Trigger warnings: brief mention of surgical procedures

"What do you want, Rex?"

"We've got a problem," Rex says, a worn voice over Cody's communicator. "I need you to meet me outside the primary medbay."

Cody bolts upright. His chrono is bleeding red: 0332. "Is everyone all right?"

"No one's dead," Rex says crisply. "But this can't wait."

Cody armors up and all but runs to the medical bay. Rex is in his ARC kit with his helmet tucked under his arm, standing outside the door with Dogma and Jesse and Adenn. The other three are in fatigues. If memory serves, Jesse just got released, Dogma's been on light duty, and Adenn is due to be discharged later today.

"Is there a problem with our ARCs specifically?" Cody asks dryly, tugging off his helmet too. He scans the group. Dogma shifts from one foot to the other and takes a deep breath.

"No," Rex says. "Tell him, Jesse."

Jesse twists his face into a scowl. "All right, but I don't want him to get in any trouble. I don't know what's going on with him, I just—"

"Jesse," Rex interrupts. "Spare us the commentary. Just tell him what you told me."

"It's Kix," Dogma blurts out. Jesse groans and facepalms. "He's acting – strange."

"Strange how?" Cody asks.

Adenn takes a measured breath. "He wanted to run a level five atomic brain scan on me," he says, furrowing his brow. "I didn't sustain a head injury. I just took a lot of shrapnel to the chest. It didn't make sense. I told him I didn't need it. He insisted. He did the scan. He said he found something. Then he knocked me out and I woke up with my head shaved and a bacta patch on my skull."

"I have a scar in the same spot," Jesse mutters. "So does Dogma. But I asked Sol: none of us had head injuries. We shouldn't have needed brain surgery."

"We just want to know what he did," Dogma says quickly. "I'm sure he meant well. Or that it was necessary…somehow."

"I'm sure he did," Cody says slowly. Rex's eyes are dark with concern. "Listen, I want the three of you to head back to your bunks. Try to get some sleep. We'll talk to Kix and then update you as-needed."

Dogma nods sharply and shifts like he's going to leave. When Jesse doesn't move, neither does he. "He's going to be all right," Jesse says. "I mean, he's fine, right? It's Kix."

"We'll talk to him," Rex says firmly. "Now get moving."

"Am I discharged then, sir?" Adenn asks, rubbing at the deep, jagged scar that runs diagonally across his face, from his left temple to his chin. Cody wants to smile at the eagerness in his voice.

"Head to the auxiliary medical bay," Cody says; Adenn deflates a bit. "Have Sol check you out. If he says you're fine, then you're out. Jesse, Dogma: make sure he gets there."

The three of them hover for a beat more. "Trust us," Cody says, pushing a wave of calm to them the way he's felt Kenobi do it. "We're not gonna let anything happen to Kix. I promise."

The tension in their shoulders eases. As one, they obey. Only once they're out of sight does Cody turn to Rex.

"You don't think—"

"I do," Rex says, dragging a hand down his face. "How in the hell does Kix know?"

"More importantly, why didn't he bring it to us?" Cody asks.

"Probably thought we wouldn't believe him," Rex says, palming the door open. Kix is asleep at a desk in the corner, head propped on his folded arms. Cody almost feels bad for letting Rex cross the room and shake him awake. He's probably had three hours of sleep in as many days.

"Hey. Hey, Kix. C'mon, we need to talk."

Kix blinks blearily at them. "Yes, sir," he mumbles, scrubbing at his eyes. Once he's a little more coherent, he looks up to meet Rex's gaze. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"You could say that," Rex says, easing down to perch against the edge of the desk. Kix stares at him.

"Did it or didn't it, Rex?" he asks tiredly.

"You've been conducting unauthorized brain surgeries," Cody says. Kix frowns. Cody gets a surge of anxiety from him, but to his credit, he betrays none of it with his face.

"I don't know what you mean," Kix says. "I would never initiate a procedure that wasn't absolutely necessary."

"Kix," Rex says. "Come on. We talked to Dogma, Jesse, and Adenn. What are you doing?"

Cody doesn't need the Force to feel his surge of panic. "Level with us, Kix."

"Fives," Kix says suddenly. He's staring at his hands. "It's – it's because of Fives."

"Because of the chips," Rex surmises.

Kix jolts. "I'm not crazy," he snaps. "They are real. I – I've been disposing of them so I can't show them to you but if you do a level five atomic brain scan on any clone, yourselves included, you will find a biological chip that is wired to take us over at any second. Whenever the Chancellor flips the switch."

"I know," Rex says.

"You don't – wait. You believe me?" Kix looks between them, frantic. Cody pushes calm to him, too, though it doesn't seem to have much effect. "You actually believe me?"

"We've been looking into it, too," Cody says. "Why didn't you come to us?"

"Because of Fives," Kix hisses. "Don't you see? He learned the truth about what happened to Tup and it got him killed. I couldn't take the chance."

Fives is alive. Cody glances at Rex. Now's not the time. "Well, what did you find?" Rex asks, folding his arms.

"Evidence," Kix says. He raises his chin. "I have evidence."

"What evidence?"

"From the Grand Republic Medical Facility," Kix says. "It's where they took Fives."

"How in the hell did you get in there?"

"I'm a medic," Kix says, annoyed. "You have your strategy conferences, I have my battlefield triage seminars. There was one held at the facility almost right before we left for Anaxes. I asked General Skywalker if I could attend. He agreed. He dropped me off. I went to the director's office instead of the seminar. Nobody there noticed: all clones look the same to them and at that point, the place was absolutely packed with vode."

"What's the evidence?" Cody asks. "What did you get?"

"A holographic message," Kix says, "from the Chancellor to the facility's director, Tel Daneb. It's mostly a monologue, him laying out his 'grand plan' for a 'new and glorious autocratic state' and what Daneb's role would be once it happened, but he starts out by describing the genocide of the Jedi. Activating the chips. Turning us against our generals." Kix swallows thickly. "I mean, he doesn't phrase it exactly like that. He doesn't call it a genocide, but he does mention the chips and Protocol Sixty-Six."

"What does he call it?" Rex asks.

"'The traitors' just fate.'" Kix shudders. "He's going to use us to wipe out the Jedi, Rex. Fives figured it out after what happened to Tup and he told me and when he died, I couldn't just – I couldn't let his death mean nothing. He deserves better than that. He deserves so much better than that."

There are tears in his voice. Rex kneels down in front of him and takes hold of his shoulders. "I need you to listen to me, Kix," he says fiercely, and waits until he gets a nod. "We are going to face this together and we are going to win. You understand, vod? No one else dies. We're going to save them."

Kix takes a shuddery breath. "All right," he says.

"Where do you keep the data?" Cody asks. Kix holds up his arm. Cody frowns.

"In a chip," Kix says, "that I carry in a capsule subcutaneously. It's insulated against energy surges so even if I go, it stays safe. Won't show up on most scanners, either."

Rex makes a face.

"I have another copy of the data on Coruscant," Kix says, "but this is the original from the medical facility. It has the Chancellor's electronic signature, all of the transmission data, and a top-tier security clearance verification. That can't be faked. They can't say I faked it."

"You've just been sitting on this?" Cody asks disbelievingly. "Why not tell someone, Kix? You have the evidence."

Kix grimaces.

"Kix," Rex says, drawing out his name. "What is it?"

"I don't know if I got out of there completely unnoticed," Kix says. "I tried to account for all of the possible traps in the system when I went in, but I think I might have tripped a silent alarm when I pulled the chip from the 'pad."

"You think?"

"There was a blinking light," Kix says. He twists his face. "I made it out and a few minutes later the guards went rushing in. I blended back into the crowd without a problem and they never put the place into lockdown, but I think they might still be looking for the chip. And for me."

"So the Chancellor's almost certainly come up with a story to discredit you." Rex blows out a breath. "Of course. We turn the chip over to the Senate and he makes the whole thing disappear."

"Not if the chip is in the right hands," Cody says carefully. Both of them look up at him.

"Whose hands?" Rex asks.

"Kenobi's."

Rex snaps to his feet. "We've been over this," he says shortly. "The Jedi can't help us."

"Rex, the Jedi are serving as generals in the war. That makes the Council a military body. They have the authority to take action against the Chancellor if they are provided with evidence of his treason."

"The shabla Council couldn't even tell that he was a Sith," Rex hisses. "They meet with him every other day and they can't sense a di'kutla Sith right under their noses?"

"This isn't about the Council," Cody shoots back. "This is about Umbara and Skywalker and Fives dying in your arms in that shabla warehouse."

There's a riptide of grief and rage in Rex's eyes. "Don't," he says hoarsely. "This has nothing to do with any of that."

"This has everything to do with all of that." Cody softens his tone. "I trust Kenobi with my life, Rex. That has to mean something to you."

"I trusted Skywalker with Fives' life," Rex says, suddenly quiet. "Look how that ended."

Kix is looking between them with wide eyes. "We're on our own," Rex says, still so soft. "We can't risk making the same mistake twice. Not when every single one of our brothers' lives is on the line."

Cody takes a slow breath. "All right," he says. "But at least tell me you have a contingency to deal with the Sith."

Rex sets his jaw. His eyes flare. "No," he says. "Not yet."

"Wait," Kix says. "Palpatine's a Sith?"

"Yeah, Kix." Rex sinks down against the desk again and scrubs at his eyes. "He's a Sith."

"Shab."

Cody rubs at his temples and glances at his chrono. 0441. He has to meet with Kenobi about offloading protocols in forty-five minutes. "We're not going to solve the Sith problem right now," he says wearily. "For now, no more unauthorized surgeries, Kix."

"I just wanted to keep them safe," Kix says roughly. He blinks, blinks. Rex squeezes his shoulder. His voice cracks. "I thought if I couldn't prove it, I could at least save a few more of my brothers."

Rex pulls him upright and then wraps his arms around him. "I know, Kix," he whispers, cradling Kix's head against his shoulder. There are tears in his voice too. "I know."

Coruscant seems so much quieter than he remembers.

The shuttle ride down from the Resolute is quiet. Skywalker's silent at the controls, scanning the horizon as he easily guides the craft into the appropriate lane.

"You're talkative today," Anakin says at last, glancing at him. Rex suddenly wishes he had his helmet on instead of resting in his lap.

"Just enjoying the ride, sir."

"You gonna tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Yeah, you do," Anakin says. He waits a beat. Two. Three. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Rex says shortly. "Everything's fine."

"Okay, see, now I know something's wrong." Anakin frowns. His unease rolls off him in a wave. Skywalker's always been one to think more with his heart than his head; it's a method of operation Rex does his best not to emulate.

Since Fives died, he hasn't been very good at it.

"I don't want to talk about it," Rex says slowly. "Please respect that, General."

"You don't have to tell me," Anakin says. "I just want to know that you're talking to someone."

Rex hesitates. "Cody," he says. "I – I talked to Cody."

"And that helped?"

"Cody always helps."

Anakin breathes a sigh of relief. "As long as you're okay," he says.

There's an edge of pain to his voice. Skywalker's not offended by his silence, but Rex knows him well enough to know he's unsure of his role. Unsure of what he did wrong.

Unsure of why he's being kept out.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Rex says. "I do. It's just that this is something I'm not sure how to tell you yet."

The sharp set of Anakin's shoulders relaxes. "Take whatever time you need," he says. "I'm always gonna be here."

Rex flashes a shadow of a smile. Not for the first time, he wishes he could sit Skywalker down and tell him everything and ask him for his help. Cody has a point: it would be easier to take on a Sith with a Jedi at their side.

But every time, he remembers Fives. Remembers the Chancellor's guile.

"I know," Rex says. "Thank you."

Skywalker's silent for a long moment. "There's a Mandalorian saying Obi-Wan told me that I can't get out of my head," he says. "Aliit ori'shya tal'din."

"Family is more than blood," Rex says. "Your pronunciation's getting better."

"I've been practicing."

"It's paying off. Last time you tried Mando'a it, uh…" Rex clears his throat. "Well, let's just say I've heard more eloquent noises from a bantha, General."

"Thanks, Rex."

"Anytime, sir."

Anakin doesn't take his eyes off the lane again, but he does reach out and shove Rex's shoulder. Rex chuckles. "If you want any more help, I'm sure Jesse'd be willing to give you a few lessons."

Anakin scoffs. "No. I've actually been talking to Obi-Wan. He's a good teacher."

"He has to be."

"Funny."

"My sense of humor is my best quality, General."

Skywalker sets the shuttle down on the landing platform. Rex tugs on his helmet. Almost the second they step foot off the ramp, Anakin's communicator buzzes.

"Relax, Obi-Wan. I'm on my way now," Skywalker says.

"Very funny, Anakin," Kenobi says, but he doesn't sound like he thinks anything is funny; his voice is tense, strained. Rex stiffens. "Report to the Chancellor's office immediately."

Skywalker's practically humming with anxiety by the time they make it to their destination. Kenobi and Cody are already there; beside them is Mace Windu.

Echo said that the Chancellor was putting something into motion imminently, that something was off with Fox, and that Cody would be summoned to discuss their recent campaigns.

He didn't say anything about an imminent galactic emergency.

Commander Fox stands at attention behind the Chancellor's desk, hands folded behind his back and shoulders sharply squared. Palpatine glances at him before he rises from his seat. "Anakin," he says, "thank goodness you're here."

"Your Excellency," Skywalker says, with a slight bow. When he raises his head again, his eyes are cutting steel. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid Commander Fox has uncovered a threat against my life," the Chancellor says. His voice is old, high, cracking, and full of carefully tempered fear. He reaches into his desk and holds up two boxes, both of them small enough to fit into the palm of his hand. Skywalker takes one from him.

"These are listening devices," he says, furrowing his brow.

Rex's heart leaps into his throat. Echo didn't give him the full details on their infiltration operation, but there's no other way those could have gotten in here.

"Yes," Palpatine says. "They were discovered in my office ceiling. Commander Fox has launched a full investigation into the matter. It seems that a silent alarm was tripped in the ventilation systems two nights ago. We think that may be when the intruders planted these devices. Who knows what sort of sensitive conversations they might have heard in the meantime?"

Obviously they haven't heard anything useful, or Echo would've mentioned it already.

"We've reviewed the security logs," Fox says, voice clipped. "All authorized arrivals and departures were completed by twenty-hundred. At approximately twenty-one-fifteen, one of the critical security fans was disabled. This triggered a silent alarm. Unfortunately, my men were on the other side of the building for their scheduled patrol. By the time they arrived at the Chancellor's office, the intruders were gone."

"So we have Separatist infiltrators loose on Coruscant," Windu says, "but we have no way of identifying them."

"Not quite, Master Jedi," Palpatine says. "Since Cad Bane launched his egregious assault on the Senate building, I have taken extra precautions in the interest of my own security." He lifts a statue situated at the corner of his desk. "They disabled the cameras outside my office, but I had cameras of my own installed in the event of a similar incursion. The recording was taken by forensics for review."

"Well, who was it?" Anakin demands.

"Clones," Palpatine says, as if he's shocked by it. "A squad of commandos, to be precise. Their designation is Clone Force Ninety-Nine, but I believe they call themselves the 'Bad Batch.' One of your ARC troopers recently joined their ranks, did he not, Captain?"

Rex forces himself to breathe. "Yes, sir," he says shortly.

Palpatine makes a contemplative face. "He was in the possession of the Techno Union for months," he says, "feeding them valuable Republic intelligence."

"No, sir," Rex says. His chest is on fire. "They wired his brain up to interface with their system and ran their strategic calculations through the algorithm he helped develop and had memorized. He had no choice."

"He was in the Separatists' grasp for too long." Palpatine gives him a sympathetic face, like Echo being labeled a traitor is an unfortunate shame that can't be helped. "I'm afraid he must have been more compromised than we realized and has convinced these 'Bad Batchers' to join his cause."

Fox steps forward and holds out his hand. A hologram springs up from his palm, figures in motion around the office: scanning the walls, planting the listening devices, and hovering at the door. The hologram freezes and zooms.

It's too clearly Echo.

"The Coruscant Guard is on high alert," Fox says. "When we find them, we'll bring them in."

"Use whatever force is necessary," Palpatine says. "They cannot be allowed to betray our most critical data to the Separatists."

"Excuse me, sir, but I must disagree," Cody says, before Rex can open his mouth to protest. "If we're going to get any useful intel from them at all, they must be brought in alive."

"Commander, I respect your dedication, but ensuring the security of Coruscant and all its citizens must be our top priority."

"Sir, I agree with Commander Cody," Rex snaps off. It feels like Fives, all over again. "I know Echo. Let me go with the Guard. He'll listen to me. I can talk him down."

"I'm sorry," Palpatine says. "I cannot authorize that. There is simply far too much at stake."

"Sir—"

"Rex," Skywalker says, and Rex clamps his mouth shut. Palpatine gives him an apologetic smile.

"We will apprehend them," Anakin says. "You have nothing to worry about, Excellency."

"I would prefer you here, Anakin," Palpatine says. "If they intend to make an attempt on my life, I would be much surer of my safety with you at my side."

Apparently, Fox doesn't count as sufficient security. Or, more likely, Palpatine wants Skywalker's ear, wants to feed him more of his damned lies. Rex sets his jaw and does his best not to grit his teeth or curl his hand into a fist.

"It's settled, then," Windu says. "Skywalker, you stay here with the Chancellor. I will deliver an update to the Council. Master Kenobi and the clones will remain in the Senate building as an extra layer of security."

"That will not be necessary," Palpatine begins. Windu holds up a hand to stop him.

"We don't take threats against your life lightly," Mace says. "Kenobi and the clones will set up a command center a few levels down to monitor the comms and provide any necessary support."

Palpatine sighs. "If you feel they would be of the most use here, then I find it pointless to debate. I trust your judgment, Master Jedi."

Windu nods solemnly. Then he turns on his heel and is gone. Rex follows.

"Oh, Commander Cody," Palpatine calls, when Cody's halfway out the door. Cody stops and turns. Rex clenches teeth.

"Sir."

"I would like to hear your analysis of these recent campaigns," Palpatine says. "I've found your reports on the Outer Rim conflict most informative and enlightening."

"Perhaps after the commandos have been apprehended, Chancellor," Cody says politely. "Your wellbeing is our highest priority."

"Oh, come on, Cody," Anakin says. "What are you going to do down in a glorified data center?"

"I'm sure I'll have plenty to do, General," Cody says, voice clipped. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to commandeer a command center."

The door hisses shut behind him. Rex falls in step behind Kenobi.

"So," Rex says, not bothering to hide the smile in his voice. "Refusing a direct request from the Supreme Chancellor."

Cody snorts. "One of the benefits of being a Marshal Commander," he says. He casts a glance ahead, at Kenobi. Obi-Wan can't hear them talking over the helmet comms, but Rex guesses he probably knows what they're discussing regardless.

"Echo's gonna be fine, Rex," Cody says softly. "Clone Force Ninety-Nine is the best unit I've ever worked with. They'll figure it out."

"Yeah," Rex says. "I know."

Somehow, it still doesn't set his mind at ease.

There's no way to warn them.

The command center is exactly what Skywalker said it would be: a glorified data center. Cody, it seems, has absolutely no intention of doing anything about the Bad Batch's alleged treason: he takes a seat, tugs off his helmet, and spends the next three hours poring over datapads with Kenobi.

"What am I supposed to do, exactly?" Rex asks, when he's paced the room enough times to wear a hole in the floor.

"Wait for an alarm," Kenobi says wryly. "We can't do anything until then."

"We should be out there helping find them, General, not in here waiting for an attack."

"The Coruscant Guard will apprehend them," Obi-Wan says.

"They're not going to apprehend them," Rex explodes. "They're going to hunt them down."

Obi-Wan sets his datapad aside. He somehow manages to look both devastatingly serious and heartbreakingly kind in the same instant. "I know Echo's your brother," Kenobi says quietly, "and I know that the last time there was a manhunt for one of your brothers, it ended badly."

That's one way of putting it. Rex swallows thickly.

"I will make sure that justice is served," Obi-Wan says. "I promise you that, Captain."

"That's assuming he's still alive to see it," Rex hisses.

"Rex," Cody interrupts. "Head back to the barracks. Check on the others. Come back here with a clear head."

"I'm fine."

"That wasn't a suggestion."

The sun is sinking below the horizon when Rex gets off the transport at the base. They're putting noncritical members of the 212th and 501st up in hastily constructed temporary housing, which means a lot of cramped quarters and tired, cranky troopers.

Base medical is overflowing. Some of the housing has been converted to a makeshift bay until they can move some of the wounded to different facilities.

It's gonna be a hell of a long haul to get everyone back on their feet.

"Rex!"

"Jesse," Rex says, stopping just short of the barracks door. There are two other figures hurrying after Jesse. He recognizes them as Dogma and Adenn. "What is it?"

"It's Kix," Jesse says, wide-eyed and out of breath. "He's gone."