LUX BONTERI

Lux watched as Ahsoka walked calmly out of the room. She was so amazing and so beautiful. Now, after all that they had been through, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. He loved her so much, and he had a feeling that he always would.

As soon as she had left the room, the others began to talk quietly among themselves. Zaydn and Christopherus, who apparently knew each other, were remembering a training mission to Felushia, while the others just made small talk.

It was then that Anakin tapped him on the shoulder, chasing his thoughts away. “So,” he said, “It’s you and Snips, then?”

Lux couldn’t hide a smirk. “Yeah, she’s great. More than great.”

“I hope you’ve been keeping her out of trouble, Mr. Bonteri!” Anakin chuckled a little at his own joke. They both knew that trouble had a tendency to find her, and not the other way around.

“To the best of my abilities, Master Jedi!” Lux joked in return.

They both laughed a little. “You know that I knew about the two of you since the beginning, right?”

“What?” Lux’s eyes widened.

Anakin nodded. “I did. It was a good thing that she reported back to me first, and not the Jedi Council after that time on Karlak. I know you’re not Force-sensitive, but you should’ve felt all of the emotions she was cluttered with after that!”

“Actually, Anakin, I am Force-sensitive,” Lux said, and pulled out the lightsaber that Ben Kenobi had made him three years before. He had a habit of keeping it in an old blaster pouch hanging from his belt, and out of sight.

For an extra flare, he summoned the Force, making his lightsaber hover a few inches above his palm. Anakin nodded in what Lux knew was as close as he could to admiration for someone who hadn’t been on the Jedi Council as he could get. “Very nice, very nice. I’m guessing that Ahsoka is a good teacher?”

“Completely. The younglings love her, and she’s good at getting to them. But they’re not like that with everybody. It’s a different story for Master Windu, since…” Lux trailed off when he saw Anakin blanche. He had apparently revealed something that he shouldn’t have. Lux couldn’t believe he had let that slip.

“Master… Master Windu is alive?” he said, his voice rising barely above a whisper. “And here

“Ahsoka didn’t tell you?”

“No… Well, here he comes now. I can sense it.” He looked almost fearful. “This is not going to be fun at all.”

CAPTAIN REX

The leader of Torrent Company of the 501st Legion, CT-7567, otherwise known as Captain Rex was waiting outside Darth Vader’s chambers. With him was CT-2224, Commander Cody of the Ghost Company in the 212th Legion. The briefing was about to start, and Vader had wanted to talk to them before the meeting began. Though he hadn’t specified what about.

“What do you think’s going on, Cody?”

“Dunno, Rex, but whatever it is it sounds pretty serious. I mean, this is only the third time since the formation of the Empire that he’s summoned us personally.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “He’s been pretty distant since that thing on Mustafar, wearing that big suit and all and ‘oooh, I must obey my Master the Emperor!’”

“Yeah,” Rex said, chuckling at his friend’s funny, though perhaps partially inaccurate, imitation of Vader. “And he never told us what happened with the whole changing his name and all that… How did we fall so out of touch? I mean, he’s done a complete mental AWOL.”

“And how we changed out armor… I dunno about you, but the new design really isn’t functional.” Rex nodded, patiently agreeing for the third time this week with Cody’s armor complaint. It was better to just let him rant, and get it out of his system when it was just the two of them. It was that or get him started on the limited helmet visibility…

“I liked it so much better with the design before we started the hunt for the Jedi,” Cody continued. “I know that it was to promote the Empire and all, with that ‘shedding the old so that the new can grow’ propaganda, but it still makes no sense.”

A ding from the communicator on the wall interrupted their conversation, giving them the signal to enter. “Well that’s that, then. Come on, Cody.”

The commander shrugged. No matter. He still had enough ranting energy to bug the others for another hour or so when they were back at the barracks.

Carefully, they walked through the open door. It slid shut behind them almost soundlessly, and suddenly Rex didn’t think that this was such a good idea.