TCW FebuWhump Prompts

Out Of Respect, Or Out of Love? Why Not Both

Day 22 prompt: burned

Ahsoka turned around as she deflected red bolts, protecting the five-oh-first behind her. The force rushed through her veins, her adrenaline powering her energy, her quick movements making her a green blur on the battlefield. She rushed towards a droid and cut through it, returning the salute the shiny gave her in thanks with a fierce smile.

As the commander ran ahead to slash through more B1-battle droids, the force suddenly screeched in danger.

"Commander!" 

She turned around just in time for her to be knocked down as she was pushed away, sending her falling backward a few feet. She let out an 'oof' as her body landed on the floor, her eyes blinking at the blue sky, grey smoke billowing upwards, her back lekku slightly throbbing from the fall. Her lightsaber fell from her grip, resting several inches away from her hand.

Smoke. Why is there so much of it?

White flames licked at her periphery and she turned her head towards the source, her vision coming in contact with the red and orange fire. She squinted as she felt a sharp cry of pain through the force and a silhouette of a down soldier, startling herself out of her stupor, her eyes widening as she immediately summoned her saber to her.

"Trooper!"

She hauled herself up and winced as she steadied herself, her only goal on rescuing the soldier who was still in the fire that was quickly dying down.

She immediately entered the site, the burnt shrapnel surrounding her and sending off ripples of heat. It wasn't long before she found what was she was looking for, the blue of the five-oh-first standing out in the destruction.  

"Rex? Rex!"

There he was, his body laying on the side. His head was unmoving, his arms limply outstretched on both sides of him. Some parts of his plastoid dark from being burned, the scratched up pieces a future reminder of what was currently happening, lest Rex paints over it. She rushed to his side, moving his body so she could see him better, feeling his quick heartbeat under her fingers.

He was alive.

She didn't remove his helmet, knowing that his air filter was giving him clean oxygen, definitely cleaner than what she was breathing in. His armor was hot to the touch, but that wasn't what she was focused on as she looked down at what was left of his leg armor, a hand instinctively covering her mouth in horror. His leg was mangled, blood seeping into the ground and small plastoid pieces embedded into his skin. She quickly listed off options in her head as she made her decision for her next step.

Remove the armor? Get him to a safer place? Call Kix or Coric?

Ahsoka flipped her communicator to the medic's channel, praying to the force that static didn't answer it. She almost cried out in relief as she heard the sounds of gunfire on the other side, running footsteps audible through the device. She immediately went straight to the point.

"Kix! Rex's been caught in a fire!"

His calm voice came in and she immediately relaxed minutely as he guided her through the beginning procedures.

"I'm on my way, commander. Make sure you don't take out anything sticking to his skin; if you can, cool him down as much as possible."

The channel closed out and she looked at Rex's visor, just glad that he wasn't awake to feel the pain.

"Oh Rex, why did you do that?" She whispered, holding his hand in hers.

He had pushed her out of the way to save her, and she wasn't fast enough to sense it, putting him in danger. The least she could do was make him as comfortable as she could.

She placed moved her hand onto his leg, closing her eyes as she reached out through the force, pulling her own presence towards Rex's aura. His mind was in chaos, fighting to get back to the fight, to get back to the battlefield, and she sent calming waves as she felt spikes of pain run through her. She could feel Rex's tense leg relaxed under her grip, and she continued projecting waves of tranquility at him.

As she opened her eyes, feeling Kix settle down in front of her, time blurred as Rex was taken into the medbay, the curtains shutting. She turned around, walking through the empty battlefield. His unconscious face was a reminder of her failure.

He had gotten hurt because of her. Because she wasn't attentive. Because she didn't pay attention. If he kept all his limbs, it would've been a stroke of luck by the force, and she prayed that it would come true. she had drilled into her men so many times that they weren't to use their lives just to save hers, but she knew they wouldn't be able to obey that, the training already drilled in them.

What she didn't know was that Rex would sacrifice himself any day for her, not just out of a clone's duty.

~

He did, walking in crutches for several weeks, but she couldn't bear to look him in the eye, only doing it when she thanked him and scurried away before he could say anything, leaving him confused as he stared after her shrinking figure.

He was quick to catch on her guilt after several hints by Kix, and was adamant on changing her mind, stopping her in the middle of the hallway.

It had ended with tears and spilled emotions, both at least they were both okay. 

Didn't like it but here you go