DISCLAIMER:I only own my OC's every other character is owned by Disney, Lucas and everyone else who has ever written anything for Star Wars. This is for entertainment only. My own and anyone who cares to read it.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

"You sure about this?" Essie was checking again. Ana counted to ten before she responded."Yes, I am." She appreciated her Aunts more now; she understood that they worried about her and the last time they had let her go her own way that had caused her some heartache. They knew they couldn't stop her now. There had been a few rocky years before but since Rex…..

It always came back to him, perhaps it always will.

"It's nothing romantic, not like Rex, but we get on well; the girls are great and they need somewhere to stay. There's nothing free in town is there, or likely to be?"

"No." Huffed Essie.

"So, it's sorted. We can cope for the moment and then the girls can have bigger bedrooms. When all the works are done."

"Can you afford it?"

"Dad left me quite well off and I spend very little; it just keeps accumulating."

"And you've made your mind up." Tula's voice came from the kitchen.

"Yes."

"I told you Essie." Tula gloated, still from the kitchen.

.

The clump of the bottle on the table, disturbed Rex from his memories.

Kriffing Jedi could always creep up on you.

"If that's what I think it is, I hope it's a good year."

"Best Toydarian Whisky." Kanan pushed the bottle towards Rex, who picked it up and checked the date.

"Hmmm. Is this an apology then?"

He looked at Kanan expectantly.

"I thought I had already done that when I saved your….shebs?" Kanan quipped back. Rex roared a laugh that made the rest of the patrons of this 'unregulated bar' look over to their table. Kanan sniggered.

"So what do you want to know about me, Master Jedi?"

Rex leaned back in his chair.

"Don't start that, I'm not a Master and haven't been a Jedi in years." Having got that off his chest, Kanan continued. "I know from Ahsoka some of what happened on Mandalore, but then she lost track of you."

Rex took a deep breath and leant further back in his chair, balancing it on two legs, "It's a long story."

"I've got plenty of time and a whole bottle."

Rex smiled in reply, leaned forward and poured himself a shot.

"Initially, I tried to keep away from the main industrialised planets and headed for the outer rim, keeping as far as possible away from the Empire."

Kanan nodded it sounded much like he had done, although he had always found work in the industrialised areas, for a while, when he cut himself off from the force. Pre Hera.

Rex would have had a different problem, his face. Every Stormtrooper would recognise him anywhere, everywhere?

"Found a bit of work on Bracca first, as a scrapper but that didn't last too long, as the Empire soon found its way there; some young Padawan they were tracking." Rex took a sip of the whisky he had poured.

"Then I tried some of the agricultural planets, Anobis was one, but you never knew which side was which, Empire or not. Some of the farmers were definitely anti Empire but when one of them realised I was a clone…. It got ugly."

Rex sipped more whisky.

"This gets better the more you have; a bit like…".

But Kanan had gone quiet, swirling his drink around, observing the patterns it made in his glass. Rex watched him; this young man had had his problems as well.

"So what happened to you?" Maybe Rex was pushing it but he wanted to find out what his clone brothers had done to the young man sitting opposite him, chips or no chips. It was a lot to forgive, some one trying to kill you and the person who was effectively your parent.

Kanan looked up, "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. Who tried to execute you?"

Kanan sighed, but he supposed it would be better, if all this was out in the open; he had only intended to find out more about Rex. "We were on Kaller, just before the Purge." He dredged his memories up, the ones that normally only surfaced in his dreams; the ones he had kept down with alcohol, at one time "Republic forces were victorious, the Separatist forces under Devaronian General Kleeve, were on the run and the planet surrendered to the Republic."

Rex watched Kanan closely, he had seen that look on his brothers faces, just as they had seen it on his own.

"Afterwards, we sat, my master, Commander Grey and Captain Styles, around a bonfire. I liked them Rex, I really liked them, all the clones, although they teased me about how many questions I asked."

Kanan swallowed the rest of his whisky.

"Order 66 came through to Commander Grey. But we knew already, my master and I, we felt the slaughter of the Jedi throughout the Force, and then they turned on us." He looked at Rex at that point.

"I didn't know Grey or Styles but you do know they had no choice." Rex reminded him of the chips, "I had to fight off my own men to help Ahsoka."

Kanan's mouth dropped open but he did not speak.

"Go on." Prompted Rex.

"Billaba ordered me to run, but I froze and watched her kill Kaylon, Remo and Mixx in self-defence. These were my friends. I finally had to take down Soot and Big-Mouth, when Styles and Grey ordered us to be surrounded."

Kanan couldn't stop now; he was talking to someone who understood, who had been in the same situation but on a different planet.

"My master urged me to run saying she would be right behind me — it was the one and only lie she ever told me."

The memory was burnt into his mind.

"I ran into the woods and watched, as she was killed by Commander Grey's blaster fire. I swore then I wouldn't get close to anyone else again."

Rex nodded, he knew that feeling. They both sat in silence taking occasional sips of the whisky. It was starting to warm them through, although Kanan appeared to have run out of words, for the moment. Rex filled in the silence himself.

"I finally found Gregor on Abafar, he'd just smashed up a bar and diner, taken on all comers and was about to kill its owner. I managed to stop him in time, before the local Imperials arrested him."

"Why?"

"Why stop him? or why was he wanting to kill the owner?"

Rex gave him the look. The 'be more specific, remember I invented emergency protocols' look. Kanan caught on.

"Why did he want to kill the owner?"

"The owner was, Borkus, a Sullastan, and although he knew Gregor was a clone soldier, he had him work as a dishwasher for nothing more than food and board, if you could call it that. This was while he was ill after suffering a head injury and losing his memory. He used him and Gregor was getting some pay back." Rex didn't mention that Gregor had gone back to look for the woman that had helped him get back to the Republic but the Imperials had got there first; after Borkus had spoken to them. But that was Gregor's story to tell.

The makeshift bar was almost empty now; just the two of them plus a couple of stragglers finishing the dregs of their cups.

"My Master's sacrifice gave me enough time to hide and wait for the….your….the clones to pass by. They were searching for me everywhere; I couldn't sleep and ate out of dumpsters. I was fourteen."

"I was thirteen when Order 66 was issued." Rex declared.

Kanan stared at his friend; he had forgotten the clones had accelerated ageing and the man in front of him was 29 years old give or take a few months. He was as much a victim as the Jedi.

"Wolffe was on Fedje, a Forest world, he was no better than Gregor, convinced rogue Jedi were after him and he used the forests to hide in, then Jesse found us."

Kanan looked up, "There's another one."

Rex's eyebrow raised a notch, "There were a lot of us around at one time."

"Where's Jesse...now?"

"Looking for another brother."

Kanan put his head in his hands.

Rex changed the subject, "So when did you meet Hera?"

Kanan's head shot up, "Why?"

"Why not, I thought we were bonding?" Rex smirked and took another sip; it really was good Whiskey although he preferred the more rounded flavour of a good Corellian brandy.

"Cynda."

"And?"

"And what?"

"How long was it before you realised you were in love with her?"

"What?"

"You're not going to tell me you're deaf, are you?"

"What?"

"Keep…..up…..Kanan. I…..can…..see…that….."

"Okay. okay. What was the question?"

"You heard me." Rex rolled his eyes, he wasn't being sidetracked on this.

"About two weeks after I met her."

"And Hera, she's in love with you too?" Rex had found it difficult to decide with the Captain, she kept her body language well under control. Kanan had been easy to read.

"She's never really said."

"What?"

"Don't tell me you've gone deaf Rex?"

Kanan got the ten second stare back but it was lost on him.

"Ana told me several times, though not in so many words, but when she was ill, she actually said it. I think she thought she was going to die…I thought she was going to die." He finished.

"Who's Ana?" Kanan perked up this snippet of information; the good captain had let something out and it suddenly became very interesting.

Rex realised he had said more than he intended; that the whisky was probably stronger than he thought. Trust a Jedi.

"Someone I met on Seelos. We were together for a while."

"And…..?" Kanan was not letting go of this.

"It didn't work out."

"Why?"

"It wasn't for me."

"Buddy! Why not? Hell if you find someone special you need to stick with them. Why do you think I'm here? Can't stand all those regs and codes and procedures. I'm only here because Hera is." Then he slumped.

Rex had his reasons; he'd tell Kanan one day.

"Come on Gen…. lad; I think we've had enough."

They stumbled their way back to the Ghost.

.

"Ana, you can't; it's too generous. It's too much."

"I can because I can't repay you in any other way for saving my life?"

"There's no need, I think of you as family."

"There you are then. You're welcome to stay as long as you want, with family, until something comes free in town; although that doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Yes."

Jay looked at his unexpected benefactor; he hadn't looked forward to trying to work out some accommodation for his family, or splitting them up, after he realised there was very little spare housing in Lonlea. He'd got himself an office with living quarters but that was only sufficient for a single man; it would have been too overcrowded with the girls. But he knew that he really needed to get them away from the capital and the encroaching Empire.

He owed Ana now.