Rex had lost track of how long it had been since lights-out. The muddy almost-black of the ceiling above him had existed for years, it seemed. Nights were like this now. Staring absently into the murk, the shadows from the running lights playing tricks on his eyes, thoughts tumbling and tumbling through his head. Voices chased those thoughts. Old voices. Dead voices. In the dark, they pressed closer against the edges of his hearing, taunting him. It was always Fives, these days. Begging him to listen. Spinning a tale about control chips and conspiracy. Talking about the nightmares.
The nightmares.
The nightmares had only gotten worse.
Involuntarily, Rex tightened his arm around Cody, who lay snuggled against his side. Cody gave a muffled snort and shifted, pushing his face into Rex's chest. The weight would normally be comforting, but Rex felt an unease growing in his heart, a sort of clawing panic that not even Cody's closeness could keep at bay.
Cody moved again, rolling his head onto Rex's shoulder, and Rex couldn't keep it in anymore. "Codes?" he whispered, rubbing his hand lightly along Cody's arm. A sleepy snuffle answered him. He tried again. "Cody?"
Rex heard Cody's quick intake of breath, felt his body tense. "What is it?" came Cody's quiet, terse whisper.
Rex patted his arm softly. "It's fine, Codes, you're safe, it's okay. I just…wanna talk."
Cody relaxed, releasing his breath and letting himself sink into Rex's side again. "What's bothering you?"
Rex continued rubbing his arm, more to soothe himself than anything. "Do you…" he began. The dark seemed closer, somehow, crowding in. Listening. "Do you…have the nightmares?"
"The nightmares," Cody echoed.
Rex swallowed. "The ones where we…you know, we end up…turning, on our generals?"
He waited. The silence grew. Finally, Cody grunted. "Yeah. Yeah I have the nightmares."
"Why do you think we have the nightmares?"
"You're thinking about Fives, aren't you?"
Cody's hand found Rex's and he twined their fingers together. Rex sighed. "His words keep playing in my head, Codes. He was so…scared. And so sure. He said the Chancellor was framing him. Where would he even get that from, unless there's some truth to it?"
"That's dangerous talk, vod," Cody answered.
"You didn't see Tup," Rex continued. "He…wasn't himself. I still see his eyes, Cody. It wasn't Tup. And now Kix is missing."
"What?"
"Kix is missing," Rex repeated. The words stoked the gnawing panic in his gut. "He was the only other trooper who really saw Tup, besides Fives and me, and the med frigate. The guys on the frigate are gone. Fives is gone. Now Kix is missing."
Cody breathed, slow and thoughtful, against Rex's shoulder. "It does seem…suspiciously coincidental. But the Chancellor, Rex? Why would Palpatine want to cover up a conspiracy to get us to turn on our generals? That would undermine the whole war effort."
"I don't know, Cody, I don't know. But I feel like…pieces, are falling into place. I can't explain it. Just, the more I think about it, the more connections I see."
"What else is there?"
"Do you remember the GAR contingency orders?"
Cody groaned into the dark. "'Course I remember; how could any of us forget those drills?"
"Do you remember sixty-six?"
Cody stilled, and Rex knew he was running through the list of orders. After a moment, Cody recited:
"Order Sixty-Six: In the event of Jedi Officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander, the Chancellor, GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander, the Chancellor, until a new command structure is established."
The words hung in the air. Rex could feel their weight, feel them twisting and shifting into a more solid piece of the puzzle.
"Don't you think it's strange," he said, slowly, cautiously, testing his words for their place in the puzzle, "that what Fives said about the control chips is almost exactly what the Order says?"
He could almost hear Cody's contemplative frown. But things seemed to be snapping into place. The answer felt tangible, reachable, like if he pressed just a bit further against the dark, he'd crack through into light. "Don't you think it's strange that we all have the same nightmare?"
He waited with bated breath. Finally, Cody's voice answered.
"I think…that a nightmare isn't going to make you turn on General Skywalker. Or me on General Kenobi." Cody released Rex's hand and shifted again, burying his face in Rex's chest. He let out an exhausted sigh. "I think that's the shadows talking."
Rex tightened his arm around Cody once more, pulling him close. The shadows did seem to be closing around him again, the light he'd been straining to reach in danger of slipping from his grasp. The panic crawled up his throat, urging him, pushing him, screaming not to lose it. "If you got the order, Cody, would you do it? Would you shoot your general? Or mine?"
Cody grunted, the familiar cadence of sleep already coloring his speech. "'Course I wouldn't shoot my general, Rex. Don't you trust me?"