Two notes:

Her lekku are obviously longer than in the media picture. By now, they're about down to her mid-stomach.

Also, I'm pretending a couple of episodes didn't happen so some of the boys are still alive.

Also, LOOK AT THIS PICTURE OH MY GOSH!!! I've never really thought of any animated people as cute (hot?) before (except our queen, Ahsoka), but I can barely look at the clones in this fanart without going ballistic. If you know of anyone who looks like this, hmu XD (jk jk jk)

Anyways, on to the sad but heartwarming rest of the chapter 🥰

After hearing about her plans to visit 79's after lunch, Padmé had insisted on taking Ahsoka shopping for casual clothes. (Turns out, Ahsoka and Padmé's idea of 'casual' was much different.) Anakin had lightly complained about having the twins left to him, but Padmé shrugged him off and carried out her plans.

    "It's a bar, not a gala," Ahsoka argued, shaking her head at the white gown Padmé had just presented. Don't get her wrong, the dress was absolutely stunning and suited her tastes, but she didn't want to show up overdressed.

    "Fine, but we're keeping this one," Padmé insisted. The senator went back to her furious searching, and only moments later she found something new. A grin was plastered on her face as she held it up. "What about this?"

    "Umm," Ahsoka nervously laughed, reaching forward and putting the article of clothing back. "Yeah, let's not get a little too scandalous tonight." The dress, if you could even call it that, was cut extremely low and had a large opening on both her stomach and her back.

    "Right. Bar equals drunks, and scandalous clothes plus drunks doesn't really sound great," Padmé agreed. "Then.. what about this?"

    Ahsoka couldn't help but grin broadly at the outfit. It was absolutely beautiful, casual yet sophisticated, and something she would gladly wear. The top was black, turtlenecked, and mildly cropped at a diagonal, and also had a diamond-shaped cutout between her collarbone and her sternum. An intricately designed golden belt complimented it, which tied into the gold details that lined that cutout and ran down her sides. The skirt was black, mostly form-fitting, went down to about mid-thigh, and had a small slit in the side. To finish it off, the outfit came with lace-up golden heels.

    "It's perfect, Padme!" She exclaimed. However, a moment later, her expression fell and she frowned. "But where are the leggings to it?"

    "Leggings?" The senator echoed in confusion. "You don't wear leggings with this, silly. It's evening wear, not fighting attire."

    "You never know, Padmé. The way my life is going, I might have to excuse myself from dinner to go fend off an entire planetary invasion," Ahsoka pointed out.

    "It's one night," she shook her head. "The galaxy can survive without you for one night. Now go change into that while I pay."

    "Wait!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "No, I can't make you pay. It's already plenty generous of you to come along as a fashion expert."

    "And you'll pay with what credits? I know how much the Order gives you guys. Believe me, payments like this are a tiny ripple in my bank account."

    "If you insist," Ahsoka caved, biting her lip in frustration. She really didn't want the senator to pay for her clothes, but she also didn't want to be rude and argue with Padmé. Without further hesitation, the Togruta ducked into the changing rooms and slipped on the formal attire.

    When she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she noticed something. Over her years of growing, white stripes had developed on both her chest, abdomen, and legs, which could now be seen due to the outfit. At first, she wanted to immediately pick a different outfit to hide the marks, but something stopped her. She almost felt... proud of them? The stripes somehow represented her most recent accomplishments over the years. So, with a confident smile, she continued changing.  Once she was done, she contacted Rex and told him to come by and pick her up.

    "I can't thank you enough," Ahsoka gushed, giving Padmé a big hug. "I love the clothes. Where are you off to now?"

    "Probably just back to the apartment so I can spend time with Anakin," she replied with a fond smile. "Have fun at 79's!"

    The pair had exited the store by now, and Padmé was walking away in the opposite direction. Ahsoka waved her goodbyes, then waited for Rex.

    "Ahsoka?" The Togruta heard someone call out hesitantly. She turned to see Rex sitting in a speeder with a puzzled look on his face. When he caught sight of her face, the confusion seemed to wear off of his features. "You look different. Er, I mean, in a good way? Not like you didn't look good before, you just..." he trailed off at the sight of her amused chuckling. He rose his eyebrows in a 'you think this is funny?' manner, then dully added with crossed arms, "You look alright, I guess."

    "Gee, thanks," Ahsoka remarked sarcastically, then climbed into the speeder and settled into the passenger seat. She took note of what he was wearing, which consisted of his blacks. Sure, they fit nicely and complimented his muscular build, but it wasn't something she hadn't already seen a hundred times. "Ah, you went with your blacks. Certainly original, hmm?"

    "Oh absolutely," he laughed. "I was really trying hard tonight. Look, it even shows off my abs."

    "What abs?" Ahsoka mocked, sticking her tongue out.

    "Dang, that one hurt," Rex played along, faking a frown. "How can you talk though? It's not like you have..." he stopped as he noticed the incredibly defined muscles that were displayed by her cropped blouse. "Okay, now that is so not fair."

    "Keep trying, Cap, you'll get there one day," she teased.

«

[ A T 7 9 ' S , L O C A L T I M E 2 2 0 0 ]

    79's was a place of repetition, to say the least. The same crowd, the same music, the same obnoxious partying and dancing...

    that is, except for Fives and his comrades.

    The 'shinies' and clones that weren't as invested in their commander had eventually stopped mourning. To them, she was just as expendable as they were. Jedi and clones died all the time, so why was the Togruta so special?

    Perhaps, if they had experienced her selflessness and compassionate personality, the shinies would feel half the pain they were going through. Ahsoka had represented hope; a small spark of life and excitement on the death-riddled battlegrounds.

    Now even that was taken from them. One would've thought that the clones would be used to the endless deaths that came from the war, but it never failed to gouge a fresh gash into their hearts.

    "That pitiful croaking is giving me a headache," Kix grumbled, lowering his glass down and pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn't the only one who despised the singer's voice; all of the partygoers had tapered away from the stage the musician was stationed at. A decent amount of the 501st legion and some other clones had organized a night out at the popular bar, including the currently absent Rex. According to the captain, he would be arriving in about ten minutes.

    Fives hummed his agreements before downing another swig of the burning liquor. The way the alcohol bit the back of his throat was almost... soothing? He wouldn't say that he had turned into a raging drunk, but the bar has certainly seen more of his face than normal since Ahsoka's death. Despite his overbearingly dreary mood, a small sliver of his joking personality glimmered in his eye as he remarked, "I would show that poor excuse of a singer up with my *fabulous* skills, y'know?"

    "Right," Echo, who had been sitting on a barstool beside Fives, snorted. "All the way up to the ear-replacement store."

    Kix coughed and nearly spit his drink out at the insult. "It's a good thing Rex isn't here yet, or he'd be beating you up for rubbing off on Echo. One sarcastic is was plenty enough."

    "Excuse me!" Fives retorted, resting a hand on his chest in mock hurt. "I can sing very well, thank you. In fact, better than all of you."

    "I'm calling bantha on that," Hevy snickered, waving his index finger at the clone condescendingly.

    "Alright. Bet," Fives challenged, playfully standing up from his chair to size Hevy up. His depressed mood began to fade away from his appearance, which was a wonderful relief to his brothers.

    "Let's do this," Echo agreed. "Name the song."

    "Ranger?"

(I'm making up random song names, btw)

    "Definitely not," Kix shot down. "That song is about as stupid as our armor."

    The clones mumbled complaints under their breaths. It didn't protect them from blaster shots, lightsabers, or falling boulder and debris. If anything, it felt like a nuisance: extremely sweaty, limited their movement, and made them stick out like a sore thumb.   

    "Alright then. What about Hyperspace Dreams?" Fives suggested.

    "I don't think it's possible to sound good when you sing that song," Hardcase scoffed.

    Fives sighed in exasperation at his brothers' pickiness but reluctantly rattled off another song. "Two-faced."

    "Every single being in the universe has had to have heard that song 348 times already. Or more," Jesse groaned.

    Fives spun around and shot Jesse an, 'are you kidding me?' glare. The other clones remained silent, awaiting Fives' next song suggestion, but he pressed his lips together in frustration. "No. By all means, you go ahead. I'm not about to get ridiculed for my music taste for the fourth time in a row."

    Kix, Jesse, Tup, Hardcase, Dogma, Echo, Hevy, and their comrades collectively shared glances. A couple even gazed off and began humming to different tunes, but Tup was the first to speak up.

    "Hey, what about that one kinda song we all sung a while ago?"

    Kix looked up thoughtfully, rubbing small circles on his jaw with his thumb in concentration. "Wait a minute, I think I know what you're talking about. Er... be with you again? Something like that."

    "See you again," Jesse corrected, completely oblivious to the crestfallen expression that rippled across Fives' face. The disconsolate clone silently slid back into his chair and continued drinking his beverage. His brothers couldn't help but sympathize with his pain.

    "I... forfeit," Fives half-heartedly mumbled, averting his gaze to the ground. He had made so much progress... but the mention of the bittersweet song was enough to send him spiraling back into his depressed stupor. "I can't sing that song again."

    His comrades all deflated and sunk back into their seats. Maybe it was too soon to try and move on from their commander. Then again... when would there ever be a good time to move on from Ahsoka?

    Jesse had been the only one to not grow too emotional to speak. "Maybe singing it will help. I've heard expressing yourself can help you cope."

    Everyone mostly remained quiet, but Kix added, "Anything would be better than listening to that frog."

    "C'mon Fives. We need to do this," Jesse insisted. "Besides, I know you aren't seriously about to give us a win that easily."

    The clone in question allowed his eyes to trail back up to his brothers. Each one of them wore a hopeful look, internally wishing that he would agree to their schemes. After an extended, tense pause from Fives, he let a cheeky grin slip. "Ya got that right."

    Before he could regret or second-guess his decisions, he wordlessly slid off his barstool and jogged to the stage. The current singer gave Fives a dismissive glance and coiled her fingers around the microphone tighter, but the sight of all the other clones filing in behind him was enough to change her mind. With irritated body language, she dropped the microphone back onto its perch and stormed off.

    The lack of off-key notes was enough to draw the attention of multiple onlookers. Most of them simply pivoted their head and watched in curiosity, but a select few even inched closer in excitement. The few times men like them had gone up on stage, fun and good entertainment pursued.

    Fives hesitantly plucked the microphone from its stand. Adrenaline, anxiety, and liquor all swirled together in his system, producing an unsettling shaking in his hands and weakness in his muscles. Nonetheless, he inhaled deeply to ease his nerves, then broke out into the song.

(The song is in the media, but be prepared to occasionally pause it since there will be writing intervals.)

"It's been a long day without you, my friend

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

We've come a long way from where we began

Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

When I see you again."

    Seeing Ahsoka in this lifetime was off of the table, seeing that one of the parties was... well... physically dead, while the other was somewhat alive. But the afterlife, their next lifetime, or wherever he went after he died was a whole other ball game. Sooner or later, whether that was in minutes or decades, the clones and their commander would be reunited.

"D*mn, who knew?

All the planes we flew, good things we been through

That I'd be standing right here talking to you

'Bout another path, I know we loved to hit the road and laugh

But something told me that it wouldn't last

Had to switch up, look at things different, see the bigger picture."

    Quite frankly, there was a much more substantial view to be seen on these matters. This war wasn't about how many enemies could be slaughtered in a single battle, or how many planets could join forces with the Republic or the Separatists. This was a fight for the freedom, safety, and welfare of every being in the galaxy. While it would cause a great deal of pain and suffering, sacrifices were occasionally crucial in the grand scheme of things.

"Those were the days, hard work forever pays

Now I see you in a better place (see you in a better place)

Uh

How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?

Everything I went through, you were standing there by my side

And now you gon' be with me for the last ride."

    The clones didn't call each other their brothers strictly because of their genetic relations. The name was spoken in love. No matter how hard times would get, the soldiers would always have each others' backs. Perhaps this was why they found the song so endearing. Family was all that they had right now. Rising up together as a united front was the only way the Republic was going to win.

"It's been a long day without you, my friend

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again (I'll see you again)

We've come a long way (yeah, we came a long way)

From where we began (you know we started)

Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again (I'll tell you)

When I see you again.

First, you both go out your way and the vibe is feeling strong

And what's small turned to a friendship, a friendship turned to a bond

And that bond will never be broken, the love will never get lost

(The love will never get lost)."

    Their brotherly love and attachment to Ahsoka was woven in beskar. Even through the trials and tribulations of war and death, it was something that could never be severed. Perhaps attachments were against the Jedi Code. So what? Why should something so natural and beautiful be outlawed?

"And when brotherhood come first, then the line will never be crossed

Established it on our own when that line had to be drawn

And that line is what we reached, so remember me when I'm gone

(Remember me when I'm gone)

How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?

Everything I went through you were standing there by my side

And now you gon' be with me for the last ride.

So let the light guide your way, yeah

Hold every memory as you go

And every road you take

Will always lead you home, home.

It's been a long day without you, my friend

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

We've come a long way from where we began

Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

When I see you again

When I see you again (yeah, uh)

See you again (yeah, yeah, yeah)

When I see you again."

    Fives' voice was quivering as the song came to a close. Kix's theories had certainly been accurate; an overpowering and hefty weight had been relieved from Fives' shoulders for the first time in months.

    Echo abruptly elbowed Fives in the side. The clone turned to look at his brother, but Echo's gaze was fixated on the entrance. His mouth was also ajar, and... tears... were pooling in his eyes.

    There, standing in the doorway, was Rex. However, something was different about both his aura and physical appearance. The clone didn't look half as exhausted, stressed, and broken as he normally did. In fact, he looked like he had before Ahsoka's...

    Fives' breath hitched in his throat the second he caught sight of the figure defiantly posed beside the captain. No! It was impossible!

    "Commander?" He whispered breathlessly. Despite the fact that there were hundreds of voices that should've drowned out his meager words, the Togruta's montrals seemed to twitch ever so slightly, and her head whipped around to face him.

    The clone leaped from the stage and sprinted all the way to Ahsoka. When he was two meters away, he simply launched himself into her arms, nearly causing the Togruta to lose her balance. Moments later, numerous clones piled on top of him.

    "Hey, boys," Ahsoka giggled, her voice animated with overflowing emotions and exhilaration. "It's been a while."

    "Way too long," Kix declared, sparking a chorus of grunts of agreement from his brothers.

    "Okay, okay, don't suffocate her," Rex intervened, an underlying tone of protectiveness seeping into his voice.

    "But we can't let anyone else see her," Jesse argued, referring to Ahsoka's outfit. "Some skeez is gonna see how grown-up our 'lil sis has gotten."

    Rex discretely agreed to Jesse's statement, remaining careful all the while so Ahsoka's couldn't see him siding with the others.

    "I'm plenty covered," Ahsoka laughed. "Besides, that skeez would have to go through all my brothers first. But seriously, you guys are choking me."

    The soldiers sheepishly stepped back and allowed the Togruta to catch a breath. Almost instantly, a number of voices quieted and eyes fell upon the striking young woman. Her lengthy lekku, unique markings, lush lips, long eyelashes, and defined muscles were more than enough to attract the attention of onlookers. Even several of the younger, inexperienced clones couldn't help but freeze in place and lock their gaze on the breathtaking sight.

    "I don't like this," Rex snarled, scowling at hungry eyes that were relishing the view of Ahsoka. Both he and Fives possessively stepped in front of Ahsoka, shielding her from the majority of the crowds.

    Together, the pack made their way to the bar, occasionally sending nasty glares to anyone who disgustingly checked her out. The captain even made dead eye-contact with one and made a spectacle of resting his hand on one of his blasters. The man immediately interpreted the message and hastily rushed out of the building.

    "Do I even want to know how you're alive?" Fives sarcastically questioned as they sat down. His voice was finally fueled with life and fire, which caused several of the others to exhale in relief. Seeing Fives is such a distraught sight had been perturbing to them.

    "No. You really don't. I'm not even sure myself," Ahsoka responded, following her words with a small chuckle. The bartender came by and asked her what she wanted to drink, which was answered with a light beverage. She needed to stay sober for now.

    Wolffe had even joined in at this point and was iconically growling at anyone who gave Ahsoka a second glance. His general had a special place in his heart for the Togruta, and that was plenty enough reason for him.

    "I knew we'd see you again," Fives mumbled under his breath, grinning at Ahsoka. Maybe the galaxy wasn't so dark after all.

THEY'RE FINALLY REUNITED ANANSOIJEUADSNPEOGFIWM

The next chapter is even better in my opinion, and this one's pretty hard to top.