Captain Rex checked and rechecked his equipment. Even though it was not his armor he wore with his time with the 501st Legion, he knew that proper preparation of one's kit was the difference between mission success and mission failure.
That and the difference between life and death.
"Captain?" First Sergeant Jalaila Josto said to him. "We've just received word that General Solo's strike force is ready for takeoff."
Rex set down his blaster rifle, an A280. "Alright, that means the fleet will be close behind them. Let's brief the troops and get ready to back up General Solo." Rex stood up and proceeded to the hanger where his platoon leaders were waiting for him with their troops. When he arrived with First Sergeant Josto, he gestured to her to get the company to form up.
"Company, form up!" she shouted, causing her voice to echo through the hanger. Rex chuckled inwardly at how such a slender woman could have such a booming voice. He remembered when he met her after the Empire was driven off Lothal. She, along with most of the company, want to repay the Rebel Alliance for liberating their home.
When the four platoons of roughly forty-five Rebel commandos formed into disciplined formation, Rex stood before them. While some in the Rebellion criticized Rex for enforcing discipline that seemed reminiscent of the Imperial Army, they soon clamed up when they saw how effective his company became. Even in his own company, Rex heard of the grumbles of his strict way of doing things, they soon gained admiration for him when he led them from the front despite his old body.
"At ease Lightning Company, and listen up," Rex began. "As you know, the Alliance is mounting an attack on the new Death Star." A few troopers in the company shifted uncomfortably. Rex knew those were his troopers that hailed from Alderaan; he never blamed them whenever the term Death Star came up. "The fleet will be conducting the main attack. However the Death Star is protected by a planetary shield generator on the forest moon of Endor. General Solo will be leading a force to disable the shield generator. Our task is to support his force by attacking Imperial forces and diverting them away from the shield generator, taking as much pressure off General Solo's task force."
More of the troops shifted uneasy, surely uncomfortable being used as a diversionary force. It was never fun being bait.
But they won't back down. Lightning Company never backed down.
"I know it's not the most glamorous of roles we could be given," Rex continued, "but it's just as important as the other parts. If we don't do this, General Solo's force will never be able to complete their mission, and the fleet won't be able to attack the Death Star directly. I don't need to mention how devastating that hunk of junk is, but if we don't do this, we'll lose this war." Rex checked over his data pad when he felt it buzzed. He looked over the new information and was taken aback by it.
"I've just received new information," Rex said after composing himself, "the Emperor himself will be aboard the station to oversee its final construction." Nearly every soldier in the company had varying looks of disbelief of that.
"Take this a greater motivation to do your job," Rex continued. "If the fleet manages to blow up the Death Star, the Emperor will go down with it. When that happens, the entire Empire will go into disarray as they turn on each other for power. This is the opportunity we've waiting for, fighting for. If we win this day, we're lightyears closer to winning this war. I can't quite speak for you, but that gives me more than enough motivation for this mission. I'd take on this mission alone if I have to, but I know that won't be happening because I know all of you want the Empire to fall apart just it did on Lothal!"
Lightning Company began shouting and hooting at the idea of the Emperor dying in this battle, and even more so that their captain will be leading them as he always does.
"Alright, settle down!" First Sergeant Josto shouted, causing the company to do as such.
"Alright, your platoon leaders have the details of the facility we're attacking," Rex told the company. "So fall out and stand by for takeoff." The platoon leaders in the company took charge and began briefing their troops. First Sergeant Josto leaned closer to Rex.
"Sir," she began, "do you really think we can take on an AT-AT maintenance yard?" She referred to the All-Terrain Armored Transport, the imposing walker that even the most hardened veterans dreaded.
"I know we can," Rex told her. "The troops know the weaknesses of those walkers. And we have those new cable droids to help us out." He referred to specialized droids that carried spools of cable to wrap around the AT-AT's legs, a tactic borrowed from the Battle of Hoth.
"I know sir," Josto said. "I just hope we can get close enough to use them."
"We will," Rex told her. "The troops have been training for months. They know their job and they'll do it well."
First Sergeant Josto smiled, inspired by the captain's confidence. "Yes sir. Is it true that it was Commander Skywalker who came up that idea of using cables to trip up the walkers?"
"According to what Commander Antilles told me, it was Commander Skywalker that came up with that idea," Rex confirmed. "Under fire too no less."
"Well, if a Jedi came up that, it certainly must've worked," Josto said. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"Just make sure the company is ready to go," Rex told her. She saluted him and went about checking each sergeant in the company, seeing if they needed anything else.
Rex though, thought about Skywalker. Not just Luke Skywalker, but also Anakin Skywalker, Rex's general during the Clone Wars. When Rex first heard of Luke after the destruction of the first Death Star, he merely thought that the name Skywalker was more common than he thought.
But then he heard of the persistent rumors that Luke Skywalker was training to become a Jedi. When Rex heard of those rumors, along with Luke Skywalker's bravery and skill in combat, Rex began to realize that maybe, just maybe, Anakin did have children with Senator Padmé Amidala, as those two had a very close relationship.
Rex sighed at these thoughts because it brought up painful memories of the friends his lost, and it did not help that he continued to lose people around him.
"Rex," he heard a familiar and compassionate voice say, "are you alright?"
Rex turned and saw that General Hera Syndulla was looking at him with concerned eyes.
"Yes General," he told her. "Lightning Company is ready."
Hera raised an eyebrow. "Rex, I've known you long enough to tell that something is bothering you."
Rex sighed in defeat. "I was just thinking of Skywalker."
"Anakin or Luke?" Hera asked, knowing Rex fought under Anakin during the Clone Wars, and what little Rex shared, he certainly held the Jedi Knight in high esteem.
"Both, actually," Rex admitted. "I can't help but wonder if they're father and son…"
"Well, maybe you'll have a chance to ask him," Hera offered. "Commander Luke Skywalker will be joining General Solo's task force, along with Princess Leia. When this mission is over, I'll ask that you'll get the chance to speak with Luke." She smiled at him earnestly.
Rex smiled back. "I'd appreciate that General."
"Now let's get back to the task at hand," Hera said with a serious tone. "Blue Squadron is ready, and I'll be leading it personally from the Ghost. Your command team can join me. We'll be jumping to hyperspace soon."
"Yes ma'am," Rex said. "I'll get Lightning Company aboard the U-wings and LAATs." Rex saluted Hera and proceeded to do as he said. Hera took a long look at Rex, hoping that they both survive what is now considered the most vital battle of the war.
Rex stood next to the loading ramp of the Ghost, ready to jump out even before the ramp hit the ground. Just as the fleet dropped out of hyperspace and General Calrissian led the charge at the Death Star, Hera launched out of the Independence with the rest of Blue Squadron, consisting primarily of U-wings and Low Altitude Assault Transports recycled from the Clone Wars ferrying Lightning Company down to the surface. The remainder of Blue Squadron consisted of Y-wings to provide close air support, and some X-wings to provide air cover from any possible TIEs.
"10 seconds!" Rex shouted, warning the squad behind them that they are about to touchdown. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" The Ghost landed harshly against the ground and a split second later, the hatch popped open with the ramp extending down. "GO, GO, GO!" Rex shouted as he leapt out of the Ghost, charging ahead as the rest of Lightning Company disembarked from their transports.
"Lightning Actual, this Blue Leader," Hera announced over the comms, "we're proceeding ahead to deliver the wakeup call."
"Acknowledged Blue Leader," Rex responded. "We're three hundred meters out and closing fast."
"Roger, dropping the payload…," Hera announced, "NOW!"
Right on cue a series of explosions rocked through the forest. If everything went just right the outlining positions of Imperials would be either decimated or concussed that they would be able to react quickly to Lightning Company.
"Contact front!" Rex shouted as he saw several Stormtroopers shaking their heads. He and the squad next to him opened fire and cut them down, then continued the advance.
"Lightning Actual to Blue Leader, what's the status of those walkers?" Rex asked over the comm and he and his company gained sight of the facility.
"They're still are on the maintenance racks," he heard Alexsandr Kallus reply calmly. "But be aware, some are ready to disengage and be brought into operation. They're the ones on the eastern side of the facility. Recommend you target those first."
"Roger that!" Rex replied, then motioned his company to move to the east. Just as Kallus reported the walkers were indeed ready to begin operation, as evident by the crews scrambling to man them.
"Rockets!" Rex shouted into his comms. "Target their necks!" A series of rockets raced out of the forest and impacted the walkers. A few flew off target and impacted the walkers' armor, but the majority of them hit their mark and caused the walkers to explode and collapse to the ground.
"Hell yeah!" a trooper shouted.
Rex did a quick count and found that his company only took out a platoon of four walkers, while three more platoons' worth were still standing.
"Don't get to excited soldier," Rex warned, "we still have a way to go."
"Lightning Actual, this Indigo One," Rex heard over the comm. Indigo was the codename for the Y-wings. "We're starting our second run. We're targeting the walkers to the west."
"Hit him Indigo," Rex replied. If Indigo destroyed the walkers on the opposite side of the maintenance yard, the remaining walkers would have no way to maneuver and launch a counterattack. Rex switched to his company frequency and shouted, "Company, take cover! Y-wings are making a run!" He took cover behind a tree truck that was knocked over in the initial bombing run.
A moment later, the ground rocked again as Indigo's bombs impacted their targets.
"Blue Leader to Lightning Actual," Hera came over the comms, "confirmed six walkers destroyed."
Rex did the math in his head; ten walkers destroyed, leaving only six standing, trapped.
"Thanks Blue Leader," Rex said as he saw the Ghost fly over head with the X-wings flanking her. "We can take it from here."
In less than an hour, the remaining walkers were smoking wreaks, along with the whole facility. The majority of the personnel on base were poorly armed and trained technicians, who gave up once the Stormtroopers were decimated.
But this victory did not come easy; almost two dozen Lightning Company soldiers were killed, with the same number seriously wounded and almost twice that with lesser wounds.
Rex was in the middle of supervising the clearing of a landing zone for the gunships when he noticed a large explosion in the sky. Expecting it to be the Death Star, he looked up to see what it looked like so he can remember it for the rest of his short life…
Only it was not the Death Star that was destroyed, it was one of the Alliance's ships that was destroyed.
"Lightning Actual to Blue Leader, what just happened up there?!" Rex shouted into the comms.
A few seconds later, Hera replied, "The Death Star… its operational Rex! And the fleet is surrounded between it and thirty Star Destroyers!"
Rex felt a large rock form in his gut. "How did the Imperial Fleet respond so quickly?! I thought they were scattered!"
"The Emperor…," he heard Kallus whisper over the comms. "He knew we would attack! He must have allowed our Bothan spies to steal the plans to the Death Star!"
"Why would he do that?!" Rex shouted.
"That doesn't matter right now," Hera replied calmly. "Rex, you need to get to General Solo's position and assist his force in destroying the shield generator."
"Copy that," Rex replied. "The landing zone is clear and-."
But Hera cut him off by saying, "You'll have to move on foot Lightning Actual. We've multiple squadrons of TIEs heading straight for the shield generator. Blue Squadron will be moving to engage them."
A moment passed as Rex let the severity of the situation sink in. "Understood Blue Leader," he replied. "May the Force be with you Hera."
"May it be with you as well Rex," Hera replied before her squadron flew overhead.
Rex breathed deeply, coming to realize that this is now the most desperate battle he ever fought in.
But it was also the most important one he would ever fight in.
"First Sergeant Josto," Rex called out.
"I overheard everything sir," Josto replied. "I've already reorganized the company. You have three platoons while the fourth platoon consist of our seriously wounded and a third of our walking wounded. They'll stay here and wait for extraction."
"Great show of initiative First Sergeant," Rex complimented. "Lightning Company! General Solo needs our help! Move out!"
His command was followed by his sergeants and corporals bellowing orders and ushering their troops into formation, but it did not take much to motivate the soldiers to move out.
They understood the importance of what was happening.
Even though Rex and his company initially moved at a quick march, they soon had to slow down due to exhaustion and the need for a more cautious pace.
As they moved in closer to where the main facility was, they found something they did not know how to describe it.
They found an Imperial AT-ST destroyed by two large tree trunks.
"What the hell happened here?" First Sergeant Josto asked before scanning the treetops for what, or whom, could have done this.
"It looks like someone set up a trap for this walker," Captain Rex commented. "They used these two logs and timed it perfectly to crush the crew compartment."
"Pretty unorthodox I'd say," Josto commented.
Rex smiled to himself, believing if General Skywalker were here and had limited resources, he would resort to using the materials around him to cause the enemy some serious pain.
"We need to keep moving," Rex told Josto. "If there's one of these walkers, there's bound to be-."
A sudden and massive explosion erupted throughout the forest, followed by a large fireball reaching into the sky.
Lightning Company stared at the fireball, not expecting it given how General Solo's forces were led into the Emperor's trap just like the fleet.
"That must've been the shield generator," Josto said in disbelief. "General Solo did it!" The company erupted into cheering, realizing General Calrissian and the fleet now had a chance to destroy the Death Star. And the Emperor.
"Alright, settle down!" Josto shouted at the company, who complied quickly and took up security position, realizing about their major slip of noise discipline.
"We need to keep moving," Rex said and took the lead, following the trail of battle and fallen stormtroopers, who were all kill in the rather brutal fashion of wooden clubs and spears.
"Who did this?" Rex said softly and he studied the ground. "Did General Solo's troops resort to more primitive weapons?"
"Uh, sir?" Josto said.
"What is it First Sergeant?" Rex asked absentminded.
"We've got company," Josto replied.
Rex's head shot up and he expected to find stormtroopers, or some other elite Imperial troops, surrounding the company.
Instead, they found furry creatures that were only waist high in height.
"What are these creatures?" Rex said softly. They carried weapons that definitely caused the deaths of the stormtroopers. It was fair to say that these creatures did not like the Empire encroaching on their territory.
And who was to say these creatures would not treat them the same.
One of the creatures approached rex slowly and looked up at him with curious eyes. Rex smiled gently in an attempt to show he meant no harm.
Against expectations, the creature hugged Rex's thigh.
"Uh, hello there," Rex said before patting the creature on the head. Soon, more of them walked out of the forest and approached the soldiers, some mimicking the creature who hugged Rex.
"I guess these guys are our friends," Josto said as one creature hugged her tightly.
"It appears so," Rex said. "Maybe they're friends of General Solo."
The one creature who hugged Rex let go of him and began walking back toward the forest, before stopping and urging Rex to follow him.
"It might be trying to lead us to General Solo," Rex said. While common sense told him not to do so, because they could be trying to lead the company into a trap of their own, something told Rex to trust these creatures.
"Let's follow them," Rex finally said.
Josto looked at him with concern. "Are you sure sir?"
"Absolutely," Rex said with finality. "On me Lightning Company!" He began following the creatures, with the company close behind, apprehensive about what might happen next.
Just shy of an hour later, there was a massive explosion in the sky.
And the Death Star was the source.
The company stared up at the fireball in disbelief.
And then they cheered.
And cheered.
Because they did it.
They won. The Alliance to Restore the Republic won.
"We did it sir," Josto said with the brightest smile she wore in a long time.
"Yes First Sergeant," Rex said, feeling he really did choose a cause he believed in, rather than one forced upon him. "We did it."
After night fell, Rex found the Ghost and ran up to it. Hera, Zeb, Sabine, Chopper, and Kallus emerged from the ship. When Rex joined them, they all embraced each other. Kallus remained standoffish, feeling he did not quite belonged.
"Come here you!" Zeb said and grabbed Kallus for the group hug. He laughed and now felt he earned his place among them.
After letting go, Hera pulled Rex aside. "Rex, remember when I promised you'll have the chance to speak with Luke?"
"Yes General, I do," Rex replied.
"Well I managed to do just that," Hera said with a smile.
Rex smiled back. "Thank you Hera."
Hera led Rex to another camp site, where the celebration was just a boisterous as any other. There Rex saw a man dressed in black, smiling brightly as he talked to Princess Leia, Generals Solo and Calrissian, a large wookiee, along with two droids.
One of which was R2-D2.
"R2?" Rex said, not quite believing that the valiant droid survived all these years, with the rebellion no less.
R2 turned and began whistling and beeping in excitement that Rex is alive. All the members of Luke's party looked at him with curiosity.
Calrissian smiled his trademark smile when he saw Hera. "Hera! It's so good to see you again." He walked over to her and the two of them shook hands.
"It's good to see you again Lando," Hera said with a smile.
"Under much more desirable circumstances to be sure," Lando said.
"It is, but I'm here to introduce someone to Luke," Hera said.
When Luke heard his name, he walked over to Hera and asked, "Who is it that I am meeting General Syndulla?"
"Commander Luke Skywalker," Hera began, "this is Captain Rex of Lightning Company."
Luke smiled and held out his hand to Rex. Rex took it and said, "It is truly an honor to meet you sir."
"I'm sure it is," Luke replied. "But why is it you wish to see me?"
"Well sir, I have a rather personal question to ask you," Rex said, feeling nervous now.
"Well depending on the question, I will answer," Luke replied.
"Sir are you…," Rex began before taking a deep breath, "are you the son of Anakin Skywalker?"
Luke was silent for a moment. "Yes, I am the son of Anakin Skywalker."
Rex jaw dropped, not quite believing that his suspicions were completely correct.
"Why do you ask?" Luke said after Rex was silent for a moment.
"Well sir, I was one of the clone troopers that fought under his command during the Clone Wars," Rex replied proudly.
Luke's face lit up at that, sensing that Rex was being earnest.
"What can you tell me of him?" Luke asked.
"I can tell you so much sir," Rex told him. "I'll start at the beginning, when I was first assigned to him."
"One moment first," Luke said before turning. "Leia, can you come here? There's someone I wish to introduce to you."
Leia walked over, despite the protest from Han. When Leia examined Rex more closely, she said, "So you're the clone trooper who turned against the Empire."
"Well, I really never was with the Empire," Rex replied, feeling shame that his brothers betrayed the Jedi and the Republic.
"Regardless, I have no interest in speaking to someone who put the Emperor in power," she snarled.
"Leia, please, Rex here has long proven his loyalty to restoring the Republic," Luke told her, much to her dismay. "And he fought with our father during the Clone Wars."
Leia stared in disbelief at Rex, who also shared a look of disbelief. "You two are brother and sister?" Rex asked, shocked that Anakin had two children. He began wondering if he and Padmé had a child in secret during the last war.
"Twins actually," Luke replied. "Turns out we were born two days after the Empire was established. Now would you like to share what our father was like?"
Rex smiled. "Yes sir. When I met Anakin, I was immediately impressed by his confidence, and even more so when he took the same risks as me and all my brothers, never asking us to take chances he wasn't willing to do himself." Rex continued the story, highlighting the heroic, selfless, and often reckless acts Anakin demonstrated during the war. He even told them of Ahsoka Tano, and that it maybe possible she is still alive, as reported by Ezra.
During his story, Luke listened with an expression of awe, elated that his father was more than he dreamed about.
But Leia, listen with an expression of rage.
"Is something wrong Princess?" Rex asked as he began noticing she was not happy to hear these stories.
"Yes, something is very wrong," Leia snarled. "Because this is no way that the man you describe would be Darth Vader."
"Darth Vader…?" Rex asked, both confused and insulted that someone would even suggest that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were the same person. "That's impossible. Your father died defending the Jedi Temple during the closing days of the Clone Wars. I don't know who Darth Vader really was, but it wasn't Anakin. It's impossible!"
"Well it was," Leia told him, remembering sensing that Luke was correct that Vader was indeed her biological father. "Perhaps you never knew the real Anakin Skywalker like I did." Leia stormed off, fuming in rage.
Rex stood there, fuming in his own anger. "I can't believe she said about her own father. Anakin did have his moments of anger, but it was always for a cause greater than himself."
"Actually Rex…," Luke said with regret. "It's true. My father did fall to the Dark Side of the Force and became Darth Vader."
Rex looked at Luke in disbelief and shock. He had heard of Darth Vader and how brutal and cold he was, as told by Kanan and Ezra.
"I… I don't believe it. There's just no way that could've happened," Rex said in denial.
"Actually Rex," he heard a familiar voice say behind him. "It is true."
Rex turned around and saw his old general standing before him in a blue hue.
"General!" Rex said in shock. "How… how are you here?"
"I am here through the Force Rex," Anakin told him. "My son saved me, just as I saved him from the Emperor."
Rex softly chuckled to himself that after fighting alongside Jedi for years, he should have known better that the Force was more powerful than he ever gave it credit for. "Well it's good to see you again sir."
"And it's good to see you too old friend," Anakin said with a smile, before it turned into an expression of deep regret. "You might want to take a seat Rex. I have a lot to explain…"
Seeing the regret on Anakin's face gave Rex a sick feeling that what Leia said was possibly true.
Whatever Anakin had to say, Rex will hear all of it, despite how terrible it would be.
Because he was with his old friend again. And that is all Rex cared about.