Rex awoke the next morning with the universe's nastiest headache. It felt like someone was trying to split his skull open with an axe.
He groaned, blinking blearily into the lights that were way too bright before burrowing back in his bed.
"Oh, no you don't," a voice called, ripping the pillow off his head and then jamming a needle into the side of his neck.
The results were pretty instant. The headache lessened and he felt like he could open his eyes without being blinded by light. His mind was also less fuzzy.
He turned to see who was in the room with him. "Jesse? What are you doing here? Where is here?" he asked. His mouth felt like sandpaper and tasted just as bad too.
"You're in your bunk, sir," Jesse said. "And I am here making sure you don't drown in your own vomit or roll off the bed and hit your head."
He also looked as bad as Rex felt. With deep, dark circles under his eyes and his skin pale and ashen.
The events from yesterday came flooding back to Rex. The ambush. Ahsoka getting shot. The fight with Fives. And then… nothing. A whole lot of nothing.
"You got drunk. Very drunk," Jesse supplied.
Right. He did remember something about a bottle he had confiscated from some shinies.
He winced and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "I am so sorry, Jesse. That was unprofessional of me and unfair to put you in that position."
His hands and arm were bandaged, he realized. Just what the hell happened last night?
Jesse held up a hand and shook his head. "No, don't apologize. We all fall apart sometimes. That's why you have your brothers."
"I'm the captain. I can't fall apart."
"Rex," Jesse cut him off. "I'm being serious. You may be the captain, but you are still human. And you went through a lot yesterday. Yeah, it wasn't great having to deal with you and Fives and Skywalker and also be worried about Ahsoka. But you always carry more than your fair share of the burden. If I can't help you out, even if it's just for the day, then I'm not a very good brother. You can lean on me. I promise I won't break helping you carry your weight."
He was floored by his words. Floored and deeply humbled. The way Jesse spoke made him feel raw and vulnerable in ways he wasn't used to.
"Jesse—"
"Quit arguing with me. You know I'll win. And if I don't manage to win, then I'll call Commander Cody and he can deal with you."
Rex snorted and admitted defeat. "Fine. I yield. How's Ahsoka doing?"
"Still asleep. We should get to Coruscant in the next few days and then she can get some better treatment. But Kix is a God, I swear. He's got her stable and he's certain she'll make a full recovery."
"She didn't… she didn't—"
"She didn't wake up, Rex. You're fine. That's actually why you're a lucky bastard who got the hangover cure while the rest of us are forced to suffer. Kix and Corric wanted you as lucid as possible in case she did wake up today."
"Thank you." He said. "All of you, thank you. I couldn't ask for better brothers."
"And we couldn't ask for a better captain," Jesse said, handing him some water to wash the bitter, sour taste from his mouth.
Rex felt like that was a lie. He was, quite possibly, the worst captain in the world. He didn't listen to his men's concerns. He got his commander shot and nearly killed. And then he couldn't even deal with the aftermath properly! Instead opting to get drunk and run away from his problems. He didn't blame Fives for being pissed off in the slightest.
Speaking of people who were probably pissed off.
"What about Skywalker?"
"He was angry, but not that angry."
"Really?"
"General Kenobi was there for the debrief so I think he helped keep Skywalker from lashing out somewhat. I even got a thank you for taking charge, keeping most of the men alive, and completing the mission. You have a concussion, by the way. Which is why I gave the debrief and not you."
"Did I hit my head last night?" Rex asked, bandaged fingers running along his temples to see if a bandage had been applied.
"No. We didn't want you to get in trouble for drinking on duty so Corric forged some paperwork."
"Oh. Thank you. And the rest of the bandages? Are those just for show?"
"Nope. You got shot during the battle on the arm and you cut your hands on some glass afterward. Those are both real. Corric says that if he sees you picking at the bandages he'll shoot you."
"Oh. Right." He really did not deserve his men. That much was obvious.
"Quit thinking what I know you're thinking about," Jesse growled.
Not for the first time did Rex wonder if the Force had some sort of transitive properties. He swore sometimes it was like his brothers could read his mind.
"It's true, though. I don't deserve this. I was drinking on duty. I should get in trouble. You should be mad at me for making you clean up my mess."
"No, I shouldn't," Jesse argued. "I know you think you're the only one who has to take responsibility for everything, but you don't. That's not how this works. We don't have a lot, but we do have each other. Fuck, Rex, you got to learn to lean on us. You trust us in battle, right?"
"With my life."
"Then trust us afterward. Please. Lean on us." Jesse grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "She's our sister too, okay? We know what you're going through."
Rex normally would have argued more, but even with the hang-over cure, he was still nauseous with a nasty headache. He, quite simply, did not have the strength to keep arguing with him.
"Alright. Fine. You win for now."
"I win forever," Jesse scoffed.
Rex still had one more update to ask for. This was the one he dreaded the most. He could handle Skywalker's anger. And Ahsoka being alive and stable helped ease his troubled mind. But Fives… Fives was a whole other issue. Never before had he gotten so angry with him. Never before had he been blamed for something so awful. And Fives was right! The mission was a trap. Ahsoka did get hurt. And Rex didn't do anything to stop it. Maybe if he had just figured out something else none of this would have ever happened.
Once more, Jesse proved his mind-reading abilities. "Fives doesn't blame you," he said softly.
"He literally said it, though."
"He's angry at the system. Not you. You were just the best person to take it out on."
Rex wasn't convinced.
"Look," Jesse sighed, "I'm exhausted. I would really like a chance to sleep. Ahsoka's going to be out for a few more hours. That's plenty of time for you to shower because you stink, brush your teeth, because your breath stinks, and then go talk to Fives. Trust me, he's not mad at you. And he's sorry for lashing out yesterday."
Regardless of how sorry Fives was or wasn't was irrelevant. If Rex was going to continue to lead his men, he needed to get him and Fives on the same page again. And that would only be done by talking to one another.
"Very well," Rex said. "Go, get some sleep. I'll get cleaned up."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"You're not going to get drunk again."
"I don't think I'm ever drinking again."
"Doubtful," Jesse snorted. He seemed to trust his word though and stood up. Before he left, he turned back to Rex. "Remember, you can lean on us. That's what we're there for."
"I know, brother," Rex said.
He took his time cleaning up, he let the water wash away the dust from the battle run off his body. He brushed his teeth for several minutes, scrubbing his tongue and everything to try and rid his mouth of the taste. He
Went to go put his armor on and froze. Ahsoka's blood was still streaked and staining it. Bile rose up in his throat and he forced himself to swallow it back down. Later. He'd clean that off later. Right now… he couldn't. He couldn't be that close to the reminder of what almost happened. He'd do it later.
He pulled on his bridge greys, the only fresh pair of clothes he had, and readied himself to face Fives.
It didn't talk long to figure out where he was. He was in his bunk with Echo.
Echo took one look at Rex and winced. There was only so much a shower and a change of clothes could do. Echo, though, was polite enough not to say anything.
"Sir," he said, moving to stand at attention.
"At ease," Rex said.
Fives looked up from his data pad. He saw guilt flash in his eyes before he quickly tore his gaze away.
"Actually," Rex said, "Give us a minute, Echo."
Echo looked unsure and glanced over at Fives. A silent conversation seemed to pass between them before Fives nodded to him. An assurance that he wasn't going to try and bait the captain into a fistfight again. Echo seemed to trust him and stepped out of the room.
Rex went over to Fives' bunk. "Mind if I sit? I am not in the position to be standing right now."
His legs felt shaky and one wrong move would send him back to the toilet to vomit up the protein bar he had managed to choke down earlier.
"You do look like shit. What happened?" Fives said, shifting so Rex could sit.
He could always trust Fives not to mince words or beat around the bush. It was nice.
"I got very drunk," he admitted. "And I do not recommend it."
He snorted. "So that's why Jesse was in charge yesterday."
"How was he? Should I be worried about my job?"
"Eh. Ori'buyce, kih'kovid." He laughed softly.
"I'll make sure to give him your constructive criticism." Rex teased. It felt nice to do so. He had been worried that Jesse was lying and Fives did in fact hate him and blame him for everything. But while things were definitely tense between them, it felt like it had healed. Like they had both gotten some shit off their chests and were now ready to move forward.
Fives winced. "Please don't. I still don't think he's very happy with me."
And just like that, the healing, teasing air shifted and changed. It wasn't… tense, per se. At least not as tense as yesterday. But Rex could still feel it. They needed to talk.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have dismissed your feeling about the mission."
Fives shook his head. "No. No, it's not your fault. I'm sorry. You were right. We had orders. Maybe if I had proof or we had more time, we could have done something. But we didn't. And I should have never put that on you."
"And I should have done a better job at listening to you. Or trying to work with you to address your fears."
"Rex," Fives said, cutting him off. "No, you shouldn't have. You and Ahsoka sent down an advanced scouting team you didn't have to send. Smoke and Havoc cleared the planet and confirmed the number of clankers still wandering around. Windu is good at his job and would have never left with that many still on there. We scanned it. Everything seemed above board. There was no indication that they had constructed a tunnel system and were hiding in it. And, not even I could have predicted that Cad Bane of all people was going to show up. What else could you have done?"
Rex clenched his jaw. He felt like he should have done a lot more. Rationally, he knew that he had done everything in his power to get as much information as possible. He worked within the constraints as much as they would allow. And he doubted Ahsoka would have ever stayed up on the ship. Even if they did manage to trick, it'd be only temporary. The second she figured out they had left without her, she would have been flying down there herself to join the fight.
But just because Rex knew all that logically didn't mean that he believed it emotionally. He should have done a better job. He had no idea what a 'better job' looked like, but he should have figured it out.
Fives scrubbed a hand down his tired face. "Look, I know you blame yourself for this. You would have even if I hadn't said anything. That's why I said what I said. I knew it was a weak point for you and I just… I don't know. I wanted to make it hurt. I couldn't take it out on the people who are actually responsible for it so I took it out on you. And that's not fair to you."
"I know," Rex said. "I think a part of me wanted you to also say those things to prove that it wasn't all in my head. That it was my fault."
"It wasn't," Fives reiterated. "It's not and I don't blame you for any of this. If anything, I blame Pal—"
"I know." Rex cut him off before he could finish that word. There were cameras. The last thing they needed was for Fives to be recorded accusing their chancellor of hiring a bounty hunter to kill Ahsoka.
But that was the other elephant in the room, wasn't it? Someone had hired Cad Bane to kill her. Someone had used the ambush to distract them. Someone had gone to great lengths to make this whole thing look like an accident. And then there were the 'coincidences'. No other Jedi were available to help out. No other battalions to lend aid. Their medical supplies were severely depleted. Ahsoka's master sent out on another mission halfway across the galaxy.
Rex didn't believe in coincidences just like Wolffe didn't believe in luck. It was all too planned, too perfect. And that suggested that the person who hired Bane to kill Ahsoka wasn't a separatist. They were in the Republic. They were a powerful force in the Republic. But they couldn't talk about that here or now. They'd have to figure out some other way to communicate. And Rex was going to get all the commanders in on this. Because if what he thought was true, was actually true, this was big. Possibly big enough to destroy the government.
"Did submit your report on Bane yet?" Rex asked.
"Yup. Even messaged Commander Stone about it. Wanted to see if he could put a bounty out on him or something to bring that shabuir in so he doesn't get another chance."
"What'd he say?"
Fives shrugged apologetically. "Bane's already on the most wanted list. There wasn't much he could do. But he did promise to make it a priority. Still, bombing the Senate and the Jedi temple and breaking out a high-profile prisoner doesn't exactly make you a small fry in the eyes of the government. I'm not sure they're going to catch him, Rex."
"Then we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled and make sure he doesn't get another chance to hurt her."
They sat in silence for a bit longer before Fives spoke once more. "I'm serious, captain. I never blamed you. And I'm sorry for saying that I did. And I'm sorry I was difficult this mission."
Rex nodded. "I know. Still doesn't make the situation any better."
"No, it does not."
And that was the issue, wasn't it? It didn't matter what Fives meant or what he said. At the end of the day, they didn't have the power to disobey orders. They didn't have the power to say no. They didn't have the power to keep Ahsoka safe.
That needed to change.
*****
Rex was the only one allowed to stay by Ahsoka's side for more than an hour. He heard other troopers grumbling about it, but none of them spoke with much bite. They took one look at him, saw his ashen face and deep, sunken eyes, and bandages on his hands, and probably figured that he needed to stay by Ahsoka's side before he did anything stupid.
Rex should have felt guilty about taking up so much space. He should have felt irritated that the troopers seemed to be pitying him and therefore weren't fighting Kix as to why he got to say while they had to leave. He couldn't bring himself to. He didn't care.
All he cared about was watching Ahsoka's chest rise and fall, her vitals showing up as steady, if a bit weak. Occasionally fighting the waves of anger that crashed over him when he realized that Ahsoka would be much further along in the healing process if they had a bacta tank on board or blood transfusions to give her.
He almost snapped at Kix in his anger, wanting to know why he wasn't doing a better job. He managed to stop himself. It wasn't his medic's fault that they didn't have supplies. Besides, Kix was good at what he did and somehow managed to pull off keeping Ahoska alive despite the fact that there was a fucking hole in her chest.
"She'll heal, sir," Kix said as he read over her vitals and made a few more notes in his chart. Her heartbeat was steady. Her breathing was steady. Even her mind seemed at ease.
"She's stable enough now I think I'll take her off the sleeping medication. She should wake up in a few hours on her own."
"Is that really a good idea? Shouldn't she be resting?"
"She should," Kix said. "But we don't have enough IV fluids to get to Coruscant and she lost a lot of blood. If she's awake, she can take it orally. I know it's not ideal, but it's the best I can do."
"I know. I know," Rex sighed. "I wish you had more supplies."
Kix clicked his tongue. "No use wishing for things we don't have. Besides, you were in a worse situation back on Salucemi. Healing in a shed like that?" He shuddered. "I'm surprised you didn't get yourself an infection."
"Are you saying our good Samaritan's barn was unclean?" Rex teased.
"Everything is unclean. Except for the med bay. Because I run it." Kix put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay if you want to go for a walk or something. It'll take a while for the medicine to leave her bloodstream and I'll let you know if she starts to come to."
"No, I'm fine. Thanks for the offer," Rex said.
"Alright," Kix said, surprisingly not putting up much of a fight. "By the way, Corric filled me in on what happened. Don't think you're going to get away with that, sir."
"Are you threatening me?" he asked, knowing that Kix wouldn't throw Rex to the wolves like that. If he hadn't told Skywalker yet, then he wasn't going to. Medics seemed to operate on a completely different system than the rest of the troopers. They put saving lives above everything else and weren't afraid to bend or break the rules to do so.
He shrugged. "All I'm saying is I might be more inclined to look the other way if you come down for your physical next month without a fight."
"Fine," he sighed dramatically. "You win. Happy?"
"Extremely."
"Only for the next month, though."
"Damn. I guess I'll have to figure out some other way to threaten you into submission." He squeezed Rex's shoulder one last time before going to attend to the other wounded men in the med bay.
It was much less chaotic than yesterday. All in all, there hadn't been too many casualties from the battle. There were still deaths. Deaths Rex had to report. But just looking at the numbers one would assume the campaign had been a rousing success.
Rex could not tear his eyes away from Ahsoka's limp form. He couldn't bring himself to move and stretch his legs, even for a minute. He was afraid that as soon as he did, something would go wrong. That she wouldn't wake up. That Kix had missed something and she was actually dying right now and if Rex left he'd miss the signs and then she'd be gone forever.
He knew these were just the result of an overactive mind and had no merits. Kix was the best medic in the GAR, at least in Rex's opinion. If Ahsoka was dying, he'd know.
But again, logic and emotion didn't always mesh together. And Rex's fears were winning out over his rational thinking skills.
So he didn't move.
He kept staring at her.
He kept waiting for her to wake up.
It took about three hours for her to start showing signs of waking.
"Kix! She's waking up," he called.
Kix rushed over without hesitation, leaving Corric to continue the med bay rounds on his own.
He ran a scanner over her and grinned. "Vitals look good. Breathing's good. Remember, keep your voice down. Her hearing will be a little sensitive. I know I said you should leave and go for a walk or something, but would you mind staying here? It'll help keep her calm."
"If you think I'm leaving now, you're mad," Rex said, reaching out to grab Ahsoka's hand. He hoped that would help ground her.
"I know, I know. Not even an ion canon to the chest could get you away from her now," Kix said. "When she wakes up, she's going to be a bit groggy and disoriented. Try to keep your emotions calm. She'll be much more sensitive to them. And you can hug her but be gentle and try not to jostle her too much. She's on pain meds so she might not feel her injury pulling. I don't want to risk a tear in the wound now. Infection is still a high risk."
"Got it," Rex said.
It took her another thirty minutes to fully wake up. He and Kix didn't leave the entire time. Corric came over to ask if they needed any help, but Kix waved him off.
"Let's not overwhelm her with too many people," he explained.
Corric nodded and left them alone.
Finally, Ahsoka's eyes fluttered open and she turned to him. "Rex?" she asked, her voice groggy and raspy.
"Yeah, kid, I'm right here," he said, fighting the urge to gather her up in his arms and sob. Instead, he smoothed a hand over her forehead, doing his best to radiate calm, pleasant emotions.
"What happened?" She asked, starting to push herself up.
Rex went to stop her when Kix grabbed his arm and helped her sit. "You got shot, ner ad'ika." He stated. It was always Kix's policy not to hide or downplay a patient's injury unless they were dying.
"Oh." She winced.
"Captain, come help me sit her up," Kix ordered.
"Right, sorry," Rex said, realizing that he had remained frozen at her side, unsure of where was okay and touch and what would only hurt her more.
Following Kix's lead, though, they managed to get her sitting upright and settled on some pillows. Even doing that seemed to be exhausting for Ahsoka.
"Congratulations, commander," Kix said, running a scanner over her once more, "you survived your first blaster bolt to the heart. However, next time, I suggest you dodge."
Ahsoka smiled tiredly at him. "Sorry, Kix."
"I mean, honestly, you have a glowy laser sword that can bat blaster shots back and you didn't even use it. Did you forget you were a Jedi? Or do you enjoy making me go grey?" His scolding was gentle, more born out of fear than a need to punish.
Rex didn't say anything. He didn't know if he could. He felt like the second he opened his mouth he'd fall apart.
"I didn't forget," Ahsoka mumbled, picking at the blanket over her legs.
"Hmm. I'll take your word for it. How are you feeling?"
"Cold," she said softly. "And kind of fuzzy. My visions spotty too."
Kix snapped his fingers next to her left lek and then her right one. "Hmm, you did lose a lot of blood. Corric and I will have to figure out a physical therapy program so your muscles don't atrophy but you also don't collapse. How's your hearing? Muffled in any way?"
She shook her head. "My head kind of hurts, though. Like when you're standing too close to an explosion and your ears start ringing afterward."
"Also makes sense, but that should go away as you heal." He leaned back and grabbed two cups. "Water." He held up the one in his right hand. "Bone broth." He held up the one in his left. "I want you to drink these slowly. Okay? If you can't finish, that's fine. Go as slowly as you need to. If you can keep this down I'll get you some more in the hour."
"Did you use my rats for the bone broth," Ahsoka said, pouting slightly.
Kix laughed and handed Rex the broth and helped Ahsoka start sipping the water. "No, your rats are all still safe and sound for you to hunt at a later date. After you get cleared by me."
"I know," she grumbled. "Can I leave the med bay, Kix? Please."
He shook his head. "No can do, kid. You're too injured and we don't have the proper supplies to help you heal faster. I know you don't like the med bay, but I'm sorry. I can't risk you being away from Corric and me."
It was probably a testament to how bad Ahsoka was feeling because she didn't argue any longer.
"I'm sorry, kid. Really, I am," Kix said.
"I know. Still cold."
Kix laughed. "Alright. I'll go see if we can get some blankets for you."
"Steal Fives' quilt."
"Is that an order, commander?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. He would have stolen it regardless.
Ahsoka nodded. "Yes. And Rex's toast socks."
"I am sitting right here," he grumbled.
"Steal the socks," Ahsoka reiterated.
"Well, who am I to disobey a direct order from my commanding officer," Kix said, rubbing the top of her head. He turned to Rex. "Captain, after she's finished with the water wait for about fifteen minutes before you give her the broth. Understood?"
Rex nodded.
"Good. Then I shall go get those things for you, Ahsoka. No escape attempts. I am not above handcuffing you to the bed."
Ahsoka laughed. "Alright, Kix."
The medic left them once more sitting in silence. Ahsoka's smile dropped and she finished sipping the water. Rex took the cup from her and returned to his seat. He should say something. Right? That's what he should do.
He opened his mouth, not sure what was going to come out but hopefully something reassuring and soft.
"I know what you're going to say," Ahsoka beat him to the punch, staring at the bacta patch that stood out stark white against her skin. Her skin was still pale and ashen from the blood loss.
Rex snapped his mouth shut and swallowed. "Oh? What's that?"
"I need armor," she mumbled, still not looking him in the eyes. Actually, she looked more like a cadet getting scolded for something mundane and not like a kid who had gotten shot in the fucking chest.
A laugh bubbled up to Rex's lips. Only Ahsoka would survive nearly getting assassinated and have her first thought be to argue she still didn't need armor.
He clapped a hand to his mouth, trying to stop laughing. Partially because he didn't want Ahsoka to think he was laughing at her. Mostly because he could feel his tight control over his emotions rapidly fading. The last time he had lost control, he had gotten blackout drunk and Jesse had to drag his ass back to his bunk before he could accidentally kill himself. He could not expose Ahsoka to that side of him.
In spite of his best efforts, it was too late. Now that he started, he couldn't stop. All the pain and grief and fear he had felt in those ten minutes he had waited for Kix rushed back to the surface. He had pushed them to the side during the battle, to focus on winning and getting out of there alive. And then on the ship last night had started to feel those emotions, only to immediately dull them with enough alcohol to knock a mythosaur out. And today, between talking to Fives, submitting all the necessary paperwork, and sitting by Ahsoka's bed, he hadn't had much of a chance to really comprehend what had happened.
Ahsoka had almost died.
Another inch to the left and that bolt would have gone right through her heart. If Rex hadn't distracted her, if he hadn't spotted Bane's gun or looked up as soon as he spotted the glare, she might be dead. He might be sitting next to a dead body now.
His laughter became hysterical as he buried his head in his hands and pitched forward.
He knew that Ahsoka was alright. She was alive. He had just talked to her. She had just joked around with Kix. She didn't appear to have any brain damage. She was awake. She was fine. She would heal. But it was like the only thing he could think about was how close she had been to death.
She had almost died.
He had almost lost her forever.
He felt someone wrap their arms around his head, pulling him into a body that was cool from blood loss.
"It's okay, Rex. I'm fine," she said softly.
"I'm sorry." He choked out and began to sob, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm so sorry. Ni ceta. Ni ceta, ner ad'ika. Ne ceta."
He was sorry for a lot of things. He was sorry that she was fighting in this war in the first place. He was sorry that her years as a padawan were being stolen from her. He was sorry that he and his brothers hadn't been good enough to finish it before she needed to step on the battlefield. He was sorry she got shot. He was sorry that someone wanted her dead and was willing to hire Cad Bane to do it. He was sorry that he was sobbing like a child instead of comforting her.
Ahsoka was the one that had almost died.
Ahsoka was the one in pain.
He should be comforting her, not the other way around. He should be the one holding her and telling her that everything was going to be okay. But he wasn't doing that. He was the one falling apart. He was the one putting the weight of the universe on the skinny shoulders of a child who should have never been forced to bear its burdens.
"Don't apologize," Ahsoka said.
Her voice was still raspy. He should probably be handing her the broth.
"It's my fault. Didn't sense them," she said.
He pushed himself off the chair to stand, finally wrapping her up in his arms. As if he could possibly protect her from all the bad things in the galaxy. Even though he had already failed multiple times.
"No," he said sharply. His body was still shaking. "No, this is not your fault in any way. Do you understand? You did nothing wrong."
"I could have dodged."
"You did dodge. That's why you're alive right now," he said. He still had the self-control not to squeeze her tightly. "You're alive right now. And you did nothing wrong."
Tentatively, her arms wrapped around his waist and she slumped fully into him. She didn't say anything else. Maybe she was still shaking off her medically induced coma. Maybe the blood loss was making her slugging.
It didn't matter. Rex was speaking enough for both of them. He couldn't stop the words now. Just like his laughter earlier, he spoke in a frantic, almost hysterical way.
"You are not allowed to die before me. Do you understand? I don't care what you have to do. I don't care how you do it. I don't care if you have to leave me behind because I'm dead weight. You are going to outlive me. Whatever it takes," he said. He knew it ultimately wasn't up to them, but somehow saying it out loud made him feel like they did.
Ahsoka didn't respond, instead just giving his waist a little squeeze.
Finally, after far too long sobbing on Rex's part, the tears slowed and he felt a little calmer. A little more grounded. He probably should have broken down earlier to avoid this. He dropped his arms and went to step back so he could get the bone broth. Ahsoka didn't let go.
"Stay. Please." Her voice was quiet and cracked ever so slightly.
"Of course, vod'ika. I'm just getting the broth for you to drink. Think you can keep it down?"
Ahsoka nodded. Then hesitantly, let go of his waist. Rex grabbed the cup and went back to the bed, holding it out to her.
Ahsoka looked at the cup dumbly then back at him. For a minute there, he thought she was experiencing some form of short-term memory loss and forgot what she was supposed to be doing with the cup.
Then, she grabbed his hand and tugged him over to the bed. Rex got the hint.
"Alright, I'll join you. But let me shift you so we're both more comfortable," he said gently.
Kix did not like people sharing beds in the med bay. It made it more difficult for him to react in an emergency. But Rex hoped just this once he'd let it slide. Especially since Ahsoka was freezing and wouldn't be able to go back to the barracks for the rest of the trip.
He shifted her as gently as he could so he could slide behind her, resting his back on the wall and her resting against him. She took the cup from him and started to sip, once more slumping into his body and letting him support her weight.
"We match now," she said after a few minutes.
"Me'ven?" He mumbled, feeling exhaustion settle into his bones.
It was almost as if seeing Ahsoka awake, talking to her, and then sobbing for ten minutes straight had wiped out all the energy he had. All he wanted to do was sleep and never wake up.
Ahsoka twisted so she could poke him in the chest. Right, where he got shot. "We match."
He winced and grabbed her hand. "Kix says you shouldn't twist," he said. "You could rip your stitches."
She settled back against his chest and finished up the broth, setting it down on the cart next to them.
"I think I'd rather have matching armor, kid," he said.
She settled against him with a yawn. "I make no promises, Rex." She patted his arm, eyes drooping closed as she started to drift off to sleep.
There was a lot they needed to deal with. Bane. Who hired him to kill her? Why? Why were they isolated? Who else was in on it? What was their ultimate goal? And so many more questions kept popping up. He should be dealing with them now. He should be working on plans and strategies to fix this before Bane had another chance to strike. He should be meeting with Fives, Echo, and Jesse to go over what they knew. He should be reaching out to Cody for suggestions on their next moves.
"It's okay," Ahsoka said, wrapping his arms more securely around her body. "You can sleep."
"Says you, kid," he muttered. He couldn't fight his body's exhaustion, though, and fell asleep to Ahsoka's even breathing and steady heart rate.
And if, in a few hours, he woke up to find Fives' favorite quilt draped over them with Fives passed out in a chair next to the bed, then so be it. Ahsoka was alright. And they'd figure out what was going on.
*****
CommanderCody: @CommanderWolffe, just letting you know Ahsoka was hurt in battle yesterday.
CommanderWolffe: What?
CommanderWolffe: What happened?
CommanderCody: Cad Bane was there. Tried to take her out. She's fine. Kix says there's no permanent damage. They're headed to Coruscant now for better medical treatment.
CommanderWolffe: That's it, I'm hunting down that demagolka. He's going to tell me who hired him. Even if I have to rip off his limbs one by one to do it.
CommanderStone: We already have an APB out on him.
CommanderWolffe: Yeah? And have you managed to catch him yet?
CommanderCody: Wolffe, don't abandon your post.
CommanderNeyo: You shouldn't have told him. Now he's going to go AWOL and we're going to have to deal with it.
CommanderCody: He was going to find out eventually. Look, everyone just calm down. Something's going on here.
CommanderWolffe: All the more reason for me to go find Bane and drag him back here so I can beat him until he tells me who fucking hired him!
CommanderCody: No. Don't do that. We need to move carefully.
CommanderPonds: GAR Network
CommanderCody: I know. Wolffe, seriously, Obi-Wan has already reached out to Koon to let him know. Don't go hunting down Bane. We might need you for something else.
CommanderPonds: You people are exhausting, you know that?
CommanderStone: We are very much aware.
CommanderBacara: You can't blame them! Sok'ika getting hurt is horrible.
CommanderWolffe: Hurt on purpose.
CommanderCody: Wolffe. Think for a minute. You don't have to hunt down Bane to get information.
CommanderWolffe: What do you mean?
CommanderCody: Maybe instead of focusing on Ahsoka right now you should call that twi'lek from a few months back and see if she's free. I remember you going into great detail about how great she was in the sack. And you're getting shore leave in a few weeks.
CommanderGree: Can we please stop talking about Wolffe's body count?
CommanderWolffe: Fine. I won't rip apart the galaxy until I find whatever shithole that hut'uun is hiding in.
CommanderBacara: Yeah, go get laid instead.
CommanderCody: And may that rendezvous prove very fruitful.
Notes:Wolffe: I am going to hunt down Bane to the ends of the universe. No matter how long it takes, I will find him and I will make him talk.
Cody: Or you could go fuck that bounty hunter you're on good terms with and then ask her what she knows about the situation.
Wolffe: Oh, yeah. That'd be easier.
Mando'a
Kaysh mirsh solus: He's an idiot
Me'vaar ti gar: How are you, can be used to ask a soldier for a sit rep
Ori'buyce, kih'kovid: All helmet, no head, someone with an overdeveloped sense of authority
Shabuir: Jerk but much stronger
Me'ven: Huh? What?
Demagolka: Someone who commits atrocities
Hut'uun: Coward, the worst insult of all
Haar'chak: Damn
Gedet'ye: Please
Vode: Brothers
Oya!: Let's hunt
Hukaat'kama: Watch my six
Kar'ta: Heart
Buyanir: Survive
Ni ceta: Groveling apology
Ad'ika: Little one
Vod'ika: Little sister
Ner: My