After landing on the planet, they were greeted by Master Koon and a clone Commander. Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed to Plo Koon. "We are here to pick you up, Master Koon," Obi Wan greeted. "Koh-to-yah Knight Kenobi. Thank you for coming, but we can't depart yet," The Kel Dor answered.
"What is delaying our department?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Recently, we detected that there are some separatists droids in the surrounding area. The people here are mostly farmers. They would get killed if they met the droids,"
"We should clean this area from those droids before leaving. Otherwise, we risk high casualties," the Commander next to Plo Koon said.
"Then we should do that," Obi-Wan agreed.
Anakin scouted with his Master, Rex, Jesse, Hardcase and Kix. They were taking a rest, and the both Jedi separated themselves from the others to meditate. Rex and Hardcase were scouting their nearer surrounding to make sure they could rest safe.
The meditation of the Jedi was cut short as they heard a shot in the distance.
They instantly jumped to their feet and hurried to the place of action.
Rex laid on the ground, his breastplate was smoking out of a laser shot hole.
Kix was already taking care of Rex and shortly after Hardcase and Jesse came back from wherever they were.
Anakin decided to help Kix, while Hardcase and Jesse explained what happened to Obi-Wan.
"He can't continue like that," Kix stated after Rex condition was stabilized.
"But we can't bring him back either. There are probably more droids from where these, which shot him, came," Obi-Wan said.
"I saw some domestic animals near. There most be a farmer nearby. Maybe they can help us," Jesse suggested.
The Jedi Knight thought about that, then nodded.
"We will bring him to the farm and ask for help. Hopefully they will take our Captain over one or two nights until he is back on his feet to go back on his own, or we are getting him after we finished our scouting," Obi-Wan decided.
Arriving at the farm, they were greeted by a Twi'lek who pointed a blaster riffle at them.
"Please Madam, we don't want you any harm," Obi-Wan said, holding up his hands. "We are just searching for a place, where our wounded friend could stay over the night. We have urgent matters to attend and can't take him with us," the Jedi Knight explained.
The Twi'lek inspected him. "You are a Jedi, right?"
Obi-Wan nodded.
"That what wounded your friend, is it still out there?" she asked her next question.
"The droids which injured him are destroyed, but there could be more. That's why we are here. But we can't hunt the other droids down with a wounded comrade," Obi-Wan answered, deciding to tell the truth.
The Twi'lek thought about it, then took down her riffle.
"He can stay in our barn, but I want a Jedi to stay as well for the case some droids come here," she decided.
Obi-Wan nodded. "My Padawan can stay with you. He will be able to protect you should droids come here," he said.
The Twi'lek looked skeptical at Anakin, but nodded and let them bring Rex in the barn and finish his treating.
Anakin was sitting on a chair next to the table Rex was laying on.
First he was proud of himself, as his Master had said, that he would be able to defend the farm alone. But as he waited, some doubt came in his mind. He didn't know where it came from, but maybe Obi-Wan wanted him to stay here because he thought that he wouldn't be helpful while scouting and that the farm wouldn't be attacked.
The Padawan didn't get far with his doubting, as Rex jolted up.
"Easy, Rex, easy," he calmed the Captain and laid a hand on the uninjured shoulder to push him back to the table.
"Commander?" the clone asked, while laying back down.
"You got shot," Anakin answered the unasked question and told what else happened.
"You should have patched me up, so I could still do my duty," Rex said, a bit grumpy, after Anakin ended.
"Captain, if I understood Kix right, you can't even use your left arm," Anakin answered. "Anyway, it is too late now, the others are already gone," The young Jedi added.
The Captain sighed, as the Twi'lek from before came in.
"I see, you are awake. I've got some fruits for you. I hope it is enough," she said.
Anakin went to her, to take the bowl with fruits out of her hands. "It is more than enough, since you don't have to provide us with food. Thank you, Madam," he said, smiling.
Even after over a year as a Padawan, fruits were still something special for him. And it often tasted good.
"My name is Suu," the Twi'lek said to Rex, who got up to a sitting position and looked skeptical at her.
"She was so kind, to let us use the barn, so you could recover," Anakin said.
"Then I have to thank you, Ms. Suu," Rex replied.
Anakin gave Rex a fruit, as a hover ball flew in the barn under the table, Rex was sitting on. Shortly after, a young Twi'lek girl followed.
"Shaeeah, you should stay in the house," Suu admonished her daughter.
"But my ball got in here," her daughter answered, as if this was a good reason to leave the safety of their house. Then she got her ball. While standing up again, her eyes fell on Rex.
"You look like my dad," she stated, astound.
"Shaeeah, don't bother the soldier and now back in the house," Suu said sternly.
"Yes mom," she groaned and left.
"Can I do something else for you?" the mother asked, but Anakin shook his head. "No, thank you, Ms. Suu," he answered.
After Suu had left, Anakin gave Rex a blaster pistol. "The others left them for you. Better safe than sorry," he added.
"Thank you, Commander," Rex answered and put the weapon at his side while lying back down.
It was night as the eopies were getting in the barn, searching shelter in the night.
Anakin, who was still awake, watching over the sleeping clone captain, got up and tried to get the animals into their boxes. He didn't want them to wake the captain, so he sent them some calm over the force.
He got the last eopie in its box and patted it, as someone entered the barn. It wasn't an animal, it felt like a human.
Anakin was in the back of the barn, hidden in the shadows. He kept silent, as the human grabbed some sort of pitchfork, Anakin really didn't know what it was. The young Jedi didn't want to startle the intruder and grabbed silently his training lightsaber while approaching the human, who approached Rex.
Rex was awake, only pretending to sleep, and sat up and pointed the blaster at the human.
Anakin was about to ignite his lightsaber, as he recognized the face of a clone at the intruder.
Meanwhile, the man disarmed Rex, pointing his sort of pitchfork at the captain.
"Stop!" Anakin cried, jumping forward to get between the captain and the other clone. In the short time, the two of them also recognized each other.
"What…" the foreign clone began, but stumbled back, as a young Jedi jumped between him and Rex.
"You're a clone," Rex stated and demanded rank and number from the other.
"I see, the war also got here. I assume there will be droids nearby?" the clone said, eying Rex and Anakin.
"I am Cut Lawquane, a simple farmer" he then answered Rex question.
"You are a deserter," Rex accused him.
"Well, I…" Cut began, but Anakin interrupted him, sensing a dispute between the two, "No and yes… I mean, the war didn't really come here, but some droids did crash-land here, like some of our men. We are here to hunt these droids down, but as you see, my captain got wounded."
"Commander, he is violating his duty!" Rex argued.
"I just chose how to live my life and my only duty is to my family," Lawquane answered, turning the lights of the barn on.
"It's not…" Rex began, but was interrupted by Lawquane's family entering the barn.
The two children went straight to their father, showing him a picture they drew for him.
"I see you met each other," Suu said to her husband.
"Yes, I met Captain… What is his number?" he asked Anakin, since he is Rex superior. Anakin flinched, but Rex answered without hesitation. "Rex, I too have a name, believe it or not."
Cut looked skeptical at Anakin. "His name is Rex, so please call him by that. And he can speak for himself, so asked him if you have a question," Anakin said defiantly.
"His men brought him here, since he was wounded out there. I said he could stay for the night. The Jedi stayed with him, in case these droids that are out there would come here," Suu explained the rest.
"My name is Anakin Skywalker. We are very thankful for your help," Anakin said, remembering that he hadn't introduced himself to Cut.
"You are welcome," Cut Lawquane said. "Yes, we always help, when we can," the youngest of the children, named Jek, exclaimed.
"You look hungry," Cut then stated. "N-no, I at least am fine. I stay here," Rex answered, a little unsure.
"No, please eat with us," the children began to plead.
"Come on Rex, you need nutrition, if you want to heal quickly," Anakin said.
The captain sighed. "Fine, Commander, I will eat with you," he gave in.
While dinner Cut Lawquane eyed Anakin skeptical but the little Jedi didn't react to it. He couldn't hold it against him, since he was a Jedi, a superior to the clones. Anakin doubted that Cut had been treated as a free man, while he was in the army. He would be suspicious too.
"You have a name, captain, how come?" he then asked Rex, while his children were more interested in Anakin, asking him about the Jedi.
"We chose to give us names. From brother to brother," Rex answered. He didn't like how Cut eyed Anakin, the first person who really saw a person in them. Most Jedi were friendly and such, but neither had been interested in their name, at least nobody had asked. Also, neither had thought about talked to them from person to person. Always from General to soldier.
For the Jedi, they may be no slaves, but they weren't more than soldiers.
"Then how comes, that your commander speaks to you, with your name?" Cut questioned.
"He asked us for our names, right after meeting us," Rex answered and looked to Anakin, who nodded. He had no time to reply to them, since the children demanded his attention.
"Let the names make you feel unique?" Cut asked.
"Why do you talk, like you know me?" Rex asked with another question.
"Because I am as close to you, as anyone could be. I saw how you look at my family, my home. You, too, thought about leaving the army and choose the life you like," Cut answered.
"What if I am already choosing the life I like. What if the army is the life I want?" Rex asked.
Anakin was listening to them, while answering the children's questions halfheartedly until they asked their next question.
"Was that man in the robes that came with you, your father? He looks young and not like you,"
"I… he, he was my mentor," Anakin said, not wanting to call him Master. He didn't know what other people might think about that word.
"Then where is your family. Mother wouldn't let us go alone anywhere," the girl asked.
"I am not alone. My mentor, Rex, and the others were with me," Anakin answered. He didn't want to talk about family, but the children didn't let the topic go.
"Yeah, but your parents weren't with you. Dad or Mom would always go with us, especially if it's dangerous," the boy said.
"My mentor is the strongest man I know, nobody could keep me safer. But I also can defend myself," Anakin replied.
Suu saw Anakin's unease with this topic, chided the children asking too much and not eating.
After the dinner, Anakin volunteered to help Suu to clean the dishes, while the children went playing and the clones played dejarik.
The Jedi overheard them talking, why and how Cut became a farmer.
He sighed. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. Anakin also knew, that Cut didn't trust him. The clone wouldn't believe him, if he would say, that he understands.
The children's crying alarmed all of them. They came rushing to the house, mumbling something about monsters.
"Commando droids," Cut realized and counted them, "About twenty. That is not good. Suu, take the children upstairs," he said and began to equip himself.
Anakin went to the window.
"We should catch them in a crossfire," Rex suggested.
"Rex, you are not in charge here," Cut said.
"But I can fight," the captain protested.
"He is right, Rex. You should go upstairs and protect Suu and the children. You are injured," Anakin said.
"I need you to be the last line of defense in order to protect my family," Cut stated.
Rex hesitated, but then nodded. "I will take care of them."
With that, he went upstairs.
"I can be your defense, while you shoot them," Anakin said to cut and ignited his training lightsaber. It couldn't cut the droids, but reflect the shots.
Cut nodded. "Alright," he answered, and they get into position.
It didn't take long for the droids to attack. Anakin instantly got into the defensive, already knowing what to do in order to protect Cut while give him the chance to shoot.
"You know, you are right," Anakin said while fighting.
"What do you mean?" Cut asked.
"Everything. Especially the part of choosing the life you want. Everyone should have the right to have this freedom. Sadly, there are many people who don't have this freedom and the clones belong to this people," Anakin answered.
"What are you getting at?"
"I know the other clones are still your brothers, your family," the Jedi said while deflecting a laser bolt and destroying a droid with it. Then he leaped backwards over Cut and protected him from a droid, which had been sneaking up from behind.
"I will not only fight next and with your brothers, I will also fight for them," he continued and destroyed the last droid with its own laser bolt.
Anakin looked to Cut. "I know, that you don't trust me. But you can believe me. I know what you were going through. I hadn't the choice to live the life I wanted and as I had a choice, I had to leave my family behind."
Cut only stared, undecided if he should believe Anakin or not.
The next day, Rex and Anakin were ready to leave.
Anakin patted the eopie they were given to return to their men, as Suu asked them if they would turn her husband in.
"It is my duty, but in my condition, I won't remember any of this," Rex answered, then all eyes went to Anakin.
"I don't know what you mean, Ms. Suu. I only see a farmer with his family, who was so kind to provide us shelter and food. Thank you for everything, may you live a happy life," Anakin said, then mounted the eopie and helped Rex up.
"You can always stay, Rex," Cut offered. Rex looked a little perplexed, not quite believing that Cut said to him, to dessert in front of his commander, but Anakin smiled and nodded.
"We were attacked by droids, I couldn't protect you…" he offered.
Rex eyes went wide. Even the ones of Cut and Suu. His commander just said, he would lie for him and help him to desert. Then Rex smiled.
"No, here is your home. My home and family are elsewhere," Rex answered.
They were silent on their way to their meeting point until Anakin broke this silent.
"I mean what I said, and I will always mean it. Cut is right, everyone should have the right to choose the life they want to live. You and your brothers weren't given this choice. But I want to give you the choice. While being a commander I won't be able to do much, but when I am a General it is just a document I have to fill, you know,"
"I know, al'verd'ika, but I have already decided. Still, I will keep it in mind and make sure everyone knows," Rex answered, and he was really grateful. He couldn't imagine a life outside the army, but he understood the choice of Cut, and he wanted a happy life for his brothers too.