Chapter 14
“Commander, the last crate has been unloaded successfully,” Rex informed Ahsoka.
They stood on a small platform above the endless oceans of Mon Cala, watching as droids carried a massive container from their ship toward an elevator. Ahsoka, Anakin, and the Torrent Company had just recovered the cargo from pirates and delivered it to its intended destination.
The disappearance of the shipment had caused an uproar in the Senate over the past week, with the Mon Calamari suspecting political sabotage. It seemed like every planet had grown suspicious of its neighbors in recent months. Ahsoka had already been involved in a series of high-stakes missions—rescuing the daughters of a Pantoran politician, uncovering conspiracies on Mandalore, and now this.
“War is more than just destroying droids,” Obi-Wan had told her after she had complained—perhaps a little too loudly—about missing the battlefield.
All she wanted was a real fight to test out her new lightsaber. Anakin had put her through grueling training sessions before finally gifting her a shoto—a shorter lightsaber, perfectly suited for her combat style—on her birthday. It had been a mere coincidence; Jedi didn’t typically celebrate birthdays since every species observed them differently. Instead, it had served as a cruel reminder of just how long the war had been dragging on.
“Then let’s get back on the ship and head to Coruscant,” Ahsoka said, turning toward their stolen vessel.
Technically, they had taken it from the pirates on their way out, but considering they had also recovered all the stolen cargo, it felt like fair compensation. And they had to get out all of it somehow. Anakin had put her in charge of overseeing the unloading with Rex and two other clones.
“Are you sure this ship is safe?” Rex asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It got us here, didn’t it? It’ll get us back,” Ahsoka assured him with a confident smirk.
The ship looked a bit rough around the edges, and Ahsoka was fairly certain it was missing a few parts here and there—but it flew, and the hyperdrive worked. That was all that mattered.
“Come on, men, let’s go home,” she called, stepping on board first and entering their route into the system. A moment later, she spun her chair around to face Rex, who was still eyeing the control panels with clear distrust.
“See? It even has autopilot,” she said with a grin, trying to ease his concerns.
“Sir, is there anything we should do?” one of the troopers, Brim, asked.
Ahsoka shook her head. “No, you can rest now if you want.”
Brim and Breach—two shinies freshly transferred to Torrent Company—exchanged a glance before nodding. “Thank you, Commander,” Breach said, and both disappeared into the back of the ship.
As the engines hummed to life, a strange silence settled between her and Rex.
“They did well today,” Ahsoka said, attempting to start a conversation.
Rex only nodded, still standing near the entrance of the ship.
Ahsoka sighed. “Why don’t you sit down? We’re about to jump to hyperspace—it could get a little shaky,” she suggested. “I promise I fly better than my master.”
It was a common joke in their battalion, but Rex didn’t even crack a smile.
He’s acting weird today.
Seeing that he wasn’t in the mood for conversation, Ahsoka gave up on trying to lighten the atmosphere. Instead, she focused on the controls as the ship prepared for the jump, letting the silence linger between them.
Rex didn’t sit down next to Ahsoka in the pilot’s seat. Instead, after a few minutes of quiet observation, he followed Brim and Breach into the back of the ship. As he approached, he caught snippets of their hushed conversation.
“…Pretty, isn’t she?”
Rex raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t unusual for clones to talk about women, but there was an unwritten rule that those conversations were meant for the barracks—not during a mission.
“Knock it off, man. She’s our commander!”
Rex’s eyes narrowed. They were talking about Ahsoka? He’d already seen them eyeing her during the unloading. Since then his chest was filled with a strange feeling.
“Yeah, but did you see how she took down that one pirate? Straight-up kicked him in the face! Come on, you have to admit—that was hot.”
Rex felt irritation spike in his chest. They should be focusing on their own fights, not ogling their superior. Annoyed, he took an extra-loud step forward.
The two shinies snapped their heads toward him, eyes widening.
“Uh—hello, Captain,” Brim greeted, his voice a little shaky.
Rex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They still had a long way to go before they learned proper discipline.
Shoving aside his annoyance, he used the time in hyperspace to start drafting his mission report, taking a moment to walk Brim and Breach through the process. The journey had been smooth so far—until, suddenly, the ship jolted violently out of hyperspace.
Rex frowned. That wasn’t right. They weren’t supposed to arrive yet.
“Stay here. I’ll take a look,” he ordered, hurrying to the cockpit.
Ahsoka was already busy at the controls, her blue eyes filled with concern.
“Commander, is something wrong?”
“I think so,” she admitted, her hands flying across the console. “It looks like the hyperdrive just… stopped working.”
“Can you fix it?”
“I think so, but I need to land first.” She pressed a few more buttons and took manual control of the ship. “Luckily, there’s a planet right below us.”
Rex didn’t like the way she said luckily.
Everything seemed fine as they entered the atmosphere, but then he noticed Ahsoka hesitating. Her fingers flipped switches with more force than necessary, and she even smacked one of the panels in frustration.
Rex tensed. “Commander—?”
“Rex, I highly advise you to go strap in,” she gritted out.
“Can’t I help?” He didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone to handle this.
“This is a command,” Ahsoka snapped, her voice urgent.
His stomach churned at her tone, but he knew better than to argue. With a tight nod, he turned and rushed back to Brim and Breach, quickly securing himself in a seat.
“Strap in—now!” he barked at the shinies.
No sooner had he fastened the straps than the ship lurched violently. From where he sat, he couldn’t see outside, but it didn’t take a genius to realize they were descending fast.
Too fast.
The ship jolted again, hard enough to slam his head against the metal behind him. His vision swam.
Another violent jolt.
This time, everything went black.
Rex slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the haze clouding his vision. His head throbbed, and for a moment, everything was blurry.
Where was he?
As his sight cleared, his gaze landed on two figures in white armor.
Brim. Breach.
The memory of the crash came rushing back like a punch to the gut. He didn’t need to be a medic to know—they were gone.
Brim had a jagged piece of metal lodged deep in his throat, and Breach’s head hung at an unnatural angle.
Rex clenched his jaw, forcing down the surge of anger and grief. There was nothing he could do for them now.
Ahsoka.
His chest tightened. She had been in the cockpit.
Ignoring the ache in his body, he grabbed his knife, sliced through the straps keeping him in place, and stumbled toward the front of the ship. Smoke filled the cockpit, the controls sparking with occasional bursts of energy.
Then he saw her.
Ahsoka was still strapped into her seat, her head tilted forward, arms hanging limply at her sides.
Rex rushed to her, fingers pressing against her neck.
A pulse.
Relief washed over him like a wave, but it was short-lived. He quickly scanned her injuries—a deep gash ran along her arm, and her leg was swollen around the midsection. Possibly fractured.
A low rumble vibrated through the ship.
We need to get out of here—now.
Wasting no time, Rex tore through the nearest supply crates, finding an old medkit and a worn leather bag. He shoved the medical supplies and whatever rations he could find into it before turning back to Ahsoka.
Carefully, he cut her straps and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t stir.
The ship trembled again, metal groaning under the pressure.
Holding Ahsoka securely, Rex pushed his way outside. His boots hit the dirt. The air was thick and humid, but—
At least it’s breathable.
Now he just had to figure out where the hell to go.
They had crashed on a planet dense with forests and mountains. The ship had come down on the edge of deep green trees, with a mountain rising nearby—not high enough to be capped with snow, but tall enough that trees no longer grew near the peak.
Rex surveyed the terrain. Staying in the jungle was too risky—there could be unknown predators, and the thick foliage limited visibility. The high ground would be safer.
He had barely made it a hundred meters from the wreck when the shuttle erupted into flames behind him. The heat washed over his back, but he didn’t slow his pace. He pressed forward, moving up the mountain through sparse trees and thick underbrush, searching for shelter.
Then, he found it.
Partially hidden behind a cluster of fallen rocks, a cave opened into the mountainside. Rex cautiously peered inside. It was small, barely high enough to stand in, but it stretched deeper into the stone. More importantly, it was empty—no bones, no signs of life.
It would do.
Carefully, he lowered Ahsoka onto the flattest patch of ground he could find, then pulled out the medkit from his bag. It wasn’t much—just a few bacta patches and an old bottle of disinfectant—but it would have to be enough.
He started with the gash on her arm, spraying the wound with disinfectant before gently cleaning the edges with a scrap of cloth. Once satisfied, he pressed a bacta patch over it.
Next was her leg.
Prying off her boot without jostling her injury proved more difficult than he expected, but after a few careful maneuvers, he managed. There was no visible bone—that’s good—but something was definitely wrong. He didn’t dare touch it too much without knowing the full extent of the damage. Instead, he used nearby stones to stabilize it, making sure she wouldn’t accidentally hurt herself further when she woke up.
That would have to do for now.
With Ahsoka taken care of, Rex turned his attention to their next problem—warmth. The air was already cooling, and without proper gear, the night would be harsh.
Luckily, there were plenty of dry sticks and branches scattered in the trees outside the cave. Gathering a decent pile, he returned and carefully arranged them into a small fire. A few sparks from his equipment, and soon, a warm glow flickered through the cave.
Finally, Rex allowed himself to sit.
Silence settled around him, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire.
His gaze drifted to Ahsoka. She was still unconscious, her breathing steady. That was a relief.
Then, without meaning to, his mind wandered.
For as long as he could remember, there had always been another battle to fight, another mission to prepare for. He was a soldier. That was his purpose.
But what about when the war ended?
Would he still have a place in the galaxy? Or would clones like him be cast aside, forgotten the moment they were no longer needed?
Rex exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
It didn’t matter. The war wouldn’t end anytime soon.
For now, all that mattered was surviving the night.
A low groan pulled Rex’s attention away from the fire.
Ahsoka was stirring, slowly sitting up and pressing a hand to her head. The way her face scrunched told him she was in pain.
“Commander,” he said, making his presence known.
Her head snapped toward him, eyes wide with confusion. “Rex? Where are we?”
“Long story,” he said before explaining what had happened—how their ship had malfunctioned, how they’d crashed, and how he’d carried her to safety.
Ahsoka listened intently, nodding as he spoke. When he finished, she let out a dry chuckle. “So, we’re stuck here, huh?”
She glanced down, assessing her injuries. The wound on her arm was bandaged, and her leg—where most of the pain radiated from—was stabilized in a makeshift cast. Carefully, she placed her fingers a few inches away from the worst of the pain, closing her eyes and letting the Force flow through her body.
In theory, the Force could heal. She had heard stories of Jedi Masters mending bones with nothing but their will. But she wasn’t trained in that. She didn’t know how.
Still, she could tell one thing for sure—it was fractured, but not a full break. Could’ve been worse.
“Do we have another bacta patch?” she asked.
Rex wordlessly tossed one to her.
It wouldn’t help as much as on an open wound, but the bacta would still accelerate healing. She pressed it over her leg, exhaling at the brief cool sensation before turning her attention to her comlink.
Good news: it was still functional.
Bad news: there were no open channels in range.
“We’re basically stranded in nowhere,” she muttered.
Rex glanced at her expectantly. “So, what’s our next move, Commander?”
Honestly? She had no idea.
But she wasn’t about to admit that.
“For now?” Ahsoka sighed. “We eat, get some rest, and see what tomorrow brings. Maybe we’ll find something useful in the morning.”
Rex had woken her up in the middle of the night.
He had taken the first watch, insisting that she get some rest first. But judging by how light the sky already was, he had let her sleep longer than planned.
Carefully, Ahsoka dragged herself toward the entrance of the cave, mindful not to move her injured leg too much. The sky was a deep, dark blue—still speckled with stars, but light enough to make out the shapes of distant trees and mountains. The only sounds were the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze and the soft, steady breathing of Rex inside.
It was peaceful.
If only the whole galaxy could be like this.
She sighed, thinking of what the Jedi could be if there was no war—true peacekeepers instead of soldiers. Maybe she’d even have time for a life outside the Order, like Master Shaak Ti. Maybe she could wear a lover’s braid instead of a Padawan braid.
Ahsoka crawled a little farther out, letting the cool night air fill her lungs. From here, she could see more of their surroundings. The mountain stretched higher above them, its peak bare of trees. She narrowed her eyes, studying the rocky surface—something about it looked… unnatural.
Then she saw it.
A structure, partially hidden among the stones.
Her heart leapt. That’s not just rock—that’s a building.
Hope surged through her chest.
Maybe—just maybe—there was something up there that could help them get off this planet.
Rex woke with the first rays of sunlight filtering into the cave.
Ahsoka watched as he sat up slowly, blinking against the morning light. He looked different—not in appearance, but in demeanor. He wasn’t standing at attention, waiting for orders. He just was. It was… nice. It made him seem more normal. More like a person, not just a soldier.
“Morning, Rexter,” she greeted him with a teasing smile.
“Good morning, Commander,” he answered automatically, though his voice was still rough from sleep. The drowsy tone amused Ahsoka.
“Come on, get up. I think I found something useful,” she told him. “There’s some kind of base or structure further up the mountain. Hopefully, we’ll find water on the way.”
Their rations would last a few days, but no water had survived the crash. It hadn’t been urgent yesterday, but Ahsoka could already feel the effects—her lips were dry, her throat scratchy.
“Sounds like a plan,” Rex replied, rolling his shoulders as he reached for his armor plates. He had taken them off to sleep, but now he clipped them back into place, securing his helmet to his belt. Then, without a word, he turned to put out the fire, carefully covering the embers with stones.
Ahsoka braced herself against the cave wall, using it to help push herself to her feet. She hesitated before testing her weight on her injured leg. As long as she didn’t put all of her weight on it, she could manage.
She took a step—only to be stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder.
“Commander,” Rex said, his voice edged with concern.
Ahsoka sighed. “It’s fine, Rex. Really. I can walk.”
“I know you can,” he said evenly. “But if you do, it’ll take hours to get up there. Let me help you.”
Ahsoka clenched her jaw. She hated that he was right. She was a Jedi. She should be stronger than this. She shouldn’t have to rely on him.
But the truth was, she needed the help.
“Fine,” she muttered, reluctantly accepting his support.
In the beginning, Ahsoka had only needed to hold onto Rex’s shoulder for support, carefully balancing each step. But as the ground became rockier and more uneven, Rex offered more help. He could see the struggle in her eyes—the battle between pride and practicality—but in the end, she accepted. She slung an arm around his shoulders, allowing him to take more of her weight.
They moved steadily, stopping only once at a small stream to drink. By the time night began to fall, they had almost reached their destination.
The building ahead looked like an old military base, though it was clear no one had been here in a long time. The antennas on top were bent and partially broken, and the windows were shattered, jagged edges of glass still clinging to their frames.
“We better get inside. Fast,” Ahsoka said.
Rex followed her gaze toward the horizon. Dark clouds had gathered in the distance, and the wind had picked up, rustling the trees below. A storm was coming.
“Agreed,” he said.
The entrance appeared to be through a hatch built into the foundation.
“Let me go first,” he offered.
Ahsoka shot him a flat look. “Yeah, I mean, it’s not like I can go first.”
Rex huffed amused. He carefully helped her sit down, making sure she was steady before climbing the short ladder to the hatch. He tested the rungs—solid enough. A few hard knocks against the metal broke the rusted seal, and with a final shove, the hatch creaked open.
Blaster in hand, he peered inside. Darkness. Silence. Dust. No movement. He climbed fully into the space, scanning their surroundings. A thick layer of dust coated the floor, undisturbed except where moss had begun creeping in from cracks in the walls.
“It’s safe,” he called down.
“Then get me up,” Ahsoka replied, her voice carrying a note of impatience.
Rex smirked. Even in serious situations, she had a way of making things feel lighter.
Lying flat on his stomach, he extended a hand down toward her. Fortunately, the ladder wasn’t too long, and Ahsoka was able to reach up with her good arm, steadying herself against the rungs.
Her weight was easy to lift. With one strong pull, Rex hauled her up and into the base.
Together, they scanned the interior of the abandoned base. Most of the rooms contained little more than empty shelves and rusted tables, but in the second room, they found something promising—a control panel.
Rex watched as Ahsoka ran her fingers over the buttons, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“I think I can get this working,” she said after a thorough inspection. “But it’ll take time. I need to rewire a few things, then find a Republic frequency to call for help. Maybe I can even reach the Temple, but that depends on how strong the connection is.”
A low rumble echoed from the distance, rolling through the mountains like a warning.
“And we need to wait out the storm,” Rex added. “It could interfere with the signal.”
The metal floor was even colder than the cave had been. They had managed to find some old blankets stuffed away in a cupboard, but they did little to keep the chill at bay.
Ahsoka and Rex settled in a corner, choosing a spot where neither wind nor rain could reach them directly through the shattered windows.
“Sleep first, Rex. I’ll take the first watch,” Ahsoka said, leaning against the wall with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
Rex mumbled a quiet, “Sir, yes sir,” before lying down, shifting in an attempt to get comfortable. He didn’t say it, but Ahsoka knew he was exhausted after practically carrying her up the mountain.
She turned back to the control panel, carefully opening the casing to get to the wires inside.
About an hour later, a noise tore her from her focus. She turned, startled, to see Rex shifting beneath his blanket, mumbling something incoherent. His expression was tense, his breaths uneven.
Concerned, Ahsoka made her way over, carefully shaking his shoulder.
“Rexter. Rex, come on, wake up! It’s just a bad dream.”
His eyes snapped open, wide with shock and confusion. He took a shaky breath, then ran a hand over his face.
“I’m sorry, Commander,” he muttered, shaking his head as if trying to rid himself of whatever he’d seen.
“It’s okay. It happens,” Ahsoka assured him, sitting down beside him. After a few moments of silence, she hesitated before asking, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Rex hesitated. “I had a similar one yesterday,” he admitted, voice quiet. “But that one was just… strange. This one was different.”
Ahsoka waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts.
“Last night, I dreamt about the orders,” he continued. “You know, our programmed protocols—decisions on what to do in different situations. I just kept running through them, over and over.”
His tone shifted, something uneasy creeping in. “But this time… I heard a voice. It was ordering me to kill all Jedi. I tried to fight it, tried to say no—but I couldn’t. No matter what I did, it kept repeating the same command.”
He fell silent.
Ahsoka didn’t know what to say. A chill ran down her spine, but she pushed it aside. Instead, she reached out, placing her hand over his in a quiet gesture of comfort.
“I know you’d never do that,” she said, her voice steady. “You’ve always had my back, Rex. You always will.”
He exhaled, shoulders loosening just slightly. “Thank you for your trust, Commander.”
Ahsoka smiled softly. “Just Ahsoka. We’re friends, right?”
Rex looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “Right… Ahsoka.”
She grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Maybe you just hit your head too hard in the crash.”
That earned her a small, tired chuckle.
As they changed shifts, Rex stayed sitting next to Ahsoka. The Jedi had curled up under her blanket, fast asleep, while the rain beat against the roof above them. Rex looked down at his hand, the one she had held earlier. It felt like he could still feel the warmth of her touch. It was strange, something he couldn’t quite explain. It was like something had shifted in him, but he wasn’t sure what.
The next morning, the storm had passed. Ahsoka wasted no time, immediately returning to the control panel. Using her comlink as a power source, she began tinkering again, trying to restore the communication system. After a few sparks and adjustments, the panel flickered to life.
“I did it, Rex!” she exclaimed, a victorious smile spreading across her face. Rex clapped appreciatively.
Finding the right channel was easier than she expected. It only took a few tries before she managed to lock onto a frequency used by Republic ships. The connection was weak, only allowing her to send a Morse code message, but it was enough.
The screen blinked and, after a brief moment, an answer came through: On my way, Snips.
A few hours later, the sound of an engine filled the air. A small ship descended toward the base, its silhouette becoming clearer as it approached. The hatch opened, and there, standing with an amused smile, was none other than Anakin Skywalker.
“What did you do this time?” Anakin asked, his tone light, though there was a clear relief in his eyes as he looked over both of them.
Ahsoka smirked. “I tried your way of landing myself.”
Anakin sighed dramatically. “You’re really lucky I always search for you.”
“I know,” she replied with a grin, her voice filled with gratitude.
With that, and with the help of Rex, Ahsoka made her way onto the ship. As it lifted off, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was going home—back to the Temple.