Rila: In this exciting episode of In Which Rila stabs blindly at her computer screen to pick a prompt and make it fit while listening to Star Wars Episode IIIsoundtrack called Order 66, Rila stabs blindly at her computer screen to pick a prompt and make it fit while listening to Star Wars: Episode III soundtrack called Order 66. While fighting the feels that it brings. Also, Rila has decided to bring in a summary for each chapter. :P

Chapter Summary: Her voice is anger and passion, and he hears truth.

It had been General Skywalker who had told him to find her and bring her in for a mission debriefing, and in his search for her, he had unwittingly stumbled upon her. But she was not alone, and he found himself, instead of confronting her and bringing her away from whomever she was talking to, standing just outside the open doorway.

It was one of the Temple's training rooms in which she stood, meant for meditation and exercises in using the Force. From here he could see various elements used to do so, ranging from piles of sand to heavy looking blocks.

"I can't believe you did that. You should apologize. Now." Ahsoka's tone was hard and firm, and it reminded him that she was no longer the child she had once been, but a quickly maturing Jedi Padawan. Though it was strong, it was not the way she would have addressed a Master.

"Why?" The voice that responded was cold and arrogant, and he heard the rustle of clothes. "They're just clones."

The boy - as the voice was definately male - had said it and after spending most of his time with Anakin and Ahsoka who deliberately made sure to learn names and distinguishing quirks, had his hands tightening into fists at his sides. It was a reaction of anger, and he was quick to uncurl his fingers.

Though he and his men were clones, Anakin and Ahsoka did not treat them like flesh-droids, and neither superior liked losing men on the battlefield. And though he was aware that not all Jedi shared the same views as them, it was still startling to hear the animosity towards him at times.

"They are not just clones." Ahsoka's tone was cold, and he could almost see her blue eyes hardening into chips of ice. It was obvious that she held no sort of approval for what had to be a fellow Padawan, and she didn't bother to hide it. "They're each different. They have names and personalities. Lives."

Silence fell, and he took it as time to step in before things got ugly between them. He had been right in suspecting it to be a Padawan, his face unfamiliar as both he and Ahsoka turned towards him. He had also been right in assuming that Ahsoka was reaching the end of her tether - not that it had ever been long in the first place - her hand rising from where it had been steadily inching towards her shoto.

"Rex!" There was delight and relief in the way she said his name, the anger that had creased her forehead disappearing.

"General Skywalker sent me to retrieve you for a mission debriefing." It was luck, he decided, that he did not aim a DC-17 in the direction of the boy who who looked from him to Ahsoka before his expression turned to distaste and anger. Ahsoka stepped towards him, though she paused to turn glare at the boy one last time before following him out of the room.

"What a sleemo," she grumbled once they were walking away and towards the Resolute, her expression decidedly disgruntled and her arms folded across her chest, muscles tense. "A frakking sleemo."

"General Skywalker wouldn't be happy if he heard you talking like that." Especially, he added with a hidden grimace, with the fact that you're calling another Padawan that. He'd heard about General Skywalker's occasional bump of heads with the Council, but the Jedi Knight had been careful in teaching Ahsoka respect for others, being quick to reprimand her when the lessons didn't seem to sink in.

Ahsoka did not hide her wince. "He'd ground me," she grumbled before her arms unlocked, her head turning his way. "You heard what he said, didn't you." It was not a question or an accusiation, a simple observation. Still, it surprised him.

"Sir?" He inquired, trying to play innocent. Her faint smile and knowing look, however, erased any and all hope that she'd let it slide.

"I could feel you through the Force," she explained and then added, "I meant every word I said back there."

He said nothing, but the silence that fell was not exactly comfortable. It loaded silence, goading him to answer with something. Her gaze, when he allowed his to seek hers out, was upon him, waiting and watching. Stopping just outside the hanger where General Skywalker was waiting for them, he answered.

"Thank-you."

It was not much, but it was enough.