"A PARASITE?" Rex shouted as he paced back and forth in Ashara's quarters. "THEY'RE SAYING IT'S BLOODY PARASITE?!" Ashara merely watched sadly. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BROTHERS- THAT WAS NOT A PARASITE!"

Ashara stood and gently rested a hand on his shoulder, which he almost wrenched out of her reach, but she didn't let him. She instead pulled him close, and didn't let go, under he sagged from exhaustion. She knew he hadn't been sleeping well, not since Fives died. He'd had nightmares almost every night, and often sought her for comfort. 

"Rex", she said soothingly. "I know it's not the outcome either of us wanted, or believe, but we can't let what the Chancellor said get under our skin."

Rex let out a soft sob. "He was my brother, Ash. He deserves justice."

"I know he does", Ashara said. "And we will get him that. But right now, we need to do things by the book. Record a holovideo of what Fives told us. Even if it gets shoved into a corner somewhere, it's still there in case we need it."

Rex nodded, but didn't move, and instead brought his arms up around her back, finally returning her hug.

"Thank you, Ash", he murmured into her lekku. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ashara chuckled. "Well you wouldn't be risking getting caught with a Jedi alone in her quarters now, would you?"

Rex chuckled, and squeezed her tighter. "No, I suppose I wouldn't. Though, I wouldn't change this for the world. Not when I'm happy to be right beside you."

Ashara smiled at the nickname. "I'm happy to be right beside you too."

Ashara's comm-link began to beep and the togruta sighed. Pressing a button, Anakin's voice started to come through.

"We have a new mission", he said. Ashara sighed. 

"Alright. Rex and I will meet you on the bridge."

"Ooh?" Anakin asked. The Jedi could practically see the smirk on his face.

"Shut up, Bananakin", she rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened." With that she turned off the comm-link and turned to Rex.

"C'mon, let's go." She walked out the door, and together they walked onto the bridge. Anakin was waiting there for them with a smirk, to which Ashara immediately rolled her eyes at. Again.

"Don't start. What's the mission?"

"We're going to Anaxes."

~~~~~~

Ashara stood at a holotable with Anakin and Master Windu. It had been weeks since they had first arrived on Anaxes, and they were losing terribly, which was not good. They needed to hold Anaxes or else they would lose the war. 

"The droids have overrun our main production facility", Master Windu said. "It won't be long before the Separatists take Anaxes, compromising our entire reserve fleet."

Anakin didn't say anything and instead looked toward the two clones coming toward them, Rex and Commander Cody.

"Pardon the interruption, General, but Rex here has a good theory about why we keep, uh... losing", Cody said, gesturing to Rex.

"Please, Captain", Master Windu said, looking to Rex. The clone captain stepped forward, pulling something up on the holotable.

"The droid army uses analytics to predict our strategy. The first time we use a strategy, it's effective", Rex started. "The next, less so. In fact, the more we use a certain strategy, the less effective it becomes. They learn our tendencies, and use that data against us. To counter them, we are constantly working out ways to vary our attack."

"But the losses we are experiencing on Anaxes are not commonplace", Master Windu said, prompting Rex to continue.

"Exactly", Rex said. "The counterattacks are so specific, it's my strategy the droids know, my playbook."

Ashara frowned. Someone had Rex's playbook. That wasn't good.

"My concern is that Rex is one of our best", Cody spoke. "If the droids can learn to defeat him, we may all be vulnerable."

"What do you propose?" Master Windu asked. 

"Let Rex and me take a small squad behind enemy lines. There's a separatist cyber center which relays all battlefield intel to their command ship. If we are going to find anything, it will be there."

"If you think it will help turn this fight around, get going", Master Windu said. Ashara spoke up.

"I will go with them", she said. "It might be good for them to have a Jedi, just in case. Besides, when Obi-Wan returns, he will have Teriko with him. We don't need five Jedi all in one place."

Master Windu nodded. "Go. Make sure they don't cause too much trouble."

Ashara smirked. "With Rex and Cody, you never know."

"Thank you, General", Rex said, before hesitating. Anakin noticed his pause, and chose to address it.

"Rex, is there anything else?" 

"No, General."

The duo walked away and Ashara followed to help prep for the mission. Cody went to go get Kix and Jesse for the mission, while Ashara went with Rex to the barracks to spot check his armor. What she didn't expect was for him just sit down on the bunk and not worry about his armor. He pulled out a tablet, that held a picture of him, Cody, Echo, and Fives. She frowned.

"Alright, what's bothering you?" she asked, sitting down next to him. Rex sighed, but couldn't say anything before Cody came in.

"Come on, Rex, General Ki, time to move out", Cody said. Rex just sighed again, before speaking.

"Fives, Echo, and before that, Hevy", Rex said softly. Ashara remembered reading the report, though she never met Hevy. She heard he was good soldier though, and died bravely. "There are so many troopers gone."

"Yeah. Regular folk don't understand", Cody said, his voice solemn. "Sometimes in war, it's hard to be the one that survives."

Ashara bit her lip. She couldn't but wonder if that's how she should feel for being alive instead of Master Tiplar, but she was grateful that Tiplar chose to save her. It was a selfless act, one that would be commemorated forever on the walls of the Jedi Temple.

Rex looks over his shoulder at Cody. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Well, what do you mean?" Cody asked as he moved in front of the duo sitting on the bunk.

"I didn't tell the generals", Rex whispered, looking back at the image. "They might think I'm crazy. In fact, you might think I'm crazy. Same with you, Ashara." It was weird for him to call her by her first name in front of his brother, but Cody was one of the few who actually knew about Rex and Ashara, whatever they were.

"What is it?" Cody asked cautiously. Ashara understand that to a deep level. Rex was worried about something, something that could potentially show him as being crazy. But Ashara was willing to support him in whatever he said, he deserved that much for always being ready to fight.

"I think Echo's alive", Rex finally admitted, looking up at his brother.

"That's not possible", Cody said. "He died at the Citadel."

"The way the droids are countering us here, the strategies I'm using, they're all old battle plans that Echo and I drew up together."

"Look, Rex, I hear what you're saying. But it's just not possible", Cody argued. Rex frowned.

"I hope you're right", Rex said softly. "But the fact is, Echo's fingerprints are written all over these Separatist strategies."

"Rex", Cody said sharply. "You have to admit, what you're saying is a long shot at best, and most likely, misplaced hope. I need you to be focused on this."

Ashara bit her lip. She wanted to ask if it was wrong to have hope in situations like this, but she figured now was not the time. Rex and Cody needed to get themselves sorted out.

"I-I know, I know", Rex said. "Don't worry."

Cody started to walk away, and Rex turned to look over his shoulder. "So what, squad are we taking in?"

The clone commander turned to look at them and smirked. "Clone Force 99."

Ashara had never heard of the squad, but didn't question it, knowing that Cody knew what he was doing. He served with Obi-Wan after all. Rex got up to follow Cody, but Ashara grabbed his hand briefly to get his attention.

"Rex, I know what you're saying is a stretch, and that it might not be what is really happening, but for your sake, I do hope that Echo is alive. I believe he is alive."

"Thank  you, Ash", Rex said, squeezing her hand. Together they walked out into the open world, ready to meet this clone force.