Chapter 47

Rex stood with his arms crossed and provided corrections to 501st and 212th troopers as they ran through a closed-combat-training scenario on the massive hangar deck of the Resolute.

"Nice one, Trapper! Trey, keep going! Longshot, tuck down further and then slide so you get under the shields of the rollies. Radar, stay low, you come up too soon and the tinnies will take your head clear off." He watched and then twisted his lips with a smile. "Kiwi, you had almost had it. Almost. Ghost, very original. Alright, hold up." He slid in amongst the pack of troopers, tucked and rolled, and then released one of his training droid poppers amongst the pack of crates meant to simulate rollies. The move came easily to him. Even though he'd been injured much of the time on Ando, he'd emerged from the ice planet stronger than ever. He backed up and away to make more room for the troopers, indicating with a wave of his hand they should give the move a try. Trapper took over in the lead position, supervising the others.

"Soap!" He shouted to another group of troopers working on advanced blaster handling and strengthening techniques, "hold that move for at least twenty seconds."

Rex headed off across the hanger deck to check on the progress of more troopers, removing his bucket as he walked so he could quickly hydrate. The recycled air in here had gone stale. He missed Ando and the muddy field where they gathered in the pre-dawn to train each morning. The footing was always treacherous and tugged at his knee. The air had a salty tang from the sea, mixed with seaweed, fish and a distinct odor which he could never quite place, (although Sergeant Hok swore and complained daily came from the giant sea reptiles known as Oppees.) Fek. He never thought he'd miss daily the smell of Oppee or Hok's complaining he'd never get the smell out of his nose.

"You have that faraway look on your face again."

Rex startled slightly as Cody stepped into place beside him and joined him on his rounds.

"What?" he stared at Cody, puzzled, and then regretted his quick response, realizing his tone had come out much sharper than he'd intended.

"Rex," Cody said, his voice not that of a friend, but now a full Marshall Commander, "we're headed to the 'Rim. I need to know you are fully back with us."

"I am back." He bristled at the implication he was anything but 100% committed to this mission. He took a half-step closer to Cody, getting in his face. "I made the decision to come back." He jerked his chin back over his shoulder to indicate where the 501st and 212th were training together. "For these men."

Didn't get Cody get it? Were they that different as clones? Rex had been free. He'd established a good life for himself. No clone got a second chance at life.

But, he gave all of that up to come back. He would see this campaign through to the end, wherever it took him. He stepped even closer, staring Cody down, irked his brother would even question his commitment. He needed Cody to see in his face and his body language he was not going to waver.

"Alright, then," Cody nodded with satisfaction, staring Rex down. He didn't release his gaze for a long moment. "That's the Rex I know."

General Kenobi came up behind them, startling them both. His approach had been completely silent. The two command clones quickly stepped back from each other.

General Kenobi's posture was relaxed and he looked bemused. "You two seem to be having a rather intense discussion. Care to share?"

Cody gave his General a respectful nod of greeting. "Rex and I were discussing... strategy."

"Ah, I see," the General's voice had taken on the patient tone it did when he noticed something going on, but chose not to get involved. He made a gesture the command clones should walk with him. "The men seemed to have picked up some interesting new fighting techniques."

Together, they walked over to observe a group of 501st and 212th who were engaged in hand-to-hand combat, mixed with martial arts styles, led by Blast, a shinie who'd been rescued in the dungeons of Darkknell by the troopers of Ando. Blast had eagerly offered to lead training his training group this morning, saying he had an 'idea for a new drill' he wanted to try with the group.

The General folded his arm and studied the group. "I can't even begin to describe what they are doing, but I thought as military men you could shed some light on what they are doing and where they may have picked up some of these unusual tactics?"

Rex cocked his head to the side to observe Blast's group. His eyes widened as realization sank in. This was a training move Travis had done with the troopers on Ando time and again. It was a classic Marine Corps training move. But, where would Blast have seen-

Ah. The piece suddenly clicked into place.

The General was looking over at him expectantly, patiently awaiting an answer. "Ah, yes, well, we've decided to improve our training drills by cross-training the troopers, sir. Incorporating more training techniques inspired by troopers from other Legions. It is a 'best-of-the-best' approach. We don't know what we will be facing. So, only by pulling from the best fighting techniques from other clone Legions can we hope to win in the outer Rim."

The General studied Rex with his piercing blue gaze. Rex met his gaze evenly, pulling his shoulders back to stand as much as he could in a straight posture. It was an unconscious habit, something he did when he was slightly uncomfortable. "I see," the General said, although Rex had felt the General had looked straight into his soul when he stared him down. Gah. What had he seen? He was never sure with General Kenobi. He had a good handle on General Skywalker, but General Kenobi was something different altogether. The General stroked his chin thoughtfully in the manner he did when he was mulling something over. "Is this best of the Legions approach going to be our new training norm from now on?"

Now both Cody and the General were staring at Rex expectantly?

Eh... Rex's mind was racing, thinking back to all of the icy morning drills on Ando. He'd missed some of those drills due to his knee surgery. Gah. But, Travis and Catcher had briefed him on everything they'd done to keep him from going mad from boredom and he'd still been involved in all of the planning. Could he take what had been done for 100 troopers and expand it out to four Legions?

A sense of panic started to overwhelm him at the enormity of the task.

And, then it was immediately replaced with the sense of calm Ahsoka had taught him.

Breathe. Just breathe.

Of course he could do it.

He may not have the 100 troopers of Ando with their enormous wealth of knowledge, but he would have all of the knowledge of the troopers in the 501st, the 212th, and now the Wolfpack, and Pond's and Mace's forces. He was never alone in anything he did when he had his brothers with him.

"Yes, sir," Rex said, his voice steady and confident. "we will work as a team and continuously draft up best-of-training plans en-route. I especially think the Wolfpack can be helpful in this training approach." He nodded to Cody. "If Commander Cody approves, of course."

"Very good, I'll inform Anakin. Well done, Rex."

Rex gave the General a respectful nod. "Thank you, sir." He looked around the hangar bay. "Sir, where is General Skywalker?"

"Anakin commed earlier to say he's been delayed."

Ah, of course. Another 'meeting.' All for the best. With the Outer Rim sieges, it would be a long time before he would get to have a meeting again. It was all for the best. The General was always happier after his Senate meetings.

"Very good, sir."

"Carry on, then," General Kenobi made his way back out of the hangar, stopping to briefly offer words of encouragement to troopers.

"That's the plan?" Cody questioned, once the General was out of earshot.

"Sorry, Cody, I should have discussed it with you first."

"How long have you been working on this plan?" Cody's tone made it clear he wasn't angry. Rex had caught him off-guard.

Rex couldn't say he made it up on the spot. And, the truth was, he'd been cross-training troopers from across Legions for two months. Cody had seen them and fought with them. But, they couldn't discuss the troopers of Ando, or what had gone down at Darkknell. Not anymore. They'd agree the topic was off-limits. Now. And, for always.

Cody huffed lightly with amusement and clapped Rex on the pauldron. "It's tactically brilliant. Best way to train four Legions together, and give us an edge as we head out to the 'Rim."

Rex nodded and took a deep breath. And suddenly, Ando didn't seem so far away anymore. And, the stale recycled air seemed a bit more like home again.

# # #

Appo wasn't exactly sure what the fek had just happened there. Why would he be called dirtside to deal with a flimsi mix-up?

Something was definitely off about the whole situation. But, he couldn't pin it down. He didn't trust ARC Trooper Fives. He seemed slippery somehow. And, he was sure he didn't like him. This wasn't unusual. Since his promotion, he was sure the majority of the Legion didn't like him. The disastrous loss and subsequent imprisonment at Darkknell had likely changed those feelings from "not liking" into downright loathing. He would be lucky if one of his own troopers didn't take a blaster to his back.

He removed his bucket and scrubbed at his face, staring at the yawning view of the stars as they left the atmosphere of Coruscant. He'd discussed the situation at length with Commander Tano. She'd assured him the loss at Kaz'haria was not his fault.

Maybe I should request a transfer.

It would be easier on everyone. Me. The troopers don't want me as their commander. They want Rex. Not me. I deserve this promotion. I always follow orders.

Unlike Rex. Yet, the men want to follow him. They give him their loyalty. Their friendship.

The Resolute came into view, like a gleaming jewel in space, docked next to the Negotiator, and the flagships of Wolffe and Windu.

Something hardened inside Appo.

He was not quitting. He did not need to be liked. He didn't need their friendship. They just had to follow orders. All of them. Especially Rex.

He was the commander.

# # #

A/N: Hello! It's been hard to get words out these past two weeks. In the beginning, the distraction came from a happy source. I officiated the wedding of "GloryBlaz," who created all of the art you have seen for Rex I and Rex II. It was a joyous event and just squeaked in before COVID-19 took over California and shut everything down. Since then, it's been a bit hard to focus on writing since there are so many unknowns. There is a sense of unreality, and it is always a feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. But, writing this story is a good distraction and I hope reading it eases your mind for a bit. I've had a couple of readers ask about Ando. And, yes, I will be continuing on with the sequel story. However, these new chapters will NOT be uploaded until all chapters of Rex II have been uploaded. There will be continued references in this story to the characters and happenings of Ando.

Also, the reference to Anakin's Senate meetings is inspired by the recent scene on Clone Wars "A Distant Echo." This scene is a wonderful addition compared to the unfinished version of this arc and adds a great deal to the relationship between Rex and Anakin, and Anakin and Obi-Wan.

A huge thank you to my dear friend, Sue, for reading over this chapter and providing feedback on clone names. Yes, there was a clone named Soap in the dungeons of Darkknell. As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and feedback. Rex says: "Stay safe troopers!"