#star wars rex imagine

[clonehub]

Tell me what y'all think of this headcanon:

CCs get their own quarters, but sometimes they'll sleep in an empty bunk in the barracks.

It's an unspoken thing. CC will check the logs and see which squad might have a space open, which happens on occasion. Regs say that clones can't be swapping bunks and rooms all the time, but this is one of those things that a command clone is kind of above.

Getting your own quarters is a privilege. The privacy is novel. The silence can be unbearable.

The clones spend almost their whole lives falling asleep to the sound of their brothers breathing. So sometimes a commander will bunk with a squad. I headcanon that after Teth happened and the 501st went from a formidable foe to just six men, Rex and those six men all slept in the same barracks.

[literallyjustanerd]

...at least they're having fun? find out what they're jamming to bonuses:

[ireadwithmyears]

address the letters: “to the holes in my butterfly wings”

pairing: Kix and GN padawan reader (platonic)

Word count, guys it’s basically 10 K 💀bc apparently I am in capable of writing anything short.

tags/warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, mentions of blood and injury, medical procedures

summary:

In which, the CMO of Torrent Company discovers that you, a Padawan under his care have been hiding injuries and skipping medical checks, and now must take care of you as you suffer the consequences of your actions.

Also known as

Why you should never hide an injury from Kix. he will find out, and he will drag you off to the medbay so that he can take care of whatever mess you’ve made of yourself, scolding you all the wile.

“Look what I found on my bunk.”

You’re interrupted from eating your sandwich in the Cantina when Fives plops down beside you at the table, setting down a tray of food and waving a pink slip of paper in your face.

You’re about to tell him that “Can’t you see that you’re eating and get this paper out of my face,” when your eyes catch on three words written in bold text across the top of the page.

Mandatory vaccination updates. 

The sandwich, that up until this point has been the absolute centre of your attention, listen, you’re fighting a war and you have to appreciate any opportunity that you get to eat food that isn’t bland ration bars, drops out of your suddenly limp hand as you snatch up the paper, now very interested in the contents.

“When did you get this?” you ask slowly, you’re voice distracted, beginning to chew on your lower lip, already feeling the nervous coil in your stomach.

“When I came back to my bunk after the debriefing we had this afternoon. Apparently everyone got one. I bet you 10 credits that your master is going to pretend that he didn’t see it, and try and avoid it until Kix has to tear apart the ship looking for him and drag him to the medbay.” Fives chuckles.

Master Skywalker’s reputation for trying to avoid the medbay at all costs is widely known throughout Torrent Company..

“Kix is going to have a field day. I’ll give it to general Skywalker, he has some creative hiding places,” he continues, eyes lighting up at the memory of Anakin, half hazardously crammed into a supply closet, folded in an impressive, yet uncomfortable looking position as he forced his unwitting tall limbs to fit in the cramped space.

Unfortunately for Kix, your masters habit of avoiding the medbay whenever possible has rubbed off on you, though, you don’t think it’s for the same reason. Your avoidance stems from a place of fear, and, okay, a stubborn insistence that you can take care of yourself, which yes, definitely like master, like apprentice.

But that also stems from a fear. You’re determined to prove yourself, especially being a young Padawan working with those who are much more experienced than you. You don’t want to risk being taken off the field because of some stupid injury, and letting those who rely on you down, especially your master, who’s always bouncing back and getting up and ready to take on whatever is next regardless of what kind of peril he’s just come out of. You want, you need, to prove that just because you’re a Padawan, you’re not a liability, but an asset. You can be strong and resilient like master Skywalker.

So, you avoid. You dodge and you ignore and you pretend not to notice when the routine medical check dates come and go without your attendance. You know it’s only a matter of time before Kix gets on your ass about it. You’re surprised that you’ve kept it up this long. But, this only bolsters your confidence in being able to avoid another successfully.

“I’ll be right back,” you say, trying to sound nonchalant, setting the paper back down on the table before you run off into the crowd.

*

Sure enough, there is an identical slip of paper that’s been placed on your bunk. But conveniently, Jedi master Aayla Secura is going on a diplomatic mission to amid rim planet in a last ditch effort to try and convince them not to secede from the republic during the date that’s listed on the page when you’re scheduled for your vaccinations.

Earlier this morning, master Skywalker had asked if you had wanted to join this mission, saying that it would give you a break from being on the frontlines, and it would be easy enough to arrange, as master Secura would rendezvous with the 501st before she departed.

This morning, you had turned him down, listing several reasons as to why you needed to stay with the 501st. Your troops needed you, diplomatic missions were boring anyways, and you didn’t think that you would be of much help to the experienced and capable master Secura, who was a formidable diplomat in her own right. You didn’t think you would be able to add anything of particular value to the conversation, at least nothing that master Secura wouldn’t be able to say much more eloquently and better.

Now though, the only thing that’s running through your mind is the fear of needles and the dread of going into the medbay and that’s enough to make you reconsider everything you had said.

When you tell master Skywalker that you’ve changed your mind, and would actually like to accompany Aayla on her mission, he’s slightly confused considering you had been so adamant that you were needed here only just a few hours ago. 

But, he knows that as a Jedi, you need diplomatic experience. Experience that, before the war, would be very easy for Padawan’s to come by. He knows that you don’t have nearly as much as you should.

These are unprecedented times, though, and Padawan’s being trained during an active war is not ideal. He wants for you to be well-rounded. He has hope that your future won’t always involve war at the centre of it, and any opportunity that you get to learn how to be a keeper of peace should always be encouraged, especially during these times.

 So he gives in pretty easily, and when master Secura arrives, you happily join her. When the ramp of the ship seals behind you and you’re sitting with her in the cockpit, the warm relief that flows through your bones is palpable. 

“Success,” you think to yourself triumphantly.

*

Your triumph, however glorious it might have felt in the moment, is short-lived.

In spite of the fact that some old injuries, that you honestly thought you had done a pretty good job at taking care of yourself, were starting to aggravate you again, the unexpected joy and relief that weaved itself through the force, openly shared between you and master Secura, surrounded you like a warm blanket, protecting you from feeling the things that hurt you.

The planet you had just visited had agreed to stay with the republic, after a tense three days of debate between its political factions. The victory Was a surprise, considering how vehemently the opposition pushed to secede, but it was not unwelcome.

Aayla’s T-6 shuttle docks in the hanger bay of the much larger 501st transport. As you wait for the doors to open and the ramp to fold down before you, you’re still riding on that high, feeling, for the first time in a long time, the thrill of a success. One that you are unable to feel on the frontlines, because even when your battles result in a victory, you are surrounded by so much death and violence that in the end, you don’t really feel like celebrating. 

You’ll never admit it to your master, but privately, you think to yourself that maybe diplomatic missions aren’t as boring as you thought they were. You were able to help resolve a conflict, peacefully, without even having to brush your fingers against the hilt of your lightsaber, which, nowadays, is becoming more and more of a rare occurrence. But it’s what Jedi do, or at least, what they’re supposed to do, so you have to embrace the gratitude of the experience you just had, and try and take it with you going forward.

Your thoughts are preoccupied with these ideas swirling around your head, so you don’t see him until you’re stepping out onto the ramp of the T-6, descending into the hectic and busy as usual crowds of the hanger bay.

When you do, though, you stop dead, and your heart begins to race. 

Shit.

Directly in front of you, at the bottom of the ramp, stands Kix.

One look at his expression, and your stomach flips.

His lips are set in a thin, unreadable line, his brow creased as he observes you with pinpoint focus. Stern, brown eyes observe your every movement. There’s no question that the second you step off the ramp, he’s going to pounce on you like a cat seizing a mouse. 

He stands at attention, body forced into an unbending straight line, such positions you mostly see on the shiny’s, new troopers who are freshly trained during their first days out on the field. His hands are placed on his hips, the position that he assumes before he’s about to give someone, it’s usually your master who you’ve seen it directed at, the lecture of their life.

“Keep moving,” your brain supplies. “Act nonchalant, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be fine.”

You feel your feet hit solid ground, and your speed picks up, all along, your brain is screaming at you to move. It’s weird how now that he’s standing in front of you, every injury you’ve accumulated over the past weeks is beginning to hit you, all comfort and protection that the force has been giving you to keep you going rapidly vanishing with each step you take.

The uncomfortable angle that your shoulder is sitting at, the pulling of stitches in your leg as you increase your speed. It throbs and aches with sudden abandon. But your fists clench, and you do your best not to falter under Kix’s unwavering scrutiny, just knowing that he’s looking for any flicker of weakness, any sign of pain that registers on your face.

“Just keep going, and maybe, you’ll be able to slip past...”

He steps in front of you, reaching an arm out to easily intercept your path. He says your name, in a tone that breaches absolutely no room for trying to ignore it.

You jump, startled in spite of yourself. He’s effectively got you cornered, and seeing that there’s no way out of this, Your nerves begin to skyrocket, raising like the sound of alarm bells in your head. You look up, eyes meeting his unwaveringly stern expression, And suddenly, you wish that the floor would open up and swallow you whole.

He looks down at you, and he must see something in your disposition that belies your true feelings, because though his face remains set, his eyes somewhat soften, and when he next speaks, his voice is quiet but firm.

“Come with me, please. I need to see you in the medbay.” Though he’s phrased it as a request, you know that it is an order, and one that you must follow.

As a medic for the GAR, and this is something that you’ve heard him say to many a complaining troopers being escorted to the medbay when they don’t want to go, it is well within his rights to exercise such authority and make these orders. Because when it comes to the health and safety of every 501st personnel, whether you’re a Jedi general, commander, or Padawan, Kix immediately outranks you.

You look down at the floor, suddenly finding the marks that are speckled across it very interesting, and mumble a defeated and quiet “Yes sir.” 

When he turns, and you hesitate to follow, he lets out a gentle sigh, moving to place a hand on the small of your back. His voice is low, but reassuring as he ushers you forward.

“Come on, kid, you’re okay,” he breathes, and in spite of the fact that you’re still thinking that jumping out of an airlock would be better than this, your feet, still unwilling, but the slightest bit reassured, begin to move.

*

Coric giving you a subtle pitying glance as he’s reading over a patient’s chart when Kix escorts you into the medbay makes you want to vomit.

Between the two medics,  Kix has the reputation of being a hardass because he’s the CMO. Make no mistake, you do not want to get on either of their bad sides. But, given the choice between the two right now, you think you’re more equipped to handle Coric, who can usually be counted on to soften the blow a bit, with enough pleading glances and apologies.

Your eyes flit to the door that you’ve just passed through, because stupidly, your brain is still trying to make the calculations that if you can just duck out of Kix’s grasp for two seconds, you’d be able to make a run for it.

Unbeknownst to you, however, both medics have been carefully observing your every movement since you’ve entered. Coric, remaining completely calm and at ease, rises to his feet, moving swiftly to stand in the doorway in several long strides. He casually leans against the frame, arms folded.

“Don’t even think about it, baby Jedi. Your master has attempted the same thing you are considering, and he has always failed,” he says, keeping his voice light and non-threatening, making it clear that you need to give up on your fantasy of bolting out of here, but also not trying to scare you off..

You’re just beginning to wonder how the kriff they were able to read you so easily, with one covert glance determining that you were about to bolt when Kix removes his hand from the small of your back, instead, fingers coming to gently grip your shoulder.

The change in his hold is obvious. He is fully prepared for if you try to run. He gives your shoulder a squeeze, in what you interpret as a warning not to. 

Unfortunately, he’s just touched on an injury, you’re not entirely sure what you did, but you messed up your shoulder the last time you were on the field, and even the slight pressure elicits a sharp intake of breath that you’re unable to stop from escaping your lips, and that immediately has the attention of both medics laser focussed on you.

Kix’s anticipation evaporates and quickly melts into concern. Carefully, so carefully, he turns you to face him, keen eyes sharp as they analyze your face.

“Hey,” he calls softly, waiting for you to look at him. “Tell me where it hurts,” he says, so gently that it makes your eyes burn with shame. You look down at your feet.

“That’s uh... that’s, a loaded question,” you admit sheepishly, trying to keep your tone light and joking, in spite of the fact that now that you’re thinking about it, the list of injuries you’ve sustained without reporting to the medbay is a lengthy one, and might make Kix have a stroke.

Kix lets out a controlled, slow breath, eyes momentarily finding the ceiling as he silently begs the stars to give him strength. 

“Kaysh Mirsh solus,” he mutters to himself.

You’ve heard Kix toss that phrase around the medbay on multiple occasions, and though you’re uncertain of what it actually means, he usually brings it out when one of his brothers has done something that he would consider incredibly stupid, which is often.

Coric makes a noise of agreement. “It appears that our stupidly self-sacrificing general has passed on his stupid self sacrificing behaviour onto his apprentice,” he groans. “Will we ever know a day of peace?” 

Kix looks back down at you, his expression calm and restrained. “Come on, then, let’s see what we’re dealing with here,” moving his hand to your uninjured shoulder, he steers you both further into the medbay.

*

Your eyes don’t leave the ground, but you can hear the sound of a privacy curtain being pulled shut around the cubicle that Kix has brought you to. 

When an eerily familiar pink slip of paper is being held up in front of your downcast eyes, you cringe, Arms wrapping around yourself in defence

You can’t even pretend that you haven’t seen it before, because the words mandatory vaccination updates have been circling around your brain the whole time you were out on your last mission.

“Do you know why the GAR enforces these?” Kix begins, and his voice is too measured and calm. 

You lift a brow, questioning. Does he seriously expect you to answer this? Isn’t the answer obvious? 

“Uh... so that we don’t get sick?” You answer, uncertain as to what he’s getting at.

He nods, his face displaying a slight flicker of approval. “Yes, that is one reason as to why, and it’s an acceptable one,” he acknowledges. His frown deepens as he continues. “However, one must look at the much larger picture, at every personnel aboard this ship. The most important reason why mandatory vaccinations are enforced is so that we can avoid many people getting sick and spreading illness to the rest of the crew, so that we may remain fully functional and operational, continuing to serve and protect the people of the republic.”

You squirm beneath the scrutiny of his gaze. You’re starting to see where he’s going with this, and it’s incredibly discomforting.

“I would’ve thought, that as a Jedi, you would be able to more easily see this bigger picture than most others,” he observes mildly. “After all, I know, and I’m sure everyone who spends a considerable amount of time with you can see that there is so much compassion and care for others within your very nature.”

His voice is so genuine, laced with such real kindness in his tone that it makes your eyes sting. Your heart constricts, because he’s just pointed out something that you hadn’t even considered in your selfish haste to avoid this.

By avoiding your vaccinations, you have put every member of the 501st who works with you in danger.

Your arms wrap  tighter around yourself, and you can’t bring yourself to look anywhere but at the pristine white floor beneath your feet.

Kix senses that he’s hit a mark, and his voice gentles considerably. “I also understand that you are young, and still learning to see the bigger picture and how your actions can affect those around you.”

“I, I didn’t, I was scared and I just I didn’t think about...” your voice trembles as you try to answer, tumbling out in a rush of words that race as quickly as your heart. 

“I understand, and it is perfectly reasonable for you to feel that way,” he keeps his voice level and measured. “However,” he continues, and you know what he’s about to say even before he says it. “We still have to face the things that scare us. If you had simply told me how you were feeling, we would have figured out a way to navigate it.” His face is reassuring when you dare to glance up from the floor that you’ve been resolutely staring at for this whole conversation.

“We still will figure out the best way to proceed. However, these vaccination updates are very low on my priority list of concerns when it comes to you, compared to this,” and he holds up a datapad, displaying medical records with your name typed neatly across the top.

The last several appointment entries are highlighted in red, indicating that you did not attend any of them. 

“Do I need to remind you that these appointments are not optional. Any member of Torrent Company who goes out on the field must report to the medbay upon return for examination, as well as attend our regular medical checks to ensure that you are fit for active duty.” It’s clear from the tone of his voice that this is a lecture that he is very practised in delivering.

You lift your head, finally looking directly at him. He’s already made you admit a fear that you desperately wanted to keep to yourself. You try and summon what remains of your dignity. 

“What do you want me to say, Kix?” There’s a hint of defiance in your voice. 

“Do you want me to admit that I avoided these because I had injuries that I didn’t want you to know about? Because yes, the truth is that I did.” Your eyes level with his as you try to make him understand. 

“I was scared of the medical procedures, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?” You snap, not particularly annoyed with him, but more annoyed at the fact that your answers sound so stupid out loud. 

“But I was more scared of the fact that you were probably going to take me off the field, and I couldn’t, I couldn’t let that happen. My master was relying on me. Everyone was relying on me, and I couldn’t let them down.” You try to shrug off his concern with a dismissive wave of your hand. “Besides, I’ve been doing fine,” you say evasively.

Kix does not rise to the bate of your seeming anger. He’s much too practised and controlled to let it affect him. He also has the uncanny ability to look at someone, and see everything, read through their feelings, whether they’ve been acknowledged or not, and understand them. So, even though you’re trying to push him away, with what at first glance appears to be frustration, underneath it all, he can tell that it’s just as plainly  fear.

He meets your storm filled eyes unflinchingly, levelling you with a look that is equal parts stern and unwavering, and equal parts concerned and filled with compassion. It makes your insides twist with guilt, and you want to look away, but you can’t bring yourself to as he speaks, his voice calm but steely.

“Are you fine?” he asks, an eyebrow raising as he tilts his head to look at you, his gaze clinical, assessing, even as you just stand there in front of him.

. “I already know that there’s something wrong with your shoulder. But aside from that, I’ve been observing you since you got off your transport. The way you move is slow and careful, not at all like the usual way you dash around the ship. Even now, you’re hesitating to put much weight on your right leg.” He ticks off the things he’s noticed on his fingers like a list.

“Apart from the fact that skipping these mandatory appointments have consequences. If you had kept this up, I would’ve had to bring this to our superiors, that includes the Jedi council,” he gives you a pointed look, even the mention of the high Council makes you shiver. in your experience, whenever you and your master have been summoned to speak with the council, it’s always to be reprimanded, and never good.

. “You could have been Court-martialed,” he says, knowing that his words will hit the severity of the situation home.  

You falter, stepping back as you feel your eyes go wide. “Court-martialed?” you breathe, feeling the blood draining from your face. 

He gently takes your arm, guiding you to sit on a bed as he continues, voice softening. “It is very clear that you are hiding injuries, and though I can understand why, in premise, You did this, the reality is that this will begin to affect your performance in battle. It will not just affect you. You will put yourself, as well as the entirety of the people you are leading, in danger. People could get hurt.  You could get hurt. Because you would be putting not just yourself, but others, in unnecessary danger, your ability to be in the position of a commander could be called into serious  question by your superiors, and for good reason” 

As much as he keeps his voice low and calm, you can sense that he’s disappointed in the way that you’ve handled yourself. Your teeth sink into the inside of your cheek, forcing the tears that prick at the back of your eyes to not fall. You hate disappointing people, and the fact that you’ve managed to disappoint Kix, one of the kindest people you know, makes you want to curl up into a ball and never show your face in public again.

“And that, the safety of yourself, and everyone aboard this ship, is my priority. It is much more important to me than having to report to any superior. The fact that you hold your safety, and by extension, the safety of  those around you, with such blatant disregard, is what concerns me the most, and that is what I need you to understand.” 

There’s a certain gravity in his voice that you’ve never heard before, but it slams into your chest and hits you like a ton of bricks. The implications of what you’ve been doing, of what could have happened to those around you, to his brothers, because of your inability to face your fears begin to swirl around your head with a rapidity that makes your heart race. 

These thoughts come unbidden, and too fast for you to process. The tears, that you’ve been so desperately trying to push back, spring free and begin to fall down your cheeks, unprompted, slowly, and silently. You don’t have time to stop them from coming.

Kix knows that he’s been very direct, and very blunt with you, deciding that this would be the only way to get through to you. He hates having to do it, though. Kix considers himself to be a fairly good judge of character, and he knows that you have such a caring, gentle heart and strong presence wherever you go. So, watching you break in front of him like this pains him.

Your breath hitches in an unsteady gasp as you look up at him, tears blurring your vision. 

“I’m sorry, Ori’vod,” your lip trembles as your voice breaks, wanting to curl in on yourself. “Ni ceta,” you get out in barely a choked whisper.

But he hears you, and it breaks him. 

You’ve never referred to him as ori’vod before, and the idea that you consider him as such, as a big brother, awakens his protective, instinctive nature to gather you close and keep you safe from harm. 

His Vod, mostly his batchmate, Jesse, calls it his mother hen instincts.

He can’t help it, though. Your voice, sounding so much smaller than he’s ever heard it, trembling and filled with tears, has broken what’s left of his resolve, and gently, very gently, mindful of the fact that you’re injured, he takes you into his arms, holding you close to him. Your head buries against his shoulder, and he easily cradles you there, feeling every sharp intake of breath as you cry.

“Oh, adika, shh,” he soothes, hand coming up to gently stroke your hair as he continues to speak softly to you. “You’re okay, I promise, everything is going to be alright. I’ve got you, we are going to sort this out.”

*

“Well,” he says, reading over the results of the medical scan he’s just performed. Would you believe me if I told you that a dislocated shoulder is the least of your concerns?” 

Your eyes find the ceiling, and you exhale a slow breath before asking, “how bad?”

He keeps his voice neutral as he relays the results of the scan to you. “According to your last medical check, you were diagnosed with Iron deficiency anemia, not incredibly uncommon, what with our limited access to rations and food with the proper nutrients,” his brow creases as he continues. “However, preliminary scans indicate that your haemoglobin levels haven’t much improved.”

He gives you a look.“You have been taking the supplement you were prescribed?” he asks, in a way that makes you suspicious that he already knows that the answer is no.

You avoid looking at him. “I was, but they kept making my stomach feel queasy all day, so I stopped.”  

Kix Lets out a long suffering sigh. “An issue that we easily could have rectified by changing your treatment plan if you had just let us know,” he scolds. “Nonetheless, I’d like to do a blood test to get exact confirmation of those levels and see how bad the numbers are so that we can Start getting them back up to baseline.” 

Your stomach does a flip and you cringe silently at the mention of a blood test.

Kix continues, consulting the scan results that are displayed on a datapad. “You’ve got untreated burns on your fingers.” He raises a curious eyebrow at you and your cheeks flush.

“They weren’t entirely untreated, I put them under running water,” you try to argue. The unimpressed look he gives you stops you dead in your tracks.

“It wasn’t entirely my fault,” you defend. “I was fixing one of the starfighters that got hit during our last airstrike. I got R2 to help me with the repairs but he wasn’t listening to my instructions. He crossed two of the wrong wires and caused the circuitboard to spark.”

“And that is why you should never ask R2 for help,” he says with a hint of amusement in his voice. “Those burns weren’t given time to heal, and the fact that you’re constantly wielding a lightsaber has exacerbated them. I will apply a burn ointment to them that should take away the pain and speed the process of healing.” 

He fixes you with a look.  

“The most concerning thing is The blaster wound on the front of your right  calf. Really, vod, you should know that injuries being treated and stitched up on the field, especially when not done by a medic, always should be looked over by a medic as soon as possible, due to the unsanitary environment that they were performed in.”

“Tup did his best to stitch it,” you say, feeling the need to defend the brother who, in spite of the fact that he was not a medic, sutured you up as you took cover from separatist battle droids.

“I don’t doubt that he did. I was the instructor who took every single one of the troopers on this ship through their mandatory medical courses, and I did not let them pass without proving that they were adequately able to handle emergency first aid on the field. However, it still remains that you’ve picked up an infection, and to treat it, the sutures will have to be removed, the wound reopened, and extraction of the infected tissue, as well as a course of both IV and oral antibiotics to clear up anything that remains.”

You stare at him, your eyes growing wide with horror as he explains. “How?” You ask, alarmed.

He senses your nerves and leans forward, taking your hand and running his thumb along the back of it reassuringly. “This is a surgical procedure, performed under general anesthesia.” 

You flinch at his words, and your fingers tighten around his with anxiety, needing something to hold onto. 

“I know that sounds scary, especially if you’ve never been put under before. But I promise, this is a fairly common operation. Me and Coric will both be here making sure that you’re okay the whole time.” he continues to stroke his thumb along the backs of your knuckles.

“Let’s take this one step at a time, though. We’ll take care of the things that are manageable, first,” he says, giving you an encouraging smile.

*

“Hey uh...” you say nervously, watching with anxiety fluttering in your stomach as Kix ties a band just above your elbow, prepping you for the blood draw. The way the band tightens, restricts  and squeezes around your arm Makes you feel trapped. You hate it.

“I have... I’ve had, issues in the past when it comes to these,” you say awkwardly, not knowing how to explain.

Kix only looks up at you, raising a perceptive brow. “Are you referring to your predisposition of fainting whenever a blood draw is performed?” he asks, completely unfazed. 

It’s your turn to raise your eyebrows in questioning. “Don’t worry, Coric already has this listed in your file. I’m going to get you to lie down when we do it.”

He has the sensitivity and grace not to mention the fact that he also knows this because he walked into the medbay to find Coric absolutely tearing into a junior medic for letting you leave too soon after you had gotten a blood draw, resulting in you crumpling to the floor in a faint right outside of the medbay doors. 

At your continued staring, he adds, his voice softening. “It’s a normal reaction, that likely is exacerbated because of your low haemoglobin levels. There’s nothing wrong with you, Vod’ika.” he reassures, gently guiding you to lay down on the bed. “Now, just lay down for me, and we’ll get this over with quickly, and if you faint, you faint. It happens, no big deal, I’ll be right here regardless.”  

And because you’re you, you do faint.

The needle itself is always not as bad as you anticipate it being. The Sting, though prominent,  is small and quick and over before you have time to fixate on it. 

It’s only when he’s pressing a cotton swab into the crook of your arm, encouraging you to keep it in place while he puts a Band-Aid over top, that you register the familiar feeling of drowsiness, vision blurring and ears beginning to ring, that always comes before you pass out.

You think that you might give him some indication, some warning, because he’s removing your hand from where it’s been pressing against the cotton round, replacing it with his own, much more steady one. Everything around you is muffled, and it’s jarring, but in a way that is too far away from your immediate concerns to really react to it.

When you come to, he’s pressing a cool, damp cloth to the back of your neck, other hand gently stroking hair away from your forehead. His voice fades back into your consciousness, a stream of gentle, soothing words as your eyes flutter open.

The feeling of the cloth cools your heated skin, and the hand gently running through your hair brings your senses back to focus, grounding you.

“Easy, adika, i’m right here, you’re safe,” he brushes his fingers against your cheek, and when you react, leaning into his touch, he gives you a small smile. “That’s it, there we go, you’re back. Everything’s good,” he soothes, gently stalling your movement when you attempt to sit up.

“Not right now, vod, stay down for a few more minutes. I’ve already got the blood work running through the scanner, and we should have its results quickly, okay.” You give him a small nod, still not really having the energy to do much else. You close your eyes, taking deep breaths as you come back to yourself, and when the scanner beeps, indicating that it completed its diagnostics, you jump slightly.

Kix moves over to check it as you slowly sit up. “Okay, so, your numbers are definitely not nearly where they should be he says, clearly unimpressed.

“But, Once we have taken care of your more serious injuries, will start you with an iron infusion delivered through an IV before transitioning back to pills. Don’t worry, we’ll have you on a much smaller dosage so that we can hopefully circumvent the discomfort you had in your stomach,” he says with optimism, which makes you feel slightly better about the fact that he’s just mentioned an IV. You’re not given much time to fixate on it, though, because he’s already turning away from the scanner, moving back to you.

“Let’s not worry about that right now, though. We have enough problems having to deal with the mess That you’ve made of yourself. I will do my best to resist calling you a di’kut as much as possible,” he says, hands on his hips, and in spite of yourself, it actually makes you laugh.

*

You didn’t realize how sore and irritated the burns on your hands were until you couldn’t hold back the audible sigh of relief that fell from your lips as soon as Kix began applying the burn cream to them. The pain instantly vanished, leaving a pleasant, cooling sensation behind. He wrapped small bacta patches around your injured fingers, explaining that it would make sure that the healing process was unimpeded by the outside environment.

That was easy, quick, painless. 

Your shoulder, on the other hand, is a completely different matter. As soon as Kix touches it, as gentle as he can be, it flares with pain, and your muscles tense, which just makes it worse. 

“I don’t know how you’ve been functioning with this for as long as you have,” he comments dryly. When his fingers press against the bone, assessing the damage with a practised familiarity, you cry out, eyes squeezing shut.

“Haar’chak,” you grit out, as behind you, Kix preps a syringe with local anesthetic. 

“Which one of my di’kut brothers taught you curse words in Mandoa?” he asks, beginning to disinfect the injection site.

You flinch at the cold and your cheeks flush. “Shit, you weren’t supposed to hear that. I can’t tell you that, I made a promise.” 

“Did you now?” he asks, fighting the amused smirk that plays on his lips. “Well, whoever it was, you might as well put your skills that they taught you to use.”

You look at him from over your shoulder, eyebrows raising in confusion.

He explains, “I need to give you an injection of local anaesthetic so that it takes the edge off of resetting your shoulder correctly. I know those aren’t your favourite , so, I am making a deal with you. Let me do this, and I give you free rein to throw whatever Mandoa insult my brothers have taught you at me, no consequences. Is that fair?”

The unimpressed look you’re giving at the syringe turns to surprise, then, slowly, a smile spreads across your face and you nod, quickly looking away from it. “Deal,” you accept, your voice still shaky with nerves but determined.

“Okay, deep breath for me,” He waits for you to inhale. “Perfect, now, on the exhale, give me that insult with all of your might. Ready?”

He waits for you to nod, then prompts you to exhale as he administers the anaesthetic into the back of your shoulder.

“Osi’yaim, that hurt, you di’kut,” what should be just a little pinch to your already injured shoulder makes you cry out the words, and you swear you can hear the familiar sound of Coric laughing from the other side of the medbay.

Your cheeks flush, you did not intend to be that loud. But you don’t apologize, either, and Kix only gives you a rueful grin, nodding in understanding.  

As you wait for the anaesthetic to settle, Kix warns, “I’m gonna be honest, kid, because of how long you’ve left this injury to sit, even with the anesthetic, setting it is still going to hurt.” 

You close your eyes, grimacing, before nodding with a sigh. “Do your worst,” you say, bracing yourself.

He lays a reassuring hand on your uninjured shoulder. “I need you relaxed, adika,” he says gently. “Trust me, it will only hurt more if you tense like that,” he continues, gently encouraging your shoulder downward with his hand.

“Easy, now. I want you to give me some good deep breath’s. In,” he inhales deeply, holding for a few seconds, “and out,” he lets his breath go in a controlled, slow stream of air.

He waits for you to copy, giving you a few breaths to settle into it as he prepares himself. “Perfect, just like that, keep it up, you’ve got this,” he keeps up the stream of encouraging words as carefully, but firmly, he rotates your arm, guiding your dislocated shoulder back into its proper place with one precise movement.

The sudden flare of pain, even dulled as it is by the anesthetic, takes your breath away momentarily, your vision instantly blurring with tears. When it clears,Kix has shifted to standing in front of you, gently wiping them away with his thumbs.

“Well done, vod’ika, you were so brave,” his words make you want to cry more, because you didn’t think you were brave. You thought that being brave meant confidence, at all times, and not letting other people see your vulnerability. You can’t fully understand it, but, now, you’re beginning to think that maybe your initial idea of bravery was wrong.

Your lip wobbles as you speak, “W what now?” you look up at him with wide, still watery eyes.

He gently strokes your hair. “Now, I’m going to get Coric, and you,” he playfully taps your nose, “are going to take a much-needed nap, if the bags under your eyes are any indication, while we take care of that leg wound.” 

*

It sounds simple enough. 

Kix explains the procedure while Coric preps you for surgery, making sure all your vitals are stable. As he wraps a blood pressure cuff around your arm, he tells you that that’s essentially his job while he’s in here. Throughout the surgery, he will monitor your vitals and make sure that they remain at safe levels. 

“I’m going to remove the sutures, clean the wound, remove the infected tissue, pack the wound with saline soaked dressings, then bandage it back up so that it can heal. It goes without saying that you’re going to be off the field for at least a week. You’ll need to stay here so that we can continue to monitor your recovery as well as change the dressings often. You will also need to undergo a course of IV antibiotics to kill off any lingering infection. This will also give us time to get your haemoglobin levels back up with an infusion.”

Your eyes close tightly as anxiety knots your stomach. “Oh, force, a week? But, my master needs me,” you protest.

When your eyes open again, both medics are fixing you with equally stern looks. “Your master needs you to be safe, and healthy,” says Coric, frowning, as he carefully attaches a pulse oximeter to one of your fingers. 

“If you want to be back on the field as soon as possible, you will take this week of recovery. If you want to argue with me about it, I will make it longer. A week is the absolute minimum,” Kix says, arms folded across his chest, wearing his signature “i’m the chief medical officer, you have no authority here,” expression.

You visibly deflate, reminding yourself that you pick and choose your battles, and picking and choosing a battle with two medics who are very competent at dealing with very stubborn Jedi would be a very stupid idea. 

You can’t help yourself, and in spite of the fact that you shouldn’t, you stare as Kix preps your wrist for an IV line.

Sensing you’re mounting anxiety as your eyes nervously flit around, watching  Kix’s Every move, Coric gently takes your other hand, squeezing when your eyes don’t immediately look at him. When you finally tear your eyes away from what Kix is doing, Coric is wearing a mischievous smile on his face. “So, Vod’ika, who taught you how to curse in Mandoa?” he asks, raising a curious brow.

You only scoff, rolling your eyes. “Kix already tried to find out. What makes you think that I’m going to tell that secret to you?”

“I’ve already got my suspicions. My moneys on Echo or Fives.” he gives you a wounded look, “I thought you would tell me, because I’m obviously your favourite.”

Kix uses this conversation to quickly insert the IV into a vein on your wrist. Reacting to the small pinch, your fingers instinctively tighten around Coric’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“You’re definitely my favourite now,” you grumble, giving Kix a sidelong glare.

He gives you an apologetic look. “Sorry, Vod, i’m going to run the medication through the line now. It will act quickly, and when you wake up, this will be all done with.” 

You nod, biting your lip nervously. Coric notices, giving your hand another gentle squeeze. “Hey, kid, I know you’ve heard Kix say kaysh mirsh solus all the time. Do you know what it means?” 

You look at him with curiosity, shaking your head.

“Well, essentially it means they are stupid or foolish. But, the literal translation is even more direct .” Coric gives you a conspiratorial smile.

“What is it?” You ask as he leans forward. 

“The literal translation means their braincell is lonely,” he says, completely serious.

You feel a smile pulling up the corners of your lips and a surprised laugh falls from them. 

You feel the medication beginning to enter your system, but you’re so busy laughing that you can’t bring yourself to care. “You better not be bullshitting me,” you threaten,“or I...” you let out a yawn.

“I swear to the force, I,” your eyes begin to flutter and you yawn again, shrugging.

“I’ll think about it later,” you mumble sleepily, before promptly passing out, smile still lighting up your face.

*

Your leg hurts.

That’s the first thing you become aware of as Kix is gently encouraging you to open your eyes.

“Come on, adika, open your eyes for me,” he says  softly, fingers gently brushing against your cheek to bring you back to awareness.

“But it hurts, and I wanna go back to sleep,” you wine, blinking sleepily up at him. 

“Ni ceta, vod’ika,” he soothes, fingers gently caressing your forehead in an apology. “I know it hurts, and you can go back to sleep soon, I promise,” 

He glances at something that you can’t see, giving a small nod,“Vitals look good, the anaesthesia is wearing off nicely, and it doesn’t appear to have affected them too much. Let’s up that IV dosage,” Kix speaks to Coric, who moves to adjust your IV out of your eyeline.

Your leg throbs, and you let out a stifled whimper, hand reaching down, trying to at least find the source of your pain when Kix catches it in his, gently stalling your movements. “Let’s leave that alone for now, vod’ika. Coric is just increasing your pain med intake, that will make it better. Then you can sleep,” 

At the continued expression of pain on your face, he lets go of your hand, fingers gently playing with your hair as he instructs, “nice and easy, adika, deep breath‘s for me, everything’s okay.” 

You don’t believe him at first, but slowly, things become okay. The pain quickly fades and dulls , breathing becomes easier, and your eyes begin to flutter. All the while, Kix continues holding his vigil at your bedside, fingers continuing to gently run through your hair until you fall into a natural sleep.

*

When you properly wake up next, the first thing you notice is that your leg doesn’t hurt anymore.

Whatever pain meds Kix has got you hooked up to are very effective, and your lips pull into a relieved smile. 

The second thing you notice, when you glance around to get your bearings, is the face of your very concerned captain, Rex, at your bedside. You blink slowly, yawning. Although the anaesthetic has worn off, the pain meds still have you feeling like you’re in a fog, and your brain is working pretty slowly.

“When did you get here?” you ask, confused.

“I came straight here after you never reported to the bridge for today’s debriefing. The general said that you would be back today, and it’s unlike you to miss or forget about meetings,” he explains, looking at you, relieved to see you awake, but a flicker of concern still lingering in his eyes.

“Osik, sorry, Rex, I got myself into a bit of a bind over here,” you gesture to the IV that you’re hooked up to, chuckling a little.

“So I heard, don’t worry about it, kid. There wasn’t much to report, anyways.” His head tilts, and he raises a questioning eyebrow.“Who taught you how to curse in Mandoa, vod’ika?” he asks, keeping his voice light.

If you weren’t under the influence of pretty heavy duty pain medication‘s, you would have restraint, you would have thought before you opened your mouth. But for Rex, it was his lucky day.

you smirk, “good old Hardcase taught me everything I know,” you say with pride, smiling fondly at the memory.

Rex carefully files that information away so that he can scold Hardcase for that once he leaves. But he carefully keeps his face neutral.

His face grows serious. “Kix told me about all the medical appointments you’ve missed and the injuries that you’ve been covering up,” his voice is stern, every bit the commanding officer that he is in front of the troops. It makes you nervous, and you swallow, looking away from him.

“I swear to the force, if you ever pull something like that again, I will find out about it, and I’ll drag you to the medbay myself, even if it means chasing you around the ship and stunning you if I have to. do you realize how much danger you were in? How much danger you put others in? That was extremely reckless of you, commander. I’m very disappointed in your actions,  and it will not happen again, do you understand?”

Your hazy memory recalls the conversation you had with Kix earlier, about this very thing, and for some reason, it hits even harder seeing the disappointment, worry and concern etched on the face of the normally composed captain.

Without prompting, you find yourself bursting into tears. 

Later, you’ll blame the pain meds on your inability to keep a grip on your emotions. But right now, all you can do is think about the people, the brothers, you could have hurt, the things that could’ve happened because of you, and the tears just fall down your face, streaming from your eyes, falling down your cheeks, into your ears, dampening your hair.

.“I I’m sorry Captain I I didn’t I,” you gasp out, trying to explain, but your brain is still foggy, only clinging onto the hazy images of loss and pain due to your inability to act fast enough.

There’s a reason why people are convinced that Kix has eyes on the back of his head. Working as the highest ranking medic in the 501st has trained him to be hyper observant of all of his patients, even if he isn’t at their bedside. 

So, even though he’s been taking the time to update your file on a datapad, unbeknownst to either you or Rex, he’s also been watching you like a hawk, and the minute you begin to show that you’re overwhelmed, he’s swooping in on the two of you, protective mother hen mode fully activated by the tears falling down your cheeks.

He steps in front of you, broad shoulders immediately blocking your view of your commanding officer. “Captain,” he says, and his voice is still respectful, but there’s a hard edge beneath it, something stern that you haven’t heard before, even during the worst of him lecturing you.

“You are causing undue stress to my patient, and I’m going to have to ask you to leave, sir,” he continues, physically ushering Rex to the door.

More quietly, out of your earshot, he says,“I have already harshly reprimanded the commander. Trust me, this experience will ensure that the lesson will not be forgotten.  Now, if you want to be of use, get the general and bring him to me, please. I need to speak with him. Between you and me, Rex, I’m blaming this ordeal on him.” 

Rex begins to make an objection, but  Kix is already turning away, folding his arms. “I don’t care if you have to drag him out of council meetings. His Padawan is more important,” he shoots back, before quickly moving back to your side, all of his hard lines instantly fading at the sight of your tear streaked face.

He’s all gentleness and soft reassurances uttered as he cups your face, wiping away your tears. When you struggle into a sitting position, falling against his chest as your arms clumsily reach for him, his arms easily pull you close to him and you sob, trying to explain.

“Kix, I, I didn’t mean to, I never wanted to hurt anyone,” you whisper, clutching at him, burying your face into the crook of his neck, wanting to disappear, feeling his body shift, one hand splayed out, rubbing your back in slow, soothing circles, the other coming up to cradle your head, holding you against his warmth, sheltering you.

“Oh, adika, shh, I know. You didn’t hurt anyone, vod’ika, nothing happened,” he coos, tightening his arms around you. Lips press against your hair briefly, and you continue to cry, letting your emotions run their course as he cradles you to him, gently rocking you back-and-forth, as if you were a much smaller child.  

In this moment, you certainly feel like you are, and it’s comforting, the way he holds and settles you against him , making gentle shushing noises and speaking in low, soothing tones, the words eventually losing their meaning as sleep, yet again, gently pulls at your consciousness.

The last thing you’re aware of is him gently guiding you to lie back down, another medic, you think it’s Coric, passing him a freshly warmed blanket that he tucks around you, and a hand gently brushing through your hair as you drift back to sleep, your storm settled and calmed by his words and his presence.

*

Anakin Skywalker had been in meetings with the Jedi high Council all day, was running on his 3rd cup of caff, and still found himself stifling a yawn every five minutes. So, when Rex silently slipped into the room, politely interrupting the meeting to request that Anakin report to the medbay, he instinctively rolled his eyes, grumbling that he would go later. 

But when Rex stated that this wasn’t actually about him, and was in regards to his Padawan, Anakin was out of his seat in an instant, hastily making his excuses to the council before leaving the room, legs carrying him to the medbay faster than he ever had moved there before.

He doesn’t even stop to look as behind him, Rex calls to a group of troopers in a booming voice, “Hardcase, get Over here right now,  you di’kut, I need to talk to you regarding professionalism when it comes to working with young Padawan’s .”

When he’s escorted into a cubicle, his eyes grow wide with alarm at the sight of you, peacefully asleep, but your face looks exhausted and worn out. You’re hooked up to an IV and monitors, there’s a thick bandage that’s been secured to the bottom half of your right leg.

Kix keeps his voice low and quiet, so as not to disturb you, but he fixes your master with a hard look as he takes him through an overview of your current health status.

“Iron deficiency anemia, burns, a dislocated shoulder, a blaster wound that had to be surgically operated on due to an untreated infection that had grown quite severe and needed to be manually removed, as well as several muscle strains and bruised ribs that can be healed with proper rest.” 

His mouth falls open at the growing list, but Kix only folds his arms, continuing to speak. “General, sir, your Padawan looks to you with the highest regard, and you lead the way by example. All of these issues could have been caught much earlier and treated without having to deal with all this,” he gestures at everything you’re hooked up to.

“This behaviour was learned, and when I pressed, I found that at the root of the problem was fear of disappointing you and letting you down,” he waits for these words to sink in, and when they do, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi general who is known for his strength and recklessness on the field, hangs his head with shame, eyes finding the floor and refusing to look at Kix directly.

His meaning is clear, you are his Padawan, and as your master, it’s his responsibility to set a good example for you, and in this regard, watching pain medication flow through the IV line attached to your wrist, he knows he has failed to do so.

“So, just maybe, the next time you decide that are mandatory medical checks are optional and you can manage on your own, maybe just, consider this,” Kix gestures to you, still deeply asleep.

Before your master can respond, not that he really has any words to do so, Kix turns on his heel, quickly exiting the room before he can be reprimanded for speaking to his superior that way, not that he really cares, anyway.

If he had stayed, though, he would have seen Anakin tentatively move to your side, gently sitting on the edge of your bed as he strokes back your hair and adjusts the blankets that are tucked around you, properly shamefaced as he looks down at you and says in a voice that is soft and rarely heard coming out of him, “I’m sorry, kiddo, this one’s on me.”

*

“And this,” says Kix, quickly injecting the third and final mandatory vaccination into your arm, “is your ticket out of here.”

The week of recovery has come and gone, And you have finally been cleared to head back onto the field, as long as you continue to follow a regimen of oral antibiotics for the next week, and, more excitingly in your opinion, get out of the medbay.

“There you go, you did it,” Fives, who’s been sitting across from you, happily agreeing to be your emotional support/cheerleader, ready with a damp cloth if you need it, does a little celebratory dance that makes you laugh, even as Kix, sensing that you’re feeling unsteady, gets you to lay down.

Fives gently places the cool cloth against your skin, and it’s enough to ground you, pulling you back from the edge.

“That’s it, Vod’ika, well done, you did great,” Kix says encouragingly, giving your shoulder a warm squeeze. “Now, wait 15 minutes, and as long as you’re feeling back to normal, you can get out of here,” he smiles down at you, patting your head affectionately before moving out of the cubicle.

As soon as he’s gone, Fives liens in conspiratorially, face lighting up with mischievousness sparkling in his eyes. “Hey, kid, I bet you 10 credits that I could easily sneak you out right now and we could make this 15 minutes go a lot faster,” he grins.

In spite of the fact that you smile back at him and laugh lightly, you give your head a small shake and throw a cautious look over your shoulder.

“Are you kidding? I’ve been here for a whole week, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that  Kix and Coric do, in fact, have eyes in the back of their heads. We wouldn’t even make it out of the door.” 

It’s true, you’ve seen several different troopers trying to carefully sneak out of the medbay when they think that no one is watching. 

What you’ve learned, though, is that the medics of Torrent Company are always watching. Nothing gets past their keen eyes or ears, and no one successfully sneaks out undetected. 

You grimace, “besides, I’ve just gotten off of Kix’s bad side, and I have no desire to go back there.”

“So,” Fives says, resignedly coming to sit on the edge of your bed with a sigh. “We’re waiting the 15 minutes?”

You carefully sit up, giving him a nod and a decisive look as you lean your head against his shoulder..

“Yes, Fives,” you affirm, letting out a small sigh of your own. “We are waiting the 15 minutes.”

************************* thank you so much for reading. Comments and re-blogs are always appreciated here.are always appreciated here.

Mandoa translations. Kaysh mirsh solus, they are stupid/foolish. Ori’vod: Big Brother (in this instance) can also be used as big sister or big sibling. Ni ceta: i’m sorry. Vod: Brother/ sister/ sibling. Adika: little one. Vod’ika: Little sister, little brother, or little sibling Haar’chak: damm it. Di’kut: Fool (literal translation is underwear forgeter) which kills me. Osi’yaim: shithead. Osik: shit.

[lost-in-fiction-like-ur-mom]

Familiar Faces

Tech x Reader

Summary- Techs death was not a reality you were ready for, you relied so much on his love. After months of grief, you find he might not actually be dead.

A/N- SPOILERS FOR TBB SEASON 3 EP 7. I know nothing is confirmed about Tech, but watching this newest episode has got my brain working overtime with fic ideas!

Word Count- 2,708

The cart creaked across the rail line, sending shivers down your spine. There wasn't much keeping all of you up. Inches from falling thousands of feet to your death. The clouds didn't help either, you couldn't see anything.

You fired away, missing most of the time. Everything was happening so fast. A mission gone wrong. Your thoughts were stopped by Hunter's yelling.

"Three ships inbound!" He informs, even when you saw nothing in the sky- you trusted him. He knew better than any of you.

Shortly you heard them coming, the roar of the engines were loud. Soon followed by it's blaster's shaking the cart.

"Tech we need power!" Hunter commands. You work on pure adrenaline and fire at the ships closing in.

One of them is shot down, but not before it knocks out one of the support hooks. You feel the ground shift down, leaning.

Like a breath of fresh air, you hear Tech's voice. Him yelling back "Echo, Now!" was enough to calm you.

"We're online!" Echo retorts. You can't help your grin rising. Finally, things were looking up.

Though, you didn't need Hunter to tell you three more ships were headed your way.

"Tech, hurry." You called out.

You and Omega blasted at one of the new ships, effectively destroying its wing. It crashed down in a black smoke.

From this black smoke a fourth ship came. It was too quick- it shot at Tech, who was still running towards you. He gave a yelp as he fell off the support beam.

Your eyes widened as you gasped, body craning to try and see him. He had a hard landing, but was standing to his feet on the falling compartment of the cart.

It rumbled and shook, about to crash down.

You ran to the back of the cart, trying to get closer. "Tech!" You watched in horror as he tripped back with the rest of the detached pieces.

His grappling hook barely caught onto a stray metal piece. His body bounced back at the tension. "Don't move! I'll pull you up." You tried to reach his line, but it seemed impossible without everyone toppling over into the abyss.

"I-I can't reach!" You called over comms.

"I will climb up, do not risk falling over." You nodded at this, forgetting he couldn't see you. He was more worried for you than himself.

"Come on Tech, hurry!" Wrecker booms, coming over to see what the status was.

You could feel Tech roll his eyes, "I am climbing as fast as I can!"

His grunts break your heart, he panted as he tried to pull himself up. Storm troopers still fired all around you. One of the blast forcing Tech to fall even further.

"Tech!" This time it came from Omega. Your heart was beating too fast to think and speak. You were so worried.

"Why aren't we moving?" Hunter asks Echo. "The cart is being ripped from the back."

The very cart Tech was holding on to for dear life.

You frantically looked to Hunter. "Wrecker, get him on board!" He instructs.

"No, you're too big." You push past Wrecker to take a step on the falling cart.

It creaked loudly, almost giving out. "NO! Don't!" Tech yells up at you. Your eyes connect through the ripped metal. "Any shift in weight could send both of these carts over."

Incoming ships shoot at Techs line, he dropped down again.

"You must sever the connection hinge. Now!" Tech says.

Your face falls. "Are you crazy! No, you'll go over!" Tears welled up in your eyes. There had to be another way.

Another creak and shift. You were almost thrown over by the rocking.

Tech gave out a heavy sigh. This time he spoke gentle, saying your name. "There is no time..."

"Tech, please no!" You begged. He pulled out his blaster, not looking away from you. He was going to sever the connection himself.

"No!" You screamed, desperate. Your tears were falling faster than ever.

"Plan 99... I love you" He started. With a deep breath you yelled, "Don't you dare!"

"You can't! Please!" You sobbed, still trying to get closer. You heard Wrecker straining behind you, he was trying to hold the falling cart up.

"When have we ever followed orders?"

A shot rang out, he fell.

A piercing scream erupted. You almost didn't recognize that it was your own.

Your instincts kicked in and you tried to leap down, like you could still save him somehow. Wrecker was too fast and caught you, his arm throwing you back into the safe cart.

"No, NO let me go!" You tried to fight off Wrecker, but he was far too strong. He pinned you down easily.

You were hysterical, arms wailing at anyone who kept you from jumping after him. Later, when you were thinking straight- you'd thank them.

"He's gone, he's gone!" You sobbed out, devastated. Your screams filled the air, shocking a few storm troopers close by.

Echo wired the cart to start moving and get everybody to safety.

That was months ago. Just the thought could bring you to tears. You had lost everything you felt the reason to live for. He was your everything. His incompetence for social queues, his punctual speech, his stupidly intelligent brain. All of it was yours, and now it was all gone.

A deep depression fell over you, the only thing driving you was Hunter and Wrecker. They inspired you how hard they fought for Omega. It warmed your heart in your worst times.

It hurt immensely when you heard his name, but it got easier to get out of bed. It got easier to smile again.

Eventually, you reconnected with Omega and started defending Crosshair. Something that was typically Tech's job... You knew you had to take on more responsibilities and make up for the time you were down.

You constantly wondered if Tech would be proud of you.

You and the rest of The Batch found yourselves helping Rex, then... escaping with Rex. An enemy assassin leading the Empire to us.

The nine of you hurried down a secret passage way, to a leach vessel.

The soft clicks of the steps soothed you in some wicked way, even when everyone was running for their lives.

"Stop!" Crosshair yelled out. You turned to look at him, he took a few steps back to look out a carved hole in the stone. "They are coming..."

Just then, a shot rang out. Another assassin hung from the inner walls.

Crosshair ducked behind the wall, "Go, I'll handle it."

The rest of the squad moved down, but you stayed. "I'll help."

That was until you peaked around the hole, getting a glimpse of the man. A rush a deja vu consumed you. Your breath quickened. Why was this man so familiar?

You pushed it down, you had already let your feelings get the best of you too many times. It can't happen again. You fired at him, Crosshair backing you up.

Crosshair put an explosive at the end of his shotgun, catching the man off guard. It threw him off the wall. The two of you headed to the ship.

A blast to the ship sent all of you crashing down. You briefly heard Rex sending Echo a message about an extraction.

Commotion ensued, but it all ended with you falling and getting a bad headache. Your helmet did not do much to cushion the hit.

The rest of the team was briefly recovering from the crash as well, but you had to get a move on.

"We've got attack shuttles inbound." Hunter noted.

"This way." Rex lead.

You traveled on foot in the woods, trying to lose the storm troopers. Fighting them off was light work. One however, stood out from the rest.

Crosshair proved your suspicions when he frantically turned around, gun raised.

"What is it?" Hunter questioned. He got his answer when the assassin shot at us.

With our numbers down and the assassin having the upper hand, Crosshair suggested "I'll draw his fire out. Get to the rendezvous."

You heard Omegas small voice through comms, "I don't like that idea..."

"Too bad." He responds, already crouched behind a rock to fire.

Looking at Omegas worried gaze, "Go, I'll make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

Omega nods at you, then joins Hunter's side. Crosshair just grunts in acknowledgement.

In truth, Crosshair didn't need you. Though, you both knew that Omega needed the peace of you fighting with him. Two verses one had much better odds.

You heard Rex commanding the rest of the squad to move out. You and Crosshair pursued the assassin.

He gave out hand signals, letting you know he was above you. You nodded, sneaking around.

The assassin saw you easily, perfect. He was distracted just enough for Crosshair to get a hit on him, knocking his balance off.

Your face dropped when the assassin recovered in record time, it was like he hadn't even been hit. He now caught you by surprise when he shot at your hand, you lost your weapon. Damn. All you had left was a blade, which you now grasped.

To your dismay, Crosshair had already taunted the assassin away from you. No doubt on purpose.

It took you a minute to find them, Crosshair had followed him to a waterfall. One with rapids at the bottom. The booming of the current was distracting.

You crouched down, keeping a low profile. Crosshair and the assassin fought vigorously. When you saw an opportunity, you jumped.

You tried to get your blade around his neck or at least cut his suit. The assassin was stunned for a second, giving Crosshair time to recover.

The man disarmed you, overpowering you in strength. You fell back with a thud, your helmet flying off. You scrambled to stand, but was forced to stay down because of a stray blast. It just missed your head.

The assassin seemed to know every single move Crosshair made. Like, he had studied Crosshair's fighting technique multiple ways, There was only one man who you knew did that, and he was dead.

The stranger knocked Crosshair to his knees, a gun to his head.

The man now looked to you, ready to dispose of you as well.

You sat up, but did nothing to fight back- fear of him shooting Crosshair.

He however, stopped in his tracks. You just stared, confused. He looked to you, maybe in disbelief?

He, not moving his gaze, stunned Crosshair. You were in shock that he didn't kill him... The thud of Crosshairs body made you jump.

You slowly rose to your feet, you somehow didn't feel threatened by the man anymore.

Now that you stepped closer to him, he stepped back. He seemed to be fighting with himself... Throwing his blaster as far as he could away.

His hands moved to grip the sides of his head, in pain. He stumbled back, head barred down. With a loud 'thud' he fell on his rear.

He scratched at his helmet, trying to take it off. Something inside of him wouldn't let him. He was in turmoil with himself.

Did you feel pity for the man? You slightly shook your head, baffled at what you saw. He was so vulnerable now, you should have killed him for what he did to Crosshair. At least Stun him.

You couldn't find it in yourself. He looked so confused with himself, so conflicted. Your heart wrenched, but why?

Your own actions shocked you, stepping closer to him. You lowered yourself to your knees, inches away. You were skeptical but determined.

He stopped his frantic movements when your hands moved to his head. He let you do as you pleased, frozen in place.

You kept your eyes on him as you gently lifted his helmet. You only got it up enough to see the mans eyes, a deep brown. That and his face structure was enough to tell you who it was.

The face you spent hours drooling over, embarrassing stares caught at, nights laying with. The very face you saw fall thousands of feet down to a cloudy abyss.

You gasped loudly, scrambling back. No, NO. It wasn't him. It couldn't be him...

Your reaction seemed to have broken him out of his haze. His helmet fell back down, covering his face. He, almost instinctively, moved to you. You were too shocked to fight back. He swiftly grabbed your wrist, pulling you up.

The grip was tight, you winced. The man realized his mistake immediately and loosened the grip. if he wanted to kill you, why was he worried about your wrist?

When you were sitting back up, the man reclined on his knees. He slowly moved his hands up to the helmet again, this time with more control.

He raised it completely off. It was him.

Both hands moved to cover your gaping mouth. How? HOW?

"T-Tech?" You called out, voice cracking.

He squinted his eyes and had one hand holding the side of his head in pain.

"You must take Crosshair and run, now." He ended by saying you name desperately.

"W-what? No, I am not leaving you. Tech, what happened? How are you alive!" You leaned to him, wanting nothing more than to hold and kiss him.

He moved back, your touch like fire.

"You have to go. I do not know how much longer I can hold off the chip. I do not want to hurt you." He looked at the ground, ashamed.

"You won't. I know you won't..." You moved closer again, resting a hand over his. You slowly moved it off of his head, holding it. He breathed hard.

"Any better?" You ask. "Yes, I would suspect my will to keep you safe overrided the new chip the Empire has put in my head." You smiled, finally leaning forward to hold him.

The second your arms wrapped around him, you sobbed. It all felt like a dream- well, nightmare.

"I thought you were dead... Tech, oh my Tech." He hugged back, petting your hair. You both frantically proclaimed 'I love you's.' But, he soon pulled away.

"I will not put you at risk any longer." He moved to stand up,

"I just got you back, why are you leaving me?" You couldn't understand.

He stood up, saying your name in a whisper. "I thought I made it clear. My new inhibitor chip is stronger. I am assigned to kill you. I do not want to do such a thing, ever."

"Tech, just please come with me. Rex is with us, he can help remove this one. Just like the others..." You grabbed onto his arm, pleading. How did he expect you to walk away, leave him behind. Especially when you just figured out he was alive.

"I suppose that might work..." He rested a hand to his chin, thinking. More tears flowed from your eyes, he was exactly how he was before. Always calm, always thinking everything through with a steady heart beat.

You looked up at him. "Please, I need you. I-"

"I know. I need you too. I uh- I apologize for shooting you." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Your eyebrows furrowed, "You didn't mean to.." You leaned up to kiss him, but something switched in him.

His face twisted and turned, he stepped back. He was fighting himself again, now a hand reached for his blaster. He looked up, face cold and blank. He pointed the gun at your face.

"Tech, Tech, it's just me!" He didn't care, he had a mission to fulfill. The chip was regaining control.

Suddenly, his body quivered and shook. He fell to the ground. Crosshair stood behind.

"Please don't kill him!" You ran to him, making sure he was aware of the situation.

"I know, his chip... I'll carry him back. Rex can look at him." You were hopeful, he was coming home.

It would be a rocky start, but he was alive. He was alive and half-conscious. That was a problem for when you got back on the ship.

For just a second, watching Crosshair hoist Tech up, you relaxed. The pounding of the water on rocks soothed you.

He was alive...

A/N- Thank you so much for reading! I hated the ending, sorry ya'll had to go through that. I didn't know how to end it! I was so motivated with this plot, then kind of lost it. Expect a Crosshair fic this weekend!!!

Tags- (LMK if you want to be tagged as well!) @thethreeeyed-raven @knight-of-flowerss

[darkeyedreamer14]

POV. You're both a blonde, blue themed capitan, with some messed up age and a friend who supposedly "died" during the war but then came back missing a limb/limbs and you somehow ended up on opposite sides of the fight, and also a different friend who you fought one war with and another war with their child/children

And obviously, I had to add this as well

[questforgalas]

They can definitely wrap up this season when Rex shows up to Tantiss with a ship full of explosives and a rocket launcher as a front door knocker

[rabb1ttrash]

As much as Rex loves his ARCs, they can be a little.... daft sometimes...

[imaginesfordifferentfandoms]

Where We're Meant To Be

Click here for my masterlist.

Click here to add yourself to my taglist.

Prompt - The five times you hugged Captain Rex plus the one time he hugs you

The first time it happened Rex wasn’t expecting it. His attention hadn’t even been on you at the time, which was rare in itself because his eyes always seemed to find you. Now though he was focused on the scene ahead, the memory of battle droids coming from all over, too many to count and even less time to think playing in his mind. The only thing that mattered was his blaster and the droids. 

When the fight was over and the battle won Rex walked away, there were too many of his brothers lying motionless on the floor. Battles were hard, war was hard and sometimes he just needed a moment. 

He didn’t know for sure how long he’d been gone for before he heard footsteps behind him. He didn’t turn to look at whoever had approached him either. He just stared ahead. 

You smiled sadly at Rex, lately the battles had been worse than ever, more and more of the 501st were dying and you knew it was taking a toll on the Captain. You didn’t need the Force to feel his sadness, it was written across his face plain as day. 

Rex stayed silent, not even glancing over at you and you weren’t sure he was even fully aware you were there, lost in his own thoughts, drowning in loss and pain. 

You wrapped your arms around him, it was the only thing you could do, there were no words to make any of this better, as much as you wished they could there were no words that could bring his brothers back, no words that would end the war. 

The only thing you could do was remind him he wasn’t alone. 

The first sign Rex gave of finally noticing you were the was by tensing in your arms, his whole body stiff as a board at the contact. You stayed where you were though, head against the plastic on his chest and arms around his waist. 

“What are you doing?” He finally managed to ask, his voice low as he tried his best to keep his composure even as the feeling of you around him made him want to break. 

“Hugging you.” You answered quietly, feeling the confusion coming from him and your heart ached for the Captain. 

“Why?” He asked again, swallowing around the lump in his throat and hating the stinging of tears he felt. 

“Because I’m sorry. Because you’re not alone, because this war is exhausting.” You sighed and felt him take a shuddering breath, hesitating a moment before bringing his arms to wrap around you. 

The touch was unsure, like he hadn’t actually ever hugged anybody before and with what little information you’d managed to piece together about Kamino and the Kaminoans you wouldn’t have been too surprised if that was the case after all. 

Rex stayed like that for a little longer, somehow the feel of your arms around him made things seem a little better, made it a little easier to breathe. 

The next time it happened neither of you had been expecting it. It had been months since you had last hugged Rex though since then you had thought about it plenty. 

Rex and you had been commanded to lead half of the 501st to one side of the base whilst Anakin led the other half to the other side. 

That should have been the easy part and yet when an explosion sounded from Anakin’s side your stomach dropped before suddenly there was a full battalion of battle droids in front of you. 

You lost track of who was where, lost in the midst of battle droids, deflecting blaster shots as quickly as you could but even you were struggling to keep up as the battle droids drew closer. 

At some point you managed to get it under control, ending up back to back with Jesse as you took down as many droids as you could. 

It felt like the battle went on for hours, by the end of it you were bruised and sore but still alive. You looked around the battlefield, trying to find Rex among the crowd and gasped when you saw him on the ground, members of the 501st surrounding him. 

You pushed through the small crowd and knelt down next to him, carefully pulling off his helmet to see a cut above his forehead bleeding heavily down his face. 

“Help me get him to Kix.” You said to Fives and Echo, both of them nodding and carefully picking Rex up between them. 

You had wanted to wait with Rex until he was awake but the Council had insisted on having both you and Anakin present as you gave accounts of what had happened. You had tried to argue with Anakin, watching as he threw a worried look his Captain’s way but told you it was the Council’s orders. 

Kix had been the one to assure you that Rex would be alright, that he just needed some rest and then he’d be up like nothing had happened. You had gotten him to promise to send someone to get you if Rex so much as winced in pain and he sent you away with an amusement smile. 

“You’ve got a good one there, Captain.” Kix murmured to the sleeping man once you were out of ear shot. 

You barely heard anything during the meeting, both Obi-Wan and Master Windu had to call for your attention several times and when it came time for you to recount what had happened on your side you rushed through it, hoping to get back to Rex’s side before he woke up. 

“Is everything alright, Y/N?” Obi-Wan asked you softly, his concern clear across his face.

“Rex got injured during the attack.” Anakin answered for you and Obi-Wan’s look of concern shifted to one of knowing, not that you were sure what it was he knew. 

“We shouldn’t be too long now, Y/N. You can check on your Captain soon enough.” Master Windu shot Obi-Wan a small glare but you didn’t care enough to read into it, just smiled gratefully at Obi-Wan and prayed to the Force that it really wouldn’t take much longer. 

By the time the meeting finally ended you were practically bouncing on your heels to get back to Rex. When the holo shut off you turned to see Anakin looking at you with a mix of fondness and amusement. 

“Go on then, go see your Captain.” Anakin smirked, copying Obi-Wan’s words from earlier. 

You didn’t even stop to roll your eyes at him, instead you practically ran from the tent and back over to where the med bay had been set up. You paused when you saw Rex walking out, a frown on his face as he rubbed at his temple carefully. 

You immediately made your way over to him, throwing your arms around his waist to hug him tightly. Without the plastic armour in the way you could hear his heart beating quickly in his chest. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” You murmured into his chest, closing your eyes and focusing on that heartbeat. 

Just like last time Rex went stiff in your hold but it didn’t last long, the Captain let himself relax in your arms, bringing his own arms up to wrap around you, letting you ground him now that the battle was done. 

Rex was tired. It was hard to know what day it was whilst they travelled through hyperspace, the cycles all merging into one another. 

He hasn’t slept in days, after the latest mission that had left everyone sore and drained, he had avoided his room and focused on his holopad, making sure everything was up to date. 

He frowned to himself as he wrote down the names of all who had been lost in the battle, letting anger and rage wash over him before shaking his head. There was nothing he could do for them now, he could only protect what was left of his brothers. 

He pushed himself away from the table, unable to carry on and walked out of the room, making his way through the corridors of the ship with no real destination in mind and feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders when he saw you talking to Echo and Fives. 

You were the first to notice him, your whole face lighting up with a smile when you saw him and Rex felt his heart speed up. That was something he had started noticing more and more, whenever he saw you his heart raced wildly. He knew he liked you, from the moment he met you his first thought was that you were so beautiful but he never dreamed of acting on his thoughts.

There was too much risk involved for both of you and besides what would somebody like you ever want with him? Rex was just another Clone, sure he might have the title of Captain but at the end of the day when somebody looked at him all they saw was a Clone.

“Rex!” You beamed as he approached the three of you, watching as Echo and Fives grinned at each other after looking between Rex and you.

“General.” He smiled back, his smile widening as you rolled your eyes at him.

For months now you had insisted he call you by your name and for months he had held onto your title. 

“We were just going.” Fives said, giving Echo a pointed look and Echo chuckled as he agreed, the two of them waving goodbye whilst snickering to each other.

“I don’t even want to know what they’re up to.” You laughed softly before turning your attention back to Rex, smile dimming slightly when you saw the tiredness that seemed to radiate from him. “You okay?”

“No need to worry about me.” Rex told you in lieu of a real answer causing your eyebrows to knit together. 

Rex knew you wouldn’t let the topic drop, he knew once you got it into your head that he wasn’t ok you wouldn’t just leave him be. If it had been anyone else it would have bothered him, he hadn’t asked for help so he didn’t need it. But somehow it was different when it was you, somehow when it was you he didn’t mind. 

In fact it sent a warm feeling through him, one that he usually tried not to think too hard about. Recently though he hadn’t been able to ignore it, it had been months since that first time you had hugged him and yet that small bit of contact seemed to have awoken something inside him. 

Rex shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was to feel your arms around him, now that you’d done it once and he hadn’t pushed you away you seemed to have taken that as acceptance even if he himself had never initiated a hug yet. 

“It’s been a long mission, huh?” You murmured into his chest, your hand rubbing a comforting rhythm into his back and he felt himself begin to relax with each brush. 

The hugs seemed to break down any walls he had, sending them crumbling like they were nothing more than a house of cards. Each time you hugged him he felt the embarrassing sting of tears that were unbecoming of a Captain, if any of his men could see him now.

But they couldn’t. 

The hallways were clear and he had a feeling Echo and Fives would see to it that they stayed that way if their matching grins meant anything. He laughed in your hold, the sound coming out weak and more sob-like and he was faster to wrap his arms around you this time, letting his head rest on top of yours to hide his watery eyes.

“Yeah,” He breathed out, “yeah General it has.” 

There wasn’t much more to be said, nothing changed the fact that you were in the middle of a war. Your soft whispered words of reassurance made him feel better, but nothing helped as much as your arms holding him tight, reminding him that no matter how much he lost, he still had you.

The next time you hugged Rex was different compared to all the other times. It happened on a night where the 501st were grounded in Coruscant and the men had all planned a much, much needed night at 79’s.

Rex hadn’t been the one to ask you to join them, Jesse had beat him to it but when you protested, claiming that this should be time they spent together and away from their General’s Rex had laughed and insisted you were welcome, that they’d be more than happy for you to come with them.

“Are you sure you guys don’t mind me coming along?” You asked and Rex had given up counting how many times you’d ask the same question since he arrived to pick you up at the Jedi Temple.

The moment he first saw you he felt his eyes widen and he cursed his stupid heart as it began its predictable quickening pace that it had developed around you. You looked beautiful though, gone were the Jedi robes and in their place was a short dress that had Rex swallowing around a sudden lump in his throat.

“General, I swear to you we’re all happy you’re joining us tonight.” Rex told you with a warm laugh that had you smiling over at him, feeling your own heart begin to match the speed of the Captain’s.

You had never been to 79’s before and you couldn’t help but smile as you walked into the cantina, you recognised troopers from all different battalions, the place was warm and you couldn’t help the sudden intake of breath when you felt Rex’s hand on your lower back, the most amount of contact he had initiated with you outside of the battlefield.

You let Rex guide you over to a booth at the back, overly aware of his hand the whole time and savouring the feel of him against you before he let go to gesture for you to enter the booth first. You smiled at the cheery welcome the pair of you got from those who were already there, recognising both members of the 501st and the 212th.  

Rex took the holopad from Cody with a smile, starting a conversation with the Commander as he ordered the two of you drinks. Your smile widened when you realised you didn’t have to tell him your drink of choice, watching as he ordered your usual without needing to ask. 

One drink turned into two, two into four and before you knew it you were leaning into Rex’s side, cheeks flushed from the alcohol and laughing loudly along with the others at something Fives had said. 

If asked Rex wouldn’t have been able to repeat what Fives had said, he was too busy looking at you. You were beautiful all the time but this was a side to you he didn’t get to see often, one he wanted to see much more, usually everything was shrouded with a bone deep exhaustion from the war but here it was easy to forget what was happening, here he could sit back and watch you laugh.

In here it was easy to forget the rules, forget that you were his General and he could be sent back to Kamino if he dared give into his feelings for you. In here it was easy to forget that both Jedi and Clones were forbidden from such thoughts, easy to forget everything when he could feel your head on his shoulder as you leaned against him, your whole body pressed against his.

It was hard to remember why he couldn’t just wrap his arm around your shoulder and pull you closer, hard to remember why he couldn’t pull you onto his lap and pepper kisses along your neck.

He was seconds away from reaching out to touch you when he glanced across the table and saw Cody, a knowing, sad look on his face and Rex could only shake his head, not letting the harsh reminder that he couldn’t have you ruin his night.

You stayed where you were for hours, pressed against Rex and laughing into his chest as you drank more drinks. It wasn’t long from sunrise when you turned further into Rex’s chest, eyes growing tired and you let the fall closed, wrapping an arm across Rex’s waist and feeling him relax in your hold.

Rex didn’t want to move you, here you were cuddling him but he knew he couldn’t let you. Just a small taste was enough to ruin him. So with a heavy heart he shook you gently, watching as you frowned and tried to bury yourself further into him. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched you pry your eyes open to glare at him.

“Let me take you back to the Temple.” Rex said softly, leaning down slightly so only you could hear him.

“You don’t have to.” You tried to insist but Rex wasn’t having it, Jedi or not there was no way he was letting you make your way back to the Temple alone.

“Come on, General.” He grinned at you, sliding out of the booth and holding a hand out for you. “Let’s get you home.”

You laughed softly as you slipped your hand into Rex’s, ignoring the loud cheers coming from behind you and waving goodbye to the other’s still left drinking.

The cold air hit you as soon as you stepped out of the cantina, a nice breeze cooling you down from the warmth of 79’s. You watched as Rex got the two of you a taxi and slid in next to him once more, not hesitating to plaster yourself against him considering this could be your only chance to be so close to him, knowing that you could both just blame it on the alcohol.

Rex spent most of the drive resisting the urge to wrap you in his arms, you made it look so easy each time you did it and Rex was growing annoyed with himself and his inability to just pull you closer.

By the time you pulled up to the Temple you weren’t ready to say goodnight to Rex but you knew there was nothing else you could do to stay in his company.

“I’m glad you came tonight…Y/N.” You couldn’t stop yourself from grinning ear to ear as Rex finally used your name, dismissing any titles and ranks between you. 

“I’m glad too.” You told him softly, taking a step towards him and wrapping your arms around his waist. “Thank you for making sure I did, I had a great time.”

Rex wrapped his arms around you easier than any other time, only hesitating for half a second before did, his chin resting on your head as he savoured the feeling of you against him whilst also cursing how easy you had made it seem to close the distance between the two of you. 

“I’ll see you soon, yeah?” Rex asked once the two of you finally pulled away from each other and you nodded, smiling softly at him. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Rex.” You murmured, turning to the entrance of the Temple and only looking back before you entered, smiling as you saw Rex watching after you, making sure you were in safely before he left. 

“She’ll be back before you know it.” Fives assured him, nudging Rex’s shoulder as he sat down next to his brother.

“I should be with her.” Rex told him, tenser than he had been in a long time outside of a battle. 

It had been days since you’d left, Obi-Wan had asked for your assistance in an undercover mission and you had agreed. When you told Rex he felt his heart just about stop, a complete opposite reaction to what it usually had around you.

He hated that you were leaving the 501st, he hated that you were leaving him. Out on missions it was you and him, he watched you back and you watched his, if he wasn’t there anything could happen to you.

“She’ll be fine, you know Cody won’t let anything happen to your girl.” Echo said and both him and Fives took great delight in watching Rex’s head shoot up to look at him with wide eyes.

“She isn’t my girl.” Rex grumbled after a minute had passed and Echo and Fives scoffed causing Rex to glare at the pair.

“She’s as good as.” Fives smirked. “What’s stopping you from making a move?”

“I can’t.” Rex sighed, he wanted to, he really did. It was all he could think about some days, whenever you were close to him, whenever you wrapped your arms around him, whenever the two of you stayed up late talking about everything and nothing. All he wanted was you. “You know the rules.”

“Is she worth the risk to break them?” Echo asked him softly, the amusement leaving his eyes as he looked at Rex’s seriously.

“Of course she is.” Rex answered without a moment’s hesitation. “I’m just not sure I’m worth the risk.”

Neither Echo nor Fives said anything more on the topic, quickly changing the subject in an attempt to get that sad, broken look off Rex’s face. It didn’t matter that they both knew you were head over heels for Rex, it didn’t matter that they knew you’d risk everything in a heartbeat for him. It was something Rex needed to figure out for himself.

“She was supposed to be back two weeks ago, General Skywalker says it’s been complete radio silence and I can’t contact Cody.” Rex groaned, pacing the floor of the grounded ship.

“It’s an undercover mission, you know how unpredictable they are.” Jesse tried to reason with him but Rex was beyond that.

He was a mess, he hadn’t slept in days, all his dreams were haunted by images of what could have happened to you and he cursed General Kenobi for taking you from him, if something had happened to you he would never forgive himself. 

“The General’s back!” Fives shouted as he ran into the room, grinning at Rex who stopped in his tracks and practically broke his neck with how fast he turned to look at his brother. “Her, Kenobi and the 212th are outside.” 

Rex didn’t need to hear anymore, he was brushing past Fives, ignoring the laughter that faded as he headed towards the ship's exit, practically running off the ship in a desperate need to make sure you were alright.

Even though he was looking for you, you found him first, grinning from your place with Obi-Wan, Anakin and Cody over at Rex and breaking away from the group without a word. They all watched you make your way over to Rex, the man pausing once he saw you, his eyes scanning you up and down but you didn’t give him much of a chance to look as you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Rex felt like he could breathe for the first time in days and didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around you, drawing you impossibly closer and assuring himself you were safe.

“Are you okay?” Rex murmured into your hair, “You were supposed to be back weeks ago, I was worried.”

“I’m fine.” You told him with a soft laugh, pulling away only far enough so you could look up at him, smiling brightly at him as you watched him take in your features and see for himself that you really were fine. “We ran into a few problems but everything’s fine, we got the information we needed.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Rex told you honestly and you smiled softly up at him, Rex smiling back down at you and both of you couldn’t help but think how easy it would be to close the gap between you.

For now though it didn’t matter, you were both content with this, simply holding each other, knowing that you had each other. 

Rex could see it happen. 

It was like a scene playing out before his eyes, he was just a bystander that couldn’t interfere. He tried to, stars had he tried. He ran until his sides ached and kept running but it was too late.

You were gone. The Separatist leader had taken you and Rex hadn’t been able to stop it. The only thing Rex knew was that he was made to protect you, not because you were his General, not because of his loyalties to the Republic but because he loved you.

He loved you and he never told you and now you were gone. 

General Skywalker was furious. The 501st were devastated but no one more than Rex felt your loss. 

He was heartbroken, he had to get you back and yet all the Council wanted to do was talk. Rex was ready to leave, he would find you on his own. There was no time for meetings behind closed doors, not when with each second that passed you got further and further away from him.

Days had passed with no action and Rex had had enough. The ship was grounded and he had no trouble sneaking away, ready to steal a smaller ship and head off to find you, though he had no real destination in mind, he would search the whole galaxy just to find you.

“Rex.” Anakin called just as he was about to climb into a ship.

Rex froze, torn between facing his General and carrying on ahead. He was about to take another step forward when Anakin spoke again.

“I’m coming with you.” At that Rex did turn around, seeing Anakin with a determined look on his face, lightsaber clutched in his hand as he walked over to the ship. “The Council has no immediate plans to help, we’re on our own.”

“We’ll find her, Sir.” Rex said firmly because there was no other option.

It had been three weeks since you’d been taken and Rex was losing his mind. 

Anakin ignored calls from the Council, only answering them if they came from Obi-Wan who provided as much information as he could about possible locations you could be but other than that there was nothing.

Each place they’d searched ended with Rex breaking more and more, if they didn’t find you soon there would be nothing left of him to break. He slept very little and ate even less, his mind on a constant loop of all the terrible things that could be happening to you.

It was Obi-Wan who had suggested visiting Mevara, a planet on the outer rim known for its Separatist activity. Rex couldn’t set himself up for another failure and yet he still felt a small glimmer of hope that he knew would surely be crushed.

They had searched for hours before Anakin froze, Rex just narrowly avoided going into the back of him as he stared at the General in confusion. 

“Sir?” He finally asked after Anakin had been still for nearly a minute, a frown on his face before he snapped back to himself.

“She’s here.” Anakin told him and Rex felt his heart stop as Anakin turned to face him.

“You’re sure, Sir?” Rex whispered, wide, hope filled eyes staring into Anakin’s.

“She’s here, Rex.” Anakin repeated and that was all Rex needed. 

He let Anakin lead the way, the pair of them sneaking into one of the many Separatist bases on the planet and Anakin used the Force to find you, though their search was interrupted by battle droids.

Anakin called over to Rex where you were and Rex didn’t hesitate to fight his way through the droids, not feeling bad as he left Anakin behind to deal with the worst of them. He ran as fast as he could and came to the room Anakin had said, holding his breath before opening the door.

You were being held up by a containment field and after a quick scan of the room Rex ran over and made quick work of getting you down. He caught you by your arms and you let out a sob as you looked up at him. 

“You came.” You whispered, the words catching in your throat from screaming and lack of water.

Rex couldn’t stop himself, for the first time since he’d met you he was the first to pull you into his arms.

You were exhausted, completely drained and your whole body ached in a way that words couldn’t even begin to describe. So when Rex pulled you into a tight hug, his fingertips buried in your sides and his head pressed into your hair, you should have cried out in pain, should have winced and pushed him away. 

Instead when he wrapped you up tightly in his arms you couldn’t move for a second, frozen at the contact because it had been so long since somebody’s touch had been kind and then you let out a shuddering breath, tears finally coming to your eyes and flooding down your face uncontrollably. It was only then you moved, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and burying your face in his neck, soaking his skin with your tears but Rex didn’t care. 

Rex held you close, hearing Anakin come to a stop in the doorway but he didn’t care, he had finally gotten you back and nothing was going to stop him from holding you, no amount of rules or consequences were enough to drag him from you.

He held you tightly, grounding and comforting you like you’d done with him so many times and you melted against him, the aches and sores easier to ignore in Rex’s arms and it was so easy to let yourself fall apart in them. 

“You’re okay, you’re okay mesh’la, I got you, you're alright.” Rex kept murmuring into your hair, the words washing over you, soothing you completely as you let yourself be held. “You’re alright, love, that’s it, I’ve got you.”

“Thank you for coming.” You whispered into his neck and Rex felt his heart break.

“I’ll always come for you, cyar’ika, always.” Rex promised as he placed a kiss to the top of your hair, the two of you finally back in each other’s arms, exactly where you were meant to be.

Captain Rex Taglist (Click the link in my bio to add yourself!) - 

@punkpirate82, @top1bbgloak, @lillianacristina, @ughhhhfoff, @ur6annevasion, @callsign-jinx

Thank you so much for reading!❤️

[trylynarie]

Hardcase: bro

Jesse: what bro?

Hardcase: Dooku is a vampire

Jesse: how?

Hardcase: THINK!!! Count Dooku…

Jesse: 👁️👄👁️ Count Dracula 🧛‍♂️

Rex on their next mission: can someone please explain why you are all wearing garlic?

Kix: simple safety precaution, Sir.

[caveiratimida]

Just realised now as I go to sleep how "Empty Chairs at Empty Chairs" is a perfect Rex-coded song I mean: "There's a grief that can't be spoken There's a pain goes on and on Empty chairs at empty tables Now my friends are dead and gone"

I am really thinking post end of TCW when Rex really is going through it all and like there in the venerator hiding in the wreckage because it still has supplies until he can formulate a plan. But the barracks are empty and he can't-

[kyber-kisses]

It’s You

Captain Rex x Jedi!reader

Summary: you run into Rex in what could only be the most awkward moment of your life.

Warnings: none just severe fluff

A/N: I came up with this while I was in the shower so please enjoy!

Nothing could ever go easy for you could it? You swore every day it was just one thing after another of unfortunate events.

Like today for instance. You woke up twenty minutes late for a mission debrief, then afterwords all the caf in the mess hall was cold , the the mission on Sereno went sideways and you and Ahsoka had to go pull Anakins ass out of the fire, and then your beloved Delta-7 interceptor got damaged and was now currently in the hangar with its insides all over the place as the mechanics tried to fix it.

And now for some lovely reason the refreshers on the level of the Resolute where the Jedi quarters were were malfunctioning.

All you had wanted was a hot shower.

You smelled bad and your muscles ached and you were tired beyond all get out.

And so that’s how you found yourself here. in a bold spur of the moment decision you had thrown your usual hygiene items into a small pack, snuck yourself down several floors and into the empty barracks of 501sts Torrent Company. The refreshers beyond their bunks were vacant and would be for another hour.

More than enough time to wash the filth of the day of your body and be gone before anyone came back. The lingering smell of cleaning chemicals clung to your nose as you entered, the motion sensor lights flickering on as you did.

At least it was clean.

Then again why wouldn’t it be? Rex kept his brothers more organized than most. The captain of the 501st wouldn’t dare let their living spaces fall into disarray. Plus tack on the fact that Fives pulled some idiotic move about once a week that landed him with cleaning duty and bam! They were sure to have a clean area for a majority of the time.

You just had to make sure you were quick. And it wasn’t that you were afraid to be seen naked in their barracks. . . More like- how would they react if they saw their naked general in their barracks, you know?

In other words you weren’t up for the awkwardness that could come from this all.

You just had to get clean and get out before they all got back from the mess hall.

Easiest mission ever.

Choosing a random stall, you started the water before shedding the many layers of your robes, folding them neatly on the bench that ran the length of the room as you did. Steam slowly crawled up the mirrors, turning the atmosphere humid as you finally ventured under the warm spray of water.

The water came hot and ample, running in rivulets down your bare skin before disappearing down the drain. The pressure of it wrapped around your body, massaging it just right as you allows yourself to relax.

Yes. This was what you had needed. Peace and quiet and—

You were halfway through scrubbing shampoo into your scalp when the silence in the large room was broken by the sound of quickly approaching footsteps accompanied by a rather foul string of curses.

Quickly smoothing your hands over your head to press any remaining soap out of the way, you wiped the water from your eyes before peeking your head out of the curtain for your stall.

Even in your motionless stance you nearly slipped at the sight of Rex entering the room, the captain busy trying to scrub something off the collar of his blacks with a rag as he did.

You had been hoping no one would enter while you were here. . . But if it had to be someone at least it was Rex.

“I didn’t know you knew such a wide array of curse words.”

At that you had never seen the captain move so fast. He tripped slightly, hanging reaching out to catch himself on a sink as his other went to his chest.

And then it only grew more amusing when he found your eyes. Almost insanely you watched as a deep red crawled up his face.

“G-general!”

“Sorry, wasn’t my intention to scare you.”

Seeming to notice how his own cheeks had turned red, Rex spun quickly, hand going to the side of his face to act as a divider to give you privacy. “Just wasn’t expecting to see you here General. Though if it’s not too much to ask; why are you here exactly?”

“Some idiot broke a water pipe on my level, and seeing as I smell like garbage I thought I could sneak down here before I went insane.” You explained, Tilting your head slightly as you spoke. “Sorry for intruding on your space.”

“Understood. And no apology needed.” Rex shuffled awkwardly. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

But before he could venture more than a step toy stopped him. “And what happened to you?”

Turning his body slightly in your direction, Rex looked at you before looking down at his armor and blacks. “Oh ah, Fives got a little too enthusiastic with one of his stories tonight, spilled spotchka all over me.”

“Whered he get that?”

At that Rex let out light huff of amusement. “I don’t even wanna know.”

You were silent for a moment a toy watched him. Despite having seen what he was capable on the battlefield— he was adorable. One minute he could be barking commands and planning battle strategies and the next he would be the most endearing, socially awkward person you had ever met.

He made your heart melt.

“Well if you need to rinse off you’re welcome to join the party .”

At your words you watched Rexs eyes widen slightly, the pink returning to his cheeks and with that you realized how that might of sounded.

“I, I meant that in the most non-creepy way possible!” You quickly added, “and I did not mean that to sound like an invite to join me in here- i was just trying to say don’t let my presence stop you from showering yourself—“The sudden rambling made you wince and before you could say anything else stupid you pulled your head back behind the curtain.

Ok. Well that was definitely not part of your plan.

And that was a whole other level of embarrassing. Kriff you almost preferred the option of a bunch of clone troopers seeing you buck ass nude.

Cursing under your breath you turned to face the water, resisting the urge to hit your head repeatedly against the tile wall.

What the hell was that you idiot?

In that moment you wanted nothing more than to melt into the drain and disappear. Things like that didn’t normally happen. You weren’t known for stuttering or feeling embarrassed. You approached every situation head strong and with a smile.

. . But when it came to Rex? Oh boy when it came to Rex there were moments when that blonde captain turned you into a gooey puddle. He was so kind and brave and caring and a thousand other things you could only hope to be.

A few stalls down the sound of another fresher turning on made you turn your head, though the second you saw Rexs bare shoulders you turned back towards the wall.

Just focus on getting clean.

And that what you did, occupying yourself with scrubbing down every inch of your body in an attempt to keep your mind off the captain several feet away from you.

It was only when you were done that you came across your first problem; your towel was still folded on the bench. . . In the middle of the room.

Letting out a string of curses as you peaked your head out of shower you attempted to calculate the distance, because like hell were you going to scamper your naked butt out there with Rex in the room.

Maybe if you just—

Wrapping the shower curtains lightly around you and praying to the force that Rex wasn’t watching you, you leaned out of your stall, stretching out your arm as much as you could.

Kriff, still not close enough.

Letting out a huff of annoyance you leaned further out, balancing on one leg as you stretched even farther.

So close, if you could just move a little more—

The sound of Rexs shower turning off pulled you out of focus, and in a sudden rushed movement you slipped. One moment you were fine and the next your bare foot was sliding across the wet floor and you went hurtling towards the tiled floor. With fingers still gripping the curtain a series of rapid pops echoed through the room as you pulled it down with you, getting tangled in the fabric as you fell with a shout. As your body hit the floor your head made contact with the bench before you finally came to rest on the wet tile.

“General! Are you alright?” A sudden figure moved into over you, kneeling next to you with nothing but a towel around their waist.

Oh kriff. Let the force take you now.

“Rex?”

“Got a little tangled up did you?” He mused, a whisper of a grin on his face as he helped you sit up slowly.

“Not my proudest moment.” Clutching the shower curtain to your chest your free hand wandered to your temple, wincing upon the contact.

“I’ll go grab a bacta patch for that.” Rex breathed, pausing to reach behind you and the grab the towel you had tried so hard to get yourself. “This might do a little better than the shower curtain.” As he spoke a pink hue returned to his cheeks before he rose to his feet. “I’ll- I’ll be right back.”

And with that he departed the room, leaving you in a stunned silence on the still wet floor. Once his figure had disappeared you shed the curtain, moving swiftly to wrap the towel around you instead before moving yourself to the bench.

Damp hair clung to the side of your face as your fingers once more moved to the welt on your temple.

Force, that did not feel good.

“How you feeling?”

As Rex returned, you watched as he crossed the room, now in nothing but his blacks. Goodness was he pretty.

“Like I wiped out on the floor of the freshers.”

A light smile tugged on the captain lips as he knelt down in front of you, peeling the wrapper off the bacta patch. “Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone.”

At that a small laugh left you, your body staying eerily still as he applied the patch to your temple. There was a moment of silence that followed before you spoke.

“Sorry for intruding on your barracks captain. I thought I could be in and out before anyone got back from the mess.”

“Eh I don’t mind.just be glad it was me and not Fives or Jesse that walked in here-“

At that you couldn’t help but raise a playful eyebrow, watching as Rex realized how his words had sounded. “Oh?”

“I- I mean just be glad it wasn’t them because they never would have let you live it down. You know how they like to tease.” He rambled, sitting back on his heels as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Force he was gonna be the death of you.

Curling your fingers around the edge of the bench , you looked at the captain in front of you. “If I’m being honest I’m glad it was you. You make me feel safe, you respect me.”

“We all respect you General-“

“Oh I know, I know. It’s just. . . I guess I trust you the most out of everyone on this ship. I know you won’t tell anyone about this. . . Rather awkward meeting.” You admitted slowly, watching as Rexs face softened.

Another band of silence settled between you and after a moment you looked down at your feet.

“I should. . . I should probably get dressed.”

It was almost as if Rex had forgotten you were in nothing but a towel because suddenly his face went rosey and he quickly shot to his feet. “Right! Right, forgive me. I’ll Uh— I’ll go make sure no one else walks in.” Giving a rather awkward salute he turned and walked away, but not before you heard him cursing himself and his awkwardness as he punched the bridge of his nose.

With that you got dressed quickly, trading out your wet towel for a pair of sleep clothes and then draping your Jedi cloak over your shoulders.

With the rest of your belongings tucked safely in your pack, you threw it over your shoulders and head for the door, finding Rex standing guard just beyond the threshold just like he said he would.

“Thank you again, Captain.” Sending him a smile you watched as he jumped slightly, startled by how you had snuck up on him.

“Anytime General.”

“You know you don’t always have to call me that right? We are friends. You can call me by my name. I call you by yours all the time.”

Rex smiled at your words as he nodded. “I can do that.”

Somewhere beyond the barracks the two of you could hear the loud sounds of Torrent Company returning from dinner in the mess, Fives boisterous laugh echoing as they approached.

“I should get going before we are swarmed by your teasing brothers.”

“Might be for the best.”

With his arms folded neatly behind his back, Rex watched you walk away, only for you to stop and rush back to him before placing a kiss to his cheek.

“And just so you know, you’re my favorite of the bunch.” You whispered, placing another kiss to his flushed face as you did, this time lingering a moment longer. “Goodnight Rex.”

And with that you were gone, leaving the Captain do the 501st in a stunned silence as his face continued to heat up.

Force, you were going to be the death of him.

[thejediandthemandalorian]

*Fox, Cody, Bly, Wolffe, and Rex all sitting in a circle*

Rex: remember that Jedi, Obi-Wan, you had a crush on in the war?

Cody: *grins and nods*

Rex, grinning: Well he gave me a note saying he liked you, but I threw it away and never told you th--

Cody standing on a table: HE WAS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!

*Cody body slams Rex and everyone immediately tries to stop the fight*

[euphoriacafe]

He loves you…but he didn’t want to love you…he can’t love you.

Rex stared at you with worn eyes as you were wrapped in his arms laying in the bed. The war was endless and it was coming to the point that every assignment he would have to go on got worse and harder to stay alive each time. One of his arms wrapped around your body and the other hand was combing through your messy hair.

He was a trooper who tried to obey the rules…to be a good soldier and follow orders.

Something was telling him the worse will come for him— that everything will change. As you laid in his arms he traced your facial features with his forefinger not wanting to forget any detail.

No.

If he doesn’t let go now, if he doesn’t leave now…if the words slip through his lips telling you he loves you…he wouldn’t be able to leave. He wants you…he shouldn’t…couldn’t…but does. His body trembled as his heart was shattering moment by moment.

Any moment you’ll wake up.

You’ll greet him with a sleepy kiss and hum him to sleep.

You were his safe space, his home, his reason.

No.

Get up.

He loves you…but he shouldn’t…he can’t…he doesn’t want to.

Without a second thought as he began to kiss the top of forehead the words slip.

“I love you..”

~~~

I’m sorry this is so angst, I’m kind of in a sad mood right now and listening to music isn’t helping much BUT I hope you all enjoyed it.

Reblogs or feedback is welcomed!

[engagemythrusters]

The fact that his brothers thought Fives was losing his sanity while they had no good concept of what delusions are… had to be so fucking. heartbreaking for them.

[dreadfuldevotee]

Alright, burning question for the class: Reading this excerpt from Ahsoka (2016),

This isn't a question of who you ship with who, just who do you think Ahsoka views as parental figures

[captainsophiestark]

Subtle Clues

Anakin Skywalker x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: Star Wars

Day 4 Prompt: "Do you even know what this means?"

Summary: Anakin and his SO think they're doing a great job of keeping their relationship a secret. They are not.

Word Count: 1,197

Category: Fluff, Humor

Dedicated to @ghostofskywalker for her help coming up with an idea for this prompt! Thanks Tori!!

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"You know, I don't think I've ever been in Skyguy's quarters before. Have you?"

That one little question from Ahsoka, Anakin's padawan, made my heart stop in my chest. I'd been in Anakin's quarters many, many times, the most recent being just last night when we fell asleep curled up on his couch together. But because of the Jedi, I couldn't admit that I was dating Anakin. It was our most carefully kept secret. So, I shook my head.

"I probably have at some point, I've known him so long," I said, being very careful to sound casual. "But I don't remember the last time, or for what."

"I bet he's a mess," Ahsoka chimed, skipping along next to me without a care in the world. I smiled a little, despite how tired I was.

Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and I were shipping out from Coruscant after a brief stint back here. Anakin had left early this morning, along with Captain Rex and a few other key members of the 501st, to start getting things back in order. As a result, I'd had to wake up even brighter and earlier to get back to my own quarters before Rex showed up to leave with Anakin. Now, because Anakin had forgotten his datapad, I had to go all the way back to his quarters a few hours later to get it for him.

"He's definitely a mess," I grumbled. To be fair, I'd probably qualify too. But still.

We pushed open the door to his room, and Ahsoka stepped through without a moment's hesitation. Anakin had said he'd left his datapad on the bedside table, so that's where I headed while Ahsoka looked around the living room.

I sighed heavily when I got into the bedroom and found it exactly where he'd said it'd be. Exactly where he'd left it last night, after we'd moved from the couch to the bed in a sleep-haze and watched a few short holos on it before passing out again. I tucked it into my bag, then headed back into the living room.

"Y/N! Look at this!"

I found Ahsoka standing just behind the couch in the living room, waving a t-shirt around in the air. A second later I had a heart attack as I realized it was mine, my favorite casual shirt, that I'd ditched last night in favor of stealing some of Anakin's clothes that also qualified as favorites.

I gave a noncommittal hm, trying to figure out how best to respond and not look incredibly, immediately suspicious, but Ahsoka quickly latched on to my initial response.

"Do you even know what this means?"

I tried not to let the irritation or panic show on my face. "Uh... Anakin's a mess?"

"No! There's no way this is his, he hates this band."

I swore, loudly, in my head. I was going to kill my boyfriend for forgetting his stupid datapad the next time I saw him.

"It means that Skyguy had somebody in here with him! Y/N, what if he's dating somebody?"

"Wow, Ahsoka, that's... wow."

"I wonder who it could be?" she said, talking to herself more than me. She turned away and started pacing the room, my t-shirt held tight in her hand. I tried to think of something, anything, to get out of this situation, but my mind kept drawing a blank. "I mean, who could he have brought into the temple without someone noticing? It's not like other Jedi make a habit of losing clothes in each other's rooms..."

I stood frozen in the doorway to the bedroom, using every ounce of strength and training I'd ever received to keep my expression neutral. There had to be a way out of this, some way to get Ahsoka to drop it and move on-

"Master Kenobi!"

My head snapped up, my heartbeat jumping to lightning speed at Ahsoka's words. Sure enough, Obi-Wan stood in the door with his hands on his hips, watching the two of us.

"What are the two of you doing in here?" he asked. "We're supposed to be leaving in a few minutes."

"Anakin... forgot his datapad..." I said weakly, holding up the object in question. He looked from that, to me and the obvious unease I must've been radiating through the force, to Ahsoka, still holding my shirt in the air. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I see that. And what do you have, young Padawan?"

"I found this shirt in here," she said, holding it out to him. "I think Master Skywalker might have been... with someone."

Obi-Wan walked over to Ahsoka and pretended to inspect the shirt, stroking his beard and giving a thoughtful 'hm'. The whole time, I focused all my energy on projecting the loudest "NO!" possible at him through the force. He must've heard it, but he was clearly ignoring it.

"Well, that's an easy answer. It belongs to Y/N."

The words were out of his mouth faster than I could stop him. I used the force to grab a pillow off of Anakin's bed and hurled it at Obi-Wan, which he annoyingly ducked. Ahsoka looked between the two of us, mouth open in shock.

"WHAT?"

"They've been dating for quite some time now."

Ahsoka whirled on me. "You and Skyguy told Obi-Wan and not me?"

"They didn't tell me," Obi-Wan continued, jumping in before my brain could unfreeze enough for an answer. I just stared between him and Ahsoka, mouth gaping like a fish. "They're just terrible at hiding it. I caught the two of them kissing behind a column in the Temple when we got back here a few weeks ago."

Ahsoka stared at Obi-Wan in shock, and he looked back, his arms crossed. I finally managed to shake myself out of it, the horror wearing off a little faster than when Obi-Wan had caught me and Anakin. I sighed, walking past both of my friends on my way to the door.

"We might not be as good at hiding it as we want to be, but the two of you are still the only two who know besides Padmé and the 501st, so... do us a favor and keep it to yourselves. And sorry we didn't tell you earlier, Soki."

I didn't miss the look Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exchanged as I passed them, instead choosing to ignore it. We were supposed to be leaving in ten minutes, after all, and now that I had Anakin's datapad there was no reason for me to wait around any longer.

"Do you want me to bring your shirt?"

I froze on the threshold at Ahsoka's question, grimacing. I didn't need to turn around to see Kenboi's smirk. I cleared my throat.

"Yes please, Ahsoka. Thank you."

"Sure thing."

Her tone was teasing, and I knew Anakin and I were going to be hearing about this almost nonstop from his young Padawan. I guess we'd deserve it, since we were apparently much worse at keeping secrets than we thought we were, but still. I wanted to get on board the ship with Anakin as soon as possible so I wouldn't have to take the brunt of the teasing alone.