It's Commander Tano, Not Padawan

Chapter 11

The clone was totally blind-sided by the question, but his expression quickly turned serious. "Who called you that, sir?"

Ahsoka was a little worried by his tone, but didn't want to tell him it was Rex, just in case.

Just in case, what, she wasn't sure.

"It doesn't matter. Just answer the question."

Clenching his jaw, Fives seemed like he wanted to argue, but bit his words back. "It means sweetheart or darling, Commander. If one of the rookies said it, just let me know who it was, and I will make it explicitly clear to them they will never address you like that."

Ahsoka was shocked. Rex? Calling her darling?

No wonder he was too embarrassed to tell her himself.

A warm, heavy feeling coursed through her, centering in her stomach. It was both pleasant and made her want to throw up.

In a good way.

Fives noted her odd reaction, and tilted his head, examining her. "Who was it, Commander?"

"Most definitely not a shiny," she murmured.

His eyes widened as another guess came to mind because, contrary to what his idiotic comrades thought, he was actually quite intelligent.

"Wait just a moment, Commander, was it Rex?"

She blushed and tried to deny it, but knew it was a lost cause as soon as the Captain's name came out of his mouth. "I said it doesn't matter, Fives."

It was! He thought.

Fives was torn between being proud that his Captain had the guts to say it, terrified because even if Ahsoka wasn't a Jedi, she was still a CO, and immeasurably amused.

"Osi'kyr, I didn't think he'd be that obvious about it. The boys are going to get an absolute kick out of this."

She was pure panic at his words. "Absolutely not, Fives."

He looked utterly distraught. "Why not, sir?"

"Hmm, well, let's think for a second," She said, sarcastically. "Just off the top of my head, I can name two reasons. One, I'm his commander. Two, that would humiliate him."

The fact she seemed to have no personal opposition did not slip by him.

"Can I at least tell Jesse, Kix, and Tup?"

Fives didn't know if he'd be able to keep it to himself without spontaneously combusting.

But she was merciless. "Don't even think about, trooper. If I catch the slightest wind about this going around the boys, I will personally make you rue the day you opened your mouth."

He gulped. Kark, Rex certainly knew how to pick them.

"Are we clear, Fives?"

"Crystal," he replied, glumly.

"Good man. Now, I'm going to leave, and when they ask what we talked about, just tell them it was confidential. And if they don't believe you, send them to me."

He nodded but couldn't wipe away off his gloomy countenance. So much mischievousness, wasted.

Ahsoka started to walk off but stopped mid-step and turned back around, her mind finally picking up on his previous words. "What do you mean, 'obvious about it'? Obvious about what, Fives?"

There we go. That's the leverage I need.

"Now, Commander, why would I share? Remember, that would humiliate him," he said, quoting her argument right back at her.