I'M WEAK [✓]

Part Two: Talk

"Excuse me, General Raja, can I have a word with you for a moment, please?" Athena heard as she turned from Anakin and saw Rex approach her. He had a look of curiosity and eagerness, though Athena couldn't see it through the black visor, but she could sense he had a lot of questions.

"Of course, Captain. Come walk with me." Rex nodded, the two of them walking away and towards a hallway that had few troopers walked through. Athena constantly looked up at Rex, her words caught in her throat trying to speak up, but they didn't come out. However, Rex looked down at her and hesitantly spoke, "I have a question, sir."

"Ask away."

"Was everything that you said back there true?" Rex asked, the two stopping in their tracks as he awaited her answer. Athena looked at Rex, staring at his black visor with her piercing blue eyes. "I want to see your face, Captain."

Rex was hesitant at first, but now that Athena was his commanding officer, he couldn't refuse an order. Rex quickly took of his helmet, Athena meeting the caramel eyes of the blonde buzzed-cut man. "There's not much to see, sir. I look like every other clone in this base."

"Not to me." Athena fired back, crossing her arms. "Captain Rex, I look at you as men. Not lab rats. Not clones. I look at you as men. You all may share the same face, but you're different from one another. Each one of you are an individual. And I wanted to see the face of a man, not a clone. A soldier who I will be glad to fight alongside, not just me shouting orders for you to follow. A man who I hope can trust me, as can all the other men in here, not look at me weirdly for who I am."

Rex looked away for a moment, Athena sighing knowing that it was too early to try and gain someone's trust. Athena went to excuse herself when Rex hesitantly threw his arm out to stop her.

"I..I want to trust your word, sir, but I'm just not sure how.." Rex began as he moved his arm away. Athena sighed before she looked down at her feet. "You know, Captain, everything I did say back there was true. My Nightsisters had died chasing a dream. A dream that the galaxy will become peaceful again. I belief strongly in this. That's why I became a Jedi. That's why Master Mace Windu took me in and trained me under his wing. He knew my beliefs regardless of what I was. And you can't blame a 8 year old child for wanting peace when all around her, her sisters were dying because of the Separatists. Because of how they're infecting us. So, when I said I would protect you the best I can, I meant that. I meant that because I couldn't save my sisters, but I could save you guys." Athena blurted, Rex taking in her speech word by word. Was this truly how she felt? Was she trying to make up for what happened to her sisters?

So many questions roamed his mind, but that was interrupted by the PA calling for him and Athena to the debriefing room. "Guess we better head there."

"I'll show you where it is, sir." Rex said while throwing his helmet back on and soon enough, they walked side by side in dreadful silence to the debriefing room.