Disclaimer: Star Wars and all characters belong to George Lucas, not me. Unfortunately.
So, I found this sitting on my harddrive and I don't know how long it's actually been there. I think this is a pretty cool oneshot, particularly since I love the clones (particularly Karen Travis's work, despite the issues that went with it, thus I could not resist working them into Rex's story) and I love Rex more than most of the ones we've met so far in the movies and on The Clone Wars. This is a bit of a speculation piece, since we know what happens to Anakin, but we do not know what happened to Ahsoka and Rex at all. Either way, I hope y'all like it - don't forget to review and let me know what you think!
Everyone has a choice.
Whatever they do, whoever they are, they have a choice.
They always said that we clones never had a choice. Until now, they were right. We did not. We were created to fight a war – a war that was orchestrated by the Chancellor to give him the power he needed to make his final move.
We were a slave army, forced to fight because we knew no other way of life.
There were a few of us who were lucky – Skirata's Nulls and the brothers in his squads to name a few. They were lucky. Well, most of them were. Some of them have been through more than they deserved.
I was not. I know what happened to Skywalker. I know what happened to his padawan, Ahsoka.
She was kind to me. Ahsoka treated me like an individual. Nearly everyone – many Jedi included – treat us all the same. We were just bucketheads to them. Clones with numbers, not names.
I met another clone once, who was a deserter. He had a family, a wife and children, because he walked away after Geonosis. He lost enough brothers to know what I know now. It wasn't worth it.
I was too devoted to the war, the lifestyle. I know what happened to them. All of them.
The Jedi were massacred by one of their own. Vader? That was Skywalker, turned to the Dark Side of the Force.
How do I know? Because I watched him murder her. I couldn't do anything.
We were out of range of comms when Order 66 was called for. Skywalker had left us behind when he and Kenobi had been called to Coruscant. Cody went with them, leaving us to finish what we had started. We went out of range when they were gone. We had only been in range because of the ship in orbit.
It was over by the time he got there. We were waiting for a ship to come back for us.
The problem was, when the ship came, he was on it.
I can still remember him telling us to execute Order 66. My brothers turned on her. I couldn't do it. I tried to get her to run, but she wouldn't. She just ignited that lightsaber and faced them head on. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't kill my brothers, but Ahsoka was more important. In the split second that it took for me to decide, Vader had me, choking me because I failed to do as ordered.
She recognized him. I don't know how, but she did. Ahsoka screamed at him, something about betrayal. That was when I knew. She called him 'Anakin' and 'Master Skywalker,' but he did not listen.
He was too powerful for her. He killed her, plunging the angry red blade of his into her small body. She collapsed.
Then he released me. He said that he would forgive me just this once, because I had served him faithfully and I had obviously been confused about my loyalties. He swore that if I ever failed him again, he would kill me. I was just a disposable soldier, after all. I was just a clone. I meant nothing.
That was when I made my choice.
He walked away, ordering the troops into his ship. She was still alive when he walked away.
She just smiled at me, told me that I had been a good friend to her, and asked me not to forget her. She pressed her lightsaber into my hand, still forcing that smile. Then she was gone.
I did not run then. I waited. I listened and watched, hearing stories about the deserters, like Skirata's lads.
When no one bothered to watch anymore, I disappeared. I got away.
I went looking for the new Skirata clan and I found them. They helped me. They cured the accelerated aging that my brothers and I were infected with by the cloners on Kamino.
They welcomed me to stay, but I couldn't. I never belonged there. They were a family, but there was no place for me there.
Now I am free.
I made my choice.
I keep my head down, stay out of Imperial Space as much as I can, and wander the galaxy.
Her lightsaber is still at my belt. I will not forget her.
No one knows who I am – or was.
I'm not just a clone anymore. Because of Ahsoka, I have the courage to live my own life instead of being a slave to the war I was made for.
I have a name, not a number.
I'm Rex. No last name. Just Rex.
Everyone has a choice. I made mine.