Chapter 2: Rex
Rex's mind was in complete and utter turmoil, but the words were being pulled from his throat like he was a pre programmed droid.
"Yes my lord." The 501st captain replied, the blue hologram of the Chancellor flickering out. Rex was left staring at the holocom held in his now shaking hands.
All of his thoughts immediately turned to Ahsoka, his Ahsoka. The Togruta Jedi had become his world as of late, and dare he say it, his light.
And now he was supposed to extinguish that light without question or hesitation, but Rex hesitated. He couldn't harm, much less kill Ahsoka. It dawned on him that he would do anything to keep the young woman safe at any cost, even giving his life to save hers.
Thank the maker that we're not on Coruscant with Appo. A frown upturning his face underneath his helmet, he knew Appo would give the Jedi no remorse, and no mercy.
Rex, Ahsoka, and Torrent Company were on an unnamed moon in the Mid Rim, away from any large conglomerates of Republic Forces. Rex knew Order 66 would spread through the entire GAR, many Jedi would die, but here, on this small moon, Rex could try to save one.
Not try, will. Thinking of his men, Rex had confidence that Ahsoka would live on. Torrent Company, nearly all of them veterans, looked upon Ahsoka as a young sister. They'd grown attached to the young Jedi, they were brothers, and she was their sister, their family.
A sister, who laughed, cried, and bled with him and his men, she was no traitor.
Quickly snapping from his thoughts, Rex decided to turn such thoughts into actions. Rex knew that every other man in his company had received the message; he had to get to Ahsoka as quickly as possible, but in a discrete manner. Hurriedly walking towards his men, he saw Ahsoka standing on a small mound, looking out over the lush green landscape. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a "shinie" moving towards his Jedi, the man was a recruit picked up less than a month ago, no doubt completely loyal in every respect. A look of horror crossed over Rex's face, and he began to run towards the scene. The clone raised his blaster rifle at Ahsoka's back, the young Jedi turning around with a look of utter betrayal on her smooth face.
"Ahsoka!" Rex bellowed, he wouldn't get there in time…. she was going to die.
If she dies it will be over my dead body. Rex drew his dual blaster pistols in a flash, ready to put two bolts into the clone's head, but Rex was beaten to it.
A blaster pistol was shoved against the shinie's head with enough force to chip the white helmet, it's wielder ready to shoot.
"Put the rifle down Greaser, or I'll blast your head open." Kix, Torrent Company's medic growled. Behind him ARC Trooper Fives positioned himself with a clear shot at the clone's spine, ready to defend their beloved Jedi.
Veteran Torrent Company troopers swarmed around the scene, all preparing for a potential firefight. A trooper by the name of Dogma inserted himself in between Greaser's rifle and Ahsoka's body, protecting the young Jedi, who by now had taken out her lightsabers.
ARC trooper Echo also made his way into the scene, not wasting anytime, the commando wrapped an arm around Greaser's neck, while trooper Jesse wrenched Greaser's rifle away from his body. Rex and a few other troopers wrestled the recruit to the ground, and cuffed him.
"You're disobeying direct orders given from the Chancellor himself!" Greaser yelled, glaring at the veteran troopers who stood above him. "You're supposed to terminate the traitor! Follow your orders!"
"Ahsoka's no traitor shinie." Fives growled, fixing Greaser a glare that would melt durasteel.
"The Chancellor ordered all Jedi to be terminated! They've betrayed the Republic!" Greaser fired back, Ahsoka gasped in shock, eyes filled with tears. Rex moved around the group and stood near Ahsoka, grabbing her forearm lightly, trying to comfort her.
Greaser's helmet was slapped off his head, with a punch following a second later.
"Echo! Restrain yourself!" Rex demanded, the ARC trooper stepped away from the fallen rookie with a slight smirk of pleasure, his eyes filled with rage.
"If you speak of her like that again I will beat you to a pulp." A number of other clones joined in with silent murmurs of agreement. "The general has been nothing but loyal to the Republic, and us troopers. You haven't seen her in a single battle; I've been with her for years! Don't you dare demean someone like her again." Echo rumbled, cracking his gloved fists as he moved away.
"You're all insane! You may have me locked up for now, but when I get out, the Chancellor will have your heads for your betrayal." Greaser gave a short laugh and smiled towards Ahsoka.
That did it for Rex, with lightening speed; the clone captain knocked the recruit out with a punch to the face. The group of clones hauled the unconscious form of the recruit away, leaving just Ahsoka and Rex.
"Rex." Ahsoka whispered, a tear trailing down her cheeks "is it true that you were ordered to kill me? Are Jedi across the galaxy being killed by their men?" Ahsoka sounded desperate to know the answer.
Rex stared at her before he whispered back, "Yes."
That was all it took for the controlled young Jedi to break down, gasping for breath, with tears streaming down her face, Rex watched as the young woman's world crumbled.
Rex couldn't stand seeing Ahsoka like that, without thinking, he moved forward. Before he realized what he'd done, Ahsoka was in his arms, his gloved hands stroking her head.
"I'm so sorry Ahsoka." Rex spoke, his voice cracked with grief. He thought of all the other Jedi that he knew, Plo Koon, Yoda, Obi Wan, and Anakin, all were dead by now. "We can still get you out; we're not following the Chancellor's command."
Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock, looking up at her captain who'd grown to be her friend over the past couple of years.
"R…Rex, you would do such a thing? But you will be executed when you go back!" Ahsoka said, her arms wrapping tighter around Rex.
Rex smiled, touched by her concern. "We're not going back." He said flatly.
"What do you mean?" Ahsoka appeared stumped and confused by Rex's answer, it amused him.
"I mean Torrent Company isn't going back, we are loyal to the Republic, and the Republic owed itself to the Jedi Order's sacrifice. This order is nothing short of sanctioned mass murder, genocide. Torrent Company will never participate in an action against such innocent people, Jedi who nothing more than protect the government that now calls for their death." Rex spoke with no room for argument.
Ahsoka looked shocked, but not surprised by Rex's words, she'd known him since the war began. "But what about the rest of the men?" Ahsoka asked, still recovering from Rex's speech a few seconds earlier.
"You saw how the men reacted to Greaser's threat to you. I have no doubt many of the veterans will follow you and me. We will put the shinies on a ship headed back to Coruscant, and we will lay low for awhile. " Rex spoke with a tone of finality.
"Sir what do we do? We can't kill Ahsoka, and we can't go back to the GAR." Dogma asked the question in desperation.
"We lay low for awhile; hopefully other brothers like Smokes didn't follow the order as well." Rex reasoned, Commander Smokes was a hard head, but protected those he cared about, even if it meant disobeying orders.
The men of Torrent Company nodded their agreement and went to work readying for their departure.
Mere hours later, Torrent Company was headed off the moon. The loyal recruits were mind tricked by Ahsoka and put on a ship bound for the capital planet. Rex and the veterans of Torrent Company, along with Ahsoka boarded a ship. Looking out over the stars, Rex stood beside Ahsoka, the young Jedi who he'd seen grow from a teenager into a beautiful woman, and all be damned if he let her die. Rex and the men of Torrent Company would follow Ahsoka to hell and back.
He briefly heard a conversation going on behind him.
"Echo, do you think this means we're going to be rogue?" Fives asked his fellow ARC Trooper.
"I believe so Fives." Echo responded with a quiet amused grunt.
"I've always wondered what it would be like to live on the edge, now maybe we can finally get some excitement." Fives said with giddiness.
Rex could only smile.
-Greaser is my creation, all other characters belong to Lucas and Disney.