Dar'solus [Captain Rex x reader]

Chapter 37 - Dar'yaim II

"You're right. Let's keep moving," with that Anakin urged everyone to keep going. As I went next to Ahsoka again she was studying me.

"Anything on your mind, Ka'ra?" I glanced her way and she met my eyes. Her blue ones were bright, a bit dimmed by the devious shadows that loomed the hell we were in. But in her open curiosity, she revealed the cogwheels working in her mind. She saw me as a puzzle. Something that was missing pieces and something that proved more and more difficult to solve.

"How did you know?" my answer to her question was a simple and logical one. Yet it felt like a sharp claw that had lodged itself in my throat. I opened my mouth to answer, but it wouldn't move. Looking around as we passed an intersection of hallways, it was like we paused our conversation until we were in the clear again. A holding breath in a game of hide and seek, although being found would have devastating consequences. I swallowed thickly and sighed, forcing the claw to let go.

"I saw the droid's shadow creep up behind," before she had time to say something back I clapped Echo on the shoulder as a sign for him to switch places with me. He fell back immediately and I took his place further up next to Fives. Letting Ahsoka get the chance to continue the conversation was not optional in this situation. Fives did a slight double take at the movement of me and Echo switching positions, but didn't bother to remark on it. I threw a quick glance backwards and noticed that further back, the hallway was empty. It shouldn't be. The creepy droid body was gone. I gulped as I felt ill from what I saw; or rather didn't see. As the group moved through the halls it was eerie silent. Not to the point where you would believe the walls were soundproof, but quiet enough that it felt like the walls were watching you. Every step seemed to be followed by a pair of eyes. Every breath was heard by the ears that slithered along the walls in the shadows. Even your own faint shadow felt like it was creeping along just waiting for the right moment to snatch ahold of your ankles to drag you away. If you thought about the eerie feeling that stuck to your skin –as a sticky phlegm– too much then the floor would feel like it moved. Breathing underneath your boots... waiting. Wanting to open and swallow you. Or maybe, liquify so your steps would be haltered as it crept up along your legs, hungry worms that had enough of waiting for food. The air was heavy and felt toxic. They haven't poisoned the air have they? My pulse quickened and I couldn't help but let my eyes fly around the hallway for any nearby ventilation shafts that could be spewing out toxins. When I found none near us, I let myself calm just a little. Enough to not spiral into a panic attack. Wiping the sweat off my forehead I focused on my breathing. Don't lose your grip on sanity now. Keep it together, just breathe. Easier said than done. I felt like I was going crazy. I had never been in a situation this tense where I actually feared losing my grip on reality. Feeling the grip on my blaster I changed my senses to feel the cool metal in my hand. How the weight was supported by my wrist that held it trained forwards. Catching a glimpse of the boys around me, they seemed cool as ever. It's easy to stay calm on a mission when you were bred to live in this type of habitat. Sure, they were all wearing helmets that concealed their facial expressions, but none of them were shaky in their hands, and their footsteps kept the same steady rhythm. Unbothered.

"Here, up ahead," one last breath to rid my head of any panic-inducing thoughts and everyone got ready for the extraction. As the boys made a half circle around the door, it was my turn to get it open. Holstering my blaster, I used the blade to get the panel off of the wall so I got access to the wiring inside.

"You have a minute, tops," Rex reminded me.

"I got it," I knew that he didn't doubt me, but sometimes the reassurance could be good either way. Alright, blue goes to the other panels. Green is power to the main coordinator, red is the programming with the addition of alarms should it be cut, although they seemed to have a new prototype of a droid, their panel wiring had stayed the same. Lousy. I cut the green and blue one, only to twist them together. That way the system would short circuit and gain us access.