Chapter 41 - Sanctuary

The green blade barely illuminated the trembling form in front of him. Quinlan had been ready to kill the man. He had never fought beside them, yet the efficiency with which those soldiers pursued their targets was disturbing. They had almost caught him. Quinlan didn't want to kill them at first, but they had left him no choice. The HoloNews had shown a couple of clones many times over the years. Always in combinations with their generals. Kenobi and Commander Cody. Skywalker - and Captain Rex. Who now knelt before him. And apparently had overcome the influence of the chip. Perhaps that was a step toward solving the riddle.

"Come on, get up," he urged, holding out his hand to the fallen soldier, "we've to get out of here."

The blond was still panting, unmoving, terror written in his eyes. Quinlan cursed under his breath, deactivated his lightsaber, and reached for the helmet that lay discarded on the floor. Kneeling down, he tried again. "Rex," he said in the calmest voice he could manage, pressing the helmet into the clone's hands, "I'm not going to hurt you, but if we don't get out of here now, our chances are very slim."

The light on the helmet flickered a little, wrapping the whole scene in a somewhat creepy atmosphere. Rex's eyes darted back and forth between his fallen brother and Quinlan before finally settling on him. Swallowing, he nodded silently.

Quinlan stepped back a bit, giving Rex some space. The man got up slowly, his legs shaking like leafs. Neither of them would forget that encounter any time soon. Rex fiddled with the lamp on his helmet until the flickering finally stopped. He then proceeded to clip the broken helmet to his belt. Darkness engulfed the two men again. There were a few cracks in the roof of the warehouse, but they helped little with banishing the shadows in the hall. The former jedi removed the blaster he carried on his belt and held it out towards Rex. "You might need it", he explained. The darkness prevented him from seeing the clone's face but he knew that Rex must have paled on the thought of fighting his own kind. Nevertheless, the blaster was taken from his hand and he heard the characteristic click of the safety being switched off.

"Let's go", the captain rasped. Quinlan nodded; more to himself than to Rex, because they couldn't see each other anymore.

They needed to get to an entry point of the sewers. It was the only way to the hidden tunnels.

"Follow me", Quinlan whispered and made his way over to the center of the hall, Rex closely behind.

There was a small rusty staircase in front of them which would lead them into the basement. Quinlan was about to set a foot onto the first metal step as he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a shiver ran down his spine. He was here. Skywalker had found them.

Whirling around, he stared directly into Rex's wide-open eyes, which looked more like black orbs in the dim light, as he too understood what had made Quinlan falter. If the soldier was about to say anything, he didn't catch it as he pushed Rex out of the way when Skywalker suddenly jumped down on them from above. The blue blade whizzed by just a millimeter in front of his face, and the former Jedi took a leap backward onto the steps, which cracked dangerously.

Skywalker came leaping right after him, and the stairs sank down a good bit as the decrepit metal gave way. Rust and dust trickled down onto the two men, enveloping the lightsaber in smoke as the particles burned from the heat.

"Vos," Skywalker growled, spinning the saber in his hand.

Activating his own blade, Quin put on a feigned grin. "Anakin, long time no see," he teased him.

The young man scowled and brought his blade down. "This. Is. Not. My. Name", he hissed and pressed his saber against Quinlan's.

His arms shaking from the strain, the Quin knew that he was no match for Skywalker. The boy was strong and an excellent swordsman. And he himself? He was out of practice; his last real sword duel was ages ago. Back then, he had trained frequently with Obi-Wan. Quinlan had never been good enough to defeat him, but that had mattered little to either of them. His friend had never given much for victory, nor had he ever mocked him about a defeat. He had other specialties. Stealth. Undercover missions. Anything that required staying hidden rather than facing danger head on. The years away from the Order had taught him many things, but his sword hand had become rusty. He would lose this duel if he didn't think of something.

Quinlan blocked another strike which was aimed at his neck and jumped down the rest of the stairs. The room was narrow and small, lined with scrap metal and wooden boxes. With a swipe of his hand, he sent one of the boxes flying towards his opponent. Skywalker just grinned, dark shadows falling under his eyes as his blue blade cast some light on his face. The box was crushed midair.

"How about you stop running?", Skywalker chuckled and followed him suit, "That would make things a lot easier for both of us."

"Ah, no. Thanks. I think I'm fine like this", he responded dryly and retreated backwards into the hallway. Skywalker stalked menacingly after him, his lightsaber leaving a scorched line in the concrete floor.

"What a pity", the man stopped in his tracks, "I'd love to kill you now… but sadly we need you alive."

Too fast that Quinlan was able to actually follow the movement, Anakin dashed forward. One moment Skywalker was right in front of him, the next he suddenly attacked from the wall next to him. Quinlan blocked the attack, but a powerful kick to the pit of his stomach sent him flying until his back and head made contact with a pair of metal bars blocking the passage of the hallway behind him. His lightsaber deactivated and fell to the floor beside him. Dazed by the painful hit, he sank down the wall, holding his head. He spat out a small glob of blood and groaned.

"Somebody's got aggression issues," he muttered between clenched teeth.

Suddenly he was lifted off the ground with the Force and his windpipe constricted. He knew it was useless to reach for his throat, but he couldn't fight the reflex. Skywalker had deactivated his blade and now approached him in the dark, his left hand slightly raised. Quinlan could only make out his blurry silhouette, too busy getting the oxygen he needed into his lungs. He tried to kick out in vain, but his feet hit nothing but air. Anakin stopped about an arm's length away from him and smirked.

"I could have used a decent fight," his eyes swiveled to the side briefly, "But all I get is you."

His gaze returned to him, and Quinlan realized for the first time that he was looking into golden eyes.

His heart began beating faster than it already did. Skywalker wasn't just being controlled. This was the dark side infesting the boy. Obi-Wan would not be pleased at all when he found out. Well, that was exactly the point. If he still got the chance to talk to his friend. At the moment, he wasn't so sure about that anymore. His time was running out.

He watched Skywalker take something from his belt and hold it in front of his nose. A syringe. Probably a sedative.

"Sweet dreams, traitor."

Quinlan screwed up his face as the syringe moved toward his neck. If he was captured, that was the end.

Just before the needle broke through his skin, a blaster fired.

Rex. The man had jumped down the stairs and was now standing at the other end of the hallway, smoking rifle in his hands. The blue bolt sank into Skywalker's shoulder and the man lost his grip on Quinlan. The syringe shattered on the floor. Gasping for air as his windpipe was finally cleared, Quinlan took the opportunity to send Anakin crashing into one of the crates with a Force blast.

Luckily, the soldier didn't waste a second and bolted down the corridor. As soon as he reached Quinlan, he hooked an arm underneath his shoulder and helped him on his feet. The former jedi hissed as his vision started to spin again.

"Where to now, sir?", Rex asked frantically, shooting a glance behind him where Skywalker was already getting back on his feet.

"Through that door", Quinlan rasped and pointed at the door next to them, before calling his lightsaber back to his belt.

The captain adjusted his grip and heaved them through the heavy metal door which Quinlan quickly slammed shut behind them. Thinking about it, he used his lightsaber to weld the lock shut. If their pursuers wanted to get through, they had to cut the door open now. Maybe that would hold them off long enough to get away.

"That way."

Despite him leaning on Rex, Quinlan led them through the basement rooms until they stood over a hatch which would lead them into the sewers. He used the Force to lift it out of the way and motioned for Rex to climb down the ladder.

The clone looked like he wanted to protest but then just nodded and began descending into the underground. Looking behind him for a last time, Quinlan climbed down as well, though slower and less graceful than Rex, still nauseous from the hit to his head. Then he pulled the hatch closed again. On the end of the ladder, he stepped into dirty water which almost reached the top of his boots. Rex stood beside him, hand covering his nose.

"This has to be one of the worst smelling places I've ever been," the soldier muttered in a nasally voice. Quinlan cracked a laugh, but quickly fell silent again as a headache began to pound through his head. "Wait until you make acquaintance with a rancor nest, then. After that, everything else smells like flower fields to you."

"I think I'll pass, sir," Rex said with a grin, then proceeded to study him a with a worried look, "We shouldn't waste time. How do we find our way through this maze?"

"It's a bit complicated. The sewage didn't use to be this high down here, and you could actually see markings that someone must have made at one time."

"Great. Now what?"

"Let's hope my memory doesn't fail me and I remember the way from back then."

The two waded forward through the indefinable slush, sometimes seeking a foothold on the moss-covered stones on the walls.

"You said you had been here before then," Rex asked at one point, "How did that happen?"

Quinlan huffed and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "A long time ago, the Jedi used the tunnels as a kind of emergency access. That's why markers were hidden in the sewers. And well... those had to be maintained, of course. Obi-Wan and I had to rework all the markings as a punishment when we were children. Ordered by Master Windu himself."

Rex's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "The Jedi sent their kids down here alone?"

"Like I said, things looked a little different around here back then. But it stunk here just the same. To be honest, we deserved every minute of that punishment. And we haven't regretted it to this day."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you do? Somehow I can't picture General Kenobi as the kid who got into trouble."

"The Obi-Wan I knew and the man you know might as well be two different people. The war and Qui-Gon's death have taken a toll on him. It's rare to actually see him laugh. Let alone that he sometimes makes a joke. But to answer your question... Have you ever wondered why Master Windu is bald?"

Rex dodged a large lump floating in front of them and shook his head. "No. Thought it was natural."

Quinlan bared a wide grin. "Oh no, actually the man had a real head of hair. Thick black curls. Were predestined for a prank."

"I suspect evil."

"Well, Obi-Wan and I snuck a powerful dye into his shower gel. After that, the hair was poison green and Master Windu resembled a clown more than a Jedi master."

Rex laughed heartily. "And let me guess, he shaved his hair off after that."

Quinlan nodded. "Yep. The official reason was, 'It would give him an aura of authority'."

The captain snickered. "To be honest, the man has that effect. A lot of the men are afraid of him."

"There's no need to be afraid of Windu. Even he had to laugh about it later."

"Unbelievable, sir."

The duo trudged in silence for a while until they reached a dead end. Rex shot him a questioning look and shifted slightly. "You sure this is the right way?"

Quinlan took a step away from the clone and motioned for him to move behind him. Puzzled, Rex shuffled aside and watched him like he had lost his mind. Moving his arms in front of him, Quinlan closed his eyes and concentrated on the wall. With a rumble it began to move, dislodging dirt and small rocks in the process.

A small gap opened, just big enough for them to squeeze through. Satisfied, Quinlan lowered his arms again and turned to Rex, who had watched the whole thing with the fascination of a child.

"I will never understand the Force, sir," muttered the soldier.

"No one really does," Quinlan smirked, "And you can call me Quinlan. I'm not your superior."

"As you wish, si- Quinlan."

Both men squeezed into the narrow earth tunnel, which was so low they had to duck. After closing the wall behind them, Quin moved a short distance into the tunnel, activating his lightsaber to lighten up their path. "It's not far now. Watch your head. These tunnels were dug by hand and are not very stable", he said, pointing to some narrow wooden beams that supported the passage.

Rex nodded and followed the Jedi. "Out of curiosity... how deep are we here?"

"Somewhere below the deepest level of Coruscant. The Jedi Temple has many levels that go way down. Plus, those tunnels in the earth layer."

"Wow," Rex whistled, "never thought I'd see anything like that on Coruscant."

"I don't think anyone ever thought we'd have to use the tunnels like this."

Quinlan heard the captain stop behind him and turned a little backward to look at the man. Rex had his head turned down; his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Hey," he nudged the man lightly on the shoulder plate, "None of you are to blame for this. Only Palpatine."

"It doesn't change anything for me. The blood of innocents is on my hands. I was there when the temple was raided... I will never forget the look on the children's faces."

Quinlan winced and looked at the soldier sympathetically. "Look, if we reach the station... let me go ahead by myself first, okay? I need to give the others a heads up."

'Especially the kids.'

Rex nodded, pulling a face.

They passed the last barricades without exchanging words until Quinlan stopped and held up his hand. "This is it. Will you be okay with waiting here for a moment?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Quinlan felt bad for leaving the man behind in the dark tunnel but he had no other choice. He moved as fast as his headache would allow him, climbing through the small tunnel. Finally, he reached a wooden door, enforced with some metal plates. He knocked and waited for someone to open it. No answer. He almost wanted to knock again until Master Windu opened the door. The Korun master looked tired, the burns he had received on his arm during the fight in the temple barely healed.

"Vos, what are you doing here?" the man murmured darkly.

"We have a problem," Quinlan quickly explained, "We've been betrayed. The supply line is cut off."

"Shit," Mace cursed, wiping his hand across his face, "Come in, we need to discuss this."

"I'm not alone," he blurted out, "Captain Rex is with me."

A mixture of emotions crossed the Jedi Master's face. "Captain Rex? How can that be? All the clones have had a chip inserted."

"His broke."

Mace looked unconvinced. "Are you sure about that? You know what..."

Quinlan interrupted him hastily. "Yes, I'm sure of it. He saved me when Skywalker tried to capture me."

The two stared at each other for a brief moment before the Jedi Master nodded. "Go get him. I'll talk to Vokara and the rest."

"Thank you," Quinlan breathed and quickly made his way back to Rex. He found the man leaning against a wall, helmet in hand and absently stroking the cut in his visor.

"Rex."

The blond looked up. Guilt was written deep on his face. "What did they say?"

"I was talking to Master Windu. He's sorting out the rest. Come."

The clone stood up and moved toward Quinlan, uncertainty accompanying his every step. Probably the relationship between the Jedi and the clones would never be the same.

After a few minutes, the two stepped through the wooden door, into a cavernous vault with wooden planks on the walls. A small light illuminated the center of the room. Master Che and Master Windu awaited them, their faces blank.

Quinlan and Rex stood opposed to them, a little unsure about how to proceed. Master Che took this decision from them as she slowly stepped forward and eyed Rex cautiously. "What do you remember, Captain?" she asked softly.

Rex gasped briefly and swallowed hard. "Everything," he whispered, his voice breaking, "I'm so sorry."

Vokara nodded and touched the clone's temple. "Calm down, we're not going to hurt you."

Her blue eyes roamed over the slight burns on his face. "A lightsaber burn?"

"That was me," Quinlan jumped in, "... Before I knew he was - that he wasn't like the others."

Mace had stayed behind a bit and cleared his throat. "If you don't need me here anymore, I'll go check on the kids."

The healer's eyes did not leave Rex, but she nodded. "I'll be fine. Go on."

With that the Jedi Master quietly left into one of the tunnels on the side.

Rex obviously felt a little out of place among the Jedi, but mustered the courage to ask his burning question. "I feel like you guys know what's wrong with my brothers and me. What is it?"

Vokara took a step back. "Come with me," she said, beginning to walk toward a small side room, "I'd best show you."

Rex and Quinlan exchanged a quick glance, but then followed her. They entered a small cavern which kind of resembled a lab or medbay.

"We were able to salvage some of the equipment from the temple", the healer explained while she grabbed a scanner and activated a monitor, "We have generators down here. Our power supply is limited but this is important. Come here, Rex. Sit in the chair."

The clone stepped over and sat down.

Vokara moved to his side. "I'm going to scan your brain. Please try to keep still."

"Okay", Rex said and closed his eyes. The scanner whirred silently as she steadily moved it around his head. After a few minutes a beep sounded from the device and a 3D image of Rex' brain began to assemble itself on the monitor.

Quinlan watched the screen with interest. The implanted chip was clearly visible.

The Twi'lek healer laid aside the scanner and enlarged the image on the screen.

"Here," she said, pointing to the chip, "this little implant is controlling you. Linked to the brain, it overrides your actual personality and imposes a pre-programmed behavior on you."

Rex stared at the screen, shocked by the revelation. "How can this be...? They've been using us...like machines."

"I'm afraid we still know quite little about the chips. Specifically, about disabling them. I could try removing yours", she glanced at Quinlan, "It might help us find a way. But the procedure is not without danger."

Rex shook his head vehemently. "I don't care about that. Do it. If it helps save other lives, I'll be happy to volunteer."

Quinlan used the moment to speak. "Rex, are you sure about this? It's not an easy decision."

The clone slowly stood up and took a deep breath. "All my life I've been trained to follow orders. To function at the right moment", his brown eyes were clear and full of determination, "No decision was ever truly my own. Except this one. So yes, I'm sure of it. I want to do this."

"Then it is settled", Master Che said, "I'll need some time to prepare but then we are ready to go."

"I'll leave you two to it then", Quinlan shot Rex a smile, "I'm going to make a call and after that I'll check on you."

He was about to leave the room when the healer stopped him. "I want to take a look at your head first. Your eyes are shaking."

His shoulders sagging in defeat, Quinlan sighed. "Okay."

Rex moved so that he could take the place on the chair.

Vokara began rummaging through the supplies until she fished a small light out of the pile.

"Eyes open", she ordered and shone the light into his eyes, fingers underneath his chin to keep his head from moving. His headache got a lot worse and Quinlan tried not to flinch away.

"You've got a concussion", the healer stated after she removed the light again, "You should take it easy. The best thing you can do is lie down."

"Alright, doc", he stood up slowly and rubbed his eyes, "I'm just going to make the call then I'll lay down for a bit."

Quinlan then turned to Rex. "I'll check on you later, okay?"

The man tipped his head in acknowledgement before Master Che called him over. "Yeah, see you later."

Quinlan looked after the clone for a moment before he stepped back into the entrance room and activated his commlink. He made his way over to the earthy wall and sat down.

The connection was desirable, but better than no signal at all. Now he only had to reach Obi-Wan. Hopefully his friend had survived his encounter with Maul. He let his head slide against the wall and listened to the beeping of the device as it tried to connect.

"Come on. Don't leave me hanging now."