Anakin sat on Obi-Wan's bunk while his Master was sitting at his desk, reading the mission information.

"What kind of planet is Selvaris?" Anakin asked, no longer able to let his Master read in silence.

Obi-Wan suppressed a sigh. "It's a jungle planet, with some oceans. It has a breathable atmosphere and is uninhabited, as far as we know," he answered without looking up.

"And our mission is to make sure the Separatists don't build a base there, right?" Anakin asked his next question. His Master only nodded.

"So, what's the plan?" Anakin jumped down from the bunk and went to Obi-Wan.

"We are doing nothing. You will stay on the ship while the clones and I take care of it," Obi-Wan answered.

"What? But I can help!" Anakin protested.

Now Obi-Wan sighed.

"You yourself said that the Force wants me in this war. So I have to fight, right, Master?"

"First, you haven't even built your lightsaber yet. Second, this won't be an easy battle. Everything stands against us. You need to gain more experience in battles, but not in this one," Obi-Wan answered determinedly.

"But I can't just sit here while you fight out there!"

"Yes, you can and you will," Obi-Wan said, "and if you don't stop your complaining, I won't allow you to come to the briefing."

Anakin pouted, but kept silent. Obi-Wan waited if he would say something, but his Padawan only crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking sulky, so Obi-Wan let him look over his shoulder and read through the mission information with him. It slowed him down, because he had to wait for Anakin to finish reading before scrolling forward. His Padawan was still a very slow reader, although he was making good progress. He couldn't read Basic at all before he came to the Temple.

"I think it's time for the briefing," Obi-Wan said, not as harshly as he spoke in their earlier dispute. Anakin only nodded.

His Master frowned; he'd expected Anakin to start their dispute again, or be excited over the briefing. But he was silent, like he hadn't been for over a year. Unfortunately, there wasn't time to think about it, so he headed to the briefing with his Padawan and let it be, for once.

They met with Commander Cody and Captain Rex in the meeting room.

"First, we'll have to break through the blockade. Just the fact that they have one isn't good," Obi-Wan said.

Cody nodded. "That means that they probably know that we're coming, so we can't come with a surprise attack," he said.

The plan was simple. Obi-Wan and Cody would take two squadrons to take care of the blockade, while Anakin would stay at the Star Destroyer and help where he could.

Anakin kept unusually silent during the briefing, but Obi-Wan could feel his anger and disappointment. He sighed as they finished. As always, his Padawan felt too much. Obi-Wan's head pounded from the anger that came through the bond between Anakin and him. Ever since Anakin came to the Order, Obi-Wan had been trying to help him control his feelings, but nothing seemed to work.

"Padawan, how about you take Commander Cody and Captain Rex with you to look for the paint. We have a day left before we arrive, so they can begin painting their armor," he suggested, hoping to lighten his Padawan's mood.

"What paint? Why should we paint on our armor?" Cody asked, puzzled. "Explaining is Anakin's job. This whole thing is his project. I will go and meditate," Obi-Wan answered and left the three of them.

"Well, al'verd'ika. What did General Kenobi mean?" Rex asked.
"I had the idea that all of you could paint your armor, so we can tell you apart," Anakin answered and grinned.
"I see your point, but how should we paint the armor?" asked Cody.

"You can decide for yourself. It would be practical if not all of you painted your armor the same way, but you can draw whatever you want. Now come on, let's get the paint," Anakin answered.

"By the way, what does alwerdika mean?" he added.

"You mean al'verd'ika? It means something like 'little commander'. Al'verde is Mando'a for commander, and 'ika… I don't know how to translate it. It doesn't mean little, but it has a similar meaning," Commander Cody answered.

Anakin nodded. "Like ad'ika?"
"Yes, like ad'ika," Rex confirmed.
Anakin said nothing for a while, then nodded. "I like it, it's like a nickname."

While they went to the storeroom, Commander Cody parted from them to gather the troops. Meanwhile, Rex and Anakin found the paint. "Looks like yellow," Rex said after inspecting it.

"I think it's orange," Anakin answered and looked for some droids who could help them with transporting the paint. He could persuade some power droids to let them stack the paint on them, so they would carry it to the barracks.

"How did you get them to help us?" Rex asked as they piled up the paint buckets on the droids. "When I asked them once to do something they weren't built and programmed for, they just ignored me," he added.
Anakin chuckled. "Did you offer a quid pro quo?" he asked.
"A compensation?" Rex asked, confused.

"Yes. After they help me with transporting the buckets, I'll repair their minor problems," Anakin answered.
"If they have problems, the mechanics will repair them," the Captain said.

"But the problems I'm talking about don't hinder them in doing their work, so it doesn't interest the mechanics. It's like having a small rock in your boot. You can still walk properly, but it isn't nice. The difference is that we can get rid of the rock without help, but they can't get rid of their 'rock' without help, so I will do it," Anakin explained as he put the last bucket on top of another.

Rex, Anakin and the power droids made a strange convoy on their way to the trooper quarters. Rex led the way, while Anakin walked last to make sure no bucket fell off.

"Take one droid to our quarters. Cody and the others are probably already waiting. I'll take the rest of the droids to the others' quarters and explain everything to the troopers," Rex told Anakin, who nodded and headed to the quarters where he, Rex and some others slept.

"There you are, al'verd'ika," Hardcase greeted him.

Anakin smiled at the nickname, which seemed to have stuck. "Hey, Hardcase. I got some paint for you. Did Cody explain everything?" he asked. The others nodded.

"We also have something for you. Come," Hardcase said and led him to the back of the quarters, where Jesse, Cody and Coric were standing. They presented him with armor. It looked similar to the clone armor, but smaller and slightly different. Technically, it was parts of armor, not a full set.
"We thought our little Jedi could use some protection. We took Beat's armor and modified it so it would suit you. It should protect you, but also keep your agility as if you weren't wearing it," Jesse explained, smiling.
Anakin's eyes went wide. "Wizard!" he breathed out, excitedly inspecting the armor.
"Try it on," Hardcase suggested.
Anakin put his new armor on with Cody's help. Then he looked at himself. His chest, shoulders, forearms and shins were protected now. It wasn't much, but it was more than before.
"Thank you, guys," Anakin said, smiling.

"You're welcome," Cody answered. "Beat would be happy that his armor can protect you now, al'verd'ika."
"Then let's get that paint on our armor," Hardcase exclaimed and got a brush and a bucket. Everyone else did the same. Anakin looked around and then spotted Hawk. He walked to the pilot.

"Hey, Hawk, can I get your helmet for a moment?" he asked.
"What for?" Hawk asked, but passed it to Anakin.
"That's a surprise, but don't worry," Anakin answered, took the helmet and walked away a bit, so Hawk couldn't see what he was doing. Anakin soon returned and presented Hawk with his helmet, which now had two orange birds on it. Hawk took his helmet and examined it curiously.

"I thought since you love flying, you would like it. I mean, even your name comes from a bird," Anakin tried to explain his doing. Hawk's silence made Anakin think that Hawk probably didn't like it, as Anakin feared.
"It's great, ad'ika, I mean al'verd'ika. I love it, thanks," Hawk thanked him and grinned.

Like everyone else, Anakin took off parts of his armor and grabbed a brush. On the spot where his heart would be, he drew a note connected to a heartbeat symbol, like one would see on a heart monitor.

The droids waited for Anakin. After delivering the paint buckets, they gathered together in front of the troopers' quarters. Anakin didn't make them wait long. He left his armor in the quarters to dry and went with the droids to the hangar, where he got some tools. He sat down in a corner and began to adjust, oil and repair the droids' minor problems. Other droids saw this and gathered around Anakin, hoping he would help them too, and he did.
While working, he talked with the droids, listened to them and even laughed when they told a joke, even when it wasn't really funny for someone who wasn't a droid.

"You really get along with droids, little Commander," someone said, startling Anakin. He jumped, looking up, and was about to raise his arms to protect him when he recognized Rex.
Anakin stood up quickly. "Captain Rex, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you," he said quickly and tried to hide his shock.

"Easy, ad'ika. I'm sorry. I didn't know that you could startle a Jedi," Rex answered, holding his hands up, as if he wanted to show that he was no threat.
"It's okay. You probably couldn't startle Master Obi-Wan even if he was lost in his work like I was," Anakin said and sat back down next to the mouse droid, who bumped impatiently against his leg. Also, he was only a Padawan and not a real Jedi, but he kept that part to himself.
"So, where did you learn mechanics? Hawk praised you as a genius. Do the Jedi teach mechanics?" Rex asked, without mentioning the protective posture Anakin had a moment before, as if he thought he was about to get a beating.
"They do, but I didn't learn anything new in the Initiate courses. My mother taught me the basics when I was young and then I taught myself. I tinkered with everything I got my hands on. Mom always said that you have to…" Anakin trailed off.
"What did she say?" Rex inquired. As a clone made on Kamino, he didn't have a mother, and he was curious about what mothers usually taught their sons.
"It's not important. I should forget it and leave the past behind, like the Jedi want me to," Anakin just said. He continued working on the droid to avoid having to look in Rex's eyes.
"It sounds like it's important to you. And, well, I don't want to interfere with your Jedi teachings, but I think that experience is important, and if we forgot about the past, we'd also forget what we learned, right?" Rex concluded thoughtfully.
That got Anakin to look up. "Master Obi-Wan said that I should earn more battle experience," he added, now lost in his thoughts.
"Maybe you should talk with the General. Maybe he could explain what he meant by leaving the past behind," Rex suggested, but Anakin only nodded and mumbled, "Maybe."

He finished his work on the mouse droid which circled him, beeping happily, and disappeared. Anakin smiled and got to work at the next mouse droid.
"Why didn't you paint your armor?" he asked Rex while he was working.
"You said that it is necessary to tell us apart. My armor is already painted with the red marks of a Captain. You can already tell me apart from the others," Rex answered. Anakin could tell that Rex didn't understand why he should paint his armor.
"You're right, but the others seemed to have had some fun painting their armor. Why shouldn't you have that kind of fun, too? I saw them talking about their motives and giving each other ideas. It is a kind of bonding to paint their armor together. I think it would do only good if you joined them," Anakin answered and smiled at him.
Rex seemed to consider his Commander's words, when Cody, Hardcase and Jesse approached them.

"There you are, vod*," Cody greeted Rex. "We looked for you all over the ship. What are you doing in the hangar with all those droids?" he asked. They didn't see Anakin, who was kneeling exactly behind Rex's legs, hidden from the view of the three clones.
"I…" Rex began, but Hardcase interrupted him. "Not important, we got you your bucket." He tossed Rex his helmet. Rex caught it and raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to it?" he asked, looking at the orange Jaig eyes painted on it.
"We painted Jaig eyes** on it, like you see. And don't ask why, you know why," Jesse answered, grinning.

And before Rex could protest, Cody said, "You deserve it, vod'ika."
Rex blushed at that, which earned him a raised eyebrow from Cody. "You just called me little brother in front of our little commander," Rex explained and stepped aside, so the three of them could see Anakin, who waved at them shyly.
"Sorry, I didn't want to overhear your private conversation. But I didn't have the chance to let you know that I am here, too," he apologized. Jesse and Hardcase saluted immediately, looking a little bit shocked.
"Sorry, Rex," Cody said sheepishly.

"It's okay," Rex answered.

Anakin looked at them curiously. "You're family. Why shouldn't you call each other little brother or brother, or whatever? I also called my mother 'mom'. Even in public. That's normal," he suggested.
"We're on duty, and we aren't bred to be a family. We're soldiers," Cody explained. His face got blank, like the faces of the others.

"I think that's bantha poodoo. You are a family. A very big family, and nothing can change that. You may be soldiers and the Kaminoans may be something like your makers, but they can't take your free will. And if your will is to be a family, then you're a family," Anakin argued, and stood up.

He looked fiercely at the clones, remembering what his mother and the other slaves had taught him. "Make yourself worthy to them. Do what they want you to do, so they leave you alone. But whatever happens, never let them take your free will. When they don't know about it, about your feelings, about your wishes, then they can't take it from you."
They looked shocked at their little Commander, who talked like their older brothers sometimes did, when they were still cadets. It was like the boy in front of them knew what kind of life they had. And Rex remembered how Anakin told him at Jedha that he knew.
"I may be your Commander, and not one of you. I'm not a clone like you. But you don't work for me, we work together. My military rank may be higher than most of yours, but as a person, we're on the same level. I don't know if you trust me that much, but you can come to me if you have any problems. You don't have to be the perfect soldiers around me. I would like to get to know who you really are. But I can understand if you don't trust me enough. You should never trust somebody who thinks he's above you. Secrecy can save your life," Anakin continued.

He looked down after finishing, thinking of the other things his mother told him, taught him. He wanted to tell them their stories, but he still was afraid to tell them about his past life. So he just scooped the mouse droid he was working at up, took his tools and left the clones to their thoughts.

* vod-brother (here), sister, comrade

** Jaig eyes-mark of honor, awarded for particular acts of bravery ( wiki/Jaig_eyes)