T/W: Ableism and derogatory names for disabled people.
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Ahsoka's up early the next morning- much to her surprise and everyone else's.
They do a few laps of the base, mostly in silence and at a slower speed than normal. Ahsoka tells him she can go faster, but Rex insists he's comfortable, so they stick to a gentle jogging pace.
By the time they finish their cardio, eat some vile porridge, and do the first set of physiotherapy exercises, the rebels and other Jedi are just waking up.
"You're up early, Snips," Anakin says through a yawn, barely awake.
"Lots to do today, Master!" Ahsoka calls back, hurrying backwards and forwards to help Rex get ready for the training session.
She feels optimistic today, like her prosthetic limb is no longer a dead weight on the rest of her body. Slipping off her back brace may also be contributing to her elevated mood, but she isn't going to admit that to Anakin.
It's supposed to stay on for at least another four weeks but taking it off for one day won't kill her.
Rex passes her some padded sparring mats which she drags into the centre of the camp, setting up a temporary ring.
"Good morning, Ahsoka," Lux says, on his way past with two cups of caf. She can only guess who the second one's for.
"Morning," she replies, throwing the mat to the ground which sends up a cloud of dust, "ready to test your hand-to-hand later?"
"I think our trip to Death Watch proved I'm not much of a fighter." He laughs before looking serious, "Are you going to be sparring or will your Masters be doing the demonstration?"
"I'll be doing it." She replies, slightly offended, "Rex and I spar together regularly."
"Oh, I see." She presses her lips together at his answer, "I just figured with your injuries and all-"
"I'll manage fine." She says, cutting him off.
Lux seems to realise his mistake and backtracks, "I'm sure you will, Ahsoka."
"Lux!" They turn to see Steela approaching, stretching her arms over her head, "You managed to sneak off this morning."
Ahsoka feels her jaw clench
They're sleeping together, or at least in the same tent.
She and Rex are too, but it's different. They're Captain and Commander, not rebel and politician.
Why does the thought of Lux and this woman being close make Ahsoka feel so horrible inside?
"I wanted to get some caf before it went cold," Lux passes Steela a mug, a doe-like look in his eyes, "I was just talking to Ahsoka about the sparring practise today."
"Oh," Steels turns her gaze to Ahsoka, her gaze automatically falling to Skipper, "don't you have a bit of an advantage with the metal leg? It'll hurt a hell of a lot to be kicked by that."
Ahsoka crosses her arms over her chest, "The only advantage I've got is years of training. Even if the prosthetic assists me, it shouldn't put you at a disadvantage. We're all on the same side, after all."
Steela's eyes flash, "This is our fight, Jedi, not yours."
Ahsoka holds her tongue when she wants to retort the obvious: don't ask for help if you aren't willing to accept it.
Instead, she watches Steela march away, and Lux gives her a look, "Don't take it personally; Steela's under a lot of stress. She only wants what's best for Onderon."
