Sparks of Hope (A Star-Wars Advent Calendar)
By Meysun
.
9. Free (Rex).
20 BBY
.
All he had to do was raise his hand.
A sweep of his palm against the sensor, and the door would glide open – he just had to take a few steps, stand tall, helmet still firmly in hand, and deliver his report.
This was no foreign ship, this was the Negotiator, almost as familiar to him as the Resolute. And the General he had to face was not Krell – there would be no contempt on his face, no delight in reminding him he was nothing but a number. CT-7567, expandable and laboratory-bred.
Rex knew what he would find there – the dead body of a General who no longer deserved to be called a Jetii. And General Kenobi – kind-eyed, smart, shrewd, and calm.
Rex was not ready for his gentleness. For the light General Kenobi carried, even after days and days on this planet of darkness and horror. Of deaths, orchestrated and belittled because Krell could.
Vode killing vode, adding numbers to casualties.
Rex had told Dogma he had to think for himself. That the vode were not droids, but free-thinking Men. Free-thinking Men bound by duty and honour, just like Jetii were supposed to be. Just like General Kenobi was.
But what was so deeply, utterly different between a Jetii General and a Clone-Captain, was the fact that the former was not only free-thinking, but free.
And Rex did not want to begrudge General Kenobi this – yet here he stood, trembling fingers clutched around his scratched helmet, heart heavy with the loss of his vode, ears still ringing with the shot he had been unable to fire, because he had been afraid.
Duty, honour, free-will for Hardcase, Fives, Jesse and Tup, but no freedom.
Rex lifted his hand and let the door slide.
The lifeless body of Pong Krell was stretched out on a medical cot, but someone had spread out a dark brown cloak on his form, and his body and face were hidden from view, leaving only General Kenobi, standing upright at the body's feet.
Rex met his eyes – and breathed out.
Because General Kenobi's face was pinched and battered, a thin smudge of dirt streaking his cheekbone. There was no misplaced pity in his grey eyes – but there was the echo of the horror Rex still felt, as well as steely resolve.
And pain.
"General", Rex began, but then his voice failed him, because Waxer's face was suddenly before him, clad in white and golden, a last silent tear running down his cheek.
Something warm wrapped itself around his chest – not squeezing, rather like an outstretched palm, and Rex realized it was the Jetii General, reaching out for him. For the Man he was, weaving a link between them through that Force Rex could not really feel, but was part of himself as well.
"I told Boil", General Kenobi said, very softly. "I told the whole Ghost Company. I told the Jedi Council. And Captain, as sure as I stand here before you, I will tell the Chancellor himself.
- What about… Dogma?", Rex managed to grit out, voice rough but posture still impeccable. "They will court-martial him. And they will kill him.
- Not if the Jedi Council proves that Pong Krell must have been unbalanced for a very long time. Then the blame will fall on the one who let Krell stay in command, in place of General Skywalker.
- But… sir…"
Rex stared at him, golden eyes growing wide, heart beating wildly.
"Do not worry, Rex. The order to appoint Krell on Umbara came from the Senate. And the one working along with Krell…
- That would be you, sir – but you are not to blame!
- Oh, I think I am…", General Kenobi said, very softly. "And, as much as it pains me, I think I have grown quite… indispensable to the Senate. So you see, my dear Captain, they can blame me as much as they like, I am afraid I will still remain exactly where I am. And Dogma will be spared.
- General… He jammed your communications. He lied to you. There was no way, no way you could have known it was an ambush!
- But I knew Krell."
The Jetii stood very upright, slightly shorter but so determined. Calm, yet burning with an icy fire Rex had learned to respect.
"Our Code teaches us forgiveness. Belief in redemption. I trust the Force to know what to do with his remains, and I will not let the words I speak now cloud his journey. But I have experienced Pong Krell's cruelty, a very long time ago. And I still let him take command. I still chose to believe he might have changed, because, as he said, I was naive."
The warm presence against Rex's chest was still there. And the Captain stepped forward, until he stood next to the General. Turning his back to Krell's body. Fingers finally loosening their deadly grip around his helmet.
"What did he do to you, sir?", Rex asked softly.
The flagship was buzzing softly around them. It was the only sound beside their breathing, and the hum of the ventilation system.
"He tried to choke me to death when I was six years old", the General replied, voice calm, but Rex felt the warmth against his chest quiver slightly. "He was teaching us hand-to-hand combat. And I… was afraid. He was frightening me like… nothing I had ever experienced before. He thought I was weak, you see. That the Temple should be rid of late arrivals like me. He kept ignoring my yielding signals, and one day, as he was teaching us headlocks, he squeezed and would not stop until my… the one who would become my Master barged in and freed me."
Silence fell again around them. And Rex realized, then, that he was not alone in carrying the tremendous weight of what just happened. That General Kenobi knew, in his very bones, what it felt like to be helpless, forced to obey without being able to retaliate. That the child he had been had known what it felt like to be freed from oppression, but that the Jetii he had become had never sought revenge – only fairness. Peace.
"He had no right to do that, General", Rex said, aloud and firmly.
"No. He had no right to use Clones as bait. No right to lead so many men to their deaths", the Jetii replied, but Rex shook his head.
"He had no right to hurt and doubt you", Rex answered, softly, and the General looked up at him, with a surprised, almost startled look. "You make us proud. Proud to serve what we have been made for.
- I do not think of you as made for, Rex", Kenobi let out, facing him with that earnest, determined look Rex was so familiar with. "I think you are sentient Men, just like I am. I think you matter. And if the Republic is willing to condemn Dogma, then it must be willing to condemn me, as well."
Me sol mav, an mav.
The Mando'a words echoed softly through the Force between them, and Rex knew. That, just like General Skywalker, they were all one for the Jetii General. Far from expendable.
Esteemed, and worthy to be trusted.
He stayed next to the Jetii General, standing vigil grimly, back turned yet looking ahead. Facing his actions, the deaths, the losses, the defiance – knowing than he was more than a number, more than just the 501st Legion's Captain, but someone determined to fight for a greater purpose.
CT-7567 did not need to be freed.
Rex already was.
A/N: Hello my dears and happy December 11th to all of you. This angsty piece - because let's face it, there are angsty bits in this Calendar, because angst is wonderful fic-material - is set right after the Umbara arc. The event Obi-Wan speaks of takes place in my own headcanon, and can be read in my story 'Blossoms In The Wind'. The fact that Obi-Wan tries to save Dogma is also completely headcanon material, because I'm Jetii-naive and love the idea that Obi tries to save everyone 3. The Mando'a means : "If one is free, all are free" and I'm sorry if there are mistakes - I'm such a language freak, this brought me back to the days I was trying to write Khuzdûl for my Thorin fics :)!
Rex was such an interesting and difficult character to write - and he is truly an amazing one. I hope he "sounded" right. I'm already boucing up with excitement for when I'll write Cody, but it won't be tomorrow - I think I'm ready for another time-jump :). Much love to all of you, take care, Meysun.