Star Wars One Shots

A Choice - Jesse

Takes place during Season 7, Episode 12 'Victory and Death' so SPOILER ALERT! for if you haven't seen the episode, but of course it's a 'What if this happened instead' moment. Enjoy!

As the main hanger doors slowly rose, Jesse stood at attention with his men, tightening his grip on his blaster for a moment before running into the room with the men following behind him. They got into order into a line behind with Jesse standing at the front for moment, he glanced up at the control room that held Rex and Ahsoka. For a moment, he could feel his head hurting and wondered where he was exactly, he couldn't remember anything that happened over the last few hours. But as quick as that moment came, it went again.

Jesse turned toward his squadron, "Hold your position men. If they try to leave, they'll go through us"

From the control room, Rex stared momentarily at Jesse, the new Captain of the 501st. If this wasn't happening how it was, Rex would have been proud at his brother, but now all he could feel is disappointment that his brothers weren't able to think for themselves. He turned to Ahsoka, "So what do we do? Fight our way to the shuttle?"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes slightly as she tried to come up with an idea, she knew if they even tried to fight their way through the troopers, it would more than likely end badly for them. "There's too many of them" She sighed, pushing herself away from the control desk and turning to face her most trusted companion.

"Besides, I don't want to hurt them"

Rex frowned inside his helmet, she looked so sad and hurt that it might have to come to that. He was too, he never wanted to hurt any of his brothers, but they were out to get any remaining Jedi, and although Ahsoka was no longer with the Jedi Order, they still classed her as one. "I hate to tell you this" And he hated the thought of having to even say it. "But they don't care! This ship is going down and those soldiers, my brothers! Are willing to die and take you and me along with them!" Rex hadn't realised just how angry he had gotten; he felt his chest heaving up and down heavily with the pent up rage. He couldn't blame his brothers; they had been ordered to do this through that chip and had no control over it. But he was still angry that they were doing it.

Ahsoka stared at him, almost like she could see his face through his helmet, she could sense the pain and anger he was feeling towards his brothers, it was something she had never felt from Rex before or at least not this bad. She stared at him sadly, seeing his brave façade slowly fading as his body relaxed. Ahsoka stepped forward, closing the distance between them and raised her hand to gently rest on the side of his helmet, it was only for a moment before he pulled the helmet from his head. She could feel the own tears stinging at her eyes as she saw the tear rolling down Rex's cheek.

Rex looked away from her, not wanting to meet her eyes for her to see her cry, if she did he didn't know if he would be able to stop. It didn't surprise him when she put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"You're a good soldier Rex" Her words were soft, and it allowed him the smallest bit of comfort. "So is every one of those men down there. They may be willing to die" Rex turned his head back to her, seeing the conflict in her own eyes.

"But I'm not going to be the one who is going to kill them" Her words were absolute, and although she hadn't ordered him not to fight it, he found himself not wanting to. He didn't want to kill his brothers either. Rex looked at the ground for a moment, allowing himself this one moment of sadness before he had to turn into the good Commander that he was.

"So we're just going to surrender? Admit defeat? Is that it?" Rex shook his head, he couldn't imagine a worst feat, death being excluded.

"No" Ahsoka looked at the ground for a moment, ideas and plans still whirling in her head.