Wake Up
A thick layer of dread blanketed everything. The Tribunal had fallen into silence. Despite the victory on Manadlore, there was no celebration of success. There was no chatter between brothers, or excitement about returning to Coruscant, not even the droids aboard dared make a sound. Instead, there was only the foreboding sense of doom.
Ahsoka had returned to the bridge with Rex. Both watched as the cruiser launched into Hyperspace, as the many colors settled into the swirling of blue and white. A heavy conversation between friends taking place, both agreeing the only good to come from the war was the clones, the loyal soldiers of the republic, and friends. The two shared a moment of kindness as if both could sense the war reaching its conclusion. As if both could feel the impending devastation.
At the same time (Y/N) walked silently with Jesse through the many halls. The loyal Arc Trooper had become determined to distract her, attempting to ease the feeling of failure she felt, over the deaths of so many troopers. Despite her best efforts, she hadn’t been able to save them all, least of all the ones caught by Maul. After some time the durasteel walls had all begun to blend together, to the point (Y/N) believed the two were walking in circles. Every now and again, she would look over to her companion. Sometimes Jesse would already be looking back at her, offering her a cheeky wink. Other times he was staring ahead, his honey eyes not focusing on anything in particular, as his mind becomes lost in thought.
“Something wrong?” asked (Y/N), taking hold of Jesse’s hand in a gentle grip, if only to guide him back to the present. For a few short seconds, Jesse looked at the civvi medic before him with confusion. A shadow of a grin appeared on his lips as he looked down at their hands, linked together. Taking notice of how small her hand was in his, and how soft it was compared to his own rough one.
“The nightmares” whispered Jesse, as if his words were a secret only meant for her to hear. “Ever since I was captured by Maul, it’s felt like my nightmares are gaining more power, it’s like unexplainable anxiety has gotten ahold of me but I can’t shake it away. Every time I think I’ve gotten away from it, it takes hold again” quietly voiced Jesse, his honey eyes shimmering with hope she’d understand the fear, and hope she wouldn’t think any less of him.
He’d been about to say something else when his attention turned to the static voice emanating from his helmet, his golden eyes glimmering with almost fear. Slowly Jesse lifted his helmet to put it on, his features appearing more serious as he did so, although he never spoke a single word. Instead, his body language changed the moment the words truly reached him, where he’d once been partially relaxed, he was now stiff, almost robotic, and cold. Even with his helmet hiding his face, (Y/N) knew something was different, she could tell the warm glow his eyes had, had been distinguished.
“Get to a shuttle, and leave” ordered Jesse, with staggered breaths, as if he was fighting against something. His voice was hard, cold but also laced with pain. For a moment he held a hand to the left side of his helmet, hovering over the temple as if he was nursing a sudden and serve headache. Then without another word, he ran off toward the bridge, leaving (Y/N) both confused and concerned. Even more so when the sound of blaster fire rang out from the direction Jesse had run off to. At first (Y/N) had convinced herself Maul had escaped, but soon realized otherwise upon a trooper running past her muttering about the traitor Ahsoka Tano.
“Trip” called (Y/N), catching the attention of the passing trooper, his helmet decorated in honor of Ahsoka. Trip stood before her as if she was his commanding general, although he didn’t speak a word, instead waiting for her to regain the confidence to ask her obvious question. “What’s going on?” squeaked the Civvi medic, as her attention fleetingly turned to the passing troopers, all of them seemed on a mission of some kind, determined to see their given task through to the end.
“Special orders from the Emperor, ma’am” robotically answered Trip, before running off to catch up with the group he’d been with before. (Y/N) couldn’t help the shiver to rattle down her spine. Just as her confusion grew. The emperor? Who was that? What was going on? Why was everyone suddenly acting so weirdly? Why was Ahsoka suddenly branded a traitor? So many questions ran through (Y/N)’s thoughts, to the point she hadn’t even realized she’d begun to move toward the docking bay, subconsciously doing as Jesse had ordered.
Just as she began to regain her own movement, she felt someone grab hold of her arm. Snapping her head around quickly to see Jesse’s emotionless helmet. Not a word escaped him, as he began to walk at a quick pace towards the docking bay, pulling her along. He’d stop every now and again and order passing troopers to do something, but never let go of her. It was only when Jesse pulled her down a quiet corridor, did (Y/N) receive the final piece of the puzzle. In the form of Jesse muttering four words, as if he was trying to tell her what was going on without directly going against the programming.
“Good soldiers follow order” voiced Jesse, he never turned to face her, only tightening his grip when he felt her struggle against him.
“Fives” whispered (Y/N), remembering the friend she lost, remembering the conspiracy that surrounded him and Tup. How Fives had been so determined to prove something. “The inhibitor chip” shakingly commented the civvi medic, feeling the dread and fear grip at her stomach. Even more so when she remembered how all of it ended. How Tup had died so unexpectedly and Fives had been accused of attempting to assassinate the chancellor, all of it had been explained away as a virus. But (Y/N) hadn’t believed it. Even less so when Kix suddenly disappeared.
*~* Ahsoka & Rex *~*
“We need to find (Y/N)” spoke Rex, looking around the small medbay, finding it unnerving that the friendly medic wasn’t stowed away inside as she normally was. A lump of fear formed in his throat, as reality dawned on him. If (Y/N) wasn’t in her medbay, then she was somewhere on the ship, wandering around and likely in danger. It was a coin toss on who posed more of a threat to the medic, the troopers who had befriended her, Jesse who loved her, or Maul, who was now on the loose and causing chaos and doing who knows what.
“She was with Jesse” announced Ahsoka, her eyes widening. Jesse had been on the bridge as the chaos had begun to unfold. After she’d gotten away and Rex had given out orders, neither of them had seen him. “He wouldn’t hurt (Y/N) Rex. But I agree, we have to find her” added the former Jedi Commander, feeling the lump of dread form in her throat. Even she couldn’t believe her own words, less so when she knew Rex wouldn’t hurt her before the inhibitor chip triggered, despite their strong bond through friendship, he hadn’t been able to fight the effects of the chip for long. Although long enough to direct her towards Fives.
“I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you either but I also couldn’t stop the chip from taking control” asserted the great Captain, as the two prepared to fight, both knew their objectives. They had to find a way off the ship and somehow find (Y/N) amongst the chaos. Neither wanted to think of the worst-case scenario, the one where (Y/N) too had been branded a traitor and executed or she’d been caught in the crossfire when the troopers aboard attempted to execute Maul. Instead, both chose to look on the bright side, both hoping (Y/N) had already gotten off the ship somehow, or at least had stayed hidden. Although neither could deny their gut feeling. Jesse had already gone back for her.
“She won’t leave Jesse behind” uttered Rex, already suspecting getting (Y/N) to leave without Jesse was going to be an impossible task. Even more so when it was guaranteed she’d already worked out what was happening. (Y/N) was stubborn, to say the least, but passionate. Even General Skywalker had found out the hard way, it was impossible to get her to change her mind once it was made up.
Their situation turned dire the moment they felt the cruiser be ripped from hyperspace, both suspecting Maul had done something to sabotage the ship or if it wasn’t Maul then it was (Y/N) doing what she could distract the troopers, likely to aid those who needed it. Upon learning the hyperdrive had been completely destroyed and the cruiser had become trapped in a moon’s gravitational pull, the mission to get off the ship became a race against time. A race that only got harder the moment the bay doors opened to reveal the majority of the troopers aboard waiting for them. Jesse leading them, on the boxes near the shuttle was (Y/N) guarded by several troopers.
“You’re a good soldier, Rex, and so are all those men down there. They may be willing to die, but I am not the one who is going to kill them” calmly spoke Ahsoka, her words gentle as if intended on soothing Rex’s breaking heart. The two left the control center minutes later with a plan in mind, although they knew their plan had flaws in it. Jesse was the second in command, currently under the effects of the inhibitor chip and order 66, and, he was no fool.
The droids did as instructed, quietly making their way over to where (Y/N) was, one accessing the scomp data port, whereas R7, shocked the troopers guarding (Y/N). The civvi medic picked up one of the blasters and set it to stun, already determined she was going to help Ahsoka and now Rex escape the ship before it inevitably crashed. The moment the fight started and the lifts dropped to the maintenance deck, (Y/N) wasted little time in stunning the troopers closest to her position, preventing some of them from shooting Rex from behind. Despite her lack of training, (Y/N) jumped into action when Ahsoka tried to stop Maul from getting away in the shuttle. Stunning as many troopers as possible.
“Protect Soka, I’ll help the droids” yelled (Y/N), as she ran to defend the droids, ensuring they could do their assigned tasks a little longer. She fired as many stun bolts as she could, refusing to hurt the troopers she’d come to call friends, even more so when she knew they weren’t in control. It wasn’t long before (Y/N) lost track of Rex and Ahsoka, although she took notice of the circular hole cut into the floor. Her attention soon turned back to the troopers heading in her direction, firing at as many as possible before they got to the droids. The pair of astromechs managed to raise the lifts again before being destroyed. (Y/N) herself taking a blaster bolt to the shoulder before losing her balance to the sudden quake to rip through the imploding cruiser.
Jesse had spotted her upon regaining his footing after being thrown off the maintenance lift, stalking her as if he was a predator hunting its prey. He’d lost one of his blasters during the chaos, the other one was on her, ready to fire without warning. Another explosion from the engines forced the ship to lose its stabilizers, throwing everyone to the port side. The force of it alone throwing both (Y/N) and Jesse into one of the partisan walls, forcing Jesse to lose his last blaster.
“Wake up Jesse. This isn’t you” called (Y/N), reaching for his helmet, only to be thrown from the safety position when something exploded close by. She would have fallen to her death, had Jesse not grabbed onto her wrist. (Y/N) wasn’t sure if it was from instinct or if he’d come to his sense as he pulled her back to the durasteel wall both had been thrown against.
“I told you to leave” whispered Jesse, pulling her close to him although refusing to allow her to remove his helmet. Refusing to allow her to see his tears. “Why did you stay?” asked the Arc Trooper, wrapping his arms around her, both knew their end was fast approaching, the only question being which would get them first. The crash, the ship imploding or the fires quickly approaching their position. Maybe the smoke would get them if they were lucky.
“I promised I wouldn’t leave you again” quietly responded (Y/N), placing her head against Jesse’s shoulder, accepting her inevitable death willingly. “At Kar’taylir Darasuum Cuyir At Kadala” she gently whispered, closing her eyes upon noticing how close the peaceful wings of death were.
“At Kar’taylir Darasuum Cuyir At Kadala” softly responded Jesse, holding (Y/N) a little tighter as he leaned his helmeted cheek against the top of her head. At least thankful he knew where she was when the end come. Just getting to hold his cyare one last time was enough for him to accept death. Even more so when he could do so free of the inhibitor chip’s control. His only regret being he couldn’t apologize to Rex and Ahsoka. “Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum” whispered Jesse, as the cruise crashed into the surface of the moon before everything was swallowed by a fireball and suffocating smoke.
