His Last Dawn- Rexsoka

Chapter. 6

Day 2:

Life Count: 97

Rex:

Rex's body went numb.

He was just told that he was going to die. But the only thing that truly made him afraid was the heartbreaking look on Ashoka's face as her big blue eyes filled with tears. He knelt down next to where she was laying and took her hand in his, cupping her face to look at him, a single tear falling down her face.

"Ashoka, don't be sad." Rex wiped the tear from her face. "This is what I was born to do. I was born to die."

"I- I know," Ashoka's voice, usually so steady, was shaking as was the rest of her body. "But I can't see you die, not now, not ever. I..."

"I know, Ashoka." Rex pulled her to his chest and held her close as her body wracked with sobs.

"I know."

~

Day 2:

Life Count: 90

Rex:

Rex hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he felt someone shaking him gently.

"Rex, wake up." Ashoka's blue eyes stared down at him with her face filled with raw grief. "A new life count just came in."

"No, Ashoka," Rex's heart filled with dread as he remembered who was still in The Massacre. "Not-"

"It's not Anakin," Ashoka's voice broke. "It's Master Plo and the Wolfpack."

Rex put his head in his hands as he felt Ashoka's warm arms wrap around him.

"All this death..." he murmured. "And for what? What is the point of this?"

"I don't know," Ashoka whispered. "I just want this to be over, Rex. I just want to go home."

"But I don't want you to die Ashoka," Rex looked up at her grabbing her hands in his. "Ashoka, promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll keep going." Rex's voice was slightly shaky but he pushed through. "When I die, promise me you'll keep on going."

"Rex don't say that," Ashoka's voice was filled with a mixture of fear and anger. "You-"

"Ashoka, you know that I'm going to die." Rex looked at her, his face impassive. "Denying it won't make that reality go away."

"Rex..." Ashoka buried her face in his chest and he rested his chin on her head. "I'm scared... for today, and what might happen tomorrow."

"It's okay to be afraid, Ashoka." Rex kissed the top of her head as her breaths became steady and her eyes closed. "I'll be here for you."

~

Night 2:

Life Count: 70

Ashoka Tano:

"Rex!"

She jolted awake on the stone slab, her body cold from the lack of Rex's warmth, a light rain pattering against the top of the cave. The sky outside was pitch black studded with little stars, and she felt her wristcom jump a little. She tapped the screen and a blue hologram sprang to life, showing little blue words: Life Count: 70. She pressed the screen again and a list of names came up. She flicked through the names, dread coursing through her as she tried to recognize anyone.

"Who's dead?" She asked, thinking Rex was still in the cave.

No one answered her.

"Rex?"

Still no one.

She sighed and lay back down, trying to feel her head for a fever and finding none. Apparently her fever had broken while she was asleep. The light pattering of rain was rhythmic and soothing, and she felt her eyes growing heavy.

'Don't go to sleep...'

Too late.

~

All she could see was his eyes.

His amber orbs were filled with terror as he looked to her. She felt a hand grab her shoulder and turned to see a shadowy figure throw her against a tree, knocking the wind out of her and pinning her to the tree. Ashoka could nothing for a second, then the dreams faded and a collection of images replaced them.

Rex, a red blade, Ashoka, screams, some of them her's some of them his, orange eyes, blue eyes, amber eyes. And Rex, with a wound in his chest, laying on the grass, his eyes glassed over, his chest still.

Rex was going to die.

And there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

~

Her eyes flashed open and her hand closed on nothing.

"Rex!"

She glanced around the cave, searching for the outline of Rex among the shadows, and thoughts raced through her head.

'What if he's captured? What if he's dead and I never got to say goodbye? What if he left me?' Ashoka smacked her forehead in frustration.

She played with the end of her lekki and tried to wash herself in the rain outside, but all it did was make her cold. She sat back down on the stone shelf, her head in her hands, wondering when Rex would come back. All of a sudden, she heard a crack, and a bolt of lightning illuminated a figure standing at the front of the cave, rain and something else plastering his skin to his body.

"Rex!" Ashoka gave a cry of relief and ran over to him.

"Ashoka," he mumbled and she slid to a stop next to him.

She looked at his face. Something was different about him; his eyes were all glassy, his hands were trembling and the rain running down his body in rivulets was... red?

"Rex?" Ashoka whispered.

Rex looked at her, his eyes filling with compassion with for the briefest second, then his mouth opened in a silent gasp.

"Rex?" Ashoka's voice broke.

His body hit the cave floor with a thud and Rex lay motionless, a pool of blood around him with a knife stuck in his back.