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Of all the planets they could have been sent to, why did it have to be this one? Rex groaned internally.
The 501st had been sent to investigate a possible separatist presence on Kijimi, an icy mountainous planet located in the mid-rim. The planet was located near a Republic medical station, so the potential threat couldn’t be ignored. The frigid climate meant that the clones, as well as their Jedi General and his Padawan, needed insulated gear. It hadn’t been very long since the last time they were required to wear this gear. Unlike the last time however, they thankfully didn’t have to deal with that Chairman from Pantora again.
Rex was making rounds ensuring that everyone on the selected team had been briefed accordingly. He also needed to make sure that all of the gear was functional and equipped correctly. He spotted Jesse, Hardcase and Kix near one of the LAATs that would be taking them down to the planet’s surface. “Jesse!” he called out, “I need you to take over here.”
Jesse jogged over and nodded in acknowledgement. “What needs to be done, sir?”
“I need you to finish checking over our equipment and make sure we have everything we may need down there. Bring in Hardcase and Kix as well; they can help with weapons and medical supplies.” A beep and green flash from his comlink caught Rex’s attention. “That’s the General again, I’m needed on the bridge to go over last minute details. Can you manage here?”
Jesse nodded and gestured to Hardcase and Kix to come over. “We’ll have everything ready to go by the time the Resolute drops out of hyperspace sir.” Rex thanked him and headed off in the direction of the bridge. Jesse turned his attention to the other two men as they approached. “I need you two on weapons and medical supplies. Grab whatever you think we may need. This is a recon mission but we should be prepared for anything.”
They nodded and took off to complete their respective tasks.
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Back on the bridge, Rex entered to find Admiral Yularen, Anakin and Ahsoka surrounding the holo table. “Sirs, you needed to go over some details?” Rex asked as he approached the table.
“Hey Rex,” Anakin nodded in his direction. “We’re going to split up into two groups for this. We were sent here for reconnaissance; best way to do that is by splitting up.” He zoomed in on a large mountain on the map table. “Our intel shows that this mountain may be where the Seps are setting up. I’ll be taking five men and landing here,” he pointed to an area on one side of the holographic mountain. “You and Ahsoka will take the remaining four men and land here,” Anakin pointed towards the other side of the mountain. “We’ll check out our surrounding areas, make our way around the mountain and rendezvous here,” he pointed to the final highlighted section. “Once we regroup, we’ll go over our data. With any luck, we’ll find what we’re looking for.”
Admiral Yularen then spoke up while changing the holomap display with the press of a button. “The men should also be prepared for natural disasters on the planets surface.” He zoomed in on the mountain range they would be trekking through. “Kijimi has many mountain ranges just like this one. The snow is packed and heavy, so avalanches are common here. Try to avoid using explosives and remain vigilant at all times. Blizzards are not uncommon either. You may have to make camp early if you get caught in one.” Shutting off the holotable, Yularen looked at each of them in turn. “Remember, this is a reconnaissance mission, not a battle. If you encounter a separatist operation, you are not to engage. Am I clear?” He questioned, one brow raised in admonishment.
“All clear Admiral.” Skywalker replied, trying and failing to hide a small smirk at the Admiral’s obvious annoyance.
“Understood, Admiral.” Ahsoka acknowledged, nodding and smiling reassuringly.
“Understood sir. When are we expected to arrive?” Rex inquired.
One of the navigation officers took that as his cue to step forward. “We’ll be dropping out of hyperspace in approximately fifteen standard minutes. Then another ten minutes to reach the atmosphere of Kijimi.”
Anakin nodded, turned, and began striding from the room. “Sounds like we better get down to the hanger then. Don’t worry Admiral, I’ll try not to blow anything up this time.” He added, glancing back with a wink.
Yularen shook his head with an exasperated look while muttering, “I’ll be grey by the end of this war. Why of all the Jedi did I get paired with him?”
Rex chuckled as he moved to follow his general and commander. “I sometimes wonder the same thing sir.”
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Approximately half an hour later, two LAATs lifted off from the starboard hanger. Anakin had Jesse, Hardcase, Mixer, Appo, and Coric in one gunship. Ahsoka, Rex, Fives, Echo, Kix, and Vaughn were in the other gunship. Once they were through the atmosphere, the LAATs split up, headed for two different drop off zones. So far, it was a clear and sunny day on Kijimi. Both groups were in awe of the massive snow covered mountain ranges, the peaks towering so high they couldn’t be seen through the clouds.
“Despite the cold, it is a beautiful sight.” Fives quipped.
“I would find it more beautiful if it wasn’t so cold”, Ahsoka retorted while adjusting her goggles and thick scarf. “Remind me again why they decided to send us here for recon?”
Echo looked over from his place next to Fives and snorted. “We may be one of the most active frontline battalions but we were also the closest to the sector when the intel report came in.”
Ahsoka rolled her eyes as she finished putting her hood up. “I still think they should have sent someone else. Isn’t this what the 91st specializes in?”
“Yes, but they’re currently busy and they’re on the other side of the galaxy. It made more sense to send us, Commander.” Rex reminded her.
“If you say so Rexter.” She shrugged. “I think I see the LZ coming up. Everyone ready?”
A chorus of “yes sir” was her answer.
The landing was smooth and flawless as always, thanks to Hawk. The group of six and all necessary equipment were quickly offloaded before the gunship took off, headed back up to the Resolute waiting in orbit.
Rex looked around, taking in their surroundings the best he could from their current vantage point. He pulled up a miniature holo map and gathered the other five around. “We’re here,” he pointed to a spot near the bottom of the mountain. “We need to be thorough, scanners ready at all times. We’ll spread out and run scans every ten minutes.” Then he pointed to the rendezvous point on the far side of the mountain. “We’ll make our way around this side of the mountain while General Skywalker’s team does the same on the other side. This is where we’ll meet up.” He turned off the small holo projector and stowed it back in the pouch on his belt. “We move out immediately. It’ll take us a few days at least to make this trek so we’ll need to stop and make camp along the way. Understood?”
“Sir yes sir!”
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Both groups hiked all through the day and still hadn’t detected anything on their scanners. The sun had set and the already frigid temperature had plummeted even more.
Anakin decided that it was time to check in with Ahsoka and Rex to see if they had found anything. He grabbed his comlink from his belt and made the call to Ahsoka’s own device. “How’s it going over there Snips?”
Static and crackling answered him before he heard her voice come through. “Everything is quiet for now, Master. We haven’t found anything yet so the boys are setting up camp for the night. I’m guessing you haven’t found anything either?” She inferred.
“No, nothing yet. I was hoping you had better luck.” He sighed. “Alright we’ll camp for the night and head out again at first light. Keep me updated.”
“Will do Skyguy.”
Anakin put his comlink away and walked over to sit by the heating lamps they had set up. “Settle in for now boys, it’s gonna be a long, cold night.”
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The second day went much the same as the first. Nothing on the scanners that would indicate a separatist presence nearby. The weather however seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. Where there was clear blue sky just hours earlier, thick grey clouds had now moved in and the wind was picking up. It seemed likely that they would have to set up camp early to wait out the incoming blizzard.
“Echo!” Rex called out over the wind. “How long do you think it’ll take for the storm to hit us?”
Echo flipped his range finder down and shook his head. “It’s hard to tell sir! I’d guess maybe a couple hours if we’re lucky!”
“As if we’re ever that lucky..” Ahsoka muttered under her breath.
“Alright, let’s pick up the pace and cover as much ground as we can before it gets here!” Rex ordered.
About an hour and a half later, the scanners were still detecting nothing. They decided it was time to find a place to camp for the night and wait out the storm that was almost on top of them. They were able to find a safe place to stop and got everything set up. Heating lamps were turned on and distributed evenly while everyone hunkered closer together for warmth. Dinner once again consisted of ration bars and water packs. Thankfully the water packs couldn’t freeze out here or they’d be in a lot more trouble.
The blizzard made it nearly impossible for the group to get any sleep, but eventually, they managed to drift off. After lightly dozing for a few hours, Rex’s chrono beeped, startling him and the others from their pitiful sleep. The sunrise meant that it was time to get up and do it all again. The same repetitive cycle they were already tiring of.
“Rations first, then we head out again.” Rex yawned.
“Yessir” came the sleepy, mumbled replies.
The blizzard had cleared up but the clouds and dark sky remained. There would most likely be another snowfall incoming. They’d have to push through as far as they could before the weather stopped them again. Rex just hoped his General was making better headway than they were in this mess.
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It was some time in the afternoon when they started coming across small caves along the mountain. They decided it was worth taking a closer look and cautiously approached.
“Not seeing anything yet. Doesn’t look like anyone has been here at all.” Fives commented.
“Scanners aren’t picking anything up either.” Echo added.
“We‘ll just have to keep moving then.” Rex replied.
They had barely made it another ten minutes when they heard a sudden, deafening crack from somewhere up the mountainside.
“Uh sir, what the kriff was that?” Vaughn questioned worryingly. The kid was still practically a shiny, fresh from Kamino.
“Rex, I have a bad feeling about this..” Ahsoka warned.
“Yeah kid, me too.” Rex looked up and dreaded what he’d see. Rushing down the mountain in their direction was a huge flowing mass of blinding white. Avalanche..
“Avalanche! Everyone stay together! Run for the caves!” Rex bellowed.
The group of six all ran for the same cave. Fives, Echo, Vaughn and Kix made it safely through the entrance, but before Rex and Ahsoka could make it, a huge boulder came crashing down from above. Ahsoka used the force to propel her and Rex away before they could be crushed.
Ahsoka grunted as she landed on something hard and sharp that had been hidden under the snow. She gasped for air and looked around for Rex. She was relieved to find him perfectly fine just a few feet to her left. They scrambled up to their feet, but realized they wouldn’t be able to regroup with the others in time to avoid the avalanche.
“There!” Ahsoka pointed to another small cave that was closer.
They made it inside just in time for the avalanche to crash overhead and block them in, plummeting the cave into darkness. They could only hope that the others were okay and that they’d be able to get out or call for help. Rex knew that Fives and Echo had long range communicators with their ARC gear. If anyone could get a message out, they could.
For several moments, they were unable to hear anything over the roaring cacophony of the avalanche crashing down around them. When it finally quieted down, all they could hear was the sound of their ragged breathing.
“Well that’s just great.” Ahsoka threw her hands up and huffed in frustration. “We’re buried under who knows how much snow and we’ve been separated from the others!”
“We’ll figure it out kid, don’t worry. I’ll see if I can get a signal to Fives or Echo and maybe they can relay a message.” Rex activated his wrist com and tried to contact Echo. After a minute of getting nothing but static, he finally heard the ARC trooper’s voice come through.
“Rex! Can you hear me?” Echo yelled.
“I hear you Echo. Are you all safe? Any injuries?” Rex asked quickly.
“We’re all fine. Kix is looking everyone over just in case but we’re okay, just stuck. What happened to you and the commander?”
“We were able to duck into another cave in time but we’re stuck too. Any chance you can get a message up to the Resolute for assistance?”
“I’ll try sir. I’ll let you know if I manage to make contact with them.” Echo reassured. “How do you two plan on staying warm? All of the heating lamps were with us.”
Well kriff, he hadn’t thought about that yet. “We’ll figure something out Echo. While we’re split up, you’re in charge over there. Take care of them Corporal.”
“Will do sir, stay alive.”
Rex ended the call and turned on his helmet lights to find Ahsoka. He found her leaning on the wall staring down at her thick jacket. “What’s wrong commander?”
Ahsoka looked up and met his eyes through his visor. “I think I landed on something sharp when that boulder came down. My jacket is shredded.”
That wasn’t good… They’d figure something out though, they always did. He’s just not sure how yet.
“Let’s take a moment to take stock of what we do have. Then we’ll think about what we don’t have.” Rex removed his GAR issued pack, knelt down and started going through it. Ahsoka removed hers as well and passed it over for Rex to look through. “Between the two of us we should have enough rations and water packs to hold us over for a rotation or two, if we go sparingly. Our bigger problem is heat.”
“They have the heating lamps with them, don’t they?” Ahsoka asked dejectedly.
“They do.” Rex confirmed.
Ahsoka’s face fell and she looked down at her feet. “I was afraid you were gonna say that. What do we do then? We’re in a tiny cave, buried under an avalanche. I’m not sure how much more of this cold I can take.” Ahsoka pulled the tatters of her shredded jacket closer, hoping to conserve some warmth.
“We have another problem that may kill us faster than the cold. We could run out of oxygen pretty fast in here.”
Ahsoka grimaced when she imagined the possibility. “Can you com Echo again? See if he’s had any luck contacting the Resolute?”
“What happened to your com?” Rex asked, tilting his head questioningly.
“It got crushed when I fell..” Ahsoka told him sadly, as she fished the broken parts out of her belt pouch to show him.
Rex sighed and shook his head at their misfortune. He activated his wrist com again. “Echo, come in.”
“Here sir. I’m assuming you’re trying to see if I’ve been able to contact anyone?”
“Yeah, any luck? The commander’s jacket is compromised, we have no heat lamp, and we’ll run out of oxygen if we can’t get out. We’ll need an evac if possible.”
“I managed to get ahold of General Skywalker.” Echo replied. “His squad hasn’t been able to contact the Resolute either. Seems like we’re being jammed but we haven’t found anything that suggests an enemy presence. I’m not really sure what to make of it, but at least we still have ground coms.”
Rex groaned. “That’s just great. Did you inform the General about our predicament?”
“I did. He said, and I quote, ‘sit tight, I’ll be there soon.’ Like we could go anywhere if we wanted to..”
“We still need to try to get out on our own if possible. How are the others holding up?”
“Eh Vaughn is a little stressed out but Fives, Kix and I are fine. Fives hasn’t stopped looking for a way out.”
“I need to figure things out on my end and see if we can get ourselves out of this mess. Check in if you have news or if there’s a problem.”
“Understood sir. Good luck.”
“You too.”
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A few hours later, Rex and Ahsoka were still trying to escape with no luck. The cave they found themselves trapped in was very small; certainly smaller than the one they were originally aiming for. They hardly had any space to walk around and the roof was uneven above them. They could stand fully upright in some areas but had to duck down in others. The snow that had trapped them inside still wasn’t budging either, no matter what they did. Even with Ahsoka trying to use her lightsaber and the Force, without knowing how much snow they were buried under, they couldn’t seem to make any progress.
Ahsoka was fully shivering now. Her teeth were chattering and she started rubbing her arms through her ruined jacket, trying to bring more warmth back to them. “I’ll be glad to never see another ice planet again after this.” She grumbled.
“You and me both kid. General Skywalker said he’d be here as fast as he could but I have no idea how long that could be.” Rex finally removed his helmet and set it down on the ground next to him. He made sure to keep the light activated so they could still see their surroundings. He got Ahsoka’s attention and motioned for her to sit down against the wall with him. “We have to conserve our oxygen, no more pacing around. We’re stuck on our end, no use speeding things up anymore.”
“If I sit down I can’t stay warm. I have to keep moving.” Ahsoka huffed and continued pacing.
“We can try body heat or you can let me transfer some pieces of my armor to you.” He gestured to his insulated thermal gear. “This stuff is made to stay warm and your jacket is torn. We can transfer some to you and hopefully it’ll keep you warm.”
“Rex, I already said no to that option. That gear is keeping you warm. I won’t take it.” Ahsoka stubbornly shot back.
Rex rolled his eyes and sighed at her refusal. “Then come sit down and we’ll try the other way.”
Ahsoka finally joined him, sitting against the cave wall and curling up tight. He carefully pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, trying to provide more warmth. She immediately relaxed against his chest so she could feel some of the heat from the armored suit. Despite the warm embrace, she was still freezing and wasn’t sure if it would truly help.
They sat like that for over an hour, but it soon became clear that it wouldn’t be enough to keep her warm. She was shivering violently and her lips were starting to turn blue, not just from the cold, but also from oxygen deprivation. Rex was willing to bet that she had also lost most of, if not all, of the feeling in her fingers and toes. If the effects weren’t reversed soon, she would be at risk of losing limbs.
Rex knew he had to act quickly and do something. His commander, his little sister, was fading fast and she was too stubborn to accept more help from him. “You still with me kid?” He asked, looking down at her.
No response. He shifted her to get a better look and found that her eyes were closed. When did she fall asleep? No, not asleep, unconscious, he realized. Memories of flash training on Kamino surfaced, reminding him of the signs of hypothermia. He tried not to panic when he realized his little commander was well on her way to being hypothermic. He tried to gently shake and jostle her to wake her up. His only response was the pained look on her face before her features went slack again. Rex knew he had to act fast and she wouldn’t like what he was about to do.
He maneuvered her out of his arms and stood up, giving himself only a brief moment to stretch out his stiff and aching body. He then started unclipping and removing his thermal armor as quick as he could. Once he removed the final piece, even his insulated suit and boots, he was left in just the GAR standard issue body glove that all clones wore under their armor.
He returned to Ahsoka’s side and carefully removed her jacket. First, he got her into the thick thermal suit. Then he clipped every piece of his armor on her and made sure the heat setting was turned up. She was so small that she was practically drowning in the snow gear. He also replaced her boots with his own, knowing they were far too big, but hoping that they may offer more heat to her frozen feet. Then he took her ruined jacket that had been discarded on the cave floor, and tried to use it to cover every inch of her montrals and lekku. His helmet wouldn’t fit her, so this was the best he could do to keep her head warm.
After several tense minutes, he finally sat back and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw some color beginning to return to what little of her skin was visible. He returned to his seat next to her against the wall and pulled her back into his lap.
Rex suddenly shivered and grimaced, he was starting to feel the cold now that he was without his armor. He looked down at the young Togruta in his arms and he didn’t regret his choice at all. She was just a kid, she shouldn’t be here and she shouldn’t be fighting a war. She should be safe at the Jedi temple, learning to help people. Not on the frontlines, where she had to fight for her life every day.
He was told from the moment he could walk, that he was created to fight for the Republic, to protect the Jedi at all costs. Even if that meant giving his life in the line of duty. To the Clones, it was a fact that was drilled into them their entire lives. They had no other choice but to accept it. He knew that Ahsoka would disagree and tell them otherwise. She had been trying for a while to help her men understand their worth and importance. Not as soldiers, but as men, friends, and brothers.
For Rex, it wasn’t just a matter of duty. This was his little sister in everything but blood. He would gladly put his life on the line if it meant keeping her safe. That’s exactly what he was doing now. He only hoped that she could forgive him and understand why he went against her wishes. As long as she survived, his sacrifice would be worth it.
Another hour went by before he realized that he hadn’t heard from Echo for a while. Rex sluggishly grabbed the wrist com from his vambrace on Ahsoka’s arm. He cleared his throat before trying to speak, hoping to keep the shakiness hidden. “Echo, any news yet?”
The com crackled to life as the response came through. “No sir, no contact to or from the Resolute yet. No matter how many times I try, something seems to be jamming us.” Echo sounded frustrated. “I’ve been in contact with the General a couple times though. Seems like he’s making good progress by cutting over the mountain instead of going around. Something about using the Force to help them along faster.” Echo replied.
“That’s good. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer.” Rex was struggling to suppress his shivers so Echo wouldn’t hear. “The boys are still okay?”
“We’re okay. We’re all just frustrated that we haven’t been able to get out. The snow above us is too thick and we can’t risk using explosives in case it causes another avalanche. Kix is starting to worry about oxygen levels in here, but he says we should be fine until help arrives.” Silence for a few seconds, then Echo’s voice came back quieter and hesitant. “How are you two holding up, sir?”
Rex closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, too numb to feel the cold of the rock wall anymore. “The commander is doing better now, finally warming up. She was borderline hypothermic.”
There was a brief pause before Echo replied. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that you only mentioned Ahsoka. What about you Rex? What’s going on?” Echo sounded worried.
Rex sighed, his breath visible in the frigid air. “Her jacket was compromised; got shredded on something when she fell. She was slowly freezing to death Echo. She was unconscious and her body was shutting down.” He heard a muffled curse from Echo.
“You gave her your armor didn’t you?” Echo whispered after a moment of silence.
“I did.” Rex confirmed.
“Help may not be here for hours Rex, what will you do?”
“There’s nothing I can do Echo. I’m out of options here. If I can’t hold on…” Rex’s voice got more quiet and subdued. “Just tell her it was my choice okay? That I don’t regret saving her. She’ll find a way to blame herself.”
Echo sniffed, clearly trying to hold back tears. “I will sir.” He cleared his throat. “You have to hold on Rex. You have to keep fighting.”
“I’m not sure how long I can.” Rex admitted honestly.
“I don’t know what we’d do without you..” Echo whispered sadly.
“You’ll find a way. Just take care of them Echo, I trust you.” Rex’s voice was already too quiet, and now he was beginning to slur his words as well. His voice had become shaky as tremors continued to course through his exhausted body.
“Rex, stay awake. Keep talking to me!” Echo started panicking.
“I’m tired Echo..” Rex mumbled. The conversation had sapped the last of his strength.
“I know sir, but you need to stay awake. Kix says you can’t sleep right now.”
A low groan was the only response this time.
“Rex? Captain! You can’t sleep yet!” Echo was frantic now. “Please sir, talk to me!”
“I’m sorry..” came the whispered reply. He couldn’t find the energy to say anything else.
Echo continued to try engaging him in conversation for several long minutes. When he could no longer get a reply, he let out a single audible sob. “Thank you Captain, for everything. It’s been an honor sir.” Echo choked out.
The com cut out; the cave was silent besides the sounds of ragged breathing and shivering coming from the two occupants. Rex’s arm dropped and the com rolled from his hand, skidding a few inches before finally coming to a stop. He could no longer feel most of his body. His fingers had gone numb a while ago and it was a miracle that he had managed to hold onto the com as long as he did.
Now it was just a matter of time. Help would arrive and Ahsoka would be okay. She would make it. Rex was certain that this was it for him. He did his duty. His little commander, and their men, would survive. That was all that truly mattered to him.
He blinked sluggishly. It was getting harder and harder to open his eyes. At some point, he stopped shivering entirely. He sat, still as a statue, trying to hold on for as long as he could. His vision was going dark and his hearing became muffled. Rex felt like he was drifting, there in his body, but also not.
He couldn’t open his eyes anymore and breathing had become difficult. He was unsure how much time had passed since the avalanche. He thought he heard something; yelling maybe? It was hard to tell, muffled as it was. Whatever it was wouldn’t matter much anyways. He couldn’t hold on any longer and finally succumbed to unconsciousness.
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Anakin was trying not to panic. He and his group had abandoned their task and decided to move over the mountain, rather than around it. Even going over, it was still taking them several hours to make it to the other teams’ location. Hopefully, with some help from the Force, they’d make it in time. He had faith in Ahsoka and Rex, but the way Echo described the situation had him worried. None of the ground team had been able to get a message through to the Resolute yet for some reason, which was another issue entirely.
They were about an hour out from the coordinates Echo sent when his comlink chimed. “Skywalker here.”
“General, how far out are you?” Echo sounded oddly subdued.
“About an hour or so out. What’s going on Echo?”
“We’re running out of time sir.” Echo reported somberly. “I’m not sure how much longer Rex can hold on.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with Rex?” Anakin asked worriedly.
“Commander Tano was becoming hypothermic, sir. Captain Rex gave her his armor and insulated suit to help her warm up.”
Anakin blanched as dread pooled in his stomach. “How long ago?”
“I’m not really sure, but he’s no longer responding on coms. Just get here as fast as you can.” Echo urged.
“I’m working on it Echo. Hang in there. Skywalker out.”
Anakin rounded on the rest of his group with renewed determination. “We need to pick up the pace boys, times running out. Let’s go!”
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They arrived at the coordinates Echo had sent about forty-seven minutes later. It was sooner than Anakin had expected to arrive, so they had made good time. He only hoped that it would be good enough to save his friends.
Anakin took out his comlink again and called Echo. “We just arrived at the coordinates you sent. Try to make some noise so we can hear you.”
“Yes sir!” Echo replied before muting his com device.
The sound of muffled yelling could just barely be heard from several feet away.
“Alright we hear you. I’m going to try to get you out, move the men away from the entrance.”
Anakin closed his eyes and raised both arms, calling on the Force to help him move the heavy layers of snow and ice. It took a minute, but he knew he had succeeded when he heard Hardcase and Jesse yell in excitement and relief. Opening his eyes and lowering his arms, he walked over to the now open cave entrance. Echo, Fives, Kix and Vaughn emerged from inside the cave and embraced their brothers.
Echo then moved to clasp arms with Anakin and nodded. “Thanks for the rescue General. I think I managed to pinpoint Rex and Commander Tano’s location. They should be somewhere over here!” He yelled as he ran in another direction. He stopped suddenly and looked back at Anakin and the others, who had all followed close behind. He then looked down and glanced around, trusting that the HUD of his helmet had the correct location. “Should be right around here sir.”
“Alright, I need everyone to stand back.” Anakin ordered. He knelt down, put his left hand on the snow and closed his eyes. He was searching for Ahsoka’s presence in the force. There, bright but flickering. He could just barely feel another presence in there with her, but he still felt the faint flicker. Rex was alive for now, but his life force was quickly fading. Anakin stood up and raised his arms again. Using the Force, he focused on removing as much snow as possible without causing more problems. Finally, after a couple minutes, they could see the entrance. All ten men rushed forward and worked feverishly to dig out the rest of the opening.
“Ahsoka! Rex! Can you hear me?” Anakin shouted.
No response; they dug faster. They finally got it opened up enough that Anakin could slip through.
“Someone hand me a light!” He yelled, glancing back. Jesse passed him a light and followed him in.
“Sir! Over there!” Jesse pointed to the back wall of the cave.
They ran over and slid to a stop in front of the pair. Crouching down, Anakin reached for Ahsoka and carefully removed her from Rex’s arms. He nudged her scarf aside and checked her pulse while Jesse did the same for Rex.
“Kix, Coric! Get in here!” Jesse yelled.
Both medics rushed in and took off their packs, digging through for the right equipment. Coric checked Ahsoka’s temperature while Kix focused on checking Rex.
“She’s still not back up to her normal temp yet sir, but she should be fine. I’m seeing the effects of early stages of hypothermia.” Coric noted as he checked her over with a med scanner. “What Rex did likely saved her life.” He added quietly.
Anakin nodded and looked to Kix. “How’s he doing Kix?”
Kix quickly glanced at him and then back to Rex. “Not good sir. His vitals are all extremely low, he’s barely breathing, heart rate is dangerously low, and he’s hypothermic. We need an evac as soon as possible or he likely won’t make it.”
Anakin took a moment to look at Rex. He was slumped over against the wall, face completely slack. His normally tan skin was several shades paler and tinged blue. His lips had also turned blue from lack of oxygen, and he had ice crystals forming on his eyelashes. He looked dead already, and if it weren’t for the small, visible puffs of air from his breathing, Anakin would have thought he was. The Jedi shook his head sadly and stood up. “We need to set up camp and try to get them warm. We’ll get the thermal blankets and set up all of the heating lamps around them, full power.”
He walked out of the cave and gestured to Fives and Echo to come closer. “You two are the only other ones here, besides me, who have long range communicators. I need both of you to climb as high up the mountain as you can and try to get a signal out to the Resolute. We need an immediate evac. Ahsoka is nearly hypothermic and Rex is barely hanging on. Go as fast as you can but stay safe!”
Echo and Fives snapped off quick salutes and took off running further up the mountain.
“Jesse, Hardcase, Mixer, Appo, and Vaughn, I need you assembling camp as fast as possible. We need all the heating lamps set up and a fire if possible.”
The five of them hurried down the hill to a relatively flat area and got to work.
Anakin turned and walked back into the cave. He looked at his padawan and his captain and couldn’t help but feel useless. If he had gotten here sooner, it wouldn’t be so bad. Logically, he knew that they had made it as fast as they could, but he still blamed himself. He should have been here. If he was, he wouldn’t have almost lost his padawan and he wouldn’t be watching his captain freeze to death. Kix and Coric had wrapped both the captain and commander in heavy thermal blankets.
Coric rushed past him and headed straight for the camp. Anakin wasn’t sure what he was doing until he came back with two steaming cups of water. He passed one to Kix and knelt back down by Ahsoka. He lifted her head and gently encouraged her to drink while Kix tried to do the same with Rex.
Ahsoka suddenly choked and spit out a mouthful of water. She began coughing and sputtering, so Anakin hurried over to her side, patting her back. “It’s okay Snips, you’re alright, we’ve got you.” He murmured.
“Master?” She croaked out. “What happened? How are you here?” Her voice sounded raspy and rough.
“You were trapped in a cave, avalanche came down. You’ll be okay though.” He grabbed her right hand with his left, and ran his thumb back and forth in a soothing motion. The repetitive action was an attempt to comfort her, while also trying to remind himself that she was still here. Still alive.
Ahsoka started to look around and tried to sit up more. “Where’s Rex? He was with me..” She happened to glance down and recognized the suit and armor that had been hastily strapped on her. Ahsoka’s eyes went wide and she looked frantic. “Where is-?”
She looked over and saw Kix knelt over Rex, still trying to coax him into drinking some of the hot water. “No.. Rex! Rex what did you do?!” She tried to get up but Anakin quickly wrapped her in a hug, pulling her close and trying to reassure her. She started crying as she clung on to him with a desperate, yet clumsy grip.
“I told him not to do it..” she sobbed into his chest.
“I know Ahsoka,” he settled his hand on the back of her head and held her close as she fell apart. “You know he’s stubborn and he would do anything for you. You’re like a sister to him, you know that, right?”
Ahsoka sniffled and mumbled into his jacket. “I know. That’s exactly why I didn’t want him to do it. He’s like a brother to me too.” She admitted hesitantly, knowing that it went against the Jedi’s rules on attachment.
“Sir,” Kix interrupted, “we need to get them both down to camp. I can’t get Rex to drink so we need to work on warming him up from the outside first.”
“Alright Kix. I’ll carry Rex if you can help Ahsoka get down there. Coric, come with me.” Anakin let go of Ahsoka so he could help move Rex. He made his way over and crouched down by the two clones. Kix helped him to maneuver the unconscious captain into his arms, and as soon as he had a good hold on him, Anakin quickly moved to leave the cave.
“We’ll see you down there General. Commander, I’ll carry you if that’s alright?” He looked to Ahsoka for permission.
“I can walk myself.” She groaned.
“As your medic, I insist. You don’t need to be trying to walk yet. Let’s go.” Kix waited for her to reluctantly nod and scooped her small frame into his arms. They started the short trek down to camp while Coric raced ahead to help Anakin with Rex.
By the time Kix and Ahsoka made it to camp, Coric and Anakin had gotten Rex set up in a thermal sleeping bag next to the fire and the heating lamps. Coric was holding Rex’s head up trying to coax him into drinking some water. He looked up as they got closer and shook his head dejectedly. “He still won’t drink Kix. Best we can do for now is to keep warming his extremities. Hopefully, he’ll become aware enough to drink at least some of it.”
Anakin moved over to help Kix get Ahsoka into her own thermal sleeping bag. Once she was settled, Vaughn handed her a cup of hot water. “Better drink up commander. The medics said it’ll help you warm up faster.” He said softly.
Ahsoka took it gratefully, gave him a small smile and thanked him. She took a sip while he made his way back over to Jesse, who was handing out rations.
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An hour later, the medics were still fretting over Rex and doing everything they could to get him warmed up. They had finally managed to get him to swallow a bit of hot water and he was shivering again. At least that meant his body was trying to warm itself up. Compared to the absolute silence and stillness of his unmoving form, the shivering and teeth chattering were a welcome change.
Kix pulled out his med scanner again and used it to check Rex’s condition. “His vitals have somewhat improved but he needs a medbay. There’s nothing more we can do for him down here without more equipment. Being out in the elements certainly isn’t helping.” Kix informed. He put the scanner away and looked to Coric who had just scanned Ahsoka as well.
“Commander Tano’s vitals have been steadily improving. Seems like there may be some bruising from where she fell, but I won’t know more until we’re back onboard. She should be fine with food, water and rest.” He responded. “Hopefully the ARCs have been able to get a signal through by now.” Coric ran a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. Marching through the weather had been hard enough. Then they had to race across a snow covered mountain as fast as they physically could because their brothers and their padawan commander were trapped. He still hadn’t stopped moving or working on their two injured members since the moment they found them.
He was so exhausted that when he first heard the deep rumble in the distance, he thought he must just be imagining it. He figured that he was longing for the evac so much, that his tired brain had made him think he heard an LAAT. Less than thirty seconds later, he got his answer.
A huge spotlight came into view as the gunship raced toward the small camp. Jesse, Hardcase, and Appo stood up and started waving their arms in big gestures to draw the pilot’s attention.
“Looks like Fives and Echo were successful!” Anakin yelled over the roar of the LAATs engine. “Pack everything up as quick as you can! We’re getting out of here!” He added with a grin.
Within the next ten minutes, everything in the camp had been tucked away and the fire was extinguished. The group of ten loaded onto the awaiting gunship. Rex was wrapped in multiple thermal blankets and was once again being carried by Anakin. Jesse and Appo helped Ahsoka onboard while the other five quickly loaded up the equipment.
Once everything was loaded, the gunship quickly lifted off and sped towards a point higher up the mountain. “We have to pick up the ARCs real quick, then we’re headed straight up to the Resolute. Hold on tight, there’s a lot of turbulence. Flying is a little rough right now.” Informed the reassuring voice of the pilot, Hawk.
The gunship made a fast and bumpy ascent and swerved to line up with a cliff ledge. The side doors opened up to reveal Fives and Echo, who quickly jumped onboard. They grabbed the handles as the doors slid shut once more and the gunship sped off, headed up into the atmosphere.
At the rate Hawk was pushing the engine, it only took a few minutes to make it to orbit. A couple more minutes and they had landed safely in the Resolute’s main hanger. As soon as the doors slid open, Anakin broke off in a sprint towards the medbay, Rex still lying limp and bundled in his arms. Kix and Coric quickly followed. Jesse and Appo passed Ahsoka off to the ARCs and split off to see to the remaining men. The three of them were making slow progress with Ahsoka insisting she could walk, while struggling in the heavy snow gear. Eventually, her impatience outweighed her stubbornness. She looked at Echo, rolled her eyes and nodded. That was all the confirmation he needed to scoop her up into his arms and make the jog to the medbay.
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When they finally arrived, Echo strode over to one of the empty beds and gently sat Ahsoka down on it. Together, Fives and Echo helped her remove Rex’s armor piece by piece. Then Echo helped her remove the thermal suit underneath, while Fives neatly stacked each piece of armor in the corner of the room to care for later.
Coric came over to the trio and took Ahsoka’s vitals, updating her chart diligently as he went. He checked the bruising on her abdomen and carefully applied a bacta patch to the area. Then he prepared an IV to get her more fluids and made sure she had enough warm blankets. “How are you feeling Commander?” He asked.
“I’m exhausted, but I feel better than I did.” Ahsoka answered honestly. “How is Rex?” She asked, hesitant, but hopeful.
Coric nodded in the direction of a bed on the other side of the room, obscured by a privacy curtain. “Kix is working to stabilize him. The General is helping so I could come check on you. Rex’s vitals are starting to improve but it’s still taking longer than we’d like.” He shook his head with a quiet sigh. “It’s a miracle he’s still alive at all. He’s strong and he’s not done fighting. I’m sure he’ll be okay Commander. Rex made it this far, so I believe that his chances are good and he’ll pull through.” He assured with a soft smile.
“He’s only like this because of me. I should have been more careful and less stubborn.” Ahsoka whispered dejectedly.
The three clones glanced at each other, each one was frowning and concerned. They couldn’t let her think this was her fault. Their Captain was stubborn; once he’d made up his mind about something, there was almost no chance of changing it.
Echo subtly nodded to the other two and grabbed a chair to sit beside Ahsoka. Coric took that as his cue to return to Kix and see what he could do to help Rex. Echo got Fives’s attention and gestured for him to come closer. “Think you could head to the mess hall and bring back some hot meals? I think we all need it.”
“Yeah, I’ll be back in a bit. Save me a seat would ya?” Fives sent one more concerned glance in Ahsoka’s direction before squaring his shoulders and striding out the door.
Echo looked back to Ahsoka and found her staring at her lap, picking at the threads of the blanket. “Hey, can you look at me for a moment?” He quietly urged. “We need to talk.”
When she didn’t answer or look up, he gently placed his hand over hers to stop the fidgeting and get her attention. Finally, she looked up and made eye contact. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears that she was fighting to hold back.
“Soka,” he started, unsure where to begin. “It’s not your fault. None of it is.” He thought back to his last conversation with Rex. At the time, he thought that would be the last time he’d ever talk to his brother. Hopefully that wasn’t still the case, he thought despondently to himself. “Rex wanted me to pass on a message.” She tensed and her eyes went wide; Echo could tell that he had her full attention. “He said that you can’t blame yourself for any of it. That it was his choice and he didn’t regret it for a moment. He wanted to make sure that you would survive no matter what, and that’s exactly what he did.”
She squeezed his hand needing reassurance, he squeezed back hoping that it brought her some comfort. The tears finally fell with a broken whimper. Echo leaned forward and carefully pulled her against his chest, letting her cry it out. Ahsoka wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and buried her face against the hard plastoid, needing the comfort that only a brother could give.
Anakin poked his head out from behind the curtain after sensing her distress. He made eye contact with Echo behind her back and made a hesitant thumbs up, silently asking if she was okay. Echo returned the thumbs up with a subtle nod.
Anakin ducked back behind the curtain just as Fives returned with trays of hot food from the mess. He sat them on a small rolling table and pushed it over to Ahsoka’s bed, then walked over to the wall and grabbed another chair for himself. He didn’t comment on Ahsoka clinging to Echo, just reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder.
“Ready to eat?” He asked, pointing to her tray of food.
“Yeah,” she sniffed. She gave Echo a shaky smile and pulled away. She rubbed her eyes to remove traces of her tears and leaned over to grab her utensil.
The three of them ate in companionable silence, hoping that they’d have an update on Rex’s condition soon.
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At some point while they were eating, Anakin had come out to sit with them and check on Ahsoka. He updated them on Rex’s condition but so far, not much had changed. Kix and Coric were still doing what they could and monitoring him constantly.
Ahsoka looked at Anakin and tilted her head questioningly. “What about the mission, Master? Technically, we failed right?”
Anakin blew out a harsh breath and chuckled sadly. “Yeah Snips, technically we failed. We had to call for an evac due to a natural disaster.” He smiled reassuringly. “They’ll just send in another team who can pick up where we left off. I commed Obi-Wan and he said he knows of a group of commandos who are up for the task. They’ll also be investigating the communication issues we were having since something may have been jamming our long range signals.”
“I don’t like failing missions, especially like this.” Ahsoka replied, irritated.
“Neither do I, but I’d rather us pull out and fail our mission than lose either of you.” Anakin patted her arm before sitting back in his seat and making himself comfortable. They’d probably be waiting for a while.
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Kix and Coric finally left Rex unattended for the first time since they rescued him from the ice cave. They made their way over to the group waiting on the other end of the medbay. Both were rubbing bleary eyes, trying and failing to hide yawns of exhaustion. They had been working nonstop since the rescue to stabilize their captain, and make sure that their young commander would also be okay.
As they came upon the group, the two medics realized that they were almost all either lightly dozing or asleep. Jesse, Hardcase, Appo, Mixer, and Vaughn had also made their way into the room while the medics were busy. Jesse quietly stood up and flagged both medics over, forcing them to sit down on empty beds. He handed them both trays of food from the mess hall and nodded silently at them to eat. They hadn’t had time to get any food since before the evac and their brothers knew it.
No one had any desire to break the silence and calm that surrounded the medbays current occupants. Most of them had finally drifted off to sleep and the medics were soon to follow. It was time for them to get some much needed rest, now that they were sure Rex would pull through the worst of it.
They only got a couple hours of sleep before Kix’s alarm chimed. He needed to get up and check on Rex again. Kix sat up and swung his legs off the bed, stretching and yawning as he stood up. He gently nudged Coric awake and pointed to Ahsoka, letting him know that it was time to check on both patients.
Coric sat up rubbing his eyes. He stretched his arms above his head until he heard and felt the satisfying pops from his joints. Then he moved off the bed and crossed the small distance to Ahsoka’s bed, where she was surrounded by the rest of the group. He checked over her vitals and updated her chart as quickly and quietly as he could without disturbing her sleep.
Anakin stirred and blinked up at the medic with blurry eyes. He groaned and sat up, rolling his neck and shoulders to relieve the stiffness from the position he had fallen asleep in. “How does she look, Coric?” He mumbled sleepily, trying and failing to hold back a yawn.
“Vitals are good sir.” Coric replied immediately. “More rest and she’ll be back to normal in no time.” He made one last note in her file and looked up to meet the general’s eyes with a knowing grin. “She’ll be cleared to leave the medbay as long as she promises to take it easy and rest.”
Anakin snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’ll try to hold her to it. Any news on Rex yet?”
“Kix is back there with him now so we’ll see what he says in a minute. He finally stabilized a few hours ago, so Kix and I were able to get meal and a nap in.”
“That’s good.” He nodded. “That was a close one. We almost lost them.” Anakin scrubbed a hand down his face and gently pulled at his hair, leaving some strands in disarray. He huffed out ragged breath. “If we hadn’t gotten there in time..” He trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.
“We got them out in time sir, that’s what matters. They’ll both be alright.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Anything else Anakin was about to say was cut off by the arrival of Kix.
Kix looked at Anakin, then at the group of troopers and Ahsoka who were still sleeping. “Should we wake them up so I can inform them all at once, sir?”
Anakin nodded and the three of them began waking the others, gently so they wouldn’t startle them. Shortly after the war had began, they all learned to be cautious when waking each other. Startled troopers resulted in flailing limbs and nasty bruises.
Once everyone was awake, albeit groggy and constantly yawning, Kix cleared his throat to get their attention on him. He waited until he was sure all eyes were on him before speaking. “Coric and I have been personally monitoring Rex’s condition almost constantly since we got him to the medbay. Before that even, considering the time spent on the planet’s surface. A few hours ago, he finally stabilized enough that we were able to get a bit of rest as well.”
Kix sat down on an empty bed while he continued to address them. “Rex was hypothermic, as I’m sure you all could guess. If we had been down there any longer, he would likely have required amputations. He was also suffering from oxygen deprivation.” He sighed, rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and looked back to the rest of the gathered group. “He’s lucky to even be alive. He’s finally stable but he’ll likely be resting for the next few days at least. All of you should try to get some rest as well. Not the kind of rest you’re getting slumped over in chairs, but in your actual bunks.”
Everyone breathed sighs of relief at the news. Tense shoulders finally relaxed and it felt like the air in the room got lighter. One by one, the troops gathered stood, stretched, and with a final nod to Kix and Coric, left the medbay. Soon, it was only the Jedi, the ARCs and the medics remaining.
Anakin reached down to help Ahsoka up but she looked up with a confused expression. “I’m not confined to the medbay?” She asked hesitantly, like she was afraid they would change their mind and make her stay.
Anakin chuckled and helped her stand up. “Coric said that as long as you promise to rest, and you will, that you’re free to leave.”
Coric made sure to meet her eyes when he spoke up. “You’ll be required to come by tomorrow for a checkup Commander.”
“Normally, I would be annoyed but I’ll probably be checking up on Rex anyways.” Ahsoka shrugged in compliance.
As she and Anakin were heading out the door, Coric called out to her. “We’re glad you’re okay Commander. What Rex did, well, it’s what any of us probably would have done if it meant keeping you safe.”
Ahsoka sniffed and smiled softly, her eyes slightly misty. “Thank you Coric. That means a lot to me.”
Anakin nodded his thanks to the medics and wrapped an arm around Ahsoka’s shoulders, gently guiding her out the door.
Kix looked at Echo and Fives and made a shooing motion with his hands. “You two aren’t excluded from my order to get rest. Out of my medbay.” He and Coric nudged the ARCs toward the door.
Fives looked back questioningly. “You’ll let us know if he wakes up right?”
“Or if something happens?” Echo added.
“Yes we’ll let you know.” Kix replied. “Now out, both of you.”
Finally, only three remained in the room; the medics and Rex.
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Rex’s condition steadily improved over the next day and a half. His body was getting some much needed rest, and healing from the ordeal on Kijimi. Ahsoka was currently sitting next to his bed in the medbay, finishing a report for her lessons. Suddenly, she saw movement from her peripheral vision. At first, she thought she imagined it, but a moment later she saw Rex’s hand twitch again. She sat her datapad down and reached over to grasp his right hand with both of hers.
“Rex? Hey, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand.” She didn’t have to wait more than a few seconds before she felt a light squeeze. “Okay, I’ll be back in a sec, I gotta grab Kix.” She carefully set his hand down, stood up and ran from the sectioned off room. She barely got around the curtain before she ran straight into something and nearly fell over from the sudden impact. Someone, it turned out. “Sorry Kix!”
Kix chuckled as he steadied her. “Slow down Commander. What’s going on?”
“I think Rex is waking up!” She rushed out. She was so tense and giddy with excitement that she was nearly vibrating in place. She grabbed Kix’s arm and hauled him towards the bed behind the privacy curtain.
Kix made it over to Rex’s bedside and quickly checked his vitals. He grabbed Rex’s left shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. “You with us Captain?” He watched as Rex’s eyes began to flutter, fighting to open. Kix reached over and dimmed the light over the bed, so Rex wouldn’t be blinded by the harsh artificial lights after being asleep for so long.
Rex groaned as his eyes finally peeled open and he squinted up at the medic.
“Welcome back, sir. You gave us quite the scare.” Kix smiled and looked relieved.
“What happened?” Rex asked, voice rough from disuse.
“An avalanche happened Rex, and you did exactly what I asked you not to do.” Ahsoka replied while crossing her arms. “I know why you did it, and I’m thankful, but please don’t ever do that again. We almost lost you.” She reached out to grab his hand again and squeezed it.
“I’m sorry kid. I wish I could promise not to do it again, but if it’s you or me, I’ll always choose you.” Rex coughed and Kix handed him a small cup of water. He hummed contentedly as the liquid soothed his sore throat.
“I know.” Ahsoka sighed and hung her head. “I just wish I didn’t feel so helpless. You almost died because of me.”
Rex struggled to sit up more, so Kix quickly moved closer to adjust the bed and set a couple pillows up behind his back. “Kid, look at me please.” Rex implored once he was situated. Only when she looked up and made eye contact did he continue. “This was not your fault and I need you to stop blaming yourself.” He squeezed her hand lightly and gave her a reassuring smile. “You saved us from the boulder and the avalanche. Your quick thinking and reflexes are what saved us. After that, it was my decision to give you my armor. None of it was your fault.”
“He’s right,” Kix interjected while glancing at her, “you did everything you could and it gave both of you a chance to survive.”
“If you say so..” Ahsoka mumbled.
“We do.” Both men replied in sync.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes with an amused huff. “Well I’m glad you’re okay now Rexter. I don’t know what we’d do without you.” She admitted honestly.
“Eh you’d probably need to put out several fires, stop Hardcase from blowing something up, make sure the ARCs aren’t encouraging him..” Rex started listing things off on his fingers with a smirk. He was trying to lighten the mood and cheer her up.
“It’s a good thing you’re still here then. I’d probably have to keep Skyguy from joining them!” Ahsoka exclaimed with fake exasperation.
“As if you wouldn’t be right there with them.” Rex quipped.
They all chuckled, imagining the antics that Torrent Company and their commanding officers would likely partake in. It was truly a wonder that Admiral Yularen’s hair wasn’t grey yet, being one of the only sane people onboard. Once the three of them settled down, they all looked at each other with relieved smiles. They made it. Although there may be a lot of bad days with a lot of casualties, this time, they all made it out alive. Despite the scare, they were here talking and enjoying each other’s company.
They would live to fight another day.