The war did not end on Coruscant. It would be another month before control of the galaxy returned to the Republic, with the brief period of civil war coming to an end during the Siege of Kamino. Lama Su and Nala Se, heads of the Jango Fett cloning project, knew they would be charged for treason against the Republic for the chips they helped design, and brainwashed the garrisons on Kamino for their own benefit. It was on Kamino that Commander Doom gave the final sacrifice of the war, holding against innumerable odds long enough for reinforcements from the 212th and 104th to arrive. With the conquering of Kamino, leaders of the Confederacy signed a treaty of surrender to the Republic, and peace was finally restored.

The criminals Lama Su, Nala Se, and Marg Krim were brought to justice for their crimes against the Republic, along with those who followed them. In a twist of fate, while much of Coruscant's surface was razed to little more than rubble, the battle had brought a swift end to some of the most powerful crime syndicates in the galaxy. The Pike Syndicate, Black Sun, and Crimson Dawn collapsed, leaving only the Hutt Clan as a prominent member of the galactic underworld.

Many legions were torn to ribbons in the month-long civil war, forcing the Republic to consider reorganizing their military. Commander Thire, against all odds, survived the Jedi and Sith during their scuffle in the Senate Chamber. While it was a controversy to some, several high ranking members of the tattered Jedi Council believed him the best replacement for Fox, former Captain of the Guard. What remained of the Coruscant Guard was allowed to keep their positions, as their loyalty had always been to the Republic, whose authority now lied with its people rather than a dictator. Portions of the 87th and 117th, Doom's legion, were transferred over to the Guard as a result of their lacking numbers.

When the final signature was written on the Treaty of Surrender for the Confederacy, and the war brought to a close, the entirety of the GAR was ordered back to Coruscant for a short period of hiatus. New emergency elections were being held to fill the hundreds of vacancies in the Senate, wherein their first task would be reorganizing the military to accommodate for a time of peace.

With the whole of the military on Coruscant, celebrations broke out as people began to rebuild, and reflect on a war that had tested everyone's resolve. Still, there was some unfinished business to attend. Several clone commanders, despite having their chips removed, were incarcerated for the serious war crimes committed during the brief period of civil war. Before they could be returned to the army, it was Commander Rex's job to ensure they would not be a threat to anyone else.

#

"Why'd you do it?" was the only question Rex could think to ask while he stood there, helmet removed as he looked toward the accused.

"You know why, Rex," came the voice of Commander Bly, who sat in his cell with a hand over his face. His hair was cut short, and yellow tattoos rested on his cheeks.

"You know it's not just about her!" Rex abruptly snapped. He then sighed, and leaned back as he put a hand to his forehead. "This isn't just about what happened with Secura. Your men broke every rule of engagement, snaring troopers in ballistic traps and gunning down entire towns to keep our supply lines thin."

Bly shrugged, his arms falling to his lap as he reflected on what he and his men had done. "We never saw Coruscant after the first year of the war, Rex. We were always moving, always fighting, and not just against the Separatists. My men had to brave the toughest, most disturbing creatures in the galaxy on worlds like Felucia. It… changed them. It changed me."

"You were told about the chips by Yoda, weren't you?"

"That's beside the point."

"It's exactly the point!" Rex shouted. "You knew, and you did nothing."

"There was nowhere to remove them from!" Bly shot up from his seat as he roared in defense of himself. "Even if I'd removed my chip, I would've simply been another casualty of the war."

Rex shook his head. "We all have a choice, Bly, and it seems you made yours." He turned to walk out of the room, when the man called out again.

"I cared about her, Rex!" Bly pleaded. "Aayla was my friend. I didn't…" he began to say, when his eyes watered. He was quick to wipe away at his eyes, and a stern look returned to his face. "But… I had a duty, above all else. We all did. The mission has always been what drives me, what keeps me going, even in the most desperate of situations. So when the order came down, of course I followed it."

Rex turned back toward the man, and tried to look at him with some degree of sympathy. "I used to think the same way. I used to believe doing everything they told you was right, but now?" He smiled inwardly. "I know duty's the most important thing, but not a duty to orders. A duty to those you call brothers, and those you call family."

"Ah, so that's it then," Bly snarled. "You let your emotions cloud your judgement. The Jedi should be disappointed in you," he scoffed before returning to his seat within the cell.

"I think you need to cool off a little longer," Rex remarked before exiting the cell. He then walked toward the exit of the holding cells, passing by the former officers, Neyo and Jag, as he did so. The troopers guarding the detention center were shinies from the last match of clones on Kamino, all of whom saluted Rex when he passed.

It was strange, being in such a position as he was. Rex had come a long way from his days fighting beside General Skywalker on the battlefield. Now, he was one of the most respected clones around, and it seemed everything was being handed to him on a silver platter.

He hated it.

To wield so much power, it wasn't him. There were rumors spreading about how the Jedi planned to reorganize the military, and word had reached his ear that he may be receiving yet another promotion. He never understood what Cody found so appealing about being a marshal commander, a clone tasked with leading the greatest amount of clones their deaths. For him, the 501st was all he needed. To work with an entire corps, or even greater, a sector army, felt like too much for him.

Before he knew it, he was standing outside the grand entrance to the Republic Center for Military Operations, and found Bacara waiting nearby with his arms crossed.

"I told you there was no getting through to him" Bacara remarked with a shrug.

"It was worth a try," Rex said as he approached. To his surprise, he found himself chuckling when he was a foot away from Bacara's position. "I must admit, of all the commanders I hoped would come to our aid during the Siege of Coruscant, you didn't even make the top five."

"My reasons for it are… complicated," Bacara admitted. "I first got wind of Order 66 from Echo, who informed us shortly after his squad's discoveries on Mygeeto. Then I got confirmation from Master Yoda, and while I couldn't pull all my men from the frontlines to remove their chips, I had my captains and trusted lieutenants remove theirs."

Rex cocked his head. "So how'd you remove everyone else's? Surely you were unable to finish the battle before Order 66 came down."

"You'd be right," Bacara nodded. "When I received word, I knew my first obligation was to the Chancellor. However, with Yoda and Echo's concerns about his true identity, I felt it best to take a second look at the situation before carrying out my orders. My lieutenants discreetly removed Master Mundi from the battlefield, and kept him in a holding cell until I could make sense of things."

"And?"

"And when I found I couldn't get ahold of the Chancellor anymore, I knew something was wrong. Once the Fourth Battle of Mygeeto came to a close, I informed my men that we had contracted a deadly new virus during the chaos. I then explained we would have to be put under in order to receive the antidote, and once they were asleep, we removed their chips," Bacara explained.

"Impressive," Rex laughed.

"Perhaps," Bacara remarked, with his gaze turning toward the skyline of the city beyond their position. "But it was your heroics that won the day. You gave up your men, your legion, to defeat our enemies."

Rex joined the man's gaze, and found himself becoming emotional again. Little was left of the 501st, and little was left of the 332nd now. "You're right," he said before applying his helmet. The last man he wanted to see him emotional was Bacara. "I heard you're leading the parade today," he added in an effort to change the conversation.

Bacara huffed. "Against my wishes, but yeah. Most of the army will be marching today, for the whole world to see." He then looked back at Rex. "I should get going. It's a long march up to the ceremony."

"I understand," Rex nodded to him.

"I can give you a lift, if you want it."

"Appreciated, but I have somewhere else to be."

Bacara nodded, then turned toward his gunship that was just touching down.

Rex watched the commander leave before turning toward a transport of his own, where he found Jesse waiting for him inside.

"Have a nice chat, Commander?" Jesse asked. "Not like the others aren't waiting on us or anything," he mocked with a light chuckle.

"Sorry it took so long," Rex apologized as he joined his comrade on the gunship. "Just had to clear the air on a few things."

"Of course," Jesse replied before banging on the side of the cabin. "Take us up, Gaz." The gunship shuddered to life, its engines firing up as it lifted them into the sunny sky.

#

Cody and Wolffe were making small talk when their comrades arrived, at which point they turned to greet the men, stepping toward the pair as they departed their gunship. "Glad to see you could finally join us," Cody smiled as he grabbed hold of Rex's hand as a sign of respect.

"You know how Rex is," Jesse remarked.

"Indeed," Cody agreed before turning back toward the site they had come to. Out of respect, he and the others removed their helmets when they approached.

While they walked toward the site, Wolffe was quick to step beside Rex as they walked. "Ahsoka's never going to forgive me, is she?"

"What? What're you talking about?" Rex questioned.

"About Plo Koon, I mean," Wolffe uttered, sadness welling up in his heart when he thought back on the month's trials.

"It wasn't your fault, Wolffe," Rex tried to assure him. "Ahsoka was hurt when she learned about what happened, but that doesn't mean she blames you."

"It's just… I wish I could've done something," Wolffe said, his gaze to the ground while they walked. "By the time I received word from Master Yoda, he was already in the air."

"You didn't kill him," Rex continued to say. "Your men did."

"Yes, my men," Wolffe emphasized. "They were my responsibility."

Rex shook his head. "When the chips activated, they became something else entirely, something you couldn't control. If you couldn't control it, then it wasn't your fault."

Wolffe pondered the man's words, and after a moment of walking, looked over at him. "You're right, Rex. I just wish it had never happened."

"We all wish Order 66 had never happened," Rex replied. By then, the group had arrived at their destination.

The platform connected with the rest of the Federal District, its isolated stretch of land appearing like that of a street, with flowers lining the railings on either side of it. Lining the cement roadway were towering, rectangular blocks of stone, each of which contained a single legion. It was a memorial to all those lost. At the righthand side of the platform, just before the monuments, was a terminal that had access to every trooper's number, nickname, and biography, which people were free to browse through at their leisure. At the forefront of the memorial, just before the stones, were two short posts. A phase one helmet rested on the post to the left, and on the post to the right sat a phase two helmet. There were no markings on either of them, just the pure white helmets in pristine condition.

A handful of citizens were walking the grounds, looking at the stone slabs as they paid their respects to the clones of the Republic. Men who never had a say in their profession, but who put their lives on the line all the same.

"So many of them…" Wolffe said as he took in the sheer number of stones. It felt as if they spanned a mile.

"Good men, all of them," Cody agreed. "I heard even the Coruscant Guard has a stone here."

"They were brothers all," Rex said. They all held some sense of emotion inside them, but managed to keep it contained. It was only when Rex caught a strange look from Jesse that he tilted his head away from the memorial.

Jesse had a look of curiosity as he glanced from one stone to another, when his eyes began to grow wide. He took a step forward, looking around several of the stones in order to see others, and tears welled up in his eyes. His jaw began to rattle, and he found himself wiping away tears when he started to cry.

"I know, Jesse," Rex said, his tone sympathetic. "We lost a lot of good brothers."

"No, it's not just that," Jesse replied between sobs. "Look at the stones!" he uttered, his index finger going toward the memorial.

Rex glanced up, and his eyes grew wide. There were no numbers. Beneath each legion was a list of names, but no numbers. There were no ranks either, because ranks could be found on the terminal. No, the only piece of information on each stone was a list of names. The only piece of information that mattered.

"They're not numbers, Rex!" Jesse cried out. "They're names! They gave them all names! Even those who had none."

Cody and Wolffe had empty faces, their bodies too filled with emotion to move while Rex read the names beneath the 501st's stone.

501st Legion

Appo

Boomer

Charger

Coric

Denal

Dogma

Hardcase

Hawk

Kano

Mixer

Redeye

Sterling

Tup

Vaughn

"Fives was right," Jesse said, wiping away tears as he smiled. "We're more than numbers, Rex."

There was one stone that stood just ahead of the rest, right behind the pair of helmets. It belonged to a single squad; one that, in the end, defined the outcome of the Clone Wars. The most peculiar thing about its stone, however, was that the names were not alphabetical.

Domino Squad

Droidbait

Cutup

Hevy

Fives

Echo

Jesse wiped away the remainder of his tears as he looked up at the names. "We're more than numbers."

In unison, the four clones saluted. A final tribute to men who paid the ultimate price.