Ahsoka and Rex's ARC-170 drops out of hyperspace after escaping the Venator.
"Are we really going to fly into those asteroids?" asked Rex, a bit frantic.
"Come on Rex, you're not scared are you?"
Rex chuckled, "I guess it can't be worse than Geonosis remember that?"
"Do I ever, I almost didn't make it out of that tank" Ahsoka smiled, "Anyway, these are the coordinates that Senator Organa sent me, Polis Massa its called, and actually I have to go further in,"
"Ahsoka theres something you should know...," Rex looked concerned, Ahsoka looked concerned as well but curious as to what he had to say. "I'm still fighting it, the order, and its like eating at me slowly, and I feel like it might take over if I don't remove it..."
"Remove what?"
"Remember Fives? Well, during Battle of Ringo Vinda Tup got very ill, and murdered General Tiplar. Tup and Fives went to Kamino to check what was wrong. It turns out, after Fives did some investigating that every single clone, including myself, has an inhibitor chip that, at the time, we didn't know the purpose. The Chancellor swept that investigation under the rug, but now I'm certain what they are for. They made us do it, I'm certian!"
"Rex, then we have to find a way to remove it, and fast."
Ahsoka, concerned about Rex's inhibitor chip, piloted the starfighter through the asteroid field, until she came up on a mining outpost.
"I sure hope the Republic doesn't come after us, kid," said Rex as the fighter was coming in for a landing. "Honestly Rex, I don't know if we can call it that anymore." As their fighter landed, waiting there was Senator Organa.
"Ahsoka Tano, I'm glad to see you alive," remarked the Senator from Alderaan, as Ahsoka jumped out of the fighter.
"Its good to see you too Senator," Ahsoka replied. The second cockpit opened and Commander Rex jumped out of the fighter. Organa and his guards, alarmed, pointed their blasters at Rex. "Hands above your head, clone!" they shouted.
"Hey, I am not the enemy here!," shouted Rex.
"Put your weapons down, he is a friend," said Ahsoka.
"Are you sure Ahsoka? You know what the clones have done," said Bail. "Yes, Senator," said Ahsoka.
"Very well, follow me"
Ahsoka, Rex, and the Senator went upstairs into a conference room. Ahsoka and the Senator walked in to see a familiar Jedi Master. Ahsoka's face lit up, after all the darkness she had endured.
"Hello there," said Obi-Wan Kenobi, smiling warmly.
"Master! I'm so glad that you're okay," said Ahsoka.
"The feeling is mutual, my friend," said Obi-Wan
Rex had stayed behind his struggle to resist Order 66 was turning into a losing war. He finally walked up to the blast door taht 'whooshed' open and when he saw Obi-Wan.
"Greetings Rex, are you alright?" said the Jedi Master, not trusting Rex after his ordeal with Cody."
Rex could resist it no longer. He removed his helmet, "Good Soldiers. Follow. Orders!" shouted Rex as he began to fire upon Obi-Wan, who in response ignited his lightsaber to deflect the shots away.
"Do not kill him!" shouted Ahsoka.
"Stun him, NOW!" said the Senator to his guard, who obeyed and stunned Rex knocking him unconscious.
"Ahsoka, why would you bring him here?" demanded Obi-Wan. "Master, trust me there is an explanation to this." Ahsoka went on to explain to Obi-Wan, what Rex had told her about Fives and the inhibitor chips.
"Hmm, It all makes more sense now. It would explain why the clones had executed their Jedi without remorse. Especially considering that most clones had a strong relationship with their generals. We need to act quickly and find that inhibitor chip."
The guards then carried Rex to a medical bay, where the medical droids started scanning Rex for the inhibitor chip.
"There is no sign of the inhibitor chip you speak of," said the medical droid.
"We have to look deeper. Ahsoka, place your hand on his head and say this with me, focus, remember your training."
Ahsoka and Obi-Wan placed their hands on Rex and started saying together, "I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me," eventually Rex started mouthing what Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were saying, and then started saying it.
"I have located the inhibitor chip," said the medical droid.
"Remove it as quickly as possible," said Ahsoka worried, as she looked at an unconscious Rex. The droid placed a device on the side of Rex's head. which then extracted the inhibitor chip.
Rex was slowly waking up hears a voice. "Greetings Commander Rex, alright are you?" Rex sat upright and looked over to his right and saw a familiar Jedi Master. "Rex, alright are you?"
"Yes sir, and its Captian now," Rex looked around the room and saw Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, the Senator and his guards, "Rex, the clones, they have all had these since the beginning?" Obi-Wan asked
"Yes General, all of us," Rex replied. With this information, Yoda, Bail Organa, and Obi-Wan looked at each other gravely and exited the room to discuss these events. Rex's comlink started beeping. "Rex old buddy," said a clone's voice. "Wolffe, is that you? You're alive?" replied Rex. "Yes, I am, I know a trooper like you wouldn't join the Empire, so if you want to lay low with us, meet me on Seelos." Rex looked confused. "I'll... let you know, Wolffe," Rex and Ahsoka looked at each other, as Ahsoka knew either way that they would have to part ways.
"Looks like I'm going to Seelos!" Rex said, chuckling. "As long as you're happy, Rex," replied Ahsoka. "Come on, let's find the rest,"
"Come on, let's find the others," said Ahsoka as she and Rex walked out of the room to find the two Jedi Masters and the Senator in the hallway. "Masters, what's the plan? Where are we going?" asked Ahsoka. "We need to make a stop at Naboo, I suggest you come with us, but if not let us know," Obi-Wan replied.
Ahsoka looked at Rex and nodded, as if in approval, "Generals if it's alright with you, I figured I'd lay low here in the Outer Rim," Yoda and Obi-Wan looked at each other, and Yoda nodded. "Strange and dangerous times, these are for us, Rex," said Yoda, "But more so for us than for you, safe travels I wish you, my friend,"
"Goodbye, Rex, may the force be with you," said Obi-Wan, as he, Yoda, and the Senator walked back to the Tantive IV, the senator's personal ship. Ahsoka and Rex went back to the hangar they landed in. The two jumped into their ARC-170 and took off, jumping into hyperspace soon after.
Ahsoka and Rex's fighter dropped out of hyperspace, "That's Seelos," said Ahsoka with some sadness in her voice as she might not see her friend again. As they entered the atmosphere their ship approached what seemed to be a Republic AT-TE. The fighter landed and the two walked towards the walker. Ahsoka stopped, however, as if intending to let Rex go on. "This is where we say goodbye Rex," said Ahsoka in a sad tone. "Take care of yourself kid, we'll see each other again," Rex wore a very somber face as he stepped away. Ahsoka stopped him and hugged him as a goodbye, the clone shed a single tear seeing as the two have been through so much. Rex and Ahsoka separated, Rex, smiling warmly as he walked off towards the walker. In the distance, Ahsoka could see Wolffe, waiting for Rex under the walker.
Ahsoka walked back to her fighter and took off.
The ARC-170 descended and landed upon the sands. A lone figure sat upon a rocky mountain, looking out onto the flat sands before him where a farmer's homestead can be seen and the twin suns slowly descending into the sands. A speeder approached the man from behind, and the young Togruta pilot of the speeder sat next to him. "So what now, Master?" the man looked down, back at the homestead and then at the woman next to him, "That is up to the Force," said Obi-Wan as he looked at the homestead, and there stood a man and a woman looking out at the sunset holding a child, a new hope...
Writers Notes
I wrote Darkness Approaches after seeing Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Episode 10, so I decided to create my own version of how I thought Order 66 would go and how I would have liked it to go. After seeing how it went after Episode 11 and 12, I am still satisfied with how it went both in the show and in my fanfic. I will be writing more Clone Wars fan fictions creating brand new characters that fit into the Star Wars canon. I want to hear what you guys thought of this story PM me and let me know! Thank you for your support!