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Oh gods, come on brain, let’s be coherent for a bit. *Drinks more wine because yes that will help I make smart choices*
It happens so fast that Rex is barely even sure what happened. One minute there is an ear-piercing screech filling the air that has everyone doubling over in pain. Then Obi-Wan was stumbling forwards, into the blasted artifact that started the whole mess. There was a flash of light, and then the screeching stopped, as suddenly as it had begun.
Rex staggers to his feet. He can hear cursing from more than one brother (Fives and Boil are particularly vocal in their displeasure), but it’s faint as his ears are still ringing. His thoughts feel oddly scattered, until he sees the piles of robes in from of the artifact, and everything comes hurtling into painful clarity. Rex grabs Cody’s arm, yanking his brother to his feet, before he is dashing forwards and kneeling down, sudden panic struggling for control.
There is a movement, and then the pile shifts to reveal that the robes are still, in fact, being warn. By a child. A youngling, with short cut hair, red as fire, and wide, scared, green-blue eyes that Rex would know anywhere, who couldn’t be must older than eight standard, by normal human standards.
Rex can’t even begin to understand, to believe, how this could be happening. He tries to keep his voice soft, his posture nonthreatening, all the same.
“Obi-Wan?”
“Sir?” Cody kneels down a half step behind Rex.
The boy’s eyes go wider, and Rex feels a sudden swell of panic that is not his own, before it…not quite vanishes, but something close.
Footsteps ring out in the tiny anti-chamber, and General Skywalker comes thundering in, Commander Tano, Echo, Waxer, and a few others at his heels.
“What happened?! Where’s Obi-Wan?!” Skywalker demands, voice echoing off the stone walls louder than the sound of his feet.
The boy squeaks, and suddenly, somehow, he has tucked himself neatly in to Rex’s arms, hiding his face against the Captain’s breast-plate. On instinct, Rex wraps his arm around the child, resting one hand in his hair.
“Shh, shh,” He murmurs, “It’s okay. You’re safe, Little One.”
Obi-Wan curls tighter against him, and Force preserve him, Rex can feel the tiny body trembling against him.
He doesn’t mean to glare at Skywalker. Honestly, he doesn’t. It just…happens.
Skywalker stops short, and his eyes widen. “Is that-?”
Rex nods.
“What happened?” Tano asks, but her voice is quieter than that of her Master.
“We set off some kind of defensive mechanism,” Fives explains. “It seemed to disorient General Kenobi, and he stumbled, falling against that.” He points to the odd, intricately carved hunk of purple-blue rock they had discovered.
Both Jedi frown, and Skywalker moves towards Rex and Obi-Wan. “Master?”
The boy in Rex’s arms makes no reply, only peeks out from under his arm, before hiding himself once again.
“Master, it’s me. Anakin. Do you know who I am?” Skywalker asks.
A long silence rings out, and then;
“Where am I?”
Obi-Wan’s voice is high and frightened, the words shaking in a way that makes Rex’s chest ache.
“Where’s Bant and Garen?” Obi-Wan looks up Rex, and his eyes fill with tears. “Want to go home.”
Fuck. Rex hugs the child version of his…lover? Boyfriend? They had never discussed the specifics - closer, and presses a gentle kiss to the top of his head. Obi-Wan cuddled closer, and for a moment Rex could feel waves of WarmSafeGood washing over him.
“Don’t worry, Little One. We’ll get you home.”
He has no idea what to do, but Rex’ll be dammed if he isn’t going to protect this child to his last breath, for as long as he needs it.
