Anakin paced up and down a room, panic stricken across his face. "It's to late already. She should be back by now." the anger obvious in his voice. "I tried her comms and holo call. I can't reach her." Rex sighed while switching off his comm. "Rain's not letting up either." 

"Look, the commander knows what she's doing. She'll be fine." Jesse said, pushing himself off the wall. "She'll be fine?" Rex snapped. "You of all people should have asked me or the general before allowing her to sneak of!" He said pointing a finger at the trooper. Jesse avoided eye contact with Rex "For the last time captain. Reetha is more than capable of handling herself, and I'm telling you she is fine." 

Anakin, listening on to the conversation, raised his disagreement against Jesse. "Jesse, if you had just told Rex and I, none of this would have happened. We could have talked to her." Anakin placed his palms and asked calmly, "Are you not worried about her safety?" Jesse sighed

"With all due respect, general, captain, Reetha had a issues to think over and clearly she was not prepared to reveal it. " Jesse sighed out then calmly continued when both the jedi and captain didn't reply. "And, yes, of course, I do worry for her safety but I believe that she knows better than to go looking for trouble, she's a smart girl. If I know any better, it's that Reetha needs sometime on her own to process whatever it is that's bothering her. She'll be back when she is ready." 

Anakin lowered his head and shook it slightly, folding his arms across his chest. Rex ran his hand on his head, frustration pouring out of him.  Jessy walked towards Rex and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I know the both of you mean well." giving Rex's shoulder a little squeeze.

Rex looked to Jesse, then took in a deep breath and nodding in an unspoken understanding. Not knowing what to say, the three sat in an overbearing silence, which was then broken by the sound of the door hissing open. 

"SHE'S HERE!" Ahsoka barged in panting. "Reetha's back." Without wasting anytime, the four ran to the hangar.

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The cruiser was empty excepts for a some clones working on maintenance. Those remaining on board helped in the search for Reetha. Ahsoka, at the time, was in the hangar together with Appo.

That's was when the sound of a speeder bike's engine their attention. A collective sigh was released from them when they Reetha finally came back. "Reetha! Oh force your back." Ahsoka ran up to Reetha and hugged her.

Reetha was wet, cold and shivering. Water from her robes absorbed into Ahsoka's own robes. Appo immediately asked for a blanket and called for a medic when he noticed her condition. Even with the warm welcome, Reetha sat hunched slightly over the bike, uneven breaths escaping her mouth.

"Hey, hey.." Ahsoka pulled away and cooed. "You're alright, right?" Reetha didn't reply not did she speak. She didn't want to. Ahsoka comfortingly squeezed her shoulder, before running of to find her master.

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Anakin, Rex and Jesse immediately rush to the hangar. Ahsoka's announcement about Reetha's arrival eased their worries only a little. 

As they approached they reached the hangar, Anakin skidded to a halt, followed by the other two clones. Ahsoka ran in and stopped beside her master and points toward the small group of clones hovering over a figure in blankets. Without looking back at Ahsoka, Anakin began to march over to his other padawan.

Before he got far, Ahsoka gently grabbed his arm. "She's not responding to anything, master. Go easy on her. " Anakin nodded and made his way to Reetha, Rex walking behind him. "Do you think she's alright?" Ahsoka asked and Jesse stopped beside her. "She needs time to vent out." Jesse sucked in a heavy breath. "She'll be fine." 

"Move. Move please. " Anakin begged as he approached Reetha and then proceeded to kneel beside her. He saw how her body shivered from the cold. Anakin hovered his hand over her shoulders, hesitating to touch her, all he wanted to do was to comfort his padawan. Eventually, he set his hand on his knee and began to ask Reetha how she felt and if there was anything he could do.

Reetha just sat there staring down into her hands. Rex shared a worried look with the Jedi. "Kix, how is she?" Kix looked from Reetha to Rex then sighed. "She's fine. Not injured in anyway. She is however very cold, from being exposed to the rain." Rex nodded and Anakin stood up to face the two.

"Has she said anything?" Anakin asked. Kix shook his head silently. "Not a word. What ever it is she came back from put her in a mild state of shock. She's not reacting to anything." Anakin looked back to Reetha. A sad look in his eye.

The three moved away from Reetha before continuing their conversation about the current situation.

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The conversation between the three muffled out as Reetha ran her mind through her memory.

"RUN!" her master's voice echoes. 

Reetha stares at her hand as bits and pieces of her vision flash in her mind. 

The sound of lightsabers clashing and the rain drops sizzling of them only reminded Reetha of her powerlessness. 'What kind of padawan is not able to help their master in combat'.

She had long blamed herself for her master's passing. Every time someone reminded her of her master, she'd quietly blame herself for being a dead weight padawan. A padawan who failed her master, a failure as a daughter.

Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes but she willed herself to not show weakness in front of her master, Ahsoka, or the troops. Reetha drew in a shaky breath before standing up to retreat to the darkness of her room.

"Reetha?" Rex asked noticing her movements, slowly raising a caring hand by her shoulder. His eyebrows nit in concern. The earlier conversation between the three men died down, all worried eyes trained on the young commander. Rex beckoned Reetha again but she just  brushed pass him.

Anakin gave Rex a worried look but neither pursued her. Reetha continued walking, her head hung low as the troopers gave her way.  She walked by Jesse and stopped to whisper something under her breath, loud enough for only himself to hear. Jesse's nodded his head and Reetha continued to her room leaving the rest at the hangar.

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Most of the troops have retreat to their barracks. Anakin and Ahsoka return to the Jedi temple to meets with the council.

Rex and Jesse stayed up in the mess. Rex was worried Reetha. Ever since she's returned to the ship, she hasn't stepped out of her room and didn't come for dinner. Rex was a strong man, but Jesse knew Rex was having a hard time processing things.

"You okay" he asked, more of a blunt statement really. Rex looked at the trooper with a defeated look. "Sure" he grunted.  Jesse knew that his brother was tired and stressed out from work. Reetha's situation didn't help either and it was getting late.

"Rex" Jesse sighed. "Reetha has issues and she needs sometime to herself to open up and deal with the situation" Rex leaned back on the chair carrying his head to look at the younger clone before him. "Is that what you think." He sassed out. "She didn't seem to have a problem telling you."

Jesse sighed and pressed to fingers to his forehead while closing his eyes shut. Deep down, he knew Rex meant well, but he knew his brother's tendency to get a little over protective. "She didn't." Jesse answered after letting some silence pass.

Rex raised an eyebrow, giving Jesse a questioning look. "When she stopped to talk to me, back at the hangar." when Rex didn't reply, he continued. "She just thanked me for letting her go out. That's all. She didn't feel like sharing and I didn't want to press on." Jesse spoke softly.

Rex's eyes soften, a feeling of guilt washed over him. He shook his head "Jess, I'm sorry." he huffed out. Jesse nodded thoughtfully. "I just, want to be there for Reetha. I know, we only just met her, but I can't be the only one to think of her a younger sister I never had." Rex lowered his voice to a whisper.

Jesse let a small smile embrace his face at his brother's words. "I think we all see her that way. I will accept the fact that she has an effect on us i will never understand. And, I know how you feel. You want to protect her, so do I. I also know, you know she needs time to process things and open up on her own, which I'm positive she will, when she's ready."

Rex looked up to Jesse, who was already collecting himself to head to the barracks. Rex pondered on his brother's words and a spark of pride bloomed in him, he couldn't help but huff out a hearty laugh. "That was quite mature of you." Jesse huffed to himself and smiled as he stopped by the mess doors and turned to Rex. "I had a very good brother to thank for that." The genuineness clear in his voice, then he bid Rex goodnight and took his leave.

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Rex walked down the hall way to his room, but before that, he stopped by Reetha's. He reached a hand out to knock her door, but decided against it, instead he spoke his mind. "Hey, kid. I just wanted to... to wish you goodnight." Rex cursed himself internally. "What I meant was, well, Reetha, I just want you to know, what it is your going through, you can talk to me, of any of the guys. When you ready of course."

Rex stayed silent for a while. He knew Reetha might not hear this as it was late and she is an early sleeper, however he continued. "Listen, I'm sorry if I'm being overly protective and all, it's just, I want to help you and seeing you like this is really painful, and, well..."

Rex's breath hitched but he calmed himself down. "Just know, your not alone Reetha. The general wishes to help you too. You're his padawan after all. I just feel responsible as all. I can't help but think of you as a younger sister I never had. But, I know you need your space." He said, pressing his hand on her door.

"Anyways, you didn't come for dinner, so... I packed some for you. I, just leave it by your door." Once again, Reetha didn't reply but Rex understood. He was not mad at her. "You had a long day. Sleep well vod'ika. " Rex smiled to himself, then left for his room.

Little did he know that Reetha had been listening all the while. She coukd not get some rest and resulted to stare up at the ceiling. Rex's voice broke her trance, but it soothed her somehow. She stood up and approached the door but didn't open when Rex began to speak. 

As Rex talked, Reetha placed a palm on her door. She wanted to talk but she was not ready to confront her fears. Rex understood her pain, and at moment she could not be any happier to have found a brother like him. As he spoke his last few words, she placed her head against the door, talking a deep quiet breath to calm her.

 When she heard Rex's foot steps fade away, she punched in the code and opened her door. There on the floor was the packaged dinner Rex brought for her. Reetha knew then, that she had found people who genuinely cared for her and respected her, and she could not be more happier. 

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