Captain Rex Fanfic - I Will Always Protect You (Star Wars)

Leaving.

Rex rubbed his temples as he looked over one of the dozens of data pads thrown haphazardly into a pile on his desk. He had mixed feelings about his periodic out-of-the-action duties on Coruscant. On one hand, he needed the occasional break from the battlefield, and although he loved his brothers, being in crammed quarters with them for months at a time gets old fast. It was nice to have a room to himself.

On the other hand, Rex was starting to get a little stir crazy. They've been on Coruscant for nearly a month - the longest Rex has been out of the action since the start of the war. The reason for their extended stay was driving him crazy as well. Ahsoka Tano, one of his commanding officers and a good friend, was accused of bombing the Jedi Temple and was currently standing trial. Guilt wrenched at his stomach. He knew she was innocent. He had said so to Commander Fox. But that was about as helpful as Rex had been to Ahsoka. He had made the call that she was "armed and dangerous" and issued the warrant in her capture. He even assisted in bringing her in. Rex had no choice in the matter, but he still felt horrible about it.

Rex was pulled out of his thoughts by his comlink chirping. He paused for a second before answering it, anticipating who it would be and what it would be about. With a deep breath, he responded, "This is Captain Rex."

"Rex, it's Anakin. The trial has ended." There was a pause. "Ahsoka's been cleared. She's about to be reinstated into the order."

Rex sighed with relief. He knew Ahsoka was innocent. "That's great news. Real great news," he replied over the comlink with a smile, a smile he was sure Anakin could sense. "I'll let the men know their commander is coming home."

"Please do, Rex. Ahsoka and I will touch base after we speak with the council. Anakin out."

A while later, Rex got ready to turn in for the night, his mood significantly lighter and his uneasiness about the trial finally dissipating. He was greeted with cheers by the 501st when he told them the good news, and politely declined the invitation to celebrate at 79's. Anakin had not called him again, but he figured he was busy with Ahsoka. The three of them would have plenty of time to catch up over the next few days as they prepared for their next assignment.

Rex had just stripped down to his undersuit when there was a knock on his door. Puzzled, he buzzed them in. The door whizzed open, and Ahsoka stood in the doorway.

"Hi Rex," she said flatly.

"Commander! It's good to see you." Rex was surprised by her visit. Ahsoka had visited the barracks before, but it had always been during the day, in the common area where she would join the men in talks and games to past the time. She's never come to his private quarters before.

Ahsoka gave Rex a quick look down, noticing he was in his undersuit. "Sorry, I know it's late. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Not a problem," Rex assured her. There was something off about Ahsoka. Even without force sensitivity, Rex could feel the sadness and turmoil that surrounded her. He swore her cheeks were stained with tears, too. "It's good to see you, Commander. General Skywalker called me earlier to tell me that you were acquitted. I'm so relieved. All the men are. We can't wait to have you back in the action with us."

Ahsoka's crossed her arms and looked at the floor, not moving from her spot in the doorway. "Thank you Rex, but I'm not coming back." She looked up at him, her eyes heavy and sad. "I've come to say goodbye."

Rex felt like he had just been punched in the gut by a super battle droid. "What do you mean... Commander, you can't possibly..."

Ahsoka stepped towards Rex and gently reached for his hands, holding them in hers. Her hands were soft, cold, and looked tiny compared to his. "I can't go back to the Jedi Order," Ahsoka began. "I can't be part of a group that turned its back on me when I needed it most."

"But... General Skywalker and General Kenobi..."

"In time, they'll understand..."

"The boys in the 501st..."

"They'll move on..."

"And..."

"And you?" Ahsoka squeezed his hands.

Rex swallowed against the lump in his throat. "Yes. And me." He couldn't explain it. Why did he feel so affected by this? Affected by her? His brothers fell in battle all the time. He carried their deaths with him every day, but none felt as heavy as this one. And Ahsoka wasn't dying, she was just leaving, but somehow that felt worse. "We all need you, Commander. Even General Skywalker is half the man he was before he took you as a padawan. You're what keeps our unit together."

Ahsoka seemed preoccupied looking at Rex's hands. "I'm sorry Rex. I can't stay here and be a part of this anymore. I wanted you to hear it directly from me. It's the least I could do." She absentmindedly ran her fingers in circles over his hands. Her cheeks looked moist again. "You've always supported me, ever since we met on Christophsis. Even back when I was an annoying bratty youngling. And you were one of the only people who believed me through all of this."

"You weren't that bratty..." Rex trailed off, at a loss for words. There was so much swarming in his head. Things he's always thought about Ahsoka - what a great commander she was, how brave and selfless she was, how many times she saved his and his men's necks - these were all things he had expressed to her before. But there were other things that were buried deep in Rex's mind that he could never quite piece together to make sense of. They made Rex feel strange but he thinks they could explain why he so desperately didn't want Ahsoka to leave. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. "...please stay."

Rex felt Ahsoka step closer to him. She placed a hand on his chest, and for a second Rex thought she was going to hug him, but instead she rose on her tipped toes and gingerly kissed him on the cheek. Rex's eyes widened, and a not-unpleasant shiver went down his spine. More confusing thoughts swarmed in his head. Ahsoka pulled away and smiled sadly at him. "Goodbye Rex. I hope our paths cross again someday."

Rex watched her as she walked away, and wondered with a heavy heart if it would be the last time he would see her.

HI GUYS, I'm so happy i got this one done on time (i was worried i wouldn't cuz of school) this is going to be another 3 part ish story, i really hope you like it Please vote comment and share it would mean a lot if you did..... But mainly just comment i really appreciate comments on if you like it or not.

~ Books4Life <3