ɪᴛ's ᴏᴋᴀʏ... [ᴇɴɢʟɪsʜ ✓]

06. Not Here and not Now

Ahsoka might have seemed calm, but she would have liked to punch Master Windu in the face. At least she could have kicked him in the shins once.

She felt her friend's penetrating gaze on her and raised her head to look him in the chocolate brown eyes.

"How, how could you remain so calm? He openly insulted you!"

Rex forgot all formality at that moment, and also that his brothers could probably hear him. This made the girl in front of him smile.

She sighed. "I gave up trying to elicit any kindness from this person a while ago. And I don't really care about him. I just don't want any trouble, and I certainly don't want to give him the satisfaction of making me look weak."

Rex was sympathetic. He knew how she must feel, for he felt similarly. Due to the fact that General Windu disliked Anakin, he was immediately prejudiced against the Captain and his Padawan, after they also liked to act like Skywalker once in a while.

The other council members didn't always agree with Anakin's actions either, let alone his self-imposed orders. But Mace especially had it in for him.

Suddenly, the slight smile vanished from Ahsoka's face and was replaced by a pained whimper from her.

Her body winced, her eyes turned upwards and she slid to the floor as Rex grabbed her arms and gently tried to sit her down.

"Hey, Kid, you okay?" Of course he knew she wasn't okay. But the question crossed his lips before he could have thought about it.

Ahsoka struggled not to drift off into unknown worlds on the spot. But then she might never have made it back to Tsheilash.

Her gaze was on the floor through nearly closed eyes until Rex moved her lightly by the shoulder.

"Ahsoka, can you hear me?" he asked with palpable concern.

She couldn't get a word out, the pain flooding her body was too strong for that. A barely discernible nod, however, was enough for the clone.

Then he turned to the wound. The scab had burst open again, blood washing the crumbled pieces over Ahsoka's leg onto the floor. He desperately needed to dress it.

Searching desperately, his hand meanwhile pressed to the stream of blood, he looked around but didn't quite know what he could have bandaged it with.

The girl felt him kneel in front of her, distraught, and put both hands on her left leg, over which red fluid continued to run. Rex felt like he could cry.

Then, with a jerk, the fabric of her leggings tore. It wasn't the best bandage, but it was enough to at least stem the bleeding somewhat.

Ahsoka began to wrap the dark piece of fabric around her stomach, Rex interrupted her movement and took it in his own hand.

Gently, he slipped the last part under the rest of the bandage at the end. "Sorry" he whispered as she contorted her face painfully.

"It's okay" Again she smiled.

Rex really admired this girl. She was in pain to the point of cracking up, not a good chance of surviving the battle if she had to fight, and yet she gave him a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Rex."

She made another effort to stand up. Rex did not like this at all. His hands pushed her down slightly by the shoulders as she looked up at him.

"Rex, I'm not just going to sit here all the time."

Of course she wasn't. He hadn't doubted that for a second. That was why he held her to the floor. Her voice had lost further strength, even her skin looked a bit paler than before.

"Commander, you must take it easy," he evaded her indirect request to let her stand up.

She took his hands from her shoulders. "I will rest. But not here and not now," she said firmly.

As miserable as she was, as blurred as her vision was and as wobbly as she was on her feet, she still had to clear it with Master Windu. She didn't want to hurt any of her brothers because of her condition.

Rex conceded defeat. An argument would only further sap her strength and in the end she'd do it anyway if he wasn't careful all the way through.

And he was prevented from doing that by Fives alone calling his name. Ahsoka nodded in Fives' direction, indicating to the clone to see what his brother wanted from him.

Rex finally left, not without looking back at the injured Togruta. Then his attention briefly turned to Fives and Echo.