Chapter Text
Even now, safely aboard the Tantive IV, Rex found it hard to relax. Since leaving Batonn, he and Sharp had completed a number of hyperspace jumps to ensure they would not be tracked before meeting with Senator Organa.
They’d discussed the current state of affairs and how Rex and Sharp could be of most assistance, before making a plan going forward. Rex had assumed at that point he and Sharp would be sent their separate ways, to carry out the respective missions Senator Organa wished for their help with, but instead the kind Senator had insisted that the troopers enjoy a hot meal and a night’s rest before they left.
Rex found his tired body and mind more than willing to accept such a suggestion, and he encouraged Sharp to do the same. He figured the time for such comforts would be few and far between going forward, so they might as well make the best of it while they could.
But even long after the night cycle had taken effect on the ship, Rex sorted through his meager belongings, arranging and rearranging instead of sleeping, unable to quiet his mind.
As he repositioned his gear for the twelfth time that night, he decided he would rearrange the contents of his utility belt this time. Anything to keep his mind busy, so he wouldn’t think about… her. The longing flared in his heart, twisting and squeezing it with the knowledge that he may never see her again.
Wincing, he busied himself by emptying the compartments on his belt, checking and cleaning his gear before putting things back together one by one. He resolutely ignored his thoughts, using years of discipline to keep the whirlwind of emotions within his chest at bay.
As he opened the last, bigger compartment at the back of the belt, there seemed to be only one item inside: a package wrapped in red cloth, tied together with a leather strap. It was the package Ahsoka had given to him before he left. Rex sat there for a long time, just holding the bundle, uncertain what to do next.
Should he open it? What could she have possibly had to give to him? Rex set his jaw, trying to calm the roaring storm in his chest, steeped in pain, regret and deep longing. Ultimately, the desire for her, for anything and everything that might make him feel even a little bit closer to her won out, and slowly, he loosened the leather strap, unwrapping the small package.
His brow furrowed in confusion, finding Ahsoka’s belt ornament inside, with a small, folded piece of flimsi beneath it. With shaking hands, he unfolded the flimsi, to find a handwritten note inside:
Rex,
The moment you gave this to me was the moment I knew I was yours. While we are parted, I want you to have this so that you’ll always have a piece of me with you, and we’ll never truly be apart.
I miss you already, and you’re not even gone yet. Please know that you’ll always have my heart.
Stay safe, until I see you again.
Ahsoka
There was a small, dried water mark on the flimsi, above the word ‘gone’ written in shaky aurebesh. When a fresh droplet joined it, followed by another, Rex inhaled sharply, folding the note up quickly and dropping his chin to his chest, trying to regain some composure.
After a few more breaths, Rex folded the note even smaller and slipped it into his helmet, behind one of the comm mechanisms under the padding on the side. Then he wound the belt ornament around his wrist, tying it securely into place before folding the sleeve of his blacks down, hiding the beaded object from view.
Although the heartbreak continued raging behind his ribs, a part of him felt marginally lighter. Somehow, he knew would see her again. The thought felt true, even though he was no Jedi and would never claim to be able to tell the will of the Force, much less the future itself.
So, Rex finished restocking his utility belt and settled upon his bunk to sleep. Finally, he drifted into a peaceful slumber. He knew he could face whatever came next, as his fortitude was bolstered by the tentative promise of a future with the woman who’s heart he wore on his wrist.