Author's Note: Wow, I don't believe it! I updated a story within a week! XD Now it's Jesse's turn to step into the scene and be a good bro. Merry CHRISTmas everyone, and thank you for reading! As always, Mando'a translations and replies to reviews are located at the end of the work :)

Rex shuddered, suspended between muddled consciousness and what he knew to be the constricting claws of death. He pulled his knees up into the fetal position, grateful for any small relief. It was all he could do to divert his mind from the wildfire of pain tearing at his insides.

He hated for his men to see him like this. Despite his wishes, a few of his closest brothers had found their way through the trench and to his side. It was bad enough that they already knew. But they didn't need to watch their captain struggle for breath, fight to stay alive long enough for an evac to arrive. They didn't need to see him bleed out from the inside, to die slowly. Rex wanted nothing more than to disappear, to retreat from view like a wounded animal.

But Rex could get up and move about as well as a Hutt, and his mind felt just as sluggish.

He couldn't die. His men—his brothers—depended on him. Their numbers had dwindled so much already, and Rex could tell from the tremors echoing through the cold ground that the mission was far from over. They couldn't afford to lose their commanding officer in the heat of a campaign.

Rex couldn't muster the willpower to open his eyes, so he contented himself with honing in on the familiar lull of his brothers' chatter. Somewhere nearby, Fives fiddled with their broken transmitter. Rex didn't have to see his brother's face to know he was boiling mad. Every so often, Fives murmured a string of curses, followed by an exasperated sigh loud enough to wake the dead. Tup and Kix tried in vain to calm the ARC's nerves—afraid that, if they didn't, they might have yet another medical emergency on their hands.

At Rex's side, Jesse's low hum drifted through the chilling night air. Rex listened to the vaguely familiar tune, but was unable to place it. It reminded him of the years before the war, when they were all still cadets fascinated with the glory of the battlefield. When they were eager to march blindly into a barrage on command, no matter who the order came from. When combat was something of a game, and death was only a word.

Stang, how naive they had been.

But had Rex really learned anything since then? He had been blind enough to follow Krell's command, after all. Blind enough to lead his men into situations that could have been avoided if he had just listened—to Fives, to Jesse, to his own conscience. Then maybe he could have prevented the carnage before it ever happened. Kriff, he had been stupid enough to fire against his own brothers!

Rex shivered, vaguely aware of the ache beginning to pound inside his skull. A new burst of searing pain welled up in his abdomen, and he couldn't prevent a stifled cry from escaping his lips. He only hoped it had been quiet enough that the wind had drowned it out of earshot from the others. Rex sighed, surrendering to the shudders that he didn't know how else to combat.

Focus on the Force. The Force..?

Rex racked his brain, trying to remember what Anakin had taught him. But it seemed so long ago now, so distant...

Kriff.

Anakin had told him the Force resides in every living being. Even non-sensitive creatures could pull from it, center themselves. Maybe those rules didn't apply to clones. Rex jolted, rattled by the touch of a hand on his shoulder. He forced his eyes open, and found the face of a clone smiling at him through the haze.

"It's ok, vod. Just me."

Jesse's words had a soothing edge that Rex wouldn't soon forget. The soldier's face was worn, pummeled from combat and harsh weather. Rex could detect his exhaustion, but Jesse did a fair job at hiding it for his captain's sake.

Jesse settled in beside his older brother.

"I might be able to start a fire, if you'll let me move you closer to the rest of—"

"No." Rex shook his head, swallowing hard. "No. I don't want them to...to see…"

"I know. Bad for morale." Jesse sighed, looking up at the night sky—or where the sky would be, if not for the shroud of murk covering the planet's surface. "Probably couldn't start one anyway, on this Force-forsaken mud hole."

Jesse turned to lay on his side, his perceptive eyes studying Rex carefully.

"How do you feel?"

Guuror kyr'am, Rex thought. He managed a small, careless shrug, hoping it was enough reassurance to prevent any further questioning.

"Don't lie, vod. Or I'll sick Kix on you."

Rex glanced away to where Fives sat against the tunnel wall, nervously running his fingers through his hair. Tup lay a hand on his knee, speaking to the ARC in a low, calming voice as he worked the broken transmitter out of Fives' hand.

It'll be ok, vod'ika, Rex longed to say. But he couldn't, when he didn't even have the heart to believe it himself.

Rex felt a slight tug at his side. He turned to find Jesse wrapping his arms around the captain as he pulled him close. Jesse enveloped Rex in a secure embrace, careful not to brush against his bruise.

"What're you doing," Rex asked flatly.

"You're freezing your shebs off, vod. I'm keeping you alive."

" 'm not cold."

Jesse arched an eyebrow. He didn't seem convinced.

Rex's eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake. He sank heavily into his brother's embrace, his forehead dropping against the coarse fabric of Jesse's undershirt.

"Why're you helping me?"

The question obviously caught Jesse off-guard. He stared down at Rex, eyes full of wonder and confusion.

"What?"

"You trusted me to protect you. And Fives and...everyone. After Umbara, it's just, I thought…" Rex's voice broke. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed, gathering his focus. "I lost so many men."

Jesse shifted, forcing Rex to meet his gaze.

"Tell me something," he said. "When Krell ordered you to execute me and Fives, why didn't you go through with it?"

The memory sent chills up Rex's spine. He knew each man in the firing squad well enough to know they'd never willingly pull a trigger against a brother. They would never discard their love for one another in favor of an order.

"Why did you cover for us when we left for the airbase?" Jesse prodded, his tone gentle. "Why did you stick your neck out for us, and try to take on our punishment?"

Rex was quiet. Then, in what could hardly count as even a whisper, he said, "Because I love you."

"Don't you see? Everything you did, every choice you made, was out of love for your men. And when you led us against Krell, you didn't just save our lives, Rex. You saved our dignity." Jesse ran a gloved hand across Rex's head, wiping the dew from the captain's clammy skin. "We look up to you. You're our ori'vod, di'kut. We love you."

Rex's gaze fell. He lay in silence, feeling completely unworthy of admiration. After several moments, he said in a soft voice:

"Tell me something." A small smile crossed his lips. "When did you get wise?"

Jesse returned the smile.

"Shut up and sleep."

Rex threw him a sharp glare in warning.

"Can't talk to a superior officer like that," he rasped. "I'll have you...transferred…"

Rex felt a gentle rumble as his brother chuckled.

"Sure. Later."

Jesse placed a hand behind Rex's head, easing him to his chest. Rex gladly accepted the comfort of having someone close.

The next time Rex woke during the night, he felt the added warmth of Fives nestled against his waist. Tup's hair draped over Fives shoulder as he snored softly, and Kix flanked the opposite side of the huddle.

Rex dozed, shielded by the makeshift cocoon his brothers had formed. Somehow the cold seemed almost bearable. The pain did not cease, but for now it was enough to know he was not alone. Rex couldn't help but think that, even if he died right now, he could die content.

He closed his eyes and instantly slipped into darkness.

~ Mando'a Translations ~

•Stang, Kriff—swears

•Guuror kyr'am—"like death"

•Vod—brother

•Vod'ika—little brother

•Ori'vod—big brother

•Di'kut—idiot

•Shebs—backside

~Replies to Guests~

@RWGGrace- Your review was so kind!! Thank you. I'm an over-achiever, so I try to write my fics to the best of my abilities, without going overboard XD I try not to "slap" words on my Google Docs, though sometimes that happens too lol.