Grey volunteered to dispose of Murrack's body. Rex sat in the pilot's seat, stiff, yet exhausted as he heard Grey drag his former companion towards the airlock. It took only a few minutes for the body to be sent out into the abyss of space, but every second that crawled by was filled with so many unpleasant sounds and feelings that it felt to Rex that the event had lasted hours.
When Grey was finished, he came back into the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot's chair like nothing had happened. Rex glanced over to him, and saw that though the man was young, his eyes had deep shadows under them. Grey leaned forward in his seat, clasped his hands, and propped his elbows on his knees. They sat in silence for a long while. After what felt like an hour, Grey spoke.
"I know you probably don't want to hear this now, but I don't really want to be going to Huttese space anymore."
Rex felt a spike of annoyance. "I'm not changing the deal. I'm not a taxi service."
Grey scoffed, if anything to alleviate tension. "I'm sure you could imagine why I'm adverse to being in the crime capital of the galaxy with three sets of those."
Grey gestured to the armor that laid in the cots like gleaming corpses.
Rex could imagine. Grey had thought he'd be entering Huttese space with three Mandalorians, instead he was burdened with three empty sets of very valuable armor. It was a death sentence to have goods worth that much to the Empire. The Empire was paying millions of credits for every scrap of beskar in the galaxy. Grey wouldn't make it off the spaceport without being robbed, most likely killed.
Rex looked away from Grey. He didn't have any pity left inside him to offer, even if he felt that Grey deserved it.
"This isn't my problem." Rex didn't look at Grey, but instead turned towards his datapad. He had retrieved the tapes from Murrack before Grey had disposed of him and was waiting for the data dump to be complete.
There was a straining, painful silence. Grey began to bounce one leg up and down incessantly. The display of anxiety irked Rex, but he didn't remark on it. He could distract himself with the data once it had finished-
The datapad made a series of beeping noises and columns and columns of data flooded onto Rex's screen. Rex set to work. Shifting through information came second nature to most clones. They were as familiar with data as they were with a blaster. A soldier was no good if they didn't have the correct intel.
Rex turned his chair away from Grey and focused on losing himself in the tedious work. Rex collected any and all data concerning CT units. Every report, every casualty, and most importantly, every roster that included one. He felt as if he could save them all by simply dropping their names and files into his master list. It was cathartic.
If I could save just one, I'll understand why I'm still here.
Though he added hundreds of names to his list, he knew that the percentage of the over all Imperial Army that were clones was alarmingly small. After the destruction of Tipoca City, the production of clones had stopped, and the Empire, it seemed, were burning through their reserves quickly.
Rex couldn't explain it. The idea that the cloning program was shut down for good somehow made him sad. But it shouldn't. His existence wasn't something to rejoice about. Yet he couldn't deny the mourning he felt that it was all just gone. Planets and civilizations lasted for eons, and his kind had blossomed and blown in a matter of years.
So temporary. So fleeting.
In a mater of decades they would all be gone. Would the galaxy even remember them?
"Well, then at least one good thing has come from all of it. The Republic couldn't ask for better soldiers, nor I a better friend."
The words stung Rex as he thought of them. But they also spurred him past his self pity. There was something left of his brothers, and they were worth saving. They were good men who deserved good lives. And even if it was only a fraction of what they deserved, he would risk everything to give it to them.
Grey cleared his throat.
"So that's it then? There's nothing I can say to change your mind? Nothing I can offer you?"
Rex didn't turn to look at him. "I have exactly what I wanted, right here."
Grey was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "Well, that wasn't the deal now, was it?"
Rex felt a throb of annoyance, like a persistent headache acting up again. He lowered his datapad and dragged a hand down his face. He turned to face Grey.
"The deal was that we work together to get my intel in exchange for safe passage off Mandalore-"
"And transport to the planet of our choice." Grey interrupted him. Grey leaned back in his chair, an obnoxious smile curving his lips.
"In other words cl-captain," his eyes darted off to the side as he corrected the near-slur, "I get to decide where you take me. The persons who wanted to go to Huttese space are no longer alive. As compensation for helping you get your intel, I want transport to a planet of my choice."
Rex creased his brow and put on his most authoritative voice. "Fuel doesn't just spout from holes in the ground. I've got limited resources. I'm taking you, alive, to a secure location. So unless the planet you want to get off on is somewhere that will save me time and fuel, I'm not changing this ship's trajectory."
"It's not secure. I'd have a hole in my head the second I set foot on any planet run by the Hutts."
"Not my problem."
"Is too. Safety is what I was promised. I'm not going to be safe in Huttese space. I'd get murdered."
"I can't guarantee your safety from murderers no matter where I drop you off."
"True, but I'd like to pick somewhere that makes my chances less than one hundred percent."
Rex fell silent, but continued to glower at Grey. He was a pain in Rex's shebs. He just wanted him gone.
"The only way I'll change my mind is this: I'll drop you off when we get to where I want to go." He swiveled his chair away from the man. "I save fuel and we both end up just fine."
Grey held Rex's gaze. "And where are you going?"
Rex didn't look up from his work. "I haven't decided yet."
"What are the options?"
Rex felt his brow crease deepen. "I haven't figured out my options yet. Leave me alone for a moment."
Silence fell between them again.
It shocked Rex how much the sound of another being's voice irritated him. He'd been alone too long. He hadn't had a companion in this particular vessel in a long time. During his brief career as a smuggler, Rex's ship contained mostly contraband. On rare occasions he would have a few sentients added to the crates, but they were far from company. They had always been very quiet, from either fear, or because they were too secretive to talk.
There was a time when the company on this ship was a source of happiness.
Ahsoka used to occupy that seat that Grey was now in. His insides lurched as he was assaulted with memories. And that smell. It kept wafting by his nose every time Grey made movement. It was the smell of the plant based moisturizer Suu had given Ahsoka for her Lekku. A subtle smell. Like cream but more earthy. His chest began to ache, like a sore muscle being stretched.
Luckily for Rex's wandering mind, he finally had finished his list of planets. He sat up in his seat and turned it back to face the ship's console and brought up the star chart. He had linked the planet's names to the clones that were stationed there and would be able to read through the list of brothers once he had selected a planet. He did this now, first selecting Coruscant.
Rex knew that particular location was a longshot, and his heart sank. It was the planet that had the highest ratio of Clone units to recruited units. The Emperor had perhaps liked having clones in his guard. Rex felt sick at the thought that any of his brothers still had to take direct orders from that creature. He wished more than anything that he could find an excuse to go to Coruscant, but it was all in all far too risky.
As Rex went to the next planet on the list, Grey's face appeared in his peripherals.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Just looking at the possibilities. Oh! Corellia! That's a good system to get lost in. Fantastic undercity. Good black market."
Rex tolerated the comments but didn't say anything. Corellia was a core world. Finding very specific squads in a system like that would take weeks, if not months, and transfers happened every day. His data was only relevant now. The longer he waited, the more outdated his information would become.
No Corellia wouldn't be possible. He moved on to worlds that were specifically of little interest to the Empire. Worlds with less industrial potential. The smaller the military presence, the easier to pick out a brother.
Grey made an audible groan as Rex looked over Kashyyyk. "I'd rather go to Tatooine and shake hands with Jabba the Hutt than go to Wookie land."
"And I'd choose a Wookie over cold-hearted beskar domes any day." Rex said.
Grey sat back in his chair and began bouncing his leg again. "We Mandos aren't as bad as you think."
"Seeing as your specific group of Mandalorians were associated with a former Sith, I can't imagine you could be worse than what I think of you."
Grey laughed. "Didn't the Clones all turn against the Jedi? At least we Mandalorians have a concept of loyalty."
Rex's face flashed with heat and whipped his head around to look at Grey. He glared at him for a few seconds, battling with the desire to punch him in his triangular face. There was a small smile on the young man's lips.
Bastard.
Rex finally felt calm enough to reply. "Didn't you just shoot one of your own and peel his armor off him like a steamed crustacean?"
Grey laughed darkly, and he lowered his head to fix Rex with a deeper look.. "Murrack had it coming. The only thing he was loyal to was violence."
"Isn't that your entire culture?"
Grey didn't move an inch, but his voice gew soft. "Maybe. But we decide together when to use it. I wasn't ever on board with anyone blowing themselves up."
The statement only confirmed Rex's suspicions, but he still felt a chill as Grey said it.
Hatred flashed in Grey's eyes, but it wasn't for Rex.
"You blame Murrack for Rook's death, but she denonated the bomb. Why?"
Grey looked away from Rex, and he chuckled. "Do you blame your brothers for blasting the Jedi to pieces? Or the one who gave them the order?"
The hair stood up on the back of Rex's neck. No, surely Grey didn't know about the chips. How could he? It was still unnerving for him to say things so near the truth. Rex didn't blame a single brother, and he wouldn't have even if they hadn't had chips in their heads. They were all made to be an instrument in the hands of someone.
That got him thinking about Ahsoka again, which made him annoyed even more at Grey. He shook his head.
"I don't get you. You talk of loyalty? You killed Murrack. You're abandoning the mission of your clan. What of Maul? Are you not itching to be under his leadership again? What exactly are you loyal to, again?"
Grey laughed and twitched his head to the side for a brief moment. He met Rex's eyes. "You've abandoned your Empire. Haven't you? I think you understand me more than you want to admit."
"I'm nothing like you."
"Oh yeah? What are you on the search for again? Clone brethren? Maybe family is pretty important to you. What are you willing to do to get it?" He leaned forward in his chair. "What are you willing to do to avenge it?"
Rex felt a chill walk down his spine. He remembered after the chip had been removed. He saw his brothers at the door. In his few moments of clarity he didn't hesitate to make that choice.
I shot them down. I let them burn.
Maybe Grey had had loyalty to Maul, to Murrack, and it wasn't strong enough to stay his hand. Because he was truly loyal to Rook, and that was what had made him pull the trigger.
Rex knew that feeling. And it made him sick.
I did it to keep you alive when I had lost all others.
Rex couldn't answer Grey. The words were locked up inside him. So he nodded. Grey nodded back, a firm gesture that silently told Rex of his appreciation. Grey then sat up, breaking the moment between the two men. He looked at the datapad that now lay on the console.
Grey pointed a gloved finger at a planet on the list. "Lothal! Now that's a great choice. Smaller black market, but it exists. I could even stow away the beskar in a rock crevice or something. It's mostly rural. Agricultural and all that."
His change in tone alarmed Rex.
That's right. He's just the least insane of the lunatics I picked up.
Rex pushed Grey's hand away and took up the datapad. He selected Lothal. A list of designations appeared. There were only two numbers. One, CT-7545, Rex didn't recognize, but then his eyes landed on one he did know. CT-6116. Kix. Medic. Assigned to the 721st legion.
Rex's eyes grew wide, and despite himself, his mouth grew slack and his lips parted.
"See someone you like?" Grey said, his face uncomfortably close to the datapad.
Rex didn't respond. His throat was tight with emotion.
Kix. You're alive. You've made it.
Rex swallowed, pushing the feelings down to roil in his stomach. He pinched his mouth together and straightened his posture.
"Lothal does appear to be a good option. Small Imperial presence, along with those other things you mentioned." Rex adjusted himself in his seat and set down the datapad.
"Fantastic." Said Grey, his eyes trying to catch Rex's.
Rex ignored him.
"You found someone special, I take it?"
Rex ignored him, instead focusing on dropping out of hyperspace and entering Lothal's coordinates into the navicomputer.
"Really must be a keeper. You're all serious now."
Rex readjusted the ship's position, and without any preamble launched them back into hyper space.
Grey bobbed his head up and down. "I get it. Sharing time is over for you. That's ok." He glanced at the navicomputer. "Only another four hours. I'm sure I can get you to talk by then."
Rex stood and stretched. "Only if you can get me to sleep talk." He headed towards the bunks in the back, wishing more than anything that he had Kix with him right then and there to shoot a sedative in his neck.