#awc23

To say that Ahsoka felt out of place was the biggest understatement in the galaxy. Usually she was great at adapting to different situations, but she felt quite at a loss in the one she found herself now. The long, sky blue dress she was wearing went all the way down to the floor and felt rather constricting. It sat snugly around her upper body and flowed freely down from her waist. At the top of it were thick straps holding it up on her shoulders, and the cut of it was a square that exposed just a little bit of cleavage. Despite how unusual and slightly uncomfortable it was to wear, Ahsoka couldn’t deny that it was beautiful. There was a beautiful, vaguely floral pattern embroidered all over it in this shimmery, slightly brighter blue thread. Ahsoka couldn’t stop running her hands over the fabric. It felt expensive, and she had never worn anything like it. Padmé had borrowed it to her and had made Ahsoka sit down in a cushioned chair by a vanity to do her make-up. Another foreign sensation which she had never experienced before. 

Now she was wearing subtle eyeliner with mascara on her curled eyelashes, some lipstick and this shimmery powder on her cheekbones and nose, which Padmé had called ‘highlighter’. After that, Ahsoka watched Padmé do her own make-up, adding a few things like ‘foundation’ and ‘blush’ which she hadn’t put on Ahsoka. Hair was an odd thing, Ahsoka had thought as she watched Padmé comb hers, divide it and braid some parts of it before putting it all into a rather complicated up-do. Padmé then opened a box filled with jewelry and picked our pieces for Ahsoka and herself. Since Ahsoka didn’t have ears, she only wore a necklace. With some help putting it on from Padmé, Ahsoka couldn’t stop staring at herself in the mirror. The silver necklace had a sky blue jewel hanging from it, which beautifully matched the dress she was wearing. 

After that they had gotten dressed and then they left together with Padmé’s security detail and Rex, who had been assigned on Ahsoka’s mission with her. Which brought them to the fanciest restaurant they had ever seen, Padmé walking inside like she was used to it. Ahsoka looked around, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. She quickly schooled her expression, remembering that she needed to look like she was used to this luxury. Her assignment was to pose as a good family friend of Padmé’s, who was interested in getting her system to become neutral and join the Council of Neutral Systems. Rex was there to pose as her personal bodyguard, though he didn’t need to pretend much to fill that role. The goal of the mission was to identify a Separatist mole who has been gathering Republic intel through the Council of Neutral Systems. 

Inside the restaurant were several senators, as the restaurant had been specifically rented out for the senatorial dinner. Padmé immediately spotted Duchess Satine and excused herself, going over to greet her. This left Ahsoka and Rex standing alone together like the odd ones out.

“Ahsoka?” A voice asked from behind her, and the Padawan turned around to face Lux Bonteri. 

“Bonteri?” She asks, surprised at his presence. 

“It’s been so long,” he smiled at her, stepping forward and sweeping her into a hug. 

Ahsoka froze, surprised at the sudden gesture and overwhelming bout of friendliness. She awkwardly stepped out of the hug, an unsure smile on her face, watching as his eyes trail over her. 

“What are you doing here?” She asks. 

“I could ask you the same,” Lux chuckles. “You know, I’m actually a senator.”

Ahsoka rolls her eyes, her smile slowly growing more confident. “Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Senator, but you weren’t the only one invited.”

“Would you like to sit together? I can give you some recommendations on the menu,” he asks with a grin on his face. 

“Sure,” Ahsoka shrugs, glancing at Rex to make sure he follows her. 

He nodded back at her and she shot Lux a smile before turning towards the large table in the middle of the restaurant. Ahsoka jumped slightly when a hand was suddenly placed on her lower back, giving her a gentle push forward as if to guide her to the right seats. The girl looked over at Lux, who simply smiled at her and continued leading her through the crowd. At first she thought the touch was a bit odd and slightly uncomfortable, but she reminded herself that she needed to keep up appearances and that it might be some fancy courtesy she has no idea about. 

“Here,” Lux says, reluctantly pulling his hand away in a way that made his fingers brush her waist and she held back a small shiver. 

He pulled out a chair at the table for her, waiting for her to sit down before pushing it back in and seating himself next to her. He unfolded the napkin that was placed on the table and put it in his lap, nudging Ahsoka slightly so she would copy him. The napkin was made of thick, stiff fabric and its edges had swirls embroidered on them, much like Ahsoka’s dress. 

“You look like you have no idea what you’re doing,” Lux notes teasingly. 

“I’ve never been in a place like this,” Ahsoka says quietly. “I’ve never worn a dress like this, or even make-up. This goes against pretty much everything I was taught growing up.”

“Well, I think it suits you,” Lux says and Ahsoka looks very taken aback at this. 

“Oh, uhm, thanks?” She says, mentally face-palming, wondering where her confidence went. “I’m mainly just here as Padmé’s chaperone.”

He seems to believe her lie, making her shoulders relax slightly. Lux glances back at Rex who was standing further away by the wall, his eyes roaming the room with a stoic expression on his face. 

“Who’s the big guy?” Lux asks and Ahsoka snorts, following his gaze back to Rex, who sends her a small nod upon noticing her eyes on him. 

“He is my personal bodyguard,” Ahsoka grins, turning back to Lux. “He’s here to keep me safe.”

“Good, since we both know you’re hardly capable of taking care of yourself, Jedi,” Lux joined her joke, though lowered his voice so that no one would overhear him call her a Jedi, which she was thankful for. 

Ahsoka chuckled, relaxing even more. She could do this, she just had to get through this dinner. And maybe it would even be fun with Lux at her side. He surely seems to have matured.

Dinner consisted of small portions of artistically arranged food that looked almost too pretty to eat. Since she’s a carnivore, she only ordered meat. Much to her surprise, there were several different sections in the menu for different species. Lux helped her find the togruta section and Ahsoka almost felt herself tear up a bit at the nostalgia of a few of the dishes and how their names were written in small togruti underneath the aurebesh. 

The food had been good, although she thought she distinctly remembered a few things tasting much better back on Shili. More specifically, the food her aga’meht made. 

After dinner, Ahsoka was about to head over to Padmé when Lux cleared his throat beside her. She looked at him, slightly raising an eyebrow marking. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to meet up later for a stroll in the royal park? It is quite beautiful,” Lux says, something shining in his eyes that Ahsoka can’t quite place. 

“Uhm, sure? I’ll just have to check with Senator Amidala,” she says. 

“Alright, well, let me give you my comm number so you can just comm me when you’re sure,” he smiles, taking her communicator from her hand and putting in his number. “There you go. I hope I get to see you later. It was nice to meet you again.”

“You too,” Ahsoka smiled and gets pulled in for another surprise hug. 

Lux’s arms snake around her waist, his hands resting on her lower back and pressing her closer to him. Ahsoka awkwardly pats his back and then steps away from the hug once again. 

“Well, I suppose I’ll see you later,” she automatically says before she can stop herself

She doesn’t miss the way his face lights up and quickly turns around to find Padmé. Spotting her chatting with Satine over by the entrance, she quickly makes her way over to them with Rex following her. 

“Oh, hello, Ahsoka,” the Duchess smiles as soon as she sees her. “It’s been some time, how you’ve grown!”

Ahsoka chuckles softly. “It has, but you, mz lady, haven’t aged a day.”

“Kids these days have such good manners,” Satine sighs to Padmé, who laughs in response. “I’ve got to go, but if there is another opportunity during the duration of your trip, I’d love to meet you again, Ahsoka.”

“I’d love that as well,” Ahsoka smiles kindly and Satine leaves. 

“You seem to have had a good time,” Padmé says from beside her and Ahsoka turns to see a knowing, almost mischievous smile on her face. 

“Yeah, I guess it wasn’t too boring after all,” Ahsoka shrugged as they exited the restaurant. 

“You and Bonteri seem to have gotten over your previous aversities to each other,” Padmé says casually. 

“It seems he grew up a bit,” Ahsoka said just as casually as Rex hailed them a taxi. “He wants to meet up in the royal park this evening.”

“Really?” Padmé raises an eyebrow at her before getting in the taxi, to which Rex was holding the door open for them. 

“Thanks, Rex,” Ahsoka says with a small smile as she gets in the taxi after Padmé. 

“Well? Are you going?” The Senator asks curiously. 

“I don’t know, should I?” Ahsoka fidgets with her hands in her lap. 

“Yes!” Padmé squeals. “Don’t tell Anakin I’m encouraging you, but I think it sounds nice! You can get to know each other a little.”

“I’m not sure, I mean, I do have a mission to see through,” Ahsoka chews slightly on the inside of her cheek. 

“Well, then think of it this way; Lux used to be a Separatist. Maybe he’s the mole,” Padmé said, a grin on her face. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll go,” Ahsoka pushes down the urge to roll her eyes. 

She pulls out her communicator and messages Lux, asking what time he wants to meet up and where. He answers quickly, telling her to meet him at 10:30 by the south entrance to the royal park. It was almost 10:20, so Padmé, who had been reading over Ahsoka’s shoulder, suggested they drop Ahsoka off there and walk back to the hotel, seeing as it was only one and a half clicks away from the park. Ahsoka didn’t know why, but she felt nervous. 

They drop her off at the gate to the park and as soon as she steps out of the taxi, she spots Lux already inside, waving to her. She turns around to close the door and is briefly interrupted by Padmé. 

“Have fun!” She grins and Ahsoka doesn’t answer, only closes the door. 

With sweaty palms, she walks over to the boy waiting for her. He comes up to meet her by the gate. 

“I’m so glad you could come,” he tells her and she smiles shyly at him. “Come on, this way.”

They start walking down one of the paths leading into the park. The sky was already pitch black, the only light coming from the tall lamps placed every few meters along the path. 

“I wanted to apologize,” Lux says all of a sudden and Ahsoka’s eyebrow markings shoot up from surprise. “For being a childish asshole when we first met. I’ve… grown up now. Realized a few things.”

“It’s alright, I forgive you,” Ahsoka says in a teasing voice, bumping her fist gently against his bicep. “I’m sorry about your mom. That can’t have been easy. She was a very nice woman.”

Ahsoka looks over at Lux to see a solemn look on his face. They had made it to a wooden bridge going over a small river and Lux stops, walking closer to the railing. The orange light from the lamps reflected beautifully onto the river and Ahsoka went up next to him to gaze down at it. Not even paying attention to how close they’re standing to each other, the Padawan leans her forearms onto the railing. Lux is staring at her from the side, but she’s still focused on the calm water beneath them.

“What about your parents?” He breaks the silence.

“Well, Force-sensitives leave their families when they’re only toddlers to join the Jedi Order and receive training,” Ahsoka explains. “I remember flashes of my parents, of my homeplanet, of the food and culture there, and our village. My parents are both dead, and I’ve made my peace with that.”

She turns her head to look at him, careful not to show any emotion on her face. Which didn’t work when Lux suddenly moves forward and presses his lips onto hers. 

Ahsoka is thrown slightly off balance from the force of it, and his hand comes up to cup her face while the other makes contact with her waist, running down to rest on her hip and pull her in closer. The young togruta’s eyes widen as her brain slowly registers what’s happening and her limbs unfreeze. Putting her hands up to his chest, she tries to push him off of herself, but he backs her into the railing, as if he doesn’t notice that she doesn’t want this. His hand is caressing her hip, rubbing along the side of her upper thigh and Ahsoka curses the dress for being so kriffing impossible to move in. To kick someone off of yourself. She tries to say something but he keeps kissing her, using her attempt at opening her mouth to speak to slip his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. 

When the hand on her cheek runs down her neck, down her collarbone and grazes the top of her breasts while the other hand moves to squeeze her behind, Ahsoka finally fully snaps out of the shock paralyzing her limbs and bites down hard on Lux’s lip. 

“Ow! What the kriff is wrong with you?!” He exclaims angrily, stumbling back and holding his hand up to his bleeding lip. 

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you!” Ahsoka yells back, tears burning in her eyes, her face growing hot. 

“What do you mean ‘what’s wrong with me’?” Lux asks angrily, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at his bleeding lip while Ahsoka feels her breathing speed up and tears close to spilling. 

“You just kissed me!” Is all she can say, even though he did a little more than just kiss her.

“And? Ahsoka, did you seriously think I invited you out with me tonight because I just wanted to talk?” He scoffs in disbelief. 

“What else?!” She yells, voice reaching a few almost hysterical notes 

In return, he only stares at her like she’s stupid. She feels pretty stupid right about now. 

“Ahsoka, please don’t tell me you’re that dumb,” he spits out, still holding his handkerchief to his lip. “Just- ugh, why did you bite me?! That kriffing hurt, all I did was kiss you!”

“I didn’t ask you to kiss me!” She cries out, throwing up her hands at her sides to drive home her point. “I didn’t want you to kiss me!”

“Then why did you even say yes to meeting up with me? Gods, you’re such a tease,” he grumbles. 

“Why are you talking like this is my fault?!” She blinks away her tears, feeling anger bubble up inside of her. 

“Because you’re the one who bit me! Kark, aren’t you togs venomous?!” He asks with wide eyes. 

“Oh, yeah, you’re gonna drop dead real soon,” Ahsoka hisses back, practically shaking with rage. “And I bit you because you wouldn’t take a gucking hint and stop kissing me! I bit you because you were touching me where I didn’t want to be kriffing touched!”

“Well, how was I supposed to know that?!”

“I don’t know, maybe ask?” Ahsoka yells. “Maybe think for one second and ask yourself what me trying to push you off of me could possibly mean!”

“I should’ve known telling you how I feel would be a bad idea,” he sighs and rolls his eyes. 

“You haven’t told me anything! You just grabbed me and kissed me!” Ahsoka feels the energy leaving her body the longer the conversation goes on and tears build in her eyes again as shame overcomes her. “I didn’t want you to kiss me.”

“Why not?! What, am I so bad after all?” He steps closer which makes Ahsoka step back into the railing.

She felt trapped and near tears. “Please, calm down and do not take another step closer to me.”

“Why? You scared that the Separatist scumbag is going to hurt you?” Lux asked angrily. 

“No, I just don’t want to have to hurt you!”

“That’s ridiculous, Soka,” he scoffs, stepping even closer. 

“Don’t call me that,” she grits out. “And get away from me before I break your nose.”

“Why are you fighting this so much? You know you like me back, why wouldn’t you? Why else would you agree to talk to me alone and get so close to me? Why else would you act like that around me?”

“Like what?” Ahsoka asks exasperatedly, tired of being told the different ways of how this was her fault. 

“Like- like you want me to kiss you!” Lux shouts at her. “Like you want me! You were always walking around in that little dress and swaying your hips at me! You can’t blame me for the way you led me on!” 

“Led you on?!” Ahsoka repeats in disbelief. “I didn’t do any of that! And you don’t have the right to just… just take my body like it’s yours because of what I wear or how I act, or — ugh! — whatever the hell it is you think!”

“Ahsoka, you’re making it sound like I assaulted you or something. It was just a kiss!” Lux is talking to her like she’s crazy and she hates it. “If anything, you assaulted me!”

“What?” Ahsoka stares at him. “Maybe because you did assault me?! Kissing and touching someone without their consent is assault!”

“Oh, for the love of- would you stop being so dramatic?!” Lux runs a hand through his hair and steps even closer but Ahsoka isn’t paying attention. 

“I’m being dramatic?!”

“Yes! You basically asked for this! I’m surprised no one else has tried you yet with the way you saunter about! Gods, do you even know what you do to men, Ahsoka? Are you aware of how kriffing hot you are? Of course I’d want to kiss you! Why are you still so surprised over this whole thing?!”

Ahsoka feels nauseous, his words ringing in her montrals. The tears keep building in her eyes but she refuses to let them fall, especially not in front of him. Shaking her head at the boy in front of her, she turns around to walk away from him. 

“Ahsoka-,” Lux’s hand grabs onto her wrist tightly and he pulls her back. “Why are you so upset?!”

“Don’t touch me! She cries out, ripping her wrist out of his bruising grip. “I don’t even know why you’re still talking to me like you’ll change my mind or something!”

The look on his face says it all, and it hurts, everything hurts. 

“Oh, Force, you really thought you were going to get me to change my mind, didn't you?!”

“Ahsoka, you can’t blame me! I really like you, and any man would jump at the chance to… uhm, be with you.”

“That doesn’t mean I want them to!” She shouts in his face. 

“Oh, yeah? You don’t dress like that because you don’t want any attention whatsoever, Ahsoka!”

“How exactly do I dress?! What is so wrong with the way I dress that you suddenly can’t bring yourself to respect me?!” 

She remembers his lingering gaze on her, the way he had looked her up and down the first time they met. She remembers rolling her eyes in him and saying that no matter if Separatist or Republican, boys are all the same. She has never been more scared of that discovery than now. 

“I do respect you! It’s just natural to get distracted when someone looks so… so…”

“Just spit it out!” Ahsoka yells, and she already knows she’ll regret it. 

“So fuckable!” Lux exclaims and she physically shrinks back at his words. “Like I said, you have no idea how hot you are and you’re not exactly leaving much to the imagination! That’s not fair.”

Without another word, Ahsoka spins around and starts walking away. Her body is thrumming with disgust, shame and betrayal and she doesn’t know what to do with herself.

“Ahsoka, wait! Gods, do you have to be such a sensitive bitch about it?!”

Her fist connects with his face before she can even properly think about her aim. Lux staggers back, holding his nose and Ahsoka takes that moment to run away before he can say anything else. And before the tears start falling from her eyes. 

Running in the dress was near impossible and once she reached the park gate she slowed down, grabbing the hem of her dress and pulling with all her might, ripping a slit right up the skirt. No way was she going to be able to run all the way to the hotel with the skirt restricting her movements. She didn’t want to risk any chance of Lux being able to catch up to her if he decided to try. 

Ahsoka starts running, thankful that she had worn her boots underneath her dress instead of the uncomfortable and impractical shoes Padmé wore. The tears she had been trying to hold in were now running freely down her face and Ahsoka wonders if the make-up she’s wearing is waterproof. 

It is well past 11 by the time Ahsoka quietly opens the door to the apartment she was staying in with Padmé, Rex and the rest of Padmé’s security and handmaidens. She makes sure to close the door softly behind herself, so as to not alert anyone, and locks it quickly behind herself. Breathing heavily, her shoulders shaking with the sobs she’s holding in. Turning around, she jumps when she sees a large figure moving towards her in the dark, not having expected anyone to be up at this time. 

“Commander? Is everything alright?” The voice undoubtedly belongs to Rex, an incredible softness to it. 

He steps closer towards her, but halts about an arm’s length away. 

“Y-yeah,” Ahsoka lies, hoping he can’t see her tears. 

“Sorry if I’m overstepping here, Commander, but you don’t sound alright,” he says and steps to the side, reaching his hand over to the wall to turn the lights up slightly. “Yeah, you don’t exactly look alright either.”

“I’m fine, I just want to go to bed,” Ahsoka's voice wobbles slightly and she reaches up to wipe away the wetness on her face, black streaks on her hands when she retracts them. 

“Are you hurt?” 

“No,” her fist throbs dully in protest. 

Rex looks the Padawan up and down thoughtfully, scanning her for injuries and Ahsoka feels herself start to shake as she remembers Lux’s words. What if Rex thought about her like that?

“Ahsoka, please let me help you,” he says gently, voice barely above a whisper. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Biting her lip, a faint taste of Lux’s blood making itself present in her mouth, Ahsoka’s hands start shaking. 

“I don’t-,” her voice cracks and her face scrunches up, then crumbles, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. 

The clone opens his arms and steps closer towards her, inviting her in. She hesitates, but eventually lets herself fall into his chest. Wrapping her arms around his torso, he wraps his around her shoulders. That small difference between him and Lux alone took a large weight off her chest. He holds her close but entirely differently from how Lux had, gently stroking her rear lek to comfort her. Ahsoka cries until she can’t anymore, and then pulls away once she realizes she has smeared her make-up all over his shirt. 

“Sorry,” she mumbles and Rex just shakes his head. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he says softly. “Come, let’s sit down.”

He guides her over to the sofa, his hand hovering in between her shoulder blades. Also entirely different from Lux. They sat down on the fancy sofa together and Ahsoka leaned her head onto Rex’s shoulder. For a few moments they both stay silent and unmoving, Ahsoka trying to calm herself down and gather the courage to figure out how to talk to Rex about this. 

“Have you ever… kissed anyone?” Ahsoka asks timidly and can feel by the way he slightly straightens up that the question surprised him. 

“No,” Rex answers honestly. “I know a lot of the men do go out and… find partners to spend their nights with, but I’ve never really been interested in that sort of thing. Or had the time. Why do you ask?”

Ahsoka bites her lip, heart beating fast as she can’t find a better way to word her thoughts and nervously awaiting the answer. “Do… do any of the men… do they want to… kiss me?”

Rex splutters in surprise. “I’d sure give them a piece of mind if they ever expressed anything like that!”

He shakes his head and Ahsoka looks up at him, seeing an expression of disgust and protectiveness at the thought on his face. It reassures her, gives her the small boost of confidence she needed. 

“Lux kissed me,” she says after a few moments of silence. “I didn’t want him to do that.”

Ahsoka looks away from her Captain again. Fresh tears start rolling down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembles slightly. 

“He said-,” she stops herself, realizing that she can’t bring herself to repeat it. “He doesn’t even see me as a person, Rex. He just sees me as some… he just wants to…”

Gently, leaving her room to move back, Rex pulls her into another hug. Ahsoka buries her face in his chest. The clone rubs his hand up and down her arm in a comforting manner.

“I don’t want men to look at me like he does,” she whispers sadly. 

From the way his grip on her slightly tightens, Ahsoka can tell he’s outraged at what he’s hearing, but trying his hardest to stay calm for her. She can feel it in the Force too, the anger radiating off of him. 

“I’m so sorry you had to experience that,” he says with overwhelming sincerity. “Do you want to report him?”

Ahsoka quickly shakes her head, pulling away from the hug to look at Rex. “I sort of bit his lip and maybe kind of broke his nose.”

“Good, that di’kut deserves it,” Rex says firmly, though there was a slight aura of ‘proud’ directed at her. “Did he just kiss you or did he do anything else?”

“Uhm, not really much else,” Ahsoka said, looking down at her hands. “He… he touched me a bit… intimately, but then it was just mostly the things he said afterwards that really… stuck with me.”

“What did he say?” Rex asks, unsure whether he should ask Ahsoka where he touched her. 

The long tear up the skirt of her dress wasn’t exactly very reassuring, but Rex tried not to jump to conclusions. He watched as Ahsoka frowned, eyebrow markings drawn together and corners of her lips turned down slightly. 

“Pretty much just yelled about how I bit him and how I was being dramatic and that I led him on,” Ahsoka says in one breath. “And he… well, he said that I should’ve expected it because of the way I act and dress, or something like that, like he kept talking like it was my fault. He said… that I shouldn’t be so shocked and that he’s surprised that no one has ‘tried’ me before.”

“What,” Rex blurts out. “Sorry, it’s just- don’t listen to a word he said, alright? None of this was your fault. It will always be his fault, anyone who dares touch you without your permission in a way that makes you uncomfortable is always at fault, never you.”

Ahsoka nods, eyes glistening and chewing on her lip again. The blonde clone watched her fidget for a moment, then remembered something she said earlier which finally clicked in his head. 

“Is what he said the reason you asked if any of the men want to kiss you?” He asks slowly. 

“Yeah,” Ahsoka whispers. “It’s just… he really got into my head, I think. I mean, I’m not stupid, or naive. I notice when men stare at me and it’s not like I’ve never been catcalled before or anything, I mean I know women have it hard and that togruta especially are a very… sexualized species. But to have it said to my face was just so… like, I thought he was nice. I thought he was just being nice, but he wanted something out of it, and it made me wonder how many others are just nice because they want something from me. How many others are willing to just… take my body like it’s theirs.”

Her bottom lip quivers and she squeezes her eyes shut as tears fill them again. When they spill, Ahsoka presses her fists into her eyes and lowers her head. Rex keeps a steady, comforting hand on her trembling upper back, taking in everything she said. It was a lot. He wasn’t sure what to say, or if there even was anything he could say, so he stayed silent and just let her cry. 

Once the tears slowed until they eventually stopped, Rex pulled himself together to ask her one last question. 

“Can you tell me where he touched you?”

Ahsoka stiffened slightly, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffling slightly. Rex was just about to apologize for overstepping when she nodded and lifted her hand to show him. 

“He… well, he just kissed me out of nowhere and put one hand on my cheek, and the other went… went from my waist to my, uh, my hip,” Ahsoka said, hands trembling as she pointed at herself where Lux’s touch still lingered. “Then when he got a bit more… aggressive, he started… he started sliding his hand down, like this…”

She hovered her hand several centimeters above her skin, showing the trail he went from her check, over the side of her neck, down her collarbone and to the top of her breasts. “A-and his other hand went, um, went behind me to grab me there.”

Letting her hands fall back into her lap, her cheeks burning hot with shame, Ahsoka avoids Rex’s eyes by staring at the floor. 

“I see,” he says, his voice sounding pained. “I’m sorry that happened, that must’ve been scary. So he didn’t rip your dress, then?”

“No, that was me,” Ahsoka admitted. “I couldn’t run well enough in it, so I tore up the skirt. I was scared he would follow me. Do you think Senator Amidala will be mad that I ruined her dress?”

She looks up at him with big, worried eyes, still glistening with tears. Rex’s face softens and a small, reassuring smile tugs at the corners of his lips. 

“No, I don’t think so. I think she would be proud to know how well you handled yourself, and would rather you tear up her dress than put yourself in further danger,” he tells her honestly and she relaxes slightly, letting out the small breath she had been holding in. 

“Alright, yeah, you’re probably right,” Ahsoka nods, then lets out a small yawn. 

“I think it’s best if you get to bed,” Rex tells her, smiling fondly. “We can talk more tomorrow, figure out how to make sure Bonteri won’t come anywhere near you for the rest of this mission. You should consider telling Senator Amidala as well. I’m sure she’d understand.”

“I think so too,” Ahsoka says, a tinge of sadness in her voice. “That sounds good. Thank you for being here for me, and for letting me talk about what happened.”

“You can always count on me, vod’ika,” Rex’s brown eyes are warm and filled with sincerity and love, and Ahsoka found herself believing him. “And you can always come to me whenever you feel unsafe or need to talk or need help, alright?”

Ahsoka nods, throwing her arms around him for another hug. “Thanks, sa’daar.”

—

Togruti translations:

Aga’meht — Grandmother (literally “old mother” since there is no known translation for grandmother)

Sa’daar — Brother

— 

Mando’a translations:

Di’kut — Idiot, useless individual, waste of space