A/N: It is the tenth anniversary of Clone Wars and the tenth anniversary of "Whatever Happened to Captain Rex?" I updated my profile so you know where I've been during my absence away from this story. Many thanks to those who sent PMs to prompt me to update the story, especially Huntsman who worked for the past year with me on the outline and wrote Kenobi's speech before the Council.

Chapter 45

"Are you sure you can walk, Echo? Maybe we could get you a hoverchair or a gravcart or-"

"Fek, Fives, I'm alright. Whatever it was that made me sick is leaving my system, and fast."

Sly led the way through the basement corridors at a fast clip toward the nearest entrance to the street. "Hurry up, you two, before we become permanent residents of this place."

Fives didn't comment. Nobody became permanent residents of ArmyMed. He'd seen that first hand with Boomer. It was why Rex was so worried about Echo being treated in the facility. Troopers who didn't heal on schedule were sent away. Never to be seen again.

But, not Echo. He glanced over at his brother, dressed now in one of the medics' outfits they'd discarded when he and Kix had re-donned their armor. He had a light sheen of sweat on his face, but he was moving determinedly along the corridor on his power. His inner strength was amazing.

They reached the door to the street level. Sly palmed the door controls and they emerged into the crowded Coruscant street. Fives looked at him in confusion, as the door started to automatically slide shut. Fives jammed his foot so it would temporarily trip the sensor to give Sly another second to pass back through to the interior. "You need to go back in."

"Move your foot, Fives."

Fives shook his head. "Sly, we're grateful for all you've done, but you can't be AWOL from your assigned posting-"

"I know the consequences," Sly made direct eye contact with both Fives and Echo, "and I know exactly what they do to clones. But, when I said I was in with you, there was no turning back. I received an alert Med Security was on their way down to investigate the activity on the isolation floor. We need to clear this area." He shoved Fives in the shoulder, forcing his foot out of the door.

The door slid shut, closing off any possibility Sly could get back into the facility without detection.

"Fek," Echo muttered. "That's it, then."

Sly took off at a fast clip down the alleyway and none of them spoke until they reached a main thoroughfare, effectively hiding in the crowds.

Fives pulled them back into the overhang of an ornate facade for the Coruscanti Republic Bank. He turned to Sly. "Where will you go now?"

"I said I'm with you," Sly said stubbornly.

Fives considered this a moment and looked at Echo who raised up an eyebrow. "I guess he's with us, now, then."

"Alright," he said after a long moment. "I guess you are, then." He indicated they should continue walking, but slung an arm around Sly's shoulders. "Welcome to the 501st, vod."

Echo huffed lightly with amusement. "I think he'll fit right in. But... question... isn't Appo still more or less in charge of the Legion now?"

Fives waved his hand dismissively. "Technicalities. If we need to, we can smuggle him aboard ship."

"The ship?" Sly asked, his voice betraying a slight nervousness.

"We're about to deploy," Fives said. "you're going to see some action."

Sly glanced back at the looming shadow of ArmyMed behind them. He wasn't going to deny the thought of heading to... wherever the fek these guys were going terrified him. But, he didn't have much of a choice. And, Fives was no longer calling him a shinie, so that was something.

# # #

Captain Ko stared at the faces of the 212th troopers lined up in row after orderly row awaiting inspection by Commander Cody. He was thrilled to be back in training. They'd been idle too long as they sat in the barracks. Troopers were not meant to sit around.

Commander Cody had returned from his briefing and announced they were returning to the Negotiator, and the 501st troopers would be returning immediately to the Resolute. Troop transports had arrived soon after and within an hour the Coruscant barracks were empty.

He shifted his shoulders in his new armor and blinked to make an adjustment on his new bucket. His helmet had arrived late. Some snafu with shipping from HQ. But, their quartermaster had straightened it out, and delivered his kit before they'd shipped out. He'd even had a chance to throw a bit of 212th Attack Battalion orange on it to make it look more presentable.

It still didn't feel like his old bucket, but it would do. He noticed many of his troopers were shifting slightly. Normally, he would bark at them for the slightest breaking of the ranks during inspection, but he let it go. They were all adjusting to the new armor. And fek, they'd been through so much just to get here.

He was fiercely proud of the 212th Legion. The odds of surviving Darkknell had been slim, yet he was surrounded here by survivors. The toughest of the tough. They had received no replacement troopers for this mission to the Outer Rim sieges, although they would be supplemented by the other Legions.

They'd been blown lured into a trap on Darkknell, blown up by a minefield and captured by Kaz'harians. Many of those who had been in the initial med evac had been shot down out of the sky.

Buckets on, or buckets off, he knew every face here. He knew them all. They'd survived so much in the dark shadowy prison cells of Darkknell, whispering back and forth, trying time and again to figure out how to escape. All of their attempts were met with failure. Their captors were brutally strong and impressively shrewd, but they never gave up hope. Interestingly enough, most of their prison guards were not overly cruel. It was only in the end they learned the majority of the Kaz'harians were not there by choice. They were following a mad leader and once he'd been eliminated by Commander Tano, they disappeared back to their villages in the jungle.

The prison had been a place of dark shadows. But, Ko had learned war was not black and white. It was all shades of grey.

So what did that mean for following orders?

Good soldiers follow orders.

He shook his head. His head buzzed slightly and tingled. He wondered if there was something wrong with his new kit. After it arrived late. Fek. He had no time for equipment failures now. They had an inspection to finish and then a full day of training. Orders had come down from the highest authority. They were on a very tight schedule to get the troops in shape before they shipped out for the 'Rim.

The tingly feeling persisted in his head to the point of being painful. Ow.

Maybe he should ask Keen or Cavil-

Fek. They were both dead. Lost at Darkknell. He glanced up down the line. They were heading into this battle short on medics, having lost both their chief medics. They still had Digger and Glitch, though. He made a mental note to talk to Cody about promoting the junior medics upwards to replace the troopers lost in the battle.

Good troopers follow-

Fek. I know-

Gah!

He shook his head again, trying to clear the persistent buzzing.

"Everything alright, Ko?"

Cody's voice startled him.

"Hello, Commander. Yes, just a bit of a headache is all." He walked in place next to Cody and started walking the line.

"Maybe when we finish here you can-"

"I said I'm fine," Ko bit his lip. Fek. That was downright insolent. "Sorry, Cody. I'm alright, though. I just want get back to work."

"Alright," Cody said, as they walked up and down each line inspecting each and every trooper. "You'll train with me today, then."

Ko nodded. Fair enough. He was sure his headache would improve.

But, it didn't. By the time they finished the inspection and separated the men out into teams for training groups, he couldn't think for the pain in his head. But, it was alright. The explosion in Kaz'haria had snapped the bones in his wrist breaking the radius, ulna and humerus, rendering it useless. He'd still fought on, using his one hand, battling Kaz'harians, until he'd been finally captured with the others and forced to surrender.

If he could make it through the Battle of Kaz'haria, he would survive a simple headache.

# # #

# # #

A/N: I will be at the "Clone Wars" screening today at Lucasfilm watching the Bad Batch arc with a bunch of buddies from the 501st Legion, (a Star Wars costuming fan group.) I'm excited to watch the new episode. What did you think of the new episode? Curious to your thoughts in a PM.

There are references in this chapter to some of the revisions in Chapters 1-44.