That won't happen to you

Chapter 38

Lou pulled Ahsoka's arm to drag her behind Rex. But Rex suddenly stopped.

"Leave it," he said to Lou. "She's going the right way."

With that, he walked down the very corridor Ahsoka had walked before.

Lou looked at him in confusion. "I wanted to see if she still remembered the way. She has walked it a thousand times," he said quietly to Lou.

Ahsoka wasn't listening. She looked at the white corridors very carefully, even if there was not much to discover.

But Rex noticed how her gaze flew to the very places she knew.

The air shaft grate behind which lay an old stuffed animal. It was hard to believe, but Ahsoka was extremely attached to the thing. She had chased Rex all over the ship when he found it.

The wall paneling that could be removed, behind which she had made a little retreat for herself with the help of some discarded blankets and pillows between the cables.

The place where they had painted a picture. It had been Ahsoka's idea. She had 'accidentally' messed up her technical exercises on the cleaning droid that had dared to wipe it away.

And finally, of course, the place where countless handprints were. Ahsoka and Rex had learned from their mistakes and got waterproof paint. Then each of the 501. had left a blue handprint.

But Lou could see the latter, too. She walked toward the wall, still wrapping an arm protectively around Ahsoka.

Ahsoka looked closely at the wall, studying every inch, but continued to hold onto Lou.

Something that stung Rex's heart. Not that he disliked the strange teenager.

But it hurt him to see that his little sister was so insecure.

She was on the Resolute. She didn't feel safe, secure and comfortable in her home.

That she was insecure and always looked to someone first to reassure herself.

He didn't know her like that. His commander, his little one, she was brave and strong. Self-confident and stubborn.

What had they done to her to make that out of her.

How could someone do this to her?! She was just a child.

Even if she was one that could take out an opponent within seconds.

And the most important question: how could he help her to become herself again?

Of course he would not abandon her if she could not recover. None of the guys would.

But still. There had to be a way to help her.

Lou thought similarly.

She didn't know Ahsoka as well as Rex did, but she knew of the young Togruta's fighting spirit.

The incredible stubbornness that had given Lou her freedom.

And the caring, the compassion in that young heart. The good.

Ahsoka, meanwhile, placed her hand on the wall.

Exactly on the imprint that was made of her hand all that time ago.

And even though she was already called that again.

At that moment, she took on the name Ahsoka again.