#kix is yelling at them because so many ended up in the medbay
Text
Wait for you
Description: (requested by @spoonfedchaos !) would it be alright if we had our beloved Mr Captain Rex saying “I’ve always loved you.” (possible to a jedi reader….?) please💞💞
Pairing: Captain Rex x Jedi!Reader
Warnings: Mentions of blaster shots, broken bones, blood. Please let me know if I missed any!
Word Count: 1,939
Join the taglist here!
Author’s note: Sorry for taking so long with this! I have to admit, I haven’t interacted with any Clone Wars content for a while, so this took a little bit more out of me! Regardless, thank you so much for your patience! I hope you enjoy!
*
A yell ripped through your throat as you sliced through another training droid.
Your lightsaber hummed softly as your chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. Sweat raced down your tense muscles, burning your eyes as you squeezed them shut in an attempt to calm your erratic breathing.
You should be in medbay, next to your Captain. You should be there to soothe the aches of his sore body, coo sweet nothings into his ears and lull him to sleep, hold his hand and bare the desires of your heart to him.
But you weren’t there. You couldn’t be there.
Because attachments are forbidden for the Jedi.
The mission had gone wrong. What was meant to be a simple recon mission turned out to be an ambush with too many close calls, which ended with Rex getting bested by an assassin droid.
A broken arm and two blaster shots to his stomach— that’s what your captain was rushed out of the field with. It was nothing a few good rounds of bacta couldn’t heal, but it was surely enough to send a hot rush of dread through your veins.
Touching down on Coruscant, you wanted nothing more than to be by his side while he recovered— the same way he had done so many times when the roles were reversed— but one warning look from Master Windu was enough to keep you from stepping through the doors to the medical wing.
So here you are.
Droids littered the training grounds around you. The training room was full of them— full of droids you’d cut down in the midst of your frustrated attempt at releasing your pent-up emotions. Your hands shook with anxiety, your chest caving in under the weight of the foul mixture of dread, anger, and fear.
It wasn’t enough.
This life. It wasn’t enough. There was no room for lingering gazes, ghostly touches, secret confessions. There was no room for distractions, as your fellow Jedi Generals would say. There wasn’t any room for you to process the aches of your conflicted heart.
Hours crept through the day as you continued to lose yourself to the distressing thoughts of your mind.
I can’t even tell him I love him. You swung your lightsaber sharply, eyes narrowing at you sliced at another training droid.
I shouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place. The hum of your saber roared through the air as you punctured the metal chest of another droid.
Tears stung your eyes as another yell ripped through your throat, your saber slipping from your hand and clattering onto the ground.
How could you be a peacekeeper— a symbol of what it is like to be connected with all forms of life when you weren’t even allowed to openly love the man who fought by your side? How could you not bear your heart to the one who trusts you with his life? Was it insane of you to fall for the man who subtly cared for you in more intimate ways?
Rex is in medbay. Alone.
Would being with him— caring for him be so bad?
Clenching your jaw, your eyes settled on your shaking hands.
Kriffin’ hell.
“General?”
Your breath hitches, your muscles rigid, and you cursed yourself for not building up the courage to turn around. “You should be in medbay, Captain. I doubt Kix signed you off before keeping you for a night of observation.”
He’s tired. You don’t have to look at him to know how little energy flows through his blood after the day’s events. His Force signature is a storm, turbulent and unsteady, flooded with uncertainty. He’s drowning and you don’t know how to pull him to safety.
There’s a sigh, a rush of air deflating his chest. “Yeah,” He chuckles lowly, and your heart flutters at the sound. “I might have snuck out when he went out for a break. He’ll probably have the boys drag me back once he notices I’m gone.”
You still don’t turn to face him. What would you do if you looked into those golden eyes of his? Would you fall under the heat of a thousand Tatooine sunsets or collapse under the reality of a love just out of your reach? He’s right there. The temptation of fitting your hand in his crept up on you. You shook the idea away.
Heavy, your voice drags with the same restlessness that plagues your heart and soul. “You should rest, Captain.”
“Please don’t do that.” Vulnerability weakened his usually tight and firm voice. You frowned; you knew he was doing the same.
Your knuckles turned white as they clutched your lightsaber. “Don’t do what?”
Longing. It came off him in waves, dragging him out to sea and taking him under before he could call for help.
“You only call me ‘Captain’ when we’re out on the field,” There’s a pause before he continued, “You also do it when you’re mad or scared”
A quiet curse fell from your lips. You’re not on the field at the moment; he thinks you’re scared or mad at him.
You were mad. Mad at Master Windu for forbidding you from visiting your captain. Mad at the clankers who got him hurt in the first place. Mad at yourself for failing to protect him.
‘Scared’ doesn’t even begin to convey the horror that shot through your veins when your captain went down. Your throat is still raw from how you screamed at the sight. The ghosts of crimson rivers still burn your fingers.
You’ve washed your hands more times than you can count since you landed at the hangar.
“Mesh’la,” Rex tried, his voice a gentle thing feathered with care. “Are you okay?”
A bitter laugh spilled from your lips before you could bite your tongue. You twirled around to face him, your eyes crazed with disbelief, spilling with concern. “Am I okay?! Rex, you were shot! Twice!” Your lips quivered as they held back the sobs that threatened to take you out. “I... was so kriffin’ scared.”
His uninjured hand fluttered by his side. “Heh, I was expecting to see you at medbay,” It wasn’t an accusation. His voice held no bitterness. He was sad.
“I’m sorry,” Your head dipped close to your chest, your heart aching at the beaten sight of him. He shouldn’t be out of bed; Maker knows his body might give out any moment now. “I try to visit, but--” you cut yourself off with a grunt, releasing a frustrated sigh from the chasms of your lungs. “Master Windu wouldn’t allow it.”
Rex’s posture, though weakened, fell into something tall and authoritative, flooded by a sense of protectiveness you’re all too familiar with. “And why is that?”
No words fell from your lips when you opened them. Was this it? Was this the moment you placed your beaten, weary heart into his warm, scarred hands? You tried letting the words out but came up dry.
Rex closed the gap between you, his uninjured hand taking yours captive under his hold. A reassuring squeeze of your hand had your skin tingling at his warmth. Golden eyes peered down at you with an encouraging glint to them. “You can tell me. I promise it’ll be okay.”
You offered a short nod. Gently, your hand let go of his and you cupped the sides of his face, pulling him in until his forehead met yours. “Stop me if I overstep,” A sigh slipped past your trembling lips as you closed your eyes. Rex followed your lead.
Warmth. It bloomed over the pits of his stomach, awakening the butterflies that made themselves at home there. Soon they had flown up to his chest, tickling his heart with the soft fluttering of their wings.
Longing. It pulled at his heartstrings; a tune full of sweet nothings that lulled him back to your gravity. Each melody cleansed his tired soul in waves, some stronger than others, but always sweet and refreshing.
Fear. It started at his toes, cold and paralyzing in the most terrifying of ways. It would spread over to his spine, shooting a lightning bolt through him. Cold. Ruthless. There was no escaping it.
He couldn’t put a name to what you let crawl into his Force signature next. In a way, he could almost say it encapsulated all previous things in a wonder of chaos. It was beautiful and terrifying and everything in between. Soft and strong-willed. Timid yet fierce. It warmed his heart yet froze him in place. But he didn’t fight against it.
When you pulled away, his eyes fluttered, stuck in a daze. What was that? He wanted more of it. He wanted to share it with you.
He was quick to pull you back in with his only functioning hand, his eyes searching yours. “Stop me if I overstep.” He echoed your words in a tender way that made your heart ache. His lips met yours, timid and soft, in a motion of passion. He was careful. Gentle. Scared of going too far.
So, you deepened the kiss.
It was only when your lungs ached for air that you broke away. Your mind was clouded, stuck in a haze you weren’t sure you wanted to be free of yet.
It was Rex who spoke up first. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long.” It came as a low rumble of his chest, a quiet chuckle full of disbelief.
A smile stretched over your lips before you could hold it back. You tilted your head at him, melting under the golden glint of his gaze. “What?”
He caught your hand, curled his fingers around yours. He now had a name for that one thing he didn’t quite understand mere seconds ago. “I’ve always loved you,” he breathed. What a beautiful thing. Love. “It’s actually quite a relief to know I’m not the only one who’s in love.”
“Yeah,” Your smile is replaced by a look of uncertainty. “But what about the GAR? And the Jedi Order? They’ll have our necks if they find out about this.”
Rex could only offer a short nod as a few beats passed. “I’ve waited for this moment for so long,” he sighed, a smile gracing the curves of his lips. “I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait for the right moment. I’ll wait until we’re both ready for the risk—if that’s what you want, of course.”
“I’d like that,” Warmth pooled into your veins, soothing as it circled around your heart in a rush. “Thank you.”
“Ah, well—”
“Finally! Thank the Force!” You both whirled around to see Fives rushing to the two of you with a toothy grin. His gloved hand smacked his brother’s back in an act of joy. “I was starting to think the war would end before you two confessed!”
Both you and Rex shared a wide-eyed glance at each other before turning to the smiling trooper. “How much of that did you see, exactly?” Rex asked. Maker have mercy—his ears were burning red.
Five’s grin morphed into a mischievous grin. “More than you think,” He quirked an eyebrow. “I just came looking for you because Kix was about to go on a rampage if we didn’t bring you back to medbay. And man, I’m so glad I decided to check here first”
You walked back to medbay together, your hand in Rex’s as an added comfort. Teasing from Five’s part was relentless. But he was happy for you. You were happy, too.
“So,” The tattooed clone started, stopping right before the doors to the medical wing. “When am I getting a Force-magic nephew?”
#captain rex x reader#captain rex x you#captain rex x y/n#clone wars#tcw x reader#tcw x you#tcw x y/n#starwars#the clone wars fic#tcw fic#the clone wars#commander rex x reader#captain rex
368 notes
·
View notes
Note
Please be okay with Kix for the sick fic asks! :)
Please be ok, with Kix: Kix isn’t feeling well, causing him to act differently.
Rubs hands together: I love a good Kix angst fic.
Kix scowled at the scanner, then firmly tapped it a few times. He used it again. It beeped pleasantly at him again, giving him the same results.
He had a fever.
Kriff. Kix knew what the regulations said, of course. He couldn’t treat his brothers if he risked giving them something else to worry about. But what was he supposed to do? They were planetside, in a lull between fights, and there were too many injured to just stop.
Besides, he felt fine. Just a little, warm. There was a sickness going around, but Kix wasn’t absolutely sure he had it.
Kix figured a solution; if he didn’t take off his helmet, the filters would keep out the sickness (or in, on the slight off-chance he maybe had caught the virus).
And since he probably wasn’t sick, he didn’t need the treatment.
He kept a hypo of it in his equipment pocket. Just in case.
By the end of the rotation, they’d run out, and Kix had opted to give it to someone else. But that was fine, because he wasn’t sick. Just a little hot, and sweaty, and his mouth hurt when he swallowed and maybe he was a little dizzy on his feet.
But he was fine. Not sick. Just tired.
He wanted to take of his helmet and drink some water. But then someone might see, and make him stop working.
Jesse came to him with a blaster wound on his forearm. Kix gave him a healthy scolding for not coming to see him or another medic sooner, then set to work bandaging it.
As Kix carefully dressed the wound, he found himself swallowing against the fear rising in his chest.
“You have to be more careful,” he blurted. Like a shiny medic, who hadn’t seen the realities of war, up close and personal. “You’re going to get shot more if you don’t.”
Kix drove his knees further into the dirt, so he wasn’t digging his fingers into Jesse’s arm.
Jesse tilted his head. His bucket was off, so Kix could see his smile contrast with the confused scrunch of his face. “I’m careful! Mostly. Kix, are you-”
“Mostly? Mostly?” Kix let go of the bandage. “Blast it Jesse! You’re going to get shot, and then you’re going to leave me, like, like Hardcase-”
Some part of Kix’s mind, way in the back, apathetically noted that in extreme cases, paranoia was a symptom of the sickness.
“Kix?! What-”
Jesse went to grab his arm, but Kix dodged, the fear now screaming, making his heart pound and jump and writhe.
He ran. He turned from Jesse and ran, not looking back. He didn’t even know what he was running from, or where he was headed, all he knew was to run.
His breathing was rising now, shallower and faster, and Kix couldn’t force enough breath in his lungs. Now his whole body was burning too, with the extra exertion. He stumbled, went down, dragged himself up, he had to run, had to escape-
His body hit someone else’s, hard, and he went sprawling to the ground, helmet flying somewhere else. Kix was gasping, he had to get up, had to-
“Kix?” A voice asked. “Are you ok?”
Kix blinked rapidly, saw Fives in between the black shuttered moments.
He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t talk, too busy breathing inandoutandinandtout-
Fives was suddenly by his side. “You don’t look too hot, Kix.” He looked worried.
Too hot? He was burning.
Another face came into his rapidly narrowing vision. Jesse.
“Kriff, Kix. Stay with me, stay with me please. Medic!” he yelled. Kix had a hard time hearing him, someone was screaming. Not Fives or Jesse, who-?
Kix closed his eyes.
*****
Kix was awake, but also not awake. He was hot, and burning, and he had to run, but they wouldn’t let him, they kept holding him down and-
There was a tiny prick in his neck, a cool drop in a boiling ocean. Kix was dragged under again.
When he woke up again, his head was much clearer. He took in a few deep breaths, savoring the cool air and his steady heartbeat. The fear, the panic was gone. He took another easy breath.
“You back with us?” Fives was sitting in a chair next to the medbay (they were on the Resolute now, he noticed).
Kix nodded. The back of his throat felt like it might crack if he spoke.
As if reading his mind, Fives handed him a glass of water, which Kix tried to drink slowly, but as soon as the cool wetness hit the back of his throat he drank the rest as fast as he could without drowning.
Fives watched, a slanted smile under his tired eyes. “I’m gonna get Jesse. He only went to sleep if I promised to get him when you woke up.”
Kix nodded again, and busied himself with watching his own vitals, on display from a monitor next to him. They didn’t look too good.
Jesse strode into the medbay. Kix could tell each step was placed and deliberate, to slow him from storming in.
When he reached Kix, he immediately growled, “scoot over,” and inserted himself into the bed.
Kix didn’t anything, just leaned into Jesse. For a few minutes, Jesse didn’t say anything either.
“You can’t keep doing this,” Jesse grumbled. “Not telling me if something’s wrong. You’re going to work yourself under the waves.”
“I’m fine now,” Kix muttered in guilty protest.
“But you almost weren’t. It was, close. Even if you ran out of the cure, they said it wouldn’t have been so bad if you’d just sat down and rested.”
“Sorry,” Kix whispered. He didn’t feel like arguing, he was tired.
“Go to sleep, Kix’ika,” Jesse murmured.
“Ok.” Kix’s head leaned over on Jesse’s chest, where his heart thrummed steadily. Kix liked the sound, it was good and steady. It chased away the fear clinging in his memories.
He hoped he’d never have to hear it stop.
47 notes
·
View notes
Text
Unabashedly
The four times you caught Rex staring, and the time he caught you.
The first time you met the Captain of the five-oh-first, you figured he was staring because of how unusual your presence was. As a Jedi who spent their time learning from the force in nature, to Rex you were an enigma. You noticed that his hamlet stayed focused on you long after you had formerly been introduced.
“Captain Rex,” You said, and like a shiny at the 79's for the first time, he blushed. Thank the maker for helmets, he thought. “I know trust doesn't come easy and all, and I know I’m not exactly a typical jedi per say but…” You trailed off. He was still watching you, and awkwardness filled the space between you. Anakin coughed, trying to waver his captain's attention. He didn't need his jedi senses to tell him what about you was distracting Rex.
“Can I speak to you outside for a moment Rex.” Oh he was in for it now.
The second time you noticed his watchful eye was mid battle. The movement of you and your lightsaber was captivating. He had never seen a Jedi move so gracefully, it’s like you were dancing on a tank, surrounded by clankers, and oh - right he was supposed to be laying down cover fire!
“Captain!” Fives was yelling at him, “we need you down here.” Fives, as usual, was being a blessing and a curse. And as usual, when Rex thought he was being stealthy in his staring, the entirety of his crew knew he had a soft spot for one particular jedi. Fives calling him down from his vantage point had two main objectives. One, it was actually useful to the battle, and two hopefully it would snap him out of his daze. Fives had no such luck.
“What’s the update Captain?” You asked, having jumped off the edge of a tank that was smoking from every corner.
“We are expecting air support any minute general.” He said, not turning your way. Your messy hair, flushed face and soft smile, he thought to himself, might actually cause him to go into cardiac arrest.
“Perfect!” You exclaimed as Kenobi’s troops finally arrived. “Now this is what I call a party!” laughter boomed from Fives, who found your energy far too incorrigible for everyone elses liking.
“What are you at General?” He asked curiously.
“42 clankers and…” You trailed off looking at the remnants of your previous escapade. “One tank.” Fives grumbled. “Something wrong?” you feigned innocence.
“This is so unfair.” He threw his hands up in the air, and smiled as he saw another battalion of droids coming up over the ridge. Without warning he took off towards them. “I can still beat you yet!” He called back.
“Please don’t tell me you…” Rex started
“Bet Fives I could kill more clankeers than him?” You finished turning back to him. He nodded, crossing his arms unamused. “Don't tell me you don't approve, captain.”
“It’s not that general it’s that…” you cut him off again,
“How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a general, I do have a name you know.” you playfully hit him in the shoulder, but with all that armour you doubted if he could feel it.
“Okay but still, gambiling isn't allowed.” He started watching the troops begin their forward assault.
“What if a very lovely Jedi was to share the spoils of war with you?” You cheekily asked.
“Depends on what you win.” he stated, finally playing along.
“You just have to wait and see won't you captain.” You yelled back to hin, taking off into the battle, his eyes never leaving you as you ran off.
The third time, you barely remember. It was late, really late, and everyone had been up for days thanks to a prolonged siege of Ryloth, or was it Bespin? You were too tired to even think about keeping things straight in your head. And of course at two in the morning (even though technically even traveling through space there's no time zone to really follow) Anakin Skywalker had decided on one last briefing before landing at your destination. So when you walk into the meeting room still in your sleepwear of course, everyone's a little shocked. But Rex, Rex is enchanted. Your hair is messy and keeps falling in your face, the baggy shirt keeps falling off your shoulder and you try to right yourself to no avail.
“Want some?” He asks, crossing the room to you, he’s already in half his armour, but only his blacks on the top half. Much to your delight. You eye the cup of caff he’s holding out and sleepily nod.
“Thank you.” You tell him and in your exhausted induced genius you decide that right now, as the briefing in a room full of people, Rex’s shoulder is the perfect place for your head. In your time working together, there wasn't anyone else you trusted more. There wasn't anyone else you liked as much as Rex and while you were beginning to worry about the attachment you had to him, your sleepy self didn't really care at the moment.
“When we land here…” Anakin rambled at the holomap, all eyes on him, you leaned more and more into the comfy pillow of a man next to you. And very, very slowly, his arm snuck around your waist to support you just a tiny bit more. Him staring at your tiny figure from above, curled into his shoulder and chest, his mug of caf in your hands, hair smelling of that wild soap you always used. His mind repeated one word over and over as he stared. Heaven.
If you were caught now, both of you would be court martialed, but the room was dark, and everyone was tired. And even though Anakin could clearly see both of you, he couldn't help but smile.
The four, and most recent time you noticed his lingering gaze, was the one and only time you had lost a bet to Fives, you tried to get out of it, claiming that having Echo support him in winning meant disqualification but after you had him bleach his hair for winning the clankers bet, you couldn't back out of this one. And either way, it was just one night, just one night in the 79's and then you’d never have to do it again.
“Looking good General!” He teased, offering you his arm before leading (pulling) you out of the cab
“Fives it is literally just me in a dress, I look how I always do!” You told him.
“Maybe you always look good.” He said with a wink, both of you stopped for a moment before laughing. Next to Rex, Fives had to be your best friend.
“Sorry sugar,” you drawled out jokingly once you get inside the brightly lit bar “You may be pretty but maker do I love blondes.” He chuckled,
“I’d like to point out I was a blonde.” He said, nudging you. “Or is it a particular blonde you love.” Your face goes more red than a sith’s lightsaber at that.
“Remind me never to tell you anything again.” You said looking around for the nearest alcoholic beverage. It’s then you see him, that particular blonde. He’s shuffled off in a booth in the corner, learning on his elbows, unabashedly staring.
His top half was only covered by his blacks, and this time you’re fully awake to appreciate the way his muscles are outlined by the material.
“He’s been looking at you like that since you walked in. You know for a jedi there’s a lot you don't notice.” Fives whispered in your ear. Before finishing a drink you hadn't even seen him pick up. You turned back to make a sarcastic comment (one of your lesser appreciated skills) when Tup shouted:
“Hey captain come have a drink with us!” Your eyes widened as Fives starts a laugh that sounded more like a witches cackle than anything else. And just as you were able to formulate an escape plan you feel a presence behind you.
“Well, correct me if i’m wrong but that doesn't look like Jedi approved clothing.” Rex mumbled to you. And your brain worked double time to think of a fantastic comeback.
“It’s for when I go undercover.” -nailed it. Rex raises an eyebrow, with a half smile, he still hasn't taken his eyes off of you.
It happened again that night, or maybe it didn't ever stop. But you’d had enough drinks to feel less shy. And as the hours passed by you ended up all in a both, you in the middle while the boys sang a song they apparently learned on Kamino. But the underlying message suggests that they most certainly did not. You’d been leaning on Fives for a while oblivious to Rex’s glare until he’d come over and yanked you into the squishy cushion with him. One arm sneaks around your shoulders and you can smell the whiskey on him, on you? Eh who cares anyways.
“Ibac'ner cyar'ika” Rex was whispering, you weren't sure what any of it meant, but given his tone you didn't really care. Anything to keep his voice that deep and smooth and close to you.
“What does that mean?” you asked, your mando’a was coming along, but you didn't know nearly enough.
“Mesh'la.” He said, tracing the collar of your dress, still staring at you. And of course the second you both lean that little bit closer, Hardcase still his drink on you.
You’re in the medbay, the incessant beeping tells you that much. You think it’s maybe because you and Ventress got into a bit of a disagreement. She wanted to kill you and you very much didn't want to be killed. All things considered, you're impressed. All she managed to do was graze your side.
“Kix?” you ask as your vision adjusts to the clone by your bedside. But it’s not Kix at all.
Rex is still wearing all his armour, except his helmet is on the floor. He’s covered in mud, blood, and who knows what else. His hand rests on his gun, and his head is slumped over. He’s asleep. A pang of longing hits you, he looks so delicate right now, and it’s at that moment you realize how in love with that stupidly loyal, stuck up, serious commander you really are.
“Starin’s rude ya know.” he says, eyes still closed.
“I figured I owe you a few for all those times I’ve caught you.” He hums in amusement, stretching and coming fully awake.
“I don’t stare.” He states pointedly.
“Oh really? What is it you do then?”You question, teasing him.
“I appreciate.” He says. And you scoff.
“What about me do you appreciate then?”
“Your personality, skills as a fighter, and the fact that you are unabashedly you.” He says moving closer and taking your hands in his. “You’re stunning, impossible, and about the only person in the universe who I'd leave the republic for.” And I mean, who wouldn't kiss him after that. And it’s long overdue for the two of you anyways. It’s gentle, like you’re both afraid of feeling what you feel. But the way his lips touch yours blocks out the anxiety, the way he moves to hold you close destroys any idea that you have of ever letting him go. And when you finally break apart he smiles and says:
“But that ass of yours sure is a bonus.” You use both hands to push him over.
#star wars#the clone wars#clones#clone wars#captain rex#rex clone wars#rex x reader#rex x you#ct 7567#fives#fives x reader#ct 5555#star wars imagine#clone wars imagine#captian rex imagine#clone rex#clone fives#clone trooper fives#clone trooper kix#medic kix#79s#star wars x y/n#star wars x you#star wars x reader#clone wars x reader#clone x reader#clone x jedi#jedi reader#rex x jedi
402 notes
·
View notes
Text
Febuwhump Day 14
Prompt: “I didn’t mean it”
Part 2 of Hell in Hoth
Read Part 1 here
Read on AO3
The Ground is My Halt
The Force feels wrong. Obi-Wan wrong. Without explaining himself, Anakin breaks out into a run and Rex reacts instantly. The mouth of the tunnel is just ahead, and as they run the figure of Obi-Wan comes into view. His saber is drawn, arms pulled back in the classic opening position of Ataru, which is the first clue that something is wrong.
The second is their old training bond tightening with such force it nearly makes Anakin trip over himself. Master? He says through the bond, and Anakin's chest tightens.
"Obi-Wan?" he yells, trying to get his attention, but his former master's eyes just widen, and his arms go limp. His lightsaber clatters to the ground, and Obi-Wan follows soon after, his lips moving but nothing that Anakin can make out. "Obi-Wan!"
He grabs Obi-Wan by the shoulders and turns him over so he's lying on his back. "I'm fine," Obi-Wan gasps, his pupils blown and glassy. "I'm okay."
Anakin looks up as Cody comes running. "What happened?"
"I was gonna ask you the same thing!" Anakin gripes. Obi-Wan's chest is rising and falling shallowly, wheezing with every breath. "It sounds like his lung collapsed." Anakin slips his hand from behind Obi-Wan's back to get a better grip but the dark red that now stains his glove catches him off-guard.
"Turn him," Rex says, also seeing the blood. They carefully flip a half-unconscious Obi-Wan onto his side, and Anakin draws in a breath at the sight of a quickly spreading stain of blood soaking through his parka. He curses under his breath, grabbing his saber and cutting through the material of the coat. What it reveals makes a new rush of anger slip through.
Pieces of fabric-- pieces of his tunic, it appears, though they are bright red instead of beige now-- hang sloppily off a wound in the center of the right side of his back.
"Why didn't you know about this?" Anakin asks Cody, not bothering to filter his annoyance. It's not the commander he's mad at-- it's his dumbass master who definitely tried to hide this without telling his companion.
"I don't... I don't know, sir," Cody says, muted. Anakin immediately regrets his tone, but he has no time to deal with that. From the blue tinge of his lips, Obi-Wan may not have time.
"We need to get him back to the ship!" He grabs Rex's busted commlink and pulls his own off his wrist. It was also broken in their fall, but Anakin assumes there are enough parts between the four of them to do a quick fix. It takes him only a few minutes to rewire the comlink, using the intact speaker of his and the localizer of Rex's. He hands it back to Rex. "Call for evac."
__________
It doesn't take long for the med unit to reach them in the ice lab. Cody stands out of the way, watching a Kix and Helix carefully load General Kenobi onto a stretcher and strap an oxygen mask across his pale face. Skywalker is pacing, and Rex is running alongside Kix, probably explaining the situation.
That should be me giving the brief, Cody muses, following behind them. I was with him.
Skywalker's harsh tone hit Cody harder than he expected it to. Usually, he is immune to the curt words of the temperamental Jedi, but the intensity he looked at him is what seems to be weighing on him. The slanted stare that is usually directed at their enemies suddenly aimed at him.
He's scared, Cody reminds himself. It's quite obvious that the Jedi aren't always good at practicing what they preach, and the Hero-Without-Fear or whatever the holonet likes to call Skywalker have obviously never met the kid. When it comes to Kenobi or Tano, there is only fear. Understandably so. Even Cody was thrust into a panic when he saw his general crumble. He didn't know if there were enemies hiding somewhere and managed to snipe him, or if the lab had been rigged. But now, the wound was already scantily dressed, and now Cody just keeps racking his brain as to what could have happened.
Why didn't you know about this?
They were falling. The ship became unbalanced and they fell from what felt like one end to the other. Cody knows Kenobi managed to use the Force to cushion his fall, but maybe... maybe he didn't use it for himself?
It sounds preposterous, but a part of him isn't surprised. General Kenobi is well known for having more regard for others than himself. Even when it comes to the clones. No matter how dispensable they are by principle, he never cared. It's why he's so respected, so fiercely beheld by his men.
Cody wonders how they would react if he didn't come back. They're in the evac ship, crowded around the stretcher while Kix and Helix try their best to stuff sterile bandages into the wound. Skywalker stands in the corner, arms crossed and face hardened, but his eyes are unfocused. He is somewhere else entirely right now. Rex puts a hand on Cody's shoulder but says nothing. Cody prefers it that way. If General Kenobi doesn't come back, it would be his fault. He knows that.
Everything happens in a blur. They get back on the ship and General Kenobi is whisked away before the gunship even has a chance to fully land. The urgency of their actions doesn't escape Cody. He watches them solemnly as they disappear in the direction of the medbay.
Focus, he shakes away the thoughts of Kenobi on the operating table. The mission. The lab. A science lab in the middle of Hoth is not something they see every day, and he suspects it can't be for a good reason. The blood was proof enough of that.
Distracting himself will do him some good, The least he can do is his duty. He heads to the bridge to deliver the scan of the lab to report to the Jedi council.
"Commander," a voice rings out hesitantly. Cody stops and turns to see General Skywalker standing a few meters away. He salutes.
"General, what can I do for you?"
Skywalker walks up to him, his eyes seeming to attempt to gauge his emotions, but buckets don't show emotions and Cody is thankful for that.
"What did you find in that tunnel? What was all that?" His tone is more sedate now. More normal but still obviously filled with worry.
"A lab, I believe sir. I'm about to take our findings up for briefing if you would like to join me."
Skywalker nods, and they start walking to the bridge. Cody can feel the strange tension around them-- he doesn't have to be Force-sensitive to pick up on that fact. Maybe Skywalker is still cross with him. Blames him for what happened. Cody looks down at his comm, expecting a blinking light containing an update on Kenobi's condition. His commlink remains stagnant.
"I uh," the general says, quietly at first. "I'm sorry, Cody. I was worried about Obi-Wan and... I didn't mean it."
An apology is not what he expected. Cody looks at him, not exactly sure what to say here. "No apologies, sir, I should have been more vigilant."
Skywalker scoffs. "Now you sound like him. Really, though. It wasn't your fault. He's pulled that stunt on me more than once. I don't know where he got so good at hiding stuff like this."
"I hear it's the secret to becoming a master," Cody says without really thinking about who he is talking to. It's a joke he has with the med crew because of the Jedi's propensity for recklessness-- and now he's just said it to Skywalker. I've been spending too much time around General Kenobi... Cody stiffens, looking at the Jedi Knight expecting a new reason for anger, but instead, he's smiling.
"Didn't realize you had jokes, Commander," he laughs.
"Senses of humor are part of our programming, sir."
It's a pleasant diversion as they reach the bridge. The Jedi council is already on the holo, and Cody's moment of relief is renewed by the many pairs of eyes that now watch him and Skywalker carefully. Cody sets the holoscan into the projector and begins his impromptu presentation of their findings.
__________
When Obi-Wan awakes, there is a tube in his chest and a mask over his face. His body is sore and still feels like it's defrosting. He reaches up to take off the mask, but his goal is stopped by the hand of his former padawan obstructing his pathing.
"Not yet," he says, and Obi-Wan begrudgingly lets his hand fall back to his side. "You are on O2 therapy for another ten minutes."
"What happened?" he asks, his words muffled significantly by the oxygen mask but Anakin seems to pick it up well enough.
"Oh I don't know, why don't you tell me? And while we're at it, we can discuss your field-medic abilities because honestly, Obi-Wan, they're horrendous." Anakin sighs, his emotion deflating. "You had a puncture wound that shattered one of your ribs. It was fine until you irritated it and a piece of your rib punctured your lung and caused some internal bleeding."
"Oh," is all he can say in response. That all sounds about right.
"That's not all," Anakin says. "The lab. We tested the blood on the floor and..." he lets out a deep breath. "It had a midi-chlorian count, Master."
Now Obi-Wan is determined. He reaches up, ignoring Anakin's pleas to leave the mask alone. He needs him to hear this clearly. "We must find Jenna Zan Arbor."
Anakin winces at the name. Rightfully so, she captured and poisoned him with a horrible drug that basically entrapped him within his own mind.
"How do you know?"
He slips the mask down to his chin. There's no point now. "I don't know if it's her or a copycat, but she's done this before," he swallows hard. "On Qui-Gon. Bloodlet him so he would have to use the Force to preserve himself."
Anakin takes a deep, labored breath at that information, sitting back in the chair beside Obi-Wan's bed. His gaze is far away, no doubt in the remembrance of his experience under her spell. Zan Arbor tends to have that effect on them-- suddenly they are padawans once again, trying hard to defeat an enemy that is not so easily beat with the blade of a lightsaber. The worst part of the delusional scientist is that she is cunning. She escaped the prison Obi-Wan helped put her in and has proceeded to evade them ever since.
Obi-Wan puts the mask over his mouth and nose once again, taking a moment to replenish himself.
"So we find her?"
"Yes, I believe that is our next step."
Though neither of them says it, they both know the thoughts of the other: this is not going to be an easy reunion.
#febuwhump#febuwhumpday14#i didn't mean it#part 3 coming out tonight or tomorrow!#depending on how productive i am#Obi-Wan Kenobi#cody#anakin skywalker#rex#jenna zan arbor
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
As a Team (IV)
Brothers-AU Ao3
Part III , Part V
Mentioning of battle injuries
*~*
Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka peered out of another elevator, now at least they seemed to be on the right floor! "Sure we're at the right place here?", Tech asked doubtfully, reminding Ahsoka so much of her brothers that she gave him a punch to the shoulder without thinking. "Unlike your datapad, the force is working perfectly right now.", she growled and walked ahead with great strides. She held her lightsabers tightly, everything in her screamed to not lower them under any circumstances! An uncomfortable pain crept up her leg from her ankle. Damn it, maybe she should have taken it to a medic after all. Well, too late. Now they were already here and the slight tingling definitely wouldn't stop her! Busy with her thoughts, she shot around another corner and almost ran into a group of battle droids. Before she could react, the clones behind her had already knocked out four opponents, she hastily eliminated the rest of the unit. She looked at the piles of junk at her feet and growled, they were heavily armed... Without the element of surprise on her side, it could have been different. And this was just a small unit on the way to... "Kriff!", she cursed so loudly that Wrecker flinched next to her. "Faster!", Ahsoka commanded and increased her pace, Hunter caught up with her. "What is the matter?", he asked, sounding a little out of breath. Could be because he wasn't used to the pace of a Jedi. Or it was the thin air that poured ice cold into Ahsoka's lungs. Damn it, she really should have worn something different. It was freezing up here! "They were on their way in our direction!", she replied grimly and pushed all other thoughts aside. She was even impressed that her head could process so much at once! "How big is this thing?", Wrecker cursed softly behind her as they rounded another corner and Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief, they were here before the droids. The violent pulling in her stomach area, which had driven her here, subsided a little. Instead, the flickering presence in the force gained substance, it now seemed more stable and real than a few minutes ago. "I could cut open that door...", Ahsoka mused and Tech let out a derogatory sound before pulling out his datapad. "I beg you pardon General, I'll be a lot-" Tech was interrupted again, Ahsoka was almost sorry that the clone with the sharp sense of humor somehow couldn't get around to speaking. The thought slipped away as a bunch of droids rounded the corner and one of them stepped forward, holding a holoprojector. Tambor appeared glowing blue. "Jedi, you are violating the neutrality of the Techno-Union.", he informed her and Ahsoka growled softly, she had no time for this! “I'm sorry, but I think you broke it first. Hand me over my soldier and I will be on my way.", she submitted her offer to him and waited in silence for a slander that never came. Instead, the Skakoan seemed to smile and folded his hands behind his back. “There will be no point in lying to you. Not important, you will not be able to report on your find."
The first shot was fired before the connection broke. Ahsoka threw herself between the shooters and Tech with a little dive, he was her quickest way to get to Echo and she would be damned if she lost one of the clones here! "Tech, open the door!", she yelled over the heavy fire that suddenly fell on her. Tech nodded hastily and headed for the door. Hunter followed protectively. Ahsoka intercepted a shot against Crosshair and heard more than she felt a shot graze her calf. "Hey, leave them alone!", Wrecker roared and Ahsoka watched in amazement as some droids crumbled under his hands. That was an impressive amount of power... She quickly shifted the focus back to the other clones and busied herself with protecting the men. Like a shadow, she shot from one to the other, repelling critical shots. If she was hit in the process, the only way she could tell was through the smell of burned skin. "Tech hurry!", Hunter shouted and Ahsoka took a deep breath, fending off another shot. The crowd of droids didn't seem to clear, and even Hunter had sounded worried. "Give me a moment.", Tech growled and in just that second the door slid open. "Wrecker, retreat!", Ahsoka shouted loudly over the noise and Wrecker cursed indignantly. He did not obey the order. That couldn't be true! "Wrecker. Back, now! “, Hunter growled and finally the last one joined their retreat. As soon as they were behind the door Tech locked it and when Hunter and Crosshair started to seal it, Ahsoka turned away.
(I recommend reading "Freezing Cold" here, as I won’t rewrite it here. Link leads to ao3.)
Camp
"So you want to tell me she was limping and took off anyway?", Kix growled and even Rex, who was standing in front of the improvised medbay, grimaced pityingly. He was pissed, very pissed. But the young clone in there couldn't help it, if his General was absolutely stupid again! Sighing, he pushed himself into the narrow space and interrupted the curses of the Medic and saved Thud, the poor fellow wore his striped helmet as if it were his only protection from the end of the world. "It's okay, did you at least equip it correctly?", he asked soothingly and Thud lowered his shoulders. He nodded cautiously and took off his helmet, his nose slightly crooked. The boy had refused to break it again so that it could be corrected. "Yes sir, I gave her a backpack from Kix and Burnes-" "I should have known!", Kix cursed, interrupting the other clone again and earning a hard look from Rex. “I suggest you warn the others. We'll move out soon so that Ahsoka doesn't have to worry about the enemy lines when she returns.”, he instructed Kix and the Medic disappeared further back, still mumbling softly. Thud rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I'm really sorry Sir, maybe we really should have stopped her.", he admitted softly and Rex sighed deeply, very deeply. Damn it, he wasn't used to this stress anymore. If Ahsoka tried hard enough, he would be gray within the next mission. “We can't change that now. Go and find your unit, I'm sure Mad is already looking for you.", he tried to say calmly and quickly the younger clone was gone. Rex tilted his head back and took a deep breath, he could still hear Kix further back. Burnes was busy with his supplies nearby and just as Jesse came in, he opened his eyes again and looked at Burnes. "Neither of us saw her limping?", he asked bitterly and the Medic shook his head, his mouth drawn to his sour line. “No, just a few of the younger ones. Gut said she looked fine when she got in.", he grumbled and Jesse cursed softly behind Rex, then stepped closer to the Captain. "I know it’s a terrible timing, but Fives is going crazy. The others are a bit overwelmed.", he mumbled in a low voice and Burnes, who had apparently overheard, pressed a single hypno into the Captain's hand without a word.
Outside the quarters, Rex saw a strange picture. He had never seen so many angry 332nd soldiers in one heap. "If she doesn't come back unharmed, I swear I'll turn her neck personally.", one grumbled and Rex grinned bitterly, it was sad that he couldn't contradict. He didn't want to hit his little sister often, but now she would have deserved it. They were a damn team! Nobody asked her to do everything alone. But at least they still had a job to do. "Come on guys, get ready so that we can clear the path for her return!", he called through the crowd and it dissolved at a surprising speed. Neither of the men seemed seriously interested in killing their young General.
Rex hurried into one of the quarters. The Dominos were gathered around a trembling figure on the floor and Cutup and Hevy tried almost panicked to keep Fives on the floor. “Captain, finally!“, Droidbait cursed when he saw him and within a second Rex was with Fives and attached the hypno to his neck. Immediately Five's muscles relaxed and the ARC snorted, angry and tired. That was just too much all at once today! "I'll kill them, both of them.", he muttered and closed his eyes grumbling, Rex smirked and patted Five's shoulder. "There we are already two."
Ahsoka
"Damn it!" Ahsoka cursed, watching the droids step on the pipe. "Get back, now!", she growled, but a glance over her shoulder was enough to know that that was pointless too. "Oh god...", Wrecker mumbled and Hunter next to Echo glanced over at him. “Steady Wrecker. Just keep breathing.", he instructed and even if Ahsoka was not meant, she still felt as a wave of calm suddenly flowed through her. She had Echo back again, there wasn't much that could go wrong!
Well, she spoke too soon. As soon as she had thought through, she saw out of the corner of her eye how Wrecker slipped, lost his footing and in his panic reached for Crosshair. It was more luck than anything that the two got caught on something Ahsoka couldn't see. The droids opened fire, and they got closer damn fast. “That's not what I had planned.", she cursed and Echo next to her actually had the nerve to laugh. "Me neither, but this is so much better than anything before." Ahsoka's heart swelled and she grinned as she deflected another shot. "Any ideas?", Hunter asked and Tech made an enthusiastic sound, Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "If you want to give lectures again Tech, then I swear I will push you down here by hand!", she threatened and saw out of the corner of her eye how Tech looked at her in amusement and then hastily started looking for something. “I'll get us a ride. I recorded the call of these winged reptiles earlier.", he explained and immediately there was such a loud and deep sound that Ahsoka's montrals resonated almost painfully. It must be worse for human ears, Hunter held the sides of his helmet, cursing. Beside her, Echo grimaced, but kept his blaster aimed at the droids.
"Tech, what are you doing?", Wrecker called from among them, accompanied by Crosshair's curses. Before Tech could answer, Ahsoka saw theire rescue emerge from the clouds. "Over there! Jump off!”, she shouted. "Are you kidding?", Wrecker called and she heard Crosshair cursing even louder, he seemed to want to free himself and suddenly he and Wrecker fell down on the back of a reptile. "Hurry!", Ahsoka urged the men and hastily fended off another droid, they had now reached them and the severed components fell down into the clouds. Hunter and Tech were next, Echo hesitated. "Jump, now!", she hissed at him and her brother gave her a sharp look. "You first.", he replied and Ahsoka bit back another comment and gave him a push in the back, with a small gasp he fell and landed safely on a reptile, it stayed under her and seemed to wait. "Ahsoka?", Echo called and she hastily put her lightsabers away to follow him when an ice-cold hand closed around two of her fingers. Damn it, she forgot to keep an eye on the droids on the other side! No time! With narrowed eyes she threw herself down, the droid next to her seemed anchored on the pipe and with a jerk she was free. Hot, incandescent pain shot up her entire arm and with a loud gasp she landed behind Echo. The animal immediately started to turn away, the others were already gone. "Ahsoka?", Echo asked and Ahsoka tried to answer, but all her mouth could do was a pained whimper. She had sagged strangely against Echo, who could barely hold her weight. Still, she felt how he tried to turn around to look at her. "Hey? Are you okay? Vod'ika?" At the word, tears came involuntarily to her eyes, the pain did not decrease. But neither did it got more intense. Her head throbbed. "Fuck.", Echo suddenly cursed softly in front of her and she felt how he, completely relying on the reptile below them, turned to her and grabbed her hand with his hand. Or what had to be left of it.
When her brother touched the blazing fire, pain shot up her arm again, she drew in a hissing breath and wanted to pull her hand away, but to her surprise Echo's grip was firm. With all his might he squeezed her hand and Ahsoka blinked, everything swam a little back and forth in front of her eyes but it was bearable. She decided just not to look at her hand. Instead, she did something else that was just as important. "I love you vod.", she sniffed and leaned her forehead heavily against his. He smiled humorlessly. "I love you too vod‘ika. Don‘t do this again."
When they landed, Ahsoka believed she was master of all her senses again. Still, she was happy when Wrecker came to them without asking and helped her and Echo down. The others gathered around her and Hunter carefully pulled the backpack off her back before he began to search without asking. As he pulled out a hypno, Echo interrupted him and, without letting go of Ahsoka's hand, glanced into the backpack. “Not that. Take one of those.", he instructed and nodded at the bundle at the bottom of the backpack. Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "First take care of Echo and yourselves, I can see that Wrecker has been hit.", she mumbled and Crosshair next to her suddenly snorted. Tech clicked his tongue and Hunter shook his head. "It's not bleeding anymore.", he soothed her and emptied one of the hypnos in her arm. Ahsoka recognized the label with narrowed eyes. Painkillers and something against a shock. Okay... she wouldn't complain. Then Hunter pulled out one of the bandages and Echo released her hand, immediately she started bleeding again. She felt the blood leave her body! She didn't look when Hunter wrapped her hand, instead looking at Echo's. It was smeared with blood and it didn't seem to be his. That was good. The painkillers worked quickly, her vision was clearing again and she could feel her pulse calming down. "We have company.", Crosshair growled and fired a shot upwards without hesitation. Aaaaand her pulse was up again, great! "Wrecker, lend me a hand yeah?“, she grumbled and got up, ignoring the protests of Echo and Hunter. She scanned the sky, a handful of droids approaching. She counted twenty-no nineteen. "Sure.", Wrecker grinned and held out a hand at about knee height. When the droids were finally close enough, Ashoka put one foot on his palm and instantly she was high in the air, with deadly precision she severed a battle droid right in the middle and as she began to fall again two more smoking droids followed her.
She landed on her feet, hard and unyielding as the ground was she almost lost her balance, bent over and again pain shot up her already battered ankle. Cheers for pain killers, the feeling was quickly replaced by a general numbness in her leg. Echo was with her immediately, when had he gained so much strength in the last hour to be able to move so quickly? Cursing, he grabbed her arm and helped her balance the last of her weight, then she turned around searching. Two remaining droids made their way back smoking. Damn it! "They'll be back.", Ahsoka muttered softly and Hunter nodded grimly. Well, there was nothing they could do about that now. They had to prepare themselves and the villagers. The latter had kept their distance from her and the clones, whether out of respect or fear Ahsoka did not care. Puffing, she shook off Echo's hand again, he had protected her for a long time. Now it was her turn! "Hunter, get Echo a better blaster.", she instructed sharply and Hunter motioned Echo to follow him, her brother stared at her for a few seconds before he followed. It was okay, he could take out his anger on her as soon as they got home. By now she was pretty sure that at least he would get out of here alive. Anything else was not an option! And with clone force 99 with them, their chances of winning weren't that bad. Now only the natives were missing... When she turned around, Tech was waiting for her, his eyes giving her a small smile. "I'm ready.", he announced and Ahsoka stepped in front of the natives. The leader of the settlement stepped forward and although they were so different, Ahsoka caught his anger and restlessness in the force. "We brought the war to him.", Tech explained completely emotionless, she returned his tired look. This was nothing new, wherever they all went, war and death followed. She hadn't known anything else since she first left the temple as a Padawan. "He had a family, right?", she asked and Tech nodded. All right, let’s do this. She had to make someone feel guilty and she wasn't going to fail.
*~*
Ha! She should have become a politician! Wrecker still seemed to be puzzling how Ahsoka had managed to get the natives to their side so quickly and quietly. Tech on the other hand looked completely satisfied and Crosshair had actually taken off his helmet and smirked slightly. “Okay, now we have a real chance. Tech, I need every attack strategy you've ever used.“, Ahsoka grinned and the clone quickly handed her his datapad, the list was long. Some names caught her eye and she examined the notes more closely. She also scrutinized strategies that were simply numbered consecutively. She had skimmed about a third quickly when Echo and Hunter returned. "I gave him what we had lying around.", Hunter said and Ahsoka looked up.
Her brother was wearing a top from the blacks that must have been Hunters, it fitted quite well. If Echo weren't so emaciated, he'd fill it out on his arms and upper body too. Above it was a repaired breastplate that appeared to be Hunters too. She looked gratefully at him, he smiled. Still with her body turned towards Echo, she pressed the datapad into his hand. "I'm a fan of the stone maneuver.", she muttered and walked over to her brother. "Black suits you.", she grinned and Echo raised an eyebrow skeptically before he had to grin. "Oh, I can't wait to get my blue equipment back!" Oh man... Ahsoka shook her head with a light laugh and patted his shoulder with her bandaged hand. She avoided thinking about why her blood was showing bright red through the fabric again. "You know what? You can have anything you want when we're home.", she smiled and took one playful thrust against her shoulder, the one without scorch marks. "Commander Cody's candy stash?" "Just for you brother!", she laughed. Together they turned to the preparations, Ahsoka growled in frustration and tried to flex her bandaged hand. Pointless, she would not be able to hold her shoto like that. Okay, back to the basics.
*~*
That damn ankle! Ahsoka dodged a shot, hissing and cursing. She felt something warm and sticky on her face. It was definitely blood. Her‘s? She didn‘t know, at the moment she couldn't even clearly identify where up and down was. But she saw the giant walkers, tri-droids. With her useless ankle she would never get up there! She quickly glanced up at the ledge where Echo and Crosshair were sniping. Ahsoka had also told Crosshair to protect her brother, by all means. His answer had been a serious nod. Echo was as secure as he could be. „Need some help?“, Wrecker asked diagonally behind her and watched as Ahsoka eyed the nearest walker again. "You just want a reason to throw me again.", she grinned and ran a few steps ahead before she stopped and put her good foot on Wrecker's hand. The air rushed past her, this was much more exciting than jumping! She elegantly caught her fall back with one hand and dangled from the droid's barrel for a second before pulling herself up.
*~*
They were still alive! They were alive! Sighing, Ahsoka let go of Hunter's hand and sat down on one of the seats on the left and right of the ship. "See, much better than the ground.", Hunter smiled and Ahsoka tried half-heartedly to kick him. Did not work. Instead, Echo was by her side again, sliding closer so that their shoulders touched. "Okay, General. Fill me in.", he muttered quietly and when Hunter looked at her curiously, she let out a deep breath, it wasn't really a sigh. "What? I would be interested in where we can get more Jedi like you.", he smiled and Ahoska shrugged her shoulders. Bad idea, her rigid neck muscles protested violently. "Where should I start? There is so much... Umbara, the trial, Five's discovery-" "Slow down. Start at the beginning, okay? The next important event, very simple.", Echo slowed her down and Ahsoka nodded heavily, of all topics this was probably the most difficult. "Okay, you missed Umbara.", she muttered and Hunter rubbed his hands together thoughtfully, he took a seat across from her. The planet seemed to mean something to him too. "The executed Jedi?", he asked and Echo sucked in an irritated breath next to her. She ignored him and shook her head. “No, the fallen Jedi. I still believe that the 501st would have been wiped out there without Hardcase.", she corrected tiredly, it wasn't the first time she was explaining this. Some of the younger clones under her command had understood no more than Hunter. "So he didn't...?", Echo mumbled half aloud next to her and Ahsoka shook her head, her headache increasing a little at the thought of her fallen brother. Echo's entire arm crept up behind her back and gave her a gentle squeeze. His hand trembled and she carefully took it in hers. "I should have been there.", he mumbled tonelessly and Ahsoka laughed barking, it was a joyless laugh. She gently leaned her head against his. "We both should have."
They were silent for a while, then Hunter stirred. More reserved than before, he put his helmet on the ground between his feet. "And after that?" Ahsoka tried to find the thread of the events again and just decided to jump on. "After that I was kicked out of the Order.", she grumbled and Echo shot up next to her. “Why?!", he asked shoked and Ahsoka smiled, Rex would love him if he would appear before the council with that expression on his face and ask them for a reason. "A misunderstanding, they thought I blew up the temple.", she said and Echo's eyes got bigger, his arm wrapped around her a little tighter. "You wouldn‘t!", he exclaimed and Hunter uttered a low, approving sound. Wrecker grumbled and joined them. "That sounds stupid.", he growled and Ahsoka shrugged. “Doesn't matter, I got back in. However, I made an immediate end of my training as a condition. And the rank of General. And clones that I can choose.", she listed and Echo shook his head with a grin, Wrecker laughed enthusiastically. "Good! They should bleed for that.", he grinned and Crosshair emerged from the edge of her field of vision, he nodded in agreement. The general approval also brightened Ahsoka's mood, although she felt very tired. It was a bit like she had cotton wool in her head. And she didn't have one drop of alcohol since her promotion. “And then I stole Torrent from Anakin. And Fives found out about the inhibitor chips. Those things took Tup.", she growled and sighed. "You would have liked him.", she muttered to Echo and only now saw how everyone was staring at her. "What chips?!"
"Ah Kriff, you don’t know yet.", Ahsoka cursed and put her head heavily in her hands, limply supporting her elbows on her knees. Under her uninjured hand she felt half-dried blood and for a moment she wondered if the crust on her face was more dirt or blood. She wouldn't ask. "Ahsoka, what chips?", Echo asked urgently next to her and tugged at her tunic with his hand. Damn it, he was stiff as a board next to her! “The Kaminoans implanted chips in the clones. Each of them.", she muttered into her hands and she heard Tech coming from the front. His steps were quieter than the others. "That's only logical, how else would you guarantee obedience?", he popped in and Echo snorted next to her when Ahsoka looked up to see all staring at Tech as if he had just lost his mind. But he was really close! "Something like that. I don't know all the functions, but it made Tup shoot a Jedi.", she managed and her throat tightened uncomfortably, when she thought about it, it wasn't long ago. It seemed like a long time ago. There was silence, even Tech seemed surprised. When after another minute no one said anything, Ahsoka cleared his throat softly and tried to pick up the story again. “Well, Fives figured it out somehow. I don't really know how many laws he broke.” Echo next to her came back to life and gently rubbed her back, his mouth pressed together in a thin line. "That sounds like my brother," he muttered and she nodded weakly. She would like to never tell Echo the rest, leave him clueless. But she knew the others, he would find out within a few hours. And then she could be sure of his anger, so she'd better get it over with now. "They almost shot him because o fit.", she threw into the room and briefly Echo’s short fingernails were in her clothes, digging into her skin. Then he relaxed his grip and the calming circles returned. "Yes, sounds like him...", he mumbled, sounding so choked that Ahsoka instinctively moved closer and decided to hide her face on his arm. Worked just fine, Echo smelled of sweat and smoke. Like all her brothers. Again everyone was silent until one of the others moved minimally. Towards her. She suspected Hunter. "Blanket?", he asked softly and Ahsoka was tired, a blanket sounded wonderful! "No. Do not sleep vod’ika! Stay awake until Kix can put you in a bed.", Echo instructed next to her montral and she knew he was right, but that didn't suppress the growl when she forced herself to sit up. "What did you do with the chips?", Tech asked from the side, his voice full of suppressed curiosity. Very badly suppressed curiosity. Okay, talking would help! Would keep her awake. “A few of the 501st had theirs removed. The 332nd is free. Cody doesn't have one either.", she mumbled and looked around once, Echo's face was thoughtful, Hunter seemed worried. A look at Wrecker showed her that he could not yet grasp the full extent. Crosshair watched her with a cool, calculating look. 24 hours ago that would have given her goose bumps, now she knew that he was just watching her carefully. Was he afraid she would pass out? Fall from the chair? "The others definitely didn't believe Fives.", Echo mumbled and Ahsoka nodded slightly, her head feeling heavy again but when she sagged towards Echo's shoulder he caught her and forced her back into an upright position. "Okay, what's the likelihood that these chips will actually be used?", Tech asked doubtfully from the edge and Ahsoka jumped and got to her feet all by herself. "How high is the probability? My little brother is dead because of a 'malfunction'! I don't even want to think about what would have happened if more chips had activated. The probability doesn't matter, somebody could use all clones as a weapon.", she growled and talked herself a little in a rage, she couldn't breathe and two hands pushed her back into place, Wrecker patted her shoulder and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Okay, then we have to convince the other Jedi.", Hunter mumbled, Ahsoka's eyes tingling suspiciously. So long she had fought for approval and approval and these men were ready to believe her. After just a single mission. Echo's hand closed on her wrist and squeezed gently as she looked at him, he grinned broadly. Oh, this was what Fives always looked like when he came up with a very stupid idea. “I know something. Tech, can you fake separatist protocols?"
#star wars#clone wars#the bad batch#ahsoka tano#clone trooper echo#clone trooper hunter#clone trooper tech#clone trooper crosshair#clone trooper wrecker#injuries#blood#saving echo#brothers au
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Rex x Cody (Comfort for a Vod)
I had gotten a request from @angelwars11 for a Cody x Rex platonic fic where Rex overworks himself, and has a migraine. I hope you all like it, and thank all of you for the support!!!
-------------------
Rex had been up for almost two days after a hard fought battle, and giving reports on the battle. When he arrived at the base Cody noticed the bags under his eyes, and the way he slightly stumbled. Cody knew Rex always overworked himself, hells he had overworked himself on many occasions, but nothing like Rex. He had been there the last time when Rex collapsed in the middle of a hangar bay, and the panic in the faces of Rex’s men. They thought for sure that Rex had died when he fell to the floor.
He had stayed in the medbay where they kept him sedated to help his body recuperate. Now was no different as Rex made his reports on a holopad. His eyes were starting to hurt some, and his head felt like someone was hammering away at it. A sharp pain behind his eyes had him wincing, but he could make the rest of this report, and he would finish it, he told himself. Fives was the one to notice the wince.
“Rex are you ok vod?”, he questioned. “I’m fine Fives. I just need to get this report done”, Rex replied as he focused more on the pad. Fives wasn’t convinced, and Echo who sat with the others looked concerned as well. Fifteen minutes later, and a crashing sound followed by Rex’s whines had the whole 501st there. Rex was on the floor clutching his head in his hands, and Fives barked the order for someone to go get Commander Cody.
Cody was talking to his general about a battle when Hardcase came skidding into the room. “Commander your needed immediately in the 501st barracks it’s Rex!”, Hardcase panted out. Cody looked to Obi Wan as he was nodding for him to go. Cody sprinted as fast as he could the muscles in his legs straining as he made his way to the 501st barracks. When he came in Rex was still laying on the floor as he clutched at his head whimpering about how much it hurt.
“Fives kill the lights. Echo go get me some cooling packs. Everybody else get out, and someone find Kix”, Cody instructed. Everyone scattered and Cody helped Rex up, and onto a cot where he instantly curled into the fetal position. “Rex I need to know what’s wrong. Tell me vod what hurts?”, Cody questioned. “My...my head”, Rex almost sobbed. “Alright vod it’s going to be ok”, Cody comforted. Cody knew that no good would come of the lack of sleep and the reports he was trying to catch up on.
Cody was sure that Rex was just suffering from an extreme migraine, but he wanted Kix to make sure. Within minutes Kix and Echo came into the room Echo carrying cold packs. Kix shooed Cody away as he did his examination, and concluded that Rex was suffering from a migraine, and that he was on bed rest for the next twenty-four hours so he could get some sleep. Cody knew how to handle this, and took the cold packs from Echo.
As soon as Cody placed the cold pack on the back of Rex’s neck he relaxed some. Without saying a word Cody started to gently rub at Rex’s shoulders. The muscles were so tight that it made Cody wince. “When was the last time you slept?”, Cody asked him. “Since we came back from the battle”, Rex replied. He was starting to relax and Cody was not going to leave him until he knew Rex was going to be okay.
The 501st would come in every so often to make sure that the Captain and Commander were still functioning. When Fives and Echo came in to bring them food they witnessed Cody humming, and rubbing Rex’s back to help relax him. “How is he?”, Echo questioned. “His migraine has stopped, and he’s been asleep for a while now”, Cody murmured. Echo and Fives nodded, and set the food down on another bed. The next time Kix entered to check Rex’s vitals, and Cody was sitting against the bed frame holding Rex’s hand half asleep.
“Cody you should get some sleep or you could end up like him”, Kix told him motioning to Rex. Kix checked him over, and his vitals were good. Kix put a hand on Cody’s shoulder and suggested he get some sleep. That night all of the 501st members entered trying not to make much noise, and that's when they stumbled upon the sight they were currently witnessing. Commander Cody of the 212th was curled around Rex in the most protective manner any of the men had seen.
When one of the men commented on how cute Cody’s eyes flew open and he let out a growl telling them to be quiet. Rex stirred at the sound of Cody’s voice, but didn’t wake up much to Cody’s relief. The men dispersed to their bunks to settle in for the night. Cody did get up to get some more cooling packs, and to use the refresher before taking his place protectively curled around Rex. He replaced the old cooling packs with the new ones, and Rex let out a sigh as his body relaxed further.
Rex had always been this way of working until he dropped even as a cadet. Cody remembered the first time he had encountered him being bullied by some of his vode. Cody wanted to intervene, but refrained until one punched Rex knocking him flat on his back. The other cadet told Rex that he would never make a rank higher than cannon fodder, and that he should be decommissioned or work with 99. That had evoked Cody’s wrath as he attacked mercilessly, breaking one cadet's nose and another's arm before someone broke up the fight.
He remembered talking with Rex on the way to the medbay when Rex asked him why he stood up for a reject. Cody remembered telling him that he would make a great Captain or Commander one day if he tried hard enough. That sparked something in Rex, and he would constantly wear himself to the point of extreme exhaustion, but when he made Captain of the 501st Cody couldn’t be prouder of his vod.
He had helped him reach that position, and even now Cody was willing to protect Rex at any cost. Rex stirred some more as his eyes fluttered open and he groaned. “Hey vod welcome back to the land of the living. You gave your boys a real scare when you collapsed in a heap of pain. They thought you finally bit the dust”, Cody chuckled. “I’m starving and thirsty”, Rex grumbled. “Food’s on the bunk over here, and some hydration packs. Stay still I’ll get them”, Cody told him.
Cody handed him the food after he sat up, and downed a couple of the hydration packs. “Even now after we have graduated you're taking care of me”, Rex smirked. “Yeah well somebody has to”, Cody smiled back. Rex ate everything that had been given to him, and drank a couple more hydration packs. Cody placed everything on the other bunk, and once Rex lay down he curled around him again. Rex took no time at all to find sleep as Cody’s presence helped him relax.
Rex remembered when he would do this for him when he had nightmares or was scared of one of Kamino’s rougher storms. Cody made sure that Rex was asleep before he settled into sleep as well. That next morning General Kenobi and General Skywalker came into the barracks to check up on Rex, and the sight of Cody curled protectively around his vod made them smile. They let them sleep, and when the other men got up for their day quietly got their armor on and left quietly.
Rex was the first to wake, and he got up to use the refresher. When he came back Cody was up, and Rex realized he was all geared up. “Here let me get my armor on, and I’ll join you”, Rex told him. “No you're still on bedrest”, Cody replied, taking Rex’s armor with him. “It’s all for your own good vod trust me”, Cody yelled over his shoulder as Rex cursed. Well Rex was thankful for Cody and Cody was thankful for Rex. Either of them willing to die for each other, and that was just how deep brotherly love was in this time of war in the galaxy. Both of them promise to be there to protect each other and have each other's backs.
------------------
Hope y’all like this, and sorry it’s so late my internet has been spotty because of all the storms!
72 notes
·
View notes
Text
yesterday is long since lost
FINALLY got this thing done!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/25070434
Anakin – and he is Anakin, even if that name feels a little bit like putting on a shirt he had thought he had outgrown – knows that he’s messing up. When he first realized what had happened, that he really had come back, he had been grateful that his body had collapsed under the weight of his future memories, leaving his subconscious mind to slowly make the connections and let him wake up again. He had thought he was prepared for it, when he shook off the last of the sleepy haze. The phrase ‘rude awakening’ turned out to fit almost too well.
The two weeks that it had taken for his body and mind to acclimatize to each other proves itself to be so far from enough. He’s jittery, uncomfortable in his own body (and it’s his body again, more flesh than metal, inescapable marks of betrayal (but whose was it really? Not Obi-Wan’s, he knows now, and that thought cuts impossibly deeper than ever) erased) with its lack of aches and pains, and reflexes that no longer match flesh limbs.
Rex knows something is up, but military discipline keeps him from asking, at least for now. Ahsoka knows something’s up, but she’s still too relieved that he’s okay (and hah, if only she knew) to push.
He thanks the Force that Obi-Wan isn’t here, because even though they’d made some sort of peace at Anakin’s funeral pyre and after that, he doesn’t know how he would react to seeing his former Master with them both alive again. Obi-Wan also likely wouldn’t hesitate to call him out on his poodoo. Oh, he’d be diplomatic, and he likely wouldn’t push if Anakin reacted badly, but Anakin still isn’t sure he could take that.
When they had been dead there hadn’t been much to do but make peace. Now, alive and with the Clone Wars barely halfway through, Anakin is realizing that a lot of their peace had come from the fact that nothing they could have done would have affected anything in the end. That calm understanding that had come with being one with the Force is gone as well, and Anakin’s love for and rage at his old Master are dueling for prominence. His guilt wants to land on the side of his love, but his anger has always run hot. He fears seeing Obi-Wan, for he truly cannot tell whether he’ll be angry, snappish and rude, or if he’ll want to fall to his knees and cry.
There’s enough of Anakin wanting to cry as it is.
It had been hard, seeing Ahsoka, seeing Rex when he first woke up and truly getting hit with how he had failed them. But they had been the lucky ones, in that awful future. They had gotten away.
Seeing Coric in the medbay, seeing Kix… that had been worse. Kix had been gone before Anakin Fell and Order 66 was executed, they hadn’t even found a body. Coric had died two years later, two years of living not unlike a battle droid covered in flesh, with only the barest glimpses of the man he really was underneath the weight of orders and grief he wasn’t allowed to understand.
Grief that none of the clones were allowed to understand.
(Vader had seen Bly. He had seen Shocker. He had seen Cody.)
(He had seen all those who had eaten their blasters as the chips died, never actually intended to survive past usage – just like the clones themselves.)
Vader hadn’t cared, or at least tried to tell himself that he didn’t. Anakin does care. And Force, but it hurts.
The first day Anakin just avoids everyone, using Kix’s orders of rest as an excuse. Facing everyone is… something no amount of preparation could help him with, a punch to the gut and a knock to the head that leaves him reeling. The effort it takes to not simply flee for his quarters actually leaves him winded when he finally reaches the corridor, enters the room, closes the door behind himself and locks himself in.
There’s something wrong with him. Anakin is not reacting the way he should – the way he ought to, having seen so many ghosts in so short a time. His mind is a mess.
Meditation does not come easy.
He forces himself into it, in an attempt to reconcile the different parts of himself. He is Anakin, jedi general, student, teacher, husband, lover, twenty years old and so arrogant. He is Vader, sith apprentice, failure, world-weary, beaten down, a monster shackled to a madman… a father, in the end.
He is Ani, slave boy, who cares so much and loves so deeply but doesn’t know how to handle it, never learned how to grow it, only hoard.
(If you love something, let it go.)
(He let Luke go, in the end. Let his son choose his own path and…)
I am a jedi, like my father before me.
Sleep doesn’t come at all.
Vader has spent literal decades hating his past, weak self, disgusted with the man who couldn’t even save the single most important person left in his life, who had lost everyone else along the line. Past-(present-?)Anakin is horrified by what he became, by what his future self allowed himself to be twisted into. Ani doesn’t understand, doesn’t want to understand how it could have even happened.
It’s a good thing self-hatred is nothing new to him, he thinks, because that is the common point that finally allows him to reconcile the different facets of himself.
That’s kind of sad.
It’s also awfully appropriate, in a twisted sense.
The second day he tries to play at normalcy and heads to the bridge. Ahsoka tracks him down when he’s alone during a quiet moment and hugs him until he stops trying to make her let go. Her relief broadcasts in the Force and their bond alike. Anakin… lets himself hold her, and heal, just a bit. Then Kix finds them and sends him back to bed. It’s enough to make Ahsoka laugh and think everything’s back to normal. Anakin lets her believe it.
He heads back to his bunk, and since Kix is a suspicious one, wise to the ways of his jedi, Anakin has company the entire way.
“Forty-eight hours of rest,” says Kix dryly, “and a visit to medical. Neither of these has been completed, and you’re still obviously tired. Get some more sleep, sir, or I can’t clear you.”
“How about just the visit to medical?” Anakin tries to bargain.
“Sir, I know disasters tend to strike like clockwork around here, but please. Nothing will happen if you just get some more rest.”
And despite Kix all but punching fate in the face and yelling ‘come get me’, nothing does happen. Anakin meditates some more and actually manages to grab a nap as well.
When he wakes up it’s shipboard afternoon. He heads down to the hangar, and instead of attempting to work on the Twilight like he planned to, he finds himself drawn into a discussion with three of the troopers (Lyn died on Umbara, Bell was lost on Mandalore, while Flipper had marched on the temple and not died until after more than five years of atrocities in the name of the Empire).
He failed them. The thought hovers in his mind even as he gets more involved in the debate. He failed them like he failed all his men, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan. Like he failed his mother. Like he failed Padmé. Like he almost failed Luke, like he did fail him several times.
The storm of emotions is like a vibroblade to the gut and Anakin claws desperately at it, keeping it from showing either on his face or in the Force. He almost pulls away again, until Bell’s words cut through him like shards of glass.
“-but not this time!”
Bell punctuates his words by punching the air. They’re talking about marksmanship contests now, but Anakin cannot fully restrain how deeply it hits him. His expression must twitch, because Bell turns to him, eyes wide with feigned upset.
“You think I can’t, General?”
Flipper nudges him. “The General simply knows better than to put his credits up on the word of such an… unreliable source.” The grin is contagious, and Anakin finds himself smiling as well, grounding himself in their gentle teasing and free-flowing affection.
His failures feel further away and, desperate to keep that feeling, he does what he always did best – jump without looking. “Well, maybe I can help make it less unreliable.”
“Sir?”
Anakin’s mouth really ran away with him this time, but something tells him that this is good. A comfortable warmth that sits in his gut, the Force whispering in his ear, Bell’s disbelieving – but growing – excitement. “You’re off duty. I have some spare time. There are several training halls available.”
Not this time. He failed them all then, but not this time.
It is with a strange sort of budding contentment that he puts Bell and several other clones through their paces in a training hall. He’s doing something, changing something, and it’s such a tiny difference but it’s a difference. Anakin can’t do a lot from here, not yet, but this – being with the men, helping them – is something he can do.
For the first time since he woke up, Anakin feels like he’s doing something right.
Nearly an hour after they began, Anakin catches sight of Rex by the door. The expression on his face is one part amusement, one part ‘I know what you’re doing’ and about five parts exasperation. It’s familiar despite the years, comforting, and Anakin laughs before he can even register the urge to.
The next moment he freezes because – how long has it been? He catches himself almost immediately and excuses himself from the practice session. They can continue without him anyway.
By the door, Rex’s amusement sharpens into instant hyper-awareness. Anakin starts running through the excuses he’d hoped wouldn’t be necessary.
Rex’s care for his jedi is something Anakin has been in turns awed, perplexed and humbled by. Now, his worry is just as humbling, but it is also troublesome. In the end, Anakin finds himself released to medbay only because Rex too is still shaky after his coma. None of them are fully back to normal, so Anakin’s issues are easier to hide.
They won’t always be, but Anakin will get better at hiding, too.
He runs into Ahsoka again in the hallway and she immediately attaches herself to his side. The last time he had seen her in that other time flashes in his mind – tall, strong, grieving – and he rests his hand on her montrals, his tiny, beloved padawan who the galaxy has barely even started to break yet.
She’s here.
She is here and he hasn’t lost her, not to his own madness nor her iron-clad conviction that he’s gone forever.
The poisonous thinking that came with the Dark Side is still haunting him, and for a moment he wants to drag her even closer, make sure she could never leave – and then the thought leaves him sick, his hand drops down to squeeze her shoulder and then he lets go.
She follows him to the medbay, where Kix clears Anakin. The clone is clearly reluctant, going by the grumbling, but Anakin is free to return to duty. As such, he is free to check out exactly when it is he has returned to.
The answer… staggers him. It’s the early days of the war, that much had already been obvious in the many presences that had been long gone, but… so many of the bad things haven’t happened yet, so many things he can change, disasters he can undo, lives he can save –
Sidious.
And even though he knows he can’t just rush in, the scene plays out in Anakin’s mind. Since he’d learned about Luke, Vader had ever entertained the thought of killing his Master. And even before that, before Padmé and Obi-Wan and Mustafar, Sidious’ survival had never counted in Anakin’s plans. More than once he had tortured himself with what-ifs… and now he has the chance to make them come true.
Still, striding up to the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and attempting to cut him down, for all that it would be satisfying, would more likely end with Anakin fleeing from the Coruscant Security Forces with his task still not accomplished more than anything else.
It’s nothing but wishful thinking and Anakin waves it away.
A quick talk with Yularen confirms that they’re heading back to Coruscant. They’re still six days out, at current velocity, something Yularen relays with an apologetic look, since Anakin tends to be eager to get planetside. In this case though, it means there’s only six days to prepare for seeing the temple again, seeing Padmé, seeing – Force, seeing the younglings.
“Master?”
Ahsoka’s voice pulls him out of those dark musings.
“Yeah, Snips?” The nickname rolls off his tongue with reflexive ease, and it is not until it already lingers in the air that he realizes how much it grounds him.
“Is everything all right?”
He could lie. She would see through it, and either let it be or keep digging until she thought she had found out every little detail.
“No.” Ahsoka stops dead and he turns to look back at her, her big eyes even wider than usual at his uncharacteristic honesty concerning his own state. “But it’s getting better.” How can it not?
“…If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
The ringing silence that follows is belied by Ahsoka’s slow reach for him through their bond, and Anakin’s hesitant reach back, to meet her halfway. Ahsoka smiles at the contact and runs ahead. They’ve ended up by the mess hall and, though it’s still relatively early, there’s more than enough people moving around, grabbing an early meal.
“Glad to see you’re doing well, General!”
Anakin looks up to see Echo. The young ARC trooper has raised a hand to wave a greeting, precariously balancing his rations tray with only one hand. Smile tugging at his lips, Anakin raises his own hand in response. Another fate he would hopefully be able to change. Echo didn’t deserve what had happened to him.
Realization comes a second too late.
Echo slides down on the bench by Anakin and Ahsoka, and Fives sneaks up only half a step behind him. Ahsoka immediately vaults over the table and seats herself opposite Echo.
“Going to join us, General?” asks Fives. Anakin almost chokes. For an instant, Fives has all Anakin’s attention, but just as quick, Anakin turns away.
“Sorry.” he says choppily. “Sorry, I- I have something- I need to- I’m sorry. Later?”
He whirls around and practically flees the hall.
Fives. Oh, Force, Fives.
Anakin hears a hesitant “Is… something wrong?” from Echo, but escapes before he can hear Ahsoka’s response. Yes, something’s wrong. Something he’d managed to avoid thinking of entirely, but that he now can’t escape.
You died for the knowledge that might have saved everything and I didn’t believe you.
Fives had been – is – one of his men and that alone would be enough guilt to drown in but… that isn’t all.
Anakin firmly blocks the thoughts from his mind, refusing to wander down that old path of what-if. He had entertained enough of them, after Fives’… death. Even more after Echo had been found. So much more, in stolen moments with Padmé and occasionally Sabé or Rabé as well, staying up late nights with more alcohol than was probably advisable.
Force.
Three hallways down, Anakin finally stops, leans against the wall, and covers his face with his hands. He slowly sinks down, ending up sitting and pulling his knees close so he can hide in them instead of in his palms.
Smooth, Anakin. The internal reprimand takes on Obi-Wan’s voice, which is almost a step too far. Anakin’s eyes sting.
Eventually Anakin manages to gather himself enough that he can paste the mask back on. He can’t quite push the thoughts back into the box where he hadn’t even known that he’d stored them, however, and from that point on he can’t decide whether to run from Fives out of shame or never let him out of sight again. Over the coming days the result of the impulses leaves Anakin looking like a shy adolescent from a holo-drama, constantly keeping track of Fives, but ducking around corners, hiding behind bulkheads, and on one occasion, making a Force-assisted leap up a staircase (accidentally sparking a game of tag with Ahsoka, but he managed to make it look deliberate, so he counts it as a win) to avoid the clone.
Whatever explanation Ahsoka had given the two ARC troopers must have been unsatisfying however, because suddenly it seems like Fives is everywhere. Anakin tries to distract himself, mingling with the troops, burying himself in the Twilight, catching upon the present, but whenever he senses Fives just a little too close, he’s running again.
Anakin fears he will keep running for a long time.
#fanfiction#my writing#star wars#the clone wars#anakin skywalker#fives#ahsoka tano#rex#kix#bell#lyn#flipper#ani5#anidala#several implied ships
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fear of the unknown
Chapter 3
You arrive back at Rex's quarters after the council meeting completely exhausted, they asked Rex all kinds of questions about what happened and how he feel's, etc. It was annoying to say the least but the good thing is that the kaminoans aren't allowed to lay a hand on Rex.
From what the council said the kaminoans wanted to experiment on him but the council and Generals Skywalker and Kenobi wouldn't allow it. You feel so greatful to them, you were so scared of what the kaminoans would have done.
The meeting had lasted a few hours and it had been late when you'd gotten here, they were trying to figure out what being a werewolf would mean to Rex, and why he can't turn human. General Kenobi said that he would check the Jedi archives for information. You are exhausted from everything that's happened today, and just ready for bed.
"Do you mind if I borrow one of your shirts to sleep in Rex." He looks at you, eyes wide in surprise.
"Aren't you going back to your apartment." you quirk your eyebrow at him.
"Why would I make the long trip down to Coruscant when I can just stay with you." Rex looks at the ground nervously, rubbing his arm.
"I just didn't think you'd want to sleep in the same bed as a mon-!"
"Don't you dare say monster, I already told you that you aren't a monster. And I don't care that you're a werewolf, I still love you, okay." Rex nods, pure love for you in his eyes.
He doesn't understand how he was ever lucky enough to have someone as sweet and kind as you fall in love with him.
You turn around and start getting changed into some shorts and Rex's shirt, Rex being a gentleman turns towards the wall to give you privacy.
Once your changed you climb into the bed and squeeze yourself against the wall, knowing that Rex is going to need lots of room to sleep. You pat the spot beside you.
"Are you coming to bed, sweetheart." Rex smiles at you and walks over, climbing into the bed. He's being careful not to break it... Or you. You lay on your side as Rex wraps his arms around you, and he pulls you against his chest with his head over top of you. You feel him sniff your hair
"You smell amazing." You laugh, knowing that his sense of smell is way better than before, it's cute.
"I'm glad that I don't stink." Rex huff's out a little chuckle.
"You could never stink to me."
You smile as you turn over and kiss his chest goodnight, to tired to try to lean up and kiss his forehead. You turn back over and wait until you hear Rex's breathing even out, you want to make sure that Rex actually gets some well deserved rest. You close your eyes and finally drift off to sleep, listening to Rex's breathing and hugging his one arm tightly against you.
××××
You wake up to Rex nuzzling the back of your neck, but something seems off, you look down at Rex's arm thrown across your waist and realize that there's no fur and it's smaller. You turn to your other side and see Rex. Human Rex. He's still asleep as you feel happiness and confusion bubble up in you.
Your happy because Rex really wanted to turn back to human form. What confuses you though is why it happened now and not when he was trying. Why would it happened while he was asleep, there's nothing to indicate that Rex was ever a werewolf except for his torn pants.
You lean over and give him a soft kiss, you pull away and watch as his eyes flutter open to look at you. He smiles before you see him glance down, he jumps up and starts looking over his body. You can see that he's happy to be human again.
"Y/n, what happened. How am I human." You look at him and shrug, you know as much as he does.
"I don't know Rex, I just woke up and you were human." You stand up and he pulls you into a hug.
"Thank you." Your confused, why is Rex thanking you.
"What are you thanking me for Rex." You pull away a little cup his cheek with your hand, stroking it with your thumb. He's still got his arms wrapped around your waist. He leans into your hand and smiles.
"You didn't leave me, you stayed by me even when I was a mon-!"
"Again Rex!" Your really getting tired of this. He's got to stop calling himself a monster
"Sorry, but you didn't leave. And you're still not leaving even though I might transform again." You smile at him and lean up to kiss him.
"Of course I stayed, I love you. Besides you're still my boyfriend, just... Furrier." He smiles at you, putting his forehead against yours. You both close your eyes and sit there for a minute. When Rex pulls away, he grabs your hand and holds it, lacing his fingers with yours.
"We should go tell the General's that I'm human again, maybe General Kenobi's figured out why I couldn't transform." You nod as you grab you clothes and quickly change into them, Rex turned away to stare at a wall again and changes into a new pair of blacks.
You turn around once you're changed to see Rex getting his armor on while staring at the wall. He turns towards you, putting on his arm braces as he walks by you and sits on his bed to put his armor on his legs. Once he's finished putting his armor on he walks over and gives you a quick peck on the lips.
"Ready to go?" You nod and grab his hand, pulling him towards the door. He comms Obi Wan as you're punching in the code.
"General Kenobi, sir." You both pause after a few minutes with no answer.
"I'll call General Skywalker, he usually knows what General Kenobi is up to." Rex comms him and waits, after a few minutes he's about to hang up when General Skywalker finally answers.
"Hey, Rex. How are you doing after everything." You smile, General Skywalker is one of the friendliest Jedi you've ever met, you should have known that he would ask how Rex was first.
"I'm doing good, sir. I finally turned human." You can hear Anakin gasp excited.
"That's great Rex, I'm so glad your okay now."
"Thanks General, do you by any chance know where General Kenobi is." Anakin sharply breathes in, annoyed.
"How many times have I told you to call me Anakin, but yes. I know where Obi Wan is, he's sleeping in his quarters after I had to rip him away from the Jedi archives." You and Rex share a look, turning back to the comm.
Of course General Kenobi would research all night instead of sleeping, from what Rex has told you he hardly ever sleeps.
"Well, just let him sleep, force knows that he needs it. Just tell him to comm me when he's up." Rex hangs up the call and you both get going, you and Rex end up running into Fives. The surprise and happiness on his face seeing that Rex was human made you chuckle.
"Rex, what happened? You finally figured out how to turn human." Rex rubs the back of his neck, probably embarrassed that he didn't manage to turn human by himself.
"Not exactly. I just woke up human, I have no idea how I managed to transform." Fives smiles comfortingly at Rex, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Who cares, at least you can go back to leading the boys. I seriously have no idea how you ever managed it Rex."
"Lots of caf, and I have y/n." You smirk and punch his arm.
"You're just sucking up." Rex smirks at you as Fives chuckles, you both head to the mess hall with Fives. You're absolutely starving.
All the clones in the mess pause their chatting to turn and look at you and Rex, some waving and others yelling welcome back. It looks like they're all happy to have their Captain back, they aren't mentioning anything about Rex being a werewolf but they're probably trying to be nice.
You, Rex and Fives grab your food and sit down with Jesse and Kix, you sitting beside Rex with Fives on the right side of you while Jesse and Kix sit across from you.
You try I bite and at that moment you decide that you hate their food here, this stuff that they eat is so bland. Rex must notice the funny look on your face because he starts chuckling.
"See why I love your cooking so much, cyare." You smile shyly, you don't think your cooking is that good.
"My cooking isn't that good, Rex." Jesse, Kix and Fives eyes widen in surprise. Fives looks the most surprised and speaks up.
"Not that good, we always fight for the leftover's that Rex brings with him." You can't believe that they fight over your food that you send with Rex, you don't think your cooking is that good. At least not good enough to fight over.
"He's right, y/n. Fives and Jesse always end up in the medbay from fighting over your food, I can't blame them it's delicious." You smile at all them, glad that they like your cooking.
"Well I'll have to start making bigger meals for Rex to share with you guys then." You see Fives and Jesse's smile's widen considerably, even Kix's smile got a little bigger.
"You don't have to do that, Cyar'ika." You smile, grabbing Rex's hand and giving him a kiss. He looks around, cheeks blushing from embarrassment. He's still not used to kissing you in front of his brothers, even though you've been dating for almost a year.
Fives, Jesse and Kix all chuckle at Rex's embarrassment, but don't comment since they know he's uncomfortable.
"I want to make some food for them, if they like it then I'll start sending it with you all the time." You smile at all of them and continue to eat, trying to ignore the bland taste of the food when Rex gets a call on his comm. He answers it, surprisingly it's General Kenobi.
"Rex, Anakin said that you're human again."
"Yes, Sir. It happened while I was sleeping." You smile, just now noticing that Kix never looked surprised or asked Rex any questions about him being human, Anakin probably called him and told him.
"Good, can you meet me in the meeting room, I think I've found some information about werewolves you should hear." You can't believe that you might finally find some answers.
"Yes, Sir. We'll be right there." You and Rex excuse yourself's and head to the meeting room, ready to finally have more information about werewolves that might help Rex.
Taglist:
@captainrexisboo @tobitofunction @pentaghasm @ohmsjedi @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @ellie1366 @marine-captain-deku @suddenly-clones
#star wars clone wars#captain rex#werewolf clones au#wererex#werewolf rex au#werewolf rex x reader#wererex x reader#werewolf clone wars au#captain rex x reader#rex x reader#werewolf captain rex#my writing
40 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fear of the unknown
Chapter 16
You wake up to light blinding you, after blinking your eyes a few times you can finally see clearly. You look down at your chest to see it wrapped in bandages, you look around to see that you're in the medbay on the Coruscant base.
Kix comes walking in, smiling in relief when he notices that you're awake.
"Y/n! You're finally awake." You look at him confused.
"What happened?" You ask and wince at the rough and scratchy sound of your voice. It sounds as if you have a cold, Kix frowns.
"You don't remember." It suddenly all comes back to you, going on patrol, the bomb. And Rex transforming and going feral.
"Is Rex and the others okay!" You ask loudly, you don't remember seeing what happened to the others.
"Don't worry, they're all fine. Fives, Dogma and Jesse were injured but are already healing and Stutter was far enough away that he got away with a few scratches. Rex's Werewolf form left him with only a few bruises." You sigh in relief, glad that they're all okay.
"We were more worried about you, you've been out for about two weeks." Your eyes widen at that.
"Two weeks! How have I been out for two weeks?"
"Well, your injuries were extensive. It was to dangerous to put you in a bacta tank with the extent of your injuries, so you had to heal the old fashioned way." You nod, you can't believe that you've been asleep for two weeks. But you have on other question for Kix.
"Where's Rex? It's weird for him not to be here worrying his head off." You're worried, he worries about you regularly but now that you're hurt her not here, that's not like him. Kix looks at you nervously and sighs.
"When the bomb went off Rex transformed, he went feral. He gained control a little when you spoke to him but lost it when you passed out." What! Is he okay?
"What happened!" You're starting to hyperventilate, feeling a sharp pain in your chest, you're so scared. Kix comes and grabs your shoulder's.
"He's fine! Don't worry he's fine." You calm down and can finally get your breathing back under control. You're still worried.
"He ended up calming down and coming back to himself once General Skywalker and I got there to help you. He's mostly back to his usual self." You still don't understand why he isn't with you, all you want right now is Rex.
"Then where is he? Why isn't he in here?"
"He isn't here because he's still a werewolf. They won't let him in the medbay." What? That can't be right.
"You mean he turned into a werewolf again?" Kix shakes his head.
"No, he never turned human again. He hasn't been human in two weeks, I think that it's because he was scared since you were hurt." You can't believe that Rex hasn't transformed in two weeks, that can't be good for him. You're starting to feel an even worse pain in your chest.
"Kix, my chest is starting to hurt. I want Rex." Kix sighs.
"You're painkillers are wearing off, but I can't give you more for a few hours. I'm sorry y/n, but not even General Skywalker can get the heads of the medbay to allow him in." You growl, the pain is getting worse and all you want is your boyfriend. You don't care if he can't transform.
"I don't care, I just want Rex. Please Kix." You're starting to tear up a little, ready to cry. Kix sighs.
"I'll be right back, another medic will be in to check on you." You nod as Kix leaves, and you stiffle a sob. You hate being so weak, your wound must be bad if you're in this much pain after two weeks.
Kix is walking through the halls of the Coruscant base, searching for Rex. Ever since they got here to get you treatment, Rex has been hiding from everyone. He doesn't want anyone to see him as a werewolf, the only time he wouldn't hide was when he was trying to break into the medbay to see you.
He makes it to Rex's room on base and knocks on the door, he sits there for a few seconds before hearing Rex yell from inside.
"Come in!" Kix opens the door and walks in, immediately seeing the hulking form of his brother, sitting on his bed.
"Kix! Is y/n okay? Did something happen?" Kix can hear the worry for you in Rex's voice, it pisses him off that they wouldn't allow him to visit you in his Werewolf form.
"Don't worry, Vod. She's perfectly fine, she just woke up actually." Rex breaths a sigh of relief, happy to know that you have finally woken up.
"How is she feeling?"
"She's in pain, and is asking for you." Rex sighs and growls.
"They still won't let me in to see her."
"I know Vod, but frankly. I don't kriffing care, she's crying for you. Come on." Rex just stares at Kix.
"I'm allowed to see her? But I thought..." Kix growls.
"The heads shouldn't have kept you from her, and they had business to do today, so they aren't there. I'm not going to let y/n sit there in pain crying for you, now are you coming or not." Rex nods quickly, just wanting to be by your side.
He gets up of his bed and follows Kix out of the room and towards the medbay, not many of the troopers stare at him since most of them have seen him trying to sneak into the medbay. Some of the new shiny's gape at him, before their older Vod pull them away to explain it to them.
Rex just ignores them as he walks to the medbay with Kix, he's so relieved that you're okay. When you had fainted and would'nt wake up he completely lost it, thinking that he'd lost you.
They make it to the medbay and a civie medic tries to block the door, knowing that Rex isn't allowed in there.
"I'm sorry, but he is not allowed in here." Rex is done, he growls and moves up close to the medic, who quivers in fear.
"LET ME IN!" Rex growls in desperation, and the civie medic backs away and leaves. Kix pats Rex's shoulder.
"Good job." Rex nods and walks into the medbay, he immediately sees your weakened form laying in bed with your eyes shut, tears staining your face. His heart breaks when you whimper in pain, he walks up to you and grabs your hand. His own dwarfing your's, he kneels so that he's closer to you.
You open your eyes to see Rex, smiling and pulling your hand out of his so that you can pet the top of his head. He leans into it. Bringing his hand up to wipe your tears away.
"You're okay." He whispers and puts his forehead against your own, ears flattened against his head.
"I'm okay Rex, I'm okay." You kiss his forehead, your chest hurts pretty badly. You haven't seen the wound yet, with the bandages covering it.
"I thought I'd lost you." Rex whispers, pulling his head away. He strokes your cheek with his finger tip, being careful of his claws.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this sweet moment but you should try to transform, Rex, or they'll kick you out." Kix says and you agree with him, you don't want Rex to get kicked out.
"I can't, I already tried." You smile and reach up to pet the side of his head, the way he likes it. He sighs and leans into it, calming right down.
"Shhh, just calm down Rex. You probably can't transform since you were so scared for me." Rex nods, you're probably right. He's been so scared of losing you the past two weeks, and not being able to see you since you got to Coruscant didn't help.
A clone medic comes running in, not even blinking at seeing Rex's Werewolf form.
"Uh, we have a problem. The head medic's are back." You breath in sharply and feel Rex squeezing your hand hard, not hard enough to hurt you but enough that you know he's not leaving you again. No matter what. You try to hold back your whimper of pain from your chest, Rex leans down and pushes his forehead against yours, since he can't exactly kiss you.
"Kriff!" Kix exclaims, he thought that they weren't supposed to be back for a couple of hours.
"What do we do?" Kix sighs, trying to figure out what to do. It's not good for your recovery to be separated from Rex.
"I'll go stall them for as long as I can." The medic runs out of the room, leaving you, Kix and Rex to figure out what to do.
Taglist: @captainrexisboo @tobitofunction @pentaghasm @ohmsjedi @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @ellie1366 @marine-captain-deku @reimet @commanderrivercc-3628 @ahsokatano-thetogruta
#captain rex#star wars clone wars#captain rex x reader#werewolf clones au#werewolf rex au#were rex#were!rex#werewolf au#werewolf clone wars au#wererex au#wererex x reader#werewolf rex x reader#my writing
30 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
world-travlr
BEING UNREASONABLE
georgeweasleyslostearhq
*inserts great title*
diaperhyper
Diaper Hyper
tocamart
Trung Tâm Tocamart
neo-dream
Déjà Vu; 舞代路