"No, you don't understand! They're not droids!"
The 501st was at Kamino for medical testing. Rex's men hated medical testing. They hated Kamino. The place where they were force to train since they could walk and call eachother by numbers, and worry about being decommissioned if they screwed up, or worse, killed like a sick dog.
"You dont see what goes on behind the scenes, Doctor Se does not always have time."
Rex had stopped in his tracks. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but he knew that voice. Both those voices. The former he would followed into any battlefield, straight to the grave. The latter he would like to put in the grave.
"No, my men, not clones, men, are not to be treated like dogs at a pound!"
"We can do as we please, Master Jedi, we created the clones."
"The republic ordered them! If that's how I'm gonna get this through your thick skull them let me hammer it in. The republic does not tolerate our soldiers being treated like slaves."
Rex bit his lip. Anakin Skywalker was something else. No clone was ever brave enough to tell off Lama Su, but heck, at this point Skywalker could get away with murder. Rex took a step closer to the room where the two were arguing.
"Master Jedi, the clones are worth exactly 320 credits each. No more, no less."
"The soldiers are kriffing priceless. Every one of my men couldn't be traded for anything."
"Master Jedi you have grown attached to that Captain of yours, CT-7567. CT-7567 in an impressive unit for a CT, and I am happy he serves you well."
Ouch.
Rex was standing outside the door with a blank look on his face.
"Priceless" was a word that he had never been called before. No clone had ever been called priceless before. Did they really only cost 320 credits each?
And to here Lama Su mention him like that.. he could either take it as an insult or a complement. He had a feeling Anakin was about to decide for him, based on the long silence following that statement. Rex heard the opening of a lightsaber.
"Captain Rex is worth more then you'll ever be, Prime Minister."
"Master Jedi, if you would take the lightsaber away from my throat then I'm sure-"
"No, you will listen to me and listen well. The clones are not droids. They are not slaves. They are not guinea pigs. They are men, and if you only bothered to look at that you would see their value."
Rex was standing with his mouth agape. Lama Su would never see reason, everyone knew that. But here was his General, telling him off and defending the clones honour.
"The clones are identical, master Jedi. They are allowed to slightly alter their appearances so they will be quiet about it."
That seemed to be the last straw for Rex's General, as he soon heard the sound of a lightsaber slicing through something.
"Say something like that again and it'll be your head. My men are the most loyal I have ever seen. Not because of your training, that's their choice to remain as loyal as they have."
Rex bit his lip.
"So, they are unique. I can tell from the force. Seeing as you're the being that's so far away from it and any kind of emotion, to wonder you don't see the clones' value. Because men like Rex? They can't be replaced."
Rex heard Skywalker's lightsaber switch off and he walked out of the room Rex quickly resumed his walk down the hall. He got far enough away from the door that he could have just been passing through. His mind was going fast. His General did care. Some Jedi didn't, but Skywalker had once said they weren't real Jedi. But Anakin was.. Anakin was a great Jedi and he had proven that. Rex would follow him anywhere.
This Lama Su guy was making his blood boil.
"Master Jedi you have grown attached to that Captain of yours, CT-7567. CT-7567 in an impressive unit for a CT, and I am happy he serves you well."
Alright, that was the last straw.
Anakin hated when the clones were called by their numbers. They were men. His men. And Rex? "Impressive for a CT unit" Rex is just as capable as any recruit.
"Captain Rex is worth more than you'll ever be, prime Minister."
Rex followed him into more then one suicide mission before. He was a good soldier. And he knew when to follow orders, and when to bend the rules. And here was Lama Su, making him out to be a mindless drone. He wouldn't let that happen to his friend.
Soon, Anakin had to walk out before he snapped that coward's twig neck. As he left the room, he noticed a nearby force presence. He looked over to see Rex walking down the hall away from the room. Anakin gave a half smile. He knew Rex had been there the whole time. He would talk to him later. Right now, he's gotta go talk with Obi Wan about getting that slime ball out of office.
Rex heard a knock on his door. He looked up from his paper work and told the visitor "Come in."
"Hey, Rex."
"General!" Rex got up and stood at attention.
"At ease, Rex. You're off duty and so am I." Anakin said.
Anakin sat down on the bunk in the small room.
"I know you overheard my conversation with Lama Su." Anakin said.
Rex blinked. "Uh- Sir.."
Anakin smiled. "It's alright, Rex. I want you to know I meant every word of that."
Anakin's smile faded at the shocked look on Rex's face. "Rex?"
"I've never been called.. Priceless, before, General."
Anakin gave him a sad smile. "Was hoping you wouldn't say that." Anakin sighed. "You know why Obi Wan and I do things the way we do?"
"No, Sir. The men believe it's to gain our trust."
"No, Rex. Well, I guess it could be looked at that way, but that's not what I'm talking about. We do things the way we do so the clones who are going to save the republic know they are worth more then droids to us."
"Thank you, sir. The men.. n-need to-"
Anakin got up and hugged his Captain. Who did the Kaminoens think they were, treating the clones so terribly?
"The Kaminoens can't hurt you and your brothers anymore, Rex, Obi Wan and I will make sure of it. Now, care to help Senator Amidala get that coward of a Kaminoen out of the prime minister's seat?"
Rex smiled at that. He saluted and the General flashed him his signature cocky grin. "Glad to hear it, Rex."