Chapter Thirty-Seven
Rex was seated in the Corrie barracks with Ahsoka, Fives, Kix and Tup when Jesse barreled into the room, his limbs moving almost too quickly for the rest of him to catch up while he held his comm aloft like a trophy. The moment he entered the doorway, the troopers and the Jedi, who'd been engaged in a game of sabacc at one of the rounded tables, looked up to see the tattooed clone's face alight with joy.
"General Kenobi did it," he exclaimed, his voice breathless. "On Utapau...he killed Grievous! The head clanker's finally dead!"
Just prior to this, there had been a spurt of raucous laughter – everyone was between missions and just thankful to be at rest for a moment – but the sound died in an instant at Jesse's words. Rex was the first to react, nearly coming out of his seat as he bolted upright, his heart hammering with the implications if it were really true. "Are you...?"
Jesse gave him a look that would have been knowing had he not been grinning so hard. "Yeah, Cap. I'm sure."
Rex sat back into his chair; the movement was heavy even though something inside of him, something that had been tightly coiled and withdrawn, floated loose, adrift into space.
The War was over.
"Master Obi-Wan..." Ahsoka said, looking at the tattooed clone with wide eyes. "He's okay, right?" Jesse nodded and a look of relief crossed her face. "Thank the Force," she whispered.
"The Seps are being routed by the 212th as we speak," Jesse added, nodding to his comm, and Rex wondered if Cody was alive. Probably...stubborn di'kut was impossible to take down for any length of time. "But I imagine it's just a formality at this point."
Tup whooped with joy, slamming his fist down then leaping up to embrace Jesse, Kix and an amused Ahsoka. As the others celebrated, Fives shot Rex a careful look. They were sitting next to one another, so when Fives spoke it was easy for the captain to hear his words. "What now?"
"I don't know." Shaking his head, Rex cast a glance around the room; it was empty, save for himself and the others. He needed to call Bren, to tell her the news.
The thing inside of him that was drifting free was heading to Alderaan.
Rex knew that he was going to follow.
Around him, the others were laughing and talking, gesticulating wildly in speculation of how the fight with Grievous could have gone, and he didn't know how to break into their joy with his own realization.
It had been a tense week or so after the Corrie battle, after they'd been recalled from the Outer Rim to assist the Coruscant Guard in protecting the city against the Seps; everyone had been pleased when Skywalker and Kenobi had finished Dooku on the head clanker's ship, despite the fact that the battle on-planet had been grim. In many ways, however, it had been like old times, and Ahsoka had led the men of Torrent, "regular" and Spaarti alike, with her usual skill.
"What are we waiting for?" Jesse was saying, glancing around the empty billet. "We need to celebrate!"
Rex missed the others' reply, as in that moment his wristcomm emitted a soft chirrup, the cadence one that he barely recognized. No one else seemed to notice; Ahsoka was on her own comlink, a few steps away from the others, her face lit in an expression of joy as she spoke to the person on the other end – Bonteri, likely. Kix and Tup were still speaking with Jesse, but Fives' eyes had flicked to Rex at the sound of the incoming message. At Rex's gaze, Fives tilted his head in a questioning manner, as his own comm was silent. Rex shrugged, then raised his wrist to activated the transmission.
A blue, glowing figure – a man whose features were shadowed by a hooded cloak, similar to those the Jedi wore – emerged and spoke to him in a voice like boots against wet gravel. "Execute Order 66."
For one moment, all that Rex could do was stare at the image; as he did so, his entire body went still as if he'd even forgotten to breathe. Suddenly time was not moving, and he felt that every second was stretching into eternity even as he could still hear the others laughing in the background. He blinked once in surprise, because somehow he'd gotten to his feet but had no memory of doing so.
Order 66. His fingers were trembling. Absently, he glanced down at his right hand and realized that it was resting on the hilt of his blaster with practiced ease, so he very deliberately deactivated the transmission and hooked his thumbs in his belt, gripping the material harder than he should have. Rex took one deep breath, then another.
Even though he had no memory of learning the contingency order, the soldier in him understood what he was supposed to do. However, the man he'd become found the idea to be unthinkable, especially in light of everything else that he'd experienced.
Rex had no idea if the Jedi Order was truly forming a rebellion against the Republic; he had no idea if they were dangerous as a whole, of if things like brutality and greed were relegated to a few individuals, but he thought that the latter was most likely. Jedi could make mistakes, could be distracted as surely as any non-Jedi. They were mortal: they could be right or wrong, they could be kind or cruel, they could love or hate.
The one thing that he was certain of was that the only Jedi nearby was innocent of any wrongdoing. As surely as he was a Human man who could make his own choices, Ahsoka was his friend and confidante, and he knew that could not gun her down in cold blood.
A similar chirrup nearby alerted him to the fact that Fives was receiving the same message, and he tensed again as he turned to look at the ARC. The others still appeared to take no notice, so Rex leaned over to his brother as the other clone activated the message, watching as his eyes widened and his fingers trembled. Rex put a hand on his gauntlet, obscuring the holo's image. "You're not doing it."
"No, I'm not," Fives replied with a frown. "But..."
Before he could continue, Ahsoka put her comlink away and turned to the clones, who were still laughing happily. A quick mental calculation told Rex that the contingency order would be trickling to them within a few seconds, a fail-safe set in place should an officer not be in the position to transmit the message himself.
Sure enough, the others' comms began to flash in the next instant, and they looked down at their wrists in surprise, for such a transmission was unexpected right now, with the war "over" and everything. Kix reacted first, activating the message to voice-only and listening with a frown to the order that none of them had heard before, but were all familiar with by virtue of the Kaminoans and their painfully thorough training.
But suddenly Rex didn't care about any of that, because a strangled sort of gasp erupted from Ahsoka and she dropped to her knees, her hands clutching at her montrals and her eyes squeezing shut as if trying to block out all external stimuli.
Rex was out of his chair and kneeling at her side in an instant, placing a hand on her shoulder and repeating her name. In response, she gave a wordless groan and he watched as she started to hyperventilate; Rex had only the vaguest idea of how the Force worked, but he knew that Jedi could sense one another's emotions and thoughts sometimes, and if that was the case, Ahsoka was likely being assaulted by the feelings of the deaths of countless other Jedi.
Although Rex had chosen to disobey the order, he was certain that he was in the minority.
Had there been any doubt in his mind that he'd made the wrong decision it dissipated in an instant. As she was, doubled over and almost prone against the floor of the barracks, Ahsoka was helpless against what he imagined to be a crippling onslaught of pain and terror in the Force. She was his friend, she was an innocent, and the soldier within him recognized it as his duty to protect her in any way that he could; had she been Anakin, or Kenobi, or anyone that he'd worked so closely with, his choice would have been the same.
The thought struck him that this would involve getting her out of the barracks and off-planet, and even as his mind raced ahead to think of something, another, darker thought followed swiftly on the heels of the first.
Rex was pummeled by the understanding that if he did this, if he committed what would surely be labeled as treason and sacrificed his own well-being for that of his friend's, he had no way of knowing when he'd see the woman he loved again, if he ever would.
Brenna, he thought, his eyes closing for one moment as his entire body swelled with regret too big to contain within one man. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
But even as despair rested heavy on his shoulders and wrapped around his heart, Brenna's voice slipped into his thoughts. "We take chances every day – some of us more than others, yes – but still...life is one big gamble."
Nothing was certain, nothing was cast in immutable stone. Rex was alive, which meant there was hope, and for that he had to be grateful. He was alive and he was determined to get back to Brenna again, somehow. For that, he had to persevere, even though he didn't want to think about odds right now, stacked as they were against him.
It was his life; it was his choice, and he'd made it.
"Captain?" Kix's voice was soft; Rex looked up and saw that his brothers were standing around him as if waiting to see what he would do before they acted. Fives stood beside him and Ahsoka, almost between them and the rest, his expression guarded.
"What's it going to be, lads?" Rex heard himself say, slowly rising from his crouch beside the Padawan to meet their eyes, one after another. Beneath his armored chest, his heart was beating rather quickly and as he waited for their responses, Rex took another steadying breath to slow the encroaching rush of adrenaline. It was still quiet in the barracks; he wondered how long that would last.
Jesse frowned down at his hand, which held the power-pack to his deece, which was resting on a nearby crate within an arm's reach. With a trembling motion, he set the pack down upon the table and met his captain's eyes. "I think we've all learned that some orders aren't meant to be followed. We're with you, Captain. No matter what."
Beside him, Tup and Kix nodded in agreement, and as he watched them distance themselves from their weapons with varying degrees of difficulty, Rex felt his shoulders relax a fraction.
A soft noise from Ahsoka caught his attention, and when he glanced back at her his heart tightened with pity. His friend looked pale and completely terrified, but he could see that she was attempting to pull herself together even as she murmured something incoherent, then shuddered; her breathing was shallow but growing steadier and she was clenching her jaw, all of which he recognized as signs of someone who was fighting for control.
"Ahsoka, a contingency order has been sent out to all clone troopers, ordering the deaths of the Jedi," he said, kneeling back beside her and touching her shoulder again, hoping to help draw her out of her frightened stupor. "But we're going to get you to safety."
At his words her eyes grew even larger but she still seemed incapable of speech. Behind him, Tup cleared his throat. "The order states that the Jedi are rebelling against the Republic...that's not true, right Commander?"
"No, Tup," Ahsoka managed to reply at last, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. "We...we fought beside you for three years...how could we...why would...?"
Tup's head bowed and he nodded as he replied. There was trepidation in his voice, but Rex couldn't fault the younger clone for his moment of doubt. "I know, Commander. I was just-"
"There's no time for this," Fives said suddenly. "We need to figure out our next step."
Ahsoka's breath hitched as if she was about to start crying, but she worked through it and managed to speak. "Lux," she said after a moment, holding out her comlink in a shaking hand. "He's...here."
It was the comlink that Brenna had provided, forever ago, and Rex bit back another swell of regret as he took the device, though it was mitigated by the fact that he remembered that any transmissions made from the comlink couldn't be traced. Around them, the others exchanged bewildered glances, but Rex took the comlink and activated the code that would call the point to which the last transmission was made.
As he waited for the link he nodded to Tup. "Get by the exit and keep a lookout. Under no circumstances can anyone else come in here."
The younger clone darted off; while Rex waited – was the comm was taking too long, or was it just his agitation making it seem so? – he watched as Kix knelt by Ahsoka and offered a hypo. "It'll calm you down a bit, sir," the medic said in a gentle voice. Her dark lips pursed but she nodded, and after the soft hiss of the spray filled the room he spoke again. "Not enough to slow you down, but enough to let you think clearly, right now."
The link to Bonteri caught, then immediately died. Rex gritted his teeth and tried again, pushing back the increasing knot of terror that was expanding within him with each moment. Jesse and Fives had taken up guard by the door as well, with Tup on the outside; Kix was helping Ahsoka to her feet.
Finally, finally, the link went through and the image of a young man bloomed before Rex; as he'd appeared on Onderon, Lux Bonteri had the bearing of someone who was born to better circumstances than those in which he found himself, but his eyes were filled with fear. They narrowed when Rex appeared, and his tone was wary.
"Captain?"
Rex nodded, but before he could say anything further, Lux Bonteri continued, clearly a hairsbreadth away from panic. "Is Ahsoka hurt? What's going on? There's reports of a Jedi uprising...are you-"
"She's fine," Rex broke in. "But she needs help. Do you have a way off-planet?" Coruscant wasn't safe – he didn't even want to think about the Jedi Temple – and he wondered if anywhere in the galaxy would be truly safe for her, now.
To his credit, Bonteri responded immediately and with surety. "I do, but I'm reluctant to leave my ship unattended – there's been rumors of a planet-wide lockdown on space travel. If I have her with me, though, I'll see that she gets to safety. Can you get her to the Eastport Docking Facility? I'm in Section 75, Bay 67."
"That's not far," Kix murmured. "I think we can manage it."
Rex's mind began working over the route; no, it wasn't far but nor was it as close as he would like. It was not an impossible task, but he had no idea how they would get her there intact.
"Lux," Ahsoka's voice broke Rex out of his thoughts and caused him to look over as she reached out to pluck the comlink from his hand. The blue wash of the holo shaded her face in an otherworldly glow, and despite the fact that he knew her for a warrior, in that moment she looked hopelessly fragile. "We'll be there soon."
Bonteri's eyes widened once she appeared in his field of vision, but the fear fled from his voice when he spoke again, as if seeing her alive, as if knowing that she was okay gave him the strength he needed to keep going. "Okay, 'Soka," he said with a nod. "I'll be here. I...love you. Be careful, okay?"
Her mouth slipped into an odd, half-smile that Rex wondered if she'd picked up from him. "Be careful yourself, Lux. I love you, too."
When the transmission ended, she took a deep, shaking breath, then looked up at Rex. "What about you guys?"
Devoid of the comlink, Rex's hands had dropped to tight fists at his sides as a memory of Umbara crept through his mind again, in the form of Krell's voice. "So...it's treason, then?"
Yes, it was treason, it was desertion, but it was also the right thing to do. Rex released a breath, loosened his hands and shook the memory away as he reoriented his attention back on his friend. As much as he wanted to tell Ahsoka not to worry about him, he knew that he and the others needed a contingency plan of their own if they were to escape this night unharmed, and if he was going to be able to reach Brenna.
Perhaps sensing his turmoil, Ahsoka put a hand on his gauntlet. "Come with me," she whispered, glancing around at the others, all of whom were listening. "Lux and I will give you a ride anywhere...like Alderaan," she added, giving Rex a meaningful look.
Behind them, Fives cleared his throat. "I've got a ride, actually," he said, a faintly sheepish smile on his face. At Rex's lifted brow he clarified. "Marliss and I...she's...we're..." His face reddened and he shifted his feet. "We were planning to go traveling for a while. Together."
Rex felt his eyes widen and Fives grimaced as he added: "It was going to be a surprise."
"Can she get away, now?" Ahsoka said, skipping past the inevitable questions. At Fives' nod, she took another breath and looked at Rex. "Arrest me."
"What?" Jesse's voice was stunned, the sentiment echoed by Tup and Kix, but Rex was quiet, waiting. In his experience, the fact that a Jedi's plans seemed outlandish did not mean that they were without rationality. Usually.
"None of us are going to blend in right now," she pointed out, indicating the clones' armor. "And it's so..." Her face contorted, the mask of calm slipping away for one instant to reveal how stricken she was, then she smoothed it back. "It's chaotic out there. We might have a chance to disappear in plain sight."
As much as Rex didn't want to admit it, she was right; with the Jedi declared as enemies, it was likely that no one would think to question one of them in the hands of a group of clone troopers.
It was a huge risk, to be sure, but he didn't think they had many other options, and Rex was acutely aware of the seconds that were ticking by in his head. He inhaled and thought of Alderaan. Maybe it would work out, after all. The hope was enough to calm him down so that he could put one thought in front of the other and find his composure.
"Okay," he said with a curt nod. "Here's the plan..."
Rex: What's going on? I heard a rumor on the HoloNet that the Jedi have rebelled...but no one seems to know what's really going on. There's even talk of clones marching on the Temple on Coruscant, but I can't tell if Torrent is part of that group or not.
Most comm transmissions seem to be down, at least the ones going to Corrie, so I don't even know if you're getting these, but I hope so. Please let me know as soon as you can. I'm worried about you.
A/N: Gah. I know, I know...another cliffhanger. I promise I'm not doing it to torture you needlessly, but we are approaching the "gripping climax" of the story. ;)
I made some slight changes to the Rex/Lux conversation, as when I first wrote this, he and Lux had not met, as far as I knew. Obviously, that has changed with the Onderon arc, so I wanted to reflect that a bit here.
Please let me know what you thought of the guys' reactions to Order 66. :) It's always an interesting moment to write.
Thank you for reading!
Next time: Rex's plan in action.