After Orders

Town

Rex had fallen asleep.

He cursed himself for it, but knew that it would do little good to regret it. The hum of Ahsoka's lightsabers had awoken him, panicked him, ignited that age-old 'protect' chant in his mind.

She was half-crouched, red skin gleaming in the light of her white lightsabers, and there was a snarl twisting her face, darker than anything Rex had ever seen on her before. "Let. Him. Go."

The blaster pointed down at him didn't waver, the man smiling. Rex kept his eyes half-closed. If the man thought he was asleep, then perhaps he could have the element of surprise.

"Never. You're a Jedi. He's a clone. His kind are out to murder you."

Slowly, Ahsoka seemed to relax. "You... he's not an enemy. He protected me."

"Why, I wonder?" The man snarled.

"They had chips in their mind. They were forced to kill," Ahsoka said. Rex silently groaned. It was dangerous enough that this man knew their secret. But they couldn't share too much. "Let him go."

"No."

"Why?"

"Do you know the bounty on the heads of Jedi?"

"I've taken down entire droid battalions. You're a fool."

"Not with his life on the line."

Rex closed his eyes. Ahsoka couldn't... she had to protect herself. But he knew better. She was, after all, a Jedi.

If he could just swing around enough to kick the man's legs out from under him without that rusted blaster being set off.

He glanced at Ahsoka. She noticed his eyes open, meeting his gaze with a tiny nod.

One.

Two.

Three.

Ahsoka's hand shot out, grabbing the blaster through the force at the same moment Rex rolled. The blaster went off, wood splinters flying as it burned through the floor.

Rex rolled onto his feet and grabbed his blaster, slamming it up against the man's throat, finger on the trigger.

"Rex!" Ahsoka stepped up behind him. "Don't."

He wasn't going to kill the man, and she should know that. Know him well enough to know that. "He was going to kill you, Ahsoka. And me!"

"He's just trying to survive. We're all just trying to survive."

The man laughed bitterly. "Aye. The world's crumbling around us, child-jedi, each power balancing on a fulcrum, ready to tip. Kill me if you will, but they'll still get you. They'll comb all these mountain ranges and kill you."

Rex growled at the man. He was seeing double, his headache growing worse, but he tried to ignore it. He had to be strong, for Ahsoka. "We should get out of here."

She nodded, the commander back in her, shoulders back. "Yes. Tie him up; someone will find him. I'll gather our things."

Rex set about restraining the man, tying his arms tightly behind him and then to the wall. Ahsoka gathered their bundle, as well as some of the man's bread and a fire starter. "Hey!" The man protested. "Those are mine!"

"As you said. The imperials will be here soon. I'm sure they'll take care of you." Rex gave him a glare and picked up the small pack, ignoring the spike of pain through his skull as he bent over#.

The man snarled. Ahsoka glanced at him, looking unimpressed. "Come on, Rex. Let's leave."

Rex nodded, taking the man's blaster and putting it in his spare holster. The man struggled against the ropes around his wrists, but Rex had tied them tightly. He'd learned knots from too many of Fives' pranks—usually he was the one tied up, though.

Thinking about his brothers hurt. Losing Fives was like getting a knife to the chest. The 501st had been so vastly different afterwards. But he was almost glad Fives was gone before...

Before the end.

There had to be others. Others they could save. They'd need a med droid, somewhere sterile, and a way to get his brothers there without injuring them. To remove the chips.

Unless it had worn off by now. Maybe the chips only acted for a while. But no... the one behind it all wouldn't be stupid as that.

He had to protect Ahsoka. At all costs.

Ahsoka shoved open the door, breaking him from his thoughts. The cold wind and snow gushed into the room, blurring Rex's vision. He hurried over to Ahsoka's side, taking one of the blanket-wrapped bundles from her and throwing it over his shoulder. He took her elbow in a hand, somewhat tentatively, guiding her through the knee-deep snow.

She glanced at him, a little smile twisting her rust-red lips. "Thanks, Rex."

"You're welcome, Commander."

"Ahsoka. Call me Ahsoka."

"I think that you should... change your name. We both should." He had to shout a little against the wind.

She nodded. "I'll think about it!"

They fell into silence, the wind too loud to speak.

*

They didn't rest more than once the following day. Rex's stomach clenched with hunger, a pain he was used to. It reminded him of some battles against the separatists that had gone on for longer than a day. If you were lucky, backup came and you could spend ten minutes catching your breath and grabbing some food. As a captain, he was rarely so lucky. His men counted on him to give them orders and guide them.

Or had counted on him.

But Ahsoka was counting on him now.

He needed the call in the back of his mind, the constant chant that had been with him ever since he could remember--and maybe before. Being a toddler with Cody in the training facility, when the other clone had been knocked down by a group of bullying older ones. He'd leapt to his feet and beaten off the bullies just long enough so that he could take care of Cody--make sure his friend was alright. He didn't like the fighting, like some. There was just that noise in his mind.

The constant chant of protect.

He knew nothing else.

"Obi-Wan was on Utapau," Ahsoka said. The storm was calming down; they could talk now. "We could go looking for him."

"Can you..." Rex hesitated to mention anything concerning the force, the mystical and strange thing. He didn't know how it worked. "Can you feel him?"

Ahsoka looked away, shaking her head. "Um... I could... try, I guess. I just-"

"It's fine," Rex said quickly. "You don't have to."

"A town," Ahsoka changed the subject in half a second. "Up ahead; see the lights?"

Rex peered through the snow. Lights glimmered against it like fallen stars, and Rex breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. Let's head down there."

Ahsoka put a hand on his arm. "We have to be careful. You're a clone and I'm..."

She didn't seem to want to say it.

Rex nodded. "Hide your lightsabers. There's not much I can do for my armor, but maybe down there we can buy some new clothes and food. You go ahead first, I'll follow. It's safer if we're apart."

Ahsoka nodded, then paused. Her lovely blue eyes glimmered in the low light. "Be safe, Rex."

"I will."

Then she disappeared into the snow.

A/N Heeey sorry it's been so long and for the short chapter! Life, ya know? 

Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy! Let me know if you do, and what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters1