"I took the responsibility on to myself, to ensure the safety of the Republic, the Grand Army of the Republic, and all the troops, Jedi and Clone, alike to eliminate this great threat." Rex said, pain radiating from every pore of his body.
The retelling of the events that led to the death of General Krell took a good standard hour, as both Renia and Valanthe pressed for as much detail as possible, considering the gravity of the situation.
Rex looked over at General Vinree with a composed, almost stony expression. "I pulled the trigger knowing full well the consequences of my actions, General. I did it for the safety of the Republic. I will accept any punishment. I will not resist reconditioning."
He would try not to, at least. Being reconditioned was a fate worse than death to a clone. Being stripped of all that you were, all that you had built in your short life. He would have to abandon his General, and Ahso...his Commander. The kid. He would have to abandon his men, his friends, the 501st. He would be just another nameless clone, fighting in the ever increasing war. His pain grew even stronger at that, as did guilt.
The guilt, however, he quickly squashed down as he refocused on answering General Vinree's questions. He knew well enough how perceptive the Jedi were, with iand/i without the force. He knew it from his own experiences with the General and the Commander, he'd heard tales from Cody and Bly, and of course, he'd heard rave reviews from Fives and Echo.
He had to sell this. He had to follow through and save the others. Save Dogma. Dogma had done what none of them had been able to do. Dogma followed through, despite being the most loyal clone to the Republic Rex had ever met. Even though Dogma was ruthlessly rigid in his following of the rules, much to the detriment of their missions at times, Rex could never blame him for it. He used to be like him, so General Skywalker said.
Maybe, back in the day. Rex had said to the General back when the campaign started.
Dogma had followed through, despite everything, He followed through and Rex himself hadn't. He couldn't bring himself to kill a Jedi. He was too…
Stop! Stop! Stop! Focus! Captain Rex mentally berated himself as he refocused on the Jedi General in front of him.
Renia stared at the Clone from across the table, trying to focus on the man before her as much as his words. She couldn't read him, Ren knew it would be difficult of course, even if not in such a dark place as Umbara. Rex was trained in counter interrogation, was a battlefield veteran and a Clone Captain; the Force might be her ally, but it was more of an even match for Rex.
So she'd tried something different. Normally outgoing and jovial, Ren had been relatively silent throughout the whole interview. She'd asked questions, of course, took thorough notes, but mostly she listened. The After-Action-Report (AAR) had been very thorough, almost too thorough for such a complicated situation. Reports usually varied quite a bit, even with the most highly trained clones, more than once she'd caught her ARCs arguing over who performed what heroic feat in battle.
The same could be said for his answers. They were too precise, too well in order, like he wanted her to believe him. Hard enough to do even with the clear cut evidence presented to the pair of investigators.
"Rex?" Ren finally said, setting her pad down, drumming on it a second. "Why did you kill Krell?"
"Because he would have betrayed the Republic and the GAR to the Separatists and Dooku, causing countless deaths." He replied easily, almost believing the lie himself. It was definitely why he had wanted to do it.
"Ask him how he treated the Clones," a silent instruction came from Valanthe as she stood watch from the observation chamber. The two had set up communication, so that the Mirialan could guide her if necessary.
"Mhm…" Ren hummed, acknowledging both Rex and Vala at the same time. "And what was it that made you think that would happen? Was it his actions… the way he treated his men, perhaps?"
Rex gave her a look, narrowing his eyes for a moment, before sighing, "we are Clones, General, ours is not to complain against treatment." He deflected, though his guilt spiked on anyone's emotional radar. "General Krell outright said that he would deliver Umbarra to the Separatists, that the Republic will fall, and that a new power would rise in its place. He said that he would rule as part of it. He said he served no one's side but his own, and soon his new Master's. Dooku's."
Guilt gave way to anger and betrayal.
"We couldn't allow him to overpower us again, General. Not with how uncertain the Umbarra campaign had been." Rex continued emphatically.
"Yes, but something else brought you to this drastic decision." Surely you have a better answer than that?
"After all, you're an Officer, a professional soldier. You don't take matters into your own hands; you don't let a prisoner with a big mouth rattle your cage… Those, those are just words, empty threats from a desperate, defeated man… restrained and unarmed."
At this Rex gave her a look, "General, with respect, I have seen what the Jedi are capable of, restraints and lack of weapon or not. I have also felt first hand what the Dark Acolytes of Dooku are capable of."
Memories of Teth and how Asajj Ventress used the Force to choke him, how she used the Force to manipulate him flooded his mind.
"For all we knew, he was merely biding time until he released himself and none of us would have been able to stop him. Too many of my men, of the Republic's men, had already died.
Umbarra was a critical world in the Republic's campaign." Rex countered. "Were this any other person, but a Jedi, I would completely agree with you, General."
"He is not wrong." Valanthe's voice came again through Renia's ear comm. "I think we should leave it for now and talk to the others before we come back to Rex. He's too firmly entrenched at the moment."
Ren nodded, folding her arms across her chest, thinking a moment as she considered the Captain's words. "Thank you Rex, for your insight and your honesty." Gathering up her stylus and pad Ren stood, making her way to the ray shield, stopping as the shimmering porthole opened. "If, if we ever find our selves on opposite sides," The General said, her voice pained as she turned to face him once more. "I hope you'll have the courtesy and the courage to let me see my end… instead of shooting me in the back…"
Her face fell a bit, she almost believed him, and with that Ren was gone, the opaque shield snapping shut behind her.
Rex stood up as she was leaving, her face a brief show of pain and anger before two troopers with yellow markings walked in, with shackles, ready to take him away to his cell.
Valanthe awaited Renia in the observation room, silently watching as Rex was led away. One thing was certain, Rex was only telling the truth to a point. Why though? Did something different happen? Well, it most certainly did? What though? All they had to go on were reports, the recordings were being patched up by Torn, No-Nines and Oddball as they were conducting the interviews.
"You did good…" Vala said to Renia as the Human entered the observation room.
"Is that why I feel awful!?" Ren said with a harshness she didn't intend. Her head whipping to Vala's, eyes wide in horror as she snapped at her best friend, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she knew it.
"I…" There is no emotion, there is peace. "Vala, I… I am so sorry." There. Is. Peace!
Vala could see the emotions display in Renia's face and in her Force signature and she felt sympathy. She put her hands on Renia's upper arms and squeezed gently. "Welcome to my world, my friend." She said sadly.
One of the hardest lessons Valanthe had to learn when she was just starting out was how to deal with interrogating someone whom she thought well of, who may or may not be guilty.
Ren tensed, Vala's normally comforting touch practically making her jump. "How… how do you do this? I feel like I'm going to be sick." Ren's cheeks colored, the blush not hiding how pale and tired she felt.
"The truth is more important than how you feel while getting it." Vala replied, taking a step back from Renia, to give her space. "Especially when it's people you view in a positive light. It's both a betrayal to you and from you at the same time. I've had to teach myself how to ignore my own feelings on the matter and follow the clues. To take my time."
Reina barely held back a whimper as Vala let go, the woman chastising herself for the child like reflex. She hadn't felt so small, so vulnerable in years. It made it that much harder to accept what Vala said as true. Renia sighed, arms wrapping around herself as she walked away from the door, wishing she had a window and a clear view of the stars.
"A Jedi does what they must." Vala felt like a hypocrite saying it. "This, sadly, is what we must do, my friend."
The emotion whiplashing from Renia was potent, yet at the same time surprising. Vala had always been the one that needed calming after she would lash out. Renia never lashed out. Yet now, here they were, at the opposite ends of the spectrum.
"I know… I just…" She sighed. "Doesn't this feel wrong to you?" Renia asked, her gaze shifting from the stars to her hands. "This reminds me of … it reminds me of Dalleron and I don't, I don't know what to do with that. We've been down this road before and this time we're going after our friends, our comrades…"
"Would you rather it was the likes of Aayla or worse, Master Windu?" Vala countered. "Of course it feels wrong, Ren. But guess what, he didn't do it."
Maybe that would jumpstart Vinree into the correct train of thinking.
"I know! Vala… I know." Ren raked her fingers through her hair, tugging loose her bun as she tried to get rid of some of her stress. "I get it, but it doesn't mean I have to like any of it. Doesn't mean I feel comfortable with any of it…"
"Nobody said you had to." Vala countered, "this is not about us though. It's about them…" she pointed over to the cells in which the clones were being kept at. "What we feel, it doesn't matter, right now. What matters is the truth." She knew she was being harsh towards her friend. She would apologize later. Right now they both needed a cool head to deal with this mess.
Ren turned, quicker than she meant, about to continue the argument when she just felt it all… leave. The physical manifestation of wind out of her sails, she couldn't speak, she could barely stand. Ren was angry… but more she was scared, she'd never felt this way. She was begging, for what she didn't know, but Vala…
Her friend's lilac eyes were a dark purple now. Heavy with her own emotion that she refused to show. Part of Vala understood what Renia was going through. She'd had her own 'awakening' years and years ago. She understood it, if only it hadn't been now.
"Why don't we meet up when I'm done with the others?" Vala offered, giving Renia a way out of the stifling situation.
"I… I shouldn't, you can't do this alone." Renia couldn't just leave Vala to this. It was hard enough when they were together, but alone? Vala was her closest friend and the only person Ren felt she ever let down, she couldn't do it again. She just couldn't.
"It's okay, my friend. Take a breather, go check in on the others or just take a breath," the Mirialan shook her head. "It's not my first interrogation. I can handle this." A green hand reached out, the one covered with tattoos and landed gently on the Jedi's forearm, squeezing a little to reassure the woman.
"I should be able to handle this…" Ren grumbled, her own hand settling over Vala's. She was right, of course, Renia wasn't going to be of use to Vala. It was NOT a feeling she was used to. Renia sighed, letting go of Vala's hand. "You'll call me if you need me, right?"
"Of course." Vala nodded, slowly removing her hand. "Go. It's okay."
Ren simply nodded, not really able to say anything, smiling sadly at her friend she headed for the door. Maybe Vala was right, little air, stepping away would do her some good.
Valanthe watched after her for a moment before she turned to the awaiting clone guard. "I need to speak to Dogma next."
"Sir, yes, sir!" The clone with the marking's of Obi-Wan's battalion nodded and headed off to execute the instruction.
"Force be with us…" Valanthe sighed as she tried to refocus on talking to the most rule abiding clone she had heard of so far.
Interrogation Cell, several minutes later…
Vala had already been seated, reading through the report as Dogma was brought in.
Dogma followed behind the 212 Sergeant, marching in, each movement a perfect example of military precision. Coming to a stop in front of the desk, standing ramrod straight and saluting. "Corporal, C-T-Seven-Five-Seven-Five. Reporting Sir." He looked past the Jedi Commander, staring at a point on the wall over the Mirialan's head.
Vala nodded, "Investigator Valanthe Riis," she motioned towards the chair across from her, "at ease, Corporal Dogma. Have a seat."
"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am." Dogma sat quickly, his rigidity not easing as he sat straight up in his chair.
"Alright, Corporal," Vala straightened in her own seat and began the recording of the interview with the relevant information before moving to the actual questions.
"Can you tell me why you are called Dogma?" Valanthe began, needing to gauge this one, as everything she knew about him from stories and reports said that he was vastly different from Rex and Fives and even the rule remembering Echo.
"Ma'am? I…" Dogma was caught off guard by that question. What did that have to do with this whole mess? "I don't really know ma'am. Hardcase… ahhh C-T-Two-Five-Four-Four gave it to me. He said it fit."
"It's okay, you can use names. They sound better than numbers." Vala nodded. "Is it because of a trait you have, do you think?"
"I ahhh… guess so ma'am." The trooper fidgeted a bit, he never was really sure about it. "Hardcase said, when he gave it to me, that I was a believer. I don't know what he meant, we're all believers, loyal to the Republic."
Riis nodded, "I believe that, I do." She leaned forward, her elbows on the desk between them, "it must have been hard, what you had to face here. The Campaign itself was horrific. I imagine it got even worse when General Skywalker was forced to return to Coruscant."
"Five-oh-First gets the job done no matter what." Dogma said quickly, the pride evident in his voice. "General Krell was… different than General Skywalker, it's always hard to work with a different dynamic."
"I'd hardly call what's been reported a 'different dynamic', Dogma." Valanthe raised a dark eyebrow. "How did you feel when General Krell ordered the execution of Fives and Jesse?"
Her gut twisted a little at that. The willful, heroic ARC trooper had lead Hardcase and Jesse on a wild mission to destroy the Separatist supply ship in orbit. They had succeeded, sadly losing Hardcase in the process. So, Pong Krell awarded the two clones who did return, with an execution for disobeying orders.
Poor Dogma was the one to lead the firing squad. This must have left a terrible scar on all the clones.
"I… I didn't like it, but I had orders!" Dogma shifted again, getting agitated, his fists clenching and unclenching in his lap. "We all had orders… good soldiers follow… follow orders." It sounded so hollow, he'd been ready to execute his brothers.
"Even when they are wrong?" Came a quiet question.
"We don't make those decisions, we have to trust, trust our leaders, trust our Generals." What did that mean? Orders came from their Jedi to their Commanders, Jedi weren't…
She picked up the info-pad. "It says here that on General Krell's intel, the 501st engaged what was to believed to be Umbarrans who stole clone armour. Until a lucky discovery by Captain Rex that in was in fact members of the 212nd under General Kenobi. How did this gross mistake happen, do you think?" Vala knew she needed to push more.
"I… I wasn't there, I heard about it with everyone else." Dogma looked away, more anxious than before. "Mistakes happen, none of us knew it was Waxer's Platoon. We couldn't tell, the scouts could have gotten it wrong! We didn't know!" Dogma's fist slammed down on the table before he knew what was happening. He sat there in stunned silence, his eyes wide starting at his hand.
"I never said you did, Dogma. I was asking how you thought it had happened, such an oversight." Valanthe clarified evenly. "I understand it was General Krell who relayed this intel?"
"That's what I heard, I don't know." Dogma said still staring at the table, at his hand, clenching and unclenching. "All of our intel comes from the Generals."
"What made you pull your rifle on Captain Rex and the others when they went after General Krell to arrest him? Despite all the evidence you had that he had betrayed the Republic?" Valanthe pressed.
"It, it wasn't our place, that's Jedi business. We're soldiers, we follow orders." Dogma was twisting in his seat, he'd made the wrong call then, he'd turned on his brothers. "I did what I thought was right, we all did."
Riis nodded, "do you agree with Captain Rex's decision to kill General Krell? With him doing it?"
Dogma was far more distraught than she would have thought, which made her wonder why? Was it guilt for not siding with his brothers from the start? Was it guilt at the remote complicity via following orders? What was it?
"The Captain, he had to do it… the General he was a traitor, he was too dangerous to be left alive! He could have escaped and…" Dogma's breathing was getting quicker with every word, sweat appearing on his brow.
"The Captain said that too." Valanthe nodded, "did Fives and Jesse and the others agree too?"
Dogma nodded, his face red. "They're good Soldiers, they know what's right… and they follow orders." He couldn't look at the woman, not anymore. His hands were balled up into fists, drumming on his armored thighs.
To say he was clearly upset was putting it mildly. Yet he stuck to the story, just like Rex, repeating the same thing over and over. And yet, a different thing from Rex. For Dogma it was about trust and knowing what to do. For Rex, it had been protection of the Republic and his brothers. Yet in her gut, Valanthe felt it stemmed from the same source. Guilt. Over what though?
She would need to talk to the others though before she could be certain. Vala didn't know Jesse well enough, beyond his file and what she had heard from Fives and Echo, to predict how he would behave. As for Fives, she was leaving him till last. Fives was an exceptional soldier, intelligent, adaptive, ferocious and strong. The one thing that worked against him in this case however, was his shockingly poor ability to lie.
In all their dealings, he was always the bold, straight forward one, as opposed to his brother Echo, who was always careful with his words and how much he gave away.
Vala snapped back from her musings, realizing Dogma was still waiting. "Very well, Corporal. Is there anything else you wish to add to your statement?"
"No, no ma'am." The man said, having had a chance to calm down. "I think I'm done."
Vala nodded, looking over at the guard, who nodded back and proceeded to re-shackle Dogma. Vala watched the clone with the tattoo across his face silently as he stood up. There was relief. Clear as day, relief that she had stopped asking. Another thing to look for.
As Dogma was led away, Vala leaned her head into her hands and exhaled a deep breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. They had said investigating friends and loved ones was hard. Investigating anyone whom you didn't really think were guilty was hard, especially if you had to interact with them later…
Outside, in the cells, Rex watched Dogma brought back from interrogation. He looked collected, it seemed to Rex, which brought the briefest minutest of smiles to the Captain's face. Dogma's honey coloured eyes caught Rex's.
Dogma gave the Captain a brief nod.
Rex nodded back to the Corporal in the same manner as Dogma was put back into his cell.
So far, so good.