Anakin Skywalker had endured a long-ass and stressful campaign and he felt like he was going to die if he didn't get a much-needed break, and fast. Really, the best course of action for him was to go see Padme and that was where he was headed. Anakin stepped down in the Temple hangar bay and left Rex to take care of the unloading of supplies. He knew that he had a debriefing to attend, but he chose to type it up on a datapad and give it to Obi-Wan and the older man could take it from there. Borrowing a speeder, Anakin took off for 500 Republica. A few minutes later, and the man was greeted with C-3PO wobbling his way over with a greeting.

"Mistress Padme, Master Ani is here," 3PO chirped.

Padme came out of the bedroom and promptly ran at Anakin and gave him a tight embrace. Wrapping his arms around her, he picked her up and spun her around. A joyous laugh escaped her lips and reached his ears. It made him even happier that a grin split his face. Anakin was always happy when Padme was around. She helped put him in a better mood when he wasn't in the greatest of moods. He set her down but kept his arms around her.

"It's so good to see you Ani!" she exclaimed.

"I couldn't agree more, I missed you so much," he replied, kissing her forehead.

There was a pause and an exhale from his wife. He grew a little concerned, because for all he knew that meant something bad, and he really wasn't in the mood for something to spring up.

"What's wrong?" Anakin questioned, concerned.

"I just remembered I have a vote with the Senate that I need to attend."

Anakin had to resist the urge to audibly groan. All he wanted was to just relax with his wife and not have to worry about anything for at least a couple of hours. That's all he wanted! Instead he put aside his desires and volunteered to help. In the end, he would still be with her – it was a win, he supposed.

"Well, let me join you, I could give you a ride."

"That is very generous of you, Master Jedi," Padme said with a smile while pecking him on the cheek.

With happiness filling his chest, he escorted her to his speeder where the couple went to take care of her senatorial business.


"Commander?" Rex asked.

Ahsoka casts him a glance, silently giving him permission to speak.

"Why are we following the General?"

"Have you ever wondered where it is he suddenly vanishes to once we return from a mission?" she responded.

Rex shrugs his shoulders, concentrating on the many speeder lanes full of never-ending traffic.

"Isn't that the General's business and not ours?" he continued.

Now it's Ahsoka's turn to shrug. "Probably not, but we'll just blame it on my damn curiosity."

Rex just seems to accept the explanation and continues their cautious pursuit of Anakin's speeder. Several minutes later, the duo notices Anakin's speeder pull out of traffic and make its way to 500 Republica.

Both Captain and Commander parked themselves on a nearby landing strip when they saw Anakin walking into the complex. Ahsoka made sure to conceal her Force signature as the duo stuck to the shadows, following the Knight quietly. Ahsoka watched as Anakin casually made his way through the lobby and to a lift, and unfortunately neither Rex nor Ahsoka caught what floor he took. As soon as Anakin was out of sight, they emerged from the shadows.

"Did you catch what floor he took, Commander?" Rex questioned.

Ahsoka shook her head 'no.'

That left them standing in front of the lift like they had their heads up their asses while the few people around them continued on with their day. Having an idea, she plugged in Riyo's comm frequency and waited for her to pick up. Seconds later, they were greeted with the Pantoran's bust.

"Ahs-Padawan Tano, what may I be able to help you with?" Riyo caught herself, realizing that Ahsoka was not alone.

Ahsoka winced, hoping that Rex hadn't caught her girlfriend's slip. Ahsoka threw a quick glance at him and was relieved to notice him passively eyeing their surroundings. If he did notice, he didn't outwardly show a reaction.

Looking back to Riyo, she asked, "What floor is Padme's suite on?"

Riyo fixed her with a strange look and she eventually replied with '12.' Ahsoka quickly thanked her and hung up before Riyo could start interrogating her. Ahsoka knew that that would make Riyo even more suspicious of what Ahsoka was up to and she might question what the Captain's involvement was.

Once Rex heard the number, he punched it in and the duo made their way to said floor. The doors opened and Ahsoka poked her head out and discovered the hallway to be empty. Motioning to the Captain they made their way down and around a bend when they heard voices. Voices that sounded exactly like Padme and Anakin. They froze and Ahsoka urgently pushed Rex back the way they had come.

Just as they entered the lift, they heard someone call to hold it and Rex obliged. The person scurried on with a grateful "thanks." They thought that was everyone, but no, Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala appear before them, surprised.

"Snips, Rex, what are you two doing here?" Anakin asked, puzzled.

"Uh, Master we… uh, the Council would like your mission report," Ahsoka blurted out after having scrambled for a decent explanation as to why the two of them were here.

Before Anakin could respond, their guest cleared their throat and the group looked over and were met with an impatient aid. Sending apologetic smiles, the pair entered and the doors shut behind them and they began their descent down.

"I already sent it in. Well, Obi-Wan did, actually," Anakin clarified.

Anakin fixed her with a suspicious look. "What are you really doing here, Snips?"

Ahsoka felt like she had been backed into a corner. Literally. She leaned against the cool durasteel and prepared to scrape an answer together, but was luckily saved by the lift's chime. The doors opened and everyone poured out into the lobby. Both Ahsoka and Rex headed for their speeder, desperately trying to act non suspicious. Reaching their speeder, there was a collective sigh of relief from the two.

"That was close," Rex breathed.

Ahsoka looked at him incredulously. "Uh, maybe if you had been in my position, you could deem it as such."

Rex gazed at her with an expression of mock hurt. Ahsoka just slapped him on the shoulder and winked at him in apology. No hard feelings, here.

As they were trailing behind Anakin, Ahsoka watched as Anakin's speeder parked and he and Padme get out (while Rex had to circle around and find them a spot).

Rex finds them a spot just as the Senator and the Jedi Knight enter the building. Rex and Ahsoka depart from their speeder and follow them. Ahsoka keeps her signature masked and they make it through security, catching sight of the Senator and her escort going down a hallway. Thankfully, there were many people around to shield them.

As they followed both Knight and Senator down the long hallway, the people around them began to thin out, leaving them more exposed. Eventually, it was just the four of them and Padme and Anakin conversing quietly among themselves. They thought they were in the clear when Rex accidentally stumbled, quickly recovered, and they were forced to dive behind a wall and out of Anakin's line of sight when he immediately stopped talking.

"What's the matter?" came Padme's voice.

"I thought I heard something," Anakin responded.

Ahsoka and Rex sat with baited breath behind their shelter.

He was silent for a minute before concluding, "It's probably just my exhausted state getting to me."

The door to the office slid open than closed and the hallway once again descended into silence. Both Ahsoka and Rex, slumped against the wall, exhaled a sigh of relief at the fact they escaped almost getting caught.

"What do you think we should do now, Rex?"

The Captain scrunched his face in thought. The two had a vague idea of what they were going to do, but unfortunately lacked a concrete plan. Thus, the current predicament they had put themselves in.

"I think we execute Phase 2 and hope for the best," Rex supplied.

She nodded her understanding and they made their way to the Senator's door and hesitated, questioning whether or not this was a good idea. Then again, whenever was a plan formed by Anakin Skywalker or Ahsoka Tano ever great? The pair shot unsure glances at each other, silently begging the other to give the other a reasonable excuse to get a grasp of what the couple did together.

"We could tell them that this is an important Jedi matter that has to be taken care of," Ahsoka offered.

Rex shook his head, "I disagree, sir. We already tried that and the General already cornered us. More specifically, you."

Ahsoka hummed in agreement, well aware of her close call with Anakin on several occasions.

"I think I know sir," Rex started, "what if we tell him that one of the boys would like to demonstrate a weapon's test and he has to be there in person to see it?"

"That'll work."

Really, it was the only option they had to their miserable plan at the moment.

Having reached an agreement, Rex opened the door and they walked into an essentially empty office. Confusion was instantly carved into the duo's faces.

They were just here! Ahsoka thought, trying in vain to figure out just where they went.

"Sir," Rex pointed to an adjoining room, "I think that's where they're at," he whispered.

Ahsoka let her grasp on her Force signature slip for the briefest of seconds to get a scan of the office, and sure enough, their targets were in the other room. Nodding to Rex that his assessment was, in fact, true, the two silently set off towards the other room.

As both Captain and Commander crept their way to the entrance of the adjoining room, they were greeted with a sight they weren't expecting. Both stood there frozen, and wide-eyed, unsure of what to do. The only thought going through their heads was that they had walked in on Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker kissing.

Rational thought seems to slam into them at the same time, before they know it, they have their backs pressed against the wall on either side of the archway. Much to Ahsoka's relief, she observed that Anakin had his back mostly to them. Glancing to the clone (who was obviously unsure of what to do) she mouthed the words "Holo-camera," and the Captain pulled out a small compact device from one of his many utility pouches on his belt.

Rex turned the device on and began recording the scene while Ahsoka observed. After getting enough footage Rex turned the device off and they made a beeline for the door, just as Anakin and Padme were separating. It definitely would not have been good if they got caught red handed by Anakin. Once out into the safety of the hallway they quietly took off at a run, muffling their snickering as they went.

As they came up on the main entrance, they slowed to a casual walk.

"Hey, Rex, what do you say we show the boys the footage, but make sure they keep it between all of us?"

"Alright sir," Rex smiled, excitement dancing in his eyes.

Having made it to the 501st Barracks, Ahsoka and Rex wandered in to see them cleaning their weapons, or messing around with each other. As troopers laid their eyes on them, they snapped to attention like the good men they are.

"At ease men," Rex barked.

The troopers all around them relaxed and regarded them with open curiosity.

"Alright men! The Commander and I have something to show you lot, but we need you all to make a promise for us. Can you all do that?"

There were eager nods from all around. Ahsoka began, "Okay. What we're are about to show you cannot leave this building, nor be shared with Anakin or any other legions and their Jedi."

Ahsoka leveled a stern look at all the men. "Understood?"

"Yes sir!" they all replied in unison.

Satisfied, Ahsoka turned to Rex and tossed him the Holo-camera so that he could hook it up to a projector, thus displaying the video. As the men watched with rapt attention, many looks of shock, surprise, and curiosity flickered across many of their faces. Throughout the video there was a cacophony of hoots, hollers, and laughter exchanged between the men. Both Captain and Commander left after the video ended, leaving the mighty troopers of the 501st left with the knowledge of Anakin's "private" love life.

Ahsoka and Rex had found themselves walking down one of the main hallways of the Senate building, idly talking to each other as they went. Their main goal was to find Anakin which they did a minute later.

Upon Anakin noticing them, he called out, "Hey Snips… Rex! What are you two doing back here?"

"Just looking for you sir," Rex replied.

"Well, what do you need? I hope you aren't here to notify me of the Council wanting my mission report that has already been turned in," Anakin muttered.

"No, sir, but..." Casting a glance over at Ahsoka, who gave him a nod, Rex fished for the Holo-camera in his belt and handed it to Anakin. "You might want to be more careful with what you do, sir."

Anakin was confused, looking between the camera in his hand and the two smug people in front of him. Ahsoka only smirked at Anakin and Rex did a quick salute before the pair turned on their heels, and left, leaving behind an even more confused Anakin.


Anakin had made it back to his quarters in the Temple as a wave of drowsiness overcame him. After locking the door he went and sat down on his bed and a yawn escaped past his lips.

Might as well look at that Holo-camera that Snips and Rex gave me, Anakin decided.

Reaching into one of his supply pouches, he pulled the device out and placed it next to him. A couple minutes later, after some searching, he found the recording. It was labeled 'FOR ANAKIN' in all caps. He opened the file and reached down to start tugging off his boots. As he was in the middle of tugging off his first boot, he glanced up and saw both him and Padme in the middle of some very important matters. Shock and nervousness wells up in the pit of his stomach at the bold move his padawan and Captain had taken.

As Anakin sat there, with his emotions clashing in his gut, he immediately started dialing Ahsoka's comm frequency. After a few rings, where Anakin sat in a panicked state, his padawan picked up.

"Hey Master. What'd you need?"

"Is Rex there?" Anakin asked, trying in vain to keep the nervousness out of his voice and his face a neutral mask. He was sure that he wasn't doing too great of a job.

"Yes, Master."

Anakin sighed. Okay, time to see how much damage has been inflicted on Padme and me.

"Well, I must congratulate you two to a certain extent of getting both Padme and I in the moment."

There were snickers on the other end and a noise that sounded suspiciously like a high-five than, "Thanks for treating us to a glimpse of your relationship with Senator Amidala, Master."

Anakin could only shake his head and roll his eyes before responding with worry laced in his tone, "Who all knows of my secret?"

"The two of us and the entirety of the 501st Legion, sir," Rex assured.

"Oh, and we made sure the boys swore that they wouldn't tell anyone about this," Ahsoka added.

Anakin sighed again, the worry and nervousness evaporating from his gut. He was grateful to Rex and Ahsoka for that small comfort.

"Alright. Thank you for making them swear to secrecy," Anakin stated, "I'll let you two go."

"It was fun. We'll see you around, sir," Rex responded before hanging up.

Anakin sat there for a few seconds, letting these events run around in his head. He would tell Padme tomorrow (after all, the secret was contained), but he had a plan that was formulating in his head.

Unfortunately for Ahsoka, Anakin would be back to take revenge on her and soon.


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