Dar'solus [Captain Rex x reader]

Chapter 8 - A Master and their Padawan

Mando'a used in chapter;

"Copaani gaan?" = "Need a hand?"

After being let out from the medical bay when my ribs were better I could finally get to work on the door. My ribs were healed but just a little sore which made it more uncomfortable for me to get up from the floor after welding or wiring. I spent the following rotations building the new door and terminal since Anakin, Ahsoka and their pilots were still out defending the medical station from Grievous. Rex had left the same day as them to inspect some outposts with Commander Cody from the 212th. When I heard his name I immediately recognised him as the Commander from the battle of Geonosis right before the start of the war. Guess I don't have to find him a name then. I had just finished the new door and terminal so now it would scan everything leaving or entering the door so no one would have to manually log everything. I had packed up all of my tools and was back in the hangar when the hangar door alarm went off. Looking up at the opening doors I saw Anakin's squad of fighters come back in. Only, there were so many of them gone. My heart sank at the realization that they were lost in battle. Putting down the equipment I walked over to Anakin and Ahsoka jumping out of their fighter. Anakin had a serious face and Ahsoka's eyes were cast down on the floor as she had wrapped her arms around herself. Walking up to them and meeting Anakin's eyes I asked the question I already knew the answer to,

"What happened?"

Anakin's face grew angry and his fists balled up as he looked away in shame and answered in a low voice,

"Grievous."

not giving me the chance to console him he walked away with a rigid posture towards the bridge, leaving Ahsoka with me. I turned to the youngling and saw her in the same position as before, so I crouched down to her level, putting my hand on her shoulder as I spoke in a soft voice to her,

"Hey, how are you holding up?

she didn't want to meet my eyes and I recognised what she was feeling. Shame. She was ashamed because the way Anakin acted made her believe that it was her fault. That she had failed as a padawan to protect their men. Her eyes glossed over and she was rubbing one of her arms in an attempt to soothe herself. I wrapped my arms around her pulling her in a hug and putting her face against my shoulder. I heard a small sniffle from her and rubbed her back, cooing,

"Shhh, Ahsoka. It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay. You're safe now."

sniffling a little I heard her whisper,

"But all those men we lost, I lost."

"No, Ahsoka. It wasn't your fault."

breaking the hug and looking at me with teary eyes and a desperate look she spoke with a trembling voice, still hushed so no one else could hear,

"But the way Anakin, my Master, acts I can't help but to feel like it's all my fault."

she sighed and looked away once more in shame as I heard her whisper,

"I'm never going to be a Jedi."

I grabbed her arm and used my other hand to turn her head towards me as I spoke whilst wiping her tears away,

"I know how Anakin can be, trust me I've known him since both of us were younglings like you. I understand how you feel but none of this is your fault Ahsoka. It's Grievous's fault. In war, no matter how hard you fight, there will always be losses at the end of the day. You can't protect everyone, and I know that Anakin doesn't blame you at all. He-, he blames himself. But no one can stop it from happening, it's the way of life. All we can do is honor their memory and tell their stories so that they live on in our hearts. Because that's the one place they can never disappear from, okay?"