The long awaited sequel from Chapter 5, and the second problem child lol. I'm still unused to Rex, so his characterization is a bit wonky. I wanted to do him justice since I know how beloved he is, but at the end of the day I can only write him to the best of my ability and that's alright. Besides, I know he'll get better with time

Enough of that, enjoy the chapter! As usual, the next chapter is available to all patrons $3 and up two weeks in advance! Big thanks to patrons Jesse, Dragon, and Lil!

CW: O66 hints, inhibitor chip references, sexual references.

Scar. This Realm Walker had to be Scar. They had to be! But how?!

That fighter died on Rishi, sacrificing their life alongside Hevy to stop the All-Clear signal from transmitting. The entire base crumbled to the ground, engulfed in a burst of fire and smoke that burned itself into Rex's eyes and reappeared for days after whenever he closed them. Subsequent excavations and clean up yielded nothing aside from the maintenance tunnels beneath the base. But even they were scorched and choked with ash, the metal walls warped and twisted in a manner that no organic could survive. The eel tunnels hadn't been decimated, but there was no way Hevy and Scar could have escaped the main room before it blew.

No matter how much he wished and hoped differently, there was no way Hevy nor Scar could have survived that explosion.

He never forgot Hevy, but sometimes Scar too crossed Rex's mind, the memory of how he distrusted them burdened with regret. He never did get a chance to tell them he was sorry. Sorry for treating them like an enemy. Sorry for constantly questioning every move they made. Sorry… for not staying behind to help them when the detonator didn't work. Had he stayed, maybe they would still be alive as would Hevy. He let them both down, something he didn't think he'd ever forgive himself for.

But, now, here was a fighter with color switching sabers that sounded exactly like Scar, down to the weird sayings and snarky attitude. To say Rex thought he was seeing ghosts was one hell of an understatement. Unless it wasn't a ghost at all, and the Rishi fighter really stood before him. Yet, the intensity of that explosion would have killed anyone inside, and subjected anyone in the maintenance tunnels to a slow and fiery death as the metal contorted due to the extreme heat.

Maybe Shadow wasn't Scar. Maybe… maybe he was just rattled after having one ally come back from the dead. Rattled and naïvely hopeful. But literally everything pointed to Shadow being Scar.

Cody's odd behavior. Shadow's willingness to go through hell to rescue Echo. The amethyst blades that turned red when Shadow was angry. Not to mention that Shadow was apparently one of those shapeshifting fighters, Alphians, that could die and come back. Scar said they had multiple lives, after all. And they'd lost one for...

Their sniper. Who was a member of an unorthodox commando squadron. A squadron with a color scheme of red and black, and the insignia of a skull. A skull displayed on a red bandana just like one Sergeant Hunter wore.

It had to be them!

But there was only one way to know for certain.

Once they were about two blocks from the others, Rex turned to Shadow and lowered his voice. "Shadow," he whispered urgently, stepping forward. "We've met before, haven't we?"

They met his gaze before a small smile tugged their lips. "Reckon so, Cap."

It was them!

"Rishi," he breathed. "You were that shapeshifting fighter on Rishi, right?"

Shadow, or Scar, nodded. "Aye. Certainly seems that way, and Cody pretty much thinks so."

It is them! They're alive!

"How… But you… The explosion! How did you survive?" he stammered, gesturing frantically. "It destroyed everything!"

If they survived, then… Perhaps…

Hevy could have too.

"Not sure," Shadow replied with a shrug. "Haven't gone back in time yet."

Rex's head snapped back in surprise. Of all the Realm Walker magic he expected, that wasn't it. "You time travel?"

Another small smile. "I can do a lot of things, Cap. Apparently, that's one of 'em. Trust me, I'm as shocked as you." Shadow tilted their head in concern when he staggered back. "Er, you ain't gonna hit the deck, are ya?" they asked with an uncertain smile.

Rex shook his head, leaning on the wall. "No. No, it's just… a lot to take in," he said with a nervous chuckle as he ran a hand over his shaved head. Why was he laughing? He shouldn't be laughing. This was no time to be laughing! "Not used to people returnin' from the grave, I guess."

Shadow snickered. "Can't say I blame you there, Cap. I'd be shook too."

Rex chuckled nervously again, still unsure of what to say. What did you even say to someone returning from the dead after the last thing you said to them was a threat?

"If you betray us, I will take you out myself."

He remembered the horror that gripped him when the last thing that he ever heard from Hevy was him yelling for Scar to watch out. What happened? Had the droids gotten them? Had the LT malfunctioned? It wasn't as if he could ask Scar, or Shadow, now. The Realm Walker hadn't even gone back yet, so the way they survived remained a mystery.

But what wasn't a mystery was the guilt eating away at him more and more.

All that time I didn't trust them and scrutinized them, they were telling the truth. They were on our side.

What made it worse was knowing now that he was one of their favorite troopers. He couldn't have imagined how he would have felt if Anakin had doubted him left and right from the moment they met. Sure, they were like brothers now, but at one time Rex had been just a wide-eyed Shiny, thrilled to be assigned to his favorite Jedi Knight.

How would he have felt if Anakin had accused him of being a spy on their first meeting?

Shadow poked his arm. "You good, my guy?" they asked, head tilted.

"Scar- er... Shadow?" Rex began, stumbling over his words as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Shadow works." Their half smile faded and their head tilted. "Cap, you alright? Don't pass out on me, sit down if you need to."

"No, I-... I'm fine. Thank you."

All this time, Rex told himself he'd apologize if he had the chance. But now, with the very fighter standing before him, the words kept tangling in his mouth before he could get them out. How did you even apologize to someone you thought was dead? Someone who happened to be a very powerful Realm Walker with a vengeful streak, according to Commander Cody? Shadow didn't appear to hate him, but then again they didn't know how he treated them. What if they erupted on him?

"I'm… sorry for the way I treated you while on Rishi."

Shadow's head tilted the other direction. "How'd you treat me?"

"I didn't trust you," he admitted. "And accused you of being a Separatist spy."

A grimace and a wince. "Oof."

"But you have my trust now," he added quickly. When Shadow straightened, Rex continued, "You saved Echo, risking your life. You stayed behind to help Hevy, even though you knew the base would explode." He frowned. "Or, I think you knew."

Shadow nodded. "Yep." They looked away. "I just hope I manage to save Hevy when I do go back."

Rex shook his head in surprise. "Even knowin' I was harsh to you, and that you may die, you still plan to help my men?"

Shadow's brows shifted upwards. "Course I do! Why wouldn't I?"

"You hate Cody because of the way he treated you," Rex said.

Shadow frowned. "I don't… It's not a hate, per se," they sighed, gesturing with one hand as they rubbed the back of their neck. "I can take some grouchiness or short temper, just look at Crosshair. Cody… Let's just say I ain't exactly proud of blowing up. But mental illness has a hair-trigger temper." They shook their head. "Cody tripped over a landmine, but I get he didn't do it on purpose."

"What did he say to you?"

Shadow's gaze darkened. "It's not something I feel comfortable getting into right now," they growled, nervously scratching their arm. "Wound is still tender."

Easy, Rex old boy. Don't spook them now.

"I'll respect that," he tried.

Maybe if their feelings were validated, they'd calm down? It worked with some of the more emotional members of the 501st. Hells, it even worked on General Skywalker whenever the Jedi was worked up for one reason or another, usually after a Jedi Council meeting. Perhaps it would work on Shadow too.

Luckily, it did the trick and Shadow relaxed. "Thanks, Cap. I appreciate it, really. And don't beat yourself up for being a bit harsh with me." They smirked and punched his arm. "You were a bit more wound tight back then."

He huffed, rubbing the limb, but oddly didn't feel any real aggression. Annoyance, maybe, but certainly not anger. Shadow had that same snarky attitude as Commander Tano, with Fives' or Hardcase's habit of getting physical when joking around. They also seemed to have the same dry humor as himself, which could be a reason he was their favorite.

Why am I their favorite, anyways?

"Cody mentioned I was your favorite," he said, hoping Cody's name wouldn't get them angry again.

Shadow glared back the way they came, but they didn't seem mad. A bit embarrassed maybe, judging by the red across their cheeks. "So I heard."

Rex still remembered how hot his own face felt when his first meeting with Anakin began with him tripping over the step right after Cody told the Jedi that Rex looked up to him. Facing someone you respected was certainly nerve wracking.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Shadow sighed. "You think it's weird, don't you?" they asked, not meeting his gaze as they scratched their arm again.

It was so odd, Rex thought, that despite their immense power, Shadow still stumbled over their words. Status or not, it seemed even Realm Walkers weren't immune to anxiety flashes. Shocking, yet comforting. Shadow wasn't some lofty deity far removed from the emotions of mortals. No, they were just like Rex himself.

Human.

Or, close enough to count.

"Odd maybe," Rex replied, careful to keep any judgement from his tone. "But it's only odd because a Realm Walker knows me by name."

Shadow snorted, rolling their eyes. "Jeez, gonna make me feel like a celebrity or something, and more expectations to live up to ain't something I need right now."

"Tell me about it," Rex grumbled, yet a smile tugged his lips.

A soft snort. "Guess we both in the same boat full of holes, huh?"

"Guess so," he agreed.

I like this fighter.

He'd seen glimpses of Shadow's snark while on Rishi, but here, away from the stress of battle, even more of their humor shone through. Humor he could appreciate, especially since the whole exchange was nothing short of awkward and even a bit tense. Both due to Rex's shame at his past treatment, but also due to Shadow's very understandable uncertainty meeting someone they apparently looked up to.

After he and Shadow shared a chuckle, he shifted his feet. "Can I ask why?"

"Why what?"

"I'm your favorite aside from your squad."

"Ah, well… why not?" they replied. "You can appreciate a joke, ain't arrogant, like doin' things a bit of a different and sometimes unorthodox way, don't shy away from a fight, and you're kickass with those blasters." A more genuine smile crossed their face. "But you're also loyal to your friends, and got a good heart. You'll always do the right thing, no matter what."

So they did think him loyal, then! That was a relief. But why had they gotten into an argument with Cody, then, if they valued loyalty?

"What did you mean by Cody was too loyal?" he asked, before mentally cursing.

He was trying to not agitate Shadow! The last thing he needed to do was make them clam up right as they were getting comfortable enough to talk. Then he'd be right back at square one and what would he have to report to General Kenobi then?

Luckily Shadow didn't seem too angry. Instead they just sighed, leaning against the wall. "Don't get me wrong, he's a good soldier and a good man. But he's a bit too loyal to the system for my liking. He'll do what's right as long as the system says it's ok. If the system prohibits it, he won't act."

But they were all loyal to the Republic! Cody was faithful, yeah, but so was Rex! Did Shadow think he'd commit treason? Realm Walker or not, Rex wouldn't stand for anyone calling him a traitor!

"And you think I would?" he demanded, unable to keep the bite from his words.

"You're loyal to the side of good, not the law itself," Shadow replied, shaking their head before lowering their voice. "And I know you can keep secrets, too."

He stiffened. What did this Realm Walker know about him? "Like what?"

They reached forward and tapped the blaster burn near his heart, their razor sharp black claw going tak-tak-tak against his breastplate. "Exhibit C."

He looked down. Exhibit C? What about Exhibit A and-

C. Cut. They knew about Cut! They knew Rex kept the deserter a secret from everyone, even Cody himself. That's why they told Cody they could trust him. Because they knew he'd kept secrets before.

"You know about Saleucami."

Shadow nodded. "Aye, I do. Another reason you're my fav. You have enough sense to know when you should follow the rules and when it's ok to…" They gestured vaguely. "View 'em more as guidelines."

Rex lowered his voice. "Then you trust me to keep a secret?"

Shadow glanced around, but they nodded. "Reckon so."

Progress. Don't lose them now.

"Can you tell me what the future holds? For me and my men at least?"

He expected them to balk at the request. That's what Cody said happened when he tried to get the Realm Walker to open up. Then again, Rex hadn't tried to use his rank yet, and Shadow still seemed to be in somewhat of a conversational mood. Besides, if they didn't open up to him, their favorite clone outside of their squad, then no one would get anywhere with them.

Their eyes shifted to his right temple before, to his surprise, they replied, "Eventually."

A start, then. But why not here and now? The sooner he knew the better! And what did the right side of his head have to do with anything?

He stepped forward. "Shadow, if you know something that will put my brothers at risk, I need you to tell me."

Shadow's shoulders drew up as they took a step back and eyed him warily.

Uh oh.

Quickly, Rex followed up with, "You know I'll do anything to keep them safe. Just like you. You clearly care, since you rescued Echo."

Shadow's shoulders slowly dropped.

Rex risked a small step forward. "That's all I'm asking; help me keep my brothers safe."

"This knowledge." Shadow hesitated, shifting in place. "It may not be something you want to carry. Some things are really better left unsaid."

"I'd rather know and be ready, than take the comfortable route and risk their safety."

Shadow held his gaze, then sighed. "Alright, Cap. Once I'm done with the Council, ask Cody if you can bring me back to the Batch. I'll tell you then." They glanced around. "Too many ears here."

Progress! But what do they mean, 'Too many ears here'?

"There are no seppies on Naboo, Shadow."

Shadow slowly shook their head. "The biggest threats are never those from outside, Cap," they said quietly.

Rex went rigid, anger sparking to life within his chest and threatening to consume his entire body. "Are you saying there's a mole in the Republic?" he snarled quietly.

Who was it? Who was the traitor so he could take them out before they caused whatever destruction Shadow was worried about? If the GAR knew, they could nip this in the bud before the mole stole and sold even more of their secrets. The war could end!

"There's always moles," Shadow sighed. "Some with good intentions who do bad things, and vice versa."

"Who? Who is it?"

Shadow glanced around again. They looked… scared?

What could an all powerful Realm Walker be afraid of?

"Later, Captain." Their eyes came back to his. "I'll tell you later. But I'll tell you this now. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The higher you go? The worse it gets."

"Already know there's scum in the Senate," he growled.

Shadow looked away. "Some… are worse than others."

Rex laid a hand on their shoulder. They flinched, but didn't step away. "Shadow, you can trust me. You know you can." He lowered his voice, stepping closer as he squeezed their shoulder. "Give me something so I can act."

Shadow glanced at his hand before meeting his gaze. "Aye, I do trust you. The real you."

The real him?

"What do you mean by that?" he asked softly.

Again, Shadow's eyes shifted to his right temple before they unfocused and dropped to the ground. Horror slowly spreading over their face as their fists clenched, Shadow muttered, "There's a reason the term forbidden knowledge exists. The cost of knowing… the burden of knowing… it's a cruel reality indeed."

What could possibly be so bad that Shadow would immediately become guarded after being so talkative?

"Shadow-"

"Ice!" Hunter called. "Tech says he's got the first prototype almost ready for the reg!"

Dammit!

How much of the conversation had the sergeant overheard? He had advanced senses, after all, and had kept his eyes on them since they broke away from the main group. Not to mention the commando called them back right as Shadow got agitated. While Rex admired the care Sergeant Hunter had for Shadow, as he himself cared the same for those under his command, the interruption came at the worst possible time.

He was so close!

"Comin', Shaggy!" Shadow yelled over their shoulder, pulling out of Rex's grip. They looked back at the perplexed captain and held out their hand. "Ask to escort me back after I speak to the Council. I'll tell you everything I can then. I promise."

Rex looked out their outstretched hand, wrestling with himself. He wanted, needed, to know more. He had to protect his men! His brothers! His family! But attempting to force the Realm Walker to stay would only lead to issues, and Rex acknowledged that it was better to learn later than to not learn at all.

He grasped Shadow's hand and shook it firmly. "Alright. Deal."

-Shadow PoV-

Walking alongside Rex as we made our way back to the others, I only halfway focused on the road in front of me. My mind remained elsewhere, preoccupied by the vast array of new uncertainties brought to light by my chat with the 501st captain.

So, he remembered me. Remembered that I had in fact stayed behind to help Hevy. He hadn't treated me too well by the sounds of it, so I had that to look forward to. Who didn't love being grumped at by their favorite character? Then, of course, there was the standard worry from anxiety; had I made an utter fool of myself?

Rex didn't seem annoyed by me. At least, I didn't think he was. Couldn't really read him as well as the Batchers. Being around them all the time, I could tell what they were thinking from the slightest twitch of a facial muscle. But Rex, I didn't really know him. Then again, I'd certainly know if he was lying. That man couldn't lie to save his life.

I remembered the beginning of S7E2.

I just hoped that I hadn't doomed the galaxy by agreeing to talk to him after everything was said and done. That would really put a damper on chaos shenanigans with the Batch. And that, simply, would not do.

Obi-Wan greeted us as we rejoined the others. "Shadow, I spoke to the Council."

"Goodie," I muttered, immediately heading for Wrecker so I'd have at least some support system to cushion the blow when Obi-Wan delivered the news, good or bad. Though either answer was bad in a way; it was either no rest for the pair or I'd have to face the Jedi Council.

Wrecker was, unfortunately, preoccupied chatting with Fives about something. Crosshair, observant as ever, quickly attached himself to my side and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I thanked him with a glance and bumped my head into his side. At least the hilarity of our current height difference while I was in full human form lifted my spirits.

"It is good news," Obi Wan assured me, eyeing the pair of us with a sympathetic look.

"They get the break?" I asked hopefully.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, the Council granted them both leave."

Great! Wait.

"In exchange for me coming to speak to them," I guessed.

Obi-Wan nodded. "We will not take you from your squad," he added, taking note of my scowl. "I have already informed the Council that such a move was out of the question."

"Well, I'll be without 'em for a bit when I go to Coruscant."

Hunter, who had been speaking with Cody, whipped his head around. "We're going with you, Ice."

"He's right," Crosshair added sternly, the corners of his lips set in a deep frown as he glared down at me. "Not goin' on your own."

I groaned. We discussed this before, and I honestly thought we all understood what would happen after the ARCs' rest period ended. There'd been pushback then, but I really figured we came to an agreement. Apparently not.

I couldn't blame them, however. I didn't like it either. The last thing I wanted was to aggravate my attachment issues by separating from the commandos, even if it was only for a short while. In a way, I guessed that was all the more reason to spend some time apart, but literally nobody was happy about it.

"Guys," I began, rubbing my temples. "We talked about this."

"Absolutely not, Squeaky!" Wrecker argued, coming over with the ARC brothers. "Where you go, we go!"

"Y'all are gonna want a break after dealin' with the regs," I reminded them.

They'd made that perfectly clear. Numerous times. With great conviction. We'd tossed around some ideas, but the most appealing certainly was a brief vanishing act back to Kelusia. It'd be interesting to see how much time had passed there since it didn't quite work the same as it did here. Maybe it would have been just a few months, maybe years could have passed. Or, perhaps, time wouldn't have changed at all.

Really couldn't tell with universe shenanigans.

"But not a break from you," Hunter growled, crossing his arms as Fives responded to me with an offended 'Hey!'. "I don't like my team being separated."

"You know you can't handle the buzz from Coruscant," I reminded him. "You'd get overwhelmed before we even dropped out of hyperspace."

"You will not be goin' alone and that's final."

"You won't be goin' at all," I shot back.

A dry smile. "Can't exactly stop me."

"False. I know what knots all of you can't get out of."

"And we know the knots that you can't get out of," Crosshair added, yanking the back of my shirt.

"Well," Obi-Wan said, looking positively uncomfortable. Poor guy. "I believe we better report back to Coruscant, Cody."

"Yes, General." Cody sent a glare my way, but oddly enough it didn't look angry. More like 'why can't you behave and not be a menace for one karkin' second'?'.

I shrugged apologetically and got a head shake in reply.

As Rex said his goodbyes to the two ARC brothers, Hunter smacked my shoulder.

"This talk is not over," he grumbled, scowling as he scooped up his headphones.

"Rather think it is," I replied, trotting over to Rex and the others. "Well, Cap, I'll let you know if anything goes funny."

As both Cody and Obi-Wan gave me odd looks, Rex nodded. "Thanks, Shadow. And thanks again for rescuing Echo."

"Anytime."