Hero (Rex)

6

Tw: Blood, vomit.

"What are you doing?"

Kara froze, hanging from one of the vents. "It isn't what it looks like."

"It looks like you're escaping," Rex said and crossed his arms. "Or trying to, at least."

"I'm not!" Kara defensively said. "I'm just... hanging from the ceiling. It's fun."

Rex sighed. "I'm going to regret this, but let's go."

Kara dropped to the floor, adjusting her binders so they didn't dig into her wrists as much. "Where are we going?"

"You're going to tell us which planet Alex is on. Then we're going to go there and bring him back," Rex told her, escorting her out of the cell.

"No, I won't!" Kara stubbornly said, even though she was lying about the whole thing. But when she lied, she stuck by it. She wasn't one to back out like a coward. "I'll protect my brother until my dying breath."

"Yes, you will," Rex retorted. His lips quirked into a smirk. "Want to know how I know?"

Kara muttered something unsavoury under her breath, but he chose to ignore it.

"Because we both know you don't care about doing the right thing. You do what's best for you, and no one else. And keeping your brother safe isn't the wisest decision for you right now, is it?" Rex reasoned. He turned a corner, pushing her along as they reached the hanger. 

"I hate you," Kara grumbled.

"Uh-huh." Rex guided her to a ship, taking her up the steps. "Sit down."

Kara reluctantly settled on one of the seats. "You could say please once in a while. It wouldn't hurt."

"Which planet are they on?" Rex asked as the rest of the group filed on board. The pilots took their places while others buckled themselves in.

"I don't remember the name," Kara said, pretending to think about it.

Rex pulled up a hologram of a galaxy map. "Then point to where it is."

Since she hadn't actually put Alex on some outer rim world, she has to make up which planet. So she placed a finger on a random planet. "There. That's where he is."

Rex stared at her for a moment. "You've got to be kriffing with me."

Kara tilted her head. "Why?"

"You left a child there?" Rex hissed. "What the kark were you thinking?"

"Ahsoka's with him!" Kara defensively said. "He's not completely alone!"

"That planet's a death trap," Rex muttered, shaking his head. He sighed and headed to the pilots to relay where they were going.

Kara swung her feet back and forth as watched them converse, narrowing her eyes when Rex glanced back at her.

Rex returned and sat next to her, pulled his safety bar down. "We're going to into hyperspace. You're going to want to use the safety bar."

Kara hummed. "Yeah, wouldn't want to injure myself mid-flight."

She didn't move.

"Kara," Rex warned. 

"Yes?" Kara pleasantly smiled.

Rex reached over and pulled it down, flicking a switch on the side to lock in place. "There."

"So that's how you use those things." Kara looked down at the bar. "I've never used them before. I'm usually locked in a cage during flights."

Rex stared at her blankly. "I'm not even going to ask."

The ship shook as it made the jump, and Kara squeezed her eyes shut. She gripped the bar so tightly her fingers were white.

"Scared of flying?" Rex turned his head to face her. "You were never like this on the cruiser."

"The cruiser is big enough that I can pretend we're not flying. I don't feel every little tremble on it." Kara felt lightheaded as the ship rocked again.

"It's safe," Rex told her, using a calming tone. "Mostly."

"That's so reassuring," Kara dryly said. She looked pale.

"Nothing's going to happen. It's perfectly safe." Rex tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Something inside him ached as she flinched away from his touch. He pulled his hand back, clenching it into a fist at his side.

"We're here," the pilot announced as the ship landed. Everyone lifted the safety bars up and exited the ship, going off the ramp.

Kara struggled to lift hers, flailing her legs. "Help! Help!"

Rex looked over his shoulder, laughing softly. "Oops. Forgot I put the child lock on."

"You what?" Kara cried out. She began to fight against the safety bar, trying to wiggle out of it.

"Stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" Rex held out a hand and hurried over. He flipped the switch that was just barely out of her reach and pulled the bad over her head. "There."

Kara jumped out of the seat. "You're not getting me in that again."

"We'll see about that." Rex grabbed her by the binders and guided her out of the ship. "And I can't believe you left Alex here."

Kara stared out with wide eyes at the world in front of her. "I knew people would be too scared to come here to find him..."

The wind whistled as it blew in the grass, tall animals grazing in the fields. Forests of thick trees bordered the fields, and mountains were past them. Grey clouds gathered in the sky, lightning flickering in them.

And blood covered every surface in sight.

Rocks and boulders were smeared with it, leaves dripped with it, and it was on the animals as they slowly walked in herds.

"What the kriff?" Kara whispered. "What did this?"

"The predators," Rex said before taking his pistols. "Alright, let's move out."

Kara leaned over and emptied her stomach onto the ground, heaving. She wiped at her mouth and looked up at Rex. "I never throw up. This is your fault."