Ashes

6: Reflections

AHSOKA TANO

Rex's helmet clattered on the floor. Ahsoka could see his hands shaking, but why? What was going on?

Troopers came up behind Ahsoka, their blasters aimed at her back. She felt a gust of cool air wash over her, and she could sense nothing but pure evil radiating off of the clones.

"No!" Rex shouted at his men. "I'll do it." He picked up his pistols from the holotable in front of him.

Do what? Execute her?

She looked at Rex, her eyes wide. "Rex, what's happening?" She took a tentative step forward as she heard the unmistakeable sound of a safety click on the blasters behind her.

The clones were her friends. She'd grown up alongside them and fought by their sides for years. They bore her markings on their helmets out of respect for all she had gone through for them, so why were they now trying to kill her?

Rex turned to face her, his pistols aimed at her heart. She raised her arms slightly and gave him a quick once-over. His hands were shaking, and his eyes refused to focus while he fought back tears.

"Stay back!" he shouted.

It looked almost like he was fighting himself, or like he was fighting mind control. Now that would make more sense than the clones trying to kill her out of the blue. But who was controlling them? And why?

"Find him," he said to Ahsoka, shaking his head frantically. "Find him... Fives." Rex had briefly told her about what happened to Fives. Not long after she left the Order, he was caught up in a conspiracy involving the Chancellor and the clones. She didn't quite understand the details, as Rex wasn't really sure what Fives was talking about, but maybe there was something more there that Rex wanted her to know.

"Find him!" he repeated, his voice louder. "FIVES!"

Rex fired.

Ahsoka woke up in a cold sweat, her heart racing. She breathed heavily, the monitor with her heartbeat beeping frantically beside her. Her hand flew to her chest, where Rex's bullet would've pierced her heart had she not jumped out of the way in time.

A flock of nurses came running in to her room. They relaxed a little when they saw that she was awake, but they still moved quickly in checking her vitals and fluid levels.

"Are you okay?" one of them asked frantically before injecting her with something. Whatever it was, the effect was immediate. Her heart rate slowed, and she laid back down on the bed.

"I'm fine. Just another stupid nightmare."

The nurse nodded. "Nothing hurts?"

"No, I'm fine."

The nurse took a few steps backward. "Okay, but I just want to make sure you didn't open any stitches or anything."

After a few minutes, Ahsoka felt Lux's presence enter the room. He sat down beside her and dismissed the nurse. He was still in his pajamas, and his hair was an absolute mess.

"Sorry they woke you up," Ahsoka said to him. It had to be the middle of the night by now, and she knew he had a busy day ahead of him. There was no need for him to concern himself with her bad dreams.

"I'm glad they did. Are you okay?" His voice was calm and comforting, almost allowing Ahsoka to forget about everything he had done to her. Almost.