Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

74

Ahsoka sat next to Rex on the ash covered ground. They were silent for a long time. Quin was in the shuttle, making a call to Bo-Katan. Ahsoka spoke up into the quiet.

"Rex?"

He didn't answer. Just continued to stare blankly at the wreckage in front of him. Ahsoka sighed, shivering slightly and pressing closer to him. He didn't react. Hours passed. The sun began to set.

Ahsoka forced her stiff limbs to move, every injury making itself known as she stood and stretched. She ducked inside the shuttle and grabbed cloaks from her and Rex's pack.

Knelt in front of Rex to pull the cloak over his head and wrap it securely around him. His eyes were unfocused, seeing but not really. Dead eyes.

Ahsoka pressed a kiss to his cheek. Reaching out, she tried to feel for him through the force. Nothing. He had pulled back into the farthest corner of his mind. Ahsoka couldn't reach him. Not without forcing her way through his shields. She wasn't Caedus.

The fire still burned around them at a distance as the ship they once called home crumbled into nothing.

Quin brought a small hear unit out and got it started, the small light whirring to life and casting strange shadows over everything. He passed around dry ration bars and water.

He wouldn't touch it. The sun was almost fully down by now. Ahsoka sighed, crawling over in front of him.

"Rex, love, you have to eat." She whispered hoarsely. Rex didn't hear her. Didn't respond. She slumped a little and brought a bottle of water to his lips, tipping his head back slightly. Most of it ran down his chin, but he swallowed a few times on reflex. She set the bottle down and wiped away the water she had spilled.

Ahsoka wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to cry. She had no tears. After a minute, a gentle hand brushed her shoulder. It wasn't Rex's.

"General?" Quin said softly. Ahsoka's voice was tight as she pulled back from the shell of her husband.

"I don't deserve that title." She whispered. "Quintus, I killed my own men." She looked up at him, eyes wide with horror. "I killed them all."

Quin tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Look here, Ahsoka." He shook her a little, forcing her to look at him. "You did what you thought was best at the time. You managed to escape something that would have been a complete death trap mostly unharmed, as well as myself and your husband!" His face softened.

"You're not Krell. I know that you cared about every one of those men and did what you could. You managed to save one and put the rest out of the misery of the chip. I... I remember what it does now. Death to those men was a mercy than living with that thing in their heads." He tilted his head. "For what it's worth, I'd follow you into battle any day of the week."

Ahsoka hesitated, then surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck. Quintus returned the hug. She sat back and looked out over the burning wreckage.

"They deserve a proper burial. I'm not going to let my men lay forgotten in a burned out twisted hunk of metal." She said solemnly.

Quin cocked an eyebrow. "Now?"

Ahsoka shoved him. "Yes, in the pitch black and parts of the wreck still on fire. No! In the morning you dolt." The attempt at humor was hollow and brittle. He forced a smile.

"Alright. Good night, Ahsoka." Quintus. "Are you coming to the ship?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "I'm staying right where I am." She told him. Quin glanced between her and Rex then nodded, leaving tje couple alone.

Rex stared blankly at the lantern heater. Dead eyes. He looked so much like a corpse like this she couldn't stand it.

She kissed his unresponsive lips before trying to coax him to eat small parts of a ration bar. When that didn't work she tried to get as much water in him as she could. She didn't know how successful she was.

Ahsoka put her hands on each side of his face. Pressing her forehead against his, she tried to reach out to him. Pulling the force bond as wide as she could to try and feel him. Nothing. Not even a flicker.

She swallowed dryly and pressed gently at his shields. He gave no reaction. She touched the bond again. It wasn't near as strong as it had been. But at this close and how it had grown since reuniting? It was a stretch, at best. She tried anyways, pressing their heads together and concentrating hard.

Rex "Rex." She echoed her words aloud, projecting as much warmth and strength as she could through the bond and at his shields. She tried harder. Please. Come back to me. Rex please. Please don't do this. You can't leave like this. Come back, come back to me love. Please. REX PLEASE! "Please. Come back to me. Rex please. Please don't do this. You can't leave like this. Come back, come back to me love. Please. REX PLEASE!"

She collapsed on the ground in front of him, shaking from exertion and dry sobs that wracked her body. She curled into a ball, her head on his leg. "I miss you." She whispered pitifully. "Mhi cuyanir cejanr, Cyare. We survived the massacre, Beloved. You can't go now. Don't leave now." She jabbered, more to herself than him at this point. Rex didn't move.

Ahsoka lifted his arm and carefully draped it over her. She curled into his side, sitting up a bit and pulling both of their cloaks a little closer. She also pulled over the heat lamp so it was right next to them.

"Tomorrow will be better, Rex. Once I can give burial rights to our brothers, we can go. Onderon. You said we'll go to Onderon. Lux said we'd always have a safe haven there. We can figure this out from there." She rambled softly to herself. She kept rambling soft fantasies until she fell into the blackness of sleep.