Tup was simply taking inventory of supplies in Medical when he turned to see Chopper in his face. The young trooper yelped and dropped the datapad he had been holding, coming to a sharp salute.

Chopper raised an eyebrow. "You realize we're the same rank?"

"Oh, right," Tup chuckled nervously.

"The Captain's unresponsive in his office."

Tup looked up sharply. "You should really tell Kix or Coric…."

Chopper shook his head. "No medics. Trust me."

"Why me?"

"Compromise. He trusts you. I saw when he came to visit. He doesn't trust the rest of us yet. You've been on duty here long enough to pick up something."

Tup nodded slowly. "Um… Could you…?"

Chopper nodded and picked the datapad up off the floor, noting where his brother had left off. "Hurry."

Tup walked briskly to the Captain's office, ignoring the few shouts of recognition he got from his brothers. When he arrived, he knocked out of habit, then walked through the unlocked door.

Rex sat on the floor, head between his knees, curling an uncurling his fists.

Unsure what to do, Tup sat on the floor beside him, rubbing his arms to keep the warmth in. "It's cold in here, Captain," he said softly, for lack of wise words.

Rex shook his head. "Too much heat."

Tup nodded in fake understanding. "Ah."

Rex didn't move, the tension visible in the set of his shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Again, Tup nodded.

"I yelled at the Commander."

Tup blinked in confusion. "Why?"

"She wouldn't stop asking questions."

Tup promptly shut his mouth. "Sorry."

"You're fine. I'll tell you if you're not."

"Is that why you're in here?"

"No."

"Okay."

The two brothers sat in companionable silence for a while. Finally, Rex unfurled himself, leaning back with a heavy exhale. "It's different."

"What is?"

Rex chuckled drily. "Everything. The Resolute. Me. Everything," he repeated.

Tup cast about in his mind for something meaningful to say. "Sometimes change is good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, like a change in battle tactics. If something doesn't work, we make it better."

"And if something's good? If something's great, even? And then do we change it?"

Tup looked down at his boots, thinking hard. "Yes. We adapt it to fit the situation."

"It's already adapted."

"Impossible. The situation is constantly changing. No plan survives initial contact with the enemy. It's true of everything."

Rex grunted.

"What do you mean specifically, sir? Are you talking about your new power?"

Rex waved a hand in the air. "More like curse."

Tup nodded. "A Jedi might say it's the will of the Force, I guess."

"And what would you say?"

"I don't know, sir."

Rex looked Tup straight in the eye. "What would a brother say, Tup?"

Tup swallowed nervously. "A brother would say… you're setting a new standard? Involuntarily giving us a new edge?"

"Yeah?" Rex asked, disbelievingly. "They should be scared."

"You saved Fives' life."

"I didn't save Gearbox."

Tup looked up sharply.

"I didn't save Tryst. Or Gambit. Or Farren. Or Recall. I saw all their deaths, and I didn't save them."

Tup swallowed the lump in his throat that had risen at the mention of his dead squadmates. "Where were you?"

"What?"

"Where were you when you saw their deaths? Were you in a position to warn us?"

"Irrelevant. I should've found a way."

"Completely relevant. You're limited by your resources, sir. Where were you?"

Rex shook his head. "Geonosis. In a cell. On an examination table."

"You couldn't have. There's a difference between didn't and couldn't."

Rex frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but a resounding explosion shook the entire ship.