It wasn't long before dinner was done. No one except Ahsoka actually knew what it was, but they didn't bother to ask because it smelled and tasted amazing. At least, it was better than cruiser food. They scarfed it down in less than half an hour, and even though they said they couldn't eat another bite, Ahsoka had a feeling that if she had more, they could have.

After stitches, a shower, and some actual food, Obi-Wan was feeling a lot better. Walking was still a struggle, but from the look on his face otherwise, you wouldn't have guessed it. After dinner was cleaned up, Rex pulled one of the stools from the counter to the front room while Anakin helped Obi-Wan over to the couch again. Ahsoka opted to curl up on the recliner.

"I am never eating cruiser food again," Rex groaned, closing his eyes. 

"Good luck with that," teased Obi-Wan, raising an eyebrow. "You're not going to find anything like that in the mess halls."

Anakin shrugged, stretching his arms across the back of the couch. "I mean...if we don't leave..."

Raising her arms, Ahsoka offered, "Hey, I'm not going to stop you from leaving. I'm just pretty sure someone up on the surface isn't going to appreciate your absence."

"Not to mention none of us have jobs," Obi-Wan added. "I'm not sure we could contribute much to the task force below the surface."

"Unless you want to go the bounty hunter route, not really," Ahsoka admitted, making a face. "Seeing as you just got attacked by a few, I'm not sure that's in your best interest."

Obi-Wan leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes and relaxing. He took a moment to just breath, and listen to the various appliances running throughout the building. Other than that and the breathing of the others, though, there weren't any noises to disturb him, and even those noises were calming at the moment. There were no blaster shots ringing out, no armor plates bouncing off each other, no lightsabers humming. Nothing that would set off his defenses was present, despite being so deep in the Lower Levels. In the heart of struggle and need, he found peace. 

"Thank you," he said suddenly, turning to Ahsoka, "for taking us in. I don't think I've said that yet."

Ahsoka smiled warmly, just glad to be with all three of them again. "You're welcome. Although you didn't need to get hurt in order to come."

Obi-Wan laughed softly, but he shook his head. "It's more than that. I don't remember when's the last I rested...like this." He made eye contact with her. "That's why you've stayed here. You found peace, didn't you?"

Chuckling, but quietly, Rex mentioned, "It's not exactly a peaceful place. I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"It wasn't when I got here, but it's become what I've helped to make it. I'm not taking down Separatists anymore, but I'm protecting the peace I've found here." A fond look covered her face.  "It's not in the streets or the business, or in alleys. It's in places where people stay, where they feel safe. It's where people protect each other."

"So you find it wherever you go?" Anakin suggested, grinning. "It's why your neighbors have been coming to you for help, isn't it?"

Ahsoka drew her knees to her chest, thinking. "I don't feel like a safe person, even now, but my coworkers trust me, and it helps me believe I can be who they think I am."

A few memories flashed through Rex's head as he replied. "You were in the military, 'safe' isn't exactly your style."

"That's not what you're talking about though, is it?" Obi-Wan asked, sitting upright. He stared her down, and Ahsoka realized what he was referring to. "Not since you've made another 'friend', the one from Barriss's escape."

Sighing, Ahsoka released her legs back down to the ground and leaned on her elbows. "I had a feeling you would figure that out. Master Windu already has too, I assumed it would only be a matter of time."

"What friend?" Rex asked, looking to Ahsoka. "What is he talking about?"

Ahsoka glanced at Anakin, who had tensed up when he caught Obi-Wan's drift. She knew he wasn't the reason Obi-Wan knew, but he was getting nervous all the same. Still, if there was anyone she could trust with this, it was the people in this room. 

She looked at Rex, her voice quiet and a little bit shaky, but not enough that anyone but Anakin noticed. "What species was the Inquisitor?"

It didn't take long for Rex to get what she was saying. They were right, Ahsoka was the Inquisitor. Then he remembered exactly what the Inquisitor had done. "That was you? The whole time, it was you? You did all of that?"

Ahsoka swallowed, nodding. She didn't know what particular actions Rex was remembering, but she could think of a few that she was proud of. The Sister hadn't exactly been innocent during her training. Rex didn't look scared of her though...

"You killed Palpatine? You stopped him?!?!?"

She nodded again, remaining silent. She realized she was holding her breath, but she released it when Rex jumped up, pounding his fist in the air.

"YOU DID IT!!!! THAT WAS YOU!!!" He ran over and hoisted her up, hugging her tighter than ever. Ahsoka nearly yelled out at the surprise, but the Jedi were laughing behind her, joyous at Rex's delight.

"SHHHH! People could be sleeping!" Ahsoka reminded him, but she hugged him back, grateful that he wasn't mad, or scared, or hurt. Inside, the Sister was smiling smugly, but rejoicing just as much as Ahsoka. This was why she went through a year of torture, this was why everything that she had done and had been done to her was worth it. It was for the Jedi, for the troopers, and for Ahsoka's friends.

Rex finally set her down, and laced his hands behind his head. "That's where you were the whole time, you were sneaking into the Separatist ranks."

"Well, there wasn't much sneaking, but yeah," Ahsoka admitted. "It took nine months before I could actually do anything, and once I did people kept trying to kill me."

"In our defense, you insisted you weren't Ahsoka Tano," Obi-Wan reminded her, still grinning from Rex's outburst. 

Ahsoka took her seat again, much more relaxed than she was a minute ago. "Well, to be fair, the Sister said that, not me. Technically, she wasn't wrong."

"Wait, you're, like....different people in the same body?" Rex asked, his eyes growing wide. "What's that like?"

"It's not too bad, especially when Barriss tried to escape," she answered, shrugging. "She's also not trying to kill anyone anymore, so if she takes control sometimes, it's not dangerous."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, interested but very confused. "Well, that's good. She seemed very intent on murder when she was in the Senate Building."

"I don't blame her," Rex decided, turning to Ahsoka. "If she hadn't killed Palpatine, I don't know what he would have done with us. Who knows what you prevented."

"I do," Anakin piped up, from Obi-Wan's right. "He wasn't just the leader of the Separatists, he was the Sith Lord we've been looking for this whole time. He was trying to turn me and I never even realized it."

Ahsoka's look softened, remembering Anakin's golden eyes from that night. She didn't hold it against him, not after everything she had done, but she couldn't forget it, not when it haunted her nightmares more often than she liked. She didn't want to know what a world with Anakin as a Sith looked like. 

Obi-Wan reached an arm over to his apprentice. "None of us realized, Anakin, even though all of us should have. The only one who did, however, saved us from that," he reminded them, looking at Ahsoka. "That's what matters now."

In her head, Ahsoka could hear the Sister talking to her. See, this is what all of that was worth. Every doubt, every fear we fought through was for this. There's no judgement, not from them. That's what friends are for.

Ahsoka smiled as she returned the thought. I can't say that, the Jedi can't have attachments. She looked up at them. I'm glad that I can, though. "You know, it was you guys that got me through last year. Just knowing that you were out there, still fighting, it was enough to make it worth it."

The three of them smiled back at her, although the memory of Ahsoka's scars was running through Anakin's head. We were worth that? "I still can't imagine what you had to do to earn his trust, though. I mean..."

"You'll never have to," Ahsoka told him solemnly. "That was the point, so no one else would ever have to know."

Anakin wanted to press, to say that she shouldn't have to keep it to herself, but he saw the hope in her eyes, the hope that all of it was over and that peace was near, and he couldn't bring himself to tear that away from her. It was her choice, her sacrifice to make. Let her have the dignity of that choice. So he nodded, letting it go. If she could release her past, he could too.

She stood up, walking over to Obi-Wan. "Speaking of rest, though, you need to sleep. You'll have to get up early tomorrow if you want to beat the early morning traffic."

Anakin helped her support Obi-Wan, and they walked together to Ahsoka's room, where she had already pulled out a spare mattress, sheets, pillows, and blankets. "When's the last time either of you have slept on an actual mattress?" she asked jokingly, and Obi-Wan groaned. 

"I have no idea," he answered, nearly falling onto the bed. "Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely," Ahsoka answered. "I get to sleep here all the time, but I remember the beds in the Temple, believe me. Besides, my recliner is comfy enough."

"Thanks, Snips," Anakin told her, making sure Obi-Wan wouldn't hurt himself lying down. "Do you have somewhere for Rex too?"

She nodded, closing the door as she backed out of the room. "We'll be in the front room if you guys need anything."

He gave her a thumbs up, and she shut the door quietly behind her. She then grabbed one more stack from the closet, her last set of spare sheets. Ahsoka and Rex assembled them on the couch before she grabbed a blanket and one more pillow for herself, and shutting off the lights from the kitchen. 

Pulling the lever to kick back the chair, she sighed and sank into the cushions, staring up at the ceiling. It had been an eventful night, but an amazing one nonetheless. She had felt the peace Obi-Wan had found, and she even sensed it in Anakin and Rex as well. Ahsoka was glad that her house had offered them rest, even if it was just for one night. After all, it was her house, but it wasn't home unless she was with them.

"Hey," Rex called out softly from the couch. Ahsoka twisted her head over her shoulder to look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered back, rolling over on the recliner. "I'm just glad you guys came. It's been a while since I've seen you all."

He smiled, but thought for a moment. Eventually, he told her, "Did you regret it? Helping Palpatine for so long?"

A few choice memories rose up in Ahsoka, but she shoved them down. "Sometimes. Depends on the day, really, but...I see you, and the others, and I know that if I hadn't we wouldn't be here right now. Especially not if Sideous had activated Order 66..."

Rex snorted, turning onto his back. "Good point. I still hate thinking about that," he admitted, his mind churning. "I wish I could tell the other battalions, but where do you start with something like that?"

"I couldn't tell you," Ahsoka admitted, looking down. "I don't even know if that's legal. Is it?"

"Probably not," Rex laughed, despite it being true. He paused, then looked over at Ahsoka. "It's just...I saw you, before I realized, I saw your face when Kenobi said you were the Inquisitor."

Ahsoka closed her eyes, and the memories refused to remain silent this time. She saw the things she did, for no reason other than to gain the favor of the Sith. Screams filled her ears, and not only her own. "I didn't have much of a choice, not if I wanted to stop him, but..." she sighed, opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling. "It was a means to an end, and not one I liked."

"Hey, listen to me," Rex insisted, propping himself up on his side. Ahsoka looked over at him as he spoke. "We would be off so much worse if you hadn't done what you did, okay? I mean, look at us." He gestured to himself, then her. "I'm a soldier, you were a Jedi. It's not like either of us were innocent before, much less now."

"You didn't turn completely over to the Dark Side," she argued. Hey, the Sister complained, but Ahsoka mentally glared at her. You know just as well as I do what we did.

Still, Rex didn't give up on her. "It's a war, Ahsoka. No one is in the right, even if some people go deeper than others. You stopped horrible things from happening, even worse than what they already are," he reminded her. "You saved us from being Palpatine's puppets against the Jedi. No matter what else you did, that was you too. If you're going to remember what you did, you can't forget that either."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling. Rex's loyalty, and his refusal to let her drag herself down, somehow it beat down the memories inside of her. "Is that what you do?" she asked, knowing that it was the type of thing Rex would do.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Who taught you that?" she wondered, sitting up a little bit.

Rex shook his head. "Dunno. Maybe I picked it up in training, or something, but it kind of just happened." He looked up at her. "We have to keep believing we're doing the right thing, we have to remember that."

A sort of sad smile crossed Ahsoka's face. "I guess that's why you're the soldier. I started doubting that a long time ago."

"But you're doing the right thing now," he told her, "aren't you? Helping people, protecting your coworkers, taking us in?"

"Saving your necks?" she added, smirking, and Rex chuckled, but not too loud so the Jedi could hear. Ahsoka lied back down and breathed out. "I'm trying to, whenever I can."

"Let that be enough," Rex advised her, laying his head back on his pillow too. "You've done your part, no one can say otherwise. And if they do, I'll shut them up for you."

Ahsoka giggled, imagine Rex bolting all the way to the Lower Levels just to beat up someone who disagreed with her. He'd do it, she knew, along with Anakin if he found out. "Thanks, Rex,"

"Anytime, 'Soka."

~

The next morning started early. Ahsoka sent them off with a quick, but delicious, breakfast, gave them their clean robes and armor back and made sure they hadn't forgotten anything before sending them out back to the surface. She did a little bit of clean up after they left, just throwing the sheets in the washer and stuff like that. She was a little late to work, but it was worth it.

Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Rex finally returned the stolen intel to the Republic, and while Rex went to rejoin his battalion Anakin escorted Obi-Wan to the Halls of Healing, where he was professionally treated. Obi-Wan was going to have to rest for a few days, but Ahsoka's stitching had done the job. He was going to be fine.

A few people asked where Anakin and the others had been, and why they were away for so long, but when he mentioned Obi-Wan's injury, they usually dropped it. The one person who suspected anything was Master Windu, who raised his eyebrow when he heard. "I see," he replied, walking alongside Anakin. "I take it a certain Togruta had a hand in his recovery?"

Remembering Ahsoka's comment about Windu the night before, Anakin nodded. "It wouldn't be the first time she's been helping us from the inside."

"No, I guess not," Windu agreed, before dropping the subject.