Sorrow's Punchline

Slick didn't say anything once Kad and Ori put him in lock-up. Of course they took his blaster and his armor, giving him some civilian one-unit jumpsuit but he didn't fight them. He was tired of fighting and it all seemed so futile.

The Jedi came to interview him but Slick merely leaned back in his bunk and ignored them. Their questions were pointless and they were the ones who had ordered the creation of the clones. Slick wondered if it might have been better to never exist at all than to exist in such hopelessness.

Skywalker left the cell with a disgusted, 'he's all yours, master' that almost made Slick laugh.

Master?

Then Slick felt sick.

Kenobi watched him with those crystal blue eyes and seemed all sympathetic. Several times he felt like answering Kenobi, who had been genuinely kind. He felt like telling everything General Kenobi wanted to know - from the first time he'd met Asajj Ventress to why he'd put some of his brothers in danger for the benefit of them all. Sometimes he wanted to tell the general about Maruli and how her love had made him more than simply a flash-trained flesh-droid. Sometimes he wanted to tell the Jedi how her death had made him prepared to betray everything he'd ever known because it was all a lie. Sometimes he wanted to tell what he'd done to shame Gus because Gus would never tell anyone.

Mostly he wanted to tell anyone who didn't already know about the Kaminoans and his formative years in training before he'd led five of the best troopers that Kamino had produced to their needless deaths following the incompetent Jedi general they'd been given.

However, he knew this was simply some Jedi mind trick so he ignored the feelings and said nothing to the Jedi.

Kenobi had stood and quietly walked to the bunk where Slick lounged in lonely insolence. His expression was troubled and he had lightly touched Slick on his shoulder. "I'm sor…" he began but Slick cut him off.

"Don't," Slick snarled, jerking away from Kenobi's hand. "Don't lie to me, Jedi. Our entire existence is your lie."

He wouldn't be able to withstand kindness. Kindness would have him revealing everything and, at the very least, they would destroy those clones who'd been on Christophsis and in contact with him.

Kenobi had stared at him for a long while then quietly departed the cell.

Separately, Commander Cody and Captain Rex came to see him.

Slick stood and saluted the Commander then stood in parade rest the entire time, but decided not to say anything to his questions. Things might have turned out differently if Commander Cody had been in charge from the beginning. Slick didn't really think so, but for the possibility, Slick was respectful. Commander Cody didn't stay long and he only spoke a single word.

"Why?"

Only to Captain Rex did Slick say anything.

Even in lock-up Slick had heard about Teth and it was simply confirmation that clones were nothing more than expendable battle units for the Jedi. Meat-cans. Flesh-droids. Human clankers. Fodder.

Captain Rex ordered the guards away and, once they reluctantly left, stepped into the cell after setting his helmet carefully on the outer shelf. Gently he touched one of the blue jaig eyes. Slick saw his hand tremble. Jaig eyes for bravery. Bravery in watching over your men. The captain thought he had failed though Slick knew clones were meant to fail.

Then Rex carefully removed his gauntlets and casually set them next to the blue trimmed helmet.

Slick knew what was coming.

It was easy to see Rex wanted to beat information out of Slick simply as an excuse. His anger and pain were written in his face, his hands clenched in hard fists. It was easy to see Rex wanted to hurt someone like he'd been hurt for his lost company. It was so easy to see he wanted to be attacked simply so he could pummel living flesh and pretend that would make a difference. So simple to substitute the pounding of flesh in an attempt to ease the confusion of emotions.

Though that wouldn't work either.

Slick stood at parade rest and looked the captain in the eyes with compassion as he entered the cell. "You," he said softly in grief, "would understand."

Captain Rex trembled in rage at those words, his fists clenching as much as his teeth. Rex didn't move, only glaring at Slick in hatred and Slick knew that he'd never been closer to death than at that very moment.

He gave a small nod, letting the captain know that death would be accepted without fighting. Welcome even, given the circumstances.

Rex turned and stalked out of the cell, grabbing his helmet and gauntlets then slamming the electronic door so hard Slick heard the main circuit snap. Rex, shoving his bucket on his head and stalking down the corridor, didn't notice.

He didn't have to break the captain; war had done it for him.

Though Slick wasn't pleased that it had taken the death of an entire company to free a single clone. There had to be a more effective way than destruction and war; there had to be a better way than cruelty and death.

Slick shook his head and sat on the bench leaning against the wall, waiting for the guards to return and notice the broken cell door. Escape was no longer an option he wanted to pursue. There was nothing on Christophsis except sorrow.

Slick wished he had time to think of kinder ways to free his brothers and try them out. He didn't regret what he'd done to the men of his squad. Gus, Chopper, Jester, Sketch, Punch - eventually they would be free. Captain Rex as well and even Commander Cody.

What he did regret was how he'd done it. He regretted the cruelty.

Two days later both Commander Cody and Captain Rex came into the cell. They oversaw him as he stripped, washed, and put on clean clothing. Captain Rex set binders on his wrists.

"Firing squad," he asked them quietly, glancing at the deece in Cody's arms.

Commander Cody refused to say anything or even look at him.

"No," replied Rex, his expression somehow sympathetic beneath all those healing bruises.

"Ah. Kamino then." Neither clone confirmed or denied anything but Slick knew. Kamino was the beginning for all clones. It was only right that it should be his end as well.

They put him on a LAAT and climbed in with him. He raised an eyebrow and spoke. "An escort of commander and captain? I feel privileged."

Captain Rex linked his binders to the bench hold.

Commander Cody ignored him until he was sure Slick was secure then moved forward to give orders to the pilot. Rex watched him, his only expression a reflective frown.

Slick knew that expression. He'd seen it often in the mirror. Thinking of things that shouldn't be thought. Thinking beyond Kamino flash-training.

Both commander and captain pulled on their helmets against the noise though Slick noticed they didn't do so in tandem. Rather, one watched him while the other… spoke with the pilots or pulled on his helmet.

Was he so dangerous?

He shook his head. Not to his brothers. He gestured to the near empty area of the LAAT. "If you're so frightened of me, why not a squad or two of guards?"

They ignored him but the answer was obvious. The Jedi wanted to keep him away from other clones.

"And, if I'm so dangerous to other clones, why aren't the Jedi escorting me?"

Because they didn't have an answer they didn't give him one. He suspected the Jedi had ordered them to not speak to him so they would remain pure - uncontaminated by his knowledge.

Slick peered out the small window and gave a single, soft chuckle as he looked down from the transport LAAT onto the broken city as the LAAT lifted in a wide, circular path.

"A Seppie joke?" asked the commander of the 212th. They were the first words he'd said to Slick and Slick knew it was only to find out if there was more to this traitorous episode than the armory.

Slick nodded slowly. "A punchline, at least."

"I don't think we'd find it humorous," replied Captain Rex.

"You'd find it hilarious, sir." Slick's voice was wistful as he looked down at what had once been a small, makeshift bar where a clone trooper had met a pretty girl and fallen in love.

Silently, he lifted his shackled hands as best he could and touched the window with a finger.

Through tears, the building blurred and dwindled into the landscape.

A/N - a couple more chapters to go.