared his distinctive hue, a welcome departure from the standard brown of the Fett genome.

As he and Omega led the way, the path through the trees opened up to a breathtaking vista. The refreshing scent of salt lingered in the air, waves lapped peacefully against the shore, and birds called to one another. Flowers crowned the bushes lining the treeline, and the warmth of the sand beckoned. Amidst it all, a figure glided gracefully over the waves.

Rex was captivated, the sunlight dancing off the water and illuminating porcelain skin. He barely noticed Omega cup her hands around her mouth, her voice ringing out as she called, “Mae!”

Startled, the figure with damp red hair turned toward them, waving before diving into the water. Rex’s heart raced for a moment until he spotted her head reemerging, breaking the surface with a splash.

“Isn’t it amazing? The locals call it surfing. Mae’s been trying to teach me, but it’s harder than it looks,” Omega chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Rex could only manage a small nod before following her into the sunlit paradise.

As Rex helped set down the box of assorted items he had been given before their journey, he focused on arranging the space according to Omega's enthusiastic instructions. He laid out a few blankets on the sand, turned the crate upside down to create a makeshift table, and propped up some tarps for shade. She had even designated a hammock in the trees for her grumpy brother, Crosshair.

The murmurs of the island's residents drifted around them as more of Omega's brothers and their companions arrived to soak up the sun. Rex felt a twinge of unease; it was a rare luxury to relax, and in truth, he hardly knew how to embrace it. The sound of footsteps in the sand and something being driven into the ground behind him intensified his brief moment of concern.

“Ready to try it again, Omega?” came a cheerful voice that stirred memories of the previous night. He had awakened to find several of his brothers and Omega peering down at him, and he couldn’t help but feel a hint of disappointment that she had slipped away during the night. Now, she stood before him, clad in a skintight black mesh fabric reminiscent of his armor's undersuit, and he was suddenly acutely aware of her curves.

Last night, he had tried not to stare, captivated instead by her bouncing red curls as she spoke. But today, avoiding glances at her figure would prove to be a challenge.

“What do you say, hun?” she asked, her syrupy-sweet voice cascading over her plump lips, completely capturing his attention.

Rex initially hummed in response, thinking she was addressing Omega, but it quickly dawned on him that her gaze was fixed on him. Both she and Omega were watching him expectantly, and he felt warmth rising in his cheeks. “Oh, uh—”

“Mae asked if you wanted to try! It’s lots of fun!” Omega chimed in, her excitement palpable as Rex contemplated her suggestion. He swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his hesitation in his throat as he glanced at the surfboard. Surely it couldn’t be that difficult, could it?

“Omega, I think the Captain could use some rest and relaxation, not a workout—”

“I’ll do it!”

The words slipped from his lips in a rush, surprising both Mae and himself. Standing there, he fiddled with the hem of his shirt, uncertain about what he had just agreed to as he awaited her response. Blinking away the shock of his own outburst, he caught Mae's smile, her palms gliding over her hips before she gestured toward Omega.

“Oh, wonderful! Omega, darlin’, could you grab one of the extra boards from over there? Preferably one of the bigger ones.”

Clearing his throat to stave off any potential voice cracks, Rex attempted to recapture the lighthearted banter they had shared the night before. “Are you calling me fat there, Doc?” he quipped.

Her laughter was as sweet as he remembered, her head shaking in amusement. “Not at all, Captain. You’re far from it—though I might suggest taking off your shirt,” she added casually, stepping away to assist Omega.

Confused by the sudden need to consider her opinion on his physique—a fact he had never questioned, given the demands of war that had kept him in peak shape—Rex caught the lingering gaze of Hunter. A smirk danced on Hunter's face, the side devoid of tattoos, as he gestured toward Rex. “Best not to keep her waiting, Captain. It’s not every day a pretty lady asks you to strip.”

“You coming?” Mae asked, prompting Rex to glance back over his shoulder. He nodded briefly and, without another word, tore off his shirt, stepping into the sunlight. As his bare feet sank into the warm sand, he caught the sound of Hunter snickering behind him and tried his best to tune it out.

“How would you rate your balance?” she asked, her gaze searching his own for a genuine answer.

“Fairly decent, I suppose,” Rex shrugged, unsure how balance could be measured, his hand rubbing along the nape of his neck.

“I can work with that. We’ll start on land,” she explained, gesturing to the board propped beside her. Assuming she meant for him to pick it up, he was surprised by how light it felt in his hands. Mae tucked her own under her arm and headed closer to the water's edge, and he followed her silently.

“Any reason we’re starting on land?” he asked skeptically.

“Well, it’s easier to practice the movements here, where you’re stable, before trying them on the water. Don’t worry—I think you’ll be a natural,” she said with encouragement as she set the board down in the sand. Rex followed suit, placing his board a few paces away from hers.

He watched as she lay across her board, positioning herself vertically on her stomach, and mimicked her stance.

“Alright, I’m correct in assuming that GAR conditioning has made you quite familiar with push-ups?” she asked, glancing over at him as she propped herself up on her elbows.

“Yes,” he replied, recalling the rigorous training the clones had undergone since their youth, which continued throughout the war.

“Perfect! That’s half the battle,” she said with a smile. “I’ll walk you through the motion if you want to follow along—”

“Right,” he said, placing his forearms down on the board just like she did.

“So, when you’re paddling out, you’ll want to push over the sides of the board until you’re on the wave. From there, pull your hands back to your sides and place your palms flat on the board near your chest,” Mae instructed. Rex followed her directions without hesitation, eager for her to continue.

“Perfect! This part should be easy for you. Just do a push-up and hold yourself on your toes,” she said, demonstrating the movement. Rex watched her lower body lift effortlessly off the board, then shook his head and mimicked her.

“Now, this is where it starts to get tricky, especially on the water. Move the leg you want as your back foot and place it near your other knee, keeping your toes on the board while maintaining your balance,” she explained. Rex observed as Mae positioned herself in a way reminiscent of a ‘mountain climber.’ He copied her movements, nodding for her to go on.

“Okay, now take your other leg and place your foot between your hands, keeping your knee bent.” She executed the motion with impressive speed, tucking her small frame up onto both feet and holding steady as she waited for him to catch up. As Rex did his best to follow suit, she nodded and pushed herself into a standing position, prompting him to quickly do the same before she could offer more guidance. He realized that while the movement felt straightforward on solid ground, it would be much more challenging on an unstable board in the water.

“Great! I knew you’d be a natural. Do you want to try it on your own to see if you’ve got it down? Then we can head out,” she said, her eyes sparkling with encouragement. A part of Rex wondered if his ability to grasp the movement had genuinely impressed her. 

Running a hand through his hair, he nodded and lowered his body again under her watchful gaze. Doing his best to recall the movements from memory, he felt confident in his performance. Just as he focused on where his front foot landed, he felt gentle fingers graze his jaw, guiding his face forward.

“Looks perfect, but remember to keep your gaze forward. Looking down can throw off your balance; focus on where you’re going, not where you’ve been…” she advised, her fingers retracting as swiftly as they had brushed against his skin. A warm flush spread across his face as she pulled away, leaving behind a lingering sensation that felt almost electric.

Using his strength to push himself up, despite the brief lightheadedness from her fleeting touch, he soon found himself towering over her again. A bright smile lit up her face, revealing her white teeth as she nodded at him. “Perfect! Let’s try it in the water,” she said, nudging his shoulder before disappearing to sit in the sand.

Curious about her sudden retreat, he watched as she took a small strap from the back and wrapped it around her ankle. He mirrored her movements in silence, noting how her gaze wandered over his frame. He knew there wasn’t much she hadn’t seen before. She was a doctor, and one who had worked with clones before. His tan skin and frame hardly differed from those around him. However, he knew his scars might be different as they told his own unique story. He felt her eyes linger on the center of his chest, where a bullet had almost claimed his life.

Red hair dramatically bounced as she realized she’d been caught staring, her eyes darting away at the last moment as she pushed herself off the ground. Rex had always been attuned to the movements of others, a skill honed over years of watching targets and surveying for danger. Her hurried movements now lacked the grace he had admired before, leaving him to wonder what thoughts occupy her mind.

Before he could linger on his thoughts, she sprinted toward the water, and he hurried after her, eager to keep pace. “Come on, Soldier!” she called back, her voice ringing with excitement as she dove into the ocean, vanishing beneath the waves. He followed suit, delighting in the refreshing coolness of the water against his skin. Carefully placing his board atop the gentle swell, he watched it bob as he stood near the shore, waiting for her to reappear.

“Do you want to try standing up here before we head out further?” Mae asked, suddenly popping up on the other side of the board, her arms gracefully shifting as she positioned herself. Assuming her suggestion came from a genuine desire to see him succeed, he nodded and hoisted himself up in the shallow water while she held the edges steady.

He immediately felt the difference of being in the water and approached the motion of standing with extra care. Once his feet were firmly planted, he rose with as much grace as he could muster. The board rocked beneath him, and when he looked down, he saw Mae beaming as she released her grip, allowing him to fully experience the push of the waves. With a joyful splash, he jumped back in, swimming close to her as she applauded. “I think you’re ready to head out and try it for real!” she said, her enthusiasm shining through.

With a nod, he watched as she effortlessly pulled herself onto the board and demonstrated how to paddle out. As soon as he grasped the motion, his gaze drifted to the captivating scene before him: the ripples of her arm slicing through the water, the sunlight glinting off her wet red hair, and the curve of her figure as she paddled ahead, her black swimsuit accentuating her silhouette.

Perhaps it was the thrill of being able to gaze without interruption, but he couldn’t help but watch her throughout their journey into deeper water. When she turned around and effortlessly hoisted herself up on the board, he quickly glanced away, not wanting her to catch him staring. He remained horizontal, moving closer and propping himself up on his elbows, ready for her to explain.

But she seemed completely absorbed in her desire to catch a wave, laying back down and paddling away, leaving him behind. 

His brown eyes carefully tracked her movements, admiring the ease with which she glided through the water. She rose as if it were second nature, standing tall atop the wave as she distanced herself from him. To his astonishment, she even had the audacity to walk along the length of the board while riding it, only to leap off into the shallow water moments later.

Knowing it would be a moment before she returned, he pulled himself into a seated position and settled in to wait. Even though he understood the movements, he still felt a twinge of unease about trying it without her guidance. As she paddled closer, she grinned and waved, and he couldn’t help but mirror her smile. She looked truly at peace—much happier than the day before, when exhaustion and stress had weighed her down. Now, she radiated lightness and joy, enjoying the water not as a task, but as a pure source of delight. Perhaps it was a type of relaxation he could come to understand in time. 

“How’d you do that?” he asked once she was close enough for him to see the dimples in her cheeks.

“What, walking?” she replied casually.

“Yeah, it looked so effortless,” he complimented.

“Practice. Time. Definitely not a move for beginners like you. Speaking of which—” she nudged her head toward his board, “are you ready to give it a shot on your own?”

“I suppose. I can already tell paddling is going to be quite the arm workout,” he said, gesturing as she let out a light laugh.

“It is! How do you think I got these guns?” she said playfully, flexing her surprisingly impressive bicep for someone her size. Unsure why he felt compelled to comment, he was even more taken aback when a cheeky remark slipped from his lips.“Whoa there, Ma’am! Do you know how to handle a loaded weapon like that?” 

From shock at his quick remark to a teasing smirk, she shot back, “Not sure, Captain. Why don’t you come over and give me some firearm training since that’s your area of expertise?” Her laughter rang out as she turned away, leaving him momentarily speechless, mouth agape. He blinked in disbelief, a smile creeping onto his face despite himself. “Well, I do have a few tactical moves up my sleeve,” he called after her, trying to regain his composure.

She glanced back, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, really? I’m intrigued!”

With a newfound determination, he pushed off the board and paddled toward her, his confidence slowly building. “Alright, just remember: I’m an expert in this field,” he teased, aiming for a lighthearted banter as he caught up with her.

As they floated side by side, he couldn’t help but admire the way the sunlight danced on the water around them, mirroring the playful energy between them. “Most important part of handling weapons is making sure they are properly maintained” he asked, raising an eyebrow, gesturing to her arms as the woman caught on to what he was insinuating with a laugh. 

She laughed again, the sound like music in the salty air. “Oh of course, Captain! Might I need to pass your expert inspection…?”

He grinned, enjoying the playful tension between them. “Absolutely! I take my inspections very seriously,” he replied, feigning a serious expression that quickly broke into a smile. 

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her laughter. “Well, I hope you’re thorough,” she said, inching a little closer on her board. 

“Thoroughness is my specialty,” he quipped, feeling a rush of excitement. He studied her arms, the sun casting a warm glow on her skin, and added, “You’ve clearly put in the time. Those guns are impressive.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Captain,” she replied with a wink, leaning back slightly as if to give him a better view. “But can you keep up with me when it comes to the real action?”

“Oh, I think I can handle a little competition,” he shot back, his competitive spirit ignited. With that, he paddled ahead, urging her to follow. The chase was on, and the thrill of the moment filled the air. As they raced across the water, laughter and splashes followed them, the sun warming their skin and the ocean breeze carrying away any lingering doubts. He felt alive, invigorated by both the challenge and her presence. 

There was something refreshing about the way he could be both playful and straightforward with her. Rex couldn’t recall the last time he’d flirted so unashamedly with a woman—certainly not for the simple joy it brought him, rather than with the aim of a quick hookup. But as she surged ahead in their race toward the shore, her board catching a wave and propelling her effortlessly forward, he found himself grappling with a revelation: he was flirting with Mae.

She was the same charming doctor who had shown kindness to Echo and every man he’d sent through Pabu. The woman who had welcomed Aiko and made her feel at home. Everyone seemed to hold her in high regard, and Rex had quickly come to appreciate her even more after catching glimpses of her past. There was a depth to her that drew him in, making this playful exchange feel all the more significant.

Silencing the nagging voice inside him that questioned “why,” he attempted to stand, following the motion he’d practiced. His feet barely made contact with the board before he found himself sliding off into the cool water. Breaking the surface, he spotted Mae watching him with a playful smirk. “You put your front foot down first—that’s what made you fall off the back,” she critiqued, her tone light as he blinked, processing her words. It dawned on him that she was right; he had indeed led with his front foot. 

“You need to establish a firm foundation first,” she continued, offering a smile. “That said, it wasn’t a bad first attempt. I’m sure we’ll get you there in no time.” Her encouragement wrapped around him, igniting his determination to improve. He wiped the water from his eyes, feeling the coolness of the ocean embrace him as he grinned back at her. “Alright, then. Let’s try this again.” 

Mae nodded, her enthusiasm infectious. “Just remember, start with your back foot, and try to keep your weight balanced on the board,” Taking a deep breath, he swam back to the board, climbing on with renewed focus. He steadied himself, recalling her advice as he positioned his feet carefully this time. As he prepared to rise again, he glanced over at Mae, who watched with an encouraging smile.

“Ready?” she called, her excitement palpable.With a nod, he paddled out with the wave gaining momentum. As he felt the board finally catch along its pull, he  pushed up, this time leading with his back foot and shifting his weight more deliberately. For a brief moment, he felt the board stabilize beneath him. Just as he thought he might actually succeed, the wave surged, and he wobbled precariously. 

“Keep your core engaged!” Mae shouted, her voice cutting through the splash of the waves. He concentrated, trying to maintain his balance. But just as he thought he had it, the board tilted, and he found himself slipping again. This time, he fell with a splash, but as he broke the surface, he couldn’t help but laugh. Mae burst into laughter too, her joy infectious. “You’re getting closer! Just a bit more practice, and you’ll be a pro.” 

“Yeah, if I don’t drown first,” he joked, paddling back toward her, needing a moment as he found the paddling to be a bit more draining than he’d anticipated. 

“Can I make a suggestion?” she asked after a moment. He nodded, slightly puzzled, as she drifted closer. Pulling herself onto the board beside him, she abandoned her own board for a moment. Her hands lifted to his shoulders before sliding down to his elbows, gently raising them. “You can extend your arms to help stabilize yourself, but you’re really tense,” she said, her voice calm and encouraging. “You need to relax a bit…” She moved her hands back to his shoulders, her fingers gliding along his skin in a soothing manner. Gradually, he followed her advice, allowing the tightness in his shoulders to melt away under her gentle touch.

As he relaxed, he felt a warmth spreading through him, both from her touch and the shared moment. “How’s this?” he asked, trying to gauge her response. Her fingers flexed for a moment before disappearing from his body. “Much better,” she replied, a smile brightening her face. “Now, focus on your balance and the rhythm of the water. You can do this.”

He took a deep breath, feeling the gentle rocking of the board beneath them. “Alright, I’ll give it another go,” he said, determination bubbling up within him. 

“Just remember to keep your core engaged and take your time,” she added, her hands pushing off his board as she returned to her own once more. Offering a reassuring grin she told him. “You’ve got this.” With her support, he began to paddle once more. Pushing himself up again, leading with his back foot and extending his arms out for balance. This time, he felt more stable, the water beneath him less daunting.

“See? You’re doing great!” Mae cheered, her enthusiasm infectious.

For a brief moment, he found his footing, gliding over the gentle waves with newfound confidence. But just as he began to believe he had mastered it, a larger surge bumped into the board. He wobbled precariously, and before he could adjust, he tumbled into the water once more.

Emerging with a splash, he laughed, shaking his head as he glanced over the top of the bobbing waves.“Hey, every attempt is a victory!” she called out, her laughter mingling with his own as she paddled closer. “You’re making more progress than you realize. Let’s try again!”

𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼

Returning to shore with a lighter air around him, he followed behind the doctor as she insisted they should take a break, claiming she was tired. Deep down, he knew her suggestion was really for his benefit. Rex had severely underestimated how draining the activity could be. Still, he felt a swell of pride for the progress he’d made.

“You looked a bit awkward out there, Rex. Surfing is harder than you thought, huh?” Hunter joked as they approached the spot where the rest of the group had gathered.

“I don’t see you out there giving it a shot,” Rex shot back.

“I value my reputation, thank you very much. Can’t have people watching me make a fool of myself like some people,” Hunter replied, a playful smirk on his face. Rex scoffed at the insinuation, laughter bubbling up between them.

“Oh hush, he’s doing great. Although any more sun and you are going to start burning there Captain-” she nodded towards him as she held a bottle of what he assumed was some sort of sun protection. 

“You’re one to talk,” he said, gesturing to her cheeks, already flushed from the sun despite the sunscreen she had applied.

“Some of us are just a bit less immune to solar radiation,” Mae replied, raising an eyebrow with a playful smile. “But if you wouldn’t mind, I could use some help with my back.”

Rex felt a swirl of excitement and apprehension at her request. Part of him relished the idea of being close enough to touch her, while another part worried about what that might mean. Yet, she had already touched him several times, each encounter feeling casual and comfortable. Taking a deep breath, he chose to embrace the moment. “Not a problem, ma’am,” he said, trying to sound confident.

“Well, aren’t you a charmer?” she giggled, her fingers deftly grasping the zipper of her wetsuit and tugging it down from her sternum to her bellybutton. As she slipped her arms free from the material, Rex stepped forward, his gaze instinctively dropping to the ground to avoid staring as she applied sunscreen to her front. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her being particularly careful, making sure every inch of her chest was covered before moving on to the rest of her body. She bent at the waist to lotion her legs, her bottom brushing close to him as he struggled to keep his focus on the lapping waves instead of the fact she’d shoved her quite round bum near him. 

“Alright, you’re up!” she said with a playful giggle, waving the bottle of sunscreen. Rex raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Me?”

“Your back!” she clarified, gesturing toward him. Suddenly, it struck him that she intended to help him out before he had a chance to return the favor. Turning around, he felt her step closer, the warmth radiating from her as she placed her palm on his right shoulder. The unexpected touch made him jump, eliciting a soft snicker from her as her delicate hands began to rub the lightly fragrant lotion into his skin.

Instantly, he felt the tension he had been holding since the start of the war begin to melt away under her nimble fingers. She moved with purpose, ensuring the lotion was absorbed without lingering too long, her hands gliding across the expanse of his back. When she finally withdrew, he turned to reach for the bottle, but she looked up at him with a bright smile and tilted her head slightly, saying, “Lean down for a second.”

His eyes widened in confusion as she gently cupped the side of his head, her thumbs brushing the tips of his ears. Unsure of her intentions, he choked slightly on his own saliva, which had been pooling in his mouth, and stammered, “What—?”

“Ears are one of the most common areas to develop melanoma,” Mae explained, reminding him that she was a doctor. Her intentions were purely clinical; she aimed to highlight a vulnerable area prone to severe damage. Clearing his throat, he looked down into her eyes and noticed a delicate ring of gold encircling her blue irises just before she met his gaze.

“Good to know,” he said, and as she nodded, he felt compelled to add, “Thank you.” She acknowledged him with a slight bow of her head before handing him the bottle and turning her back to him. Her long red hair cascaded down, obscuring part of her shoulder. He gently tapped her shoulder and gestured, “Uh, you might want to—”

“Right,” she chuckled, gathering her hair into a makeshift ponytail, pulling it out of the way. Just as he was about to place his open palm against her back, something caught his eye—a scar, almost like a brand, marred her right shoulder. It was unmistakably intentional.

He felt a surge of curiosity mixed with concern, racking his brain for a moment as to why it looked so familiar. His gaze lingered, and she turned her head slightly, asking, “Something wrong?”

Rex hesitated briefly before placing his hand in the center of her back, rubbing in the sunscreen gently while his mind raced, trying to recall where he’d seen that marking before. As he moved his hands lower, he felt her shiver at the contact just above her swim bottoms.

“Sorry,” he murmured, catching the airy, uncertain response from her. “You’re alright, hon,” she reassured him, though the warmth in her voice didn’t quite mask the hint of tension.

In that moment, the marking and her accent struck a chord within him, illuminating details of her past he hadn’t anticipated uncovering. The realization weighed heavily on him, a deeper understanding forming in the quiet space between them.

Killough. Rex recalled reading about them in the archives as the war progressed. Despite the Republic’s diminished presence in the Outer Rim and the overwhelming focus on the droid armies, he was aware of the criminal activities lurking in the shadows of the conflict. The Killough Clan was notorious—a wealthy and well-connected crime family deeply entrenched in the region. They frequently associated with the Pykes, the Hutts, and other dangerous organizations. Why else would she bear a brand from such an organization unless…

Fingers lightly grazing the burn, Mae turned away abruptly, her eyes flashing with an unreadable emotion as she stepped back from him. “Thank you,” she said, avoiding his gaze. Rex might have probed further, perhaps even flirted, if he hadn’t just stumbled upon a revelation that made his stomach sink. Surely she couldn’t be connected to them. Right?

“You’re welcome,” he replied, tension hanging thickly between them. The weight of the realization that he’d pieced together her past hung over them, a shadow neither could shake. For how the man perceived her reaction, it was clearly a painful subject, possibly even incriminating. And for her, he sensed that she feared he would judge her based on it.

This unspoken tension made their quick exit easier, each of them looking for an excuse to escape.

As Rex stepped away from the group, he struggled to reconcile the fun, flirty doctor he had been enjoying with the unsettling possibility of a darker past. The contrast left him feeling uneasy, and he needed time to process it all. Just as he made it to the treeline of the beach he heard a raspy voice say, “go away,”. 

Crosshair. 

Rex had forgotten the sniper had settled into a hammock away from the others in this direction. Not wanting to confront his prickly personality amid an internal crisis, he almost muttered “gladly” in annoyance as he stepped away.

“Problem…?” came Crosshair's voice, tinged with an unexpected concern as Rex turned to see him leaning over the edge of the hammock.

“You all— I mean, someone has to know… how—” Rex struggled to articulate his concern, the words eluding him as Crosshair’s dark eyebrow shot up in interest.

“I can’t believe you let Stitches lure you into her death trap she calls surfing,” Crosshair remarked, either attempting to deflect the conversation or tease him while he was vulnerable—Rex couldn't quite tell.

“And I can’t believe you all are letting a woman connected to a criminal enterprise roam freely, let alone neglect to warn a guy—” Rex shot back, his frustration bubbling to the surface.

Crosshair's sharp intake of breath and equally hostile tone cut through the air as he dropped to the ground beside Rex in the blink of an eye. “What did you just say?”

Caught off guard by the sudden transition from teasing to menacing, Rex straightened, irritation bubbling within him as he realized the enhanced clone had the height advantage.

“I said you’re all either ignorant or reckless for allowing a woman connected to the Killough Clan to roam freely—” Rex retorted, his voice steady despite the tension.

“I’d recommend you keep your mouth shut about things you don’t understand and that don’t concern you—” Crosshair hissed, his tone icy. Rex clenched his fist, anger bubbling beneath the surface, but pressed on.

“It does concern me. I’ve spent all day in the company of a woman—”

“Mae. Her name is Mae,” Crosshair interjected sharply.

“Mae” he corrected before continuing, ”Who’s walking around with a brand from one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the galaxy,” Rex shot back.

“Like I said, stop involving yourself in things when you don’t know the whole story,” Crosshair warned, taking a step back, eager to distance himself from Rex before the tension escalated further.

“But-” 

“Don’t you think one of the first things Tech did when we saw that scar was investigate? We’re not fools. We know better than to get involved with dangerous people, especially for Omega’s sake. As for why she has that scar, that’s not my story to share. But I’d advise you to think very carefully before you disrespect a woman who’s spent the better part of a year cleaning up your messes without you even realizing it.” With that, Crosshair turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Rex momentarily speechless.

Glancing back at the water’s edge, Rex saw Mae standing waist-deep in the waves, her smile radiant as she demonstrated to Omega how to push up on the board. The memory of her gentle touch lingered in his mind, alongside the uncomfortable realization that Crosshair had been right: she had given him no real reason to worry. He didn’t know the full story, but he wasn’t about to find comfort in the words of a sniper with a blood-soaked past tied to the Empire. 

Rex knew he had to be cautious; survival depended on it, and that instinct was not something he could simply switch off. Yet, as he watched her vibrant red hair catch the sunlight, he felt a growing urge to extend some grace until he had more clarity.

𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼

The sun was beginning its slow descent over the water, casting a warm glow on the beach. Most of the group had retreated to clean up before dinner, leaving Rex alone with Hunter as Omega waved goodbye over her shoulder. 

“Someone should stay down here to make sure she’s okay,” Rex said, nodding toward Mae, who was now sitting on her board, watching the sunset with her back turned to them. She had kept her distance from him for most of the day, perhaps still affected by the moment he’d touched her scar or by his argument with Crosshair. Whatever the reason, he had retreated into himself since then.

Trapped in his own thoughts, Rex found himself trying to piece together the fragments of her past. Could she have been a slave? Maybe she was the child of an advisor? Or perhaps she had been tangled up with a former lover... 

As he glanced out at the silhouette of her figure breaking the horizon, a thought struck him: what if he simply asked her? She had been honest the night before about her experiences in the RAR. If she opened up it would certainly ease his own mind.

Spotting the board he had neglected earlier, Rex paddled out to meet Mae on the water. She was much further away than before, and it took him significantly longer to reach her. As he got closer, he noticed she still hadn’t taken her eyes off the sunset. With her legs drawn up on the board and her chin resting on her knees, she seemed lost in thought. Without her wetsuit, the pink of her shoulders stood out against the fading light.

He was certain she had sensed his approach, yet she remained silent. Uncertain of how to begin, Rex felt a wave of regret wash over him for seeking her out. What if she was angry? What if he had crossed a line and she needed space? The confidence he had felt just moments ago seemed to dissipate, leaving him anxious and unsure. Surely, things hadn't shifted from wonderful to tense so quickly.

He cursed the Kaminoans for programming him for war rather than for navigating human emotions. Throughout his life, he had been led to believe he wouldn’t need to engage with civilians, leaving him unprepared for moments like this. The decision to forgo pleasantries now felt like a misstep. Though he was a free man in many ways, he would eventually need to connect better with civilians.

In the past, he had mostly adhered to regulations, interacting only with a select few—like the Senator’s handmaidens or some hired help at the 79s. He remembered Jesse’s girl, the one who had gotten pregnant, whom he had helped off-world after the war. But those brief encounters hardly made him an expert in emotional matters.

“I don’t blame you, you know,” she said, her tone firm yet laced with a palpable dejection.

“Wha—” he started, but she turned abruptly, locking him with a gaze that made even the battle-hardened captain shrink under the intensity of her eyes.

“Please, don’t pretend you don’t understand. I know you saw it. I’m fully aware of what that mark signifies. I had hoped you would be the kind of man to ask me, rather than fleeing as if I personally were the one who committed those crimes,” she began, and in the brief moment she paused to run her hand over her hair he started to reply. 

“So that means you—”

“I’m not finished,” she interjected, her voice steady but infused with a quiet strength. He nodded, letting her continue. “Have you ever been on your own, Rex?” she asked, her gaze softening as she studied his features.

“I—uh, well, no. I can’t say I have. I’ve always had someone. My brothers, our Generals. There was always someone there,” he admitted.

“It’s not easy being alone at such a young age. I found out he was going to sell me off to some associate to be his bride. I endured years of abuse, watching my mother and every bride he took after, killed for giving him daughters. But learning I was to be ‘gifted’ to a man fifty years my senior was the final straw. When I escaped, I went to the one place I knew they’d be too afraid to look for me.” 

“Coruscant,” he filled in the blanks, understanding how she had become part of the Republic.

“I always wanted to be a doctor,” she continued, her voice tinged with longing. “I felt a sense of purpose when I patched myself and my sisters up. But medical school is expensive, and I left everything behind when I fled. I enlisted so I could study for free, to see the stars, knowing that it was too close to the Republic for them to ever find me again.” Mae closed her eyes, a soft breeze tugging at one of her damp curls before letting it settle by her shoulder once more.

“I—” he trailed off as she opened her eyes again. The fading light cast a silvery hue to them, momentarily captivating him and causing him to lose his train of thought. Regaining his composure, he pressed on. “I’m sorry for running off earlier. You have to understand, I’m a soldier. I’ve been trained to be hyper-aware of danger, even when it comes in unexpectedly beautiful forms.”

“Is that your way of saying I’m pretty, Captain?” she teased, a playful smile breaking through the tension and bringing a moment of ease between them.

He chuckled softly, a warmth spreading through him. “Perhaps it is. But it’s more than that. It’s how you handle yourself. You’re strong, and that’s what caught me off guard.”

Her smile widened, and she leaned in slightly, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. “So you’re saying strength is attractive?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, his tone earnest. “In my experience strength like that, it’s a rare quality. Most people hide behind walls, but you seem to embrace your experiences. That and admittedly-“ he looked at her with a smile before saying, “you are very candid,”

She tilted her head, considering his words. “Well, it hasn’t always been easy. But I’ve learned that there can be strength in vulnerability.”

Rex felt a shift in the air, a new understanding forming between them. “I’ve always been told to keep my guard up, but maybe there’s something to letting it down sometimes.”

“Exactly. You don’t have to carry the weight alone,” she said, her voice gentle yet firm. “We all have our battles, Rex. Sharing them can lighten the load.”

He nodded, feeling a sense of relief. “Then maybe I can start by sharing a bit more… that is, if there was someone willing to listen..?” His tone conveys a question rather than a statement as her eyes flash with understanding.

“Good,” she said, her smile returning. “I would be honored,” the redhead told him as he turned away, suddenly bashful at the notion. 

“Remind me to give you my comm channel when we get back,” the man said, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the sun just began to peek over the water. Darkness would soon envelop them, and he knew they should return, but a part of him yearned to stay.

The weight of the moment hung in the air, inexplicable yet significant, as if the atmosphere crackled with unspoken energy. He felt a flicker of hope at the prospect of friendship and the stability it could bring—especially with someone who had been quietly supportive without him even realizing it. Memories of Crosshair’s words flashed through his mind, mingling with the insights he had gained the night before.

“Hey Mae?” he called, drawing her attention from the fading sun to him. She lifted her head from her knees, a curious hum escaping her lips. “Thank you,” he said, sincerity threading through his voice.

He wasn’t entirely sure which part of her kindness he was acknowledging—her honesty about her past, her compassion towards his brother, her understanding of his nature, or the lightheartedness that made him feel at ease. Maybe it was simply the way she made him feel like just a man, watching the sunset with a remarkable woman. Regardless of the reason, he felt compelled to express his gratitude.

“Anytime, Rex,” she replied, brushing her hair over her shoulder with a soft smile. “But we should probably head back,” she added, letting out a gentle sigh.

“Yeah,” he agreed, stealing a glance at her. The sun had kissed her skin, giving her a warm glow. “You’ve been out in the sun all day. It’s definitely time we get you back.”

With that, they leisurely began to paddle back toward the shore, neither in any rush to end their time on the water. Eventually, as the shoreline beckoned, they reached the shallows. Rex and Mae hopped off their boards, the cool water swirling around their ankles as they walked back to the beach.

Just as they were about to step onto the sand, Mae paused, her fingers sifting through the sand below. A delighted sound escaped her lips as she unearthed something.

“What is it?” Rex asked, intrigued. He couldn’t help but find her childlike excitement endearing as she examined her find.

“Your armor—it's blue, right?” she asked, holding up the small object in her hand, a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. He nodded as she held the small object up to the fading light, revealing a blue fragment nestled between her slender fingers. Unlike typical glass, it had a frosted appearance, giving it an almost ethereal quality. “It’s called sea glass,” she explained, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “It forms when fragments of glass get smoothed out by the sand, making them soft to the touch instead of jagged like broken shards.”

She handed it to him, inviting him to examine it more closely. The color mirrored that of his blue armor, and it was indeed as smooth as she described. Yet, despite its beauty, Rex found himself puzzled by her delight over what he considered just a piece of discarded glass. Rex turned the sea glass in his hand, admiring its color and smoothness, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was just an oddity. “It’s beautiful,” he said, trying to match her enthusiasm, “but why are you so excited about it? Isn’t it just… trash?”

Mae laughed softly, her eyes twinkling. “That’s where you’re wrong! It’s not just trash. It has a story—it was once something else, maybe a bottle or a jar, and now it’s something new. Isn’t that kind of magical?”

He looked at her, contemplating her words. There was a profound depth to her appreciation that he hadn’t considered. “So you see beauty in… broken things?”

“Exactly! Just like us,” she said, her voice sincere. “We all have our own scars and stories, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find beauty in them despite the pain they once caused.”

Rex felt a flicker of understanding ignite within him. “I guess I’ve always focused on the damage itself rather than the possibility of finding beauty in it.”

Mae smiled, a gentle encouragement in her gaze. “It’s okay to feel that way. But remember, just like this sea glass, we are still here. Resilient and shaped by what we’ve endured into something entirely different,”

He handed the sea glass back to her, a newfound respect for its significance growing. “Thanks for sharing that with me. I suppose I needed a reminder.” She beamed at him, tucking the piece into her pocket as they continued their walk along the shore back towards her home, leaving the beach behind them. 

𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼

The following morning brought with it the realization that he had to return to the stars and the mission that awaited him. After saying his goodbyes the night before, he decided to slip away quietly before anyone else woke up. He neatly folded the blanket from the sofa where he had slept and grabbed his bag, casting one last glance down the hall at Mae’s closed door. He knew she was likely still asleep, just as Echo and Aiko were in the other room. He didn’t want to disturb her; she seemed to be someone who rarely got the rest she needed.

Pabu in the early morning light was just as beautiful as it had ever been—quiet, warm, and inviting. It felt like home, even though he knew he shouldn’t allow himself to get too comfortable here. Yet, he understood why the others had found a sense of belonging.

Each step back toward his ship felt surprisingly lighter. After sharing his private communication channel with the talented doctor the night before, he left the decision to reach out in her hands. She had thanked him for finally showing his face after all the clones who had passed through her care on his behalf. He felt willing to let their friendship develop at its own pace, however that might unfold… for now.

Just as he caught sight of his ship’s outline, he heard the sound of light footsteps pattering behind him. Assuming it was Omega sneaking away to see him off, he turned, ready to greet the young girl. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with a pair of bare feet on the stone and a shock of vibrant red hair.

“I heard the door close—” Mae began, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief as Rex’s surprise quickly faded into a nod.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said sheepishly, his shoulders slumping as he realized he hadn’t been as quiet as he’d hoped.

“It’s okay. Someone should see you off, right?”

“I suppose,” he replied, setting his bag down for a moment, his mind racing with questions about why she had chosen to come out.

“I also forgot to give you this last night,” she said, stepping closer, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. When he didn’t respond, she rose onto her tiptoes, gently placing something over his head and letting it drape across his chest. Pausing for a moment, their eyes crossed one another. Her checks flushing at the recognition he was watching her closely. With that, Mae stepped back to allow him space once more, and he caught a light whiff of something feminine. Not exactly floral, but certainly reminiscent of the aromatic scents of the island tangled with perfume. 

Remembering why she’d stepped close to him in the first place, his hand south the item. It was the same piece of tumbled glass from the night before, but now it had a small hole at the top, threaded with a cord that extended to a leather band. “I thought you should have a memento from your first time on Pabu, and the blue matches your armor,” she explained as he turned the sea glass pendant over in his hand, marveling at its beauty and the thought behind it.

Rex held the pendant up to the soft morning light, the frosted blue glass shimmering delicately. A wave of warmth washed over him as he realized the significance behind Mae’s gift. “It’s perfect,” he said, his voice sincere. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

Mae’s smile widened, her excitement infectious. “It’s a reminder that even broken things can become something beautiful.”

He nodded, his fingers gliding over the smooth surface of the glass. As he reflected on his words, thoughts of her filled his mind. Mae came from a perilous past, having faced terrifying and uncertain situations that could have easily shattered her spirit. Yet here she stood, illuminated by the morning light, bare feet planted firmly on the ground, dressed in her nightgown—radiant and resilient. There was a strength in her that captivated him, a reminder that even in the face of adversity, one could emerge beautiful and stronger.

The pendant felt weighty yet comforting in his hand. “I’ll cherish it,” he promised. The gesture felt like a connection, something he could carry with him no matter where the stars took him.

“I hope it brings you memories of this place, of your brothers and your friends,” Mae said softly, her gaze lingering on the pendant before meeting his eyes.

“It already does,” he replied, a warmth blossoming in his chest as he took a moment to appreciate her kindness. “This whole trip has been more than I expected.”

Her expression shifted, a hint of vulnerability peeking through her cheerful demeanor. “I’m glad. It’s nice to know you enjoyed your time here.”

“More than I can say,” he said, feeling the weight of the moment. “You’ve made this place feel like home, even if just for a little while.”

Mae’s cheeks flushed, and she looked down for a brief moment before meeting his gaze again. World spinning, butterflies in his stomach as he looked back at her. His gloved hands stroking the smooth surface of the pendant between his pointer finger and thumb as he looked down at the way her expression showed a hint of longing amidst her resolve. Clearing her throat after a beat between them she said, “You should get going, though. I didn’t mean to hold you up,”

“Right,” he said, reluctantly picking up his bag. “I guess it’s time for me to ship out.” 

As he turned toward the ramp, he felt a twinge of regret. “I’ll keep in touch,” he assured her, glancing back.

“Promise?” she asked, her tone laced with hope.

“Promise,” he confirmed, feeling the weight of that commitment resonate between them.

With one last smile, he turned and began walking away, the pendant resting against his heart—a tangible reminder of their shared moments. As he sat down in the cockpit, he couldn’t help but look back one last time, capturing the image of Mae standing there, the morning light framing her in a golden glow. She’d moved further back under the large tree at the top of the Island’s hill, leaning against its low hanging branch as she lifted her hand into a wave. 

Starting up the engines, Rex felt a renewed sense of purpose. The journey ahead may be uncertain, but with the pendant as a reminder of his time on Pabu and the connection they had forged, he felt ready to face whatever awaited him among the stars. And if he found it way back to Pabu in the future, perhaps he could enjoy a few more slower moments in the midst of his chaotic life.

To be continued...

Again shout out to my friend for this amazing image!

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 21

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: Well, would you look at that. I still know how to write I guess. Been a minute between bookcases and bouts of depression, but HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!! As always, thank you to the absolutely wonderful @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading for me!

Chapter Rating: T

Warnings: implied sexual content

Word Count: 5.9k words

"We're about to have some uninvited Imperial guests," Organa announced, tension clearly throbbing in his temple despite his relatively calm demeanor. Senna noted him fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve, an uncharacteristic tell for the normally-composed politician. 

It must be serious then.

“You said we’d be safe here,” Rex gritted out, his hand resting protectively against Senna’s lower back. 

The senator opened his hands in supplication. “We will do everything we can to ensure that remains true, Captain. I’d remind you that having you here also puts me, my family, and everyone in this palace in danger as well.” He sighed, and Senna could feel the weight he was carrying in the breath he expelled, the lines around his eyes suddenly becoming more pronounced. 

“Do you know why they’re coming, Senator?” Senna asked gently.

Organa met her gaze. “We were planning to host trade negotiations with Corellia next week, and I had invited Senator Roon and their entourage for the discussions.” His fingers flexed nervously at his side. “It was meant to be routine, even pleasant since I’m friends with the senator they were sending. We’d made a lot of good progress in our prior discussions, so this was largely meant to be a final ironing out of details. This meeting was also intended to be the forum in which I briefed the senator on the information gleaned from your time on Lothal. Senator Inor Roon was hoping they would be able to take that information back to their colleagues to make some headway in pushback against the Empire. Unfortunately, it appears the senator’s recent inflammatory comments about the Emperor has cost them their position in government.” Senna could see a history reflected in Organa’s eyes, a guilt looming. 

He tried to warn Roon, tried to make them see. And now he’s wondering if he could have done more. Roon’s rhetoric has put him at risk as well.

“I was informed a few moments ago that an Imperial representative will be coming in their stead to participate in the negotiations, and due to scheduling conflicts, they are arriving tomorrow,” Organa continued. “Fortunately, I’ve met the admiral they’re sending several times, Makin is his name. A pleasant enough fellow.”

“Didn’t know Imperials could be pleasant,” Echo muttered under his breath. 

“We have a good working relationship,” Organa replied, shooting Echo a look. “As long as we don’t raise suspicion, I think there is no need for concern. Just extra caution.” 

“And Roon?” Hunter pressed. “If they were involved with your extracurriculars, we’re all in danger, Senator.” 

Organa nodded. “I’ve already reached out to Inor through private channels. Fortunately, their punishment hasn’t gone beyond their removal from government as of now.” He met Hunter’s gaze, his eyes flicking from clone to clone and Senna before finally coming to rest with Rex, as if he understood it was most important to reassure him. “We’ve worked to keep things as compartmentalized as possible within this network. And Inor understood the risk, both for themself and everyone else involved should they reveal anything. I would never have allowed them to be involved if I didn’t trust them in every way that matters. They had plenty of opinions, but I’m positive they wouldn’t be so reckless as to divulge anything that would incriminate others.” 

Something about the name of the Imperial, Makin, tugged at the back of Senna’s mind. She gripped Rex’s arm as it dawned on her suddenly. “Makin was one of the men on the Ilum panel at the conference on Lothal.” 

“You’re sure?” 

She raised an eyebrow at him, and Rex’s mouth drew into a thin, worried line. It was clear he could see what she was thinking, and it thrilled her to be known so intimately and annoyed her at the same time.

“Senna-”

She ignored the warning in Rex’s tone, turning instead to address Organa. “Senator, who all are you planning on including in the negotiations?”

Organa’s brow furrowed. “The queen of course, and a few members of my staff that worked on writing the agreement along with a few advisors, experts in their area. Why?” 

“I’d like to attend in disguise.” 

“Senna,” Rex grunted, making no effort to hide his annoyance.

“I won’t say anything. You can pretend I’m just some sort of aide or something,” she argued, her eyes flicking to the captain before returning to Organa. “I just want to be there in case there’s any pieces of information that would be useful.” 

“We’ll have notes taken,” the senior aide standing next to the senator offered. 

Senna shot him a withering glare. “With all due respect, sometimes things get lost in notes. I’d rather listen in person. There are very specific pieces of information that may seem unimportant in the moment, but may prove to be significant pieces of the puzzle in the correct context.” 

The senator considered it for a moment. “Well, if it’s just you-”

“If she goes, I go too,” Rex stated firmly. 

Senna briefly considered arguing with him, but could see it would do no good. And some sort of concession felt appropriate since Rex hadn’t dragged her out of the room for a quarrel about her impulsiveness.

The guard to Organa’s left spoke up. Senna noticed the captain’s insignia pinned onto his uniform with the name Antilles inscribed in the metal. 

“We cannot possibly hide you all in the palace. While the negotiations should be limited to a certain area, the Imperials tend to be… probing.”

“They often ask to be shown around under the pretense of wanting a tour,” Organa clarified. “We’ve kept the Empire from occupying Alderaan largely because we’ve always been amenable and cooperative. But that means we need to move you and your ship elsewhere.” 

“The Imperial delegation will arrive tomorrow evening. We plan to evacuate you all tonight to a set of caverns in the mountains. You’ll have to stay on your ship, but it will keep you out of harm's way until the Imperials leave.” 

“Let Hunter, Echo, and Wrecker take the ship,” Senna pressed. “They stand out far more than Rex and I do. I think our time on Lothal proved that.”

“But if you’re recognized-”

“I can dress as a guard,” Rex replied, and Senna felt relief flood through her. “The helmets do a good job at hiding faces. I won’t be recognized. And I’m sure we can find a way to disguise Senna.”

I’m positive he’ll have plenty of objections when it’s just the two of us, but at least he’s backing me now.

“Corellia is a hub for manufacturing,” Senna continued. “If Makin is involved, I have to believe it’s in relation to the super weapon we’ve been trying to find more information about.”

Organa regarded her. “What if he doesn’t reveal anything helpful?”

“Then at least we tried,” Senna countered. “And that’s better than risking not having the right people in the room.” She did her best to soften her tone and expression, her eyes flicking back and forth between Organa and Captain Antilles. “Please. I think this is worth the risk.” 

The senator and his guard exchanged a look, and Senna could see some sort of unspoken conversation happening between the two of them. And the guard was losing. 

“Very well,” Organa stated after a few moments. “Clone Force 99, Captain Antilles will escort you down to the hangar for your departure. You’ll be sent with a guide to direct you to the location and back. Captain Rex, please go with them so you may be outfitted. Master Aven, if you’ll go with my aide, he’ll see that you’re appropriately briefed and outfitted as well.” He rubbed his thumbs over his knuckles at his sides, his hands clenched into nervous fists. “We will reconvene in the morning prior to the delegation’s arrival. I’d still like to get the both of you debriefed sooner rather than later.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked off with the remainder of his staff in tow. 

Captain Antilles turned and stalked off wordlessly. 

“Guess he expects us to follow,” Wrecker grunted. 

Echo gripped Senna’s arm. “Be careful.”

“Aren’t I always?”

He huffed a laugh. “I think someone would beg to differ.” His eyes drifted over her shoulder, and she could feel Rex’s gaze practically boring into the back of her neck. Echo released her, giving her a grim smile before taking off after his squad. Senna turned to face Rex, but he brushed by her. 

“Rex, I-”

“I have to go,” he interrupted her. “But we’re going to talk about this later.” 

“Yeah, I figured,” she muttered as he turned and trotted after his brothers. 

—

A few hours later, Rex stepped through the door of the room he was sharing with Senna, hauling a palace guard uniform, weapon, and helmet with him. He’d endured more than enough lecturing from Antilles on what was protocol, sticking around just long enough to see Echo and the others off before escaping any additional thoughts the captain had. 

He didn’t blame Captain Antilles of course; he wasn’t exactly onboard with this idea either. Senna was right, there was a potential chance to gain additional information tied to the superweapon that they’d been chasing, but that also presented yet another opportunity for them to be put in danger. And while he’d never admit it, Rex had hoped to stay out of the thick of it for a little while, especially after only one night of decent rest with Senna. 

But she’d had a good point. It was a rare and promising opportunity, one that he felt duty-bound to take advantage of. He knew he’d been short with her, and if he was honest, his frustration didn’t lie with her, at least not entirely. She was driven and determined and relentless, which were all things he loved about her. But just this once, he wished that the Empire would let them catch a break. Or that she would. 

Senna was standing at the window when he came in, her arms wrapped around herself with her back to him. He noted the dark blue robes that were flung over a chair in the corner. Her disguise, he assumed. At the sound of the door, she turned and caught his eye, and he could see that she was bracing for an argument. But something about the sight of her took all of the fight right out of him. 

“I’m sorry,” he broached, tossing the guard uniform on the same chair. The helmet clattered to the floor, and he bent to retrieve it, resting it more gently on the cushion. 

His words seemed to relax her a bit, her teeth digging into her lower lip. “I’m sorry too. I should have spoken with you first, privately, before signing us both up for another thing to do.” 

He huffed a laugh. “No, I think you took the perfect opportunity. I’m not sure Organa would have agreed if you’d waited longer. He was a bit shaken and needed a win. You offered him one. Maybe.” 

“Maybe,” she agreed, raising one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Rex, I just… I-”

“I know,” he said quietly. “I know, Senna. I understand what you’re hunting. I know what it means.” 

“What we’re hunting.” She was watching him carefully. 

Rex’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. “What we’re hunting,” he agreed. 

They stood looking at one another for half a beat before the moment seemed to pass, Senna turning back to the window. 

“Did you eat?” she asked quietly. 

Relieved that the possibility of conflict had seemingly dissipated, Rex crossed the room, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, inhaling deeply into her hair, which hung in loose, free waves down her back. The city stretched out beneath them, glowing softly in the moonless night.

“Grabbed a quick bite before coming back. You?”

Senna’s hands wrapped around his forearms, and she leaned back into him, her head resting on his shoulder. “Snuck a sandwich out of the kitchens after I got my wardrobe for tomorrow.”

“What part will you be playing?” he teased. 

“The role of one of the queen’s handmaidens,” Senna replied. “Got a large hooded cloak that should hide my face pretty easily. I’m to stand at the back wall and do ‘nothing noticeable’, is how the aide put it.” 

Rex pressed a kiss to her shoulder, muffling the chuckle that escaped him. “I’m sure you loved that.” 

“If that’s what it takes for me to be in that room, then I’ll do just that,” she muttered. “And I take it you’ll be standing in as security?”

“I will,” he confirmed. “Although I’ve got to say the uniforms are wildly impractical.” 

“They’re not your armor,” she said quietly. There was something strange in the tone of her voice, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. 

“Sen? Something wrong?” 

He studied her profile, but she kept her gaze focused forward, as if searching for the words outside the window. Finally, she inhaled hesitantly. 

“We… we didn’t meet during the war, did we?”

Rex thought for a moment, running through every memory he had with Anakin and Ahsoka, searching for some flash of Senna and finding none. “No. I don’t remember us ever meeting, and I’m certain I would have,” he added, trying to joke her out of her funk, but her teeth dug further into her lip, and he could see the answer didn’t seem to be the right one. Slowly, he turned her to face him, slipping his fingers under her chin to raise her blue eyes to meet his. 

“What is it?”

Her brows knitted together, and he could see she was struggling with how to phrase it. He didn’t rush her, letting her work through it despite the fact that his pulse seemed to quicken with every passing second of silence. Finally, she spoke.

“I… I’ve been having dreams. Had them before we met too. Of you.”

Rex’s blood was rushing in his ears. “Of me? Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t know it was you at first.” Her words were tumbling out of her quickly now. “You always were in your armor with your helmet on, and you never said much, and through the vocoder, it was hard to recognize your voice. I didn’t realize who it was until-”

It clicked. 

The odd look on her face as she’d held his helmet. It was a shock, a realization, a discovery. 

“Until you saw my armor on the Marauder.” 

She shivered slightly. “Yes.” 

Rex rested his hands on her shoulders, trying to hide his uncertainty and concern. 

“What do you think that means?”

Senna scrubbed her hands over her face. “I have no idea. I know that’s not comforting, but I really have nothing.”

Rex pulled her into his chest, and he felt her relax slightly. 

“Could be nothing,” he noted, not believing that was true for a second. “But sometimes Jedi have premonitions.” Ahsoka had experienced something similar during the war, and he remembered how much it had alarmed her. But she’d been a teenager. Senna was a fully-fledged Jedi Master, and to see her this shaken made him certain it wasn’t the same. 

“Rex, it can’t be a premonition,” she said slowly. “It’s already happened. And you weren’t there.”

He met her eyes. “Order 66?”

She buried her face in his shirt, muffling her response slightly. “Yes.” 

Rex let out a long, low exhale. 

Creates more questions than it answers.

“Did… did you ever have any dreams or visions like that before?” he asked. 

“Never.” 

He nodded. “Alright.” 

“Alright?” she asked, glancing up at him again.

He smiled. “It’s like you said, it’s already passed. It can’t happen again.” Rex desperately hoped that sounded reassuring. He placed a kiss to her forehead, and he felt her let out a quiet breath. “I know it bothers you to not have the answers to everything,” he said against her skin. “But sometimes you’re not meant to.” 

“It doesn’t strike you as odd?”

Rex grinned. “Everything about the Jedi strikes me as odd, but I’ve learned to live with it.” 

“I’m being serious, Rex.”

“And so am I.” He took her hands between his, kissing her knuckles as he carefully formed his response. “Look, there’s plenty for us both to be worried about. This isn’t remotely near the top of my list, and I don’t think it should be at the top of yours either.” He pushed some hair out of her face before cradling her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek. “All that’s done now. Let’s just look forward to the future. Together. If the dreams keep happening, we can talk through them, but maybe some part of your brain knew something the rest of you didn’t yet.” 

Senna hummed, smiling before resting her forehead against his and wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“You’re probably right,” she conceded.

“Say that again,” he joked, and she pinched his stomach through his shirt in response. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her playfully and twirling her in a circle, her toes dragging against the carpet as she giggled. He set her down, kissing her deeply, and she hummed against his lips. 

“We should get some sleep,” she murmured, her hands sliding under his shirt.

“If you insist.”

—

Rex didn’t sleep much. 

Long after Senna’s breathing had evened out to soft snores, he lay awake, thinking of her dreams and what they could mean. It was strange for him to think that even when they’d been butting heads over her mess and her methods, that she’d been dreaming of him without even knowing it. She’d disclosed a little bit more of the details before nodding off, including the fact that he’d always been trying to save her in the dreams, that they’d always been trying to escape together. Part of him knew it was perhaps silly and useless to try to assign meaning to it, but that didn’t stop his brain from trying. 

Another part of him felt a strange sort of guilt. He hadn’t been there to stop that moment from happening, to keep Senna from harm. Deep down, he knew that was for the best. His chip had activated, and it was an immense amount of luck and his close personal relationship with Ahsoka that had saved the two of them. 

If I had been on Kashyyyk with Senna, at least one of us would be dead. Maybe both if she and I had gone toe-to-toe.

No amount of reasoning seemed to be able to calm his mind. He’d had plenty of recurring dreams himself, but none that involved people he had yet to meet. 

Anakin and Kenobi always joked that the Force works in mysterious ways. Perhaps it’s true.

At some point, he must have drifted off, one arm wrapped around Senna, who was snuggled into his side, sleeping with her cheek resting on his chest. He awoke to soft kisses along his jawline and his name being whispered softly in his ear. His eyes fluttered open to find Senna watching him, her hair wild from sleep. She smiled, and he melted. 

“Morning,” she murmured. 

He cradled the back of her head, letting his fingers thread through her brunette tangles to pull her in for a kiss. She hummed against his mouth, and he rolled her under him, relishing in how her body felt pressed against his. He moved to her jawline, and then her throat, and she arched into him, letting out a little gasp that made his blood thrum in his veins. 

“Careful,” she sighed. “Organa said he wanted us to brief him in half an hour.” 

“I only need ten minutes,” he grunted, but she giggled, pushing against his chest half-heartedly. 

“Yes, well I would want more than ten minutes,” she huffed. 

“Greedy.”

“Maybe,” she conceded with a wicked grin, “but I don’t hear you complaining.” 

Rex relented slightly, but hovered over her, taking her all in. She flushed under his gaze, ducking her head slightly. 

“What?”

He huffed a laugh, playing absently with her hair. “It’s just the first time I’ve woken up in a bed with you still in it.” Her smile faded slightly, shifting to embarrassment, but he cradled her face. “I think I could get used to this.” 

Her lips quirked back up at the corners, and a warmth settled into his chest. 

“Good,” was all she replied. 

—

The remainder of the morning and afternoon seemed to fly by, and with every passing hour, Rex felt a shift within himself, the soldier settling back into place. 

He and Senna were debriefed by Organa, a few aides, and Captain Antilles. Every word they uttered was recorded (and encrypted, he was assured), and every statement was questioned and analyzed down to the cellular level. No stone was left unturned, and at the end of it, he could tell that the senator was left more unsettled with even more questions. Still, he remained reassuring. 

“This is excellent information. You both have done a great service to us.”

Rex couldn’t be certain, but it felt like perhaps hearing the information in its entirety had changed something for Organa. 

Maybe he wasn’t the one tossing the information aside. Maybe he’ll press harder now. 

Maybe this won’t all have been for nothing.

He wanted that to be true. For Senna’s sake. 

“What happens now?” Senna asked. 

“We pass it along to our other network members. See who can add more details or if anyone has heard anything along the same lines.”

“And if they have?” she pressed. Rex could see what she was hoping for, and he also knew she wasn’t going to get it here. This part, at least, made sense to him. 

Military operations take time and patience, even moreso when they’re being conducted covertly. 

And patience isn’t something she has much of.

As if the senator could read his thoughts, he replied “We must be patient, Master Aven. Even if your information is verified and we are able to glean more details, we won’t be able to act immediately. We must choose our moment carefully.” 

Senna did little to hide her frustration. “And while we are patient, worlds like Lothal and Ilum and who knows where else will be plundered and rendered unlivable. All so you can choose a diplomatic solution.” 

It was strange to see her like this, particularly after their conversation on Lothal. Rex had thought then that Senna would endure whatever frustrations to support the rebellion, but maybe something had also changed within her as well. 

She might finally be seeing the cracks. That if she’s going to stick with this, it’s going to come with a lot of disappointment and very few victories. At least for now. 

She has to come to terms with that. Or else this will be the end of her. 

“We must work within our means, Senna,” Organa replied gently. 

Rex could appreciate where the senator was coming from, but he could see it did little to placate his partner. 

“And if we could find more information?” she asked, still pushing.

Organa was clearly trying to find some wording that would satisfy her. Captain Antilles, however, was uninterested in coddling her emotions. 

“It would be reckless to make a move without careful planning, Master Aven,” he said tersely. “While you may be willing to throw your life into the balance, it’s not just your life at risk. This network is vast, and while you may not know or understand all of the pieces in play, I can assure you it would take a single wrong move to dismantle it all.” 

She glared at him, but he didn’t flinch. 

Organa stood, signaling the end of the meeting. Senna’s jaw was set defiantly.  

“We thank you for the information you’ve provided,” Organa tried again, and Rex could see he was genuinely grateful and trying to offer some solace. And genuinely worried. “We will keep you informed as much as we can.” 

He turned to address one of his aides, and Rex took that as a dismissal. Senna did as well, falling into step behind him, but not before she shot Antilles another scowl. If the captain noticed, he didn’t react. 

They walked through the corridors in silence. Rex was content to let Senna stalk off whatever anger she was clearly still feeling, knowing she’d eventually engage him. He didn’t have to wait long.

“How can they just be content to sit by while the Empire burns through planet after planet, clearly building something they consider a game changer?” she exploded, waving her arms as she continued walking, passing Rex with long, energetic strides.

Rex chose his words carefully as he slowed behind her, knowing one misstep would redirect all her ire at him. “They’re being abundantly cautious, which isn’t a bad thing with the number of spies the Empire has deployed.” 

Senna skidded to a halt, rounding on him. “You agree with them? I thought you were the skeptical one when it comes to this.” 

It felt accusatory, but Rex kept his tone even. “Sen, I am still critical of how things operate here, but in this instance, I understand where they’re coming from.” 

“They’re just keeping their own skins safe while everyone else deals with being under the Empire’s heel.” 

“I think that’s a step too far, and you know it,” he countered. 

She scoffed, turning away, but he gripped her shoulders, turning her back to face him. He dipped his head, searching for her eyes, and finally, she glared up at him through her eyebrows, her blue irises blazing. He gave her a sad smile. 

“One thing you’re going to have to come to terms with, especially if you’re going to continue in this line of work, is that you can’t save everyone, Senna.” She tried to huff some hair out of her face unsuccessfully. Rex reached up, brushing the strands behind her ear before slipping his fingers under her chin. “Sometimes, impossible decisions have to be made, and that comes with a cost. They’re being cautious because of how much is at stake. You’re right. The superweapon does feel like something that could shift everything. But that makes the next steps they take all the more important. If we aren’t careful, we get caught, and then it all comes crashing down. And then who will help those people? Who will stop the Empire from getting the upper hand?” 

Senna let out a long exhale between pursed lips before leaning forward, gently tapping her forehead against his chest. 

“You’re right. I know that.”

“Twice in a rotation. That must be a record,” he joked. 

She glanced up at him. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t think we shouldn’t keep pressing the issue. Carefully.”

“I wouldn’t stand in your way,” he agreed. 

The corner of her lip tugged into a smirk.

“Alright. Now let’s go get dressed.” 

—

The helmet of the Alderaan royal guard was much more awkward and heavy than Rex was used to, but it was meant to be more decorative and intimidating than practical. Still, the strap was uncomfortable under his chin, and the uniform itself felt stiff and awkward as he stood at his post inside the conference room. Antilles had positioned him mostly in shadow, using the darkness to obscure whatever of his features the large helmet and visor didn’t cover completely. His palms were sweaty despite being ungloved, and he kept wiping them subtly on his light blue pants. 

This whole getup is ridiculous. Especially the cape. 

He readjusted the grip on his electrostaff again, trying to make sure he was holding it the same way as the other guards. His other hand drifted to check his holster for the standard-issue blaster he’d been given, then slipped under his cloak to check the placement of the vibroblade he’d slid into his belt. That hadn’t been standard issue, but Rex liked to be prepared for all outcomes. 

In theory, it wasn’t difficult to just stand there and blend into the surroundings, but standing still and just watching wasn’t something Rex excelled at. Cody and Fox had the patience for these sorts of things, but not him. 

At least Senna gets to stand a little closer, he thought. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to hear from here.

“The Imperial delegation has arrived,” Antilles buzzed in the comm in his ear, startling him slightly. “The senator and the queen are greeting them now, but we’ll be heading to the conference room momentarily.” 

Here we go.

Rex counted the seconds silently as the minutes ticked by until one of the side doors hissed open. A gaggle of aides and handmaidens trickled in, taking seats at the table and along the back wall on one side of the room. Rex picked Senna out of the bunch, the hood of her dark blue cloak pulled low to obscure most of her face. Even though her appearance was hidden, everything about her was recognizable to him, from her gait to the way she clasped her hands in front of her. He had to bite back a smile at the realization. 

I really am in deep. 

Senna glided along the floor, taking up her position along the wall behind one end of the table, spaced equally distant between her counterparts. Rex guessed the seat at that end was reserved for the queen. His suspicion was confirmed a few moments later as the delegations came walking in through the main archway. Breha and Bail led the way flanked by aides and guards, followed by a small army in Imperial grey and a handful of stormtroopers.

That feels like more people than necessary for a trade negotiation, Rex thought sourly. But Imperials do love to overcompensate. 

The wall of grey filed into the seats in front of Rex, their backs to him as they sat down, not a single one sparing him a glance. He was fine with that. The stormtroopers flanked the archway, three on each side, standing at attention. Breha Organa sat at the end of the table that the handmaidens shadowed with the senator at her right. An imperial with a massive bald head and a solid blue, six-pip insignia plaque on his breast sat at her left, pulling a handkerchief from a pocket to mop at his sweaty, reddened face as he laughed at something Bail said uproariously. 

That’ll be the admiral then. 

Rex could see why Organa found Makin easy to get along with. The man did seem jovial and good-natured, but the moment chairs stopped scraping against tile and everyone seemed to settle, he got down to business. 

“So, your Highness, Senator, thank you for accommodating our early arrival. I know it couldn’t have been easy with both of your busy schedules.” 

Bail and Breha nodded and smiled graciously. Makin continued. 

“I’d like to go over a few of the points that are in the draft trade agreement.” 

“Is there an issue?” the senator asked, with one eyebrow raising slightly. “We’d spent a large amount of time coming to compromises with Senator Roon, and I anticipated this being a mostly social endeavor if I’m honest.” 

Rex could no longer see Makin’s face, but he did heave a deep sigh as the queen kept a measured, unwavering smile on her face. Her eyes however, were boring into the admiral. The Imperial didn’t seem to feel the heat of her gaze. 

“Yes of course. It’s just that since Senator Roon’s departure, there’s been a desire to better align this agreement with some newer Imperial interests. You understand of course.”

‘Departure’ is one way of putting it, Rex thought.

The senator’s smile flickered for only a second before he pulled his expression into something that mirrored his wife’s. 

“Of course.” 

Rex tried to keep up the negotiations that followed, but after a while, as he had suspected, he found himself struggling to hear some of the points being made, so he instead kept himself busy with trying to catalog the personnel in attendance in the Imperial delegation. He was certain Senna was mentally capturing all of the pertinent details from where she stood anyway. She was as still as a statue, but he could tell she was listening hard and remembering every word. 

She’s got this.

His eyes drifted down the table. Organa had only brought a handful of aides with him, but Makin had brought a dozen other Imperial officers. He guessed the man sitting just to the admiral’s left was some sort of personal aide, tapping away at his data pad frantically and occasionally filling in a piece of information when the admiral addressed him. 

Likely a more junior officer. 

He hadn’t caught a glimpse of any of the other insignia plaques, but he assumed the aide would be an ensign, maybe a lieutenant. There had been some shuffling and mutters during the seating, and he guessed the next few were newly promoted officers, scrabbling to earn the favor of their commanding officer. 

Commanders of one flavor or another, I’d wager.

There were a few officers that were more laid back, clearly having worked under Makin for a while. They understood when to interject, never too aggressive in inserting themselves, but scoffing quietly at their more eager counterparts.

One or two of them have probably been passed over for promotion. 

However, one officer at the opposite end of the table stood out to Rex. He couldn’t see the man’s face, but he was slumped in his chair slightly, not nearly as engaged as the rest of his delegation. Instead, he carried an air of hostility, as if the entire negotiation was beneath him. There was something familiar about him that Rex couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he guessed his placement at the table was probably preferred and strategic. 

Makin wants him involved, but certainly doesn’t want him to be noticed. Not with that attitude. 

“...but we were to be the primary source of that mining,” Senator Organa was arguing, his tone slightly more combative, drawing Rex’s attention. “We’d planned to ramp up production and create a jobs program that brought people in from smaller towns and villages, providing them with housing and training. This was to be a massive economic boon for us, Admiral. And now you’re asking us to scrap all of that work?” 

“Senator, I understand your frustrations, but the new veins of Cubirian discovered on Lothal are much easier to access, and quite frankly, much cheaper for the Empire to procure. The fact that we’re still offering to keep you on as a provider of this particular metal rather than going exclusively with the cheaper option is a goodwill offering.” 

The queen’s nostrils flared, but she remained silent, deferring to her husband with a sideways glance and nearly imperceptible nod. A vein in the senator’s temple was growing more pronounced, but he kept his voice even as he pressed. “And is Lothal even prepared to begin mining and refining? From everything I understand, they do not have the infrastructure in place. That could have significant impacts to any schedule you’re pursuing.” 

Makin leaned forward, glancing down at the opposite end of the table to address the slumped Imperial sitting there. The man must have felt Makin’s gaze on him, turning his face so that Rex finally could make out his features. His hazel eyes were disinterested and filled with disdain as he met his superior’s stare. 

Rex’s blood ran cold as he finally recognized the man. 

The admiral’s smile was tight as he addressed his petulant subordinate. 

“Captain Fisk, would you care to elaborate on the status of Lothal’s mining and refinery construction?”

Tag List: @redheadgirl @cyarbika @witchklng @djarrex @arctrooper69

@sleepingsun501 @ladytano420 @rexxdjarin @echos-girlfriend @zoeykallus

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[rexxdjarin]

everyone thought rex was so proper and by the book and noble and too dedicated to his job and his duty to be dating around

and mari really said.....I bet I could fuck him and incite the freak in him. she unlocked his inner slut and then cuffed him.

truly incredible the power of pussy

[clonemedickix]

Rating: E

Word count: 2.0K

Pairing: Captain Primer x OC General Lara Lin

Warnings: clone SMUT - Under 18 DNI, foreplay and banter, P in V sex, oral sex, F receiving, angst, open marriage

Excerpt Summary - It’s been a long time coming, but Lara and Primer simply can’t help it at this point. Primer takes the initiative to do what he’s needed for a while now, and Lara finally bows to needs she can’t suppress.

@blueink-bluesoul @523rdrebel @anxiouspineapple99 @dystopicjumpsuit @cloneloverrrrr @mandos-mind-trick @freesia-writes @sunshinesdaydream

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If you’d like to see the entire chapter, click here

Excerpt beneath the line

Lara handed Danny off to Suu Lawquane one evening in the Great Hall, and made to sneak off for some time on her own. But before she could get far, she heard Primer call her name. Turning, she saw him striding toward her, intent on going with her. Lara smiled and accepted his company, heading off to walk in the woods under the bright moon. Communing with nature, the very planet, helped restore her sense of the Force, of the energy that formed her power. It wasn’t the same as the strength she gained doing the same on Earth, but it was still something. She reached over and put her arm through Primer’s, walking with him contentedly. They didn’t speak, they simply walked and shared each other’s company. After a good while, they came to the pool and waterfall. Lara stopped by the pebbled shore and sighed - the pure moonlight illuminated the fall beautifully, and the surface of the water sparkled in a breathtaking manner. It was like seeing starlight trapped beneath the surface, perfectly reflected back. Her eyes sparkled in response, shining forth in answer to the beauty.

Primer stared at her in wonder. Sometimes her stunning perfection caught him by surprise and he had no words. He reached out tentatively and brushed a soft curl off her cheek, behind her delicately pointed ear. He felt her turn her face to his, her eyes finding him in the dark with a look of deep need and longing. Her lips parted slightly, as if she was about to say something, and Primer suddenly leaned in and kissed them, his fingers curling into her hair behind her head, holding her softly to him. He felt her own touch him, light as butterfly wings. Her grip on his arms tightened though, as she deepened the kiss, opening her mouth on his and reaching forward with her tongue to caress his own. Primer pulled her to him with both hands, holding her body to his, pressing against his full length. His touch wandered down the planes and curves of her body, feeling her heart starting to race along with his own. She wanted him. Maker, he could feel how badly she wanted him. And by all the power of the Force he wanted her back.

Pulling away from her with something of a gasp, Primer took her right hand and turned to follow the rim of the lake behind the waterfall. There was a snug little cave there he’d discovered on one of his many days spent exploring the area. He towed her with him into the dark alcove, away from the spray of the fall, to the driest part of the cavern. Once there, he pushed her up against the wall of the cave and leaned in to kiss her deeply, roughly. He was done with the angst and excuses, done with avoiding Rex’s feelings.

Lara kissed him back, all of the pent up need and frustration for this man rushing to the surface. She felt him slip his tongue into her mouth and sucked at it, sliding her own over it, then moving to pull at his bottom lip, nipping it with her sharp teeth. She felt the slight tickle of his full goatee on her skin, and ran her hands up over his sharp cheekbones to the soft shaven undercut on his scalp, ending by running her fingers through the unruly length of hair at the top. She could feel the heat of his body pressed against her, the length of his hard bulge against her pelvis as he ground himself against her, needing her as badly as she needed him.

How many years had he spent serving beside her, one step behind, guarding her very shadow, supporting her every move, loving her secretly? How many nights had he held her in his mind, made love to her in his dreams, waking to find nothing but damp briefs, stained with the evidence of his unrequited love for her. Though in reality, it had never been unrequited, only forcibly held in check. Now, he felt set free, justified in his reaching for her by Fives’ words. Primer looked into Lara’s eyes and silently asked if this was okay, as he put his hands on the hem of her shirt. She nodded quickly, her look somewhat desperate for his touch, for him to see her body. He pulled her shirt off over her head, kissing his way down from her mouth to her chest, his hands taking in the feel of her soft skin, the criss cross of smooth scars. Dropping to his knees, he undid the buttons of her BDUs, pulling them down with her panties to her ankles.

He looked up at her from her feet, his brown eyes worshipful, his hands reaching softly up her strong thighs, moving to spread her legs for him. Lara dropped the tiniest bit to afford him room, as Primer leaned in a touched his tongue lightly to her wet sex. He moaned even as she did at the contact, at the heat of her against his mouth, at the taste of her. It was exquisite. Primer suddenly buried his face in her folds, sucking at her clit and fucking her with his tongue. He could feel his own arousal dripping from himself, trapped in his pants still. His cock throbbed with need of her. His fingers dug into her hips, like he was holding onto the face of a cliff for dear life. Lara reached down and threaded her fingers through his, her ragged breathing and sighs making it hard for her to keep standing. The things he was doing to her, the fire lit within her for him. She shone like a beacon, and she hoped no one else saw them through the falls.

Suddenly the need to feel him inside of her was too great, and she pulled him up to stand before her. Primer grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off over his head, then used it to wipe his mouth dry. He dropped the garment on the floor of the cave and leaned in to kiss her mouth passionately again, while he felt her fingers working at his belt and the fly of his pants. She kicked her boots off with her own pants and saw him do the same, then she shoved his BDUs down over his hips, freeing his fully erect shaft from its confinement. Lara’s hand grasped at him softly, then tightened and pumped the length of him a few times, feeling him shiver and moan. Oh god, she thought. All those battles with this man at her side. All those nights she’d had dreams of him, so inappropriate as his leader. So hot with the fires of need of him. His cock was so hot with arousal, dripping from the tip. She reached her other hand back to caress his tight balls, feeling them squeeze even tighter in response, as he moaned at the deep pleasure of her touch.

Primer suddenly planted both hands flat on the wall on either side of her head and pulled away from their kiss, his eyes closed tightly. He pressed his forehead to hers and took a breath, then whispered, “I have loved you since the first day I met you, when you flipped me on my ass and I stared up into those blue eyes of yours. My whole life was forfeit to yours that day, my soul, my everything - yours. I love you with every fiber of my being, Telperion Laurelin.” He heard Lara gasp, her chest rising in surprise. He’d never once addressed her by her full name - it was a struggle for the man to call her anything but General. Primer pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, a look of desperate, hopeless love in his own.

Lara reached up and rested her hands on either side of his face, staring into his liquid brown gaze. She kissed him so delicately, dragging the tip of her tongue gently over his upper lip, as if savoring every last micrometer of touch. Returning her intense luminous gaze to him, she smiled softly and said, “Take me then, Primer. My first in command, my most loyal friend. Seal this bond of ours as it’s needed to be from the beginning.” She heard him gasp in acknowledgement, surging forward to bury his face in her shoulder as he reached down to guide himself into her, sinking his cock deep in her hot, wet core. His head snapped back in response to the sensation, and he took a ragged drag of air, working to focus. He looked into her eyes a little desperately, and saw her smile and nod. Primer took that as encouragement to move, thrusting within her, feeling her body surround his with a loving, indescribably intimate embrace. Stepping back slightly, he picked her up and settled her thighs over his hips, holding her there over his diamond hard cock, then he carefully sat down on their discarded clothes, feeling her fold her body around him.

She kissed him lovingly, slowly, relishing the feel of him filling her up, the delicious stretch and accommodation of his thick penis a concrete sensation to experience. After a moment, she pushed him back to lay on the clothing, and smiling, started to ride him, her hips moving in a firm rhythm, taking him as deeply as she could get him. He rested his hands on her hips, feeling her grind her body against his pelvis even as she sank his cock deeper into her warmth. He could feel the swelling of his orgasm deep in his balls, starting to rage into a fire he wouldn’t be able to control. He panted in effort, holding himself back, and said between breaths, “I can’t hold it much longer, Lara. Are you going to come with me?” He saw her fine brows knit together and she nodded quickly.

Reaching one hand for his, she entwined her fingers through his and found the other, doing the same, holding his hands above his head as she thrust her hips even more aggressively. Her strokes became longer, more stylized, making sure she made contact with her clit against his pubic bone in just the right way. Primer saw her pupils contract briefly and then start to dilate, even as her glow started to pour from her very skin. She gasped and called his name. “Primer, now! Come with me now. Feel me inside.” Primer groaned as he felt her walls start to spasm and squeeze him, pulsing over his cock, tightening over the head within her. His orgasm was wrenched from him, as he spilled himself within her, hot ropes of his cum filling her up and surrounding his cock, making it even wetter. Their shared ecstasy was like a searing meteoric flash, all heat and light and speed, coursing through the darkness of the cave as they crashed into one another.

Beneath her, Primer suddenly rolled them onto Lara’s back, and he leaned over her, kissing her deeply once more, feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm as the walls of her soaked pussy tremored on his shaft. When he pulled away from her mouth, he looked into her eyes for a moment, then asked, “Well, what now?”

Lara laughed lightly, rolling her eyes and looking away for a second. “What you’ve climbed Mt General and planted that proverbial flag - now you don’t know where to go from there?”

Primer chuckled softly. “Exactly, as I sit here with my cock still inside of you.” He gave her a few gentle thrusts, feeling her body tremble lightly in response. Her fit, the squeeze of her around him, was so perfect he didn’t want to pull out of her. He’d imagined a lot of things about being with her, but all of them fell far short of the reality.

“I’d say take a picture so it will last longer, but then, I want more of you too.” Her smile was heartbreaking, a little shy, a little embarrassed at herself. Primer took it all in, trying to record this memory in his very soul. He never wanted to forget this moment in time. The two made love several more times, reveling in the feel of each other’s bodies, doing their best to engrave the memory of their touch on their very DNA.

[metalheadfreak1]

The Air in my Lungs Chapter 9

This one was so much fun to write! I couldn't stop writing and wanted to keep going and going! Trust me you are going to absolutely love this chapter because there might be a fun surprise.

Remember this fic is +18 so minors get out. Stay out. FAR AWAY!

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

If you are still doing your followers celebration I got something for you 😉

To me this fits the Clones so well. There is so many pairs you could do of brothers being there for brothers (I'm talking strictly brother like, not clone shipping).... Like Rex/Cody, Fox/Thorn, Rex/Cody/Wolffe.... Anyways my ask is for you to take this song and do whatever you want with it, with whatever clones you feel this fits to make a brotherhood kinda story of your dreams lol. If you're up for something like that. 💙💙

Thank you @callsign-denmark for such a brilliant request.

I hope I did this song justice: Brotherhood by Miza, Rosendale.

It was such an emotional song, and maybe that's just me, but it really felt emotional.

I apologize for the delay in posting, things got hectic, this week. Like really crazy. I apologize.

Love oo,

Brotherhood

Warnings: Following Umbara arc, mentions of deaths, trauma, grief, pain, guilt, survivor's guilt, I think that's it, if I miss anything please let me know.

Main Master List   | Star Wars Jukebox Roulette |   AO3 Link

Kix sat on a cargo crate in the hangar, his face in his hands, as he tried to come to terms with everything that happened, with the betrayal of a Jedi, the loss of one of Hardcase, the loss of so many men. 

A shuddering breath escaped from his lips, as he tried not to let anyone notice the tears that were sliding down his face. His eyes shifted from the pile of armour in front of him, slowly focusing on the bodies of his fallen brothers he’d been unable to save. 

No one realized or really knew the sort of toll it took on him knowing he failed them. No matter how hard he tried, how he used all his might to save each and every single one of his brothers, only to fail them, one by one. 

To save so few in comparison to the ones he lost was an overwhelming feeling of defeat and loss. 

Life wasn’t fair, most of the men who lay there with a nondescript sheet over there, hadn’t even been able to live. Most were shinies, never even having a chance to step foot in 79’s or learning how connected you could feel to someone who wasn’t even your brother, simply by holding that special person in their arms. They’d been bred to fight and to die, that’s all they’d known. 

Every one of those men, who were now lying on the cold durasteel floor not even ten feet from where Kix sat, learned only one thing from the moment they were brought out of the growth chambers to the moment of their death: what it was to feel pain. Pain from training, pain from fighting, pain from seeing their brothers die, pain from not eating enough, pain from not sleeping enough. Everyday was pain for them, up until the moment of their deaths. 

Kix took in a shuddering breath once again as he rubbed his eyes, fighting back the tears that were so desperate to escape. 

Jesse had been watching his vod for a few minutes, he could see the turmoil radiating off him, he slowly walked over, taking a seat beside him wrapping his arm around Kix as he pulled him into his side.

“It’s not your fault, vod.” 

Kix didn’t respond to Jesse’s statement, simply wiping his tears as Jesse continued.

“None of the lives lost was your fault.”

“It was my job to save them.”

“It was your job to try your best, and I know you, vod, you always do your best.”

Kix broke down in Jesse’s arms, unable to hold back the unending upheaval inside of him. 

Rex watched from afar, his heart breaking for his vod. Kix didn’t deserve to suffer, he didn’t deserve to have feelings of guilt for the loss of his brothers. 

It wasn’t Kix’s fault. 

It was his own fault. At least that’s what he kept telling himself.  

After all, as Captain, he was the one responsible for sending his men out, all those men’s deaths, all the pain and suffering Kix was dealing with, what all his brothers were dealing with, this was all on him. 

He headed towards his office, paying his respects to his fallen brothers. He simply wanted the confines of his office, he didn’t want to be reminded of more deaths he could be responsible for; every single one of his vode’s faces he looked held the possibility of death in the near future. 

He was near his office when he ran into Fives. It still stung seeing Fives without Echo, and now he lost Hardcase too. It was just too much, it was all too much. 

Fives could see Rex was struggling, he stood in front of him preventing him from moving on. He knew his ori’vod well enough to know he’d never actually discuss what was wrong, but the least he could do was try to get him to open up. 

“Rex, you okay?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Rex took in a deep breath, before he even had the strength to look at Fives in the eye. 

“Come on vod, it’s written all over your face. Talk to me.”

Rex propped himself against the hallway, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against the cold steel wall, hoping it would somehow give him the strength to talk. He leaned his head back looking at the ceiling, noticing how meticulous those cleaning droids could be, even cleaning the ceiling. He closed his eyes and for some reason he couldn’t explain, his mouth just started moving. 

“I’ve lost so many good men, Fives. And each one of those men died, because they were following my orders. Not anyone else’s. Mine.”

“Rex…” 

He simply shook his head, he didn’t want to hear it right now from Fives, it was taking all his strength to just do his best to keep the tears back as he continued talking.  

“I’ve been in so many skirmishes, but I still remember each one of my brother’s faces and number. Bellow, those lost in the battle Hisseenian and Christophsis, Hevy, Flash, Cameron, Lucky, Denal, Koho, Buzz, Gearshift, Redeye, Mixer, Hawkeye, Kosmos, Charger, Longshot, Echo …” his voice trembled, there’d been so many deaths and he was responsible for each one. How many more could he bear, and now with how devastating Umbara had been. His hands trembled as he wiped a tear. 

Fives gripped his shoulder, it wasn’t the Captain’s fault, he knew that and somewhere in the back of Rex’s mind, he’d known that too. Fives took a deep breath and offered the only consolation he could think of. 

“We’ve all lost brothers, Rex. We’re all grieving, and feeling guilty for not being the ones lying on the floor beside them.”

“It’s more than that,” Rex shifted his head and looked at his brother, “I’m responsible, you  - - you didn’t send them to their deaths. I did. All those lives lost … because of me. Because I failed.”

“That wasn’t you. None of this is your fault. You weren’t responsible for their deaths. You were following orders. At the end of the day, we’re all just following orders, vod.”

Rex scoffed “To our deaths.”

Fives nodded in agreement, as he squeezed Rex’s shoulder, “At least we’ll meet it together then.”

Rex chuckled as he looked at Fives and nodded, “True. Alright, Fives. Off with you.” He motioned with his head down the hall, the overwhelming emotions finally simmering back down below the surface, “I’m sure you have somewhere to be.”

“Yes, sir.” Fives saluted and carried on his way, hoping at the very least he gave his brother some comfort. 

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[book-of-baba-fett]

Illicit Affairs - Chapter 21

Captain Rex x OC

Previous Chapter

Chapter Summary: The battle for Anaxes has reached its breaking point. As the Republic and Separatist forces face off, will Rex and Talia be able to get past their history or will the rising tension between them lead to further broken hearts.

Chapter Rating: E (18+)

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Oral (f receiving), PiV, creampie, canon typical violence, mentions of death.

A/N: Thanks for your patience with the wait on this one. It's a long chapter, but I in no good conscious could split it in half and make y'all wait (which for me, who loves good cliffhangers, is saying something.) Thanks to my darling @galacticgraffiti for beta reading, and for being with me on this journey for TWO YEARS. Won't be much longer for the next chapter.

Ao3 Link

Series Masterlist

19 BBY - Anaxes

The Republic suffered heavy losses on Anaxes, something that Rex couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt for as he walked through the medical station at camp. Given the chance, he wouldn’t do anything differently, he would always go back for Echo; but he couldn’t ignore the nagging thought in the back of his head that he should also have been in the field for the rest of his men. It was hard for him to not feel like he had the responsibility of the war on his shoulders. After so many years of command it was impossible to not feel that burden. Part of his mind told himself that he should be used to it by now, that this was the way of war. But the other part reminded himself that he was feeling that guilt because he was human. 

Echo had been in medical care since they arrived back on Anaxes the night before, and Rex hadn’t seen him since. He had to get caught up on the siege and was also encouraged by Kix to give the medical team some time, and Echo a chance for much needed rest. But Rex came as soon as he had a moment, he wanted Echo to know he had someone there for him. As soon as Rex walked in to see him, he was greeted by the sound of raucous laughter. 

“-and that’s not even all of it,” Jesse was saying as he stood in front of Echo, a grin overtaking his face. Kix was leaning on a table to the side, shaking his head but smiling along, Echo sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands as he shook with laughter. “You know how Hardcase could never say no to anything. So, when he was dared to try a sip, he downed the whole bottle-”

“And the whole barracks regretted the dare with how much he puked that night,” Rex added, remembering the story Jesse was sharing as he walked in. Jesse and Kix laughed at the memory and Echo smiled along. “We were lucky to be shipped out the next morning: I feel bad for the cleaning droids that had to deal with that.”

“I’m sure the 501st is responsible for half the contraband rules in the GAR,” Echo joined in, the smile on his face making him look livelier than he had the day before. Jesse and Kix said their goodbyes, giving Rex a chance to talk to Echo alone. 

“How are you feeling?” Rex asked tentatively.

“As good as I can be,” Echo replied simply with a small shrug. “Medics say I’m fine, I’ve just been getting some nutrients and solid food for the first time since…well, since it happened.”

Rex nodded, glad to know that there weren’t any flags raised. Echo would still have to go through some conditioning and a psych eval before going back to combat, but there was some relief in knowing Echo would be ok. Echo shifted his seat, a frown creasing on his lips as his face scrunched in thought. He glanced at the door where Jesse and Kix just walked out, then back at Rex. 

“Fives is dead, isn’t he?” 

Rex exhaled heavily. Of course, Echo was too smart to not figure out why Fives hadn’t come to see him yet.

“I’m sorry. That’s one of the reasons I was coming to talk to you today.” 

Echo nodded, his head tilted down, so he was looking at his hand and the scomp link the Techno Union had attached. “The last thing I remember was him calling my name. Next thing I knew-”

Echo’s words choked in his throat, but he swallowed whatever he was trying to say. He glanced back up at Rex and forced a smile. “Figured he would have been on the mission with you guys, that’s how I knew he was gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Rex repeated, because once more guilt was taking over him. It felt too simple just to say ‘sorry’. That one small word couldn’t encompass all the guilt he was feeling, and how it connected to Fives.  He forced a low chuckle, thinking of a different world.“Fives would have been the first volunteer, and he might have single-handedly taken on the Techno Union if he’d seen what they did to you.”

“How did it-” Echo started to ask but a knock sounded on the door. Rex and Echo glanced to see Talia standing in the doorway. A pit formed in Rex’s stomach at her sudden appearance; he hadn’t spoken to her since their conversation on the Havoc Marauder. 

“Sorry, I can go if I’m interrupting,” Talia quickly said, her eyes flicking once in Rex’s direction before locking on Echo. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“It’s fine. I was just leaving, General,” Rex said quickly. Echo’s eyes darted between the two of them, but he smiled politely at Talia. In truth Rex did have to leave - he was supposed to be in command for a briefing on his next assignment. And Cody was still injured, so he was going to stop by his quarters to see him after checking on Echo. He was also being selfish, because he hadn’t thought of how he would explain how Fives died to Echo before he stepped in. Everything around Fives’ death was painful, and he didn’t want to cause Echo any more potential stress. It was just another burden for Rex to carry. 

Since Cody was out of immediate danger, he was allowed to rest in his officer’s quarters and attend briefings, but much to his chagrin, he wasn’t cleared for combat. When Rex entered Cody’s room, the commander was out of the bed, sitting at his desk with a datapad in front him. Rex knew no medical orders could keep his brother from work. Cody didn’t look too bad anymore, he was just bandaged around his chest; it was probably precaution more than anything that kept him on rest. Cody looked up as Rex entered and offered a mumbled greeting.

“How are you feeling?” Rex asked, sitting on the edge of the bed that Cody had abandoned.

“I’m fine,” Cody grunted, uncharacteristically grumpy. He sighed and looked at Rex. “I should be cleared for duty already. It’s ridiculous being cooped up here.”

“I’m sure Kenobi has things under control, and wouldn’t want you to rush yourself,” Rex offered. Cody grunted again.

“You’re right. Hell, he’s probably the one ordering the medics to keep me here no matter how much I try and pull rank,” Cody’s tone had lightened a bit. “Still, I can’t imagine I’ll be out of action much longer. I heard things went well on Skako.”

Rex nodded. “Echo’s still being looked over. He seems to be holding things together well, after everything he’s been through.”

“That’s good to hear, he was always a good kid,” Cody said. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Never deserved for that to happen to him.”

Rex nodded. He couldn’t think of anyone who would deserve what the Techno Union did to Echo.

“How’ve you been holding up?” Cody asked. 

“It’s not easy to see brother in that state, or  to know I’m partially responsible for him being left behind-”

“You’re not,” Cody interrupted. “You know you can’t think like that. It was a mission from hell, and we couldn’t have known what would happen to him.”

“Still doesn’t make it any easier.” Rex replied darkly.

Cody seemed to accept that and nodded. 

“Still, that actually wasn’t what I was talking about,” Cody said slowly, as if Rex was missing something more obvious. Rex just stared at him in mild confusion. Cody put his datapad down and fixed Rex with a serious stare. “You looked like you saw a ghost when you saw General Riva the other day, Rex.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” Rex frowned and shook his head.

“Rex, we aren’t going to sit here and act like you haven’t been a miserable piece of shit since you two ended things.”

Rex scoffed at that, “Bold of you to call that out.”

Cody sighed and pushed his chair back. “Honestly… seeing how you’ve been since and watching you two dance around each other in command meetings this past week, I’m surprised no one else called either of you out before.”

“There’s nothing to call out, we ended-”

“I know it’s over,” Cody waved him off, “But Rex, come on. You look at her like the stars shine out of her ass. How the hell did I never see it?”

Rex stared at him in disbelief. “What does it even matter now?”

Cody sighed and fixed Rex with an imploring look. “I’m saying you do everything you can to look after the 501st, all of our brothers. Maybe I was wrong to call out the one thing you did to look after yourself.”

“What, suddenly I have your blessing or something?” Rex scoffed. 

“I don’t give a shit what you do. All I care about is that you take care of yourself. We’ve lost so much. All of us. And we need to fight for something that we believe. Not because we were trained to fight for it, but because we chose to fight for it. It’s what makes us human.”

Rex frowned and looked at his hands, already warring with himself. He opened his mouth to try and find a reply, but nothing came out. He was rescued by his comm beeping - General Skywalker ready to brief him on the next assignment already. Rex sighed heavily, and glanced back at Cody who was still giving him that frustrating, knowing look. If he hadn’t been injured, Rex would have had an urge to slap it off his face. And yet once again, Rex was leaving Cody’s room after a conversation that would stick in his mind.

The air around the base was tense. One didn’t need the Force to sense that something was about to finally give in the battle for Anaxes. They had been stuck in this stalemate for too long, and now both sides were getting ready for a final push. Rex trusted Echo’s plan to feed false information to the Separatist forces, even if Rex was worried Echo was pushing himself back into action too quickly. Rex would also stand by Echo, no matter how much the Batch seemed wary of his intentions, worried that he had spent too much time working with the Separatists to truly be on the Republic’s side again. Rex knew Echo, knew he’d had no choice in what his mind was used for. But now, he did.

The Batch and Anakin had already boarded the Havoc Marauder, and as Rex turned to join them a voice called out, “Wait a second!”

Rex turned as Talia was running over, a little out of breath. She halted in front of him as Rex stood next to the walkway.

“Aren’t you leading the 412th into the assembly complex?” Rex asked bluntly. Talia frowned, but shook her head.

“Storm has it under control. I figured you all could use some extra support here,” Talia’s tone turned stiff. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”

Rex couldn’t ignore the slight crack in her voice. He sighed and shook his head, “It’s not my call what you chose to do, General.”

Talia pursed her lips but nodded, “Then we best get on our way.”

She sidestepped him and boarded the ship, leaving Rex looking on as he once again found himself berating every little action he took. Just like when they went to Skako Minor, he knew her help was always an asset. And he didn’t want it to be this way, but he was still thinking about his conversation with Cody, and what had happened on Skako.

It wasn’t his place to question her, especially not anymore, but Rex could still feel the terror-filled awe that had overtaken him when he watched Talia take down the tri-droids with lightning. He had seen many incredible things done by the Jedi, but to see that amount of raw power coming from someone he cared about… it was mesmerizing, inspiring, and terrifying all at once. He had always known how powerful Talia was, even when she doubted it herself, but this was beyond anything he could ever have imagined. And what had scared him the most was that Talia didn’t seem to care about the cost it took on her. He saw how the lightning lit up her body, encasing her in a frightening glow, only for her to fall weak to her knees, exhausted and drained instantly after. Rex was a practical man, and Talia was right that a power like that had its use. He just didn’t think it was worth risking anything that could cause her pain.

As he contemplated this, he was only left more frustrated afterward, unable to convey his worry as anything more than irritation.  Especially when it seemed like there had been a chance for normalcy between them again with how they had talked on the mission.

He didn’t want to hurt her, that was never something Rex desired. But he couldn’t resist throwing her words back at her, because even though Rex knew Talia hadn’t meant to be cruel, she had to know how horrible it made him feel. But now he felt even worse for the pain he saw in her eyes, seeing that she obviously felt guilt for the way things had ended between them.

And then there was what Cody said. As frustrated as Rex was by his brother’s sudden change of tone, Rex couldn’t go back on his decision just like that. For all he knew, Talia wouldn’t even want him anymore. Rex had surely done enough to keep her at arm’s length in his own misguided sense of duty, but he also worried he may have lost his chance. Crosshair’s teasing remarks to Hunter still rung in his ears, and he thought of how comfortable she seemed with the Sergeant. It hurt to think that she might have moved on so quickly, but Rex couldn’t fault her for doing what made her happy. In fact, the only thing he wanted for her was happiness.

If only there was time to work out this mess between them before it complicated things on missions even more. But Rex couldn’t ignore the rushing feeling around him, that the galaxy was heading in a certain direction and couldn’t be stopped. He, his brothers, and the Jedi were caught in the middle, ready to crash when this all ended.

Sneaking onto the Separatist dreadnought went almost too smoothly, something that kept Talia’s nerves on edge. They didn’t encounter any droids on the way to the comm vault, aiding their plans for a stealth mission - even if Wrecker seemed to be tired of all their sneaking around. The vault was a small, circular room lined with wiring and electrical lights, and a tall console in its middle that Tech was rigging an interface in so Echo could safely log in. Anakin was checking to make sure there were no other entrances to the vault, ensuring that they couldn’t be attacked by Separatist troops. Talia held her blade in her hand, twirling it in her hand, ready to ignite at a second’s notice.

Talia was playing things close to the chest with this mission. Storm had already sent her a message conveying that the other Generals were not so understanding of her decision to abandon the plan that she should lead the 412th into the assembly complex, and that she had left Storm to command in her stead. But Talia’s mind was in too many places, and her judgment told her this was the place she needed to be. She could deal with the council later, even though she could guess that she would be under criticism for her rash decisions. 

Once Tech gave the go ahead, Echo scomped into the mainframe, instantly accessing all the data. He intercepted a request from Admiral Trench, which Tech pointed out they would need to reroute the message to make it seem like the call was still coming from Skako Minor.

Talia stepped into the corridor that was leading to the mainframe, giving some space from the small room. They were lucky to have been undetected this long, but Talia knew that luck would eventually run out. She tapped her foot, glancing around as she tried to keep her mind focused.

“You doing alright?” Hunter’s question cut into her nervousness as he stepped up beside her in the corridor.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Talia shrugged off, her voice more curtly than she had intended, earning a raised brow from Hunter. She exhaled, and attempted to sound more at ease. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’ve just noticed how…tense you get whenever the Captain’s around.”

Talia stopped in her tracks and turned on her heel to face him. “Your enhanced senses can’t work like that.”

Hunter snorted at how she didn’t even deny it, a grin curving on his tattooed face. “They don’t. Anyone with any sense can see it.”

Talia cursed under her breath. “Here I thought we were always good at hiding it.”

“You probably were before,” Hunter shrugged. “But whatever happened between you two…it’s still hanging in the air.”

Talia huffed a laugh at that, it was such a simple observation, but she couldn’t ignore the truth behind it. “You don’t even know half of it.”

“Well, I know one thing; even if you had never told me you had a history with a clone, I would have still known you were in love with him by the way you two go back and forth. In battle, and in conversation,” Hunter stated as simply as if he were recounting a mission. He made it sound so obvious, , as if it were the most natural thing.  “Hell, even the way you look at him when you think no one else is noticing. Same for him.”

Talia let out a mirthless laugh at that, “I think we’re long past the days where he looked at me that way.”

She berated herself for letting that slip. She had already overstepped with Hunter in too many ways to count, but he just looked at her with a somewhat exasperated look. “He’s doing it now.”

Talia frowned and glanced over her shoulder, just to see Rex’s head turn the other way. Talia’s cheeks burned and her heart ached, she couldn’t give herself that hope, even if Hunter was trying to make it feel better.  Shaking her head, she mumbled, “We should check what’s going on.”

Walking back into the room, Rex’s eyes flicked in her direction once more, to Hunter, then back to Talia. His lips flickered to an almost imperceptible frown, something anyone but Talia wouldn’t have noticed. She must be imagining it, though. Interrupting her musings, Tech made a confused noise as he looked at his datapad.

“I’m intercepting a transmission,” Tech said, suspicion in his voice, “Trench is ordering all his troops to the assembly complex.”

“All right, Echo, what are you trying to pull?” Hunter asked doubtfully.

“Don’t worry, that’s what I told him to do,” Echo answered with an assuredness only an ARC Trooper possessed.

“But our troops will be vastly outnumbered?” Rex deduced doubtingly.

“Not when I send the feedback pulse that shuts down all the droids,” Echo explained.

“How do we know that’s what you’re really going to do?” Hunter asked suspiciously. Both he and Tech were sharing a doubting look, as if they had been expecting this all along.

“We have to trust him,” Rex jumped in, frustration mounting in his voice as he tried to placate Hunter and Tech.

“Rex is right,” Talia joined, knowing that nothing would be accomplished if the squad was arguing amongst itself. “If Echo says the plan will work, it’ll work.”

“We’re counting on you, Echo,” Anakin said as he lifted his wrist to call General Windu, warning him that things were going to get a lot heavier for the troops in the assembly complex. Echo returned his focus, and Hunter and Tech seemed to accept that if it was a good enough plan for the Jedi, it was good enough for them, even if Talia could still feel the lingering suspicion on them. Rex on the other hand, didn’t waiver in his trust. In fact he seemed grateful that the tension had dissipated.

“We should be on guard,” Talia said aside to Rex, “With what I know of Trench, he’ll probably be suspicious the second things don’t work out as planned.”

“You’re right,” Rex agreed, glancing down at Echo, “I hope he didn’t play his hand too strong.”

“Keep an eye on things here, I can patrol outside and be ready at the first sign of trouble,” Talia ordered, already turning to the exit.

“What?” Rex asked, following her, “Let one of the Batch do it, I know Wrecker is itching for a fight.”

“And that’s a surefire way for us all to be discovered before anything happens,” Talia joked, earning a light huff of laughter from Rex. “Don’t worry: they won’t see me until it’s too late to do anything about it.”

Rex nodded as Talia turned away, her hilt in hand and ready for action.

“Talia,” Rex called, and she stopped; she had almost forgotten how sweet her first name sounded off his lips. She glanced back at him, his hands clenched at his sides, his brow furrowed as if he didn’t know why he called for her in the first place. He exhaled softly and met her eyes, “May the Force be with you.”

Talia nodded in return, a warmth settling in her, “May the Force be with you.”

The eerie calm of the ship was something that might have unsettled a younger Talia, new to war and battle. Hell, even a few hours ago she would have been more unnerved by the prospect of sneaking around, waiting for the calm to break. But she had to be prepared, she knew this calm would not last. It never did. She hid in the ventilation shafts, out of reach of any droids who passed by on patrol, waiting for any sign or signal that would propel her into action.

Talia’s comm chirped and she answered quickly, hearing Rex on the other side.

“Talia, they know we’re onboard. We’re going to have to make a quick evac,” Rex said rapidly.

“Got it, I’ll clear a path for you,” Talia answered. Sure enough, the sounds of clanking footsteps were starting to fill the corridors. Talia kicked open the grate beneath her and dropped below, landing with a thud and ignited her saber. She held the blade in front of her, the glow lighting the corridor as the steps approached. Talia stood still, breathed in and out, and waited for the first droid to round the corner.

Once they turned, they immediately fired, but Talia was ready, redirecting their shots effortlessly with her saber. The hall was narrow, preventing more than two droids from lining up side by side as they approached. Talia sprinted forward, her momentum carrying her up the side of the wall, and she leapt in the middle of the group of droids. Before they could turn back to fire at her, she tossed her saber at the front group, slicing them in half before calling it back. She twirled her blade rapidly, redirecting the shots the second group was firing at her, slowly pressing forward to make it to the end of the hall.

Blaster fire echoed down the corridor; more droid forces must have corned the rest of the squad. Still, Talia pushed forward, hoping that her presence as a Jedi would call more of the droid troops to her position. 

She sliced droids in half, used the force to crush them into the durasteel walls of the ship. Their shots danced around her, narrowly missing her as she carved a path through them. Her comm beeped, but she ignored the sound as she focused on the droids. Rapid metal footsteps behind her proved her plan worked, as a pair of commando droids stormed towards her. She held up her hand and slowed them with the Force, still using her blade to take out the droids closer to her. As she lost her hold, they sprinted toward her, but she moved quicker, sliding to the ground on her knees and slicing the droids at their calves, making them crash to the ground. The disassembled droids tried to push themselves up, but Talia Force-pushed them backwards, into the pile of miscellaneous droid parts her fighting had caused. 

Talia ran forward down the hall, getting closer and closer to the port the squad had used to enter the ship. Blaster fire still sounded, and she hoped the squad had made it back unharmed.

Another squad of droids found her, and Talia had to give their programming credit for their tenacity. A few more, and this might even grow to be a challenge for her. She raised her blade, ready to strike again when a small round device rolled towards the droids from behind her.

The droid popper went off and the droids crumpled to the ground from the shock. Talia’s blade disengaged as she turned in confusion to see Rex standing behind her, one hand holding a blaster that pointed at where the droids previously stood.

“The rest of the squad is already on the ship, we need to go,” he explained shortly.

“I had it under control,” Talia answered irritably; she didn’t need to be rescued from a handful of battle droids. Rex sighed as he turned.

“You weren’t answering your comm,” Rex said as he stepped away. “And I wasn’t going to leave you.”

Guilt wrapped in Talia’s gut for how harsh her tone was. She quickened her steps after him and grabbed Rex’s forearm. He halted his steps, his helmet locked on where her hand grabbed him as she said, “Thanks…for having my back.”

His helmet lifted and she stared into the back of his visor. “Always will.”

Talia didn’t know what to say. She just nodded, and finally released his arm when she realized she was holding it for far longer than she should have. Rex nodded and turned back down the hall, his blaster raising once more.

It didn’t take them long to reach the Marauder, which dislodged from the dreadnought as soon as they were safely on board. Anakin handed a detonation device to Wrecker, who let out a loud cheer as the dreadnought exploded, and Talia internally echoed his joy: after so much back and forth, it was good to have a victory that meant this siege was over. She stepped out of the cockpit, going to sit in the back of the ship for the quick trip back to base.

“Talia,” Rex’s voice called from behind her, she turned to find him approaching her, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Talia flicked a simple grin back at him, ignoring the way her gut flipped as he came up.

“For the record,” he started, and Talia tensed, preparing for some other fault he had suddenly discovered in her. But to her surprise, Rex;s hand was scratching the back of his neck, his tone more apologetic as he continued. “I know you could have handled those droids. I wasn’t trying to overstep-“

“You were trying to show off,” Talia interrupted, deciding humor was the best way to dissolve yet another moment of tense awkwardness. To her relief, Rex smiled. “I meant my thanks. You know more than most how stubborn I can get.”

Rex laughed at that, then asked, “So, what’s next for you?  I’m assuming the 412th will be shipped out pretty quickly.”

“I’m sure I’ll be getting orders from the council as soon as we land,” Talia shrugged, not letting herself feel hope at the twinge of something akin to sadness she felt coming from Rex as he asked her, “That is, of course, if I’m not grounded on Coruscant again.”

Rex raised a brow at her, and Talia sighed, biting her lip before continuing, “I kind of went rogue to join you guys here. Storm covered for me, and things ended up working out, but I can bet I’ll be getting an earful about recklessness.”

“Why would you do that?” Rex asked. His brows were cinched as he tried to read her face. For such a smart man, he could be truly oblivious at times. Talia was sure the same could be said about herself.

Talia glanced around the ship, making sure the Batch and Anakin were still otherwise focused before she met Rex’s eyes. “Look, Rex, I know things are complicated between us right now. But I still care about you, and I was worried.”

Rex didn’t say anything, his brows still furrowed as he listened. Talia gulped and couldn’t hold back the words spilling from her mouth.

“It’s just, I can tell how much stress you’ve been under, and I know I haven’t helped with that, but when you went to Skako I had to be there for you in case things with Echo didn’t turn out as well. And today, I was just still so nervous that something would go wrong, and even if you didn’t want me here I had to make sure-“

Talia’s words were cut off as Rex’s lips pressed into hers, her eyes widening in shock but fluttering closed as she melted into the kiss. His hand was placed against her lower back, holding her close to him; Talia had weirdly missed the uncomfortable way that plastoid pressed into her as her body was against his.

Rex pulled back slowly, his eyes drifting open, that soft, warm brown that still made her gut twist in the best way. For a moment, he looked content, then his eyes widened, and he removed his hand from her back.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t-“ Rex shook his head softly but the way he looked at her told Talia that he didn’t believe a word he was saying.

Talia opened her mouth, trying to say a million things back to him. It’s ok. You have no idea how much I wanted that. I missed you.

I love you.

“We’ll be landing shortly, everyone should get seated,” Tech called from the cockpit. Rex pushed away from Talia, returning to the cockpit. She was frozen, still feeling him on her lips and cursing herself for not saying more, terrified that she had lost her last chance.

Some people hated goodbyes, or at least Rex had heard that in sayings tossed around by natborns. But Rex had always felt differently, mostly because he couldn’t count the number of people he never had the chance to say goodbye to. He couldn’t let himself linger on it, it wouldn’t help anything, but sometimes he found himself wondering what he would say with one last word. But Rex was beginning to understand what the sayings meant, as he watched Echo leave.

He knew it was the right call, that Echo knew where his place really was. It just felt like Rex was saying goodbye to a part of him, even though Echo hadn’t been back for long. But Echo was something to hold on to from the early days of the war, ever since he was that overeager shiny from the Rishi Moon. Just a kid when he joined the 501st, now he was a man forged by the harsh clock of war. And with him left one of the few things that tied Rex to an older version of himself he could scarcely remember.

Rex informed the generals that the Bad Batch had already departed, not being the types for the ceremonies of the medals they had earned. The generals didn’t comment, and Rex stood tall as General Windu handed him the medal he had earned. It sounded egotistical to say, but Rex couldn’t count the amount he had gotten in the last three years. He kept them of course, but he never knew what to think of them. At first there was an honor that came with them, and he still felt that, but now he couldn’t ignore the way he was shrouded by a bit of jadedness. After everything that had happened, this was just another campaign to add to the countless he had been in. He saluted as Windu gave him the medal, but the one thing on his mind was Talia, and wondering why she wasn’t there.

Dusk had quickly settled over the encampment, its golden glow and the harsh shadows casting over the men who already worked to pack up equipment. A small force would remain on Anaxes, as was protocol, but the cog of GAR couldn’t slow down, and most of the forces would be quickly redistributed to wherever else in the Galaxy they were needed. Rex had assumed the 412th would be one of the first groups to set out, something seemingly confirmed by the amount of troops wearing black and gold armor that still hustled around the base.

It was reckless and stupid for Rex to kiss Talia, not just because they were in plain view of Anakin and the Batch, but because he had done it without thinking. His feet carried him across the compound, somehow more determined than his own confused mind as they led Rex in a direction with no idea what course of action he could even take.

  Three heavy knocks pounding on her durasteel door shocked Talia out of her meditation, or more of her attempt at it. She should be packing; she was heading out first thing in the morning, but when she got back to her room she couldn’t focus on anything. Not the report she needed to fill out, not the fact that she was clearly in trouble with the Council from the tone that Windu and Kenobi had used with her. The only thing she could think about was how she could still feel Rex’s lips on hers, could still feel the pressure of his hand against her lower back, the remnants of his essence tattooed in her memory. She practically bolted to her room after speaking with the other Jedi, trying to rid the confusing moment from her mind to no avail.  So when the knocks sounded, in the way that only he ever did, she stared at the door as if that would will it to open, for she was frozen to the ground and unsure if she could even handle being in a space alone with Rex.

Slowly, she rose from the ground, approaching the door with heavy steps before opening it.  Rex stood on her step, his helmet clutched tightly in his hands, doubt and questioning etched into his face. His eyes met Talia’s, and for a moment she half expected him to excuse himself and turn away, instead he blurted, “Can I come in?”

 With a lump in her throat, Talia nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Rex to enter, quickly shutting the door behind him. It was strange how easily he fit into the room, she was so used to sharing spaces with him that she hadn’t pinpointed how empty her quarters felt without him until this moment. His eyes scanned over the room, shifting his feet uncomfortably as he fiddled with his helmet in his hands. He exhaled, and set it on Talia’s desk, before returning to face her.

“Echo left,” he said with measured words. Whatever he was going to say, that wasn’t close to what Talia expected, and she sensed it was not what he planned on saying first.

“I’m sorry,” Talia offered sincerely, knowing how conflicted Rex must feel about it. “I’m guessing he joined the Batch?”

Rex nodded. “I told him to go, and said that if it was where he felt his place was, then that’s where he belongs.”

“Not everyone’s path is the same one they started on,” Talia said sagely, “After everything Echo’s been through, I’m glad he’s able to choose his own way.”

“You know, it’s funny,” Rex said slowly. “’Choice’ was never something us clones would have thought of. From the moment we’re created, our whole plan is set ahead of us. We train, we fight, and then we die for the Republic. Or atleast, that’s what I used to think. Once I got out here, once I lived, I knew nothing could be so simple, no matter how much my training tried to tell me there was just one goal for me. In fact, the longer I’ve survived, the more confusing it all seems.”

“That’s living,” Talia mused softly, “Even the wisest seers in the Order can misread the future. That’s because there’s no accounting for how people grow, how they can change their minds and their wants.”

“Or how they can be pushed in different directions,” Rex added. He shook his head, then glanced back at Talia. They stood in silence, just the low thrum of the air running through the vents of the quarters, the faded sounds of the camp outside the walls.  Rex shifted his stance, and took a breath before addressing Talia again.

“I had to see you before you left,” Rex started, his words weighted and heavy. “I owe you an apology-“

“Rex don’t-“ Talia interrupted, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze. She gulped. “Emotions were running high, and that can be confusing enough for anyone.”

“That’s not-, I’m not here to apologize for the kiss,” Rex took a deep breath, “I mean...yes, if it upset you, I’m sorry for that. But I’m not sorry I kissed you.”

Talia’s heart pounded, “It didn’t upset me.”

Rex was trembling slightly as he approached her, as if the weight of all the burdens he had been carrying of late were finally releasing from him.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Rex said softly, his voice rough and sincere. “That’s the thing I want least in the galaxy.”

“I didn’t mean what I said,” Talia pleaded, the gap between them closing. “Rex, you know I think so much more of you, of all of you, than that you’re just soldiers-“  

“I know that, “ Rex offered, “I know you too well to think you meant it. But at the moment, it hurt.” 

“I regretted it the second I said it,” Talia continued, “But you left and I realized I ruined everything.”

“You didnt-” Rex took a deep breath, shaking his head as he insisted, “I was the one who fucked it all up.”

“What a pair we are, huh?” Talia forced a laugh before toying with her lip. She glanced back up at Rex, and hesitated before admitting. “We had everything, but it fell apart so fast.”

“We knew it was too good to last.” Rex muttered, but he knew he was lying to himself, trying to comfort the guilt he was feeling.

“Did we? I think I was so blinded, I couldn’t see anything other than you. But then you were gone and…I realized how much of a fool I was…” the words were beginning to roll off Talia’s tongue, faster than her own mind could comprehend what she was saying to hold herself together. “I realized how much I held back and wished I didn’t. How much more we could have had if I hadn’t been such an idiot. Now, when I think of you I’m in pain; because I had something perfect, something amazing. And I lost it because I felt like I didn’t deserve it.”

Rex was silent, and fear crept into Talia that she had admitted too much. That she was speaking to a lost cause, that he had lost any ounce of feeling he once had for her and this conversation was doing nothing but making him pity her. 

“I’m the one who pushed you away,” Rex offered, cutting through Talia’s thoughts. Rex avoided her eyes, as if the piercing gaze would be too strong for him to face as he searched for his own explanation.  “All because I got scared that we could never have what we wanted, that no matter what I felt, it wasn’t possible. You called me a coward, and you were right. Just… after you got hurt, I was so terrified. I couldn’t deal with the pain of losing you like that. And when Cody confronted me, I gave in. Almost as if I felt that if we weren’t together, that it would hurt less than the fear of losing you.”

“Rex,” Talia said softly, lifting a hand to his face. Rex tensed at the contact, and Talia almost retracted her touch, but his eyes met hers and they were those same soft, warm eyes that she loved. She lost her train of thought, any words of reassurance or doubts of herself that she was about to say we lost as she looked into his eyes. Instead, she blurted out words she should have said long ago-“I love you.” 

 Her heart pounded as the words escaped her lips, fear and doubt creeping into her mind as she worried if she lost her mind for even saying it now, the same fear that had kept her from saying it before. But now it was out there and couldn’t be taken back. 

 “I know,” Rex replied softly, stepping so close to her now that barely inches separated them. “I’ve always known. Just like I’ve always known I’m in love with you.”

Talia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, whether to keep spouting her feelings, dating back to all the times she should have said it before, but she just did the thing that felt most natural to her, which was to pull Rex closer and kiss him. 

Rex’s arms were around her in an instant, holding her tightly against him, his grasp so tight it was clear he had no intention of letting her go. Talia’s hands wrapped around the back of his neck, fingernails scraping against that small patch of skin not covered by his undersuit or armor as their kiss deepened, hard and needy. Rex pushed her back into the wall, the cold durasteel firm against her back as Rex’s armor pressed into her front. She gasped as they pulled back for air, at first overwhelmed by the closeness, but when she saw Rex in front of her, she just felt comfort and longing. She pulled him back in, desperately seeking his lips, moaning into his mouth as his thigh slotted in between her legs. 

The noise awakened something in Rex, and he rushed to start taking off some of the armor from his upper body, his fumbling hands unlatching the pieces as Talia held him for the kiss. He needed to be out of his armor, needed to feel the warmth of her body against his. Talia realized what he was doing and pulled back, freeing her hands so she could help. But Rex’s lips found hers once more as they both clumsily grasped at the armor, dropping pieces of plastoid without a care to where they landed, only separating for air. 

“Wait,” Rex gasped once as they pulled back, his lips swollen but a confused look on his face, before he hesitantly asked. “What about Hunter?”

“You know about Hunter?” Talia asked, guilt and apprehension filling her. 

“I do,” Rex swallowed and nodded. “I’m not upset…at least not with you. I let you go, and that’s the biggest mistake I ever made.  If he’s what you want, I’ll step away now. You’ll never hear from me unless you want to. I’m sure he could make you happier than-”

Talia shut Rex up by stepping up on her toes, cupping her hands on his cheeks and catching his lips with hers. Rex's eyes bugged wide, until they fluttered closed, his arms wrapping around her once more, holding her, taking comfort in the soft warmth of the curves of her body she pressed against the grooves of the remaining parts of his armor.

 “I just told you I love you,” Talia reminded him with a slight, teasing giggle. Her face softened as she caressed his cheek with her thumb, “I slept with Hunter, but it was just so I could try and forget you for a moment.”

“I - really?” Rex asked. Talia could almost laugh at how surprised he was, as if he had already accepted the worst. His face then became more serious. “I…you should know. I slept with someone else too. It was just a one night thing, I haven’t contacted her since.”

“It’s okay,” Talia nodded, ignoring the hypocritical way she was hurt. “It doesn’t matter, we don’t have to talk about that now. Just…shut up and keep kissing me.” 

“More than happy to follow that order,” Rex leaned in with a smirk and kissed her with a renewed hunger, his hands tightly gripping the curve of her hips. Talia groaned into Rex’s mouth as she pressed as close to him as possible, her hands fumbling for the latches on his chestplate. Rex pulled back to help her lift it away, and dropped it to the floor with a loud clunk. With only his lower armor still on, Talia’s hands ran up Rex’s chest, feeling the firm muscles and warmth of him in her grasp. Her fingers clenched around the fabric, using it to pull him to her once more. Rex’s hands slid down her waist, gripping under her thighs and picking her up, making Talia yelp in surprise. 

They stumbled to the desk, Rex clumsily setting Talia on the edge of it, their lips barely separating for air. They were frantic, needy, desperate, as if they were afraid the other would disappear if they stopped. Rex pulled at the wrappings of her tunic, exposing Talia’s heaving chest. His mouth only left her lips then, trailing to the soft skin of her neck, his teeth nipping along the exposed skin and down to the breasts about to fall out of her bra. Talia moaned  as Rex slid her bra cup to the side, and sucked at her now exposed nipple. His other hand slid under the other cup, groping at the soft flesh. The cold air left goosebumps over her skin, contrasted by the warmth of Rex’s hands and mouth. Rex could spend hours like this, slowly exploring the body he knew so well yet hadn’t been able to appreciate in so long. In fact there was little else on his mind at that moment besides what he wanted to do to her just in this state of undress, except he had other ideas in mind. 

Rex lowered to his knees, kissing down Talia’s stomach and dragging his hands down her torso, relishing in the sweet gasps for air that were leaving Talia’s lips. Rex’s hands stopped as he began to tug her pants down. Pink scars lingered  on her hip, trailing down her leg from the flame licked path. He paused, his fingers caressing the slightly raised skin, Talias breath hitched, Rex’s eyes flicked to her face, searching for any sign of discomfort. Talia’s eyes had squeezed shut, enough for Rex to push himself up from where he was kneeling. Talia’s eyes opened.

“I’m fine,” Talia reassured quickly, but Rex was still frozen, searching her face. She pressed a hand to his cheek, “Really, I’m ok. I just didn’t think about them.”

“I didn’t either,” Rex explained, “I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Talia leaned in to peck his lips, then checked, “Are you ok? We can stop if you want.”

Rex shook his head, “I’ll only stop if you want me to.”

“Please don’t,” Talia said quickly, earning a smirk from Rex for how desperate she sounded. His fingers toyed along the waistline of her pants where they rested on her thighs. 

“Someone’s needy,” Rex teased lowly, his voice thick as honey, slowly pulling at her pants. “Tell me what you want.” 

Talia leaned back resting her elbows on the desk, offering up a sweet look, “I think you know what I want. And I think you want to do it.”

Rex offered a low noise of agreement, but taunted, “That some Jedi instinct?” 

He slowly pulled the pants down a little further. Talia wiggled her hips, trying to shrug them off, but his hand held her firmly in place. She let out a frustrated noise, but Rex just smirked. 

“Use your words, princess,” Rex ordered lowly. Talia’s cheeks burned, and she felt the pit of desire grow in her gut. She was half tempted to curse him for teasing her, and for how well he knew to play her. But she didn’t want to drag this out, they didn’t have time for a back and forth. 

“Please,” Talia started sweetly, only to get slightly desperate as she ordered, “I want your mouth on me.”

“Hmm, I could ask you to be more specific,” Rex murmured, to which Talia made an indignant noise when he smirked, tugging her to the edge of the desk, making her squeak and falling to his knees. “...But I’m not patient enough today.”

Rex tugged her pants and underwear down with one swoop, wasting no time to press his face between her legs, his tongue swiping over her slit. He groaned at the wetness already there, and Talia moaned as his tongue flicked over her swollen clit. One hand held to the edge of the desk, the other leaping to the back of his head. It took everything in her to not hold him still as she ground against his face; she knew he wouldn’t have minded. But Rex licked at her like a man possessed, like she was the best thing he ever tasted. His hands held her firmly against him, grasping at the top of her thighs as he positioned her where he wanted her. He may have been the one on his knees, but he was the one in control. 

It was surely a talent of Rex’s to have barely started but to already have Talia a whimpering mess. Her tunic was still half undone, her chest still half exposed as a red flush settled over her pale skin. She was biting her lip, trying to restrain her noises in some way but she would fail as Rexs tongue flicked over her clit, eliciting louder moans from her. And all he would do was grin up at her, his eyes almost taunting, before he continued his work. 

His grip was tight around her thighs, nails practically digging into her skin as he held her in place. His tongue slid up and down her slit, teasing her by flicking at her clit in between each swipe. Her breaths hitched higher each time, her body reacting so easily to the simplest touch. Rex knew how to set her off, and there were few things he loved more than making her fall apart with just his mouth. He could feel every twitch of her thighs in his hands, hear how she failed to keep herself quiet, and taste just how aroused she was. He wanted her to feel good, wanted to feel her let go, and he worked as if he had something to prove, that he needed to remind her that only he could make her feel this way. 

He circled his tongue around her clit, then wrapped his lips around it and sucked, sending jolts of pleasure up Talia’s spine. The wet heat of his mouth was intoxicating, Talia could hear herself begging him not to stop. Her arms shook so much she struggled to hold herself upright. But her gaze was locked on Rex’s face and how he devoured her. She couldn’t look away, even as tears sprung in the corners of her eyes and her whole body trembled. It was impossible to tear her gaze away, she was fixated even as she was falling apart. It was almost embarrassing how quickly she was coming undone, but she couldn’t help the way her body was lit aflame from every swipe of Rex’s tongue. He was precise, practiced, as dedicated to bringing Talia pleasure as he was in every other aspect of his life. He didn’t let up as her breath quickened, as her body tensed and he didn’t stop even as she cried out his name and quaked, coming from just the quick work of his mouth. 

Talia’s moans faded, but her breath was still heavy as Rex rose from the ground, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He leaned in and kissed her, pulling her off the desk as he did. Talia’s legs were like jelly as she stumbled with Rex to the bed. Her knees hit the frame of the bed and Rex gently nudged her back, causing her to land with a soft flop against the mattress. 

“Take your clothes off,” Rex ordered gruffly, his own hands tearing at the strips holding his remaining armor on. Talia pressed herself up on the bed, still breathless and flushed, but not moving quickly enough for Rex’s liking as he glanced over her, his heaving chest bulging through his undersuit. “Take them off before I rip them off of you.”

“You would just be finishing what you started,” Talia quipped as she gestured to the state of her tunic, still loose around her torso. Rex’s eyes flashed as she still played with the edges of fabric. He stalked to the bed, slowly taking his shirt off; Talia’s mouth went dry as she glanced over his chest, taking in the scarred and muscled form.  He lowered himself to the bed, and slowly crawled on top of Talia. Her heart pounded in her chest as his hands ran up her sides and found the edge of her robes. Talia cocked an eyebrow in a challenge as his eyes met hers. Rex rolled Talia over roughly so she was on her stomach, and her hands braced herself against the mattress as Rex’s hands at the top of her tunic’s back and tugged. With a shredding rip, the fabric pulled off her back and slipped off her arms, leaving Talia in just her bra. She half expected Rex to tug that off as well, but instead his lips met the back of her neck, kissing her softly as his hands deftly undid the clasp. Talia sighed as his lips traveled down her skin, the stubble on his face tickling her. 

For a moment Talia thought Rex would take her like this, that he would shuck his pants off and roughly enter her from behind, pounding her into the mattress as she sheets muffled her cries. And she wouldn’t have minded; her body was coursing with need, prickling with the desire of his touch. But Rex instead gently flipped her over, opposite of the man who had moments ago torn her clothing to shreds. Rex’s lips met hers as soon as her back hit the mattress, a soft, exploring kiss, the moment slowed once again, as if savoring the moment before they delved back into their pure need. But this was what Talia loved about him, how there could be both sides when they were together. The tender with the tough, the smooth against the rough. She could see the switch flip in his eyes whenever they made love, see how his own desire kicked in. But he was always there for her, reading what she wanted and adjusting off her energy. 

The kiss deepened, grew more hungry as they pressed against each other; Rex’s body pining Talia down as she squirmed beneath him, trying to angle her hips so she could relieve some of the tension settling back in her core. Rex ground against her, his still clothed, hard cock pressing against her pussy. Rex groaned into her mouth as he felt how wet she still was, dampening the fabric of his pants. Talia’s hands ran up and down his back, feeling the way Rex’s muscles flexed as he moved against her. Her hands slid down to his waistline, as she tried to nudge down his pants. Rex’s hands met hers as he helped pull them off, rushing to remove them so he could finally have her again. Once they were off, he pressed down against her again, the flame reignited as their naked bodies pressed together, already sweaty and burning with want. Rex’s cock pressed against Talia’s stomach, weeping with precum as he rutted against her, their tongues meeting as they moaned into each other’s mouths. 

“Rex,” Talia whimpered between breaths, “Please. I need you.”

He pulled back slightly as he readjusted, a thin line of spit connecting their mouths. Rex was panting, his eyes blown out as he looked down at her. But he spoke with such an assured, put togetherness as he said in his rough voice,  “Anything for you.”  

Rex entered Talia quickly and forcefully, her breath hitching and her legs spreading wider to ease his access. Rex waited until her body relaxed and her eyes opened, then Talia nodded her head and Rex began to thrust. His hips slammed against hers, his cock thick and hot as it stretched her cunt, her walls gripping around him and practically pulling him in. Rex’s eyes rolled back from the warmth of her, ready to be lost and never come back but he had to last longer, he didn’t want this feeling to end. 

His arms wrapped tightly around her, squeezing her against him in a near crushing grip. Her nails were marking his back as she whimpered beneath him, her breaths punctuating every move of his hips into hers. The room was filled with the loud smack of flesh on flesh, the squelch of their bodies meeting, and the moans and grunts leaving their lips in near unison.

This wasn’t the way this should have gone, it was rushed and needy, with no time taken to care about the little details. They were still dirty from the mission, but the time taken to tidy up might have raised more uncertainty between them than either could stomach just yet. But yet this rushed state was perfection, pure desire coursing through and guiding them, an unstoppable force pushing  them together. 

Talia cried out as Rex’s cock hit a spot deep inside her, making her head bend back in ecstasy. Rex did it again, wanting to see the way her face contorted in pleasure.

“It feels good, doesn't it?” Rex said, continuing to thrust. 

“Yes!” Talia quickly responded, her cheeks flushed. “So good.”

“Who’s doing this to you?” Rex asked, a cocky possessiveness creeping in his tone. 

“You are.” Talia gasped, her eyes meeting his. Rex’s hold around her loosened, and before Talia could whine from the change of pace, Rex’s hand gripped under her thigh and pulled her leg up to rest on his shoulder, his other arm still wrapped around her. His dedicated pace resumed, each thrust like a promise, punctuated with gasps, moans and words escaping lips like a prayer. 

“Who’s the only one who can make you feel this good?” The possessive side of Rex was coming out stronger, as if he had something to prove, or that he needed to hear Talia’s response as much as he knew what it was. 

“You are!” Talia answered. She swallowed, her breath heavy as pleasure crested within her. “I’m yours, only yours.”

“That’s right, you’re mine.” Rex echoed, firm and unyielding. He pounded into her harder, a renewed surge of need running through him. “Mine.”

Rex’s pace continued, hitting Talia right where she needed him. Each thrust was a jolt of pleasure that licked up her gut, so deep she could practically feel him in her throat. She was twisted around him, and he was all encompassing. Their skin was dewed with sweat, their chests almost clinging together as they pressed into one another. Talia would give him anything in this moment, ready to sacrifice all of her as long as he brought her that sweet release. 

“Fuck Rex, don’t stop please.” She begged, cheeks burning and eyes watering. “ I love you.”

“Say it again.” Rex ordered, his pace unfaltering and his chin set, gritting his teeth as if he was barely holding himself together. 

“I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you!”

Tallia cried out as she came, her breath ragged and her body tensing as Rex lost what last bit of self control he had and he released inside her, hot spurts of cum filling her cunt. Rex’s thrusts slowed, exhaling as he hilted himself inside her. Their foreheads met, sweaty brows and panting breath meeting as their lips barely touched. After a moment that they wanted to last a lifetime, Rex pulled out of Talia and fell to the side, their bodies squeezed next to another in the tiny bed. The space was as small as they were used to sharing, but somehow there was a rightness in the way their bodies fit next to each other, even after all this time. 

“This doesn’t change anything, does it?” Talia asked, still breathless. The air shifted, the calmness that had settled between them now filled with the unknown. Rex tensed, and exhaled a large breath. 

“I don’t see how it can,” was all Rex could think to say. A lump formed in Talia’s throat, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes as she nodded. She rolled over to her side, already pulling off the covers to slip out of the bed and pull her clothes on. Rex’s hand gripped her arm, preventing her from leaving. “Wait, I don’t want-”

“What do you want, Rex?” Talia snapped, “I can’t do this again. I can’t let myself think there’s a chance for something just for you to change your mind. I’m not strong enough to hurt like that again.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Rex repeated for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He meant it, but he knew he had failed that promise in the past. And he didn’t want to mess this up again, to cause her any pain, but he didn’t know what promises he could offer her. Rex sat up, still holding Talia’s arm as he tried to work through this.. “I…I know that things haven’t changed in our situation, but I also know ending things was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made. I want you, Talia.” 

“I want you too,” Talia sighed, leaning back against the headboard. They sat in silence, stuck in the same moment as a million thoughts rushed through their heads. Talia knew there was only one answer to this, at least only one that had a chance to  make them happy. 

“What if I left the Order?”

Rex shook his head, “it was wrong of me to ever ask that of you, it’s not fair-”

“You’re not asking it of me - I’m suggesting it. Rex.” Talia said softly. She looked down at her hands, wringing her scarred wrists as she worked to the realization that has been hidden from her for so long. “I’m not happy. This war has taken so much from me. The Jedi were the only thing I knew, and the only possibility I saw for a future. But Rex…I know so much more now. I know you, that you’re what makes me happy. I can’t lose that again.”

“But you could have so much more than me.” Rex insisted. His hand rested on her face making her meet his eyes so he could make sure she wouldn’t lie to him just to make him happy. “ You could be a Master Jedi, could go on to do great things.”

Talia silenced him by leaning in to kiss him, she pulled back and didn’t let her gaze falter. “Rex - you’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me - there’s no more that I need.” 

“But still-”

“Being a Master was never in my cards.” Talia cut him off before he could go on about plans for a different future for her. “ I had a vision about it once, but I think I understand it now. I was always on the outside looking in, never quite fitting in with the rest of the order, or what the council expected of me. But I can find my own path without them. When the war ends, I’ll leave the order. And I’ll be yours, if you’ll have me.”

“You’ll always have me.”Rex answered quickly, a firm promise. “But, what about now? Our situation hasn’t changed.”

“Now is…more complicated. We need to be more careful than before. So. Not really together but…” Talia’s voice trailed off, still not sure what guidelines they could set. Because it was too complicated. She wanted Rex with everything in her, but she couldn’t abandon her men and leave while the war still raged on. And being with Rex while she was still in the Order was too risky now, they’d had too many slip ups already, too many chances that they would be exposed. “Now just…Just hold me, for a few minutes more and we can pretend like everything is okay.”

“We’re not pretending.” Rex said as he pulled her into her arms. His lips brushed against her forehead, lingering there as he continued. “It’s not perfect, but it’s something. I’ll wait for you, whenever you’re ready to leave. I know it’s a big thing.”

“It is, but I think it’s the right thing,” Talia answered. They settled back lower into the bed, a strange kind of peace laying between them. “This mess has to be over soon, so now we have something to look forward to once it’s done.”

“What do you want to do first?” Rex asked tentatively, allowing himself to think of an ‘after’ the war for the first time in a way that wasn’t dimmed by darkness. 

Talia hummed thoughtfully, her lips pursing in before a grin curved on her lips. She glanced up at Rex, a twinkle in her eye as she said, “We should go back to the island.”

Rex huffed out a light laugh, “Better prepared and without the crash landing this time, I hope?”

“Duh,” Talia mocked. She wrapped an arm over his chest, her fingers tracing along the edges of his scars like she had done that first time on the very beach they were talking about. “It’s where we began, it’s where we can start again.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Rex mused, a lazy half smile on his lips, “How about we meet there, once it’s all over.”

“Sounds like a plan, captain.” Talia pressed her lips to his again. “Or a promise.”

 “Have I told you how beautiful you are?” Rex murmured, his hand cupped on the side of Talia’s face.

Talia thought her cheeks would ache from smiling, that they were burning from the blush that lingered on them. “You might have mentioned it sometime.”

“Not enough, I daresay,” Rex offered with a sly grin. He leaned closer to her, the coarse hairs of his scruff grazing along her neck in a way that sent shivers down her spine even in her exhausted state. He pressed a kiss in the curve of her neck, trailing up to her ear where he whispered once more, “You’re beautiful.”

“I love you so much,” Talia sighed.

Rex huffed a low chuckle. “So that’s all it took? Me calling you beautiful?”

“It’s a fair trade, I think,” Talia teased, lightly smacking his arm. But she set her face straight as she met his eyes again. “I mean it. I love you, Rex.”

 “I love you too.”

He leaned down to kiss the spot just below her ear, repeating his words once more. He trailed his kisses, followed by his adorations up her neck, to her jaw bone, as if tattooing the words upon her skin to leave his mark evermore. His lips traced to the end of her scar, pausing when Talia slightly flinched from the contact against the slightly sensitive skin. His eyes scanned  hers, waiting for Talia’s nod that it was ok, and he leaned in, tenderly kissing over the raised skin, “I love you, Talia.”

Talia sighed, a warmth of contentment filling her she hadn’t been sure she would ever feel again. She curled against him, feeling the warmth of Rex’s skin beneath hers, listening to the thud of his heartbeat. Her lips grazed the scar in the center of his chest, from the bolt that just missed his heart all those years ago. They laid together under that rough spun blanket, in the far too small cot, their arms wrapped around each other, their skin clinging to each other as they didn’t want to leave the others grasp. They fought off sleep, savoring the small moment they had with one another. It had been so long without the other's touch, but that absence only created a craving, a burning desire for the other’s comfort that would never be satisfied. They didn’t have the answers, not completely anyway. This simple impassé would be enough to hold over, to bridge the road to repair what they’d had before. There was the promise of something stronger, the unknown path of destiny and fate a sweet calling. What further doubts they had were buried beneath the surface, vanquished at the broken walls of their greatest barrier. As she drifted off, Rex’s hand brushed over Talia’s back, fingers grazing over the scars she received at the hand of the Zygerrians. The soothing action propelled her into sleep, no nightmares to be had tonight. Her dreams were filled with contentment and comfort, something the promise of a future with Rex held.

--

Next Chapter

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[touchstarvedasclones]

Summary: Last we saw Teagan, she was captured by the newly created Galactic Empire and frozen in carbonite. Without the familiarity of her brothers, or even the GAR and Republic as she knew it, she must find where the dechipped clones went, with new adventures along the way.

Word Count: 2,361

Warnings: characters cooking, I think I got the how to correct.

A/N: try the recipe at the end, it’s worth it!

[peonysink]

Without You (Chapter X)

pairing: OFC x Original Clone Character / OFC x Rex

words: 3,9k

Warning: Explicit, 18+, PiV sex, mention of death, coping with grief and loss, pain, angst

“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO….. “ - Ava kept repeating and shaking her head. Rex was holding her shoulders trying to make her listen to him as he shook her lightly.

“Ava, Ava, look at me” - his voice was authoritative.  “The garrison has over 100 troopers and not everyone was on Scipio. We don’t know for sure who was there yet. We don’t know if Rio was there! Do you hear what I’m saying?”

Ava’s eyes caught Rex’s and she was suddenly quiet. For the first time, ever since he told her about commander Thorn some words actually got through to her.

“You mean you don’t know if he was there?” - she whispered.

“That’s exactly what I mean, but I’m going to check, I’m going to comm his barracks now and try to find out. I’ll need your help though.” - Rex said, his voice gentler now.

“What… what help?” - Ava stammered.

“I’m going to need his CT number, do you know it?”

“I do..” - Ava whispered but it sounded more like a question. Her mind was blank, completely blank from the shock of hearing the news. Even if Rio was okay, and he had to be, the news that he lost his commander and so many brothers, his closest friends was too much to bear.

“Ava!” - Rex’s voice brought her back to reality. He was still holding her shoulders, his face serious. “Ava, I need you to focus and try to think if you know his CT number.”

“I do, I do.. I know it.” - she looked at Rex. “It’s CT 3103”

“Alright, are you sure?”

“Yes, Yes I am.” Rex nodded. As he was about to get up, Ava put her hand on his and stopped him. He turned and looked at her.

“Thank you, Rex!” - she said, her eyes full of tears. “You don’t have to do any of this. It just, it… it means a lot to me….”

Rex attempted a smile as he put his hand over hers. Ava knew how shocking and hurtful it must have been for him to hear that an esteemed commander and a part of his garrison were gone, but Rex always knew how to hide and manage his emotions when it came to those things. The pale look on his face was mainly because of her. He knew how hurt she’d be if anything happened to Rio.

“I’m going to make a call now, cyar’ika. Try to relax, take deep breaths. They might not be able to tell me anything yet, I can imagine there’s quite a chaos over there right now, but I’ll try…”

“Thank you Rex… I really appreciate it!” Ava leaned and kissed him on the cheek, and Rex squeezed her hand.

He got up and went to the kitchen again and Ava could hear him entering a code and talking to someone.

Rio. She tried to calm her mind, because going there, allowing those thoughts to actually enter it was unbearable. She was weak as it was, and she didn’t have the capacity to actually process the possibility… let alone accept that it could even be a possibility. It couldn’t be Rio because it simply couldn’t be Rio. He had to be alive and well because there was no other way. There must have been some galactic justice left in that vast and often too brutal universe that wouldn’t allow that to happen to him. And yet again, it happened to commander Thorn and so many other good men.

She heard Rex’s steps from the kitchen as he entered the room but she was too afraid to turn around and face him. She knew she’d be able to see it in his eyes right away. Rex saw that she didn’t dare to face him so he hurried towards her. Approaching her he put his hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him:

“It’s okay cyar’ika, he’s okay. He’s at the barracks. I actually spoke briefly to him.” - Rex said calmly, his face visibly brightening.

Ava could feel the weight of a galaxy fall off of her shoulders as she raised her head and looked at Rex. They stayed in silence for a while, processing the emotional rollercoaster they had just gone through in the past few minutes. Rex was the first to move and just as he was about to say something Ava wanted to get up and hug him so she leapt to her feet, feeling dizzy momentarily and almost tripping over. Rex caught her swiftly and she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Rex hugged her back and buried his head on her shoulder.

“It’s okay, cyar’ika, everything will be okay!”

—-

The barracks weren’t the way she imagined them. She always thought there’d be rows and rows of boring, depressing squared buildings, but as they approached them she realized there was something quite welcoming about them. Homely almost. The buildings were big, each had three floors and stretched far, so far she thought she couldn’t see the end. There must have been thousands of troopers living in those buildings at any point, and Ava realized she was never aware of the sheer size of it. As they were making their way through the vast hallway the mood in the barracks was palatable. They have just lost one of their bravest and most beloved commanders, a rising star, commander Thorn and over 30 young guardsmen. Ava could sense the feeling of desperation as they were moving through the quarters. She could see it on every trooper's face as well. Desperation and sadness mixed with anger.

Rex was quiet the entire time on their ride there. Ava wondered if he knew commander Thorn and how well. She wondered if Cody had heard the news and where he was. She knew Rex was in contact with Cody all the time, but she didn’t ask him anything. There’d be time for that. Regardless of whether Rex knew him or not, it was his brother and he died defending the cause they all laid their lives for, day after day. Ava always wondered whether those beliefs that were indoctrinated in every trooper, their beliefs in the Republic cause, were shaken or strengthened when something like this happened. Something else she should ask Rex sometime later, she made a mental note.

But moving through the barracks now, she felt that her determination was strong, stronger than ever. She didn't know how she found the energy, the will and the strength, but there she was, holding Rex’s hand and marching through the Republic quarters. Probably the saddest place on the Coruscant at that moment.

She heard Rex say something to a trooper behind some kind of a reception area and the trooper buzzed them in. Behind those doors, there were three other doors they needed to get through, but each door was opened for Rex. Finally, as they arrived at the east wing of the building, Rex squeezed her hand and made her face him:

“You’re going to have to continue on your own from here, cyare.” - he said, his eyes soft. He looked tired and Ava could see that same sadness and desperation on his face, the same she saw everywhere around the barracks.

She nodded.

“Where will you be?”

“I’ll be right here. I’ll wait here” - Rex said and pulled her towards him and kissed her temple. Ava hugged him back.

Once again he was her rock. Always was and always will be. She could do anything as long as Rex was by her side.

As he let her go, Rex turned and walked towards another trooper and told him something. Ava saw the trooper comm someone on his holodevice, and then wait for a response. After a while he received an answer and then he contacted someone again till he finally nodded. Rex turned to Ava:

“Go on now, just through those doors, I’ll wait here.”

Ava nodded and walked towards the door. They opened in front of her, and as soon as she stepped in yet another vast hall, she saw a familiar face. One she would always recognize in the sea of identical faces. His eyes were tired and red and his hair messier than usual, but it was him, unmistakably.

“Rio” - she said as she approached him. She was worried if he’d want to see her, and how he’d react, but she couldn’t let go. She had to try. If he wanted to yell and scream at her, she’d let him. If he hated her, she’d accept it. But she felt she had to see him, had to try to talk to him, and had to try to be there for him.

As soon as he lifted his eyes and looked at her, and she attempted to half-smile, Rio came closer to her in three steps and threw his arms around her. Ava felt the weight of a galaxy fall off her shoulders as she held him tight, feeling his arms digging deep into her back and his whole body beginning to shake.

“Rio, I’m so sorry!” - she kept repeating as she heard him sob, burying his head between her shoulder and her neck. Ava could feel her tears rolling down her cheeks as well, as she held him close, feeling him falling apart under her touch. They stayed that way for a while, and Ava could feel the looks of other troopers on them, but everyone knew. Everyone understood. The entire GAR was in mourning.

Rio finally managed to compose himself, as he relaxed his hands that moments ago were digging deep into her, and discreetly wiped away his tears. Ava put her hand on his cheek. His eyes were red and she could see that he’s been crying for a while. His face was tired and slightly bloated. She caught his gaze for a moment and attempted to smile, but she half succeeded.

“I want to ask how are you doing, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to even ask that, when I know you can’t be doing well...” - Ava managed to say.

Rio was silent for a while, easing his head in her touch.

“I can’t seem to wrap my mind around all of this. I still expect someone to come and tell me that this was all a mistake and that they are all well and on their way back…” - he finally managed to speak. He moved slightly back, and Ava removed her hand from his cheek.

“I understand that” - she said. “You’re still in shock. How could you not be! This is so horrible!”

Rio looked at her and said nothing for a while.

“I am so sorry, Rio, I really am. I… I thought you were with them when I first heard and…” - Ava felt tears rolling down her cheek again and she couldn’t finish that sentence.

Rio hesitated for a while and then came closer to her. He wiped her tear away and moved his hand to her chin as he slightly lifted her head up to meet his gaze.

“You saved my life, you know that, right?” - he said, his eyes firmly on hers.

Ava wasn’t sure she heard him well.

“W-what?”

“They were all deployed to Scipio on the night of your birthday. But I took a night off to be with you. First time ever I took a night off…  When I came back to the barracks they were all gone, and I was told that it was an emergency assignment. Had I been there that night, I too would…” - Rio stopped, raising his eyes to catch Ava’s.

Ava couldn’t believe what she was hearing. All she could do is throw her arms around Rio again and hug him tight.

“At first I was relieved when I heard…” - Rio continued, burying his head in her hair, right between her shoulder and her neck, “I thought, it could have been me. But then I felt guilty, and I still feel guilty, thinking it should have been me! I should have been there with them, with my brothers, my commander, I should have….”

“No!” - Ava interrupted him, as she took his head in her hands and tried to find his eyes again. “No, Rio, you cannot think like that. Had you been there you wouldn’t be able to change anything. You just would have been killed like the rest of them. As far as I understood they were ambushed and they didn’t stand a chance.”

Rio couldn’t look her in the eyes, and she could see how conflicted he was about all those thoughts that were raving in his head.

“Rio, I don’t want you to think that way. What you feel now is survivor’s guilt, and it’s normal, but it’ll pass. It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. This is war and I hate it, I hate it so much. I hate that you all put your lives at risk every single day, I hate that there are so many casualties, so much loss, and we don’t seem to be anywhere near the end of this nightmare. But I’m glad you’re alive. I’m glad you were with me that night, and I’m glad that you weren’t deployed with them. And you should be too!”

Rio was still looking at his feet like he did that first evening she met him, shyly avoiding her eyes. He grew up so much in a span of just a few months. From an innocent wide-eyed young man he was when he first arrived at Coruscant, to now an experienced grown man who went through so much on a personal and professional level.

“Ava… I… I’m sorry I haven’t replied to you these past few days. I know you’ve been writing..” - Rio said, still not looking at her.

“No, it’s okay, Rio” - she stopped him, “You don’t have to explain anything. You had every right to be angry with me, and I should have given you space. I’m sorry for all the messages…”

He looked at her without saying anything. Ava could see that she hurt him, and there was nothing she could do about that. All she could do, all she wanted to do was to help him as much as possible now, be there for him through this incredible loss. However he needed her.

“I’ve made a mistake, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.” - she said. “I met you at a very vulnerable period of my life and you were the first good thing that had happened to me at that time. And I swear to you Rio, had I thought that there was an ounce of chance that Rex might return or that I’d ever get back with him, I swear I would never even talk to you. But I didn’t… I didn’t know… And I’m sorry!” - Ava felt tears overpowering her again, and she turned her head to hide it from him.

Rio was just standing, motionlessly listening. She looked at him again, and his face wasn’t telling what he was thinking.

“But you need to know” - she continued “that I loved every single moment with you. I still do! I never lied about that or how I felt about you, I swear, Rio! I care about you a lot. And when I…. when I thought that you were dead….” - her voice broke, and she couldn’t hold her tears back anymore.

Rio took one step towards her and hugged her. She hugged him back, still feeling incredibly grateful that she could do that, that he was there, alive.

“It’s okay, Ava,” - he finally said, while he was caressing her hair, “it’s fine. It just came all of a sudden, and I needed some time to understand what happened. But it’s okay. I know you didn’t do it to hurt me, I know that now.”

She hugged him tighter when she felt that he was about to unwrap his hands from her and move away. She could hear him smirk as he put his hands back on her, and they stayed that way for a while.

“Ava, you should know something…” - Rio was first to speak.

Ava lifted her head and looked at him. He hesitated for a moment.

“I’ve requested a transfer from Coruscant.” - he said. “I just… I can’t stay here, not after everything that has happened.”

Ava moved from him, confused.

“What do you mean, a transfer? Where will you go?”

“To the front. I’ll leave Coruscant Guard and join one of the other legions. I haven’t yet been told which one, but I was told that I’ll be deployed and leave quite soon.”

Ava was quiet.

“I can’t stay here. I feel… I feel I have to go out there and fight. I want to fight the separatists, Ava, I want to look at those droids and fire at them. I want to destroy them, all of them.  For my brothers, for my squad!”

Ava understood. Of course she did. But she also understood the implications of that decision. Being a part of Coruscant guard was a matter of prestige, something one trained for all of one’s life. And only selected clone troopers got that position. It was a safer position at the centre of the Republic, the one that meant mostly peacekeeping and diplomatic missions. Not that that position didn’t have its risks - it was clear it did, especially after what had happened to commander Thorn. But it was nothing compared to those troopers who were out there, on the front, fighting, looking death in the eyes almost every day. She understood why he had to make that decision, and she knew that no one could ever say anything to make him change his mind. She understood why he had to do it and she knew she had to accept it and be there for him.

She looked at him and nodded, and then came closer to him and hugged him again. He hugged her back.

“I hope you know you’ll always have a friend on Coruscant. Whenever you’re back here, I want you to call me, is that understood?”

She could feel him smile as he hugged her tighter.

“Understood!” - Rio replied.

—--

Rex was waiting where he said he would when Ava appeared. He was talking to another trooper when he saw her.

“Everything alright?” - he asked, looking concerned as he approached her.

She nodded.

“Take me home, please, Rex” - she said, as she tangled her fingers in his, taking his arm.

She was silent the entire ride home and Rex didn’t want to pressure her into talking. Arriving back home she took her coat off and headed for the refresher where she took a long hot shower. When she came out from the refresher she found Rex sitting in her living room, on holocall, and she didn’t want to interrupt him.

She felt tired beyond her limits and headed for her bedroom. Soon after Rex came in, silently, worrying he’d wake her up.

“I’m awake” - she said.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you” - he said. “Just wanted to check up on you.”

“I’m okay. Just tired is all. I need to catch up on my sleep.” - Ava replied.

“That you should, mesh’la. Would it be…”- Rex hesitated for a while, “would you mind if I rest here for a while as well? I’ll take the couch in the living room”. - he asked.

Ava smiled, barely being able to hold her eyes open. She stretched her arm in his direction.

“Rex, come here.” - she whispered, and Rex smiled.

“Let me take the armour off, mesh’la. I don’t think you want to rest next to someone wearing a hard plastoid”.

Rex disappeared in the refreshers, and Ava couldn’t fight her tiredness anymore, falling asleep moments after. She woke up a few hours later to a complete darkness in her room, and she felt a warm body next to her, spooning her. She felt Rex’s even breathing as she touched his arm that was resting on her stomach.

“You’re awake.” - he whispered next to her.

She turned around to face him, even though she couldn’t see him in the darkness.

“So are you.” - she said.

“I’ve had a few hours of good sleep” - Rex whispered, “in a comfortable, warm bed. That’s more than I can say most nights.”

Ava moved her body closer to his till she was pressed completely to his chest. He leaned his forehead against hers.

“Do you know how long you’ll stay? I mean on Coruscant?” - she asked him.

“I’ll stay a few more days. There’s going to be a funeral in two days, and I’ll probably be deployed a day or two after that.”

Ava nodded.

“I’ll comm you every night” - he whispered.

“I know. Whenever you need me, I’m here for you. And I don’t want you to worry about me, Rex. I know now what we have. Whatever fate and war throw at us we’ll fight it. We’ll get through it. I just never want to lose you again”

“You won’t. I promise!” - Rex said as he caressed her back. Ava closed her eyes and touched his face. She ran her fingers over the dark stubble on his cheek, as Rex eased his head into her hand.

“Rex, I want to ask you something.” - she said hesitating.

“What is it, mesh’la?”

“Rio told me that he requested a transfer. He wants to go to the front and fight - do you think you can… I don’t know, somehow… maybe transfer him to the 501st? So that you can look after him?” - Ava asked. She wondered how Rex would feel about it and whether it was even appropriate to ask him, but she couldn’t get that thought out of her head.

Rex was quiet for a moment that seemed like eternity to Ava.

“I can, mesh’la, but do you think he’d want that?” - he finally said.

Ava didn’t say anything, but she knew what Rex meant. She didn’t consider that, but being under Rex’s command would probably be the last thing Rio needed right now. Regardless of the fact how well he’d be treated and looked after there.

“No, you’re right, he wouldn’t.” - Ava said quietly. “I’m just worried about him.”

“I know, mesh’la, I know.” - Rex replied. He was quiet for a while. “Perhaps I can ask Cody to transfer him to the 212? He’d be looked after there.”

Ava smiled.

“Yes, that would be good, I think.” - Ava nodded, moving her head back against Rex’s forehead. The idea of Cody looking after Rio was suddenly very comforting. “Thank you, Rex!” - she said, as she moved her hand down to his shoulder and his arm.

“One day all of this will be behind us, mesh’la. You’ll see. And things will get easier, I promise you” - Rex whispered, placing a gentle kiss on Ava’s cheek.

Ava moved her head as her lips found his. Rex seemed almost taken aback by the kiss for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly as he kissed her back. He felt amazing. His lips, so gentle and his tongue slowly exploring her mouth, his teeth biting her lower lip. Ava never wanted to let go. All of their problems, all the loss and tragedy was outside those four walls, but at that moment, in Ava’s bedroom there was nothing else but two bodies intertwined, two souls deeply in love and nothing else mattered.

Ava pressed her body firmer against Rex’s, and she slowly started moving her hand down to touch his hardening member. She wanted him. Rex moved his lips from hers for a moment and caught her hand that almost reached underneath his waistband.

“Mesh’la…are you sure?” - he whispered.

“I’m sure, Rex, I need to feel you, baby, please…” - she whimpered, and she didn’t need to finish her sentence, Rex was already on her, deepening the kiss and his arms everywhere on her. She felt how much he wanted that as well, how much he missed her, but at the same time how he didn’t want to rush things, waiting till she felt ready. But the moment he heard her say those words Rex couldn’t hold back anymore. His lips were on hers, moving to her neck, sucking, biting the sensitive skin wherever he could reach, his arms reaching under her shirt, touching her warm body and finding her breasts, teasing the sensitive nipples. He rutted his hips instinctively against her and she could feel him grow and become harder and Ava couldn’t wait anymore. She wanted him, wanted his touch, wanted every part of his body as close to her as possible.

“Need to feel you, baby, make me feel like nothing else matters..” - she panted, and Rex was already taking her panties off, while she hooked her hands on the waistband of his blacks, trying to pull them down. Rex smirked against her lips and moved his hand to help her, releasing his hard cock. Ava moaned at the feeling of it against her stomach, becoming more aware of the dampness between her legs.

“Rex…” - she moaned, rolling her hips against his body, looking for some friction, looking to ease the pressure that had built up in her core.

“I know, baby girl, I know…” - Rex whispered as he lined his cock up at her entrance, gathering her wetness on his tip before tilting his hips and sliding slowly inside her. They both moaned at the same time, cherishing the feeling they’d been longing for such a long time.

Rex’s first thrusts were deliberately slow like he wanted to worship every part of her, every second of that moment. Ava could feel how hard he was, she could feel every ridge on his cock against her walls as he was filling her up. After a long time, she felt like she was safe and complete again. This was what she wanted, what she needed so badly, Emotions overpowered her as her loud moans began echoing through the room.

Rex’s lips were soon on hers swallowing her moans, fingers tangled in her hair as he started moving slightly faster, deeper, knowing how she liked it, reaching that magic spot just the way she liked it.

It didn’t take a long time and Ava felt the familiar warmness in her core threatening to spread to her entire body. Rex could tell that she was close, and he moved his hand between them, finding her clit and applying just a gentle pressure in slow circular moves, as he continued his deep thrusts. Ava whimpered, digging her nails deeper into Rex’s back, feeling like she was absorbed by a white light washing over her entire body.

One day all of this will be behind us, mesh’la, you’ll see .

His words were still ringing in her ears.