Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 4): Hidden

Chapter 18: A Shocking Reunification

LYDA RAN

She wasn't sure what Rex was going to do to her. A number of possibilities flashed through her head as he pulled her into the alley, ranging from killing her as any other clone would do, to giving her a hug.

Eventually, they stopped, and they both panting.

Lyda noticed that Rex looked ever so slightly different than from when she last saw him. For one, he had grown out his thin layer of blonde hair ever so slightly. Also, he was wearing a vest, something she never imagined she'd see him wear.

It also appeared he had some sort of scar on the upper-left of his forehead.

"L-Lyda..." Rex panted, "Y-you survived..."

"I could say the same about you," Lyda replied. "I-I thought you were gone! Why didn't you come back!?"

"The Empire," Rex explained "that's why."

"Y-you're not going to shoot me?" Lyda asked.

"Why would I?" Rex said. "The moment I heard that the clones betrayed the Jedi... well, a while back, just after Commander Tano left the Order, there was this incident on Kamino, and Fives found out we have chips in our heads, and... He was silenced and killed, by none other than one of his own brothers."

"Fox?" Lyda said. She hadn't been the most fond of him, especially after he had quickly jumped to the conclusion that Ahsoka was a terrorist after she was framed.

"Yeah," Rex continued. "I never knew if those chips served some sort of purpose that we didn't understand. Until the news came, that is. I immediately went to get mine removed. Took the medical droids and surgeons a good while to find it, but they managed to get it and pull it out."

So that's why they betrayed us, Lyda thought, her mind filled with various emotions.

"So you're not going to betray me?" Lyda asked.

"Lyda, why would I ever? I... I... after I survived that battle... I was just about to come back, and if I had done so any sooner, I... I would have tried to kill the Jedi, my friends. Maybe I'd even have tried to kill you. The thought terrifies me..."

Rex looked like he was holding back tears.

"W-wow..." Lyda said, "I... just wait until Ahsoka hears you're okay..."

Rex's eyes widened.

"You've been in contact with Commander Tano!?" Rex exclaimed.

"Actually, it would be General Tano now," Lyda said. "Actually, more like General Tano-Bonteri."

Rex looked a little confused.

"Oh, Rex," she continued, "clearly I have so much I have to tell you. When the Temple was under siege, Ahsoka came out of nowhere and saved me. In fact, she saved a lot of us, and took us into hiding in the Unknown Regions. She met up with Yoda and Kenobi, and they knighted her and made her the new Grand Master so she could watch over the group of Jedi survivors. And that's why I'm here, because she sent me on a mission to find a force-sensitive child."

"Well," Rex said, "that explains the 'General,' but not the 'Tano-Bonteri.'"

"That's it's own story," Lyda continued. "It turns out she had been hiding on Onderon with Senator Bonteri after she left the Order. She also told me something about being abducted by Grievous and stealing his starfighter to escape. Somewhere along the way, probably before she even left the Order, she developed feelings for Lux. Feelings that, no matter how hard they tried, they could not keep subtle in front of us. So Ahsoka just had to come out and unbanned attachments, and of course, since I was her best friend out of all the survivors, she turns to me to be the one to marry them."

Rex smiled.

"I always knew she had something for that Bonteri kid," he said.

"Me too," she replied.

"Well," Rex said, "I hope General Skywalker's all right," Rex said. "Do you know if he's okay?"

Lyda immediately tried to hold back her tears, but failed.

"L-Lyda? Is he okay!? Is he dead!?"

"No," she replied, "worse."

Rex's eyes widened.

"N-no," he said, "he'd never betray the Jedi, h-he was kind, and loyal, and... and..."

"I hate to tell you this, but it's true. Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side. Now, he's nothing more that a scarred and deformed stump of meat in a suit known as Darth Vader."

Rex started crying and put his hands on his eyes.

"I... I failed..." he said, "I failed you all..."

Lyda put her arm around Rex.

"Hey," she said, "it wasn't your fault. there was nothing you could have done. You would have just been turned against us, just like the others."

Rex's crying slowed down.

"You're right," he said. "You know, this alley isn't the safest place to talk. We can only go so long until a patrol sees us. You can come to my place if you want," Rex said.

Lyda nodded.

"Great," Rex continued, "I'll walk you over there."