"Wolffe, any news?"
"Nothing, Rex. The comlink's been quiet all day."
Rex frowned; he hadn't heard from Ahsoka for the better part of six months now, and though he knew she would be away on a long mission for the Rebellion, he couldn't help but to feel a little bit restless about her extended absence. She's probably alright, he thought, reassuring himself. She'll be back when I least expect it.
Putting his worries aside, he gently patted Wolffe's shoulder on his way out. "We better get going, can't be late for our meeting."
Gregor was waiting for them just outside the small bunker they called home nowadays, and together they set out on their way to the designated rendezvous point, just around the corner of the city's cantina.
"So… who's the guy we're meeting now?" Wolffe asked.
"Some mechanic who can get us a nice, refurbished ship," Rex answered. "Rumor has it he's the best in town."
Wolffe snorted. "That shouldn't be too hard in a place like this."
Rex agreed; they've chosen Nevarro as their temporary base of operations, hoping that three officially retired clone troopers wouldn't get much attention in a planet loosely controlled by the Empire, and for the most part their plan had worked nicely; active troopers simply regarded them as 'old' war veterans, ignoring them entirely, while the general population avoided them just as they did the rest of the troopers. But soon they grew weary of the blatant corruption slithering its way underneath government, merchants and citizens alike, and found themselves in need of their own ship to leave the planet and finally gain some degree of independence. The task had proven much more difficult than expected; turns out it was easier to find a skilled mercenary in the city than a functional transport for sale.
"He doesn't seem to be here just yet," observed Gregor, as soon as they arrived. "What does he look like again?"
"I have no idea," said Rex. "All I know is that his name is Quarrie and he should be here waiting for us."
They turned to look in every direction but didn't see anyone particularly looking like they had been waiting for a while, and Rex shuffled uncomfortably; his sources seemed serious about this guy…
"When they told me I'd be dealing with clones," a rasping voice said behind them, "I didn't expect to meet a bunch of rugged men."
The three of them turned around and found themselves looking down at a very short and ageing Mon Calamari.
"You are Quarrie?" Rex asked, incredulous.
"Ha! Not quite what you expected, I'd wagger?" The Mon Calamari grinned. "Well, you won't find a better engineer on the whole planet, boy, so you'd better get used to it!"
"Well, we're not really looking for an engineer," Rex said, sharing a look with his brothers. "We just need someone who can sell us a ship."
"Can't get your own ship in a place like this unless you've got enough credits to spend," Quarrie shrugged, "and you don't seem to me like the spending kind. Building you a ship, on the other hand, would be much cheaper if you know what to look for, and I know exactly the kind of ship you'd like."
"And what would that be?" Wolffe asked, impatient.
"A Republic Attack Shuttle sounds good enough for you, kid?"
The three clones shuffled; what did he just say?
"A refurbished one, of course," the Mon Calamari continued. "You don't want anything too fancy, unless you want to get a lot of attention from bounty hunters and the like..."
"Wait a second," Rex interrupted him. "Are you saying you have access to Republic ships just like that? What about the Imperials?"
The Mon Calamari snorted. "The Empire couldn't care less about old, outdated ships! Most of them were already disassembled for parts and pieces, but I know how to get my hands onto some rare, functional vehicles..."
Dumbfounded, Rex turned to look at his brothers, and while Wolffe raised a suspicious eyebrow, Gregor cheerfully slapped him on the back.
"Think about that!" Gregor hooted. "Our very own shuttle, just like the old times!"
"I don't know if we can even pay for that…" Rex hesitated.
"Oh, you can do some odd jobs here and there for me, if you don't have the credits," Quarrie waved a dismissive hand. "To tell you the truth, working on one of the old ships is almost payment enough for me. They don't make them like they used to, Republic engineering was on a whole different level… it would take years for the Empire to come even close to that."
Barely containing his enthusiasm, Gregor grinned at Rex and wiggled his eyebrows, while Wolffe just grunted. Rex sighed; an attack shuttle was a bit over the top for his taste, but he had to admit that the idea of flying one of those babes again was really endearing.
"Alright, if we really don't have much of a choice…" he conceded.
"Believe me, it'd be a lot easier than trying to get a new ship for you," Quarrie nodded. "The pricing alone is ridiculous!"
"It's a deal, then," Rex announced. "We'll take the shuttle… and we'll talk about your payment conditions."
"You won't regret this, boy," Quarrie shook his hand enthusiastically. "I'll go make a few calls and I'll get back to you, so keep an eye on your comlink, yes?"
As the Mon Calamari happily went about his business, Wolffe took Rex by his arm and moved him further apart, away from prying eyes.
"I don't like this," he whispered. "He's clearly anti-Empire, we could get into trouble."
"We're just doing business, Wolffe," Rex soothed him. "It's not like we're joining the Rebellion or something."
"But what do we know about this guy?" Wolffe insisted. "What if he is part of a rebel cell? The Empire would never let us go!"
"Do you honestly believe that a rebel sympathizer would show himself just like that in a city brimming with Imperials?" Rex reasoned. "The guy's alright; he may not like the Empire much, but neither do we-"
"Don't say it out loud!" Wolffe hissed. "You have to be careful, Rex, it's all too risky… this guy… your Jedi…"
He looked at him, puzzled. "My Jedi?"
"Skywalker's Padawan!" he insisted. "The girl! What if she betrays us?"
"You mean Commander Tano?" Suddenly feeling very angry, Rex shook his arm free from Wolffe's grasp. "She would never do that! She's got her own problems with the Empire, so keep her out of this."
"She's special to you, I get it, but you have to admit she's dange-"
"I have a duty to protect her, Wolffe," Rex hissed. "And wherever she is, she's also protecting us, like she always has. You should know this, General Plo Koon was very fond of her."
"You still think I did it, don't you?" Wolffe suddenly reproached him. "I didn't kill him! It wasn't me, I told you already!"
"What? Wolffe, I don't-"
"I swear I didn't!"
"Of course you didn't, brother," Rex comforted him, sharing a concerned look with Gregor. "You weren't even there, remember? You were stationed in the barracks."
"Yes…" Wolffe closed his eyes, reminiscing. "It was the squadron boys that shot him down, didn't they? But… what did I do, then? Where was I…?"
"It doesn't matter, Wolffe," Rex insisted. "We removed your chip, remember? You're safe now."
Deeply worried, Rex frowned as Wolffe slowly opened his eyes and looked at him as if he were coming back from a long dream. "Yes… of course. I'm sorry, Rex, I shouldn't… if you trust this guy, I'll follow your lead."
"It's alright," Rex smiled. "As far as I know, he seems like a pretty decent fellow. Either way, we're in this together; we have one another's back, remember that."
Wolffe nodded and smiled appreciatively, and not for the first time Rex wondered about the many scars the war had left on all of them.
"I think it's time we go for a drink," Gregor offered, nodding towards the cantina, and both Wolffe and Rex agreed wholeheartedly; they definitely needed something to lift their spirits.
This early in the afternoon it was easy to find a nice, private table where they could talk freely, and soon their mood improved, mostly thanks to Gregor's light-hearted conversation.
"Our own ship! Think of all the things we could do!" he said, brimming with excitement. "No more asking for passage to go somewhere else, no more bribes to let three clones board a transport…"
"Supposing we can pay for it," Rex reminded him, taking a sip from his beer.
"Of course we can! I mean, it's not like we spend much money, anyway. We clones know how to live with the bare minimum to survive."
"Gregor's got a point," Wolffe agreed. "It may not seem much for someone else, but I've never had money of my own, so most of the time I don't even know what to do with it."
Rex mused on that. It had been quite a change for him as well, learning to make his own money and spending it. The Republic had taken care of the clones' everyday needs and they never wanted for a roof, a hot meal, clothing and the occasional drink at 79's. Independence had meant that he'd had to worry about rent, food, traveling expenses and such, and above all, to learn to value his own work, and more often than not he felt a bit like a teenager, leaving his parents' home and living on his own for the first time, which was oddly fitting considering his biological age.
"So, assuming that we get our ship," he finally said, "where should we go? The possibilities are endless."
"Oh, I know exactly where I want to go," Gregor said with enthusiasm. "I say we find ourselves a warm planet with a nice beach and a blue ocean, and spend our days swimming and bathing in the sun."
Wolffe snorted at that. "Why waste our lives doing nothing when we're still in our prime? I say we go hunting; there are many beasts causing trouble in the galaxy, krayt dragons, rathtars, you name it. We could offer our services and make a lot of money, and then we could go to Gregor's beach planet."
"We could rest for a while and then go beast hunting," Gregor shrugged.
"And what about you, Rex?" Wolffe turned to him. "What do you want?"
Rex opened his mouth to answer but hesitated; what did he want? It wasn't the first time someone had thrown that question at him, and he felt a chill at the realization that he had no idea what he wanted in life. He was a clone, his life had been decided for him the moment he was born, and though he'd made the conscious decision to keep fighting for the Republic and the values it represented, he never thought about the possibility of a life without war, without fighting. So, what did he want? I want my life back, he thought bitterly, but it was impossible to go back to the days fighting alongside his brothers, engaging in friendly banter with Ahsoka, serving under the command of Anakin Skywalker.
He sighed. "Maybe we can reach a compromise, do a little bit of both? I agree with Wolffe that we shouldn't consider ourselves retired just yet, but I also agree with Gregor that we should find a balance and give ourselves some time to rest."
Wolffe crossed his arms and nodded, seemingly satisfied with his response, and Gregor grinned in agreement. Good. At least they now had some direction, though deep down Rex knew that he hadn't really answered the question of what he really wanted in his life.
Getting their own ship took a while longer and a lot more credits than they'd expected, but when Quarrie finally presented them with their very own Nu-class shuttle, even Wolffe had a hard time trying to suppress a wide grin. The ship was a thing of beauty, the characteristic Republic colors removed and replaced with a polished metal look, and every little detail had been taken care of, from the comfortably cushioned pilots' chairs to the smallest switch and button in the main console.
"Quarrie… " Rex said, scarcely believing his own eyes, "this exceeds all our expectations."
The Mon Calamari grinned. "Give me a few more weeks and I could've thrown an AT-RT into the deal, but I guess this'll have to do for now."
Rex smiled and raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, I'll make sure to let you know if we ever need some heavy transport in the future."
"I'll be waiting for your call, boy!" the Mon Calamari laughed. "Put a toy like this in a clone's hand and soon he'll be asking for another. Who knows? Maybe next time I can make you something of my own design."
Shaking Quarrie's hand appreciatively, Rex turned to join his brothers who were gleefully examining the shuttle's features. He didn't say anything, but he did notice that they were already imagining a new pattern of colors to embellish the ship's hull, a distinctive mark that would identify her as their own, and for the first time in many years Rex stopped to consider what it meant to be the sole master of his life. No war, no Rebellion, just him and his brothers, living a life as close to normal as they'd ever experienced.
Maybe next time you will reconsider joining the cause...
He told her he would, but a life of freedom was offering itself to him on the polished wings of an attack shuttle, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Was it really so bad, wanting to roam the galaxy with his brothers, experiencing a life that'd always been denied to him? Besides, he hadn't heard from Ahsoka for a while...
She must have a lot in her hands right now, he thought, as if to convince himself. If she needs me, I'm sure she'll let me know, and I'll be there for her no matter what.
His apprehensions somewhat sated, Rex followed Gregor and Wolffe up the frontal ramp into the shuttle, and smiled at the fluttering feeling of excitement that settled in his heart.