((A/N: Spoiler alert for new season of Clone Wars))
Rex just finished making sure everything they needed was there and packed, including the shovel. He looked behind him and sighed. His eyes desperately wanting to turn and look away as though he could convince himself that this was all just a bad dream. He couldn't look away though. His eyes were fixated. Not on the mass graveyard they just finished digging, but the cloaked figure standing in front of it. He stared long and hard in what felt like forever. He wished it could be forever. He wished he could somehow freeze this moment in time.
Not because he wished to prolong the horror of what occurred or what he is bearing witness to, but to savor the last moment of safety he'll ever know. Even if the moment of safety was more of a façade than anything else. He took a deep breath and finally made his way towards the figure, helmet in hand.
Rex stood next to the figure and turned slightly towards them, casting his eyes away from the graves.
"Ahsoka...," he spoke softly.
Ahsoka glanced back at him, her facial expressions remained neutral, but her eyes gave away her true feelings.
"It's....it's probably time to go Ahsoka," he said defeatedly.
"I...I don't want to," Ahsoka whispered softly.
Ahsoka's gaze turned back to the graves of all the clones that died from the crash.
"I wish I could have done more for them," Ahsoka said mournfully.
Rex put his hand on her shoulder as a way to give her some comfort.
"You did everything you could. There wasn't anything you or I could have done," Rex said.
Ahsoka stayed silent, almost as a quiet objection.
Rex sighed with a downhearted expression painted on his features, "We have to leave Ahsoka. We can't stay here."
Ahsoka's eyes casted down towards the ground, "I know," she said dismally.
She looked back up at Rex, "Just a few more moments."
Rex nodded, "Alright, but not too much longer."
Ahsoka gave a small, grateful smile, "Thank you Rex."
Ahsoka's slight smile vanished when her eyes trailed back to the graves, reality pouring its way back in.
A few seconds or so of silence between the two passed as their eyes were glued to the graves. The graves of the clones, the soldiers, their friends, their family.
"I'm so sorry Rex," Ahsoka uttered so softly and broken that it was barely audible.
Rex turned to her quickly, "What? What do you mean?"
Ahsoka shook her head, refusing to look anywhere else, "It's my fault. It's all our fault. All of the Jedi. How could we not see it? How did we not find it? How did we not know about the chips? It doesn't make any sense. We could have done something. We...this could have been stopped."
"Ahsoka...", Rex began delicately, "It wasn't your fault, yours or the rest of the Jedi. Remember Maul said something about there being a Darth Sidious? If he truly was as powerful as Maul said he was, then maybe....maybe we didn't stand a chance."
Rex paused for a moment, "Look, Ahsoka, it wasn't your fault. Living in guilt isn't going to change or fix anything. You have to be strong....for them," he said gesturing to the graves.
Ahsoka barely nodded her head in response. Her eyes closed as she focused on her breathing.
"Ahsoka?"
