Hey! Okay… I am SO sorry! I haven't posted in WAY too long. Two things happened that should hopefully explain my radio silence. I recently moved to college and I had a major bout of writer's block that just recently eased up. I hate when I have to wait for any of the stories I follow so I apologize for making you all wait. I saw the reviews that have been posted and I wanted to thank all of you ever so much for your continued support and positive energy! I've tried to make the chapter a long one and I may or may not have thrown in some extra goodies for you all. ;) Alrighty! No more delays. Here is Rookies-part two!

Chapter Seven: Rookies - Part Two

After outlining the plan everyone went into action. There was no time for words. The injured member of the Domino squad was back on his feet pretty quickly. The injury had been more superficial than originally thought. He'd been knocked out when he'd gotten hit and suffered a minor burn. The plan was simple and similar to the old one, except I had a few tips about how it went. There were three gonk droids filled with liquid tibanna, and knowing how this went last time, I personally sat and wired in the controls, fighting the urge to run around and direct things knowing that Cody had it in hand. The wiring gave me almost no trouble except for the trigger and then I spotted the issue. There was a slight loose wire causing friction sparks in the hand detonation button. I fixed the issue and joined up with Cody who'd directed everyone outside of the base in a sheltered area. I'd warned them about the Rishi Eel and they were sticking close to the building.

"Rex, what's next?"

Cody moved in next to me. Fives was using some macrobinoculars to track the progress of the droid reinforcements as they filed into the base. And me? I was calculating.

"Cody, how long do you think it'll take the fleet to get here?"

Cody's helmet tilted at me in one of his characteristic deadpans.

"Well considering you broke the all-clear signal the second you had the chance...they'll be here in a little less than twenty or so minutes now. It takes about 40 minutes or so from their last known location."

Perfect. We'll have this mopped up and be ready for pickup. Hevy came running over, and I'd never been happier to see the inexperienced trooper. This was where we lost him last time.

"Sirs! Sorry to interrupt, but the last of the droids is entering the base!"

It was time. Cody was already moving and gathering everyone up. All attention turned to me and I held the detonator up so everyone could see it.

"Alright men. We have about 20 minutes that we have to avoid detection before we can detonate that. We run the risk of being obliterated if we don't time this right. The only reason the droid army is even in this sector is because of one thing, Kamino."

All the shinies nodded seriously and Cody stood next to me in a show of support.

"We protect our home and all of the brothers there if we can succeed at this. I'm counting on you all."

With that, I started explaining the final phase.

"Echo, I want you to modify this comm unit so we know when the fleet gets close. Hevy, Fives. I want you on a rotation monitoring the base. We don't want any droids sneaking up on us while we wait. Droidbait, I want you to help Echo with whatever he asks for. And Cutup I want…"

At that exact moment, the rishi eel shrieked and I dropped into a crouch, focusing on where I'd heard the screech. Not a second later, the giant worm came slithering out of the hole intent on its prey. Cutup, who was farther away from the group. Echo had had nightmares for weeks after joining the 501st of the previous events happening and I wasn't about to see any of my brothers getting hurt. Not if I knew how to prevent it. One shot. It was all it took. The giant eel came crashing down just feet from Cutup. His squad quickly gathered around him, finding strength in numbers. Hevy, the gruff and arguably toughest one gave an appreciative whistle.

"How did you do that?"

Cutup was flabbergasted. I walked over and put my hand to the bright blue blood. How fitting. It was as if the Domino squad was MADE for my battalion. It wouldn't be Echo without his signature handprint, now would it? I marched over and faced Echo as he stared at the giant eel. I planted a bloodied handprint right of his heart on his chestplate.

"Cabur, men. That's how I did it. I protect my own."

They nodded in wide-eyed admiration. Cody quickly took stock of the situation and got it moving again.

"Alright soldiers! Enough gawking! You've got your assignments! Now move it!"

All of them scrambled. Echo, supporting Droidbait, carefully picked out a sheltered rock area they could fiddle with things. Fives and Hevy scaled the eel, slipping once or twice. The blood marking Hevy's shin guards and boots in a blue swirl, not unlike flames. Fives had a less intricate stripe on one side of his shin guards. Cutup stood next to Cody and I, clearly confused and waiting for orders.

"Cutup, like I was saying. I want you to take a moment and tend to any injuries in your squad."

He saluted sharply and moved about, splashing through the gathering puddle of the blue blood on his way towards Droidbait. It splattered across his boots. How interesting. A testament to a sacrifice for Hevy. A stripe of bravery for Fives, and his first encounter in this bloody war for Cutup. All on their boots. I couldn't have planned this better. It's almost as if it was significant for their first steps into this kriffed up world of pain.

I was broken out of my thoughts by Cody's hand on my shoulder.

"Are you ok, vod?"

The genuine concern in Cody's voice was masked by his stiff posture and I had to smile.

Always taking care of me, aren't you.

"Yes, Cody. I'm fine. Just thinking. We're almost out of this."

As if on cue, Droidbait started hissing at Echo and they motioned us over.

"Sirs! The fleet is close enough for something to start coming through!"

It was general chatter, but it meant it was time. Hevy and Fives carefully slid down the beast and joined the crowd of troopers. Of brothers.

I once again pulled out the detonator and pressed the button. I almost whooped in excitement and the first of the blasts shook our little shelter. Debris rained down in front of the cliffside and Fives shot his fists into the air in victory.

"I always did hate that place."

What sweet, beautiful words. I could've cried, but of course, a Captain of the grand army of the republic doesn't cry. He does however grin and celebrate with his successful team of shinies.

The stars glimmer and we catch sight of some republic gunships lowering towards the demolished base. Cutup immediately starts flagging them down and we join him in waving. We quickly got on board and the gunship immediately took off and away from the burning wreckage that had been Rishi Outpost. I turned to the men as we started rising towards the atmosphere.

"Well done, troopers. I imagine there will be a formal congratulations."

I could practically feel Cody grinning next to me and I wasn't about to let him steal my picks.

"I'd be honored if you would join the 501st. I'll have to run it past General Skywalker, but the offer stands."

Cody nudged me in a rather non-professional way.

"Hey! I was gonna take them!"

"Ah ah, Commander. I asked first!"

The playful banter was comforting and wiped away the worry resting on my shoulders. This was but one event changed. There was so much to do.

The medal ceremony was spectacular and I once again thanked the force for giving me the honor of being part of the battalion headed by the two Generals who most appreciated our humanness.

"On behalf of the republic, we thank you for your valiant service."

General Kenobi said in his 'I'm proud of you' tone that I'd grown accustomed to him rarely using. General Skywalker added his own twist on things.

"Your new unit is lucky to have you. I'd be proud to fight beside you anytime, anywhere."

The five former shinies saluted smartly. And the two Jedi Generals walked away to attend to their ever pressing duties.

"Congratulations! You're not shinies anymore!"

I stepped up beside the squad. It was Echo who broke the silence.

"With all due respect, Sir. We failed our mission. We don't deserve this honor."

Always so unsure of himself and his talents but ever respectful. I barely opened my mouth before Cody interrupted.

"No! If it weren't for you, the Republic wouldn't have learned of the separtist invasion until it was too late."

They stared at Commander Cody and I took the opportunity.

"You are exactly the kind of men that I need in the 501st."

They all crisply saluted and I couldn't be prouder.

First, as a monumental apology I have two gifts for you guys! During a period of writer's block and in anticipation of Season 7 and after watching the finale I wrote this out as an alternate beginning of the story.

Shattered-The Purge

"Execute Order 66"

"Yes, Lord Sidious."

Everything clicked into place. The chips, no….Ahsoka!

The doors slid open behind me.

"Rex! It's Anakin! I feel like something terrible has happened..."

Oh Ahsoka, you don't know! Yes! It's terrible it's…good soldiers...No!

My helmet clattered to the floor and I distantly registered the clang it made

"Rex?"

The troopers behind Ahsoka went into position, lining up their sights on the former Jedi.

"No! I'll do it."

I can't believe I'm doing this! I...don't have a choice.

"Rex! What's happening?"

Ahsoka went as if to move closer and my arms, without being bidden, rose and my pistols joined those aimed at her.

"Stay back!"

I have to keep her safe!

"Find him. Find him! Fives!"

Good Soldiers

"Find him! Fives!"

Follow Orders.

I fired. They did too. Ahsoka leaped into action, ducking beneath the lasers and tackling me. Everything went fuzzy for a second. I forced my body to move and distantly heard Ahsoka's lightsabers deflecting the blaster fire.

"Rex!"

The doors behind Ahsoka slid open and I saw Jesse moving in with a squad. I reacted as they layered down the lasers and she did an impossibly beautiful flip to face her new enemies. She perched like a bird on the holotable, lightsabers blurs of motion. The smoke thickened until the flashes of blue lasers obscured any sight of the orange skinned togrutan.

"She's down! She's down." "Hold your fire! We got her!"

We moved in closer, only to find the holotable, sparking as it was, completely empty. No body... no nothing. Deep inside my brain the Captain Rex who knew Ahsoka Tano for years cried out in relief. It was that same Rex who looked up at the ceiling and wished he hadn't. The lasers had been deflected into the ceiling, giving Ahsoka an out.

"Sir, are you alright?"

One of the troopers asked.

"Fine, just...tired is all." Commander Rex, the one controlled by the chips, accepted his helmet and turned back to the men surrounding the table.

"I want you to go to the detention level. Execute Maul."

With a crisp 'Yes sir!' and 'alright men!' the Coruscant Guard member left and my body moved on my own.

"Alright. We know Ahsoka Tano is onboard. She's been marked for termination by order 66. Under those directive, any and all Jedi leadership must be executed for treason against the Republic. Any solider that does not comply with the order will be also executed for treason. Understood?"

I hated the words coming out of my mouth and deep down I hoped the others regretted responding with a sharp

"Yes sir!"

I continued with my briefing. Hating that I knew Ahsoka so well.

"There are only so many places to hide onboard this ship. Gather up search parties. We'll fan out and move section by section! Come on! Let's get moving!"

I ground out. This was way worse than I had anticipated.

This couldn't be happening. My body was moving on it's own as I drew my pistols and aimed them at her. No! This isn't right! I would never harm her! Good soldiers follow orders.

Ahsoka's eyes widened as she realized what I knew. One of us was going to die. I wrestled with my mind for a grip.

"Ahsoka...you have to!"

"No! Rex! I won't!"

"I'll kill you. They all will. Please!"

My hands trembled as the programming reasserted itself. Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers a fraction of a second in time to block my shots. The other troopers broke out of their daze and fired on her too. She whirled around and threw them into the walls, dazing and knocking them out. Her mastery of the force was something else to behold. That same force ripped my pistols out of my hands and out of reach. The hand to hand combat Cody had drilled into me kicked in and I lashed out. She caught my fist right on her jaw and it sent her sprawling.

No! Don't. Please body...stop!

I had no say in my actions. I was in the audience as my body launched itself onto the prone Togrutan and kept trying to complete The Mission.

Kill the Jedi. Good Soldiers follow Orders. Ahsoka Tano has been marked for termination by Order 66. KILL!

My hands were around her throat. Tears streamed down her face. Tears streamed down mine as well. She brought her main lightsaber up and I knocked it away with my elbow and applied more pressure. The lightsaber clattered away. She used the edges of her palms to shove my helmet off. We went rolling across the floor, but I ended up on top of her again.

"Rex!"

She wheezed out in an attempt to get through to me. I was forced to watch as the physical prowess of clone troopers started to get the better of the beleaguered former jedi. She could see my tears now and realized I had absolutely no control.

Blazing white pain expanded from my chest outwards and my body stopped. It finally stopped! I went limp from relief and pain. Ahsoka pushed me to the side, taking in rattling gasps of air. The other troopers were still out or dead and besides the gasps of air next to me, all I had to focus on was pain. It drowned out the harsh inner cries of 'good soldiers follow orders' and I was grateful for the respite.

"Rex!"

Ahsoka's face came into view and she shifted my head into her lap. I couldn't help it. I cried out in pain. Now I knew how I'd gotten hurt. Ahsoka's shoto sat on the ground next to me and the shock had started to wear off. I could smell burned flesh. MY burned flesh. Ahsoka's tears streamed down into my face and I managed to croak something out.

"Ahsoka...you're okay!"

I smiled softly, faintly irked that even smiling hurt.

"I…I hurt you really bad, Rex...I don't think you're going to make it…"

Ahsoka's bright blue eyes weaved in and out of view. I coughed weakly.

"It's okay, 'Soka. It's worth it if it means you'll survive."

I groaned again and Ahsoka cupped my face with her hands, giving me something to focus on.

She started to speak again but I stopped her.

"Ahsoka, you have to leave now...I'll reroute them." Take a starfighter...go find General Kenobi. Go!"

She recognized the wisdom in my words and inhaled sharply as she stood. She leaned down and carefully picked up my pistols.

"Take them, Ahsoka. They'll serve you better." She nodded and leapt nimbly down the hallway. I painstakingly lifted my wrist mounted commlink up to my mouth.

"Ahsoka Tano has been spotted heading towards the reactor room. Route her off."

The acknowledgements filtered through and I faded in and out of consciousness until suddenly, a hand was on my shoulders. It was Jesse. His helmet was off and anger smoldered in his eyes.

His anger wasn't directed at Ahsoka, that much I could tell and the relief I felt was immense. My body was numb, I could barely hear what he was saying. Probably issuing out orders. All I caught was "ships...out of hyperspace!" "Tano's escaped!" "Engaged Maul near reactors…"

"Rex? Rex! Medic!"

Thought and time stopped. I drifted away. My last wish was fulfilled.

PAUSE! And that's not all! I'm hoping to be quite canon divergent and since many of those things are still in the process of being decided in my mind I have a second snippet of a more canon compliant take on Umbara and the positive aftereffects of Rex having a closer relationship with Anakin. Enjoy!

The Aftermath

"Captain."

I couldn't help it, I flinched and slowly turned to face General Skywalker.

"Sir."

All I could manage was a terse reply. It was bad enough the first time, but now it was just unbearable. I stared at a point past the General's shoulder.

"What happened here?"

I followed General Skywalker's gesture. Broken glass littered the open field of concrete. Kix was carefully helping a man with a lightsaber wound over by the base of the tower. His face was set into a grim line as he soothed the trooper. And now Skywalker wants answers.

"I think you'll need to see this for yourself."

I motioned towards the tower without meeting the General's eyes.

"Fine, but after that you are going to tell me what the kriff happened here."

I nodded sharply and started walking towards the tower's main entrance point. The General didn't hesitate but fell into step with me. Wisely keeping silent. I palmed the door open and stepped into the closest lift. It rose up the many many levels all the way to the top. To my mistake.

Upon stepping out of the lift, all seemed normal.

"What on Malastare are we doing up here?"

I said nothing but forged on. Moving with just the slightest hesitancy to open the final door. Wind gusted through, dead troopers littered the floor. 212th and 501st mixed as it were. The General's gasp made me flinch again. The shattered window stood as a testament to the shards on the ground below. I stood to the side and followed Skywalker in. His first gesture was to the troopers on the floor. I couldn't explain it, but I knew each one was dead even as the General went through each one, noting the wounds and frowning in dismay.

"They weren't even given a chance, sir."

I finally said into the silence. The General was examining a blaster that had been shorn in half by a lightsaber.

"Captain, is there a camera feed for this room?"

His question was surprising. This was new. Then again, I hadn't shown him this the first time either. We'd left everything exactly as it had happened for Dogma's sake. Fives had even recorded the battles and interactions between me and Krell after I had asked him. He hadn't even seemed skeptical, just resolute.

"I don't know, sir. We only just started to understand the Umbaran technology here."

I motioned towards the faintly pulsing damaged war table.

"Hardcase was a crack at this, wasn't he? Get him up here."

I bit back a small retort and breathed in deeply.

"Hardcase is...well he gave his life to take out the flying separatist command center. Sir."

The 'sir' was an afterthought and I had to stop myself from reacting when the General whirled around on me.

"What? That's what happened? Obi-Wan said something similar, but I was so focused on getting to you guys that I…"

He trailed off as it seemed to sink in. He continued taking in the room's appearance. Finally he turned towards me.

"If Krell turned against you here, where is he? Did he escape?"

I grimaced, letting every bit of the emotions I was feeling flit across my face in quick succession. Guilt, horror, fury, and finally cold acceptance.

"No, sir. He tried. Tup got him with a stun bolt when he angered one of those huge snapping flowers."

The shudder was involuntary. I hadn't been close enough to get 'napped by one, but seeing it happen was just as bad.

"Where…is he?"

The General seemed to sense my boiling hate of the Besalisk. He deserved every bit of it.

"In the brig. He's dead though. I have a recording of it if you need to see it, General."

The General turned back to look at me, eyes wide in surprise.

"How'd he die?"

I shrugged and then motioned back towards the lift.

"It's going to be easier to show you, sir."

The brisk formality seemed to give the General pause. With only a short glance towards the ruined room and the reminder of my failure he stepped into the lift with me close behind. I keyed in the directions to the basement of the tower. We'd been descending for a while until we had to step out of the lift and into the circular underground prison. The center floor spiralled down at a touch to reveal the slumped body of the Besalisk. The blaster wound was clearly visible. I switched off the Umbaran force field and the General went forward to investigate. I turned back to the console and deactivated another shield. Two large items lay behind it. Double bladed lightsabers. I carefully hefted them up, my palms not even closing around the cylinders. General Skywalker was bent over the body, examining every part.

"What'd you take from him, Captain?"

I stepped up to the General's side.

"Just his lightsabers."

I proffered the said items and the General grasped them with just as much difficulty as I had had. I stepped back and he switched on one pair. It blazed to life. The flashbacks were almost immediate. My hands drifted slowly to my pistols and I had to resist the urge to draw them and get rid of the abomination. They turned off with a hiss and I slowly relaxed.

"Rex...do you have that footage?"

"I...uh can get it. Fives has it. It's in his bucket."

As a form of emphasis I knocked my own bucket lightly on the side.

"Did you record anything?"

"Yes, General, I did as well." Inwardly, I grimaced. I should've remembered that! I reached up and tugged the helmet off and started putting some wires into the back so it could project the images. As soon as it was connected it started playing. Everything I'd seen. I hadn't realized I'd started recording as soon as Krell had come into the picture. I set the helmet onto the control stand and stood back, letting the images play out onto an empty corner of the brig. The General's wrist comm beeped but he continued to watch while silencing his comm. Exhaustion tugged at my awareness and I sank to the floor around the last confrontation and I let myself finally feel the feelings. Not just acknowledge that they were there, but actually feel them. Each devastating loss. The anger and betrayal. All of it. I hadn't realized that the projections had stopped until the General interrupted my silent numbness.

"Rex."

Just my name. Nothing more, not my title, not my number. Just me.

"Sir…"

I slowly looked up to see the General standing there. His face was an unreadable mask not unlike those I'd seen on other Jedi. And I'd had enough of Jedi. I made to stand, but the General put a hand up and lowered himself down next to me.

"No sirs, Rex. Anakin for right now is fine."

"Yes...Anakin."

The term felt awkward on my tongue and I had to avoid biting my tongue. I let my gaze wander towards the helmet. The General...no, Anakin had switched off the helmet projection. Anakin...he's never asked me to call him that...I...

"What a complete karking jerk!"

Anakin's outburst was as spontaneous as to cause me to snap my head back to him. The fury lining every line of Anakin's face was akin to that I'd seen of unadulterated anger. I could feel the storm brewing just beneath the surface. It was a great credit to Anakin's control that nothing exploded from the sheer amount of force the guy could throw out with his mind. With a definitive gesture, Anakin rose from the floor and offered a hand to me.

"We've got some things to discuss, haven't we Rex? We'd be better off doing this somewhere else rather than sitting next to that pile of bantha poodoo."

Anakin spat out the last couple words with a vehemence while motioning to the corpse. I couldn't say anything, just took his hand and allowed him to haul me to my feet.

"I can't believe I left him with you! What was I even thinking? The Chancellor's thing wasn't even that important! Kriff him and his insufferable need to pull me out of a battle for crying out loud! I'm a general, not his little boy needing a pat on the back every time I do something worthwhile!"

Anakin finally stopped sputtering in indignant rage.

"I mean, what the heck, Rex?!"

He motioned all around the brig and then stalked over to the console. I was at a loss for words. This was the most I'd ever seen of Anakin being himself.

"How do you get this thing to go up? I've got to go and give a piece of my mind, and your evidence, to the council! What in all seven hells of Corellia!"

The poor console whined a little bit at the force behind Anakin's button-pushing but gave in and started going up. It stopped at the appropriate level and Anakin gathered up my helmet. He started off for the lift and then turned back to me.

"C'mon Rex. We've got all of those seven hells of Corellia to raise for this."

He turned back to the lift and started trying to open the lift, which wasn't as responsive as the center console. There was a dangerous energy around him and he turned back to me.

"I mean, what even?!"

I calmly walked over and pressed the appropriate button. This seemed to slow him down.

"Sorry, Rex. I know this is a lot, but we need justice. I won't stand for this. You had a reason, and now I see what it was. I shouldn't be angry, but I am. And someone is going to know about it."

I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off as I followed him into the lift.

"No, Rex. Don't say it's fine. 'Cause it's definitely NOT. I've had it with this nerfherding war in this nerfherding galaxy and this is one thing I CAN do."

The lift slid to a stop. And the doors opened to the sorry sight of wounded troopers and Fives standing guard over Dogma. Anakin marched right over to the shuttle that was to take Dogma away for a court martial and trial. I followed as best I could.

"Release that trooper!"

"But sir!"

"No buts, he is a key witness in the betrayal of the dark side acolyte known as Pong Krell."

Every clone within the vicinity who either knew what Krell had done and experienced it all froze, some in various stages of cleaning up the base. Fives was already in action, releasing a dumbfounded Dogma from binders. I grit my teeth and went to interrupt Skywalker.

"Sir, you don't have to do this. The upper echelons don't really care what happened here. It'll just turn into more of a mess if…"

Anakin held up a hand, his attention to his beeping comm. It had been flagged as important.

"Skywalker here."

General Kenobi's voice filtered through.

"I'm almost at the airbase, Anakin. Where are you? I've been trying to reach you for over an hour!"

Fear raced through my body like lightning and I almost reached over Anakin to turn off his comm.

"I'm by the shuttles, Master. You'd better get over here quick. I need your help."

"Is everything alright?"

"No. It's not. We've got a Jedi turned darkside dead here on the premise and a company full of shell-shocked troopers that have been emotionally abused at the hands of someone who swore to protect them…."

"I'm not okay either…"

He seemed to add the last part as an afterthought.

For one moment in the mounting silence, I almost assumed that the comm had shorted out until Kenobi's voice filtered through again.

"I'll be right there."

"Thank you, Master. Also, is Ahsoka with you?"

"As a matter of fact, she is."

"Good, we will need her here too. They are her men, after all."

That was surprising, last time she hadn't come until the last bits of cleanup were underway. Dogma was standing there staring at General Skywalker with a mixture of emotions on his face, namely that of shock and hope. Anakin flipped the comm off and turned back to me.

"I promise, Rex. This won't EVER happen again."

He positively growled and stalked away leaving Fives, Dogma, Jesse, and I to stand and watch. He was headed for Kix. I went to follow, but Jesse put up a hand, motioning at an incoming shuttle. It was probably Kenobi.

And… that was all I could write… I look forward to hearing feedback on all of this! Thank you for the positivity and support! It means SO much to me! Thank you and please review!

-Shadowlight17-