Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

34

Anakin floated in a void, feeling the light around him, burning through him like a hot shower burns away the grime. The strands of the force shimmered around him, and he was connected to all of them. He felt Rex in the training room, going at it with three drones at once. Another life form, Kix, probably, was nearby watching.

Anakin considered asking if Rex would consent to a training bond with him. It would be better than letting a bond form naturally, those were much more personal and much more painful to break, as the clone well knew.

He brushed past his own bonds, his attachments. His training bond with Ahsoka, who was too far away for it to be effective. His bond with Padme, one sided as it was.

And the sickening bond that tied him to Caedus.

He had closed it the best he could, hoping it would snap on it's own. When Obi... when his master was alive, it had served them well not to cut it. But as the training bonds had worked, the master needed to sever it. The student could not.

Anakin touched the bond again accidentally, trying to reach deeper into the force past it, and a familiar headache sprang up behind his eyes. Force bonds weren't meant to be closed for long. It had been fine for the first few days, but for months? Like a cramping muscle, it had became painful to continually hold it shut. He couldn't keep it up much longer.

He gave a small gasp as the heat of the force retreated, leaving him keeled over in his rooms. He pressed his lips together, fighting down the pain to a dull throb in the back of his head. He knew what Caedus was capable of. Opening up his mind to him, even for a few minutes... He wanted to be sick at the thought.

The pain flared again, blinding him and making his ears ring. He doubled over, gritting his teeth and clutching at his head. When he could see again, the pain subsiding in the slightest, he reached for his comm.

"Rex." He ground out as the other clone answered.

"Sir? Is something wrong?"

"Anakin, Rex, Anakin. I need you at my quarters. It's-" The pain flared again, and Anakin let go of the force completely and distanced himself a bit. "It's personal." He tried to keep the pain out of his voice and was only partially successful.

"Understood, s-ah.. Anakin." Rex cut the connection. Anakin stood and shook himself slightly. He removed his lightsaber from his belt and left it in refresher, shutting the door behind him. He just needed a few minutes. Less than an hour, definitely. He wiped his palms on his tunic, and willed himself not to be nervous. He was only opening up his mind to a sith who was highly skilled in mental manipulation.

The door slid open and revealed Rex, slightly sweaty and his face flushed from his workout. He saluted the jedi.

"What's going on, General?" He asked, his hands squeezing reflexively by his sides. "Is Ahsoka alright?"

Anakin snorted softly. "Yes, your wife is fine." He took a deep breath. "I need you here to watch me. Make sure I don't so something." He said quietly, sitting back down on the floor. Rex frowned.

"Watch you? What are you going to do?" He asked, one hand going to a 17 and the other to his lightsaber.

"What do you know about training bonds?" Anakin asked. Rexs frown deepened.

"The force kind? Not much." He said.

"It's a special bond between a master and an apprentice. Only the master can sever the bond. Like all force bonds, the longer you cut it off, the more it will hurt. Close them too long and you risk damage to your connection to the force." He said, automatically slipping into lecture mode. Rex wasn't his padawan, but he was a student. "When I became a knight at the outbreak of the clone wars, me and my master chose not to cut ours. It served us well until..."