The Lie (Captain Rex)

(V) - A Lost Echo

***

You and Anakin met up with Kit Fisto and Plo Koon on your trek down the halls, both of whom had bid Anakin good luck on his mission. You angled to reach the landing platform, where the special squad should have been waiting.

"I did mean to ask, Skywalker, why your Padawan Tano is not coming on this mission?" Master Fisto politely inquired.

"It's a dangerous mission," Anakin replied curtly. "Too dangerous. An infiltration of such a high-security prison would only be designated to fully-knighted Jedi, like myself and Obi-Wan; and high-ranking clones. Which is why we're bringing only ARCS, Captains, Commanders and Corporals from our legions."

"Hmm. I see," said Master Koon thoughtfully. "Well, then; I would be cautious if I were you, young Skywalker. Little 'soka has more than a few tricks up her sleeve. I doubt she would so easily accept rejection of this mission."

"Yeah, I know how much she wanted to come along," Anakin admitted. He flashed you a grin. "I feel bad, but this is truly too risky of a mission. I mean, Y/N isn't coming along, so between me and Obi-Wan, it's even, at least."

At the sound of your name, you cast him a sidelong glance. "It's fine. I've planned out a whole day of activities and training, to keep her company!" you said. Plo Koon gave a little approving 'hm'.

When you reached the landing platform of the Jedi temple, Obi-Wan, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, and a few select men from either legions were awaiting Anakin.

The only clones you could discern were Fives and Echo, mainly because you never saw one without the other; and a senior trooper called 'Longshot' with whom you'd had approximately one conversation--a long and tedious rant about the specifics of droid wiring that would hobble along for a few hours, before Longshot had passed out from either boredom or inebriation.

If he recognized you now, a year after that ordeal, he made no sign. If you took any offense to this, you refused to admit it. Longshot didn't really owe you anything, save for maybe a slug in the shoulder for ruining a perfectly good evening with your ramblings. Rex spotted you and waved you over with a shout.

"Hey! Over here, Y/N!"

Anakin moved off to discuss his plan with Obi-Wan and the 212th. As you made your way over to Captain Rex, you noticed that a few other clones had taken notice of you speaking to their Captain. You saw the little smiles and hushed murmurs ripple through them, and you also saw the way that they elbowed each other and smirked at you two. It didn't sit well with you.

"So, Captain," you addressed him in a breath, willfully ignoring the snickers from the others. He made a quick salute, and then paused for your answer. "Good luck with the mission?"

He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Don't act like what happened last night didn't happen," he said slowly.

"What? I'm not- I didn't say that-" you stammered, taken aback by his brashness..

What happened last night...you couldn't quite place what had happened last night. You didn't want to, because even touching on the thought filled you with a burning shamefulness that you couldn't even begin to describe to Rex. You'd acted so impulsively last night out of a combination of desire and raw desperation. You hated to think how disappointed Obi-Wan might be in you. But that wasn't all. You knew, deep in your heart, that your feelings towards him reached far deeper than superficial desire. You wanted more than just his body. You wanted his heart.

You didn't know it, but he felt the same way about you--except, while you'd fallen for him first, he'd fallen for you twice as hard. That was what he refused to admit.