Here is the next installment! Hope you enjoy please review!
Cody sighed; frustrated and bored being locked away in an unfamiliar room was not something the commander of the 212th Attack Battalion was accustomed to. His arms ached from having them bind behind his back for hours and his hands had long ago fallen asleep. He winced as he tried to move his fingers only to receive a sharp, painful tingly sensation in return. Cody shifted and his frown deepened as the stealth armor, too big for him scrape on his hot, sweaty and dirty skin and not for the first time he wished he was able to remove the uncomfortable plates. Not that he would complain openly about his discomfort.
Looking around the sparse room which only had a bed, dresser and lamp, Cody did appreciate the fact that it was roomy and had a large bed to accommodate him. Much better than the GAR barracks, but not nearly as nice as sharing a bed with…
Cody punched himself mentally and stopped that train of thoughts before they went any further. Thinking about her only makes things worse. Forget about her, forget about everyone. Do what you have to do to survive and don't let anything or one get to you. Cody had already failed himself once, letting Rex dig the knife deeply into a wound that would not heal.
"I got to get out of here," Cody muttered, but first he would need to free his sore hands. Biting the side of his cheek, he looked around the room for anything sharp that would create a tear. He just needed a little leverage to rip the bind apart. Cody rolled himself ungracefully out of bed, almost falling to his knees until he caught his balance. With a soft curse, he stood up and walked into the small refresher that was connected with the room. Looking for anything that might have a sharp edge, Cody turned backwards so that he could open some of drawers and cabinets. Hissing as his hands protested from the lack of use, he tried to ignore the pain. Turning back around to look in the drawers, he spotted a small pair of scissors. Fools, Cody thought smugly. Now the real trick would be handling the tool without being able to see what he was doing or what he was actually cutting.
Blindly picking up the scissors, Cody wiggled and maneuvered his fingers until the blade of the tool was pointing up. A knock at the door startled Cody causing the scissors slipped a few times, growling and cursing as he tried to position them in the right spot. Having to work in haste, Cody guessed he was in the right spot and made an attempt to snip the material. Looking at the door and hoping that whoever was there would leave, Cody unseeingly snipped at the bind.
It took a moment before the pain registered in his mind and suddenly he howled in agony. "Dammit!" Cody hollered. He had cut his hand badly enough for his blood to rush out. "Sith, sith, sith!"
"Cody?" the familiar voice of his ex-friend called to him worriedly. Can this day get any worse!
"What are you doing in here..." Rex's voice trailed off as he saw the blood dripping from behind Cody. "Kriff!"
"Well, I'm not taking a piss in here if that's what you wanted to know," Cody snarled trying to rile his old comrade up and get his attention away from his self-inflicted wound.
Rex glared at Cody; instead of taking the bate and pushed him by the chest so that he would step back against the sink. Cody didn't struggle against Rex knowing very well he was in a compromised place. Rex none too gently pulled Cody closer to the sink so that his hands were in the basin and turned on the cool water, watching the blood meld with the water and swirl down the drain.
"I'm going to release you so I can get a better look at your cut. Don't try anything Cody," Rex warned.
"Wouldn't think about it, boss," Cody winced again as Rex cut the material and the circulation and blood poured back into his hands. His wound oozed more blood into the porcelain sink.
"You did a good job nicking yourself," Rex scowled as Cody turned around to face the sink and wash his cut. "Trying to make your escape?"
"Trying to, but obviously failed. Much like other things," Cody mumbled under his breath.
"You're going to need a couple of stiches," Rex said neutrally and continued to watch as Cody kept his hand under the cool, rushing water.
"No thank you," Cody distantly grimaced. "This wouldn't even have happened if you didn't need to take me hostage." Cody took the material that once bound his hands and wrapped it tightly around his cut. Within seconds blood was seeping through.
"We didn't take you hostage if you remember. We, I, want to help you and you left us no choice. And it was you who wanted to take Ahsoka and me hostage and trade in for a couple lousy coins," Rex growled.
Cody turned to glare at Rex, who met him with burning ember eyes. "At least I made a profit after I left and didn't soil my soul with a runaway Jedi." Cody turned to step out of the room and Rex followed giving the man a hard shove on the shoulder. Cody stumbled a few steps and turned around once again to face Rex, angry blazing and ready to fight.
"What will do it Cody? Do you realize how lucky you are? You no longer belong to a hive and can be your own man!" Rex bellowed.
"What do you know about being your own man Rex?" Cody snapped back. "You talk as though you know what it is to be free and yet you still seek out the comforts of your brothers! Isn't the little woman keeping you warm at night?"
The pain registered immediately as Rex's fist connected squarely onto Cody's jaw. A loud pop was heard as bones snapped. "Son on a sith!" Rex roared, instantly cradling his injured fist against his chest.
The impact against his face had sent Cody tumbling against his bed and slithered down the side onto the floor and his eyes watered; face pounding as he realized Rex had punched him. Moving his jaw ever so slightly to see if it had indeed been broken, Cody winced and groaned as the throbbing shot up his jaw. It wasn't broken, but it was going to be severely bruised. He wasn't going to be surprised if his who right side would turn black and blue and he would have to eat and drink out of a straw for several days.
Panting, Rex took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Are we just going to keep going in rounds with each other, Cody?" Rex suddenly drained of all energy asked. "I have to tell you, I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting, from running, from hiding. I can't seem to understand why Ahoska and I can't get pass this wall, if that's what they call it and I hate it. I'm used to being the go to man, the one with the resources and knowledge. Too many questions are being asked and not enough answers to fulfill them and I hate it! I feel like I'm losing control."
Cody pushed himself up onto the bed, reeling with exploding misery in his mouth. His jaw was already starting to swell and a nasty looking bruise faintly began to blemish his tanned skin.
"If you wanted control Rex, why did you ever leave the GAR?" Cody's speech was slightly slurred as he tried to not move his jaw that much.
Taking another deep breath, letting his shoulders slump and buried his chin into his chest Rex mumbled, "Because they would have killed Ahsoka and I couldn't let that happen." Cody looked at Rex as if he had seen one of the most talked about and revered clones for the first time. This man, his friend who risked his life numerous times for his general, commander, men and Cody, who's friendship and brotherhood men craved to have, a man who devoted his heart and soul to his job and those he cared closely about stood before Cody like a man who was designated for reconditioning. And Cody understood.
"I understand," Cody softly spoke. Rex's head shot up. Did I hear right? Did he just say he understood?
"What?" Rex responded, lost for words.
"I said, you di'kut, I understand," Cody grumbled. "When Order 66 was issued I felt myself leave my body. I could hear my brain shout that this wasn't true that I misheard the order. I almost could see myself from the outside respond just like the drone that so many thought us for. I wanted to pull the drone from his stupor and shake, punch, even shoot just to wake him," Cody was numb. He couldn't stop himself from talking now that he started. It just seemed to pour out and each word stung like a million hot needles as he explained to Rex.
Rex slowly approached the bed and sat down next to Cody, careful not to jar his hand. "That's how it was for me when I held the gun to Ahsoka," Rex said. "It was me, but not me. I knew she was there, I could see her eyes plead for a merciful ending, but I continued tell myself that I had to follow this order, that's what all good captains would do."
"What stopped you?"
"I love her," Rex answered instantly. Cody began to say something, but a sharp hiss elicited through his lips. "I got you pretty good there didn't I?" Rex looked at the dark bruise spreading across the commander's cheek.
"Yeah thanks. Don't let me forget to even the score later," Cody groused.
"I think it's pretty even you block head," Rex gave Cody the faintest of smiles. "I think you busted a couple of my fingers and/or knuckles."
"Good," Cody snorted.
Rex rolled his eyes, but was relieved and felt as if some weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It's a start. "Come on." Cody looked at Rex wearily. "This isn't a trick nor am I going to "take you around the barn." I'm sure someone is skilled as a medic around here. Just don't try anything."
"What would I do?" Cody scowled. "There are a bunch of crazy mandos, a Jedi, ex-troopers and I have a busted jaw. Where do you think I'm going to go?"
"I'm glad we're on the same path," Rex smirked.
Under the skeptical eyes of Kal Skirata and Fives, Rex and Cody sat at the main dining table as Mij Gilamar, doctor and ex-member of the Cyu'val Dar popped another finger into place on Rex's hand. Closing his eyes so the people around him could not see the tears building in them the pain sent shockwaves throughout his body; Rex mumbled a few impressive curse words and then bit his lower lip. Gilamar rose an "oh really" brow at Rex and then at Cody.
"So do you boys want to tell me what happened?" Mij asked skeptically.
"Yes, I am very interested to know how Rex came upon having a broken hand," Fives acidly asked.
Cody looked at the former ARC trooper who had narrowed his eyes scathingly at him, and gave Fives a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. "He must have slipped and fell on his hand," Cody slurred.
"Really, because I was just wondering how you ended up with a nice gash on yours and a nasty bruise on your face," Fives bit back.
"Fives, enough," Kal Skirata lightly commanded. Fives huffed and sat back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. Skirata turned back to look at the two injured clones. "But he's right. What happened?" He pointedly looked at Rex.
I am not designed to handle civilian talk. I need to learn, Rex gulped back his anxiety as his brown eyes met with Skirata's. He saw nothing but understanding, compassion and yet held enough hardness to command the respect of those around him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Cody glaring at him. Trust me brother.
"We had a "Come to Force" talk," Rex winced once again as Gilamar finished dressing his hand.
"Jusik will be able to heal that fully-he's better than any bacta," Gilamar said.
Cody turned his head so curtly that Rex swore he heard his friend's neck crack. "There's another Jedi staying here?" He harshly asked.
Once again, Skirata met Cody with a hard, cold as steel glare and the people in the room held their breaths as the two came head to head. "And if there is?" Skirata challenged.
Rex could see the turmoil burn in Cody's eyes and the small tick in the side of his jaw as he thought of a response. A low, irritated rumbled formed at the back of Cody's throat. He clenched his wounded hand and splotches of blood began to seep through the new bandage, but he did not break eye contact with the sergeant.
"You can make a choice Son," Skirata said in a deliberate but formidable voice, "embrace your past, your present and your future, adapt to living as a free man and accept those who would have been your enemy or face eternal darkness. Cody, I am not going to sweet talk or beg you into being a part of this aliit, but we all know, you know, you cannot go back. For whatever reason you broke yourself away from the iron chains the Empire had on you and yet you have not found your freedom. You can choose to heal yourself or die a broken man."
It felt like a one two punch to Rex's gut as Skirata words spoke volumes. I have not found my freedom… Freedom…Where do I find my freedom? I do not want to die a broken man.
Cody finally looked away angrily from Skirata and stared at the table, brooding over the truth of the statement. He slightly jumped when he felt someone touching his sore hand and realized it was a bloody mess.
"Jusik can also heal that for you as well…" Gilamar started but Cody abruptly interrupted.
"No, no Jedi. Just stich it; let it scar."
Ahsoka and Thea stood outside the house, Thea's hand on the doorknob. "You ready?" she asked.
Ahsoka took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I think so." As Thea began to turn the knob, Ahsoka's hand flew out and stopped her. "Wait," she quickly said. Paused in mid-motion, Thea waited for Ahsoka to continue. "Tell me, please, one thing about you and Echo."
It was more of a plea than a request from their bargain and as much as Thea dreaded it, she was beginning to like the young Jedi. The girl needed her help and even if it meant slowly opening herself up to sore and painful memories, Thea would make the baby steps to aid Ahsoka. No use in everyone living in misery.
"My favorite memory of Echo was on his last day of leave and I came back from a mission and found him in the barracks. It was completely empty except him and he was dressed only in his briefs," Thea closed her eyes a light smile cracking on her lips at the memory of Echo and how flushed he got when she caught him almost naked. "He was embarrassed at first, turning beat red. He noticed how I was looking at him and the tables turned on me and he became so cocky, not that I minded too much afterwards. He was so handsome. I became flushed and almost dashed out of the room, but thank goodness he caught me before I made the worst mistake of my life. He told me that he didn't want me to leave, though I was worried someone walking in on us."
Echo's striking smile flashed before Thea, weakening her knees.
Ahsoka's eyes slightly widened as the thought of what they were about to do popped into her mind.
"No, no little girl," Thea lightly admonished. "We didn't do that. He must have sensed how nervous I was and told me that we didn't have to do anything. I told him I just wanted him to hold me and he did. We lay in his bunk for, oh I don't know, must have been hours as I talked his head off about the various missions I went on and he listened so patiently. We ended drifting asleep, his arm tightly around my waist and my back sung against his chest. It wasn't until the early morning when Fives woke us and told Echo and me that the superiors were coming. Echo gave me the tenderest of kisses, enough to make you want to weep. If I knew that was the last time I got to feel him, kiss him, be near him, I would have gotten over my nervousness." Thea paused for a second. Goosebumps covered her arms and she visibly shivered as the warmness of the memory disappeared and she was blanketed in ice. "Ahsoka, do you know why I told you about the particular memory?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Always make the most of what you have. You never know when it'll be your last." Thea, with Ahsoka's hand still on top of hers, turned the knob and opened the door.
Thank you all for your fantastic reviews and support! Makes it worth writing =)
I hope you continue to enjoy the story-more to come soon!
If I don't get the next chapter up, have a great and safe new years!