Chapter Text
The Clone Wars
~22 BBY - 9 months~
Another mission successfully completed. Thought Rex as he strolled through the makeshift Republic military camp that was hurriedly erected not more than a week ago.
The 501st battalion had managed to achieve their objective a lot sooner than expected. They were tasked to free the Outer-Rim planet of Mugenta from Separatist droid army occupation by attacking their main base of operations in the village of Linten. Mugenta was deemed a crucial planet that the Republic could not afford to lose to the Confederacy due to its vast natural resources that were key to sustaining the war effort. The people of Linten were grateful for their liberation by the Republic, and even more so for the much needed food and relief supplies that they had provided.
They were 9 months into the war, with Rex and all his brothers having quickly fallen into a routine now that had become familiar to them. Deployment, battle and recovery. It was still quite early in the war he supposed, as it currently had no end in sight as far as he could tell. Everyone was expecting it to last years.
His battalion had already lost its fair share of troopers, but it had yet to suffer any truly devastating losses to merit deep mourning and reflection. Every mission they had been tasked with so far had largely ended in success, although this latest one had been a bit more challenging than most due to the sheer numbers of droids they had encountered on the battlefield. He knew a major defeat would come sooner or later, but he was not a man to fear the future. He would remain resolute and command his troops with the vigour and dogged determination that he was known for, no matter how hard things were going to get.
Rex held his bucket in his arm as he walked and surveyed the camp. Night had fallen and the site was illuminated by numerous bonfires, with clones gathered around them chatting excitedly and celebrating their latest victory. Some were up to their usual mischievous antics, others were playing sabbac, while a few were simply relaxing next to the fire with their mates and enjoying a drink with their food rations. Loud cheers and boos would erupt every so often as a bet was lost or won and it made him smile to see his men enjoying themselves. They had earned it.
A short while earlier, some of his best men Jesse, Hardcase and Kix along with recent additions Echo and Fives had roped him and General Skywalker into having a few rounds of drinks with them. Rex smiled to himself as he remembered how the young Commander Tano had tried numerous times, unsuccessfully, to convince the General to let her have a drink too.
While Rex often enjoyed having the occasional glass of Tihaar, he had to admit that he had been goaded into drinking one too many. Being the responsible Captain that he was, he had made the decision to excuse himself for some fresh air. The excessive alcohol combined with the rowdiness of the camp was starting to make his head spin. All he wanted was to find somewhere quiet to have a moment to himself.
Reaching the edge of the camp and meandering through some dense trees, he found a small clearing leading up to the side of a cliff-face that looked idyllic and headed in its direction. As he made his way closer, he discovered that someone had already beaten him to the spot.
Squinting his eyes to try and see who it was, he made out the faint and distinctly feminine outline of General Rin Kinaeda illuminated in the moonlight. Her slender, petite frame was seated on the grassy ground, resting lazily against the gnarled trunk of a tree, with one leg bent at the knee towards the sky and the other lying flat on the ground. Both her clasped hands rested on her bent knee while her head was turned away to survey some interesting scene directly ahead that remained a mystery to him at present.
He stopped abruptly in his tracks to observe her for a few moments, trying to ascertain whether he would be interrupting something if he made his presence known. Judging by her relaxed and open posture, he figured that she was out here for the exact same reason as him, to seek some solitude, away from the crowded camp.
He decided to join her. One thing that he could confidently say about General Kinaeda, was that she was an easygoing person. Rex regarded her for a few more heartbeats before resuming his steps, he was sure she would welcome his company.
General Kinaeda was well regarded among the ranks of clones as a kind, understanding and capable Jedi leader who had on countless occasions gone above and beyond to accommodate her troops. By earnestly listening to their concerns and valuing their insight, she had developed a command structure that operated with mutual respect.
She had been appointed Co-Jedi General of the 501st at the start of the war by the Jedi Council, shortly after General Skywalker had demonstrated that he was clearly too reckless and unpredictable for their liking to lead such a prized battalion on his own. At first, Rin was more or less assigned to the 501st to keep Anakin in check, with her acting as the voice of reason to talk Anakin out of making rash decisions.
It soon became apparent however, that the two Generals worked exceptionally well together. When either General was called away on solo or support missions with fellow Jedi, the other would take sole command of the 501st and this practice worked seamlessly.
Rin and Anakin became fast friends, creating flawless attack strategies that had the high mission success rates and low trooper casualties to show for it. Rin’s level-headed approaches were exactly what was needed to balance Anakin’s penchant for impulsiveness. Rex really couldn’t think of a better Jedi-General partnership in the entire Grand Army of the Republic.
He could recall numerous times when Rin had successfully talked Anakin out of causing trouble far better than Obi-Wan could possibly have done, perhaps since she was Anakin’s equal and he regarded her as such. Rin had become a Jedi Knight only 2 years before Anakin and it was Rex’s belief that this was the reason why Anakin was able to take her criticism much more kindly. Since Obi-Wan was Anakin’s former Master, Rex surmised that Anakin’s rebellious disposition would surface out of habit whenever the older Jedi Master was present.
Ever the patient and open-minded individual, Rin was always willing to hear out Anakin’s bold and unorthodox strategies rather than dismissing them in the manner most of the senior Jedi Masters tended to do. She would instead offer suggestions to provide clever alternatives that would not only suit Anakin, but would most importantly also be sanctioned by the Jedi Council. She held brilliant negotiation and conflict de-escalation skills that she must have picked up from her former Master Shaak Ti as a Padawan.
Although she was a reserved young woman and appeared meek and unassuming, Rin was truly a force to be reckoned with in the arena of war. It was inspiring to see her leading brothers into battle with Anakin, as they both not only had the drive to succeed, but also the desire to protect those in their charge.
Rex considered himself incredibly lucky to have been posted to the 501st to serve under their command, as did many of his brothers who would gladly lay down their lives for their Generals without a second thought. Rin and Anakin had instilled the belief in he and his men that they were not just soldiers created to fight a war, but that they were valued living beings with the right to express their individuality.
Both Jedi had openly encouraged each trooper to adopt a name to distinguish themselves, and by now they all proudly wore those names as symbols of their unique identities. Rex himself always felt a deep sense of gratitude every time Rin or Anakin called him by his chosen name rather than his number, it made him feel like he stood on equal footing with them. It wasn't the reality, but he could dream.
As he neared the cliff’s edge, Rin turned her head to greet Rex with a smile as the grass under his boots rustled loud enough for her to hear as he approached.
Rex stood at attention as they made eye contact and he gave a stiff salute.
“General Kinaeda.”
“Rex.” Rin nodded with a small dip of her chin. “At ease. The battle is over, there’s no need to be so formal with me,” she reassured in a gentle voice.
“If you say so, Sir.”
Rex relaxed into his regular posture but replied with a polite address nonetheless, as it was drilled into him to always refer to his superiors with their proper titles or with a simple Sir.
It seemed to Rex that Rin had grasped the precise reason as to why he had journeyed all this way out here so far from camp, as she quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement.
“I take it you’ve had enough of the celebrations with the men? Feel free to join me.” She gestured to the spot on the ground beside her.
There were many reasons as to why Rex could have needed to approach Rin at this hour, to go over urgent post-mission logistics or to bring forward some issues relating to the relief effort, for example. But she always seemed to be able to know what someone was thinking, almost as if she could read minds. He knew that most Jedi could use Force Empathy to deduce the emotional states of others, but Rin seemed to have a particular talent for it.
“Indeed I have, apologies for my intrusion. Thank you, Sir.”
Rex shuffled forward and seated himself an amicable distance to her right. He placed his bucket down between them and allowed himself a brief study of her profile as he did.
Her expression was serene, with her dark brown hair tied up in her usual style of a neat bun. The distinctive silver songsteel hairstick that held her hair in place reflected a few beams of moonlight as she turned her head back to stare silently down to the valley below where the village of Linten lay.
He remembered being struck with awe the day he discovered that it was not just a simple hair ornament, but also an effective and deadly weapon. He had been careless that day during the battle on Christophsis and had inadvertently allowed himself to be cornered by a couple of B2 super battle droids up against the facade of a crumbling building.
Just as he felt the heel of his boot hit the wall as he was forced to back up to the very edge, he had heard the whistle of a fast-travelling object accompanied by a flash of silver. The next thing he knew, both battle droids had lain motionless on the ground, each with a tiny but precise hole blown into their heads through their thick armour casing to sever the connection from capacitor to command chip.
In surprise he had looked over his shoulder to where the majority of the battle was happening on the wide streets of the ruined city. The flash of silver had returned to Rin’s outstretched hand as she had retrieved it with use of the Force. Incredibly grateful for her intervention, he had raised a hand to thank her and she had replied likewise with a similar wave as her unrestrained hair swirled fiercely around her amidst the chaos.
In terms of dress, Rin wore a version of the traditional Jedi-style robes. Under her long maroon coloured outer cloak, she was clothed in a shorter grey under-robe that ended at her mid-thigh, with an inner sleeveless, wrap-style shirt of a shade of violet that held cultural significance in her homeworld, the mid-rim planet of Katyr. Overall, her attire was conservative, yet it displayed subdued femininity.
A black utility belt cinched her robes in at the waist and held her dual blue lightsabers within quick reach at all times. Like her former teacher General Shaak Ti, Rin was a master of the lightsaber forms Makashi and Ataru, the latter of which being ideal for her petite stature as it required use of the Force to enhance her strength, speed and agility. When she fought, it was like she was dancing, performing breathtaking feats of acrobatics by spinning and jumping with so much grace that Rex often had to fight the urge to just drop his DC-17 blaster pistols in the middle of battle and watch her.
Rin was a practitioner of Jar’Kai, a variant form of Ataru that used twin lightsabers. Using one to support the other, she wielded them in such a way that it lent much more power to her attacks as well as increasing the efficacy of her defences.
Despite Anakin training Ahsoka in his own mastered forms of Shien and Djem So, it was clear from the beginning that the young Padawan showed a keen interest in Ataru and Jar’Kai after being witness to Rin’s style of combat. To Ahsoka, Rin was like a second Master, an outstanding role model for her to emulate. As such, she would approach Rin for additional tutoring whenever she had the chance, hoping to master Jar’Kai saber combat in the Ataru style too in her own time.
When the Clone Wars first began, a few Jedi Generals had decided to adopt standard clone trooper armour to their outfits and don them into battle. Rex was aware that they didn’t serve as armour in the traditional sense for physical protection, as the Jedi were more than capable of deflecting blaster fire with their eyes closed. More than anything, he realised that they did this in order to show solidarity with the troops that they commanded and fought alongside.
Like Obi-Wan, Rin wore white pauldrons on her shoulders that were attached magnetically to the standard clone-issued black bodyglove that she had on beneath her robes. One plate sported the emblem of the Jedi Order in striking red. She also wore clone-issued white vambraces on her forearms. In order to customise them to fit her smaller form, she had needed to heat the plastoid and squeeze to shrink them using the Force so that they fit around her arms tightly enough. Rex had heard from Ahsoka that she had wanted to wear clone-issued combat boots as well, but was disappointed to learn that the GAR unfortunately didn’t make them in her size. The knee-high, dark-brown leather boots that she settled for instead were a comfortable and practical alternative.
The sudden faint popping of what sounded like firecrackers in the distance startled Rex, transporting him back to reality. His soldier's instincts kicked in and he snapped his head forward to hone in on the sound that was coming from the valley below. There he noticed that a small area of the village was lit up brightly, with the sounds of music and merrymaking drifting through the air to reach his ears.
He regarded the scene with curiosity and when he turned to Rin for an explanation, he saw her grinning.
“The villagers sure seem happy to have received their relief supplies.” He commented.
“No, it’s not just the supplies, Rex. There’s more going on down there than you realise,” said Rin with a hint of wonder in her voice.
His confusion deepened. “What do you mean?”
“There is a wedding taking place tonight.”
“A wedding? Now?”
This greatly puzzled him.
“Seems like strange timing with everything going on. Shouldn’t they be focused on rebuilding the village?”
Rin glanced at him, the corners of her lips curled upward into a smile.
“Perhaps. But when love’s involved, things don’t always follow reason. I imagine that the couple couldn’t wait. They probably just wanted to be together, despite the current circumstances."
Rex crossed his arms, still trying to wrap his head around it. He had never really thought about weddings, didn’t know much about how they were usually held, or what happened during them apart from two people uniting their family clans. He had never seen or attended one before, but from what he had heard, he thought that they were usually very lavish ceremonies steeped in tradition that required a lot of planning and formality, not something to be held so carefree and spontaneously in the remains of a decimated village.
He shrugged. “I guess I always thought weddings were a formal affair.”
Rin chuckled softly and placed a finger to her chin in contemplation.
“Sure, some weddings are. Maybe you've only heard about the ones of senators and dignitaries. They marry for status and alliances, but not love. This? This is different.”
Rex looked back at her, intrigued. “Different how?”
She turned to face him, her expression almost wistful.
“This is a marriage born of love. Rain or shine, war or peace, it's clear that all they want is to be together. With the village safe now, what better way is there to celebrate life than with love?”
Rex frowned. He had never considered things from that perspective before.
"I guess I never thought about it like that."
Rin caught sight of Rex’s perplexed expression and laughed.
“When two people marry because they love and care for each other... it's really something."
Rex nodded slowly.
“I see, Sir... Then how do you know when people marry for love?”
He could understand political alliances, but romantic love was something of a mystery to Rex. He knew all about brotherly love, as it clearly manifested itself in the care and concern he showed for his men. It was an attribute that the Kaminoans had openly fostered, so that clones would look out for each other on the battlefield and leave no brother behind.
That being said, the Kaminoans had sought to shelter all the clones from subjects that they had deemed inappropriate and unnecessary in their training to become soldiers. They were bred for war and war was all they needed to know. He hadn’t really thought about romantic love before and what it really meant.
Rin cocked her head in thought.
“Well… love is an intense emotion of deep attraction and affection for another person. When two people are in love they want to be connected and share their lives with each other. They draw strength and happiness from one another and would do anything to serve and protect the other. A marriage founded on love shows that a couple has decided to dedicate their lives to one another. Weddings are a public celebration and declaration that they have commenced on their journey to live together as one.”
Rex took in every single one of her words with attentiveness. They made sense and he had understood them, but had to admit that the emotion sounded incredibly complex.
“Do… do people just decide to fall in love with each other?” he asked, earning another laugh from Rin.
She waved her hand.
“No, I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Love works in mysterious ways, as they say. Usually you don’t realise you’re in love until it smacks you in the face. You can’t choose who you fall in love with.”
“Okay...”
Rex really was having a hard time understanding this.
“Then... how do people fall in love?”
“Oh, in many ways. They might have spent a great deal of time together and shared intimate moments where they got to truly know and trust each other. They trade their wants, dreams and secrets to the point where they believe that there is no other person alive in the galaxy that understands them better.”
Rex’s brows knitted together in close thought as Rin elaborated.
“Maybe they come to love a person because they make them happy, appreciate their talents or stand by them during a difficult time…”
She paused to place emphasis on her following words.
“Although attraction to beauty and physical appearance does play a part, the most important thing is that they will recognise admirable traits in the personality of the other that they will value above all else.”
Rin’s eyes met Rex’s as she concluded her explanation, and there he sensed a flicker of something behind her composed demeanour.
Was it… yearning?
All this time she had spoken about love with such reverence as if she knew all about it; that she had lived it once before or wanted to experience it once again. Thinking deeper, he thought he knew the answer and decided to verify it with his next question.
“But not everyone is allowed to fall in love… are they?”
Rin sighed deeply as her eyes became downcast and her tone changed to become somewhat despondent.
“Yes… unfortunately not.”
She motioned between them with a pointed finger and sweep of her hand.
“Take you and I, for example. The Jedi Code strictly forbids attachments which includes romantic love for fear of us falling to the Dark Side, and well, soldiers having romantic relationships would clearly distract them from their duty to fight. Love tends to… complicate things, so it’s not always desirable to be in it.”
“I see…”
He might be pushing it with his next query but he was feeling unusually plucky tonight and so the question left his lips before he could silence them.
“Do you… disagree with the Jedi Code, Sir? Wish that things were different?”
For a long time, Rin was silent.
“I do.” She finally responded.
“Love is a very powerful emotion and sometimes it can be one of our strongest allies in dark times. It can fuel passion and give us the strength we need to do incredible things in order to protect the ones we love–”
Then she hesitated, her voice turning serious.
“But the line between the Light and the Dark is thin, and it is unpredictable how a person will react to the loss of a loved one. It has proven to be very dangerous for some...”
She continued.
“On the other hand, love is such a basic human emotion that I believe you can’t achieve true balance without knowing or experiencing it. It somehow feels wrong to deny yourself such a fundamental emotion that makes us human. We would be no more than mindless droids otherwise.”
“Perhaps as Jedi we should be allowed to love and be taught how to moderate and respond sensibly to these feelings rather than outright condemning them. Refusing to acknowledge feelings of love and hiding them away can be equally dangerous. That’s what I believe anyway, and I’m not the only one-”
Rin abruptly stopped herself and looked up at Rex, her eyes pleading.
“Oh Stars, I-I’ve said too much. If you don’t mind Rex… please just keep this conversation between ourselves.” She asked of him in a hushed voice.
“It’s not a popular opinion to hold, and those of us who disagree with this aspect of the Jedi Code tend to keep it hidden from others out of fear of expulsion from the Order.”
Rex nodded solemnly in understanding. He was being trusted with a significant piece of information that could potentially tarnish her reputation and status as a Jedi.
“You’ve nothing to worry about Sir, your secret is safe with me.”
Rin’s shoulders visibly relaxed and her cheeriness returned as she received the confirmation she needed that he would not disclose it to anyone.
“Thank you, Rex. That means a lot to me.”
Her eyes lit up with unexpected mischief then, and she leaned in to whisper a further revelation to Rex.
“You’re a trustworthy and loyal trooper so I know you’ll be able to keep this bit of information to yourself as well…”
She took a pause for dramatic effect and Rex felt his breath hitch in anticipation.
“One Jedi has confided to me that he is secretly married.”
At this, Rex raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Who is it Sir?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you, Captain!” She chuckled.
“I was given this information under strict terms of confidentiality by the Jedi himself and I intend to honour it. Though I can say that the Jedi in question does indeed love his wife very dearly. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out by yourself if you pay close enough attention. It’s quite obvious once you see it.”
“Just don’t tell Master Yoda or Master Windu when you find out... that wouldn’t end well.” She grimaced.
He nodded in acknowledgment. “Very well Sir.”
Rex had absolutely no idea who it could be. He was never one to closely observe the Jedi in their private comings and goings or revel in gossip about them. He had morals and too much respect for that.
This piece of information certainly did intrigue him however, more than it should, he had to admit. Perhaps he would take it as a challenge and try to figure out who it was.
The synchronised movement of tiny dots in the distance caught his attention and he immediately recognised them as the villagers. He pointed in their direction.
“What part of the wedding ceremony would that be, General?”
Rin followed Rex’s gaze and cried out with delight.
“Oh, they’re dancing! It’s compulsory at all weddings, despite what some people say. You know how to dance don’t you, Rex?”
“Uhh… no Sir… I don’t.” He replied awkwardly.
His training on Kamino didn’t cover this. He was pretty sure it wasn’t necessary to know how.
“Then I’ll teach you. It’s not hard, you’ll have fun!”
Rin shrugged off her long outer Jedi robe and leapt to her feet, extending a hand to Rex who took it reluctantly to stand up as well.
“Let’s celebrate their wedding with them tonight. Humour me with a dance Captain, it’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity.”
“Is uh… is that an order, Sir?” He was afraid of her answer.
She smirked. “I’ll make it one if you refuse.”
It looked like he had no choice then. He took a step towards Rin and shifted his weight hesitantly from one foot to the other.
“So… how do I go about this General?”
“Relax Rex, just follow me and move as I do. I’ll teach you this one, it’s called the waltz. It’s a very popular dance on planets with humanoid populations. It requires a partner but I’ll show you the steps first so you can get the hang of it before we move together.”
Moving together? Dance partner? Rex was beginning to feel like he was way out of his depth here.
He kept his eyes trained on Rin and studied her posture as she positioned herself next to him. He copied her actions as she stepped forward with her left leg, then sidestepped with her right and slid her left foot to close the gap. She then stepped back with her right, sidestepped with her left and brought her right foot to meet her left, effectively tracing a square in the grass from start to finish.
“You’re keeping up with me so far, Captain?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Good.” She beamed.
This wasn’t so hard. He thought, as he repeated the steps a few more times alongside Rin. It felt similar to the way footwork in hand-to-hand combat was taught to him by Alpha-17 during his training on Kamino.
“Looks like you’ve got the hang of it, I'll show you what it’s like with a partner now.”
She turned to directly face him and so he did the same. He was not ready though, when she closed the distance between them to place a hand on his shoulder. With her other hand, she grasped his left, holding it up and out to their side while guiding his right hand up her back to come to rest atop her shoulder blade.
The unexpected and unfamiliar sensation of having so much physical contact with his General suddenly made Rex incredibly uncomfortable. They were almost hugging and it felt wildly inappropriate. He certainly hoped that none of his brothers would see them out here, misconstrue his actions to be sordid in nature and report him to High Command. He'd face disciplinary action if that were the case.
“You remember the steps? We’ll repeat them but as the man you’ll be the lead and start by going forward with your left. As the woman I’ll follow and step back with my right.”
Rex swallowed thickly. “Yes Sir.”
At Rin’s behest they started moving together very slowly, with their limbs intertwined and bodies mirroring each other.
All the clones were fast learners and it was no surprise that he was able to complete a few rounds of the square arrangement without any mistakes.
“That’s it, you’ve got it Rex.”
Her voice then became a breathy whisper. “Now try this-”
Rin twisted her body a little to the right with their next step and kept twisting a little more with each subsequent step. He obligingly corrected his form to match hers and it wasn’t long until the two of them had broken out of the tight stationary square and were instead sweeping across the grassy cliff-top, spinning while embraced as they glided in a wide and lazy circle.
His brain very quickly committed the moves to memory, so that the motion became natural enough to him that he no longer needed to stare down at his feet to concentrate. Rex’s eyes hazarded a glance up to Rin’s face and he saw her with such a contented look on her face that he couldn’t help but stare.
Her eyes were closed and a small smile graced her lips. Her youthful, fair skin looked so much smoother and softer up close and he noticed for the first time how long her eyelashes were.
As he held his General, he became acutely aware of the gentle slope of her back, the daintiness of her hands and that she was a head shorter than him. If they were close enough, she would fit perfectly into the crook of his neck beneath his chin. With his hand on her back, he also discovered that he could feel it each time that she took a breath. It was electrifyingly intimate.
A light breeze blew between them, bringing with it the floral scent of the body wash she used and it lulled Rex into a state of euphoria. He felt like he was in a dream as the two of them danced in silence to the faint melody of far-away village music carried up to them by the wind.
Rin’s eyelids fluttered open at the sensation of the breeze and Rex found himself staring straight into her hazel eyes for a few intense seconds. He felt his heart skip a beat, maybe even several.
Her eyes were so beautiful. He didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed before.
In the soft glow of the moonlight, he could see the subtle flecks of violet within her irises that denoted her Katyrian heritage and the dazzling way in which the inner silk shirt that she wore matched them.
His nervousness vanished as he held Rin’s gaze.
It was gradual, but Rex felt a welcome sensation of calm begin to worm its way into his heart that he had not experienced at length before. As a soldier, he was always on high alert, needing to be ready for the next battle that could happen at any moment. He had never allowed himself to let his guard down long enough to appreciate a moment like this.
As the feeling grew stronger, he imagined that there was no war currently raging its way through the galaxy, no responsibilities, and no societal divides or ranks to separate the both of them.
Tonight he was just a man enjoying a dance with a woman.
There was something fundamentally raw about the connection that Rex felt with Rin at that moment; of humanity and the warmth of companionship. Nothing had felt more natural and he knew instinctively that this was the way things should be. His mind became void of all thoughts as he focused on the feeling and gradually lost himself in it.
He wanted this to last forever.
“Ow-!”
Rin cried out and Rex recoiled at once, letting go of her.
Like a bubble that had burst, their little tranquil moment came to a swift end. A brief lapse of concentration had led to Rex mistiming a step and he had inadvertently trodden on Rin’s foot.
He was mortified.
“A-Apologies General! Are you alright? Have I hurt you?”
What the kriff was wrong with him? He had stomped on his commanding officer like a bumbling shiny.
Oh, karking hell.
He could feel his entire face and the tips of his ears burning red-hot. He hoped it wasn’t obvious.
“No, I’m alright. I’m not hurt.” Said Rin with a wave of dismissal.
“You’re quite the dancer Rex, it’s only your first time waltzing. You certainly have a talent for it.”
She shot him a wink in jest, but he wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him whole. He needed to make his escape before things got any more embarrassing.
“Uh, listen General… it’s getting late. I should head back to camp to check on the men… we’ll be shipping back to Coruscant in the next rotation so the sooner they start packing up the equipment, the easier it’ll be.” Rex said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Rin seemed disappointed to let him go, but granted his request.
“Very well Captain, you’re excused.”
Rex picked up his bucket and just as he stood upright, Rin added another detail.
“Thank you for lending me your company tonight Rex… I had a good time.”
“So did I, General Kinaeda.”
With that, he gave Rin a curt nod before turning on his heels and retracing his steps back to camp.
Along the way he contemplated their earlier conversation and what it had led to. It occurred to him that he hadn’t quite been his usual self tonight when he was with Rin. He chalked it up to the excessive alcohol that he’d consumed with his men prior. It had made him so audacious as to have asked his commanding officer for her opinions on such intimate matters.
He felt however, that the tender moment he had shared with her by the cliff had ultimately changed the dynamic of their rigidly professional relationship. Pondering it long after he left, he discerned that the walls between them had been removed in some measure.
By allowing him a glimpse into her private thoughts, a bridge of rapport had been extended so that he now understood her more profoundly than before. On top of that, the captivating beauty he witnessed from her tonight had also led him to view her with a new light of admiration.
Rex felt special knowing that his General had chosen to talk so openly with him and had trusted him enough to keep her secrets. He took pleasure in that sentiment for the rest of the night, eventually falling into a peaceful sleep where he dreamt of love and dance.