*insane laughter* Guess who managed to crawl to this chapter? Hahaha... I need sleep...

Guest: Thanks, glad you liked it! That Krell bit will actually happen more often. As for Rex - this one kind? explains it? I think?

Andrew: Thanks mate! And trust me, this isn't the half of it! =D

ThePunGuest: Thank you, glad you thought so! Hah, I wonder which will be more cruel - your puns or my story?

powergirl1: Thanks, hope you enjoy!

The True Nobody: Welcome back! Glad to hear you're liking it!

Now, this one is early because I'm crazy, but please, don't expect fast updates here. These chapters take a lot of work and polish and I need a breather every now and then. Still, I'll try my best!
Read, review and enjoy~

Chapter 2

When they finally stopped, the men didn't even care why. They took the break in moving as best they could, and for once, Krell wasn't breathing down their necks about it.

"We're close to the enemy now. A good place to make an attack," Appo informed, using his macrobinoculars to see through the shadows.

"Right. We'll set up a perimeter through the line there," Rex pointed to the small hills and piles of earth. "Should keep us out of sight, but provide easy access to the road."

"Who'll lead the first strike?" the Sergeant asked, looking at the blonde.

"Fives. He'll take the heavy cannons and clear the path," the Captain nodded to the ARC on the edge of the road.

"And then we follow up from the side and behind. I remember General Skywalker's plan," Appo grinned as the Captain nodded.

"Yeah, I just need to tell General Krell…" Rex's tone dropped slightly and the Sergeant's let out a breath.

"It's a good plan, even he needs to see that."

"Yeah, let's hope he does…"

"Sir," Rex said as he walked towards the Besalisk. He kept in mind to 'be at attention' as he did so, hoping they were past the rough parts now. "We're ready to bring our forward platoons in for a surgical strike on the city's defenses," he stopped in front of the Jedi, looking up and keeping his expression passive.

"There won't be any need Captain," Krell said, one arm motioning through the air. The blonde tried not to react to the fate the Force user finally used his rank, not his number. Maybe they were finally going to be able to get along. However, the small bit of hope was diminished when Rex processed what he said.

"Sir?" why wouldn't there be any need? It was a plan. Did the General have his own? And if so, why didn't he say anything?

"All platoons will execute a forward assault along the main route the city," Pong said, moving past the soldier and motioning to the road.

"But, sir," Rex forced himself to speak respectfully, even if he found the idea insane. "General Skywalker's plan was to surprise them with multiple attacks," Rex said, walking around the Jedi as he did before, never looking away. "If we come from the main route they're likely to engage in a full-frontal assault!" he explained as clearly as he could, that that idea, would get many of them killed. But Krell simply looked away.

"Change of plans Captain. I'm in command now," came the blatant answer and Rex looked in disbelieve for a second or two. Is this for real?

"With all due respect, General, we don't know what we are up against," the Captain walked closer, looking up again and hoping the Besalisk would reconsider. "It might be wiser to think first-," he didn't even get finish as Krell snapped to him, lowering himself to be able to look the soldier in the eyes.

"Are you questioning my order?" he accused, eyes wide and furious. He straightened back soon enough, bringing up a holo-map. "This battalion will take the main road straight to the capital," he turned the map so the Captain could have a clear view of it.

"You will not stop and you will not turn back regardless of the resistance you meet," he said, no, ordered, closing the map. "We will attack them with all our troops, not some sneak attack with a few men. That is my order, and you will follow it explicitly," his tone rose as he pointed at the blonde again.

"Do I make myself clear, CT – 7567?" he leaned closer again, face inches away from Rex's and the man had to lean back. The Besalisk clearly didn't want to and wasn't going to listen to anything he had to say. The fact he continued to use his number, just further showed he didn't care of his rank.

"Yes, General," he looked at the ground, accepting defeat. There was no point in arguing. And if he and the General started yelling at each other, then the men would lose faith as well. And that's the last thing they need right now. Good soldiers, need to follow orders…

"Now engage!" came the final order and Rex instinctively gave a quick salute, walking away from the Jedi. But as he passed him, the Captain gave a quick glare from the corner of his eye, feeling his anger spike. Keep calm… Deep breathes… He had to remain calm and collect or there are going to be severe casualties. Just in case any emotion escaped him however, he quickly put on his helmet.

Fives was staring off into the woods, waiting like the rest for orders. The break was much welcomed and most of the boys managed to find some spot to relax. The medics finally got a breather and took care of themselves and the shinies could regain their ground. He saw Tup and Dogma chatting, Hardcase, Nitro and Bombs sitting down on some rocks and Kix, Patch and Scar looking out for each other. It, sort of reminded him of the good old days…

"What're you brooding about?" the sudden voice almost made him jump, but the ARC only snapped his head in the direction from where it came. Jesse stood there, bucket under his arm and a grin on his face as he walked closer.

"Nothing," came the stoic reply from the ARC as he looked back into the forest.

"Right, sure…" the bald soldier gave him a knowing look, following his gaze, before plopping himself down on the ground near him. "You should enjoy the break while you can. I'm sure once Krell gets us moving again, there won't be another one for a while."

"Then why are you here?" Fives just wasn't in the mood for this right now.

"…" Jesse didn't speak, and when the ARC looked down to see if the man was even still there, he saw him gazing into one of those red plants. But before Fives had a chance to speak up, the bald man beat him to it.

"Each of us has a story you know," Jesse didn't look back, but he took in a deep breath. "Each one of us has a reason for why we're like as we are…"

The ARC felt like there was a lesson somewhere in there, but his annoyance at previous events kept him from seeing it. And since Jesse clearly wasn't going to just, give up and leave, he didn't see another choice.

"And I'm guessing you know those stories," he let out a deep breath and sat down a bit away from the already sitting man.

"No, just three," Jesse turned to him, a small smile on his face. "Although they're actually one, if you think about it…" he mused, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Really now?" Fives knew who that was aimed at, but still played along. Maybe it'll help him release some of the stress.

"Back when we first joined the army, there were two more brothers with us," Jesse started off, sparing a glance at Kix and Hardcase. "Spots and Oberon," he added almost like an afterthought, looking back at the forest.

"…I'm sorry," Fives knew that those two weren't around anymore, otherwise they'd be here right now. And he's seen that expression before. In the mirror…

"You know Hardcase's whole thing about symmetrical armor? And the fact the tattoo over his eye kinda gets in the way?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think there was much reason for it. Other than aesthetics I guess…"

"Haha, fair enough. But it's actually because of Spots. He and Hardcase were… well, like real brothers so to say. They wanted to be considered twins even, though they weren't those tubmates," Jesse turned back to face the ARC, who in turn let out a small chuckle.

"Spots and Hardcase wanted some way to be seen like that, you know? Like they'd always be brothers. Add the fact they were mostly inseparable, and you got each of them painting only half of their armor, with the other having the other half."

"So, they each had some pieces colored and then only together you get the whole pattern?" Fives was actually impressed by the idea. He hasn't heard something like that before.

"Bingo. Spots had the same tattoo over his eye, but on the other side. You know, the symmetrical side that's missing," Jesse pointed at his left eye.

"What happened to him?" Fives grew interested before he could even realize he did so. Maybe he really did need this.

"…That, kinda ties in with Oberon…" Jesse's eyes dropped slightly and he let out a deep breath. "So, to know the full story, you need to know about Oberon."

"…" Fives remained silent, seeing the other man was collecting his thoughts and how to best explain it all.

"Ober was the original medic in our squad. Kix was, interested, but Ober was the one already working on becoming one. He was that older-brother type, ya know? Hardcase and Spots would drive him up the wall, but he'd always be cool about it…" the bald man gave a weak smile as his eyes seemed distant. "And we lost both of them on the same day…"

"I'm sorry," the ARC said instinctively, knowing how that can feel. He lost Heavy, Cutup and Droid Bait in a matter of hours.

"Spots got infected by some… unknown virus. Hardcase, Kix and I were off fighting when Oberon said he could help the man. Problem was, the virus was highly contagious, so Ober quarantined a small medical tent where he could work in peace… But he wasn't fast enough… The virus killed Spots and infected Ober. It's around then that the rest came back because things were getting weird. No other medic was allowed to go near," Jesse clenched his fists and shut his eyes, jaw locked. He needed a second before he managed to relax his muscles and go on. Fives just didn't have the heart to speak up yet.

"When Ober found out he won't be able to save Spots, and that he was infected as well, he couldn't let it get out," he paused, biting his inner cheek. "We still don't know what he used exactly, but the whole tent, a ten-meter radius and those two as well, were blown up."

Fives opened his eyes and mouth wide, looking in shock, then horror and finally sadness. He couldn't even speak at hearing that.

"Their bodies were only recovered when the fire died down, an hour later… They were hardly recognizable… But," Jesse choked on air and needed to swallow to calm himself. "At least they went out together… and they kept the rest of us safe. The virus didn't get out to infect any more of us…" he hung his head, fingers poking the dirt under him. "After that, Kix swore to be the best medic he could, to honor Oberon and make sure something like that doesn't happen again. And Hardcase… he finished the pattern of his armor, but never had the heart to finish the face tattoo… Maybe he thought that, if he did finish it, it would mean Spots never existed in the first place…"

Fives still hasn't found his voice, but he finally understood what Jesse was getting at. He wasn't the only one to have lost a dear brother – or more than one at that – due to this war. And yet, he was the one who still acted so bitter about it. Kix and Hardcase both did something for their brothers' memories. What has he done?

"Just because you lost Echo, doesn't mean you can go around, trying to join him so quickly," the words came back to him and he let out a deep sigh.

"What did you take from them then?" the ARC asked, just needing something to fill the silence.

"Personalities, I guess. Also, don't tell Kix or Hardcase I said anything," he actually looked slightly panicked at that bit.

"Haha, no worries. Your secrets are safe with me," Fives lightly elbowed him in the shoulder.

"Thanks, you're a life savior," the bald man rubbed the spot.

"Thank you, Jesse, for telling me," Fives nodded at the man.

"Anytime brother," Jesse lightly shoved him back in the shoulder.

He sat in the transport ship, arms folded and a frown on his face. The pilots were waiting for him when he got back to the Resolute, and he made sure to give Ahsoka some extra instructions. And yet, he still felt like there was something… wrong.

"Something troubling you, sir?" he looked up, slightly startled by the sudden call. Commander Thorn sat across him, helmet on and voice impassive. The Chancellor had sent them for pickup, just to assure Skywalker would arrive safely.

"I feel like I'm abandoning my men…" Anakin admitted, looking down. "I should be with them, fighting on the front lines…"

"…" Thorn was silent and the Jedi figured he was just asking to break the silence or something. But then, the Commander spoke up.

"We don't see much action, back on Coruscant," the soldier took of his helmet, showing he kept the same hair as his brothers, yet there was a scar from the left edge of his mouth to the edge of his left eye. Looked painful and probably done with a vibroblade.

"But we hear a lot about our brothers out there," he continued, eyes steady as he watched the General. "And we've heard a great many things about the 501st. About their skills, their abilities, commands… All of it. In fact, most of us are envious," a small smile came to his face and Skywalker mirrored the expression. "The Legendary men in Blue," he added, almost like an afterthought. "From the battle of Geonosis, to Christophsis and even to the Citadel. Feats most would think impossible. And yet, you did it. All of them."

"But nothing without sacrifice…" Anakin couldn't stop himself, biting his lip as he recalled the many deaths that occurred on each of those battlefields. So many dead…

"But you still succeeded. And this time, even with a different General, the 501st will do it again."

"You sound very sure of that," the Jedi looked up, seeing the amused expression of the solder.

"The only thing us Guards can have for our brothers out there, is faith," the Commander's words made Skywalker pause and wonder. It felt strange, speaking to a clone who hasn't seen so much battle as his own men. But then again, it must be hard for the Coruscant Guards as well, watching their brothers walk into battle, into death.

"Hah," a humorless chuckle escaped him. "If you can have such faith, then I better as well."

"I'm sure you'll be back with them soon sir," Thorn gave an assuring nod.

"Captain?" Appo felt a chill up his spine when Rex walked closer. The man's body language was just… wrong, compared to how it was before.

"New plan," Rex's voice was stiff and hard, like he was forcing himself to speak. "All platoons will move in through the main route."

"…I take it Krell didn't care for General Skywalker's plan?" the Sergeant kept himself from sighing.

"He did not," the blonde hasn't even looked at him since he came closer.

"I know you did what you could," Appo gazed towards the road ahead. This wasn't going to be pretty…

"Tell that to all the men we're about to lose," the Captain said, and honestly, Appo couldn't argue. There was no way all of them would survive this assault. But they had orders.

"I'll get the men prepped."

"Thanks."

"…And Rex?" the Sergeant paused before turning. "None of this is your fault."

"Ahaha," a broken and humorless laugh came from the man. "I wish I could say that…"

The men readied themselves, their movements stiff and hard. When the Captain passed them, they gave him a simple glance if even that and Rex couldn't blame them. Many were just wondering if they would be the ones dying this time, or maybe their closest brother. Fives was waiting by the edge, staring off into the shadows of the path ahead. When the blonde stepped by his side, he didn't react at first, before tilting his head to be able to see the older man.

"The men are ready," the Captain said, eyes glued to the lights on the road. Like rails to death or a highway to hell… Just inviting them to walk over.

"Where's the General?" the ARC asked, following the blonde's gaze.

"Back with Appo – top of the ridge."

"…" Fives barely kept himself from saying something again. This wasn't the time.

"We should get ready. You and I are taking point," Rex said, finally turning to the younger man. "If we do die, we should be the first."

"We won't die. We've done harder and gotten out alive."

"…" there was a small silence around them as the boys behind them readied themselves. They both knew they were kidding themselves, but what else did they have?

"Let's move out."

They walked silently, eyes open and ears peaked. With Fives and Rex at point, the others followed bravely behind, but they were skittish. No information about what they were up against, the terrain was against them and the Umbarans had a clear path for an ambush. But still, they moved on.

"So, why aren't we sticking to the original plan and probing the city defenses first?" Tup had asked, looking between his older brothers. Not everyone knew of the changes.

"We can do this, let's take 'em!" Hardcase assured, sounding far too eager for all of this.

"Yeah, leave it to Hardcase to dive in head first," Jesse joked, hoping to ease off some of the tension around. Anything to help them cope right now.

"The General's new plan is reckless!" Fives complained, he knew he couldn't be the only one who saw that. But he was apparently the only one who spoke up about it.

"You ever think that maybe the General knows what he is doing?" Dogma actually spoke up, almost sounding offended. And he was defending him? Rex is one thing – he's a Captain, he has to give the man in charge the benefit of the doubt. But they didn't.

"I know you think, this is bad idea," Fives ignored the rookie and walked closer to Rex. He was trying to get him to at least admit it. Because so far, he's only been keeping it to himself.

"I raised my objection to General Krell's plan, but he didn't agree," Rex said in short, voice wavering slightly there. "So, this is it," it sounded like he wanted to tell himself that as well.

"But what if he's wrong? Then what?" Fives kept pushing, because the last time they talked about this, things didn't go so well.

"This isn't the time for a debate. Right now, we need to stay alert," Rex brushed him off, as before, though he sounded more urgent this time around. And Fives saw that, yes, this wasn't the best place. He was just getting really frustrated with this whole thing and Rex seeming just trying to ignore it all.

"Eh… It's too quite out there," Tup was still fresh, and that kept him more vigilant than the rest. And although they heard and agreed with him, they continued. So far so good though.

And not a minute later, everything went to hell.

They all knew they had to keep their eyes open for any traps and ambushes. But they just weren't prepared enough for what the Umbarans threw at them. When Oz moved and blew up, it was just a second too late to keep Ringo from following suit. The rest stopped, with Rex even calling out: "Nobody move!"
The soldiers dropped down, anxious and tense as they waited for the ruble to stop and the smoke to clear. There was no telling what other surprise might be waiting for them.

When it finally did clear, the Captain was the first to stand, pointing at the fallen men with a silent command. Zed and Niner – the closest two – moved to inspect, but they weren't sure what to expect.

"Oz is down."

"So is Ringo."

Two men down. Could have been worse, given they're walking on mines. But should have been better. Should have been prepared. But they couldn't think about that now.

"Can you sweep 'em?" Rex turned to Fives, knowing the ARC had some gear to help him with his special missions.

Fives moved forwards, using a Sweeper Gun as they called it. It sensed the electronic lengths of bombs, made almost for tasks like these. As he moved, he marked each one he spotted in his mind, before moving along.

"There're more over here," he informed, keeping the sweeper on it. "Looks like the whole road's been booby-trapped," he added, easily seeing a few more along the way. "Everyone watch your step," he led the way, knowing the others would follow in his movements or avoid the ones he avoided. And it was only a few seconds later, that things went from bad, to worse.

Something smacked behind them into the road, creating a small crater. The men instantly turned but the Umbarans were already coming at them, weapons raised and firing. The soldiers collected themselves quickly and started fighting back but-

"We're completely exposed!" Tup called over the blaster fire, shooting the nearest enemy he could.

"Hold your ground!" Rex ordered, using his dual blasters. They had orders – they had to follow them. They could do this. They had to.

"You want a piece of this?!" Hardcase spun around with his cannon, mowing down the enemies. He was just happy for some action.

And then another one of those weird blasts came. It was a glowing sphere of energy and it took down three of the soldiers instantly.

"I think Hardcase made them mad," Jesse still found some way to joke about it, even if it was more to keep himself sane than anything else.

The Umbarans proceeded to come at the soldiers more closely, but that was a mistake. All clones had hand-to-hand combat back on Kamino, so they could handle themselves fine. Besides, the Umbarans weren't that strong. Tup managed to throw one down and shot him in the helmet, releasing the gas inside. Another one of those energy balls flew in and took down a walker, with Zigger on it.

"We're blown!" Vor called, seeing they weren't getting anywhere. Brothers were falling all around and the enemy wasn't backing off.

"The Umbarans are advancing!" Fives called as he blasted two of them in rapid succession. They haven't gained any ground at all.

"Make 'em eat heat!" Hardcase was still blasting, killing a wave of them as they tried to get in closer.

Rex was clearing the area around him as best he could, while trying to figure out what to do. Which way to go. The enemy gave him something to focus on, other than the pained cries of his fallen brothers.

Fives wasn't far away from him, when an Umbaran jumped down next to ARC, engaging in hand-to-hand. This one was better at it than the others – but still not good enough. Fives got him on the ground and smashed his elbow into the Umbaran's helmet, cracking it and releasing the gas inside. The native started franticly speaking something along the lines of: "Not my helmet, not my helmet!" Clearly they need the gas to survive. Fives hesitated for a second – make them suffer a painful death – before shooting the poor soul out of his misery. It's more than they deserve.

Rex rolled past him, blasting at his own opponents as more and more Umbarans came running at them from all around. They've already lost ground, men and energy. They couldn't do this much longer.

"They're coming from all directions!" Dogma sounded scared as he said, looking towards anyone who would give an order.

"We don't have any cover!" Fives hissed, blasting more enemies as they tried to get the jump on him.

"We need to pull back. Get them to follow us. If we can draw them out, we can see them!" Rex finally had an idea, now if only they could make it work!

"If we can see them we can hit them!" Jesse caught up quickly, slowly backing away from the woods.

"All squads! Pull back now!" the Captain ordered and the men followed. Not everyone even knew why, but they didn't care – they were getting away from this spot of death and that's all that mattered.

"This can't be good," Tup muttered to himself, worried what was going on. He wasn't able to hear what the Captain said, but he followed suit.

As they were retreating, the Umbarans pressed on to attack. More of those balls of light came crashing down and those who could, tried to avoid them. Others got blasted. But still, the soldiers managed to return some of the fire.

Appo was watching them from the far, holding his breath and hoping they would all make it. The retreat was a good idea, but the General probably wasn't going to like. What else were they supposed to do? Stay there and die?

"Fable minded fools," Krell said behind him and Appo lowered his macrobinoculars to look at him. What would he do now?

"Get in there and save their necks!" the order came as a surprise, but none of them even hesitated. Didn't even wonder, didn't question. Krell gave them an option to save their brothers – they sure as hell weren't going to waste it.

"Get ready, here they come!" Fives jumped over the terrain, seeing reinforcements coming. It made breathing easier, but he had to remind himself the battle wasn't over yet. However, the odds have turned in their favor, and they could fight back again.

They made a line, blasting the enemy and forcing them to pause. Everyone who could, stood their ground and fired – they had to get them off their shebs.

"Stand back and hit 'em with everything you've got!" Rex advised, figuring if they kept a distance, those balls of light couldn't reach them. And soon enough, the Umbarans started retreating, going back into their shadows.

"Hahah! Where're you goin'? Get back here!" Hardcase laughed, tempted to follow them but managed to hold himself back. He was just starting to enjoy it!

"They're pulling back!" Fives called, relived, but things weren't going get any better. General Krell was walking towards them, and he wasn't looking happy.

"CT – 7567," the Jedi started off, heading directly towards the Captain and even shoving into the ARC who was just catching his breath.
"Do you have a malfunction in your design?" Rex put away his weapons, preparing himself. He figured this would happen when he gave the order. But what exactly, he couldn't even really imagine. Still, he'll take it. Anything is worth saving the lives of his men.
"You pulled your forces back from taking the capital city! The enemy now has control of this route! This entire operation has been compromised, because of your failure!" Pong poked him with his finger, his strength great enough to actually shove the small man, forcing him a few steps back. Rex wasn't about to argue – they'd be no point. But then-

"General Krell," Fives spoke up and the Captain could see the shock and anger in the Jedi's eyes. How Fives must have the audacity to even speak to him, must have been what the Jedi was thinking about in that moment.

"In case you haven't noticed, Captain Rex just saved this platoon!" the ARC went on and the blonde felt a shiver up his spine as Krell slowly and slightly turned towards Fives. "Surely you won't fail, to recognize that!" Fives almost hissed the words and Rex's fingers twitched when the Jedi turned fully to his brother. This wasn't going to end well.

"ARC – 5555," Krell started so calmly, that even Fives was stunned. And then, he activated his lightsaber, moving it closer to the ARC – hell, inches away from his head. The soldiers around held their breath and had their eyes wide open. What the fuck was going on?

"Stand down," Pong still spoke calmly, but there was a layer of malice under it as Fives looked from the weapon of death to the one wielding it and swallowed inwardly. He's never been this close to the lightsaber before. It was… terrifying.

"Sir, yes sir," Fives said slowly, looking back at the weapon inches from his head. That was more fear and instinct than his own mind, but if that's what saved him from decapitation, so be it. Things just got a lot more horrible. He looked back up, giving a glare from under his bucket, knowing the Ojamo wouldn't see it, before moving away and letting Rex speak. Still, the near-death experience made him move stiffly and numbly.

"Sir," Rex walked over, managing to regain himself after the initial shock. He was afraid Fives would say something more and get himself killed, but luckily, that didn't happen. Now he just had to deal with a very pissed off Jedi.

"If I may address your accusation," he started, but saw the Besalisk was still eyeing the ARC as he moved. Almost… studying.
"I followed your orders, even in the face of a plan, that was in my opinion, severely flawed," he said, but Krell wasn't looking at him. Hell, probably wasn't even paying attention to what he was talking about!

"A plan that cost us men," his frustration was showing as he took of his helmet, revealing his pent up anger in his eyes and expression. "Not clones, men!" he glared and frowned, sick of the way the General was treating them. He's heard about and seen it before – clones weren't real people. They were tools. But they weren't! He wasn't going to let it be like that!

And finally, Pong looked at him, expression impassive, but his eyes showed he was thinking about something, maybe even considering his words. The Captain took the opportunity of attention, calming himself, before speaking again.

"As sure as it is my duty, to remain loyal to your command, I also have another duty to protect those men," he pointed at the gathered soldiers and Krell followed his motion, his expression… considerate. Maybe, just maybe, he'd finally understand.

"You have a spark of tenacity Captain," the Jedi said after a few seconds of silence, deactivating his lightsaber, eyes still on the gathered men. "I'll give you that," he turned to the blonde and Rex sighed in relief inwardly. Captain. Finally, using his rank. And he sounded… almost apologetic. Guess that's the best they're going to get.

"I know I don't command like the Jedi you're used to serving," the General spoke, looking awfully bored as he did so. "Certainly not like General Skywalker," to the men, there was a hidden insult under those words, but they did well to not show their anger. "But I have my way. It may be difficult, but these are difficult times. And it's proven effective," he sounded so self-righteous and important, as if that was the only way to go about things.

"I suppose your loyalty to your men is to be commended," that wasn't something they expected to hear, but Rex took it anyway. "They seem to admire this. That's important to an effective commander," that came off strongly analytical, but they figured it was just the past few minutes of battle, still keeping them on edge and paranoid.

"Alright Captain Rex, your opinion has been noted," the soldiers behind Krell exchanged a surprised glance, with Rex barely keeping his shock from showing. Fives did so freely under his bucket however. That's… a lot of change in both manner of speaking, way of addressing and attitude in one sentence compared to before. And although they really wished they could take it just as simply as that, none of them particularly felt good about it.

"Dismissed," Krell finished off before turning and leaving the men.

"I think he almost complimented you," Fives stepped closer when he was sure the Jedi was out of hearing range. That really was something.

"Ah, it's hard to tell," Rex sighed, the annoyed and angered look still dwelling on his face.

"Incoming!" Hardcase suddenly yelled, moments before another ball of light crashed near their current position. And soon after, enemy fire accompanied it as well. The men were still exhausted from the previous battle and the shock of what happened, so they weren't prepared at all for the attack.

"The Umbrans must have regrouped for a counter attack," Fives grumbled as he and Rex readied themselves for another wave.

"Everyone, we must hold this position!" the Captain ordered as the men moved, ready to face the enemy again.

"You think General Krell still intends to take the capital using this strategy?" Fives voiced his concern, in a calmer way than before. He still hasn't fully processed the fact the Ojamo almost sliced his head off.

"I don't know," Rex said blatantly, almost giving a shrug. "I'll get back to you on that one if we survive this battle," ah now that was the cynical and sarcastic Rex of the old times. He always did sound like a tired old man when speaking that way.

"If we don't then maybe he'll be forced to find a new strategy," Fives chipped in with his one bit of humor and could almost hear the blonde snort.

"I'd love to see that actually," Rex was smiling under his bucket. Things have cooled down now, and a lot of the tension was gone. Things might turn for the better yet.

"Hah, then we better make it back!"

He listened to the carnage behind him as he walked away, hands behind his back. He was deep in thought of recent events with the clones and a frown came to his face as he thought back on the ARC trooper.

"Brave or stupid…" he thought, looking at the ground. "But very outspoken… The others respect him," he could gather that much from the Force. A near-death experience like that revealed everyone's true feelings and he could sense the clones. The ARC himself was terrified, yet resolute. The Captain was similar, yet anger and hate were quickly behind. The rest were fearful but prepared to fight him. Fight a Jedi… Ha! These clones really must care for each other that much.

"I can use that," he looked up, at the shadowy sky and grinned. "The Captain as well… Their loyalty will be their downfall." He honestly thought that the Captain would be less of a bother, given how quickly he agreed to his orders and the defeated pulse around him in the Force. But it seems that was not the case.
He'd need to keep a closer eye on those two from now on. They were likely the first to turn against him, should anything happen. But he can't have things end just yet – if the clones die so soon, other Jedi would rush to help. Can't have that…

"Time and patience… They'll break eventually."

Cut! So, yeah, we're slowly getting somewhere. Also, please keep in mind that this is all based on my personal ideas and views *cough* backstories *cough* and hope you can respect that. Thank you!
I honestly have no idea when the next chapter will roll around, but I hope to see you all there when it does!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! Consider reviewing? That really makes me want to writer faster and better!
Till next time~