Chapter Text
“Are you sure about this?”
Rex didn’t answer right away. He carried on with his task, checking the provisions he’d packed into the ship’s storage compartments. Spare components for the ship, various medical supplies, plenty of field rations and water…
A few paces away, Ezra Bridger leaned against a cargo container, his expression doubtful. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to rescue them too. It’s just…it might not work.”
“It worked twice,” Rex grunted as he checked the fasteners on a crate of spare parts. “And yes, I’m sure.”
Ezra shook his head with a sigh. “I guess I knew that. But Rex-“
“Kid, no matter how many times you try to talk me out of it, you’re gonna get the same answer.” Rex crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to face his young companion. Even days after their reunion, he was still getting used to the changes in Ezra’s appearance. During the long years of his exile, he had grown from boy to man, complete with an unruly shock of hair and a beard to match. But the vivid blue eyes remained the same, along with the infectious smile. All those years of living rough in another galaxy had done nothing to dampen his spirit, even if his brow was currently creased with concern. Rex knew Ezra meant well and was only trying to protect him, but his decision had been made the moment he’d heard what had happened.
You always had to be the first to charge into battle.
Rex’s eyes slipped closed for a moment at the memory of her voice. I’m on my way, cyare.
“You might as well save your breath,” he told Ezra quietly. “I’m going, and the only question is, are you gonna help me or not?”
Ezra cocked his head to the side. “You have another plan if I say I won’t?”
Rex huffed, though in his current mood, he was far from amused. “I could always track down Skywalker,” he muttered as he brushed past Ezra on his way off the ship. “I’m sure he’d jump at the chance to help out an old comrade of his father. Hells, even Jacen might be eager to give it a go,” he called back as he trudged down the ramp.
That earned him a groaned curse. “Fine,” Ezra called, resigned as he followed him out into the hangar. “I’ll do it.”
“Thought so.” Rex tried not to sound too smug, not when the kid had finally agreed to help him.
Rosy light from Rangella’s setting sun slanted in through the hangar’s open doors. Rex paused for a moment, a light breeze ruffling the collar of his tunic as he took in the view of the distant mountains, their icy slopes tinted pink and gold in the waning light. Ahsoka had always loved sunsets, no matter which planet. And there had been so many. Coruscant. Naboo. Garel. Atallon. So many others over the years, during times of war and peace.
He wondered what the sunsets were like on Peridea.
Ezra had been the first one to find him after everything had happened. As glad as Rex had been to see his young friend again, the tale he’d told had not been a happy one: Thrawn returned, bringing with him a legion of troops and three powerful Nightsisters; Ahsoka and Sabine marooned in a distant galaxy, along with Huyang and their ship. According to Ezra, it had been the Jedi droid who had supplied the name of the planet to which they’d been exiled. Apparently, it had featured in some of the old stories the Jedi used to tell in the Temple, though it had always been believed to be a nothing more than a myth.
But now that myth had come to life, more real than any of them could have imagined. And realistically, there was only one way Rex knew to chase that myth down.
His hands clenched into fists as he turned away from the sunset, refocusing on the task at hand. He headed for the last set of crates he planned on taking along; they contained long-range communications equipment, along with a few odds and ends like extra power cells and plasma charges. He intended on being prepared for whatever he might encounter on this mission.
Rex paused, one hand on the nearest crate as he gazed back toward his little ship. The Alor’ad wasn’t much to look at, but he’d grown fond of her over the past few years. He’d acquired the ship after the fall of the Empire, after his…retirement. Rumor had it she’d once belonged to some small-time spice runner who was currently living out their retirement in a New Republic prison, but Rex cared little about his ship’s past. She was the right size, with a low profile and good engines, and with a little tinkering and refurbishment, she was good as new. He’d even given her a new name, in honor of the rank he’d held during his formative years during the Clone Wars. She had proven a reliable companion thus far.
And now he and his little ship were about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.
Wordlessly, Ezra helped him push the hovercarts up the ship’s ramp, and they secured the crates in the small hold. Rex had already loaded a few extra containers of hyperfuel, just in case he had to make an unexpected jump or two. Not that he’d need it for the main leg of his journey. For that, he’d be relying on other means.
As he finished securing the last crate, the world around him suddenly tilted on its axis; Rex’s hand shot out to grip the edge of the crate, fingers tightening around the metal as his surroundings righted themselves once again.
“Rex?” Ezra was at his side, hand on his other arm. “Whoa, you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he grumbled. And he was; the wave of dizziness had passed as quickly as it had come. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, and he doubted it would be the last, either. But he wasn’t worried. The doctors had warned him of such side-effects, and the dizzy spells were getting less frequent as the days rolled on. As far as he was concerned, he was on the right track on the road to recovery.
Judging by the skeptical look on his face, Ezra was not as convinced.
“Rex,” Ezra chided. “It’s been what, a couple of weeks since the treatments finished? Are you sure you’re up for this?”
He heaved a sigh. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“But Hera said the doctors—“
“I know what they said,” Rex cut him off, pushing away from the wall. “I’m fine, kid. Really.”
Ezra looked liked he wanted to argue more, but thought better of it. For the moment, at least.
Admittedly, a trip to a distant galaxy probably wasn’t exactly what the doctors had in mind for his recovery period. But the way Rex saw it, he could rest just as well on his ship as he could at home.
He turned his attention back to the mission. “That should do it,” he said quietly, surveying his stash of equipment and supplies. He couldn’t think of anything else to pack; he was ready.
Beside him, Ezra was shaking his head, and Rex sensed another argument coming on already. Well that didn’t take long.
“It should be me going,” Ezra said quietly. “I’m the one who can communicate with them…I should at least come wi-“
“Ezra,” Rex interrupted, turning to face him. “Ahsoka and Sabine just expended a fair bit of effort trying to get you back here. There’s no way I’m going to undo that by dragging you back to that place, especially when there’s no guarantee of a return.”
“But if you’re going-“
“I’m more expendable than you,” Rex said bluntly. And he meant it. Ezra Bridger, a bright star of the Rebellion who’d been snatched away too soon. Ezra, one of a meager handful of Force users who had survived the Empire. He, along with Anakin’s children, would be needed in the fight to come—of that, Rex was certain. The fight against the resurgent Empire. Against karking Nightsisters. Against Thrawn. “Listen, kid…you were right when you said this might not work,” he admitted. “There’s a decent chance that whoever goes on this mission isn’t coming back. And you’re too valuable to risk, especially at a time like this. You’re a Jedi. I’m just a washed-up old clone.”
Ezra scoffed at that. “Oh c’mon. I suppose I just about qualify as a Jedi, but there’s nothing ‘washed-up’ about you.” He tilted his head to the side as he made a show of sizing him up. “I mean, you’re not even old anymore.”
Rex chuckled, conceding the point. Difficult as they’d been to endure, the gene therapy treatments he’d gone through had certainly delivered results—beyond his expectations, in fact.
Almost unconsciously, he ran a hand over his beard—still silvery-white, though when he squinted in the mirror he could almost imagine a few golden roots here and there. He hadn’t decided what to do about it yet. Though he’d kept the beard throughout his treatments, he had to admit that he was curious what he’d look like without it. There was no doubt that it made him look older, but he’d grown attached to it over the years, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to part with it.
He ran his hand over the top of his head, as well, where he’d allowed his hair to grow out again, just a little. He’d been pleased to discover, upon close inspection, that there were already a fair number of golden threads amongst the silver.
“Well, I may not be dying of old age tomorrow,” he admitted, “but I’m still just one soldier, and a semi-retired one at that. The Republic needs you. Me, not so much.”
“Plenty would beg to differ, Captain.”
“It’s Commander now…and no, they wouldn’t.” At least, not beyond Hera and a few others from the Rebellion days. “There’s a war coming, Ezra. A war involving Nightsisters and who knows what else. We can’t let Thrawn take away everything we fought for. They really do need your help.”
Ezra’s mouth twisted. “If they even think to ask for it,” he mumbled. “From what I’ve seen so far, it feels like the New Republic isn’t exactly living up to its promise.”
It was difficult to argue with him there. Though Rex had always tried to keep a healthy distance from politics, it was hard to miss the bickering and burgeoning disfunction already rampant within the New Republic. Reviving a democracy after decades of tyranny was easier said than done, as it turned out. “They have their problems,” he conceded. “But they mean well. Most of them,” he added under his breath. “Tearing a galaxy apart is easier than putting it back together again. But they’re leagues better than the Empire. And whether they know it or not, they need you here. Hera needs you.”
That gave the kid pause, if only for a moment. “But what will you do if something goes wrong?” Ezra asked quietly. “If they drop out of hyperspace before you get to Peridea, you could be stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to talk to them.”
Rex sighed. He was sure that was just one of many ways this mission could go jogan-shaped in a hurry, but there was no point in dwelling on that; his decision was made. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Just get me underway, and I’ll worry about what happens next.”
Though Ezra still didn’t look happy, he gave a solemn nod. “Okay.” He pointed a finger at Rex. “But if—no, when you find Ahsoka and Sabine, make sure you tell them this was all your idea.”
Rex had to chuckle at that, shaking his head. “Believe me, kid, Ahsoka will know that before I even say a word.”
***
The whirling blue tunnel of hyperspace shrank back to points of light against the dark void of space. Up ahead—still a small orb at this distance—was their destination: the planet Seatos.
Rex’s astromech, a beat-up but sturdy R4 unit he’d picked up in a second-hand market after the war, whistled softly from his place beside him.
“Yep, this is it, buddy,” Rex murmured. Anticipation coiled in his gut. It was good to be doing something, even if he still had a long way to go.
A really long way to go. And a lot of things that could still go wrong.
“Seatos,” came Ezra’s solemn voice over the comms. “I saw it for a few seconds when Thrawn dropped out of hyperspace here, but I didn’t exactly have time to stick around. I figured it might be my only chance to escape.” Ezra’s commandeered Eta-class shuttle pulled up on the Alor’ad’s port side, and Rex could see his young friend saluting him through its bubble-like viewport.
Rex shook his head, a chuckle escaping him in spite of everything. “I still can’t believe they let you keep that thing.”
“Why wouldn’t they? I’m the one who liberated it from the Chimaera.”
“Uh-huh.” In his experience, that sort of logic was unlikely to impress the New Republic.
Ezra’s sigh hissed over the comm channel. “Okay, fine. Hera pulled some strings. But she said it wasn’t difficult to convince them. They’d already done a full sweep of it and copied the hyperspace logs for their investigation, but other than that they didn’t see much use for it. Too old.”
Like me, came the reflexive thought. Except, that wasn’t exactly true anymore, even if he still felt it at times. Rex sighed. “Well, take care of it; it’s a classic.”
“I’m planning to. Never really had a ship of my own before.”
“I guess that’s true.” Not for the first time, Rex was struck by just how much Ezra had missed out on during his exile in that other galaxy. The boy should have been a commander in the rebellion, should have been there on Yavin, on Hoth, on Endor…should have been fighting for freedom alongside his adopted family. Instead, he had spent over a decade trapped on a planet in a distant galaxy, trying to survive while evading Thrawn and his minions.
At least he hadn't been alone during that exile. Ezra had looked wistful when speaking of the Noti, whom he described as small, shelled beings with kind hearts. They had welcomed him as one of their own, helping him to survive in the harsh land in which he’d found himself. But though he missed them, he’d been glad to finally come home.
Once again, Rex felt a stab of pain in his heart, knowing that Ahsoka and the others had taken Ezra’s place in that exile. Not again. He would not allow them to be stranded as Ezra had been.
He would bring them home.
As the planet loomed larger in the viewport, Rex leaned forward in his seat, studying the russet red landmasses and teal blue oceans peeking out out from beneath swirls of white cloud. He’d never been to Seatos—hadn’t even heard of the place before this. Under different circumstances, he might have found it beautiful.
“I don’t see any star whales yet.” His gaze flitted over the planet as they drew closer. His vision was clearer than it had been in years; it was good to be able to see properly again. Even if he couldn’t see any purrgil.
“You didn’t expect them to send out a welcoming committee, did you?” Ezra chided. “Hera said they encountered them in the atmosphere. I’m running a scan now.”
“You sure that’ll pick them up?”
“Not sure at all,” Ezra’s voice crackled over the comm. “We might have to fly down there and search.”
“Or you could use the Force,” Rex suggested, eager to get going.
“I’m not sure it works like that,” Ezra hedged.
Rex huffed. “Figures.”
“Don’t worry, Rex. If they’re here, we’ll find them.”
“Who’s worried?” Rex muttered, eyes still scanning the planet ahead of them.
Unfortunately, there was a decent chance that there weren’t any purrgil here at all. Pods of the great beasts were likely scattered around any number of places, and the pod which had carried Ahsoka might not even have returned yet from the other galaxy. He supposed if the whales didn’t turn up soon, they could always try out the frequency they’d used to contact them before. He glanced at the enhanced transmitter unit he’d installed before their departure. It might end up coming in handy, especially if the whales took off prematurely on the other end of this mission.
But he was getting ahead of himself. First things first: find the purrgil.
R4-E5 gave another low whistle, along with a couple of inquisitive chirps.
“It’s okay, buddy,” Rex murmured, reaching over to pat the flat top of the droid’s tall, conical head. “We’ll find them.”
His words came true sooner than he’d expected.
“I think I’ve got something!” Ezra said excitedly. “Follow my lead!” The Eta shot forward, headed for the planet’s southern hemisphere.
“Hold on, R4,” Rex said as he followed, heart racing.
Rex’s ship gave a slight shudder as they entered atmo, a sensation which always brought back so many memories, good and bad. Rex let his eyes slip closed for a moment; he could almost see his brothers standing around him, gripping the Larty’s handholds as they chattered about the coming battle. Shinies shifting nervously on their feet, Fives and Jesse making bets on who would get more clanker kills, Kix admonishing everyone to stay focused ‘cause he didn’t want to have to patch them up. More often than not, Ahsoka had been right there among them, her smaller frame taut with excitement and blue eyes shining with anticipation as she smiled up at them. At him. And at the general.
Rex’s eyes opened again, then blinked a couple of times. Not blinking back tears. He was stronger than that, dammit.
There’s no shame in tears, Rex. They do not show weakness, only how much we care.
Her words, her voice…so soft. She’d said that to him after the Siege of Mandalore, after the order, after they’d buried their brothers on a nameless, desolate moon. Her fingers gentle on his cheek as they brushed said tears away, even as more continued to fall. His own hand trembling as he did the same for her. She had tucked her face into his neck, her arms wrapped tightly around him. Her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. His arms had come up slowly to encircle her in turn, to hold tight to the only thing he had left…
Rex shook himself out of the memory. Focus. He had a job to do, and he couldn’t afford to get lost in the past. There would be plenty of time for that on the journey.
Assuming, of course, that they actually found the karking whales.
Ahead of him, the Eta was just visible through the clouds as the two ships sped through the atmosphere. Rex followed as it arced to the right, headed into a thicker bank of clouds. For a few moments, all he could see was the faint outline of the shuttle with its three fins, blanketed in a field of near-blinding white.
A strange shiver went up Rex’s spine, and moments later the proximity alarm sounded on his console: the tactical display was showing some sort of large mass up ahead. R4 chattered out a string that he didn’t have time to decipher, and when Rex looked up to the viewport again, something darker loomed up ahead—at first shapeless, then solidifying into the distinctive silhouette of a star whale.
Rex’s eyes widened, his heart racing, fingers tightening on the steering column as they approached the massive leviathan from the side. Moments later, the form of a second purrgil materialized from the pale shroud…then another, and another. A whole pod, seeking sanctuary amongst the clouds of Seatos. Just as Ahsoka had found them.
“Told you we’d find them,” came Ezra’s smug voice.
“And you were right, kid,” he breathed, shaking his head in wonder. “You were right.”
He continued to follow Ezra’s shuttle as they fell in alongside the pod. Rex couldn’t help but stare in awe. He’d seen star whales before, but only from far below when they’d surrounded and taken Thrawn’s fleet during the battle of Lothal. He hadn’t realized just how impressive they were up close. Massive, yes…but also beautiful, and moving with a grace which belied their size.
The enormity of what he was about to do hit him. Would these creatures truly cooperate? Would they carry him across the void between galaxies, as they had Ahsoka’s shuttle, and Thrawn’s ship before?
Or would they take him in a different direction on a whim, bring him to some unknown place, just as distant, but with no Ahsoka, no Sabine or Huyang, no hope of finding either them or his own way home?
Rex closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He had a mission to complete, and he was set in his path. It was this, or nothing.
“Ready when you are, kid,” he told Ezra.
“Okay, here goes.”
Ahead of him, the Eta had drawn up alongside one of the larger purrgil, adjacent to the creature’s enormous eye. Moments later, the shuttle’s rear hatch opened, the boarding ramp descended, and Ezra Bridger stepped out onto it, hair and clothing whipping in the wind as he braced his feet on the slanted surface. Rex held his breath as the young man faced the whale, both arms raised and head bowed in concentration.
Minutes crawled by, and Rex remained silent, watching intently for any change. He dared not speak, dared not interrupt, could only hope that Ezra was able to convey their message, their request. And he could only hope that the purrgil would choose to help once again.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ezra’s arms dropped again, his head turning toward Rex. He lifted his right wrist to his mouth, and his voice crackled over the comms.
“They’ve agreed.”
Rex blew out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. “Thanks, kid. For everything.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” There remained a note of discontent in Ezra’s voice. “I’m pretty sure I communicated the whole plan, but there’s still a chance they won’t stick around at the other end. Especially after what happened last time. I’m pretty sure I managed to convince them the minefield was gone, but they’re still a little wary.”
“So this is the same pod?” Rex was a bit surprised. “How often do they travel back and forth to this other galaxy?”
“My guess is it’s a pilgrimage of sorts,” Ezra shrugged, still balancing easily on the windswept ramp like it was something he did every day. “Visiting the remains of their ancestors and all that. The place they’ll one day return to when their own time comes.”
Rex shook his head in wonder. “The more I see of the universe, the more I realize how little I know of it.”
“You’re telling me.” Ezra had turned again to face the purrgil. “Looks like it’s time to go, Commander.”
Rex followed his gaze, and saw that the whale beside them was opening its mouth—a great maw fringed with rows of teeth…or was it baleen? “All right,” he muttered, keying in the controls. “Here goes.”
Carefully, he maneuvered the Alor’ad into the creature’s mouth, grateful that his little ship was built compactly, with a low profile. The brightness of the sky around them diminished as they entered, overtaken by shadow. Beside him, R4 let out a somewhat frantic series of whistles and beeps.
“Don’t worry, little guy,” Rex reassured him as—for lack of an alternative landing pad—he carefully set down on the creature’s enormous tongue. “Hopefully this thing isn’t ticklish,” he muttered.
Over R4’s quiet whistle, he heard Ezra’s chuckle over the comm. In front of them, the whale’s jaws slowly closed again, throwing the Alor'ad into darkness. Rex let out another held breath, his heart pounding. This was really happening.
“You still reading me, Rex?”
“Yeah,” he sighed, “I read you.” His gaze roamed around the near-darkness surrounding them as the creature gave a low rumble which reverberated through the ship. “I guess this is where we part ways.”
“I guess so,” Ezra answered, solemn once more.
Something in the boy’s tone made Rex narrow his eyes in suspicion. “Don’t even think about hopping inside one of those things yourself.”
“So mistrustful.” He could almost see Ezra’s eye-roll.
“I know you, kid.”
“I still think it would’ve been better if I came along.”
“No. And besides, it’s too late now. You try flying that thing into one of their mouths and it’s bound to trigger some sort of gag reflex. It'd be as likely to spit you back out as to ferry you across the stars.”
“Hmm,” Ezra’s thoughtful hum crackled over the comm. “Well, I suppose I could always lock the fins into the landing position and take it in on its side…”
Force help me. “You sure you’re not related to Skywalker?”
Ezra laughed. “Afraid not. Anyway, looks like the pod is beginning its ascent out of the atmosphere. I’ll follow them up, let you know when they’re about to jump.”
As the minutes passed, Rex merely sat listening to the deep thrum of the creature around him. There was a strange…energy, something he could just barely sense, being inside this thing. Something that was setting his nerves on edge. Rex wasn’t sure how he felt different, just that he did.
“Any messages you want me to pass on?” Ezra asked him, his voice more staticky than before.
Rex sighed, closing his eyes. “If I don’t make it back, let my brothers know what happened. But don’t tell them how to follow.” He was the only one allowed to do something stupid around here.
Not that any of his remaining brothers were in much of a position to go chasing after anyone at the moment, even if they’d wanted to. Those few who’d survived the war were either suffering from various age-related ailments or starting the same treatment he’d just undergone himself. Either way, they were out of commission for the time being.
“You have my word.” A few beats of silence passed. “Rex, they’re starting to glow. I think they’re about to jump.”
Even after so many years, Rex could still see it clearly in his mind’s eye: gazing up in both horror and awe as the purrgil had wrapped their tentacles around Thrawn’s ships, their bodies pulsing and glowing with their strange power…
“Kid, promise me one more thing,” he murmured as the thrumming around his ship increased.
“Tell me.”
“I know what I said about the New Republic needing you, but don’t do anything too reckless. Hera just got you back.” A burst of static might have been a scoff, and Rex was all too aware of the irony of the statement, given what he himself had set out to do. “You know what I mean,” he half-growled, rolling his eyes.
“Yes, I do. But like you said, I’m a Jedi, Rex. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but ‘reckless’ is kind of what we do.”
Rex wanted to contradict him; after all, Jedi were supposed to be conscientious, thoughtful, always mindful of the consequences of their actions. But then again, having spent a lifetime around Jedi, he had to admit that Ezra...might have a point. “See you around, kid.”
“You too, old frien—“ Ezra’s voice dissolved into static as bright light bloomed from beyond the purrgil’s baleen. Rex felt a surge of…something…around them—felt it in his blood, in every nerve ending, in every cell of his body. For just a moment, he wondered if this was what it felt like to touch the Force.
The light brightened to nearly blinding, and Rex closed his eyes again as they jumped into hyperspace.