Ahsoka felt terrible. They had also gotten the emergency lights on, but the air recyclers was proving to be a challenge. The carbon scoring on one of the two damaged ones had it beyond repair. The other was proving nearly impossible to clean. It was about six hours in to the twelve hour shift. They were at 74% oxygen, it was cold, and Ahsoka had a stuffy nose. Her arms were covered in black and it was streaked across her face from dealing with the salvageable air recycler. She was tempted to just jerryrig the only working one to the life support system and let that help while the got the other one fixed. They could also divert all attention to the hyperdrive and hope that they reached an inhabited system. Ahsoka shook her head and set down the wrench she was holding in a deathgrip. 

"Are you ok?" Rex asked, looking up from his own carbon scored parts for the recycler. Ahsoka rubbed at her forehead. 

"No. But I have to get this done. We can survive on two oxygen recyclers, but I need-" 

"Ahsoka, you can't keep us all alive if you collapse half way through." He stood and offered a hand to her. She took it and he helped her up, but she was weak and he wasn't exactly as his peak either. "Come on." Rex staggered to the door, knowing she'd follow. "Let's go check on progress and find some food."

They walked down the hall and almost ran into Kix as he rounded the corner. He snapped to attention after he regained his balance. "Sorry sirs." He apologized. Ahsoka gave him a grim smile. 

"It's ok Kix. What is it?" She asked. 

"I found two tanks of oxygen for medical reasons. I thought I would let you know. Uh... also, I gave a little bit it to Fives. He had a panic attack and passed out. The lack of oxygen hit him hard." Kix figited, like he expected Ahsoka to be mad. 

"Is he ok?" Was her only reaction. Kix looked up at her. 

"Yeah, he's awake now and doing much better. You... You're not mad?" Ahsoka shook her head. 

"No. I'm just glad we have them now for emergencies." Ahsoka let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and felt light headed for a second. The air around her was cold, but it had a heavy feel to it. Like when she had her head under a blanket for a long time. Kix nodded, and rubbed at his temples. The lack of good air was affecting everyone. "We're going to get some food. Can you take over for us?" She nodded back at the mess behind her. Kix nodded. 

"Of course." He gave a small smile. 

Rex followed, a step behind Ahsoka the entire way to the mess. The rations were the dry stuff only, since the wet stuff in the tanks had frozen. Rex smiled, remembering when Ahsoka had poured coffee in it. It had improved the taste though. 

Rex sat next to Ahsoka and quietly unwrapped his own ration bar, letting himself enjoy what could be one of the last hours he had left. Ahsoka glanced at him. 

"Something... on your mind?" She asked.

"You mean aside from our ever encroaching deaths? I was thinking about the other day, when I came back after Umbara. I... I know you said something to me, but I can't remember for the life of me." He looked at the floor, his skin darkening in the already-dim light. Ahsoka smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. He leaned into her touch unconsciously. 

"Well, aside from you saying a lot of really sweet things when you were curled up in the shower, you mentioned that the soap tasted better then the rations." Her lips quirked up into a faint resemblance of her normal grin. He rolled his eyes, a dim headache spiking at the movement. 

"Yes. That was something that was super important that I had been wanting to say since the Trandosha." His sarcastic tone made Ahsoka giggle. 

"I must say, that stew really was better than the rations. Was that the first time you had real food?" She joked. Rex gave her a deadpan stare, but cracked himself a few minutes later. "No, I know that's not it. You..." Ahsoka trailed off, chewing on her lip. Rex severely hoped it hadn't been too inappropriate. "You asked me to-"

"Ahsoka, could I have a word with you?" Anakin asked, making his way over to the nearly cuddling pair in the corner. Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and stood. 

"Master, you're supposed to be sleeping." She admonished. Anakin snorted. 

"I slept a sufficient amount. You honestly think I could sleep a full twelve hours in our current predicament?" He asked rhetorically. Ahsoka shrugged, and Anakin gave a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked and sounded very much like Obi-Wan right then and there.

"Anyways. I don't know if we can get the air filters almost completely rebuilt with the limited supplies we have on board. I... Some of us are starting to not feel so great from the levels of carbon dioxide in the air... Obi-Wan said he was on Alderaan, discussing politics with Senator Organa. Alderaan is about a half a light year away." He paused, panting lightly. His breath hung in the air. 

"Master what are you getting at. Our deep-space communications are fried." Ahsoka's mouth twisted. Anakin raked his hand through his hair until it stood on end. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But deep-space communications is for a lightyear or greater distance. If we could boost our inter planetary comms to half a light year..."

"We could reach Obi-Wan." Ahsoka finished. Anakin nodded and patted his hair down. Rex stood up and joined them. 

"Sir, to do that we would have to abandon all work on the air recyclers and hyperdrive. If nobody responds..." He didn't have to voice the thought that was going through all of their heads. We're goners.

Anakin nodded. "Yeah. I get the idea. But have you made any leeway within the last six hours besides turning the lights on and dropping us all on our heads when you turned on the gravity?" He reasoned. Rex shook his head. 

"No, not much sir." Anakin's own mouth twisted at being called 'sir', but he made no comment. Rex looked the general right in the eye. "Sir, the men trust you. Whatever you decide, we will stand behind you even if it kills us." Anakin's eyes widened a little, but he gave a grim smile. 

"I just hope I'm right."

Ahsoka looked at her master and her captain, watching them closely. "Well," She piped up, startling the men, "We going to get some help or what." She gave her best smile, and started to the door. She stumbled suddenly, and would have fallen if Rex didn't catch her. Her head lolled for a few seconds, her breathing shallow. Just as Rex was about to call Kix to get the oxygen, Her blue eyes fluttered open. Anakin was at her side once he realised what had happened. 

"I'm taking you to Kix to get some oxygen." Rex said, slipping an arm under her knees so he held her bridal style. 

"No. You guys nee-"

"No, I'm taking you to Kix. You're no good to us dead." Rex glared at her pointedly when she protested. She met his gaze with an equally sharp gaze and squirmed out of his arms. "Ahsoka, please."

She stood and looked at him with lightning in her eyes. "Others will need it more than me." She said, her voice as flat and hard as cement. 

"I don't know if you noticed, Cyare, but you just fainted after standing for less than ten minutes." He said. She turned away from him to the hall, but he caught her arm. She spun around and glared at him, throwing his hand off. 

"Don't. Touch. Me. I am going to help like everyone else to try and get us out of this alive." She growled, a scary rumble deep in her throat. Rex opened his mouth again, but she cut him off. "No. I don't want to hear it. Understood?" her eyes flashed again, and her lekku and montrail stripes were getting darker by the second with anger. Rex flinched and snapped to attention. 

"Sir yes sir." He said, putting on the same cold mask he used on umbara. Ahsoka flinched and looked at the floor guiltily as Rex walked past her and down the hall. Too far. She hadn't meant to, but that was too far. Anakin had also taken a step back and watched the fight with wide eyes. Ahsoka wanted to run after Rex. To spin him around and to bury her face in his chest and apologize, even if it meant taking her to Kix. 

But she didn't. Her blood was still boiling and she didn't know why. She was a little light headed, and now the thought of going to Kix seemed like a good idea. But others would need it too. They only had two tanks. Instead, she turned to her master and looked at him expectantly. Anakin had watched the entire exchange wide eyed. 

"Uh... Ok. We need to get to the bridge." He started, wisely deciding to ignore what had just happened. Ahsoka nodded, and fell into step behind him. She caught sight of a blonde head disappearing down the starboard block, and felt her heart slowly crumble in her chest. Oh force. I'm so sorry Rexie. Please. I'm sorry.

A/N ~ I kinda feel bad about this... Almost... not really. I apologize for any tears lost, you're gonna need them for later. Oh gosh, I feel so guilty for writing this but it was in the plan from the beginning so... Yeah. Whelp, here's today's chapter. I might do another today... if I feel like it. RotD, What invention lets you see through walls?