Rex panted slightly, hot despite the sheen of sweat across his bare chest. He glanced up at the spectators, then at his opponent. His general, also shirtless, cracked his knuckles and lunged at the clone. Rex twisted away and grabbed Anakin's wrist. Dropping his shoulder, he plowed into the other man's side and used the excess momentum to toss the jedi over his shoulder to the mat below.

Anakin grunted slightly on the impact, and Rex was on him in an instant. His legs complained slightly with the exertion, but Ahsoka watching him from above the sparring mats reminded him why they were doing this. Why he had to win.

Rex put his knee in Anakin's back and pulled his arm behind him in a simple but effective pin. Cody, who was reffing the match, dropped to the ground and began to count.

"One... two..."

Anakin twisted and flipped the both of them over, so that Rex was on the bottom. The clone would not allow this, and threw Anakin off of him roughly. The two men rolled away from each other, and Cody called for a break. Rex walked to his side of the mat and took the water bottle that Fives offered him gratefully.

During the brief break, Ahsoka sauntered up to him and leaned against the low wall that served as the boundaries for the sparring mats. Rex leaned down and gave his bride a kiss on the forehead. She snickered.

"You're doing better than I thought you would." She teased. Rex rolled his eyes.

"Save your smack talk for your round, yeah?" He rasped as he pushed off the wall to face off with Anakin again. The general smiled.

"You know I'd let you marry her anyways of you tap out, right?" He taunted. Rex snorted.

"We'll see who does the tapping out." He shot back as they began to circle. Anakin's quip was cut off as Rex jumped at him, suddenly going on the offensive. He threw a rapid series of jabs that the general just managed to block. Anakin twisted to kick at Rex's head, but Rex ducked and grabbed his foot, pulling the jedi off balance and sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Anakin shoved back off the ground, scrambling to top Rex. He got him in a similar hold to what Rex had held him in earlier and forced him down. Cody dropped and began to count, but Rex twisted and managed to dislodge the general. They went back and forth like this for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes. Anakin was on top, then Rex, then Anakin again. Rex threw his legs around the general and rolled.

He came up on top, and managed to get his arm around the generals neck. Anakin struggled valiantly, and if they had been allowed to use the force Rex would have been bug squash already. But they weren't, and only one of them had been trained since he had been pulled from his cloning vat. It wasn't the jedi.

Finally, fatefully, Anakin stopped struggling and slammed his palm down on the mat, once... twice, and on the third time, Rex let go.

Anakin dragged himself away to catch his breath as Rex pulled himself onto a knee. Anakin staggered to his feet and took Rex by the arm. Helping him up, he raised the other's hand high above their heads. The onlookers erupted in cheers.

By onlookers, he meant Fives, Kix, Cody, Ahsoka, and Lux, who had payed them a visit from planetside.

Anakin smiled and limped to the low wall. He had landed funny on his hip when Rex had thrown him over his shoulder. Ahsoka met him on the other side of the wall, and they clasped hands. Anakin gave a low chuckle as he passed her.

"Take him down a peg, for me." He told her. Ahsoka grinned and extended her fangs in a toothy smile.

"Of course, Master." She vaulted over the wall easily and landed in a cat-like couch. She tilted her head as she stood. "Scared, love?"

Rex smiled. "Of you? Never."

Ahsoka laughed as they began to circle. Rex knew this would not last long. He was already tired and he knew that she was in the mood to conquer.

He took a few hits, tossed her to the floor once, but he was careful not to hurt her. Ahsoka popped back up and came after him with a vengeance. Rex found he was eventually really trying to land a hit on her, but she was fast and full of an energy that he had long wasted on his duel with Anakin.

She grabbed his arm and climbed him lika a monkey lizard. With a twist of her hips she threw him to the ground and pinned him. Cody called it.

"One... two... three!" The commander yelled, and Ahsoka released her groom. She got off of him and helped him up. They grinned at each others, and Ahsoka threw a saucy wink at the small audience before dragging Rex down into a messy kiss. For the first time, Fives had no comment about them being sweet.

Ahsoka looked at Rex for her cue on what do next. Rex nodded. They each retrieved a small wrapped package from the other side of the sparring mat's walls. They stood before each other in the middle. Rex went first.

He unwrapped the small package to reveal a painted plastoid bracer, worn down and shaped to fit her smaller forearm. If you looked closely enough, you could see the drag lines where Rex had taken a file to it so it would be just right.

"Ahsoka Tano. With this armor lies my heart. Wear it with pride, and may it protect you always." He said, looking into the big blue eyes of the woman he loved. He took her arm carefully and lay the bracer against the inside of her forearm. He tightened the leather straps so it fit perfectly against her skin.

Ahsoka, eyes bright, traced a careful finger against the paint. She smiled up at him and presented her own package.

"Captain Rex of the 501st Battalion, with this armor lies my heart. Wear it with pride, and may it protect you always." She produced a shiny metal bracer, burnished blue and engraved with jaig eyes at the top, near the wrist. It probably would have costed more than he did. She tightened the leather straps so it rested against his inner forearm. It's weight was alien, but familiar. Like something that always should have been there setting in place for the first time.

He smiled at her like the idiot in love he was and pulled her into a hug. Unlike their previous kiss, this smaller act of intimacy was met to cheers and whistles from the others in the room. There weren't a lot of onlookers, but for all the noise they made the entire battalion could have been in there.

Eventually, everyone else left except for the happy couple and Cody. He nodded at the two as they joined hands and said the vows for the final step of their wedding.

"Mhi cuyir solus tome, mhi cuyir solus dar'tome. Mhi me'dinuir an, mhi malyasa'yr raba verd. Par naas malyasa'yr saryr mhi skotah be kyr'am."

We are one together, we are one apart. We share all, we will raise warriors. For nothing will part us short of death.

"By your vows of word and heart, I, Commander Cody, bear witness to your union." Cody recited. He was not tearing up. Nope. He was not even crying a little.

Rex smiled and kissed his wife again giddily. His wife. Oh, how wonderful it felt to think that about her.

"Would you look at that." Cody interrupted his thoughts. "My little brother is all grown up." He grinned at Ahsoka. "And now I have another sister."

The trio laughed, and Cody sighed. "Alright, I'm getting out of your hair. Just promise me that I get first dibs on spoiling my future nieces and nephews."

Rex groaned. "Fine, Codes, but it's gonna be a long wait."

Cody sighed. "Bah, funsuckers." He sighed, walking out of the room. Finally, the newly weds were left alone. Rex wrapped his arms around Ahsoka and rested his forehead on hers.

"I love you." He whispered. Ahsoka giggled.

"I think that's kinda obvious, Rex." She laughed, "Considering that this is our wedding day."

Rex snickered. "Who would've guessed. Kidnapped together and hunted for sport, a couple traitorous jedi, a drunken proposal and some torture and yet we made it." He smiled. Ahsoka kissed him.

"I think you left a few parts out, but it has been a wild ride hasn't it." She snickered, tracing loving fingers down the bracer that Rex had made. Rex looked at his own.

"Where'd you get this?" He asked. Ahsoka gave a sad smile.

"The metal was a gift from duchess Satine. It's beskar."

Rex gave a low whistle and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you better. You deserved better." He murmured. Ahsoka reached up to cup his face gently.

"Rex, I don't care if you gave me beskar or clay. I wouldn't change anything." She stroked his cheek softly before standing on tiptoe to kiss him. He tightened his hold on her and pulled her close.

"Me neither." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Ahsoka jerked and pulled back.

"What are we talking about, all serious and stoic like this. It's our kriffing wedding day for force's sake." She giggled and held him at arm's length. "And we have a party to get ready for on planetside." She told him. Rex's eyebrows lifted.

"A party?"

"Yes, a party. The separatists murdered king Rash during the fight and ceded the planet. Not before breaking Saw out of prison though." She informed him, practically dragging him out of the room.

Rex stumbled after her, laughing. They made their way to Ahsoka's rooms where she stopped him. "Go get dressed. I'll meet you planetside." She put a hand on his bare chest. "Go on."

She waved him away before shutting and locking the door. Rex sighed, leaning his head against the door.

The square in front of the palace was crowded with people as they gave the public rebuilding speech. He was informed that Steela had been made advisor to the king, and Lux was the new senator since his mother had been murdered. Finally, they were taken inside to begin the formal party.

He still had yet to spot Ahsoka. A twi-lek came up to him, giving him a smile that would make most men weak at the knees.

"Hello." She purred seductively, placing a hand on his chest. Rex shifted uncomfortably in his dress uniform.

"Er... hello." He said, subtly moving away. The twi-lek followed him, leaning so close he could smell her too-sweet breath.

"You were one of the clones who fought with the rebellion. Your help meant a world of difference." She smiled even wider at him. Rex was still trying to be polite in avoiding her advances. "Please, let me repay you. Dance with me." She reached to touch his face and again he stepped back. Fives seemed to notice his dilemma and excused himself from the gaggle of girls around him to saunter over to help.

"Hello beautiful." He greeted the girl, who seemed to dismiss him after a once over glance.

"I'm sorry, can I help you? We're in the middle of something." She said curtly, turning back to Rex to practically plaster herself to him. Rex couldn't back away, his shoulders hit the wall. He tried to untangle the girl from him but she was as clingy as a mynock.

"Actually, I thought I would warn you that his wife is a bit possesive and likes to chew on bones." Fives said casually. The girl's pale blue skin darkened considerably.

"W-wife... oh uh... I just remembered that I have to meet a friend." She stammered, racing away mortified. Rex looked gratefully at his little brother.

"Thanks."

"Anytime ori'vod." Fives chuckled. "Speaking of the new missus, where is your girl?" He asked.

"Right here." Came a silky voice as Ahsoka glided up to them. Rex did a double take when he saw her.

"Mesh'la." He breathed, his mouth falling open. Fives just smirked.

"You're drooling." He teased. He was probably right. But Rex was a little too distracted to care.

She was wearing a knee length, sky blue dress that complimented her eyes and chevrons perfectly. Several bands of silver rested on her lekku and montrals, thin sheets of blue veil draped around her head and connecting to two silver bracelets on her arms. And she was wearing heels. Not big ones like Padme liked, but white ones that were only a few inches high and gave her just enough hight to look him in the eye.

Ahsoka came to lean on his arm slightly, reaching up to gently push his jaw closed. She smiled coyly.

"Well don't you look nice." She purred. Rex said something really intelligent, like 'uh huh.' Ahsoka chuckled, then wrinkled her nose. "And you reek of twi-lek. Did one use you as a ladder or something."

Rex finally found his voice. "Or something. Tried to take me home with her and was very... handsy." He grimaced. Ahsoka growled and pressed a little tighter into his side.

"Mine." She grumbled. Rex laughed.

"You've made that abundantly clear, Cyare." He promised. Ahsoka still rubbed against him slightly, trying to get the smell of the other girl off of him.

"Dance with me?" Rex asked, offering her a hand. Ahsoka froze.

"Dance?"

Rex laughed. "Yes, dance with me. It'll be fun." He promised, pulling her out onto the dance floor. Ahsoka hesitated, then clumsily repeated his movements making him laugh again.

"Here, like this." He put one of her hands on his shoulder and the other on his elbow while his found her waist. Ahsoka still seemed unsure, but Rex just smiled.

"Follow my lead. It's not really that different from saber footwork that you drill into me." He smirked. Ahsoka nodded and let him lead, swaying slightly to the beat of the music.

She caught on pretty fast, and loosened up a little. She started watching the others, and even trying some of their moves. Some she did well, others ended with both her and Rex laughing.

The music changed and slowed down, and Rex pulled her a little closer. Ahsoka smiled. So this was a slow dance. No wonder senators enjoyed things like this so much. She was having fun, despite feeling incredibly vulnerable in this flimsy dress. The shoes were pinching her toes, and the heels had taken her forever to figure out how to walk in. But Rex's star struck expression made it all worth it.

"Force, you're beautiful." He whispered, twirling her smoothly then dipping her backwards gently. Ahsoka's smile widened.

"My feet hurt. I want to burn these shoes." She growled through her smile. Rex laughed.

"You look good in heels. I've heard they make good weapons if used right as well." He joked. Ahsoka snickered.

"I'll make you a deal. I don't chuck these out the airlock, and you dance with me the next time I wear them." She proposed. Rex gave a rumbling chuckle.

"The next time you wear them, I'm not letting the chance slip by." He agreed. "But you're wearing them now, and the music's playing. Let's have some fun while we can, yeah?"

"Ok." She agreed, leaning her forehead against her husband's. If she died now, she died a happy woman.

A/N - Anyone else a puddle yet? No? Ah, well. Tell me what you guys think about my take on the mando wedding traditions. I altered them a little, but I think that this fits their culture fairly well so... RotD: What bird is always out of breath?