ɪᴛ's ᴏᴋᴀʏ... [ᴇɴɢʟɪsʜ ✓]

03. How to Survive

Ahsoka literally ran into Windu the moment the tank fired.

She didn't scream as the numbing pain jerked through her side.

For a few seconds her eyes went black as her back hit the stone hard, beside her she heard Windu hit the ground as well.

She wanted to get right back up, as she always did, but the numbing pain wouldn't let her. So she remained lying defeated, her eyes closed.

Another shot rang out, one of the clones had shot the tank directly in the muzzle, destroying it for good.

After a short time she felt a presence next to her. And the warm flow at her hip also somehow reassured her. Even if it shouldn't do that in the slightest.

"Commander?", she heard it muffled through the clanging in her head.

"Commander, are you all right? Ahsoka!" Now she listened up.

Rex had never called her by her name before, at least not around others. She must look pretty bad.

The one just called forced herself to open her eyes. Kneeling in front of her, the captain stared at her anxiously.

"Rex, what's wrong?", she asked with a feigned smile to lighten the situation a bit.

Rex smiled too when he saw her cerulean eyes. Carefully, he put an arm to her back and supported the girl who was now slowly sitting up.

As another sharp pain mixed with burning went through her side, she put her hand on the wound and faltered.

She was grasping at blood. Red, thick blood that slid through her fingers and mixed with dust and sand on the ground below.

Its light tone harmonised eerily perfectly with the colour of the planet's stones.

It took Ahsoka a moment to realise that the shot had hit her, not Windu. No one else had been hurt either.

She exhaled in relief. At least she had been able to save someone else from certain death. Even if she was not yet willing to die.

Another twinge. Ahsoka winced and slipped the hand she was leaning on. Rex was just able to catch the young Togruta. Gently, he rested her head back on the stone, but she protested.

"Rex, I don't want to lie down again, we have to keep going. Help me up,", she said in a surprisingly firm voice, determined not to stop her mission.

The clone knew he wouldn't be able to force her to rest, she was far too stubborn for that. "Kix?!", he therefore called out as the Togruta leaned on his shoulder.

"Kix didn't come along.", she brought out.

Desperation sprouted in Rex. They had no other medical supplies left that could treat such wounds.

Meanwhile, Master Windu had also righted himself and was scowling at the apprintece.

"What was that about?", he snorted.

She did not reply. It would only degenerate into an exhausting discussion.

"Couldn't you have just used your lightsaber to fight back? Then you wouldn't have a scratch right now!", he accused the injured girl.

Rex was getting furious. Scratch? SCRATCH???? His little girl was almost bleeding to death here and he called it a scratch!? He couldn't think of anything better than to blame her!?

But he said nothing of it. There would be no point in arguing to a General who just respected you and didn't tolerate backtalk.

Ahsoka ignored the remark and remained outwardly calm. In her mind, she fought the temptation to jab a lightsaber into his back.

"Why did I even bother to save him?", she whispered to herself.

The clone captain had to grin. This was the Ahsoka he knew. No matter who it was, she wouldn't let him die if there was another option.

***

Windu ignored the man's scowl and walked past them. He didn't care that she was hurt by his carelessness. Possibly even fatally.

But she was just putting on airs, he told himself. Even though he had seen the gaping wound on her hip and knew inwardly that she would only make it out of here alive with great difficulty.