Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise.
Starts in season 2 episode 10, "The Deserter".
I really hope I got this right and don't offend anyone with my writing. I did my best to write how I imagine Rex would react to becoming blind and a bender, but I'm not blind so I don't know how well I did on that front.
Rex's POV
I didn't see it coming.
When I wake up the first thing I notice is the pain in my eyes. The second is that something is covering them, and third the complete darkness.
"What? What happened?" I ask, hearing movement around me.
"Commando droids took a shot," Hardcase answers in a quiet voice "The-the blast hit your helmet and shattered the visor, and the pieces of glass got in your eyes. Sir."
"I can't see"
"Yes, Sir I'm sorry… but there's nothing I can do. It looks permanent." Jesse tells me apologetically. I expect to freak out, to be terrified. I'll never use my eyes again, but I feel strangely calm, almost like it's familiar.
"Understood, you should get moving. Get on with the mission, you can come get me later." I tell them. I know I can't help right now.
I hear a crunching sound. Footsteps? And smell something maybe fruit?
"What! No Sir, we're not leaving you here." Hardcase protests. Someone clears their throat.
"Excuse me, I've brought you some food, if there's not enough-"
"That's plenty. Thank you, uh..." Jesse tells her.
"Suu." She answers.
There's a hovering noise like a toy.
"I told you to stay in the house!" Suu says.
"I couldn't help it Mom it got away." A young girls voice responds next to me. She's silent for a moment then she speaks. "You look like my Daddy."
"Shaeeah," Suu warns. "Don't bother the soldier, now get back inside with your brother."
"Yes, Mom." She agrees reluctantly and her footsteps move away.
"My husband is away, delivering our first harvest. Do you require anything else?" Suu asks.
"No. Thank you, Suu." Jesse tells her.
She leaves. Someone puts the familiar shape of a blaster against my side.
"Resume the search without me." It takes a few hours, but they eventually leave and after awhile I fall asleep.
"So, this is the new me? Lame!" In the darkness, a woman's voice scoffs.
"Toph! Be nice." Another voice.
"Where am I? who are you?" I ask, standing up. For the first time, I really wish I could see.
"Your body's still on that farm, but your mind is here in the spirit world. I'm Aang, this is Toph" The friendly voice (Aang, apparently) tells me.
"Okay. And why am I here?" I ask. For some reason I already feel I can trust them, but I do my best to be suspicious.
"That's kind of hard to explain-" Aang begins before Toph interrupts.
"I'll tell him Twinkle toes! Anyways Rex, pretty much everyone gets reborn and not just the Avatar despite popular belief. You're me but like, four lives later. Now I normally don't pay attention. The other three were kinda boring but today! Well you got blinded and I could feel you trying to see how I handled it so I figured I'd save you time." My first instinct is to call her nuts but somehow I know it's true.
"But how does that work? Seem unlikely we're even from the same planet." I ask.
Someone punches me in the arm, hard. "How the spirits should I know? Look I brought you here cause Aang said it was the right thing to do I can give you my bending knowledge blah blah blah so lets get this over with."
"Wait what does that mean? What's bending?" I ask backing away from the hand someone shoves in my face.
"It's a skill of our people… and those who once were. Bending is the ability to control an element! Toph is an earth bender and she uses bending to see. I convinced her to give you a copy of her knowledge of bending, so you can use it like she did." Aang explains.
"Great, he knows." And with that someone puts a hand right in my face, from my forehead to my chin.
I wake up when I hear the sounds of the barn door opening and someone treading quietly towards me. I grab the gun, but as I raise it someone knocks it from my hand.
"Who are you?" A very familiar voice asks. "What are you doing here?"
"You're a clone?"
"So… I see the war has finally made its way out here. I guess I can expect a visit from some droids soon."
I put my feet on the ground and after a few tries I can 'see' everything touching the ground within three miles, like buildings, mountains, animals, insects and crashed Separatist ships.
"What's your number and rank?" I ask him.
"My name is Lawquane, Cut Lawquane, and I'm just a simple farmer." Cut tells me.
"You're a deserter." I tell him, anger in my tone.
"Well, I like to think I'm merely exercising my freedom to choose not to kill for a living." He tells me. I can 'see' him putting whatever was in his hand down.
"That is not your choice to make. You swore an oath to the Republic. You have a duty." I tell him.
"I have a duty, you're right. But it's to my family. Does that count, or do you still plan to turn me in?"
"Do I have a choice?" I ask glaring in his direction, but immediately stop when I 'see' two children and Suu running towards the barn.
"Daddy! You're home!" Shaeeah squeals, hugging Cut tightly.
"Look what I drew you, Dad!" a little boy yells. Cut laughs happily.
"Well, well, well that's great Jekk"
"I see you two have met." Suu says.
"He looks just like you, Daddy. I told him" Shaeeah says a smile in her voice.
"Ah, you did, huh? I was just making our guest, Captain, um. What was your number?" Cut asks.
"Rex. I also have a name, believe it or not."
"He was injured. His men brought him here. I told him he could stay just for the night." Suu tells Cut.
"Of course he can. We never turn away those in need, do we?" Cut finishes asking his kids.
"No, we always help anyone we can." Jekk answers like he's remembering a lesson.
"Right. You look hungry, Rex. Come inside."
"No, I'm fine. I'll stay here." I don't want to intrude.
"No, you have to eat with us." Jekk tells me, and both the kids start begging.
"Please? C'mon!"
"They're never going to stop till you say yes." Cut tells me.
"All right. I'll join you." The kids cheer.
"Do you, uh want me to lead you...?" Cut asks awkwardly.
"Thanks, but I'll be fine" I reply immediately.
Getting a better grasp of this sonar thing I slowly follow them to the house.
"Why does your head have bandages?" Jekk asks, curious.
"Jekk, don't be rude." Cut tells him.
"It's fine, the bad guys got a lucky shot, so my eyes are hurt. The bandages keep them clean." I tell the kid, keeping my tone light so as not to scare him. I step into the house which thank the Force has a metal floor.
Walking inside Jekk takes my hand "Then I'll be your eyes!" he declares wanting to help.
He pulls me across the room and puts my hand on a wooden chair.
"You can sit here! Next to Daddy" he tells me.
"Thanks, Jekk" I tell him sitting down. That's when I realise I can't sense through the wood, I know where the table and chairs are but I can't sense what's on them.
Cut starts serving up the food, by the smell some kind of meat? Maybe vegetables.
"Well, you and I may be clones, but we're still individuals." Cut tells me like he wants to get in an argument in front of his kids.
He continues "You have a name rather than a number, Captain. Why is that?"
"Perhaps our leaders feel it's a more efficient way of distinguishing us." I reply.
"More efficient than a number? I doubt the Kaminoans think that way. Still a name has to make you feel unique, especially in an army where everyone looks like you and talks like you."
"Actually, I've never really thought about it." I lie.
"Yes, you have." Cut tells me.
"Well, how would you know?"
"Because I'm as close to you as any life-form can be." He tells me putting a plate? In front of me.
"Come on, Rex, admit it. You've thought about what your life could look like if you were to also leave the army, choose the life you want. Besides we both know, injured like you are they're either put you down or send you back to Kamino to lecture."
Carefully I put a hand on the table and find the plate, then move my hand a little to the left and find the cutlery. Not just that I can sense the metal of the cutlery. I extend my senses and find all the metal in the house not just the stuff touching the ground.
Well look like I found a new way to aim at droids.
"What if I am choosing the life I want? What if I'm staying in the army because it's meaningful to me? I ask him.
"And how is it meaningful?"
"Because I'm part of the most pivotal moment in the history of the Republic."
Cut stops arguing with me and we spend the rest of the dinner in a tense silence.
After dinner, we sit down away from the kids.
"So what was it?" I ask.
"What made me decide to leave the corps? Shortly after the battle of Geonosis, our troop transport got caught between two Separatist gunships. They fired at us with everything they had. We crashed. Most of us were either dead or severely injured. So when they started working their way through the wounded, killing us off, I knew there was no hope. I ran. It still haunts me."
"I'm sorry"
"It's the day I felt my life didn't have any meaning. Everyone I care for was gone. I was just another expendable clone waiting for my turn to be slaughtered in a war that made no sense to me. Can you understand that, Rex?"
"I've been in countless battles and lost many brothers. They were my family. My home."
"Daddy, we finished our chores. Can we go outside and play?" Shaeeah asks.
"Okay, only for a few minutes." He agrees.
"Thank you, Daddy. Come on, Jekk."
They run outside.
But a few minutes later they come running back screaming about monsters.
"Shaeeah, Jekk, what's wrong?" Cut asks picking Shaeeah up.
"Monsters! They're chasing us!" she tells him.
I kneel down and press my hand to the floor sensing 20 incoming droids, I walk pass Cut and the kids and stand outside. "Suu, get the kids upstairs. Cut, I assume you have weapons?"
Suu takes both the kids up and Cut grabs his blaster. I grab his arm and pull him outside before turning back to the house and bending a wall basic of stone around it before making us some cover.
"What the?!" Cut yells as the earth begins to lift.
"Later." I tell him taking a blaster and firing where I can sense the droids.
I think he nods before firing at the droids.
It takes about 15 minutes to take all the droids out and as soon as I get rid of the wall Cut's family runs out and hugs him.
"So how the hells did you do that?" Suu asks.
"It's a… weird story." I tell them as we walk to the house, which thankfully wasn't damaged. The kids start begging again.
"Okay, okay, there's a planet were most of the people can control an element. They believe that when you die you are reborn into someone else anywhere in the universe and when I got… hurt earlier it brought back memories and abilities." I tell them the simplified version not wanting to sound completely crazy or freak out the kids.
"What kind of abilities?" Cut asks.
"You believe me! I thought you'd call me nuts."
"Hey! Remember I've worked with Jedi too, and if a man can sense blaster bolts coming at him and deflect them with a stick of light I think I can believe in past lives and elemental powers!" Cut tells me.
"Huh, thanks Cut. So I'm what's called an earth bender but I can also bend metal."
"And you're using it to move around!" Jekk tells me.
"Yeah, how'd you guess?" I smile at the smart kid.
"When the monsters came you put your hand on the ground." Jekk tells me.
"Ok that's enough excitement for one day, time for bed." Suu tells the kids, and they complain the whole way to bed.
"Well. They're not going to forget today anytime soon, that's for sure." Cut laughs.
"Yeah. I'm sorry about all this, it shouldn't have happened."
"It's fine. Nothing was broken, the kids learned not to go in strange ships and they had fun." Cut tells me.
"Had fun?"
"Yeah didn't you see- I mean they were smiling like crazy."
"Right." I can feel the awkwardness descend into the air.
"So, uh what are you going to do next?" Cut asks awkwardly.
"If you mean am I going to get robotic eyes or something? No." I tell him.
"Really! Why not?"
"Toph -the person I used to be- she was born blind. Today she gave me the knowledge of bending to help me but by doing that she also gave me the… feelings what it was like for her not being able to see and I don't know it just feels…. Right. Besides, my squads medic said robotic eyes wouldn't work with the damage." I try to explain.
"Captain Rex. Are you going to turn in my husband?" Suu interrupts coming downstairs.
"I'm sorry, Suu. It's my duty…" I come to a decision. "But in my condition, I probably couldn't place a clone voice, let alone notice Cut's as being a stranger."
"Thank you." She sighs in relief.
Hardcase pulls up the next morning to get me. Suu and the kids say goodbye as I climb on the bike.
When we arrive at the rendezvous Cody and Kenobi are already there to greet us.
"Captain Rex, how are you doing?" Kenobi asks, concern in his voice.
"I'm fine, Sir." I tell him knowing he won't believe me.
"…Sure. Look Captain-" Kenobi begins.
I stop listening, distracted by the feeling (through the thankfully metal shoes) the now familiar footsteps of commando droids. At least ten of them, close by and getting ready to shoot.
I quickly put my new skills to use, picking up the piece of ground underneath them, turning it over and smashing the droids to dust. I can practically feel all the eyes on me. I turn back to Kenobi as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry, Sir, those clankers have been getting on my nerves."
"…Right. And do you want to explain how you did that?" I explain quickly. Kenobi sighs and rubs his forehead.
"Of course Anakin's second in command could give me a 'Anakin did something stupid headache.'"
I try not to laugh.
"Right. Rex when we get on the ship, go straight to medical." Kenobi tells me before walking over to Boil.
Of course, I get on the next gunship back then report straight to medical as ordered.
As soon as I leave medical I can feel three people in the hallway outside. Jesse, Cody and Hardcase walk straight up to me.
"Hey Cap, I got your helmet fixed." Hardcase hands the helmet to me. I take off my glove and put my hand on the front to feel the new glass and slip it onto my head.
"Thanks Hardcase."
I spend the next few hours with my brothers chatting and answering their ridiculous questions about bending. Eventually we arrive at the planet General Skywalker is currently leading an attack on. I give my men their orders and board the gunship.
"Rex? I don't remember General Kenobi saying you're cleared for duty." Cody looks concerned.
"He never said I wasn't." I smile as the gunship hatch closes between me and Cody.
When we land, we get straight into action shooting clankers and saving civilians. General Skywalker is somewhere else probably doing one of his stupid and dangerous stunts, giving orders by com.
Two days into the fight Skywalker calls in with orders. He has to yell over the blaster fire in the background.
"Rex I need a path out of the city clear now! I've got two dozen hostages and they're too scared to leave with the droids around!"
"Yes Sir!" I already have an idea forming in my head. I quickly extend my senses - none of the men are past the line. Good. Putting my gun away I step forward and raise one leg then push it to the ground making the ground beneath the current batch of attacking droids turn to quicksand. Once all the droids stop complaining I solidify the ground again. Exhausted, I turn to Jesse. "Did I get them all?"
"Yes, Sir." he tells me amazement in his voice. I com Skywalker.
"The way's clear, Sir."
"Seriously? How the hells did you? Never mind, tell me later." he answers. I can hear heavy firing in the background – it sounds like he's still dodging blaster fire. Nonetheless, he appears with the civilians a few minutes later and walks straight up to me.
"How the hells! Did you do this?"
"Do what? Sir." I ask not sure what exactly he's referring to.
"Rex, bits of droids and tanks are poking up out of the ground." Tup explains. I take off my glove and put my hand on a rock to get a better look.
"Oh, sorry Sir, I thought I got them completely under." I say apologetically as I put my glove back on. I may have Toph's knowledge but I'm still learning.
"How?" General Skywalker still sounds confused.
"I'm guessing General Kenobi didn't tell you what happened?" I sigh knowing I'm gonna have to explain it for the 800th time today. Thank fully Tup, probably seeing my annoyance, pulls Skywalker away and explains for me. As soon as he's finished, Skywalker walks straight back over to me and takes off my helmet to reveal my still bandaged head.
"The Medbot let you stay on duty!?"
"It told me to get some rest, I did, then I left when it wasn't looking with everyone else for the mission." I smirk.
I think Skywalker just facepalms.
"I would tell you off, but I probably would've done the same thing"
"Sir, if I remember correctly, when you got your new hand, you did." Jesse tells him in that annoyed medic tone.
"…Right. Fine, Rex but I'm not taking the blame when the medbot goes crazy on you." he decides walking away.
I smirk "Yes, Sir"
ooooooooo
The 501 didn't leave the planet for another month, although Skywalker was away for about a week on a small mission. By the time we left my eyes were as healed as they were going to get and apparently with very nasty scars, but I had also mostly figured out bending.
"Rex. How was the assignment you weren't cleared to be on?" Cody asks in an annoyed tone as he walks over to the transport I'm climbing out of.
"It went well."
"Force! Rex you are an idiot! When you're that badly injured you at least stay off duty! You don't sneak out of medical and go straight back to the front lines!"
I stop walking and turn to him.
"I'm sorry, brother I didn't mean to worry you, but I couldn't lie down in medical for weeks worrying about my unit. I had to be there with them, you would've done the same thing."
"No, anyone under General Skywalkers command would've done the same thing! He's a bad influence!" Cody corrects.
"Okay. True. But don't forget Kenobi practically raised him, where do you think he learned that behaviour?" I smile behind the helmet.
"Well!... I don't have an argument for that." He admits. "Come on or were going to be late"
Ten minutes later Cody, seven Troopers, Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, R2-D2 and myself are in the main storage room going over orders.
"-You know your marching orders. The safety of the Duchess Satine is of the utmost importance. The Death Watch will stop at nothing to assassinate her before she pleads her case to the Senate." Kenobi gives us all a look, making sure we're all nodding in agreement.
"The Death Watch may be backed by the Separatists, so stay sharp. R2, use your scanners to probe for any suspicious droid activity." Skywalker says. R2-D2 beeps affirmatively.
"Anything else, Sir?" I ask, turning my head like I'm looking at him.
"No, that will be all." Kenobi answers and opens up a com line as the Troopers leave quickly to get ready for their part. After Kenobi's finished we follow him to the elevator. Once in Cody presses the button, and we both try to ignore the private conversation Kenobi and Skywalker have next to us. I take a few steps out of the elevator and instantly freeze.
"Rex. Are you okay?" Cody sounds concerned.
"Um, yeah I'm okay… but I can't see through whatever I'm standing on." I tell him, trying to shake the blurriness out of my senses.
"Carpet! The whole level is carpeted. It's not earth or metal so you can't see through it." Skywalker theorises. I nod, it sounds right.
"Why don't you two patrol another deck, we'll be fine." Kenobi tell us kindly.
"Thank you, Sir." I really want to get off this carpet. Cody insists on helping me back to the elevator and picks a different floor.
"Well, now we know you don't do carpet." Cody sounds worried.
"Cody. I'm fine." I tell him calmly.
"…Sure, but if you need any help tell me don't try to figure it out by all yourself, everyone needs help sometimes."
We spend the next hour patrolling the upper levels before heading down to the storage level. When we step out of the elevator I immediately sense something off. In a move that is already becoming smooth with practice, I take my left glove off and put my hand to the floor.
"I'm sensing two bodies down 50 metres right, I can't tell if they're alive. They're not droids."
Cody calls the Troopers back to regroup and R2-D2 zooms in whirring and chirping in concern. I quickly call the Generals and Skywalker shows up a few minutes later.
"All right, men. What's the problem? I'm missing dinner." Skywalker says stepping out of the elevator.
"We're not sure yet, Sir, But Mixer and Redeye are still missing and Rex is sensing two bodies." Cody tells him.
"Wait. One of the bodies was just moved! I can't sense him anymore. Whoever or whatever is down here must be moving on the crates." I tell them from my crouching position, hand still resting on the floor.
"Can't you sense the crates?" Skywalker asks.
"I know where the crates are, but I can't sense through them, they must be made out of some kind of plastic or wood." I tell them standing up and putting my glove back on.
"Alright R2, use your scanners. See if something's out of place." Skywalker tells the droid. R2 beeps before choosing a path and going down it. We follow and soon enough we stop in front of a crate.
"Well, what've we here?... Uh, the box is open and empty, Rex." Cody tells me.
"Or it got up and walked away. All right, fan out, separate squads, search pattern. I'll contact Obi-Wan" Skywalker tells us. We quickly separate and start searching, but It's not long until I sense something attacking General Skywalker. We quickly run back to him just in time to take out one assassin probe as another one escapes through the elevator. Skywalker quickly coms in Kenobi then turns to us.
"Looks like there's one left. Let's spread out and find it."
"Watch it!" Cody yells.
I 'see' it too, dozens of small robotic spiders jumping out of the big one we just killed. We start firing, but it's ineffective.
I drop my guns and extend my senses to the small metal bots. I lift them all into the air and crush them.
"Good work." Skywalker tells us, in a slightly bemused tone.
"Assassin droid. How did that monster end up in the hold?" I ask in disbelief.
"Question is, who smuggled him on board?"
After the discovery that it was one of the senators who smuggled these things on board we get back to hunting for more. After taking out the last one, Skywalker sends us to watch the escape pods in case the Senator tries to escape. As soon as I step out of the elevator I freeze in place. Dammit! More carpet.
"…Rex" Cody starts, not sure what to say.
I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be fine, just show me where to stand and if needed which direction to shoot."
"Alright," he reluctantly agrees, leading me in the direction of the escape pods. We only wait for a few minutes before the ship rocks and alarms start to go off.
"Rex! We've got clankers! Ten o'clock!" Cody yells, already shooting.
I open my senses and look for the metal of the droids, and as soon as I can 'see' them I start shooting. After a few minutes the familiar sound of a lightsaber cutting droids in half lets me know one of the Generals has joined the fight. Once all the droids are down I stand up and start walking to where I can hear Cody talking to Waxer. On my way I trip over something and almost lose my balance.
"Dammit. I hate carpet!" I mutter angrily.
"Rex, you ok?" Cody asks, sounding worried.
"I'm fine, just need to be more careful where I step." I tell him. I'm starting to find his worrying a little annoying.
"Okay, I need to tell the Generals we got them all. Waxer, can you help Rex to the elevator?"
"Yes, Sir." Waxer walks over to me and gently touches my arm before linking arms with me. Once were in the elevator he lets go and pushes the button.
"Thanks, Waxer." I tell him, feeling a little embarrassed about having to be lead again.
"No problem, Sir." A moment passes. "Sir, permission to speak freely?"
"Granted."
He takes off his helmet "Give Cody time, he's been worrying about you since you left. He'll stop acting like an over protective big brother soon."
I take off my own helmet and look at him "How'd you know?-"
He's quiet for a moment probably looking at my heavily scarred eyes.
"He's been my commanding officer for over three years, he always gets like this when one of his brothers is injured, whether it's a papercut or a cut-off limb. Give him time he'll adapt… and so will you." Waxer reassures.
"What do you mean I'll adapt?" I ask.
"Sir- Rex I understand you kind of know what being blind was like for your passed life and bending makes it a thousand times easier for you but I don't think you've really accepted the fact that you do have a disability and sometimes, you will need help."
"Look Waxer I'm fine-"
"No, Rex I don't think you are, and the sooner you realise that, the closer you'll be to being fine." he puts his helmet back on. I put my own helmet back on just before the door opens.
"Thanks Waxer." I tell him tensely before going to do my normal after battle duties thinking about what he said the whole time.
It's not until two days after we land that I 'see' Cody again when he walks up to me after lunch.
"Hey, Rex, do you have a minute?"
"Sure, but I leave for the front in three hours."
"Right, look I just wanted to apologise. I can be a bit… much when I'm worried about my brothers." he tells me honestly.
"Yeah you can be. But I needed it I guess, I've been trying to ignore what I can't do and I need to learn when to ask for help." I tell him truthfully. I've been thinking about what Waxer said non-stop for the past two days and he was right.
"Good! I thought I was gonna have to ruin the apology by telling you that!"
I laugh. "Waxer beat you to it. He gave me a talking too two days ago."
He laughs too "Of course he did!"
It's not long after that I get back to the front lines, and it's not for another month that Skywalker joins us on Malastare. Since the assassin droids he's been on non-stop secret Jedi missions, but now he arrives with a new weapon: a bomb to take out droids. I move to the front and start shooting as we wait for the bomb to drop. As I fight I extend my senses belowground.
"Dammit!" I mutter in surprise before quickly turning my com on. "General Skywalker, Sir, I'm sensing a large cave directly below us and the enemy, there's also something really big down there. All our fighting has already disabled the cave and probably freaked out the creature, I'm not sure what the bomb will do but I doubt it'll be anything good."
After a couple minutes, he responds.
"Understood Rex but the Chancellor's ordering we go ahead with it anyway."
"Yes, Sir."
It's not long after that the bomb drops and it works perfectly. As all the droids collapse, I quickly open my senses to the cave.
"Everyone move back NOW!" I yell, starting to run. The troopers know me well enough to start to running immediately, but the locals don't. Just seconds after I reach the safe point the ground starts to collapse, and a lot of people fall into the pit that opens up beneath the battlefield.
Later I'm in the meeting room talking over the situation.
"The droid army was completely neutralized by the bomb. But the blast destroyed the roof of a large cave which engulfed many of the Dugs army. We have search parties looking for them now." General Windu explains.
"And the Dugs?" The chancellor asks "Have they signed the treaty?"
I barely stop myself from voicing my opinion, hundreds of people missing, probably dead! And he's worried about some treaty!
"No, Chancellor, the treaty must be passed by the council." Doge tells him.
"We need that treaty signed so we can gain access to the fuel reserves here on Malastare. Without it, our armies shall be vulnerable." The Chancellor tells him.
"I will do my best" Doge replies.
My com chimes for attention. "Sir, we have a report from the front. They've lost contact with the rescue team." I report as the news comes in.
Windu sighs. "One problem always seems to replace another."
"Come on, let's check it out." Skywalker suggests, putting a hand on my arm and leading me out of the stupid whatever-this-floor-is room.
"What are you doing?" Doge asks.
"Just helping Rex out of the palace, Doge." Skywalker answers casually.
"Captain Rex can't see with his eyes. He uses the earth and metal to guide him, and this floor is not either of those." Windu explains.
"You brought a blind man to lead this fight?" Doge asks like we're all insane.
"Sir, with all due respect most of the battlefield is rock and I can see just fine out there." I say, really not wanting to explain it to him.
"No! You will not be taking part of any more fighting while on my world." Doge replies firmly.
"What! Doge if we're going to find out what happened to those people, we need Rex." Skywalker tells him.
"I will not have him in the way!" Doge declares.
I can practically feel Skywalker about to say something that will jeopardise the treaty.
"It's fine, Sir, I've got reports that I need to write piling up anyway." I tell him before turning to where I can hear Tup and Jesse chatting as they walk past. I put a hand on one of their shoulders
"You guys mind showing me to the barracks?"
"Sure, Sir." Jesse agrees moving my hand from his shoulder to linking with his arm.
"Good. Keep him out of my way." Doge tells them.
Tup speaks as soon as we're out of hearing range "What did you do?"
I make an annoyed sound. "Apparently a blind man can't lead the troops, no matter what else I can do."
"What? That's ridiculous. You've been leading this battle for the last month!" Jesse sounds annoyed.
"Rex, some people are just idiots. You just have learn to ignore what they say… unless the person can give you orders. Then try selective hearing loss." Tup tells me.
"Yeah, I guess." I sigh.
I've just finished the last report when Tup comes running into the barracks laid out on the edge of the hole.
"Sir! The creature you sensed, it's-" He's cut off by a loud screeching. I immediately run outside.
The beast is right in front of us and coming towards the barracks – and right towards the field medical station. I quickly bend a dome of solid rock around us.
"Time to evacuate!" I call, starting to make a tunnel. Everyone quickly follows, and I let the tunnel out right in front of the palace.
"Sir, aren't you going to go help take the beast down? They could really use an earth bender about now." Dogma asks.
"Doge has ordered me to stay out of the battle." I tell him angrily, wanting to help.
"Yes Sir." Dogma acknowledges, happy as always with following orders. It takes another 20 minutes for them to take down the beast. It's not long after that, that the Generals and Doge get back to the palace.
"Rex! Nice job on that dome! It seems stable, so you can move everyone back." Skywalker tells me.
"Yes Sir." I acknowledge, sending troops back down the tunnel.
"You did that!" Doge asks angrily as he gets out of the tank.
"Yes Sir." I tell him getting ready for the chewing out.
"I told you! I don't want some defective clone-" he stops now stand in front of me, his heartbeat rapid. That's when I realise I'm not wearing my helmet. He takes a step back, cursing in his language. I know why he's freaked out of course, when the glass in my helmet shattered the hot glass cut and burnt a lot of my face, and apparently it's not pretty.
"Sir, all I did was help evacuate, I did not go against your orders. Now if you excuse me I have work to do." I tell him before nodding politely in the General's direction and walking down the tunnel.
Two hours later we're on a ship taking the Zillo beast to Coruscant. We arrive the next day, and less than a day later the beast has escaped. After a quick chat with the General I board a gunship trying to take the beast down. The gunship isn't working, I can hear people screaming and the beast roaring. I open the door.
"I'm going to help the civilians, Jesse take command!" I yell before jumping out.
I catch myself with the earth and start to enclose civilians, bending paths for them to get them out of here. Once all the civilians are safe I jump on a gunship and meet with Generals Kenobi, Windu and Yoda.
"I've cleared the area, Sir." I tell them.
"Nice work, Rex." Kenobi tells me.
"Looks like Skywalker's up to something." Windu hands something to Kenobi.
"It appears to be one of Anakin's improvised plans." Kenobi sighs.
"How can it be a plan if it's improvised?" Windu asks.
"Not to worry. Just catch them when they fall." Kenobi tells him.
"A lot of the General's plans involve falling." I add, not sure exactly what's going on but guessing it's Skywalker's usual.
"Distract the beast we shall. More time, Skywalker shall have." Yoda tells us before walking to a gunship already manned by another Jedi. After a few minutes Kenobi yells "Catch!" and I assume he and Windu caught whatever Skywalker was using with the force.
Suddenly a piece of the knowledge Toph gave me comes to the front of my mind: lava bending. She wasn't that great at it, she preferred metal and earth, but she still knew the basics.
"Sir, I have an idea." I tell them before sucking myself underground and finding some good earth (most of this damn planet is metal). Once I find what I need, I turn it into lava. It takes three tries but once I have it I tunnel out of the ground with the lava following me.
"Get away from the creature!" I call before moving the lava above ground and start swirling it around the beast, containing it, then heating the lava up as much as I can. After 20 minutes the beast collapses from heat exhaustion, I immediately turn the lava back to stone and send it back down.
I fall to my knees in exhaustion. I've never done anything like that before.
"Rex!" Skywalker calls appearing next to me. I didn't notice him approach as I focussed on the lava.
"I'm fine, Sir, just tired."
"I don't know how you did it Trooper, but well done." The Chancellor tells me. "Did you kill it?"
"No, Sir just over heated it. Sir I suggest immediate removal to an uninhabited planet." I stand up with Skywalker's help.
"No, I'm afraid not, the creature is much too valuable to be set free. I'll have my men take it back to the lab where it will be put down" he tells me.
Oh, if clones had votes there's no way in hell I would vote for him!
"Sir, with all due respect the creature has shown intelligence, you can't kill it." I tell him.
"I agree with Captain Rex, Chancellor. We have already put this creature through quite an ordeal. The best thing to do now would be to just let it go." Senator Amidala tells him.
The Chancellor sighs. "Very well"
After the creature is air lifted out, all efforts turned to search and rescue, which I had a major part in. My job is to find trapped civilians and bend them out so the medics can tend to them. I work through the night and most of the next day then sleep for 18 hours.
"You wanted to see me, Ma'am?" I ask knocking at Senator Amidala's office.
"Yes. Come in, Rex."
I walk in and stand in front of her desk.
"Rex, you've been busy so your probably not aware but… everyone has been talking about you. People have been asking if you're some kind of new super clone, and the Senators have been complaining about not being informed, while at the same time asking for a squadron to be appointed on permanent basis to their planets."
"I'm not though." I tell her.
"I know that! And it took some convincing, but the Senators do now too. So now they're all demanding you go to their planet and stop some natural disaster and the Kaminoan's want you to come back so they can examine you." she tells me sounding incredibly frustrated.
"Ma'am I am happy to help in natural disasters were I'll actually be useful. But my job is in the front, helping take down the enemy and I can't do that if the Kaminoan's have me strapped to an examination table." I tell her.
"Of course, Captain." She tells me, probably nodding.
General Skywalker enters "Sorry to interrupt, Senator. But Rex we've been called back to the front. We leave immediately."
I nod "Yes, Sir"
Things may have change but this is what I want to do. What is meaningful to me and now I can help more people, not just save them from Separatists. But from Quakes and volcanic eruptions, like Toph but also not because I am my own person not just a clone.
ONE-SHOT
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