Eleutheromania || Ahsoka & Rex
small wip of rex and ahsoka in hiding after faking their deaths
(not a ship post. they're both so gay in my head)
Every footstep against creaky metal parallels louder than the last. Every breath rising from Ahsoka’s chest is shallow, just out of reach. Padme is dead. Plo is dead. Obi-Wan is dead. Anakin is dead. The clones are either dead or on their way to kill the last of their old generals. The only family she’s even known is gone, ash beneath Coruscant’s feet; a page in the history books begging to be written.
For the second time in Ahsoka’s life, she’s utterly alone. Well, not completely. She’s got Rex. He’s the only one she can trust right about now. His large eyes linger, burning through her skin as she sinks into the cockpit next to him. Her shoulders droop in the quiet. She needs to sleep for a hundred years to make up for the past two days.
She can sleep when she’s dead. That time might be closer than she or Rex thinks. Her body jolts at the sound of his voice.
“So, where to, Kid? Can’t stay in this valley forever. I mean, it’s a nice valley. I wish we could." He’s got dark circles under his eyes, too. Ahsoka hasn’t even begun to think of what all this must be like for him.
She pushes her tongue to the roof of her mouth to stop her aching organs. It takes every ounce of energy to think about what planets have a lesser chance of being invaded. But also what planets have cover. “How about Takodana for now?”
“Mostly jungle, mostly neutral,” he mumbles to himself. “Sounds good.” Those are Ahsoka’s exact thoughts when the ship rumbles back to life. Soon, they won’t even need to speak out loud anymore.
The 2 cycle ride to Takodana is silent, peaceful. They take turns piloting in shifts so the other can get sleep. Rex has an issue with waking Ahsoka up 30 minutes later than he should. She’s too dreary to criticize…and the attempt at extra rest is appreciated.
The Y-wing docks in a thick path of trees; the closest town is a few clicks away, but far enough away that a civilian won’t stumble upon them. They just need to lie low for a while. Doesn’t seem that hard. A clone and a Jedi can be subtle…They can be subtle, right? Don’t answer that.
The next few weeks are spent trying to organize their thoughts, their memories, their…situation. Rex doesn’t press for Ahsoka to speak. He waits patiently for her to start a conversation, to tell him that she’s ready to move on in a way. They eat their rations in the still of the night, a small fire crackling before their closed-off bodies. Ahsoka’s knees pulled to her chest, chin slotted between, back hunched over. Rex’s posture falters with his shoulders digging into his thighs, and neck craned down.
“We’re gonna have to go into town at some point soon,” he says, quietly.
“I don’t really want to send you in there by yourself,” the clone admits, shifting to face her on the mossy tree log.
Her head tilts into a playful smile, the first one either of them have seen in a long time. It feels foreign to her genetic make-up. “Why? You don’t think I can handle myself?”
“Oh, I know you can, Com—Ahsoka. I just want to be there if anything happens. If the new Empire comes or one of us just needs extra protection.”
She hums. “Makes sense.” There’s a long stream of insects singing through the trees and grass. Fire breaks between breaths every few moments. “Do you miss it?”
“The fighting. The thrill of it all.”
“We haven’t stopped fighting, and I don’t think we ever will. At least not for a while.”
“That’s not what I asked, Rex.”
It never took long to break him. Secrecy was never really his specialty and even now it shows. “It’s what I was born for. Of course I miss it,” a beat passes between them. “Do you?”
“I used to have dreams of all of us,” Ahsoka starts, slowly. Keeping these thoughts inside has been like trying to hide tattoos under cloth. Some are easy to forget and gloss over, while others are much harder. “The republic, my Jedi training, all of us living without war. We were free. And happy. On the bad days, I used to want it more than anything. But I also liked being a commander. I liked protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves.”
“We can’t have everything we want, can we?”
“You said it better than I could.” Defeat was easier to admit now. Ahsoka is not one to swallow her pride, but she must adapt. So must all surviving Jedi–if there are any. But Ahsoka is no longer a Jedi. That once peaceful life she dreamed of may be upon them in a few years. Once the Jedi are purged, the clones will be cast aside, and Rex will be alone to roam freely. It’s a thought they both carry but never voice. For now, they’re both painted crimson from head to toe. Might as well mix it with green in the leaves. “We’ll go first thing tomorrow morning,” She decides.
Rex agrees with a hum and a nod of his head. They are in desperate need of new garments. Civilian clothes for them both, and some new tools for her. Wearing the same clothes day in and day out gets a little…pungent after a while. Rex’s ship took a bit of damage on their landing. It's nothing Ahsoka can’t fix, but new tools are necessary all the same.
The market isn’t as busy as they were anticipating, but it’s exactly how Ashoka remembers. All those years ago during the Clone Wars. It was quite brief, as her and Master Skywalker and the 501st only flew a few laps and were on the ground for 10 minutes. But they made it into a town, and the image never left her mind. Constantly floating around along with the remnants of pipe-dreams.
It’s probably better that her and Rex split up as they jumbled into a moderate size crowd. They’ve both got a list of everything they need before meeting back up at the edge of town, two hours after separating. She’s on her last section and the only thing on her mind is suppressing her twitching face.
“That’ll be 11 credits, please.” The shop keeper chips, the corners of her lips nearing her eyes with glee.
Arguing will only cause a scene, and causing a scene will only draw attention. Imperial attention. It’s not something they can afford right now. Her light eyes are glued to the pile of metallic instruments on the table. But she needs those more.
A surge of confidence straightens her back for the first time in weeks. “How about 6?”
The glare she gets in return is cold even through the red Chiss eyes. Her arms cross in a flash, nose stuck in the air. “9, or I will call the authorities."
“7 is what I can do right now.” Her feet take a step without warning. She prays to the Force to be on her side this morning.
A sigh escapes her blue features. “Fine. 7 credits it is.”
Ahsoka’s lips pull into a small smile of triumph while the exchange is made. Her shoulder blades tense for a second, the cast of a glance that lasted a second too long. She says her thanks and before the woman can take a good look at her, she’s turned on her heels towards the meeting spot.
She finds Rex waiting on the curb of an abandoned street that borders the trees. He rises to his feet as soon as she enters his line of sight. His body language screams that he’s been waiting a while.
“I saw some sketchy lookin’ clankers ‘about an hour ago. I was getting worried they found you.” A laugh attempts to cover his unease, but Ahsoka isn’t fooled. His weight leans to one side, two separate bags in one hand. New clothes in one and more rations in the other, she hopes.
Her head tilts over her right shoulder. “Me causing trouble, really?”
“Hey, I’m allowed to be worried,” his index finger points towards her features, scolding her like a child. “You said to leave no matter what if you weren’t back by 12:00.”
She bites the inside of her cheek, puffing air soon after. “I did say that, didn’t I? Well, I’m here, so let’s get—” Her tongue turns to stone, her eyes likewise. Cold washes over her senses, unlike anything she’s felt before. Except for the ship ride after the siege of Mandalore. The Force has felt unbalanced ever since, but now it’s flipped the scale over on its side.
Rex’s bag-filled hands wrap around her shoulders, shaking her ever so gently. “Ahsoka? Ahsoka, what’s wrong?”
She blinks. “They’re here.”
“The Sepr–the Empire,” and suddenly, his worried touch is gone. Her head cranes left and right, no sign of another life form. “We must get back to our ship immediately. I don't want to risk it."
“I thought this was a neutral planet.”
“If I’m right, nothing’s neutral anymore,” she admits.
They retreat swiftly without another word. If something’s following them, Ahsoka can’t sense it. Lay low until the feeling passes. If it passes.
“We’re not leaving yet. Let’s just stick close to the ship for a few days,” Ahsoka says, her steps soft against tiny twigs and fallen branches. The Y-Wing is in sight now and her stomach has untwisted the smallest amount. “Rex.”
His head snaps to her when they climb back into their safe haven. There’s a crazed look in his honeycomb eyes. It sends a defensive shiver down Ahsoka’s spine.
No, I’ll do it, rings in her mind every time her own eyes close. But she knows it can’t be. His chip is gone. She saw it. “Are you listening?”
“Yeah, kid. I’m listening,” he pants, sliding down the metal walls.
She nods, coming down to his level. “Good. I’m glad. Now, what’d you find at the market?”
The pair of them look a lot more local the next time they go into town. Tan animal skin boots, dark pants and tunics made of linen to stay cool. Some bangles and vests just so happened to slip in his pack on the way out of the shop. He looks a tad strange without his clone uniform that Ahsoka has grown used to again. The plastroid plates along with the dark underlayers hide within a loose compartment in the cockpit. Her old clothes are close in proximity as well.
“We should really think about getting a different ship when we’ve got the chance. Not sure how much longer my limbs can take sleeping on the floor,” Rex yawns, stretching his arms above his head, and letting them drop when a few branches swat against them.
Ahsoka fumbles with the newly purchased Takodana map in hand. “I haven’t forgotten about that, I promise. I think it’s still too early to pull a stunt like that.”
Her friend hums in agreement as they march on deeper into the jungle. They left town some time ago, following the map Ahsoka spent a single credit on. Rex isn’t completely sure where they’re going, and neither is she. They’ll figure it out when they find it.
Ahsoka’s eyes scan and review and connect each trail, each mountain curve as the wind picks up speed. They settled in Tankdana’s the warmest month of the year, and the need to cool off is critical to their sanities. It’s not much longer before they come across what they believe to be their destination. A small swimming hole in the side of a nearby mountain. Lots of shade and jagged stone, thick with overgrown moss.
“Oh,” Rex’s shoulder shake with delight. “This is exactly what I needed.”
Before she knows it, Rex is fully submerged beneath the surface, his outer garments in a pile nearby. Ahsoka rolls up her pant legs to past her knees, only allowing the exposed skin to sink in. Someone’s gotta make sure they’re in the clear at all times, and she’s happy to take that shift while her best friend relaxes.
She listens to the small things around them. The avians chirping away, the air between the leaves, the droplets of water from the limestone. For the first time in almost a month, Ahsoka feels safe. For the first time in almost a month into hiding, she lets her blaster out of her sight, and slides further down into the clear water.
Cold on her shoulder sends her spinning to find Rex making an effort to jump to the other side of the swimming hole, a mysterious look on his face. Her face breaks out into a smile, too, sending water splashing across his. A laugh ripples across the liquid glass from both parties. They had almost forgotten what it was like to have real fun. Not victory. Not adrenaline. Fun. It’s only something free people can have.
They swim back and forth until the sun begins to set. It’s taken as a cue to get back to the Y-wing before dark. Their clothes still managed to get wet, but it’s not bothersome. Besides, they're almost fully dry by the time they reach the ship.
“Just in case we ever need to make a quick escape,” Rex starts. “where do you think we should go next?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a moon or somewhere in the outer rim. Like Endor.”
Ahsoka scoffs a laugh. “Dagobah? That’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
“That’s why it’s an excellent idea.”
“No matter where we go, I’ll be running, Rex. For the rest of my life. You can grow old, blend in when the Empire forgets what the clones look like. I will always stick out like a sore thumb.” The Force will always find its way back to her, one way or another. Even if she tries to push it away.
“Maybe you don’t have to run. We don’t have to. As far as the Empire’s concerned, we’re both dead.”
A simple smile falls across Ahsoka’s lips. “For now, my dear friend.” They’ll manage. They always do.
I had a star wars itch i needed to scratch lol prolly wont post or write any more of it
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