Captain Rex: Never a Time

Chapter 2: Fun Times in War Time

It was a stupid question. Anyone with a brain wanted to take General Grievous out. And anyone with a lightsaber especially. His history of Jedi killings rippled through the Temple, like a cold breeze always on our necks. Every Jedi had it in their heart to take him out. Mine especially.

Anakin had been tracking him from system to system. After destroying the Separatist's secret weapon, the Malevolence, he managed to slither away once again. Ahsoka had been transferred to Master Luminara Unduli's care to help with the transfer of Viceroy Gunray. It was good for the young one to experience different Jedi masters. I just hoped everything would go smoothly.

Anakin, Rex, and I hunched over a holo-map of a system we suspected General Grievous could be in, but there wasn't much to go on. Anakin rubbed his eyes and Rex rubbed his neck. How long had we been sitting here? When did we last eat or sleep? I decided to lighten the mood and offer a little break.

"The best way to figure something out is to fuel your brain. Let's get some food and take a little break."

"I'm gonna skip the grub and go to my room for a little." I knew exactly what Anakin meant. He and I grew up together, and it wasn't until we were friends for a couple years that he confessed his love for Padme Amidala. This was shunned in the Jedi Order, but seeing how much she meant to him, you decided to let it go. You never thought it would progress past a crush. It wasn't until just almost a year ago that he told you about their marriage. You were shocked at first, but now it was almost natural. Now things like this didn't even faze you.

"Alright, come on Rex, let's go." Rex got up and stretched followed by a yawn. We started down the corridors to the mess hall.

"After this you should get some rest," I told Rex.

"No, I'll be alright. I'm used to this stuff. Plus, I still have reports to do."

We ate in a nearly empty room. We talked a few times back and forth, but exhaustion weighed on our shoulders. After eating I could barely keep my eyes open. I noticed Rex was the same way.

"Rex, I'm sure your reports can wait. They won't be as good if you force them."

"You're right, I just like having them done by a certain period. I feel like I lose details after a while."

"Well, if you're staying up, I am too." He opened his mouth to object, but I held up my hand. "No objections." I decided the best way to stay awake was to practice fighting. It had been a while since I was able to get any practice in and going into a battle rusty didn't sound like a good idea. "Come on, we'll pick up your tablet on the way." I had been on the cruiser for a while now, and I had met most of the Clone troopers. Though they all looked the same, they were all different. Their presence in the Force was vastly different, but their personalities is really what set them apart. The cruiser was starting to feel more like home. Any uncomfortableness in the beginning had faded away.

We got Rex's tablet and walked into the sparring room. There were a few dummies lined on one wall, a few punching bags, and various other workout equipment circling the room. In the middle was a mat for sparring. Rex plopped onto the floor and put his back against the wall. I pulled my hair back and started stretching. Over the time I had been here, Rex and I had grown to enjoy each other's company. Whether it was getting food together or planning for the next battle. Where one went, the other was right beside them. We never really discussed why we did it, but it was a familiar feeling.

I sat in the middle of the mat and began meditating. Centering one's self was essential in fighting. You can't just go into a battle and start swinging chaotically, you must have balance. I could hear Rex tapping on his tablet quietly, a soothing background noise. After time had passed and I felt rebalanced, I stood. I finished some more stretches and warm-ups. This woke me up quick and now, I just wanted to punch something. I made my way over to a dummy and started with basic hits, focusing on my form and ensuring that even though I was rusty, I still had basic forms down. This went on for quite a while. After that, I went into more complicated kicks, twists, hits, getting my whole body involved. I felt the blood flow through me, the Force with me, my heart pounding, but the tapping in the background had stopped. When did it stop? I stopped sparring and turned to face Rex. He was asleep. I chuckled. All the fight had left my body. I walked over to his gentle figure. He had taken his armor off at some point. It was probably uncomfortable, and he only had his blacks on. I gently took the tablet from his hands and made sure to save where he had left off. I looked over his face. His lines had softened, he no longer looked the serious Captain he was, more like a tired man just wanting a break from it all. My heart pained. He had known war his whole life, lived it. When did he ever get a break?