Yes, I'm alive! and I'm still working on this story (through all my other stuff...)
This starts off another short kinda arc in which... something happens. Something I promised by the beginning =P

Same old same old...
Read, review and enjoy ^^

Chapter 37

Rex was just getting to the mess hall for something real to eat, when his comm. link buzzed to life. With a sigh, the blonde answered and was surprised a bit.

"Rex, get to the bridge right now!" Skywalker called, but he sounded… strange. Very un-Anakin like and frantic for some reason. Skipping the meal all together, the Captain made his way to the bridge as he was told.

"Sir?" the 'king' said as he entered, seeing the General pace around the bridge and look very much in thought. At least until the cloned brought him out of it.

"Good, you're here. Get ready, we're heading out," the Jedi spoke quickly.

"Where to?" the trooper was still confused as to what was wrong with the Padawan.

"Nar Shaddaa," was the answer and it made the blonde rethink what was wrong with his superior.

"Sir, why there? It's quite a while from our current location and there are no Separatists there as far as we know," Anakin looked at him with sharp turn of his head.

"We… got a distress call. From there. That's why," Skywalker was clearly trying to come up with an excuse and was failing. It also helped Rex had known and worked with him long enough to see through that kind of Bantha Fodder.

"If you say so sir… I'll gather up some men, tell them where we're off and-," before the Captain could finish, the General spoke again.

"No, no one else is going. It's just you and me," at that, the blonde had to blink. Just what was going on? Why was the man acting like this?

"Sir is that wise?" the Captain still had no real idea what the mission was, so he couldn't say for sure.

"Yes. Now get ready – we leave in a few minutes."

Rex and Anakin were walking in the hanger as the clones there looked at the two. Appo even walked up to the Captain, asking what was happening.

"I'm not sure," the blonde answered, seeing the General getting a ship prepared. It wasn't a gunship or the man's own interceptor but a transport one.

"We'll be gone for a bit. Until we get back, you're in charge Appo," he added, setting a hand on the Sergeants shoulder, looking him in the eyes.

"What? Are you sure? What if something happens?"

"Nothing should happen. We're currently nowhere near any Separatist space. The General also contacted the others, so you shouldn't be getting any calls. Just… don't blow anything up, okay?" the Captain explained in short and managed to get a nod from Appo.

"Good. I'm counting on you."

"Rex, come on! We're ready to head off!"

"Yes sir!" with a final look at the new-in-command, the 'king' walked up to the ship and boarded before the ramp closed and the whole thing started to fly.

Rex was a bit uncomfortable in the small cockpit of the ship. He hasn't really flown this way other than a few simulations back on Kamino, but sat down next to the General none the less.

"Prepare for light speed," the Jedi said, pressing a few buttons while the Captain looked at the controls, trying to remember how it all went.

"The green one there, the red one above it and then all three to the left," the clone quickly pressed as the brunette told him, feeling the urgency in his voice.

"All set?" Rex asked, looking at the man.

"A few more minutes yes," Skywalker answered and then Rex's comm. linked beeped.

"This is Rex, go ahead-,"

"Rex! Where the kriff are you going?!"

"Turm, calm down… Appo is in charge until I get back."

"I don't care 'bout that! You're going – alone!"

"I'm not alone. General Skywalker is here as well."

"Wait, what?! The two highest ranking officers here are going off on a mission together?"

"Pion, please, stop-,"

"Captain, I'm so sorry! I tried to stop them, but they managed to get to comm. still…"

"I'm sure you did your best Appo," the blonde saw the higher in command was about ready and prepared some last words.

"Remember – Appo is in charge. Keep the men out of trouble. Don't blow anything up. Don't lose the ship. Don't kill anyone. And whatever you do, don't tear the ship apart."

"Can't promise anything," before the 'king' could add anything else, the bird he was in started moving forward at high speed and space seemed to blur all together as they entered hyperspace.

"Hang on tight," Anakin added just before they warped out of the current space and into the next. The blonde held on tight to the chair, feeling uneasy and even scared.

"Don't worry, it's safe," the General assured, seeing the Captain hold on to dear life.

"Sir, why are we going to Nar Shaddaa?" Rex asked, relaxing ever so slightly in the chair. He even set his helmet down so he could rub his face.

"I told you – we got a distress call," Skywalker answered, his eyes locked ahead of himself.

"From whom?" the blonde really didn't fancy going in blind – especially to a place where the Hutts live and control everything.

"…An important person…" the man's voice was strained a bit as his grip on the controls tightened.

"Sir, it's clear that this is personal, but please, tell me. I can't help or be prepared if I don't know what we're getting into," Rex urged on.

"…" Anakin was clearly debating if he should tell as his face reflected the conflict.

"It's…" he started but stopped himself, closing his eyes for a second.

"I won't tell anyone sir, no matter what," the clone knew Jedi were forbidden of having attachments and had to conceal their feelings, but he also knew Anakin was a different kind of Jedi.

"…For, some stranger reason, I really believe you," Skywalker gave a humorless chuckle. Of course a clone wouldn't tell – they were meant to serve under their Generals. But he really did believe Rex wouldn't tell, no matter what happened.

"It's Senator Padme Amidala. She went to Nar Shaddaa to negotiate with the Hutts, and that went well, but was captured by some scum. They want use her for… something, I don't know, but she managed to get a communication to me before they cut off her signal," the General explained in short, his eyes flickering to the Captain.

"Senator Amidala? I've heard about her on the holo vids… Supposedly she's against fighting the Separatists," Rex said in thought, a finger on his chin.

"She is," the Jedi said affirmatively.

"…But how did she manage to contact you of all people? And from such a distance?"

"…" when Skywalker didn't answer, the 'king' didn't ask again. He had already told more than Rex ever expected – he wouldn't pressure him again.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"No, not that I believe. And that's good. The fewer people involved, the greater chance of success," the ship started to slow down as they began to exit hyperspace.

They could now see Nar Shaddaa from space. It was a moon but seemed more like a planet – it had many nicknames, but the one Rex knew it best was "Little Coruscant" and he finally saw why. Its surface was entirely overgrown with a city. But unlike Coruscant—which was only relatively rundown and dangerous on the lower and under levels of the world city—Nar Shaddaa was filthy, polluted, and infested with crime everywhere.

"And here we are…" Anakin mumbled, a frown on his face. "We better be careful around here. You never know when someone might-!" before the Jedi could finish, something hit the ship hard, getting it to shake.

"Spoke too soon," Skywalker grumbled, seeing three ships close in on his. They were already blasting again as the man speed it up to get out of the fire.

"They're hot on our tail sir. What do we do?" Rex was skimming over the controls, his bucket back on his head as he looked at the higher in command.

"We take them out. These guys probably want to blow us up and take what's left. Scavengers. We won't be safe until we get rid of them," the Padawan explained, avoiding the blaster fire.

"Can you shoot?" he asked, looking at the clone who nodded.

"Good. Take the cannons and hold on tight," a grin was on the flyman's face as Rex moved to the cannon controls and prepared to shoot. If couldn't be that right? That was quickly proven wrong when Skywalker started flying like a crazy man, leaning the ship to one side and then the other. The blonde almost got thrown around, never being in this kind of simulation before.

"Get ready!" Anakin called and spun the ship around, getting the clone a perfect chance.

"Got them," he said back, firing off the cannons and hitting one of the ships dead square, blowing it up to bits. He was already shooting the second one when the General moved the ship again, but kept a good sight on the enemy.

"One's heading to the front," Rex called, seeing the third one fly over the ship.

"Big mistake," Anakin grinned, waiting to see the ship before using his own cannon blasters to destroy it and moved away from the remains.

"Last one?" Skywalker asked, still seeing the blaster fire missing.

"I can't get a good shot," the cloned grumbled, trying to blast it, but was too fast.

"Hold on tight then!" the pilot increased the speed and, after a minute of evading, did a barrel roll. Rex was feeling a bit sick, but managed to fire none the less and hit the underside of the ship from the upside down position, taking it out. When their ship was back to normal flying, the Captain just slumbered back into the seat, letting out a long sigh.

"What, that wasn't so bad," Skywalker teased, knowing the clone was likely feeling nauseous.

"It was crazy…" the 'king' admitted, but smiled under the helmet. The man should meet Lander – he was sure they'd get along fine.

"Well, it sure isn't something you did in training, right?"

"Never… Maybe a few pilot clones, but personally, it was a first for me."

"Really? Because your shooting was spot on."

"I learn to improvise and adapt to the situation," the two looked at each other.

"I guess that's something we have in common," Anakin grinned and turned back to space.

"It would seem so, sir."

"Before we go anywhere…" Anakin mumbled as he set the ship to autopilot the landing. He looked at Rex who looked back before looking at himself.

"That white and blue armor will get us both killed," he said in a joking manner.

"…" the blonde didn't know what to say. He always wore the armor – always! Not only would he feel strange and probably naked without it, but what else could he wear?

"You can use my cloak to cover yourself until we get to the nearest shop. Then we're getting you a change of clothes. But the armor stays here," the General added, taking the cloak he had on the seat.

"Also, no helmet," the Jedi tapped his head and could swear he felt Rex wince.

"Don't worry, it'll all be here when we get back," okay so maybe Skywalker was enjoying this a bit too much. He's never seen a clone in anything a civilian would wear.

"At least the cloak will cover my face… I'm pretty sure anyone would recognize me," the clone sighed and started to remove the armor. He only kept on the boots.

"See, you're learning! Now c'mon," the ship had landed and the two walked out.

Cut! Yeah, not really the best thing after waiting so long but - I think I did okay. More to come when I pull an allnighter next time... so much to do...
ANYWAY! Give me your prediction for what's going to happen (since it's Skywalker, anything can, but still.)

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed (and ignore the major delay...) If you did like it, tell me! I love hearing from my readers! =D
Till next time~