Chapter Twenty Seven

Emptiness


Subsurface - Kylix Executive Suites, Nar Shadda, Mid Rim, 18 days after the execution of Contingency Order 66.


For a long moment, Ahsoka could only sit in mute shock, unable even to begin to fathom the scope of the tragedy she had thought she knew all-too-well. The Galactic Republic had been destroyed from within. The clone army had been pawns of the the future Emperor, all along. The Republic and the Jedi had been under the control of the Sith. The Clone Wars were all a magnificent - and bloody - farce.

It was so clear now, she couldn't comprehend how they could have missed it. All the strange coincidences, the inexplicable gaps and incongruities in their intel, the callousness of the Republic leadership and their disregard for the lives of those that defended them, it all made perfect sense now. Even before the order, Ahsoka had begun to feel that the conflict wasn't as black and white as she had first believed. She couldn't place it, but something, somewhere, was wrong.

On a much more personal, painful level, she recalled the strange behavior of Master Skywalker, his outbursts and periods of sullenness, his time on Coruscant alone... and his frequent sessions alone, with the Supreme Chancellor.

With Darth Sidious.

Ahsoka had never actually liked Palpatine as a politician, nor had she appreciated the sense of entitlement the older man had towards her Master. But to think she herself had actually stood within arms' reach of a Sith Lord... she couldn't even find words to describe the shock, or the shame. How could we have been so fooled?

"Say that again."

Ahsoka glanced to her right, a little startled to see Rex standing from his seat. His voice was deathly cold, and it sent tremors of dread through her.

"Say that again!" he demanded, his narrowed eyes locked on Derek.

The dark-skinned Jedi seemed caught off guard by Rex's behavior. Derek looked first at Rex, then back at Ahsoka, before answering the question without acknowledging the former Captain. "Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious are the same person. He was behind the Separatist Alliance from the start. He was the one who financed the droid army, and who commissioned the GAR. This was all part of his plot."

Ahsoka opened her mouth to ask Derek another question, when she felt a sudden, blinding surge of raw emotion in the Force; the intensity seemed greater than she had ever felt before. She flinched at the sensation, looking with alarm at her clone companion. "Rex?"

He was still standing, facing Derek but not paying him any mind. He stood stone still, frozen, his hands gripping the edge of the table as he leaned forward.

"Rex? Please, look at me!"

He didn't answer her.

By now Derek was watching Rex as well, his face still furrowed in suspicion, but he said nothing. As the silence stretched on Ahsoka felt a chill run down her spine as she tried to put herself in Rex's place, hoping to somehow think of a way to console him. He had already undergone so much pain and stress from facing his brothers in combat. To hear this news, to know that the entire war had been nothing more than a massive diversion...

"Rex!"

With an abrupt step backward, Rex stepped back from the table, his movements too swift for Ahsoka to make out his expression. He paused for a split second, fists clenched, then stormed away, disappearing into the oversized closet in the back of the room and slamming the door behind him.


Ahsoka stood as the clone Captain hurried away, obviously intent on following him. Derek had to admit he was puzzled by this 'Rex' and his behavior; exactly what had caused him to storm off was a mystery. But it mattered little; what was important was that Derek finally had a chance to talk with Ahsoka, alone, without the presence of the trooper.

Derek moved quickly, placing himself between Ahsoka and the path to the room where Rex had disappeared. "Ahsoka," he said firmly, setting a hand on her shoulder as she attempted to pass him by.

"Let me go!" she snarled, jerking her shoulder away from him.

I knew this is going to be awkward. "Ahsoka, please, this is important." He didn't relax his grip, side-stepping to block her from passing.

She emitted a disconcerting growl, but finally stood still. "Fine. What do you want?"

Derik grimaced, and took a breath. "You're not going to like this, but I have to at least warn you. What you are doing, with Bane, but also this... Rex, is dangerous."

"I think I can figure that much out, thank you." Ahsoka scowled at him, her white cheek markings accentuating the angling of her eyebrows, and the pointed teeth showing from between her parted lips gave her a fierce, almost feral visage.

"That's not what I'm talking about. Please, don't misunderstand me, I know you feel indebted to him, but you've got to realize he's not a normal man."

The strange expression on Ahsoka's face told him his point was not making contact. "Well, you're more of a genius than I knew!" she sneered, with a clear note of sarcasm. "Of course Rex isn't normal. What kind of a warning is that?"

"Ahsoka, please, hear me out! That order, Order sixty six, was programmed into him, just like all the clones. None of them knew that they'd end up killing us."

"Rex didn't!"

"You're missing the point! He's not an ordinary human, his entire life he's been engineered to obey orders, and to kill." Derek paused to catch his breath, continuing before Ahsoka could counter. "Did you ever think that there might be other commands, embedded inside him right now? Orders that he might not find strength to disobey next time?"

That warning did seem to register, as he sensed a flare of shock from Ahsoka. It didn't move her, however, and she replied as stubbornly as ever, "Rex would never hurt me, or any Jedi. He's more of a man than you realize."

Which happens to be another reason why you shouldn't be associating with him. "I wish you were right, I really do, but you're overestimating his control over himself. I've seen the reports, Ahsoka, and it's worse than you could imagine. Commander Cody turned on on Master Kenobi on Utapu. Commander Bly murdered Master Secura, and there's rumors they were closer than you think. It didn't stop him from following orders. And just because Rex hasn't yet, doesn't mean he won't."

"Rex is different," Ahsoka stated with finality. "I trust him with my life, and nothing you say's going to change that."

Could have guessed that much. Derek knew his message would be a hard pill to swallow, and it didn't look like Ahsoka would even consider it. But it's my duty, to warn her, and try to keep her safe.

Exactly why he felt so strongly about that, he couldn't say. Perhaps just the natural survivor's bond had caused him to take her safety seriously, as one of the handful of living Jedi. Hours ago he would have jumped at the opportunity to leave her with her chosen companions, and find his own way. Now, he felt a strange urge to stay with her, at least until he knew she would be safe, or close to it.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was more than just a 'natural' inclination. Britani would certainly say so; in fact she would probably attribute the impulse to the Force itself, as she did most things. Thinking of his missing friend was too painful, however, and Derek forced the thought of her from his mind for now.

"There's another thing, Ahsoka," he continued, even more wary this time.

The now very-irritated Padawan rolled her eyes. "Isn't there always?"

"I'm serious, Ahsoka," Derek warned. "This... Rex, he is... he'll..." He frowned, trying to arrange his words. Tactful, Derek. Well, here goes nothing. "He wants you, Ahsoka. He's... physically attracted to you."

While she seemed distinctly unsettled by his claim, Ahsoka did not appear to appreciate his concern. "And what makes you think that?" she challenged.

Derek didn't back down. "I can sense it, Ahsoka. You've been around him so much, you're used to it, desensitized to it. I'm not. I can feel his... possessiveness about you. He-"

"Possessive?" Ahsoka glared at him, blue eyes flashing in the dim light. "Is that how you describe a man's loyalty to his friend?"

"He's not a man, Ahsoka! He's more machine than human. I understand it's not his fault, but the fact is he's been so conditioned nothing is going to fully break him out of it. I knew my wingman, I trusted him. I didn't know him that long but I would have called him my friend. That didn't stop him from killing my Master and trying to do the same to me. Commander Cody, Gree, Bly, they all turned on the Jedi, even the one's we would have called their friends."

Ahsoka's facial reaction made it clear she did not share his reasoning, but the mention of the famous clone officers she must have worked with before seemed to give her pause, again. Derek didn't waste his chance. "It's reality, Ahsoka. Clones are programmed to follow the chain of command, nothing more. The fact that Rex broke from that at all only means that there's something else he's after."

"And what do you suggest that 'thing' would be?"

Derek had to resist swallowing as he readied his answer. Can't think if much tact for this one. "Ahsoka, he's a male, and you're not."

The young Togruta's eyes widened as she drew back, mouth agape in shock. "You... you're you trying to say-"

"It's a fact, Ahsoka! I can sense it, I can see it! That man is sexually attracted to you, and you're encouraging it the longer you stay with him!"

"Would you just shut up?" Ahsoka snapped. "You haven't known me or him for all of three hours, and you expect me to treat the man who saved my life like some pervert? Rex is the most honorable man I know!"

"He's a clone!" Derek shot back, his face heating in anger. "They don't have honor!"

Ahsoka spun around, turning her back to him, breathing heavily. Derek, equally on edge by now, tried to steady himself as well. After both of them had calmed some, he spoke up again. "Ahsoka, I understand you care for him, but I have to tell you your judgment is not good here. He can't be trusted."

Ahsoka snorted, turning her head and glaring at him over her shoulder, her left lekku almost concealing her face in its shadow.

"I trust him, with my life and more." Her voice was low and cold, before becoming a snarl, "You? Nothing."

Then she spun on her heels and darted past Derek, disappearing into the closet where the clone had hidden. The door slid shut behind her.

Derek let out a tired sigh. That sure went over well He took a seat at the table, alone. Slipping his lightsaber from his belt, he began to wipe the silver casing with his handkerchief, mulling over the heated conversation.

On the one hand, he understood Ahsoka's fierce attachment to the clone. 'Rex' had saved her life, after all. Her resistance to his pointing out of the more... '' danger she was in was puzzling, however. She didn't appear to reciprocate the clone's feelings, or at least she didn't admit to it. Nor did she outright deny them. It was as though she implicitly accepted the fact, or at least the likelihood, but detested Derek's logical conclusion.

But what else could Rex's actions signify, if not a purely physical attraction to what was, objectively speaking, a young, attractive, female?

Ascribing such opportunistic motives would have been an insult of the highest degree to any other man, but this man was a clone. 'Rex' was essentially the same creature as those that gunned down helpless children in the Jedi Temple. They had murdered infants.

There were already rumors of stormtroopers inflicting torture on civilians, even ravaging women as part of the Emperor's horrific Jedi extraction procedures. It meant nothing to the clones. They had no shame or guilt. The highest standard they could comprehend was orders, their military duty. Their only purpose was to destroy the Jedi.

And even the handful of clones that had deserted the army had done so for purely carnal, selfish ends: money, women, drugs.

The logic inference was simple: the clones were little more than human machines. Only those things that appealed to the most primal urges of any sentient could possibly overcome their programming. It was the only piece of their humanity the Kaminoans hadn't managed to breed out of them.

Rex, regardless of facilitating a Jedi's escape, was still a clone. He still retained, within his subconscious, orders and reflexes designed by a Sith lord, and a race of ruthless genetic engineers. A manufactured being like Rex couldn't possibly have any honorable motives for 'rescuing' someone like Ahsoka Tano.

Could he?

A sudden hiss from the apartment door caused him to snap to attention. Derek drew his lightsaber into his right hand, and stood to face the entrance.


Force, it's dark in here.

Ahsoka carefully felt her way around the perimeter of the large, walk-in closet where Rex had disappeared. 'Closet' was a strangely innocuous term for what now seemed more like a jail cell, rather than place to store clothes. She knew he was in here, and it really wasn't that large of room, maybe just over three meters square, so she'd just as likely walk into or trip over him if she wasn't cautious. After a short moment her eyes adjusted, and the slivers of yellow that slipped between the joints of the door and frame grew brighter as her vision returned.

Rex was sitting in the far corner, back to the wall, knees buckled upward and supporting his arms as they lay across them. His helmet lay discarded on the opposite side of the room. He was staring at the floor between his boots, hardly even breathing, it seemed. The feelings projected from him in the Force perfectly reflected the emptiness in his gaze. Blank, hollow, expended. It was like Rex wasn't even there.

Ahsoka fought back the urge to just throw her arms around him, to hold him till he came out of this strange trance. Instead she walked towards him, moving slowly, and putting a bit more force in her steps to alert him of her presence; without his helmet, he wouldn't be able to see her at all in this darkness.

"Rex?"

He didn't acknowledge her. If it weren't for their proximity she might have thought he hadn't heard her at all. "Rex?"

Still nothing. The emptiness in him was almost frightening. The strong, familiar presence she had felt so strongly a few minutes ago had vanished completely. It was like Rex had gone supernova, with a blinding flare of passion, followed by this dead nothingness.

It was like the man before her wasn't really Rex.

She spent several long, uncomfortable moments shifting from side to side, rubbing her lekku and fiddling with her wristcom. Rex didn't even look up. It was like she wasn't there at all.

Ahsoka frowned, taking a moment to think back to Derek's absurd - not to mention offensive - warnings. She probably had been a bit too rough on the young man - his motives weren't bad, and he clearly thought he was protecting her - but he was so horribly wrong about Rex, she couldn't help herself. He talked like Rex - or clones in general - was a machine, or worse. To suggest that Rex had only disobeyed Order 66 because he was... 'sexually attracted' to her was... beyond disgusting, it was an outrage. How could anyone be so blind?

But some of the things that Derek had said did ring true, and not in a good way. Yes, Rex was a good man, and Ahsoka trusted him without question. But what about men like Commander Bly? Or Commander Cody, and Gree? All of them were good men, and many of them had Jedi superiors whom they knew on a personal basis, just like her and Rex. And yet, as Derek recounted, they had all chose to follow the order, along with thousands of clone officers.

Why didn't Rex?

Rex had answered that question before. He'd told her that he believed that order was wrong. He couldn't accept that the Jedi would have betrayed the Republic. He wouldn't betray his friend.

But would Rex be the only clone to come to that conclusion? It didn't seem particularly complicated to Ahsoka to decide that there was something wrong with an order to indiscriminately kill your superiors and anyone associated with them. Surely Cody or Bly could have figured that much out. But they hadn't.

Why did Rex?

Ahsoka sighed, dimly aware that her exhaustion was catching up with her. This question was all a moot point anyway, with Rex shutting her out like this. Right now she needed to get through to him, and help him work through the implications of what Derek had told them. It would be hard to take in, but Rex was a strong man - in more ways than one Ahsoka mused, before rebuking herself - and he'd get through it.

He had to.


Cad Bane toggled the lock to the guest room; the door slid open to reveal the new Jedi, standing armed and ready in the center of the room. But Tano and her clone consort were nowhere to be seen, and Bane felt a sliver of suspicion at their absence before observing the closet in the back of the room, with the door shut.

The bounty hunter smirked; looked like Togruta Jedi and the ex-trooper had decided to tie the knot, or at least get some alone-time. Bane shot the second Jedi a sly grin. "Seems they left you out of the fun, eh?"

The Jedi scowled, but made no response. "Well, let's hope they aren't too hungry, in any case."

Bane felt a satisfying amusement at the Jedi's bewildered look, as he produced a flimsiboard carton from a nearby fast food joint; due to a longstanding blackmail job he had pretty much guaranteed free food and drink from the sleazy place. The quality was dismal, but in this business, convenience and anonymity was much more valuable than nutrition.

He tossed the carton onto the table, followed by a pair of bottles of muja juice - past the expiration date, but who gave a damn - before pulling up a stool, and lighting a worn cig'.

The Jedi stood still, clearly unhappy but with a clear note of confusion on his face, as well. Bane returned the stare, but refrained from any further provocations.

He hadn't planned on having a one-on-one with the new boy, but perhaps this would work for the best - if he intended to convey the image of an criminal with old regrets, it might prove effective to try and play the part with this newer, more suspicious twerp, before dropping his bait before the youngling herself.

"So?" he eyed the standing Jedi. "You going to eat or what?"

The young man scowled hard. "What do you want with us?" he demanded. "Why do you have Ahsoka with you?"

No, this wouldn't do. Cad Bane would tell his tale on his own terms, thank you very much. Nonplussed, he cracked open the fast-food carton, retrieving a bit of breaded nerf strips. He turned the container just a bit as he did so, ensuring that as the flap fell shut a good whiff of the oily, meaty scent was sent directly in the direction of the uncooperative Jedi.

Tossing his own the morsel into his mouth, Bane chewed the crusty meat without so much as removing his cig' from his mouth. "That's a complicated question... what answer would you prefer?"

"I want the truth-"

Cad Bane had never seen a Human blush like Derek Sunsetter did at that moment, as the Jedi's stomach announced in no uncertain terms that food, and not a bounty hunter's version of truth, was of the first priority. The look on the Jedi's face was priceless. The greasy, mass produced smell of junk food never failed to touch a young man's heart, it seemed.

"Stuff something down that blowhole of yours first. It'd be a lousy conversation with your belly interrupting us every five minutes." Bane shoved the carton towards the other end of the table, as he swallowed the remaining meat in his mouth.

The Jedi grimaced, his dark brown skin still reddened with embarrassment. "I'm not hungry," he said, lowering his voice like a youngling trying to sound older than his years.

Pathetic, really.

Bane snagged another nugget, flipping the carton closed a little more forcefully this time, giving his stubborn Jedi another dose of junk-food-mind-control. "Seems your gut would beg to differ."

"Just shut the kriff up, would you?" the Jedi muttered, moving to take a seat but ignoring the food.

Bane smirked inwardly. He had him now. Again he reached for another piece of meat, this time leaving the box open, filling the room with the titillating scent of oil, fat and grease, with a rich meaty flavor.

The poor Jedi didn't stand a chance. He glanced around, and when he thought Bane wasn't looking, drew a small nugget into his hand. His hand darted upward, and Bane's dastardly scheme was complete - the scheme involving getting the Jedi to eat something, that is.

"Not so bad, is it?"

The Jedi flushed again, but answered sharply, "I've had better."

"That's answering a different question."

"I don't see how this answers my question," the young man challenged, clearly uninterested in discussing food. "Why do you have Ahsoka with you?"

Bane eased back in his seat, savoring the aftertaste of the cheap meat. This particular Jedi was looking to be a harder warra nut to crack than his female counterpart - his questioning was persistent and focused, and he didn't show any signs of wanting to believe the best, as Tano had. Not that the bounty hunter didn't appreciate a challenge, but too much chewing on hard nuts could break your jaw, and Bane wasn't sure that this particular Padawan was worth the trouble.

But perhaps a few choice words might throw the more skeptical Jedi of the scent.

"I have my reasons," Bane drawled, raising an arm to stretch. "Sometimes a change of pace can do one good, you know. 'Specially when one's employer's gone out of business."

"Your employer is Sidious!" the Jedi snarled in response. "You're still working for him, aren't you?"

"You know more than I do on that count, then," Bane shrugged. "One can only play with rattlers like him for so long; sooner or later you get bit."

"This is about your stupid 'revenge' story you told Ahsoka, isn't it? You don't expect me to believe a word of that, do you?"

"I don't expect much of you of at all, actually. You're conspicuously irrelevant, in fact. You're only alive now because your fellow glowstick-player thought you were worth saving." Bane pushed his seat back, and stood to leave. "My dealings with her have very little to do with your inability to see beyond your own self-importance."

"I'm not interesting in listening to your insults, scum," Sunsetter growled, standing as Bane had. "I'm not falling for any of this kriff, I know your type all too well!"

"Not everyone is as stuck in their own past as you Jedi," Bane muttered, turning towards the door and resettling his hat on his head. "One day you'll understand that."


I guess waiting isn't going to make it any easier.

Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka walked purposefully to Rex's side. She dropped a knee, bringing herself to eye level with him. "Rex," she whispered soothingly. "What is it?" She carefully lowered her left hand over his shoulder. "What's wro-"

His reaction to her comforting gesture took her completely by surprise.

"Leave me," he growled, stiffening his posture but not otherwise moving. His voice was unnatural, almost alien, not spiteful but chilling in its lack of even sorrow or pain. "Leave me!"

Ahsoka drew back, unsettled but still determined to see this through. She hadn't expected this intense of a reaction, but she didn't need to be a clone trooper to understand how shocking it would be to realize an entire war effort had been for nothing - she knew the feeling all too well. But it didn't mean she couldn't try to help him now.

She leaned forward again, placing her hand more firmly over his shoulder cap. "Rex," she began again. "It's not your fault. I know it's hard, and-"

There was a sudden flash of movement; a brief instant of pain. Ahsoka staggered backwards, her mouth agape in shock, her eyes wide in disbelief.

It didn't actually hurt, not that way. Rex had slammed into her with far more force than this, during battle or a rough transport landing.

No, it wasn't the impact of the armored fist against her stomach that hurt her. It was the realization that this was so not like Rex.

This wasn't the loyal friend who had rescued her on Tosste. This wasn't the Captain who would go to any length to keep her safe, who would defend her life and honor even against his own brothers. This wasn't the man she told Derek she trusted.

This wasn't Rex at all.

She stepped back, speechless. Rex didn't even look up; the hand that had sent her stumbling backwards was now back in its former position, as though nothing had happened. Like he didn't care.

She turned, and silently stepped towards the door.

Then she stopped.

Was she going to leave him? Was this the end?

In her mind's eye, she saw the medbay on the Republic frigate; she remembered her strange and twisted nightmare. She saw Rex's worried expression, replaced by one of shock and bewilderment as she said and did things she wished all the galaxy she could take back.

The images and memories that she had tried - without success - to banish from her head came rushing back. She had been just like this, in that moment of weakness. She had been broken and frightened and confused, and had said and done things she never should have. She had treated him disgracefully, and had forced Rex to struggle through a mess he never should have.

She remembered Derek's tragic story of losing his Master, without so much as a goodbye. He had been hurt, too. Even now, despite his stubbornness, he was suffering just like she had. Their prior argument notwithstanding, Ahsoka really didn't want Derek to leave. She understood what he was going through, and she wanted to help him.

Just like Rex had done for her, through much worse circumstances.

Could she leave him now, when he was suffering just has she had? Could she abandon Rex, because he was weak and hurting? Was she going to walk away from him now, after everything he had gone through for her?

Never.

Ahsoka would stick Rex through this fight, whether he liked it or not. She wouldn't make the same mistake she had with Master Skywalker, leaving him to wallow in his troubles alone until they destroyed him. She would see Rex through this, no matter how hard a shell he tried to put between them.

Rexter, you're just going to have to get over it, because I'm not leaving you. Ever.


Author's Note: Removed a lot of extraneous stuff in this chapter - there were several lines that were intended to foreshadow plot developments that I ultimately discarded. Hopefully things are a bit clearer now, particularly between Bane and Derek (basically, they don't really hit it off - surprise :P).

Thanks for reading, and please review if you have a minute. :)