Star Wars the Clone Wars - One shots

Aching lungs, broken heart

Aching lungs, broken heart: Rex didn't just lose his Commander when Ahsoka left the Jedi Order, he lost his best friend too.

T/W: Themes of suicide and self-harm

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Rex couldn't bring himself to watch the trial.

He knew he ought to. It would be the best thing he could do for Ahsoka, as a comrade and her Captain, but he simply couldn't go through the motions of connecting to the stream on his datapad.

The other men in the 501st were watching it in the common room as he trudged through some reports that had been collecting dust on his desk. He told himself that the trial would fall in Ahsoka's favour anyway, despite Skywalker not yet having any evidence of who could've been behind the crimes, but Rex knew it couldn't have been his Commander.

He expected her to bounce into the barracks soon enough, all smiles and tears as she was reunited with her men. He knew that Fives bought cake, and Jesse smuggled alcohol inside the compound.

They would celebrate into the night, and when the others had bunked down, he would console Ahsoka for the hell she had been put through.

But she never came.

He lifted his head, noticing on the chrono that it had been three hours since her trial was due to begin. It couldn't be taking this long, could it? Skywalker would've surely called him by now if something drastic had happened.

Nervously, Rex typed her name into the HoloNet. A million and something results flashed across his screen, different translations of every Republic victory the girl had been a part of now tainted by this terrorism accusation.

It made Rex's stomach tighten when he read that it was one of Ahsoka's very closest friends who set her up.

It didn't explain why Ahsoka hadn't visited the barracks yet. Skywalker would likely encourage her to see her men as soon as she was reinstated in the Order. Besides himself, he knew the only person who would be able to comfort her was their Captain.

When Rex left his office, datapad in hand, he was met with the worried stares of his brothers. In the middle of the barracks, General Kenobi was stood beside Cody. Tiredness and stress marked the Jedi's usually calm and collected expression, and Cody was avoiding his eyes.

"What's going on?" Rex asked, and nausea rolled up his throat as Kenobi took a moment to answer.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, Comman- Ahsoka was proven innocent at her trial this afternoon." He started, "Despite being offered to re-join the Jedi Order and be reinstated at General Skywalker's side, Ahsoka has made the ultimate decision to leave the Temple."

Rex stared. It was all he could do as those words rolled around his head.

She had left?

The brightest light the universe had to offer had left them?

All eyes turned back to him. Kenobi and Cody looked distraught, like this conversation physically pained them. Rex couldn't tell the exact emotions of his men, too busy sifting through his own.

He had a million questions to ask. Why wasn't it General Skywalker telling them is? Why wasn't Ahsoka telling them this? He- He could try to persuade her. Hadn't Skywalker or Kenobi tried to persuade her? How was he supposed to say goodbye if she wasn't here?

"You let her leave, sir?"

Kenobi blinked at the bitterness of Rex's question, though he composed himself quickly, tilting his chin upwards in some righteous way. "Yes, Captain. I couldn't force her to stay."