The clone grunted as he fell to the floor, "What did you just say?" A cold voice was heard from behind the small brawl that was the 501th.
"You heard me." The clone bit back.
The others moved away to let Rex through, his voice just as cold as the second before,
"You dare insult the Commander?"
You could hear a chuckle coming from the door, "Well, look what we have here."
They turned to see Anakin leaning on the doorframe, but that wasn't the scary part.
It was Ahsoka Tano.
She stood next to him, arms loosely crossed over her chest,
Smirking.
Her eyes full of amusement and something they couldn't identify, it looked awfully like the way a wild animal would look at its prey.
The room suddenly tensed, not like the sweaty rage while their presence had gone unnoticed, but like a cold air overtook their lungs, refusing to leave.
She walked to the group, they had already cleared a passage for Captain Rex when Anakin was heard.
She knelt down to the clone that was thrown on the floor, "Tell me, why do you think I'm incapable of being a commander?"
He hesitated and looked around, hoping for someone to help him.
But he only found the harsh gaze of his companions.
They were loyal to Ahsoka Tano, they thought of her as their sister, they would lay down their life for her, not because they had to, but because they wanted to.
All of the clones knew this, and they respected her very much as well.
All but one,
and that one, was the shiny that had just arrived at the 501st, he thought she was reckless and immature, he heard the rumors about her, the squadron that she led, who died, because of her. 'How can they respect someone like her? Someone who led their brothers to their deaths.'
He thought to himself.
He gulped, "Well, you're sixteen years old."
She tilted her head, "So?"
He hesitated and before he could say anything more, she said, "You're ten."
"Yet" she singsonged, "You're here"
"Now you tell me what's that about."
She smiled as she stood.
He looked up at her, angry, he jumped up and said, "I was trained, from the moment I was born, for this."
She shrugged, "Me too."
He was becoming impatient,
By impulse he burst out, "You got a squadron killed. They died for you, and you just let them."
This time, when she looked at him, pure fury was all he could see in her eyes.
He backed away, excepting the men surrounding them to move for him.
But they didn't, instead, they pressed together to stop him from getting through.
She lunged at him, punching him in the face. He fell, loosing his balance from the hit.
"Don't you dare talk about them." She spat.
She grabbed him by the collar, "You think I wanted them to?"
"You think I didn't mourn their deaths as if they weren't my own?" She practically yelled.
He grunted, "I know that you killed them, Commander. You're weak."
She threw him to the ground, "You know nothing." She growled,
She turned to walk away, the men already clearing a path,
and looked back at him, her back already facing him,
"You will never know the pain of losing those you could have saved. Not the way that I do."
Her voice was cold, laced with grief.
She walked away, her master scowling at him.
He joined her as she walked out.
================
An arm around her shoulders, he asked, "Are you okay?"
She simply nodded, he knew she was holding in her tears.
"Let's go." he said as he pulled her closer, not caring about the attachment rules, his padawan needed him, and he was always ready for her.
She didn't say anything, simply walking along with him.
================
"Let me at him!"
Fives yelled as Krix restrained him.
The shiny stood up, wiping his mouth, blood smeared on his face,
Ahsoka may be small but could she pack a punch.
Rex grabbed him by the collar, just as his commander had done.
"You have no shame, do you?"
His eyes were on fire.
The clone grunted from the grabb, "How can you men call yourself clones when you defend your brother's killer?"
"You have no right to talk about her like that." Rex growled, "She made a mistake, because she's a person, just like you made a mistake coming to the 501st."
"If you want to stay here, you're going to have to respect our Commander, trooper."
The impact of his words seemed to have hit the shiny hard, his arrogant scowl wiped from his face, 'They really prefer a Jedi over one of their brothers.' He thought.
Rex let him go and he almost fell again, "Come on, let's go find the Commander." He said as they all walked away, Fives glared at the clone.
They reluctantly left angry, and worried for their commander.
Their vod'ika.
~~~~~~~
She stood in front of the memorial, tears pooling at her eyes, Anakin stood behind her silently as she murmured in Mando'a.
"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum..."
"Tucker, Axe, Slammer..."
I am still alive, but you are dead, I remember you, so you are eternal.
She went on for a long time, reciting all the names of clones they had lost, even the ones she didn't know.
Her tear flowed freely now, Anakin had joined her, as well as the boys.
It had taken them a while to find her, at first they thought she had gone to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, she usually went there when she was feeling down.
But when they didn't find her there or her quarters, they got worried.
Luckily for them, Wolff had seen the Jedi pair walk to the graves of their fallen brothers.
When they reached them, their hearts twisted.
She was just standing there, reciting the names of their comrades.
When she was finally done, Ahsoka was engulfed in a giant hug from her vod.
"...Can't...breath" she choked out as her master chuckled beside them.
"Come on boys, let her go" he said in a scolding tone.
Most of them slid off her stubbornly but Fives refused to, Rex had to pull him off.
And he was still grumbling about never being able to hug his vod'ika.
She just laughed softly as it happened,
"Come on Fives, later" she told him.
He whined some more but backed off.
The others were already standing respectfully in front of the memorial stone, saluting.
They repeated the small ceremony Ahsoka had done.
Ahsoka backed away slowly, joining her master.
"You okay?" He asked, "Better." She answered.
He pulled her into a side hug and she leaned into it.
"That shiny doesn't know what he's talking about, Snips."
She sighed and turned her face to him, "Does he?"
"Of course he doesn't he doesn't Ahsoka!"
He answered angrily.
"Back then, you made a mistake, and it helped you grow into the leader you are now."
"He thinks I would just sacrifice his brothers like that." She snapped her fingers, demonstrating.
"He's wrong, and I don't know why you're letting his words affect you like this."
He sighed, "Ahsoka, you're the best Jedi padawan in the Jedi Order. The words of a shiny you don't even know should be your least of your concerns."
"Especially when they're false and ignorant." He added.
"I just- I don't want my men to think I would do something like that again, on purpose."
"They know you won't."
He assured her, his tone soothing.
She slumped into his chest and he held her close.
The men were slowly huddling together waiting for their commander to end her conversation,
"I'm the best padawan in the order?" She mused, a hint of a smirk in her voice.
He smirked and ran his hands along her montrals, "Obviously, I mean you're the chosen one's padawan."
She rolled her eyes and smiled, pushing herself out of her slumped position, "Thanks Skyguy."
"Of course Snips"
Flashing him a smile, she turned and joined her men.
As they left, Anakin thought of ways to put that shiny in his place.
But as he reached the training room, it seemed his men had already done so, since the insolent clone was apologizing to Ahsoka. Although half heartedly, he took note.
It would suffice for now, he thought.
Hey! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, just wanted to update you on part 2 to "General Tano" it is in the works! It also might have a part 3, so be patient!
Bye <3